Kotaku Wednesday, July 12, 2023 3:00 AM  Oxenfree II: Lost Signals plays something like a thematic flip of its excellent 2016 predecessor. Where the original game followed a teen named Alex and a group of her friends on a coming-of-age adventure that had the group confronting a nebulous future, Lost Signals finds 30-something Riley Poverly feeling stuck in… |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:58 AM  Total War Pharaoh aims to introduce heightened realism and brutality to the longstanding strategy game, with Creative Assembly and Sega focusing on the intricacies of battle and how moment-to-moment decisions can seriously turn the tide. With the Total War Pharaoh release date now on the horizon, and a lot of details regarding new leaders and factions, there's fresh info on how terrain and weather can help or hinder your battle plans. You need to choose your chariots carefully in Total War Pharaoh. It's all about weight. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Total War Pharaoh release date, Best Total War games, Best strategy games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:57 AM  Some old-school World of Warcraft transmogs and recipes are back in the Blizzard MMO game, but you just need to know where to look. World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria saw the old Scholomance undergo a big change, but you can now go back to that version of the dungeon and farm loot lost to time to your heart's content. Continue reading Some of WoW's long-forgotten weapons and transmogs are back MORE FROM PCGAMESN: WoW Dragonflight tier list, The best WoW addons, WoW Dragonflight review |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:54 AM  What is the Blue Protocol release date? The free-to-play game comes hot on the heels of the JRPG successes of Genshin Impact and Tower of Fantasy, adds an MMO angle, and is being developed by Bandai Namco, which sounds like a recipe for success. Combining aspects from the best Genshin-like JRPG games, MMO games, and action-adventure games, there are high expectations for Blue Protocol - especially given the two massive studios behind it. Our first glimpse of the free-to-play game didn't disappoint, and we have info on a new class. So when is the Blue Protocol release date, and what do we know about the game so far? Continue reading Blue Protocol release date, gameplay, story, and news MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best anime games, Best MMORPGs, Best multiplayer games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:51 AM  What are the best Minecraft tower designs? While houses may seem like the ideal way to showcase your Minecraft skills, and a Minecraft treehouse is a wonderful accomplishment, there's something to be said about putting together a tower that reaches into the heavens. It's going to take a lot of time and energy, but boy, are the results worth it when you're quite literally towering over your world. The freedom to make whatever you want makes Minecraft one of the best PC games. These juggernauts are intricately detailed, fully climbable, and sure to keep you safe from the most dangerous Minecraft mobs - unless, of course, they start chipping away at the base. Between massive gothic spires, fantasy turrets, and everything in between, we've put together a list of some of our favorite Minecraft towers - which should be just enough to send your imagination sky-high in the survival game. Continue reading Best Minecraft tower designs MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:58 AM  What are the best single-player MMOs on PC? There's been an explosion of free-to-play options in recent years, especially in the massively multiplayer online space. From sprawling warzones to story-driven RPGs, there's something for everyone out there. Even if your bank account is best friends with the number zero, our list of the best free MMOs currently available on PC promises endless hours of gameplay at absolutely no cost. So without further ado, let's take a look at some of the best free PC games that are available to play without breaking the bank. Continue reading Free MMOs, RPGs and other massively multiplayer games MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Play RIFT for free, Free MMO list, New MMOs |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:50 AM  What are the Starfield romance options? If you're looking for love in outer space, you've come to the right place. Starfield is set to be a sprawling epic, with over a thousand planets on your doorstep. Of course, this is a Bethesda game, so we already know that you're bound to bump uglies with a companion or two while you're off exploring the Milky Way. Well, never fear, because we're here to guide you through the birds and the bees in Starfield. According to the ESRB's rating summary, Starfield will absolutely let you have sex with a jetpack on, but it doesn't delve into the specifics of who can join you on this romance expedition. However, we've gleaned some insight into the ins and outs (oo-er) of Starfield romance following the Starfield Direct, so you can get lucky in the RPG game once the release date rolls around. Continue reading Starfield romance explained MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield release date, Starfield companions, Starfield system requirements |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:43 AM  What are the best Rimworld mods? There are plenty of Rimworld mods out there to add extras and quality-of-life tweaks to your playthroughs, ranging from basic improvements to brand-new mechanics. With such a vibrant modding community at your fingertips, you might be a little lost on where to start – so we've picked out the very best of the bunch just for you. What's more, the vast majority of these Rimworld mods are available from the Steam Workshop, so they can be installed with the simple click of a button. Rimworld is a colony management game with a very simple premise: you must ensure the survival of a ragtag bunch of colonists, each with their own randomly generated skills, backstories, and idiosyncrasies. Depending on the AI storyteller settings, your experience might fall anywhere between a 'wholesome farming game' and a 'relentless cascade of disaster'. If you're ready to move on from the horrors that have befallen your colonies during the mod-free experience of Rimworld, then our collection of the best Rimworld mods is for you. Continue reading The best Rimworld mods 2023 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Rimworld mods, The best games like Rimworld and Dwarf Fortress, RimWorld multiplayer guide |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:36 AM  What Fallout 4 console commands are there? Fallout 4 is a game with a thousand systems all clicking and whirring driving its Boston wasteland. Since you're playing the game on PC, those systems are easily exploited by typing a few things into the game's developer console. If you're looking for specific add-ons for one of the best PC games rather than outright hacks for Bethesda's open-world game, you will almost certainly find joy in our list of Fallout 4 mods. But, if it's Fallout 4 cheats and console commands you're looking for, this guide has you covered when it comes to how you enter them, and the tweaks you have at your disposal. Continue reading Fallout 4 console commands and cheats MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fallout 4 console commands, Fallout 4 mods, Fallout 4 System Requirements |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:27 AM  What are the best sports games on PC? For the longest time, publishers were reluctant to bring their best-selling sports games to PC. Besides EA's annual FIFA release and Sports Interactive's Football Manager series, the sports genre on PC has been pretty sparse up until recently. Nowadays, no matter what sport you're into, you should find something to scratch that competitive itch. There used to be a time when console versions of sports games used to be superior in terms of the player base, graphics, and more. Fortunately, crossplay has drastically changed everything for PC players, putting them on the same footing as their console brethren. The PC versions of sports games have much to offer, including support for high refresh rates and resolutions beyond 4K. Ever wanted a view of the entire pitch in a football game? That's entirely possible on PC. Continue reading The best sports games on PC 2023 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: FIFA 23 career mode guide, FIFA 23 ratings, FIFA 23 Icons |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:19 AM  What are the new YouTube Simulator Z codes? If you're looking to live the life of a paid YouTuber, look no further than YouTube Simulator. This Roblox game puts you in the shoes of a professional YouTuber, tasking you with creating, editing, and uploading content for an authentic content creator experience. As you progress in your career, you can purchase better software to improve the quality of your videos. For further freebies in the best Roblox games, be sure to grab the latest Blox Fruits codes, King Legacy codes, and Fruit Battlegrounds codes before they expire. Continue reading YouTube Simulator Z codes July 2023 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:20 AM  What are the Counter-Strike 2 maps? The arenas in which you battle in CS2 have been truly transformed with the implementation of the Source 2 engine, resulting in a variety of visually stunning environments. Valve has finally peeled back the curtain on its hotly anticipated FPS that has been under development for three years. Counter-Strike 2 is a free upgrade to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, reusing a number of important elements that fans know and love such as CSGO console commands and the CSGO ranks system. While the free PC game retains the same competitive energy, Valve has put a fresh coat of paint on maps and visuals. Here are the confirmed Counter-Strike 2 maps we know about so far. Continue reading All Counter-Strike 2 maps confirmed so far MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Counter-Strike 2 release date, Counter-Strike 2 beta access, Counter-Strike 2 maps |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:09 AM  Looking for the best Destiny 2 Solar builds? The Solar rework introduced a number of new ways to customize your character if you're using the Dawnblade, Sunbreaker, or Gunslinger subclass. However, with so many possible grenade, melee, super, and special ability combos, which you can further enhance with fragments, it can be tough to figure out the best build for your Guardian. The best Destiny 2 Solar build after the 3.0 rework uses the same system of Aspects and Fragments as the Void 3.0 rework that launched with The Witch Queen. In case you're returning from a very long Destiny hiatus, Aspects affect a class-specific ability and also come with a number of slots that can hold Fragments. The effects from Fragments aren't quite as strong, but they're universal across their subclass in the free PC game. The best build boasts Aspects and Fragments that synchronize for massive buffs. Continue reading Best Destiny 2 Solar builds for Warlock, Titan, and Hunter MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Destiny 2 classes, Destiny 2 Lightfall review, Destiny 2 builds |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 3:00 AM  Our Oxenfree 2 review invites you to step into the worn and practical hiking shoes of Riley Poverley, as she returns to her hometown in order to, uh, close an interdimensional portal that threatens to destabilize the space-time continuum. No pressure. Continue reading Oxenfree 2 review – a human connection MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best indie games on PC, The best adventure games on PC, The best story games on PC |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 2:41 AM  Amazon Prime Day is now here and will be running through July 11-12 in the US and UK. The annual event is a chance for Amazon Prime members to access exclusive deals across the site, including on the best PC gaming gear. like headsets, keyboards, and SSDs. The deals are closer to matching Black Friday's event than they used to be, and we're seeing savings of over 50% on PC gaming components and peripherals, including the best SSD for gaming and the best gaming headsets. The event is a fantastic opportunity for Prime subscribers to save money with the latest PC gaming deals. Whether you want a new monitor, mouse, or motherboard, it makes sense to enhance your setup while there are so many discounts available. Continue reading Best Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals 2023 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:56 AM  How does the Diablo 4 Renown system work? The reputation system includes a wide variety of rewards that you can gradually unlock as you explore the regions of Sanctuary. To make it easy for you, we've collated a list of those rewards, the activities you need to watch out for, and how much Renown you need to acquire before you can retrieve your earnings. If you're already striking out in Diablo 4, a summary of your Renown progress is at the top of the Diablo 4 map screen. This toolbar outlines the total amount of Renown you've earned in that region and the exact number of activities you've completed. Here's everything you need to know to strike it big with Diablo 4 Renown. Continue reading Diablo 4 Renown system explained MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 builds, Diablo 4 review, Diablo 4 classes |
PCGamesN Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:54 AM  What do Diablo 4 gems do? These useful items can be applied to your gear to increase defensive, offensive, or resistance stats, depending on the gear you apply them to. You'll find sockets on your armor, jewelry, and weapons where you can slot gems into place by using the jeweler at most villages. Diablo 4 gems can be crafted or found in the open world obtained from chests and ores, and they can then be combined by a Diablo 4 jeweler to create more powerful, upgraded versions, so it's worth picking up all that you see. Check out our Diablo 4 classes hub to help you decide who you're going to slay the streets of Sanctuary as, and the best builds for each of them. Continue reading Diablo 4 gems list – stats and how to unlock jeweler MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 builds, Diablo 4 review, Diablo 4 classes |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:56 AM  Amazon Prime Day's second day - riles me up that it's technically not a day - of price cuts has served up something rather tantalising for those of us who like to wrap our ears in leatherette and blast the sounds of footsteps into our eardrums. The Logitech G432 wired headset is on sale for a solid £35: that over 50% off the list price, so it's a hefty discount for our top pick of the best PC gaming headsets. We crowned the Logitech G432 for its sublime audio and brilliant microphone, which combine to make it a superlative all-rounder. Katharine gave it a glittering review, with words like "beautifully crisp" to describe the sound, so you know the patter of gunfire will conjure up sensations similar to, say, taking some sizzling roast potatoes out of the oven. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, July 12, 2023 5:32 AM  If it feels like we post too often about the Logitech G502 going on sale, it's only because... oh gosh it really does go on sale a lot. But in our defence, it's a damned good gaming mouse, appreciated by both multiple members of the RPS treehouse and you, the readers. Besides, this time it's dropping even deeper than usual, with the Amazon Prime Day 2023 sale sending the G502 Hero down to £29. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, July 12, 2023 3:00 AM  I remember playing the first Oxenfree so clearly. The nervousness of not truly understating the supernatural forces its cast of troubled teens was up against, the heightened tension of uncovering the buried secrets of Edwards Island, and - what I loved the most - the finely tuned undercurrent of dread that quietly crept through the game. It conjured a sense of unease in me that I couldn't shake loose, and it was a feeling that clung to me throughout my entire playthrough. So I was pretty stoked when Night School Studio announced Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals, a direct follow-up set five years after the original game. Lost Signals may take place in a new location with a new cast of characters, but there's still a lot of overlap. There are supernatural spooks, personal character drama, creepy radio equipment, and those good ol' screen glitches that I've missed so much. But with all these tethers to the first game, Lost Signals feels like a re-tread of the same ground. It's still a good sequel, I should add, but it's not a particularly satisfying one. |
Twinfinite Wednesday, July 12, 2023 3:00 AM  |
Siliconera Wednesday, July 12, 2023 3:01 AM
Oxenfree 2 is a game about time. This will be obvious to anyone who's played the original. However, it goes much deeper than that, as the passage of time has had a profound impact on how Oxenfree 2's story is told. If you're unaware of the original Oxenfree, it starred a group of teenagers who headed out to the deserted Edwards Island to host a beach party. This led to an encounter with supernatural phenomena involving ghosts hidden in radio signals and a series of perpetual time loops. It has been seven years since the release of Oxenfree. The four-person team of friends at Night School Studio has now become a full-fledged business owned by Netflix. Each of the original team has aged nearly a decade. All this change is felt deeply in Oxenfree 2. [caption id="attachment_972387" align="alignnone" width="1200"] For starters, the cast is no longer a bunch of teens getting drunk on a beach and wondering how to ask their crush out on a date. Instead, we play as Riley and Jacob, two people of an undetermined but noticeably older age. Both are world-weary and cynical, beaten down by years of adult struggle. The premise reflects this – both Riley and Jacob are working an environmental survey job with terrible hours and no doubt even worse pay. Their assignment is to set up transmitters to monitor the environment, and this inadvertently wakes up the ghosts on Edwards Island. Now the phenomena on the island is slowly spreading to the mainland. This is viewed by the duo as terrifying, yet frustrating, compared to how the teens saw it as terrifying, yet cool. This more cynical, world-weary attitude in the protagonists causes Oxenfree 2 to feel more somber than its predecessor. This isn't a bad thing; it's just a shift in perspective. The first Oxenfree examined small town life through a younger generation, while Oxenfree 2 views it through the lens of the adults. Riley is someone who escaped the town and came back after some time in the military, while Jacob is the man who remained stuck in small town drudgery. This contrast serves much of the discussion between the two, as they both reflect on the decisions they've made to get to this point, and neither of them seems to have done better than the other. [caption id="attachment_972388" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Obviously, I've talked a lot about the story and themes of Oxenfree 2, but I haven't discussed the gameplay much so far. Much like its predecessor, this is a game built on its narrative more than its mechanics. There is still plenty of interactivity here though, and if you played the first Oxenfree, you know what to expect. You can wander about the map in a semi-linear fashion, with occasional choices based on the order you visit certain places. There are also puzzles here and there to keep things interesting, although few of them are particularly taxing. There's also the supernatural nature of what's going on feeding into the mechanics. Multiple times you need to use a radio to tune into specific frequencies to advance the story. Usually this happens by summoning a ghost whose speech is stitched together from other radio broadcasts like an audio version of a ransom note. Most interestingly, there are now tears in time that the radio can tune into, and these allow you to bypass obstacles by warping to a period where those obstacles are no longer there. They're interesting, but sadly underutilized as I only encountered maybe two or three of them in the entire game. [caption id="attachment_972389" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The dialogue choices are the real draw here, offering up the most changes on repeated playthroughs. This game has a lot of talking, and thankfully it's all delivered with excellent voice acting. You can shape where the dialogue goes through various choices. These shape who Riley is as a character, allowing her to be nice, grumpy or anything in between. These are selected simply by pressing a button when a selection of speech bubbles appear, and this system has been vastly improved for Oxenfree 2. In the original game, selecting your response would often result in the dialogue being blurted out before other characters finished their statements. In the sequel, selecting a response locks it in, but Riley will only say it when another character finished their sentence. It causes conversations to flow a lot more naturally than they did the first time around, and it's a welcome addition. I can't vouch for how different the game is on multiple playthroughs with different choices, as I only played the game through once. However, I got a good glimpse of places these choices would drastically change the experience. Riley's relationship with Jacob is the obvious one, as he often speaks every thought he has out loud, and you frequently get a wide range of ways to respond to him. I was generally nice to him, but at the same time, the other choices made it clear you could instead be ruthlessly mean to this puppy of a man. I imagine that playthrough doesn't result in him responding to the experience like he did in mine. There is also a choice towards the end of Oxenfree 2 that obviously reveals that the game has at least three endings. No spoilers here, of course, but it's clear that at least three playthroughs are necessary to see everything the title has to offer. Or you can just stick to the one choice you made as your canon and leave it at that. I like to think I made the right choice, but the nature of the games suggests that any of them could be justified by the right player. [caption id="attachment_972392" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Oxenfree 2, in many ways, feels like more of the same, but equally feels like it builds on everything that came before. The age difference with the new cast offers many contrasts to the original. Many plot threads from the original get finally tied up here. And we also get to see more of the main town on the mainland, only referenced in the original. It is important to have played Oxenfree before the sequel, so it's helpful that it's available on most modern systems. Many of the plot beats only hit me as hard as they did because of what I remembered from the first game, and the ending may be less impactful without knowledge of what came before. However, this is a double-edged sword, as what you learn in that game removes much of the mystery in this one. It can feel less tense as a result, as the horrors are no longer a terrifying unknown. There are still some excellent spooky moments, but I definitely wasn't wondering what the hell was happening as much as I was the first time round. Oxenfree 2 is a follow-up that has been worth the wait. If you were a fan of the first game, and I certainly was, this will give you more of what you loved. Like the first game, it asks complex questions about the choices we make in life and the direction they can take us, all wrapped up in some creepy analog horror effects. If you're in need of a narrative adventure game focused on time in more ways than one, Oxenfree 2 is essential. Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals releases on July 12, 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5 and mobile platforms via Netflix. The post Review: Oxenfree 2 Is a Mature Sequel That Maintains the Original's Greatness appeared first on Siliconera. |
Gamer Empire Wednesday, July 12, 2023 4:41 AM Dragonflies are harmless in real life, but is it the same in Don't Starve Together? With a giant body and long arms, Dragonfly is one of the Summer bosses that bring the most suffering experience to players. Recommended Read: How to Download and Install Mods in Don't Starve Together In this guide, we'll show you […] |
Gamer Empire Wednesday, July 12, 2023 4:21 AM Stardew Valley allows players to customize everything they want in Pelican Town. From their own appearance to the decorations inside their Farmhouse, players can make their life in this new town exactly what they want it to be. One very important thing that most players will need to know when they decorate their house in […] |
Gamer Empire Wednesday, July 12, 2023 4:06 AM Suffering from a negative moodle, such as fever, may negatively affect your overall health in Project Zomboid. Therefore, it's really vital to learn how to get rid of a fever. In this guide, we'll show you how to survive a fever in Project Zomboid. Recommended Read: How to Get Leather Strips in Project Zomboid In […] |