GamersHeroes Monday, July 15, 2024 6:34 PM Anger Foot's fast and frantic pace is just what the podiatrist ordered. Though its bite-sized levels and twitchy gameplay aren't for everyone, those who like to go on the offensive and nail the perfect run will enjoy stepping foot in this new territory. The post Anger Foot Review appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 5:05 PM  Jackass and Wildboyz star Steve-O isn't a big video game player, but he has appeared in a few games over the years. And according to the stunt performer and podcaster, he got paid pretty well to appear in NFL 2K5. Meanwhile, his role in a Tony Hawk game published by Activision wasn't nearly as lucrative. |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 4:45 PM  Like one of its clear inspirations, Warframe, The First Descendant features countless heroes that directly alter your playstyle, abilities, and equipment. And, similarly to Warframe, the path to unlock additional Descendants in The First Descendant requires a significant grind. You can handle that grind in one of two… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 4:35 PM  You know how defeating the major bosses in Elden Ring grants you a remembrance of them? Typically, you're meant to use these to get runes for leveling or spending, otherwise you can mold those remembrances into weapons reminiscent of the boss. What if, instead, you could use them to call on former bosses to aid you in… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 4:25 PM  Sean Murray is no stranger to hyping up expectations, and that's exactly what he's been doing for the last several days on social media. The boss of No Man's Sky studio Hello Games has been posting little emoji of our planet. Fans are taking the cryptic messages and running wild with them, speculating about a… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 3:55 PM  Like most RPGs, a majority of your time in Final Fantasy XIV is spent completing various quests. However, new players may find themselves wondering what each of the different symbols mean, or how to tell what quests are worth their time. This guide will explain the three main types of quests, as well as how to tell if… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 3:45 PM  Growing up, the sole PC I had access to was an ancient Dell that my dad used for work and softball scheduling, which could only really (barely) run The Sims 2. My parents were jocks and didn't understand how anyone would pay thousands of dollars for a computer, so it wasn't until I started my career in games… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 3:30 PM  Baldur's Gate 3 was one of the best games of 2023 and easily one of the year's biggest success stories. And as you might expect, all that acclaim and adoration saw the game winning a lot of awards at various shows and events. According to the game's director, being showered with so many accolades actually started… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 3:05 PM  Project Dragon, a new game from Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs, has been canceled. This was revealed by former devs on the project over the weekend, including principal concept artist, Nicholas Kole. revealed over the weekend that an in-development game codenamed Project Dragon has been canceled. Koleposted about… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 2:55 PM  Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the first game in the series that won't be giving PlayStation players exclusive entry into its early access beta. Instead, the Gulf War-era shooter will arrive simultaneously on all platforms, including Xbox and PC, starting in August. |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 2:35 PM  Kendrick Lamar's epic "Not Like Us" diss track has become the de facto song of the summer (as well as an all-time hater anthem) after effectively ending the short-lived, but all too entertaining beef with the Toronto rapper Drake. Just about every party and club I've been to in the past few months has played the song a… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 2:25 PM  Genshin Impact has been under fire for whitewashing people of color before, but the backlash over such accusations has never before reached the level it has now, as the release of the new Natlan nation grows ever more imminent. The nation is based primarily on Latin America, but also includes characters based on… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 1:35 PM  Final Fantasy XIV offers a variety of content and depth that few games can match. While this is a huge boon for the MMO's longtime players, new players who have just started their account with the Starter Edition or Free Trial (we recommend the Free Trial for first-timers) may have trouble sifting through the firehose… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 1:25 PM  The reaction to Concord wasn't great during Sony's State of Play earlier this year. But after playing a few hours of the sci-fi FPS on PS5, I'm sold on Concord's mix of hero-shooter action and tight Call of Duty-like gameplay. The only question is: Will people be willing to spend $40 for a multiplayer-only shooter in… |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 1:15 PM  After this year's Steam Summer Sale, you might be thinking you don't need to buy more games. Well the Independent Games Festival's Celebration Days is here to change your mind. |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 1:05 PM  Once Human is it hitting all the sweet spots to earn the customary 15 minutes of Steam fame. It's a free-to-play survival crafting MMO about fighting through a world infested by a strange alien lifeform called Stardust, and its first week out has already been full of ups and downs. |
Kotaku Monday, July 15, 2024 12:33 PM  Following its stellar adaptation of Fallout earlier this year, Amazon's eyes are now set on translating the popular video game series Like a Dragon (formerly known as Yakuza) this fall. Ahead of the release of Amazon's adaptation, which straddles the line with the title Like a Dragon: Yakuza, lead actor Ryoma… |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 4:42 PM  Splinter Cell is a game that has a huge amount of influence on gaming and one whose absence is felt keenly. It's been 11 years since the last game came out and even then the series was slowly becoming a shadow of itself. Thankfully some games are keeping the stealthy torch quietly lit, with Intravenous and its upcoming sequel being two titles that are doing their best to continue in Splinter Cell's fine tradition. With the second game coming soon the first is now free - but you'll have to act very fast if you want to grab it. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best stealth games, Best action-adventure games, Best indie games |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 4:00 PM  How do you even begin to make a sequel to something like Deadly Premonition? It's a challenge I wouldn't even know how to start, with the risks of getting it wrong far, far too high. The original game was a Twin Peaks-esque masterpiece that melded a sense of place with lashings of wonderful weirdness, and despite some pretty big problems it all somehow worked. The sequel, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise hasn't quite hit all the highs of the original, but at a new historical low price I have to wonder - does it matter? MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best open-world games, Best horror games, Best action-adventure games |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 1:42 PM  If I were a Lovecraftian monster from outside reality I simply wouldn't invade our reality, I think it's a little rude and frankly we could all use a rest. Unfortunately they do like to pop in and make a mess and in Chromosome Evil 2 one such entity has brought about the end of the world. Thankfully there are some trying to keep the spark of humanity alive in these darkest of times, though it's not an easy task. A new update for the RTS, however, has made it a little simpler - at least in some ways. Continue reading Lovecraftian XCOM-like RTS Chromosome Evil 2 gets huge free update MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best strategy games, Best horror games, Best indie games |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 1:09 PM  It's a great time to jump into the handheld gaming space, and this Asus ROG Ally deal is one that shouldn't be passed up. While the ROG Ally X may be launching very soon, $799 is a lot to ask for a new handheld, and Best Buy now has the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme for just $549.99 in a limited-time deal. This isn't the first time it's dropped this low, but any time the ROG Ally matches the Steam Deck OLED for price, it's a big deal. The Asus ROG Ally X release is coming up, and in preparation, Asus appears to be moving on some stock from its previous handheld. Luckily, the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is still one of the best handheld gaming PCs, and well worth considering during this sale. Continue reading This Asus ROG Ally deal matches the Steam Deck OLED price MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ review, Asus ROG Raikiri review, Best gaming motherboard |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 12:42 PM  Creativity is one of the driving forces of humanity. Our ability to see a stone wall, a blank canvas, or a clean piece of paper and impart thoughts, dreams, and entire worlds into them is probably our most admirable trait. Which is a very pompous way of saying that games like Tiny Glade - sheer tools of purest creativity - call to something deep within us: our need to create. This sandbox builder already helps castle-filled dreams come to life and now it's offering even more thanks to a brand new building type. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best sandbox games, Best building games, Best relaxing games |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 12:38 PM  Starting in the mid-2010s, we've seen a steady flow of excellent 2D Metroidvanias, from the Ori series to Hollow Knight. Just this year alone, I've enjoyed Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Animal Well, and Nine Sols. But with so many great genre entries landing so regularly, the latest releases like Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus can very easily get lost in the mix. Continue reading Bo Path of the Teal Lotus review - a beautiful but safe Metroidvania MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best platform games, Upcoming PC games, Best Metroidvania games |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 12:33 PM  Elden Ring's astounding Bloodborne-inspired overhaul finally works with Shadow of the Erdtree, so you can take Yharnam's trick weapons, firearms, and eternal night into the FromSoftware DLC. With the Bloodborne PC port seemingly never happening (it's been nine years I'm so sorry), the gameplay changes in this mod make it the closest we'll ever get to that dream. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, Elden Ring weapons |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 12:19 PM  July 15, 2024: We've added a new Monopoly Go dice link 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 July 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 12:09 PM  MSI might have shoehorned "AI" into the name of its latest 16-inch gaming laptop, but there's a serious gaming spec under the slimline hood. The real key features in the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio A1V are an awesomely powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, and a stunning 4K+ miniLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. That combo alone should be enough to make any PC gaming enthusiast weak at the knees, and it comes at what looks like a reasonable price of $3,299 as well. There's a lot to love about the MSI 16 AI Studio A1V, and although it doesn't quite rank with the best gaming laptops around, it does bring a lot to the table for that initial outlay. So, who is this for? It can handle gaming, of course, but MSI is also targeting the professional, the creator, and the artist. It's a studio laptop kitted with some serious firepower to really take advantage of Photoshop, Da Vinci Resolve, and other similar programs. That color-accurate display and GPU combo alone is enough to prove that point, but it also packs plenty of RAM to back it all up. This is what piqued my interest in particular. As well as being a gamer, I've also spent many years dabbling in Photoshop, building everything from World of Warcraft interfaces, to websites, CVs, and even house designs. I've spent the last two weeks getting to grips with the Studio A1V to see whether it's up to scratch, and if it's capable of replacing my fully-fledged desktop in exactly those tasks. And of course, I wouldn't be a 20-year World of Warcraft veteran without playing some games on it too. Continue reading MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio A1V review: Scotty, we need more CPU power MORE FROM PCGAMESN: MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC review, MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X Trio review, Best gaming motherboard |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 12:08 PM  A brand new Sapphire RX 7800 XT is coming with Once Human branding, according to the graphics card makers' social media channel. It sports a fetching OH-themed design and a triple-fan cooler, though details about the card are thin on the ground so far. Sapphire picked a great card for its special edition Once Human design because we have the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT listed as the best graphics card for under $500. Continue reading This is the graphics card you need to play Once Human MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 7800 XT review |
PCGamesN Monday, July 15, 2024 12:08 PM  It's nearly that time of year again, soccer fans - the hype train for EA FC 25 is about to depart. July almost always summons an announcement trailer and early details about the year's new EA Sports soccer sim, and things are no different this time around - an official reveal is coming on Wednesday, July 17. However, ahead of time, leakers are claiming that the series' street football mode, Volta, is getting axed in favor of a brand new 4v4 game mode in FC 25. Continue reading EA FC 25 reportedly scrapping Volta for new 4v4 Ultimate Team mode MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best sports games, Best multiplayer games, Best PC games |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 7:15 PM
Crocs will release four limited-time Classic Clogs designs based on classic Pokemon from the Pokemon series. They'll come out in 2024 and will be available at $70 per pair. [Thanks, Nice Kicks!]
There's no information on when to expect these shoes. So far, if you check the Crocs website, there are only kids' Crocs that have Pokemon designs available to them. Once Crocs puts the upcoming Classic Clogs on its website, you'll be able to choose from Charizard, Snorlax, Gengar, or Jigglypuff. There will also be Jibbitz available of each Pokemon. As a side note, Gengar and Jigglypuff Jibbitz are already available on the Crocs website. However, the existing Jigglypuff has a slightly different design.
You can check out the upcoming Crocs Classic Clogs here:
Pokemon isn't the only piece of Japanese media you can get Crocs for. The shoewear company has released limited edition items for franchises like Hello Kitty, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Mobile Suit Gundam. Like the Pokemon ones, they usually have the same color scheme as a prominent character (or mobile suit), as well as come with Jibbitz of them.
The Pokemon Crocs Classic Clogs will come out in 2024 and will be available in adult sizes for $70 a pair.
The post Pokemon Crocs Classic Clogs to Come Out in 2024 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 6:15 PM
Bandai Spirits revealed via social media a new Journey to the West Naruto figure to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the GEM series, featuring Naruto Uzumaki from Naruto Shippuden. The figure is titled "Great Saint Uzumaki Naruto." This special edition figure is part of the GEM series remix.
View the original announcement post below:
The GEM series has been a significant part of the anime figure market for 15 years. This latest figure is revealed to be a homage to Journey to the West's protagonist Sun Wukong, fusing his iconic features with those of Naruto Shippuden's main character, Naruto Uzumaki. The figure showcases Naruto holding a staff and riding alongside Kurama, with Sun Goku forming the base of the figure.
For those interested in the Naruto series, navigating the extensive list of canon and filler episodes can be challenging. Check out our guide on how to watch the Naruto anime without filler arcs to streamline your viewing experience. To place an order, visit the GEM 15th Anniversary Page and the Premium Bandai product page.
Naruto and Naruto Shippuden can be watched on Crunchyroll, which offers all 720 episodes. For manga readers, Viz Media distributes the Naruto manga outside Japan.
The post Journey to the West Naruto Figure Revealed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 5:00 PM
After Reynatis is released, a number of free updates will expand its story via character episodes and other additions. There's no schedule for these nine extra batches of content, with NIS America only noting that people can expect them after the game is released.
Aside from how many there will be, most details about the free Reynatis updates and character episodes are vague. Some of the new stories will involve Marin Kirizumi and Sari Nishijima. One of the screenshots teasing the addition shows Marin fighting an unknown opponent. The other shows Sari walking past Kiichiro Ukai, who works on the M.E.A. with her. There will also be some sort of "secret" episode.
Here are all three of the teaser screenshots.
We already knew about another piece of content that would appear for Reynatis. A Neo The World Ends with You crossover will be present in-game. When people go through it, they'll meet the Reaper Shoka in-game.
Reynatis comes to the PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC on September 27, 2024 in North America and Europe and on October 4, 2024 in Australia, and nine pieces of free content will be released as updates. There's no roadmap for the additional updates yet.
The post Free Reynatis Updates Include Character Episodes appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 4:00 PM
Mayla announced the release of a new pair of pumps based on The Rumbling from Attack on Titan. The new pair of Attack on Titan shoes Doomsday Titan model costs 29,700 yen (or approximately $188.12).
Pre-orders are now open from the Mayla online storefront and they will close on August 18, 2024. The pumps themselves are glossy black with a simple ribbon. The interior of the shoes and the outsole are red, and the outsole features a variety of motifs from Attack on Titan, including the shields for the Survey Corps, the Military Police Brigade, the Garrison, and the Training Corps.
Golden line accents cover the side and heel of the shoes, with the decoration imitating the ribs of the Founding Titan from Attack on Titan, also known as the Doomsday Titan. Meanwhile, the insole features the AoT logo as well as the Mayla brand logo. You can check out the new Mayla Attack on Titan The Rumbling pumps in more detail here:
The shoes come packaged in a special box featuring images and motifs from the Attack on Titan anime series. In addition, an acrylic stand of Eren Yeager in his Founding Titan form is included with the purchase of the pumps.
Mayla often releases collaboration shoes featuring popular anime and video game series, like the recent NieR: Automata Ver1.1a 2B pumps, or a pair of heels inpired by popular character Hatsune Miku.
The new Mayla Attack on Titan shoes cost 29,700 yen (~$188.12) and are now available for pre-order until August 18, 2024. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll, and Kodansha handles the manga.
The post Mayla Attack on Titan Shoes Are The Rumbling Pumps appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 3:00 PM
Immediately after the limited Goddess of Victory: NIKKE character Rosanna: Chic Ocean appeared in July 2024, Shift Up also announced situations in which players weren't seeing her Recruitment Banner. The developer now confirmed the issue is fixed as of July 15, 2024.
As part of an apology for the Rosanna: Chic Ocean limited character banner being an issue, all NIKKE players got sent a gift. If someone goes to their mailbox, they will find nine Growth Set: 1H and 20 Ultra Boost Modules, as well as 300 Gems. As a reminder, a Growth Set: 1H gives people a Battle Data Set (1H), Core Dust (1H) and Credit (1H). The new banner will also appear in the Lobby and Recruit areas, like it should.
Rosanna: Chic Ocean is only available in her NIKKE banner until August 1, 2024. She's the newest SSR unit in the game. She is a part of the Underworld Queen squad. She has a II Burst and comes equipped with the Golden Thompson Assault Rifle. Rosanna is also a Tetra Line Supporter who deals Wind damage. Some of her perks include a passive skill that increases damage dealt to enemy's parts when a part is destroyed, an active skill that increases damage to enemy parts for all allies, and a Burst that both increases all allies' sustained damage and all enemies' received damage briefly.
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is available for PCs and mobile devices. In addition to the Rosanna: Chic Ocean banner, a Dave the Diver event recently appeared in-game.
The post NIKKE Rosanna Chic Ocean Recruitment Banner Fixed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 2:30 PM
TBS Television announced that the new The Quintessential Quintuplets TV anime special will appear in theaters in Japan for a limited-time. The special will be shown for a period of three weeks starting from September 20, 2024, and it will be available in various regions throughout Japan.
The Quintessential Quintuplets* anime special will be the one going to theaters and it will cover the Honeymon Arc, following Futaro's wedding to one of the titular quintuplets and following the rest of the siblings' adventures during the aforementioned honeymoon. The special is scheduled to be broadcast on television once the three-week theatrical period ends. In addition, a new key visual art piece was revealed, featuring the Nakano sisters in color coded floral summer dresses.
You can check out the new key visual in more detail here:
Production for the new anime special was announced back in April 30, 2024, as part of The Quintessential Quintuplets anime project 5th anniversary event. Similar to the upcoming special, the previous The Quintessential Quintuplets~ anime received a 3-week theatrical release ahead of its TV premiere back on July 14, 2023.
The Quintessential Quintuplets* anime special will appear in theaters throughout Japan for a three-week period starting in September 20, 2024. There is no set date for the TV broadcast of the new special.
The post The Quintessential Quintuplets Heading to Theaters in Japan appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 2:00 PM
When the 7.6 Honkai Impact 3rd update arrives, people will have a chance to get the Serapeum AstralOp character and Songque Jovial Deception: Shadowdimmer Battlesuit. Ahead of that, HoYoVerse shared a brief video looking at the former and an overview of the latter's abilities.
First, here's the new teaser trailer for the Honkai Impact 3rd AstralOp character Serapeum. She's a member of the Seven Shus, just like Songque and Lantern. Her role is the Shu of Union.
As a reminder, the Part 2 update for the game that appeared in version 7.3 added this new feature. When someone uses a Battlesuit that features an Astral Ring, you can add an AstralOp character to your team as a supported. Everyone gets the Dreamseeker AstralOp avatar just for playing, as well as the Coralie Valkyrie Blastmetal Battlesuit with Astral Ring support. So if you pick up Serapeum, you will have a character who can work with her.
As for Songque, her Jovial Deception: Shadowdimmer will be in the Honkai Impact 3rd Battlesuit Supply Leaf of Gold banner in August 2024. She has Spiritual Verdure and Divine Gold forms to switch between. Her Basic Attack can trigger a three-hit combo and spawn Shadow Frames that attack enemies. Her Skill recalls those Shadow Frames to deal Damage. Her Combo Attack can be used to summon Shadow Fish when her Shadow Frames are consumed for Combo KE. Her Ultimate deals an AOE with Shadow Fish.
When someone uses Stellar Outburst and the Astral Ring Skill, that will make Songque transform to the Divine Gold form. This alters her Basic Attack, Skill, Combo Attack, and Ultimate. Odd Thought status stacks as she uses her Basic, which allows her to use her Skill and build her Combo KE for her Combo Attack. Also, note that she'll return to Spiritual Verdure after her Ultimate is used.
Honkai Impact 3rd is available for PCs and mobile devices, and the Serapeum AstralOp character and Songque Jovial Deception: Shadowdimmer Battlesuit will launch alongside 7.6 in August 2024.
The post Honkai Impact 3rd AstralOp Serapeum and Songque Battlesuit Detailed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 1:30 PM
The recently released free-to-play action RPG Wuthering Waves will appear at ChinaJoy 2024 as part of the PlayStation booth for the event. The official PlayStation account announced the news on Chinese social media and video-sharing platform bilibili. [Thanks, Famitsu!]
ChinaJoy 2024 will be held throughout July 26-29, 2024. Wuthering Waves originally released on May 22, 2024 for Windows PC, iOS, and Android mobile devices. While there has been no news of a PS5 port of Wuthering Waves, the fact that it will appear at the PlayStation booth during ChinaJoy 2024 might indicate that an announcement could be around the corner.
Plenty of other free-to-play RPG games in a similar style to Wuthering Waves have also appeared on home consoles alongside their PC and mobile releases, including and not limited to MiHoYo games Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and most recently Zenless Zone Zero.
As a reminder, the Bountiful Crescendo event is currently undergoing in Wuthering Waves, and it will end on July 18, 2024, ahead of the playable debut of new character Changli on July 21, 2024.
Wuthering Waves is readily available on the Windows PC and mobile devices. The game will appear at the PlayStation booth during ChinaJoy 2024.
The post Wuthering Waves Will Be at ChinaJoy 2024 PlayStation Booth appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 1:00 PM
Idea Factory International shared a release date for its next Switch otome game 9 RIP. It will debut on October 15, 2024. As a reminder, the game launched in Japan on the system on June 29, 2023.
In addition to the 9 RIP release date, product pages for the limited edition of the Switch otome are now live on all of the Idea Factory International storefronts. Prices aren't set for it yet in the US, the UK, or the European storefront. However, the contents are the same in each region. People get a copy of the game, the hardcover art book, a C with the audio dramas "Various Worlds, Various Emotions" and "Gift from a God," a magatama necklace like the heroine wears, and Yukimaro's fan. As with all Idea Factory International Store releases, it also comes with a trading card.
Here's how that version of the game looks:
As a reminder, 9 RIP is an otome game that involves ghosts and the supernatural. Its School Ghost Stories route actually involves being trapped in a school. In addition, someone isn't just trying to find love while dealing with otherworldly beings. Your choices you make in the visual novel will also affect your avatar's sanity levels.
To help get a better idea of what to expect, here's one of the Japanese trailers looking at the characters we'll romance:
The 9 RIP worldwide release date is October 15, 2024, and it will appear on the Nintendo Switch. The Idea Factory and Otomate otome is already available on the Switch in Japan.
The post 9 RIP Switch Otome Debuts in October appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 12:30 PM
At Bilibili World 2024 between July 12-14, 2024, Apex-Toys shared Anby, Billy, Nicole, and Nekomata Zenless Zone Zero figures. All four members of the Cunning Hares are in development, though one is further along in development than others. Images were shared after the event on Apex Toys' Weibo account.
Of the four Zenless Zone Zero figures, the Anby one is furthest along in development. At the event, a painted prototype of her appeared. The stand makes it look as though she is standing on top of a film canister. Since her figure did appear in this state at BW2024, it is likely she will be the first one released.
Here are closer looks at her figure on its own.
The Billy, Nekomata, and Nicole Zenless Zone Zero figures are all only in the unpainted prototype phase. As such, it isn't possible to tell which one could appear first after Anby.
Here's how the three of them looked at the event:
Anby, Billy, and Nicole are the first three free characters every Zenless Zone Zero player gets. All three are members of the Cunning Hares, and the tutorial and first chapter involves players helping them. Nekomata is the first S-Rank Agent we get a chance to use during the game's story as part of those initial missions, and she is one of the S-Rank characters always available in standard and limited banners.
Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and there is no release window for the Anby, Billy, Nekomata, and Nicole figures yet.
The post Zenless Zone Zero Anby, Billy, Nicole, and Nekomata Figures Coming appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, July 15, 2024 12:01 PM
The enduring wait for any kind of information about Hollow Knight: Silksong seems to have sent the indie game scene into a frenzy of Metroidvania releases. Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is one of the titles seemingly trying to capture Team Cherry's magic by taking the same Metroid-meets-Fromsoft formula and transposing it to ancient Japan. However, while it may be a worthwhile game to pick up while you wait, it does have some issues.
You play as Bo, a spirit born from a lotus known as a tentaihana. Equipped with a staff, they head out into the world to build up their powers in order to take on a monstrous giant roaming the land leaving destruction in its wake. Along the way, Bo encounters a wide cast of characters drawn from Japanese mythology with plenty of other problems to deal with.
If you've played any recent indie Metroidvania game, you already have an idea how Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus works. It's a side-scroller with a semi-open map, where some routes are closed off to you until you find the correct ability to progress. For instance, early on you can unlock a dash move, while later abilities include a mochi hammer, a glide, and the ability to roll up vertical walls. Obtaining these abilities require completing challenges and defeating bosses. It's standard stuff all round.
More specifically, there's a noticeable Hollow Knight inspiration here in Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus. Much like that Metroidvania game, there's an emphasis on tough combat, with Soulslike elements such as shrines in place of benches or bonfires. It even reuses the Soul mechanic, replacing it with a tea kettle that's used for healing and spell-like abilities powered by Darumas.
However, a different Metroidvania also shows its obvious mark on the game developers here. Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus uses a lot of design choices inspired by Ori and the Blind Forest. The game's platforming challenges involve long sequences of keeping Bo airborne through deadly areas while your exploration is occasionally broken up by tricky chase sequences. The game's main story, focused on a spirit born from the forest, is undeniably similar too.
The aerial moves make up a big part of Bo's moveset. Early on, you unlock the ability to gain a jump from attacking an enemy (or object) while in the air. This can be repeated infinitely, so you can stay in the air as long as you keep hitting something. Many platforming sections are built with lanterns lining your path which you can pogo off, and the dash and grappling hook abilities add speedy linear movement to the mix.
However, this emphasis on these kinds of challenges runs into a roadblock fast. After all, these platforming challenges were inspired by Ori, a game built around fluidity and speed, while Bo's actual movement was inspired by Hollow Knight, a game about slow, heavy precision. What this leads to is frustration, as the movement mechanics often feel too clunky and imprecise to consistently achieve what the game wanted me to do.
Alarmingly often, I'd find myself swinging my staff at an aerial target, visually seeming to hit but mechanically missing and falling to my death. Occasionally a pogo hit simply wouldn't register as such, turning a mighty launch into a meek little hop. A move designed to launch yourself off projectiles requires multiple inputs, compared to the one required for Ori's similar Bash move. And that's without addressing how slow the required projectiles to launch off are, meaning you're often left with nothing to launch off, sending you into spikes. These are all annoyances that remove any sense of flow from these challenges, making them frustrating, and not in a fun way.
This was especially noticeable in a major chase sequence that ends the first act of the game. Too many attempts were ended because an aerial hit failed to register, or because a dash fell inexplicably short. It's also a long sequence that loves to spring unexpected platform disappearances on you, and every failure sends you all the way back to the start. The satisfaction of clearing a tough section of the run went out the window when the next lantern I encountered decided to float off into the distance without warning, requiring me to do everything again.
This Metroidvania game does fare better when it comes to combat. In fact, while the boss fights were all challenging, I had a much better time, with the movement mechanics enhancing the combat abilities in interesting ways. Possibly helps that bouncing off a boss's massive head was an easier ask than a tiny lantern, of course, as the bigger hitbox meant lower chance of an arbitrary miss.
One Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus fight that shows this off requires you to take on a sumo beetle. While it is possible to defeat it normally by dodging and weaving on the ground, some portions of the fight see him flying into the air. Good use of the movement mechanics can carry you up with him, dealing out more damage. It felt like a reward for grasping the mechanics in a way that I didn't get out of the platforming. The stark contrast is proof that the focus should have been placed on combat throughout the game.
Indeed, when a boss fight does require the movement mechanics as a central element, rather than something optional but rewarding, they end up being weaker for it. One example was a boss that flies up to the top of the map for its final phase, requiring a sequence of grapples through a minefield of homing shots just to get near it. I would often struggle with this one simply because the game arbitrarily wouldn't let me target the grappling hooks I wanted, resulting in me taking odd detours or slamming directly into a projectile. Usually both.
It's a real shame that the mechanics can sometimes be such a chore, as Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is a beautiful Metroidvania game. The hand-drawn visuals draw a lot of inspiration from ukiyo-e and it's a joy to look at. There's a vibrance to this world, with even caves and mountainous regions appearing colorful. The way statues and shrines have been woven into the fabric of the world adds visual variety and makes each area feel distinct. Using a shrine also starts up an adorable animation where Bo settles in for some tea, which also won me over in a big way.
This extends to the writing too. The story is heavily reminiscent of Okami, as you guide your canine-adjacent protagonist through a variety of myths and legends that culminate in taking on a great evil. NPC dialog is a treat, from your reluctant guide Asahi's grumpy way of helping to the assorted residents of Sakura City. It's used to great effect, as you grow to love these characters, making you care deeply when your ultimate foe stomps their way through their home. I rarely get invested in the stories of games in this genre, so this was refreshing.
I wish I could recommend Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus more. Its presentation is immaculate and when the game is focused on combat, it's incredibly satisfying. But the inconsistencies that drag down the platforming segments sour the whole experience.
Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus will release for PC on July 17, 2024.
The post Review: Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus Fails to Bloom appeared first on Siliconera. |
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MonsterVine Monday, July 15, 2024 12:00 PM Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a stylish and impressive looking game, but a few too many rough edges bring down the experience, making it a fun, if not memorable experience. Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus Developer: Squid Shock Studios Price: $20 USD Platforms: PC (reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch MonsterVine […] |