Kotaku Sunday, December 24, 2023 11:00 AM  Now that we've entered the final few days of 2023, the year's bumper crop of new game releases has slowed to a trickle. With long, lazy days looming ahead, it's a lovely time to cuddle up with one of the biggest, beefiest games in your backlog. And if you're looking for beef, RPGs are the way to go. On December 15,… |
Kotaku Sunday, December 24, 2023 10:00 AM  In the immortal words of Future Islands, "Seasons change." It's that bittersweet time when we savor the memories of the past and prepare for what the future will bring, and this week, we here at Kotaku asked you to chime in on what games you loved most in 2023, and what you can't wait to play in 2024. |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 24, 2023 11:22 AM  What are the new Genshin Impact codes? Gathering Primogems and Mora in Genshin Impact can be quite the grind. Fortunately, developer Hoyoverse occasionally sends out free gifts in the form of Genshin redeem codes. Most codes only work for a limited time, so it's a great idea to redeem them as soon as possible to avoid missing out. Genshin Impact codes are released periodically, frequently appearing in Hoyoverse's special programs, revealing information about future updates to the free PC game. They can also drop to celebrate milestones or to coincide with new Genshin Impact events. You can find all the active Genshin codes for December 2023 below, and we'll also detail what they get you, explain how to redeem them, and fill you in on where to look for more. Continue reading Genshin Impact codes for December 2023 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Genshin Impact codes, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 24, 2023 10:09 AM  Team FOLON, the group of amateur enthusiast modders and industry veterans behind the hugely ambitious Fallout London has announced the final release date for the standalone game-sized mod. Fallout London is set to release on St. George's Day, April 23 2024. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fallout 5 release date, Best games like Fallout, Best Fallout 4 mods |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 24, 2023 9:00 AM  As a general rule, children aren't very good at videogames. So you can imagine my delight when my five and seven-year-old children asked if I would play Fortnite with them. I knew this day would come, for better or worse. Working in game media and parenting two girls who would be surgically attached to their Switch consoles if they could meant it was inevitably something I'd need to dive into sooner or later. Continue reading Fortnite SBMM saved me from a world of pain this holiday season MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fortnite map - key locations, Fortnite skins, All Fortnite Chapter 4 weapons |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 24, 2023 10:10 AM  With the ability to speak with every animal in Baldur's Gate 3, roleplay as a giant badger rampaging across the hills and valleys of Faerûn by making use of the Druid class's WIld Shapes, or summon one of several furry friends to your side as a Ranger, you might think that animal-loving players would be all set, but never underestimate nature-loving nerds. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds, BG3 mods, Baldur's Gate 3 classes |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 24, 2023 10:10 AM  Fresh out of its early access period, the full release of the genre-mashing roguelike city builder Against the Storm has only just graced our Steam storefronts, but is already 35% off in the Steam Winter Sale. It's a festive treat for anyone thinking about trying out one of the year's best games. Just be careful you don't accidentally spend the holidays beavering away building town after town. Continue reading 2023's best new roguelike is 35% off in the Steam Winter Sale MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best roguelike games, The best city-building games, Against the Storm review |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 24, 2023 10:09 AM  Fresh off their sweep at The Game Awards 2023, Larian Studios have a special Christmas Eve treat for fantasy fans, with a surprise upload of a one-shot adventure through Faerûn, as Lord of the Rings stars Elijah Wood and Sean Astin take a look at Baldur's Gate 3, guided by Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke. Continue reading Baldur's Gate 3 welcomes Lord of the Rings stars for new crossover MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds, BG3 mods, Baldur's Gate 3 classes |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 24, 2023 10:10 AM  For a rural Brit like me there's scarcely anything more festive than wandering through a cathedral city with a chill in the air, looking for stocking fillers for my family from the nearby Christmas market. Now you can recreate that feeling while warming your toes by the fire thanks to a downloadable map made available by redditor u/Nicoglius. Continue reading Minecrafter creates snow-capped British cathedral for Christmas MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods |
PCGamesN Sunday, December 24, 2023 5:00 AM  I've never liked strategy games. I've always put them in a box with war games, political games, and the like - I don't want to have to think about what I'd do if I were running an army or a country. None of that has ever appealed to me in real life, so, with a gaming backlog longer than War and Peace, life-devouring games like Civilization and Command were just never my priority. Continue reading I thought strategy games sucked, until I discovered Wuselfaktor MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Strategy games, Building games, City building games |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, December 24, 2023 8:00 AM  Alright folks, it's time for our actual Game Of The Year reveal. Do I actually have to do a tease for this? Do we not all know what it is? Fine. Roll for initiative. |
Siliconera Sunday, December 24, 2023 12:00 PM
Given the things the Demon Slayer characters go through, sometimes we forget these are teenagers or even kids. (Nezuko was probably about 12 when the series began!) I feel like this makes the newly localized Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy manga even more of a pleasant read, as we finally get a chance to see these silly interactions between characters and chances for them to be more like kids.
First, a bit of background. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy has nothing to do with the original series, beyond featuring all of its characters in an alternate universe. It's a work by Natsuki Hokami based on the original Koyoharu Gotouge creation. So everything here is isolated, contained, and playful take on things we know and recognize. Parts of people's personalities and traits will be emphasized or taken to extremes. (For example, Nezuko is always munching on bread in the mornings, instead of wearing a muzzle.) It builds on concepts and ideas, so it is recognizable, but also lively and new.
Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke are all students at Kimetsu Academy, alongside others like Kanao and Genya. Members of the Hashira, such as Giyu, Kanae, Shinobu, Kyojuro, Sanemi, and Tengen, act as teachers. Each chapter is a self-contained story going over elements of their daily life. So the first chapter involves Tanjiro and Zenitsu being late to school and dealing with Giyu's wrath as a result. In another, Nezuko deals with her first cavity. (She also talks here, but only in the afternoons after finishing her daily bread. Until then, only grunts.)
It's the nature of each of these isolated events that makes the manga entertaining. Seeing Sanemi as the strict teacher dealing with the students who failed his exam — Tanjiro, Murata, and Inosuke — is great. Tengen is incredibly at home as an art teacher, and seeing Zenitsu's drawings and his reaction to his final submission is probably the goofiest moment in the book. Finding out Nezuko and Makomo are friends makes a lot of sense! It's these little things that makes it quite delightful.
Plus, I'm a big fan of the artistic direction Hokami took. The characters are all immediately recognizable, even with the different clothing and chibi appearance. Seeing how Hashira members' iconic elements are preserved is a nice touch. Also, the exaggerated facial expressions for every character leads to some good moments, since many of them still remain in-character.
The series can get extremely silly sometimes. However, that really is what makes it all so charming. With Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy, we get to enjoy the characters and see the lighter sides of their AU counterparts' personalities. We can enjoy seeing people interact, especially when we didn't get to see as much of that in the original story. Yes, it's completely an AU tale by Natsuki Hokami that reimagines Koyoharu Gotouge's original work, but it's still very well done and fun.
Volume 1 of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy manga is available via Viz Media. The company also handles publishing of the original series and light novels outside Japan. The regular Demon Slayer anime adaptation and Junior High and High School!! Kimetsu Academy Story are streaming on Crunchyroll.
The post Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy Manga Prioritizes Silly Character Interactions appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, December 24, 2023 9:00 AM
It isn't uncommon to see a manga or manhwa where the villainess is the lead, but Yen Press' The Villainess Turns the Hourglass involves a rather methodical tale where the heroine Aria is working to become an even stronger villainess and get revenge. However, since it's starting in her youth after a rewind that gives her a second chance, it means the story takes its time.
Things begin in the "present." Aria is about to be sentenced to death by her "brother" Cain for attempting to poison her "sister" Mielle. Mielle seems to be this benevolent innocent who wants to forgive her sibling. However, when she comes up and it's just the two of them, she reveals she orchestrated and framed everything and killed Aria's mother, all because of Aria and her mother being usurpers unfit to hold the Roscent name. When Aria dies, though, she's instead taken back to her youth and finds a shattered hourglass in her bed. With her second chance, she vows revenge on Mielle and everyone who betrayed her, and lives her life differently to destroy them.
We get some small victories for Aria to help set the stage while bigger plans are laid throughout the volume. She bests Mielle when it comes to a certain sort of poetry. She manages to come up with a better possible business investment. She becomes better at embroidery, impressing her father and making friends. She makes herself look considerate with a gift and by showing affection. But much of the volume uses these as a means to give a brief satisfaction as the first pieces of larger plots are laid. We clearly see Aria's thought things through, and it means a momentary win while we get to watch others gradually develop in the first volume.
Tensions and plots continues to build up throughout the volume, and because we don't see the resolution for many of them yet, it makes it all more intriguing. One of the best examples of this Aria's plot to steal Mielle's potential fiance Oscar. We see her sow seeds by first making a handkerchief with his crest. Then, we see her look demure as she innocently appears at a meal with him, Cain, and Mielle. From there, we watch as she makes sure not to read a letter from him with a return gift for the handkerchief publicly, so people don't see it was less than it was, and her plotting to begin a continued conversation with him.
But then, we also have another example in the form of encounters with a hooded man. Aria let slip that there's time travel afoot and something awry around him when she was at a shop having her hourglass repaired. When she did, she caught his eye and it almost seemed like fate outside the family changed from the timeline she knew. These chance encounters with him too are slowly building up to something more, lurking in the background of the first volume of The Villainess Turns the Hourglass manhwa.
The Villainess Turns the Hourglass feels like a manhwa that really could take time to grow into its own. It's interesting at the start, to be sure. Especially since the villain Aria is only just starting to grow into a "true" mastermind and we're just starting to see her develop a mask and begin plans. The fact that there are still threads being woven means that it might not be until the third or that things really start panning out and major drama could occur.
Volume 1 of The Villainess Turns the Hourglass is available now, and Yen Press' Ize Press label will release volume 2 of the manhwa on February 20, 2024.
The post The Villainess Turns the Hourglass Is a Slow Burn Manhwa appeared first on Siliconera. |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, December 24, 2023 12:00 PM  Experience cannot be gained from one day to the other. Except it can, and you will. Here are the best game modes for XP in Modern Warfare 3. Modern Warfare 3: Best game modes for XP Gaining XP will allow you to unlock several weapons, equipment, and everything in between in Modern Warfare 3. Starting from level 1 can feel a bit overwhelming given the amount of weapons and modes that you can choose from. However, in Modern Warfare 3 there is a clear route you can take to level up your Operator as fast as possible by gaining the most amount of XP in the least amount of time possible. That's what optimizing is all about, baby! Let's take a look at the best game modes for XP in Modern Warfare 3. Zombies Mode Image: Sledgehammer Games While Zombies mode in Modern Warfare 3 is not what many Call of Duty veterans expected, it is by far the best mode you can pick for collecting huge amounts of XP. Simply getting zombie kills will slowly ... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, December 24, 2023 9:00 AM  Whether you're looking for the best feats for Shadowheart or your own custom-made Cleric, you've come to the right place. Let's get right to it — here are the best Cleric feats in Baldur's Gate 3. Baldur's Gate 3: Best Cleric feats War Caster – You gain an Advantage on Saving Throws to maintain Concentration on a spell. You can also use a reaction to cast Shocking Grasp at a target moving out of melee range. Shield Master – You gain a plus two bonus to Dexterity Saving Throws while wielding a shield. If a spell forces you to make a Dexterity Saving Throw, you can use a reaction to shield yourself and diminish the effect's damage. On a failed Saving Throw, you only take half damage. No damage is taken on a successful Saving Throw. Spell Sniper – You learn a cantrip, and the number you need to roll a Critical Hit while attacking with a spell is reduced by one. Magic Initiate: Cleric – Learn two Cleric Cantrips an... |