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Sep 15, 18:00


GamersHeroes Sunday, September 15, 2024 5:47 PM
    

Players will be able to free their mind into a MAG and set out to an epic action-adventure MetroidVania with the release of Kamina Dimension, and Sometimes You's MindSeize for PlayStation, Xbox, and The Microsoft Store on September 20.

The post MetroidVania MindSeize Launching on PlayStation, Xbox, and Microsoft Store September 20 appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Sunday, September 15, 2024 5:23 PM
    

See how Heathcliff is arriving to Bandai Namco's Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream - with God mode deactivated - with the latest character trailer for the title.

The post Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Heathcliff Trailer Released appeared first on GamersHeroes.


Kotaku Sunday, September 15, 2024 3:30 PM
    

Something strange happened during the lead-up to Noche UFC, the promotion's second annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day. For the first time since becoming interested in MMA during the McGregor era and falling in love with the sport during the pandemic, I skipped all of my UFC fight week traditions. I hadn't…

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Kotaku Sunday, September 15, 2024 11:00 AM
    

Amid Concord's demise and a somewhat divisive PS5 Pro announcement, Astro Bot brought us some joy during an otherwise super serious month for Sony. The adorable 3D platformer is filled to the brim with cameos from characters across PlayStation's 30-year history, as well as secret levels and hidden little goodies that…

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PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 12:17 PM
     Upcoming roguelike is a fantasy Risk of Rain 2, and you can try it now

Hunting for new roguelikes is my favorite part of this job. The genre is filled with promising ideas, tough-as-nails fights, puzzling challenges, and so much more. Steam alone is overflowing with opportunities to find the next Hades or Balatro, and what I'm talking about today could be one of them. From a former Rockstar developer and taking cues from Risk of Rain 2 and Vampire Survivors, this is Terralysia. With Steam Early Access now just around the corner and a demo you can try today, this is one roguelike I really can't wait to see more of.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best indie games, Best roguelike games, Best single-player games

PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 11:58 AM
     Wild Bastards review - a stylish Wild West roguelike FPS

Roguelikes are dangerous. Booting a good one up for the first time basically guarantees an unhealthy takeout dinner, a pile of unfolded laundry, and a 2am bedtime as you squeeze in just one more run. Back in 2019, developer Blue Manchu released an FPS roguelike inspired by System Shock called Void Bastards. Set on cramped ships and lauded for its comic book aesthetic and tight gameplay loop, it was well received but, for me, didn't quite take over my life in the same way as the genre's best. Enter its follow-up, Wild Bastards.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelike games, Best strategy games, Best FPS games

PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 10:54 AM
     Free Monopoly Go dice links September 2024

September 15, 2024: We've updated our list with the latest 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, September 15, 2024 10:41 AM
     Mixing Cyberpunk and Silent Hill, Hollowbody nails horror game design

So much as videogames are mechanical objects, where the goal is to do things, unlock things, and advance through successive obstacles and challenges, the most frightening prospect, when playing the game, is that you might be unable to progress. Dark Souls and Elden Ring play on this fear consistently - the threat of Malenia is not only that she's extremely hard to defeat, but that you might not be able to defeat her at all; that the game might somehow permanently beat you. It's a subtle, unspoken terror that was especially present in the earlier Resident Evil and Silent Hill games.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best horror games, Best indie games, Best survival games

PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 10:29 AM
     GTA 6

Grand Theft Auto 6 is going to be cataclysmically Earth-shattering. The first trailer already has 200 million views, and theories about the story, delays, and gameplay are everywhere. At this point it doesn't matter how long Rockstar takes, whenever it drops it'll be the only thing anyone talks about for weeks. If we are going to hear official news of a delay, one former Rockstar developer thinks we won't know until closer to launch. Based on their track record before GTA 6, I'd be inclined to believe them.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GTA 6 release date, Best open-world games, GTA 5 cheats

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, September 15, 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! This week, it's writer on Marvel's Midnight Suns, Hindsight, Life is Strange Season 2 and more, Emma Kidwell! Cheers Emma! Mind if we have a nose at your bookshelf?

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Siliconera Sunday, September 15, 2024 3:45 PM
    

In Stardew Valley, the Summer season is the most lucrative time for farming. There's a large variety of crops to grow and most sell for a high price. There aren't many poor options to choose from in the Summer, which can make deciding which crops to grow that much more difficult. If you're looking to max-out your gains during peak season, you're going to want to make a beeline towards the best Summer crops in Stardew Valley. The following crops are the ones to be on the lookout for.

Melon

Melons are going to be one of your bumper crops during your first Summer in Stardew Valley. Despite its long 12-day growth cycle, one melon will sell for triple the amount of its seed price! This beats out most of the year one crops available to you, save for one other crop on this list. What makes Melons a viable option is its potential to become a giant crop. A giant melon essentially turns a 3x3 square of melons into one giant, harvestable melon. At minimum, it'll yield 15 melons, just under twice the amount of the regular harvest! There's no risk to growing giant crops, making the melon a stable, safe, and sturdy crop to grow your farm around.

Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the best crops in the game let alone the Summer. Taking 13 days to mature and producing more fruit every four days after that, a blueberry plant will yield three blueberries per harvest at minimum. Not only does the initial harvest cover the cost of the seed and then some, but every subsequent harvest is pure profits into your pockets. If you're using a greenhouse, blueberries become a self-multiplying crop. For the low cost of 80 gold and some patience, you can grow a field of blueberries. You can plant one blueberry, harvest the three blueberries it produces, chuck them into a seed maker, and get more blueberry seeds to repeat the process! Blueberries only have one negative quality about them: there's a better summer fruit out there once you've got the setup for it.

Starfruit

Screenshot by Siliconera

Only available in the desert at Sandy's shop, the starfruit won't be your first Summer crop choice. The seeds are 400 gold a piece, preventing start-up farmers from filling their fields with it. Once you're able to foot the bill, however, the starfruit becomes massively profitable. One starfruit seed will yield one starfruit, which sells for 750 gold at base quality. The real money to be had is in artisan goods; starfruit wine triples the value of every starfruit, creating a much higher return on investment. It does take some effort to be in a good position to do this. You'll need a level eight in farming to mass-produce the kegs necessary to ferment all the starfruit you'll be growing. This makes starfruit the crop of choice for late-game farmers who are looking to diversify their production, and are more focused on long-term plans over quick profits.

Hops

Hops are an honorable mention due to their flexibility. It's still one of the longer growth cycles to deal with, but they produce a harvest every day once fully grown. You can put your hops in a keg to generate Pale Ales, which sell for 300 gold, or you can throw them into a seed maker and sell the hop starters for a quicker profit. The money you'll be making won't come close to what you could earn with the other crops on this list, but it's an easy crop to focus on if you're just starting out with producing artisan goods. Just be mindful of the space you lose with hops. The trellises they grow on can't be walked over, so you'll lose prime farming real estate on ensuring you can water them effectively.

As long as you focus on one of these four crops, your Summer in Stardew Valley will be a happy one. There's plenty of other crops in Stardew Valley to learn about. You can find out more about the Best Fall Crops in Stardew Valley here. Crops need to be watered, but you can automate the process with sprinklers. Here's a handy guide on the Best Sprinkler Layouts in Stardew Valley.

Stardew Valley is available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Windows, MacOS, Linux, and mobile devices.

The post The Best Summer Crops in Stardew Valley appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Sunday, September 15, 2024 12:00 PM
    

Yars Rising review

It certainly feels like WayForward is being picked as the developer for series revivals and tributes, doesn't it? Between its work on games like Advance Wars: Re-Boot Camp and River City Girls 2, it seems to specialize in bright, poppy takes on classics. Yars Rising feels perfectly at home among its siblings, with the same bright color schemes and character designs. However, while it is entertaining and the integration of the source material is clever, I sometimes felt like it didn't stand out enough to be truly memorable. 

Emi "Yars" Kimura is a hacker. She's working with a group of her friends to infiltrate an obviously evil organization called QoTech. That means pretending to work as an employee until she gets a chance to sneak into the server room, attach a USB dongle and get out. She manages that! But immediately after she does, she's caught and thrown into a "holding" center in the building. After sneaking through some vents and hacking into an unusual terminal, she finds herself with new biohacks that augment her abilities, giving her the ability to shoot or generate energy wings to dash or jump. Armed with these new talents she aims to get out and deal with the ruthless execs and their minions.

Yars Rising review
Screenshot by Siliconera

The "Yars" element comes up in multiple ways. Some of it relates to the story. Yar is Emi's hacker moniker. She has a tattoo of the character. Not to mention Emi's last name — Kimura — is a reference to Atari artist Hiro Kimura. The evil corporation is QoTech, not unlike the enemy Qotile in the original game. But the most evident is the actual inclusion of Yars' Revenge sorts of gameplay when hacking. In order to open new paths, gain abilities, or generally accomplish goals, Emi will need to hack terminals at the company. When she does, a hacking minigame ensues that is actually standard Yars series gameplay. So maybe you'll be firing a cannon to get through Qotile shields. Though also, there will be times when it is more like Space Invaders and you're shooting enemies advancing toward you. 

While I do applaud the way in which WayForward successfully blended Yars' Revenge with the Metroidvania elements in Yars Rising and think it is clever to include the original gameplay as a hacking minigame, I also found it slightly frustrating. This is primarily due to how often hacking does come up as Emi makes her way through QoTech's building. Yars' Revenge can get to be quite a challenging game, and when those situations keep coming up and penalize you by zapping Emi's health for failure, it can start feeling less than novel. On the plus side, WayForward seems to even acknowledge this, as there's an option to make yourself invincible for these hacking segments to more quickly get through them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3EpmZ062-g

Especially since the core gameplay in Yars Rising is an accessible Metroidvania. Emi is going through Qotech, acquiring biohacks that allow her to further escape the company's clutches after being caught hacking. It's fairly straightforward and I didn't find it as complicated or challenging as a title like Metroid Dread. However, the clear influences are there. Especially since early on, before you acquire a weapon, there's a high reliance on stealth to proceed. The gameplay here is quite solid. It's easy to maneuver Emi around her environment, and the upgrades we eventually acquire only serves to make that even more fluid. It's a genuinely good time. I really enjoyed running and gunning my way through it.

However, while I did enjoy myself, Yars Rising's art direction, enemy design, and environments didn't really excite me. The human character designs are great, but the enemies ended up looking a bit generic. Ones that leaned more into insect motifs fared a bit better, but areas around QoTech and most foes felt cookie cutter. I will say that it did make me appreciate the designs that did lean more into classic Yars or even other Atari properties when they'd come up. Especially since the concept — hackers against a big bad corporation — also is incredibly commonly treaded ground. Since most of the more unusual twists only come up in the second half, it takes a while for those elements to feel unique.

Yars Rising review
Image via WayForward and Atari

I appreciate what WayForward did with Yars Rising, as it incorporates the source material in some cool ways while doing something entirely new. It's a solid Metroidvania, and bringing in Yars' Revenge gameplay for hacking can be entertaining. I just feel that even with the unusual approach to hacking, some design elements and decisions feel a bit bland. It's enjoyable, but I'm not entirely sure it's very memorable. 

Yars Rising is available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC

The post Review: Yars Rising Mixes Yars' Revenge With Metroidvania Style appeared first on Siliconera.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, September 15, 2024 5:54 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, September 15, 2024 5:37 PM
    

The trailer showcases the girls along with their abilities.

The post MultiVersus Gets The Powerpuff Girls in Season 3 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, September 15, 2024 5:12 PM
    

The trailer highlights many of the game's multiple positive ratings.

The post Astro Bot Gets New Accolades Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

Sep 15, 10:00


Kotaku Sunday, September 15, 2024 9:45 AM
    

To be able to afford something means more than just having the money that it costs. It also means having the requisite desire and perceived need to convince yourself its cost is commensurate with its value. When I say I can't afford to take a $40 Uber home from the office but then spend $60 on Uber Eats when I get…

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Kotaku Sunday, September 15, 2024 9:30 AM
    

Hey Connectioneers, it's time for the Sunday scramble! Puzzling can become a little obsessive for some people. Not "Disney adults dropping $400K large to get unbanned from a cultish sounding dinner club" obsessive, but a little crazy nonetheless.

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PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 8:31 AM
     New Slay the Spire inspired strategy roguelike Pyrene finally launches

On the surface, the new roguelike strategy game Pyrene draws obvious inspiration in both style and gameplay from the likes of Slay the Spire and Balatro. Upon further inspection, though, we're looking at a game that demands a deep understanding of its tactics and unique set-up. With Pyrene finally dropping on Steam at a discounted price, now is the perfect time to dive back into the deckbuilding genre, or even try it for the first time.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelike games, Best strategy games, Best indie games

PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 7:35 AM
     DayZ dev finally reveals when survival game Vigor will be free on PC

Between DayZ and Arma, Bohemia Interactive has long dominated the zombie survival and sandbox milsim genres. With hundreds of thousands of players across both games, each is still getting expansions, sales, and support today. Vigor blends the two. A post-apocalyptic survival shooter where you need to extract loot and upgrade a shelter, it hasn't been nearly as popular as its Bohemia siblings on PC. This could finally be about to change though, as Bohemia has at long last teased the free-to-play launch of the Steam version, with crossplay to follow.

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

PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 6:53 AM
     Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown review - wasted potential

Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown doesn't know what it wants to be. It's a game of frustration and inconvenience, and while hurtling down a highway at almost 300kph is fun for a few fleeting moments, it doesn't make up for the fact it feels stitched together at the last minute with incompatible parts. This attempt to combine racing and RPG elements is ambitious but never works in Test Drive's favor.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best racing games, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown review, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown cars

PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 6:05 AM
     New Deadlock patch notes nerf Bebop, but not entirely

If you've been playing as the adorably named Bebop in Valve's upcoming MOBA, you need to check out the latest Deadlock patch notes. Valve has nerfed one of the robot's moves pretty heavily, even if it still looks like a viable strategy. This isn't the first, or the last, time Valve will pick out one of Deadlock's roster for changes, so I'd get prepared for even more buffs and nerfs soon.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Deadlock release date , Deadlock beta, Deadlock characters

PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 3:00 AM
     King Arthur roguelike Sworn is essentially co-op Hades, and I'm hooked

Following the huge success of Hades in 2020, we've seen lots of games attempt to follow in its mighty footsteps; even Supergiant has broken from its tradition of new ideas for a sequel. Sworn, meanwhile, takes the basic concepts and structure of one of the best roguelike games in recent years and lovingly adopts it to the fantasy realm of King Arthur's Camelot, creating something that feels at once reassuringly familiar and distinct enough to justify its existence. At Gamescom 2024, I sat down to check it out with game director Sam Leonard and art director Sean Evans of Windwalk Games, and came away ready to play a lot more.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: New PC games, Best PC games, Free PC games

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, September 15, 2024 6:00 AM
    

Sundays are for eating chocolate spread straight from the jar and rewatching Better Call Saul. Before that, let's read this week's best writing about games (and game related things!)

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Siliconera Sunday, September 15, 2024 9:00 AM
    

Handyman Saitou in Another World Manga Shows a Dungeon's Dangers

The Handyman Saitou in Another World manga isn't one that shies away from dangerous situations. In the third and fourth volumes, we see life-threatening confrontations, after all. But there are also often heartfelt or lighter moments between characters too. Even when in the famous labyrinth all the adventurers are exploring. With volume 5 of the manga, we're thrust right back to a proper adventure in the dungeon, and it serves as a harsh reminder of how dangerous the location can be even to people familiar with it.

Editor's Note: There will be minor spoilers for some plot beats in volume 5 of the Handyman Saitou in Another World manga. 

First, I love how volume five of Handyman Saitou in Another World starts, because it feels like Kazutomo Ichitomo realized, "Right, we haven't been here in a while. Let's drop some lore." It reintroduces the former demon lord labyrinth now managed by the government. This means we go over how it works. It's a good refresher, plus we're getting new information about the location. So there are the three "entrances" when someone gets inside, designed for different difficulty levels. It also establishes how there are paid collectors who will go in and retrieve fallen folks' bodies to bring them back outside where they could potentially be revived, while setting up the notion that some people actually manage businesses inside the dungeon proper. 

It's a fun reminder of the worldbuilding Ichitomo does throughout the Handyman Saitou in Another World manga. We're constantly reminded of how things work in a practical way. (Delicious in Dungeonis another series like that!) These asides come up while propelling the story forward. So we'll learn how things work, about locations, and about notable figures or organizations while our regular tale goes on.

Speaking of the actual story, volume 5 of Handyman Saitou in Another World sets up an opportunity to learn more about characters and relationships with this new adventure. After hearing about a Dullahan in golden armor plaguing the area, Saitou's party gets separated. Raelza ends up alone, with Saitou, Lafanpan, and Morlock deciding to search for her. This ties into the other elements broached earlier in the manga, about adventurers getting separated or killed in a dungeon. It brings up the question of what do you do if you do find yourself pulled apart? Do you risk everyone's safety for someone who could be dead? 

This plot device means we get a chance to really see and appreciate how Saitou and Raelza feel about each other. In Saitou's case, it is his determination to push forward and find her. He's driven to reunite with Raelza. Conversely, Raelza finds herself in a situation that exposes how she feels about Saitou. So we're getting more definitive proof about who they are to each other. It's again handled in a great way that keeps it from feeling like it's a bunch of exposition dumped on us. Ichitomo is showing us through actions and examples throughout, instead of using a few sentences to set things up.

More importantly, volume 5 of Handyman Saitou in Another World continues to stay true to the ambiance and feel of the manga. It feels like we're witnessing parts of the party's lives. Nothing is forced. It doesn't come across as contrived. It isn't like we're seeing major crusades put together. It's a natural chronicle of the lives of ordinary adventurers, and I love how these stories flow together.

Volume 5 of Handyman Saitou in Another World is available now, and Yen Press will release volume six on February 18, 2025.

The post Handyman Saitou in Another World Manga Shows a Dungeon's Dangers appeared first on Siliconera.

Sep 15, 04:00


PCGamesN Sunday, September 15, 2024 3:00 AM
     King Arthur roguelike Sworn is essentially co-op Hades, and I'm hooked

Following the huge success of Hades in 2020, we've seen lots of games attempt to follow in its mighty footsteps; even Supergiant has broken from its tradition of new ideas for a sequel. Sworn, meanwhile, takes the basic concepts and structure of one of the best roguelike games in recent years and lovingly adopts it to the fantasy realm of King Arthur's Camelot, creating something that feels at once reassuringly familiar and distinct enough to justify its existence. At Gamescom 2024, I sat down to check it out with game director Sam Leonard and art director Sean Evans of Windwalk Games, and came away ready to play a lot more.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: New PC games, Best PC games, Free PC games

Siliconera Saturday, September 14, 2024 11:00 PM
    

pokemon horizons rayquaza rising

From October 11, 2024, the Pokemon Horizons anime will start its new Rayquaza Rising arc. A new promotional image also shows Briar, Carmine, and Perrin from the Pokemon Scarlet/Violet DLC. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The Black Rayquaza and the Six Heroes appear on the visual, along with main characters Liko, Roy, and Dot. The promotional image also reveals that Roy's Fuecoco evolves to a Crocalor. Meanwhile, Dot's  Tinkatink appears as a Tinkatuff. In glass shards around the main trio are the supporting cast, which includes DLC characters from The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk. This presentation is similar to the second promotional image for The Indigo Disk.

Pokemon Horizons succeeds the original Pokemon series, with Liko and Roy appearing as dual protagonists in place of Ash. So far, the series adapts Scarlet and Violet, which is the most recent generation of the Pokemon games. They enroll in Naranja Academy after journeying around various regions so that they can learn what Terastal is all about. Speaking of Naranja Academy, that's where Liko will be returning to in Episode 66, which will air on September 20, 2024. In comparison to the original Pokemon anime, Horizons has a more linear plot, meaning that viewers might not be able to skip episodes like before.

You can watch Pokemon Horizons on Netflix, though not all regions have access to it.

The post Pokemon Horizons Will Start New Rayquaza Rising Arc appeared first on Siliconera.