Kotaku Sunday, March 10, 2024 9:15 AM  Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is finally here, so whether you're trying to steal a certain green monarch's crown, become the best around at Queen's Blood, master synergy skills and abilities, or something else, we've got you covered. But hey, Rebirth isn't the only brand new game you may want an edge in. This week also… |
PCGamesN Sunday, March 10, 2024 1:16 PM  I suck at chess. It's a simple game that I love to play, but I've never been any good at it. So if I could somehow cheat and get away with it, I'd probably win a lot more. This need to cheat is the premise of the new Steam indie King of the Bridge, where you face off against a pesky bridge troll who's invented his own version of the game with so many rules they'll make your head spin. The trick though, is if you catch the troll cheating, you can cheat right back. Continue reading Inventive $3 Steam indie has you playing a cheating troll at chess MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best indie games, Free Steam games, Best puzzle games |
PCGamesN Sunday, March 10, 2024 12:07 PM  We all see the same thing when picturing a goblin: green-skinned, small, ugly, making funny noises, and ripe for adventurers to cut a swathe through their local populous. They're fantasy fodder at its finest, and not something we think about after a hard day of exploring. When the surviving little goobers crawl home though, what do they get up to, and what would happen if one day they'd had enough? This is the premise of turn-based strategy RPG Goblin Stone, which I've been playing ahead of an imminent release on Steam. Continue reading New Steam strategy game is XCOM with goblins, and it's delightful MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best turn-based strategy games, Free Steam games, Best strategy games |
PCGamesN Sunday, March 10, 2024 11:51 AM  Something important to know about the new Crusader Kings 3 DLC pack, Legends of the Dead, is that it isn't messing around about the "dead" part. The new expansion includes brutal new mechanics for pestilence and plagues, and the devastating Black Death is a major component of the new campaign experience. Fortunately, you can turn it off if you just want to stick with the fun legends part, and not the dead part. Continue reading Crusader Kings 3's new expansion lets you skip the Black Death MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Crusader Kings 3 DLC guide, Best Crusader Kings 3 mods, Crusader Kings 3 review |
PCGamesN Sunday, March 10, 2024 10:33 AM  Beloved JRPG Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch won't be leaving Xbox and PC Game Pass anytime soon, it turns out. After an update post revealed the game would be gone from the subscription service this March, a new statement retracts the claim, instead explaining how it will remain available going forward. Continue reading Turns out this beloved JRPG isn't leaving Game Pass just yet |
PCGamesN Sunday, March 10, 2024 8:17 AM  Baldur's Gate 3 mods never cease to impress me, and what I'm looking at today is yet another incredible overhaul perfect for revisiting Larian's colossal RPG game. With new enemies and remixed combat encounters, prepare for BG3 to feel fresh again. Continue reading Remix Baldur's Gate 3 enemies and encounters with this massive mod MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds, BG3 mods, Baldur's Gate 3 classes |
PCGamesN Sunday, March 10, 2024 6:41 AM  Many Helldivers 2 players are finding themselves kicked from games by the host for no good reason, and now developer Arrowhead Game Studios has taken notice. The team is already looking at ways to mitigate the problem, with the community providing ideas and feedback that could see matchmaking filters, post-game player blocking, and more added to the game down the line. Continue reading Helldivers 2 looking at ways to stop unruly hosts from kicking you MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Helldivers 2 weapons, Helldivers 2 servers, Helldivers 2 system requirements |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, March 10, 2024 7:00 AM  Sundays are for treating your mum to something nice. Let's gift as we read the week's best writing about games and game-related things. |
Siliconera Sunday, March 10, 2024 1:00 PM
Cygames uploaded a new trailer for Beatrix and Vane, as they both will appear in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. Vane will be available from early April and Beatrix will come out in late May 2024.
The trailer is very short, at only about forty seconds long. You can watch it here:
The Beatrix and Vane trailer for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising only shows the animation for when they first appear in battle. It does not show any of their moves or how they'll play. Like previous new characters, they will be DLC. Previous DLC characters are Lucilius and 2B (from Nier Automata). After Beatrix and Vane come out, there will be two more characters coming out in August and October. However, Cygames has not yet revealed who they are.
Like with all the Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising characters, Beatrix and Vane's voice actors from the original Granblue Fantasy will reprise their roles. Aya Hirano voices Beatrix and Takuya Eguchi voices Vane. Hirano's prominent roles include Lucy from Fairy Tail and Haruhi from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. As for Eguchi, his more recent major roles include Loid from Spy x Family and Dot from Mashle.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is readily available on the PS4, PS5, and Windows PC.
The post Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising Beatrix and Vane Trailer is Short appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, March 10, 2024 12:30 PM
Seofon, Tweyen, and Sandalphon will appear as free characters in Granblue Fantasy: Relink in future patches. You can check out the entire road map of updates via the official website.
For starters, Version 1.1.0 will go live on March 14, 2024. That update will include a new quest called "The Final Vision" as free content. Paid content will include various packs such as the Emote Expansion Set and the Self-Improvement Pack. These packs will give items like Ambrosia and Gold Dalia Badges, and you can check them out from the official website. Version 1.2.0 will launch in April 2024, with Seofon and Tweyen as new playable characters. This will be free content. You can also just buy them if you don't want to unlock them in the game. Version 1.3.0 of Granblue Fantasy: Relink will go live in May 2024, with Sandalphon appearing as a new playable character. Again, you can unlock him for free, or buy him if you don't want to bother with the in-game conditions.
You can check out trailers for Seofon and Tweyen as well. Here is how they look in the game proper:
In Japanese, Junichi Suwabe voices Seofon. Suwabe's roles include Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen and Archer/EMIYA in the Fate series. Alejandro Saab voices him in English. You may have heard Saab as Akihiko in Persona 3 Reload and Jing Yuan in Honkai: Star Rail. As for Tweyen, Yuko Minaguchi voices her in Japanese. Minaguchi's roles include Farah in Tales of Eternia, as well as Videl and Pan in the Dragon Ball series. Giselle Fernandez voices her in English. Fernandez played Aloy in Genshin Impact and Princess Daisy in Super Mario Bros Wonder.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is available for the PS4, PS5, and Windows PC.
The post Granblue Fantasy: Relink Getting Sandalphon, Seofon, and Tweyen appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, March 10, 2024 12:00 PM
Crunchyroll will air the Hashira Training Arc of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba from May 12, 2024. There is also a new trailer for the upcoming season.
The new trailer for the upcoming arc is around a minute and a half long. It does contain spoilers, so please exercise caution if you are not caught up with the anime or have not read the manga in advance. You can watch the trailer here:
The Hashira Training Arc is, as the name implies, a training arc in which Tanjiro and the other demon slayers train with the various Hashira members. This will shine a spotlight on Hashira who have not really had much screen time thus far, such as Obanai and Sanemi. The trailer also includes a teaser of the theme song for the Hashira Training Arc. As for the new key visual, it shows all of the Hashira sitting down as if they're in a meeting with Ubuyashiki.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a popular anime and manga series that began serialization in 2016 and ended in 2020. The anime started airing in 2019, with ufotable animating the adaptation. It follows Tanjiro, a normal young boy who survives a demon attack on his family because he was away. The other survivor is his younger sister Nezuko, who had become a demon as a result. In order to restore her humanity, he becomes a demon slayer. The series is immensely popular, with the Mugen Train movie even beating out Spirited Away as the highest grossing film in Japan back in 2020.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is readily available to watch on streaming services such as Crunchyroll and Netflix. The Hashira Training Arc of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba will begin airing from May 12, 2024.
The post Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc Will Air in May 2024 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, March 10, 2024 11:30 AM
Lasengle revealed the 2024 update roadmap for the English server of Fate/Grand Order. However, this is not a complete roadmap, as it only includes details between March and June 2024.
From March 15, 2024, the Battle in New York 2024: Space Odysseus Versus Nikola Tesla event will start. In order to participate, you will need to first clear Lostbelt 1. Water Monster Crisis: The Floating Island of Innocents will start from late March 2024. While you only need to clear Lostbelt 2 to participate, it will contain spoilers for Avalon le Fae. Finally, Nanmei Yumihari: Eight Dog Chronicles will start from early June 2024. In order to participate, you will need to first clear Lostbelt 3.
The Water Monster Crisis event originally ran in April 2022 on the Japanese server. Clearing this event rewarded players with Taisui Xingjun, who is an SR Alter Ego. The Trung Sisters (SSR Saber) debuted in this event. While Nanmei Yumihari, which originally ran in June 2022, did not feature a free SR, it introduced two SSR Servants. You could get Kyokutei Bakin (Rider) and Minamoto no Tametomo (Archer).
Because the Fate/Grand Order English server is doing events in the same order as the Japanese one, only two years behind, you can also check out what the Japanese schedule was like to know what to expect after June 2024. Knowing what events and Servants will come out in advance is an advantage of playing the English version of the game. Unlike those who play the Japanese version, English players can decide if they want to save or pull depending on what banners will come next.
Fate/Grand Order is readily available on mobile devices. The first upcoming event will be Battle for New York 2024, and it'll start from March 15, 2024.
The post Fate/Grand Order US 2024 Update Roadmap Revealed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Sunday, March 10, 2024 8:00 AM
Roche ended up being something of a weird figure in Final Fantasy VII Remake, as he was more of an antagonistic weirdo who popped up as a self-proclaimed Rival for Cloud in the main game and a silly Fort Condor opponent for Yuffie, but FFVII Rebirth changes all that. With this latest installment, his existence offers a chance at critical insight into Shinra and SOLDIER, coupled with a more even-handed depiction.
Editor's Note: There will be spoilers for Roche in Final Fantasy VII Remake and FFVII Rebirth below.
In Final Fantasy VII Remake, Roche was 100% over the top. Minutes after meeting Cloud, he's proclaiming him his friend and rival. It's to the point of obsession. He's flamboyant. He's violent. When Reno met Cloud in FFVII Remake, he claimed Cloud was "weird enough to be one." We honestly didn't get many examples of SOLDIERs until the supplemental Crisis Core: FFVII, so it was honestly somewhat welcome? It shows the mindset of someone who could end up in the program, especially after going through such things.
Honestly, I really liked him at his debut. Not just because it added a Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima style relationship to the game. It made for the opportunities for some fun fights. So I was absolutely excited to know Roche would be back again in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but I did not expect for Square Enix to absolutely expound upon the character and make him a more viable addition to the FFVII Remake trilogy with his appearance.
We first meet Roche in Junon. When Shinra gets tipped off to the presence of Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barret, and Red XIII down below, he's the one to show up down below. He's as boisterous as ever! He's enthusiastic! But at the same time, his character is further defined. Rather than doing exactly what Shinra says and dragging them in, he wants that one-on-one fight with Cloud. It's about getting to test his skills against a truly worthy opponent.
From there, we see him in the military parade above for Rufus Shinra and, well, we see how well his kind of abilities are received by others. Regardless of how well the player does, the Midgar Mobile Unit he heads up gets the Award for Outstanding Performance. And at that point, his personality and behavior really lends itself to hamming it up. I mean, he actually "signs" the camera screen. But at the same time, it's good natured.
As Cloud remains in disguise with Midgar's Seventh Infantry to throw off Shinra and get through, we encounter Roche once more. That's the first of two fights and honestly, it's fun! I appreciated the fact that his riding skills come into play, and the fact that you need to pressure him and target his weakness to get him down from riding the walls really adds a sense of strategy to an early game encounter that could have been more boring.
It's also during this fight, both the events before and after, that we see how genuine Roche is. His personality is infectious. All the other Shinra soldiers are there watching, waiting for that match between him and Cloud. They love him. Roche even sincerely says, "The mobile unit would have loved to have you." He knows what Cloud was doing with his infiltration plan and the Seventh, but he respects him both for not holding back in the fight and being so good to the people in "his unit." He even gives a Speed Demon keychain accessory of himself, which is both adorable and handy.
But it is Roche's downfall and final depictions in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and the FFVII Remake trilogy, that I think are most valuable here. Roche ends up in Hojo's hands, voluntarily going under his needle and knife. Though, given his depiction when in the chair and the fact that this normally passionate man's response to Hojo is such an emotionless "No, Professor," it is debatable how much he knew going in and how willing he was.
Because Roche's ultimate fate is to show exactly how easily someone can go from a healthy, vital, passionate, and powerful SOLDIER into one of these robed men that is a shell of himself and at the point of degradation. One of his last conscious acts is to seek out one last fight with Cloud, the person he respected and felt was his equal. He meets him at Nibelheim, going against orders to do so, for one last match. We see at that point how fractured he's getting to be. The way he wields his sword like Sephiroth does Masamune. The facial expressions. The fact that he seems to know how wrong things are. His physical appearance seeming not quite what it was.
Roche becomes a warning in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, a living example of what happens to those Shinra touches in FFVII and the new remake trilogy. One of his final conscious lines is, "There's no escaping… the degradation… my… friend…" We see the physical pain he's enduring. The way his hair is turning. How the other Robed Men converge on him. How he rises up as one of them. The fact that he's one of the few of these unfortunate souls to make it to the Temple of the Ancients is this supreme example of foreboding and foreshadowing.
It is one of those moments where it feels like we really see everything pay off. Roche goes from this supplemental character for some silly encounters and boss fights to becoming a perfect example of what Shinra is capable of and what could be waiting for anyone unfortunate enough to be a test subject. Roche ended up being a well-executed character, and the pay off for his storyline in Final Fantasy VII Remake and FFVII Rebirth
Final Fantasy Remake is available on the PS4, PS5, and PC, and FFVII Rebirth is available on the PS5. The Rebirth exclusivity arrangement ends on May 29, 2024.
The post FFVII Rebirth Makes Roche Feel More Important appeared first on Siliconera. |
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