Mar 15, 12:00


Kotaku Friday, March 15, 2024 11:45 AM
    

I'd like to believe that developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone is having a blast tweeting out daily lines of Stardew Valley's forthcoming 1.6 update. It all started with a stray patch note about fruit trees and has very quickly become a ritual for the most devout Stardew Valley players. Every time ConcernedApe has…

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Kotaku Friday, March 15, 2024 11:15 AM
    

The Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection launched on March 14, and it sounds like it's a bit of a mess. As of this writing, the compilation has mostly "Overwhelmingly Negative" user reviews on Steam, with only 19 percent of over 4000 scores being positive. Fans are complaining of online server instability and…

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Kotaku Friday, March 15, 2024 11:02 AM
    

Publishers are always trying to find the best way to sell the latest game to players. Usually that is done in the form of flashy trailer showing off the game's mechanics and story. But recently there's been a new approach, hiring respected British actors to explain a game to fans. It's a weird micro-trend, and the…

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Kotaku Friday, March 15, 2024 10:45 AM
    

One of 2024's biggest games, Palworld, was not developed by a big team. In fact, Pocketpair founder Takuro Mizobe recently told Bloomberg that the studio is tight-knit because it's modest in size, comprising just 55 people in Tokyo. Mizobe also said that he not only wants to keep Pocketpair independent, but that the…

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Kotaku Friday, March 15, 2024 10:00 AM
    

As it turns out, the Dune: Part Two sandworm-shaped monstrosity that AMC is passing off as a popcorn bucket isn't the only one of its kind. In fact, since 2019, AMC has apparently made a killing selling all kinds of collectible tie-in buckets for the year's biggest blockbusters, from Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker to Tay…

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Kotaku Friday, March 15, 2024 9:15 AM
    

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second installment of Square Enix's audacious project to remake the original 1997 RPG, released on February 29. In the weeks since its launch, it's clear that Rebirth is a massive RPG full of a wide variety of side activities and quests, but it also weaves an equally epic and cryptic tale

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PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 11:54 AM
     Alone in the Dark system requirements

What are the Alone in the Dark system requirements? We're ready for the return of this classic survival horror game with its new, modern twist. While Alone in the Dark casts Hollywood stars in major roles, the system requirements are far less grand, and most budget and mid-range gaming PCs run into any issues.

Aiming to be one of the best horror games on PC, Alone in the Dark doesn't demand the best graphics card for any of the current system requirement levels.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best horror games, Alone in the Dark release date, Alone in the Dark system requirements

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 11:26 AM
     Alone in the Dark voice actors and cast

Who are the Alone in the Dark voice actors and cast? If you're looking forward to jumping into either the shoes of Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood - or even both - here are the famous actors stepping into the iconic roles from the original game in this 2024 reimagining.

There are some famous voices and faces behind the cast and characters of Alone in the Dark, and now the Alone in the Dark release date isn't far off, now's the best time to see who's voicing who. Also be sure to check if Alone in the Dark is coming to Game Pass this March.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best horror games, Alone in the Dark release date, Alone in the Dark system requirements

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 11:12 AM
     Deep Rock Galactic Survivor reveals new biome at a million copies sold

Bringing its own dwarven spin to the bullet hell roguelike formula popularized by Vampire Survivors, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor has just broken past a very impressive 1,000,000 units sold just one month after its launch via Steam Early Access. That's pretty good going for a single-player survival spin-off from the co-op mining sensation. Now, developer Funday Games and publisher Ghost Ship reveal the first major update for DRG Survivor, which features a brand new biome pulling you ever deeper into Hoxxes IV.


PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 10:20 AM
     Diablo 4 is getting ray tracing in time for Game Pass launch

Nvidia has just announced the Diablo 4 ray tracing release date, which will bring you shiny armor and realistic water reflections, among other benefits, as long as your GPU has enough power to cope with the workload. Not only that, but the ray tracing update will come just in time for the game's forthcoming availability on Microsoft's Game Pass service, meaning you should be able to get straight into some ray traced demonic dungeon crawling if you're a subscriber.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 builds, Diablo 4 review, Diablo 4 classes

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 10:10 AM
     How to build Lightyear Frontier merchant landing

What does the merchant landing do in Lightyear Frontier? The merchant landing is one of the most important structures in the game. With it, a small ship housing a woman named Lola will begin visiting your little homestead, bringing with her plenty of customization options for your mech and resources to purchase if you'd rather not scour the gorgeous alien world for them. However, it also requires a few steps to build which you'll have to figure out for yourself – or read our guide.

Did Lightyear Frontier grab your interest because of its farming and life sim roots? You should definitely read our guide for the best games like Stardew Valley if you want to experience similar titles. Otherwise, forge onward to read all about how to make yourself your very own merchant landing pad.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Games like Stardew Valley, Best life games, Best farming games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 10:09 AM
     How to restore Lightyear Frontier Pine Heights

How do you clean up Pine Heights in Lightyear Frontier? Early on in this colorful sci-fi crafting and farming game, you'll be presented with your second main task after finding all your mech parts: Restore Pine Heights. But other than a little blip in your journal, it isn't exactly clear how you go about doing so or even where Pine Heights is located; however, we've got all you need to know to set you on the right track toward settling a relatively unsettled planet.

Interested in more games like Lightyear Frontier? You should definitely head on over to our games like Stardew Valley guide, as Lightyear Frontier shares a lot of similarities with the farming classic, though it really does farm its fields in different ways. Otherwise, read on to find out how to clean up Pine Heights.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Games like Stardew Valley, Best life games, Best farming games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 10:09 AM
     How to get wood, softwood, and hardwood in Lightyear Frontier

Where can you find Wood and Softwood in Lightyear Frontier? Though they may look similar, these similar-sounding materials are used for several opposing crafts in the new cosy space farming game. Before you go chopping down every tree in sight, turning the lush planet into a recreation of the one you left behind, learn which trees drop each type of wood. It'll save you time and save the planet.

Assuming you're early into your space-faring adventure, you might want to first learn how to restore Pine Heights in Lightyear Frontier. It's typically the second zone you'll happen upon; one which plays host to the basic materials you'll need when getting started. Likewise, knowing how to build the Merchant Landing can save you a lot of time in the long run, too.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Games like Stardew Valley, Best life games, Best farming games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 10:07 AM
     How to get Rabbages in Lightyear Frontier

Where can you find Rabbages in Lightyear Frontier? The little play on words on show is a simple clue as to where you'll find the easy-growing space veggies. At the very least, it'll tell you what to look out for, and that's an important aspect given you'll need a veritable shed full of the things to get some important upgrades for your mech.

If we're right in assuming you're not too far into Lightyear Frontier right now, you'll probably learn something by reading up on how to restore Pine Heights. And once you're done with that, you might want to figure out how to build the Merchant Landing to start making some big space money to spend on silly cosmic furniture and flashy parts for your trusty farmech.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Games like Stardew Valley, Best life games, Best farming games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 10:13 AM
     Where to find Copper for Copper Wire in Lightyear Frontier

Where is the Copper location in Lightyear Frontier? If you're in desperate need of Copper Wire to bring your new-found farm to all-new heights, you're going to have to work for it. Unlike Aluminium, you won't be able to procure this valuable material without a couple of upgrades to your mech. Once they're sorted, you'll then need to know where to look.

Jumping the gun a bit? You might find that you need to know how to restore Pine Heights in Lightyear Frontier first. More often than not it's the second zone you'll wander into; and the one hosting a lot of the basic materials you'll need to make a solid start. With that done, you'll then want to figure out how to build the Merchant Landing to start making (and spending) some space money.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Games like Stardew Valley, Best life games, Best farming games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 10:06 AM
     How to get Caroots and Caroot Oil in Lightyear Frontier

Where do you find Caroots to make Caroot Oil in Lightyear Frontier? One eventually becomes the other with the help of a farm-favourite machine, but acquiring what's at the root of it all (get it?) is quite the process if you don't know where to look. If you need all the caroots on your quiet little edge of the galaxy, read on: you'll get some handy upgrades for your efforts.

Still in the early stages of this space-faring farming quest? Learn how to restore Pine Heights in Lightyear Frontier to gather some basic materials with ease. And knowing how to build the Merchant Landing can save you a lot of time in the long run so long as you have the coin to buy what she's likely to offer.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Games like Stardew Valley, Best life games, Best farming games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 10:05 AM
     How to get Red Crystal Dust in Lightyear Frontier

How do you get Red Crystal Dust in Lightyear Frontier? From the name alone, you've likely assumed which common resource can eventually be turned into the one that you'll begin to need after cleaning up a few biomes. And you'd be right. But how you go about turning Red Crystals into Red Crystal Dust isn't as straightforward as you might expect. It's not a complicated process, but it can be a lengthy one if you're after it too early.

Think you need to turn those crystals into dust as soon as you've found them? That's not the case. You might still need to know how to restore Pine Heights in Lightyear Frontier first. That'll at least give you a solid source of crystals once you actually need them. With that done, you'll then want to look into how to build the Merchant Landing. It's the first step in making (and spending) space money.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Games like Stardew Valley, Best life games, Best farming games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 9:24 AM
    

Minecraft developer Mojang warns its players who are on PC to not update Minecraft via the Xbox app, else there's a chance your worlds might be lost. The all-conquering sandbox game, which still eclipses even GTA 5 as the top-selling game ever as we look towards the arrival of Rockstar's GTA 6, remains one of the most popular games around and is available to subscribers of Microsoft's Game Pass service, so if you're playing it through the Xbox app then you'll want to take this advice into account.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 9:03 AM
     Star Wars Battlefront dev responds as Steam reviews fall to 19% low

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection was eagerly awaited on Steam, but its arrival has caused a fair amount of upset for players. Following 'overwhelmingly negative' reviews and all-time 19% low score (at time of writing), developer Aspyr has responded.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best Star Wars games, Best multiplayer games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 8:17 AM
     The Sims 4 is giving you a DLC pack for free, so grab it while you can

While The Sims 4 is a free game nowadays, you can certainly spend a sizable chunk of change scooping up all its many pieces of DLC and expansions. Fortunately, EA occasionally throws us a bone by giving players one of its add-ons as a free DLC, and as the weather starts to turn towards the warmer months it's done just that again. While we await news on Project Rene and the upcoming Sims 5, you'll now be able to freshen up your outdoor decor with cosmetics and activities for nothing.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Sims 4 mods, Best Sims 4 sex mods, The Sims 4 cheats

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 8:16 AM
     The best games on Xbox Game Pass March 2024

What are the best games on Game Pass? Trawling through the hundreds of games in your Game Pass subscription can feel overwhelming. Game Pass is a great deal, with hundreds of games at your fingertips for a fairly low monthly cost, but, if you're anything like us, you might get lost in the choice and wind up not playing anything. Thankfully, we're here to help you discover some of the shiniest Game Pass gems.

Luckily, you can search by genre on the official Xbox Game Pass site, so you can always narrow your choices down. If you're unsure and want to try something new, we've picked some of the best Game Pass games the subscription service has to offer. Whether you're looking for horror games, farming games, or short, easy-to-complete story games, we've got them all listed.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 8:14 AM
     My favorite budget gaming CPU costs just $137 right now

If you're looking to build a decent gaming PC, but don't have big bucks to spend, then this latest Intel CPU offer on Amazon is waiting for you with open arms. For the bargain price of just $137 (and, amazingly, just £113 in the UK right now), you can bag yourself an Intel Core i5 12400F, which covers all your bases for gaming, and it will run on a cheap motherboard with DDR4 memory as well. However, this is a limited time deal, so make sure you get in quick.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Core i5 14600K review, Best gaming CPU, Core i9 14900K review

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 8:10 AM
     The best Elden Ring mods

Are you looking for the best Elden Ring mods? The beauty of mods is that they're highly versatile tools that allow players to tweak their experience. In the case of Elden Ring, you might wonder why anyone would want to mod a game that's so well-received. Well, if you find Soulslikes difficult, the Easy Mode mod is a surefire way to tone things down a notch. Some players might consider this goes too far, so why not remove the death mechanic, which stops you from losing your Runes instead?

What makes the best Elden Ring mods stand out is that they have the power to drastically improve someone's experience of the open world game. Whether you want to change the way ranged weapons work or you want the option to pause Elden Ring, we've got the mods for you. Here's everything you need to try out the best Elden Ring mods, including the PlayStation controller UI fix, the pause button mod, and more.

Continue reading The best Elden Ring mods
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, The best Elden Ring classes

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 7:55 AM
     The best cooking games on PC 2024

What are the best cooking games on PC? If you want to relax and create mouth-watering masterpieces or challenge your friends to some kitchen chaos, the wonderful world of cooking and restaurant games doesn't disappoint. We've rummaged through the contents of the PC world's metaphorical cupboards to rustle up a list of the very best.

You don't have to be a dab hand in the kitchen to work your way around these chef specials, as the best PC games for the budding restaurateur don't always have to appeal to the chef in us; they can be colorful management games, be as much about farming as preparing, or require some serious recipe grinding. They can also be a relaxing way to pass the time, whether that's by throwing tomatoes at your friend to chop in Overcooked or dragging a monster home for your evening meal in Battle Chef Brigade. Whatever cooking experience you're after, look no further than this list of the best cooking games on PC.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Disney games, What's the next Dreamlight Valley update?, Disney Dreamlight Valley guide

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 7:30 AM
     Last Epoch dev plans

The most overpowered builds in Last Epoch can certainly be a lot of fun, and developer Eleventh Hour Games has thus far maintained a policy of allowing 'broken' builds to run through a full seasonal cycle. It's long been a point of discussion, with ARPG rivals Diablo 4 and Path of Exile also balancing their own policies on the issue. Following a community survey, however, the Last Epoch team is making a couple of "big changes" to how it approaches balancing for builds that are highly overpowerforming as a result of bugs.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Last Epoch review, Last Epoch builds, Last Epoch tier list

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 7:16 AM
     Palworld is about to get one of the best features from RPG games

Palworld, the popular Pokémon-style survival game, will be getting its first ever raid battle boss. Bellanoir, as teased in the reveal trailer, awaits players for a showdown as a brand-new evil Pal to tame. So, if you love the world bosses in Diablo 4, or the heavies you face in the likes of Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft, Palworld is about to feel more like those classic RPGs.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Palworld bosses, Palworld map, Palworld settings

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 7:13 AM
     The best Fallout New Vegas mods

What are the best Fallout New Vegas mods? Despite being over a decade old, Fallout New Vegas enjoys a thriving modding scene that has stood the test of time. In the 12 or so years since we first took our first step in the Mojave Wasteland, some talented people have been tinkering with it until it becomes an entirely different beast.

There are years of mods to sift through, but we've managed to round up our favorites; the best mods that Fallout New Vegas has to offer, and popped them into this useful little list. Some add new textures to the RPG game, while others add new quests or even entirely new campaigns.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Fallout New Vegas mods, Fallout 5 release date, Best RPG games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 7:02 AM
     AMD Zen 5 CPUs look set to come early in

Veteran chip maker AMD is reportedly gearing up for a massive Ryzen CPU launch in the near future, in a bid to hit Intel where it hurts. If the latest rumor is to be believed, the AMD Zen 5 CPU launch will not only beat Intel to its Arrow Lake launch, but will do it by several months, in what's described as a "show of force" against as a competitor.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 7800 XT review

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 6:41 AM
     The best card games on PC 2024

What are the best card games on PC? It is not a question we would have been asking a few years ago, when some basic ports of paper-based systems and some minigames in larger titles were all we had access to.

Now, there are heaps of games like Hearthstone vying to be among the best card games on PC - it is one of the fastest-growing genres in the industry. Card games offer players a rich and constantly shifting meta, potentially limitless replayability, and are approachable to boot - so it is not hard to see why they have started to emerge on our best PC games list. Our list covers everything from the biggest player in the genre today, the best ports from paper, the up-and-comers you might not have heard of, and some of the best free card games out there.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Hearthstone decks, The best card games on PC, Free card games

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 6:08 AM
     All Dragon's Dogma 2 characters

Who are all the characters in Dragon's Dogma 2? It's been 12 long years since the first Dragon's Dogma game, but now the sequel is so close to launching that we can finally start to get excited about it. Don't worry if you haven't played the first game, Dragon's Dogma 2 takes place in a different time.

There are certain mechanics that will make sense to returning players, like the Dragon's Dogma 2 Pawns system, but RPG game newbies will pick up bits like this in no time. With the Dragon's Dogma 2 release date right around the corner, here's what you need to know about the DD2 characters.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Dragon's Dogma 2 release date, Dragon's Dogma 2 vocations, Dragon's Dogma 2 system requirements

PCGamesN Friday, March 15, 2024 5:03 AM
     World of Warcraft 10.2.6 update finally gets a release date

World of Warcraft, the MMORPG that keeps on giving, has revealed the highly-anticipated and secretive 10.2.6 update release date. The patch will allow players to enjoy a "bold, new, limited-time event". But, that's about all we know in terms of content.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: WoW Dragonflight tier list, The best WoW addons, WoW Dragonflight review

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 15, 2024 11:20 AM
    

Port-o-remaster publishers Aspyr yesterday launched the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection, bundling together the two 'What if Battlefield but Star Wars?' shooters originally released by Pandemic Studios and LucasArts in 2004 and 2005 (not to be confused with Dice and EA's uncolonic Star Wars Battlefront games from the mid-tensies). It's one of those rereleases that exists mostly for consoles which never saw the games in the first place, made a bit useless on PC by the fact that you can still buy and fully play the originals for half the price. It's made even less useful by launching in a right wonky technical state, with bad lag, crashes, and reportedly only three 64-player servers online at first.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 15, 2024 10:38 AM
    

What do you reach for when you're waiting in line at the supermarket, or waiting in a shop doorway for the rain to stop, or even while you're waiting for a game to finish downloading? I don't mean to assume, but let's face it, it's probably your phone, where some idle doomscrolling likely awaits you, or some other, time-wasting distraction that will help fill the dead air between one task and the next. Well, While Waiting is a game that delves into precisely this fundamental human question: what is the best thing to do while waiting for something else to happen? It's from the makers of the very good puzzle game Moncage, and its newly released Steam demo is a pure, fidgety brilliance.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 15, 2024 10:00 AM
    

My day in Lightyear Frontier starts out with a bit of farming. On a good day, it's raining, so I don't need to water the crops. On a bad day, there are weeds spontaneously spawning from the sky and I need to catch them before they land right on top of my precious plants. Either way, when I'm done, I'll put the day's harvest into the processing machines to work while I'm away, and then go exploring for minerals.

My goals are clear. I need to build a new machine, or upgrade my mech so that I can clean up a new area of the map and get new resources in return. Those will – you guessed it – let me build new machines or upgrade my mech again. There might be a few steps to juggle on the way, but nothing that needs me to hold long recipe flowcharts in my head. When I get back I'll have everything I need to take the next step. It always feels like I'm making forward progress.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 15, 2024 9:41 AM
    

I know that "Made one guy admit he was wrong about a subgenre" isn't the kind of achievement they put in accolade trailers, but I must credit Warhammer 40,000: Darktide with tearing apart my blanket dislike of first-person melee fighters. Having spent months of stubbornly maining Veteran and sticking as closely as possible to FPS convention, I've since found peace in the simple act of swinging knives/swords/giant electrified hammers into and through people. Mainly because it's not so simple: for all its chaotic spectacle, the meleeing in Darktide (this month's RPS Game Club star) works because it's secretly been a rhythm game.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 15, 2024 6:49 AM
    

If you're fond of the fairly specific blend of doomy theology, rich art direction and Soulslike-tinted metroidvaning encapsulated by Blasphemous, you might also enjoy Saviorless from Cuban team Empty Head Games and publisher Dear Villagers, which now has a PC release date of 2nd April.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, March 15, 2024 5:42 AM
    

Pocketpair have popped up a trailer for Palworld's first new raid battle boss, Bellanoir, who is "coming soon" to the monster-catching survival game in a big old Palworld update that will also include some fixes and additional anti-cheating measures. First impressions: it's an evil Goth girl with a jellyfish where her legs should be.

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Twinfinite Friday, March 15, 2024 10:46 AM
    
Always tip your landlord.

Twinfinite Friday, March 15, 2024 10:00 AM
    
A whole new world of cozy

Twinfinite Friday, March 15, 2024 6:18 AM
    
Never say no to freebies.

Siliconera Friday, March 15, 2024 12:00 PM
    

First Palworld Raid Will Involve the Pal Bellanoir

PocketPair announced its first Palworld raid is on the way with a teaser trailer showing a Pal named Bellanoir. The developer also noted it will be hiring an artist to draw Palworld manga and comics on the English and Japanese social media accounts.

First, here's the initial look at Bellanoir before the Pal appears in a Palworld raid. She is a humanoid sort of character that bears a resemblance to the Pokemon Gardevoir.

https://twitter.com/Palworld_EN/status/1768547684766433426

As for the Palworld comic and manga artist, people are encouraged to apply by sharing a sample via social media either by DMing or replying to the official "ad." The company also showed examples of the kinds of comics it would like to release for the game.

https://twitter.com/Palworld_EN/status/1768201601133764789

While there haven't been major content updates to the game since launch, we have seen patches and promotional outreach. PocketPair also promised to address cheating in the title. Many of the recent updates have gone over fixes to improve the overall experience. However, the company's roadmaps and plans include things like additional quality of life features, anti-cheat endeavors, and also additional Pals for players to get to catch.

Palworld is available in early access for the Xbox Series X and PC. 

The post First Palworld Raid Will Involve the Pal Bellanoir appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 15, 2024 11:30 AM
    

Pokemon Pikachu flower arrangements for Mother's Day 2024 in Japan

Pokemon Center Online Japan has opened pre-orders for new flower arrangements inspired by the Pokemon series mascot Pikachu. People who place orders can expect the finished products to arrive around the time Japan celebrates Mother's Day with the US and many other countries on Sunday, May 12, 2024.

The flower arrangements will be available in two types. The regular arrangement will cost 7,260 yen (~$49), and it will require the owner to water the flowers regularly to maintain their condition for around three days. There will be also a preserved flower arrangement that will cost more at 9,900 yen (~$66.50), but it will not require any maintenance and the owner will be able to display it for up to around a whole year depending on the location. Both products will come with a message card that also features Pichu in addition to Pikachu.

While Pokemon Center Online Japan generally only ships its products inside the country, these flower arrangements will be available in an even more limited amount of regions. Due to these products' nature, the company cannot ship them to remote islands in Japan, such as Tsushima Island and the entire Okinawa Prefecture.

New Pokemon-themed merchandise has often appeared ahead of numerous commemoration days. Prior examples that preceded the 2024 Mother's Day included Valentine's Day and Easter.

The pre-order window for the Mother's Day 2024 Pikachu flower arrangements will close on April 15, 2024. Pokemon Center Online Japan will deliver the finished products around May 9-12, 2024.

The post Pikachu Flower Arrangements Appear Ahead of Mother's Day 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 15, 2024 11:00 AM
    

Anycolor Stock Plummets After March 2024 Nijisanji Financial Results

On March 14, 2024, Anycolor released its Financial Results of FY2024 4 Q3 that went over its various Nijisanji Vtuber branches. Now at market close on March 15, 2024, Yahoo Finance noted the stock price went from 3,140 yen (~$21) on March 14, 2024, to 2,451 yen (~16) on March 15, 2024.

Here's a screenshot showing the Anycolor stock drop between March 14-15, 2024, following insight into Nijisanji and the company's financials. As people on the subreddits for Vtubers and Nijisanji pointed out, there is a trading curb in effect that kept the price from going lower.

As a reminder, following the termination of Selen Tatsuki, a Nijisanji English Vtuber, Anycolor made a statement on its official site that has since been removed. As part of it, it noted that "the impact of this decision [to terminate Selen Tatsuki] on our financial results will be negligible."

The Financial Results of FY2024 4 Q3 for Anycolor featured a number of statements about the company, its business, and Nijisanji Vtuber retention. For example, it stated it had a 97% retention rate for its performers. As a reminder, in 2023 multiple livers who were formerly part of Nijisanji ID graduated, and recent EN branch graduations and terminations over the past year included Zaion LanZa, Nina Kosaka, Mysta Rias, Selen Tatsuki, Pomu Rainpuff, and Kyo Kaneko.

Nijisanji's next major development is the debut of a new group for the Japanese branch called 3SKM. They will begin appearing on March 15, 2024.

The post Anycolor Stock Plummets After March 2024 Nijisanji Financial Results appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 15, 2024 10:30 AM
    

Final Fantasy XIV FFXIV Decorative Xbox Looks Like Aetheryte

Microsoft announced a Final Fantasy XIV contest that gives people a custom-designed FFXIV Aetheryte Xbox Series X. This would be accompanied by a copy of the MMORPG and a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Initially, the official rules for the contest noted that this was a non-functional art piece, as pointed out by Aj4sure on Twitter. However, that language has now been removed from the official rules as of 9:30am ET on March 15, 2024. 

Here are screenshots of the official language shown in the official rules taken by Siliconera. The new changes could now mean that the Final Fantasy XIV contest Microsoft is running does include a functional custom FFXIV Xbox Series X. 

The official social media post offered an idea of the prizes and guidelines. People would get the custom-designed console, a copy of the FFXIV Complete Collector's Edition, and 12 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. To enter, someone must follow Xbox on Twitter, Xbox Canada, or Xbox Mexico, follow FFXIV on Twitter, and retweet the following contest post. This must be done by March 28, 2024. On April 2, 2024, the winner will be notified. Only one grand prize will be given out.

https://twitter.com/Xbox/status/1768366577161003374

This is all to celebrate the March 21, 2024 launch of the MMORPG on the Xbox Series X. It is in open beta at the moment.

Final Fantasy XIV is available on the PS4, PS5, and PC, with the Xbox Series X version launching on March 21, 2024. Dawntrail will arrive in Summer 2024, with more news on that coming at PAX East 2024.

The post FFXIV Decorative Xbox Looks Like Aetheryte appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 15, 2024 10:00 AM
    

Review: The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered Makes You Grind

I have loved The Legend of Legacy since I first played it on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2016. Even though I never managed to beat it back then, I remember having a lot of fun with it. However, it wasn't until replaying The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered that I remembered why I struggled to finish it in the first place. While the game remains fun and FuRyu implemented a lot of interesting ideas, the systems present are very obtuse. This new remaster is a missed opportunity to course correct some of these decisions and make the game a bit more accessible.

The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is set in the island of Avalon, a land inhabited by monsters that was discovered 10 years before the start of the game. At the outset, players choose one of 7 protagonists. Each one has their own reasons to travel to Avalon that are tied to the ancient civilization that inhabited the island, along with mysterious legends of the Star Graal. Likewise, every character has their own ending. So if you want to see them all, you'll have to play the game several times. While you definitely don't need to do this to understand the plot, it's a nice touch for those wanting to replay the game.

While the story is interesting, the plot in The Legend of Legacy is rather sparse, and most of the playtime is concentrated in exploring Avalon and fighting. Each protagonist starts the game with 2 other characters, but you can change your party in the town of Initium after talking and recruiting the 4 party members. Characters in your party offer color commentary during all important scenes. This detail helps keeps a consistent feeling of camaraderie within the party, and helps display their personalities.

Exploration and combat is where the bulk of the experience lies. Combat is fought in a turn-based system using a team of three party members. First, players select one of their prepared Formations, and then select each character's action. The roles in each Formation determine how effective certain actions are, and which stat they can level up. Formations are an interesting way of encouraging character growth and creating your own "classes," by making each character grow in their respective roles the more you use them. If you've played or know about The Alliance Alive this system is a somewhat stripped-down version of it.

While combat itself is pretty straightforward, leveling is confusing and unintuitive. Characters have five main stats: HP, SP, Attack, Guard, and Support. HP and SP have a chance of randomly leveling up after every fight. Meanwhile, Attack, Guard and Support can increase depending on the stance and actions each character used in a fight. To make matters worse, each move has its own independent Attack, Guard, and Support stats tied to them that can level up when you use them in the respective stance. What the Attack and Guard stats do is self-explanatory, while Support influences turn order. Having various balanced formation for different scenarios is important not only for succeeding in fights, but for keeping your character's stance and move levels balanced properly. As you can imagine, the almost random nature of leveling can inflate the duration of the game by adding some grinding. While fighting stronger enemies usually makes level ups prompt easier, it is still a roll of the die.

Weapons and moves work similar to skills in the SaGa series. Special moves and Spells can be cast spending SP. Moves are learned randomly by Awakening when using a particular move, and each weapon has several different moves. Equipping your characters with balanced equipment is important to avoid getting walled by an enemy that might resist a particular type of damage. Water, Air, and Fire Singing Shards and charms provide elemental contracts that allow characters to cast spells of the corresponding element, along with passive buffs like HP and SP regen. These can be equipped and used by every character.

Spells can also be learned the same was as moves, except you have to cast spells until Awakening them, although this is not evident nor explained at any point. Additionally, some characters can only learn some elements, which can prove tricky when deciding who to give charms. While there is an in-game manual, it barely touches on how these systems work, and keeps the player in the dark on some details that I consider to be essential in order to succeed in the game. The remaster was the chance to improve on these aspects and the overall experience, but as it stands it remains a somewhat stubborn game.

For my playthrough, I picked Owen as protagonist, as he is powerful close quarters fighter that excels in attacking and guarding. He was accompanied by Garnet, another strong attacker with defensive capabilities, and Filmia, a support attacker with decent speed. While you can change party members in Initium, I decided to stick with this group throughout my entire playthrough, as changing it would have put me back a few hours in order to catch up to the rest of the party. I would recommend doing the same for anyone getting into the game, and then trying other teams in New Game+ if they're curious to see other character stories and trying new combinations.

The visuals in The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered are really beautiful. While it is quite obvious that it originally was a Nintendo 3DS game, the chibi style of the character models looks really good, and perfectly suits the art style and environments. There are some very rare moments where the resolution in some backgrounds is a bit low, but other than that the game maintains a very strong aesthetic. If I have any criticism of the presentation is that the stylized pop-in of the environments remains a bit jarring, even more so when playing on a big screen. The music in The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is flawless. Final Fantasy XIII Composer Masashi Hamauzu provided his signature style for the soundtrack, and it is evident throughout the score. The main battle theme in particular is very reminiscent of FFXIII, and it never gets old. For a song that you get to hear a lot, this is very important.

I still love The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered. I wished this new release could have fixed some of my gripes with the original game. While it can be an obtuse and stubborn game to learn, once you get past this you are met with a pretty and charming world, as well as a strategic combat system with some interesting ideas. The best thing going on for the remaster is that it makes accessible an 8-year-old game that was trapped on the Nintendo 3DS. For fans of the SaGa series this is a must.

The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered will come out on March 22, 2024 for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam.

The post Review: The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered Makes You Grind appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 15, 2024 9:30 AM
    

Tales of Dream Collection by Kotobukiya

A new Tales Of series merchandise collection has appeared in Japan, and it features popular male characters from the series relaxing in bed. Kotobukiya has launched the Tales Of Series Dream Collection, where people can obtain random merchandise by purchasing lottery tickets.

The primary highlights of this collection are the S-Prize big acrylic boards and the A-Prize acrylic stands. The former features large illustrations of Zelos, Sorey, and Mikleo sized at 257x182 mm (~10.12x7.16 in). The latter has chibi artwork of Ludger, Yuri, or Luke that can actually shake. While Kotobukiya generally sends the items at random, it will let lucky people who win these two prizes choose the exact character item they want.

Here is the complete item list, along with the winning probabilities for each of them:

  • S Prize: Big acrylic board (3%)
  • A Prize: Shakeable acrylic stand (6%)
  • B Prize: Acrylic block keychain (18%)
  • C Prize: Set of four illustration cards (30%)
  • D Prize: Tin badge (43%)

Here's a peek at all the Tales of characters who will appear on the upcoming merchandise.

A single ticket in this lottery costs 800 yen. Kotobukiya also offers several batch purchases that come with additional bonuses. People can opt to buy ten tickets at once, and they will receive a random photo card based on one of the twelve featured characters. They can also choose the much larger option to buy fifty tickets at 40,000 yen (~$269) to get six random photo cards and a guaranteed chance to choose from the S-Prize acrylic boards.

Kotobukiya has been releasing merchandise lotteries based on Bandai Namco's Tales Of franchise. In February 2023, it held a similar lottery with a focus on Tales of Symphonia to help celebrate the remaster's release on consoles in the same month.

The Tales Of Series Dream Collection Kotobukiya Kuji lottery is available in Japan until April 14, 2024.

The post Tales of Characters Look Sleepy in Kotobukiya Dream Collection appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, March 15, 2024 9:00 AM
    

Life Size Pokemon Violet Miraidon Mirai Mobility by Toyota

The real-life prototype of the Pokemon Miraidon has appeared for public viewing in Tokyo, Japan, and a video shows how it can actually walk, albeit still slowly. The prototype, which is officially named Toyota Engineering Society Miraidon, is available at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya until March 17, 2024.

Multiple forms of media showcase the real-life Pokemon prototype as it appears in public, and one of them is a video showing it in motion. The prototype still has to be supported with wheeled frames, and the video was recorded for a long period with increased speed. However, the video does show how the real-life Miraidon can walk forward in its Low Power Mode.

The video is available to watch right below via Poke Times, the Japanese official X account for Pokemon news:

https://twitter.com/poke_times/status/1768473470931788025

The Japanese official Pokemon YouTube channel had also published a trailer that shows how Toyota constructed the life-size Miraidon. The automotive company previously displayed a Miraidon prototype at Waku Waku World in November 2023, but it formally launched the Miraidon Project in early March 2024.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF8PLRH_SGc

Miraidon is an Electric/Dragon-type legendary Pokemon that also appears as the mascot monster of the Nintendo Switch game Pokemon Violet. It is exclusively obtainable in that game, and players who have the other Generation IX entry Pokemon Scarlet will have to procure it by using the games' Pokemon trading features.

The real-life Miraidon prototype can also be transformed from its regular quadrupedal Low-Power Mode to the motorcycle-like Drive Mode. The event organizer will also allow some people to actually ride the Pokemon. It is distributing a limited number of tickets that let people line up for the rare experience. However, it will only allow those who weigh less than 65 kg (~143 lbs) to ride the prototype for safety reasons.

The Toyota Engineering Society Miraidon is available for free public viewing at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya on March 15-17, 2024.

The post See the Toyota Life-Size Pokemon Miraidon in Motion appeared first on Siliconera.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, March 15, 2024 11:31 AM
     All Stardew Valley Romance OptionsStardew Valley's romance system is far more fleshed out than that of other titles in the genre. Many villagers already have families and partners, so you can't just date anyone you please. Still, if love is in the air, here are all the Stardew Valley Romance options and how the system works. How does friendship work in Stardew Valley? Screenshot: PC Invasion Just so we're all on the same page, let me quickly explain how friendship works, as you can't go straight to Romance without it. Each villager in Stardew Valley has a meter with ten grey hearts. You can earn red hearts with those villagers, which signify your friendship, and can build that meter by doing the following: Talking to them daily Give them a gift they like or love Inviting them to the Movie Theater Buying them snacks at the Movie Theater Completing quests for them from the board in the town Every villager has a gift preference, and determining each individual's t...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, March 15, 2024 11:26 AM
     A World of Warcraft screenshot of a human riding the Compass Rose mount and wearing various Hearthstone 10th Anniversary reward itemsTo celebrate Hearthstone's 10th Anniversary, players can jump into World of Warcraft between March 11–22 to earn some wonderful Hearthstone-themed loot. From the adorable Sarge pet to the long-awaited Compass Rose mount, this guide is your one-stop shop for all rewards available in WoW's Hearthstone celebration. Table of ContentsHow to earn Hearthstone 10th Anniversary rewards in World of WarcraftWhizbang boss portal location, rotation, and lootWhy didn't I get loot from Whizbang?Hearthstone Beginner Achievement and Hearthstone Game Table toyFiery Hearthsteed mountAll Hearthstone 10th Anniversary rewards in WoW How to earn Hearthstone 10th Anniversary rewards in World of Warcraft During Hearthstone's 10 Anniversary celebration in World of Warcraft, you can earn themed rewards by participating in the hourly Whizbang portal event in Orgrimmar (Horde), Stormwind (Alliance), and Valdrakken. While most 10th Anniversary rewards are ea...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, March 15, 2024 10:04 AM
     Glider In Outcast A New BeginningOutcast A New Beginning is set in the gorgeous world of Adelpha. The trailers show off Cutter Slade zooming around in his glide jetpack, a tool that makes traversing the verdant valleys so much easier. Here's how to get it as soon as possible. How to fly in Outcast A New Beginning Thankfully, you'll be able to unlock Glide in Outcast A New Beginning fairly quickly if you focus on it. The Glide feature is an upgrade to your Jetpack, which means you can find it in the Upgrade Tree. Screenshot: PC Invasion Through playing the game normally, you'll unlock both the Jetpack and Energy Saver, as you'll be forced into unlocking them. The Glide feature is the fourth upgrade down, so you'll need to be focused when spending your Blue Helidium. Blue Helidium is the resource needed to purchase your upgrades and has zero other functionality. So don't worry about saving it. The Glide costs 100 Blue Helidium, but you'll need to purchase the Jets...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, March 15, 2024 10:03 AM
     Cool Shot For Outcast A New BeginningOutcast A New Beginning is a beautiful game – and for those wanting to get immersed in the wonderful world of Adelpha, the performance issues may get in the way and prove frustrating. I've gathered the best tips and settings to make your journey with Cutter Slade as smooth as he is. Best Graphics Settings for Outcast A New Beginning Unfortunately, I can't simply give the best graphics settings that will work for every single computer out there for Outcast A New Beginning. Despite my trying to provide you with the most optimal settings for those struggling with performance, you'll have to tweak the settings yourself to get it how you want it. If you have an NVIDIA Graphics Card for your PC, make sure you are using GeForce Experience to automatically adjust the graphics quality for Outcast A New Beginning. Console players don't have this option, so must rely purely on optimization of the Graphics Settings. Screenshot: PC Invasion You can acces...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, March 15, 2024 9:08 AM
     Palworld VerdashIn Palworld, Verdash is a super useful Pal for both base life and team life, which isn't seen too often. Acquiring this Pal, however, is a little tricker said than done. You'll have to break the law to capture one or scorch your feet to breed it. How to capture Verdash in Palworld Capturing Verdash is both tricky and thrilling, as they aren't just normal Pals that roam around the Palpagos islands. Instead, they only naturally spawn on No. 2 Wildlife Sanctuary. This makes capturing Verdash difficult for a number of reasons. Screenshot: PC Invasion All Pals in the Wildlife Sanctuaries are aggressive, meaning you'll have to prepare for a rough fight when you get there, and alongside Verdash will the incredibly Jormuntide Ignis spawn, so you're in for trouble if one picks a fight with you. Also, Verdash and all the other Pals are all over level 40, meaning they are exceptionally strong. You will need strong Pals as well as strong armor to survive f...

Gamer Empire Friday, March 15, 2024 5:55 AM
     You need Titanium to craft many useful end-game items and structures in Raft. While there are several ways to obtain this mineral, the most resource-friendly and reliable way to get Titanium is digging for treasures. Therefore, it's crucial to learn how to use a Metal Detector in Raft. Recommended Read: How to Get the You […]

WGB Friday, March 15, 2024 10:01 AM
     What a Sith-show.

Pivotal Gamers Friday, March 15, 2024 4:22 AM
     Hello folks. We have another remarkable giveaway from Giveaway Of The Day for Cars Of The Future. This is what they say. Cars Of The Future is available as a Giveaway of the day!You have limited time to download, install and register it. A few words about Cars Of The Future Cars of the Future is an exciting puzzle game that allows you to immerse yourself in the exciting world of innovative cars. T...