June 2021

Shirley Curry, also known as Grandma Shirley, is an 82-year old gamer that has become a beloved part of the gaming community ever since her YouTube channel made its big debut back in 2015 and since then she has been dubbed our beloved grandma in all things RPG. With countless hours of walkthroughs footage of her streaming, she's an intricate in the Elder Scrolls franchise, unofficially. She means so much to the community that fans have been rallying for her to be in Elder Scrolls 6 as an official character! While we anxiously await Elder Scrolls 6 news, one Skyrim mod gives us some of that Shirley love a little early. 

The Grandma Shirley mod is simply called Shirley - A Skyrim Follower Mod and does exactly what the name implies. "Shirley Curry, the beloved Skyrim Grandma, finally comes to the game as a follower you can recruit," reads the mod's listing. "She'll join you on your adventures, but don't expect her to simply carry your burdens! She's got more personality than all the vanilla followers combined, and we're sure she'll be a great companion and a friend. And a grandma!" 

AR-racing spin-off Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is reduced to £58 at Amazon UK, less than a month after it dropped to £55 back in May.

This time around, though, it's only the Mario Edition that has been given the reduction. It originally started around £55 again today but has been slowly creeping up over the last few hours.

That's almost a 50 percent price cut on the fancy experimental game that launched for £100 in October last year. It was a lot to ask, especially after Martin came away thinking Mario Kart Live is “a glorious toy hemmed in by a few key restrictions” in his review. At closer to £50, though. it could be worth a punt.

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Developer Techland might be gearing up to launch the anticipated sequel title to Dying Light, but that doesn’t mean it’s finished supporting the original game. After the release of the Hellraid DLC earlier this year, a new content expansion is set to expand its scope even further with a new Story Mode, new areas, weapons, and a number of visual and technical enhancements to the dungeon-slasher experience. The update will be available for all platforms today.

The story sees players venture deep into the demon-infested bowels of Ba’al’s Temple to rescue Lucius, a mysterious and powerful mage from captivity. It is comprised of three new quests – Clavis Stone, Imprisoned and Beneath Seals, all available in co-op mode – new locations and a fearsome new shield-bearing skeleton enemy, that will require a fresh offensive strategy from players.
 
To assist them on their quest, players will be able to wield Hellraid’s first-ever ranged weapon, Corrupted Justice – an ornate and powerful bow, in addition to getting their hands on Bonecruncher – a heavyweight and formidable Two-Handed Hammer.
 
Story Mode will sit alongside the pre-existing Raid Mode, which will still be accessible after completing the new narrative prologue.
 
Furthermore, the content drop overhauls the game’s lighting system and adds additional environmental sounds that dramatically enhance the tone and atmosphere of the game. The update also introduces changes to in-game animations, improved minimap functionality, inventory management, and more.

It’s a General Mills and Marvel team-up

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Iginio Straffi on putting up a fight for his magical girl show

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The ad-supported version of the streaming service will cost $4.99 a month

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Yuji Naka left Square Enix in April, says he may call it a career

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A grim world filled with adorable, exploitable, edible pals

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The Wild Beyond the Witchlight arrives in September

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The latest from Kyle Key and his team at Keymaster games

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Double Fine's most treasured son (apart from Jack Black, who is not a real man and was obviously designed by a committee of wacky game developers some time in the late 90s) is undoubtedly Raz, protagonist of their 2005 cult hit Psychonauts.

Psychonauts is classic Double Fine. It's a 3D platformer with some puzzley bits that sees Raz training to be a psychonaut at a secret government facility disguised as a children's summer camp by having adventures that take place inside people's subconscious brains. This premise, you will note, is a cracker, even if not that many people thought so at the time. It's become more popular in recent years, though, and every so often I go back and give it a look, most recently being this weekend. So let me be the latest in a long line of people to say, "Blimey, it's still a bit good, isn't it?"

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The itch.io Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid includes over 670 games and supports the United Nations Relief and Works Agency charity.

The post Itch.io Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid Offers Over 670 Games appeared first on Siliconera.

When people use the FFXIV Reaper class, they'll attack with a scythe and voidsent. However, they also could become a host for the voidsent.

The post FFXIV Reaper Will Let You ‘Serve as the Host’ for a Voidsent appeared first on Siliconera.

However, the development team does have the intention to create more crossover content in the future.

The post Final Fantasy XIV Myths of the Realm Raid Will be an Original Story appeared first on Siliconera.

Naoki Yoshida explained why implementing a new race in FFXIV takes time and how the graphics team created the male Viera for Endwalker.

The post FFXIV Male Viera Made in ‘Free Time’ Between ‘Normal Work on Patches’ appeared first on Siliconera.

Fortnite is teasing its next crossover and it seems to involve characters from Adult Swim’s popular show, Rick And Morty.

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We often fear powerful things, because we can’t control them. A giant, unstoppable bear. A deadly bomb. An unfeeling, AI-controlled drone with missiles. Or even, a player wearing some sick threads in an online video game, indicating they’ve been playing longer than you and will likely kick your ass.

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When Final Fantasy XIV introduced female-only Viera and male-only Hrothgar as playable races for its Shadowbringers expansion, fans were not happy. It turns out the game’s graphics team weren’t happy either, so they worked in their free time between patches to get male rabbits and female bestial cats into Final…

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Jon Leslie and Patric Palm share how to manage multi-discipline teams running a live-service game with never-ending releases, content drops, and live-ops. ...

Benoit Sokal, the Belgian comic artist and video game developer known for creating the Syberia graphic adventure series, has passed away.  ...

Ebbe Altberg, the CEO of Second Life creator and developer Linden Lab, has passed away. ...

Black Desert Online developer Pearl Abyss has opened new offices in Los Angeles and Amsterdam. ...

Fans of quirky RPGs such as Earthbound and Undertale will be excited to learn that a similar indie game called Oddventure has doubled its Kickstarter goal and will release in 2022, according to indie publisher Pineapple Works.

Oddventure is a story-rich turn-based JRPG developed by Infamous Rabbit that is set in a cursed world based on Grimm’s fairy tales. You play as a rebellious teenager named Charlie who is looking for her younger brother Bonzo.

In this game, every decision you make matters as there are several endings, and like Undertale, nobody has to die (but they can if you so choose), and battles can be ended in a number of different ways. The fights are based on a mood system; you can make enemies run away crying, or you can choose to spare them for a present.

The developer shares that there are “countless hidden secret and references to pop culture and fairy tales” as well as “bitter-sweet comedy mixed with some coziness and dark humor.”

Oddventure reached its funding goal with 213% of the initial goal raised. You can read all about the game’s Kickstarter campaign right here to see screenshots, gameplay, and more information about what you can expect.

Oddventure has a planned release window of Q3 2022 and will release on PC and Nintendo Switch. There’s currently a playable demo on Steam, which you can find right here.

The PC Gaming Show is back again for E3 this year, and today the showcase’s schedule has been detailed in part, revealing a number of announcements from major PC gaming developers and publishers. Of particular note is the fact that Valve will be in attendance with an announcement of its own about Steam.

While it’s possible the news could be nothing more than a sale or changes to its storefront UI, there’s always the chance it could be something more significant.

In a press release sent to Twinfinite, Tim Clark, PC Gamer global editor-in-chief Evan Lahti said of today’s lineup announcement:

“PC gaming retains its position as the world’s most vibrant gaming platform. The PC’s library of weird, innovative, and genre-pushing games grows every week. The PC Gaming Show is about shining a bright light on as many of these new projects as we can.”

Tim Clark, PC Gamer brand director, also weighed in:

“We wanted to bring the visual spectacle of some of our favorite games and fiction to the E3 stage. We’re big fans of shows like Mystery Science Theater 3000, and this theme will let our hosts channel the fun of E3.”

Here’s how the PC Gaming Show is shaping up so far according to PC Gamer’s article. Note that the 90-minute-long show begins on June 13 at 2:30 PM Pacific.

Acclaimed developer PMDG released a new video about its upcoming vintage propliner Douglas DC-6.

The video is another detailed tutorial video about slowing down so that you can begin your approach. Those used to fly modern airliners may think this is elementary, but when you’re sitting on a propliner pulled by four massive radial engines things are a bit more complex.

Of course, it’s also a great chance to take a good look at how beautifully detailed this bird is.

You can check it out below.

Speaking of add-ons, do keep in mind that we have a spiffy giveaway going on that can let you win one of 10 add-ons from Orbx’s lineup. You can find all the details here, but leaving a pertinent comment at the bottom of this post will serve as a valid entry.

Today Sega Asia, which will release the English localization of Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hinokami Keppu Tan on the local market with the title Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles, released two more character trailers in English.

The two trailers focus on Inosuke Hashibira and Zenitsu Agatsuma, with whom fans of the original anime series will be very familiar.

While voices are in Japanese, we finally get English subtitles to top it all.

You can find both trailers below.

It’s the Monday before E3, which means this week is going to feel extra long for many, as all they want is to finish up work and experience all of the gaming news that is set to come from the event. Don’t fret too much, though, as we’ve got some gaming memes to help get you through the day.

From Call of Duty to Metal Gear Solid, these are the best ones we found from across the internet throughout the last week. Be sure to let us know which ones were your favorites in the comments below. Also, don’t hesitate to leave any other great memes that we may have missed down there to help make us all laugh.

Developer Graffiti Games revealed the first gameplay footage of its upcoming Metroidvania title Elderand over the weekend, and it certainly appears as though its gritty combat and pixelated visuals will appeal to mega-fans of Konami’s storied franchise, Castlevania.

“Elderand is a love letter to Castlevania with modern elements that fans will enjoy,” said Will Fernandes, founder of Mantra. “We think it will be the next great game in the genre and we’re excited to partner with Graffiti Games to release it next year. Graffiti has a strong track record of successfully publishing indie games and Elderand will be their next hit.”

Elderand is said to feature a punishing, skill-based combat system that rewards careful timing and positioning. Locating treasures and loot is a key aspect of the game’s progression loop as a myriad of items, unique relics, potions, weapons, and shields help players upgrade their character.

As seen in the trailer below, Elderand takes place over a number of levels that depict an epic journey to distinct lands filled with ancient mysteries to unravel. Players will apparently be rewarded for exploration, as hidden passageways and a host of NPCs to interact with revealing themselves to those who take the time to look.

I hate to draw comparisons between games as every video game should be judged based on its own merit, but in the case of Hokko Life, the Animal Crossing comparisons are simply unavoidable. Your character arrives at a quiet little town, your daily life becomes a smorgasbord of picking up trash at the beach, planting trees and flowers, crafting furniture, and decorating the town and your own room.

Aforementioned town is also full of talking animal citizens. As I said, the comparisons are unavoidable.

On paper, Hokko Life should be an instant hit. The art and graphical style is a little more realistic, and prettier too. You have the ability to decorate your town square and really make it your own, as compared to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, where you’re restricted from placing anything in the Resident Services area, though it’s for a good reason.

But in practice, you quickly realize that there are so many little issues that drag the game down and hold it back from being the chill life sim it wants to be. For starters, the bugs. Starting up the game with a controller plugged in proved to be rather cumbersome, as the game refused to show me the right button prompts for the gamepad. I ended up having to reconnect the controller a couple more times before it would register and finally show me the right inputs.

Characters occasionally glitch into items and furniture, and even the character creation menu seemed buggy, as the hairstyle icons wouldn’t show the hairstyles themselves, and I had to manually hover over them to get them to show up in my character preview.

These are all early access woes, yes, but they gave me such a bad first impression of the game, and things certainly didn’t improve from there.

Summer Game Fest 2021 kicks off this week and it looks like 2K and Gearbox Studios have something new to show fans. The studio that gave us the hit Borderlands franchise has been hard at work on a new IP and it looks like we'll be getting our first look on June 10. 

Geoff Keighley, the creator and host of Summer Game Fest, took to Twitter to tease the new reveal. "Prepare for the reveal of a new adventure from Gearbox and 2K during Summer Games Fest," reads the below tweet. The big reveal is going down on June 10, though you can see the full schedule right here for everything going down over the next two weeks. 

Prepare for the reveal of a new adventure from @GearboxOfficial and @2K during #SummerGameFest Kickoff Live on June 10! 🔥 https://t.co/WMXopnCE4j pic.twitter.com/zb52zmZhKK

The trailer for Palworld shows monster collecting and plenty of tender moments with them, and then things get super dark. Developer by Pocket Pair, Palworld is slated to release in 2022, and is an open-world survival game with multiplayer, crafting, farming, and most important of all Pal collecting. Pal are the creatures in this world. Comparisons to the Pokémon games are easy to make...until the guns come out.

The trailer shows a human character petting a dog-like Pal in front of a cozy fireplace setting, and a few sequences of her running through the wilderness with it. We also see Pal being used to water plants, blow fields, and light campfires. Tucked into these joyous shots are clips of the character running and gunning with an assault rifle. She's apparently mowing down Pal poachers. In a faq on Palworld's Steam page, Pocket Pair makes the combat sound optional: "Palworld is a game about living a slow life with mysterious creatures "Pal" or throwing yourself into life-and-death battles with poachers."

Logan Paul, YouTube ... something, went back into the ring with yet another fight for public adoration, though this time he went up against Floyd Mayweather. The fight itself drew the curiosity of many, but the true star of the spectacle was the Charizard Pokémon card Paul decided to don as part of his outfit. Pokémon cards always have the potential to be wildly valuable, but it looks like this highly publicized match took that monetization potential to ungodly levels. 

The Pokémon Charizard card the YouTuber entered the ring with was special in its own right, a first edition mint-condition 10-grade version of the evolved fire starter. Because of its condition and edition, this Charizard iteration was already pretty darn valuable, but that value was elevated even more due to the Mayweather match. 

The match was arguably pretty lackluster (or maybe that's just us), but Pokémon is nifty, so there is that. With only a handful of these cards available, it's easy to see that the demand for this particular Charizard is high. Wearing it during a high-profile match like this made it even more so—all for the Pokémon. 

At the start of the weekend we heard that CD Projekt's stolen data was being shared online, and it seems the floodgates are now well and truly open. A bunch of dev-made bug compilation videos are now circulating on social media and file-sharing sites, showing some rarely-seen work-in-progress builds and rather spectacular bugs.

As Eurogamer reported on Friday, some dev videos had already started to leak alongside the source code for Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 and Thronebreaker, and it appears many of these are now being shared on 4chan, Reddit and YouTube. Most of the videos are being shared using video hosting platform Streamable, but many are now being pulled offline (they are, after all, the result of an illegal ransomware hack).

Some are short clips showing the player-character being ricocheted into the sky to the sound of Shooting Stars, or being knocked out only to wake up to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim opening. Others are more complex - one compilation shows several bugs with an off-tune recorder version of Spoiler (the track by DJ Hyper used in Cyberpunk's 2018 E3 trailer). Another lengthy edit called "CyberElBuggado2020" shows hotdog motorbikes, NPCs T-posing to the sound of Thriller, and Johnny Silverhand saying "this is going to be a disaster" in Spanish.

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To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to play Fortnite

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Goodbye, Quarantine. Hello, Extraction.

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Rejuvenate the land after an ecological disaster

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Netflix’s second season will likely follow the main trilogy’s second book

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Mighty Goose is out now, thank god

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Fans get a special preview on June 8

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Donations accepted until Friday

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