In closing out 2023, that momentous phrase we've all heard a thousand times has almost become a cliche. "It's been an incredible year for gaming." I don't know how many times I've uttered it in reverence to the jam-packed year filled to the gills with 9s and 10s. This year has truly felt like the phoenix rising from the ashes of the COVID years, and let me tell you, gaming is back. From top to bottom, 2023 has been overindulgent. Delectable indies have taken us to the bottom of the ocean, flown us to strange planets with dark hallways filled with lethal monsters, and sprung us between worlds within worlds. Scrumptious action adventures have given us high-octane mecha fights, magical broom rides through wisping trees, and worlds among the stars explored with blasters and blade. All this, and I've not even hinted at PC Invasion's 2023 Game of the Year, runner-ups, and honorable mentions. PC Invasion'...
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, December 25, 2023 5:00 PM
Wallpapers are essentially an extension of someone's personality. Whether you decide to show off your favorite anime, or simply have a silly little cat on your screen. We're going to take you down a list and show you the top 50 best animated wallpapers. Top 50 Best Animated Wallpapers A few things to note before starting our lists. First, all of the animated wallpapers you see here are available on arguably the best place to get any of them, Wallpaper Engine. Wallpaper Engine is your one-stop shop for everything wallpapers, no matter if you're a user or creator. Personally, I've logged over 200 hours using Wallpaper Engine, solely for the joy of rotating wallpapers every single day. Related: To no one's surprise, The Day Before developer FNTASTIC is shutting down Lastly, links will be provided for every wallpaper you see here today by clicking on the name of the author, so don't worry about not being able to find one...
You may not have a disembodied, talking head you can consult like Kratos does, but you do have us. This week, we'll help you make the most out of your Stadia controllers, experience the features Starfield intends to implement in the future, and look back at all the PC gaming you enjoyed in 2023.
Mech pilots have feelings, too. Armored Core VI is a game about blowing up everything in sight with a smorgasbord of overpowered weapons. But it's also a game about vain, self-righteous men who think it's their God-given right to take over a planet. While you only know them as codenames, characters like Snail and…
Teamfight Tactics was born in the shadow of its older brother, League of Legends, and has stayed there for the past four years. TFT has relied heavily on League for most of its content, whether that be skin lines or narrative events. As a result, TFT has never really managed to break the reputation of being League of Legends' 'extra' mode. That was until Remix Rumble came onto the scene, however.
The Outer Worlds' remastered Spacer's Choice Edition is free to download and keep forever for the next 24 hours. The acclaimed FPS RPG from Obsidian follows Fallout 3 and Ghostwire Tokyo as an Epic Games Store freebie for the holiday season.
While I'm an advocate for VR gaming, it's fair to say that 2023 has been a very good year to evangelize this alternative way to play. Asgard's Wrath 2 - which remains free for Meta Quest 3 owners for now - is the crescendo of what has arguably been VR's best year for both games and hardware. Most of all, it's proven that you don't need a mouse and keyboard to enjoy an expansive RPG.
We begin a week of Siliconera's Game of the Year selections with the PlayStation 5! The system hit a level of maturity in 2023, with fewer cross-generation launches and more titles using the hardware's full capabilities. It even got a VR headset this year! (Though without any software support worthy of contending in this particular category.) Read on for our PlayStation Game of the Year 2023 honorees!
These awards represent the consensus of the Siliconera staff. For more of the year's award selections, check out our Game of the Year 2023 archive.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
While it stays closer to the action-focused approach of other Resident Evil remakes than the more suspenseful one of the original release, Resident Evil 4 Remake does a solid job of recreating the characters and world of the beloved series entry. There are lots of ways to play RE4 these days, and many of them are still worth playing! So in offering a fundamentally different take, Remake justifies its existence without stepping on any toes.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
The earlier of the franchise's two 2023 releases, Like a Dragon: Ishin! remakes a Japan-only spinoff title that shifted the setting back in Japanese history. It tells an existing tale but puts its own spin on it — and would you believe that spin includes a lot of street fights? — and the result was one the Siliconera staff really loved. Though maybe we spent a little too much time farming?
Siliconera PlayStation Game of the Year Winner: Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Insomniac's second Spider-Man outing builds on the foundations of the first, delivering an open-world game with satisfying traversal and combat. It's easy these days to find a game with tons to do, but harder to find one in which those tasks never feel like chores. Its story definitely tries to do a lot, and it strains to hold plot threads together a little along the way, but the fun never suffers. That earns it our PlayStation Game of the Year 2023 honors.
The entire Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side series will be available on the Nintendo Switch. Konami revealed that it will release the Switch versions of 1st Love, 2nd Season, and 3rd Story in Japan on February 14, 2024.
The new Switch releases will be mostly based on the latest versions for each title. The inaugural Girl's Side game, originally released on the PS2 in 2002, received Nintendo DS ports with the 1st Love subtitle in 2007 and the Plus edition with full voiceovers in 2009. Konami also released 2nd Kiss first for PS2 in 2006 but later ported it to the DS with a different subtitle—2nd Season—in 2008.
The third game will be implemented in a different way. Konami launched 3rd Story first for Nintendo DS in 2010, and it then released the enhanced Premium 3rd Story in 2012. The company will mostly base the Switch version on the DS release, as it will lack features from the PSP version like Live2D and Approach Mode. However, it will still include Tatsuya Hasumi, the character who made his debut in the PSP game.
The announcement video for the Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side Switch releases premiered on Konami's YouTube channel on the 2023 Christmas Day. It is also available to watch right below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9aO9sf7K8E
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 4th Heart is the subseries' latest entry as of 2023. It was also the first to appear on the Switch when Konami released it in October 2021. With all three earlier entries now slated to come to the platform, the Nintendo Switch will host another complete set of game series.
Even though Girl's Side has been receiving a larger spotlight in recent years, Konami is also making preparations for the 30th anniversary of the original Tokimeki Memorial series—intended for the male audience to interact with female characters—in 2024. The company set up a new account on Twitter (now X) dedicated to the original franchise in May 2023. It is also working with Good Smile Company to release a Nendoroid of Shiori Fujisaki from the first game.
The Nintendo Switch versions of the first three Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side entries—1st Love, 2nd Season, and 3rd Story—will be released in Japan on February 14, 2024.
Bandai Namco revealed new crossover content from Xenosaga for the Japanese mobile game Tales of the Rays. The event's main highlight will be the in-person appearance of KOS-MOS, the combat android who is also the series' main star. Mariko Suzuki, the original Japanese voice actress for KOS-MOS, will also return to reprise her role in Tales of the Rays.
The crossover will also provide new Xenosaga-themed costumes for several existing Tales Of series characters. Tales of Berseria's protagonist Velvet will get a T-elos costume, while the deuteragonist Laphicet will receive a chaos outfit. Kanonno Earhart, who originally appeared in the 2009 PSP entry Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2, will also have a costume modeled after MOMO Mizrahi.
Bandai Namco has also uploaded a trailer showcasing the Xenosaga crossover content on the Tales Of YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoKAlkpg2Uo
Xenosaga will not be the first external franchise to provide crossover content in Tales of the Rays. Bandai Namco had previously launched in-house collaborations with God Eater and Scarlet Nexus. The company also held two crossover events with Slayers, adding characters like Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent.
KOS-MOS and the Xenosaga-themed character costumes will appear in Tales of the Rays, available on Android and iOS devices exclusively in Japan. The game used to have a global English version that launched in July 2017, but Bandai Namco shut it down in May 2018.
A My Hero Academia crossover event in Granblue Fantasy will appear in January 2024. Cygames announced the new collaboration on the second day of Granblue Fes 2023.
Cygames also revealed the key highlights of the upcoming crossover event. Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo will come as new playable characters, while All Might will also appear as a summon. The company also teased that there will be more characters appearing from My Hero Academia, and it will reveal them in due time.
Image via Cygames
Image via Cygames
Image via Cygames
My Hero Academia will join the ever-expanding list of franchises that have collaborated in Granblue Fantasy. Cygames has previously held crossover events featuring titles like One Piece, Persona 5, and Cardcaptor Sakura.
Cygames is also undergoing preparations for celebrating a major anniversary milestone for Granblue Fantasy. The game launched first for web browsers on March 10, 2014, so its tenth anniversary will fall in March 2024. As a reminder, the mobile app releases for Android and iOS came out roughly two months later than the initial release on May 1, 2014.
Granblue Fantasy is available in Japanese and English on Android and iOS mobile devices. The My Hero Academia crossover event will run from January 12, 2024, to January 25, 2024.
Usada Pekora has made a big win after her bet in a horse race succeeded. The Japanese Hololive VTuber placed a ¥50,000 (~$350) bet on the racing horse Titleholder at the Arima Kinen race on December 24, 2023. The bet succeeded and she received a payout of ¥165,000 (~$1,160). The success came with even more sentimental value, as it was also the final race the horse took part in.
Usada Pekora has been known as a fan of Titleholder. Oricon noted that the person behind the VTuber had placed the same bets for the horse at the previous Arima Kinen race on December 25, 2022, and the Spring Tenno Sho race on April 30, 2023. However, she lost both bets as Titleholder did not finish in the top three in either race.
Titleholder managed to finish in third place at the 2023 Arima Kinen race. Pekora won her bet and received ¥165,000 as a result. That means the VTuber has not only recovered the money she lost in her previous two bets; she even gained an additional ¥15,000. This race was also the last one for Titleholder before he went on to retirement as a stud horse.
An archived version of Pekora's livestream covering the horse race is available right below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOMM31aK-8M
Usada Pekora is one of Hololive's most popular VTubers with over 2.39 million subscribers recorded on her YouTube channel as of December 2023. The VTuber is also known for releasing multiple songs. In mid-December 2023, Pekora released the duet song "Bridal Dream" with Houshou Marine, a fellow Hololive VTuber who ranks just above her at over 2.96 million subscribers.
There have been many winter-themed events in games over the years that are perfect for getting players into the holiday spirit. To celebrate Holiday 2023, we discuss our favorite Holiday Events in a game.
Final Fantasy XIV has excellent holiday events almost every year, but there was one particular event (I believe somewhere around Stormblood) that stands out as my favorite. This particular Starlight Celebration had players go to the local orphanage in Ul'dah and help them set up for the holiday festivities. It was heartwarming, surprising, and had some tear-jerker moments, and it was only a random holiday event for two weeks. -- Cody
Honestly, I know this is about holiday events in ongoing games, but all that comes to mind when I see that question is Yakuza 5, the definitive Christmas game. Getting to wander a snowy city in mid-December, hearing "Jingle Bells" playing out of store windows, rolling random thugs up into snowmen...you know, all the holiday traditions. That said, I am looking forward to the masquerade vibe of Splatoon 3's upcoming Frosty Fest, so I will also say that for an actual event. -- Leigh
I have to go with the Feast of the Winter Star in Stardew Valley. The cozy farming sim not only manages to capture the holiday spirit with its adorable Christmas-themed festival, but its gorgeous soundtrack makes me feel nostalgic for the winter season every time I hear it. From the secret gift-giving event, to the little vendor stands with holiday-themed food, Stardew Valley lets you live out the fantasy of celebrating Christmas in a small-town community. Even years after its release, I find myself booting up the game every December just to reach the Winter season celebration! -- Brent
Now that we've revealed the holiday-themed gaming events that we love, we want to hear what your favorite ones are. Let us know in the comments and happy holidays!
All of this killing and for what? A rainbow weapon paint job? Count me in. Here are the best game modes for camos in Modern Warfare 3. Modern Warfare 3: Best game modes for camos The Camo challenges are no joke. While they might start simple enough, the sheer volume of kills and every single condition and kill type can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, while skill is the primary factor for unlocking these, there are some game modes in Modern Warfare 3 that will make your significantly easier. Or at least easier during virtual sessions of mindlessly shooting at pixels resembling enemy soldiers. Oh well, that's the best we can do for now, and you bet we'll do. Here are the best game modes for camos in Modern Warfare 3. Hardcore Image: Sledgehammer Games While this is not precisely a match type but a complete overhaul of the in-game rules, Hardcore is by far the best thing that has happened to camo challenges. Why? Well, the number of kill...
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, December 25, 2023 1:03 PM
December 25, 2023: We've added three new Monopoly Go dice links to our list.
How can I get Monopoly Go free dice links? The classic board game has made its way to a free-to-play format, and you'll be doing laps of the board collecting houses and hotels and completing a variety of multiplayer minigames along the way.
You can't get far in Monopoly Go without dice rolls, which you'll have a limited amount of to begin with. To earn more dice rolls, you'll need to log in daily to collect bonuses, invite your friends to the game, or progress further. If you don't want to spend your hard-earned money on more dice, you can use dice links for the board game instead. Now, let's run down all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today.
During the Game Awards 2023 broadcast, Sega announced that five classic game series from its dusty back catalog would be getting new installments. These include Genesis classics such as Shinobi, Streets of Rage, and Golden Axe, as well as Dreamcast games Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio. Some of these look mightily impressive, too, with Shinobi's new Okami-like art style being a particular highlight.
Whether you've been lucky enough to open up the Meta Quest 3 as a gift this holiday season or you picked one up at launch and still aren't sure if you are getting the most out of it, I've got you covered.
You might consider yourself a VR expert, and that's great, but you never know what little hints, tips, and tricks you might be missing out on that could improve your experience with one of the best VR headsets. Let me take you through everything you need to know about your new Meta Quest 3 including ways to improve your experience from day one.
Promise you won't tell the other children, but the RPS staff are actually complex magical spells cast by the Sugar Plum Fairy, as part of an age old pact with the ents of the forest where the RPS treehouse was built hundreds of years ago. Each year the Sugar Plum Fairy has to collect more wishes to power the spells every year (you can help to make the spells more powerful by joining the RPS supporter program). While she's out wish-hunting, here are some Christmas Crackers to distract you.
Time to enjoy your lovely joke!
Q: What did the Starfleet Officers call the Chief Of Security's new toupee?
Hello folks. Giveaway Of The Day holds a new giveaway for The Cubatron. Their message follows. The Cubatron is available as a Giveaway of the day!You have limited time to download, install and register it. A few words about The Cubatron The Cubaton is a casual and arcade time-killing game where you have to use WASD to control a large cube that should not crash into other white cubes otherwise you ...
Hello fellow gamers. Giveaway Of The Day is giving everyone the opportunity to win on Mythic Heroes. Read on for their offering. Mythic Heroes is available as a Giveaway of the day!You have limited time to download, install and register it. A few words about Mythic Heroes The program archive includes the readme file with the further instructions! Last minute notes Login with your Facebook or email...
If you're looking for the best gear in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery, you'll need to grind your Warsong Outriders reputation to Revered. Thankfully, this is far easier than it was in regular Classic due to a new SoD feature. You'll even get an early mount out of it! This guide covers the easiest and most efficient way to grind Warsong Outsiders rep in WoW Classic: SoD. In Season of Discovery, you don't even need to enter a single battleground to earn Warsong reputation. (It definitely helps, though.) Best way to grind Warsong Outriders reputation in World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery The best source of Warsong Outriders reputation in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery is the Battle for Ashenvale. This is a world event unique to SoD that dishes out tons of Warsong reputation to any in the area. While in Ashenvale, you can see a percentage counter for both the Horde and Alliance. These go up whenever the respectiv...
WGB, Home of AWESOME Reviews Sunday, December 24, 2023 7:16 PM
It's that wonderful time of the year again, where we all come together to bask in the fact that Jim Carrey is once again prancing around on TV as the Grinch, chomping his way through the scenery like it's made of gingerbread. You go, you crazy green bastard.
In closing out 2023, that momentous phrase we've all heard a thousand times has almost become a cliche. "It's been an incredible year for gaming." I don't know how many times I've uttered it in reverence to the jam-packed year filled to the gills with 9s and 10s. This year has truly felt like the phoenix rising from the ashes of the COVID years, and let me tell you, gaming is back. From top to bottom, 2023 has been overindulgent. Delectable indies have taken us to the bottom of the ocean, flown us to strange planets with dark hallways filled with lethal monsters, and sprung us between worlds within worlds. Scrumptious action adventures have given us high-octane mecha fights, magical broom rides through wisping trees, and worlds among the stars explored with blasters and blade. All this, and I've not even hinted at PC Invasion's 2023 Game of the Year, runner-ups, and honorable mentions. PC Invasion'... 
Wallpapers are essentially an extension of someone's personality. Whether you decide to show off your favorite anime, or simply have a silly little cat on your screen. We're going to take you down a list and show you the top 50 best animated wallpapers. Top 50 Best Animated Wallpapers A few things to note before starting our lists. First, all of the animated wallpapers you see here are available on arguably the best place to get any of them, Wallpaper Engine. Wallpaper Engine is your one-stop shop for everything wallpapers, no matter if you're a user or creator. Personally, I've logged over 200 hours using Wallpaper Engine, solely for the joy of rotating wallpapers every single day. Related: To no one's surprise, The Day Before developer FNTASTIC is shutting down Lastly, links will be provided for every wallpaper you see here today by clicking on the name of the author, so don't worry about not being able to find one... 
All of this killing and for what? A rainbow weapon paint job? Count me in. Here are the best game modes for camos in Modern Warfare 3. Modern Warfare 3: Best game modes for camos The Camo challenges are no joke. While they might start simple enough, the sheer volume of kills and every single condition and kill type can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, while skill is the primary factor for unlocking these, there are some game modes in Modern Warfare 3 that will make your significantly easier. Or at least easier during virtual sessions of mindlessly shooting at pixels resembling enemy soldiers. Oh well, that's the best we can do for now, and you bet we'll do. Here are the best game modes for camos in Modern Warfare 3. Hardcore Image: Sledgehammer Games While this is not precisely a match type but a complete overhaul of the in-game rules, Hardcore is by far the best thing that has happened to camo challenges. Why? Well, the number of kill... 
If you're looking for the best gear in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery, you'll need to grind your Warsong Outriders reputation to Revered. Thankfully, this is far easier than it was in regular Classic due to a new SoD feature. You'll even get an early mount out of it! This guide covers the easiest and most efficient way to grind Warsong Outsiders rep in WoW Classic: SoD. In Season of Discovery, you don't even need to enter a single battleground to earn Warsong reputation. (It definitely helps, though.) Best way to grind Warsong Outriders reputation in World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery The best source of Warsong Outriders reputation in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery is the Battle for Ashenvale. This is a world event unique to SoD that dishes out tons of Warsong reputation to any in the area. While in Ashenvale, you can see a percentage counter for both the Horde and Alliance. These go up whenever the respectiv...