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Jul 13, 20:00
PCGamesN Sunday, July 13, 2025 12:39 PM SGDQ 2025 has raised an eye-watering $2.4 million dollars for charity, as speedrunners from various videogame disciplines have once again successfully come together to do some good. The in-person event continues to grow every year, with plenty of runs still worth checking out now that it's over. This time, we saw indie hits such as Blue Prince and Balatro join the likes of Sekiro and Monster Hunter Wilds, offering up a little bit of everything. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Blue Prince review, Best puzzle games, Best single-player games |
PCGamesN Sunday, July 13, 2025 12:34 PM Multiplayer first-and-third-person shooter Holdfast: Nations at War isn't new to PC, but it's currently seeing a resurgence thanks to the launch of a crossplay update. The roleplay-friendly war game, which includes conflicts across both the Napoleonic Wars and World War I, has just landed on consoles, spurring a new player count record. Developer Anvil Game Studios thanks the community for its "massive response" across all platforms, saying the launch "will be a day to remember." MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best war games, Best multiplayer games, Best FPS games |
Siliconera Sunday, July 13, 2025 3:00 PM
In Cinderella style manga series where there's one loved, golden child twin and another who's the underdog, we don't always see the sibling situation resolved well. The other character might get put on a bus when they're no longer needed. They might get even more villainous for the sake of manufacturing drama. I appreciate how the Bride of the Barrier Maiden handles the situation between Hana and her "evil" sister Hazuki, as it offers a chance at redemption and acknowledges both were in a toxic situation. Especially once it gets to the fourth volume.
Editor's Note: There are minor spoilers for the Bride of the Barrier Master manga below.
From the first volume of Bride of the Barrier Master, the manga establishes that Hazuki Ichise is the one who showed aptitude as a magical practitioner first and, as a result, ended up being the one prized by their parents. Hana got to kick back and relax. Her own incredible development and power were ignored. She got to use that as a means of slacking off and pursuing an easier life, until five pillar maintainer and head of the Ichinomiya clan Saku realized Hana was the real deal. He arranged a marriage with her, even though Hana and Hazuki's parents wanted him to marry their other daughter.
And from there, well, Hazuki took a backseat. While she was the priority in the family, we didn't exactly see the degree of abuse toward her twin Hana as other similar sorts of manga. She doesn't interfere with Hana's marriage to Saku or their developing relationship. We saw that she considered herself better than her sister, yes. But she isn't a threat and does become more of a background character until this fourth volume.
I suppose we should have realized Hazuki would be brought back up again, considering the focal point of the third volume of the Bride of the Barrier Maiden manga focused on other sibling relationships. We saw Saku and his brother Nozomu's dynamic. The Nijouin twins Kikyou and Kiriya appear as a more healthy pair and example of what could have happened between Hana and Hazuki if their parents hadn't been the sort of people they are.
So with the fourth volume of the series, it's appreciated to see Hana and Hazuki forced together again. Hana was always more ignored. So while it wasn't ideal for her in her family's home, it wasn't as inhumane as in series like My Happy Marriage. Here, we're getting to see the neglect and pressures her sister ended up subjected to both before Hana's marriage and reveal and after. It's interesting, and I won't spoil it, but also highlights how in the background of past volumes, we did get hints things were crumbling more for her. But now it's fully at the forefront. And the two being pushed to interact means things are starting to be resolved.
It's not perfect, of course. The fourth volume of Bride of the Barrier Master is still setting the stage for the two to potentially work toward a better relationship later in the manga. I feel like it was important to see there is a resolution. Kureha offered a sense of closure and a path forward. The relationship between the Hana and Hazuki isn't presented as taking precedence over the one between her and Saku that we're coming there to read, but it is great to see it being developed as well.
Bride of the Barrier Master volume 4 is available now, and Yen Press hasn't shared a release date for the fifth volume outside Japan yet. The fifth one launched in Japan back in December 2024, and the sixth appeared in July 2025. Yen Press also handles the light novel in English.
The post Bride of the Barrier Master Doesn't Ignore Sibling Relationships appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Sunday, July 13, 2025 4:05 PM
Nintendo and Universal Pictures registered copyright for a motion picture under the name "Untitled Donkey Kong Project," signalling that another Nintendo IP is getting a movie adaptation. Following the stellar success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, this is no surprise. I just hope it's equally good.
According to the public copyright registry, Nintendo and Universal Pictures jointly registered an untitled Donkey Kong movie on June 6, indicating that the two companies are working on an adaptation of the long-standing franchise.
Since The Mario Bros. Movie did so well in the box office, it's unsurprising Nintendo would pursue further ventures in the motion picture scene. After all, they hold some of the biggest IPs in gaming, while video game movie adaptations have proven quite lucrative.
While we currently have no further information on this potential film, we can assume it'll be animated like The Mario Bros. Movie. It has proven a winning formula for Nintendo and Universal Pictures, with the movie itself grossing over a billion USD, becoming the most-successful video game movie adaptation in history.
Though the above doesn't guarantee a movie will come out, I hope this flick is the same level of goofy fun and quality animations that The Mario Bros. Movie had. It does not need to be serious whatsoever and can simply be a fun experience, which as we all know is a mortal sin in the eyes of film critics.
Donkey Kong himself is the perfect character for a comedic movie protagonist. He already featured in the Mario movie, so why not put him center stage? If Nintendo follows the path they paved with the Mario flick, they'll likely cast some popular Hollywood figures to voice these characters, and I'd love to see an actually good Hollywood comedian assume the role of the banana-crazed monkey and give us all a great time (I pray it's not Seth Rogen again).
The post It seems Nintendo and Universal are pairing up for a Donkey Kong movie, and we hope it's bananas appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, July 13, 2025 2:42 PM
FUTTIES Cup 1 is live in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team, and it offers some amazing rewards for players, which also include a promo icon.
The latest objective requires you to play and win a certain number of Friendlies to unlock all the rewards. The items are distributed across different milestones as you hit one or more of them. Let's take a look at all the available items that you can secure for your Ultimate Team squad.
EA FC 25 FUTTIES Cup 1 objective explained
The FUTTIES Cup 1 objective has seven tasks. The table below has information about how to complete all of them, along with the rewards.
Completing the full set of tasks will unlock a special Michael Laudrup item. This FUTTIES card has 96 as overall, and four playstyle+: Finesse Shot, Tiki Taka, Rapid, and Trickster. It can play in two positions, and also offers 5* Weak Foot and 5* Skills.
While the card is decent, there are better options available on the market. However, the packs are certainly worth the grind amidst all the FUTTIES Re-Release Batch 1 items in Ultimate Team.
The post All EA FC 25 FUTTIES Cup 1 rewards and tasks appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, July 13, 2025 2:38 PM
For many of the white-collar professionals among us, the message notification sound from Slack, the Discord-before-there-was-a-Discord work-chat platform, is a source of stomach-churning dread. A fun little book called Several People Are Typing takes this feeling up a notch, with body possession, creepypasta Excel files, a missing persons case, and an avalanche of emojis.
Deadlines and dead colleagues
Where WFH meets WTF—reads the blurb for Calvin Kasulke's debut novel, or it would perhaps be more precise to call it his introductory collection of chat logs for the literary world. "Several people are typing", for the uninitiated, is the indicator that shows on the bottom of your screen when exactly that is happening, rather than an individual person writing out a response. The book takes all the trappings of the cutesy corporate communication style of the extended Slackiverse and uses them to tell the oddest of stories.
It's as absurdist as it gets, and if the premise had you hooked, you will likely stick around for the entire duration of this short read off the back of the humor. But the horror aspect slowly creeps up on you, and it turns out that the setup works really well for it. The characters are all isolated, after all, especially with work-from-home arrangements becoming more and more common, and the separate conversations across different chat rooms and DMs make for a great environment for people who have something to hide.
Something like the fact that their body has been taken over by a malevolent chatbot.
:wave: hello hello hello
Kasulke started writing the book in 2019, and he wrapped up the work in 2021, by the time the most turbulent part of the pandemic was behind us. In an interview with NPR the same year, he expressed worries that Slack and its platform-specific idiosyncrasies would fall out of the zeitgeist, and that the book would "age like yogurt," as he put it. He needn't have worried: The otherworldly elements of the story make it timeless enough to begin with (so the absence of pandemic discussion doesn't feel like a plothole in any way),
Not only was that not the case, but the way he uses the short and snappy chat messages to convey his characters is becoming worryingly timeless. From capitalization and grammar (or lack thereof) to emoji usage and non-sequitur inserts, it's a fascinating example of the "show, don't tell" principle in action.
It also helps that this is a very funny book even beyond its wacky setup, though there's no doubt the blurb will self-select a group of readers who would knowingly groan at all the usual trappings of the non-stop work chat experience. Thankfully, not even the world's worst deadlines and meetings can go toe-to-toe with "so I was reading this fucking memo when I realized I didn't have flesh," even if it may feel like it sometimes.
Kasulke also takes care to offer more than just the endearingly nonsensical horror side of the story, with the PR firm's problematic project work offering a fun sideplot in the vein of The Office or Fawlty Towers. It doesn't strike the same sort of balance as Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell does with the juxtaposition of the "normal" and the otherworldly aspect, but its more compartmentalized solution also works here.
Several People Are Typing is a breezy read at 245 pages' worth of chat logs, and a truly one-of-a-kind experience. It deserves the highest of possible accolades: four :hearteyes: and a :partyparrot: out of @here. Just be sure to ignore all the howling.
The post This weird and wonderful book turns Slack chat into literal horror appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, July 13, 2025 2:15 PM
Following the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 remake, another pair of classic skateboarding games got a fresh new look, bringing modern refinements to an old-school formula. Some of the changes are fantastic, whereas some others take away from the originals, resulting in a flawed but overall fun experience.
Conquer the parks with your skating skills
Exactly like the original games, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 lets you take control of one of a few dozen skaters old and new and lets you show off your skating prowess across 17 parks. The average run is structured as a timed two-minute "mission," where you try to complete as many goals and get as many points as possible.
Successful runs are those where you complete enough to unlock the following park, or those that put you higher on the public leaderboard. Progression in other parts of the game (new cosmetics, secret content, etc.) also relies on good runs, which can sometimes take a while given the two-minute structure.
Though it sounds repetitive, it's actually quite fun to try and see the number go up and pull off some wild and awesome tricks.
New engine, better graphics, confusing decisions
With the games running on a new engine, they certainly feel better to play. The optimization on PC is great, the graphics look nice, and the skating experience is visceral and responsive. Alongside the new sound engine comes awesome SFX and engineering, making each achievement, cleared goal, or high score a much more satisfying experience.
The soundtrack also enjoys the benefits of new tech. Whether you're listening to the heaviest metal, 2000s emo music, or something entirely different, the devs made sure that you do not get a subpar streaming-level experience. Speaking of the soundtrack, the songs included are so good that I found myself keeping the game open just to listen to them. The quality of the sound and the track itself seem to have been quite the focus of the devs this time around.
What seems not to have been the focus is keeping the original vibes intact. Whereas Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 appears to be quite close to the original game, many features of THPS 4 are missing. Its career mode is nowhere to be found, free roam is absent, and its structure is now the same two-minute challenge run of the other games.
The new collection went in a unifying direction, essentially porting THPS 4's levels into the gameplay of this new Tony Hawk experience, reducing THPS 4 to the size of a map expansion rather than a full remake.
Varied levels and goals keep you engaged for a long time
All the parks in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, freshly refined and expanded, are highly diverse and engaging, with their respective goals giving the player a reason to come back to them time and again.
Even when you clear every single goal on all the parks, you will unlock Pro Goals, additional, more difficult challenges for each map that, once again, give you enough to do on the parks to come back to them once more.
What I do have to say about the overall goals and challenges is that some are either too difficult or too easy. I spent more time than I'd like to admit on some of them, while others I completed without even meaning to, leading to a lack of gameplay satisfaction. It isn't that those certain challenges are too hard per se, but rather the game's sporadic bugginess prevents them from being fun whatsoever (cough, secret tapes, cough).
Overall, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 pair of remakes does a lot of good stuff, opening up the world of skating, expanded and improved, to a brand-new audience. Whether you were born yesterday or have been a THPS veteran for decades, you'll surely find something in this game that is to your liking, even if you end up having a bone to pick with how THPS 4 was treated.
The post Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review – A flawed bunch of remade fun appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, July 13, 2025 1:37 PM
The Dribble and Deliver Evolution brings a fresh opportunity for EA FC 25 players to upgrade one of their lower-rated items for free.
This evolution is a pretty short one, and players can get boosted stats, overall, new roles, and playstyles. There are plenty of great choices available to use in the evolution, and this guide will help you narrow down the best possible options.
Table of contents
EA FC 25 Dribble and Deliver Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements for the Welcome to Evolutions in EA FC 25.
EA FC 25 Dribble and Deliver Evolution upgrades
The evolution has three upgrades.
Level 1 upgrades
Level 2 upgrades
Level 3 upgrades
Level 1 upgrade conditions
Level 2 upgrade conditions
Level 3 upgrade conditions
Best players to use in Dribble and Deliver Evolution
Here are some of the best players to consider for this evolution.
As an alternative, you can also use one of your evolution chains in this upgrade option.
The post Best players to use in EA FC 25 Dribble and Deliver Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, July 13, 2025 1:37 PM
The RimWorld Odyssey DLC introduces the first mobile base in the form of your Gravship, and building it successfully will determine how successful you are in your campaign.
The Gravship is unlocked when you activate the new DLC, and it's an entirely separate scenario. Once you activate it, you will start on your Gravship (instead of on a planet). You then settle down with your mobile base on a planet of your choice, and then begin to expand it with the correct resources.
Like any good sandbox, RimWorld doesn't dictate how you should build your spaceship. However, following specific steps will make the entire process easier to carry on.
How to build your Gravship in RimWorld Odyssey?
To get your Gravship, you'll have to select the scenario of the same name. Your Gravship can be increased exponentially, but there are some limits. How you build your ship is up to you, but the number of substructures you can connect is limited. Additionally, your Gravship also has its outer boundary; you can't build anything outside of that area (it won't be possible to connect them with the ship).
The points above will make sure that your Gravship is safe on land and in outer space. Next, we take a look at how to explore the space and complete various objectives in RimWorld Odyssey.
The final part of building your Gravship is to look after Grav Anchors. Once you leave a map with your Gravship, it will be destroyed. This is something you'll want to avoid at all costs. To do so, research Basic Gravtech, which will then allow you to construct a Grav Anchor.
The post Best tips and tricks to build your Gravship in RimWorld Odyssey appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, July 13, 2025 1:00 PM
RimWorld's new Odyssey DLC introduces new systems not found in the base game, and Landmarks are a prime example of this.
In Odyssey, you're no longer stuck on a single planet with the objective of having to build up your ship and escape. Instead, you have your Gravship, and that allows you to explore space with your crew. When you touch base on the map, you'll come across Landmarks, which are essentially pre-existing systems that are now abandoned.
These areas are distinct from empty sections on the map, and there are many compelling reasons to visit a Landmark.
Table of contents
What are Landmarks in RimWorld Odyssey?
Landmarks are pre-existing structures on the map that are placed randomly based on your seed in Odyssey. You can visit these locations to find different POIs, which can also include various resources at the place. For example, you can visit abandoned colonies that can be converted into your base. A Landmark is a special tile you will find while observing the zoomed-out version of the map.
When you're building a base from scratch, you'll need to build all its features and facilities on your own. A Landmark, on the other hand, will offer some pre-existing features it inherited. This could be something good, like having freezers and heaters.
In case of Valleys and Chasms, you'll find rock formations that will aid your defensive measures. But a given Landmark can also have something negative to offer to you. There's a chance that the factory you just found and selected as your new base has a Hivemind located underneath, which raises the chances of facing attacks.
Despite the risks, Landmarks are great as a starting point for a new colony, as they will always offer extra resources. You can also use them to find quests or send caravans to extract the resources. They're also great choices for making pit stops between your trips.
All Landmarks in RimWorld Odyssey
There are over 45 different Landmarks you can find in the new expansion. The rate of their appearance is random and varies across different map seeds.
The post RimWorld Odyssey Landmarks explained appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, July 13, 2025 12:36 PM
Something is brewing underneath the turbulent sea. A storm is fast approaching ,and there's not much the local authorities can do about it. Quarantine zones have been activated, but people need to evacuate. The threat is far beyond our comprehension. It's cosmic in design and can communicate across the waves and into our homes, our hearts, our minds.
Sailors are going missing, ships are being left abandoned. How are you to know what you're sending to the shore is the same as it was before leaving the harbor? Man that beacon and keep the light on at all costs. Make sure your boys get home, or you might fall victim to the Lovecraftian horrors that call your name. Will you keep hope lit, or will you drift into the water, too, crashing against the seabed as another empty vessel?
 The weight of the world rests upon your shoulders
This is the indie horror title Static Dread: The Lighthouse. A mix of Papers, Please and World of Horror, you play as a lightkeeper whose job is to keep the lighthouse lit during a cosmic nightmare. You stand on the edge of what makes us human, tasked to guide lost sailors home. But it's not as simple as plotting the safe route back. Pay attention to their stories, investigate their vessels' condition, and work out where to send them. Not all are telling the truth, and there's an incomprehensible force trying to manipulate you the entire time.
In true cosmic fashion, Static Dread is The Lighthouse with blatant ties to Lovecraft's fear of the unknown. A beast far beyond our comprehension resides at the heart of the storm. It messes with the electronics and your mind, feeding you false information, and playing tricks on you. But what can you trust? Do you really take the risk knowing you've got family back at home? You can't let that thing anywhere near the land, or we're all doomed.
 Our savior or damnation?
Static Dread is a life sim where you must fulfil your lightkeeper duties, all while keeping your sanity in check. NPCs arrive on set days every week, their story unfolding based on your choices. They sell you food, weapons, and distractions—any way to stop you from losing it. You must decide who to let into your lighthouse, which sailors to save, and what horrors to stop before they reach the shore. Full of dilemmas and impossible decisions, Static Dread has gameplay that's easy to grasp as you have to tune into the radio, listen to sailors' stories, and plot your route accordingly. Don't let anything slip through the cracks.
Instead of exploring the water as you do in DREDGE, the cosmic horror frequently turns up on your doorstep. Keep the lights on, not just for passing ships, but for your own sanity too. There are many paths this game can take, offering multiple endings depending on the decisions you make. Will you condemn your loved ones and humanity, or can you fight off your demons to protect them until the very end? Each choice feels impossible, and every inch of the lighthouse feels like it wants to swallow you whole, yet the setting is strangely cozy.
Its unique art style, paired with the simplistic gameplay, makes it a comforting entry even though it houses nightmares far beyond what our minds are capable of understanding. There's a supernatural element too, as you could be haunted by the past—a reminder that your actions have consequences—and that the wrong choice may have led to someone's death. Are you up for the job?
 What kind of person are you?
Static Dread is releasing on Aug. 6, but an amazing demo is readily available on Steam as you wait for its full release. With many achievements and multiple endings to unlock, alongside mysterious characters to meet and a deity to face, there's a lot that will unfold in those 15 days as a lonesome lightkeeper. Everyone is relying on you. Don't mess up.
The post Destructoid's Indie Gems – Edition 3: Keep your sanity on Lovecraftian waters appeared first on Destructoid. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, July 13, 2025 5:28 PM This comes after leadership changes. The post Subnautica Studio Co-Founder Is Suing Krafton appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, July 13, 2025 4:52 PM A trailer was released. The post Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Adds Ken From Street Fighter appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, July 13, 2025 4:37 PM A release date trailer was also released. The post Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Definitive Edition Release Date Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
iDev Games Feed Sunday, July 13, 2025 1:30 PM Remove all negative energies of mind to set success... |
MonsterVine Sunday, July 13, 2025 12:00 PM If you've ever dreamed of clumsily dragging a body through a diner without getting caught, Hide The Corpse is the VR experience for you. After making waves on Meta Quest, developer Realcast and publisher HyperVR Games are bringing the over-the-top, slapstick stealth sim to PlayStation VR 2 on August 18, as revealed during the UploadVR […] |
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