2024-03

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero had a big coming out party in the form of a 13-minute gameplay presentation that gave fans a nice look at its moment-to-moment combat. Bandai Namco showed off what's new, what's staying the same, and even revealed more characters joining the roster.  Naturally, Goku and Vegeta square off to show off Sparking Zero’s combat. The 3D fighter retains the familiar behind-the-back style of its predecessors, but graphically speaking, the flashy ki blasts and transformations look better than ever.  The presentation introduces four new mechanics. First up is Skill Count, a number that rises as you execute moves during the battle and is then spent to trigger special abilities. Revenge Counter lets players retaliate with a big attack in the midst of absorbing damage. Super Perception is a parry-type move that lets players deflect an attack...

The Far Cry franchise consists of a wide array of Ubisoft-developed first-person open-world games, taking players through memorable antagonists and great adventures. Thanks to plenty of ports on modern consoles, Far Cry is a series with a ton of viable jumping-off points....

Starfield's next major update is now live on PC and Xbox, introducing a change that makes the lockpicking minigame less frustrating....

Microsoft's highly publicized acquisition of Blizzard has had wide-reaching effects, and while some of them have been quite awful, this month showcases one of the upsides. Diablo IV, one of Blizzard's big 2023 releases, comes to Xbox Game Pass late next week, on March 28. We enjoyed the game quite a bit at launch, calling it a "massive and deeply engrossing action RPG," so if you've been waiting to check it out, now is a good time to do so. This month also includes a trio of games built around cars, though the three are each very different. F1 23 simulates the realism and intensity of Formula 1 racing, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is an arcade racer full of child-like wonder, and Open Roads (which will launch on Game Pass) is a quieter, narrative-driven game about a mother and her...

Today, after months of rumors and speculation, LEGO (in partnership with Wizards of the Coast) revealed the first full look at the new Dungeons & Dragons-themed building set entitled Red Dragon’s Tale. The large 3,745-piece set is set to release on April 1 in LEGO stores and to those in the LEGO Insiders program. Everyone else can roll for initiative on snagging a set on April 4, for the price of $359.99. Produced through the popular LEGO Ideas platform, where fans are able to submit their own build concepts that are then refined and produced as official sets, the final set includes a full dungeon and tower, a tavern, and six minifigures (including an Orc Rogue, Gnome Fighter, Elf Wizard, and Dwarf Cleric). Builders also get several iconic D&D monsters, including an owlbear, beholder, displacer beast, and, of course, the...

The remake of the 1997 classic Riven is officially launching later this year. This modern facelift of the acclaimed sequel to Myst is also coming to VR. Developed by Cyan Worlds, a team led by the masterminds of the original game, Riven is being remade from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. First announced in 2022, the game is promised to be a faithful homage that leverages modern tech to allow for immersive visuals, free movement, expanded storytelling, and new puzzles. Check out its latest teaser trailer below.  Riven: The Sequel to Myst was first released in 1997 and has been hailed as a PC classic of the era. It's so beloved that an existing fan-driven remake, The Starry Expanse Project, was already in the works when Cyan Worlds announced this remake. Recognizing their efforts, Cyan Worlds worked with The...

Eight years after its official launch, Stardew Valley remains one of the most popular games on the market right now, which is no surprise; whether you're marrying a neighbor, farming crops, or toiling away in the mines, it's a game with something for everyone. Its creator, solo developer ConcernedApe, has updated it with plenty of free patches over the years, adding multiplayer, new farm types, and more, but when he moved on to work on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, the Stardew updates came to an end. That is, until today. 1.6 was announced almost a year ago and promises to add a number of new features, including hats on pets and the highly coveted iridium scythe. Here's an image of some of the planned updates from last September.   As the release draws closer, ConcernedApe has also teased...

Balatro, the hit poker-inspired roguelike deckbuilder, has hit 1 million sales within its first month of release. Publisher Playstack also revealed a mobile version is in development. Created by solo developer LocalThunk, Balatro is a roguelike tasking players to play poker hands to fulfill score criteria and advance a series of rounds. Along the way, they’ll spend money to augment their deck with new cards with special effects while collecting powerful Jokers that bestow a wide range of passive and trigger abilities.   The game has earned widespread acclaim and popularity since launching on February 20. I awarded it a 9.5 out of 10, writing in my review, “Balatro is an ingenious and entertaining roguelike and one of my favorite games of the year. Playing it has become a near-obsession; everything feels perfectly designed to encourage you to keep trying because...

Valve has announced Steam Families, a revamped program that allows players to create a group to share and play games with close family members. The program launches today in the Steam Beta Client and it replaces the Steam Family Sharing and Steam Family View features.  Steam Families can have up to six members, and joining gives you access to any sharable games in each member's library. “Sharable games” is an important distinction, as Family Sharing is a feature that any developer can choose to opt out of for any reason at any time. Some games are also ineligible for sharing due to technical reasons.  Noteworthy games currently eligible for Family Sharing include Helldivers 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Balatro, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Hogwarts Legacy. You can read the full list here.  While playing a game that a family member...

The Monster Hunter Stories Collection is officially up for preorder with a release date of June 14....