GamersHeroes Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:54 AM Beginning August 6, Apex Legends: Shockwave brings with it free revivals, a new map, a new weapon meta, and more. The post Apex Legends: Shockwave Launching August 6 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:57 AM All those that dive into Rockstar Games' GTA Online this week can get themselves the new Benefactor Vorschlaghammer, which is eligible for Drift Tuning. The post All-New Benefactor Vorschlaghammer This Week in GTA Online appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:40 AM  Ubisoft has become almost synonymous with open-world games in the past two decades thanks to franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry. So it's no surprise that people expect the publisher's next game, Star Wars Outlaws, to take a lot of inspiration from those in-house tent-poles that have come before it. Yet… |
Kotaku Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:30 AM  Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is half tower-defense, half action game all about assisting a maiden to purge malicious defilement from a mountain. Seems simple enough right? Not so fast. It doesn't take long for everything to expand and become more complex than you'd expect. |
Kotaku Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:20 AM  Twister, the 1996 action movie whose sequel, Twisters, kicked off Hot Glen Powell Summer 2024, is getting the 4DX treatment. If you're not aware of what 4DX is, it's a movie format specific to Regal Cinemas whereby the theater chairs rock, shake, and rattle along with action, water sprays in your face, wind whips your… |
Kotaku Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:05 AM  Kai Cenat is at it again. After taking on and overcoming Elden Ring and its expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, the massively popular Twitch streamer Cenat is once again marathoning a game from FromSoftware's legendary catalog, and he's tackling the best one. That's right, he's playing Bloodborne, the best game to ever… |
Kotaku Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:50 AM  The free games for paid PS Plus subscribers in August have been revealed, and it's another varied batch that potentially has something for everyone. While Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the big one, I'm most looking forward to more players getting their hands on an often overlooked 2D action-RPG from several… |
Kotaku Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:23 AM  The fifth episode of Rapman's Supacell resolves the previous episode's cliffhanger, showing us what it's like for several superheroes to be in the same location and the same fight. Episode five focuses on Rodney Cullen (Calvin Demba) as the super forces collide. |
Kotaku Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:50 AM  Netflix shows rarely get a second season, so mercurial is the streamer with its big-budget gambles. So it's a rare treat to learn that not only is Squid Game's second season now set to hit screens of all sizes this holiday season, but a third (and final) season will be released in 2025. |
Kotaku Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:15 AM August has arrived. That means a fresh new calendar of game releases, from massive AAA titles to potential new indie darlings. |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:57 AM  What are the best MW3 loadouts? You can have all the skill in the world, but if your guns and equipment let you down at the most vital moment of a match, you'll be left ruing another loss. We've tested and listed out the best Modern Warfare 3 loadouts so you can go into every game primed and ready to win. Now on Modern Warfare 3 Season 5, you've likely been playing a while and already have your favorite MW3 guns picked out. The meta changes quickly, and if you don't keep up then you'll be left in the dust. Whether you opt for a mobile SMG class or prefer to take out your opponents from range with a powerful assault rifle, we have the best MW3 loadouts here. Continue reading Best MW3 loadouts for the current meta MORE FROM PCGAMESN: MW3 review, MW3 zombies, MW3 guns |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:22 AM  What are the best robot games on PC? Strapping into an overpowered robot filled to the brim with rockets and lasers is an old but popular power fantasy. Classic shows from the '80s and '90s - like Mobile Suit Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion - popularised the mecha anime genre. Robot games have a robust history rich in various genres, sometimes featuring in the best PC games, ensuring an experience for every kind of mech fan. Fancy yourself a gearhead with a penchant for the micromanagement of mech parts and deliberate, labored robot combat? Perhaps you just want a fast-paced, anime-inspired Voltron-style action where everything explodes? Good news: there's a game for you. Continue reading Best robot games on PC 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Titanfall 2 class guide, Titanfall 2 PC port review, Titanfall 2 campaign review |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:18 AM  Despite the relative radio silence on Hollow Knight Silksong, it's a great time to be a fan of Metroidvania games. From the magnificent Animal Well and Prince of Persia the Lost Crown to the emotional Tales of Kenzera and the stunning Saviorless, we've had no shortage of new releases at our fingertips. Joining them is perhaps my most anticipated in a while, the wonderfully vibrant BioGun. Set inside the body of your pet dog, this charming adventure blends Hollow Knight platforming and Axiom Verge-style combat, and it's just left early access with a special discount to celebrate. Continue reading Charming Metroidvania game BioGun finally leaves early access MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best indie games, Best platform games, Upcoming PC games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:13 AM  It could be a coincidence, it could be serendipity, or it could all fit together like one of those twisty artwork puzzles from Assassin's Creed 2. Either way, ever since the Olympics first started in Paris, Assassin's Creed Unity, the once-maligned 2014 entry in Ubisoft's tentpole stealth series, set during the French Revolution, has grown and grown in popularity on Steam. Maybe people are watching the Games and want to take a virtual tour of Paris themselves. Whatever the reason, ahead of Assassin's Creed Shadows, and a decade since its original release, AC Unity is having a moment in the soleil. |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:55 AM  AMD has just announced that the revenue from its Gaming segment has dropped by a massive 59% compared to this period last year. The Gaming division is the part of the company responsible for gaming GPUs, not only the AMD Radeon chips used for PC graphics cards, but also the custom chips the firm makes for consoles, such as the PlayStation 5, and sales are evidently in decline. It's the latter that AMD has specifically pinpointed as being a driving factor in the decline of sales in its latest financial statement. Meanwhile, AMD's Radeon GPUs still power some of the best graphics card models you can buy right now, including the Radeon RX 7800 XT, but the company has struggled to keep pace with Nvidia on ray tracing and upscaling. Continue reading AMD's gaming GPU sales are officially plummeting MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 7800 XT review |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:44 AM  What are the best survival games? The Steam charts are filled with all kinds of examples, including classic survival horror games and new hardcore survival sims. To help any bewildered adventurers, we've gathered together the best survival games to help you pick and choose which emergent stories and unexpected adventures to undertake. If you've got the grit to outlast the likes of the terrifying The Long Dark or the underwater wonder of Subnautica, our picks will help steer you toward the (not so) safe pastures of the best PC games that call for you to fight for your life. Whether you like surviving the horrors of war or you're into the new breed of hunger and disease management games, get ready to endure agony and plenty of pain in these scintillating survival games. Continue reading The best survival games on PC 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:39 AM  What are the best hacking games on PC? Game developers have long valued the 'hacker ethic' - the will and skill to grab a game by the scruff of its code, rip it apart, and put the pieces together in a new way. Id Software prioritized the nascent modding community when they were creating Doom. Valve courted it from Half-Life onward, and the entirety of the MOBA genre stems from folks futzing with Warcraft 3. Of course, most players are just that: players. We see numbers and letters in a line of code, not meaning. But, there's a lineage of games that have sought to deliver the fantasy of being in complete command of a computer's functions, of using that control to wreak destruction - or to avert it. This list includes some of the best PC games, either entirely about hacking or featuring the skill as a heavy component, whether part of the sci-fi world of a multitude of space games, encouraging teamwork in one of the best co-op games, or putting you in the hacker's seat of an RPG game, so there's something for everyone in our list of the best hacking games. Continue reading The best hacking games on PC 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty review, Best Cyberpunk 2077 mods, Buy Cyberpunk 2077 |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:46 AM  What are the best Minecraft maps? Minecraft is the inventor's paradise, but, of course, it is also the connoisseur's nightmare. Thanks to the huge number of user-created Minecraft maps out there, it's almost impossible to find the finest creations around. Who has time these days to sift through hundreds of Minecraft maps, devour them with their digital senses, and come to a conclusion on which ones are worth your time? Well, us. We have the time. We have scoured forums, binge-watched YouTube videos, and sampled more of the best Minecraft maps than we can count on to bring you the definitive list. To find the very best, we have whittled down the finest user-created environments and placed them into their very own category. Whether you fancy plunging to the depths of a Minecraft dropper or living out your Minecraft life game fantasies in a city map, we have everything you need to get the most out of Minecraft maps. Continue reading The 70 best Minecraft maps to play in 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:35 AM  What are the best adventure games on PC? From 1976's text-based Colossal Cave Adventure - where we get the genre name from -to the point-and-click golden age of the early '90s and up to more modern fare, few genres have endured as well as the adventure game. That multi-decade lifespan has produced some of the most astounding titles, so narrowing down a list of the best adventure games is undoubtedly a struggle. Adventure games have prospered thanks to a focus on a well-developed story and setting and a cast of memorable characters. That, and a few tricky brain teasers, as opposed to violence, set the genre apart from its close counterpart - action-adventure games. Your protagonist usually gets by through talking or thinking rather than resorting to fighting, though Full Throttle protagonist Ben might have a few things to say about that. These are absolute classics and are some of the best PC games ever. Continue reading The best adventure games on PC 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Return to Monkey Island system requirements, Return to Monkey Island difficulty modes, Return to Monkey Island mop guide |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:18 AM  Between 1.6, Source, CSGO, and Counter-Strike 2, the PC's favorite multiplayer shooter has been through innumerate changes in the last 25 years. Originally a mod for Valve's Half-Life, Counter-Strike has grown into the most popular game on Steam. But despite its myriad evolutions, there has been one constant: from its earliest days to its modern mega stardom, in CS, the most controversial weapon has always been the AWP. A bolt-action sniper rifle that deals serious damage, the AWP is Counter-Strike's high-risk, high-reward gambit gun. To some, it's a ballistic instrument that takes mastery and skill. To others, it's an overpowered menace used only by the lowliest players. Now, Counter-Strike's co-creator weighs in. Continue reading Counter-Strike creator regrets not balancing the AWP MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best multiplayer games, Best old games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:11 AM  When is the Towerborne release date? For those that love The Banner Saga, Stoic's previous game, you're probably eagerly awaiting the upcoming action-adventure game Towerborne. Primarily an action RPG game, Stoic's latest also plays like a platform game. Towerborne takes place in the City of Numbers, where monsters lurk outside of the safety of The Belfry. You take on the role of Ace, born from the spirit realm with special skills capable of taking on the looming threat beyond the tower. Sounds fun, right? Here's when you can expect to play and everything we know about the gameplay. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best action-adventure games, The best co-op games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:01 AM  What are the best turn based RPGs? These games are about character evolution; the nature of progression and the choices you can make means that your abilities and journey may never entirely be the same across multiple playthroughs. They're also about offering robust combat mechanics and making the best use of your squad as a team working towards a common goal. While this list may have a lot in common with our guide to the best RPG games, turn-based RPGs tend to focus more on squad-based combat and have roots in the classic tabletop RPGs of old. Games in this niche are often similar to turn-based strategy games, though to make the distinction relevant, we're focusing on games with more pronounced RPG features. Let's look at some of the best turn-based RPGs on PC. Continue reading Best turn based RPGs on PC 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Wasteland 3 review, How long is Wasteland 3?, The best RPG games on PC |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:42 AM  When is the next Valorant Night Market? Hopefully, some of your long sought-after weapon skins have been added to your collection. If you're unsure whether to part with your valuable Valorant points, we can tell you how long you have to decide - and if you're disappointed by your market, how long to wait until the next one. Of course, Valorant skins don't offer any competitive advantage, but looking cool and giving your opponents something pretty to look at as you dominate them in the FPS game offers its benefits. With anything from seasonal skins to colorful patterns and intimidating designs for most Valorant guns and blades, there's bound to be something you like in the next Valorant Night Market. Continue reading Next Valorant Night Market 2024 dates MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Valorant Night Market dates, Valorant ranks, Valorant crosshair codes |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:17 AM  What are the best Ark mods in 2024? The dino-survival multiplayer game has been immensely popular ever since it was released seven years ago, with a whole host of content added post-launch. If you've exhausted everything vanilla, however, or you fancy some unofficial extra goodies to wrap your talons around, these Ark mods are for you. Worry not, Ark fans, because we've got a list of the best Ark mods right here. Ranging from rideable dodos and turtles to volcanoes and pirates, this has everything you need to spice up the dino-based survival game. You can get each mod working on your Ark server by simply subscribing to it on the linked Steam Workshop page - it's that easy! Alternatively, pay attention to our Ark admin commands guide if you fancy using what are essentially cheats - we won't tell anyone, promise. Continue reading The best Ark mods 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ark 2 release date, Best survival games, The best Ark mods |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 8:41 AM  July 16, 2024: One new Death Ball code has been added while another has been marked as expired. What are the new Death Ball codes? If you're looking for some free gems to afford the anime-inspired skin of your dreams or the best blades and skills you need to keep up with the competition, then you've come to the right place as we're here with some codes to help you win a round of Death Ball. Of course, this is a very similar game to one of the most popular Roblox experiences out there, but with an anime twist. Incidentally, we have all the latest freebies in one place if you're looking for the latest Blade Ball codes, and if you prefer anime gems, these some Haze Piece codes, Fruits Battlegrounds codes, or Anime Champions Simulator codes will get you free stuff there too. Continue reading Death Ball codes MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 8:43 AM  August 1, 2024: We've added two new Car Dealership Tycoon codes. What are the new Car Dealership Tycoon codes? Alongside the obbies, murder mysteries, and shooters, Roblox is filled with every life simulator you could imagine, allowing you to live out your wildest dreams. If you've always wanted to run your own car dealership, test drive the fastest sports cars, and rake in that cash, then Foxzie's Car Dealership Tycoon is for you. As with any new business, you need money to get off the ground. Sure, Car Dealership Tycoon hands out easy money, as you can earn it by simply driving around the Roblox experience, but you'll be driving for a while before you can add that new floor to the showroom. If you're a little light on customers, why not take a break from running your business with Anime Champions Simulator codes, Southwest Florida codes, and Blox Fruits codes instead? Continue reading Car Dealership Tycoon codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 8:22 AM  August 1, 2024: Two new Blade Ball codes have been added. What are the new Blade Ball codes? Those who want to stand out while playing this dodgeball game can splash out on new weapons, skills, and even explosive effects. To get them, though, you need coins, and there are ways to instantly get a small amount of coins to roll the dice while getting a chance to open crates and maybe pull a rare sword skin. There are other similar games on the Roblox platform, so be sure to get all the latest Arm Wrestle Simulator codes to get yourself ripped or learn the secret of Berry Avenue codes if you'd rather live a calmer virtual life. Here are all the latest Blade Ball codes, how to enter them, and where to find more. Continue reading Blade Ball codes August 2024 - free skins and spins MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 8:03 AM  August 1, 2024: One new Bee Swarm Simulator code has been added to this list. What are the active Bee Swarm Simulator codes? Whether you're in the market for some free items to help you get started farming honey, or you need that extra boost to your bee's effectiveness at collecting pollen, there's no quicker way to get your hive started than to redeem a whole bunch of codes. However, it's not always easy to know where to find ones that work. So, if you want to give your little pollinators a helping hand, we have many tried and tested active Bee Swarm Simulator codes to redeem that give you valuable free items and boosts. We also have freebies for other popular Roblox games, including Blade Ball codes, Blox Fruits codes, and Murder Mystery 2 codes to help you get ahead. Continue reading Bee Swarm Simulator codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 7:58 AM  August 1, 2024: Two previously working AUT codes have been marked as expired. What are the new AUT codes? If you're trying to get ahead of the competition in A Universal Time, we've collated all the latest codes for free skin crates. We'll also run you through exactly how to redeem all the active A Universal Time codes and where you can find more for the action-packed, anime-themed hit. A Universal Time has been around for a while, but it's erupted in popularity recently following a major update. If you're searching high and low for further Roblox freebies, we also keep regularly updated lists of Blox Fruits codes, Project Slayers codes, and even Anime Adventures codes. Now, let's run through all the A Universal Time codes and the rewards they'll net you. Continue reading AUT codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 7:43 AM  July 28, 2024: We've searched and added two brand new Arm Wrestle Simulator codes. What are the new Arm Wrestle Simulator codes? This popular Roblox experience channels the simulator games of the past few years, rewarding your strenuous clicks with rapidly multiplying strength. Arm Wrestle codes can speed up the process exponentially, earning you the gains you need to bend everyone's elbows and slam even the beefiest of opponent's forearms onto the table. As we've already alluded to, Arm Wrestle Simulator takes the ideas of many other popular Roblox games to create one centered around a less violent form of settling your differences, without resorting to a boring game of rock, paper, scissors. For further freebies in other action-packed Roblox releases, be sure to grab the latest Blox Fruits codes, King Legacy codes, and Fruit Battlegrounds codes before they're gone. Continue reading Arm Wrestle Simulator codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 7:42 AM  When it comes to the best co-op games a few names spring to mind. You've got modern options such as Elden Ring, Diablo 4, and Helldivers 2, reliable standbys like Valheim and Borderlands 2, and the all-time greats including Portal 2 and Monster Hunter World. One series I'll always recommend are the Lego games - with a whole wealth of different options depending upon your favorite franchises, there's something for everyone, and a big Humble Bundle Steam sale now lets you pick up more than $400 worth of them for a bargain basement price. Continue reading Grab $419 worth of Lego games for just $15 in this huge bundle deal |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 7:41 AM  August 1, 2024: Four previously working Anime Souls X code have been marked as expired. What are the new Anime Souls X codes? Anime Souls X, a sequel to the game without the X, tasks you with building your own army of powerful heroes and imbuing their weapons with souls to take on fearsome bosses. If the road to greatness is a little too long when first starting, you'll be happy to hear that we've tracked down the latest Anime Souls X codes to help you grow in power faster than ever. Our list of up-to-date Anime Souls X codes delivers a treasure trove of free items straight to your inventory and various rolls and spins to help you swap out your weaker heroes. If you're partial to anime and manga-inspired games across the Roblox platform, we've also got the latest Anime Adventure codes, Slayers Unleashed codes, and even Ro Ghoul codes to help you stay one step ahead of your fellow Robloxians. Continue reading Anime Souls X codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 7:34 AM  A law firm says it's investigating the potential to file a class action lawsuit against Intel, as a result of the instability issues experienced by owners of the company's 13th and 14th-gen CPUs. Abington Cole + Ellery is currently appealing to owners of the Intel CPU models who've experienced problems to come forward, with the hope of bringing a case against the processor maker. Stability problems with Intel's latest desktop CPUs are now widely reported, particularly regarding crashes in games based on the Unreal engine. Intel is promising to release a fix later in August 2024, but the company has already said that there won't be an Intel CPU recall for the affected chips. If you're looking for the best gaming CPU to buy right now, our best advice is to take the AMD route instead. Continue reading Intel's CPU stability problems just triggered a potential lawsuit MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Core i5 14600K review, Best gaming CPU, Core i9 14900K review |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 7:32 AM  August 1, 2024: We verified that the codes on our list are still active. What are the new Genshin Impact codes? Gathering Primogems and Mora in Genshin Impact can be quite the grind. Fortunately, developer HoYoverse occasionally sends out free gifts in the form of Genshin redeem codes. Most codes only work for a limited time, so it's best to redeem them as soon as possible to avoid missing out. Genshin Impact codes are released periodically, frequently appearing in Hoyoverse special programs: regular video updates detailing future updates to the free PC game. Redeem codes can also drop to celebrate milestones or to coincide with new Genshin Impact events. You can find all the active Genshin codes for August 2024 below, and we also detail what they get you, how to redeem them, and where you can look for more. Continue reading Genshin Impact codes for August 2024 and how to redeem codes MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Genshin Impact codes, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 1, 2024 7:33 AM  August 1, 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 August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:48 AM  According to certain Terran lore, God created the universe in seven days. Well, I got up this morning and made a small suburban village with a hospital, school, police station and a cafe in the space of 20 minutes. This is the backwater burg of Edwitherington. Population: 8 - one for every non-residential building in town. Major imports: ornamental lampposts, because I like to cultivate an old-timey mood. Major exports: traffic jams, because I've laid out my village in the form of a small crescent leading back to the freeway, which means that there are two traffic light junctions about 100 metres apart. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:06 AM  Hey, remember that 2017 roguelike called Midboss? Or that 2020 platformer called Super Bernie World, where you attempt to transform the US as a retro-fied Bernie Sanders? Yes or no, Kitsune Games have put out some good stuff in the past, and now they're back with a Super Bernie World followup: Kitsune Tails. Again, it's a Super Mario-inspired platformer, but this time it's a wonderfully queer rescue mission inspired by Japanese mythology in a way that's cutesy and colourful. And it's out today! |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:52 AM  Hardened battle royalists will remember Caldera, the sandy island map of bunkers and palm trees in Call Of Duty: Warzone. It got shut down last year as Activision focused their efforts elsewhere, making the map unplayable. But you can now revisit those bullet-strewn beaches. In theory, anyway. Activision have released it as a 4GB open-source project that can be explored in a 3D model-viewing tool. That's cool. But among their reasons for doing so, there lies a predictably grubby logic: they want people to use the data to train AI. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 1, 2024 6:33 AM  Update: Ignore the bit where I imply that you can't access the vanilla settings once the mod is installed. I was just being a (wildly charismatic, dashing) idiot. In my brief time with massive Fallout 4 mod Fallout London, I've read a delightful terminal entry about a scientist who named his favourite radiated shrew "Big Dave," thwacked several of said Radshrews with a walking stick, gulped down some expired pink wafers, and been informed of train delays due to "leaves on the track." "A British transport joke!" I said to myself, marinating in the sufficient amount of crown-mandated mild amusement. "Our organ-floggingly expensive yet vital public services are crap!" I was having a good time. Then the game public transported me straight to my desktop, and continued to do so at regular intervals over the next few hours, ranging from "just as this conversation was getting good" to "just as my save was about to load." My upper lip almost quivered, I tell you. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 1, 2024 4:12 AM  Well, would you look at that! I just got done pining for the merest whiff of Dungeon Keeper when what should appear on Steam but a free prologue for delightful voxel-arty management sim Dungeon Tycoon. I'm using the word 'appear' because, following yet more industry layoffs yesterday, I'm choosing to adopt the brain of an idiot as to shield myself from the crushing reality of material conditions. So, anyway, the magical game goblins whacked the demo on Steam, and I've been having a lot of fun with it. Thanks, adequately compensated and unionised gobbos! |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 1, 2024 4:10 AM  Having a list of Suffolk amusement park mascots one desperately wishes to outlive out of an innate desire for revenge is, I imagine, not a universal experience. Still, on the day Pleasurewood Hills mascot Woody Bear is taken by the soil, I will jig and whoop under the moon. I actually cannot remember when the beef started, but my mum reliably informs me that I was terrified to tears by this bear as a child. He yet survives, but mark my words: when the Woody Copters finally fall from their rusted hinges, I will salt the earth. Happily, I didn't spot any bear mascots in Planet Coaster 2's new deep dive trailer. |
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Siliconera Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:30 AM
HoYoVerse offered updates on the Genshin Impact banner for new heroine Emilie and the rerun banner for Yelan. Both start on August 6, 2024 and, when they do, will include Razor, Xiangling, and Yanfei as the focus four-stars.
Emilie is the entirely new Dendro five-star unit in Genshin Impact, and she's the last new addition in the 4.0 series of updates. She uses a polearm to attack. As she's a Fontaine character, she also has a Pneuma alignment. Her "Pomum de Ambra Chapter" character quest also debuts once her banner launches.
Here's a trailer for her:
With Yelan, this is her fourth rerun banner since her Genshin Impact debut in 2.7 back in May 2022. She's a Hydro archer from Liyue. She typically is used as a sub-DPS in the game.
As for the new focus four-stars, here's who they are and their elements and weapons.
Both Razor and Xiangling have been a part of Genshin Impact since the game's launch, with the latter being offered up as a free unit for players.
Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Emilie and Yelan rerun banners start on August 6, 2024.
The post Genshin Impact Emilie Banner and Yelan Rerun Detailed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 1, 2024 11:01 AM
Do you know how long people have been asking for Ace Attorney Investigations 2 to be released in English and show up worldwide? I'm pretty sure since February 4, 2011, one day after it launched on the DS in Japan. It only got worse when Capcom did release a mobile port in Japan in 2017, but then only released the original Ace Attorney Investigations Android and iOS port everywhere. But Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is remedying that injustice, and after playing through some early cases I think it will be a welcome prospect for players.
Both of the games in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection star prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. They're also a part of the canon timeline for the Ace Attorney series in general, taking place after Trials and Tribulation. (The first game is immediately after, and the second immediately follows the events of the first.) In each one, Edgeworth may feel a bit more like a detective than lawyer, as he'll first investigate a scene after a crime, then go through a phase where people and suspects are confronted. The sequel also introduces a Mind Chess element that involves a timed minigame where you talk with your opponent to learn details and eventually beat them to get critical testimony.
When going through the first Ace Attorney Investigations, it was a pleasant homecoming. I really appreciated that spin-off when it first released worldwide, and the remastered graphics, new character sprite, and work put in to bring it to the Switch all made my initial case come together well. I especially liked the history feature, as it is a quality of life option I appreciate in other visual novel and adventure games. Considering what Edgeworth is dealing with here, it's really helpful to be able to look back.
As for my experiences with the first episode of Ace Attorney Investigations 2, I can't express how pleased I was in the initial moments. The consistency with the localization honestly made it feel as though nothing changed and as if there hadn't been any gap between global releases. The nature of the cases also fit in well, especially with the first picking up with an international incident that ties into the original game.
The one thing I did notice as I went through Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is that the new HD sprites really felt like a marked difference. I attribute this, in part, to the fact that even the original DS game used the more refined type of portraits for characters and, regardless of whether you select the HD or pixel art sprites before choosing a game or loading a save file, everything else features the remastered backgrounds, portraits, and texts. So while having the pixel art sprites is a fun bit of nostalgia, I found they felt rather out of place when actually going through the cases.
After going through the initial cases in Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, I think everyone who has been waiting years for a chance to play this missing Edgeworth game will be pleased with how Capcom chose to honor these spin-offs. I'm not done with my new journey to bring the truth to light, and I'm already impressed with how well it's been handled. Especially considering how the HD sprites and remastered elements look so far.
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection will come to the PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and PC on September 6, 2024.
The post Preview: Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Deserves Attention appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:30 AM
Nihon Falcom has published the opening movie for The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria. Prospective players of the upcoming RPG can now watch the movie that will also be played in the actual game when they start its story.
Kai no Kiseki will feature a new continuation in the long-running Kiseki / Trails series. This game's story will take place right after the second Trails through Daybreak entry, which is still only available in Japan and Asia as of mid-2024.
The new game will primarily feature characters from the Trails through Daybreak duology like Van Arkride and Agnes Claudel as the main party members. However, it will also have the return of characters from earlier series entries, such as Kevin Graham from Trails in the Sky and Rean Schwarzer from the Trails of Cold Steel sub-series.
The opening movie also showcases the game's theme song "Shiroi Sekai." The Japanese title could be translated to "White World." Falcom jdk Band performed this new song.
The Kai no Kiseki opening movie is also available to watch right below:
The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria- will be available for PlayStation 5 and 4 in Japan on September 26, 2024.
The post Watch The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki Opening Movie appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 1, 2024 10:00 AM
The SteamWorld series of games has been an exploration of disparate genres, with the team always careful about returning to ideas. But it does happen! Like Dig 2 before it, SteamWorld Heist II seeks to iterate upon the original's mechanics with years of hindsight and extra development expertise.
Heist II moves from the first game's space setting to an ocean one, with players navigating the world in a submarine. Functionally, these are very similar! So it feels a lot like the original. Instead of the menu-based approach of its predecessor, this entry takes a Mario + Rabbids approach, using an adventure overworld with light exploration and naval skirmishes.
This scheme is designed to break up the tactical combat with world-building, and the team at Thunderful tried hard to make it fun to explore the map even if the rewards aren't always particularly consequential. You'll find secret passages. You'll encounter little narrative moments. The water effects as the sub zips around are satisfying. There's even a diving mechanic that doesn't really get explored until the late game but serves to give the world dimension.
But the primary attraction of SteamWorld Heist II is definitely the combat missions. In a lot of ways, they're reminiscent of the first: areas composed of rooms and doors that are regularly re-used and configured, with a variety of obstacles and enemies to aim weapons through. We can forgive a lot of the iterative nature, though, given its role as a sequel and the way this system is distinct from all major tactical alternatives. It's accurate enough to call it "2D XCOM," but the 2D part of that does fundamentally set it apart in both presentation and tactics.
The combat is, more than anything, about action economy and finding tricks to take out more enemies at once and keep your head above water against enemy waves. Sidearms and grenades, along with class-specific abilities, allow you to attack more than once in a turn. Weapons with a large blast radius can hit more foes if placed right. Unlockable abilities can cause attacks to not end your turn or give you extra movement to reach objectives faster. This focus, again, feels a lot like Mario + Rabbids! Which is definitely a good thing. We found ourselves emptying our cupboard of extras each turn before finally using the characters' primary weapons on whatever was left alive.
There are multiple difficulty options in the game and you can change on the fly if needed, but if you're having trouble with a particular stage, you can also grind for job levels and equipment. This isn't a huge change to your power or capability, often just giving you slightly more survivability or one more skill. But that can be the difference between staying on top of enemy waves and finding yourself underwater.
The world is broken up into regions, which largely function as the game's chapters and each feature a bar for resting, shops and narrative moments. Each party member can fight once before resting, which means you'll eventually be able to fight a few times before returning, but that does build up over the game. Missions earn "renown," a currency you cash in when you rest for rewards. If you're able to use the whole team and do a lot in the same day, you'll be able to redeem for the higher-value rewards. These aren't necessary, but they're usually quite nice to have. You also unlock a special passive reward for completing everything in a region. Again, not necessary, but you'll want them and they're not too tough to do.
You recruit new party members at these bars, each with the ability to learn any class, but carrying personal skills that could lean them toward particular strategies. You have some player freedom to recruit in different orders, eventually unlocking all ten, but with some choice of who you need first and who you can wait for until later when you have space in the crew. They'll have little quips during missions to make them feel like a part of the story, but they're mostly there to support protagonist Captain Leeway through his journey while he largely doesn't participate in fights himself.
Heist II is, in a technical sense, a very smooth experience, which makes sense for a sequel to a game formulated to work within 3DS specs that's releasing on all active platforms regardless of capability. We did review the game on PC, for what that's worth, but it's the sort of game that doesn't feel like it's trying anything that would trip up low-spec devices.
SteamWorld Heist II takes the things that worked in the original Heist and, well, gives players more of them. It's well-considered in so many ways, making sure you'll have a good time exploring its ideas for as long as it holds you. It ain't exciting or revolutionary, really, but it sure is fun.
SteamWorld Heist II launches August 8, 2024 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
The post Review: SteamWorld Heist II Aims to Please appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:30 AM
Wargaming has revealed that it will start adding new crossover content from Blue Archive to World of Warships. The content will appear in both the original PC version and the console-mobile release Legends in August 2024. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]
This crossover will feature three exclusive warships and five characters that players can assign as ship captains. The five characters shown are Hoshino, Serika, Ayane, Shiroko, and Nonomi. As a side note, all of these five characters are affiliated with the Abydos High School's Foreclosure Task Force in the original game.
The Blue Archive crossover will mark a new collaboration between Wargaming and Yostar. While Nexon published the global version of Blue Archive, Yostar handles its Japanese and Chinese releases. The companies have been collaborating multiple times to add crossover content between Azur Lane and World of Warships. The new Japanese press release noted that this will be the first Blue Archive crossover wave, so the companies are also teasing more batches coming later on.
The Blue Archive crossover content will appear first in the console and mobile entry World of Warships: Legends, available on the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, iOS, and Android, on August 5, 2024. Wargaming will also add the content to the original PC version ten days later on August 15, 2024.
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Siliconera Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:15 AM
Imaginary Hunt March 7th in Honkai: Star Rail may seem difficult to build because of the myriad of things she can do, but with the right Light Cones and Relics, she can become a powerful member of your team. You can choose to either build her as a Break Effect character or a more typical Crit DMG-focused attacker.
When you're choosing your team, Light Cones, and Relics, you should first decide what you want to use March 7th for. As of Version 2.4, there aren't a lot of options for Break Effect despite her kit making her suitable for a Super Break attacker. Conversely, if you give her a more standard SPD, ATK, Crit Rate, and Crit DMG build that prioritizes her Basic Attack, she can work with almost any team and against any enemy.
Here are the best Light Cones for an Imaginary Hunt March 7th build in Honkai: Star Rail
Here are the best Relics
Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. You can get the Imaginary Hunt version of March 7th as a free reward during the "March to Mastery: A Star Is Born" Trailblaze Continuance quest in Honkai: Star Rail.
The post Imaginary Hunt March 7th Build in Honkai: Star Rail Depends on Team appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:00 AM
Kotobukiya will re-run the ARTFX figure of Kasumi Yoshizawa in her Phantom Thieves outfit in Persona 5 Royal. Pre-orders are open until September 24, 2024.
The figure costs 17,380 JPY ($128.20) and will ship out some time in February 2025. As a note, you'll be able to buy the figure even after the pre-order period ends. However, there will no longer be a guarantee that you'll be able to get it, since Kotobukiya will cut off orders after a certain amount. Incidentally, AmiAmi (which usually sells Kotobukiya items) has closed off its orders for this figure.
The scale figure of Kasumi Yoshizawa as she appears in Persona 5 Royal has a dynamic pose on a corridor with roses along the edges. She's also holding a gymnastics ribbon in one hand and her mask in the other. The figure originally came out in November 2020 and at the time, it was available for 17,380 JPY. Her pose makes it look like she's running, while looking off to the side, which is actually a direct parallel to the ARTFX Persona 5 Joker figure.
Persona 5 Royal is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC. The ARTFX figure of Kasumi Yoshizawa from Persona 5 Royal is open for pre-order until September 24, 2024 and then it'll come out in February 2025.
The post Kotobukiya to Sell Persona 5 Royal Kasumi Figure Again appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 1, 2024 8:45 AM
The Imaginary Hunt version of March 7th in Honkai: Star Rail is an interesting character in that she can do a lot of things for your teams and fit on different types. Here are some of the best teams to use her on.
March 7th (Imaginary Hunt) can enhance a character on the field with her Skill, as well as gain buffs for herself depending on their Path. While this sounds like she is only a support character, she can dish out pretty good damage on her own via her Enhanced Basic Attack or her Ultimate. Because of her ability to reduce the Toughness of an enemy who shares the same Weakness Type as her Shifu's Combat Type, she also does very well on Break-oriented teams.
Something to keep in mind is that March is a character whose performance depends heavily on her team. If you want her as a solo attacker, then you need to build her for Break and run her with Trailblazer (Harmony). Otherwise, you'll see middling results. On the other hand, if you want to run her with a Crit build, then you need to have someone else with her. She cannot be the main attacker for a hyper-carry team due to her naturally weaker stats and unique kit. So you need to plan ahead with March in particular when setting up her team or build.
Here are the best teams for Imaginary Hunt March 7th in Honkai: Star Rail
Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. You can get the Imaginary Hunt version of March 7th as a free reward during the "March to Mastery: A Star Is Born" Trailblaze Continuance quest in Honkai: Star Rail.
The post Imaginary Hunt March 7th Teams Vary in Honkai: Star Rail appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 1, 2024 7:01 AM
With two otome visual novels to read through and a veritable army of potential boyfriends to romance, Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom feels like it's worth every penny. Despite its age, Otomate's consistent art style (for better or for worse) and the relatively sharp visuals keep this historical tale modern.
When I was a kid, I knew about Hakuoki in passing. My friend played it and came to school crying about Okita. Another friend watched the show and came out of it talking about how Okita is pretty great. So all I knew about Hakuouki prior to playing this on the Switch was that apparently, Okita is popular (hardly a surprise). So you can imagine my surprise when I learned that not only is Hijikata the actual canon love interest, but the story features vampires?! It was a huge shock to me, and I couldn't help but burst into laughter. I'd spent sixteen years of my life thinking Hakuoki is a normal piece of historical fiction, only for it to be a historical fantasy otome instead.
Hakuoki covers the tale of Chizuru Yukimura, who's looking for her father, who is a missing doctor. (As a note, you can change her name if you want, but I recommend just keeping it so voiced lines don't cut off.) Chizuru is a normal girl, outside of the fact that she can heal abnormally fast. She visits Kyoto while disguising herself as a male. However, she ends up getting into trouble with the notorious Shinsengumi when she sees something she shouldn't have: Shinsengumi warriors losing control at the sight of blood and going berserk. In order to make sure she doesn't blab about this to people, they force her to live with them. In time, they accept her as one of their own.
If you're familiar with even a little bit of 18th to 19th century Japan and its politics, then you'll be able to recognize a lot of the story beats when it focuses on the social and political climate surrounding the Shinsengumi. At times, the sheer level of detail the game gives about the group's history can clash with the more fantastical elements. The priorities just felt unbalanced. It started getting better later, but in the earlier chapters of the first game it almost felt like they were two separate stories that became one during development even originally. Some of the characters are new additions added in the Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms releases. Not everyone meshed well together at first. It's very obvious who's new and who isn't, because new characters just seem to randomly appear before disappearing for large stretches of the story.
As a whole, the localization is good. But when there were errors, they were usually ones that really stuck out. Iba's introduction scene, for example, made a deep impression on me for reasons other than Mamoru Miyano. I had to re-read lines so many times to make sure my eyes and brain were working alright, especially since playing the game was the first thing I did that morning. When explaining the Water of Life (the serum that turns people into Furies), the doctor notes that the Chinese call it "xindn." There is no such word. Most likely, they meant "xiandan," if we're using the Mandarin pronunciation.
I know that there is a lot of text to go through. I can't even count how many times I thought to myself that I don't envy the localizers for the workload and large amount of historical terms. But it's precisely because the rest of the game reads well that these slip-ups become a lot more jarring.
The prevalence of terms specific to Japanese history can be confusing if you're not paying attention or if you're unfamiliar with the subject. I found myself going through the glossary multiple times because I couldn't remember certain allegiances. The story goes through the Shinsengumi history quite quickly, so sometimes it can be hard to follow. It definitely feels like Otomate aimed it at Japanese people who already learned about all of this in school.
Something about Hakuoki that I liked was that the story and characters took center stage in this otome game, rather than the romance. It's hard for me to self-insert myself in the protagonist a lot of times in these otome games. I couldn't connect with Chizuru at all and because she's a self-insert, she wasn't always the most interesting character to observe from an outsider's perspective. Maybe at the time of the game's original release, she was a breath of fresh air. Despite her overly considerate personality and her attempts to help even in situations where she can't help at all, she does take a proactive stance in the story. However, you could say that about tons of other otome game protagonists too. When I translated Winter's Wish: Spirits of Edo, I had a positive opinion of Suzuno precisely because of this personality type.
Despite Chizuru becoming the blueprint, rather than the exception, I enjoyed the plot and the characters nonetheless. I genuinely wanted characters like Harada, Heisuke, and Iba to get a happy ending. For the sheer amount of boys there are, the writing does a good job of giving them plenty of characterization and development beyond their basic tropes or shticks. To be frank, I didn't finish all the routes in the game yet, but I'm excited to go back in and see what other interesting stories I still have to discover.
For both positive and negative reasons, Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom is a classic otome. The quality of the story and the characters are really good, and I can understand why people loved it. But playing it in 2024 after so many other otome games (and from Otomate to boot), it's hard for me to see what made Hakuoki the special juggernaut it was at the time. Is it good? Oh yeah, if you're big into otome or historical fantasy games. It's great that you get both the Edo and Kyoto arcs in one convenient package without having to pay for two games like in certain releases. This is a game that stands very well on its own. But those curious about the legendary reputation of Hakuoki may come out of it scratching their head.
Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom is readily available on the Nintendo Switch.
The post Review: Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom Stands Tall appeared first on Siliconera. |
