November 2021

The holiday gifting season is fast upon us, and many of us have kids in our family or friend groups who are hoping for something fun wrapped up to enjoy. Beyond gift-giving, if you’ve got a family of your own, you may be trying to come up with ways to keep yourself and the kids entertained over the holiday break from school. Either way, I can say with confidence that a good family board game is worth its weight in gold, both for keeping everyone happily entertained, but also ensuring some fun shared activities to make memories.

The board gaming hobby has no shortage of wonderful family games, but I’ve kept the focus here on mostly newer projects that you may not have heard of. As you consider which game might be right for your family group, make sure and check against the age recommendations listed, and zero in on something that all participants can enjoy, no matter how long they’ve been gaming.

Getting hold of a PlayStation 5 may be tough this Black Friday, but for those who have been lucky, the next hot item on the list is an SSD to expand the console's comparatively meagre internal storage. As Sony's new console makes use of the latest and fastest SSDs on the market to achieve its next-to-zero loading times to incredible effect like in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, these are also the most expensive SSDs right now. Fortunately, GameStop has one of the best deals you can find in the US this Black Friday, as it's selling the 1TB Samsung 980 PRO for just $169.99, which saves you $60 off its usual MSRP.

For those thinking long term and willing to shell out even more, the 2TB version also has a huge reduction, down to $319.99. While that's more than the cost of a new Xbox Series S, you also have to appreciate that it's down from its usual MSRP of $429.99, saving you $110. And if you like games that constantly require gargantuan updates (looking at you, Call of Duty) then that extra 1TB is going to come in handy.

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Creative Assembly's latest gameplay video for upcoming strategy game Total War: Warhammer 3 showcases two of my favourite factions in the fantasy universe: Nurgle and Slaanesh.

The video, below, contains gameplay of a fight between armies of the two competing Chaos gods, complete with throaty narration.

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Some time in the distant past, our ancestors moved to the treetops and decided that fruit was quite delicious. Before that, we weren't fussy. Afterwards, fruit was top of the menu. And so we evolved three-colour vision to distinguish unripe fruit from the very ripest. Or, that's one theory. In truth, we don't know for sure what caused our colour vision to change in the deep past. But for whatever reason, although most mammals see the world in two colours, most humans see the world in three. It's called trichromacy.

Now, I know what you're thinking. There are more than three colours. Richard of York gained battle in vain for this. Well, hold your horses, because poor Richard did not gain battle in vain in vain. There are many, many colours, but, for most humans, these are all mixes of red, green, and blue. Trichromats have three colour receptors, called 'cones', at the back of their eyes, and all the colours of the rainbow are constructed from these three basic building blocks. Different ratios of red, green, and blue can create most any colour. And those of you with three-colour vision can try it out for yourself using the colour twiddler in Microsoft Paint.

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Those on the hunt for a deep and tactical RPG experience may have their scratches itched by developer Animmal’s (sic) upcoming RPG, The Way of Wrath.

Scheduled to arrive on PC and Nintendo Switch sometime in 2022, the indie studio has confirmed that publishing duties will be handled by Texas-based publisher Hooded Horse.

Accompanying the news is a new video shedding light on the moment-to-moment gameplay fans can expect from the mythological RPG experience. Go ahead and check it out below:

As you can see in the footage above, The Way of Wrath looks set to be a similar experience to Stoic Studio’s narrative-driven turn-based RPG, The Banner Saga.

Set during the Bronze age, combat appears to be fairly dynamic, and the story allegedly unfolds in a non-linear fashion. Additionally, players will have to make various choices that impact the world around them, and potentially cause different repercussions.

Rounding out the package is a fort management system where players can build traps and their very own siege equipment, as well as craft new weapons and equipment.

As games get bigger in the latest console generation, storage expansion has never been more important. But as they also take advantage of the latest high-speed SSD technology, these options are also the most expensive. Fortunately, there have been some great deals this Black Friday weekend, and if you own an Xbox Series X/S then it's even simpler as it only has one proprietary expansion option manufactured by Seagate. And right now, the 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion SSD Card is down to just £184.99 from Amazon UK, saving you £35 from its usual £219.99 RRP.

That's admittedly still a pricey way of expanding your storage, especially considering not far away from the cost of a Series S, which also only has 500GB of internal storage. It's also not as deep a discount as the off-the-shelf SSDs that have been going on sale during the Black Friday period. The one major advantage of Xbox's SSD storage expansion is that it's much simpler.

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The developer of DC Universe Online is making a Marvel MMO.

Dimensional Ink Studios, the latest name for the Austin, Texas branch of Daybreak Game Company, is working on a "Marvel IP based massively multiplayer online game", according to an investor presentation.

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Halo Infinite multiplayer is out in the wild - and cheating has already begun.

Players have reported coming across cheaters in 343's free-to-play competitive shooter, whose multiplayer is still flagged as being in beta.

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The vibes are right and the games are fun, but I really wish it lasted longer.

The post Date Night Bowling is Short-Lived Fun appeared first on Siliconera.

As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, Microsoft didn't just add to its backwards compatibility library, it also added FPS Boost to Xbox 360 games for the first time. Not only that, it also doubled the frame-rate on select Xbox 360 titles that had already received enhanced 4K support for Xbox One X. Spurred on by the addition of FPS Boost to one of my favourite Sonic games, I decided to take a look at some of these improved experiences, gaining further appreciation for some classic titles.

In doing so, it reminded me of something I hadn't thought deeply about for some time - the fact that the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 era actually delivered what must surely be the biggest gen-on-gen downgrade in overall game performance... if you ignore Nintendo 64, that is. In looking at these newly enhanced FPS Boost releases, I also decided to go back and revisit their showings on Xbox 360 too - because Series consoles aren't just delivering a doubling of performance, but often much, much more. Standard back-compat on Xbox Series consoles effectively solves their original performance issues - they hit their (mostly) 30fps frame-rate caps. However, FPS Boost goes one step further, reminding us that 60fps used to be the norm, not the exception.

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If you don't have an Xbox Series X or S already but all of the hype around Halo Infinite multiplayer footage is making you reconsider, there's a new Xbox Series S bundle available in the run-up to Christmas that includes downloadable content for Rocket League and Fortnite for £249.99/$299.99

Yes, Rocket League and Fortnite are both free to play, but this console bundle includes an exclusive cosmetics pack for Rocket League (Midnight Drive pack), 1000 Rocket League credits and 1000 V-Bucks. It's hard to price up the Midnight Drive pack as it's exclusive to this bundle, but you're getting around £15 of downloadable content for free. Rocket League is super fun, by the way.

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When choosing a TV there's all kinds of buzzwords and acronyms floating around that makes it difficult to consider which to go for. While the most expensive options will usually cover all the features you might want, if you're on a budget and want to hone in on one feature that's going to be important for next-gen gaming, then it's going to be what refresh rates (Hz) your TV is capable of displaying. The latest generation of consoles are now capable of running games at 120fps, but for that you'll need a TV that can output at 120Hz. If you're in need of an upgrade this Black Friday, then your most affordable option is the LG 55NANO866PA, a 55-inch TV that's down to just £699 from John Lewis.

This TV has four HDMI ports, which should be plenty if you've got multiple consoles and other devices, though most importantly two of these are HDMI 2.1 ports, which are required to run games in 120fps, supported by both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. After 4K was introduced last generation, 120fps is the next important leap for this new generation, as this is double the frame rate of what had been possible on previous consoles, making for an even smoother gaming experience.

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Today the Granblue Fantasy Versus Cygames Cup 2021 Winter was hosted, and the developer had a surprise in store for the fans.

We get to see the gameplay of Vira, the newest DLC character coming for the game, with a release window slated for December.

In the first two clips below you can see a breakdown of her moves and a match. The third clip will prove rather familiar to her fans, and comes from her brand new page on the official website, alongside a bunch of screenshots.

It’s worth mentioning that she won’t be the last character released for the game. At least another one is coming, and he or she will likely be announced at Granblue Fantasy Fes next month. It has recently been confirmed for December 11 and December 12, and promises new information about Granblue Fantasy Relink.

Today Bandai Namco hosted a livestream from Japan showing off the first live gameplay of its upcoming 7 vs. 1 survival game Dragon Ball: The Breakers.

The game is played by comedian Eiko Kano and we get three different segments.

In the first, he plays a survivor, then he tries his hand at playing the raider (Cell), and lastly, he plays the Oolong-like survivor.

Together with the previous video breaking down the gameplay mechanics, this should provide you with a good idea of what the game is like.

You can see all three segments below.

A figure of Corneria from Atelier Sophie is currently in development

The post Alter Unveils Prototype Atelier Ryza and Sophie Figures appeared first on Siliconera.

The Reno outfit bundle will give you everything you need to resemble the character, except for the hair.

The post Reno and Turks Outfits Added to FFVII The First Soldier appeared first on Siliconera.

Revealed yesterday via an investor presentation, Daybreak Game’s Austin-based Dimensional Ink game studio is developing a new Marvel MMO. However, according to the same presentation, it will likely be a few years before we see a trailer or screenshot of the upcoming online superhero game.

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The Xbox ecosystem is one that welcomes a range of third-party controllers and accessories. Fortunately for us, that includes Razer. This Black Friday weekend sees their excellent Wolverine V2 controller down to just £60 over at Amazon, and it works great both on console and PC.

Its muted design hides some excellent features that are above and beyond the standard Xbox controller sold today. Razer created it for comfort and lengthy play sessions thanks to the ergonomic design and non-slip rubber grips. Also, it features additional multifunction buttons, each resting near the triggers for quick access to your character's inventory or other game options. Because that's the thing: the Razer app on Windows lets you customise it as you wish. There's also an additional button at the front beneath the quick share option available on most Xbox controllers.

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Steam has set a new concurrent users record with over 27 million online.

According to SteamDB, Valve's platform hit a new all-time peak this afternoon of 27,182,165 concurrent users.

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Cyberpunk 2077's standing on Steam has recently improved - it now has a "Very Positive" user rating and is one of the top-selling games on the platform.

Cyberpunk 2077 suffered a disastrous launch and caused developer CD Projekt severe reputational damage it has yet to recover from. It went so badly, CD Projekt changed how it operates to develop multiple AAA games and expansions in parallel, and only begin promoting its creations much closer to release.

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Looking for a new gaming headset or to upgrade your current setup? With this Cyber Monday deal you save more than £50 on the wired Logitech G Pro X Gaming-Headset.

We've always had a great experience with Logitech gaming gear, and this is an excellent bargain. One feature we particularly like with these headphones is the comfort, making them ideal for use with long gaming sessions. Those of us that wear glasses appreciate the fit you get with the memory foam velour or leatherette earpads.

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Taiwanese developer Ming Yen Wu released a new video of his upcoming third-person action game Drifting: Weight of Feathers.

The video is designed as an audio test, but it provides a new look at the gameplay of the upcoming indie title, which mixes parkour with sleek action combat.

You can check ut out below. Since this is the first time we cover this game, I also included a more comprehensive trailer, to give you a better idea of what it’s all about.

Today Cloud Imperium Games revealed another new ship coming down the line to the growing space simulator Star Citizen.

The new ship, named MISC Odyssey, was presented at the MISC Day of the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2951 currently being hosted in the game. It’s a massive exploration vessel that could basically be defined as a flying space station.

Within its 140 meters hull, it includes hangars for vehicles and smaller crafts, habitation, a tier 2 medical bay, a 252 scu cargo hold, and even its own mining and refining equipment, so you can basically extract fuel from the environment and refine it on the spot in order to extend its range indefinitely.

While it can already be purchased starting at approximately $700, it’s still a concept. That means that, unlike the Argo Raft, it’s not flyable yet.

It’s worth mentioning as always that purchasing ships with real money isn’t required and that all ships are available for purchase using in-game credits soon after they’re made flyable. The option should be considered only if you care to support the development of the game. If you don’t, you can and should grind for it.

While this isn’t flyable yet, you can also try most of the available ships via the Free Fly event that is going on until December 1, granting everyone access to the game and its ships at no cost.

You can check out the trailer below, alongside a gallery of artwork, and a look at the Argo and Drake days of the expo, in case you missed them.

The first season of Game Informer’s Video Gameography explores the history of the Metroid series, and this episode is set to wrap our talk on Retro Studio's epic trilogy of Prime with a detailed discussion of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. 

Released on August 27, 2007 for Nintendo's Wii, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is often considered one of the best games on Nintendo's unique motion-sensing console. During today's show, we talk about what made 2007 such a phenomenal year and why we Prime 3 often gets overlooked in the shuffle. We also talk about how Prime 3 might be the best entry in the Prime series thanks to it innovative motion controls and the Hypermode system, which allowed Samus to dish out some serious damage. Finally, we speculate if Samus is just an intergalactic version of Batman.

Join hosts Ben Reeves (@BenjaminReeves), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), and special guest, lead community producer at Twitch Zach Ryan (@ZachariusD) for the next hour as we explore Metroid Prime's lore, development history, and lasting impact. 

Even unpainted, the pattern of her kimono is visible, as is the detail in her hair.

The post MegaHouse Reveals GALS Series Nezuko Figure at Expo appeared first on Siliconera.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl revisit the series' DS era. Are they for you? We’ll guide you in the right direction!

The post Review: Are Pokemon Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond for You? appeared first on Siliconera.

Babylon's Fall contains gear and emote assets "borrowed" from Final Fantasy 14, developer PlatinumGames has confirmed.

Players of the Babylon's Fall phase three closed beta test had expressed concern about the visual appearance of gear in the long-awaited Square Enix-published online co-op 3D action game, with some accusing Platinum of "ripping off" the much-loved MMO.

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Virgin Media has kicked off its Black Friday sales with a number of discounts on smartphone and SIM-only plans, but what we're really interested in are the gaming bundles.

With selected handsets, you can also get a free Nintendo Switch when purchasing a new pay monthly plan. You read that right, a Nintendo Switch free of charge! The cheapest plan gets you the OPPO Find X3 Lite 5G and a Nintendo Switch for just £25 per month with unlimited calls and texts and 2GB of data and no upfront cost. That adds up to £900 over the length of the contract (36 months).

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Would you like fewer cables in your life? Then having a wireless mouse is a good place to start, and you can make a great saving on this Logitech G903 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse, which is down to £57.99 at Amazon UK this Black Friday weekend. That's more than 50 percent off its usual £129.99 RRP. For those in the US, the price reduction isn't quite as dramatic, but when you can save $65 and get it from GameStop for $84.99, that's not a bad deal at all.

The G903 is a strong, generalist gaming mouse. Its performance, speed and accuracy are all excellent, its got a mouse wheel you can switch between stepped and smooth scrolling, as well as high-quality, clicky buttons.

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Curved monitors are designed to feel larger than flat screens of the same size, making them especially great if you love big open world games you can get lost in. That said, you'll also want to ensure it's got a high refresh rate with low-latency so that you've also got a great viable option for anything fast-paced. At a solid 165Hz with a crisp wide 2560 x 1440 display, the ASUS ROG Strix XG27W curved gaming monitor offers the best of both, and it's down to just £359.98 from Amazon UK, saving £109 (23 percent off) from its usual price of £469.

You can also get the same offer over at Ebuyer, who are also offering a further promotion so if you buy the ASUS ROG Strix XG27W you'll also be eligible to redeem a copy of Dying Light and its upcoming sequel Dying Light 2: Stay Human for free.

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The Samsung Odyssey G3 is a fantastic entry-model PC gaming monitor. Sure, it doesn't have the bells and whistles you might find with more pricier monitors, but at $199.99, the Odyssey G3 ticks all the boxes at a great price.

Featuring a 1080p VA panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium, the Odyssey G3 is the perfect monitor for smooth gameplay with entry-tier GPUs. If you have an Xbox Series X or S, the monitor should also support variable refresh rate (VRR) gaming at 1080p.

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Today third-party developers had new reveals to share about upcoming aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

During a livestream that has just ended, Synaptic Simulations provided news about its freeware (and soon open-source) Airbus A220.

We get to see quite a few impressive new renders of the aircraft, including both the interior and the exterior, on top of in-sim textured screenshots.

Psychics versus Mages fight it out in multiplayer.

The post Magicians Dead: Force of the Soul Gets Trailer, Release Window appeared first on Siliconera.

Halo Infinite’s early multiplayer launch on Nov. 15 was a fun surprise and in the time since then the general response to the beta has been favorable. But, the free-to-play shooter’s battle pass has been heavily criticized for being too slow to level up and filled with crappy rewards. While I can’t help you with the…

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A Liverpool player had to quit a FIFA 22 tournament early to play a real-life match this afternoon - and performed a gamer celebration after scoring after just 97 seconds.

Liverpool front man Diogo Jota spent the morning playing in a FIFA 22 international qualifier event before rushing off to make the 3pm kick-off of his club's Premier League match against Southampton at Anfield.

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Playing games on your phone continues to be an amazing experience. Whether you're playing hide and seek in PUBG, trying out the latest Apple Arcade title or streaming something from your Xbox, you need to have the best controller available.

Enter Razer's Kishi controller. Its selling point is that it's an expandable plastic shell that holds your controller while also staying plugged in at the bottom using either USB-C or Apple's lightning connection. And the Android version is down to just £49.99 on Amazon this Black Friday season, nearly half off its usual RRP of £89.99!

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D3 Publisher hosted a livestream to reveal new gameplay of the upcoming Earth Defense Force 6.

We get to see a new level, which appears to be underground. This should feel familiar to fans of the series. On top of that, we know that humanity has mostly retreated under the surface before the beginning of the game.

You can check out all the gameplay below. It’s worth mentioning that the version showcased is the PS4 one, so it’s likely that the PS5 version will look at least a bit better.

The game will release in Japan in 2022 for PS5 and PS4, as confirmed during Tokyo Game Show.

At the moment, no western release has been announced for the game, but D3 Publisher has been doing a good job at localizing its games, so there is certainly hope.