Armored Core VI is the first game in the long-running mech action series to get a PC release, and in its first weekend became the second most-played FromSoftware game ever on Steam at launch. Critics raved about it and fans have been elated to see the series finally return, but what are the Steam reviews saying about…
Not every character you make in Baldur’s Gate 3 is going to be good at lockpicking. Hell, I don’t even run with a lockpicking-proficient rogue in my party because I’d rather my Warlock hang out with Gale, Shadowheart, and Karlach because one’s my boyfriend and the other two are my besties. Tons of treasure chests and…
Blink and you’ll miss the third episode of Star Wars: Ahsoka, which sped by so fast as I watched it that I worried my cat had sat on the remote and skipped forward several scenes (again). But the episode, titled “Time to Fly,” really is just over a half-hour long—a stark contrast to the two previous episodes, which…
Final Fantasy XVI, Square Enix’s monumental action role-playing game from earlier this summer, is experiencing a teeny tiny discount on the PlayStation store. There, both Standard and Digital Deluxe versions of the (as far as we know) PS5-exclusive game are on sale now through September 7 at 2:59 a.m. Eastern.
FromSoftware’s Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon might be one of the most beautiful and exhilarating mech games to have come out in years, but it’s not the only one you could be playing right now. Because a few years ago, the Nintendo Switch got Daemon X Machina, a spiritual successor to the then dormant Armored Core…
PlayStation Plus is about to get a lot more expensive. Sony announced that, beginning in September, the annual subscription price will go from $60 up to $80 for the lowest tier of the program. Meanwhile PS Plus Premium, which competes directly with Game Pass by offering a big Netflix-style library of games and cloud…
People are already having fun with Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon’s mech editor, creating robots that look like everything from Grand Theft Auto’s CJ to horrific corporate marketing armed with twin gatling guns. For as amazing as AC6’s mech maker is, though, there’s one thing it can’t create: a tank strutting around on bare legs and heels. Lucky for us, then, that Custom Mech Wars is on the way.
Want a cheap and cheerful standing desk for working or PC gaming? This electric option from Songmics has been reduced to £116 when you tick the £20 voucher on the product page and has plenty of five-star reviews, making it a good value pickup.
I like videogame worlds that are somehow vast and busy, yet pleasantly small and legible - Polly Pocket creations that have a lot of flex and bustle, when you look closely. Enter the Chronosphere feels like one of those games. Devised by Melbourne, Australia-based Effort Star, it sees you assembling a crew of alien roughnecks to breach and despoil astral "gigastructures" in top-down view. These gigastructures consist of tightly-packed disc-shaped labyrinths with distinct colour schemes, vegetation and screwy spacetime dynamics.
One of the PR bulletpoints calls on you to "choose between stabilizing your wounds, or reality itself." You'll also get to "plunder paradoxes" and kill people with wasps. Quite the spread! Let's have a look at the trailer.
A month after the 2TB WD SN850x dropped to a historic low price of $99.99, our top PCIe 4.0 SSD pick has returned to this price over at Newegg when you use code LDCV29378 in your shopping cart. This is an awesome price for this drive, and a worthy pickup for anyone building a new PC or upgrading an existing one with more game storage.
AMD will finally plug a yawning great hole in the middle of their RDNA 3 graphics card lineup, with both the Radeon RX 7700 XT and Radeon RX 7800 XT set to launch in September. Intended as RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4070 botherers, you can expect these GPUs to put in a shift at high-quality 1440p, with a view towards FSR 3 making up for their lack of Nvidia DLSS 3 support.
Starfield is the biggest thing in the world of gaming these days, with its release imminent. If you’re pumped for the game, why not pick up some Starfield apparel? The IGN Store just got a nice selection of tees, plus a hat and a hoodie, all decked out with Starfield logos and imagery. They look pretty great, so check them out below.
There are three t-shirt options to choose from. One is a white shirt that has the colorful Constellation logo, with the words “For all, into the starfield” arcing over it. If white isn’t your thing, you can pick up the more minimalist black one that has a black-and-white Constellation logo on the front. The final t-shirt option is black and has the Starfield logo, with the T and L flowing into a circle image that invokes the idea of a planet in space. Pretty cool choices all around.
If you’re all set on tees, there’s a fashionable Starfield hoodie that should come in handy in the coming months as autumn sets in. Finally, there’s an adjustable hat with the Constellation logo on it. All of the items are made with high quality materials, so they feel great to wear and they’ll last a long time.
If you’re also interested in, you know, playing Starfield, be sure to check out our Starfield preorder guide. It has all the information you need about what comes in each edition of the game and how to play it early, starting September 1.
Space Marine 2 has a new, explosive nine-minute gameplay video keen Warhammer 40,000 watchers are sure to get a kick out of.
Saber Interactive’s Space Marine 2 has so far shown off the relentless alien Tyranids as the primary enemy facing Lieutenant Titus and his Ultramarine brethren as they battle to save the Imperial Jungle World Kadaku from disaster. But this new gameplay video, below, teases the addition of Chaos forces to the game.
The first tease comes from dialogue between the Ultramarines. We hear one Ultramarine ask: “Chairon, if we encounter Chaos forces…” Chairon replies: “You need not concern yourself with me, Lieutenant.”
That dialogue sets up a tease at the end of the video, which confirms Chaos forces in Space Marine 2.
After a brief chat with IGN feature writer and fellow Warhammer 40,000 enthusiast Matt Purslow, I’ve got a decent idea of what we see here. It looks like this scene takes place inside the Warp, Warhammer 40,000’s demonic dimension, or at least close to a Warp rift of some kind.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches with in-game voice chat moderation powered by AI.
Activision is using AI-powered model ToxMod from Modulate, which features real-time voice chat moderation, to combat toxic behaviour.
The tech uses AI to identify in real-time and enforce against toxic speech including hate speech, discriminatory language, and harassment. Call of Duty already uses text-based filtering across 14 languages for in-game text (chat and usernames), and an in-game player reporting system.
In an FAQ, Activision moved to reassure players by insisting voice chat is monitored and recorded "for the express purpose of moderation", and "is focused on detecting harm within voice chat versus specific keywords".
The new system moderates based on the existing Call of Duty Code of Conduct. "Voice chat that includes bullying or harassment will not be tolerated," Activision warned. The Code of Conduct allows for “trash-talk” and "friendly banter", however. "Hate speech, discrimination, sexism, and other types of harmful language, as outlined in the Code of Conduct, will not be tolerated," Activision added.
Activision also stressed the AI does not enforce violations of the Code of Conduct it detects. "Call of Duty’s Voice Chat Moderation system only submits reports about toxic behaviour, categorised by its type of behaviour and a rated level of severity based on an evolving model," Activision explained. "Activision determines how it will enforce voice chat moderation violations."
Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus games for September 2023 are Saints Row (PS4 and PS5), Black Desert - Traveler Edition (PS4), and Generation Zero (PS4).
As revealed on the PlayStation Blog, all three games will be made available at no extra cost to PlayStation Plus subscribers on September 5.
Saints Row saw the famous franchise rebooted with the 2022 game letting players witness the birth of the Saints in a wild new take on the universe. Developer Volition promised the biggest and best Saints Row playground ever created, with thrilling side hustles, criminal ventures, and blockbuster missions.
In our 6/10 review, IGN said: "Saints Row delivers no shortage of shallow shoot 'em up thrills, but it's a very familiar and uninspired brand of sandbox fun."
Black Desert is an MMORPG from Pearl Abyss with fast-paced PvE combat, large scale PvP siege wars, and multiple character classes and combat types to specialise in. The Traveler's Edition is a bundle of the base game and a number of add-ons that give players a little extra from the get-go.
We gave this one a 7/10, saying: "Black Desert Online is a unique and beautiful sandbox fantasy MMORPG, with little or no endgame to speak of."
Sony has announced plans to raise the price of all its PlayStation Plus 12-month subscriptions globally, across all tiers.
From September 6, Sony will increase the price for 12 months of PlayStation Plus Essential (currently, $59.99 / £49.99 / €59.99), PlayStation Plus Extra (currently $99.99 / £83.99 / €99.99), and PlayStation Plus Premium (currently $119.99 / £99.99 / €119.99).
Here are the new prices:
PlayStation Plus Essential 12-Month Subscription: $79.99 / £59.99/ €71.99
PlayStation Plus Extra 12-Month Subscription: $134.99 / £99.99 / €125.99
PlayStation Plus Premium 12-Month Subscription: $159.99 / £119.99 / €151.99
In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony issued a brief statement explaining the significant price hike: “This price adjustment will enable us to continue bringing high-quality games and value-added benefits to your PlayStation Plus subscription service.”
It’s worth noting the new prices for the 12-month subscription will remain at a discounted rate when compared to buying the one-month or three-month subscriptions over a 12-month period.
Sony said for current 12-month subscribers, this price increase will not take effect until your next renewal date that occurs on or after November 6. However, any membership changes you make on or after September 6, such as upgrades, downgrades or buying additional time, will update your plan reflecting the new prices.
When we reviewed Symphony of War in 2022, we came away from the game appreciating its virtues as a tactical sandbox. It’s not the most tightly balanced strategy experience, but there are lots of things to try and units to collect. The Symphony of War Legends DLC adds to this sandbox appeal. There are extra maps! There are new units! And did you want some goodies to collect and equip? It’s got those too.
The new Symphony of War Legends stuff is very much paired with the main campaign, unlocking map by map as you progress through the main chapters. There’s some flashback stories for some of the game’s side characters, like Ragavi or Beatrix. You’ll also find a few thoughtful map designs, challenging you to push to particular objectives or split your forces. Compared to the existing stages, these are definitely more gameplay-first. The game's developer, Dancing Dragon Games, spent more time making maps look like maps in those! These, though? What if you're defending a square area from all sides? Or you're navigating a labyrinthine teleporter puzzle? They can be interesting to fight, to be clear, but they aren't here for the world-building.
A new One Piece Portrait of Pirates figure of Nefertari Vivi, princess of Arabasta, is coming soon. The figure costs ¥19,800 yen (or about $135) and is scheduled to release in Japan on January 2024. The exact worldwide release window wasn't noted yet. The new Portrait of Pirates figure of Vivi is now available for pre-order from the Premium Bandai online store.
We should see this figure release worldwide, as MegaHouse figures tend to be released outside of Japan. The new Vivi figure stands at approximately 215 mm (or 8.5 inches) tall. The figure also comes with a dedicated base to support it.
You can check out the new Portrait of Pirates figure of Vivi in more detail in the gallery below.
[gallery size="medium" ids="981187,981188,981189,981190,981191,981192" link="file"]
In the One Piece series, Vivi is an honorary member of the Straw Hat Pirates that first debuted in the Whisky Peak Arc of the series under the alias Miss Wednesday. She would finally depart the crew after defeating Baroque Works at the end of the Arabasta Saga, to stay in her home country.
Other recently announced Portrait of Pirate figures include the return of the Corazon and Marshall Law as a kid figure set, and of the Black Cage Hina figure.
HoYoVerse kicked off a Honkai: Star Rail Come With Me, Take the Journey event designed to encourage people to invite players who dropped the game to return. There’s no actual gameplay involved, since it just involves inviting people and then completing in-game tasks. However, there are rewards like Stellar Jades and Credits involved.
To start, the goal is to get up to three people to come back to the game. You get an invite code, and you can earn 130 Stellar Jades for sharing it once and getting one person. The second and third possible returning players only net you 100 Stellar Jades each. You can get a total of 330 Stellar Jades from this part. However, those people only qualify if they’re over Trailblaze Level 10, activated Starlit Homecoming 40 or more days ago, haven’t logged in for over two weeks, and they beat the Jarilo VI mission “Long Wait for the Blade’s Edge.”
Microsoft and Bethesda announced Imagine Dragons created a song for Starfield. It is called, appropriately enough, “Children of the Sky (a Starfield song)." There’s also already a music video for it, which features footage from the game. People can find it on multiple services as well, such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, and Spotify. It wasn't noted if it will be on the soundtrack included with the Premium and Constellation editions of the game.
Here's the full Imagine Dragons "Children of the Sky (a Starfield Song)" music video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv1a-OrikdM&ab_channel=BethesdaSoftworks
There's also an official lyric video for the new song that appeared on the Imagine Dragons YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvlaxcjtV9U&ab_channel=ImagineDragons
This isn't the only recent case of a mainstream artist recording one of the theme songs for a new release. Diablo IV featured a song from Halsey and BTS' Suga. "Lilith" released alongside the game.
Square Enix confirmed that it will be bringing a selection of games to PAX West. Taking place in the Seattle Convention Center from September 1, 2023 to September 4, 2023, PAX West will feature a Square Enix booth full of playable games. In addition, the company will be hosting two panels during the weekend.
Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, the mobile remake of the Final Fantasy VII timeline, will be playable on the show floor ahead of its release on September 7, 2023. Square Enix have not revealed which portions of the game will be playable, but it’s likely that they will feature some of the new young Sephiroth storyline.
Square Enix will also be holding a raffle during the show. Anyone who pre-registers the game at the booth can win an Ever Crisis t-shirt.
While Final Fantasy XVI will not be playable on the show floor, Square Enix will be hosting a panel on September 2, 2023. Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox will be chatting with voice actors Ben Starr, Jonathan Case, Stewart Clarke and Nina Yndis about their work on the game.
Pokémon Go is slinging open the gates to Paldea with its first batch of additions from last year's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which join the game from next week.
Pokémon Go's initial Paldea line-up arrives across two consecutive updates as part of its latest season, beginning on Tuesday, 5th September. Sprigatito, Floragato, Meowscarada, Fuecoco, Crocalor, Skeledirge, Quaxly, Quaxwell, Quaquaval, Lechonk, and Oinkologne (both male and female variants) are all up first, with Lechonk even getting a Shiny variant at launch.
This starting batch debuts in Pokémon Go's A Paldean Adventure event, which runs from 5th September until Sunday, 10th September. Other additions include Lechonk-focused Timed Research, Unown in global raids, and various event bonuses, as detailed in Niantic's post.
Call of Duty fans’ passions run hot when it comes to the series’ multiplayer maps, which have been the topic of discussion and controversy since United Offensive, the 2004 expansion pack that added multiplayer to the original Call of Duty. With Call of Duty celebrating it’s 20-year anniversary this year, it’s about…
Star Wars: Ahsoka on Disney+ is a TV series that feels like a lot of different things, including a sequel to the animated series Rebels and a new live-action story about masters and apprentices. But what’s quickly becoming my favorite part of the show is its focus on a struggling padawan who doesn’t seem to “have the…
Sea of Stars seemed primed for success: it’s got a gorgeous art style, is soaked through with nostalgia for the turn-based (J)RPGs of yore - but with a modern sensibility to its clever gameplay - and comes from the devs behind ingenious platformer The Messenger. Those stars have indeed aligned, as Sabotage Studio announced that the throwback hit has already passed 100,000 sales on its first day.
We still don’t know when we’ll be able to play the unexpected - but welcome - Warhammer 40k Gears of War-a-like sequel Space Marine 2, but we can at least get a look at who we’ll be shooting in the face when it arrives. 10 minutes of extended gameplay footage have teased the appearance of Chaos marines in the upcoming shooter, along with lots of slow, stompy walking through its grimdark universe.
This year's Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will make use of Modulate's ToxMod AI to help moderate voice chat in multiplayer, Activision have revealed. The system won't detect offences in real time, nor will it be able to kick you from games for effing and blinding. It just submits reports of bad behaviour, with Activision staff making the final call on enforcement actions, which might involve reviewing recordings to work out the context of an outburst.
You can turn off voice chat in Call of Duty to avoid being recorded, but it doesn't look like there's a way to opt out of AI voice moderation in the current/new Call of Duty games at the time of writing. The tech is being beta-tested from today, 30th August in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone in North America, with the English-language worldwide release to land alongside Modern Warfare 3 on 10th November.
The first published game by Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner has been given the star treatment in an interactive documentary that includes the original Karateka, its early prototypes, a full remaster with dev commentary and a brand new game.
Last time, you decided that a stress-free co-op helper is better than timed dialogue choices. A double victory for carefree living, there. I don't understand; how do you get anything done without the constant feeling that everything is about to collapse around you? Weird. Still, we must move on, for science. This week, I ask you to choose between a sharp shock and a deep dive. What's better: interrupt attacks, or a lore codex?
Datamining can provide an interesting window into a developer's intentions for a game. However, such info can be lead to inaccurate conclusions, as seems to be the case with Baldur's Gate 3.
Speaking with IGN, director Swen Vincke talked about the various content that has been unearthed by fans, including the removal of certain epilogues and cuts to the city of Baldur's Gate, saying that information found through datamining can be "misleading." He also dispelled rumors that content had been removed in order to make the earlier launch date.
"We had actually been locked in for quite some time on what was going to be in the game because these games are too large to make big decisions like that and cut things two weeks before release," Vincke says. "So you wouldn't do that. But I mean it's normal. And I guess it's also kind of a compliment, people wanting more content."
Vincke termed some of the cuts "editorial decisions" rather than "cut decisions" owing to their length. That includes Baldur's Gate's much-discussed Upper City, which seemingly had much more content than what was included in the final game.
A line of Final Fantasy XIV whiskey called the Amahagan edition will be released by Nagahama distillery in Japan. They will be available for purchase at the Final Fantasy XIV x Isetan collaboration event, “A Decade’s Journey,” in Japan, as well as online via the Isetan Mitsukoshi Online Store and the MOO:D MARK by ISETAN site. Each 700ml bottle will cost 8,800 yen ($60.26) tax included. This store-wide event is scheduled to take place from September 28, 2023 to October 2, 2023, at the Isetan Shinjuku Store Main Building 6th Floor Exhibition Hall.
These whiskeys are being created and released to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Final Fantasy XIV. Three variations are being produced, based on the Ul’dah, Gridania, and Limsa Lominsa locations from the game. Each whiskey bottle features its own unique packaging with an illustration of the represented locations. They are all 47% alcohol.
The Final Fantasy XIV Amahagan edition whiskey will be available during the Final Fantasy XIV x Isetan collaboration event in Japan beginning on September 28, 2023. They can also be ordered on the Isetan Mitsukoshi Online Store as well as the MOO:D MARK by ISETAN website once the event begins. Final Fantasy XIV is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.
Seiko announced the release of a new Space Invaders watch to celebrate the game’s 45th anniversary. The watch costs ¥54,780 yen (or about $375), and it is expected to release on January 2024. The new Space Invaders watch is now available for purchase from the Premico online store. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]
However, people wanting to get a hold of this watch will want to do so quickly. It will be limited to 1,978 units worldwide. This number was chosen to coincide with the year Taito originally released Space Invaders. The watch is available in three sizes, those being S (14 cm), M (16 cm), and L (18 cm), and it will include a serial number on the back.
You can take a better look at the new Seiko watch on the gallery below.
[gallery columns="4" size="medium" ids="981284,981285,981286,981287" link="file"]
Seiko recently celebrated a different anniversary, announcing the release of a watch to commemorate the 16th birthday of virtual diva, Hatsune Miku. Other recent releases include a Chainsaw Man watch featuring protagonist Denji and Pochita.
Sony announced the line-up of monthly PlayStation Plus games for September 2023. The latest selection includes the popular MMO Black Desert (PS4) and the recent Saints Row reboot (PS4, PS5). Completing the trio is Generation Zero (PS4). All the new games can be claimed from September 5, 2023.
Black Desert: Traveler's Edition is the console version of the hugely popular Korean MMORPG. It puts the player in a high fantasy universe built around a conflict over the titular desert, a land that houses valuable black stones. It will be getting a spin-off game soon, with the latest Crimson Desert trailer recently making an appearance at gamescom. Black Desert has been around since 2014 on PC, although the PS4 version launched in 2019. It’s normally priced at $29.99.
Saints Row is the latest in the open world crime series, this time rebooting the whole franchise. You play as a character who builds a new gang from the ground up, with the goal of taking over the city of Santo Ileso. It originally released in 2022 and is normally available for $59.99.
Generation Zero is a first-person shooter set in a robot-infested Sweden in an alternate history 1989. It released in 2019 and is normally $29.99.
The lineup of Final Fantasy XIV x Isetan collaboration merchandise was recently revealed on the MOO:D MARK by ISETAN website. One of these products is a Final Fantasy XIV themed lighter by Zippo. This latest Zippo game lighter will cost 10,890 yen ($74.65). It can be purchased at the special event, “A Decade’s Journey,” in Japan, as well as online via the Isetan Mitsukoshi Online Store and the MOO:D MARK site once the event begins on September 28, 2023.
During the initial announcement, Zippo was one of the 27 brands confirmed to participate in this store-wide event. The lighter has a quote from Haurchefant Greystone engraved on it. It reads “Until then, my friend!”
Activision has announced new measures to combat toxicity within Call of Duty, confirming it'll be introducing what it calls "global real-time voice chat moderation" alongside the launch of Modern Warfare 3 on 10th November, with a US beta trial of the feature starting today.
Call of Duty's new voice chat moderation system will employ AI-powered technology from Modulate to identify and enforce against toxic speech in real-time, with flagged language including hate speech, discrimination, and harassment.
An initial beta for Call of Duty's new voice moderation system is being rolled out across Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 starting today, 30th August, in North America, and a global release will coincide with Modern Warfare 3's arrival in November. Activision notes the tools will only support English at first, with additional languages coming "at a later date".
Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red says its upcoming expansion, Phantom Liberty, will serve as the game’s one and only expansion because of its “technological decision” to move from CDPR’s own REDengine technology to Unreal 5.
Park and Rec’s own Ronald Ulysses “Ron” Swanson, the internet’s favorite small-government libertarian, is the latest television character to visit a video game in a new video from talented YouTube creator eli_handle_b․wav.
Starfield leaks began blowing up across the internet last week after 29-year old Darin Harris allegedly stole dozens of copies of the game from a warehouse and started selling them online. One Reddit user immediately reported the leaks to Bethesda and Memphis police, and he’s now been banned from the…
Blackbird Interactive, the developer behind Homeworld 3, announced today that it has laid off more than 40 employees after several of its upcoming projects have been canceled.
The news was first made public on LinkedIn (spotted first by X user @bogorad222) by James Marshall, who is a Technical Artist at Blackbird Interactive. Marshall noted that over 40 people were laid off, and IGN could independently confirm that 41 employees were let go by the studio.
In a statement sent to IGN, a spokesperson for Blackbird Interactive confirmed the studio had layoffs and that 41 employees were impacted.
Movic is releasing a line of home decor inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion. The lineup includes an Evangelion table lamp, magazine rack, tabletop humidifier, and four different flower domes representing the main characters. This line is a part of the UselessUse laboratory lifestyle brand that consists of daily life items inspired by various Japanese anime and video game franchises. Each one will be available to pre-order from August 30, 2023 to September 19, 2023 on the Animate online store. They will all launch in early February 2024.
Below is a list of each item in the Evangelion lineup, along with the prices: