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Jul 24, 22:00


GamersHeroes Wednesday, July 24, 2024 9:09 PM
    

Throughout July 2024, those that dive into Square Enix's suite of mobile titles will be able to experience new crossovers, exclusive rewards, and a number of different celebrations.

The post SQUARE ENIX Mobile Updates for July 2024 Revealed appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, July 24, 2024 3:14 PM
    

Starting July 25 (tomorrow!), an invite-only, cross-play Closed Beta test for Amazon Games' New World: Aeternum will occur in North America and Europe.

The post New World: Aeternum Closed Beta Console Test Beginning This Week appeared first on GamersHeroes.


Kotaku Wednesday, July 24, 2024 4:00 PM
    

Last week, EA College Football 25 launched and people went wild, with the game already becoming one of the biggest titles of 2024. But some fans on Xbox, perhaps not as familiar with video games, are frustrated after buying the new college football simulator and discovering that it doesn't play on their console. Let…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 24, 2024 3:30 PM
    

As you wander the wasteland of Appalachia, you may notice what looks like an oddly dressed ghoul stumbling down the cracked pavement toward you. It's actually a Scorched, which isn't anything special, but lately you might've seen them dressed in holiday attire. The bright red and white frock of a Scorched Wanderer…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 24, 2024 2:45 PM
    

I love to get a look at cosplay from across the world, and DoKomi Germany never disappoints. The three-day anime convention and cosplay competition took place over the last weekend in June in Düsseldorf, Germany, and gave us some absolute beauties.

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 24, 2024 2:30 PM
    

If you've been waiting for the ambitious Fallout: London mod to release, then I have good news for you—it's out tomorrow. The mod, which tells an entirely original story set across the pond, has been in development since 2019 and has been through plenty of ups and downs. Thankfully, the wait to see what the developers…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 24, 2024 2:20 PM
    

Earlier this month, Apex Legends announced it would overhaul its battle pass system, resulting in a price hike for players and them no longer being able to use in-game currency to earn the pass for free. After a weeks-long backlash resulting in over 70,000 negative reviews on Steam, Respawn Entertainment says it won't…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 24, 2024 2:17 PM
    

EA is very good at consistently adding player-requested content to The Sims 4 with free updates to the base game. Unfortunately, EA is also very good at breaking The Sims 4 with those updates, as evidenced in the latest debacle.

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PCGamesN Wednesday, July 24, 2024 2:53 PM
     XCOM style robot tactics game Grit and Valor 1949 now free to try

There are plenty of strategy games set during the Second World War, but few that reimagine the era through fictional technology or other explorations of alternate history. The recent Wolfenstein FPS games do so, but there are only a handful of strategy entries, like the Valkyria Chronicles and Command and Conquer series, that take the same approach from a different genre. This makes the upcoming Grit and Valor 1949, a mech tactics game in the vein of XCOM 2, Into the Breach, and the First World War inspired Iron Brigade, stand out. And it also makes today's launch of the game's demo well worth looking into.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RTS games, Best war games, Best robot games

PCGamesN Wednesday, July 24, 2024 2:01 PM
     The big new Ready or Not DLC is actually free, kind of

Ready or Not left Early Access on Steam late last year, providing a spiritual successor to the kind of tactical FPS design previously seen in games like the Rainbow Six and SWAT series, Arma 3, Insurgency, and Squad. Although it's been complete for more than six months now, creator Void Interactive has continued to work on the project, issuing an update to the base game and launching the Home Invasion DLC, which, surprisingly, will be largely available for free to all players, with a few caveats.

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

Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 8:30 PM
    

Digital Devil Saga 20th Anniversary Online Shop Opening

A new 20th anniversary store for the Digital Devil Saga duology of games will be available in Japan between July 25 and August 19, 2024 from the Chasmic online store. The merchandise line featured at the shop includes acrylic character stands, anniversary t-shirts, and pin badges. [Thanks, PR Times!]

The shipping cost for the merchandise items is 1,000 yen (or approximately $6.50,) and they are expected to release during October 2024. The goods sold feature the main cast of the Digital Devil Saga duology as well as their Atma Avatars. The characters featured are Serph, Sera, Argilla, Cielo, Gale, Heat, and Roland, as well as their respective avatars, Varuna, Varnani, Prithivi, Dyaus, Vayu, Agni, and Indra.

Here is the full lineup of merchandise items available at the Digital Devil Saga 20th Anniversary shop alongside their prices:

  • 20th Anniversary T-shirt (2 available) – 5,500 yen (~$35.73)
  • Character Acrylic Stands (7 available) – 2,750 yen (~$17.86)
  • Set of 5 Random Pin Badges (25 available) – 2,500 yen (~$16.24)
  • Box of Random Pin Badges (25 available) – 12,500 yen (~$81.20)

And here is how the items look like:

As a reminder, the eeo Store announced a new Persona 3 Reload merchandise collection featuring new designs of the main cast in the store's signature GraffArt or "Graffiti Art" style.

The Digital Devil Saga 20th Anniversary shop will be available between July 25 and August 19, 2024 from the Chasmic online store.

The post Digital Devil Saga 20th Anniversary Online Shop Opening appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 8:15 PM
    

psycho-pass 10th anniversary dominator re-run

Cerevo will re-run the 10th anniversary edition of the Dominator from Psycho-Pass. Pre-orders opened on July 23, 2024 and the gun will cost 148,500 JPY ($955.15) or $1229. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

Like the original version, there are over a hundred voice variations from Noriko Hidaka (who voices the Dominator in the show) that'll play when you hold the grip or point the gun at someone. However, the 10th anniversary model has a slightly modified interior. Everything else is the same, so it's unlikely that you'll notice anything different. It'll also come with a protector case that has a serial number.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Geyo56N1ic8

This is a 1/1 replica of the Dominator from Psycho-Pass, with Production I.G. (the animation studio that created the show) helping to supervise the recreation. Aside from the voice lines from Hidaka, the Dominator also has over 200 LED lights on it and is capable of transforming. You can connect it to a smartphone app to measure your Criminal Coefficient store, as well as your friend's. The app is available via the Google Play Store or App Store. As well, you can charge it via USB so you don't need to worry about replacement batteries.

In the show itself, the Dominator is a weapon that the PSB uses when subduing criminals and latent criminals. Inspectors and Enforcers can only fire Dominators with approval from the Sibyl System (a Big Brother-like program that people use for everything, including calculating an individual's criminal potential). Depending on the situation, the Dominator can fire paralyzing shots to non-lethally contain a criminal, or a more dangerous one that can reduce them to a bloody goop.

Psycho-Pass is readily available on streaming services like Crunchyroll. Pre-orders for the Psycho-Pass 10th Anniversary Edition Dominator model are open right now and they'll ship out in Winter 2024 in Japan. The global store lists the shipping window as August 2024. There's only a limited number in supply so pre-orders will close as soon as Cerevo runs out.

The post Psycho-Pass 10th Anniversary Dominator Still Available For Pre-Order appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 8:00 PM
    

Castlevania Nocturne Season 1 Blu-ray Debuts in October

Viz Media confirmed that it is planning a Castlevania: Nocturne season 1 Blu-ray release. Physical copies of the show, which consists of eight episodes so far, will be available on October 8, 2024.

Here's Viz Media's official announcement, which featured a look at the cover art of Richter Belmont:

https://twitter.com/VIZMedia/status/1815945020312096794

This isn't the only piece of Castlevania: Nocturne merchandise expected around that time of year. The worldwide release of the Richter Belmont Nendoroid falls in Q3 2024. It is based entirely on his appearance in the show. It consists of his classic whip and other weapons, as well as an outfit that calls back to his original game appearances.

We may be in for even more Castlevania: Nocturne news in addition to the season 1 physical release, as season 2 is in development. Netflix confirmed it was in production back on October 6, 2024. Aside from a teaser trailer involving Alucard, however, there hasn't been much of an update on that. As a reminder, the original Castlevania series on Netflix had seasons air in July 2017, October 2018, March 2020, and May 2021, so it isn't uncommon for there to be gaps of a year or more between seasons.

The first season of Castlevania: Nocturne is streaming on Netflix, and people can pick up the season 1 Blu-ray on October 8, 2024. 

The post Castlevania: Nocturne Season 1 Blu-ray Debuts in October appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 7:30 PM
    

Hololive Startend gaming chairs

Hololive Production revealed that Startend will produce new gaming chairs inspired by the Cover Vtubers. Pre-orders for the chairs have also opened at the Hololive Production Official Shop.

The chairs will be available in three different designs; each of them will be modeled after Hoshimachi Suisei, Minato Aqua, and Tokoyami Towa. All three chairs will have the same price tag of $425. The chairs will support a maximum load of 150 kg (~330 lbs) with the backrest height ranging around 43.5-51cm (~17-20 in). The owner will also be able to recline the chair up to a 175-degree angle.

The Hololive Production Official Shop usually supports international shipping to countries and territories in Asia Pacific and the Americas. However, the fine print for each gaming chair notes that the shipping area for these products will be limited to Japan. The final decision may change in the future though, as the Hololive Nanoblocks revealed earlier in July 2024 also had a similar fine print, but Cover added that it can actually ship the products to addresses outside Japan in up to seven extra business days.

Startend's Hololive gaming chairs will be available to ship inside Japan around mid-December 2024 to mid-January 2025. Hololive Production will close the order period on August 26, 2024.

The post Hololive Startend Gaming Chairs Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 7:00 PM
    

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print Costs Over $450

Akihabara Premium Collection announced the release of an ukiyo-e woodblock print based on the Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime series. The woodprint costs 71,500 yen (approximately $466) and will be limited to 300 units worldwide.

The woodblock print is titled The Law of Cycles and is named after a concept from the anime series. The ukiyo-e print will be available from the Akihabara Premium Collection online store and it will go on sale on July 27, 2024. In addition, the print will be available in Japan, North America, and other territories. The print will include a certificate of authenticity signed by the manufacturers.

The Puella Magi Madoka Magica woodblock print features Ultimate Madoka, and it seems like the print will include a pink Swarovski crystal. The crystal will be placed on Madoka's Soul Gem pendant, which is located around her neck. However, some images of the print found on the Akihabara Premium Collection website show the print without the crystal.

You can take a better look at The Law of Cycles ukiyo-e woodblock print of Ultimate Madoka here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNUU2jElxBw

Back on February 2023, Akihabara Premium Collection released another collaboration ukiyo-e print based the Attack on Titan anime series. The company has released other prints based on popular anime series, like a One Piece print and various Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 items.

The Puella Magi Madoka Magica ukiyo-e woodblock print costs 71,500 yen (~$466,) and it will be available for purchase from July 27, 2024.

The post Puella Magi Madoka Magica Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print Costs Over $450 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 6:30 PM
    

Final Fantasy XI Return to Absolute Virtue Campaign Comes Back

Square Enix announced a Final Fantasy XI Return to Absolute Virtue campaignwill begin on July 25, 2024. This is a revival of a recurring event that involves fighting monsters inspired by the seven virtues to potentially get some of ten different Aern weapons. 

For those of us who have been playing Final Fantasy XI for a while, you may recognize the Return to Absolute Virtue campaign from its 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 appearances. While there are seven virtues, there are eight Notorious Monsters who appear as part of this event. These appear in certain spots, and you only have a chance of getting certain Aern weapons from specific ones.

Here's the list of Notorious Monsters that are a part of the Final Fantasy XI Return to Absolute Virtue campaign, where you can find them, and which weapons they may drop when defeated. 

  • Absolute Virtue - Al'Taieu - Aern Axe, Aern Axe II, Aern Dagger, Aern Dagger II, Aern Spear, Aern Spear II, Aern Staff, Aern Staff II, Aern Sword, Aern Sword II
  • Jailer of Faith - The Garden of Ru'Hmet - Aern Staff, Aern Staff II, Aern Sword, and Aern Sword II
  • Jailer of Fortitude - The Garden of Ru'Hmet - Aern Staff, Aern Staff II, Aern Sword, and Aern Sword II
  • Jailer of Hope - Al'Taieu - Aern Axe, Aern Axe II, Aern Dagger, and Aern Dagger II
  • Jailer of Justice - Al'Taieu - Aern Axe, Aern Axe II, Aern Dagger, and Aern Dagger II
  • Jailer of Love - Al'Taieu - Aern Axe, Aern Axe II, Aern Dagger, Aern Dagger II, Aern Spear, Aern Spear II, Aern Staff, Aern Staff II, Aern Sword, Aern Sword II
  • Jailer of Prudence - Al'Taieu - Aern Axe, Aern Axe II, Aern Dagger, and Aern Dagger II
  • Jailer of Temperance - The Grand Palace of Hu'Xzoi - Aern Staff, Aern Staff II, Aern Sword, and Aern Sword II

Final Fantasy XI is available for PCs. The July version update is live, with Ambuscade and Record of Eminence additions. Its Return to Absolute Virtue campaign runs July 25, 2024 through August 8, 2024.

The post Final Fantasy XI Return to Absolute Virtue Campaign Comes Back appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 6:00 PM
    

Shadows of the Damned Remaster Release Date

The remaster of Shadows of the Damned has a release date, confirmed platforms, and a full official title. Now subtitled Hella Remastered, the game will release on October 31, 2024 for all major platforms.

Grasshopper Manufacture revealed the release date in a new trailer for Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered. In addition, the trailer revealed a number of new features for the remaster, including a New Game+ mode, plus 60fps and 4K support.

The trailer also showed off four new costumes for protagonist Garcia Hotspur, including shirtless skin Placia Garcia and demonic skin Demonio Garcia, plus two deep cut references to other Grasshopper properties connected to the original game. Ocha Corazones is based on a character from a fictional sequel referenced in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes. The final costume, Kamikaze Garcia, is based on a character from the manga Kurayami Dance, which was based on early concepts of Shadows of the Damned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwpT42plQiI

Shadows of the Damned originally released in 2011 for PS3 and Xbox 360. As the latest trailer makes repeatedly clear, it was a collaboration between Suda51 and Shinji Mikami, and featured concept art by Tadayuki Nomaru and enemy designs by Q Hayashida. It also featured music from Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka.

A remaster for Shadows of the Damned was announced at a Grasshopper presentation in June 2023, although the release date is the first we've heard more about it since. However, it shouldn't be long until we hear more. Among the many titles given to Suda and Mikami in the trailer was "Gamescom 2024 Attendee", suggesting we'll see more of the game in Germany in August 2024.

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered will release on October 31, 2024, for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.

The post Shadows of the Damned Remaster Release Date Set appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 5:30 PM
    

blue lock season 2 opening

The Blue Lock X (Twitter) account has teased the opening song for season 2 of the anime. The opening is "Boujaku no Charisma," with Unison Square Garden performing the song.

You can watch the trailer for Blue Lock season 2 and listen to the opening here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khg1fg2XH2o

In the video, we can see both old and new character alike. It also shows some of the upcoming stages the Blue Lock characters will have to participate in. Some new characters include Shido and Aiku. Shido technically made a brief appearance at the very end of the first season. A scene from the opening suggests that the show will get to the U-20 Arc, which takes place right after the Third Selection Arc.

Blue Lock is an anime and manga series that started serialization in 2018. It is a hit manga, with over 30 million copies in circulation in November 2023. The show may have increased in popularity as a result of the memes surrounding Japan's national soccer team's insane performance during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Group Stage. Blue Lock focuses on the titular Blue Lock program, which is a training regime that focuses on finding and creating the best striker in Japan. This ideal striker is an "egoist" who rejects all notions of traditional teamwork.

You can watch Blue Lock on Crunchyroll and Kodansha has licensed the manga for an English release. A film based on the Episode Nagi spin-off appeared in Japanese theaters on April 19, 2024 and Crunchyroll has licensed it for international release.

The post Listen to the Blue Lock Season 2 Opening Here appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 5:00 PM
    

star rail yunli kit

HoYoVerse has revealed more details on the kit and biography of Yunli, who'll be a new 5-star Physical Destruction character in Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.4. She'll be available in the first phase of the new update.

Yunli's sword is Old Mettle and it's a "severely overweight" sword. She can apparently talk to this sword, though it's hard to tell if this is because she's a huge sword otaku or if her sword can legitimately communicate with her. Yunli's hobby includes collecting swords, though part of this is due to her duty to retrieve "cursed swords" and cast them into the forge. As we know from March 7th's character description in her Imaginary Hunt form, Yunli is skilled enough at swordsmanship that she's able to teach others how to use one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fw39wVjKwY

In battle, Yunli has a parry-focused kit in which she regenerates additional energy and launches a Counter after an enemy attacks her. She can restore HP with her Skill and then deal Physical DMG to up to three enemies at once. Her main bread and butter seems to come from her Ultimate. It'll let her taunt all enemies and increases a special Counter to up to three enemies. Her passive Traces focus on increasing her ATK and increasing her ability to resist Crowd Control debuffs after she uses her Ultimate.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. You'll be able to pull for Yunli when Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.4 goes live on July 31, 2024. Her signature Light Cone will also be in the banner for a limited time alongside her.

The post Yunli Gameplay Explained in Honkai: Star Rail appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 4:30 PM
    

Tribe Nine Beta Test Date

The Deadly Playtest Global Beta Test for Tribe Nine has a new start date. Spots are still open for signups until the end of July 2024, and the event will take place on August 9-15, 2024.

Too Kyo Games, the developers of Tribe Nine, previously put the call out for participants in the Closed Beta in June 2024. While the studio had stated those successfully chosen to participate and take part in the beta in July, the official global beta test period will be August 9-15, 2024. It is possible to still sign up to participate up until July 31, 2024. Participants will be informed in early August if they are successful. While the game is set for release on PC and mobile platforms, the test will only take place via Steam.

Tribe Nine is the latest game from Too Kyo Games, the studio founded by Danganronpa creator Kazukata Kodaka, in collaboration with Akatsuki Games. Frequent collaborators Rui Komatsuzaki and Masafumi Takada are also involved in character design and music respectively. This free-to-play Extreme Action RPG was first announced in 2020, although news has been limited until now. An anime based on the game's premise aired in 2022.

In addition to Tribe Nine, Too Kyo Games recently announced the development of another game, Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy. This was revealed during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct and is set for release in 2025.

Tribe Nine does not yet have a release date, although its global beta test will take place on August 9-15, 2024. The game will be released for PC and mobile devices.

The post Tribe Nine Global Beta Test Confirmed for August 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 3:30 PM
    

Capcom Pixel All Stars Wood Badge Collection - featuring wood badges from the company games characters

Capcom revealed new wood badges modeled after characters from its game series. The company has opened orders for the merchandise on the Online Parco web store. It is also working on gradually releasing the items physically in Japan.

The full title for this new merchandise line is Capcom Pixel All Stars Wood Badge Collection. As the title implies, these badges will depict the games' characters in pixel art. While Mega Man and Ghosts 'n Goblins characters already have established pixel character sprites, Capcom's staff members also created new chibi pixel art for characters from other series.

This set will feature a total of twenty character badges. The franchises that Capcom features in this collection include Ace Attorney, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, Mega Man, Monster Hunter, Okami, and Sengoku Basara.

The badges are available in two different listings. The first one will have Capcom send a random character badge at 990 yen (~$6.65) apiece. The second one is a complete set that will let people get all twenty badges at 19,800 yen (~$133). People residing outside Japan can also place orders for these items via the Buyee widget.

The Capcom Pixel All Stars Wood Badge Collection is immediately available for purchase online. The items will also be available physically at Capcom Stores in Tokyo and Osaka from Friday, July 26, 2024. Capcom added that it may also sell the badges in other stores and events in the future.

The post Capcom Character Wood Badges Feature Characters' Pixel Art appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 3:00 PM
    

Flock Review 1

There aren't many games out there like Flock. It's a flight sim. It's a creature collector. It's a mystery game. It's a puzzle game. All of these descriptions apply, but not exactly. Flock is a strange beast, which is appropriate when it's a game all about finding strange beasts.

You play as a bird rider heading to visit their zoology professor aunt Jane, who has a task for you. She wants you to document the creatures of the land around her home and lower the cloud level in the process. You achieve this through observation, documentation and a system of whistles.

Gameplay in Flock is simple. You fly around a small open world, on the lookout for creatures hopping around the land. You fly close to them, observe them and use Jane's notes to determine which creature you're looking at, gradually filling up a creature book with details. In addition, you can find whistles for different types of creature, allowing you to charm them and get them to follow you around, which is the flock of the game's title.

That's it. That's the game. It's the most basic of mechanics and yet Flock manages to be delightfully compelling. Flying around the world feels good, for a start. The lack of friction to the movement makes it feel playful. This is enhanced by ring structures that can be dashed through and chained together for a satisfying drift through the skies. You'll be swooping, drifting and coasting around to your heart's content and loving every minute of it.

Screenshot by Siliconera

Seeking out creatures is also a joy. Flock doesn't openly point them out to you. Instead, you have to listen out for any noises they might be making while staying vigilant for movement in the grass or in the trees. A glow in the woods at night could be something, while careful examination of a lakebed might reveal a pair of eyes peering out of the sand. Flock wants you to stop and carefully examine your surroundings, leave no stone unturned and keep making new discoveries.

This is the main draw of Flock, in fact. Because you have to make all these discoveries yourself, using only single line clues in the guide along with your own intuition, it's extremely rewarding to find new creatures. You'll see something wiggle in a rock formation and immediately work out out the correct distance to observe without spooking it. You'll hear persistently loud chirping from tall grass and delight to find a weird duck in there. You'll peer into a rock and be surprised to see something peering back.

The vagueness of these clues may be maddening to more impatient completionists, however. Some creatures require some meticulous searching, while the hints can sometimes be too vague for their own good. It's a huge appeal for someone like me, with my love of slowly figuring out puzzles, but it may not be to everyone's taste.

Screenshot by Siliconera

The vibes are immaculate for this gentle kind of experience though. The visual style is all bold colors and pastel shades, which means every part of this game is gorgeous to look at. The character designs are charming too. The creatures are all bizarre little hybrids based on various fish and birds, all marked by big eyes and pronounced features. Some have goofy little beaks, some are tiny beans that are mostly all eye, and some are whale-like beasts with huge maws. One creature, the Gormless Skyfish, is a happily clueless, bug-eyed fish identified by it being "no thoughts head empty", and I love it so much.

These adorable designs even extend to the few human characters, including your own avatar. They remind me of Muppets, all big faces and noodly limbs. You can even get very silly with your characters, dressing them in a poncho and wading trousers, among other things. The silliness of these character designs is enhanced by the writing, which fills the dialogue with a ton of charm and humor. Your uncle Reg, for instance, is single-mindedly into sheep, where he'll dismiss any earth-shattering natural discoveries you make simply because he can't shear them for wool.

Screenshot by Siliconera

Sheep are also a mechanic in Flock, but they're one of the parts that don't feel fully realized. You can collect a flock of sheep in addition to the regular beasties, and their role is to graze on overgrown meadows. This reveals Burgling Bewls that have stolen the various whistles you need to charm creatures, as well as new clothes and space for more creatures. But they can't be used for anything else and you can't spread multiple sheep onto multiple meadows at once. They feel like they were added simply to have a collectible system on top of the standard creature collecting, and it doesn't feel fully fleshed out as an idea.

That said, this minor use is a step-up from how limited the actual flock of the title feels. As you find creatures, you can use the various whistles to initiate a mini-game where you must blow the whistle at the appropriate distance to charm them into following you. As the game progresses, you become a full-fledged Pied Piper, with everything you've charmed following you in a big group.

However, they do nothing. They don't help search for more creatures, they can't be sent into crevices to pull out other friends and they can't help chase down the faster beasts. They just sit there behind your bird, looking pretty and making noises if you press the right button to squawk at them. I feel it would add so much to the game if different creatures had different uses that aided in your search for the final entries. Despite the game being named after it, this flock doesn't do much of anything, and that's disappointing.

Screenshot by Siliconera

This feeling of ideas not being fully realized adds to a general feeling of repetition that runs through the game. The gameplay loop is very much swooping around, marking creatures in your book and heading off to do the next one. As a low-stakes game for short chillout gameplay sessions, this is perfect, but it does make the game feel a little tedious if you play for too long in one sitting.

However, most of these criticisms are nitpicks. If you're willing to approach Flock on its own terms, most of this washes away. It lulls you into its atmosphere with ease. It's also designed to be played co-op, as you and your fellow bird riders can soar around together. I never got to experience this aspect of the game, but I imagine it adds a lot.

Flock is a comfort blanket of a game. Its simplicity isn't for everyone but it's hard to deny its charm. If you're looking for something cozy to kick back with at the end of a long day, Flock is exactly what you need.

Flock is available now for the PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

The post Review: Flock Is a Delightful and Cozy Flight appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 24, 2024 2:30 PM
    

Zenless Zone Zero Update Makes Other Characters Your Avatar

HoYoVerse announced that the 1.1 Zenless Zone Zero update will cast other Agent characters as our avatars during Story Commissions, and it is working to allow us to use people other than Belle or Wise outside of missions as well. The additional character option doesn't have an expected launch option, however,

The option to step into the shoes of other characters in Zenless Zone Zero was the first 1.1 change brought up. This will only apply to campaign quests, however. When this goes on, you will not only have access to the character during Hollow stages like we did with Nekomata in the 1.0 questline. It will involve an opportunity to go through the neighborhoods as well. Many of the other 1.1 changes will involve adding Inter-Knot avatars for Agents acquired through the gacha or events, Chain Attack options to help with entering one in manual mode or canceling one. There will also be mobile UI customization.

With 1.2, a number of additional Zenless Zone Zero updates are planned. People can get missed rewards from completed Commissions without replaying via Fairy Assistance. There will also be quality of life changes regarding changing the time of day, Agent Training, and preset lineups.

It's in the "later versions" section of the update that HoYoVerse brought up how Belle and Wise will be able to be swapped as our avatar in the world with other characters we picked up in Zenless Zone Zero. Said characters might also look better, as there will be model adjustments.

Here is the full statement regarding changes:

https://twitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1815960335876243493

Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices.

The post Zenless Zone Zero Update Makes Other Characters Your Avatar appeared first on Siliconera.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 24, 2024 5:24 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 24, 2024 5:06 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 24, 2024 4:26 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 24, 2024 4:10 PM
    

According to several former staff members.

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