Many RTS games are built around micromanagement. When you're playing something like StarCraft 2, matches are won or lost depending on your decisions based on individual units. Other games like Empires of the Undergrowth take tiny to an altogether different level. In it you control swarms of minute creatures over a series of macro battles at a micro scale. Finally out of early access, the first patch has arrived for the game and it's full of squashed bugs - in a good way.
It's been ten years since Rust first appeared on the scene as an early access title. Ten years of players raiding each other, killing with abandon, and struggling to survive to the next day. There are few games so loathed and loved by its playerbase as this, with even the most effusive praise wrapped in warnings about how it'll bring misery too. Hopefully the world of Rust just got a little more pleasant in one way with new transport options that'll make your next journey into the wilderness a bit quicker.
There were moments in Red Dead Redemption 2 when I felt like I was in a horror game. When the mist rolls in and my horse is out of ear shot because I've strayed too far hunting deer, I feel scared. Carrying the bloody carcass through the dark trees, every sound seems like it signals danger. Soulslinger: Envoy of Death captures those creepy vibes, but I doubt anyone would feel powerless or fearful dashing around its levels and blowing enemies to pieces with a lethal revolver.
There's nothing quite like roaming the neon streets of Night City. Shy Girl blasting out the radio, rain pattering down on the sidewalk, gunshots echoing in the distance as another chromed up gangster is taken down. There's still room for improvement, though. That's where a new Cyberpunk 2077 mod comes in — it makes the NPCs react to your choices, making the citizens feel more alive and your decisions more impactful.
Capcom and Universal Studios Japan revealed a new horror attraction titled Biohazard: Night of Heroes. This Resident Evil-themed attraction will appear temporarily at the USJ theme park in Osaka, and it will feature key characters from the video game series like Leon and Jill.
While USJ had held Biohazard: The Extreme events in previous years, this new attraction will place an emphasis on the series' characters. The participants will be able to cooperate with Leon S. Kennedy, Jill Valentine, and Chris and Claire Redfield. The official webpage also teases that players will get to fight against the likes of Nemesis and Licker.
This Resident Evil attraction will only take place at night, as USJ will hold it from 6 PM JST until the theme park's closing hours—which will be mostly 9:30 PM JST for the event's duration. The theme park will also set an age restriction for this attraction, as it will not allow children aged 12 or under to access the attraction.
Night of Heroes will be part of a larger Halloween Horror Nights 2024 event that USJ will hold throughout Fall 2024. The overall event will also include a Chainsaw Man 4-D attraction and a roller coaster ride synchronized with Ado's song "Show."
Biohazard: Night of Heroes, the Resident Evil-themed attraction, will be available at the back of Louie's N.Y. Pizza Parlor in Universal Studios Japan from September 6, 2024, until November 4, 2024.
MangaGamer announced at Anime Expo 2024 that it picked up the Ryukishi07 game Rose Guns Days for an English release. There's no release window for it yet, but it will appear on both Steam and the official MangaGamer site.
Rose Guns Days is broken up to four chapters when it released between 2012 and 2013 in Japan, which were originally referred to as seasons, and the English release will follow that pattern. MangaGamer noted they will remain as four chapters. It will also be an HD-upscale project, with the new 1280 x 960 4:3 resolution. People will be able to play it in Chinese, English, or Japanese.
The title is set in an alternate reality. In WWII, Japan surrendered to the Allies. As such, life is quite different in the country and the country is overrun by people seeking to control it. However, things may change when Leo Shishigami, who fought in the war, meets Club Primavera's Rose Haibara.
While the game was never localized and released worldwide until this reveal, one of the manga series based on it was. Yen Press picked up one of them and released volumes in the series. However, the other manga adaptations weren't localized.
This isn't the only new Ryukishi07 game on the way. The developer is also working on Silent Hill F.
The four Rose Guns Days chapters will come to PCs outside Japan.
More new figures of 2B and 9S from NieR Automata are coming, courtesy of Proof. The Japanese company has opened pre-orders for the figures based on the Ver1.1a anime adaptation on multiple web stores. One of them is AmiAmi, which supportsshipments to almost all countries worldwide except Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Cuba. [Thanks, Hobby Watch!]
Each figure will be available separately with the same MSRP of 27,720 yen (~$172), although some of the storefronts offer additional discounts. Both figures will have a 1/7 scale with the same total height of around 31 cm (12.2 inches)—which also factors in the sets' props.
The character figures will be mostly static with no movable body parts. However, Proof will also include an alternate swappable head part that shows the character's full unmasked face in anime style.
Here are some of the sample images for both new figures:
Image via Proof
Image via Proof
Image via Proof
Image via Proof
Image via Proof
Image via Proof
There have been many other figures based on the same NieR Automata characters released beforehand, and even more new ones are under production. Square Enix will release multiple versions of Form-ism figures of 9S and A2 in September 2024. Meanwhile, Good Smile Company revealed in June 2024 that it has started working on new figmas and static figures of 2B and A2.
The new NieR Automata Ver1.1a figures of 2B and 9S by Proof will be available in December 2024.
At Anime Expo 2024, Arc System Works revealed a trailer for Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers that also introduced new character Unika and the series' 2025 launch window. It also introduced the plot for the story, which stars Unika, Sin Kiske, and Sol Badguy.
The events of the anime begin when Sin, who will be voiced by Issei Miyazaki, is heading to see his parents Ky Kiske and Dizzy get married. However, as he's doing so, he meets Unika. She's the new character voiced by Yui Ishikawa. Unika's goal is to destroy gears, all because she hates them.
Some of the voice actors also released statements about the Guilty Gear Strive anime as part of the latest reveals. Here are Ishikawa's thoughts about Guilty Gear newcomer Unika:
Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers will air in 2025. Guilty Gear Strive is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. It is unknown if Unika will also eventually be added to the game as a playable character.
FromSoftware and Bandai Namco released the new 1.12.3 patch for Elden Ring, and with it come buffs and nerfs to some weapons and underused skills. The latest patch notes specifically reference the Swift Slash skill, Rolling Sparks skill, and Bloodfiend's Arm weapon.
Most notable of this was a large reduction in the damage and active animation of the Swift Slash weapon skill, exclusively in PVP, as well as a fix to a glitch involving the Rolling Spark Ash of War that had made the various Perfume Bottle weapons very strong contenders. In addition, the Smithscript Daggers and Smithscript Cirque weapons had their throwing attack range extended, giving them more use against players and enemies alike. Adjustments were also made to the Golden Hippopotamus and Commander Gaius boss fights to send them back to their original starting positions, if players need to try them again.
The biggest changes beyond the Swift Slash and Rolling Spark attacks were bug fixes centering on the scaling and outsize capabilities of weapons like the Fire Knight Greatsword and the Bloodfiend's Arm. The latter was noted by the community for it incredibly powerful bleed triggers and that has been subject to some of the edits made in this most recent patch.
This comes on the heels of an update that centered around buffing the earlier levels of the Shadow Realm Blessings players could acquire through the Scadutree Fragments and Ash Remnants.
Elden Ring is currently available on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. Shadow of the Erdtree released on June 21, 2024. This new update went live on July 4, 2023 for all platforms.
Megahouse has revealed a new figure modeled after Spike Spiegel from the final episode of Cowboy Bebop. This figure set will be known with the subtitle ~Daybreak~, and Megahouse will put it up on sale via the Japanese Premium Bandai web store. People residing outside Japan can also get the figure from AmiAmi. [Thanks, Hobby Watch!]
The 1/8 scale figure will appear with a price tag of 30,800 yen (~$191). It will depict an injured Spike Spiegel walking down the stairs while doing the iconic pose. A broken stained glass featuring Julia and Vicious will appear on the back.
The figure set will also contain more detailed references, such as the "You're gonna carry that weight" inscription on a stone block and a chipped vinyl on the set's backside.
Here are some of the sample images for the new figure set, taken from various angles:
Image via Megahouse
Image via Megahouse
Image via Megahouse
Image via Megahouse
Image via Megahouse
The Cowboy Bebop anime series aired on Japanese television from April to June 1998. A 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray set containing interviews with Japanese and English voice actors of the show appeared in 2023. The original anime show is also available to watch digitally via Netflix.
The Cowboy Bebop 2nd Gig Spike Spiegel ~Daybreak~ figure will be available in December 2024. Megahouse will open pre-orders for the figure on July 5, 2024.
Darktide, oh Darktide, how you frustrate me. Self-righting admirably after a wonky launch, developer Fatshark has continued to add to the game with patches and updates of varying sizes. Secrets of the Machine God is the latest of these, but despite some decent additions it still doesn't add that certain something Darktide really needs.
For those who haven't partaken, Darktide is a co-operative shooter based in the Warhammer 40,000 universe where players fight through hordes of cultists and zombified poxwalkers in a dystopian megacity. Think Left 4 Dead with more of a focus on melee, and a sci-fi setting that is both Grim and Dark (oh, my!). The guns are punchy, if often imprecise, and I still giggle with unfettered glee when I hit the button to rev my weapon before sawing a heretic in half. It's got fantastic gamefeel and a grimy, lived in setting, but it's long been held back by instabilities and unsatisfying loot systems that stop the gameplay loop really solidifying.
Screenshot by Siliconera
The update, Secrets of the Machine God, adds a new level, a new story character, and several weapons to Darktide on top of an array of quality of life upgrades. Perhaps the juiciest part are the weapons, which include two-handed pickaxes for the hulking Ogryn class, a double barreled shotgun, and the iconic Bolt Pistol for others. They all feel great to use, especially with the tweaks to how bolt weapon rounds explode at a certain range, but they don't especially stand out from the pack. We already have shotguns and automatic Bolters after all, so while the new additions have their own idiosyncrasies they don't offer new options or playstyles to get excited for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk9U-4jU93w
The new level encounters similar issues. In it, players travel to a new area of the hive with its own short storyline and some frosty scenery, alongside a secretive new character codenamed Swagger. It's a nice addition with some slightly more involved tasks to perform mid-horde, and the banter remains entertaining without getting irritating. It fits in perfectly with the missions already available, but that's sort of where the problem lies. It doesn't really shake up the (admittedly very satisfying!) gameplay loop the game has been refining since launch. As for Swagger, he's well voiced and could lead to some new directions to explore later down the line, but for the time being he feels unnecessary when we already have several characters aboard our hub ship that we barely know.
Screenshot by Siliconera
Prior to the update, Siliconera was invited to a preview event followed by a Q&A session with the developers and early access to a test build. The atmosphere was informal, with designer Maxime Montera, Executive Producer Juan Martinez, and Team Lead Luigi di Domenico showing off trailers and some of Fatshark's plans for the game before a brief break as they answer the door for their pizza. The developers seemed keenly aware of the community's biggest gripes with the game as they laid out their future plans for the crafting system, and spoke about wanting to explore more of the less-explored hive city setting, rather than jetting off to other worlds and the like.
Darktide continues to teeter on the edge of greatness, and having seen how solid its predecessor series Vermintide became after successive updates, I have confidence it will reach it. But Secrets of the Machine God just doesn't deliver the kind of impactful changes or additions the game needs right now, even if it is still very fun.
Astonishingly, this is the fourthyear in a row Kotaku has celebrated Indie-Penance Day, since the holiday was invented to mark the liberation of gaming from the cruel rule of the British monarchy. To mark the occasion, we've picked a selection of some of the most interesting, enticing, unknown upcoming indie games…
In May, 2022, Variety reported that Netflix was developing a series based on hit PlayStation game, Horizon Zero Dawn. Part of the flurry of announced adaptations following the success of HBO's The Last of Us, showrunner Steve Blackman was attached to the project that would see a live-action Aloy and her fight against…
YouTuber and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat finished a livestream with MrBeast in style: He, seemingly, had his streaming room blown up by fireworks. The stunt, because of course it was, terrified the vast numbers of live viewers.
There were moments in Red Dead Redemption 2 when I felt like I was in a horror game. When the mist rolls in and my horse is out of ear shot because I've strayed too far hunting deer, I feel scared. Carrying the bloody carcass through the dark trees, every sound seems like it signals danger. Soulslinger: Envoy of Death captures those creepy vibes, but I doubt anyone would feel powerless or fearful dashing around its levels and blowing enemies to pieces with a lethal revolver.
There's nothing quite like roaming the neon streets of Night City. Shy Girl blasting out the radio, rain pattering down on the sidewalk, gunshots echoing in the distance as another chromed up gangster is taken down. There's still room for improvement, though. That's where a new Cyberpunk 2077 mod comes in — it makes the NPCs react to your choices, making the citizens feel more alive and your decisions more impactful.
Cheating in an online game can cause fairly serious problems. If something becomes overrun by those who refuse to play by the rules it can lead to the online experience being utterly miserable. That's why it's entirely understandable for Soulmask to introduce a new anti-cheat system in the latest update - but there's a few teething issues that are causing problems for players right now.
If, like me, you think a lot of extraction games feel a bit too similar, you may not want to try yet another new one on the market. But, what if I told you this one had skeletons and swords instead of militias and rifles? Dungeonborne uses the tried and tested formula games like Escape from Tarkov and Gray Zone Warfare have mastered, but infuses it with Skyrim-style dungeons filled with supernatural baddies for you and your squad to hack, slash, and fire spells through.
It doesn't matter how much you love a game, after a while you'll need to mix it up a little. In Dead by Daylight this happens pretty regularly, with recent modes like Lights Out, Chaos Shuffle, and the Twisted Masquerade adding a few twists to the game's formula. The next mode players will get to experience promises to fundamentally alter how the game works and is something fans have been requesting for years, and it just got a launch date.
Terraria remains one of the best and most satisfying RPGs I've ever played. But by design it's always been confined to a finite world size, in order to carefully structure your progression and the location of all its key pieces. Taking that sandbox core and combining it with the sprawling, unlimited world exploration of Minecraft, plus a Stardew Valley aesthetic, indie RPG Wildaria is four years in the making, and you can try it right now for free on Steam.
It may be summer right now, but winter is coming, and it's going to be brutal. In Frostpunk, that is. This strategic city builder focuses entirely on one settlement trying to survive an apocalyptic winter in steampunk England, and it's currently on sale for its lowest price ever. Now is the perfect time to put your snow boots on and give it a whirl.
What are the best Zenless Zone Zero settings? Getting the best performance out of this latest HoYoverse game is a straightforward process, but a severe lack of gameplay and accessibility settings limits your tweaking options.
The Zenless Zone Zero system requirements set the bar very low for your gaming PC, and provided you meet the recommended tier, you can expect great performance in this new gacha game. It even has great performance on the Steam Deck should you wish to play it on Valve's handheld.
With FF14 Dawntrail now having been out in the wild for a week, players have spent plenty of hours exploring Tural, seeing the new story in the Final Fantasy 14 7.0 update, and testing out its new Viper and Pictomancer jobs. One key talking point in any new expansion is job balance, and game director Naoki Yoshida announces the first round of adjustments that will be rolling out in its first two post-launch patches.
What are the best Helldivers 2 stratagems? To spread democracy as efficiently as possible, you need to spend your credits wisely. The tricky thing about stratagems is that they all serve different purposes depending on the number of players you're fighting with, in addition to the enemy you're facing.
One bad purchase in Helldivers 2 is the equivalent of several wasted missions, and no one wants to waste their precious time. In this co-op game, you need to be careful about how you're using your stratagems as friendly fire is on, and it cannot be disabled. Don't forget to check out our list of the best Helldivers 2 weapons so you have everything you need to take on any enemy.
SSD tech is in a roll right now, with several of the big names promising big increases in capacity in the future. The latest firm to stake its claim is Samsung, which has just dropped a 61TB solid state drive into the market. Not only that, but the company even claims this new Samsung SSD can potentially contain up to 122TB of storage space.
Now, before you get carried away dreaming about the mammoth game library you could store on this colossal drive, this tech isn't for anyone looking for the best SSD for gaming right now. Instead, the new Samsung BM1743 is aimed at enterprise customers, but it shows the tech does exist, and it will only be a matter of time before we see higher-capacity drives in our desktop PCs as well.
"Life under the sea is better than anything they got up there," says Sebastian to Ariel. Clearly, he wasn't piloting an underwater mech that was being hunted by everything lurking deep in the briney blue. But you can, in Codename: Ocean Keeper, an upcoming roguelite game that sends you into the drink to fight sea monsters and gather resources.
With Diablo 4 Season 5 still a month out, and Path of Exile 2 pushed back from its summer launch, Last Epoch is perfectly positioned to build on its incredible launch success with the arrival of patch 1.1 and the start of its second season. The Last Epoch Harbingers of Ruin update introduces a wealth of quality-of-life upgrades to the already excellent indie ARPG, as developer Eleventh Hour Games continues to build on its fantastic start.
It hasn't taken Nvidia long to jump on board with the hype for two of the biggest games of the moment, with it announcing The First Descendant is available to play today on GeForce Now and Once Human will be arriving on launch day too, saving you having to wait for the game to download on your possibly slow internet connection. These two titles join 20 other that Nvidia has announced as being made available over the course of July 2024.
The GeForce Now service essentially lets you pilot an Nvidia GPU-equipped PC from afar, providing high-end gaming performance without the need to own one of the best graphics cards yourself. Tiers start from exactly no dollars and no cents a month for a 1-hour-at-a-time ad-support session, rising to $9.99 a month for 6-hour sessions with a dedicated up to 1080p rig, and top out at $19.99 a month for an 8-hour session on an up to 4K/240Hz rig.
This is what Escape From Tarkov needed. After the controversy about the Unheard Edition and persistent progression, Battlestate Games is making PvE a lot more intense and realistic by improving the AI of PMCs. The new Escape From Tarkov patch is substantial, but the biggest change allows much more movement, freedom, and diversity for how the NPC opponents behave, increasing their lethality and making raids and general exploration much more fraught. There are concerns the EFT update might go too far - but, for the moment, this seems like an exciting change.
What are the best Minecraft maps? Minecraft is the inventor's paradise, but, of course, it is also the connoisseur's nightmare. Thanks to the huge number of user-created Minecraft maps out there, it's almost impossible to find the finest creations around. Who has time these days to sift through hundreds of Minecraft maps, devour them with their digital senses, and come to a conclusion on which ones are worth your time?
Well, us. We have the time. We have scoured forums, binge-watched YouTube videos, and sampled more of the best Minecraft maps than we can count on to bring you the definitive list. To find the very best, we have whittled down the finest user-created environments and placed them into their very own category. Whether you fancy plunging to the depths of a Minecraft dropper or living out your Minecraft life game fantasies in a city map, we have everything you need to get the most out of Minecraft maps.
What are the best new PC games in 2024? Perhaps you've just been paid, your bank account is filled with virtual dosh, or you simply want to get caught up with the latest PC games because they're, well, new and shiny.
It's all well and good starting another round of Warzone, taking on a new 100-hour Football Manager save, or embarking on yet another Skyrim adventure. But, as much as we love firing up our old favorites, there are loads of new PC games that deserve some attention, too. To keep you in the know, we've got the definitive list of the best PC games from the last few months, from big-budget RPG games to indie strategy games. Whatever you're into, stay up to date with all the latest and greatest releases right here on PCGamesN.
The government of Japan has just ditched over 1,000 regulations in a bid to rid itself of the tyranny of floppy disks. Until this point, the archaic storage devices were still in regular use in Japanese government bureaucracy, but the country's digital minister Taro Kono has now proudly proclaimed that Japan has "won the war on floppy disks," and banished the flimsy magnetic media to the past.
A staple of PC games hardware in the 1980s and early 1990s, floppy disks took several forms over the years, from massive 8-inch disks to the mini 3.5-inch disks that became synonymous with the Save icon in software. The latter only held 1.44MB of storage space in their high-density form (and 720KB in the previous double-density form), and they're notoriously hard to buy new now. That's less than a millionth of the space found on some of the best microSD cards right now.
Is Zenless Zone Zero on Steam? Developer HoYoverse brings us a new universe of characters to pull from gacha banners, this time in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk city. Before you're let loose on the mean streets of New Eridu, you might be wondering whether a Zenless Zone Zero Steam launch is on the cards.
Zenless Zone Zero is a free-to-play gacha game with a low barrier to entry for prospective players. However, can we expect a Zenless Zone Zero Steam version to make it even easier to access? If you can't tear yourself away from Valve's digital storefront, we've got all the latest news and information you need. Here's what we know about the free PC game's platform availability following the Zenless Zone Zero release date, including whether it'll be available to download on Steam.
When is the 2XKO release date? If you ever wondered what a League of Legends 2D fighting game would look like, you're about to find out. Formerly known as Project L, 2XKO was confirmed as the game's official name in early 2024, featuring the likes of Yasuo, Darius, and Jinx.
In the developer's words, you'll be able to "walk, run, dash, chain dash, jump, long jump, and super jump," your way to victory. This means you can expect the gameplay in 2XKO to be similar to Marvel vs Capcom, rather than a slower game like Street Fighter. If you can't wait to learn more about this League of Legends fighting game, here's everything we know about the 2XKO release date so far. From trailers and gameplay to the champion roster, assist and tag system, netcode, and more.
Is Zenless Zone Zero Steam Deck compatible? Much like some other HoYoverse games, Zenless Zone Zero hasn't launched on Steam, making it a little tricky to start playing on the Steam Deck. It's far from impossible, though, and once you've jumped through some hoops, the performance is pretty good.
Despite being the best handheld gaming PC, the Steam Deck is often at the mercy of Valve's game library, and if a game doesn't launch on Steam, it can lead to complicated workarounds being required. With Zenless Zone Zero, it's possible to play it on the Steam Deck, but you'll need to venture into desktop mode to get it installed.
How do you get ZZZ Polychrome? Yet another Hoyoverse anime game is here, and like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail before it, Zenless Zone Zero has a random gacha mechanic for unlocking characters. With it, ZZZ introduces a form of in-game currency called Polychrome that can be used to collect characters, weapons, and other valuable items.
Zenless Zone Zero Polychrome is a premium currency that can then be converted into Master Tape. Master Tape is used in ZZZ banners on the Stable Channel to unlock new ZZZ weapons characters. You need plenty of Zenless Zone Zero Polychrome to get the best Zenless Zone Zero characters, so here's how to farm more for free.
What are the newGenshin Impact codes? Gathering Primogems and Mora in Genshin Impact can be quite the grind. Fortunately, developer Hoyoverse occasionally sends out free gifts in the form of Genshin redeem codes. Most codes only work for a limited time, so it's best to redeem them as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
Genshin Impact codes are released periodically, frequently appearing in Hoyoverse special programs: regular video updates detailing future updates to the free PC game. They can also drop to celebrate milestones or to coincide with new Genshin Impact events. You can find all the active Genshin codes for July 2024 below, and we also detail what they get you, how to redeem them, and where you can look for more.
What are the current and upcoming Genshin Impact events? A new version of Genshin Impact arrives every six weeks, complete with new characters, quests, and events. It's difficult to keep track of which events are currently running and if there are any new ones coming soon, so here's a schedule for all current and upcoming Genshin Impact events.
There are usually a number of Genshin Impact events running simultaneously, and they aren't just in-game events. HoYoverse often launches a web event every update, which gives players a chance to learn about the latest Genshin Impact characters through an interactive story told through a web browser. Similar to some of the best RPG games, the rewards for completing events in Genshin Impact range from in-game items like primogems and mora, to real life prizes like mouse mats and plushies.
"Dune is unadaptable! It could never work as a film," I cry, placing defiant fists upon my hips. "But what," says Denis Villeneuve, "about two?", shattering my physical form into one trillion shards. I have a difficult life.
But wait! What about as a strategy game? Denis glances nervously at the inexplicable open pools of molten steel all around us. I've got him now. He hasn't even played Spice Wars. Except... I think Spice Wars is about as good as an adaptation could be. Imperium too. Damn it. Alright Denis, let's have a truce and sort this one out.
Darktide, oh Darktide, how you frustrate me. Self-righting admirably after a wonky launch, developer Fatshark has continued to add to the game with patches and updates of varying sizes. Secrets of the Machine God is the latest of these, but despite some decent additions it still doesn't add that certain something Darktide really needs.
For those who haven't partaken, Darktide is a co-operative shooter based in the Warhammer 40,000 universe where players fight through hordes of cultists and zombified poxwalkers in a dystopian megacity. Think Left 4 Dead with more of a focus on melee, and a sci-fi setting that is both Grim and Dark (oh, my!). The guns are punchy, if often imprecise, and I still giggle with unfettered glee when I hit the button to rev my weapon before sawing a heretic in half. It's got fantastic gamefeel and a grimy, lived in setting, but it's long been held back by instabilities and unsatisfying loot systems that stop the gameplay loop really solidifying.
Screenshot by Siliconera
The update, Secrets of the Machine God, adds a new level, a new story character, and several weapons to Darktide on top of an array of quality of life upgrades. Perhaps the juiciest part are the weapons, which include two-handed pickaxes for the hulking Ogryn class, a double barreled shotgun, and the iconic Bolt Pistol for others. They all feel great to use, especially with the tweaks to how bolt weapon rounds explode at a certain range, but they don't especially stand out from the pack. We already have shotguns and automatic Bolters after all, so while the new additions have their own idiosyncrasies they don't offer new options or playstyles to get excited for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk9U-4jU93w
The new level encounters similar issues. In it, players travel to a new area of the hive with its own short storyline and some frosty scenery, alongside a secretive new character codenamed Swagger. It's a nice addition with some slightly more involved tasks to perform mid-horde, and the banter remains entertaining without getting irritating. It fits in perfectly with the missions already available, but that's sort of where the problem lies. It doesn't really shake up the (admittedly very satisfying!) gameplay loop the game has been refining since launch. As for Swagger, he's well voiced and could lead to some new directions to explore later down the line, but for the time being he feels unnecessary when we already have several characters aboard our hub ship that we barely know.
Screenshot by Siliconera
Prior to the update, Siliconera was invited to a preview event followed by a Q&A session with the developers and early access to a test build. The atmosphere was informal, with designer Maxime Montera, Executive Producer Juan Martinez, and Team Lead Luigi di Domenico showing off trailers and some of Fatshark's plans for the game before a brief break as they answer the door for their pizza. The developers seemed keenly aware of the community's biggest gripes with the game as they laid out their future plans for the crafting system, and spoke about wanting to explore more of the less-explored hive city setting, rather than jetting off to other worlds and the like.
Darktide continues to teeter on the edge of greatness, and having seen how solid its predecessor series Vermintide became after successive updates, I have confidence it will reach it. But Secrets of the Machine God just doesn't deliver the kind of impactful changes or additions the game needs right now, even if it is still very fun.
Hobonichi has revealed that it will release the Cup of Lifenoodles from the Earthbound series in the real world. People will be able to actually taste the food used to fully revive unconscious characters in the game series in August 2024.
The Cup of Lifenoodles appeared in Earthbound and Mother 3 as an item that players mainly use to revive fallen characters to full health, though it can also recover any other status ailments. The item's original Japanese name is "Inochi no Udon" (Udon of Life), so Udon will be the noodle type used for this product. Hobonichi will source the noodles from Japan's Gunma prefecture.
Hobonichi has yet to provide more details on the noodles' availability, including its pricing and whether it will be shippable worldwide like the 30th Anniversary concert merchandise. However, its announcement tweet did reveal the package's content. The set will contain two udon noodle packages and a coaster mat.
Hobonichi's Japanese tweet is also available to view right below:
The real-world version of Cup of Lifenoodles from the Earthbound series will be available in August 2024. The product will be based on the item that appeared in Earthbound and Mother 3. The entire Earthbound series is available to play on Nintendo Switch via its Online subscription, although Mother 3 remains exclusive to Japan due to its lack of localization.
FFXIV Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida announced job adjustments are on the way for the Astrologian, Black Mage, Monk, Pictomancer, Red Mage, Samurai, Viper, and Tank classes. While there's no exact date for the changes, which will based on feedback, but they will appear sometime between the 7.01 and 7.05 patches depending on the role.
Here are some lists going over the planned job adjustments for the various FFXIV roles.
Astrologian adjustments coming to FFXIV in 7.01:
Light Speed will be a charged action and have a new recast time.
Macrocosmos potency will change.
Two Draw Action recast times will change.
Black Mage job adjustments coming to FFXIV in 7.01:
Square Enix will make it easier to recover MP before learning Umbral Soul.
Action potency adjustments coming in 7.05
Monk adjustments coming to FFXIV in 7.01:
HUD will be adjusted.
Incorrect action potencies will be fixed.
Stacks of Fury requirement error will be fixed.
Pictomancer job adjustments coming to FFXIV in 7.01:
Aetherhues manual disabling of effects will be removed.
Aetherhues II manual disabling of effects will be removed.
Subtractive Palette manual disabling of effects will be removed.
Red Mage adjustment coming to FFXIV:
Manafication effect duration will be longer.
Samurai adjustments coming to FFXIV:
Tendo Kaeshi Setsugekka recast timer will be reduced.
Tendo Setsugekka recast timer will be reduced.
Tank roll job adjustments coming to FFXIV in 7.01:
AOE attacks will get increased enmity.
Movement abilities will get increased enmity.
Viper adjustments coming to FFXIV in 7.05:
Directional requirements will be easing.
Some action effects will be changing.
Some small changes will come in 7.01.
Final Fantasy XIV and the Dawntrail expansion are available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The new Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt anime official title appeared at Anime Expo 2024, and it is going to be "New Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt." The key art, which also included a list of credits for Studio Trigger people working on the project, also appeared at the event.
We first learned about the new project based on the show back at Anime Expo 2022 in July 2022. At the time, Trigger only teased it. Then at Anime Expo 2023, the first PV appeared and it confirmed Gainax passed the torch to them. Now the new art confirms some of the returning characters alongside staff.
Here's the first key art for the New Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt anime. Panty is standing in front of a car, while Stocking is inside of it. Garterbelt is standing behind the vehicle. Brief is heading to go into the driver's seat, but Chuck is biting him. Both Kneesocks and Scanty Daemon are in the backseat, and Fastener is with them.
As part of the Anime Expo 2024 reveals, Netflix announced that Beastars Final Season, which is season 3 of the show, will be coming to the streaming service. It will be airing in two cours, with the first starting in December 2024.
The announcement was accompanied by a piece of key art for Beastars Final Season. It features Legoshi walking down a road, with two possible options and "worlds" ahead of him. On the left side is Gosha. On the right is Yahya the Sublime Beastar. The image also confirms that only part 1 of this next season will be available in December 2024, and it doesn't indicate when we could see part 2.
We did already know we'd see some Beastars news at Anime Expo 2024. Studio Orange was teasing it ahead of the convention back in June 2024. Its panel discussing upcoming shows, such as it and Trigun Stampede, is being held at the LA Convention Center's Petree Hall at 11am PT/2pm ET on July 4, 2024.
Beastars Final Season will head to Netflix in December 2024, with season 3 of the anime appearing in two parts. The first two seasons are already available on the streaming service. Viz Media handles the manga series outside of Japan. Viz Media also handledBeast Complex.
Back when Kotobukiya teased a new Star Trek Bishoujo figure back in February 2024, it seemed to be hinting at one based in part on Captain Kirk from the original series. Now at Anime Expo 2024, the company fully revealed the character and her design. Pre-orders for it will open sometime in Summer 2024.
It very much seems like the Shunya Yamashita design for this new Star Trek Bishoujo figure references Captain Kirk in the same way the Vulcan one was inspired by Spock. The character is a Command Offer, just like he was. She also has the same blonde hair and blue eyes. The figure's pose will feature her holding a phaser and speaking into a communicator.
Here's the official announcement, which included the Yamashita concept art alongside the finished painted prototype.
You can't buy the "Captain Kirk" like version of the next Star Trek Bishoujo Command Officer figure yet. However, another one based on the characters from the series will be available at Kotobukiya's booth. The company will be selling the a Medical Officer figure at the event. A limited number will be available to buy each day. Given that she has blonde hair, she could be based on Nurse Christine Chapel from the original series.
There's no release window for the Star Trek Command OfficerBishoujo figure yet, but pre-orders will open in Summer 2024. Anime Expo runs July 4-7, 2024 at the LA Convention Center in Los Angeles, California.
At Anime Expo 2024, Kotobukiya officially confirmed that Sadako, the main character from The Ring series of novels, movies, and manga, will join the Bishoujo figure line. This comes after a teaser on July 3, 2024 that showed a video tape and a TV with static on it.
Here's the official concept art for The Ring Sadako Bishoujo figure. As usual, it is done by Shunya Yamashita. The artist is behind all of the designs for characters in the collection. The art shows her face entirely covered by her long black hair, though a shadow in the background shows one eye peeking out. She will wear a white dress and be surrounded by video tapes. This is a reference to how she spreads and attacks people.
Many horror icons are a part of the Bishoujo figure line. In each case, the design depicts them as a beautiful young woman. So in 2023, one based on the 2017 version of Pennywise from It appeared. Beetlejuice also joined the lineup in 2020.
While no prototype of the Sadako figure will appear at the event, other exclusive merchandise will be at Kotobukiya's booth. The company confirmed it will have Bishoujo figure variants of Cliff Jumper from Transformers, a Medical Officer from Star Trek, and Lilith from Darkstalkers.
There's no release window for the Sadako The Ring Bishoujo figure. Anime Expo runs July 4-7, 2024 at the LA Convention Center in Los Angeles, California.
At Anime Expo 2024, the Good Smile Company Vtuber figure announcements included a VShojo Zentreya Nendoroid and Ironmouse Pop Up Parade L Size figure. Both are very early in development, as only concept art for each one of them appeared.
First, here's the VShojo Zentreya Nendoroid. Its design is based on her cyborg character model and design. As such, she'll have white hair, yellow eyes, and be wearing her pink bodysuit with black accents. She'll also come with a sword, apparently.
Next, here's the VShojo Ironmouse Pop Up Parade L Size figure. The L Size ones in this line usually are almost nine inches tall, compared to the usual six inch ones. As such, the price goes up from about $32 to $58. It is based upon her Brat Princess model design.
There is already a Nendoroid based on Ironmouse. That launched in 2023. It was based on her Season 2 design.
The VShojo Vtubers Michi, Melody, Geega, Matara, Henya, Kson, Ironmouse, Hime, Zentreya, and Haruka are among the performers who will be at Anime Expo 2024. Each one is doing a meet and greet on a different time and day. An July 3, 2024 announcement showed the Ohmnilabs robots they will be using.
There's been an influx in horror manga series that involve slice of life elements and romance lately. We have The Summer Hikaru Diedbringing in an eldritch abomination. Now Yen Press picked up Sai Naekawa's This Monster Wants to Eat Me, with the first volume hinting at a potential relationship and horrifying end. In the case of this latest yuri series, perhaps the most compelling part is the potentially toxic relationship between Hinako and the mysterious Shiori.
Editor's Note: There will be some spoilers for the first two chapters of the This Monster Wants to Eat Me manga below.
Hinako is an orphan. She lives alone. Her family is entirely dead. It seems like she blames herself for it. However, we don't know exactly what happened. She has friends at school, like Miko. However, she's clearly traumatized by her past. So much so that when she walks past the sea after school one day and is nearly killed by a monster from the depths, she doesn't even seem all that stunned when a mermaid named Shiori brutally kills whatever it was coming after her. Then, when Shiori explains it is because she is defending her meal and she is going to devour Hinako, Hinako seems… okay with it all.
It's a tremendous gut punch, to be certain. As I read through the introduction to the horror manga, I figured maybe the interaction with Shiori might be the motivation to help Hinako seek help. That maybe it would make her feel something again and react. But to have her accept a possible fate, and perhaps even be okay with or embrace the idea, really help set the series apart. It made me want to learn more about her, a heroine so far gone that becoming a monster's meal would be an ideal ending for her.
Image via Yen Press
Likewise, this sort of introduction is an incredible setup for Shiori herself in This Monster Wants to Eat Me. In popular media, we've been trained to see mermaids as pretty and idealized creatures. They're more of a beautiful aspiration, though some stories do depict them as horrors from the deep. And many times, Shiori is absolutely adorable! She looks like a gorgeous character, and there are many moments when she's polite to and protective of Hinako. However, Naekawa also has these moments in the first volume of the manga that do show what a horror Shiori can be. We see grotesque vestiges lurking under the elegant facade. It's fascinating. As I read, I wanted to know more about her. The lore surrounding mermaids here. The reason she showed up.
But also, I can't help but wonder about Hinako's mysteries and secrets as well. While Shiori is the more overt danger and threat, perhaps there's something to the human girl that isn't quite right or trustworthy either? After all, Shiori and other monsters are drawn to her because of the way she'd taste. We know there was a disaster that took the lives of her parents and sibling. Perhaps there's some greater part she played or trouble on her end as well?
Like the relationship that is developing between Hinako and Shiori is one of predator and prey. Shiori is guarding and perhaps even toying with her meal. Hinako doesn't realize how close danger is or perhaps doesn't care. Neither of them is invested in this situation for the right reasons. This is going to be unhealthy and dangerous. Yet, I could see myself growing attached to them and their relationship and wanting to see this through.
This Monster Wants to Eat Me is setting itself up as a horror manga where the reader may feel as though they can't look away, even if the relationship is doomed or disaster awaits. We know Shiori is the type of mermaid that isn't going to be pretty and content. She's a ruthless monster. We already saw two situations in which other abominations tried to come after Hinako. Meanwhile, we still don't even know what's going on with Hinako and her family to get her to this point. While she seems to be a completely innocent victim, perhaps there's also something going on with her to cause such feelings of guilt as well.
Volume 1 of This Monster Wants to Eat Me is available now, and Yen Press will release volume 2 of the horror and yuri manga on September 17, 2024.
As part of the Good Smile Company figure announcements at Anime Expo 2024, a Hades 2 Melinoe Nendoroid appeared. It is fairly early in development, as only an unpainted prototype of the character appeared.
Here's the first photo of how the Melinoe Hades 2 Nendoroid looks so far.
As it is unpainted, we can't get an idea of how it will handle the effects for her arm just yet. However, the initial face plate design does indicate the difference between her eyes. No accessories were shown, so it is unknown when she might come with when she launches.
This figure is one of multiple Hades and Hades 2 ones released and in the works. For example, you can pick up Nendoroids of characters like Zagreus, Thanatos, and Megaera. There were also Nendoroid pins of Zagreus and Thanatos.
The Hades 2 Meinoe Nendoroid is in development. There's no release window just yet for the figure. Hades 2 is currently in early access for PCs. The next major update for the game is expected to arrive at the end of the year. However, there's no exact date regarding its 1.0 launch yet. The original Hades is on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and iOS devices via Netflix.
At Anime Expo 2024, Good Smile Company announced that there will be a Nendoroid of the Vtuber Dokibird. It is early in development, so only concept art of the figure appeared.
First, here's a look at the Dokibird Nendoroid, which shows the concept art for the upcoming Vtuber figure. She is wearing her original outfit in the design.
There's no release window for the Nendoroid of the Vtuber Dokibird, however it could be a while before a release due to the figure being in the concept art phase. Anime Expo is running between July 4-7, 2024 at the LA Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. Dokibird will be at the Hyte booth.
As part of the company's Anime Expo 2024 announcements, Good Smile Company showed off the Silent Hill 2 Pyramid Head Nendoroid. A painted prototype of the upcoming Silent Hill figure appeared.
Here's a closer look at it. It looks exactly like it did in the game. In addition, it confirmed that the character will come armed with its Great Knife. As it is a painted prototype, that likely means pre-orders for it could appear in the next few weeks.
This isn't the only Nendoroid based on a character from the series. Good Smile Company also released ones of Robbie the Rabbit from Silent Hill 3. Those were available in different styles and were flocked.
It isn't only Silent Hill Nendoroid figures that Good Smile Company worked on. The company is also known for more traditional figures and figmas of characters. For example, there are the Nurse and Pyramid Head figmas, both of which ended up getting rereleased. There are also Pop Up Parade figures from the series.
The Silent Hill Pyramid Head Nendoroid is in development, and there is no release date for it yet. The The Silent Hill 2remake will appear on October 8, 2024 for the PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.
Nintendo has stopped accepting official repairs for the Wii U in Japan. The company found out on July 3, 2024, that it had run out of spare parts to repair the legacy consoles. It has thus added the Wii U to the official list of consoles that already had their repairs completely discontinued.
The company made the confirmation via a follow-up tweet to the initial announcement in May 2023. The Japanese tweet is available to read right below:
Besides the Wii U, Nintendo is also gradually phasing out repairs for the 3DS family of consoles. The company has already stopped accepting repairs for the original 3DS and its LL/XL variant. In February 2024, it started the countdown for the spare parts for the New 3DS, its LL/XL variant, and 2DS to run out. Only the New 2DS LL/XL is still serviceable for the foreseeable future.
The cessation of official repairs for the Wii U in Japan marked a total closure to the saga of the Wii's direct successor. Nintendo launched the console first in the West in November 2012, with Japan following suit the month after in December 2012. The company stopped production of the console at the end of January 2017. It had also completely shut down all online functions of the console in April 2024, after previously closing the eShop in March 2023.
After years of development, Zenless Zone Zero is finally ready for public release, and it's one that I feel like will be really hit or miss among the general HoYoVerse fandom. On my end, the snazzy aesthetics, fast-paced battle system, and interesting characters are enough to outweigh any oddities present.
Screenshot by Siliconera
The story in Zenless Zone Zero follows a pair of siblings who work as "Phaethon," a Proxy whose job is to guide people through Hollows. Hollows are like interdimensional spaces. People go in there for a variety of reasons, such as for investigations. It's more urban sci-fi than a grandiose space opera like Honkai: Star Rail. While there is an overarching storyline regarding a mysterious AI and some conspiracies that you discover, it progresses in episodic bites, introducing factions that hire or work with Phaethon due to their credible reputation.
Like in other HoYoVerse games, you can choose which sibling you want to play as. But unlike the other ones, the one you don't choose still plays a key part in the story, along with serving as the main mission control at times. It plays very similarly to Fate/Grand Order, where the Master you choose only affects who you see and control in the main story. Phaethon characters, as a Proxy service, never actually appears as controllable allies in battle. So in my opinion, there's less pressure. Mind that the Phaethon you choose is still the one you have to look at in the main menu (until you unlock more characters to set in the screen), as well as the character you control, so you should still put some thought into whose visual you prefer.
Screenshot by Siliconera
The Phaethon siblings and Fairy have a really fun dynamic together. They have a really endearing bond. Fairy's oddly antagonistic relationship with your sibling feels more akin to a sitcom nemesis as well, making their occasional barbed comments at each other funny rather than uncomfortable. Starting from Nicole's Cunning Hare and then the bizarre members of Victoria Housekeeping, the characters in the game all have fairly fun quirks. It makes them seem a lot more cartoonish at times compared to characters from previous HoYoVerse titles. Anby, for example, seems like a cold, stoic girl hiding a dark past. But she quickly reveals herself as a pretty silly movie otaku who delivers ridiculous lines in an earnest deadpan. That's not to say the entire game is a joke, though, as it still goes through themes like corporate corruption, with playable characters affected by these injustices.
There are three main types of quests you can partake in: story, exploration, and combat. You should take note that certain quests are only available at certain times of day. So for example, if there's a quest in the afternoon, you might need to kill time in the morning with another quest or something before you can move onto that. It's never really an issue, but I remember feeling a little overwhelmed at the sheer number of quests you can get at once. As far as I saw, none of them were time-gated or anything, so you can definitely take your time without worrying about missing one forever. As a note, the game will provide a summary if you decide to skip all the cutscenes. So if you don't feel like reading or don't care, you can still have a basic understanding of the plot.
Screenshot by Siliconera
The combat in the game is the best part. It's fast, stylish, and fun, even if you don't fully grasp what a character's kit can do. There's more emphasis on the order of your team, as you only have one button to swap between the characters. So if you, for example, lower an enemy's DEF with Nicole and then want to immediately swap in your attacker Billy, you'll want to make sure they're next to each other in your roster. It's not that big of a deal if you forget though. The swap is seamless enough that one extra button press won't cost you.
I'll say that doing a lot of combat can be killer depending on who you're using and what mode you're playing. Shiyu Defense, for example, is this game's version of Forgotten Hall and Spiral Abyss, essentially. You can play through nonstop combat rounds without having to load too many times in between. But my goodness, Nekomata teams and Soldier 11 teams made me feel like I developed carpal tunnel. This is unfortunate because their play styles are some of my favorites and always have been. I had to really readjust my posture when playing it on the mouse, so I feel like this game is better with a controller. Or, at the very least, a wrist brace.
Screenshot by Siliconera
What's unfortunate is that some characters have very complicated kit descriptions in the menu, which can make them feel unapproachable or difficult to use. It's far easier to go into the character's individual tutorial in the VR Mode to get the summarized version. A more concise description of their various abilities would be nice. Aside from a character-specific tutorial, you can also go into free training mode. This is a nice way to enjoy the combat and let off steam without worrying about things like a time limit in Shiyu Defense. You can also use it as a way to better learn your characters and enemies, such as memorizing attack patterns for certain enemies if you want to main Nekomata (who gains enhanced attacks after dodging).
Screenshot by Siliconera
Aside from combat, the grid exploration aspect is still here in story and exploration commissions. When you enter Hollows in story quests and other commissions, you'll need to go through a "map" of TV screens. In the closed beta test, I really hated these segments because they felt long and tedious. While I do think they're still on the boring side, the option to fast-forward the animation makes it feel like less of a slog. It might also be better on a more powerful machine, as I played Zenless Zone Zero on a 5-year-old gaming laptop with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 inside of it. It's not the most powerful machine in the world. So the load time every time you had to do an enemy encounter was not great.
Screenshot by Siliconera
I mentioned earlier that the characters feel a lot zanier in this game, making them seem like cartoon characters. The animation style definitely feels like it's leaning into that. I can't quite place my finger on which Cartoon Network show it reminds me of, though. The characters move a lot more than I expect in the cutscenes though, and their facial expressions can be on the more exaggerated side. This isn't a negative, per se, but it can be surprising if you're used to how the characters move and talk in previous HoYoVerse games.
Finally, I love the aesthetic of the game. It's a perfect mix of retro and modern—like Y2K retrofuturism. Though it takes place in an obviously futuristic world, the Proxy siblings work in a video rental shop and can offer suggestions on old (fictional) movies for their patrons to watch. This is kind of oddly specific. But the heading font in the game reminds me so much of those Jampack demo catalogues or old skater aesthetic stores in the mall. It's so charming in a nostalgic way, and I love how the UI looks. I'll say that it was kind of hard to navigate at times because I wasn't sure where anything is, but I'm sure it'll be easier to do so with time.
Screenshot by Siliconera
Zenless Zone Zero is a snappy action game that feels rewarding to master. Though the story can fall flat at times, the characters are so fun that it's fun to see their reactions. The presentation of the plot—the comic book format and the colorful animations—keeps it entertaining and fresh. Instead of appealing to everyone, it feels like it's striving to hit a particular audience and I personally am one of those people. Hopefully the dailies won't be too hard to manage on top of everything else in the market.
Zenless Zone Zero is available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.
