Kotaku Sunday, January 14, 2024 9:15 AM  The first half of January can be a slow time for new game releases, but that also makes it a great time to tick some boxes on your backlog or revisit some old favorites. Read on for some of this week's essential strategies for Starfield, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and some heckin' great deals on Resident Evil… |
PCGamesN Sunday, January 14, 2024 11:25 AM  After Blizzard announced that Overwatch 2 would be introducing a passive heal for both tank and DPS characters game director Aaron Keller has provided a follow-up statement, calling the reveal a "mistake" without the context of the wider changes coming in Season 9. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: All Overwatch 2 characters, Best Overwatch 2 settings, Overwatch 2 tier list |
PCGamesN Sunday, January 14, 2024 10:32 AM  The creator of the recently canned Portal 64 project released a new video telling everyone "Don't blame Valve," adding that the actual release of the fan remake of Portal on a Nintendo SDK was highly unlikely. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best puzzle games, Best story games, What happened to Half-Life 3? |
PCGamesN Sunday, January 14, 2024 9:19 AM  If you're looking to completely revamp the magic available in Tamriel through a series of Skyrim mods I have just the mod collection for you. Modder 'Kittytail' uploaded a series of magic mods throughout 2023, with two already out in 2024, to the RPG that give you a wide variety of entirely new magic spells. While they've proved widely popular, I've brought some of the coolest, and newest ones from this year, into one place. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Skyrim mods, Elder Scrolls 6 release date, Games like Skyrim |
Siliconera Sunday, January 14, 2024 12:00 PM
It isn't uncommon for video games to also attempt to help people learn languages, and Terra Alia attempts to combine that with exploring another world in VR. However, it is a rudimentary experience that only covers one chapter, and it is one that doesn't always make the best impression.
Terra Alia essentially starts by players heading to a parallel world where magic and otherworldly beings exist, and players end up invited to an academy by their mentor Esperanto. Except the former teacher isn't there, just a painting with a message. Something is afoot. So players work with Falco and learn a new language words to perform magic since Language Wards are suppressing their magical abilities. You need to learn the names of things around you to proceed and solve puzzles. (Also, there are RPG-style magical battles.) However, it is important to note that it only took me about two hours, and this is only the first part. The developer promised updates, but it is a situation where if you want the full experience, you may want to wait.
Especially since Terra Alia also feels designed for a certain sort of language learning. Basically, it isn't the full educational experience. Rather, I feel like the value here comes from if you already have some passing knowledge of a second language, as it might help as a refresher or with assisting in picking up certain words. I started with Japanese, but then eventually switched to Spanish since my level of skill with it is better and I'd worried it'd have an effect on the battles. (Said fights aren't too troublesome, so feel free to go with something you aren't as familiar with if you'd like.)
It's fairly easy to find and pick up new words, and the puzzles rely upon language to keep the focus on learning. The voice acting isn't always great, with pronunciation sometimes sounding inaccurate in some situations, and there were a few localization choices that made me pause a bit in both languages I tried. Which, again, reinforced my thinking that this is best for someone who is already starting to learn a language, knows a bit, and is using this as a companion piece.
As far as gameplay goes, another thing about Terra Alia is that it shifts between being occasionally clunky and downright buggy. When it started in VR, the book that opens for the main menu was at eye level even though I properly calibrated my Quest 3 and had it set to register my standing. So to make any selection, I'd need to reach up over my head. When I first started playing, I chose the "teleport" move option. Except then it wouldn't work. I was trapped and needed to completely restart a new save, then go with more traditional movement. (That did fix the issue.) Sometimes, it seemed like the grabbing elements didn't always click to pick up things I needed. Areas felt empty, with textures that might have even looked dated on a PS2 and bland character models. I had an issue with some quests not triggering properly sometimes. Also as it doesn't have the same sort of motion-sickness accommodations as games like Asgard's Wrath 2 and Assassin's Creed Nexus, I felt like I could only really play in 15-20 minute bursts. Given the quality of the Quest 3 in other games, I knew any issues I experienced weren't on my end.
I appreciate what Terra Alia is trying to do. I think it could even help some people who are already learning a language and want more practical experience seeing items and picking up vocabulary, if people don't mind a rudimentary experience. However, someone going into it should know it is basic and isn't one of the best looking Meta Quest games. It might be a good idea to wait a few weeks or months for more updates, especially since 30 Parallel has been discussing patches and additional content regularly, and to be sure it's something you'd want to play.
Terra Alia is available in VR for the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest Pro.
The post Terra Alia Tries to Build Vocabulary in a Basic Way in VR appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, January 14, 2024 9:00 AM
Now that Viz Media picked up the Pokemon Adventures: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire manga, people can once again revisit classic games and see certain characters again without playing the games. It's a story that really taps into the nostalgia of the GBA and 3DS games in a pleasant way.
While Pokemon Adventures: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire covers a whole new arc of the saga from the games. Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald are once again young trainers caught up in the thick of things, with Ruby taking point in a way as they deal with a potential cataclysm. A meteor is heading to the world in ten days, and it is up to trainers and Pokemon to save the day. This also means learning how to make the most of Mega Evolutions.
I'll admit that I was actually a bit lost initially. At this point, it's been a really long time since I played Alpha Sapphire on my 3DS! I almost feel like that does help a little. It means as I read, what I did remember wasn't tainting my opinion of Hidenori Kusaka's retelling of the situation. Getting to see the discovery of the ruins hinting at the Primal states of Groudon and Kyogre, meeting Zinnia again, and seeing Team Aqua and Magma again was refreshing. The introduction of Zinnia to Ruby is even handled well enough that if someone didn't play the 3DS versions of the GBA games, they should still be able to catch up and enjoy it.
Also, it's great to see Satoshi Yamamoto's art again. The artist's character and Pokemon designs are really fantastic. It really captures the people we're seeing in the games well and gives us a little extra insight to them.
You're going to get the most out of the Pokemon Adventures: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire manga if you have been keeping up with this series. However, if you haven't, it still can be fun. Yes, Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald will be all new to the reader. However, the situations, secondary characters, and Pokemon are all wonderfully familiar, and I found it to be an insightful take and approach to the events caused by and involving certain characters.
Volume 1 of the Pokemon Adventures: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire manga is now available via Viz Media. The Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games are available on the 3DS.
The post Pokemon Adventures: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Manga Feels Nostalgic appeared first on Siliconera. |
Gamer Empire Sunday, January 14, 2024 7:00 AM Robux is the premium currency in Roblox and can be used to purchase access to certain games, accessories for your character, in-game items, and gamepasses. Almost every game, also known as experiences in Roblox, offers additional unlockable content or features in exchange for Robux, making the currency desirable. You can purchase Robux with real money, […] |
WGB Sunday, January 14, 2024 12:04 PM The lifeblood of any console is the first-party exclusive titles. For most people, they are the primary motivating factor when it comes to choosing which of the big three console brands to get into bed with. For a long time, both Sony and Nintendo have clearly led the pack when it comes consistently outputting quality first-party software, but Microsoft are making big moves to finally address the Xbox's biggest weakness; a lack of kick-ass games. Now though, with Zenimax and Activision as part of their in-house development pipeline, Xbox is aiming to release a new first-party game every quarter, meaning in 2024 we should be expecting to see a new exclusive game every 3 months. That also means that, as I'm writing this, one should be coming along just about....now. Ish. |