I ran into my first Elden Ring trap. It was designed to look like a treasure chest, nestled safely in a low-level area of FromSoftware's latest action RPG, but it took me on a whirlwind journey through some of the nastier parts of the game's crumbling world.
Early Elden Ring players were shocked when an NPC in the closed network test called their character a "bit player" who should "die in a ditch somewhere." His outright and immediate hostility was seen by some as a personification of the Souls-like genre's brutal difficulty, but I'm here to report that, for better or…
The Elden Ring release time has arrived, and players are already pouring in by the bucket full. It's already From Software's biggest Steam launch, and one of the biggest games on Valve's platform - ever - beating out some of the most venerable live service games to get there.
Elden Ring reached a concurrent PC player count of 616,891 one hour after launch, as SteamDB shows, and that number continues to rise. It reached 149,702 players just 20 minutes after launch, making it the biggest From Software game on Steam in the span of about two Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Most of Steam's biggest games - like PUBG, Dota 2, or CS:GO - are either inexpensive or free-to-play. The biggest premium launches on the platform include New World, which reached 913,634 concurrent players on launch weekend, and Cyberpunk 2077, which reached 1,054,388. To date, only five games have crossed the million-player threshold.
If you want to play Elden Ring on the go, Valve has you covered. It should be no great surprise at this point, given how wide-ranging compatibility on the device aims to be, but Elden Ring is officially Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve expects it to play great on the handheld. And if that wasn't enough, pretty much the entire Souls series is Verified, too.
Elden Ring's got full checkmarks across the board for Valve's compatibility metrics. That means "this game's default graphics configuration performs well on Steam Deck", " all functionality is accessible when using the default controller configuration", "this game shows Steam Deck controller icons", and "in-game interface text is legible on Steam Deck," as you can see on SteamDB.
Each of From Software's Souls games is playable on Steam Deck, too, as Wario64 notes on Twitter. Sekiro, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin, and Dark Souls III are all Verified, meaning they meet the same compatibility requirements that Elden Ring does. Dark Souls: Remastered is listed as 'playable', while the original version of Dark Souls and Dark Souls II are untested.
Terraria has now reached the stage where it's had so many final updates that even the jokes about them are getting exhausting. But hey, I'm not going to complain about further Terraria updates. The 1.4.4 patch, dubbed the Labor of Love update, is still on the way, but before then the developers have another, smaller update, sprucing up the game for Steam Deck compatibility and making some additional changes.
"When we sat down to enjoy Terraria on the Steam Deck for the first time," the devs say in the announcement, "we immediately realised that we needed to make a few tweaks to fully take advantage of all that this new system has to offer." To that end, they've built a default control setup for the Deck - which you're free to customise as you like, of course. If you're curious about battery life, the devs say they "typically get between 3.5 and 5.5 hours of playtime between charges - depending on brightness settings as well as the intensity of action in the game".
But 1.4.3.3, which is live now, isn't purely about Steam Deck optimisations. You can follow the link above for the full details, but the highlights include a big rebalance for the Deerclops, and some changes for NPC happiness, which should make it a bit easier to keep your AI friends pleased.
Instantly beautiful, fast and playable, Grid Legends provides the perfect counterpoint to serious sim racing. It is very clearly similar to 2019's Grid reboot, although there is immediately one thing that's changed that makes this offering worth the upgrade. No, not the added story mode, it's more fundamental than that; it's the handling. It just didn't feel quite right in the last game, whereas here it's arguably the most playable handling system of any modern racer that doesn't have 'Kart' in its title. Even though your car slides at every opportunity, it's actually disguising the fact there's a great deal of grip here, making for an enjoyable experience whatever your skill level.
Star Wars The Old Republic: Legacy of the Sith on PC Back in July 2021, BioWare unveiled Star Wars The Old Republic: Legacy of the Sith – a brand new expansion that celebrates the first 10 years of the MMORPG while also getting fans ready for the next decade worth of content. Alongside a new […]
When I tried the preview version of GRID Legends a few months back, it only took a matter of minutes for me to know that the full version would be quite the package. Now, with over a dozen hours of track time accounted for, it's safe to say that Codemasters' latest project has passed all of the dynamo tests, wind tunnel calculations, and crash course preliminaries. That is to say, this sleek speedster collection has a lot of things going for it. For myself, traditional circuit racers don't particularly grab me as much as they used to. So, I find it remarkably impressive that GRID Legends has actually managed to sweep me away with a tight driving model and gameplay mechanics that are a textbook example of a racing title that fits the "simcade" moniker to a T. Stories of slipstreams GRID Legends has some neat ideas when it comes to its mix of gameplay offerings. For a full single player experience, there's a dedicated Story Mode and a single ...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, February 24, 2022 6:30 PM
The arena dodge ball game Knockout City will be free to play once Season 6 goes live later this spring. To celebrate, developer Velan Studios is knocking out Electronic Arts as the game's publisher. Okay, not really. But the studio is set to soon begin self-publishing the game, which should happen not long after the launch of Season 6. "From the day we founded our studio, we've worked to deliver revolutionary new game experiences to you, our amazing community of players," Velan wrote in an update. "We couldn't have introduced Knockout City to the world without the incredible support of EA Originals, but now as we switch to free-to-play, the natural next step is for us to take over publishing responsibilities and work even more closely with our community. We have exciting plans for Knockout City, and bringing publishing in-house will allow us to fully realize our vision for the long-term future of this game." Going free to play and moving toward s...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, February 24, 2022 4:45 PM
If you managed to find the Academy Key, then you'll be able to explore the facility built and protected by magic. This is the Legacy Dungeon in the Liurnia of the Lakes region in Elden Ring. After a little romp, you'll finally have a chance to battle a major boss. Here's our Elden Ring guide to help you defeat Rennala Queen of the Full Moon in the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring boss guide – How to beat Rennala Queen of the Full Moon in the Academy of Raya Lucaria Phase 1 Rennala Queen of the Full Moon might be one of the easiest bosses in Elden Ring… if you're a melee or ranged fighter, that is. If you're a spellcaster, then you'll soon realize that she's extremely resistant to magic. Whoops! In any case, here's our goal for the Rennala Queen of the Full Moon boss fight in Elden Ring: During the first phase, Rennala is floating in th...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, February 24, 2022 4:15 PM
After clearing Stormveil Castle and defeating Godrick the Grafted, you'll be able to head to Liurnia of the Lakes in Elden Ring. This region is plain swampland as far as the eye can see, and we need to find something that allows progression. Here's our Elden Ring guide to help you obtain the Academy Key and defeat the Glintstone Dragon in Liurnia of the Lakes. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring Liurnia of the Lakes guide – Getting the Academy Key and beating the Glintstone Dragon From the mountain pass in Stormveil Castle, follow the path until you reach Liurnia of the Lakes. You should eventually see a sector called Laksyar Ruins. Dozens of mobs will emerge from the putrid depths, and many of them will lob orbs that track you down. Ideally, you'll want to lose aggro by running to the western end. Then, turn back and look for a gazebo with a portal. This portal will take you to the front gate of th...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, February 24, 2022 4:00 PM
Of all the Fallout games that have come out since Bethesda acquired the IP, Fallout: New Vegas tends to receive the most praise from diehard fans. Notably, developer Obsidian made this entry rather than Bethesda, giving the game a unique flavor that overall seems to have resonated with fans more than Bethesda's efforts. Although Fallout: New Vegas did not escape the criticisms commonly levied at the modern Fallout titles, such as their technical issues, many still see it as one of the best western RPGs around. With this in mind, talk surrounding a potential Fallout: New Vegas sequel may have started not too long ago. This report came from GamesBeat reporter Jeff Grubb, who discussed it on his paywalled news show, Grubbsnax. Supposedly, both Microsoft and Obsidian remain in "very early" talks regarding this possible sequel, and, at this stage, it has not evolved into anything more than an idea. According to Grubb, it will likely take years before such an idea comes ...
Tabletop Gaming News Thursday, February 24, 2022 6:00 PM
Hello fellow gamers. We have another great offer from itch.io for Portal Dogs. This is what they say. Get Portal Dogs for FREE! A few words about Portal Dogs In the puzzle platformer Portal Dogs, a horde of dogs are following their king through the portal world. The catch: you play with all dogs simultaneously. http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/256775683/movie480.webm Details about the ...
A new feature in Elden Ring is the ability to find maps of the world. Check out this Elden Ring map location guide to find them all and light up your map. This way you won't have to stare at fog and blackness for the whole game.
During your travels in Elden Ring, you will come across a young woman named Irina. Check out this guide to find out where toe deliver Irina's Letter in Elden Ring. This way you don't go the wrong way and miss the quest.
As you travel through the castle in Elden Ring, you will find a Rusty Key that you can use. Check out this guide to find out where to use the rusty key in Elden Ring. This way you can get that shortcut and avoid the fire barrels again.
On your way up to the Storm Castle, you will run into a lone woman who asks you to deliver a message to the little chrysalids. Check out this guide to find out where to find the little chrysalids in Elden Ring. This way you can get that quest done and she will move to the Roundtable Hold for you.
As you play through Elden Ring you will get a quest to hunt down someone named Darriwil. Check out this guide to find out where to find Darriwil in Elden Ring. This way you can take him out and get the reward for beating the quest.
To help make Elden Ring easier for people, you can now summon Spirit Ashes to aid you in combat. Check out this Elden Ring Spirit Ashes location guide to find them all as you go. This way you have all the strongest allies as you play through the game.
At one of the towers in Elden Ring, you will get a mission to find three wise beasts. Check out this guide to find out where to find the three wise beasts in Elden Ring. This way you don't run all around looking for the creatures you don't need.
Memory Stones are one of the most important items you can find in Elden Ring. Check out this Elden Ring Memory Stone Location guide to find them all as you go along. This way you can do more with your magic spells and incantations.
If you are a magic user in Elden Ring then you might be wondering how to get more spell slots. Check out this guide to find out how to get more spell slots in Elden Ring. This way you can have more spells to use in combat or to heal yourself up.
As you play through Elden Ring, you will run into a woman who asks for your help finding a necklace. Check out this guide to find out where to find the home with the necklace in Elden Ring. This way you aren't searching all over the swamp trying to find stuff.
Despite the turbulent development roadmap of Dragon Age 4, BioWare announced yesterday that the RPG is in the middle of the production phase. The announcement coincided with the news that a Dragon Age executive producer was leaving the studio. As the blog post tells it, the developers' morale is reportedly high right…
Elden Ring finally comes out tomorrow amid high expectations, having been lauded by critics as "the best game of all time," "the greatest game of all time," and "not Horizon Forbidden West, which by the way is also pretty good." There's just one problem: Apparently, the game isn't running so great on PC, and the…
While many of you are no doubt champing at the bit for the release of this totally unknown game called Elden Ring that's coming out this week, PlayStation Plus members who don't feel the irresistible urge to hurl themselves into the unforgiving gauntlet of a new Soulsborne game have some new games to try out for free,…
Last night Russian tanks moved across the border into Ukraine. The invasion saw bombings near the capital Kyiv and elsewhere, with the ensuing fighting leading to the deaths of over 40 Ukrainian soldiers, The New York Times reports. The attacks come after months of escalating rhetoric and build up of Russian troops,…
The Pokémon Company is hosting a showcase on its YouTube channel this Sunday, February 27—the holy occasion known 'round the world as Pokémon Day. Though the company has yet to detail the specific games the 14 minute pre-recorded video will cover, it's a safe bet we'll get some new info about the latest game in the…
Today, Nintendo announced it's acquiring longtime partner SRD (Systems Research and Development), a company that has helped in programming some of the company's most iconic games, including Super Mario Bros.
Nintendo acquired 100 percent of SRD's outstanding shares for an undisclosed sum, making the studio a wholly…
This Friday, Elden Ring is released. If you're looking forward to the game, going into work that day will suck. How will you focus? You'll just be counting down the minutes—no, the seconds—until you can get out of that place and starting playing From Software's latest opus.
This morning, following years of tension between the two nations, Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine. Details on exactly what's happening on the ground continue to be shaky, and Ukrainian civilians are fearful as violence continues following the Russian attack. A number of Ukrainian game developers have taken to social media today in order to ask fans for support.
"As of today, the Russian Federation has officially declared war on Ukraine," STALKER developer GSC Game World says in a tweet. "Our country woke up with the sounds of explosions and weapons fire, but is ready to defend its freedom and independence, for it rains strong and ready for anything. The future is unknown, but we hope for the best, are ever sure of our armed forces and our belief in Ukraine."
"We can't just stand by," Sherlock Holmes developer Frogwares says. "Russia attacks our homeland and denies the sovereignty of Ukraine. We are trying to stay safe, but this is war, there are no two ways about it. We call on everyone to force Putin to withdraw from our lands. We're a peaceful nation, and in all the years since we gained our independence, we've never attacked or threatened anyone. Because of this situation, our work will be impacted and our lives can be destroyed."
A controller modder has found a way to play Final Fantasy XIV's Archer class with a toy bow and arrow, which is pretty cool to imagine until you realise that most of your time would be spent picking up bits of foam off the floor.
Louis 'Super Louis 64' Hamilton explains on Twitter that taking the arrow off the quiver tells a board what ability he will use. The board then uses maths to determine if an arrow has been shot before relaying that information to the game. "The build itself uses a handy-dandy Arduino along with touch sensors and gyroscopes," Hamilton explains. "My hardware game is slowly levelling up so I was able to set up my own code and algorithm to detect the force of the arrow being shot."
Hamilton also explains that, yes, he did not realise how much time he would have to spend picking bits of foam off his floor. "It wasn't until testing [that] I realised that I accidentally made a too-realistic controller. There was an unhealthy amount of time spent searching the floor for used arrows."
Looking for a guide to Lost Ark engravings? You may encounter engravings as you level up in Lost Ark, but there's no need to worry about them too much at first. However, when you reach level 50 and open up the wonderful world of the Lost Ark endgame, you can use engravings to refine your build in order to take on the most difficult content in the game.
Engravings are just one of the many ways to boost your character's performance, but they're a little complex if you're new to the system. Any mistakes you make may prove to be very expensive, as the process involves consuming sought-after materials and carefully calculating your stat bonuses.
Fortunately, we're here to help by explaining everything you need to know about the Lost Ark engraving system, including how to use engravings and ability stones and how to get the best engravings for your character. There's quite a substantial time investment involved in leveling up your engravings, so our guide will set you on the right path and signpost what you need to look out for.
Looking for help with Lost Ark ability stones? Ability stones are part of the engravings system in Lost Ark. For a full explanation of the mechanic, you can take a look at our Lost Ark engravings guide, but to summarise, engravings are passive effects that have three different tiers of potency. To activate each tier you must accumulate a particular number of engraving points - five for tier one, ten for tier two, and fifteen for tier three.
You encounter engravings as you level up in Lost Ark, but it's not until the endgame - after level 50 - that they really come into play. This is when you can acquire items that earn you a significant amount of engraving points, including the ability stone. Ability stones are dropped from endgame raids and dungeons, and are generated with two random combat engravings and one random negative, or 'malus', engraving.
However, ability stones don't provide any engraving points until they are faceted. The faceting process is a little complicated and relies on luck, although if you're smart about it you can maximise your chances of getting more engraving points. Here's everything you need to know about faceting ability stones in Lost Ark.
24/02/22 Valve has revealed that the Steam Deck's official docking station should arrive in late Spring.
The Steam Deck may be a hulking, handheld gaming PC, but it could also make for a great 1080p desktop alternative. Valve's official docking station won't arrive alongside the portable powerhouse on February 25, but a now-deleted update on the device's website suggests its release won't be too far behind.
Spotted by Reddit user SheepherderOdd2190, the Steam Deck website's hardware section (prior to its reversal) says that Valve's USB-C docking station will arrive "Spring 2022", while also including a wishlist button. While the handheld should be compatible with a variety of third-party solutions, the official dock comes armed with Displayport 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and two USB connections, which all connect to the Deck via a single USB-C cable.
Just like the Nintendo Switch, the Steam Deck dock functions as a stand, and its USB-C connector contours up the back of the device. Sure, Valve's solution doesn't involve simply dropping it into a convenient slot, but the setup should make quickly switching from handheld to desktop gameplay snappy.
Microsoft now owns Bethesda, Obsidian, and the Fallout franchise. Since all those pieces came together, fans have been asking when we're getting a sequel to the fan favourite, Fallout: New Vegas. We still don't know when or even if Fallout: New Vegas 2 is coming, but one reliable industry insider reports that the game is in very early - but serious - talks at the studio.
"This is very early," journalist Jeff Grubb says in his latest GrubbSnax podcast (paywalled). "But people have begun to have talks and say these words in sentences. And those words are 'Obsidian' and 'New Vegas 2'. Very early. We're talking years and years away. But I will say there's at least an interest and conversations being had about making something like that actually a reality."
Grubb speculates that Microsoft doesn't want to leave the Fallout IP dormant for too long. Presumably, Bethesda's focus for the better part of the next decade will be on Starfield, continued updates for Starfield, then The Elder Scrolls 6 and further updates for that. If Fallout simply stuck with Bethesda, it could be a very long time without a new entry in a very popular series.
If you play a lot of MMOs, battle royales, or other fast-paced, high-intensity, action-packed games, then you'll want to make sure you've got an appropriate gaming mouse for the job. If your current model is looking forward to its retirement and hasn't had its heart in its work for years, you can now get your hands on the super-speedy, ultra-customisable Razer Naga Pro for under $100 on Amazon.
What makes this mouse so special? Well, to quote Razer itself, it's "25% faster than competing wireless mice" so while the others are languishing in low DPI traps, the Razer Naga is running off with that sweet, speedy cheese. Maybe we're taking this mouse metaphor too far, but the Naga Pro's Hyperspeed wireless technology brings together the powers of low latency with interference reduction, providing the kind of wireless freedom that your gaming ancestors could only have dreamed of.
With the 20K DPI optical sensor, this mouse can provide on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment through dedicated DPI buttons, which you can reprogram to satisfy all your gaming needs. Its three interchangeable side-plates have 2, 6, and 12-button configurations that can be swapped at all. One size fits all? Nah. One size fits you.
The Civilization series has long been a staple of the strategy games scene and, with six major entries and ton of DLC in between, there's a whole lot of it to sink your pearly whites into. If you've been tempted but haven't yet given some of the major Civ games a go, now might be a great time - there's a whole bunch going cheap with a new Humble bundle.
Humble's new Sid Meier's Ultimate Collection bundle offers 21 games and items from across the legendary designer's catalogue. The highest tier - which will set you back $15 / £11.09 and nab you all of the bundle's offerings - includes the latest in the Civ series, Civilization VI, as well as eight expansions and DLC. There's Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm which, between them, add new game systems, civilizations, leaders, and world wonders. Smaller DLC include various scenario and civ packs, with the Vikings, Poland, Australia, Persia and Macedonia, Nubia, and Khmer and Indonesia options in the bundle.
There's additionally a $15 New Frontier Pass coupon, which lets you pick it up at that discounted rate for a limited time. The Civilization III, IV, and V Complete Editions also feature, which each come with their own bunch of extras on top of the base games.
Come up against Brutiks Lightbane in Destiny 2's latest The Witch Queen expansion? This tough Legendary boss is a pain to beat, but completing the campaign on this difficulty nets you plenty of worthy rewards such as double chest rewards per mission and a powerful gear set.
Brutiks is extremely aggressive and closes the space on you quickly. His censer-slam attack spits out a trail of fire which carries a surprisingly long way and his melee attack has what feels like an unreasonably long range - in our experience it was somehow able to connect with us even if we flew over his head, and if you do survive the initial hit, it can throw you into a wall and kill you with the collision damage.
On top of all this there are a ton of adds, which combined with Brutiks's aggression means that staying still for too long is a death sentence. The problem with this is that the three outer chieftains each have a different elemental energy shield, and with the Match Game modifier that Legend difficulty imposes, this makes them extremely difficult to take down quickly.
It's Thursday, and you know what that means – another round of free PC games from the Epic Games Store. This week, you can grab Cris Tales, which the developer bills as a "love letter to classic JRPGs". As ever, though, Epic has revealed next week's freebies, too. Centipede: Recharged and Black Widow: Recharged are two twin-stick shooters that'll appeal to all you retro games enthusiasts out there (and those who like their games 'buggy', too. Heh.) You can also get the Epic Slayer Kit for Dauntless, which comes with a "epic" bundle of supplies.
You'll be able to grab Centipede: Recharged, Black Widow: Recharged, and Dauntless's Epic Slayer Kit from the usual Epic Games Store promotion page on Thursday, March 3 at 8am PST / 11am EST / 4pm GMT. They'll be there for one full week, at which point they'll be replaced by another freebie. As always, you'll 'purchase' the game at a price of zero dollars, and it'll remain in your library just like any game you might pay money for.
Here's the store blurb for Black Widow: Recharged: "Defend your spider web from an onslaught of bugs in this frenetic revival of the cult classic twin-stick shooter, all while jamming to an infectious original score by Megan McDuffee. Play solo or tag in a friend for local co-op across 30 unique challenges or the endless arcade mode."
It may be hard to believe, but it's been over a year since the launch of Nvidia's RTX 3000 GPUs, but the best graphics cards wait for no one, and it looks like RTX 4000 products will be with us sooner rather than later. We've put together all the latest news, leaks, and rumours you need to get acquainted with 'Lovelace', with information on its release date, price, specs, and benchmarks.
As much as the raw performance of team green's RTX GPUs make them attractive to anyone looking to upgrade their gaming PC, it's features like Nvidia Reflex and Nvidia DLSS that elevate the graphics cards above their Intel Arc Alchemist and AMD RDNA 3 competition. RTX 4000 cards will likely come armed with the same technologies, if not even more.
However, Nvidia isn't content with simply cornering the desktop GPU market and has its sights set on the cloud too. The company's Nvidia GeForce Now service currently provides up to RTX 3080 levels of performance to all manner of devices, such as low-spec PCs and smartphones (and not-so-smart-phones), via cloud streaming. Team green will undoubtedly update GeForce Now with RTX 4000 graphics cards at some point after their release to the public.
Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4000 series could launch in September, which leaves enthusiasts some time to prepare their gaming PCs. If you are planning on revamping your rig ahead of the next-gen GPUs arrival, you might want to focus on your PSU, as cards like the RTX 4080, RTX 4080 Ti, and RTX 4090 could require up to 850W.
The information was shared by a reliable hardware leaker Greymon55, who claims the TGP (Total Graphics Power) range of Nvidia's AD-102 Lovelace chip is 450W-650W-850W. Greymon55 says they're not certain whether these ranges refer to three different GPU models or if they relate to a single card. If the power specifications hold true, you might need to upgrade to a pricey 1,500W PSU to accommodate future best graphics cards.
In response, the insider Kopite7kimi has labelled Greymon55's TGP info as a rumour, but says they've heard similar whisperings in the past. This doesn't necessarily mean the information is false, but it suggests the specs haven't been confirmed by inside sources.
The Steam Deck release date may be fast approaching, but many of Steam's most popular games remain unsupported by Valve's handheld gaming PC, such as Apex Legends. The battle royale uses Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), which has been the root cause of many developers' headaches in getting their games running on the Deck. However, it appears that developer Respawn Entertainment is one step closer to getting the FPS game up and running on the portable powerhouse.
A new branch has appeared on the Apex Legends SteamDB page, entitled 'steam_deck' which Respawn Entertainment succinctly describes as a version of the game for 'Steam Deck Testing.' It's likely that this branch uses an updated version of EAC, but the developer may also be making some other tweaks and optimisations to get the game playing the best it can on the Deck.
There's no way of knowing how long it'll be before Apex Legends receives a Steam Deck compatibility patch, but we hope this development is a sign that it'll be sooner rather than later.
The Elden Ring release date is tantalisingly close. With FromSoftware's highly anticipated new RPG due to drop soon, it's time to start thinking about when exactly you'll be able to get stuck in, and how you can best prepare. The good news is the studio has now unveiled the Elden Ring release times across different timezones and platforms, which we'll discuss further into the post.
First, though, you'll want to get Elden Ring downloaded ahead of the unlock time. The Elden Ring pre-load time has come and gone, thankfully, so you can now install the new PC game so it'll be ready to play straight from launch. It's also worth bearing in mind that there's a patch to download, too. Update 1.02 focuses on balance adjustments and various quality-of-life improvements. You can read the full patch notes at this link.
If you're still deciding if you want to buy it, you might want to check out our Elden Ring review. Jordan gave it a perfect score, calling it "a supercut of FromSoft's very best work, transported to a totally new space". Elaborating further, he says that "Elden Ring is not only a masterpiece by its developer's lofty standards, but in packing so much density into the Lands Between, it lights the path ahead for open-world games in general." If you're curious what other critics thought, you can find our Elden Ring review roundup at the link.
It's reset day in Los Santos, which means GTA Online's weekly update is here. Rockstar Games will post the official rundown on its newswire later in the day, but the update is already here, so players are jumping in and seeing what's new.
Unfortunately, you're not getting a new car from The Contract update today, though there are plenty of other ways to get a new set of wheels. The GTA podium vehicle is the Retinue at the Diamond Casino if you're feeling lucky. Meanwhile, the GTA Prize Ride is the Rapid GT Classic, which you can get after finishing in the top three of five street races. There's slightly less luck involved in the Prize Ride challenge, so it might be the one to go for.
If you're looking to raise some funds, you can get triple the in-game currency and reputation points on air races and air freight cargo-related missions. Players seem to be excited about security contracts, though, as you can get double the usual rewards on them this week, alongside flight school activities and the Trap Door adversary mode. If you've been out of the loop, Rockstar introduced security contracts as a series of open-world missions in game's most recent update. They can be conducted by any CEO, VIP, or MC Club president, and typically involve protecting or eliminating something for a client.
League of Legends patch 12.5 is currently on the MOBA game's testing servers for a pre-launch test drive, and a fresh round of balance changes have now arrived. While the patch is a little smaller than usual due to the President's Day national holiday in the US, if you're a Master Yi main, you'll want to check out what's coming as the assassin champ is in for some significant tweaks.
There are currently three big changes to Master Yi's Q ability, Alpha Strike, up for testing. The damage dealt by the ability has been buffed overall, and critical hits now deal more damage, too. Alpha Strike now also applies on-hit effects, while "on-hits from subsequent hits are also reduced", as the patch preview notes. "CD refund now scales relative to the max cooldown reduction from ability haste (no longer double dips haste)," they also explain.
Wuju Style's damage is getting a bit of a nerf at various levels, and the nature of its duration has changed so now it also doesn't decrease during the champ's Q ability as well as his W (Meditate). The ability can also now be cast during his Q - and these two latter changes have been applied to Master Yi's R ability, Highlander, too.
As the world gradually eases out of lockdown, videogames - and those who make and play them - are finally emerging from the world of livestreams and Zoom calls for some time in the sun and fresh air. W.A.S.D is a brand-new consumer event coming to London's Tobacco Dock where devs, publishers, and players alike can get together in-person to bask in their shared passion. Or, you know, network and spot future prospects. Whatever your cup of the proverbial is really.
Kicking off from April 7-9 and headlining the London Games Festival, W.A.S.D will play host to dozens of indies, as well as big-budget games. Among those confirmed so far will be Triple Hill Interactive's 1v1 action-fighting game Die by the Blade, Team Junkfish's survival-horror romp Monstrum 2, and LCB Game Studio's "pixel pulp" Mothmen 1966.
Renowned indie publisher Team17 is heading to the event with a chonky line-up of games, as are Thunderful Games and Goblinz Studio - the latter is bringing four games for attendees to sink their pearly whites into, while Thunderful has nine titles at the show. So, safe to say there'll be plenty to do, and that's before we get to the industry panels and talks covering everything from the latest trends to getting into the industry.
The updates keep on coming, LoL fans. League of Legends patch 12.4 has made its way to the live Rift, bringing a raft of new skins, champion balance changes, and - of course - steely new Champon Renata Glasc. That means it's now time to see what's headed our way with its follow-up update. While the latest round of skins gave Kassadin, Shen, and Qiyana some dazzling new Shockblade styles, this fortnight's offerings are fare more whimsical. Let's take a look.
The new skins coming with League of Legends patch 12.5 add more champions to the game's Bees! alternate universe, with four new looks on the way. As you'd expect, the names are pun-tastic, with Heimerstinger, Nunu and Beelump, Orbeeanna, and BZZZiggs joining the skin line. You can check out the in-game clips of these in action and their splash art in the skins section below.
As for balance changes, this cycle we're not seeing too many champions getting a round of buffs or nerfs, though if you're a Seraphine or Master Yi main, you'll want to check out the updates below as they're both receiving a few key tweaks each.
What is the GTA 5 podium car this week? GTA Online vehicles are expensive things, so we're happy to take a spin on the Diamond Casino's Lucky Wheel to get a discount. Winning isn't guaranteed, sure, but it isn't out of the question either. Look, we don't have a problem - leave it alone.
You can spin the Diamond Casino's Lucky Wheel once a day, and each Podium Car refreshes after seven days on a Thursday. Basically, you have seven shots to get the vehicle of that given week. If you own a Penthouse, you can spin it for free, but if you don't it's $500 a spin. Don't fret if you don't win, though, as you can win something else. You have a one in 20 chance of getting the podium vehicle, a car discount, or a mystery prize. There's a four in 20 chance of getting clothes, chips, and cash. Finally, there's a five in 20 chance of getting RP.
Keeping tabs on the GTA Online podium car can be a bother, though, so we're going to keep this GTA 5 guide updated so you have somewhere to check back on. On that note, here's the GTA 5 podium car for this week.
The GTA Online Los Santos Tuners update introduced plenty of new content, all focused on the city's underground tuner scene. There's a new 'social space', called the LS Car Meet, where you can show off your souped-up cars, race with fellow gearheads, and take on jobs - here's how to join the LS Car Meet in the Los Santos Tuners update.
Throughout your time spent in the Car Meet, you can level up your reputation and unlock new benefits as you progress. There's also a huge Test Track inside the warehouse, where you can try out Test Rides - a great opportunity to take different vehicles for a spin.
Becoming an LS Car Meet member sets you back $50,000 in-game bucks, but it grants you access to a bunch of underground shops - the Merch Shop, Tattoo Shop, and a Modding Area where you can tweak your car in real time. At higher levels, you can create your own customised area in the Car Meet, called a Private Takeover. LS Car Meet members can also compete in Prize Ride challenges, in order to be in with a chance to win a Prize Ride.
Everybody loves getting things for free, and we at PCGamesN are the last people to fly in the face of that tradition. Which is why we regularly give away free Steam keys, Epic Games Store keys, codes for all manner of other storefronts and launchers, and in-game goodies, as well as gadgets, hardware, swag, and a whole host of assorted stuff.
Check back here regularly to find our latest giveaways - including full games, exclusive preview access, physical special editions, and even event tickets. You can enter once, or multiple times using the various options in each competition. If you happen to be the forgetful type, why not sign up to the PCGamesN newsletter? We'll email you once a week with our latest offerings, plus all the biggest news and deals across PC games and hardware.
If you're gaming on a budget then you might also want to have a look at our list of the best free PC games, and possibly the best free Steam games, too, if you just can't tear yourself away from Valve's fair platform.
With Elden Ring launching tonight (or already out in some places), Bandai Namco have released notes for the day-one patch. While this is probably more notable to console players buying the game on a 'disc' (some sort of tangible version of Spotify, I think?), perhaps you might be interested to see what's changed since the version of the game reviewers reviewed? You know, all those glowing, effusive reviews, who evidently weren't super-bothered by these issues. But it's good to know.
Influential first-person exploration game Dear Esther released commercially 10 years ago this month. But before it was on the front page of Steam and selling like hotcakes, it was a Half Life 2 mod cooked up by designer and writer Dan Pinchbeck and a group of friends. "I was doing a PhD, weirdly, on first person shooters," Pinchbeck says. As part of that, he had been reading a lot of game studies, but had mixed feelings about sitting back and talking about what could, should, or ought to be done in games. "I was like, 'Well, we could just build [something],'" he says. "That felt much more in the spirit of games as a medium anyway."
This morning, Russian armed forces began an invasion of Ukraine. Several Ukrainian video game studios have posted public responses to the invasion, with a range of sentiments.
Neon White is a singleplayer speedrunning FPS about honing movement and violence to shave seconds off times while slicing heads off demons. It's also a visual novel about a goofy good-time gang of anime doofuses who've ended up competing for a chance to enter Heaven. It is extremely good and stylish. A demo is available in the Steam Next Fest, and I suggest you have a go.
Another week, another episode where I get the number wrong again. Contrary to what I say on the recording, this is in fact episode 175 of the Electronic Wireless Show podcast. I probably got it wrong because I'd been up all night at the discotheque. Yes, this week we're taking a suggestion from the listeners and talking about our favourite nightclubs in games. And three more qualified people to talk about clubbing you would not meet.
But first this week there's some big Henry "Vitamin H" Cavill news to get out of the way, plus we discuss drinking animal blood in VIP sections (which is what rich people do), and at what point it stops being cool to go to a nightclub. For me? Almost immediately. And me and Matthew have actually been playing a game, but it's a PlayStation game so please don't listen to us talk about it. But you should definitely listen to Matthew's Hitman-themed Cavern Of Lies.
First things first, this is SPOILER TERRITORY. Please do not read any more of this article if you're sensitive to Elden Ring SPOILERS. What are you doing?! Get OUT! Out I said. Oh – you're still here? Presumably that means you don't care for a spoiler or two. Okay, that works for me.
I'd like to wax lyrical about a good boss in Elden Ring, if you don't mind. He's a beastman, of sorts, who awaits you at the end of a castle. But more than that, he's an optional challenge that both leaves a lasting impression and doesn't at the same time.
This is the game where you peel a dead woman's face off. You do it slowly, with a blunt dog tag, making several raggedy incisions before tearing off the face proper. After lingering over the resulting mess of blood, muscle and bulging eyes, you then place your recently drowned identical twin sister's face over your own. It's just a dream, but still, this is far from the only time Martha Is Dead insists you do something unspeakable, nor is it even the only time you're forced to desecrate your sister's corpse.
Apart from poor writing, these excessive, brute force attempts to disturb define Martha Is Dead. They suck. Horror games are allowed to be horrific, but the way to cultivate real fear is through restraint rather than desensitising bombardment. For the most part Martha just made me frown and go "ew".
If you've ever wanted to start your own cult, then Massive Monster and Devolver Digital have got you covered! Yes, the developer and publisher have confirmed that their upcoming flock-building roguelike, Cult of the Lamb, will be coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Switch, alongside its previously announced PC version, later this year. Accompanying […]
Earlier this month, Square Enix revealed that they'd be bringing Octopath Traveler Mobile Game Champions of the Continent to North America and Europe in 2022, and that a closed beta test would be coming soon. Today, the developers stated that not only is pre-registration live, but that fans won't have to wait too long to […]
Netflix's Ghost in the Shell adaptation is about to air its second season, and today a new teaser trailer puts a brief spotlight on some of the action to come. For those not familiar, Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki bring a vision of the future in 2045 to the landmark near-future science fiction franchise "Ghost […]
FromSoftware's anticipated RPG Elden Ring is nearly out in the wild, but just before its launch the developer has issued a new patch that should "improve the stability of the gameplay." The list of changes are as follows: If you're considering picking up Elden Ring but aren't typically a Souls fan then why not read […]
The DCEU finally seems to be getting back on its feet after over a decade of bad writing and direction, and we all have one man to thank. No, not Zack Snyder. I'm talking about James Gunn. Thanks to his recent work with The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, James Gunn has single-handily revitalized many people's […]
A new Pokemon Presents showcase has just been announced for later this week. It'll go live this Sunday, Feb. 27 at 2:00 pm UTC / 9:00 am ET / 6:00 am PT. Sunday also happens to be Pokemon Day, so this presentation could potentially give us just about anything from Pokemon Legends Arceus DLC to […]
Romantic comedy hijinks have officially made their way to the Nintendo Switch, as Asksys Games' romantic visual novel Variable Barricade is now available on the console. The game follows Hibari, a young woman caught in a scheme concocted by her grandfather to try and get her married off. What follows is a hilarious twist on […]
Martha Is Dead on Xbox Series X It's been almost a good few days since I rolled credits on Martha Is Dead, and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. Given the backdrop of controversy surrounding its disturbing content, I had gone in expecting some overly-gratuitous gore-fest that pushed the boundaries of what's […]
Today, Neon Giant has announced that their popular cyberpunk RPG, The Ascent, will be launching on PlayStation consoles as of March 24, 2022. Alongside this news, it was also revealed that Steam players will also get a brand new content update later today. In that content update, solo and co-op players alike will now be […]
Today is the day many horror fans have been waiting for, as Martha Is Dead has officially arrived on PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. To celebrate the launch, Wired Productions and LKA have come up with an eerie new launch trailer. The video below teases the dark, multi-layered narrative of the […]
Toriko, her robot friend, and FactoryAI will be back. NIS announced Void Terrarium 2 for the PS4 and Switch, a sequel to the roguelike RPG that balances exploring with keeping the last human alive. It will come to Japan on June 30, 2022.
As before, players will control a robot caring for Toriko. Your goal is to head into dungeons to find things she needs to survive and improve her terrarium. However, you need to be careful. Toriko is fragile. She can catch different diseases while you're gone or if things aren't right.
Here's the first Void Terrarium 2 PS4 and Switch trailer. It focuses more on setting a vibe than showing off gameplay. For example, it begins with the robot feeding Toriko. Then, they build her a new terrarium. After that, it works with her to begin growing plants again and make the space more habitable. However, the video also hints at the more perilous things that can happen to her.
There's no worldwide release announcement for Void Terrarium 2 yet. However, the original game did appear worldwide. The Void Terrarium++PS5 version even appeared outside Japan in 2021.
Void Terrarium 2 will come to the Nintendo Switch and PS4 in Japan on June 30, 2022. The Japanese website is open.
The next Fire Emblem Heroes Legendary unit is on the way, and it will be Caeda: Beloved Queen. She will be a five-star flying unit who wields a blue spear. She will also be a water blessing character. People will be able to get her starting on February 28, 2022.
Legendary Caeda's most notable additions are her unique Wing-Lifted Spear weapon and new Distant Storm and Faithful Loyalty skills. The spear grants bonuses if she initiates combat, is within two spaces of an ally, and if the foe has bonuses on it. Distant Storm lets her counterattack close and long range attacks, while also boosting her attack at the cost of 5 HP if her HP is over 25%. Faithful Loyalty lets her counterattack before armored enemies attack her and gives her Vantage for a turn if that happens.
As usual, a number of other notable units will be focus units on the Caeda: Beloved Queen banner. Here's a list of the other characters people could get.
Astrid: Resolute Damsel
Corrin: Child of Dusk
Edelgard: Flame Emperor
Fae: Childlike Dragon
Laegjarn: Flame Ascendant
Leif: Destined Scions
Malice: Deft Sellsword
Nott: Moon's Elegance
Reginn: Bearing Hope
Sothis: Girl on the Throne
Triandra: Nightmare
Here's the next Legendary Hero Fire Emblem Heroes banner video. It confirms Feh Pass subscribers can "spark" on this banner and pick one free focus unit after summoning 40 times.
Fire Emblem Heroes is available for mobile devices, and the Legendary Caeda banner will arrive on February 28, 2022. The banner will run until March 14, 2022.
Nihon Falcom published new streaming guidelines that apply to user-uploaded videos and streams based on its games. The company generally only allows non-profit uploads on websites, blogs, and social media. However, it makes an exception for monetization made through official partnership features on video sites, such as YouTube and Twitch.
In the guidelines, Nihon Falcom asks users to refrain from publishing gameplay videos of its titles before the official release dates. However, the company may make exceptions when it directly requests another person or company to publish its content ahead of time.
In addition to the above, Falcom also asks users to place spoiler warnings on videos that contain important story events. It forbids uploads of game content found through illegal methods, such as data mining and mods.
As uploads and streams of games by users have become widespread, more Japanese companies have decided to set up official guidelines to regulate videos based on their games in the country. Bandai Namco, Koei Tecmo, Sega, and Capcom are some of the companies that have set up comprehensive streaming guidelines for multiple game titles.
Something Final Fantasy XIV Windows PC players have been waiting for arrived. Square Enix announced there is officially Windows 11 support for FFXIV.
Windows 11 appeared back on October 5, 2021. Ahead of its launch, Square Enix confirmed it was working to get things running on the new version of the operating system. It did note it would take "some time" to ensure Windows 11 support for FFXIV. All told, it took over four months.
This means the FFXIV Windows PC requirements now include it. There aren't any other major changes to them. All it notes is that Windows 11 64 bit is supported alongside 8.1 64 bit and 10 64 bit.
This isn't the only support announcement to come up. During the Letter from the Producer Live LXVIII, Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida covered quite a few things to come. He shared a roadmap for the 6.1 to 6.5 patches. He also confirmed that a graphics update would appear as part of the 7.0 update and expansion. He even touched on PS4 support. Though when it comes to the console, he only confirmed that the game would still be supported and get updates through the 7.0 expansion and its eventual update patches.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, and PC.
PlatinumGames and Square Enix's next adventure is about to begin. Soon people will be able to head into The Ziggurat. The live service game Babylon's Fall is about to appear. Siliconera spoke with Producer Junichi Ehara, Director Takahisa Sugiyama, and Director Kenji Saito about what to expect from it at launch and in the future, as well as developing the game during the pandemic.
Jenni Lada, Siliconera: You announced Babylon's Fall back at E3 2018. How long has it been in development?
Takahisa Sugiyama, PlatinumGames: The game has been in development for a few years. I actually joined this project when it was already in development, and I just know that enough time has passed to make it hard to recall (laughs).
How did the pandemic affect Babylon's Fall's development?
Sugiyama: I think this can be said for all game development companies, but it of course had a major impact on our development schedule. In particular, we had to shift to developing remotely, and we, across the company, collectively took on those challenges.
Kenji Saito, PlatinumGames: In the past, game development at PlatinumGames took place among lined-up desks, with various sections communicating openly and without barriers. As the director, I used to be able to just look across, get an idea of what was happening, and quickly communicate what we wanted to do. Not being able to do that anymore was something I definitely struggled with in the beginning. But by exploring different ways, I think that we are now able to resolve that somewhat, although not completely. However, I think this is one of the reasons why the development process took longer.
Babylon's Fall will be an action-RPG focused on acquiring loot. What are you doing to ensure it stands out and remains memorable?
Sugiyama: It goes without saying that the main goal of a hack-and-slash game is to perfect your builds. While taking that into account, we then focused on how we could incorporate action, which is where PlatinumGames' true worth lies, throughout. There are very many active skills, and the design we've pushed to the forefront is one where builds can demonstrate their power by making the most of their maneuvers via player controls.
How have other PlatinumGames titles influenced Babylon's Fall?
Saito: We were able to draw some inspiration from other PlatinumGames titles. For example, there are some control elements similar to NieR:Automata, but the feel of the action and game design are completely different in Babylon's Fall.
We also just announced that there will be a limited time NieR:Automata collaboration taking place in Babylon's Fall during Season 1. We're very excited for fans of the NieR series to check this out!
Babylon's Fall uses some assets from FFXIV for budget purposes. How many items are shared between the two games? Are there any in-game nods to this with regards to weapon lore?
Sugiyama: There aren't very many, by any means. The FFXIV equipment has only been repurposed for our lower rarity equipment, such as common or uncommon. When you look at the game's overall lifespan, it's only a short time that you spend those lower level items. We've only selected equipment that feels universal and fit in as medieval fantasy elements, so we don't focus in on them by explaining about them in the game.
Babylon's Fall is going to be a live service game. In addition to free content updates, what kinds of paid additions can people expect?
Sugiyama: We will offer what's called subscription-based battle passes, and you'll be able to obtain various cosmetic-focused rewards by playing. However, considering the game will be purchased at full price, we plan to provide the Premium Battle Pass for free for Season 1! We will also be offering gameplay-based discounts for the next season's battle passes, and you'll be able to purchase the next season's battle pass at a maximum discount of half price.
Other than that, you will also be able to purchase various cosmetic items in the shop.
Absolutely no elements that are critical to get through the game are purchasable. We've designed the game so that gameplay is the most important thing to get stronger.
How long would you hope to support Babylon's Fall?
Junichi Ehara, Square Enix: As long as the players continue to support it, of course!
Sugiyama: As long as we can, of course!
Babylon's Fall will come to the PS4, PS5, and PC on March 3, 2022. If people pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition, they can begin playing on February 28, 2022. Its demo will be available starting on February 25, 2022.
According to a Weekly Jump leak, Midnight will be the next playable DLC character in My Hero One's Justice 2. She will appear in the near future, and Bandai Namco will also reveal more information on her kit soon. If the leaks are true, Midnight will be the ninth DLC character overall for the game. After Midnight, there will be one more character left in Season Pass 2. [Thanks, ryokutya2089!]
Midnight, or Nemuri Kayam, is a Pro Hero and and one of the teachers at U.A. High School. Her Quirk is Somnambulist. With this ability, she can put other people to sleep. Aside from her Quirk, Midnight also fights with weapons, such as the whip she tends to hold. Despite being a teacher, she has a rather flirtatious personality and does not care much about dress codes.
DLC characters prior to Midnight for My Hero One's Justice 2 include Present Mic, Kurogiri, and Hitoshi Shinso. When it comes to new characters, Bandai Namco usually announces them first and then releases a trailer to showcase how they play in-game. Players will have to wait for more information to know how Midnight's Somnambulist Quirk could work.
My Hero One's Justice 2 is readily available on the Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC (via Steam), and Stadia.
The Japanese Hololive VTuber Uruha Rushia is no longer active. Cover Corporation announced that it terminated her contract due to a violation conducted by the person behind the VTuber.
Cover released a statement about this matter, which is also available in English on Reddit. The company discovered that the person behind Uruha Rushia leaked business information and distributed falsehoods to third parties. It apologized to the VTuber's fans for breaking this news. The company will share more details about refunds for Uruha Rushia's birthday merchandise at a later time. The VTuber's birthday happened on January 22, 2023, roughly a month before this announcement.
This was not the first time Cover removed a Hololive VTuber due to a contract breach. In June 2018, the company terminated the first-generation VTuber Hitomi Chris due to a violation. In August 2020, it gave a two-week suspension to the newly-debuting fifth-generation member Mano Aloe due to an accidental leak of her Live2D model. Aloe retired on her own accord at the end of August 2020, but Cover still removed her page from the group's website.
Kiryu Coco is currently the only member who has left Hololive under good terms. The fourth-generation VTuber launched her final graduation stream on July 1, 2021. Cover also retains her biography page on its website, with her listed as an OG.
After terminating its contract with Uruha Rushia, Cover will shut down the Hololive VTuber's YouTube channel and membership around the end of March 2022.
The Pokemon equivalent of a Nintendo Direct is on the way. In Japan, a website opened for a February 27, 2022 Pokemon Presents stream. This will be a Pokemon Day 2022 presentation going over upcoming projects for the series. It will begin at 6am PT/9am ET/11pm JST.
This will be a 14 minute long stream. At the moment, only the Japanese accounts are promoting it. However, past Pokemon Presents aired worldwide and there are worldwide events leading up to it.
There are few details about which games could appear during this presentation. However, some projects announced in the past could return. The Pokemon Company International hasn't said anything about Pokemon Sleep in a while. That will be a sleep-tracking "game" that works with the Pokemon GO++ device. It is also being developed by the Magikarp Jump developer Select Button.
Another Detective Pikachu game is also in development. Back in 2019 at a Pokemon Presents, Detective Pikachu 2came up. It will appear on the Nintendo Switch and continue the story from the Nintendo 3DS game.
This could be an opportunity to go over the next mainline installment in the series.
The Pokemon Presents presentation will be held on February 27, 2022 at 6am PT/9am ET/11pm JST
Before Atelier Ryza stole everyone's hearts, Sophie was Gust's darling. Her entry in the Mysterious trilogy was the best-selling installment. As part of an anniversary project, she's back again with a proper Atelier Sophie 2. You know, instead of her and Plachta hanging around in someone else's Atelier. The new entry clearly builds on the original game and on what Gust's learned from the two Atelier Ryza installments. However, it also expects you to really love Sophie, Plachta, and Sophie and Plachta together.
Atelier Sophie 2 picks up where the first game left off. Sophie is still trying to become an alchemist as respected and talented as her grandmother. Plachta's in her doll body, rather than trapped in a book, but would like a human body again. The two are traveling to accomplish their goals. However, Plachta had a dream about a strange tree, which the two decide to visit. When they do, an odd vortex sucks both of them to another world. Sophie wakes up in Erde Wiege's town of Roytale alone. It's a place where a goddess of dreams named Elvira pulls people from different places and times to accomplish their goals. While her Plachta is nowhere to be found, another alchemist named Plachta is there. So, Sophie, this new Plachta, and a number of additional allies join her to figure out what is going on.
All of this means, well, Atelier Sophie 2's story isn't welcoming to beginners. While Atelier Ryza 2 started in a position where we are newcomers to a new region and adventure alongside Ryza, this sequel relies heavily on experience with the first game and its cast. Don't know who Sophie and Plachta are? You may not care as much about Sophie's mission and some members of the cast. It relies heavily on a pre-existing appreciation and further building up Sophie and Plachta. Which would be fine if it also worked to establish the reason Plachta is so important in-game. But aside from Sophie telling a number of people that "she's family" and an option to see what happened before in the main menu, I feel there it could use more context. An unfamiliar player could be left as disconnected as the allies around Sophie who keep hearing how important Plachta is without being told why. Yes, eventually we do learn more, but I feel the original did a better job of building up people and relationships. It also did a better job of not being as blatant. (Especially when something obvious to the player isn't to Sophie.)
While the story does require some knowledge, the rest of the game is pretty easy to approach. Sophie and her party will explore areas around Erde Wiege. Gathering spots are highlighted. Approaching them shows what materials you'll garner from them, as well as if you'll need an extra tool to get those ingredients. (You must craft and equip said tools at the atelier.) Everything is clearly visible. You can fast travel at any time, and areas outside of town have additional waypoints you can unlock by interacting with special crystals.
Given that Erde Wiege is a dream world, this means there is an excuse for all sorts of biomes. But at the same time, that means things are thrown together. I also felt quite a few places came across as a bland. Roytale itself looks like any generic, medieval fantasy town. You don't get backstory or interesting lore implications for the spots like the forests, ruins, and swamps you'll explore. Few spaces are memorable. Given that this is a world with such fantastical origins, it seemed the perfect opportunity to go above and beyond.
The world map shows you which drops are found at locations, including during certain weather conditions. There's both a mini-map and an option to overlay it across the screen when I. A space. You can also set a quest as a guided objective, which will cause icons to appear on the map and symbols to appear over, say, the correct monsters. So you constantly have the information you need. Which is probably the best part about Atelier Sophie 2.
The option to overlay the map over the whole of the screen is one I found myself regularly. Finding out how to get where you need to go to progress might not be obvious. There were a few times in the first ten hours alone when I needed to find the exact place where Sophie could hop across makeshift, floating item bridges or get through spots to reach a designated area. It would also be handy to find the pillars for weather-changing gems. These determine the kinds of materials and monsters you will find, as well as how the landscape changes or mechanisms allow you new access to areas. Which means that, for some spots, you're frequently altering conditions to get around. (You will need to recharge said gems with alchemy.) It can be novel. But it can sometimes be a bit frustrating in certain areas.
As for enemies, they roam freely around on the map. Walking into or hitting one causes a turn-based battle, just like the original game. Atelier Sophie 2 returns the series to a more traditional turn-based battle system. You have three people active on the field at a time. (Sophie herself is mandatory.)
While there are a few systems designed to make things flashier, I found I only relied on them to take on bosses or fight enemies that put up auras you need to defeat so you can properly beat them up. The Support Guard function swaps in a person from the reserves to guard against an opponent's attack in place of someone on the front lines. (You'll pull the target into the back line when this happens.) You can use a Twin Action, which lets two characters use a skill one after the other. There's also a Dual Trigger for special attacks, but only if you used enough Support Guards and Twin Actions to fill its gauge. Also, like the original Atelier Sophie, you can see the turn order.
This is also a situation in which the Atelier Sophie alchemy system influenced the sequel. Alchemists learn via doing. This means collecting a new ingredient, synthesizing an item, fighting certain enemies, or using certain actions in battle all can unlock new recipes. (So can books.) I will admit some frustration at finding I'd need to collect a specific kind of item again when there were over 20 already in storage or I'd already crafted a certain item. (You would think the alchemists would remember they already know ladybugs and wood chips exist.) Still, it works well enough.
As for creating items with alchemy, Atelier Sophie 2 adjusts the formula slightly. Each material features elemental building blocks associated with it. You place these on a grid. Your goal is to arrange blocks over their matching elements, while also making full lines horizontally and vertically for a chance to improve the quality. Also, placing a certain number of one kind of element can unlock certain traits for the final product. For example, placing enough lightning element items on the grid for a weapon you're making could unlock an "attack+1" trait. When equipped, the person using that weapon would then hit twice whenever they would attack. It's very easy to grasp, which makes it feel rewarding. Even the Restricted version, which limits where material panels can be placed, didn't feel too trying to me.
The basic gameplay loop involves searching for someone or something. This means heading to an area. There, you'll mess with the local pillars to alter the environment and likely fight a boss. There will typically be at least one major recipe and resulting item associated with the whole quest chain. Once you finish, it's on to the next one. Along the way, you could be building up friendships with allies or taking side quests involving gathered items, crafted items, or hunted monsters. You'll also be earning ability points for all characters while exploring and performing certain actions. Which, in turn, can be invested to make them better fighters, let you carry more items when gathering, or become better at certain gathering methods.
As for the Nintendo Switch version of Atelier Sophie 2, I noticed a number of issues while playing. For example, Sophie's running animation can sometimes look a bit choppy. Depending on where you are and the weather conditions, environmental objects can look a little blurry. (Even some locations in Roytale suffer from this.) Loading isn't too egregious, but fast traveling a lot means you'll first see loading on the world map, then again on a black screen before entering your next location. They're all minor, but present. When I conducted the preview on PC, I noticed similar choppiness and rendering issues, but that was only due to the settings I needed to use to play.
I think whether or not someone will enjoy Atelier Sophie 2 comes down to how much they loved the original game and its characters. There are marked improvements from Atelier Sophie. It is clear Gust took what the team learned from more recent installments and applied it here. But it might not foster the same enthusiasm as other installments, due to its focus on certain characters. It might even leave you a bit frustrated when you need to perform certain actions to get needed recipes or run into inaccessible areas because you don't have the correct "keys" to open those metaphorical doors. People who love Gust and Atelier Sophie will likely be all-in and satisfied to see Sophie and Plachta's relationship grow. Everyone else may want to wait for the next entirely new entry.
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream will come to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC in Japan on February 24, 2022 and worldwide on February 25, 2022.
Bandai Namco released a list of the Mobile Suits and characters that will appear in SD Gundam Battle Alliance. The list includes several Mobile Suits that were shown in the announcement trailer. Images of the individual Mobile Suits and their corresponding pilots are also available to view. The page provides a brief character synopsis for the Mobile Suit pilots, along with what series each respective character is from.
As it stands, the roster features a total of 12 Mobile Suits and 10 pilots. However, SD Gundam Battle Alliance will have Mobile Suits from 25 different Gundam series, including Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in Pocket, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack.
You can check out the roster of confirmed Mobile Suits and pilots, along with their profiles, below.
Bandai Namco released a pre-release patch for Elden Ring in order to fix frame rate drops along with a few other adjustments. The Elden Ring 1.02 patch is immediately available to download. Outside of fixing frame rate drops under certain conditions, the Elden Ring patch brings text adjustments and NPC event fixes to the game. Below is the full list of what the Elden Ring 1.02 patch includes outside of general performance issues.
Improved player controls
Addition and adjustment of background music
Text adjustments
Balance adjustments
NPC event fixes and adjustments
Fixed frame rate drops under certain conditions
Fixed text bugs in some languages
Fixed bug that prevented the Xbox wireless headset from working properly
Bandai Namco strongly advised users to download and install the patch before playing the game. Users can check to see if the patch has been applied by looking at the lower righthand side of their screen. Additionally, Bandai Namco shared the global release times for Elden Ring. This came with an infographic that reveals when the game will be available in each region. Pre-loading of the title is immediately available leading up to the release of the game.
Elden Ring will release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on February 25, 2022.
Square Enix will release a new Final Fantasy XIV calendar for March 2022, which features a render of Venat. The calendar is intended for use on mobile devices and is available to obtain through the LINE SNS messaging service. The only stipulation to receiving the wallpaper is that LINE users must be friends with the official Final Fantasy XIV LINE account. The wallpaper will be sent to your mobile device once it is available.
Similar to the Venat wallpaper, previous Final Fantasy XIV LINE wallpapers showcased a prominent character or piece of key artwork. For example, past wallpapers included promotional artwork or character renders from the Endwalker expansion. The official Final Fantasy XIV Twitter account also shared an image of Venat outside of the calendar that will be available through LINE.
While Final Fantasy XIV saw a massive influx of players leading up to the release of the Endwalker expansion, Square Enix chose to temporarily halt registration for the free trial. However, players can once again access the free trial. The free trial grants players access to A Realm Reborn and the Heavensward expansion.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for PS4, PS5, and PC.
Square Enix opened a closed beta for Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent (aka Conquerors of the Continent in Japan). Registration for the closed beta is available for Android devices. However, it is restricted to certain regions. Square Enix released a new trailer to announce the opening of the closed beta as well, which features a brief look at its gameplay and general exploration mechanics. Pre-registration for the title is immediately available.
The official Google Play page reveals that over 64 characters will be available at launch. Parties will consist of a total of eight characters at at time. And while Octopath Traveler: Conquerors of the Continent will allow for players to pick the storyline of their choosing, they will still be able to experience all available storylines.
You can watch the Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent trailer below.
[embed]https://youtu.be/NQV-U8IgGjc[/embed]
The title originally launched in October 2020 in Japan and amassed 10 million registered users a month after its release. In February 2022, Square Enix announced Octopath Traveler: Conquerors of the Continent would receive an English release as Champions of the Continent during a commemorative broadcast.
Octopath Traveler: Conquerors of the Continent is available for Android and iOS devices in Japan. It will release in North America and Europe sometime in 2022.
Elden Ring, which has made waves as one of the best-reviewed games ever, is finally playable later today. But while the game blew us away, we did note some issues on the tech side of things. Thankfully, as it is with current games, Elden Ring will get a day one patch to adjust balance, improve the controls, and address said framerate drops. It's not a massive patch, but it could be one of the most important in the way of enjoying the game right out the gate. There are a number of issues addressed in the Elden Ring day one patch. However, much like the game, they're a little ambiguous. Firstly, the patch improves player controls. It doesn't say what controls have changed and why. There are also adjustments to text, game balance, and NPC events (which have also gotten fixes). Publisher Bandai Namco doesn't quite go into detail, but that's, again, apropos. The major adjustment that PC users should care about are the fixes coming to framerate drops i...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, February 24, 2022 1:25 PM
The boss battle against Godrick the Grafted in Elden Ring yields a couple of rewards. One of these is Godrick's Great Rune, which, unfortunately, has no power at the moment. We'll have to venture forth just to gain the benefits from this item. Here's our Elden Ring guide to help you activate Godrick's Great Rune. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring guide – How to activate Godrick's Great Rune As cited in our Stormveil Castle walkthrough, there's a yard area that has a battalion of Exile soldiers. Past that is an Omen monster and the Liftside Chamber Site of Grace. Here's the thing: if you're being chased by a dozen mobs, it's unlikely that you've noticed a nearby pathway. To the east, you should see an Exile operating a ballista while looking at a path leading through a gate. Go there and try to dodge the explosive projectiles being shot your way. Eventually...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, February 24, 2022 1:00 PM
Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific Season Two arrived with an array of new areas on the map to explore, two new weapons in the form of an assault rifle and a light machine gun, and much more. Leveling up weapons and completing challenges to unlock camos is not a simple task, especially in Warzone Pacific. It takes a lot of time and dedication, especially if you are trying to achieve the mastery camos. Usually, players would work towards this in multiplayer, but not every Warzone Pacific player owns Call of Duty: Vanguard. However, a Warzone Pacific player may have found the best trick yet to quickly earn weapon XP and progress the camo grind in Clash. A clip was posted on the Warzone Pacific Reddit page showing the trick in action. The player who posted the clip was able to rack up weapon XP and unlock multiple camos in Warzone Pacific's Clash game mode using this method. They noted that the game does not automatically kick inactive players in this game mode. As a result, players a...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, February 24, 2022 1:00 PM
Upon reaching the yard in Elden Ring's Stormveil Castle, you're just a few steps away from Godrick the Grafted, this main boss of this Legacy Dungeon. He's one tough fella, and you might have quite the ordeal if you mistime your shots or spellcasts. Here's our Elden Ring boss guide to help you beat Godrick the Grafted, the main boss of Stormveil Castle. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring guide – How to beat Godrick the Grafted Godrick the Grafted in Elden Ring has a few notable tricks: Melee – All of his melee hits will annihilate you if you're not careful. They'll eat through your stamina and they have wide, near-360-degree arcs. Whirlwind – Godrick's bread and butter is his whirlwind ability. While he's casting this, it's able to deflect all projectiles and offensive spells. You'll be wasting your ammo and FP if you mistime your attacks. Whirl...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, February 24, 2022 12:30 PM
As you near the end of Stormveil Castle, you'll stumble upon a Site of Grace called the Liftside Chamber. Here's the odd part: the door at the back is locked, and there seems to be no way to open it normally. Well, fear not, since there's always a solution. Here's our Elden Ring guide to help you open the Liftside Chamber door in Stormveil Castle. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring guide – How to open the Liftside Chamber door in Stormveil Castle To open the Liftside Chamber door in Elden Ring, we'll need to ride the elevator there or use the Secluded Cells bonfire to reach the area with Living Jars (i.e., it's also where you found Ashes of War: Stormcaller). Take a look at the opposite wall and you should see some ledges. Jump on these to reach the opening. Inside, you'll fight some Commoner mobs and pick up some loot along the way. When you exit this room, there's a ...
This article was taken from https://gamerempire.net/ from the Gaming Guides category: https://gamerempire.net/category/gaming/. It was written by Jack Roque. The original URL of this post is https://gamerempire.net/best-nintendo-switch-games-like-skyrim/. Many people consider The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to be among the greatest games ever made. Its mix of deep character customization and an immersive open world is something people can't help but fall […]
When I tried the preview version of GRID Legends a few months back, it only took a matter of minutes for me to know that the full version would be quite the package. Now, with over a dozen hours of track time accounted for, it's safe to say that Codemasters' latest project has passed all of the dynamo tests, wind tunnel calculations, and crash course preliminaries. That is to say, this sleek speedster collection has a lot of things going for it. For myself, traditional circuit racers don't particularly grab me as much as they used to. So, I find it remarkably impressive that GRID Legends has actually managed to sweep me away with a tight driving model and gameplay mechanics that are a textbook example of a racing title that fits the "simcade" moniker to a T. Stories of slipstreams GRID Legends has some neat ideas when it comes to its mix of gameplay offerings. For a full single player experience, there's a dedicated Story Mode and a single ... 
The arena dodge ball game Knockout City will be free to play once Season 6 goes live later this spring. To celebrate, developer Velan Studios is knocking out Electronic Arts as the game's publisher. Okay, not really. But the studio is set to soon begin self-publishing the game, which should happen not long after the launch of Season 6. "From the day we founded our studio, we've worked to deliver revolutionary new game experiences to you, our amazing community of players," Velan wrote in an update. "We couldn't have introduced Knockout City to the world without the incredible support of EA Originals, but now as we switch to free-to-play, the natural next step is for us to take over publishing responsibilities and work even more closely with our community. We have exciting plans for Knockout City, and bringing publishing in-house will allow us to fully realize our vision for the long-term future of this game." Going free to play and moving toward s... 
If you managed to find the Academy Key, then you'll be able to explore the facility built and protected by magic. This is the Legacy Dungeon in the Liurnia of the Lakes region in Elden Ring. After a little romp, you'll finally have a chance to battle a major boss. Here's our Elden Ring guide to help you defeat Rennala Queen of the Full Moon in the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring boss guide – How to beat Rennala Queen of the Full Moon in the Academy of Raya Lucaria Phase 1 Rennala Queen of the Full Moon might be one of the easiest bosses in Elden Ring… if you're a melee or ranged fighter, that is. If you're a spellcaster, then you'll soon realize that she's extremely resistant to magic. Whoops! In any case, here's our goal for the Rennala Queen of the Full Moon boss fight in Elden Ring: During the first phase, Rennala is floating in th... 
After clearing Stormveil Castle and defeating Godrick the Grafted, you'll be able to head to Liurnia of the Lakes in Elden Ring. This region is plain swampland as far as the eye can see, and we need to find something that allows progression. Here's our Elden Ring guide to help you obtain the Academy Key and defeat the Glintstone Dragon in Liurnia of the Lakes. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring Liurnia of the Lakes guide – Getting the Academy Key and beating the Glintstone Dragon From the mountain pass in Stormveil Castle, follow the path until you reach Liurnia of the Lakes. You should eventually see a sector called Laksyar Ruins. Dozens of mobs will emerge from the putrid depths, and many of them will lob orbs that track you down. Ideally, you'll want to lose aggro by running to the western end. Then, turn back and look for a gazebo with a portal. This portal will take you to the front gate of th... 
Of all the Fallout games that have come out since Bethesda acquired the IP, Fallout: New Vegas tends to receive the most praise from diehard fans. Notably, developer Obsidian made this entry rather than Bethesda, giving the game a unique flavor that overall seems to have resonated with fans more than Bethesda's efforts. Although Fallout: New Vegas did not escape the criticisms commonly levied at the modern Fallout titles, such as their technical issues, many still see it as one of the best western RPGs around. With this in mind, talk surrounding a potential Fallout: New Vegas sequel may have started not too long ago. This report came from GamesBeat reporter Jeff Grubb, who discussed it on his paywalled news show, Grubbsnax. Supposedly, both Microsoft and Obsidian remain in "very early" talks regarding this possible sequel, and, at this stage, it has not evolved into anything more than an idea. According to Grubb, it will likely take years before such an idea comes ... 
Elden Ring, which has made waves as one of the best-reviewed games ever, is finally playable later today. But while the game blew us away, we did note some issues on the tech side of things. Thankfully, as it is with current games, Elden Ring will get a day one patch to adjust balance, improve the controls, and address said framerate drops. It's not a massive patch, but it could be one of the most important in the way of enjoying the game right out the gate. There are a number of issues addressed in the Elden Ring day one patch. However, much like the game, they're a little ambiguous. Firstly, the patch improves player controls. It doesn't say what controls have changed and why. There are also adjustments to text, game balance, and NPC events (which have also gotten fixes). Publisher Bandai Namco doesn't quite go into detail, but that's, again, apropos. The major adjustment that PC users should care about are the fixes coming to framerate drops i... 
The boss battle against Godrick the Grafted in Elden Ring yields a couple of rewards. One of these is Godrick's Great Rune, which, unfortunately, has no power at the moment. We'll have to venture forth just to gain the benefits from this item. Here's our Elden Ring guide to help you activate Godrick's Great Rune. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring guide – How to activate Godrick's Great Rune As cited in our Stormveil Castle walkthrough, there's a yard area that has a battalion of Exile soldiers. Past that is an Omen monster and the Liftside Chamber Site of Grace. Here's the thing: if you're being chased by a dozen mobs, it's unlikely that you've noticed a nearby pathway. To the east, you should see an Exile operating a ballista while looking at a path leading through a gate. Go there and try to dodge the explosive projectiles being shot your way. Eventually... 
Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific Season Two arrived with an array of new areas on the map to explore, two new weapons in the form of an assault rifle and a light machine gun, and much more. Leveling up weapons and completing challenges to unlock camos is not a simple task, especially in Warzone Pacific. It takes a lot of time and dedication, especially if you are trying to achieve the mastery camos. Usually, players would work towards this in multiplayer, but not every Warzone Pacific player owns Call of Duty: Vanguard. However, a Warzone Pacific player may have found the best trick yet to quickly earn weapon XP and progress the camo grind in Clash. A clip was posted on the Warzone Pacific Reddit page showing the trick in action. The player who posted the clip was able to rack up weapon XP and unlock multiple camos in Warzone Pacific's Clash game mode using this method. They noted that the game does not automatically kick inactive players in this game mode. As a result, players a... 
Upon reaching the yard in Elden Ring's Stormveil Castle, you're just a few steps away from Godrick the Grafted, this main boss of this Legacy Dungeon. He's one tough fella, and you might have quite the ordeal if you mistime your shots or spellcasts. Here's our Elden Ring boss guide to help you beat Godrick the Grafted, the main boss of Stormveil Castle. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring guide – How to beat Godrick the Grafted Godrick the Grafted in Elden Ring has a few notable tricks: Melee – All of his melee hits will annihilate you if you're not careful. They'll eat through your stamina and they have wide, near-360-degree arcs. Whirlwind – Godrick's bread and butter is his whirlwind ability. While he's casting this, it's able to deflect all projectiles and offensive spells. You'll be wasting your ammo and FP if you mistime your attacks. Whirl... 
As you near the end of Stormveil Castle, you'll stumble upon a Site of Grace called the Liftside Chamber. Here's the odd part: the door at the back is locked, and there seems to be no way to open it normally. Well, fear not, since there's always a solution. Here's our Elden Ring guide to help you open the Liftside Chamber door in Stormveil Castle. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Elden Ring guide – How to open the Liftside Chamber door in Stormveil Castle To open the Liftside Chamber door in Elden Ring, we'll need to ride the elevator there or use the Secluded Cells bonfire to reach the area with Living Jars (i.e., it's also where you found Ashes of War: Stormcaller). Take a look at the opposite wall and you should see some ledges. Jump on these to reach the opening. Inside, you'll fight some Commoner mobs and pick up some loot along the way. When you exit this room, there's a ...