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Apr 03, 02:00


PCGamesN Tuesday, April 2, 2024 6:22 PM
     This Horizon Forbidden West download is essential for Intel gamers

Horizon Forbidden West is finally with us and proving to be a solid if unsensational sequel to the beautiful original. However, its performance on Intel Arc GPUs has thus far been affected by "longer than expected load times," which this latest Intel GPU driver download aims to fix.

While our Horizon Forbidden West review found that other issues such as "a lack of ambition and a flat narrative" affect the storytelling of the game, we didn't otherwise encounter major performance issues on our Nvidia GPU-based test hardware. However, for users of Intel Arc GPUs the experience may not have been ideal, making the new Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5382 WHQL download essential if you have a graphics card such as the Intel Arc A770.

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

Siliconera Tuesday, April 2, 2024 9:01 PM
    

Review: Freedom Planet 2 Is a Love Letter to Sonic the Hedgehog

Making a good Sonic the Hedgehog style platformer is hard! It's so difficult, even Sega can sometimes suffer a misstep. The first Freedom Planet managed to get the nuances right, and Freedom Planet 2 further emphasizes how good GalaxyTrail is nailing the type of level design and character balance you need to get the sort of Sonic the Hedgehog like experience right.

While Freedom Planet 2 is a fairly direct sequel and picks up with the same characters, you can jump right into it without playing the original. Things begin with a hint that all is not right in the world of Avalice. We see an ominous figure released from captivity and begin to assault the world, and there are also robotic and pirate-related attacks on the country. Fortunately, our heroes Lilac and Carol from the previous game game are here, and they're accompanied by Milla and Neera. 

Like the first game, Freedom Planet 2 is a sprite-based, 2D platformer with levels that feel like there are tons of paths above and below you. So no matter where you are, it seems like you could go up or down and find a new route to reach the boss at the end of the stage. Like Sonic the Hedgehog, there are also various loops, bounce pads, and speed-enhancing devices to encourage quickly dashing through areas, though there are also some puzzles like doors to unlock by hitting pieces into place, platforms that may require jumping from one to unlock another, and other elements that involve a bit more thought.

Also like Sonic the Hedgehog, different characters in Freedom Planet 2 play differently. The character closest to Sonic would be Lilac. Milla can feel a bit like Tails, due to her hovering ability. Carol is more akin to Knuckles, due to the punching elements. As for Neera with her lance, she's not far off from Amy Rose. This means that the approach for going through levels changes based on who you use, and picking your playable character for your save file in Adventure Mode determines the style you'll use when exploring for that whole game. It adds this level of personalization and means that no matter how you prefer to play, you'll probably be able to go through Freedom Planet 2 and have a good time. I used Milla, because it meant I was more careful, able to go back to hover to reach areas, and rely more on projectiles for gameplay that felt more run-and-gun like Mega Man. However, when I went back and played as someone like Lilac in Classic Mode, it was much more fast-paced and about maintaining momentum. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxsgtHPsVrA&ab_channel=NintendoofAmerica

Speaking of which, the modes determine how the game plays. When you start, only Adventure Mode is available. This allows you to visit some town and hub areas on the map between stages, interact with NPCs, take part in some training elements, and basically feel more a part of the world when not going through levels. It's handled pretty well, though at some points I did end up feeling like there was perhaps a bit too much padding there. Still, after getting through the game once, Classic Mode is unlocked and is a more streamlined experience that just involves the stages, so there is an option to more quickly go through things once you've gone through things once. 

Those kinds of quality of life elements aren't limited to a second or third playthrough, however. During a first run through Freedom Planet 2, there are plenty of elements like that. For example, you can now guard against enemy attacks. For those unfamiliar, an auto-guard option is available. What I appreciated most was the revival option. When this happens, you can opt to revive after dying during a stage. In my case, it came up three times during boss fights during my first run. In basically each case, I was about to beat an opponent, but found myself knocked out first. This feature let me revive with the opponent at the same degree of health and the fight right where I left off. It wouldn't be a full health restore, but it ended up being enough to get that last one or two hits in I needed to win. People can also get and equip items to improve their attack or defense, in case someone is having trouble getting through. 

However, given Freedom Planet 2 has been out on PCs since September 2022 and is only now just coming to consoles in April 2024, people may wonder if it plays okay. Well, it feels pretty great on the Switch. The font is easy to read. The controls are handled perfectly. It's easy to play for hours, with my first session even lasting about three hours with no discomfort. Everything felt pretty precise and perfect, as though it was a rather admirable port. 

Like the original game, Freedom Planet 2 feels like it respects the Sonic the Hedgehog platformer style and endeavors to offer a new, similar sort of take on the experience. The range of characters is great and means it feels really diverse depending on the one you choose. It runs great on the Nintendo Switch. It's a well-executed platformer for people who are looking for a more modern take on a retro type of title.

Freedom Planet 2 will come to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on April 4, 2024. It is immediately available on PCs. 

The post Review: Freedom Planet 2 Is a Love Letter to Sonic the Hedgehog  appeared first on Siliconera.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, April 3, 2024 12:04 AM
     Dragon's Dogma 2 Battahl MarketSome items may be slowing you down both literally and figuratively. Let's fix that. Here are the best items to sell in Dragon's Dogma 2. Dragon's Dogma 2: Best items to sell In my gears of being a musician, buying and selling gear was a day-to-day activity I pretty much enjoyed. Not only did I sometimes make a profit thanks to some "high-level marketing strategies" but also it helped with major space needs. Whether you use heavy armor or not, you will soon find out that you need to do the same with all the items you have collected in your adventures in Dragon's Dogma 2. Screenshot: PC Invasion So, do you need a new upgrade or do you need to lose major weight due to your current carry weight capacity? Then selling can certainly help you, but it is a bit tricky due to the incessant fear of "what if I sell something important." Well, that's what we are here for. Of course, you could say that the best items to sell are the m...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, April 2, 2024 11:14 PM
     Diablo 4 Pit Of ArtificersPrepare yourself to battle deadly enemies in exchange for some materials. That sounds like a fair exchange of goods! Here is how to enter The Pit of Artificers in Diablo 4 Season 4 PTR. What is The Pit of Artificers in Diablo 4? The Pit of Artificers is one of the several new mechanics introduced during the Season 4 PTR of Diablo 4. This Tier 46 Nightmare Dungeon will have you beat Level 100 enemies to be "invited" by The Pit's boss. This sounds all good and all, but the trick is that you will have to do so in less than 10 minutes so you can receive Masterworking materials to Masterwork your item – which is an endgame upgrading mechanic, also included in the PTR. While the goal is to do all of this before the 10-minute mark, you will also unlock higher-tier versions of The Pit of Artificers and an increasingly larger number of materials. However, be careful and tread lightly since any death will punish you with a time penalty of up to 90 seconds –...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, April 2, 2024 8:11 PM
     Dragon's Dogma 2 Beastren ArmorTo choose the best armor in Dragon's Dogma 2 is to travel all across the world and spend every single coin you have in your pockets. Today we will take a look at the best armor pieces – consisting of head, body, and leg armor – for every single Vocation in the game. For each Vocation I will be picking both the base game's best armor – before ending your first run of the game and entering NG+ – and the endgame best armor and separate them in their sections. This will help you out indeed and make things a bit more interesting because most of the absolute best armor pieces are obtained by trading Wyrmslife Crystals – from now on referred to as WC – with The Dragonforged. Finally, since we mentioned The Dragonforged, I will add some endgame armor alternatives that won't require WC but gold or found inside treasures. Note that this won't happen often, so don't forget to fight some dragons while you are exploring Vernwor...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, April 2, 2024 6:37 PM
     Best Sorcerer Vocation Build In Dragons Dogma 2While you can't swap skills and weapons between Vocations in Dragon's Dogma 2, you can apply Augments to any class after you've unlocked them. Augments are the main way that you can customize your Dragon's Dogma 2 build, but you need to level up specific Vocations to unlock them. It takes quite some time to get every Vocation to the max level, though, and some players just want to know which classes they need to grind to get the best Augments for their main Vocation. This guide will show you a complete list of every Vocation in Dragon's Dogma 2, including which Vocations you need to level up and how much Discipline you'll need to purchase them. All Vocation Augments in Dragon's Dogma 2 AugmentDescriptionVocationUnlock LevelDiscipline CostAmbuscadeIncreases damage dealt by your attacks when targets are not in battle stance.Archer2300AvidityEnables you to clamber up cliffs and scale foes and other surfaces more quickly.Archer95,000Endur...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, April 2, 2024 6:07 PM
     Content Warning MusicIf you want to get the most SpookTube views in Content Warning, you need to buy the best equipment with your ad revenue. When you visit the shop in Content Warning, though, you've probably noticed that there's a blank section for music. With your daily allowance of ad revenue in Content Warning, you can buy flashlights, medical supplies, gadgets, and even emotes that will improve the production value of your videos and allow you to reach a wider audience. The music section is seemingly useless at the moment, but there's more to it than you may think. Why is the Music Section Blank in Content Warning? At the time of writing, the music section is supposed to be blank in Content Warning. There is no way to play music in the game, there are no gadgets that make sounds, and you can't upload any music files to use in your SpookTube videos. That's going to change very soon, however. In the official Content Warning Discord server, Landfall developers h...

iDev Games Feed Tuesday, April 2, 2024 6:10 PM
     You click on the rock...