Your gaming keyboard is one of the most important parts of your PC, but picking the best gaming keyboard for you and your budget can be a challenge when there are so many different types to choose from. But we’re here to help. I’ve tested dozens of gaming keyboards over the years, and so I’ve put together this list of all my top recommendations. It covers all budgets and switch preferences, and I’ve also included a short explainer on everything you need to know about buying a new gaming keyboard, too, including what the difference is between membrane and mechanical keyboards, and what all the different types of mechanical switch mean. Whatever you’re looking for, we’ve got a gaming keyboard recommendation for you.

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The English version of Disgaea RPG will release outside of Japan in Spring 2021.

The post Disgaea RPG English Version Will Arrive in Spring 2021 appeared first on Siliconera.

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The rhythmic chuntering of wheels on a track, the toot toot of the engineer’s whistle, and the scream of a dying angelic host. There’s a lot going on behind door seventeen of the RPS Advent Calendar, then. Easy to learn, but hard to master, one might say.

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It has been a mighty long wait for fans of the Tales series, eager to get their anime-adventure loving mitts on the next entry in the long-running franchise, Tales of Arise. According to comments to series producer Yusuke Tomizawa, development has markedly picked up pace on the PC and console title, which is now expected to ship sometime in 2021.

Tales of Arise was first announced at E3 2019 with a dramatic trailer, telling the tale of two close planets - Dahna and Rena - and the complex issues that develop between their respective civilizations. While the RPG was initially scheduled to launch this year, a desire to create a truly ambitious series entry - along with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic - put several hurdles in place, pushing the release date beyond 2020.

In recent comments to Famitsu, Tomizawa noted that development has picked up in recent months, with the team recovering from the work delay caused by the pandemic. The producer notes that more specific information will be coming soon, stating that Tales of Arise is going to be a title that fans around the entire world will be extremely proud of.

Tales of Arise development in the final stages [Gematsu / Ryokutya2089]

If you think about video game movies, there's a good chance Paul W.S. Anderson's work quickly comes to mind. As the director and/or producer on all six Resident Evil movies, he's not only made the most successful video game movies of all time, he's also made a name for himself doing so. He's not done with Capcom games, though. Up next, Anderson is taking on Monster Hunter, and went to the ends of the Earth, quite literally, to make his next epic. We caught up with the director to learn about how he got Capcom on board, the harsh environments of shooting in Namibia, and the sunburnt eyeballs along the way. 

When Anderson talks about Monster Hunter, there's a palpable excitement in his voice; he often uses words like "wonder" and "amazement" to describe the games. These two feelings are something he brings up as something he's trying to translate into his movie. On the one hand, this is likely some amount of marketing speak; he's talking to us to promote his next blockbuster after all. On the other hand, it's easy to buy that he really feels this strongly about the movie and series, too. When he gets going, he doesn't really stop, talking about why he loves Monster Hunter and what it's been like adapting it for the big screen. He packs a lot of info into our 30-minute phone call. 

Elite Dangerous' highly anticipated Odyssey expansion isn't too far away now, and developer Frontier is continuing its pre-launch promotional blitz with a new developer video, this time showcasing the kind of combat Commanders will be able to experience when they finally receive their space-legs early next year.

Come the arrival of Odyssey, players will, for the first time, be able to leave the confines of their space vessels and stroll about Elite Dangerous' vast galaxy on-foot, exploring everything from shiny space stations to dusty desert outposts in first-person.

This, as Frontier explains in its latest video, necessitates a bit of a mentality shift when it comes to combat, with players needing to develop a whole new set of skills as they make the jump from "bold, daring star pilot to vulnerable on-foot troop".

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• Hit 'Local' on the main menu and create your own game
• Select the 'Airship' map via the laptop
• Exit the lobby, then hit 'Online' and host a room without choosing a map
• You can then load into the Airship map once four players join

Gorilla Arms are some of the most sought-after and powerful cyberware upgrades you can find in Cyberpunk 2077. Great for both pummelling enemies into the ground and ripping open doors and turrets, these arms predictably aren’t easy to obtain. But our Cyberpunk 2077 Gorilla Arms guide will look to make the job a little easier for you. We’ll walk you through why Gorilla Arms are so powerful, along with details on where to find the Legendary Gorilla Arms and what you’ll need in order to use them.

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We developed a serious game using Social VR application VRChat to see how well the Unity development process could support serious game development. ...

Buying the best gaming mouse can be difficult when there are so many different mice to choose from, but we’re here to help. Having tested dozens of gaming mice over the years, I’ve put together this list of all my top gaming mouse recommendations, from entry-level mice that are great for those on a budget to the very best wireless gaming mice. Whatever you’re looking for, we’ve got a gaming mouse pick for you.

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Death Stranding now has a Cyberpunk 2077 update on PC.

The update adds six new missions featuring characters and lore from CD Projekt's game. There are new items and a new hacking function, too.

Currently, the collaboration is exclusive to the PC version, Kojima Productions said. "We'll have more announcements coming in the near future, stay tuned!"

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Post-production has wrapped up for Evangelion 3.0+1.0 just a month before its release.

The post Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Production Wrapped Up appeared first on Siliconera.

Here I thought Assassin’s Creed Valhalla might get away from those icky experience point boosters Ubisoft so like to put in their games, alas it was not to be. In Valhalla’s in-game store you can now buy XP boosts for real-life cash, which effectively double your XP gain. They’re designed to save you time, so you don’t need to do tons of side quests to level up. But they caused a fair bit of backlash in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and I can’t say I’m particularly happy to see them return.

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Mantis Blades. They’re flashy, they’re cool, and funnily enough, they’re practical too, being one of the most powerful melee weapons you can find in Cyberpunk 2077. If, like everyone else, you’re wondering how to get your hands on these Mantis Blades (or vice versa, I guess), then you’ve come to the right place. Our Cyberpunk 2077 Mantis Blades guide will show you where you can find Legendary Mantis Blades very early on, and also talk a little about why they’re so powerful and how to use them properly.

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The new season in Call Of Duty: Warzone has got off to a rough start, with the novelty of a new map and weapons being counterbalanced by a nightmarish bug which lets players run round fully invisible, killing with impunity. Presumably that’ll be a high-priority one to fix but right now, oof, it’s rough out there in the Warzone.

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Check out flashy new moves from the classic Hammer and Sword & Shield.

The post Monster Hunter Rise Videos Highlight Hammer and Sword & Shield Actions appeared first on Siliconera.

Capcom is keeping the beat(down) rolling with two more weapon trailers for its upcoming Nintendo Switch release Monster Hunter Rise. Having given us a look at the finesse of the Dual Blades, the poking power of the Lance, and the long-range firepower of the Bowgun, it's time to get down and dirty with the head-pounding Hammer, and the battle-tested Sword and Shield.

More so than any other weapon in Monster Hunter Rise, Hammer-wielders are all about blunt force power, dropping devastating and highly damaging blows on their prey's bonces with reckless abandon. Almost entirely lacking in artistry and agility, the Hammer is a relentless, no-questions-asked full-frontal assault on the opposition. Please hunter, don't hurt 'em.

Untitled Goose Game (PS4) | $20 | GameStop

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The director of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne left Capcom to join the game-related 3D CG company ILCA.

The post Monster Hunter Director Daisuke Ichihara Left Capcom appeared first on Siliconera.

Amid a recap of a "crazy 2020," as Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan calls it, is a kernel of info on Overwatch 2. Or rather, a later date in which we'll actually hear more about it.

In addition to Diablo IV, Overwatch 2 will also be making an appearance at BlizzCon Online in February. "We will be talking about [Overwatch 2] more in February with BlizzCon Online coming up," he notes in the below video at roughly the 30-second mark.

We still don't know much about this game beyond the initial cinematic reveal in November of 2019. Oddly, it seems like it's a pseudo-expansion of the original Overwatch with new PVP maps and a bonafide PVE component, but a lot of players are confused about what the phrase "redefining what a sequel means" actually entails. We could speculate all day, but near the end of the video (5:30) Kaplan manages expectations again, noting "we still have a ways to go."

Overwatch is still seemingly doing well, and overarching development is spilling over into both games it seems. Kaplan says that in their efforts to ramp up production, they hired a "really amazing level designer named Morton," who created a new map called Kanezaka. The team decided to bring it into full production right away, with Easter eggs and "lore payoff" (heavily focusing around Genji and Hanzo). It even has a cat cafe!

Kanezaka will be out this month on the PTR (public test realm), and fully out in January 2021.

Unlike with most of the past Nintendo presentations, this week's Indie World showcase really didn't have a lot for me. I'm moderately interested in Among Us and I guess I should probably get around to playing Spelunky, but really, only one game from that show spoke to me and I can't get it out of my head: Gnosia.

The game originally released for the PlayStation Vita in Japan and earned a certain level of notability when it scored a 10/10 from IGN Japan. It plays out like an intergalactic game of Werewolf. Gnosia aboard a drifting spaceship are replicating humans, and you have to deduce which of your fellow passengers isn't who they say they are. Each round is relatively short, and once you've won or lost, the story resets with a revolving set of characters and shuffled roles. As you repeatedly loop through the story, more of its mysteries will be revealed.

Hermes is here with some good news: Our Cross-Saves update for HADES is out now on Nintendo Switch!

Capcom celebrated the 33rd anniversary of Mega Man by revealing new manga series and an arrangement album.

The post Mega Man 33rd Anniversary Celebrated With New Manga and Album appeared first on Siliconera.

Age Of Empires 2

is about to receive its sixth expansion pack, Lords Of The West, just a casual 22 years after the base game first wololoed its way onto our screens. From January 26th in the year of our lord 2021, players will be able to take the knight-happy Burgundians and the castle-dropping Sicilians for a spin, as well as play through three new campaigns – one each for the new civs, and a third for the Britons, featuring good old Edward Longshanks. Longshanks, of course, was the baddie off of Braveheart, and thus also the baddie off of AoE2’s first ever campaign, where you played as William Wallace in a series of adventures that were totally based on history and not the film.

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What a pleasant Christmas surprise! Here I thought that most development would’ve shifted onto Overwatch 2 by now, but it seems Blizzard aren’t finished with their original hero shooter just yet. Overwatch is adding a pretty new deathmatch map set in Japan, called Kanezaka, and it’s coming to the Player Test Realm (PTR) this month.

Kanezaka is a lovely-looking Japanese village placed just below Hanamura (the assault map that also features in one of the game’s animated shorts), and there’s a cat café!

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There's a few third-party releases left in the eShop!

Super Meat Boy Forever just got a release date recently, and thankfully, the Switch will join the PC with a December 23 launch. Beyond that, it's a very low key week for the Nintendo eShop, with mostly indies, and a Switch port of Grindstone, which earned the respect of many Apple Arcade users in late 2019.

Also buried in this sea of mid-December releases is Turrican Flashback, which had a big re-announcement party recently. Also available on PS4, this collection reassembles Turrican, Turrican II, Mega Turrican, and Super Turrican under one roof. Given that so many people have forgotten about this series, it warms my heart to see it make headlines again.

And don't forget Calico, the cute indie release announced during yesterday's stream, as well as the Switch port of Among Us, which was confirmed later to support cross-play.

Hideo Kojima appears in Cyberpunk 2077 (ever so briefly) along with a BB bottlebaby, so it’s only fair he return the favour. The PC version of Death Stranding today added new crossover missions and gear inspired by CD Projekt Red’s dystopian RPG, including Johnny’s silver hand, a cyberbike, and those ol’ cyberlines for Sam’s face. He even gains the ability to hack machines. The update’s free, and out now. Come see Cybersam in the trailer below.

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Xbox Game Pass for PC

is going cheap for the holidays this week, as you can currently get a third off a three-month membership over at Amazon. That’s three month’s worth of games for the price of two. The deal is already live in the US, knocking $10 off its usual price, and here’s hoping we’ll see a similar deal arrive in the UK shortly. Remember, you can stack codes up to 36 months, too, making this a great time to buy in bulk to help reduce the overall cost of your membership.

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Given how Hideo Kojima appears in Cyberpunk 2077 as an NPC, it should be no surprise that the world of CD Projekt Red’s sci-fi yarn is coming to Death Stranding in a just-released update.

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2020 was some year for mobile gaming. While the pocket-sized platform has always been a lucrative prospect for developers and publishers, this year has seen a staggering amount of money spent on mobile games and their respective microtransactions.

As noted by the statisticians over at Sensor Tower, five particular titles raked over one billion dollars each in total revenue. Tencent's PUBG Mobile and Honor of Kings amassed a bewildering $2.6 billion and $2.5 billion respectively, while Niantic's Pokemon GO continued its steady success, raking in $1.2 billion in revenue over the course of the year. Bringing up the rear are kids' favourite Roblox and the super-popular Coin Master, both of which scored around the $1.1 billion mark.

While all of the above titles have proven to be popular and highly successful releases in their own right, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has significantly bolstered each titles' bank balance, as global lockdown legislation kept people across the world indoors and on their mobile platforms. In all, the mobile market increased profitability by 19.5%, and while experts suggest 2021 will see a slight decline in mobile spending - assuming with all hope that the world starts to return to more precedented times - publishers are very unlikely to turn away from the mobile market anytime soon, ever again in fact.

PUBG mobile tops list of billion-dollar mobile games [Sensor Tower / GamesIndustry.biz]

Daisuke Ichihara, who helmed the successful Monster Hunter World expansion, has left Osaka-based game maker Capcom.

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If you’ve liked Hades enough to buy it a second time, good news: you can now play the same save on both PC and Switch. Developers Supergiant Games last night launched the ‘Cross-Saves’ update on Switch, which lets you hook the game up to your Steam or Epic account and share saves through the cloud. So if you want, you needn’t start over fresh and unlock everything again on your Nintendo. That’s nice.

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Stadia is now available on iOS devices! Yes, you read that right. Starting today, you can sign into https://t.co/AoYhdVnzGu on your Safari iOS browser and begin playing your favorite games. Try it for yourself today! pic.twitter.com/iQhoAu8NtX

Cyberpunk 2077 / Death Stranding Crossover Content

This story requires a bit of background, so let's get into it.

A few months back, a number of indie developers called out the state of the Nintendo Switch eShop for myriad reasons. Stating that it was falling into a collective state of mobile-like chaos, these studios shed some light on some of the storefront's shortcomings, as well as the art of chart-scumming.

In short, studios who place their games at 80-100% off had a chance to reach the "top-seller" charts, as the store ranks games by raw units sold. In other words, you could completely dominate the charts with abandonware by cycling games in and out for free. Why am I bringing all this up again? Well, you can't do that anymore!

According to game developer-centric newsletter GameDiscoverCo (which Destructoid has since gained access to), that practice is now dead: at least for "100% off" promotions. As the letter points out, other discounts still work, so you can still game the charts with other percentages. Like all things Nintendo, it's a start. It's baby steps toward a much bigger problem. GameDiscoverCo argues that a longer-term solution would be to change the charts to rank revenue in real-time, just like Steam.

As the newsletter notes, nothing was made public: that's how Nintendo rolls sometimes.

Newsletter [GameDiscoverCo via MCV]

Horror really isn’t my thing. I remember watching the 2012 adaptation of the Woman in Black after school, and leaving the cinema in a terrible state having just seen Harry Potter being put through the absolute ringer. So yeah, to my surprise, I played Resident Evil 7: Biohazard the other day and had a good time.

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There's good news for those hoping to make their Hades PC saves more portable, as developer Supergiant Games has announced Hades is getting cross-save between Switch and PC.

According to the tweet from Supergiant, all you need to do is open your Nintendo Switch version of Hades, select cross-saves in the main menu, then connect either your Steam or Epic Games account.

Oh, and there's some nice Hermes artwork to go along with the announcement too:

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Call of Duty: Warzone players were surprised to discover yesterday that their hard-earned double XP tokens no longer work in the battle royale.

Before the launch of Season One - the new, unified season set in place across Black Ops Cold War, Modern Warfare and Warzone - double XP tokens earned in Warzone and / or Modern Warfare were available to use in Warzone and / or Modern Warfare.

Double XP tokens, obtained in multiple ways but also earned through premium battle passes, are one of the best ways of levelling up weapons quicker than normal. They last for a set amount of time, and are triggered at the player's command.

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