Kotaku Saturday, June 22, 2024 1:00 PM  Nintendo's big June Direct showcase delivered the biggest headlines of the week, with its reveal of Echoes of Wisdom, a new Zelda game in which you actually play as the titular princess, as well as a new Mario & Luigi RPG and, yes, Metroid Prime 4. Read on for all the reveals from that event as well as some of the… |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 22, 2024 12:36 PM  Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree has already dropped to a 'mixed' Steam user review score, as players cite PC performance issues and problems with the FromSoftware DLC's difficulty. With the expansion quickly becoming the best-reviewed game of 2024 and even the highest-rated RPG DLC of all time, many players are still running into issues in the Land of Shadow. Continue reading Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree falls to 'mixed' Steam rating MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, Elden Ring weapons |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 22, 2024 12:05 PM  How do you beat the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring? Believe it or not, the new Land of Shadow has a Super Saiyan hippopotamus to overcome, and it's no easy task. The fight is a lot like taking on a Runebear from the base game – except this hippo hits way harder no matter how much you've invested into the vigor stat. Thankfully, we've got some tips to help you overcome this fearsome beast. While the Golden Hippopotamus is completely optional in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, you're going to want to slay this titan for its great loot – it's one of many Scadutree Fragments locations. If you're still having trouble after reading our guide, you might want to take a look at the best Elden Ring builds to be sure you're giving yourself a fighting chance. Continue reading Elden Ring Golden Hippopotamus boss guide MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, Elden Ring weapons |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 22, 2024 11:33 AM  While Stardew Valley and its fellow farming games are a delight, there's something special about seeing others enjoy the end product of your labors, and the tavern management sim is a great solution. Alongside the likes of Travellers Rest and the upcoming Tavern Keeper, we've even seen the likes of turn-based RPG Wartales step into the management game. But if you want to bring your friends along, Ale and Tale Tavern might be just what you're looking for, and a demo available now as a free Steam game is already proving popular. Continue reading Sandbox management game Ale and Tale Tavern gets co-op Steam demo MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best management games, Best co-op games, Best sandbox games |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 22, 2024 11:00 AM  Square Enix is asking that you don't spoil Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail during the early access launch, and I couldn't agree more. With four days between the pre-order early access opening and the proper launch of the expansion, there are not going to be any restrictions on what we can all share, but it still pays to be mindful in a situation like this. Continue reading Please don't spoil FF14 Dawntrail, Square Enix asks MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best MMOs, FF14 Dawntrail release date, FF14 Island Sanctuary guide |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 22, 2024 10:24 AM  Balatro is a welcome reminder that, as much as I love a good one-and-done story, there's something special about the way the best roguelike games keep you coming back over and over again. The Binding of Isaac, Slay the Spire, FTL, Hades - the list goes on and on, and newcomer Dice and Fold wants to join that exclusive club following its imminent launch on Steam. Unveiling an extensive roadmap, developer Tinymice already has plenty of updates planned to ensure you won't be putting it down any time soon. Continue reading Delightful DnD roguelike Dice and Fold has big post-launch plans MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelike games, Best strategy games, Best indie games |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 22, 2024 10:17 AM  Marvel Rivals still has another beta planned before launch, and NetEase has outlined exactly what we can expect going into it. Not only will it open the doors to more players, but it has new heroes, another map, some mechanical changes, and balance improvements across the board. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Marvel Rivals release date, Marvel Rivals characters, Marvel Rivals System Requirements |
Twinfinite Saturday, June 22, 2024 2:13 PM  |
Siliconera Saturday, June 22, 2024 3:00 PM
The Ruan Mei re-run banner appeared in the first phase of Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.3. While I'm sure lots of people want to pull for the game-designated girlfriend Firefly, I highly suggest that players who don't have Ruan Mei pull for her instead. She is one of the best characters in the game (in terms of her kit) and can make all the difference in the world when it comes to your ability to clear difficult content.
Let's acknowledge the elephant in the room first. Ruan Mei is, objectively, kind of an awful person. One could go as far as to call her a monster. In our first meeting with her, she drugs us against our will and we see all of her adorable little creations crying for her to give them even a scrap of acknowledgement. Though she's not completely emotionless, her inability to comprehend love and her pursuit of knowledge have her abandoning the creations on Herta Space Station. My friend jokingly calls her a cat abuser and refuses to get her for this exact reason. As a character, she is very interesting! But I can also understand people feeling uncomfortable with her due to her neglect of the Creations and her almost sociopathic behavior.
Some people may only want to pull for and use characters they like. That's fair! It's not fun playing gacha if you don't like the characters, after all. But for players who care about the meta and who want to have an easier time clearing endgame content such as the higher difficulties of Simulated Universe, Ruan Mei is almost a must-pull. Your quality of life post-Ruan Mei will never compare to what it was like pre-Ruan Mei. If I have to name one thing that is bad about Ruan Mei, it's that for all of her genius, she wasn't able to clone a second Ruan Mei to use in Forgotten Hall. Robin exists though, so at least you can use her.
In order to understand why Ruan Mei is such a must-pull, we need to look at her kit and how she compares to similar characters. Her passive Talent increases the party's SPD and her Skill increases the party's DMG and Weakness Break Efficiency. This Weakness Break Efficiency buff is one of the best parts of Ruan Mei's kit, as no other character is capable of this as of Version 2.2. Her Ultimate also increases the party's All-Type RES PEN and delays their action after a Weakness Break. Ruan Mei's buffs are so universal she can run on all teams, including DoT teams. She can also fit on either a hyper-carry or a double attacker team. While other limited 5-star Harmony characters like Sparkle and Robin are fantastic, they're far more Crit DMG focused, which can limit their usage.
That's not to say that they're bad. In fact, part of Ruan Mei's initial appeal is that you can run her with another Harmony or support character. Back when she debuted, one of the best Harmony units was Bronya. But Bronya has a glaring issue with SP. Aside from her and your attacker, your team has to be SP positive or neutral. You can run her with Asta, who only needs her Ultimate. But Tingyun and Yukong are out of the question because you need to conserve your SP for Bronya and your attacker. Of course, depending on the battle, you might want to leave some for your sustain as well. Ruan Mei's buffs last for three of her turns and they affect the whole party, meaning that she can run with more SP-hungry Harmony or Nihility characters without affecting the way they play.
Since the beginning of the game, I've been adamant that you can skip attackers, but you can't skip support characters. While some must-pulls like Luocha and Silver Wolf have fallen behind in the ever-shifting meta (Huohuo and Aventurine made Luocha obsolete if you have them, and Silver Wolf's niche is no longer as necessary due to most people having more character variety). Ruan Mei's universal buffs make her a staple on any team. She came out during the Destruction era but remained relevant even during the DoT renaissance (Black Swan), the follow-up attack era (IP3, Robin), and the current Break Effect (Firefly, Boothill) era. And she's sure to remain a top-tier support no matter what meta changes the future brings.
Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. You can only pull for Ruan Mei in Honkai: Star Rail when the "Floral Triptych" banner is up.
The post Ruan Mei Is a Must Pull for Any Honkai: Star Rail Player appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, June 22, 2024 1:30 PM
HoYoVerse will bring Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero to its interactive booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 (SDCC 2024). As a reminder, the event will run from July 25 to 28, 2024.
There will be multiple booths set up for HoYoVerse's various games. Booth #140 will let players experience Penacony in Honkai: Star Rail, as well as the futuristic world of Zenless Zone Zero. Meanwhile, Booth #4400 will be for Genshin Impact. You can also check out the Genshin Impact gallery at the Omni San Diego Hotel, which will feature a Teyvat Fashion Show among other activities. There will be reward available for visitors at both boosts.
While HoYoVerse has made games such as Honkai Impact 3rd before Genshin Impact, the open-world gacha game propelled it to global popularity. It coming out during the COVID-19 pandemic might have contributed to its growth, as it and its genre led to non-gacha players to give it a try. Honkai: Star Rail is equally as successful. Zenless Zone Zero hasn't come out yet, but it plays similar to Honkai Impact 3rd in which the focus is more on combat and there's less open world exploration.
HoYoVerse will be at SDCC 2024 with Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero from July 25-28, 2024. Zenless Zone Zero will come out on July 4, 2024 for the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.
The post HoYoVerse Will Bring Genshin, Star Rail, ZZZ to SDCC 2024 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, June 22, 2024 12:00 PM
I love the aesthetic of classic Game Boy Color games. The minimalistic tones, as well as the creativity of developers working within the system's limitations, meant we got to see some strikingly stylish titles. While Cicada Games didn't have that kind of hardware limitations, Isles of Sea and Sky has the same sort of atmosphere and really pays tribute to that retro approach.
A good way to think of Isles of Sea and Sky is as a Sokobon sort of block-pushing game with a little more ambiance and meet to it. I liked to think of it as being like The Witness in a small way, due to the cohesiveness. You wash up on the shores of an island without any memory of who you are or why you're there. (I got some serious The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening vibes from the introduction.) After an encounter with a young woman, you gradually go from one island to another in the chain to learn more about their history and what's going on.
Now, you'll notice I mentioned The Witness up there, rather than continuing to focus on The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. There's some LOZ elements there! Especially in that as you get to different islands and meet the masters living there, you gain new abilities. Some come from items, others from creatures. However, there is also an open-world approach. So you are getting the freedom to choose where you go and what you try to do, even though some progression is limited until you find the right abilities to complete the puzzles there.
Also, there is no combat whatsoever. Isles of Sea and Sky is all about exploring and using your brain to overcome challenges. Brawn? I mean, it takes some serious muscles to move blocks around. But really, it is about challenging how you think about the space and move items around to proceed. Coupled with a capability to rewind, it really becomes about seeing how you best approach situations in the way you feel most comfortable.
It's really quite brilliant. Especially since some of the puzzles in Isles of Sea and Sky can be truly confounding. I'll admit sometimes I felt a bit bad or even stupid when I didn't realize certain other abilities were tied to progress, and that would be what was keeping me from success. Also, even though it is an open world game, I did sometimes feel like the nature of some requiring certain abilities keep it from truly being a "go anywhere, solve puzzles at any time" adventure. I appreciate the notion, but the actual execution means I'm about seven hours into it and having trouble enjoying myself sometimes because I need certain skills I lack to progress.
I appreciate what Isles of Sea and Sky does. I love the ambiance, and I enjoy looking for puzzles to solve. I'm not the biggest fan of sometimes finding ones that are impossible to complete at the moment because of the need to eventually head certain ways and earn certain means to make headway. But I do applaud the ideas in play and think it can be quite fun.
Isles of Sea and Sky is available for PCs.
The post Isles of Sea and Sky Packs Puzzles into a LOZ Style Aesthetic appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, June 22, 2024 10:30 AM
For the first time, Uniqlo will start selling Oshi no Ko T-shirts. You'll be able to purchase them from July 5, 2024.
The Oshi no Ko collection is also available on the United States site. So you won't have to import them from Japan if you want them. However, the Japanese site offers a collection for children and will have them in stock from July 5, 2024. Meanwhile, the English site only has the five variations for adults. They will also appear in stores (both online and physical) from July 8, 2024.
Like most UT T-shirts, the Oshi no Ko Uniqlo shirts will cost $24.90. Two shirts show an idol performance, one focuses on Ai's unique starry eyes, one depicts Aqua and Ruby, and the final one shows the members of B-Komachi. The shirts for kids feature similar designs. However, the B-Komachi shirt has the members in a heart-shaped frame. There's also one focusing on Ai, which is a design that's absent from the adult line-up.
Oshi no Ko is a popular anime and manga series depicting the entertainment industry in Japan from the lens of twins Aqua and Ruby. In reality, they're the reincarnated children of Hoshino Ai, who was the idol they liked back in their previous lives. After Ai's murder, they join the entertainment industry in order to find the culprit.
Oshi no Ko is readily available for streaming via services like HIDIVE. The Oshi no Ko Uniqlo T-shirts will appear in stores from early July 2024.
The post Uniqlo Oshi no Ko Collection to Appear in Early July 2024 appeared first on Siliconera. |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 22, 2024 2:47 PM  One of the tougher overworld bosses you'll come across while playing Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is Ralva the Great Red Bear, but how can you beat this creature? Here are some tips on taking down this large bear. Elden Ring: Ralva the Great Red Bear boss guide in Shadow of the Erdtree You'll find Ralva the Great Red Bear stalking the forest surrounding a small lake northeast of the Highland Cross Site of Grace, specifically in the Scadu Atlus region unlocked after defeating Rellana, Twin Blade Knight. While it's not as tough as some of the main bosses, it certainly packs a punch with its meaty paws. Let's go over some tips for beating Ralva the Great Red Bear in Shadow of the Erdtree. Phase one Screenshot: PC Invasion First off, don't be afraid to summon a Spirit Ash. This area allows this, so I brought along my Mimic Tear. If you don't have that one, I'd also recommend Lhutel the Headless or Black Knife Tiche. Ralva is a hu... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 22, 2024 12:21 PM  One of the toughest boss fights in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, so this guide will explain how to beat her and what the cheese strategy is. Table of contentsHow to beat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight boss in Elden Ring Shadow of the ErdtreeGeneral TipsRellana move setHow to cheese Renalla, Twin Moon Knight bossRenalla, Twin Moon Knight drops How to beat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight boss in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Once you explore the entirety of Castle Ensis, the end of the dungeon has Rellana, Twin Moon Knight has the final boss. She's incredibly difficult if you don't know the best ways to tackle her, so here are some tips for how to beat Rellana. General Tips Before we get into Rellana's move set, here are some general tips you can employ to succeed during this fight: Bring the NPC and a Spirit Ash: To take aggro off of you, it's recommended that you summon Needle Knight Leda from the gold marking on the g... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 22, 2024 11:20 AM  While playing Shadow of the Erdtree in Elden Ring, you may be experiencing a bug where new items aren't appearing in your inventory, so how can you fix this? You aren't alone, and there may be some solutions to your problem. Elden Ring SotE: How to fix new inventory items not appearing bug Many players online have been complaining about an issue where newly picked-up items aren't available in their inventory. Since there are quite a few new items such as weapons and armor in Shadow of the Erdtree, this is not a fun problem to have. You may be able to fix the issue of your new inventory items not appearing by checking your chest through a Site of Grace. Screenshot: PC Invasion Sometimes, you may run out of space for certain items, or perhaps they automatically go to your chest. You may not have even realized you have a chest, which you can check at any Site of Grace. At a Site of Grace, look at your chest and see if any of the items you've picked up ... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 22, 2024 11:02 AM  You will find Spiritsprings in the Land of Shadows in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, however you'll find them to be blocked by spectral piles of rocks: cairns. Table of contentsHow to unlock Spiritsprings in Shadow of the ErdtreeAll Spiritspring and Cairn locations in Shadow of the ErdtreeAll Gravesite Plain Spiritsprings and CarinsAll Scadu Atlus Spiritsprings and CairnsAll Ruah Ruins Spiritsprings and CairnsAll Southern Shore Spiritsprings and CairnsAll Abyssal Woods Spiritsprings and Cairns How to unlock Spiritsprings in Shadow of the Erdtree As you come across Spiritsprings in the different regions of Shadow Realm, you'll notice that some have small piles of phantom rocks (cairns) blocking them. You cannot use these Spiritsprings, and interacting with the spectral cairns won't do anything. This is because you actually need to find a second cairn nearby and destroy that to unlock the Spiritspring. You can access this information in-game by buying th... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Saturday, June 22, 2024 9:26 AM  When you reach Shadowkeep, Church District, you'll notice that the entire area is completely flooded. This guide will walk you through how to lower the water level in the Church District of Shadowkeep in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: How to lower the water level in Shadowkeep Church District To lower the water level in the Shadowkeep, Church District, start from the Church District Entrance Site of Grace and drop down onto the roofs below. Screenshot: PC Invasion From here, continue forward and jump over the water onto the next building directly to the north. You'll encounter some fire enemies here, but feel free to run past them. Screenshot: PC Invasion Next, you will notice some rubble leading upwards on the right side of this building. Climb up this rubble to and jump across to the building straight ahead of you. Screenshot: PC Invasion You'll encounter a very tough enemy on this building, which I recom... |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, June 22, 2024 2:16 PM According to a new Twitter post. The post Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy Sales Surpass 20 Million Units appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, June 22, 2024 1:36 PM Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II will launch on September 9. The post Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II Gets New Gameplay Overview Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, June 22, 2024 1:12 PM An announcement trailer was also released. The post Fear Effect Coming Modern Consoles and PC appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |