Apr 16, 18:00


GamersHeroes Saturday, April 16, 2022 12:15 PM
    

Ever wanted to be a drum master, but don't have the musical chops? Worry no more, keyboard warriors - Bandai Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master! is now available for the PC. The series has countless entries in arcades and consoles - does this version have what it takes to make some noise?

The post Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master! Review appeared first on GamersHeroes.


Kotaku Saturday, April 16, 2022 11:30 AM
    

Axie Infinity is the crypto-backed Pokémon clone in which cute little creatures that double as NFTs battle for fun and profit. It's also a pyramid scheme that relies on cheap labor from countries like the Philippines to fuel its growth. Now, fictional inflation, combined with a historic crypto heist allegedly…

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Kotaku Saturday, April 16, 2022 11:00 AM
    

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Kotaku Saturday, April 16, 2022 10:30 AM
    

Without thinking too hard about it, what's the maximum number of coins you can knock out of multi-coin blocks in the original Super Mario Bros.? Did you say 10? Well, you're wrong, but it's not your fault. You just haven't done a deep dive into the almost 37-year-old game's code like a complete weirdo.

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PCGamesN Saturday, April 16, 2022 12:59 PM
     The Halo Infinite Season 2 maps are

April 16, 2022: 343 Industries has revealed what the new Halo Infinite Season 2 maps will look like.

The new Halo Infinite Season 2 maps are finally set to arrive in May, offering a bit of hope for fans who've felt that the game has been suffering a content drought. The rollout will include "new maps, modes, themed limited-time events, and an all-new battle pass" - and 343 has now revealed what the new maps look like, along with a few details.

According to 343, the smaller "symmetrical arena map" is called Catalyst, which is influenced by Halo 4's Haven and Halo 3's Epitaph and is built for Capture the Flag and the new Land Grab mode. The larger "pseudo symmetric" Big Team Battle arena is called Breaker, and that includes "environmental hazards" such as a giant laser that cuts across the map.

The Season 2 trailer also revealed players in an apparent free-for-all battle inside a walled circle. A mode called Last Spartan Standing was leaked a few days ago, and this seems to be it. It's said to be a Big Team Battle variation that sounds a lot like a battle royale game - you'll be improving your loadout by adding points to your personal score throughout the match.

RELATED LINKS: Halo Infinite release date, Halo Infinite system requirements, Halo Infinite ranks

PCGamesN Saturday, April 16, 2022 12:26 PM
     Two new Fortnite Marvel skins are free with upcoming comic

Superhero fans of Epic's battle royale game will be able to get two new Fortnite Marvel skins for free, along with a few extra items, as part of the new five-part Zero War comic tie-in event that kicks off in June - and some of these will be exclusive to these comics.

Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 is running now and it's already gone heavy on the Marvel collaboration, with two skins in the battle pass and probably more to come later. That's not going to stop in Season 3 either, which is set to start in June and sees the launch of a new Fortnite Marvel comic book event called Zero War.

Marvel has now confirmed that all five issues of the tie-in will come with codes to unlock rewards within Fortnite - including two brand new skins. While most of these will also be available in the in-game store, Marvel notes that "select in-game items" are only available by buying the comic - although it seems Marvel Unlimited digital subscribers can claim the codes too.

RELATED LINKS: Fortnite V-Bucks, Fortnite Skins, Fortnite Creative Codes

PCGamesN Saturday, April 16, 2022 11:23 AM
     Diablo 2: Resurrected sales hit over 5 million copies

Blizzard reports high Diablo II: Resurrected sales since the RPG game released six months ago - in fact, as of this month, it has sold over five million copies, which is great going for an old PC game whose re-release struggled with server issues.

After the tumultuous launch of Warcraft III Reforged, Diablo II: Resurrected was far better received by the Blizzard community despite the various server problems that accompanied its launch in September 2021. It's since gone from strength to strength, with this month's update 2.4 finally adding a ranked competitive Ladder system and the first balance changes the developer has made to Diablo II since 2010.

The community seems to have responded favourably to the remaster, and Blizzard reports (via Windows Central) that Diablo II: Resurrected has sold over five million copies as of April 2022 - just over six months after the game's release in September. It's an impressive milestone, for sure, and it took the eagerly-awaited Diablo III just under two years to sell 15 million copies - which had console versions too.

RELATED LINKS: Diablo 2: Resurrected review, The best RPG games, The best Diablo 2 Resurrected classes

PCGamesN Saturday, April 16, 2022 10:27 AM
     DnD Direct features game reveals, Baldur's Gate 3 teased

A new D&D Direct live stream is happening this week, showcasing a number of "exclusive reveals" from the world of Dungeons and Dragons - which will possibly include new DnD games, and if the teases in the trailer are accurate, could even have something to do with Baldur's Gate 3.

Wizards of the Coast have announced that the livestream show Dungeons and Dragons Direct is happening this Thursday, April 21, and will feature 30 minutes of news, updates, and reveals. The website makes it clear that this includes videogames. This could include new D&D game announcements, but Twitter confirms that this includes updates - and the only two games coming are Baldur's Gate 3 and the Dark Alliance 2 re-release.

The Dungeons & Dragons live-action movie is teased in the trailer below, but the final shot strongly suggests Baldur's Gate 3 news. It features an Xbox pad, a Mindflayer, and Boo the hamster - erstwhile companion of Minsc, the one character who features in all the main Baldur's Gate RPG games. It remains to be seen if this will mean a Baldur's Gate 3 release date announcement, however.

RELATED LINKS: Baldur's Gate 3 release date, Baldur's Gate 3 races, Baldur's Gate 3 classes

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, April 16, 2022 5:11 PM
    

Waffle is a free, browser-based word game with a single puzzle each day and plentiful green and yellow squares. Beyond that, it has some pretty major differences from Wordle. It doesn't require you to type the letters, for one.

Instead, Waffle presents you with a grid of five intersecting words with all of the letters already present. Most of the letters are jumbled up, and it's up to you to identify the correct words and spell them out by swapping the letters with each other using as few moves as possible.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, April 16, 2022 4:45 PM
    

Earlier this week, the PlayStation Studios website was updated so that the banner image included an picture of Sam Bridges from Death Stranding. Yesterday, Death Stranding designer and Kojima Productions founder Hideo Kojima tweeted a picture said banner.

People then got excited, thinking this wordless tweet meant that Sony had acquired Kojima Productions. It caused enough of a fuss that Kojima did a follow-up tweet saying, hey, sorry, that hasn't happened.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, April 16, 2022 4:11 PM
    

It's been a while since we've checked in on the Elder Scrolls Online, Bethesda's take on a Tamriel you can play with pals. If you've never checked in on it, now is a good time: the base game and its Morrowind DLC are currently available to play for free until April 26th.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, April 16, 2022 3:41 PM
    

No More Heores 3 is headed to PC. The excessive, rude 'tude hack-and-slash from Suda51's Grasshopper Manufacture released on Nintendo Switch last year, and now publishers XSEED say it'll splash onto our favoured platform this autumn.

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Twinfinite Saturday, April 16, 2022 5:58 PM
     Aniplex released a trailer showcasing the next season of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime series, the Swordsmith Village arc.

Twinfinite Saturday, April 16, 2022 5:09 PM
     An issue involving the recently-added lottery system regulating the purchase of housing plots is causing frustration among Final Fantasy XIV players.

Twinfinite Saturday, April 16, 2022 3:39 PM
     Blizzard Entertainment released a new video about the new character named Sojourn that will be playable in the Overwatch 2 beta.

Twinfinite Saturday, April 16, 2022 2:30 PM
     Third-party developers released new airports for Microsoft Flight Simulator, on top of a relevant mod becoming much more accessible

Twinfinite Saturday, April 16, 2022 12:37 PM
     Valorant's Episode 4 has already seen the introduction of one new Agent –Neon, the speedy Philipino duelist–, but there's another on the way soon, and Riot Games has already begun teasing their arrival. Here we'll be recapping everything we know about the new Valorant Agent 'Bounty Hunter,' including all abilities and information so far disclosed. […]

Twinfinite Saturday, April 16, 2022 11:54 AM
     Following a successful first season in 2017, Production Reed has announced that In Another World with My Smartphone will be back with season two. Announced alongside a teaser image, it would seem that the adventures of Touya Mochizuki are far from over. If you are unfamiliar with In Another World with My Smartphone, you can […]

Twinfinite Saturday, April 16, 2022 11:42 AM
     Sabotage Studio continues to release small but interesting clips of their upcoming RPG Sea of Stars, and today another one has been shared.

Twinfinite Saturday, April 16, 2022 10:46 AM
     In January Mages teased that the Alice Gear Aegis franchise was going to get a console game, and today it was officially announced.

Siliconera Saturday, April 16, 2022 4:00 PM
    

Square Enix Investigating FFXIV Housing Lottery Bug

The first FFXIV housing lottery came and went, and players encountered a bug. In some situations, people lost their bid even if they were the only one who entered to acquire a place. Square Enix announced that it is aware of the issue. It noted that it is working on a solution. It also said this current period would not end on April 20, 2022 as a result of the issue.

Here's how the housing lottery should work in FFXIV. During the first five days, people place bids on available properties. After that phase ends, players find out if they won. They can head back to the land to confirm it and claim their new home. This second portion lasts four days.

However, the FFXIV housing lottery bug means error messages are coming up at the plots in the second phase. Square Enix's announcement listed the two messages that could appear. One is "There were no participants in this lottery." The other is "The winning number is... 0. May you have better luck next time." Both are happening even if people did place bids and someone should have gotten a place to "live."

Square Enix didn't offer a time estimate as to when the FFXIV housing lottery bug will be fixed. However, the announcement did note that entries are being checked. An apology was also offered for the inconvenience.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, and PC.

The post Square Enix Investigating FFXIV Housing Lottery Bug appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, April 16, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Gundam Evolution

I'll admit that a team-based competitive shooter isn't the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions a game based on Mobile Suit Gundam. And yet, Bandai Namco has managed to make that connection with Gundam Evolution. In adapting the iconic mecha franchise to the tenets of the "hero shooter," the company opened a new path for the Gundam brand. Judging by about 12 hours spent with game's closed Network Playtest, it may be a path well worth taking.

Back when Bandai Namco started promoting Gundam Evolution with clips from early beta tests, many fans joked about it looking like a Gundam-themed take on Overwatch. It turns out that that's, in many ways, true. There is no understating the creative debt that Gundam Evolution's development team owes to Blizzard's multiplayer shooter. The good news is that it has taken it on for good reason. Gundam Evolution sports a strong set of fundamentals. Even in the confines of a limited gameplay test, it comes across as a much smoother, more polished, broadly appealing experience than many other Gundam-branded titles. Much as I enjoyed titles like Gundam Versus and Gundam Battle Operation, their idiosyncrasies can turn players looking for a more conventional experience away. Gundam Evolution is downright familiar, which in turn makes it easier to pick up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiWUBmdEuZg

Gundam Evolution is a free-to-play title that pits two teams of six players against each other in round-based matches. Each player chooses from a lineup of playable Mobile Suits (MS) drawn from across the Mobile Suit Gundam multiverse. Twelve are included at launch, with two more unlockable via gameplay or microtransactions. Each mobile suit is effectively a distinct character, with a unique weapon and set of abilities. Unlike more human-scale hero shooters, every MS in the game can use its thrusters to boost along, hover for a short period, or "quickstep" in any direction. This makes the combat more vertical. It also poses a particular challenge to melee-specialist MS like the Exia and Barbatos. Skilled players in those mecha, though, can really clean up.

Though the in-game information doesn't assign each MS to a class per se, each MS description specifies a preferred playstyle and role in a team. For example, the GM Sniper II is slow, clumsy, and crumples like paper under fire, but it can pick off even the toughest enemies at an unmatched range and revive a downed teammate from a safe distance. Meanwhile, the RX-78-2 Gundam is a medium-range tank, able to advance under fire by walking behind its shield and stun enemies with its thrown Hyper Hammer weapon. My personal favorite, the Sazabi, is the giant around which entire team strategies form. It's bigger than every other MS in Gundam Evolution and has the slowest default speed. However, it has a massive pool of health and can shield itself against incoming fire. At close range, it can melt targets with its beam scattergun and throw a beam hatchet to stun an enemy. It does have a good trick, though, in that it gets a free boost to a nearby ally... or its thrown hatchet. Thus the normally lumbering Sazabi can "super jump" by boosting towards its airborne hatchet, covering huge distances and moving with a speed that belies its bulk.

Gundam Evolution

With each MS having a unique playstyle and characteristics, the key to success in Gundam Evolution is choosing characters with complementary abilities and working together as a team to accomplish objectives. Even the hardy Sazabi won't last long alone, especially not against a zippy Exia or the stunning mace of the Barbatos. Almost every unit has some ability that can function to support the team. The GM and Pale Rider can throw down healing devices, while the flight-capable Methuss can heal directly via repair cables, or secure an area with a deployable turret. The Dom Trooper can deny whole areas with its land mines and rocket launcher, and strengthen allies with its armor gun.

Finding the right team composition for the situation is critical to accomplishing objectives. In the Network Playtest, these objectives came in three flavors: Point Capture, Domination, and Destruction. Point Capture challenges the Attacker team to capture two points before time is up. Domination gives both teams one of three points to fight over, swapping between them at fixed intervals. Destruction is a plant the bomb-style mode. The Attackers try to plant a "megacharge" on one of two points, while the Defenders attempt to stop them. Matches were often pitched and could swing either way, especially in these early days when everyone is still learning their favorite MS and finding new tricks with their abilities and team compositions.

Gundam

Encouraging mastery is the game's meta-structure of progression. Gundam Evolution is a free-to-play game and supports itself through microtransactions. The playtest included a special 20-level battle pass, which awarded cosmetic unlocks and loot box tickets as players rose in the tiers. The loot box system is broadly similar to that found in games like Overwatch and Apex Legends. Various cosmetic and customization items can be unlocked by opening loot boxes, with varying drop rates based on rarity. The cosmetics range from fairly mundane things like profile icons and sprays to Mobile Suit skins. The MS skins can be fairly mundane, like adding a blue stripe to the accents, or wild, like a glowing neon-green take on the Gundam Exia. It's also possible to unlock some items manually, by earning an in-game "blue" currency called "Capital". Some capital given to playtest participants was used to unlock the Exia and Marasai for immediate use. A green "premium" currency was also earned by getting duplicate items from loot boxes, which could be used to unlock certain skins.

Gundam Evolution

That said, the limits of the playtest were still evident in my brief time with Gundam Evolution. Despite using the recommended region for my geographical location, I experienced several drop-outs in the middle of the match. At this time, the game also imposes a rather harsh "quitter penalty." It locked me out of joining a new match for multiple minutes. I also received error messages on several occasions telling me my account was suspended, only to be let back in if I restarted the game.

Another potential issue is readability. Where original titles like Overwatch and Team Fortress 2 deliberately construct their characters to be easily identifiable, Gundam Evolution is bound by the actual designs of the MS units it uses. And some of those units look pretty similar. Despite being a Gundam fan, I can tell you I died more than once to mistaking a Pale Rider for a GM Sniper or thinking an RX-78-2 was a GM. Perhaps a better or more unique selection of skins will help players mark out who they're fighting on sight.

All in all, with the right support and polish, Gundam Evolution feels like it has what it takes to grow a long-term presence in the canon of competitive shooters. I for one, look forward to squeezing in a few more matches after launch.

Gundam Evolution debuts on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S in 2022. The network playtest ran from April 8, 2022 through April 12, 2022 for selected participants.

The post Preview: Gundam Evolution Is a Friendly, Familiar Hero FPS appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, April 16, 2022 12:00 PM
    

Learn About Honkai Impact 3rd Flame Chaser Kalpas' Fury and Frenzy

At the end of March 2022, miHoYo went over all 13 Flame-Chasers in Honkai Impact 3rd and named each member of the group. Pictures of each one and their rank, given to them by Elysia, appeared. Now, there are details about a specific one folks can face in-game. The latest reveal went over how the Flame-Chaser Kalpas will react when encountered in Honkai Impact 3rd's Elysian Realm.

Editor's Note: There will be spoilers about Honkai Impact 3rd, the Flame-Chaser MANTIS project, and Kalpas below.

In terms of ranking, Kalpas is the sixth Flame-Chaser. This is due to his personality and not his power levels. He's known for being sadistic, violent, and even in some ways uncontrollable. This shows in his moveset in-game. Reaching him also references him. He's known as the sixth one, Decimation, and one of the stages needed to encounter him is Decimation, a Devouring Burn. The other key to encountering him on the 17th floor is Sequence: Dangerous in Shallow Sequence or Deep Sequence.

The Flame-Chaser Kalpas has two forms in Honkai Impact 3rd. The Normal Form is the less complicated and dangerous of the two. It involves his fiery attacks, like his bringing up waves of flames or calling down his Trailing Comets attack.

However, his Asura Honkai genes come through in his second Active Honkai Reaction Form. This also is tied to his established chaotic personality. If you attack him or he attacks you, his Fury level will increase. Before he's in a Frenzy, you just have to deal with him spawning and using fiery Pillars of Oblivion when he attacks. Once he is in a Frenzy, he will start using Calamity attacks that deal damage and throw a player. However, someone can counter by evading and waiting for him to calm down, using Rime Trauma, or using certain attacks like a throw.

Honkai Impact 3rd is available for PCs and mobile devices.

The post Learn About Honkai Impact 3rd Flame Chaser Kalpas' Fury and Frenzy appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Saturday, April 16, 2022 5:00 PM
    

Cblogs of 4/9 to 4/15/2022 –Lord Spencer reviews Dino Crisis as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series. –Black Red...

The post What are your favourite dinosaur video games? appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Saturday, April 16, 2022 3:00 PM
    

From the creative director of Hitman GO I'm in the mood for good, clean tower defense, and Isle of Arrows...

The post Isle of Arrows is a stylish tile-drawing tower defense game appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Saturday, April 16, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Maidenless No More This week's entry to Hamster's Arcade Archives is something a little obscurer, a little less-played, and a...

The post Namco fantasy classic The Legend of Valkyrie joins the Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Saturday, April 16, 2022 11:00 AM
    

Ad-chievement unlocked Microsoft may be looking to insert more in-game ads into free-to-play Xbox games. A new report indicates the...

The post Microsoft reportedly working on putting in-game ads in free-to-play Xbox games appeared first on Destructoid.


Latest Games on Play iDev Games Saturday, April 16, 2022 12:08 PM
     Card Draconis is a casual turn based card game. The player must duel an enemy dragon that grows in power every turn. Use cards to buff and debuff the dragons....

Pivotal Gamers Saturday, April 16, 2022 4:51 PM
     Hello folks. We have another excellent giveaway from GrabFreeGame for Cat and fish. This is what they say. Grab FREE game Cat and fish STEAM ket A few words about Cat and fish You are a brave cat who got lost in the forest in search of food. You have to collect all the food, while getting out of the forest alive. Be careful, because the forest is full of various traps and obstacles! http://cdn.aka...

GameDom Saturday, April 16, 2022 2:15 PM
    

The Bluefeather Halberd is an item level 595 weapon in Final Fantasy XIV. We'll take a look at its stats and what you need to obtain it. The stats for the Bluefeather Halberd are: Strength +288 Vitality +300 Critical Hit +263 Direct Hit Rate +184 Additionally, you're able to slot two materia into the Bluefeather...

The post How To Get The Bluefeather Halberd In FFXIV appeared first on GameDom.


GameDom Saturday, April 16, 2022 2:07 PM
    

The Bluefeather Bayonet is an item level 595 weapon in Final Fantasy XIV. We'll take a look at its stats and what you need to obtain it. The stats for the Bluefeather Bayonet are: Strength +288 Vitality +300 Critical Hit +184 Determination +263 Additionally, you're able to slot two materia into the Bluefeather Bayonet. Unfortunately,...

The post How To Get The Bluefeather Bayonet In FFXIV appeared first on GameDom.


GameDom Saturday, April 16, 2022 1:58 PM
    

The Bluefeather Faussar is an item level 595 weapon in Final Fantasy XIV. We'll take a look at its stats and what you need to obtain it. The stats for the Bluefeather Faussar are: Strength +288 Vitality +300 Critical Hit +184 Determination +263 Additionally, you're able to slot two materia into the Bluefeather Faussar. Unfortunately,...

The post How To Get The Bluefeather Faussar In FFXIV appeared first on GameDom.


GameDom Saturday, April 16, 2022 1:47 PM
    

The Bluefeather Axe is an item level 595 weapon in Final Fantasy XIV. We'll take a look at its stats and what you need to obtain it. The stats for the Bluefeather Axe are: Strength +288 Vitality +300 Critical Hit +184 Determination +263 Additionally, you're able to slot two materia into the Bluefeather Axe. Unfortunately,...

The post How To Get The Bluefeather Axe In FFXIV appeared first on GameDom.


GameDom Saturday, April 16, 2022 1:35 PM
    

The Bluefeather Sword is an item level 595 weapon in Final Fantasy XIV. We'll take a look at its stats and what you need to obtain it. The stats for the Bluefeather Sword are: Strength +206 Vitality +214 Critical Hit +132 Determination +188. Additionally, you're able to slot two materia into the Bluefeather Sword. Unfortunately,...

The post How To Get The Bluefeather Sword In FFXIV appeared first on GameDom.