My experiences with the Civilization series are more recent, tracing back to playing the mobile version of Civilization V, to the sci-fi Beyond Earth, before finally obsessing over Civilization VI with my family in multiplayer matches for hundreds of hours. This is one of the only strategy series I’ve enjoyed and my time with the Civilization VII preview build continued this trend, outside of frustrations with the new Age system.

To start, Civilization VII seems to be a stunning game so far. I encountered only one minor crash so far, while it looked and performed well. As mentioned, this is all subject to change since it is an early build, but I generally enjoyed my time with it so far on the platform and saw no real issues of note yet.

The level of detail is a noticeable improvement over the previous mainline entry in the series. There is so much to see on each individual tile in the world. From the soldiers standing atop pieces of farmland or how each building has its own intricate design, there is so much to appreciate about the beauty of the experience.

Better yet, the build I played also made it feel like Civilization VII could be one of the best in the series at easing players into the overall strategy experience. The general idea is to play as a certain famous person from history and rule over a civilization to win against the rival civilizations in the world. This is done through a number of victory methods, such as Culture, Science, and War. These methods all have their own style, such as researching various categories like Mathematics and building a Library on the Science side or going all-out conquest if you prefer to win via War. Thankfully, the tutorials worked quite well in the time I’ve spent with the game so far in two of the three Ages.

There are even aspects I feel like I understand better now than I did with the hundreds of hours I put into Civilization VII. For instance, each troop you have in your civilization has different functions. They can move around the map, attack others, or even fortify their defenses. I feel like I better understand more specific troops, like the Army Commander. The game makes it more clear the possibilities troops like this one have, such as gathering together other troops for army-sized invasion squads.

Civilization VII is also quite speedy for a tactical game in this genre. Sure, you can take a long time each turn to figure out what you want to do, but everything is silky smooth. Completing actions is near-instantaneous, and the game guides you well on what to do next. This even includes the best quest routes for your particular victory preference.

Perhaps my favorite feature are the neat little narrative moments that happen randomly. A scout may die on the battlefield. You get to choose how to remember them. The different options will involve different rewards and outcomes, which makes for a unique playthrough each time.

With all of that said, though, I feel like after spending time with the build that there is an elephant in the room with Civilization VII. The new Age system might end up being a problematic gameplay choice, and I was not a fan of at all in these early sessions. In past games, you had different eras and the like. In this game, there are distinct Ages.

For the purposes of this preview, I checked out the Age of Antiquity and Age of Exploration. The former takes place before recorded history. How it works is you pick a hero to play as and a civilization. I appreciate the openness this time around, with the possibility to choose between locations. For instance, Confucius doesn’t have to pick Han China. He is able to pick other surrounding locales as well.

You then play through the Age you are in until it comes to an end. From there, it switches to the next Age, and you continue playing as the same leader. This is where the problem may lie. I feel like Ages felt a bit disconnected from one another in these early hours and experiences, unlike past games. You do play the multiple Ages in the same “match,” but they are segmented off in an odd way.

What I like is you can switch your civilizations (within reason) depending on your location and leader. For instance, one could go from Rome to Spain between ages. The problem is how some elements don’t make a lot of sense. While the rest of the game is clear cut and understandable, the Legacy and Ages seemed far from it. For one, there was a time my capital city changed between Ages to a different location. But I didn’t get the option to make this decision.

I also found it unclear what exactly carried over from Age to Age during this early session. Some building types did and certain points did, but not everything. The whole system may end up being a bit redundant and awkward. In the past, changing eras was seamless and smooth. Here, my initial impression is that they were rough, heavily divided, and confusing.

I definitely need more time with the Civilization VII Ages system leading up to our proper review. But, for now, the new feature feels unnecessarily awkward and frustrating. Hopefully, it makes more sense as I come to understand its quirks in later matches. If you can look past this, though, I suspect Civilization VII could end up feeling like the fastest, most stunning, and welcoming game in the series yet.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII releases for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 11, 2025.

The post Preview: Civilization VII’s Age System Feels Unnecessary appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo finally announced the Nintendo Switch 2 successor and announced it will hold a Direct and events dedicated to the new console that will follow the Switch. The trailer said the Direct will air on April 4, 2025. We can tune in to learn more about its capabilities and 2025 launch window.

Here’s the official announcement from Nintendo, which appeared on YouTube. It first looked at the console and Joy-Cons before showing a Mario Kart game running on the system. It then confirmed compatibility with original Switch and Switch 2 games. The experiences part came up at the end.

Nintendo also noted you need a Nintendo Account to attend one of the "experiences" for the game. An early schedule for that also already appeared.

North America:

• New York, April 4-6, 2025
• Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025
• Dallas, April 25-27, 2025
• Toronto, April 25-27, 2025

Europe:

• Paris, April 4-6, 2025
• London, April 11-13, 2025
• Milan, April 25-27, 2025
• Berlin, April 25-27, 2025
• Madrid, May 9-11, 2025
• Amsterdam, May 9-11, 2025

Oceania:

• Melbourne, May 10-11, 2025

Asia:

• Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025
• Seoul, May 31-June 1, 2025
• Hong Kong, To be announced
• Taipei, To be announced

It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard about new games and an upcoming Switch successor from Nintendo. Typically, the company would go out of its way to make sure we were aware a system wouldn’t be a part of a showcase. That happened with the August 2024 Indie World Showcase and Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase. The company made sure people knew the two, which aired one after another, only covered titles from independent developers and third parties.

There have been quite a few rumors about the next Nintendo console. For example, one that appeared in August 2024 said that the system would show up in Q2 2025. Allegedly, the company had also been showing it off to partners since 2023.

The new Nintendo Switch 2 console will show up for the first time in the next Nintendo Direct dedicated to the system on April 2, 2025, and the Switch OLED, Lite, and standard models are available now.

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Marvelous revealed the release date for Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma as May 30, 2025. The game will appear on Steam a day later. Additionally, the upcoming issue of the weekly Famitsu magazine will include a 16-page feature on the game revealing new details. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The Japanese voice actors for the main protagonists have been revealed, with Subaru being played by Junya Enoki, Kaguya being played by Yui Ishikawa, and sidekick Mokoron being played by Ai Kakuma. Additionally, some of the 12 romanceable characters were also introduced. These include Hina, a mysterious archeologist voiced by Shiina Natsukawa in the Japanese dub; the skybound adventurer Mauro, and the vibrant tea house worker Iroha.

The Famitsu feature will also include an interview with Director Shiro Maekawa delving into how the new Rune Factory spin-off came to be and what were the goals set by the development team. Furthermore, the gameplay loop of the Rune Factory series will be explored, and details about the new aspect of "Dance" in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will be explored.

The game was originally revealed on the August 2024 Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase with a 2025 release window and a trailer introducing the protagonists and the Japanese-inspired land of Azuma.

The Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma release date is set for May 30, 2025. The game will come out for the Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam a day later.

The post Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Release Set for Late May 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

Former PlayStation president Shuhei Yoshida will be joining the cast of voice actors for Promise Mascot Agency, as revealed by the studio Kaizen Game Works. Other members of the voice cast include Ayano Shibuya, Hidetaka "Swery" Suehiro, and Takaya Kuroda.

The voice cast for Promise Mascot Agency features a diverse range of Japanese actors and notable figures. Shuhei Yoshida, former President of Sony Worldwide Studios, is among the cast, playing a kappa mascot who loves games. He is joined by Deadly Premonition director “Swery,” who plays a priest. Ayako Shibuya (The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom) and Eri Saito (Chainsaw Man) voice major roles. Finally, the protagonist is voiced by Takaya Kuroda, best known as Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series.

Promise Mascot Agency is an upcoming game about managing a mascot agency in a world where mascots are a living species. You play as a disgraced yakuza named Michi who is now trying to make a new life for himself with the assistance of a finger-shaped mascot named Pinky. The game will feature management sim mechanics, driving sections where you control a kei truck and visual novel storytelling. Promise Mascot Agency was developed by Kaizen Game Works, whose previous game was the surreal detective game Paradise Killer. Early development assistance came from Ikumi Nakamura, who helped give the game an authentic Japanese feel.

Shuhei Yoshida is an odd choice for a voice role in Promise Mascot Agency, as his background is mainly in management, not acting. However, Yoshida is a popular figure within the games industry and his presence is likely to be met with positive reception. He recently announced his retirement from Sony.

Promise Mascot Agency is set for release in early 2025 for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.

The post Shuhei Yoshida Is a Character in Promise Mascot Agency appeared first on Siliconera.

Around fifteen years after it first appeared on the Nintendo Wii, Tales of Graces f Remastered finally brings the experience of protecting your friends and family onto even more consoles. The updated graphics, combined with the very anime aesthetics and bright watercolor-like palette, help in making the game look stylized, rather than dated. As the first entry in Bandai Namco’s initiative to remaster the Tales series, it’s a roaring success that amplifies the original game’s pros while cutting down on its cons.

Tales of Graces is, for better or for worse, a pretty standard JRPG in terms of its plot. It follows Asbel Lhant, the eldest son of Aston Lhant. His parents expected him to inherit Lhant territory from his father. However, Asbel's dream was to become a knight in the service of Windor's king. During his childhood, he (along with his younger brother, Hubert, and their childhood friend, Cheria) encounter a girl with amnesia. They dub her Sophie, and then learn that monsters had attacked a carriage carrying Prince Richard, who’d been on his way to visit Lhant. The group becomes fast friends. However, a monster they encounter in the underground of Barona’s castle changes the course of their lives forever.

The main arc then follows Asbel after he becomes an adult. While the childhood prologue was the weakest part of the story for a variety of reasons, it's not something you can skip. The friendship pact that Asbel, Richard, and Sophie made at the beginning of the game comes up again and again, especially when Asbel and Sophie are discussing how much Richard changed. As a kid, he was more of an idealist who wanted to do good in the world. But when Asbel and the others meet him again as an adult—even if he went through some pretty traumatizing events—he’s like a completely different person. As they try to figure out what caused Richard’s dramatic personality change, they also uncover a secret about their planet’s past.

Tales of Graces f Remastered has a pretty simple story. It’s not as emotional or memorable as Legendia’s, but I don’t think it’ll stir as much controversy as, say, Xillia’s or Zestiria’s. The narrative plays most of the tropes it introduces straight, which can make later plot twists predictable to players familiar with the genre. That’s fine, though. Not every game is going to be a contender for Best Narrative at the Game Awards. The party dynamic in Graces more than makes up for the weaker story. Because most of the party knows each other from childhood, there’s a very relaxed atmosphere in the group after the initial awkward phase passes. Pascal and Malik, the newcomers, are all chill adults, who either mind their own business or can play along with the wilder quirks from the Lhant group (and Richard).

Tales games tend to employ a pseudo-family dynamic for its parties. I don't want to say "found family," because the characters fall into very stereotypical and gender-specific positions. For example, Asbel is the dad, Cheria is the mom, and Sophie is the kid. Pascal, somehow, fills the role of Sophie's sister, even though she's older than both Asbel and Cheria. I definitely felt my growth as a person when seeing the characters interact with each other, as well as the overall plot revolving around the Lhant family. For reference, I first played Tales of Graces when it first came out on the Wii, and imported f back in 2010 when it was still a Japan-exclusive. That means I was only in my teens when I played it.

When I was younger, I felt really bad for Kerri (Asbel and Hubert’s mom) after seeing the way teenager Hubert talked to her. But now that I’m old enough to have kids Asbel and Hubert’s age at the beginning of the game, my sympathy for her and Aston faded a lot. At most, I can understand why they even had to choose between their children, since they're both the sons of a lord. Most of my general irritation at the pseudo-family dynamic in Tales of Graces f Remastered faded as well, especially after I saw Lineage and Legacies. While Lineage and Legacies was really fun for its endgame dungeon and Accelerate Mode, its plot was even weaker than the childhood prologue. Honestly, the interactions between the party members (in the main story) were so cute. I don’t understand what annoyed me so much when I was a teenager.

As Yusuke Tomizawa, the general producer of the Tales series, said in August 2024, a huge selling point for Tales of Graces f Remastered is the combat. It’s fast-paced, addictive, and stylish. With relatively short casting times for spells, as well as a lot of flashy animations for the melee characters’ A and B artes, the screen can get very busy very fast. So some people who aren’t too familiar with how combat in this game looks might decry it as visual noise. Personally, because I know what’s going on and I’m also used to flashier Tales battles, I don’t notice anything wrong with it.

While you can get away with mindless button mashing, I do suggest taking the time to learn how to use the different techniques and characters. Each character has A and B artes, which can alter how they work in battle or offer different bonuses. Asbel's B artes unsheathe his sword. Using A artes will sheathe his sword again, as well as heal him based on his Physical Defense and how many B artes he used. Knowing little tricks like this can really save you in more difficult battles later in the game. In Asbel's case, I could get away with letting my healers prioritize someone else, because he can stay alive long enough to at least eat an Apple Gel. The more you learn about the Graces battle system, the more fun you'll get out of it.

Oddly enough, I had a far harder time settling on a difficulty level. Because I started the game with both double and quintuple EXP (along with other boosts), it didn’t take long before I became too overpowered for regular encounters. That made the game pretty boring since, again, the combat is Tales of Graces f Remastered's main selling point. But turning the difficulty to the highest setting, especially in the early game when you can only control Asbel, made the game way too hard sometimes. I felt embarrassed at how many attempts I needed to kill that first wolf you fight in the main arc. In my defense, I usually control Sophie. It took some trial and error before stumbling upon the perfect combination. I’d rather get through random battles quickly than have to redo a boss fight over and over again, especially really annoying ones like enemies with a Nova shield.

Speaking of which, one of the mechanics that Bandai Namco announced would be in the remastered version of Tales of Graces f was the grade shop being available right at the beginning of the game. If this is your first time playing, I do not recommend taking bonuses like the 5x EXP one. Like I said in the paragraph above, it makes the combat way too easy. In my opinion, the 2x EXP bonus was more than enough. It makes grinding for the endgame dungeon a lot easier, but doesn’t trivialize combat outside of boss fights.

Another quality of life change in the remastered version of Tales of Graces f was the on-screen map. You can now see where you need to go, as well as any time-limited events you might miss. Other than the improved graphics, this is the biggest reason to play the remastered version and not the previous ones. It is a serious life-changer. If there’s one thing that I think Graces did terribly at, it was dungeon design. All the dungeons look the same no matter where you are in it. And since you can't follow along your mini-map while you're inside a dungeon, it was hard to remember where I was or where I needed to go.

The Wallbridge, in particular, is a nightmare. One of my core memories of Tales of Graces on the Wii was being stuck in that stupid fortress for literal days. Every turn and room looked almost the same. I remember backtracking to see if I had gotten all the treasure chests, and then couldn't find my way back to where I needed to go. The goal icon on the screen in the remastered version not only helped to guide me to my destination, but it also served as an on-screen landmark whenever I wandered off to loot or fight.

Finally, let’s talk about the game’s visuals on modern consoles. It’s impressive! Close-up shots of the characters sometimes highlight the low-poly background. Seeing it makes it obvious that Bandai Namco didn’t develop this from the ground-up in the 2020s. However, the character models all look smooth. I booted up my PS3 Tales of Graces f to compare, and I never noticed how grainy PS3 games were. It says a lot about the quality of the game’s models and overall design that the remastered visuals hold up, even fifteen years after its initial release. At times, backgrounds and characters in the distance looked foggy in a weird way. But Tales of Graces’s watercolor-like aesthetics helped a lot in making it look natural rather than odd with the rest of the game.

I read some reviews from when Tales of Graces and Tales of Graces f first came out, and saw a few criticisms that came up again and again. One of them was load time. I'm happy to report that while the game needed to load up a new map or transport me to the battlefield, it never felt slow or annoying. On the PC, at the very least, load times were minimal. Another common criticism was the graphics. Even when f came out in 2010, it looked pretty dated for a PS3 game, apparently. When playing the remastered version, Tales of Graces f felt like a lot of the visual choices Bandai Namco made were purposeful. It looked like a stylistic choice, especially since we're now in an era where realism or "fancy" graphics is no longer the main pursuit of studios.

Between Tales of Graces f Remastered's challenging endgame dungeon and collectibles, completionists can easily sink over a hundred hours into this game. Its palatable story and fast-paced combat also make it a good introduction to the series if you’ve never played Tales before. The thing about that, though, is that there are a lot of references to previous Tales games in this one—even titles that never appeared in the west. Another detriment is that the Graces combat system makes older games in the franchise feel horribly sluggish in comparison. Nonetheless, Tales of Graces f Remastered is a promising way for Bandai Namco to start its year, as well as a potential Tales renaissance. 

Tales of Graces f Remastered will come out on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC on January 17, 2025. PC version reviewed.

The post Review: Tales of Graces f Remastered Preserves Its Best Parts appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix revealed that Dragon Quest X Offline will release for Android and iOS mobile devices on January 15, 2025 in Japan. The game will also offer The Sleeping Hero and the Guiding Ally expansion released in May 2023 as a separate purchase.

The main game costs 2,800 yen (or about $17.73) while the expansion costs 2,400 yen (~$15.19.) Both will be on sale until January 28, 2025 for 1,960 yen (~$12.41) and 1,920 yen (~$12.16) respectively.

You can check out the Japanese announcement trailer for Dragon Quest X Offline on mobile Android and iOS devices here:

Dragon Quest X Offline originally released in Japan and Asia on September 2022. It is based on the Dragon Quest X MMORPG released in 2012, and intended as a traditional single player experience with a customizable protagonist and set recruitable party members. Square Enix has expressed no intention of localizing the offline version of the game since its release.

Square Enix also developed a mobile version of the Dragon Quest X Online game in collaboration with NTT DoCoMo and it released via cloud streaming services on December 2013.

Dragon Quest X Offline is available in Japan for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC via Steam, and now Android and iOS mobile devices.

The post Dragon Quest X Offline Mobile Ports Appear in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

GungHo announced the release date for Lunar Remastered Collection, the compilation of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete for the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It will launch on April 18, 2025. People will be able to get it physically and digitally.

Depending on which version you get, the price will be different. All digital copies will be $49.99 (€49.99), regardless of platform. A physical copy costs $5 more, bringing the cost up to $54.99. GungHo noted Amazon will be the only place to get it in the US and Canada. The company didn’t note if there will be any limitations on platforms, though it did note that only Switch and PS4 versions will be available at Clear River Games in Europe for €54.99. Regardless of region, the retail copy covers will feature reversible art.

This is one of many rereleases of the two games. The original Lunar: The Silver Star appeared on the Sega CD first. There were then a number of remakes like Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete for the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and PC. That was followed by the GBA remake Lunar Legend and PSP one Lunar: Silver Star Harmony. 

There were fewer remakes of Lunar: Eternal Blue. After the Sega CD release, a Sega Saturn and PlayStation version called Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete debuted. 

The Lunar Remastered Collection release date is April 18, 2025. People can find it on the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with Switch and PS4 physical copies confirmed. 

The post Lunar Remastered Collection Release Date Set appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco announced that the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 is canceled due to the fires in Los Angeles, California. There is no new date set for the events planned to happen during the events. It was originally going to be held at the Shrine Auditorium between January 18-19, 2025. 

In the statement regarding the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 cancellation, the Bandai Namco cited the decision as a safety measure due to the Los Angeles fires. It noted a desire to ensure everyone stayed safe, while also offering consideration to those affected by the disaster.

Here’s the full message shared on social media. 

As usual, the event was going to provide a chance for the company to make announcements about video game and TCGs based on the Dragon Ball series, as well as hold finals tournaments for other titles. As a result, the Dragon Ball FighterZ, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World, and Dragon Ball Super Card Game Masters tournaments will be rescheduled and held at a different time. The event was also going to include promotional opportunities, such as a booth promoting the new Dragon Ball Daima anime running on Crunchyroll and a chance to take on a Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle challenge.

Bandai Namco isn’t the only company changing plans as a result of the fires in Los Angeles. Square Enix also halted automatic housing demolition in Final Fantasy XIV. This was only done on North American Data Centers’ worlds, out of consideration for victims of the fire who would be unable to play due to evacuations or other tragedies related to the fires. 

There’s no word yet on when the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 events will be held now that it is canceled. Dragon Ball FighterZ can be found on the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is available on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 Canceled Due to Los Angeles Fires appeared first on Siliconera.

You could suggest the end of the Nintendo Switch’s lifespan is coming quite soon when Nintendo revisits older titles like Donkey Kong Country Returns. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing! After all, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a straightforward remaster that includes some neat quality-of-changes that make it worth a look 15 years later.

If there is one element in recent platformers that I find a bit annoying at times, it is the breezy difficulty. Games like Super Mario Wonder and even Astro Bot rarely challenged me. That isn’t the case at all with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. If you like 2D platforming levels that will push you to your limits, this is the one to check out.

Across 80 levels set in multiple worlds, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD features countless different activities. From rocket-jumping your way through danger and riding a mine cart to bashing through foes atop the rhino Rambi, one of the best parts of the game remains its variety. I never got bored, since there was always something new to see and do as a first-time player of this particular entry. The Jungle world looks notably lush and vibrant with the game's remastered visuals. Meanwhile, the Beach feels bright, cheery, and reminiscent of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. More importantly, though, was the ever-present difficulty of this experience.

Much of the beauty of this comes from the distinct separation between the background and the foreground. Levels often have the player shoot out of a barrel to a part of the level closer to the screen. Then, they might complete that section and fire further back into the background to keep going. This isn’t just for show, either, as the mechanic plays into the challenges as well.

One of my favorite uses of this mechanic came during an octopus level. The entire level, we see a menacing octopus just chilling in the background and being all creepy. This isn’t for show, as the octopus will randomly bust its tentacles through the wall or ceiling to increase the difficulty and threaten Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. This type of gameplay element still surprised me, even though we see the concept in other titles, and it kept me on my toes in an engaging way.

It ties into an important element of this title that remains as true now as it did in 2010. What Nintendo does best with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is continuously surprise and delight a player with challenges and a wealth of experiences. Each of the core 80 levels is already enough of a hurdle to overcome when dealing with the speedy and well-thought-out obstacles and enemies, but there is so much to else to do and collect as well.

Even beyond the already substantial number of worlds, there are some secret levels you can unlock. There are four letters that spell out “KONG” in most levels, and finding all of them unlocks a special level in each world. These are by far the most difficult ones. They usually require precise movements and perfect timing to complete. In addition to that, there is a co-op mode. One player takes on the role of Donkey Kong, while the other plays as Diddy. I had the most fun exploring each 2D level with another person. You can feed off of one another and help each other out, which relieves some of the stress.

Of course, this remaster of Donkey Kong Country Returns wouldn’t be complete without some quality-of-life improvements. There is a general sharpening of the visuals. Each level pops with vibrant color and none of the grainy, blurry details of the Wii and 3DS versions.

More importantly, though, it is possible for things to feel a bit easier time with the new Modern Mode. This is an optional mode that gives you more hearts and lets someone hold more items. Naturally, the Classic Mode is still there for purists. But I find the Modern Mode is a neat addition for those fear they'll be frustrated.

Beyond a handful of graphical changes and a couple of meaningful changes like Modern Mode, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a pretty straightforward remaster. In fact, I would say Nintendo plays its pretty safe here. I wouldn’t recommend going into it expecting anything too radically new. That said, if you are a newcomer like myself, it is well worth a look since this is one of the most rewarding Nintendo platformers. However, if you are a veteran, just know that this is mostly the same game from 15 years ago, but for the Switch.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD releases for Nintendo Switch on January 16, 2025. It also appeared on the Wii and 3DS.

The post Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Is a Straightforward Remaster appeared first on Siliconera.

The latest trailer for Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster focuses on Pilika, a young girl that lives in Toto Village with her family. During the second game, Pilika and her family took care of Jowy after he nearly drowned in a river, and she sees him as family.

In the new Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster clip shared, Jowy thanks Pilika's parents Marx and Joanna for taking care of him. Pilika then asks Jowy and the protagonist to talk to them in private and requests their help to find a gift for his father’s birthday that she saw while visiting Muse city.

You can check out the trailer below. It is only available in Japanese.

With the release of the new remaster quickly approaching, Konami has recently been sharing more clips and trailers showcasing the Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster, such as a video of Neclord, and Riou and Kasumi visiting Rokkaku Hamlet.

Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars will come to the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on March 6, 2025. The original games appeared on the PlayStation worldwide. They also appeared together in a collection on the PSP in Japan.

The post New Suikoden 2 HD Remaster Trailer Focuses on Pilika appeared first on Siliconera.

Rabbit and Bear, 505 Games, and Youtooz announced that the companies are teaming up to turn Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes characters into plush toys. There are no details about when they’ll appear, how much they’ll cost, or what they look like. The initial hint only showed Marisa, Nowa, and Seign, the three main cast members, from the back.

Here is the official teaser image from social media for the Eiyuden Chronicle characters plush toys. From left to right, we can see Marisa, Nowa, and Seign. In each case, they are wearing their traditional costumes used throughout the JRPG.

There have been a number of Eiyuden Chronicle updates since launch. For example, the Day60 patch was known for adding a number of player-requested features. There will also be the often promised DLC for Marisa, Seign, and the Elden Magicks characters. These were supposed to start showing up in 2024. However, Rabbit and Bear members promised in their 2025 New Year’s messages that the add-ons are coming along and will begin to show up this year. The first one of those was supposed to follow Marisa and debut in August 2024. There is no new roadmap for upcoming content.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, and Youtooz plush toys of characters are on the way.

The post Eiyuden Chronicle Characters Becoming Youtooz Plush Toys appeared first on Siliconera.

Slower gaming months like December and January are prime time for revisiting older games. Likewise, the winter season is also perfect for catching up on a backlog, due to things like weather keeping people inside and getting time off for holidays. This year, one of my winter games ended up being a return to Dredge to catch up on DLC I missed, and I found it to be one of the best possible games to play during this time of year.

As a quick refresher, Dredge is a fishing game with horror elements. You are a lone fisherman out on isolated seas. As you explore, you’ll encounter fish and phenomenon you just can’t explain. This ramps up if you dare to head out into the oceans at night. It’s all about the atmosphere and quite engrossing, even if you turn off threats to turn it into a slightly more relaxing experience.

Part of Dredge being great to play during the winter months has to do with the general nature of the game. It’s a very isolated adventure. You’re in an often quiet place. You fish and search the seas. Given how solemn December and January can be, it is soothing to soak up that ambiance while bundled up in clothing and huddling in warm rooms. Especially if you’re in an area that just experienced major snowstorms or freezing rain. All you want to do is hunker in and stay still, and it accommodates that. 

There’s also the fact that Dredge has what really feels like a piece of winter DLC. The first add-on, called The Pale Reach, sends you to the arctic. That means needed to break through the ice and investigate a new mystery. Also, there are new fish and a means of better preserving ones you’ve already caught. I only just started that storyline over the holiday break in December, and it really felt so well-suited to things being so dreary and cold outside.

Speaking of which, it honestly felt like slower months like December and January were when I could catch up with Dredge and its DLC. I didn’t get to The Iron Rig when it released back in August 2024. With the way both it and The Pale Reach are handled, I feel it’s almost like having three full “games,” rather one experience with additional adventures. Yes, the new mechanics, abilities, and fish are great for the main game, but going back to over after so much time away felt more like returning for a sequel due to the time and effort put into these. Especially with The Iron Rig’s Ironhaven Corporations and the work we can do to build up their reach in the seas and see where that supernatural story leads. 

Given the cold and solitude that accompanies winter months, I can’t help but feel like Dredge is an ideal game to return to. (Or play for the first time.) Especially given the themes behind one of its DLC, and the fact that both add-ons are substantial enough to feel like solid extra adventures in their own right. It’s one of those titles that never stops feeling appropriate for certain situations.

Dredge is available for the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, and it is in development for mobile devices.

The post Dredge Is One of the Best Winter Games appeared first on Siliconera.

Since it came out in 2023, Dave the Diver, an action-adventure scuba diving game that combines harpoon fishing with restaurant management, has received almost universal praise from critics and fans alike. Despite its unique premise and cute pixel art, I didn't purchase the game until the end of 2024. The only reason behind my reluctance to try Dave the Diver was my crippling thalassophobia and megalophobia. However, new year, new me. It’s time to overcome my fear and, to my surprise, it worked better than I imagined.

Honestly, I thought most people have thalassophobia. "It’s not irrational or ridiculous or something I need to work on at all," I thought. Have you ever looked at how vast and dark the ocean is, and realized how small we humans are in comparison? The idea of being trapped underwater while God knows what lurks around you in the murky depths is terrifying. And speaking of which, don’t even get me started on the creatures that live down there. Whales are friendly, I know, but they’re so big. What if it swallows you by accident? Fish don’t need to be big to be scary either. Some look like they’re the bastard children of Lovecraftian horrors and Satan’s nightmares. Of course, that’s when I remembered that marine biologists and scuba divers exist in real life. So maybe it’s not as normal a fear as I thought.

My fear of the ocean (any large body of water, really) was so bad that I freaked out while on the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride at Tokyo DisneySea. The Fishdom ad, when it shows that giant fish about to swallow all the other fish, makes my heart beat faster. A trailer I saw of Subnautica once scared me so badly that I had to exit YouTube. Yes, I’m aware of how embarrassing this is and how weak I seem, but I can’t help it. Since even clips of Subnautica look far scarier than any other horror game I’ve ever seen, I decided that Dave the Diver is the safest place to start from. I mean, how scary can it be?

In Dave the Diver, you play as a dude who dives for fish, which you then give to sushi chef Bancho. At night, you also need to help out at Bancho's restaurant. The pixel art is so cute, and the gameplay loop sounds relaxing. Surely, I can see that the ocean is a lovely place full of friends, and that'll curb my fear with this. That optimism didn’t last long. The moment I had to travel to the depths and a huge shark appeared from the dark, I wanted to turn off the game. All the tunnels full of tubeworms and hostile jellyfish, as well as the sheer scale of the ocean you can see in the background, frightened me.

But you know what? My idea actually worked. I was right about how the game's visuals make it approachable. I won't lie and say the depths didn't scare me at first, but after a while, I stopped hesitating to dive down there for fish and quests. Subnautica features a much wider space, and it forces you to see it from a first person perspective. Since Dave the Diver's level design is more compact, and you view it from a third person perspective, it's not so bad once you play more of it. The designs of the fish aren't that realistic thanks to the pixel art, and you see them from such a distance that even species I'd normally scream at look fine.

There's something soothing about the grind, too. Focusing on finding coral or looking for a specific fish to hunt keep my eyes and mind busy enough that I don’t notice the dark environment anymore. The game constantly forcing you down there for quests, as well as the rather static layout, makes the depths more familiar, which is another way of alleviating fear. The pixel art really softens the visuals when it comes to the scarier looking marine animals, too. Riding the high of the confidence boost, I checked out some Subnautica clips and had to back out before even seeing the Leviathan Reaper. So I have a real appreciation for the overall design in Dave the Diver.

Gaming therapy is a real thing, and it’s something that’s gaining some real traction from its first use in 1980. Different cases require different games or genres. Relaxing games like Flower can relieve stress, while some therapists use more open-world games like Minecraft to help children with autism. For better or for worse, games are a more mainstream hobby now. Sure, there are some people now who still believe games (like anime or cartoons) are specifically for children. But, that seems like a minority opinion nowadays. So it makes sense that as games become more common in our everyday lives, different fields and industries will employ them for their own purposes.

Saying that Dave the Diver helps me with my real-world phobia is like saying a Band-Aid helped me with a broken arm. Toss me into the ocean, away from land, and I’ll definitely have a panic attack. But at least while I occupy Dave’s body and paddle around the pixel waters of Dave the Diver, I feel better about my fear of thalassophobia. I can at least watch that silly Fishdom ad with a normal resting heart rate now. Maybe one day in the far future, I’ll work myself up to playing Subnautica.

Dave the Diver is available on the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, and macOS.

The post Dave the Diver Actually Helped With My Thalassophobia appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company revealed new Persona 5 Royal merchandise goods including bags that look like Joker and Akechi’s school uniforms. Pre-orders for the items will open on January 20, 2025 from the Good Smile Company online store.

The Akechi and Joker cosbags (or cosplay bags) cost 4,180 yen (or about $26.51) each. Additionally, the other goods announced include a Morgana-shaped pouch that costs 2,200 yen (~$13.95) and a set of soft and fluffy hairpins for 1,760 yen (~$11.16.) The hairpins are available in 2 different versions, one designed after Joker and the other one after Morgana.

You can check out the items in more detail here:

Joker and Akechi have been featured wearing their regular clothes and school uniforms in a variety of merchandise, including the recently announced P5R Nendoroid of Goro Akechi in his uniform. A similar P5R Nendoroid of Joker in his school uniform previously released in October 2024.

Good Smile Company will open pre-orders for the new Persona 5 Royal Joker and Akechi school uniform bags, Joker and Morgana soft hairpins, and the Morgana pouch on January 20, 2025. Persona 5 Royal is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch, and PC.

The post New Persona 5 Bags Look Like Joker and Akechi’s Uniforms appeared first on Siliconera.

One of the next Idea Factory International Switch otome games won’t appear when we expected it to debut, as Temirana: The Lucky Princess now has a 2026 release window. When the game was announced at Anime Expo 2024, the company was saying it would appear in English in 2025. The delay was accompanied by a reveal that both Day One and Limited Editions will show up when the title does release.

Idea Factory International didn’t explain why Temirana is delayed. The game is already immediately available in Japan. It debuted on the Switch in April 2023 there. The digital and physical release is still planned.

As for those physical copies, details about them are slim. Only the official Idea Factory International stores will offer a trading card with a purchase as part of the company’s typical promotion. That will also be the only place where the Limited Edition is sold. However, we don’t know what sets a Day One version apart from the standard one, and the inclusions with the collector’s release weren’t mentioned. A product page is live for wishlisting.

Idea Factory International does have a Switch otome game coming out in 2025 as planned. That is Battlefield Waltz, which is set to launch in April 2025. 

Temirana: The Lucky Princess will come to the Nintendo Switch outside Japan in 2026, rather than 2025.

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