Kotaku Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:40 AM  As it turns out, the Dune: Part Two sandworm-shaped monstrosity that AMC passed off as a popcorn bucket wasn't the only one of its kind. In fact, since 2019, AMC has apparently made a killing selling all kinds of collectible tie-in buckets for the year's biggest blockbusters, from Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker to Taylor… |
Kotaku Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:30 AM  Fortnite's Chapter 5 Season 3 Battle Pass has various weekly quests you can finish for some sweet XP, letting you unlock those tasty new cosmetics. Week 11's batch of quests introduces five new challenges to complete, each worth 15,000 XP. Those who complete all five quests will be rewarded with 75,000 XP, which can… |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:45 AM  We've been spoiled for choice when it comes to the best Metroidvania games of late, with highlights including Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Animal Well, and the newly released BioGun. One of the best in recent memory, however, is 2023's Blasphemous 2, which holds an impressive 92% Steam rating as its one-year anniversary nears. Already well worth your time, developer The Game Kitchen teases that something new is coming to Blasphemous rhis fall. Continue reading Dark fantasy Metroidvania Blasphemous 2 makes a comeback this fall MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Blasphemous 2 weapons, Blasphemous 2 review, Blasphemous 2 abilities |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:33 AM  What is the next Monopoly Go event? With so many limited-time events in Monopoly Go, it can be hard to keep track of the rewards you can get your hands on. Monopoly Go events can last anywhere from a few hours to a week, so bookmark this page as we'll keep it regularly updated with the next events and their start and end dates. Monopoly Go is the latest online board game sweeping the globe, but completing all of these events won't be easy without some free Monopoly Go dice links, so check out our daily updated guide for some freebies and rewards before you get started on the next Monopoly Go tournament. Continue reading All Monopoly Go events, tournaments, dates, and rewards MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:29 AM  When is the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz? This special, limited-time event allows players to trade the usually locked golden stickers up to five times a day. This is an ideal solution for grabbing elusive missing stickers and completing albums quickly. While you can trade these up to five times a day, each event is limited to two specific stickers, set by Scopely. There's no official schedule for Monopoly Go's Golden Blitz event, so a lot of sites that confirm dates are actually speculating based on the current Monopoly Go events. While you're waiting for the next Golden Blitz, make sure to keep on top of other freebies with our free Monopoly Go dice links guide, which is updated several times a day with the newest links. Continue reading When is the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event? MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:31 AM  What are the best offline games? If you're disconnected from the internet for any time, you'll need the best offline PC games to help tide you over. Not every game lets you play offline, though. Some games require a license check before launching for anti-piracy reasons - and although this doesn't take long to perform, it means you can't access the game without an internet connection. There's a lot to consider when preparing a stockpile of the best PC games, but luckily for you, there's no shortage of fun offline games to choose from when your internet cuts out. Whether you're a fan of classic RPG games or the biggest modern open-world games, we've got something to suit nearly every need. Continue reading The best offline games for PC 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best story games on PC, Best western games, Best sandbox games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:20 AM  August 8, 2024: We've added one 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 August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:14 AM  How do you play Star Wars Outlaws Sabacc? Games have always been a part of the Star Wars universe. There's Dejarik, the holographic chess-like board game, and Han Solo's gold dice are from a game called Corellian Spike, a version of Sabacc. That brings us to Kessel Sabacc, the playable card game in Star Wars Outlaws. Open-world games can get a little overwhelming from time to time. There's just so much to see, and it might feel like you want to just take a break. In Star Wars Outlaws, you can do that in-game with Kessel Sabacc, a fun mini-game that comes with some benefits, assuming you win. We'll show you how to play Sabacc, how to win, and - crucially, in the seedy underworld of the Star Wars game - how to cheat. Continue reading How to play Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Star Wars games, Star Wars Outlaws release date, Best open world games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:04 AM  Realism is thrilling, but you don't want something that's too punishing, or close to inaccessible. On the contrary, if you've got the appetite for a rugged outdoor sim, you don't want light or simplified crafting mechanics - everything should feel hard earned. The Forest and its even-more-gruesome sequel are both brutal survival games. Rust, likewise, has some particularly nasty combat and wounding mechanics. But a new competitor, created by a single developer, pushes realism even further with especially layered building and farming systems. If you want enjoyable co-op fun combined with punishing survivalism, The Last Plague: Blight might just be for you, and it's available to try right now. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games, Best co-op games, Best upcoming PC games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:00 AM  It's hardly the feature for which Dishonored is most keenly remembered, but back in 2012, I was very impressed by 'The Heart.' You hold it up, you point it at an enemy, and it tells you something about them, something from deep within their soul. Suddenly, they're not just an NPC - they're a person, and the stabbing you're about to inflict becomes heavy with implication. From two of the key developers behind Dishonored and the similarly inventive Prey 2017, a new ARPG is now in full production and seeking players. If you miss Deus Ex, long for more BioShock, or feel the sting of Deathloop's absence, this is for you. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Dishonored System Requirements |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 7:55 AM  From Starfield to Star Citizen, there's a wealth of the best space games out there to satisfy your craving for the great beyond. There's the comprehensive breadth of No Man's Sky, and the exhilarating battles of Everspace 2. But perhaps the most satisfying among them is Elite Dangerous, the latest entry in one of the oldest space series around, dating back to 1984. Now nine years old, an Elite Dangerous update has just rolled out that introduces a new ship type packed with cargo space. Continue reading Elite Dangerous has a great new ship, but with a real money catch MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Elite: Dangerous mods, Elite: Dangerous Thargoids, Elite: Dangerous system requirements |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 7:42 AM  We've spotted a great gaming PC deal over on Best Buy right now, enabling you to save $200 on the price of an Acer Predator Orion 5000 rig with a 20-core CPU and fantastic Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super GPU. Usually, this machine goes for $1,749.99, but for a limited time you can now scoop it up for just $1,549.99. We put this exact spec of this machine through its paces a couple of weeks ago in our Acer Predator Orion 5000 review, and it quickly earned a place at the top of our guide to the best gaming PC. Not only can this Acer rig handle the latest games at high settings if you're playing at 1,920 x 1,080, but it can also cope well at 2,560 x 1,440. Continue reading Save $200 on our favorite gaming PC while you still can MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best gaming monitor |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 8:26 AM  What are the best Destiny 2 Prismatic builds? With the release of The Final Shape, we're able to combine Light and Darkness to wield the powerful Prismatic subclass, and with that comes new build crafting and interesting, fun combinations of all of the subclasses we've wielded before now. If you're not up to date with Destiny 2, check out our Prismatic subclass guide which explains everything you need to know, including the new Aspects and Fragments you can get your hands on. We've also got all of the new The Final Shape Exotics that you can get your hands on in the DLC. If you need an overview of everything the Destiny 2 classes have to offer, we've got that too. Continue reading The best Destiny 2 Prismatic builds MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Destiny 2 classes, Destiny 2 The Final Shape review, Destiny 2 builds |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 8:10 AM  What are the best building games on PC? Building games are a great way to indulge architectural creativity, but there are many great building games on PC to choose from. Thankfully, we have the brick-and-mortar necessary to assemble a list of the best building games on PC with the strongest foundations. From compulsive free PC games to fully-fledged triple-A titles, the best PC games incorporating free-range building allow us to stake our claim on another world and bend it to our will. Whether you need a base to defend against oncoming dinosaurs in Ark: Survival Evolved or are scrabbling together rusted scrap in apocalypse games like Fallout 4, there are nearly as many reasons to build as there are building games. Whatever kind of building game you're after, we've got the right blueprints for you here on PCGamesN. Continue reading The best building games on PC 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:39 AM  What are the best Witcher 3 mods? With a next-gen update overhauling visuals, as well as game mechanics, there has never been a better time to get into The Witcher 3. With mods, you can customize and enhance your experience even further. The best Witcher 3 mods refresh the gameplay for you and, for veterans of the series, can inspire another playthrough of one of the best RPG games of all time. Modding is now a fairly simple process and can be done with ease once you know how. As always, exercise caution when downloading and installing anything on your computer. Continue reading The best Witcher 3 mods 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The Witcher 3 mods, The Witcher 4 news, Witcher 3 system requirements |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:36 AM  Call of Duty: Warzone continues to build upon the amazing foundations laid by its predecessor, and if you're keen to maintain a competitive edge without getting matched up against someone much more skilled than you, you'll need a Warzone VPN. Think of it this way - with loads of other players out there already using one, you're at a disadvantage if you don't. You can cultivate the best Warzone loadout, and know the locations of all the best Warzone guns, but if the other player is using a VPN to avoid throttling from their internet service provider (ISP) and to get matched up with players below their skill level, they're going to be the ones climbing the leaderboards. By using one of the best gaming VPNs, you can help level the playing field and have a much better experience in the game. Continue reading Best Warzone VPN for easier lobbies in 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Warzone loadouts, Best Warzone AR, Best Warzone guns |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 7:16 AM  What are the best dragon games? Since long before the days of DnD, and before Tolkien became the poster boy of fantasy, dragons have been the most fearsome and majestic creatures of myth. Usually, they breathe fire and hoard gold, and can sometimes be a faithful companion, or a fierce enemy. PC games, and the best RPG games in particular, are naturally swarming with dragons and dragon-like creatures, both as friends and foes. We've collected some of the best dragon games on PC, like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim where you can encounter, battle, or befriend a dragon, including entries from multiplayer games or MMORPGs if you're into a more cooperative adventure. Continue reading The best dragon games on PC 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Skyrim mods, Elder Scrolls 6 release date, Games like Skyrim |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:06 AM  Nexon has a new The First Descendant update on the way, and while there's a few days before the patch arrives in full, the developer outlines its plans to "enhance your farming experience." The First Descendant continues to hold strong despite mixed user reviews, with plenty still enjoying the game as its peak daily player count continues to top 80,000 on the Valve platform. Now, its next set of patch notes are lined up to make your life that little bit easier and faster while grinding for gear. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The First Descendant system requirements, The First Descendant characters, The First Descendant crossplay |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:01 AM  What are all the Infinite Craft recipes and combos? We've been addictively playing this since we learned about it, and as a result, there are hundreds of combinations and recipes now known. Here's our guide on all of them, including some of the most obscure suggestions. Infinite Craft is a browser game that's recently been taking the web by storm, with endless possibilities and some that'll give you quite a giggle. Think of it as a puzzle game by ways of god; it's a great game to open if you want to while away an hour or two figuring out all of the combinations. Continue reading All Infinite Craft recipes and combos list MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Browser games, Puzzle games, Upcoming games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:36 AM  What is the current and next Wuthering Waves banner? Otherwise known as Convenes, Wuthering Waves banners run on a three-week rotation, which doesn't give you much time to decide which characters to pull and which to skip. Thankfully, our banner schedule includes both phases of the current Wuthering Waves update, along with all the upcoming banners to help you decide. The Wuthering Waves banner system is typical for gacha games, allowing you to spend your hard-earned Wuthering Waves Tides for a chance to acquire some of the best Wuthering Waves characters and weapons. The latest Wuthering Waves codes and events can help you redeem free currency to get started. Once you're flush with Tides, it's time to spend them all on the current and next Wuthering Waves banner. Continue reading Wuthering Waves next banner and current banner schedule August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Wuthering Waves codes, Free PC games, Best anime games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:02 AM  August 8, 2024: We added one new Honkai Star Rail 2.4 code to our list and checked for any expired codes. What are the new Honkai Star Rail codes? If you're just starting your adventure through developer HoYoverse's gacha RPG, you might be wondering if there are any freebies to give you a boost. Thankfully, HoYoverse has delivered, and we've got the complete list of working promo codes for you to redeem. Honkai Star Rail redeem codes are released periodically and typically appear in livestreams and social channels ahead of major updates. These codes can net you some high-value currency, including Honkai Star Rail Stellar Jade, which you can use to pull the best characters from Honkai Star Rail banners. To save you time, we've collated all the promo codes and how to redeem them in Honkai Star Rail, so be sure to check back regularly before they expire. Continue reading Honkai Star Rail codes August 2024 and how to redeem codes MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Honkai Star Rail review, Honkai Star Rail codes, Honkai Star Rail tier list |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 5:24 AM  While it's not a revolutionary case, the new NZXT H7 Flow RGB (2024) makes a significant tweak to the original model released two years ago, with a vertical PSU mount. This means the main chamber now has loads of room for water-cooling radiators, large graphics cards, and CPU coolers, in a surprisingly small footprint. The $150 RGB model also includes a 360mm fan frame with three 120mm fans embedded in it, which looks great with RGB lighting shining through the front mesh panel. This market is crowded when it comes to finding the best PC case options between $100 and $150, but NZXT has done an excellent job in making the H7 Flow RGB (2024) distinctive and attractive enough to stand out from the crowd. It sits atop front and rear ledges to raise its lower flush fan mount off your desk, and the clear side panel nearly spans from top to bottom. The interior also looks particularly clean, thanks to the exterior panels acting as dust filters, which further boosts this case's support for large radiators. If you want to water cool your PC with multiple radiators, or just use a large AIO cooler or air cooler for your CPU, there's massive potential here for both camps, and I'll be looking at how well its three included 120mm fans perform. This case's features focus on making it as easy as possible to build a gaming PC, including providing tool-free panels, as you'd expect from a premium PC case. The vertical PSU mount makes a profound difference compared to the original H7 Flow as well, releasing the whole of the base for fans and radiators in a similar way to a dual chamber case, but without the massive footprint. Continue reading NZXT H7 Flow RGB (2024) review: Great cooling in a small footprint MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 5:43 AM  When is GTA 6 coming out? Given how many years it takes to create open worlds of the same caliber as GTA 5, it's no surprise that Rockstar Games has already spent years developing GTA 6. However, like most developers, Rockstar prefers to keep its secrets close to its chest until they're close to the end of development - and Take-Two has now confirmed when exactly we can expect it to arrive. The Grand Theft Auto 6 release date has certainly been a long time coming. Early gameplay leaks of GTA 6 surfaced online last year, along with lines of source code and development footage for the open-world game. There's been plenty of rumors and speculation surrounding the release date since then, but we finally have confirmation of the GTA 6 launch window, story, and setting right here on PCGamesN. Here's all the latest on the GTA 6 release date, including trailers and news. Continue reading GTA 6 release date window, trailers, and latest Rockstar Games news MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GTA 6 release date, Best open-world games, GTA 5 cheats |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 4:59 AM  When is the next Steam sale? It feels like one Steam sale has just ended when the next one begins, but with some events offering better discounts than others and genre-specific sales, it's a good idea to keep these dates to hand. Fortunately, we've got a complete list of all the Steam sale dates for 2024 and beyond, so you can make a dent in your wishlist without breaking the bank. Whether you're looking for new PC games to sink your teeth into or simply the best PC games of all time, there's something for everyone on Steam. Smaller publisher sales can introduce you to new favorites if you get to the bargains in time, while seasonal Steam sales can last weeks, with more games, DLC, and bundles available at chunkier discounts. Continue reading When is the next Steam sale? MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Steam FAQ, Steam family sharing, Steam in-home streaming |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 3:57 AM  August 8, 2024: We added nine new AFK Journey codes. Looking for new AFK Journey codes? Redeeming free items is the best way to stay ahead of the curve without upsetting your wallet, especially in gacha-driven fantasy RPGs like AFK Journey. These redeem codes can help you stay competitive with the best team compositions, clear the story without issue, and reap the rewards of the PvP leaderboards. We've found and tested every code released by developer Farlight to find out which ones are active or expired. The AFK Journey redeem codes often reward you with valuable in-game currency like AFK Journey Diamonds and Gold, which are required to pull on gacha banners and build the best characters in the AFK Journey roster. We also recommend checking out our in-depth AFK Journey tier list to ensure you're spending your freebies wisely in the anime game. Now that you're all set, here are the AFK Journey codes waiting to be redeemed. Continue reading AFK Journey codes August 2024 and how to redeem MORE FROM PCGAMESN: AFK Journey tier list, AFK Journey codes, AFK Journey reroll |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:43 AM  What is the best curved gaming monitor? When you want total immersion in a computer game, it's hard to stress just how much curves matter. We've picked a selection of sweeping screens that reside rightfully in the sweet spot for every type of gamer, whether you're after a big-screen experience or a budget panel. Why buy a curved monitor, rather than the flat screens you'll mostly find in our best gaming monitor guide? Two reasons. The first is that the wraparound widescreen view that some monitors can provide looks more natural when viewing really wide-angle images. This is particularly true for playing games such as racing and flight sims, but there are plenty of other use cases too. The other reason is that, when it comes to LCD monitors, viewing angles matter. View a screen from off-center and the image quality gets worse. With a big, widescreen monitor, the sides can be so far away, you end up viewing them at an angle that makes for worse image quality. The addition of a curve fixes that. That's particularly why you see curves on VA LCD screens, because they're more sensitive to being viewed off-axis. Continue reading Best curved gaming monitors 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:05 AM .jpg?width=1920&height=1920&fit=bounds&quality=80&format=jpg&auto=webp) WolfEye's debut game Weird West attempted to pack a little of Dishonored's immersive sim sorcery into a top-down action-RPG. For the studio's next game, co-founders Raphaël Colantonio and Julien Roby are leaning into comparisons with their old endeavours at Arkane more earnestly. The new game - currently untitled and without a release date - is a first-person sci-fi RPG set in an alternate-1900s North America, which ostensibly combines the ingenuity and gadgetry of Dishonored and Prey with a "real RPG" experience redolent of Skyrim and modern-day Fallout. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:00 AM  Hm. Hmmmm. Right. So, what have we got here? There's my Blood Donor card, which reduces the value of the hearts I play, but also heals me. That's fine, actually. Reduced score means I can squeeze in another card for more healing. If I can pull my Tarot card, I'll deal damage with each heal, and I've already pulled two scratch cards for yet more quick damage. Now, if I can just pull a Jack, I can plonk down the King Of Space And Time for a brutal finisher. That'll transfer everything on my side over to my opponent's, forcing a bust for a nice final chunk of hurt and… |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 8, 2024 8:27 AM  Spaceship likers, come hither. Long-running space sim Elite Dangerous has just unloaded a new interstellar vessel into its universe, and she's a beaut. The new Type-8 Transporter is a medium freighter capable of hauling a maximum of 406 tons of cargo. It's got a default jump range of 17.55 light years and two big prongs sticking out of its face like a sci-fi forklift. Cool. The catch is that this ship can only be bought with real money for now, say the developers. This is part of Frontier's new strategy of having paid-for ships in the game. I don't really play Elite Dangerous anymore, so I don't have strong feelings about that. But I do have strong feelings about the space trucker advertisement the developer has put together for the new ship. Come watch it with me. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 8, 2024 7:22 AM  I'd initially assumed that puzzle game Sliding Hero counts was a Sokoban-like, until I realised that it's actually you, not endless boxes, that do the sliding here. Still, I wasn't entirely convinced. The only thing that's fun to slide back-and-forth indefinitely is a lounging cat on a smooth kitchen worktop. Still, after messing around with Sliding Hero's Steam demo, I think this one might have much longer legs than its restrictive-sounding concept suggests. All the better to endlessly slide with. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 8, 2024 5:59 AM  At some point every proud ruler must ask themselves the question: what should I do with all this stupid, tiresome civilisation I've built? Do I let it spin on forever, a gleaming machine of prosperity bathed in an eternal twilight, or do I, as the case may be, unleash a horde of voluptuous hellwomen to gather spirit energy for the resurrection of my tragically slain beloved? If you picked option B you should probably play My Lovely Empress, a plush empire management sim with a dastardly twist, from Indonesian team GameChanger Studio. Find a trailer below. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 8, 2024 5:31 AM  It is I, the wound salter. The injury insult adder. Life By You, the simulation life-em-up from Paradox, was canceled in June after being delayed indefinitely. The day after the cancellation - which Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester implied was down to a "lacking", unfixable development state - designer Willem Delventhal spoke about his time at the subsequently shuttered Paradox Tectonic. He claimed the team spent a month "in purgatory" prior to being told of the game's cancelation and studio shuttering two weeks before launch, despite being told by higher-ups that work was "exceeding expectations." We've now got another look at a game we'll likely never get, thanks to a thread by Twxbbly user SimMattically collating unseen screenshots from portfolios by several artists who worked on Life By You. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 8, 2024 5:08 AM |
Twinfinite Thursday, August 8, 2024 3:54 AM  |
Siliconera Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:30 AM
Arven and his Mabosstiff will appear in Pokemon Masters EX as a new Sync Pair. You'll be able to pull from him from August 9 to August 27, 2024.
Here is the Arven and Mabosstiff trailer for Pokemon Masters EX:
This trailer is for the new Peculiar Pokemon-Loving Pal event, which will start from August 10, 2024. It focuses on N of Pokemon Black & White after he becomes intrigued by Arven and his friendship with his Mabosstiff. However, thanks to N being a weirdo, Arven misunderstands N's intentions and runs away from him.
The Arven and Mabosstiff Sync Pair has the Chockablock Cheer passive skill. After receiving an attack, if his HP is under 50%, he can reduce one usage of a skill that has Berry in its effect tag to heal both himself and his allies.
Arven's Japanese voice actor, Makoto Furukawa is still voicing Arven. Furukawa's previous roles include Achilles in Fate/Apocrypha, Saitama in One Punch Man, and Sylvain in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The English trailer did not reveal his voice actor. Arven was one of the major supporting characters from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and he had an entire storyline focusing on him and his Mabosstiff.
Pokemon Masters EX is readily available on mobile devices. The Sync Pair Arven & Mabosstiff will appear in Pokemon Masters EX from August 9, 2024.
The post Arven & Mabosstiff Join Pokemon Masters EX as Sync Pair appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:00 AM
We'd have to imagine that launching a similarly-themed roguelike deckbuilder in the shadow of Balatro is both a gift and a curse. The gameplay is different enough in structure and premise that it doesn't feel like a copy, but Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers inevitably inherits some of the attention Balatro brought to the space and also has the unenviable task of being compared to an inarguable instant classic.
It doesn't feel like it's shying away from those comparisons, either. D&DG loves cracking a good joke, and perhaps even more loves cracking a bad referential quasi-joke. Among these? Yep, totally a Balatro nod. In your first hour with the game, you'll likely run into send-ups of The Witcher, DJ Khaled, Slay the Spire and more. There's even a particularly, uh, faithful rendering of a Charizard card that feels to us like murky IP waters to tread.
As much as there's similarity in the possibility space — especially turning lots of things known as "cards" into playable items — Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers sets itself firmly apart through its blackjack-based mechanics. Rather than building poker hands against an ever-rising score goal, you're playing an opponent, and it's more about probabilities and risk. Truly this is gambling, in a true gameplay way, with tons of ways to manipulate the odds in your favor.
In the spirit of the game's humor, we'll say this: busting does not make you feel good. While traditional blackjack is about binary wins or losses, here your loss results in damage equal to the difference in hands. So you'll end up making choices you wouldn't in the normal game, like standing when your hand has lost, rather than risk taking double-digit damage. It also incentivizes finding ways to make your opponent bust, as it's worth so much more than chipping away a few at a time.
The starter decks are fairly simple: a full set of cards of one suit. Each suit has an ability that kicks in if you hit the maximum score (usually 21): hearts heal you, spades shield, clubs deal extra damage and diamonds add to your funds. The hearts deck is "easiest" and the only one available for your tutorial run, and… yeah, that ability is generally just better than the rest. There's also a "nothings" deck, with cards that have no suit ability at all, and an unlockable deck that glitches out and gives you random results. (Which is indeed difficult in a game about controlling luck.) There are decks past these as well, but since the game hides them until you get there, we won't spoil them. Suffice to say, they're a bit of variety but don't fundamentally change how we feel about the game.
As is increasingly the case in single-player games like this, your opponents in Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers don't think or adjust. They have a specific deck composition and set number totals at which they stand, and these are considered in order to make an interesting opponent, but that's it. Which is to say that the primary way you can win is by manipulating their deck or board and trip up their pre-set plan. This makes ways to play more cards valuable, as every play brings you closer to your opponent standing and no longer being able to undo any switcheroos you inflict.
It's good to have disruptive options in your deck anyway, because there's no mechanism in the game to encourage an end. Some battles can become endless wars of attrition, with healing and shields replenishing as fast as they're taken down on both sides. And if you find yourself in one of these? There's truly nothing you can do but start intentionally losing until you're defeated and can start a new run. The design could benefit from something to hasten an end.
There are bosses at the end of both of a run's two potential paths, but like most roguelike deckbuilders, these aren't exactly final bosses. Winning on a difficulty lets you choose a harder one with additional modifiers. In this format, you see the game's quips over and over and over again, and we really wish you didn't have to after a while.
That said, this review has been a weird one for us. During the review window, the game has seen undocumented patches that fundamentally change the feature set and game balance. Totally new cards. Reworked abilities. Adjusted art. It's good that the developer is working on making the game better, but it's difficult to tell which of our experiences have been representative of the product you'll play.
Ultimately, what hurts the most about launching in the long shadow of Balatro is the expectation of a wide possibility space and near-endless depth. Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers is more of a diversion than a new avocation, with interesting ideas that play out fairly quickly and funnel toward a few very specific viable strategies. It's fun! Briefly.
Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers releases August 8, 2024 for PC, Mac and Linux via Steam. It's developed by Purple Moss Collectors and published by Yogscast Games.
The post Review: Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers Stands in Balatro's Shadow appeared first on Siliconera. |
MonsterVine Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:00 AM Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers takes the classic blackjack game and turns it into a head-to-head battler, filled with unique cards that can drastically change the game. Some of the more random aspects of blackjack can be frustrating. The lack of unlockable cards means the feeling of finding a new powerful card to use fades quicker […] |