The first update for The First Descendant is live. It brings new characters, a new boss fight and new equipment, along with fixes and other improvements.

The highlight of the first update is the introduction of two new characters for The First Descendant. The first of these is Luna, a Support character whose weapon utilises rhythm game mechanics, allowing her to deal damage by shooting in time with the music. Her musical accompaniment also provides bonuses for teammates, increasing their Skill Power and MP Recovery and decreasing cooldowns. A full character trailer for her has also been released.

The other new character addition is Ultimate Valby, a version of the game’s aquatic environmentalist Valby, with boosted stats and a new look. She also gains two unique Modification Modules.

The first update also adds a new Void Intercept Battle to The First Descendant. This sees players going up against Gluttony, a giant mech. Defeating it rewards players with the Hungry Sonic External Components Set and a blueprint for the new Ultimate Weapon, Peace Maker. This new weapon comes with an effect that allows for burst shots while aiming.

The update has also had a huge list of improvements, the full details of which can be viewed on the official site. In addition, director Minseok Joo discussed plans for future updates. These include balance changes to allow for a wider diversity of character builds, plus improvements to drop rates. The team is also working on a method to dispose of unwanted items in response to community criticism.

The First Descendant is available now for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

The post The First Descendant First Update Adds New Character Luna appeared first on Siliconera.

Koei Tecmo and Gust released new information about Fairy Tail 2, including new story elements that take place after the Alvarez Empire Arc events in the manga. New images taken from these new events have been released through social media.

The game will mainly focus on the manga’s Alvarez Empire Arc, with players taking control of Natsu and his friends as they take on Emperor Zeref and the Spriggan 12. Fairy Tail 2 will also feature a new story, The Key to the Unknown, which takes place after the events of the main arc from the manga. This story is an original creation for the game, although few details are available about it at the time of writing.

Fairy Tail 2 was announced during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, where it was confirmed to be releasing for the Switch in late 2024. Releases for PC, PS4 and PS5 were also announced. It will act as a sequel to the 2020 Fairy Tail game, which mainly focused on the Grand Magic Games and Eclipse arcs of the anime and manga.

The game will feature real-time battles built around three-character parties. Characters will be able to combine their abilities to unleash devastating attacks, the effects of which will change based on the combination.

Fairy Tail 2 will come out on the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC in Winter 2024. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll. Kodansha handles the manga.

The post Fairy Tale 2 Game Adds an Epilogue After Alvarez Empire Arc appeared first on Siliconera.

Earth Defense Force is a series known for its campy, B-movie vibe. It’s known for being far from the greatest in its genre, but a perfect game for when you want to turn your brain off and blast some bugs. Earth Defense Force 6 is no different, but maybe we should be asking for more at this point.

Earth Defense Force 6 begins with you being brought in as a new recruit for the titular military group. However, you’re the hero of Earth Defense Force 5 who has somehow been mistaken for a rookie that now has to undergo basic training again. Along the way, you and your fellow new recruits take on a series of missions to eradicate the remaining alien threat that’s been wrecking Earth.

It’s a silly opening, and one that set a tone right out the gate. The story here is poorly written, melodramatic, B-movie grade schlock, by which I mean it’s amazing. Aside from heroes being somehow recruited for basic training, the opening missions feature a lot of ham-fisted dialogue clearly meant to impart an important message about humanity and war but stumbling over itself at every turn.

For instance, after fighting off your first batch of giant bipedal frog monsters who shoot you on sight, your squadmates will openly discuss the possibility of them simply being refugees from their home planet that we’re misunderstanding. This is naturally peppered with some awkward, entirely out-of-place “what if we’re the real monsters” comments while you’re being chased by giant ants that have no qualms about devouring you. This is then replaced in a later mission by every squad member reminding you that the aliens killed their entire family at every opportunity, completely ignoring the attempts to humanize them moments ago.

Every line of dialogue feels like something out of an Ed Wood movie or The Room. The clumsy attempts at gravitas. The characters who openly discuss their backstories in stilted, inhuman ways. And a story that often feels meandering and full of cliches. However, every part of it feels deliberate, as each terrible line is comedy genius. One exchange in a mission about the appearance of humanoid aliens legitimately caught me off guard in how silly it was, especially when the eventual punchline was revealed.

In terms of gameplay, this is a standard third-person shooter. You pick one of four classes of soldier, with different abilities and play styles. There’s the Ranger, a basic grunt with an assault rifle and various other weapons. The Wing Diver is a flying unit who swoops around with a jet pack. The Air Raider specializes in throwing drones and traps around for maximum damage. And finally, the Fencer is a big stompy suit of power armor that can tank through most trouble.

Or at least in theory, these are the things that differentiate them. However, one thing that becomes abundantly clear after a few hours of playing Earth Defense Force 6 is that none of them are particularly great to play. Each class has strengths and weaknesses, but at times the weaknesses can become such a hassle to deal with it can be frustrating. The Wing Diver is best swooping around in the air, and yet is given a ton of weapons that only work from short range. The Air Raider is capable of causing a ton of damage but is awkward to use. The Fencer is slow and unwieldy to control, and sometimes doesn't feel as resistent to damage as it should be. And the Ranger is just…kind of boring.

These problems are often exacerbated by the bland mission design. Every mission feels the same. You move to one portion of the city overrun by monsters that mostly resemble bugs, kill them all, then repeat the process roughly three or four times until the game feels you’ve had enough. Sometimes you might get to blow up a spaceship or some wasp nests, as a treat, but most of the time the level design repeats this same formula over and over.

Even the enemies begin to feel samey. Sure, they’re all different species of bug or weird alien beings and spacecrafts, but the attack patterns are consistent across the board. The only real changes are later missions when your alien foes get endlessly firing automatic weapons that are next to impossible to dodge. Usually while also gaining the ability to fly into a position you don’t see them. Which turns the tedium into frustration very quickly.

It doesn’t help that Earth Defence Force 6 is not a good-looking game. Every mission map feels like a bunch of ruined city assets thrown together without much rhyme or reason. There is some mild entertainment to be had from the generic ants and spiders being presented as horrific Eldritch beings, but the joke does wear out its welcome fast.

On top of this, the visuals have all the fidelity of a game from 2006. It certainly doesn’t try to make up for its dated, low budget visuals with a coherent art design either, as nothing was visually interesting enough to pay much attention to. There is a point where the visuals do get an upgrade, but even after this the game feels at least a decade out of date.

I get that this is part of the charm of this series. Earth Defense Force has always been intentionally bad. But while the b-movie grade writing feels purposeful and fun, the gameplay and visual design feels sloppy. It’s a tough tightrope to walk between making a game deliberately bad in a fun way and making a game that’s just bad. Unfortunately, EDF6 lands firmly in the latter category, as its tedious mechanics and limited strategy simply don’t feel good to play.

Fans of the Earth Defense Force series probably don’t care about any of this. If that’s you, you’re probably here for everything I just described. Feel free to add a couple of points to the score in your head if that’s the case. However, I did come into the game fully aware of its reputation and perfectly ready to mindlessly blast away some bugs, but even I felt disappointed with the end result.

Earth Defense Force 6 is a joke that outstays its welcome. The writing definitely has its moments of brilliance, but it tries so hard to be "so bad it’s good" that it just ends up bad.

Earth Defense Force 6 is out now for the PC, PS4 and PS5.

The post Review: Earth Defense Force 6 Is Funny, But Tedious appeared first on Siliconera.

The remaster of Shadows of the Damned has a release date, confirmed platforms, and a full official title. Now subtitled Hella Remastered, the game will release on October 31, 2024 for all major platforms.

Grasshopper Manufacture revealed the release date in a new trailer for Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered. In addition, the trailer revealed a number of new features for the remaster, including a New Game+ mode, plus 60fps and 4K support.

The trailer also showed off four new costumes for protagonist Garcia Hotspur, including shirtless skin Placia Garcia and demonic skin Demonio Garcia, plus two deep cut references to other Grasshopper properties connected to the original game. Ocha Corazones is based on a character from a fictional sequel referenced in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes. The final costume, Kamikaze Garcia, is based on a character from the manga Kurayami Dance, which was based on early concepts of Shadows of the Damned.

Shadows of the Damned originally released in 2011 for PS3 and Xbox 360. As the latest trailer makes repeatedly clear, it was a collaboration between Suda51 and Shinji Mikami, and featured concept art by Tadayuki Nomaru and enemy designs by Q Hayashida. It also featured music from Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka.

A remaster for Shadows of the Damned was announced at a Grasshopper presentation in June 2023, although the release date is the first we’ve heard more about it since. However, it shouldn’t be long until we hear more. Among the many titles given to Suda and Mikami in the trailer was “Gamescom 2024 Attendee”, suggesting we’ll see more of the game in Germany in August 2024.

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered will release on October 31, 2024, for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.

The post Shadows of the Damned Remaster Release Date Set appeared first on Siliconera.

The Deadly Playtest Global Beta Test for Tribe Nine has a new start date. Spots are still open for signups until the end of July 2024, and the event will take place on August 9-15, 2024.

Too Kyo Games, the developers of Tribe Nine, previously put the call out for participants in the Closed Beta in June 2024. While the studio had stated those successfully chosen to participate and take part in the beta in July, the official global beta test period will be August 9-15, 2024. It is possible to still sign up to participate up until July 31, 2024. Participants will be informed in early August if they are successful. While the game is set for release on PC and mobile platforms, the test will only take place via Steam.

Tribe Nine is the latest game from Too Kyo Games, the studio founded by Danganronpa creator Kazukata Kodaka, in collaboration with Akatsuki Games. Frequent collaborators Rui Komatsuzaki and Masafumi Takada are also involved in character design and music respectively. This free-to-play Extreme Action RPG was first announced in 2020, although news has been limited until now. An anime based on the game’s premise aired in 2022.

In addition to Tribe Nine, Too Kyo Games recently announced the development of another game, Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy. This was revealed during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct and is set for release in 2025.

Tribe Nine does not yet have a release date, although its global beta test will take place on August 9-15, 2024. The game will be released for PC and mobile devices.

The post Tribe Nine Global Beta Test Confirmed for August 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

There aren’t many games out there like Flock. It’s a flight sim. It’s a creature collector. It’s a mystery game. It’s a puzzle game. All of these descriptions apply, but not exactly. Flock is a strange beast, which is appropriate when it’s a game all about finding strange beasts.

You play as a bird rider heading to visit their zoology professor aunt Jane, who has a task for you. She wants you to document the creatures of the land around her home and lower the cloud level in the process. You achieve this through observation, documentation and a system of whistles.

Gameplay in Flock is simple. You fly around a small open world, on the lookout for creatures hopping around the land. You fly close to them, observe them and use Jane’s notes to determine which creature you’re looking at, gradually filling up a creature book with details. In addition, you can find whistles for different types of creature, allowing you to charm them and get them to follow you around, which is the flock of the game’s title.

That’s it. That’s the game. It’s the most basic of mechanics and yet Flock manages to be delightfully compelling. Flying around the world feels good, for a start. The lack of friction to the movement makes it feel playful. This is enhanced by ring structures that can be dashed through and chained together for a satisfying drift through the skies. You’ll be swooping, drifting and coasting around to your heart’s content and loving every minute of it.

Seeking out creatures is also a joy. Flock doesn’t openly point them out to you. Instead, you have to listen out for any noises they might be making while staying vigilant for movement in the grass or in the trees. A glow in the woods at night could be something, while careful examination of a lakebed might reveal a pair of eyes peering out of the sand. Flock wants you to stop and carefully examine your surroundings, leave no stone unturned and keep making new discoveries.

This is the main draw of Flock, in fact. Because you have to make all these discoveries yourself, using only single line clues in the guide along with your own intuition, it’s extremely rewarding to find new creatures. You’ll see something wiggle in a rock formation and immediately work out out the correct distance to observe without spooking it. You’ll hear persistently loud chirping from tall grass and delight to find a weird duck in there. You’ll peer into a rock and be surprised to see something peering back.

The vagueness of these clues may be maddening to more impatient completionists, however. Some creatures require some meticulous searching, while the hints can sometimes be too vague for their own good. It’s a huge appeal for someone like me, with my love of slowly figuring out puzzles, but it may not be to everyone’s taste.

The vibes are immaculate for this gentle kind of experience though. The visual style is all bold colors and pastel shades, which means every part of this game is gorgeous to look at. The character designs are charming too. The creatures are all bizarre little hybrids based on various fish and birds, all marked by big eyes and pronounced features. Some have goofy little beaks, some are tiny beans that are mostly all eye, and some are whale-like beasts with huge maws. One creature, the Gormless Skyfish, is a happily clueless, bug-eyed fish identified by it being “no thoughts head empty”, and I love it so much.

These adorable designs even extend to the few human characters, including your own avatar. They remind me of Muppets, all big faces and noodly limbs. You can even get very silly with your characters, dressing them in a poncho and wading trousers, among other things. The silliness of these character designs is enhanced by the writing, which fills the dialogue with a ton of charm and humor. Your uncle Reg, for instance, is single-mindedly into sheep, where he’ll dismiss any earth-shattering natural discoveries you make simply because he can’t shear them for wool.

Sheep are also a mechanic in Flock, but they’re one of the parts that don’t feel fully realized. You can collect a flock of sheep in addition to the regular beasties, and their role is to graze on overgrown meadows. This reveals Burgling Bewls that have stolen the various whistles you need to charm creatures, as well as new clothes and space for more creatures. But they can’t be used for anything else and you can’t spread multiple sheep onto multiple meadows at once. They feel like they were added simply to have a collectible system on top of the standard creature collecting, and it doesn’t feel fully fleshed out as an idea.

That said, this minor use is a step-up from how limited the actual flock of the title feels. As you find creatures, you can use the various whistles to initiate a mini-game where you must blow the whistle at the appropriate distance to charm them into following you. As the game progresses, you become a full-fledged Pied Piper, with everything you’ve charmed following you in a big group.

However, they do nothing. They don’t help search for more creatures, they can’t be sent into crevices to pull out other friends and they can’t help chase down the faster beasts. They just sit there behind your bird, looking pretty and making noises if you press the right button to squawk at them. I feel it would add so much to the game if different creatures had different uses that aided in your search for the final entries. Despite the game being named after it, this flock doesn’t do much of anything, and that’s disappointing.

This feeling of ideas not being fully realized adds to a general feeling of repetition that runs through the game. The gameplay loop is very much swooping around, marking creatures in your book and heading off to do the next one. As a low-stakes game for short chillout gameplay sessions, this is perfect, but it does make the game feel a little tedious if you play for too long in one sitting.

However, most of these criticisms are nitpicks. If you’re willing to approach Flock on its own terms, most of this washes away. It lulls you into its atmosphere with ease. It's also designed to be played co-op, as you and your fellow bird riders can soar around together. I never got to experience this aspect of the game, but I imagine it adds a lot.

Flock is a comfort blanket of a game. Its simplicity isn’t for everyone but it’s hard to deny its charm. If you’re looking for something cozy to kick back with at the end of a long day, Flock is exactly what you need.

Flock is available now for the PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

The post Review: Flock Is a Delightful and Cozy Flight appeared first on Siliconera.

Mahjong Soul is now available worldwide on the PC through Steam. The game launched alongside a new event, Daydream Paradise, which is running from now until August 6, 2024.

Mahjong Soul has previously been available for PC via browser and a Windows app, but this release now allows players to make use of Steam features. This includes a new beginner’s guide to riichi mahjong included within the game’s Steam Guides page.

Players will be able to link their existing account to the new release via their Yostar account. Facebook, Apple and Google logins can also be linked. The game will also make use of crossplay features. However, the Steam version will not work with MacOS, and paid items can only be shared between the browser and Windows client versions. Free items can be shared across all versions, however, including those on mobile.

As well as the Steam launch, a new event has started within Mahjong Soul. Daydream Paradise will run until August 6, 2024, featuring a selection of event missions. In addition, there will be a higher summon rate for the characters Yuan Feng and Kutsuji, while other characters will be available for more limited time periods. There will also be limited time availability of outfits for Hinata Takanashi, Haruma Igarashi and Nadeshiko.

This is not the only recent news from Yostar. The publisher also confirmed it would be handling the English translation of Heaven Burns Red, the latest work from Clannad creator Jun Maeda.

Mahjong Soul is available now for Steam, browsers and mobile devices.

The post Mahjong Soul Heads to PC via Steam Worldwide appeared first on Siliconera.

The Solid Snake and Raiden Metal Gear Solid Nendoroids are making a return after almost ten years. Both Metal Gear protagonists are now available to pre-order now ahead of a 2025 worldwide release.

The Metal Gear Nendoroids first released in 2015, with Solid Snake releasing in January and Raiden in November. Both figures are set to re-release in 2025, although they are available to pre-order now. Both Nendoroids are ¥6,500 from the Japanese store, which will release them in March 2025. Meanwhile, the US store is selling them for $37.99 and they will release in Q3 2025.

The Solid Snake Nendoroid is based primarily on his appearance in the first Metal Gear Solid, featuring the sneaking suit of that game. It can be posed like other Nendoroids, but can also be posed in a prone position for prime sneaking. It comes with two weapons, the SOCOM pistol and the FAMAS assault rifle, along with a cardboard box that he can hide in. A low-poly PS1 face piece is also included.

Meanwhile, the Raiden Nendoroid is based on his debut in Metal Gear Solid 2. He comes with similar add-ons to Snake, with a pistol, assault rifle and cardboard box. In addition, there is a katana and a naked body, referencing the later portions of the game on Arsenal Gear. This re-release also comes with a special illustration from Metal Gear artist Yoji Shinkawa, depicting the Nendoroid in his iconic style. There is also a face piece using an expression drawn by him.

The Solid Snake and Raiden Nendoroids are available to pre-order now from both the Japanese and US Good Smile Company stores, and will release in 2025. Their original games are available to play now in the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1, for PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

The post Solid Snake and Raiden Nendoroids Will Return in 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

Activision Blizzard has revealed that the latest Support hero for Overwatch 2 is Juno. In addition, she will be available as a limited time trial from July 19-21, 2024, ahead of her full release in August.

Juno was previously teased as a new Overwatch 2 hero at BlizzCon 2023 under the codename Space Ranger, but now she has received a full gameplay trailer. Hailing from a Mars colony, her moveset is based around sci-fi technology. Juno will be released as part of Season 20 on August 20, 2024, but players will be able to try her out on July 19-21, 2024, where she will be available as part of a limited trial.

Her primary fire is the Mediblaster, a burst fire weapon, while her secondary fire is the Pulsar Torpedoes, which are homing missiles. She can also double jump and perform a horizontal glide thanks to her Martian Overboots and deploy a Hyper Ring that can increase ally movement. Her Ultimate is the Orbital Ray, a laser that fires from space and travels forward. All her abilities will damage enemies while healing allies.

Activision Blizzard also revealed the voice actor for Juno. She will be voiced by Xanthe Huynh, whose previous credits include Haru in Persona 5, Pela in Honkai: Star Rail and Marianne in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Juno is the latest hero to be revealed for Overwatch 2. The previous character to be added to the cast was Venture, a Damage focused hero released in Apil 2024.

Overwatch 2 is available now for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Juno will be available on August 20, 2024, with a free trial on July 19-21, 2024.

The post The Latest Overwatch 2 Support Hero Is Juno appeared first on Siliconera.

Level-5 released the Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road beta test demo for the PS4, PS5, and PC. The demo had previously appeared on the Nintendo Switch.

The Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road beta test demo can now be downloaded on PCs from the game’s Steam page or on the PlayStation Network for both the PS4 and PS5. The demo will feature all the same content as the Switch version, with a few updates based on player feedback. The Steam version will take 17GB of hard drive space, with the PS4 and PS5 versions being 13GB and 7GB, respectively. The Switch version can no longer be downloaded.

The updates to the beta test demo include a longer version of the Story Mode, allowing players to experience the entire first chapter of the game. Due to the increase in length, saving will now be possible during Story Mode. However, these saves can’t be transferred to the final game, and while cross-save will be supported for the final release, it will not be possible for the demo. Other adjustments have been made to gameplay and UI elements such as improved tutorials, a more detailed map and bug fixing. The ability to pet cats has also been added.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road will release for PC, PS4 and PS5 sometime in 2024, and the beta test demo is available now. A Switch version is also in development.

The post Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Beta Test Demo Now on PS4, PS5, and PC appeared first on Siliconera.

A new event is coming to Zenless Zone Zero, called Don’t Get Greedy. The event focuses on the Snake Duel – Clash game found within the Arcade on Sixth Street and starts on July 19, 2024.

Players participating in the Don’t Get Greedy event will be able to play 2v2 matches of Snake Duel – Clash against other players through online matchmaking. The game is the classic phone game Snake with a multiplayer component, where one team must have a higher total snake length than the other before time runs out. Winners of these matches will receive 800 Snaky Vouchers and the losing team will get 500 instead.

Snaky Vouchers earned in the Don’t Get Greedy event in Zenless Zone Zero can be exchanged for various rewards. These include Polychromes, Boopons and upgrade materials, although other rewards are promised. These can be redeemed within the event store. Voucher counts will be reset at the end of the event on July 26, 2024.

In order to participate in the Don’t Get Greedy event, players must have reached Inter-Knot Level 15 and completed the Scarlet Invitation Agent Commission.

This event will run alongside another limited time event, Friendship Supervision, which is currently running until August 5, 2024. Unlike this event, which is exclusive to the Arcade, Friendship Supervision adds limited time story commissions where players can earn Bangboo related rewards.

Zenless Zone Zero is out now for PC, PS5 and mobiles devices, while the Don’t Get Greedy event takes place on July 19-26, 2024.

The post Zenless Zone Zero Don’t Get Greedy Event Starting Soon appeared first on Siliconera.

The enduring wait for any kind of information about Hollow Knight: Silksong seems to have sent the indie game scene into a frenzy of Metroidvania releases. Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is one of the titles seemingly trying to capture Team Cherry’s magic by taking the same Metroid-meets-Fromsoft formula and transposing it to ancient Japan. However, while it may be a worthwhile game to pick up while you wait, it does have some issues.

You play as Bo, a spirit born from a lotus known as a tentaihana. Equipped with a staff, they head out into the world to build up their powers in order to take on a monstrous giant roaming the land leaving destruction in its wake. Along the way, Bo encounters a wide cast of characters drawn from Japanese mythology with plenty of other problems to deal with.

If you’ve played any recent indie Metroidvania game, you already have an idea how Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus works. It’s a side-scroller with a semi-open map, where some routes are closed off to you until you find the correct ability to progress. For instance, early on you can unlock a dash move, while later abilities include a mochi hammer, a glide, and the ability to roll up vertical walls. Obtaining these abilities require completing challenges and defeating bosses. It’s standard stuff all round.

More specifically, there’s a noticeable Hollow Knight inspiration here in Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus. Much like that Metroidvania game, there’s an emphasis on tough combat, with Soulslike elements such as shrines in place of benches or bonfires. It even reuses the Soul mechanic, replacing it with a tea kettle that’s used for healing and spell-like abilities powered by Darumas.

However, a different Metroidvania also shows its obvious mark on the game developers here. Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus uses a lot of design choices inspired by Ori and the Blind Forest. The game’s platforming challenges involve long sequences of keeping Bo airborne through deadly areas while your exploration is occasionally broken up by tricky chase sequences. The game’s main story, focused on a spirit born from the forest, is undeniably similar too.

The aerial moves make up a big part of Bo’s moveset. Early on, you unlock the ability to gain a jump from attacking an enemy (or object) while in the air. This can be repeated infinitely, so you can stay in the air as long as you keep hitting something. Many platforming sections are built with lanterns lining your path which you can pogo off, and the dash and grappling hook abilities add speedy linear movement to the mix.

However, this emphasis on these kinds of challenges runs into a roadblock fast. After all, these platforming challenges were inspired by Ori, a game built around fluidity and speed, while Bo’s actual movement was inspired by Hollow Knight, a game about slow, heavy precision. What this leads to is frustration, as the movement mechanics often feel too clunky and imprecise to consistently achieve what the game wanted me to do.

Alarmingly often, I’d find myself swinging my staff at an aerial target, visually seeming to hit but mechanically missing and falling to my death. Occasionally a pogo hit simply wouldn’t register as such, turning a mighty launch into a meek little hop. A move designed to launch yourself off projectiles requires multiple inputs, compared to the one required for Ori’s similar Bash move. And that’s without addressing how slow the required projectiles to launch off are, meaning you’re often left with nothing to launch off, sending you into spikes. These are all annoyances that remove any sense of flow from these challenges, making them frustrating, and not in a fun way.

This was especially noticeable in a major chase sequence that ends the first act of the game. Too many attempts were ended because an aerial hit failed to register, or because a dash fell inexplicably short. It’s also a long sequence that loves to spring unexpected platform disappearances on you, and every failure sends you all the way back to the start. The satisfaction of clearing a tough section of the run went out the window when the next lantern I encountered decided to float off into the distance without warning, requiring me to do everything again.

This Metroidvania game does fare better when it comes to combat. In fact, while the boss fights were all challenging, I had a much better time, with the movement mechanics enhancing the combat abilities in interesting ways. Possibly helps that bouncing off a boss’s massive head was an easier ask than a tiny lantern, of course, as the bigger hitbox meant lower chance of an arbitrary miss.

One Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus fight that shows this off requires you to take on a sumo beetle. While it is possible to defeat it normally by dodging and weaving on the ground, some portions of the fight see him flying into the air. Good use of the movement mechanics can carry you up with him, dealing out more damage. It felt like a reward for grasping the mechanics in a way that I didn’t get out of the platforming. The stark contrast is proof that the focus should have been placed on combat throughout the game.

Indeed, when a boss fight does require the movement mechanics as a central element, rather than something optional but rewarding, they end up being weaker for it. One example was a boss that flies up to the top of the map for its final phase, requiring a sequence of grapples through a minefield of homing shots just to get near it. I would often struggle with this one simply because the game arbitrarily wouldn’t let me target the grappling hooks I wanted, resulting in me taking odd detours or slamming directly into a projectile. Usually both.

It’s a real shame that the mechanics can sometimes be such a chore, as Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is a beautiful Metroidvania game. The hand-drawn visuals draw a lot of inspiration from ukiyo-e and it’s a joy to look at. There’s a vibrance to this world, with even caves and mountainous regions appearing colorful. The way statues and shrines have been woven into the fabric of the world adds visual variety and makes each area feel distinct. Using a shrine also starts up an adorable animation where Bo settles in for some tea, which also won me over in a big way.

This extends to the writing too. The story is heavily reminiscent of Okami, as you guide your canine-adjacent protagonist through a variety of myths and legends that culminate in taking on a great evil. NPC dialog is a treat, from your reluctant guide Asahi’s grumpy way of helping to the assorted residents of Sakura City. It’s used to great effect, as you grow to love these characters, making you care deeply when your ultimate foe stomps their way through their home. I rarely get invested in the stories of games in this genre, so this was refreshing.

I wish I could recommend Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus more. Its presentation is immaculate and when the game is focused on combat, it’s incredibly satisfying. But the inconsistencies that drag down the platforming segments sour the whole experience.

Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus will release for PC on July 17, 2024.

The post Review: Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus Fails to Bloom appeared first on Siliconera.

Exoprimal Season 4 will be the final season of the game, Capcom has confirmed. However, while updates will end, the game will remain active.

Capcom made the announcement via the official Exoprimal website, which confirmed that Season 4 was the final season. The current season ends on July 11, 2024, which will mark the last date of updates. However, the game will not be shut down. Instead, the game will loop back to Season 1 again, with the following seasons repeating on a monthly rotation. Season Passes for each season will become available too, allowing players to access all content.

The seasons will operate the same way they did in their original appearance, with Premium Tier Survival Passes only operating for the season they’re bought for. In addition, progress in any given season will carry over to the next rotation of that season. Exoprimal will also run weekly campaign missions, which operate on a four-week rotation. These campaign missions will include the Mega Man and Monster Hunter collaborations, which will alternate every two weeks.

Despite the game reaching its final season of updates, Exoprimal will remain active online. All modes will remain, including endgame content such as Savage Gauntlet and Time Loop Rebellion. Capcom will also be adding bots to the game, allowing anyone to keep playing even if other players are unavailable.

Exoprimal is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The final season ends on July 11, 2024.

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Pre-orders are now open for Huggy figures of 2B and 9S from NieR Automata. Both figures have shown up on the official Good Smile Company store, aiming for a December 2024 release.

The Huggy figures feature both 2B and 9S from NieR Automata as chibi versions of themselves. They are posed in seated positions and the arms are articulated so they can be made to look like they’re asking for a hug. They also feature a magnet on the back of their head, so they can be attached to the fridge or other metallic surfaces. Both figures are based on the appearances of both characters in the anime adaptation.

The Huggy figures can be pre-ordered from now until July 31, 2024 from the Good Smile Company. The figures are set for release in December 2024. They are available for 1,800 each.

The NieR Automata Huggy figures were first announced at WonHobby G 2023 Autumn, where only concept art was shown off. It’s not the only NieR Automata merch in the works, as Proof has recently opened pre-orders for detailed 1/7 scale figures of 2B and 9S. These figures feature props and sets along with swappable head parts allowing them be unmasked.

The NieR Automata Huggy figures can be pre-ordered now for a December 2024 release. NieR Automata is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch, while the anime adaptation can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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The English version of Heaven Burns Red is on its way, courtesy of publisher Yostar Games. The announcement was made at Anime Expo 2024.

Heaven Burns Red first released in 2022 to great acclaim. This free-to-play RPG stars Ruka Kayamori, a former singer now fighting for humanity against a mysterious force known as The Phage. Ruka and her fellow squad mates are capable of using powerful weapons and abilities known as Seraphim, the only thing that can stop The Phage. The game features turn-based battles where players choose a team from up to 48 characters, while the story is told through visual novel sequences.

A full trailer for the game’s English release was revealed at Anime Expo 2024. No release date has been confirmed for this release, and no platforms were announced either. However, the game released in Japan for PC, iOS and Android, so these will likely be the same platforms when it releases for a Western audience too.

Heaven Burns Red was developed by Key and Wright Flyer Studios, while Yostar Games will be publishing the English version of the game. It is the latest work from Jun Maeda, the creator of the visual novels Air and Clannad, as well as the writer for the Angel Beats anime. Heaven Burns Red also featured a crossover event with Angel Beats, where three characters from the anime made an appearance in the game.

The English version of Heaven Burns Red will be released at an unconfirmed date.

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