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.

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.

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.

The post I’m Shocked That Sonic x Shadow Generations Revived Black Doom appeared first on Siliconera.

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.

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.

Taito announced the release of a new set of NieR: Automata mini figures featuring antagonists Adam and Eve melting like ice cream. The figures are now available as crane game prizes in Japan, with people able to win them from the Taito Online crane game website.

The mini figure set belongs to the Tiny Melties line, which depicts characters as though they are made of ice cream and melting. In the case of the Adam and Eve figures, the melting details can be perceived in the hair pieces, Adam's shirt and sleeves, and the bases of both figures.

You can check out the new Tiny Melties mini figures of Adam and Eve from the NieR: Automata Ver1.1a anime series here:

The Adam and Eve figure set was first shown back in April 2024 alongside two Chubby Collection figures of protagonist 2B and a new figure of A2. Sega Prize also revealed two Chubby Collection figures of 9S in May 2024. In addition, Tiny Melties figures of NieR: Automata protagonist duo 2B and 9S released back in July 2024. A second volume of the collection appeared in August 30, 2024, and it featured protagonist A2 and a machine lifeform.

The new NieR: Automata Ver1.1a Tiny Melties figures of Adam and Eve are now available as game prizes from the Taito Online crane game website.

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Undead Labs announced that Update 38 will be the final update for State of Decay 2, and it will no longer create new content for the game. This is so that it can focus all of its resources on making State of Decay 3.

Since the game came out in 2018, Undead Labs has released close to 40 updates and expansions for State of Decay 2. This includes new modes, maps, stories, characters, and more. However, it’s time for Undead Labs to set its sight on newer horizons and create something new for both the community and the franchise.

Update 38, which will be the final update of the game, will come out some time later in 2024. This update will fix longstanding issues, as well as permanently unlock previously-gated content. Seasonal content will also be unlocked. As well, Update 38 will have some quality of life improvements. With this update, the game should be in its final form.

There are some Q&A on the page to answer some questions players may have. Most concerns seem to be on whether State of Decay 2 will remain available after updates end. Undead Labs assures players that it will be and it doesn’t plan on sunsetting the game. Bounties will continue to cycle and you can check out the schedule here. Even if you find a bug in the game, Undead Labs won’t accept any support tickets, since it’s really done working on the game. At most, it may release a hotfix afterwards for pressing issues.

State of Decay 2 is readily available on the Windows PC and Xbox One. The release dates for Update 38 for State of Decay, as well as news on State of Decay 3, will appear some time in the future.

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Black Desert Online will host another Berserk collaboration, as the event is set to run from September 5 to September 19, 2024. For a limited time, players will be able to challenge Nosferatu Zodd and interact with the mysterious Skull Knight to receive unique collaboration items. Additionally, cosmetic sets for Guts, Griffith, and Schierke are available to purchase during the event period.

The Berserk collaboration cosmetic sets for Griffith and Shierke will 2,640 Pearls, the in-game currency for Black Desert Online, whereas the cosmetic set for Guts will cost 3,720 Pearls. Additionally, players can purchase a Berserk Pack for 4,752 Pearls, which will allow them to select a total of two collaboration outfits.

Other items for purchase during the event period include a Puck Appearance Change Coupon for 1,800 Pearls and a Behelit Jukebox for 1,200 Pearls.

Participating in the event will net you the following rewards:

• Behelit Alchemy Stone
• Everything is Within the Flows of Causality - Title
• 60 Advice of the Valks

Zodd can be encountered periodically through the day, with the rewards he drops being random. Unlike Zodd, the Skull Knight is not available to fight, and is simply an NPC you will meet during the event.

Black Desert Online is available for PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One. The Berserk collaboration will run from September 5 to September 19, 2024.

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LocalThunk and PlayStack announced that when the Android and iOS mobile Balatro ports arrive on September 26, 2024, they will also be accompanied by an Apple Arcade release of the game. Apple Arcade is $6.99 per month, while the standalone version of the game will cost $9.99 on the App Store and Google Play.

As a reminder, Balatro is a roguelike deckbuilder based on Poker. You pick up playing cards for your deck, acquire Jokers that have different scoring and game-influencing effects, and get things like planetary and tarot cards to increase the values of certain hands or affect your game. Your goal is to continually beat more challenging tasks, some with restrictions, by meeting the scoring goals. Campaign and challenge modes are available, and post-launch updates added things like new cosmetics inspired by games like The Witcher. 

Here’s the official trailer for the Balatro mobile ports:

Balatro first appeared on consoles and PCs in February 2024. It’s been consistently updated, and physical versions were announced. It also appeared in other games, with an upcoming crossover bringing Balatro into Dave the Diver in October 2024.

The Balatro Android, Apple iOS, and Apple Arcade versions of the game will appear on September 26, 2024. It is immediately available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

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Jade City Foods has some more Persona 5 Royal food items available, with Sojiro and his signature curry taking center stage this time. You’ll be able to recreate the Leblanc curry recipe using either the signature sauce or the secret spice blend.

Here are the prices for everything:

• Curry combo: $30
• Secret curry spice blend: $13
• Signature curry sauce: $18

The Persona 5 Royal curry combo comes with both the sauce and the spice blend. As a note, the curry sauce has a heat level of 10, so it sounds like something that would be a bit spicier than what you’d eat at a kissaten in Japan. If you want to use the curry spice blend to make the curry at home, then you can check out the “official” Leblanc curry recipe via the Japanese PlayStation X (formerly known as Twitter) account.

Previously, Jade City Foods released a series of hot sauces and coffee that were based on the Persona 5 Royal characters. They’re all still available via its website. The sauces took inspiration from the Royal trio (Joker, Kasumi, and Akechi), as well as Ann and her default Persona Carmen. Ann and Carmen likely appeared due to their affinity with Agi (fire).

Persona 5 Royal is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC.

The post Persona 5 Royal Curry Sauce and Spice Blend Lets You Recreate Taste of Leblanc appeared first on Siliconera.

Back on August 22, 2024, Bandai Namco announced Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker PS4 issues caused extended maintenance, but now it ended and online play returned on September 4, 2024. Apology gifts are being sent out on all platforms both to make amends for the outage and the change in the event schedule dates for the 6th Anniversary Campaign.

Bandai Namco noted that the Ninja Tools Shop Scroll Appraisal issue is what caused the PS4 version of Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker to go offline and be in maintenance until it could be fixed and online play could be restored. PS4 players will get 30 Esoteric Scrolls as an apology gift for the issue. Those who logged in before August 22, 2024 can get it immediately at the Inn Gift Box. Those who didn’t log in before the extended maintenance began, but who do log in between September 4-12, 2024, can then get the 30 Esoteric Scrolls at the Inn after September 12, 2024. Anyone playing on the Xbox One or PC version who logged in before September 4, 2024 can get 10 Esoteric Scrolls as an apology for the 6th Anniversary Campaign dates changing. 

As for the Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker 6th Anniversary Campaign event, the event schedule only changes the end dates for the seven activities that started on August 22, 2024. Here is when each one will end as a result of the PS4 issues for all players now.

• Emergency Special Mission 1: September 12, 2024.
• Free Ninjutsu Trial Campaign: September 19, 2024.
• Huge Sale in the Ninja Tools Shop: October 3, 2024.
• Ninja Tool and Weapon Trial Event: September 19, 2024.
• Ninja World Hero Festival 30: September 12, 2024.
• Sixth Anniversary Login Bonus (Part 1): September 19, 2024.
• Special Boost: October 3, 2024.

The new schedule didn’t mention anything about the second part of the Sixth Anniversary Login Bonus. The issue came up right as the new season debuted and Shisui Uchiha (Perfect Susano’o) was added to the roster as DLC. 

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker and its Ultimate Edition are available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC, online play is available on all platforms, and the 6th Anniversary Campaign event will run until October 3, 2024. 

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Final Fantasy XIV will be at PAX in Australia on October 11, 2024. There will also be a fan celebration a few days earlier and tickets for that will become available from September 6, 2024 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Square Enix will have a dev panel at PAX. The guests present will be Natsuko Ishikawa, a Senior Story Designer, and Saki Takayangi, the Quest Designer. There will also be a battle experience against Valigarmanda, a battle experience for newbies where they face off against a primal, and a photo spot for fans.

While the dev panel will be streamed, you have to actually be at the convention to receive goodies. Players who participate in the Valigarmanda battle can receive a bucket hat and a sticker pronouncing their victory. As for the New Player Experience, it’s for people who aren’t actually playing the game yet. They get the chance to face off the Good King Moggle Mog XII and after they finish the battle, they can get a free copy of the Final Fantasy XIV Online Starter Edition for whatever platform they choose.

Finally, the fan celebration will be on October 9, 2024 from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM (AEDT). This is for anyone who’s a fan of the game, no matter their experience or time playing it. There will be a temporary tattoo station, themed drinks, special guests and more. Only 300 visitors will be able to get in and each person can apply for two slots. You can start applying from September 6, 2024.

Final Fantasy XIV is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. You can read our review of Dawntrail, the latest expansion, here.

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The FFXIV Letter from the Producer Live LXXXIII, which is the 83 installment, will be broadcast at Tokyo Gameshow 2024 (TGS). The presentation from Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida will be streamed as part of Square Enix's activities at the event at 10:50pm PT on September 28, 2024, which is 1:50am ET on September 29, 2024, and people will be able to watch it on YouTube.

Currently, there are no exact details about what is going to be covered in FFXIV Letter from the Producer Live 83, but there are some general insights into what to expect. The update on the official site stated that the first part of the 7.1 patch will be discussed. That will be the first major content update since the launch of the previous Dawntrail expansion. We will also hear about other miscellaneous updates related to the game.

As this is a TGS 2024 FFXIV live letter, an English translator won't be present. Only Japanese audio will be available. However, the showcase will include Japanese and English text on all slides.

Natsuko Ishikawa, Senior Story Designer for FFXIV, will also be heading to PAX Australia in October 2024 alongside Saki Takayanagi, Quest Designer for the game, to give a presentation on the character writing process. In addition, a television show will be filmed in game on the Elemental Data Center on September 4, 2024.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is available now on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. The FFXIV Letter from the Producer Live LXXXIII (83) will air on September 29, 2024.

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Bandai Namco released the 1.38 Dragon Ball FighterZ balance patch on almost every platform on September 4, 2024, and the changes affect all 24 base game and 20 DLC characters. It is available on almost every system, though there is no release window for the Switch version yet.

The full 1.38 patch notes for Dragon Ball FighterZ is 21 pages long. As such, Bandai Namco made it available as a pdf online for people to view and download. Some of the changes are universal. For example, now everyone can be hit by anti air attacks, when in the past some attacks were described as “invincible.” If you use a Special Move during a Sparking Blast, you can use a Special Move or Super Dash. The cooldown for the C Type Z Assist is also longer going forward.

As for the characters who are affected by the balance changes in the new Dragon Ball FighterZ patch, some fighters are affected more than others. For example, there are 14 alterations in the Goku (Ultra Instinct) section. Others may not experience as many differences between past patches and this one. So in the case of Vegeta, there are only six changes to his moveset. It seems like, on average, most characters ended up experiencing between 9-11 changes in the update.

Dragon Ball FighterZ is available on the PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and PC. The new 1.38 patch is immediately available on every platform except the Switch now.

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