Kotaku Friday, July 5, 2024 4:20 PM  In 2002 a group of friends in Italy started developing an action-platformer with RPG elements for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance handheld. Then 22 years passed and now, in 2024, Kien is finally launching on GBA, ending one of the longest delays in video game history. |
Kotaku Friday, July 5, 2024 2:40 PM  Capcom announced today that after just a year of updates, its live-service dino killin' game—Exoprimal—will be going on life support as it has no further plans to add new seasonal content to the game after its last update. |
Kotaku Friday, July 5, 2024 2:30 PM  Arrowhead, the developers behind the hit co-op shooter Helldivers 2, have recently been struggling to get a bit of weaponry into the hands of its community. Helldivers 2 players have consistently failed to unlock a new stratagem—deployable weapons and tools to use mid-match—for months on end. Things have gotten so… |
Kotaku Friday, July 5, 2024 2:20 PM  We are just about five months away from Sonic the Hedgehog 3's theatrical release on December 20. It's been three months since Paramount gave fans a private premiere of footage from the film in April, but after months of waiting and theorizing about when a public trailer might drop, most fans haven't seen a frame of… |
Kotaku Friday, July 5, 2024 2:10 PM  Everyone knows at least one super fan in their life who won't shut up about the Trails series, Nihon Falcom's sprawling universe of beefy RPGs with an overwhelming number of sequels, subseries, and interwoven narrative arcs spread out across multiple decades. Fortunately, the latest game in the franchise, The Legend… |
Kotaku Friday, July 5, 2024 1:30 PM  July is here and so are its wonderfully (or not so wonderful) high temperatures. Here in the States, we just wrapped a holiday that feels…well, do I need to spell out how discordant and weird things are here right now? Probably not. Oh, hey, that's right: Video games! Escapism isn't always the healthiest of… |
Kotaku Friday, July 5, 2024 12:40 PM  Foodfight!, an infamously horrible CG animated comedy starring product mascots, almost got a tie-in PS2-era video game. And while the tie-in game was never finished, largely because the movie lingered in development hell, we now have access to assets from the Foodfight! game and have a more complete story of what this… |
Kotaku Friday, July 5, 2024 12:30 PM  As one of the best-selling video games of all time, one that has individually outsold entire video game series like Assassin's Creed, it's always been disappointing that Grand Theft Auto V never got story DLC. The franchise has had incredible DLC in the past, like GTA 4's outstanding The Ballad of Gay Tony, and yet GTA… |
Kotaku Friday, July 5, 2024 12:20 PM  What better way to incentivize players to help keep the community clean than by offering up a reward? Plenty of online video games have a cheater problem, but sometimes developers need players' help to track them down. That's what Escape From Tarkov developer Battlestate Games is doing, offering players in-game… |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 6:42 PM  Blade Runner is one of my favorite films. It might even be my favorite film, because I'm an absolute sucker for a sense of place and how cyberpunk cities feel and Blade Runner has both in spades. So you can imagine I've been almost vibrating with sheer excitement over chill dystopian city builder Dystopika, Now, a new update has upped that excitement, with a brilliant new addition that unlocks a way to customize the game's animated billboards. Continue reading Cyberpunk city builder Dystopika unveils custom billboard feature MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best city building games, Best cyberpunk games, Best sandbox games |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 4:44 PM  Sometimes it's not enough to make your own game, sometimes you have to go a step further. That's exactly what Minecraft Console Edition developer 4J Studios is doing with its new Elements Engine, a voxel-based tool it has created to facilitate the creation of its next game. While not exactly Minecraft 2, the comparison can't be avoided as the engine's blocky style very much brings Mojang's juggernaut to mind. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best open-world games, Best building games, Best crafting games |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 4:00 PM  Come with me back to 2015. The second Avengers film is tearing up the film charts, Adele was saying Hello, and a little game called Batman: Arkham Knight was having the worst time ever. Released on PC in a truly atrocious state, it wasn't long before it was pulled from sale for a few months for the game to be spruced up and put back out there. Eventually what we got was one of the most improved PC ports ever, but it took quite a while and its reputation never quite recovered. Continue reading Get Batman Arkham Knight, one of the most improved PC ports, for $2 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Arkham Knight System Requirements, Best Batman games, Best superhero games |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 2:15 PM  Some games have a lot of impact after they land, but once the shockwaves die down they fail to maintain their relevance. Fortunately, with some updates a forgotten game can reclaim its place in the limelight, and that looks like what's happening to For the King 2. It debuted with respectable numbers but interest in it quickly petered out. Now a big new update has attracted more players than the game has had in months. Could this be the start of a comeback? MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games, Best fantasy games, Best co-op games |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 1:36 PM  Getting rid of cheaters in an online game isn't just something you can do quietly in the background. Players need to know that it's happening, both as a deterrent but also to inspire confidence that the game is in safe hands. Sometimes, however, it goes a little further and that's exactly what The First Descendant developer Nexon has done, sharing exactly why players have been banned in the first wave of corrective actions. Continue reading Free looter shooter The First Descendant shares player ban details MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The First Descendant system requirements, The First Descendant characters, The First Descendant crossplay |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 12:56 PM  There are few games that have had a redemption arc as thorough as Fallout 76. From an empty sandbox with little to do and even less of a reason to be there, it's become one of the best multiplayer survival games out there. It's now got a compelling set of quests, tons of activities, a thriving playerbase, one of the best maps for sheer exploration in gaming, and some of the best storytelling and lore seen in a Fallout game since New Vegas. Bethesda isn't prepared to stop tinkering with it, however, with a new update promising to overhaul legendary crafting. Continue reading Underrated survival game Fallout 76 needs your input on crafting MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best games like Fallout, Fallout 5 release date, Best Fallout 4 mods |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 12:36 PM  A good gaming chair is essential for a comfortable setup, but the top models can be expensive. Good news, then, because Secretlab's Titan Evo gaming chair is currently on sale, with up to $100 off certain colorways. And, it's not just this chair that's discounted. Secret Lab has a massive Independence Day sale lasting another 5 days, including $89 off its mighty metal gaming desks like the Magnus Pro. We can't recommend the Titan Evo chair enough if you're looking for one of the best gaming chairs on the market, thanks to its high-quality design that's both durable and comfortable. We don't often see Secretlab chairs on sale, so if you're considering splashing out on a new seat, now could be the time to buy. Continue reading Secretlab's best gaming chair is $100 cheaper, but not for long MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 12:30 PM  What are the best Elden Ring armor sets? If we're being1 completely honest, there's no point in being good at something unless you look good while you're doing it. The best Elden Ring armor sets can separate you from the rest of the Tarnished out there, providing you with an outfit that can strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. In this RPG game, upgrading your armaments using Elden Ring smithing stones and Ashes of War is just as important as leveling up your character. There are some armor sets imbued with powerful abilities, though their use largely depends on what type of character you're building. If you've got a fashion-conscious Tarnished, Elden Ring makes it difficult to find armor that is both protective and stylish, but it certainly can be done if you know where to look. Continue reading The best Elden Ring armor sets MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, Elden Ring weapons |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 12:27 PM  Live service games are defined by their communities. So many come and go without as much as a whisper, but the ones that endure do so because their fans share their favorite moments and create intricate stories around them. While Zenless Zone Zero has only just launched, and hasn't had time to capture people's hearts just yet, HoYoverse's previous game Honkai Star Rail did, and the new game contains a fun easter egg suggesting a link to its predecessor. Continue reading Zenless Zone Zero secretly hints at link with Honkai Star Rail MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Zenless Zone Zero review, Zenless Zone Zero codes, Zenless Zone Zero banners |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 12:26 PM  Elden Ring summons and spirit ashes can help make the latest game from FromSoftware a little less daunting for new players. It's a way of changing the difficulty level a smidge, as these spirits of fallen souls you can conjure can take a particularly tough enemy's focus off you in combat, allowing you to heal. These spirits appear in many forms in the open-world game, from skeletal warriors and deadly plants to creatures like wolves, serpents, and winged monsters. Sadly, it's not as simple as tapping a button to summon your spirit pal, you have to search and obtain the spirit ashes first. However, they can also be upgraded using Elden Ring Grave or Ghost Glovewort; plants found across the Lands Between. Continue reading Best Elden Ring summons and spirit ashes locations MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, Elden Ring weapons |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 12:23 PM  The Diablo 4 Season 5 PTR is over, and the full launch is still a month away. Last Epoch's second cycle remains a few days out, and Path of Exile 2 has been pushed back out of sight for now. So what's an APRG lover to do? The answer may lie with Torchlight Infinite, the free-to-play Steam game that's just launched its fifth season, Clockwork Ballet. Boasting its biggest update yet, there are plenty of reasons to jump in - and a lot of players already have. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Torchlight Infinite codes, Best free PC games, Best PC RPGs |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 12:17 PM  It's no secret that PC gamers can get a little bit precious about operating systems. As a case and point, almost three years after the release of Windows 11, it's only just started to come close to overtaking Windows 10 in the Steam Hardware Survey, despite the free upgrade path. While Windows 11 is still just short of Windows 10 in terms of its percentage share of Steam users, it's clear that Windows in general is still the preferred operating system, with a dominant 96.61% share of all systems. This news comes as we also learn that PC gamers are using controllers far more often than in recent years. Continue reading New Steam survey shows gamers are finally upgrading to Windows 11 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Steam FAQ, Steam family sharing, Steam in-home streaming |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 12:09 PM  What are the best Elden Ring builds? The first 20 levels shape your entire class, so selecting your stats carefully is essential. While placing some stat points into faith as an Astrologer may be tempting, you're probably better off committing to the full sorcery build to maximize your damage in the late game. Along with the expansion, the latest patch as brought about a fresh round of nerfs for the best Elden Ring builds. Near not, we're going to be trimming the fat on our guide to ensure you have the strongest setups available. If you've found that your build has been nerfed, never fear — grab a specific Elden Ring Great Rune. You'll be able to unlock character respec, and you can simply create a new one! Continue reading The best Elden Ring builds MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Elden Ring builds, Elden Ring bosses, Elden Ring weapons |
PCGamesN Friday, July 5, 2024 2:58 PM  Where are the FF14 Dawntrail Aether Currents? The in-game compass only works so well, and while many players enjoy finding them on their own, they can be a pain to locate. Some of them look accessible from one location but really require a completely different route. Whether the current is as simple as strolling up to it or at the top of what could be considered a jumping puzzle, we've got you covered, and you'll be flying in Tural in no time. Each of these FF14 Dawntrail Aether Current locations are broken down by zone. Just like the Endwalker Aether Currents, there are six new zones in Dawntrail, each of which will have 10 overworld Aether Currents for you to attune to, and five quests that give them, totaling 15 currents for each zone in the MMO game's latest expansion. Continue reading All FF14 Dawntrail Aether Current locations MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best MMOs, FF14 Dawntrail release date, FF14 Island Sanctuary guide |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 5, 2024 1:14 PM  Escape from Tarkov is taking extra steps to crack down on cheaters by offering players a cash bounty - in the extraction shooter's in-game currency, anyway - for reporting ne'er-do-wells. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 5, 2024 12:49 PM  Factorio's whopping Space Age expansion has been in the works for a good few years now, and we finally know when we'll get our hands on it. Space Age will arrive this October alongside a major 2.0 update for the moreish factory-automating hit, with the expansion costing as much as the base game. It sounds like there'll be plenty to show for that price, mind. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 5, 2024 12:17 PM  It looks like we won't get a remake of Dead Space 2 in the style of last year's excellent do-over of the original limb-shooting horror game, but it turns out that Dead Space isn't completely, uh, dead just yet. Though to what degree you could consider it alive and well - reanimated in a twisted form of its previous glory, perhaps - is another question entirely. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 5, 2024 12:02 PM  Dawntrail, the latest expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, has officially been out just three days, arriving earlier this week after a brief early access release. Despite its story and extra 10 levels spanning dozens of hours of playtime, that's apparently been ample time for players to complain loudly enough about one of the expansion's brand new jobs - so much so that Square Enix have already announced a set of incoming changes planned across the game's next run of patches. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 7:00 PM
Square Enix opened pre-orders for the new Play Arts Kai action figures of Aerith and Elena from FFVII Rebirth. Each figure costs $179.99, with Aerith's figure set to release in May 2025 and Elena's figure scheduled for a September 2025 release.
Both figures are fully articulated and include a variety of interchangeable pieces. For example, Aerith's Play Arts Kai figure comes with her Guard Stick starting weapon, a basket full of yellow flowers, various hand parts including a praying set of hands and a hand holding a flower, and an alternate grinning head part. Meanwhile, Elena's Play Arts Kai figure Includes her iconic pink gun, a half-eaten ice cream, various hand parts including two grenade hands, and a smiling alternate head.
You can take a better look at both Play Arts Kai figures of Elena and Aerith in the gallery below.
Square Enix recently updated its Japanese Amazon storefront to include the new FFVII Rebirth Play Arts Kai figures of Cloud and Yuffie. In addition, Square Enix just started a new lottery for a variety of FFVII Rebirth merchandise, including figures of Cloud and Tifa performing their Limit Break attacks.
The new FFVII Rebirth Play Arts Kai figures of Aerith and Elena are now available for pre-order form the North American Square Enix online store. FFVII Rebirth is readily available for the PlayStation 5.
The post See FFVII Rebirth Aerith and Elena Play Arts Kai Figures appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 5:30 PM
At Anime Expo 2024, Sunrise and Crocs announced that Mobile Suit Gundam Crocs are on the way. The shoes are on display at the event, and pre-orders are live. There's no release date beyond "coming soon" yet.
The product listing for the Crocs online only shows them in kids sizes. They cost $59.99, and they use the all terrain clog version of the shoe with a fabric strap. They are available in sizes J1-J6 and C11-C13. The design is based on the RX-78-2 Gundam, and it comes with two Jibbitz charms based on the mech's head and shield as well.
Here's the official reveal:
And here are some of the official images from the product page:
The Mobile Suit Gundam Crocs are one of many anime and game crossover options for the shoes. Back in 2023, we saw a number of additional styles. For example, there are Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen Crocs. A Hello Kitty style also exists. You can pick up Sonic the Hedgehog shoes and Super Mario Jibbitz charms as well.
The Mobile Suit Gundam Crocs are "coming soon," though there's no exact release date yet. The anime series can be found on Crunchyroll and YouTube.
The post Mobile Suit Gundam Crocs Appear at Anime Expo appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 5:00 PM
Benelic has revealed that it will sell Kirby puddings in various alternate colors for a limited time throughout the Summer of 2024 in Japan. These colors will temporarily accompany the existing pink Kirby pudding.
The original pink-colored Kirby pudding has been available for purchase with a strawberry flavor. The extra colors that will be available temporarily are yellow from orange, blue from lychee, and green from the green apple (which is better known in Japan as "Ao-Ringo / Blue Apple"). All variants will have the exact same price tag of 950 yen (~$5.90).
These pudding jars will be available for purchase at the two Kirby Cafe Petit outlets in Tokyo and Osaka. The Tokyo outlet is located in the Tokyo Character Street inside the First Avenue of Tokyo Station. Meanwhile, the Osaka outlet is on the sixth floor of Tennoji MIO.
These Petit outlets are different from the main cafe outlets that often hold season-exclusive Kirby-themed meals, such as the pineapple-themed menu in Summer 2024. The main cafe outlet in Tokyo is located at the Tokyo Sky Tree Solamachi, while the other outlet is situated in Hakata, Fukuoka.
Most of the Kirby Colorful Puddings will be available for purchase at Kirby Cafe Petit outlets in Tokyo and Osaka from July 10, 2024, until September 1, 2024. Only the strawberry-flavored pink Kirby pudding will remain available for the foreseeable future.
The post Kirby Colorful Puddings Will Appear for a Limited Time appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 4:41 PM
At the Aksys Anime Expo 2024 panel, the company revealed it will be releasing five more Switch otome games in 2024 and 2025. Among the announcements were more details about known games like Despera Drops, new announcements for titles like Utakata no Uchronia, and a new platform for existing game 7'scarlet.
First, two Aksys otomes we already knew about ended up with updated release windows revealed at the event. The first is the Virche Evermore Epic: Lycoris fan disc. That will launch on November 7, 2024. Despera Drops will follow, but that won't appear until Spring 2025.
The other three were all new announcements, though one is a game we've seen before. 7'scarlet, which Aksys previously handled the Vita release for, is among the new Switch otome games coming in 2025. That involves a woman looking for her missing brother and uncovering even more unexpected events and people. That will launch in Spring 2025. The other two are so early in development, they don't have English titles yet. One is Mistonia no Kibou: The Lost Delight, which involves a maid named Applause in the fairy-adjacent kingdom called Grand Alvion. She's going undercover to get revenge, but may also find love along the way. Meanwhile, Utakata no Uchronia sees a young woman named Hinagiku meet an amnesiac and, in so doing, get a chance to leave the flying city she calls home.
For a reminder of what 7'scarlet is like, here's Aksys' trailer from the Vita version of the game that appeared in 2018:
This is the trailer for Mistonia no Kibou: The Lost Delight from Japan:
Here's the Utakata no Uchronia Japanese trailer, which highlights all of the love interests:
Aksys also made a number of announcements not related to its otome titles. Here are the other games it is working on:
The post 5 Aksys Switch Otome Games Appear at Anime Expo 2024 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 4:21 PM
NIS America's next Anime Expo 2024 announcement is The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak 2, which will arrive outside Japan in early 2025. This comes as the first game in this new subseries debuts outside Japan on July 5, 2025.
As a reminder, both Trails Through Daybreak 1 and 2 are two of the three games in the Calvard arc of the series. It follows Spriggan Van Arkride, Agnes Claudel, and their allies. In the second part, they end up getting involved in the investigation of murders. While this sequel originally appeared on the PS4 and PS5 in Japan in September 2022 and PC in certain languages in January 2024, NIS America confirmed it will release the game on the Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC when it launches next year.
Here's the latest trailer for the announcement:
This leaves just one entry in this trilogy so far that isn't confirmed for a worldwide release yet. The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria- is the third part. It is set to come to the PS4 and PS5 on September 26, 2024 in Japan.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak 2 will come to the Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC in early 2025. The first game in this new trilogy is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC now.
The post The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak 2 Appears at Anime Expo appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 4:10 PM
Back in March 2024, Warner Bros Discovery shut down Rooster Teeth and put the future of the series RWBY in question. At Anime Expo 2024, Viz Media, Barbara "Yang" Dunkelman, and series Co-Creator and Showrunner Kerry Shawcross announced the company acquired RWBY and will continue to distribute past volumes, new merchandise, and even the possibility of additional chapters.
Here's the official announcement video from Shawcross and Dunkelman. While it is unknown if past developers will return, Shawcross will be involved future Viz Media future RWBY projects.
The statement left some details about the future of RWBY unknown, as it isn't known if there will be a Volume 10 anime or what will happen with the new possible chapters. However, its English and Japanese X accounts and Facebook will be open, the existing nine volumes will eventually be available again, and there will be updates on the soundtracks.
Viz Media already handled the RWBY manga ahead of this acquisition of the anime and other elements. There are all three volumes of the manga by Bunta Kinami, the Shirow Miwa manga, the official manga anthologies with stories by various artists, and the Daniel Wallace companion book.
RWBY is currently unavailable to stream, but past volumes can be found physically.
The post Viz Media Now Owns RWBY appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 4:00 PM
In Metaphor: ReFantazio, we already knew a number of people were competing in a Royal Tournament to take the throne, but the new story trailer focuses on another goal, saving the cursed prince Louis. The look into the game shows how our avatar met the character as a child, and is now fighting to save him.
Things begin in the Metaphor: ReFantazio trailer with a fallen Hulkenberg lamenting her failure to protect Prince Louis. Strohl then tells her she's wrong. The hero follows that by revealing Louis isn't dead. From there, we see Gallica and the hero mentioning that they need to kill him to lift the curse, which was inflicted after he survived a nearly fatal attack. From there, we see a flashback that involved Louis and the hero meeting as children. From there, we see antagonists, fights, and challenges we'll face in the game. At the 1:50 mark, we see what the "new" version of Louis looks like and the threat that comes alongside the tournament.
Here's the full Metaphor: ReFantazio story trailer:
This video appeared ahead of an Atlus Exclusive showcase appearing during Anime Expo 2024. At 8pm PT/11pm ET, the developers will offer more insight into the game and its influences.
Here's the placeholder for it:
Metaphor: ReFantazio will come to the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on October 11, 2024.
The post Metaphor: ReFantazio Story Trailer Shows the Cursed Prince appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 3:30 PM
FFXIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida issued a statement over a known issue with the game's lighting system in player housing areas. A fix is expected by Patch 7.05, which is expected to arrive around the end of July 2024.
The issue appears to have been caused by the updates to the lighting system that arrived with FFXIV patch 7.0, with reports of player housing areas being too dark at high levels and too bright at low levels. In the statement, Yoshida begins by apologizing and promising a fix by Patch 7.05. He then explains that while the team wants to make the new system match the old one as much as possible, players will likely still need to rearrange things to get the lighting exactly as they want it.
This isn't the first issue the new expansion and 7.0 has faced, and the frequency of bugs has led to Yoshida and Square Enix giving out free game time to players as an apology. The company also recently announced a suite of adjustments for various classes in the game, including the new Pictomancer and Viper.
A fix for the Final Fantasy XIV lighting issues in player housing is expected by Patch 7.05, roughly scheduled for the end of July, 2024. The game itself, along with the new Dawntrail expansion, are readily available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox
The post FFXIV Housing Lighting Issues to be Fixed by Patch 7.05 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 3:00 PM
Ever since Suika Game became a phenomenon, we've seen tons of similar watermelon matching games. (Or ones involving matching Vtubers or Azur Striker Gunvolt elements.) With Fruit Mountain, we have a Suika Game type of title that still involves matching fruits until you reach a coveted watermelon, but the 3D element and execution makes it feel much different.
As with Suika Game, there is no story to Fruit Mountain, but we are presented with more of a motivation for why we are chucking produce like a blueberry, strawberry, peach, or apple at a plate to make a watermelon. In the background is a painter working on a still life. We are preparing the "model" by putting the fruit together. So it feels a little more unique and like we have a greater sense of purpose.
Two modes are available. One is an untimed, relaxed mode, while the other is a timed one in which you need to stack as many fruits as you can as the clock counts down. The gameplay mechanics remain the same throughout, though the pressure is on in the latter mode. When you toss fruit onto the plate, you can move left or right around it and select up or down to determine the height and position of the throw. The physics of it all mean everything tends to stay where you chucked it, though it does seem like it does congregate toward the center. Which is great, as that divot gives you a bit of leeway and security in knowing things may roll a bit into the center.
The fruits chosen and execution actually allows for a little bit of strategy in Fruit Mountain, perhaps even more so than Suika Game. You have blueberries, strawberries, what look like durians, peaches, apples, oranges, pears, dragon fruits, pineapples, melons, melons, and watermelons. The pears, dragonfruits, and pineapples especially help with positioning as you attempt to create a stack, so it really does become possible to pile up on the plate.
What's also nice is the combo element. If you can create a chain of fruits matching together one after another, you get a score bonus. So even early on as I started Fruit Mountain, I felt like I accomplished something even if I didn't reach the melon or watermelon and still got to see higher scores.
There are some elements that would benefit Fruit Mountain that aren't here, but would be helpful. More or improved leaderboards would be handy. I'm not the biggest fan of the music, but most of the time I did end up just muting it and playing while I had some mindless TV show on or other music playing. I also found that Fruit Mountain can sometimes feel a bit too easy, once you get the hang of it, compared to Suika Game and other watermelon or fruit matching titles. However, it being a title in the space that is cozier and more relaxed could make it perfect for people.
I know we're bound to see plenty more Suika Game clones, but as long as we get genuinely creative takes on the watermelon matching formula like Fruit Mountain, I'm okay with it. It absolutely feels like one of the more relaxed and cozy options in this new subset of the puzzle genre. The presentation looks good. Plus the implementation of tossing fruits in a 3D environment with no "walls" around a box really adds a new element of strategy to it.
Fruit Mountain is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.
The post Review: Fruit Mountain Adds Depth to the Suika Game Craze appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 2:30 PM
Exoprimal Season 4 will be the final season of the game, Capcom has confirmed. However, while updates will end, the game will remain active.
Capcom made the announcement via the official Exoprimal website, which confirmed that Season 4 was the final season. The current season ends on July 11, 2024, which will mark the last date of updates. However, the game will not be shut down. Instead, the game will loop back to Season 1 again, with the following seasons repeating on a monthly rotation. Season Passes for each season will become available too, allowing players to access all content.
The seasons will operate the same way they did in their original appearance, with Premium Tier Survival Passes only operating for the season they're bought for. In addition, progress in any given season will carry over to the next rotation of that season. Exoprimal will also run weekly campaign missions, which operate on a four-week rotation. These campaign missions will include the Mega Man and Monster Hunter collaborations, which will alternate every two weeks.
Despite the game reaching its final season of updates, Exoprimal will remain active online. All modes will remain, including endgame content such as Savage Gauntlet and Time Loop Rebellion. Capcom will also be adding bots to the game, allowing anyone to keep playing even if other players are unavailable.
Exoprimal is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The final season ends on July 11, 2024.
The post Exoprimal Season 4 Will Be the Final Season appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 2:00 PM
Back at Anime Expo 2022, Sekai Project and Neko Works revealed the Nekopara After: La Vraie Familie DLC for the Nekopara Vol 4 game. Now at Anime Expo 2024, the publisher and developer confirmed it will be a full game and appear in 2025 and revealed four Nekopara remasters will start appearing in Q4 2024.
So far, only the remaster of Nekopara Vol 1 is confirmed for the Q4 2024 release. Only a PC version via Steam is also on the way, even though the game originally appeared on the PS4 and Switch as well. It will be in HD with new sprites for all characters.
As the "after" part of the name suggests, Nekopara After: La Vraie Familie is an epilogue. It features Shigure, Kashou's little sister, and Fraise the cat girl from Nekopara Vol 4. After the events of the previous installment, Fraise is now a part of the Minaduki family, but is having trouble settling in with her new family. The game will follow her and Shigure's relationship with Kashou and, to an extent, the other cat girls. Ceui, who performed the song "Mellow Melody" for Sola, is working on its theme song.
While there were these Nekopara updates, we haven't heard anything more about Inupara. It also came up at Anime Expo 2022. It's the Sekai Project and Neko Works new title that features dog girls, rather than cat girls. There's been no update about it since the reveal and first trailer from two years ago.
Nekopara Vol 1 Remaster will appear in Q4 2024 for PCs, and Nekopara After: La Vraie Familie will appear in 2025.
The post Nekopara After: La Vraie Familie Game, Nekopara Remasters Announced appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 1:30 PM
Pre-orders are now open for Huggy figures of 2B and 9S from NieR Automata. Both figures have shown up on the official Good Smile Company store, aiming for a December 2024 release.
The Huggy figures feature both 2B and 9S from NieR Automata as chibi versions of themselves. They are posed in seated positions and the arms are articulated so they can be made to look like they're asking for a hug. They also feature a magnet on the back of their head, so they can be attached to the fridge or other metallic surfaces. Both figures are based on the appearances of both characters in the anime adaptation.
The Huggy figures can be pre-ordered from now until July 31, 2024 from the Good Smile Company. The figures are set for release in December 2024. They are available for 1,800 each.
The NieR Automata Huggy figures were first announced at WonHobby G 2023 Autumn, where only concept art was shown off. It's not the only NieR Automata merch in the works, as Proof has recently opened pre-orders for detailed 1/7 scale figures of 2B and 9S. These figures feature props and sets along with swappable head parts allowing them be unmasked.
The NieR Automata Huggy figures can be pre-ordered now for a December 2024 release. NieR Automata is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch, while the anime adaptation can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
The post NieR Automata 2B and 9S Huggy Figures Available for Pre-Order appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 1:00 PM
The Pokemon Company revealed new stools modeled after Bidoof. The furniture will also include space inside Bidoof's "body" to store items. The company has opened pre-orders for the item on the Japanese Pokemon Center Online store.
The Bidoof stools will be primarily made of wood but covered with polyester and urethane foam to reproduce the Pokemon's appearance. The item will be available in two variants: male and female. As seen in the Pokemon video games since its debut in the fourth-generation entries Diamond and Pearl, the male Bidoof has two more tails than the female ones.
While the bonus tails do add to the overall weight, there will be no difference in price as both variants will cost exactly the same at 19,800 yen (~$123). Even though the products are being made in China, the company can only deliver them inside Japan.
Here are some of the sample images for the Bidoof stool taken from multiple angles:
Bidoof has also been made into various kinds of plushes in recent years. The US Pokemon Center web store still has a plush hat modeled after the creature available for purchase at $19.99 as of early July 2024. Build-a-Bear has also released a Bidoof plush with optional clothing in March 2024.
The Pokemon Company will close the pre-order window for the Bidoof stools on July 29, 2024, though it may open another batch in the future. It will start delivering the products in early December 2024.
The post Bidoof Pokemon Stools Will Include Space for Storage appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 12:40 PM
Back in May 2024, Warner Bros Japan announced Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League, and at Anime Expo 2024 we got to see a first trailer. There's also new key art that shows Batman alongside versions of Aquaman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman.
First, here's the Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League key art. Batman is at the bottom of the piece, with Flash on the left and Wonder Woman on the right behind him. At the back are Green Lantern on the left and Aquaman on the right.
Here's the official trailer for the new project. If you turn on closed captions, English subtitles are available. It starts with Green Lantern chasing down Batman and Robin. After that, Aquaman attacks. The Flash shows up to fight after that. A glimpse of Wonder Woman follows, rounding out the "Yakuza League" that is in place instead of the Justice League.
Batman Ninja is one of two new DC Comics anime projects. The other is Suicide Squad Isekai. It is streaming on Hulu and Max. Vtuber Calliope Mori sings its theme song. Here's the trailer for how that looks, to compare.
Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League is in development, and the original Batman Ninja anime is available worldwide.
The post See the First Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League Anime Trailer appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 5, 2024 12:30 PM
Qureate released a new patch for its dating sim Bunny Garden, which adds free items to celebrate the number of people who played the game. Upon downloading the Free Appreciation Update, people will see new pose options for taking pictures and gifts to give.
In Bunny Garden, part of the game involves taking pictures of the three hostesses or giving them gifts, and the new items in the patch are tied to both. After you reach a certain, undisclosed point of the game, there will be five new Cheki Poses you can select when taking pictures of Kana, Miuka, and Rin. (For those unfamiliar with the term, a Cheki is a Polaroid photo.) As for the gifts, there are five new "pants" you can give to them, then see them wear.
Since the launch of Bunny Garden, the game has been unexpectedly popular. Many streamers, especially Vtubers, ended up streaming themselves playing it. However, the video-on-demand versions of said streams ended up starting to disappear in June 2024. Good Smile Company even announced it will make a Nendoroid of the heroine Rin. There's no word yet on if Kana and Miuka figures could also eventually appear.
Bunny Garden is available on the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
The post Bunny Garden Patch Adds Free Content to the Game appeared first on Siliconera. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, July 5, 2024 4:55 PM The trailer details the narrative, highlights several characters, and more. The post Metaphor: ReFantazio Gets New Story Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, July 5, 2024 3:56 PM A trailer was also released. The post Ys X: Nordics Gets Western Release Date appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, July 5, 2024 3:28 PM Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot first launched on January 16, 2020 The post Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Sales Surpass 8 Million Copies appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, July 5, 2024 2:58 PM Exoprimal launched on July 14, 2023 The post Exoprimal Seasonal Content Has Ended appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
MonsterVine Friday, July 5, 2024 3:00 PM Spy x Anya: Operation Memories is a very simple but pleasant game that takes advantage of its source material to create a breezy tie-in title. There's not a ton to it, but what's here is charming enough for series fans to have a good time. Spy x Anya: Operation Memories Developer: Groove Box Japan Co., […] |
Gaming on PC Friday, July 5, 2024 1:53 PM NIS America revealed this week that the highly anticipated Ys X: Nordics is finally hitting the West on October 25, 2024. Read more after the jump. |