September 2023

Starfield, much like with other Bethesda games, has its own character creator. This is all well and good, but what if you could really Barbie up your protagonist? Make them a blond haired dreamboat. Well, now you can, thanks to this new mod!

Ryan Gosling Mod in Starfield

Thanks to a Nexus Mods uploader by the name of cacon50, you can now play as Ryan Gosling in the PC version of Starfield. It is a character preset mod that you can load into your game to achieve your new (or pre-existing) ambition of being Noah Calhoun, Jacob Palmer, Sebastian Wilder, or any other Gosling character you fancy imagining.

Starfield’s Steam Deck debut certainly had a rough start, as multiple players have issued their concerns with its low FPS rate. Fortunately, the modding community is here to save the day thanks to NexusMods user TheHybred’s creation, which finally stabilizes the frame rate and enhances its performance all around.

The SteamDeckHQ has tested out the newest feature, “Steam Deck Essentials,” explaining how the mod allows them to reach a decent performance rate at 30 FPS. The enhancement was made to initiate a smoother experience for the player and deal with several performance issues, including stutter issues, texture compressions, and increasing AVG FPS.

Among all of the lauded gameplay philosophies found in the Pokemon series, one of its finest is the way in which you dictate your experience right from the jump. By choosing one of the three available starters, you will find some battles easier, and others far more difficult.

Back in those halcyon days on the humble Game Boy, this infamous decision was between the fire-breathing Charmander, the aquatic Squirtle, or the plant-like Bulbasaur. People had their preferences based on aesthetics, surely, though for some it was a simple matter of practicality; whereas Charmander would struggle against the earliest Gym Leaders, Bulbasaur was the preferred route for beginners.

There’s a huge amount of customization features in every aspect of Bethesda’s Starfield, including the ship building sections. Players can craft crafts of all varieties, lending themselves to weird and wacky creations.

However, a lot of fans of another intergalactic IP — the infamous Star Wars saga — have taken to creating infamous ships in Bethesda’s Starfield.

A Season Pass, or Battle Pass, is a real must when you absolutely love a game. Purchasing the premium version of a season pass is a fun way to unlock extra cosmetics and in-game currencies as you level up. As these passes increase in popularity you will find more games introduce them, especially free-to-play titles. This also means that purchasing a season pass is a great way of supporting the team behind creating your current gaming obsession.

Anyone who plays multiple titles with a season pass might discover this becomes an eye-wateringly expensive hobby over the course of a year. Take 2022, for example, and the 20 popular titles below which each include a multi-tiered battle pass of some kind. As we add them up, we might find it to be an expensive annual expenditure!

The Last of Us Part II was released back in June of 2020; and despite being controversial at the time, it was a huge success. Ever since, fans of the series have been waiting for news about a third installment. Now, it seems that we may have just received a hint about it being in development…

The Last of Us Part III is Reportedly in the Works

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the game’s co-creator, Neil Druckmann, was discussing season 2 of The Last of Us HBO. In the interview, he was also asked about the possibility of a third The Last of Us game, which has been long awaited.

Fall is here yet again, and that means getting under soft, warm blankets and wearing nice big sweaters. It also means loading up games that, to some extent, have a cozy feel about them. So, join us as we dive into 10 games that are great to play in the Autumn (sorry Aussies, save this for later!)

10 Best Games for the Fall

For this list, we are entering games that have Fall type aspects about them. This can include such things as a changing seasons dynamic, a comforting atmosphere, or a general autumnal palette where the game’s color scheme is concerned. Let’s get started, shall we?

As you travel across the galaxies, you’ll often find yourself snapping a few pictures of the magnificent planets and beloved companions. Well, at least that’s definitely the case for me as I attempt to master the art of photography while still trying to be an elite explorer of the Constellation crew.

To my surprise, the photos I’ve taken (good or bad) aren’t simply tossed into the Photo Gallery to never be seen again but rather put up for display with each passing loading screen. Given that there are plenty of load times for Starfield’s massive universe, this feature could be a lot more tedious through other means, and yet, I actually enjoy seeing all these random photos I’ve collected. It makes the experience much more personal instead of primarily using premade ones.

The Xbox Series X is already a rather nice-looking minimalist monolith, but that’s not going to suit everybody’s tastes. Thankfully, Microsoft has now answered the prayers of those looking to add a little more personality to their consoles with Xbox Series X console wraps. These offer you the chance to bring some flair to your console, and there are no stickers or tools required to do so. This ease of use means that you’ll be able to change up the look of your Xbox effortlessly to suit your every mood.

So far, only Starfield and camo wraps have been announced, but here are 10 more Series X console wraps we want to customize our console with in the future.

There’s a lot to love about Starfield: the space dogfights, the exploration, the neverending list of quests, the excellent main story… Oh, and also the plushies.

Yes, you read that right. While Bethesda has always been lauded for their impeccable attention to detail, it really does feel like they’ve taken things to a whole other level with Starfield. We all remember The Lusty Argonian Maid from Elder Scrolls, and that was funny and all, but never have I been so enthralled by Starfield’s criminally adorable line of space plushies.

There’s nothing more humbling than thinking about the vast expanse of the cosmos.

To do so is to confront the stark reality that all of us are living out our lives on what astronomer Carl Sagan famously described as a “Pale Blue Dot”. It’s something that the very best works of science fiction have done repeatedly across film and literature, but arguably there has never been a video game that could be included in that pantheon of greats.

After over 30 years in the video game industry, Volition Games is officially closing down following a restructuring program analysis from Embracer Group.

The company took a hard look at the “strategic and operational goals” in June 2023, resulting in the decision to close down Volition Games. The studio first began as Parallax Software in the ’90s with the first-person shooter, the Descent series. Eventually, it evolved into Volition Games, producing hits like Summoner, Red Faction, The Punisher, and its most notable franchise, Saints Row.

Whether you are a newcomer or a Bethesda gaming veteran, it’s crucial to know what you are signing up for, especially if you have a certain expectation or are unsure about a mechanic. You could also factor in basic gameplay mechanics that could result in your character’s demise simply because you weren’t aware of the galaxy’s many harmful features.

That’s where we come in to help you get a better idea of what to anticipate before starting Starfield, with several handy tips and tricks that can maximize your space adventures.

Starfield on PC

There’s the call to adventure, the introduction of supernatural elements, and the congregation of like-minded individuals and mentors who help shape our protagonist into who they need to be to complete their mission. There are the challenges and temptations, an incredible and unbelievable revelation, the gradual realization of what must be done, the redemption arc, before everything comes full circle and our protagonist is right back where they started — just older and wiser.

In many ways, Starfield doesn’t really do anything new. It’s an open-world game with a tried and true story structure that’s been overused across all forms of media. Truly, the hero’s journey might be the most tiresome and overused narrative formula in TV and movies — and make no mistake, Starfield leans into it pretty hard. This should come as no surprise, considering that the hero’s journey serves as the backbone of most other Bethesda open-world games. And yet, despite Starfield’s unapologetic reuse of narrative tropes and open-world trappings, Bethesda has somehow managed to create something genuinely special here.

Although Starfield was only officially announced back in 2018, the subreddit was already in motion as leaks and rumors surrounded Bethesda’s then-mysterious game. Since then, the community has continued to grow, with many seeing a tremendous jump in numbers due to the highly-anticipated Early Access launch.

So, now that the game is finally set in motion, Starfield’s director, Todd Howard, made his way over to the popular subreddit to thank the fans for their support that has inspired the team over the years. He also believes that Bethesda has “gaming’s smartest fans,” given their dedication and willingness to bring out new ideas on the forum.

The excitement for Starfield is very, very real, with Bethesda’s space opera set to launch on September 1 for those Xbox and PC players who’ve secured early access. Otherwise, it’s September 6. However, if you’re on Steam, one player has shared an important PSA.

Shared to Reddit by user ComManDerBG on August 30, it’s based on how Steam activates pre-loaded titles once they’re unlocked and are available to play. The platform does not unlock games and make them instantly playable. Instead, it has to decrypt the compressed game files it has downloaded. This means that when Starfield goes live, players will have to wait for their Steam to decrypt the game. The speed at which this occurs is based on the drive it’s been installed on.

Sea of Stars has had an extremely successful release, with plenty of players praising the game for its simplistic yet cute story revolving around friendship and heroism, gorgeous 2D pixel art graphics, and endearing and lovable main characters. However, while the magical Solstice Warriors Zale and Valere are brilliant key protagonists, there is one character who steals the show from these two, despite having no powers himself.

This, of course, is none other than Valere and Zale’s best friend from childhood, Garl. He may not be gifted with any magical powers, but he’s certainly just as much — and at times even more — of a hero than his two friends. Unfortunately, for the most part, Garl seems to just slip under the radar as the humorous, lovable Cook despite being so much more.

Stray, the much-loved cat adventure from developer BlueTwelve Studio and publisher Annapurna Interactive is being turned into an animated movie by Annapurna Pictures' animation arm - which produced DNEG Animation's recently released Nimona.

Stray - which launched last summer on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC - deposits players in a dystopian sci-fi metropolis for some exploration, adventure, and mystery, as its four-legged protagonist searches, with a little help from their robot companuon B12, for a way home.

News of Stray's animated adaptation comes via Entertainment Weekly, and while specifics are limited at this seemingly early juncture, there's a least a of hint at what Annapurna Animation will be trying to achieve in its "respectful" adaptation.

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On a similarly social note, players can now request to join their friends on Xbox, with that friend able to send a party invite, game invite, or message in response.

Also included in the September update is Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which allows players' TVs or monitors to adjust its refresh rate based on the content being viewed, giving a smoother experience while gaming. Players can adjust when VRR is active in the TV & Display Options menu.

Since Starfield is a massive open-world spacefaring RPG, there’s plenty to do and see, but equally much you can miss if you aren’t paying attention. One easily overlooked item is a goated spacesuit that’s locked behind a glass case. However, if you’re sly and tricky enough, you can obtain it very early on.

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On September 8, Ash Ketchum’s final Pokémon episodes will premiere on Netflix. After 25 years and over 1,200 episodes, the anime has retired its long-time protagonist and is moving on to new main characters Liko and Roy as they embark on a journey throughout the Pokémon world. Depending on who you ask, this is either…

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Ring the bell, everybody, it's time for another round of game developers telling players that they don't really understand what a "game engine" is. The spark this time is little-known science fiction adventure Starfield, which I believe we've reported on before. The game has a few obvious foibles - in my experience as a space pirate, NPCs sometimes struggle to navigate their surroundings, and then there are those stark disconnects between planetary surfaces and orbital space. Hiccups such as these have led a few players to wonder whether the game might work better using different technology, and in particular, the newer versions of Epic's ubiquitous Unreal Engine. Isn't Bethesda's proprietary Creation Engine, which the company have been updating since 2011, getting a little long in the tooth?

You'll find a lot of the discussion below this post from Digital Foundry boffin John Linneman on Twxter, which has attracted both gloating PlayStation fans (remember, Starfield is Xbox-only in console land) and a number of thoughtful replies from some fairly senior game developers. This conversation goes back a fair way, of course - people have been ragging on Bethesda for using "the same engine" for years. And there's a definite air of world-weariness to some of the developer responses.

SNK revealed the release date for Duo Lon, the latest DLC character for KOF XV. The Hizoku clan assassin will become available to play as (or against) on September 12, 2023, to those who purchase the $5.99 add-on or $29.99 Fighter Pass. There's also a new trailer showing him off.

Duo Lon is an assassin who fights using dark magic, teleporting, and extendable limbs. He uses his speed and mobility to neutralize opponents. In the trailer, you can see him trading words with Najd, Ash and Elisabeth before unleashing a special attack on Gato. Duo Lon also mentions Shen Woo, another character who is not yet playable in KOF XV.

You can watch his character trailer below:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e0A6PN3pVE[/embed]

You can see some official screenshots in the post below:

[embed]https://twitter.com/SNKPofficial/status/1698878867178455293?s=20[/embed]

Duo Lon was originally revealed as a DLC fighter for KOF XV at Evo 2023. The previous DLC fighter, Najd, had her release date revealed at that event. That's also when her own trailer and character breakdown appeared too. There is one final character remaining in this round of DLC. While their identity is unknown they are scheduled for release in Winter 2023.

Super Groupies announced a 2023 Hatsune Miku merchandise collection. This means a whole new set of items based on the Vocaloid. Each features a new series of designs compared to past items. This time, there’s a Hatsune Miku bag, jacket, wallet, and watch. There’s also an early purchase bonus that gives people an illustration card with art by Fuka Hire. Pre-orders are open until September 25, 2023, with WorldShopping allowing worldwide shipping. Items are expected to arrive in February 2024.

The new Hatsune Miku bag, coat, wallet, and watch are all based on the Fuka Hire design in which the Vocaloid is wearing all of them as an outfit. The watch has a pink square hour hand, like her hair accessory, and its teal and black. It also notes 01, which is her number, and has HTN-39 on it. The jacket also features the same pink square hair accessory references on the buttons. It’s mainly black, with some teal and magenta accents. It features 01 on the back. The bag also features similar 01 and HTN-39 stitching and the teal accents, as does the wallet.

Here’s the full list of Super Groupies Hatsune Miku merchandise and the prices:

Hololive revealed ReGLOSS is a new music band composed of five VTubers under the DEV_IS branch. Cover recently announced the new generation and revealed the schedule for the debut of each member. The streams will happen between September 9-10, 2023. Additionally, ReGLOSS released its first song, titled "Shunkan Heartbeat."

Hololive DEV_IS' ReGLOSS consists of five new members: Hiodoshi Ao, Otonose Kanade, Ichijou Ririka, Juufuutei Raden, and Todoroki Hajime. Hiodoshi Ao is a manga artist that plays cool and aloof, but under the surface is an otaku. Otonose Kanade is an aspiring musician who wears her heart on her sleeve. Ichijou Ririka is an enterpreneur who started her own company on a whim and seems to be quite successful. Juufuutei Raden is a lover of arts and culture that enjoys both tradition and revolution. Raden is an ardent fan of rakugo, and is practicing public speaking. Todoroki Hajime is a restless jane-of-all-trades with the goal of being the number 1 most badass person in the universe.

Here is the schedule for the debut of all five members of Hololive DEV_IS:

Suzume Nendoroids will be released next year, according to Good Smile Company. Figures of both Suzume Iwato and Souta Munakata are set to be released in February 2024. They are both available for pre-order now for ¥7,000 each. They are also both available from the US store, where they cost $45.99 each and will be released in Q3 2024.

The Suzume Iwato Nendoroid comes equipped with a smartphone, a set of boots and her childhood chair with the missing leg. She will also have two face plates, with one smiling and another looking serious. The Souta Munakata Nendoroid comes with his Closer Key and a small figure of Daijin the cat. Like Suzume, he will also have smiling and serious face plates.

The Suzume Nendoroids were first announced at WonHobby 36. At the time, they were teased alongside a prototype of the Suzume Pop-Up Parade figure, which is set for release in December 2023.

Square Enix announced that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series sales reached 3 million copies. This includes all six games across all platforms, and likely includes both physical and digital versions of the games. The company did not provided sales figures for the individual games.

This is the second sales milestone announced for the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series since the PS4 and Switch releases of the collection on April 19, 2023. The series previously reached 2 million in May 2023. The Pixel Remaster series were also cited as positive in Square Enix’s first quarter financial results in August 2023 despite reduced profits overall.

Before this, Square Enix did not announce any sales figures for the series, likely due to its staggered releases. The original Pixel Remaster release consisted of the first three Final Fantasy games, released to PC and mobile on July 28, 2021. After this, Final Fantasy IV-VI were then released individually on these platforms over the next few months, ending with Final Fantasy VI on February 23, 2022.

Xbox's September Update will begin rolling out this week, Microsoft has confirmed, giving all users access to a number of features previously only available to Xbox Insiders - including Xbox voice reporting and the ability to stream Xbox One and Series X/S gameplay directly to Discord.

Those interested in gameplay streaming will first need to link their Discord account to their console, after which they can select the 'Discord' option from 'Parties & chats' via the guide, pick a server, then directly share gameplay after jumping into a voice channel with friends.

Xbox voice reporting, meanwhile - another feature that made headlines on its Xbox Insiders debut - enables players to easily capture a 60-second video clip of an in-game voice incident they believe violates Xbox Community Standards then submit it as evidence for review.

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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, NES, PC
Publisher: The MIX Games
Developer: The Mix Games, Wallride
Release: 2024

A large portion of '90s kids look back on Rugrats with great fondness. As one of the defining cartoons of both the decade and the network of Nickelodeon, Rugrats spawned its fair share of licensed video games, but last week's announcement of a new one still came as a shock. That game, Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland, doesn't just feature retro sensibilities – it's an actual all-new retro game built in 2023. Though the first Rugrats video game didn't release until the late '90s, Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland gives you the full retro experience, paying homage to the era of gaming that Rugrats completely missed despite first airing in 1991.

In a recent preview of the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet The Teal Mask DLC, Famitsu confirmed that a large number of Move Tutor moves from the Pokemon Sword and Shield The Isle of Armor DLC will return as TMs. These can be crafted using the TM Machines available at Pokemon Centers. Some of the moves that will appear include Grassy Glide, Burning Jealousy, Lash Out, and Poltergeist.  [Thanks, Famitsu!]

Famitsu confirmed that plenty of other moves introduced in the previous game’s The Isle of Armor DLC Move Tutor will appear in the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC. However, the method for obtaining them or learning the TM recipe has not been confirmed yet. It is also

The release of The Isle of Armor DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield added a new Move Tutor. With it, 18 new moves were introduced, one for each of the Pokemon Types. However, Move Tutors didn’t appear in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Likewise, Move Reminders and the Move Deleters were not present in the game. This is because Pokemon Legends: Arceus made it possible to remember and delete moves at any time from the menu, a feature that carried over in the most recent Pokemon titles.

Tite Kubo’s Bleach art exhibit will appear in both New York City, USA and Shimokitazawa, Japan this fall. His work will be collotype-printed on handmade washi, or traditional Japanese paper. Bleach pieces will be on display from September 7-10, 2023 at the “Art on Paper” art fair in New York City. It will also be viewable from September 16, 2023 at the SRR Project Space art gallery in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. [Thanks, PR Times!]

Tite Kubo’s Bleach art exhibit at “Art on Paper” will be the first showing in the world. A mounted version of the printed art will be displayed. This art exhibit is also part of a project that launched in March 2021 called the “Shueisha Manga Art Heritage.” This project was created with the vision of passing manga down from generation to generation.

The works themselves are part of the Shueisha Manga Art Heritage’s “The Millenium” series, which is based on the concept of passing down manga to the next 1,000 years. It features washi paper used for manga art that was handcrafted by artisans in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The Kyoto studio that printed the work is the only place in the world that can do collotype-printing of this large size.

Starfield is here and it’s easily one of the biggest video games of 2023, both in terms of how large its digital galaxy is and just how much hype is surrounding Bethesda’s latest RPG. So it should come as no surprise that we here at Kotaku have spent a lot of time covering it. From tips about how to sell your loot to…

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Before Starfield even launched, in-game sandwiches had become a popular topic online thanks to an early teaser trailer and other videos from Bethesda. Now that the game is out (for those who paid for early access) we can collect and eat sandwiches in Starfield ourselves. And…wait a minute, it only heals four points of…

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Charles Martinet, the iconic voice behind everyone’s favorite mustachioed plumber for over 25 years, has transitioned from playing the character into being a “Mario Ambassador” instead, Nintendo recently announced. But there’s one problem: Martinet still doesn’t know what his new role at Nintendo entails.

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Starfield, like most other Bethesda RPGs, has several factions that players can choose to align themselves with throughout the game. Though the long-awaited spacefaring RPG has only just come out (unlocking September 1 for buyers of the Premium and Constellation editions, with the full launch coming September 6),…

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Baldur's Gate 3 released with plenty of bugs, but to their credit Larian have been releasing plenty of patches in the weeks since its launch. The most recent, hotfix #5, is live now - and it resolves several game-breaking bugs, a particular romance blocker, improves performance in multiplayer, and much more.

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Starfield doesn't fully launch until tomorrow, but there are already hundreds of mods for Bethesda's spacefaring RPG. Most of those mods focus on simple asset swaps or UI tweaks, but the community just took another big step towards more complex creations: the Starfield Script Extender is out now.

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