Yostar is continuing to reveal new content coming on the short-term to its popular shipgirl-focused mobile game Azur Lane.

We learn that the two Eagle Union carriers Shangri-La and Independence are finally coming to the English servers.

This means that we’re getting the “Air Raid Drills with Essex” event that dates all the way back to February 2019 on the Chinese and Japanese servers. 

On top of the event, we’re also getting “Race Queen” skins for Takao and Zuikaku. Fans have been waiting for those for a long time considering that the costumes have been painted on an itasha (a car decorated with otaku imagery) that appeared during official events dedicated to the game.

It’ll be interesting to see if the set will include all the characters we saw on the car, which also include Atago, Duke of York, Prince of Whales, Shokaku, and more. 

Despite The Last of Us Part 2’s mixed critical reception, review score aggregator Metacritic shows it with a critical score of 95 out of 100, with a plethora of 10/10s developer Naughty Dog has been happy to tout. The user scores, meanwhile, sit at an abysmal 3.5 out of 10, based on over 31,000 reviews and counting,…

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This week on Snapshots: A bunch of Last of Us 2 photos, some creepy Star Wars ruins, a tiny squirrel, and one cool looking Spider-Man.

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The latest Video Game Deep Cuts (new games/best links of the week!) features Summer In Mara, Beyond Blue, and... 3D graphics card box art? ...

Mecha Knights: Nightmare solo developer Damian Kubiak recently posted quite a few videos showcasing plenty of progress made on the game. 

We get to see shoulder-mounted automated turrets and rocket launchers, work done on a new level, improvements made to movement and boosting, voiced dialogue, a skill bar, and the campaign map. 

You can check everything out below in the order in which each tweet was posted, to give you a good idea of how quickly this game is progressing, which is very impressive considering that it’s made by a one-man-team. 

Michiko Naruke's work on Wild Arms, with its emotional power and unforgettable style, earn the composer a place among RPG's musical greats.

The post Wild Arms Creates Emotional Connection Through Unforgettable Songs appeared first on Siliconera.

Kadokawa Games has released new images of its upcoming Metal Max Xeno Remake titled Metal Max Xeno Reborn.

The images mostly showcase the brand new character design art for its cast.

While the original game has artwork by Oda Non, the character design for the remake has been handled by Tokyo-based illustrator and concept artist Takeshi Oga, who is also working on the character design of the sequel Metal Max Xeno Reborn 2.

If you’re unfamiliar with Takeshi Oga, he also worked on the concept art for the Gravity Rush series, including the box art of the original game.

You can check out all the main members of the cast in the gallery below.

Imagine, if you will, a world where M.O.D.O.K., the Marvel Universe’s most cylindrical villain, was mainstream. Such a strange, beautiful dream may be coming, what with him actually having an animated series on the way. But it could have happened much sooner.

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Lord of the Rings Online players gathered in-game yesterday to mourn the loss of Bilbo Baggins actor Ian Holm.

Hundreds of players across various servers held events to mark the death of Sir Ian Holm, who passed away this week aged 88.

The image, below, shows players on the Evernight server gathering around the MMO's Bilbo Baggins NPC, who resides in the Hall of Fire, in the northern wing at the ground floor of the Last Homely House in Rivendell Valley. According to redditor Ch_Mell, "300 people gathered and walked to Rivendell on a moment's notice."

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A new digital tool built to depixelize photos sounds scary and bad. Another way to remove privacy from the world. But this tool is also being used for a sillier and not terrible purpose: Depixelizng old game characters. The results are...nevermind, this is also a terrible use of this tool.

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Today Wired Productions released a new trailer of its upcoming “airborne ocean-world fantasy RPG” The Falconeer. 

The trailer focuses on the story behind the game, providing a glimpse of who the Falconeers are and on the setting itself.

Yet, it also shows the spectacular air battles at the center of the game.

You can check it out below. 

The Falconeer is coming to Xbox One and PC in 2020. If you want to see more, you can enjoy the announcement trailer. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the game, you can read an official description below directly from its Steam page.

“The deep running currents of the Great Ursee hide the secrets of long-forgotten gods and ancestors.

The Falconeer is an airborne ocean-world fantasy RPG set in The Great Ursee. Take your armed aerial mount to the skies as you explore a bleak and hauntingly beautiful world, filled with wonderous locations and warmongering rival factions vying for the mysterious secrets hidden at the Ursee’s unfathomable depths.

UFC 4 is set for a July reveal.

EA Sports' so far unannounced game will be showcased during UFC 251 on Saturday, 11th July, a promotional image for the event revealed on Twitter. EA Sports has given the image its seal of approval.

So, what can we expect from UFC 4? Sports writer Brian Mazique said in a Fight Guys video, below, that the game is set for current-gen and next-gen consoles, although there's no word on a PC release. Mazique also said British superstar boxers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are playable characters, unlocked by completing the career mode. (Mike Tyson was in 2018's UFC 3, so the series has form crossing the sports streams).

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Introduced earlier this year to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Warzone, the Grau 5.56 assault rifle is one of the most powerful weapons in the game right now, performing well in most situations and capable of holding its own in close-range and long-range scenarios. However, it has been accused of being overpowered, and Infinity Ward is looking to give it a nerf in a future update.

Answering a fan's question on Twitter, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare co-design director of multiplayer Joe Cecot said the development team has several weapon adjustments in the works for a mid-season update. There isn't a definitive date for when the Grau will receive a nerf, but there will be full patch notes available when it occurs.

You can get your hands on Tifa and Aerith's jewelry replicas for a second time.

The post You Can Get Your Hands on Official Final Fantasy Jewelry Replicas for a Second Time 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 Honchkrow!

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Free-to-play action RPG Path of Exile released a free expansion that offers a way to literally farm monsters alongside new items and changes.

The Harvest expansion introduces the “Sacred Grove,” an ancient garden that lets players grow plants that will spawn monsters to slay for rewards. Players can find these plant seeds anywhere in the world, but some seeds are rare and require more meticulous planting to yield stronger or legendary monsters.

Defeating harvested monsters rewards rewards with a crafting option and “Lifeforce,” which is necessary for crafting. There are even pipes, condensers, and dispersers that are necessary to help grow the more exotic seeds.

The Harvest expansion improves the passive skill tree with revamping some mechanics, such as two-handed weapons, and adding new passive abilities entirely. The expansion also adds eight new skills, two support gems, and 12 unique items alongside re-balancing 50 existing items.

The expansion is free for all Path of Exile players, but there are multiple Harvest supporters packs that contain premium currency, in-game items, and the digital soundtrack for either $30 or $60.

The Harvest expansion is out now on PC, and will be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms next week on Wednesday, June 24.

The post Path of Exile Harvest Expansion Lets You Plant a Monster Garden appeared first on Twinfinite.

We’re a week into Season 4 of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (and its battle royale partner Call Of Duty: Warzone). But as the dust settles on some of this season’s wilder changes, Infinity Ward reckon it’s time for a long-overdue shake-up of the game’s weapons as part of their upcoming mid-season update – one that threatens to finally knock one particular rifle off the top spot.

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The PS5-exclusive Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was announced during Sony's official console reveal on June 11, and the game is taking advantage of the console's new hardware features in order to push the series even further. In a developer diary video, creative director Marcus Smith explained just what that will mean for gameplay, including jumping between completely different worlds on the fly.

In the video below, you can see Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart gameplay as Marcus Smith explains why it is only possible on PS5. After a mysterious enemy arrives and accidentally damages the fabric of space-time itself, portals to alternate dimensions begin to appear. Because of the PS5's ultra-fast solid-state drive, or SSD, our heroes can jump between these worlds almost instantly. You can see them marked in the world with a wavy, cracked portal, and there is no loading screen before you arrive in the new world.

"Long gone are loading screens," Smith added. "Now, it's all about bringing exciting new adventures."

Today Bandai Namco released a new video and a screenshot of the upcoming JRPG Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris. 

The new assets were shared on the official Twitter account, with the video showing the sub-episode dedicated to iconic heroine Asuna.

On top of that, we also get to see a screenshot featuring the Integrity Knights’ commander Bercouli Synthesis One’s episode which will be shown fully next week. 

You can check both out below and see if you want to get closer to either of them.

Cblogs Recap: Week 25

-RoodadooReview reviews Mindseize.

-Black Red Gaming continues his coverage of this year's limited E3 conference. Here is a look at EA Play.

-Black Red Gaming reviews Summer In Mara.

-Lord Spencer reviews Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Lord Spencer reviews Roll Away (Kula's World) as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Shoggoth2588 continues his review of the past decade in gaming with a review of 2015.

-Skazfest argues that the excellence of Super Metroid has been matched or even surpassed by newer Metroidvanias to the good of video game fans everywhere.

-Nior concludes his Command & Conquer retrospective with a look at the mods that kept the series going after its official death.

-Riff Raff wonders about the nature and expiration date of story spoilers.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the Chrono Trigger soundtrack and the music of Eric Serra.

EA recently released a raft of games on Steam for the first time, and perhaps the game that is benefiting the most is Titanfall 2.

Respawn's wonderful first-person shooter was critically-acclaimed upon its October 2016 release, but it suffered in the sales department, getting squeezed out by EA's own Battlefield 1, which launched just before, and Activision's rival FPS Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which launched just after.

It was a crying shame, as Titanfall 2 is a fantastic game. "In a banner year for first-person shooters, Respawn delivers what might well be the best," Jon Denton wrote in Eurogamer's Titanfall 2 review, which awarded the shooter an essential badge.

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[Update: Nintendo seems to be breaking from the norm here, at least as far as North America is concerned. Just today, NOA asked users on Twitter to reach out to customer support if they purchased the wrong pass. It's likely that Nintendo has issued a memo to its customer support staff to allow refunds in these particular cases. If you are impacted, you can contact them here.]

When the Pokemon Sword and Shield season pass was revealed, everything looked good on paper.

More creatures? Check. More expansive zones and storylines? Check. New creations? Oh you better believe that's a check. But upon further investigation folks realized that there were actually two different season passes: one for each version of the game. In true Nintendo/Game Freak fashion the Pokemon Company couldn't pass up on doubling up on sales, but a lot of people are still confused as to how the system works.

This past week, Nintendo took to Twitter to explain the situation, noting that they have been receiving a number of inquiries on the issue. Nintendo says to "please be careful when purchasing," so you don't buy the wrong version. As a tip, the company says that you can always buy the correct version in-game by pausing your copy, then heading to the bottom-right DLC prompt.

Although this solution might seem obvious to some, the general public still might not understand the "two season pass scheme." Since it's actually out tomorrow and that's when a lot of you are going to be pulling the trigger, consider this your final warning! 

Today Sony Interactive Entertainment released a new video about the upcoming game by Insomniac Games Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

The video is narrated by creative director Marcus Smith, who explains how the game has been built from the ground up for PlayStation 5.

The game’s story is powered by an arch-nemesis causing space-time rifts throughout the world.  

The horsepower of the PS5 affects the number of objects displayed, the enemies, the effects, and everything is “more, more, more.”

The developers have been trying to build worlds that “feel real” and this couldn’t have done during previous generations, while travel through rifts wouldn’t have been possible without the PS5’s SSD. 

Smith defines the SSD as “screamingly fast” and and “unbelievable game-changer” allowing developers to project players from one place to another at near-instantaneous speeds. Loading screens are “long gone.”

Smith also describes the DualSense controller as tailor-made for the game’s weapons, with its tactile feel making them feel more powerful. For instance, adaptive triggers give the player tension while using the Enforcer shotgun. If you pull the trigger half-way you fire one barrel, if you pull it all the way, you fire both, and you can feel the difference in the tension of the trigger itself.

We also hear how spatial audio brings the player “Into the world” more than they’ve ever been able to do before.

You can watch it below. If you want to see more, you can enjoy the initial announcement.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is coming exclusively for PS5.

To celebrate the upcoming release of Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 yet another special Unit-02 figure is available to preorder.

The post You Can Preorder the New Neon Genesis Evangelion Unit-02 Figure Now appeared first on Siliconera.

About a week ago, we unveiled the new, official Destructoid merch store to the public. In the introduction post to it, I mentioned that over the coming few weeks and months, we’d be introducing more designs.

Today, we’re starting to make good on that promise with a brand new design. For a limited time, we’ll be selling a fundraiser shirt supporting the Black Lives Matter Global Network. It doesn't carry any company branding, and 100% of all proceeds will be donated to charity. Whatever gets the word out, we hope it helps.

This design is also available on hoodies, phone cases, and more. Like with the t-shirt, all proceeds will go to the Black Lives Matter Global Network.

The design was created in collaboration with Dtoid graphic designer Ashley and conceived by site founder, Niero, who added: “We wanted to create a shirt that says 'I'm not a racist piece of shit' but also 'I'm a gamer, tee-hee'.”

As many within the Destructoid community will know, we’re a site that’s proud of its user-base coming from many different backgrounds, beliefs, and nations. We hope you'll dig it and help us spread the message.

Star Wars: Squadrons does not have microtransactions and is not a live service game, EA has said.

Speaking to Game Informer, Motive Studios' creative director Ian Frazier confirmed the promising-looking Star Wars space battle game is "complete and great in its own right".

"Our mindset has been very old-school," he said.

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Put down the Bat Credit Card, Bruce. Netherrealm’s “who would win in a fight” ’em up, Injustice: Gods Among Us, is currently free to download and keep. For one reason or another, WB Games have chosen to give away the Ultimate Edition of their 2013 fighter on Steam ’til Thursday 25th, letting you pick up some surprisingly good superhero brawls for nary a penny.

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One of the most exciting games coming to Xbox Series X this holiday season is The Ascent, a science-fiction action-role-playing game that plays like a cross between the Diablo series and classic twin-stick shooters. Because of Microsoft's Smart Delivery system, the game is automatically enhanced when played on Xbox Series X instead of Xbox One, and developer Neon Giant explained just how that will work.

Speaking to Xbox Wire, creative director Arcade Berg (he has a very good name) explained that ray tracing and upgraded reflective surfaces are among the key visual upgrades for The Ascent on next-generation hardware. Input will also feel more responsive and you can expect a more interactive world, which is hugely important in an immersive role-playing game.

As is the case with PS5, as well, the SSD on Xbox Series X will make loading times far shorter, keeping you in the game rather than on a loading screen. This won't compromise visual quality or performance, either, as The Ascent will run at 4K resolution with 60 frames-per-second gameplay and HDR support on Xbox Series X. However, he did say that the console's true capability will only be unlocked once games are developed exclusively for it instead of alongside Xbox One.

This week we celebrate Juneteenth, clean up an apartment in Deus Ex, meet the snake who swallowed an AK-47, find out when Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is releasing on PS5 and find out how many fans in Animal Crossing is too many.

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From classic dad movies to sweet father-daughter relationships

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Buried within a FAQ on EA's website is confirmation that the PC version of FIFA 21 is the same as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version - a revelation that has tempered excitement about the series coming to Steam for the first time.

PC gamers - some so in disbelief at the news that they thought it a mistake - were left scratching their heads at the decision. Why would EA Sports not release a version of FIFA 21 on PC that is on par with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X version of the hugely popular football game?

I asked EA for an explanation following the news and have yet to receive a response. Without a explanation, we're left to speculate. But first, let's run through what EA has said about the next-gen versions of the game.

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Do you remember CrossfireX? The military shooter revamp that debuted during the Xbox E3 2019 presentation and then went super quiet? Well, developer Smilegate will be launching a beta for the free-to-play title later this month, as spotted on the Microsoft Store by @h0x0d.

CrossfireX will see two private factions battle it out in first-person shooter mayhem. Players can run with Global Risk, who recruit veteran armed forces members to "fight for order and security", or Black List, a band of supposed freedom fighters who employ guerilla tactics and the world's best mercenaries. Pick your puppet, they both sound like bad dudes to be honest.

The PS4 version of Ys: Memories of Celceta has just been released, and we have a few copies for you to win, courtesy of the good folks at Xseed Games.

With this giveaway, you can win one of five North American digital codes for the game.

To be more specific, one code is for the Digital Deluxe Edition, while four are for the Standard Edition. The way to get involved is really, really easy.

All you have to do is to comment on our articles, everywhere on the site. The more you comment, the better your chances. We want to hear your opinions and insight, and there is no better way for that to happen than sharing your comments with us.

An important caveat is that comments on this post are not eligible for the giveaway. Of course, you’re welcome to comment here, but in order to participate, you need to comment at least on one other article.

On  June 19 at 11:59 EDT we’ll randomly select five comments made after this post has been published, and the authors of these comments will win one of the codes. The first comment selected will get the Digital Deluxe edition, while the rest will get a Standard edition. It’s that simple.

Incidentally, while the codes are for the North American PSN, you can still use them regardless of where you live simply by making a North American account. It’s easy and quick.

Of course, spam comments and throwaway one-liners will be disqualified, as we’d like to promote interesting commentary and conversations among our readers.

The Crash leaks continue: this time it's images and a release date.

After this week's leak of the game title, platforms and game description via the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time has seen (not particularly high-res) images and a release date hit the internet.

The images, which emerged on 4chan and were spotted by ResetEra, appear to be lifted from a trailer or promo of some sort (the Xbox logo appears, but we know the game is also coming to PlayStation 4). They show off the Toys for Bob-developed platformer, reveal a couple of skins you get for buying digitally (skins that appear to confirm you can play as Crash and Coco), and a release date of 9th October 2020.

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This week's Arcade Archives release is unfortunately a little ho-hum, but then following last week's launch of Konami's Sunset Riders, there was always the possibility of its being a bit of a step down. Regardless, Vs. Baseball is now available to download on Nintendo Switch.

Vs. Baseball is the arcade edition of 1983 NES release, Baseball. Originally a launch game with for the Famicom, Baseball does its best to capture the spirit and excitement of America's Favourite Pastime (or so soundbites tell me). While obviously very dated by today's standards, it's important to note that Baseball was a very significant release for Nintendo, and is considered one of the games that helped sell NES units in the west at launch.

The "Vs." edition of Baseball included slightly improved visuals and some rudimentary speech. You can check out a video of the game in action below, courtesy of YouTuber Old Classic Retro Gaming.

Vs. Baseball is available to download now on Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone's long-awaited weapon tuning is set for the middle of Season 4, Infinity Ward has said.

In a tweet, co-design director of multiplayer Joe Cecot said a batch of weapon tuning is in the works for the mid-season update, with patch notes to come when the tuning drops.

Cecot responded to a tweet from a Modern Warfare player who was asking whether the Grau assault rifle would be nerfed. Anyone who's playing Call of Duty at the moment, whether that's Modern Warfare or Warzone, will probably point to the Grau as the most popular weapon. And it's popular for a reason: this devastating, meta-dominating assault rifle is easy to handle, easy to control, and powerful at a variety of distances. It has come to dominate battle royale - to the point where most players call it in - or at least try to call it in - via a loadout drop.

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Things might have quietened down after last week’s not-E3 barrage of streams, but that doesn’t mean we’re quite out of videogame hell. Tonight, the folks at retro horror community Haunted PS1 are delivering their own “EEK3” showcase – lining up trailers for over 40 low-fidelity indie spook ’em ups, along with a dimly-lit digital convention centre to get lost in.

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Cubii Pro Under-Desk Elliptical | $249 | Amazon

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West of Dead finds you playing as an unnamed specter, returned from the dead, and placed in Purgatory, Wyoming. No memory as to how you got there, and nothing to do but hunt down a preacher who might have the answers you seek. To find the preacher though you'll have to work your way through an ever-changing labyrinth of enemies with only your guns and whatever items you can procure along the way.

In other words, West of Dead is a narrative-based roguelite which, in my experience, is always a gamble with the deck stacked against you. To that end I can't help but feel like the game itself is stuck in a purgatory of its own making, caught between two genres that stand at odds with each other. It's neither a raving success nor a miserable failure, but it definitely has some frustrating elements.

Hey there, Priceless Pals. A melancholy day! This will be my last Priceless Play and the last Free Games Roundup here on RPS. Woe! I have had the undeniable pleasure of writing about the weird niche corners of free games for just shy of two years now, and I have loved every minute of it. Even though I won’t be here to tell you what the best free games of the week are in the future, there will continue to be free games. I implore you to keep seeking them out and to keep playing them.

This final instalment of Priceless Play is an ode to itch.io, and the best games I have found there while writing this column. Welcome to the Priceless Play Clip Show.

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