Siliconera

After someone passes Trailblaze Level 14 and finishes the Jarilo-VI Trailblaze Mission “Lying in Rust,” the Honkai: Star Rail “Old Foreman’s Treasure” Companion Mission for Hook unlocks. This is a fairly straightforward side quest. Players end up being tasked with helping her father, Fersman. However, like the Arlan Companion Quest, there’s a bit of an investigation involved. This means there’s a logic puzzle to help figure out who stole the vein detector in Honkai: Star Rail.

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So who stole the Honkai: Star Rail “Old Foreman’s Treasure” vein detector?

After you help Fersman and get him to Natasha’s clinic to get patched up, the Trailblazer and Hook will head to the vagrant camp in the minds. There are four possible candidates who might have stolen the vein detector in Honkai: Star Rail, and this is a situation in which the person who is guilty in “Old Foreman’s Treasure” will lie and the others will tell the truth.

In a way, you don’t need to bother with the logic part of it. When talking to the four candidates, the cook is the one who will behave in the most suspicious manner. However, during interrogations, the cook will blame the helper, the helper will plead innocent, the merchant will blame the cook, and the tailor will plead innocent.

Since Slay the Spire, we’ve seen tons of roguelike deck-building games that involve collecting cards, heading into dungeons, and hopefully getting as far as possible or even winning. Arcana of Paradise: The Tower plays with that idea, but pulls back a bit in terms of difficulty and adds puzzle and simulation elements to try and stand apart. While it does succeed, it also means it might be a little too easy and predictable to make runs feel satisfying.

Arcana of Paradise: The Tower begins with a tower, and a handful of children live atop it. Paradise could be at the base of it! Maybe! Or at least it could be better than what lies around them, as things were left in ruin and they barely possess enough bread to keep from starving. However, eventually children will blossom into warriors. At this point, they can be sent as pairs down the tower to try and advance or get resources to rebuild their home at the top and get sustenance to survive. There’s not really too much of a story to things, and an awkward localization means children will make quips that can sometimes sound a bit out of place or awkward.

[caption id="attachment_961278" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via Siliconera[/caption]

During the Honkai: Star Rail "Ones Fallen into the Abyss" Trailblaze Mission, you’ll eventually need to use Findie the Interastral Peace Corporation object finder to collect mine cart parts. However, the game doesn’t explain how to do so. It gives you the ability to place seven pieces of Findie at a time, highlights an area and leaves you to it while the character spouts ads repeatedly for things you don’t need. In case you missed the tutorial message or just want to know where the items are, here is how Findie works.

How to use Findie to find mine cart parts in Honkai: Star Rail "Ones Fallen into the Abyss"

The key here is to place the seven pieces of Findie and look at the color and direction of the beams. The search will limit you to an area in yellow on the map. The item can only be around there. Place the first Findie somewhere. Look at the color of the beam. If it is pointing in a direction and red, it is very far away. If the color is yellow, it is further away in that direction. If it is green, it is very nearby and you should probably take a few steps in that direction and place another Findie part.

The part closest to the broken mine cart is the Mine Cart Pin. Place one FIndie piece right next to the treasure chest to get it. Findie will say they found it, and there will now be a point you can investigate to collect the object.

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Like Genshin Impact, HoYoVerse designed Honkai: Star Rail in such a way that there are Daily Training missions and Assignments that can give you bonus items and points that lead to Nameless Honor and Glory battle Pass rewards. These aren’t available right away, as you need to increase your Trailblaze Level to at least 11 to start. Once you do, you get a chance to actively and passively begin earning rewards.

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How to unlock and do in Honkai: Star Rail Daily Training and Missions

Go through Trailblaze Missions and the main campaign until you hit Trailblaze Level 11. The game will automatically perform a tutorial introducing you to the activity and encourage you along. Basically, these daily tasks function in the same way Genshin Impact ones do. You’ll see these under the Interastral Guide in the menu.

A handful will be available, each awarding a number of Activity Points that let you earn rewards. You need 500 points to claim all of them for a day. So on April 29, 2023, some of the ones available to me were:

The official Sword Art Online games Twitter account introduced Philia and Strea, two original characters created for SAO: Hollow Fragment, and SAO: Infinity Moment respectively, that will appear in the upcoming Sword Art Online: Last Recollection. Philia is a dagger wielding treasure hunter, while Strea is an AI and Yui’s younger sister.

Philia is a treasure hunter known as the Swordbreaker. Appropriately, she wields a sword breaker dagger. She made her first appearance in SAO: Hollow Fragment, released on 2014 for the PS Vita and 2015 for the PS4, where she saved by Kirito. Philia is a treasure-loving treasure hunter, and she will be joining Underworld in Sword Art Online: Last Recollection with her past memories intact.

https://twitter.com/sao_gameinfo/status/1651926059439489027

Since Strea is an AI, she has appeared in the in-universe world of SAO, as well as the worlds of ALfheim Online, and Gun Gale Online, and she is set to reappear in Underworld on SAO: Last Recollection. This is her first appearance in the SAO games since Hollow Fragment. Strea first appeared in SAO: Infinity Moment, released on the PSP in 2013.

https://twitter.com/sao_gameinfo/status/1651924880106061825

Cassette Beasts is not what it looks like on the surface. The premise of the game is simple: Pokemon, but you catch creatures using cassette tapes instead of Poke Balls, there are party members, and you can fuse with them Digimon style. That in itself sounds solid enough, but there is much more to it than just a neat creature collector RPG. Add to the mix a bit of the exploration in 2D Zelda style (particularly Link’s Awakening), a lot of Persona, a good serving of lo-fi 1980s music and personality, some cosmic horror, and you have Cassette Beasts.

The setting of Cassette Beasts is New Wirral, a strange island full of whimsical creatures. The player character awakens there one day, without knowing how they arrived. People in New Wirral record these creatures on tapes, and then use them to transform into them, to protect themselves and explore the island to survive. After pressing start, you create your avatar from a selection of hairstyles, clothes, and accessories. The game also lets you choose between masculine, feminine, and neutral pronouns, which was a very nice touch. If you wish to change anything about your character, the game lets you do so on your house after the tutorial.

[caption id="attachment_960932" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Siliconera[/caption]

Hololive Alternative manga Holoearth Chronicles Side:E Yamato Phantasia's first volume will release soon in Japan. Specifically, it will come out on June 23, 2023, at a cost of 730 yen (about $5). Pre-orders are currently available on Toranoana and Melonbooks, and will open through other storefronts later. We don't know when it could appear worldwide, however English and Indonesian chapters are available online.

The volume’s cover illustration was released alongside the announcement, which you can check out in the tweet below:

https://twitter.com/hololiveALT/status/1651841226247933953

The Holoearth Chronicles Side:E Yamato Phantasia manga stars Hololive VTubers Shirakami Fubuki and Ookami Mio, and also features Nakiri Ayame. It is drawn by Kosuke Kurose, who also provides the art for the Goblin Slayer manga adaptation. The first chapter, Chapter 0, was released back in June 2021, and Chapter 1 was released in May 2022. The manga can be read in Japanese on Manga-Up and Holonometria, with the latter also offering English and Indonesian translations.

Aniplex announced that pre-orders are open for a new figure from the Evangelion franchise. The figure is based after her appearance in the latest Evangelion 3.0+1.0 movie. Titled Shin Evangelion Rei Ayanami Voyage End, the figure costs 19,800 JPY (or roughly $145 USD). Pre-orders will be open until July 31, 2023, from the Aniplex online store. The expected release date of the figure is February 2024.

The figure is 1/7th in scale, which amounts to approximately 9.5 inches or 24 cm. Rei Ayanami is depicted with her long hair, as she appeared in Evangelion 3.0+1.0, the last movie in the Rebuild of Evangelion series. The base of the figure is modeled after the shore of a beach, similar to the one where the Evangelion children are depicted in promotional material and posters.

You can take a better look at the Evangelion Rei Ayanami Voyage End figure here:

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Evangelion 3.0+1.0 is the fourth and last movie in the Rebuild of Evangelion reboot series of the original anime. Evangelion 3.0+1.11 is the DVD and Blu-Ray release of the movie, which includes exclusive content and extras, like a motion comic.

Good Smile Company opened pre-orders for a figure of Vash from Trigun Stampede. Pre-orders are priced at 4,800 yen/$34.99 and are open until May 25, 2023. The figure is expected to release sometime in August 2023 in Japan and Q4 2023 in North America.

Images of the upcoming figure can be seen in the Good Smile Company Twitter account’s tweet below:

https://twitter.com/GoodSmile_US/status/1651787859139985410

The Vash figure is part of the Pop Up Parade series, which includes figures that are “easy to collect with affordable prices and speedy releases.” It stands approximately 125mm (about 5 inches) tall and features Vash in an action pose. He has one knee on the ground and is looking behind him, his gun at the ready. All the while, his coat is fluttering behind him.

Trigun Stampede is a reboot of the 1990s Trigun anime. It features many of the original series’ characters, with some having been given new designs. The “Final Phase” of Trigun Stampede has been announced, though no release date has been given. Crunchyroll has both series available to stream in full and has confirmed that it will also stream the reboot’s Final Phase when it releases.

Nintendo shared on Twitter a new item that will appear in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: the portable pot. This new item allows Link to prepare a dish at any time and in any place. However, because of its simple design, the portable pot only allows for a single use. Players will need to find or craft another portable pot to cook more than one dish or find a permanent cooking spot.

The Japanese official The Legend of Zelda Twitter account shared a screenshot of the game, where Link is seen using a strange looking portable pot to cook. The caption in the tweet describes the portable pots as disposable and only effective for a single use.

You can take a better look at the tweet here:

https://twitter.com/ZeldaOfficialJP/status/1651873893098065920

This new portable pot has some similarities in appearance to the design of the blue-ish colors of Constructs, a new type of robotic enemy set to appear in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Link has previously been shown using body parts of enemy Constructs fused to his weapons and shields, but it remains unclear if this new portable pot is crafted with Construct parts.

I got very lucky with the Honkai: Star Rail Departure Warp. As an introductory promotion at launch, there’s a special banner where the first 50 warps are all 20% off. So instead of spending 10 Star Rail Passes for a 10 pull, it’s 8. At the end of it all, you’re guaranteed one of the seven five-stars that are always available. I was hoping for Clara or Himeko, as I’d gotten both in beta phases. However, it was Bailu who showed up as my first Honkai: Star Rail five-star, and now I can’t imagine playing without this incredible healer.

There are basically two healers following the path of Abundance in Honkai: Star Rail right now, which means people need to hope for either Bailu or Natasha. Eventually Luocha will be there too. Given how strong some challenges can be and that you can’t even start to ascend characters and break the level 20 cap until you reach Trailblaze Level 15, someone on hand who can actually dedicate themselves to healing, rather than just shielding an ally and hoping for the best, is an incredible boon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ciwy6nxTY&ab_channel=Honkai%3AStarRail

Koei Tecmo announced that sales of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty have surpassed worldwide. This takes into account all of the platforms that the game came out on. Plus, when one takes into account players on the Xbox Game Pass, that means over 3.8 million people have played, or are playing, the game.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty came out on March 3, 2023. So it reached this milestone in just a little under two months. News of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s strong numbers might not be a surprise, though. In Koei Tecmo’s financial report for April 2023, it showed that both Wild Hearts and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty had “achieved record high” sales. However, it did not disclose the exact number until now.

Like Koei Tecmo’s long-running Dynasty Warriors series, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty takes place in the Three Kingdoms era of China. Familiar faces show up in the game, but it has an overall dark fantasy atmosphere. Unlike Dynasty Warriors, the gameplay of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is closer to that of a soulslike than a hack ‘n’ slash.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC.

Sony's FY2022 Consolidated Financial Results
(Fiscal year ended March 31, 2023) report seems to confirm that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be released during the 2023 fiscal year. According to the consolidated financial results for the 2022 fiscal year, this game will be one of the major releases. There were also mentions of more PlayStation exclusives rolling out to PC and more content coming for the PS5. [Thanks, Dust on Resetera!]

The official document goes over the last fiscal year’s consolidated results and offers a forecast for the next one to come. In a segment dedicated to the video game market, the company stated that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is planned to release during the 2023 fiscal year. To clarify, Sony’s fiscal year period starts each April 1st until the next year’s March 31st. This news fits the previously expected release window of Fall 2023.

Another notable detail shared in the document is the normalized distribution inventories for PS5 over the world, which is leading to more sales of this last-generation console. According to the report, Sony is focusing on promoting the PS5 as well as “strengthening and expanding” its lineup of first-party titles. On the same note, the company stated that it will continue developing new IPs and developing live service games.

Two new Honkai Impact 3rd battlesuits will debut in the 6.6 update. One is the SP Terminal Aide 0017 for the AI Number 17, which was part of Prometheus. The other is the S-rank Dreamweaver, for the World Serpent member Misteln “Hare” Schariac. HoYoVerse’s newest preview video involves members of the team talking about both playable characters and showing behind-the-scenes looks at their development.

Editor’s Note: The new Honkai Impact 3rd battlesuits trailer features spoilers if you aren’t caught up with the story.

The video began with footage of both Misteln and Number 17. After that, the team talked about Misteln’s Honkai Impact 3rd Dreamweaver and its design inspirations. The art concept team noted Cecilia’s appearance inspired hers, as did art from Mamoru Nagano. The S-rank battlesuit has psychic abilities who plants Seeds of Ideas when attacking with her banner to attack alongside her. When she goes into her “dreamworld,” she uses spears to attack and her appearance changes.

Meanwhile, Terminal Aide 0017’s design involves references to Honkai Impact 3rd’s IMG monsters. The colors are designed to match them. Her being an AI also influenced its design. She’s designed to use as a shield-breaker who uses gauntlets that can transform to attack.

Here’s the full video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWmU_MB-GFA&ab_channel=HonkaiImpact3rd

The very first Pretty Cure stage performance in the franchise’s history will air in Fall 2023, with showings appearing in Tokyo and Osaka. It will be called Dancing☆Star Pretty Cure The Stage. Dancing☆Star Pretty Cure will have an original story with dance and battle sequences, and incidentally the entire team will consist of high school boys. [Thanks, ryokutya2089!]

https://twitter.com/precure_stage/status/1651783298832809990

Historically, Pretty Cure utilized girls for its crime-fighting protagonists. However, the 20th installment of the series, Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure introduced the very first male Cure who is a permanent member of the team. His name is Cure Wing, with Ayumu Murase voicing him. Other roles from Murase include Asuto in Inazuma Eleven: Ares, Setanta in Fate/Grand Order, and Hinata in Haikyuu!!.

The next wave of Pokemon Squishmallows is here, with Snorlax and Togepi appearing at the Pokemon Center. The 12 inch varieties of both are available. The product listings for Snorlax and Togepi note each one is $29.99. As of 1:45pm ET on April 28, 2023, the Snorlax was already showing as "out of stock" due to selling out.

Both the Snorlax and Togepi Squishmallows recreate the classic Pokemon characters in that plush line's style. Each one is minimalistic, with only their arms appearing. Due to these being the Pokemon Center releases of both, they each feature a patch from the retailer on their backs.

Here's how the Togepi looks:
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And here's the Snorlax:
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As a reminder, this is just the Pokemon Center run. All Pokemon Squishmallows also eventually appear at other retailers. Ahead of their debut here, people were reporting seeing Snorlax at Target stores and Togepi and Snorlax both at retailers like Box Lunch.

The Twitter account for Exoprimal uploaded a two-minute long rundown video from "Leviathan" on what the gameplay will be like. This will be a multiplayer game with cross-play support in which you essentially go around shooting dinosaurs and other mutated prehistoric creatures. It will have both PvP and PvE elements.

You can watch the Exoprimal Leviathan gameplay rundown video here:

https://twitter.com/exoprimal/status/1651617209641492481

To summarize, creatures from the Cretaceous era started raining down from the sky for some reason. Aibius Corporation created Exosuits and the “super awesome AI” Leviathan, which both give humanity a fighting chance in Exoprimal. Despite the fact that you are literally repelling the dinopocalypse, your pay is terrible. Leviathan then teleports you to the past, where the AI forces you into war games. In the war games, you must fight against T-rexes, transport data keys, and beat up your fellow exofighters.

There’ll be many different modes in the game. The main one, Dino Survival, tells the story of the game. It does not appear to be a game that players purchase specifically for the plot though. In the video, the dinosaur representative straight up says to empty your mind, stop thinking so much, and enjoy the action.

While Bandai Namco hasn't announced all of the Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections characters yet, a new Narutop99 trailer for the game showed off many of them. They don't appear in the order they ranked in the poll. In total, footage from 21 playable characters is shown.

First, here’s the trailer. It announces characters in groups, then shows footage of them in the game.

LEGENDARY NINJAS REUNITE

Here is a special collaboration trailer of NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS and NARUTOP99 worldwide character popularity vote!

Fight as your favorites with the largest roster of playable characters ever!

https://t.co/W5skqWvnxI pic.twitter.com/TKRCG5ifOd

— Naruto Video Games (@Narutovideogame) April 28, 2023

Next, here are all the fighters who appear in the Narutop99 Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections trailer.

Sometimes, a Honkai: Star Rail quest will give you a choice during a questline. It'll be one that actually matters, rather than a quip from the Trailblazer. The Honkai: Star Rail "To the Faint Star" mission is one example, as it eventually asks whether you should use a Red Truth or a Blue Lie to complete the quest. While the rewards don't change, the life of the NPC Rocky is altered based on the decision you make.

How to start Honkai: Star Rail "To the Faint Star"

Like “Unexpected Turn of Events,” “To the Faint Star” is one of the side quests you can take while trying to get your Trailblaze Level up to 14 so you can advance the main storyline and get to Trailblaze Mission “In the Withering Wintry Night.” I was at Trailblaze Level 13 when it appeared for me and had finished “Long Wait for the Blade’s Edge.”

Once Rocky sends you a text message and it appears as a possible quest, head to the Master Control Zone at Herta Space Station. Talk to Rocky to kick off the more straightforward portion of the quest that involves going to the Storage Zone, fixing and looking through the Airwave Repeater, checking Monitoring Room, and confronting Bernard.
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Earlier in April 2023, Bandai Namco announced AmiAmi would carry a Tales of Arise Shionne Summer figure of the heroine wearing the swimsuit from the Beach Time Triple Pack DLC. Now orders are open. AmiAmi is selling both a ¥16,980 (~$125) standard and ¥19,100 (~$140) limited edition version of it. Both will ship in November 2023. AmiAmi does ship worldwide.

The reveal marks the first full look at the figure and its options. When it was first announced, only a picture showing the back appeared. Now people can see it from the front. It also turns out it can be posed with or without the jacket Shionne wears with the swimsuit in the DLC. She also holds a water pistol, a reference to the fact she fights with guns in the game, and sits on a beachball with Hootle on it. Should someone get the limited edition, it comes with an acrylic standee based on the figure's design and a keychain of Hootle.

Here's a closer look at the Shionne figure both with her jacket on and off.
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The Honkai: Star Rail Unexpected Turn of Events side quest involving Asta and Arlan is a bit different. That’s because while there is still the element of exploring an area and fighting some enemies, there’s also an investigation element. You also don’t immediately get this Herta Space Station mission right away, and need to play a bit before it unlocks. However, once you and Peppy are on the case, it isn’t too difficult to figure out which evidence to present and how to complete it.

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How to start Honkai: Star Rail Unexpected Turn of Events

First, you need to hit a Trailblaze Level and finish a campaign quest. First, you must finish “Long Wait for the Blade’s Edge” on Jarilo-VI. After that, you need to get to Trailblaze Rank 12. Once you do, Asta will send you a text message and ask for your assistance. You’ll then need to meet her at her usual spot at the Master Control Zone on Herta Space Station to begin Honkai: Star Rail;s Unexpected Turn of Events and start the search for Arlan with Peppy.

What follows isn’t an entirely straightforward quest. You actually need to make some correct choices to continue the case. The game is forgiving and lets you repeat the segments in case you mess up, however.

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Cygames announced that it has set up international branches in North America and Europe. Cygames America is in the US, whereas Cygames Europe is in England. The purpose of Cygames America and Europe appear to be for marketing and promotional purposes rather than game development.

The international popularity of Cygames started in 2016 with the release of Shadowverse. Other overseas include ones in South Korea and in Taiwan. About half of the global gaming market exists in North America and Europe, which is why the company will branch out there in order to further promote its games.

Cygames America is specifically in Los Angeles and it has $700,000 in capital stock. Its main duties include marketing and licensing. Cygames Europe is in London, and it has a capital stock of about 500,000 GBP. Like its sister office in California, it will handle marketing and licensing, as well as other related tasks. With a stronger foothold in the western market, this could lead to the localization and eventual release of some Japan-exclusive games, such as the financial juggernaut Uma Musume: Pretty Derby.

Now that Cygames set up offices in America and Europe, time will tell how the company will expand in these two territories with its current and future games.

Ahead of his playable debut, HoYoVerse released a character trailer, as well as kit information, for Kaveh in Genshin Impact. Kaveh will be a four-star Dendro Claymore character who will be an on-field DPS with high Bloom synergy. He previously appeared in the Archon Quest and Alhaitham’s Character Quest and is a major character in the current A Parade of Providence event.

Kaveh’s Elemental Skill, Artistic Ingenuity, causes AoE Dendro DMG. His Burst, Painted Dome, does the same thing. Both his Skill and Burst will automatically cause Dendro Cores within an AoE to explode. So in order to maximize his damage potential, you will need to run him with a Hydro character. Good Hydro support characters for Kaveh include Nilou or Xingqiu. Aside from damaging enemies, Painted Dome will increase Kaveh’s AoE, change his DMG to Dendro DMG, and increase his resistance to interruption. While Painted Dome is active, Dendro Cores you create will deal additional DMG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MciOgsEOHZM

The Japanese Mega Man Twitter account revealed that combined sales for the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection have surpassed a million units worldwide. Since the game came out on April 14, 2023, that means it achieved this milestone in about two weeks. This figure includes both digital and physical sales.

Sales for the Legacy Collection have always been strong since its release. On April 21, 2023, Famitsu revealed that Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection had sold over 60,000 units across the Switch and PS4. With over a million sales, that means that the Legacy Collection can already count as a platinum title. This isn’t the first time that a Mega Man title in this series made the list. For example, as of December 2022, Battle Network 4 is #79 with 1.35 million units sold.

Virtua Fighter will be the newest character in the mobile shooting-like RPG 404 GAME RE:SET. She is part of the limited event story Talent-Loving Virtual Fighter. This event will run from April 28, 2023 to May 19, 2023. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Not only does the event have its own story featuring all of the girls (including Virtua Fighter), but you can also complete event quests and boss battles to collect Junk Data. You can then exchange the Junk Data for items and materials. One of the exclusive rewards include the Cathode version of Virtua Fighter.

In 404 GAME RE:SET, Fairouz Ai voices Virtua Fighter. Fairouz’s major roles include Hibiki Sakura from How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Jolyne Cujoh in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, and Yunaka in Fire Emblem Engage. When Virtua Fighter is in her Anode form, Akira Yuki (the mascot of Virtua Fighter) looms behind her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnDsPQkXFf0&

We’re on the verge of learning more about Final Fantasy XIV, as a Letter from the Producer Live LXXVII with 6.4 details is about to appear. It will be held at 4am PT/7am ET/12pm CET on May 2, 2023. Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida will show up to discuss the next update. However, note that there will be no translator present. It will be in Japanese, with slides in both Japanese and English with details about the update. People will be able to watch it on Niconico, Twitch, and YouTube as usual.

The game only just come out, but Honkai: Star Rail has already surpassed 20 million downloads. For reference, the game officially released on April 26, 2023. Honkai: Star Rail is the newest turn-based mobile and PC game from HoYoVerse, who is the creator of Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd. [Thanks, Daniel "ZhugeEX" Ahmad!]

In a Weibo post, HoYoVerse thanked all of the Trailblazers for their support of the game. It will hand out ten Star Rail Special Passes on April 30, 2023 as a show of gratitude. That will also be the date of a celebration event for the launch of the game.

Though Genshin Impact has been HoYoVerse's global juggernaut, Honkai: Star Rail is hot on its heels. According to the same post, Honkai: Star Rail is currently the most-downloaded and best-selling iOS game on the charts. It also had 30 million pre-registrations, which is more than how many Genshin Impact had. However, it is possible that many of these players did not know of HoYoVerse prior to Genshin Impact, which may have affected those numbers for Star Rail.

Monolith Soft released a new interview with two of their event animators talking about the difference between cutscenes and scripted events, continuity between scenes and gameplay in video games, and the ins and outs of their job. Miura is one of the animators in charge of cutscenes, while Katsuta works with scripted events.

While it varies from project to project, Monolith Soft distinguished two types of events in most of the company's games. The first one of this are cutscenes. These use elaborate camera angles, particular character direction, and motion capture. The second one is scripted events. They are made by using premade stock character animations and movements, and combining them with specialized tools.

Both Monolith Soft creatives also talked about maintaining continuity between cutscenes and gameplay. Katsuta said that if a technique or move is not usable at a certain part of the game, they need to work around that. Or if the clothes get dirty during a cutscene, they also need to communicate that properly so that when players regain control these elements remain consistent.

Katsuta added that they also have to work around the possibility of the player only ever watching a cutscene or event once, so they need to make sure to craft it so that it is as clear as possible. In cases where a cutscene is immediately followed by a scripted event, sometimes they will use a particular animation from the previous cutscene for the beginning of the event, so that the transition from cutscene to scripted event looks natural.

Labyrinth of Zangetsu is a very typical dungeon crawler with a rather atypical art style. The whole game has a sumi-e aesthetic, which meshes well with the overall narrative. Though it does not bring anything really new to the table, it has a solid foundation and a beautiful look that’ll please any dungeon crawler fan.

The story of Labyrinth of Zangetsu takes place in a world where a mysterious Ink has corrupted the people, animals, and land. People who can withstand the Ink form parties to enter labyrinths and fight back against the twisted monsters threatening Ido, which is the final bastion of humankind. Though the story is fairly simple, the dialog and wording are grandiose, like you're reading a high fantasy novel. I thought that was really cool, though it was a tad annoying how the same dialog boxes would pop up every single time you entered a dungeon.

[caption id="attachment_960741" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Image via KaeruPanda[/caption]

Nintendo released a new video from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom showcasing the rocket, a new item that Link can use to combine with his equipment. In a short clip posted on the official Japanese The Legend of Zelda Twitter account, the company showed Link combining a small rocket with his wooden shield, which allowed him to fly into the sky for the duration of the rocket’s battery.

You can take a better look at the tweet here:

https://twitter.com/ZeldaOfficialJP/status/1651511511289053186

The rocket is a new item in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and the tweet explains that it provides powerful propulsion for a short period of time. In addition, when attached to a shield, the rocket will propel Link up into the sky, allowing him to access enemy bases and other locations from the air in ways that would otherwise be impossible.

On April 13, 2023, Nintendo released the third and last trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom before its release. The trailer finally allowed fans to take a better look at the new design for Ganondorf, which fans have started to affectionately call “rehydrated” Ganondorf.

Nerbuz is one of the major characters in Fire Emblem Heroes’ Book VII, and she’ll now be a playable character. Nintendo announced she is the latest unit to join in the new Mythic heroes banner. Starting on April 28, 2023, people can pull for the character.

Nerbuz is classified as a blue “beast” character and cavalry unit in the game. This means if she’s only near beasts and dragons, she’ll transform and have different stats. Her kit includes her Horn of the Land weapon and new skills like Fruit of Life and Alarm Atk/Spd.

Here are the other focus units on the banner:

• Arval: Cycle Keeper
• Ash: Retainer to Askr
• Byleth: The Fodlan Star
• Claude: King of Unification
• Deirdre: Fated Saint
• Ganglot: Death Anew
• Mirabilis: Daydream
• Plumeria: Lewd Dream
• Shez: Sharpest Blades
• Tiki: Awakened Blood
• Triandra: Nightmare

Here’s the full Mythic Hero Nerbuz: God of the Land Fire Emblem Heroes banner video. As usual, it notes that there is an opportunity to “spark” on this banner and be guaranteed one of the focus units if you pull 40 times. However, this is limited to Feh Pass subscribers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1q-_WVkTLw&ab_channel=NintendoMobile

You don’t need to change characters’ weapons or armor in Honkai: Star Rail. Rather, additional buffs and bonuses come from equipping Light Cones and Relics. The former are acquired through pulling on gacha banners. However, if you’re looking for how to get Relics in Honkai: Star Rail, you’ll actually need to play the game to find or earn them.

How to unlock Relics in Honkai: Star Rail

It takes a bit before you can even start getting Relics in the game! You need to get to the Trailblaze Mission “In the Withering Wintry Night” and finish its “Ones Fallen into the Abyss” task on Jarilo-VI. This involves being at Trailblaze Level 14 and helping Seele save the miners.

How to get Relics in Honkai: Star Rail

Well, an almost effortless way to get Relics is to take part in missions and storyline stuff. This is because as you explore places like Jarilo-VI, you might get one of these pieces of equipment from Bountiful Chests found in the world or  Trailblaze Missions. There will also be World Shops in each location, which would let you use Hertaerums at Herta Space Station, Shields at Jarilo-IV, or Strale at Xianzhou Lofou to buy them. However, you will need to hit certain Trailblaze Levels to be able to buy them. So the Musketeer of Wild Wheat set will be at Herta Space Station's shop, but you need to be at Trailblaze Level 20 to buy it, for example.

Netflix shared a trailer going over what’s coming regarding anime releases for May 2023. The main announcements are the arrival of Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune and Ultraman: Final Season. In the video, you can see scenes from both series along with confirmed release dates. ULTRAMAN’s last season will be released on May 11, 2023, and Yakitori will begin streaming on May 18, 2023.

Check out the Netflix Anime announcements for May 2023 below.

https://youtu.be/uzb6sh6MztE

Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune is a science fiction series based on the light novel of the same name written by Carlo Zen, author of The Saga of Tanya the Evil. The series will be set on a future version of Earth and tell the story of Akira, a young rebel who joins the "Yakitori" military unit. It is known for its high casualty rate.

On the other hand, the final season of Ultraman will also arrive in May 2023, confirmed shortly after the release of the second season in 2022. This final part will close the story of the original Ultraman's son, Shinjiro Hayata, and will solve several of the remaining mysteries about the giants of light.

In addition to the previews of the new series, the video also mentioned the arrival of new trivia-type content on the YouTube channel related to anime that can be watched on the platform such as Baki, Romance Killer, and The Daily Life of the Immortal King.

Ateam revealed the next new guest character for the second Hololive Valkyrie Connect event will be Ouro Kronii. In preparation for the event, she will be doing a special livestream along with Takanashi Kiara going over some details about the crossover. This stream will go live on April 27, 2023 at 2pm PT/5pm ET.

Check out the announcement from Valkyrie Connect’s official Twitter account here below.

https://twitter.com/vconnect_en/status/1651519051502587904?s=20

Ouro Kronii is the second confirmed guest character of this new Hololive Valkyrie Connect event after Hololive Fantasy’s Houshou Marine. Her character's official art wasn't shared yet, but people can expect to see that during the presentation with Kiara. However, details about her kit and abilities likely won't come up until either just before launch or after the crossover begins.

This marks half of this next event's new confirmed characters. There will be two representatives for Hololive’s Japanese and English branches. This follows the pattern from the initial one. For the first Hololive Valkyrie Connect collaboration in May 2022, the guest stars were Takanashi Kiara, Ina’nis Ninomae, La+ Darkness, and Pekora Usada, all of which returned with Awakened versions in January 2023.

Sony and Square Enix revealed the Final Fantasy XVI a limited edition PS5 DualSense controller and a PS5 cover featuring a special FFXVI design in Japan. The already announced PS5 bundle will also appear there. These items will be available in limited quantities on June 22, 2023. Pre-orders for the PS5 bundles, DualSense controller, and PS5 cover open in Japan on May 4, 2023. As a reminder, both Final Fantasy XVI PS5 bundle editions will include a digital download code for the game.

The Final Fantasy XVI + PS5 console bundle will cost 67,980 JPY (or roughly $507 USD). Meanwhile, the Final Fantasy XVI + PS5 Digital Edition console bundle will cost 56,980 yen (~$425 USD.) The FFXVI Limited Edition DualSense Wireless Controller will cost 8,980 yen (~$67 USD). The PlayStation 5 Limited Edition FFXVI cover will be available in two variations, for PS5 consoles with disc drives and for PS5 digital editions for 7,980 yen (~$60 USD).

You can take a better look at the Final Fantasy XVI DualSense controller and the PS5 cover in the gallery below.

[gallery link="file" ids="961054,961055,961056"]

Once you get to Jarilo-VI’s Underworld area in Honkai: Star Rail, you’ll automatically get pulled into a campaign quest with Hook called “Hide-and-Seek.” Basically, to advance the story, you’ll need to get the trust of the Moles and play the game with them to reach the Fight Club. It isn’t the most challenging hunt, but here’s where I found everyone to help you speed through this segment.

First, here’s where Hook is when you’re searching for her during the “practice” session for the “Hide-and-Seek” Honkai: Star Rail quest.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="961034" link="file"]

Once you find Hook, then the real Honkai: Star Rail hide-and-seek portion of the quest will begin. The characters are in this limited area. Both Hook and one of the Moles sidekicks are at the far ends of the map. However, the sidekick Julian is hiding in plain sight in the middle of the map, disguised as an adult man, and March 7th will point out in a scripted scene that you should talk to him.
[gallery size="full" ids="961035,961036,961037" link="file"]

After finding all three kids, Hook will lead you to the Fight Club. This is a short walk down the street. Once it’s done, you get 300 Trailblaze EXP, 3 Adventure Logs, and 4,000 Credits.

Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PC and mobile devices. PS4 and PS5 versions are on the way.

Resident Evil is an expansive series, with upwards of two decades worth of titles having releases since its inception in the late 1990s. While there are more than a handful of mainline games, 10 counting Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X, the series has seen it's fair share of spin-off titles. This has included competitive first person shooters, multiplayer focused survival titles, and rail shooters. While there are many, these are among the best Resident Evil spin-off games worth checking out in some capacity.

Resident Evil Outbreak

Arguably ahead of its time, Resident Evil Outbreak is a online multiplayer Resident Evil game where players can pick one of several characters to escape Raccoon City. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, which groups will need to plan around when completing objectives. Additionally, Outbreak features unique locales for players to explore, and while zombies remain the bread and butter enemy, Outbreak has its own plethora of frightening foes to encounter. It also featured an infection mechanic, which when bitten by zombies would increase your infection rate until you'd eventually turn. It'd only make sense for Capcom to give Resident Evil Outbreak a third chance, since multiplayer games are hugely popular. Either way, it'd just be great to have Outbreak on something that isn't the PlayStation 2 at this point.

Masahiro Sakurai shared development secrets from the first Kirby game. In the latest video on his YouTube channel Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games, he shared some facts about the development of Kirby’s Dream Land. Many details shared in the video were originally seen in a presentation given at the Kirby 25th Anniversary concerts in 2017. Sakurai shared them with a wider audience to celebrate the 100th video on his channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUY2AtBD6Sk

At one point in the video, Sakurai shows off the original dev kit that was used to make the games Kirby’s Dream Land and Kirby’s Adventure. It was a special Famicom called the Twin Famicom, and all development took place with this device. Sakurai shows off the sprites and menus used in development. He also treats us to a bonus cat appearance.

Throughout the video he shows off how enemy designs were made specifically to save space. He reveals that all enemy movement was manually programmed by Sakurai himself. He also shows off the original design document for Kirby’s Dream Land, featuring an early concept for the Super Smash Bros damage system.

Sakurai previously looked back at Kirby’s Dream Land in another video on his channel as part of his Game Concepts series. He also shared stories about other Kirby games.

Sony announced that the PSVR2 will be available in local stores soon. The headset had previously only been available through Sony themselves as part of the PlayStation Direct program.

https://twitter.com/PlayStation/status/1651571903574966275

Sony did not specify which retailers will carry units. At the time of writing, only the UK retailer ShopTo confirmed that it will be stocking the headset from May 12, 2023. Other retailers in other countries have yet to confirm availability.

PSVR2 released on February 22, 2023, as an exclusive for the PS5. It’s an upgrade on the original PSVR featuring new controllers built around the features of the DualSense, such as adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. It also boasts stronger eye tracking and headset feedback, along with 3D audio.

PSVR2 launched with more than 30 compatible games within its first month, including the flagship launch title Horizon: Call of the Mountain. Other games compatible with the system include Tetris Effect, Kizuna AI and Gran Turismo 7. Resident Evil Village also received a free update alongside the release of PSVR2 that added a VR mode specific to the headset. PSVR2 is available for $549.99.

PSVR2 is now available for PS5, and will become available in local stores as retailers announce availability.

When new playable characters join Genshin Impact, HoYoVerse holds web events to "introduce" them, and the one for Baizhu is Herbal Remedies. It is now available online for players until May 3, 2023. During it, your goal is to figure out how to make medicines alongside the doctor. If you complete all three prescriptions, you can get 2 Mystic Enhancement Ores, 3 Nagadus Emerald Fragments, 40 Primogems, and 20,000 Mora.

How to complete the Genshin Impact Herbal Remedies web event

The event begins with Changsheng warning Baizhu not to work too hard and wear himself out, and he then mentions getting a new apprentice to assist him at Bubu Pharmacy. From there, you’ll need to click the Prescription button to check the medicines you need to make for Uncle Tian, Master Lu, and Hongdou. Images for the three ingredients needed appear. There’s also an option to unlock additional “special” prescriptions via experimenting with the ingredients you have.