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… |
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… |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 12:36 PM  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  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  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. Continue reading Free Palworld update pushes Steam players up by 800% MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Palworld bosses, Palworld map, Palworld settings |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 10:45 AM  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. Continue reading Diablo 3 Season 32 brings back a homage to Blizzard's defining ARPG MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 3 builds, Diablo 3 Necromancer skills, Best games like Diablo |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 10:31 AM  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. Continue reading Free Monopoly Go dice links June 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 9:51 AM  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. Continue reading Reignited Overwatch 2 6v6 debate draws Blizzard's attention MORE FROM PCGAMESN: All Overwatch 2 characters, Best Overwatch 2 settings, Overwatch 2 tier list |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 9:19 AM  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  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. Continue reading The Elder Scrolls Online is giving out free DLC, so don't miss out MORE FROM PCGAMESN: ESO Elsweyr release date, ESO Necromancer skills, ESO Elsweyr Skyshard locations |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 8:07 AM  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. Continue reading Valve rejects Team Fortress 2 ban appeals with a resounding "no" MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best old games, Best multiplayer games |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 7:11 AM  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. Continue reading 10 top games to grab during the Steam Summer Sale 2024 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 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. Continue reading Assassin's Creed Shadows is great, when you're an assassin MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs on PC, Best stealth games, Best sandbox games |
PCGamesN Saturday, June 29, 2024 6:13 AM  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. Continue reading FF14 Dawntrail's launch is "exceptionally smooth," Square Enix says MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best MMOs, FF14 Dawntrail release date, FF14 Island Sanctuary guide |
Siliconera Saturday, June 29, 2024 1:30 PM
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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).
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:
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  Final 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  Updated 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  Dawntrail 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  Updated 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  Updated June 29, 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 67R1203X — 100 Gold (New) D0ZYNVYG — 100 Gold (New) 2DGM496G — 100 Gold (New) 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 our instructions below: ... |