Kotaku Sunday, October 27, 2024 10:30 AM  This week's tips roundup includes a helpful hint for recovering MP in Metaphor: ReFantazio, as well as pointers for tackling Sonic X Shadow Generations. We've also got tips of another kind, highlighting some great games to snag on sale this Halloween season. And if you're wondering just what the deal is with Batman:… |
PCGamesN Sunday, October 27, 2024 11:30 AM  Metaphor ReFantazio, described in summary, sounds like any number of traditional fantasy games. It stars a ragtag band of adventurers from disparate backgrounds, bound together in a quest to thwart a powerful villain. It takes place in a universe populated by goblins and dragons, human-like figures with horns jutting from the sides of their heads or wings folded next to their arms. There are kings and princes living in cobblestoned cities surrounded by stretches of verdant forests and sandy deserts. And yet, even while embracing so much of the fantasy genre, Metaphor is eager to subvert or complicate its trappings at nearly every turn. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Metaphor Refantazio review, Best RPG games, Best JRPGs |
PCGamesN Sunday, October 27, 2024 10:52 AM  It's been over a year since Starfield launched. In that time, Bethesda's spacefaring take on its RPG formula didn't quite make the impact the team was hoping for. Taking what made Skyrim and Fallout so engaging and spreading it across an entire galaxy inadvertently ruined the magic. The act of exploring Bethesda games is a core part of what makes them so alluring, and Starfield lost it. If the team makes Starfield 2, though, one former Bethesda designer says this opportunity should make for a much improved game. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield mods, Best RPGs, Best space games |
PCGamesN Sunday, October 27, 2024 10:19 AM  Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred has probably been the most fun I've had so far with Blizzard's newest RPG, a game I already enjoyed a lot. But at this point I've done just about everything, save for grinding out those last few paragon levels and looking for perfect rolls, and Path of Exile 2 still hasn't arrived. Fortunately, the team at Project Diablo 2 is here to help, with the launch of its tenth season for the revamped, modernized version of one of the best PC games of all time. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best games like Diablo, Best RPG games |
PCGamesN Sunday, October 27, 2024 8:56 AM  October 27, 2024: We've added two new entries to the latest 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 October 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Sunday, October 27, 2024 8:32 AM  Satisfactory 1.0 has been a huge success. The sandbox and factory automation game is hitting new heights on Steam, and there are plenty more updates on the way. As I write this the game is still averaging around 50,000 concurrent players on Valve's platform alone. Hotfixes have been coming in thick and fast since 1.0 dropped, but that's changing for a little while. Community manager Snutt Treptow says developer Coffee Stain Studios is dropping update 1.0.0.5 soon, and then holding off until Ficsmas, where even more changes will come. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best building games, Best sandbox games, Satisfactory mods |
PCGamesN Sunday, October 27, 2024 8:10 AM  With the Warhammer Vermintide 2 Versus mode just around the corner, developer Fatshark details a major update that will make the game more fun for all players, old and new, whether they're playing the PvP mode or not. We've seen a lot of love for the 40k side of the coin in 2024, but now one of the best Warhammer games on PC is taking after its futuristic counterpart as Fatshark follows up a full Darktide overhaul with this comprehensive Vermintide 2 progression rework. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Warhammer games, Best Warhammer 40k games, Best sword games |
PCGamesN Sunday, October 27, 2024 7:40 AM  October 27, 2024: We added several new Anime Royale codes to our list. What are the new Anime Royale codes? Throwing you into an anime world where you can summon your favorite heroes from multiple anime series into battle, Anime Royale adds a level of thrill to the Roblox tower defense experience. By having extra rewards at your disposal, you can get a head start by having access to more resources quicker as you prepare to conquer waves of enemies. Among the many anime titles on Roblox, you can also try the latest Special Anime Defense codes or YBA codes to get an additional edge. In the meantime, we've tested and confirmed all of the below active Anime Royale codes. Continue reading Anime Royale codes MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Sunday, October 27, 2024 7:06 AM  Once you get into an MMO's endgame, that's when the best gear starts showing up. Whether you're grinding, crafting, or fighting the toughest bosses available, there are plenty of ways to get on top. For Throne and Liberty, it's the world-spawning Arch Bosses. Appearing once a week, they're tough and grueling encounters that entire servers can get involved in. Therein lies the problem, though, as the sheer volume of players in one place at one time has already caused issues. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MMORPGs, Throne and Liberty codes, Throne and Liberty weapons |
PCGamesN Sunday, October 27, 2024 6:41 AM  New Call of Duty Black Ops 6 patch notes have arrived, fixing a few key issues with multiplayer and CoD zombies in the latest game from Treyarch and Activision. The first Call of Duty to come out on Game Pass day one following the Microsoft acquisition, Black Ops 6 has so far kept me much more entertained than its predecessor, Modern Warfare 3. However, crashes and bugs are still blighting many PC players, leaving the new game with a 'mixed' reception on Steam. As it works on fixes, the Treyarch team announces its first CoD update since the official launch. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Black Ops 6 release date, Best FPS games, Best Black Ops 6 loadouts |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, October 27, 2024 12:00 PM  Hello reader who is also a reader, and welcome back to Booked For The Week - our regular Sunday chat with a selection of cool industry folks about books! Most of us know about the novel, the novella, and the rare novito, but did you know that Penguin briefly tried to market the 'big nov' - single sentences of much larger works, bizarrely serialised into hardbacks weighty enough to club the equally rare giga-seal? Some things are best left forgotten, but not Dragon Age! It's Dragon Age month, and here's Dragon Age veteran and good YouTuber, Mark Darrah! Cheers Mark! Mind if we have a nose at your bookshelf? |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, October 27, 2024 7:00 AM  Sundays are for doing things you haven't done in a long time, like a long stretch after years trapped in a languorous hunch. Former Edge designer Andrew Hind has launched On, a premium print magazine in which he and editor-in-chief Nathan Brown invite writers to produce their dream article. |
Siliconera Sunday, October 27, 2024 9:00 AM
Virtual pets are, by their very nature, a very hands-off experience. You typically can't actually touch or interact with one. In the case of a Tamagotchi, for example, it comes down to pushing buttons. Well, back in 2021, Takara Tomy started releasing the Punirunes virtual pet in Japan, and now Spin Master picked them up for a worldwide release. The "game changer" here is a fourth button that is designed to make it feel like are actually touching the squishy, slime-based pet. It… works way better than I expected.
Punirunes works much in the same way a Tamagotchi does, so for the most part the virtual pet should feel familiar. You need to feed it, pet it, play with it, and clean up after it to ensure it stays alive and doesn't melt away. Many of these actions are kicked off by navigating the interface through the three buttons on the front of the unit, guiding the character through its three stages of life. Depending on your care, different evolutions appear.
The difference here is tied to the most important part of the interface, a joystick inside of the unit. When you start playing, you select a skin color for your hand. Pretty much every element of the character's care then also involves "touching" it by pressing or moving the joystick with what is basically a squishy thumbpad on top. Want to make it happy? Place your finger inside. The sensor reads it and shows it on-screen. Rub the joystick. It's happy!
Other actions are similarly tied to such movements, and as a result create a virtual pet experience that feels like you're "actually interacting" with the character. Feeding it the default gummy bear? You need to press down on it with your finger to put it in front of your friend. Want to make different food? Buy some, use the orbs you collect by playing, and actually stir the pot with your finger. Is the room dusty? The Punirunes folks are apparently sticky, so move them around the room by shoving them around. Then, select a bath and rub their head to clean off the dust. The only major action that doesn't involve touching is cleaning up poop, which is appreciated!
As you'd expect, part of earning money for in-game cosmetics or food is tied to minigames. What surprised me was the range of offerings in Punirunes, as there are more options than in a virtual pet like a Tamagotchi. These rely on the interior joystick to play. In one, you pound mochi as quickly as possible to create a snack. Another is like "whack-a-mole," though you attempt to only hit the soft Punirunes character and not one with a spiky head. There is a platformer, which involves holding down on the joystick and left or right to jump while avoiding enemies. A dance game appears, as does one about collecting bubbles underwater. You also can try and help a character get items in a grabbing machine.
The quality of these varies. I really appreciated the mochi and platformer more than I expected. The input sensitivity for the dancing minigame kept it from being a top tier choice. But really, the only "loser" feels like the swimming one, as it can be finicky to move around properly. But as a plus, the screen, color choices, and backlight are so vibrant that everything is easy to see.
Not so easy to photograph, however. See what I mean?
I do think there are two concerns with this type of toy that don't necessarily come up with a Tamagotchi or other virtual pets. The first involves the touching mechanic. The interior orb does feel a bit tacky, at least initially, so you want to make sure your hands are clean when playing. I could also see that as being a dust magnet, so keeping the area covered when not in use could be wise.
Also, unlike Tamagotchis, I didn't really notice any alerts. The screen goes dark quickly too. As such, it can be really easy to step away for a few hours or maybe even forget to check in, then you discover your character is in dire straights. I didn't have any melt on me in this way, probably because I was setting timers for myself, but it might be upsetting to lose due to not hearing any chimes reminding you to come back.
I really appreciated how Punirunes leaned into the "touching" gimmick for the virtual pet. Takara Tomy and Spin Master released something that does feel very unique. There's a fun range of activities there. Just make sure you take proper care of it.
The Punirunes virtual pet is available worldwide, and the second season of the anime based on it is airing in Japan. The anime episodes are also available to watch on YouTube.
The post Punirunes Virtual Pet Embraces Its Gimmick appeared first on Siliconera. |
