Hurricane Milton, one of the biggest storms in recorded history, is set to make landfall in Florida on October 9. It will likely cause tens of billions of dollars of damage and could kill or injure many people who are unable to evacuate Tampa Bay and the surrounding region in time.
Publishing house Iwanami Shoten will start releasing a complete collection of Hayao Miyazaki concept art from December 2024. So far, we know for sure that you'll be able to get books of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, and My Neighbor Totoro. [Thanks, Comic Natalie!]
The release schedule for the books will be Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Castle in the Sky on December 5, 2024. Then, some time in March 2025, you'll be able to get My Neighbor Totoro. Afterwards, Iwanami will release some of the earlier films and shorts that Miyazaki worked on or was involved with.
Each book will contain the concept art that Miyazaki hand-drew for image and story boards. The concept art is for the staff to all be on the same page in regards to the aesthetics and worldview of a particular movie. Since Iwanami used a very powerful scanner for the original prints, there is as little quality loss as possible in the book. As well, each piece of art in the book is faithful to the real-life size of the board. Each book also contains information, art, unreleased works, and stories based on the movie and artwork in question. Toshio Suzuki, chairperson of Studio Ghibli, will also write a foreword for each one.
The Hayao Miyazaki concept art books will start coming out in December 2024. For those who want to get their Studio Ghibli fix beforehand, Netflix recently obtained the streaming rights to Grave of the Fireflies and The Boy and the Heron.
Japanese apparel brand Mayla has started selling its Cardcaptor Sakura collection of lounge wear. All of the clothing resembles Sakura's school uniform.
You have until November 8, 2024 to put in your orders for the Cardcaptor Sakura loungewear from Mayla. It costs 18,700 JPY, which converts to around $125.30, though this price does not include the shipping fee. Mayla offers international shipping, so even if you live overseas, you can purchase this item.
Aside from the basic design of the outfit resembling the school uniform (a cardigan with a frilled collar and ribbon), there are also some references to Sakura's tenure as a Cardcaptor. The Sealing Key appears as a badge on the collar, and there's a wing design on the back of the cardigan. It also comes in different colors, including the default black, yellow, and pink. The cardigan also comes with shorts.
Mayla is a brand that specializes in apparel and accessories based on anime and video games. Some of its previous collections include collaborations with NieR Automata and Evangelion. Aside from loungewear, it's also offering long skirts based on Cardcaptor Sakura. Mayla's designs are ultra feminine, with lots of frills and ribbons and such.
The Cardcaptor Sakura lounge wear is available via Mayla's website until November 8, 2024.
In an interview with Famitsu, Katsura Hashino teased some previously unannounced Archetypes that you'll be able to use in Metaphor: ReFantazio. He also gave some more details about the designs for them. [Thanks, ryokutya2089!]
Hashino did not go into details about the new Archetypes that will be in Metaphor: ReFantazio. However, he did state that there are some of them like Soul Hacker and Devil Summoner, which are clear references to past Atlus titles. This is just a fun little Easter egg from the development team. As for the designs of the Archetypes, they all look like there's an actual flesh-and-bone body underneath the armor and cloaks. Because they designed the Archetypes to look like there's a human body inside, they all naturally have humanoid silhouettes.
Archetypes are more like jobs than Personas, and you'll be able to customize them to a certain degree. For example, you'll be able to let Archetypes inherit others' skills and abilities. Unlocking the unannounced Archetypes is for people who like to do bonus and extra content, and getting them will mark a true completion of the game. Finally, Hashino states that Atlus's games aren't hard, per se, and it's more that the team aimed for a difficulty balance that would best make the battle system shine.
Metaphor: ReFantazio will come out on October 11, 2024 for the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. You can read our review of it here.
Modiphius Entertainment has announced an upcoming Kickstarter campaign for Discworld: Adventures in Ankh-Morpork, a new tabletop roleplaying game based on Terry Pratchett's iconic Discworld series. The campaign is set to launch on October 15. This marks the first time in over two decades that a new Discworld RPG will be published, following the release of...
This week's Warmachine Wednesday update from Steamforged Games introduces new content, including the rules for two character solos, Captain Bastian Falk and Sergeant Goran Lazarenko, the Jackal, as well as the latest subscriber-only Battle Forge scenario, Grim Harvest. With Halloween approaching, this update brings a seasonal theme to the game. Captain Bastian Falk offers leadership...
Red Raven Games has launched Above and Below: Haunted, a standalone sequel to Above and Below, on Gamefound. Set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original game, Above and Below: Haunted introduces players to a haunted marshland setting, with opportunities to explore watery caves and build new villages. In this sequel, players compete to...
Described as "The Dark Souls of weeb romance games" by the development team, Scarlet String Studios and Astrolabe Games' Monospaced Lovers is set to release on October 31.
Mooncube Games' productivity title Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is embracing the spooky season with open arms with the release of a free Halloween update.
We recently got the chance to ask Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis Producer Shoichi Ichikawa some questions around summons, story, and fan-favorite characters - see what he had to say with our interview.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, an upcoming horror game from Saber and Stormind Games, includes a neat and creepy feature. If you have a microphone activated, the monsters in the game can hear you cough and scream in real life just like in the movies.
HBO's Green Lantern show has cast its John Stewart. Aaron Pierre, the retired Marine seeking justice in Netflix's Rebel Ridge, will star in Lanterns alongside Friday Night Lights coach Kyle Chandler as the comic book detective show begins to take shape.
The PlayStation 5 Pro is about to land, but why spend $700 on a suped up version of an already fine system when you can get the normal one for about half the cost? That's now the case with the standard versions of the PS5, which Sony is now selling refurbished and at a much more palatable price.
Like most human beings, I have spent countless hundreds of hours playing Stardew Valley across multiple systems. It's a joyfully engaging game, with one of the most satisfying progression loops, and all while being so very charming. But there comes a time when you need more. You've grown every crop, married every…
For a long time now, fans have been yelling at Capcom to make a new Dino Crisis. And well, Capcom hasn't done that yet. But we are getting the original Dino Crisis on PS4 and PS5 as part of the next round of PlayStation Plus classics. Plus, Dead Island 2, Ghost Busters, Gris, and more.
Fishing has long been a staple of MMOs, allowing players to enjoy relaxing recreation without worrying about high-level monsters stomping them into the dust. Of course, if you're not mindful of your surroundings, that may still happen, but we digress. Throne and Liberty, however, takes the hobby far more seriously—it…
Fans have been modding Larian Studios' Dungeons & Dragons RPG Baldur's Gate 3 for over a year now, but the developer added official mod support in the game's seventh big patch. This means the BG3 mod scene should be able to alter the game more easily and with reliable tools, and players can install mods without…
Coming off the billion dollar box office hit about the Manhattan project and cosmic regret, Oppenheimer, everyone's wondering what director Christopher Nolan's next movie will be. Details are scarce, though. In fact, all anyone seems to know is that it's coming out in 2026 and might star Matt Damon.
Whether it's the Training mode or the recently released Replay Review, Street Fighter 6 does a wonderful job of easing players into the fighting rhythm. And if you want to master mechanics and hone your play style, there are great in-game tools to help you. A fantastic example of this is the brand-new V-Rival mode,…
The Silent Hill 2 remake has only been out for a few days (for those who had early access at least), but in that short amount of time, people have already created and published a bunch of useful, silly, and odd mods for the PC port of the game, including one that removes all of its iconic fog.
Fall's a great season for picking up some games you've been meaning to get around to. Luckily, as the holidays start to close in, publishers and storefronts begin heavily discounting huge chunks of their respective catalogs to help in that department. These sales often come in waves, and it's now Xbox's turn to host a…
Let's face it, at this point everybody and their mother already owns Stardew Valley. The indie Harvest Moon-like released in 2016 and quickly became a hit amongst gamers. Eight years later and the game is still going strong, with no real sign of developer ConcernedApe stopping support any time soon (despite also…
Gladiator 2 is out next month, so it was only a matter of time before we caught a glimpse of a popcorn bucket that embodied all of the decadence that eventually led Rome to collapse. It's a call back to the helmet Maximus Decimus Meridius wears in the first movie which will presumably have a cameo in the sequel. It's…
Roblox stock fell a whopping nine percent after the publication of a report that claims the software is a "pedophile hellscape," alongside figures that it claims suggest the company is massively exaggerating the number of people using it.
Five years ago, The Weather Channel announced a new, immersive weather presentation tool, powered by Unreal Engine, that uses mixed reality to better depict major weather events. Since then, it's been regularly used on TWC for weather reports and storm warnings, though it's most effective (and memorable) when…
Pacey players are already hard enough to deal with in EA Sports FC games, but in FC 25 things have been even more brutal. The community was quick to uncover a 'speed boost' exploit that could make rapid players like Kylian Mbappe and Rafael Leao even quicker, and it's so easy to pull off that it has become rampant in online Ultimate Team matches. However, EA Sports has finally hit the speed boost with its nerf hammer, so blitzing past defenders shouldn't be quite the cakewalk it previously was.
A new fantasy MMORPG spearheaded by one of the original creators of RuneScape - that's an exciting premise, right? Well, that's exactly what you're getting soon with Brighter Shores, the upcoming game from Andrew Gower's Fen Research studio. However, we come with both bad and good news. The bad news: its early access launch on Steam has been delayed. Darn. The good news: it's only been delayed by a single day. Huzzah!
A song once asked what war was good for, and apart from things like fighting off aggressors, the thing it's best for is providing a background for strategy gaming. Songs of Steel Hispania uses one particular war for its basis, namely the conflict on the Iberian Peninsula between 153 BC and 133 BC. If you aren't familiar with that series of wars then don't worry; Songs of Steel Hispania will get you up to speed with its combination of historical turn-based strategy and consequence-filled narrative decisions. What's more, with its first big patch, it just got a whole lot better to play.
Destiny 2's new episode, Revenant, is now underway and it's delivering a fresh dungeon for players to master and grind. Bungie has just dropped a first-look trailer for Vesper's Host ahead of its debut and dungeon race in a couple of days' time, and it looks absolutely epic. Eagle-eyed Destiny fans have also spotted a familiar face from a past raid, who should be dead and buried, that is seemingly returning - potentially as Vesper's Host's final boss.
The Elder Scrolls Online is never a game to skimp on giving players stuff. There's always some way to boost your rewards, from experience scrolls to tons of free potions and food that slather you in the finest of buffs. Those buffs are rocketing into the sky temporarily, with a new celebration hitting the MMO thanks to players completing every target during the Fallen Leaves of West Weald event.
Coming off the back of what might be considered the worst Call of Duty campaign of all time in Modern Warfare 3, Black Ops 6 appears to be pulling out all the stops with its single-player story. Black Ops campaigns are always pretty good, but BO6's is already looking extremely promising. To make the deal even sweeter, Treyarch has just revealed a mountain of rewards that you'll earn for playing through the campaign, and while freebies for clearing each mission is nothing new, having an enticing set of rewards is more important than usual for this year's COD.
Thanks to a big step up in overall VRAM clock speed, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 will have a total memory bandwidth that's actually higher than the RTX 4090, despite having a much narrower memory bus. That's according to a new leak that suggests the addition of GDDR7 to the RTX 5080 will massively improve its memory throughput.
As what's expected to be Nvidia's second best graphics card option when its new range of gaming GPUs launches next year, the RTX 5080 stands a good chance of outperforming the RTX 4090 anyway. This would fit with the long-standing trend of new Nvidia GPUs where the current generation x080 card beats the previous generation x090 card, but we wouldn't necessarily have expected the RTX 5080 to outpace the RTX 4090 when it comes to memory bandwidth.
How do you open the Silent Hill 2 hospital padlock? An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but there's no such remedy when it comes to Silent Hill 2's nurses. Brookhaven Hospital is a location that strikes fear into the heart of any Silent Hill fan, but progressing beyond the hospital's lobby is far trickier in Bloober's remake than in the original.
Silent Hill 2 is as much a puzzle game as it is horror, which can present a bigger challenge to your progression than the enemies themselves. The Silent Hill 2 padlock puzzle stands between you and the horrors of this nightmare hospital, and you've got to solve it if you want to reach any of the Silent Hill 2 endings. If you're trapped in the lobby and still feeling stumped, we can walk you through how to find the combination code across all difficulty modes.
Where is the Silent Hill 2 great knife? This question is likely on the lips of every Silent Hill fan delving into Bloober Team's remake for the first time. The chance to wield Pyramid Head's iconic weapon is one of the best secrets in the original Silent Hill 2. While it is cumbersome to carry, it's indispensable for ending tough boss fights quickly – and let's be honest, it's also really cool.
The Silent Hill 2 remake reprises the same weapons as the original horror game, so it stands to reason that the great knife is due to make an appearance, too. The ability to take such a powerful weapon into new game plus would make earlier boss fights like the Silent Hill 2 Abstract Daddy so much easier. To save you time, we can tell you the great knife's exact location in the remake, and how to use it. Needless to say, there are some mild spoilers below.
How do you get the Diablo 4 Spiritborn Rod of Kepeleke? The Spiritborn class was released alongside the Vessel of Hatred DLC, and with it, many new mechanics, items, and weapons also came to Diablo 4. This feral class channels the power of the most ferocious animal spirits, and the Rod of Kepeleke quarterstaff is one of the best weapons to aid your Spiritborn in this.
The best D4 Spiritborn build of course utilizes the most powerful skills and Spirit Guardians, but the best Diablo 4 weapon choice can truly maximize those skills. The D4 Rod of Kepeleke is an Ancestral weapon with the ability to boost your skills as well, so it's more than just a stick that deals damage. It's no easy feat, but here's how to get it and take your Spiritborn to the next level.
It's Amazon Prime Day, and the bargains are rolling in. One of the best we've seen so far is this Acer gaming monitor deal, with this 27-inch display on sale with a huge 44% saving compared to its normal retail price.
If you're a gamer, you need to think carefully about your monitor choices, as it's never been more important to pick up a display that'll make the latest AAA games look great. Thankfully, this Acer delivers with specs that rival some of the best gaming monitors out there at this price range.
Where is Sihek in the Deeds of a Champion quest? Once you've completed the main quest in Diablo 4, your real journey begins. End-game content is the real meat for true Diablo players, and one of the first quests you'll take on is called Deeds of a Champion. There is a slight issue, however, in that an NPC may not appear for you if you haven't had a chance to wrap up some other quests elsewhere. Here's how to solve the missing Sihek issue in Deeds of a Champion.
The Diablo 4 DLC is out, and players are already barrelling along in their journies. Whether you've opted to take on the new Spiritborn class, or you're honing your abilities with another of Diablo 4's best builds, the story mode is no joke, especially on one of the harder Diablo 4 difficulties. There is one thing that cannot be overcome with raw power, though, and that's a missing NPC.
Is Infinity Nikki on Steam? The fifth installment in the Nikki series is nearly here, and now we can play on PC, we're wondering where we'll be able to download the game so we can dive into our new wardrobe and explore with our cat companion, Momo.
The Infinity Nikki release date isn't far off and the gacha game is now in closed beta, accessible via the game's official launcher if your sign up was successful. If, however, you haven't had a chance to play yet, or you're wondering how to access Infinity Nikki on PC if you've previously played on mobile, here's everything we know about whether the open-world game is coming to Steam.
Beloved survival crafting game The Planet Crafter has a whole new world to explore. While it's yet to scale to the colossal heights of Satisfactory, the 2024 space game has already proven itself a worthy rival to the likes of No Man's Sky and Astroneer, boasting an incredible 96% rating from just shy of 40,000 Steam reviews. If you've had your fill of terraforming and engineering the base game's barren wasteland into a beautiful, flourishing paradise, the first Planet Crafter DLC is here to whisk you away to a new home - and the best part is that you don't all need to buy a copy to jump into multiplayer.
Nothing beats a gun's feedback in a solid shooter. Doom's super shotgun, Gears of War's active reload, and Warhammer 40k Boltgun's, well, boltgun. The crunch of the enemy as they crumble at your power is something that words can't even accurately describe. You start playing and you just know. I've not seen much of Bloodshed yet, a new and upcoming roguelike FPS that's harkening back to the '90s greats, but I can already tell it knows how to make a gun. The launch isn't far off either, and you can take it for a test drive right now on Steam.
It seems almost ridiculous, the difference that bikes can make in Cities Skylines 2. Given the various problems you have to face in the municipal strategy sequel - taxes, land values, crime, healthcare standards - the existence, or lack, of bike lanes feels superficial. But without them, the entire city building game can grind to a halt. Everything in CS2 is about roads. It doesn't matter how hard you try - without a good Cities Skylines 2 road network, you're cooked. Bike lanes take away from car and vehicle traffic and make everything run cleaner and smoother. So far, however, they've been absent, but Colossal Order has some good news.
USB-C cables and battery chargers might not be the most exciting tech upgrade but they're an essential part of our lives and right now you can make huge savings on guaranteed quality products thanks to this wide-ranging Anker Amazon Prime Day sale. With big savings also to be found on battery packs, USB power adapters, and power banks, now is the time to upgrade your portable power performance.
While plenty of the top Amazon Prime Day deals are for more expensive products, like this 49-inch Samsung gaming monitor deal or this WD and Samsung SSD deal, the Anker savings here are much more modest in terms of total value, but you're still netting discounts of up to 52%. Plus, you're getting yourself some essential gear without the risk of opting for a no-name Amazon discount brand.
If there's one thing I love about World of Warcraft, it's Azeroth. A boundless fantasy realm ripe with opportunity, it feels like no matter how long you've been playing for, you'll never discover all of its secrets. But imagine an Azeroth where that's your exact purpose: to loot everything, explore everything, and get out alive. That's Legacy: Steel and Sorcery, a brand new Dark and Darker-style extraction game from former Blizzard developers (some of which worked on iconic WoW expansions like Wrath of the Lich King and Legion), and if you like the sound of it, you can play it now.
What are the new Tower of Fantasy codes? If you're a fan of popular gacha games like Genshin Impact, you've probably heard of Tower of Fantasy. Much like the game that inspired it, Hotta Studio's open-world RPG has plenty of freebies if you know where to look, and we've got a full list of valid Tower of Fantasy codes just waiting to be redeemed.
In addition to the current ToF codes, there is a Tower of Fantasy battle pass that you can complete via weekly tasks that unlock merit points. You can also get free items by claiming level packs, which contain upgrades for the best Tower of Fantasy characters on our Tower of Fantasy tier list. However, if you want to get new items in Tower of Fantasy in a matter of seconds, here are all the latest codes and how to redeem them.
What are the best League of Legends champions right now? Metas change, the LoL tier list will fluctuate, and it could be that your favorite champion might not be in a great place right now. While you can win games and climb the ranked ladder with nearly anyone in the lower ranks, the changes that come via champion and item balancing can tip the scales enough that some picks are almost mandatory, regardless of which rank you play.
We've studied the latest patch notes and found the best champions in League of Legends right now. These picks will give you the best chance to climb the solo queue ranks in the free PC game, whether it's due to a buff, a kit adjustment, or an item change. If you want to play something other than what's on this list, keep these champions in mind for your ban, as they all have the potential to go on and dominate Summoner's Rift.
October 9, 2024: We've added a new Monopoly Go dice link for free dice rolls.
How can I get Monopoly Go free dice links? The household favorite board game has been reimagined as a free-to-play app on smartphones, allowing everyone to experience the thrills of Monopoly on practically any device. Everything that makes the board game special is here in Monopoly Go, so you'll be collecting properties and building hotels as you go around the board, and there are a variety of multiplayer minigames to get through along the way.
You're going to need to get your hands on Monopoly dice rolls, but they are difficult to come by no matter how far you are into the board game. There are ways to earn additional dice rolls, including logging into the game every day to collect daily bonuses, progressing further in the game, and inviting friends to try Monopoly Go. While you can also spend real money to unlock more dice rolls, you may want to give our list of Monopoly Go dice links a try instead, especially if you're waiting for the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event. Take a look at all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today.
Which characters are in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero? We now have confirmation that the Dragon Ball Sparking Zero roster features 182 characters, and this number is going to increase as the game receives DLC.
Dragon Ball Sparking Zero follows on from the Budokai Tenkaichi games on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii, introducing a new entry to the fighting game series since 2010. Unlike past entries, this new title uses the Japanese name across the world. Read our Dragon Ball Sparking Zero character unlock guide to find out the fastest way to play as your favorite fighters.
Want to know more about Dragon Ball Sparking Zero wishes? There are seven dragon balls scattered across the planet, and if you find them all, you have the power to grant any wish… well, any wish within reason, this is a game, after all.
Finding all seven dragon balls grants you access to Dragon Ball Sparking Zero wishes, allowing you to summon one of three dragons in the anime game. No matter what you're after, there's a good chance that one of the dragons in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero can make your dreams come true, giving you access to in-game rewards that could take quite a while to unlock. Give our Dragon Ball Sparking Zero characters unlock guide a read to find out which ones you can get by summoning Super Shenron.
What's the Throne and Liberty server status? Launching a new MMO is always a challenge, and Throne and Liberty has had to overcome its fair share of them server side. Fortunately, developer NCSoft and publisher Amazon Games have been quick to act, making great strides in improving the player experience.
If you can't currently log into the game, there's a good chance Throne and Liberty maintenance is currently underway. Typically, this process takes several hours, meaning you'll just have to find another great MMO game to play until Throne and Liberty is back online. The T&L team usually announces maintenance ahead of time, so we'll be sure to keep this guide updated with the latest developments.
With October 2024's Amazon Prime Big Deal Days entering its second day, there are still plenty of fantastic gaming PC bargains to be found, including this massive 33% saving on a pair of stereo Edifier R1280DB speakers. This computer speaker deal nets you a stylish pair of superb-sounding 2.0 speakers that are powerful, compact, and packed with features.
As a maker of some of the best computer speakers you can buy, Edifier remains one of the last holdouts for simple, quality speakers for your desktop, whether you're after a 2.0 set or a 2.1 or 5.1 system. The R1280DB set is among its more entry-level 2.0 offerings but these speakers still pack a punch.
We've all used a Steam Deck, so we all know how poor the battery lifecan be when playing a more graphically extensive game like God of War: Ragnarok, or Cyberpunk 2077. Here's the trick, you need a good power bank to accompany your portable PC adventures.
I'm told that if I do one more Prime Big Deal Days post, they'll take off the metal clamps holding my eyelids open, and won't put them back on until Black Friday next month. Result! So here's a little after-dinner mint of a PC gaming hardware bargain: JSAUX's Steam Deck thumbstick covers, which come packaged with some stick-on decals for £8 / $8. Both 20% off, they be, leaving a price so low I have real hope you'll forgive me using the phrase "stocking stuffer" in October.
Back in July, the Powers That Be at Rock Paper Shotgun's parent company Ziff Davis laid off all 36 members of Humble Games, in response to "challenging economic times for indie game publishing". Now, Humble Games's former general manager Alan Patmore and global publishing VP Mark Nash have founded Good Games Group, a new indie publisher who will work with many of the same development partners from their Humble days. They're also partnering with Ziff Davis again, providing support for Humble's previously released games.
I always like to balance the inherent cynicism and general corporate awfulness of covering events like Prime Big Deal Days by focusing recommendations on hardware I genuinely like, and ideally, what I actually own. Partly hence the G515 Lightspeed TKL keyboard post from yesterday. And here's another: the sleek-lookin', sharp-recordin' Logitech StreamCam, which is down from £139 to £70 in the UK and down from $170 to $100 in the US.
Would it be fair to say that we sometimes overlook SATA SSDs? With NVMe drives forming our future and mechanical hard disks increasingly consigned to the past, the 2.5in form factor is just kind of... there. In all of its middle groundedness.
Which is harsh, because they can provide heaps of capacity at relatively attainable prices, as the Crucial BX500 is currently demonstrating. Per Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon UK is running the 2TB version for just £92 (34% off) as well as 4TB for £178 (41% off). Meanwhile, Amazon US is lopping 43% off the 1GB model, bringing it down to $54, with the 4TB model shedding 13% to reach $210.
Taito announced that a PC mouse in the shape of the Liquid Metal Slime monsters from the Dragon Quest series will appear in Japan. The mouse will release exclusively as a prize in select game centers around Japan from October 12, 2024.
As the name implies, the Liquid Metal Slime monster is shaped like a bubbling liquid creature with the iconic smiley face from the slime monsters in the Dragon Quest series. The wired mouse faithfully recreates the monster design, with the face part of the creature being the palm grip and the right and left click being the left part of the monster.
In addition, the bubbles serve as alternate left and right clicks, and one in between the main buttons acts as a mouse wheel. As a note, the mouse seems to be only compatible with the 32 bit versions of Windows 8 or 10.
You can check out the new Liquid Metal Slime monster PC mouse from the Dragon Quest series here:
DAB Motors announced a new electric motorcycle inspired by the clear purple design of the Game Boy Color. The new motorcycle inspired by the classic Nintendo handheld console costs €14,900 (or approximately $16,300) and it is set to come out after December 2024. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]
The vehicle is a custom work by the French vehicle manufacturer of its DAB 1α motorcycle model. The Game Boy Color motorcycle model includes 8-bit style sounds in its display that can be activated using cheat codes that can be found on the fictional game magazine manual that comes alongside the bike. Furthermore, the DAB Motors logo included on the side of the motorcycle has been recreated to imitate the Nintendo logo.
You can check out the new DAB 1α clear purple bike inspired by the Game Boy Color original clear purple design here:
The DAB 1α clear purple custom bike inspired by the Game Boy Color costs €14,900 or around $16,300 and it is scheduled to appear for sale sometime after December 2024.
There are some games that wear their inspirations very blatantly on their sleeves, and Bloomtown: A Different Story is one of them. It's basically an indie take on the Persona formula. Only here, the cast is younger. Imagine a whole crew of Ken Amadas, though with a Corgi that can talk and transforms into a musclebound anthropomorphic form in dungeons instead of Koromaru. It's generally a solid game! However, I will say that sometimes the combat execution in Bloomtown can keep it from feeling as appealing as an actual Persona game.
Siblings Emily and Chester find themselves shipped off to Bloomtown to stay with their grandfather as the summer begins. It's clear something is going on in their family life with their parents. It's an opportunity for fresh air and new adventures. However, shortly after arriving, Emily ends up pulled into the not-Velvet Room underworld to talk with Lucifer about helping to save the town from its demonic influences. This means calling upon demons to fight other demons to save the day. With another young girl recently missing, it's an immediate opportunity for Emily to form a crew and go fighting in another dimension.
Image via Twin Sails Interactive
The story is mostly fine. There are quite a few moments when you're expected to just "go" with whatever is happening and expect it. This means that some exposition occasionally ends up missing. Sometimes the script and dialogue feels stronger than others, which is an issue during some especially dramatic and traumatic moments. In general, I enjoyed the concept and idea, but would sometimes feel like specific story beats or segments weren't handled as well or didn't provide enough information.
As Bloomtown is a game inspired by Persona, gameplay is split between what happens during the day when exploring the town and surrounding areas and what goes on when you enter the otherworldly and dark dungeons to confront demons. Time passes as you explore and perform activities. Emily can work, shop, fish, build up stats that influence her options in conversations, meet with people, farm, and generally go about a typical daily life for a kid or teenager. It's really soothing and well-paced. I never felt like I didn't have enough time to accomplish things, or like I couldn't find anything to do. It's honestly really enjoyable! So much so, I'd have been happy to play a game that only focused on that element of things.
But there is also dealing with the darkness that corrupts individuals and ruins a community. This isn't exactly bad, but I felt it wasn't handled as well as the more social, daily life elements. Actually exploring the "dungeons" is pretty great. There will be mechanics that involve light puzzle-solving to progress. Also, like Persona, Bloomtown is the type of game where it might stop what you're doing in the underside area for a bit to go accomplish real-world stuff.
It really comes down to the actual battle system and demon acquisition features in Bloomtown not feeling strong enough compared to other parts of the game, which is bad when Persona is so strong at that. It's a typical turn-based battle system. Positioning is an issue, in that you can't attack enemies in the back row until ones in the front are knocked out. Which isn't the worst. There's even an attempt at some novel mechanics by having elemental abilities coordinate with each other for additional effects and damage. However, I felt like the fights tended to drag on a bit even after a patch designed to make enemies less likely to repeatedly dodge attacks.
Image via Twin Sails Interactive
Plus, actually acquiring more demons in Bloomtown isn't as simple as it is in the Persona or Shin Megami Tensei series. You don't just automatically get a chance at recruiting a new one after a battle or have prompts to start a recruiting process. You need to instead target the opponent's weakness repeatedly. If you're lucky, then you might get a chance to recruit it! But then if you want to do actual arranging and handling of your demons so far, you need to be in the Purple Cage.
It's weird that the actual battling and recruiting system does feel so restrictive, because the rest of the game does include more than a few quality of life improvements over other RPGs. It's easy to get around areas. Quests are easy to track. The map is pretty detailed, so I didn't have much trouble when it comes to finding out how to get to certain places. The UIs is fantastic and has a great feel to it. The downside there being, demons can't be managed outside of visits with Lucifer. I do wish I had more controls over saves, but since I played on Switch and could just put it into rest mode that didn't bother me too much.
Image via Twin Sails Interactive
But the part of Bloomtown: A Different Story that I really think sells it is the level of detail in its design. It's filled with absolutely gorgeous pixel art. This is especially easy to appreciate when just wandering around the safer daily-life world, but even in dungeons you'll get moments to appreciate how everything looks. Even the smaller character sprites are quite detailed for their size, not to mention the intricacies of the monsters. It looks lovely.
I enjoyed my time with Bloomtown: A Different Story, and it's always fun to see the influence a series like Persona can have on another game. The day-to-day time spent in the overworld is especially interesting, since you can really appreciate character interactions, artwork, and sidequests. I just wish I had as much fun going through the dungeons, but the execution of the battle system and manner in which we acquire new demons aren't exactly ideal.
Stardew Valley is a pretty cozy, relaxing, and peaceful farming sim game. Even with the dungeon-crawling aspect and light combat, it is still much calmer than most games. However, perhaps you don't want that for the Halloween season. If you want the best Stardew Valley Halloween mods to spice up and terrify this otherwise cozy game, you're in the right place.
One of the signature parts of Stardew Valley is picking the farm type you want to start out with. Since this is a huge decision, it can affect how you feel about your farm. This mod adds the Haunted Woods Farm option. As you might expect, your farm is in the middle of some spooky woods that will be unnerving no matter the season.
It also has some quality-of-life features like boundaries for NPCs like animals so you don't lose them, which is a nice touch. My favorite part, though, is how the Haunted Woods Farm changes in appearance throughout the four seasons.
Some might say that this farming sim is a bit too peaceful at times, especially since most of the combat happens in the mines. If that is you, this is the mod for you. It makes this game much more like Minecraft and other survival games in which nighttime is far deadlier. Monsters will invade all across the world once night falls. This can lead to some intense moments as you fend off slimes, ghosts, and more as you try to make it back home in time.
The villagers in this game are some of the best parts of the entire experience. So, what if they were all dead? Yes, this mod turns everyone into a ghost, except they don't know they are one. If you explore enough, you will even find their corpses, which will clue you in to how they met their demise.
This is by far the most sinister and genuinely scariest mod I've experienced for the game, and it adds such a neat lore layer to the experience. Just beware there is some heavy content handled in this mod, which may be triggering.
Stardew Valley is available for Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Square Enix released a reveal trailer for Ember Storia, the developer's new mobile and PC strategy RPG. Pre-registrations for the new title are now open on both Android and iOS devices via the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store respectively, and PC via the DMM Games official website for the title.
The main character designer for Ember Story is Yusuke Kozaki, known for his work on Fire Emblem Awakening, Fire Emblem Fates, and the AI: The Somnium Files games. Furthermore, Final Fantasy XIII, FFVII Remake, and FFVII Rebirth composer Masashi Hamauzu will be in charge of the store, with Benny Matsuyama being in charge of the main scenario. Additionally, Square Enix hasn't offered any information on when the game will officially release, or if it will appear overseas.
The reveal trailer for Ember Storia shows a mix of 3D rendered story cutscenes, as well as city building segments and real-time strategy battles between armies of varying sizes. This new mobile game takes place in a land called Rengoku, a place infested with monsters in which the champion of the tower will be able to change the world.
The trailer is only available in Japanese and it offers a brief glimpse at how the game will look and play. You can check it out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Mb_9AkStM
Ember Storia is a new mobile strategy RPG from Square Enix. The game will appear on Android and iOS devices as well as PC, and pre-registration are now open in Japan. There is no release date yet, and it is unknown if the game will release outside of Japan.
Production Kawaii announced on social media that the agency is closing, and all of the company's Vtubers will go indie. The outlet's last day will be November 30, 2024, but all performers are expected to go on and perform as usual past December 1, 2024.
Here is the official announcement about the Production Kawaii shutdown. It confirmed that its talents will still perform concerts and be at conventions that were already announced. However, no future ones will be discussed unless they are individual events handled by the Vtubers. The company will also still handle fan letters and gifts for the talents and sell merchandise based on them until November 30, 2024.
There are currently 15 active Vtubers at Production Kawaii. Here's the list of who they are, their social media handles, and where you can find their streams:
Many of the performers already released statements of their own. Reina Sun and Shee Icho released extensive statements going over how each will continue to stream. Some released shorter initial comments about their situation and continued activities, such as Namiji Freesia and Nene Amano. Others even did full streams to go over the change, like Charlotte Suzu, Lua Asuka, and Tomoe Carmine. When Isla Coleman discussed it, she noted the decision "involves a big dream of mine slipping away." In the case of Kaya Nishikino, she just shared a meme image.
Namiji Freesia also shared the following image in response:
The cast of Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact is getting larger, as the newest revealed character is Genthru. He'll be a playable fighter, and a new trailer showed exactly how he'll work when he enters the arena.
Editor's Note: There will be spoilers regarding the Nen abilities Genthru has in Hunter x Hunter below.
An initial gameplay trailer showing how Genthru will work in Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact appeared. In the introduction shot, he appears alongside Bara and Sub. It seems both of them will join Genthru for some of his attacks, as we see them when the fight begins and when he summons both to attack Biscuit at the 11 second mark. His own established Nen abilities start to appear at the 13 second mark immediately after that. He first uses Little Flower against his opponent. At the 25 second mark, he performs his Countdown attack against Gon.
Here's the full video showing everything Genthru is capable of as he fights Biscuit and Gon:
We will need to wait a while before we end up getting to play as Genthru in the game. Bushiroad announced it was being pushed back to 2025 at the end of September 2024. However, the delay seems to be for a good reason. The game will now include rollback netcode to ensure a more supportive online environment when it appears.
Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact will appear on the Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC in 2025, now that it's been delayed. The Hunter x Hunter anime is available to watch on Crunchyroll. You can also buy the localized manga from Viz Media.
Bloober Team released a new Silent Hill 2Dev Diaries video going over James Sunderland and analyzing the character, now that the remake launched. Creative Director and Lead Designer Mateusz Lenart, Lead Writer Andrzej Madrzak, Senior Narrative Designer Barbara Kciuk, Lead Character Artist Pablo Poliakov, and Senior 3D Animator Jakub Zych all appeared in the video to discuss the development process and character. James' voice actor Luke Roberts also showed up to discuss his portrayal and take on James.
Things began by setting up James Sunderland as a normal man in an abnormal situation in Silent Hill 2. From there, Lenart discussed how Bloober Team wanted to pay tribute to what was, then update and add their own touches. This portion went over how the character's appearance changed over the in-game time spent in the town. So his facial hair growth is pointed out, as is the way his clothing deteriorates and how he starts to look more exhausted. The designers bring up how combat is designed to show how he is an "office worker" and not a warrior.
From about the four minute mark, the focus of the Silent Hill 2 Dev Diaries installment is largely on Luke Roberts and his portrayal of James Sunderland. We see both the voice acting and motion capture endeavors with Bloober Team. Roberts also shared what it was like to play the character.
Silent Hill 2 is available on the PS5 and PC worldwide. It will be a Sony console exclusive for one year. You can play the original game on the PS2, Xbox, and PC, as well as in Silent Hill HD Collection on the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Nintendo announced that people will be able to celebrate Halloween in Splatoon 3 ahead of the holiday with a Splatoween Splatfest again. The event will go live in the game on October 25, 2024, and it will end on October 27, 2024.
While this is a rerun of the event from October 2023, the three sides are different. The 2023 version asked people to choose if they would consider a zombie, skeleton, or ghost to make the "best" friend. The 2024 edition involves picking the class you'd be if you were in a fantasy world. The options are wizard, knight, and ninja. Shiver is tied to "Wizard," Frye is on the "Knight" side, and Big Man is the "Ninja" spokesperson.
You can already claim the Splatoon 2 Halloween returning items in Splatoon 3 now. People need to turn on their Switch, visit the SRL News story in the News section, then visit the Lobby Terminal in-game to get the four Head parts. (These were claimed in the same way in the previous entry.)
For a reminder of how those look, here's the official announcement showing the designs from social media.
Nintendo already established it would be rerunning past Splatfest events in Splatoon 3 even though support is drawing to a close, and we've seen the Splatoween events return before in the second game.
Now that October is here, games are kicking off events tied to the season, and Sega announced the PSO2 New Genesis Halloween event with decorations, activities, and costumes are now live. Those started on October 9, 2024, and it seems many of them are live until November 5, 2024.
To start, there will be Central City decorations, characters in costumes, and events. If you go to that hub, you'll see spooky decorations set up throughout the month. Mags will also be pumpkin-orange. If you visit Xiemi to get things from the Seasonal Points Exchange Shop, you'll see her in a gothic gown for the occasion. The Haunted Domain II Urgent Quest is live, and all Urgent Quests can now be completed twice as a "treat."
There are also new items to pick up tied to the Halloween season in PSO2 New Genesis. The AC Shop is selling C/Grand Dread Keeper II materials. The Reward Box lets you trade medals for seasonal items. Beating 50 enemies in Enemy Supression gets you a Halloween Reward Box. Two elements of the seasonal event are tied to character appearances. Using the Salon is free at the moment. There is also a Halloween '24 Special Scratch gacha available now, and Monster Masquerade '24 with gothic costumes and the Jack-o'-Lantern pumpkin seat starts on October 16, 2024.
The first trailer going over the Halloween activities and first gacha shows off what we can expect after the 3:32 minute mark below.
Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is available as a free-to-play online game worldwide on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with an additional Nintendo Switch cloud version appearing in Japan.
HoYoVerse is teasing the reveal of the second 2.7 Honkai: Star Rail character, rather than showing the other new five-star debuting in the patch alongside Sunday. Typically, drip marketing reveals them after the Special Program comes up, but this time the developer is waiting until the same day as it.
Here is HoYoVerse's announcement regarding the second 2.7 new Honkai: Star Rail character. No details about the identity of the person were revealed. However, there have been hints leading up to it in-game and leaks have already suggested who the new unit will be. The replies to the post bring that up, so avoid reading those if you don't want to see spoilers.
While Sunday and this character will be the Honkai: Star Rail five-stars and new additions before 2024 ends, there's only one confirmed addition for 2.6. That's Rappa. She's a Galaxy Ranger on the Erudition path that deals Imaginary damage. As such, expect to rely on her for AOE assaults. She'll be a five-star when she joins the roster.
Honkai: Star Rail is available on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and we will see the 2.6 Special Program airs at 4:30am PT/7:30am ET on October 11, 2024.
Black Cats Gaming has released its latest roleplaying game, Cursed Captains of Cthulhu, now available in PDF on the official website, DriveThruRPG, and itch.io. Developed by James Barry, the game combines elements of piracy during the Golden Age with themes from the Cthulhu mythos. Players are tasked with assembling crews to explore the Caribbean, facing...
Japanime Games has launched a Kickstarter campaign for An'Imaria: Domains of Destiny, a nearly 500-page anime-inspired 5E setting guide. Drawing inspiration from popular anime like One Piece, Frieren, and Solo Leveling, An'Imaria aims to bring the vibrant worlds of anime to your Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. The campaign, which also includes the adventure book An'Imaria...
MIR, a dark fantasy TTRPG by Little Dusha, is currently live on Kickstarter. With its haunting narrative set in a world struggling against the encroaching Ruin, MIR offers players a unique journey through moral dilemmas, trauma, and dark intrigue—where every decision carries a weight that can shape reality itself. The game, which is pronounced as...
Creative Jam Games has launched Capybattle on Gamefound, a two-player board game where players assume the role of capybara monarchs. In the game, players work to control five quarters in a row by leading capybara knights and constructing various structures. Each turn, actions are activated based on the placement of capybara monarchs, with options that...
The latest video from the official Dungeons & Dragons channel has provided an overview of the upcoming changes to the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. Players can expect new magic items and expanded crafting rules, offering more customization in their adventures. The new Dungeon Master's Guide chapter focuses on different types of treasure, ranging from coins...
Wicked Christmas is a holiday-themed strategy card game where players compete to end with the lowest score by destroying their presents. Set in a whimsical Christmas world, the game combines fast-paced action with elements of strategy and surprise. Players take turns playing cards from their hands, trying to match or play a lower card than...
Triad Trouble in the "Paris of the East" Publisher: Modiphius Entertainment Release Date: September 19th, 2024 Links: Modiphius, DriveThruRPG At a glance Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20: Operation Oberon takes players to the bustling streets of Shanghai in January 1943. With Imperial Japanese forces controlling the city and the sinister Black Sun faction seeking occult treasures, this...
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, October 9, 2024 4:44 PM