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  • ✇NekoJonez's Gaming Blog
  • Game History – Tomb Raider On The GameBoyNekoJonez
    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 pla
     

Game History – Tomb Raider On The GameBoy

Od: NekoJonez
30. Prosinec 2024 v 22:46

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 – …

  • ✇CGMagazine
  • Star Wars Outlaws: Women Taking the Lead in A Galaxy Far, Far AwayDayna Eileen
    Star Wars Outlaws is the latest game that takes place in the Star Wars universe right in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The story follows a scoundrel named Kay Vess as she makes a name for herself as an outlaw—and her loveable pet, Nix. For the first time, players will be diving into an open-world Star Wars game with Star Wars Outlaws, and they’ll be doing it as a woman. CGM got to sit down with two women taking the lead with Star Wars Outlaws, Humberly González and
     

Star Wars Outlaws: Women Taking the Lead in A Galaxy Far, Far Away

22. Srpen 2024 v 15:00
Star Wars Outlaws: How Women Are Taking The Lead

Star Wars Outlaws is the latest game that takes place in the Star Wars universe right in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The story follows a scoundrel named Kay Vess as she makes a name for herself as an outlaw—and her loveable pet, Nix. For the first time, players will be diving into an open-world Star Wars game with Star Wars Outlaws, and they’ll be doing it as a woman.

CGM got to sit down with two women taking the lead with Star Wars Outlaws, Humberly González and Nikky Foy. González, known for her roles in Ginny & Georgia on Netflix and more recently, Tarot, is the voice of Kay and handles all the motion capture for the role. Foy is the Lead Scriptwriter for Star Wars Outlaws at Ubisoft Toronto, which means not only do we have a woman as the face of the game, but we have one narrating it, too.

We talked with Foy and González about what it means to work on such a beloved property, how being women and having women take the lead has influenced Star Wars Outlaws, and what that means to them. Seeing women as the faces and storytellers behind these epic tales is something every girl needs growing up, and that knowledge was not lost on the pair while working on Star Wars Outlaws for the last several years.

Star Wars Outlaws: How Women Are Taking The Lead

I read you both worked on Far Cry 6. Did your paths cross while working on it, or did you recently meet on Star Wars Outlaws?  

Nikki Foy: Well, recently is…

Humberly González: The last couple of years, yes!

Nikki Foy: For Far Cry 6, we didn’t really work together. I was mostly doing the villain DLC stuff. 

Humberly González: Right. And I played Jonrón, which wasn’t a part of that. We don’t often get to interact with everybody. Sometimes, you’re a part of a project, and there are so many humans attached. 

And non-humans in the case of Star Wars Outlaws [Nix].

Humberly González: And then non-humans! It’s kind of cool that we both come from the same projects and now we actually get to interact so often. 

Nikki Foy: Yeah, I think, too, as a writer, you see more of the actors than they see of you, right? So, on Far Cry 6, I definitely knew who Humberly was and all her work and stuff. When we were casting this, that was all in there for sure.

So our nerdy fandoms, especially things like Star Wars, present very male-dominated, whether that’s the creative team or the fans. What’s it like to lead the charge on this both as the creative team and as the voice and the body of Star Wars Outlaws? To lead this male-dominated universe and have it be women first right now.

Nikki Foy: It’s a really great opportunity, I think, for not just individuals but for the brand as a whole. I was just talking about how I was at Galaxy’s Edge for the first time in my life and just cried the whole time because I couldn’t believe it. And I was building a lightsaber in that experience, which was so cool. But next to me, there were two sisters, and they were probably six and eight, building one next to me. And I just felt so…

Star Wars Outlaws: How Women Are Taking The Lead

And now I’m crying. I have kids that age.

Nikki Foy: I just cried very hard the whole time because it was just like this brand meant so much to me, and I didn’t have someone like Kay to really see myself in. I loved Princess Leia, but I wanted to be Han, right? And I think getting to bring that to life is so special. And our whole team, really, that’s been the goal from the beginning. It’s been really special.

Humberly González: Yes, to be a leading woman not just in a Star Wars story but in the video game industry, which also tends to have a lot of limitations and misogyny and kind of in-and-out politics of who can be a part of it and who you want to play as. I am incredibly proud of the team having chosen someone like me, but also only me, that there isn’t a male counterpart to the story of Star Wars Outlaws that we are focusing on a female point of view of a scoundrel story because we’ve only really ever seen males in a scoundrel position.

So the representation is incredible for me as an immigrant Latina in Canada to bring, to even get to speak about my country, about Venezuela, about what it means to me as an artist that I followed this dream not having any of my family here, not having a lot of mentors in my family or anyone to look up to or content to look up to. Even in Star Wars, you know, there aren’t a lot of Latinas in this space. And so, for me, I knew that this was going to mean a lot, not just to me and my community and my family, but to everybody else who’s watching it too and playing it. 

“Seeing women as the faces and storytellers behind these epic tales is something every girl needs growing up, and that knowledge was not lost on the pair while working on Star Wars Outlaws for the last several years.”

When they go, “Oh, this is a cool character, I wonder where they’re from?” and then they do the research, I just want people to feel seen and if I can be in any of those categories as a woman, a woman of colour, as an immigrant, as a Latina, any of those are so meaningful for someone who enters a franchise as big as Star Wars. 

So for the next generation, for those little girls in Galaxy’s Edge, for the little girls watching, for anyone back home, for me, if they just simply get to see someone like them on screen, it means something to them. Feel inspired, feel strong, feel seen, feel represented. That, to me, is the goal. It’s incredible because it really is beyond just me. 

Nikki Foy: Yeah, and  I think, too, there’s an empathy element to it that I really love to think about. When I was a kid, I think there’s been a lot of research about this, and people who are talking about it talk about it. But I think, too, it’s easy for young girls to empathize with male characters. It’s something that we’ve always been taught. And I think having this female character who everyone can love and see parts of themselves in is so exciting and fun, too.

Star Wars Outlaws: How Women Are Taking The Lead

It’s made me emotional. I have a five-year-old daughter and then a nine-year-old son, so seeing him see her, see that it is possible in Star Wars Outlaws.

Nikki Foy: Yeah, that’s incredible.

Leaning into that, a lot of the time, people will say being a woman is a weakness. We’re emotional. We’re not tough. We’re not as strong as the male heroes. So, did you need to find a balance with Kay in Star Wars Outlaws, both in writing and acting, in terms of her femininity and her strength? Or do you think that her femininity is her strength?

Nikki Foy: Yeah, I don’t know if we’ve thought about it in terms of that. I remember early on writing this huge document about the way in which female protagonists are different from male protagonists. And not in the way of worse or better, but to me, that point of view really infuses the how of things. Often, the why is the same for characters. 

Like survival, for example, right? Female characters often are shown surviving in a different way. Maybe a cool, charming female character, she’s going to use her feminine wiles to get something done, or she can pretend to be weak, and whatever. And I made this list of things that I was like, “I don’t want Kay to ever do any of these. I don’t want her to ever pretend to be weak. I don’t want her to ever pretend to be weak. I don’t want her to ever use her femaleness to get something.” 

So that was always on our mind. But in terms of, “Oh, how does she treat this?” Or “How does she approach the situation as a female character?” Once we got who Kay was, it was very much like, “How does Kay approach this?” And once we created this character and cast Humberly and got this great vulnerability and real humanity to it, it became so easy to just make choices based on that.

Star Wars Outlaws: How Women Are Taking The Lead

Humberly González: I mean, to step into a character that was made, and then I had to literally give her a soul, and a heart, and a conscience. So knowing that I’m like, “Oh, okay, here’s the character, now bring her to life, quite literally breathe life into her.” I can’t help but bring my heart. I can’t help but bring my vulnerability. 

So, if I think of Kay as a mirror to me, and what femininity means to me, and what my strengths are, I do believe that my vulnerability is a strength. I think that women are resilient. We are troubleshooters and protectors, and there’s this nurturing, and I think you get to see some of those traits with Kay and Nix, you know, Nix is her family, and you see her go above and beyond for him and for a partnership, what loyalty means, what it means. 

There are a lot of themes in there. I think she’s a scoundrel with a bit of a chip because she is vulnerable and she is flawed. In the end, that’s also what brings her ahead. You always say this line, it’s like failing forward. She isn’t afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. There’s no relying on this ego or overly confident like I got it all figured out.

I wasn’t afraid to bring those aspects to her that may seem weak, but really, in a way, it’s her just navigating her growth. It’s her navigating right from wrong, and what she wants to do, and being autonomous in her own choices in this vast galaxy full of danger. She is naive and a rookie, but those could be her strengths too because, at the end of the day, sometimes not knowing takes you further because she’s not relying on fear and not thinking that she can’t do something. She really believes in herself. 

That’s something I have a lot as a person, as Humberley. I believe in my dreams, and I believe in myself. I know my worth. I infused Kay with that. So, you know, if that is something that makes me female or whatever, then great. I want to be that person anyway. 

Star Wars Outlaws: How Women Are Taking The Lead

Absolutely. You’re talking about breathing life into this character in Star Wars Outlaws, and doing that in a video game is one thing. Doing that through MoCap is another, but you’ve also been on stage, live-action, and just regular voice acting. Do you feel like you’re breathing life into characters the same way or in those other mediums, you are the character?

Humberly González: I have to say, ever since doing motion capture—and I’ve worked with Ubisoft for years and years since, like 2016—I believe my first video game was Starlink, which was a video game from the ground up with Ubisoft. I feel like I have a lot more room and depth to bring into the other mediums of the industry that aren’t motion capture because there’s so much detail that comes with only being a voiceover actor. I think it is actually quite vulnerable to be a voice actor. You are not relying on your face or your mannerisms. 

Even right now, I’m talking with my hands but it’s just my voice. How do I convey the real meaning of what I mean if I can’t use everything else? These are all tools that I possess in my being. Motion capture has allowed me to have more awareness of my body. Therefore it infuses my other work. I’m really grateful for this this part of my job. I really love it.

Now, obviously, Star Wars, wow!

Humberly González: That’s it. Wow.

Star Wars Outlaws: How Women Are Taking The Lead

What kind of preparation went into Star Wars Outlaws, and what level of excitement, fear, and nervousness goes into prepping from the ground up and stepping into this role? Especially knowing that there are so many sections of Star Wars and that you are creating your own little pocket.

Nikki Foy: Yeah, I think it’s so weird to have a job where the thing that you should do is consume Star Wars media.

Humberly González: Gotta do it for the job!

Nikki Foy: I remember when I got hired or when I got told, “Yeah, you’re gonna work on this [Star Wars Outlaws].” I didn’t know what to do. So I just, because I was so overwhelmed, I just opened the Clone Wars show on my iPad and had it next to me while I was cooking dinner in a haze and I was like, “I’m working right now. This is part of my job now. I just get to be inspired by all this media that I already love.” So that was what, really, I spent a lot of time-consuming media that I’d already seen, but just with this lens of like, “Oh, okay, Outlaws, scoundrel, underworld.”

 Does that change the way you look at it, though? Once it goes from “This is my love” to “This is my job.”

Nikki Foy: Absolutely! It does, but not in a way that turns it into work. It was more like I was paying attention to things that I wasn’t paying attention to before. I remember even in that example when I was cooking dinner, there was a scene where Ahsoka was in a nightclub in Clone Wars, And I was like, “Oh cool, Kay could be in a nightclub!” I was watching it a lot more actively, I think.

From then, with that going on, I really tried to just catch myself thinking. If I’m walking somewhere and my brain is just off, I’ll try to focus on thinking about Kay. Thinking about her relationships. Thinking about the people in her life. I’m listening to a song. It’s like, “Oh, think about how Kay would feel if this and this and this happen,” you know? So I think that combination is really how I approached starting to write this stuff.

Star Wars Outlaws: How Women Are Taking The Lead

Humberly González: Yeah, I mean, honouring what someone has created, and not just this team, but the franchise itself, knowing that it was between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. I think one of the first things I did was that I’m going to watch the movies and imagine myself in this world and the tone of it, you know? What people are scared of, what’s out there? 

And at the end of the day, it’s also a new story. We have not seen a story where this character isn’t a part of the big rebellion and a Sith or any of this. She is from Canto Bight. She is a young girl who is a thief who’s resilient. She’s surviving. So, there weren’t a lot of examples for me to draw from.

I had to really rely on instinct, asking the writers, asking the directors, like, “Hey is this somewhere where she would be? Is this a thought she would have?” And I think, for me, the work started when I actually got to know more of the story. I think that before, it was just exciting. Anytime I saw anything Star Wars or listened to the theme song or anything, I would just get goosebumps and be like, “Oh, I’m in this! I’m in this!” It just has a different meaning now that I’m forever immortalized in this franchise. 

But growing with Kay, it’s like knowing her backstory and why she says the things she does and why she acts the way that she does, that has been the most joyous part of my job because I love backstory. I mean, for an actor, it’s like, “What’s my motivation here? What am I doing?” And knowing that it has been created specifically for her and therefore me, it was just such a special thing that I’m like, “No one has ever said these words. No one has stepped into…” I am literally walking in her shoes! And so it’s really special to really step into something that’s never been done.

Star Wars Outlaws: How Women Are Taking The Lead

I want to know, in one word, your favourite thing about Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws. What is her trait that we should pay attention to? Sorry, I was wondering if

Humberly González: What is a word for not quitting? 

Resilient?

Nikki Foy: Yeah, resilient is really good. 

Humberly González: She does not give up, man. That girl will try and try and try and try in every single way, and she’ll get it. She gets it!

Nikki Foy: Kay’s quality that I love the most is—it is resilient adjacent—but it’s like this whatever effect of “That’s fine.” 

Humberly González: Surrender. 

Nikki Foy: It’s more active than that. If anything happens, it’s like water off a duck’s back. No matter what’s going on, the worst situation that could happen. 

Humberly González: She doesn’t sweat it. 

Nikki Foy: She’s just like, “Okay.” And when she is upset, it’s for such a fair reason. And it usually comes from a place of hurt and history and stuff. But otherwise, she’s just rolling with the punches, and I love that. I want to be more like that.

Star Wars Outlaws will be released on August 30, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay up to date with everything Star Wars Outlaws here.

Microsoft breaks some Linux dual-boots in a recent Windows update

Od: Liam Dawe
21. Srpen 2024 v 14:22
Do you dual-boot Windows and Linux? Well, a recent Windows update seems to have been a bit messy and may have broken the ability to boot into Linux. Causing an alarming message to display of "Something has gone seriously wrong".

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Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.

‘Moonstone Island’ is a Creature-Collecting Life Sim

19. Květen 2023 v 13:00

Moonstone Island is a slice of life adventure game where you can fly to dozens of islands to gather local oddball creatures, grow gardens, and romance the locals. Moonstone Island is a...

The post ‘Moonstone Island’ is a Creature-Collecting Life Sim appeared first on Indie Games Plus.

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • Here's the next batch of Xbox Game Pass games for AugustVikki Blake
    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
     

Here's the next batch of Xbox Game Pass games for August

20. Srpen 2024 v 18:38

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.

Read more

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • The wacky CDKeys gift card deal returns - get a refurb Xbox Series X or S for lessReece Bithrey
    Using a combination of a Microsoft Store discount code and the current discounted prices on CDKeys for Microsoft gift cards, you can net yourself substantial savings on both of Microsoft's current gen consoles. We've saw this deal several months ago, but it's pleasant to see it again, and allows you to save a fair bit on both consoles.The principle for redeeming both of these discounts is the same - as opposed to paying for the Series X or Series S by means of a card or PayPal, you can load up
     

The wacky CDKeys gift card deal returns - get a refurb Xbox Series X or S for less

20. Srpen 2024 v 11:39

Using a combination of a Microsoft Store discount code and the current discounted prices on CDKeys for Microsoft gift cards, you can net yourself substantial savings on both of Microsoft's current gen consoles. We've saw this deal several months ago, but it's pleasant to see it again, and allows you to save a fair bit on both consoles.

The principle for redeeming both of these discounts is the same - as opposed to paying for the Series X or Series S by means of a card or PayPal, you can load up Microsoft gift cards onto your account to give you a balance equal to, or as close to the amount of the console's purchase price with the respective discount code, and pay for them that way. If you'd be paying by more normal methods, the Series X would be £321.75 and the Series S would be £178.49. However, the way of getting them cheaper is through current discounts from CDKeys on Microsoft gift cards.

To break this down further - for the Series X discount, you'd need enough gift cards to have £330 on your Microsoft account balance which works out to:

Read more

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • Ubisoft shares Star Wars Outlaws' full PC requirementsVikki Blake
    Ubisoft has updated the PC requirements for its upcoming Star Wars adventure, Star Wars Outlaws, and released a new teaser showing off what kind of performance PC players can expect when the game releases on 30th August.Taking up a modest 65GB, the settings shouldn't be too punishing for those looking only to meet the minimum standards – although you will need to have DLSS or FSR – but those pushing for the "ultra" experience will need a decent rig.Check out the details below: Read more
     

Ubisoft shares Star Wars Outlaws' full PC requirements

18. Srpen 2024 v 13:52

Ubisoft has updated the PC requirements for its upcoming Star Wars adventure, Star Wars Outlaws, and released a new teaser showing off what kind of performance PC players can expect when the game releases on 30th August.

Taking up a modest 65GB, the settings shouldn't be too punishing for those looking only to meet the minimum standards – although you will need to have DLSS or FSR – but those pushing for the "ultra" experience will need a decent rig.

Check out the details below:

Read more

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • Doom and Doom 2: are Nightdive's latest remasters the definitive editions?John Linneman
    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 cou
     

Doom and Doom 2: are Nightdive's latest remasters the definitive editions?

15. Srpen 2024 v 17:31

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!

Read more

  • ✇Android Authority
  • Microsoft OneNote wants to be your default note-taking app (APK teardown)Stephen Schenck
    Microsoft appears to be getting OneNote ready to support Android 15 lock screen note-taking. New text strings in OneNote make explicit reference to the forthcoming lock screen support. Despite this, the app does not currently appear as an option for your default notes app. Google’s next major mobile OS release is on its way, with Android 15 expected to formally arrive a little later this year. That’s going to introduce plenty of tweaks and new additions, like support for Satellite SOS during
     

Microsoft OneNote wants to be your default note-taking app (APK teardown)

19. Srpen 2024 v 23:31

  • Microsoft appears to be getting OneNote ready to support Android 15 lock screen note-taking.
  • New text strings in OneNote make explicit reference to the forthcoming lock screen support.
  • Despite this, the app does not currently appear as an option for your default notes app.


Google’s next major mobile OS release is on its way, with Android 15 expected to formally arrive a little later this year. That’s going to introduce plenty of tweaks and new additions, like support for Satellite SOS during emergencies. One particular change we’re looking forward to involves the platform’s integration with note-taking apps, allowing users to quickly access their preferred note app right from the lock screen. Today we’re checking out the progress one of those apps is making towards adding support for this new Android 15 feature.

As we mentioned back when first sharing news of Android 15’s note-app lock screen support, this isn’t just going to work by default with whatever app you use to take notes now (and no, saving notes as drafts in Gmail doesn’t count). Developers have to intentionally build support for this new way of accessing their software, including the appropriate steps towards preserving privacy, considering we’re doing all this right from the lock screen. Google Keep has been ready to go for ages already, and now we think we’ve spotted what could be the next major app to do its own preparations.

We’re checking out Microsoft OneNote version 16.0.17928.20054 beta, in which we observe the presence of the following strings:

<string name="feature_notes_role_description_when_permission_disabled">Allow to make OneNote as "Default Notes App"</string>
<string name="feature_notes_role_description_when_permission_enabled">Add Lock Screen Note Taking shortcut from settings</string>
<string name="feature_notes_role_enable_button">Enable Lock Screen Notes</string>
<string name="feature_notes_role_title">Lock Screen Notes - Take notes over lock screen</string>
<string name="permission_notes_role_disable_description">Are you sure you want to remove OneNote as “Default Note Taking App” ?</string>
<string name="permission_notes_role_enable_description">We need permission to make OneNote as “Default Note Taking App” to enable this.</string>
<string name="setting_notes_role_summary">Turn this on to quickly jot down notes over Lock Screen.</string>
<string name="setting_notes_role_title">Lock Screen Sticky Notes</string>

Indeed, being able to choose an app as your default notes app is fundamental to Android 15’s lock screen support, and further strings here confirm Microsoft’s work towards preparing that compatibility. But even on Android 14, we should be able to set a primary notes app (after enabling it in developer settings, anyway) — and despite the progress we seem to be seeing here, you’re still not able to do that with OneNote. That suggests to us that Microsoft’s still working on setting OneNote up with the permissions and roles it will ultimately need.

With Android 15 still in beta, Microsoft has at least a few more weeks to get OneNote ready if it intends to have lock screen support ready for the platform’s release. Right now, our best estimate places that as happening sometime this fall.

The best laptops for college students

Whether you’re working on an essay, doing research for a paper or just need some downtime streaming your favorite show - a good laptop is a sensible investment for every college student. The best laptop for college doesn’t have to push the envelope with the latest graphics card and processor, nor does it have to cost an arm and a leg. Sure, the best laptops come in all shapes and sizes and range in price, but college students don’t need a power-hungry machine to support their needs. The best laptop for college is ideally thin and lightweight, and provides enough battery to last all day without having to be tethered to the wall. No matter what you’re studying, we’ve researched and tested a range of laptops for you to consider as you decide which is the best laptop for college for you.

What to consider in your next laptop for college

It’s important to consider your major and what you need your laptop to do before deciding on the best laptop for college. For example, if you’re a liberal arts major and will mostly be writing or making presentations, you don’t need an expensive system with a discrete graphics card. Alternatively, if you’re a film major who might need to render videos on a regular basis, having a beefy PC can significantly reduce the time it takes to finish a project. You’ll also want to take a look at any guidelines provided by your college or your specific program, as you may need required software or apps that only run on a specific OS.

Some other things to consider are if you want a more portable 13 or 14-inch machine that’s easier to carry around, or if you prefer something with a larger screen. On top of that, if you are doing tasks like photo or video editing, you’ll probably want to go for a system with a high-resolution display (1440p or 4K), so it's easier to see details. As for other specs, ideally you’ll want 16GB of RAM (though you can go down to 8GB on a Chromebook) and at least 512GB or 1TB of storage. Most newer laptops now come with SSD storage, too, which means you can store and transfer data much faster.

Finally, while your budget ultimately will determine how powerful of a laptop you can get, well-equipped ultraportables will generally cost between $1,000 and $1,400, with prices going up from there for systems with discrete GPUs. Budget Windows laptops and Chromebooks can be affordable alternatives though, with many going for just $500 to $700. But again, remember to check your school’s requirements because it’s not worth saving a few bucks only to find out that your notebook can’t run the app you need for all your homework.

See Also:

A word on Microsoft’s new Copilot+ PCs

We have really enjoyed using the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop 7. They’re fast, quiet and support a huge range of both native Arm apps and traditional x86 software. However, there are a few major productivity apps that still have not been updated to work on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips used in the recent wave of Copilot+ PCs. Some of the most notable ones are Adobe’s Illustrator and InDesign (which won’t be available until sometime in July), and After Effects and Premier Pro, which aren’t expected to arrive until later in 2024. And given the number of college students who may need a PC to edit videos, draw or create layouts with these apps, that makes it difficult to give them whole-hearted recommendations in this guide right now. However, if you’re sure the apps you need for your course or major are supported, it may be worth giving these new Copilot+ PCs a closer look.

The best laptops for college students

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-laptops-for-students-130054631.html?src=rss

©

© Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

The best laptops for college students

Qualcomm AI/Copilot PCs don’t live up to the hype

18. Červen 2024 v 13:00

Qualcomm's new AI/Copilot PCs has overwhelming hype but their actions point to a far murkier picture.
Read more


The post Qualcomm AI/Copilot PCs don’t live up to the hype appeared first on SemiAccurate.

Microsoft Absolutely Screws Intel and AMD Over AI PCs

8. Květen 2024 v 16:32

It looks like Microsoft is turning on Intel and AMD over AI PCs.
Read more


The post Microsoft Absolutely Screws Intel and AMD Over AI PCs appeared first on SemiAccurate.

  • ✇Finding God in Video Games
  • Counting the Cost, Carrying Our CrossFinding God in Video Games
    Launching a new console is neither easy nor cheap, and in order to remain relevant in the “console wars” a continuing price has to be paid… a price that Microsoft learned the hard way. But while hardware developers like Sega and Google were unwilling to pay the ongoing price and watched their dreams crumble as a result, Xbox doubled-down and continued to invest deeply in their commitment to the home console market every year… because while each iteration of their hardware has sold at a net loss,
     

Counting the Cost, Carrying Our Cross

Launching a new console is neither easy nor cheap, and in order to remain relevant in the “console wars” a continuing price has to be paid… a price that Microsoft learned the hard way. But while hardware developers like Sega and Google were unwilling to pay the ongoing price and watched their dreams crumble as a result, Xbox doubled-down and continued to invest deeply in their commitment to the home console market every year… because while each iteration of their hardware has sold at a net loss, the only path to the treasure they are seeking is to see the road through to the end.

The act of “taking up our cross” involves more than a one-time event of accepting Christ and His grace… it is an ongoing, self-sacrificial journey that will continue for the rest of our lives. Each step we take as we carry our cross will compel us to shed the layers of selfishness that once defined us, and it is a process that is guaranteed to be uncomfortable… crosses are costly, not cozy. But it is in our choice to carry a cross that we’d rather not carry that shows we’re actually following in His footsteps… and that is where the true treasure is finally found.

Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it – lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:27-30, 33

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22:41-42

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  • ✇Finding God in Video Games
  • “The Duke”: Making the Light Accessible to AllFinding God in Video Games
    As most new consoles typically do, the original Xbox console launched with an entirely new design for their controller that was… well, let’s just say it was unique. The “Duke”, as it was affectionately nicknamed, was nearly THREE times the size of Sony’s PlayStation controller, making it incredibly bulky and difficult to use for gamers with smaller hands. While this over-sized controller certainly had its’ fans (and still does), it wasn’t a fit for every gamer’s hands, forcing Microsoft to pivot
     

“The Duke”: Making the Light Accessible to All

As most new consoles typically do, the original Xbox console launched with an entirely new design for their controller that was… well, let’s just say it was unique. The “Duke”, as it was affectionately nicknamed, was nearly THREE times the size of Sony’s PlayStation controller, making it incredibly bulky and difficult to use for gamers with smaller hands. While this over-sized controller certainly had its’ fans (and still does), it wasn’t a fit for every gamer’s hands, forcing Microsoft to pivot to the smaller and more universally accessible “Controller S”. The best games in the world still wouldn’t bring new players to their platform until they made a controller that every player could hold.

In His time here on earth, Christ routinely broke down complicated spiritual concepts by using parables to make His messages accessible to all who were seeking truth, and He’s called us to do the same. As the ambassadors of Christ on earth, we are called to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s leading and share His truth in a manner that fits the learning needs of others, not our personal preferences. Let’s be the light that makes finding Him easier for others today.

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

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  • ✇Finding God in Video Games
  • Minecraft and Sharing the FieldFinding God in Video Games
    When Microsoft purchased Mojang, the studio responsible for Minecraft, fans were worried this would mean that this incredibly popular series would become an Xbox exclusive going forward. But Microsoft didn’t purchase this franchise to remove its’ access from other consoles… instead, they saw the value in continuing to support the growth of Minecraft on every platform available, including those they are technically “competing” against. Their goal wasn’t just to grow their Xbox brand… they wanted
     

Minecraft and Sharing the Field

When Microsoft purchased Mojang, the studio responsible for Minecraft, fans were worried this would mean that this incredibly popular series would become an Xbox exclusive going forward. But Microsoft didn’t purchase this franchise to remove its’ access from other consoles… instead, they saw the value in continuing to support the growth of Minecraft on every platform available, including those they are technically “competing” against. Their goal wasn’t just to grow their Xbox brand… they wanted Minecraft to be successful no matter where or how someone chose to play it.

We are each called to unique ministries and services to the Lord, but we’re all on the same side regardless of our “platform”… to shine the light of Christ in the darkness. Some may be called to positions that offer a larger audience with millions of views and thousands of “likes”, while others of us will quietly plant seeds in places that offer little recognition on this side of eternity… but we’re all working in the same field, just in different positions. Whether we plant or water, let’s serve with joy and support each other as we mine this field together.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:4-6

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  • ✇Finding God in Video Games
  • GamePass Day One: Giving the Best or Just the Rest?Finding God in Video Games
    Microsoft made several expensive investments into the future with their GamePass service, but giving away their newest games such as Halo Infinite and Starfield on their launch days represents one of the most costly offerings they could make. While Sony waits to place their first-party titles on their PS Plus service for a time that is more convenient to them (and when the games are less relevant), Xbox demonstrates that they are fully invested in by giving every GamePass member the very best ga
     

GamePass Day One: Giving the Best or Just the Rest?

Microsoft made several expensive investments into the future with their GamePass service, but giving away their newest games such as Halo Infinite and Starfield on their launch days represents one of the most costly offerings they could make. While Sony waits to place their first-party titles on their PS Plus service for a time that is more convenient to them (and when the games are less relevant), Xbox demonstrates that they are fully invested in by giving every GamePass member the very best games that they possess on “Day One”.

Each day we will be brought into positions to give the Lord the best of our time, energy, and capabilities for the growth of His kingdom, and this honor will rarely come at a moment that we prefer or consider convenient. Following Christ will always come at a cost, and delaying in our obedience is the most expensive choice we can make. In our actions today, are we truly giving Him the best of what we possess or just the rest of what feel we can afford? It is in the price we are willing to pay to obey Him that our love and devotion is demonstrated… let’s give Him the best of ourselves in all we do today.

Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” 2 Samuel 24:24a

For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

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  • ✇Game Rant
  • Assassin's Creed Shadows Reveals How Yasuke Performs a 'Leap of Faith'Viraaj Bhatnagar
    A newly shared Assassin's Creed Shadows clip shows how the game makes a witty change to the iconic "Leap of Faith" when performed by protagonist Yasuke. Although Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't the first in the series to feature dual protagonists, it takes the concept much further with distinctive playstyles for Naoe and Yasuke, with the former being more stealth-focused and the latter offering more combative and action-oriented gameplay.
     

Assassin's Creed Shadows Reveals How Yasuke Performs a 'Leap of Faith'

21. Srpen 2024 v 10:54

A newly shared Assassin's Creed Shadows clip shows how the game makes a witty change to the iconic "Leap of Faith" when performed by protagonist Yasuke. Although Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't the first in the series to feature dual protagonists, it takes the concept much further with distinctive playstyles for Naoe and Yasuke, with the former being more stealth-focused and the latter offering more combative and action-oriented gameplay.

  • ✇Pure Nintendo
  • Review: Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid (Nintendo Switch)Kirk Hiner
    I don’t know if I’ve ever played a video game quite like Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid. Imagine a JPRG where the young hero who’s supposed to embark on an epic adventure to save the kingdom doesn’t actually embark, and instead just spends a month fishing, exploring caves, and resurrecting the town festival. That’s this game. But that’s not to say there’s no adventure to be had. On the contrary, Natsu-Mon is all about finding your adventures where you are. You play as Satoru, a young boy who
     

Review: Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid (Nintendo Switch)

19. Srpen 2024 v 14:34

I don’t know if I’ve ever played a video game quite like Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid. Imagine a JPRG where the young hero who’s supposed to embark on an epic adventure to save the kingdom doesn’t actually embark, and instead just spends a month fishing, exploring caves, and resurrecting the town festival. That’s this game.

But that’s not to say there’s no adventure to be had. On the contrary, Natsu-Mon is all about finding your adventures where you are. You play as Satoru, a young boy whose parents run a traveling circus. The circus runs into some issues in scenic Yomogi Town, so Satoru is left in the care of an innkeeper while his parents attempt to resolve those issues. With nothing more than his childhood curiosity and a school assignment to guide him, Satoru sets out to make this an August to remember.

And how does he do that? By exploring. By talking to people. By basically just running around until something catches his eye. Gameplay is mostly centered around total childhood freedom—the kind few kids have anymore, at least where I live.

Occasionally, the game gives Satoru specific tasks to complete. He may wake up, for example, and find himself invited to accompany friends to a specific location. These provide scripted moments that help prevent Natsu-Mon from feeling completely aimless. For the most part, however, how Satoru spends his day is up to the player. There are always bugs and fish to catch, all of which are documented in his notebook.

There are coins and treasures to find (were 20th-century Japanese homeowners really this cool with kids traipsing across their rooftops?). There are paid jobs to accept. There are ghost girls to…wait. Ghost girls?

Part of what makes Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid so endearing is that it expertly captures the wonder of being a kid. Did that little girl by the tree just vanish into thin air? Is she a ghost? Well, unless someone has a better explanation, she has to be. Let’s play games with her and find out!

Natsu-Mon provides bigger goals, too. One of your first tasks is to climb some specific buildings. Your stamina meter, however, won’t let you get close. So, you have a month to increase the meter and figure out how to get to the top of those structures. What a great goal that is. I recall my own childhood when a friend and I decided to hop the barbed-wire security of a radio tower and climb to the top. Did we make it? Of course not. Our stamina meters weren’t high enough. And it was also quite scary. And stupid. But we tried. Memory achieved!

Satoru has to uncover and complete all of these tasks over the course of a full day. They begin with breakfast and a morning exercise session (provided he was home in time for a good night’s sleep the day before).

Then, he’s free to roam until supper when he’s automatically located and returned home. He then gets the evening to wrap things up, but has to be home by 10:00 if he doesn’t want to oversleep the next day. This was annoying at first, as the game didn’t provide a clock; you have to buy that yourself once you make enough money. Maybe the point was to miss your bedtime, but I preferred to just hang around the inn until weariness took over. Even with the clock, it sometimes wasn’t worth abandoning my current task to complete the long journey home in time for bed, even with the ability to take the bus.

The length of the days can be adjusted to suit your playstyle. You can get more done by making the days last longer, but the adventures lose their sense of urgency. You also lose replayability that way. Tear through the game on short days, and you’ll be more likely to play again, making different decisions on how you spend your time. Shorter days, however, also make it more difficult to complete certain assignments and jobs, which can be frustrating (especially those that require precise movements).

This is especially true of the tasks that require platforming or reaching far-off locations. The game’s open world is colorful and nicely detailed, but getting around can sometimes prove difficult. This is largely due to somewhat clunky controls, especially when platforming is in the mix. And because Satoru can climb nearly anything, he’ll often start climbing things you don’t want him to.

Natsu-Mon also doesn’t do a great job of guiding you on your tasks, or even helping you figure out how to go to bed. Random exploration was very fun at the beginning, but by the time you’re approaching the end of August, a little more help on how to get things done would’ve been appreciated. A fortune-telling circus member eventually shows up to help, and you may even locate a mystical port-a-pot to help you get home in an instant. Still, expect some gaming sessions to be more productive than others. Maybe that’s a development decision—you can’t expect to complete a childhood’s worth of adventures in a month, right? Especially when there’s already a DLC adventure to embark on.

Also, it forces you to talk to people, and that’s one of the game’s greatest strengths. Almost every person you meet has something to contribute. Even better, their individual quirks (and Satoru’s response to them) make them fun to engage with. The conversations are a joy to experience, even if you are oddly forced to select every dialogue option before leaving them. And, like in real life, you never know which conversation will end up shaping the course of your summer.

These all combine to create a chill, Animal Crossing-type experience that will make older gamers wistful. It affected me a bit differently, as I had these types of days in my childhood. I explored creek bridges in search of black snakes. I climbed abandoned grain silos. I never hopped on a box car and rode it 30 miles into a neighboring town before disembarking and calling my dad for a ride home, but I have a buddy who did.

Rather, Natsu-Mon makes me wistful for an environment where kids still have this type of freedom (or even just desire it). I imagine that’s why the game was made, as that sense of wonder and curiosity is deeply woven into its core. That makes it a game worth experiencing, provided childhood adventures haven’t lost their appeal. Who needs to go fight God on some interstellar plane when there’s a lighthouse to climb literally right there?

The post Review: Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid (Nintendo Switch) appeared first on Pure Nintendo.

  • ✇GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed
  • Ubisoft lays off 45 from US officesJames Batchelor
    Ubisoft has made another round of layoffs, this time cutting staff from two of its US studios.A total of 45 employees have been let go across the Assassin's Creed publisher's San Francisco studio and Red Storm Entertainment, which is based in Cary, North Carolina. It is unclear which departments have been affected."Yesterday Ubisoft San Francisco and Red Storm Entertainment informed their teams of a restructuring that resulted in 45 employees leaving Ubisoft," a Ubisoft spokesperson told IGN in
     

Ubisoft lays off 45 from US offices

Ubisoft has made another round of layoffs, this time cutting staff from two of its US studios.

A total of 45 employees have been let go across the Assassin's Creed publisher's San Francisco studio and Red Storm Entertainment, which is based in Cary, North Carolina. It is unclear which departments have been affected.

"Yesterday Ubisoft San Francisco and Red Storm Entertainment informed their teams of a restructuring that resulted in 45 employees leaving Ubisoft," a Ubisoft spokesperson told IGN in a statement.

Read more

  • ✇GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed
  • Cloud gaming platform Blacknut partners with UbisoftVikki Blake
    Blacknut Cloud Gaming has announced a new distribution agreement with Ubisoft.Starting from this month, "a series of Ubisoft offerings" will join Blacknut's platform, which "allows players to access over 500+ premium games via streaming under a single subscription with no lock-in contract."Ubisoft – which owns cloud rights to current and new Activision games over the next 15 years – confirms that franchises coming to Blacknut include Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Anno, and Rayman. Read more
     

Cloud gaming platform Blacknut partners with Ubisoft

Blacknut Cloud Gaming has announced a new distribution agreement with Ubisoft.

Starting from this month, "a series of Ubisoft offerings" will join Blacknut's platform, which "allows players to access over 500+ premium games via streaming under a single subscription with no lock-in contract."

Ubisoft – which owns cloud rights to current and new Activision games over the next 15 years – confirms that franchises coming to Blacknut include Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Anno, and Rayman.

Read more

  • ✇Siliconera
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Release Date AnnouncedLeigh Price
    A release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has been announced. The game will be released for PC and Xbox Series X/S on December 9, 2024, plus a PS5 release in 2025. The release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was announced alongside a new trailer led by Troy Baker. The ubiquitous voice actor will be portraying the famous archaeologist in the game. In the trailer, we got to see snippets of gameplay, including the combat making use of brawling, shooting and Indy's iconic
     

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Release Date Announced

20. Srpen 2024 v 22:11

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Release Date

A release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has been announced. The game will be released for PC and Xbox Series X/S on December 9, 2024, plus a PS5 release in 2025.

The release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was announced alongside a new trailer led by Troy Baker. The ubiquitous voice actor will be portraying the famous archaeologist in the game. In the trailer, we got to see snippets of gameplay, including the combat making use of brawling, shooting and Indy's iconic whip. Some puzzle gameplay was also shown off, including the use of photgraphy to help solve these challenges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was first announced in a teaser by developer MachineGames in 2021. The game initally appeared to be an Xbox exclusive following Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda, and since been shown off in Xbox presentations such as the January 2024 Developer Direct and Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024. It is the latest of a long line of Indiana Jones games, from LucasArts point-and-click adventures in the 1980s to the Lego Indiana Jones games of more recent years.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will release on Xbox Series X/S and PC on December 9, 2024. It will also release on PS5 in Spring 2025.

The post Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Release Date Announced appeared first on Siliconera.

  • ✇GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed
  • Four years offers "the right balance" to make a new Assassin's Creed gameChristopher Dring
    By the time Assassin's Creed Shadows launches this November, the game would have been in development for four years.It's the longest development cycle for the series so far, and 25% longer than its acclaimed predecessor, 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla."It's great to work on a game that comes after something with the pedigree of Valhalla," explains lead producer Karl Onnée. "But obviously there are great expectations. We always want to go better, which is what we're trying to do with Shadows.
     

Four years offers "the right balance" to make a new Assassin's Creed game

By the time Assassin's Creed Shadows launches this November, the game would have been in development for four years.

It's the longest development cycle for the series so far, and 25% longer than its acclaimed predecessor, 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

"It's great to work on a game that comes after something with the pedigree of Valhalla," explains lead producer Karl Onnée. "But obviously there are great expectations. We always want to go better, which is what we're trying to do with Shadows. We are pushing the limits of what we can do."

Read more

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero’s Latest Trailer Shows Ultimate Gohan, Super Buu as Part of Roster

Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for upcoming arena fighter Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live. The trailer gives us another glimpse at the upcoming title’s gameplay, while also confirming that Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu will both be part of its expansive roster. Check out the trailer below.

Celebrating the fact that Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero‘s release date is 50 days away, the trailer shows off various characters duking it out, including Goku, Hit, C ell, Bardok, Beerus, Nappa and Trunks, among others. Capping things off, we also get to see a young Gohan train with Goku, before getting another flurry of action from different characters.

Earlier this month, another trailer had been released for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, showcasing characters from the Android Saga in Dragon Ball. Throughout the trailer, Android 16, Android 17, Android 18, Android 19, Dr. Gero, and King Cold, among many others, were shown off as playable characters.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 11.

Towerborne Will be Free-to-Play, Initial Early Access Release Will Miss Xbox

Towerborne is indeed coming this year as previously planned, but its release plans have still changed quite significantly. As recently announced, the co-op action-adventure title is now set to release in early access first, and in the wake of that announcement, Microsoft and developer Stoic Studio have revealed more details.

For starters, disappointingly enough for those on Xbox, Towerborne’s early access release next month is going to be limited to Steam only. A specific release date is unknown, with Stoic and Microsoft only confirming that the game will release in Xbox Game Preview at a “later” date.

Additionally, it’s also been confirmed that upon its full release next year, Towerborne is going to be a fully free-to-play game, even though a Founder’s Pack will be offered with the early access version.

“The Founder’s pack lets us do two main things: one is that we can slowly see where problems are and get attention onto those areas quickly,” says game director Daniel McLaren. “The second thing, it invites a group of people that are really invested in the game, that believe in Stoic. They want to be a part of shaping the future of Towerborne.”

Towerborne is in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It launches in early access for Steam on September 10.

  • ✇PlayStation LifeStyle
  • I Am Alive Spiritual Successor Could Be in Development at Ubisoft, Leak SuggestsZarmena Khan
    A new leak suggests that Ubisoft is making a spiritual successor of sorts to I Am Alive — its 2012 action-adventure survival game. Released on the PS3 before The Last of Us was a thing, I Am Alive earned a mixed reception and has since been largely forgotten. However, a leaked casting call suggests that Ubisoft hasn’t given up on a post-apocalyptic adventure. Ubisoft’s leaked project ‘Iridium’ has I Am Alive vibes Spotted by MP1st, Ubisoft held a casting call for something called “Iridium
     

I Am Alive Spiritual Successor Could Be in Development at Ubisoft, Leak Suggests

20. Srpen 2024 v 15:13
I Am Alive (Ubisoft)

A new leak suggests that Ubisoft is making a spiritual successor of sorts to I Am Alive — its 2012 action-adventure survival game. Released on the PS3 before The Last of Us was a thing, I Am Alive earned a mixed reception and has since been largely forgotten. However, a leaked casting call suggests that Ubisoft hasn’t given up on a post-apocalyptic adventure.

Ubisoft’s leaked project ‘Iridium’ has I Am Alive vibes

Spotted by MP1st, Ubisoft held a casting call for something called “Iridium” in March 2023, and this seems to be the first time it has been discovered. Accompanying plot details were also uncovered, which mentions “ruins of Highpoint City” as the game’s setting.

Iridium apparently takes place after a “terrible” war between humans and some kind of an outside force, severely damaging civilization. Highpoint City is now occupied by said force, and has been turned into a prison of sorts where humans are more of a science experiment.

“Intense radiation prevents organic humans from operating inside the war zone, so human minds are copied into mechanical Shells, allowing them to explore this hostile landscape,” the synopsis reads. And of course, there’s a struggle between various factions for resources, complete with a daring protagonist.

The above sounds like a standard post-apocalyptic game, but there’s certainly an appetite for those. Whether Iridium is still in development or not is anybody’s guess.

The post I Am Alive Spiritual Successor Could Be in Development at Ubisoft, Leak Suggests appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The Stream Team: Entering Guild Wars 2’s Janthir Wilds

21. Srpen 2024 v 01:55
What? Massively OP’s MJ gets to explore a new land in Guild Wars 2 on launch day? Is the MMOverse coming to an end?! No! Instead, it’s more like ArenaNet releasing Janthir Wilds as a slightly early birthday present for her. And how could she not fully appreciate such a gesture? Join us live at […]

Massively OP Podcast Episode 481: Pre-Gamescom MMO mini podcast

20. Srpen 2024 v 22:00
In this mini episode, Bree runs down Throne & Liberty's delay, New World's Aeternum beta, Guild Wars 2's Janthir Wilds launch, the Richard Garriott Ultima Online rumor, the state of Ultima Online New Legacy, Nightingale's Realms Rebuilt, the record-setting SWG Legends' SOEclipse event, and the approach of Gamescom.

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Skull and Bones outlines keyboard and mouse control updates ahead of its August 22 Steam release

20. Srpen 2024 v 17:30
With Skull and Bones headed to Steam on August 22nd alongside the game’s new season, Ubisoft Singapore is taking the opportunity to to improve the keyboard and mouse user experience since Steam is a PC storefront. The in-house “interview” talks up efforts to make the game “feel more ‘PC'” with its adjustments, discusses the feedback […]

Choose My Adventure: Fractured Online starts off unremarkably but comfortably

20. Srpen 2024 v 17:00
I always start off with a lot of concern whenever I enter a sandbox MMORPG for Choose My Adventure. Mostly because these games are almost always murder blenders and having to look over my shoulder with every step isn’t what I’d call my idea of fun. Luckily, Fractured Online has, at least in the interim, […]

Guild Wars 2’s Janthir Wilds expansion officially launches with player housing today

20. Srpen 2024 v 15:00
Fellow MMO housing fans, furbish up your design skills because we’re going to Janthir Wilds today. Yes, Guild Wars 2’s latest expansion officially rolls out today. Janthir Wilds is B2P for a one-time fee of $24.99 (on up if you want a loaded pack), which includes all four major patches as they roll out over […]

Elder Scrolls Online’s update 43 is here and we are so ready to tour all of your homes

19. Srpen 2024 v 22:00
Elder Scrolls Online players, set your launcher patchers to go because update 43 is officially live as of this afternoon – at least if you’re on PC or Mac, anyway. U43 is a free base-game update that’s going to appeal to fans of player housing in particular. “Update 43 introduces one of the most anticipated […]
  • ✇Massively Overpowered
  • Battle Bards Episode 233: Epic fight musicJustin Olivetti
    For Battle Bards’ penultimate episode, Syp and Syl explore some EPIC battle music across many MMOs. After all, if we’re going to go out in style, that style’s going to be loud enough to blast a hole in your eardrums! We also learn that nobody likes the Flute Guy. Battle Bards is the world’s first, best, […]
     

Battle Bards Episode 233: Epic fight music

19. Srpen 2024 v 19:00
For Battle Bards’ penultimate episode, Syp and Syl explore some EPIC battle music across many MMOs. After all, if we’re going to go out in style, that style’s going to be loud enough to blast a hole in your eardrums! We also learn that nobody likes the Flute Guy. Battle Bards is the world’s first, best, […]

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The Elder Scrolls Online takes a deep dive behind the scenes of crafting item sets

19. Srpen 2024 v 00:00
Item sets in The Elder Scrolls Online are pretty important if you want to reach your maximum potential in the game, but the creation of these sets is a closely guarded secret. While one might think that posting an in-house interview with combat designer Nadav Pechthold would shine a light on these secrets, it cleverly […]

Skull and Bones’ Into the Dragon’s Wake kicks off a new season on August 22

18. Srpen 2024 v 00:00
Just when you finally got your pirate vessel fully insured, along comes a new ship and cannons to blow up your deductible. Yet look on the bright side of your sinking boat: You get a new Skull and Bones content update on August 22nd. Into the Dragon’s Wake is about to arrive in Ubisoft’s naval […]
  • ✇Niche Gamer
  • Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO confirms more characters in countdown trailerBrandon Orselli
    Publisher Bandai Namco and developer Spike Chunsoft shared a new trailer for Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO confirming more new characters. The new trailer confirms both Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu as playable characters in the long-awaited sequel. Here’s the new trailer:  Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is set to launch on October 11th across Windows PC (via Steam), Xbox Series X|S, […] Source
     

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO confirms more characters in countdown trailer

20. Srpen 2024 v 20:21
Publisher Bandai Namco and developer Spike Chunsoft shared a new trailer for Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO confirming more new characters. The new trailer confirms both Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu as playable characters in the long-awaited sequel. Here’s the new trailer:  Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is set to launch on October 11th across Windows PC (via Steam), Xbox Series X|S, […]

Source

  • ✇Niche Gamer
  • Bleach: Rebirth of Souls trailer reintroduces Yasutora Sado (Chad)Brandon Orselli
    Publisher Bandai Namco and developer Tamsoft shared a new character trailer for Bleach: Rebirth of Souls reintroducing Yasutora Sado (Chad), the gentle giant. Here’s a rundown on the game, plus the new character trailer: Awaken the blade within you and reverse your fate in Bleach: Rebirth of Souls! Engage in thrilling battles with powerful sword abilities and characters […] Source
     

Bleach: Rebirth of Souls trailer reintroduces Yasutora Sado (Chad)

20. Srpen 2024 v 19:01
Publisher Bandai Namco and developer Tamsoft shared a new character trailer for Bleach: Rebirth of Souls reintroducing Yasutora Sado (Chad), the gentle giant. Here’s a rundown on the game, plus the new character trailer: Awaken the blade within you and reverse your fate in Bleach: Rebirth of Souls! Engage in thrilling battles with powerful sword abilities and characters […]

Source

  • ✇PC Archives - Siliconera
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Release Date AnnouncedLeigh Price
    A release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has been announced. The game will be released for PC and Xbox Series X/S on December 9, 2024, plus a PS5 release in 2025. The release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was announced alongside a new trailer led by Troy Baker. The ubiquitous voice actor will be portraying the famous archaeologist in the game. In the trailer, we got to see snippets of gameplay, including the combat making use of brawling, shooting and Indy's iconic
     

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Release Date Announced

20. Srpen 2024 v 22:11

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Release Date

A release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has been announced. The game will be released for PC and Xbox Series X/S on December 9, 2024, plus a PS5 release in 2025.

The release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was announced alongside a new trailer led by Troy Baker. The ubiquitous voice actor will be portraying the famous archaeologist in the game. In the trailer, we got to see snippets of gameplay, including the combat making use of brawling, shooting and Indy's iconic whip. Some puzzle gameplay was also shown off, including the use of photgraphy to help solve these challenges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was first announced in a teaser by developer MachineGames in 2021. The game initally appeared to be an Xbox exclusive following Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda, and since been shown off in Xbox presentations such as the January 2024 Developer Direct and Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024. It is the latest of a long line of Indiana Jones games, from LucasArts point-and-click adventures in the 1980s to the Lego Indiana Jones games of more recent years.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will release on Xbox Series X/S and PC on December 9, 2024. It will also release on PS5 in Spring 2025.

The post Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Release Date Announced appeared first on Siliconera.

  • ✇PC Archives - Siliconera
  • Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu Are in Dragon Ball: Sparking ZeroJenni Lada
    At gamescom 2024, Bandai Namco shared a new Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero trailer that featured both Super Buu and Ultimate Gohan. Both will be among the Buu Saga representatives joining as playable fighters in the game. The focus of the trailer is more about us being 50 days out from the launch of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero in October 2024, rather than one focused on just revealing new members of the roster, though Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu are featured in it. Both quickly appear during bri
     

Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu Are in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero

20. Srpen 2024 v 21:57

Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu Are in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero

At gamescom 2024, Bandai Namco shared a new Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero trailer that featured both Super Buu and Ultimate Gohan. Both will be among the Buu Saga representatives joining as playable fighters in the game.

The focus of the trailer is more about us being 50 days out from the launch of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero in October 2024, rather than one focused on just revealing new members of the roster, though Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu are featured in it. Both quickly appear during brief gameplay segments. This is in stark contrast to the typical trailers for the title. Those tend to give people a better chance to see fighters in matches against new or previously announced fighters.

Here’s the full “50 Days from Now” trailer for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4

Recent trailers tended to focus on certain arcs for character reveals. For example, the Android Saga one showed four versions of Cell, Android 16, Android 17, Android 18, and Android 19. The Saiyan and Namek Sagas trailer involved five versions of Frieza and two versions of Zarbon.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero will appear on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on October 11, 2024.

The post Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu Are in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero appeared first on Siliconera.

  • ✇Ars Technica - All content
  • “Something has gone seriously wrong,” dual-boot systems warn after Microsoft updateDan Goodin
    Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Last Tuesday, loads of Linux users—many running packages released as early as this year—started reporting their devices were failing to boot. Instead, they received a cryptic error message that included the phrase: “Something has gone seriously wrong.” The cause: an update Microsoft issued as part of its monthly patch release. It was intended to close a 2-year-old vulnerability in GRUB, an open source boot loader used to start up many Linux devi
     

“Something has gone seriously wrong,” dual-boot systems warn after Microsoft update

21. Srpen 2024 v 02:17
“Something has gone seriously wrong,” dual-boot systems warn after Microsoft update

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images)

Last Tuesday, loads of Linux users—many running packages released as early as this year—started reporting their devices were failing to boot. Instead, they received a cryptic error message that included the phrase: “Something has gone seriously wrong.”

The cause: an update Microsoft issued as part of its monthly patch release. It was intended to close a 2-year-old vulnerability in GRUB, an open source boot loader used to start up many Linux devices. The vulnerability, with a severity rating of 8.6 out of 10, made it possible for hackers to bypass secure boot, the industry standard for ensuring that devices running Windows or other operating systems don’t load malicious firmware or software during the bootup process. CVE-2022-2601 was discovered in 2022, but for unclear reasons, Microsoft patched it only last Tuesday.

Multiple distros, both new and old, affected

Tuesday’s update left dual-boot devices—meaning those configured to run both Windows and Linux—no longer able to boot into the latter when Secure Boot was enforced. When users tried to load Linux, they received the message: “Verifying shim SBAT data failed: Security Policy Violation. Something has gone seriously wrong: SBAT self-check failed: Security Policy Violation.” Almost immediately support and discussion forums lit up with ​​reports of the failure.

Read 10 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Doom modders are annoyed at the "chum-bucket" of wrongly credited mods in the latest Doom remaster

Last week, Bethesda released a remastered edition of Doom and Doom II on Steam, with lots of extra episodes and improvements. One of these new features is a built-in browser for mods, and support for many existing mods that previously required a different version of the game. Basically, lots of good fan-made mods are now playable on the Steam version of ye olde Doom. That's neat! Ah, but there is some demon excrement on the health pack, so to speak. The mod browser lacks moderation and lets people upload the work of others with their own name pinned as the author. That's prompted one level designer to call it "a massive breach of trust and violation of norms the Doom community has done its best to hold to for those 30 years."

Read more

Doom modders are annoyed at the "chum-bucket" of wrongly credited mods in the latest Doom remaster

12. Srpen 2024 v 14:06

Last week, Bethesda released a remastered edition of Doom and Doom II on Steam, with lots of extra episodes and improvements. One of these new features is a built-in browser for mods, and support for many existing mods that previously required a different version of the game. Basically, lots of good fan-made mods are now playable on the Steam version of ye olde Doom. That's neat! Ah, but there is some demon excrement on the health pack, so to speak. The mod browser lacks moderation and lets people upload the work of others with their own name pinned as the author. That's prompted one level designer to call it "a massive breach of trust and violation of norms the Doom community has done its best to hold to for those 30 years."

Read more

  • ✇Kotaku
  • Indiana Jones Out In December, Coming To PS5 In Spring 2025Ethan Gach
    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is supposed to be the big console and Game Pass exclusive for Xbox this fall, but it won’t be long until it comes to PlayStation 5 too, according to new reports. The port has been rumored for months and is the latest Xbox game to lose exclusivity amid Microsoft’s new multiplatform…Read more...
     

Indiana Jones Out In December, Coming To PS5 In Spring 2025

20. Srpen 2024 v 23:16

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is supposed to be the big console and Game Pass exclusive for Xbox this fall, but it won’t be long until it comes to PlayStation 5 too, according to new reports. The port has been rumored for months and is the latest Xbox game to lose exclusivity amid Microsoft’s new multiplatform…

Read more...

Every Gamescom Opening Night Live Prediction We Got Right And Wrong

Well folks, Gamescom Opening Night Live has now come and gone. We had some predictions about how the night could’ve gone including an appeal to finally get a single crumb of a Sonic The Hedgehog 3 trailer for the upcoming movie and a Hideo Kojima sighting, as has become the norm around events put on by Geoff Keighley.…

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It Can Take Up To 12 Months 'Or More' For Some Stuff To Come To Xbox Game Pass Standard

20. Srpen 2024 v 19:25

Game Pass Standard, a new middle tier in the Netflix-like subscription service’s ever-expanding menu of options, won’t get some games that hit the higher tiers on day one for up to a year or longer, Microsoft revealed today. The cheaper version is going into preview mode for Xbox Insiders for $1 ahead of its official…

Read more...

  • ✇Kotaku
  • 9 Games That Were Supposed To Come Out This Year But Were Delayed To 2025Ethan Gach
    Video game release dates are more a suggestion than a promise these days, and understandably so. Making games is hard and audiences have never been busier and more fickle. Still, it’s disappointing when you find out that sci-fi shooter or fantasy adventure you’ve been waiting for won’t be out any time soon, and a lot…Read more...
     

9 Games That Were Supposed To Come Out This Year But Were Delayed To 2025

19. Srpen 2024 v 19:49

Video game release dates are more a suggestion than a promise these days, and understandably so. Making games is hard and audiences have never been busier and more fickle. Still, it’s disappointing when you find out that sci-fi shooter or fantasy adventure you’ve been waiting for won’t be out any time soon, and a lot…

Read more...

  • ✇GAME PRESS
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle vychází 9. prosince pro Xbox Series X/S a PC, na jaře 2025 pro PS5Adam Jacik
    Nový herní přehled upozorňuje na exotické a smrtící lokace, do kterých se Indy vydává, a na nástroje, které bude při svém dobrodružství používat. Hra Indiana Jones and the Great Circle od MachineGames se dočkala nového gameplaye, v němž herec Troy Baker hovoří o různých aspektech této akční adventury. Asi nejdůležitější je, že vývojáři také potvrdili datum vydání 9. prosince pro Xbox Series X/S, ale to není vše. Hra Indiana Jones and the Great Circle bude rovněž uvedena na trh na jaře 2025 pro s
     

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle vychází 9. prosince pro Xbox Series X/S a PC, na jaře 2025 pro PS5

20. Srpen 2024 v 22:55

indiana jones and the great circle 1

Nový herní přehled upozorňuje na exotické a smrtící lokace, do kterých se Indy vydává, a na nástroje, které bude při svém dobrodružství používat.

Hra Indiana Jones and the Great Circle od MachineGames se dočkala nového gameplaye, v němž herec Troy Baker hovoří o různých aspektech této akční adventury. Asi nejdůležitější je, že vývojáři také potvrdili datum vydání 9. prosince pro Xbox Series X/S, ale to není vše.

Hra Indiana Jones and the Great Circle bude rovněž uvedena na trh na jaře 2025 pro systém PS5, jak se před touto událostí proslýchalo. Pokud budeme vycházet z obvyklého data ukončení sezóny, mohla by hra vyjít již 21. března 2025, nebo až 21. června. Jako vždy zůstaňte naladěni na další podrobnosti.

Za zmínku stojí i předvedená hratelnost, kdy Indy cestuje po světě od pouštních jeskyní plných škorpiónů až po husté lesy při honbě za Velkým kruhem. Pokud vám klaustrofobická uzavřenost některých oblastí nestačí, jsou tu i rozsáhlé otevřené oblasti s různými tajemstvími k objevení. Hráči budou pomocí Indyho kamery hledat stopy a zaznamenávat je do jeho deníku.

To samozřejmě není pro titul vše, protože se 23. srpna objeví také během livestreamu Xbox Gamescom 2024.

Článek Indiana Jones and the Great Circle vychází 9. prosince pro Xbox Series X/S a PC, na jaře 2025 pro PS5 se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

  • ✇GAME PRESS
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 představilo na Gemscom ONL gameplay z kampaněAdam Jacik
    V epizodě „Most Wanted“ se tým infiltruje na černý tým, aby získal Russela Adlera, což se rychle zvrhne ve výbušný útěk. Společnosti Treyarch a Raven Software představily první rozsáhlou hratelnou kampaň pro hru Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. V ní se posádka v misi „Most Wanted“ snaží dostat na přísně tajné černé místo pod Washingtonem D.C., aby získala Russela Adlera. Podívejte se na něj níže. Pomocí kamery, která dokáže zachytit sken sítnice senátora, dorazí hráč na černé stanoviště a zjistí, že n
     

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 představilo na Gemscom ONL gameplay z kampaně

20. Srpen 2024 v 20:27

call of duty black ops 6 image scaled 1

V epizodě „Most Wanted“ se tým infiltruje na černý tým, aby získal Russela Adlera, což se rychle zvrhne ve výbušný útěk.

Společnosti Treyarch a Raven Software představily první rozsáhlou hratelnou kampaň pro hru Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. V ní se posádka v misi „Most Wanted“ snaží dostat na přísně tajné černé místo pod Washingtonem D.C., aby získala Russela Adlera. Podívejte se na něj níže.

Pomocí kamery, která dokáže zachytit sken sítnice senátora, dorazí hráč na černé stanoviště a zjistí, že na něj zaútočili. Po boji s mnoha nepřáteli nakonec narazí na Adlera a zahájí proces jeho vysvobození. To zahrnuje vyřazení těžkého minipistolníka, boj s hordami nepřátel a nakonec nalezení několika motocyklů k útěku.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 vychází 25. října pro konzole Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 a PC. Otevřená multiplayerová beta probíhá od 6. do 9. září, ale předplatitelé předplatného Game Pass Ultimate a PC Game Pass získají předčasný přístup od 30. srpna do 4. září. Na konferenci Call of Duty Next 28. srpna bude odhaleno další hraní kampaně, takže zůstaňte naladěni.

Článek Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 představilo na Gemscom ONL gameplay z kampaně se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

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  • Upoutávka na Season Pass Star Wars Outlaws upozorňuje na Jabba’s Gambit a budoucí příběhové DLCAdam Jacik
    Massive Entertainment nastiňuje nové příběhy a postavy, se kterými se hráči setkají v nadcházejícím DLC k této hře s otevřeným světem. Po odhalení plánu Season Passu pro hru Star Wars Outlaws přichází společnost Massive Entertainment s novým trailerem představujícím obsah. Ten začíná při spuštění exkluzivní misí Jabba’s Gambit, která se zpřístupní po prvním střetu s Huttským kartelem. Mise zahrnuje vyrovnání „starého dluhu“, který ND-5, Kayův droidí spojenec, „zanedbal“. Při spuštění je k dispoz
     

Upoutávka na Season Pass Star Wars Outlaws upozorňuje na Jabba’s Gambit a budoucí příběhové DLC

20. Srpen 2024 v 09:52

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Massive Entertainment nastiňuje nové příběhy a postavy, se kterými se hráči setkají v nadcházejícím DLC k této hře s otevřeným světem.

Po odhalení plánu Season Passu pro hru Star Wars Outlaws přichází společnost Massive Entertainment s novým trailerem představujícím obsah. Ten začíná při spuštění exkluzivní misí Jabba’s Gambit, která se zpřístupní po prvním střetu s Huttským kartelem.

Mise zahrnuje vyrovnání „starého dluhu“, který ND-5, Kayův droidí spojenec, „zanedbal“. Při spuštění je k dispozici také balíček postavy Kessel Runner, který poskytuje novou kosmetiku pro Kaye a Nyx. Další je Wild Card, první příběhové DLC, které se objeví na podzim.

Ačkoli nevidíme žádný gameplay, animovaný koncept ukazuje hru Sabacc s vysokými sázkami, do které se hráči infiltrují na příkaz Impéria. Kay se následně spojí s Landem, aby odhalili větší spiknutí v „nejtajnější a nejbezpečnější části“ Mirogany. Na trh budou uvedeny také dva další balíčky postav, Hunter’s Legacy a Cartel Ronin, které však nebyly prozrazeny.

Na jaře se objeví druhé a poslední příběhové rozšíření A Pirate’s Fortune. O příběhu je toho známo ještě méně, kromě toho, že se posádka spojí s pirátem Hondem Ohnakou, aby hledali poklad a obrátili své štěstí.

Hra Star Wars Outlaws vychází 30. srpna pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S a PC. Edice Gold a Ultimate zahrnují Season Pass a třídenní předčasný přístup.

Článek Upoutávka na Season Pass Star Wars Outlaws upozorňuje na Jabba’s Gambit a budoucí příběhové DLC se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

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  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle vyjde pro PS5 v první polovině roku 2025Adam Jacik
    Chystaná akční adventura z pohledu první osoby bude uvedena jako časově omezená exkluzivita pro Xbox Series X/S a PC letos v prosinci a příští rok se prý objeví i na PS5. Několik nedávných úniků naznačilo, že v blízké budoucnosti budou oznámeny další významné multiplatformní tituly pro Xbox od první strany, přičemž jedno oznámení je obzvláště blízko, a zdá se, že nyní možná víme, o jaké oznámení půjde. Zdá se, že chystaná hra Indiana Jones and the Great Circle bude oznámena pro systém PS5. To tv
     

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle vyjde pro PS5 v první polovině roku 2025

20. Srpen 2024 v 09:44

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Chystaná akční adventura z pohledu první osoby bude uvedena jako časově omezená exkluzivita pro Xbox Series X/S a PC letos v prosinci a příští rok se prý objeví i na PS5.

Několik nedávných úniků naznačilo, že v blízké budoucnosti budou oznámeny další významné multiplatformní tituly pro Xbox od první strany, přičemž jedno oznámení je obzvláště blízko, a zdá se, že nyní možná víme, o jaké oznámení půjde. Zdá se, že chystaná hra Indiana Jones and the Great Circle bude oznámena pro systém PS5.

To tvrdí prominentní zasvěcenec NateTheHate, který nedávno na Twitteru uvedl, že hra Indiana Jones and the Great Circle vyjde v prosinci tohoto roku jako časově omezená exkluzivita pro Xbox Series X/S a PC a někdy v první polovině roku 2025 vyjde také pro PS5.

Zda o tom brzy uslyšíme oficiálně, se teprve uvidí, ale tuto možnost bychom nepodceňovali. Je potvrzeno, že hra se zítra, 20. srpna, objeví na Gamescom Opening Night Live, kde bude údajně oznámeno i datum vydání hry, takže je přinejmenším pravděpodobné, že se v dohledné době dozvíme i o plánech na uvedení hry na PlayStation.

MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will release on Xbox & PC this holiday (Dec) as a timed console exclusive.

After this timed-exclusive window expires, Indiana Jones & the Great Circle is planned to come to PlayStation 5 in the first half of 2025. pic.twitter.com/xsi0Hf4WrT

— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) August 19, 2024

Článek Indiana Jones and the Great Circle vyjde pro PS5 v první polovině roku 2025 se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

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