Kotaku Friday, August 23, 2024 5:00 PM  Apocalypse Now director Francis Ford Coppola's sci-fi passion project Megalopolis continues to be one of Hollywood's biggest train wrecks. The latest derailment was a trailer that had to be pulled for fabricating quotes. It's now being reported that, surprise, the trailer quotes were generated by AI. |
Kotaku Friday, August 23, 2024 4:00 PM  The summer is winding down, the days are starting to grow shorter, and there's a new chill in the air at night. It's the perfect time to catch up on some older games ahead of the September onslaught that kicks off with Star Wars Outlaws' launch next week. |
Kotaku Friday, August 23, 2024 3:50 PM  Monster Hunter Wilds is looking like it's going to be one of the biggest games of 2025 already, and its showing at Gamescom is going incredibly well. The game is playable for the first time to the public, and the amount of information coming out of just that preview build is insane. We've learned a lot just from three… |
Kotaku Friday, August 23, 2024 3:25 PM  The Vessel of Hatred, the first expansion to Diablo IV, is set to release on October 8 and Blizzard dropped a ton of new information about it at Gamescom. That includes more details on the game's new class, new region, and a few surprise announcements to get players even more excited. |
Kotaku Friday, August 23, 2024 2:20 PM  Concord is a hero-based multiplayer shooter where you run around sci-fi maps on distant planets using pistols, cannons, fireballs and knives to obliterate opponents in familiar modes like "capture the point" and "kill stuff." There's nothing in it that's surprised me or blown my mind, but it's pretty and, more… |
Kotaku Friday, August 23, 2024 2:01 PM  Diablo IV's first big expansion, Vessel of Hatred, is just a few weeks away. The add-on will bring new stories, quests, and the Spiritborn class on October 8. If you've been sleeping on it since it launched last year, the RPG is on sale until September 2. However, if you're looking for something to do this weekend,… |
PCGamesN Friday, August 23, 2024 7:19 PM  In a period where multiple new extraction shooters are all opening their doors, the one that's arguably drummed up the most conversation is Arena Breakout Infinite. While there is plenty of praise for its tactical gameplay, the FPS has also received its fair share of criticism, mostly regarding the inclusion of paid items that give an in-game advantage. Speaking to Enzo Zhang, the game's producer and studio head at developer MoreFun, he says that it is "quite normal" for early access games to receive such feedback and is in many respects glad that there isn't just unanimous praise for ABI. Continue reading Arena Breakout Infinite criticisms "quite normal" says studio head MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best multiplayer games, Best simulation games |
PCGamesN Friday, August 23, 2024 7:08 PM  If you had asked me a few months ago what I thought Valve would be working on next, I wouldn't say it would be anything like Deadlock. With everyone still hoping for a Half-Life 3 appearance at some point, it feels like a bit of a swerve for the developer's next project to be a multiplayer hero shooter. Yet, here we are, and finally after weeks of rumors and secret playtests, Deadlock has been officially confirmed. Continue reading Valve finally confirms new game, shares first details on Deadlock MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best upcoming PC games, Best multiplayer games, Best FPS games |
PCGamesN Friday, August 23, 2024 6:46 PM  One of the weirdest moments in Star Trek history is that bit in the tenth film where Picard and Worf drive about a desert planet in a buggy. Now you can recreate that moment to your heart's content in Starfield, with the Rev-8 vehicle giving you all the fun of four wheels. It's safe to say that it's a hit, with fans loving being able to pootle about on mysterious worlds or downtown in New Atlantis. This is a Bethesda game, however, so modders are already hard at work making this cool car even cooler. Continue reading Starfield fans waste no time launching mods for the RPG's space car MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield mods, Starfield outposts, Starfield traits |
PCGamesN Friday, August 23, 2024 6:30 PM  Survival games are all the rage right now, and there aren't many IP more popular than Dune at present. Naturally, a Dune survival game sounds like a pretty good bet. Dune Awakening is the benefactor of that killer combo, and it's recently unveiled loads of new gameplay footage and details at Gamescom. Down on the show floor, we caught up with the game's creative director Joel Bylos to learn more about a small but intriguing feature that briefly appeared in its new gameplay trailer - GTA style radio stations. Continue reading Dune Awakening has GTA style radio stations full of propaganda |
PCGamesN Friday, August 23, 2024 5:19 PM  For years I had heard of the original Mafia. People would speak of it in hushed tones, and much like my beloved Morrowind they would say that it's actually quite a rough game, but if you look past that you'll get one of the best experiences in gaming. Thankfully with the 2020 release of the Mafia Definitive Edition, those rough edges have been sanded off, allowing the good stuff to shine. Following the reveal of the fourth title in the series, a massive sale is bringing people to the 1930s to enjoy this near perfect slice of Mafia life. Continue reading Mafia Definitive Edition flying on Steam thanks to huge 80% off sale MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Mafia: Definitive Edition review, Best open-world games, Best sandbox games on PC |
PCGamesN Friday, August 23, 2024 4:18 PM  The world is becoming ablaze with games that dip from the disparate wells of survival, RPG, life sim, and city builder. Titles like Manor Lords, Bellwright, Lost Legions, and Dawn of Defiance all blur these lines as you not only have to survive but you'll build up your own settlements too, complete with production chains and villagers to look after. Sengoku Dynasty is a game that does a few things differently, such as uprooting the action to Japan, and now adding soulslike combat. |
PCGamesN Friday, August 23, 2024 3:46 PM  Call of Duty Zombies fans have already established that they will be eating good in Black Ops 6. Not only is round-based gameplay back on the menu, but there will be two epic maps to enjoy from day one. We've already learned a lot about one of them, Terminus, and during CoD Next it'll be the turn of Liberty Falls. However, Treyarch has just dropped a teaser cinematic for the second map, and it's pure Call of Duty cinema. Continue reading Black Ops 6 Liberty Falls cinematic is pure Zombies cinema MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Black Ops 6 release date, Best FPS games, New Warzone season |
Twinfinite Friday, August 23, 2024 2:19 PM  |
Siliconera Friday, August 23, 2024 7:00 PM
FuRyu announced its next Haruhi Suzumiya figure, and it is a part of the BiCute Bunnies line that will take a famous character and put her in a bunny girl suit. It will be a prize figure found in Japanese arcades, and it will debut in January 2025.
This figure of Haruhi features her shorter hairstyle with the familiar yellow ribbons. She has a black rabbit ear headband on and matching swimsuit. Like other figures in the line, it is expected to be about 10 inches tall (265mm). It is identical to the outfit she wore in the anime.
Here is the official social media announcement, which shows two photos of the in-progress figure.
While there's no word about a worldwide release of the Haruhi bunny suit figure, we've seen other versions of the character appear worldwide. For example, there are figmas and Nendoroids of her, and Good Smile Company recently released a scale figure of her based on her light novel appearances.
A few new Haruhi Suzumiya light novels have appeared over the years. One is The Intuition of Haruhi Suzumiya. That was released by Yen Press outside Japan in 2021. The next one is The Theater of Haruhi Suzumiya, though there's no release date for it just yet.
The Haruhi Suzumiya BiCute Bunnies figure of her as bunny girl arrives in Japan in January 2025.
The post Haruhi Suzumiya Bunny Suit Figure Arrives Next Year appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 23, 2024 6:00 PM
Bandai Namco keeps sharing new Sword Art Online characters who will be playable in SAO Fractured Daydream, and Sinon will be back. The new trailer released during Anime NYC 2024 showed how she'll work in a fight.
Sinon first appeared in the Sword Art Online series for the SAO Phantom Bullet Arc set in Gun Gale Online, though she also appeared in ALfheim Online and Project Alicization. In keeping in line with her often using guns or playing as an archer, she'll be a Ranger type of unit in the game. She'll also be voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro, who's played the character in other adaptations.
Here's the Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailer of Sinon in her SAO Gun Gale Online attire.
As a reminder, having a large cast will be beneficial in the final game. While some titles are more like RPGs designed to mimic an MMO sort of experience, this is a multiplayer title where you go on raids against major monsters with other people. Up to 20 people can play together at once.
Here's the list of other confirmed characters for SAO Fractured Daydream so far:
Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream will come to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on October 4, 2024. Pre-orders are open.
The post Next SAO Fractured Daydream Character Is Sinon appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 23, 2024 5:00 PM
HoYoVerse announced yet another Genshin Impact merchandise update for the official Amazon storefront, with general Dress-Up Dreams character figures and multiple Hu Tao items headlining the additions. There are also a handful of sales on certain items to commemorate the latest event, with those running until August 31, 2024.
The three major pieces of Genshin Impact merchandise now in the shop are Hu Tao figures, accessories, and peripherals. The 1/7th scale figure is up for pre-order on Amazon ahead of its September 2024 debut for $199.99. The keyboard features 87 themed keys with art of her and her ghost, and it matches her color scheme. That costs $125.99 on Amazon, whether you get it with red or white switches. Finally, there is a messenger bag based on her style. It is more subtle, with the only immediately recognizable element being a figure of her ghost. That costs $69.99 on Amazon.
Here's how all those items look:
Hu Tao also part of the other major addition to the shop, which is the Dress-Up Dreams chibi series figures of characters. This is a series of blind box collectibles. There are 12 characters in the set. A single box is $16.99 on Amazon. However, people can also buy a full box for $203.88. All the characters wear casual clothing in this line. The people included are Albedo, Barbara, Childe, Ganyu, Gorou, Hu Tao, Jeane, Thoma, Venti, Xiangling, Xingqiu, and Yoimiya.
Here's a list of some of the notable Genshin Impact merchandise sales currently available on HoYoverse's Amazon storefront. Most of the new items are included. 10% discounts are available on all products.
HoYoVerse updates this storefront fairly regularly. The March 2024 update included Keqing and Raiden Shogun items. Then in May 2024, the update included the Teyvat Nature Discovery Tour collection.
Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Xbox Series X version will launch on November 10, 2024.
The post New Genshin Impact Amazon Merchandise Stars Hu Tao appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 23, 2024 4:10 PM
On August 22, 2024, Bandai Namco announced that after Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker PS4 maintenance, major issues occurred that resulted in it not ending when the Xbox One and PC versions went back online. Now on August 23, 2024, the company said on social media that it doesn't know when it will return.
Here is Bandai Namco's official statement. In the original announcement, players expressed concern that the Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker PS4 maintenance would run into the 6th Anniversary Campaign and make it impossible for those of us playing on that console to claim the rewards. In the notice, the company promised that the campaign period dates could change depending on how long this issue persists. It didn't promise any details about new dates.
Alongside the 2.56 Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker update maintenance that has taken the PS4 version down, Bandai Namco shared details about the various campaigns. The first part of the login bonus runs August 22, 2024 through September 5, 2024. That included free Esoteric and Valuable Scrolls and 100,00 Ryo. A free Free Ninjutsu Trial runs during that same period and involves the Masters Obito Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha (Last Battle). There is a Ninja World Hero Festival going on until August 29, 2024, with a Mission tied to it that gives three Esoteric Scrolls for taking part five times. The Ninja Tool and Weapon Trial Campaign Part 1 ends September 5, 2024, and it involves the Scientific Ninja Tools Double Fire Cannon (Prototype) and Frost Hawk (Prototype).
The update also added new DLC. Shisui Uchiha (Perfect Susano'o) is available in-game now. A new trailer appeared that showed him off and discussed the new update and events.
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker and its Ultimate Edition are available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC, and there's no word on when maintenance will end for the PS4 version.
The post Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker PS4 Maintenance Is Ongoing appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 23, 2024 4:00 PM
Bandai Namco has opened applications for a new closed network test for Synduality: Echo of Ada. The company will hold the test for the PvPvE mech survival action game on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in mid-September 2024.
The closed network test will feature a newer game build that Bandai Namco had improved after receiving feedback from the closed beta test held in March 2024. Other than gameplay balances, the company will also add tutorials that let players understand the features better. There will also be more hairstyles and a better color palette visibility to help players perform customization for their Magus companions.
The new test will also be available for PC users. However, Bandai Namco will only accept applications from those whose PC specs meet the minimum requirements. People who want to apply must make sure that they have a RAM of at least 8GB with an Intel Core i5-10400 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti graphics card.
Bandai Namco has also uploaded a new trailer for Synduality: Echo of Ada at the same time:
Bandai Namco will close the application period for the Synduality: Echo of Ada closed network test on September 3, 2024. The test will take place on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam on September 13-16, 2024.
Bandai Namco has still yet to announce the Synduality: Echo of Ada release window, following its delay from 2023.
The post Synduality: Echo of Ada Closed Network Test Set in September appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 23, 2024 3:00 PM
Reality TV is a guilty pleasure of mine, with it and sitcoms being the two genres I watched as a kid to pick up English soon after I immigrated to Canada. While The Crush House does not exactly satisfy the reality TV itch, it provides a pretty interesting commentary on the nature of these shows. The gameplay loop becomes more fun the more used to it you get, but as a game, it never quite became strong on its own, thus relying heavily on its subversion of the genre it's parodying.
The Crush House seems like a messier version of Terrace House when it comes to the in-game reality TV show. You are the producer of the show, and you start the season by choosing four cast members to live together under the same roof for a week. There's an element of strategy here after you become accustomed to the game. Certain cast members make it easier to make audiences happy. For example, activists love seeing Priscilla, who's prone to bursting into tears. Meanwhile, people with foot fetishes love Charlie, who walks around in sandals all the time.
You then broadcast the lives and dramas of these four people to an audience that's thirsting for a variety of content. Sometimes, they'll want you to film fights and arguments. Other times, all they care about is the landscaping of the Barbie-esque Malibu mansion. That's not even getting into the simps, the suburban moms, the plumbers, the conspiracy theorists, and so on and so forth. Your goal is to make sure the show stays on air for an entire season (a week) by meeting your audience's expectations.
In the beginning, it was a little tough to stop thinking of the game as an actual TV show. I focused a lot on conversations, kisses, and fights. This is the stuff you'd want to see, right? But, of course, real people don't make up the in-game audience. Half the time I wasn't even capturing the drama between the cast members. I was recording things like the pool, the art, the fish, the fire, and butts. The audience I had to worry about didn't seem to care at all about the actual substance of the show, which was a bizarre mechanic. But once I knew what the game wanted from me, it was a lot easier. Lining up shots to make sure I could get as much as I needed was really fun, but I became so focused on pleasing the audience that the actual show itself became a non-priority.
A lot of my initial complaints faded once I realized what the game was trying to do. One of my main criticisms was that I don't really care about anyone. No one was really unique and they all felt interchangeable. It says a lot that I can't remember their names half the time considering how quickly I become attached to characters. While they do have unique backstories and personalities on paper, in practice, they're virtually the same outside of some special interactions. Emile the suave Frenchman does the same ridiculous "Hearken!" speech that Alex the himbo does. Veer the band geek strips to his swimsuit before going down the Success Slide, which is something Ayo the drama queen did. Charlie the sweet girl goes nuts over "margarita time" just like the self-assured mean girl Joyumi. No one felt interesting in their own way.
Another complaint I had was that the audience's needs were illogical. This isn't to do with them wanting to see certain things, but more that I had some difficulty at first figuring out what demographics meant by their requests. While you can look up your audience to see the types of requests they'll leave in the comments, I wish the game would provide a small descriptor as to what each group is like. I never really figured out how to deal with cynics or people with shoddy Internet, for example. Cynics seemed to satisfy themselves. Meanwhile, no matter what I did, the people with bad Internet still complained so I just used other audience groups' hype levels to satisfy them.
As I continued to stream episode after episode to an audience that can't get enough of the ridiculous antics of The Crush House, I found myself becoming more and more apathetic towards it all. I didn't care anymore that I've seen the same argument about filler words, like, five times, nor did I care about the affairs I stumbled across while trying to record some perky bottoms for the butt-lovers in the audience. Outside of their requests, I stopped caring about the contestants beyond what they could do for me when it comes to raking in audience approval. It made the game's reveal of the dark secret laying underneath the vaporware veneer of the show's set so much more intriguing, because I had fallen into the way of thinking that some corrupt TV executive probably has too.
Most of the game's fun comes from the learning curve. It felt great to master new ways of meeting audience goals or filming the cast, as well as rushing from room to room while letting advertisements rake in cash so that I could get the perfect shot of something. If I wasn't meeting my quota literally at the last second though, I was hitting it halfway through the day. This wasn't great, since there's no benefit in continuing to film them and as mentioned earlier, they're not exactly interesting to spy on. That meant that I usually messed around on my phone while letting advertisements play in-game for a while every game day. The difficulty balance felt off. However, it could have been my luck when it comes to the combination of audience types.
Because the odd difficulty balance gives a surprising amount of downtime in a game that's supposed to catch the rush of the cutthroat reality TV business, the game can feel slower than it should. The story seems interesting, as are the little tidbits about who they are as people rather than props. But I personally could not bring myself to care about the characters' well-being outside of morbid curiosity. This was, again, due to their lack of any individuality and chemistry with each other. Was the apathy towards the cast members something the developers intended? Or was I just a bad person while playing it? I honestly have no clue. I think if I'd watched someone's video essay on the topic, though, the distance (and not having to read their inane conversations over and over) might have helped me to care a bit more about the cast.
The Crush House is an interesting game that combines FPS elements with exploration, time management, and strategy, all with a narrative that makes you want to marathon the game all the way to the season finale. It's a game that can only ever be a game, as the impact of the story wouldn't be the same in another format. While enjoyable, I do suggest having something else to do on hand. Once the audience gets what they want, the drama of reality TV loses its luster, leaving nothing but vapid and repetitive content behind.
The Crush House is readily available on Windows PCs.
The post Review: The Crush House Is the Perfect Microcosm for Reality TV appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, August 23, 2024 2:30 PM
Good Smile Company opened pre-orders for its Honkai: Star Rail Aventurine Nendoroid, following the figure being teased at multiple events. It will cost ￥7,500 when it comes to Japan in February 2025, and it will cost $45.99 when it arrives worldwide in Q3 2025.
As usual, Aventurine comes with multiple accessories. He has face plates with a small smile, a bigger grin, and a winking expression. He comes with three dice. He can hold a bottle of perfume. His stand looks like a roulette wheel, if you'd like, to reference his nature as a gambler. You can also pose him with his sunglasses on or off.
Here's how this Honkai: Star Rail figure looks:
In addition, there's a bonus for buying Aventurine directly from Good Smile Company. Orders at the Japanese or US shop include an acrylic stand. It figures a bust of the character wearing his hat and glasses. It also has his name on a placard in front of it.
Here's how that will look:
We already have an idea of who the next Nendoroid will be. At the last Good Smile Company event, we saw a prototype figure of the Stellaron Hunter Blade from Honkai: Star Rail.
The Honkai: Star Rail Aventurine Nendoroid will come to Japan in February 2025 and debut worldwide in Q3 2025, and the figure can be pre-ordered until October 2, 2024 from Good Smile Company direct. The game is available on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices.
The post Honkai: Star Rail Aventurine Nendoroid Can Roll the Dice appeared first on Siliconera. |
WGB Friday, August 23, 2024 4:02 PM Black Myth: Wukong has sailed past another important milestone, and is fast becoming one of the most successful game launches ever. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, August 23, 2024 6:03 PM Showing Max's Pulse ability. The post Life is Strange: Double Exposure Gets New powers Deep Dive Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, August 23, 2024 5:02 PM Announced on Twitter. The post Black Myth: Wukong Sales Surpass 10 Million Units in Just Three Days appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, August 23, 2024 4:29 PM Developer Yellow Brick Games has announced that Eternal Strands will launch in early 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam. A new 101 gameplay trailer was also released showing "the ability to climb everything and interact with almost every facet of the world through temperature and forces." Additionally, the game's voice […] The post Eternal Strands Gets New Gameplay Trailer, Release Window Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, August 23, 2024 3:56 PM The First Berserker: Khazan will launch early 2025. The post The First Berserker: Khazan Gets New Combat Deep Dive Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
iDev Games Feed Friday, August 23, 2024 2:50 PM Clash Royale 2 est un jeu de stratégie en temps réel où s'affrontent des chevaliers, des archers et des dragons dans des duels épiques. Chaque joueur constr... |
MonsterVine Friday, August 23, 2024 8:00 PM Bakeru is a creative and fun action platformer that serves as an enormous celebration of Japanese culture and legends. It's got a pleasant story, stellar visual style, and unique gameplay, and I recommend it to anyone who's intrigued. BAKERU Developer: Good-Feel Price: $40 Platforms: Nintendo Switch (reviewed) and PC MonsterVine was provided with a Switch […] |
