From classic blockbusters to more surreal discoveries

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Genshin Impact is getting a new type of story quest that looks a bit like a dating sim as part of the upcoming 1.4 update.

The update, due out 17th March, is dubbed Invitation of Windblume and launches on PC, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4 and, via backward compatibility, PlayStation 5.

All players who have reached Adventure Rank 20 or above and completed the Song of the Dragon and Freedom questline get an invite to join the in-game spring festival. The trailer is below:

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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 Whiscash!

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When you think about playing Minecraft, or more specifically, the Minecraft Dungeons spinoff game, you're probably picturing a PC or a console next to a couch. Mojang and Play Mechanix have something else in mind with Minecraft Dungeons Arcade, a full-fledged arcade cabinet designed to run a custom version of the game.

Though on the surface it's very similar to the existing version of Minecraft Dungeons, Play Mechanix wanted the game to have the breakneck pace of a traditional arcade title. There are nine levels, with buttons for melee attacks, dodging, and ranged attacks so that newcomers can play it easily.

To make up for the lack of saving, progression is handled through physical cards that you'll get after playing. You keep these, and when you go back to play the game again, you can scan it and access the gear. It's almost like an Amiibo system, and you can scan up to five in total during a session, with 60 available to collect. There's also a special card meter in the game that fills up as you collect gems. Once activated, you can deliver a devastating attack to surrounding enemies.

2021 is shaping up to be a momentous year for first-person shooter games. It marks the first year in the history of video games that there will be new mainline games for Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo all releasing in the same year. It's an exciting proposition for fans of FPS games, as each franchise is currently sitting at an important stage of their respective legacies. These franchises may be considered the “old guard” of the FPS space, but each has grown and evolved in recent years to the point where all three releasing in one year is a kind of dream come true for fans and they could help the industry propel itself to new heights this year.

Following the announcement of Genshin Impact update 1.4, MiHoYo presented the first gameplay of the new version of the game.

First of all, we get to take a better look at Rosaria’s gameplay. Incidentally, she is voiced by Elizabeth Maxwell in English and by Ai Kakuma in Japanese.

Incidentally, we also get to see a brand new enemy that will appear in the storyline only (at least for the moment)

Incidentally, both Venti and Tartaglia will return as summonable characters if you missed them.

More footage showcased the minigames that will be included in the event alongside the new gadgets you’ll be able to receive, including a playable instrument.

Next is a look at the challenges you’ll face in the Peculiar Wonderland part of the event.

Another part of the update are “Hangout Events” which are basically a dating game with some fan-favorite characters. Since this is “series I,” quite evidently, there will be more to come.

Another part of the event will let you earn an Oceanid named Endora that accompany you on top of more rewards.

Contending Tides will also bring a PvE arena for you to fight against powerful enemies.

More footage showcases the quality-of-life enhancements and changes coming with the update.

You can check out all the videos and screenshots showcased during the livestream below.

Tales of Arise has re-emerged with a fresh trailer and the promise of news in the spring.

Bandai Namco published the familiar trailer, below. It ends with a note to say news is coming spring 2021.

"Spring is just around the corner, and we've been working hard to make it unforgettable!" Bandai Namco said. "Catch the first new glimpse from Tales of Arise."

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Mojang announced yesterday that Minecraft Dungeons Arcade cabinets are on their way to arcades in North America for limited testing, with more cabinets coming later this year.

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UPDATE 6TH MARCH 2021: People Can Fly has stepped in again to change the Outriders demo in response to complaints over a previous change designed to tackle heavy farming.

The developer issued a server-side update to enable the Gauss boss chest to drop legendaries after yesterday preventing all chests from dropping legendary items.

"Having listened to very reasonable community feedback, we have enabled the Gauss boss chest to drop legendaries again as we should indeed be rewarding boss runs," People Can Fly said in a tweet.

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Watch Dogs: Legion's online mode is delayed on PC, Ubisoft said. It was due out 9th March.

In a tweet the developer said it had identified an issue in the PC version that can cause the game to crash for players with certain GPUs, and had taken the decision to delay online indefinitely.

"The team is working on fixing the issue as quickly as possible," Ubisoft said.

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Let me paint a picture for you of a quiet Sunday afternoon. I was in my living room playing with my Ripley figure as she explored a deserted town alongside Wolverine, a Stormtrooper, and Batman. Suddenly, we were attacked by a football player, Joker, a green army soldier, and Cable. It was a dramatic battle as everyone darted in and out of buildings, performed reckless jumps, and found perfect hiding spots to ambush their opponents. When the dust had settled and the fight was over, the Stormtrooper was dead, but so was everyone who’d attacked my group. The only thing those of us who remained could do was mourn the loss of our comrade and press on.

Now, what did I just describe: a game of Fortnite or me as a 10-year-old playing with my big collection of action figures?

After essentially creating a show made of pure Spielberg-King fanfic, Matt and Ross Duffer will go from honoring their heroes to working with them.

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Today Bandai Namco hosted Tales of Festival, and finally brought back Tales of Arise from over a year of limbo.

The last time we had seen the game was at Tokyo Game Show 2019, but at long last, it’s back.

Tales of Arise was showcased in a new trailer that provided a look visuals that feel slightly different, but still focusing on the conflict between the planets of Dahna and Rena and the two main characters hailing from each planet.

Another thing that did not change (for now) are the platforms, while the video ends with the promise of more news in the spring.

Tales of Arise was originally slated for 2020 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but it was delayed due to the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

At the end of the latest Tales of Arise trailer, Bandai Namco promised more news about the game in Spring 2021. Get a look at the new footage.

The post New Trailer Says More Tales of Arise News Will Appear in Spring 2021 appeared first on Siliconera.

Today MiHoYo announced update 1.4 of its popular action RPG Genshin Impact.

According to the announcement shared via press release, update 1.4 “Invitation of Windblume” will release on March 17.

New functions and optimizations will come with the update, aiming improve player experience.

You’ll be able to hold up to five Condensed Resin in their Inventory at any one time and you’ll have the option to lower your World Level to suit your needs both in single-player and co-op mode.

Below you can check out a trailer, screenshots, and an official description of the Windblume Festival that will be the focus of version 1.4, on top of the new 4-star playable character, Rosaria.

Sony 55" LED 4K UHD Smart Android TV | $520 | Best Buy

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This week on Morning Checkpoint we remember the launch of the PS2, make bananas into controllers, discuss the future of Twitch, check out what’s happening with Hitman 3 this month, find out what game died this week, and stop buying movies on the PlayStation Store.

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Hunter boots and a sale on Teccpo tools lead Saturday’s best deals.

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The Genshin Impact 1.4 update will appear this month. Looks like the winds will take us back to Mondstadt, and Venti and Rosaria are there.

The post Genshin Impact 1.4 Update Will Involve Rosaria, Venti, and Windblume appeared first on Siliconera.

The Secret Origin of Zero Point

There are dozens of us!

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The Nintendo Switch has been a massive success for Nintendo, and it came in the wake of one of the company's biggest failures. Despite these impressive numbers, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa isn't resting, and he said he wants to avoid the big dropoff that most of Nintendo's systems see once they've been out for a few years.

Speaking to Nikkei Business (and translated by Kotaku), Furukawa explained that with the exception of the Switch, Nintendo has seen its business take a "nosedive" when consoles have hit their midlife point. Since the Switch is now four years old, it's seemingly at least at its midlife point, but sales continue to be strong for both games and the hardware.

"Because of this, I myself as well as those within the company do not at all think the current state of affairs will keep going and going," he added.

That's likely why we haven't seen the last Switch hardware revision, either. Had the system not succeeded, like with the Wii U, it would have made sense for Nintendo to be preparing for the Switch's outright successor to launch already. That isn't the case, and we've heard reports of an upgraded Switch with an OLED screen and 4K docked output, instead. The Switch will also need impressive games to keep players engaged, but it's still a mystery when big titles like Bayonetta 3 and the Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel will actually release.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved Microsoft Bethesda purchase, which will bring the publisher and all of its studios into the Xbox family. It was one of the last remaining roadblocks to the acquisition finally closing, but Bethesda isn't becoming part of Xbox just yet.

The SEC published a "notice of effectiveness" for the transaction on its website this week. If you're not familiar with SEC filings, it doesn't exactly mean much on the surface, but this notice is used when the SEC accepts a company's registration. The "S-4" on the page means this is related to either a merger or an acquisition, and if you go to the related documents for this notice, it lists Microsoft's registration amount as being $7.5 billion. This is the amount agreed upon during the deal last year.

The SEC's approval actually comes as we were expecting to hear word from the European Commission, the other major regulatory body that could put a stop to this deal. It was scheduled to make a ruling by March 5, though it doesn't appear to have made it public yet, assuming the ruling hasn't been outright delayed. Assuming that is approved, it shouldn't be too long before we see the companies working together officially.

Cblogs of 2/27 to 3/5/2021

-RedHeadPeak misses Dead Space like many of us.

-LaTerry shares the March Band of Bloggers prompt about what pulls you back into games.

-Gamingnerd looks at the history of Pokemon throughout the ages.

-Virtua Kazama sheds light on the top fighting games and DLC to look forward to in 2021.

-Black Red Gaming shares a list of his most anticipated games to be released in March.

-Captiosus shares his impression on the Final Outriders demo.

-Kerrik52 reviews Oddworld: Stranger's Worth as part of his Traveller in Playtime reviews series.

-Captiosus tries to define what "Games as a Service" means.

-Greglory13 reviews Cloud Garden.

-ThePacksHunt shares his thoughts on Vigor.

-Gamingnerd sheds light on some cool indie games.

-Eggs&BrewsterJr revisits Rayman 2.

-RedHeadPeak loves Link's Awakening so much he may not be yet ready for the Switch remake.

With the announcement of more PlayStation exclusives coming to PC, starting with Days Gone this Spring, the time felt right to return to Horizon Zero Dawn, Sony's first full-blooded attempt at porting one of its most celebrated triple-A masterpieces. On release, performance and the overall quality of the user experience was poor, but six months on there's no doubt about it: the game has dramatically improved. It's not perfect, it's still far from ideal, but Guerrilla Games has taken onboard feedback and corrected many of the issues, while dramatically improving performance in some scenarios.

Even just loading up the game, there are some immediately apparent differences. When the game first released, booting the title at 4K resolution saw Horizon actually internally render at the correct resolution, before downscaling to 1080p, then upscaling back up to 2160p - this is now fixed. The initial shader compilation that took so long back in the day is now carried out in the background, allowing you to visit the settings screen while it's in progress or even start the game (I would recommend letting the shader caching process complete, however). The menus themselves remain much the same, but the various v-sync options now work properly too, without the massive performance drop the borderless windowed mode had when the game launched. Anisotropic filtering? That was broken on release too, requiring a GPU control panel tweak to improve detail, but this now works as it should.

The normal- and flying-type bird who turns into a fire- and flying-type is getting its time in the limelight

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Divoom Tivoo Max Bluetooth LED Speaker (Red) | $120 | Amazon
Divoom Tivoo Max Bluetooth LED Speaker (Black) | $128 | Amazon

A Call of Duty: Warzone squad has set a new world record with an astonishing 162 kills in a single game.

The squad, led by 21-year-old American Warzone streamer Aydan "Aydan" Conrad, achieved the astonishing feat in a 2v2 $500 kill race wager match. Here, a squad of four divides itself into two to see which duo can score the most kills in a single game.

Smashing the previous quads world record of 143, Aydan and co tear up Verdansk at a frightening pace, starting off with a kill using a helicopter's blades. After snagging his loadout, Aydan uses his fearsome AUG and FFAR 1 combo to hunt down pretty much every player on the map with brutal efficiency.

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Keeping on its current run of forgotten Jaleco titles, the retro fans over at Hamster have released the latest entry in its record-breaking Arcade Archives range. Available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch is '80s fantasy platform adventure Legend of Makai.

Developed by NMK and released in Japanese arcades in 1988, Legend of Makai is a surprisingly ambitious release that is more in keeping with an early RPG, rather than a typical arcade platformer. The player steps into the role of a young warrior on a non-descript quest to rescue a non-descript princess from a non-descript evil wizard.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Dangorou Nishida.

Bungie has responded to Destiny 2's wonderful 12-player raid glitch, telling players to have their fun while it lasts.

Writing on Bungie.net, community chief Chris 'Cozmo' Shannon said the developer was in no rush to fix the bug, which Destiny 2 players have been enjoying in recent weeks.

Destiny raids are normally capped at six players - and indeed are designed for six players, although you can play them with fewer guardians.

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It's been nearly two years since Bandai Namco first announced Tales of Arise, and it looks like we're getting closer than ever to seeing it hit store shelves. Today, the publisher dropped a new trailer for the game that ends with a promise of more information on the title later this spring.

Tales of Arise was first revealed in 2019 with a vague 2020 release date. Then COVID-19 happened, and the game was pushed out of its release window last summer. In December, we got word development on the title was nearing its end. With more news on it coming in the next few weeks, hopefully fans won't have to wait too much longer to get their hands on it.

The Division 2 will get a game mode entirely new to the franchise in its next major update, currently slated for late 2021.

Ubisoft Massive said it's also looking at new ways for players to progress their agent "with an emphasis on increasing build variety and viability".

This new update is still in the early stages of development, Ubisoft Massive cautioned, and will take several months to complete. So, it's due out late 2021 at the earliest. "We will be taking this time to make sure we bring a meaningful change to the game," Ubisoft Massive said in a blog post.

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GAME owner Mike Ashley has hit out at what he calls the "near worthless support package" for retailers unveiled by the government this week - and warned of possible store closures as a result.

In a statement issued to the London Stock Exchange, Frasers Group, which wholly owns GAME, slammed the business rates relief announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as part of the budget this week.

The rates holiday for non-essential retailers in England ends in June 2021. This means that from the start of July, business rates, which are taxes on properties used for commercial purposes, will be discounted by two-thirds for nine months - up to a maximum of £2m if businesses are closed.

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Do you ever go trawling through Steam's Upcoming section looking for anything that stands out?

It can feel like a game in and of itself to find gems buried beneath the mountains of similar genres, art styles, and mechanics. But while I can be pretty picky when it comes to console games, on PC, where demos are much more widespread, I'm a bit more open-minded about what qualifies as "good enough."

Whereas I might want a second, third, or fourth opinion before trying a random game on the Switch eShop, when it comes to Steam, I'll dive right in, no questions asked – my library is already a mess.

Last night, that mindset led me to Ecosystem, an oceanic life simulation game about to hit Early Access on March 16. Admittedly, I'm a sucker for these sorts of casual sit-back-and-watch-the-chaos sims.

Ecosystem lets players drift through the ocean, spending largely passively-earned points to plop down a multitude of plant species and freaky creatures – I hesitate to call them "fish" – that will then spread.

You've got a fair amount of insight into which plants are suited for which type of terrain (which you can "paint" and mold to your liking), and initially, I just got a kick out of seeing new gardens pop up. It was relaxing to chill out and glide through the water after not being able to visit the coast at all last year.

Then I added a bunch of plant and animal life without paying attention. And then I lost control.

One of the most pleasing announcements from this week's New Game Expo Plus (NGPX) presentation was the confirmation that gorgeous pixel action series Azure Striker Gunvolt will be making its return next. Currently in development at Inti Creates, Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 will come exploding onto Nintendo Switch at some point in 2022.

A sequel to Nintendo 3DS releases Azure Striker Gunvolt (2014) and Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 (2016), the new title will bring a new slew of hyper-kinetic characters and missions, with series director Yoshihisa Tsuda teaming up with both LEVEL 5 supervisor Keiji Inafune and Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon director Hiroki Miyazawa to create an action-intensive, dramatic, and pulse-pounding new sequel.

You can check out the announcement video below, along with a few clips of a demo build in action. It's looking pretty darn slick.