Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 5:45 PM  Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is out soon and looking very good, with a ton of hype surrounding the PS5 exclusive open-world superhero game. But now, even years after Sony made clear it would be giving Spidey a new look, fans keep grumbling about the loss of Peter Parker's old face, last seen in the original PlayStation 4… |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 4:56 PM  You probably saw a ton of headlines about Xbox leaks this week: new hardware, upcoming games, Game Pass costs, acquisition strategies. A trove of unredacted documents accidentally uploaded to a federal court's case server gave the world an unprecedented look into the secret machinations of the gaming wing of a $2… |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 4:45 PM  Part of the appeal of video game remasters and remakes is the prospect of playing an old game on better hardware that can, ostensibly, run it better than your old console did back in the day. That is the hope, at least. Unfortunately, not every "remaster" is an improvement over its source material—just ask the Grand… |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 4:26 PM  Although early reviews claimed Starfield was Bethesda Game Studios' most polished game to date, the open-space RPG still suffers from some of the strange, sometimes amusing, occasionally very helpful sorts of bugs and glitches the studio's work is often known for. Maybe the most mind-boggling bug yet, however, is one… |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 4:25 PM  Vendors are a crucial component of Starfield, as you'll need to make use of the RPG's merchants in order to get better gear, obtain necessary parts to fix a damaged ship, buy healing items, and sell off all your contraband to earn enough credits to eventually buy that house in Akila City. The bars and restaurants in St… |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 3:47 PM  There's been a lot of attention given to Baldur's Gate 3's sex, sexiness, and sexuality since it launched in August. Larian Studios' Dungeons & Dragons RPG has received both high praise and some criticism for its party of adventurers doing the horizontal tango. It's received acclaim for its lack of restriction and… |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 3:28 PM  So much of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is spent jumping between Hyrule's landscape and the floating islands above it that I can't fathom somehow beating the game without traversing both the sky regions and Hyrule proper. But that's exactly what one player miraculously managed to pull off. |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 1:45 PM  Since Star Wars Eclipse was first revealed two years ago, we've seen and heard little about the next game from Quantic Dream, the developer behind Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human. However, the devs behind the game have revealed that as in the studio's previous adventures, Eclipse's storyline will continue no… |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 1:44 PM  In an open letter published on Friday, Unity's president and general manager Marc Whitten apologized for the controversial changes announced on September 12 and announced that it was walking back some of the worst changes, including charging install fees for previously published games. |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 1:37 PM  Though Starfield doesn't let you directly tear off people's cool clothes the way other Bethesda role-playing games like Skyrim do, through Manipulation, players on Reddit discovered another, more devious way to look cute. |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 1:35 PM  By many accounts, Payday 3 appears to be a disappointing half-step forward for the longrunning co-op bank robbery series. Unlike its predecessor, it also requires players to always be online, a seemingly grave misjudgement given Payday 3's first-week launch woes. The problems with crashes, slow matchmaking, and… |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 12:12 PM  Baldur's Gate 3 continues to evolve. The hit fantasy RPG received its much-anticipated and sprawling Patch 3 update today, which brings Mac support, a Magic Mirror feature to redesign your player character's appearance, and an overwhelming number of bug fixes and tweaks. |
Kotaku Friday, September 22, 2023 12:05 PM  Cyberpunk 2077's massive 2.0 update introduced a bunch of additions and changes to the open-world first-person shooter RPG. Alongside new combat enhancements and a revamped police system that makes cops far more aggressive when hunting you down for committing crimes, the latest patch also completely overhauls… |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 7:03 PM  Starfield is the biggest Bethesda game thus far, which means it's pretty darn massive. Since its recent release, players have been flying through the interstellar setting in search of new companions, missions, and more. If you've played the game yourself, then you've likely come across the adorable cube-shaped Chunks food items. Every time I see one of the Chunks, I'm not sure whether I'm hungry or scared. I mean, there are cubed cakes, eggs, and pretty much every category of food you can think of. Continue reading Starfield fan recreates every single cube-shaped food from the game MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield mods, Starfield outposts, Starfield traits |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 6:09 PM  Payday 3 has only just released from Starbreeze into the exciting wilderness that is the gaming community, but players are already having issues with the highly anticipated game's online play. Following feedback from fans regarding problems with matchmaking, the developer has released an official response stating that the team is aware of the trouble fans are having in-game and is working hard to get an update deployed to ensure Payday 3 runs properly. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best co-op games on PC, The best crime games on PC, The best FPS games |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 4:07 PM  Grand Theft Auto has long stood the test of time as one of the most iconic game series ever. Rockstar Games' long-lasting line of city-based criminal activity-focused experiences has just evolved even further with the company's new GTA+ subscription membership benefits. The developer just announced that all players subscribed will have access to a steadily changing selection of classic Grand Theft Auto games, from beloved entries like San Andreas to Vice City. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GTA 6 release date, Best GTA 5 mods, Best sandbox games |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 2:31 PM  Unity is the cross-platform engine used by many of my favorite developers to create everything from small indie gems to bigger, more well-known games. The company recently disclosed upcoming changes to its fee policy which would see developers pay per-install of their games. The out-of-the-blue announcement was controversial, prompting a variety of game devs to respond detailing why this would have a negative impact on their work, with some creators going as far as backing out of using the engine altogether. Continue reading Unity "sorry" about controversy, makes changes after "hard feedback" MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best indie games, Best upcoming PC games, Best PC games |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 1:19 PM  Tales of the Shire has me excited like no other game has in a very long time. It combines two of my favorite things ever, cozy games and Lord of the Rings, to create a wholesome Tolkien-inspired experience like no other. Publisher Private Division has teamed up with Wētā Workshop, a special effects company known for its work on Peter Jackson's iconic The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films, to create the Shire-based game. Continue reading A new Lord of the Rings game is coming, but it's not what you think MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best relaxing games, Best upcoming PC games, Best indie games |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 12:53 PM  Slay the Spire has the intricate roguelike deck building that sees you put together powerful card combos to take on the random encounters ahead of you. Baldur's Gate 3 has the bold fantasy setting and the unquestionable thrill that comes from leaving your fate in the hands of a dice roll. Bring them together and the result is Diceomancer, a new roguelike announced at the Tokyo Game Show and heading to Steam. Continue reading Slay the Spire meets Baldur's Gate 3 in new Steam roguelike MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best card games, Best roguelike games, Best indie games |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 12:34 PM  CCP Games has revealed that you can finally get what you've been asking for over the MMO's 20-year history and align with pirates in the new Eve Online expansion, Havoc. The Angel Cartel and Guristas pirate factions will recruit Capsuleers in Eve Online Havoc to help them spread corruption. Continue reading Eve Online Havoc will finally let you align with pirates MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Eve Online system requirements, Eve Online Beginners guide, Space games |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 2:20 PM  In a surprise announcement at Eve Fanfest in Reykjavik, Iceland, CCP Games has announced its brand-new standalone FPS game, Eve Vanguard. Being developed using Unreal Engine 5, the shooter will see players take on the role of the Vanguard for the first time ever, and will be available separately to the main Eve Online experience. Continue reading Eve Online is getting a brand-new standalone FPS game MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Eve Online system requirements, Eve Online Beginners guide, Space games |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 12:03 PM  September 22, 2023: It seems players are having trouble with matchmaking once again. There has been no official word on this yet, but we're keeping an eye on the situation. Are Payday 3 servers down? The third installment in the Payday series went straight to the top of the Steam best sellers chart on release day, but its immediate success came with a downside as servers were slammed, matchmaking crashed, and error codes started popping up. While developer Starbreeze has been open with communication and quick to fix issues, there may still be a rocky road ahead. For most multiplayer games, server issues come with the territory. When too many people try to play the game at once, sometimes those servers just can't hack it. Payday 3 is no different, and too many heisters spoil the… heist. Or something. In fact, since Payday 3 is an 'always online' co-op game, there's no real way to get around it. If you're having issues, here's the current lowdown on whether Payday 3 matchmaking is down right now. Continue reading Is Payday 3 matchmaking down? Current server status MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best co-op games on PC, The best crime games on PC, The best FPS games |
PCGamesN Friday, September 22, 2023 12:02 PM  What are the best Roblox games? Games aren't just better than ever for kids; the means of creating them are, too. The best example of that is Roblox: a massively multiplayer online game creation platform, and since it is so easy to make something fun, there are millions of Roblox games to enjoy. User-generated creations allow you to weather the existential threat of a natural disaster, try your hand as a pizza maker, and take a break from it all with a spot of peaceful scuba diving. From sims to RPGs and adventure titles, we've highlighted the best Roblox games to enjoy, with over 100 million other pals in online games. Think of it like Minecraft and LittleBigPlanet smooshed together and forged into an entire platform to create one of the best free PC games available. Below you can find the best Roblox games and more about this exciting platform. If you're looking for some Roblox freebies, you can check these guides for working, new Skibiverse codes, and Fruit Battlegrounds codes to gain an advantage in your games. Continue reading The best Roblox games in 2023 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, September 22, 2023 5:14 PM  Want to get a powerful Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor for $50 off with a free copy of Starfield Premium Edition? B&H Photo in the US have you covered with their latest discount on AMD's fastest gaming CPU*, which sees the processor drop to $389 after debuting earlier this year at $439. That's still a hefty chunk of change, but it's worth it for a gaming CPU that outfights the Core i9 13900K and trades blows with the much more expensive Ryzen 9 7950X3D, coming well ahead in some games and a tiny bit behind in others. *Fight me |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, September 22, 2023 5:05 PM  Xbox's Elite Series 2 controllers are a great pick for PC and Xbox consoles alike, but they're also pretty darn expensive. Thankfully, you can pick up the cheaper Core version for significantly less money, especially if it's on sale - which is the situation right now! Amazon US are selling the Elite Series 2 Core in white for $99, a solid reduction from its usual price of $130. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, September 22, 2023 1:44 PM  Honkai Impact 3rd, the hack-and-slash action game that shares its universe and characters with HoYoverse's more recent and better-known Honkai: Star Rail, is due to receive a massive update that will take the game to Mars - and seemingly leave one of its heroes behind. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, September 22, 2023 1:07 PM  If you're waiting for a Steam Deck capable of running Starfield at a decent clip, you're going to be waiting a while yet. Valve has said that a more powerful Steam Deck will arrive at the end of 2025 earliest, with no major performance upgrade expected in the meantime. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, September 22, 2023 12:39 PM  Sea of Thieves is lining things up for the launch of its 10th season next month, with a multi-month rollout of new features including guilds, a new world event type and a way to play without being attacked by other players. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, September 22, 2023 12:01 PM  Hit manga and anime series My Hero Academia is the next pop-culture licence to take a shot at the battle royale crown, as the superhero series launches free-to-play online multiplayer game My Hero Ultra Rumble next week. |
Twinfinite Friday, September 22, 2023 3:45 PM  |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 7:00 PM
Unity announced its updated Runtime Fee plan after receiving heavy criticism from the game development community after its initial announcement. Unity revealed that the company has no plans to charge developers for using the Unity Personal plan and any games built on Unity Personal will not have a Runtime Fee. Games developed in Unity Personal will receive an increased revenue and funding cap to $200,000. Unity will also be removing the "Made with Unity" splash screen on games made in Unity Personal. Unity also announced that games that make less than $1 million in trailing 12-month revenue will not be subject to the Runtime Fee. Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise developers will be subject to the Runtime Fee if they are using the next Life Term Support (LTS) version of Unity releasing in 2024. Any games currently developed on the 2022 LTS version of Unity or earlier will not be subject to the Runtime Fee. Unity has promised that they will not change the terms for the Unity Engine developers are currently working with for as long as they use that version. Once developers update, they will be subject to the Runtime Fee. For games that are subject to the Runtime Fee, they will be allowed to choose between two revenue share options: developers can give 2.5% of their revenue to Unity or the number can be calculated based on the number of new people engaging with the game each month. Both numbers are reportedly self-reported and developers will always be billed for the lesser amount. More details about the Unity Runtime Fee can be found on Unity's newest FAQ. On September 12, 2023, Unity initially announced plans to implement a fee on every install for games made using Unity Engine. All developers would have had to pay the fee starting January 2024. It would have been a fixed fee for ever install, although the fee would have been decreased for developers using a Pro or Enterprise subscription, meaning that smaller developers would likely be paying more to Unity for game installations than larger developers. Unity released an FAQ to further explain details about its stance and future policies due to the confusing nature of the Runtime Fee's implementation. The announcement of this planned Runtime Fee caused developers to protest its implementation. On September 18, 2023, Unity announced on social media that due to all of the protests and feedback by developers and fans around the world, they would be making changes to the Runtime Fee plan. Unity 2023 LTS version will release in 2024. The post Unity Updates Runtime Fee Plans, Unity Personal Plan Remains Free appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 6:00 PM
The ASUS Republic of Gamers line will feature Evangelion items once again, as a plethora of Asuka and Unit 02 gaming computer hardware is on the way. The new collection is slated to be released before September 2023. According to the ASUS ROG social media account, the lineup includes a large amount of premium Evangelion-themed hardware. The first two items are the ROG Thor 1000w Power Supply and the ROG Scabbard II mouse pad, respectively. Both feature classic Evangelion designs, with the NERV logo and font on them. Next up are the ROG Keycaps for RX switch keyboards. The keys are colored with Asuka's signature black and red theme, with the character featured on the space bar. There's also the Harpe Ace Mouse Grip, which is mainly red with Asuka on the right button and a silhouette of Unit 02 next to the sticker. You could put that mouse grip on the Gladius III wireless mouse. Next up is the Strix Scope keyboard. This features the same keys as the keycaps with a red and orange ROG design on the top right. Then there's the Herculx. This graphics card holder features a color-changing Asuka as well as a spirit level for easy setup. Following the Herculx is the Ryujin III 360 CPU cooler with RGB fans with the classic red, black, and orange design on the rest of the components. The collection also features an RTX™ 4090 with Unit 02 decals. There is also the Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard, which hosts another illustration of Asuka and a sweet AT field design around where the chip slot is. Rounding out the lineup is the Unit 02-inspired Hyperion PC case, which has many details alluding to Asuka's Eva and ROG's collaboration. It also comes with some red cabling and is packaged in an ROG x Evangelion box. Here's a gallery showing all of the Eva-02 ROG items in the listed order:
This isn't Republic of Gamers' first collaboration with the Evangelion franchise. Back in 2022, they also released a Unit 01-themed lineup of hardware. Evangelion also partnered with the Japanese company Answer back in June and released a fight stick. With the Unit 01-themed goods being hard to come by nowadays, we can expect the Unit 02 hardware to go just as quickly.
The Evangelion ASUS ROG items will be available in late September 2023.
The post Evangelion ASUS Computer Hardware Based on Asuka appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 5:00 PM
McDonald's Japan started airing new anime style, lofi ads on social media drawn by Urachan. So far, two ads appeared. The first features a family eating chicken nuggets and fries together in their kitchen. In the second, a group of young adults who appear to be in high school are eating food from the restaurant together outside. Both are specifically designed to showcase a promotion involving a nuggets and fries meal.
Here's the first Urachan ad showing off the family together.
Next, here's the McDonald's Japan anime style ad with the group of kids eating together.
People may recognize Urachan from fan art online. The artist, who also goes by Uraura Ura, has drawn anime and video game characters before. For example, one of the most recent pieces of fan art is this Pokemon-inspired comic that features Gardevoir, Infernape, Staravia, Pachirisu, Floatzel, and Weavile.
As for other McDonald's anime related events, they often come up. For example, it held a One Piece promotion back in April 2023. There were also Spy x Family Happy Meals in August 2023.
It is currently unknown if there will be more Urachan McDonald's Japan ads with the same anime, lofi style.
The post McDonald's Japan Shares Anime Style Ads by Urachan appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 4:00 PM
In a recent interview with Japanese outlet Dengeki Online, Tetsuya Nomura confirmed that late voice actor Keiji Fujiwara will still be the Japanese voice for Reno in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The prolific voice actor died due to cancer on April 12, 2020 at the age of 55, just two days after the release of FFVII Remake. [Thanks, Dengeki Online!]
Here is what Tetsuya Nomura had to say about the posthumous role of Keiji Fujiwara as Reno in the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth:
After this statement, Tetsuya Nomura apologized to all fans, especially international fans, and informed that screentime for Reno in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has been reduced to account for the death of Keiji Fujiwara. Nomura also confirmed that the third part of the FFVII Remake series will introduce a new Japanese voice actor for Reno and that the character's presence will increase in the next entry.
Other famous roles performed by Keiji Fujiwara include Axel from the Kingdom Hearts series, Maes Hughes in Fullmetal Alchemist, Leorio in Hunter × Hunter, and Hiroshi Nohara in Crayon Shin-chan.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will release worldwide for the PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024. The exclusivity period will end on May 29, 2024.
The post Keiji Fujiwara Will Still Voice Reno in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 3:30 PM
The latest video in Masahiro Sakurai's video series is a show-and-tell episode showing rare items he's acquired over the years. One of the more notable items was a Kid Icarus figure of Pit and Palutena based on their Uprising appearances. He noted "only about three of these exist."
The Kid Icarus: Uprising Pit and Palutena figure comes up at the 1:12 mark of the Masahiro Sakurai video below. He noted it is based on the 3D printed model of the two characters used for a Goshogawara Tachineputa parade held in Aomori, Japan in 2011. That float was 10 meters tall. Sakurai and the float designer are two of the only people to own one.
Masahiro Sakurai has spoken about Kid Icarus: Uprising in his videos before. For example, back in July 2023 he noted he'd love to play the 3DS game on a bigger screen.
As for other items in the video, Sakurai also showed a Wii Remote with a Mii of him engraved into the back, some autographs he'd collected, a Sega Associate Planner Certificate No. 004 he won, and an Xbox 360 Elite with his name engraved on it.
Kid Icarus: Uprising is available on the Nintendo 3DS.
The post Masahiro Sakurai Shared Rare Kid Icarus Pit and Palutena Figure appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 3:00 PM
The special sets of the Pokemon Trading Card Game are often more about collectability than playability. Still, the newest expansion does a great job of offering at least a bit for everyone! Here are our picks for the best Scarlet & Violet 151 cards.
The coolest Scarlet & Violet 151 cards
Fans with nostalgia for the original 151 may also be fond of the quick-play TCG antics of Hitmonchan, so it's nice to see a new one with some bite. It has a Counterattack ability that damages the opponent when it's hit, and a two-energy Excited Punch attack that hits for 60 on turn one and 120 on consecutive turns.
In terms of visuals, we really like the Illustrator Rare sets that depict a whole evolution line in the same environment. What's somewhat less common in the TCG is extending this treatment to the "normal" cards, but sometimes we see it and we're glad when we do! Take this set's Gastly line, for example. It's an experimental art style, and a willingness to go off-model a bit that we miss from the card game's early days.
The set's Mewtwo might be the best of both worlds. The art is menacing, and the Reflective Barrier attack has a "come at me, bro" feel. It just chips away for 20 damage, but any attack it takes is also taken by the attacker. It'll at least make an opponent hesitate a bit, we think.
The most interesting Scarlet & Violet 151 cards
The headlines may be about the return of Kadabra, but the new Alakazam ex takes full advantage of the opportunity to evolve. Its Dimensional Hand attack can be used from the bench, dealing 120 damage with two energy. It certainly ain't the most impressive damage number, but it's the ability to put something else in the front that's so appealing. Certain creatures have great abilities from there! And at the very least, you can hide behind a one-prize creature while you chip away and build up your board.
And it looks like The Pokemon Company is trying to make fossils a thing again? With cards like Antique Helix Fossil, the card game is returning to unique fossil cards rather than consolidating them into one for easier play. In exchange, each has its own Ability, like Helix Fossil's Stadium play prevention. Is it… good? Eh, probably not. But they're trying things over there, and we appreciate that, at least.
The most meta-relevant Scarlet & Violet 151 cards
Giovanni's Charisma is one of those cards that's just so simple that its usefulness can slip under the radar. But competitive players will have no problem seeing the appeal of accelerating your energy play while hindering your opponent. Sure, it goes into their hand, but high-speed pro decks have no problem finding that one energy a turn anyway. It's truly the most effective ploy Giovanni has ever managed.
Meanwhile, there might be some use for Leftovers? Healing has never been the best in a competitive environment, but the Item card passively heals 20 every turn to your active Pokemon. It could matter around the edges enough to see some use.
The cutest Scarlet & Violet 151 cards
Bulbasaur is an easy win for team cute, but that doesn't mean we can ignore it when it's there. All three starters are drawn with love, but we'll give the edge to the grass pal for relative degree of difficulty. And speaking of difficulty, they actually managed to make a cute Koffing? The air pollution Pokemon probably shouldn't be cute, but here we are.
Our favorite, though? Seel. It's chilling out on an ice floe, tongue out, having the sort of day that we wish we could have.
Honorable mentions go to a Poliwhirl trying and failing to hide in a wallpaper texture and a Chansey holding a four-leaf clover. (By the way, it seems like there's some truly wild stuff you can pull off with Chansey's Lucky Bonus ability if you actually use it in your deck.)
Also, hey: it's worth shouting out TPCi's graphic design team this time. The colored silhouette motif makes for some attractive packaging. Great work!
The latest Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion set, Scarlet & Violet 151, launched September 22, 2023. For more Pokemon TCG coverage, including a full overview of the set, check out our archive.
The post Pokemon TCG: The Best Scarlet & Violet 151 Cards appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 2:30 PM
Square Enix revealed FFVII Ever Crisis updated to add the Shinra Building, Logues Ruins, and Sunsin Cave as new dungeons. However, there are issues with two of them. After revealing the new locations, it noted both the Crisis and Criterion dungeons, which Shinra Building and Logues Ruins both fall into, are encountering game-breaking problems.
The one issue brought up involves the Specimen H0512 opponent. This is an enemy that appeared first in FFVII Remake. If you happen upon a Cactaur during its quest in Co-op Battle here, the game crashes. The other is a solo issue during Logues Ruins. If you pause during that dungeon, then the game will stop working. Square Enix didn't announce any official fixes for either of these FFVII Ever Crisis dungeons issues yet, beyond saying not to pause during the one, but is aware of the problems and "investigating."
The last major update to the mobile game added the Beach Fun Festival. There's an event tied to it and banners featuring new equipment for Aerith, Cloud, Red XIII, and Tifa.
Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is available on mobile devices, and the new Criterion and Crisis dungeons are live. There's no word yet on when fixes will be applied for issues involving both of them.
The post FFVII Ever Crisis Gets Shinra Building and Logues Ruins Dungeons, But Both Have Issues appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 2:00 PM
In a recent interview, FFVII Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi and Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura talked about characters Yuffie Kisaragi and Vincent Valentine. In the original Final Fantasy VII, Yuffie and Vincent were optional party members. However, in the upcoming FFVII Rebirth and the third part of the trilogy project, they will be featured as main mandatory party members. [Thanks, Game Spark!]
When asked about the involvement of Vincent and Yuffie in the story of FFVII Rebirth, Hamaguchi said:
Meanwhile, Tetsuya Nomura responded with the following statement:
A hint of the two characters inclusion in the main party was Yuffie's expanded role in Episode Intermission, which appeared in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for the PS5 and PC. Her new involvement in the Midgar episode of FFVII Rebirth gave the character a deeper motivation to join Avalanche's members in stopping Shinra and Sephiroth.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is coming out for the PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024. The period of exclusivity ends on May 29, 2024.
The post Yuffie and Vincent Are No Longer Optional in FFVII Rebirth appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 1:30 PM
During Tokyo Game Show 2023, Good Smile Company announced the development of a Tekken 8 Ling Xiaoyu Nendoroid. While it did not announce when the Ling Xiaoyu Nendoroid will be releasing, they did confirm it will be "coming soon." The prototype of the Ling Xiaoyu Nendoroid will be viewable at the Tekken 8 booth at Tokyo Game Show 2023. Ling Xiaoyu's Nendoroid design features her iconic pigtails and her brand new outfit from the upcoming game. It utilizes orange as an accent color rather than a primary color, as seen in her previous designs. The artwork for the Tekken 8 Ling Xiaoyu Nendoroid can be seen in the announcement post on social media: [embed]https://twitter.com/gsc_kahotan/status/1704676826444886230?s=61[/embed] Ling Xiaoyu was revealed as one of the many fighters returning in the upcoming fighting game back in March 2023. She was introduced as a playable fighter in the Tekken series in Tekken 3 and has appeared in the majority of the mainline titles and a number of spin -off games since her first appearance in 1997. Bandai Namco will have a special stage presentation for Tekken 8 during Tokyo Game Show 2023 on September 23, 2023 at 3:45 PM JST. It will also be giving players an opportunity to try out the game ahead of its launch again with a closed beta. Fans can register to try it out until October 11, 2023. The closed beta for the upcoming fighting game will run from from October 20, 2023 to October 23, 2023. Tekken 8 will come to the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on January 26, 2024. The post Tekken 8 Ling Xiaoyu Nendoroid Coming Soon appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 1:00 PM
Over the course of this week, the next four Hatsune Miku x Pokemon Project Voltage designs were shown on the official social media account. This time we saw what Miku would look like if she was a Bug, Ghost, Poison, and Fairy-type Pokemon trainer from official Pokemon artists. The Normal, Ice, Rock, Ground, and Flying-type Hatsune Miku Pokemon Trainer designs were revealed the week before. We also saw the Psychic, Grass, Water, Fire, and Electric-type designs the week prior to that. The Project Voltage website continues to be updated as each design is revealed. Here's a list of the next four Pokemon types, partners, and artists that contributed designs to the project this week:
Have a look at all of the new Project Voltage designs in the gallery below: [gallery link="file" ids="987169,987170,987171,987172,987173,987174,987175,987176,987177"] There are four Project Voltage designs remaining to be released. After each of the 18 Pokemon types have been shown, 18 music videos will be released sequentially from September 29, 2023. Each song will be produced by a different Vocaloid producer, which will be revealed when the music videos drop. Project Voltage will continue throughout Fall 2023. The post 4 New Hatsune Miku x Pokemon Project Voltage Designs Revealed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 12:30 PM
Square Enix released an official interview with Final Fantasy VII RebirthDirector Naoki Hamaguchi. It went over multiple new and returning elements. For example, in addition to bringing up vehicles like the Buggy, segway like Wheelie, and Tiny Bronco plane, it also introduced the new FFVII Rebirth card game minigame Queen's Blood.
There are no screenshots showing what Queen's Blood looks like in FFVII Rebirth yet, however Hamaguchi referred to the card game minigame as his favorite. He noted that it will feature its own storyline tied to it, which sound like it could be similar to the Triple Triad option in FFVIII or Fort Condor one in the FFVII Rebirth Intermission DLC. Hamaguchi noted more competitors and the story will come up as you play more of the game.
As for the vehicles in FFVII Rebirth, the Buggy the party acquires after the Gold Saucer and Corel Prison segments, the Costa Del Sol Wheelie segway, and the Tiny Bronco plane all came up. Hamaguchi noted modern desert and military vehicles and the original game's design influenced the Buggy. The Wheelie will be tied to an in-game activity that involves getting riding on them for distances. As for the Tiny Bronco, it will be around and able to be used for short distances.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will come to the PS5 on February 29, 2024, with the exclusivity arrangement ending on May 29, 2024.
The post New FFVII Rebirth Minigame Is Queen's Blood Card Game appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, September 22, 2023 12:00 PM
Star Ocean The Second Story was one of the first games I ever played on the PSP. After working a job in high school a little over a decade ago, I saved up enough cash to get a the handheld with a few games, including the second entry in this series I hadn't previously touched. My newfound JRPG spirit felt this game calling to me, and I enjoyed it. Now, it's a chance to return on new platforms, with a demo offering a first taste of the game.
The story of Claude C. Kenny and Rena Lanford was a decent one, even if it didn't quite hook me in the ways I hoped. Having played the PSP version all through the way through to the end from Claude's perspective, I was marginally optimistic about the upcoming remake since the game was enjoyable but didn't feel too special to me at the time. After playing Star Ocean The Second Story R for a few hours on Nintendo Switch, I can confidently say that this is one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. The prologue demo lets players experience up to three hours of the starting game, including three towns, two dungeons, and a couple of bosses. The best part? Your save carries over when the full release happens.
Since I played from Claude's perspective the first time around, I used this opportunity to check out Rena's point of view. This, coupled with the incredibly detailed remake environments, created an experience that legitimately felt almost entirely new to me. Despite some familiarity with the characters, there is enough distance and freshness to this remake that you could almost tell me it's a brand new game in the series and I'd believe you.
For starters, there is the absolutely stunning visual design of this game. While not quite HD-2D in the vein of Octopath Traveler II and the like, it has this oddly beautiful blend of remade 2D sprite characters on top of a fully 3D and visually-arresting world. There is such rich detail in all of the towns, dungeons, forests, and locations you visit in this demo.
This modern 3D visual style creates such a unique juxtaposition with the nostalgic and intentionally old-school character designs. It helps, too, that the 2D portrait art used sometimes in cutscenes is much richer than the ones in the PSP version. I just wished they were used more often in the trial.
I could go on for days about how tremendous this art style looks in the early hours, including some of the best lighting I've seen in a game. The colors looked terrific on my Nintendo Switch OLED screen and it rivals the recent Square Enix games I also loved visually, such as the aforementioned Octopath Traveler II and Triangle Strategy.
When it comes to the gameplay, this is where a bit of the simplicity from the original game remains. Star Ocean The Second Story R features a pretty untouched gameplay system from my time with it so far, with mostly the same hack-and-slash action gameplay as before. The game wasn't too hard in the opening hours, usually seeing me mashing the same attack button repeatedly outside of the occasional healing art.
So far, this game doesn't do anything too deep gameplay-wise and that goes for the dungeons as well. The opening dungeons are rather straightforward, with a couple of branching paths that lead to treasure, optional enemies, and the like. Even still, battles go by so fast with the tactics you can give to party members that I actually appreciated the more fluid and simplistic nature.
This allowed me to spend more time exploring the world map, going from town to town, and seeing the world in this newfound way. I barely remember the story, too, so the transition to Rena's perspective offered plot points that were surprising to me and did just enough to reel me in for the full release.
Even though I only played this game a little over a decade ago, I've never experienced a remake like this where I played the previous form and the new version almost feels like a brand new title. This has me so excited to continue following the storyline of the lost space guy Claude and his elf-like friend Rena in stopping a monstrous magical globe for a second time. This could be a real treat for both familiar existing fans like myself and newcomers alike.
Star Ocean The Second Story R releases for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC on November 2, 2023. A prologue demo is available right now on all platforms.
The post Preview: Star Ocean The Second Story R Feels Like a Brand New Experience appeared first on Siliconera. |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, September 22, 2023 7:40 PM  Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 has added a number of new weapons in the game for players to seek out and utilize for their builds. These range from guns to grenades, hammers, and blades. They are dotted all around the map and often hidden deep within enemy lairs. The Thermal Katana, or Errata as it is known in the game, is well worth finding in Cyberpunk 2.0. It is imbued with a burn chance and can cause absolute devastation on the battlefield. How to get the Thermal Katana To find the Thermal Katana in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0, you will need to be at least level 20 in your Technical Ability. This is remarkably high, but you can always respec for this particular mission, then reshuffle after. It could even be a good opportunity to use one of our builds in Cyberpunk 2077. If you have the ability, follow these steps. Locate the Electric Corporation – You will find this big building just under the freeway at the north border of Santo Domingo, as shown on the map. You can get into this ... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, September 22, 2023 6:46 PM  A game as big and ambitious as Starfield is bound to have a few little slip-ups in the coding. Even with an enormous team, a few unusual circumstances will crop up that can break certain parts of the game. In Starfield, there is a bug with the In Memoriam mission that a few players have encountered. However, there is a fix for this, and it should allow you to continue in your quest to romance Sarah Morgan. How to fix the In Memoriam bug in Starfield The bug can happen for a number of reasons and will cause you to no longer be able to continue with the In Momarium questline with Sarah Morgan. This will prevent you from talking to her and will result in her being locked as a permanent partner. Image via PC Invasion The way to fix this bug is to completely unassign her from your crew or any outpost. Once you have done this, you can find her back at The Lodge and ask her to follow you to the In Memorium mission marker in Starfield. This should iron out the bug and allow you to... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, September 22, 2023 5:46 PM  Currently, Witchfire has seven weapons, some of which are better than others but all of which are good. After playing with them all for some time, I've found what the best weapons are and feel confident to rank them best to worst. So, without further adieu, here are the best weapons in Witchfire ranked in a tier list. Related: Best early skills in Witchfire What is the best weapon in Witchfire? Screenshot: PC Invasion We'll save the best rings, amulets, fetishes, and light and heavy spells for another article; here, we discuss what the best weapon is in Witchfire. There are two close-range weapons, two medium-range weapons, two long-range weapons, and one demonic weapon. In my opinion, Midas, the mid-ranged Assault Rifle is the best weapon in Witchfire. Midas has the best range, best rate of fire, best magazine size, and deals a lot of great damage. As you level it up, it's heated and overheated features make Midas even better. It's the... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, September 22, 2023 5:22 PM  One of the items you can obtain in Phasmophobia that can help with your paranormal assignments comes in the form of the Head Mounted Camera. This special head gear only becomes available once your character reaches level 8, at which point you can purchase the item for 60 in-game dollars. But of course, buying a potentially useful item and actually using it are two different things. Having said that, turning on the Head Mounted Camera to use in your assignments shouldn't prove very tricky once you know how. In case you need help, though, this guide will cover what to do. Related: How to use the camera to take photos of ghosts in Phasmophobia Activating the Head Mounted Camera According to what I have read online, the Head Mounted Camera should turn on automatically when you pick it up from the van at the start of an assignment. However, I have also seen some players report that they have had their Head Mounted Cameras turned off by default when equipped, leaving them... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, September 22, 2023 5:12 PM  If you're new to Witchfire, one of the first things you'll notice is how fast you die. A duff dash or wonky positioning can send a run into a death spiral. Without a way to heal yourself, you're as good as dead. Fortunately, there's a way around that. Healing Elixirs restore a small portion of your health bar. These potions aren't perfect, but they can offer just enough health to keep you alive. If you've been relying on finding these tinctures on the map, let me show you a more reliable way to invest in your survivability. Here's how to make Healing Elixirs in Witchfire. Related: How to use White Raven Feathers in Witchfire How to make Healing Elixirs in Witchfire There's an Apothecary Station in the Shrouded Hermitorium (the starting area) dead opposite the portal. As a brand-new player, you won't be able to brew potions here, although you can after a couple of runs. Image: PC Invasion To make Healing Eli... |
Gamer Empire Friday, September 22, 2023 4:30 PM The sprout icon in Final Fantasy XIV is a small emblem next to your name that lets people know you are either a new or returning player. The point is to let other players know you may need help and allow mentors to connect with you. People are generally more lenient with sprouts in duties. […] |
Gamer Empire Friday, September 22, 2023 4:27 PM Chocobos are one of the most iconic creatures of the Final Fantasy franchise, and FFXIV doesn't disappoint. In fact, there are many types of Chocobo in FFXIV. You are able to get the basic Chocobo early on in FFXIV. All it takes is a little bit of the main story and a simple side quest. […] |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, September 22, 2023 5:43 PM It will launch in 2024 for PC and consoles. The post Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game Announced for PC and Consoles appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, September 22, 2023 5:11 PM The six-minute narrated trailer showcases the game's concept, courses, playable characters, and more The post Super Mario Bros. Wonder Gets New Overview Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, September 22, 2023 4:34 PM Allows players change their appearance The post Baldur's Gate III Patch 3 Available Today, Adds the Magic Mirror appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, September 22, 2023 4:07 PM The CMA was one of the major roadblocks for the acquisition to be approved The post The CMA has Provisionally Approved Microsoft's Activision Acquisition appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
MonsterVine Friday, September 22, 2023 1:00 PM Star Ocean is a series I've only dabbled in so far, but after finishing Star Ocean: First Departure R, my one wish was for a way to play the second game in the series before moving on, especially since I'd heard such high praise for it. As a result, I was delighted when Star Ocean […] |