Stephen Wilhite, the man widely credited as being the creator of the Graphics Interchange Format image, better known as a gif, has died at the age of 74.
Few tactical shooters stack up to XCOM. The venerable sci-fi series is considered best-in-class for the genre, thanks to a formula calcified in the widely praised XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its equally praised successor, XCOM 2. (The spinoff XCOM: Chimera Squad, released in 2020, is fine.)
Gather 'round, readers, as I regale you with another tale of the weird shit players are up to in Elden Ring. Don't worry, this post won't be about panties, murdering turtle clergy, or rolling death strats (we've already done those). This time around, Elden Ring has become an even wackier gameplay experience thanks to…
Elden Ring is massive, filled to the brim with all sorts of murderous creepy crawlies seemingly designed to make your stay in the Lands Between as unsettling as possible. But the enemies that keep giving me the most trouble are also the most banal.
Lost Ark's next weekly update, arriving tomorrow, is making use of Steam's trusted account features in order to fight bots. Steam accounts that have lost - or have not yet earned - the platform's 'trusted' status are losing access to a number of features as part of an effort to block the bots that are currently crowding the game.
New Steam accounts are classified as 'limited' until that account makes a purchase of at least $5 USD from the Steam store. Until then, those limited accounts are restricted from using most of the platform's social features, as part of Valve's effort to prevent fraud on Steam. Now, the Lost Ark devs are using that same feature to battle bots in the MMO.
As of this weekly update, Lost Ark players with limited Steam accounts will no longer be able to initiate player-to-player trades, though trade requests can still be accepted. They'll also no longer be able to send in-game gifts, exchange Royal Crystals for gold, or send in-game mail with attachments.
The Sims 4 devs are teasing a major [redacted] announcement, which could mean anything from a kit up to a new expansion pack. But given the excitement the folks at Maxis are putting out, it seems likely that this will be a pretty major announcement - and given the very negative reaction to the very buggy wedding DLC, the game probably needs something big right now.
The devs have used the [redacted] gag to tease several Sims 4 announcements in the past, and as fansites like Sims Community have noted, they're at it again. The mysterious [redacted] has new features, new shoes, and new object text, the devs are very excited about it, and no, they're not telling us anything more at this time.
The Witcher 4 is probably going to feature a new group called the School of the Lynx, and initial speculation that the first teaser image for the game hinted at Ciri as a protagonist appears to be incorrect. The devs at CD Projekt Red have been tight-lipped about the new game, but they're keen for you to know two things: it's not actually going to be called The Witcher 4, and the medallion in the teaser image is in the shape of a lynx.
The first (and currently only) teaser image for the new game shows a Witcher medallion half-buried in snow. Its feline features led some fans to speculate that this is a hint that Ciri will be the protagonist this time around, since she wears a cat medallion in The Witcher 3.
But the medallion in the teaser image isn't just a cat - it's a lynx, a North American wildcat. "Some mysteries should not be so mysterious," communication director Robert Malinowski tells Eurogamer. "I can confirm that the medallion is, in fact, shaped after a lynx." Malinowski later reported the same message directly to fans in a tweet.
Minecraft hacks are, ideally, not actually going to involve any 90s-style montages of people in trench coats in front of screens filled with green numbers. Instead, these are 'hacks' in the 'life hack' sense - a lot like Minecraft tips, but they tend to be for players who already have a rough idea of what they're doing and are ready to upgrade their efficiency in the sandbox game.
Now, I know that efficiency isn't the sexiest word in the world, but when you're trying to mass-produce obsidian or terraform part of your world, then it's something you absolutely should care about. You're not the only person that cares about it though, as is made very clear thanks to Skip the Tutorial and a few of their Minecraft hacks videos.
The latest video has nineteen of these Minecraft hacks, each of which is designed to make one aspect of the game substantially easier. There are hacks on everything from how to best farm stone blocks, to how to best take on some of the tougher enemies in the game. There's no real guiding thread between any of the tips, but the smorgasbord style is quite fun to watch, and will definitely inspire you.
There's a Far Cry 6 free weekend kicking off tomorrow, so anyone who wants to try the latest game in the long-running FPS game series can do so for nothing - in single-player or co-op. Even better, it includes the free Far Cry 6 Stranger Things DLC - which also drops tomorrow.
Pre-loads are live right now, but the Far Cry 6 free weekend and Stranger Things DLC both launch on Thursday, March 24 at 11am PDT / 2pm EDT / 6pm GMT. That time holds true across all regions and platforms, including Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store on PC, as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The event ends on Monday, March 28 at those same times.
The Stranger Things DLC is titled 'The Vanishing', and is billed as a "crossover mission" - so expect something small in scale. Ubisoft hasn't provided much detail on the crossover, but a brief teaser trailer reveals the show's Demogorgon in-game, and a bit of promotional art featuring Far Cry 6 protagonist Dani exploring the Upside Down.
W.A.S.D., the new consumer videogame show, kicks off on April 7 as part of the London Games Festival, and the event's organisers have confirmed a totally sold-out show floor. That means there will be plenty of games from publishers like Sega, Devolver Digital, and Team17 on display, and W.A.S.D. will offer the first public hands-on for several hotly anticipated upcoming PC games.
Sega will be at the show with the first public hands-on look at Two Point Campus. A follow-up to Two Point Hospital, this university-building simulator takes the goofy sensibilities of classic management games like Theme Hospital and applies them to a new setting with a modern twist, letting you offer jousting degrees from Knight School or certificates in giant pies from the college of Gastronomy.
Team17 will be on-hand with the recently-announced Ship of Fools, a co-op roguelike game where you sail the seas, buckle some swash, and do battle with varied abominations in search of ever-cooler loot.
Searching for the best Elden Ring builds? Now that the Elden Ring 1.03 patch has busted some of everyone's favourite builds, it's time to take a step back and assess where to spend your hard earned runes. The first 20 levels shape your entire Elden Ring class, so it's important to select your stats carefully. While it may be tempting to place some stat points into faith as an Astrologer, you're better off committing to the full sorcery build in order to maximise your damage in the late game.
But what are the best Elden Ring 1.03 builds? Well some builds - such as the Hoarfrost Stomp build - aren't as powerful as they used to be, but new ones are rising to take their place, such as the Swarm of Flies. If you've found that your build has been nerfed, never fear - grab a certain Elden Ring Great Rune and you'll be able to unlock character respec.
Elden Ring's deep character customisation options make this RPG game so special, but if you're looking to destroy your enemies with ease you need to create the most powerful build. Here's what you need to create the best Elden Ring builds, including where to allocate your stat points and which items you need to find.
Marauders is a Tarkov-style survival FPS game that wants to impart one key lesson - life is cruel. Indeed, it would have to be, in a Dieselpunk alternate history in which 'the Great War' never ended and everyone is fighting over scraps of the asteroid belt in the early '90s. Darwinism reigns supreme and Marauders is not going to give you a shiny insurance payout if you lose all your stuff.
"Losing all your stuff is tough," Cameron Small tells me. He's lead designer at Small Impact Games, a four-person studio that's working on Marauders with Team 17. "It's a tough thing to get over. But I don't think any feeling beats it in terms of progression." It's also a very risky strategy for an indie game in the battle royale-adjacent space, as he's quick to acknowledge, but: "as long as we can educate the player that they can go in with nothing and come out with everything, maybe it's worth [the risk]".
Small Impact was founded on a love of survival games, hardcore shooters like Escape from Tarkov, and about half a dozen other influences that all combine to make Marauders. The studio clearly revels in the harshness of Darwin's 'survival of the fittest' theory and the winner-take-all opportunities it implies; Cameron tells me he enjoys going into a game of Tarkov naked and seeing what he can walk away with. "Your first raid could be your best raid, or your worst," he muses.
Lots of open world games – or at least, those that I've played – steer you through their maps methodically. Jim, Dave, and Sally all have their map markers in Vice City for a portion of the game, then they'll shift over to Tilted Towers after a few hours. Perhaps the bridge to Shrek's Swamp won't open unless you rescue the princess from Bowser's Castle later down the line.
And there's nothing wrong with an open world that gently steers you in the right direction. Elden Ring does this with its checkpoints that blow the equivalent of directional arrows in the breeze, helping you feel in control of your progress. But I'd argue it's even better at the opposite: wresting that control away in a split-second.
I grew up watching the anime adaptation of Yu-Gi-Oh!, but I would be lying if I said I understood much of anything about it anymore. Apparently, it's also a card game. When was this? When did this come in? Anyway, its digital equivalent Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is hosting a limited-time event called the N And R Rarity Festival, which begins today.
Earlier today, it was announced on the official Pokemon GO website that Stufful will be making its debut in the game as the featured creature in the upcoming April Community Day event. This marks the first time that a Pokemon species originally from the Alola region will be featured during Community Day. Besides Stufful being […]
Back when Horizon Forbidden West was still in the pre-order phase of its development, many could not wait to get their hands on the title, especially the Collector's edition, which featured a custom sculpted Tremortusk. This impressive figure captures the true glory of one of the game's most impressive machines, and looks good on just […]
There is no other way to describe The Star Wars sequel trilogy other than that it is a bit of a mess. The plot is all over the place, it retreads a lot of the same ground as the original, and the directors simply had different visions of what they wanted, especially when it comes […]
Recently, a developer at CD Projekt Red teased that The Witcher had one last secret that has yet to be found. Yes, despite releasing seven years ago, and having a massive, dedicated fan base, there was still one easter egg that no one had uncovered. Earlier this week, Youtuber xLetalis became the one to discover […]
The N/R Festival has begun in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel. It is a limited-time event that will be available until April 3, 2022. As its name suggests, the N/R Festival is about using and celebrating cards of N and R rarity specifically. The Forbidden/Limited List for the event prevents duelists from using any cards in their Main Deck or Side Deck that are not of N or R rarity. Essentially, this is an opportunity for players to build strategies around common cards that might usually be overlooked.
Anyone who participates in the Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel N/R Festival will earn Medals, whether they win or lose a duel. Medals can be traded for special rewards. However, Konami does remind players that they must finish the duel in order to get those Medals. If someone quits the match for whatever reason, they will not get anything.
Konami has also provided instructions for how to verify the Forbidden/Limited List for the event, which you can view below.
In March 2022, Konami announced that Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel has passed 20 million downloads since launching in January 2022. The developer is celebrating the achievement by offering 1,000 gems to all players who log in by April 25, 2022.
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel is available digitally on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, and iOS. The N/R Festival will last until April 3, 2022.
Triangle Strategy drops one of its most difficult maps very early on in its story campaign. To be fair, it's not meant to be one of the most grueling encounters in the game. I made the fight much more difficult than it had to be because the alternative was becoming an arsonist.
Sony rolled out a firmware update for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 this morning. Around the same time, PlayStation's online services went down, with players reporting connection issues with Elden Ring and GTAV, among other titles. It's not yet clear if there's a connection between the update and the downtime.
Elden Ring players have discovered no shortage of ways to grief one another in PVP, but one exploit on PC was especially dastardly. It allowed players to trap opponents in an endless death loop that would effectively ruin their save files. Not good! Fortunately, developer FromSoftware finally addressed the bug in a…
Popular chess streamer and Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura thought it would be okay to watch Dr Disrespect play chess on Twitch. He was wrong, it seems.
A chess prodigy, the five-time US champion is one of the best in the world. At age ten, he was then the youngest American to beat an International Master. At 13, he was…
Launched in September 2018, Dragalia Lost is a mobile role-playing game set in a kingdom filled with dragons. It was Nintendo's first totally original mobile game, and this summer, the RPG will receive its final update.
The Suicide Squad game release date was previously set for sometime in 2022, but today - confirming months-old leaks - the developers at Rocksteady have confirmed that the game will be delayed to spring 2023. That's a longer wait, sure, but at least we've got a slightly more specific timeframe to watch.
"We've made the difficult decision to delay Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League to spring 2023," creative director Sefton Hill says on Twitter. "I know a delay is frustrating but that time is going into making the best game we can. I look forward to bringing the chaos to Metropolis together. Thanks for your patience." The tweet is accompanied by a gif of the ritual squad looking quite disappointed.
On February 2, Bloomberg reported that publisher Warner Bros had already internally delayed Suicide Squad to 2023. Earlier this month, the Gotham Knights release date was set for October 25, so you'll have at least one Warner Bros-published game based on DC Comics superheroes to look forward to this year.
Looking for scarlet ore to make Core Keeper scarlet? As you explore Core Keeper's mysterious procedurally generated tunnels and caves, you come across all manner of unusual biomes, enemies, and new resources to upgrade your tools - and after Core Keeper tin, bronze, and iron, scarlet is the fourth metal you'll encounter in your adventures.
Getting your hands on this rare metal isn't an easy task. If you've been searching for it and had no luck so far, this is because Core Keeper scarlet ore is only available in a late-game biome, and requires you to reach a certain point in the game before you're able to find and mine it. However, once you've managed to obtain it, it's immensely useful. It enables you to create scarlet equipment and armour, which is a significant upgrade in itself, but scarlet ore is also a vital component of several advanced machines such as the Core Keeper drill.
To help you obtain this formidable power, read on for a quick guide on where to find Core Keeper scarlet ore and how to use it. If you've been enjoying the process of uncovering the co-op game's myriad secrets and progression yourself, please note that there are spoilers ahead for Core Keeper's late game.
The Marauders battle pass won't be "anti-lore" if the Escape From Tarkov-style battle royale game gets that form of monetisation at all. The team acknowledges that battle passes "are the only thing that really work nowadays" but seemingly aren't going down the same route as Fortnite or Halo Infinite.
Marauders is a new battle royale space game that was crowdfunded back in 2020. It is now set to release in Steam Early Access sometime this year. PCGamesN spoke with developer Small Impact Games and its lead designer Cameron Small told us what players can expect in terms of monetisation - and how the team doesn't want a bunch of XP gates that'll put off players.
"Battle passes are the only thing that really work nowadays to keep concurrents going," Cameron tells us while acknowledging this is likely a controversial opinion. "However, I'm not happy with its connotations of 'anti-lore' as battle passes can fit into a story. We're not a story-based game but we have that Day-Z [feel], we want people to get lost and create their own."
Marauders is a Tarkov-style survival FPS game that wants to impart one key lesson - life is cruel. Indeed, it would have to be, in a Dieselpunk alternate history in which 'the Great War' never ended and everyone is fighting over scraps of the asteroid belt in the early '90s. Darwinism reigns supreme and Marauders is not going to give you a shiny insurance payout if you lose all your stuff.
"Losing all your stuff is tough," Cameron Small tells me. He's lead designer at Small Impact Games, a four-person studio that's working on Marauders with Team 17. "It's a tough thing to get over. But I don't think any feeling beats it in terms of progression." It's also a very risky strategy for an indie game in the battle royale-adjacent space, as he's quick to acknowledge, but: "as long as we can educate the player that they can go in with nothing and come out with everything, maybe it's worth [the risk]".
Small Impact was founded on a love of survival games, hardcore shooters like Escape from Tarkov, and about half a dozen other influences that all combine to make Marauders. The studio clearly revels in the harshness of Darwin's 'survival of the fittest' theory and the winner-take-all opportunities it implies; Cameron tells me he enjoys going into a game of Tarkov naked and seeing what he can walk away with. "Your first raid could be your best raid, or your worst," he muses.
Let me tell you about my Spore Warden build, because I'm particularly excited about it. A Mushroom Companion accompanies me throughout Brighthoof and its neighbouring burghs, ready to spew out poison damage on all who stand before me. While he's doing that, and looking pretty darn adorable too might I say, I've got a shotgun that looks like a cauldron with a muzzle, which I reload by sprinkling fairy dust into it. That takes care of smaller enemies - your furious funghi, and goblin tinkerers with their remote control bombs.
For bigger groups and bosses I keep a quill full of spectral arrows at the ready, and larger targets get the brunt of my freeze-damage assault rifle, which can often turn weaker targets solid for long enough that I can get up and smack them with an axe and make crushed ice of them. I've plunged all my points into status effects and my Mushroom Companion's HP and damage, so his poison really hurts now. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is pretty fun.
If you must pull me away from its world for longer, consider that this is the second full-length spinoff of Borderlands, itself three games and about 4,000 DLCs deep now. One of those DLCs already established Tiny Tina as a dungeon master in a game of Vault Hunter DnD and explored that premise for several hours. We should, by rights, be pretty sick of this formula by now, and it's testament to the sheer writing and design talent of this dev team that we're not.
A new expansion is on the horizon, so we're doing a Hearthstone card reveal for Radar Detector. The two-mana epic Paladin spell contains the following text: "Scan the bottom five cards in your deck. Draw any Mechs found this way, then shuffle your deck".
If you're playing a Mech-heavy Paladin deck, this card seems like a no-brainer as you have great odds of drawing at least one Mech without having to utilise any Azsharan cards. Unfortunately, there aren't many worthy candidates in standard to consider when building a Mech-only Paladin deck. However, this seems much better when used in Wild. Not only do Paladins have some great Mechs in the older card sets, some of the Mechs in Wild are the best cards Hearthstone has ever seen.
We reckon Radar Detector needs some support before we can call it a must pick, but it definitely has some potential as more cards are added to the game.
It looks like Arcane Season 2 isn't one to miss for all you Caitlyn and Vi shippers out there. While the first season of the League of Legends show primarily focuses on the shifting relationship Vi has with her sister Jinx, the tooth-spitting brawler spends most of her time with a Kiramman Clan scion called Caitlyn. Now, the showrunners don't want to give too much away, though they reckon "you'll be happy" with how things will unfold for the pair next season.
As spotted by Fanbyte, Arcane showrunners Alex Yee and Christian Linke have caught up with BAFTA to chat about the popular League of Legends spin-off show. The pair explain that the pacing of Vi and Caitlyn's relationship has been intentional so far and that fans of the two will be happy with how things develop in Arcane Season 2.
"We have always wanted to tell an organic story about Caitlyn and Vi that feels like it's really true to how we see them, and how they've been seen," Yee says. "The way in which we wanted to roll that story out has always been sort of determined. What you will see in Season 2 will be part of the big picture that we've had all along."
Want to find out how to complete Millicent's questline in Elden Ring? Players first encounter Millicent in Caelid, where you find her unable to move due to her incurable case of Scarlet Rot, a dangerous substance that plagues the area. This quest not only rewards us with some great equipment, but we also get to save someone from dying due to a horrible disease - happy days.
Completing Millicent's questline in Elden Ring rewards you with some of the best talismans in the RPG game, including the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia and Millicent's Prosthesis. These items are crucial for some of the best Elden Ring builds as they are capable of maximising your damage output when using certain melee weapons. Millicent's questline spans a large portion of the fantasy game, so you may need to break it down into steps as opposed to tackling it all in a single session.
If you've explored Caelid, you may have run into an NPC named Millicent near the Elden Ring boss Commander O'Neil. Don't worry, you can defeat this NPC invader without affecting the quest. Here's everything you need to complete Millicent's questline in Elden Ring.
OBS Studio is now available on Steam, meaning you can stream games to Twitch using Valve's popular storefront. While there's nothing inherently different about this new instance of the open-source broadcasting tool, its presence on the platform could simplify streaming on gaming PCs and could potentially lead to improved Steam Deck compatibility.
Downloading OBS the old fashioned way isn't complicated by any means, but Steam features like automatic updates could entice some streamers to give it go. That said, if Twitch is your full-time job, you might not want to give OBS free reign in terms of updates, as your next streaming session could be hampered by any unintended quirks.
If you have OBS already installed on your SSD or hard drive, the Steam version should fetch all your settings from the relevant folder, but its developers say it won't feature cloud saves for the time being. Steam Cards for the software also won't be a thing, which is perhaps to be expected considering it's both free and not a game.
If, in a game of Galactic Civilizations IV, you find yourself contemplating the galaxy's woes and wondering 'how did it come to this?' you should know that the answer is: the Drengin (probably). While they may not be the architects of every misfortune (the Drath are certainly giving it their best shot), the Drengin are the reason slavery still persists across the galaxy, and also why we now have two Terran factions.
Looking further back to the timeline of Galactic Civilizations III, the Drengin are even the reason the Dread Lords (the setting's ultimate bad guys) returned and nearly conquered the galaxy. Galactic Civilizations IV's antagonists were unlocked during a past update, but now that the space strategy game is firmly in beta we felt now was the right time to gaze more thoroughly into the face of evil.
If you haven't checked them out for yourself yet, don't forget you can pre-order the game today to get instant access to the current build. Like the Arcean Republic, the Drengin are one of the galaxy's older races, and have developed a reputation founded on pillars of cruelty and conquest.
Want to know how to complete the Halo Infinite weekly challenges? Every week you can unlock a free cosmetic for your Spartan. To get this new look, you have to complete a list of challenges, and play a lot of matches. These challenges also give you experience points you use to level up the Halo Infinite battle pass.
Challenges can be found in the battle pass menu and it lists the current active challenges and upcoming challenges. Each challenge is colour-coded by difficulty, so bright grey challenges are the easiest, the bluish-grey challenges are of medium difficulty, and the bright blue ones are the most challenging. One of the upcoming challenges will take its place when you complete a challenge, though which challenge it is, is random.
Once you've completed each challenge, you're given one more challenge before you can claim your weekly reward. This challenge is the same for everyone. In this guide, we'll give you tips on how to complete the Halo Infinite weekly challenges in your queue, explain what the weekly ultimate challenge is, and what the weekly ultimate challenge reward is for this week.
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.
A new Elden Ring patch has fixed an exploit that allowed griefers to teleport others to specific map coordinates. FromSoftware has already completed maintenance for the update, so the download is currently rolling out across PC and consoles. Additionally, Bandai Namco confirms that you'll need to install the patch to play online.
Elden Ring patch 1.03.2 - if we're using the proper name - follows a story of griefers invading others to crash their game over the past week. Essentially, someone would join your game under the guise of wanting to do some PvP. People then reported that their game would crash and that they would be stuck in an infinite falling death loop when logging back into their game. Bandai Namco hasn't confirmed what the fix means for players who have had their saves ruined, though it should hopefully prevent others from suffering a similar fate.
Fortunately, some people found a workaround for the exploit last week. Before you die, you could hit alt and F4 to quit the game. That would give you some more time when logging back in that you could use to open the map and teleport to a Site of Grace.
The League of Legends updates are coming thick and fast. LoL patch 12.5 has hit the live server, introducing a wonderful selection of bee-inspired skins to the MOBA. Don't bee-lieve for one second, though, that's all we got. Riot has tweaked Master Yi and Seraphine with some solid changes, while several other LoL champs got some quality-of-life adjustments, too.
Now, though, it's time to look toward LoL patch 12.6. We're sticking with the animal theme this time around as the new Anima Squad skins have hit the PBE. If you've been out of the loop, a few champions - such as Vayne, Miss Fortune, and Jinx - are getting some punky skins themed around bats, bunnies, cats, and more. You can check out the in-game clips of these in action and their splash art in the skins section below.
We're still quite early into the patch cycle, but we're starting to see some champion changes. Keep checking in, though, as we'll keep this post regularly updated.
If you were looking to shoot random goons in the head, while experiencing something 100%, absolutely, definitely political, Ubisoft have got you covered. You can play the full version of Far Cry 6 for free from the March 24th to the 27th. It'll be available through the Epic Games or Ubisoft store, with pre-loads already open on both - and if you decide to buy the full thing all of your progress will carry over.
Slight story spoilers for Big George's Ring Fit Adventure Elden Ring, probably.
The lumbering forms of Elden Ring's trolls disguise an ancient melancholy. Turned traitors in the war between demigods and giants, their reward for loyalty to the Golden Lineage was an eternity in shackles, used as frontline fodder in bloody conflicts or beasts of burden hauling funereal carriages around the Lands Between. Since learning their history, I often muse sadly upon it, as I weave between their horribly gnarled legs in my freshly tarnished underwear and hoover up the shiny objects scattered underneath their feet.
I'm on my second run of Elden Ring now, progressing slowly and methodically, examining every statue and reading every spell description. But the first time through, the need to cram the whole content buffet in my face at once got the better of me. Underleveled and underprepared for most areas, I developed the winning strategy of stripping down to my burial rags for a speed boost and streaking through the wilds, shoving everything valuable down my pants.
Elden Ring is nothing if not about perseverance - and also extremely good recreations of famous people using the in-game character creator. There's a whole community over on Reddit – r/SoulsSliders – who've dedicated themselves to showing off their latest masterpieces, like, for example this horrifically photorealistic version of Rick from Rick And Morty, because of course.
Pals, we've got the jump on a new story trailer for FixFox, an almost distastrously nice game that really deserves the oft-misapplied adjective "wholesome". This story trailer is a bit of a tease, in that it doesn't really de-mystify any of the elements of the game that I found most mystifying in my earlier preview, but it definitely does give you a flavour of the kind of adventures and quick-fixes you get into as Vix the space mechanic. Plus it shows off some of the cooler visual flair FixFox has (especially in its loading screens). Give it a watch after the cut.
I've been having a grand old time in Ghostwire: Tokyo, rescuing lost spirits and finger-gunning umbrella men. As Matthew's review notes, there's a lot of busywork, but Tango Gamework's rain-slicked rendition of the Japanese capital is quite the place to explore. And to gawp at, even if you don't have the hardware for its fanciest ray tracing capabilities.
Indeed, despite some spooky-looking system requirements, Ghostwire: Tokyo can run well on older or lower-spec builds, just as surely as it gets the most out of the very best graphics cards. Within these paragraphs we'll take a close inspection of how it handles different hardware and display resolutions, as well as which are the best settings to change for optimal PC performance.
[UPDATE: Sony's PSN status page currently indicates that the network is down. Original story follows.] Earlier today, Sony rolled out a brand new system update that added PS App and PS Remote Play enhancements, as well as a batch of other quality-of-life improvements. Unfortunately, after downloading the new update, users are running into a plethora […]
Today, Rocksteady Games has announced it's delaying Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League out of 2022 and into Spring 2023. The news comes via a tweet from the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Rocksteady Games, Sefton Hill, who shared the announcement stating the following: "We've made the difficult decision to delay Suicide Squad: Kill the […]
War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is one of Square Enix's FF-themed mobile gacha games, and a new collaboration event is now underway. As a celebration of the game's two-year anniversary, players will be able to obtain iconic characters from Final Fantasy VI such as Terra, Celes, and Locke. You can check out […]
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands on PC Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is, essentially, a Borderlands game, but through an all-new lens that breathes new life into a franchise that is now more than a decade old. It's amazing what a little shift in perspective and a creative concept can do when put together. This is a game inside […]
It may have seemed like a while, but Sony and PlayStation has a brand new software update fresh out of the oven for owners for the PS4 and PS5. The firmware update version 22.01-05.00.00 is over 1GB in size, and you can download it now to your various systems. Parties and Game Base As part […]
Hololive VTubers Shirogane Noel and Yukihana Lamy will host an Elden Ring multiplayer session on March 24, 2022. The live stream will appear on Niconico at 5pm JST (4 AM ET). Viewers who have the game on the PS4 or PS5 will also be able to join the session and play together with the VTubers.
Noel and Lamy will play with Niconico's preset save data on the PlayStation 4 version of Elden Ring. Players who have prepared the Tarnished's Furled Finger and want to join the multiplayer session will find the password exclusively in the stream.
The Hololive VTubers will prepare at the specified Sites of Grace and try to fight six Elden Ring bosses in multiplayer in the following order:
Tree Sentinel (Site of Grace: Church of Elleh)
Godrick the Grafted (Site of Grace: Secluded Cell)
Flying Dragon Agheel (Site of Grace: Agheel Lake North)
Glintstone Dragon Smarag (Site of Grace: Temple Quarter)
Flying Dragon Greyll (Site of Grace: Farum Greatbridge)
Decaying Ekzykes (Site of Grace: Caelid Highway South)
Earlier in March 2022, Bandai Namco announced that it had sold more than 12 million units of Elden Ring globally. From Software has also released a new patch that brings the game version up to 1.03.2 and fixes some bugs related to multiplayer.
Elden Ring is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Within a day of the debut for the Topping Palette Kickstarter for its PC and Switch otome RPG Salty Hounds, the game ended up funded. As of 10am ET on March 23, 2022, over $14,500 had been raised by over 300 people. The goal was to initially get $11,026. The game is expected to release in English and Korean on PCs and the Switch in December 2022. Mobile versions are also expected.
Here's a brief trailer showing how Salty Hounds will work. As you manage the security agency you're suddenly in charge of, you'll need to improve your avatar's stats, handle the company, manage your employees and their missions, and also perhaps date the bodyguards Junho, Noru, Seha, Taemin, and Yujin. You can both call and text the love interests, though doing so at odd hours will prompt them to react. They'll also similarly respond differently based on your potentially positive or negative choices, choice to romance multiple characters, and if they are exhausted or sick. The video shows different locations, what it's like to meet love interests when on dates, and hearts will fill based on responses.
Here are the voice actors for it.
Junho: Lee Juchang
Noru: Ryu Seunggon
Seha: Son Suho
Taemin: Shim Gyuhyuk
Yujin: Jang Sungho
Within the first 48 hours of launch, pledging about $20 gets people an Early Bird Trainee Pack pledge level that guarantees a PC or Switch code for the Salty Hounds otome RPG. That won't be available after March 24, 2022. After that, the normal Trainee Pack will be about $21 and offer a code. Both of those tiers also include a Golden Statue decoration for the player's home. At the about $36 tier Senior Agent Pack, people get the Special Phone Calls DLC, an art book and commentary, beta access to the game, and Kickstarter exclusive Lovely Pets Set of two cats for a home.
Salty Hounds is live on Kickstarter until April 23, 2022, and the pledge levels suggest the PC and Switch versions will appear in December 2022. A mobile release was also mentioned.
Fire Emblem Heroes turned five years old in 2022, and Nintendo celebrated by announcing the creation of a box of limited-edition goods: the Fire Emblem Heroes 5th Anniversary Memorial Box. Pre-orders for the box opened back in February. In a new blog post, the company dropped additional details about the box's contents.
The official Fire Emblem Heroes Japanese Twitter account also teased the Memorial Box in a new video.
As previously announced, the box contains a four-disc collection of music from across the franchise. The first three discs contain 78 tracks of original FEH music. Another 230-track collection is titled Melody of Summoned Heroes, and includes tracks from games like Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Genealogy of the Holy War, Thracia 776, Awakening, Fates, and even spinoffs like Fire Emblem Warriors. The whole soundtrack set comes to a total of 308 tracks, with a 15-hour runtime, making it the largest soundtrack in the franchise's history. Previews of the tracks can be streamed at the Intelligent Systems page.
The Fire Emblem Heroes Memorial Box also includes a "Main Visual Set", a series of art prints featuring key art from six of the game'sstory arcs. The illustrations were created by Yusuke Kozaki, Character Designer and Illustrator for Fire Emblem Awakening, Fates, and Heroes.
The blog post previewed the special, entirely new seventh illustration, gathering 19 key figures from across the franchise. Like the other prints, it's sized to fit in the included frame.
The Fire Emblem Heroes Memorial Box poster shows off characters like Alfonse, Sharena, and Anna. Some characters, like Marth, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude, appear as they do in their respective games. Others show off their FEH-original variant outfits, like Brave Lucina and Ike: Vanguard Legend.
Fans of the game's 2D sprites are also covered, as the Fire Emblem Heroes Memorial Box also has a "Mini-Hero Sticker Encyclopedia," a booklet containing 19 sticker sheets with over 900 characters. The post confirmed that every existing sprite and variation as of March 2022 is included, which means newly added characters like Bunny Sonya are part of the lineup.
Lastly, players can rest their phones by nestling it on a plush smartphone stand that looks like Feh, the game's owl mascot.
The Fire Emblem Heroes Memorial Box is open for pre-orders in Japan until March 31, 2022, with shipping scheduled for August 31, 2022. It will cost 16,500 Yen (about $136 USD). The game is available on iOS and Android.
Nine months after the Gawr Gura original song "Reflect" appeared, an official music video launched. The over four minute video features art by Mochizuki Mochi and a movie by Nebiru. People are also able to turn on either English or Japanese closed captions so they can read all the lyrics while it plays.
Here's the full "Reflect" music video, which features the two "versions" of the Hololive Vtuber dealing with the idea of identity and being true to yourself. As a reminder, while Farhan Sarasin composed the music, Gawr Gura and Neko Hacker both worked on the lyrics for "Reflect." It also taps into the character's lore with its undersea setting. As a reminder, her backstory notes she comes from the underwater city of Atlantis.
"Reflect" first appeared back in June 2021. At the time, a video was available. However, it only showed the single's cover art and allowed people to see the English and Japanese "Reflect" lyrics.
This isn't her only musical performance. Her other songs include "Sharkventure," "Domination! All the World Is an Ocean" with the Umisea group, and "Journey Like a Thousand Years" with the rest of Hololive Myth, and "Q" with Calliope Mori. She's also performed covers of other songs during streams and performed during official Hololive events.
On March 23, 2022, Sony announced firmware updates would bring the PS4 up to 9.50 and PS5 up to 22.01-05. Shortly after, the PSN went down. The PlayStation Network official status page noted that while account management, PlayStation Direct, and PlayStation Video are working as expected, everything else isn't.
This means that things related to actual PS4 and PS5 console activities are out of commission while the PSN is down. Both system owners and the official site reported issues with playing games online and streaming are happening on not only the PS4 and PS5, but PS3 and Vita. This also means Sony's official PlayStation Now service is affected. It isn't possible to properly use the PlayStation Store as well.
There is also an issue people are reporting on the PS4 and PS5 subreddits that could be related to either the fact that the PSN is down or the new firmware updates. PlayStation Plus subscribers are noting that the systems aren't showing or recognizing their active subscriptions.
The March 2022 PS4 and PS5 firmware update offered a few changes. For example, on both systems and the app you can join open and closed consoles. The PS5 one is also paving the way for voice commands and variable refresh rates.
Sony has rolled out a software update for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, which includes UI adjustments and some accessibility features. Alongside this, users within the United States and United Kingdom will be able to test voice commands with the PlayStation 5. This is firmware update 9.50 for the PS4 and 22.01-05 for the PS5.
Additionally, Sony will add the ability to join open or closed PlayStation "parties" on consoles and through the PS App. The UI of the PS App has been updated to make it easier for users to locate the friends, parties, and messaging feature as well. A dark mode is also available. In February 2022, a PS App update further allowed for PlayStation 5 users in the U.S. to upload their gameplay and screenshots to their phones.
A full breakdown of added features is available to read through the PlayStation website. This includes an in-depth explanation as to how users can access some of these features after updating their PS4 or PS5 software. In regards to accessibility, PlayStation 5 users will now have access to a mono audio option when using headphones. Several UI adjustments have been made to the Game Base and Trophy Card section of the interface as well.
Additionally, Sony has plans to bring variable refresh rate, or VRR, to the PlayStation 5. However, this is something scheduled for the coming months and will not be available alongside the features listed above. Once this arrives, Sony states users will be able to automatically apply VRR to PlayStation 5 games that may otherwise not support the feature. More details about this feature will be available in the future.
Elden Ring patch 1.03.2 is now available, and it fixes a handful of bugs concerning a specific NPC questline and multiplayer. Bandai Namco shared the full details on its website, which outlined what Elden Ring patch 1.03.2 intends to fix. Outside of the NPC questline and multiplayer bug, it also fixes an issue with the Endure Ash of War, which prevented it from taking effect. The final bug listed is one that concerns the Bestial Sanctum. Previously, player characters would die when trying to descend from a spot around the area. This has now been fixed.
Concerning the NPC questline, a bug preventing players from progressing Nepheli Loux's questline has been fixed. However, the patch notes do not specify what was preventing players from progressing the questline. And with multiplayer, the patch now prevents players from teleporting others to incorrect map coordinates. Players will need to update their games and apply the latest patch version to play online.
Previous patches have fixed several major performance issues. However, one of the most significant updates came with the implementation of Elden Ring patch 1.03. Not only did this patch place markers on the map, identifying where NPCs are after players have located them, but it also added an entirely new NPC and included the resolution to several character questlines.
Elden Ring is available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Bandai Namco revealed a Tales of Arise and Scarlet Nexus collaboration is on the way. Both Tales of Arise and Scarlet Nexus players will receive special items as part of the collaboration. More details regarding the specifics of the collaboration, such as when it will arrive, will be announced at a later date. However, Bandai Namco has already listed a few of the items that will appear.
Scarlet Nexus players will be able to obtain items inspired by "Iron Mask," or Alphen. This includes a special mask cosmetic and the Flaming Sword. Tales of Arise players on the other hand will receive a Baki Chan cosmetic attachment and Yuito's Myoho Muramasa. It is unclear what other content will potentially appear through the collaboration, if any at all.
You can take a look at Tales of Arise items that will appear in Scarlet Nexus below.
That said, the Tales of Twitter account revealed the development team of both titles will be sharing some behind-the-scenes details regarding Tales of Arise and Scarlet Nexus once the collaboration draws closer. This information will be distributed through Twitter.
Scarlet Nexus is available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. Tales of Arise is also available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Sword Art Online Progressive - Scherzo of a Dark Dusk, the sequel film in the SAO Progressive movie series, will release in fall 2022. Aniplex released a new key visual for the upcoming film, featuring Asuna and Kirito facing off against a large, golem-like being. Notably, the movie poster also reveals a few of the movie's confirmed cast, which includes some familiar faces.
The SAO Progressive film franchise is a reboot of the original Sword Art Online light novel series, written by the series creator Reki Kawahara. Specifically, the Progressive movies will cover the early days of the Sword Art Online VRMMORPG. Scherzo of a Dark Dusk is the sequel to the first SAO Progressive movie, Aria of a Starless Night, which told its story from the perspective of long-standing protagonist Asuna. Aria of a Starless Night debuted in North American theaters back in December 2021.
Scherzo of a Dark Dusk will have veteran voice actors Yoshitsugu Matsuoka and Haruka Tomatsu return as Kirito and Asuna, respectively. Furthermore, the movie poster confirms that Argo will return in the sequel movie. Shiori Izawa will reprise her role as Argo. Further information about the movie's main staff and studios is available on the movie's official website.
You can get a better look at the Sword Art Online Progressive - Scherzo of a Dark Dusk key visual ahead of the film's release below:
Aniplex announced the sequel movie back in November 2021. It's unclear when Scherzo of a Dark Dusk might head to western theaters. However, it's worth noting that Aria of a Starless Night debuted in North America a little more than a month after it released in Japan on October 30, 2021.
Sword Art Online Progressive sequel movie Scherzo of a Dark Dusk will release in Japan sometime during fall 2022.
Sega released five new character trailers for its upcoming mobile RPG, Sin Chronicle. Aside from the four groups of knights in Sin Chronicle, we can also get a closer look at Stheno. Each video for the knights shows what they look like, along with a line of dialogue and general description. [Thanks, Gamer!]
There are no official English names for these characters yet. Flame Heart Riehan (Hikaru Midorikawa, Gundam Wing) leads the Knights of the South in Sin Chronicle, and other characters include Hisia (Aya Uchida, Love Live), Naia Ia (Mikako Komatsu, Tales of Zestiria), and Kiria (Junichi Suwabe, Yuri on Ice!!). This is the only trailer with voices. The others all have the names of the voice actors, but no dialogue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWSC3-sTu8M
Campanelra leads the Knights of the North, which also includes Deirdra, Hyland, and Mihas. Akira Ishida (Gundam Seed) voices Campanelra, while Asami Imai (BlazBlue) voices Deirdra. Junichi Yanagita (Tower of God) voices Hyland, and Yuka Iguchi (A Certain Magical Index) voices Mihas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yQ7gBAdKNs
Dewey leads the Knights of the West, and her voice actress in Sin Chronicle is unknown. Other members include Citrine, Nile, and Rhodra. Rhodra's voice actor is also unknown. However, the trailer does state that Daiki Yamashita (Yowamuchi Pedal) will voice Citrine and Ai Orikasa (Tales of Symphonia) will voice Nile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYypnonWids
Lastly, Shinra leads the Knights of the East. Shending, Feilan, and Minmin are also members of the group. The four are much more Eastern-inspired, with billowing sleeves and ribbon knots. The trailer does not say any of their voice actors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvJyX4ekMsE
The final Sin Chronicle trailer focuses on Stheno, whose voice is provided by Haruka Tomatsu. She previously voiced Haru in Persona 5. Stheno's trailer shows off her spear abilities in battle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3QjGR_QZMI
Sin Chronicle comes out on Android and iOS mobile devices in Japan today, March 23, 2022.
Fortnite Chapter 3: Season 2 is here with a range of new content for players to experience. The new mechanics, along with Epic Games removing building, has certainly made the new season feels fresh. With the updated weapon pool and exotic weapons on the island, there are a lot of powerful weapons that can help you achieve a victory royale. However, the weapon that players are rushing to get their hands on in Fortnite is Slone's Mythic Striker Burst Rifle — and this guide will show you how to get it. Doctor Slone has been featured in the battle royale previously. Back in Season 7, Slone made her debut with a Mythic Pulse Rifle. Now, Slone is back with a new gun and, as the name suggests, it is a burst weapon. As it has a red dot optic equipped, it will allow you to be more accurate. The weapon deals 36 damage per shot, so shredding through enemy overshield and health will not be a problem. Get your sights onto The Fortress Slone is found roaming with her Mythic Str...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, March 23, 2022 10:07 AM
One of the most highly anticipated fighting games of the year is DNF Duel. The game comes from Arc System Works, the developer of Guilty Gear Strive, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. Despite a few odd things in the open beta test a few months ago, excitement is high for Arc's next anime-inspired spectacle fighter. Thanks to a new trailer that just dropped on Sunday after the ArcRevo World Tour America Finals, we now know that DNF Duel has a release date of June 28. In the trailer we get to see more of Ghost Blade, the last character to be revealed before the game went dark for a couple of months. One part Vergil from Devil May Cry and one part stand user from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the character looks like a lot of fun. Ghost Blade seems to be able to attack in tandem with his ghost, which can only lead to some truly nasty mixups. At the very end of the trailer we get confirmation that the game will be a part of the ArcRevo World Tour 2022. It...
You can ride mounts in Lost Ark to quickly travel between objectives like quests and dungeons. Using a mount is essential when leveling up in the game, as it significantly increases the rate at which you complete quests. Recommended Read: Lost Ark – World Bosses Guide There are tons of mounts for you to collect […]
Wallbangs are a great way to score easy kills on unsuspecting enemies. Bind is an excellent map with just an A-site and a B-site without a middle lane. This layout is the complete opposite of another VALORANT map, Haven, where there are three bomb sites to choose from. Wallbangs are a non-essential part of VALORANT […]
Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, March 23, 2022 6:15 AM
Illfonic has worked on games based on retro properties like Predator and Friday the 13th, and now they have announced their new upcoming title, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. Check this out: Here is the official description: As a Ghostbuster, join with other Ghostbusters to chase and trap ghosts in museums, prisons, hotels, and more, and capture […]
Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, March 23, 2022 5:46 AM
It is no mystery that rapper Snoop Dogg is into video games, what with him having a Twitch stream and joining the Faze Clan. Now, for April, it has been announced that Snoop will be available to play in three Call of Duty titles. The official COD site has announced Snoop will become a playable […]
Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, March 23, 2022 5:27 AM
April will finally see the premiere of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in theaters, and Xbox has revealed quite the unique promotional item to hype up the release of the film. The official site just posted these furry Xbox controllers colored blue and red for Sonic and Knuckles. What's more, there's a customized Xbox Series X […]
What's up all? We have another great giveaway from Giveaway Of The Day for Never have I ever. Let's hear them out. Never have I ever is available as a Giveaway of the day!You have limited time to download, install and register it. A few words about Never have I ever Never have I ever: Never have I ever, also known as "I've never…" is a drinking game in whi...
![The Sims 4 devs are teasing [redacted]](https://www.pcgamesn.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/sims-4-expansion-pack-2022.jpg "The Sims 4 devs are teasing [redacted]")
Fortnite Chapter 3: Season 2 is here with a range of new content for players to experience. The new mechanics, along with Epic Games removing building, has certainly made the new season feels fresh. With the updated weapon pool and exotic weapons on the island, there are a lot of powerful weapons that can help you achieve a victory royale. However, the weapon that players are rushing to get their hands on in Fortnite is Slone's Mythic Striker Burst Rifle — and this guide will show you how to get it. Doctor Slone has been featured in the battle royale previously. Back in Season 7, Slone made her debut with a Mythic Pulse Rifle. Now, Slone is back with a new gun and, as the name suggests, it is a burst weapon. As it has a red dot optic equipped, it will allow you to be more accurate. The weapon deals 36 damage per shot, so shredding through enemy overshield and health will not be a problem. Get your sights onto The Fortress Slone is found roaming with her Mythic Str... 
One of the most highly anticipated fighting games of the year is DNF Duel. The game comes from Arc System Works, the developer of Guilty Gear Strive, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. Despite a few odd things in the open beta test a few months ago, excitement is high for Arc's next anime-inspired spectacle fighter. Thanks to a new trailer that just dropped on Sunday after the ArcRevo World Tour America Finals, we now know that DNF Duel has a release date of June 28. In the trailer we get to see more of Ghost Blade, the last character to be revealed before the game went dark for a couple of months. One part Vergil from Devil May Cry and one part stand user from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the character looks like a lot of fun. Ghost Blade seems to be able to attack in tandem with his ghost, which can only lead to some truly nasty mixups. At the very end of the trailer we get confirmation that the game will be a part of the ArcRevo World Tour 2022. It...