Check out the Season 2 announcement for HBO’s The Last of Us below:
As for what to expect in Season 2, that remains unknown, but considering Season 1 is covering all of The Last of Us Part I, it’s likely that the second season will cover at least part of The Last of Us Part II, if not all of it. A release date for Season 2 has not yet been revealed.
Episode 3 of HBO’s The Last of Us airs this Sunday and is set to feature Bill, played by Nick Offerman.
The characters you know and love from the Yakuzaseries head (way) back in time, but series vets will quickly find their footing.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! comes to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on February 21, 2023
The Yakuzaseries has never been one to sit still — players explore the vibrant, violent ’80s in Yakuza 0 all the way to the neon-hued present day in Yakuza Like a Dragon. While the series has consistently moved forward, the next (re-)release from Ryo Ga Gotoku Studios, Like a Dragon: Ishin! (heretofore shortened to “Ishin”), takes you back in time — by quite some margin — to the Japan of the 1860s.
The Bakumatsu era couldn’t be more different than flashy, modern day Kamurocho (the primary setting for most Yakuza/Judgement titles) — yet during a recent hands-on with the game, I found that for all that’s different, there is much in Ishin that a Yakuza vet will find familiar. Here’s what Ishin changes… and what it doesn’t:
Is that…?
There’s something very familiar about swordsman Sakamoto Ryoma. I didn’t recognize the name (though apparently, he was a real samurai), but the face is unmistakable. No, Kiryu, Majima, and other members of the Tojo clan didn’t hop into a DeLorean to play out their samurai fantasies — this is more of a “What…if?” situation where familiar faces and personalities are mapped onto a cast from different era of Japanese history.
This also means that everyone is back on the table: if you’ve enjoyed Yakuza 0 through Yakuza Like a Dragon, you’ll frequently be pointing at the screen, saying ‘is that ___?’ Even if said familiar face met their untimely end in a previous title — or you thought they were dead then it turns out they survived but then they die for real in a dramatic and meaningful scene (it happens in this universe!) — they may show up in Ishin under a new guise. Enjoy the deja vu!
Lights out
Taking place in the mid-19th century, you’d expect Ishin‘s setting of Kyo (as modern day Kyoto was known at the time) to have little in common with the bustling, brightly -lit Kamurocho of the Yakuza series. Despite vastly different architecture and technology, Ishin players will find Kyo to be similarly sized and, more importantly, just as densely packed with interactable locations as more familiar Yakuza locales. Ishin is very much an open world, replacing karaoke bars, hostess clubs, and beef bowl joints with blacksmiths, fish markets, and udon stalls. Despite the change of set dressing, many interactions are similar to the games taking place in modern-day Japan, as Ryoma builds up a rapport with various merchants and barkeeps. There’s even a (slightly anachronistic) Don Quijote for your shopping pleasure!
Act first, strategize later
If turn-based RPG Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the most recent (or only!) RGG title you’ve experienced, know that Ishin plays much more like the action-heavy Yakuza games as well as the recent Judgement titles. Even still, Ishin presents the largest departure we’ve yet seen from the action brawler; there’s significantly more emphasis on weapons, particularly swords — complete with crafting and upgrade elements — and a costarring role for firearms. While Yakuza games typically relegated guns to limited use, in Ishin you’ll immediately draw your katana and revolver at every provocation.
During my hands-on time, I gravitated to Ryoma’s Wild Dancer style, swinging a sword in wide, one-handed arcs and punctuating slashing combos with a revolver shot to good effect. Brawler fans are not left out, as Ryoma can holster and sheath his equipped weapons for a classic, unarmed scuffle. But why would you?
The swingin’ (18)60s
One of the hallmarks of the Yakuza franchise is how frequently it careens from intense drama to absurd moments; this probably shouldn’t work, but any fan will tell you that it absolutely does. So it’s a relief to see that Ishin keeps things weird, with Bakumatsu era mini-games and full-on sub-stories (the series; term for side quests) including chicken racing, cannons, highly infectious dance crazes, and all sorts of gambling and gaming. While karaoke may not have existed in the 1860s, make no mistake – there is absolutely a singing minigame, featuring voice actor Takaya Kuroda belting out period-specific tunes set to imagery of Ryoma violently ripping daikon radishes out of the garden. You… have to be there.
And indeed, you won’t have to wait much longer before you can be there. Like a Dragon: Ishin! comes to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S February 21, 2023.
It may not shock you to learn that Far Cry 7 is reportedly in development; however, that’s not all: a Far Cry multiplayer game is rumored to be in the works as well.
Yesterday, a Insider Gaming report stated as much, citing sources familiar with both projects. Far Cry 7 is said to be under development as Project Blackbird, with the multiplayer game known as Project Maverick.
Far Cry 6 Lost Between Worlds DLC trailer
The report states both titles started as one game before being separated into two after Far Cry executive producer Day Hay defected to Blizzard Entertainment in 2021. Both games are said to be tentatively slated for a 2025 release.
Kotaku sources corroborated the report, further stating Ubisoft’s Snowdrop engine, used to develop The Division 2, is the engine of choice for the upcoming Far Cry games. It is also the engine behind the development of the company’s open-world Star Wars game.
The last Far Cry game to release was the sixth installment and stars Giancarlo Esposito as the villain Anton Castillo. The iron-fisted dictator of Yara has vowed to restore the island to its former glory, and is grooming his son Diego to follow in his footsteps.
However, enriching his country means subjugating those who don’t follow his vision, so it is up to you to liberate the nation by joining the guerilla movement Libertad.
The announcement that a remastered version of GoldenEye 007 is heading to Xbox was met with cheers – rightly, given it’s one of the best games of all time. Then the cheers gave way to confusion, and disappointment, as it was confirmed that the version of the game releasing on Xbox consoles won’t have online multiplayer – only the classic split-screen. The game is now out for everyone to play (assuming you have Game Pass or a digital copy of Rare Replay), and the sense of disappointment is thick in the air.
Check out the newly-remastered GoldenEye trailer here.
In a weird twist, the Nintendo Switch version does online play – but that release is basically an emulated version of the N64 release rather than a true remaster, coming as part of the Switch Online Expansion Pack, where all the N64 on the console can be found. It’s all a bit of a mess, and a bit of a disappointment. GoldenEye’s multiplayer is undoubtedly its most famous feature, and while it absolutely will forever be at its best when you’re crowded around a single screen – I also feel like online is a bit of a must these days.
If you want to play GoldenEye multiplayer on Xbox, however, this is an option – and it’s been available since 2010.
I’m talking, of course, about the Xbox Live Arcade version of GoldenEye successor Perfect Dark, which first released over a decade ago but was also part of Rare Replay and remains compatible with all modern Xbox consoles on the market today.
I’m not just saying this because Perfect Dark is GoldenEye’s spiritual successor, either – the Perfect Dark Remaster actually includes quite a bit of GoldenEye content.
This content includes three of GoldenEye’s classic levels, available to play in local or online multiplayer. Temple and Complex from GoldenEye return, as does Facility, albeit cheekily renamed to Felicity. The textures might be different in many cases, using visuals pulled from PD’s campaign, but the level layouts are identical and exactly as you remember them.
Over on the weapons side, a bunch of classic GoldenEye shooters are represented in the category of ‘Classic Weapons’. They’re the same weapons, but given a visual touch-up and renamed so that any legal issues are ducked.
The iconic PP7 Special Issue from GoldenEye, Bond’s iconic sidearm that is itself based on the Walther PPK, is back, not so subtly-renamed as the PP9i. AK-47 stand-in KF7 Soviet is back in Perfect Dark as the KF7 Special.
The awesome-feeling RC-P90 returns as the RC-P45 (presumably a joking reference to a form you have to complete in the UK, where Rare is based, when you get fired from a job). And would it be GoldenEye without the Klobb, the crappest gun in GoldenEye, jokingly named after developer Ken Lobb? That’s in Perfect Dark as the KL01313.
These are just a few, but the point is – if you remember a weapon from GoldenEye, the GoldenEye version is either in Perfect Dark as a neat little Easter Egg, or it’s represented by a near-identical Perfect Dark replacement. GoldenEye’s proximity mines aren’t present, for instance, but the PD version is basically identical anyway. Oh, and if you played Oddjob, Elvis the alien has that same height-related advantage to abuse.
Sure, it’s only three levels, and you can’t play as the Bond characters – but the point is a sizable part of the GoldenEye multiplayer experience is available on Xbox anyway. Perfect Dark is in the Rare Replay compilation, which is in Game Pass – so it’s available for all. Plus – whisper it – Perfect Dark is actually overall a far superior game to GoldenEye, anyway. James walked so Joanna could run. You might come for the GoldenEye throwbacks, but stay for all of the brilliant weapon alt-fires and strong maps Perfect Dark brings to the table as well.
None of this excuses this bizarre release from Microsoft and Nintendo, of course. Whatever has caused it, it’s vaguely nonsense. But booting Perfect Dark will, at least, take the edge off. I hope to see you online. I’ll be on Felicity – melee only.
You know how it is – you go years without a sci-fi survival horror game set in the distant depths of space, and then two arrive in consecutive months. The first, The Callisto Protocol, a spiritual successor to the Dead Space series helmed by Dead Space creator Glen Schofield and reportedly endowed with a monster development budget, released this past December with notable performance issues and ultimately failed to hit its sales targets. The second, a remake of the original 2008 Dead Space crafted with considerable care and creativity by Motive Studio, arrived this past week and managed to outdo the original in almost every way. Earlier in 2022, Schofield was quoted as being “kind of bummed” about not having any involvement in remaking the seminal survival horror game that put his name on the map. One can only wonder how he’s feeling now.
To be clear, I enjoyed my time overall with The Callisto Protocol, even though I felt a number of issues ultimately held it back from greatness, and I think it does eclipse Dead Space in a handful of areas. I’d say the performances from its lead actors, Josh Duhamel as Jacob Lee and Karen Fukuhara as Dani Nakamura, are slightly stronger than that of the cast featured aboard the USG Ishimura, and The Callisto Protocol also takes the prize for serving up the most uncomfortably convincing level of blood and gristle, with a level of onscreen meat-mulching that would make even the most gore-hungry gamer consider becoming a videogame vegan. That said, in almost every other comparison with both the original Dead Space and now even more so with its remake, The Callisto Protocol comes up shorter than a necromorph with its knees knocked out.
Much like Dead Space, Striking Distance Studios’ prison break game involves prison-breaking the arms and legs right off its mutated inhabitants, but the tools you’re given to get the joint-severing job done just don’t have the same kind of panache as Isaac Clarke’s iconic arsenal of repurposed mining implements. The Callisto Protocol is saddled with an ordinary ordnance limited to pistols, shotguns, and an assault rifle, which feel satisfying enough to shoot but are ultimately indistinct from the firearms featured in any number of other action games. To its credit it does differentiate itself with a melee-heavy focus in its opening hours complete with axes and stun batons, but while going toe-to-toe with two-headed titans isn’t a complete swing and a miss, the slightly fussy timing of the melee mechanic means as a feature it lands as more of a glancing blow than a knockout punch.
By the midpoint of Dead Space, however, Isaac is truly spoilt for choice when it comes to creative killing. The swiveling head of his Plasma Cutter may as well have been engineered by the Gillette razor corporation for how effective it is at shaving the stubborn limbs off necromorphs no matter which way their bodies are angled. The Ripper’s spinning saw blade lets you prune the parts off each freak with vengeful glee like you’re attacking the annoying tree branches coming from over your neighbour’s fence. Meanwhile the Contact Beam literally hoses the decaying flesh right off each necromorph’s bones like you’ve somehow stumbled onto an R-rated patch for PowerWash Simulator. Each of these work perfectly in tandem with Dead Space’s object-throwing Kinesis and enemy-slowing Stasis abilities, giving you a variety of ways to problem-solve your way out of each roomful of angry undead astronauts.
The Callisto Protocol’s Jacob is a blunt instrument, while Dead Space’s Isaac is a sci-fi Swiss Army knife.
“
While sadly there’s no Stasis in The Callisto Protocol, there is a Kinesis equivalent. However it’s overpowered and too easily abused, allowing you to lift enemies off their feet and hurl them into the always conveniently placed spiked walls and exposed fan blades, meaning you’re able to clear entire areas of threats with a few hand gestures before they’ve had a chance to notice you. It’s fun to quickly Force-push mutants to their doom like you’re a Jedi who’s running late for a council meeting, but it hardly maintains a sense of tension. There really is no contest when it comes to combat variety and balance; The Callisto Protocol’s Jacob is a blunt instrument, while Dead Space’s Isaac is a sci-fi Swiss Army knife.
Isaac is also pitted against a decidedly more ghastly group of ghouls than what Jacob has to contend with. As I stated earlier, The Callisto Protocol’s vivid depiction of viscera is not to be undersold, but most of its enemies are gross in a reanimated roadkill kind of way. Dead Space’s nasties, on the other hand, are the stuff of proper cosmic horror nightmares. There’s a reason that horror movie maestro John Carpenter would love to make a film out of the Dead Space series, and it’s because game recognises game. Or I guess, moviemaking gamer recognises game inspired by moviemaker’s movies. At any rate, it’s clear that Dead Space’s creature designs are a cut above and they come in more shapes and sizes, from tiny tentacle-sprouting babies to a towering Leviathan that can only be described as looking like the largest arsehole in the universe this side of Uranus. (Sorry.)
The Callisto Protocol’s level structure is equally as narrow as its number of enemy types. It certainly serves up some striking and unsettling locales like its opening prison cell block and fetid waste management, but rarely does it give you a moment to linger. It just sluices you through them in a surge of forward momentum, slamming the door shut behind you at the start of each chapter with no way to backtrack for secrets you may have missed. Striking Distance Studios’ artists did an incredible job at realising each area of the Black Iron Prison, so it’s a shame it largely all passes by in a blur with little reason to ever stop in order to scrutinise your surroundings.
On the other hand, in the Dead Space remake you’re given the ability to shuttle back and forth between the various decks of the USG Ishimura, and you’re incentivised to do so with locked doors that can be accessed as Isaac’s security level increases. Doing so gives you access to precious resources and upgrades, and a multi-part side mission that tasks you with tracking down a number of the ‘RIGs’ discarded by deceased crew members that can eventually be combined into an all-access skeleton key for every room and cabinet on the ship. Further, as you return through previously visited areas, Dead Space surprises you with additional enemy ambushes so that you can never really feel safe, and tucks away some interesting environmental puzzles to discover that bring welcome diversions to all the death and destruction. Dead Space encourages you to truly submerge yourself in its haunted house of horrors, while The Callisto Protocol is effectively a rollercoaster ride; thrillingly brisk in pace but linear in direction.
The Callisto Protocol ist a rollercoaster that eventually runs out of track
“
at least as far as its story goes. The Callisto Protocol’s campaign is done in less than eight hours, and although you do ultimately find out how its outbreak occurred, there’s an abruptness to the credits screen that leaves you with a sense that it’s a few hour-long episodes short of a full season of television – at least in terms of the fates of certain characters. On the other hand, despite the fact there’s clearly more to Isaac’s story as evidenced by the existence of Dead Space 2 and 3, Dead Space resolves the events onboard the Ishimura in an extremely satisfying way, even more so in the remake which makes some clever character alterations to better sell its plot-twisting climax.
To be fair, some of The Callisto Protocol’s shortcomings could well be remedied in time. A NewGame+ mode that was noticeably absent at launch has recently been added as part of a free update, while additional gory death animations, new weapons, and added story DLC is promised for later in the year – although these are coming as part of paid season pass content. There’s plenty to build on in The Callisto Protocol, and I’d certainly welcome the announcement of a sequel, too, just… not as much as I’d welcome the announcement of a Dead Space 2 remake helmed by Motive Studio. Because ultimately while The Callisto Protocol is not without its charms, Dead Space still treats it like it’s a suspicious-looking corpse and stomps all over it.
Tristan Ogilvie is a video producer in IGN’s Sydney office. He’s never fought any machines in real life, although he did once have a tense altercation with a robot bartender in Tokyo. He almost never tweets here.
The Pokémon Company will print its first new Kadabra card in over 20 years. According to a report by PokéBeach, the Pokemon Card 151 set due out in June will feature the psychic spoon-bender alongside the series other original Pokémon, something that would have previously been blocked by illusionist Uri Geller’s lawsuit accusing Kadabra of being based on his own likeness.
PokéBeach (via IGN) said it was able to confirm Kadabra’s return after viewing a leaked sell sheet for the upcoming set. While on its face it seems obvious that number 64 would be included along with the 151 other original Pokémon, Kadabra has been excluded from the card game since the early 2000s. That’s when Geller, best known for performing conjuring tricks ostensibly revolving around physic abilities, such as bending spoons, first discovered Kadabra and tried to take Nintendo to court over the Pokémon’s similarities to his act.
While the most obvious example was Kadabra’s signature bent spoon, its name in Japanese, Yungerer, also bore clear similarities. Geller reportedly took special issue with the Team Rocket Kadabra card which featured “Evil Yungerer.”
“I’m very angry about this,” he told the BBC back in 2000. “I wouldn’t have given permission for an aggressive, and in one case evil character to be based on me. This is not even anything to do with the old question of if I’m a magician or a real psychic. It’s straight theft of my persona.”
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Geller didn’t stay angry though. Following years of failed lawsuits, pleas from fans, and even his own granddaughters, he eventually relented. In 2020 he sent a letter to Nintendo giving permission for Kadabra to continue being used. Pokémon company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara wrote back at the time to thank him. Geller even started teasing Kadabra’s possible return to the card game last year.
“Look, I want to thank the Pokémon fans who reached out to me over the last [few] years,” he told PokéBeach in a voicemail yesterday. “Including the ones from PokéBeach, who kept contacting me nonstop. So basically, it was you and my granddaughters that got me to change my mind.”
The illusionist went on:
Now we can all see Kadabra reunited with the original Pokémon in the card game this summer. I love you all. And I admit, totally open and honest. I was a fool. It was a devastating mistake for me to sue Pokémon. [Kadabra] was basically a tribute to Uri Geller. But it’s back now. Forgive me. I love you all. Much love and energy.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
A first-person tragicomic adventure that takes place inside a smartphone. As the update assistant, you hold the fate of the system in your hands. Will you counter the update and save the chatty operating system OS9 from deletion?
Blast your way through hordes of evil bots in procedurally generated environments in solo or 2-player co-op, upgrade your build as you progress, and defeat powerful bosses. Be ready to dive into the futuristic world of Roboquest and help mankind find the mysterious and long-forgotten Haven-City.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is one of the most beloved strategy games ever made and is coming soon to Xbox consoles. Enjoy a new way to play this much-loved game on console including optimizations for playing with a controller and new tutorials to get you into the fun quickly. Available on Cloud and Console.
An ink-based strategy game straight from medieval manuscripts, where a rabbit’s bum can be deadlier than a dog’s sword. Take your turn in duels filled with unexpected tactical depth (and humor). Embark on an ever-changing journey, build your own bestiary, defeat medieval superstars and collect perks to unleash special powers. Available on Cloud, Console, and PC.
As an android mechanic, restore power to your spaceship after a pirate attack. Navigate five sectors, solve 30 levels, and use new arm-magnet and wrench mechanics to succeed in this unique sci-fi puzzle game.
Embark on a bizarre martial arts adventure as a Spanish ninja and his buddy chicken! Take the role of Spanish ninja Benito, his chicken pal Pepito and his sensei Paco as they embark on a bizarre adventure across the globe! Presented in a mix of 3D environments and 2D pixel art sprites, Albacete Warrior takes traditional side-scrolling beat ‘em up combat into a new dimension.
The sky is falling! Quickly run into the gap as the ceiling comes crashing down from above. If you make it in time the ceiling will rise again and then crash down again and again, each time with the gap in a random place. How long can you survive?
Rhythm Sprout is a handcrafted rhythm action with original music and a wacky story mode. Follow Sprout – the Chosen Onion – on his lightweight and self-aware adventure between music levels. Make funny dialogue interactions, full of silly jokes and pop culture references. Help the adorable inhabitants of the Vegetable Kingdom and face a charming cast of Sweet Villains on this memorable adventure.
Sequel to the award-winning Deliver Us The Moon, Deliver Us Mars is an atmospheric sci-fi adventure offering an immersive astronaut experience. Explore new frontiers on a suspense-fueled, high-stakes mission to recover the ARK colony ships stolen by the mysterious Outward.
Grab your Belt of Justice and your Tailormade Sewing Machine — we’ve got some fashion justice to dispense! Fashion Police Squad is a humorous retro FPS where you fight against fashion crime using attire enhancing weaponry. Clean the streets of socks in sandals and experience a single-player story full of fabulous characters, dazzling encounters, and fierce runway shows!
When Laura, a girl who has lost her memory, is being pursued by unknown soldiers, Grant jumps into action to protect her only to find out about the danger the world is in from the Forces of Darkness and sets off on an epic journey.
Get ready to feel the speed! In Speedway Racing, you will enjoy the fastest, most spectacular races at over 350 Km/h, avoiding multiple collisions against 20 rivals. There are several modes available, including Championship, Arcade, and 4-player multiplayer.
Project Mirror is a groundbreaking interactive experience that immerses participants in a world of puzzles and challenges. The project is designed to test participants’ problem-solving skills and ability to think critically while providing a fun and engaging experience. The Concept The concept behind Project Mirror is to create a fully immersive environment where participants are able to interact with their surroundings in real-time. The project uses a combination of cutting-edge technology and traditional puzzle-solving methods to create a unique and unforgettable experience.
The Puzzles The puzzles in Project Mirror are designed to be challenging but not impossible. They range from simple pattern recognition to complex multi-step challenges that require participants to think critically and work together to solve. Each puzzle is designed to test a different skill set, such as logic, spatial awareness, and attention to detail. Project Mirror is that the puzzles are all interconnected. Each puzzle that is solved unlocks new information and clues that are needed to solve the next puzzle. This creates a sense of progression and accomplishment as participants work their way through the experience.
Project Mirror Direct Play:
Participant Interaction Participants are able to interact with the environment in real-time, using physical objects, digital interfaces, and even their own bodies to solve the puzzles. The experience is designed to be inclusive and accessible to all, with puzzles that can be solved individually or as part of a team. The use of technology, such as virtual and augmented reality, allows for a fully immersive experience that is unlike anything else. Participants are transported to a different world, where they can interact with their surroundings in ways that were previously impossible. Project Mirror is a one-of-a-kind experience that offers a unique and engaging way to test problem-solving skills and critical thinking.
Features and System Requirements:
Test your skills
60+ Levels
Difficult puzzles
1 :: Operating System :: Windows XP/7/8/8./10. 2 :: Processor: Dual Core 3 :: Ram :: 4 GB RAM 4 :: DirectX: Version 9.0 5 :: Graphics:: 1GB VRAM / DirectX 10+ support 6 :: Space Storage:: 200 MB space
Turn Off Your Antivirus Before Installing Any Game
1 :: Download Game 2 :: Extract Game 3 :: Launch The Game 4 :: Have Fun 🙂
BEWARE Beware the waters, they hide a mysterious and terrifying threat. Death, an ancient Kraken leviathan haunts your every move in this tense underwater horror survival game. Fight to survive using powerful weapons and upgrades as you explore a beautiful yet treacherous underwater world. Gameplay Death in the Water 2 at its core is a wave-based shooter but combines elements of terrifying horror and tension with heart-pounding adrenalin-fueled action.
Each dive (wave) typically starts off with elements of exploration where the pace is a bit slower and gives you a chance to find treasure, and other collectibles as well as find your bearings. During this phase, the tension builds as you investigate ruins, wrecks, and reefs. Sharks and creatures are passive and may not always attack you unless provoked, much like the behavior of real sharks. So, strap on your diving gear and get ready for the ultimate underwater horror experience. Death awaits you in the depths…
Death in the Water 2 Pre-Installed:
At any stage during the dive Death (the Kraken) will launch a mind-control attack on all creatures and a feeding frenzy will kick off with you being the primary target. You will need to survive and complete the dive objective before you move on to the next wave. As you progress to the next dive the difficulty ramps up and things get even more frantic. The combination of tension and action makes it incredibly addictive as you explore the open world map. Will you escape the clutches of the Kraken, or will you join the endless ranks of the drowned? This is a game about facing your fears head on and conquering the challenges that stand in your way. It’s about testing your limits and pushing yourself to the brink. It’s about survival, and emerging victorious against all odds.
Features and System Requirements:
Underwater horror experience
You explore a beautiful
Fight to survive
1 :: Operating System :: Windows XP/7/8/8./10. 2 :: Processor: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system 3 :: Ram :: 8 GB RAM 4 :: DirectX: Version 11 5 :: Graphics:: GeForce GTX 670 / GeForce GTX 1050 / AMD Radeon HD 7870 6 :: Space Storage:: 7 GB space
Turn Off Your Antivirus Before Installing Any Game
1 :: Download Game 2 :: Extract Game 3 :: Launch The Game 4 :: Have Fun 🙂
Dragon Ball will always remain one of, if not the, most iconic shonen anime of all time. With the conclusion of the first season of the new Dragon Ball Super anime and the recent Super Hero movie, it’s only a matter of time before the recently announced second season makes its way to North America. In the meantime, what better way to get reacquainted with the cast and prepare for an awesome new season than by ranking the top 15 characters in the Dragon Ball Super anime, ranked from androids to ultra?
Honorable Mention: Future Trunks
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
Always a fan favorite and one of the most popular anime characters of all time, the grown up Trunks from one of Dragon Ball’s future realities has been a long time in the making. He’s had moments to shine, but throughout most of Dragon Ball Z, he’s been overshadowed by kid Gohan. However, Trunks has always had appealing style and a mix of stoic mysteriousness to him.
As a kid, he’s more fun-loving and has an endearing back story about how he claimed his sword from the hero Tapion, who he saw as the older brother he always wished he had. With Vegeta as his father, he’s only experienced a combination of neglect and tough-love, but continues to maintain an optimistic attitude and managed to be the last surviving Saiyan of his future, doing all he can to protect his loved ones and earth. In the first season of Super, he’s once again given an arc that concludes with him defeating an immortal and corrupted Zamasu + Goku black that even SSB Vegito could not defeat.
15. Gamma Brothers
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
Gamma 1 and 2 were introduced in the Super Hero movie and were nearly equal to Goku and Vegeta in power. This pair of new androids battled Gohan and Piccolo (pushing Piccolo to his limits), and took on the new Cell Max more than proving their battle capabilities.
These guys have slick-looking aesthetics that blend elements from retro 70’s giant robots and military uniforms with Jodhpurs or flared-hip breeches. They also have humorous personalities, slick capes, and snazzy space-blaster pistols. How can these guys not be fantastic?
14. Beerus
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
Beerus is the destroyer assigned to Universe 7, the home of our beloved cast of Goku and friends. For the first time, Goku and Vegeta met an opponent they could not defeat outright in combat and thought they’d have to carry the burden of not being able to save their new home planet of earth and the lives of their loved ones.
The introduction of Beerus added a new dimension to the lore of Dragon Ball, both figuratively and literally, and expanded the mythos in new refreshing ways. Suddenly, the power levels reachable became unknown and the story hinged on a foe-turned-ally that’s currently unbeatable.
13. Whis
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
Whis is introduced as the assistant of Beerus but is later revealed to be his training mentor. With an unknown amount of power, Whis must keep Beerus in check and he also contributes to the rescue of earth and universe 7.
To keep things entertaining, Whis is also responsible for helping to train both Goku and Vegeta so they can finally surpass their once-known limits from the Dragon Ball Z series. Another standout quality is Whis’ flamboyant and charming personality along with his stylish looks.
12. Cabba
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
Cabba was a surprising revelation when a tournament between Beerus and fellow destroyer Champa manifest after the two got into a heated debate. With the champions of universe 6 brought together, Saiyans outside of universe 7 were unveiled for the first time.
Kind and honorable, Cabba is a special character in the race of Saiyans as he hunts down criminals on his home planet Sadala. Still a young kid, he may not be powerful, but he has the same heroic instinct as Goku and Saiyan pride as Vegeta. As a result, he emotionally expresses his love for his race to Vegeta to become his newfound mentor and learns how to unleash his super Saiyan mode for the first time.
11. Frieza
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
Frieza is arguably Goku’s true archenemy, the Joker to Batman or Green Goblin to Spider-Man. Responsible for killing Goku’s dad, Bardock, and committing genocide against the Saiyan race, there is none eviler than this monster. Now in his most powerful golden form, Frieza has come a long way and never stops his diabolical scheming.
The craziest plot point in the Dragon Ball Super anime is how Goku foolishly decides to bring Frieza back to life to participate in the Tournament of Power in hopes to keep their universe 7 alive. Frieza does help Goku defeat Jiren but later returns to unleash Broly in hopes of indirectly slaying Goku.
10. Toppo
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
One of the main headliners of Universe 11 in the Tournament of Power, Toppo is one of the most powerful aliens in the universe. Alongside Jiren, universe 11 is the only universe powerful enough to stand up to Goku and Universe 7. And to try and defeat Goku and Vegeta, Toppo proved that he can access the power of a destroyer making him a force to be feared always.
Another fun aspect of Toppo is how he leads and organizes the strongest warriors of universe 11 and names them the Pride Troopers. Akin to the Ginyu force, fans are treated to a band of heroes who have superhero outfits and quirky fun personalities and dance moves.
9. Android 17
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
Little was known about what happened to Android 17 or his whereabouts after Dragon Ball Z concluded, but to everyone’s surprise, it was revealed in Dragon Ball Super that 17 had decided to live alone on a recluse island taking care of nature and animals. His compassionate soft spot cemented him as a hero and an android with a caring human side.
In terms of power, Android 17 also proved he could still take on Goku and helped defeat Jiren in the Tournament of Power. Even with only limited training, Android 17 is a force to be reckoned with, and this only hints at what he still might be capable of.
8. Hit
Image Source: Hulu
The assassin who’s never failed to eliminate his target, Hit is one of the most powerful opponents Goku and Vegeta ever faced. As the primary contender of universe 6, the first time he met Goku, Hit was nearly unbeatable with his time skip powers and precise striking style.
Hit is also appealing due to his clean style, cool personality, and smooth demeanor. Goku enjoys fighting Hit so much that he even hired Hit to assassinate him just so the two of them could duke it out. Since Hit is still around, it’ll be fascinating to see him hopefully explored more as he trains and possibly helps Goku against opponents like Broly and Jiren.
7. Piccolo
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
Everyone’s favorite Namek, fans often feel like Piccolo is under-appreciated and not given enough time in the limelight (he is green after all). It was a great change of pace to see Piccolo go from a ferocious alien fighter to a caring father-like figure, trainer, and mentor to Gohan and now to Pan, proving he has a good heart and loving instincts.
Always ready to sacrifice himself to save the earth or protect Gohan, Piccolo remained side-by-side with Gohan in the Super Hero movie. Finally being forced to go beyond his limits, he achieved a new form, and although it wasn’t able to get to the same level as the Saiyans, he now at least has made progress after remaining docile for so long. Hopefully, creators will continue to power up Piccolo so he can be more of a help in the combat against more powerful foes.
6. Kefla (Caulifla + Kale)
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
The fusion between two fantastic female characters, Kale combines the two other youthful Saiyans from universe 6, Caulifla and Kale. It also turns out that Kale is the legendary Saiyan (or the Broly) of universe 6; however, she’s still young and her full potential is not yet realized.
Caulifla and Kale also have distinct personalities that make them the perfect pair of friends. Caulifla is rowdy, rambunctious, and self-absorbed as the leader of a gang of Saiyans on her home planet of Sadala. Meanwhile, Kale is loyal to a fault for Caulifla and sees her as a best friend and sister. Kale is also meek and timid which is rare and unique in the world of Dragon Ball, especially for a Saiyan. This perfectly compliments Caulifla’s personality and makes them an interesting team.
5. Jiren
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
The most powerful fighter from universe 11 turns out to be an obscure alien named Jiren. Surpassing even the likes of Toppo, Jiren is the one responsible for pushing Goku into his ultra-instinct form, so you know he can never be taken lightly. His appearance is clean and simple, but don’t let that fool you- he possesses a tragic backstory that many can relate to.
Another surprise about Jiren was the deep and complex backstory of Jiren’s past that fueled his emotions and strength. During the tournament of power, he appears as a seemingly one-sided powerhouse that confidently dispatches any opponent before him without so much as breaking a sweat. But as his battle with Goku rages on, he reveals his true self and evolves into more than just one of the most powerful beings in existence. Seeing characters with increased depth only enhances their appeal and proves that Dragon Ball’s story is evolving into more than just fighting action.
4. Broly
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
The legendary Saiyan that struck fear in King Vegeta is none other than Broly, son of Paragus. While the Dragon Ball Z iteration created the unbeatable monster and maniac that was made of entertaining action, the Akira Toriyama Broly embraced a misunderstood character full of tragedy and in need of empathy.
After surviving on Planet Vampa, Broly is brought to earth by Frieza and is tricked into fighting Goku and Vegeta. The battle that ensues is easily one of, if not the best, anime fight scene of all time. What makes Broly so special is not his berserker rage and nearly limitless strength, but his childlike innocence and pure feelings of love and loss brought about by a sorrowful past and upbringing.
3. Gohan
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
Once the championing character of Dragon Ball Z, Gohan had all the elements of making him the most powerful Saiyan after surpassing his father Goku. He harnessed more power and super Saiyan stage 2 at a young age, which already put him a class above Goku.
But as Gohan grew up, he left the spotlight, and instead of training like his father, he fell in love with a human named Videl, and the two of them became superhero crimefighters protecting their city from human criminals. Soon, they started a family, and Gohan became a dad and prioritized being a family man over being a fighter. Now, his power has been awakened and he unleashed a power that no other Saiyan has seen before.
2. Vegeta
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
The only true rival to Goku, Vegeta would be the prince of Saiyans if Frieza hadn’t decimated his world. Even with his royal blood, Vegeta has learned to respect those of a “lower class” and even the “lowly” human race. As Goku trains to become stronger, Vegeta does the same so he does not fall behind, and the two of them are responsible for keeping each other at their strongest.
After Goku reached super Saiyan level 3, Vegeta studied the form’s strengths and weaknesses and instead opted to improve upon super Saiyan 2 proving his natural ability. And although it has not yet been shown in the anime, Vegeta now has a new form to rival Goku’s ultra instinct. His personality is also unique; he always acts tough and uncaring, but deep down inside he loves Bulma and everyone else connected throughout the Dragon Ball cast.
1. Goku
Image Source: Dragon Ball Official
As the main character of the series, it’s no surprise Goku would be number one, but he deserves it in many ways. He’s always stayed true to his childlike innocence and pure heart mixed with only one simple drive: to be the strongest fighting warrior in existence.
He always brings a mix of humor, fun, and serious raw power with him. With no hesitation, he does what is overwhelmingly right in order to protect and save others, especially those who are innocent and good. In the overall meta of anime and shonen stories, Goku is one of the original protagonists who embody virtue, silliness, honor, justice, and a big appetite altogether. All future anime will be inspired by him and his story forever.
That wraps up our top 15 characters in the Dragon Ball Super anime, ranked from androids to ultra. With the arrival of the second season, I hope we see more of all the aforementioned characters, and with the now teenager Trunks and Goten, things should continue to get funner and more entertaining. Goku and Vegeta are sure to face deadlier enemies and grow stronger, and I’m sure the fans will want to see more Gohan, Broly, Piccolo, Kefla, Cabba, and Hit. While you’re waiting, make sure to check out the new Zenkai Series from the Dragon Ball Super Trading Card Game, it’s one of the best anime games you can collect and play!
V Rising emerged from its coffin into early access in May last year and found an audience ravenous for a bit of survival-tinged bloodsucking. Developer Stunlock Studios has now announced that the game has sold over 3 million copies, pretty incredible figures for a PC-only indie title that isn’t even fully released, and thanks to such success the ambitions for the future are high.
Literally. V Rising is far more than Valheim with vampires (opens in new tab) and, at its beating heart, is your big ol’ gothic castle. The studio recently announced that a major free update is incoming, and the bit that matters is the admittedly dull-sounding multiple castle floors. But this is “by far the most requested feature” for the simple reason that “the vision of a dark silhouette on the cliff-side, tall and spearing the sky with towers, easily takes a Vampire’s imagination to an entire world of possibilities. One cannot help but dream of a mansion, a maze of rooms stacked atop a maze of rooms, opulent and seemingly endless.”
One cannot help it but, in V Rising at the moment, one cannot do it either. You can currently build a sprawling one-floor castle, with players achieving height through the simple method of building on hills, so the studio’s been prototyping how to implement castles with multiple levels. It says things may change and it’s “a bit too early for promises” but at some point in 2023 players will be able to “build the castle of your dark dreams.”
The world of Vardoran is also being expanded and overhauled with new enemies, visual upgrades, terrain variation, new bosses, and a whole new biome. There’ll be a new marketplace feature that allows trading stations in settled zones, wagon vendors, and basically more ways to get rare cosmetics and gameplay items. Amusingly enough, some of them will be fine with selling to a vampire while, with others, you’ll need to disguise yourself as human to get a deal done.
Arise in all your wicked glory! Welcome to our new kin! 🍾🧛#VRising pic.twitter.com/6y3FZva89OJanuary 26, 2023
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There are a whole bunch of other tweaks to things like the UI incoming, a new element to the combat system in the form of Jewels that grant abilities, an overhaul to inventory management, and other goals that may or may not make it in (“Things like seeing your clock in your coffin or giving more benefits to the coffin-like health recovery!”). The only downside to all of this is that, given the scale of this overhaul, it comes with a server wipe, so old saves will no longer work. The patch doesn’t have a release date yet beyond sometime this year.
One of the quite sweet things about Stunlock is how conscious it is of what players like about V Rising, all those good vampire vibes, and its focus on improving that immersion with “little feel-good things like being able to sit in chairs, turn your lights on and off, name your castle, place signs, and being able to interact with your servants in more casual ways”. That feels like a good future direction for a vampire game where arguably the best power is being able to shuffle storage crates (opens in new tab).
Noodlecake’s Squiggle Drop() featuring more than 100 puzzles is the final new Apple Arcade release of January 2023. When Apple revealed the games for the month, I was very curious to see how Squiggle Drop would turn out. It seemed like a game I’d enjoy. Having spent a bit of time with it this morning, Squiggle Drop is lovely. It scratches the quick pickup and play puzzler itch and also has a bit of what I liked in the Scribblenauts games. I haven’t finished it, but the music is also a highlight so far. You can grab Squiggle Drop here on Apple Arcade.
Alongside Squiggle Drop, a few notable Apple Arcade games have gotten updates. Skate City takes you to Tokyo for Pro Skate Mode. This update brings in new collectibles in Tokyo, and has 60 new challenges. Warped Kart Racers adds in the Speedway Nights track, a new chapter to unlock Boomhauer, new rewards unlocked during multiplayer, and more. Episode XOXO brings in a few more chapters in the ongoing Game of Hearts story. Stitch. has added the Best Friends category with eight new hoops, 3 more patters, and removes the Flawless stitching bonus. Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure brings in a new Mirror Story, 60 new puzzles, and new tournaments.
The final update is Devolver Digital’s Cricket Through the Ages getting its first update in about a year. The update notes mention this release bringing in “A dramatic tale of one duck’s nefarious mission to destroy humanity! and the quantum scientists’ battle to save Cricket!”. With the updates done, check out our forum threads for Stitch.here, Episode XOXOhere, Skate Cityhere, Squiggle Drophere, Warped Kart Racershere,Temple Run: Puzzle Adventurehere, and Cricket Through the Ageshere. For all Apple Arcade related things, check out our dedicated Apple Arcade forum for discussion on the service and every game included here. What do you think of 2023’s first month of Apple Arcade?
In this week’s episode of The Game Informer Show, we break down our Forspoken review and chat about why the open-world game is weird enough to develop a devoted fanbase despite conflicting reviews. Additionally, returning guest Kahlief Adams joins us to promote Spawn On Me’s upcoming game awards show, The Spawnies, and also chat with Marcus and Kyle about the newly-released Dead Space remake.
Lastly, Alex and Kyle share very early impressions from Hi-Fi Rush, the stylish action game from the creators of The Evil Within that shadow-dropped yesterday.
The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join host Alex Van Aken every Thursday for a chat about your favorite games – past and present – with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
Jump to the timestamps to get to a particular point of discussion:
With just over a month to go before Destiny 2‘s next expansion Lightfall releases, Bungie is giving players a few welcome buffs to get ready for the new content. One of these will allow players to focus red-bordered Deepsight weapons daily from each of its seasonal vendors. Iron Banner will also award increased reputation gains when it returns at the end of January.
In an update planned for next week, Bungie will be changing its weekly Deepsight focusing to a daily rotation, meaning players will be able to get four guaranteed red-border weapon drops per day. The daily focusing will be available from H.E.L.M. vendors from the Season of the Risen, Haunted, Plunder, and the current Season of the Seraph.
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The bonus, which will stay in effect until the end of the current season, will be welcome news to players trying to farm for weapon crafting patterns before Lightfall drops in February. Players will still need the required Umbral Engram and Umbral Energy to focus Deepsight weapons.
Bungie is also increasing rewards from Iron Banner when Fortress returns for its second seasonal rotation on January 31. These include an overall increase to the base reputation earned from each match, with players able to multiply those rewards further by wearing Iron Banner armor or equipping an Iron Banner emblem.
The Iron Banner changes have been put in place to make it easier for players to earn the coveted Iron Countershade chainmail shader before the season ends. Bungie ended its announcement of the buffs by encouraging players to “go earn that chainmail shader if you haven’t already!”
All the changes mentioned above will be available from January 31.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Looks like Naughty Dog might be finished with the Uncharted series.
Speaking with Buzzfeed, studio co-president Neil Druckmann said the team is “moving on” from it.
“Uncharted was insanely successful,” said Druckmann. “Uncharted 4 was one of our best-selling games, and we’re able to put our final brushstroke on that story and say that we’re done. We’re moving on.”
Does this mean the studio is finished with the series for good, or just Nathan Drake’s story? Only Naughty Dog knows for sure.
But, that’s not to say another Uncharted couldn’t come from a different Sony studio. In April 2021 it was rumored that Days Gone developer Sony Bend was at one time working on an unannounced title in the franchise.
The report stated Sony assigned a group from the studio to develop the new Uncharted game under Naughty Dog’s supervision. A second team from Sony Bend was also partnered up with Naughty Dog to work on a multiplayer game.
It seems many at Bend were unhappy with Sony’s decisions, so some staffers and those in higher positions at Bend left the company. This is because many were afraid the studio would be absorbed into Naughty Dog. Subsequently, the studio’s leads asked to be taken off the project, and are now working on their own title.
It is unknown whether the new Uncharted game is still in development, but according to Bloomberg, it was at least on paper at Bend.
As far as The Last of Us is concerned, other than the upcoming multiplayer game, Part 3 is up in the air. Should the team come up with a compelling story, there may be a third entry. In the end, it is up to the studio whether it wants to continue the story or not.
“Our process is the same thing we did when we did Part 2, which is if we can come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love — just like the first and second game did — then we will tell that story,” Druckmann said. “If we can’t come up with something, we have a very strong ending with Part 2 and that will be the end.”
Naughty Dog does have a story outline for a Part 3, according to Druckmann, who wrote it along with co-writer Halley Gross. While not wanting to reveal too much, Druckmann told the Script Apart podcast in April 2021 the outline explores what happens after The Last of Us Part 2.
He went on to say that while the team is not working on a third installment, he hoped it “one day can see the light of day.”
A gaming icon returns, complete with new Xbox features.
Enjoy a timeless classic back in action for the modern age.
Available now as part of Xbox Game Pass.
GoldenEye 007 took the world by storm when it originally launched in 1997, drawing console gamers into a thrilling tale of espionage, gadgets and explosive action as they led James Bond through one of his most celebrated missions. Today, GoldenEye 007 launches globally on Xbox Game Pass, allowing a new generation of gamers to experience this beloved classic and veteran players to enjoy Bond’s unforgettable adventure all over again.
In the game’s campaign mode, players are free to approach objectives as they see fit – using silenced weapons, setting traps and being sure to remain unseen, or choosing to charge headlong into danger and rely on their skill and nerve to make 007’s mission a success.
Harder difficulty settings add entirely new objectives to Bond’s dossier and require mastery of every exotic location to succeed, while game-altering cheats can be unlocked by spies who are speedy enough. Equally memorable is the local split-screen multiplayer mode, where players go head-to-head across a series of iconic arenas. Just remember it’s all in good fun…
GoldenEye 007 will be instantly familiar to anyone who played the original, with faces and places just as you remember them. And for its Xbox Game Pass debut, the game now offers modern control options (including support for dual analog sticks) and a consistent refresh rate, running at a native 16:9 resolution up to 4K Ultra HD (where supported). There’s also a full roster of Xbox achievements to strive for, some of which are sure to test the mettle of proficient 00 Agents.
Now available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S as part of Xbox Game Pass (and across multiple devices via Xbox Cloud Gaming), GoldenEye 007 joins a distinguished lineage of shooters spanning the whole history of gaming. As our way of saying thanks to Rare fans old and new, players who’ve purchased a digital copy of Rare Replay on their Xbox account (unfortunately physical copies don’t work in quite the same way) will also be able to download and enjoy GoldenEye 007 free of charge, with or without an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
As the studio behind the game’s original 1997 release, we’re thrilled to be able to bring the game to you again in a way that remains faithful while delivering a smooth HD experience. We hope you enjoy stepping back into this legendary world – 007 and his life-or-death mission are waiting for you!
GoldenEye 007
Rare Ltd
☆☆☆☆☆ 1
★★★★★
James Bond returns! More than 20 years after the classic that introduced a generation to stealth-based shooter gameplay first hit the shelves, GoldenEye is back to thrill players old and new. Beginning in the heavily guarded chemical weapons facility at the Byelomorye Dam, you’ll guide Bond on a global covert operation to stop the devastating power of the GoldenEye satellite from being unleashed upon the world.
With 20 campaign missions to master at a range of difficulty levels, unlockable cheat modes and a truly classic split-screen multiplayer mode for up to four players, GoldenEye preserves all the action and excitement of the original game – while adding Xbox achievements and a raft of new features that enhance its timeless gameplay for the modern day.
Whether you’re a veteran player or a rookie agent taking on this genre-defining mission for the first time, GoldenEye is a legendary gaming experience not to be missed.
Imagine waking up on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. Your first impulse might be to escape, maybe by grabbing some wood, crafting a boat, and sailing away. But if you’re playing Havendock, escape is for the short-sighted. So you’re stuck on a tiny island—why not simply build a booming town over the water and just live there?
At first, the demo for colony builder Havendock feels a bit like survival game Raft: I’m standing on a few tiny squares of wood with water all around me, and I need to grab floating leaves, wooden planks, and fish from the ocean to use for resources. Unlike Raft, though, my base isn’t moving through the water but anchored to the tiny sandy island I woke up on. And unlike most colony sims, I’m running around as a character as opposed to a god-like being peering down from the sky.
Soon I’m able to build more sections of dock to stretch out over the waves, and the space quickly becomes filled with crafting stations and equipment. I set up a water pump to draw seawater up to the dock and a purifier to make it drinkable. I build birdhouses to attract feathered visitors who will give me seeds for farming plots, and I feed them raw fish in return. (Don’t tell those friendly birds this, but I also built a steel trap to catch different birds to harvest for feathers and bones.)
I burn wood for charcoal to power grills and cooking stations, and a research table lets me open up new avenues of technology like smelting. Every scrap of spare wood lets me extend my dock further to make more room and try to build my way over to other tiny islands and structures in the distance. I see one little shack across the water that has chickens. I must have those chickens. In the other direction, I see a lighthouse. I will build my way there, too. On another island, a large penguin is just chilling out. I need to know why. These glimpses of other locations at sea are enough to keep me collecting and building at a fever pitch.
It’s not long before a curious survivor sails over to my growing town on a tiny raft. This little NPC is interested in joining my colony, provided I build him a house first. I don’t even have a house myself yet, but I research the new building and add it to the dock while he waits. I’m a little annoyed he doesn’t even help me build his own house, so once he’s settled I assign him to the worst job in town: pumping up seawater and purifying it. That’s one of the nice things about Havendock: I can make settlers do all the chores I don’t want to do myself.
(Image credit: YYZ)
Pretty soon I’ve got five settlers living on my sprawling dock and I’m making them do all the stuff I’m not interested in. One guy is building up my steel and glass resources, first by scuba diving to the seafloor to gather ore and sand, and then feeding it into my forge and hammering it into shape. I’ve got another settler on seed duty so I can have my little farms growing fresh food without my needing to supervise them. I’ve assigned someone else to cook meals for everyone, and another carrying stuff around and stacking it in storage. It’s a pretty good system: I can run around collecting all the resources floating by and building docks and bridges without getting swamped with other chores.
I was struck by lightning, right in the damn head, during a rainstorm.
It’s not all smooth sailing: a few of my settlers have injured themselves in the course of the workday, and I was struck by lightning, right in the damn head, during a rainstorm. Herbs and medicine suddenly become an important research goal because almost everyone is limping around, unhappy, which is slowing everything down. And much as I appreciate my little helpers, they’re not too bright. When I finally craft some medicine, I put it in storage for them, but they won’t actually use it even though I can see one of them carrying the bottle around. Turns out, the meds are for me, and what my colonists really need to recuperate are feather-filled mattresses. So far my bird traps have only produced a single feather. The limping is going to continue for a while until I sort that out.
I grow burgers in my garden. Complete hamburgers!
There’s some enjoyable silliness in Havendock. When I need raw meat I don’t raise livestock and butcher them, I grow burgers in my garden. Complete hamburgers! With buns and cheese and everything, growing right out of the soil like they’re Ooblets. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s pretty darn cute. And the game is oozing with charm, from the busy little people to the giant goldfish jumping out of the sea to all the chunky little crafting stations peppered around my growing dock-town.
Despite my injured crew, my little ocean-top village is making quite a name for itself. After building a bridge over to a lighthouse and then repairing the broken structure I was able to signal a trader, who chugged over in a boat and now routinely swings by offering to swap goods with me. Unfortunately they haven’t shown up with feathers yet, which would be useful for my mattress shortage, but I can improve the lighthouse to attract more vendors in the future.
(Image credit: YYZ)
There’s also a lot I haven’t seen yet: the full game will include underwater systems for pumping oil and generating electricity, rowboats and submarines for exploring areas beyond the town, and according to one NPC I talked to I’ll be able to research flight. I’m really enjoying the colony builder so far, and I’m especially impressed that it’s the work of solo-developer Yeo Ying Zhi (aka YYZ).
Havendock is due to launch into Early Access in Q2 of 2023, but in the meantime there’s a free demo that will absolutely hook you. If you enjoy it (you will), you might also be able to join a closed beta. And if you’re looking for more colony management sims, check out the ones on sale at Steam Base Builder Fest.
I want that little yellow Midoriya, and I shall name him Ducku.
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Home » News » My Hero Academia Makes a Splash With New Tubbz Duck Collectibles
My Hero Academia has announced the franchise’s latest collectible goods in collaboration with Tubbz, a brand that releases pop-culture cosplaying ducks. Fans worldwide will be struggling not to burn their cash on these little guys, as there’s no denying how cute they are and how good they’d look lined up with other figurines and fun anime items in a My Hero Academia collection.
Tubbz has come up with designs for three of everyone’s favorite heroes; protagonist Deku, his long-time ex-childhood friend and passionate rival, Bakugo, and the incredible All Might himself. These little ducks perfectly capture each character, too, with Deku’s focused eyebrows, Bakugo’s scowl, and All Might’s infamous hero pose.
The My Hero Academia Tubbz Ducks cost $20 each and are a limited edition collectible, with only 3000 of each variant being up for sale. If you want to get in and snag one for yourself while you still can, they are available to pre-order from Just Geek.
The ducks will also come in a handy, stackable display case, meaning you can easily arrange them with other Tubbz, or remove them and display the 9cm ducks out in the open for maximum cuteness. Either way, these ducks are the perfect gift for the My Hero Academia fan in your life and will be much-loved assets to any anime collection when they make their estimated arrival in March 2023.
Two days ago, Bungie turned off the Destiny 2 servers while the studio looked into a problem that had players apparently losing progress on in-game challenges. This outage lasted a bit longer than everyone expected, with the free-to-play loot shooter remaining offline for nearly 20 hours. So what happened? Today Bungie pulled back the curtain and explained exactly what went wrong and why it had to roll back the game, erasing a few hours of folks’ quest progress in the process.
On January 24 at around 2:00 p.m., Bungie tweeted that it was taking Destiny 2 offline while it investigated an “ongoing issue causing certain Triumphs, Seals, and Catalysts to lose progress for players.” A few hours later, at 5:51 p.m., Bungie tweeted that it had possibly found a fix for the issue and was testing it, but was unable to specify when or if Destiny 2’s servers would come back online. Nearly four hours later, Bungie tweeted for the last time that night, announcing that Destiny 2 would not be playable that evening. Nearly 12 hours later, at around 9:55 a.m, Bungie announced it had finally solved the problem and servers would be coming back online following a hotfix. The nearly 20 hours of downtime had some players worried about the game’s health, and its future. After years of bugs and broken updates, it was really starting to feel like the seven-year-old shooter was being held together with duct tape.
So what happened during those 20 hours and why was the game down for so long, seemingly with little warning? Bungie has explained what broke, why, and how it was fixed in its latest blog post. And surprisingly, the developer is more transparent than you might think, going into technical details of the issue.
According to Bungie, shortly after releasing a previous update for the game (Hotfix 6.3.0.5) players began reporting that many Triumphs, Seals, and catalysts had vanished. Bungie realized that this was being caused after it moved some “currently incompletable” challenges into a different area of the game’s data. To do this, Bungie used a “very powerful” tool that lets the studio tinker with a player’s game state and account. Apparently, due to a configuration error, Bungie accidentally “re-ran an older state migration process” used in a past update. Because of this error, the tool copied old data from this past update into the current version of the game, which basically undid some players’ recent in-game accomplishments
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“Once we identified that the issue resulted in a loss of player state,” wrote Bungie, “we took the game down and rolled back the player database while we investigated how to remove the dangerous change from the build.”
After creating a new patch that removed the mistaken change the issue was fixed, and following some testing, Bugnie deployed the update. However, as a result of this patch, all player accounts had to be rolled back a few hours before the troublesome update went live. This means any player progress made between 8:20 and 11 a.m. on January 24 was lost. Any purchases made during this time got refunded, too.
While it sucks that the game was down for so long and that the team was forced to spend what sounds like many late hours trying to fix their mistake, it’s refreshing to see a developer be so open and honest about what happened and how it was fixed. In a time when games feel buggier than ever and players are fed up with delays, outages, and broken updates, it’s smart to pull back the curtain and show everyone just how hard it is to make, maintain, and sustain video games as complex as Destiny 2.
Chaosmonger Studio from Estonia is proud to announce the release of its anti-hero Rufus, protagonist of Clunky Hero. Out now for Xbox.
“Monty Python” meets Hollow Knight!
Rufus is just a simple peasant. He works on a farm, is somewhat insolent and he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. An ordinary man, who one day has to become a hero to save his wife and his village from the Evil One, whose name shall stay unpronounced. His wife, Brunilde, is also not the classical attractive princess of video-games, in fact she is pretty much the opposite. But the love between the two is stronger than anything else and that’s why Rufus armed himself with broom and bucket (the first to be used as a weapon, the latter a helmet) to go and rescue her.
Yes, at the start of the game, the protagonist of Clunky Hero will fight foes simply using only a broom. But more crazy weapons will be available later on, like a very long banana or a frozen eel, as well as grotesque enhancement items and powerful, yet bizarre, special skills.
Despite the humoristic tone, which is also a parody of the fantasy RPG genre, Clunky Hero has a solid metroidvania gameplay, with nearly 50 levels, set in nine different areas. The exploration of the big maps is therefore a crucial aspect of the game, which will need special abilities, usually gained after defeating a tough boss. Absurd enemies and friendly NPCs fill the multitude of levels, created with detailed backgrounds. The colorful graphics are a mix of 3D and hand-drawn looking elements, while the game-mechanic is typical of an arcade side-scroller.
Arcade is also pretty much the game-style of the combats, which aims mostly to the fun quick slashing of many enemies, rather than having fewer elaborated fights. Bonus items can be bought from NPCs in the various shops scattered around, found inside hidden chests, or in the many, yet elusive, secret rooms.
Developer Nicola Piovesan says: “I wanted to create a truly fun game, not only in its bizarre elements and hilarious dialogues, but also in its playability. It’s a metroidvania game for everybody.”
Have fun with Clunky Hero, out today for Xbox at a very friendly price!
Clunky Hero
chaosmonger studio
☆☆☆☆☆ 6
★★★★★
$14.99
$11.99
Clunky Hero is a story-driven, platformer metroidvania, with a touch of RPG, Hack’n’Slash and tons of humor. If you’d love a platformer game where you have a funny storyline, can talk with characters, solve side quests, find and buy items, change weapons and wearables, with great hand-drawn-looking backgrounds, presented in a very comical way, then Clunky Hero might be the game of your dreams!
STORYLINE
In a village far, far away, a dull peasant named Rufus was living an ordinary life. The boss of the house was his wife, Brunilde, a boisterously smart and funny woman that you wouldn’t exactly call “pretty”. Life was nice and happy in the village, until one day, awakened by some magical mistake, the Evil One started to spread his minions around town, performing hideous acts against the people. The worst of which was the kidnapping of Brunilde. She was torn from Rufus’ hands and put in a prison at the Evil One’s castle. Transformed into a blondie duck-faced doll girl, she now spends all her time staring at herself in a small handheld mirror.
Determined to win her back, Rufus made a helmet out of a bucket and picked a broom as a weapon. Everybody now calls him the CLUNKY HERO, but he might be the only hope to defeat the evil one that no one wants to call by name. Rufus is now on his journey to save his wife and the whole village!
