PCGamesN Sunday, April 2, 2023 12:46 PM  As I take the somewhat rickety elevator up to the business floor of one of London's classiest hotels, my heart is in my mouth. I emerge from the elevator to be led down a winding mahogany corridor, then ascend a small staircase into a room whose main feature is a huge statue of Diablo 4's Inarius and a BAFTA-style Diablo 4 photo backdrop. Cream curtains hang from high, wooden ceilings, and before me stand two pillars in the RPG game development community: Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson and game director Joe Shely. Lilith has answered my prayers; dreams really do come true. Continue reading Diablo 4 is the "best" of the series Blizzard says, and here's why MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 release date, Diablo 4 system requirements, Diablo 4 classes |
PCGamesN Sunday, April 2, 2023 12:19 PM  If you've liked the audio work in action-adventure games like Control, Evil West, and the upcoming multiplayer extraction shooter Hyenas, then you'll be a fan of the work from audio director Justin Andree. PCGamesN managed to grab Andree for a chat while at WASD 2023 in London, and we asked them all about how Control's best musical moment came to be, and what to expect from Hyenas music later this year. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Control review, Control setting, Play Control |
PCGamesN Sunday, April 2, 2023 11:10 AM  The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is absolutely brilliant. Released as a free game on Steam to coincide with the many April Fool's jokes our industry puts out, Sega and Sonic's social team has once again proved that they completely understand the characters, fanbase, and reason why the series sticks around so much. Despite repeated attempts to kill him, Sonic The Hedgehog refuses to die. Continue reading Surprise killing Sonic the Hedgehog shows why he's lived so long |
PCGamesN Sunday, April 2, 2023 10:21 AM  02/04/2023 If you fell for this delightful prank, we're here just to let you know that yes, this was in fact an April Fool's joke. We've all seen the adorable image that Valorant dating sim lead dev Bee 'ImABeeBop' made of Gekko's adorable buddy, Wingman (if not, it's below). Brandishing one of the FPS game's Classic pistols, we've all wondered what it would be like if Wingman could snipe the competition with an Operator. The new Valorant patch notes reveal that, from March 32, he'll be able to do just that. Continue reading New Valorant patch lets Wingman finally use guns and do crime MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Valorant Night Market dates, Valorant ranks order, distribution, and ranking system explained, Valorant crosshair codes |
PCGamesN Sunday, April 2, 2023 10:23 AM  02/04/2023 If you were hoping for the Dead Space Remake Remake to be real and have come to this story now, we just wanted to let you know that this was in fact a delightful April Fool's joke. Gotcha. After the smashing success of Dead Space Remake, EA and Motive have officially confirmed a remake of the remake, set to launch in 2024. Horror game fans have already been treated this year thanks to Resident Evil 4 Remake and the pending Silent Hill 2 Remake, with announcements also expected regarding a remake of Bethesda's upcoming Starfield as well as Diablo 4 Remake, which is expected to launch May 30, just ahead of Blizzard's Diablo 4. Continue reading Dead Space Remake remake confirmed for 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best horror games on PC, Dead Space Remake review, Dead Space system requirements |
PCGamesN Sunday, April 2, 2023 10:25 AM  02/04/2023 Turns out the streamer in this story is one of our own, and that the whole idea was an April Fool's joke. Doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good watch though, right? A Resident Evil 4 Remake Twitch streamer has ditched conventional PC gamepads for a real chainsaw controller, and they even managed to 100% the game's campaign. No one was hurt throughout the 30-hour play-through, but neighbours have raised noise complaints to the local council. Continue reading Streamer completes Resident Evil 4 Remake using a real chainsaw MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Resident Evil 4 Remake release date, Resident Evil 4 Remake system requirements, Best horror games on PC |
Siliconera Sunday, April 2, 2023 3:00 PM
It's the end of an era. The 3DS eShop is closed, so people can't buy anymore digital games. I mean, there's a temporary reprieve for folks who still had download codes to redeem them until April 3, 2023. But it's largely done. So in that mad rush to take advantage of the storefront while it was still around… what did you get? Let's talk about our final purchases. I'm pretty sure the last game that I bought on the 3DS was Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice. It had been after a conversation with my friend about how terrible Dual Destinies was compared to the first four games of the series, and then she insisted that Spirit of Justice is actually good. So I bought it and then gave up somewhere in the second case. The story was the level of ridiculous that I couldn't subscribe to in Dual Destinies and honestly, the new gimmick with the past memories felt like they made the cases a lot more complicated than they needed to be. Until the magic that is The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice killed my interest in the Ace Attorney series in the same way that Nintendo killed the 3DS and Wii U eShops. — Stephanie The last game I picked up was Liberation Maiden on the US 3DS eShop. While I already owned all of the Level-5 Guild 01 and 02 games, somehow I missed getting that one over the years. Given these were digital exclusives, I figured I couldn't risk losing access to these pieces of history! Sure, this particular game also appeared on iOS devices, but you can't get it there anymore either! — Jenni I, uh, may have been more prepared than most for the 3DS eShop shutdown, but I did grab one last thing: Fragrant Story. One of the last games released for a platform, it's simultaneously a game about tactical battles and an extended pun. It's a weird little experiment, and I picked up a physical copy! But $2 was a small price to pay for digital convenience. — Graham The post What's the Last 3DS Game You Bought? appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, April 2, 2023 1:00 PM
As part of the Evo Japan 2023 announcements, Bandai Namco shared Tekken 8 trailers for Asuka Kazama and Leroy Smith. Both are returning characters who will return to fight in the latest entry. They are each more recent additions to the cast, compared to some other revealed fighters. Asuka's been around since Tekken 5, while Leroy joined in Tekken 7. A closed alpha test for the game appeared at the event as well. First, here's the Asuka Kazama Tekken 8 trailer. Bandai Namco's Katsuhiro Harada discussed her costumes on Twitter and mentioned how she has a "renewed default costume" and past outfits will appear. Next, here's the Leroy Smith Tekken 8 trailer. Sugar also appears in a new outfit alongside him. His song, which appeared in the Tekken 7 reveal trailer, doesn't show up. In case you missed some of the past Tekken 8 character trailers, here's a list of ones that appeared before Asuka Kazama's and Leroy Smith's.
Tekken 8 is in development for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam. Bandai Namco didn't mention if it will be at Evo 2023, but Tekken 7 will be at the event. The post Tekken 8 Asuka Kazama and Leroy Smith Trailers Appear appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, April 2, 2023 12:00 PM
Premium Bandai announced a giant plush of the Pokemon Snorlax that also serves as a cushion. The cushion costs 72,000 JPY (roughly $542 USD). The giant Snorlax cushion comes with a Poke Flute. Unfortunately, playing the Poke Flute won't make the Snorlax cushion come to life and wake up. It is planned to release in Japan in mid-July 2023. Pre-orders are now open from the Japanese Premium Bandai online store. [Thanks, Inside!] The official name for this new Pokemon merchandise is "Definitely want to wake up - Snorlax cushion." The Snorlax cushion is about 150 cm or 5 foot tall. You can take a better look at the Snorlax cushion that also serves as a giant plush, alongside the accompanying Poke Flute, in the gallery below. [gallery columns="4" ids="957995,957996,957997,957998,957999,958000,958001" link="file"] This new Snorlax cushion is inspired by the sleepy and immovable Snorlax from the original Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue games. The player had to obtain and play the Poke Flute, a key item and musical instrument that only Pokemon can hear. The item would allow for the Snorlax blocking the road to wake up and move, so the player could continue their adventure. Incidentally, in 2016 Premium Bandai released a different giant Snorlax cushion/plush under the name of "I definitelly don't want to wake up – Snorlax cushion." In other Pokemon merchandise news, the Pokemon Center online store is now offering new sets of socks based on the starter Pokemon of the Paldea Region. The giant "Definitely want to wake up" Snorlax cushion costs 72,000 JPY (~$542 USD,) and its planned Japanese release date is mid July 2023. Pre-orders are now open from the Japanese Premium Bandai online store. The post Bandai Premium's Giant Snorlax Plush Cushion Costs Over $500 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, April 2, 2023 9:00 AM
Sports anime tend to have a very simple, but highly successful success formula that more or less guarantees you'll enjoy it if that's your cup of tea. I mean, a story about a group of people who learn to work together as teammates and eventually friends? Maybe they win a tournament or two along the way? It's fantastic to watch underdog teams get through challenges and rivals in order to bring home the victory. Sign me up! But Blue Lock looks that formula in the eye and spits on it. And in a way, it works. Blue Lock is the show where all of the characters compete to be the very worst sports anime boy. The story centers on Yoichi Isagi, who is one of 300 strikers chosen for the Blue Lock program. The JFU devised the program to find and train new soccer players who will take Japan's soccer to the next level. However, instead of teaching them how to be teammates and work together, the program actively pits the players against each other. This is because the show's central philosophy is that the most egotistical plays are what's ultimately the most important thing to break Japan out of its team-oriented funk. In a way, it's the antithesis of what a sports anime is. What they want is the worst boy to ever exist in sports anime.
The animation and music for the show are fantastic, and the pacing makes it a really easy show to binge. Matches generally never overstay their welcome, and the characters are not that complicated. The soccer action is pretty intense. It's Haikyuu levels of exciting, though with a lot less emotional attachment. This is because the focus of the show is on Isagi himself, with only a handful of other characters receiving any development. Chigiri, Bachira, and Nagi are really fun to watch because of their play styles. Outside of their plays, everyone is really fun, even though they're objectively awful people. Like, Nagi is ridiculously terrible once you see more of him. But he's so oblivious about it that it rounds back to funny (#JusticeForReo2023 for real though). [gallery ids="957623,957622,957621" link="file"] My biggest issue with Blue Lock ultimately lies with its protagonist Isagi. He's really funny as a character. It's hilarious watching him essentially call someone a slur for an hour and then, as soon as the match is over, he's just a nice guy. Him being an unwitting homewrecker is also a riot. The problem is when he's actually on the field. The narrative establishes that Isagi is not a very good player, but he's really observant. He's above average outside of the Blue Lock facility, but within it, he's lesser in almost every way compared to all of the major characters. So he makes up for that with predicting where the ball will go or what players will do, and then positioning himself on the field so that he can get the ball. That's really neat, and he'd make a great strategist. But Isagi refuses to be that. It was really cool to watch Isagi figure out his weapon and showing up objectively better players with it. His early development legitimately made me excited to see Isagi grow as a player. The problem is that Isagi never learns. Every match, he learns that his problem is overthinking and he should just take the shot. So he does. And then the next match starts, and he learns the same thing again. It's underwhelming and repetitive. His "devouring" shtick of taking inspiration from other players only lasts for that one single match, which is another reason why his development and power-ups feel undeserved. I also found it unbelievable how Isagi is supposed to physically be one of the worst players on his team. But just because he can see better, he can pull out the ninja moves? His best plays involve him acting as a midfielder, and yet he constantly attempts to grab the striker spot from better players. Is this how Sharpay felt in High School Musical?
I felt like Isagi would've been more interesting as a player if he was more a strategist like Niko was. He's exactly in the same boat as Niko where his weapons are his observational skills and brains, and they're not as physically able as the better players. Later on, we see Reo, Rin, and Kaiser, who are all essentially "Isagi but better." But they all have their own niches and positions in the field, whereas Isagi's skill set makes him a better midfielder despite his insistence on stealing the ball from his own teammates because he wants to be a striker. It's interesting how the premise of Blue Lock encourages the players to "devour" each other to reach new heights, both as individual players and as a team. But Isagi as a player makes the concept frustrating to watch. His canon incompetence contrasts with his lofty goals and foul attitude, but the narrative awards him for it every single time. Obviously, I still really like Blue Lock. I mean, I recommended it from the Winter 2023 line-up. It's a really fun show to watch for sports action, but I wouldn't go into it with the expectation that it's a sports anime. Isagi also seems popular in the fandom. So maybe I'm just too critical of him. Perhaps the desire to score your own goal even if you're not the best player to do so is one that is a normal soccer player instinct. I wouldn't know because I'm not a sports girl. But what I do know is that Blue Lock is genuinely fun to watch if you want to turn your brain off. Blue Lock is available for streaming on services like Netflix and Crunchyroll. The manga is ongoing and Kodansha has licensed it for North America. The post Blue Lock Searches for Worst Sports Anime Boy appeared first on Siliconera. |
Tabletop Gaming News – TGN Sunday, April 2, 2023 3:39 PM Welcome to the weekly roundup! In this new weekly series, we bring you all the latest news and updates from the world of tabletop gaming in video format. From new game releases to exciting Kickstarter campaigns, we cover it all. Our videos provide in-depth coverage of all the top stories from the previous week, including … |
Tabletop Gaming News – TGN Sunday, April 2, 2023 12:00 PM Excitement is building as Kobold Press prepares for the next big step in Project Black Flag, a series of efforts to update and publish a core fantasy RPG based on 5E Dungeons & Dragons SRD 5.1. The clock is ticking down, with only days to go until the big reveal: the game's official name. Project … |
Tabletop Gaming News – TGN Sunday, April 2, 2023 10:00 AM Dungeon Saga Origins: A Thrilling Prequel to the Popular Dungeon Saga Game Series on Kickstarter Now Mantic Games has once again captured the hearts of tabletop gamers with their new dungeon crawler game, Dungeon Saga Origins. The game, which is currently on Kickstarter, has already reached an incredible £187,000 from a £50,000 goal with 13 days left to go from 1,750 backers. The campaign, which will end on April 15, promises … |
Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Sunday, April 2, 2023 12:44 PM The Super Mario Bros. Movie is set to come out this week, and Illumination and Nintendo have been hard at work at promoting the release of the film. Just in, we have a new spot that gives us more on Mario and Luigi, as well as the Tanooki costume that lets Mario fly. Check this […] |
Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Sunday, April 2, 2023 12:34 PM The Last of Us on PC may not have had the best launch, but it certainly hasn't stopped anyone from checking out the game on the platform. As it turns out, beating the game will unlock some HBO-inspired cosmetics for Ellie, and thanks to @DomTheBombYT, you can check them out here: I actually thought that […] |
Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Sunday, April 2, 2023 11:42 AM The April Fools weekend has been full of all kinds of pranks, but this news about the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2023 doesn't seem to be a joke. According to IGN, multiple sources have confirmed that E3 2023 has effectively been cancelled. Members of the Electronic Software Association (ESA) were said to have been sent […] |
Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Sunday, April 2, 2023 11:04 AM The Kazama roster continues to grow for Tekken 8. After the reveal of Jin's mother Jun Kazama, Bandai Namco has released a gameplay trailer for Jin's younger cousin (who still kicks but) Asuka. Check her out here: No more playing around. Asuka brings justice in #TEKKEN8! Asuka was a character that was introduced in the […] |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, April 2, 2023 3:58 PM The trailer showcases several of their moves, special attacks, and more The post Tekken 8 Reveals New Asuka Kazama and Leroy Smith Gameplay Trailers appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, April 2, 2023 3:29 PM The DLC characters Sylvie Paula Paula and Najd will launch this summer The post The King of Fighters XV DLC character Kim Kaphwan Launches April 4 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, April 2, 2023 3:10 PM "Will allow us to deliver the best possible version of Atlas Fallen." The post Atlas Fallen Has Been Delayed to August 10 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |