Apr 25, 10:00


PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:58 AM
     Valorant patch notes – 6.08 update revamps Killjoy and Gekko

New Valorant patch notes are here as Riot Games takes aim at Gekko and Killjoy in its competitive FPS game, while making some cosmetic changes and working on a plethora of bug fixes as well. We've got the full lowdown on all the 6.08 Valorant changes, so get comfy.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Valorant Night Market dates, Valorant ranks order, distribution, and ranking system explained, Valorant crosshair codes

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:46 AM
     All Elden Ring Great Runes locations

So you want to know where to find all the Elden Ring Great Runes locations? Most provide decent buffs for the player, but some are used to unlock new endings. Awakening a Great Rune allows you to equip it and use Rune Arcs to borrow its power. To do this, you need to seek out that rune's Divine Tower, a special location mentioned in each Great Rune's description.

There are eleven of Elden Ring Great Runes. The main Elden Ring bosses drop some of them upon their defeat, while you acquire the rest by completing certain quests. These Great Runes have loose ties to Elden Ring's central story, as you can gather a few to access one of the RPG game's many key areas. If you want to know where to awaken each Elden Ring Great Rune, read our Elden Ring Divine Tower locations guide.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, The best Elden Ring classes

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:44 AM
     The best Free GOG games and how to get them

Looking for a roundup of the best free GOG games? There's a reason GOG was formerly known as Good Old Games, and that legacy is alive and well when you peer through the store's pre-2000s catalogue, with arcade gems, sequels you forgot about, and everything in-between represented with gorgeous box art.

Look a little deeper into the vast number of games on offer, and you'll find that some are free GOG games. While you won't find many of the best MMOs for free on GOG, its collection of free single-player games should appeal to anyone looking to give their wallet some rest.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best CCGs, Gwent review, Best Gwent decks

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:42 AM
     Company of Heroes 3 missions list

There are plenty of Company of Heroes 3 missions in the Italian campaign. In addition to all the tactical battles, you'll need to manage the overall Allied war effort in central Italy. It can be a bit confusing - especially with some key story missions gated off until you complete specific objectives. Our Company of Heroes 3 missions guide will ensure you don't get stuck in the Apennines on your way to Rome.

While you'll be fighting skirmish battles against the Germans whenever your forces meet across Italy in Company of Heroes 3, the major story missions have spectacular set-pieces and major battles. This RTS game journey begins in Sicily with Operation Husky, in Gela, before landing on the Italian mainland at Salerno. From there, you've got free rein to approach the campaign as you see fit - and our Company of Heroes 3 tips will come in handy.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Company of Heroes 3 release date, Company of Heroes 3 pre-alpha impressions, Company of Heroes 3 system requirements

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:40 AM
     Company of Heroes 3 beginner tips and tricks

Need some Company of Heroes 3 tips? It's been quite a while since we had a new Company of Heroes game, and so the launch of Company of Heroes 3 may mean it's time to re-learn some basic skills and RTS game know-how that's grown rusty since Ardennes Assault.

The main single-player component of Company of Heroes 3 is really two RTS games: there are the real-time tactics battles you'll be fighting against the German Wehrmacht, and there's the high-level campaign map that tracks your progress through the campaign. By advancing your forces across Italy in the campaign map, you'll unlock new missions, resources, and skills for your soldiers. If you're about to head into the wilds of Italy and feel a bit bowled over by everything Relic's new strategy game is throwing at you, we've got some Company of Heroes 3 beginner tips and tricks assembled to make your journey to Rome a bit smoother.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Company of Heroes 3 release date, Company of Heroes 3 pre-alpha impressions, Company of Heroes 3 system requirements

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:37 AM
     Elden Ring multiplayer – how to play co-op

Want to know how to play multiplayer in Elden Ring? All of the Dark Souls games are notorious for their unorthodox ways of accessing the multiplayer game, and Elden Ring seems to follow this trend. In some ways, it's easier to hook up with friends now than ever before, but doing so still requires jumping through many hurdles, namely setting passwords and finding unique items in specific places.

These items do allow you to summon friends to help you beat the Elden Ring bosses, yes, but if you are up for the challenge, you can also participate in PvP duels or invade another player's game to impede on their progress. We recommend that you gear up in the open-world game with a build designed for PvP, equipping the most powerful Elden Ring Ashes of War you can find.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, The best Elden Ring classes

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:37 AM
     Is Star Wars Jedi Survivor multiplayer?

Want to know if Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has multiplayer? Cal Kestis has been bouncing around a galaxy far, far away for a while now, and during that time he's made, and lost plenty of friends. But what about you and your friends, can you join forces to take on the Empire?

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is shaping up to be one of the best PC games this year, and for good reason; the story is epic, the visuals breathtaking, and you can convince wildlife to attack your foes using only the power of the Force. What isn't clear, however, is whether you can recruit the help of other humans to attack your enemies - using the power of friendship.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Star Wars games, Star Wars Jedi Survivor release date, Star Wars Jedi Survivor system requirements

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:35 AM
     Star Wars Jedi Survivor release times and how to preload

Star Wars Jedi Survivor release times are here, and we have all the information on how to preload the next adventure for Respawn, Cal Kestis, and BD-1, too. If you're gearing up for the new Star Wars game and want to get it ready on PC and Steam, best to get Star Wars Jedi Survivor downloaded as soon as possible, so you're ready for the exact launch. Here's all you need to know about Star Wars Jedi Survivor release times and preload, ahead of the Star Wars Jedi Survivor release date.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Star Wars games, Star Wars Jedi Survivor release date, Star Wars Jedi Survivor system requirements

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:30 AM
     Elden Ring beginner's tips

Want to know how to play Elden Ring? The ambitious and long-awaited new Soulslike game is nearly here. Elden Ring departs from the well-trodden Dark Souls series but keeps the taxing difficulty that players expect.

It's pretty safe to say that Elden Ring is a tough game, so to help you get up to speed, we have some tips to help beginners beat even the hardest of Elden Ring bosses and everything new players need to know about Elden Ring's mechanics. Some of these mechanics require more in-depth explanations, such as the Elden Ring map fragments and how to play Elden Ring multiplayer.

Continue reading Elden Ring beginner's tips
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, The best Elden Ring classes

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:47 AM
     Starfield release date, latest news, and gameplay

When is the Starfield release date? It was initially going to be in November 2022, but Bethesda announced a Starfield delay into 2023. Thankfully, we still got a pretty decent showing of the new open-world game at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase over the summer.

To put it lightly; Starfield has potential. Potential to be one of the best PC games ever. Although the finer details from the space-faring, open-world (open-galaxy?) game haven't risen to the surface yet, we do know some things. We know the Starfield release date, and we've pieced together every last scrap of information from interviews, trailers, and passing comments from devs to build a picture of what we all might be playing this year. Here's everything we know about Starfield so far.

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

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:19 AM
     Crews control – Understanding crews in War Thunder

If you're new to War Thunder, you've got a real treat ahead. An exciting battle simulator with a focus on realism and an incredibly detailed tech tree is about to become your favourite game, although learning how to play can be a little daunting.

 

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best free Steam games, Tank games, Best WW2 games

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:07 AM
     The Lord of the Rings: Gollum trailer shows off Nvidia DLSS 3

Nvidia just dropped a trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Gollum that shows off DLSS 3 AI upscaling support, and you'll be able to boost fps even further using Frame Generation. In turn, if you own a GPU like the newly released Nvidia RTX 4070, you'll be able to turn on features like ray tracing while avoiding performance caveats, and that could breathe life into the game's version of Middle Earth.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 8:12 AM
     Blizzard says NetEase

Diablo 4, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and RPG game maker Blizzard is reportedly facing legal action from its former Chinese publishing partner NetEase, which is allegedly planning to sue the developer for $44 million (£35 million) over violations of licensing agreements. In a statement to PCGamesN, however, the Diablo 4 and WoW dev says it has not yet received a lawsuit from NetEase, and describes the publisher's recent "campaign" as "puzzling and disappointing."

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

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 7:08 AM
     Before Redfall, sink your teeth into Arkane Steam sale worth over $100

Redfall is almost here, and you can get in the spirit of Arkane's vampire game by revisiting its back catalog in a deal-filled Steam sale. Beware that the sale ends before the Redfall release date though, with some of the titles even available on PC Game Pass, which Redfall itself will be joining soon.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Redfall release date, Redfall gameplay preview, The best vampire games on PC

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:16 AM
     Best Warzone 2 PDSW 528 loadout for Season 3

You can expect to rack up plenty of close-quarters eliminations with our best Warzone 2 PDSW 528 loadout. It's one of the lighter transformations we've had to make, as the SMG's mag capacity, inherent stability, and devastating firing rate already place it among the best Modern Warfare 2 guns around.

Right out of the box, you'll notice that the recoil on the PDSW 528 is very bad at a distance because of damage drop-off and some incredibly high recoil. Therefore, we will address exactly those areas with our best Warzone 2 PDSW 528 loadout so you can dominate the free PC game.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Warzone 2 guns, Best Warzone 2 loadout, Warzone 2 map

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 7:01 AM
     Best MW2 PDSW 528 loadout

The best MW2 PDSW 528 loadout is a rapid-firing, close-quarters menace. Provided your aim is even half-decent, you'll be quickly decimating foes. The classic P90 SMG is known as the PDSW 528 in Modern Warfare 2, so don't overlook the bullpup submachine gun while looking for your next favourite weapon.

Even when you think you have found your new battle companion in the FPS game, you need to make sure it's set up correctly, with the new Gunsmith system changing the way you unlock some attachments. On base stats alone, you might think the PDSW 528 doesn't stack up against some of the best MW2 SMG, but add the following upgrades, and your opponents won't be able to get out of the way fast enough.

Continue reading Best MW2 PDSW 528 loadout
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Modern Warfare 2 guns, Best loadouts in Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 2 maps

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 6:52 AM
     Honkai Star Rail release date, story, and more

Want to know more about the Honkai Star Rail release date? Hoyoverse's follow-up to Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd is almost here, blending together open-world and turn-based mechanics with anime aesthetics to create a different type of anime game.

At first glance, Honkai Star Rail should look familiar to Genshin Impact players as the devs have decided to stick by their tried and tested formula. These anime games share a similar art direction and user interface, but they also offer completely different gameplay experiences. The Honkai Star Rail release date is set to launch later this month - here's everything you need to know about Hoyoverse's newest free PC game title.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Honkai Star Rail codes, Honkai Star Rail characters, Honkai Star Rail tier list

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 7:05 AM
     All Minecraft potions recipes and brewing stand guide

Looking for all the best Minecraft potions recipes? Potions exist in Minecraft to aid you in difficult moments or give you interesting and useful status effects - or negatively impact foes. For example, the potion of weakness is one of the most popular, not only weakening enemies, but most prominently used to cure a zombie villager. Then there's the potion of invisibility, which, well, does what it says on the tin and prevents those pesky mobs from being able to see you creep up behind them. To make them though, you need to know the Minecraft brewing stand recipe, and just how to use the complicated item.

Sure, enchantments come in handy in Minecraft for boosting your tools, weapons, and armour, but the best way to kit yourself out in the sandbox game is a combination of enchantments and potions to cover all bases. So, before you head out on your adventure through a Nether Portal, this exhaustive guide has everything you need to know about using potions to stay alive. For different Minecraft potion recipes, the best ones to add to your hotbar, and the brewing stand recipe you'll need to make them, use the jumplinks below - or just dg deep and read the whole thing!

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 6:20 AM
     Hellish Diablo 4 launch PC specs include Nvidia RTX 4000 GPU

Blizzard has revealed final Diablo 4 PC specs, and you'll need a shiny new GPU to enable 4K ultra settings. While you can apparently get away with using a graphics card like the RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, the developer makes a point of mentioning RTX 4000 and DLSS 3.

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

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 5:56 AM
     Honkai Star Rail Warps explained

Do Honkai Star Rail Warps leave you dizzy? There's a lot to take in during the opening hours of Hoyoverse's sci-fi adventure, and the sheer complexity of its gacha system can quickly prove overwhelming. Thankfully, we're here to explain all the types of Honkai Star Rail Warps available, including the odds of pulling the best characters from each one.

It's worth mentioning that you don't have to interact with Honkai Star Rail Warps if you'd rather avoid the free PC game's spin-to-win system altogether. There are plenty of characters you can acquire in Honkai Star Rail without initiating a single Warp – you can even reroll them if you want – but ignoring this system does mean your hard-earned free currency will inevitably go to waste. To even the odds, here's everything you need to know about Warps just in time for the Honkai Star Rail release date.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Honkai Star Rail codes, Honkai Star Rail characters, Honkai Star Rail tier list

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 5:55 AM
     CSGO cases plummet in value as Valve releases Anubis skins

CSGO cases have dropped in value by up to 20% in recent days as FPS game players respond to a variety of events including the release of the new Anubis skins by Valve, the pending Counter-Strike 2 release date, and the upcoming Paris Major. Valve has also shared a small update on the somewhat forgotten CSGO battle royale mode Danger Zone, as the CS2 limited test continues.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Counter-Strike 2 release date, Best multiplayer games

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 5:53 AM
     Best Honkai Star Rail team comp

It's highly unlikely that you'll make the best Honkai Star Rail team comps from the get-go. This is because you get new characters by pulling them from Warps, in a system that resembles other Hoyoverse gacha games such as Genshin Impact. However, should you get extremely lucky and pull the very best characters, you'll need to know how to set up the best team.

For starters, you need a party of four Honkai Star Rail characters to make up the most powerful Honkai Star Rail team comps. You can take inspiration from our Honkai Star Rail tier list to choose your individual members and build a party around them but don't expect to be able to build it in the free PC game immediately. You'll also need to be extremely lucky to pull the best light cones, as these are your primary weapons.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Honkai Star Rail codes, Honkai Star Rail characters, Honkai Star Rail tier list

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 7:22 AM
     Is Diablo 4 Steam Deck compatible?

Is Diablo 4 Steam Deck compatible? With the Diablo 4 open beta happening this weekend, you're probably wondering whether the long-awaited Blizzard RPG works on Valve's dinky PC. To save you from any hellish handheld hiccups, we've put the role-playing game's portable playability to the test, and it's not all doom and gloom.

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

PCGamesN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 7:15 AM
     Diablo 4 system requirements

What are Diablo 4 system requirements? Final PC specs for the Blizzard RPG are now available, and you'll need a pricey graphics card to enable 4K ultra settings. You'll also potentially need a PC upgrade if you're looking to play at 1080 60fps, as the developer has rebranded previously shared recommendations.

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

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:35 AM
    

Owners of AMD Ryzen 7000 processors, you may wish to reconsider any overclocking plans. This hardware family may include some good gaming CPUs but several users have recently reported cases of fatal overheating, sometimes even with their processors burning the motherboard socket in the process.

Investigations by Tom's Hardware and YouTuber der8auer suggest the culprit is SoC (system on chip) voltages being pushed beyond safe levels during memory overclocking attempts. AMD haven't confirmed this directly, but are supposedly working on a fix that would prevent this accidental overvolting from happening again.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, April 25, 2023 8:22 AM
    

To celebrate Apex Legends' upcoming Season 17, developer Respawn have announced the newest hero to join the roster: old-timer Ballistic. The battle-royale's last season had no new Legend, disappointing a few Apexers, but Ballistic is coming out of his comfy wine-fuelled retirement and joining the fight on May 9th, just for you guys.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, April 25, 2023 6:34 AM
    

Employees at Sega Of America's Irvine offices have announced plans to unionise and have filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board. This means Sega management can now voluntarily recognise the union, or wait for the union election to take place. The newly announced Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS for short) is composed of around 144 employees working across several departments, including QA, marketing, localisation, product development, and live service.

AEGIS have also teamed up with the CWA, the labour union that assisted other studio's unionisation efforts and who previously filed unfair labour charges against Activision Blizzard.

Read more


Siliconera Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:30 AM
    

Here Are the Final Fantasy XIV Allagan Tomestones Coming and Going in 6.4

It isn't uncommon for there to be Final Fantasy XIV Allagan tomestones changes when major patches drop. Patch 6.4 is no exception. When the update arrives in May 2023, Square Enix said Allagan tomestones of comedy will debut. However, Allagan tomestones of aphorism are about to be eliminated completely. In addition, a number of other ones will feature changes regarding how many you can gather and such.

The two types of Allagan tomestones starting to be phased out are aphorism and astronomy. However, one situation is more "dire" than the other. Aphorism ones will be completely gone after 6.4. Square Enix noted people should go to Auriana in Revenant's Toll (X: 22.7 Y: 6.7) to swap them for astronomy ones. As for the Allagan tomestones of astronomy, you won't be able to get them or exchange them for items anymore after 6.4, but you can swap them for ones of causality.

The Final Fantasy XIV Allagan tomestones of causality will only experience a slight change with the 6.4 update. Once the patch is live, you'll be able to earn more than 450 each week. You will still only be able to have 2,000 with you at once, so you'll need to visit Cihanti or Khaldeen at Radz-at-Han (X:10.8 Y:10.4) to exchange them when you hit that limit.

Finally, the Final Fantasy XIV Allagan tomestones of comedy will debut after 6.4. Details about them are still a bit slim. Square Enix only noted when you hit level 90 with a class or job, you can get them.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, and PC, and the 6.4 patch will arrive in "late May 2023."

The post Here Are the Final Fantasy XIV Allagan Tomestones Coming and Going in 6.4 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:00 AM
    

How to Take Part in Honkai: Star Rail Nameless Honor for Light Cones

Ahead of the Honkai: Star Rail launch, HoYoVerse went over its equivalent to Genshin Impact's Battle Pass: Nameless Honor. This is essentially a battle pass with free and paid tiers. The one everyone has access to is Nameless Gift, while the one you need to pay to unlock is Nameless Glory. As you engage in regular activities in-game, you'll earn experience to hit levels, which will add rewards. (You can also choose to "purchase level" to immediately reach a new tier.) Each Nameless Honor pass lasts until the next patch, and the first one is set to end on June 5, 2023.

People won't immediately be able to start earning Nameless Honor levels in Honkai: Star Rail. Like Genshin Impact, you need to play for a bit and raise what is essentially your player level first to gain access. In the case of this game, you need to be at about Trailblaze Level 13 or higher and finished the quest "Jarilo-VI" - Long Wait for the Blade's Edge." If you have, then you'll immediately be able to access Nameless Honor and start earning rewards from the Nameless Gift tier.

Depending on the tier, certain rewards will be available. For example, you might get passes to pull on the various Warp banners in the game. The Nameless Glory paid tier is the only one with Star Rail Special Passes, Stellar Jades, and Light Cones as rewards, however. Daily, weekly, and current patch missions all increase its level.

As for the Honkai: Star Rail four-star Light Cones people can find in the Nameless Glory level, here's what will be available to choose from. As a note, these are equipped to a character to offer certain perks to both that character and in some cases other allies in the party.

  • Carve the Moon, Weave the Clouds
  • Nowhere to Run
  • Return to Darkness
  • This is Me!
  • Today is Another Peaceful Day
  • Warmth Shortens Cold Nights
  • We Will Meet Again

Here's HoYoVerse's official art looking at all of the Light Cones.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" link="file" ids="960637"]

Honkai: Star Rail will come to the PC and mobile devices on April 26, 2023, and the Nameless event lets people earn Nameless Honor for Light Cones until June 5, 2023.

The post Honkai: Star Rail Nameless Honor Unlocks Rewards Like Light Cones appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, April 25, 2023 8:00 AM
    

There's a lot to be celebrate about a humble comfort RPG. It's the kind of RPG that doesn't make a big fanfare about itself. It doesn't revolutionize the genre, but builds on what works. The kind of RPG that adopts all the tropes of the genre and wears them proudly on its sleeve. Trinity Trigger is the embodiment of such a game.

It's something Three Rings, the developers of Trinity Trigger, openly admit. It's right there on all the store pages that it's a throwback to old-school RPGs. The team succeeded on that front too. I could easily believe this was a forgotten gem from the PS1 era, if it wasn't for the voice acting not being terrible.

Trinity Trigger takes place in a world held in the thrall of a battle between the gods of Chaos and Order. Every so often, chosen warriors bearing the emblems of the gods are born. Their destiny is to fight to the death, with the winner ushering in a new age dominated by their respective god. Cyan, our protagonist, discovers he is one of these warriors when an oracle named Elise shows up. She tells him that his Chaos Warrior status has him marked for death, so they head out into the world for his protection and for him to learn more. Eventually they are joined by a third warrior, Zantis, who has been mysteriously sent to help.

Trinity Trigger Party

All three members of the party are aided by Triggers, little Pokemon-like creatures that can turn into weapons after they've been exposed to special altars. Much of the game involves you venturing into dungeons known as Armas, all shaped like gigantic weapons. Inside each one you find altars that turn your buddy into a tiny version of that weapon. As the game progresses, each member of the party will build up an arsenal of eight weapons they can switch between on the fly.

Each weapon is useful in its own way too. Every enemy in the game has strengths and weaknesses against different weapons, and switching between them to maximize your damage output is key to victory. These are marked by either big red numbers that indicate a weakness to that weapon, while tiny blue numbers indicate an immunity to that weapon.

It's a fun little combat system. It's entirely in real-time, with each character having simple combos for each weapon and a dodge roll. Weapons are switched using a weapon wheel tied to the right shoulder button, and the left shoulder button provides an item wheel of pre-arranged healing, buffing, and status-managing items. It's a simple, yet intuitive, system that only got more fun as the game progressed. Eventually, muscle memory had me hopping in and out of these wheels in a flash.

Trinity Trigger Combat

The three-person party is also fully controllable. Tapping the triggers will switch between characters instantly, while the AI handles the other two. If this isn't good enough, you can bring a friend or two in co-op instead. I can't speak to how much fun the game is in co-op, as I didn't get an opportunity to test it in my time with the game. However, there are definitely a few issues with the AI-controlled characters.

AI characters will never switch weapons themselves, which often means some battles can open with you switching between each character just to stop them punching a slime monster for next to no damage. They're also not brilliant at dodging, and I felt like I was eating through health items because neither of my other two party members seemed to get out of the way of an enemy sword or claw. This is a minor issue though, simply because it's easy to hop between everyone and entering co-op multiplayer would negate this entirely.

Another minor issue I had with the combat system was the lack of variation between characters. While everyone initially uses different weapons, this stops being the case as the game progresses. When all three characters have the same weapons with small visual changes to moves, it makes everyone feel less distinct. It's likely a concession to co-op, as it keeps everyone similarly balanced. For solo players, it's easy to end up sticking to a single character, negating the switch mechanic entirely.

Trinity Trigger Combat

Elsewhere in Trinity Trigger, the environments are a treat, as each region of the world has its own distinct biome. In some cases, a little too distinct, such as when you casually wander from a snowy tundra to a scorching desert in a single screen. The game handwaves this away by blaming the Arma magically altering the world with god powers. However, it works because it helps differentiate the different regions. Plus one of those regions is a volcano split symmetrically between a red fire and a blue fire side, and it's gorgeous. If that's what god powers do to the world, I can't complain.

Each Arma also contains a unique dungeon. While dungeon crawling is standard fare, each dungeon offers its own gimmick. The Bowsong contains mushrooms that have different effects when you hit them. The Lance is slippery from ice. The Duality is two mirrored dungeons stacked next to each other. It adds more variety where the game could have easily become repetitive.

Trinity Trigger Dungeon

Trinity Trigger does this a lot. When you break it down, it follows a lot of repetitive formulas, yet not once does that feel tedious. It could have become boring at any point, and it never did. I attribute this to two things. First of all, none of the areas are particularly huge, so nothing really outstays its welcome. Secondly, the game is just so darn charming.

As stated, the game's story is a familiar one. It's about a young man living in Standard RPG Starting Town discovering he's the chosen one and going on a grand adventure. However, I was invested because the writing and voice acting in the English localization is so likeable. Characters joke around with each other, the Triggers are adorable and what's more, it all feels sincere. It's aware that it's simple. It's aware that it's familiar, and it leans into both of these things to keep you on board.

Trinity Trigger Conversation

The general vibe I got from Trinity Trigger was coziness. It's warm, welcoming, and familiar. The visuals are designed to look like they're hand sketched, giving it a rustic feel. The music is catchy and evocative. Its gameplay is simple yet engaging. It just feels good to play it as it envelopes you in a nostalgic vibe.

Trinity Trigger does nothing new. It doesn't advance the genre forward and it doesn't offer many surprises to veterans of the genre. However, as I said at the start of this review, it's hard not to love a humble comfort RPG. Especially when it's as charming as this one.

Trinity Trigger releases in North America on April 25, 2023 for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC. The console versions release in Europe on May 16, 2023.

The post Review: Trinity Trigger Is a Charming Comfort RPG appeared first on Siliconera.


Tabletop Gaming News – TGN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 8:34 AM
     Ahoy, fellow adventurers! Set sail for the high seas and immerse yourself in the thrilling atmosphere of Pirate's Cove, a captivating soundscape crafted specifically for your Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and other tabletop roleplaying game sessions. This pirate ambience video will transport you and your crew to a world of swashbuckling escapades, treacherous betrayals, and …

Tabletop Gaming News – TGN Tuesday, April 25, 2023 6:17 AM
     Miniature painters and collectors are in for a treat as Dave Taylor's latest Kickstarter campaign for volumes 7-9 of "THE ART OF…" books has raised over $48,000 so far, surpassing the initial goal of $20,000 with 17 days left to go before the campaign ends on May 12. "THE ART OF…" series features miniatures artists …

WGB, Home of AWESOME Reviews Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:00 AM
     Strayed Lights is the debut title from Embers and they've certainly come out swinging. It's a beautiful adventure that has you defending rather than attacking as you face down your inner demons. Not everything works, but there's plenty that does, so let's review Strayed Lights, shall we?