August 2021

Switch Pro, Switch 2, Super Switch, Switch Model S: it's not entirely clear what it's actually going to called or when it's coming, but the rumours are non-stop and a continual topic is the use of Nvidia's DLSS - deep-learning super-sampling - the means of combining 'traditional' temporal super-sampling with a neural network to radically boost resolution. It's been used to great effect on PC and its job on a new Switch would be to take the 720p image designed for the mobile screen, then to scale it up to 2160p for an agreeable presentation on today's 4K displays. That's the theory, but in practise, is DLSS actually viable for a handheld device? We decided to run the numbers.

First of all, we need to look at the plausibility of an actual DLSS-capable processor ending up in a mobile console. There at least, there are positive answers. Nvidia's latest Tegra SoC (system on chip) is codenamed Orin, it's based on the latest Ampere architecture and it's primarily designed for the automotive industry which presents our first problem - it has a 45W power budget, in a world where the debut Switch hit a maximum of 15W, with 10-11W likely used by the main processor itself (and probably half of that in mobile mode). There is a solution though: there's an ultra low power rendition of Orin running at just 5W by default, but should easily scale up with more power consumption and more performance when docked.

Gamescom's annual award ceremony concluded with a slew of wins for Elden Ring, making Bandai Namco the top-performing publisher in the awards spread. ...

The Bethesda veteran will take some time to reflect before choosing their next move. ...

It’s the third day of Gamescon 2021, and multiple outlets have gotten an in-depth preview of FromSoftware’s eagerly anticipated open-world RPG, Elden Ring. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most interesting bits of information coming out of today’s articles.

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Vikings—the tough Norse warriors who wore horned helmets while raiding villages—hark all the way back to the ‘80s and ‘90s. But in the last two to three years, there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of games featuring or starring these ruffians.

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The news that the new Saints Row will be a more grounded, less offensive game than previous entries in the franchise, has been met with mixed responses. While some are delighted that a series that had previously alienated them might become more inviting, inevitably so much of the reaction has been rooted in tiresome…

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Genshin Impact’s Inazuma update just came out last month. But I’ve been too distracted to complete it because hunting animals is too fun.

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RimWorld is a Dwarf Fortress-inspired management game, so it's no surprise that its modding community is also following in the footsteps of their dwarven forebears.

For example, this week saw the release of Yayo's Rim 3D via the Steam Workshop. It's a mod that lets you press a button to view your RimWorld camp in 3D. Come watch a video of it below.

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Originally released in 1997 in Japan, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure is an "anti-RPG." You play as a young boy who gets sucked into a fantasy land where a traditional "hero" has ransacked villagers' cupboards and killed innocent monsters, and you grow in power by saving the souls of those same creatures and "level up by loving."

Sound familiar? That's because Moon was one of the inspirations for Undertale, Toby Fox's smash hit indie RPG. Now Moon is headed to PC for the first time, a year after it was first translated into English.

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On this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang podcast Imogen and I chat EA sharing Apex Legends' ping system with other companies, Call Of Duty: Vanguard things, and the fact Destiny 2 is adding a big lady. I for one am a fan of this big lady, as her getup reminds me of a candelabra, which is nice.

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The latest SMT V video looks at Flaemis, one of the four sorts of elemental characters that constantly appears throughout the series.

The post Flaemis Will Appear to Heat Up SMT V appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix opened North American pre-orders for both The World Ends with You anime and NEO TWEWY game soundtrack CDs.

The post TWEWY Anime and NEO TWEWY Soundtrack CDs Arrive in November appeared first on Siliconera.

As part of the FFXIV 8th anniversary celebration, Square Enix had Great British Baking Show contestant Kim-Joy make a "birthday" cake.

The post FFXIV Cake Made by Great British Baking Show’s Kim-Joy appeared first on Siliconera.

Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 1 brings two PS2 RPGs to Nintendo Switch. Want to know more about it? Read on for our hands-on analysis!

The post Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 1 Brings Two RPGs to the Switch appeared first on Siliconera.

Riot Games has hosted another of its monthly ‘Ask the Devs‘ sessions, and one question the team felt was worth highlighting, in particular, pertaining to the lower ranks some players have experienced during Episode 3 and the spread of rank distribution moving forward. As it turns out, Riot has noticed an unusually high percentage of players are clustered around Silver, and it’s something it wants to change moving forward.

Riot explained that changes made to Valorant for Episode 3 have made matches much fairer, but they did so at the expense of dropping the MMR of all players — the elo system that determines player rank. Jon Walker, competition producer at Riot said:

@Now that we have gathered enough data, we can comfortably say our lower ranks have too many people in them, and our higher ranks not enough. This is what we call Ranked Distribution: the population of players in each rank. Since your rank is tied to your MMR, this led to the whole playerbase situated in a rank lower than intended (by a small amount).“

The article features two handy graphs that highlight just how cluttered the lower elo ranks are, and another below showcases Riot’s intended target distribution moving forward:

Today third-party developers released multiple add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator and revealed new assets about more upcoming ones.

We start in Japan, with the launch of the scenic Amami Airport (RJKA), perfect for those summer flights from Tokyo to the heavenly southern islands.

It’s currently available on SimMarket for approximately $15 plus applicable VAT.

Bethesda Game Studios has just released three developer commentary videos that go behind the scenes on their upcoming outer space RPG, Starfield. Bethesda promised new news not too long ago, and now they’re delivering.

The short teasers are narrated by Starfield Design Director Emil Pagliarulo and they provide details on three notable locations found in the game’s world: New Atlantis, Neon, and Akila.

New Atlantis is the capital city of the United Colonies, and the first teaser shows off the concept art of its spaceport. The United Colonies is the most powerful political faction in the game, so to say that this is a major city is an understatement.

The second Starfield location, Neon, is a “pleasure city” that’s been built on the water like the elevated oil processing platforms seen in real life. Neon was built on an aquatic world for the purpose of fishing, but a fish with psychotropic properties was discovered

Blasphemous, developer The Game Kitchen's superb gothic action-platformer, is wrapping up its brooding redemption adventure on 9th December with the arrival of another free story expansion, titled Wounds of Eventide, plus there's a fully fledged sequel due in 2023.

Blasphemous, which released to well-deserved acclaim back in 2019, tells the story of The Penitent One, a pointy hatted fellow with a barbed-wire sword, forced to venture across the accursed kingdom of Cvstodia - a desolate, but lavishly presented world of dark religious iconography, monsters, and encroaching madness.

It's wonderful stuff, serving up an engaging blend of 2D Souls-like and Metroidvania bolstered by some fascinating world-building and gorgeously wrought, grimly unforgettable imagery. Needless to say, it was an absolute pleasure to return to Blasphemous the following year when The Game Kitchen continued The Penitent One's tale in its free The Stir of Dawn DLC.

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Halo Infinite comes out on the 8th December 2021 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC. It's also being added to Xbox Game Pass on the same day.

We've rounded up all you need to know about Halo Infinite, including its release date, price, where to pre-order, editions and pre-order bonuses. You can also scroll ahead using the jump links to find out more about the new Halo Infinite Xbox Series X console and Elite controller Series 2, plus Razer and Seagate's new Halo-themed product releases. If you want to read more about Halo Infinite multiplayer Season 1, be sure to check out Wesley's article.

If you can't wait to get your hands on the next instalment of the Halo franchise, you can pre-order a copy from the links below.

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Nintendo dropped some new Metroid Dread info this morning, complete with a video detailing the different skills franchise heroine Samus Aran brings to the table in the upcoming Switch game when it launches on October 8. But this all pales in comparison to the reveal that Kraid, a secondary antagonist who hasn’t been…

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Back in April a group of incredibly talented independent developers calling themselves Team SCU released an impressive demo for Prime 2D, a side-scrolling remake of 2002’s first-person Metroid Prime. The ambitious project had been in planning for over 15 years. Nintendo’s lawyers put an end to it in four months.

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Possessed witches, talking crystals, and bugged missions—Destiny 2’s Season of the Lost has it all. After a small respite toward the end of Season of the Splicer, I’ve dived back into the deep end of Bungie’s loot shooter with the unofficial start of year five. And there’s a lot to love and even more to grumble about.…

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Imagine a spectrum of videogame trailers, with "meaninglessly vague cinematic trailer" at one end and "explicit and lengthy gameplay footage" at the other. DokeV sits firmly in the latter category, but it's proven no less baffling as someone trying to get a handle on what the game is about.

After a new four minute trailer dropped during Gamescom - with no structure, sound effects, or explanation of any kind - developers Pearl Abyss have kindly followed-up with a developer commentary that talks through what you see in the video.

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Townscaper, the cute town building toy, has now left early access and hit version 1.0. The final release doesn't bring any major updates, but it didn't need one - it was already worth your time.

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I recently learned about goblincore, a cottagecore-adjacent aesthetic that's a little more rooted in fantasy and dirt than its pastoral cousin.

Since we're defining niches, you can't convince me to not call Moonglow Bay fishcore. It's got the little seaside house, the pet, the Instagram-ready book-and-an-armchair scenes, but it's also about sailing out on your little tug to catch different kinds of fish. And you can't convince me that boat doesn't smell of fish guts.

There's a new trailer below, which brings the news that we can all imagine those fish guts come October 7th.

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30 years ago, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System launched in North America. What are the best RPGs the generation had to offer?

The post What Are The Best 16-Bit RPGs? appeared first on Siliconera.

One of the coolest things about video game consoles is that there are a lot of awesome special editions that are made, and the Nintendo Switch is no different. We’ve seen plenty of cool ones, including Animal Crossing, Zelda, and Pokemon. Nothing beats how awesome the custom DS console that one fan made that turned it into a Pokedex.

As you can see in the post to the Pokemon subreddit below, user tomvdcr created a wonderfully modded Nintendo DS Lite using a toy Pokedex.

In the comments section, it was detailed that the toy that they used a Jaxx Pacific Sinnoh Pokedex, taking the plastic housing and trimming it so that it would fit the hardware of the DS Lite. In the video, the Pokedex DS was show running Pokemon Diamond perfectly, even allowing the modern to use the touch screen and volume features, with the cartridge slot also in working condition as well.

Arcadian Atlas

Arcadian Atlas has to be on the radar of any tactical-RPG fan from the late 90s and early 2000s. Inspired by classics such as Tactics Orge and Final Fantasy Tactics, Arcadian Atlas has always looked good on paper since its Kickstarter a few years ago, but as we know, on-paper doesn’t always translate to actual success, especially in the TRPG world. Fortunately, Arcadian Atlas appears to be delivering on its promises and has continued to look impressive as more content is released.

This is a game that’s just full of style. From its visual choices to its unique character designs, the No More Heroes 3 makes you want to put some of its art on your phone lock screen or PC desktop as wallpapers.

The previous game in the series was Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes and that was released just two years ago, in 2019. However, it’s been over a decade since the last numbered release, as No More Heroes 2 launched back in 2010.

Longtime fans have been patiently waiting for this game, so what better way to show that excitement than by using the eye-catching art from No More Heroes 3 as wallpapers? Check out some of our favorites below and use the links provided to get them for yourself.

Coming hot off the heels of the events surrounding Pokémon Go Fest 2021, Hoopa and its antics are continuing into a new season of content for the mobile app. Dubbed the Season of Mischief, trainers will complete Special Research objectives to find the smaller version of the legendary djinn, Confined Hoopa.

Starting on September 1 and running until December 1, the Special Research story in Pokémon Go surrounding Hoopa’s exploits will begin. Throughout the Season of Mischief more will be revealed about the Pokémon as more tasks become available. As research tasks are completed, the Mischief Pokémon will become available to catch. However, Hoopa is not going to be available for transfer to Pokémon Home or other games in the series for the time being.

Moonglow Bay, developer Bunnyhug's "slice-of-life fishing RPG", is readying to raise anchor and set sail for Xbox, PC, and Game Pass on 7th October.

Set in a struggling 1980s Canadian coastal town where people are afraid to fish, Moonglow Bay draws inspiration from the likes of Harvest Moon and Legend of the River King, aiming to "capture the magic of fishing and make it the heart of everything".

Players take on the role of a rookie angler trying to full their partner's last wish and keep their business afloat - a task Moonglow Bay thankfully pitches more toward relaxing village-life sim than soul-sapping struggle on the brink of destitution.

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McCree, the Overwatch cowboy hero named after a former Blizzard employee, will soon have his name changed. His namesake, level designer Jesse McCree, was fired from Blizzard Entertainment. ...

More so than any other medium, video games have a knack for spawning jargon that’s both absurd sounding and inscrutable. Near the top of that list is “Metroidvania,” a term that would prompt any normal person you said it in front of to quickly begin searching for the nearest exit. Even people who love Metroidvanias …

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I know, I know. The last thing the world seems to need right now is yet another Marvel video game. It feels as if a dozen have been announced and about as many have been released in the last few years. On top of that, this is a mobile game, so I know a lot of you have already checked out. But listen to me. I think …

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The demon Amabie is known for warding off illness during the Edo period.

The post Atlus Shares Amabie Drawing by SMT V Character Designer appeared first on Siliconera.

Reviewed on: Stadia
Also on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: The Arcade Crew
Developer: 1P2P
Release: August 17, 2021 (Stadia), March 10, 2022 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
Rating: Mature

Young Souls stars two orphans who are used to being overlooked, but you shouldn’t ignore their adventure. This RPG brawler sports more depth than your run-of-the-mill beat ‘em up thanks to slick combat, enjoyable customization, and sharp writing. Whether you’re cutting down monsters alone or alongside a buddy, brawler connoisseurs should take notice. 

Jeff Goldblum returns to Game Informer! In this face-to-face interview, the iconic actor discusses his role in the upcoming park management game, Jurassic World Evolution 2. Additionally, Jeff shares where in the United States he would build his own Jurassic Park, talks about his process for recording video game voice lines, and mentions that John Hammond, the famous Jurassic Park character, should probably go to therapy. 

Yesterday, Epic added an interactive Martin Luther King, Jr. museum to its popular free-to-play shooter, Fortnite. While the civil rights educational event came with some specific emotes for players to use, it also allowed folks to activate any emote from the wider stable of options. Having this freedom went about as…

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Note: This guide focuses on the Bedrock version of Minecraft, available on Windows 10, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and mobile.

There aren't many truly inhospitable biomes in Minecraft, but it's easier to make a life in some than others. These temperate biomes are the easiest place to start whether you're logging in for the first time or are a Minecraft veteran. Below, we detail everything you need to know about them.

Plains

Plains are one of the most common biomes--even if you've never played Minecraft, you've probably seen a screenshot of plains. This biome is mostly flat, though it can have some trees as well.

This biome spawns common farm mobs and horses, and is the only biome where you can find donkeys. Bees and beehives spawn here as well. All common, non-biome-specific hostile mobs spawn here. Most flowers can spawn in this biome, while the sunflower plain variant is the only biome that can spawn sunflowers. Villages and pillager outposts can spawn in plains biomes, though they're fairly rare.