GamersHeroes Friday, August 16, 2024 8:35 AM My love for the survival genre is one that peaks and dips with each passing release. I've spent countless hours lost in ARK: Survival Evolved, Conan Exiles, Valheim, Palworld, the list goes on. However, for each of these genre defining titles, there's a dozen more that fail to meet the mark This is exacerbated by … The post Dawn Of Defiance Early Access Preview appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Friday, August 16, 2024 11:55 AM  A few weeks back, I left a screening of Twisters in 4DX (a multi-sensory experience in which your seat moves, water sprays in your face, wind whips your hair, and flashing lights mimic lightning) feeling like I had just ridden the wildest roller coaster at Six Flags. A giddy grin remained plastered on my face for… |
Kotaku Friday, August 16, 2024 11:30 AM |
Kotaku Friday, August 16, 2024 11:20 AM  The Last of Us season 2 is set to come out in 2025, with the cast expanding to include new characters. It's now been revealed that Kaitlyn Dever, the actor playing Abby, had to get extra security on set over concerns about the infamously toxic backlash around the Last of Us Part 2's other protagonist. |
Kotaku Friday, August 16, 2024 10:45 AM  X-Men '97 creator and head writer Beau DeMayo was removed from the show and later stripped of credit for its second season. He now says that was over a gay pride post he made on Instagram last June. A statement from Disney claims that's false and that the creative was fired over "egregious" misconduct. |
Kotaku Friday, August 16, 2024 10:30 AM  The Divine Beast Head is a helmet that can be found exclusively in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. This massive headpiece is a popular fashion choice for many players, and it comes with a bonus of slightly boosting your Strength and Dexterity while equipped. If you're a fan of having a giant beast's head… |
Kotaku Friday, August 16, 2024 9:55 AM  Marvel's heroes and villains are going to war in Fortnite. The battle royale's chapter 5 season 4 update adds characters from X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and more, just in time to capitalize on the recent hype (or gloom) surrounding Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. Are you ready to save the world… |
Kotaku Friday, August 16, 2024 9:30 AM  The Chilling Perfume Bottle is a Perfume weapon found only in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. This weapon is great for Dexterity/Intelligence hybrid builds, as it can deal icy damage in a wide area while building up Frostbite on any baddies caught in the mist. If that's up your alley, you won't want to… |
Kotaku Friday, August 16, 2024 8:01 AM  Happy Friday! Time to wake up your gray matter to get your weekend rolling. Going to see Alien: Romulus? If you haven't checked out the previous Alien movies, you might not have the stomach for that. But let's start with your brain. |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 11:55 AM  When you've been playing something for so long, any big change is going to be disconcerting at first. Hunt Showdown 1896 is a transformative update to the now five-year-old Crytek FPS, adding a new map, overhauled visuals, and dozens of large and small quality-of-life changes. It's precisely the soft relaunch that Hunt could use - but right now, just one day after it was first released, 1896 is drawing an enormous amount of criticism from Steam players. The concurrent user count is strong and time will likely heal the biggest issues here, but for the time being, the review bombing is pretty intense. Continue reading Hunt Showdown 1896 is being review bombed on Steam already MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Hunt: Showdown review |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 11:38 AM  What are the new Anime Card Battle codes? Roblox anime games are often among the best and most popular experiences on the platform, but you can make them even better by redeeming codes for free rewards. Anime Card Battle is very competitive and requires some smart deckbuilding, so free buffs and items are always much appreciated. This isn't the first Roblox game in the genre to offer freebies either. Using the latest Anime Last Stand codes or Anime Dimensions codes can grant you all manner of helpful extras. For now, though, let's get into all of the Anime Card Battle codes and how to redeem them. Continue reading Anime Card Battle codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 11:33 AM  You can bag a free copy of Star Wars Outlaws when you buy selected MSI hardware and peripherals, including keyboards, mice, and cases. That's right, free game deals usually require the purchase of a graphics card or motherboard, but MSI is opening the space up with a wider range of eligible products included in this new offer. This is great news for those who already own any of the best graphics cards, as you can instead look at different upgrades for your gaming setup while still being able to get a new free game in the process. Star Wars Outlaws is set for release on August 30, which is when this offer will go live. Continue reading Grab a free copy of Star Wars Outlaws, thanks to MSI MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 11:24 AM  August 16, 2024: We added six new DTI codes to our list, which now totals 19 active Dress to Impress codes. What are the new Dress to Impress codes? Look no further if you want to strut your stuff on the catwalk with all the latest fashion accessories. The latest DTI codes grant you the hottest cosmetics to add to your ensemble and create a stunning new look, and it's as simple as entering a code or two. As the name suggests, Dress to Impress is all about fashion, collecting new clothes, and trying out different styles. Unlike most Roblox games, these DTI codes permanently unlock a set of items to add to your wardrobe. If you're looking for extra freebies, we also have codes for some of the other best Roblox games such as Blox Fruits codes to help you get an edge on the competition. Continue reading Dress to Impress codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 10:57 AM  What does the latest Fortnite map look like? Chapter 5 Season 4 sees Doctor Doom return to the island, alongside an assembly of other Marvel heroes and villains. As ever, they're not the only new addition to the island, as the location itself has gone through some major changes since season 3. Since the battle royale game is constantly in flux, everything in this guide probably will change throughout the season. This goes also for the many Fortnite weapons and Fortnite NPCs, including those beloved superheroes. So, here are the latest changes to the Fortnite map in Chapter 5 Season 4. Continue reading Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 4 map MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fortnite map - key locations, Fortnite skins, All Fortnite Chapter 4 weapons |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 10:55 AM  From Final Fantasy 14 to No Man's Sky, we've seen plenty of dramatic comebacks over the years. In a year populated with big survival games including Palworld, Once Human, Soulmask, and Enshrouded - not forgetting regular updates for the likes of Rust, Valheim, and Ark - Nightingale struggled to maintain its initial player spike. But there's always the chance for a dramatic resurgence. In a new developer update, Inflexion Games showcases its completely rebuilt Realms system and lifts the lid on a reimagined, more structured story campaign. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games on PC, Best crafting games on PC, Best fantasy games on PC |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 10:59 AM  Who are the Dragon Age: The Veilguard companions? Any good RPG has you recruiting a roster of adventurers who'll spend their time fighting with – and sometimes against – you. Like previous Dragon Age games, The Veilguard has you chatting away with your fantasy friends on your quest to save Thedas from yet another threat. The question we all want answered when it comes to RPG game companions, though, is whether you can romance them. In Dragon Age The Veilguard, the answer is a resounding yes. With that in mind, your choice is more important than ever. Think carefully about who you pick as your companions before the Dragon Age The Veilguard release date arrives. Continue reading All Dragon Age The Veilguard companions MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Dragon Age 4 characters, Dragon Age 4 release date |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 10:28 AM  What are the best TFT comps? The Syndra-geddon has finally ended, and as normality returns to the Teamfight Tactics realm we've already seen a major meta in patch 14.16. Though one OP reroll comp has died a death, a new one has sprung up to replace it. However, pushing to level eight is now more rewarding than it was before thanks to the Syndra nerfs no longer letting her outscale your capped boards. Of course, hero augments are still ridiculously strong - the likes of Deja Vu, High Horsepower, and Molten Caramel are prominent in the TFT meta right now. However, these conditional comps can still be trumped, putting the auto-chess game in a much better spot than it was last patch. Read on to learn the Teamfight Tactics tech that'll help you hit your peak in Set 12 Magic 'n Mayhem. We've also tapped some of the TFT dev team for their favorite champs and traits - you can find those at the bottom of this guide. Continue reading The best meta TFT comps for Set 12 - Patch 14.16 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: LoL tier list, Best auto battlers, LoL ranking system explained |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 10:02 AM  In the early noughties, Nestlé launched a marketing campaign that proudly proclaimed its Yorkie chocolate bar was "not for girls!" – it even had a no-women-allowed sign on the wrapper. Setting aside the moral outrage this evoked in third-wave feminists, this slogan also lit a spark of mutiny in my tweenage self. I had long since disregarded Yorkies as a painfully average chocolate bar, but I saw this marketing slogan as a call for reclamation. "They're not for girls," I'd say, breaking off a square. "They're for me." Such is the case with Black Myth Wukong. Continue reading Black Myth Wukong review - a GOTY contender of epic proportions MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Black Myth Wukong release date, Black Myth Wukong bosses, Best RPG games on PC |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 9:49 AM  What are the new Pressure codes? Urbanshade's Roblox horror game tasks you with exploring the deadly, monster-filled Hadal Blacksite, so you'll be glad to hear that we've got plenty of Pressure codes to take the edge off. Pressure is just one of many Roblox games with a horror twist, and most of the best also dole out regular freebies. Some highlights include Five Nights TD codes and Ro Ghoul codes. If you want the best chance of avoiding sudden death, redeeming the codes below will net you some free in-game currency. So let's run through the lot and explain how to redeem them. Continue reading Pressure codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 9:49 AM  You've journeyed to the center of the universe in No Man's Sky, breezed through Eve, and unlocked the mysteries of the Chunks in Starfield. It's time for a new space game - but Star Citizen, the monolithic MMO from Cloud Imperium, seems impenetrably complex (and pricey) to even try. 11 years since the first modules, Star Citizen remains in a pseudo 'alpha' state, but the Squadron 42 campaign and transformative 4.0 update are nevertheless on their way. Now, as the community celebrates its favorite ships, the new Star Citizen free-to-play period has begun. If you wanted to take this giant for a spin, now's the time. Continue reading Gigantic space MMO Star Citizen goes briefly free-to-play MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best simulation games, Best multiplayer games, Best space games |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 9:48 AM  Creative Assembly is looking forward to the future of Total War Warhammer 3 now that it's largely regained its footing as one of the best strategy games on PC. With some rather dramatic wobbles behind it and a positive response to the most recent add-on, the developer is now looking forward to what's coming next. In a new blog, the team outlines its plans for TWW3 update 5.2, which will see the Dwarfs dive deeper and grow taller than ever before. Continue reading Total War Warhammer 3 update 5.2 fulfills an essential Dwarf fantasy MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Total War: Warhammer 3 DLC, Total War: Warhammer 3 races, Total War: Warhammer 3 review |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 9:41 AM  AMD's just-launched Ryzen 9000 CPUs, as well as some older Ryzen CPUs, are being affected by a Windows user account bug that means the chips are running slower in games than they should, depending on the type of user account you're using. The AMD Ryzen Windows bug is holding back performance by an average of 4% on the latest Zen 5 Ryzen 9700X, but a fix is on the way, and there are some workarounds for the issue. The new AMD CPU bug affects what are still otherwise some of the best gaming CPUs you can buy but has been enough to dampen the performance - and thus the reception of - AMD's newest chips. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 7800 XT review |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 9:12 AM  OLED gaming monitors have steadily been getting more affordable, with 2024 seeing an explosion in options. However, most of them still cost closer to $1,000 than, say, $500. The AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD, then, is a breath of fresh air, as although its MSRP used to be a bit higher, it's now regularly available for just $599. This incredibly low price for this caliber of display means this AOC screen leaps onto our best gaming monitor guide as the clear go-to option for those seeking the stunning colors, contrast, and gaming speed of an OLED panel without the high cost. However, like the LG 27GR95QE, its poor text clarity means it's not a great all-rounder display for work as well as play. Continue reading AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD review: The cheapest OLED gaming monitor MORE FROM PCGAMESN: AOC AGON Pro AG274QXM review, AOC AGON AG275QXL review, Best gaming monitor |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 9:59 AM  What are the best Palworld mods? Everyone knows the universal way of improving any game is to add mods to it, and open-world games like Palworld are no exception. Games such as Palworld usually attract modders for multiple reasons, from streamlining different mechanics to make things easier, to adding entirely new creatures, enemies, and environments. The Palworld modding community has already developed several innovative tweaks to the open-world game to make the gameplay much better. From tweaking the HUD settings to give you the perfect photo opportunity, to adjusting the stamina gauges to keep you flying for longer, here are some of the best mods in Palworld as well as how to install them. Continue reading The 25 best Palworld mods and how to install MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Palworld bosses, Palworld map, Palworld settings |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 10:42 AM  August 16, 2024: We've added two 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 |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 9:11 AM  When is the WoW The War Within release date? The tenth World of Warcraft expansion takes us deep beneath the earth, to a subterranean world that harbors the mysteries of Azeroth's creation. This expansion is more ambitious than any other, and that's before we get into all the new content we've come to expect from a WoW expansion. Suffice it to say, there's a lot to cover. World of Warcraft The War Within charts the first installment of the Worldsoul Saga, a multi-expansion storyline celebrating twenty years of World of Warcraft by tying off loose plot threads in the MMORPG and setting the stage for a bold new era. Dragonflight's dynamic flying returns, offering a fresh alternative to exploration on foot as we venture down into the new zones of Khaz Algar. There's also a gamut of new dungeons and raids to clear, unique story-driven endgame activities, and a new titan-forged Allied Race. Continue reading WoW The War Within release date, beta, pre-patch, and gameplay MORE FROM PCGAMESN: WoW The War Within beta sign up, WoW The War Within release date, The best WoW addons |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 7:38 AM  New extraction RPG Dungeonborne has been making a name for itself since its launch in July. As we approach one month since it arrived on the Valve store, the free Steam game continues to match its closest rival Dark and Darker on player count. Now, developer Mithril Interactive launches its major August update, which introduces a new 3v3 arena mode alongside an expanded gear selection, class updates, a limited-time event, and more aesthetic enhancements. Continue reading Free Steam RPG Dungeonborne unleashes new gear and an arena mode MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Best survival games, Best multiplayer games |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 7:24 AM  Want to know about the Genshin Impact maintenance schedule? Before every major Genshin Impact update, Hoyoverse takes the popular anime game down for maintenance, which tends to last a few hours while the team applies all the new content. These major patches bring everything, from all-new Genshin Impact banners and Genshin Impact events to completely new regions, like Sumeru and Natlan. Just like some of the best new MMOs, the Genshin Impact maintenance period happens at the same time for everyone across the globe. We'll keep this guide updated with the latest information on any planned maintenance, as well as when we expect the game servers to come back online in one of the best PC games for lovers of evolving single-player experience. Continue reading Genshin Impact maintenance time and rewards MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Genshin Impact codes, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 7:22 AM  What are the current and upcoming Genshin Impact events? A new version of Genshin Impact arrives every six weeks, complete with new characters, quests, and events. It's difficult to keep track of which events are currently running and if there are any new ones coming soon, so here's a schedule for all current and upcoming Genshin Impact events. There are usually a number of Genshin Impact events running simultaneously, and they aren't just in-game events. HoYoverse often launches a web event every update, which gives players a chance to learn about the latest Genshin Impact characters through an interactive story told through a web browser. Like all gacha games, the rewards for completing events in Genshin Impact range from in-game items like primogems and mora, to real life prizes like mouse mats and plushies. Continue reading Genshin Impact events - all current and upcoming events MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Genshin Impact codes, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 7:17 AM  Antec's new Windows gaming handheld, the Core HS, is now available to buy, and the company is coming in strong with a very low starting price for its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U-powered unit. With its intriguing slide-up screen design - that reveals a keyboard underneath - the Antec Core HS offers a different physical design to most of the bigger players. While an interesting design that seems like it would have potential to carve out a spot on our best handheld gaming PC guide, the Antec Core HS is in fact just a rebranded version of an existing handheld. The Ayaneo Slide is a China-only handheld, though, so this is the first time a version of the device has been more widely available. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 7:41 AM  Following its release date reveal, the Dragon Age: The Veilguard system requirements were also posted on the Steam store page recently. Unsurprisingly, Bioware is following in the footsteps of many recent game releases by only requiring an Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics card to get it running. In addition to not needing the best graphics card, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is also equally light with its CPU demands. In fact, the only requirement you might struggle with is the 100GB of free SSD storage which is required even for the minimum tier. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Dragon Age 4 characters, Dragon Age 4 release date |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 7:01 AM  The Logitech summer sale is here to make your hardware dreams a reality - if those dreams include getting gaming gear for less. Right now, the Logitech 'Logi Play Days' sale gives you 10% off (up to $50) its entire lineup of gaming products, including some of our all-time favorite mice, headsets, and microphones. Not only will you spot a few of the incumbent items from our best gaming mouse list, but also some of those on our best gaming headset list. If you've wanted to replace some old, outdated hardware for a while, this Logitech sale is the perfect excuse. Who doesn't find it easier to excuse a big purchase when it's on offer? Continue reading Score up to $50 off in Logitech's epic summer gaming sale MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Logitech G Pro Superlight 2, Logitech G Pro X TKL Lightspeed review, Best gaming mouse |
PCGamesN Friday, August 16, 2024 7:55 AM  August 16, 2024: We added one new AFK Journey code. 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 Friday, August 16, 2024 8:00 AM  August 16, 2024: We added two new Reverse 1999 codes. What are the new Reverse 1999 codes? If you're making a start in Bluepoch's strategic RPG, you're probably burning through essential resources at a worrying rate. It's tough going in the early game while you're still finding your feet, so we've compiled all the active Reverse 1999 codes you could need for free clear drops, dust, and much more. Reverse 1999 is another anime gacha game available on mobile and PC, joining the likes of Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail in the competitive genre. If you're torn between playing them all, we've got Genshin Impact codes and Honkai Star Rail codes, too, but this guide has all the latest Reverse 1999 codes for your alt-history 20th-century Timekeeper needs. Codes aren't enough to get you through those tricky battles, so be sure to check out our Reverse 1999 tier list featuring the best characters. Continue reading Reverse 1999 codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Reverse 1999 codes, Reverse 1999 tier list, Best anime games |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, August 16, 2024 11:59 AM  There you are, rambling through the woods of Interactive Entertainment with an empty pack and a spring in your step. Here I am, lying in wait behind a tree. Wham! Bam! You reel back in consternation as I bounce into the path and clobber you with a sack containing no less than eight venerable RPGs, from Baldur's Gate to Warhammer 40,000: Rogue's Trader - well over a thousand hours worth of dungeons, dragons, dicerolls, dwarven shopkeepers and many other things I refuse to spend time alliterating, all of which will (currently) set you back just £32.07. Were you planning to spend this weekend playing some cute two-hour artgame sideshow, without any level-ups at all? Shut up, you DOLT. You will play what the nice journalist tells you to play! Best stock up on caffeine tablets, because it's going to take you till Monday just to get through the character creators alone. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, August 16, 2024 10:00 AM  Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG that leans a bit into the Souls camp and a bit into the adventure camp. And either way, it's a spectacular journey that works for mostly everyone: those after challenging fights against Chinese mythological creatures, and those after the same thing, but with a little less challenge than your typical Soulslikes. What separates Black Myth from the crowd, though, is its slick presentation and a sense of generosity. You're to witness the most lavish, cinematic worlds and its creatures. And you're to enjoy battering everything with your staff as a highly athletic monkey with copious spells at his furry follicles and fingertips. It's been a while since I've played anything quite as impressive as this. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, August 16, 2024 9:00 AM  Unlike Ed, I wasn't deemed important or youthfully handsome enough to get Black Myth: Wukong review code, leaving my only hopes of conducting some hardwarey performance investigation with the recently released benchmarking tool. The one that, by the admission of developers Game Science themselves, "may not fully represent the actual gaming experience and final performance at the time of the game's release". Monkey nuts. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, August 16, 2024 6:16 AM  Crytek's sweaty and superlative survival boss-rush shooter Hunt: Showdown has been relaunched as Hunt: Showdown 1896, introducing a comprehensive technological update alongside a chronological leap forward to a new map in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. As is tradition for big 2.0-style updates, some players absolutely loathe it, with recent Steam user reviews dragging the consensus underwater. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, August 16, 2024 5:54 AM  Any gags I could make about an update that lets Total War: Warhammer 3's dawi play tall are far too obvious for the discerning comedic palette that brought you such bangers as that time I just wrote "(penis)" a bunch so the Overkill's Walking Dead page wouldn't quote me out of context, so let's just dive right in to the details. The strategy game's 5.2 update is on the horizon, and tagging along with it are the first of the "extra bits" the team teased in June. I'm very excited about them. They sit somewhere between the usual patch fare of stat tweaks and errata, and the weightier faction facelifts that come alongside paid DLC. They're also focused right where Immortal Empires needs them the most: depth, rather than width. In the dawi's case, quite literally. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, August 16, 2024 5:52 AM  The mountain biking of Lonely Mountains: Downhill was sometimes a relaxing ride down gentle slopes, and at other times a hairy hurtle down declivitous cliffs. Alongside the likes of the Descenders and Riders Republic, it offered a more laid-back game, open to furious time trialling but always remembering to let you stop and appreciate the view. Both the stakes and the poly count were low. Happy news then, that it is getting a snowy sequel. In Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders you'll be swapping your bike for a pair of skis, and you'll be able to barrel down the mountainside with friends in co-op. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, August 16, 2024 4:22 AM  For years, our PC storage has wobbled and buckled beneath the tyranny of gigantic Call Of Duty installs. Like 13th century peasants straining to convey huge, teetering loads of freshly quarried LMGs, our SSDs cry out for justice. Perhaps scenting imminent rebellion and a mass audience desertion to low-poly shooters with more civilised file sizes, Activision have relented. Future installations of the much-padded FPS will be "smaller and more customised", though in a last cruel stroke of villainy, they want you to download a large update to prepare the ground. |
Twinfinite Friday, August 16, 2024 10:00 AM  |
Siliconera Friday, August 16, 2024 11:30 AM
Bandai Namco continues to introduce (or in some cases reintroduce) characters we'll use in Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, and the latest heroine is Leafa. While she wasn't in-game in the original SAO, Leafa became a recurring ally starting from the adventures in ALfheim Online.
Leafa will be a Support sort of character in the game. She'll be able to heal the party, as well as use magic and attack. The video begins by calling back to her ALfheim Online routes by showing her fairy elements. After that, we see her using spells and healing in a fight.
You can see how Leafa will work in the Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailer below.
Ayana Taketatsu will return to play her in the game. She's also voiced her in the anime and past titles. She's also Jessica in Dragon Quest 8, Chiori in Genshin Impact, Frederika in Honkai Impact 3rd, Labrys in Persona 4 Arena, and Nuwa in Shin Megami Tensei V.
Here are all the other Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream character reveals that came up ahead of this new Leafa trailer:
This isn't the only recenttrailer for the game to appear, though the other one focused on a SAO bonus game in the Premium Edition and not one of the playable characters. If someone pick up that version of the game, they also get an additional title called Kirito the Hero. That is a Vampire Survivors-like that involves Kirito picking up different sorts of swords and cutting through hordes of enemies.
Here's how that looks:
Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream debuts on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam on October 4, 2024.
The post Next Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Trailer Stars Leafa appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 16, 2024 11:00 AM
Square Enix releases covers of Final Fantasy and other game tracks from time to time, and the latest is a Hiroyuki Nakayama piano version of the "Gold Saucer" Final Fantasy VII theme song. We actually get to watch the pianist perform the track in the video, so there's no gameplay footage, but there is a plush Cait Sith on top of his Moogle nearby.
Here's the video of Hiroyuki Nakayama playing the piano version of the Final Fantasy VII "Gold Saucer" theme song. It's the full version of the song, so it lasts for over two minutes.
We've seen this performer play a Final Fantasy VII song cover before. As part of the series of 35th anniversary videos on the Square Enix Music Chanel on YouTube, the artist performed "Fight On." That was released over two years ago on July 8, 2022.
As a reminder, here's how that sounded:
Here is a list of some other general Final Fantasy series song covers by Hiroyuki Nakayama that Square Enix released:
As for the Gold Saucer, we last got to see the area in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The second part of the remake let us return to the location for both the initial storyline event offering insight into Barret's past and the iconic date scene.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is available on the PS4, PS5, and PC, and FFVII Rebirth is on the PS5.
The post Hear the New Final Fantasy VII 'Gold Saucer' Piano Cover appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 16, 2024 10:30 AM
One of the unexpected reveals during the 5.0 Genshin Impact Special Program involved news about how to unlock the Natlan region early. While the ideal situation would involve completing all the Archon Quests for Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, and Fontaine, the quick-start option cuts that back and only requires folks to complete two previous regions instead.
How we unlock access to the Natlan region map and Archon Quest early in Genshin Impact
Basically, the goal is to offer the requirements ahead of the 5.0 launch so people can accomplish these milestones before the Genshin Impact Natlan region appears on August 28, 2024. The Natlan map is the easier of the two unlock options. You can head to that new region immediately after finishing the Archon Quest Prologue chapter, called "The Outlander Who Caught the Wind," in Mondstadt. So as long as you reached Adventure Rank 19 and got through the Archon Quest "Ending Note" in the third "Song of the Dragon and Freedom" portion of that storyline, you'll be all set. Given you must be at AR 18 to access that final quest, it should be manaegeable. (Multiplayer also unlocked at AR 16.)
If you want to be able to go into the Genshin Impact Natlan Archon Quest, which is Chapter 5 "Incandescent Ode of Resurrection," early, then you need to finish the Chapter 1 "Farewell, Archaic Lord" Liyue storyline. The AR requirement for that is 28, which is convenient since the final act of Liyue's storyline, which is "A New Star Approaches," requires you to be at that level to access it. Finish those quests through "The Fond Farewell" and you'll be fine.
By taking advantage of that option, people can skip Chapters 2-4 of the Archon Quests and the interludes between them involving the Traveler and Dainsleif. So you can skip the Inazuma, Sumeru, and Fontaine parts.
Genshin Impact is available on the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the 5.0 update will appear on August 28, 2024.
The post Here's How to Unlock Natlan Region Early in Genshin Impact appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 16, 2024 10:00 AM
Black Myth Wukong is a game that garnered immediate attention from its first trailer — sharp, reactive combat and gorgeous visuals awed a captive audience. And as more information about Black Myth Wukong began to trickle out from developer GameScience, it became clear that this action RPG was everything that initial trailer promised it would be. Black Myth Wukong is an ambitious action RPG that embraces its roots, making for an interesting take on the tale of the Monkey King.
The story of the Destined One is told through a handful of chapters, each featuring a new location to explore and to uncover various secrets. I traversed through dark, wet caves and verdant green forests full of anthropomorphic wolves and snakes. I ventured to a burning temple, where a once-deceased monk transformed into a massive bear and proceeded to beat me to a pulp. I navigated through a dry desert where I was assailed by rat bandits and their king, only to be tangled in combat with a foul-mouthed tiger king moments later. Meditation spots you can find littered throughout these zones provide a brief reprieve, and allow you to take in just how gorgeous the scenery is.
The world of Black Myth Wukong is a rich one, as it pulls from Chinese mythology and keeps a lot of the aesthetic of traditional Chinese artwork that makes the game look and feel special despite it's use of hyper realistic graphics. But everything about Black Myth Wukong pulls everything together, including its music. More somber tracks play as you plop down to view the scenery, whereas up-tempo music with drums and chanting accompanying some of the more fantastical boss fights. But one of my favorite things about the game were the portraits and other illustrations you unlock as you progress, as these illustrations are evocative of traditional, calligraphy artwork. And for those unfamiliar with the tale of the Monkey King, Black Myth Wukong does have a compendium of sorts that lays out the significance and backstory for characters after you've defeated them.
However, even with as powerful as my PC is, there were times when Black Myth Wukong would drop frames. And while the benchmark does give consumers a good idea of just how well the action RPG will run on their PCs, don't expect it to be smooth sailing. An overabundance of red or fire on the screen can occasionally cause your game to lag, or frames to drop. Since Black Myth Wukong is an action RPG that is reliant on frame-based dodges to fully utilize specific skills, this is a shame. But for the purpose of the review, I dropped my settings down from High to Medium, which resolved most of my problems in that department. Because other than a few technical hiccups, Black Myth Wukong is a more than proficient action game.
The controls in Black Myth Wukong are extremely tight, with precise movement and dodging being one of the core strengths of the game. You can't just dodge with reckless abandon, because while you are given more than enough stamina to spam your dodge, the Destined One will need to take a brief moment to recollect himself after every third flip or roll. I had to force myself to get out of the mindset of spamming my dodge after recently replaying Elden Ring, and had to come at Black Myth Wukong at a different angle. Combat is just as exciting, but feels more methodical and focused around the core mechanic of building up focus through light attacks to break through your opponents defense and stagger them.
Black Myth Wukong does have a skill tree, which does allow for you to upgrade your stamina, health, and unlock more attacks. While I did find a build that worked for me, I often went back and reallocated skill points if I felt I was starting to struggle against any one encounter. But for the most part, I relied heavily on building focus and landing those devastating heavy attacks while making use of the Immobilize spell. Your loadout in Black Myth Wukong is limited by comparison to games it shared a genre with, but that doesn't make it any less effective. The skill tree allowed me to level up my Immobilize spell to empower it in such a way that when I would perfectly time a freeze, I would deal extra damage to my enemy.
The game expects you make use of all of the tools at your disposal, which includes spells, transformations, items, and other abilities that lend itself well to the overall feeling of the action RPG's combat. This is the first time I've actually actively used items in an action RPG — for games like Nioh and anything in FromSoftware's catalogue of similar titles I tend to face enemies and bosses head-one, slicing through them with whatever I have on hand. So much so that I even forgot about spells in Elden Ring. But Black Myth Wukong wants you to make use of your entire arsenal, and even expects it. You can, of course, go without using spells or the powerful art of Transformation (which allows you to assume the form of specific enemies you encounter), but it will make the game significantly more difficult. That said, I didn't have too much of a problem fighting bosses or navigating through game's varied chapters.
Once I had gotten in the groove of things, and stopped mashing my dodge, everything came together. I had to be patient. I had to be reactive, and I had to wait. Making use of those frame-perfect dodges felt good, and the slight slow-down effect that accompanied them always felt cool. Learning new techniques for my staff and weaving them into my combos felt extremely rewarding. And fighting enemies that don't track your movements made encounters feel fair. I wasn't frantically trying to get out of the way of anything, because I knew the direction hits were going to land. I understood where I was safe, and if I ended up losing a fight, why I lost in the first place. Death also isn't something that really sets you back either. Shrines, locations where you level up and serve as soft checkpoints, are usually close to boss arenas, and whatever currency you've lost upon defeat can easily be regained by fighting through whatever enemies have respawned.
But if you're really struggling, you can further help alleviate some of the difficulty of specific fights by crafting items that reduce the amount of damage taken, and upgrading your weapon or putting together new armor sets. Assembling matching pieces of armor does provide you with incremental stat boosts and some neat passives, but if you're like me and like pressing your luck, you can absolutely beat Black Myth Wukong with armor you've obtained in the early hours of the game. You can also empower your healing gourd with additional effects too. Black Myth Wukong has a lot of different features to chew your teeth on, and allows for you to experiment with your style of play.
Do you want to deal poison damage to enemies? You can do that through summoning a poisoner to lay venomous snakes around the field that shoot poison at your target. Want to inflict burn damage on an enemy? You can do that through your Transformation skill. Or maybe you just want to focus on countering attacks with perfectly timed dodges and strikes. You can absolutely do that too.
Overall, Black Myth Wukong is a gorgeous game that has taken great efforts to make an interesting and exciting reimagining of one of East Asia's most popular myths. The game is solid, and outside of frame drops, otherwise performs very well. And it's probably one of the best action RPG I've played all year.
Black Myth: Wukong will release for PC via Steam and PS5 on August 20, 2024.
The post Review: Black Myth Wukong is a Gorgeous Chinese Epic appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 16, 2024 9:45 AM
As expected from the 5.0 Genshin Impact Special Program, we got the release date and details about which characters will appear during which banners in the new version. The game will update on August 28, 2024, and that means a new Archon Quest and banners with Mualani, Kazuha, and Kachina right away.
First, here's the special 5.0 Genshin Impact trailer that shows Natlan, hints at the Pilgrimage we'll experience in the Archon Quest, and highlights the three new characters Kachina, Kinich, and Mualani. It notes that the region is currently under the threat of being invaded by beings from the Abyss that we've faced in past story missions. While the Pilgrimage is part of a competition, it also involves collecting flames needed to preserve the Sacred Flame and protect the region.
The first two 5.0 Genshin Impact banners will feature the new Mualani wish and rerun Kazuha banner. Mualani is a five-star Hydro character who uses a Catalyst (and dolphin) when she fights. Kachina, the new four-star Geo character who fights with a polearm, will be available as a focus character on both of those banners as well. Kazuha, as a reminder, is a five-star Anemo character and swordsman. That will be available on August 28, 2024, when the update appears.
Banners in Genshin Impact tend to appear for around 20 days, so we should see the second ones for 5.0 in September 2024. The focus characters will be Kinich and Raiden Shogun. Kinich is a five-star Dendro character who wields a claymore. Meanwhile, Raiden Shogun first debuted when Inazuma appeared, and she uses a polearm.
Genshin Impact is available on the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the 5.0 update will appear on August 28, 2024.
The post Genshin Impact Release Date and Banners for 5.0 Set appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 16, 2024 9:30 AM
During the 5.0 Special Program, HoYoVerse shared the usual three Genshin Impact Primogem codes and announced all players get a free five-star character for the anniversary. The codes add up to eventually 300 Primogems, while the free character will be one of the seven always available on Wanderlust Invocation.
Here are the Genshin Impact Primogem codes for Special Program 5.0
In addition to showing up during the event, HoYoVerse also shared the three Genshin Impact codes for 5.0 on social media. You get 300 total, which is almost enough for two pulls. You'll need to earn 20 more in-game, which is manageable by daily activities, to earn the second pull. All of the codes are good until they run out or the end of August 16, 2024.
Here are the August 17, 2024 Genshin Impact Primogem codes for 5.0:
If you play the PC version, you can use the official site to claim all three. People who play on a PS4, PS5, or mobile device can do so from the Account option in Settings. Though if you aren't on PC and linked your account, you can use the site too.
How to get the free Genshin Impact five-star character in 5.0
This is going to be a new anniversary celebration tradition, according to the showcase. As pointed out on social media, you can pick one standard five-star to claim as your new, free character once 5.0 launches on August 28, 2024.
Here are your seven options:
HoYoVerse also noted the five-stars on the Wanderlust Invocation standard banner will also go up in the future.
Other anniversary bonuses will include 10 Intertwined Fate and 1,600 Primogems. That means enough for 20 more pulls on the gacha.
Genshin Impact is available on the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the 5.0 update will appear on August 28, 2024. The 5.0 Special Program Genshin Impact Primogem codes can be used until either they run out or the end of the day on August 16, 2024 or they run out.
The post 5.0 Genshin Impact Codes and Free 5-Star Character Detailed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 16, 2024 9:00 AM
I loved the idea of Elrentaros Wanderings when I first heard the premise behind Rear Sekai. There being both an ordinary world and isekai fantasy one existing somehow at the same time, and you needing to play to find out what's going on? Action-RPG battles paired with relationship building? It sounded like so much potential was there. Unfortunately, Hakama wastes any possible goodwill by somehow making every element of the game boring and tedious.
Elrentaros Wanderings begins with your protagonist happening upon the out Elrentaros. You're a wanderer who doesn't know much about who you are or what you were up to. You're welcomed into the community, and end up getting a chance to restore mitamas to magical mirror by heading into dungeons that reveal themselves around the town. However, in so doing, you also begin waking up in a more ordinary high school setting after every major boss encounter resulting in a gem acquisition. When you do, you find all the people you met in Elrentaros also exist in this other world, albeit in different roles and without any memory of you.
So the first disappointment tied to Elrentaros Wanderings is the fact that the localization isn't great! Sentences read very awkwardly here. Sometimes, it seems like the translators couldn't decide what to go with as an official name or phrase. For example, early on it feels like the townsfolk can't decide if the first dungeon is "Cave Pick" or "Cave Peak." I do wonder if part of that is due to the nature of the original script though. While there are 10 people who could be your "partners," there's no real depth to them. Some personality traits will come through, of course, but this isn't like a Rune Factory game where your potential love interests feel as though they are well-realized individuals.
The second is that Elrentaros Wanderings doesn't handle the idea of dual worlds very well! The more fleshed out side is of course Elrentaros, since that's where you can walk around a town, shop, talk to NPCs, and explore dungeons. The school life portion does eventually get more screen-time, but prior to that it is limited to extremely short, visual novel segments that don't do much to make that element of the game feel well-realized or inviting. Spend enough time dungeon-crawling for equipment or NPC quest items, and you might even forget there is that element.
Said dungeon-crawling is disappointment number three, but you won't realize that initially. See, Elrentaros Wanderings is a loot-based action-RPG at its heart. Your avatar's level is tied to the weapon and armor they found and equipped when heading into one of the locations you'll find on the map. Each dungeon will have different floors, with new minimum-level-advisories and challenges. To get the items from NPCs that you need to fulfill their requests to bolster relationships, advance the story, and unlock new dungeons, you need to complete run and complete those tasks.
As an example, an initial one might say you need to find the hidden areas (done by clearing out all enemies in a space), not take damage from a certain type of enemy or hazard, not fall in battle, not be hit by a certain type of boss attack, or defeat a boss. Each tier of a dungeon will have five of these challenges, which will reward you with the sidequest item, a weapon, or a currency you can put toward "buying" a partner gift so you can earn an alliance battle passive by equipping them as a designated partner. This means that you typically need to run through each "level" of a dungeon at least twice, since all objectives won't be revealed until you've cleared it once.
The problem here is that these dungeons are incredibly tedious and, after a certain point, feel like they don't pay out with the gear at appropriate levels to handle the "asks" by the time you unlock the third and fourth ones. To avoid spoilers, I'll use Cave Pick as an example. The dungeon layout at all tiers will remain the same. The enemies are all mostly identical, and you'll also see those same foes repeated in every other dungeon. (The only difference is, their colors will change and they'll be slightly stronger.) Attack patterns aren't altered. After you get to about build level 25-28, you may even find that you'll be able to handle dungeon challenges that would normally require a minimum of up to 40 if you equipped the right special skills from Legendary-tier drops. Viability of equipment comes down to if it has a special skill attached, and you'll have more money than you ever need since that's only used to unlock skills for your weapon and armor. Even the bosses eventually start to repeat, once you get past the recommended-level-30 tier.
This all leads into the fourth most disappointing part of Elrentaros Wanderings, which is that I didn't find the gameplay loop in any way fun or satisfying. This isn't like Diablo. The gear you get won't eventually hit a point where you'll keep it around for at least a half hour or so. By the point I hit the fourth dungeon, I only cleared out floors of enemies when the game would bar my progress through an area. I could be in and out of an area in about 15 minutes. Maybe less if it was one of the more predictable bosses at the end. Odds are, I'd at least switch out the armor at that point. Though by the time I got my Legendary Ugallu axe, I did hold on to that for about two hours because it was still better at level 27 than anything else I owned or found. I never replayed any of these repetitive dungeons because I wanted to. It was only because I had to.
Which is also how I ended up feeling as the story and relationships seemed to reach the endgame as well. Nothing about Elrentaros Wanderings felt satisfying to me. I didn't want to really "romance" anyone, by which I mean toss a type of currency at them to get their Alliance Buff perks, even though some of the character art looked good. The nature of the story meant that some of the "reveals" were buried so deep and had so little substance surrounding them that I didn't really care when a Big Bad suddenly appeared or I started to get answers.
I didn't like Elrentaros Wanderings, and the things wrong with it are such that patches to fix the localization or adjust other elements wouldn't salvage it. It's a tedious game that doesn't offer the sort of substance to make it feel in any way satisfying. There are better isekai adventures. There are better loot-based dungeon-crawlers. There are better titles where you can connect with people in the nearby village and perhaps even fall in love with them.
Elrentaros Wanderings is available on the Nintendo Switch on August 16, 2024, and it will appear on the PC via Steam on August 22, 2024.
The post Review: Elrentaros Wanderings Is a Waste of a Good Idea appeared first on Siliconera. |
WGB Friday, August 16, 2024 9:48 AM What are the best Borderlands games? What should you play first? Let's rank the Borderlands games from best to worst and see what comes out on top. |