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Mar 17, 12:00


Kotaku Friday, March 17, 2023 11:50 AM
    

The first season of The Last of Us, the undeniable smash-hit HBO series based on the video game of the same name, has ended. And though the discourse about the controversial ending rages on, people are already looking ahead to season two, which will introduce one of the most infamous characters in the series: Abby…

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Kotaku Friday, March 17, 2023 11:46 AM
    

Content warning: language about sexual assault.

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Kotaku Friday, March 17, 2023 11:00 AM
    

Twitch streamer Limcube has gone to great lengths to get all the hoes he can—wait, we're talking about the Breath of the Wild gardening tool. You know, the ones used to cultivate soil and remove weeds. Get your head out of the gutter.

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Kotaku Friday, March 17, 2023 10:00 AM
    

There was a lot of hype going into Lightfall, Destiny 2's big cyberpunk expansion. The reality has been much more muted, full of ups and downs, fun discoveries and tedious chores. Live-service games are unwieldy creatures to try and examine under a microscope, and Destiny remains one of the toughest of them all.

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Kotaku Friday, March 17, 2023 9:00 AM
    

Tomorrow marks the first chance for Pokémon TCG players and collectors to get their hands on Scarlet & Violet cards. The Build & Battle pre-release boxes, available at specialist TCG stores, allow an early peek at the brand new era for the game due to be fully released on March 31. We've already torn open a huge stack…

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PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 11:32 AM
     The Last of Us PC release date, trailer, and gameplay changes

The Last of Us PC release date has certainly been a long time coming. First announced at the Summer Games Fest back in June 2022, console owners only had a few months to wait before the remake was in their hands. Those few months are a drop in the bucket compared to PC users, who've been looking on in envy at Naughty Dog's story-driven epic for almost a decade.

Not to be confused with the console-exclusive remaster, The Last of Us PC release date is Part 1 of Joel and Ellie's journey. It's also the latest from Sony's stable of first-party exclusives to make its way onto PC, coming hot on the heels of the Returnal release date. While we don't know much about what's going on under the hood of the PC port just yet, we do have an idea of what to expect thanks to the console version. As an early contender for one of the best PC games of the year, here's everything we know ahead of The Last of Us PC release date.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The Last of Us PC release date, Best action adventure games, Naughty Dog's new fantasy game

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 11:09 AM
     Judas release date speculation, trailers, gameplay, story, and more

When is the Judas release date? Judas is an upcoming first-person shooter developed by Ghost Story Games, a studio led by Ken Levine and other former Irrational Games developers. Yes, the same developers who brought us the highly acclaimed BioShock and BioShock Infinite. Much like those earlier games, Judas will be a single-player, story-driven first-person shooter set in a futuristic sci-fi universe.

While we're still a way off getting our hands on this exciting FPS game, we can shed some light on what to expect with the upcoming Judas release date, trailers, gameplay, story, and more.


PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 10:07 AM
     Half-Life 2 remade as classic Resident Evil-style horror game, out now

This is like pizza and ice cream, burgers and fries - two of my all-time favourites, Half-Life 2 and Resident Evil, fused together to make a new, classic-style, fixed-camera horror game, and it's out now and available for free. If you need something to fill the time before the Resident Evil 4 release date, I would say this is the one.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best old games, Best FPS games, Best VR games

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 11:11 AM
     Project L release date speculation, trailers, gameplay, and roster

When is the Project L release date? If you ever wondered what an all-out League of Legends champion brawl would look like, you're about to find out. Project L is the work-in-progress title of an upcoming 2D fighting game featuring the likes of Ahri, Darius, and Jinx. In the developer's words, you'll be able to "walk, run, dash, chain dash, jump, long jump, and super jump," your way to victory.

If you can't wait to learn more about this League of Legends fighting game, here's everything we know about the Project L release date so far, from trailers and gameplay to the champion roster, assist and tag system, netcode, and more.


PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 8:49 AM
     The WD Black SN770 1TB SSD is better than half price on Amazon

As games continue to get bigger, both in terms of scale and in their installation footprint, bolstering your gaming PC with additional solid-state storage is practically a must. Thankfully, you needn't cough up your life savings for quality, high capacity drives, as a WD Black SN770 1TB SSD can be yours for better than half price.

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

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 8:45 AM
     Resident Evil 4 Remake release date, demo, gameplay, and trailers

If you're a horror aficionado, the Resident Evil 4 Remake release date is sure to be a firm fixture on your calendar this year. Once again, we'll be back in the shoes of Leon S. Kennedy, the rookie cop turned special agent tasked with saving the President's daughter from the evil clutches of Osmund Saddler, bioweapons researcher and enigmatic leader of the Los Iluminados cult.

Ahead of the Resident Evil 4 Remake release date, Capcom has wowed fans with gameplay footage that includes some of Leon's closest encounters with the hostile Ganados. We've also had confirmation of several departures from the third-person, action-survival horror formula. Here's everything we know about the Resident Evil 4 Remake release date, including the demo of one of the best PC games in its genre.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Resident Evil 4 Remake release date, Resident Evil 4 Remake system requirements, Best horror games on PC

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 8:31 AM
     The best Sims 4 mods 2023

If you're looking for the best Sims 4 mods, you've come to the right place. The Sims became a must-have simulation game on the PC when it was first released in 2000, and over 20 years later, the series is still going strong with a new Sims game on the horizon. You only need to look at the game's strong library of user-generated content to see where all this success coming from.

The Sims 4 mods scene is thriving, with plenty of weird and wonderful additions to one of the best PC games for living your alternate virtual life. Suppose you want more customisation options before the Sims 5 release date. In that case, loads of Sims 4 CC packs and expansion packs are available, while the mods below completely overhaul gameplay mechanics. We've compiled a list of just some of the best Sims 4 mods, accompanied with links to all the download pages. Be sure to read the install instructions for each mod.

Continue reading The best Sims 4 mods 2023
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Sims 4 mods, Best Sims 4 sex mods, The Sims 4 cheats

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 8:04 AM
     Steam sale gives you basically every Bethesda game for less than $99

A fresh Steam sale means you can get basically every major game either developed or published by Bethesda for less than $99 USD (£81 GBP). Elder Scrolls, Doom, Wolfenstein, Fallout, Dishonored, Prey, Quake, Rage - you name it, it's there for cheap. From shooters to RPG games, the Starfield maker has been involved with some of the biggest hits of the last two decades, and now its greatest works are available for a steal.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Steam FAQ, Steam family sharing, Steam in-home streaming

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 7:41 AM
     Diablo 4 release date, beta, trailers, gameplay, and features

Want to know the Diablo 4 release date and all the latest news? The upcoming entry in the demon-slaying action RPG series has many teasers and trailers. They showcase the various classes we can use to take on the hordes of monsters that block the way between the horned lord of the underworld and, well, us.

The roster of playable Diablo 4 classes includes transforming druids, spell-flinging wizards, and somersaulting rogues. Each class has unique combat skills to weave through every shambling zombie, skittering demon, and colossal terror that awaits you in these dank, hallowed halls. So far, so familiar, but that's hardly going to upset the series' devoted fans. One thing is for certain; when the RPG does release, it's bound to be making a push for our best PC games list.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 release date, Diablo 4 system requirements, Diablo 4 classes

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 7:25 AM
     Overwatch 2 season 4 release date, new support hero, and map changes

The Overwatch 2 season 4 release date might be a little way off, but there's no harm in looking ahead. As with all seasons in Blizzard's hero shooter, we can expect a new battle pass bursting with an assortment of brand-new skins and other cosmetics, as well as a host of quality-of-life changes to keep the live service experience fresh and fun.

After the barrage of changes implemented during season 3, we already know that the Overwatch 2 season 4 release date will continue to refine competitive matchmaking and the ranks system. We can also anticipate the scheduled mid-season Overwatch 2 balance patches, which are sure to shake up our Overwatch 2 tier list. That said, there's still plenty of new content to unpack ahead of the Overwatch 2 season 4 release date, so here's everything coming to the free PC game.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: All Overwatch 2 characters, Best Overwatch 2 settings, Overwatch 2 tier list

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 6:30 AM
     Starfield officially has no sex

It's not long - or at least, not that long - until the Starfield release date, but still, the finer details of the upcoming Bethesda RPG game remain under wraps. With the Starfield showcase set for June 11, we're expecting to see much more of the Fallout and Skyrim dev's space odyssey in the near future. For the moment, however, based on a newly published age rating, it sounds like Starfield includes some pretty strong stuff, from drug use to violence and nudity - but apparently no sex.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield release date, Starfield ship design, Starfield Game Pass

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 5:59 AM
     Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Shift codes – March 2023

Looking for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Shift codes? Redeeming one of these Shift codes rewards you with a Skeleton Key, which you can use to unlock the Skeleton Chest for rewards. This chest can be found at the foot of the castle underneath the statue in Brighthoof.

The Skeleton Keys you get for entering the code unlock premium in-game loot for the FPS game, such as Tiny Tina's Wonderlands legendary weapons to suit your chosen Tiny Tina's Wonderlands class and playstyle. You can redeem Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Shift codes either through the Shift tab in the in-game social menu or at the Shift Gearbox Software website - you need to navigate to the mail section to redeem the code.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Tiny Tina's Wonderlands review, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands legendary weapons, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands best builds

PCGamesN Friday, March 17, 2023 6:22 AM
     Resident Evil 4 Remake review – bingo

Ahead of our Resident Evil 4 Remake review, a thought occurs. It's the 2005 Resident Evil 4 that gets all the credit, and is regarded as having changed the whole series, but really - long before the Resident Evil 4 Remake release date - the RE franchise was always more an action than a horror game. Starting with the very original, all the way back in 1996, the survival elements were mostly illusory - zombies, hunters, and even the bosses in that game are simple and stupid, and you have more than enough ammo to clear the Spencer mansion perhaps twice over.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Resident Evil 4 Remake release date, Resident Evil 4 Remake system requirements, Best horror games on PC

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 17, 2023 10:24 AM
    

Back in January, the makers behind the excellent Half-Life 2 VR mod announced they were moving on to making a virtual reality goggle version of Half-Life 2: Episode One - and we now know it will be arriving on Steam later today. What's more, we also have a release date for their VR mod of Episode Two. That will come next month on April 6th, according to its Steam page.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 17, 2023 10:00 AM
    

Hello folks. After voting for your favourite strategy games of all time in our very first RPS Bestest Best: Reader Edition list last month, this time we're asking you do it all over again for your favourite survival games. With Sons Of The Forest taking over Steam at the moment and Capcom's sensational remake of Resident Evil 4 just on the horizon, we've got survival games on the brain right now - or at least the bit that hasn't been chewed or nibbled on by the worrying pack of zombs circling the Treehouse lately, anyway. The less said about that, the better, because some the team are looking mighty peaky right now. Before they turn, though, come and tell us about your favourite survival games so the rest of us have some good tips for how to save our skins.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 17, 2023 8:30 AM
    

Welcome to the latest edition of The RPS Time Capsule, where members of the RPS Treehouse each pick one game from a given year to save from extinction while all other games fizzle and die on the big digital griddle in the sky before blinking out of existence. This time, we're turning our preservation mitts on the year 2012, a year absolutely stacked with some pretty stellar releases. But which ones will make the cut and be safely ensconced inside our cosy capsule for future generations? Come on down to find out.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 17, 2023 5:52 AM
    

Warhammer 40K: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters ended up turning me into a bit of a Warhammer game convert last year, and over the last nine months or so I've been steadily hovering up as many Warhammer-themed strategy games as I can muster. Today, I can add another one to my roster for literally zero pounds, as Proxy Studio's 4X Warhammer-thon Gladius - Relics Of War is now over on the Epic Games Store for the next week.

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Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 11:55 AM
     What have you got to lose?

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 11:27 AM
     Reeves is totally awesome!

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 10:39 AM
     Stop (or profit off) your border's contraband!

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 9:50 AM
     Are you ruthless enough?

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 9:44 AM
     The highest restriction for a Bethesda title so far in the country.

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 9:30 AM
     Diamond Dogs meeting adjourned. Awoooooo!

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 9:30 AM
     Hip hip, beret!

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 9:00 AM
     From the quiet drinkers to the party animals.

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 9:00 AM
     Rhythm + Pokémon = Perfection

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 8:15 AM
     It won't look this good.

Twinfinite Friday, March 17, 2023 5:43 AM
     The barrel is now very meta – you just can't use it.

Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 11:30 AM
    

Square Enix Symbiogenesis NFT Treasure Hunt Member Card Cap Being Raised

To attempt to generate interest in its Symbiogenesis NFT endeavor, Square Enix held a Treasure Hunt on the project site. Those who participated would be able to search the "map" to find a Member Card NFT. However, after launch the company noted the cap of available items had been hit and that it will raise the number in the coming days. However, it only tentatively set a possible March 25, 2023 return for the activity.

The Symbiogenesis Treasure Hunt to earn a Member Card NFT was supposed to run until April 4, 2023. The world map appeared, and people could click certain areas to attempt to find one. People could enter once per wallet, to get the Member Card NFT (Green). However, at 2:45am ET on March 17, 2023, Square Enix notified people that all 30,000 had been claimed.

Here's how these NFTs would look.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="956064" link="file"]

And here's the official announcement saying they'd all been found, but more will be coming.

Square Enix's Symbiogenesis NFT project is in development.

The post Square Enix Symbiogenesis NFT Treasure Hunt Member Card Cap Being Raised appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 11:00 AM
    

Fungus Mechanicus genshin impact 3.5

HoYoVerse revealed some information on the events that will be part of the second half of Genshin Impact Version 3.5. Just like how the banners are re-runs, the events are re-runs as well. There will be Fungus Mechanicus, Spices From the West: Northerly Search, and the usual Ley Line Overflow again in Genshin Impact.

Fungus Mechanicus will run from March 23, 2023 to April 3, 2023 in Genshin Impact. This is actually not the same version of Fabulous Fungus Frenzy from Version 3.2. While you will still be directing an army of fungi, it focuses more on destroying mechanicus rather than other fungi. The Traveler will also not be on the field, with a more aerial view of the field.

The Spices From the West: Northerly Search event will run from March 31, 2023 to April 10, 2023. This is an event where you can cook food with special seasonings for rewards such as Primogems. You can also give them to your characters in the Serenitea Pot. Characters will say special lines depending on how much they like the food.

Finally, Ley Line Overflow will run from April 3-10, 2023. Ley Line Overflow events generally appear before a new character. You will be able to use Original Resin to get double the rewards up to three times a day.

Genshin Impact is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. The second half of Genshin Impact Version 3.5, with the Shenhe and Ayaka re-run banners, will appear on March 21, 2023.

The post Genshin Impact 3.5 Events Will Include Fungus Mechanicus appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 10:30 AM
    

Square Enix salary

Square Enix employees in Japan, both present and future, will see a larger paycheck starting from April 2023. The company announced that the Square Enix salary will increase for full time employees of both Square Enix and Square Enix Holdings (the parent company that represents both Square Enix and its overseas subsidiaries). Overall, the employees should see a bump in their average annual income. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

According to Square Enix's announcement, all employees will get a wage hike of about 10%. New graduates of a four-year university course who've been newly hired or are preparing to join the company upon their graduation will receive the largest increase, at about 27%. For the latter cohort, the Square Enix salary increase will amount to about 288,000 Yen (about $2,162 USD). As to why the company is raising wages, the statement announcing the Square Enix salary bump referred to creating "an environment where employees can continue to focus on creating attractive content even amidst external factors like price rises or fluctuations, and to improve the recruitment of new and excellent human talent."

Here's the full quote:

We at Square Enix believe that an environment where each and every employee to can maximize their creativity and have peace of mind is essential for sustainable growth. To that end, we have taken various measures over time. This basic salary increase is one of those measures, and is intended to create an environment where employees can continue to focus on creating attractive content, even amidst external factors like price rises and fluctuations, and to improve the recruitment of new and excellent human talent. 

The Square Enix salary increase can be taken as one of the ways the company coping with recent trends in the global economy. Inflation overseas coupled with a historic level of depreciation in the Japanese Yen has raised effective prices for many employees living in Japan or earning in Japanese Yen. As of March 2023, the Japanese Yen stands at about 133.23 JPY to $1 USD, a major weakening compared to 2021 (when it was about 104 JPY to $1 USD). Other Japan-based game companies like Sega, Koei Tecmo, and Capcom have also raised wages in recent months.

The post Square Enix Raises Salaries for Employees in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 10:00 AM
    

genshin impact mika

HoYoVerse released information about Mika, who will be the new four-star Cryo Polearm character in Genshin Impact. He will be a support-oriented character like how Shenhe is. (She will be one of the five-stars one of his two debut banners.) There is also a trailer focusing on who he is and how he fights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8EWojkDwPc

Mika appeared previously in Genshin Impact during some of the Mondstadt-focused events. He is a Surveyor with the Knights of Favonius, which means he closely works with Eula. As such, his kit is a good match with hers. His Elemental Skill Starfrost Swirl can grant the party the Soulwind buff, which increases their Attack Speed and Physical DMG. Even though he is a Polearm user, you can hold down the Elemental Skill button to enter aiming mode.

https://twitter.com/GenshinImpact/status/1636579897836556288

His Elemental Burst Skyfeather Song can heal the party. Like Qiqi's Burst, characters with an Eagleplume from the Skyfeather Song will only get heals if they hit a Normal Attack while the buff is up. Mika seems to work best as a support for Eula, who is a Physical Attack-oriented Cryo character. Them both being Cryo will grant them Cryo Resonance, which passively increases their Crit Rate.

https://twitter.com/GenshinImpact/status/1636580147833843713

In Japanese, Yuko Sanpei voices Mika. Some of her more well-known roles include Boruto Uzumaki from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Nozomi Yumehara in Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!, and Selim Bradley in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Robb Moreira voices him in English. Moreira has previously appeared in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty as Zhang Bao and as Sakunosuke Oda in Bungo and Alchemist.

Genshin Impact is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Mika will debut in Genshin Impact as a 4-star on the Ayaka and Shenhe re-run banners, which will go live on March 21, 2023.

The post Mika Will Buff Physical Attackers in Genshin Impact appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 9:30 AM
    

Patch 6.4 Final Fantasy XIV Letter from the Producer Live Airs in March

It will soon be time to learn more about Final Fantasy XIV patch 6.4 in FFXIV Letter from the Producer Live Part LXXVI. Square Enix announced the latest presentation. It will happen on March 31, 2023 at 4am PT/7am ET/12pm CET.

This will be one of the presentations during which Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida and Global Community Producer Toshio "Foxclon" Murouchi will only be discussing updates in Japanese without any translator or subtitles. However, as in past showcases, all slides will feature English and Japanese explanations of additions. The stream will only go over FFXIV patch 6.4 part 1.

The YouTube placeholder is already live. People will also be to watch it on NicoNico or Twitch, as usual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4CALXaPcN0&ab_channel=FINALFANTASYXIV

The 6.3 patch and its follow-ups added a number of new activities, items, and events. For example, people could take part in Loporrit tribal quests and earn an Ear Wiggle emote. Eureka Orthos, Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures, Manderville Weapons, and Splendorous Tools also all gave players more to do.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, and PC, and the 6.4 patch will be discussed during the FFXIV Letter from the Producer Live Part LXXVI at 4am PT/7am ET/12pm CET on March 31, 2023. There's no exact release date for the next patch yet.

The post Patch 6.4 Final Fantasy XIV Letter from the Producer Live Airs in March appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 9:00 AM
    

pokemon tcg scarlet violet

The release of a new main-line Pokemon game brings with it a new era for the Pokemon Trading Card Game. New creatures! New mechanics! Even new card types! The new TCG Scarlet & Violet set is a chance for The Pokemon Company to regroup and give a new flavor to the decades-old game. The biggest change this time, though? It's been a long time coming for veteran TCG fans.

You see, the card borders are a whole thing. While Japan long ago transitioned to a silver frame for its cards, the rest of the world kept the nostalgic yellow. And hey, there's value in nostalgia! And consistency, too. But it's been causing a number of problems. Special cards that break out of the art, or that had particular foil looks, looked inconsistent in the West in ways the Japanese cards didn't. And fundamentally, these card layouts and illustrations were made with a silver border in mind.

With Scarlet & Violet, the international game has finally changed to match. The cards now look a little more intentional. A little more curated. A little more — dare we say it — classy. Though the yellow will always hold a place in our hearts. Previous yellow-border cards had retained all the other silver furniture, but here you see how it was meant to appear. And with all the visual elements on some of these cards, anything that can fade more easily into the background helps with quick legibility.

Included in the transition? Some price changes. This makes sense, with shipping and general inflation over the years. Still, The Pokemon Company International is taking some measures to mitigate those costs and deliver a bit more in its packs. You'll get another reverse foil or two in place of another common. Boxes slip another booster in there. It's a few things that don't effect their logistics costs too much. You can judge for yourself whether it's worth it, as always, as trading card games are inherently risky if you're looking for "value." But there's a world in which the prices just went up with no concessions and at least this isn't that.

Also changing: Pokemon Tool cards. Rather than a sub-sub-type, being a Trainer and an Item, they're now promoted to merely a sub-type. This applies to older cards, too: they're still Trainers, but they're not Items anymore. This makes a lot of existing effects not apply to them anymore, for better or worse. Mostly worse? But this promotion may come with some benefits, as The Pokemon Company looks to justify their existence and market this change with enticing new options. For now, we're mostly getting reprints of classic cards to keep them in Standard-legal sets, which is understandable. (Though it is a bit boring.)

And hey, if you were waiting for new Paldea denizens to show up, they're here! It's the first set, so of course we get all the starter lines. The cool endgame Pokemon will inevitably headline their own sets, but we get a hint at them with Great Tusk and Iron Treads appearances. Did you want four different versions of Tarountula? You're in luck! In all seriousness, if you're immersed in the newest video game, the Pokemon and Trainer cards here will help your TCG experience align accordingly.

pokemon tcg scarlet violet

That said, what hasn't changed in this new set might be more important: the game balance. Every deck-based game has dominant combos and meta-defining cards from time to time, no matter how hard the design and development teams work to avoid them. But Pokemon? It does itself no favors here.

Right now, as seen in top-level play and the shaky online client Pokemon Trading Card Game Live, competitive Pokemon is dominated by one two-card combo: Archeops, with its rapid energy acceleration ability, and Lugia VSTAR, with a quick and easy way to get two of them in play. There are a couple of ways around it, certainly. But its existence means decks either have to be either just as lightning-fast — often fully ramped up in two turns — or with very specific counter cards. And this isn't just true recently! With its focus on super-big special creatures that do way more damage and have flashy effects, the vast majority of each set has been dead on arrival for decades. Nothing about them is viable in even the weirdest edge case.

And The Pokemon Company continues to ignore and exacerbate these inherent balance problems. Cards like EX, GX and V have overpowered the meta and made normal Pokemon useless, with the two-prize restriction doing little to compensate for the pure damage output. The start of a new arc has the chance to introduce new types of cards, and Scarlet & Violet choose to replace them with "ex," a type exactly the same amount and fashion of broken. Some of them require evolution now? That doesn't move the needle very much. By our count, roughly a dozen of the new set's over 250 cards have even a possibility of being viable in any official or unofficial format.

"Bad" cards could still see play in limited and draft. Outside of the very small and low-stakes pre-release events, though? That's not possible. The Pokemon TCG isn't quite as natural a fit for draft play, as it needs a balance of cards totally different from booster contents. This is absolutely something that could be fixed with a dedicated Pokemon TCG Live format, letting you draft whole evolution lines and have more access to Trainer cards. But that doesn't appear to be in the works for the app, nor are any sort of other formats or functionality to make the game more fun.

Is this all the Scarlet & Violet set's fault? No, not at all. It honestly looks nice — the new reverse foil designs, for example, are different for each type and fairly cool — but we get the feeling that we've missed another window for change. Nothing about making the game more balanced and interesting would hurt those who collect for aesthetics or favorites. More creative abilities don't increase ink, paper or shipping costs. The only explanation? The design team simply hasn't made it a priority.


The Pokemon TCG Scarlet & Violet expansion launches on March 31, 2023. Pre-release events at local game stores will be held earlier. For more, check out the rest of our Pokemon TCG coverage.

The post Pokemon TCG Scarlet & Violet Debut's Biggest Addition Is Silver appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 8:30 AM
    

virtua fighter nft

Oasys, a blockchain company specializing in game-related content, released its first set of NFTs, centering on Virtua Fighter. Characters from Virtua Fighter 1 to 3 will be available. Yu Suzuki, who was the director and producer for the Virtua Fighter series during his Sega days, is overseeing Oasys's first NFT project Oasyx. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

Oasys will hand out the collaboration NFTs within March 2023 and the reveals for them will be in April 2023. Yu Suzuki is the director of Oasyx and artist Godtail designed the characters. The Virtua Fighter NFTs are technically part of the first set of Oasyx projects from Oasys. In total, there will be 10,000 NFTs in the first part of Oasyx and of that number, 1000 of them will be collaboration characters.

These eleven characters are the ones Oasys chose for its project:

  • Akira Yuki
  • Dural
  • Jacky Bryant
  • Jeffry McWild
  • Kage-Maru
  • Lau Chan
  • Lion Rafale
  • Pai Chan
  • Sarah Bryant
  • Shun Di
  • Wolf Hawkfield

Suzuki commented that during his time at Sega, Virtua Fighter was revolutionary for being one of the first fighting games to utilize 3DCG technology. He thanks all of the fans for loving and supporting the series. He hopes that the NFTs using new blockchain technology will bring new entertainment to the series's fans.

The Virtua Fighter NFTs will have their reveal in April 2023. Other companies interested in NFTs in Japan include Square Enix and TBT Lab.

The post Virtua Fighter NFT Art Will Be Available to Purchase appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 7:00 AM
    

Atlus detailed some of the new additions included in the Switch version of the upcoming Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection, releasing on June 1, 2023 for the Nintendo console and Windows PC. The Switch version of the games include touchscreen controls for drawing maps when playing on handheld mode. Auto-mapping functions have also been detailed. The auto-mapping settings will be available in both the Switch and PC versions.

The auto-mapping function offers two different settings. With "Auto-mapping (ON)," the game will automatically detect and draw the floor tiles of the map. Meanwhile, "Auto-mapping (FULL)" will record both the floor tiles and walls in a dungeon. Auto-mapping can also be turned off for those who want to take care of their dungeon maps manually.

In addition, the game will support left-handed and right-handed settings for touchscreen map drawing. The map display position can be changed to the left or right depending on which dominant hand has been selected in the game's settings.

As a reminder, Etrian Odyssey Origins will include adventurer portrait DLC inspired by characters in the Persona series, Soul Hackers 2, SMT III, and SMT V.

Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection will release on the Switch and Windows PC on June 1, 2023. The collection includes HD remastered versions of Etrian Odyssey 1-3.

The post Etrian Odyssey Origins Will Include Touch Controls on Switch appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 6:00 AM
    

Chainsaw Man exhibition

A new Chainsaw Man exhibition celebrating the anime adaptation of the manga written by Tatsuki Fujimoto will be held at the Seibu Shibuya store in Tokyo until April 23, 2023. The exhibition allows the public to take a look at the original drawings and storyboards for all 12 episodes of the anime adaptation. In addition, a special pamphlet with original illustrations of popular Chainsaw Man characters will be given as an admission gift.

The exhibition also has several life-sized figures of popular Chainsaw Man characters on display, including Denji, Power, Makima, and the most recent one of Aki Hayakawa. There are four different pamphlets, and these depict Denji and Pochita, Aki and Himeno, Power and Kobeni, and Makima and Kishibe.

You can take a better look at the life-sized figures and Chainsaw Man character pamphlets here:

[gallery columns="4" link="file" ids="956003,956004,956005,956006,956017,956000,956001,956002"]

Advance tickets for the Chainsaw Man exhibition cost 1,800 JPY (~$13 USD), with same-day tickets costing 2,000 JPY (~$15 USD). Furthermore, exclusive merchandise will be sold at the exhibition. Some of the merchandise includes acrylic stands, pin badges, keychains, sticker, posters, and more. You can check out some of the merchandise in the gallery below. New merchandise will release on March 20, 2023.

[gallery columns="4" ids="956007,956008,956010,956009,956013,956011,956012,956014" link="file"]

The Chainsaw Man exhibition is currently being held at the Seibu Shibuya store Movida Hall, located in the sixth and seventh floors of the store, and it will last until April 23, 2023. After a brief hiatus, the Chainsaw Man manga returned with chapter 122 on March 7, 2023.

The post Chainsaw Man Exposition Has Life-Sized Character Figures on Display appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 4:30 AM
    

5 Tips for Everyone Starting Their Bayonetta Origins Journey

There's a lot to do in the Avalon Forest in Bayonetta Origins. We're also playing with early versions of Cereza and Cheshire that aren't as strong as their counterparts in games like Bayonetta 3. Not to mention it's a different sort of game, as it's more of an adventure focused on solving puzzles and exploring. (I mean, there's still some combat too, of course!) So if you're just finding your footing, here are some things to keep in mind when getting started.

Nintendo PlatinumGames

Disturb the Bushes!

If you run through the bushes as either Cereza or Cheshire, or extend Cheshire while in Hug Mode, you can find items. Disrupting them can result in finding materials you can use when concocting potions in the game. It's an easy way to get things, and extending Cheshire is easy enough to collect items to build up the characters or create useful items.

Nintendo PlatinumGames

Teach Cereza to Dodge!

Cereza can be a bit frail in battle early on in Bayonetta Origins. She's great for binding foes for Cheshire to attack or to use items. But enemies will often target her frequently! Make sure you spend 100 Onyx Roses to get it as soon as you can. She already knows Thorn Bind, so nothing is "blocking" it once the skill trees for both characters unlock.

Nintendo PlatinumGames

Get Cheshire's Cheshire's Charge Strike and Chomp Attack ASAP!

Eventually, you'll start running into encounters with a lot of opponents on-screen at once. It is exceptionally helpful to have both Charge Strike and Chomp for Cheshire, as the former lets him quickly pounce on a far away enemy and the latter lets him chomp on a foe to finish it off. They're both on the same "branch" of his skill tree. Using 150 Avalon Drops on Charge Strike lets you then move on to pick up Chomp immediately after.

How to Fast Travel Between Sanctuaries in Bayonetta Origins Ignis Pathways

Don't Worry if You Can't Get Somewhere!

Bayonetta Origins is a game that will eventually make it possible to easily backtrack via a fast travel system known as Ignis' Pathways at Sanctuaries. So if you see giant mushrooms that look like spring, but don't move, or weird green hooks begging to be pulled, know that eventually you'll be able to get back here easily when the time is right.

5 Tips for Everyone Starting Their Bayonetta Origins Journey

Keep an Eye Out for Wisps!

You'll often hear some little voices or see opponents tormenting the little white people known as Wisps in Bayonetta Origins. In many cases, helping one out is as easy as giving them some items you collected via scavenging or fighting enemies or saving them from the bad guys. There are 40 total, and you'll first happen upon them while heading to get the second Elemental Core as part of the story.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is available for the Nintendo Switch. A demo is available.

The post 5 Tips for Everyone Starting Their Bayonetta Origins Journey appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 17, 2023 4:00 AM
    

What Can You Do at Each Bayonetta Origins Sanctuary

In Bayonetta Origins, each Sanctuary is a safe space for Cereza and Cheshire. It's a place where you won't have to worry about any enemies happening upon them. It's also a spot to save and regroup. But what can you do at each one during the main storyline? Let's go over the options that gradually open up.

The important thing you can do at a Bayonetta Origins Sanctuary is save. The lantern at each one acts as the save point. Make sure you check in there while you're at one of these hubs.

What Can You Do at Each Bayonetta Origins Sanctuary
You can also Concoct at these save spots. In the same menu that lets you save, you can choose to craft. This lets you make four potions if you collected enough Baked Geckos, Mandragora Roots, and Unicorn Horns while disrupting bushes and exploring Avalon Forest. Healing Tonic restores Cereza's health. An Umbran Syrup can temporarily make her invincible and let her recast Umbran Arts more quickly. Demonic Mist gives Cheshire unlimited magic for his skills. Blast Cocktail lets you temporarily stun nearby enemies. Initially, however, only a Healing Tonic will be available.

That same lantern menu also lets you go back to Tir na Nog dungeons you already completed. This involves the "time trial" versions of them for rewards, as well as an option to just retry past ones. Said rewards include Avalon Drops for Cheshire's skills or Onyx Roses for Cereza's. As you may expect, you can only retry and challenge Tir na Nog spaces you've already unlocked.

The lantern is also where you will check in to change characters' costumes after beating the game once.

What Can You Do at Each Bayonetta Origins Sanctuary
Speaking of skills, you can go through Cereza and Cheshire's skill trees at the every Bayonetta Origin Sanctuary. This lets you spend the aforementioned Avalon Drops and Onyx Roses on new abilities for each character. If you haven't added to their movesets in a while and are getting near a boss fight, it might be wise to backtrack a bit to build them up. You won't get access to this until wade into the story a bit and run into Morgana again after the first few chapters.

Once you get past the circus in chapter five, you'll also unlock a fast travel system at each Sanctuary in Bayonetta Origins. Ignis' Pathways will open up as an option. Talking to the Wisp lets you return to any one of these safe spaces you've already unlocked.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is available for the Nintendo Switch. A demo is available.

The post What Can You Do at Each Bayonetta Origins Sanctuary? appeared first on Siliconera.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, March 17, 2023 10:16 AM
     The Crew 2 Season 8 Art CustomDespite The Crew Motorstorm getting formally revealed weeks ago with an expected 2023 release, Ubisoft's Ivory Tower team continues to keep the pedal firmly held to the metal with consistent support for The Crew 2 throughout the rest of the year. The Crew 2 has now entered Season 8 with the release of Episode 1: USST Cities. The Crew 2 – Season 8 Episode 1 release brings more content The highlights for Episode 1 of Season 8 for The Crew 2 include new touring cars, 16 new touring car events, new vanity items, and a new Motorpass. The US Speed Tour, which was first introduced back in Season 3, has players shifting into high gear and letting the RPMs roar as they belt through the country's largest cities at top speed. Competitors should prepare to gauge their speed and mind their cornering skills as they meander through "twisty urban tracks" and make up for lost time by taking advantage of straighter sections. The team has also outfitted each event race t...

Gamer Empire Friday, March 17, 2023 5:32 AM
     If you have wandered long enough around the named locations in Rust, you might have picked up a barrel of diesel fuel here and there. These black, scary-looking barrels have special uses that won't usually be important in your base. Their main uses are at other monuments. Recommended Read: How to Get Diesel Fuel in Rust The only thing you can do with diesel fuel in Rust is use them to power excavators, pump jacks, and quarries. If you would also like to know exactly how to use it and what these three pieces of machinery do, you can find […]

Gamer Empire Friday, March 17, 2023 5:24 AM
     There are two types of fuel in Rust that you can use for various machines, cars, and buildings: low grade fuel and diesel fuel. The latter is relatively rare and can only be found in specific locations on the map. Luckily, you won't need diesel fuel for minor things. Recommended Read: How to Open the Map in Rust Diesel fuel will mostly be useful when you want to use some of the advanced machinery that is placed in named locations. To get diesel fuel in Rust, you either need to buy it in exchange for low fuel or find it […]

Gamer Empire Friday, March 17, 2023 5:05 AM
     Rust can be a very hard experience for beginners, as many things are done differently from other games you might have played before. One of the weird things that Facepunch Studios decided to do for Rust is to change the normal key for the map that most games use. Recommended Read: How to Use Quick Loot in Rust No, you don't open the map in Rust by pressing the M key, as you would in every other game that has appeared in the last decade. To open the map in Rust, you need to press and hold the G key […]

Gamer Empire Friday, March 17, 2023 4:59 AM
     You might have watched a video or two of content creators playing Rust, and you may have always seen them loot inventories so fast that it looked impossible. If you thought that you can only loot items one by one in Rust, then we have some mind-blowing news for you. Recommended Read: What Happens in a Server Wipe in Rust? Players can loot all of the items inside a storage or a body by just pressing one button and moving their mouse around. To quick loot in Rust, all you need to do is hold down "H" on your keyboard […]

Tabletop Gaming News – TGN Friday, March 17, 2023 12:00 PM
     Warhammer fans, prepare to adorn your Contemptor Dreadnoughts with new and exciting resin torsos designed to represent six different Legions! Forge World has announced the pre-order availability of six new Contemptor Carapaces for Dark Angels, Emperor's Children, Iron Warriors, White Scars, Imperial Fists, and Sons of Horus. Each Legion has its own unique style and …

Tabletop Gaming News – TGN Friday, March 17, 2023 10:00 AM
     QuasiReal Publishing and The Homebrew Network has announce their brand new tabletop role-playing game universe, MythCraft, which was funded in just three hours on Kickstarter! MythCraft is a complete TTRPG system and universe that features complex character creation, rich combat, and a vast, eon-spanning universe. With 11 separate classes, 14 unique lineages, 23 individual backgrounds …

Tabletop Gaming News – TGN Friday, March 17, 2023 4:15 AM
     Fans of the classic film "The Dark Crystal" have something new to look forward to this summer. River Horse has announced that their highly anticipated Dark Crystal card game is now available for pre-order. The game boasts stunning artwork and easy-to-learn rules, making it a perfect choice for fans of all ages and skill levels. …