KarmaZoo feels like it asks how people respond when they go through a Journey like experience where you’re randomly tasked to explore with others, but with more strict time limits, hazardous perils, and dinosaurs. It relies heavily on other people and the experience, but that in turn means it is only at its best when everything comes together in the right way.

First of all, I did have a chance to play KarmaZoo ahead of launch. However, it went so poorly that it helped set the stage for how situational the game is. If you’re alone, there’s really nothing you can do besides spend hearts you’ve accrued. You need to have at least one other person on hand for either the local competitive Totem mode or for the online cooperative Loop.

From mergers to memes, the landscape of interactive entertainment is always in motion. Here’s your cheat sheet for the week’s most important stories in gaming.

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Gamers are a passionate bunch, and we’re no exception. These are the week’s most interesting perspectives on the wild, wonderful, and sometimes weird world of video game news.

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Unlike other subclasses that see spikes in usage depending on a given Season, Solar Titans have always been good, with hardly any changes to their gameplay style for years now. So today, we’re going over the top 10 Exotic Armor for Solar Titans in Destiny 2 as of Season of the Witch and the Lightfall DLC.

Nippon Ichi Software will release information on a new game on November 20, 2023. You’ll be able to watch the new trailer from 8pm JST, which would be 3am PT/6am ET on November 20, 2023. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

Nippon Ichi Software actually already teased this game. Back in Summer 2023, it uploaded a mysterious illustration with the words “coming soon” in the corner. This illustration is from the IP that Nippon Ichi Software will reveal next week. As for the illustration, it features a mysterious figure sitting at what looks like a bar. Though you can’t see the character’s face, there are horns protruding from their head. The background for the bar also features a pattern like multiple charts and clocks.

Since its founding in 1993 (technically starting in 1991 as Prism Kikaku), Nippon Ichi Software has released several popular RPG series. Arguably its most well-known series is Disgaea, and the most recent entry in the series, Disgaea 7, came out in earlier 2023. Other games from Nippon Ichi Software include Yomawari: Night Alone and Void Terrarium. 

Crunchyroll announced new DVD and Blu-Ray releases for the latest season of the One Piece anime series, and the Spy x Family anime. The new One Piece release will be available in North America, and Spy x Family will release in North America, Australia, and New Zealand on February 13, 2024.

The new DVD and Bly-Ray releases include Season 13 Voyage 5 of the One Piece anime, and Season 1 Part 2 of the Spy x Family anime. The One Piece Season 13 Voyage 5 Blu-ray + DVD release costs $33.74, while the Spy x Family Blu-ray + DVD release will be available in a regular edition that costs $52.49, and a limited edition for $67.49.

The limited edition includes WISE agent cuff links, a WISE vinyl sticker, a Spy x Family notepad, 3 art cards of the Forger family, and a 40-page art book with character information and voice actor interviews.

As we gear up for the end of the year and The Steam Awards, Valve wants you to know it'll have "tens of thousands of discounted games awaiting you" when the Steam Autumn Sale goes live on 21st November.

For one week, you'll be able to grab yourself a bargain or three when the sale goes live at 10am PST time – that's 6pm UK time, and 7pm on mainland Europe. The discounts will end at the same time on 28th November.

For a sneaky peek at what games may be getting a price cut, check out the teaser below:

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First-person "magic shooter" Immortals of Aveum is free to try courtesy of an all-new demo.

The free trial is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and gives you a chance to sample the opening three chapters for yourself.

It's unclear how long the trial will run for or whether or not your progress will carry on should you decide you like what you see and purchase the full game. You will, however, have to accept EA's User Agreement and install the EA app in order to play, and if you decide to pay for any premium content whilst sampling the first three chapters, that won't be refunded at the end of the trial.

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Pathea Games announced that the console issues present on My Time at Sandrock will be addressed in a future patch. The update will appear later in 2023, and it aims to fix 13 issues or bugs present in the game.

The details for the upcoming My Time at Sandrock patch were shared on the game’s official subreddit. Pathea Games gave an estimated development and release timeline. The patch will be sent to review by late November 2023 for Xbox and PS5, and by mid-December 2023 for Switch.

Some of the bugs being addressed involve item descriptions disappearing on Switch, icon display on console being difficult to read, yard items limitations (which is proving challenging on Switch for reasons related to hardware limitations,) NPC wearing swimwear after Pablo's Fashion Show, player facial hair disappearing when wearing a hat, issues related to Pen following the player, softlock issues related to Penny and Yan, and the mission Something in the Air.

As a massive fan of Love Live, imagine my surprise when a 2D action game featuring the series’ beloved chuunibyo Yohane Tsushima from Aqours called Yohane the Parhelion -Blaze in the Deepblue- was announced. Even more baffling was the fact that it was going to be made by Inti Creates, the creative minds behind the Gunvolt series of games. While this is my first time playing an Inti Creates game, I’m delighted to say that I enjoyed my time with it. I also suspect that those who love Metroidvanias and don’t know a thing about Love Live, Yohane the Parhelion -Blaze in the Deepblue- will find it delivers a gameplay experience that can be enjoyed regardless of whether you're an idol or Metroidvania fan.

This might sound strange but I always worry about seeing things I love in the spotlight, because I worry they won't be taken seriously and all the feelings I have for them will be undermined. I don't like exposing a vulnerable side of myself to potential ridicule, basically. I've had enough of that from the "oh that's unusual" remarks people have made about my job over the years. So I worried, visiting the new fantasy exhibition at the British Library - Fantasy: Realms of the Imagination it's called - about how fantasy would come across.

I love fantasy, you see. I've loved it ever since I was little and I read a story about a boy who discovered a city at the bottom of a lake. He'd been hearing it call to him in his sleep or something, and one day he dived and found it. And people were living there! Everything about this took me by surprise. I didn't know books could do that, veer off from reality like that. I can almost feel my mind stretching to take it all in still. And that book, it fired something within me that remained ever since.

But fantasy has always been a relatively private thing for me, because growing up, I didn't really know anyone else who was into it. My family wasn't. OK, granted, I had my dad's Hobbit book and his The Lord of the Rings, but I'd never seen him go anywhere near them, nor near any other kind of fantasy. He read biographies. And my friends weren't into fantasy, despite my best efforts. Even when I joined Eurogamer many years ago, there was no one interested in it, though that's changed now. So I learnt to keep it to myself. I kept it secret, kept it safe.

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Following a swirl of reports earlier this year suggesting a new version of The Last of Us Part 2 was in the works, Naughty Dog has confirmed a remaster of its survival horror sequel - promising "technological improvements, new modes, and new behind-the-scenes features" - will launch for PlayStation 5 on 19th January 2024.

The Last of Us composer Gustavo Santaolalla made comments about "new editions" of The Last of Us Part 2 in July, and a Naughty Dog developer referenced a "remastered" version on LinkedIn in October. A recent PlayStation database sighting all but gave the game away, but now it's official, with Naughty Dog sharing the news in a post on the PlayStation Blog.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is a native PlayStation 5 version of the 2020 PS4 original promising various visual enhancements, including increased level-of-detail distances, improved shadow quality, better animation sampling rates, and more. It'll feature two graphics modes - Fidelity and Performance, running at 4K and 1440p upscaled to 4K respectively - as well as an unlocked framerate option for VRR TVs.

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I'm still trying to enjoy as much autumn as I can, returning for the third weekend in a row to favourite woodlands. It's more and more bleak each time, though I do enjoy seeing this progress. I've also now needed to break out thermal layers. I dislike this period when trees are barren and fallen leaves are sludge underfoot but it's not winter. Unpleasant, sure, but not yet thrillingly hostile. Ah well, it'll come. What are you playing this weekend? Here's what we're clicking on!

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The Kingdom Hearts franchise wouldn’t be where it is today were it not for Final Fantasy — specifically, Final Fantasy VII.

Silver Wolf is a five-star Quantum Nihility character in Honkai: Star Rail who has the unique ability to impart an elemental Weakness on an enemy. This makes her an invaluable support character with a focus on debuffing. Maximizing her potential in Honkai: Star Rail depends on what Relics and Light Cones you put on your Silver Wolf.

Silver Wolf’s Allow Changes? Skill has a base percentage to debuff the enemy. In order to improve that Silver Wolf can add a Weakness, you should improve her Effect Hit Rate through her Relics and Light Cones. You can also give her Relics to improve her Quantum DMG. With a single-target Ultimate that lowers the enemy’s DEF, she can inflict quite a bit of pain on her own as well.

[caption id="attachment_968595" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image by Siliconera[/caption]

In Honkai: Star Rail, all players will receive a free copy of Asta as part of the Warp Tutorial. Despite how easy it is to get her, she is an invaluable support unit due to her Ultimate. She can also serve as a decent (albeit not fantastic) sub-DPS if needed against single targets. Here is a guide on how to use and build your Asta in Honkai: Star Rail with Relic sets and Light Cones.

Asta is a Fire Harmony unit whose Skill is very good at Breaking an enemy who is weak to Fire. Because it’s random, it’s the most useful when all enemies have a Fire weakness or when there is only one enemy for her to hit. Against a single target, her Skill can hit a whopping five times, which can easily Break and Burn an enemy. Asta has a Trace, Ignite, that can increase how much Fire DMG her allies can dish out as well. And that’s not all! Her Astrometry Talent increases her allies’ ATK by 7.0% (capping at 35%) for every Charge she has. She gains a Charge for every different enemy she attacks, so you can use her Skill to hit multiple targets at once for a massive boost.

On the flip side, she really can’t take that much damage, so you need to run her with a good Abundance or Preseveration unit. Her main asset is her Ultimate though, which greatly boosts the party’s Speed. This will in turn increase how many times your party can move per cycle.

In Honkai: Star Rail, Bronya is one of the standard five-star characters who you can get in either the permanent or the event banners. As of the current version, she is one of the best supports that you can get and easily fits into any team. Even without a lot of good Relics or Light Cones, Bronya can earn a slot in your Honkai: Star Rail party due to her useful Skill and powerful Ultimate.

For starters, let’s quickly explain how Bronya works and what Bronya needs. Bronya’s Skill removes a debuff from an ally and allows them to immediately take a turn. It also boosts their ATK by a fixed rate, which you can increase by leveling up her Trace. Her Ultimate increase the entire party’s ATK and Crit DMG by a percentage of Bronya’s own Crit DMG. Because Bronya’s Command Trace Bonus Ability passively sets her Crit Rate at 100%, you can hard invest into Bronya’s Crit DMG to take full advantage of her Ultimate.

[caption id="attachment_965664" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image via Siliconera[/caption]

While Bronya can work as a perfectly fine support unit if you just level her and her Traces up, you obviously will need some good Light Cones to make the most of her. Here are some Light Cones you can consider putting on your Bronya in Honkai: Star Rail:

Himeko is one of the standard 5-star characters in Honkai: Star Rail, who can provide lots of extra damage for your party through her follow-up attacks. She is a fantastic AoE DPS or sub-DPS as well with her Ultimate. When choosing Light Cones and Relics for Himeko, you should prioritize ones that will increase her overall follow-up at tack and Ultimate damage potential.

To start with, let's give a very quick rundown of Himeko's kit. There's nothing really special to say about her Normal Attack or Skill. Her Talent, Victory Rush, gets stacks every time you Break an enemy. At three stacks, it will deal a follow-up attack equal to a percentage of her ATK. Heavenly Flare, her Ultimate, deals AoE Fire DMG and recovers her Energy afterwards. Some of her Traces also increase the DMG she deals against enemies inflicted with Burn, which is an effect she can cause fairly easily between her Ultimate and her Talent.

[caption id="attachment_967895" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Siliconera[/caption]

Aside from the memes about her spinning and her amazing synergy with Himeko, Herta is a good Erudition unit in Honkai: Star Rail, especially for F2P players. Not only is she free when you complete the newbie missions, she also grants you her Eidolons as you clear Simulated Universe. Though Herta’s Follow-Up Attack might not be as effective in long battles compared to her current Erudition fellows (Himeko and Jing Yuan), she is a great unit against mobs and Calyxes. In order to make the best of Herta in Honkai: Star Rail, her Relics and Light Cones should improve on her Follow-Up Attack efficiency.

To understand what Relics and Light Cones to put on Herta, you must first understand how her kit works. Herta’s Follow-Up Attack deals AoE Ice DMG as soon as an enemy’s HP falls below  50%. This doesn’t stack so even if you whittle down two enemies’ HP to 50% with a single move, Herta still only twirls once. Aside from her follow-up attack, Herta is an AoE Ice attacker, which makes her more suited for battles with lots of enemies than boss fights.

[caption id="attachment_967048" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image by Siliconera[/caption]

Update 11/17/2023 7:55 p.m. ET: Naughty Dog’s officially confirmed the existence of The Last of Us Part II Remastered, releasing a barrage of information about the upcoming re-release of its 2020 PlayStation 4 game in a post on its website, complete with an announcement trailer.

Here’s the trailer:

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Epic Games has promised fixes to remedy early issues with Fortnite's newly introduced age ratings system, which has left players frustrated after many popular cosmetics have become unusable in certain parts of the game in order to meet ratings requirements.

Last month bought the news Epic would be introducing individual age ratings for all playable first- and third-party content in Fortnite as part of what it called its evolution into a "multi-game ecosystem". Epic is, of course, currently trying to expand the reach of Fortnite by placing a greater focus on Roblox-style user-generated experiences build using its recently released Creative 2.0 tools - and the game's latest update means all these experiences now come with age ratings, starting at E for Everyone and going through E10+ up to Teen.

So far, so sensible. The problem is the seemingly haphazard way all this has been implemented in a game that has, up until now, been exclusively rated Teen. Essentially, as of Fortnite's latest update, every single bit of content, including all cosmetics, has been given its own age rating - and players are being prevented from accessing Creative mode experiences if they're wearing anything flagged as age-inappropriate. It doesn't help either, that seemingly benign cosmetics skins - a muscular cartoon cat, for instance - are rated Teen-only and considered unsuitable for children, while others, such as Halloween's Michael Myers are rated a-okay for the young 'uns.

A new video game based on the popular TV show The Walking Dead is out now on consoles and fans who have jumped in to check it out are reporting another clunky, broken, and ugly Game Mill-published mess, just like that awful King Kong game from earlier this year.

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I liked Crash Team Rumble. I even said as much on this very website when the brawler MOBA launched back in June. But man, seeing them add Spyro, Crash’s flying, fire-breathing, OG PlayStation platformer contemporary to the roster just makes me wish we had a new Spyro the Dragon game.

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The age-rating board PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) updated its website with a rating for the upcoming Dragon's Dogma 2, as well as listing a possible release date of March 22, 2024. The information comes ahead of the announced Dragon's Dogma 2 showcase slated for the end of November. [Thanks, @Wario64!]

The PEGI page lists the game as having an 18 rating, with warnings for violence and in-game purchases. It is currently unknown what form those purchases will take, as they could be anything from consumable items and experience boosters to simple cosmetic options like the original Dragon's Dogma offered. The most interesting part is the listed release date that has yet to be released by Capcom themselves. It notes that people could expect it to appear March 22, 2024, and it is the same for PC, Xbox Series X, and PS5.

At the time of writing, the PEGI website is undergoing maintenance, but you can find a screenshot of the rating page with the release date and platforms attached to the Wario64 tweet below:

Microsoft is slashing the prices of its consoles for Black Friday 2023. Anyone who’s been waiting until Starfield to pick up an Xbox Series X or S is in luck. A bunch of great games are also very cheap right now. Xbox players should be eating well this holiday season.

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When the 7.1 update arrives, a new Griseo battlesuit will appear in Honkai Impact 3rd. HoYoVerse detailed Cosmic Expression, an SP rank unit, in a new video ahead of its debut.

The video begins with some gameplay showing how this grown-up version of Griseo fights. While the original battlesuit for her was based on her younger self and involved painting elements, here she is wielding a light saber-like sword. The announcement also confirmed she will be the game’s first SD character.

After the gameplay, it mentions she was part of Project Ark. This sent her across the universe, and meant she grew up in a sense of stasis before returning. Due to her new wanderer role, her tools like star charts and a telescope, are attached to her dress. The videos of the designers show them using a dual-bladed light saber during the process, and the team mentioned fellow Flame Chaser member Vill-V gave her a pen-like laser saber and sci-fi videos to watch while traveling. The idea is her moveset is inspired by the entertainment she watched and feature “cosmic” elements.

Here’s the full preview.

These days, it’s not easy to stand out on Twitch, the wildly popular game streaming platform. As of writing, there’s more than 7 million streamers who use the service to share live looks at their gameplay, paint a new piece of art, or try to activate viewers’ autonomous sensory meridian responses (ASMR). That’s a lot…

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With holiday season upon us, you may be currently looking for ideas on gifts for the Xbox fan in your life. There are plenty of options for Xbox Series X games and other gift ideas, whether you’re looking for a friend or a treat for yourself, so here's our guide to help.

Which Xbox Series X and S bundles are available for the 2023 Black Friday holiday shopping season?

With two models of Xbox, there are naturally a couple of different bundles available. For the Series X, there is a Diablo 4 bundle available for $499. The Series S model, which lacks a disc drive, comes bundled with three months of Game Pass Ultimate, which provides access to a wide library of games out of the box. It’s available for $299. Both systems are likely to see some sale prices around Black Friday, so best to keep an eye out for those.

I often admire the protagonists of stories where a regular person is reborn as the villain or villainess of a fantasy world. They can always find a way to dodge death flags and avert their gruesome fate in creative ways thanks to their intimate knowledge of the world they are reborn into. Catarina Claes from My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom manages to do this in the most hilarious ways, and as I played through My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom Pirates of the Disturbance Switch game, I realized I wouldn’t mind being reborn as a villainess if I could spend my time eating good food and being unknowingly romanced by a bunch of cute guys on a cruise ship.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom: Pirates of the Disturbance is a spin-off otome Switch game by Otomate and Idea Factory based on the light novel, manga, and anime by Satoru Yamaguchi. It features Catarina, a young woman born into nobility, who awakens to her memories of being an otome game-playing high school student after hitting her head as a child. As she remembers her unfortunate death in her past life, Catarina realizes she has been reincarnated as the villainess of the fictional otome game “Fortune Lover,” and that means a number of horrible and deadly fates await her.