Kotaku Saturday, May 4, 2024 3:00 PM  The Star Wars universe is massive, filled with hundreds of books, games, TV shows, and more. And let's not forget the movies, which started all of this wild nonsense back in 1978 with A New Hope. Throughout all of Star Wars, from all the fan fighting over Last Jedi to people going wild over Grogu, one thing has… |
Kotaku Saturday, May 4, 2024 12:00 PM  This week, debates raged about supposed censorship in Stellar Blade. We also took a look at the upcoming game from the makers of Life Is Strange, remembered how the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog, with its, uhh...unsettling take on the character...broke the internet five years ago, and more. |
Kotaku Saturday, May 4, 2024 11:05 AM  Star Wars is a massive and popular franchise that encompasses hundreds of books, games, and more. But it all started with a few films back in the late '70s and early '80s. And today, we are going to dodge the angry nerds and fan theories to look at every Star Wars film released in theaters and list the best and worst… |
Kotaku Saturday, May 4, 2024 10:50 AM  This week, we've got stories on Square Enix eating significant losses and shifting its strategy, a look back at Dragon's Dogma 2's wild first month, and more. Click on for a roundup of the week's biggest stories. |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 4, 2024 12:01 PM  Diablo 4 Season 4 is making big, exciting changes to the mammoth Blizzard RPG, and I'm eagerly awaiting news on rival Last Epoch's next cycle. Right now, however, the ARPG I'm most interested in is No Rest for the Wicked, the dark fantasy adventure infused with more methodical combat inspired by the likes of Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Coming from Ori developer Moon Studios, the first No Rest for the Wicked patch is here, and there are a lot of reasons to check back in if you've been holding off. |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 4, 2024 11:20 AM  Skyrim is a timeless RPG for good reason. The sense of exploration, the ability to freely level and build your character, and the endless supply of excellent mods all make for an experience that rightfully lives on over a decade later. Why do you think I keep writing about it after all these years? That said, the jump from Oblivion to Skyrim saw Bethesda change one feature for the worse, but this mod just changed it back while making it even better. Continue reading New Skyrim mod fixes the one thing it ruined from Oblivion MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Skyrim mods, Elder Scrolls 6 release date, Games like Skyrim |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 4, 2024 10:47 AM  Following a successful launch, new farming game and life sim Echoes of the Plum Grove has plenty more to come in the weeks and months to follow. With an adorable papercraft presentation but a willingness to tackle tough topics such as sickness and death, Plum Grove has already landed to a 'very positive' Steam reception, and developer Unwound Games reveals what's currently in the works as it thanks players for their support. Continue reading Adorable Stardew Valley style farming sim reveals post launch plans |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 4, 2024 9:50 AM  The first major Manor Lords patch has been detailed by publisher Hooded Horse, and we can expect a whole host of bug fixes and mechanical improvements to the medieval city builder already. With over a million sales and a very positive Steam reception, the Valve platform's most wishlisted game is going to keep on improving itself throughout the early access launch - with trade fixes at the top of the list. Continue reading First Manor Lords patch teases big trade and storage changes MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Manor Lords early access review, Best strategy games, Best city builders |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 4, 2024 9:19 AM  If you're in the mood for some asymmetrical multiplayer horror in the vein of Dead by Daylight, free Steam game Puppet Master: The Game has just launched a major update with a new map and character. Inspired by the 35 year old series that embraced the inherently terrifying nature of anthropomorphic puppets long before Five Nights at Freddy's, this horror game offers a mix of DBD style action with a range of playable characters on both sides of the board. Continue reading Dead by Daylight style free Steam game launches huge new update MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best horror games, Best multiplayer games, Free Steam games |
Twinfinite Saturday, May 4, 2024 3:55 PM  |
Twinfinite Saturday, May 4, 2024 12:12 PM  |
Siliconera Saturday, May 4, 2024 3:00 PM
The Summer Hikaru Died is one of those manga series that sticks with you, especially as we learn more about situations and characters. It's always unnerving, and we keep seeing Mokumokuren add these little details indicating things could be getting worse. However, with the third volume it's clearer than ever that things are wrong, and it may leave someone wondering if it's possible for the characters to accept and live with everything going on.
Editor's Note: There will be spoilers for the first two volumes of The Summer Hikaru Died manga.
The first volume of The Summer Hikaru Died involved Yoshiki discovering his friend "Hikaru" isn't Hikaru anymore. When the real person was going on the mountain to complete a supernatural ritual left to his family to protect the town, he died. An entity took over his being, became "Hikaru," and resumed his life. We see Yoshiki dealing with his grief, especially due to his love for his friend, and coming to terms with this new being that seems utterly devoted to him.
With the second volume, we saw the effects of "Hikaru" leaving the mountain and coming to town. Things aren't right. More supernatural elements are being drawn to their world. We start to see people, like Yoshiki's family, in danger because of it. The second volume even ends with Yoshiki, after being more receptive to a new relationship with "Hikaru," succumbing to another entity's attack in some way. All of this is interspersed with more insights into what Hikaru and his family were involved in.
As a result, volume 3 of The Summer Hikaru Died already starts out fraught with anxiety and danger. We see the after effects of Yoshiki's encounter with the entity in the previous volume. It put not only him, but perhaps even "Hikaru" in danger. We see Asako, who'd already been shown to have a sixth sense of sorts, hinting that more beings are creeping around and potentially causing trouble for fellow friends like their classmate Yuuki. Rie, a housewife who warned Yoshiki about encounters with the supernatural, is shown dealing with another incident.
More chilling are the encounters involving "Hikaru." I felt like the second volume of The Summer Hikaru Died lulled me into a false sense of security. It seemed like Yoshiki and "Hikaru" came to an understanding of sorts. The fact the two were working together at the end of the volume for the sake of Kaoru was also reassuring. And then, we have this… incident. It's this shocking reminder of how otherworldly everything is. That even if a bunch of apparent teenagers are getting along, enjoying time with friends, things aren't normal. They'll never be normal again. It ramps things up, especially given the responses of characters like Yoshiki and "Hikaru" to the incident.
But I feel like what really makes volume 3 of The Summer Hikaru Died show the manga is ramping up is the introduction of Tanaka. More people are aware of what's happening, especially after the Indou family's incidents. A professional is being called in. We're already seeing him make some revelations as a result. Given what we have seen throughout the first two volumes and this third one, it may leave the reader feeling conflicted. He's not the villain, but he could end up being a villain for Yoshiki and "Hikaru." More importantly, his appearance and actions further bring things to a boiling point.
It genuinely feels like things are coming to a head in volume 3 of The Summer Hikaru Died, and the characters in the manga can no longer ignore the effects of "Hikaru" coming to town. Yoshiki is starting to realize the danger everyone is in, even though this being cares for him and shares the face of someone he loves. The people in the community are starting to encounter dangers both directly and indirectly caused by "Hikaru's" presence. Mokumokuren knows how to leave a reader wanting more, and I can't wait to see what happens in volume 4 and 5 as this arc builds up to what's next.
Volume 3 of The Summer Hikaru Died is available via Yen Press, and volume 4 of the manga arrives on August 20, 2024.
The post The Summer Hikaru Died Volume 3 Amps Up the Tension appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, May 4, 2024 2:10 PM
Ahead of every new Trailblaze Mission in Honkai: Star Rail, HoYoVerse offers notes on them, and the one for "Penacony — Beauty and Destruction" says some characters won't visit the express following 2.2. The notice also suggested these characters also won't send players Messages in the in-game texting application.
The announcement began by noting people can't start "Beauty and Destruction" in Penacony in Honkai: Star Rail unless they already finished "A Walk Among the Tombstones." This also means someone must be caught up on all Trailblaze Missions released prior to 2.0 and have passed Trailblaze Level 34. It also revealed the typical rewards for completing the latest story missions. These involve things like Credits, EXP, EXP items for characters and equipment, a new piece of music, and Stellar Jades.
It's after those typical announcements that the reveal about some Honkai: Star Rail characters being unable to visit the Astral Express or send messages after the Penacony missions comes up. The notice suggested that this could be a temporary issue. It also noted that people who get these characters via a banner after the events of the story will get the Stellar Jades and such tied to the messages and visits via another means. We've already seen this happen with a few other characters after events on the Xianzhou Luofu, so it is likely the redemption method will be a check-in at the Astral Express book again.
Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices. The 2.2 update arrives on May 8, 2024. It will permanently add the "Penacony — Beauty and Destruction" missions when it does.
The post Some Honkai: Star Rail Characters Won't Visit the Express After Penacony appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, May 4, 2024 12:00 PM
Creativity has always been a staple of the Star Wars Brand, and the new line of manga adaptations is a shining example of just that. Viz Media released manga adaptations of existing Star Wars series like The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Rebels in English, as well as created original stories set in the Star Wars: High Republic canon. In every aspect, from the carefully crafted artwork to the new visual direction that these series provide, these Japanese mangaka elevate the original artistic vision inherited from the franchise. Using this new perspective on the Star Wars canon brings new life into this beloved legacy franchise.
In the manga adaption of The Mandalorian, the comic retells the introduction of the legendary bounty hunter "Mando '' with gorgeous art and direction provided by the author, Yuusuke Oosawa. The mangaka's strong sense of physicality and exquisite linework only improve upon this already iconic entrance for our protagonist. Oosawa's earlier contributions to the Star Wars: Visions anthology manga proved that not only can new works perform well in adaptation, but that Star Wars as a franchise endures no matter the medium.
Not only does this new art form allow for a different take on combat and dramatism, but it also helps to elevate tone and charm. A difficult thing to convey in acting with costume effects and makeup are expressions, a limitation that manga is free from as an artistic medium. This is best shown in the dramatic expressions Mando's bounty makes while being held captive, or the way shading on Mando's helmet convey different expressions or levels of intensity.
Star Wars does just work well as a manga adaptation however, but as an exploration of new stories as well. Much in the same way that Visions brought a new creative and visual style to format, its companion manga as well as the original stories focusing on Star Wars: High Republic canon bring new life to this storied galaxy, not unlike the way Jon Favreau managed to achieve with The Mandalorian.
Innovation and inspiration have always been essential to this franchise's success, it is inevitable that when given to the culture that originally inspired the concept, these stories would become that much more unique. I believe this artform blazes new trails for this 57 year old Series.
As always this time of year, may the fourth be with you.
The English releases of various Star Wars manga are available now via Viz Media.
The post The Star Wars Manga Is a Great Compliment to the Series appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, May 4, 2024 9:00 AM
Adult's Picture Book is one of those manga series that mixes these poignant, heartfelt, dramatic moments involving a new family with lighthearted slice-of-life asides and love. How? Because like many other series with a young child involved, it balances callbacks to the past, former loves, and potentially awkward or heartbreaking situations with the innocence of an earnest kid.
Souichiro Kudou's former classmate, dear friend, and former one-sided love Haruki died. When he did, he left behind a four-year-old named Kiki and asked Kudou to raise her. We don't see the emotion behind this event or the transition between Kudou suddenly picking up a child. Rather, the story begins in medias res with the little girl already comfortable with him and us starting to understand how he rearranged his life to work from home and raise her.
It's then that the final piece of this new family puzzle enters the picture in the manga. When dealing with some business forms, Kudou meets a woman named Fusako Makino who bears a striking resemblance to Haruki. The fact that there's such a physical resemblance, and even similarities in their personalities, results in an immediate connection. After realizing Fusako is also single, he asks her to marry him.
While some of the set up acknowledges this as a marriage of convenience that benefits both of them and ensures it is easier for them to properly adopt and keep Kiki, there's more to it too. Throughout the first volume of the Adult's Picture Book manga, we're getting the idea of the different kinds of love coming up between characters.
The most obvious is the relationship between Kudou and Haruki. While the latter is dead throughout the volume, we get these vignettes showing interactions between them over the years. Kudou even made a bit of a confession as to his feelings at one point when explaining if he met a woman he liked as much as Haruki, he'd marry her. I appreciated the security Kei Itoi seemed to present when it came to Kudou's situation. He's secure in the fact he loved Haruki, was fine with rearranging his life to raise his daughter, and there's this impression that even though Kudou doesn't seem to know what sorts of relationships he'd have or if he'd be cut out for them, he is willing to try.
I also appreciated that Haruki himself is a bit of a mystery. There are moments when it suggests he could have similar feelings for Kudou. Certainly, he trusted and valued him enough to leave his daughter in his care. But it's almost like because of the situation, we get to spend the first volume of the manga appreciating the type of love he might have had for this person who mattered to him for so long.
Then, there are the moments with Fusako. She only appears briefly in the manga, so we don't get any sort of major relationship revelations and only see her just start to fit into the new family. However, she's this easy-going, pleasant woman. She gets along well with both Kudou and Kiki. I got the impression that it could be starting out as the sort of love between friends, rather than family, with perhaps the potential for something more.
Of course, there's also the love between Kiki and Kudou, with Adult's Picture Book already suggesting in the first volume of the manga that she's starting to grow closer to her new father. We see how easily she gets along with him. She trusts him. She wants to ensure he's taken care of, with small gestures like her asking for juice for him when she's being given some. When it comes to the future family's last name, she gets the final say and very assertively determines it will be Kudou's already showing her affection for him. There's this innocence and acceptance that is quite moving.
It just all comes together very well. It makes me feel like we're going to get to see Adult's Picture Book spend the rest of the manga exploring the relationship dynamics between Kudou, Fusako, Kiki, and Haruki. The only thing I felt was missing is the absence of anything relating to Haruki and Kiki's relationship, but then there's also room for that to develop.
Volume 1 of Adult's Picture Book is available now, and Yen Press will release on June 18, 2024.
The post Adult's Picture Book Manga Explores Love With a New Family appeared first on Siliconera. |
