Jul 14, 18:00


Kotaku Sunday, July 14, 2024 5:16 PM
    

It's been thirteen years since HBO's Game of Thrones debuted, and five years since the acclaimed adaptation of the George R.R. Martin saga wrapped. During that time viewers were feted with a staggering death toll and a compendium of medieval torture methods that would make even Genghis Khan wince. No show since has…

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Kotaku Sunday, July 14, 2024 12:30 PM
    

The FBI has identified 20-year old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the suspect involved in the failed assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania yesterday. Following the incident, there's been a rush to identify any online accounts that may have been associated with the alleged…

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PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 12:50 PM
     FF14 director Yoshida says he's considering new 24-player savage raids

FF14 Dawntrail has been a real triumph when it comes to combat content so far. Its dungeons and trials are some of the best the decade-old MMORPG has ever seen, its group FATEs are proving an extremely popular and fast way to level your alts, and we're just on the cusp of the release of new FF14 raid The Arcadion. At Japan Expo 2024 in Paris, game director and producer Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida talks a little about the return of field operations, and teases that 24-player savage raids could one day be on the cards again.

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

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 12:27 PM
     This Skyrim mod adds a new mechanic that Elder Scrolls 6 sorely needs

The best Skyrim mods completely revamp Bethesda's RPG. The modding community has been making changes big and small for over a decade, with each drawing us back to Tamriel to reexamine how we interact with its world. This brand new mod does just that simply by adding one menu, introducing a feature I'm now convinced Elder Scrolls 6 can't be without.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Skyrim mods, Elder Scrolls 6 release date, Games like Skyrim

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 11:36 AM
     Promising new survival crafting game Prospector launches Steam demo

Mixing the open-world exploration of Terraria and Astroneer with the base-building and automation elements of Factorio and Satisfactory, Prospector is a promising new sandbox game made by a solo developer that's currently set to launch later this year. You won't have to wait until then to try it, however, as a free Steam demo is out now, letting you go through the early hours for yourself and see what it has to offer.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best sandbox games, Best building games, Best indie games

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 10:43 AM
     Dungeonborne bucks industry trends, doesn't reveal price before launch

It's not often that you don't know how much a videogame will cost mere days before launch. Typically we're drowning in $70 triple-A releases with multiple editions, virtual currency, and season passes before the game is even out. Upcoming extraction RPG Dungeonborne is bucking that trend, as this Dark and Darker rival is set for Steam Early Access any minute now, without a price tag. It's a risky move, but one that developer Mithril Interactive hopes will lead to a smooth release - so let's see if it pays off.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Best survival games, Best multiplayer games

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 10:20 AM
     Grab new RTS 9-Bit Armies, from ex Command and Conquer devs, for cheap

The new Command and Conquer we always dream about may never come to pass; at least, it certainly doesn't look to be on the cards. Yet the RTS genre is far from dead, with lots of developers working to bring us new games including Frost Giant's Stormgate and Slipgate Ironworks' Tempest Rising. Perhaps the most fitting among them is 9-Bit Armies, which very much leans into the classic C&C style, and you can snag the new strategy game at a discount in a Steam sale right now.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RTS games, Best strategy games, Best 4X games

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, July 14, 2024 11:00 AM
    

Hello reader who is also a reader, and welcome back to Booked For The Week - our regular Sunday chat with a selection of cool industry folks about books! Something magical has happened! And by magical, I mean that I've bollocksed it up. Through a web of devious plots and shocking coincidences too labyrinthine to list here, I've gone and messed up my schedule. As such, we don't have a guest this week.

Read more


Siliconera Sunday, July 14, 2024 4:30 PM
    

devilman crybaby blu-ray

At Japan Expo, All The Anime announced that a Blu-Ray edition of Devilman Crybaby will come out some time in the future. It will be available in the UK and in North America.

Though it's coming soon, we have no news as to when All The Anime will release the Devilman Crybaby Blu-Ray. The website also does not have any news in regards to that. A Blu-Ray does already exist, having come out in 2018. It came with lots of goodies, like a poster and a CD containing the freestyle rap from the show. However, this was only available with Japanese audio and was limited to Japan. It's unknown whether the All The Anime version will come with extra content as well.

Devilman Crybaby came out in 2018 on Netflix, with Masaaki Yuasa serving as the director. It is a reimagined story featuring different character designs from the original Go Nagai manga, as well as an updated setting (taking place in a more recent era rather than the 1970s). Because of the changes—including additional themes of LGBT, sexuality, and bigotry rather than a pure anti-war message—some people didn't like it. But it was very popular and well-received from critics.

Devilman Crybaby is available on Netflix. All The Anime will release a Blu-Ray of the show some time in the future. You can follow its X (Twitter) account to keep up with the latest updates.

The post Devilman Crybaby Blu-Ray Coming Soon appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, July 14, 2024 3:00 PM
    

Re:Zero Season 3 had its world premiere at Anime Expo 2024. The first episode of the upcoming third season debuted at the convention with a feature-length first episode. Given how impressive the initial episode of the series felt and how solid The Frozen Bond movie was, I looked forward to this lengthier episode. However, it fell flat for the most part.

The Re:Zero Season 3 premiere is the anime equivalent of "this could've been an email." Without diving too much into spoilers, it starts off with a quick catchup with the main characters. We see a little bit of the aftermath of Season 2 and the return of some fan-favorite characters. For the most part, it feels like light recap material, though.

Image via Crunchyroll

The real problem with this episode comes from how it feels like filler. The characters gather together and then go on a trip to a faraway city they've never been to. So much of the story focuses on the city itself and how interesting it seems, giving off these serious filler vibes.

There are the occasional worthy moments throughout the episode, especially when it comes to the return of Wilhelm to the plot. That said, they are super few and far between. Outside of a couple of scenes with Wilhelm and the actual very end of the episode, nothing feels too necessary to the plot.

For this reason, I was left wondering why this episode was essentially the length of a movie. It very well could have been a typical 23-minute anime episode and landed much better overall. The pacing, more emotional moments, and new character introductions would've felt more interesting this way.

Instead, my mind started to wander quite a bit throughout the movie. This especially happened when it came to the new songstress character in the city and her particular storyline. Subaru and the others stumble upon her in the midst of her singing in the streets. It all feels so non-canon anime movie style and it drags on much longer than necessary.

Re:Zero Season 3 Preview Anime Expo 2024
Image via Crunchyroll

This plethora of comedic moments overwhelm and overshadow the more heartfelt and darker scenes in the film. Overall, I'd say there is a huge disconnect in the tone of the first episode of Season 3. This problem largely comes from the drawn out length of everything.

It might be fine if this was the first time checking out this series but this is the third season and we mostly know where Subaru's battle against the Witch's Cult is going. So, when it finally gets to that point, it almost feels like an afterthought instead of the main event it should be.

Fortunately, the ending is as abrupt and horrifying as you might come to expect from the series. It holds nothing back and once again provides some neat gruesome action for shock value. From here, it looks like Season 3 might get pretty interesting, but it shouldn't have taken that long to arrive at that destination. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until the Fall 2024 anime season to see the series continue on Crunchyroll.

Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World Season 3 will air on Crunchyroll in October 2024.

The post Re:Zero Season 3 Movie-Length Premiere Feels Like Mostly Filler appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, July 14, 2024 1:30 PM
    

star rail stonehearts

HoYoVerse has uploaded a new Myriad Celestia railer for Honkai: Star Rail, giving us a look at all the members of the Stonehearts. We also have confirmation on their official voice actors.

You can watch the Honkai: Star Rail Myriad Celestia "Stoneheart's Oath Ring: Both Ends of the Scale" trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5YQEsZ-yWU

It's also available in Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. The individual cast list is in the description.

The video is rather lengthy at over three minutes long. It takes place after the Penacony story and thus contains spoilers if you haven't completed it yet. In the trailer, Diamond has summoned all the Stonehearts to discuss how they would punish Aventurine, who had to smash his Cornerstone as part of his ploy to take Penacony for the IPC.

Here is the English cast of the Stonehearts (we know so far) in Honkai: Star Rail:

  • Aventurine: Camden Sutkowski (Rhysand in For Velaris)
  • Jade: Faye Mata (Astolfo in Fate/Apocrypha)
  • Obsidian: Erin Yvette (Arlecchino in Genshin Impact)
  • Opal: Paul Castro Jr. (Ryota Miyagi in The First Slam Dunk)
  • Pearl: Cat Protano (Misha in Honkai: Star Rail)
  • Sugilite: AJ Beckles (Wind Maki in Anonymous;Code)
  • Topaz: Sam Slade (Anby in Zenless Zone Zero)

Here is the Japanese cast:

  • Aventurine: Kengo Kawanishi (Mikazuki in Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans)
  • Jade: Kotono Mitsuishi (Sailor Moon/Usagi Tsukino in Sailor Moon)
  • Obsidian: Sumire Uesaka (Saeko and Nanoha in Yakuza: Like a Dragon)
  • Opal: Daisuke Kishio (Rokurou in Tales of Berseria)
  • Pearl: Kiyono Yasuno (Hoshiguma in Arknights)
  • Sugilite: Hiroki Takahashi (Emet-Selch in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers)
  • Topaz: Yoshino Nanjo (Lala Shonai in Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki)

It's unknown which of the Stonehearts will appear as playable in the future. There's always the chance that, like with Signora of the Fatui in Genshin Impact, some of these characters will die in the story and become "unavailable" in the gacha.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.

The post See the Stonehearts in New Honkai: Star Rail Trailer appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, July 14, 2024 12:00 PM
    

The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine Starts Strong

There are so many isekai manga and manhwa series out there. So many. It's to the point where if there isn't an interesting hook, I find it hard to care. The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine fortunately succeeds with that in its first volume, thanks to the great comedic tone, premise, and direction of the Yen Press Ize Press manhwa.

Ailette Rodeline was originally a woman from our world. She's one of many who was stricken by a fate that suddenly left her dying too soon. However, before she did, she responded to a text message that meant she purchased a Full Transmigration Insurance Package that put her in a good place for her isekai afterlife reincarnation into the novel Infinite Returns to Save the World. Because of that, she's going in with currency to spend, access to a library so she can see what she's in for, and all sorts of other perks that allow her to "level up" her skills with action and be better prepared for what will be thrown at her.

This helps set The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine apart from other isekai manhwa right from the first volume. We have the gamification element, which is fun. As an example, her progression to become a Healer and gain Divine Power means actually praying for 1,000 days at a certain time. Really running with the concept of Ailette getting a chance to be an S-class heroine, then showing her putting in the work and making the practical choices that will get her there, is pretty great. We're really seeing her develop and grow firsthand, while also seeing that part of the reason for her success is who she is both in terms of her personality and drive and not just the perks she's buying.

I also mentioned earlier that the tone of The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine helps it stand out among other isekai manga and manhwa. Right from the outset, it pairs some silly and humorous elements with the dramatic tone. The angel agent working with Ailette is a flying corgi, for example. Ailette is stunned at being able to conjure up currency and things needed to succeed. The reactions of people around her to her capabilities, once she starts working toward goals, and seeing her immediate success is fantastic. Especially since many of the isekai reincarnation stories can focus on a young heroine in such a daunting situation with everyone around her against the underdog. But right away, once Ailette starts working toward her goals, people appreciate her skills and creations. They start trying to help her and elevate her in humorous ways.  

This also extends to Ailette's first friend in the series, Bianca. Her character and situation is set up in a similar fashion. She's a misunderstood girl who ends up perhaps a bit downtrodden or cast in a role that doesn't really suit her. Because of Ailette working to become the S-class heroine needed to survive the story and her new life, she catches Bianca's attention. However, the two don't end up becoming friends and suitable playmates because of the skills Ailette paid for and ensured due to the insurance policy. Once the two of them really get to interact, they're both able to be themselves. Which again, ends up being funny, refreshing, and a great way to further hook the reader.

The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine is such a fun take on the isekai concept, and it's because of the execution of it all. Things can be serious, but that doesn't mean they're being taken 100% seriously. The heroine is getting a chance to become overpowered, but we're still seeing her work for it and some of the success stemming from who she is even without those benefits. The pacing also avoids some pitfalls other isekai manga and manhwa experience, all because she does gain access to perks and things can get more lighthearted. It all works well together for a strong foundation in this new story.

The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine volume 1 is available via Yen Press' Ize Press label, and volume 2 of the isekai manhwa will appear on Aug 20, 2024

The post The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine Starts Strong appeared first on Siliconera.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, July 14, 2024 5:41 PM
    

All platforms will be on the current major version

The post Phasmophobia Coming to Consoles This October appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, July 14, 2024 4:58 PM

Jul 14, 12:00


Kotaku Sunday, July 14, 2024 9:00 AM
    

Gosh, Xbox really did that to Game Pass, huh? And Elden Ring's beloved DLC is letting down some fans? Yeah, it's been a week of spicy opinions, and we've got them all here, including our impressions of that loot-shooter The First Descendent. Read through for more!

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PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 11:36 AM
     Promising new survival crafting game Prospector launches Steam demo

Mixing the open-world exploration of Terraria and Astroneer with the base-building and automation elements of Factorio and Satisfactory, Prospector is a promising new sandbox game made by a solo developer that's currently set to launch later this year. You won't have to wait until then to try it, however, as a free Steam demo is out now, letting you go through the early hours for yourself and see what it has to offer.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best sandbox games, Best building games, Best indie games

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 10:43 AM
     Dungeonborne bucks industry trends, doesn't reveal price before launch

It's not often that you don't know how much a videogame will cost mere days before launch. Typically we're drowning in $70 triple-A releases with multiple editions, virtual currency, and season passes before the game is even out. Upcoming extraction RPG Dungeonborne is bucking that trend, as this Dark and Darker rival is set for Steam Early Access any minute now, without a price tag. It's a risky move, but one that developer Mithril Interactive hopes will lead to a smooth release - so let's see if it pays off.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Best survival games, Best multiplayer games

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 10:20 AM
     Grab new RTS 9-Bit Armies, from ex Command and Conquer devs, for cheap

The new Command and Conquer we always dream about may never come to pass; at least, it certainly doesn't look to be on the cards. Yet the RTS genre is far from dead, with lots of developers working to bring us new games including Frost Giant's Stormgate and Slipgate Ironworks' Tempest Rising. Perhaps the most fitting among them is 9-Bit Armies, which very much leans into the classic C&C style, and you can snag the new strategy game at a discount in a Steam sale right now.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RTS games, Best strategy games, Best 4X games

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 9:24 AM
     Free Monopoly Go dice links July 2024

July 14, 2024: We've added three 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

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 9:23 AM
     Path of Exile 3.25 brings vital, long-requested changes to the ARPG

Which is the best ARPG ever made? For some, Diablo 2 will never be beaten, while others might call Diablo 4 a new frontier. The excellent Last Epoch has made waves in 2024, and the likes of Torchlight 2, Titan Quest, and Grim Dawn will always have their dedicated fans. Yet among those who count the genre as more lifestyle than hobby, it's Path of Exile that typically tops the charts. Now, as it heads into its new expansion, PoE 3.25 is set to introduce one of its most long-requested and essential upgrades ever.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: PoE 3.23 details, Best free PC games, Best ARPG games

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 7:47 AM
     Now FF14 is at level 100, Naoki Yoshida wants to evolve progression

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail has some of the best dungeons and jobs the MMORPG has ever seen. Learning Viper is challenging, and the new dungeon mechanics can leave you scratching your head at first, but once you master the mechanics, Tural's offerings are top-tier. Now that we're at level 100, though, where do we go from here? How will FF14 remain challenging with a solid sense of progression? Well, developer Square Enix and director Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida are certainly thinking about it.

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

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 7:03 AM
     Court documents suggest most Valve staff are still focused on games

For being one of the most important companies in the PC gaming world, Valve is typically quite a mystery when it comes to its inner workings. The creator of Steam, fronted by co-founder and president Gabe Newell, doesn't typically reveal much about its size or structure. Yet for all the jokes around Half-Life 3, Left 4 Dead 3, Portal 3, and so on, as rumors swirl around its supposed new game Deadlock, court documents show that a majority of Valve staff are still focused on making games.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best free Steam games, When is the next Steam sale?, The best Steam Deck games

PCGamesN Sunday, July 14, 2024 6:24 AM
     Once Human outlines refund policy after cosmetic fiasco

Starry Studio has fully outlined its refund plan for players purchasing multiple of the same Once Human cosmetics, and urges you not to buy items for numerous characters right now. As one of the biggest Steam successes of 2024, the new apocalyptic survival sandbox sits alongside The First Descendant and Palworld with nearly 200,000 concurrents already, but that doesn't mean there aren't growing pains. Purchased cosmetics aren't currently account-wide and only work for individual characters, but Starry Studio explains how this will change.

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

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, July 14, 2024 11:00 AM
    

Hello reader who is also a reader, and welcome back to Booked For The Week - our regular Sunday chat with a selection of cool industry folks about books! Something magical has happened! And by magical, I mean that I've bollocksed it up. Through a web of devious plots and shocking coincidences too labyrinthine to list here, I've gone and messed up my schedule. As such, we don't have a guest this week.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, July 14, 2024 6:00 AM
    

Sundays are, at least in part, for you reading this column. You cannot disprove this. Tremble before my omniscience. That, or just read this week's best writing about games (and game related things!)

Read more


Twinfinite Sunday, July 14, 2024 5:42 AM
    
BangBang Survivor or Survivor.io - which is better?

Siliconera Sunday, July 14, 2024 9:00 AM
    

Stray Gods Orpheus DLC Is Quite Catchy 1

I've had the speed dating song from the Stray Gods Orpheus DLC stuck in my head since I played it. Unexpectedly, I'll be doing something else, and "I'll find a new love, and we'll go down in history" will worm its way into my brain again. The premise of the add-on, paired with Anthony Rapp and Erika Ishii getting so much screen-time and its great pacing, means it sometimes feels stronger than the original story.

Stray Gods Orpheus can pull from the main games' save, so your choices influence the DLC, or you can go from a default file. In either case, Orpheus finds himself in the same sort of position as Grace in the original tale, minus the whole murder thing. After the events of the game, he's left with an unfinished story and no real sense of purpose. Hermes hears him singing about the situation, and brings him to the mortal realm again. With that, we get a chance to go through a more brief opportunity to guide him toward a new purpose and ending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD6pWMvkPjU

For me, a big part of what made Stray Gods Orpheus feel so much better and even stronger than the main game is the tighter focus of the DLC. Things are, in part, largely focused on Orpheus and Hermes. Both are really fun characters who stood out in the main game, but didn't always get as much attention. They're also played by two excellent performers, in Rapp and Ishii. So it's fantastic to see the two of them get more time to flex and steal scenes. This is most evident with Rapp, who nails every song he performs. His performances are incredible, and he definitely steals the show in any duet that comes up. (Though I am also very fond of Anjali Bhimani's performance as Medusa here too!)

I also liked the songs a lot better. "A New Love," which became the biggest earworm, was fantastic. It's hilarious and incredibly catchy. Every part is fantastic. "Back from the Dead" is also another one that's so good, I'd listen to outside of the game. "Back from the Dead" also sees things come to a close on a strong note. While I did enjoy the original Stray Gods and a number of tracks off the soundtrack, it just feels like the combination of there being fewer songs and a general stronger execution of what is here makes the overall result better. 

Image via Summerfall Studios

Stray Gods Orpheus is also incredibly well-paced. So much so that the add-on flew by. I finished it in a single sitting without intending to do so. Plus, the way it is laid out and progression of Orpheus' story is handled in such a way that it doesn't feel like it took as much time as it did. It's like one of those popcorn films you can get really absorbed in, so that the hours you spent are like nothing. It's only when you check a clock after that you realize the execution, interactions between characters, and themes were so good that it all flew by. It's a testament to how solid it is and the world Summerfall created.

The world of Stray Gods was a fun one, and the Orpheus DLC gives us a chance to revisit it in a satisfying way. By making the focus a strong supporting cast member like Orpheus and adding in Hermes, who was one of the best parts of the original game, we get more time with people who deserved extra attention. The songs this time around also feel stronger, with "A New Love" especially having a great hook and premise. It's a great extra story and make it well worth returning to the title.

Stray Gods and its Orpheus DLC are available on the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Stray Gods Orpheus DLC Is Quite Catchy appeared first on Siliconera.


iDev Games Feed Sunday, July 14, 2024 5:08 AM
     Simple platform game to chill on your free time . Have fun with Bobby the rasta friend , get the coins and the herb while you pay atention to the cops .HaveFun!...

Jul 14, 02:00


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.

Read more


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