Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist will come out on January 22, 2025. It is the sequel of Metroidvania Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights.

The story of Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist takes place decades after Ender Lilies. With artificial life forms now rampaging through the Land of Fumes, only Lilac, an “Attuner” can save the kingdom. She can use her powers to purify bosses and turn them into her allies. You’ll also be able to customize your fighting style with various attack and equipment options. At launch, you can expect about 35 hours of content. This is a 2D side-scroller set in a dark fantasy post-apocalyptic world, with a play style quite similar to Ender Lilies’s.

You can check out the announcement trailer for Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist here:

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights came out in 2021 and is a dark fantasy fairy tale that plays like a 2D side scroller. Critics gave it positive reviews at launch. Since then, it’s sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. The story follows Lily, the final priestess of a land that’s gone through an apocalyptic event called the Blight. As a result of the Blight, everyone in her country turned into monsters. Lily has the power to purify souls from corruption and they then accompany her on her journey to protect her.

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist will come out on January 22, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via Steam. It's readily available in Early Access.

The post Ender Magnolia Will Come Out in January 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

Atlus announced that a collaboration between Seven Knights Idle Adventure and Persona 3 Reload started on September 9, 2024 and will run until September 23, 2024. During the event, you’ll be able to obtain Yuki Makoto (the protagonist), Takeba Yukari, Aigis, and Kirijo Mitsuru.

While the Persona 3 Reload event is live in Seven Knights Idle Adventure, you can obtain a special login bonus award. As well, there is a new Challenge Pass available for you to try and get either Yukari or Mitsuru. Koromaru is also in the crossover as a pet, though you’ll need to clear the Tartaros-themed collaboration dungeon in order to get him as an award. Finally, a new Legend Costume for Aigis will appear in the gacha.

All of the Persona 3 Reload characters will have their default Personas with them. However, they’re wearing modified versions of their usual uniforms. The Challenge Pass for Yukari will start from September 9, 2024 and the one for Mitsuru will be from September 16, 2024. The Legend Costume gacha for Aigis will start from September 16, 2024 as well. It features her in her Gekkoukan High School uniform.

Seven Knights Idle Adventure is a spin-off of Netmarble’s other game, SevenKnights, but an idle game. You can get rewards from battles and such even when you’re not actively in the game. As an idle game, all phones should be able to handle it and it’s easy to pick up and play. It focuses a lot more on collecting and raising the heroes from SevenKnights.

Persona 3 Reload is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Seven Knights Idle Adventure is on mobile devices and the Persona 3 Reload crossover event will run until September 23, 2024.

The post Persona 3 Reload Appears in Seven Knights Idle Adventure Event appeared first on Siliconera.

The 30th anniversary of the Tales series is just around the corner and Bandai Namco has already started preparations with the Remastered Project. For those who would like to take a walk down memory lane, or are curious about what other Tales games they can play while waiting for new (or remastered) releases, here is a full list of the mothership Tales titles.

Tales of Phantasia

Release Date: December 15, 1995

Platforms: Super Famicom, PlayStation, GBA, PSP, iOS, mobile devices

The first Tales title takes place in Aselia and follows Cless Albane, who seeks revenge after his hometown is destroyed. He learns that the culprits behind the attack wish to revive a powerful sorcerer king, Dhaos. Using the power of time travel, Cless and his friends travel to the past and future in order to defeat Dhaos for good.

Tales of Destiny

Release Date: December 23, 1997

Platforms: PlayStation

The original Tales of Destiny came out on the PlayStation and the remake came out in 2006 for the PS2. It follows Stahn, who accidentally finds a sentient sword that calls itself Dymlos. He, along with other wielders of speaking swords, fight for the Eye of Atamoni, which is a powerful relic from an ancient war.

Tales of Destiny Remake is one of the best titles in the Tales series for its story—which expands on the original and includes a redemption arc for popular character Leon—and fighting style. Hopefully, Bandai Namco has plans for a remaster so that it can officially release the game to the west.

Tales of Eternia

Release Date: November 30, 2000

Platforms: PlayStation, PSP

Tales of Eternia, released in the west as Tales of Destiny 2, has nothing to do with Tales of Destiny. Instead, it follows Reid Hershel and his friends, who live together in the world of Inferia. One day, they come across a mysterious foreign girl named Meredy and through their interactions with her, learn of a different world called Celestia. They journey together to stop an ages-old conflict between the two worlds.

Tales of Eternia feels like the turning point for the Tales series in that it propelled the series into its initial popularity. It was popular enough for an anime adaptation and a MMO, though the anime was pretty bad (in that it had little to do with the game) and the MMO didn’t last long. The battle system feels a lot more fluid compared to Phantasia and Destiny, and it holds up to newer 2D Tales games too. 

Tales of Destiny 2

Release Date: November 28, 2002

Platforms: PS2, PSP

The actual sequel to Tales of Destiny, Tales of Destiny 2 follows Kyle, who’s the son of Stahn and Rutee from the first game. Due to his parents’ heroic past, he’s also obsessed with becoming a hero. One day, he meets a mysterious girl named Reala and embarks on a journey to become a true hero.

Like the above Tales of Destiny Remake, Tales of Destiny 2 is a fantastic game. It’s got a great story, compelling characters, and a difficult battle system that’s rewarding to master. The meme himself, Barbatos, is also from this game. Considering how much trouble he can give you, it can be a little hard to laugh at the jokes Bandai Namco make at his expense.

Tales of Symphonia

Release Date: August 29, 2003

Platforms: Nintendo GameCube, PS2, PS3, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One

Tales of Symphonia was popular in its native Japan, but it’s what really put the franchise on the map for the western audience. While the west had gotten Phantasia and Eternia, they weren’t exactly selling like hotcakes in the way that Symphonia did. The story follows Lloyd, who joins his friend Colette’s pilgrimage to regenerate the world of Sylvarant.

Tales of Rebirth

Release Date: December 16, 2004

Platforms: PS2, PSP

The story of Tales of Rebirth heavily focuses on racism. It takes place in a world where people wield a magical power called Force after King Ladras, in his final moments, uses his power to unleash the potential in people around his kingdom. Veigue lost power of his Force of Ice and froze his childhood friend Claire in a pillar. Even after he manages to free her with the help of new friends Eugene and Mao, soldiers acting on orders from Karegia Kingdom heiress Agarte take her away. His journey to rescue her from the palace morphs into a battle to end racism.

Tales of Legendia

Release Date: August 25, 2005

Platforms: PS2

Tales of Legendia follows the story of Senel and his surrogate little sister Shirley. Shirley is the Merines, a legendary figure among the Ferines, which is a race of people who can live underwater. Because Shirley is the Merines, many different factions want to capture her to use them for their own schemes.

Compared to previous titles (and its successor Abyss), Tales of Legendia looks and plays in a very weird way. This likely has to do with the fact that the developer, Project MelFes, consists of Tales Studio members, along with developers from the Tekken and Soul Calibur series. It’s the first Tales game with Go Shiina as the composer and the soundtrack is objectively the game’s highest point.

Tales of the Abyss

Release Date: December 15, 2005

Platforms: PS2, Nintendo 3DS

Tales of the Abyss is the eighth mothership title, but it’s the commemorative game for the series’s 10th anniversary. It follows Luke fon Fabre, a pampered noble and swordsman who ends up outside of his comfy mansion after heroine Tear appears to assassinate her brother, who’s also Luke’s teacher. The story heavily focuses on Luke’s personal development as he seeks the meaning of his birth. There is also an anime adaptation for Abyss, which you can watch on YouTube.

Tales of the Tempest

Release Date: October 26, 2006

Platforms: Nintendo DS

Tales of the Tempest follows Caius Qualls, who is a Leymon (essentially a werewolf). After the church takes his guardian prisoner and kill the parents of his childhood friend Rubia, the two of them set out for the capital. The adventure then turns into one to overthrow the church.

Tales of the Tempest is the first Tales game for a handheld console. However, the reception to the game was very mixed, with some places giving it a very positive score and others giving it a very negative one. Points of criticism included the story’s short length, lack of content, unappealing relationship between Caius and Rubia, and more.

Tales of Innocence

Release Date: December 6, 2007

Platforms: Nintendo DS, PS Vita

The story of Tales of Innocence follows avatars, human reincarnations of the divine Devalokans who can still use supernatural powers from their past lives. Ruca, a timid boy, is an avatar of the powerful Asura and he awakens to his powers after rescuing fugitive Illia, a fellow avatar. They meet up with other avatars, who then travel to do something about the wars engulfing their world.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Release Date: June 26, 2008

Platforms: Wii, PS3

Though the sequel of Tales of Symphonia, Dawn of the New World introduces a lot of lore and elements that weren’t in the original game. It follows Emil, a timid boy who survived a massacre that Lloyd from the first game perpetrated. After meeting with Marta, a girl with Ratatosk’s Core on her forehead, the two of them set out on a journey to fix the meteorological problems occurring around the world and escape from Marta’s pursuers.

Tales of Vesperia

Release Date: August 7, 2008

Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Windows PC, Xbox One

Tales of Vesperia is a very popular and successful entry in the Tales franchise, selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide. It also has a prequel film, though Flynn in particular is so out-of-character it might as well be fanfiction. The story follows Yuri Lowell, a former soldier who’s now doing odd jobs around his neighborhood. After meeting a noble named Estelle and fleeing from the capital with her, he forms a guild called Brave Vesperia.

Tales of Hearts

Release Date: December 18, 2008

Platforms: Nintendo DS, PS Vita, iOS

Tales of Hearts follows Kor Meteor (Shing Meteoryte) who meets siblings Kohaku and Hisui Hearts. A monster infects Kohaku and in an attempt to save her, Kor accidentally destroys her Spiria (her heart and emotions). The three of them set off on a journey to restore Kohaku’s Spiria.

People don’t talk about the CG Movie Edition, but I definitely remember that one. People were comparing the models to the Evil Goddess MOCCOS, an old 2ch meme about the ugly KOS-MOS figure that came with the Xenosaga Episode 2 Premium Box Set.

Tales of Graces

Release Date: December 10, 2009

Platforms: Wii, PS3, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Windows PC

Tales of Graces follows the story of Asbel Lhant, who is the future heir of the Lhant village. As a child, he befriends an amnesiac girl named Sophie and the prince of Windsor, Richard. Witnessing Sophie’s death traumatizes him and he runs away from home to become a knight. Seven years later, he reunites with Sophie, setting into motion an adventure that takes him all across the world of Ephinea.

Tales of Xillia

Release Date: September 8, 2011

Platforms: PS3

Tales of Xillia is the first Tales game that combines character designs from Kosuke Fujishima (Phantasia, Symphonia, Abyss) and Mutsumi Inomata (Destiny, Eternia, Rebirth). Like Tales of the Abyss, it’s a celebratory mothership title. In Xillia's case, it was for the 15th anniversary. It follows Jude Mathis, a medical student who encounters Milla Maxwell after she breaks into a military research facility in an attempt to destroy a secret weapon. Now that they’re on the run from the military, Jude and Milla, along with their companions, journey to help Milla with her mission to save the world.

Tales of Xillia 2

Release Date: November 1, 2012

Platforms: PS3

Tales of Xillia 2, like Dawn of the New World, is a sequel of its predecessor while introducing elements and lore that the original game never really mentioned. It takes place a year after Xillia and follows Ludger Will Kresnik, a guy who just wants to cook. It turns out he’s not just a good cook, as he possesses the Chromatus. He and the cast from the first Xillia need to go into parallel worlds—essentially what-if scenarios from the first game—and destroy them to prevent their own world’s destruction. He also has to pay off a huge medical debt. Ah, adult life.

Tales of Zestiria

Release Date: January 22, 2015

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Windows PC

Tales of Zestiria was, like Abyss and Xillia, an anniversary title and this time, it was for the 20th anniversary. It draws inspiration from Arthurian legends and it follows the story of Sorey, a young human who can see the mystical spirits Seraphim. He leaves the village of Elysia with his best friend Mikleo and, after forming a pact with the Seraph Lailah, he becomes the Shepherd whose job is to purify the Hellion rampaging throughout Glenwood.

For an anniversary title, Zestiria had its fair share of controversies. Before the game came out, Japanese fans were ticked off about how prominent advertising for Alisha was, yet she was a mere guest party member in the actual game. After it came out, fans seemed split on the story, battle system, and tutorials.

Tales of Berseria

Release Date: August 18, 2016

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Windows PC

Tales of Berseria technically serves as the prequel to Tales of Zestiria. However, you don’t have to play Zestiria to understand Berseria. It follows Velvet Crowe, a normal village girl who lost her pregnant sister after a daemon attack. One day, tragedy strikes the village and Velvet comes across her brother-in-law Artorius killing her younger brother Laphicet in a ritual. She transforms into a daemon and Artorius tosses her into jail. Once she wakes, she swears vengeance on the man who used to be her family.

Tales of Arise

Release Date: September 10, 2021

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

Tales of Arise follows the story of Dahnan slave Alphen, or “Iron Mask,” and a Renan girl named Shionne. A curse on Shionne hurts anyone who touches her but since Alphen can’t feel pain, he’s the only person who can pull a sword from the Master Core she has. Like Rebirth and Eternia, it deals with themes of racism and oppression.

The post All Mothership Titles in the Tales Series in Release Order appeared first on Siliconera.

Capcom has announced a collaboration event between Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered and the upcoming movie Saw X as part of a limited-time social media campaign. The event will take place from September 9-19, 2024. While the film debuted in the US in September 2023, it launches in Japan on October 18, 2024.

Participants in Japan can enter the event by following both the official Dead Rising and Saw X social media accounts and reposting campaign videos. Winners will have a chance to receive collaboration-themed prizes, such as original tumblers and shopper bags designed after Willamette Parkview Mall from Dead Rising.

Here are how the themed prizes look:

As a reminder, we will see the game soon. Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered is set to release on September 19, 2024. It brings back the zombie action game with enhanced graphics and additional content. Capcom already opened pre-orders for it, as well as announced an array of crossover skins and background music (BGM) included in the Digital Deluxe version. These skins feature characters from titles such as Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter Alpha, and Mega Man Battle Network. BGM tracks tailored to each skin will play while exploring the Willamette Parkview Mall.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is available to pre-order now, and it releases on September 19th on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via Steam.

The post Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Saw X Event Begins in Japan  appeared first on Siliconera.

As a Persona 3 Portable player, I never experienced the FES version and its signature exclusive The Answer content. Fortunately, with the release of Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis - The Answer DLC as part of the expansion pass, I am now able to finally see what it has to offer. Unsurprisingly, Episode Aigis just feels like more of the same base game, for better or worse.

This doesn’t sound initially like an issue! Persona 3 Reload is an excellent remake of this beloved JRPG. The problem comes from what Episode Aigis doesn’t emulate. This entire DLC is like a brand new Tartarus dungeon to explore, but it might not be exactly what people want.

Editor's Note: There will be some mild spoilers for the end of Persona 3 Reload below.

Without spoiling too much, the Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis DLC expansion takes place after the events of the base game’s storyline. As such, the original hero isn't available as a playable character. Instead, Aigis is the new protagonist. Just when the heroes of SEES think everything is over and are saying their goodbyes, a new dungeon called Abyss of Time and character named Metis appears. Everyone is trapped in the S.E.E.S dormitory and a time loop. Said dungeon has multiple different doors to go through, with unique areas and plenty of floors to explore, but it all ends up feeling pretty familiar.

Everything about this DLC is pretty akin to the dungeon-crawling gameplay of the original plot. Almost nothing substantial is added. As such, if the repetitive nature of Tartarus bothered you, I don’t have good news for you here. This is the same old run around, look for the stairs, open up some chests, battle some enemies, and repeat.

Except there’s a gaping hole that Episode Aigis has that wasn't in Persona 3 Reload. It has all of the Tartarus-like content from the base game, but none of the other stuff that made the title feel fuller and more alive. No social links being present is unsurprising, but the story is pretty basic and often barebones. Almost all of the character development happened before the events of this expansion, so in many cases there is much to see here.

Persona 3 Reload benefited from the ebb and flow. Spend a couple of hours in Tartarus grinding floors, Personas, and levels. Then spend a few hours hanging with friends, going to class, and doing requests. See major story segments as you do. That brilliant cycle doesn’t exist here, and it is what helped this game to not feel as repetitive as it really is.

There is almost nothing to break up the monotony of grinding in Abyss of Time besides the occasional cutscenes. What I will say is there are optional items you can get through locked treasure chests. These are like books or movies, which you can enjoy alongside the other cast members. Unfortunately, these little moments don’t amount to much at all in Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis, which is a shame.

The only real shakeup to the whole system is playing as Aigis for this DLC episode. This provides a unique perspective and allows for a new party member to arrive in the form of Metis. Metis, as a sister android to Aigis, is a bizarre character. I hate to compare her to Labrys in Persona 4 Arena, but it feels like that foil is a much stronger and more fleshed out attempt at giving Aigis a more interesting family member. Metis is just a bit too one-note in her obsession with Aigis, instead of putting her unique story at the forefront as it should’ve been. Given certain things, this can be understandable.

While I feel like the story took too much of a backseat here, even still, it can be quite enjoyable. Especially if you are an RPG masochist like me and love the grind. Aigis is the wildcard now, so she is able to fuse, visit the Velvet Room, access the Compendium, and all that. In addition, Elizabeth gives optional requests, like finding items or fusing a certain Persona, to provide more of a point to explore the new dungeon. However, like everything else, this lacks the extra meaningful story element that would make it more worthwhile.

There are positive changes to Episode Aigis from what I can tell, though. You have access to all of the major additions in the base game’s grind, such as Theurgy and quality-of-life changes. This also means this DLC can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be. You do have difficulty options as well, so you can breeze through or crank it up for the ultimate challenge, which I liked.

Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis - The Answer DLC is the best way to experience this additional FES storyline. It doesn’t quite carry over the same excellent narrative, character moments, or daily life from the base game. What it does do is offer the most straightforward dungeon-grind experience. If you love a challenge, this is the DLC for you. For everyone else, this is a possibly an add-on that is okay to skip.

Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis - The Answer DLC releases for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC as part of the Expansion Pass on September 10, 2024.

The post Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis – The Answer Feels Like More of the Same appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix shared a new video of Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi talking about Fantasian Neo Dimension, Sakaguchi’s Mistwalker game which Square Enix is publishing and Yoshida is producing with Creative Studio 3. However, in addition to discussing Fantasian, the two also bring up FFXIV. 

The brief clip begins by setting the stage with some introductions. Sakaguchi and Yoshida then note how this is the first time Sakaguchi worked with Square Enix in 25 years. He is one of the founders of Final Fantasy and worked on mainline up until FFXI, as well as spin-offs like FFX-2 and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. From there, Sakaguchi said one of the reasons he “entrusted” Fantasian Neo Dimension to Yoshida is because of the work he’s done as director and producer on the MMORPG. They also tease a release date announcement for the console and PC version of the former Apple Arcade exclusive.

Here is the full video, which ends with Sakaguchi stating, “FFXIV is the best.”

This is the second time we’ve seen commentary from Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi about Fantasian Neo Dimension. Previously, a Famitsu interview with the two appeared. Among other things, they talked about how this version of the game has voice acting due to Yoshida’s influence and suggestions.

Fantasian Neo Dimension will come to the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, and PC in Winter 2024. Fantasian is on Apple devices via Apple Arcade. Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi Talk FFXIV, Fantasian in New Video appeared first on Siliconera.

It’s a Monday, which means it is time for a new Bleach fighterreveal. Bandai Namco shares a new trailer for the new game each week lately. This time, we get to see gameplay footage of Rangiku Matsumoto facing Gin Ichimaru in Bleach Rebirth of Souls.

Rangiku is a Gotei 13 lieutenant, like Renji Aburai and Rukia Kuchiki. Her Zanpakuto is Haineko, which has cat motifs, and grants her the ability to summon ash to attack. Her trailer begins with her Hado 31: Shakkaho Signature Move. It’s one that can be chained into a follow-up attack if it hits. From there, her Spiritual Pressure moves show up. One is the You’re Too Slow counter that also includes the Shakkaho. The other is Hado 33: Sokatsui. That is designed to be a short-range attack. For her Awakening, she unleashes her Bankai and ash appears on the battlefield. 

Here is the full Rangiku Matsumoto Bleach Rebirth of Souls trailer.

What’s interesting is that Rangiku appears after one person she’s closely tied to in the series, but before another one. The last person revealed for the game was Gin Ichimaru at the very start of September 2024. He has a history with her. However, the 10th Division captain Toshiro Hitsugaya hasn’t been confirmed or revealed yet.

Here’s the full list of all the revealed Bleach Rebirth of Souls characters who appeared ahead of Rangiku Matsumoto.

• Byakuya Kuchiki
• Gin Ichimaru
• Ichigo Kurosaki
• Kisuke Urahara
• Renji Aburai
• Rukia Kuchiki
• Uryu Ishida
• Yasutora “Chad” Sado
• Yoruichi Shihoin

Bleach Rebirth of Souls is in development for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The Bleach anime, including Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Part 3 of Thousand-Year Blood War begins airing on October 5, 2024. Viz Media handles the manga.

The post Rangiku Matsumoto Will Be Playable in Bleach Rebirth of Souls appeared first on Siliconera.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection is a great collection of some fantastic, over-the-top, and fast fighting games. By simply putting all of these games in one place with an affordable price tag it was already going to be a worthwhile purchase for me, but with its wonderful additional content, it makes buying this collection a no-brainer.

This collection puts together seven different Marvel fighting games, capturing X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom, and Marvel vs Capcom 2. Plus there is The Punisher beat ‘em up, which is an odd addition. But hey, why not? If you just want to bash heads to burn off steam by punching thugs after Cyber Akuma has stomped you flat for a few hours, it’s a nice thing to have. Having all of these games in a single package is fantastic for those who don’t want to have to hit the lottery to buy copies of them all. As well, having online without having to jump through certain hoops is really nice as well. Being able to launch all of these from one game is just really nice in and of itself.

There’s some fun extras to further entice you to pick up the Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection. The game features a museum for each of the titles that contains old pamphlets, marquees, comic ads, design documents, rough stage/move/character drawings, and other fun oddities from the game’s past. While most of it is in Japanese, it was neat to look back on how a lot of the moves and stages came together as the games were created. The museum also lets you play through each game’s soundtrack as well, which is a fun addition if you just want to enjoy the tunes without having to avoid Wolverine’s Berserker Barrage.

The marquees in the museum are especially important, as you’re going to need to take some time to introduce yourself to each game’s unique mechanics and tools. If you want to learn about what the Infinity Gems do in Marvel Super Heroes or what the various assist types do in Marvel vs Capcom 2, you’re going to want to check out your move list or the game’s specific marquee. There’s not a ton of wild mechanics, but it’s enough that you’ll want to take a bit of time in the basic move lists to see what you’ll be running into in each game. A part of me wishes that each game had a little introduction to its mechanics (maybe just some still images) for new players to know what to expect, but what’s in place is functional.

With Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection, Capcom does offer new players (or Street Fighter 6 players who use Modern controls) the ability to perform easy special moves and supers. On Switch, hitting the L button plus a direction allows you to do a special move. Hitting ZL allows you to do your Hyper Combos and Supers (sometimes with a direction involved if you have multiple buttons). This allows you to do pretty much any special move with ease. What’s unexpected is that there doesn’t appear to be any change in damage to the moves if you use the regular directional input versus the one-button method. I thought this might be pretty controversial, but it is locked out for Ranked play online (but can be turned on or off for Casual Matches or Custom Rooms). It’s a shame this couldn’t be worked into something resembling Modern controls in Street Fighter 6, but given the catastrophic possibilities it would add to balancing the moves in these older games, I understand why it was done this way.

For those who want to get their execution down for Ranked play, the games all have their own practice modes complete with hit/hurtboxes, on-screen inputs, attack data, and some dummy behavior you can set up (including recordings). It’s wild to me that I can go in and set up a training dummy doing specific moves in games that are this old, but it’s a really solid training mode that is a welcome feature. Far better than what I used to do when I set it to two player mode and then just beat up on the second player. Holding up with your toe on the second controller to make them jump was always a pain.

And once you get your moves down, whether through practice or just fiddling with the one-button specials, you’ll be able to hop in and have a great time with all of the fighters in the Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection. These are games I used to have a blast playing just by mashing buttons because they were fast and looked great. Each have their own visual quirks, but overall they are filled with big, detailed characters with flashy moves that are fun to see in action. I love them all in their own ways, so it’s fun to just bounce around them and enjoy how they look and feel. Considering you can queue for multiple games in the Online mode at the same time, you can also just see what games you get tossed into and enjoy.

If I had one gripe, it’s that the collection features a single quick save across all of its titles instead of having a save for each game. So, if you’re being menaced at high levels near the end of Arcade mode in more than one of the titles at once (or if you have a save in The Punisher), trying to save any other game overwrites it. It’s mildly annoying to be stuck having to finish one game before moving to another, but again, only a minor issue.

As for The Punisher game, it’s such an odd addition, but as far as a beat ‘em up goes, it’s good fun. Making use of guns periodically adds some good variety to punching thugs, and the enemy variety is fairly decent, digging into the character’s odd array of villains and some other weird Marvel bad guys. If you get kicked around by the enemies too much, you can even do a little rewind of the action by holding L and try again. Overall, it feels super out of place in this game, but as a little free addition that can be entertaining, I really can’t complain.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection is just a highly impressive collection of some of the most over-the-top and fun fighting games that have ever been made. By creating easier controls, it allows all of those button-mashing newcomers (like I once was) to hop in and have a great time. With its new practice mode, it allows those of us trying to get serious a means of practicing so we don’t get annihilated by the stone cold killers who’ve been playing the game for decades. It’s just a celebration of some of the greatest titles in the genre.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics will be available on Sept 12, 2024 on PS4, the Nintendo Switch, and PC. It will be made available on the Xbox Series X in 2025.

The post Review: Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection Is a Great Ride appeared first on Siliconera.

When Sonic x Shadow Generations was first announced at Sony's State of Play in January, I was shocked that Black Doom had been revived for the upcoming game. Honestly, I'm still shocked even now, several months later. Black Doom has only appeared in one game in the Sonic franchise before this, and it's a spin-off title, Shadow the Hedgehog. But considering that Black Doom encourages and coerces Shadow to go on a killing spree in some timelines, it was a villain I thought Sega would have wanted to keep dead and buried.  

Back in the early 2000s, Shadow was at the height of his popularity thanks to the success of Sonic Adventure 2. Because of this, Sega Studios USA wanted to create a game centred around Shadow. They decided to base the game on the events of Sonic Adventure 2. This decision actually made a lot of sense, as the overall plot of Sonic Adventure 2 had massive potential to be expanded and developed upon, including the Space Colony ARK, Guardian Unit of Nations (G.U.N) and the backstory of Gerald Robotnik.

Now, everything stated above sounds completely reasonable, right? But anyone who played Shadow the Hedgehog knows the game is a startling contrast to what we had seen in previous games. To explain how strange it was, when the trailer initially dropped for Shadow the Hedgehog, fans were convinced it was some convoluted joke, as the plot and gameplay seemed miles away from what we had seen in any traditional mainline game.

The story follows Shadow, who is suffering from amnesia and lacks clarity on what happened at the Space Colony ARK. An alien race called the Black Arms has landed on Earth, causing mayhem and destruction to human civilisation. The leader of the Black Arms, Black Doom, approaches Shadow and tells him to collect all seven Chaos Emeralds to fulfil his "promise". With Black Doom clearly knowing about his past, Shadow decides to collect all the Chaos Emeralds, but how he goes about this is entirely up to you, as you can choose to be the hero or the villain in the story.

To complete the level, you can either kill the Black Arms aliens that are attacking Earth or kill the human G.U.N soldiers trying to protect the planet. You can even pick the anarchist option and choose to kill everyone you come across. Depending on your actions, it will result in different timelines, with ten possible endings you can achieve. One of the endings even results in Shadow striking down Doctor Eggman in what appears to be his demise. Not exactly what you expect from a Sonic the Hedgehog game. But this is not where the oddness ends, as this is still not the most contentious aspect of Shadow the Hedgehog…you can use guns. Yep, you read that right. You can travel across the stage and pick up guns to shoot down your adversaries.

The first level of Shadow the Hedgehog, Westopolis, is distinctively memorable because it really shows you what the game is about. It starts with you abruptly freefalling from the sky and witnessing the devastating explosions tormenting the city as an eerie red aura consumes the sky. When you finally land on the ground level and dash through the stage, you see the full extent of the carnage, as the city buildings and road structures are turned into derelict dust. You then have multiple opportunities to pick up weapons from the G.U.N soldiers or the Black Arms aliens to take whatever action you see fit. The first stage is a great indicator of whether you will like the overall atmosphere that Shadow the Hedgehog is trying to achieve.

Even though Shadow and the stages are obviously selling points of the game, Black Doom arguably steals the show. Black Doom is a classic villain with no admirable characteristics. There is no divine or symbolic meaning behind his actions. He simply wants the humans as livestock for his race and will do whatever it takes to achieve this goal. This made the timelines where Shadow picked the bad options feel even more sinister because it was leading to Earth's demise. It felt like you were genuinely succumbing to the dark side whenever you did an action that pleased him. Shadow the Hedgehog would not be the same experience if you took away Black Doom.

As you can probably tell by this point, this is not the most kid-friendly game, and there is a reason for that. Takashi Iizuka wanted to create a Sonic the Hedgehog experience aimed at an older audience, emulating action films, which might explain the game's dark undercurrent. In fact, Shadow the Hedgehog was heavily edited to ensure it kept at the E10+ rating.

When Shadow the Hedgehog first came out, I was a few years away from my teens but had already entered my rocker phase (and I still haven't left) and had begun listening to rock bands like System of the Down and Nine Inch Nails. I was their prime audience on paper. So, what did I think of the game? I fell in love with Shadow the Hedgehog for all the above reasons. I found Sonic Heroes a bit too cheesy, so I appreciated the darker tone, and I liked the concept that I could carve out my own destiny. I remember my older sibling raising an eyebrow at me whilst playing the game, questioning why Shadow has a gun, but I completely disregarded these concerns because I enjoyed the game so much.

But I also distinctly remember the first time I saw Black Doom. It may sound silly, as Black Doom's voice, in some ways, is rather comical in how deep-pitched it is, but the kid version of me found it terrifying. His appearance was also menacing, as he was a floating entity with multiple red eyes. They nailed the ominous alien look perfectly, as he was scary but cool at the same time. I wanted to know his backstory and history with Shadow and Gerald Robotnik, which motivated me to complete all ten endings and unlock the true ending.

Looking back, I can appreciate that a few bugs held it back from greatness and begrudgingly agree with my sibling that the guns were unnecessary, but I still have a strong affiliation with the title to this day. I'm not the only one, as Shadow the Hedgehog has cultivated a strong cult following throughout the years.

But since Shadow the Hedgehog was released, which was nearly twenty years ago, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has gone back to its roots and embraced a more kid-friendly atmosphere (at least regarding the games and TV adaptations, the Sonic the Hedgehog comics are a conversation for another day). The recent Hollywood films have solidified this tone even further. It's a hilarious segment, but Jim Carrey doing the floss as Doctor Eggman definitely appeals to younger audiences. But it's also because of these films that Black Doom has returned.

The upcoming film Sonic the Hedgehog 3, set to come out later this year, sees the introduction of Shadow. To complement the film, they clearly wanted to bring Shadow back to the forefront of the games in some capacity. The result is Sonic x Shadow Generations – a remaster of Sonic Generations with a parallel story featuring Shadow. But what was one of the best qualities of the first game that featured Shadow as the protagonist? Black Doom.

Now, do I think Sonic x Shadow Generations will feature guns and the option of killing human G.U.N soldiers? Absolutely not. If anything, looking at the gameplay trailers we have so far, it appears it's tapping into Sonic Adventure 2 more, as the iconic boss battle Biolizard has even been included. But I'm still surprised Sega has revived Black Doom. They could have easily conjured up a new villain, but clearly, even though they have no desire to emulate Shadow the Hedgehog's dark and gritty tone, they couldn't ignore that Black Doom was a pivotal reason for the original game's success. And I'm happy that a new generation of Sonic The Hedgehog fans will be introduced to Black Doom and his ominous voice.

What are your thoughts about Sonic x Shadow Generations bringing back Black Doom? Let us know with a comment below.

Sonic x Shadow Generations will be released on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Xbox One on 22 October, 2024.

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Putting aside any personal thoughts about a certain Harry Potter creator for a moment, I surprisingly enjoyed Hogwarts Legacy as one of my favorite games in 2023. With fond memories of both that game and the classic Quidditch World Cup title from the original Xbox, I went to review Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions with a hopeful heart.

In the end, I find that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a worthy rendition of the fictional magical sport. The star of the show is the gameplay, which translates the broomstick sport to video game form in a hilarious and incredibly fun way. In some aspects, it almost feels like my new obsession in how I shamefully played Blitzball for about 40 total hours alone in Final Fantasy X.

For those who might not be too familiar with the sport, Quidditch is essentially soccer or basketball but on broomsticks. Wizards and witches fly around on their broomsticks passing around the ball (known as a Quaffle) in hopes of scoring in one of the three enemy goals.

However, this basic idea has quite a few intriguing twists to shake everything up. For one, there are different roles in Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. You have the three Chasers, which are the characters who try to score with the Quaffle. Then every team has a Beater that has their own ball they can throw at enemy players to try and knock them out.

Of course, there is also a Keeper who protects the goals from being scored on. Finally, there is the Seeker — my favorite role — that fans will remember well from the Harry Potter movies. This is the role that goes after the coveted Golden Snitch to score a healthy 30 points for the team.

All four of these roles come together to form a compelling and often complex gameplay style. There is so much to dive into from a gameplay perspective that it takes time to master each role. This is because, to developer Unbroken Studios’ credit, every role feels rightfully unique. The Chaser is the most standard, focusing on boosting, tackling, passing, and scoring.

But then the Beater takes that basic movement system and adds its offensive ball on top of that. It becomes even more of a skill-based experience with this role. It is all about eliminating other players, quite violently at times.

Keeper is quite simple but it has some intriguing hooks, too. Your movement is less free compared to the others, as you focus on shifting between the hoops. But there are layers to this defensive role, like intercepting and tackling others. In addition, you can lay down rings across the pitch for your team. These act as buffs that let your team gain extra boosts, providing a leader-like role.

While the Seeker is by far the most straightforward, it is also sometimes the funnest. Your entire goal is to locate the Snitch then chase it around the field. This is done through golden rings the Snitch drops for you to pass through. These let you boost indefinitely as you pass through them and get closer to it. Once you charge up a bar before your opponent does, you can snatch it. The challenge here comes from how fast the Snitch moves and the constant dodges you have to do to avoid other players, which makes it a blast to play.

I absolutely adore the gameplay of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions to the point where I have been obsessing over it in my free time every day since I got it. However, the gameplay only gets you so far. Unfortunately, while the gameplay foundation is as solid as it gets, the content lets it down. At least at launch.

There is, thankfully, a singleplayer experience. It involves a training mode and four cups, ranging from the Weasleys’ backyard all the way to the iconic World Cup. However, you can absolutely go through all of these in a matter of two to three hours in total. And once you’re done, there isn’t much reason to go back to them outside of challenges.

This is certainly a game that runs its course with a couple of hours of game time. The real hook then comes from PvP, but even it lacks in the content department. There is only a single 3v3 game mode right now available, which feels underbaked. We know a full 6v6 mode is on the way in the future, but this game is built for that. Letting every player on the team play a dedicated role just makes sense. Not having that at launch is a shame.

It is also unfortunate because there are some neat systems at play outside of the modes. For one, there are plenty of skins and characters to unlock. Fortunately, you don’t need to pay a dime extra for any of these, either. There are no microtransactions available, which feels refreshing. The challenges, while basic, give some structure and slight reason to come back with cosmetic rewards.

It is just a shame there aren’t more modes, both offline and online, to enjoy. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions lays such a brilliant foundation with its impeccable gameplay execution of this fictional sport. Every role feels meaningful, unique, and worth playing. It starts out so simple but has enough complexity for only the most dedicated to master.

While this foundation is great, though, it only goes so far. Despite having the potential to be my next online gaming obsession, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will, unfortunately, take a backseat for now until more worthwhile content and modes arrive.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is available right now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It will also release for Nintendo Switch sometime in Holiday 2024.

The post Review: Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions Thrills Despite Lacking Content appeared first on Siliconera.

To help give an idea of what to expect from the Lollipop Chainsaw RePop Switch port, Dragami shared gameplay footage of the first boss battle. CEO Yoshimi Yasuda also offered insights into that port on social media, discussing its resolution, frame rate, and what people can expect from the a post-launch patch.

In the Yasuda statement, he noted that Lollipop Chainsaw RePop runs at 30fps on the Switch and has a 1080p FHD resolution. He compared this to the original game, which ran at 720p HD and 30fps. He did note that the Switch version has optimized lighting, but no “screen space reflections.” As for the post-launch patch, it will add chainsaw marks after Juliet attacks places, as those marks aren’t in at launch.

Here’s that notice from Yoshimi Yasuda’s X account:

As for the Lollipop Chainsaw RePop Switch gameplay footage, there are some minor spoilers for folks who aren’t familiar with the game. It begins with Juliet confronting Swan, the San Romero student who summoned the zombies to the school. One of his Dark Purveyor zombies named Lewis Legend then rides in on his motorcycle. The rest of the video then spends about 10 minutes focusing on the ensuing boss fight.

Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP will come out on the PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, and WIndows PC on September 25, 2024. A PS4 version is being considered.

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In a recent interview with Famitsu, Atelier Series Producer Junzo Hosoi shared new details about the cast of main characters in the upcoming new entry Atelier Yumia, as well as confirmed Victor and Isla will be the first two who will join Yumia's party. His commentary included details about the type of character designs and the process of creating them. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

When asked about Yumia’s design, the interviewer pointed out that black hair is rare for an Atelier protagonist. Hosoi said that it was decided early in development that Yumia's color scheme would focus heavily on black and white. However, the details of her design weren’t detailed until later. In contrast, Isla von Duerer's design was decided early on.

Hosoi added that when they put Isla and Yumia, whose design was still not finalized, side by side, Isla looked more like the typical Atelier protagonist. The developers then had about 30 to 40 rounds of fine tuning to make Yumia feel more like the main character and to try and make her appeal as global as possible. They settled on emphasizing her coolness as a strong and independent woman, as well as her use of acrobatic footwork.

Hosoi also talked about some of the supporting cast of Atelier Yumia. In regards to Viktor, the producer said that he is the type of man of justice that hadn't seen in the Atelier series until now. Hosoi compared him to Marvel’s Captain America. Meanwhile, Isla is Viktor's younger sister. She has a friendly personality and gets along well with her brother. As mentioned before, her design is closer to previous Atelier protagonists.

Nina is a mysterious woman, and the developers deliberately designed her to be straightforward and fit the assassin archetype. Rutger is another character whose design is new to the Atelier series. Rutger has a noteworthy past, but he was designed as to not give it away immediately. The world of Atelier Yumia has various demihuman races, and Lenja belongs to the Welleks.

The Atelier Yumia official website offers character profiles for the main party members, and you can take a look at their designs here:

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land will come out worldwide on March 21, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam.

The post Atelier Yumia Main Characters Detailed in New Interview appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco used the latest Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero trailer to tease more characters, with this time the focus being on ones from the Majin Buu Saga. As such, five of the nine new fighters in the spotlight are forms of Buu.

Here’s the full list of all Majin Buu Saga characters that will appear in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. Each one appears briefly in the latest video. Some of them were characters we already knew about, as both Super Buu and Ultimate Gohan appeared in the gamescom 2024 trailer.

• Babidi
• Gohan (Adult) Super Saiyan
• Great Saiyaman 
• Kid Buu
• Majin Buu (Evil)
• Super Buu
• Super Buu (Gohan Absorbed)
• Super Buu (Gotenks Absorbed)
• Ultimate Gohan

Given the point that we are at in terms of reveals, many of the characters that showed up in the video were already fighters we knew would appear in the game. 

And here’s that full trailer:

As usual, things ended with Bandai Namco showing more of the filled-out character select screen. We are now down to only 25 characters remaining. Going by the current rate of reveals, that could mean an additional three or four trailers ahead of the game's launch.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero will appear on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on October 11, 2024.

The post Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Majin Buu Saga Characters Teased appeared first on Siliconera.

Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida said that following Final Fantasy XIV player character models and faces feedback, various avatar fixes will come in the 7.1 patch. He shared a list of major, recurring issues related to lips, faces, mouths, eyes, eyelashes, jawlines, and smiles. 

The first thing Yoshida discussed was how polygon and mapping affected certain Final Fantasy XIV player character faces, which he hopes to have fixed for avatars in 7.1. Some of the biggest changes will involve lip colors being the way they are intended to be, a more noticeable philtrum, that the corners of mouths will look more natural, eye shadows and bags will look more uniform and consistent, and other issues with polygons will be rectified. He also noted that there’s been some progress already, citing differences between 6.58 and 7.0.

Yoshida also paid quite a bit of attention to eyelashes in the update. He cited that the graphics update might have made them face in odd ways, so that will eventually be adjusted. However, while that improvement might not come until after 7.1, some other ones involving them looking too thin or dark will be handled in the 7.1 patch. 

There are also some other Final Fantasy XIV player characters face and model issues that will be fixed for avatars after 7.1 since Yoshida described them as being intensive. The jawlines are one issue, which involve polygons and rigs, and will be worked on to look more like the 6.58 ones. The same goes for smiling issues. The Auri horns will be fixed in 7.2, as will face paint appearing improperly on models. 

Finally, Yoshida shared a list of other issues that the team is aware of and will fix. Here are the other issues:

• Beards and scars appear lighter on certain face types, when paired with specific skin tones (processing issue).
• The scales on the faces and bodies of Au Ra have a rough silhouette in certain areas (visible at higher resolutions).
• Hair floats slightly in certain areas (polygon surface joining adjustment error).
• The mouths of certain NPCs appear to glow (data issue).
• The nose tips of certain Viera faces appear extremely dark (adjustment oversight).

Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the 7.1 patch will be further discussed at the TGS 2024 Letter from the Producer Live.

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Larian announced on social media that Windows PC players who don’t want to jump into Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 7 now have the option to remain on Patch 6 via a beta branch on Steam. This would allow them access to features like older mods and cross saves, as the update negatively affects both. Note that opting out does remove access to new endings, the mod manager, and split-screen multiplayer.

In order to opt out of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 7 update and rollback to 6, you first need to bring up the PC game in Steam. If you select it and check the Betas tab in Properties, you’ll see a new option. It will be labeled as “release_patch6_hf9.” You don’t need to worry about any passwords or prior authorizations. It will just allow you to go back to the patch before the one released on PCs on September 5, 2024. 

When Larian announced the new branch, it also explained why someone might want to avoid updating to Patch 7 now. Console cross-saves will not work with the new patch. This is because only the Windows PC version of the update is now live. Larian noted on social media that it won’t come to the Mac, PS5, or Xbox Series X until sometime in October 2024. Likewise, because of this update, someone playing on a Windows PC would be limited to other Windows PC players ahead if they did update. Rolling back to Patch 6 allows them to play with people on Macs. Also, while some modders have been working with Larian prior to this patch’s release, others haven’t. So those with a lot of Baldur’s Gate 3 mods in-use may want to opt out so they can finish their run with them.

Note that someone can opt into Patch 7 at any time, should they decide to rollback to Patch 6. This isn't a permanent option.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and Patch 7 is available for Windows PCs now.

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