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Jun 30, 18:00


PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 1:26 PM
     Elden Ring's most popular mod finally works with Shadow of the Erdtree

When you're playing Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree in co-op, there's one mod you absolutely need to have downloaded. Simple in concept, it trims the fat around multiplayer in FromSoftware's magnum opus. So instead of struggling against the co-op systems already in the game, playing with friends becomes a coherent experience. Shadow of the Erdtree might have broken it, but you can once again use this must-have mod while playing the incredible DLC.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, Elden Ring weapons

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 12:37 PM
     American McGee tells EA the

Everyone wants what they can't have. Knowing something is out of reach always makes it more desirable, and videogames are no exception. Beyond Good and Evil 2, the full launch of Star Citizen, and even the fabled Half-Life 3. If there's any chance we'll get it, we want it. The sequel to 2011's Alice Madness Returns is one such game, and while director American McGee says his part is done, he has a message for EA: "The roadmap is waiting."

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best single-player games, Upcoming PC games, Best story games

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 10:25 AM
     New Palworld animation celebrates its Sakurajima update success

Despite the many comparisons to Pokemon, perhaps the biggest surprise about Palworld is just how different it is. Despite its similar selection of cute critters to catch, employ, and take into battle, the open-world survival game isn't actually anything like the Nintendo RPG series. Nevertheless, developer Pocketpair's new Palworld animation leaves me wondering if a full show could be in the works.

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

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, June 30, 2024 11:00 AM
    

Hello reader who is also a reader, and welcome back to Booked For The Week - our regular Sunday chat with a selection of cool industry folks about books! Words are amazing, aren't they? I once put in a cover letter to a creative writing university course that I'd "even invented several of my own words" before my mate talked me down from it. Spoilsport. This week, it's the creative director of Dread Delusion, maker of The Night is Darkening, and Lovely Hellplace director, James Wragg! Cheers James! Mind if we have a nose at your bookshelf?

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Siliconera Sunday, June 30, 2024 3:00 PM
    

crkd nitro deck plus review

The Nitro Deck+, from Embracer-owned outfit CRKD, follows up on the original Deck, a popular controller option for the Switch. That one-piece Joy-Con replacement sported Hall Effect sticks, a more Steam Deck-like form factor, and a whole line of aesthetics for style or nostalgia. We took a look at that first model, but now CRKD is looking to address a few shortcomings with this new revision.

Let's start by talking about the new controls! The Nitro Deck+ swaps the position of the thumbsticks, using a symmetrical layout. It was apparently a big request, but ultimately it's a matter of choice. It's true that many games prioritize analog control and all the extra programmable buttons are there to let you keep thumbs on sticks at all times, but also this change deviates from the Switch's default scheme and could result in some weirdness. The Switch's base configuration gives players some latitude to hold it in different ways, letting you position your hands to be comfortable with buttons regardless of scheme or hand size. The Nitro Deck+ wants you to hold it one specific way, and that's higher up than you'd like when you need to use the D-pad and face buttons.

There are two new inputs, which CRKD dubs "sidekick buttons," to the side of the analog sticks. There may be a use for them, in addition to the four paddles on the back, and that mobile app does let you remap them as you wish. Honestly, we thought we'd have trouble finding a use case for the new side buttons! They're in a weird position, and they don't make much sense during action. But combined with the stick swap on the right and the Nitro Deck's general heft, we found it comfortable to use them to button through menus and prompts between bouts of action.

crkd nitro deck plus review

While testing this, we've also been working on our Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble review, and it's been a great test of control precision. For context, we've otherwise been using a Switch Lite and a Pro Controller, both with a few years of use, so it may not be entirely fair to the others to compare. That said, the Nitro Deck+'s buttons also feel stiff in a way that could perhaps use some breaking in, so maybe things balance out in the end. Still, even without fiddling with the app settings, the Deck+ offered more precise and granular control and made navigating boards marginally, but noticeably, easier.

About half the inputs – A, B, X, Y, ZL, ZR and the menu buttons – are glossy, while the D-pad, bumpers and extra keys are matte. This is a preference thing, for sure, but we're a fan of matte for long-term use. It's certainly a bit peculiar to see the device split the difference like this. It was also like this in the first model, so it's something CRKD has committed to doing.

The Bluetooth function added in this new version may not be what you expect. It's not going to allow you to use it as a proper Pro Controller, sitting separate from the console, likely in the event you needed another pad for multiplayer. There's no internal battery, so you can use it, but you'll need to plug in with a cable. What it does, though, is allow you connect it to the company's app. This is for firmware updates and customizing the control mapping, and with so many extra buttons, that easier remapping might be nice. (There are also instructions for remapping the buttons without the app in the online manual, which reminded us of the good old universal TV remote days.)

Our experience with the app was a bit shaky — it would lose connection with the device fairly quickly — but it functioned for remapping the inputs. Of course, to get there, you have to push through the company's near-insufferable "collection" strategy, registering your device to an account and either capturing your "reaction" to your device's serial number or saying no to about 12 system prompts trying to access your microphone and camera. Oofa doofa, this is a choice.

crkd nitro deck plus review

The Nitro Deck+ also adds a "docked mode," which again might come with some caveats. You'll need a USB-C-to-HDMI adapter, which the company sells separately. And you theoretically can continue to use the controls while you do it? But that's really going to depend on your cable length. The HDMI and power cables need to be plugged in at all times, so that doesn't seem ideal. And in our testing, even when we nestled right up to the screen, minor hand movements would jostle the cables and briefly lose connection.

In practicality, we'd really call it more of "dock mode." Doubling as a dock replacement, either so you can keep the Nitro Deck+ assembled or so you can plug up to a secondary display without buying another first-party one, could be useful! But in those cases, we'd probably still recommend using a different controller. The more robust kickstand on the back of the unit is a significant help for such a use case, too.

There's also an eject button now? It doesn't push the system out of the Deck in the way you'd want, but it's possible that wasn't something they could engineer. Instead, it's a latch you pull to make it hold onto the Switch less firmly, so it can keep its snug fit and help you get the system out when needed too. Since the device just plugs in to the USB-C port and functions like a wired Pro Controller instead of clicking into the Joy-Con rails, it's likely that CRKD had to come up with some scheme like this to be more secure.

The aesthetic choices of the Nitro Deck+ are a bit "where do we go from here," after all the choice options of the first model. There are two colors available for the new device at launch, with our review unit sporting a clear white front, solid white back and black buttons. The bases of the analog sticks are also metallic purple, for some reason? These choices could absolutely work for you, but they're not the home run of the nostalgia-bait ones or the safe one-color offerings.

There are benefits to CRKD's approach, but it does come at a cost: weight. It's comfortable for a while, but having spent so much time in recent years with the Switch Lite, it's become a great platform for longer sessions. Whether it's the Steam Deck or the Ayaneo Slide, a heavier portable has remained in our rotation! And this feels a lot like those, with good grip and larger controls. But our wrists often give out before the battery does. If you're playing a game that puts more focus on the face buttons, you'll need to use a grip that makes the device more top-heavy, compounding the effect a bit.

The CRKD Nitro Deck+ is available through the company's site for $69.99, or a bundle including the HDMI adapter for $10 more. For more on the Nitro Deck line of accessories, check out our look at the original model.

The post CRKD Nitro Deck+ Brings New Features. Is It Worth It? appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, June 30, 2024 1:30 PM
    

silver wolf hyte Y70

Hyte has announced a new collaboration with Honkai: Star Rail, selling a Silver Wolf version of its Hyte Y70 case, keycap set, and a desk pad. Pre-orders for these items are now open and you'll be able to get them in late August 2024.

Here are the prices for everything:

  • "Contract Zero" Desk Pad: $29.99
  • Official Y70 Silver Wolf Case Bundle - Early Bird Bundle: $299.99
  • Silver Wolf Keycap Set and Desk Pad Bundle - Early Bird Bundle: $129.99

The desk pad on its own is an Anime Expo exclusive. As for the Silver Wolf case bundle, it'll come with a fan shroud kit, a bubble gum chibi graffiti, a light blue and lavender trim, and a custom backlit power button. It features art from both her pull art (which also appears when you use her Ultimate) and the promotional art for Honkai: Star Rail Version 1.1. These products are on a first come, first serve basis. So if you're interested in one, it would behoove you to put in your pre-orders early.

Silver Wolf isn't only getting the spotlight from Hyte. She and Acheron are also the stars of two jackets from M.Rage. You'll be able to test these out at Anime Expo as well. Though she is part of the Stellaron Hunter, Silver Wolf is not as major a character to the overarching lore as Kafka or Firefly. Her popularity (such as also starring on Samsung Galaxy S24) likely stems from her design and gamer girl aesthetic, as well as her usefulness in the early patches of the game.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. The Silver Wolf collection from Hyte are open for pre-order now.

The post Hyte Reveals Honkai: Star Rail Silver Wolf Y70 Case appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, June 30, 2024 12:00 PM
    

rolling hills review

When you first get Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends, that title is not kidding; you truly spend your time in Rolling Hills making friends and making sushi. Despite its simple gameplay loop and plot, Rolling Hills is a relaxing game that finally made me understand the appeal of the so-called "cozy" genre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lwB6DeItzE&list=TLGGUp8gxHSVH54yMDA2MjAyNA

The game Rolling Hills follows Sushi Bot, a sushi-making robot, who moves to the titular town of Rolling Hills. It's kind of an obscure place, but the residents hope the novelty of a sushi-making robot can revitalize the town. As you play through the story, you meet lots of newcomers to town, as well as learn that there's a curse over Rolling Hills, dooming it to obscurity. Well, that's not good! With the help of the citizens, you work together to complete several rituals to lift this curse and put Rolling Hills back onto the map. At its heart, it's a story about community. The writing is very simple and it wears its themes on its sleeve. But complexity doesn't always make a story better and Rolling Hills is testament to that.

Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends has a very addicting gameplay loop. I often found myself thinking that I wanted to go in and make some sushi for a bit to unwind after work in real life. Each day is fairly short, as there's not much to do in the game. Every day, you can purchase items from the various characters around town, spend some time with them in the cafe, and then it's back to the grind. Meal service lasts about three rounds, but customers tend to only eat three plates of food before they leave. Because of how short and bite-sized each day is, it was pretty easy to play for hours on end without realizing it.

rolling hills arman
Screenshot by Siliconera

As for the meal service portion, Sushi Bot is not actually making any sushi. Another robot is, making several plates at once and then putting them all out on a conveyor belt. Sushi Bot's job is closer to that of a waiter. When a customer comes in, they order a flavor, along with a quality. For example, they might want a Veggie dish with a quality of 5. Your job then is to find a corresponding dish and give it to them.

If there aren't any dishes that match the customer's description, you can either bite the bullet and give them another one that'll net you less stars, or you can restock the conveyor belt. Truth be told, I've given a customer a meal under the quality they wanted, or a meal that was the right quality level but a different flavor. There's no real downside to this, as far as I could tell, outside of the customer giving you less stars for that meal. They pay when they walk in and bad reviews don't give you less foot traffic. I suppose this was a way to keep the game from being too frustrating.

star rail rolling hills
Screenshot by Siliconera

As you level up your restaurant level, you have to start juggling more than just orders. Customers can fall asleep or take flash photography of Sushi Bot (which can stun him). I understand customers complaining about dirty tables, but some customers give me a bad review if I don't wake them up when they fall asleep at the table and they leave early. It's hilarious because they really don't need to. Sushi Bot doesn't chase them out or anything. I assume it's like an all-you-can-eat or buffet where there's a time limit (especially since customers in Rolling Hills pay at the door). But the image of someone writing a bad review on Yelp even though they were the ones who fell asleep at the restaurant is so funny to me. It's ridiculous, but I can definitely see people raising such an absurd complaint in real life.

These recent years, "cozy" games have become something like the "soulslike" genre. A lot of companies sell their games as a "cozy" one, even if it's not. Rolling Hills really did feel like a cozy game though, in the actual meaning of the term. Everyone in town is very nice and sweet, the game doesn't punish you for your failures, and there aren't very high stakes. Stardew Valley, for example, is a pretty famous cozy game, but the unerring passage of time can make it a little stressful. I always want to make my money's worth when it comes to both profit and harvest. Animal Crossing too sometimes became less than cozy due to mechanics like flower breeding and island creation. In that sense, the game's simplicity and lack of a calendar system made it easy to just focus on making sushi every day.

rolling hills town
Screenshot by Siliconera

For all the praise I heap on Rolling Hills, it does have its share of minor issues. This is a personal preference, but I don't like the method of resetting your conveyor belt. It looks like the sushi disappear into space, so it's not as if Sushi Bot trashes them. However, it still feels a little bad to see perfectly good sushi going to waste like that, especially if an entire conveyor belt of sushi has to go due to customer demand. I know it's not real, but it's still bad to see in the early levels when there's more time to hang around and zone out.

As well, after meeting Gibson, you can unlock a little helper robot. Even after leveling up Gibson's friendship, the robot is more a hindrance than anything. It's supposed to help Sushi Bot by cleaning and upgrading furniture around the restaurant. But it's too slow to get at tables before customers complain (meaning it's easier for me to manually take care of it) and it can block both Sushi Bot and the customers' paths. I wish I could sell it for scraps.

lunch service
Screenshot by Siliconera

Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends is a sweet and cute game with an easy gameplay loop that keeps me coming back for more. With all the customization options, as well as so many different recipes to max out, there's quite a lot to do even if you're not interested in the story. Just make sure you have the number of your local sushi shop on speed dial! You're going to want a plate of nigiri or two while playing this game.

Rolling Hills is readily available on the Xbox One and Windows PC. Windows PC version reviewed.

The post Review: Rolling Hills Is a Sweet, Relaxing Way to Unwind appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, June 30, 2024 10:30 AM
    

kirby phone cases

iFace will release six variations of Kirby iPhone cases. They're available for purchase now and cost 4180 JPY ($26) each. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The Kirby iFace First Class iPhone cases from Hamee feature Kirby and Waddle Dee. Some cases feature patterns with them, some feature their faces, and some others focus on the game titles. You can also get ring holders and iFace First Class Airpods cases. While the Airpods Pro cases only have Kirby and Waddle Dee again, the ring holders also include Meta Knight and the Maxim Tomato. The Airpods cases cost 3300 JPY ($20.50) each and the ring holders cost 2420 JPY ($15.05) each.

You can get these items from iFace. As well, if you purchase it from the iFace official website or the iFace Lab, you'll be able to get a limited edition original sticker. It features a retro 8-bit style Kirby with stars around him and the word "Invincible" above his head. This promotion will run until August 31, 2024 and you'll need to make a minimum purchase of 3500 JPY.

The iFace Kirby smartphone accessories are available to purchase from iFace. However, it doesn't look like you can order these items directly from the iFace website if you live outside of Japan.

The post Kirby iPhone Cases Star Him and Waddle Dee appeared first on Siliconera.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, June 30, 2024 1:37 PM
     Anime Defenders Promo ImageUpdated June 30, 2024: We added new codes. This is not just another tower-defense game. It is one of the most challenging Roblox experiences—right from the first wave. Place, rotate, sell, and move your units to different locations during the battle to save your base. If you struggle, use Anime Defenders codes! All Anime Defenders codes list Anime Defenders codes (Working) summertime — 800 Gems (New) idk — 750 Gems (New) update2 — 500 Gems sub2karizmaqt — 50 Gems wsindach4ht — 250 Gems sorry4delay — 250 Gems thanks400k — 1,000 Gems dayum100m — 500 Gems sub2mozking — 50 Gems sub2nagblox — 50 Gems sub2jonaslyz — 50 Gems sub2riktime — 50 Gems sub2toadboigaming — 50 Gems raidsarecool — 250 Gems adontop — 250 Gems subcool — 50 Gems Anime Defenders codes (Expired) MEMBEREREBREWRERES thanks500k 200kholymoly release2024 Related: Creatures of Sonaria codes and Type Sou...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, June 30, 2024 1:09 PM
     Admin RNG in-game screenshotUpdated June 30, 2024: We added new codes! Admin RNG offers a virtual playground where you can test all sorts of commands and roleplay as an admin of your very own server. Roll to unlock as many commands as you can and redeem Admin RNG codes to increase your chances of getting the best in-game commands! All Admin RNG codes list Admin RNG codes (Active) UPDATE1111 – 2 Super Spins (New) 6KLIKES – Super Spin (New) 3kLikes! – Luck Potion (New) Admin RNG codes (Expired) 1kLikes! 2kLikes! Related: Dungeon RNG codes and Unknown RNG codes How to redeem codes in Admin RNG By following our guide below, you'll redeem your Admin RNG codes in less than a minute: Image by PC Invasion Join the Admin RNG Roblox group. Launch Admin RNG on Roblox. Click the cogwheel icon (1) on the left to open the settings menu. Type in your code into the Code here text box (2). Press Enter on your keyboard to claim your rewards. Get...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, June 30, 2024 10:41 AM
     Promo image for Whiteout SurvivalUpdated June 30, 2024: We added new codes. A giant snowstorm is threatening everyone, so it's essential to grab resources and create a camp to ensure survival. Days will get colder, so it's good that you can redeem Whiteout Survival codes and get handy goodies to avoid freezing to death. All Whiteout Survival codes list Active Whiteout Survival codes G4ERApVZ4 — Redeem for free rewards (New) ZwB2BnwX2 — 100 Gems, 2 Platinum Keys, 2 100 VIP XP, 10 Chief Stamina, and 1 Gold Key (New) Expired Whiteout Survival codes dragonboat24 DC780k 7J9k5L FB1M500k 3b9G7P pV1XlA4ve Happykid61 familyday24 Discord800K bestdad2024 THANKSMOM24 a7F9 nVJlqAwm0 RAMADAN2024 2G7k9H HappyS1000 847dPBVex Related: Dread Camp codes and Highschool Hoops codes How to redeem codes for Whiteout Survival Here is a tutorial on how to redeem Whiteout Survival codes properly: Image by PC Invasion Launch Whiteout Survi...

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, June 30, 2024 3:46 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, June 30, 2024 3:20 PM

iDev Games Feed Sunday, June 30, 2024 1:31 PM
     Run, jump, slide, rush, and surf through various obstacles! Make your way through temples, exotic landscapes, bridges, and subways while you collect precious ge...

Jun 30, 10:00


PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 9:49 AM
     FF14 Dawntrail's

Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida issues an apology for the Dawntrail launch problems, as he promises that Square Enix is working to "promptly correct any urgent issues" that have cropped up in 7.0. All told, though, Dawntrail has been a miracle. The launch queues of Endwalker are virtually non-existent now, and the handful of bugs are either already fixed or not even close to game-breaking. This is how you launch an MMORPG expansion, and everyone else needs to take note.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best MMOs, FF14 Dawntrail release date, FF14 Island Sanctuary guide

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 9:23 AM
     16 years after launch, Castle Crashers bounces back on Steam

First launched in 2008, delightful 2D hack-and-slash action game Castle Crashers was a highlight of Microsoft's first Xbox Summer of Arcade. Its chaotic co-op combat made it a fast and firm favorite among friend groups everywhere, and that only enhanced when it arrived on Steam in 2012. Now, 16 years after its original release, Castle Crashers is making a comeback on Steam - and you can jump in for less than two dollars.


PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 7:29 AM
     Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree rises to a positive Steam rating

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is dividing players. Many say it's the best experience FromSoftware has ever made, while others decry the PC performance, balancing, and overall difficulty. Player opinion is so split that the DLC debuted with a 'mixed' Steam rating, but, after a week of playing, the reception has vastly improved. In fact, it now has a 'mostly positive' rating on Valve's platform.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, Elden Ring weapons

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 7:11 AM
     Free Diablo rival Torchlight Infinite unleashes

There are a lot of great games like Diablo on PC nowadays, with contenders like Path of Exile and Last Epoch, alongside plenty of big upcoming games including Titan Quest 2 and PoE 2. But if you're looking for a free game to scratch that ARPG itch, Torchlight Infinite might be just what you're after, delivering a more satisfying experience on PC than its crossover rival Diablo Immortal. Its newest season is just about to begin, and developer XD promises the "biggest update ever" to entice you in.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Torchlight Infinite codes, Best free PC games, Best PC RPGs

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 7:00 AM
     Ready or Not's realistic SWAT simulation is ruined by FPS cliches

Void Interactive's Ready or Not casts you as a SWAT team leader tasked with handling horrific combat and hostage scenarios rarely represented in action games. In one level you must storm an apartment complex where a videogame livestreamer has killed his mother and taken his younger brother hostage while still on stream. In another you must clear out a methamphetamine den whose residents act erratically, forcing you to assess who is and isn't an actual threat in real-time. Deeper within you'll find an incapacitated child on a bed suffering from spasms. A spiritual successor of sorts to the SWAT series, Ready or Not differentiates itself through its grim commitment to the simulation of the extreme, and six months after its 1.0 launch, it's as uncomfortable as ever.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ready Or Not system requirements, Best FPS games on PC, Best Co-Op games on PC

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 6:10 AM
     Satisfactory is about to go up in price, but you can grab it cheap now

I'm a big fan of city-building and sandbox games, but ones that lean in on automation always end up feeling the most rewarding to me. The sense of satisfaction that comes from setting and forgetting your base in the likes of Factorio, Astroneer, Dyson Sphere Program, and The Planet Crafter is tough to match - but the one that best captures that sensation for me is Satisfactory. As it plans for its 1.0 launch in 2024, developer Coffee Stain announces that the price is going up ahead of the full release, but you can snag it cheap right now.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best building games, Best indie games, Best open-world games

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 6:03 AM
     New Starfield mod revamps its economy with huge, realistic overhaul

Starfield mods are the saving grace of Bethesda's RPG. From turning the Settled Systems into Star Wars, to adding a plethora of immersive fixes to the universe, there's already so much you can do with the game. If you've beaten the story, modded it, and don't know what to do next, this new mod will give you something to do with all those credits.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield mods, Starfield outposts, Starfield traits

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 3:00 AM
     Pax Dei is an ambitious, gorgeous MMO that isn't worth playing yet

The newly released Pax Dei is an undeniably ambitious medieval MMO developed by Mainframe Industries, a team including veterans from Blizzard, Ubisoft, and Remedy. With this pedigree, I'd expected Pax Dei's early access launch to sit proudly among the year's top new MMOs, but the reality is a little messier than that.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best medieval games, Best MMORPGs

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 7:23 AM
     Free Monopoly Go dice links June 2024

June 30, 2024: We've added the latest new Monopoly Go dice links to get free dice rolls.

How can I get Monopoly Go free dice links? The household favorite board game has been reimagined as a free-to-play app on smartphones, allowing everyone to experience the thrills of Monopoly on practically any device. Everything that makes the board game special is here in Monopoly Go, so you'll be collecting properties and building hotels as you go around the board, and there are a variety of multiplayer minigames to get through along the way.

You're going to need to get your hands on Monopoly dice rolls, but they are difficult to come by no matter how far you are into the board game. There are ways to earn additional dice rolls, including logging into the game every day to collect daily bonuses, progressing further in the game, and inviting friends to try Monopoly Go. While you can also spend real money to unlock more dice rolls, you may want to give our list of Monopoly Go dice links a try instead, especially if you're waiting for the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event. Take a look at all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, June 30, 2024 6:00 AM
    

Sundays are for... oh, god, there's more of it, isn't there? I thought it was just a regular cave, not a cave to literally a million new things. Before I go left and spend the next three hours stressed about the stuff I missed by not going right, let's read this week's best writing about games (and game related things!)

Read more


Siliconera Sunday, June 30, 2024 9:00 AM
    

Review: Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Is a Short and Fun Case

I know a game captivated me when I find myself wishing there was more to it. It usually doesn't mean I literally want it to be longer, but rather that I find myself utterly charmed with the experience. However, when it comes to Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, I genuinely want to spend more time with Eugene McQuacklin, crack more cases, and find out more about the enigmatic and dapper detective. At its core, the story presented in the game is as simple as its title implies. Eugene is going through a rough patch, with business going as worst as it's ever been and no work prospects on the horizon. That is until he receives a call to investigate a salami-related robbery turned conspiracy.

My first impression of the game was of total delight upon finding out that all dialogue is fully voiced, with veteran voice actor Sean Chiplock giving life to our protagonist Eugene with a rough caricature of a performance, among many other recognizable voices. The comedic tone is immediately set, with some of the tropes it tackles riffing on typical hardboiled detective drama stories. As an example, Eugene is addicted to bread crumbs, a very unhealthy food for ducks, with the detective himself commenting on the shame he feels for his habit and how it damaged his relationship to his ex. If you enjoy this type of humor, you're in for a good time, as the game delves into plenty of classic tropes of mystery stories coupled with more topical and modern topics.

After arriving to the scene of the crime, a bus company, Eugene gets to work. His first step is figure out who hired him to investigate the disappearance (and reappearance) of a piece of expensive charcuterie, and unveil the overarching conspiracy lurking in the shadows. The gameplay loop consists of talking to suspects and asking hard hitting questions. By talking to characters and addressing the mysteries available, players get a set of words that they can use to fill in the blanks to make "de-duck-tions." These deducktions start easy, with Eugene needing to develop profiles and figure out the identities of everyone in the offices, as the characters are not particularly cooperative. Shortly after this introduction, the game throws more words and ideas to use your skills, and it can get somewhat tricky as the plot thickens.

However, there is never an unfair difficulty spike or a moment in which the mystery or any given question feels unintuitive. While there were moments when I felt a bit unsure of what the answer at hand was, the nature of the deducktions helped me piece together the puzzle. It's possible that the number of information and words you eventually get to handle, coupled with a few red herrings and character relationships clashing, might feel confusing. Which is why you have to pay attention to what you're being asking to unveil at any given time.

I would say that the game is on the easier side, but it never reveals each mystery before you put it together yourself. In a way, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami feels like the vertical slice of a bigger game, a self-contained Ace Attorney case of sorts. In between deducktions and asking questions, you also have some investigative parts. These are sections in which you observe a character or a piece of the environment up close with your trusty magnifying glass. The art style here shifts between a more complex and detailed one when looking up close and personal, and the regular style the game uses.

The premise of the mystery in Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is simple and lighthearted, and it is never uninteresting. It helps a lot that the cast of wacky characters have very marked personalities and fun relationships. By the end of the game, I came to care for Eugene and the great cast of the game. The game lasts roughly between 2 to 3 hours, and it is the perfect length for the story it aims to tell. However... I want more! Considering how the game ends, I can imagine seeing more of Eugene McQuacklin, maybe with a new sidekick and putting his life back together. And I think the world in general deserves more Duck Detective.

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is readily available for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam.

The post Review: Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Is a Short and Fun Case appeared first on Siliconera.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, June 30, 2024 9:46 AM
     Anime Impact promo imageUpdated June 30, 2024: Added a new code! Assemble a team of your favorite anime-inspired characters and engage in action-packed battles against various enemies. If you need help with your progress, redeem Anime Impact codes to receive Gems, Blessing Rerolls, Cash, and other important freebies. All Anime Impact codes list Working Anime Impact codes 5MVISITS!! — 1 Blessing Roll (New) 30KLIKEZ!! — 1 Blessing Roll (New) 3MVISITS!! — 1 Blessing Roll and a Costume Token (New) ROBLOXCOMEBACK — Costume Token (New) 2MVISITS!! — 2k Gems and Blessing Reroll 20KLIKEZ!! — 1k Gems and Premium Soul Ticket 2MANYSHUTDOWNS!! — 500 Gems, Spirit Orb, and 500 Cash 1MVISITS!! — 600 Gems and a Blessing Reroll   4THEROLLBACKS! — A Premium Soul Ticket and 1k Gems   10KLIKES! — 1.5k Gems, 2k Cash, a Blessing Reroll, and 10 Spirit Orbs   WEHERE — 3k Gems, a Costume Token, 5k Cash, a Blessing Reroll, and a Match Spe...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, June 30, 2024 9:33 AM
     Allblox Battles gameplay screenshot.Updated June 30, 2024: Added a new code! Enter the Allblox Battles arena, where you use the wackiest weapons to push your foes into lava. Enclose players in bubbles, stick them to surfaces with plungers, or slam them with wall chunks—whatever floats your boat. To get your hands on the wildest weapons fast, use Allblox Battles codes. All Allblox Battles codes list Active Allblox Battles codes KEJTB7HZ — 100 Gold (New) 67R1203X — 100 Gold (New) D0ZYNVYG — 100 Gold (New) 2DGM496G — 100 Gold sniper — 200 Gold OE0EGXI2 — 100 Gold spear — 600 Gold allblox — 200 Gold lasergun — 200 Gold TUIFMCF3 — 100 Gold bowandarrow — 300 Gold longsword — 300 Gold Expired Allblox Battles codes There are no expired Allblox Battles codes right now. Related articles: Tongue Battles codes and Monster Ghoul codes How to redeem codes in Allblox Battles Redeeming Allblox Battles codes is not difficult at all—just follow o...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, June 30, 2024 9:17 AM
     Fabled Legacy promo image.Updated: June 30, 2024 We added new codes! There are many dungeons to crawl in Fabled Legacy, and who else is going to do it other than you—the hero destined for greatness? The good news is that you can bring your friends along with you. If you need better weapons and armor, Fabled Legacy codes can help. All Fabled Legacy codes list Active Fabled Legacy codes 75KLIKES — 100 Gems (New) INFINITE — 100 Gems (New) PLUNGER — 100 Gems 70KLIKES — 100 Gems BOOSTS — 15 minutes of All Boosts Expired Fabled Legacy codes 30KLIKES PRESENTS24 TYPICALROBLOX 22KLIKES 65KLIKES NOBUGS SERPENT CALAMITY THORNHEART FREETOKENS 45KLIKES PEPE DRAGON 15MVISITS FABLED 10MVISITS 12KLIKES SAKURA SUNKENFORTRESS RELEASE CHRISTMAS TIME 18KLIKES ANDROMEDA 3MVISITS ROSE THANKYOU LOBSTER 8K LIKES 50KLIKES 55KLIKES 26KLIKES DOMAIN VANITY IMMORTAL BALLOON WELOVEROBL...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, June 30, 2024 8:24 AM
     Skibidi Tower Defense promo imageUpdated June 30, 2024: We added more codes! Vile toilets are threatening to destroy your base! Redeem Skibidi Tower Defense codes to get free Coins, equip the best units, upgrade the existing ones, and clear the waves hassle-free. Act quickly, though, because these codes won't be redeemable forever! All Skibidi Tower Defense codes list Working Skibidi Tower Defense codes BUGSFIXED — 50 Gems (New) G4L4XY3V3NT — 50 Gems (New) 1MILMEMBERS — 50 Gems (New) helloworld — 100 Coins fatduck — 125 Coins meta — 50 Coins digitonoob — 1k Coins pine — 50 Coins blue — 50 Coins Expired Skibidi Tower Defense codes UPGRADETV Boom Traits AppleBottomJeans PVP cope freeskibs GLITCH EP69 Related: Tower Defense Simulator codes and Toilet Wars Tower Defense codes How to redeem codes in Skibidi Tower Defense Follow our simple instructions to redeem Skibidi Tower Defense codes in no time: Image by PC I...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Sunday, June 30, 2024 8:17 AM
     Worqor Zormor Dungeon FFXIV Dawntrail guide: Encounters, mechanics, and rewardsWorqor Zormor is the second Dungeon in the Dawntrail MSQ and is arguably tougher than the first. Let me give you a crash course with our Worqor Zormor Dungeon FFXIV Dawntrail guide: Encounters, mechanics, and rewards. How to start the Worqor Zormor Dungeon in FFXIV Dawntrail The only way to unlock the Worqor Zormor Dungeon is through natural story progression through the Dawntrail Expansion. You'll need to finish the Ihuykatumu Dungeon first, and you'll reach Worqor Zormor a couple of hours later. Once you've beaten the Dungeon, you can reattempt it anytime with real players or the Trust. Worqor Zormor FFXIV Dawntrail Dungeon guide Worqor Zormor is a toughie, so let me explain how to clear every part of the Dungeon in the order you'll face them. As for rewards, there's miscellaneous gear up for grabs after each encounter. It's good etiquette to only roll on gear for your job so your teammates can still get decent loot. If the gear y...

iDev Games Feed Sunday, June 30, 2024 2:25 AM
     Enjoy playing snake simply using swipe gestures....

Jun 30, 04:00


PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 3:00 AM
     Pax Dei is an ambitious, gorgeous MMO that isn't worth playing yet

The newly released Pax Dei is an undeniably ambitious medieval MMO developed by Mainframe Industries, a team including veterans from Blizzard, Ubisoft, and Remedy. With this pedigree, I'd expected Pax Dei's early access launch to sit proudly among the year's top new MMOs, but the reality is a little messier than that.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best medieval games, Best MMORPGs

PCGamesN Sunday, June 30, 2024 1:52 AM
     All FF14 Dawntrail Aether Current locations

Where are the FF14 Dawntrail Aether Currents? The in-game compass only works so well, and while many players enjoy finding them on their own, they can be a pain to locate. Some of them look accessible from one location but really require a completely different route. Whether the current is as simple as strolling up to it or at the top of what could be considered a jumping puzzle, we've got you covered, and you'll be flying in Tural in no time.

Each of these FF14 Dawntrail Aether Current locations are broken down by zone. Just like the Endwalker Aether Currents, there are six new zones in Dawntrail, each of which will have 10 overworld Aether Currents for you to attune to, and five quests that give them, totaling 15 currents for each zone in the MMO game's latest expansion.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best MMOs, FF14 Dawntrail release date, FF14 Island Sanctuary guide

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 29, 2024 11:01 PM
     Where To Get Lvl 99 Job Gear In Ffxiv Dawntrail Featured ImageJobs in Final Fantasy 14 are all about trying to get the highest item level possible. Especially if you're trying out the new female Hrothgar look, the need for high-level gear is always needed. So let's board the ship and figure out where to get lvl 99 Job gear in FFXIV Dawntrail. How to get lvl 99 Job gear in FFXIV Dawntrail — Vendor location Screenshot: Square Enix There's a lot of new stuff to do in Dawntrail, but most people are going to make a B-line straight for the story (so much so, that you might need to hide other players to start quests). While you're leveling your character along with the story, you'll earn gear from dungeons, trials, and quest rewards. But as you get closer to the end of the expansion, you'll get the chance to grab some decently high item-level gear. The gear is level 99 and will set you up perfectly for anything you decide to do after the story finishes. You can snag this gear for every single Job you...

iDev Games Feed Sunday, June 30, 2024 2:25 AM
     Enjoy playing snake simply using swipe gestures....

Jun 29, 22:00


PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 3:58 PM
     10 top games to grab during the Steam Summer Sale 2024

The Steam Summer Sale 2024 is underway, and as always there's an astonishing amount of choice. With so many dramatic discounts on some of the best PC games, it can be tough to decide where to put your hard-earned money. To help you choose, we at PCGamesN have put our collective heads together to select ten fantastic options worth your time.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelike games, Best indie games on PC, Best soulslikes

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 29, 2024 6:25 PM
     How to follow Wawkesa and the Shady Hoobigo without being seen in FFXIV DawntrailStealth sections can be difficult and frustrating in any game. If you're struggling in FFXIV Dawntrail, here's how to follow Wawkesa and the Shady Hoobigo without being seen. How to follow Wawkesa without being seen in Dawntrail The Dawntrail main story quest throws a double-whammy stealth sequence at you roughly 10 hours in. I'm probably the most unstealthy gamer on the planet, so I really struggled here. If you're in the same boat, let me show you what to do and where to hide. If you're having problems seeing where your target is facing, make sure your graphics are set up properly, as they received an overhaul with Dawntrail. How to Chase Wawkesa in A Brother's Duty MSQ When prompted, you must follow Wawkesa at a safe distance and use cover to remain unseen. You can let Wawkesa get pretty far away, but if he wanders out of range, you must repeat the section. You're also forced to repeat the entire section if you're spotte...

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, June 29, 2024 7:04 PM
    

The trailer details 12 more characters.

The post Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Reveals More Characters appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, June 29, 2024 6:26 PM
    

Will launch for PC and consoles.

The post Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Delayed to Next Year appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, June 29, 2024 6:09 PM
    

The company is currently involved with several games.

The post Ubisoft Toronto Will be Laying Off 33 People appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, June 29, 2024 5:53 PM
    

The new update adds new adjustments and additions.

The post Dragon's Dogma II Gets New Graphics Settings Update appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

Jun 29, 14:00


Kotaku Saturday, June 29, 2024 12:00 PM
    

Toys 'R' Us—or, more accurately, the brand's reanimated corpse—made waves this week with the release of an AI-generated ad that inadvertently reveals so much about this era of widespread "enshittification." Our piece on that, as well as a lament for the way expiring licenses are killing Forza Horizon 4, a celebration…

Read more...


Kotaku Saturday, June 29, 2024 10:00 AM
    

This week's top stories centered around Herschel "Dr Disrespect" Beahm, as Midnight Society, a gaming studio he co-founded, cut ties with him, YouTube cut off monetization on his channels, and he admitted that he had sent "inappropriate" messages to a minor, resulting in his ban from Twitch in 2020. Read on for our…

Read more...


PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 12:36 PM
     Open-world survival game Eden Crafters gets free demo you can try now

From Satisfactory and Factorio to Astroneer and The Planet Crafter, we're spoilt for choice when it comes to survival crafting games that lean in on base management and automation. One promising new contender shaping up for a 2024 launch is Eden Crafters, which tasks you with transforming hostile worlds into habitable havens. If you're curious to see what it has to offer, a new prologue released as a free Steam game gives you an early taste.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best co-op games, Best survival games, Best sandbox games

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 11:56 AM
     XCOM spiritual successor Xenonauts 2 introduces more enemies and armor

The XCOM series comprises some of the best strategy games on PC, yet its modern iterations of 2012's Enemy Unknown and 2016's XCOM 2 are a little different from the likewise excellent origins of X-COM in the '90s. Sticking more closely to those old games is Goldhawk Interactive's excellent Xenonauts 2, published by indie strategy house Hooded Horse. Its latest update, just released on Steam, brings some new threats to the battlefield, alongside a new way to help deal with them.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best strategy games on PC, The best turn-based strategy games, The best space games on PC

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 11:43 AM
     Free Palworld update pushes Steam players up by 800%

Palworld was so much bigger than I remember. The survival game sold eight million copies in six days, peaked at well over two million concurrent Steam players, and took over three months to level out into any semblance of a dedicated playerbase. Even then, player counts have comfortably sat in the tens of thousands. This is why no one should be surprised that the new Sakurajima update has shot player counts into the sky, with the numbers still climbing.

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

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 10:45 AM
     Diablo 3 Season 32 brings back a homage to Blizzard's defining ARPG

With the Diablo 4 Season 5 PTR almost over, you might be wondering what to do in the month between its close and the start of the season proper. Fortunately, Diablo 3 Season 32 offers another reason to return to Blizzard's previous RPG and smash your way through some Greater Rifts in search of the best loot. While seasons in the old game are now looping through previous themes and rewards, if you haven't been a constant player this will all feel new to you.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 3 builds, Diablo 3 Necromancer skills, Best games like Diablo

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 10:31 AM
     Free Monopoly Go dice links June 2024

June 29, 2024: We've checked for the latest new Monopoly Go dice links for free dice rolls.

How can I get Monopoly Go free dice links? The household favorite board game has been reimagined as a free-to-play app on smartphones, allowing everyone to experience the thrills of Monopoly on practically any device. Everything that makes the board game special is here in Monopoly Go, so you'll be collecting properties and building hotels as you go around the board, and there are a variety of multiplayer minigames to get through along the way.

You're going to need to get your hands on Monopoly dice rolls, but they are difficult to come by no matter how far you are into the board game. There are ways to earn additional dice rolls, including logging into the game every day to collect daily bonuses, progressing further in the game, and inviting friends to try Monopoly Go. While you can also spend real money to unlock more dice rolls, you may want to give our list of Monopoly Go dice links a try instead, especially if you're waiting for the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event. Take a look at all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 9:51 AM
     Reignited Overwatch 2 6v6 debate draws Blizzard's attention

Overwatch 2's move to 5v5 was huge. We lost a tank, sure, but we gained simpler games and much cleaner play. Suddenly every match was easier to follow, and the tank's role became that much more important. Players were massively concerned by the loss at the time though, and with Blizzard promising some big changes to tanks in the near future, debates around 6v6 have come back - and the development team has noticed.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: All Overwatch 2 characters, Best Overwatch 2 settings, Overwatch 2 tier list

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 9:19 AM
     FF14 Facewear explained

How does Final Fantasy 14's Facewear work? One of the new features added to FF14 is the new Facewear Accessory slot which allows players to glasses separate from other headwear. Previously those accessories were part of the Fashion Accessories option where you'd find Parasols, backpacks, or the occasional set of wings.

We'll explain to very quickly how the new FF14 feature works, what you need to look out for, and most importantly where you get can get more. So you can look your best while you grab your free Fantasia and unlock the new jobs FF14 Viper and FF14 Pictomancer jobs.

Continue reading FF14 Facewear explained
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best MMOs, FF14 Dawntrail release date, FF14 Island Sanctuary guide

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 8:00 AM
     The Elder Scrolls Online is giving out free DLC, so don't miss out

While The Elder Scrolls 6 isn't likely to appear any time soon as Bethesda focuses its attention on Starfield, Zenimax Online Studios is continuing to deliver plenty of Tamriel-themed delights in The Elder Scrolls Online. With the launch of its new chapter Gold Road now in the rear view mirror, the team is continuing to celebrate ten years of ESO with a big celebration running through the whole of July. Alongside plenty of other goodies, you can even snag some free ESO DLC, so don't miss your chance.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: ESO Elsweyr release date, ESO Necromancer skills, ESO Elsweyr Skyshard locations

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 8:07 AM
     Valve rejects Team Fortress 2 ban appeals with a resounding

Valve's answer to Team Fortress 2 ban appeals amid its aimbot purge is a thunderous "no." After players started a petition demanding Valve act against the bot crisis, the Steam maker is finally taking action against these accounts. This includes a new TF2 support page for anyone banned in the game, with the answer to every question a simple, and savage, denial.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best old games, Best multiplayer games

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 7:11 AM
     10 top games to grab during the Steam Summer Sale 2024

The Steam Summer Sale 2024 is underway, and as always there's an astonishing amount of choice. With so many dramatic discounts on some of the best PC games, it can be tough to decide where to put your hard-earned money. To help you decide, we at PCGamesN have put our collective heads together to select ten fantastic options worth your time.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelike games, Best indie games on PC, Best soulslikes

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 7:00 AM
     Assassin's Creed Shadows is great, when you're an assassin

Assassin's Creed Shadows is the Assassin's Creed game we've been dreaming of. For more years than I can count, players have been asking for a Japanese-set version of Ubisoft's flagship open-world series, desperate to take to tiled Pagoda rooftops and brutally murder enemies from above. Shadows delivers that in droves with female protagonist Naoe, the Shinobi whose vengeful path will leave a trail of bodies in its wake. When it comes to Yasuke the samurai, however, it feels like Ubisoft has just made its own, rustier version of Sucker Punch's 2020 epic, Ghost of Tsushima.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs on PC, Best stealth games, Best sandbox games

PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 6:13 AM
     FF14 Dawntrail's launch is

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail's launch queues have been nothing short of extraordinary. After a perfect storm of COVID lockdowns and unprepared servers hit Endwalker's launch in 2021, Square Enix came prepared this time. The servers might be full, but playing the MMORPG on an expansion's launch day has never been easier.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best MMOs, FF14 Dawntrail release date, FF14 Island Sanctuary guide

Siliconera Saturday, June 29, 2024 1:30 PM
    

mari shimazaki bayonetta artist design pokemon scarlet violet fidough dachsbun miriam raifort

Mari Shimazaki, a character designer for Bayonetta, has revealed on her X (Twitter) account that she was the artist for Fidough in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. She also designed Dachsbun, Miriam, and Raifort.

https://twitter.com/marishimazaki/status/1806662918186188869?s=61

The Tweet acknowledges that she's very late with this reveal, as the games have been out for quite some time now. But she just cleared it yesterday thanks to all the detours she took. As well, she said it was a lot of fun filling in the map, and it was a very "healing" experience. The picture she drew shows Raifort and Miriam surrounded by multiple Fidoughs while a Dachsbun is at their feet. Aside from working as an artist for Bayonetta and her designs in Pokemon, Shimazaki also designed outfits for Soul Calibur V and characters in Okami.

Fidough and Dachsbun are the Scarlet and Violet games' versions of the cute canine Pokemon that appear rather early in the game. Other Pokemon from previous generations that fill this niche include Yamper, Rockruff, and Lillipup. Due to Fidough's cute design, it's appeared in multiple marketing campaigns and goods in the past. As for Raifort and Miriam, they're teachers at the academy the protagonist attends.

Since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet came out, multiple designers revealed their involvement with the game on their personal X (Twitter) accounts. For example, Yusuke Kozaki (who'd worked on character designers for Fire Emblem: Fates and No More Heroes), was the one who designed Cetoddle and Varoom. James Turner, who is a Game Freak artist, designed Tatsugiri and Dondozo.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are readily available on the Nintendo Switch.

The post Bayonetta Artist Designed Fidough and Raifort in Pokemon appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, June 29, 2024 12:00 PM
    

SunnySide falls into the age-old trap of being a game that isn't quite ready for most players to jump into at this point. This ambitious farming sim and RPG contains an unbelievable amount of depth and systems, but every aspect of from the UI to how it plays undermines its promise.

If you've played games like Stardew Valley or Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, you'll recognize the impetus for the plot. You move from the big city in Japan to a small town in the countryside to start over. Your highly customizable player character inherits an extremely empty piece of land to farm and build up to your liking.

How to romance characters and all gender preferences SunnySide
Screenshot by Siliconera

To SunnySide's credit, this game is about as freeing as it gets when it comes to the genre. You can truly make your character look like you or whoever you want due to so many aspects to tweak, from weight to facial features to hair to even gender identity. However, the 3D graphics look a bit bland, especially when it comes to character models. This is a shame, since the actual 2D character portraits look fantastic. That said, the welcome depth of customization helps to somewhat offset that. After all, your farm is a blank canvas to call your own. You can build every inch of your farm and house from a lowly tent to a burgeoning mansion. In this way, the game feels like a survival crafting experience, but this is only a sliver of the experiences SunnySide has to offer.

There is also the entire farming aspect, where players plant seeds, water them, and sell them to make cash to unlock more materials, buildings, gifts, and upgrades. If that isn't enough, there is even simplistic turn-based RPG combat. However, it feels like even more of an afterthought than similar battle systems in other games like Stardew Valley. You can go dozens of hours without really diving into the linear dungeons and straightforward fights. There is little depth to this outside of a few commands and the deck-like system of collecting different Ofuda for effects. Collecting Ofuda starts out fun, but the relatively breezy difficulty ensures it doesn't feel as necessary as it could. I wish the turn-based combat had more of a prominence in the overall progression of the game.

All of these different aspects are wrapped up in a smartphone-based interface, which feels intuitive. However, it is SunnySide's ambition that is also its downfall. While I am grateful to have so many different activities, none of them feel complete or worth diving into. A huge part of this comes from how poorly everything runs. This game is sometimes a challenge to play due to how it barely chugs along, especially in the outdoor, open-world areas. Yet it even takes its time loading and running at a snail's pace at times indoors as well. This could be because I spent most of my time on Steam Deck, where the frame rate is all over the place. To make matters worse, the frequent pop-ins and sluggish loading hurts it even more.

SunnySide Review
Image via Merge Games

To give it a fair shake, I booted SunnySide up on a beefier gaming PC. Unfortunately, it didn't fare much better there than on Steam Deck. It ran a little smoother in some areas, but still had major visual and performance hiccups. Without a doubt, this game has some of the most atrocious optimization I've seen in a while.

Sadly, the problems don't stop there. While the game has controller support, it doesn't work all that well. The general movement controls are fine and using tools feels acceptable, but the interface is a mess to deal with. Most of the menus use a cursor to deal with the menu, inventory, and even phone. It is pretty slow and imprecise, leading to me wasting more time in the menus than necessary. This is even worse when you consider how almost everything is in the phone menu, such as messages and even the world map.

However, there is one element that may never get a fix, and that is the romance system. Having 25 romanceable characters sounds impressive, but this hides some serious issues with dating in the game. Every character has a dating preference on the gender expression scale. This scale is what players use during character creation to determine their identity. Basically, you have a 10-point scale for masculinity, 10-point scale for femininity, and non-binary right in the middle. You can pick your gender identity anywhere along the spectrum, which is quite neat. However, there are some issues with this system, and that's mostly in it's execution.

Screenshot by Siliconera

Fall in love with Hanako, for example, but aren't feminine? So sorry, but you're out of luck. I think the idea of centering around this isn't inherently bad; after all, other farming sim series locked romances behind gender in the past. The problem is you have to research each character ahead of time to know their preferences, and there is no way to change your gender identity at this time once you've left the character creator. This actually feels ironically backwards in a way, since gender identity can be fluid and offering a way to change your gender identity within the game would let players experiment.

It is a shame, too, since the most joy I had with this game was speaking and hanging out with the characters. You can tell SunnySide's developer took notes from the Persona series. Each character has different levels to their friendship where you get to learn more about them. Some of the stories are pretty emotional, genuinely funny, and quite diverse.

The writing, in general, is actually quite brilliant. It just sucks that there is so much frustration with the controls, performance, and UI the vast majority of the time to get to that slim payoff. In the end, this makes SunnySide the epitome of "wait and see" early access title. It simply does too much from its survival mechanics to building to RPG combat to farming and relationships.

Screenshot by Siliconera

While there is so much to see here, rarely does anything work properly to make the experience feel worthwhile. I do believe there is a solid farming sim RPG in the making with SunnySide, but it could take a long time and plenty of updates to reach that potential. For now, I don't recommend giving it a look unless you're okay with quite a lot of grievances.

SunnySide is available right now on PCs via Steam.

The post Review: SunnySide Is Ambitious, But Underwhelming appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, June 29, 2024 9:00 AM
    

Review: The Palace on the Hill Is Soothing

There are times when a game will fall into the farming or life sim categories, but might not exactly feel like it's totally about that. Rather, it might be about capturing a moment, setting the stage for an era, and giving the player a chance to feel what life might be like if they were a certain person growing up at a specific time. That's what The Palace on the Hill feels like. The Wholesome Direct 2024 shadowdrop is a soothing, low-pressure opportunity to feel what life is like for a teenager growing up in India, and it feels like it is about enjoying the moment and his story rather than really trying to min-max your life sim to earn a lot of cash or befriend people. 

Vir is a young man with a bright future. He's a talented artist. However, due to his family's farm having a bad year, he immediately finds himself farming himself and taking on odd jobs to help support his family during his summer vacation. It's while doing so that he runs into a former classmate named Savi. She's in town to investigate a palace and its ruins, hoping to find out secrets about its past and perhaps hidden fortunes. In so doing, we not only get to help Vir through his daily life as he earns money, but get to see how his relationship with Savi develops and learn more about the background of the town. 

The Palace on the Hill can feel like an adventure game that features some life simulation elements tossed into it, rather than a more dedicated farming sim. You'll need to go around town, farming, gathering items, crafting, running errands for people, and working at the tea shop to gather necessary materials and ingredients for various quests. By carrying out tasks and going through your mission checklist, you'll eventually grow closer to everyone around and learn more about the ruins and old kingdom. Naturally, along the way, you'll also find ways for Vir to earn money and succeed, which provides even more of a sense of accomplishment. From time to time, he'll also have tasks to do that involve drawing, which means getting inspiration as you explore. You don't need to worry about relationship values. You'll eventually earn the money you need. Just take in the moment.

The downside to it all is that The Palace on the Hill can feel a bit effortless. Yes, we know Vir's family is in dire need of money to keep going. Working is a priority. However, the actual gameplay doesn't feel stressful in any way, and sometimes it feels like things don't connect in the way they should. Farming feels a bit isolated, aside from a means of earning money. It's very barebones, so much that I didn't even feel like the watering can upgrade was necessary. The tea shop has some shop management elements, such as creating certain orders and making sure you are prepared for certain customers. However, I always had more than enough ingredients due to how plentiful foraging tended to be and there's no real challenge to it.

This is coupled with The Palace on the Hill occasionally feeling a bit clunky. The game looks fantastic and I didn't have any issues with it breaking or crashing. However, it doesn't always introduce concepts well. For example, farming is very easy to do, but since it doesn't work like other farming sims and isn't well explained it might take you a minute to learn how to plant and water crops for the first time. The same can happen the first time you're getting inspiration for one of Vir's paintings. It comes up a little, but I feel like it is more of a reminder this is an indie game from a newer developer, rather than a failing on Niku's part.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM1I5Ec0IqE&ab_channel=NikuGames

Especially since the team does a great job of ensuring other elements of The Palace on the Hill come together. The art direction is fantastic. I love the style of the game and the depiction of the town and its characters. It stays true to the area and time period, which is important. It's also quite a welcoming experience with clearly defined characters, ingredients, and goals, so it really compels you to keep going.

The Palace on the Hill feels like the sort of game where Niku Games wanted to tell a specific story, and the farming, shop management, and life sim mechanics surround it to propel you forward. They aren't taxing. They won't hold you back. However, they do provide a sense of ambiance and let you know what life might feel like for Vir in India at that time. You're experiencing a brief moment in his life, and I do mean brief as I finished in under eight hours. However, it definitely feels like your time is well-spent.

The Palace on the Hill is available for PCs.

The post Review: The Palace on the Hill Is Soothing  appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, June 29, 2024 7:30 AM
    

fate/grand order azumi-no-isora

A new event, Dancing Dragon Castle: The Twin Jewels and the Deep Sea Princess, is available for a limited time on the Japanese server of Fate/Grand Order. Players will have until July 19, 2024 to pull for the new Alter Ego Servant Azumi-no-Isora (Hibiki & Chikagi).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0eNbuPChoI

During the Azumi-no-Isora banner in Fate/Grand Order, players also have the opportunity to pull for Summer Kiyohime again. As opposed to her Berserker form, Summer Kiyohime is an SR Servant who is a Lancer. As she was always in the gacha, Summer Kiyohime did not become available when Lasengle gave players the chance to buy past summer welfare Servants. For fans of the original Kiyohime, you can get a Spiritron Dress for her that makes her look like an undersea princess. The name of the outfit is literally Otohime Kiyohime, referencing the princess of Ryugu-jo. The only way to get this outfit is through event items.

You can check out the Noble Phantasms of both Azumi-no-Isora and Otohime Kiyohime here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiCp4BW4hAU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFSixWV7UHg

As for the new SSR Alter Ego Servant, Azumi-no-Isora, they're based on the Shinto kami of the same name. In Japanese mythology, Azumi-no-Isora was the god of the seashore and was the one to present Empress Jingu with a pearl from Ryugu-jo. Nowadays, Empress Jingu is a rather controversial ruler, as she led the Japanese to invade the "promised land," which is the Korean Peninsula today.

Fate/Grand Order is readily available on mobile devices. Azumi-no-Isora and Dancing Dragon Castle: The Twin Jewels and the Deep Sea Princess are only available on the Japanese server of Fate/Grand Order.

The post Azumi-no-Isora is a New SSR Alter Ego in Fate/Grand Order appeared first on Siliconera.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 29, 2024 12:34 PM
     How To Wear Glasses In Ffxiv Dawntrail Featured ImageFinal Fantasy 14's latest expansion Dawntrail brings a slew of new additions and QoL updates to the award-winning MMORPG. From a new female version of Hrothgars to reworking the textures and graphics of the overall game, CBU3 has been cooking hard. And to add to their latest features, we're going to inspect some characters and figure out how to wear glasses in FFXIV Dawntrail, as well as how Facewear exactly works. How to unlock Facewear in FFXIV Dawntrail Screenshot: PC Invasion Assuming your character didn't get ruined by the graphical changes with update 7.0, you'll probably notice a new gear section when inspecting your character. It's located in the bottom left of the character screen just under your shoe selection. This is where you can equip Facewear, a new accessory system for your Warriors of Light. Facewear items are like wings or parasols in FF14, meaning they are completely decorative and have no effect on your character's sta...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 29, 2024 11:53 AM
     Dress to Impress Official ImageUpdated June 29, 2024: We added new codes. Roblox, but make it fashion—Tyra is probably feeling super proud somewhere. However, if you want to channel your inner Naomi and win in every style-off, you may need some extra help. To gain an edge over the other wannabe fashionistas, you will need Dress To Impress codes. All Dress To Impress codes list Active Dress To Impress codes ITSJUSTNICHOLAS — Reward (New) M3RM4ID — Reward (New) C4LLMEHH4LEY — Reward (New) CHOOPIE10K — Reward (New) REWARD4CLASS1C — Reward ( Can only be used if the Classic Roblox Event is complete)  IBELLASLAY — Special Hair ASHLEYBUNNI — Bunny Slippers SUBM15CY — Pearl neckless and eyelashes LABOOTS — Special boots TEKKYOOZ — Special bag LEAHASHE — Special tracksuit LANABOW — Special bow LANA — Special shirt, shorts, and leg warmers Expired Dress to Impress codes There are currently no expired Dress To Impress codes. How to redee...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 29, 2024 9:04 AM
     Ihuykatumu Dungeon FFXIV Dawntrail guide. Encounters, mechanics, and moreDawntrail offers players a gentle introduction to the Yok Tural region before throwing a particularly difficult Dungeon into the mix. If you're struggling, let me help with our Ihuykatumu Dungeon FFXIV Dawntrail guide. Encounters, mechanics, and more. How to start the Ihuykatumu Dungeon in FFXIV Dawntrail Without diving too deep into spoilers, the Ihuykatumu Dungeon is a mandatory part of the Dawntrail Main Story Quests. I unlocked the area roughly 7 hours into the Expansion. Once it's unlocked, you can repeat it at your leisure. The Dungeon is pretty tough, so I'll explain each notable encounter. Naturally, I can't write a guide like this without spoiling a few things, so consider yourself warned. If you're soldiering through Dawntrail spoiler-free, make sure to take advantage of the new settings that can hide players. River Chase Screenshot: PC Invasion I may have hyped up the difficulty a little, but the introduction to the Dungeon ...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 29, 2024 9:04 AM
     Fc Mobile promo imageUpdated June 29, 2024: Added new codes! In this adrenaline-pumping football simulation game, you get to create a dream squad that includes all your favorite players! FC Mobile codes will give you free packs and other helpful freebies. Use them to get new players for your team and win every match hassle-free! All FC Mobile codes list Working FC Mobile codes KNOCKOUTS—Redeem for a special reward (New) Expired FC Mobile codes OPENSESAME 1000GEMS Related: Tarisland codes and Whiteout Survival codes How to redeem codes in FC Mobile Follow the easy steps below to redeem codes in FC Mobile: Image by PC Invasion Head over to the FC Mobile redemption page. Log into your EA account. Input a working code into the text box. Click the Redeem button. Open FC Mobile on your device and go to your in-game mailbox. Collect your rewards. If you're looking for the most convenient way to get the latest FC Mobile codes, bookmark this p...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 29, 2024 6:49 AM
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