Kotaku Monday, April 1, 2024 1:30 PM  Controversial Kick streamer Felix "xQc" Lengyel has found himself not welcomed in the DayZ community. An admin in one of the multiplayer zombie survival game's popular servers recently banned him, with his status as a streamer seeming the likely reason. |
Kotaku Monday, April 1, 2024 1:16 PM  April Fools' Day is a nightmare for news writers. This morning, I woke up to an Overwatch Cavalry post about an Overwatch 2 x Valorant crossover, and it took my brain at least eight seconds to catch up to the date posted underneath the graphic. April Fools' Day is the annual "make fun of dating sims" celebration for… |
Kotaku Monday, April 1, 2024 12:45 PM  Just a few months ago, I was incapable of completing the New York Times' Connections puzzles. Now, I can usually do the daily word-based puzzle without too much of a hassle—which is why today's version has got me (and others) so irrationally angry. You see, today, April 1, 2024, I opened up the New York Times app to… |
Kotaku Monday, April 1, 2024 12:30 PM  Today might be April Fools' Day—a horrible holiday where brands post "jokes" about fake products—but I assure you this new Sonic The Hedgehog-themed menu at IHOP is totally real, available nationwide, and can provide you with new, exclusive Sonic DLC. |
Kotaku Monday, April 1, 2024 12:00 PM  Over the weekend, a Twitter user made a simple plea to Katsuhiro Harada, the no-nonsense director best known for his work on the fighting game series Tekken: make Waffle House a Tekken stage. This sparked a tremendous outpouring of support for the idea that saw Harada's mentions flooded with all sorts of arguments for… |
Kotaku Monday, April 1, 2024 11:15 AM  Tekken 8 is an excellent fighting game that finally makes the somewhat convoluted franchise more digestible with accessible design and approachable mechanics. Unfortunately, whenever you reach the top, the only way to go is down, and it seems the highs of Bandai Namco's recently released brawler have given way to some… |
Kotaku Monday, April 1, 2024 11:00 AM  Final Fantasy XIV is on Xbox now, and the MMORPG's transition to the system has been rough, to say the least. On top of adding a new currency and requiring users to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass to play, the community is reporting bans on an Xbox system level for using the game's long-used vernacular and systems to… |
Kotaku Monday, April 1, 2024 10:45 AM  Dragon's Dogma 2 is a game that's all about holding players accountable for their actions. Capcom's recently released RPG includes a lack of fast travel that requires methodical planning, a mysterious plague infecting pawns that you have to be mindful of, and an interconnected web of quests that can change depending… |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:59 PM  A modder who previously enabled seamless co-op play in Elden Ring has now added co-op to Armored Core 6. The mod allows up to six players to team up to play through the campaign, but beware: while the nasty bosses might be easier to handle, you'll also be open to invasions. Continue reading Modder adds co-op and invasions to Armored Core 6 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Armored Core 6 bosses, Armored Core 6 parts, Armored Core 6 builds |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:48 PM  April 1, 2024: We're buzzing around, looking for any new Bee Swarm Simulator codes for Spring. What are the active Bee Swarm Simulator codes? Whether you're in the market for some free items to help you get started farming honey, or you need that extra boost to your bee's effectiveness at collecting pollen, there's no quicker way to get your hive started than to redeem a whole bunch of codes. However, it's not always easy to know where to find ones that work. So, if you want to give your little pollinators a helping hand, we have many tried and tested active Bee Swarm Simulator codes to redeem that give you valuable free items and boosts. We also have freebies for other popular Roblox games, including Blade Ball codes, Blox Fruits codes, and Murder Mystery 2 codes to help you get ahead. Continue reading Bee Swarm Simulator codes April 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:46 PM  April 1, 2024: We're searching for new Arsenal codes for the Operation: Infiltration update. How do you get Arsenal codes? The Roblox-based shooter has proven itself to be quite the popular experience, with teams taking shots at each other with machine guns, bazookas, and even flinging magic spells from books. Take your gaming experience to the next level by redeeming Arsenal codes to gain exclusive skins and announcer voices. There are other Roblox shooting games out there, all with their own unlocks, so make sure you check out the best Da Hood codes for more. If you want to try something completely different like racing motorbikes, there are also Motorcycle Mayhem codes to redeem. Continue reading Arsenal codes April 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:40 PM  April 1, 2024: At long last, there's a new milestone Anime Souls X code in for you to use. What are the new Anime Souls X codes? Anime Souls X, a sequel to the game without the X, tasks you with building your own army of powerful heroes and imbuing their weapons with souls to take on fearsome bosses. If the road to greatness is a little too long when first starting, you'll be happy to hear that we've tracked down the latest Anime Souls X codes to help you grow in power faster than ever. Our list of up-to-date Anime Souls X codes delivers a treasure trove of free items straight to your inventory and various rolls and spins to help you swap out your weaker heroes. If you're partial to anime and manga-inspired games across the Roblox platform, we've also got the latest Anime Adventure codes, Slayers Unleashed codes, and even Ro Ghoul codes to help you stay one step ahead of your fellow Robloxians. Continue reading Anime Souls X codes April 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:38 PM  April 1, 2024: A sneaky new Anime Last Stand code has dropped for Easter. What are the newest Anime Last Stand codes? Plenty of anime-inspired tower defense games are available on the Roblox platform, and Anime Last Stand is the latest to emerge from its testing phase. You can now collect your favourite anime heroes and villains to guard your base, but you'll need a stash of emeralds to afford them. Luckily, even if you're starting this Roblox experience, there are plenty of Anime Last Stand codes to grab tons of free emeralds and rerolls. While you're here, other tower defense games are available, and you can get free stuff for them with Tower Defense X codes and All Star Tower Defense codes, or perhaps Blox Fruits codes or Project Slayers codes for something different. Continue reading Anime Last Stand codes April 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:45 PM  April 1, 2024: There's another new Arm Wrestle Simulator code in for the Easter midweek update. What are the new Arm Wrestle Simulator codes? This popular Roblox experience channels the simulator games of the past few years, rewarding your strenuous clicks with rapidly multiplying strength. Arm Wrestle codes can speed up the process exponentially, earning you the gains you need to bend everyone's elbows and slam even the beefiest of opponent's forearms onto the table. As we've already alluded to, Arm Wrestle Simulator takes the ideas of many other popular Roblox games to create one centered around a less violent form of settling your differences, without resorting to a boring game of rock, paper, scissors. For further freebies in other action-packed Roblox releases, be sure to grab the latest Blox Fruits codes, King Legacy codes, and Fruit Battlegrounds codes before they're gone. Continue reading Arm Wrestle Simulator codes April 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:32 PM  April 1, 2024: We're valiantly searching for new Anime Dimensions codes for Easter and April Fools. What are the active Anime Dimensions codes? No doubt you're no stranger to Roblox's anime offerings, as there are loads of them out there. However, this one is a good option if you ever want to transform into the likes of Goku, Luffy, or Naruto and punch/Ki Blast/ninjitsu your way through hordes of enemies. There are plenty of other anime-inspired games on the Roblox platform with redeemable codes for free in-game currency and more. This includes Anime Adventures codes, Project Slayers codes, and Kage Tycoon codes. For now, though, here are some Anime Dimensions codes that can get you free gems and boosts for your chosen fighter. Continue reading Anime Dimensions codes April 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:35 PM  April 1, 2024: Three new Anime Fighters Simulator codes have dropped for the Easter event. What are the new Anime Fighters Simulator codes? With the classic Roblox anime adventure getting a new lease of life in 2023, we've been hard at work testing codes to get you streaming through the latest update as soon as it drops. Even if you haven't played Anime Fighters in a while, the freebies on offer can quickly get you back to full strength or, if you're a veteran, send you hurtling further up the leaderboards. While we wait for the next Anime Fighters update, consider checking out some of the best Roblox games for 2023. For a few noteworthy specifics and recommendations, you can't go wrong with Blox Fruits codes, Anime Adventures codes, and Shinobi Life 2 codes. They're hallmarks of the Roblox anime category. For another mishmash of your favorite characters, All Star Tower Defense codes are popular, too. Continue reading Anime Fighters Simulator codes April 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:29 PM  April 1, 2024: Two new Anime Champions Simulator codes have dropped for the Easter update. What are the latest Anime Champions Simulator codes? If you're new to this Roblox experience, you will want some bonus resources to give you a head start. This includes diamonds, tokens, medals, and boosts to bolster your team and get them fighting more formidable opponents sooner. So, if you want some up-to-date Anime Champions codes, we have a list of all the free stuff you can get right now. Alternatively, there are plenty of other anime Roblox games worthy of your attention that have their own set of codes, such as Blox Fruits codes, Fruit Battlegrounds codes, and Blade Ball codes which is currently the hottest game on the platform. Continue reading Anime Champions Simulator codes March 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:27 PM  April 1 2024: We're looking for new Anime Ball codes for April Fools Day. What are the new Anime Ball codes? The latest contender to the throne of one of Roblox's best-performing titles of 2023 is here, and it's putting up a fight. With multiple codes dropping almost every day and weekly updates still on the cards, now's the time to jump into a fresh new take on the genre if you're looking for a second chance. Think you've missed the boat on the new and emerging Roblox genre of reflex-based sports games? The latest Blade Ball codes might have you thinking it's not too late. If you're looking for a more relaxed time, however, Fruit Battlegrounds codes or Shinobi Life 2 codes might be more up your alley. Continue reading Anime Ball codes April 2024 – Free spins and yen boosts MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 12:26 PM  April 1, 2024: We're looking for any ASTD codes for April Fools. What are the new All Star Tower Defense codes? Developer Top Down Games has struck gold with their smash-hit game, blending tower defense gameplay with characters inspired by popular Japanese anime. It may have lost a few with news of an official release elsewhere, but the majority of the anime all-stars are still kicking it as deployable units. The first few missions of the tower defense game may seem easy, but it doesn't take long before your units start to struggle. That's where our Roblox guide comes in, allowing you to claim free Stardust and Gems to unlock powerful units in the free PC game. Not only does this guide cover the code redemption process, but we're also always looking for new ASTD codes, so keep this page bookmarked for any updates. Continue reading All Star Tower Defense codes April 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 11:36 AM  Thanks to the explosion of short-form video on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, the American restaurant chain Waffle House has gained a reputation as a bit of a Fight Club venue (as well as for having excellent hash browns). Apparently that's spurred many Tekken 8 players to ask the game's director to add a Waffle House stage to the game. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Tekken 8 roster, Tekken 8 review, Tekken 8 system requirements |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 10:30 AM  We've seen some gorgeous PC builds in our time, but this might top them all. This blossom-themed gaming PC, called the Sakura V2, incorporates beautiful pink blossoms paired with carefully selected RGB lighting that scales from a blush pink through to purple. The use of colors really draws in the eye and we just can't help but fall in love with this build. Thanks to our rapidly growing PC building Facebook page, we've seen many custom gaming PCs, from mods based on existing case designs to scratch PC builds. You can even submit yours for consideration right here. Here we chat to Ren Zhen from Optimist PC Build about how they assembled and designed this Sakura V2 PC build. Continue reading Stunning blossoms make this the prettiest gaming PC we've ever seen MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 10:00 AM  Just how do you follow up a graphics card as beloved, ground-breaking, and just plain damn awesome as the original 3dfx Voodoo Graphics? There was, after all, no way to repeat that gargantuan leap from the grainy, low-resolution horror of CPU-bound 3D rendering to the smoothness of hardware-accelerated rendering again, but the 3dfx Voodoo 2 still managed to maintain that momentum. Not only did the Voodoo 2 give you the ability to upgrade your 3D gaming resolution from 640 x 480 to 800 x 600, but if you paired two of them together with a ribbon cable in the new SLI mode, you could even play games at 1,024 x 768 (cue sarcastic jaw drop). If you played games, the 3dfx Voodoo 2 was undoubtedly the best graphics card of its day. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Monday, April 1, 2024 7:49 AM  Despite finally launching back in February, pirate adventure Skull and Bones has once again been delayed, as Ubisoft confirms the game will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. The developer has so far failed to offer an official explanation for the delay, but one industry insider, who speaks exclusively to PCGamesN on the basis of anonymity, says Ubisoft is "basically doing it for a joke. Like, they think it's funny. When someone pitched the idea to Yves Guillemot he laughed so hard he was sick. Actually sick. Sick all over his desk." Continue reading Ubisoft delays Skull and Bones two months after launch MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Skull and Bones review, Best pirate games, Skull and Bones system requirements |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, April 1, 2024 1:19 PM  Final Fantasy 14's crossover with Final Fantasy 16, as teased last year, arrives tomorrow. The crossover between the MMO and latest single-player entry in the RPG series has the usual selection of goodies up for grabs, including a very cute minion, a not-so-cute (but still kind of cute) mount, some Clive-cleavage armour and more. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, April 1, 2024 1:00 PM |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, April 1, 2024 12:28 PM  Louis Gossett Jr., who made history as the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and had a prolific, successful career across film, television and stage - as well as voicing the friendly Vortigaunt aliens in Half-Life 2 and its follow-up Episode One - has died. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, April 1, 2024 11:53 AM  XDefiant, the free-to-play arena-shooter - a la Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, Valorant or the multiplayer team-based game of your choice - built around classes and factions from across the Ubisoft universe games from Splinter Cell and Far Cry to Ghost Recon and Watch Dogs, has been delayed. Originally outlined for a launch before the end of March - you'll note that we're now in April - the upcoming FPS will apparently now decide a release date after an upcoming stress test for its servers. |
Twinfinite Monday, April 1, 2024 8:21 AM  |
Twinfinite Monday, April 1, 2024 8:07 AM  |
Twinfinite Monday, April 1, 2024 7:27 AM  |
Twinfinite Monday, April 1, 2024 7:19 AM  |
Twinfinite Monday, April 1, 2024 6:56 AM  |
Siliconera Monday, April 1, 2024 2:00 PM
On March 31, 2024, VShojo Vtuber Matara Kan shared a teaser for an April 1, 2024 announcement. Now, it turns out Vtuber Mint Fantome is returning to do a Mint & Matara's Summer Special podcast starting at 12pm PT/3pm ET/7pm UTC every Monday.
First, here is that animated teaser video that Matara shared. It featured her summoning someone
The official video for the upcoming podcast stream is already online. In the chat, there's an official announcement that reads, "This is not an April Fools'." There are no other videos on the new YouTube channel created for this endeavor.
Mint Fantome is an independent Vtuber who debuted back in July 2020, but then retired in April 2021. In addition to game streams, she also often sang and performed. For example, she did a joke cover of Neil Cicierega's "Bustin'." More seriously, here is her cover of the Re:Zero season 1 opening theme song "Redo."
Meanwhile, Matara Kan has been a Vtuber with VShojo since October 2023. She's an cockroach woman who often plays games or features chatting streams. She often takes parts in collabs with people both affiliated with the company or who are indepedent. For example, she took part in a March 2024 one with independent Vtuber Quinn Benet.
The Matara Kan and Mint Fantome first podcast episode will air at 12pm PT/3pm ET/7pm UTC on April 1, 2024.
The post Vtuber Mint Fantome Returns for Podcast With Vshojo's Matara Kan appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, April 1, 2024 1:00 PM
Sega announced Sonic the Hedgehog is coming to IHOP, with the restaurant offering meals based on characters and digital Stack Market rewards. The Sonic, Tails, Amy Rose, Knuckles, Shadow, and Dr. Eggman meals, gift cards with the characters on them, and rewards tied to recent games will appear apparently until May 5, 2024.
First, there are six meals. Most of them are intended to be eaten at breakfast, though there are also some more general and dessert-like items. Sonic's Blue Blur Special involves blueberry pancakes, while Shadow's Chaos Chocolate Pancakes involves chocolate chip pancakes. Tails' 2x2x2 gives people two eggs, two pancakes, and either two pieces of bacon or sausage. Dr. Eggman's Benedict involves poached eggs with ham and hollandaise. Amy's Sweet Strawberry Delight is the dessert, as it involves taking a waffle and putting vanilla ice cream, strawberries, and chocolate on it. Finally, Knuckles' Chicken Sandwich is a basic chicken sandwich with avocado, bacon, cheese, lettuce, ranch, tomato, and onion rings on the side.
Here's the full image of the menu:
As for the digital rewards like Sonic the Hedgehog games and DLC, those can be accessed in the IHOP app. If you go to the rewards page, you can use the PanCoins you've earned from eating at the restaurant to acquire items. I checked the Stack Market app page and didn't see any items yet as of time of writing. However, Sega noted people will be able to get digital copies of Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Origins, and Sonic Syperstars, as well as a Sonic Superstars Amy Rose DLC costume. Normally, the Bank of Pancakes rewards involve free food.
IHOP also announced that it will have Pepsi Maple Syrup again, as well as offering a float version of it.
The post Sonic the Hedgehog IHOP Promotion Includes Meals, DLC appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, April 1, 2024 12:00 PM
As part of the Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis Half Anniversary celebration, Square Enix announced that Cait Sith will appear in the game on April 4, 2024 in Japan and globally after. This comes after the April Fools' Day joke worldwide was that Reeve Tuesti would be joining the Final Fantasy VII spin-off game.
First, in case you missed the April Fools' Day announcement, here's the "reveal" Reeve would be coming to the Final Fantasy VII title. It also showed an Inspire Limit Break for him that could "imbue inorganic enemies with life."
As for the actual reveal about Cait Sith becoming playable in Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, only the Japanese trailer is live right now. It confirms he'll be a part of Chapter 6, which takes the original entry's story to Costa del Sol and Gold Saucer in the mobile game. There will also be a gacha with new Easter-themed equipment and outfits for Cait Sith and Tifa.
The last playable character to join Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis was Yuffie. She debuted back in January 2024. If the game follows its current progress, we should see Cid and Vincent in 2024 too.
Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is available for the PC and mobile devices. FFVII Remake is on the PS4, PS5, and PC, and Rebirth is on the PS5.
The post Cait Sith Coming to Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis After Reeve 'Joke' appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, April 1, 2024 11:00 AM
Monster Hunter has come to Street Fighter 6, and Capcom shared insight into what people can see and earn in-game as they play. We already knew there's be a Rathalos in the hub and Hunter Armor, but the trailer reveals some of the other cosmetics to collect.
To start, the Rathalos Hunter Armor isn't the only thing people will get to wear. There will also be a Felyne head for people who want to look like a Palico. The new photo frame adds the Monster Hunter series UI to the screen. Stickers of monsters and the Palico ca be used. If you earn the wallpaper for your in-game phone, it looks like a Monster Hunter map. The new songs are "Bottoms Up," "Nile (Afro Edit," and "Nile (Drum & Bass Mix)." Finally, the new classic Capcom game in the Battle Hub is Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy.
Here's the full trailer going over everything. It begins with the Hunter chasing Blanka-chan. Then, the full suit of armor is shown off, with people able to see how they can customize it and how it looks in a fight. The Battle Hub's Rathalos display appears after that. We also get to see how the Felyne mask looks on people. It closes out with the photo frame and stickers.
Here's a peek at the image showing everything in the Street Fighter 6 Monster Hunter 20th Anniversary Premium Fighting Pass. A Street Voter poll is also being held in the Battle Hub based on the series.
Street Fighter 6 is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Monster Hunter event is live now.
The post Street Fighter 6 Monster Hunter Crossover Begins appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, April 1, 2024 10:00 AM
The April Fools' Day went into full swing in Japan as the country marked the date on April 1, 2024. Companies and figures behind popular games, anime, and other titles in the Japanese subculture made prank posts to celebrate the day. Here are some of the examples of the pranks made on the 2024 April Fools' Day.
FuRyu reported that its Japanese official website for Reynatis has an "unknown error" that changed the key splash art to feature Square Enix's NEO: The World Ends With You.
Meanwhile, Square Enix joined the April Fools 2024 festivities by posting a tweet featuring an altered version of the Dragonlord's deal from the first Dragon Quest entry. In this tweet, the Dragonlord "promises" to turn half of the month into holidays if people agree to become his followers.
Square Enix also published a new April Fools-themed "episode" featuring characters from Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo.
Arc System Works published a new trailer showcasing the Guilty Gear Strive "Season 4.1 playable character" Malcolm Myers.
In another Arc System Works-related title, Cygames published a joke trailer for Granblue Versus Rai-Jin-Gu on the Granblue Fantasy Versus YouTube channel. Despite the "distorted" graphics, it promotes "beginner-friendly" button inputs.
Cygames also published "Uma Stars," a space opera-themed music video featuring the Cosmo Puella group which consists of select Uma Musume characters.
Koei Tecmo "revealed" an AR device that will let people see Dynasty Warriors characters like Man Chong right in front of them.
Capcom announced via the official Resident Evil series X account that it will "establish an aviation business" by producing its own helicopters.
In addition, Capcom also made a wordplay joke involving the Street Fighter series character Akuma, who is alternatively known in Japan as Gouki. The company collaborated with Gamagori City in Japan's Aichi Prefecture to "change" both the character and city's names to Gamaguki.
Sony Interactive Entertainment tweeted an image on X's Japanese official PlayStation account that "revealed" the insides of a PlayStation 5.
The developer team behind Fate/Grand Order revealed a "soccer-themed game" titled Fate/Dream Striker, which is available in Japan exclusively on the 2024 April Fools' Day.
The English version of Fate/Grand Order also has a "bonus game" titled FGO Poker to celebrate the day.
Level-5 uploaded two April Fools trailers related to its upcoming 2024 game Megaton Musashi: Wired. The first one imagined the franchise's "appearance" in a Super Robot Wars game. The second one features a live action-like CG trailer made with AI.
Meanwhile, Bandai Namco made a couple of April Fools pranks related to The Idolm@ster metaseries. The first one involved the upcoming mobile game Hatsuboshi Gakuen: The Idolm@ster, where the official site had an "error" that changed all idol students' voice clips to the Akio Ohtsuka-voiced headmaster Kunio Juo.
The Idolm@ster Shiny Colors: Song For Prism, the most recently released series entry to date, also had a 2024 April Fools' Day exclusive event "4lternative 1dentity" that let players dress characters with outfits originally worn by other characters.
Nippon Ichi Software "held a poll" asking whether Asagi should appear in more of its games. The company also gradually added boosts to the Yea votes as it tasked people to overcome 999,999,999,999 Nay votes within the day.
Shift Up revealed Dead Spicy, a new Goddess of Victory: NIKKE-themed horror shooting game inspired by Resident Evil that "will be available" on April 1, 20XX.
Key "has published" a 16-bit version of its 1999 PC visual novel Kanon. It also uploaded the game's opening movie with 16-bit audio and graphics.
Pocketpair "revealed" a Palworld-themed school romance simulation game that will be available in both all-ages and R-18 versions.
Sunsoft tweeted an image that shows Hebe from the Hebereke series "successfully landing" on the planet Mars. The company also announced the next plan to land on Venus. However, it will not visit Mercury because the character has a water phobia and the planet's Japanese name contains a "water" kanji letter.
Ubisoft also joined the April Fools 2024 festivities in Japan by "revealing" Tachanko's Daily Life, a school-themed anime show inspired by Rainbow Six Siege's Tachanka.
HoYoverse has set up a Mondstadt Tourism Revitalization Project webpage for Genshin Impact. The page is available in multiple languages, and only people who have played the game can pre-register.
In addition, the official Japanese YouTube channel for HoYoverse's Honkai: Star Rail also has a "new trailer" featuring a fictional live-action tokusatsu movie titled Kessen! Dai Uchu Kaitaku Goukaiden.
Hololive Vtuber Takane Lui "revealed" two new romance games: Fall in Love with Hololive 2 and Fall in Love with Hololive For Girls. The latter features gender-bent versions of six Hololive Vtubers, which include Shirakami Fubuki, Hoshimachi Suisei, and also Takane Lui.
Meanwhile, Anycolor also revealed Nijisanji Fantasy: Brave and Demon and April, a game featuring two protagonists that it "will release" in the year 2434.
Shueisha and TV Tokyo "revealed" a visual novel game adaptation of Bleach: The High School Warfare, which is also actually playable on some devices.
Sunrise published a fictional ad video "promoting" orange juice from the farm run by Code Geass' Jeremiah Gottwald and Anya Alstreim.
And Kadokawa also re-published the joke trailer for Date A Live: Girls' Side, which originally appeared in 2021 and featured gender-bent versions of the series' four key female characters, with all of them being voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki.
The post Here Are Some of the 2024 April Fools' Day Pranks From Japan appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, April 1, 2024 9:00 AM
Visual novels and exploration titles like Gone Home or Unpacking only succeed when they are able to convince the player to connect with their characters, and sadly Open Roads is a game that doesn't do that. It relies heavily on a lo-fi aesthetic, but all that ambiance is surface level and doesn't offer actual substance.
Much like Gone Home, Open Roads is a game that tasks its players with getting involved to get the most out of it. People begin in Tess Devine's room in the middle of a major life change. She's about to be out of school. Her grandmother Helen recently died. Her and her mother Opal are about to be out of the home they shared with Helen. Her parents are no longer together. Both Tess and Opal seem disconnected from each other and not exactly pleased about their prospects. However, as they are packing up, Tess finds evidence of a secret involving Helen's love life, learns about abandoned summer home, and convinces her mom to take one last trip.
If that seems like a lot, it genuinely is. It all gets tossed at a person in the span of about fifteen minutes, depending on how quickly you choose to explore what was Helen, Opal, and Tess' home. So much so that'd I'd say it is one of Open Roads' major failings. There's no time to really take in these revelations and ensure they count. Very little commentary typically appears from Tess and Opal, and the nature of their relationship means some responses can be more short or flippant rather than emotional. Not to mention rushing through things and learning important elements about characters, like that Tess' father is gone, means there's no impact to any of it.
All of this isn't helped by the fact that Open Roads Team never gives its players a chance to really know who anyone is in this game. Visual novels can have thousands of words worth of exposition and dialogue that help you understand peoples' personalities, relationships, and motivations. Gone Home offered a house filled with detailed notes, meaningful belongings, and set pieces that told a story without actually telling a story. Open Roads doesn't do that.
When we're heading to many of these locations, they're often empty or in states of disarray. The things we might interact with, like erasers, board games, occasional books, or other knickknacks, are too generic to offer any real insight into their owners' souls. (Meanwhile, Gone Home and Unpacking both made belongings feel meaningful as you'd happen upon them.) It almost felt like a joke whenever I'd have Tess find something, tell her to yell, "Mom" to find out what Opal had to say about it, and get one or two sentences that felt like meaningless asides as a response.
It got to the point that once the road trip proper began, I felt no motivation to actually explore anything. I wasn't getting anything about of the flavorless text. Especially since Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever, two performers who are normally really great in their roles, don't really feel like they embrace their roles. They both are fine here, but I was playing this while also going through a Japanese visual novel with actors really going all-in on their performances. The juxtaposition really made me feel like maybe they weren't getting the direction or script they needed to really take advantage of the talent both bring to the table. The presentation isn't great.
Speaking of which, I think I expected more from Open Roads based on its opening movie and early trailers. It almost seemed like we'd be getting a game where character portraits would be expressive and reacting to each situation. Instead, there are the same repeated animations for Tess and Opal. Sometimes, I even felt like the reactions of their portraits didn't exactly match up with the moment. It is absolutely fine to go with static character portraits for visual novels. Some of my favorite ones do. But when we have a game that might only take you about an hour or two, depending on how much you explore, and has so few major story moments, I can't help but feel like it needed that extra effort from its character designs.
I very much wanted to care about Open Roads, as it seemed like my "thing." But there's just so little to it, and it becomes near impossible to care about Tess, Opal, and their trip together as a result. People who often play visual novels will be let down by the narrative (or lack thereof). People who wanted this to be like Gone Home will despair in the fact that it isn't fun to pick through these people's things. It's just a disappointment.
Open Roads is available for the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The post Review: Open Roads Lacks Depth and Weight appeared first on Siliconera. |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, April 1, 2024 2:00 PM  A key feature of Ark Survival Evolved is transferring your character, items, and dinos from expansion to expansion. Can you do that in Ark Survival Ascended between The Island and Scorched Earth? Here's your answer. Ark Survival Ascended transfer date and time, explained You can transfer your character, dinos, and items between expansions in Ark Survival Ascended. You can do this between The Island and Scorched Earth (when it launches), but there is a caveat. Studio Wildcard mentioned in Community Crunch 403 that you can't transfer dinos or items for the first 60 days that Scorched Earth is live. This is to keep things fresh, fair, and friendly for all players who get their hands on Scorched Earth, regardless of whether you have a dedicated server or not. The only thing that is immediately transferrable in Ark Survival Ascended is your character. This means that you can take a character from one expansion, like The Island, and put them into another expansion, li... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, April 1, 2024 1:48 PM  With the new v50 beta being accessible, players are jumping on and finding out everything that's new. Lethal Company v50 has three new moons called Adamance, Artifice, and Embrion. Here's how to unlock each new moon and what dangers they introduce. All new moons from Lethal Company v50, explained The Lethal Company beta for v50 introduces Adamance, Artifice, and Embrion, ranging from free to highly-expensive new moons to explore. But what dangers do they possess, and how can you access them? Here's everything you need to know about these mysterious new moons. Adamance Adamance is the only new free moon with the v50 update. Named 20-Adamance, this moon is Hazard Level B, and it has a large canyon between your ship and the facility. It also has one Fire Escape near a broken bridge. The most common enemies you'll see on Adamance are the Old Birds, Thumper, Forest Keeper, Baboon Hawk, and Manticoil. It's a mountainous region with many trees... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, April 1, 2024 1:40 PM  Can things get any wackier in a game such as Warzone? Well, apparently they can. Here are all the Totally Advanced Resurgence changes and modifiers in Warzone. What is Totally Advanced Resurgence in Warzone? When I think of April Fool's Day, I think about some innocent pranks and false announcements by big companies. This year's no different and we have seen gems such as the Virtual Boy Pro or even the Limited Floppy Edition of Cyberpunk 2077 – including almost 100,000 diskettes. However, there are some games like Warzone that take the concept and transform it into a unique gameplay experience. That is where the Totally Advanced Resurgence playlist enters the equation. Only the mightiest will survive these games ? pic.twitter.com/WzW5N0wLav— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) April 1, 2024 This mode plays exactly like a normal Resurgence match, with the main difference that the laws of physics are busted and everyone will be hopping around like there is no... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, April 1, 2024 1:23 PM  As much as people love the Ark games, Studio Wildcard has a bad reputation for not releasing expansions on time. The launch of Ark Survival Ascended was a mess with multiple instances of pushing back the goalpost, but is that the same for Scorched Earth? Ark Survival Ascended Scorched Earth release time and date, explained Studio Wildcard plans on releasing Ark Survival Ascended Scorched Earth on April 1, 2024. That sounds good, but it's also April Fool's Day… so you never know. If you're waiting to buy Ark Survival Ascended, I would stick to Game Pass just to be sure. The developers of Ark Survival Ascended planned on releasing Scorched Earth on Sunday, March 31, 2024, but pushed it back a day. They blamed it on the holiday, but it's more likely that the game wasn't quite ready. If Ark Survival Ascended Scorched Earth launches on Monday, April 1, 2024, it will launch late at night. I'd guess it'll launch around 6:00 pm ET, bu... |
PC Invasion - FeedDDD Monday, April 1, 2024 1:08 PM  A new Pure Fiction phase is now live in Honkai Star Rail, and the key to success in Deceitful Chaos is popping off Ultimates as quickly as possible. There are a ton of optimal teams for Deceitful Chaos, and the Cacophony buffs make a few characters exceptionally powerful. Best Pure Fiction Teams for Deceitful Chaos Screenshot: PC Invasion For this phase of Pure Fiction, Ultimate attacks will inflict enemies with a debuff called Shatter that deals damage to the target and adjacent units every turn. To make the most of this debuff, you're going to want to use characters that can use their Ultimate abilities often. Relics that buff Energy Regeneration Rate will be a huge help here. Best Stage 1 Teams Best Stage 2 Teams Best Stage 3 Teams Best Stage 4 Teams Surprise, surprise, the newly-released Acheron is an all-star character for this phase of Pure Fiction, too. Some rounds have enemies like the exploding Dragonfish that inflict debuffs on enemies when def... |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, April 1, 2024 1:39 PM The Twitch streamer turned community manager. The post Compulsion Games Community Manager Says She "Hate Gamers", Previously Stated "White male gamers were a mistake" appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Pivotal Gamers Monday, April 1, 2024 12:20 PM What's up folks? We have another great giveaway from Steam for Content Warning. Read on for their offering. Get Content Warning on Steam for Free! A few words about Content Warning Film your friends doing scary things to become SpookTube famous! http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/257012412/movie480_vp9.webm Details about the game can be found at Content Warning Still here? Click on... |