Horizon Forbidden West hasn't been announced for PC, but it's surely only a matter of time. Perhaps more time than before: Bloomberg report that the robo-dino murder 'em up has been delayed into 2022.
Microsoft has shown off Age of Empires 4 naval warfare in a brief new video, and it's certainly got the series' fans talking.
The video, below, offers a glimpse at the game's the naval units without showing actual gameplay.
In truth, the video doesn't tell us much at all about naval warfare in Age of Empires 4, but we do get a look at the ships and the water.
Halo Infinite's technical preview is running this weekend, letting some players get their hands on with the game's multiplayer for the first time. It turns out, however, that 343 "unintentionally" left a few campaign files in the preview, and data miners have already spat details of Infinite's story on to the internet.
There are no spoilers in this story, however.
Visitors can try out siege battles from both offensive and defensive sides.
The post Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires ChinaJoy Demo Showed Siege Battles appeared first on Siliconera.
Compile Heart updated the official website of Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars, known as “Senran Nin Nin Ninja Taisen Neptunia: Shojo-Tachi no Kyoen” in Japan, releasing three new screenshots and a bit of additional gameplay information.
The screenshots feature an event scene starring Asuka and “Shinobipic,” which is basically the in-game equivalent of a social network where you can find many ninja characters and read their posts. You can interact with them, enjoy their stories, and even unlock events, quests, and items, so it’s important to talk on Shinobipic actively.
You can find the screenshots below.
Confirmed Servants that will have swimsuits are Achilles and Leonardo da Vinci.
The post Fate/Grand Order Summer Event 2021 Will Launch in September appeared first on Siliconera.
Every Pokemon is interesting and worth talking about. I don’t play a ton of Pokemon, but I do enjoy the universe and I love learning more about the creatures in it. So, Here’s Another Pokemon! It’s Gengar!
Atlus is continuing to release daily trailers focusing on the over 200+ demons of its upcoming JRPG Shin Megami Tensei V.
Who's a good guard dog? Hayatarou is!
The post SMT V Hayatarou Will Support and Protect Your Party appeared first on Siliconera.
The developer of recently-released cyberpunk-themed RPG-shooter The Ascent has said it's working on a fix after players discovered the PC version lacks DLSS and ray tracing on Game Pass, but not Steam.
The Ascent, published by Curve Digital and developed by Neon Giant, came out this week (check out our review to see what we thought) on PC and Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S, with a day-one launch on Xbox Game Pass.
Players soon discovered the Game Pass version lacks some of the graphics features of the Steam version. Specifically, the Game Pass version does not support Nvidia's DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) tech, and ray tracing simply doesn't work.
More allegations about Activision Blizzard have emerged this week following the recent lawsuit filed by the State of California alleging pervasive discrimination and harassment against women at the World of Warcraft maker.
More than 2000 current and former Activision Blizzard employees signed a petition calling the company's response to the recent discrimination lawsuit "abhorrent and insulting".
Activision Blizzard's initial public comment on the lawsuit was to strongly deny its claims. An email then sent to staff by Activision Blizzard executive Fran Townsend, who was the assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism to George W. Bush from 2004 to 2008, has been heavily criticised by staff.
343 has issued a Halo Infinite spoiler warning after "unintentionally" including campaign files in the preview build that was made available this week.
THERE ARE NO HALO INFINITE SPOILERS IN THIS ARTICLE.
Halo Infinite's tech preview build went live yesterday for a limited number of fans across Xbox and PC, and it didn't take long for people to poke around in the files.
The weather has broken in spectacular style, with a lot of huge thunderstorms. Portentious indeed! Fortunately this weekend the only things I can see in our future are a buncha fun video games. Wahey!
So far, many Halo fans have been enjoying the Halo Infinite multiplayer technical preview. However, it's been confirmed that campaign content was mistakenly included in the beta's files, leading to spoilers making their way online.
343 Industries' Joseph Staten stated that there were a "small number" of Halo Infinite campaign files unintentionally left in the tech preview build. He confirmed that they do include spoilers.
"Leaks like this are painful for the dev team and can ruin the campaign experience for everyone," says Staten in a tweet. "So please, keep you eyes peeled for spoilers and don't spread them if you see them."
In addition to spoilers, uploading any of the data-mined to places like YouTube could have adverse effects on your channel. Halo community director Brian Jarrard warned that doing so could result in a takedown notice and lead to receiving strikes.
"If you have already posted content, we recommend removing it from your channel proactively," recommends Jarrard.
IMPORTANT: Please don't post data-mined content to your channels! You run a very real risk of getting a takedown notice, which could result in a strike on certain platforms. If you have already posted content, we recommend removing it from your channel proactively.
343 Industries has released a new, more challenging difficulty for folks to try out in the Halo Infinite technical test. A new map has been added as well.
The new difficulty is ODST, which is a step above Marine. Cranking things up to ODST will make bots more effective at dodging both grenades and rockets, and cause them to try and Grappleshot you in order to bring you in for a melee kill.
The new map is Recharge, which joins the ongoing rotation of Slayer maps currently a part of the technical test: Bazaar and Live Fire.
In a tweet, 343 Industries wrote that players have collectively killed 1.2 million bots in the first day of the technical test.
So far, Halo Infinite's technical test has encountered a number of hiccups, which is to be expected--that's what the test is for. 343 Industries is working on the ongoing issues, but also hopes players understand that this is just a test, not a full game launch. The studio is not working around the clock to fix bugs during the test.
Halo Infinite's technical test will continue until August 2. Don't worry if you didn't make it in--343 Industries released gameplay of a full Halo Infinite match, so you can at least see what the game is like. Even running on Xbox One, it looks really good.
Some Pokemon thrive on jumping right into battle and dealing as much damage as they can. Others prefer to stand on the sidelines, offering support through stat boosts, healing, and other perks while disrupting the opponents' plans. If the latter is more your style, the Supporter type in Pokemon Unite is for you. These Pokemon aren't focused on KOs and goals as much as they are on making sure their allies stay strong and healthy as the match progresses. The Supporter type is a unique but rewarding way to play, so check out our tips on how to be the best ally you can be.
Supporter classes take time to get used to, but Eldegoss is a terrific beginner's support. Its Synthesis and Pollen Puff moves are fantastic for healing, while the Cotton Spore makes for a great disruption move later in the game. Leaf Tornado is available to Eldegoss if it needs to deal some damage, and the aforementioned Pollen Puff does damage opponents while healing, but this Pokemon is much better off lingering behind and waiting for an opportunity. Supporters are never meant to charge headlong into battle, preferring to stay behind while healing and waiting for the right time to drop that one disruptive move. For Eldegoss, it has plenty of moves in its arsenal to be that disruption.
Role: Supporter
Style: Ranged
While the flashier moments in Pokemon Unite focus on other classes, the Defenders are an important part of a team's makeup. Having a lot of attack-minded Pokemon is fine, but if no one is bringing up the rear to make sure your team's goals are being protected, the opponents will score at will and all of that attack power will go to waste. Each of these Defenders can fill that role, so check them out and see which one is best for you.
Crustle may be a Defender, but it's the most offensive-minded of the three. It has plenty of tools to help support the team in defense, creating barricades with Rock Tomb and throwing Stealth Rock into a group of opponents to slowly inflict damage. However, should Crustle be defending a goal against one or two opponents, Shell Smash converts some of its high Defense into attack power, turning it into a wrecking ball. Some well-placed X-Scissor attacks while Shell Smash is active can decimate a lot of the other Pokemon on the field, so use that combo liberally when the time comes. Crustle is a sneakily attack-savvy Defender that can turn a battle around with one smash of its shell.
Role: Defender
Style: Melee
Difficulty: Novice
Stats
Looking at the roster of available Pokemon in Pokemon Unite, you may find yourself drawn to the speedier members of the roster. MOBA veterans who play classes like Assassin will fit in nicely here, while brand-new MOBA players may be keen on the Speedster's ability to move quickly around the battlefield and hold their own against any opponent.Be warned though, newcomers: most of these Pokemon are classified as "expert" difficulty for a reason. You may want to figure out the game's flow with another type first. If you don't want to wait and think Speedster is the class for you, these tips will have you running circles around your competition.
Today Square Enix announced that the previously-showcased job icon for the new Sage job in the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV expansion Endwalker has been changed.
Apparently, the old design (which you can find here, at your own risk in cause you’re affected) was found disturbing by users affected by Trypophobia, which is the aversion to the sight of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps.
Today we learn directly from producer and director Naoki Yoshida that the design has been changed to what you can see above.
Below you can read the full message:
Regarding the Sage Job Icon
Now then, I’d like to share some news regarding the icon for the new sage job, which was recently revealed on the Endwalker special site.
When we released new details for sage and reaper on the special site, we also included their icons, not thinking that they were particularly big reveals. However, we soon received feedback from players all over the world, who told us that the sage icon made them uncomfortable or fearful.
This aversion is known as trypophobia, and those who have it feel disgust and fear when they see clusters of small holes or bumps. The severity of the reaction varies between people, and what triggers it in some may not do so in others.
Pokemon Unite brings with it a brand-new way to play Pokemon, eschewing the normal catch-em-all RPG tropes for an action-focused MOBA experience. As such, the way Pokemon are categorized and implemented in the game is very different from what a seasoned Pokemon trainer might be familiar with. Take the All-Rounder type, a group of Pokemon who don't excel at offense or defense, but perform well enough in both to be used in either situation. The All-Rounder is a good choice for players dipping their toes into the MOBA ocean for the first time, and here we look at all four All-Rounders in the game so far.
Charizard is the definition of a well-rounded Pokemon, holding its own on offense, defense, and in scoring. However, being an All-Rounder means the fiery Pokemon can only fly so high before getting burned, making him a liability in the later stages of a match. Our strategic recommendation would be to stay on the offensive early, gaining experience and upgrading to a Flamethrower/Fire Blast set before falling back and defending for the rest of the match. Fire Blast will keep opponents at bay thanks to its large area-of-effect, while Flamethrower can target approaching opponents trying to avoid Fire Blast. If you do prefer being on offense, however, Flare Blitz is a great special attack in one-on-one scenarios.
Forza Motorsport 7 is driving off into the sunset in September. Turn 10 Studios have announced that Motorsport 7 is reaching its "end of life" status, which mostly means they're removing any way for you to buy it. It's a routine part of the Forza game lifecyle, they explain, so they've got plans in place for current owners to keep playing online and Xbox Game Pass folks to snag a permanent copy.
Former Blizzard employee, ArenaNet co-founder, and Undead Labs founder Jeff Strain has written an open letter to his employees and the game industry at large, urging them to unionize. ...
With the release of Pokemon Unite, a whole new group of gamers are going to get a taste of a MOBA for the first time ever. This is no ordinary Pokemon game, as it features a completely different format, battle system, and objective, but we are here to lead you through. In this guide we're talking about the offensive-minded character of Pokemon Unite, the Attacker types. Seven different Pokemon from across the franchise's history make up this class, focusing on dealing damage quickly and often. If being in the heat of battle is your style, then the Attacker is for you.
Alolan Ninetales is classified as an Attacker, but "disruptor" may be a better term. A lot of its moveset revolves around using the environment to its advantage, whether it's blocking paths with Avalanche or creating Blizzard cyclones. Its ability to freeze opponents in place with successful attacks is a boon as well, as it can then get in close to frozen opponents and let the passive Snow Warning take effect. Add the protection of Aurora Veil for it and its teammates and you'll be in business. While some Attackers take a more direct and easier approach to dealing damage, Alolan Ninetales's unpredictable moveset makes it a good choice if you're looking for a more unconventional Pokemon to take into battle..
Role: Attacker
One of the best moments of Pokémon Red and Blue is finally obtaining the bicycle. Quickly speeding across the world you spent hours trudging across on foot feels liberating and you appreciate it as much as any of your pocket monsters. Well, what if I told you that The Pokémon Company is giving away a real-life version of that bike? That's right it could be yours … as long as you live in Japan.
As spotted by Kotaku, The Pokémon Company is celebrating reaching one million Twitter followers by creating a replica of Generation 1’s bicycle. While garnering a million fans is a big deal, that number has dual significance. It directly references the in-game price tag of the bike, which fans likely remember stood at 1,000,000 Poké-monies (or whatever Pokémon currency is called). Since players’ wallets were capped at 999,999, it was literally impossible to purchase and could only be obtained by trading a bike voucher earned earlier in the game.
Click image thumbnails to view larger version
Today third-party developers had a lot of fresh news to share about upcoming add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
First of all, Synaptic Simulations took to its discord server to show off progress on the modeling done for the flight deck and fuselage of its Airbus A220.
We also get a video providing an update on the systems and avionics.
I would be a terrible potion barterer because I simply cannot be coy about cool things. On that note, crafting and haggling sim Potion Craft is excellent. If you happened to miss giving it a shot when it showed up in the Steam Festival from February, not to worry. Potion Craft has just brewed up a new playtest that you can tackle for the next two weeks with all sorts of new characters and its mysterious alchemy machine.
Former senior Blizzard employee Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet and founder of Undead Labs, has written a letter advocating for unionization in the games industry and encouraging his own employees to unionize. As reported by IGN, Strait shared the letter with employees at his company and in the wake of the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard.
Strain joined Blizzard in 1996 as a game programmer, eventually working on StarCraft, Diablo, and as a lead on World of Warcraft. In his letter Strain recalled an incident at Blizzard in 1998 that ultimately caused him and his wife to leave the company.
"In 1998, after a cataclysmic meeting with one of the founders over our objections to dismembered and impaled female body parts in the beta version of Diablo, my wife and I began planning to leave Blizzard," Strain said in the letter. "Ultimately, I joined with a few like-minded colleagues and moved a thousand miles away from the Blizzard sphere of influence to start an independent studio."
Strain said his time at Blizzard left a mark on his career, showing him "how abusive cultures can propagate and self-amplify over time; how 'hardcore gamers only' is a smokescreen for 'bro culture.'" He said that in his 25 years in the video game industry similar stories from other developers have been constant. Strain ended his letter calling for unionization in the video game industry, even encouraging his own employees to unionize.
You can read the entirety of Jeff Strain's letter below:
It's Time
The Nintendo Switch has been out for over four years, has two models already and a third on the way (Switch OLED), but it's still lacking in the home media department. Amazingly, the Switch is missing the most ubiquitous streaming service: Netflix. Nintendo has never commented on the omission, despite hosting apps for Hulu, Funimation, and YouTube on the eShop. And with Netflix now gone from the Wii U and 3DS, Netflix isn't supported on any Nintendo console--at least not officially. If you're dead set on watching Netflix on your Nintendo Switch, it's still possible to do so with a workaround. Here are the steps you need to take to watch Netflix on Nintendo Switch.
Disclaimer: Getting Netflix on your Nintendo Switch requires you to install unofficial software, which comes with risks such as bricking your system or getting banned from online services by Nintendo. Additionally, this method won't work for all Switch users, including those who have a Switch Lite.
The only way to get Netflix running on Nintendo Switch is to add Android OS to your Switch. With Android OS, you'll have access to the Google Play Store, which obviously opens the door to installing Netflix as well as Android games and other apps.
Though August is upon us, the big summer sales aren't over just yet, with PC keys store Fanatical gearing up to kick off its blowout summer sale on Monday, August 2. Next week's sale will bring thousands of discounts on Steam keys and more, with pricing that rivals Steam's own summer sale. This weekend, Fanatical is kicking off a series of flash deals to build hype for the main event on Monday. New flash deals are going live on a regular basis and will last 24 hours each, so you'll have to keep checking back for the latest deals. All of the following game deals are Steam keys.
Right now, Project Cars: Game of the Year Edition is 96% off, dropping to just $2, with the GOTY Edition featuring four additional tracks, over 50 new cars, and more. Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration is another flash deal on Friday, dropping to just $5 for Steam. Two Point Hospital is a great pickup at just $7, and Cook, Serve, Delicious 3 will probably make you super hungry for just $9. Craft the World, a sandbox game where you control a tribe of dwarves, is also dirt cheap for a limited time at $2.84, while UnderRail, an old-school indie RPG set in a post-apocalyptic metro station, is down to $6.
Earlier today, Dark Point Games announced in a Twitter post that their first game, Achilles: Legends Untold, is in development.
Taken from Greek Mythology, you play Achilles, the hero of the Trojan War. With the help of the god of blacksmiths, Hephaestus, Achilles must forge new weaponry throughout his journey. He is tasked by Hades with executing Aries, the god of war.
This mission will force him to venture through mythological lands to fight warriors, beasts, and demigods to prepare himself to take on the god of war. Gameplay centers around hack-and-slash elements, taking inspiration from games like Dark Souls and Diablo, as you’ll battle monsters and other enemies in this isometric action RPG,
The announcement comes with a reveal trailer showcasing the gameplay, story, and co-op functions, all of which you can see below.
A number of current and former Activision Blizzard employees have been sharing their stories publicly since Wednesday's walkout and protest. ...
There’s a room in Linda Guillory’s house that could make any video game nerd fall to their knees in worship. Her walls are lined with sturdy shelving units and display cases, each stuffed with boxes upon boxes of handheld video games. But unlike most video game collections that are kept behind glass, in plastic…
More than likely, I'm not the only person whose first reaction to the Steam Deck was something along the lines of "didn't Valve already try this?" Valve's hardware products have really run the spectrum from the VR gold standard Valve Index to the less impressive console-like Steam Machine. Sure enough, Valve say that "Steam Deck feels like the culmination of a lot of that earlier work." They say that Proton has been the route to help them solve the "chicken and egg" problem that the Steam Machine fell victim to.
It’s been a few days since the first three Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters hit Steam and mobile devices, and I’ve had a chance to play through the first title – and I’m absolutely going to be hitting the others. Yes, even 2. While they’re not perfect, they are vastly superior to most of the options that players had to go back and play these classics, and they may eventually be regarded as the definitive editions. Yes, the font is a little off-putting at first, but that can be swapped out in about three seconds, and I also found that I just got used to it after a few hours.
Click here to watch embedded mediaIn the case of Final Fantasy 1, it’s quite faithful to the original game with some alterations here and there. Sure, you can get ethers so if you want to play a magic-centric party you won’t find yourself out of spells when you hit a critical boss or you’re tackling an extended dungeon crawl. Yeah, the big bad at the end is definitely not the NES version. And there are various tweaks and foibles throughout, but at the end of the day, it feels adherent to the original experience I had on a crummy TV decades ago, while at the same time serving up some minor quality of life upgrades. Perhaps the best thing about this entire series of remasters so far is the absolutely incredible music.
A cybersecurity company whose security researcher had once been harassed by Blizzard employees at a hacking conference charged the game developer a 50 percent “misogyny tax” when it sought a quote for security services, according to a new report from Waypoint.
Steam Machines? Is that you? ...