Feb 02, 20:00


GamersHeroes Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:02 PM
    

Players will once again be able to visit Arcadia Bay with the release of the Life is Strange Collection. In honor of this release, Gamers Heroes takes a look at a cosplay of a key character in the series, Chloe Price.

The post Cosplay Wednesday – Life is Strange's Chloe Price appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:02 PM
    

A remote-first studio, Gardens is a new studio by Chris Bell (Journey), Lexie Dostal (Dustforce), Stephen Bell (Blaseball), and a talented team of developers behind such projects as Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank, and Skyrim.

The post New Remote-First Gardens Studio Announced by Industry Veterans appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:02 PM
    

The world of Gato Salvaje Studio's real-time-with-pause RPG The Waylanders is now available for the PC via Steam and GOG.

The post The Waylanders Now Available on PC appeared first on GamersHeroes.


Kotaku Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:20 PM
    

Your calendar is not lying, it's only the first week of February, but according to reports Warner Bros. have decided to get in early and kick the upcoming Suicide Squad game all the way into 2023.

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:20 PM
    

For the last few years, a Guitar Hero player called Schmooey was widely believed to be the best in the world, having racked up achievements and displayed feats that other players thought impossible. A discovery made last year, however, shows there was a very good reason for that.

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Kotaku Wednesday, February 2, 2022 4:55 PM
    

There's a bunch of anime packed into the winter season but not a lot of time to watch them all. That's where the otaku of Kotaku have your back. Welcome to Kotaku's Anime Revolution, presented by Acura. Each week, we'll take a look at one of the hottest shows of the winter season and put them through the three episode…

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, February 2, 2022 4:49 PM
    

Yesterday, Bungie revealed a bonkers new Exotic gun coming to Destiny 2 later this month in The Witch Queen: a grenade launcher called Parasite that shoots live Worm rounds (alien parasites shaped like giant slugs). It was an instant hit among the loot game's faithful and has also ignited a debate over whether Destiny

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Yesterday, Halo Infinite's samurai-themed "Fracture: Tenrai" event returned for a third round, looking much like it did for its second outing. For some players, it's another excuse to hop into a fun event with meaningful rewards. But for others, it's an underbaked game spinning its wheels.

Read more...


PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:57 PM
     Stardew Valley, but you're tiny and steal spoons to farm

Stardew Valley brought explosive popularity to the genre created by Story of Seasons (or Harvest Moon, if you're properly old-school), and since then we've seen indie games take the farming genre in about a million new directions. But the newly-announced Elusive People goes to a place I haven't seen from a farming game before - a very tiny place.

In Elusive People, you play as a tiny person trying to survive in a normal-sized house. You grow food in a watering can, and have to forage in the kitchen to find tools like spades (spoons) and ploughs (forks). In a press release, the devs describe it as "Arrietty by way of Stardew Valley", and there's as much stealth as farming to be done here.

It seems the basement where your farm is located will be safe, but to gather supplies elsewhere in the house you'll have to sneak around, evading the attention of both the homeowner and their housecat. There are friendly faces to be found around the house, too, however.


PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:18 PM
     Match-3 RPG Puzzle Quest 3 is coming, free, to Steam

The original Puzzle Quest was a surprising mix of RPG game and puzzle game that took the industry by storm over a decade ago, and though follow-ups have been surprisingly sporadic in the years since, we're at last getting another major sequel in the near future. Puzzle Quest 3 is officially due to hit Steam (and mobile) this March.

Puzzle Quest 3 launches into Steam Early Access on March 1, and it will be free-to-play. You still match coloured gems to power your attacks in RPG style battles, going back and forth between strategising the puzzle elements and the actual combat. You can choose from five character classes with their own powers, and you'll gather loot and experience to keep getting stronger as you go.

The game's been available in mobile betas for some time, but the Steam Early Access release is an effort to optimise and balance the game for PC players. The final release is expected within a year, but the game's story will be playable from start to finish from day one of Early Access.


PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 5:52 PM
     Garry's Mod can now use Steam's chat filters

Madcap 2006 sandbox game Garry's Mod just got a minor update that adds a nice new feature. Now players can activate Steam's chat filters in the in-game chat, and Garry's Mod will apply whatever rules you've enabled in Steam's chat settings. It's a game (is it a game?) that's always been very weird, but now at least you can keep your chat from getting too aggressively weird.

With the latest update installed, Garry's Mod has a new option available in the chat's filters section. Along with the tick boxes for filtering joins and leaves, server messages, team changes, and the like, now there's a box labelled "Filter Profanity (Steam settings apply)". Checking this box will pull the rules you've set up in Steam for chat filtering.

This means you can set up chat to censor profanity and slurs with alternate characters, allow profanity but censor slurs, or to turn off filtering completely. There's an option to exempt your friends from the filters' rules, and you can add any words you like the 'allow' and 'ban' categories.


PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 5:22 PM
     Rust's February update includes a big performance fix

Rust's February update is seasonally appropriate for February (in the northern hemisphere, at least), but while the arctic features are the headline attractions, there are some notable technical changes - including a major performance fix. The devs at Facepunch say you should see much more stable frame rates as of this February 3 update.

Recent updates have introduced an issue where frame rates would dip for no apparent reason, and the issue would be worse the higher your base frame rate was. "After doing a bunch of profiling," the devs say in a press release, "we noticed that there were some significant stalls on the render thread and our tree impostor system was most likely the cause of the issue, even though the population had only been tweaked very slightly recently."

The devs say that "with the fix, frame rates should be a lot more consistent again (as long as what's being rendered is consistent) and should overall be slightly higher in general, particularly in areas with a lot of bushes and trees like Bandit Camp."

RELATED LINKS: Best survival games, Rust commands, Rust vehicles

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:51 PM
     Call of Duty: Warzone's Lunar New Year tracer pack disabled due to bugs

A new cosmetic pack for Call of Duty: Warzone has been disabled until further notice. Developer Raven Software has shut down the battle royale game's new Lunar New Year-themed Tracer Pack: Year of the Tiger, after hearing reports from players that the pack was causing crashes.

As Charlie Intel reports, the Tracer Pack: Year of the Tiger sells for 1,000 COD Points (or about $10 USD), and includes the Tiger Blueprint for the STG-44 assault rifle. That comes with a vibrant tiger-themed skin for the weapon, plus two weapon charms, two calling cards, and the Tiger's Dance watch. Like all tracer packs, it also includes a visual effect for rounds fired from your weapon - in this case, fireworks.

One of these items, it seems, was crashing Warzone and causing other glitches. In some cases, it seems to have actually ruined matches, and it's bad enough that Raven has now stepped in and disabled the pack completely while it works out the issue.


PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:29 PM
     Minecraft devs

The Minecraft devs are prepping the way for the 1.18.2 patch, which will feature a round of bug fixes before Mojang moves on to finalising the Wild update. For now, that means we're getting a smaller series of (semi-)weekly beta snapshots, and snapshot 22w05a brings us what the devs call a "small squishing (that's a word, right?) of bugs".

A visual glitch with water blocks has been in the game since at least 2012, when it was noted on the Minecraft bug tracker. Placing water diagonally from another water block would result in a graphical issue. It's a purely cosmetic problem, which is likely why it's lingered so long, but hey - it's finally fixed now.

This sort of thing isn't all that uncommon - in the snapshot cycle leading up to 1.17, we got multiple fixes for ancient bugs. But this is pretty much the most interesting thing in the patch notes for today's snapshot. There's a reversion to a previous badlands change to "avoid causing generation changes and chunk borders. This change will be re-introduced later."

RELATED LINKS: Minecraft console commands, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:17 PM
     Ghostwire: Tokyo release date set for March

February 2, 2022 The description for a video showcase of Ghostwire: Tokyo has revealed the official release date.

Spooky looking horror game Ghostwire: Tokyo now has an official release date, following its delay last year. In the description for a video showcase set for February 3, Tango Gameworks says Ghostwire: Tokyo will launch March 25.

In a message posted to Twitter last year, Tango Gameworks obliquely referenced the difficulties presented by the preceding year's work-from-home requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We want to get the game in your hands as soon as possible so you can experience the unforgettable version of a haunted Tokyo that we've been hard at work building," the studio wrote. "At the same time, we're also focused on protecting the health of everyone at Tango."

Ghostwire: Tokyo was first announced at publisher Bethesda's E3-adjacent showcase in 2019, and got a better look at some in-game footage during the PlayStation 5 reveal event last year. The footage shows a surreal version of modern-day Tokyo that's inhabited by malevolent spirits. It's a first-person game, and you'll be using a range of paranormal powers to defend yourself from the bloodthirsty ghosts plaguing the city.


PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:05 PM
     Windows 10 may need eight hours to update your gaming PC

Windows 10 is failing to update on some PCs and laptops, but the cause might actually be more annoying than the scheduler we all loathe. After an investigation into why some devices aren't completing patches properly, Microsoft says it might take your system a total of eight hours in order to achieve a 'fully up to date' status.

Fortunately, it's not quite a full working day without a lunch break. David Guyer, program manager for Windows Updates in Endpoint Manager, explains in a blog post that you need "a minimum of two continuous hours," followed by another "six total connected hours" to successfully download and install the patch in the background.

Collectively, this is called the "minimum Update Connectivity measurement," and approximately 50% of outdated devices aren't clocking in the necessary hours to bring them up to speed according to Guyer's data. In fact, 25% of devices running a serviced build of the operating system are still more than 60 days behind on security updates.

RELATED LINKS: Microsoft DirectX Raytracing, Microsoft Hololens hands-on, Windows Game Mode preview

Twinfinite Wednesday, February 2, 2022 5:34 PM
    

Today Sony Interactive Entertainment and Polyphony Digital aired an extensive livestream about the upcoming racing game Gran Turismo 7.

The post Gran Turismo 7 Gets Extensive State of Play Video Showing that GT Is Back in All its Glory appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Wednesday, February 2, 2022 4:38 PM
    

Third-party developers had a ton of reveals about upcoming add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator to share, alongside a couple of releases.

The post Microsoft Flight Simulator Lear Fan 2100, Cessna 400 Corvalis, Boeing 757, LaGuardia, Renton Airport, & More Get New Screenshots & Videos appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:05 PM
    

According to Bloomberg, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice league, is being delayed into sometime in 2023. The game, which is being developed by Rocksteady the team behind the acclaimed series of Arkham Batman games, was originally slated to release sometime in 2022. Considering the lack of news since its announcement back in August of 2020, […]

The post Report: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Delayed Until 2023 appeared first on Twinfinite.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Review: Pokemon Legends: Arceus Puts Players to Work

Arceus summoned you! You're chosen to take on a task! It means going to the all new Hisui region! What do you do? Well, apparently it means getting a job. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is Game Freak's latest spin-off experiment. It asks what happens when elements of the traditional formula are mixed with Pokemon GO and Monster Hunter. The result might sometimes feel a bit tedious and not quite be what you'd expect, but it's promising!

Almost immediately after (literally) dropping into Pokemon Legends: Arceus, players are put to work. Professor Laventon, this region's researcher, lost three starters. After easily catching them, the people of this world realize you have a remarkable trait. You aren't afraid of Pokemon. To stay in Jubilife Village, you need to make yourself useful to the Galaxy Expedition Team. That means helping them in their goals. Namely, you research Pokemon by battling, catching, and interacting with them to complete the first Hisui Pokedex, help the Diamond and Pearl clans to encourage relations between them and Galaxy, and maybe complete the requests of some folks in the village.

Cyllene.

Jubilife Village pretty much acts as your primary hub in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. You have a home where you can store items and change clothing. The town, which can grow as the game goes on and complete side-quest requests, features shops, crafting station, place to buy experience-bestowing candy, a training area where you can learn moves, a farm for growing berries and crops, a hair salon, a clothing store, a trading post for special items and exchanging Pokemon, pastures for Pokemon you've caught, and a photo studio. When you're ready to head out into the wild, you check in with a member of the guard to pick a region to visit. When you do, you can also select one of the base camps you've unlocked as your starting point. The world map will also show if there are any Outbreaks, which mean an increased swarm of one kind of Pokemon is present.

This means visiting biomes with all sorts of wild Pokemon. There are a lot of wide, open spaces. In many instances, there aren't too many points of interest. A private beach might only be home to three or four Spheals at a time. A large swamp could only have two Hippowdons inside. Once I gained access to Pokemon I could ride, I'd often rely on them to make it easier to traverse the expanses. Especially since, in later areas, things can get a bit repetitious. I didn't expect the Aipoms family, the Bidoof family, the Drifloon family, and the Shinx family to be so widespread. It feels a lot like Monster Hunter! You choose where you're going. You're in that enclosed space. You see the creatures in the field. They react to your avatar. You gather resources for crafting items or fulfilling quests. Camps become places to arrange your party, rest, or store stuff. Also if you want to leave, you have to go through a check-in with Professor Laventon to assess your progress, see how much money your actions earned, and build up your rank. (Your rank replaces gym badges and determine if Pokemon listen to you and you have access to certain recipes.)

Review: Pokemon Legends: Arceus Puts Players to Work

So how do you make yourself useful to the Survey Corps? Well, you encounter a lot of Pokemon. To completely and 100% fill a Pokedex, you must tick enough items in a list of possible research activities to get the level of it to 10. The obvious ways to increase that number are battling and catching Pokemon. But there can be other actions too! For example, seeing it use a specific move in battle could be one. Which you could accomplish by catching one of your own, making sure that attack is in its movelist, and fighting with it. (Pokemon don't forget moves here. You can choose which four are active from the menu at any time.) Feeding them can increase your knowledge. Even knocking a Burmy out of a tree works! Initially, it's novel and fun. I found that after a while, it got pretty tedious. Especially if it involved a Pokemon that's a rare spawn (the "baby" Pokemon are good examples).

You also take on the main story quests, which involve aiding the Diamond and Pearl clans. While similar, they're not on the best terms with each other. Each one worships and tends to Pokemon "Nobles" in Hisui. Except some of them are falling into a frenzied state. Coincidentally, you're the only person capable of calming them down. The path to easing their burden always involves meeting one Warden and Noble that unlocks a new transportation method, then another that involves a more active battle. When one of those fights comes up, your avatar will be running around an arena pelting the Pokemon with balms until it wears itself out enough to be fought by one of your Pokemon. Once you do that, it temporarily pauses so you can pelt it with more balms. These range from interesting to frustrating. But as the Coronet Highlands encounter taught me, you can retry or even continue your battle with your existing progress if you do fall in the fight, so there's that!

Golduck

But the things you'll probably be doing most often is playing Pokemon Legends: Arceus like you would Pokemon GO. To be clear, you can fight wild Pokemon. You might have to in many cases! Some species are hostile. Not to mention the Space Time Distortion fields that bring in high level, uncommon Pokemon will have groups of one-to-three wild characters attacking you on sight. (This becomes a fight where you send out one Pokemon to deal with multiple opponents.) But it can also save a lot of time to just… try and catch everything instead. You have a lot of tools for more peaceful options. You can throw food to distract them. There are balls of mud and snow. You can craft or buy different kinds of Poke Balls for various situations. There are items to temporarily obscure your footsteps or appearance. If you take advantage of those, you can focus on a Pokemon, toss a ball over (preferably from behind), and hope for the best. It can even work on Alpha Pokemon, which are larger, stronger, and more aggressive than usual! It might also mean you'll use Pokemon you wouldn't expect. My Gastrodon Ningguang accompanied me for much of my journey because, well, I managed to catch the level 30-something Pokemon when most every other character in my party was around level 15.

Now, I mentioned this is a title that plays around with what a Pokemon spin-off can be. This means that, well, it might not be perfect! I experienced a few bugs as I played. When a hostile Pokemon targets you, there's an alert showing you're in danger. In my case, two times it didn't go away! Each time that happened, I headed to a base camp. That's essentially a designated "safe space." After I did my tasks and took a rest to heal my Pokemon and advance the time of day… the alert was still there! It's frustrating, because it means you're hearing the sound, seeing the icon, and prevented from fast traveling. I also missed seeing Cyllene during one event segment, because the screen went entirely grey. The fog weather effect could use a bit of tweaking perhaps, as once when I encountered it I couldn't make out anything around me.

Cyllene?

There are also some side-quests that don't always feel well thought out or get incredibly tedious. For example, some of them require Pokemon of extraordinary sizes. This means you'll need to hope for a random Alpha encounter with one after aiding the frenzied Noble in the area where it often spawns, then catch that. Many quests also involve completed Pokedex entries. Which is fine if its for an incredibly common character like Starly. It isn't as much fun if it is for a rarer character like Cherrim.

Review: Pokemon Legends: Arceus Puts Players to Work

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is quite an experimental game, and I'd say it is mostly a success. There are some elements that aren't quite there. Which is true of most games, I suppose. It might start feeling like a job once the novelty of getting a Pokedex entry to "10" wears off. (I certainly felt like it was getting to be work and abandoned completionism by the Crimson Mirelands.) But while it isn't perfect, it shows a lot of promise! It's a fantastic first step for what future Pokemon spin-offs could look like. It's certainly more refreshing than some recent mainline games, and I felt more excited each session playing than I did with Pokemon Shield or Pokemon Brilliant Diamond. I wouldn't say it's the most essential installment or should be someone's first experience with the series, but people who love Pokemon should really play it.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available for the Nintendo Switch.

The post Review: Pokemon Legends: Arceus Puts Players to Work appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:30 PM
    

Ghostwire: Tokyo Release Date Set, Deluxe Edition and Showcase Announced

A Ghostwire: Tokyo Showcase will air on February 3, 2022, and the YouTube description for it revealed the game's release date. As expected, it will show up in March 2022. The exact release date is March 25, 2022. There is also a chance to get early access on March 22, 2022 and extra items if someone gets the Deluxe Edition.

A Ghostwire: Tokyo Showcase will air on February 3, 2022, and the YouTube description for it revealed the game's release date. As expected, it will show up in March 2022. The exact release date is March 25, 2022. There is also a chance to get early access on March 22, 2022 and extra items if someone gets the Ghostwire: Tokyo Deluxe Edition.

It seems the Ghostwire: Tokyo Deluxe Edition primarily consists of cosmetic items. People who get that version will be able to dress Akito differently with a Shinobi Outfit or Streetwear Fashion Pack. There will also be a Kunai in the pack for him to wield. The announcement confirmed that people will need to get a digital copy of that edition to play three days early.

Here's the official link to the Ghostwire: Tokyo February 2022 showcase.

And, in the event Sony changes the YouTube description, here's a screenshot of the details.
Ghostwire: Tokyo Release Date Set, Deluxe Edition and Showcase Announced

The Ghostwire: Tokyo release date is March 25, 2022. It will be available on the PS5 and PC. People who get the Deluxe Edition will be granted early access on March 22, 2022.

The post Ghostwire: Tokyo Release Date Set, Showcase Announced appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Fire Emblem Heroes 5th Anniversary Art Shared

The Fire Emblem Heroes 5th anniversary is upon us in 2022, and to commemorate it Intelligent Systems and Nintendo shared art in honor of it. All of the designs are from artists who previously worked on the game. They depict a number of characters who've shown up over the years as units. In many cases, their "alt" designs are used. There are 15 images total.

In each case, the artists who designed these Fire Emblem Heroes 5th anniversary works of art previously contributed character designs. For example, Daisuke Izuka contributed a work featuring Fire Emblem Heroes original characters Gustav and Henriette in their Days of Devotion (Valentine's Day) outfits. Izuka contributed art for both the mobile game and Cipher card game. Senri Kita contributed art of Marth. In addition to her work here, she worked on mainline installments like Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and its direct sequel Radiant Dawn.

Here's the full gallery of Fire Emblem Heroes 5th anniversary art.
[gallery columns="5" ids="914864,914865,914866,914867,914868,914869,914870,914871,914872,914873,914874,914875,914876,914877,914878" link="file"]

This is one of many changes coming as part of the Fire Emblem Heroes 5th anniversary. There will be login bonuses and activities. People can vote for which free unit might be doled out as part of A Hero Rises 2022. The Choose Your Legends Round 6 winners were also announced.

Fire Emblem Heroes is available on Android and Apple iOS devices.

The post Fire Emblem Heroes 5th Anniversary Art Shared appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:00 PM
    

Patch 1.15 is a cute Lunar New Year nod Lunar New Year manifests in gaming in a bunch of ways,...

The post It's time to grab the tiger hat in Kena: Bridge of Spirits before it's gone appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 5:00 PM
    

Delays and much-anticipated titles are all coalescing into a few months Last year saw a good deal of games get...

The post This February kicks off a pretty busy couple of months for games appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 4:00 PM
    

Listen to your favorite tunes, or download them for your own use The last few months have been a real...

The post Pokemon Diamond and Pearl music is now available in a Sound Library appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Tango Gameworks is hosting an official showcase tomorrow Ghostwire: Tokyo is joining the ever-growing lineup of springtime game releases. Tango Gameworks'...

The post Ghostwire: Tokyo gets ghoulish in March appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 2:00 PM
    

Early copies now out in the wild Like Beauty and The Beast, it's a tale as old as time. An...

The post Techland asks eager Dying Light 2 players to hold off for launch day patch appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:30 PM
    

Mina the Hollower was the big reveal Yacht Club Games Presents kicked off yesterday, and delivered a full Nintendo Direct-style...

The post Here's a recap of the 2022 Yacht Club Games Presents stream appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:15 PM
    

The crew may be putting their plans on hold until next year It looks like one of the big DC...

The post Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League reportedly delayed to 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Fantasy puzzle adventurer returns 505 Games has announced that the third iteration of its fantasy-based brainteaser, Puzzle Quest 3, is...

The post Puzzle Quest 3 coming to tease brains on PC and mobile appeared first on Destructoid.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:50 PM
     Dying Light 2 Lockpicking GuideLockpicking is a fairly common mechanic in certain games, and you'll do this often in Dying Light 2. Whether you're just trying to loot chests, or you're running past enemies to open a doorway, it's imperative that you have the tools of the trade. More importantly, you need to do the process correctly. Otherwise, Aiden could waste those items or end up dead. Here's our Dying Light 2 lockpicking guide to help you with lockpick crafting and upgrades. Note: We'll have a Dying Light 2 guides and features hub soon, so stay tuned.   Dying Light 2 lockpicking guide – How to craft and upgrade your lockpicks You'll learn the lockpick blueprint fairly early on in the campaign. You're told how to do it by Hakon during a mission called Makers of the Plague since you need to break into a hospital. For reference, 3x lockpicks require 5x scrap (which is a material that's easy to find). So, how exactly does lockpicking work in Dying L...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:40 PM
     Dying Light 2 Healing Guide Medicine Military Medkit FeatThe most straightforward way to heal your character in Dying Light 2 is by finding a bed and sleeping in it. However, when you're out and about in The City, you'll definitely need a few items that can keep you in tip-top condition. Here's our Dying Light 2 healing guide to help you with medicine and military medkits, as well as their upgrades. Note: We'll have a Dying Light 2 guides and features hub soon, so stay tuned.   Dying Light 2 healing guide – Medicine and military medkits Medicine is the more common healing item in Dying Light 2. You'll receive the crafting blueprint during the tutorial stage of the game. Each medicine requires 1x honey and 2x chamomile. Don't worry since these materials are plentiful, and you'll often spot them while checking out rooftops or Nightrunner Hideouts (seen in the image below). Likewise, medicine is often sold by vendors or found via exploration. As for upgrades via the Craftmaster NPC, you...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:30 PM
     AMD radeon 6000 Series refreshSome information has recently come out that suggests AMD could release refreshed models for some of its Radeon 6000 Series graphics cards along with another entry-level option. Twitter user @greymon55 says that AMD will release the "RX 6500 in May," with the graphics card allegedly featuring a far more affordable price point. The leaker also suggests that there will be a larger refresh for the Radeon RX 6000 lineup that yields improved gaming performance. The RX 6500 is a rumored alternative to the RX 6500 XT. Allegedly, it'll be priced around $130 USD at MSRP, making it much cheaper than the $199 USD price tag of the 6500 XT. For the most part, it seems that the RX 6500 will be based on the RX 6400 specs. This means that it may have 768 stream processors and 4GB of  GDDR6 memory. If not for the disappointing performance of the 6500 XT, an even cheaper option would be considered a smart move on AMD's part. Unfortunately, we're awaiting the release of th...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:15 PM
     EA Battlefield 2042 NFTs explosionsMany players have always had fairly unfavorable views of EA, but as of late, it seems that those negative sentiments have heightened. Last year's launch of Battlefield 2042, by all accounts, did not go well. Various issues, including its downright crippling glitches, resulted in a middling reception from critics and a considerably worse one from fans. EA CEO Andrew Wilson's support of NFTs, which have received widespread opposition from many players and developers, only made the company look worse in the public eye. It appears that EA has acknowledged its dwindling PR, as not only did Wilson express disappointment with the launch of Battlefield 2042, but he also appears to have walked back his support of NFTs. As reported by Seeking Alpha, Wilson's comments came from a call held to discuss EA's earnings during the third quarter of the company's fiscal year. He noted that EA "did have a challenge in Q3 as the launch of Battlefield 2042 did not meet...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:45 PM
     Suicide Squad Game Delay 2The Suicide Squad may have been one of DC's more successful films, but that fan momentum may be hard to carry over to the world of video games. Rocksteady's Suicide Squad video game was slated to release sometime in 2022, but Warner Bros has reportedly delayed the game to sometime next year. Looks like players will have to wait a little longer until they get their hands on playable King Shark or Harley Quinn. This report comes from a story on Bloomberg, according to "people familiar with its development." According to the story, this seems to be an ongoing issue with Warner Bros' games, as other big projects from the Lega, Harry Potter, and Batman universes have also been pushed back from 2021. These projects were delayed with production holdups as a result of the coronavirus, so it's likely more developmental issues are being stirred up by the pandemic as well.   Superhero mayhem The report is given more credit after a tweet from WarnerMedia...

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, February 2, 2022 5:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, February 2, 2022 4:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, February 2, 2022 2:00 PM
    

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, February 2, 2022 4:17 PM
     Humans tower over insects and other critters, but when the tables turn, you'll have to run from the gigantic insects. In Grounded, you play as shrunken humans to avoid death by insects, and using natural resources is essential to your survival. If you want to make a shelter, you'll need floors and stairs. However, these […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:17 PM
     In the base Division 2 game, players can get to Level 30 via the leveling system, and levels afterward improve your Gear Score instead. With the game's expansion, Warlords of New York, this level cap has been increased to 40. Additionally, the improved leveling sequence allows players to upgrade their base skills after they reach […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, February 2, 2022 2:21 PM
     Mir4 is a unique NFT game in the sense that it is an MMORPG. Although other upcoming NFT games venture into MMORPGs, Mir4 is one of the first ones. The fact that it is a popular series in Korea makes Mir4 something to consider. There are many plans for play-to-earn features in the game, but […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:31 PM
     Fracture is one of the smaller maps in VALORANT. However, despite being a smaller map, the entire map's skybox is relatively open and clutter-free, allowing players to set up molly lineups for post-plant play easily. Killjoy's Nanoswarm Grenade is an underrated post-plant lineup molly, which is understandable because the Nanoswarm Grenades already have a manual […]

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:27 PM
    

They showcased a lot of content from the upcoming racer.

The post Gran Turismo 7 Showcases 30 Minutes of Content During State of Play appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:33 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, February 2, 2022 2:33 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, February 2, 2022 1:55 PM
    

We might have to wait to kill the Justice League.

The post Suicide Squad Game To Be Delayed Into 2023 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Latest Games on Play iDev Games Wednesday, February 2, 2022 4:26 PM
     This is a short test program for the Welcome To... Chichester series...

Latest Games on Play iDev Games Wednesday, February 2, 2022 4:21 PM
     Hunt, survive, and deal with a forest that is no longer the home that you used to know....

Feb 02, 13:00


Kotaku Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:45 PM
    

Most wild Pokémon are incredibly standoffish in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. When trying to catch them, I'm used to having to sneak up to them in the tall grass, or pelt them with food until they look somewhere else. They'll often run away or attack trainers if provoked. Mr. Mime, on the other hand, wants to give you a…

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Kotaku Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:10 PM
    

Just three months ago, Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson called NFTs an important part of "the future of our industry." Now he's doing everything he can to downplay their significance. The move by the publisher of FIFA and Madden comes as the NFT backlash hits new heights, including at EA where Kotaku has learned that…

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Kotaku Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:00 AM
    

The idea of being excited about yet another zombie video game in this, the year of our lord two-thousand and twenty-two, might seem ridiculous to some. Even I, a die-hard fan of the undead, understand how tired people are of zombies. They really are everywhere, from Back 4 Blood to Project Zomboid. But Dying Light 2

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Kotaku Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:00 AM
    

In Japan, butsudan (仏壇) are small shrines found in Buddhist temples and homes. They certainly don't usually look like the one above!

Read more...


PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:35 PM
     Hunt: Showdown gets a hotfix for post-patch performance

Hunt: Showdown players had been looking forward to update 1.7.2 since before the new year, since the Weird West PvPvE multiplayer game had been exhibiting strange performance problems. Last week's update was meant to address those, but when it arrived, many players found new performance issues in the game. Fortunately, Crytek has figured out what was happening and released a hotfix, which is available now.

It turns out that one of the major contributors to performance problems in Hunt: Showdown was an older update that changed the way the client made calls to the Steam overlay. Effectively, it was asking for information from the overlay every single frame, which as you might imagine required a significant amount of system resources. The latest hotfix corrects this, and now Hunt: Showdown will only make calls to the Steam overlay for specific events, such as when you launch the game, or when friends join your lobby.

However, a new issue was introduced with version 1.7.2. The Hunt: Showdown team realised it had "inadvertently" changed a setting that has to do with code optimisation, but only after the latest update had gone live. Fortunately, the team has now flipped that switch back to its original position and generated a new build.

RELATED LINKS: Hunt: Showdown review

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:24 PM
     Valheim devs show the first Mistlands creatures

Today marks the first anniversary of the debut of Viking survival game Valheim in Early Access. It's already excellent - just check its placement on our Game of the Year list - but there's a whole lot more content to come. Today, the developers at Iron Gate have revealed a few more details on the next major biome updates: the Mountains and the (currently very empty) Mistlands.

"Alongside the Mountain update, we've also been ramping up work on Mistlands," the devs say in the announcement. "The phase of nailing down the core concept is done, and we know what kind of inhabitants we want the biome to have. This means we're now working on a bunch of new build pieces and enemies, as well as defining more of the new mechanics we will be introducing (though we'd like to keep those secret for a while longer)." The insectoid creature in the image above is the first officially-revealed concept creature for the Mistlands.

The devs also say they're hoping to get Valheim in shape for portable play as of the Steam Deck release date, and they're actively working to make it happen.

RELATED LINKS: Valheim system requirements, Valheim building tips, Valheim progression guide

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:18 PM
     Fortnite Rock skin – how to unlock The Foundation

Want to know how to get Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's skin in Fortnite? As one of the most electrifying men in sports entertainment and featuring in some of the highest-grossing films in the last decade, finally, the Rock has come back to Fortnite. After his brief cameo during the end of Chapter 2 Season 8, we now have the chance to unlock a Fortnite skin based on the likeness of the people's champion, though it is initially covered up.

While these challenges don't specifically ask you to lay the smackdown on your opponents in the battle royale game, you do have a bunch of quests you need to complete to unlock The Foundation's skin and all of the associated cosmetics. Sadly there is no emote to use the people's elbow finishing move from the Rock's wrestling days, but what's here is worth grabbing, including an emote that reveals his face.

These challenges may take a bit of time to complete, so we'll go over how to get all of the related Foundation items, including a map showing the locations for one of the challenges and tips for eliminating a rather tricky Fortnite NPC that's just arrived on the island.

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

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:02 PM
     Get 46% off the Razer DeathAdder V2 gaming mouse

Not everyone uses the best gaming mouse to play PC games, but a good rodent in your arsenal can enhance your performance and experience. While choosing the right peripheral can be pricey, you don't need to settle something basic, as Razer has knocked a pleasing 46% off its DeathAdder V2.

Over on Amazon, you can grab $32.43 off Razer's DeathAdder V2, bringing it down from $69.99 to $37.56. Featuring a 20K DPI optical sensor and optical mouse switches, this reliable rodent could strengthen your trigger accuracy and mean the difference between a win and a loss in FPS games. The mouse also boasts eight programmable buttons, which should come in handy when playing MMOs like FFXIV.

It's almost a given with Razer nowadays, but the DeathAdder V2 also comes with the company's signature Chroma RGB lighting, which should help your gaming desk look even snazzier. You can even sync up Razer's nifty mouse with Philips Hue, Nanoleaf, and Yeelight products, meaning it can match your smart home's aesthetics.

RELATED LINKS: Razer Thresher Ultimate review, Razer Blade review, Best gaming headset

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 11:18 AM
     FFXIV's Valentine's Day event returns soon – here's when and where

Valentine's Day is nearly here, so all your favourite games are getting seasonal events to send you all aflutter, and Final Fantasy XIV is no different. While the Halloween-themed All Saints' Wake was a tad late, Valentine's Day is arriving right on time.

FFXIV's Valentione's Day event kicks off on February 8 at midnight PST, 3am PST, and 8am GMT. The event runs to February 21. Once the time comes, you can head to Old Gridania to meet Lisette de Valentione at coordinates X:10.2 / Y:9.4, who will have a seasonally appropriate quest for you. You only have to be level 15 to do it, so most of you should be just dandy.

This time around, you're getting an outfit - barding, if you're fancy - for your company-issued Chocobo mount to dress it up like a delivery person. You can also get some new decorations for your home if you're lucky enough to, uh, actually own one. Square Enix has also clarified that certain items from previous Valentine's Day events can be obtained from the House Valentione maid, so if you've missed out previously, now's your shot.

RELATED LINKS: The best MMOs on PC, FFXIV Reaper job guide, FFXIV Sage job guide

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:59 AM
     Grab Payday 2, a great Diablo-like, and 13 other goodies for $8.99 and support charity

Safe In Our World is a charity dedicated to raising awareness about mental health concerns in the gaming community and promoting positive change in the wider game industry. Launched by industry veterans back in 2019, the charity's been hard at work over the past few years, launching initiatives such as #LevelUpMentalHealth and a podcast, among other ventures. Now, the charity is releasing a new games bundle packed with goodies.

SIOW has partnered with Fanatical to launch the Winter Blues Bundle, which is a collection of games designed to help players feel good and have fun in what can be a challenging season. The offering includes 13 games and two DLC packs, which will cost just $8.99 - a very sweet deal indeed considering SIOW says the bundle is worth more than $250.

As to what's included, there's the ever-popular multiplayer co-op shooter Payday 2 in the mix, which sees you and a gaggle of your buds head to Washington DC for an "epic crime spree", completing jobs and racking up rewards.


PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:47 AM
     The best Genshin Impact Chongyun build

Looking for the best Chongyun build in Genshin Impact? The popsicle-loving professional exorcist has been around for a while, which means that most Genshin Impact players have already welcomed him on their team. So, all the more reason to have a look at his best weapons and artifacts!

If you're still questioning whether you should (re)build Chongyun, there are plenty of reasons: he's a good main DPS for beginning players, a useful Cryo sub DPS for advanced players, he's great at setting up Elemental Reactions, and his ascension materials are relatively easy to obtain. On top of that, four-star Cryo characters are still quite rare.

Before we move on to the best Chongyun build, let's have a look at his playstyle. His Normal Attacks are quite slow and their damage can't compare to that of a five-star. So, no matter how you build Chongyun, make sure you focus on his Elemental Skill and Burst. The Elemental Skill conjures an AoE field that deals damage and infuses Claymore, Polearm, and Sword weapons with Cryo. Chongyun's Elemental Burst is a basic Cryo attack, but a fast one with a very low Energy cost. Note that Chongyun's passive ability 'steady breathing' grants a small Support bonus: Sword, Claymore, and Polearm characters gain an 8% Normal Attack speed bonus. This leaves us with two options: either build Chongyun as a sub DPS, or as a sub DPS and Support hybrid. Let's take a look at both.

RELATED LINKS: Play Genshin Impact for free, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:41 AM
     Dying Light 2 reviews – our roundup of the critics' scores

The eagerly anticipated Dying Light 2: Stay Human launches this week, and Techland's zombie game has now been put through the paces by game critics around the world. After numerous delays and a sometimes confusing marketing push in the final sprint to launch, is this a worthy successor to one of 2015's sleeper hits?

As it turns out, it depends on who you ask. In our Dying Light 2 review, senior news writer Dustin Bailey praises the combat and parkour systems, which he says feel just as terrific as they did in the first game. However, the new ideas in Dying Light 2 failed to impress. A variety of minor bugs plagued his playthrough, but worse, he feels the promise of consequential, game-changing decisions was never truly fulfilled. "I spent around 30 hours with Dying Light 2, and I'd say I liked about ten of them," Dustin writes, ultimately awarding it a 6/10.

Over at our sister site The Loadout, Joe Apsey was more taken with Dying Light 2's green dystopia. "We all lost connections during lockdowns, or suffered fractured friendships, and witnessed how people could rise – or fall – in a time of need," Joe writes. "Techland has managed to capture that collective trauma and experience in the narrative of Dying Light 2. And, for that reason alone, Dying Light 2's narrative ends up hitting harder than it would have if we hadn't all experienced the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic."

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

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:42 AM
     The best Sims 4 mods

So you want some Sims 4 mods? The Sims was a must-have game on the PC when it first released in 2000, and twenty years later the series is still going strong. In 2020 The Sims 4 made $1 billion and attracted nearly five million new players. But where is all this success coming from? You could point to the game's consistent content drops and expansion packs, but we suspect it's The Sims 4's strong library of user generated content that's keeping the lights on.

The Sims 4 modding community is thriving. These modders are a lively bunch who create plenty of weird and wonderful additions to the base game. Their creations can be found over at ModTheSims, which hosts a wealth of community-made free mods for you to download and enjoy as you please. Installing mods is simple enough - all you need to do is drag the mod files over to the game's mod folder. In a typical setup, this should be Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Mods.

Make sure you enable the mods in-game as well before you try using them. We've compiled a list of what we think are the best Sims 4 mods accompanied with links to all the download pages. Be sure to read the install instructions for each mod, and if you especially enjoy one give the creator a little love.

RELATED LINKS: Best Sims 4 mods, Best Sims 4 sex mods, Play The Sims 4

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:00 AM
     Dying Light 2 review – a leap too far

Dying Light 2 makes a bad first impression and an even worse one in closing. There are moments of genuine joy in its robust parkour system and chunky melee combat, but those moments are stretched thin across hours of lacklustre storytelling and repetitive side content. It's a game that promises consequences for every choice you make, but the payoff often feels so thin as to remind you of Fallout 3's infamous slideshow ending.

You play as Aiden Caldwell, a wanderer who's searching for his missing sister in the last standing city after a zombie apocalypse. As with the original Dying Light, you make your way through the streets and rooftops with an array of parkour moves, and fight off both living and undead enemies with a selection of improvised melee tools.

It takes some time getting to grips with the parkour system, and the early hours of the Dying Light 2 - which you can buy here, coincidentally - will see you getting caught on world geometry and running up walls you didn't mean to. It's a shame that failure feels like the game breaking rather than a consequence of your actions, but those moments of frustration become much less frequent as you come to understand the mechanics and the flow of freerunning.

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

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 9:46 AM
     How to use nukes in Hearts of Iron 4

So you want to know how to use nukes in Hearts of Iron 4? As the conflict that brought nuclear armaments to the world stage, it makes sense that these fearsome weapons are present in Paradox's popular strategy game.

But how do you get them? How are they used? We've put together a quick guide for you so you know what you need to do to wield the destructive power of nukes. It's worth noting though that, despite being a very serious thing, Hearts of Iron IV's implementation of nukes leaves much to be desired. We'll go over this in more detail towards the end, but for now let's look at what you need to know about building up your nuclear armaments.

To start with, you will need to progress down the short but slow Atomic Research branch in the Engineering research section. There are only three steps, but these steps are spread across a five year period. Hearts of Iron IV heavily penalises the player when trying to research a technology earlier than the year the game places that technology, so it's rarely worth trying to start before then. This means you'll have to wait until 1945 before you can start using nukes, unless you manage to get some specific research buffs.

RELATED LINKS: The best Hearts of Iron 4 mods, The best WW2 games on PC, The best grand strategy games on PC

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 9:44 AM
     Battlefield 2042 battle pass – Season 1 release date

Want to know when Battlefield 2042 Season 1 launches? If you're looking for more Battlefield 2042 content, the near-future FPS game is going to receive its first battle pass shortly after launch. We know DICE is planning to release more Battlefield 2042 specialists, weapons, and maps throughout 2022, though an exact release date for additional content has yet to be revealed.

Battlefield 2042 didn't launch with a single player campaign, but the devs have an entire story planned that is set to take place throughout the year. Have you ever wondered who Synseco is and why they're advertised so heavily on some of the maps? The battle pass content introduces characters and maps to expand on the world of 2042, giving players an insight as to why the United States and Russia are at the brink of war.

Ryan McArthur, senior producer at DICE, published an article about the future of Battlefield 2042 on February 1 which confirmed Season 1's delay to summer 2022. DICE planned to release four battle passes in 2022, with each pass estimated to run for at least three months. Here's what you can expect from the Battlefield 2042 Season 1 battle pass.

RELATED LINKS: Battlefield 2042 review, Best multiplayer games on PC, Best FPS games on PC

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 9:08 AM
     Steam is getting shorter discount cycles

Everyone loves a good deal on a great game. Nabbing a Steam discount on something that's caught your eye is a great feeling, though if you miss the boat, you'll have to wait for a 'cooldown' to tick down before there's the chance it'll get discounted again. The good news is that cooldown's now coming down.

"Starting March 28, 2022, we'll be shortening the required cooldown period between discounts on Steam to four weeks (28 days to be exact) from the previous six-week term," Valve announces in a Steamworks Development post.

This means that, while the storefront currently requires a minimum of six weeks to pass between discounts on games or other products, as of March 28 that'll be down to just 28 days. So, if you miss the chance to grab something at a lower price on Valve's storefront, there's a chance you won't need to wait as long for it to go on sale again. Which is neat.

RELATED LINKS: Steam FAQ, Steam family sharing, Steam in-home streaming

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 8:00 AM
     Genshin Impact events – all current and upcoming events

Want to know more about the upcoming Genshin Impact events? A new version of Genshin Impact arrives every six weeks, complete with new characters, quests, and events. It's difficult to keep track of which events are currently running and if there are any new ones coming soon, so here's a schedule for all current and upcoming Genshin Impact events.

Genshin Impact has a number of events running simultaneously, and they aren't just in-game events. When a new Genshin Impact character joins the game, the devs launch a web event at the same time - players learn about the latest characters through an interactive story told through a web browser. The rewards for completing different events range from in-game items like primogems and mora, to real life prizes like mouse mats and plushies.

Just like the Genshin Impact banners, most events are only available for a limited time, so it's worth participating as soon as you can. New events are usually added to Genshin Impact after an update, but it's worth keeping an eye out on this page as the devs do like to surprise the community.

RELATED LINKS: Play Genshin Impact for free, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:56 AM
     Halo Infinite update on campaign co-op, Forge slightly delayed

You're going to be hearing more about 343 Industries' plans for campaign co-op and Forge in Halo Infinite soon. Head of creative Joseph Staten has taken to Twitter to tell fans that a roadmap is the team's top priority and that an update will be along "as soon" as the team can provide one you can "rely on".

Staten explains that the team missed its January target to provide an update on Halo Infinite's seasonal roadmap, campaign co-op, and Forge as it needed more time to finalise plans so it could share something that it can deliver upon. "This work is my top priority, and we'll have an update as soon as we can," Staten says.

Staten initially explained last year that Halo Infinite wouldn't ship with campaign co-op or Forge as they both needed some more time in the oven. The plan is to release campaign co-op in season two and then Forge in season three. That means we should be seeing both in Halo Infinite this year, though when exactly remains to be seen.

RELATED LINKS: Halo Infinite release date, Halo Infinite system requirements, Halo Infinite ranks

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:46 AM
     Snowrunner mods: the best user trucks and maps

So you want some Snowrunner mods? Despite the name, Snowrunner doesn't actually involve any running, which is a shame. It does involve a lot of snow, though, and this off-road open world game challenges you to take vehicles big and small across a myriad of open-world environments as you strive to complete challenges and explore the great outdoors.

We don't need roads where we're going, but we may need some Snowrunner mods, so we've put together a handy guide looking at some of the best available. It's worth setting your expectations now - we're mainly talking about new vehicles here, with a few new maps thrown in for good measure.

It's also worth pointing out that Snowrunner uses Mod.io, an up-and-coming platform that looks to try and break down the barriers between platforms so you can use the same Snowrunner mods on console as well. You can read more about Mod.io here as part of Humankind's mod roll-out, but all you need to know is that while the mods are compatible with Steam, you'll need to acquire any user modifications directly from Snowrunner's Mod.io page.

RELATED LINKS: SnowRunner review, Best PC simulation games, Best racing games

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:40 AM
     Apex Legends Season 12 Defiance release date – Mad Maggie, Control, and more

Want to know more about Apex Legends Season 12? 2021 was a big year for EA's battle royale game as Apex Legends received its first non battle royale mode in the form of Arenas. The updates didn't stop there, as four new characters were introduced and a new island map named Storm Point was added to the game. The new content was well-received by players, with Apex Legends seeing its highest player count ever on Steam.

Last year kicked off with a bang as Fuse, the explosives expert from the planet Salvo, joined the Apex Games. The latest 'Stories from the Outlands' trailer has revealed that Mad Maggie is going to join the ever growing roster in February.

Based on information the developers shared last year, we know Respawn is working on adding cross-progression and a next generation update. These features were supposed to arrive back in 2021 but were delayed until 2022, so there's a chance they could be part of Season 12. Here's everything we know about Apex Legends Season 12, including Mad Maggie's backstory, the latest information about the new game mode Control, and much more.

RELATED LINKS: Apex Legends characters guide, Apex Legends skins, Apex Legends map guide

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:58 AM
     League of Legends patch 12.4 notes – New champion Renata Glasc, Shockblade skins

It's that time again, League of Legends fans. Patch 12.3 has made the leap from the MOBA game's PBE to live servers, which means it's now turn for a new testing cycle to kick into gear. League of Legends patch 12.4 has now arrived for its fortnight-long round of testing and tinkering, and there's already plenty to check out.

The big news this patch is the arrival of yet another new champion. Hot on the heels of Zeri's release with League of Legends patch 12.2, Renata Glasc has now made her debut on the PBE. Known as the Chem Baroness, she's a powerful figure with "an advanced technological heritage" from Zaun, who has risen through the ranks to become the region's wealthiest chem baron - "a business magnate who built her power by tying everyone's interests to her own". Mysterious, persuasive, and with what sounds like a bit of a ruthless streak, Renata Glasc is being launched as a support champ. You can check out all of her abilities, stats, and skins in the notes below.

Elsewhere this patch, we've got some new Shockblade skins on the way for champions Kassadin, Shen, and Qiyana, and the new-and-improved Firelight Ekko - which was previously delayed - is now on the way.

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

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:36 AM
     All Steam Deck games will support AMD FSR upscaling

AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution integration is coming to SteamOS, meaning every Steam Deck game will have access to the upscaling tech. Spotted by Phoronix, FSR compatibility is now included with Gamescope, Valve's Linux-based compositor that handles games on the upcoming handheld PC.

Prior to the Gamescope update, 70+ games could use AMD FSR to boost fps and balance clarity. While that's still the case on Windows, Valve's Steam Deck FAQ says "FSR support will be included as part of an OS future release. Once that happens, games could potentially make use of FSR even if the games themselves don't natively support it."

It's worth noting that even with AMD FSR enabled, the Steam Deck's screen resolution will be capped at 1280 x 800. However, the upscaling solution could enable Valve's portable to maintain performance when paired with a 1080p gaming monitor. This could make all the difference when using a USB-C dock, as it should help games run with slightly higher settings enabled.

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

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:35 AM
     The best M4A1 loadout in Warzone Pacific

While the obvious answer to this question is that the best M4A1 loadout in Warzone Pacific is largely subjective, we're pretty certain that the M4 class and setup we've got is the best all-round build for the popular AR. This weapon is great for newcomers as it features a modest amount of recoil alongside an impressive time to kill speed.

The M4 is slowly becoming a viable option in Warzone Pacific, offering everything you need in the battle royale game: accuracy, range, a fast rate of fire, and the potential to strap on a 60-round magazine. Given the number of players on Caldera, you'll want to equip yourself with as many bullets as you can.

Of course if you're new to Warzone Pacific then we're afraid that you'll need to do a lot of grinding to earn all of the attachments that really make this rifle so powerful. The M4A1 setup for Warzone we've got below offers decent damage per second over mid to long-range fights, without making the gun unwieldy in close-up gun battles.


PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:39 AM
     Genshin Impact 2.5 livestream time confirmed, and Yae Miko will be there

Genshin Impact's current round of fresh content is drawing to a close. We got a new area called Enkanomiya and two more characters - Shenhe and Yun Jin, if you missed them. Now, though, it's time to look towards what's next. Mihoyo has revealed that it's hosting a livestream to dip into Genshin Impact's next update.

Genshin Impact's 2.5 livestream begins on February 4 at 4am PST / 7am EST / 12pm GMT. As always, the stream will be hosted on the developer's Twitch channel when the time comes, though you may want to shuffle in a few minutes early to make sure you don't miss anything. You're getting something extra this time, too, as Mihoyo is streaming a concert once the reveal is over.

The devs have kept their cards close to their chest regarding what we'll see, though we have a few titbits to keep us going. The developer revealed a new character called Yae Miko to round out 2021. She's the Grand Narukami Shrine's head shrine maiden and a "descendant of Kitsune lineage". When not serving as a religious figure, though, she busies herself as the "intimidating" editor-in-chief of Yae Publishing House, which publishes light novels.

RELATED LINKS: Play Genshin Impact for free, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:23 AM
     The best Hearthstone decks for beginners

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and welcome to the best Hearthstone decks for beginners. Trying out any new game for the first time can be confusing, especially when it asks you to make a deck from cards you don't own yet. Give yourself a little time and practise, and you'll be deckbuilding with the best of them.

Though it definitely helps to have a robust collection of cards, it's not essential to own every legendary card in the game. Your opponent may have an expensive deck, but that doesn't mean they are guaranteed to win. As long as you understand what cards your opponents could have and try to play around them as best you can, you should have no problem climbing the ranked ladder.

We're going to show you some of the cheapest, easiest, and best beginner decks to master in Hearthstone. They'll come from a range of classes and hopefully do the job you want them to do. Win. The current expansion is Fractured in Alterac Valley which launched on December 7. Blizzard usually releases a mini set consisting of 35 cards to drastically shake up the meta – the Alterac Valley mini set hasn't launched just yet, but players should expect it before the end of February.

RELATED LINKS: Best Hearthstone decks, The best card games on PC, Free card games

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:33 AM
     Ghost Recon Frontline – release date, closed beta, and more

What is the Ghost Recon Frontline release date? The next Ghost Recon game veers away from the series' usual formula; rather than a four player co-op game, instead this new entry seems be a free-to-play battle royale.

Two game modes are available at launch. In the primary mode, Expedition, 100 players compete in teams of three to find and extract intel; matches take place - as is custom in battle royale games - on an island called Drakemoor following an environmental disaster. You can steal other team's intel and extraction helicopter to scupper their chances of making it off the island alive. The island itself features four biomes and 20 points of interest for players to explore and infiltrate. In order to win the game, you need to collect three pieces of intel and then call for your extraction helicopter, which alerts other teams to your whereabouts, provoking players to stop you leaving successfully.

The second game mode is called Control, a 9v9 domination-style PvP mode which provides a faster pace for players. Ghost Recon Frontline will also have seasons, which looks to add more classes from the existing pool of contractors as well as new game modes. Here's everything we know about Ghost Recon Frontline so far including upcoming closed test dates.

RELATED LINKS: The best battle royale games on PC, The best multiplayer games on PC, The best FPS games on PC

PCGamesN Wednesday, February 2, 2022 11:19 AM
     What is the current and next Genshin Impact banner?

Wondering what the next Genshin Impact banner is? Genshin Impact banners adhere to a pretty regular schedule. Each update arrives with a new banner that lasts around three weeks, and after it expires, it's followed by a second banner which also lasts roughly three weeks, at which point it's update time once again.

This means even though we hear rumours of new Genshin Impact characters arriving in forthcoming updates, we won't know their exact release date until we know which banner they will be a part of, and whether it'll be the first or second banner in the update. Occasionally, banners don't stick to this schedule - most notably, update 1.3 had three two-week banners, so that Hu Tao's banner didn't cross over with the Chinese New Year.

Typically, each limited character banner - or Event Wish - contains a five-star character, and three four-star characters. There's also a Weapon banner - Epitome Invocation - which runs alongside each character banner, and features different weapons each time. Here's everything you need to know about the current and upcoming Genshin Impact banners.

RELATED LINKS: Play Genshin Impact for free, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:55 PM
    

As the consolidation of the games industry continues, Sony buying Bungie is the acquisition that might most directly affect me, someone who has played over 2000 hours of Destiny 2. Bungie have said things will continue as normal on all platforms. But beyond the usual issues with consolidation and platformholders buying studios, the concerns I have for Destiny 2's future stem from the same old source: Bungie's own decisions. The grind needs to end.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:05 PM
    

Western Digital are continuing their charge into high-speed PCIe 4.0 SSDs with the WD Black SN770. This is pretty straight down the middle as far as Gen 4 SSDs go: the 1TB model I've tested claims sequential speeds up to 5150MB/s for reads and 4900MB/s for writes, enough to embarrass any PCIe 3.0 SSD without veering into mega-enthusiast territory. There's a broad range of capacities too, starting at 250GB and ending at a roomy 2TB.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:30 AM
    

February has finally arrived and that means it's FromSoftware month, baby. Elden Ring is almost here, so you best limber up, do your stretches, have a bath. Do what you need to do to prepare yourself for a colossal undertaking. One thing that might help get you in a Soulsborne headspace is Bloodborne PSX, a free PlayStation 1-esque demake of FromSoft's gothic action-RPG.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:10 AM
    

One of the most popular Internet monsters, a grotesque neck-snapping concrete figure codenamed SCP-173, is losing its face. SCP-173 is part of the SCP Foundation, a collaborative online horror writing project which most famously inspired Remedy's Control, and has appeared in several SCP fan games, too. But as SCP's administrators wrestle with copyright and morality issues, they're preparing to remove that iconic image, which actually is a photo of a sculpture by a Japanese artist.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:00 AM
    

No, Dying Light 2 doesn't take 500 hours to complete. Call it closer to 30 and change, although my map still swarms with chores and requests to deal with post-campaign. Plenty of words have been written about Techland's backfiring boast of a three week runtime, so no need to relitigate that here. Going in, the only time value I was interested in was how long - if ever - the game takes to sink its teeth into you.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:23 AM
    

The creators of retro platformer Shovel Knight have announced a whole new adventure, drawing inspiration from different classics this time. Mina The Hollower is its name, and retro action-adventure with Zelda and Castlevania influences is its game. Like with Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games are partially crowdfunding Mina through a Kickstarter campaign, and in less than a day they've already passed the goal. Have a peek in the trailer.

Read more


Twinfinite Wednesday, February 2, 2022 11:17 AM
    

Dying Light 2 on PlayStation 5 Following on from the whimsical chaos of its Dead Island IP, Techland's original Dying Light stood apart from its open-world counterparts for its pleasing combination of parkour traversal and melee combat. It shined as a true gameplay-driven sandbox experience, one that felt clunky, awkward, and slightly unpolished at times […]

The post Dying Light 2 Review – Post-Apocalyptic Thrills appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:32 AM
    

If you've ever wanted a way to listen to Pokemon music directly through official means, your wish just came true. The Pokemon Company has just announced a sound library featuring the music from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl that you can listen to and download. The free sound library allows fans to listen to 149 tracks of […]

The post Pokemon Announces Sound Library for Fans To Listen to Music From Diamond and Pearl appeared first on Twinfinite.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:30 PM
    

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon DLC Will Add Online Multiplayer

As part of Yacht Club Games Presents 2022, the company announced both new projects and new additions to existing titles. Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a good example, as it is getting a free update and DLC packs that will do things like add characters and online multiplayer.

It seems the Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon free update will arrive first, as it was billed as "coming soon" during the announcement. It will include five major additions, aside from the typical fixes you expect from an update. Random Knight, a randomized character option, will be added. He transforms into another unlocked character at the start of each run. Respawn Turn Speed can be altered in options. All objects and opponents will have portraits and enhanced descriptions, to help people better know how to deal with them. You'll see how strong the CPU is, so you know what to expect. There will also be multiplayer tips to help you improve you skills.

As for the DLC, three packs are on the way. It also has a "coming soon" date. Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon online multiplayer is coming. (Only local is available now.) It will include a ranking system and matchmaking. The PC version will get mod support. The example shown hinted at people creating custom characters. More playable characters, enemies, relics, and bosses were also teased. During that segment, Mona showed up.

Here's the full Yacht Club Games Presents 2022 showcase.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is available on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and its free update and DLC packs are on the way.

The post Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon DLC Will Add Online Multiplayer appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:00 PM
    

Tetsuya Nomura Discussed His FFV Monster Designs in a New Final Fantasy Interview

The latest Final Fantasy XI We are Vana'diel interview is now online and in it Tetsuya Nomura and Akihiko Matsui talked about Nomura's art and designs, particularly in regard to FFV. The interview talked about how Nomura got started with Square Enix. While things kicked off with an aside about his first day working on FFIV, it also went into his work on characters like Gilgamesh from FFV. A common theme that comes up is discussing how he'd make characters look "cool."

This came up as an explanation for why Tetsuya Nomura's monsters' designs for FFV were too big. He mentioned getting "no guidance whatsoever" when getting started as a designer. He said the following.

I was less than half my current age and was just drawing illustrations without any professional knowledge. When I was drawing monsters for FFV, a senior colleague from the graphics team instructed me to make my designs smaller because they were larger than the specified size. I pouted, "Okay, but it looks cooler if it's bigger," which made them furious.

Matsui also brought up the thought of Tetsuya Nomura striving for "cool" designs when working on Final Fantasy games like FFV.

That aside, Tetsu's illustrations had a profound influence on my ideas of the fantasy genre. Before that, I used to be more of a traditionalist when it came to fantasy. However, Tetsu's attitude was like, "Anything goes, as long as it's cool," and he was always eager to incorporate innovative designs. For example, characters like Gilgamesh from FFV, or Setzer and Shadow from FFVI wouldn't really belong in what's considered high fantasy*, but they look really cool. Seeing them made me think, "So 'fantasy' can be like this too!" and altered my perception.

While Tetsuya Nomura got his start on FFIV and designing monsters for FFV, he's since influenced characters' looks in many Square Enix games. For example, he most recently worked on games like FFVII Remake, Kingdom Hearts III, NEO The World Ends with You, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

The post Tetsuya Nomura Discussed Designing FFV Monsters in a New Interview appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 11:25 AM
    

Pokemon DP Sound Library Lets People Use Diamond and Pearl Music

The Pokemon Company international announced a means of listening to and using Pokemon Diamond and Pearl music. The Pokemon DP Sound Library is now available online. This includes access to the soundtrack from the game. It means people can use both its sound effects and songs in playlists or their own mixes.

The official Pokemon DP Sound Library site offers different means of accessing the tracks. If you head to the Music Box, you can directly access the 149 Pokemon Diamond and Pearl songs and sound effects. These can be viewed in groups based on topics like iconic locations, characters, and events. You can save six to a list to make a "party track." There are also pre-made playlists with Adventurous, Challenge, Power-up, and Relax themes. While you can share the songs online, you can't download any of the items.

The site also will offer examples of creations from other people. Only one is available at the moment. EXILE's Alan Shirahama's "On My Way to Glory" is a track that samples songs used in the Pokemon Center and in Trainer Battles.

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are available on the Nintendo DS. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available on the Nintendo Switch.

The post Pokemon DP Sound Library Lets People Use Diamond and Pearl Music appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:40 AM
    

Shovel Knight Developer New Game is Mina the Hollower

Yacht Club Games, the developer best known for the Shovel Knight series, announced its next title will be Mina the Hollower. It took to Kickstarter to raise $311,503 to fund the Game Boy Color-style The Legend of Zelda-like action RPG. Within 24 hours, it met its funding goal. The game is expected to appear in December 2023 on consoles and PCs.

Mina is a mouse and inventor. However, after Spark Generators she designed stop working, she's called to return to Tenebrous Isle to find out what's going on. In addition to using her whip to attack and burrowing into the ground, she'll eventually get sidearms that grant additional attack options and trinket equipment that give her extra abilities. For example, one trinket involves a spider creating webs you can use to cross over gaps.

Here's the first trailer.

As for the Kickstarter, the minimum amount someone could contribute to guarantee a copy of the game is $20. That guarantees a digital copy. Someone must pledge at least $100 to get a physical copy.

Mina the Hollower is expected to come to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC in December 2023. Its Kickstarter will end on March 3, 2022.

The post Mina the Hollower is the Shovel Knight Developer's New Game appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:00 AM
    

Rock Howard, Gato, and B. Jenet KOF XV Screenshots Shared

SNK announced some of its KOF XV DLC characters would include Garou: Mark of the Wolves fighters B. Jenet, Gato, and Rock Howard. Following the trailer reveal, the company offered a better look at how they'll all look. There are now sets of screenshots for each one.

Rock Howard officially debuted as a playable character in Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Since then, he's shown up in a few KOF installments. For example, he was a part of both KOF Maximum Impact installments. As for mainline games, he tends to show up as DLC. That's what happened with both KOF XIV and XV.

Here are the four screenshots of Rock Howard.
[gallery columns="4" ids="914829,914830,914831,914832" link="file"]

Like Rock, B. Jenet debuted in Garou: Mark of the Wolves before heading into games like KOF XV. The pirate hasn't appeared in as many games as Rock. One of B. Jenet's last major appearances before KOF XV was in Maximum Impact 2.

Here's how she looks in-game.
[gallery columns="4" ids="914835,914833,914834,914828" link="file"]

Finally, there's Gato. He's a martial artist constantly out for revenge against his father. Of the three characters who debuted in Garou: Mark of the Wolves, he's the one who's appeared most infrequently since. For example, one of his last appearances before showing up as KOF XV DLC was in KOF XI.

Here's how Gato looks in KOF XV.
[gallery columns="4" ids="914836,914837,914838,914839" link="file"]

KOF XV will appear on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC on February 17, 2022. The three Garou: Mark of the Wolves DLC characters will debut in March 2022.

The post Rock Howard, Gato, and B. Jenet KOF XV Screenshots Shared appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 9:30 AM
    

One Piece Netflix

Netflix confirmed that its live-action adaptation of One Piece has begun production. A tweet from the Netflix Geeked account showed off photos of the cast and crew heading to the set. Netflix first announced its plans to create a One Piece adaptation back in 2017, but development took a while. The previous major announcement concerning the series was a confirmation of the official cast list back in November 2021.

https://twitter.com/NetflixGeeked/status/1488610641032142853

The photos showed actress Emily Rudd (who plays Nami) as well as from-behind shots of Jacob Romero Gibson (who plays Usopp), Taz Skylar (who plays Sanji), and Iñaki Godoy (who plays Luffy). Mackenyu was not pictured, but will play Zoro. Set chairs for executive producers Matt Owens (who is writing the series) and Steve Maeda were also shown. One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda is also an executive producer.

According to comments from the initial announcement, the series will begin based on the East Blue story arc, and move outward from that point. East Blue is the introductory arc, and sees aspiring pirate Luffy first setting off for the Grand Line and meeting his crewmates Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji. Tomorrow Studios, the same studio that produced the live-action Cowboy Bebop series adaptation, is handling One Piece. Though the Netflix series has only just begun production, the anime adaptation aired its 1,000th episode in November 2021, while the source manga published its thousandth chapter in early 2021. An upcoming film, One Piece Film Red, is also scheduled for an August 2022 premiere.

One Piece can be read on Shonen Jump and watched on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

The post Netflix One Piece Live-Action Series Begins Filming appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 8:30 AM
    

Fire Emblem Heroes 5th Anniversary Memorial Box contents

Intelligent Systems opened pre-orders for the Fire Emblem Heroes 5th Anniversary memorial box in Japan. Those who purchase the box will receive compilations of music and art from the mobile game at 16,500 yen (~$145). The company will close pre-orders on March 31, 2022. It will produce the boxes based on the number of orders received and release the finished products on August 31, 2022.

The original soundtrack will consist of three CDs and a bonus DVD. The CDs will contain a total number of 78 original tracks implemented in the mobile game up until March 2022. Meanwhile, the DVD will include a plethora of tracks from other Fire Emblem titles, with a total duration of over ten hours.

The memorial box will have a physical collection of key visual art drawn by from all six Books available so far. Yusuke Kozaki will draw a new illustration for the collection, bringing the total number to seven. The package will also include a set of 19 sticker sheets containing sprites of around 900 characters.

A smartphone stand modeled after the Fire Emblem Heroes mascot Feh will complete the 5th Anniversary box. The player will be able to place their phone on Feh's head while playing the mobile game. They can also detach the wing on its back, as it doubles as a smartphone screen cleaner.

[gallery columns="5" ids="914808,914809,914810,914811,914812" link="file"]

Fire Emblem Heroes is immediately available on Android and iOS mobile devices. In the February 2022 Feh Channel video, Intelligent Systems revealed more new content, bonuses, and user polls for the mobile game. It also announced that Chrom, Tiki, Seliph, and Female Byleth won the 6th Choose Your Legends poll.

The post Fire Emblem Heroes 5th Anniversary Memorial Box Pre-Orders Are Open appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 8:00 AM
    

Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Receptionist

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Director Yoshitake Suzuki teased the inclusion of a new receptionist character through the official Monster Hunter Twitter account. While little information is known about the character, Suzuki posted a pair of glasses. Previous information revealed players would be heading to an entirely new area in the expansion. So, it makes sense that players will be introduced to new characters in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak like a new guild receptionist.

Here is the announcement:

Announced in September 2021, the expansion teased an area where players will be able to encounter entirely new monsters. This will include the flagship monster, the Malzeno. However, monsters from previous games will also appear in the paid expansion, including the Shogun Ceanataur. Master Rank will also be available once the expansion releases in Summer 2022. Additionally, a trailer from The Game Awards 2021 not only gave viewers a glimpse of the new player hub, but also teased another new monster that will appear.

In January 2022, Capcom revealed sales for Monster Hunter Rise had topped 8 million shortly after its PC release. The title has continued to sell, and it remains one of Capcom's best-selling titles.

Monster Hunter Rise is available for the Nintendo Switch and PC. Demos are available for both platforms. Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak will release in Summer 2022.

The post A New Receptionist will Appear in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:30 AM
    

PlayStation 5 Shipments

Sony announced through its third quarter financial report that shipments for the PlayStation 5 have reached 17.2 million units worldwide as of December 31, 2021. The supplemental information from the financial report revealed that approximately 3.9 million PlayStation 5 consoles were shipped during the third quarter.  However, Sony has lowered its expected revenue for the Game and Service forecast. This is due to the low amount of PlayStation 5's Sony has been able to produce. Despite the on-going chip shortage, Sony stated that it will continue to try and meet the demand for the PlayStation 5. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The report also revealed shipment numbers for the PlayStation 4, which has shipped 116.8 million units worldwide. However, while the PlayStation 4 continues to sell, it only sold roughly 200,000 units during this period. Operating profit for the company rose by 15% during this period. Additionally, the total number of PlayStation Network users has risen. In comparison to the second quarter, which saw 47.2 million users subscribed, the third quarter reveals that a total of 48 million subscribed users.

As of July 2021, Sony announced PlayStation 5 shipments had reached 10 million units worldwide. This number included total sales for both the physical and the digital editions of the PlayStation 5.

The PlayStation 5 is available worldwide.

The post PlayStation 5 Shipments Have Reached 17.2 Million Units Worldwide appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:00 AM
    

Sonic Yakuza Omamori Wallpapers

Sega released several omamori amulet wallpapers, which feature characters from series such as Yakuza, Sonic, and Virtua Fighter. A total of seven wallpapers are available to download through the official SNS Sega Japanese website. It's important to note that these wallpapers were made explicitly for mobile devices, so landscape versions are not available. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Sega characters that appear on the omamori amulet wallpapers includes Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga from the Yakuza series, Dr. Eggman from the Sonic series, Akira Yui from Virtua Fighter, and the Puyos from Puyo Puyo. Each amulet features an encouraging phrase that is meant to lift the spirits of the holder. For example, the Kazuma Kiryu omamori amulet wallpaper reads "Do your best." Traditionally, omamori amulets are meant to bring good luck to the holder.

Leading into the new year, Sega posted a video featuring Sonic the Hedgehog visiting a local shrine in Shinagawa, Japan. This part of an on-going "A Day in the Life of Sonic" video series. The series will feature Sonic in every day locations. Sega plans to upload more videos in this series to the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel periodically throughout the year. Viewers can also make suggestions as to where they would like Sonic to go.

The post Sonic and Yakuza Characters Appear on Omamori Amulet Wallpapers appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:30 AM
    

WonHobby 35

Good Smile Company announced a new date for WonHobby 35. It will now be held in mid-February. The company revealed that the event will take place at the Akiba CO Gallery in Akihabara from February 11 to February 13, 2022. Additionally, limited sales and pre-orders will begin at the same time. However, the official website states that the physical event may be cancelled at any time. While attendees must make reservations to go to the event, price of admission is entirely for free.

WonHobby 35 has several broadcasts scheduled. WonHobby TV will host a total of three programs. The first program will showcase various figures and plastic models. The second program will disclose more information regarding the Black Rock Shooter anime that will release in April 2022. Lastly, the final broadcast will be dedicated to Mecha Smile and PLAMAX plastic models. Links to each program will be provided in the future.

You can check out the full WonHobby TV schedule below.

  • WonHobby 35 Report! A Look at New Figures and Plastic Models - 1pm JST/8pm PT/11pm ET/5am CET
  • Black Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall Information Special Livestream - 7pm JST/2am PT/5am ET/11am CET
  • A Complete Guide to Mecha Smile and PLAMAX + Introducing Newly Announced Products! - 9pm JST/4am PT/7am ET/1pm CET

WonHobby 35 will begin on February 11 and last until February 13, 2022. Several online programs will air during the length of the event.

The post WonHobby 35 Will be Held in February, Black Rock Shooter Anime to Appear appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, February 2, 2022 6:00 AM
    

Dragon Ball Buu Figure Set

Premium Bandai opened pre-orders for the Dragon Ball Z Perfect Buu figure set. The figure collection includes eight different figures of Dragon Ball Z antagonist Majin Buu in various forms. The set will cost a total of ¥12,000 (about $104) and ship sometime in June 2022. [Thanks, Hobby Watch!]

As one of the central antagonists of the Dragon Ball Z series, Majin Buu is capable of absorbing his opponents to gain strength. Buu is also capable of splitting himself into different forms. As such, the figure collection recreates each of Buu's forms from Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super. Each figure varies in height and ranges from 70mm to 110 mm (about 2.7 to 4.3 inches) tall. Kid Buu is the shortest at 70 mm, and Pure Evil Buu is the tallest at 110 mm.

Below is a list of all of the included Majin Buu forms:

  • Kid Buu (Pure)
  • Majin Buu (Gotenks Absorbed)
  • Majin Buu (Innocent)
  • Majin Buu (Piccolo Absorbed)
  • Majin Buu (Pure Evil)
  • Majin Buu (Shape Up)
  • Majin Buu (Ultimate Gohan Absorbed)
  • Super Buu (Evil)

You can get a better look at the figures in the screenshots below:

[gallery columns="5" link="file" ids="914772,914773,914774,914775,914776,914777,914778,914779,914780"]

If you're interested in other Dragon Ball Z figures, Premium Bandai also sold other characters in the past, including a limited-time Super Saiyan God Goku figure. Tamashii Nations sold a Super Saiyan Goku figure as part of its high-end Imagination Works line. The company also produces figures from other popular series such as One Piece and Naruto.

The Dragon Ball Z Perfect Buu figure set will release in June 2022 and cost ¥12,000 (about $104). Pre-orders are currently open in Japan via the Premium Bandai shop.

The post Dragon Ball Z Perfect Buu Figure Set Opens for Pre-order appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:30 PM
    

It's coming on February 9 The PSO 2 New Genesis February Update is coming soon, and it'll raise the level...

The post Sega shares more on the big PSO 2 New Genesis February Update appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:00 PM
    

New line to launch May 2022 Bloodborne fans looking for more happy adventures from the streets of Yharnam will be...

The post New Bloodborne comic to launch on Free Comic Book Day appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 11:30 AM
    

'Across all platforms' Square Enix hit a Bravely Default two million milestone with Brilliant Lights: their newly launched mobile game on...

The post A Bravely Default game you probably haven't heard of hits two million players appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:00 AM
    

'Zombies' Hold out your hands in front of you like Giorgio A. Tsoukalos and say "zombies." Now go run toward...

The post Review: Dying Light 2 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 9:40 AM
    

The new team is working on a multiplayer experience A new remote-first studio has been announced today, with goals set...

The post Gardens is a new remote studio from Journey, Dustforce and Edith Finch developers appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 9:00 AM
    

February 4 at 7AM ET Right on schedule, MiHoYo has announced the Genshin Impact 2.5 stream date: and it's February...

The post A huge Genshin Impact 2.5 stream is coming soon, with a concert appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 8:00 AM
    

It's likely coming this month The Monolith Soft website has been updated, alongside of some sneaky teases that indicate a...

The post Monolith Soft just got a website overhaul, new announcement could be imminent appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:00 AM
    

Enthusiasm for controversial market neutered In a financial earnings call for the third quarter of its fiscal year, publisher Electronic...

The post EA disappointed with Battlefield 2042 launch, cools off NFT plan appeared first on Destructoid.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:30 PM
     Fortnite Haven's masksRegular updates to Fortnite Chapter 3: Season 1 have kept the season feeling fresh. With the introduction of Klombos monsters and the addition of pizza, there's something for every player to enjoy. Now, another Fortnite update has been deployed, and it introduces a mythic weapon and Haven's masks. The change you will notice when you first load into Fortnite is the addition of a new point of interest. Covert Cavern is stacked with loot and materials, but IO guards roam the area. This guarded area is where you'll find the new Mythic version of the Stinger submachine gun, which will prove deadly in close to medium range gunfights. Also, the Heavy shotgun is the latest weapon to return from the vault, but with a twist. It is now loaded with a single slug and a longer range, but it requires you to be more accurate. Despite the adjustments to the weapon, the shotgun is still a powerful and reliable option to have in your inventory.   Haven's masks are the late...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:01 PM
     Microsoft Activision Blizzard FTC Series XImmediately after Microsoft announced its acquisition deal of Activision Blizzard a few weeks ago, gaming enthusiasts everywhere expressed a whole host of opinions on it, some positive and some negative. On the positive side, since Activision Blizzard has faced several serious allegations, which involve everything from sexual assault to issues with crunch culture, many hope that Microsoft will keep the company's leadership in check. After all, Microsoft's Phil Spencer has earned plenty of goodwill from fans. On the other hand, this represents a major, blatant instance of corporate consolidation within the gaming industry, and some feel that Microsoft may have violated antitrust laws as a result. Well now, it looks like we may find out for sure. As shared by VGC, the US Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, will reportedly launch an antitrust review into the Activision Blizzard deal. A recent report by Bloomberg relayed this news, and it received this information from an anon...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 11:00 AM
     Life Is Strange Remastered Collection Worth It 1Whenever a new batch of consoles shows up, we can always be sure that certain games from the last several years will get remasters. Typically, this means people on consoles get access to the games at much higher resolutions and framerates. For PC players, it can depend. We may see both good and bad changes to textures, geometry, and lighting without much to really entice owners of the originals. Life is Strange Remastered Collection is guilty of all of this, plus the former game has a couple of bugs I've already noticed. These are both great games, but is Life is Strange Remastered Collection worth it on PC? If you've never played any games in the series, the first entry, Life is Strange is the story of a high school student named Max who returns to the town of Arcadia Bay, Oregon after having lived in Seattle for a few years. One day in class, she has a dream about an enormous storm tearing the town apart, before waking up and witnessing a murder in a nearby restroom. I...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:00 AM
     Dying Light 2 Stay Human ReviewMy wife and I absolutely enjoyed the first Dying Light game because of the co-op feature. Roaming around Harran and battling Infected with another player made for an exciting romp. That brings us to Dying Light 2 Stay Human, which releases on February 4. I definitely wanted to get my hands on this game to see if it holds up to its predecessor, as well as other open-world action games and narrative-driven games that have come out recently. Granted, this Dying Light 2 Stay Human review is primarily based on the single-player experience. Although there was a recent update that enabled co-op multiplayer, Nvidia DLSS, and a whole slew of fixes, it arrived a little too late. As such, these additions didn't play a factor in my 50-hour playthrough.   The modern-day Dark Ages Dying Light 2 Stay Human is set 15 years after the events of the first game. Although the Global Relief Effort (GRE) managed to create a vaccine, greed and corruption caused the virus to spread unchecked thro...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, February 2, 2022 9:01 AM
     King of Fighters XV DLCWe are just two short weeks away from the release of The King of Fighters XV, and excitement is at a fever pitch. We knew the entire launch roster as of a few weeks ago, and that's all the characters we thought we would see for now. But SNK shattered even more expectations by releasing a new trailer highlighting the first two post-launch The King of Fighters XV DLC teams. Not only that, but it appears to be a family affair. The first character we see is a fan favorite, arguably as popular as the series' poster boy: Terry Bogard. Rock Howard will also finally makes his return to the King of Fighters tournament. Joining him are two other representatives from the Garou series: the stern, tough-as-nails martial arts master Gato, and the pirate queen B. Jenet. Together, these three make up "Team Garou," representing their home series Garou: Mark of the Wolves.   Team "My Two Dads" returns Then we get to see another team enter the fray. Dressed to the nines and absolutely full of dri...

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, February 2, 2022 11:00 AM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:00 AM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, February 2, 2022 9:00 AM
    

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:45 PM
     Minecraft is a sandbox game that combines building using available resources with creativity. In Minecraft, players can craft a hundred different materials using blocks and items acquired throughout their journey. With the use of the crafting menu, players can create a variety of unique items that will be used to survive and progress in the […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, February 2, 2022 11:20 AM
     Yashiori Island is one of the challenging regions to explore in Genshin Impact due to the rainstorm that does not seem to stop. After helping a local solve the mystery of this abnormal weather condition, the seemingly unending storm is finally put to an end. However, this is not the only mysterious phenomenon involving lighting […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:37 AM
     The long-awaited Pokemon Legends: Arceus has finally been released! The new game was released last January 28, 2022, and it introduced a different kind of playing and way of exploring the world of Pokemon. The game is set in the past in the Hisui Region, which they called the Sinnoh region when it was discovered. […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, February 2, 2022 9:15 AM
     Pokemon Dollars, called money in-game, is the main currency used in the world of Pokemon. Like any other Pokemon game, money is important in Pokemon Sword and Shield to buy very important items to use in Pokemon battles like Potions, Ethers, Antidotes, and, most especially, powerful Poke Balls! Not only that, but you can also […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, February 2, 2022 8:06 AM
     Assetto Corsa Competizione is Kunoz Simulazioni's hyper-realistic GT-focused sim-racer. Kunoz Simulazioni is no stranger to simulation-style racing games. The Italian game developer is well known for their highly-successful multiplatform racing simulator in the original Assetto Corsa. If you are new to GT-style racing, then Assetto Corsa Competizione's GT3 and GT4 cars' handling will feel a […]

MonsterVine Wednesday, February 2, 2022 10:02 AM
    

Boy, seven years sure have gone by quick. That's how long the wait has been since the first Dying Light released, back in 2015, and I'm sure the question on everyone's mind is whether or not the sequel lives up to the hype. I'll cut to the chase: Dying Light 2 Stay Human is more […]

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