Opening cases in CS2 is one of the most exciting aspects of the game, offering players the chance to snag rare and valuable skins. But with the rise of third-party sites, many players wonder: is it really worth it to open cases in CS2, or should you turn to these alternative platforms? Let’s dive into the pros and cons of both, and see how they stack up.

Opening Cases in CS2

First, let’s talk about the experience of opening cases directly in CS2. There’s something undeniably exciting about the anticipation as you watch the spinning wheel, hoping for that rare drop. It’s a core part of the game, deeply embedded in the CS2 culture.

Pros of Opening Cases in CS2:

1. Official and Secure: When you open cases in CS2, you’re dealing directly with the game developers. This means there’s no risk of scams or losing your hard-earned skins.
2. Game Integration: Skins obtained from CS2 cases are immediately available in your inventory, ready for you to show off in your next match.
3. Authenticity: There’s a certain pride in knowing your skins came directly from the game itself.

However, while the official route offers security and authenticity, it also has its downsides.

Cons of Opening Cases in CS2:

1. Cost: CS2 cases and keys can be pricey, especially if you’re chasing after rare skins.
2. Limited Bonuses: Unlike third-party sites, CS2 doesn’t offer many promotions, bonuses, or gifts.
3. No Extras: The experience is pretty straightforward, lacking the added excitement of case battles or other fun features offered by third-party sites.

Exploring Third-Party Case Opening Sites

Now, let’s examine what third-party case-opening sites offer. These platforms have gained popularity due to their enticing bonuses, promotions, and unique features that spice up the case-opening experience.

Advantages of Third-Party Sites:

1. Bonuses and Promotions: One of the biggest draws of third-party sites is the variety of bonuses and promotions they offer. Many sites give you extra credits, free cases, or significant discounts, making your money go further. Whether it’s a welcome bonus for new users or regular promotions for loyal customers, these perks can make a huge difference in your case opening journey.
2. Gifts and Rewards: Beyond bonuses, many third-party sites offer gifts and rewards. This could be anything from free skins to exclusive items not available in CS2. It’s like a constant stream of surprises that keeps the experience fresh and exciting.
3. Case Battles: If you’re looking for extra fun, case battles are a feature you won’t find in CS2. These battles pit players against each other to see who can pull the best skins from their cases. It’s a competitive twist that adds another layer of fun and can lead to some impressive wins.
4. Diverse Case Selection: Third-party sites often have a wider variety of cases to choose from, including custom cases created by the community. This means you can find cases tailored to your specific preferences, whether you’re hunting for a particular type of skin or just looking for something new and different.

Risks and Considerations:

While third-party sites offer many advantages, they also come with their own set of risks and considerations.

1. Security Concerns: Not all third-party sites are created equal. It’s crucial to choose reputable sites to avoid scams or losing your items. Look for sites with strong user reviews, secure payment options, and transparent policies.
2. Withdraw and Deposit Issues: Some sites may have complicated processes for withdrawing your skins or require you to deposit items before you can start opening cases. Make sure you understand these procedures before diving in.
3. Fairness and Transparency: Ensure the site you’re using has transparent odds and fair gameplay. Some less reputable sites might manipulate odds, making it harder to get valuable skins.

Is It Worth Opening Cases in CS2?

The answer ultimately depends on what you’re looking for in your case opening experience.

If you value security and authenticity, stick with opening cases directly in CS2. The official route guarantees that your skins are legitimate and safely stored in your Steam inventory. It’s a straightforward, no-frills experience that’s integrated seamlessly into the game.

If you want more excitement and value for your money, give third-party sites a try. With their generous bonuses, diverse case selection, and unique features, CS2 case battle sites can make your case-opening journey much more interesting and rewarding. Just be sure to do your research and choose a reputable site to avoid potential pitfalls.

Conclusion

As much as opening cases in CS2 can be a very enjoyable game, third-party sites offer compelling alternatives thanks to their bonuses, promotions, and added features they provide. When you weigh the pros and cons of both options, you will be able to determine which route is best. It is always important to approach each case opening with a sense of fun and adventure, regardless of whether you stick with CS2 or venture into the world of third-party websites. Have a great case opening, and may your next spin lead to the skin of your dreams.

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

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

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

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Turtles In Loop

HIGH Fluid combat and solid build diversity.

LOW Paper-thin story.

WTF The Shredder knows who Plato is?!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is an honest attempt at the roguelike genre featuring the four titular heroes in a half-shell.

The setting and art direction successfully mimic Nickelodeon’s beloved TV series, all the way down to the constant banter between Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello, as well as with the inclusion of the handful of familiar baddies they have to beat (and re-beat, and re-beat again) throughout the campaign.

All of this is to be expected by TMNT fans, and the game rightfully delivers on all fronts when it comes to allowing up to four players to spend an afternoon controlling the ninja rascals while slicing through hordes of cutesy foes. However, aside from that specific draw bolstered by some admittedly infectious dynamism, there isn’t much here to warrant prolonged attention. 

As mentioned, Splintered Fate is structured as a roguelike, meaning players will progress through randomly-generated stages in linear fashion while earning currencies, learning skills, and besting bosses at regular intervals during a full run lasting roughly 30 minutes. It’s played from a top-down perspective that allows players a clear view of the action, instantly making it a fair (yet chaotic) romp given the sheer quantity of enemies that will fill up the screen.

The plot has the turtles dealing with an enigmatic character who’s kidnapped their master and locked him away in another dimension. They urge the boys to complete a series of stages accessible through a portal conveniently placed within their hideout. With (roughly) each new attempt, the turtles accrue clues on how to ultimately rescue Splinter and get him back. Unfortunately, the runs don’t vary much, and players will have to witness the same collection of bland, uneventful-looking biomes and the same bosses in the very same order (with only slight random variations from time to time) over and over again. 

While the plot isn’t anything to write home about, each line of dialogue is dutifully recorded with a cadence that resembles the TV shows, and it goes a long way to selling the experience to fans. Granted, not every videogame needs to propose a philosophical basis for why we, as players, “need” to willingly initiate the next chapter of play while postulating semi-hidden meta-commentary on the nature of life, but Splintered Fate is an example where it’s clear from the get-go that story doesn’t matter — and truth be told, allowing oneself to get entangled in building an all-powerful turtle is incentive enough to keep restarting the same loop for a good while.

Unsurprisingly, up to four people can play together, either locally or online, each controlling one of the turtles while trying to navigate the ever-increasing onslaught of enemies with brightly colored area-of-attack indicators heralding each offensive move. Splintered Fate does a fine job of intuitively teaching newcomers its core mechanics and allowing them to get into a rhythm before long — the action is always zappy, fluid, and entertaining, with various combinations of enemies and bosses aggressively racking up the difficulty to eventually force the player into a more calculated, hit-and-run style. Learning how to spot tiny gaps between enemies’ attack chains to land a crunchy critical strike is as satisfying and rewarding as one would hope.

In addition to this smooth teaching curve, Splintered Fate also features a fair amount of character variety and RPG elements, evident from the very screen when we get to select a character.

While each turtle uses a different weapon with a unique attack speed, reach, and combos, Leo can store up to two special attacks at once, Donatello heals between rounds and more quickly recharges a “Tool” attack, Raphael is all about scoring critical hits and Michelangelo receives multi-hit bonuses — and is generally more likable than the rest!

On top of that, players get to pick between various boosts upon clearing a room, allowing them to apply elemental damage-over-time effects like fire, lighting, and poison (or whatever “ooze” is supposed to be), as well as increasing their chance to score a critical hit or dodge an enemy swing. Defensively, we can use a small dash move to get out of danger, which replenishes after a few seconds to remind us that situation awareness is supremely important in Splintered Fate. 

While this may sound a bit complex, that’s not the case in practice. Once the action starts and upon clearing a room, a selection of two or three powers appear on screen that players can choose from in true roguelike fashion. For example, playing as Donatello, I might be prompted to choose between prolonging the invincibility period of my Tool attack or increasing the reach of my Special attack, making it easier to strike fools in all directions at once.

Aside from that choice system, we also earn currencies that can be spent to bolster certain aspects of our build — things like getting a revive that automatically respawns the character upon death, or permanently increasing things like health points or faster move speed. Of course, such a scheme coalesces into a satisfying advances, as even failed runs allow one to make critical upgrades across the board, boosting the desire to surmount each of Splintered Fate’s challenges.  

On the flip side, this system proved unable to combat the staleness that started to creep in once I had successfully been through a dozen successful runs. Of course no game is meant to last forever, but replay and variety are hallmarks of the roguelike genre and in this way, Splintered Fate comes up a bit short. It’s a good time while it lasts — especially for Turtles fans — but more content, more variety and perhaps a little more narrative would have boosted the experience to the next level. But still, it’s OK!

Rating: 7 out of 10 

Disclosures: This game was developed and published by Super Evil Mega Corp. It is currently available on Switch, PS5, XBX and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the Switch Lite. Approximately 10 hours of play were devoted to the game, and it was completed. About 45 minutes were spent in online multiplier with two other players, while the maximum player count is four. 

Parents: This game has received an E rating from the ESRB and contains Fantasy Violence. The game features the titular cartoon characters as they battle through hordes of enemy ninjas and robots in an attempt to track down and save their kidnapped master. The writing, action, and art direction are all faithful to Nickelodeon’s long-running Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. 

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: All dialogue in this game is shown via textboxes and fairly well-acted voiceovers, so they’re easy to keep track of even mid-fights. All enemy attacks are clearly telegraphed on-screen with easy-to-note areas of attack. I’d say this game is fully accessible. 

Remappable Controls: This game doesn’t offer a controller diagram and the controls are not remappable. However, the controls are displayed at all times during gameplay at the screen’s corners for easy reference. On the Switch, the face buttons are for striking, using special attacks, and dashing in and out of danger, while the left stick moves the character.

Already this distinguished and deeply planned/researched creation has been finely tuned and skillfully worked on over this extended period to ensure a game of depth, challenge and not least quality. It has already won, or been nominated for, a number of awards!

Opening up to a new world of Challenge

Developer’s Silvine strategy game adds another dimension to a genre that is sometimes overlooked as being formulaic, very simple in design, presentation and procedural play. Artifice: War Tactics is a turn-based strategy roguelike game with a unique asymmetric combat system. In this game, enemies set up attack zones, while your champions can actively evade and disrupt  strategy using their traits, abilities, or items.

Studio Quote - Technology/Inspirational

Neeraj Kumar, Founder. Silvine, ”Our studio specialises in both design and technology. Creating an art-heavy game has been a challenge for us, one we have successfully negotiated!  We  conducted extensive research, made iterations, and received a lot of help from colleagues with specialised expertise. Our inspiration stems from games like XCOM, Into the Breach, and Darkest Dungeon.”

Unleash your tactical prowess in a mediaeval fantasy world where survival depends on thwarting enemy ambushes with an array of champions at your disposal. Defeat powerful bosses to conquer strongholds and lead your army to victory!

Chaos ensued as civil war broke out in every kingdom, demanding its rulers to bow down to Theosus, or face the wrath of the people. In the end, not many remained to challenge Theosus as he became Ozaria’s sovereign. Years later, Sirion, the keeper of the relic, reached out to the mortals of this realm to rally against the tyranny. He gathered all the rebels to form the Conclave and entrusted the last of the stone fragments to them. You are the leader of this Conclave, and even though your chances of success are slim, it is up to you now to overthrow this false god.

Gameplay - visually cool, challengingly perfect!

Presentation and action is via  the  asymmetric grid combat system where you can execute an impressive array of combinations and synergies. Every action carries consequences. The animation and special effects that accompany each move add real impact to the game’s authenticity and overall ambience, just one of many impressive features.

Setting up to play, each turn base move follows a number of sequences/choices at the player's control. Observe enemy positions and deduce where they’re most likely to set up an ambush. Anticipate where the enemy is most likely to move during the following turn to position your champions. Position your champions strategically. Set attack zones and engage your enemies to create chain reactions of combos, maximising your victory and striking as many enemies as possible. A user-friendly interface gives lots of information about the enemies’ powers and move positions and there are various key presses that will bring up further helpful information. After only a short period of time and your first success Artifice becomes very intuitive.

Look out!

The biome hazards come in four types: Sandworm, frost wraith, Poison Ivy, and Floating Rune. They can be both dangerous and useful. If you are able to hit the enemies while they are next to them, they also attack the enemies. On the other hand, if you end up taking a hit while next to them, you might end up losing a shard (life), which will make the battle more difficult. Using them wisely is important for a master tactician.

Features & Facts

• Every unit has its own move and attack patterns, as well as unique traits and abilities.
• After winning 4 battles, you can challenge the boss.
• If you defeat the boss, a new island will unlock.
• There are a total of 3 islands and 1 final boss fight to complete.
• Collect any items or resources that enemies drop when defeated.
• Win the battle and earn rewards based on achieving secondary objectives and in-game drops.
• Visit the loadout area to equip great items and upgrade your champions.  
• Experiment with different objectives and aim for the rewards you need the most.

About Silvine Game Studios

Founded by Neeraj Kumar, Aubhik Nath, Ekta Verma, and Vishal Mohan, Silvine Game Studios is an indie developer based in Chennai, India. After their success with Asura: Vengeance Edition, the team reunited to create Artifice: War Tactics. Learn more at Silvine Game Studios.

Pip My Dice is a Yahtzee roguelike where you’ll use customizable dice and powerful relics to rig the odds in your favor as you battle bosses and climb the online leaderboards.

Drawing inspiration from Balatro and Yahtzee, Pip My Dice is a dice-based roguelike deckbuilder where players can upgrade their dice or employ various strategies to battle their way through different stages. Players must … Read More

Karate Survivor features a very addictive fusion of beat ’em up and Survivors-like gameplay as a martial arts master beats up huge hordes of thugs.

Drawing inspiration from 80’s action movies, Karate Survivor is a Survivors-like roguelite beat ’em up where you use improvised weapons and combos to beat up thugs. The combat is similar to Stick it to the Stickman, with you able … Read More

SWAP/MEAT is a co-op roguelite third person shooter where you hunt aliens for their meat, which you use to swap out body parts with new abilities.

Playable with one to four players, in SWAP/MEAT you’re a Meat Scientist who works for Rangus Meats and travels to different planets and hunts aliens for meat. The body parts of the aliens you kill can be swapped out … Read More

Mother Machine is a quirky co-op action roguelite platformer where ravenous chaos goblins climb and feast their way through alien caves.

Playable with one to four players, in Mother Machine you are a cute little chaos goblin who has an insatiable appetite. As you and your friends run, jump, swing and blimp your way through procedurally generated cave systems you’ll unlock a wide array of … Read More

Feed The Gods is a multiplayer card-battling roguelike where cultists attempt to fight their way out of a pit of doom before they’re eaten by an ancient god.

Playable with 3-6 players, in Feed The Gods you are a cult leader who uses cards to help guide a loyal cultist to freedom from a pit below the Tower of Doom. Matches take place on a … Read More

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is set to hold its second picket tomorrow.

The picket will take place from 9am until noon on Thursday August 15 at Disney Character Voices in Burbank, California, USA.

SAG-AFTRA will be represented by members of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating (IMA) Committee alongside other SAG-AFTRA members, labour allies, and video game fans."

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One of the best roguelikes on PC is getting a farewell of sorts this week. Twitchy slashfest Dead Cells received its final major update, introducing new enemies, fresh weapons, and a few mutations. Unfortunately, all this new stuff is very cursed. In other words, it all toys with the game's "curse" status effect, a hex that causes you to be killed if you take even a single hit. You'll probably die a few times as a result of this update, which in some ways is a fitting finalé for this fast-paced jar smasher of a game. You can see the new features in the trailer below.

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I'm no shoot 'em up nutter - or "shmutter", as I understand they prefer to be called - but some of the first games I remember playing are shmups. Games like Maelstrom, Ambrosia's Macintosh clone of Asteroids, and the proto-shmup Crystal Quest from Patrick Buckland, who would go on to make Carmageddon. Little did I know that the humble premise of a small 2D spacecraft shooting baddies on a wrap-around screen would reach the glittering heights of Nova Drift. Had you shown me this game back in 1995, I dare say I'd have shmupped myself.

Read more

One of the best roguelikes on PC is getting a farewell of sorts this week. Twitchy slashfest Dead Cells received its final major update, introducing new enemies, fresh weapons, and a few mutations. Unfortunately, all this new stuff is very cursed. In other words, it all toys with the game's "curse" status effect, a hex that causes you to be killed if you take even a single hit. You'll probably die a few times as a result of this update, which in some ways is a fitting finalé for this fast-paced jar smasher of a game. You can see the new features in the trailer below.

Read more

I'm no shoot 'em up nutter - or "shmutter", as I understand they prefer to be called - but some of the first games I remember playing are shmups. Games like Maelstrom, Ambrosia's Macintosh clone of Asteroids, and the proto-shmup Crystal Quest from Patrick Buckland, who would go on to make Carmageddon. Little did I know that the humble premise of a small 2D spacecraft shooting baddies on a wrap-around screen would reach the glittering heights of Nova Drift. Had you shown me this game back in 1995, I dare say I'd have shmupped myself.

Read more

Hm. Hmmmm. Right. So, what have we got here? There’s my Blood Donor card, which reduces the value of the hearts I play, but also heals me. That’s fine, actually. Reduced score means I can squeeze in another card for more healing. If I can pull my Tarot card, I'll deal damage with each heal, and I’ve already pulled two scratch cards for yet more quick damage. Now, if I can just pull a Jack, I can plonk down the King Of Space And Time for a brutal finisher. That’ll transfer everything on my side over to my opponent’s, forcing a bust for a nice final chunk of hurt and…

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Hm. Hmmmm. Right. So, what have we got here? There’s my Blood Donor card, which reduces the value of the hearts I play, but also heals me. That’s fine, actually. Reduced score means I can squeeze in another card for more healing. If I can pull my Tarot card, I'll deal damage with each heal, and I’ve already pulled two scratch cards for yet more quick damage. Now, if I can just pull a Jack, I can plonk down the King Of Space And Time for a brutal finisher. That’ll transfer everything on my side over to my opponent’s, forcing a bust for a nice final chunk of hurt and…

Read more

Black Myth: Wukong is a lengthy and challenging game filled with over 80 bosses and tons of enemy types to tackle, promising that you’ll need to put your skills to the test if you want to see it through to one of its multiple endings. The opening hours of the game give you a lot to learn and think about, and getting…

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Title: Black Myth: Wukong
Type of Game: Action RPG
Developer: Game Science
Publisher: Game Science
Released: 20.8.2024
Platforms Available: PC Game, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (TBD)
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 5
Level of Maturity: Teen
Article Reading Time: 4 minutes
OpenCritic Rating: 80/100
Metacritic Rating: 82/100 (PC)

A Souls-like at Its Core

Right off the bat, Black Myth: Wukong is truly a Souls-like title at its core. Uncompromising enemies, the need to learn incoming attack combinations from most opponents you meet, and careful health management all contribute to the familiar challenge that fans of the genre expect. Wukong’s approach to the genre differs more in the extraneous details. For instance, you don’t lose souls after every death, so you don’t have to go retrieve them afterward. As someone who isn’t precisely a Souls-like enthusiast, I appreciated this small but significant departure from the norm.

Unique Abilities that Enhance Gameplay

Wukong also offers some very interesting abilities, such as freezing an enemy for a few moments, giving you a convenient opportunity to heal or attack. I wouldn’t want to reveal other skills, as they pleasantly surprised me during gameplay. The freezing ability, in particular, stood out as a tactical tool that adds depth to combat. These abilities are refreshing and set Black Myth: Wukong apart from other titles in the genre, hinting at a richer variety of gameplay mechanics.

Classic RPG Elements

In addition to its Souls-like foundation, the game incorporates classic RPG elements like XP, levels, abilities, and a skill tree. You’ll be teaching Wukong new techniques and even improving his equipment. This aspect of the game will be particularly pleasing for those who enjoy the RPG genre. It offers a sense of progression and customization that enhances the overall experience, providing a layer of depth that complements the challenging combat.

Technical Brilliance

Now, to the technical side of the game, which can be described in one word – AMAZING. Medieval China is portrayed in stunning detail, creating a beautiful and slightly eerie environment. The game is strictly corridor-based, so it won’t offer you vast open-world landscapes to explore. However, within its constraints, it still manages to be a visual gem. Every corner of the game is meticulously crafted, making the world feel alive and immersive.

Performance and Stability

As for the game’s performance, I’m happy to report that it seems to be in excellent condition. In an era where many big releases suffer from bugs and glitches, Black Myth: Wukong is a refreshing exception. I’m playing in performance mode at 60 fps, even if it comes at the cost of a lower resolution. The game maintains this frame rate steadily, providing a smooth experience throughout. The only hiccup I encountered was at the beginning, where the frame rate briefly dropped to 30 fps, but everything ran flawlessly after the introduction.

Conclusion: A Promising Start

At its core, the game is a Souls-like title to be reckoned with. If you are not directly a fan of FromSoftware titles, then hesitation to buy or not is very necessary. As a gamer myself who doesn’t exactly love the genre, I’m still a bit on the fence about whether the game will win me over or not. But still, Wukong, at least as far as I can tell, has its unquestionable qualities in certain aspects, even for gamers like me. Especially when the game is a bit more accessible for a Souls game than it was, for example, with Elden Ring. But don’t be fooled… you still have to try at all costs to make the monkey king succeed on his way to his destiny.

Black Myth: Wukong – Where to Buy

Steam (PC): Aailable for $59.99 Get yours Black Myth: Wukong on Steam.

Epic Game Store: Buy for $59.99 . Could you check it out on Epic?

PlayStation Store (PS5): You can find Wukong on the PlayStation Store for $59.99.

Wegame ( Chinese): Buy Black Myth Wukong on Chinese Store Wegame

Official Page: Visit the official Black Myth: Wukong page for more information.

Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Black Myth: Wukong Subreddit.

The post Black Myth: Wukong – First Impressions appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

Title: Black Myth: Wukong
Type of Game: Action RPG
Developer: Game Science
Publisher: Game Science
Released: 20.8.2024
Platforms Available: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (later)
Platform Reviewed: PC
Level of Maturity: Teen
Article Reading Time: 6 minutes

Heads up, gamers! August 20, 2024, is about to get wild. Black Myth: Wukong is finally swinging into action, and boy, is it making a racket. This Chinese mythology-fueled romp has been teasing us for years, and now it’s time to see if it lives up to the hype. We’re still prepping our full review here at WePlayGames.net, but let’s dig into the early buzz.

From Daydream to Phenomenon

Picture this: In 2018, a bunch of starry-eyed devs at Game Science cooked up this crazy idea in Hangzhou. Fast forward to 2020, and their pre-alpha trailer breaks the internet harder than a cat video. Since then? It’s been a roller coaster of hype and hair-pulling anticipation.

Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Hack ‘n’ Slash

Game Science has been yelling themselves that this isn’t a souls-like clone. Guess what? They might be onto something. GameSpot‘s saying it’s got its flavor in the action RPG buffet. You’re playing this monkey dude, the Destined One, straight outta “Journey to the West.” Sounds bonkers? It is.

Now, about that fighting – oh boy. IGN‘s raving about this Focus system that’ll have you pulling off moves smoother than a greased-up eel. Dodge like Muhammad Ali, hit like Mike Tyson, and watch that Focus meter go nuts. Then? Unleash hell. Throw in some shape-shifting shenanigans and magical mumbo-jumbo, and you’ve got a party.

Boss Fights That’ll Melt Your Face

If there’s one thing this game’s nailing, it’s the big bads. GameSpot can’t stop gabbing about these Yaoguai – think mythical nasties that’d give your nightmares nightmares. We’re talking about wolves with flaming bling and dragons that’d make Daenerys jealous. The works. Some folks found these throwdowns a cakewalk, but IGN’s warning that some late-game beasties might have you rage-quitting harder than Dark Souls veterans.

Eye Candy and Ear Worms

Both GameSpot and IGN are losing their minds over how this game looks. It’s so pretty it might make your eyeballs pop. Snow that crunches just right, trees you want to hug, and lighting that’ll make you weep. Game Science went all-in, ditching Unreal Engine 4 for 5 in 2021. Talk about commitment.

And the tunes? Chef’s kiss. We’re talking sweeping scores, battle music that’ll get your blood pumping, and get this – they snagged the theme from the old ’86 “Journey to the West” show. Nostalgia overload, anyone?

Plot Twist: The Story’s a Head-Scratcher

While everyone’s drooling over the pretty pictures and slick moves, the story’s got folks scratching their heads. GameSpot and IGN hint that if you’re not up on your “Journey to the West” lore, you might feel like you’ve stumbled into a foreign film without subtitles. The hero’s got a bad case of the “strong, silent type,” which doesn’t help.

But wait! There’s hope. IGN’s got a soft spot for these artsy chapter-ending bits. Each one’s like a mini-masterpiece, adding some much-needed feels to the monkey business.

Rough Around the Edges

Now for the not-so-great news. IGN’s run into more bugs than a summer picnic – crashes, wonky audio, even some game-breaking nonsense on PC. Here’s hoping for some day-one magic patches.

And the level design? It’s catching some flak. GameSpot mentions you might spend more time lost than Marco Polo without a map. Oh, and invisible walls? They’re everywhere. It’s like playing tag with a mime.

Hype Trains Off the Rails

Despite the hiccups, this game’s got people frothing at the mouth. It’s been sitting pretty as Steam’s most wanted since May, and its benchmark tool drew crowds like free beer at a frat party. It even snagged Best Visuals at Gamescom 2023 before anyone could get their grubby paws on it.

Come D-Day, you can grab it in flavors from no-frills digital to a collector’s edition that’ll have your wallet sobbing. PS5 and PC folks get first dibs, with Xbox Series X/S players left twiddling their thumbs for a bit.

The Lowdown

As we sharpen our critique claws for the full review, it’s clear Black Myth: Wukong is more than just monkey business. It might not be perfect, but it’s dishing out a heaping helping of Chinese mythology with a side of face-melting action that’s got us intrigued. Word on the street is this might kick off a whole series of Chinese legend-inspired games. Color us stoked.

Keep your eyes peeled for our deep dive, which is coming soon once launched on PlayStation 5. Meanwhile, if you’re itching for a fresh action fix with some Eastern zing, you might want to pencil in a date with the Destined One. Just pack some extra patience – this journey might have a few bumps and bruises along the way.

Where to Buy Black Myth: Wukong

Steam (PC): Expected to be available on release. Wishlist it on Steam.

Epic Game Store: Expected to be available on release. Check it out on Epic.

PlayStation Store (PS5): Expected to be available on release. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.

Wegame ( Chinese): Buy Black Myth Wukong on Chinese Store Wegame

Official Page: Visit the official Black Myth: Wukong page for more information.

Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Black Myth: Wukong Subreddit.

The post Black Myth: Wukong – First Look at Fighting Monkey appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

While Black Myth: Wukong may not be a traditional Souls-like, it shares enough challenging elements—such as its demanding difficulty level—that choosing your early stats and talents wisely is crucial for a smoother experience.

If you need a little guidance on which stats to take starting out, here's everything you need to know about early game stats and talents in Black Myth Wukong.

Best Early Game Talents in Black Myth: Wukong

There are many interesting abilities and talents you can invest in early in Black Myth: Wukong, and you might be interested in doing so because of that. However, Black Myth: Wukong is a fairly difficult game and it really doesn't pull its punches the further you progress. To that end, the most important stats you should take are the ones that boost your survivability and ability to evade enemy attacks. Health, stamina, and evasion are what your early points should be focused upon, not damage.

With your first six points, I highly recommend investing in the Robust Constitution talent under the Foundation-Survivial tree. That talent boosts your health by a decent margin and will allow you more room for error. More room for error means more options to adapt.

After that, I recommend going for Deft Evasion in the Foundation-Stamina tree. This talent considerably improves your ability to avoid enemy attacks, allowing you to cancel your early Light attack combo into a seamless dodge. This is important because, later on, you won't be able to just sit there and Light attack enemies to death.

Under the same tree, you should invest at least one point into Simian Agility, Endurance, and Everlasting Vigor. These talents enhance your mobility, but the primary reason to invest in them is that they are prerequisites for unlocking Composure. This talent allows you to continue your Light attack combo string even if you dodge during it. You can be far more aggressive when attacking because you no longer need to be concerned about breaking your attack chain.

The last early-game Talent you should consider taking is Exhilaration, under the Staff Stances tree. This talent improves your Health recovery when consuming a Focus Point, which makes it a great way to heal without using a charge of your Gourd. This doubles as a benefit, as taking at least three points in this tree earns you a second Focus Point.

While many of these Talents are not the most interesting and are largely passive, it's important to get the survivability concerns out of the way so that you can actively take the more 'fun' Talents and stats without concern of dying all the time. Hopefully, this helps your adventure in Black Myth: Wukong.

The post Best early game stats in Black Myth: Wukong appeared first on Destructoid.

Demon’s Mirror is an upcoming roguelike game from developer Be-Rad Entertainment. “Great! Another roguelike game!” you might exclaim in exasperation. Don’t worry, though, because Demon’s Mirror offers an additional twist, one that sees the genre combined with deckbuilding reminiscent of Slay the Spire and match-3 or, in this case, chain-3 gameplay, akin to Puzzle Quest.

I had a chance to check out a hands-off preview of Demon’s Mirror. I joined Brad Johnson, the founder of Be-Rad Entertainment, as well as folks from publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment. While I only saw a brief glimpse of the characters and mechanics, I was still very much intrigued by tactical intricacies.

Demon’s Mirror features three heroes who have been trapped in a dark realm. Only two were available in the demo, Wulf and Draga, though it was easy to see their unique perks and card abilities. For instance, Wulf gets a free chain point, whereas Draga can lower the cost of chaining and cards by a point. Sounds a bit confusing? Well, then, I’ll go ahead and explain the mechanics…

As mentioned earlier, Demon’s Mirror combines deckbuilding and chain-3 gameplay. During your character’s turn, you can use action points to either chain tiles on the board or play the cards in your hand. Chaining essentially means drawing a line across multiple symbols of the same type, such as swords to deal damage, shields to block damage, or essence (i.e. green orbs) to buff cards. There’s even another resource called willpower (i.e. purple gems), which gives three potential effects to choose from.

“Demon’s Mirror offers an additional twist, one that sees the genre combined with deckbuilding reminiscent of Slay the Spire…”

Naturally, the more symbols and the longer the line you chain, the stronger the effect. This is where your tactical acumen comes into play since you need to ascertain whether it’s better to deal damage to a foe, empower your next action, or block an oncoming hit. Another cool tidbit is that there’s an accessibility setting that automatically shows you the longest line you can trace, in case that’s the action you want to do during that turn.

As for the card-based gameplay in Demon’s Mirror, those in your hand are refreshed each turn, allowing you to make use of various abilities and quirks. For instance, one card might deal flat damage to all enemies, while another has a bigger boost against a single target. The most useful, as I’ve seen, is the card that swaps tiles that are next to each other. It’s another layer of strategy for those who really want to create the longest chain on the board.

Similarly, the foes you battle can place their own enemy tiles, which automatically deal damage to your character after a few turns. When this occurs, you have to prioritize destroying that tile or at least prepare to take the brunt of the hit. As you plan your moves, you also have to consider your chosen character’s unique perks as they relate to the action economy.

“…with each run in Demon’s Mirror, you could find yourself completing objectives or tallies, allowing you to unlock modifiers for future attempts.”

I asked Be-Rad Entertainment founder Brad Johnson how he conceptualized Demon’s Mirror, especially since it combined the three genres of roguelike, deckbuilder, and match-3/chain-3. According to Johnson, it was a challenge to try and balance all three genres. However, the team did obtain a lot of feedback after doing two beta tests, the second of which had over a hundred testers. I was told that the team is confident that Demon’s Mirror will be “more accessible, fun, and balanced” due to the preparations that they’ve made.

I should also mention the roguelike aspect since your journey in Demon’s Mirror requires you to clear three zones. Each zone’s map has icons representing enemies, elites, bosses, shops, campsites, and even random events. (Regrettably, I’ve been told that there are no multi-stage event sequences or secret outcomes as of this moment.)

With each attempt, your character’s cards are randomized from a pool of those that you’ve unlocked. Likewise, the icons on the map will have randomized positions, too, which means the path you take to your goal will be different. Lastly, with each run in Demon’s Mirror, you could find yourself completing objectives or tallies, allowing you to unlock modifiers for future attempts.

All in all, Demon’s Mirror is shaping up to be a promising title that offers a unique mishmash of mechanics from different genres. The game will be available soon on Steam. We’ll keep you posted once a definite release date has been announced.

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Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.

Elden Ring’s release marked a significant moment in gaming, captivating players with its vast open-world, intricate combat mechanics, and a high degree of challenge that rewards persistence and skill. The game’s blend of exploration, lore, and a merciless yet fair difficulty curve created a unique experience that has left many players seeking similar thrills in ... Read more

The post Games Like Elden Ring: Top Alternatives for Fantasy RPG Fans appeared first on Gamer For Fun.

Stellar Blade's planet Earth lies ravaged and abandoned; skyscrapers puncture its murky sky like monuments of fallen civilization; humankind now struggles for survival on distant space stations ejected by monstrous entities known as Naytiba; however there remains one spark of hope as Eve, an individual wielding an iconic Stellar Blade sword, descends upon it determined to recover what's been taken.

Does Stellar Blade Reminds of Other Games?

Stellar Blade's post-apocalyptic setting, where remnants of civilization struggle for survival amidst monstrous threats, may recall The Last of Us' dark and atmospheric world-building. (Just in case you did not played it - and I do not think there are too many real gamers who did not do it already - you must buy The Last of Us.) Both games feature an earth that has become hostile against humanity's efforts at survival - with abandoned skyscrapers contributing to feelings of desolation and despair that is present throughout both games.

Stellar Blade adds its own special twist by including elements of space travel and cosmic entities known as Naytiba into its sci-fi post-apocalyptic narrative, further creating an engaging experience for viewers. Eve's presence wielding Stellar Blade sword sets in motion an extraordinary journey focused on recovering what has been lost against impossible odds. The combat is very different between the games (and we will talk about it soon).

Post-Apocalyptic Survival and Cosmic Exploration

Stellar Blade creats its own identity in the action-adventure genre by mixing elements of post-apocalyptic survival with cosmic exploration, creating a compelling story around Eve's quest for redemption. Is the story engaging? It is engaging enough but quite linear, lacking any depth or mistery, pretty commercial if you ask me. (Check other games with similar combat in our article about exclsuive PS4 and PS5 games.) The Last of Us is a clear masterpiece where Stellar Blade is nothing of this kind, just a slightly above average single-player game that has superlative elements but also minuses in so many ways.

Steps for Making An Informed Deliberation.

So the question stands: is Stellar Blade worth spending space-bucks on? The answer will depend entirely on what appeals to you in a videogame experience.

Stellar Blade for Combat Connoisseurs:

Stellar Blade will offer an engaging combat system, rewarding skill and mastery through parries, evasions and Beta/Burst Gauges to unleash devastating attacks - providing gamers with an immensely enjoyable gameplay experience. Without a doubt, the main reason why someone will buy Stellar Blade is to experience the Sekiro-like challanging combat, the diversity of enemies and tough bosses. Of course, in a totally different setting, however, recognizable in the defense-driven approach of the award-winning Sekiro: Shaddow Die Twice.

Stellar Blade for Exploration Enthusiasts:

Stellar Blade offers an intriguing post-apocalyptic world just begging to be explored, perfect for anyone seeking adventure. Vast landscapes filled with crumbling cities and treacherous terrain offer ample thrills and spillover. For the truly daring spirit, this game may provide more than enough excitement!

Stellar Blade for Story Seekers:

Stellar Blade may leave some gamers wanting more, especially if narrative innovation is your top priority because this is a very linear tale lacking deepness, character development, and more. While its worldbuilding is exceptional, predictable plot points and character depth may cause them to disengage with it quickly, so these players are better served if they are looking elsewhere.

Conclusion

The story develops as Eve attempts to connect with what remains of human civilization while searching for four hypercores guarded by powerful bosses, each unlocking another piece of the puzzle: its secrets behind an apocalyptic event, exodus to space, and Naytiba origins. Combat is the main dish when it comes to Stellar Blade, and even if derivative, it is recognizable and similar to that of Sekiro: Shaddow Die Twice. After all, if you copy someone, choose that someone carefully. Although somewhat predictable in plot development and execution, its narrative doesn't lack charm and Eve is quite an attractive picture - exploring forgotten settlements while discovering stories about past inhabitants add emotional depth - creating a realistic world with crumbling buildings and abandoned street corners feeling lived-in rather than felt during tragedy's heavy weight.

Steam store – Official website – Wikipedia entry

Some game genres are so rare, it’s a miracle when a new game releases in that style. I personally call this genre: stealth tactics. The actual genre is Real-Time Tactics, but I find that name doesn’t really cover this (sub)genre. If you have ever played games like: Commando’s, Desperados, Robin Hood – The Legend of Sherwood or Shadow Tactics… You know what sort of game I’m talking about. A game features a rag tag group of heroes. Each hero has unique abilities. They must get through big groups of enemies. They do this one by one to progress the group’s goals. The game I want to talk about today is called Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. This was the last game by the studio Mimimi. Is this game the swansong to close down this studio, or is it a game that’s better left forgotten? Before that, I invite you to leave a comment in the comment section down below. A comment with your thoughts and/or opinions on the game and/or the content of the article.

Promises of amazing treasure

In this game, you play as the crew of a special pirate ship named the Red Marley. Each main member of the crew has a black pearl in their chest, granting them unique supernatural abilities. These unique abilities come at a cost of being cursed to a sort of undead status.

The Red Marley’s captain fell in battle, and now the Inquisition is after the biggest treasure of the ship. Now, the Red Marley’s crew doesn’t want this to happen. So they do everything in their power to avoid this from happening.

The story in this game doesn’t take itself too seriously. The story is written like it’s a Saturday morning cartoon. A story arc can be contained in one or a handful of episodes, but always has an ending. While almost everything in the story ends well for the main cast, the story and writing never looses its charm. I felt like I was transported back into the time I woke up for the weekly Pokémon episode. I knew that the main problem of that week’s episode would resolve by the end. Still, I kept rooting for the heroes.

One of the biggest reasons I kept rooting for the main characters is because of the voice actors. Their performances are extremely well done. They bring a lot of personality and life to each character. They make the characters stand out like real, actual people. This script must have been immense, since the characters sometimes react on the actions you preform with other characters. There are 8 main characters, and more if you buy the DLC packs. If you start counting how many unique voice lines that bring to the table… And that’s the tip of the iceberg. The enemies for example, when they come together also have unique dialogue between them.

It’s possible to write an article by itself about the world building, story and voice acting in this game. I can also assure you that when I write this article, I’ll keep gushing about it all. A great example is how the save & load function fits into the story. It enhances the world of this game. Yes, you read that correctly. When you save, you store a memory in the Red Marley. When you load one of your saves, the Red Marley uses its powers to restore that memory. Your characters also respond to your saving and loading action and this brings even more charm to this game.

In these types of games, the replay value is quite high. Especially since you tackle all missions in various ways and each playthrough is going to be different. In this game, it’s taken even a step further. You can choose the order to revive your crew. You can also choose the order to finish the missions of that chapter. I can assure you that your playthrough will look nothing like mine.

The main quest is quite enjoyable to play through. I actually became really immersed in the world of this game. At the moment, I’m playing through the final missions of the game and the DLC missions. I’m having a blast. Thankfully, I can easily start a new playthrough of this game. Then I can experience it all of it over again and take a totally different route. And maybe I can do the little side quests and pirate tales as well. Since, that’s content, I haven’t gone into too much yet.

Your playthrough of this game will take you somewhere between 27 to 37 hours. That is, if you want to beat the main story and DLC’s. But, if you want to fully finish this game… Oh boy, then you’ll have a game that’s close to 80 hours on your hands. I already mentioned the crew tales. But there are also mini-challenges you can go for during the missions to earn badges. Let’s not forget the achievements you can earn. Well, most of the achievements are related to the main campaign.

Now, I have one complaint about the badges in this game. Earning some of these badges is extremely tricky. Sometimes, you don’t get all the information you expect to. For example, there is a badge on each map for using all the landing spots of that map. But guess what, there is no easy way to see if you already used a landing spot or not. It’s a shame that some badges work like that. Especially since some of these badges make you go out of your way to play in an unique way. A more challenging way to spice up your normal routine.

Apart from bragging trophies, these medals don’t really add up to much. But, I honestly don’t really mind that. Since, it’s fun to gather these medals and have some bonus challanges during my playthrough. It keeps me on my toes and it’s really enjoyable.

Mindblowing abilities

I’m still quite impressed at how balanced this game is. Each character has their own unique abilities. It’s best that you always have a character with an ability that can move guards from their position. If you don’t have that, the game will actually warn you. You are going to make it extremely challenging for yourself.

Personally, I’m playing through this game on the normal difficulty setting and your decisions actually matter. Before starting each mission, study the map well. Try to remember each map as well as you can. Since you are going to revisit each map at least once or twice. It’s extremely important to choose the correct landing position.

You would think that the game will be a bit boring if you always bring the same crew into missions. But, the game rewards you using different characters for missions. You gain more vigor if you play with certain crew members during certain missions. If you earned enough vigor, you can upgrade one of the unique abilities of your characters. This upgrade will give you more and better tools in your arsenal. Now, these upgrades can make the game much easier. You can always turn off the upgrades while on the Red Marley.

In the introduction paragraph of this article, I quickly explained how this game works. So, let me tell you the gist of it. In this game, you go from mission to mission, completing various goals in each one. These goals can range for example from rescuing an informant or stealing an artifact. In each mission, there are various enemies patrolling the area. Your goal is to find the weakspots in their patrols and dispose of the enemies without getting spotted.

Now, getting spotted isn’t the end of the world in this game. Depending on where you are spotted, it’s possible to escape and hide somewhere. You just have to avoid taking damage, since your health is limited, and you can’t heal during the mission. If you aren’t careful, it’s easy to get swamped or overwhelmed with guards. Especially when a guard with a bell spots you, the traces you leave behind or sees a dead body. When this happens, you have a limited amount of time to kill that guard before the bell is rung. When the bell is rung, more guards will emerge from nearby barracks and swarm to the location.

On top of that, there are also some unique enemy types outside your regular patrol goons. The first type I want to talk are the Kindred. These annoying buggers bring something quite unique to the table in this genre. Kindred are always connected with each other. If you don’t kill these all at the same time, they will revive each other. But, this is only the start of your troubles.

You also have Prognosticar. And let me tell you, these are even more challenging. To defeat these enemies, you need to have two units ready. One unit needs to be spotted or attack the Prognosticar. Since as soon as that happens, your unit gets trapped. This trap will go on and damage your unit until the unit either dies or is rescued. When the Prognosticar is using his trap, he can be attacked and killed. But do it quick. The trap is damaging your unit. You are also stuck in place. This situation is dangerous.

It also matters if the mission is taking place during day or night. The big difference is that in the daytime, the enemies have a bigger field of view. During the nighttime, some enemies will carry a torch on their patrol. This gives more light to other units. They can spot you sneaking by if you aren’t careful. There are also various torches dotted around the map, and you can put them out. The enemies can’t stand torches that are put out and will go out of their way to light them again.

It’s also important to know if an enemy stops in their patrol to talk to another enemy. Since if you kill one of them, the other enemy will start looking for them. They will start running around and if you weren’t careful, will find your tracks and spot you.

Learning those little mechanics is essential in this game. Never forget the tools you have in this game! This ranges from the abilities of each character to how for example view cones work. There is something called view cone surfing. If you want to dash to another place past some enemies… Understand that a full color in the view cone means they will spot you right away. Stripped sections of the view cone will cause you to be unseen if you crawl by. Also, it takes a few moments of you being spotted and the alarm being raised. You can run quickly enough past an enemy. Alternatively, you can run from view cone to view cone. It’s possible to get past unseen.

If you are afraid that you will get overwhelmed by all the information of all the little mechanics, don’t worry. The difficulty curve in this game is perfect. This game also has solid character tutorials. Each character tutorial guides you through 2–3 rooms, teaching you the abilities of each ability and their unique use cases. At the end of each character tutorial, you get a puzzle room. Putting to the test if you can use that character correctly. During the game, you can always open your logbook from the pause menu, where all tutorials can be watched again.

This brings me to the abilities of your characters in this game. If you have played similar games, you’ll recognize certain abilities and others will be quite new and unique. Now, some of these abilities will have a unique spin to it. For example, your sniper only has one shot. But, when you retrieve your sniper bolt… Your sniper can shoot again.

There are also extremely unique mechanics, like your Canoness has very fun abilities. She can pick up dead bodies in her canon to launch them at enemies to knock them out. But, you can also pick up allies. You can fling them over a group of enemies. This will give them a better hiding spot. Or your Ship Doctor, she can create one hiding spot out of thin air. Or your navigator, she can stop time for one enemy, allowing you to easy sneak by. And your ship cook can throw a special doll. This doll allows him to teleport to that location. He does this as soon as you click the button. Oh, and if you place that doll on an enemy, it sticks to that enemy.

You might be annoyed that I somewhat spoiled things in the above paragraph. But I have only told the tip of the iceberg here. I have left out several characters in that little summary and they have mindblowing abilities as well. Each map is created in such a way that it doesn’t really matter which characters you take into battle. Since you can finish it using any of your characters.

The Swansong of Mimimi

When Klamath and I started streaming Commandos, I wanted to play a similar game. One I haven’t played through. Since I first started playing through Desperados III again, and that was beaten in a few days. Since, I really enjoyed Desperados III, I bought the next game from the studio.

As somebody who enjoyed Desperados III quite a lot, I was happy to see things return in this game. I can’t tell you how much I love the speed up button. While I wish you can adjust the speed of it… The slow wait can be annoying. Sometimes, you have to get an enemy right where you want them. On top of that, you also have the showdown mode. With the press of a button, you can stop time and plan out your units their next move. Once you press the enter key, either still in showdown mode or not, the actions will be executed. It still feels amazing when you execute a well timed attack to take out difficult set of enemies.

Something that’s extremely useful is how you can rotate the camera in this game. Sometimes an enemy walks behind a building or some rocks… So, if you can’t rotate the camera, you wonder from where you are taking damage. Also, the ability of outlining the enemies, ladders and hiding spots help with that as well. As you can see from my screenshots, I always play with that feature enabled.

Sadly, there are a few ladders that don’t get an outline. Most likely since the developers forgot to put a certain tag on them. I remember one in Angler’s Grave, at the top right. It’s not too far from one of the mission objectives, the informant. Thankfully, these very minor oversights rarely happen. Overall, this game is extremely solid and blast to play through.

The controls are extremely solid. I had to get used to one thing. To execute certain actions, I had to hold the left mouse button instead of just clicking. This sometimes tripped me up but a quick reload fixed that problem. I only have one minor complaint about the controls. Depending on the camera angle, there were rare moments where your character refused to go to a location. I suspect it has to do with where you click. Your unit always wants to look for the shortest way to reach where you click. Sadly, this trips something up in the pathfinding and your unti refuses to go to their destination. Thankfully, a quick camera movement can fix these moments. And also, I’m glad that these moments are quite rare.

Something that’s even more rare are some minor visual bugs that can happen sometimes. Sometimes an UI-element refuses to dissapear. I had that happen twice, when I shot an enemy holding down an exit rift with the Canoness. The stars indicated that the enemy was dizzy. They hovered above the enemy’s head after the rift opened. Even after I killed the enemy, these stars remained visible. There are sometimes minor visual bugs happening like that. Thankfully, they are extremely rare and sometimes are quite funny. One time, one of my units was standing perpendicular on a ladder when I stopped it going up the ladder. The only annoying bug was that I couldn’t retrieve two bodies. They lay in a remote part of Angler’s Grave. It was almost impossible to get rid of two bodies. Maybe, it’s possible. I don’t know, I honestly gave up and earned the badge of hiding bodies on a later revist.

In such a big game it’s to be expected that sometimes things can go wrong. But it surprises me how little goes wrong and how polished the overall game is. Scrolling through the patch notes of this game, I noticed that the developers fixed many issues. They also added a lot of new content to the game. The last update to the game was even a modding tool for this game. These mods go from chaging your character models to adding new maps. I think I’ll play around with the mods after I have fully beaten the game. I’m extremely close, since I’m in the final missions of the game.

Now, earlier I talked about the UI. The UI is quite easy and helpful. There are several unique icons to inform you where certain things are. For example, where you left the paper doll when using the ship cook. There is only one thing in the UI I dislike. And that’s the list of save games. You get a little screenshot of the location of the save and a time stamp. And that’s it. You can’t give a special name or note to them. So if you are looking for a certain save… you either need to make notes OR just go through all them until you het it.

It’s the only real complaint I can give about this game. There is just a lot that this game does right. Like how you can scroll to zoom in or out. When you scroll again at the max zoom level, you see a live map. This map shows where all the enemies are. The only minor complaint I have about the map is that ammo chests aren’t marked on there. Also, quick note on the ammo chests… Almost every character has the same visual for their gun. Now, if another visual appears above the ammo chest, it doesn’t matter. The ammo chests are never character specific.

Visually, this game looks breathtaking. The attention to detail in this world gets a big thumbs up from me. The world really feels alive and somewhat real. The little animation details for example when an enemy stops at a prison cell to talk to inmates… This is just amazing. The immersion level is even higher with that.

The soundtrack is very catchy and a joy to listen to. It made certain moments in the game even more thrilling. The music has been created by Filippo Beck Peccoz, he also created the music for Desperados III. The soundtrack really fits the game like a glove. I’m so glad I bought the soundtrack DLC,. Now I can add the music to my music library to play while I’m at my dayjob.

This brings me to the sound design of this game. The sound design of this game is amazing. I’m playing this game with a good headset and I don’t think this game is playable without sound effects. A great example is, when you get spotted. You not only get a great visual hint of a yellow line turning red of the enemy spotting you… You also get some sound effects informing you that things are about to go down. On top of that, the sound effects add so much extra impact on taking down enemies. This makes it even more rewarding when you finally take down that one pesky enemy.

One thing I haven’t talked about yet is how flexible this game is. I have touched upon that by talking about how you can only choose three out of 8 characters per mission. And you are encouraged to experiment with different combinations. Now, when you open the options menu, you’ll be blown away. You can change almost everything. The controls like the shortcuts for abilities can be tweaked to your liking. You have quite a lot of control to tweak the volumes, the controls, the visuals… Even tweak certain game mechanics to your liking. Don’t like the save reminder? You can turn that off.

There is still another thing that boggles my mind that was added in this game. You can create a custom difficulty. The only complaint I have there is that the UI fails to explain the differences. I find it challenging to understand all the settings. You get a short explaination about the setting, and then you have a slider you can set. But, what’s the difference between 1 and 2 on the slider? That’s something the UI doesn’t really tell.

When I was writing this article, I kept looking at my notes and thought: “Oh, I forgot about that.”. There are just so many things in this game. The fact that in some missions, you must kill enemies in unique ways. In one mission, you have to lure enemies to a certain location. You need to do this 4 times. You do this instead of killing them. It’s a breath of fresh air. You’d think that having only a handful of maps would make this game boring and repetitive, but no. The maps are not only large but also used in extremely interesting ways. Revisits of a map make it easier to start, but each area is used in a mission. So, there is still a lot of challenge in the revisits.

Oh, there is one more thing. The question if you should buy the DLC’s or not. Let me just tell you this, I bought the game on sale with the DLC’s included. I’m so happy I did! Since the additional content in the DLC’s adds so much more to this game. They come highly recommended.

Now, I have left out a few things for you all to find while playing this game. This article is already getting quite long. I want to leave some things as a surprise for people interested in playing this game. I think it’s high time to wrap up this review and give my conclusion and final thoughts on this game.

Conclusion of this treasure hunt

The negatives:

-Unable to add notes to quick saves.
-Some minor (visual) glitches can happen. Thankfully, they are rare and rarely/never gamebreaking.
-The UI of custom difficulty could have been executed better.

The positives:

+ A masterclass in it’s genre in terms of gameplay.
+ Extremely flexible with options.
+ A modding tool.
+ A love-able cartoony story.
+ Amazing voice over work.
+ Superb soundtrack.
+ …

Final thoughts:

When I started playing Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, I had extremely high expectations. Mimimi blew me away with the amazing Desperados III. With this swansong of a game, they not only met my expectations, they blew them out of the water. This game showcases the achievements of passionate people. These individuals are dedicated to creating the game they love.

It didn’t take long before I fell in love with the cast of this game. The charm drew me into the world of this game. Apart from some minor things, it’s hard to find things to critique about this game. The only thing I can critique are small bugs that barely impact the gameplay of this game. This game really feels like a finished product and it’s a thrill ride from start to finish.

If you really want to find things this game does wrong… You’ll either need to be extremely nitpicky or just have the game not clicking with you. If you find this game too easy or too difficult, just tweak the setttings to your playstyle and voila.

If you enjoy games like Commandos or Desperados… You’d do yourself a disservice to not check out this game. Give the demo of this game a try, and see what you think. I wouldn’t be surprised that this game sinks it’s hook into you like it did with me.

It’s a shame to see that this game studio closes. Thank you to everybody who worked on this amazing title and I hope to meet your work in other games. This final game you all created together is a real piece of art. It’s a masterclass in game development and shows how well you know the community for games like this. I’m so happy that this game exists. Since it wouldn’t surprise me that I’ll play through this game several times now.

Before I ramble on and on about this game, I think it’s high time I wrap up this article. Otherwise, I’ll keep praising this game to high heavens and back. So, with that said, I have said close to everything I wanted to say about this game. I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to be able to welcome you in another article, but until then… Have a great rest of your day and take care!

Score: 100/100

Scar Tries: The Rogue Prince of Persia

Despite the enormous success of Dead Cells, I only started playing it recently. It’s easy to overlook just how much influence Dead Cells had on the indie gaming industry. While I enjoy roguelikes, I’m a little burnt out on them. So many are out there now that it’s working out which ones are worth playing.

We’re still in the Steam Summer Sales, and I’ve been making a spreadsheet of stuff I’m interested in. I’m weird like that, but it helps me prioritize what games I want to play. I’m at the point with my library where I want to buy games I know I’ll play sooner than later. I will probably write up my Steam Sale pickups once the sale is over, but for now, I get to enjoy the endless search. Onto today’s episode of ‘Scar Tries’, that brings me to The Rogue Prince Of Persia. There was a reason I mentioned Dead Cells because the team that took over from Dead Cells development in 2019 (Evil Empire) is behind Rogue Prince! Some of my rambles are on topic.

Onto Rogue Prince. The Prince of Persia franchise has long been a popular one, and Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown back in January was a pretty good time, all in all. The Rogue Prince of Persia takes players back to the Persian realm as they try to fight off the massive Hun invasion. Launching in Early Access on the 27th of May, Evil Empire managed to push through some tricky times and the result is a solid piece of kit. Despite the technical problems and optimization facing players at launch, I was lucky to avoid most of it.

As this is a ‘Scar Tries’ article, I’m sharing only my early impressions of the game, so this won’t be a very long piece. I’ve finished just a few levels so far. The current Early Access version features the first act of the story with six levels, a bunch of secret areas, and two boss fights.

With Sargon under relentless attack by the mighty Huns, the player must save their beloved city from the horde. Rogue Prince is incredibly fast-paced even by action roguelike standards, blending aggressive swordplay and acrobatics to create a solid gameplay loop. The usual roguelike structure is in here: finding increasingly powerful buffs and artefacts, unlocking new tools for future runs, and finding new characters to interact with. It’s a difficult game for certain, but I like how well Rogue Prince balances challenge with accessibility. Evil Empire wants The Rogue Prince of Persia to be playable for everyone, and I’m having fun. Movement feels fluid and enjoyable. While I had success playing with a mouse and keyboard, Evil Empire recommends you play with a controller.

The enemy Huns come in different forms. Some like the classic grunts will die easily, while others need their stance broken before you can wail on them. Both you and your opponents can go down quickly if not careful, so keeping mobile is key. With the excellent movement and different tricks you can do during gameplay, the combat feels challenging and fair in equal measure. I got my ass handed to me several times during these initial impressions, particularly the first boss fight. Even when I lost, I still had fun.

Ultimately, that was the biggest takeaway I had. The Rogue Prince of Persia has a long way to go, and the current Early Access version only contains a sliver of the content available. Despite the early setbacks, Evil Empire is easing into this new development cycle. If you’re in the mood for a good-looking action roguelike with great movement, The Rogue Prince of Persia might just be worth looking into.

Source

Small, Swift, Smooth, Serene

HIGH Exquisitely designed and beautifully crafted. 

LOW Basic mobility is a little funky towards the beginning of the game. 

WTF Didn’t expect the baseball bat…

When Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus (Bō) first appeared on my radar, I rushed to request it. With my personal interest in Japanese folklore and visual art I was keen to jump right in, and I must say that I was not disappointed. 

Bō is an adventure that draws from Japanese folklore and legend. Players must navigate Bō — an adorable lotus-shaped creature called a Tentaihana — through different worlds, meeting and helping other spirits and creatures along the way. 

Bō is visually captivating, and exploring the worlds that Bō encounters is a treat. Bō’s landscape contains two and three dimensional elements, which Humble Games describes as 2.5D.

When playing, I felt as if I were gliding, jumping, and running through a painting. Every location is more beautiful than the last, but I was particularly enamored with the creepy, bruise-hued Kitsune Burrows. They provided a satisfying change in scenery in an otherwise pastel colored environment, and I found myself lingering there a bit longer than necessary just to look around. The crystalline Ice Caverns are also a favorite of mine, though the icicles are a bit tricky to maneuver. Everything looks so lush, and the accompanying musical score makes it feel all the more immersive.  

While exploring, players can equip Omamori, little tabs that help Bō in a myriad of ways, and each tab triggers an effect that becomes increasingly more complex as players collect more of them. Because Bō is very combat focused, I found the health centered Omamori tabs to be the most helpful. I almost always had Vitality equipped, which heals Bō’s health based on the amount of enemies they defeat.

Shrines serve as spaces where Bō can refill their teapot — an important tool that helps Bō regain their health. It can be used both in and out of battle, and can be accessed in a pinch (which players may find themselves in, more often than not). The teapot also helps Bō during combat and contains a heat gauge that works in tandem with Daruma dolls. Daruma dolls each have specific effects and attacks that can be used to help take down difficult enemies — as the heat gauge rises, the Daruma doll’s attacks increase in damage. I will almost always choose ranged battle if I can swing it, so the doll which shoots homing orbs at enemies near Bō became a necessary part of my arsenal.

Players can also update their weapons as they progress. Bō has an earring that doubles as a staff that players access early on, which eventually evolves into other items when needed. I was amused by the baseball bat, and while it did feel a bit out of place it made for a quirky game mechanic. While it’s mostly used as a weapon that allows players to parry and attack enemies, it’s also necessary when completing certain quests for the spirits Bō meets. In one such quest, Bō must collect Armapillos (armadillo like creatures) for a spirit named Shimeji, and the only possible way to corral them is to hit them with the bat. Hitting the Armapillos felt a little mean! (And punting them back and forth required more precision and dexterity than I thought necessary…)

It’s a good thing that Bō gives the player these options, as it’s actually quite challenging to play! While the side-scrolling adventure genre is an undeniable part of Bō’s DNA, the amount of items, buffs, and weapons players can access make it so that Bō fits just as comfortably within the soulslike genre. Boss attack mechanics aren’t extremely complex, but can be quite difficult to dodge or counter, which can lead to silly mistakes. One awkward or poorly-timed jump and players might find themselves having to restart a tedious battle from the very beginning. 

The first major boss battle, which takes place in the Uzumaki cave, was a bit of a pain for me. A lot of this had to do with the basic mobility control system, which ended up being my biggest gripe with Bō.

While the mechanics are simple in theory, players are often expected to push many buttons at once to perform a mechanic as straightforward as jumping. Jumping is a necessary part of gameplay and some of the Daruma dolls require that Bō be airborne to be effective in battle, so struggling to perform these actions might be a bit frustrating for some. I initially had the most trouble with a sequence of lanterns that Bō must hit in order to ascend towards their next location, but they must be hit perfectly. Otherwise, Bō will fall and the sequence must be started over. I quickly learned that patience was perhaps the most necessary tool for success in Bō, which is kind of lovely.

As Bō progresses their actions and attacks become a bit more effective, and when that initial roughness is left behind, the worlds that players encounter afterwards are so beautiful that any early game hiccups are forgotten. Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is exceptional. With its visually stunning worlds and exciting battles, Bō has all the elements of an indie action classic. 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by Squid Shock Studios and published by Humble Games. It is currently available on PS5, Switch, PC, XBO/S/X, and iOS. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher, and reviewed on PS5. Approximately 7 hours were devoted to the game, and it was not completed. There is no multiplayer mode. 

Parents: This game is rated E by the ESRB and contains Alcohol and Tobacco references, Mild Fantasy Violence, and Mild Language. There is no blood, and no gratuitous battle sequences. Gameplay mechanics may be a bit complex for really young players, but not completely inaccessible. 

Colorblind Modes: This game does not have colorblind modes, but it does have a high contrast filter. 

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: The game offers subtitles. Subtitles cannot be resized. I was pleased to see that there are many audio accessibility options. Players with dyslexia can change subtitle and game font, game speed can be modified, action cue icons can be added, controller vibration can be modified, camera shake can be adjusted, and players have the option of making themselves invincible, or provide themselves with an infinite supply of mana. Therefore, the game is fully accessible. 

Remappable Controls: Yes, the game’s controls are remappable. 

Streets of Rogue 2 is an immersive open world sandbox RPG where you fight, hack, steal, sneak build and talk your way into power and usurp a corrupt president.

A sequel to the 2020 cult hit original, Streets of Rogue 2 look set to up the ante in every way possible and has a map that’s 10,000 times the size. Drawing inspiration from Rimworld, Valheim, … Read More

The Spell Brigade is an online co-op Survivors-like where up to four players work together to battle massive hordes of dark creatures.

Success in The Spell Brigade is all about working together and finding synergies between your differently skilled characters. The core gameplay has a traditional loop of blasting enemies and earning upgrades, but the co-op element looks set to be a game-changer – especially … Read More

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has called a strike, effective at 12.01am tomorrow (July 26).

The strikes comes after the SAG-AFTRA National Board unanimously agreed earlier this week to permit its chief negotiator to call an immediate strike at will in a bid to protect voice actors fighting for job security as more and more studios explore generative AI.

National executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, acting under the authority delegated by SAG-AFTRA, says the strike comes "after more than a year and a half of negotiations [about the Interactive Media Agreement] without a deal."

Read more

US workers body SAG-AFTRA says its voice actors strike could still impact projects that have been in development for over a year, including games like GTA 6, despite the terms of its agreement stating they should be safe.

Initially, last week's shock announcement of strike action by video game actors over AI concerns was thought to have minimal impact on games expected to release later this year, as it did not include games that commenced production before August 2023.

Now, however, SAG-AFTRA says all "members who want to show solidarity with the union can elect voluntarily not to work", intimating that it believed the strike could be more disruptive than previously suspected and impact "non-struck" games.

Read more

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology proposed a new EUV litho technology using only four reflective mirrors and a new method of illumination optics that it claims will use 1/10 the power and cost half as much as existing EUV technology from ASML.

Applied Materials may not receive expected U.S. funding to build a $4 billion research facility in Sunnyvale, CA, due to internal government disagreements over how to fund chip R&D, according to Bloomberg.

SEMI published a position paper this week cautioning the European Union against imposing additional export controls to allow companies, encouraging them to  be “as free as possible in their investment decisions to avoid losing their agility and relevance across global markets.” SEMI’s recommendations on outbound investments are in response to the European Economic Security Strategy and emphasize the need for a transparent and predictable regulatory framework.

The U.S. may restrict China’s access to HBM chips and the equipment needed to make them, reports Bloomberg. Today those chips are manufactured by two Korean-based companies, Samsung and SK hynix, but U.S.-based Micron expects to begin shipping 12-high stacks of HBM3E in 2025, and is currently working on HBM4.

Synopsys executive chair and founder Dr. Aart de Geus was named the winner of the Semiconductor Industry Association’s Robert N. Noyce Award. De Geus was selected due to his contributions to EDA technology over a career spanning more than four decades.

The top three foundries plan to implement high-NA EUV lithography as early as 2025 for the 18 angstrom generation, but the replacement of single exposure high-NA (0.55) over double patterning with standard EUV (NA = 0.33) depends on whether it provides better results at a reasonable cost per wafer.

Quick links to more news:

Global
In-Depth
Market Reports and Earnings
Education and Training
Security
Product News
Research
Events and Further Reading

Global

Belgium-based Imec released part 2 of its chiplets series, addressing testing strategies and standardization efforts, as well as guidelines and research “towards efficient ESD protection strategies for advanced 3D systems-on-chip.”

Also in Belgium, BelGan, maker of GaN chips, filed for bankruptcy according to the Brussels Times.

TSMC‘s Dresden, Germany, plant will break ground this month.

The UK will dole out more than £100 million (~US $128 million) in funding to develop five new quantum research hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford, and London.

MassPhoton is opening Hong Kong‘s first ultra-high vacuum GaN epitaxial wafer pilot line and will establish a GaN research center.

Infineon completed the sale of its manufacturing sites in the Philippines and South Korea to ASE.

Israel-based RAAAM Memory Technologies received a €5.25 million grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to support the development and commercialization of its innovative memory solutions. This funding will enable RAAAM to advance its research in high-performance and energy-efficient memory technologies, accelerating their integration into various applications and markets.

In-Depth

Semiconductor Engineering published its Automotive, Security and Pervasive Computing newsletter this week, featuring these top stories and video:

• Chip Security Now Depends On Widening Supply Chain
• Defining Chip Threat Models To Determining Security Risks
• Post-Quantum Computing Threatens Fundamental Transport Protocols

And:

• Where Power Savings Really Count
• Making Electronics More Efficient (video)

Market Reports and Earnings

The semiconductor equipment industry is on a positive trajectory in 2024, with moderate revenue growth observed in Q2 after a subdued Q1, according to a new report from Yole Group. Wafer Fab Equipment revenue is projected to grow by 1.3% year-on-year, despite a 12% drop in Q1. Test equipment lead times are normalizing, improving order conditions. Key areas driving growth include memory and logic capital expenditures and high-bandwidth memory demand.

Worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased by 7% in Q2 2024, according to SEMI‘s latest report. This growth is attributed to robust demand from multiple semiconductor sectors, driven by advancements in AI, 5G, and automotive technologies.

The RF GaN market is projected to grow to US $2 billion by 2029, a 10% CAGR, according to Yole Group.

Counterpoint released their Q2 smartphone top 10 report.

Renesas completed their acquisition of EDA firm Altium, best known for its EDA platform and freeware CircuitMaker package.

It’s earnings season and here are recently released financials in the chip industry:

AMD  Advantest   Amkor   Ansys  Arteris   Arm   ASE   ASM   ASML
Cadence  IBM   Intel   Lam Research   Lattice   Nordson   NXP   Onsemi 
Qualcomm   Rambus  Samsung    SK Hynix   STMicro   Teradyne    TI  
Tower  TSMC    UMC  Western Digital

Industry stock price impacts are here.

Education and Training

Rochester Institute of Technology is leading a new pilot program to prepare community college students in areas such as cleanroom operations, new materials, simulation, and testing processes, with the intent of eventual transfer into RIT’s microelectronic engineering program.

Purdue University inked a deal with three research institutions — University of Piraeus, Technical University of Crete, and King’s College London —to develop joint research programs for semiconductors, AI and other critical technology fields.

The European Chips Skills Academy formed the Educational Leaders Board to help bridge the talent gap in Europe’s microelectronics sector.  The Board includes representatives from universities, vocational training providers, educators and research institutions who collaborate on strategic initiatives to strengthen university networks and build academic expertise through ECSA training programs.

Security

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is encouraging Apple users to review and apply this week’s recent security updates.

Microsoft Azure experienced a nearly 10 hour DDoS attack this week, leading to global service disruption for many customers.  “While the initial trigger event was a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack, which activated our DDoS protection mechanisms, initial investigations suggest that an error in the implementation of our defenses amplified the impact of the attack rather than mitigating it,” stated Microsoft in a release.

NIST published:

• “Recommendations For Increasing U.S. Participation and Leadership in Standards Development,” a report outlining cybersecurity recommendations and mitigation strategies.
• Final guidance documents and software to help improve the “safety, security and trustworthiness of AI systems.”
• Cloud Computing Forensic Reference Architecture guide.

Delta Air Lines plans to seek damages after losing $500 million in lost revenue due to security company CrowdStrike‘s software update debacle.  And shareholders are also angry.

Recent security research:

• Physically Secure Logic Locking With Nanomagnet Logic (UT Dallas)
• WBP: Training-time Backdoor Attacks through HW-based Weight Bit Poisoning (UCF)
• S-Tune: SOT-MTJ Manufacturing Parameters Tuning for Secure Next Generation of Computing ( U. of Arizona, UCF)
• Diffie Hellman Picture Show: Key Exchange Stories from Commercial VoWiFi Deployments (CISPA, SBA Research, U. of Vienna)

Product News

Lam Research introduced a new version of its cryogenic etch technology designed to enhance the manufacturing of 3D NAND for AI applications. This technology allows for the precise etching of high aspect ratio features, crucial for creating 1,000-layer 3D NAND.

Fig.1: 3D NAND etch. Source: Lam Research

Alphawave Semi launched its Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express Die-to-Die IP. The subsystem offers 8 Tbps/mm bandwidth density and supports operation at 24 Gbps for D2D connectivity.

Infineon introduced a new MCU series for industrial and consumer motor controls, as well as power conversion system applications. The company also unveiled its new GoolGaN Drive product family of integrated single switches and half-bridges with integrated drivers.

Rambus released its DDR5 Client Clock Driver for next-gen, high-performance desktops and notebooks. The chips include Gen1 to Gen4 RCDs, power management ICs, Serial Presence Detect Hubs, and temperature sensors for leading-edge servers.

SK hynix introduced its new GDDR7 graphics DRAM. The product has an operating speed of 32Gbps, can process 1.5TB of data per second and has a 50% power efficiency improvement compared to the previous generation.

Intel launched its new Lunar Lake Ultra processors. The long awaited chips will be included in more than 80 laptop designs and has more than 40 NPU tera operations per second as well as over 60 GPU TOPS delivering more than 100 platform TOPS.

Brewer Science achieved recertification as a Certified B Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable and ethical business practices.

Panasonic adopted Siemens’ Teamcenter X cloud product lifecycle management solution, citing Teamcenter X’s Mendix low-code platform, improved operational efficiency and flexibility for its choice.

Keysight validated its 5G NR FR1 1024-QAM demodulation test cases for the first time. The 5G NR radio access technology supports eMBB and was validated on the 3GPP TS 38.521-4 test specification.

Research

In a 47-page deep-dive report, the Center for Security and Emerging Technology delved into all of the scientific breakthroughs from 1980 to present that brought EUV lithography to commercialization, including lessons learned for the next emerging technologies.

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute developed a high-performance X-ray tomography technique using burst ptychography, achieving a resolution of 4nm. This method allows for non-destructive imaging of integrated circuits, providing detailed views of nanostructures in materials like silicon and metals.

MIT signed a four-year agreement with the Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme at University of Copenhagen, focused on accelerating quantum computing hardware research.

MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) developed a mechanically flexible wafer-scale integrated photonics fabrication platform. This enables the creation of flexible photonic circuits that maintain high performance while being bendable and stretchable. It offers significant potential for integrating photonic circuits into various flexible substrate applications in wearable technology, medical devices, and flexible electronics.

The Naval Research Lab identified a new class of semiconductor nanocrystals with bright ground-state excitons, emphasizing an important advancement in optoelectronics.

Researchers from National University of Singapore developed a novel method, known as tension-driven CHARM3D,  to fabricate 3D self-healing circuits, enabling the 3D printing of free-standing metallic structures without the need for support materials and external pressure.

Find more research in our Technical Papers library.

Events and Further Reading

Find upcoming chip industry events here, including:

Upcoming webinars are here, including topics such as quantum safe cryptography, analytics for high-volume manufacturing, and mastering EMC simulations for electronic design.

Find Semiconductor Engineering’s latest newsletters here:

Automotive, Security and Pervasive Computing
Systems and Design
Low Power-High Performance
Test, Measurement and Analytics
Manufacturing, Packaging and Materials

The post Chip Industry Week in Review appeared first on Semiconductor Engineering.

Enlarge / LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 23: Travelers from France wait on their delayed flight on the check-in floor of the Delta Air Lines terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on July 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

CrowdStrike has hit back at Delta Air Lines’ threat of litigation against the cyber security company over a botched software update that grounded thousands of flights, denying it was responsible for the carrier’s own IT decisions and days-long disruption.

In a letter on Sunday, lawyers for CrowdStrike argued that the US carrier had created a “misleading narrative” that the cyber security firm was “grossly negligent” in an incident that the US airline has said will cost it $500 million.

Delta took days longer than its rivals to recover when CrowdStrike’s update brought down millions of Windows computers around the world last month. The airline has alerted the cyber security company that it plans to seek damages for the disruptions and hired litigation firm Boies Schiller Flexner.

Read 12 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Read more...

US workers body SAG-AFTRA says its voice actors strike could still impact projects that have been in development for over a year, including games like GTA 6, despite the terms of its agreement stating they should be safe.

Initially, last week's shock announcement of strike action by video game actors over AI concerns was thought to have minimal impact on games expected to release later this year, as it did not include games that commenced production before August 2023.

Now, however, SAG-AFTRA says all "members who want to show solidarity with the union can elect voluntarily not to work", intimating that it believed the strike could be more disruptive than previously suspected and impact "non-struck" games.

Read more

FromSoftware or Soulslike game fans, rejoice! The PS5 remake of Demon’s Souls from 2020, the precursor to the Elden Ring phenomenon, is now available for PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers.

This visually stunning reimagining brings the brutal world of Boletaria to life with breathtaking detail, offering veterans and newcomers alike a chance to experience the game that started it all.

Did you know? The Demon’s Souls remake includes a mysterious new door, unseen in the original, sparking wild theories among the community. What secrets lie behind it? There’s only one way to find out – dive in and discover for yourself.

Are you not ready yet to pay for Elden Ring and Shadow of Erdtree DLC? Practice in Demon’s Souls for your PlayStation 5. It’s really a good deal.

The post PS5 Brings Inferno with Demon’s Souls to Happy Subscribers for Free appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology proposed a new EUV litho technology using only four reflective mirrors and a new method of illumination optics that it claims will use 1/10 the power and cost half as much as existing EUV technology from ASML.

Applied Materials may not receive expected U.S. funding to build a $4 billion research facility in Sunnyvale, CA, due to internal government disagreements over how to fund chip R&D, according to Bloomberg.

SEMI published a position paper this week cautioning the European Union against imposing additional export controls to allow companies, encouraging them to  be “as free as possible in their investment decisions to avoid losing their agility and relevance across global markets.” SEMI’s recommendations on outbound investments are in response to the European Economic Security Strategy and emphasize the need for a transparent and predictable regulatory framework.

The U.S. may restrict China’s access to HBM chips and the equipment needed to make them, reports Bloomberg. Today those chips are manufactured by two Korean-based companies, Samsung and SK hynix, but U.S.-based Micron expects to begin shipping 12-high stacks of HBM3E in 2025, and is currently working on HBM4.

Synopsys executive chair and founder Dr. Aart de Geus was named the winner of the Semiconductor Industry Association’s Robert N. Noyce Award. De Geus was selected due to his contributions to EDA technology over a career spanning more than four decades.

The top three foundries plan to implement high-NA EUV lithography as early as 2025 for the 18 angstrom generation, but the replacement of single exposure high-NA (0.55) over double patterning with standard EUV (NA = 0.33) depends on whether it provides better results at a reasonable cost per wafer.

Quick links to more news:

Global
In-Depth
Market Reports and Earnings
Education and Training
Security
Product News
Research
Events and Further Reading

Global

Belgium-based Imec released part 2 of its chiplets series, addressing testing strategies and standardization efforts, as well as guidelines and research “towards efficient ESD protection strategies for advanced 3D systems-on-chip.”

Also in Belgium, BelGan, maker of GaN chips, filed for bankruptcy according to the Brussels Times.

TSMC‘s Dresden, Germany, plant will break ground this month.

The UK will dole out more than £100 million (~US $128 million) in funding to develop five new quantum research hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford, and London.

MassPhoton is opening Hong Kong‘s first ultra-high vacuum GaN epitaxial wafer pilot line and will establish a GaN research center.

Infineon completed the sale of its manufacturing sites in the Philippines and South Korea to ASE.

Israel-based RAAAM Memory Technologies received a €5.25 million grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to support the development and commercialization of its innovative memory solutions. This funding will enable RAAAM to advance its research in high-performance and energy-efficient memory technologies, accelerating their integration into various applications and markets.

In-Depth

Semiconductor Engineering published its Automotive, Security and Pervasive Computing newsletter this week, featuring these top stories and video:

• Chip Security Now Depends On Widening Supply Chain
• Defining Chip Threat Models To Determining Security Risks
• Post-Quantum Computing Threatens Fundamental Transport Protocols

And:

• Where Power Savings Really Count
• Making Electronics More Efficient (video)

Market Reports and Earnings

The semiconductor equipment industry is on a positive trajectory in 2024, with moderate revenue growth observed in Q2 after a subdued Q1, according to a new report from Yole Group. Wafer Fab Equipment revenue is projected to grow by 1.3% year-on-year, despite a 12% drop in Q1. Test equipment lead times are normalizing, improving order conditions. Key areas driving growth include memory and logic capital expenditures and high-bandwidth memory demand.

Worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased by 7% in Q2 2024, according to SEMI‘s latest report. This growth is attributed to robust demand from multiple semiconductor sectors, driven by advancements in AI, 5G, and automotive technologies.

The RF GaN market is projected to grow to US $2 billion by 2029, a 10% CAGR, according to Yole Group.

Counterpoint released their Q2 smartphone top 10 report.

Renesas completed their acquisition of EDA firm Altium, best known for its EDA platform and freeware CircuitMaker package.

It’s earnings season and here are recently released financials in the chip industry:

AMD  Advantest   Amkor   Ansys  Arteris   Arm   ASE   ASM   ASML
Cadence  IBM   Intel   Lam Research   Lattice   Nordson   NXP   Onsemi 
Qualcomm   Rambus  Samsung    SK Hynix   STMicro   Teradyne    TI  
Tower  TSMC    UMC  Western Digital

Industry stock price impacts are here.

Education and Training

Rochester Institute of Technology is leading a new pilot program to prepare community college students in areas such as cleanroom operations, new materials, simulation, and testing processes, with the intent of eventual transfer into RIT’s microelectronic engineering program.

Purdue University inked a deal with three research institutions — University of Piraeus, Technical University of Crete, and King’s College London —to develop joint research programs for semiconductors, AI and other critical technology fields.

The European Chips Skills Academy formed the Educational Leaders Board to help bridge the talent gap in Europe’s microelectronics sector.  The Board includes representatives from universities, vocational training providers, educators and research institutions who collaborate on strategic initiatives to strengthen university networks and build academic expertise through ECSA training programs.

Security

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is encouraging Apple users to review and apply this week’s recent security updates.

Microsoft Azure experienced a nearly 10 hour DDoS attack this week, leading to global service disruption for many customers.  “While the initial trigger event was a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack, which activated our DDoS protection mechanisms, initial investigations suggest that an error in the implementation of our defenses amplified the impact of the attack rather than mitigating it,” stated Microsoft in a release.

NIST published:

• “Recommendations For Increasing U.S. Participation and Leadership in Standards Development,” a report outlining cybersecurity recommendations and mitigation strategies.
• Final guidance documents and software to help improve the “safety, security and trustworthiness of AI systems.”
• Cloud Computing Forensic Reference Architecture guide.

Delta Air Lines plans to seek damages after losing $500 million in lost revenue due to security company CrowdStrike‘s software update debacle.  And shareholders are also angry.

Recent security research:

• Physically Secure Logic Locking With Nanomagnet Logic (UT Dallas)
• WBP: Training-time Backdoor Attacks through HW-based Weight Bit Poisoning (UCF)
• S-Tune: SOT-MTJ Manufacturing Parameters Tuning for Secure Next Generation of Computing ( U. of Arizona, UCF)
• Diffie Hellman Picture Show: Key Exchange Stories from Commercial VoWiFi Deployments (CISPA, SBA Research, U. of Vienna)

Product News

Lam Research introduced a new version of its cryogenic etch technology designed to enhance the manufacturing of 3D NAND for AI applications. This technology allows for the precise etching of high aspect ratio features, crucial for creating 1,000-layer 3D NAND.

Fig.1: 3D NAND etch. Source: Lam Research

Alphawave Semi launched its Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express Die-toDie IP. The subsystem offers 8 Tbps/mm bandwidth density and supports operation at 24 Gbps for D2D connectivity.

Infineon introduced a new MCU series for industrial and consumer motor controls, as well as power conversion system applications. The company also unveiled its new GoolGaN Drive product family of integrated single switches and half-bridges with integrated drivers.

Rambus released its DDR5 Client Clock Driver for next-gen, high-performance desktops and notebooks. The chips include Gen1 to Gen4 RCDs, power management ICs, Serial Presence Detect Hubs, and temperature sensors for leading-edge servers.

SK hynix introduced its new GDDR7 graphics DRAM. The product has an operating speed of 32Gbps, can process 1.5TB of data per second and has a 50% power efficiency improvement compared to the previous generation.

Intel launched its new Lunar Lake Ultra processors. The long awaited chips will be included in more than 80 laptop designs and has more than 40 NPU tera operations per second as well as over 60 GPU TOPS delivering more than 100 platform TOPS.

Brewer Science achieved recertification as a Certified B Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable and ethical business practices.

Panasonic adopted Siemens’ Teamcenter X cloud product lifecycle management solution, citing Teamcenter X’s Mendix low-code platform, improved operational efficiency and flexibility for its choice.

Keysight validated its 5G NR FR1 1024-QAM demodulation test cases for the first time. The 5G NR radio access technology supports eMBB and was validated on the 3GPP TS 38.521-4 test specification.

Research

In a 47-page deep-dive report, the Center for Security and Emerging Technology delved into all of the scientific breakthroughs from 1980 to present that brought EUV lithography to commercialization, including lessons learned for the next emerging technologies.

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute developed a high-performance X-ray tomography technique using burst ptychography, achieving a resolution of 4nm. This method allows for non-destructive imaging of integrated circuits, providing detailed views of nanostructures in materials like silicon and metals.

MIT signed a four-year agreement with the Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme at University of Copenhagen, focused on accelerating quantum computing hardware research.

MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) developed a mechanically flexible wafer-scale integrated photonics fabrication platform. This enables the creation of flexible photonic circuits that maintain high performance while being bendable and stretchable. It offers significant potential for integrating photonic circuits into various flexible substrate applications in wearable technology, medical devices, and flexible electronics.

The Naval Research Lab identified a new class of semiconductor nanocrystals with bright ground-state excitons, emphasizing an important advancement in optoelectronics.

Researchers from National University of Singapore developed a novel method, known as tension-driven CHARM3D,  to fabricate 3D self-healing circuits, enabling the 3D printing of free-standing metallic structures without the need for support materials and external pressure.

Find more research in our Technical Papers library.

Events and Further Reading

Find upcoming chip industry events here, including:

Upcoming webinars are here, including topics such as quantum safe cryptography, analytics for high-volume manufacturing, and mastering EMC simulations for electronic design.

Find Semiconductor Engineering’s latest newsletters here:

Automotive, Security and Pervasive Computing
Systems and Design
Low Power-High Performance
Test, Measurement and Analytics
Manufacturing, Packaging and Materials

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