Steam Deck Related News

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Stay ahead with the latest news and updates about the Steam Deck. We bring you all the information you need about this new handheld gaming device.

Valve’s Steam Machine specs show they learned from their failure a decade ago Valve tried making Steam Machines a thing once, long ago, but they flopped so hard that we barely even remember them. Still, Valve has changed, and the new Steam Machine looks like an entirely different machine, so let's look at why they might actually pull it off this time around. Table of contents Better and friendlier Steam Controller ARM Support is a great strategic advantage One Steam Machine to rule them all Consoles are too comfortable right now Why the Steam Machine can really pull it off Better and friendlier Steam Controller Image via Steam The first time I saw a PS1 controller was in a TV ad, and it just looked too different from any controller of its time to have me sold on it. It was only when I tried it out at a store's display that I realized it was the most ergonomic controller at that point. The original Steam controller was actually pretty good, but its radically unique design just threw so many off before they even got to try it. That was made worse by how people could only buy it online, missing out on the chance to test it themselves before passing a harsh judgment. The new Steam controller keeps the features of the original, while looking a lot more like a regular controller would. The Steam Machine isn't meant to work solely with the new Steam Controller, but that's a great way to conquer the more casual-oriented family demographic. The device used to interact with the new system must look ergonomic and accessible even before potential users experience it. ARM Support is a great strategic advantage As caught by Digital Foundry , the new Steam Machine might have a powerful trick up its sleeve. Long story short, the new Steam Machine features ARM support, which will allow it to fight on all fronts. The main reason why the original Steam Machine failed was that it ran on Linux, and just didn’t entice enough developers to create native Linux ports of their games, which resulted in a killer lack of output. The new Steam Machine will run on Steam OS 3, which comes from Linux as well, yes, but it'll be compatible not only with PC games, but also mobile ones. One Steam Machine to rule them all Everything about the original Machine was too confusing, to the point that there wasn’t even just "one" Steam Machine, but a bunch of different machines from different manufacturers with the Steam Machine brand slapped on them. On top of adding extra layers of confusion, this exacerbated existing problems. The original Steam Machine was meant to compete with PCs, but it had a limited or null range for upgrades, depending on its manufacturer. It was, somehow, both a more limited and more confusing product than a PC. We still don't know the range of upgradeability of the new Steam Machine, but it'll feature a unified hardware and, also very importantly, design. It might seem stupid, but this is what makes people see the machine as a strong product, and not as one of many confusing and less alluring alternatives to a PC. Have you noticed its cube shape and how everyone has been calling it the "Gabe Cube"? That sounds a lot like Valve might've cooked themselves behind the scenes to take off in a seemingly organic way, and, either way, it sure has. That's a sign that something is happening. Consoles are too comfortable right now The console market currently sucks, with the output of games at an all-time low and prices at an all-time high. Back then, even the cheapest Steam Machine would cost you $499, rendering it incapable of competing with the PS4. Today, even at the higher price point that Valve is hinting at for the Steam Machine, a lot of people might just shell out a few more dollars to get a more powerful system with access to a much larger library—one that even includes many of the best PlayStation games out there. Why the Steam Machine can really pull it off In case you're still not aware of it, I must break it to you that we're currently in the era of "Enshittification", a term coined by Sci-Fi author Cory Doctorow that describes the process by which online platforms become less effective and sometimes straight-up sillier for no apparent reason. Sadly, that also rings true regarding tech products, despite all manner of technological advances. Valve, however, seems serious about delivering something new that also performs old functions better. Also, Valve is simply in a much better position to promote its own hardware right now. The Steam Deck is a massive success, a miraculous non-Nintendo piece of mobile hardware that's not only selling like hot cakes but has even inspired a wide array of competitors, effectively creating a new line of hardware in the mobile-PC hybrid arena. Despite its current ubiquity, Steam wasn't always the juggernaut it currently is. The idea of a launcher might sound pretty useful, so long as it's not competing with a bunch of others, but not everyone was immediately keen on an extra step required to play a game. Valve, however, ended up improving Steam until it became essential to every PC gamer. Steam Machines might just follow suit, regardless of how silly that sounds right now. The post Valve’s Steam Machine specs show they learned from their failure a decade ago appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidDec 1

Siliconera 2025 PC Game Black Friday and Gift Guide When it comes to shopping for PC games, it’s difficult to really consult any one guide, as Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG often feature multiple ones and aren’t 100% reliant on Black Friday. So there will definitely be special deals around November 28, 2025, but we know the Steam Winter Sale for the year starts on December 18, 2025. It means keeping an eye out is wise, but it might also be smart to consider holding off on some gifts until we get closer to the December holidays. Still, it never hurts to be prepared and aware! In terms of systems, it’s usually best to actually consult with the recipient before just springing a PC on them. Especially if you are going with a desktop or laptop, since you’ll want to keep compatibility in mind. If you’re going with a handheld, it’s easier. Someone could get a Lenovo Legion Go S on sale for Black Friday for $579.99 . A Steam Deck 256GB LCD model is $319.20 as of time of writing, and the 512GB OLED is always $549. A good option to keep in mind for PC game gifting is GOG, as there are some exclusive releases there and we also get DRM-free games from that platform. The company also will offer updates to ensure compatibility, which is handy. Here are some suggestions we have for games you can find there at pretty good prices around the holiday shopping season, as well as their Black Friday 2025 deals. Alone in the Dark: The Trilogy - $1.49 The Alters: Deluxe Edition - $37.10 Breath of Fire IV - $4.99 Devil May Cry HD Collection - $9.89 Dino Crisis Bundle (with Dino Crisis and Dino Crisis 2 ) - $8.49 Disco Elysium The Final Cut - $9.99 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition - $7.49 Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition - $9.99 Heroes of Might and Magic 3: Complete - $4.99 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered - $14.99 Silent Hill 2 remake - $34.99 Silent Hill 4: The Room - $6.99 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines - $9.99 The Witcher: Enhanced Edition - $1.49 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - $9.99 But in general, a lot of games are on sale on Steam and other storefronts! Including some good deals on 2024 games that didn’t get major price drops until now. So here are some PC games to consider when shopping for 2025 gifts or picking up items for yourself. Ace Attorney Investigations - $19.99 Atelier Yumia - $48.99 Bad Rats: The Rats Revenge - $0.59 Blue Prince - $19.79 Civilization VII - $45.49 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - $39.99 Digimon Story: Time Stranger - $62.99 Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake - $35.99 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - $33.49 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster bundle - $48.74 FFVII Remake Intergrade - $19.99 FFVII Rebirth - $34.99 FFXVI Complete Edition - $34.99 Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut - $35.99 Harvestella - $23.99 Kingdom Hearts Integrum - $49.99 Life is Strange Remastered - $11.99 Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii - $32.99 Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater - $48.99 Metaphor: ReFantazio - $34.99 Octopath Traveler 2 - $23.99 Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma - $38.99 Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance - $23.99 Shinobi: Art of Vengeance - $20.99 Signalis - $13.99 Silent Hill f - $55.99 Stellar Blade Complete Edition - $63.99 Tales of Graces f Remastered - $ 19.99 Two Point Museum - $23.99 Also, don’t forget to check Epic Games Store every Thursday! Free games are given away, and you can bulk up your library and give yourself something to play over holiday breaks that way. The post Siliconera 2025 PC Game Black Friday and Gift Guide appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraNov 28

Review: Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked Is Generally Sound Demeo first appeared as a Dungeons & Dragons style tabletop RPG with strategic elements for the Quest, PSVR, and PC headsets, but it wasn’t explicitly tied to that series. That changed with the follow-up Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked . Resolution Games has the support of Wizards of the Coast now. It doesn’t change the experience much, beyond names for certain classes and places from D&D implemented, and the experience remains as solid as ever. Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked comes with two campaigns and six heroes. The first is Embers of Chaos, which features the elves of Neverwinter and humans of Neverwinter about to go to war after the humans broke a contract and started logging in the woods, but there may be some other forces also trying to disrupt the peace. In Crown of Frost, Icewind Dale is potentially under attack, and our heroes join the forces to investigate the situation and fight back. As you go through sessions, there will be both mainline campaign quests and some supplemental missions for other NPCs. Images via Resolution Games The characters available for each run are a Dragonborn Paladin, Dwarf Fighter, Elf Bard, Halfing Sorcerer, Human Ranger, and Tiefling Rogue, with up to four human players able to play in each session. If you have fewer than four, then there is one “main” character controlled by each human and the remaining party slots are “hirelines” that don’t level up. Those that do level up have some specialization and update options. However, all characters regardless of whether they are standard or hireling do have the options to get more cards in their 10-card deck to change their moveset. Once you head into a quest, regardless if it is a mainline mission or optional task, you’ll get a few cards dealt into your hand. (You can only see ones held by your main character and hirelings and can’t see what other players have.) The four characters in your party will act one after another, able to move within set areas on the grid and use abilities represented on their cards to act. All classes fill their traditional roles from D&D . Once everyone in the party acts, the enemies take their turn. This continues until the stage’s objective is complete. It works well! There are cards that are permanent and others that are single-use, leading to a sense of balance. We also gain new ones at a steady rate, and it seemed like about once per campaign mission or so it would come up. It’s easy to investigate cards before using them, and placing them on the field to attack is simple enough. Being able to have a full party of four regardless of how many human players are there? Also great. Some genuinely tricky situations can come up too. Images via Resolution Games There are some elements in Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked that can feel a bit awkward. All of which you’ll, unfortunately, encounter at some point due to the ways campaigns work and the lengths of them. The most frequent issue I encountered is that the zoom feature effectiveness varies. Sometimes, it works wonderfully and I can get as close or as far as I need. However, there are occasional maps, usually the smaller ones, which seemed to lock me into a certain position and wouldn’t let me focus in enough to get more precise positioning. Some quest item appearances also seem random. For example, in one situation our party was tasked with finding pieces of sheet music for an NPC side quest. We loaded into a campaign quest map and, initially, I saw the piece of sheet music in a position there. Due to a technical issue, we ended up needing to remake the room and return. When we loaded up the save before that fight and went in, there was no sheet music there that time. Speaking of technical issues, that’s the other awkward elements. There’s no way to assign hirelings to specific individuals. When you first make a room and head in, it will clearly assign folks to people. So if there are two folks playing, each will control one hireling. If, say, a person drops out, then needs to get the code again to pop back in, when they do rejoin the match and map, they will have no hireling assigned to them and it is impossible to go into any menu and place them in charge of that character. Images via Resolution Games While getting the D&D license for this VR strategy game is nice, Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked ’s appeal lies in it being an enjoyable multiplayer tactical adventure. There are a few cumbersome elements, like the hireling assigning issue, that I’d love to see worked out in later patches. But what’s here works well and is enjoyable, especially if you have at least one other person to play with. Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is available for the Meta Quest headsets, PC headsets via Steam, and the PS5’s PSVR2. The post Review: Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked Is Generally Sound appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraNov 26

Octopath Traveler 0 Demo Shows Up in US Airports Square Enix announced on social media that people who are traveling through two US airports will be able to test out the demo for Octopath Traveler 0 while they wait. It is now live in the Gameway: Video Game Lounges in Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, CA and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City, NY. The latest JRPG in the series will be available to test until December 9, 2025. This means there are currently four spots where people can test the Octopath Traveler 0 demo in an airport without a console like a Switch or Switch 2 or handheld like a Steam Deck. In JFK, you’ll see it at the location near Terminal 5’s Gate 7 and Terminal 8’s Gate 8. If you are at LAX, Terminal 3 hosts one close to Gate 30B and Terminal 6 features one not far from Gate 65B. The demo that is at these two airports is the one that is available on digital storefronts. So if someone owns a Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, they can sample that same trial on their devices. That is likely the best approach, as the save files can carry over. Each demo experience only lasts three hours, so make sure you have time to get through as much as possible when you start. Octopath Traveler 0 will come to the Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on December 4, 2025, and the demo is live on storefronts and playable at Gameway: Video Game Lounges in LAX and JFK in the US. The post Octopath Traveler 0 Demo Shows Up in US Airports appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraNov 18

Pokemon TCG: The Best Phantasmal Flames Cards The new Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion , Mega Evolution: Phantasmal Flames , unsurprisingly focuses on Mega Evolutions in the TCG, specifically many of those highlighted in Pokemon Legends: Z-A . But what should you expect beyond that? We’ll dig in and answer that and more. What do we mean by more? Do we mean showing you a cute Piplup? There’s really only one way for you to find out. The coolest Pokemon TCG Phantasmal Flames cards Okay, you’re probably most hoping you’ll pull a Mega Evolution . There are six new three-prize creatures in this expansion, with our favorite of the bunch being Mega Heracross ex . It hits hard, it’s a Basic, and it doesn’t burn its way through your energy cards like some other options. And this is maybe only cool to people who are nerdy in precisely the same way we are, but we love a little one-off breaking of fundamental rules of the game. Rotom ex lets any of your Pokemon with “Rotom” in its name to have two — count ‘em, two — Tools attached. There’s honestly not a lot of use for this. Rotom aren’t that strong, and the multiplied-by-Tool-count attacks would take a ton of setup. But think of the fringe case rules headaches! Photo by Siliconera The most interesting Phantasmal Flames cards Phantasmal Flames has a suite of cards looking to bolster a mono-Darkness build. Grimsley’s Move gets someone out on the bench, and Punk Helmet is a solid Tool for recoil damage. The other side, perhaps naturally given the Mega Charizard focus, is Fire-boosting cards. Firebreather gets you a staggering seven basic energies from the deck, and Blowtorch can use one of them for board control. In terms of Pokemon to build around, the pickings here are sort of slim. Fire has Mega Charizard X ex as its sweeper, with Oricorio ex as a utility helper from the bench to load up more energy. Darkness has Mega Gengar and Sharpedo, we suppose? Gengar reduces the prizes taken, and Sharpedo can do quick damage. But there are other prize-reducing cards from other sets that could supplement this strategy enough to be competitively viable. Outside of these, a new inclusion is the “Excited” line of abilities . Each requires you to have a Mega out to use, but then does a more potent version of an effect than you’d otherwise get. Oricorio ex lets you play unlimited Fire energy from your hand. Seviper turns into a one-prize 240-damage attacker. Linoone can switch in and take a hit. Photo by Siliconera The most meta-relevant Phantasmal Flames cards You know, in Pokemon Legends Z-A , it always says “Dawn is approaching,” but we’ve never actually seen Dawn. Maybe she’s good at hiding? That’s not a problem in the TCG, as Dawn is here with all sorts of prints of her new Trainer card. It solves one of the biggest problems of the game: that it’s actually kind of tough and inefficient to play Stage 2 creatures. You can use one Supporter to get a Basic, Stage 1 and Stage 2, which is a pretty nice fix. In terms of actual Pokemon, the one that pops up at us is Mismagius ex . It’s through the combination of its two skills. The Swirling Prose ability makes any opponent swapping in Confused, and the Hexa-Magic attack deals 150 damage for two energy while also offering the opportunity to draw your hand up to six. Photo by Siliconera The cutest Phantasmal Flames cards Yamper and Piplup would honestly be pretty tough to draw without being cute. Snubbull might be having some allergies? And the Illustration Rares are always fairly adorable. The latest Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion, Mega Evolution: Phantasmal Flames , launches on November 14, 2025. For more coverage of the Pokemon TCG, check out our archive . The post Pokemon TCG: The Best Phantasmal Flames Cards appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraNov 9

Global Version of Umamusume Gets Year 1 Balance Adjustments Early In Japan, a number of Umamusume: Pretty Derby balance adjustments came up around the first anniversary of the game, and Cygames announced that rebalancing update will arrive early in the global release alongside the worldwide Half Anniversary Celebration . That patch will appear on November 11, 2025. The majority of the adjustments affect Career mode, both in terms of rewards, choices, bad conditions, Trainee events, and Support card events. However, general races are also affected due to the addition of new systems and skill activation changes. Essentially, many of the Career balance adjustments in Umamusume seem to deal with situations that might have seemed unfair prior to the update, ensuring rebalancing adjusts Support Card deck event appearance rates, increases parameter gains, and odds of healing poor conditions. Especially notable is that Career events might cure conditions, Etsuko Otonashi Training could remove Slacker, and opting to rest could heal some status effects. As for the changes that affect actual races, many of those adjustments involve the trigger conditions for learned skills. However, there are some general adjustments that will influence every mode. Dueling and Spot Struggle systems will be enabled to create more pressure when passing in some situations. Guts will finally become more useful, as it will affect someone’s performance in the “last spurt.” In general, navigation and endurance skills will become more valuable, due to the former affecting passing and latter increasing strength. Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for the PC and mobile devices, and the major balance adjustment will bring rebalancing changes to Career and races worldwide on November 11, 2025. You can see the dozens of changes in the full November 11, 2025 Umamusume: Pretty Derby balance adjustments patch notes that go over Career, racing, Trainee, and skill rebalancing on the official site . The post Global Version of Umamusume Gets Year 1 Balance Adjustments Early appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraNov 4

RNG Can Get in the Way of Dead Finger Dice’s Fun I wish I liked Dead Finger Dice more, and with it being a roguelike take on Yahtzee with customizable dice, I would have thought it was for me! The aesthetic is amazing. The idea is cool. Yahtzee is always a solid dice game. The problem is that while all roguelikes feature some degree of luck being on your side, it almost feels like RNG is perhaps too overwhelming here. If everything is on your side and it feels like the billionaire opponents aren't cheating too, it's great. But I felt like that was too rare a situation. In Dead Finger Dice , we’re trapped on a yacht for the sake of amusing billionaires who also seem to resemble classic monsters like Nosferatu and Medusa. When we’re summoned from our meager, prisoner’s cell, we’re put in front of one of them and forced to place a game that resembles Yahtzee. We roll five dice, with three rerolls possible, in the hopes of getting a better “hand” than our opponent. As we do, we bet fingers to determine who wins or loses. When one opponent is all out of fingers, the match ends. If we win, we get to return to our cabin and craft new dice with our won fingers to perhaps “cheat” our way to victory with their properties. If we lose, all of our fingers are cut off, we’re tossed overboard, and the game restarts with a new person and any resources you “banked” in the cell due to the permadeath feature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1oe1skIjjs Now in general, the concept is quite sound! By combining materials with fingers, we can create dice that get additional effects. For example, there could be BOUNCE to make the dice bounce. SCRATCH increases the value of the number on the die face by one if its value is under 6. SWITCH will switch that die with the current boss’ highest value one. FINGER STEAL steals a finger from your opponent if it is possible. And the fingers you have influence things too. For example, the most basic level 1 finger involves a 50% chance of an effect triggering. But since we do have effects that have a certain percent change of triggering and may not even guarantee a better position, it might feel a little frustrating. Yes, roguelikes test you like this. You never know what deck you’ll run, levels you’ll face, or bosses will appear sometimes. But in the case of other titles, there are certain degrees of skill that come up and you feel like the challenge can be fair. Like sure, there’s uncertainty and you don’t know what you’ll take with you to assist your run. But you do know who you’ll face, and there aren’t odds against you at every turn. Some elements of it can be mitigated here by hoarding away resources and crafting dice, but I felt like sometimes it was a bit much. Images via Rocket Adrift It might sound odd to say so too in a game about cheating when playing in high-stakes Yahtzee matches against billionaires, but the RNG in Dead Finger Dice makes it feel like they’re cheating too. This isn’t so much of an issue with the early foes like Nosferaone. But against Bobby Froggic and Kraangle? Absolutely. Also, as an aside, I didn’t enjoy playing Dead Finger Dice on my handheld gaming PC as much as I hoped I would. When I played, there was no controller support. It seemed odd! Playing it with the tiny, built-in mouse pad on the controller isn’t the most comfortable, so I’m hoping that is updated soon. Dead Finger Dice features an interesting aesthetic and can be fun for folks who enjoy Yahtzee , but I feel the randomness of it all really makes it difficult to truly enjoy it. Yes, we can influence things and rig the game. Even so, RNG rules here. And if you already get an idea a run is going wrong, there’s not much you can do. On the plus side, it is quite an affordable game at only $5 normally, so at least it isn’t too expensive if you want to take a chance on rolling these dice. Perhaps after a few patches, it might feel a little more balanced. Dead Finger Dice is available for PCs. The post RNG Can Get in the Way of Dead Finger Dice’s Fun appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraNov 2

Preview: My Card Is Better Than Your Card Prioritizes Making Cool Cards I think I might end up loving My Card is Better than Your Card when it fully launches and enters early access, but not because of the actual card battle elements. This is a deckbuilder focused on getting cards that suit your strategy and continue successfully getting through each day. But in my early hands-on time, I’m having more fun with the actual card construction than anything else. Like it seems like we can end up with cards that have descriptions longer than Mythic Lyn in Fire Emblem Heroes . My Card is Better than Your Card seems designed to capture the concept of being a kid, discovering a game like Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon Trading Card Game , then spending your summer playing that game with everyone around the block. In my first few runs, it sort of felt like the thrill I had as a kid when trying to search for a my favorite characters for a deck. But since this is a roguelike, it is executed in a way that every run lets you go with a different approach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L02RMI8Pmc To fit in with the concept, it almost feels like there’s a little bit of a “life sim” element to it. This is because you pick your schedule for each day. This can involve opportunities to take part in battles, treasure hunt for more stickers, visit shops, meet with people, and then design your cards with your findings at the end of the day. This is where what is my favorite part of the experience in this early access game comes in. Like Sticky Business , it involves card customization with stickers. Early on, it can involve just plopping stickers you have anywhere. But once you start getting a few days in, it’s possible to actually create little scenes. The text portion of the card automatically updates with new energy costs and effects as you do. Images via Utu Studios As for the card battles themselves, I think they’re okay right now? Your goal is to prepare your cards and deck for major fights each week. Instead of a typical Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon TCG style combat system, it’s more about… well… looking cool! The goal is for the cards you play to be more impressive than your opponents, and as a result build up a multiplier that causes the bar at the top to make them more in awe of what you have than the reverse. Different effects can take effect and, depending on your decisions and toys (artifacts/accessories), can help mitigate possible disadvantages. At the moment, it almost feels a little unbalanced in some ways. (There are certain stickers that almost deal too much of a penalty on an opponent when played.) I think the core concepts and idea behind My Card is Better than Your Card already feels very creative and cool even in this early build. I also like the idea of the battle system. I think maybe there needs to be some extra rebalancing in terms of stickers and toys to keep things from feeling too broken. Of course, more content would be great too, but we know that’s on the way. There’s real potential here. My Card is Better than Your Card is in early access on Steam for PCs. The post Preview: My Card Is Better Than Your Card Prioritizes Making Cool Cards appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraOct 20

Review: Battle Suit Aces Has Gundam Vibes I love how well-rounded Gundam can be, as we end up with fantastic character development, social and political commentary, and incredibly cool mechs, and I’m delighted to report that playing Battle Suit Aces leaves me with the same sort of feeling as watching one of those anime series. The execution of its story in episodic chunks, lore surrounding the suits, dynamics between members of the team, and way in which we’re playing out these mech battles with customized card decks feels like a love letter to types of storytelling and designs we’d see from Sunrise. Heathcliff and his friend Felix were generally living in peace, with the former even about to adopt some kids and start a family. That dream dies when mysterious aliens known as the Frenzied attack the planet. However, it’s because of that instance that the duo find what might be a means of fighting back. An ancient, extinct race known as the Pholians, which were wiped out by these Frenzied hunting down their energy, left behind relics and Relic Suit mechs. Heathcliff and Felix find one known as the Blue Crest. After bringing their find to the attention of the authorities, Heathcliff finds himself leading a new initiative known as Patchworks, with a growing crew on the USS Zephyr dedicated into investigating the Relic Suits, learning more about the Pholians, and fighting the Frenzied across the galaxy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-ikbStW5Gc While Battle Suit Aces is a card game that involves recruiting pilot cards and collecting Drone and Command Captain ones to fight in battles against aliens and other opponents, the execution of the story embraces concepts from anime. Missions and portions of the plot follow an episodic style structure, complete with one of the voice actors for the crew members reading the titles for that segment out ahead of each one. While there are supplemental side quests for extra materials and faction points during each and opportunities to craft or speak with people on the ship during each part, meaning they might not always feel short, it helps with maintaining a flow and allowing opportunities for natural breaks. Since some of these segments can be more lighthearted, such as sparring with members of a faction who might help you learn more about the Relic Suits and improve them or attending a starball, as well as more serious, it lends itself to idea of feeling like full seasons or cours rather than one straightforward campaign. The nature of the Battle Suit Aces characters and their relationships, as well as how they handle piloting suits, gave me Gundam vibes as well. There are serious undertones running through things, what with Heathcliff’s peaceful hopes dashed as the series begins, Felix being an enthusiastic pilot with an unexpected and immediate connection to the Blue Crest, and the wide range of personalities and experiences with these individuals. The dynamics between individuals are interesting and aren’t surface-level, as we start to actually investigate folks’ paths and see how some do (or don’t) always get along with one another. Once we get to recruitment, the situations usually involve multiple individuals and not being able to be get everyone we want, so you really need to pick and then see what they bring between battles. Images via Trinket Studios That sort of relationship almost seems mirrored in the actual battles themselves. The pilots and their suits feel like the main priority, due to the amount of health they have, damage they can deal, ways they attack, and special skills they unleash. For example, Yan is in the U-TECH2 and, when she attacks, deals damage to the card directly opposing her and the enemy life bar. Considering your goal is to lay out your five cards in the five spots ahead of you, moving when needed, to block enemy shots and vice versa, that’s handy for wiping out a minion and working on decreasing your main opponent’s HP so you can win. Daciana and Jaeger both do AOE attacks against groups of enemies with the U-TANK20 and U-JET8. Meanwhile, Felix is a heavy hitter with the Blue Crest and also comes with rather high HP. And if you get Mirabell from the Tvashtr Suitsmiths Faction, then when she attacks she’ll grant armor to allies nearby to help with survivability. Depending on who you deploy, their skills and natures can help support each other and determine your strategies. Drones, meanwhile, are less powerful placeholders who can keep attacks from getting through an empty spot and deal some damage, while played Captain Command cards can immediately attack. The fights in Battle Suit Aces will feel familiar if you’ve played similar sorts of strategic card games in the past. Every match starts with the player and their opponent each having 30 health and five slots for cards in front of them. Cards are played in these positions. You gain energy each turn, and each card’s attack will need some to be used. So not everyone deployed will take action that turn, but simply by existing in a space might be blocking an enemy attack and protecting your overall health. After an opponent’s turn, however, the strength icon for their cards that will attack on their next turn will be highlighted so you will know where to block. Your goal is to survive each round and whittle down your enemy’s health until they are defeated. Images via Trinket Studios What surprised me about Battle Suit Aces, in a good way mind you,is that it doesn’t hold back! While the first two battles are tutorial ones that go rather easy on you, the one against the Frong Queen is genuinely tricky! It’s designed to help you learn how pilots can work well together, with Daciana and Belmot facing off against hostile native creatures, and it helps set the tone that yes, this is a game that requires you to be smart. It’s not uneven in any way. I feel like it’s a good challenge though that rewards you for playing pilots and drones that complement each other. I also didn’t expect as much customization as there is in Battle Suit Aces . As you go through fights both in mainline missions and optional assignments, you get materials you can use in the Workshop. These can be used in suit mod slots, which can be opened up immediately or by completing specific ambitions for allies with certain actions in fights, to offer bonuses or even passives. This allows you to really play into strategies you enjoy most by improving the pilots you feel work best with your approaches. And things like the optional battles and Sim Chamber let you test that. Likewise, if you do put extra time in on bonus missions, you see your Faction points grow and more recruit options open up to bolster your deck. I appreciate the execution in Battle Suit Aces and how it prioritizes characters and stories, resulting in a game that reminds me of Gundam series in the best ways. The card-based combat system encourages investment in factions and incentivizes additional missions so you can build up your characters. It also sends you into battles that can make you think, even early on, so it feels genuinely satisfying when you discover card combinations that work for you. I really appreciate the story it tells and how Trinket Studios told it. Battle Suit Aces will come to the Switch, PS5, and PC on October 7, 2025 . The post Review: Battle Suit Aces Has Gundam Vibes appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraOct 7

Review: Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Is as Enjoyable as All-Stars Racing Transformed For a series known for speed, it’s amazing that we aren’t always guaranteed that the Sonic the Hedgehog racing games are great. (I mean, consider what happened with entries like Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity !) Sega’s been doing better in recent years, with Sonic & All-Stars Racing kart racing line being very solid and even Team Sonic Racing having its moments. With Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds , we get another solid kart racer that feels like it prioritizes offering a wide range of characters and carts. As a kart racer, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds features the sorts of single and multiplayer modes folks might expect from this type of game. The Grand Prix is best compared to the same one found in Mario Kart entries, with each of the seven Cups consisting of four races, and people able to play alone or in local co-op. Also like Mario Kart, selecting the speed is setting the difficulty. A Rival will appear during these, tasking you with “besting” them. Time Trials are also available, to set records on specific runs. You can also head to the Race Park to complete specific Double Team and Triple Team challenges that help with unlocking stuff. As for multiplayer traditional races, there is the ranked World Match and a more casual online Friend Match. Cross-platform racing is present here, which is appreciated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V4aYlM1U4M Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds starts with a strong impression. While the first run walls you off from selections, Sega made the decision to ensure everything is just there for you right away. Considering a major focus is being able to choose the character, customize the cart, and choose a loadout of boosts, it’s very welcome. Seeing 23 folks right away is handy. Also, while the Season Pass does mean there are about 20 more characters and additional carts, emotes, and tracks, and extras, I appreciate that many of those are crossover ones. So if you don’t care about Mega Man, Minecraft, Spongebob, or Pac-Man and are here for the Sonic and Sega/Atlus series characters, it’s no big loss. Once you select who you want to be, selecting what you want to drive comes up. While characters fall into categories like Acceleration, Boost, Handling, Power, and Speed, the vehicle you select also influences your performance. While these also fall into categories, you can also adjust front parts, rear parts, and tires to further influence things. Paint, decals, different horns, and aura can also be added. (Some of these do need to be acquired via tickets, which you can earn.) So this is both about altering what it is like when you race and visual preferences. There’s also the Gadget Plate. You can use this to apply certain buffs or bonuses as you race, with additional slots unlocking as you play. You can equip panels that do things like help with charging, keeps you from dropping items, lets you hold more items, get boost support, and other perks. It can help you compensate for things you feel you do better or worse as you race, or let you lean into your strengths, in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re making things too easy for yourself. However, the downside is that the playing field doesn’t feel as level if someone has six Gadget Plate slots open and someone locally comes up and needs to make do with two. It’s a fun concept, but I worry it can make things a little more uneven when you aren’t against AI. Images via Sega Once you’re in a race, there are certain elements that set Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds apart from other kart racers. At its core, it involves traditional car-like vehicles going around courses and using drift mechanics and collected items to hamper enemies and help yourself. This is changed up a bit by Travel Ring portals appearing on courses that briefly take you to other locations from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. (Or, if you get DLC, other games.) It changes things up in a way that’s typically fun and visually impressive! However, the current leader decides whether you go to a predetermined place or random one, and I wish there was more of an opportunity for others to weigh in or more variety there. Another downside is that I sort of feel like the opportunities that take us into the sky or through the water don’t feel as consistently fun as ones on solid land. These excursions aren’t like the airborne segments in Mario Kart that happen for a few seconds. You can be going for a few minutes and it involves a whole different type of skillset and sense of nuance to do well on water or in the air. If they were shorter, I’d think they add to the idea of exploring other levels. But it would really throw me off, even after hours of playing, to suddenly need to adapt to flying through the air or on top of waves. The Rivals system is the other unique feature in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, and I find someone’s mileage may vary when experiencing it. This is a situation in which rubber-banding can hit you hard and you can be exceptionally skilled, but still lose due to that virtual opponent getting “lucky.” At least if you can manage to beat the rival, you’re also pretty much guaranteed to get first place. The nature of it meant that even if I didn’t, I was still far ahead of the other NPC racers in Grand Prix. Images via Sega Finally, I will say that, while I enjoyed Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds , those playing on handheld gaming PCs might need to fiddle with the settings to get it looking and running well. I played on a Lenovo Legion Go and, while it definitely runs fine, the nature of the system and game meant it didn’t look as good as it would on a more powerful desktop or laptop. But like Sega said, it is Steam Deck verified and does work well! It just might need a bit of finessing to look as good as possible on your system. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is a solid kart racer that I feel I enjoyed as much as recent Sonic & All-Stars Racing games. There’s a great selection of characters and tons of vehicle customization options, which are great. The nature of the Rivals and Travel Rings systems also makes it feel different than similar titles such as Mario Kart World. I do worry the Gadget Plate unlocking element might make it a little unfair when playing co-op locally, and some of the water and air racing might not feel as fantastic as the standard racing. It’s still quite impressive and leaves a great impression. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, and it will also eventually appear on the Switch 2. The post Review: Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Is as Enjoyable as All-Stars Racing Transformed appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraOct 6