It’s that time of year again, a full year has passed. Normally, I publish these articles a lot sooner, but I took full advantage of my Christmas break… And after that, I had some problems with my internet connection. But now I’m back. And it’s about time I talk about my top 10 games I have played in 2024. The rules of this list state I don’t have to have beaten the game. Yet, I must have played the game for the first time from January 1st, 2024. This means that games released before 2024, but I have only started to play in 2024 are fair game. This list is my personal opinion, and I’m open to hear your opinion on my picks. Feel free to also add your own list down in the comment section. So, here we go, the big list. A list that I always have trouble in creating at the end of the year. As an editorial note, the listed platform in this article is the platform I played the game on. Not all the platforms the game released on. The date after it, is the release date for said platform.

#10 – Persona 5 – Tactica (PlayStation 4 – November 2023)

I have played Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5 Strikers and I fell in love with the cast of Persona 5. And then, a new game got released with the Persona 5 cast and I jumped for joy.

The gameplay might not be my most favorite style of playing, but the game is quite addictive. It’s basically Persona in a Fire Emblem jacket. I’m now mid-way through the game but got distracted by other games. I can’t wait to finish this game in 2025. The story is quite well written. It is an amazing spin-off story for Joker and the gang.

Now, I won’t go too much in depth since I’m planning to write an article about this game. So, I’ll talk more in depth about this game soon. But, now… it’s time to save Joker from his forced wedding.

#9 – Slay the Princess – The Pristine Cut (Nintendo Switch – October 2024)

How do I explain this game without spoiling it too much? Slay the Princess is a game where you almost Groundhog Day your way through the same story. You walk up to a cabin, where you go to the basement to Slay the Princess.

According to the narrator, the Princess is a danger to the existence of the world. So, you have been sent to slay her. But, depending on the questions you ask, the decisions you take and even the order of your actions… The ending is different.

The story is just insane. It keeps you on edge what will be different in the next round. And the humor and writing in this game is just amazing. The voice action is just amazing. It brings the black, gray and white art to live and pulls you in the atmosphere quite well.

So, if you enjoy narrative games that mess with your head and expectations, give this game a try. Since, it’s a really good one.

#8 – Another Code – Recollection (Nintendo Switch – January 2024)

My first impression

Cing was an amazing developer that sadly went bankrupt. They developed amazing games on the Nintendo DS and Wii like Another Code – R & Little King Story. But to me, the Another Code set of games is one of their best work.

When we got a total remake in 2024, I wanted to play it right away. I convinced my streaming friend Klamath to play this game with me live on stream. I have to tell you, they did the two games justice. I’m so glad that these two games saw the light of day again.

While I have beaten the originals, the new and improved version is just amazing. It has a strong message and is a blast to play through. Although it sounds like a boring setup, it’s a game full of surprises. It is a more relaxing and charming game. It is more grounded and keeps things realistic. The characters are well written and set in a charming world.

#7 – Hypnospace Outlaw (PC – March 2019)

My review

Trying to manage a community isn’t an easy task to do. It’s a fun challenge to do in a game. That’s why management simulators are so popular.

But, combine that with the old school internet from the time I was a young kid, I am beyond intrigued. So, we have to report and clean up personal websites and projects? As a creative, I have my own place on the internet. I can share my opinions there. This hits close to home.

I wrote my opinion on this game in my review. If you want to know more about this game, I highly recommend that you give my review a read.

Now, there is a sequel in development called DreamSettler. If that’s created with the same love and care for that time period, and it matches the devotion this game has for its time period, it will be thrilling. We are going to be in for a wild ride.

#6 – Palworld (PC – January 2024)

Wishes for future updates

Sometimes, all that I need is a good open world game with unique mechanics. A world where you have to survive and explore. This year, Palworld brought that to me.

At first, I was skeptical. I thought: “This is going to be a monster catching game and nothing too much more.” But the more this game got developed, this more things got added that gave more depth to the game. More fun things to do, more polish to the game.

I have lost countless hours during this summer playing this game. It was an amazing time sink for the base game that is already here. A lot more is coming in the future. I wonder what the final game will be.

#5 – The Legend of Zelda – Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo Switch – September 2024)

My first impression

Okay, this might be an upset. Usually, I place new Zelda games quite high on my list. But, this time I place it right in the middle. This year had a lot of amazing games. I had a lot of fun with this title in 2024.

I dropped it for now. I got distracted by other games and I forgot that I was playing through this game. I have placed it on my top 10 list. It rightfully deserves a spot on that list. I want to finish this game for real.

Since, the concept of Echoes of Wisdom is just amazing. What I love most is that this is a totally new 2.5D Zelda game like the classic games. I hope that the reception of this game is enough for Nintendo to still make 2.5D and 3D Zelda titles. Since, both have their place in the market and with this amazing title.

#4 – Spirit Hunter Chapter 3: Death Mark II (Nintendo Switch – February 2024)

My review

The Spirit Hunter series is one of the best horror visual novel series. This game ensures you don’t need to have played the original Death Mark. It’s excellent because you can still understand what’s happening in the story.

The game takes a lot of steps forward and makes the game have more meat around its bones. Walking around in the locations is a lot more fun in this title.

Some game mechanics are underused. For example, the jumpscares and the padding aren’t always present in this game. Things like the Soul Health are barely used. But, the battles with the actual spirits are even more amazing in this title. Especially with the randomness of your attack failing. It gives a more tense and realistic spin on battles.

Now, I’m hoping so hard that a 4th chapter will be released. Since the concept of this game is just beyond amazing. The writing is always great and the overall mystery is built up so nice. So, if anyone of Experience Inc, would be reading this… We want more!

#3 – Moescape (PC, 2022)

My article

I love writing small stories as a hobby. Since the summer of 2024, I wanted to give those AI roleplay apps a chance. And I’m happy that I did. MoeScape AI is a platform that really clicked with me and with the amazing community around it… I just feel in love.

My brain often gets creative. When this happens, there is a fun bot waiting for me. I can play around with the idea. And if there isn’t a bot that fits the idea, it’s easy to make one. The control that Moescape gives you is beyond amazing. You can easily make a knowledge base. There are various AI models to choose from. With each update, it gets better.

Something I really like is how open the staff is on the Discord. Like, they tell you when things are down. Or when certain decisions need to be taken. Like filtering certain things on the platform due to restrictions from Apple or Google. But, they have a less filtered platform as well. So, they have Moescape and Yodayo. If you go premium, your account is premium on both platforms, and it’s amazing.

#2 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PC – December 2024)

Okay, now. This is going to ruffle some feathers. I am a giant Indiana Jones fan. I placed one of the best Indiana Jones games in 2nd place on my game of the year list?

Now, that’s not because this game is bad or didn’t impress me enough. But, it wasn’t the game that made my year. Sadly enough, it released too late in the year for that.

I know it’s a strange reason. However, I feel like there is one game that pushed the boundaries more within its respective genre.

This game is a blast to play through. I feel that it deserves all the accolades it’s getting. It’s an amazing piece in the Indiana Jones franchise. It’s a love letter to the fans. I’m just thankful that the game turned out this amazing.

When I have beaten the game, I’ll for sure write an article about it. Since on the streams, a lot of random and enjoyable banter is happening. And truly, if you want to see amazing speedruns of this game, check out the_Kovic on his Twitch channel. He has deep knowledge of the game’s inner workings. He shares a lot of interesting insights during the streams.

Now, prepare yourself for an article on this game in the future. Since, I have a lot of things I still want to say and I’m keeping them all for the article.

Honorable mentions

This list wouldn’t be complete if I shout out various other games I have played in the past year. Not every game made the cut. I still wanted to mention those games that made the long list but didn’t survive the selection process.

Cave Digger 2 (PC), Buckshot Roulette (PC), Refind self (Nintendo Switch), Castlevania Dominus Collection (Nintendo Switch), Death Trick: DoubleBlind (Nintendo Switch), Dragon Quest Monsters – The Dark Prince (Nintendo Switch), Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising (Nintendo Switch), Ciel Fledge -A Daughter Raising Simulator- (Nintendo Switch), New Super Lucky’s Tale (Nintendo Switch), CrisTales (Nintendo Switch), One More Dungeon 2 (Nintendo Switch), Monster Hunter Rise (Nintendo Switch), This is not my Neighbor (PC) and Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (Nintendo Switch), Everloop (PC)

#1 – Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (PC – August 2023)

My review

If there was one game that blew me away, that’s Shadow Gambit – The Cursed Crew. The way how it’s built and is the final swansong of the amazing development studio Minimi, it’s just fantastic.

The voice acting is top-notch. The story is excellent. Several game mechanics are seamlessly worked into the game world and the story. But that’s not all, this game has a mindblowing modding tool.

The little attention to detail this game does and the balancing is just mindblowing. The freedom you have to tackle each mission, and it just works. It’s balanced and doesn’t feel unfair. It also doesn’t feel like you made it too difficult by choosing the wrong characters. It also never becomes too easy, where one character makes sure you automatically win the game or the mission. Every character has their use. And you have 8 characters in the base game and 2 get added via the DLC.

I can gush for a long time about this game. If you are interested in a more in-depth article, I highly advise you to read my review linked higher.

This was 2024

I might have written fewer articles in 2024 because a lot of personal things where going on. I have written only 19 articles in 2024. One of the biggest reasons is that I’m just putting more time into finding the right writing style. This has a lot to do with it.

I have been dedicating more time to various other projects. These include contributing to open source projects, translating open source projects, and streaming with Klamath. I am also working on projects for my local acting group. It takes time and effort and I’m enjoying those things quite a lot.

Outside of that, I turned 31 years old in 2024 and life just gets busier with various things. And because of that, I’m also playing less games. At first, I felt guilty that I’m publishing so few articles… But after two years of writing fewer articles, I now dedicate more time to each one. I feel a lot more content with the content I’m placing on my blog here.

I feel that my content only improved over the years. Not only that, I feel more content with my writing. It doesn’t feel like I’m pressuring myself to play a new game every week or two to write about. I can take my time to play the games I want. I also write about the topics I find interesting.

I think I’m finally finding the right rhythm for everything and that’s what I felt that 2024 was for me. Now, this year 2025 is going to be the year I’m writing for 15 years. Before I rebranded in 2013 to this blog, I write a personal life blog that started mid 2010. So, I’m going to celebrate this year with a few special articles. And I have been preparing and brainstorming idea’s for that in 2024.

But thank you everybody for the amazing support in 2024. It was a blast to see how people interacted with my articles and the new friends I made. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next. Like I said earlier, I feel prouder of the things I have been putting out. I hope you are enjoying things as well. Thank you for the support this year and I hope to see you in the future. So, for now, have a great rest of your day and take care.

When I was younger, I was always convinced that the first Tomb Raider game got a sort of remake on the Game Boy Color. It makes a lot of sense in my mind, since the title of the game was Tomb Raider. And in the same time period, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine also got a port to the Game Boy Color. That game was an interesting remake in 2D. Now, we are not here to discuss an Indiana Jones game, so let us focus on the Tomb Raider games.

I do not always do research before I start playing a game. This game is one perfect example. I just started the game up, expecting the story starting with a rendition of the Ice Caves. But, to my surprise, the game started up different. 

The actual subtitle of the game is The Nightmare Stone. On the box-art, we just got Tomb Raider as a title. On the box-art, we see that Lara is running away from an erupting volcano and behind her, you see several skeleton enemies. The bottom section is reserved for company logo’s like Eidos, Core Dynamics, the licensor Nintendo, and the publisher THQ. We also got the “Only on Game Boy Color” triangle in the left corner.

The game was released in June 2000. On June 7th, North America, Europe got it on June 28th and the UK two days later. Only Australia got the game a little bit later. Their version got released on July 18th. Nowhere on the box-art, the game got the subtitle The Nightmare Stone. The game just released as “Tomb Raider” in North America and released as “Tomb Raider: starring Lara Croft” in all other regions. This is a practice also done with the other Tomb Raider games. It would have been easier if they just added the subtitle, to make conversation easier.

The critics gave Lara Croft is first entry on the Game Boy Color very high praise. Various gaming magazines and websites gave this title 8 or 9 out of ten. The average score of this title is 79% on the aggregator GameRankings. One of the lowest scores I could find was by a German magazine named 64 Power in their June issue, giving it a three out of 5 or 60%.

Since Core Design developed this game, it will not be a surprise that you find a lot of developers on this game also worked on the main Tomb Raider games. This game was developed by people who knew how a Tomb Raider game should play. In this title, Lara is hunting after the Nightmare Stone. This stone is in possession of a treasure hunting group who wants to use it to release the evil god Quaxet, a factious god in the Mayan mythology.

Playing through this game, you really want to play through a Tomb Raider game. Of course, there are some big differences since the game got released on a handheld. The most obvious difference is that the game is in 2D. There were only a handful of 3D Game Boy games, and most of them did not involve jumping. 

Another significant difference with the main line Tomb Raider games is that this game plays a lot slower. The controls are more limited on the Game Boy Color, and more action-packed gameplay could not really be implemented, per se without it becoming really clunky. 

Speaking about the controls, it takes some time to get used to. I mostly played platformers or adventure games on the Game Boy, and I was so used to push the A button to make my character jump. But Lara jumps with the up arrow in this game. Not only that, if you want to climb up ledges, you need to hold B. Which is the button you use to run. If you are moving left or right and press B, Lara starts running. When Lara is running, and you press the jump button, Lara jumps in the direction she is running. This gives you a hint how to jump a gap when standing still. You have to press B first before the jump button to jump over a gap.

This control scheme is quite ambitious since there is no real tutorial in game explaining the controls. You do not have a training or testing level in Lara’s home. The manual explains these things quite well, but if you bought your copy today from a garage sale without the manual, I would advise you to look for it online. The control scheme is something that you will not really expect from a Game Boy game. 

Earlier, I mentioned that this game has a slower pace compared to the main line Tomb Raider games. That was intentional. If you start running everywhere, you will find that this game will be quite harsh and brutal. There are several pits and gaps that either eat a good chunk of your health or kills you right away. Enemies are also hidden everywhere, and their damage can be unforgiving. 

You cannot save where you want in this game, since the save crystals from early Tomb Raider console games return in this game. Learning where the save crystals are important. It is the only way you can save, and it is you respawn spot when Lara losses all her health. The save crystals are not close to each other, either, so I was always happy to find one. 

If you do not really know the controls, it can feel a bit like trial and error. For example, I did not know that when you are running and jump, Lara will land further than from a standing jump. I did not expect this mechanic to be in the Game Boy Color games as well. Other things like dynamite being able to use to explode walls, which is something I’d have loved to get explained to me.

Overall, visually, this game is extremely impressive. Once everything starts clicking together, and you get used to the controls, this game is a hidden gem on the Game Boy Color. When you know what you are doing, this game takes around 4 hours to play through. For a first playthrough, I would say that you can finish this game in roughly 15 hours. 

The game must have been quite successful since a year later we got a new adventure in the same engine and style. Eidos tried to get this game released around the time the first Tomb Raider movie released. Tomb Raider – Curse of the Sword, released in late June in North America and in August in Europe. 

This time, the game was not released by THQ, but by Activision. Most of the team who worked on the first Game Boy game also worked on this title. Because this game got a shorter development time, this game is shorter compared to the first Game Boy Color game. If you know what you are doing, this game can be beaten in two and a half hours. For a first playthrough, I estimate that it will take 8 to 10 hours. 

The sequel got the same reception from critics when it released. This game still shows off impressive visuals for the Game Boy Color. Remember that the Game Boy Color is an 8-bit system, and these two Tomb Raider games had such fluid animations that it looked next-generation. Did you know that there are over two thousand animation frames per game to make the animation work? Lara’s model is also forty-eight pixels, making her one of the most detailed characters on the Game Boy Color. 

Personally, I feel like both games are amazing entries into the Tomb Raider series. While they play quite different from their console and PC counterparts, both are an amazing adventure through various locations. You still must solve various puzzles and platform your way around. In Curse of the Sword, you even have a chase sequence on the rooftops. 

When I look with a critical eye at these two games in 2024, I would say that the lack of a tutorial for the controls really hurts the game. Also, some people might be put off from the difficulty level of this game. These games have some really difficult sections. Use the save crystals well! Otherwise, you might lose a lot of progress. And if I am really nitpicky, I could say that some areas would benefit from a map screen. But the levels are a bit too complex for those and with the small Game Boy Color screen, the map might not be even readable. Thankfully, there are various sources online, like Stella’s Tomb Raider site (tombraiders.net) that have amazingly drawn maps. 

When you read this, you might think that beating these games without a walkthrough is almost impossible. But do not worry. These games are quite linear and straight forward. I rarely got stuck in these games by not knowing what to do next. Most of the time, I did not know I was able to perform a certain action or how to solve a certain puzzle. 

The streak of releasing a new game every year continues in November 2002. The Game Boy Color was on its way out, and the next title was released on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. For this title, Ubisoft Milan was tasked with creating a new game. That is because the main team was working on the sixth main title, Angel of Darkness. Tomb Raider – The Prophecy was released to mixed reviews. It released in early December in Japan.

This game played quite different compared to the Game Boy Color titles and played more as a top-down isometric puzzle platformer. If I am very honest, this is the gameplay style I expected more of the Tomb Raider series on the Game Boy. It is mainly because I associate Tomb Raider more as a top-down game on handhelds than it being a 2D side view game. The Game Boy Color version of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine showed me it was possible to have a game like that on Game Boy Color. 

The story of this title is about the Tome of Ezekiel. In this tome, a story is told about three magical stones that bring great power. She faces a big cult by the name of Teg-du-Bhorez. The game takes about 6 hours to complete on a first playthrough. If you really know what you are doing, this game can be beaten in 2 hours and a half. 

Honestly, for a portable Tomb Raider adventure, I really enjoyed this one. It is a rather underrated gem in my opinion and really can be quite exciting to play. Especially since the formula really works this way on the Game Boy Advance. The big issue is that reviewers compared it too much to the mainline series, which is quite unfair to do. What I can agree with, is that this game can feel a bit repetitive at times in terms of puzzles and level mechanics. But it is way less repetitive compared to the Game Boy Color titles, since a lot more puzzle solving like statue placing is used. 

The final Tomb Raider title on the Game Boy line of platforms came in 2006. After the very mixed reception to Angel of Darkness, the IP was given to Crystal Dynamics and Tomb Raider Legend was born. Talking about that, can be an entire article in itself. But, to close off this article, I want to quickly focus on Tomb Raider Legend on the Game Boy Advance. I know there is a port to the Nintendo DS, but I do not have any nostalgic memories for that one. I do have nostalgic memories for the Game Boy Advance port.

Now, let me tell you, the Game Boy Advance port was rough. The game went back to the style in like the Game Boy Color games. Yet, it also tried to do intractable doors. I can totally understand why reviewers back in the day were extremely negative about this game. Especially, since the console and PC versions of this game were such a blast of fresh air in the series. 

Still, why did I beat this title 100% three times? Because, it had a certain charm. You could find various secrets in the game to unlock secrets like concept art or even cheat codes. But you were not able to see if you got all treasures in a level. The jumping and swinging controls were a bit awkward, yet you had very forgiving checkpoints. 

There are a few things that stick with me to this day, the fact that the final boss is rendered a joke in this version. Just mash the attack button and you easily win. No matter the difficulty. Also, the mini-games and exploring Lara’s home were fun distractions as well. Moreover, I want to thank all the pizza boys who delivered me pizza during the writing of this article, like in the credits of this game.

And with that, I want to wrap up this brief nostalgic look into the 4 Tomb Raider titles on the Game Boy Color and Advance. My name is NekoJonez and if you enjoyed my writing and want to read more of my work, you can find me over at: https://arpegi.wordpress.com. I want to thank you all for reading my article, and I hope you enjoy the work of the other writers in this magazine. But for now, I am out! I hope to welcome you in another article but until then, have a great rest of your day and take care!

Editorial note: This article has been written for a gaming magazine. Did you find this article interesting? Then you should read the other articles right here. Thank you so much Dominus for letting me publish an article. There are various articles about Ultimate Underworld Retrospective – Sin God – The Making of the Wipeout logo design – …

The release date for Unknown 9: Awakening has been announced.

During Gamescom Opening Night Live, developer Reflector Entertainment along with publisher Bandai Namco revealed Unknown 9: Awakening will release on 18th October. It will be available across PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC (Steam).

You can check out the live action trailer for Unknown 9: Awakening, which stars The Witcher's Anya Chalotra as the game's protagonist Haroona, below.

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It's been two years since Mafia developer Hangar 13 confirmed it was working on a new entry in its open-world crime series, and the time has finally come for it to be revealed to the world. It's called Mafia: The Old Country and is heading to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC next year.

While 2016's Mafia 3 shunted the series forward in time to the late 60s (the first two games spanned the 1930s, 40s, and 50s between them), The Old Country is going backward, presenting players with a "gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily."

"Fight to survive in this dangerous and unforgiving era," teases the scant bit of blurb accompanying today's teaser trailer, "with action brought to life by the authentic realism and rich storytelling that the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for."

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Dying Light developer Techland has shown off a new game in its zombie series that began life as a DLC for Dying Light 2 Stay Human.

Announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live, Dying Light: The Beast is a solo or four-player co-op experience pitched as a "tight" 18-hour ride through a fresh area of the franchise's world.

Dying Light protagonist Kyle Crane, once again voiced by Roger Craig Smith, returns here, a decade on. In-game, Crane has been in captivity, and experimented on. The upside? You have zombie DNA powers to unleash that beast on enemies.

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Microsoft has confirmed the next batch of titles headed to Xbox Game Pass for the latter half of August: Atlas Fallen, Core Keeper, and Star Trucker.

Then there's that little known game called Call of Duty Black Ops 6. You'll be able to participate in the early access open beta when it kicks off for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on 30th August, 2024, with pre-downloading available from 28th August.

"Sure, it takes itself way too seriously and the loot chase can get monotonous, but everything outside of the monster-slaying is just an excuse to get right back to the monster-slaying. Or make the monster-slaying cooler with upgrades," we said in our Atlas Fallen review.

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Sony is pulling Horizon Forbidden West from its PS Plus subscription service in the coming weeks.

The first-party Sony game is now listed under the 'Last Chance to Play' section on PS Plus, along with the likes of NieR Replicant, Marvel's Midnight Suns and Alien Isolation.

This upcoming removal of Forbidden West comes just a few months after Horizon Zero Dawn was also removed from the service, which as Tom wrote at the time seemed a surprising move by Sony.

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Paradox Interactive's streak of game delays continues with the news its Chinese-Room-developed Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is now targeting a release in the "first half of 2025", rather than its previously announced "late 2024" window.

In a post on its website, Paradox called the delay a "proactive decision" derived from its commitment earlier this year to deliver "high-quality games" to its players. "Though [Bloodlines 2] is in a good enough place that we could have maintained our planned release window," it wrote, "Paradox and The Chinese Room collaboratively decided to prioritise polish."

Paradox says the delay will "create a quality assurance buffer, giving more time between testing and launch, ensuring we release the game when it's ready." More specifically, The Chinese Room will use the time to expand Bloodlines 2's story, providing twice as many endings as its predecessor, and to "adjust certain areas" such as Fabien - the voice in its protagonist's head.

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Hunt: Showdown 1896 - the huge new update that necessitated an engine upgrade and introduced all new UI - has just hit an all-new concurrent player peak of over 60,000.

Up until the 1896 update dropped on 15th August, the extraction shooter's simultaneous player record - set back in October 2023 - sat at a modest 42,000ish players.

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Just when Geoff Keighley had started to fade from your memory, he comes rubber-banding back with a vengeance - snap! It's Gamescom week and it kicks off with Opening Night Live this evening from 7pm UK time (other Opening Night Live timings here). A pre-show with additional announcements will begin at 6.30pm UK. We'll be watching and reporting on it live, as always, right here, so you can either keep abreast of announcements while you do something else, or you can join in with your thoughtful and amusing comments. Please keep us company. Please.

What do we expect to see today? Well, probably Geoff Keighley, but also the new Indiana Jones game, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Dune Awakening. We're also expecting Little Nightmares creator Tarsier to unveil its new project, which could be exciting. On top of that: Diablo 4 expansion Vessel of Hatred, Civilization 7, hero shooter Marvel Rivals, Lost Records (the project made by the creators of Life is Strange), Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (which was recently delayed), and Black Ops 6. Keighley's best pal Hideo Kojima has also been tweeting enigmatic silhouetted pictures of actors who are presumably playing roles in Death Stranding 2.

And before you ask, "Yes, there will be new game announcements," Keighley said on X.

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Netflix has given us our best look yet at its upcoming animated series, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.

The show is scheduled to make its debut on the streaming service this autumn, and features the vocal talents of the MCU's Hayley Atwell as Lara Croft. It's all set to take place after the events of the Tomb Raider Survivor trilogy, which comprised Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

"Following the events of the Survivor Trilogy, Lara Croft (voiced by Hayley Atwell) has abandoned her friends to embark on increasingly more perilous solo adventures," reads the official blurb. "But she must return home when a dangerous and powerful Chinese artefact is stolen from Croft Manor by a thief with an uncanny personal connection."

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The Borderlands film adaptation will seemingly be available to watch digitally from the comfort of your home very soon.

While nothing has been officially announced by Lionsgate itself, multiple sources such The Hollywood Handle, DVD Release Dates, ScreenTime and When to Stream all have the Cate Blanchett-fronted film listed as being made available digitally from as soon as 30th August.

That's less than a month after its cinematic release, with the film only debuting on 9th August.

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Dead Cells today has received its final major update, The End is Near, after seven years of development.

This will be the 35th update to the game, which has received a number of DLCs to expand gameplay and reference other popular games, from Castlevania to Hollow Knight.

The End is Near expands on the curse mechanic, with three new mobs, three new weapons, and three new mutations.

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Vampire Survivors' free Darkasso update is now available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox, and mobile devices.

"It's been a while since we added a new major feature, so we tried not to spoil the contents of this patch immediately," Poncle teased in the patch notes. "Hope it worked to keep the contents a bit of a surprise."

New additions include nine new extra achievements, a new challenge stage and relic, two new "special character skins", and five new Arcanas to spice up your experience.

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Destiny developer Bungie says it has addressed an issue where players have had their usernames changed by its "name moderation tool".

After "actively investigating" the issue for 24 hours, Bungie advised that while it had "identified the issue that was forcing a high number of Bungie name changes", it was "continuing to investigate" what happened and how "to address player accounts that were impacted".

Although Bungie acknowledged that a "high number of account names have been changed", the studio stopped short of confirming exactly how many players were affected.

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If you cast your minds back to October 2021, you may recall the news that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was set to make its way to the VR headset, Oculus Quest 2. While details on the project were thin on the ground at this time, it was said to have been "many years in the making".

However, not quite three years since that initial announcement, Meta has now said work on the VR port is "on hold indefinitely".

In response to a YouTube commenter inquiring as to the whereabouts of GTA: San Andreas VR, the official Meta Quest Vr account replied: "GTA: San Andreas is on hold indefinitely while we both focus on other projects."

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Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney has said he has "no regrets" over his company's decision to break Apple and Google's terms of service back in August 2020 - something that saw the hugely-popular Fortnite booted off both iPhone and Android storefronts.

The carefully choreographed stunt sparked four years of legal wrangling over Apple and Google's app store policies - and has ultimately led to Epic Games launching its own mobile store today on Android worldwide and on iPhone in mainland Europe, thanks to policy changes demanded of Apple by the EU.

"We've probably lost a billion dollars not having Fortnite on iOS the past four years," Sweeney said, in a briefing to press ahead of the Epic Games Store on mobile going live. "But what's the price of freedom?"

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The enhanced version of classic point-and-click adventure Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars now has a release date: 19th September.

This "Reforged" version will be available across PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Series X S, Nintendo Switch and PC (Windows, macOS and Linux).

The game's redrawn visuals have been upgraded to 4K, but there's also a new story mode UI including subtle hints aimed at new players.

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Call of Duty has become an absolute hard drive hog in recent years, with 2023's entry managing to consume over 200GB of storage in some cases. That all might be about to change, however, as Activision has announced major changes to the way it'll be handing installs with this year's Black Ops 6, promising "smaller and more customised downloads" as a result.

Activision shared the news in a post on its Call of Duty blog, explaining its optimisation work will begin with a revamp of "the experience formerly known as Call of Duty HQ". This revamp is set to roll out over the course of several updates ahead of Black Ops 6's October launch, and will promises to introduce a streamlined interface, direct access to games, more control over downloads, and expanded texture streaming technology to reduce file sizes.

A first update to reorganise game content arrives on 21st August. Then, following Black Ops 6's open beta on 30th August, a new user interface and other "remaining updates" are scheduled for mid-October. After these "larger initial updates", Activision says future Call of Duty downloads will decrease in size and existing files will take up less space on players' device.

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Flame Fatales, the all-women and femmes charity speedrunning event from Games Done Quick, returns for another week-long programme of impressively swift gaming feats this weekend.

This year's Flame Fatales (which will be the event's fourth outing since its launch back in 2021) gets underway on Sunday, 16th August. More specifically, things kick off at 6:15pm BST, with a Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores 100% speedrun by RE_doc19.

Seven days - and more than 50 speedruns - later - this year's Femme Fatales comes to a close at 4:06am BST with a Super Mario Odyssey Talkatoo% speedrun by CheeseJay. In between, you can expect speedruns for the likes of Persona Dancing, Sonic CD, Broken Age, Stray, the Resident Evil 2 remake, Rez, and plenty more - as outlined in this year's full schedule.

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For many, scaling Mount Everest has stood as the ultimate challenge of one's strength and endurance. An achievement of a lifetime. For long-time Doom players, however, there is an equivalent: NUTS.WAD. Legend has it that NUTS.WAD descended upon Doom players in the year 2001: a map from the future in which players are dropped into a single map with more than 10,000 enemies and a handful of power-ups. And now - for the first time ever - it's playable on a games console.

I'm half-joking, of course, but the ability to load in any Doom mod is just one great feature found in the latest version of Doom and Doom 2. Helmed by Nightdive in cooperation with id Software and Machine Games, this new version is worth looking at as it is the most feature rich, best-performing version of Doom on consoles. It's available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series consoles, Switch and even last-gen PS4 and Xbox hardware. The game was transitioned over to Nightdive's KEX engine and brings with it a vast array of enhancements - 120fps support on consoles, 16-player multiplayer including co-op, and a new soundtrack from the legendary Andrew Hulshult.

But it was the mod support that was my first destination and with it, the chance to see how Nightdive's work would cope with the NUTS.WAD challenge. This pushes beyond the limits of what Doom engine was intended to handle and now we can test it on console and the results are interesting. Before we go on, it's worth stressing that all current-gen machines can handle 4K gaming at 120fps - and yes, that includes Series S. The engine is optimised and fast - all the included content and every map I tested runs like greased lightning. I wanted to raise this caveat because the challenge of NUTS.WAD is so extreme and cruel that I don't want people to get the wrong idea. The fact that you can run NUTS.WAD at all is cause for celebration!

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Fans were jubilant when Persona 3 received a remake earlier this year, but this turned to disappointment when it became clear its Episode Aigis epilogue DLC was not included. Multiple versions of Persona 3 have been released since the game's initial PS2 launch in 2006 - namely Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Portable, each with unique additions. The release of this year's Persona 3 Reload was an opportunity to provide the definitive version of the game, but without Episode Aigis fans were upset it would remain incomplete.

That's why Atlus relented and has now additionally remade Episode Aigis: The Answer with all the trappings of Reload - though no doubt the fact it's the fastest-selling Atlus game ever was also persuasive. Finally, fans will get the complete story experience they've craved (though still without the alternative female protagonist from P3P). But after going hands-on with the DLC, I'm still left with a lingering question: what exactly was the main game missing?

I played Persona 3 for the first time this year and really enjoyed its twisted teen drama, even if the series as a whole is starting to feel formulaic. Yet after receiving the true ending, the story felt complete and I wasn't left with unanswered questions. So what kind of answer can The Answer provide?

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UPDATE 20/8/24: Well, there you go. Following last week's Deadline report, Amazon has officially unveiled Secret Level, a new "adult-animated anthology series featuring original stories set within the worlds of some of the most beloved video games".

It's a 15-episode series from the creators of Love, Death & Robots, and it'll feature stories inspired by Armored Core, Concord, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, PAC-MAN, Sifu, Spelunky, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament, Warhammer 40,000, and a variety of PlayStation Studios games.

And if that takes your fancy, you'll be wanting to circle 10th December on your calendar - which is when the series arrives on Prime Video - then check out its teaser trailer below.

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Springloaded Software, the developer behind 2021's animal-splicing tycoon game Let's Build a Zoo, has unveiled Let's Build a Dungeon - a new "multi-layered" management sim in which players attempt to run a game development studio while creating their own MMORPG.

Let's Build a Dungeon's first layer comes in the form of studio management, with players needing to recruit staff (including artists, programmers, planners, and testers); manage project deadlines, advertising campaigns, and press relationships; negotiate with shareholders, and pitch to publishers, all in the hope of rising from indie start-up to mega-blockbuster studio.

But alongside the business stuff, players also need to get creative and build their own fantasy MMO - which could be anything from a creature-catching RPG to a cosy farming sim - filling it with towns, monsters, dungeons, and quests, all tailored to satisfy their virtual playerbase's demands and expand its audience. And it's even possible to jump into your creation at any time to experience it through the eyes of your players.

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Sony has announced August's PlayStation Plus games.

Those on the subscription's Extra tier will get the following titles:

In addition to the above, those on PS Plus Premium will also get access to the below:

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Activision sure is dragging out its reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Zombies mode. But if you're sucker for the undead stuff, there's more where last week's trailer and gameplay reveal came from, with developer Treyarch having now offered a tour of Zombies' Terminus map.

Terminus Island is one of two maps that'll be available at launch (the other being the West Virginian town of Liberty Falls), and Treyarch calls it "one of the largest round-based Zombies maps ever created". Black Ops 6's Zombies mode takes place in the early 90s - five years after the events of Black Ops Cold War's Zombies mode - and Terminus Island serves as a prison for some familiar Requiem faces. After their liberation early at the start of the story, players can explore the prison itself before moving out to investigate its tropical island surroundings.

There's a secret research facility specialising in "weird science" (in case you were wondering where the zombies might spring up from this time), as well as the ocean, and assorted smaller islands - all of which players will visit as part of Terminus' main quest. It's described as a "living world" full of scripted encounters, ranging from zombies smashing out of vats and prison guards still trying to control the undead threat, to less fortunate souls being chomped on.

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Eli Roth's recent Borderlands film adaptation hasn't exactly had the best debut. Ahead of release, critics far and wide shared disparaging reviews of the adaptation, with phrases such as "disaster" and "lifeless, unfunny, and visually repulsive dud" being bandied about.

And then the film was released and, well, things didn't really get much better. The Cate Blanchette-fronted adaptation generated just $4m on its opening day, a disappointing result that looks set to result in the film becoming a commercial flop.

In fact, Borderlands has been such a misfire that now even filmmaker Uwe Boll - who previously directed that Alone in the Dark adaptation, which saw him nominated for not one but two 'Worst Director' awards (one of which he won) - is taking a swipe at it.

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Among Us developer InnerSloth has announced a collaboration with Dungeons and Dragons web series Critical Role.

This collaboration means players can now bedeck their little space beans with a number of items worn by those intrepid members from Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, or Bells Hells. I am talking about Artagan's Incredible Brows Visor or the Dust of Deliciousness Nameplate, to name but two.

"Getting to work alongside the wonderful crew of the hit TTRPG show Critical Role to bring some of their magic to Among Us for Gilmore's Curious Cosmicube has been mind blowing," InnerSloth said. "Be sure to go to our in-game store and spend some Stars before the Cosmicube is gone."

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RetroArch is now available on the Apple App Store. It is currently available for iPhone, iPad and tvOS. A macOS version on the Apple App Store is planned but no ETA. A new RetroArch version is also coming out soon.

The Galaxy S24 FE is Samsung's next Fan Edition smartphone. While Samsung missed launching the Galaxy S22 FE, it looks like Samsung will continue to launch FE series smartphones every year. The company doesn't usually launch all its smartphones in the USA, but it seems like the Galaxy S24 FE will definitely be launched in the country.

Galaxy S24 FE confirmed to launch in the USA

A new and unannounced Samsung smartphone with model number SM-S721U was spotted (via 91Mobiles) in the Bluetooth SIG database. Going by the model number, the phone is the upcoming Galaxy S24 FE's carrier-locked variant for the US market. For reference, the model number of the Galaxy S23 FE's US carrier-locked variant is SM-S711U.

The Galaxy S24 FE's Bluetooth certification document doesn't reveal any details about its specifications. However, considering the phone will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the US, it will likely feature 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3 (with LE Audio and LC3 codecs). The global version of the phone likely features the Exynos 2400 chip, which was also used in the global versions of the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24+.

A few days ago, complete features and specifications of the Galaxy S24 FE were leaked, along with the phone's images and color options. According to that report, the phone features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen with Full HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, in-display fingerprint reader, and Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection. It uses the Exynos 2400 or the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 For Galaxy chip, depending on the market.

You can watch the performance of the Exynos 2400 chip in our Galaxy S24 review in the video below.

It will reportedly have an aluminum frame, glass back, and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The phone will be available in five colors: blue, graphite, mint, silver, and yellow. The phone is said to feature a 50MP primary rear camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. On the front, it has a 10MP selfie camera. It can record 4K 60fps videos from the front and rear cameras.

The report also claimed the Galaxy S24 FE has 12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage. It will run Android 14-based One UI 6.1 out of the box and get at least four major Android OS updates and five years of security patches. It is powered by a 4,565mAh battery, capable of lasting up to 78 hours of audio streaming or 29 hours of video streaming on a single charge.

The Galaxy S24 FE has GPS, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. It also has 25W fast wired charging, 15W wireless Qi charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

The post Galaxy S24 FE to launch soon as its US variant gets spotted appeared first on SamMobile.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra, which will likely launch in January 2025, reportedly has a new design language featuring more rounded corners and softer edges. It is also getting new software that will gel well with the new design. The new design also improves the Galaxy S25 Ultra's screen size and bezels.

Galaxy S25 Ultra to feature a 6.9-inch screen, thinner bezels

According to a claim from usually reliable tipster Ice Universe (@UniverseIce), the Galaxy S24 Ultra will have a narrower body despite a bigger screen. It is said to have a 77.6mm wide body and a 6.86-inch screen. In comparison, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 79mm wide body and a 6.79-inch screen. This means Samsung will offer a bigger screen with a narrower body, which is a win-win for consumers.

The bezels around the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 6.8-inch screen measure 3.35mm. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, which reportedly has a 6.9-inch screen, has 2.3mm bezels around the display. That means the upcoming phone has 31% thinner bezels. This will improve the phone's ergonomics, and people will feel more comfortable holding it for a long time.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is also said to feature more rounded corners, moving away from the sharp corners seen on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This should bring more consistency between the design of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Currently, the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24+ have rounded corners, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra has sharper corners.

Watch our Galaxy S24 Ultra review in the video below.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is said to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip worldwide. It is an upcoming 3nm chip fabricated by TSMC and uses two high-performance CPU cores clocked at 4GHz and six power-efficient CPU cores clocked at 2.8GHz. It will reportedly use the new Adreno 8 series GPU with 40% faster performance.

Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone is said to feature a quad-camera setup on the rear. It reportedly uses a 200MP primary rear camera with OIS, a 50MP ultrawide camera, two 50MP telephoto cameras (3x and 5x optical zoom), and a 12MP selfie camera. It will continue to use a 5,000mAh battery and have 45W fast charging.

The post Galaxy S25 Ultra is getting a bigger screen, thinner bezels appeared first on SamMobile.

Last month, Xiaomi launched its first smartphone with a clamshell form factor and a foldable display, the Mix Flip, a direct competitor to the Galaxy Z Flip 6. After debuting the phone in China, the company confirmed that it would launch the phone in Europe with a price tag between EUR 1,300 and EUR 1,400. However, there was no information about when it would launch the phone there and exactly how much it would cost in the region. Well, now we have some information on the matter that could be troubling for Samsung.

On X/Twitter, @Sudhanshu1414 claims that Mix Flip is already available to purchase in Europe from a few retailers and costs EUR 1,299 in the region for 12GB RAM + 512GB storage variant, which is the only memory configuration the company is offering there.

The story continues after the video…

In comparison, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 costs EUR 1,319 for the same memory configuration in Europe. So, the one from Xiaomi is undercutting the one from Samsung by EUR 20. Although that’s minimal, the Mix Flip is now technically more affordable than the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Will that hamper the sales of Samsung’s latest clamshell smartphone? Well, we don’t think so. That’s because of two reasons. First, while the Mix Flip has excellent specifications, it is still not as durable or polished as the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Second, since it is the company’s first such device, people could avoid buying it in favor of the one from Samsung. That being said, Samsung could lose a few sales of its latest foldable clamshell phone in Europe due to the launch of the Mix Flip. It would be interesting to see which phone most people go with.

The post Xiaomi Mix Flip could eat into Galaxy Z Flip 6’s sales with cheaper price appeared first on SamMobile.

Qualcomm has launched a new chipset today, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. It comes as a successor to the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 and sits below the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3. Before we discuss what it offers, the company has interestingly revealed that Samsung is already developing a device with this SoC.

In the past, we have seen Samsung use Snapdragon 7 series chipsets in F and M series smartphones, such as the Galaxy F55. So, the company may offer it in the next phones in those lineups, which would be the Galaxy F56 and the Galaxy M56.

However, that’s just speculation. The brand could also offer it in an A-series device. That being said, the chances of that happening are quite low as we already have a rumor of Samsung powering the Galaxy A56 with its upcoming Exynos 1580 SoC.

Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 features

Coming to the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, it is made on a 4nm fabrication process and features one Prime core clocked at up to 2.5GHz, three performance cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz, and four efficiency cores clocked at up to 1.8GHz.

Qualcomm hasn’t provided any details about the GPU. According to the company, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 offers 20% faster CPU performance, 40% faster GPU performance, 30% better AI performance, and 12% lower power consumption compared to the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2.

The new chipset can drive a display with FHD+ resolution at up to 144Hz. It supports up to 16GB RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The ISP can handle 200MP photos and 4K HDR videos. Connectivity options include 5G mmWave and Sub-6GHz, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless Audio, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDoU, Galileo, QZSS, and NavIC.

Samsung won't be the only brand using this SoC. Qualcomm says that Realme, Sharp, and Xiaomi will also launch devices with the new chipset.

The post Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is coming to a Galaxy device appeared first on SamMobile.

HoYoverse announced that their free-to-play open world gacha game Genshin Impact is getting a major update at the end of the month. Version 5.0 will add the sixth nation of Teyvat which will come with various content and new areas to explore.

Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect from the 5.0 update, which is titled ‘Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn’.

• New Nation: Natlan, the Nation of War, and Nation of Pyro, reveals the first three of six tribes

• Open to early and mid-game players: Map unlock criteria – complete all Mondstadt Archon Quests and reach AR 19; Archon Quest unlock criteria – complete all of Liyue's Archon Quests and reach AR 28.

• Transform into Natlan's Saurians: Tepetlisaurus (burrow underground, climb cliffs), Koholasaurus (swim), Yumkasaurus (reach great heights)

• Tribes: Children of Echoes, Scions of the Canopy, People of the Springs

• Characters: Kinich (5-star, Dendro, Claymore), Mualani (5-star, Hydro, Catalyst), Kachina (4-star, Geo, Polearm)

• Banner: 1st – Mualani, Kachina, Kaedehara Kazuha; 2nd – Kinich, Raiden Shogun

• Bonus to celebrate the anniversary
  

The new nation is called Natlan, and HoYoverse provided a good description of the new region.

The road to Natlan will open with an unlocked Teleport Waypoint that is accessible to players, even beginners and intermediates, who have completed the Prologue of the Archon Quest in Mondstadt.

Known as the Nation of Pyro, Natlan is located west of the Sumeru desert. The people of this nation are divided into six main tribes. The dragons of Natlan, more commonly called Saurians, are the result of a long evolution and have evolved to coexist with humans, and they have even become their faithful companions. With Version 5.0, players will be able to explore three of the six tribes, as well as encounter three types of Saurians who live together with the locals.

Mastering the abilities of the different Saurians can prove decisive in exploring the towering cliffs and flowing springs, and players can transform into a Saurian by indwelling them. The Tepetlisaurus are Saurians good at tunneling undergrounds and climbing cliffs, and they are the companions of choice for the Children of Echoes who call the canyons their home. The Yumkasaurus can pull themselves in the chosen direction and reach great heights with ease. They have taken up residence among the Scions of the Canopy, a tribe living suspended from the walls of steep cliffs. As for the Koholasaurus, they can move quickly on water and liquid Phlogiston, which explains why they are commonly seen with the People of the Springs near the sea.

Natlan, also known as the Nation of War, honors her warriors at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, where the Champion of each tribe is chosen through a tournament. This is where the main story unfolds, as the player, accompanied by local warriors Kachina, Kinich, and Mualani, travel to the Stadium. To begin Natlan's Archon Quest, players need to reach Adventure Rank 28 and above, and have completed all of Liyue's Archon Quests.

New Characters

Those looking forward to the new characters will get to play around with Mualani and Kachina the moment Version 5.0 is in the first phase along with the Kaedehara Kazuha rerun. The new 5-star Kinich will debut during the second half and come with the Raiden Shogun. The stories for Natlan’s new characters will be available through the Tribal Chronicles, the new three-act quest chain.

Genshin Impact 4th Anniversary Celebration

The game’s 4th anniversary is just around the corner and HoYoverse is bringing back the special daily login event as players can earn up to ten Intertwined Fate, 1,600 Primogems waiting in their in-game mail, two exclusive gadgets — the Firstborn Firesprite and the Kabom Box, and more.

Furthermore, players can also invite a 5-star character from the Standard Wish lineup to their team for free. More updates on the Character Event Wish, Weapon Event Wish will be announced at a later date.

Genshin Impact’s Version 5.0 goes live on August 28, 2024.

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Publisher Krafton, best known for publishing games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and the survival horror The Callisto Protocol,, has acquired the Japanese studio Tango Gameworks as well as the intellectual property rights to their latest title Hi-Fi Rush from Microsoft Gaming.

You can read the announcement from the publisher here, but simply put, Krafton is investing in the Japanese market by giving the studio a second life further to pursue the famed rhythm action game Hi-Fi Rush.

As part of this strategic agreement, KRAFTON intends to collaborate with Xbox and ZeniMax to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks, allowing the talented team to continue developing the Hi-Fi RUSH IP and explore future projects. KRAFTON intends to support the Tango Gameworks team to continue its commitment to innovation and delivering fresh and exciting experiences for fans. There will be no impact on the existing game catalog of The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the original Hi-Fi RUSH game.

This move comes months after Microsoft made the decision to shutter four studios multiple studios within the Bethesda company and one of them was Tango Gameworks.

The studio was founded in 2010 and was formed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami and the was responsible for projects such as The Evil Within series, Ghostwire Tokyo, and Hi-Fi Rush, which was shadow-dropped on PC and Xbox consoles when it was revealed in 2023.

Xbox acquired the studio in 2021 as part of the massive $7.5 billion purchase of Bethesda’s parent company Zenimax.

The Krafton acquisition is the company’s attempt at “expanding its global footprint and enhancing its portfolio with innovative and high-quality content.”

What does this mean?

Tango Gameworks will be given the support to keep the studio running and will likely work on more Hi-Fi Rush projects. It will take a while before we hear anything concrete from the Tango, nor do we have a full picture of what this deal entails and how much freedom Krafton will provide the studio.

For those that haven’t played Hi-Fi Rush, I highly recommend the title as it was the biggest surprise in 2023, a charming action game with a unique mix of action and rhythm gameplay that was easily my 2023 game of the year, giving it an easy 5/5 when I reviewed it last year.

Before Microsoft’s announcement to close Tango Gameworks, Xbox released Xbox titles like Hi-Fi Rush on multiple platforms to expand the game’s player reach. Those also no longer Xbox exclusives are Sea of Thieves, Pentiment, and Grounded.

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Plunderin' bots on the high seas - It's been a long time but we finally have SteamWorld Heist II so pull your anchor up and let's sail on to a new adventure. Read more: SteamWorld Heist II Review

2K and Firaxis have revealed more information about Sid Meier's Civilization VII at gamescom 2024. After first publishing a teaser trailer at Summer Game Fest 2024, the companies revealed the release date and gameplay details for the new game at the European gaming event.

A new trailer for Civilization VII appeared first during the gamescom 2024 Opening Night Live stream. It showed a quick montage of in-engine footage, including buildings from various civilizations and units from different ages. The main highlight of this trailer was the release date announcement.

The new game will be available on February 11, 2025. While prior entries used to appear first on PCs with consoles like Nintendo Switch getting them later on, this trailer's ending segment hints that Civilization VII will be available simultaneously on not only PCs but also the PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U

Soon after that, Firaxis held an official gameplay showcase stream dedicated to the game on the series' official YouTube channel. The new game will have civilizations tied to each of the three different eras, and the leader character the player chooses is no longer tied to their original civilization.

For example, while Hatshepsut is originally related to Egypt, the player can choose to have her lead the Aksum civilization instead in the Antiquity Age. As the game progresses in age, the player will have to choose a different civilization for Hatshepsut to lead, such as Songhai or Mongolia in the Exploration Age, and Buganda in the Modern Age.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc3_EO6Bj2M

2K has also updated the game's Steam page with additional bonus editions that provide both in-game content at launch and post-launch DLC that 2K will release in the future. People who have pre-purchased any edition of the game—including the standard version before release—can get the native American civilization Shawnee and Tecumseh as a playable leader.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII will be available for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One on February 11, 2025.

The post Civilization VII Release Date and Gameplay Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:

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What's that? Your Game Pass subscription is changing again? Oh yes...

The post Game Pass Ultimate and Core: Atlas Fallen Headlines Brilliant New Additions appeared first on TheXboxHub.

Single player, story-driven adventures are what Red Thread Games do best. Their latest is now available - Dustborn on Xbox, PlayStation, PC

The post Dustborn: Hope, Love, and Robots in a Post-Apocalyptic World appeared first on TheXboxHub.

Ready to serve for the win? Tiebreak is the official game of the ATP and WTA - and it's available to play today on Xbox, PlayStation and PC. 

The post Tiebreak Aces Onto Consoles: Experience the Most Realistic Tennis Game Yet appeared first on TheXboxHub.

Konami have now confirmed renewal of their partnership with Manchester United FC, ensuring that they remain one of the principal clubs in eFootball; Konami's free-to-play offering. 

The post Manchester United and eFootball Renew Partnership, Bringing Virtual Glory to the Red Devils appeared first on TheXboxHub.

All the tunes and cars you’ll need to complete this week's festivities, those found in the Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist Weekly Challenges for Series 37 Summer and onwards.

The post Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist Weekly Challenges Guide Series 37 – Summer appeared first on TheXboxHub.

Turtle Beach refresh their brilliant Stealth 700 Headset, announced alongside some charging options and Nintendo Switch gear. 

The post Turtle Beach: Level Up Your Gaming Experience with These New Products appeared first on TheXboxHub.

Looking for a hair-raising nightmare to immerse yourself in? The Mortuary Assistant: Definitive Edition on Xbox is going to provide it. 

The post Embrace the Horror of The Mortuary Assistant With New Content for Xbox Players appeared first on TheXboxHub.

Now available on Xbox, PlayStation and PC, House of Golf 2 is set within a sprawling house, and makes your golf ball very small indeed.

The post House of Golf 2 brings wacky mini-golf to your couch on Xbox, PlayStation and PC appeared first on TheXboxHub.

From out of nowhere, racing towards Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC is the exhilarating high-speed racing of Phantom Spark. 

The post Inspired by Trackmania & WipeOut, Phantom Spark Ignites on Consoles & PC appeared first on TheXboxHub.

Will you Rewind or Die?

The post Rewind or Die? Can You Survive the Night Shift? appeared first on TheXboxHub.

Available today as the latest 'Limbo-esque' gaming experience to land on Xbox is Unleaving.

The post Xbox Gets Unleaving: A Hand-Painted Journey Through a Child’s Imagination appeared first on TheXboxHub.

A spooky adventure, Murder is Game Over: Streaming Death releases on console. Will you be able to get to the bottom of the mystery?

The post Beware the Seaside Curse – Murder is Game Over: Streaming Death Brings Spooky Adventure to Console appeared first on TheXboxHub.