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Fire Country Season 4: Release Date, Cast, Plot, and All You Need to Know
Fire Country Season 4: Release Date, Cast, Plot, and All You Need to Know Fire Country has been turning up the heat ever since it blazed onto screens in 2022, and it’s showing no signs of cooling off. Co-created by Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, and Joan Rater, the series doesn’t just chase flames in the forests—it chases the sparks, burns, and bruises in its characters’ lives, too. Front and […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Aug 13
Support the RZSS with STORY OF SEASONS’ upcoming DLC
Support the RZSS with STORY OF SEASONS’ upcoming DLCMarvelous Europe has announced a special DLC set for the upcoming STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar. The so-called Pine Hoverfly Outfit Set includes a sweater, beanie, and glider for in-game use, with all net proceeds going directly to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) to support invertebrate conservation. This initiative continues a partnership that began in 2020 between Marvelous Europe, RZSS, and Jellymedia, aimed at protecting the critically endangered pine hoverfly. Once restricted to a single forest patch in Scotland, the species plays an important ecological role as both pollinator and waste recycler. Funding from that previous collaboration allowed the RZSS to expand its breeding programme from 170 to 8,000 individuals annually, resulting in the first sightings of adult pine hoverflies reproducing in the wild in eight years. STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar is the latest entry in the long-running farming life simulation series, set in the mountainside town of Zephyr. Players will raise animals, grow crops, and sell goods at the weekly open-air market to restore the town’s prosperity. The game features wind-powered gliding for easy travel, scenic landscapes, and a variety of characters to befriend or romance. The Pine Hoverfly Outfit Set DLC will be available worldwide at launch, with 100% of proceeds going to RZSS to further conservation work. STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar and its charity DLC will be available globally on 27 August 2025 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows PC via Steam.
Aug 12
Fantastic Four: First Steps Post-Credits Theory Hints It Wasn’t Doctor Doom With Franklin Richards
Fantastic Four: First Steps Post-Credits Theory Hints It Wasn’t Doctor Doom With Franklin Richards The Fantastic Four post-credits scene involved a sneaky cameo that pleased the whole fandom, but a new theory suggests that not all that meets the eye may be true. In fact, the iconic forest green hood, cape, and silver mask that are (undoubtedly) associated with Doctor Doom might only be a misdirection to swerve our […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Aug 10
Top Hat Studios and Crypt Custodian Developer Reveal WELL DWELLER, out 2026
Top Hat Studios and Crypt Custodian Developer Reveal WELL DWELLER, out 2026AUGUST 8th, PHILADELPHIA: Deep within the forest, at the bottom of a well, lives the only creature brave enough to challenge the Queen. Top Hat Studios, Inc. is pleased to announce WELL DWELLER, a new dark, bizarre, twisted fairy-tale metroidvania by Kyle Thompson (Crypt Custodian, Islets). Play as Glimmer – a tiny bird armed with […] The post Top Hat Studios and Crypt Custodian Developer Reveal WELL DWELLER, out 2026 appeared first on Capsule Computers .
Aug 8
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Review – Facing A Familiar Demon
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Review – Facing A Familiar Demon Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: 505 Games Developer: Leenzee Games Release: July 24, 2025 Rating: Mature The Soulslike subgenre is becoming oversaturated, so it’s difficult for new takes to stand out. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t reach the upper echelon of its stronger contemporaries, but it is a generally well-executed checklist of genre tropes with inventive ideas for combat customization and a unique form of dynamic difficulty scaling.  As Bai Wuchang, you’re a battle-hardened pirate infected with a supernatural plague called the Feathering, which causes victims to transform into mindless, bloodthirsty beasts. However, Wuchang was somehow spared this fate, but she has lost her memory. As the Feathering sweeps across a well-realized Ming Dynasty-era China, it’s up to you to channel your newfound demonic powers, locate the source of this scourge and eradicate it, find a cure, and recover your memories. The story is middling and, in my specific case, wraps up in an abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion, unlocked from a pool of possible endings. While the art direction is strong, Wuchang suffered fluctuating graphical fidelity and performance (playing on a base PS5) that sometimes bordered on unacceptably bad, hampering the experience.    Combat shines most in this adventure by drawing inspiration from Bloodborne. Battles are an often-entertaining dance of aggressively attacking foes while evading damage to stay within reach. Well-timed evades reward mana points called Skybound Might, used to cast spells. I love how Wuchang incentivizes skillful evasion in this way, and winning a fight only by dodging and retaliating with spells, such as lobbing a crimson spear or a fiery skull, is a viable (and sometimes wise) strategy.  Wuchang gives players a near-overwhelming number of systems to tailor their playstyle through various weapons (including large skill trees for each one), augments, and passive perks. You can equip weapons with three perk-granting stones, which in themselves come in various types. Slotting up to four “needles” into Bai Wuchang’s demonically feathered arm bestows weapon “tempering” effects, like increasing fire damage or adding a health-leeching effect to attacks. A neat weapon-swapping mechanic unleashes a unique special attack depending on the tools equipped, adding another wrinkle to consider when choosing which two weapons to equip. It’s a lot to take in, and while I wish Wuchang didn’t throw all of its features at players in relative short order – firmly grasping everything took a while – I like how the game encourages multiple playstyles and tougher encounters often require shaking up your loadout or strategy.   Weapon classes, including long swords, spears, and axes, sport unique special attacks and traits. For example, Wuchang can’t block inherently, but axes grant this ability for more defensive-minded players. Those who would rather rely on spells should lean on magic-centric short swords. By sparingly introducing new weapons, Wuchang allows players to become intimately familiar with what they have, and progression revolves around improving proficiency with chosen arms; I much prefer this to regularly cycling through new loot.  However, the massive, Path of Exile-inspired skill trees mean you can’t freely improve crucial traits, like stamina and health, since you can only unlock stat buffs in a predetermined order. This feels more restrictive than I’d like, and I didn’t like spending thousands of skill points unlocking a special move I didn’t want/need just to grab as many +1 stamina upgrades as possible along the way.  Repeatedly dying builds a meter called Madness that raises your attack while increasing damage taken. Failing essentially makes you a glass cannon, and I like how Madness dynamically changes the stakes of encounters by giving me an edge while forcing me to sharpen my evasion/counter skills to nullify my weakened defense. When Madness peaks, a mini-boss spawns in the form of an “Inner Demon” in place of fallen XP; beat her, and then you get your points back. This is a fun and devious punishment that adds even more tension and excitement to the exercise of XP retrieval, though the Inner Demon became less threatening as I grew stronger.  Wuchang’s neat ideas are wrapped around an otherwise familiar, if unremarkable, design core. Exploring the often corridor-like biomes, from a snowy palace to a hellish forest, and cutting down foes is a paint-by-numbers exercise of unlocking shortcuts and finding hidden items off the beaten path, with some annoyingly unfair level hazards sprinkled about. While tough in the way you’d expect from the genre, Wuchang is what I’d describe as “comfortably difficult:” hard enough to feel some sense of reward, but never overwhelmingly so. Most boss encounters took me fewer than five or six attempts to topple, and greater challenges were defeated through a combination of pure finesse and light level grinding. As a Souls enthusiast, it’s almost cozy how manageable Wuchang ultimately is (comparatively speaking), but that does make its bigger clashes less remarkable or memorable.  That last point is my biggest takeaway from Wuchang. It’s very competent and enjoyable, but much of it feels like Soulslike junk food; tasty with a few neat ideas, but nothing will stick with me compared to more substantial offerings. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers may not revolutionize the genre, but it’s a good rendition of a favorite song. Score: 7.75 About Game Informer's review system
Aug 8
Ride a Giant Cat Mount in FFXIV With Shagcoat Cat
Ride a Giant Cat Mount in FFXIV With Shagcoat Cat Square Enix updated the Final Fantasy XIV Online Store to add a Shagcat mount that lets someone ride a giant Shagcoat Cat with unique animations throughout the lands and skies. It costs $24 , and that gets you a whistle you can use to summon it.  As is common for these more expensive mounts, it is an account-wide purchase. So every character you own will get a Shagcoat Cat Whistle in their inventory. It basically resembles a Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest Cat with a blue bow around the neck as a collar. Three mount actions are available when riding it. One features the cat stretching, another shows it cleaning its paw, and the last one makes it hiss.  Square Enix shared a trailer with us, so we can see all three of those mount actions and what it’s like to ride it on the ground and through the sky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17DelmDhGT8 Here are the official screenshots: Images via Square Enix While the Shagcoat Cat is a feline mount in FFXIV , it isn’t the only one available. A number of others also appeared ahead of it. Fatter Cat is another one based on the existing Fat Cat mascot character that also appeared as a minion. It’s also another cat mount sold in the Final Fantasy XIV Online Store for $24 . A Coeurl appeared in the A Realm Reborn Collector’s Edition as a bonus. Dark Knights can earn a War Panther too. Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Shagcat mount Shagcoat Cat Whistle is available in the FFXIV Online Store alongside the 7.3 update . The post Ride a Giant Cat Mount in FFXIV With Shagcoat Cat appeared first on Siliconera .
Aug 5
‘Princess Mononoke’ Hid Studio Ghibli’s Future Mascot in Plain Sight
‘Princess Mononoke’ Hid Studio Ghibli’s Future Mascot in Plain Sight So you’ve seen Totoro showing up on t-shirts, posters, plushies, and even on the logo of Studio Ghibli, right? Well, here’s a surprise: his origins actually started in Princess Mononoke! Yep, hidden in plain sight within the original concept for the 1997 fantasy epic was a strange, grinning forest spirit called a mononoke. And here’s […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Aug 5
SCUM – Review
SCUM – ReviewSCUM is a raw, challenging, and deeply immersive survival experience that drops you into a hostile open world with the objective to stay alive if you can. With its crafting mechanics, item-layered systems, and atmospheric world, the game also wants you to adapt to its many challenges, explore new areas, all while having the “freedom” to do what you want. From environmental storytelling to brutal combat, SCUM places you in full control. Whether you’re exploring ruins and crumbled buildings, fighting off zombies, or finding somewhere to hide by building a base in the wilderness, everything you do feels part of a larger, unscripted journey. Story SCUM doesn’t offer a traditional, linear story. You, the player, are what looks to be a convict dropped off on a remote island, while having a constant sense of being watched. You drop in and are met with environmental hazards, dangerous NPCs, and signs of a broken society. There’s no hand-holding outside of tutorial prompts, but a mysterious “Secure Communication Established” message pops up as you enter the game, hinting at something larger behind the scenes. The storytelling is mostly environmental. It’s hidden in old buildings, broken and barely useful equipment, strange communications, and the behaviors of NPCs. You’re not forced through scripted scenes; you’re encouraged to uncover the secrets and story by exploring and paying attention to the details. What’s really happening on this island is a mystery and up to you to explore and come to a conclusion, building tension and intrigue. Graphics SCUM delivers a visually vibrant and immersive world that feels handcrafted and alive. The island is filled with dense forests that are easy enough to get lost in, seemingly abandoned towns, industrial zones that have seen better days, and vast open landscapes. The entire island is packed with atmosphere, from the thick underbrush you can use for stealth to abandoned homes full of quiet, unsettling details. The lighting effects are great in SCUM. The sunlight filters through trees, the weather shifts realistically, and shadows clearly change based on the time of day. The different biomes have clearly defined themes, and the rain and fog effects are also handled nicely. Textures and models across the game world are sharp and detailed, including your character model, even if you choose not to wear anything but your underwear. The developers clearly had an eye for detail, with water dripping from rusty pipes, debris being scattered around, and even visible changes in the foliage due to the wind. Points of interest (POI) are carefully built, and even places you’ve seen before feel new thanks to their visual depth. Performance is stable across the board. In both single-player, known as the sandbox mode, and online server-based modes, the game runs smoothly, allowing for uninterrupted immersion during even the most intense encounters. Sound SCUM’s sound design might be one of its most immersive components. The atmosphere can go from tranquil to a more violent one in mere seconds. For example, you’ll hear zombies before you see them, the wind rustling through trees, birds chirping in the distance, and the mechanical clanking of a distant mech. Keeping track of what happens around you via the various audio cues is essential here. Combat sounds hit hard. Gunfire has echo effects, along with each weapon having its own unique sound. Melee impacts are visceral. Arrows fly with a satisfying whoosh, and successful hits land with distinct, “thud” audio feedback. The sounds even have a depth of direction to them, so you can know what your enemy has waiting for you before you even see them. Even basic player actions like crafting, eating, and looting have satisfying, textured sound design that adds to the immersion or intensity based on your actions. A surprising and unique addition to the game world is playable musical instruments. Stumbling upon a guitar and playing a few notes in an abandoned farmhouse adds moments of surreal calm in an otherwise brutal environment. You almost feel like Ellie from The Last of US Part II. Gameplay SCUM has all the right components of a survival game, offering combat, crafting, and exploration that are all tightly connected, giving players the freedom to approach the game however they want. The mechanics are deep but accessible, and the inventory systems offer plenty of room for experimentation. Crafting is smooth and satisfying. From clothes and tools to complex base structures and electronics like solar panels or ventilation units, there’s a lot to build and discover. Recipes are clearly laid out, making it easy to know what gathering materials are needed, and everything feels balanced, so you’re not spending too much time on one craft. Scavenging is rewarding, with plenty of new items and gear spread throughout the island, making it simple enough to find what you need to survive. Combat is intense and tactical. Weapons behave differently and require practice, such as adjusting to a recoil or measuring distance to hit a foe with an arrow. Melee is up close and brutal, using anything from your fist to a makeshift knife. Firearms feel powerful, with real feedback. Archery takes skill and patience, but it’s deeply satisfying when mastered. Zombies are dangerous, react to sound and movement, and shouldn’t be underestimated. Wildlife also poses challenges, such as bears, donkeys, and others, bringing a sense of unpredictability to roaming the wilderness. NPCs now occupy parts of the world, adding both life and danger. Their behavior can be impressive, fighting off enemies or patrolling areas, but it’s also inconsistent. Sometimes NPCs stand still, glitch, or fail to react entirely. It’s not game-breaking, but it does break immersion, and it can be rather hilarious sometimes when it happens. Server hosts have control over NPC spawns, difficulty, and loot mechanics, offering great flexibility for customizing the gameplay experience. Base building is solid, but some limitations remain. You can’t build inside existing structures, which has been a common point of feedback according to the community. Crouching while crafting is also not available, which feels like a small restriction but would be a nice addition. Despite these minor frustrations, the building process is otherwise smooth, intuitive, and customizable. Conclusion SCUM is a raw and immersive survival game that challenges players to adapt, explore, and overcome. It doesn’t force a story or define how you should play and gives you the tools to survive in a hostile environment, while you define the journey yourself. You’ll have to keep your wits about you, as every misstep can lead to a fight, causing your untimely demise. With its immensely detailed world, strong sound design, responsive combat, and deep survival mechanics, SCUM delivers an experience that feels alive and constantly shifting around you. While there are still issues such as buggy NPCs and certain building limitations, that’s not enough to sway away from the experience, thanks to the solid foundation and engaging gameplay loop. We’d go as far as to say that SCUM is one of the best experiences the genre currently has to offer.
Aug 4
Wild Hearts S – Review
Wild Hearts S – ReviewBack in 2023, EA and Koei Tecmo teamed up to unleash Wild Hearts on an unsuspecting public. The game was an ambitious undertaking, aiming to offer an answer to Capcom’s long-running Monster Hunter series. Wild Hearts proved to be a solid, but not outstanding game, and after the initial splash, things quieted down around it. Fast forward two years, and Wild Hearts is aiming to catch a second wind on the Switch 2. Don’t let the addition of an S to its title fool you: this is by and large the same game that we saw on PC, PS5, and Xbox X|S back in 2023. Is the Switch 2 the right home for Wild Hearts’ second lease on life? Story Set in the mythical land of Azuma, Wild Hearts S tells a tale of Kemono, massive monsters that embody natural disasters, and a lone hunter who has to deal with these creatures. The world is in turmoil as the Kemono are freezing rivers and decimating forests. Unable to deal with this onslaught themselves, the citizens of the town of Minato turn to the aforementioned hunter for help. Wild Hearts S’ premise is used more as a tool for worldbuilding and to contextualize the game, as it isn’t exactly a narrative powerhouse. That’s perfectly fine for what the game wants to be. What the story lacks in depth, it makes up for in atmosphere and immersion. Graphics Let’s start with the good: Wild Hearts S’ art direction is top-notch. The Japanese-inspired environments are gorgeous, with cherry blossom slopes, frozen tundras, and volcanic landscapes. The different Kemono are visually distinct and thematically linked to the disasters they embody. Wild Hearts S also boasts an elaborate character creation tool, allowing you to create a unique-looking hunter. In terms of visual performance, however, it’s a different story. We never had the pleasure of playing the original Wild Hearts, so we can’t outright contrast and compare the visuals of that version with this new port, but by just comparing specs on paper, it’s clear that the newer version has taken a hit here. Textures and resolution have been downgraded, with the Switch 2 only reaching 1080p even when docked, and with less visible detail compared to the game on other platforms. Wild Hearts S can’t keep up a stable frame rate either, especially when there is a lot of action happening on screen. We don’t know if this is an example of poor optimization or if the game is just more than the Switch 2 can handle, but for all intents and purposes, Wild Hearts S is a step down in terms of graphics. Sound Contrasting with the visual compromises, Wild Hearts S’ soundscape is nothing short of fantastic. Final Fantasy XIII composer Masashi Hamauzu’s soundtrack leads the charge here, with a set of tracks that effortlessly switch between ambient exploration pieces and intense dramatic scores when facing off against Kemono bosses. Speaking of Kemono, the roars, calls, and grunts made by these creatures further define their identities and even tie into their attack patterns. Voice acting is also present, but Wild Hearts S isn’t a game that is very heavy on dialogue, and the voice work feels functional rather than immersive. Gameplay In terms of gameplay, Wild Hearts S occupies a similar niche to the Monster Hunter series, although the game doesn’t serve up a carbon copy of Capcom’s successful formula. The core gameplay still involves hunting monsters and crafting new gear from materials gathered from these creatures, but there are several unique mechanics here that give Wild Hearts S a distinct identity. Chief among these is the so-called Karakuri system, a real-time building mechanic that lets you construct objects like springs, walls, towers, traps, or healing items using a resource called Thread. You can build on the fly, both in real-time combat or while exploring Azuma. There is a wide variety of Karakuri, ranging from walls that block monster charges to launch pads and zip lines. Eventually, you’ll even unlock Fusion Karakuri, which lets you combine multiple objects to create things like spinning traps. The Karakuri system fundamentally changes how you explore the world and approach combat, making both environmental obstacles and boss battles feel more like strategic puzzles than encounters that you can brute-force your way through. The boss battles themselves are challenging affairs, requiring not just a well-thought-out strategy but patience and good timing as well. Each Kemono boss has a distinct attack pattern that requires figuring out. Being the embodiments of natural disasters, there are also elemental factors to consider: an ice wolf Kemono calls for a different approach than a volcanic boar Kemono. You’ll need to tailor your equipment to deal with specific Kemono, although that often means grinding for materials. It’s a loop that’s all too familiar for anyone who has experience with the Monster Hunter games, although we’re happy to say that there is a strong sense of both progression and mastery here. Wild Heart S doesn’t implement a traditional XP system. Instead, that sense of progress comes from crafting better gear and learning new Karakuri, both of which are tied to exploring as much of the world as possible and dealing with any Kemono you encounter in the far corners. Where Monster Hunter’s focus, especially in recent games, has been on teaming up with others to take down massive monsters, Wild Hearts S offers a more well-rounded single-player experience. This ties into the game’s narrative of a single, lone hunter saving the world. Wild Hearts S does support co-op for up to 4 players, but with no cross-play with other platforms, the potential player base is limited, and we couldn’t get an online game up and running. In terms of content, there is nothing new in Wild Hearts S, so unless you’re desperate to be able to play the game on the go, there is no reason to double-dip if you already have a copy on another platform. If you can overlook the game’s visual downgrades, then the Switch 2’s version is still worth considering though, especially since its €49.99 RRP is significantly lower than the €69.99 RRP of the game on other platforms. Conclusion A serviceable port of a solid game, Wild Hearts S is a decent, if unremarkable, addition to the current Switch 2 lineup. Compromises had to be made here in order to fit Koei Tecmo’s Monster Hunter challenger on the handheld, with a step back when it comes to the game’s visual performance as a result. This means that it’s not worth double-dipping if you already own the game elsewhere. If this isn’t the case, however, then the game’s budget pricing and portability factor may just be enough reasons to still get it on Switch 2. It may have some rough edges, but there is still plenty of fun to be had here with the genre shakeup that the Karakuri system provides.
Aug 3
Infinity Nikki 2.0 Will Add Elderwood Forest and Spira City
Infinity Nikki 2.0 Will Add Elderwood Forest and Spira City Infold Games announced some details about the 2.0 update for Infinity Nikki, confirming the two new regions added in it will be Elderwood Forest and Spira City. However, there will be quite a wait until it arrives. The 1.8 patch will launch on July 29, 2025, and patches 1.9, 1.10, and 1.11 will follow it. This means we might not see 2.0 until December 2025, which would mark the one-year anniversary of the 1.0 launch. The Elderwood Forest and Spira City locations are two of the only definite gameplay elements and additions confirmed for Infinity Nikki 2.0. We also know there will be the ability to ride both a raft or a snail. Additional Ability Outfits will be introduced, but we don’t know what their traits or skills will be. It is unknown if the main story quests will return then or sometime before it. The rest of the update concerned things we can expect to see in each of the updates leading up to Infinity Nikki 2.0. Here’s a list of some of the additions: 1.8: Danqing Season will be available until September 2, 2025, and it will add Danqing Island and its Ink-Woven Tales event, a Danqing Craft Ability Outfit, and the five-star Clouded Loong and Forever Bond sets. A free four-star Lifetime Yin Yuan outfit will appear. 1.9: Bibcoon’s Chuckle Club quests will appear and we’ll be able to set up our own Home spaces.  1.10: No teasers appeared. 1.11: Individual clothing piece dying will appear. The Miraland Round Table did bring up some other coming additions. More “mix-and-match” pieces of clothing are in development. Alternate detail options will be added to past five-star outfits. Outfit grouping in the wardrobe will appear. Finally, cooking will be added after the Home feature launches. General bug fixes will also come up. Infinity Nikki is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices.  The post Infinity Nikki 2.0 Will Add Elderwood Forest and Spira City appeared first on Siliconera .
Jul 28
Tougen Anki Episode 4: Release Date, Spoilers and What to Expect
Tougen Anki Episode 4: Release Date, Spoilers and What to Expect Episode 3 of Tougen Anki has gotten everyone hyped. The Naruto-ish forest battles, having two retrieve two objects from the teacher, the various Blood Eclipse Releases, and the cliffhanger are causing everyone to scour the internet for Episode 4’s release information. If you are one of these fans, then you’ve come to the right place. […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Jul 26
Arrowhead Should Not Have Cut Out This Breathtaking Forest Biome Helldivers 2 Players Are Only Just Discovering
Arrowhead Should Not Have Cut Out This Breathtaking Forest Biome Helldivers 2 Players Are Only Just Discovering Arrowhead really messed up here, and the evidence just surfaced on Reddit. Someone posted a development screenshot from Helldivers 2 that’s supposedly six years old, showing our classic armor set standing on some sandy terrain with UI that looks ancient. But the real deal came in the comments. Another player dropped a screenshot from former concept artist Lucas Örström […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Jul 25
Review: Mushroom Musume Is a Quick Princess Maker-Like Game
Review: Mushroom Musume Is a Quick Princess Maker-Like Game It’s the year of the Princess Maker game, baby! We’ve got Umamusume: Pretty Derby tearing up the Steam, Google Play, and App Store charts and consuming people’s free time. A new actual entry called Princess Maker: Children of Revelation entered early access. One game like Princess Maker that might have slipped under your radar is Mortally Moonstruck Games’ Mushroom Musume , a simulation about raising a daughter who is also a fungi. You shouldn’t let that happen though, as it’s also a pleasant, quick roleplaying experience. Now, while stats do matter in Mushroom Musume, this does have more of a choose your own adventure like vibe mixed in with Princess Maker game concepts. Each run begins with players being a recluse who lives in alone in a forest. A witch comes along and offers a chance at a family by giving you a daughter. After fulfilling her tasks, which determine the starting situation, you start living with your “child” and making decisions. Once some time passes, you then step into the shoes of the daughter and go through some of her life experiences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnAPPLhe9e0 In practice, Mushroom Musume feels like a visual novel with some RPG elements. Decisions will come up, which will involve selecting a card or “rolling a die” to determine the direction or success of certain actions. From my experience, the parental choices at the outset tend to influence starting stats, with choices made by the child doing more for the Shroomy Qualities and results at the end.  There’s also a roguelike element to things. Your first Mushroom Musume playthrough will always be the most stark. Your actions and results earns Spores to get upgrades that can influence additional routes. This, in turn, can make it possible to raise new types of daughters, see new events, or find success when pursuing different branches. All of this is also collected in a Mushroom Almanac, which allows you to keep track of what you have seen.  Screenshots by Siliconera This does mean there’s less control in Mushroom Musume than in a typical Princess Maker game, even though I’d lump both into the same stat-raising, character-management genre. In a game like Umamusume and Princess Maker , you can have a general idea of what will happen, what sorts of events will pop up, and how things may go based on your school decisions and responses. There’s more randomness to Mushroom Musume, so you can’t 100% plot out and guarantee similar sorts of experience each time. Also, it’s short! I got through my first run in about 30-40 minutes? Maybe it was even a bit less? (I was taking some screenshots and dawdling a bit.) Considering how much can happen and the variations, I honestly wish each run lasted a bit longer. In games like Princess Maker and Umamusume , you really get a chance to know and value your virtual daughters, and I didn’t experience that same kind of connection due to Mushroom Musume ’s brevity even though I enjoyed each experience. Images via Mortally Moonstruck Games The one thing I do wish Mushroom Musume better explained is that the “color” direction early on affects the color palette for the rest of the game. Some of the decisions can make it a little difficult or uncomfortable to read. I wish there was more information at this point about that decision, so you could know what you’re getting into before making a choice. Mushroom Musume is a whimsical approach to the Princess Maker genre, while still being a game that could get dark or a little unsettling depending on the choices you make for your character. It goes quite quickly and it’s really easy to make things work, eliminate some of the dangers or disheartening endings other stat-based raising titles can present. This makes uncovering different types of mushroom daughters and seeing new events easier. However, I do wish runs lasted a little longer considering how much potential there is for each child. Mushroom Musume is available for PCs .  The post Review: Mushroom Musume Is a Quick Princess Maker-Like Game appeared first on Siliconera .
Jul 24
Wheel World Review – A Rough Ride
Wheel World Review – A Rough Ride Reviewed on: PC Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: Annapurna Interactive Developer: Messhof Release: July 23, 2025 Rating: Everyone Wheel World’s unique visual style, laid-back nature, and delightful soundtrack promise an inviting adventure set atop a bicycle in a world where they’re more common than cars. But the gameplay itself, the progression, and the barely-there narrative break that promise with an experience that only gets more frustrating and monotonous the more you play. Rote races, dull dialogue, and an empty world left me wondering why Wheel World’s denizens love biking around it.  Wheel World jumps right into the cyclist action, with protagonist Kat stumbling upon a special ghost bike responsible for helping dead spirits traverse from this world to the afterlife via something called the Great Shift. To do so, Kat must help the ghost reassemble a bike capable of the Great Shift with legendary parts, and it doesn’t take long for Wheel World’s formula to unfold: traverse the open world, gain enough rep to challenge each area’s best bicyclist by completing other races, and earn their legendary part. It’s a simple premise, pushing players to interact with the various question marks around the map that are revealed after ringing the bell shrine in each area – it’s very similar to Ubisoft’s traditional tower formula – but it gets bland fast.  The open world is divided into several distinct areas, including a forest location reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest, a Tuscan-like vineyard, an autumnal coast, and more. Aside from visual changes, these locations do little to alter the biking gameplay. Sure, going through vines in the vineyard slows you down, and the forest area has more elevation changes than the coast, but if you stay on the main path of each race, these do little to switch up the formula. And that formula is rinse and repeat. The various question marks on your map become one of three things: a race, a drone from the rarely mentioned Cyclorp company that rewards your efforts with tickets for buying parts, or a bike parts vendor.  Each race begins by talking to a group of bikers, and though they are visually distinct with quirky pun-and-pop-culture-filled dialogue, there’s no variation in how they race. I rarely lost a race and struggled to find any challenge in them. Fortunately, bonus objectives, like finding hidden “K-A-T” letters throughout each race, gave me something to do while my AI opponents struggled to keep up. In a game built around racing, it’s especially disappointing that races never challenged or surprised me. Even the courses themselves are uninteresting, save for the occasional jump shortcut. And even worse, the courses bounce between uninteresting and annoying, especially in the game’s final area, which introduces an abundance of urban architecture and plenty of vehicles that get in the way.  The physics behind collisions, whether with other racers, vehicles, or buildings, often feel broken and unfair. Colliding with a fellow bicyclist mildly breaks the game, throwing me way off course in a way that doesn’t make sense. Sometimes Kat bounces right off vehicles; other times, she crashes, and when you crash in Wheel World, you’re set back seconds in the race, often placing you in last place, even if the other seven racers were previously so far behind you couldn’t even see them. This was the only challenge I faced: crashing, unfairly being placed way far back, and having to catch back up to first place. But racing is so easy that catching up presented no provocation.  Even the bike itself doesn’t feel great; it’s serviceable at best, and when its physics feel off, it feels like biking through slime. There are plenty of parts to find around the world (one of the only reasons to explore off the beaten path), and even more to buy from vendors using tickets you get from completing side gigs like finding hidden jumps, but no matter how I customized my bike, I felt little variation in how it performed. Picking parts that made the stat bars go up served me best, even though Wheel World attempts to push you to rebuild your bike in various ways; for example, rebuilding my bike for off-roading racing might decrease my acceleration but yield better grip, theoretically making for a better experience over gravel and dirt. My road-ready bike still won off-road races with ease, though, and customizing my bike with various parts I found quickly lost its luster.  While the bog-standard races around the world, which I completed to earn reputation, bored me, I held hope that the races against each region’s best bicyclists would present something more enjoyable. But nope; not only did these races feel like any other, I often laughed at these legendary riders struggling to stay ahead of the other racers. I laughed even harder when they would hit a vehicle or structure and bounce around wildly until they landed off-screen. I’m still unsure whether that’s a feature or a bug. I experienced numerous other issues while playing, including egregious pop-in, weird and erratic lighting, and more; I hope the console versions perform better than Wheel World did on my beefy PC.  My biggest issues with the story and dialogue were most apparent in these legendary races. After beating the vineyard region’s top racer, she said something along the lines of, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Oh wow, you beat me on my own turf. You’re a great racer.” And then I’d receive the legendary part and continue on to the next region. For all the buildup of these top racers, they feel paper-thin. Wheel World does nothing to justify their authority in this bike-centric place.  A last-minute twist attempts to change the formula with the aforementioned new setting, but it’s the worst of them all, and the question marks become the same old races, drones, and vendors. This leads to the game’s finale, which is disappointing and feels unfinished. I was shocked when the credits began to roll after four hours. It felt like something was missing – the game was really over? Those were its final moments? Admittedly, Wheel World does little to build up this finale or any of its narrative, to be frank, but the climax of this adventure rolled along like a popped tire, not the triumphant ride I was promised with the Great Shift.  There is one bright spot in Wheel World, though, and that is its soundtrack. It’s a phenomenal selection of tracks, the highlight of each legendary race, and something I can’t wait to listen to when it’s available outside of the game. Curated by Portland and West Hollywood-based independent music label Italians Do It Better, Wheel World’s soundtrack is one of the best of the year. It’s a shame the music was one of the only highlights and not a complementary harmony to the rest of this adventure, though.  Wheel World is an amalgamation of boring races and exploration, poor storytelling, and often clumsy gameplay that never felt great. Its unique art style and excellent soundtrack feel wasted on what’s here, and the premise of the game is more exciting than anything that actually happens. When I crossed Wheel World’s finish line, I felt nothing about what I had accomplished, instead feeling more excited to get off this bike for good.  Score: 5 About Game Informer's review system
Jul 23
Everything Announced During Today's Pokémon Presents, From Legends Z-A To Champions And More
Everything Announced During Today's Pokémon Presents, From Legends Z-A To Champions And More The Pokémon Company held another Pokémon Presents direct-style presentation today, featuring new looks at upcoming games like Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Pokémon Champions, and brand-new game reveals, too. Clocking it at roughly 24 minutes, it's one of the longest Pokémon Presents ever, and there's a lot to unpack...so let's get right into it! Everything Announced During The July 2025 Pokémon Presents 2025 Pokémon World Championships Today's Pokémon Presents began with a quick look at what to expect during the 2025 Pokémon World Championships happening next month in Anaheim, California, including details about where it will be streaming and more. Head here for a more information about that. We learned during this segment that all competitors will receive the promotional card show above:  Pokémon Concierge Season 2 Ahead of the release of Pokémon Concierge Season 2 (or at least, the next batch of episodes), The Pokémon Company and Netflix released a new look, and you can check it out in the trailer below. There's plenty of new Pokémon, like Sealeo, characters, like Haru's ex-boyfriend, and of course, lots of gorgeous animation. This new batch of Pokémon Concierge episodes hits Netflix on September 4.    Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu Not only did we get our first look at what Wallace & Gromit studio Aardman Animations is cooking up with its upcoming Pokémon series, we also got the official title for the show: Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu. It debuts sometime in 2027. Check it out in the trailer below:    PokéPark Kanto We knew PokéPark Kanto, a Pokémon theme park of sorts, was coming to Japan sometime in the future. Now, we know it will be stretched across 26,000 square meters of Tokyo's verdant Tama Hills, tucked into a corner of Yomiuriland. It is the first-ever permanent outdoor Pokémon attraction, and will hold its grand opening next year. Advance ticket sales are expected to begin later this year.  It will consist of two sections: Sedge Town and Pokémon Forest (pictured above), and you can expect trainers and Pokémon encounters within each.  Pokémon Go: Max Finale 2025   The Pokémon GO Fest 2025: Max Finale is coming soon and will run from August 23 to August 24. It will feature Eternatus for the first time ever globally, and you can use the promo code GOFESTMAX for bonus goodies right now.  Pokémon Cafe ReMix   Summer has arrived in Pokémon Café ReMix, bringing all sorts of pirate-themed and nautical fun to the game. You can meet Lapras in its five-star Sea Captain outfit, starting July 23, and expect even more members of their crew to appear later, too. Customize your café with nautical, sea-themed decorations soon, and on July 23, discover Alolan Meowth, Totodile, and Minccino one after another in their special crew-themed outfits. Login today to recruit Jigglypuff in its summer fun outfit to your staff.  Pokémon Sleep   Starting this September, you can research the legendary Johto dog Pokémon – Raikou, Entei, and Suicune – while you sleep using Pokémon Sleep.  Pokémon Unite   To celebrate four years of Pokémon Unite, the legendary Hoenn Pokémon – Latias and Latios – are joining the fight. Latios hit the game on July 18, and Latios will join the roster next month on August 8.  Pokémon Trading Card Game   Mega evolution comes to the Pokémon Trading Card Game in a big way in the upcoming Mega Evolution expansion set. It begins on September 26, and will feature EX cards and more for Mega Pokémon like Lucario, Kangaskhan, Venasaur, and Gardevoir. Take a sneak peak at some of them in the gallery below:    Pokémon Friends   Pokémon Friends is a new puzzle game available today on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android devices. The mobile versions of the game are free, but the Switch version costs $9.99. You can read more details about the game, including what to expect and information about the price and its DLC, in our story here .  Pokémon Scarlet and Violet   After the free Nintendo Switch 2 update for Generation 9 of Pokémon launched last month, theses games are much more playable, with increased resolution and draw distance, a pretty stable 60 FPS framerate, and more. Now, players can expect a new Tera Raid Battle event series to begin. The first series begins tomorrow, and the entire series will wrap up in September. You can check out further details in the image below:  There will also be various mas outbreaks for grass, ice, ground, and fire-type Pokémon beginning tomorrow and running through September, too, to coincide with this Tera Raid Battle series.  And finally, you can receive a special Tracksuit apparel right now in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet by using the Mystery Gift codes below:  Pokémon Champions   We got another exciting look at Pokémon Champions, which is launching on Switch, iOS, and Android sometime next year. You can get the full rundown of what to expect in our story from today's presentation here .  Pokémon Legends: Z-A   We got a swath of information about the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which launches Thursday, October 16, on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 (with a separate Nintendo Switch 2 Edition), as well as two trailers. You can check out the first trailer above, and the second trailer below. For a full breakdown of everything we learned about Pokémon Legends: Z-A today, head to Game Informer's story here .    And that's everything announced during today's Pokémon Presents! Let us know what you're most excited about in the comments below!
Jul 22
The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 2 Review: The Intimacy of Holding on to a Lie
The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 2 Review: The Intimacy of Holding on to a Lie Alright, let’s be real: The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 2 completely took me on a wild ride. Like actually. I went in thinking I was about to get some creepy forest vibes, maybe a little spooky action with a ghost or whatever, and I came out holding my chest like I just got possessed. This […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Jul 14
Animal Crossing Crocs Come With Isabelle and Tom Nook Jibbitz Charms
Animal Crossing Crocs Come With Isabelle and Tom Nook Jibbitz Charms Nintendo and Crocs announced there will be adult and children style Animal Crossing Crocs and official Jibbitz charms. These will be sold in-stores and online worldwide. Everything will start to show up on August 26, 2025. While the US site hasn’t put listings up yet, the Japanese one did .  While no pre-orders are open in the US, details about sizes and prices are available. Both the adult and children’s Animal Crossing Crocs will feature the same design. Forests with trees will be on the top, water and a beach will appear along the heel, and the strap across the back will feature a sky and balloon. The adult version, which is a unisex style, is a Platform Clog and also features the series’ logo inside. That costs $69.99. The smallest size is the equivalent of a Men’s 4/Women’s 6, while the largest is a Men’s 13/Women’s 12. The kids’ one is a Classic Clog. It ranges from 11C – 6Y and costs $54.99. Regardless of which one you get, you also get the Tom Nook, Timmy and Tommy, Isabelle, KK Slider, tree, and house Jibbitz charms. As for the Animal Crossing Jibbitz charms, there will be 13 designs available. Two are packs with five-each. One of those features the three Able Sisters, which are Mable, Sable, and Label, a striped shirt, and a backpack. The other has Blathers, Celeste, Pascal, a fossil, and a scallop. Those are $16.99 each. There will also be three sold solo. These are ones of the villagers Bunnie, Marshall, and Rosie.  Here’s how everything will look: Images via Crocs and Nintendo Past game-related Crocs crossovers include Pokemon and Sonic the Hedgehog designs. The Animal Crossing Crocs and Jibbitz charms will launch on August 26, 2025. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is on the Switch. The post Animal Crossing Crocs Come With Isabelle and Tom Nook Jibbitz Charms appeared first on Siliconera .
Jul 8
Rekindled Trails Free Download (v1.0.0)
Rekindled Trails Free Download (v1.0.0)Rekindled Trails Direct Download: On your journey, you’ll explore a world as beautiful as it is mysterious. Light your path with the help of the Flame and uncover diverse biomes and villages along the way. Venture into shadowy mines, enchanted forests, desolate deserts and uncover new mysteries at every step. During your journey, you’ll gather […] The post Rekindled Trails Free Download (v1.0.0) first appeared on WorldofPCGames .
Jul 3
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview - Our Impressions After Two Hours Of Gameplay
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview - Our Impressions After Two Hours Of Gameplay<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/26/e8c3362c/ns2_donkeykongbananza_scrn_25.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> Platform: Switch Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Release: <time datetime="2017-10-27T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">October 27, 2017</time> Rating: Everyone 10+ <p>I already <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2025/04/03/tearing-down-walls" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="92715d04-480f-41df-aec2-430bcbefadef" data-entity-substitution="canonical">got my hands on Donkey Kong Bananza</a> in New York back on the same day it was announced. Though I came away impressed by the level of destruction and exploration packed into the various areas, the short amount of time I played at the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event was not nearly enough to fully understand why I should be excited about this game outside of it being the first 3D Donkey Kong platformer in more than a quarter-century. Last week, I was given the opportunity to return to New York to play Donkey Kong Bananza. However, this time, I was given two full hours of hands-on time, and as a result, I emerged extremely excited to go bananas with DK later this month.</p><p>Like my April session, my hands-on time with Donkey Kong Bananza began in the Ingot Isles Mines, which serves as a tutorial location. Here, I relearn to smash terrain in all directions, slap the ground to pick up loot and locate secrets, and collect Banandium Gems and gold wherever I can find it. It also reminded me of the impressive level of destruction at play in Donkey Kong Bananza; I loved punching through every kind of terrain to forge new paths and unearth various collectibles. Plus, it's just so super satisfying to smash through walls with DK's fists. Though I'm afforded some exploration in the mines, I'm eager to see areas I haven't seen before, so I run towards the giant Banandium Gem at the end of the area and kickstart the main story.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/a38d1f03/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_05.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Following that reintroduction to Bananza in the Ingot Isles Mines, my time with the game took me to three main areas: the Lagoon Layer, the Canyon Layer, and the Forest Layer. Lagoon Layer was comprised of SL100 and SL101 (numbers seemingly indicating the areas' progression within the game). It featured several pillars that I needed to destroy in order to unplug the water. With each destroyed pillar, the water level rose, opening access to new areas. This felt similar to Wet-Dry World in Super Mario 64, except it seems like the water only rises as you destroy more pillars.&nbsp;</p><p>While there, I also unlocked the first of DK's transformations: the Kong Bananza. This powered up his punching so he could not only destroy enemies and objects that normal Donkey Kong couldn't without the aid of harder terrain, but also destroy other objects with ease. Not only that, but each Bananza transformation has its own vocal track from Pauline. Bananza transformations only last a short amount of time, but they are incredibly powerful. &nbsp;This was particularly true as I moved on to the next area of my demo.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/23e3a84f/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_04.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Following an extended period in the Lagoon Layer, I explored the Canyon Layer (SL300), which allowed me to experiment with different terrain and offered a bit more vertical and underground exploration. It was here that the destruction really started to sing as I dug deep into the canyon in search of collectibles. Aided by the Kong Bananza's powerful punch, I started racking up Banadium Gems from across the map. As you hit certain milestones in your Banandium collection, you earn skill points, which can be used for upgrades to DK's health, punching power, and collection radius; they can also grant new abilities to Donkey Kong, like a skill where he can use terrain he ripped from the ground to surf across water or the ability to slam a chunk he's carrying into the ground after jumping. You can opt to use skill points to upgrade your Bananza transformations (more on that later).&nbsp;</p><p>My time in the Canyon Layer culminated in a boss battle against Grumpy Kong. This employee of the dastardly corporation VoidCo creates a multi-terrain golem with a giant club made of rock, which he violently swings. After absorbing a few hits, I scurried to grab some apples to restore DK's health. I was tempted to use the Kong Bananza, but I wanted to do this as standard DK. I punch through a layer of softer terrain before realizing I could rip rocks out of the golem's body and use them as a way to break the harder material making up the body of the monster. In a "eureka!" moment, I decided to rip chunks out of Grumpy Kong's club, which, after a few rounds, reduced it to a near-harmless nub. After eating away much of its armor, its vulnerability point was exposed on the top of its head, and DK was free to beat Grumpy Kong into submission and defeat the boss.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/6a2b4f1f/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_13.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>After moving to the final area of my session, the Forest Layer (SL-600), I realized that the easy exploration I experienced in the previous layers would not last. Poisonous lakes, thorny plants, and more aggressive enemies littered the Forest Layer, making for plenty of challenge. Thankfully, in this final session, I could utilize the Ostrich Bananza, which allows DK to transform into a bird-like hybrid and glide for a limited time. I was surprised by how short his flight is, but you can upgrade that using skill points. During this section of my demo, I used a skill point to unlock a move where DK can drop egg bombs while in his Ostrich Bananza form.&nbsp;</p><p>During my hands-on time, I completed various Challenge Courses and Battle Courses, two types of sectioned-off rooms you discover throughout the explorable areas of Donkey Kong Bananza. These curated challenges offered puzzles, platforming obstacle courses, timed combat scenarios, and even barrel-blasting exploration. Whether I was precariously navigating around thorny vines, avoiding moving walls while hanging from a grate and climbing, or defeating a group of enemies before time expired, I eagerly looked forward to each new challenge room. And since they offer optional Banandium Gems for completing optional tasks or finding hidden areas, it seems like you'll have plenty of reason to spend extra time or replay these fun rooms.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/9d419d65/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_14.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>I was perhaps most eager to play through a 2D sequence as shown in the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2025/06/18/everything-we-learned-during-todays-donkey-kong-bananza-direct">Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct</a> a couple of weeks ago. These are mixed in with the Challenge Courses, and the one I stumbled upon threw a labyrinthine barrel course at me. This felt like a superb throwback to the Donkey Kong Country stages we all remember, but DK retains his complete moveset, including Bananza transformations. My primary concern with these stages – that, like other 3D platformers that incorporate 2D sequences, the physics wouldn't feel quite right in 2D – was soothed when I had the chance to run and jump from this perspective. I'm happy to report that it felt terrific in 2D, even given the limited time I had and despite the platforming I was doing not being particularly challenging.</p><p>The only negative I can really say from my hands-on session is that the framerate really struggled to keep up with the action unfolding on screen on a fairly regular basis. While it's nowhere near as bad as some other games we've seen on the original Nintendo Switch, it's slightly concerning that the second major first-party title for the company's new, more powerful hardware can't consistently perform well. However, it is entirely possible that the build I played isn't fully optimized the way the launch version will be.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/d37d051b/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_10.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Before concluding my gameplay session, I participated in a brief co-op play session. The second player controls Pauline's vocal blasts, which can emulate different terrain, smash through walls, and even defeat enemies. You can control Pauline's crosshairs using the mouse mode of the Joy-Con 2, motion controls, or traditional gamepad controls. It's a more active co-op experience than either Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Odyssey. However, it still feels more like a fun way to incorporate a less-experienced player into the fun rather than a destination mode.</p><p>Midway through my demo, I felt a strong sense of excitement overtake my mind. I was still focusing on the gameplay, but I was more looking forward to the long nights I will inevitably spend exploring the many layers and biomes with Donkey Kong and Pauline when Donkey Kong Bananza arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17.</p>
Jul 1
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview - Our Impressions After Two Hours Of Gameplay
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview - Our Impressions After Two Hours Of Gameplay Platform: Switch Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Release: October 27, 2017 Rating: Everyone 10+ I already got my hands on Donkey Kong Bananza in New York back on the same day it was announced. Though I came away impressed by the level of destruction and exploration packed into the various areas, the short amount of time I played at the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event was not nearly enough to fully understand why I should be excited about this game outside of it being the first 3D Donkey Kong platformer in more than a quarter-century. Last week, I was given the opportunity to return to New York to play Donkey Kong Bananza. However, this time, I was given two full hours of hands-on time, and as a result, I emerged extremely excited to go bananas with DK later this month. Like my April session, my hands-on time with Donkey Kong Bananza began in the Ingot Isles Mines, which serves as a tutorial location. Here, I relearn to smash terrain in all directions, slap the ground to pick up loot and locate secrets, and collect Banandium Gems and gold wherever I can find it. It also reminded me of the impressive level of destruction at play in Donkey Kong Bananza; I loved punching through every kind of terrain to forge new paths and unearth various collectibles. Plus, it's just so super satisfying to smash through walls with DK's fists. Though I'm afforded some exploration in the mines, I'm eager to see areas I haven't seen before, so I run towards the giant Banandium Gem at the end of the area and kickstart the main story. Following that reintroduction to Bananza in the Ingot Isles Mines, my time with the game took me to three main areas: the Lagoon Layer, the Canyon Layer, and the Forest Layer. Lagoon Layer was comprised of SL100 and SL101 (numbers seemingly indicating the areas' progression within the game). It featured several pillars that I needed to destroy in order to unplug the water. With each destroyed pillar, the water level rose, opening access to new areas. This felt similar to Wet-Dry World in Super Mario 64, except it seems like the water only rises as you destroy more pillars.  While there, I also unlocked the first of DK's transformations: the Kong Bananza. This powered up his punching so he could not only destroy enemies and objects that normal Donkey Kong couldn't without the aid of harder terrain, but also destroy other objects with ease. Not only that, but each Bananza transformation has its own vocal track from Pauline. Bananza transformations only last a short amount of time, but they are incredibly powerful.  This was particularly true as I moved on to the next area of my demo. Following an extended period in the Lagoon Layer, I explored the Canyon Layer (SL300), which allowed me to experiment with different terrain and offered a bit more vertical and underground exploration. It was here that the destruction really started to sing as I dug deep into the canyon in search of collectibles. Aided by the Kong Bananza's powerful punch, I started racking up Banadium Gems from across the map. As you hit certain milestones in your Banandium collection, you earn skill points, which can be used for upgrades to DK's health, punching power, and collection radius; they can also grant new abilities to Donkey Kong, like a skill where he can use terrain he ripped from the ground to surf across water or the ability to slam a chunk he's carrying into the ground after jumping. You can opt to use skill points to upgrade your Bananza transformations (more on that later).  My time in the Canyon Layer culminated in a boss battle against Grumpy Kong. This employee of the dastardly corporation VoidCo creates a multi-terrain golem with a giant club made of rock, which he violently swings. After absorbing a few hits, I scurried to grab some apples to restore DK's health. I was tempted to use the Kong Bananza, but I wanted to do this as standard DK. I punch through a layer of softer terrain before realizing I could rip rocks out of the golem's body and use them as a way to break the harder material making up the body of the monster. In a "eureka!" moment, I decided to rip chunks out of Grumpy Kong's club, which, after a few rounds, reduced it to a near-harmless nub. After eating away much of its armor, its vulnerability point was exposed on the top of its head, and DK was free to beat Grumpy Kong into submission and defeat the boss. After moving to the final area of my session, the Forest Layer (SL-600), I realized that the easy exploration I experienced in the previous layers would not last. Poisonous lakes, thorny plants, and more aggressive enemies littered the Forest Layer, making for plenty of challenge. Thankfully, in this final session, I could utilize the Ostrich Bananza, which allows DK to transform into a bird-like hybrid and glide for a limited time. I was surprised by how short his flight is, but you can upgrade that using skill points. During this section of my demo, I used a skill point to unlock a move where DK can drop egg bombs while in his Ostrich Bananza form.  During my hands-on time, I completed various Challenge Courses and Battle Courses, two types of sectioned-off rooms you discover throughout the explorable areas of Donkey Kong Bananza. These curated challenges offered puzzles, platforming obstacle courses, timed combat scenarios, and even barrel-blasting exploration. Whether I was precariously navigating around thorny vines, avoiding moving walls while hanging from a grate and climbing, or defeating a group of enemies before time expired, I eagerly looked forward to each new challenge room. And since they offer optional Banandium Gems for completing optional tasks or finding hidden areas, it seems like you'll have plenty of reason to spend extra time or replay these fun rooms. I was perhaps most eager to play through a 2D sequence as shown in the Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct a couple of weeks ago. These are mixed in with the Challenge Courses, and the one I stumbled upon threw a labyrinthine barrel course at me. This felt like a superb throwback to the Donkey Kong Country stages we all remember, but DK retains his complete moveset, including Bananza transformations. My primary concern with these stages – that, like other 3D platformers that incorporate 2D sequences, the physics wouldn't feel quite right in 2D – was soothed when I had the chance to run and jump from this perspective. I'm happy to report that it felt terrific in 2D, even given the limited time I had and despite the platforming I was doing not being particularly challenging. The only negative I can really say from my hands-on session is that the framerate really struggled to keep up with the action unfolding on screen on a fairly regular basis. While it's nowhere near as bad as some other games we've seen on the original Nintendo Switch, it's slightly concerning that the second major first-party title for the company's new, more powerful hardware can't consistently perform well. However, it is entirely possible that the build I played isn't fully optimized the way the launch version will be. Before concluding my gameplay session, I participated in a brief co-op play session. The second player controls Pauline's vocal blasts, which can emulate different terrain, smash through walls, and even defeat enemies. You can control Pauline's crosshairs using the mouse mode of the Joy-Con 2, motion controls, or traditional gamepad controls. It's a more active co-op experience than either Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Odyssey. However, it still feels more like a fun way to incorporate a less-experienced player into the fun rather than a destination mode. Midway through my demo, I felt a strong sense of excitement overtake my mind. I was still focusing on the gameplay, but I was more looking forward to the long nights I will inevitably spend exploring the many layers and biomes with Donkey Kong and Pauline when Donkey Kong Bananza arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17.
Jul 1
The ForestAs the lone survivor of a passenger jet crash, you find yourself in a mysterious forest battling to stay alive against a society of cannibalistic mutants. Build, explore, survive in this terrifying first person survival horror simulator.