Is it that time of the year again? It’s high time to start talking about the new games I’m looking forward to play in the upcoming year. I may have written fewer articles compared to 2023, but I have written better researched articles. But, looking back on 2024 is for the next article. In this article, I’m looking to the year 2025. A year when I have been writing articles for 15 years. And I have been writing these gaming related articles for 12 years. And the third year that I’m livestreaming together with my buddy Klamath. So, on this day, I’m going to reveal the 10 games I’m looking to play in 2025. What games do interest my on the release calendar. Also, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section with your list and/or thoughts on my list. So, let’s dive right into my list. Note, this list is in a random order.

#10 – Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Stole Time (Nintendo Switch – April 2025)

This game was supposed to be released this year. Yet, this game got delayed to 2025. Fantasy Life was a charm RPG on the Nintendo 3DS where you played through a charming and adorable story. You were able to play in different lives like a warrior, magician, wood cutter, miner…

This title from Level5 got a small cult following. We were beyond stocked when the sequel on the Nintendo Switch got announced. Now we can’t wait to play it and the delay is a shame. But on the other hand, the game may be even better because of the additional polish it might get. Or maybe the game will release on the Nintendo Switch 2, which is rumored to be released at that time. Who knows, we shall have to wait and see.

#9 – Professor Layton and the New World of Steam (Nintendo Switch – TBA)

On our live streams, when ever there is a logic puzzle… Klamath says I need to wait before I say my solution. For some reason, I have a knack for solving logic puzzles. I can’t tell you why. What I can tell you is that I love games where puzzles play a central role. Games like Professor Layton.

It has almost been 8 years since we got a new Professor Layton style game. And if you don’t count the spin-off of Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy… we need to go back 11 years to a cross over with the Ace Attorney series. Add another year for the final game with only Professor Layton in a lead role.

But a totally new adventure by the professor where solving logic puzzles in a central mechanic in the world is… a wild dream for me. So, please Level5… You have two amazing titles upcoming for 2025, don’t delay them or don’t undercook them. I’m beyond hyped.

#8 – Tomb Raider IV-V-VI Remastered (Multiplatform – Febraury 14th)

Take this admission however you want. But, my first original Tomb Raider game was Tomb Raider Chronicles. Yes, I first played Tomb Raider V.

I have always been of the opinion that Tomb Raider V was a decent game and shouldn’t get the hate it got back then. I can understand that due to the departure on the original formula, like less ancient tombs and small mini-adventures… That it didn’t sit well with Tomb Raider fans. But, as a starting point, it was a blessing, actually.
Now, does Tomb Raider V have problems? Yes, it has. But with the upcoming remake of Tomb Raider 4, 5 and Angel of Darkness… We finally have a chance to see a more improved version of it. So, a week after my birthday, dear Aspyr, you may be sure that I’ll be playing the remaster of Tomb Raider V on my Nintendo Switch to enjoy Tomb Raider V how it should have been. Or maybe on my PC for added nostalgia. That’s some food for thought.

#7 – Demonschool (Mutliplatform – Q1 2025)

As long as your game has an interesting concept, I don’t really care if you are a small studio or a big studio. Necrosoft Games is currently placing the final hand on their new title called Demonschool.

Demonschool is a turnbased tactics RPG game in the style of Fire Emblem, Shin Megami Tensei and Persona. The idea is very novel and adds a new depth to the genre. Where each unit has their own role, since the weakest enemies can be killed with one hit. So, it becomes more a chess match than anything else.

From the trailers I have seen, I’m beyond interested. I could try and explain it here in this article but I feel like the trailer and battle mechanics trailer they placed on the Steam store page explains it better than I can in this article. Also, give the demo a try since, I really enjoyed it myself.

#6 – Demon Tides (PC – TBA)

While I haven’t played through the original Demon Turf, just yet… I have played through various other similar games like A Hat in Time.

From watching the trailer, I have been highly interested and I got a nostalgia hit for A Hat in Time.

So, I wishlisted this game, and I’m so going to give it a try. Since I saw various video’s on the original game and I wonder by myself, why I haven’t played it. So, Demon Turf and your sequel. I can’t wait to play through you in 2025.

#5 – The Hundred Line Last Defence Academy (Nintendo Switch & PC – April 23th)

Danganronpa and the Zero Escape trilogy are two series very close to my heart. And now we get a new title with those two writers creating a game together and directing it.

Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi are working hand in hand in this game. You clearly see the influence of both their styles in this game. And it will even have a physical release.

To create this game, the studio Too Kyo Games has to take out a loan. That’s because a publishing deal fell through. Aniplex picked this game up as a publisher. And this game is being co-developed by Media.Vision, the company behind the Wild Arms series and various Valkyria Chronicles games. So we are in good hands for this title.

On purpose, I’m trying to avoid spoiling myself as much as I can. Since, I want to be as blind as possible when I play through this game.

#4 – The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st (Nintendo Switch/PC – TBA)

A RPG series I always wanted to get into was the Trails in the Sky series. Sadly, I was always distracted by other games or I had the bad luck of my PSP bricking and destroying my game.

When my PSP bricked, due to the internal battery leaking… I lost my save file as well and I was so annoyed that I didn’t want to restart the game right away.

So, the Trail series continued on and I saw amazing titles appear. Color me surprised that suddenly a remake of the first title gets announced and is coming to the Nintendo Switch and PC. So, I have a chance to play this game from scratch, and it’s totally remade from the ground up. Count me in. I can’t wait to start my journey in this series and see what I missed out on.

#3 – Date Everything (PC – February 14th)

When you see the title of this game, you most likely think to yourself: “Jonez, what in the name of …”. Well, I told you earlier in this article… That if your game has an interesting concept, count me interested.

In this game, you literally can date EVERYTHING in your house. If you have seen those YTShort skits by ProZD where everything is sentient, well… What if it is. And you can date those characters?

That’s what this game brings to the table. And this game is fully voice acted, has 100 (!) characters and branching paths. And get this, there are at least 3 different endings per character. You have the love ending, friends ending and hate ending.

Now, when I saw this concept and gave it a thought, I was like… Oh hey, this has a ton of potential. Since the potential for humor and amazing story telling in this is just huge. And as somebody who loves writing stories and articles myself, this clicked right away. So, I’m going to give this game a chance and see where they go with it.

#2 – Lunar Remastered Collection (Multiplatform – Q1/2 2025)

If I look at all the retro games I still want to play through, like Lufia, my list is getting pretty long. Once, I wrote an article about my backlog, and it has gotten even more out of hand.

So, if you give me a collection of games to play through to shorten my backlog, then consider me interested. Especially when it’s good old fantasy RPG.

A story where you are dumped in a fantasy world and explore it’s various stories. With the upcoming remake, I’m quite curious to dive into the Lunar series and see why various people have recommended it to me.

#1 – Paraside: Duality Unbound (Multiplatform – TBA)

Imagne a tactics RPG, where each battlefield has two sides. Yes, basically a light and a dark side so to speak. And can manipulate the battlefield by flipping the tiles.

Do me a favor and watch the trailer for this game. And then think how many interesting gameplay concepts that this game can have. How is the flipping mechanic going to work. What are the limits of this power.

I’m mostly interested in the story behind this game. Since it’s the style of story I love to write for my personal amusement. But, the gameplay is looking mighty interesting. Now, I have only to decide if I play this title on my PC or if I take it on the go with me on the Switch. We shall see, since the game will have modding support, so the PC version might be my best option.

15 years of game blogging

While this year has been a heavy year for me, I’m happy with everything I achieved. I have been recently published in a fan gaming magazine called ReLOADED by Dominus. And I’m so happy I was able to contribute my work to it.

Next year, I’ll be writing articles for 15 years. I have several special idea’s in mind and have been working on preparations for them. But, I’m not yet going to reveal what they are. Since, I want to leave them a surprise for all of you guys and girl. While 2025 is going to be a busy year for me, I’m sure that it will be filled with amazing adventures and unique opportunities.

When I look at the games that are going to release in 2025, I’m beyond stocked that I will have a lot of games to play and talk about in my blog. But, who knows, games on my backlog or retro games I find might grab my attention more and more.

And with that, I’m going to wrap up this article here. I want to thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to be able to welcome you in another one, but until then have a great rest of your day and take care.

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.

Speaking at Devcom, Stray Fawn co-founder Philomena Schwab shared how the Zurich-based studio has survived for the past eight years, from refusing to partner with a publisher to the importance of community support when developing a game.

Schwab emphasised that Stray Fawn prides itself on being an independent studio, with no publisher or external investors.

Even when its first game, genetics survival title Niche, started getting publisher interest after crowdfunding success, the studio continued to decline offers. This was due to previous experience from making a mobile game which had a publisher that didn't go so well.

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On August 20, 2024, FromSoftware announced that the Prime Video anthology show Secret Level will feature an all new story set in one of the universes of Armored Core. The series, being developed by the same creative team as Love, Death & Robots, will feature 15 shorts from various video games.

Armored Core joins a list of many other famous games to appear in installments in Secret Level, including Mega Man, Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer 40,000 and Pac-Man. The tweet announcing this FromSoftware game's involvement also showed off a mech racing across an icy wasteland and a picture of a human character who resembles actor Keanu Reeves.

You can see the official tweet here:

This isn't the first time the Armored Core property has gone beyond the video games. Numerous model kits have been made of famous Cores from the series. A novel called Armored Core: Brave New World appeared in Japan.

Blur Studio, the production company behind Love, Death & Robots and Secret Level previously did work on films like James Cameron's Avatar, created trailers for Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight, and redid the cutscenes for the Master Chief Collection version of Halo 2.

Secret Level will be streaming on Amazon Prime Video on December 10, 2024, and the Armored Core episode will be a part of the show.

The post Secret Level Anthology Show Includes an Armored Core Short appeared first on Siliconera.

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

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

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

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

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

Black Myth: Wukong PS5 performance has been the subject of debate ever since it emerged that Game Science only allowed reviewers to play the PC version before launch. We’re reserving our judgment until we play the full game but have been monitoring livestreams and forum chatter regarding console performance, and surprisingly, it’s a very mixed bag.

Black Myth: Wukong is off to an excellent start but PS5 needs performance improvement patches

The good news is that Black Myth: Wukong isn’t a repeat of Cyberpunk 2077. The game is playable and seems to hold up well… provided you stick to the Balanced Mode.

Those who have been attempting to play on the Performance Mode for some 60 fps goodness have complained of constant stuttering, poor image quality, and texture issues. The Quality Mode offers 30-35 fps whereas the Balanced mode can go up 45 fps. The general consensus is that Performance Mode isn’t the best way to play right now.

Interestingly, Black Myth: Wukong’s console performance has bizarrely polarized players. On one extreme, we’ve seen folks swear that there are absolutely no performance issues whatsoever (spoiler: this isn’t true), and on the other hand, some folks swear that the game is unplayable (spoiler: this also isn’t true).

If you’re not fussy about a lower frame rate and can make compromises in the graphics department, Black Myth: Wukong’s current PS5 performance shouldn’t be an issue for you. However, if you’re in the opposite camp, we suggest waiting for a patch or two.

The post Black Myth: Wukong PS5 Performance Polarizes Players appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Space 4X strategy game Stellaris launched in 2016, but Paradox can't stop adding to the universe. Last time I checked in, it was school trips to other dimensions. Now, it's Cosmic Storms. Due for release alongside the Stellaris 3.13 Vela update on September 10th, these are a paid "mechanical expansion" (priced at a rather chunky £11, $13 or €13, and available as part of the current season pass) that builds upon the game's existing Space Storms, "providing a deeper experience with strategically meaningful gameplay and beautiful upgraded visuals". Wash that down with new civics, precursor narratives, anomalies, archaeology sites, techs, edicts, a new Ascension perk, and new galactic community resolutions.

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It’s an oddly Halloweeny summer week for games, this one. Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s October 31st release date leaked earlier, Steam have put together a Summer Fright Night bundle featuring RPS fave Hauntii, and I’ve got a strange urge to gorge on Haribo and mini Double Deckers until blood comes out of my eyeballs. What a perfect time, then, to dive into the alpha demo for vampire management game Blood Bar Tycoon, especially since Two Point seem to be resting on their laurels a bit too comfortably for my liking.

The idea here is you build a swanky bar serving claret cosmopolitans, ichor-ish coffees and uh, viscera vampiros to your undead clientele. But (with the sorta exception of the crimson-sapped Dracaena cinnabari) blood doesn’t grow on trees, so you’ll also be moonlighting as a human-nabber. You’ll research a slew of “whacky contraptions” to extract their blood, which I greatly enjoy, because “zany exsanguination” is a real winner of a feature. You can’t frivolously phlebotomise with impunity, however - you’ll also want to be on the lookout for vampire hunters aka the fun police.

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Space 4X strategy game Stellaris launched in 2016, but Paradox can't stop adding to the universe. Last time I checked in, it was school trips to other dimensions. Now, it's Cosmic Storms. Due for release alongside the Stellaris 3.13 Vela update on September 10th, these are a paid "mechanical expansion" (priced at a rather chunky £11, $13 or €13, and available as part of the current season pass) that builds upon the game's existing Space Storms, "providing a deeper experience with strategically meaningful gameplay and beautiful upgraded visuals". Wash that down with new civics, precursor narratives, anomalies, archaeology sites, techs, edicts, a new Ascension perk, and new galactic community resolutions.

Read more

It’s an oddly Halloweeny summer week for games, this one. Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s October 31st release date leaked earlier, Steam have put together a Summer Fright Night bundle featuring RPS fave Hauntii, and I’ve got a strange urge to gorge on Haribo and mini Double Deckers until blood comes out of my eyeballs. What a perfect time, then, to dive into the alpha demo for vampire management game Blood Bar Tycoon, especially since Two Point seem to be resting on their laurels a bit too comfortably for my liking.

The idea here is you build a swanky bar serving claret cosmopolitans, ichor-ish coffees and uh, viscera vampiros to your undead clientele. But (with the sorta exception of the crimson-sapped Dracaena cinnabari) blood doesn’t grow on trees, so you’ll also be moonlighting as a human-nabber. You’ll research a slew of “whacky contraptions” to extract their blood, which I greatly enjoy, because “zany exsanguination” is a real winner of a feature. You can’t frivolously phlebotomise with impunity, however - you’ll also want to be on the lookout for vampire hunters aka the fun police.

Read more

Annapurna Interactive a BlueTwelve Studio oznámily datum vydání dříve oznámeného portu hry Stray pro Nintendo Switch.

Vydavatel Annapurna Interactive na červnové prezentaci Nintendo Direct oznámil, že jeho uznávaná adventura Stray 2022 vyjde pro Switch někdy o letošních prázdninách, a nyní byl port opatřen konkrétním datem vydání.

Společnost Nintendo na Twitteru oznámila, že hra Stray vyjde pro Switch 19. listopadu.Stray hráči hrají za kočku oddělenou od své smečky, po které se musí pohybovat v dystopické společnosti obydlené roboty a androidy, kde není v dohledu jediný člověk. Fascinující prostředí a možnost hrát za kočku se spojují v solidní zážitek.

Hra Stray je v současné době k dispozici pro PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One a PC. Připravuje se také animovaný film na motivy této hry.

Be silly. Be curious. Be stealthy. Be a little annoying. But most of all, be a cat ready to pounce your way through the neon-lit alleys! Untangle an ancient mystery to escape the decaying cybercity in Stray, coming to #NintendoSwitch on Nov. 19th! pic.twitter.com/6p4MXx3Eok

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 8, 2024

Článek Stray vychází pro Nintendo Switch 19. listopadu se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

It’ll take me quite a while to get through Sea of Stars, but if my first impressions are anything to go by, it’s going to be a hell of an adventure. This latest indie RPG comes from Quebec’s Sabotage Studio, the developers of the acclaimed The Messenger.

The developers were kind enough to send over a review key for me to look at the game. I’ve been plugging away at it over the past couple of days, with about 12 hours of progress done. Given that I’m not even halfway done, it’s easy to expect the review will take some time.

But one thing’s for sure: Sea of Stars is living up to the hype and then some. It’s a grand and engaging adventure that’s satisfying in its combat and enticing in its story. And despite a few incredibly minor issues that will hopefully be patched out, it’s set its hooks deep into me already.

Fire of the sun, light of the moon

Let’s talk about the combat first. I already had an idea of how this played, thanks to the demo released back in February. In practice, it’s already been a consistently fun and rewarding combat system, and I can see it appealing to both retro fans and newbies.

Much has been made of the game’s comparisons to games like Super Mario RPG, Illusion of Gaia, and Chrono Trigger. And they’re certainly warranted; any fan of 90s RPGs will be right at home here. I also got a substantial whiff of Mario & Luigi in it, especially with the combo moves. You have to juggle a few factors at once, including elemental weaknesses, enemy positions, charging enemy attacks, and available magic points and boost power.

While it’s a deep and layered combat system, it’s also very approachable. If you’ve never played an RPG before, Sea of Stars would be an excellent first choice. You can grasp the core concept very easily, and there aren’t so many mechanics and meters to keep track of that it’s overwhelming. The biggest challenge is determining the optimal strategy, which requires paying close attention in the heat of battle.

Feeling like a star

Sea of Stars immediately made a stir thanks to its wonderful aesthetics. You’ve probably already noticed the lovely pixel art through these screenshots, and in action, the game looks absolutely stunning. With beautiful color palettes and some excellent music tracks, it’s already a heavily absorbing adventure.

More than its aesthetics, though, I’m also really into the story and characters so far. With a wacky pirate crew, some excellent party members, and an old order of the Solstice Warriors to talk to, there’s plenty of love and care into these characters. I’ve gotten quite a bit ahead of the introduction, so I won’t be writing any story spoilers here.

Just know that the game takes maybe an hour or two to get going, and then a couple more hours to REALLY get going. For a game that’s expected to take about 25 to 30 hours with no side content, there’s hopefully plenty more great story bits and characters to come.

If there’s one aspect I can criticize Sea of Stars for, it’s that the dialogue needed a bit of a tune-up. Not the words themselves, but rather the grammar; there’s a few typos that needed ironing out. That’s something that could easily be fixed with a few patches, although of course, it’s not the most important factor. I haven’t encountered any other bugs so far, and hopefully that will remain the same throughout the rest of my playthrough!

Sea of Stars shines in its first impressions

I’m happy to report that my first impressions of Sea of Stars are highly positive. The combat is engrossing for both RPG veterans and newcomers, and it’s a beautiful game filled with charming characters and storylines. And while the text perhaps needed one last proofread, it’s hardly enough to take you out of the adventure.

Sea of Stars is developed and published by Sabotage Studio. It is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam. You can also play it via Xbox and PC Game Pass. A free demo is available to play right now.

The digital version costs $34.99 USD. A physical version for Nintendo Switch is on the way, but Sabotage Studio hasn’t announced a price yet.

Thanks to Tinsley PR and Sabotage Studio for providing a review key!

The post First Impressions: Sea of Stars [PC] appeared first on Mega Visions.

A new God of War game from Santa Monica Studio is almost a given, but it looks like the studio’s next release will be its new IP. Sony Santa Monica has been a single-project studio for almost the entirety of its existence (not counting external projects), but the developer has been working on its mystery new IP for quite some time.

Why fans think Santa Monica Studio will release a new IP before a new God of War game

Santa Monica Studio has been hiring for its new IP for a while, but over the weekend, a ResetEra user spotted evidence of major recruitment activity. Sony veteran Glauco Longhi, who has previously worked for both Naughty Dog and Santa Monica, returned to work for the God of War developer in April.

On his LinkedIn, Longhi confirms that Santa Monica Studio offered him an opportunity to return, and he’s now overseeing the entire character development pipeline of the new IP. From the sound of things, the studio is firing on all cylinders now and its next release is likely to be this project.

Rumor has it that the mystery game’s development is being led by Cory Barlog, and it will be a sci-fi game possibly with RPG elements.

The post New God of War Might Not Be Santa Monica Studio’s Next Release appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Source

The latest PC farming and life sim is now available to play, as Fields of Mistria launched on early access. To go along with that, there’s a launch trailer highlighting what people can expect from the title. In addition, many of the available songs from the Fields of Mistria soundtrack ended up shared online.

Here’s the Fields of Mistria early access launch trailer. It begins with general farming footage. People can watch as someone tends crops. From there, we get to meet some of the people living in the nearby village. Hayden shows up first, alongside some of the animals you can buy from them. From there, portraits of 10 of the 12 marriage candidates show up. Two remain as secret silhouettes in the video. After that, we see what it’s like to explore the mines and the enemies inside one. Collecting elements for the town museum come up as well. Early access will last for a year, new content will be added as time goes on, and the team says it currently doesn’t expect the price to change from $13.99.

Here’s the full Fields of Mistria gameplay footage:

In addition to the launch trailer, 52 songs off of the Fields of Mistria soundtrack are now available on the official YouTube channel for the game. They’re composed by Hidehito Ikumo. Here’s the full list of the tracks released so far: 

• “Adeline’s Theme: The Smell of Drying Ink”
• “Aquifer Echo”
• “Backwater Bathhouse”
• “Balor’s Theme: Fair Weather”
• “Behind the Forge”
• “Blazing Hearth”
• “Blue Skies Will Return”
• “Caldarus' Theme: The Sleeping Dragon”
• “Celine’s Theme: Flower in Bloom”
• “Close Your Eyes”
• “Crows in a Clear Sky”
• “Crystal Condensation”
• “Dig Deeper”
• “Dragonsworn”
• “Eiland’s Theme: Roots Intertwined”
• “Fall: Changing Winds”
• “Fall: Dance of the Leaves”
• “Fresh Snow”
• “Glimmering Spring” 
• “Glowing Hearth”
• “Hayden’s Theme: Roll Up Your Sleeves!”
• “Juniper’s Theme: Something’s Brewing”
• “Let’s Get to Work”
• “Let’s Go for a Walk”
• “Lumber and Sawdust”
• “Main Theme”
• “March’s Theme: What Do You Want?”
• “Market Day”
• “Memory Rain”
• “Moonlight Through My Window”
• “Please Take a Seat”
• “Potatoes are Half Off Today”
• “Prepare to Descend”
• “Quenched Earth”
• “Quiet Winter”
• “Reina’s Theme: Wild Berry Pie”
• “Rest a While”
• “Revitalization”
• “Rising Tide”
• “Ryis’ Theme: Birdsong”
• “The Seal”
• “Spring Festival”
• “Spring: Tenacious Sprout”
• “Summer: Gathering Clouds”
• “Summer: Lens Flare”
• “Summer: Shaking Off a Summer Storm”
• “Summer: Village Life”
• “Sunlight Through My Window”
• “Unearthed”
• “Valen’s Theme: Cactus Bloom”
• “Wake Up, Little Seed”
• “Winter: The World Glitters”

Fields of Mistria is now in early access for Windows PC.

The post Fields of Mistria Early Access Launch Trailer and Soundtrack Appear appeared first on Siliconera.

Once Human's maintenance is now complete, and the F2P open-world shooter is back online with a plethora of QoL improvements and optimisations, including a desperately-needed revision to vehicle handling.

Whilst players received a bundle of Stardust and health-related items to make up for the downtime, Once Human's long-promised controller and Steam Deck support is still nowhere to be seen (although, confusingly, the "controller" in-game item remains in place).

In terms of Memetics, you can now pick up memetic specialisation memory fragments in the wild and trade them between players. All memetic fragments will be destroyed at the end of the season – which is in a couple of weeks time – and cannot be sent to Eternaland, so be mindful of that.

Read more

Amazon Prime's Like a Dragon adaptation Like a Dragon: Yakuza will premier on 24th October, 2024.

Previously, we'd been told the series would debut on 25th October.

To mark the change, Amazon also dropped a tantalising, if brief, peek at what's to come in a new teaser trailer:

Read more

The latest PC farming and life sim is now available to play, as Fields of Mistria launched on early access. To go along with that, there’s a launch trailer highlighting what people can expect from the title. In addition, many of the available songs from the Fields of Mistria soundtrack ended up shared online.

Here’s the Fields of Mistria early access launch trailer. It begins with general farming footage. People can watch as someone tends crops. From there, we get to meet some of the people living in the nearby village. Hayden shows up first, alongside some of the animals you can buy from them. From there, portraits of 10 of the 12 marriage candidates show up. Two remain as secret silhouettes in the video. After that, we see what it’s like to explore the mines and the enemies inside one. Collecting elements for the town museum come up as well. Early access will last for a year, new content will be added as time goes on, and the team says it currently doesn’t expect the price to change from $13.99.

Here’s the full Fields of Mistria gameplay footage:

In addition to the launch trailer, 52 songs off of the Fields of Mistria soundtrack are now available on the official YouTube channel for the game. They’re composed by Hidehito Ikumo. Here’s the full list of the tracks released so far: 

• “Adeline’s Theme: The Smell of Drying Ink”
• “Aquifer Echo”
• “Backwater Bathhouse”
• “Balor’s Theme: Fair Weather”
• “Behind the Forge”
• “Blazing Hearth”
• “Blue Skies Will Return”
• “Caldarus' Theme: The Sleeping Dragon”
• “Celine’s Theme: Flower in Bloom”
• “Close Your Eyes”
• “Crows in a Clear Sky”
• “Crystal Condensation”
• “Dig Deeper”
• “Dragonsworn”
• “Eiland’s Theme: Roots Intertwined”
• “Fall: Changing Winds”
• “Fall: Dance of the Leaves”
• “Fresh Snow”
• “Glimmering Spring” 
• “Glowing Hearth”
• “Hayden’s Theme: Roll Up Your Sleeves!”
• “Juniper’s Theme: Something’s Brewing”
• “Let’s Get to Work”
• “Let’s Go for a Walk”
• “Lumber and Sawdust”
• “Main Theme”
• “March’s Theme: What Do You Want?”
• “Market Day”
• “Memory Rain”
• “Moonlight Through My Window”
• “Please Take a Seat”
• “Potatoes are Half Off Today”
• “Prepare to Descend”
• “Quenched Earth”
• “Quiet Winter”
• “Reina’s Theme: Wild Berry Pie”
• “Rest a While”
• “Revitalization”
• “Rising Tide”
• “Ryis’ Theme: Birdsong”
• “The Seal”
• “Spring Festival”
• “Spring: Tenacious Sprout”
• “Summer: Gathering Clouds”
• “Summer: Lens Flare”
• “Summer: Shaking Off a Summer Storm”
• “Summer: Village Life”
• “Sunlight Through My Window”
• “Unearthed”
• “Valen’s Theme: Cactus Bloom”
• “Wake Up, Little Seed”
• “Winter: The World Glitters”

Fields of Mistria is now in early access for Windows PC.

The post Fields of Mistria Early Access Launch Trailer and Soundtrack Appear appeared first on Siliconera.

The China Hero Project X/Twitter account has confirmed that Unending Dawn will be officially coming to PC alongside its PS5 version. Unending Dawn, a game from Parcae’s Fate Studio, is a multiplayer open-world action game set in a world ravaged by a massive catastrophe. This disaster has left wildlife transformed into dangerous creatures with the … Continue reading Unending Dawn has been officially confirmed for PC →

The post Unending Dawn has been officially confirmed for PC appeared first on DSOGaming.

As reported by Gematsu yesterday, SEGA have filed a trademark in Japan for the term “Yakuza Wars”. This happened on July 26th, and while Gematsu speculate this might be related to the next game in the Yakuza: Like A Dragon series, I have other plans. For the imaginary game. That I have nothing to do with.

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As reported by Gematsu yesterday, SEGA have filed a trademark in Japan for the term “Yakuza Wars”. This happened on July 26th, and while Gematsu speculate this might be related to the next game in the Yakuza: Like A Dragon series, I have other plans. For the imaginary game. That I have nothing to do with.

Read more

Source

Once Human's maintenance is now complete, and the F2P open-world shooter is back online with a plethora of QoL improvements and optimisations, including a desperately-needed revision to vehicle handling.

Whilst players received a bundle of Stardust and health-related items to make up for the downtime, Once Human's long-promised controller and Steam Deck support is still nowhere to be seen (although, confusingly, the "controller" in-game item remains in place).

In terms of Memetics, you can now pick up memetic specialisation memory fragments in the wild and trade them between players. All memetic fragments will be destroyed at the end of the season – which is in a couple of weeks time – and cannot be sent to Eternaland, so be mindful of that.

Read more

Amazon Prime's Like a Dragon adaptation Like a Dragon: Yakuza will premier on 24th October, 2024.

Previously, we'd been told the series would debut on 25th October.

To mark the change, Amazon also dropped a tantalising, if brief, peek at what's to come in a new teaser trailer:

Read more

In 444 Switch reviews over the last 2 years, I have never cursed once. That will end with number 445(this one). WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! Basketball Anime Girls is so bad, It would get #1 on my upcoming Year 2 Best/Worst list, if it weren’t for The Love not working, so this game will get #2. There are no redeeming qualities, and I wasn’t laughing, so it’s not getting a Hilariously Awful verdict either. I guess the best way to explain this piece of shit is to post this minute long video, which also debuts a logo video made by the very talented Laura Stevia(which was for a Patreon that never materialized).

So, Basketball Anime Girls is a basketball game where you run around with the ball trying to get near the basket and dunk(but somehow miss the net). The opponent is trying to do the same. The only problem is the AI is garbage. The opposing girls run straight at you, but once they get the ball by touching you, they either run for their basket, or run around at random. The girls on your side will do the same, either run around at random or straight for the basket, its a coin toss which one they’ll do. Each basket you score is one point. Each one the opponent does subtracts one. You need five points to win.

Basketball Anime Girls does have unlockable girls, balls, and courts. But why suffer through it? This game is shit, pure unadulterated shit. Even the marketing blurb is shit:

Step into the world of “Basketball Anime Girls” a captivating 3D basketball simulator that combines the excitement of real-life basketball with the vibrant charm of anime style. Choose your favorite anime girl skin and hit the courts for an immersive and thrilling experience.

Its all lies, all of it. It is not captivating, thrilling, charming or exciting. It is Garbage and will get a one back-end score. Heck it’d give it a 0.5 if I could. Do not buy this game. Do not go near Basketball Anime Girls. Let me suffer so you don’t have to!

Overall: Basketball Anime Girls is an awful, awful game that is neither fun nor charming. Stay far away!

Verdict: Garbage

eShop Page

The post Basketball Anime Girls Switch Review appeared first on The Game Slush Pile.

At ten past nine every evening he sends you out into the darkening world. He's the presenter of Krypta FM - pronounced with the chopped staccato of every good radio announcer as Kryp! Ta! FM! - and you are his eager listener and hopeful protege. Sniff the evening air. Breathe deep! The small town world that lies sleeping all around you is just teeming with cryptids, surely. Anyone seen a mothman lately? A werewolf? Grab a camera and get out there - but be safe, okay?

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Readers, something actually magical has happened! I’ve spent a non-zero amount of time this week compiling a wishlist for potential Stardew Valley-likes that also let me keep pets. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to play, but I knew I was burnt out on both stabbing and shooting, and wanted something light and colourful with a solid loop that I could veg out (pun intended) with at the end of the day. I even went to so far as to create a chap named Karrot King in Stardew before quitting in disgust because I couldn’t easily access carrot seeds.

I cannot in good conscious claim that I manifested such a videogame - that was the work of Skyreach Studio. However, this is the internet, so I will both take credit for it and offer you an exclusive discount on my course. While I’m waiting for your membership fee to arrive, I’ll be playing Critter Crops. It’s a witchy farming sim in which you grow odd pets and cast spells from flesh-bound grimoires. One of the verbs it offers on its Steam page is 'noodle'. Apologies to all the other games on my wishlist.

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At ten past nine every evening he sends you out into the darkening world. He's the presenter of Krypta FM - pronounced with the chopped staccato of every good radio announcer as Kryp! Ta! FM! - and you are his eager listener and hopeful protege. Sniff the evening air. Breathe deep! The small town world that lies sleeping all around you is just teeming with cryptids, surely. Anyone seen a mothman lately? A werewolf? Grab a camera and get out there - but be safe, okay?

Read more

Readers, something actually magical has happened! I’ve spent a non-zero amount of time this week compiling a wishlist for potential Stardew Valley-likes that also let me keep pets. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to play, but I knew I was burnt out on both stabbing and shooting, and wanted something light and colourful with a solid loop that I could veg out (pun intended) with at the end of the day. I even went to so far as to create a chap named Karrot King in Stardew before quitting in disgust because I couldn’t easily access carrot seeds.

I cannot in good conscious claim that I manifested such a videogame - that was the work of Skyreach Studio. However, this is the internet, so I will both take credit for it and offer you an exclusive discount on my course. While I’m waiting for your membership fee to arrive, I’ll be playing Critter Crops. It’s a witchy farming sim in which you grow odd pets and cast spells from flesh-bound grimoires. One of the verbs it offers on its Steam page is 'noodle'. Apologies to all the other games on my wishlist.

Read more

Today our friends Mitch Resnick and Natalie Rusk from MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten group tell you about OctoStudio, their free mobile app for children to create with code. Find their companion article for teachers in the upcoming issue of Hello World magazine, out for free on Monday 1 July.

When people see our new OctoStudio coding app, they often say that it reminds them of Scratch, the world’s most popular coding platform for kids. That’s not surprising, since the group of us developing OctoStudio were also involved in creating Scratch, with its distinctive building-block approach to programming. But there’s an important difference.

The difference is that we designed OctoStudio specifically for mobile phones and tablets, based on requests from educators in communities where children and families don’t have access to laptops and desktop computers, but do have access to mobile devices. 

OctoStudio takes advantage of special features of mobile phones and tablets, such as built-in sensors, so young people can create projects that respond to shaking or tilting, or even ‘beam’ signals between devices. And because of the small size of mobile devices, children and families can create projects anytime anywhere, and integrate digital coding with physical making.

OctoStudio makes it easy for beginners to start creating. Children can choose a character from a diverse collection of emojis, draw their own in the OctoStudio paint editor, or take and edit a photo. With just a couple coding blocks, they can make their characters move, jump, speak, or glow — and respond to shaking, tilting, or tapping on the phone or tablet:

Since our Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab launched OctoStudio as a free app in October 2023, we’ve been delighted by the creativity and diversity of projects that children around the world have created with OctoStudio. As examples, we’d like to share with you three different projects from three different continents.

Getting active with OctoStudio 

When Xavier, a 10-year-old in Rwanda, started using OctoStudio, he was intrigued with the ‘When I shake’ block. He realized that he could create a step tracker project, by sensing how the phone shook each time he took a step. 

From the emoji library in OctoStudio, Xavier selected a rabbit, and he programmed it to grow a little bit each time he took a step. The more steps, the bigger the rabbit. To test the project, Xavier ran around in a circle. When he looked at the rabbit again, he saw how big it had grown and exclaimed: “Now it’s mega huge!” After finishing his project, Xavier made and posted a video tutorial to show others how to make their own step tracker using only 5 coding blocks.

Making creatures come to life on screen

One popular way to get started with OctoStudio is to make a favorite animal out of craft materials, take a photo of it, then bring your creation to life on the screen with OctoStudio coding blocks. As part of the Brazilian Creative Learning Network, educators Renato Barboza and Simone Lederman offer creative learning workshops in which children design creatures using a combination of natural materials and modeling clay. In these ‘fantastical creatures’ workshops, facilitators ask questions to encourage participants to design not only the creatures, but also develop ideas about how their creatures interact within their environment.

For example, two sisters created imaginary creatures, one with long sticks for arms, the other with big eyes and wings made from leaves. The sisters then took photos and made their creatures come to life in OctoStudio, making them jump, glow, and fly. They recorded sounds and explained more about their creatures, including where they live and what they like to eat.

Beaming between devices

OctoStudio also opens up the possibility of projects involving multiple mobile devices, using the new ‘beam’ block to send signals between the devices (via Bluetooth). For example, children can make a character in a story or game look like it’s jumping from one device to another by sending a beam signal when the character reaches the edge of the screen.

Thawin, an elementary school student in Thailand, decided to use the ‘beam’ block to create a project about caring for the environment. He embedded one tablet in a cardboard cutout of a watering can, and programmed it to beam a signal each time he shook it as if he were sprinkling water. Then, he added a tree emoji to another tablet, and programmed the tree to grow each time it received a beam signal. He proudly shared his project with his classmates: each time someone shook the watering can, the tree grew.

Get started with OctoStudio

To get started with OctoStudio, you can download it for free from app stores for Android and iOS phones and tablets. The app is translated into more than 25 languages, and comes with sample projects and mini-tutorials. 

Here are some resources for learning and exploring more:

• The octostudio.org website provides a reference guide and FAQ
• The OctoStudio channel on YouTube offers a variety of inspiring tutorials and examples
• For project ideas using physical materials, visit OctoStudio Explorations from the Tinkering Studio
• For updates, sign up for the OctoStudio mailing list

You can share your OctoStudio stories, photos, and videos on social media using @octostudioapp or #octostudio. We can’t wait to hear about your and your children’s experiences!

The post Create anytime, anywhere with OctoStudio appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

A quaint town sits nestled among mountains and green hills. Colorful birds flit from tree to tree, and fish swim up rivers of sapphire blue water. The citizens of Mistria go about their days, wandering from shop to shop, each a colorful character in their own right. And while Fields of Mistria may look like your run-of-the-mill farming simulator, it seems to be much, much more than that.

The genre Fields of Mistria occupies is undoubtedly one of my favorite in games. I became enchanted with the Harvest Moon series through Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life as a child, and dabbled in the likes of Stardew Valley, Rune Factory, Palia, and more. When Fields of Mistria crossed my radar a few years ago, I was immediately intrigued, even if it was just a few bits of character artwork here and there. Because while these games are functionally the same in their mechanics, nothing quite looks like Fields of Mistria.

The sprite work for the characters is deliciously detailed and remind me of when I used to comb through Yuu Watase manga like Imadoki! or Alice 19th. It has that mid-90's to early 2000's appeal, and isn't afraid to wear these inspirations on its sleeve. Juniper, the resident bathhouse owner, who's laugh is a direct reference to a popular trope, that you'd see in a series like Sailor Moon or other popular shoujo manga and anime of that time. Fields of Mistria seems to embrace these aesthetics and weave them into the game, with characters fulfilling specific archetypes. And because it doesn't shy away from that, it makes Fields of Mistria all the stronger.

You more or less know what you're going to get with each character, as their personalities generally correspond with their looks. At least based on what I experienced. And there isn't anything wrong with that. These "anime" archetypes exist for a reason, and are popular. Olric is a part-time shop assistant, which is evident by his character portrait, whereas March the blacksmith immediately reads as standoffish with his tilted head and frown. There's something appealing to this, mostly because it feels familiar. It could turn off some that are looking for something that might subvert those expectations, but because these things are so immediately nostalgic for me, I can't help but be sucked in.

Even small social interactions with characters feel fresh and fun. This is because characters in Fields of Mistria interact with one another in casual conversations. When you approach NPCs standing around each other, there is a chance that they'll be chatting among themselves. On Friday, the local tavern has the residents of Mistria piling in to drink and play card games, and this makes the town feel alive. Everyone has their own habits, but relationships with each other that exist outside of you. However, I did wish the dialogue options you could pick for your responses wouldn't bounce between an extreme over-eagerness or "sassy" responses that come off as a little corny.

Because even if the first few hours of Fields of Mistria are somewhat slow, with you needing to progress through several days and a myriad of side quests to actually gain access to all of your tools, the game is oddly comfortable. The characters, predictable as they are, are fun to talk to, and the general game flow is slow but steady. It's clear the developers want you take your time, as interacting with the world and all of its systems, like farming and fishing and gathering materials, net you essence. Essence is used to unlock skills in a skill tree, which is an interesting implementation, but some of these passives are great for restoring stamina without forcing the player to cook dishes or call it a day early.

You can of course, do a plethora of things during the day and even the night. There are collectables you can turn into the museum to unlock additional cosmetics. You can fish and farm to your heart's content. You can rear animals and craft furniture and other things to help out on your farm. All of these things exist in other farming simulators, but Fields of Mistria does have some ease of access when it comes to checking what items you've donated to the museum or what each crop sells for. There is also a cave you can explore if you'd rather do away with farming for the day. But all of these things come together in a way that makes the time management of Fields of Mistria fun, and not too overwhelming. You don't need to min-max your day to have a good time, and requests from NPCs aren't timed. Which means you aren't frantically trying to collect whatever the local innkeeper or carpenter is yearning for on a random Tuesday.

There is enough iteration on the formula to make Fields of Mistria interesting and engaging. And while I am only in the first ten or so hours of the game, I've grown to really like it after getting over that initial hurdle. I can't wait to spend more hours just fiddling with these systems and unlocking more cooking recipes and fishing while curled up under my blankets with my Steam Deck in my hands. (Yes, Fields of Mistria works on Steam Deck, and has controller support.) And I especially can't wait to see what the developers have cooked up and will include in the game once it eventually releases in full.

Fields of Mistria will enter Early Access on August 5, 2024. It will release on PC through Steam.

The post Preview: Fields of Mistria Leans Into It’s 90s Inspirations appeared first on Siliconera.

With Sony having surprised precisely no-one by announcing that, once again, PlayStation won't be at this year's Gamescom, Microsoft has seized the opportunity to let everyone know that, by Jove, Xbox will be at this year's show.

Microsoft shared the news over on social media, inviting attendees to visit its "biggest booth yet" when Gamescom returns to Cologne, Germany, in August this year.

Microsoft will, of course, be the only major console maker to have at presence at Gamescom 2024; Nintendo confirmed it wouldn't be coming along back in April, saying there would be opportunities for players to try Switch games at other events throughout the year, and PlayStation confirmed a no-show earlier this week. Sony's absence hardly warrants a raised eyebrow, however, given it hasn't showed up since 2019.

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The Bokeh Game Studio developers revealed they drew inspiration from seinen manga like Tokyo Ghoul when working on Slitterhead. This information comes from an interview with Game Watch. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The three Bokeh Game Studio members who participated in the interview are Keiichiro Toyama (CEO and founder), Akira Yamaoka (composer, sound director, and game designer), and Tatsuya Yoshikawa (character designer). During the interview, they reveal that they used seinen manga to try and bridge the gap between horror fans and players who avoid a game because of its horror elements. Some seinen manga series show the characters facing off against a powerful foe, which has the same entertainment value as an action series. However, seinen manga also tend not to shy away from killing off its characters, which raises the tensions and stakes.

Toyama noted that shonen manga is more popular in foreign countries, so a seinen-inspired work may feel novel. Like our coverage of the SGF 2024 trailer, the Game Watch interviewer noted that the character designs feel like they’re from Parasyte. Toyama acknowledges that Parasyte was an inspiration, but Slitterhead actually takes more cues from Tokyo Ghoul. To be more specific, he drew reference from the uncertainty of when characters would die—calling it a “thrilling” survival horror experience—and the charm of battles in which the characters use superpowers.

Slitterhead will come out on November 8, 2024 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC.

The post Slitterhead Inspired by Seinen Manga appeared first on Siliconera.

Open-world zombie adventure Days Gone might not technically feature any zombies, but at least the discourse around a potential sequel is constantly reanimating. Via Xitter, the original game’s creative director John Garvin has encouraged fans to "never say never" about a Days Gone 2, while reminding us that a full outline for the game had already been completed prior to his departure from developers Bend Studio in 2020.

Even with the caveat of "I’m not holding my breath", Garvin’s take is an altogether more hopeful one that that of fellow Bend alumni and Days Gone game director Jeff Ross, who in May tweeXed a collage of popular PlayStation characters – sans his own post-apocalyptic motorcycling hero, Deacon St. John. "A lot of people still ask me if there will ever be a Days Gone sequel, so I submit this poster as evidence it will never happen", Ross wrote, along with an apparent pop at Sony Interactive execs (including Hermen Hulst, co-CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment) for never being "fans" of the game.

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Open-world zombie adventure Days Gone might not technically feature any zombies, but at least the discourse around a potential sequel is constantly reanimating. Via Xitter, the original game’s creative director John Garvin has encouraged fans to "never say never" about a Days Gone 2, while reminding us that a full outline for the game had already been completed prior to his departure from developers Bend Studio in 2020.

Even with the caveat of "I’m not holding my breath", Garvin’s take is an altogether more hopeful one that that of fellow Bend alumni and Days Gone game director Jeff Ross, who in May tweeXed a collage of popular PlayStation characters – sans his own post-apocalyptic motorcycling hero, Deacon St. John. "A lot of people still ask me if there will ever be a Days Gone sequel, so I submit this poster as evidence it will never happen", Ross wrote, along with an apparent pop at Sony Interactive execs (including Hermen Hulst, co-CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment) for never being "fans" of the game.

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I play the original 2001 Super Monkey Ball almost every day, and if you’ll allow me one brag, I’m pretty good at it. Sometimes I play to jumpstart my brain in the morning, sometimes to unwind during my lunch break, sometimes to fill some time in the evening. Usually, I choose the fifty-stage-long Expert difficulty,…

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To understand Toilet Hero, one must understand Skibidi Toilet, which involves disembodied heads coming out of toilets and talking. But I’m not a pre-teen so… I don’t get it. Toilet Hero is meant to capitalize on Skibidi Toilet’s popularity, without mentioning the name exactly. This is because there is a very similar Skibidi Toilet Game on the PC. I have played that game and this. This seems to be a downgraded port of that game, though the exact pedigree is strange on this. Either way, this is garbage. about on par with Midnight Work’s titles. This is published by 17studio, made by Ultra Action Shooter Games, which doesn’t even have a cool looking logo. Just the name in white text on a black screen. The game is just as bad.

You start out, walk forward, get a gun, and then fight toilets. And this is where the problem is. The toilets just come straight at you and drain your health, and you’ll die quickly. Fortunately, killing a toilet will get a bit of health back. Then you continue on in these ugly, badly put together levels full of amateur texture work, fighting more toilets. The levels look like they were put together by Skidibi Toilet’s target audience, 10-year-olds. Just look at this, it’s absolutely ugly as sin:

Toilet Hero is not fun. It is not exciting. It is 100% pure garbage, really the worst of the worst. Whoever made this should be ashamed of themselves. This is a complete ripoff in either version, which ropes in clueless kids and serves them crap. I’m not a fan of Skidibi Toilet, but fans deserve better than this, which is downright malicious. Toilet Hero gets a Garbage verdict with a one back-end score.

Overall: Toilet Hero is a port of the Skidibi Toilet FPS game on steam, and is meant to entrap children and serve them garbage.

Verdict: Garbage

eShop Page

The post Toilet Hero Switch Review appeared first on The Game Slush Pile.

Even if not able to reach the same heights as the game's top tiers, Yangyang's ability to deal high amounts of damage and provide your DPS with a boost of Resonance Energy makes her a fair pick for those looking for a sub-DPS/utility support in Wuthering Waves.

But how exactly should you build her? For all looking to bring out the best in her and don't particularly care about the game's meta, here's the best Yangyang build in Wuthering Waves.

The best weapons for Yangyang

The best weapon for Yangyang in Wuthering Waves is the 5-star Emerald of Genesis. Widely considered the best sword in the game, the weapon will provide a great amount of Crit Rate (24.3% at level 90) while also offering her a welcome 12.8% increase in Energy Regen (R1). Yangyang will also be able to get a boost in ATK after performing her Skill while wielding it.

You can get Emerald of Genesis for free by selecting it as your 5-star Weapon Supply Chest pick. You can get the supply chest as a reward for reaching Union Level 45. After reaching the level, you can claim it by heading to the Awakening Journey event page.

The best 4-star weapons

If you have not managed to get our main pick yet or are using it on your main DPS, the best 4-star weapon for Yangyang is Scale: Slasher.

Even if lacking the Crit Rate increase of Emerald of Genesis, the weapon will offer a massive amount of ER and allow her to gain an extra amount of Concerto Energy per 20-second intervals. As Yangyang needs to use Zephyr Song to quickly stack Melodies, Lumingloss will be my second pick given its Heavy Attack buff. To recap, you can check out an overview of the best weapons for Yingyang below, as well as a few extra recommendations as an extra:

The best Sonata and Echoes for Yangyang

As her best role is that of a sub-DPS focused on providing energy, crowd control, and damage in quick rotations, the best Sonata for our Yangyang build is a full Moonlit Clouds set. The set will offer a welcome 10% boost in ER and increase her supporting capabilities by allowing her to offer a 22.5% attack buff with her Outro Skill.

To further boost her supporting capabilities, our main echo pick will be Impermanence Heron. After being used, the echo will allow her to also offer a 12% Damage Bonus buff to the character taking the field. I then recommend that you pair our main pick with two elites and two common echoes in a 4-3-3-1-1 composition.

...

Best stats and substats

The best main stat for our main echo will be Crit Rate, although I recommend that you change it to DMG if using a Crit Rate weapon. For our remaining picks and to further enhance Yangyang's damage, go with pairs of Aero DMG Bonus and ATK.

When looking at substats, I recommend that you prioritize echoes with Crit Rate, ER, ATK, and Basic Attack DMG Bonus. Keep in mind that you will need to raise her Crit Rate stat to at least 50% to deal consistent damage, so make that your first priority.

Are her Resonance Sequences a must?

Unfortunately yes, as her damage at RS0 will be underwhelming when compared to most of the game's cast. On that note, I recommend that those looking to use her try to get at least her first three sequences, as her third node "Nature Sings in Symphony" will increase her Resonance Skill's damage by 40% and its pulling effect by 33%. Her fourth and fifth nodes, "Close Your Eyes and Listen in" and "Winds Whisper in Harmony" are also game changers and will boost the damage of her Feather Release move and Resonance Liberation by 95% and 85% respectively.

The best teams for Yangyang

Thanks to her supporting capabilities and ability to gather enemies through the use of Zephyr Domain and Wind Spirals (her Skill and Liberation respectively), Yangyang shines the most when paired with DPSs who rely on their Liberation and ability to deal AoE DMG. For that, the best team for her will feature Jiyan as its main DPS and Verina as its healer.

Although she won't be able to add to his damage as much as the game's top tiers, using Calcharo as a DPS can also work given her ability to provide him with Resonance Energy.

The post The best Yangyang build in Wuthering Waves – weapons, Echoes, and team compositions appeared first on Destructoid.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 - the latest instalment in Microsoft's long-running aviation sim - launches for PC and Xbox Series X/S on 19th November, introducing aerial firefighting, cargo hauling, hot air balloon trips, and more.

Flight Simulator 2024 was announced last June, amid some controversy given developer Asobo had previously pledged to provide 10 years' worth of support for the 2020 iteration of the game. Since then, the studio has rather nebulously said it'll "continue to support" the current version after Flight Simulator 2024's release, but this year's outing is undoubtedly its focus.

And Flight Simulator 2024 launches with a frankly staggering list of activities, massively expanding the series' reach after a instalment predominatly focused on getting from A to B. There's aerial firefighting, search and rescue, helicopter cargo transport, air ambulances, crop dusting, mountain rescue, skydive aviation, aerial construction, cargo transport, air racing, glider piloting, scientific research, low altitude training, experimental trips, airship tours, hot air balloon trips, plus VIP charter and executive transport services. Oh and it somehow manages to be even more drop-dead gorgeous than its predecessor.

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Free PS5 tech demo Astro's Playroom has received a new update and trophies.

As shared at ResetEra, it's thought the new free content has arrived to usher in the recently announced platformer Astro Bot, which is scheduled to release on 6th September, 2024.

If you boot up Astro's Playroom today, you'll see an in-game announcement entitled "New Game Update".

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Thanks to her ability to deal high Liberation damage, offer a 38% Resonance Skill DMG Deepen buff, and her title as the game's only shielder, Taoqi can be a great addition to a wide array of teams in Wuthering Waves.

But who can benefit the most from her buff? And more importantly, which weapon and Sonata should you pick to potentialize her strengths? For all looking to awaken her true potential as a defensive support, here's the best Taoqi build in Wuthering Waves.

The best weapons for Taoqi in Wuthering Waves

As Taoqi's whole kit scales off Defense, the best weapon for her is the 4-star Dauntless Evernight. The weapon earns the spot given its 61.56% DEF substat (at level 90). When using the broadblade, you will also be able to get another 15% boost in the stat by performing her Intro Skill (R1). Using the 4-star Discord can also work, as its Energy Regen value will increase her Liberation availability.

Dauntless Evernight is also my main F2P pick for Taoqi, as you can find a free copy of it within the Port City of Guixu. The free copy of the weapon will only become available after you complete the We Promise, We Deliver quest. You can check out its exact location in our How to get all free 5 and 4-star weapons in Wuthering Waves guide. For F2P players looking to get an extra boost in ER, the craftable 4-star Broadblade#41 will be my main pick.

Best Sonata and Echoes for Taoqi

The best Sonata for Taoqi is a full Moonlit Clouds set. The set shines through its ability to provide a handy amount of ER and further empower her Outro Skill by adding a 22.5% ATK buff to it. As Taoqi's ability to constantly self-heal will allow you to always proc its buff, a full Rejuvenating Glow set will be my main alternative.

When using Moonlit Clouds, the best main echo for Taoqi is Impermanence Heron. The echo is a must, as it will allow you to offer a 12% all-damage boost to the character taking the field after her. I recommend that you pair our main pick with two Elites and two Common echoes. If using Rejuvenating Glow, go with Bell-Borne Geochelone as your main.

Best stats and substats

As the focus of our build lies in both strengthening her shield and allowing her to deal good damage, I recommend going with Crit Rate as the main stat for your main echo. For the remaining ones, go with pairs of Havoc DMG Bonus and DEF.

When using any weapon but Dauntless Evernight, replace one of your Havoc DMG Bonus echoes with a DEF one to make sure her shield will offer enough protection. Substat-wise, prioritize Crit Rate, DEF, and Energy Regen. Don't overlook ER, as having at least 130% will allow you to perform her Liberation without worry on every rotation.

Are Taoqi's Resonance Sequences a must?

No, as Taoqi can work extremely well even without them. However, those looking to potentialize her should prioritize getting her first node sequence, Essense of Tranquility. Once active, the node will increase the HP of each shield instance generated by her Timed Counters by 40%. Her second node will also add a lot by increasing the Crit Rate and DMG of her Resonance Liberation by 20%.

Best teams for Taoqi in Wuthering Waves

The best team for Taoqi features her as its defensive support, Danjin as its main DPS, and either Verina or Baizhi as its healer. Overall, Taoqi feels handmade for Danjin, as the latter can both perform her Skill at no cooldown and buff her biggest sources of damage with a 23% Havoc DMG Deepen boost. Even if they won't be able to make use of her buff half as well, Taoqi is also a good fit for teams featuring either Yinlin or Calcharo in the main DPS slot.

How to play Taoqi

Taoqi is most at home when working as a quick swap support focused on performing her Intro Skill, as many Timed Counters as possible, her Liberation, her Echo Skill, and her Outro Skill in quick succession. If using her together with Danjin, don't forget to also fit in Rocksteady Shield for an extra layer of protection.

The post The best Taoqi build in Wuthering Waves – weapons, Echoes, and team compositions appeared first on Destructoid.

The Drive to Diamond in MLB The Show 24 pulls into Cooperstown for a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame to celebrate the start of Season 2. Play new programs, unlock never-before-seen cards, and build your best Diamond Dynasty squad.* 

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Head start rewards

Unlock Head Start Rewards of packs and XP right away when you log in on June 7 afternoon PT. If you have completed all five head start goals, you will have enough XP to earn your first Wild Card slot from the Season 2 XP Reward Path. Then, you can slot in your favorite player from your Season 1 cards to join your new Season 2 squad. Don’t forget to open your Diamond Cornerstone Captain pack to build your team around his Captain boosts.

There’s so much to do as Season 2 begins. Play new Team Affinity to find your favorite team’s rewards. Build your best squad to take on head-to-head opponents in Ranked or join your friends on a 2v2 or 3v3 Ranked co-op game. 

Double XP

You will earn Double XP all weekend long to give you a fast start in Season 2. From fresh Moments to 3-inning games to 9-inning games, play your way and earn all new XP Path rewards, including Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Roy Halladay, and Chipper Jones.

Season 2 collection

As you make your way through all the amazing content that Season 2 in MLB The Show 24 has to offer, be sure to collect Season 2 Legends and Flashback player items in the Season 2 Collection to earn the Collection Boss Choice Pack featuring Hall of Fame Series Derek Jeter, Frank Thomas, and Bob Gibson. Having any of these amazing athletes in your lineup, let alone all 3, will make any team a force to be reckoned with in MLB The Show 24.

Coming soon in June

Play the new Architects Program dropping on Tuesday, June 11, as reinforcements arrive for your Captain-themed squad. As you play through the program, you will earn four Diamond players that fit the new Season 2 Cornerstone Captain team builds. 

2024 All-Star Game

Another big stop during Season 2 will take us to Texas for the 2024 All-Star Game in mid-July. If you’re in attendance in Arlington, TX, be sure to stop by the MLB The Show booth to get hands-on experience with MLB The Show 24, and, maybe, walk away with some MLB The Show prizes that will make you the envy of all your friends. 

For those of you who can’t make it out, don’t worry because MLB The Show 24 has you covered with new content from the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, MLB Draft and the must-watch MLB Home Run Derby.

Hall of Fame programs

After the All-Star festivities, get ready to relive some of the most exciting careers of Hall of Famers in MLB The Show 24. Play Moments and Missions as we celebrate this year’s Class of 2024.

Check https://theshow.com/, and follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts for the latest MLB The Show 24 updates. 

*Internet connection required for updates and rewards. Online multiplayer features require an internet connection and a console-specific online multiplayer subscription.

Source

The Drive to Diamond in MLB The Show 24 pulls into Cooperstown for a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame to celebrate the start of Season 2. Play new programs, unlock never-before-seen cards, and build your best Diamond Dynasty squad.* 

Play Video

Head start rewards

Unlock Head Start Rewards of packs and XP right away when you log in on June 7 afternoon PT. If you have completed all five head start goals, you will have enough XP to earn your first Wild Card slot from the Season 2 XP Reward Path. Then, you can slot in your favorite player from your Season 1 cards to join your new Season 2 squad. Don’t forget to open your Diamond Cornerstone Captain pack to build your team around his Captain boosts.

There’s so much to do as Season 2 begins. Play new Team Affinity to find your favorite team’s rewards. Build your best squad to take on head-to-head opponents in Ranked or join your friends on a 2v2 or 3v3 Ranked co-op game. 

Double XP

You will earn Double XP all weekend long to give you a fast start in Season 2. From fresh Moments to 3-inning games to 9-inning games, play your way and earn all new XP Path rewards, including Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Roy Halladay, and Chipper Jones.

Season 2 collection

As you make your way through all the amazing content that Season 2 in MLB The Show 24 has to offer, be sure to collect Season 2 Legends and Flashback player items in the Season 2 Collection to earn the Collection Boss Choice Pack featuring Hall of Fame Series Derek Jeter, Frank Thomas, and Bob Gibson. Having any of these amazing athletes in your lineup, let alone all 3, will make any team a force to be reckoned with in MLB The Show 24.

Coming soon in June

Play the new Architects Program dropping on Tuesday, June 11, as reinforcements arrive for your Captain-themed squad. As you play through the program, you will earn four Diamond players that fit the new Season 2 Cornerstone Captain team builds. 

2024 All-Star Game

Another big stop during Season 2 will take us to Texas for the 2024 All-Star Game in mid-July. If you’re in attendance in Arlington, TX, be sure to stop by the MLB The Show booth to get hands-on experience with MLB The Show 24, and, maybe, walk away with some MLB The Show prizes that will make you the envy of all your friends. 

For those of you who can’t make it out, don’t worry because MLB The Show 24 has you covered with new content from the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, MLB Draft and the must-watch MLB Home Run Derby.

Hall of Fame programs

After the All-Star festivities, get ready to relive some of the most exciting careers of Hall of Famers in MLB The Show 24. Play Moments and Missions as we celebrate this year’s Class of 2024.

Check https://theshow.com/, and follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts for the latest MLB The Show 24 updates. 

*Internet connection required for updates and rewards. Online multiplayer features require an internet connection and a console-specific online multiplayer subscription.

I love me a Flight Simulator, but never more when there's some dramatic structure to my flight. That's why I've long been looking forward to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. It takes the staggeringly detailed world and flight model of Asobo's Flight Sim revival, and adds a job system on top. And now it has a release date: November 19th.

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