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Smite 2 Closed Alpha First Impressions

I have been a long-time Smite player, playing since late 2014, transitioning to playing Smite on Xbox in early 2016 then back to pc a couple of years back. You can say I’ve been in and out of the arena for years, putting hundreds of hours into this MOBA. In case you’re new to Smite, it is a MOBA centered around battling at God’s Goddess and many other mythological-based characters in a 5 vs 5 fight to kill the enemy minions, purchase items to upgrade your abilities, defeat and defend the enemy towers and take down the enemy titan for the victory. Smite 2 Is the newest entry in the series created and developed by the studio Hi-Rez, in a much more updated and next-gen-looking MOBA following the same steps as the latter in the series. Smite 2 is in the closed alpha phase currently, but consistently pushing out updates for us all to enjoy and offer our feedback on so we as a community can carve Smite 2 into the mass MOBA we have all loved and enjoyed. I will be breaking my first impressions down based on the changes I notice, similarities with the gameplay, and some potential quality-of-life changes that could keep Smite 2 on the path of greater success. Firstly, The item store which in my opinion is one of the more important parts of keeping the pvp on a more equal playing field. The new items now mean a bit more on how you choose to build yourself, focusing more on one or two key stats to work together more so than going all in on one stat. I mostly played Neith during my first real session of playtime, as she was one of the first gods I reached rank 10 with when I first began playing, I knew I could jump into a conquest match and immediately feel at home. My typical Neith build clearly would work on Smite 2 as the items are different, so I found myself working on a new build on the fly giving Neith a completely different pace I’m used to forcing me to adapt differently. The new items have been a welcoming change for the balance and pace of the game, especially making the early games more important to farm minions or jungle to get that advantage in your lane. I have noticed some of the tank-based gods seemed to be a little more squishy than previously since the health/defense-based items are still in their early stages. Another large difference that has been brought to Smite 2 is the engine, Now being run through Unreal Engine 5. The game absolutely looks night and day better, the models all have new life, and all the maps (Conquest and Arena at the time of this) Both look amazing with the Unreal lighting, all the beautiful Unreal assets mixed with the new models for the characters giving the game a breath of fresh air. With these pro’s, there will always be con’s like the performance is not the greatest at the time of my first impressions with a good amount of random studders and out of the ordinary FPS drops that can hinder your gameplay tremendously. My current computer setup is a Ryzen 7 5800x and an RTX 3080 Paired with 32GB DDR4 Ram, so my setup isn’t exactly a low performing setup but I’m sure with time they will be able to optimize the game and the engine with future updates. The Combat, obviously being the main premise of the game gives you a rewarding sensation when you take on an enemy and win your battle that pushes your team closer to victory. In some cases i found myself taking damage but not having a sense of urgency like I felt in Smite 1, Gave me the feeling that i could stay in team battles and work my lane a little harder and longer than I’m use too especially building lifesteal as an early item you have a great amount of self maintenance. Mana Feels abit more forgiving when using abilities, i did not find myself running out of mana very quickly forcing me to not engage battles for fear of being punished. Smite 2’s Game pace does feel a little slower compared to Smite 1, I’m not sure if that’s because the new items favor more calculated plays and team battles, instead of being able to One Man Army duo lane and begin over leveling the enemy team. I didn’t get to play every role of God/Goddess so the progression potentially may vary on that aspect but for me as a hunter that’s how i felt.Smite 2’s Alpha is a very strong and promising start to what should be an amazing MOBA experience. I look forward to playing all the playtest weekends and being apart of the growing and ever changing landscape Hi-Rez is pushing to give us. If you have not yet played smite, i highly recommend picking it up, the game is completely free to play and available on steam to download.

Avowed has been delayed to February 18, 2025

It was reported just yesterday that Obsidian Entertainment and Microsoft will likely be delaying Avowed to 2025. Originally, the action role-playing game was going to release in Fall 2024, but it was shared that Xbox has so many games coming to Game Pass they wanted to let Avowed shine when nothing else was around it. Today, Microsoft announced that Avowed has been delayed to February 18, 2025. This is the first confirmed release date from Xbox Game Studios in 2025 with South of Midnight, Doom: The Dark Ages and Fable planned for the year still. In the announcement post on X (Twitter), Xbox shared an image of all its games coming out over the next year: So many games coming! As such, we're moving Avowed to Feb 18, 2025 to give players’ backlogs some breathing room. Stay tuned for more from our games across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda & Xbox Game Studios at gamescom, including our Aug 23 livestream for a look at Avowed:… pic.twitter.com/3RnyVwlHRa — Xbox (@Xbox) August 2, 2024 Since Avowed is a first-party title, it will be arriving on Game Pass the day it releases for those who subscribe to the service. The reason for the delay isn’t because the game is in a bad development state, but to let the Xbox games lineup spread across a couple more months. Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is still planned to release in Late 2024.

Casting For Until Dawn Film Includes Peter Stormare, Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, And Odessa A’zion

What is now considered a legacy title from the PlayStation 4, Until Dawn remains a beloved property that many players were eager to experience at the time. And although the game did not properly receive any follow-ups, it is being retooled for the PlayStation 5 soon. It was announced that Until Dawn is coming to both console & PC in 2024. The most recent update that came from this project did indicate the remaster is planned to ship in fall 2024. However, there is more of Until Dawn in the pipeline. It was revealed as per a report from The Hollywood Reporter that PlayStation Productions is adapting the Supermassive Games title into a live-action film. Deadline back in June reported that the live-action film does star new faces for the project. Although the original Until Dawn featured faced like Rami Malek & Hayden Panettiere, the film casted Ella Rubin (The Idea of You, Anora), Michael Cimino (Annabelle Comes Home, Love, Victor), Ji-young Yoo (Freaky Tales, The Sky is Everywhere, and Odessa A’zion (Hellraiser, Ghosts). Additionally, a recent report from The Hollywood Reporter this week also adds more faces to the casting list. One eye-opener is Peter Stormare. Stormare originally portrayed Dr. Hill in the 2015 Until Dawn and is anticipated to reprise his role for the film. Furthermore Maia Mitchell (The Fosters, Good Tumble) & Belmont Cameli (Saved by the Bell, Along for the Ride) also join alongside Stormare. “I’ve been longing to do horror again after Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, and this film explores the many great subgenres of horror to create the most terrifying experience possible,” director David F> Sandberg says in a statement. “Capturing the essence of the game but with new characters, it serves as a great stand-alone introduction to the world for the newcomer as well as offers something new that the fans of the game will enjoy.” How excited are you for the Until Dawn film seeing the current casting? Source: Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter

New Xbox Insiders Update Improves Discord Features For Viewing Livestreams & Inviting Directly Through The App

While Discord continues to be the #1 most used chat app for players across the globe, the service until recently bridged into support for consoles. The service introduced itself with features enabled on Xbox back in 2022. And by the fall that same year, Discord was officially enabled on Xbox for all players. Noted, that was just the tip of the iceberg for more to hit the platform. Additionally, more chat features did roll out for Xbox players. In that, the ability to directly join channels via Xbox was added as a feature in late 2022. What’s more, game streaming also faced its own focus as well more recently. An update in August just over a year ago welcomed game streaming for Xbox Insiders. This week, Microsoft reveals new Discord options are coming once again to the Xbox Insiders circle. The latest update for Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S owners now implemented the option to view livestreams from Discord and to call friends via Xbox through the Discord app directly. “It’s now easier to see when one of your Discord friends is playing, chatting, or streaming, and you can jump into voice chat with them or watch their stream – all on your Xbox console, without having to use the Discord app on PC or mobile. If your Xbox and Discord accounts are linked, you can opt-in to have your Discord friends included in your Friends list on the Xbox guide by re-linking your accounts. “Once you relink your Xbox and Discord accounts, head to the Friends list of the Xbox guide. Your Discord friends will show up on the right side under ‘Happening now’ whenever they are playing a game or chatting in Discord voice. […] You can now watch anyone who is streaming directly on your Xbox console when you’re connected to a Discord call or in a voice channel! Are you having an epic moment you want to share? You can stream your own gameplay to your Discord friends too.” How excited are you for further Discord support on Xbox? Source: Xbox Wire

Nintendo Switch Sales Have Reached 143 Million

Nintendo has released its financial results for the latest quarter which started April 1 and concluded June 30, 2024. The results have shared that Nintendo Switch hardware sales have now hit 143 million which is up 2.1 million from the previous results that revealed it was at 141.32 million. The recent hardware results represent a 46.3% decline year-over-year. The same goes for Switch software sales as it is down 41.3% compared to the same period last year. Switch software sales were only 30.64 million during this quarter. It’s not too surprising that Nintendo Switch game sales are down as Nintendo did not have a major blockbuster release this year. Last year, they had The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom which was a big seller for the company. This year, they’ve had Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake release which only sold 1.76 million while Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD sold 1.19 million within the few days of release. While the Nintendo Switch hardware sales are down, it is still in the hunt to surpass the Nintendo DS which is at 154 million sold, and the PlayStation 2 which is at 160 million sold. Source: Nintendolife

The price of Xbox Series X|S is increasing in Japan

Microsoft announced that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles will see a price increase in Japan. The increase will begin August 15 with the Series X increasing by 7,000 yen, while the Xbox Series S 512GB will jump up by 6,600 yen. Below are the new prices for the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles in Japan: Xbox Series X – 59,978 yen → 66,978 yen Xbox Series S 1TB (Black) – 44,578 yen → 49,978 yen Xbox Series S 512GB – 37,978 yen → 44,578 yen Customers in Europe, North America, and other regions, will not have to worry as this increase is only for Japan. The reasoning for this is that Microsoft “regularly evaluates the impact of changes in market conditions on local pricing.” In February 2023, Microsoft increased the price of the Xbox Series X|S consoles in Japan by 5,000 yen at the time and now it’s even higher. At this point, is it worth it to purchase an Xbox console in Japan? Source: Gematsu

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team comes to Nintendo Switch Online on August 9

Nintendo made a surprise announcement on Thursday evening that Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team will be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online library for Game Boy Advance. It’s the first time that one of the great fan-favorite Pokémon titles got added to the Switch Online Library giving us up to see more classic games from the series join. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team will come to the Game Boy Advance Library on August 9, 2024. About Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team All of a sudden, you’ve found yourself in a new world, one where you’re now a Pokémon yourself and can speak and interact with other Pokémon. The adventure begins when you and your partner Pokémon set out on rescue missions in a world ravaged by natural disasters. But what is your true purpose and destiny in this Pokémon world? That’s the real mystery! As the hero of this journey, you’ll begin the game by taking a personality quiz, with the results determining which Pokémon you will become out of several options, including Pikachu, Eevee, Charmander, Totodile, and Chikorita – just to name a few. From there you’ll select your partner Pokémon before being whisked to a world full of Pokémon to befriend and dungeons to explore. Form your rescue team, take on mysterious changing dungeons, and engage in strategic, turn-based battles in this game originally available on the Game Boy Advance system. To get access to the Game Boy Advance Library you will need to subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. Nintendo has been busy adding new games to its Switch Online Libraries with Densetsu no Starfy 1-3 being added to the Game Boy Advance library most recently.

Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town Heads West October 24

Neos Corporation is excited to announce the release of “Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town” on October 24, 2024. This charming adventure will be available worldwide on Steam and on Nintendo Switch in Western markets, priced at $29.99 USD/EUR on Steam and $39.99 USD/EUR on Nintendo Switch. A launch discount on Steam will offer the game for $26.99 USD/EUR until November 7, 2024. Originally released in Japan and Asia, this game has already earned the Visual Arts Excellence Award at the CEDEC AWARDS 2024. To celebrate, a special bundle sale will run on both platforms from launch until November 7, featuring “Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town” and “Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey-” at a discounted price of $39.99 USD/EUR on Steam and $49.99 USD/EUR on Nintendo Switch. Additionally, the previous Shin chan title will have a permanent price drop to $29.99 USD/EUR on Steam. In collaboration with Limited Run Games, a physical edition for Nintendo Switch will be available for pre-order in the U.S. and Europe this fall through LRG’s official online store. Experience a New Adventure in the World of Shin chan In “Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town,” Shin chan and the Nohara family visit the town of Akita. The game depicts Shin chan’s daily life as he and Shiro experience various things while travelling between the two worlds of reality and a mysterious town. The game can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders, from “Crayon Shin chan” fans to video game fans who want to experience a full-fledged story. The Nohara Family Goes to Akita Prefecture! Hiroshi is sent on a sudden business trip to his native Akita. The Nohara family arrives in a small village near Hiroshi’s parents’ home and rents a traditional Japanese farmhouse. Nestled in this tranquil rural landscape, they begin their carefree and quiet life in the countryside. Shinnosuke’s grandfather, Ginnosuke, teaches him the secrets of countryside games such as bug catching and fishing. In the evenings, everyone enjoys sitting around the sunken hearth to savour delicious Akita dishes. In the village, Shinnosuke interacts with farmers and makes new friends. Every day, he enjoys his life to the fullest until… Shinnosuke Follows After a Soot-Covered Shiro One morning, Shiro shows up at the house, covered in soot. As a confused Shinnosuke looks on, Shiro suddenly runs away…! Shinnosuke chases after Shiro, and he notices a mysterious train he’s never seen before. Shinnosuke follows after Shiro and accidentally boards this train. Welcome to Coal TownThe mysterious train stops in a lively and prosperous town that seems to have been frozen in time since the Showa era. In this town, called Coal Town, energetic working class people go about their daily lives. After meeting a mysterious young girl, Shinnosuke becomes friends with these people. And so begins Shinnosuke’s newest adventure…! Shin chan’s mysterious daily life begins, as he travels between the two worlds: the village in Akita and Coal Town STEAM version details: Target countries: More than 70 countries worldwide.Text languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, KoreanAudio languages: Japanese, Chinese, Cantonese, KoreanText and audio can be selected at startup Nintendo Switch Western (digital) version details: Target countries: More than 40 countries worldwide.Text languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, German.Audio language: Japanese. Stay tuned for more on Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town as it heads West October 24th

Review: Sword of Convallaria

Developer – XD Entertainment Pte Ltd, XD Inc. Publisher – XD Entertainment Pte Ltd, XD Inc. Platforms – PC (reviewed), Android, iOS Review copy given by publisher What if you could change the events of the past and prevent tragedies from occurring? Sword of Convallaria investigates that premise after the main character learns of a tool that can change the past. After a tragedy impacts the lives of several individuals, they do everything they can to change the past. Fighting against supernatural forces and learning more about the past, they understand what they are changing and what events led to this point. Sword of Convallaria is a free-to-play game that lets you experience a decent strategy RPG. You command several units and fight against powerful armies. Uprisings, supernatural beings, and criminals are just some of the opponents you face. Deciding what units are more effective and using the environment to your advantage are important considerations. Understanding your skills and options is crucial to winning. You can customize your units with equipment and level them up as you win battles. Sometimes you may wish to spread out your levels or focus on certain classes. Different battles call for different strategies and you can choose your army before combat. If you are in a pinch, take a look at your environment and how your skills might bail you out. There’s a lot to keep track of, but it’s a solid strategy experience. The stories also have multiple endings and decent replay value. You play through a story as it initially ends but rewind time to change certain situations. The option of different endings increases replayability and makes you want to re-experience the story. This also means different scenarios for characters to shine and more opportunities to rotate your cast. The biggest problem for PC is that the game plays similarly to a mobile RPG. It is still playable on PC but you drag and drop frequently. Movement is particularly annoying since it’s easy to click on a location, but the game won’t recognize the full distance. This often results in improper placements and characters suffer the consequences. It’s not necessarily a guaranteed loss but it’s frustrating to lose characters because the game didn’t recognize your inputs. There’s lots of content to pursue and work your way up. But unlike a full strategy RPG like Tactics Ogre, that experience takes days to build up. You can’t speed through the story and fight battles as often as you like. You expend energy on every scenario you play and you must wait several hours to get it back. Most players won’t speed through every story but it is difficult to enjoy several stories when you know you can’t continue. Free players also don’t get a lot of content at first, slowly unlocking it over time. But there will be a point where you want those resources now and may spend real money on the game. This isn’t a play-to-win game but it’s clear that several resources are designed to make you pay. Whether it’s better equipment or the chance to go through a battle another time, there is a cost if you want to keep playing. It is possible to wait and accumulate everything slowly, but it’s a punishing wait. The worst part is that there’s a certain point where you are probably better off buying a strategy RPG like Tactics Ogre. Sword of Convallaria takes their story to a level that most games can’t reach. However, it takes a long time to get to those stories unless you pay money. At a certain financial investment, you probably could buy a full-fledged game instead of getting more valuables. As nice as the branching stories are, Sword of Convallaria doesn’t bring anything new to the strategy RPG scene. You can configure equipment, analyze opponents, chain moves together, but none of that is new. Unless you have never played a strategy RPG before, Sword of Convallaria won’t stand out from the crowd. However, being free and having lots of replay value is a strong value proposition. Even the pixel art and soundtrack don’t stand out much. While both are done well, it’s not like other games haven’t got their own. The real draw of Sword of Convallaria is the story content and possible mobile game events. Everything else would probably not work as well on a PC or is already done by other games on the market. This game truly shines in the mobile market, but the PC market has too many options to compete with. If you often find yourself on the road and not in front of a gaming computer, Sword of Convallaria is good. The mechanics are solid, there’s lots of replay value, and you get rewards like many mobile games. However, other strategy RPGs push the envelope further and have stories that are easier to access. For players who want something free and a decent strategy RPG to sink their teeth into, Sword of Convallaria is the game for you. But for players who game more frequently and have more powerful hardware, there’s better games on the market.