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Jul 13, 20:00


PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 12:49 PM
     Free multiplayer game Paladins launches a new PvE horde mode

From Overwatch and Team Fortress 2 to Apex Legends and Counter-Strike 2, there are plenty of great, free multiplayer games on Steam to choose from. One that's quietly stood the test of time, racking up a 'very positive' 85% rating on the Valve platform with more than 344,000 reviews since it launched in 2016, is Paladins. Now, the hero shooter from developer Evil Mojo and publisher Hi-Rez Studios is launching an all-new PvE horde mode, created as a passion project, as part of its latest free update.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Play Paladins Free, Paladins guide, Best Paladins champions

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, July 13, 2024 6:22 PM
    

There are a lot of video game awards and most of them are simply popularity contests, and therefore also stinky borefests. The one that isn't, in my eyes, is the yearly Independent Games Festival awards - the IGFs.

The IGF Celebration Days Steam sale provides plenty of examples as to why, with discounts from now until July 20th on winners and finalists from throughout the IGF awards' history.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, July 13, 2024 5:17 PM
    

The Concord beta is now underway for folks who pre-ordered Sony's upcoming hero shooter or who are subscribed to PlayStation Plus. If that's you, you should be able to grab the PC version from Steam and play from now until July 14th.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, July 13, 2024 4:45 PM
    

The Driver TV series you forgot was happening isn't happening. Announced back in 2021 and initially due to arrive alongside a gamer-focused streaming service called Binge in 2022, the live action series has been scrapped along with the production company behind it.

Perhaps of greater significance is that the Driver series itself might not be dead, as a Ubisoft spokesperson said that they are "actively working on other exciting projects related to the franchise".

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Siliconera Saturday, July 13, 2024 6:00 PM
    

During Anime Expo 2024, I had the chance to attend the Oshi no Ko Season 2 premiere and check out the first two episodes of it. Since the first season is up there with one of my favorite shows of all time, I certainly was looking forward to this new story arc. Unfortunately, it disappointed due to its awkward pacing, even though the animation was flashy.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 picks up after the end of the first season. Aqua Hoshino is looking to join a theatre troupe to find out more about Ai. The first episode starts off strong, showing off a glimpse of the stage play the troupe is putting on. The gorgeous introductions to each of the characters in the production really impressed me, thanks to the excellent animation and effects.

Image via HIDIVE

This beautiful introduction feels as if you are actually watching the real stage play in action. The whole sequence works so well because of that. But the strong start eventually makes way for a step back in time to examine Aqua, Akane, and the other stars in the lead-up to the big day. This transition felt like it worked, and I enjoyed meeting all of the new characters in the troupe.

As you might expect, there is plenty of drama between the leads, the director, and even the writers. The mix of drama and brilliant voice acting from the Japanese cast kept me engaged throughout the entire first episode. While this story arc certainly feels like a slight diversion from the core plot of the riveting series, it starts out as an entertaining one nonetheless.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed the first episode, even though it lacked the shock value and star power of the original Season 1 feature-length premiere. The real problem I have with Oshi no Ko Season 2 wasn't present at this point. The issues I had popped up when the second episode began at the event. Instead of continuing on from the light twist at the end of the first episode, episode two went unnecessarily further back in time.

The second episode spends way too much time focusing on Aqua and the others first joining the theatre troupe. Considering I already saw them rehearsing and spending time together in the first episode, this felt somewhat unnecessary. In fact, I would argue it almost feels like the second episode should've been the first one because of this timeline shift.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 Review Anime Expo 2024
Image via HIDIVE

Watching these two episodes back-to-back completely killed the goodwill the first episode of this stage play arc introduced. I had no interest in going back in time and seeing the mostly unnecessary exposition leading up to the production. The only slight saving grace of the second episode comes from the focus on the lead writer of the stage play. His moments were surprisingly emotional and evoked some sympathy.

However, I didn't need an entire flashback episode to provide those scenes. They could certainly work without going back in time. Overall, I feel like the first and second episodes would better swapped. Perhaps if you don't binge these episodes it will be a bit better to watch. For now, though, I look forward to the third episode and, hopefully, better pacing that sticks to moving the story forward rather than backward.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 is streaming right now via HIDIVE. Yen Press handles the manga outside of Japan.

The post Oshi no Ko Season 2 Starts Out Flashy and Awkward appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, July 13, 2024 3:00 PM
    

Sword Art Online video games are pretty hit-or-miss. You have the not-so-bad ones like Alicization Lycoris and then surprisingly good ones like Fatal Bullet. Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream doesn't appear to be the greatest game in the series so far but it does offer the most variety out of any game yet from my recent preview at Anime Expo 2024.

Image via Bandai Namco

I had a short 10-minute preview of the upcoming game where I was able to explore a vast desert region and complete a mission. Right off the bat, Fractured Daydream makes it clear how vast the roster of characters is. I started out as Llenn, the star of Gun Gale Online. But then I soon gained access to three other characters, including Kirito.

These characters don't normally interact with each other across their respective series. As such, this game feels like a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate-style collection with everyone being here. Perhaps the most fascinating part is how each character feels wildly different from one another.

Llenn plays like a light version of the gameplay from Fatal Bullet, where the player fires away with their guns from afar. The targeting system is messier than the previous shooter-style game in the series, which was annoying, but it got the job done. Then there is Kirito who plays much faster than Llenn with his impressive and powerful sword skills.

The unique gameplay styles didn't stop there, either, as Leafa was also part of our squad. She played much more like her floaty and flight-based Alfheim Online variant. All three of them felt like they came from different games. This variety does mean some characters will probably be more valuable than others in combat, but I still appreciate the diversity.

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Preview Anime Expo 2024
Image via Bandai Namco

Everyone has their basic attacks, plus a ton of skills to use. Some of these might involve dashing forward to attack foes or leaping into the air for a jump attack. Each one is quite flashy and fun to pull off. The main problem I had with the combat in this Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream preview was targeting.

There is a lock-on feature but it doesn't work too well, especially with lots of enemies onscreen. I felt like the camera didn't quite keep up with my character. I would be trying to launch a skill on the enemy I'm locked onto and the character would miss completely. This happened even when I started out the skill right in front of the enemy.

The preview culminated in a massive boss fight. It felt pretty easy in terms of difficulty, as I just mashed away with Kirito's dual swords. Some characters, oddly enough, fared better than others. The scorpion boss resisted Llenn's gun attacks, for instance. As such, I had to switch to others like Leafa, who had its weakness. While the fight itself was easy, again, the biggest challenge came from the awkward camera and targeting controls.

For the most part, this Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream preview focused on singleplayer. That said, the main purpose of this game is to bring together 21 playable characters for online multiplayer. Up to 20 players will be able to take on actual MMO-like raid battles for the first time.

Image via Bandai Namco

Unfortunately, this preview didn't offer any glimpse of that. Considering how singleplayer-focused this demo section was, I'm curious to see if there is a dedicated story mode for solo players. For now, though, we will have to wait and see. While I'm not sold on this being the best SAO video game yet, I at least appreciate its diversity in its roster and gameplay.

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream will release for Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 4, 2024.

The post Preview: Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Brings Everyone Together appeared first on Siliconera.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, July 13, 2024 6:13 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, July 13, 2024 5:18 PM
    

Terraria first launched on May 16, 2011

The post Terraria Has Sold Over 58 Million Units Worldwide appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, July 13, 2024 4:50 PM

Jul 13, 12:00


Kotaku Saturday, July 13, 2024 11:00 AM
    

We're about halfway through the summer and I've given up on avoiding sweat You're probably about halfway to giving up on Elden Ring's Shaddw of the Erdtree DLC, but we can help with that. We've also got a tip for a free game for you to snag, and some FF14 advice. Read on for more of this week's best tips.

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Kotaku Saturday, July 13, 2024 9:00 AM
    

This week saw Game Pass, once touted as the best deal in gaming, get another price increase in a way that's as messy and confusing as it is disappointing. Also, Nintendo took the uncharacteristic step of teasing what looks like a first-party horror release, another game removed references to disgraced streamer Dr…

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PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 11:55 AM
     Classic FPS and Doom rival Marathon 2 is available for free right now

When I think of FPS royalty, a few videogames spring to mind. Doom. Quake. Half-Life. Wolfenstein. GoldenEye. We wouldn't have the powerhouses of Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, and the overlooked Titanfall 2 without these classics. The same goes for Bungie's Halo, and while the studio has moved onto the greener pastures of Destiny, Marathon still stands tall as an iconic sci-fi classic. No, I'm not talking about Bungie's upcoming PvP reimagining, but the classic '90s trilogy. It's a shooter all FPS fans need to play, and the second game in the series just came to Steam for free.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games , Marathon release date speculation, All Destiny 2 news

PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 11:50 AM
     Satisfactory dev confirms its final technology tier is coming in 1.0

Landing between the simple yet satisfying sandbox of Minecraft and the intricate simulation of Factorio, Satisfactory is the aptly named 'just right' meal of the automation building game world. Set to finally launch out of early access in September after five years, developer Coffee Stain Studios now confirms that we'll be seeing a whole new technology tier in Satisfactory 1.0.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best building games, Best indie games, Best open-world games

PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 10:34 AM
     DnD inspired RPG Hand of Fate 2 is 80% off, and well worth your time

If you've already wrapped up Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, seen Baldur's Gate 3 to its conclusion, and scoured The Witcher 3's every last side quest, you might be craving another fantasy RPG to fill the void. In that case, let me propose the excellent but often overlooked Hand of Fate 2. A satisfying blend of Dungeons and Dragons adventuring with strategic deck building elements and Batman Arkham-style combat, you can grab a copy right now at a huge discount, with extra savings on all its DLC as well.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Best card games, Best fantasy games

PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 10:10 AM
     Once Human dev promises fixes for lag and crashing issues are imminent

Once Human developer Starry Studio is already addressing a plethora of issues in the new survival game, as the team promises fixes for lag spikes, PC crashes, and plenty more problems. The open-world survival sandbox has everything from FPS action to base building and user-generated content, helping it rocket up the Steam success charts, but that doesn't mean the new hit isn't without trouble.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best sandbox games, Best open-world games, Best survival games

PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 8:05 AM
     Blizzard worries its Overwatch 2 6v6 blog will start a fire

Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller is "apprehensive" about Blizzard weighing in on the ongoing 6v6 debate, as he's concerned players will go to war with one another over the sequel's change to 5v5. Players have been debating the loss of one tank since OW2 launched, but Blizzard's recent admission that the role needs some work has reignited player calls for a walk back.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: All Overwatch 2 characters, Best Overwatch 2 settings, Overwatch 2 tier list

PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 8:05 AM
     Ark Survival Ascended's most downloaded dinosaur mod is now official

With newcomers such as Once Human and Soulmask only further stiffening the competition among the best survival games on PC, Ark Survival Ascended is a bold play. It attempts to push its open-world dinosaur-taming adventures to the next level in UE5 and contend with the likes of Valheim and Rust as the team works on building Ark 2. Yet as the remaster struggles to overcome its predecessor, Studio Wildcard is integrating some of its most popular mods into the base game to enhance the experience for all, and its latest is the most downloaded custom dinosaur made by the Ark community.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games, Best dinosaur games, Best co-op games

PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 6:37 AM
     New Amazon MMORPG Throne and Liberty details open beta plans

FF14 Dawntrail is now out in full force. WoW The War Within is coming fast over the horizon. But landing right between the two genre titans, new Amazon MMORPG Throne and Liberty is hoping to catch your eye with an open beta available to everyone. Running for just shy of a week, the Throne and Liberty beta is available across America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific regions. If you've been curious to try the new MMO ahead of its launch in September, now is a great chance to see what it does differently.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MMORPGs, Best single-player MMO games, Best free games

PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 6:34 AM
     FF14 payments won't be broken for much longer

Square Enix is finally fixing the Final Fantasy 14 payment problem. Many long-time players can't make Visa Debit card payments, leaving them without a subscription and unable to purchase items in the FF14 online store. With Dawntrail finally here and the MMO hitting its highest concurrent playercount since launch, the dark cloud of lapsed subscriptions is about clear over many heads.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best MMOs, FF14 Dawntrail release date, FF14 Island Sanctuary guide

PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 4:39 AM
     Free Monopoly Go dice links July 2024

July 13, 2024: We've checked for the latest new Monopoly Go dice links for free dice rolls.

How can I get Monopoly Go free dice links? The household favorite board game has been reimagined as a free-to-play app on smartphones, allowing everyone to experience the thrills of Monopoly on practically any device. Everything that makes the board game special is here in Monopoly Go, so you'll be collecting properties and building hotels as you go around the board, and there are a variety of multiplayer minigames to get through along the way.

You're going to need to get your hands on Monopoly dice rolls, but they are difficult to come by no matter how far you are into the board game. There are ways to earn additional dice rolls, including logging into the game every day to collect daily bonuses, progressing further in the game, and inviting friends to try Monopoly Go. While you can also spend real money to unlock more dice rolls, you may want to give our list of Monopoly Go dice links a try instead, especially if you're waiting for the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event. Take a look at all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice

Twinfinite Saturday, July 13, 2024 6:12 AM
    
BangBang Survivor or Survivor.io - which is better?

Twinfinite Saturday, July 13, 2024 6:09 AM
    
Freebies? Don't mind if I do.

Siliconera Saturday, July 13, 2024 11:30 AM
    

hash brown vtuber

For VTubers who are lovin' it, McDonald's Japan is handing out an asset that makes your model look like it's holding two hash browns. You can get it for free via the company's X (Twitter) page.

In order to get the asset, you simply need to download the provided PNG in the Tweet. Some of the direct replies to the McDonald's VTuber hash brown hands show people using them in creative ways. One person replied showing Frieren sobbing while holding hash browns. Of course, VTubers have replied as well, showing them using it with their models. The hands are pretty pale, but it will likely be possible to recolor it to match your VTuber's skin tone.

Currently, McDonald's Japan is offering a limited time menu, letting people eating European-inspired burgers. You can get a beef patty burger with German potatoes, a juicy peperoncino hot chicken burger, and a bouillabaisse-style shrimp burger. All of these burgers came out in late June 2024 and are still available in Japan. When marketing these burgers, McDonald's Japan used a Kiki's Delivery Service-like commercial. As of the time of writing, there are no official McDonald's VTuber assets that let your VTuber model consume a burger.

The McDonald's hash brown hands VTuber asset is available via the official Japanese X (Twitter) account.

The post McDonald's Shares Vtuber Hash Browns Hands appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, July 13, 2024 9:00 AM
    

infinity nikki preview

Infinity Nikki is, in only the most positive sense, a dream for every teenage girl. It's a fashion-oriented open world RPG with plenty of exploration and a rich story set in a breathtaking world. While there are some rough edges to its current build, it's hard to say how much of it lies in its demanding graphics.

infinity nikki preview story
Screenshot by Siliconera

The story of Infinity Nikki follows a girl named Nikki, who is pulled through a wardrobe into alternate world by a mysterious red dress. She meets a goddess wearing a fashionable eyepatch, who grants Nikki the Heart of Infinity. This gives Nikki the power of a Stylist, but before the goddess can explain anything, enemies attack them. The goddess saves Nikki and transports her to Miraland, which is a fantasy world of fashion and wishes.

Nikki and Momo (a bizarre cat pet thing) adjust very quickly to life in Miraland. However, while Miraland looks like a fantasy utopia at first glance, they soon learn about a mysterious coma-inducing illness plaguing the nation. Thanks to her Heart of Infinity, she's able to establish herself in Miraland and figure out what's putting everyone into comas. It's a lot to take in at once, to be honest, especially since it doesn't take long for Nikki to start acting like she's always been a part of Miraland. I wonder if you're supposed to be familiar with the overall lore beforehand from Shining Nikki and Love Nikki.

infinity nikki graphics
I'm sure it's not supposed to look this bad. Screenshot by Siliconera

Let me get this out of the way: any time I mention the visuals or performance, I have to add in the caveat that my gaming laptop is give or take five years old. It also has a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card inside of it. Infinity Nikki runs on Unreal Engine 5 and its default setting when it comes to FPS is "limitless," which baffles me a little because that seems kind of insane. My computer cannot handle this game. It's constantly stuttering and I doubt I'm seeing how beautiful the models and backgrounds really are.

Normally, I'd leave it at that. But this game feels like its target audience is around thirteen or fourteen years old. This isn't a bad thing, but its rather demanding specs make me a little confused. Growing up, my father could be stingy when it came to entertainment. The laptop I used all throughout my childhood and teenage years literally had less storage space on it than my friend's iPod and could barely handle The Sims 2.

If I was a kid today, playing this on a computer my dad got me, I'm pretty sure my device would just blow up. I was terrified to play Infinity Nikki during the daytime. My apartment heats up like crazy during the day and I legitimately worried that my laptop would combust. But the game seems to want a legitimate gaming PC to run properly, and I'm not sure if that makes it friendly for a general audience or not.

infinity nikki whimstars
Screenshot by Siliconera

There's a lot to do in Infinity Nikki. Aside from playing through the story, you can fight against enemies, dress Nikki up, and explore all the nooks and crannies of Miraland. You can also collect various currencies like Whimstars and Blings. Whimstars in particular usually make you complete a miniature challenge before you can get them. Examples of challenges include looking for a star in a given area or parkouring across platforms to get to the Whimstar. You can use Whimstars to unlock nodes in your Heart of Infinity, which can improve Nikki's stats and unlock special outfits after completing a requisite quest. These special outfits are ones that grant Nikki access to certain actions on the overworld. For example, one outfit lets her shoot out her purification orb and another lets her catch insects (which are necessary to craft certain clothing items).

infinity nikki dress
Screenshot by Siliconera

The game becomes infinitely more fun once you unlock the ability to fulfill NPC requests and challenges to dress Nikki up based on a set of given criteria. Most of the time, you just need to dress Nikki up in clothes that are a certain style. But there's still a level of freedom that you have when it comes to expressing your own personal taste. Outside of these guidelines, you can always alter how Nikki looks in the overworld. Since you unlock the items via gacha, using in-game currency that you can collect, you can rack up a large amount of clothes and accessories in no time.

However, this is still a beta build, and it's easy to see. There are some technical difficulties, such as the audio desyncing during a cutscene. Nikki herself can be clunky to control, especially when it comes to combat. The encounters in this game tend to feature multiple enemies who surround Nikki, but she can only really attack in a single direction. She also needs to be manually directed to face that direction first, and that additional input can start to grate at times. There aren't that many enemies that you have to deal with in Infinity Nikki, thankfully, but when you have to face them, the battles are easily some of the worst parts of the game.

infinity nikki whimstar cutscene
Screenshot by Siliconera

Infinity Nikki is a promising RPG full of fashion and fun, though it can be very demanding on your system. The voiced tutorials and menu make it seem like it's for children, but there's a lot of general appeal in it through its open world exploration and character creation. Hopefully by the time the game comes out, I'll have a much better computer so as to fully appreciate the beauty of this game.

Infinity Nikki is in development for the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Windows PC version previewed.

The post Preview: Infinity Nikki is a Grand Fashion Adventure appeared first on Siliconera.


WGB Saturday, July 13, 2024 9:18 AM
     The classic Driver franchise may yet return in videogame form, but the live-action TV show that was in the works has been scrapped.

Jul 13, 06:00


PCGamesN Saturday, July 13, 2024 4:39 AM
     Free Monopoly Go dice links July 2024

July 13, 2024: We've checked for the latest new Monopoly Go dice links for free dice rolls.

How can I get Monopoly Go free dice links? The household favorite board game has been reimagined as a free-to-play app on smartphones, allowing everyone to experience the thrills of Monopoly on practically any device. Everything that makes the board game special is here in Monopoly Go, so you'll be collecting properties and building hotels as you go around the board, and there are a variety of multiplayer minigames to get through along the way.

You're going to need to get your hands on Monopoly dice rolls, but they are difficult to come by no matter how far you are into the board game. There are ways to earn additional dice rolls, including logging into the game every day to collect daily bonuses, progressing further in the game, and inviting friends to try Monopoly Go. While you can also spend real money to unlock more dice rolls, you may want to give our list of Monopoly Go dice links a try instead, especially if you're waiting for the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event. Take a look at all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, July 13, 2024 3:00 AM
    

Ollie has fallen foul of Big Ill once more, so I've emerged from my cave, brushed the stalactites from my hair, picked the luminescent beetles from my beard, and put together this week's column. Would you like a beard beetle, reader? I have many of them. Oh, how they glow! That was a trick question. The beetles are mine and mine alone. You will have to make do with videogames. Here's what we're clicking on.

Read more


iDev Games Feed Saturday, July 13, 2024 3:57 AM
     A puzzle casual elimination game, eliminate connected same of cute small mushrooms...