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May 29, 02:00


PCGamesN Tuesday, May 28, 2024 6:31 PM
     Best Civilization 6 rival deepens gameplay with huge new DLC out now

The trend for 4X games is often to become bigger. They'll try to encompass the entirety of human history, taking us from stick-wielding tribespeople to star-faring superpowers. Some games take the opposite view, deepening the experience rather than broadening it. Old World is one such game, taking aim at a particular time period with more focused and in-depth options available to you.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Upcoming PC Games, Best strategy games, Best 4X games

Siliconera Tuesday, May 28, 2024 10:30 PM
    

honkai star rail aventurine merchandise header

Five pieces of Honkai: Star Rail merchandise featuring Aventurine will come out in September 2024. You can pre-order them via AmiAmi. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Prices start from 500 JPY. The Honkai: Star Rail Aventurine merchandise are two kinds of acrylic stands, two kinds of acrylic straps, and five different can badges. Most of the goods outside of one acrylic strap (which depicts a chibi version of Aventurine) depict him in his splash art and his signature Light Cone. The most expensive one on AmiAmi (from the English site) is the acrylic stand of his splash art, which costs 1500 JPY ($9.55).

Aventurine in Honkai: Star Rail is a newer character who debuted in Version 2.0 outside of a brief cameo mention in Version 1.5. He is a member of the Ten Stonehearts in the IPC and was the main POV character throughout the entirety of Version 2.1. In game, he is a 5-star Imaginary Preservation character. Outside of the game, despite his relative short introduce compared to characters like Dan Heng or Gepard, he is very popular. He even managed to snag third place in a character popularity poll in China on Hoyolab.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.

The post Aventurine Stars in New Honkai: Star Rail Merchandise appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 28, 2024 10:00 PM
    

Slipknot mask

Atlus West shared a behind-the-scenes look collaboration showcasing the making of demon-inspired masks for Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance in partnership with Slipknot mask maker Jim Ojala. Released on May 28, 2024, the video delves into the process of crafting masks inspired by Daemon, Gurulu, and Loup-Garou, three demons who appeared in this entry.

In this special featurette, viewers get a peek inside Ojala's workshop, witnessing firsthand the meticulous artistry that goes into bringing these demonic figures from the Shin Megami Tensei universe to life. Loup-Garou both played fairly prominent roles in the original SMT V game, before appearing again in the updated version. Gurulu is a staple for the Shin Megami Tensei series that didn't appear in the original version of this game, but returned for the updated and enhanced release.

Watch the video showcasing the Slipknot mask maker creation process on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/DM31d7xno6A?si=lODtnYmoOlnkrgf4

This partnership combines Slipknot's mask aesthetic with the world of Shin Megami Tensei. The idea is to offer fans a glimpse into the creative process behind these designs and what they would look like when brought into the real world.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance will be available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, and Xbox on June 14, 2024.

The post Slipknot Mask Maker Made SMT V Demon Masks appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 28, 2024 9:30 PM
    

genshin impact pet hoods tighnari

The Genshin Impact flagship store on Taobao will start selling little pet hoods that'll turn your cat or dog into a creature of Teyvat. These hoods will appear on Taobao from May 31, 2024. [Thanks, Heiankyo_327!]

Each hood costs 39 CNY, which is approximately $5.40. As a note, in order to see more information on the products, as well as to look at products on Taobao in general, you'll need to have a Taobao account. There are a total of six variations for the Genshin Impact pet hoods. They include hoods of Tighnari, Yae Miko, and the All-Devouring Narwhal.

The Genshin Impact Taobao store has taken some pictures of how the hood looks on a cat. What appears to be the same cream-colored cat serves as the patient model for the accessories. The plushes that the cat is posing with are ones that the Genshin Impact Taobao store offers. They depict characters like Diluc, Xiao, and Yae Miko with their animal motif, making them wear the kigurumi hoods in a similar way to the cat.

Outside of goods, Genshin Impact Version 4.7 will come out on June 5, 2024. This patch will introduce new characters Clorinde, Sigewinne, and Sethos. We also got a sneak peek at Natlan, which will be the new region to explore. 

Genshin Impact is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, and mobile deviecs.

The post Genshin Impact Pet Hoods Look Cute appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 28, 2024 9:00 PM
    

the first slam dunk netflix

The First Slam Dunk movie will start streaming exclusively on Netflix from June 10, 2024. It will also appear in over 300 theaters in Japan again starting on August 13, 2024. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

So far, it seems like Netflix Japan is the only one who announced this Slam Dunk movie debut. A week before, news reported that The First Slam Dunk will also start streaming in South Korea from June 10, 2024. However, it will be on Disney+. Because of this, it's hard to say which platform international viewers will have to use in order to access the movie.

The First Slam Dunk came out in December 2022. Despite the title, it adapts the final match from the manga, as well as an epilogue focusing on Miyagi. While Hanamichi is the protagonist, the movie centers around Miyagi, the point guard for Shohoku and a popular character in his own right. The movie was incredibly popular, making over 1 billion JPY its opening weekend. In total, it made over $279 million worldwide and is the fifth highest-grossing anime film of all time. It also won a Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year back in 2023.

The First Slam Dunk will appear on Netflix Japan from June 10, 2024. Netflix outside of Japan has not yet announced whether it will carry this movie or not.

The post The First Slam Dunk Movie Will Stream on Netflix in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 28, 2024 8:30 PM
    

kingdom hearts plush

Square Enix is re-running several plush dolls from the Kingdom Hearts series, including ones of Roxas, Axel, and Xion from Kingdom Hearts III. The North American Square Enix store is offering these plushes as well.

The only Kingdom Hearts plush that isn't available in the North American store is the one depicting Halloween Town Sora from the second game. However, the North American store does feature Christmas Town Sora, in which he's wearing a black Santa-like outfit. This look was an addition to the Final Mix version of II. Originally, even when Sora went to Christmas Town from Halloween Town, he was still sporting his Halloween Town look.

You can get a closer look at the plush dolls in the gallery below:

The plushes cost around $43.99 via the North American Square Enix store and 4180 JPY on the Japanese one. Both stores price King Mickey a little higher, likely because Square Enix has to pay an additional fee or royalty of some kind to Disney.

The Japanese store offers them as a pre-order, and they'll come out on September 14, 2024. Meanwhile, perhaps because the North American store never ran out of the plushes and needed to re-run them, they're readily available there.

Kingdom Hearts III, the latest mainline entry in the series, is readily available on the PS4, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.

The post Kingdom Hearts Plush Sora, Axel, Roxas, and Xion Return appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 28, 2024 8:00 PM
    

Square Enix has announced a new seasonal event for FFVII Ever Crisis titled "Summer Starts! Beach Fireworks Fest." This event will feature exclusive summer-themed outfits for fan-favorite characters Yuffie and Lucia. [Thanks, FFVII Ever Crisis Twitter!]

The official FFVII Ever Crisis Twitter account has shared early design drawings of these new outfits. Yuffie's exclusive summer wear showcases her vibrant personality, making her ready for the festive beach setting. Lucia's outfit, designed to complement her unique style, ensures she stands out during the fireworks fest.

Just last year, Square Enix and Applibot hosted a similar FFVII Ever Crisis Christmas event, "The Holy Flame's Gift," which featured an exclusive story involving a mischievous Gingerbread Cactuar. This event, running until December 25, 2023, allowed players to engage in Present Leveling Battles to earn items and weapons, including the Holiday Cheer weapon for Cloud.

For more details on this previous event, you can refer to the full article here. While exact launch dates and further details for the beach Fireworks festival event are yet to be revealed, fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the official channels for updates.

FFVII Ever Crisis is available on iOS and Android platforms.

The post FFVII Ever Crisis Summer Event to Feature Yuffie and Lucia appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 28, 2024 7:30 PM
    

tales of festival 2024

Bandai Namco has released the key visual for the Tales of Festival 2024. It depicts some of the more popular characters from the series, including Luke (Tales of the Abyss) and Yuri (Tales of Vesperia). [Thanks, Abyssal Chronicles!]

The Tales of Festival 2024 will take place on June 1 and 2, 2024 at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa. As you can see from the key visual, the theme for this year will be a school festival. It looks like all of the characters are working to set one up. Fans voted for the characters and mascot to appear.

Bandai Namco also revealed the voice actors and singers who'll be present. Here is the list:

Day 1

  • BACK-ON: Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2 and 3
  • Chihiro Suzuki: Luke/Asch in Tales of the Abyss
  • Haruka Kudo: Pasca Kanonno in Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology
  • Haruna Ikezawa: Teepo in Tales of Xilli
  • Hiro Shimono: Emil in Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
  • Kana Uemura: Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology
  • Katsuyuki Konishi: Lloyd in Tales of Symphonia
  • Kenji Hamada: Richter in Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
  • Masaya Onosaka: Zelos in Tales of Symphonia
  • Ryohei Kimura: Sorey in Tales of Zestiria
  • Takashi Kondo: Ludger in Tales of Xillia 2
  • Takuya Sato: Alphen in Tales of Arise
  • Yuki Horinaka: Elize in Tales of Xillia

Day 2

  • Akemi Okamura: Sheena in Tales of Symphonia
  • Azumi Asakura: Laphicet in Tales of Berseria
  • Chihiro Suzuki: Luke/Asch in Tales of the Abyss
  • Eiji Takemoto: Raven in Tales of Vesperia
  • Kankaku Pierrot: Tales of Arise
  • Katsuyuki Konishi: Lloyd in Tales of Symphonia
  • Kosuke Toriumi: Yuri in Tales of Vesperia
  • Masaya Onosaka: Zelos in Tales of Symphonia
  • Rika Morinaga: Rita in Tales of Vesperia
  • Rina Sato: Velvet in Tales of Berseria
  • Ryohei Kimura: Sorey in Tales of Zestiria
  • Shino Shimoji: Shionne in Tales of Arise
  • Takuya Sato: Alphen in Tales of Arise
  • Yasuyuki Kase: Dohalim in Tales of Arise

The Tales of Festival 2024 will take place on June 1 and 2, 2024, at Yokohama Arena.

The post Tales of Festival 2024 Key Visual Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 28, 2024 7:00 PM
    

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Cross Platform Compatibility Confirmed

Bandai Namco went over changes that will be made to Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream following the closed beta test and, in so doing, also noted it will be a cross-platform compatible game with no loot boxes. The up-to-20-player co-op title is heading to the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in 2024.

Producer Shohei Mogami brought up the cross-platform compatibility in Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream in the closed beta test report. This was noted in his portion of the statement as being a measure to allow people worldwide to play with each other. Director Shuichi Goto also noted that because of the desire for this kind of co-op, the team needed "needed to have our own servers. So, we created the servers and ran some technical tests to accommodate a large number of players. It was only after we verified that everything was working correctly, that we started working on the development of the title." This was the purpose of the technical test.

The update also noted Bandai Namco is considering another beta test for Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream. The announcement didn't promise anything. It only noted that another trial is being considered. 

As for changes, it went over things people can and can't expect. There will be no paid loot boxes in Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream. It also won't be possible to turn automatic lock-on release on and off. Goddess Statues will appear in certain situations. Also, difficulty will change in the final version based on how many players are present. Finally, offline Story Mode and online Free Mode will be available in the final game.

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream will come to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC in 2024 and feature cross-platform compatibility. 

The post Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Cross-Platform Compatibility Confirmed appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 28, 2024 6:30 PM
    

nier automata ver1.1a season 2

Season 2 of the NieR Automata Ver1.1a anime adaptation will start airing sometime in 2024. LiSA will be singing "Black Box," which will be the opening theme.

The key visual for NieR Automata Ver1.1a depicts a barren land with the legs of the mysterious Red Girls. While those who've played the game already know their significance to the story, they were only minor characters throughout Ver1.1a. The full trailer for the second season depicts some more characters. You can watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=441v-JXm0CE

You can hear a snippet of the opening song in the trailer as well. "Black Box" has LiSA providing the vocals while Hiromu Akita of amazarashi wrote the song and lyrics. Amazarashi is a rock band that has provided opening and ending themes for Dororo, My Hero Academia, and Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace.

As for LiSA, she is a popular singer and songwriter whose anime song career kicked off in 2011 when she released "Oath Sign" for Fate/Zero. Since then, she's sung songs for Sword Art Online, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and The Irregular at Magic High School.

NieR Automata Ver1.1a season 2 will air sometime in July 2024. You can watch the current season on Crunchyroll.

The post Season 2 of NieR Automata Ver1.1a to Come Out in July 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.


TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, May 28, 2024 6:30 PM
     Neverrift is a new game created by Gate to the Games, combining the strategic elements of trading card games (TCGs) with the tactical positioning of board games. The game is designed for 2-5 players and features a modular board made up of four combinable grids, allowing for dynamic and customizable gameplay. The emphasis on tactical...

TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, May 28, 2024 6:04 PM
     Cryptozoic Entertainment has announced that pre-orders are now available for Epic Spell Wars: ANNIHILAGEDDON 3 — SATANIC PANIC, set for release in August 2024. Priced at $54.99, this latest installment in the Epic Spell Wars deck-building game series introduces new gameplay elements, including the addition of Satan as a character. Epic Spell Wars is known...