Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is launching soon and while we can kick butt in-game as a Viking, it looks like Ubisoft wants fans to kick butt in real life too. Ubisoft and Reebok are teaming up for an Assassin's Creed: Valhalla shoe line, as teased on social media. 

We don't have a look at the shoe line quite yet, or if it will extend beyond footwear, but that didn't stop the team from announcing an announcement that is "coming soon." 

Two legends collide to bring you ASSASSIN'S CREED VALHALLA x REEBOK ⚔️🔥

Don't miss the epic arrival. #LikeAViking #AssassinsCreedValhalla #Reebok pic.twitter.com/s7fSAnkLvQ

Alice Bee is back from holiday in time for a massive CRPG to enter early access, so this episode is supposedly about our favourite companions in games, but is really mostly about Baldur’s Gate III, Larian’s massive new Dungeons & Dragons-themed, reawakening-a-classic fantasy game. She and Matthew have both played a bit of it (Matthew a lot more than her), but we have a chinwag about it and the characters in it nonetheless.

We do also get to chatting about our actual favourite companions from other games, though. There are mentions for some old reliables that I bet some of you already knew were going to come up, as well as some surprise entries from new up and comers. We like to keep things fresh here at the Electronic Wireless Show. Just don’t hit your head on all the digressions, or in this week’s Cavern Of Lies, which is a lil’ D&D treat.

Not content to wait until November, it turns out some Best Buy Black Friday deals will appear for two days in October.

The post Some Best Buy Black Friday 2020 Deals Will Appear Next Week appeared first on Siliconera.

Hot on the heels of our wedding last weekend (wolf-whistle)—now infamously pushed forward because of Prime Day—my wife and I recently decided to rearrange our apartment in a way that not only better suits our new work-from-home lifestyle but also opens up the space. As I’ve tirelessly chronicled on this godforsaken…

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More than two decades after Bioware and Black Isle Studios released Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn, a new entry in the storied franchise is finally upon us. But before you start planning your next epic journey, there are a couple of caveats you should be aware of.

Baldur’s Gate 3, developed by Larian Studios (of Divinity: Original Sin fame), is now available in Early Access. It will remain in Early Access until the final release is ready, with Larian hoping to launch a 1.0 version in about a year if all goes according to plan.

Twinfinite was given access to a pre-release build a few days before the Early Access version went live, and in that time yours truly spent a dozen or so blissful hours slaughtering goblins and exploring the incredibly dense area in which the initial part of the game takes place.

So does it live up to the hype, to the crushing weight of expectations from fans and newcomers alike? Yes and no. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a beautiful, buggy conglomeration that is screaming with promise, but one I think is worth waiting for in its final incarnation.

While there is certainly a lot of content to engage in with the Early Access release, it’s hard to get too invested when you know that only the first act of this three-act epic is playable. Couple that with the knowledge that progress you make is likely to be reset with larger updates, frequent crashes, and bugs, and it’s kind of a hard sell right now.

Diehard fans of the series, of which I consider myself one, will also have to reckon with the turn-based nature of combat (the original games had a pausable real-time combat engine), and the overall Divinification of the game as a whole, both of which might be offputting to some.

Western Digital have announced their first PCIe 4.0 SSD, the Black SN850. With sequential read and write speeds reaching a maximum of 7000MB/s and 5300MB/s respectively, the Black SN850 is set to be even faster than the recently released Samsung 980 Pro, which topped out at 7000MB/s read and 5000MB/s write. More importantly, it’s going to be cheaper, too, with the entry-level 500GB non-heatsink model starting at £130 / $130 when it launches at the end of October, just squeaking in under the 980 Pro’s current price of £139 / $150

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Today CD Projekt RED announced when we’re going to hear and see more about the upcoming RPG Cyberpunk 2077.

The next episode of the Night City Wire livestreams will come on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6:00 pm CEST.

This time around it’ll focus on the “looks, sounds, and specs” o the vehicles that will appear in the game.

The livestream promises gameplay footage and announcements.

You can check out a small teaser clip below.

Earlier today, Danny Peet revealed via twitter that his four-legged platformer, A Fox Tale, has reached its Kickstarter funding goal. The indie title managed to raise £15,220 with the support of 639 backers since the project started funding at the start of September.

A Fox Tale’s official synopsis can be found below:

Following on from a trio of plain iterations and the original Daemon X Machina version, Hori is bringing out two new designs for its popular Split Pad Pro Nintendo Switch controller attachment - this time featuring Pokémon.

The first is a black and gold Pikachu model, while the second features a pastel Pikachu and Eevee design. Both are scheduled for release later this year and are available to order now from Amazon.

The Hori Split Pad Pro has proven to be an excellent buy for anyone looking to get something akin to a full controller while playing the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode - especially when playing more intense or involving games. From personal experience, I've definitely found the Joy-Cons to be uncomfortable after extended use so welcome attachments like this.

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Star Wars: Squadrons has been met with overall positive feedback since launch, as noted in our full review earlier this month. The multiplayer and single-play components alike both offer fertile ground for new DLC, but it looks like the team at EA Motive doesn't have any post-launch content in the works. 

When speaking with UploadVR, creative director Ian Frazier mentioned specifically that they didn't approach Squadrons as a live-service game. "Never say never, so to speak, but as far as our philosophy goes, we're not trying to treat the game as a live service [title]." 

Frazier added, "We don't want to say 'it's almost done' and then dribble out more of it over time, which to be honest is how most games work these days. So we've tried to treat it in kind of an old-school approach saying 'You've paid the $40, this is the game and it's entirely self-contained. We're not planning to add more content, this is the game, as we hope you understand the value proposition."

Star Wars: Squadrons is set after the events in Return of the Jedi and the second iteration of the Death Star has gone kaput. With the Empire and Rebel forces once more at each other's throats, Squadrons gives players a chance to feel like a real pilot in a galaxy far, far away. 

Star Wars has some of the most gorgeous posters in the history of cinema. Part of that is because of its beautiful iconography: lightsabers, spaceships, aliens, etc. Another reason is each film has been released and re-released so many times, there are way, way more poster versions to choose from.

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An infrared forehead thermometer and Amazon’s Echo Auto lead Thursday’s best deals.

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Growing stronger, tougher, and more murderously deranged with each appearance, John Rambo will continue his ascent to godhood by joining the spine-ripping fights of Mortal Kombat 11. John Rambo, the Vietnam War veteran with PTSD who just wanted to be left alone, will join the war between gods and dimensions as one of the next DLC characters. This new character pack will also be rolled into the newly-announced Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate edition, with all the other DLC.

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Co-Op

The biggest Ultimate Team addition in FIFA 21 without a doubt is FUT Co-Op. If you’ve been wanting to have a friend join you to dominate Division Rivals and increase your Rank for those sweet, weekly rewards then your prayers have been answered.

Players can now invite a friend to help them take on another duo or solo player in Division Rivals, play against AI-controlled teams in Squad Battles, and earn unique Co-Op objectives for more rewards in the process.

While basic development is out of the way, Square Enix is currently looking for animators, VFX artists, and more to help in Final Fantasy XVI's development.

The post Basic Final Fantasy XVI Development and Scenario Production Is Done appeared first on Siliconera.

Borderlands 3's Halloween event is half trick and half treat. Gearbox hasn't exactly gone all out, as it's mostly just rolled out the same festivities as last year. However, getting through it all should be a little quicker, and no one is going to say no to that.

Bloody Harvest is back for the second year (although it existed in Borderlands 2 as well), and this dance has all the same steps. Meet Maurice on Sanctuary III, farm Hecktoplasm drops from haunted ghost enemies, take the portal to Heck (which is its own in-game location), and go kill Captain Haunt.

Here's what's in it for you, apart from the loot that drops on the ground: 

I'm still not entirely sure what it is either, but thankfully none of us will have to wait much longer to find out, as Young Horses' first-person adventure game Bugsnax is releasing on both PS4 and PS5 next month, and on PC via the Epic Games Store.

The release date of 12th November was announced alongside a blog post introducing the game's 15-member voice cast, which includes names such as Yuri Lowenthal (who played Spider-Man in Insomniac's 2018 title). There's even an extended video to introduce them all.

"As you explore the world of Bugsnax, you'll meet and befriend these colourful characters, and learn just what it is they're looking for on Snacktooth Island," creative director Kevin Zuhn wrote. "There are a ton of goofy and heartfelt moments to uncover, and we're super excited for you to experience the full story when Bugsnax releases on PS5 and PS4 this holiday season!"

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Following the confirmation that Mileena, Rambo, and Rain are joining the Mortal Kombat 11 roster, NetherRealm also revealed Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and some good news regarding next gen. 

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate includes everything that has launched for the fighting title since launch, including the newly revealed DLC fighters with the Kombat Pack 2. Mortal Kombat 11, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, Kombat Packs 1 and 2 are included in that bundle, all available for $59.99. 

For those interested in the 'Ultimate' experience, Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate arrives on November 17 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia. Don't want to nab anything extra? No worries, NetherRealm also confirmed that PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will see a free digital upgrade to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S systems. 

For those that do purchase Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate, the studio also revealed its "krossplay" capabilities for specific modes. PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One players can all duke it out together, though nothing in the press release sent to Game Informer mentions anything about that extending to PC and Nintendo Switch players. 

There’s a live-action Monster Hunter movie coming out this December in theaters, and it doesn’t look good. It’s not that the film won’t be entertaining, it just doesn’t seem as though it’s being made to appeal to loyal fans of Capcom’s long-running action-RPG franchise. Let me explain.

The recent teaser trailers for the film have shown = military weapons, tanks, camo, turrets, etc., you know, things that have nothing to do with the Monster Hunter series.

Monster Hunter is about, you know, actually hunting monsters with weapons like a Hammer or a Sword and Shield, but so far, this film has not shown anything that gives me hope that it understands the franchise’s core premise.

The plot is loosely based on Capcom’s series, revolving around a military force (led by Milla Jovovich’s character) that ends up getting sucked into a portal leading to a world populated with gigantic monsters.

So far, we’ve only had a glimpse of two monsters, a Diablos and a Rathalos, and that’s it. Not much else from the video game has been revealed, and it’s worrisome.

Of all the series that I reckon would suit a battle royale-style game, Worms is certainly one of them. Worms Rumble is Team17’s new take on the worm murder simulator, moving away from its turn-based roots, and instead plonking players into a… shooter. 32-player deathmatches and last-man standing modes are what Rumble has to offer. You won’t be waiting much longer to give it a go, either, because it’s getting an open beta test starting November 6th, ahead of its launch in December.

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We Are Whatever We Eat

I don’t watch much horror myself, so forgive me. But you know those trailers? The ones where there’s a cabin in the woods and a group of smiling high schoolers descend upon it? They flip up the trunk of their car, eagerly fling their suitcases on the wooden decking, and chortle about how they are going to have a rad time. Tropicana in the morning, red cups and beer pong in the evening. Then someone learns the murderous great grandfather of Tommy used to live here and poor Sarah spots an eyeball through a floorboard.

This is the feeling I got from puzzle adventure game Bugsnax. It is cutesy and whimsical at first glance, but there’s clearly something up, something simmering under the surface. I spent an hour with the game’s opening portion, and throughout my hair follicles were semi-hardened, primed but unsure of whether to fully extend or not.

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The leaks were true! Mileena, Rambo, and Rain are all joining the fight as part of the upcoming Mortal Kombat 11 DLC pack. Rambo has been leaked numerous times over the past year, but Mileena is where the community has been the most vocal. 

NetherRealm and Warner Bors. Interactive Entertainment revealed the new additions today alongside the Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate edition, that includes all DLC and the three new fighters. 

NetherRealm has been incredible when it comes to adding new fighters to the Mortal Kombat 11 roster, including characters we'd never see within the ring. With Joker, Spawn, and Robocop joining Sindel, Sheeva, Fujin, Shang Tsung, and Nightwolf as DLC fighters, the roster has never looked better. Even more so that previous character deaths pretty much mean nothing when the entire premise of the story is time manipulation. 

In the reveal thread on Twitter, it seems like many are thinking this is the last DLC for the fighting game, but that hasn't been confirmed anywhere official and there are still a few names missing as characters. 

Today Square Enix released a gallery of screenshots of the upcoming update of Final Fantasy XIV numbered 5.35.

While the update isn’t going to be one of the large quarterly ones, the X.X5 patches are often quite sizable and this one isn’t an exception focused on the Bozjan Southern Front battlefield feature.

You can check out the screenshots below.

Rambo and a bunch of other stuff is coming to Mortal Kombat 11 on November 17.

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Big news for fans of Mortal Kombat 11: Several of the game’s next DLC characters have been revealed, and next gen ports of the game have officially been confirmed via an Ultimate edition.

In a post to the official PlayStation Blog made on Oct. 8, NetherRealm Studio’s story and voiceover director Dominic Cianciolo revealed three of the game’s next new characters. They include fan-favorites Mileena and Rain, as well as another film icon character in Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo.

The two returning characters each come with new weapons for fans to test out as well. Mileena will now wield razor-sharp claws affixed to gloves, while Rain can wield a Katar to slash and stab opponents with. Rain can likewise now open a rift into a water dimension, wherein his moveset gains new properties and effects.

As for Rambo, his moveset and weapons haven’t been expressly detailed just yet, though it has been confirmed Sylvester Stallone has provided his voice talents to the character.

More information on the new fighters will be released in the weeks leading up to all three characters’ release, slated for Nov. 17.

Alongside the new character confirmations, though, came some even bigger news: Mortal Kombat 11 will be coming to next-gen consoles in the form of a new Ultimate edition of the game. The Ultimate edition will include all of the DLC characters currently released for the game and all three of the new characters releasing on Nov. 17.

Likewise, it will boast improved graphics and performance compared to the base versions of the game, with the most notable improvement coming via the next-gen versions.

#BlackOpsColdWar features a Field of View slider on ALL platforms.

Yo-kai Watch Jam – Yo-kai Academy Y will get its PlayStation 4 version later this month in Japan.

The post Yo-kai Watch Jam – Yo-kai Academy Y PS4 Release Date in Japan Set for October 29, 2020 appeared first on Siliconera.

Ikenfell is an RPG with a distinct identity and a rocking soundtrack. Oh, and you can pet (almost) every one of its cats.

The post Review: Ikenfell Could Cast a Spell on Players appeared first on Siliconera.

For years AMD processors were known as the "budget" chip when it came to building a gaming PC. If you wanted to truly call yourself an enthusiast, you always went with the Intel chip because it was, by and large, the industry leader. Not content to be second fiddle, AMD set out to claw its way to the top of the processor market with its Zen architecture that launched in 2017.

Ever since, AMD's processors have been slowly usurping Intel processors' previous leads in nearly every benchmark. That trend looks to continue when AMD releases the 5000 series of Ryzen 3 chips next month.

During a half-hour stream today, AMD rattled off multiple wins for its new chips. With performance boosts against its own previous line as well as competitors' while still using the same AM4 socket, the 5000 series is looking to be a beast of a processor line for both gamers and content creators.

Some of the highlights include a 2.8x efficiency bonus in performance per watt compared to the upcoming Intel i9-10900K chip and a 26% frame rate performance improvement over the Zen 2 3000 series at 1080p. In a moment that felt like it was stripped right out of Silicon Valley, AMD also revealed that the new Ryzen 9 5900x was the first processor to break a 600 score on the industry-standard Cinebench benchmarking tool.

Now, this could all be corporate peacocking, but it seems like AMD has finally pulled ahead of Intel's processor offerings and has potential to be the dominant force in both gaming and workstation computers. The new line of chips will be on store "shelves" starting November 5.

There will be four chips released as part of the Zen 3 5000 series, and here are their specifications.

His nickname for Buscemi? ‘The Boosh’

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Today Compile Heart released a new trailer of its upcoming JRPG Go! Go! 5D Game Neptunia ReVerse.

We get to see the opening cutscene of the game with the theme song “For SHARE!!” performed by the Japanese band Zwei.

On top of that, we also see a trailer showing off DLC Vtubers for the spin-off game Neptunia Virtual Stars, which will come west for PS4 in 2021.

You can check out both trailers below.

There’s been a surge of great gaming laptop deals for under £1000 / $1000 in the last week or so, which is good news for anyone looking for a more portable way to play their favourite PC games around the house that doesn’t break the bank. While most laptops in this price range will find it difficult to play games on max settings, there are still a couple of RTX 2060 laptops to be found here, as well as plenty with high refresh rate displays and good specs. So, to help you get the best budget gaming laptop deal, we’ve put together this list of what we think represents the best value for money. Whatever you’re after, these are the best budget gaming laptop deals happening in the UK and US right now.

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The 4th episode of Night City Wire is coming next Thursday, October 15 at 6PM CEST! This time, we'll go into details about the looks, sounds, and specs of #Cyberpunk2077 vehicles. As usual, you can expect new gameplay footage, announcements, and more! https://t.co/y8iUIM0gBv pic.twitter.com/CbENAuOCEj

Infrared Forehead Thermometer | $26 | Amazon

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The UK Twitter account for Xbox fired some shots at PS5 yesterday in one of the silliest ways possible because it’s 2020 and these are the console wars we deserve.

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Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is set to launch for the Nintendo Switch on Nov. 20, 2020. With just a couple of weeks away, it’s about that time to check out some of the pre-order bonuses that retailers are offering. For now, there’s only one so far and it’s from GameStop and it’s really the only one that matters.

If you pre-order the physical edition of the game now, you can nab yourself an exclusive Mystery Guardian keychain, which we all now know as Baby Guardian –or at least that’s what the people on the internet have been calling it. We just can’t get enough of baby things in pop culture.

We don’t really know what role this baby Guardian will play in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity but we have seen some gameplay footage of the creature following Link and other characters around the battlefield.

As you plow through literally thousands of foes around Hyrule, this little guy will be there to accompany you. Hey, as long as it doesn’t shoot deadly lasers at us, it can definitely stick around.

My most recent attempt to complete Hades ended in a pretty devastating way: only a few blows from finishing the final boss, after a good 40 minutes of intense gameplay, I was tragically smacked down and sent back downriver to a smirking Hypnos once again. And to make matters worse, today I learned someone's completed a Hades run in under eight minutes.

For those uninitiated, Hades is the latest roguelike from Supergiant Games, and tasks players with escaping the Greek underworld using a variety of powers gifted to them by other gods. While Hades is designed to keep players entertained with story beats and various upgrades between attempts, the runs themselves can be brutal and unforgiving. Which makes it all the more impressive that speedrunner Vorime has managed the whole thing in just seven minutes and 16 seconds.

As spotted by Rock Paper Shotgun, Vorime currently sits atop the Hades leaderboard on Speedrun.com, and managed to set the world record on Tuesday. The seven-minute record measures Vorime's in-game time, and doesn't account for time spent in menus and picking abilities, with the whole attempt taking 20 minutes and 32 seconds in real-world time.

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