PCGamesN Monday, May 27, 2024 5:11 PM  Tower defense games used to be huge. For years, the strategy genre was dominated by the launch of massive hits like Kingdom Rush and Plants vs Zombies as well as PC centered projects such as Defense Grid: The Awakening, Sanctum 2, and the Orcs Must Die! series. While some of the fervor surrounding this genre has died down over the years, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of ways for it to return with fresh new ideas. A good example of this is Strong Fortress, an indie game that combines tower defense with Vampire Survivors style bullet hell combat and has just launched an entirely free 'Prologue' on Steam. Continue reading Bullet hell and tower defense combine in new free Steam game |
PCGamesN Monday, May 27, 2024 2:42 PM  There's an entire subgenre of sandbox games where the greatest enjoyment you can have, whether it's the main objective or not, is destroying things. Red Faction Guerilla, say, or Teardown; the collapsing buildings of Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 5; the matchstick towns and super combustible vehicles of Just Cause 2, Just Cause 3, and Just Cause 4 — each one of these games stands out for how satisfying it is to watch structures fall apart in spectacular ways. They're also in good company with Besiege, a 2020 building game that's been receiving renewed attention thanks to the launch of a big expansion and an ongoing Steam discount. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, May 27, 2024 2:19 PM  It's been three years to the day since we learned that Square Enix planned to remake Dragon Quest 3, unveiling a revamping of the seminal 1988 JRPG in Octopath Traveler's HD-2D engine. Three years have passed since then, but we've finally had an update on the remake - and it's raised a few questions, to say the least. |
Siliconera Monday, May 27, 2024 10:00 PM
On May 30, 2024, the Silent Hill YouTube channel will post the second Silent Hill Transmission showcase to give information on upcoming games, the movie in production, and new merchandise. The stream will start from 4 PM PT/7 PM ET.
As of the time of writing, the games that we know Konami is working on are the remake of Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill Townfall, and Silent Hill F. There is also Ascension, which is available right now as a sort of interactive video stream. "Players" can vote on the outcome of the story, but you'll need to spend money in order to have your vote mean anything. There was also Silent HIll: The Short Message, which was a free download on the PS5. You can read our review of it here.
As for the movie in production, it's an adaptation of the second game. In mid-May 2024, we got to have our first look at Pyramid Head's design. Christophe Gans, the director for the 2006 Silent Hill movie, is directing this one. It'll also feature Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) and Hannah Emily Anderson (Jigsaw) as James and Mary, respectively.
The Silent Hill Transmission showcase will be available on YouTube on May 30, 2024, starting from 4 PM/7 PM ET.
The post Second Silent Hill Transmission Showcase Announced appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, May 27, 2024 9:30 PM
Movic has announced Nikke Duel Encounter, which will be an acrylic stand card game based on Goddess of Victory: Nikke. It'll come out on August 23, 2024 and will cost 3000 JPY ($19.10). [Thanks, 4Gamer!]
Nikke Duel Encounter will combine acrylic stands with cards in a new multiplayer game. The acrylic stands are on top of a stand that can rotate, and there are designs on both sides of the stand. Because of the usage of both cards and acrylic stands, it's also possible to collect them as pieces of merchandise rather than as a game to play. The first collection of cards and stands will feature Rapi, Neon, Anis, Liter, Diesel, and Alice.
Movic does not have any information on how the game will play. Some of the card effects seem to feature reloading or increase a character's damage though. So it'll probably be similar to other PvP card games in which you try to defeat your opponent's Nikkes and remove the Nikke Duel Encounter equivalent of Life Points.
Goddess of Victory: Nikke is a F2P third-person shooter RPG that came out in 2022 on mobile devices. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic future in which artificial soldier called Nikkes fight against the aliens that have forced humanity to live underground. During the first month of its release, it made over $70 million in revenue.
Nikke Duel Encounter will come out on August 23, 2024. Goddess of Victory: Nikke is readily available on the Windows PC and mobile devices.
The post Nikke Duel Encounter Will Be an Acrylic Stand Card Game appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, May 27, 2024 6:00 PM
Game Freak and Nintendo's Pokemon series is nothing short of a cultural juggernaut, dominating television, movies, merchandise, and more. However, in the midst of its franchise success, it's easy to overlook the Pokemon series' roots as a simple, yet innovative, JRPG.
At its core, Pokemon started as a small JRPG with big influences, drawing heavily from other seminal games in the genre to create something both familiar and revolutionary. For example, its gameplay mechanics and core concepts draw inspiration from titles like the Shin Megami Tensei series. (The original Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei debuted on the Famicom in 1987, while Shin Megami Tensei started in 1992 on the Super Famicom.) In Shin Megami Tensei, players recruit demons to fight alongside them, much like trainers catch and battle with Pokemon. Both games emphasize the importance of building a diverse team to tackle various challenges.
Shin Megami Tensei's demon recruitment involves negotiating with demons, each possessing unique skills and attributes. Pokemon features a similar mechanic, though this JRPG series simplifies the idea by focusing on catching wild Pokémon using Poke Balls. The essence remains the same. Collecting a variety of creatures is necessary to progress through the game.
The differences, however, are notable. While Shin Megami Tensei often explores darker themes and complex narratives, Pokemon adopts a more simple family-friendly approach. The gameplay of Pokemon emphasizes exploration and the joy of discovery, encouraging players to "catch 'em all" and form bonds with their Pokemon. This collection aspect, combined with a much more vibrant world, made Pokemon accessible to a broader audience. This of course lay the groundwork for its widespread appeal.
Another significant influence on Pokemon is the Final Fantasy series, particularly in terms of party building. In traditional Final Fantasy games, players assemble a party from a set roster of characters with specific roles and abilities. Pokemon takes this concept and amplifies it exponentially.
Instead of a party of a few pre-determined characters as in other JRPG games, the Pokemon series started by offering players a roster of 151 creatures for players to catch and train. (It's a number that has grown significantly over the years). This massive selection allows for unprecedented flexibility and personalization in team building, as well as makes each player's journey completely unique. Even among longtime fans, players still find new ways to progress through the games using fresh parties of Pokemon.
Moreover, Final Fantasy's turn-based combat system can be seen in Pokemon's battle mechanics, albeit simplified. Each turn, players choose actions for their Pokemon. You can attack, apply a status effect, use and item or switch to another character. The combat is simple, but leaves room for a surprising amount of strategy and advanced play. Adding in the "rock, paper, scissors" style elemental strengths and weaknesses, akin to Shin Megami Tensei's magic systems, ensures that battles are engaging at any level.
Pokemon carved out its niche by combining these elements into an accessible and endlessly engaging package. The game's premise inherently provides a simple, but compelling goal. Becoming a Pokemon Master by traveling the world, catching Pokemon, and defeating Gym Leaders. Its turn-based battles, exploration, and creature collection were perfectly suited for the Game Boy, making it an instant hit.
Then there's what Game Freak did all on its own to elevate Pokemon from a fun JRPG into a phenomenon. The ability to trade and battle Pokemon with friends added a social dimension to the game, encouraging community and competition. This feature has grown into a robust competitive scene, complete with tournaments and world championships, showcasing Pokemon's unique blend of strategy and accessibility. I can't even name another JRPG with a competitive scene, much less one of Pokémon's level and engagement.
While Pokemon's beginnings as a humble JRPG are often overlooked, they form the foundation of the entire franchise. While it's hard to ignore that Pokemon was in the right place at the right time too, it could have flopped without paying homage to what came before it. Pokémon's success story is a testament to how simple JRPG influences, when combined well, can create something truly extraordinary.
The post Simple JRPG Influences Built Pokemon into a Phenomenon appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, May 27, 2024 4:30 PM
Mages has announced the Japanese release date for The Quintessential Quintuplets: Gotopazu Story 2nd. The new visual novel will appear in Japan on September 26, 2024.
The company also revealed the game's limited physical editions. The "regular" Limited Edition will come with a Special Artwork book containing over 300 pages. There will also be a more complete Special Box that adds a soundtrack CD, a canvas art paper, and a set of acrylic stands featuring the quintuplets.
Although Mages primarily shared sample images from the Switch releases, the company assured that PS4 versions of the limited editions will also be available.
Mages has also uploaded a new promotional trailer for the game on the franchise's YouTube channel:
The company first revealed this entry in late April 2024. It will appear as a direct sequel to the first Gotopazu Story entry released in June 2023. This game will feature episodes from the second-year part of the franchise's mobile puzzle game. But just like the prequel, this entry will only feature the visual novel segments while omitting the puzzle gameplay.
The Japanese release date for The Quintessential Quintuplets: Gotopazu Story 2nd falls on September 26, 2024. The visual novel will be available in Japan on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. The latter version will also be playable on PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility.
The post Quintessential Quintuplets: Gotopazu Story 2nd Release Date Set appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, May 27, 2024 3:00 PM
Being a working adult is difficult. We have very little time to enjoy things that bring us joy or take significant time for leisurely pursuits. This isn't some surprising concept to any of you out there reading this review. Despite all of the stress that comes from work, the hope is that all of this will be worth it when we can all (in theory) retire from our decades-long careers and settle into more relaxing tasks. Some people may want to travel, others will probably spend time discovering new hobbies like knitting or gardening. Retirement is still many years out for me, though, but I have found some calm and comfort in experiencing Rusty's Retirement in the midst of completing my grueling work tasks. Mister Morris Games, the indie developer behind Haiku, the Robot, has created a unique idle farming simulator game that allows players to play this game at the bottom or side of their screen while working on other things. In fact, I had Rusty's Retirement running while I wrote this review because it's just so cozy and rewarding to watch it operate. The game's titular character, Rusty, is an adorable robot with a walking stick who seems to only want to do one thing that I can observe: grow vegetables, convert it to Biofuel, and earn Spare Parts so he can build homes so his friends can join him on his little farm. [gallery columns="1" size="large" ids="1031267" link="file"] The mechanics are straightforward enough from here. Players can plant seeds on crop plots, starting with wheat, radishes, and cabbage. Each crop takes a specific amount of time to grow after being watered, and once fully grown, can be picked to obtain Spare Parts. The vegetables can then be converted into Biofuel on a converter, and that Biofuel can be converted into Spare Parts. As more vegetables are grown and harvested, more vegetables will begin to unlock in order to generate more Biofuel and Spare Parts. Crops cost money to plant, though, so converting Biofuel into Spare Parts is important early on in order to plant more crops. Sometimes giant versions of crops will spawn, and they can be repeatedly clicked on by the player to gain multiples of that vegetable. It's a simple cycle that will see players amass plenty of Biofuel and Spare Parts in order to unlock Rusty's friend's homes, purchase decorations for the farm, and beyond. Once Rusty's friends are unlocked and their homes are built, they can contribute to various aspect of the farm. For example, Haiku from Mister Morris Games' previous game has joined Rusty in his retirement and can assist with building new homes, plots, and other machines. A gentlemanly robot named Pinion can show players their farm's statistics which includes how much Biofuel is being generated from the currently planted crops. Other friends will unlock beekeeping to generate additional Biofuel, farm animals for fertilizer, and a repair robot who will upgrade helper robots that can plant, water, and pick vegetables for better efficiency on the farm. [gallery columns="1" size="large" ids="1031268" link="file"] Eventually players will also be able to unlock different types of farms like a swampy terrain, a sandy desert, a forest with cherry blossoms, and a desert oasis. Each new farm has its own kind of enhancements and restrictions that can make designing a farm more difficult or make it harder to grow vegetables. While there is little else to do in the game but watch these little robots spend hours growing and harvesting vegetables to seemingly no end, there is something addicting about watching the farm grow and seeing the number of Biofuel and Spare Parts go up. There were some stretches of time where I would just sit and watch all of the robots work when I should have been doing my own work. Of course, as an idle game, there is also very little input I needed to make while playing except when new crops needed to be planted, bee hives needed checking, vegetables and berries needed unlocking, or when I needed to upgrade the helper robots. As the length of time gets longer for vegetables to grow and all of the helper robots become more efficient, the game becomes even more self-sustaining for the player. [gallery columns="1" size="large" ids="1031270" link="file"] What really adds to the charm of this game is the pixelated graphics and really chill, ambient music. Everything on the farm is colorful, distinct, and full of character. Sometimes the robots will float about and idle themselves, taking a break from their endless task of harvesting crops. Rusty and his friends also idle, and even take breaks on benches that can be placed around the farm. The homes have smoke coming up from the chimneys, and the sear on Rusty's home and main crop storehouse can spin and generate Spare Parts if spun five times in a row. Little bees and butterflies flitter about the map, and leaves fall from the sky periodically to give the sense that somewhere there is a giant tree just swaying in the wind. All of these little details help add to the calming nature of Rusty's Retirement. For such a simplistic game, there were a few issues here and there I noticed. Having played Rusty's Retirement on my MacBook Air, my first time booting the game left me with a black screen with just the game visible. I was confused initially as the game was very clearly advertised as an idle game that allows players to do other things on their computer while having the game open. Once I read the Help section of the game, I found out it was a known problem with the Mac version of the game and all I needed to do was reboot the game again. I haven't experienced the issue since, thankfully. Another minor issue is that sometimes robots would pick crops and almost instantaneously one of the helper robots would be placing that crop onto the Biofuel converter despite that crop had yet to actually be placed into the storage room of the farm. It's clear this happens because the game has already counted that crop as being harvested, therefore even though visually it has not been stored, it is counted by the game as being usable for the Biofuel converter. Also, as a down side to this game, there is no way to view all of the available farming space without zooming out, but the game is near unplayable once zoomed out. [gallery columns="1" size="large" ids="1031271" link="file"] While idle simulator games are not a new concept, I believe the presentation of Rusty's Retirement is rather novel and beyond adorable. It doesn't try to make players babysit the farm, and allows them to interact with it at their own pace. Also, having a game sequestered to the side or bottom of one's desktop screen allows players to really go about their day in Zoom meetings or working on important documents while Rusty and his friends go about their own day, enjoying their retirement and do what they seem to love at their own leisure. As somebody who has been too busy recently to really dedicate myself to any one game, Rusty's Retirement has been the perfect game to just chill with and give myself a bit of a mental reset when certain work tasks became too overwhelming to focus on. Maybe many of us aren't at retirement age yet, but there is something cathartic about helping Rusty with fulfilling his retirement dream. Anybody looking for a calming, simplistic experience that doesn't require too much of their attention should definitely check this game out. Rusty's Retirement is available now on Steam for PCs and Macs. The post Review: Rusty's Retirement Offers a Calming and Simplistic Respite appeared first on Siliconera. |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, May 27, 2024 8:10 PM  A new Pure Fiction phase is now live in Honkai Star Rail, and Lexical Enigma is yet another DoT-centric challenge. Thankfully, there are quite a few Nihility characters that really excel in this Pure Fiction phase that are easy to obtain. Best Pure Fiction Teams for Lexical Enigma Screenshot: PC Invasion For this phase of Pure Fiction, enemies will take significantly more damage from DoT sources. Plus, enemies inflicted with DoT effects will have their outgoing damage reduced, and their actions will be advanced forward after they're attacked so they'll have more turns and take even more DoT damage as a result. Best Stage 1 Teams Best Stage 2 Teams Best Stage 3 Teams Best Stage 4 Teams Since this isn't the first DoT-themed Pure Fiction phase we've seen in Honkai Star Rail, you should already have an idea of which characters work best here. Kafka and Black Swan are the stars of this Pure Fiction cycle, and other characters like Guinaifen,... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, May 27, 2024 6:30 PM  Absorbing the essence from your recently defeated enemies seems like a wonderful thing to do in Wuthering Waves. Let's do that, multiple times. Here is how to unlock and complete Tacet Field challenges in Wuthering Waves. Wuthering Waves: How to unlock and complete Tacet Field challenges Tacet Fields will unlock in the game once you reach Union Level 19. As you might expect, this could take a while but by completing Daily Activities and quests, and defeating powerful enemies you will get to this Union Level milestone. This will make these fields triggerable, although you can still locate them by the dark spots and Tacet Marks you can see on the map and while exploring. You will want to visit them as soon as you can given the TD Echoes and ascension materials you get for completing them. Screenshot: PC Invasion The way you will beat the Tacet Field challenge is by defeating a specific number of Tacet Discord enemies which will come in rounds. There will be a time limit... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, May 27, 2024 6:12 PM  Resource hunting in Wuthering Waves is a task on its own. If you want to make your Resonaters better including you, resources will play a large role. Iris is important, it can help with many things like Ascending certain Resonators. To learn the best places in Wuthering Waves to farm Iris, check this guide out. Wuthering Waves: Best places to farm Iris Iris is a unique resource to find, the good news is that you can farm it by using different methods. The bad news is that it is one of the harder things to find in the RPG. To make life easier, this guide will go through all the known ways to farm Iris. In the wild Like most things to find, Iris can be found in the world as you're roaming around. However, the search will be more focused. To get things started, head to the southmost of the map, near Waving Battlefield and Platue Ruins. That's the easy part. The area you're going... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, May 27, 2024 5:28 PM  Wuthering Waves players have been encountering a wide range of crashes and startup issues since launch, and the Line 258 error is frustratingly common. When starting up Wuthering Waves for the first time, affected players will see a pop-up notification that reads "The UE4 Client Game has crashed and will close." Additional text explaining the problem in more detail looks like gibberish at first, but there's one key phrase that gives players an idea of what's wrong. "Fatal error: [File:Unknown] [Line:258]" is the full name of this startup crash, but most Wuthering Waves players just call it the Line 258 error for short. How to Fix Line 258 Error in Wuthering Waves Fixing the Line 258 fatal error in Wuthering Waves is complicated, but the solution is a guaranteed fix if you do it correctly. Here's an overview of what you need to do. Download SQLite Database Editor. Open the Database Editor and find your Wuthering Waves install dir... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, May 27, 2024 5:15 PM  Collecting flowers will not only be a hobby but a means of becoming the most powerful Resonator in Wuthering Waves. Here is how to farm Belle Poppy for character ascension in Wuthering Waves. Wuthering Waves: How to farm Belle Poppy for character ascension Similar to the Whisperin Cores, Belle Poppy is a flower-like material that is used to ascend a specific selection of your Resonators. In this case, Verina, Chixia, and Danjin all use Belle Poppy to ascend across each of their ranks – note that you will also need other materials to do this, so you might want to collect Howler Cores and Shell Credits. Screenshot: PC Invasion While you can purchase some Belle Poppy at the Shifang Pharmacy in Jinzhou city, the best way to get these is to collect them in the wild. Belle Poppy is found surrounding the Sea of Flames, just to the west of the Resonance Nexus next to Donglu Research Station. You might know this location from the We Promise, We Deliver exploration quest which... |
TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Monday, May 27, 2024 5:10 PM Games Workshop has revealed two new products set for pre-order next Saturday: a new expansion for the game Kill Team, called "Kill Team: Termination," and a limited edition novel, "Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives." Expansion Details: "Kill Team: Termination" "Kill Team: Termination" introduces two new factions, the Hernkyn Yaegirs and the Genestealer Cults Brood Brothers.... |
TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Monday, May 27, 2024 4:54 PM Fantasy Flight Games has announced the release of the Ered Mithrin Hero Expansion, now available in the United States. The expansion can be purchased from local retailers or via the Fantasy Flight Games web store. Following the defeat of the dragon Smaug, the city of Dale has emerged as a thriving trade center. A new... |
TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Monday, May 27, 2024 4:06 PM The 7th Citadel, a cooperative card-based exploration board game by French publisher Serious Poulp, is scheduled for a new Kickstarter campaign starting June 4. This follows a notably successful initial campaign in 2020, which attracted over 33,000 backers and raised in excess of $3.5 million. The upcoming campaign marks the start of a dedicated partnership... |
TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Monday, May 27, 2024 3:37 PM Warlord Games has confirmed the appointment of veteran wargames developer Andy Chambers as the head of the writing and development team for Konflikt '47. Chambers, whose career includes significant contributions to titles such as Warhammer 40,000 and Blood Red Skies, brings decades of experience to his new role. In his new position, Chambers will focus... |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, May 27, 2024 5:40 PM The trailer showcases several of her moves. The post Tekken 8 Reveals New Lidia Sobieska Gameplay Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, May 27, 2024 5:27 PM A teaser video was also released on the official Twitter account. The post Dragon Quest III in HD-2D Remake Coming To PC and Consoles, To Be Revealed Soon appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, May 27, 2024 5:08 PM According to a recent Tweet. The post Ubisoft Teases Upcoming Reveal For Assassin's Creed Shadows appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, May 27, 2024 4:49 PM According to an insider, the event will be a State of Play presentation. The post A PlayStation Event Will Still Be Held This Month appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |