GamersHeroes Wednesday, March 13, 2024 4:14 PM The team at Keen Games has determined the development roadmap for their survival ARPG co-op title Enshrouded. The post Enshrouded Roadmap for 2024 Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:47 PM The EVANGELION collaboration with publisher Level Infinite and developer Hotta Studio's Tower of Fantasy is now live. The post Tower of Fantasy EVANGELION Asuka Simulacrum Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:19 PM The team at World Makers has announced that the PC relaunch of their social deduction thriller, Deceit 2 is now live. The post Deceit 2 F2P Release Now Available on PC appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:15 PM Players can learn more about the Warfarer Vocation with the latest character spotlight for Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 2. The post Dragon's Dogma 2 Warfarer Vocation Spotlight Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:54 PM The upcoming Dante Unbound update for Digital Extremes' Warframe is slated for March 27. The post Warframe Dante Unbound Update Coming March 27 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:25 PM The team at Level Infinite announced that their mobile sci-fi RPG shooter GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE, will feature a crossover with Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Thursday, March 21. The post GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE × Re:ZERO Crossover Beginning March 21 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:31 PM The team at Fen Research has announced their new enchanting point-and-click style RPG Brighter Shores. The post Retro-style Fantasy MMORPG Brighter Shores Announced appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:06 PM The pre-alpha test for Nexon's Vindictus: Defying Fate is kicking off today. The post Vindictus: Defying Fate Pre-Alpha Playtest Beginning Today appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, March 13, 2024 10:35 AM Introducing new playable content, weapons, assets, and a number of improvements, Bohemia Interactive announced that the 1.1 update for Arma Reforger is now available. The post Arma Reforger Update 1.1 Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 5:30 PM  Earlier this week, a trailer for a purportedly canned multiplayer Spider-Man title from Insomniac Games leaked online. Called Spider-Man: The Great Web, the multiplayer spinoff would've allowed a number of iterations on the character to tackle crime, and ultimately the Sinister Six, cooperatively. Insomniac's Peter… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 5:00 PM  Some Stardew Valley fans are feeling vindicated today after the game's creator, Eric Barone, confirmed on Twitter that harvesting crops from left to right was faster than harvesting from right to left. Apparently, this bug will finally be fixed after being in the game since its launch in 2016. |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 4:15 PM  It's once again time for Sony to unveil which games are being added to its PlayStation Plus service and its various tiers in the second half of March. The list features some solid choices, including a Jak and Daxter game, the Resident Evil 3 remake, a DC Lego adventure, and one of my favorite Marvel games of the last… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:45 PM  Like taking a pair of trousers to the tailor, a good mod can breathe new life into a game, altering the way it looks or plays to exciting—or hilarious—results. Final Fantasy 7 Remake has a few solid mods already, like one that turns pretty boy Cloud Strife into a sexy boy, and another that reimagines Sephiroth as… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:34 PM  The House of Representatives, historically known for its excellent priorities, passed a bill on March 13 that could ban short-form video app TikTok in the U.S. The app has over 150 million users in America as of last year, and over a billion people use it worldwide. TikTok is used primarily for entertainment,… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:30 PM |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:15 PM  After wrapping up a decade-long story with 2021's Endwalker, many fans have expected the next Final Fantasy XIV expansion to be something of a vacation for the Warrior of Light. Dawntrail, which is set to release this summer, sure does look like it would be a relaxing jaunt given its tropical setting. But Director… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:00 PM  Geoff Keighley briefly, and barely, addressed the recent, historic number of layoffs that have hit the video game industry already this year, after failing to do so for months. But before I could even give the guy some credit for doing the bare minimum, he turned around and started advertising his next big video game… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:45 PM  Last year's hit indie RPG Sea of Stars has passed an impressive milestone and the team behind the game is celebrating in a bit of an unorthodox way. Since its launch late last summer, Sea of Stars has been played by more than five million players, and to mark the occasion, Sabotage Studio has announced that it will be… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:30 PM  When Blizzard first announced it was making Overwatch 2 in 2019, a sequel to what could have easily gone on being a regularly updated live-service game, one of the big pillars of the pitch was that we'd finally be getting a full-fledged campaign for the shooter that would move the story forward. Well, a lot has… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:15 PM  We already knew Summer Game Fest, Geoff Keighley's answer to E3, would come back for 2024, and now we have a date. The annual cavalcade of trailers, demos, and reveals will kick off with a live showcase in Los Angeles on June 7. |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:30 PM  Actor Austin St. John, who famously played the original Red Ranger in the '90s TV series Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, has announced his plans to launch a new clothing line featuring quotes from historical figures, including "villains" like, uh…Adolf Hitler. |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:15 PM  When you think of the most important people in Star Trek history, in terms of actors at least you might look to the legacies of people like William Shatner or Patrick Stewart. But the real answer to that question is probably Jonathan Frakes, who has been a part of pretty much all televised Trek since the '70s—and when … |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:00 PM  Episode Aigis, the contentious DLC coming to Persona 3 Reload this September, is going to cost players who own the base game a pretty penny. To be precise it will cost $35. That's because it will only be available as part of the game's Expansion Pass, which bundles three pieces of post-release DLC. That means it costs… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:45 AM  Overwatch 2's latest collaboration is with the beloved space western anime Cowboy Bebop. The event, which kicked off on March 12, lets five heroes from Blizzard's team-based shooter cosplay as different characters from the classic '90s show. The event follows in the footsteps of other crossover events like the October… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:15 AM  Like a wrestler entering the octagon, Sephiroth's menacingly iconic "One-Winged Angel" theme song plays almost any time he appears in a Final Fantasy 7 scene. Just mentioning the title likely conjures the track's first few rhythmic thumps considering just how legendary this tune is. However, it wasn't an easy number… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:00 AM  Let's just pause and take stock of how much has happened in everyone's favorite new co-op shooter, Helldivers 2, since it launched a month ago: the first players dropped in to find a bug-infested galaxy, quickly found there were also killer robots on the other side of said galaxy, fought for a planet they believed was… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 10:30 AM  2023 was a year full of critically acclaimed remakes. From Dead Space to Resident Evil 4, players could enjoy old favorites on modern consoles. One of the best remakes of the year was Nightdive's System Shock, a remake of the influential sci-fi immersive sim released in 1994. Now Nightdive is taking one more step to… |
Kotaku Wednesday, March 13, 2024 10:15 AM  Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has a lot of mini-games—some might argue it has too many—but one thing we can all agree on is that Queen's Blood, the in-universe card game Cloud plays with various NPCs, is one of the highlights. In fact, the game has become such a hit that Square Enix is open to adding more cards to shake… |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 5:35 PM  If there's anything audiences love more than building and managing cities, it's doing so in historical settings. From Romans: Age of Caesar and the earlier stages of Tropico 6 through to classics like Stronghold, Pharaoh, and Caesar 3, experiencing the past by trying to successfully recreate bygone cities and towns is always an enticing prospect. Sengoku Dynasty fits neatly into this genre, tasking players with creating and taking care of villages in a fictionalized feudal Japan, and, with its latest major update, the Early Access game is in its best shape to date. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:55 PM  Of the many soulslikes that have come out over the years, very few have been received as warmly as Nioh 2. It, and its predecessor, found success by exploring a well-rendered setting in their foreboding, supernaturally tinged versions of feudal Japan and, of course, by building on creator Team Ninja's knack for impactful action systems, as shown in games like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and Ninja Gaiden. Fortunately, anyone who's been looking for a good opportunity to try Nioh 2 out for themselves now has a great opportunity. It, along with Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin, is headlining this month's selection of free Humble Choice games. Continue reading Nioh 2 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar are now available for free |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:31 PM  While the likes of Quake and Portal have proven to be impressive showcases for Nvidia RTX Remix, the task put before the Half-Life 2 RTX development team is on another level. Taking a moment away from the mod's development, Chris Workman, founder of Orbifold studios shared some insight on the levels of care and attention it takes to bring path tracing and more to a classic PC game. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best old games, Best FPS games, Best VR games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:43 PM  It's been quite a busy period for PS5 games making their way to PC, and it's about to get even better for those awaiting the arrival of Final Fantasy XVI. In a recent interview, FF16 producer Naoki Yoshida hinted that the game could be playable within the next year, but warned that the system requirements are currently "quite high". We're curious to see where Final Fantasy 16 ranks on the list of best Final Fantasy games on PC, and its optimization will play a huge role in this. Early comments suggest you may need one of the best graphics cards to push for the best performance, but have plenty of other PS5 ports to help us understand what components might be needed. Continue reading Final Fantasy 16 system requirements will push your PC to its limit MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:25 PM  With both AMD and Intel quietly putting the finishing touches on their next processors, the market is positively brimming with great CPU deals. Case in point, the Core i7 14700KF has once again fallen below the $400 mark and back down to its cheapest ever price point, making it a great option for a new build or as an upgrade to an existing PC. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Core i5 14600K review, Best gaming CPU, Core i9 14900K review |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:12 PM  Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is going to be one of 2024's biggest surprise hits. I loved what it brought to the Metroidvania genre when I reviewed it, and I was ecstatic to hear it would be getting a load of free DLC. So the great news is we've now got the post-release roadmap for the game, as the team behind Rayman Origins and Legends games has a lot more in store for protagonist Sargon. Continue reading Ubisoft's best game in years getting a free permadeath mode and more MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Prince of Persia The Lost Crown system requirements, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown review, Best single-player games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:00 PM  Vindictus: Defying Fate first caught our eye a few weeks ago when the action game spin-off of classic MMORPG Vindictus was debuted in a flashy trailer. With shades of Dragon's Dogma 2, God of War, and Elden Ring in its mythology-centered monster designs and playable heroes, Vindictus: Defying Fate immediately shot up near the top of our list of exciting upcoming games. Now, good news has arrived for anyone interested in seeing how the trailer's action feels first hand as Vindictus: Defying Fate has just launched a free limited-time Steam playtest. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:00 PM  Between Far Cry, Assassin's Creed, Grand Theft Auto, and BioShock, we've had some of the greatest and most influential games of the last 20 years. Now, a new studio that combines talent from all of those series, is launching its first ever work, a dark, twisted 2.5D Metroidvania which is scheduled to arrive in the near future, but that you can play right this second. With hints of Little Nightmares and Hollow Knight, based on the new trailer and the studio's pedigree, this is definitely one to watch. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Metroidvania games, Best platform games, Best puzzle games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:00 PM  The past few weeks have seen the values of Bitcoin and Ethereum dramatically increase, renewing interest in cryptocurrency mining. Thankfully, this hasn't led to widespread graphics card shortages like we endured a few years ago, but crypto miners are now buying AMD Ryzen CPUs instead and availability is already drying up. Continue reading AMD Ryzen CPU stock is disappearing thanks to crypto miners MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 7800 XT review |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:59 AM  A lot of retro style games miss the mark, trying to appeal more to pleasant memories of older experiences than proving their own worth, on their own terms. Last year's Sea of Stars, though, managed to stand out beyond nostalgic appeal, earning a place alongside other noteworthy throwback games — like the shooters Dusk or Trepang2 and adventures like Return of the Obra Dinn and The Excavation of Hob's Barrow. Now, creator Sabotage Studio has announced that it has an unexpected new update set to come to the game: a three-player multiplayer mode. Continue reading One of 2023's best RPGs is about to get even better MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Sea of Stars review, Best RPG games, Best PC games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:57 AM  The RTX 50 series is expected to offer sizeable generational improvements over the current RTX 40 series of GPUs, including to memory bandwidth. This spec might not seem so obviously important, but the rumored wider memory bus on the RTX 5090 will play a large part in making it so powerful. Sadly, though it seems that Nvidia doesn't plan to trickle down this spec bump to the RTX 5080 or other cheaper graphics cards. Continue reading Nvidia gives RTX 5090 specs a boost but leaves other GPUs out to dry MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GeForce RTX 4070 Super review, DLSS explained, Best graphics cards |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:30 AM  This water-cooled gaming PC looks like it was mined out of the rock by a very lucky geologist. Armed with a CNC machine, plenty of acrylic sheet and some expert 3D modeling skills, PC modder Søren Kirkegaard made this striking build inspired by the look of Citrine crystals. Thanks to our rapidly growing PC building Facebook page, we've seen many custom gaming PCs, from mods based on existing case designs to scratch PC builds. You can even submit yours for consideration right here. Here we talk to Søren about how he transformed his In Win 909 PC case into a crystalline beauty. Continue reading This water cooled gaming PC has stunning crystal effects MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:26 AM  When is the Ghost of Tsushima PC release date? Sucker Punch's samurai game was released back in 2020 for the PlayStation 4, signalling the end of the console's time in the spotlight. Experience the turbulent life of Jin Sakai as he tries to hold off the Mongol Empire from conquering the East. The former console exclusive title is heading to the PC later this year, with all the bells and whistles you might expect from an expertly crafted port. Ghost of Tsushima was already a stunning looking game, but the Ghost of Tsushima system requirements should ensure you're able to experience the action-adventure game even on portable PC gaming devices. Here's what you need to know about Ghost of Tsushima PC, including the release date, exclusive features, and more. Continue reading Ghost of Tsushima PC release date, exclusive features, and more MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games, Best stealth games, Best open-world games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 13, 2024 10:58 AM  Helldivers 2 developer and Arrowhead Games Studio's CEO Johan Pilestedt has explained why the friendly fire aspect of the colossal live-service shooter is a needed part of the puzzle, and why what it offers has resonated so well with many players across the game. Continue reading Helldivers 2 dev insists friendly fire is absolutely necessary MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Helldivers 2 weapons, Helldivers 2 servers, Helldivers 2 system requirements |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 4:22 PM  Last time, you decided that a little hand for a cursor is better than left-handed FPS options. I dearly hope that when you clicked on your vote, your Windows cursor was a little gauntlet or skeletal hand or such. Onwards! This week, I ask you about grabbing (and poking, pulling, burning, pressing, activating, and otherwise using) stuff. What's better, highlighted interactive objects or retrievable reusable ammo? |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:47 PM  I'm not personally familiar with Nexon's 2010 MMO Vindictus, but its upcoming action-RPG spin-off Vindictus: Defying Fate is looking like a fairly flashy mix of Celtic mythology, dodge-and-slash swordplay and some sharp visuals. Luckily for me and you, we'll be able to give it a go for free for the next week, as the game's pre-alpha playtest is now live over on Steam. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:18 PM  After two years slumbering in the coffin of early access, vampire survival game V Rising is lifting off the lid and rising into a full 1.0 release. Having previously been announced with a somewhat vague Q2 launch window, we now know exactly when V Rising's 1.0 release date will be: May 8th. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:47 PM  Fallen behind on Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn's story? Whether you're still yet to finish Endwalker or are looking to pick up the MMO for the first time in anticipation of enjoying a lovely summer holiday with your fellow Scions of the Seventh Dawn, you're going to have to work before your Warrior of Light can kick back in next expansion Dawntrail; there won't be a free way to simply jump to the latest chapter of the story for free anytime soon. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:58 PM  Not content with being one of the best single-player experiences of 2023, Sea of Stars is readying the modern-classic RPG to become one of this year's most delightful multiplayer games. Developers Sabotage Studio have revealed that three-player co-op is on the way, letting you adventure through the entire campaign with a party of pals. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:06 PM  In some respects, Helldivers 2 did come as a bit of surprise. Not a huge amount of marketing, no betas, and review codes didn't go out until it basically launched. Before it landed on my PC, there was a small part of me that thought it was going to be a rocky ride with severe performance issues or the like. Nope! It's easily slid into one of my favourite games of the year without question, and presumably, for the hundreds of thousands of others who've also opted into preserving democracy. But there seems to be this sentiment that Helldivers 2's roaring success has come as a shock, so much of a shock that top execs and investors are doing YouTube thumbnail faces in boardrooms with mini-nuke explosions erupting from their heads. Should its success come as that much of a surprise, though? No, probably not. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:02 PM  After writing about the upcoming visual novel-ish game Vampire Therapist (in which you are a vampire, acting as a therapist to other vampires) back in the middle of January, developer Cyrus Nemati reached out asking if I'd like to ask him more questions about it. This was surprising, because while I'd been broadly positive about the vibes of Vampire Therapist, I was reasonably concerned about the specifics of how it would all shake down. But it turned out that the critical perspective was something Nemati appreciated, and so we had a chat that dug down into the meat of it all. Although I was initially interested in how he'd come up with the idea of a vampire therapist, it turns out all roads lead back to Twilight's Edward Cullen. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:05 PM  CCP Games have shared a few more details about Project Awakening, a new game or at least, "survival experience" set in the Eve Online universe, which is getting a closed playtest from 21st May 2024. Project Awakening is a single-shard affair - that is, one in which all players inhabit the same world, rather than being split up across servers or instances. It's "built upon the principles of freedom, consequence, and mastery within a living universe", and "represents the next step in CCP Games' journey to create virtual worlds more meaningful than real life", which, you know, wind your neck in. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:00 PM  I've spent many gleeful hours in The Finals (as has Graham), but I've always felt it could do more with the concept of its FPS gameshow deathmatches essentially taking place in hyper-realistic VR. Exploding into coins upon death notwithstanding, and to be clear, rad as hell. Happily, its Season 2 update is all about rewriting the rules of its glistening digital battlefields. I've played a few rounds and the new, hacking-themed gadgetry it introduces looks like just the thing to freshen The Finals up. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:53 AM  Discord is making a play to not simply be the software you use to talk while playing games with your pals, but the software you use to play them too. The ubiquitous chat client already lets you play a handful of approved games inside itself without dowloading or launching anything seperate, along with other 'Activities' like watching YouTube together, and next week it will open up to a whole lot more. Discord will let all developers make their own Activities, wanting to jam in more games and social hangout experiences and stuff. I'm broadly up for things removing faff from getting casual hangout games running with pals. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:21 AM  One of my favourite 'jokes'to do is parody Raymond Chandler, i.e. I shout "She had legs all the way up to her thighs!" and then laugh at myself. Chandlers's trademark "blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window" kind of zingers are very hard to do well, so it's better to say you're doing Philip Marlow badly on purpose. The trailer for Nobody Wants To Die seems like it's self-seriousness is actually self-awareness. I mean, I kind of refuse to believe that hard-boiled future crime detective James Karra saying "I'm in the business of secrets... But it's more of an addiction... And I like 'em straight... No chaser..." while sipping from a glass of amber liquor isn't indulging in some amount of winking and nudging. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 13, 2024 10:03 AM  Palworld developers Pocketpair have announced a new Palworld Testing program that asks players of the wildly popular monster-catching survival game to help test future updates and provide feedback on the game, ahead of new content drops being released to the general public. Players can sign-up via a Google Form now if they wish, though Pocketpair stress that "the testing branch is not intended for free play or experiencing new content early, so we hope that only those of you genuinely interested in bug hunting and testing will apply." And presumably, those genuinely interested in also not being paid for their free QA support. |
Twinfinite Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:58 PM  |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 4:00 PM
Due to popular demand, Icrea and Atlus announced that the Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Aigis EX Orgia Mode figure is coming back. A new batch of pre-orders is now available for the limited edition version of the Aigis figure, and it costs 35,200 yen (or approximately $238.)
The limited edition of the figure includes a rubber mat featuring an illustration of Aigis' EX Orgia Mode as a bonus. Pre-orders for the figure are now open from the Tokyo Figure online store and will close on April 2, 2024. The WorldShopping proxy service offers international shipping.
The 1/6 scale statue is based on Aigis' Orgia Mode appearance in the Persona 4 Arena Ultimax fighting game. The Papillon Heart embedded in Aigis' chest activates during her Orgia Mode, and in the figure it consists of a blue LED that lights up. Atlus and Icrea announced the new Aigis EX Orgia Mode figure on September 21, 2023, and the first pre-order period started on October 20, 2023.
The Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Aigis EX Orgia Mode figure is now available for pre-order from the Tokyo Figure online store, and the second pre-order period ends on April 2, 2024. The figure costs 35,200 yen (~$238.)
The post Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Aigis EX Orgia Mode Figure Will Return appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:00 PM
Contra: Operation Galuga is the first pure, 2D Contra game in a long time. After the widely panned Contra: Rogue Corps in 2019, Konami seems to have realized a true retro revival is what the series needs.
It's off to a good start immediately with its developer. WayForward not only has a pedigree for retro styled games, it also has experience with the series thanks to Contra 4. Contra: Operation Galuga also deliberately returns to the franchise's roots, as it's a reimagining of the original Contra.
That said, this is not a remake. While the premise is effectively the same as the 1987 original, it takes ideas from the rest of the series and tosses it all into a blender to make an entirely new experience. For instance, multiple levels feature the Jet Motorcycle from Contra III and Lucia from Contra: Shattered Soldier is a playable character unlocked later in the game. They even included Probotector in the Arcade Mode as a nod for us Europeans, which is nice.
The story of Contra: Operation Galuga is a simple one. Two operatives from the Contra unit, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, have been sent to the island of Galuga to take down the Red Falcon terrorist organization. In addition, scientists discovered that the island is exhibiting anomalous gravity readings, and they are concerned the terrorists may have access to a deadly weapon.
A surprising amount of work went into the story, including fully voiced cutscenes. It's not particularly deep, of course, but it's unashamedly gung-ho in the way a Contra story should be. The tone is set early on, when Bill and Lance jump out of a helicopter while grunting "hell yeah brother" at each other. I feel that they could have leaned harder into the goofy 80s excess a little more, in the way Doom did in 2016, but this is good enough.
Of course, no one's coming to Contra for its story. We're here for big guns and waves of enemies to kill them with. This is where Contra: Operation Galuga has a lot to live up to. On one hand, it needs to be faithful to the original games, allowing veteran players to hop in and get exactly what they want. However, with the huge time gap since the last "true" Contra game, it needs to make concessions to a modern audience to bring in new players.
Happily, WayForward managed to get the balance right. This is pure Contra gameplay. You have a gun that fires a stream of bullets across the screen, enemies rush at you from all directions and powerups drop from pods that float across the screen. It's a challenging and often maddening time, as the game increasingly throws more deadly projectiles at you. It's exactly what you'd want from the series, presenting plenty of challenge while still being fun enough to come back and try again when you inevitably get killed by a stray grenade.
What Operation Galuga adds to this is a bunch of modern quality of life adjustments. There are difficulty options at the start of the game, which mostly reduce the intensity of enemy encounters. The game features checkpoints and saves progress during a playthrough, so you don't have to restart from the beginning on a Game Over like the NES original. There's also a perk shop that allows you to buy upgrades with in-game credits, such as extra health or the ability to retain special weapons on death. However, these upgrades are applied at the start of a level and there are only two slots available, so it's impossible to completely break the game with everything on at once.
These are all great additions that don't dilute the essence of Contra while also making the experience much less frustrating. Plus, if you're a purist, Arcade Mode strips it all out for anyone who wants that challenge. It's a good compromise.
The gameplay is solid throughout Contra: Operation Galuga. It's incredibly satisfying to rush through a level, taking out bad guys en masse. It's even more satisfying to pick up powerups, with the spread and homing missiles adding so much screen-clearing power to your arsenal you're unlikely to want to use anything else. Picking up a second powerup of the same kind will also upgrade that weapon, allowing a larger spread, faster homing missiles, lasers that bounce across enemies and wider flamethrower arcs, to name just a few. What's more, you can have two of these weapons equipped at any time, allowing for some strategic use.
There's also the overload feature, where special weapons can be sacrificed for a special ability. Laser weapons will give you extra speed, machine guns will provide a shield and homing missiles can be turned into drones. Most of these abilities are useful but sadly don't last long enough to be truly essential.
However, there are some gameplay issues that arise thanks to the visual style. While the characters and locations generally look fine, there are some problems with the game's general visual language. In a few levels, the developers were keen to experiment with the 2.5D aspect by featuring elements on different planes to the characters. The problem is, on multiple occasions this was less of a cool detail and more an obstruction. For instance, the boss fight at the end of the Village level features a tentacle that moves along the front of the screen. As the fight gets more hectic, this tentacle is a serious hindrance, often covering up a good chunk of what you're trying to avoid.
This wasn't the only time either. Another level features projectiles that emerge from both the foreground and background, adding unnecessary visual noise to a screen already full of bullets. Another level features crystals that block the screen, so you have to squint at the reflections to figure out where you're going. This often led to me falling into pits that became invisible due to the warping of the glass. These elements always caused frustration, getting in the way of what was otherwise a perfectly fair challenge.
Contra: Operation Galuga is a solid retro revival. It's got satisfying gunplay, a good balance of old school mechanics with modern tweaks and offers a good challenge. Fans of the series will have a blast, even if its visuals sometimes get in the way.
Contra: Operation Galuga is out now for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
The post Review: Contra: Operation Galuga Is a Welcome Blast from the Past appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:30 PM
In a Reddit AMA, Balatro developer LocalThunk confirmed a Daily Challenge option will eventually appear in Balatro. It, as well as Balatro Android and iOS mobile versions and possible merchandise, came up during the question and answer period.
LocalThunk brought up a Balatro Daily Challenge feature after a Reddit user named Radstronomical brought it up. The developer noted, "I will definitely be adding a Daily Challenge mode, it would be so cool for a lot of reasons. I don't have a timeline on it but know that it's in the cards."
As for other developments, Playstack Games confirmed that Android and iOS mobile versions of Balatro are being developed. There were no details on when this could appear. PlayStack only said to check social media and Discord for updates. Likewise, the publisher said updates on merchandise will appear on the same sources.
Balatro is a new deck-building roguelike that starts with a standard, 52-card deck of playing cards and involves acquiring Jokers with various traits. Said Jokers influence the course of rounds in which people play Poker hands, which have varying point Chip point values, to pass scoring requirements and gradually up the ante until you face bosses.
Balatro is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. Mobile versions are in development.
The post Balatro Daily Challenge Mode Will Appear in Future Update appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:00 PM
Ahead of the April 2024 debut of many new and returning shows, Crunchyroll confirmed its Spring 2024 lineup of anime series. In addition to the already confirmed third season of Konosuba, it will also include the Black Butler Public School Arc, Kaiju No 8, The Irregular at Magic High School season 3, Laid-Back Camp season 3, and Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf.
Here's the initial list of Crunchyroll Spring 2024 anime series, though more shows will be announced closer to their streaming debut. If an English dub will be available, it will be noted.
Two shows are also listed as coming soon, but don't have exact streaming debut dates. People will be able to watch Kuramerukagari and Kurayukaba on Crunchyroll. No English dub is confirmed for either one.
Finally, the service listed six continuing shows that will continue in Spring 2024. Here's what will keep airing on its usual schedule.
The Spring 2024 anime season will begin on April 1, 2024. More shows and dates will be announced for Crunchyroll closer to launch.
The post Crunchyroll Spring 2024 Anime Series Include Black Butler, Kaiju No 8, Spice and Wolf appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:00 PM
It's looking like co-op multiplayer for three players could be coming to Sea of Stars around its one year anniversary. Sabotage Studio announced Single Player+ is in development.
Essentially, it seems that the Sea of Stars Single Player+ element would be a co-op multiplayer experience similar to the one for players of games like Secret of Mana. There are few exact details about how it would work at the moment. However, it would be a local mechanic for couch co-op, with no online option offered. It would also mean that, in addition to each person controlling a character, there would be a co-op timed hits mechanic. In the single player experience, hitting in time with on-screen actions can create a combo when attacking enemies and deal more damage.
Here's the first teaser trailer for the Sea of Stars multiplayer feature. It doesn't actually show combat and what the timed hits could look like with multiple people playing. However, it does show an early-game exploration element with Valere, Zale, and Garl going through a location together.
This also came alongside a sales update announcement. Since its August 2023 debut, five million copies of Sea of Stars have been sold. The game is available digitally and physically.
Sea of Stars is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The post Sea of Stars Co-op Multiplayer Will Let 3 People Play appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:30 PM
The latest PS5 firmware update is now live, adding new DualSense features. As with previous updates, this was available for users signed up for beta access since February 6, 2024, the update is now available for all users.
While the new PS5 firmware update is small, there are a couple of changes made to the DualSense controller. These changes are largely audio-based. First of all, the speaker has been enhanced to produce higher volume sound. This is mainly to improve voice chat, making it more audible. Sony has warned that players should look at their volume settings just in case the speakers are now too loud for them.
In addition, the in-built microphone on the DualSense has been enhanced to add additional noise cancellation. This new feature uses machine learning to improve how well it filters out background noise. Button presses being so close to the mic are one significant example Sony stated they wanted to filter out with this feature.
Other features in this firmware update are minimal, however. The Share Screen feature now has the ability for viewers to add visual aids to players, as well as a new emoji feature to allow viewers to react to the gameplay. These features are optional, although they are toggled on by default. The final feature of the new firmware update allows you to adjust the power indicator's brightness on the PS5.
The new PS5 firmware update is available for download now.
The post PS5 Firmware Update Adjusts DualSense Audio Features appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:00 PM
There's a new Like a Dragon figure, and it's of Yakuza mainstay Kazuma Kiryu with his shirt off, ready to fight. Pre-orders are already open for the Battle Style figure ahead of its expected September 2024 debut.
Though this is a Japanese DIGSTA figure, retailers are showing it for sale outside Japan. For example, AmiAmi has standard and bonus versions of it for sale. The standard one is listed for 8,980 yen (~$61). The one with a bonus is 9,460 yen (~$64), and it comes with a display cloth of Kiryu to stand it on.
This is a static figure that stands at about 175mm (under 7 inches) tall. There are no additional parts to it. However, in the past a DIGSTA version of Kiryu in his full suit did appear.
Here's a gallery showing off the figure.
And here it is with the bonus display cloth.
While Kazuma Kiryu was set to "retire" in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, he returned in the standalone title Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
The most recent Yakuza game is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. This Kazuma Kiryu figure of the Like a Dragon protagonist in his classic Yakuza attire will arrive in Spetember 2024.
The post Kazuma Kiryu Takes His Short Off for New Yakuza Figure appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:30 AM
Ahead of launch, Rabbit and Bear Studio have been sharing more Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes screenshots and details on social media. The latest ones highlighted a card minigame, the War Mode battles, and the world map.
First, the most recent image shows lead character
Nowa on the world map. This also gives us an idea of how the minimap will look. It notes that it will offer a brief trail letting people see where they'd recently walked, to help them maintain their bearings.
The second one of the new Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes screenshots featured a peek at a fight in War Mode. We can see this Hishahn Defense Line fight will take place in the Grasslands region. There will be a grid, with circular icons representing characters people brought into fights with them. At the bottom of the screen, gauges will appear showing if you can trigger Rage Mode or a Morale Boost.
Finally, here's a peek at the UI for the Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes card minigame. It shows that there will possibly be both character and field cards people can play.
Finally, the team rounded out this week's announcements for us so far involved four more character profiles. They introduce B'baba, Fume, Gocteau, and Kurtz, four people we can recruit as we play.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will come to the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Epic Games Store, GOG, and Steam on April 23, 2024.
The post New Eiyuden Chronicle Screenshots Show the Card Game, War Mode appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:00 AM
For free, Bandai Namco will allow you to play as a mischievous and messy little Pomeranian in Doronko Wanko. The game will come out on March 26, 2024 and it'll be available in English.
In Doronko Wanko, you play as a Pomeranian whose goal is to make your owner's home as messy as possible. Because you are such a sweet and innocent little baby, you don't have to worry about getting into trouble. In fact, the game will reward you for being as much of a pig as possible. You can throw mud all over the place, destroy furniture, toss things off the table, and more. From the promotional trailer and screenshots, it looks like you can even equip a turret and use environmental items to wreak as much havoc as possible.
Aside from Doronko Wanko, Bandai Namco, Gyaar Studio, and Phoenixx Inc announced two more free games. These are also available on Steam, and they'll come out on March 26, 2024. The first game is Nottolot, which is a robot hacking platformer. The second is Boomeroad is an action-adventure game in which you glide along rails and explore ancient ruins.
Doronko Wanko, along with Nottolot and Boomeroad, will come out on March 26, 2024 on Windows PC via Steam.
The post Doronko Wanko Lets You Be the Messiest Pomeranian appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 13, 2024 10:30 AM
The next One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 Character Pass 2 DLC character will be Gold Roger. Bandai Namco shared an initial teaser trailer confirming his appearance in Character Pack 6.
Gold Roger is the Pirate King in the series, and the reason people like Luffy and Shanks even embarked on their dream to become pirates. The One Piece series begins with him about to be executed by the World Government and revealing that he's hid his treasure for people to find. So instead of putting a stop to all pirates, it inspires more to follow in his footsteps.
Here's the teaser that appeared on social media. It only briefly shows Gold Roger in One Piece Pirate Warriors 4. Teasers for the other characters appear after him.
This means we're coming closer to knowing all the characters appearing in One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 Character Pass 2. The first add-on was called The Battle of Onigashima Pack. That brought Gear 5 Luffy to the game. It also meant people got access to the Onigashima Battle version of Kaido, as well as Yamato. When 2024 began, the One Piece Film: Red Pack launched. That added three more characters from the movie. People could pick up and play as Uta, Koby, and Shanks.
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 is available for the PS4, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, and there's no release window for Gold Roger yet.
The post One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 Roger DLC Appears in Character Pass 2 appeared first on Siliconera. |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, March 13, 2024 4:22 PM  Helldivers 2 is more fun with friends, there's no doubt about that. So, it's extremely unfortunate that a bug is preventing players from sending and receiving friend requests. There's no need to worry. This guide will explain methods to fix friend requests not working in Helldivers 2. Helldivers 2: friend request bug fix While there is no definite fix provided by Arrowhead Games, we have done some digging to find possible methods for getting your friend requests to work in Helldivers 2. Completely close out Helldivers 2 and restart your console or PC. Turn Crossplay off and back on under the Settings tab in-game. Instead of sending a standard invite, create a Friend Code and join that way. The last one worked for me, and my friend was able to join. Repeat those methods and hopefully one will be your savior. Helldivers 2 friend request bug workaround If none of the steps mentioned earlier worked for you, then try the workaround I found on R... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:57 PM  There are a lot of features that Helldivers 2 does not tell you about unless you're actively experimenting with the controls. One of them is being able to change the fire rate of certain weapons like the MG43 and Stalwart. This can change how you play, and make some weapons easier to use. Helldivers 2: The fire rate of the MG43 and Stalwart can be changed As you jump in the game for the first time, the tutorial explains that improving accuracy is by not moving or changing your stance by going in crouch or prone. There's a way to avoid all this with only some minor compromises. If are using either the MG434 or Stalwart, you can change the fire rate and hold R on PC or Square on the PS5, you can lower the the rate of fire. For example, the MG43 has around 760 rounds per minute, by lowering it, you'd get 630 rounds per minute. This change can be quite drastic. Slowing down these weapons is great, but you will have to deal with minor negatives. If it's a quicker weapo... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:33 PM  Many Genshin Impact players are interested in finding where to farm Dendrobium, especially now with a character like Chiori from the 4.5 update. If you're fiending for some good farming spots, here's where to look. Genshin Impact: Dendrobium farming locations When looking for where this red flower is in Genshin Impact, you can farm Dendrobium in Inazuma, specifically on Yashiori Island and Kannazuka. These two islands have plenty of Dendrobium to collect if you want to ascend Chiori or Sara. In total, you'll be looking at collecting 168 Dendrobium to ascend Chiori or Sara up to level 90. No matter which one you're looking to ascend, you'll need to follow this farming map below to collect Dendrobium fast and easily. Nazuchi Beach Image: PC Invasion In between Yashiori Island and Kannazuka is Nazuchi Beach, which arguably has the best farming route for Dendrobium. Around each point, you'll find a few of these red flowers, and you can ... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:30 PM  The browser-based game Infinite Craft has taken the Internet by storm with its crazy combination and seemingly endless possibilities. Getting started with Infinite Craft is easy enough, but you'll eventually hit a wall as you try to create specific things. Some basic materials like Metal are shockingly hard to create, and sometimes the game will give you something completely random even if you're deliberately trying to discover a certain item or ingredient. This guide contains a complete list of every crafting recipe that has been discovered in Infinite Craft, so it should be able to help you on your journey to create the rarest combinations in the game. Related: How to make Batman in Infinite Craft Every Crafting Recipe in Infinite Craft ItemFirst IngredientSecond Ingredient9/11FireNew YorkALetterSunflowerAbominable SnowmanWater + YetiYetiAdamMud VenusAdobeBrickMudAdobe FlashAdobeSteamboatAfghanistanCountryOsamaAirOxygenOxygenAlchemistScientistPyromancerAlfredB... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:27 PM  Whether you're trying to get a high score in Nightfall or are taking on a Grandmaster Nightfall in Destiny 2, you need to know a few tips and create the best builds. Since I consider myself well-versed in all things Destiny 2, here are the best builds to win Nightfalls and Grandmaster Nightfalls in Destiny 2. How to counter Barrier, Unstoppable, and Overload Champions in Destiny 2 Though it isn't as important in Nightfalls, it's required that you have some way to deal with Barrier, Unstoppable, and Overload Champions in Grandmaster Nightfalls. This isn't necessary with the best builds for Supremacy, but without a way to stun these high-powered opponents in PvE, you won't make it far in Destiny 2 Grandmaster Nightfalls. Screenshot: PC Invasion Here are all the ways to counter Barrier, Unstoppable, and Overload Champions in Destiny 2: Barrier Solar Radiant effects Strand Unraveling weapon rounds Void Volatile weapon rounds Exotics w... |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, March 13, 2024 5:37 PM The PlayStation Plus lineup includes Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and more. The post March PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Games Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, March 13, 2024 3:50 PM The roadmap includes several new content. The post Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Roadmap Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Level Up Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:27 PM Developer Ubisoft Montpellier's excellent metroidvania, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown">Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown</a>, hit consoles and… |
Level Up Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:03 PM Last week, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/obituary/2024/03/08/akira-toriyama-creator-of-dragon-ball-has-passed-away">Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama passed away</a>, and now, PlayStation is giving… |
Level Up Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:30 PM Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios quietly snuck flying Terminid bugs into the game in… |
Level Up Wednesday, March 13, 2024 12:00 PM This year's Summer Game Fest livestream returns to Los Angeles' YouTube Theater for announcements, first-looks,… |
Level Up Wednesday, March 13, 2024 11:16 AM V Rising hit Early Access on PC in 2022, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/05/31/v-rising-reaches-15-million-copies-sold-in-just-two-weeks">selling more than 1.5 million… |