Oct 31, 00:00


GamersHeroes Wednesday, October 30, 2024 11:06 PM
    

Just the thing for spooky season, players will be able to traverse eerie haunted attractions, solve puzzles, and evade sinister entities with the release of Celeritas Games' Haunted Halloween.

The post Co-Op Horror Shooter Haunted Halloween Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, October 30, 2024 5:50 PM
    

The latest trailer for TOSE and Bandai Namco's Tales of Graces f Remastered provides a fresh look at this action RPG's gameplay.

The post Tales of Graces f Remastered Gameplay Trailer Released appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:29 PM
    

Red Barrels is teaming up with Lionsgate and horror producer Roy Lee to develop a feature film anchored in the Outlast series universe.

The post Lionsgate to Adapt Outlast for New Horror Film appeared first on GamersHeroes.


Kotaku Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:45 PM
    

The PS5 Pro launch is still over a week away, but fans have already made an annoying discovery: the new console won't work with players' existing custom cover plates. Sony will eventually sell new ones, but those won't be available until sometime in the future.

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:08 PM
    

We're still getting new information from the massive Pokémon data breach that happened earlier this month, and while there have been some details about upcoming projects in the mix, it's mostly consisted of design docs and other information about old games we've already played. We've seen starter Pokémon that never…

Read more...


PCGamesN Wednesday, October 30, 2024 8:12 PM
     Black Ops 6 breaks Call of Duty series records with mega opening weekend

It was only a matter of time before Activision and Microsoft began letting off some fireworks celebrating yet another colossal Call of Duty launch. Most new CoDs are often lavished with a selection of very positive and carefully-curated engagement and sales stats that always manage to show that the series is on the up. Well, now it's Black Ops 6's turn, and to be honest, it sounds like there's not too much need to dress things up this time around - not only has it trounced last year's Modern Warfare 3 when it comes to sales, but it has also enjoyed the biggest launch weekend of any Call of Duty game ever.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Black Ops 6 guns, Black Ops 6 missions, Black Ops 6 loadouts

PCGamesN Wednesday, October 30, 2024 7:29 PM
     Back 4 Blood stages Steam comeback with heaps of positive reviews

The world has forever been crying out for a successor to Left 4 Dead. There have been a few attempts to try and recapture that magic, such as Redfall, Vermintide 2, or World War Z, but nothing really hits that spot like Left 4 Dead did. The nearest anyone has come is underrated shooter Back 4 Blood, created by the developer behind the original co-op FPS zombie experience. Despite some ups and downs in its history, the game is currently doing pretty well thanks to a big sale and reviews that are beginning to finally turn positive.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Back 4 Blood review, Best co-op games, Best zombie games

PCGamesN Wednesday, October 30, 2024 7:10 PM
     Work on ambitious survival game Nightingale

We've seen some huge survival game success stories this year - even some that were released with a healthy amount of jank and performance issues like Palworld. However, buried beneath the high-fliers is Nightingale - a gorgeous survival experience that has undergone some radical changes since its February launch, but one that is still struggling to attract players. As a result of the game's poor performance, developer Inflexion Games has confirmed that it is laying off dozens of staff. That said, it's still committed to working on Nightingale, which still remains in early access.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games on PC, Best crafting games on PC, Best fantasy games on PC

PCGamesN Wednesday, October 30, 2024 5:24 PM
     New Killer Klowns map sees Steam player numbers double, but there's a catch

Dead by Daylight needs some competition in the world, and recently offerings like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Killer Klowns from Outer Space The Game have been able to step into the space once solely held by that title. Unfortunately, the latter of those has had a rough time since launch with players on Steam turning away from it, but a newly released patch and map has seen a turnaround in that downward trend. At least, partially.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Horror games, Killer Klowns from Outer Space release date, Multiplayer games

PCGamesN Wednesday, October 30, 2024 5:20 PM
     These Doomed Isles makes you a god at both city building and deck building

If you've sunk thousands of hours into series like Cities Skylines, Tropico, and Frostpunk, you may consider yourself something of a city builder god. Well, here's a game that lets you literally earn that title, as These Doomed Isles puts you in the shoes of Greek, Celtic, Japanese, and Mayan gods and asks you to build a kingdom. These Doomed Isles has just celebrated its 1.0 launch after a spell in Steam Early Access, and it gives you plenty of plates to spin.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best city building games, Best roguelike games, Best strategy games

Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 10:30 PM
    

kimi ga nozomu eien

An enhanced version of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, or The Eternity You Desire, is now available on Steam. As of the time of writing, there's a 10% sale.

This release marks the first time that Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is officially available in English since the game came out in 2001. As a note, it does contain some references to sexual content, which means that it may be inappropriate for younger players. As it's based on the all-ages port though, there won't be anything explicit. The game was supposed to come out earlier this month. However, aNCHOR delayed it around four times in order make necessary fixes and adjustments for rating review.

aNCHOR (formerly Age) first announced the enhanced edition back in August 2024. At the time, the release date was slated for October 17, 2024 before the aforementioned delays. The story does have a love triangle between the two main heroines and the male lead, though there are eight routes in total. Over time, it's garnered a reputation for having a depressing story that'll make the player cry. So it may not be the right game to play if you're in the mood for a cheery or lighthearted romance.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is available in Japanese and English via Windows PC. You can purchase it through Steam.

The post Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien is Finally Out in English appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 9:30 PM
    

november 2024 playstation plus games

Sony has revealed its monthly PlayStation Plus games for November 2024.The catalog includes the day 1 release of Death Note: Killer Within.

In total, there will be three games available. They are: Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the aforementioned Death Note: Killer Within. Of these games, the only one that won't be available on the PS4 is Ghostwire: Tokyo.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged is a racing game that includes over 130 Hot Wheels. You'll be able to upgrade vehicles, as well as create your own tracks and share them with other fans. Ghostwire: Tokyo is an action-adventure game in which you fight against supernatural entities in an empty Tokyo while investigating where everyone went. Finally, Death Note: Killer Within will be an online social deduction game for up to 10 players. You have to either eliminate L as Kira or one of Kira's followers, or seize the Death Note as L or one of the investigators.

You can watch the announcement trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruA_FjZrPfs

All of the games will be available for free from November 5, 2024 if you're a member of PlayStation Plus. As a reminder, November 4, 2024 will also be the last day to download the games for October. These were Dead Space, WWE 2k24, and Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!.

The post Here Are the November 2024 PlayStation Plus Games appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 9:00 PM
    

nintendo music

Nintendo has unveiled Nintendo Music, which is a music app that only Nintendo Switch Online members can access. With this, you'll be able to download and stream music from various Nintendo soundtracks.

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1851747457853440212

There are several ways to look for tracks you like. You can do so via series, character, or mood. You can also search up in-game artists from the Splatoon games if there's an artist you like. As a note though, the actual real-life composers are not in the credits of the tracks. For example, Teruo Taniguchi composed "Battle! (Team Star Boss)" for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. However, his name does not show up in the Nintendo Music app.

The same goes for "Calamari Inkantation" from Splatoon 3. While the app lists it under "Deep Cut x Squid Sisters," that's the in-game artist. In reality, series composer Shiho Fujii composed it and keity performed it. It's unknown if Nintendo will start crediting the real-life artists in the future.

A feature that some fans may particularly enjoy is that you can designate how long a track plays for. There are already some extended tracks and playlists to listen to. But you can also do that for individual tracks, with 60 minutes or an hour as the maximum.

You can download Nintendo Music through Google Play or the Apple App Store. As a reminder, you need to be a member of Nintendo Switch Online to use this app.

The post Nintendo Music App Lets You Listen to Your Favorite Nintendo Tracks appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 8:00 PM
    

poketoon capsakid

A new Poketoon series stars Capsakid, one of the new Pokemon species from Generation 9. The title of the series is Romantic Spice: The Legend of Capsakid. [Thanks, PR Times!]

The story of Romantic Spice: The Legend of Capsakid follows a particular Capsakid with a nasty penchant for biting others. Then, it meets a girl named Akira. The two of them don't start off on the right foot. They often get into fights and the Capsakid bites her a lot. But over time, they start to become friends. Pikachu is there too. According to director Takashi Yamamoto, the story is about two lonely individuals who slowly become friends after multiple conflicts with each other. "What if there'd been a Pokemon anime in the 1980s?" was also a concept, which may be a reason for the more retro-like character designs.

You can watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9lauvhz6BZY

The official English Pokemon YouTube channel has not uploaded it yet. There aren't any captions available for the one on the Japanese channel either. However, there's not a lot of dialogue anyway, so even those who don't understand Japanese should be able to get the gist of the story.

The voice actress for Akira, Honoka Inoue, states that even though it's only a minute long, the Poketoon episode succinctly introduces and wraps up Akira's story with Capsakid. As a note, Honoka Inoue is the daughter of veteran voice actress Kikuko Inoue, who's also in this episode as the titular Capsakid. Most of Honoka Inoue's previous roles are fairly minor. However, Kikuko Inoue has had many prominent roles throughout the course of her career. These include I-No in Guilty Gear, Lust from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Philia in Tales of Destiny.

The latest entry in the Pokemon mainline series, Scarlet and Violet, is available on the Nintendo Switch.

The post New Poketoon Episode Stars Capsakid appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 7:45 PM
    

Yu-Gi-Oh! Rage of the Abyss: newest packs for deckbuilding

Yu-Gi-Oh! has gone through a lot of evolutions since the trading card game first launched back in 2002 in North America. In that time, most of the key features of it have changed in big ways. Special Summons have branched beyond effect monsters into Pendulum summoning, Synchro summoning, and XYZ (said like Exceed but with a Z) summoning, and hands are all about combo-ing effects to get a desirable state. This can be overwhelming for people, like me, who have been out of the swing for a while. Here are five of the best Yu-Gi-Oh! decks I've encountered for returning players to learn the new ins and outs at your own pace.

1. Beware of Traptrix

Traptrix Cularia, one of the lynchpin Traptrix monsters, and part of one of the Best Yu-Gi-Oh! Decks for returning players
Image via Konami

The Traptrix deck focuses on very simple mechanics: Trap Holes. These cards are all about moving your deck's trap cards into position so that, no matter what your opponent does, you can send their monsters to the graveyard or banish them from play altogether. Cards like Gravedigger's Trap Hole Because of its focus on Trap Cards, it also allows players to play without needing to think too much about what combos into what other cards.

The Beware of Traptrix Structure Deck also comes with two extremely strong spell cards that classic players will be able to use, relatively unchanged: Raigeki and Harpie's Feather Duster. Raigeki allows players to destroy every monster their opponent controls and Harpie's Feather Duster destroys all of your opponent's Spell and Trap cards. This structure deck has a lot of versatility and doesn't force players to get too deep into many of the new summoning mechanics, but it does reward players who are willing to give them a try with renewable trap cards and negating your opponent's effects with Link Summon cards like Traptrix Cularia and Traptrix Atypus.

2. Fire Kings

One of the Best New Decks for Returners to Yu-gi-oh! is Fire Kings, featuring High Avatar Garunix
Image via Konami

For players who want to learn the ins and outs of Xyz Summoning, the Fire Kings archetype and its structure deck are a great way to start learning. The entire deck focuses on special summoning fire monsters and cycling them in and out of the graveyard in order to both Xyz summon strong monsters and to remove your opponent's cards from play.

Many of the cards in this archetype revolve around recycling monsters back and forth from the graveyard to ensure that you can destroy your opponent's monsters and increase your new heavy hitters' attack. This and the Field Spell Fire King Island enhances your ability to reliably clear the field and Special Summon your heavy hitter Xyz cards like Garunix Eternity, Hyang of the Fire Kings.

3. Lovely Labrynth

Image via Konami

This deck is kind of an evolution of the Traptrix deck where instead of relying solely on the traps, the Labrynth monster cards also allow you to directly damage your opponent after your traps activate. In addition, many of the traps, like Big Welcome Labrynth, allows you to cycle your strong monsters back into your hand to save them from your opponent's bigger effects. It allows allows for the successful activation of a single Trap Card to trigger a multitude of follow-up Monster and Field Spell effects.

The Field Spell Labrynth Labyrinth for example lets you destroy one card on the field as long as that spell is in play after you activate any Welcome Labrynth card. This lets you special summon monsters and clear the field of troublesome cards on your opponent's field just to make it easier for Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle to attack your opponent's Life Points Directly.

4. Blue-Eyes

Image via Konami

Old but good. This deck is probably the deck that plays the most similarly to the classic style. You use Spell cards like Melody of Awakening Dragon in conjunction with the updated Lord of D, Dictator of D. to special summon powerful monsters. The key to this new update is the blend of Fusion monsters with Ultimate Fusion, which allows you to destroy as many cards your opponent controls equal to the number of Blue-Eyes or Blue-Eyes Ultimate monsters you used in the fusion.

With most of the Blue-Eyes fusion monsters wanting three monsters, this can be a very valuable board clear, and nothing feels better than summoning a Blue-Eyes Ultimate, or any of its new variants like Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon or Blue-Eyes Alternative. In addition, February 2025 will see the release of a new Blue-Eyes Structure Deck: Blue-Eyes White Destiny that will contain a ton of useful cards to put Blue-Eyes on par with many of the more meta decks in the game right now.

5. Ice Barrier

Trishula, Zero Dragon if the Ice Barrier, from one of the best decks for new players in Yu-Gi-Oh!
Image via Konami

Ice Barrier is my current favorite archetype in the game. This deck focuses mainly on Synchro Summoning a wide variety of Water element dragons to literally and figuratively freeze out the opponent and disable their strategies. One of the key Synchro monsters in this archetype is Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, which, when paired with Trishula, Zero Dragon of the Ice Barrier allows you to turn a bad situation back in your favor. If Trishula Zero is destroyed or removed from the field in any fashion, you can summon regular Trishula to the field. Regular Trishula's attack points become 3300 and it halves the attack of all of your opponent's face-up monsters and negates their effects. Synchro Summoning Trishula Zero also lets you pick any three cards on your opponent's field and banish them

Pair this with the Mirror Mage of the Ice Barrier's ability to give you a free six to eight star Synchro Summon with its token summon effect and you have a reliable recipe to set yourself up to give your opponent a problem. Pair this with cards from the Freezing Chains Structure Deck, like General Raiho of the Ice Barrier which makes it so your opponent has to discard a card from their hand in order to activate a card's effect whether they are Spell, Trap, or Monster, or the newly released Lancea, Ancestral Dragon of the Ice Mountain which allows you to special summon a monster of your own if your opponent decides to special summon during their turn and lets you Synchro Summon a monster for free if it is removed from play in any way, and you have a reliable way to change your fortunes, no matter the duel.

The best thing about all of these decks is that most of the individual pieces needed to construct them run you at most $15 for the rarer, higher impact cards, save for some of the outside cards like S:P Little Knight which, due to its rarity and limited rarity printing, can cost anywhere from $35 to $50. Thankfully, most of the structure decks that contain these archetypes and strategies sell for $11 dollars with every piece you need to be able to kick off the games.

Don't be intimidated. Check out your local game or card game shop to see if they have local meetups and take the archetype that you think is the most fun and see what you can do and what you can learn. The heart of the cards is, after all, always about trusting your deck and bonding through the fun of playing a game.

The post The 5 Best Decks to Get Back Into Yu-Gi-Oh! appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 7:30 PM
    

Street Fighter 2 Art Pharmacy

Artist Akiman has illustrated Street Fighter 2's Ryu for the pharmacy prescription notebook for the Momochihama Dispensing Pharmacy in Fukuoka, Japan. This artwork, officially licensed by Capcom, was announced alongside an illustration of Chun-Li, which was also created for this series of the pharmacy's medicine notebooks. Akiman shared updates for both illustrations on his personal social media account.

You can view the post on X (or Twitter) below:

https://twitter.com/akiman7/status/1851447502219976857

https://twitter.com/akiman7/status/1523364314370895873

 Akiman's design of Chun-Li from Street Fighter 2 was the first installment in this collaboration, and it received positive feedback from fans and customers alike. The additional illustration of Ryu, one of the main characters from the Street Fighter series, adds a dynamic touch to the pharmacy's prescription book, making it more engaging for patients.

Additionally, Premium Collectibles Studio has announced that Ryu will be the next character in its Street Fighter Powerlifting figure line, joining previous 1/4 scale (12 inch) figures of Cammy and Chun-Li. This release features standard and evil variants of Ryu, with three different versions available, each representing various appearances from the game. 

Street Fighter 6 is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Akiman Street Fighter 2 Ryu Art Is on Pharmacy Prescription Book  appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 7:00 PM
    

Nikke: Godess of Victory Famitsu Interview

An upcoming Famitsu interview of the development team for the Goddess of Victory: NIKKE will share new insights into the game's world and characters, responding to 50 fan questions. Notably, marriage between humans and NIKKEs might be possible within the game's lore, though these unions are hinted to lead to unexpected challenges. [Thanks, ryokutya2089!]

The Famitsu interview may briefly address a common question, why there are no male NIKKEs? While the full answer has not been disclosed, hints suggest that more information on this topic will be detailed at some point. The interview also highlights the team's fondness for "bunny characters," with eight already in the game and more to potentially appear in the future.

Additional topics include upcoming events such as the 2024 Summer Event and Chapter 24, along with character backstories and abilities. The feature will also share player data, indicating that many users have achieved sync levels above 160, with some surpassing 200.

In related news, for the second anniversary of Goddess of Victory: NIKKE on October 31, 2024, Shift Up has released videos and an anime clip, along with details about new characters Cinderella, Grave Motion, and Rapunzel: Pure Grace.

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is available on PCs and mobile. The second anniversary launches on October 31, 2024.

The post Famitsu Goddess of Victory: NIKKE Interview Reveals NIKKE Can Get Married  appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 6:30 PM
    

New Chobits Chi Figure Is Based on Anime Art

AmiAmi announced the release of a new Chobits figure of Chi inspired by the cover art of the first DVD volume of the original anime series. The figure costs 18,600 yen (or approximately $121.27) and it is set to release in Japan on May 2025. [Thanks, PR Times!]

Pre-orders for the new figure are now open from the AmiAmi online store. The figure depicts Chobits co-protagonist Chi perched on top of a utility pole. She can be seen wearing her signature flowy dress decorated with pink accent ribbons.

The base of the pole shows a small section of the pavement and inner city road, with green flower buds and weeds growing on the base of the utility pole, contrasting the grey color tones of the concrete and pavement.

You can check out the new Chobits figure in more detail here:

In other related news, CLAMP announced on February 2024 that the Chobits manga would receive a Premium Collection release in Japan set to appear on March 6, 2024. The new edition would feature newly drawn cover art by CLAMP.

The Chobits figure of Chi costs 18,600 yen (~$121.27) and is expected to come out in Japan sometime in May 2025.

The post New Chobits Chi Figure Is Based on Anime Art appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 6:00 PM
    

silent hill 2 combat and mannequins feature

The Silent Hill 2 remake has blown our expectations out of the water, emerging as a victory for Konami and Bloober Team and a proper modern revival of highly influential, cult classic horror game. With my colleague Kazuma's review as my only real frame of reference for the full remake, I waltzed into Silent Hill, happy as a clam. That cheery calm didn't last for very long at all. The atmosphere and spooks (especially those damned Mannequins) of Silent Hill 2 Remake really got to me, despite how easy it is for James to clear out the town's supernatural denizens.

This is one of those "No, Stephanie, it's just you" moments, but for the longest time, I was under the impression that the clunky controls in old horror games was a deliberate choice from the developers. That part of the fear comes from how difficult it is to maneuver yourself out of dangerous situations and fight off or escape from horrifying enemies. That was the idea I had after playing Resident Evil way back when on the PlayStation and giving up out of frustration because my six-year-old brain couldn't comprehend the puzzles, the English, or the controls.

Well, it turns out that, no, Capcom didn't make Resident Evil difficult to handle on purpose, nor was Resident Evil unique. Tank controls were just a normal part of life for games, and all the other PlayStation games I played just happened to not have them. Other horror games I played all added to this narrative I was forming in my head though. When I played the Fatal Frame games and felt like the girls were a bit clunky, I assumed that was to add to the tension. Same with the Siren games. Horror games feel bad to play because that accentuates the fear. That's just the way it is, I thought. Nothing really challenged this worldview either, so I went through a good two decades or so thinking that.

Fast forward from 2001 to 2024. Bloober Team and Konami unveiled the ill-received combat trailer for the Silent Hill 2 remake featuring the over-the-shoulder camera for James. It's not so bad in the beginning, but then we see him mow through crowds of iconic enemies with a variety of melee weapons and firearms. There's very little of the oppressive and solemn atmosphere that made it such a beloved horror game to begin with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayKICAIUHkA

When rewatching this, the music is probably the main offender as to why people reacted so poorly to it back then. It kind of sounds like something you'd hear in a trailer for something more generic and action-focused. James uses all of these weapons in the original game, so rifles and shotguns aren't new. Combat being front-and-center is, though. From a marketing standpoint, I understand the decision to make a combat trailer to show the differences between the remake and the original. I also understand using exciting music for such sequences. But considering the emphasis on psychological horror, something more subdued might've gone over better.

I was in the camp who felt really apprehensive about the remake after seeing this trailer. Bloober Team saying that it didn't really agree with how Konami was marketing it did help, but the track record wasn't looking too great in general. I was still adamant that for maximum spookiness levels, a horror game shouldn't feel too good or easy to control, and the Silent Hill 2 remake was starting to look way too polished for me. It reminded me a lot of The Last of Us and Resident Evil 2 Remake—both perfectly fine and great games, but very different from what Silent Hill 2 set off to do.

Fears among the community were quelled upon release, as Silent Hill 2 launched to raving reviews. The vast majority of people loved it. Bloober Team did it. It was an absolute home run. I eagerly installed my copy of the game and booted it up, with the opening hooking me in and making me forget all of my misgivings about the game. Fighting off the odd Lying Figure while exploring the foggy streets wasn't too bad. Wood Side Apartments started getting a little scary thanks to the claustrophobic hallways and infuriating Mannequins, but it was fine. Bluecreek Apartments? Creepy, but still alright. I was patting myself on the back while apologizing to Bloober Team in my head as I wandered around and took in the titular town.

silent hill 2 remake hospital combat
All of my pictures will be really dark because I only recently learned what the brightness setting is called in the game. Screenshot by Siliconera.

And then I arrived at Brookhaven Hospital. Oh my God, did I arrive at Brookhaven Hospital. For full disclosure, I got the game when it came out and it took me basically a month to beat it because I really had to psych myself up to get through it from this point. It didn't matter that I had over a hundred bullets for my handgun and good third person shooter aim. Didn't even matter that I was following guides while playing so as not to miss collectible items, meaning I knew exactly where enemies were and when they'd show up. Granted, the lack of confusion or trial-and-erroring, thus leading to frustration, was the likely reason as to why fear was at the forefront of my mind. It was hard to remain scared of, say, the Shibito in Siren when I was more irritated with them, after all.

The Otherworld in Silent Hill has always been a nasty place, what with all the bloodstained walls and rust and stuff. It's grody, disgusting, macabre... Any synonym of those words or general sentiment is a great and apt way to describe it. I did not remember feeling so scared or nervous wandering around the aforementioned areas back in the day. Maybe it was because the original had a more distant camera angle, or maybe it's because I round robin-ed it with friends (meaning I was only in control a fraction of the play time).

It's really impressive that I remained scared in the Silent Hill 2 remake for basically the entire journey through. I know that I can destroy any enemy that comes my way on Standard. But that didn't soothe my nerves at all. Chris "Genuine Gorilla" Redfield of Resident Evil 5 could've been the playable character, and I probably still would've had trouble getting through the majority of the game. The environment design is phenomenal. Almost all of the locales in the game are dark, cramped, and filthy. Yet each explorable room or hallway is short enough that it's hard to really get used to it. There's always a new place to explore, rife with the chance that the static will start up and a monster will jump you.

And that's where I think the true horror of the game comes from: the sound design. It's not enough that town through James's eyes are the stuff of nightmares. It has to sound like a nightmare too. The music is deeply unsettling, even when nothing is happening. That the monsters don't sound like living creature at all also lends in creating a . The radio noise really adds to that sense of unease. That Mannequins only set it off for a brief moment helps to heighten the paranoia as you look around every corner to try and get a jump on it before it leaps out at you.

silent hill 2 remake mannequins
Screenshot by Siliconera

Man, I was so sick of those Mannequins. As a naturally jumpy person in real life, I really did not do well with how the game can eat at you with basically every facet of its design, only to throw jump scares into the mix. Yeah, sure, I can take out the Mannequins and whatnot without much trouble. That doesn't mean I won't get scared at these unholy ambassadors from Hell's shopping mall jumping out at me, though. I've read some comments online at how the prevalence of them and their jump scares can cheapen the experience. Honestly, I can see where they're coming from, even if I disagree. The risk of having to hear their nasty scuttling or see their freakish thighs leaping out at me kept the fear from stagnating over hours of gameplay.

The Silent Hill 2 remake is the first horror game I've played in a very long time in which I experienced a true roller coaster of emotions all the way until the end. It really hammered home just how wrong I was about how the true horror is in bad control schemes and I'm not mad at all at the correction. Maybe one day I'll be able to pick it up and zip through the story, terrifying sound design and horrible jump scares be damned. Unfortunately for me and fortunately for Bloober Team, that won't be anytime soon.

Silent Hill 2 is readily available on the PS5 and Windows PC.

The post Silent Hill 2 Remake Mannequins Terrified Me Despite Its Slick Combat appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 5:30 PM
    

Each FFXIV Dawntrail Area Soundtrack Had Different Composers

In a recent interview with Famitsu, the FFXIV sound team talked about the Dawntrail expansion soundtrack featuring different composers for each area of the game, and how was the process for working on the music for the expansion. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

FFXIV Sound Director and Composer Masayoshi Soken worked on the music for the Living Memory area, with composer Takafumi Imamura taking care of the music for Shaaloani, Daiki Ishikawa being responsible for composing the soundtrack for Yak T'el woodlands, and Saya Yasaki doing the music for Urqopacha and Kozama'uka.

When asked about the different composers for each area in the Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail soundtrack, Soken said having various different composers instead of himself alone helped convey the theme of a continent with a wide variety of cultures.

Soken added that the thematic flow in the FFXIV soundtrack that started with A Realm Reborn concluded with Endwalker. Because of this, Soken thought that employing the help of young composers as the main focus for the score of Dawntrail would give the new expansion a breath of fresh air.

The sound team said that they usually start working on the music for an expansion roughly a year before its release. However, Soken added that the team didn't start working properly on the FFXIV Dawntrail soundtrack until the start of 2024. Furthermore, due to the graphical update in FFXIV, the composers revealed that they were unable to work while having access to the backgrounds and scenery of the game for the creation of the Dawntrail soundtrack.

Final Fantasy XIV is readily available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Each FFXIV Dawntrail Area Soundtrack Had Different Composers appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 5:00 PM
    

Dragons Dogma 2 SuperGroupies

Japanese fashion retailer SuperGroupies, who is no stranger to video game collaborations, will release a watch and other accessories inspired by Dragon's Dogma 2. Other items include a jacket and backpack. Consumers can pre-order these items from October 29 to November 18, 2024. The bag and watch ship in April 2025, with the jacket to ship in February 2025. International shipping is available.

As mentioned above, SuperGroupies will release an inspired watch, jacket and bag. The watch is the most expensive item, coming in at 33,000 yen or $215, with the jacket costing 24,200 yen which is around $157, and the bag at 20,900 yen or $136.

https://twitter.com/Super_Groupies/status/1851625605353324758

The Dragon's Dogma 2 inspired watch features a map of Teyvat on the faceplate, the continent on which the game takes place. The outer dial of the watch features the same iconography of a sun to more or less let you check what time of day it is as a glance since it rotates.

While some SuperGroupies collaborations can tend to have more "branded" items, this collection seems more subdued. For example, the logo of the game itself and the summoning sign for Pawns are on the inside of the jacket itself. However, the bag does feature the logo of the game at the top, which makes it the most overtly branded item in the collection

Dragon's Dogma 2 is available on PlayStation 5Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The Dragon's Dogma 2 SuperGroupies watch and accessories will ship in early 2025.

The post SuperGroupies Selling Dragon's Dogma 2 Watch and Accessories appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:30 PM
    

WoW World of Warcraft Patch 11.0.7

Blizzard released a preview of the next content update heading to World of Warcraft, and a new zone and the return of the Plunderstorm event will appear in patch 11.0.7. The new version will appear on the Public Test Realm on October 31, 2024, though the developer has yet to share a date for when we can expect it to hit the Live servers.

The big attraction for the new patch will be a new zone called the Siren Isle. Described as smaller, but denser, than full zone maps, this new area will use its own currency called Flame Blessed Iron. Blizzard also promised a powerful new ring with multiple sockets will appear there. The island is said to have been used as a Kul Tiran Azerite mine in the past, and players will need to fend off Vrykul, Naga, and other threats as they explore it. Additionally, the battle-royale style event Plunderstorm is set to return to the game in early 2025, alongside new transmog items and mounts.

You can read more about the upcoming content on the official site, and catch the video preview via Youtube below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbXcFW7g-o0&t=467s

The last update for WoW brought with it the 20 Year Anniversary Celebration which included updated Classic armor sets and variety of new activities. Blizzard and Good Smile Company also recently announced a new Nendoroid figure of Alleria Windrunner, who figures prominently in the story of the latest expansion.

World of Warcraft and its most recent expansion, The War Within, is immediately available for PC while Patch 11.0.7 will be available via the Public Test Realm starting from October 31, 2024. There is currently no release date for when Patch 11.0.7 will appear on the Live servers.

The post World of Warcraft Patch brings a New Zone and More Plunderstorm appeared first on Siliconera.


TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:46 PM
     The Last of Us: Escape the Dark, a new board game based on The Last of Us video game franchise, is now available for pre-order. Designed with the Escape the Dark system, the game offers an atmospheric journey where players navigate the challenges of a post-apocalyptic world. Supporting 1 to 5 players, Escape the Dark...

TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:25 PM
     A new roleplaying game inspired by the workplace satire of "The Office" and the grim horror of MÖRK BORG is now live on Kickstarter. MÖRK ORG invites players into a fictional office setting filled with mundane routines, eerie occurrences, and dark humor. The game's environment is designed to reflect the typical challenges and absurdities of...

TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:20 PM
     Mantic Games has unveiled its 2024 Advent calendars for gamers, introducing two options designed for fans of both sci-fi and fantasy themes. This year's calendars include daily gaming items and miniatures for players to discover each day leading up to Christmas. The sci-fi calendar features a scenario with the Veer-Myn, a recurring enemy species in...

TGN – Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:14 PM
     Ares Games has announced the distribution of six new "Made in Italy" roleplaying game volumes in English, originally published by MS Edizioni and indie studio Nigredo Press. The lineup includes Green Oaks, Five Days, and Last Resort, created by Fumble GDR and produced by MS Edizioni, alongside Flail Kült, Cthulhu Bay, and Forsaken Scriptures, crafted...

WGB Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:16 PM
     Novembers lineup of PS Plus games has been announced and it's pretty damn good.

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, October 30, 2024 5:11 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:36 PM
    

The trailer shows several locations and enemies.

The post Little Nightmares III Gets New Gameplay Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:16 PM

MonsterVine Wednesday, October 30, 2024 4:05 PM
     The Tales of series has long been a beloved staple for RPG fans, known for its character-driven narratives, action-focused combat, and immersive fantasy worlds. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Bandai Namco is bringing back Tales of Graces f in a newly remastered version, offering a fresh experience for long-time fans and newcomers alike. As someone relatively […]

Level Up Wednesday, October 30, 2024 6:25 PM
     Nintendo Music App Now Available – Listen to Mario, Zelda, and More on the Go! 1Nintendo Music, a brand-new app, is now live and ready to bring decades of iconic Nintendo soundtracks to your smart devices! From the classic beats of Super Mario Bros. and the sweeping melodies of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, to the catchy tracks of Splatoon 3 and beyond, the app is exclusively available to Nintendo Switch Online members at no additional cost.