PCGamesN Sunday, December 10, 2023 12:17 PM Doom is 30 today, and while original designer John Romero is out here releasing some incredibly punishing and brilliant levels of his own creation, a Doom megawad is also here with 36 maps to mark the birthday of what many would say is the most important, influential, and irreplaceable shooter of all time. Continue reading Incredible 36-map Doom megawad celebrates FPS game's 30th birthday MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best old games, Best FPS games, Best zombie games |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 10, 2023 12:22 PM December 10, 2023: New Arm Wrestle Simulator codes are in. What are the new Arm Wrestle Simulator codes? This popular Roblox experience channels the simulator games of the past few years, rewarding your strenuous clicks with rapidly multiplying strength. Arm Wrestle codes can speed up the process exponentially, earning you the gains you need to bend everyone's elbows and slam even the beefiest of opponent's forearms onto the table. Keep up with all the latest codes before they expire, and you'll have a natural advantage over those who don't. As we've already alluded to, Arm Wrestle Simulator takes the ideas of many other popular Roblox games to create one centered around a less violent form of settling your differences, without resorting to a boring game of rock, paper, scissors. For further freebies in other action-packed Roblox releases, be sure to grab the latest Blox Fruits codes, King Legacy codes, and Fruit Battlegrounds codes before they're gone. Continue reading Arm Wrestle Simulator codes December 2023 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 10, 2023 11:50 AM Finding a fun free Steam game is always a joy, but it's even better when it offers co-op. The holiday season is a perfect time to cozy up and play games with your friends, but convincing everyone in your gaming group that they should buy another silly multiplayer game can sometimes prove tough. Fortunately, this new co-op cooking game and management sim isn't just a lot of fun with your friends - it's also a free game, making it the easiest sell of all. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best co-op games, Free Steam games, Best cooking games |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 10, 2023 10:26 AM You can't bring up No Man's Sky without someone saying the words "redemption arc," but the vast open-world sandbox and crafting game has long moved past its troubled launch and subsequent redemption. At this point, it sits alongside the likes of Astroneer, Outer Wilds, Stellaris, and Kerbal Space Program as one of the best space games on PC, and 2023 has seen even more updates along with several big expeditions, each a shared, limited-time journey focused on a specific set of goals. As the year comes to a close, developer Hello Games is bringing them all back for one more go-around, and if you're looking for something different after Starfield then this might be the perfect time to jump in. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games, Best open-world games, Best space games |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 10, 2023 10:16 AM Undertale is by far one of the best, and most influential, indie games ever made. Developed by Toby Fox, who's now working on the episodic Deltarune, it's also had its fair share of fan games. One such fan project has been in development for seven years, and after all that time Undertale Yellow has finally been released, and you can play it for free. Continue reading Free Undertale prequel seven years in the making is finally out |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 10, 2023 12:25 PM Lethal Company patch 45 is here, as developer 'Zeekerss' celebrates the festive season with some new features, balance changes, and more for the co-op survival horror game, and it'll make you and your friends as scared as ever. There are new items, an arachnophobia mode, and even some brilliant key bindings too. Let's get into it. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best co-op games, Best horror games, Best indie games |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 10, 2023 12:21 PM I've just beaten Final Fantasy XVI on PS5, so my excitement for the finally confirmed PC version of Clive's adventure is through the roof. While we've got the FF16 DLC to tide us all over, producer Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida has detailed some recommended specs, and you'll want an SSD over a hard drive, for starters. Continue reading Final Fantasy XVI PC will require an SSD as "a must," Yoshida says MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best action-adventure games on PC 2022, Final Fantasy 16 release date, Best Final Fantasy games on PC |
Siliconera Sunday, December 10, 2023 3:00 PM
There are certain shojo manga series that feel special, and Neighborhood Story by Ai Yazawa is one of them. Now, due to Viz Media picking up the series about 28 years after its original run, everyone can finally get a chance to see and appreciate that.
If someone already read or watched Paradise Kiss, some of Neighborhood Story should feel familiar. It follows Mikako, the older sister of that series' supporting character Miwako. She's a young woman attending Yazawa Art Academy to pursue her fashion and designer dreams alongside her childhood friend Tsutomu Yamaguchi and other friends. Like manga shojo manga, it's a love story. However, it's also a coming-of-age tale that could even be considered to have some slice of life elements, since we're seeing Mikako come into her own as an individual and decide what she wants from life, while also seeing fun interactions with her and her friends. It's the balance of all topics that already starts to make it feel a bit different.
A big part of noting why Neighborhood Story is so worth reading and what makes it a notable Ai Yazawa manga is blatantly obvious just by looking at it. This is a gorgeous series. All of the characters are incredibly fashionable and wear distinct styles. Mikako is always wearing incredible outfits that are "of her own creation." There's this sense of diversity, and everyone is celebrated. From Risa to Mikako to P-chan. It doesn't look like all of the other shojo manga out there, which is a big deal and something that continued with other series from the mangaka like Paradise Kiss and Nana.
The other part is how Neighborhood Story handles different issues, even in the first volume of the manga. Mariko is one example. She has a certain reputation at school, both for her appearance and due to her past relationships. Some of the main cast even initially only refer to her as Body-ko, objectifying her. However, as Tsutomu gets closer to her, she becomes part of the main character's friend group, and we learn more about her story, we see these incredible depths. In the span of a few chapters in the manga, Ai Yazawa offers backstory and exposition to explain Mariko's behaviors and attitude, shows her kind true nature, and highlights significant character development you don't expect from a shojo manga.
Later, a similar situation comes up with Risa. We learn more about her home life and what she does outside of Yazawa Academy. For those who haven't read the past Ai Yazawa manga series, this will come as quite a surprise. (As a sequel to Neighborhood Story, many characters and people related to them also appear in that shojo manga series.) Again, it's a topic that happens in everyday life, but we often don't see come up in this form of media. Especially in a series that originally ran in the mid 1990s. But it's handled very tactfully, in a matter of fact and ordinary manner. More attention is called to Mikako realizing how her relationship with Risa is and growing as a person because of what she did and didn't know and how she handled it than the actual situation itself. It's a very mature and reasonable approach, with no negativity or drama surrounding Risa herself.
Honestly, I feel like Neighborhood Story is a shojo manga that should be lauded, and we should be celebrating the fact that this Ai Yazawa series finally appeared outside Japan officially. It's a story that should have been told worldwide long ago. Especially after seeing how well-received Paradise Kiss and Nana were. It's another legendary tale, one with incredible style and story beats, and I feel it was revolutionary for its time. People who give it a chance won't regret it.
Volume 1 of Neighborhood Story is available now via Viz Media, and there's no release date yet for the second volume of the shojo manga. There is a special edition cover variant at Kinokuniya stores.
The post Neighborhood Story Manga Shows How Revolutionary Ai Yazawa Is appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, December 10, 2023 12:00 PM
It isn't uncommon to find an otome game that involves gods or supernatural elements. However, Yukar from the Abyss does something special by pulling from Ainu mythology for its story, and the result is an indie game that can feel a little educational while you're playing.
The protagonist of Yukar of the Abyss is an identifiable one. A woman is taking a health-related break from an overbearing work simulation and staying at a family home in Hokkaido to recover. However, after a night out with a friend where she encountered and befriended a businessman, she finds herself on a train and getting off at the Kamuy Mosir station. She winds up in the land of the gods, apparently because she died, but is saved by their leader Pewrep and returned to the world of the living. However, further supernatural encounters put her life in peril again and lead to her meeting other beings like Li Huaisu and Moshirechik.
Because Yukar of the Abyss is a Switch otome game grounded in Ainu mythology, it means its love interests tie into that too. For example, Mosirecik is a reference to one such. The nickname for one love interest is Pewrep, which actually is the term for a bear cub. References to the language, deities, and culture, right down to even how the protagonist would pay proper respects to these gods, constantly come up. While there's the in-context clues and game to help with learning about it, it all also made me want to learn more in a way other sorts of visual novels hadn't. I honestly wish the Dictionary went more in-depth about details. (Also, that it didn't sometimes make the game crash due to an error.)
However, due to the gravity of the heroine's situation, it also means that some relationships and the story itself can feel a bit rushed. Kyril Sasayama is the only one you meet at a more casual moment. Pewrep and Li Huaisu both come up at times when our avatar is in danger, meaning many of the interactions are tied to that. Moments with Mosirecik involve another sort of troubled situation and aren't exactly casual romance fare. However, in the context of this being an adventure game with a mystery lurking in the wings, it works! I honestly liked both the Mosirecik and Pewrep routes a lot, and the seriousness of the moments added a level of maturity without being needlessly gory or feeling like a trauma-fueled affair. I feel like maybe if each route had been an hour or two longer, to offer meat to the story, it would have been a stronger game and the relationships would have felt stronger.
But the main drawback to Yukar from the Abyss is that you can very much tell this is an indie game. While there's a quick save and load, it and other features aren't explained. I would constantly get an error when going through the Dictionary section that would crash the game, and it would happen when navigating through different entries so I couldn't just go, "Okay, avoid looking up that one word." Some backgrounds rely on more generic or stock images. There are some moments when I felt the script, though interesting, wasn't offering enough support for certain relationships or depth. However, even so, the actual storylines are quite engaging and the character art for major characters and NPCs is quite good.
I really appreciate what Yukar of the Abyss does. It introduced me to elements of a culture I wasn't familiar with, and I'm excited to do more independent research on the Ainu. The character designs are great, and it's a fun "short" read. You can finish a route in a whole evening, if you dedicate some time to sit enjoying it. Just don't go looking through the Dictionary, as I found it will crash your game in version 1.0.0.
Yukar from the Abyss is available for the Nintendo Switch and PC.
The post Review: Yukar from the Abyss Otome Game Blends Ainu Culture and Romance appeared first on Siliconera. |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, December 10, 2023 1:40 PM  Santa's Sprint is live in Monopoly GO, replacing the Sleigh Race tournament, so I hope you haven't lost your knack for racing! How does the Santa's Sprint tournament work in Monopoly GO? Santa's Sprint is a tournament in Monopoly GO. Once you've hit five points, you'll be drafted into a tournament with 49 other players, where each of you will race to get as many points as possible. Once the tournament is over, you'll get the rewards listed for your rank. So you'll need to get as many as you can to get the highest possible place. To earn points in the Santa's Sprint tournament, you'll need to land on a Railway Tile and perform one of the following actions: Blocked Shutdown = 2 points. Successful Shutdown = 4 points. Small Heist = 4 points. Large Heist = 6 points. Bankrupt! = 8 points. The points you earn here will be multiplied by your dice multiplier, so yo... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, December 10, 2023 11:10 AM  In Monopoly GO, the Moonlight Treasures event has started! In this interactive event, you'll be unearthing treasures for fantastic rewards. How does Moonlight Treasures work in Monopoly GO? Moonlight Treasures is an event in Monopoly GO where, for once, some skill is actually involved. In these events, you'll be whisked away to an architectural site to dig up tiles to reveal treasure. There are 16 levels in Moonlight Treasures, and they get more challenging as you go on. As rewards from other events, you'll be receiving Pickaxes. These Pickaxes are then spent to dig up tiles in each level. As you fully uncover treasures, they'll be added to the collection at the top. Upon finding all the treasures in the level, you'll get rewarded and will move on to the next level. Image: Scopely The treasures can range from very large to very small – so be careful when digging! The collection at the top will tell you not onl... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, December 10, 2023 10:45 AM  The Gingerbread Galore milestone event has begun in Monopoly GO. For all the sweet rewards, keep reading! How does the Gingerbread Galore event work in Monopoly GO? Gingerbread Galore is a milestone event in Monopoly GO. In milestone events, it's your task to get as many points as you can. At each milestone, you'll be rewarded. The rewards will be higher as you advance further in the event – but the point requirements will be higher! To get points in Gingerbread Galore, you'll need to land on board tiles. Land on the following tiles to earn points: Chance Tile = 2 points. Community Chest = 3 points. Railroad = 5 points. That leaves you with ten tiles that will earn you points around the board. If you're rolling with a dice multiplier, your points will be multiplied, too! So you'll want to be rolling high to win high. Like normal, the Gingerbread Galore milestone event will last for two ... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, December 10, 2023 10:22 AM  LEGO Fortnite has an abundance of items, which is a good thing, until you've got to store them all. With low stack sizes and so many needed resources, you'll find that the simple Small Chest simply doesn't cut it. Although even bigger chests will soon be desired, the Medium Chest will do just fine, and it's cheap once you've managed to unlock it. Unlocking the Medium Chest in LEGO Fortnite If you're looking to build a better chest, the Medium Chest, in LEGO Fortnite, then you'll need to unlock the recipe for it first. To do so, you'll have to advance rather far into the game. Upgrade your Crafting Bench to access uncommon tools to gather uncommon materials. Build the uncommon Forest Axe, as this will allow you to harvest Knotroot in the caves. When in there, make sure to gather at least a full stack of 30, as you'll be needing it a lot in the short term. With this Knotroot, make some Knotroot... |
Gamer Empire Sunday, December 10, 2023 11:21 AM Not every empire you come across in Stellaris is as law-abiding and upstanding as you. Some empires create their wealth through organized crime. They spread crime to other worlds by building criminal branch offices. If you want an example from popular sci-fi, think of The Hutts from Star Wars. Criminal branch offices will spread crime […] |
Gamer Empire Sunday, December 10, 2023 10:57 AM For a lot of people, megastructures are the best game mechanic in Stellaris. Building structures that are larger than planets is awesome, and not only that, the strength they bring to your empire is second to none. Megastructures are long-term projects, and you can only build one at a time. It stands to reason that […] |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, December 10, 2023 3:06 PM The Day Before is currently in Early Access The post The Day Before is Rated Overwhelmingly Negative on Steam with Over 10,000 Reviews appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, December 10, 2023 2:50 PM An announcement trailer was also released. The post Visions of Mana Announced For PC and Consoles appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, December 10, 2023 2:36 PM The trailer shows new details. The post The Outlast Trials Full Get New TrailerFull Release Date Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming on PC Sunday, December 10, 2023 1:19 PM Need to take your mind off work? Here's five games that are particularly effective at helping you do that. Full article after the jump. |