Kotaku Tuesday, January 21, 2025 6:12 PM  The most popular streaming service behind Stranger Things and other hits is raising its prices for the second time in as many years. Netflix announced it will charge users anywhere from $12 to $24 more a year depending on their subscription tier. Even viewers who are already watching ads will have to pay more to see… |
Kotaku Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:05 PM  After previous reporting in December confirmed another Sonic sequel was in the works, Paramount has officially announced that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will arrive in theaters in March 2027. |
Kotaku Tuesday, January 21, 2025 4:21 PM  Look, I know half the conversation around Marvel Rivals is taken up with comparing it to its obvious inspiration, Overwatch 2, but sometimes it's hard to talk about much else when developer NetEase continues to copy Overwatch 2's homework and makes little effort to hide it. Not only does this hold true when you… |
Kotaku Tuesday, January 21, 2025 4:18 PM  Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a classic Musou game through and through, featuring high-energy rock music, and legions of grunts to cut down as easily as blades of grass. That said, Origins is far from a by-the-books Dynasty Warriors game. The shift to a central main character in lieu of a huge roster of Romance of the… |
Kotaku Tuesday, January 21, 2025 3:20 PM  If there's one thing the Dynasty Warriors series is known for, it's watching one person battle literally thousands of soldiers and somehow come out the victor. But if there's a second thing the series is known for, it's the insane amount of challenges to overcome in order to achieve 100-percent completion. Musou fans… |
Kotaku Tuesday, January 21, 2025 2:55 PM  The new DC comics multimedia franchise, the DC Universe aka the DCU, just officially started last month with the release of Creature Commandos, so you might think that it would be pretty easy to wrap your head around what is and isn't canonically part of it. But actually, because the guy in charge of it now also… |
Kotaku Tuesday, January 21, 2025 1:45 PM  Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is a challenging Metroidvania that provides an abundance of action-packed combat, compelling secrets to uncover, and worthwhile upgrades to invest in. It's a lengthy and complex adventure, and even the early part of the game will throw a lot at you to keep up with. As such, here are… |
Kotaku Tuesday, January 21, 2025 1:35 PM  It's 2025 so no massive open-world RPG would be complete without an equally overwhelming post-launch roadmap. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 isn't out until next month and it's already revealed its next 12 months of content, featuring three story DLCs beginning this summer. |
Kotaku Tuesday, January 21, 2025 1:29 PM  If you didn't feel like heading into a theater to see it, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is now out on digital platforms to watch from the comfort of your own home. The digital release includes some behind-the-scenes featurettes and deleted scenes, and while they're not as consequential as the cut moments from something like Wicked |
PCGamesN Tuesday, January 21, 2025 7:10 PM  Season 7 of Diablo 4 is finally upon us, and judging by early player reactions, its witchcraft theme, new seasonal storyline, and fresh activities are being well received. If you've long sar on the sidelines, understandably daunted by what can be quite a complex RPG to learn, then a new free week of Diablo 4 may be the perfect time to try it. Oh, and you can use the very cool Spiritborn class, which is normally exclusive to owners of the Vessel of Hatred expansion only, for free as well. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 builds, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred review, Diablo 4 classes |
PCGamesN Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:53 PM  Of all the indies I covered last year, Jotunnslayer was definitely one of the most appetizing prospects I came across. Combining the dark and demonic aura of Diablo with a roguelike bullet hell such as Vampire Survivors, it sounded like a winning formula. A formula is one thing - executing on it is another. Well, Jotunnslayer has finally arrived on Steam with its early access launch, and it looks like my Spidey senses were right, as it's come out the gates strongly. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best games like Diablo, Best roguelike games, Best Viking games |
PCGamesN Tuesday, January 21, 2025 4:47 PM  It's almost time for Avowed to show us all what it's got. Expectations are already set pretty high - it is an Obsidian RPG, after all - and over the last couple of years it's done a pretty solid job at showcasing its gameplay. However, with Avowed sharing the same lore and universe as Obsidian's criminally overlooked Pillars of Eternity games, the studio is doing a last-minute push to help newcomers understand the world of Eora. Oh, and it's roped in prevalent voice actor Matthew Mercer to be Loremaster General. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Avowed release date, Best RPG games, Best story games |
PCGamesN Tuesday, January 21, 2025 1:41 PM  Ever wondered what Marvel character is the best at Rocket League? Well, Marvel Rivals' new event will (kinda) help you answer that question. The hero shooter is getting a new limited-time mode as part of the freshly-revealed Marvel Rivals Spring Festival event, and it certainly draws inspiration from the vehicular soccer game. During the event, you can also obtain a free skin, work your way towards new Gallery Cards, and more. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Marvel Rivals codes, Marvel Rivals characters, Marvel Rivals tier list |
PCGamesN Tuesday, January 21, 2025 3:46 PM  There's nothing I love more than a good ol' fashioned fantasy adventure. My eyes are firmly set on Monster Hunter Wilds and Avowed, then (hopefully) Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 after that. But, just a few days from now, we'll be able to play Eternal Strands, a gorgeous action-adventure game from Yellow Brick Studios that I've been excited about for a while. Blending stunning visuals with high stakes, Monster Hunter-style combat, a new demo has just dropped on Steam - I know what I'll be doing this evening. Continue reading Gorgeous monster hunting RPG Eternal Strands just got a new demo MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best fantasy games, Best games like God of War, Best action-adventure games |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 8:00 PM
Uniqlo announced the release of a new batch of Pokemon Sketch graphic t-shirts featuring designs of the beloved creatures sketched in a soft pencil style. The t-shirts will appear in Japan on late March 2025 and might appear overseas at a later date.
The new collection offers 8 new designs, with 4 t-shirts for men and the remaining 4 available for kids. The men's t-shirts cost 1,500 yen (~$9.64) and are available in sizes ranging from XS to 4XL. The first design offers a white t-shirt with a sleeping Pikachu on the front and the text "Pikachu is recharging" beneath the drawing.
Next is another white tee featuring sketches of Meowth accompanied by Galarian Meowth to its left and its Alolan variant to its right. The Pokedex number 52 appears next to the drawings. The third option is a green t-shirt featuring Mimikyu with the text "Its actual appearance is unknown" below the drawing. The final design for men is a black t-shirt with Umbreon on the back and the text "starry night, silvery moonlight" on the front.
Meanwhile, the children tees cost 990 yen (~$6.36) and offer sizes between 100 to 160 in increments of 10. The first design for kids features the same sleeping Pikachu from the adult designs, with the exception of the colors appearing more vivid. The second one is a black t-shirt featuring Ceruledge. The third design is a purple Gengar t-shirt with a miniature version of the Pokemon appearing in the left side on the front. Gengar also appears in the back to the right of a text saying "Watch out for the shadows." The final kids design is a light blue t-shirt of Glaceon accompanied by its 471 Pokedex number.
The new Pokemon Sketch t-shirts will appear in Uniqlo Japan on late March 2025, and might appear overseas at a later date. The first batch of Pokemon Sketch t-shirts released back in July 2024.
The post Pokemon Sketch T-Shirts Head to Uniqlo in March 2025 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 7:45 PM
Dynasty Warriors Origins has a character bonding feature, where the original protagonist Ziluan can build close friendships with most of the game's unique characters. The Yellow Turbans' leader Zhang Jiao is also included in the list, but the method players must perform to bond with him will be different from other characters in Dynasty Warriors Origins.
The game's bonding system formally appears when Sima Hui invites you to the Shui Jing Retreat in Chapter 2. But when you check the bondable character list, it includes Zhang Jiao who is already dead and grayed out with the starting "Acquaintance" level.
It turns out that increasing the bond level for Zhang Jiao is only possible in the Dynasty Warriors Origins post-game mode. As such, be advised that the guide below will contain post-game content spoilers.
Once you have reached an ending with game credits in Dynasty Warriors Origins, the post-game mode will unlock story restart points where you can move back to the beginning of any chapter among others. If you want to start raising your bond level with Zhang Jiao, you should restart the story from either the Prologue or Chapter 1.
Play through the early game segments until you finish the first two Skirmish stages. When the gate separating the You and Ji Provinces opens, you will spot someone who did not exist in your first playthrough. That's right, Zhang Jiao will be there and you can watch his first bond event.
After the first event concludes, Zhang Jiao will give you a set of training missions. Just like other characters, clearing two of the three missions will let you increase the bond by another level.
You can repeat the sequence twice within Chapter 1, but you will eventually notice that you won't find Zhang Jiao anywhere after you have reached Bond Level 4. It turns out that to get his final bond event and level, you will have to move forward to a much later period in the timeline. When I moved the storyline to an endgame branch in Chapter 5, I somehow noticed Zhang Jiao appearing in the mountain village near the city of Ye. You can talk with him right there to finally max out his Bond Level.
Dynasty Warriors Origins is available worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The post How to Bond With Zhang Jiao in Dynasty Warriors Origins appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 7:30 PM
Nintendo announced as of January 21, 2025 it would no longer broadcast commercials concerning it's products and games on Fuji TV. Instead of airing Nintendo commercials, these slots will be replaced AC Japan announcements. [Thanks, Nikkei!]
There is some speculation as to why Nintendo has chosen to withdraw from Fuji TV, and this concerns news presenter and personality Masahiro Nakai. Fuji TV is currently under investigation for the cover up of several sexual assault scandals and allegations against Nakai. Given Nintendo's core brand and marketing falling into the sphere of being "family friendly," this doesn't come as a surprise.
Alongside Nintendo choosing to withdraw from Fuji TV, other brands such as Suntory and Toyota have taken the same measures.
While Nintendo is already an established brand, and of course, developer and publisher, it opened a museum in March 2024. In preparation for it's opening, Nintendo revealed a sign for the building in October 2023.
The museum serves as a way to look at the history of the company, and take a look at it's wide range of consoles and other associated products. The first inklings of a Nintendo museum opening up were in 2021, with a formal announcement appearing sometime later.
The post Nintendo Stopping Commercials on Fuji TV appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 7:15 PM
When Koei Tecmo first added Xu Shu in Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires, it placed him in affiliation with Liu Bei and his Shu Kingdom. However, the strategist historically only assisted Liu Bei for a brief period before he was forced to serve under Cao Cao and his eventual Wei Kingdom. Dynasty Warriors 8 and 9 featured hypothetical scenarios where Xu Shu managed to stay with Liu Bei, so long-time series players may wonder whether a similar scenario exists in Dynasty Warriors Origins or not.
The answer to this question is, unfortunately, a No: There is no way for Xu Shu to stay with Liu Bei in Dynasty Warriors Origins. No matter what the player does in Liu Bei's story route, Xu Shu will eventually leave his side and join Cao Cao.
At some point after the Battle of Xinye stage, Xu Shu will ask you a hypothetical question that alludes to his actual situation. However, no matter which answer you choose, his final decision will not change. Even when you choose the "No" answer in an attempt to dissuade him, he would only have a brief response before all answer branches converge into the same single conclusion. Your performance at the preceding Battle of Xinye will not matter either, regardless of whether you faithfully followed his orders or not.
As a side note, Liu Bei's story route does have an alternate branch leading to the True Ending in a similar fashion to Cao Cao and the Sun family. However, it does not involve any efforts to make Xu Shu remain in Liu Bei's faction. As such, we will explain the methods required to get it at another place.
Dynasty Warriors Origins is available worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The post Can Xu Shu Stay With Liu Bei in Dynasty Warriors Origins? appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 7:00 PM
Another Shonen Jump staple ended, as the final chapter of the Mission: Yozakura Family manga ran on January 19, 2025. Chapter 258 was called "Final Mission: The Yozakura Family's Mission Continues On." It is available in English via MangaPlus and Viz Media. The manga physical copies are still being published worldwide.
The finale of Mission: Yozakura Family actually started with chapter 256. That was a fast-forward epilogue set six years after the Teiou Academy battle with Asa, and it involved a two-part Cherry Blossom Vows banquet for Taiyo and Mutsumi. It involved important moments with not onlythem, but also Kyoichiro. The actual final chapter begins with more reuniting with old friends and family.
While the Mission: Yozakura Family manga ended, there's still more of it to come. The anime is currently running. The first 27 episodes of the first season are available now, and there is an English dub. A second season is in the works, but that won't launch until 2026. Viz Media is also still releasing the manga series, with volume 15 due out in English on February 18, 2025.
The final chapter of the Mission: Yozakura Family manga is available worldwide now that the series ended. There's no word yet on when the final volume will be available in Japanese and English. The anime adaptation is on Disney+ and Hulu.
The post Mission: Yozakura Family Manga Ended appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 6:30 PM
Good Smile Company has opened up pre-orders for a figure of Eula from Genshin Impact. Even if you missed her yearly re-run to prioritize another character, you'll be able to own her for good with this scale figure.
Pre-orders for the Genshin Impact Eula figure are open until March 26, 2025. She costs 30,580 JPY from the Japanese version of the store, and she'll come out in November 2025. Meanwhile, the North American store lists her for $180.99, and she'll ship out in Q2 2026.
The Eula figure uses her splash art from Genshin Impact, in which she's holding the sword above her head and behind her, while standing like she's in the middle of a dance. Her shoulder cape has a gradient effect towards the tips, turning it translucent and covered with snowflakes. As well, the figure stand resembles ice crystals, as does her claymore. You can remove the claymore if you want, but the figure might look odd without it.
There is a major difference between the original splash art and the figure, though. The belt around the figure's thigh is too tight, causing some fat or muscle to bulge over it. This was not in the splash art, though this may also have to do with censorship laws. In the past, HoYoVerse had to change designs in Genshin Impact to comply with government regulations.
Genshin Impact is available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.
The post Genshin Impact Eula Figure Looks Cool and Elegant appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 6:00 PM
A 1/7 scale figure of Yuki Nagato from the Haruhi Suzumiya light novel series is now available for pre-order. Good Smile Company is carrying this figure for Japan and North America.
Pre-orders will end on March 5, 2025. If you order from the Japanese store, it'll cost 21,780 JPY and ship out in December 2025. Meanwhile, the North American version of Good Smile Company offers this figure for $141.99 and it'll ship out in Q2 2026.
The figure is based on an illustration that Noizi Ito, the illustrator for the series, drew. It features Yuki reading a book while walking outdoors. Both her cardigan and her skirt look like they're fluttering in the wind, and there's a sparrow resting on top of Yuki's head. The default version of the figure looks like she's reading her book, but you can actually change out the face plate to make her look up at the viewer instead.
Yuki Nagato is one of the main characters of the long-running light novel and anime series Haruhi Suzumiya. She usually spends her time reading, and doesn't tend to speak a lot to the more talkative members of the SOS Brigade. As a humanoid interface, her mission on Earth is to monitor Haruhi, as well as investigate an explosion of data that occurred in the past. She is popular enough to become the main character of spin-off series The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan.
The Yuki Nagato scale figure from Haruhi Suzumiya is readily available for pre-order via Good Smile Company. The newest volume of the series, The Theater of Haruhi Suzumiya, came out in November 2024.
The post New Haruhi Suzumiya Yuki Nagato Figure Is Reading a Book appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:30 PM
Bandai Gashapon machines in Japan will start carrying a series of Sanrio keychains that resemble piped cookies. They'll appear in machines from the last week of January 2025.
There are seven different kinds of Sanrio cookies keychains to collect. You can get: Hello Kitty, Keroppi, Pompompurin, My Melody, Kuromi, Cinnamoroll, and Hangyodon. Each attempt will cost 300 JPY, or $1.95. According to the Sanrio website, they're on the larger side for keychains, so they might be more suitable to hang from your bags rather than from something you'd put inside a bag.
These piped cookies Sanrio keychains have patterns that make it look like the baker created the general shape of each mascot's head. But more detailed parts like eyes and faces are made from pieces of chocolate or something instead. As a note, this is only the first line in the new Homemade Sweets collection from Bandai's Gashapon brand. More keychains may appear in the future where the mascots resemble other kinds of simple desserts.
Sanrio often releases gacha toys in collaboration with toy companies like Takara Tomy. In 2024, it released toys that looked like the mascots cuddling plush versions of themselves, as well as toys that made them resemble sushi. Those toys and these cookies versions from Bandai usually cost around the same.
The piped cookies Sanrio keychains will appear in Bandai Gashapon machines from late January 2025.
The post These Yummy Sanrio Keychains Look Like Cookies appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:00 PM
Uniqlo will start selling a new collection of children's clothing featuring the cats from mofusand. You'll be able to purchase them starting in early April 2025.
The new mofusand T-shirts line from Uniqlo feature the cats wearing various sandwiches and breads on their heads. One of the designs sees a cat inside a burger as well. All of the T-shirts cost 990 JPY ($6.40) and they're all for children. While the English Uniqlo website doesn't have these new mofusand designs yet, stores outside of Japan will likely stock them as well. The other ongoing mofusand collections also have clothes for adults, if you're not a child but sitll want a mofusand shirt.
Mofusand is a popular brand in Japan featuring cute cats wearing and doing cute things. Lots of different goods and items are available with these designs on them. For example, you can get kitchen necessities, stationery, collectibles, and even a tissue cover specifically to hang from your car seat. Some companies and IPs have collaborated with this brand in the past. For example, mofusand Monster Hunter merchandise appeared in May 2022, while a Sanrio collaboration took place in May 2024.
The mofusand children's shirts from Uniqlo will appear in Japanese stores from early April 2025.
The post Uniqlo Selling New Mofusand Cats Shirts for Kids appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 4:30 PM
The iconic FFVII theme song "One-Winged Angel," which is tied to the villain Sephiroth, appeared during the Louis Vuitton Men's Fall-Winter 2025 fashion show on January 21, 2025. People could see the models walk out to the track, which was played by a live orchestra, during the live stream on the brand's official YouTube Channel.
Square Enix announced the song's inclusion on social media. The company noted that Pharell Williams, who is known for songs like "Happy" and "Frontin," picked the song as a background track for the show.
Here is the Men's Fall-Winter 2025 Louis Vuitton fashion show that included the Sephiroth theme song "One-Winged Angel" from FFVII.
In the past, we've also seen Kenny Omega walk out to wrestle dressed in a Sephiroth-style outfit while "One-Winged Angel" played.
There will also be some Final Fantasy fashion for the Steam Deck soon, as Square Enix announced it made FFVII Rebirth Steam Decks. These are designed to resemble the Chocobo mascots in the series, due to their yellow, fluffy covers. The three of them will be given away to celebrate the PC launch.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will come to the PC on January 23, 2025, and the second FFVII remake game is immediately available on the PS5. The original FFVII Remake is on the PS4, PS5, and PC, and the third entry in the series is in development. FFVII Ever Crisis is also available worldwide on both the PC and mobile devices.
The post FFVII Sephiroth Song 'One-Winged Angel' Is in Louis Vuitton Fashion Show appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 4:00 PM
Kuro Games listed the events, such as a free Astrites giveaway, that we can expect to see in Wuthering Waves for the latter half of Version 2.0. These includes login events, the aforementioned currency giveaway, and a new companion quest.
You can read the 2.0 update details via the official Wuthering Waves website. For starters, Roccia and Jinhsi will appear in the gacha for a limited time. The 4-stars on rate-up for their banners will be Danjin, Youhu, and Yuanwu. Roccia is a new 5-star Havoc Gauntlets character, and is a character from the new region of Rinascita. Meanwhile, Jinhsi is a re-run, and she is a 5-star Spectro Broadblade unit. Their signature weapons—Tragicomedy and Ages of Harvest—will be in the gacha for a limited time as well.
As for new events, Roccia's character quest will become a permanent feature in the game after the new patch goes live. In order to play it, you'll need to first reach Union Level 20 and complete the Main Quest Chapter II Act III. Until Version 2.0 ends on February 13, 2025, you can also log in every day for prizes. Completing the Dances For Spring's Return login event will give you prizes like Crystal Solvents, Premium Tuners, and the Exorcistic Adjuration outfit for Sanhua.
Meanwhile, the Celebration Aftertunes event will give you a total of 1,600 free Astrites over the course of three days in Wuthering Waves. You will need to claim these from your in-game mail.
Wuthering Waves is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. The second half of Version 2.0 will go live in Wuthering Waves from January 23, 2025.
The post Free Wuthering Waves Astrites Coming in Version 2.0 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 3:30 PM
There's a new FFXIV emote called Pose of the Unbound in the 7.16 update, and it resembles both visual kei poses and the one Jonathan Joestar is known for in JoJo's Bizarre Adventures. It is a reward for completing the quest "Imposing Views," which was added in the update. [Thanks, Aitai Kimochi!]
The Pose of the Unbound emote is tied to the FFXIV Dawntrail expansion Role Quests, which kick off with "Picking Up the Torch" in Tuliyollal. You need to have a level 100 Disciple of War or Magic character and have finished the "Dawntrail" Main Scenario Quest and most recent Role Quest for your job. Things start by assisting Rral Majun. Eventually, going through this questline leads you to Ul'dah - Steps of Thal (X: 12.3, Y: 11.3) and the Unbound Agent. Getting through that mission gets you 1,000 gil and the Pose of the Unbound.
This is one of only two new additions in the 7.16 updates. The other is a new Orchestrion Roll. That's for the song "Bright Bustle." Like Pose of the Unbound, it's a Role Quest reward. You get it for helping Rral Majun in Tuliyollal (X: 12.3, Y: 14.6) with the quest "Bar the Passage."
As a reminder, some of the other major changes in the latest patch involved adjustments to other elements. For example, there were changes to Cloud of Darkness (Chaotic) and PvP actions in this latest 2025 update.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The post New FFXIV Pose of the Unbound Emote Looks Like Jonathan Joestar Pose appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 3:00 PM
Dragon Takers is an RPG that is aggressively okay. The story is serviceable, but offers no surprises or interesting twists. The characters all feel like empty vessels that ramble on to one another as the story chugs along. The combat is acceptable and the ability-copying system, Skill Taker, doesn't really add anything other than a magic spell system with a bit of legwork involved. The art is nice but doesn't capture the imagination, and the music conveys the mood without impressing any hint of creativity upon the listener. If you need an RPG to play it will do the job, but that's about it.
Helio is a young man who lives in village named Haven. He's known for not having any Skills, and the entire town (save for a few people) treat him like garbage over it. He accepts this and doesn't want anyone to make any trouble (although a pair of gorgeous women seem terribly upset about his plight even though no one else cares). His choice to be a doormat for these people is something I know is supposed to set him off on a journey of self-change as he gains confidence, but right out of the gate he seems dull and unlikeable. I know he's had a hard life in this world, but he just didn't seem like someone I wanted to spend hours and hours on an adventure with even if I suspected he'd change.
Naturally, things go south in Dragon Takers when the Dragon Army comes to town (a name that didn't inspire me with any confidence in how creative the game's story would be). Fighting breaks out as they have come for one of your lady friends, and the battles inspire the awakening of your ability to steal skills from monsters. Turns out you do have skills! You quickly use these to devastating effect on the enemies, and your other lady friend goes on and on about how amazing your new fire power is (and the whole copying skills thing). This all happens in a span of a few minutes, feeling like the whole story is rushing through Helio's development and quickly setting him up to be great and strong.
RPGs, especially retro-looking ones, need strong characters and story to carry them through. Already, I've got a stereotypical self-loathing character who won't stand up for themselves. Not interesting, but could lead to some compelling storylines. However, he gains superpowers within minutes, creating this sense that the game is railroading through their character arc (and they continue to do so). It all feels rushed, and while it's written competently, nothing about this character's story (or any of the other ones) feel like something new, interesting, or compelling. It's not good, but it's also not bad. It feels like it's written to carry out an in-game purpose – to move you along a story track to the next gameplay beat - and that's it. It washes over you. You know what's happening, but none of it really connects with you.
The artwork for the characters probably should help this along, but it doesn't. The game's developers put in a lot of effort into some nice still pictures of the various characters, but there just aren't many of these. You get the same handful of images of Helio, his pals, and his enemies making the same faces over and over and over again. Whether they're chatting with buddies or screaming about loved ones in danger, it's the same image used repeatedly. If Dragon Takers put a little emotion into these images then maybe I'd feel something, but as it stands I just felt no connection to the story or the characters at all.
This isn't a game where the combat is going to make you forget the dull story, either. It's a turn-based RPG where you select a variety of attacks from a menu to smack still images of various (and depressingly predictable) monsters. Outside of some visual flare with the swipes and plumes of fire or crackling electric attacks, there isn't much for visuals in combat. While older RPGs have gotten away with this, they usually work in some sort of visual effect to imply damage. Even the original Dragon Quest gave a little satisfying screen shake when you got clocked to imply the weight of the hit. This game gives you nothing besides the visual of the strike effect to show you hit something.
You don't even get an effect when the monster dies in Dragon Takers. They just disappear and aren't there any more. I makes combat feel like I'm just selecting the correct button enough times until I am no longer in a combat situation. There's no sense of power or effort in the combat to make it feel satisfying. It's just something you do until you no longer have to do it.
You might think that the Skill Taker ability would add something fresh or exciting to the fights, but being able to steal enemy powers isn't that exciting. To steal a power, all you have to do is hit an enemy with an ability a certain number of times and you get it. While there are a hundred of these, since combat doesn't feel that interesting visually, all you get is a hundred different effects to juggle (and you have to equip them before combat – it's not like you get a huge pool of useful abilities you can use all the time). And since you gain them by hitting creatures normally, it doesn't feel like you gain the powers in an interesting way, either. It's just a feature to say that there is something about this game that stands out.
Equipping the powers is more of a pain than it's worth in Dragon Takers, too. You can equip abilities in the Skill menu, but instead of choosing one of your slots and then picking a power, you find yourself flicking through the powers while locked to the first slot unless you hit a specific non-directional button (X on my controller) to swap slots. It feels totally backwards. Likewise, you're expected to equip things from your full inventory to a character instead of going into that character's personal equipment and equipping things there. You can only really remove things while in the character's equipment. It's totally backwards and made putting on gear, the simplest thing in most games that has been done right for decades, into an irritating event.
While Dragon Takers is fine to play, nothing about it grabs the imagination or inspires you to keep going. It is a game that is inoffensive enough that you can get through it without much issue or without feeling angry about some frustrating elements, but there just isn't anything here to make you want to play it. If you are absolutely desperate for a turn-based RPG and will play just about anything tolerable, this game will work. That's unfortunately the nicest thing I can say about it, though.
Dragon Takers is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, iOS and Android devices, and PC.
The post Review: Dragon Takers Is an Inoffensive Turn-Based RPG appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 2:30 PM
A PC demo for Eternal Strands is now available on Steam and Epic Games Store. The demo allows players to experience the game ahead of its release on January 28, 2025.
The demo of Eternal Strands features two major areas from the full game. This represents what the developers consider to be the prologue and first chapter of the game. The game's base weapons will be available, including a sword and shield, bow and a two-handed weapon. There will also be a limited selection of magic spells available. Players will be able to battle a handful of small enemies, and the demo will contain three possible Epics to fight.
The Eternal Strands demo will feature the same languages and accessibility features as the full game. The languages are English, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and German. While these languages apply to in-game text, only English and French will feature voiceover. Accessibility features will include subtitle size and color blind modes. Demo progress can be transferred to full game when it releases.
Eternal Strands is a new action adventure from new studio Yellow Brick Games. It stars a woman named Brynn, a Weaver who is able to wield magic and manipulate the environment around her. The game will feature battles against giant foes including monsters and huge constructs. It will also feature special post-launch content designed by Final Fantasy XIV designer Yusuke Mogi.
Eternal Strands will release for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5 on January 28, 2025. The demo is available now from Steam and the Epic Games Store.
The post Eternal Strands Demo Now Available for PC appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, January 21, 2025 1:30 PM
Infold Games announced we can get three free Infinity Nikki outfits as part of a Heartfelt Gifts promotion after the 1.2 update to the free-to-play game. However, the way it works out, you can actually get one of the two twice, in order to evolve it, making it almost like getting four new costumes. This all kicks off on January 23, 2025.
The three free outfits coming to Infinity Nikki in 1.2 are called Pink Bunny, Radiant Night, and Sunlit Grasspom. Radiant Night is the four-star option. It can be claimed twice, in case someone wants to evolve it to the Radiant Night: Forest option. None of them are five-stars, which are typically reserved for the gacha banners and Miracle Outfits. They'll be able to be claimed one-per-day between January 23, 2025 and February 25, 2025.
Here's the official trailer showing Nikki modeling all three outfits. It specifically highlights different parts, such as the bags and hair accessories.
There are also official images showing off all three free Infinity Nikki outfits in 1.2, as well as comparing what Radiant Night looks like in its standard and Forest options.
Infinity Nikki is available on PCs and mobile devices.
The post 3 Free Infinity Nikki Outfits Coming in 1.2 Update appeared first on Siliconera. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:29 PM A gameplay trailer was also released. The post Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror Release Date Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:16 PM As well as games leaving this month. The post Xbox Game Pass Adds Tchia, Kunitsu-Gami, Eternal Strands, and More appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:03 PM Announced on the game's Twitter account. The post Balatro Sales Have Surpassed Five Million Units appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, January 21, 2025 4:44 PM A trailer was also released. The post Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Post Launch Roadmap Released appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
iDev Games Feed Tuesday, January 21, 2025 2:15 PM Friction Skill is a casual physics simulation game that challenges players.... |
MonsterVine Tuesday, January 21, 2025 6:30 PM Konami is bringing back a cult classic. Ninja Five-O, originally released for the GameBoy Advance in 2003, is making its return on February 25th, 2025, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. Digital pre-orders are live now, so you can lock in your ninja adventure early. Joe Osugi Returns to Uphold […] |
MonsterVine Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:30 PM The wait for Urban Myth Dissolution Center just got a little easier. Shueisha Games has relaunched the demo for their upcoming psycho-detective adventure on Steam while opening the Nintendo Switch store page ahead of the game's February 12th release. If you missed the critically acclaimed demo during last year's Autumn Steam Next Festival, you can […] |
MonsterVine Tuesday, January 21, 2025 2:00 PM As another incredible year for gaming comes to a close, MonsterVine's annual Best of 2024 Awards are here to celebrate the titles that left a lasting impression. From groundbreaking gameplay innovations to unforgettable narratives, these awards highlight the very best the industry has to offer. One category that shines brighter than ever is Best Soundtrack, […] |