"Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire" release date set

With its barfing pirates, animancy cats, ancient curses and angry titans, Pillars of Eternity 2 looks to build upon its endearing 2015 forerunner in a number of neat-looking ways. It also has boats. Lots and lots of lovely boats. Developer Obsidian has now announced Deadfire's due date: April 3, 2018.

When it docks, PoE 2's digital and physical retail variations will set you back $50/your regional equivalent. A deluxe edition comes in at $60, and comes with the game's OST, an in-game pet, a "special in-game item", a hi-res game map and a few other trinkets—more on which can be found via the game's official site. 

An all-encompassing Obsidian Edition will also sell for $75, and comes with everything the deluxe does as well as Deadfire's first three DLC expansions—which otherwise cost $10 a piece.

"Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is our first sequel here at Obsidian and we’ve created something incredible," says Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart in a statement. "At Obsidian, we are all about stories, worlds, and characters, and in Deadfire we’ve done it again with a vast open world explorable by the player’s own customizable ship, character customization with enough options to make any RPG player want to make a hundred characters, and an exciting narrative that truly delivers on the reactivity that makes our games special.

"We’re confident that new and returning players will find Deadfire to be the RPG experience of the year."

Look out for Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire on April 3, then, and check out Andy's recent hands-on in the meantime.

Source: https://eternity.obsidian.net

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Metal Gear Survive

STORY

A pseudo-historical sequence of events…

The year is 1975. Cold War tensions continue to ease, and the Vietnam War is in its final days.

The legendary mercenary Big Boss leads an army that belongs to no nation. Under the guise of a nuclear inspection by the IAEA, a hostile force known as XOF launches a surprise attack on Mother Base, Big Boss's base of operations. His soldiers put up a desperate fight, but their efforts are in vain, as Mother Base falls.

A moment after Big Boss escapes the area by helicopter, an intense light appears in the sky, and a wormhole opens over the base. The wormhole begins to suck up everyone and everything left, transporting them to some parallel world. A soldier who helped Big Boss get away is almost pulled into it as well, but manages to escape. A close friend of the soldier, however, isn't as lucky.

The soldier then mysteriously loses consciousness, waking up six months later in a facility belonging to Wardenclyffe Section, a secretive research organization of the U.S. government. A member of this organization, a man known as Goodluck, gives the soldier a special assignment with the following order:

"You don't get to sit this one out. You're already infected with that lifeform I was telling you about."

The soldier then travels alone to the same parallel world -- to find a cure for this infection, and to rescue those sucked into the wormhole half a year ago. Waiting on the other side is a hellish landscape where victims of the infection have transformed into grotesque creatures known as Wanderers. The soldier also encounters a member of none other than XOF, and together their bitter struggle for survival begins...

Source: https://www.konami.com/mg/survive/

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The Importance of Games in Our Daily Lives ~ My Kind of Rig

The Importance of Games in Our Daily Lives ~ My Kind of Rig: The Importance of Games in Our Daily Lives ~ My Kind of Rig -
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The Importance of Games in Our Daily Lives

Talking about games, who does not wish to play? They are an integral part of our lives and whether kids or adults, none can refrain from it. They are both a part of recreation and a great form of being physically fit and even getting rewarded. Games also teach us about many ethics and values which even help us later in life. Many a times the importance and benefits of playing games gets unnoticed and it is thus significant that one keeps in mind the following points. Let us take a look here...

Points to ponder while playing games

• The main constituents of any game is to reach a target, follow the set rules, face trials and tests and have proper interface.

• Games also help to stimulate the decision making skills and allow to take challenges.

• There are varieties of games, such as games that require devices, bound by a few rules to be followed, need special skill sets. There are indoor and outdoor games, online games, video console gaming, some teach us about coordination and attention to detail, some require role play, a few that teach us about playing as a team, etc.

• A few games are also a part of sports and playing sports makes a person physically active and fit as it is a form of physical exercise and stimulates the whole body movement.

Benefits of playing games

• By playing games one can enhance the retention power and even stimulate the competitive spirit.

• Teaches about coordination and even brings out creativity.

• Playing games is a great source of learning and one can learn from it regularly.

• It helps in reducing the stress levels which are generally higher in the present scenario.

• Playing games in groups also help us to increase our socializing skills and keeps us in sync with others.

• With the intention of reaching a goal, we make conscious and deliberate effort to be more focussed, which helps us in improving our attention power.

• Games are a good way to teach one to accept defeat in life and even face hardships.

Good health is the key to a happy and successful life and games in the form of sports or in other forms teaches one, skills which are required later to face a tougher life. Thus games make you a lot stronger, independent and helps in facing the world with full rigour. They even make you accustomed to the bitter taste of defeat and also builds the morale and prepares you to be even more determined and taste victory. So, it is truly said "All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy"!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com

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Turok 1 and 2 Release for "XBOX ONE" release dates confirmed ~ My Kind of Rig

Turok 1 and 2 Release for "XBOX ONE" release dates confirmed ~ My Kind of Rig: Turok 1 and 2 Release for "XBOX ONE" release dates confirmed ~ My Kind of Rig -
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Turok 1 and 2 Release for "XBOX ONE" release dates confirmed

About a couple of months ago, Night Dive Studios’ remaster of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter received a PEGI rating for Xbox One, indicating that it and the remaster of its sequel, Seeds of Evil, would be coming to Xbox One soon. Now, both of the updated titles are making their way onto the current generation platform on March 2, 2018, as confirmed by the games’ appearances on the official Microsoft Store.

As seen below in the trailer for Night Dive Studios’ Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, the classic game that originally made its debut on the Nintendo 64 has been restored and enhanced with a new visual engine and fresh features for its remastered iteration on Xbox One. For those who want to pick up the first game in the series, as well as Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, both are individually priced at $20 apiece.

With Night Dive Studios having released some fresh footage for its enhanced version of Turok 1 today, there may be some who want to see some visuals for Seeds of Evil before committing to purchasing both of the remasters. Thankfully, the developer has previously put out a trailer showing off the refinements made for the second entry, but it’s worth noting that the clip shows assets from its PC iteration. Despite this, it’s safe to presume that both the Xbox One version and PC release will boast most, if not all of the same features.

Taking all of this into consideration, it will be interesting to see if fans’ demand for the remasters of Turok 1 and 2 for Xbox One will actually translate to concrete sales for the titles on the system. While many are certainly influenced by the nostalgia of playing the original titles, some who have clamored for the games to come to Microsoft’s current generation console may eventually decide to save their money for some of the most anticipated new games of 2018 instead.

Night Dive Studios’ remasters of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil are set to release on March 2, 2018 for Xbox One.

Source: Microsoft 1, 2

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The Ghosts of Pharaohs Past Will Haunt You in Second (Assassin Creed Origins DLC Expansion) ~ My Kind of Rig

The Ghosts of Pharaohs Past Will Haunt You in Second (Assassin Creed Origins DLC Expansion) ~ My Kind of Rig: The Ghosts of Pharaohs Past Will Haunt You in Second (Assassin Creed Origins DLC Expansion) ~ My Kind of Rig -
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The Ghosts of Pharaohs Past Will Haunt You in Second (Assassin Creed Origins DLC Expansion)

Assassin's Creed Origins' Trial Of The Gods Returns

According to the latest from Ubisoft, the second DLC expansion pack for Assassin’s Creed: Origins comes complete with the ghosts of cursed pharaohs who will absolutely haunt you until you solve their unfinished business. The DLC storyline will start off pretty simply. Bayek is headed to Thebes to pick up a “mysterious artifact.” You know, your usual ACO tomb raiding scenario. However, Bayek finds himself over his head in a pretty literal way.

Rather than dealing with the Order of the Ancients, you run across some undead pharaohs who are materializing in the streets of Thebes and slaughtering civilians. Because all ghosts exist only for carnage.

Really, what it comes down to is a crimewave of tomb robbing stripping the Valley of the Kings like Best Buy on Black Friday. So, to keep the local spooks from utterly destroying the city of Thebes, you have to hunt down key artifacts related to each pharaoh to make them crawl back to their tombs.

The Curse of the Pharaohs map includes some vast new territory with new surprises. You have access to the city of Thebes, which includes the temples of Karnak and Luxor. Across the Nile, you’ll find the Valley of the Kings, complete with plundered tombs. Once you encounter a restless pharaoh, you head into their individual afterlife which functions as a self-contained open world connected to their tomb by use of portals. The underworld includes new, exotic loot, floating ghost barges, and mythical creatures.

The afterlife areas are open for fast travel once you discover them, and pull double-duty as a crash course in some of the lesser-known sides of Egyptian mythology. This includes the Egyptian theory of the soul, which came complete in five separate parts. One of those parts was a human-faced bird called a “ba.” And now in ACO, ba are everywhere in the afterlife, and you can even hunt them if you’re feeling particularly salty.

The Shadows of the Pharaohs represent your new big bad. These guys will occasionally appear randomly as limited time boss encounters and go on a rampage. These enemies are extremely resilient and can do a lot of damage, making them a challenge even for high-level players. And when you encounter them in the afterlife, they get a nice power-up which means they can kill you with only a single special attack or two. For that reason, the level cap has been raised to 55 in Curse of the Pharaohs. You also get seven new abilities:

Dash Boost rewards perfect dodges with a damage boost.

Overpower Fury heals Bayek and removes any status ailments when he unleashes an adrenaline-charged Overpower attack

Predator Bow kills can be infected with Flesh Decay

Hunter Bow shots can pierce through shields

Light Bows will get more damage by scoring consecutive hits

Warrior Bow blasts will inflict bleed damage

Favor of Osiris rewards you for spending time in the afterlife by refilling Bayek’s tools and arrows while down under

The new skills require 15 Ability Points to unlock, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for any glowing question marks on the map to help you unlock them as soon as possible. Because you will need them.

Curse of the Pharaohs will launch on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on March 13th. It’s included in the Season Pass for Assassin’s Creed Origins, or can be purchased separately for $19.99 USD.

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Pokemon Go Adds Shiny Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite to Server Before Community Day ~ My Kind of Rig

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Pokemon Go Adds Shiny Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite to Server Before Community Day

Pokemon Go Anniversay

It looks like Pokemon Go players will have a chance to capture a Shiny Dratini.

A dataminer going by the name of "Chrales" has posted that Pokemon Go developers have added 3D assets for shiny versions of Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite to its servers. This likely means that Pokemon Go will release Shiny Dratini as part of tomorrow's Community Day.

Shiny Pokemon have variant colors than "normal" Pokemon and are prized by many fans due to their rarity. Both Shiny Dratini and Dragonair have purple skin instead of blue skin, while Dragonite has olive-green skin and purple wings.

Players have long speculated that Pokemon Go would add Shiny Dratini during this weekend's Community Day mini-event. Pokemon Go turned up the chances of players finding Shiny Pikachu during last month's Community Day, which centered around catching Pikachu that knew Surf.

The Shiny Dratini line is the first family of non-Gen 3 Pokemon that we've gotten in Pokemon Go in quite some time. Every Shiny Pokemon added to the game since this summer were for Pokemon that originally appeared in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. The only non-Gen 3 Shiny Pokemon currently available in the game are Magikarp and Gyarados and Pichu, Pikachu, and Raichu.

Other Shiny Pokemon available in Pokemon Go include Poochyena Mightyena, Swablu, Altaria, Luvdisc, Aron, Lairon, Aggron, Shuppet, Banette, Absol, Mawile, Snorunt, Glalie, Sableye, Duskull, and Dusclops.

Presumably, players will be able to find the Shiny Dratini during Saturday's Community Day mini-event. Dratini will spawn in much greater numbers during the following time periods tomorrow:

Each Community Day event lasts for a three hour window, with times varying by continent. Here's the windows in which players can take participate in Community Day:

·         Asia-Pacific region: 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. JST (GMT +9)

·         Europe, the Middle East, and Africa: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. UTC (GMT +0)

·         The Americas: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PST (GMT -8)

Any Dragonite evolved during the event will know the powerful Draco Meteor as its Charge move, a move Dragonite can't usually learn.

Tomorrow represents the best opportunity for many trainers to obtain a Dragonite. With the addition of a Shiny variant, Pokemon Go players should be more motivated than ever!

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Until Dawn Review (PS4) ~ My Kind of Rig

Until Dawn Review (PS4) ~ My Kind of Rig: Until Dawn Review (PS4) ~ My Kind of Rig -
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Until Dawn Review (PS4)

Until Dawn PS4

Synopsis:

So in the last week or so I have had the opportunity to sit down and play Sony's exclusive PlayStation 4 game Until Dawn. A game that follows some teenagers as they make their way to a cabin on a mountain for a fun and action packed weekend with their friends. Though this mountain is not what it seems and when you arrive, you are thrust into a journey of epic and terrifying proportions. Make your way through this terrifying experience while you are constantly on the edge of your seat seeing whether or not everyone will die or who will be left standing. In a sense, this game is very similar to the cabin in the woods horror movies that will come out in the movie theater every once in a while, but where this game differs is an excellent story with great character development. Let us now look at what some of the positives and negatives of the game are.

Positives:

There are many things to love about this game. One thing in particular I enjoyed was the good use of quick time events that allowed you to help decide where you were going in the story. To add onto that, it was awesome to see a game where the decisions you make actually make a difference in the overall story. For example if something happens one way, you will not be able to see a certain section of the story, or if you do something another way, you may happen upon something you may not normally see. The whole branching of story lines was extremely well done and offers tremendous replay value. So if you were wondering if this game is worth the price of $60 dollars, it definitely is. Another thing I personally enjoyed about the game was the overall aesthetics. While playing the game you feel almost completely immersed in what is going on and if you look a way for one second, you risk something bad happening.

Negatives:

It is hard to pinpoint any specific problems with the game. It ran very well and I never noticed any dips in frame rate or anything of that nature. If I were to mention anything, I would say that in between chapters there were recaps similar to television shows that you were not able to skip. For some people, it would be nice to just add a simple skip option if you are replaying a chapter and don't want to watch that every time.

Conclusion:

Overall Until Dawn is everything you would want in a horror game and more. Combining a beautiful and immersive environment with a great story and fantastic character development. In my book, this game deserves a 9.5/10, characterizing an overall fantastic game.

Check out our website if you like our content! You can find us at http://dailygamervideogames.blogspot.com/. We value all opinions directed towards us and are always striving to be the best.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jacob_Mullins/2275994

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Monster Hunter World review ~ My Kind of Rig

Monster Hunter World review ~ My Kind of Rig: Monster Hunter World review ~ My Kind of Rig -
http://mykindofrig.blogspot.com/2018/02/monster-hunter-world-review.html

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Bioshock Infinite (2K Games) Review for PlayStation 3 ~ My Kind of Rig

Bioshock Infinite (2K Games) Review for PlayStation 3 ~ My Kind of Rig: Bioshock Infinite (2K Games) Review for PlayStation 3 ~ My Kind of Rig -
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Bioshock Infinite (2K Games) Review for PlayStation 3

Bioshock Infinite

Bioshock Infinite is a pioneer. It will change the world of FPS and gaming itself forever. It is not afraid to open up controversial issues, just as the first Bioshock did. It asks you to either blend in with the crowd or stand up for racial equality. Although the choices you make in this vicinity don't affect the experience at all, it makes you search within yourself and ask what's more important to you: equality for others or you fitting in.

Columbia is a beautiful and grand world, a city in the sky. While most call it Paradise, there are some who call it a dystopia with only the potential of being a utopia. Infinite is much more vertical than the original, as you can use a hook to use skylines and replicate flying. In terms of gameplay, Bioshock Infinite improved the already great combat of the original Bioshock. Giving gamers a break from the creepy underwater but amazing atmosphere of the first two games, Infinite takes Booker DeWitt, the protagonist, to a city in the sky with one motive: "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt." For the purpose of keeping the review spoiler free, I won't tell you who "us" is. Now I can't tell you the debt without spoiling the game.

The people of Columbia worship a man named Comstock as the prophet of God and Elizabeth, the girl Booker is trying to take, as the one who will bring punishment on "the Sodom below." Bioshock's gameplay is amazing but nothing new. It actually gets rather repetitive at times. But merged with an amazing story and great character development between Booker and Elizabeth, Bioshock Infinite is the best game I have played in a long time. Video game developers up to now have decided to make story-driven games as straightforward as possible. The Bioshock series banishes those ideas and comes up with new ones. The end is perceivable in different ways. Although there is only one definitive conclusion. Infinite is a brilliant tale that only the greatest minds could come up with. Infinite also forsakes the idea of meeting few NPCs, which was introduced in the first game and I loved, but was a smart move by developer Irrational Games. Dark and desolate loneliness would not have fit in the city of the skies.There is no multiplayer, but that is not a complaint, only a heads-up. Not every game needs an online or local multiplayer component. Some games are better off left story driven. We can only hope that Irrational Games' next game will be just as brilliant as this one.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/SD_Moriarty/2150176

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VR Box Review - Google Cardboard Headset

VR Cardboard Kit

The Google cardboard headset is sort of a do it yourself kit that has been introduced in the year 2014 by Google. The kit has been sold by Google recently through its play store. It is available for $15 and is easy to get assembled to resemble a headset of virtual reality. It is a simple viewer technically, mainly because it is easy to use and is a standalone device. It requires iOS or an android phone to gather its display and processing power. It is also simple to be used, once the cardboard kit is being delivered, users would have to simply fold it, slot it in the phone so as to explore a variety of cardboard games. This virtual reality or a VR box is available both at Apple's App store and Google play store and it is now possible to try the basic VR demos free through the Google cardboard app for both iOS and Android. The setting of the cardboard is to be managed through the cardboard app.

VR box overview: The VR box is a solid plastic version of the Google cardboard headset featured with completely adjustable eye lenses.

Lenses: the lenses look just as children's binoculars and it is possible to adjust their position in the dimensions, depth and width depending on the video or the application. Every application on the Google cardboard features a different field of view and users might have to adjust the headset for different applications.

Comfort: These headsets are to get rammed against one's face hard and thus are required to be comfortable. The VR box feels so comfortable compared to the original cardboard headset and if needed additional padding could be used in the surrounding area for those with a ridge nose.

Phone holder: The phone holder has padding on both its sides where the phone gets held in place. The holder has holes on both its sides to allow the user to add charger and headphones, so that when the device is in use, there would not be many disturbances to with power and user could get immersed in the VR box much longer. The slider fixes into the headset with a click and it does not slide out on its own. The VR holder has a line marker to help users center the phone and thus offers a high quality to the set with nil clumsiness.

More than playing games, the headset works wonders in watching movies. Users have found it stunning to watch 3D movies with the set, which is much, much better than the cardboard set. The head strap is absolutely comfortable and the padding around the eyes helps to use the set for long hours in watching movies.

Satiate your knowledge and information more at http://news.pa.com.pk/vr-box-review-google-cardboard-headset/

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Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Review

Uncharted 4

Back in 2009 I picked up a PlayStation 3 for the sole purpose of being able to play the stellar exclusives Sony had been releasing on the console. I specifically had my eyes on the two Uncharted games that had been released already. I was so amazed at how these games presented themselves and they easily became two of my favorite games ever after I beat them a couple weeks later. Naughty Dog then released the equalling impressive Uncharted 3 in 2011, then followed by the spectacular The Last of Us two years later. It's safe to say I am a huge fan of the games Naughty Dog makes. They know how to create a satisfying story that rivals film and blend them with entertaining gameplay mechanics and unrivaled presentation. Nearly three years after being revealed, Uncharted 4 has finally arrived on the PlayStation 4 and boy was it worth the wait.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a fantastic conclusion to the series and a must play game for anyone with the PlayStation 4. Whether you're a fan of the previous games or new to the franchise, there is enough here for everyone to enjoy. Naughty Dog somehow creates a story that will please diehard fans that wraps up the series, while also making a game that stands on its own. It's an impressive feat that only Naughty Dog has seemed to be able to do over the past decade.

In his final adventure, Nathan Drake's brother returns after being thought dead to pull him into one last adventure filled with draw dropping sequences, exciting firefights, and emotional moments that are the best the gaming industry has ever seen. It's very impressive that Naughty Dog was able to introduce the character Sam (Nathan's Brother) and make us care for someone we just met. I was particularly nervous that they were going to try and shoehorn him into the story and that it would take away from the characters we have been with for three games prior. Luckily his character is a bright spot of the game and is the catalyst of this game.

Nathan, Elena, and Sully are the only characters from previous entries to have huge roles in the game and each get their time to shine. Sully is only character I think get's a disservice, not because his arc isn't good, but because he isn't in the game a whole lot. When I think of Uncharted I think of Nathan and Sully. It's not a huge gripe but he of course gets his crowd pleasing moments and lines that make up for the lack of screen time.

The two antagonist are probably the best of the franchise. Their motives are the least black and white of the games, in terms of villains. They each have their own agenda and seem less like villains and more like actual people. I would go into more specifics on their characters but I don't want to ruin any surprises.

The story as a whole revolves around Nathan and Sam. Their past is explored thoroughly throughout the game, which not only grounds their relationship, but also gives reasoning behind the events in the game. It's a wonderful story that has a bit of everything, delivering the most evenly paced game out of the series.

Gunplay and traversal is of course the bulk of the game. Shooting has never felt better here, though mostly unchanged from Uncharted 3. Hand to hand combat is the most impressive newly refined feature, it's very seamless and there's a flow to it. Climbing and exploring is very fun this time around. It feels very natural paired with the newly more open areas and beautifully created world. There is now a grappling hook that adds excitement to both movement and combat that should have been in the very first game.

Uncharted has always had jaw dropping graphics and this entry is no different. It is able to balance amazing detail close up and far away with silky smooth frame rates. Uncharted 4 also has amazing motion capture work and animation throughout. There was a moment fairly early in the game in Scotland where a light snow is falling and while walking around I noticed the snow lakes were landing on Nathan's jacket and melting into it. It was an extremely detailed aspect that you would have to really be looking for to even notice. Its these details in Uncharted 4 that blow my mind and makes the world feel real.

I could literally go on forever about Uncharted 4 and everything it does right, I just don't see anything particularly wrong with the game. It might not be everybody's cup of tea, but the game is technically flawless and features a compelling story that is even more importantly an entertaining one. Naughty Dog has created the best game of this generation and the best game of the franchise. Uncharted 4 is the kind of game you go out and buy a PlayStation for and deserves a five out five.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Charles_J_Hines/1376554

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Dancing Star Night and Dancing Moon Night will support playstation VR (Persona 3 and Persona 5)

Persona 3 Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5 Dancing Star Night is launching later this year, and we’re learning some of the new features coming to the game. Just recently, a PlayStation Blog Japan post has revealed that both games will support PlayStation VR.

The description explains that each title will allow fans to customize their dancers with different costumes and items. Similarly, there will be new conversation events called “Commu” with characters, and the PlayStation 4 versions of each game will be supporting PlayStation VR. That said, the blog didn’t go into detail about what features will be included with VR, so fans will just have to wait for further news.

Persona 3 Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5 Dancing Star Night are two dancing spinoff games featuring plenty of remixed songs from the original titles. Fans can play as their favorite characters and groove to tracks such as “Life Will Change,” “Last Surprise,” “Wiping All Out,” and “Way of Life.”

They recently revealed two new characters trailers for Junpei Iori and Ann Takamaki, showcasing some of the new costumes and partner dances. The limited edition versions will also come with a pretty sweet costume coming from another Atlus game. Persona 3 Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5 Dancing Star Night is slated to launch this May 24 in Japan. The developers have yet to announce a Western release date for both spinoffs.

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Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Comes To Final Fantasy XV on PC

The much-anticipated Windows version of Final Fantasy XV is launching on March 3rd, and when the game does finally hit the platform, it will include a Gordon Freeman-shaped bonus. Today, Square Enix revealed that anyone who purchases the game on Steam, from now until May 1st, will get an in-game costume so that you can dress up lead character Noctis as the bespectacled star of the Half-Life series. The getup includes Freeman’s iconic orange HEV suit and glasses, and, naturally, a crowbar as a weapon. The outfit will also be available in FFXV’s “Comrades” multiplayer expansion.

Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Comes To Final Fantasy

Seeing Noctis in Gordon Freeman cosplay is jarring, but it’s also one of an ever-growing list of FFXV crossovers. You can already drive the game’s iconic luxury car, the Regalia, inForza Horizon 3, and there was a limited time in-game event where Noctis was an assassin from Assassin’s Creed. Despite launching back in 2016, the game has steadily grown with expansions, updates, and spinoffs. Most recently, Square Enix released a slimmed-down mobile version of FFXV for those who are new to the series. As for the Windows edition, it will include some nice features when it launches next month, including support for native 4K and 8K resolutions, a first-person mode, and an expanded map, complete with a boat to drive around.

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Final Fantasy XIV Housing Is Now Open To Players "And Plenty Of Good Plots Remain"

Final Fantasy XIV Housing

Last summer, two players on Final Fantasy XIV ’s Mateus server made headlines for the ownership of nearly all available land and housing on an entire ward. In a long letter, one of the two players defended themselves by explaining the hard work they’d put in to purchase all the houses across their alt characters and shell free companies in a low-population, low-demand server. Their actions spurred heated debate in the Final Fantasy XIV community.

Square Enix responded to the dearth of desirable player housing, not only on Mateus but on other servers as well, by implementing extensive adjustments to population as well as housing. These adjustments included marking certain servers as “Preferred” with a “Road to 60” EXP buff for newly-created characters, the addition of new wards and temporary restriction of plot purchases.

“With the release of FFXIV: Stormblood , we took measures intended to address the population disparity across Worlds. With Patch 4.2, we then placed a temporary moratorium on all plot sales to individuals,” explained game producer and director Naoki Yoshida in a recent news post . “The moratorium placed on private plot sales in conjunction with the addition of new plots has, as we anticipated, allowed a great many free companies to purchase plots and reduce the overall disparity between them.”

In patch 4.2, only free companies rank 6 or higher with at least four members could purchase housing. Auto-demolition of housing, which Square Enix had paused in the wake of natural disasters in the U.S. and the Caribbean, resumed as well. The team added wards 13 to 18, subdivisions included, across all four housing areas for a grand total of tons of new plots (I can’t do math).

Now that free companies have had weeks to gain access to housing, housing is open to private players once more, but with a critical caveat: “Each service account may only possess one free company estate hall and one private estate per World. Once this limit has been reached, it is not possible to purchase further plots of land in the same World on that service account, including separate characters on the same World.”

Players such as the two from Mateus who caused such a ruckus are grandfathered in. “Players possessing housing above this limit prior to patch 4.2 will not be affected by this change,” states the official housing guide. You can check out the full and complete guide to housing here with all caveats and niche cases explained.

Plenty of excellent plots are still available, as posts on the Final Fantasy XIV subreddit make clear. (My own server boasts a similarly empty ward of The Goblet, and despite being a relatively new player, I was able to pick up a well-situated cottage in the Lavender Beds subdivision.)

What do you think of the current housing situation in Final Fantasy XIV? Were you able to purchase a house? Do you think a good plot will still be available once you’ve saved up the gil, or will you have to wait until more wards are added on your server? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.

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Interview: Metroid Co-Creator Details Fusion Remake Pitch, Skipping Switch and Series’ Future

Metroid Samus Returns

Much to the delight of those that follow the beloved Nintendo science-fiction property, Metroid: Samus Returns is being praised as a wonderful return to form for the franchise. Our review of Samus Returns pointed to the newest entry’s laser focus on enhancing longstanding qualities of the exploration-heavy platforming series, and the man playing a large role in the quality of the final product was none other than franchise co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto.

I was recently given the opportunity to interview the aforementioned Metroid co-creator/Samus Returns producer, learning more about his latest title and the future of the series in the process. Those eager to see the interview can check it out below:

GR: Were there other studios considered to develop Metroid: Samus Returns before deciding on MercurySteam? Were there other studios considered to develop Metroid: Samus Returns before deciding on MercurySteam?

“When I was first thinking about creating a remake of Metroid II for the 3DS, I heard there was a Spanish developer called MercurySteam that wanted to try remaking [the Gameboy Advance title] Metroid Fusion. Hearing their name reminded me they were the ones who had recently made a Castlevania game, and that sparked my interest. When I sat down and played their 3DS title Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, I could tell they were a developer with real skills and a good design sensibility, and decided to go to Spain to talk things over with them. During that visit to MercurySteam, I saw firsthand the sincerity they bring to the task of game development. Their respect for and understanding of Metroid was also clear, and so we decided to start creating a prototype. I suppose that’s part of the reason we never really considered working with another developer.”

GR: Why did you decide to keep Metroid: Samus Returns as a side-scrolling game rather than reboot it as a first-person shooter?

“
I’ve never been a producer for the Metroid Prime games, and by this point it’s sort of understood that I’ll leave the first-person shooter entries in the series to other producers. But even aside from that, I’d always thought a remake of Metroid II like Samus Returns would best be done as a 2D side-scroller, and I’ve never really doubted that.”

GR: Are there any plans to continue making side-scrolling Metroid games in the future or is this just a one-off deal?

“Personally, I’m constantly exploring the possibilities and the future of the Metroid series, and part of that means not imposing any limits on ourselves when it comes to game design or hardware platforms.”

GR: Why did the team opt to bring the game to 3DS rather than the Nintendo Switch?

“
One of the themes we chose to stick with this time was utilizing both 3D visuals and a dual screen setup. In fact, I’d been interested in creating a Metroid title that allowed you display the map constantly on a second screen and interact with the elements of the UI by touching them since the time of the original DS. The 3DS made the 3D visuals possible of course, and the more powerful hardware allows for a higher fidelity experience—both are reasons we felt this was the right choice.”

GR: Why did you decide to revisit Metroid II and not the original Metroid that debuted on NES or even Super Metroid on SNES? Is it because the story of Metroid II holds more relevance to future installments like Metroid Prime 4?

“
Metroid II was released more than 20 years ago, and it chronicles the first meeting between Samus and the Baby Metroid. That event is crucial to the story of the series, and I’ve thought for some time that the best way to retell that tale for a new audience of gamers would be via a remake.”

 GR: Would you personally like to remaster/re-imagine other Metroid titles in a similar way?

“It really depends on the reasons you have for undertaking such a challenge, whether there’s a need for it, and your own motivation, but at the moment I have no plans for another remake. I think we need to spend time considering whether fans are only wanting remakes going forward, and what that might mean.”

Metroid Prime

GR: The producer behind the animated Castlevania series, Adi Shankar, stated that he’d love to take on a mature Metroid animated series next. Would you have any interest in seeing this happen with Metroid or is a mature take a little too violent for the property?

“
It’s an honor to hear of that sort of interest, but when it comes to expanding the Metroid franchise beyond the medium of games, I feel the position I’m in now doesn’t make me the best person to tell that tale.”

GR: A lot of fans would love to see a live-action Metroid movie. Do you think this is a possibility and if so then who would you like to see direct it?

“As I mentioned above, I don’t feel I’m in the best position to tell the tale of Metroid when it comes to expanding the franchise beyond the province of games.”

Metroid: Samus Returns is available now, exclusively on Nintendo 2DS and Nintendo 3DS handhelds.

Source: https://gamerant.com/metroid-samus-returns-producer-yoshi-sakamoto-interview/

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