Sep 04, 20:00


Kotaku Sunday, September 4, 2022 7:35 PM
    

Kiwi Farms, an internet cesspit that has birthed countless hate campaigns over the last decade, has finally had concrete action taken against it after internet security provider Cloudflare essentially took the site offline.

Read more...


PCGamesN Sunday, September 4, 2022 3:00 PM
     New Skyrim mods are a revolution for the ageing RPG's UI

Two new Skyrim mods launched at the start of September are looking like they could be a revolution for those hoping to mod the UI of the ageing RPG game. While The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has long been one of the best open-world games thanks, in part, to its rather extensive mod support, these new offerings promise to further improve functionality for players hoping to implement multiple mods and upgrade the game's navigation tools.

The Skyrim Compass Navigation Overhaul mod, created by alexsylex, takes inspiration from the likes of The Witcher 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, and God of War to revamp the Skyrim compass displayed at the top of the screen. It adds the name of the landmark you're currently looking at, the distance it is from your current location, and arrows indicating height difference in cases where the target is above or below you. Distances can even be changed to be displayed in either feet or metres depending upon your regional preference.

In addition, when you face an active quest marker, the current objectives for that quest will pop up on the side of your screen in a handy quest list widget, so you don't have to dive back into menus. Furthermore, there are toggles that allow you to choose if you want to display undiscovered locations, nearby enemy locations, and markers located behind doors while you are outside. It's a very helpful overhaul to one of the most useful elements of the Skyrim UI, and we'll definitely be using it in our future playthroughs.

RELATED LINKS: Skyrim mods, Play Skyrim, Games like Skyrim

PCGamesN Sunday, September 4, 2022 1:12 PM
     Free Elden Ring comedy manga is not a tie-in we expected

There's a free Elden Ring comedy manga, and you can read the first two issues of it right now. That's not a sentence I expected to type today, but there it is. Following FromSoftware's incredible success story, with Elden Ring sales clocking it at a huge 16.6 million at the last official count from publisher Bandai Namco, it was inevitable that a variety of tie-ins and merchandise would follow. Now, you can read a humorous take on one of the best RPG games in recent memory, courtesy of a partnership with Comic Hu and writer Nikiichi Tobita.

Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree is a gag manga written by the artist of 'A Cursed Sword's Daily Life.' FromSoftware's parent company Kadokawa Corporation announces in a press release (via Famitsu) that the manga will be serialised through the free web magazine service Comic Hu from September 4, with the first two stories published simultaneously and more to be released over the coming weeks and months.

The series, which has been localised into 12 different languages including English, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese, follows the tale of Tarnished wretch Aseo, after he finds himself "cast out into Limgrave naked, penniless, hopeless, and maidenless." The initial issue is rather appropriately titled, "You thought this'd be serious, didn't you?" It begins much in the same way as the opening scenes of the videogame - only to abruptly land on an image of guide Melina standing over an almost-naked Aseo planking face-down on the floor, with bold text announcing "This is a comedy manga."

RELATED LINKS: The best Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, The best Elden Ring classes

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, September 4, 2022 5:38 PM
    

It's the dawn of day three here at PAX West, and what better way to wake us up than play the incredibly chaotic demo build of Friends VS Friends. We loved the trailer from Gamescom and Liam even chose it for his bestest pick in our Gamescom round-up video, so our expectations were high, and after playing a quick match at the Raw Fury booth, Brainwash Gang's blood-pumping deck-building FPS shot straight to the top of our favourite things we've seen here at PAX so far.

If you've not heard of Friends VS Friends, check out the game's trailer first (its incredibly slick animation is super cool, highly reccomended for your peepers) then watch our interview with Brainwash Gang developer Edu Verz who talked all about the game's development. Watch it below:

Read more


Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 7:51 PM
     Unleash the powers of the Origins Lightning Staff in Zombies Chronicles.

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 7:48 PM
     The man who rescues Galadriel and Halbrand at the end of LOTR:Rings of Power episode 2 is Elendil from Númenór.

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 7:44 PM
     Could the Stranger from LOTR: Rings of Power be Gandalf the Grey, Sauron, or a new character in middle-earth?

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 7:40 PM
     Here's everything you need to know about the Origins Ice Staff in Zombies Chronicles.

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 6:04 PM
     Third-party Microsoft Flight Simulator developers released new assets about upcoming add-ons including aircraft and airports.

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 5:02 PM
     A Wordle a day keeps the... word doctor away?

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 5:00 PM
     J. Cole shows his moves in a new NBA 2K23 trailer.

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 4:05 PM
     DCS World developer Eagle Dynamics released a new trailer of its hardcore military flight simulator featuring the C-130J Hercules.

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 3:40 PM
     Sunrise released a brand new trailer of the upcoming anime series Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury.

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 2:56 PM
     "Pandora" by Hyde will be the teme song of Star Ocean: The Divine Force.

Twinfinite Sunday, September 4, 2022 2:29 PM
     Learn about the Hunter in Marvel's Midnight Suns, and whether you can pet their doggo.

Siliconera Sunday, September 4, 2022 3:00 PM
    

metal gear solid live-action

When not holding forth about films, music, anime, and teasing future projects, Metal Gear and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima uses his Twitter account to talk about his past work. On September 3, 2022 the original Metal Gear Solid turned 24 years old. To commemorate the occasion, Kojima talked about his struggles getting live-action footage into the game. Rather than purely technical challenges, one major obstacle to the attempt was the fact that he did not have the connections that he does today (which were in part built by the success of MGS).

https://twitter.com/Kojima_Hideo/status/1565907462506815491?s=20&t=LD3XQ7W2jXp3X2EJttw4dw

The original PlayStation was able to play condensed movie files. Thus from a technological standpoint, it was not difficult to insert live-action footage. Because Kojima grew up watching documentaries and scientific shows, he wanted to insert historical footage and similar clips to bolster his fiction. However, at the time, he had difficulty even finding the material because he was not familiar with the video game industry. He even went to Japan's public broadcaster, NHK, to request the footage, but the negotiations went far more slowly than anticipated.

It took several years for him to purchase the materials, edit them, and get the rights to put them in Metal Gear Solid. Kojima notes that if he wanted to do something similar today with a new game, he would have a much easier time because of his connections and familiarity with licensing. Indeed, later games in the Metal Gear series and Death Stranding incorporated many real-world media references, archival footage, and licensed media.

One problem with the historical footage, however, is that once the licenses expire, they can no longer use them. In late 2021, many older Metal Gear Solid titles disappeared from digital storefronts. This was because the licenses for the clips expired, which Konami must now renew. At the time of this writing, they are still not available for purchase. However, those who bought them before can still download and play them.

Metal Gear Solid originally came out for the PlayStation in 1998. It is not available for purchase on digital storefronts until Konami renews its various licenses.

The post Kojima Struggled to Get Live-Action Clips in Metal Gear Solid appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, September 4, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Xenoverse 2 Super Hero

As Bandai Namco likes to say in its DLC trailers, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 keeps expanding. The company teased the next addition to the game on Friday, and it's based on the latest movie, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. In fact, Bandai Namco is adding an entire Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero DLC Pack set to the game. The set consists of two Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Super Hero DLC packs. The first pack releases in Fall 2022, and adds three characters.

So far only one character from the Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Super Hero DLC has been revealed, and it's Gamma 2, one of the Red Ribbon Army's "Super Heroes". Check out his trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aytm2r8EYpk

Gamma 2 is the second Red Ribbon Army fighter created by Dr. Hedo. He's voiced by Mamoru Miyano in Japanese. Miyano also plays Bedivere in Fate/Grand Order and Rin in Free!. In the trailer, Gamma 2 confronts Piccolo, using his physical attacks and Gamma Blaster to inflict damage. He also strikes a flamboyant pose to activate his Android Barrier, creating an opportunity for Gamma 2 to counter an incoming strike. Though the other character offerings in the packs are unconfirmed, the trailer makes it pretty clear that Gamma 1 will join the roster, too. The end of the trailer teases his arrival. Gamma 1 is voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya. Kamiya also played Trafalgar Law in One Piece, and Levi in Attack on Titan.

The first  Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Super Hero DLC pack launches in Fall 2022 with Gamma 2 and two other characters. The second pack does not have a release window as yet. Xenoverse 2 is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, and Google Stadia.

The post Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Super Hero DLC Pack Adds Gamma 2 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, September 4, 2022 12:00 PM
    

lair land story

Between its art style, writing, and controls, Lair Land Story feels like a game retrieved from a time capsule to the late 2000s. That makes sense, as this is a remake of a game that was originally released back in 2007. It is quaint in a way that is reminiscent of watching old-school anime. Unfortunately like watching old anime or playing retro games, this PC port has the same sorts of issues that come with engaging with dated media. They range from audio issues (everyone sounds sort of muffled) to more fraught writing and narrative bumps. Things that would scarcely raise a brow back then simply don't stand up to scrutiny today.

[gallery ids="934521,934522,934523" link="file"]

The setup of Lair Land Story is very simple. You play as Herod, a Baron who rescues a mysterious amnesiac girl named Chilia. She does not remember anything, so your task is to teach her how to be a functional and beneficial member of society. The narrative does not really explicitly say it, but you have a time limit of four in-game years. You can have Chilia take lessons, work, and help out with rebuilding the city (which was destroyed in a war). These will boost various parameters, such as her charisma or humanity. Every turn, you can do things like conduct research or go on outings, as well as set Chilia's schedule for the week. In other words, it's a "raising game" in the classical template.

[gallery ids="934537,934538,934536" link="file"]

Each season, you have a goal that you must reach. These goals tend to focus on a particular stat, but it can also be how much of the city you repair. It is fairly simple to meet them so long as the game does not throw you any surprise story scenes. I pushed Chilia fairly hard and she never got sick or died. But when she got so tired that she couldn't even travel to raise her tension, that was when I wasted a bit of time getting her back to normal.

'Tension' in this game refers to motivation or energy, and it is a wasei eigo that may confuse a first-time player, and should have been localized to something more natural to English-speakers. It took me a while to realize what the game meant. The higher the tension, the better it is. I had thought tension meant stress, and kept it low until Chilia kept skipping work. There are other minor hiccups in the localization, like typos and other inconsistencies. Formatting oddities also persist, like issues with text indentation, but these pale in comparison to the larger story.

Lair Land Story's plot suffers from its lack of focus. There are about four ongoing narratives that it wants to weave:

  1. Educating Chilia
  2. Herod and Chilia's relationships with their (potential) love interests
  3. Chilia's true identity
  4. A conspiracy regarding the prince, princess, and Duke

It's a lot! But because the game is, at its core, a raising sim and not a visual novel, the overarching dramas don't receive much attention before reverting back to Chilia's daily grind. In fact, the asides bout the conspiracy or Chilia's missing memories almost come across like irritants. They ended up being distractions from me wanting to set Chilia's schedule for the day. "Girl, stop talking to that suspicious dark mage!" I wanted to say, "You have to go work as a church deacon today!"

I also found that the story was difficult to become emotionally invested in. There is so much lore that it was overwhelming. It also felt like I was missing half the story with how suddenly they would, for lack of a nicer term, spout out nonsense. It made it difficult to care about Chilia's mysterious past, especially when it is not the point of the game. She never talks about it, so it was easy to forget about, too. I wanted to know more about Duma, Grana, and Fay – the characters that you can encounter and interact with. The game gives you the chance to go on outings, where you can visit various places in town. Depending on what time you go, you may see one of these characters and talk to them.

[gallery columns="2" ids="934539,934540" link="file"]

The unfortunate thing is that you can only go to three places per outing (two during winter). And, frustratingly, there is no telling if the character is there or not. I basically only ever had one new place to go to every outing. Every turn, I would waste one on the castle walls (for Grana) and one on the church (for Fay). More than half the time (about 90%), they wouldn't even be there. According to a walkthrough, the game takes around ten hours to beat. But it takes over 400 hours if you're a completionist. Those 400 hours are likely just on the Russian Roulette that is outings, because if you do not meet these characters on specific days in specific locations, you will miss the chance to progress in their story lines.

(The majority of the endings seem to focus on jobs, actually. For example, there is an ending where Chilia becomes a historian. This was also the ending I got in my first playthrough. I likely got it because I raised stats pertaining to Wisdom a lot. So boosting different parameters or maxing out different jobs will contribute to those 400 hours as well.)

While there is a simple and undeniable pleasure in the simple act of raising parameters and figuring out the best way to schedule Chilia's time, Lair Land Story hasn't aged gracefully. Its combination of raising sim and visual novel works in theory, but not in practice due to the overwhelming and frankly shoddy story, and lack of emotional beats to keep the player hooked. Individually there are two good tastes to be found in this game, but their combination ends up lesser than their sum.

Lair Land Story is available on PSP, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC.

The post Review: Lair Land Story Should've Stuck to Being a Raising Sim appeared first on Siliconera.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, September 4, 2022 6:00 PM
     Intel Raptor Lake Release Date Specs 13th Gen GamingWe're nearing the launch windows of next-gen CPUs from both Intel and AMD, and the leaks are plentiful once again. Yet while we now know pretty much everything about the Ryzen 7000 Series after AMD's official reveal, Intel remains quiet about its 13th gen CPUs. It's thus up to industry leak sources to give us an idea of what to expect, and we can form a fairly good picture at this point. The release date, specs, and general pricing for Intel the Intel Raptor Lake appear to be out in the wild now. The info stems from multiple sources telling pretty much the same story. Tom's Hardware and WCCFTech report from different sources that the Intel Raptor Lake release date will be on October 20. That would fall on a Thursday, and is traditionally a common day for tech releases. Additionally, Moore's Law is Dead, known for his prolific 12th gen Alder Lake leaks, reports Saturday October 22. Either way, these are close enough together and we can see a point of conver...

Pivotal Gamers Sunday, September 4, 2022 5:41 PM
     What's up folks? We have another excellent offer from itch.io for Farlight. Their message follows. Get Farlight for FREE! A few words about Farlight New York City Survival Game Last minute notes Login with your itch.io account, follow the on-screen instructions to add it to your library. Still here? Click on the button below to get you started. It's that easy! Want to get notified befo...

Sep 04, 12:00


PCGamesN Sunday, September 4, 2022 11:59 AM
     Path of Exile devs hope to appease frustrated fans as Diablo 4 looms

Path of Exile developer Grinding Gear Games is attempting to navigate heavy community fallout after a series of recent updates leave fans frustrated with the state of the game. Path of Exile has long been considered one of the best ARPG games on PC since its release in 2013, but several of its more recent patches and seasonal updates have proven unpopular with the fantasy game's usually dedicated playerbase, leaving GGG searching for a salve for the issues as Blizzard's Diablo 4 release date looms over the horizon.

The newest Path of Exile expansion, Lake of Kalandra, launched on August 19. It promised a cool new way for players to earn endgame gear by exploring the titular lake, which has the power to reflect entire encounters from elsewhere in Wraeclast. The expansion also looked to offer exciting lore around Kalandra herself, a figure known for being the creator of the Mirror of Kalandra, one of the most powerful Path of Exile currencies - an endgame crafting item with the capability of creating a duplicate of any item it is used on.

However, players found that while the concept for Lake of Kalandra was interesting, the expansion didn't add much new content and felt rather unrewarding. This lack of hype for the new expansion, explains Path of Exile YouTuber ZiggyD in a video on the topic, meant that players weren't distracted from previous issues they were already having with the game, such as the Archnemesis system, Harvest crafting, and Tainted fusings. "The Path of Exile playerbase is the most united I've ever seen," says ZiggyD, "unfortunately, it's over being very unhappy with the current state of the game and developer GGG's initial response to their complaints."

RELATED LINKS: PoE 3.9 release date, Best free PC games, Free MMO list

PCGamesN Sunday, September 4, 2022 10:42 AM
     Rockstar rolls credits on GTA 5 as it looks towards GTA 6

Rockstar has rolled credits on GTA 5 and GTA Online on its website as it looks towards the future of the Grand Theft Auto series and ramps up GTA 6 development. While undoubtedly one of the best open-world games around, GTA 5 will be nine years old on September 17 - a long time for any game to run, even if it's still consistently popping up in the top seller charts. Now, developer Rockstar has posted a thank you to everyone involved in the crime game on its website, following news that Rockstar is prioritising GTA 6 development.

"Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online represent the combined efforts of our global team over many years," reads the 'Thank You' page on the Rockstar Games website. "We want to acknowledge and thank everyone who has contributed to these games, from their original launch in 2013 all the way through to present day." It certainly feels like a send-off to the long-running crime game, which would line up with many rumours suggesting that an official GTA 6 reveal could be coming as soon as October.

Currently, GTA 5 sits as the second best-selling videogame of all time, with an estimated 169 million copies sold to date - leaving it only behind Minecraft's 238 million estimated sales. It has continued to thrive with re-releases on modern hardware and the success of its GTA Online mode, which continues to be one of the best multiplayer games going today. In March 2020, Dan Houser - one of the studio's co-founders alongside brother Sam, and writer or co-writer on every GTA game since GTA: London - left Rockstar Games for pastures new.

RELATED LINKS: GTA 5 mods, GTA 6, Buy GTA V

PCGamesN Sunday, September 4, 2022 9:15 AM
     Overcooked meets Spirited Away in hot spring management sim

Onsen Master is a hot spring management game pitched as Overcooked meets Spirited Away. If you've ever watched Studio Ghibli's gorgeous animated film about a young girl who finds herself in a mystical bathhouse full of spirits, you might have contemplated what running such an establishment might be like. Onsen Master is a co-op game from Waking Oni Games that hopes to realise those dreams by tasking you with running various onsen, while staving off the antics of troublesome yokai.

Placing you in the shoes of the titular Onsen Master's apprentice, Mu, you are tasked with running the onsen (the Japanese name for hot springs and the facilities that surround them) located on the island of Izajima. You must keep your customers satisfied, preparing the appropriate ingredients to soothe what ails them and making sure they make it to the right baths without wandering off and causing trouble.

The customers are the least of your worries, however - there's a dark cloud hanging over the island, causing mischievous spirits called yokai to appear. These yokai will attempt to disrupt the flow of your business, so you'll have to deal with them before resuming usual service. As you progress through the story and search for the Onsen Master, you'll even come across boss fights such as a giant, skeletal yokai rising out of the water to cause havoc in your establishment.

RELATED LINKS: Best multiplayer games, Best simulation games, Best management games

PCGamesN Sunday, September 4, 2022 8:03 AM
     Callisto Protocol director's tweet sparks crunch discussion

A now-deleted tweet from The Callisto Protocol director Glen Schofield, the co-creator of Dead Space and former co-director on several Call of Duty games, has fired up discussions about crunch in videogame development over America's Labor Day weekend. Crunch culture has long been a serious point of discussion, especially in the game industry. The concept of 'crunch' - working long overtime hours to push for more development progress - has been widely criticised by many prominent members of the industry for causing negative symptoms including burnout and depression among developers forced (explicitly or implicitly) into pushing past healthy work boundaries.

The tweet, from Striking Distance Studios CEO Glen Schofield, read as follows (edited for clarity): "I only talk about the game [The Callisto Protocol] during an event. We are working 6-7 days a week, nobody's forcing us. Exhaustion, tired, Covid, but we're working. Bugs, glitches, performance fixes. One last pass through audio. 12-15 hour days. This is gaming. Hard work. Lunch, dinner working. You do it 'cause ya love it."

The tweet was later deleted by Schofield, but was archived by several people including Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who posted a screenshot of the tweet. Schreier hits out at the sentiment, calling it "weaponised passion" and saying, "This, from a studio head, is crunch culture defined. Of course nobody is 'forced' to work insane hours. But imagine the reduced bonuses and lack of promotion opportunities if you don't?" Schreier goes on to say that "This is why people burn out of gaming [development]."

RELATED LINKS: The best horror games, The best survival games, The best space games

Siliconera Sunday, September 4, 2022 12:00 PM
    

lair land story

Between its art style, writing, and controls, Lair Land Story feels like a game retrieved from a time capsule to the late 2000s. That makes sense, as this is a remake of a game that was originally released back in 2007. It is quaint in a way that is reminiscent of watching old-school anime. Unfortunately like watching old anime or playing retro games, this PC port has the same sorts of issues that come with engaging with dated media. They range from audio issues (everyone sounds sort of muffled) to more fraught writing and narrative bumps. Things that would scarcely raise a brow back then simply don't stand up to scrutiny today.

[gallery ids="934521,934522,934523" link="file"]

The setup of Lair Land Story is very simple. You play as Herod, a Baron who rescues a mysterious amnesiac girl named Chilia. She does not remember anything, so your task is to teach her how to be a functional and beneficial member of society. The narrative does not really explicitly say it, but you have a time limit of four in-game years. You can have Chilia take lessons, work, and help out with rebuilding the city (which was destroyed in a war). These will boost various parameters, such as her charisma or humanity. Every turn, you can do things like conduct research or go on outings, as well as set Chilia's schedule for the week. In other words, it's a "raising game" in the classical template.

[gallery ids="934537,934538,934536" link="file"]

Each season, you have a goal that you must reach. These goals tend to focus on a particular stat, but it can also be how much of the city you repair. It is fairly simple to meet them so long as the game does not throw you any surprise story scenes. I pushed Chilia fairly hard and she never got sick or died. But when she got so tired that she couldn't even travel to raise her tension, that was when I wasted a bit of time getting her back to normal.

'Tension' in this game refers to motivation or energy, and it is a wasei eigo that may confuse a first-time player, and should have been localized to something more natural to English-speakers. It took me a while to realize what the game meant. The higher the tension, the better it is. I had thought tension meant stress, and kept it low until Chilia kept skipping work. There are other minor hiccups in the localization, like typos and other inconsistencies. Formatting oddities also persist, like issues with text indentation, but these pale in comparison to the larger story.

Lair Land Story's plot suffers from its lack of focus. There are about four ongoing narratives that it wants to weave:

  1. Educating Chilia
  2. Herod and Chilia's relationships with their (potential) love interests
  3. Chilia's true identity
  4. A conspiracy regarding the prince, princess, and Duke

It's a lot! But because the game is, at its core, a raising sim and not a visual novel, the overarching dramas don't receive much attention before reverting back to Chilia's daily grind. In fact, the asides bout the conspiracy or Chilia's missing memories almost come across like irritants. They ended up being distractions from me wanting to set Chilia's schedule for the day. "Girl, stop talking to that suspicious dark mage!" I wanted to say, "You have to go work as a church deacon today!"

I also found that the story was difficult to become emotionally invested in. There is so much lore that it was overwhelming. It also felt like I was missing half the story with how suddenly they would, for lack of a nicer term, spout out nonsense. It made it difficult to care about Chilia's mysterious past, especially when it is not the point of the game. She never talks about it, so it was easy to forget about, too. I wanted to know more about Duma, Grana, and Fay – the characters that you can encounter and interact with. The game gives you the chance to go on outings, where you can visit various places in town. Depending on what time you go, you may see one of these characters and talk to them.

[gallery columns="2" ids="934539,934540" link="file"]

The unfortunate thing is that you can only go to three places per outing (two during winter). And, frustratingly, there is no telling if the character is there or not. I basically only ever had one new place to go to every outing. Every turn, I would waste one on the castle walls (for Grana) and one on the church (for Fay). More than half the time (about 90%), they wouldn't even be there. According to a walkthrough, the game takes around ten hours to beat. But it takes over 400 hours if you're a completionist. Those 400 hours are likely just on the Russian Roulette that is outings, because if you do not meet these characters on specific days in specific locations, you will miss the chance to progress in their story lines.

(The majority of the endings seem to focus on jobs, actually. For example, there is an ending where Chilia becomes a historian. This was also the ending I got in my first playthrough. I likely got it because I raised stats pertaining to Wisdom a lot. So boosting different parameters or maxing out different jobs will contribute to those 400 hours as well.)

While there is a simple and undeniable pleasure in the simple act of raising parameters and figuring out the best way to schedule Chilia's time, Lair Land Story hasn't aged gracefully. Its combination of raising sim and visual novel works in theory, but not in practice due to the overwhelming and frankly shoddy story, and lack of emotional beats to keep the player hooked. Individually there are two good tastes to be found in this game, but their combination ends up lesser than their sum.

Lair Land Story is available on PSP, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC.

The post Review: Lair Land Story Should've Stuck to Being a Raising Sim appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, September 4, 2022 11:00 AM
    

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 PS4

The next installment of the Azure Striker Gunvolt series will arrive on PlayStation platforms before the year's end. Inti Creates announced on September 2 that Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 PS4 and PS5 will arrive on December 15, 2022. The date comes a little less than months after the game launched on Nintendo Switch in late July 2022. The PC version is set to launch in "Winter 2022", but does not have a specific release date there yet.

Inti Creates also unveiled a trailer for the 2nd Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 DLC pack, which is available now and is free until September 15, 2022. The pack adds the EX Image Pulses Elise and Asroc from the first two Gunvolt games. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 PS4 and PS5 will launch with this DLC packed in, as well as all previous updates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb-o87ThzX4

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 will launch on PlayStation platforms on December 15, but all versions will receive the "Epilogue ATEMS" update on the same day. Epilogue ATEMS is a free story update set after the game's main campaign. The character Zed Omega (ZedΩ) is a brand-new playable character that will be added for Epilogue ATEMS. ZedΩ is the leader of the ATEMS organization, and controls the power of the sun with his Septima "Golden Trillion".

Inti Creates noted in a follow-up Tweet that English voices would not be available for DLC content at launch, not even for Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 PS4 and PS5. This was due to difficulties with the production schedule. Instead, English voices will be added with another update later in the year.

Azure Striker Gunvolt is available on the Nintendo Switch. It launches on PS4 on December 15, 2022, with a free upgrade option to PS5. The PC version is set for Winter 2022.

The post Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 PS4 and PS5 Launches in December appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, September 4, 2022 9:00 AM
    

Monochrome Mobius demo will appear at Happinet TGS 2022 booth

TGS 2022 will have a large booth with demos of many games courtesy of Happinet. The company has updated its Tokyo Game Show webpage with details for the 2022 edition. While the company has two official live stream slots, it will be known more for its lion's share of game demos at its physical booth.

Happinet has two live streams scheduled on the Tokyo Game Show 2022 official channel. The first one on Saturday, September 17, 2022, will have Gorgeous—a Japanese celebrity known for his pirate-like attire—introduce Melon Journey: Bittersweet MemoriesLittle Witch Nobeta, and NeverAwake. The second stream on Sunday, September 18, 2022, will be dedicated to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.

However, Happinet's main highlight will be its physical booth at Makuhari Messe. It will include demos of more than thirty games from various publishers that work with the company. Some of the highlights include Monochrome Mobius—the new entry in the Utawarerumono series, Inti Creates' Azure Striker Gunvolt 3, PlatinumGames' Sol CrestaNeedy Streamer Overload, and the Hololive VTuber Minato Aqua's visual novel Aquarium.

Here's the full title lineup that is available on Happinet's TGS 2022 webpage as of this writing:

Tokyo Game Show 2022 will run on September 15-18, 2022.

The post Happinet TGS 2022 Booth Will Include Monochrome Mobius Demo appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, September 4, 2022 7:00 AM
    

ichiban kuji mimikyu's cafe time header

Mimikyu will be the main of yet another Ichiban Kuji collection, called "Ichiban Kuji Pokemon Mimikyu's Cafe Time." The lottery will appear across bookstores, game centers, and such across Japan from October 1, 2022. It will cost 650 JPY (approximately $4.60) per spin. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

Aside from Mimikyu, Pokemon like Eevee, Dedenne, and Morpeko are on the goods. As one can imagine from the name, the majority of the prizes in this Ichiban Kuji have to do with coffee or tea time. The full list of items you can get from the Mimikyu's Cafe Time Ichiban Kuji lottery is:

  • A Prize: Mimikyu doll
  • B Prize: Coffee server
  • C Prize: Soft jacquard blanket
  • D Prize: Tote bag
  • E Prize: Round mug
  • F Prize: Tableware
  • G Prize: Jacquard hand towel
  • H Prize: Acrylic charms
  • Last One Prize: Mimikyu doll (Last One Version)

[gallery link="file" ids="934843,934842,934841,934840,934839,934838,934837,934836,934835"]

You can use the coffee server for other drinks, both hot and cold. It will also come with a coffee dripper, so you do not need to have a machine at home in order to use it. For the tableware, you have the option of plates or a spoon. There is also the option of a ramekin.

Bandai Spirits first teased the Mimikyu's Cafe Time Ichiban Kuji collection back in May 2022, though it did not have any pictures of the prizes then. In the past, Bandai Spirits had the Mimikyu's Sweets Party collection. Prizes that people could obtain from this included an accessory case, a teapot, and a Mimikyu doll.

The Mimikyu's Cafe Time Ichiban Kuji will be available in Japan from October 1, 2022.

The post Mimikyu's Cafe Time Ichiban Kuji Will Brighten Your Kitchen appeared first on Siliconera.


Pivotal Gamers Sunday, September 4, 2022 4:36 AM
     Hello fellow gamers. Giveaway Of The Day is giving you the chance to win on Doodle God: Genesis Secrets. Read on for their offering. Doodle God: Genesis Secrets is available as a Giveaway of the day!You have limited time to download, install and register it. A few words about Doodle God: Genesis Secrets If you loved the award winning Doodle God or any of the games in the Doodle series, you'l...

MonsterVine Sunday, September 4, 2022 11:51 AM
     Paxaggedon is here. It's MonsterVine's wonderful return to the Penny Arcade Expo after two long years and PAX West is already off to a great start. While relatively smaller feeling in terms of AAA game exposure compared to our last outing at PAX East 2020, PAX West 2022 feels more relaxed. Indie games are aplenty […]

Sep 04, 06:00


PCGamesN Sunday, September 4, 2022 4:44 AM
     Overcooked meets Spirited Away in hot spring management sim

Onsen Master is a hot spring management game pitched as Overcooked meets Spirited Away. If you've ever watched Studio Ghibli's gorgeous animated film about a young girl who finds herself in a mystical bathhouse full of spirits, you might have contemplated what running such an establishment might be like. Onsen Master is a co-op game from Waking Oni Games that hopes to realise those dreams by tasking you with running various onsen, while staving off the antics of troublesome yokai.

Placing you in the shoes of the titular Onsen Master's apprentice, Mu, you are tasked with running the onsen (the Japanese name for hot springs and the facilities that surround them) located on the island of Izajima. You must keep your customers satisfied, preparing the appropriate ingredients to soothe what ails them and making sure they make it to the right baths without wandering off and causing trouble.

The customers are the least of your worries, however - there's a dark cloud hanging over the island, causing mischievous spirits called yokai to appear. These yokai will attempt to disrupt the flow of your business, so you'll have to deal with them before resuming usual service. As you progress through the story and search for the Onsen Master, you'll even come across boss fights such as a giant, skeletal yokai rising out of the water to cause havoc in your establishment.

RELATED LINKS: Best multiplayer games, Best simulation games, Best management games

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, September 4, 2022 12:16 AM
    

It's been one heck of a busy day for team RPS on day two of PAX West. It's now the weekend so the show floor was significantly busier, but not enough to keep us from getting our mitts on some games. That's right, we actually played some games today!

Have a click on the video below were we break down the day's activities and also to see us get booted out from the show floor when it closed at 7. Here's today's daily round-up:

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, September 4, 2022 12:02 AM
    

Today's PAX West interview is with the one and only Ron Gilbert, series creator of the iconic point-and-click adventure series, Monkey Island. We are big fans of Monkey Island here at RPS, so after watching him guest speak on the Adventure Games PAX panel today, we got a chance to chinwag with Gilbert and to chat about his upcoming comeback to the series with Return to Monkey Island.

Gilbert was lovely enough to tell us all about the next game in the Monkey Island saga - what it was like to return to Monkey Island's world after so long, what we can expect from the puzzles, and snippets of the game's story. Watch below to see the interview in its entirety and make sure you watch to the end to see my impression of a pirate - you won't wanna miss that.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, September 4, 2022 12:02 AM
    

It's day two of PAX West and to kick off our second day of game events and demos we got hands-on with a build of Neowiz's Pinocchio RPG, Lies of P. The gameplay demo caused quite a stir when it was at Gamescom earlier this year, so we made it one of our priorities to check it out here in Seattle.

Neowiz are not actually at PAX so there wasn't anyone on the team to give us some behind-the-scenes info, but I got stuck into the demo for a solid 30 minutes, brawling with the game's angry robot lads that roamed the city's blood-washed cobbled streets.

Overall, I had a great time with the demo. Yes, it is incredibly similar to Bloodborne in both its combat and environments but there are plenty of other elements that steer it away from FromSoftware's horror-filled gothic RPG. If you want more details instead of that short summary then check out our video below where I talk about my time with the build, and about having my arse kicked by giant mechanical automatons. Enjoy!

Read more


Pivotal Gamers Sunday, September 4, 2022 4:36 AM
     Hello fellow gamers. Giveaway Of The Day is giving you the chance to win on Doodle God: Genesis Secrets. Read on for their offering. Doodle God: Genesis Secrets is available as a Giveaway of the day!You have limited time to download, install and register it. A few words about Doodle God: Genesis Secrets If you loved the award winning Doodle God or any of the games in the Doodle series, you'l...