Game Infliction, Author at Game Infliction

Final Fantasy 16 Endgame Activities Include New Game+ and Its Most Difficult Challenges

Square Enix has begun detailing the endgame activities that Final Fantasy 16 players will be able to look forward to after they finish the main story, and they include New Game+ and the game’s most difficult challenges.

As reported by Game Informer, one of the biggest draws of New Game+ is the addition of a new harder difficulty setting called Final Fantasy Mode. Alongside allowing you to bring over all of your abilities and gear from your first playthrough like most New Game+ modes, this new difficulty setting will also change monster placement and will see them showing up in different parts of the game to keep you on your toes.

“The main design philosophy is that the first playthrough is about learning Clive, learning the controls, and then enjoying the story,” Final Fantasy 16 combat director Ryota Suzuki says. “The second playthrough, we want to shift that focus – because the story hasn’t changed – to the action. For example, in Story Mode, while players may encounter waves of enemies, a lot of times, enemies don’t attack at once to allow players to be able to handle everything. In the harder modes of the game, we have removed these limitations so that you have multiple enemies all attacking Clive at the same time.

“Basically, what we’ve done with [Final Fantasy] Mode is give players controlling Clive the sense that they’re always in danger, that death is around the corner, and that you’ll need to really, really pay attention to be able to clear the content.”

The Most Difficult Challenges in Final Fantasy 16 Wait for Players in the Chronolith Trials and Ultimaniac Mode

Final Fantasy Mode will also let players upgrade their weapons beyond what was possible in the first run through the story, will let them upgrade accessories for the first time, and will let them try out the Final Chronolith Trials.

As for what these Chronolith Trials are, they are the “most difficult challenge in FFXVI,” according to Final Fantasy 16 creative director Hiroshi Takai. Players will need to make it through multiple stages that feature four waves of enemies that will each be harder than the last. The final round will pit a terrifying boss against the player.

If that wasn’t enough, these trials are timed and will see players attempting to earn more time by performing certain moves and combos and completing objectives. Oh, and there is no healing in these trials besides the healing that comes with activating a Limit Break.

Continuing with the big focus that Final Fantasy 16 places on Eikons, these Chronolith Trials will each be based on one. Game Informer got to see Phoenix’s Trial by Fire, and it only gave players access to Phoenix’s Eikonic abilities. This obviously makes things more tricky as normal battles let you mix and match abilities from all those you’ve gained from the Eikons you’ve encountered.

Arcade Mode will also get a difficulty bump in New Game+’s Final Fantasy Mode. For those unfamiliar, Arcade Mode allows for previous stages to be replayed with an on-screen score calculator and combat grader. If Final Fantasy Mode’s challenge isn’t enough for you, there will also be an Ultimaniac Mode that is even tougher.

Arcade Mode’s global leaderboard will only be active in either Final Fantasy Mode or Ultimaniac Mode, and the global leaderboard for the Chronolith Trials will only be active in Final Fantasy Mode.

If a harder difficulty isn’t your cup noodles, you’ll be happy to know you can simply play Final Fantasy 16’s New Game+ in the standard Story or Action modes for a less stressful experience.

Final Fantasy 16 will be released on PlayStation 5 on June 22, 2023. For more, check out our most recent hands-on preview, our breakdown of the Final Fantasy 16 Showcase, and how Final Fantasy could potentially get rid of numbers from its titles.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Poll: Will You Be Updating Your Copy Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?

Go on, tell us!

At the end of last week, Nintendo rolled out Version 1.1.2 for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – with early player reports seemingly confirming certain item duplication glitches have been patched.

Fortunately, for anyone who did want to keep performing these glitches, there’s an easy solution where you can simply disable the system’s “automatic software updates”. And then every time you boot up the game, you just skip the option to download the new patch.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

(For Southeast Asia) Backbone One – PlayStation Edition launches on Android today

Today, we are thrilled to announce that Backbone One – PlayStation Edition, an officially licensed smartphone controller, is now available for both iOS and Android users internationally.

The reception we received when we recently announced Backbone One – PlayStation Edition for iOS has been incredibly exciting. We’ve seen many gamers take advantage of the PS Remote Play app feature, enabling gamers to play PS4 and PS5 games streamed from the console with the Backbone One – PlayStation Edition while they are out and about or anywhere in the home.* It has quickly become one of the most popular gaming features on the BackBone platform.

We’ve heard repeatedly from Android users asking for the same best-in-class gaming experience, so we’re excited to now offer Backbone One PlayStation Edition for Android as well.

We’ve closely collaborated with the PlayStation team on the look and feel of Backbone One – PlayStation Edition for Android. The colors, materials and finishes are all inspired by the design of the DualSense wireless controller, including the transparent face buttons. It matches the look of the PS5 console, and if you already own the Pulse 3D wireless headset, you can connect it directly to your Backbone One via its 3.5mm headphone jack.

The latest update to the PS Remote Play app on Google Play allows for easy setup and play with Backbone One – PlayStation Edition. If you have access to broadband internet and a PS5 or PS4 console, plug an iPhone or Android device into the Backbone One and instantly start playing your PS5 and PS4 games with the power of the PS Remote Play app — whether that’s out and about or even elsewhere in the home*. See the PlayStation Remote Play website for more information.

When using the PlayStation App, players can double-tap the Options button on Backbone One – PlayStation Edition to easily access the app. Additionally, the latest PlayStation App update will also support controller-based navigation in landscape orientation to optimize the user experience.

Available games may differ by region.

Backbone One also works wonderfully with Google Play and App Store games as well as other game streaming services that support controllers, and may be used with games like Call of Duty: Mobile, Fortnite, Diablo Immortal, and more.

Players can download the Backbone App for a customized PlayStation experience. Inside the app, you’ll see various PlayStation integrations such as custom glyphs representing the iconic PlayStation shapes, and the ability to browse hundreds of game titles. The Backbone app on Android brings all your games into one place, including app store games and supported game streaming services. Players will also find a dedicated row inside the Backbone App with new releases and updates from PlayStation.

Finally, Backbone One PlayStation Edition will soon be available in Japan. For Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, it will be available two weeks after Japan release date, in addition to existing availability in the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.

Here is the Backbone One PlayStation Edition recommended retail pricing for the following territories:

Malaysia : MYR 495.00
Philippines: PHP 5,759.00
Korea: KRW 149,000
Taiwan: TWD 3,590.00

We hope Android owners will enjoy the PlayStation App, PS Remote Play experience and mobile native games with the Backbone One – PlayStation Edition. Visit PlayStation Support to find out more about how to set up Backbone One – PlayStation Edition for Android for use with PS Remote Play on Android and other compatible devices.

*A PS4 or PS5 console, the PS Remote Play App and an account for PlayStation Network are required to stream your games to other devices. PS Remote Play can be used with a mobile data connection or Wi-Fi. Broadband internet with at least 5Mbps is required. For a better PS Remote Play experience, a high-speed connection of at least 15Mbps is recommended using either Wi-Fi or mobile data connection. Titles that require PS VR, PS VR2, or other peripherals such as PlayStation camera are not compatible with PS Remote Play. Availability of DualSense features such as audio output and haptic effects vary when using PS Remote Play on Android, PC, Mac, iPhone or iPad, and some features may not be available.

(For Southeast Asia) Backbone One – PlayStation Edition launches on Android today

The Witcher 3 Sales Officially Cross 50 Million

CD Projekt Red has revealed that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has sold over 50 million copies worldwide.

Furthermore, CD Projekt Red also confirmed that the series as a whole has surpassed 75 million copies sold. This includes 2007’s The Witcher, 2011’s The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, and 2015’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

The School of the Wolf is growing! ? Over 50 million people joined Geralt of Rivia on his Path of finding Ciri and defeating the Wild Hunt!
Thank you for your enormous support over the years! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lhMHmgF34z
— The Witcher (@witchergame) May 29, 2023

CD Projekt Red is currently working on several games in The Witcher series, including Project Polaris, which is presumably The Witcher 4. It likely won’t be released until 2025 at the earliest as it only entered pre-production in March 2022. The studio is also working on a remake of the first Witcher game and has confirmed that it will feature an open world.

The Flame in the Flood developer Molasses Flood is also working on a separate game in the franchise called Project Sirius. However, its development was recently reset and has a new multiplayer framework.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was first released in 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions recently launched in December 2022.

In IGN’s The Witcher 3 review, we said, “Even if the plot isn’t terribly interesting, the many characters who play a part in it are, and along with the excellent combat and RPG gameplay, they elevate The Witcher 3 to a plane few other RPGs inhabit.”

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

Get Noctua’s premium NF-P12 case fans for £12.95 each at Amazon UK

Noctua’s fans are legendary in the PC space, offering exceptional performance and reliability in a love-it-or-hate-it brown and beige colourway. Their premier 120mm fan is the NF-P12, and this model has now been discounted to £12.95 at Amazon UK. That’s a lot to pay for a single fan, but these fans normally cost double – think upwards of £22 for a single fan! – so this is actually a heck of a bargain.

Soapbox: Pokémon Desperately Needs A Rival, But Who’s Big Enough To Take It On?

Time to steal some of Pikachu’s pie.

Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they’ve been chewing over. Today, Lowell considers how Pokémon could do with a rival to keep it hungry, and who might be able to step up…

When Pokémon Sword and Shield brought Pikachu and friends to a home console for the first time in all-new mainline Pokémon game, I remember many – myself included – excused the game’s faults. I attributed the exclusion of hundreds of Pokémon, some textures and animations straight out of the GameCube era, and an absurd, unfinished narrative to Game Freak’s lack of experience designing a fully 3D, semi-open world. Surely, I thought, one of the most renowned gaming series in history would get it right next time. And to some extent they did with Pokémon Legends: Arceus. I still consider it the best Pokémon game since Black 2 and White 2.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Bringing the Tabletop to Life in Dice Legacy: Definitive Edition

It’s a challenge to bring systems together to fit perfectly with one another! Each one has to be carefully balanced, considering the changes other systems bring, and what the addition of each additional system affects. Our unique, dice-based survival city builder, Dice Legacy sits directly in the middle of this careful balance, putting the controlled ‘random number generation’ aspect of its titular dice at the true center of it all. It’s this innovative design that won Dice Legacy its “Most Original Game of Gamescom 2021” award. With the additional scenarios, DLC, and gamepad support brought to Xbox by the Definitive Edition – which is out now for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One – players can put their strategic mettle to the test.

The dice represent your people, starting out as Peasant Dice and given general tasks they’re able to perform. Along the way, you’ll elevate them to different classes with specific functions, sacrifice them, forge new and empowered dice, and even ascend them for use in new playthroughs. While a dice roll is an iconic example of chance, you choose how they’re utilized, which faces to lock in, and tipping the chances for each die as you assign them a class.

As your people, they need to be protected and provided for as the cold of winter sets in and raiders strike into your lands; at the same time, their happiness must be balanced, as well. Your domain’s expansion will cost resources and take decision-making, and both can come at the cost of your peoples’ happiness – ignore them at your own peril.

Building your domain means building structures, from the first cookhouses to the mysterious concoctions of the laboratory. Each structure serves your domain, starting by gathering basic resources and progressing onwards to establish and enhance your kingdom. While growing your population and level of technology advances your reach and potential, the resources required also increase in quantity and rarity. Mismanaging them can spell doom for your attempt, but lessons learned (and dice ascended) can be brought into the next run for you to apply as you see fit!

Players can expect to further challenge themselves with the content included in the Definitive Edition! Brace for wild turns of weather, discover hidden memories throughout the land to help (or hurt) you, and placate the demands of an up-in-arms populace at the risk of being overthrown. Additionally, the Definitive Edition includes the Corrupted Fates DLC, where players will discover the ethereal corruption that lies at the heart of their kingdom. Choose whether to wield it to your own ends, stamp it out, or succumb to it.

Ruling a kingdom is a fine balance between riches and ruin, and Dice Legacy: Definitive Edition puts your leadership to the test. Your defenses, your people, and your resource management all must be tended to regularly, and each of these is tied into the success or failure of the others. When they work in harmony, you are prepared to face any challenge that arrives at your doorstep, and the ringworld has many to offer. Will you masterfully strike out into this new land, or will your fledgling kingdom burn?

Dice Legacy Definitive Edition

DESTINYbit, Amplifier Game Invest

☆☆☆☆☆
1

★★★★★

$19.99

$15.99

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Experience Gamescom’s Most Original Game of 2021 in its Definitive Edition.

In this dice-based survival city builder, you roll and use your dice to gather resources, construct buildings, expand your settlement and face the menacing threats of a mysterious ringworld.

Your dice are your people. Allocate them to jobs, keep them happy and healthy by providing food, ale and medicinal herbs. Assign them classes to gather resources, fight enemies, and develop your domain. Prevent starvation and sickness from spreading through your realm and prevent your dice from freezing in the unforgiving cold of the winter blizzard.

Manage the happiness of your people as you grow your realm from its humble beginnings, building structures to care for the classes while allocating your resources. Pass Policies proposed by the Council, balancing improvements to your society against the happiness of the various classes.

Explore an uncharted continent, interact with its strange inhabitants and face the wrath of a mysterious population. Upgrade and empower your dice, forge them together to create mighty Constructs, research forbidden technologies and discover the secrets of the Ring.

The Complete Dice Legacy Experience

Dice Legacy Definitive Edition includes all the content and scenarios from the original Dice Legacy release plus the three major updates: Memories, Forging a Realm and A Storm is Coming as well as the Corrupted Fates expansion pack.

If you think writers should use AI you’re a giant idiot loser

Today is another out of sync Bank Holiday for me. It’s not one in Ireland, so I’m the only one rattling around in here at the moment. And it occurs to me that the vast, vast, vast majority of you will never have met me in real life. The evidence that I exist in physical space is comparatively minimal! How do you know I’m not an AI? An AI could probably replicate my writing style quite thoroughly, because there are at present many thousands of my – mine, my own – words on the internet, and they and everything else have and are being scraped by AI. This thought process is as a result of a few AI things intersecting with my workspace at once recently. Several of them are quite funny, and also not. If you think AI tools are actually good for writers then I have to assume you don’t really think much about either.

Random: Use A Portable Pot To Take Your Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Builds To The Next Level

Cooking on gas.

Just three weeks in, we are starting to get the feeling that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of those games that’s going to keep blowing our minds for years to come. For example, we have just today seen that the Portable Pot (a Zonai device that we have stumbled across multiple times in our travels so far) can in fact be used as a handy tool in vehicle customisation.

We had assumed that the device is best used for cooking heart-boosting meals and ability-granting elixirs, but oh how naive we were. It turns out that by flipping the Zonai kit on its side, it perfectly replicates a ball and socket joint, lending your vehicle builds a handy amount of flexibility.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

How Alone in the Dark Brought David Harbour and Jodie Comer Together for the Return of the Survival Horror Classic

October 25 marks the release of Alone in the Dark, a twisted reimagining of the game that gave birth to the survival horror genre. To bring their new, nightmarish vision to life with the ferocity it deserves, Pieces Interactive turned to two modern greats in David Harbour and Jodie Comer to play their dual protagonists. As Detective Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood, David and Jodie brought the same intensity to their first ever video game roles as they have to some of their best known appearances across stage and screen.

No matter which character you choose at the beginning of Alone in the Dark, you’ll experience the whole adventure through an unforgettable performance from one of Hollywood’s most talented actors. While both characters go through the same events, Emily and Edward will react differently to their environment, and each have unique story moments. They both possess strong, individual personalities and histories, and Derceto Manor’s residents will treat them accordingly – playing the game through twice is a must.

David brings his unmistakable presence to his portrayal of Edward, with Xbox’s next-generation hardware capturing every brooding expression and dark glare. In making the role his own, David also injected a distinct humour into the troubled detective’s attempts to ward off the horrors that lurk in Derceto Manor. Alone in the Dark’s classic noir genre trappings and disturbing setting attracted David to the role:

“He’s a gruff detective, and he’s searching for something – he’s hard-boiled, but he’s got some humour to him. He’ s a bit of a trope, or a type, and I liked that – I liked the world, and how he’s exploring this insanity, amidst all this horror.”

Jodie’s ability to become totally absorbed in her roles has rightfully netted her Olivier, BAFTA, and Emmy awards, and she brings that same tour de force power to becoming Emily Hartwood. From her quiet fear of the Hartwood family curse consuming her, to explosive desperation in the pursuit of her missing uncle Jeremy, Jodie’s nuanced characterisation of Emily is at once terrifying and heartbreaking.

“I loved the mystery of the game, I loved the picture of her. There’s a lot of fear within her, and a lot of speculation, and curiosity, dread, intrigue. There’s a lot about her that’s kind of on edge.”

Awakening Alone in the Dark‘s long-dormant terror meant assembling a crack team of horror gaming’s best, and this started with Creative Director and Writer Mikael Hedberg, the mind behind the macabre worlds of Amnesia and SOMA. Joined by long-time Guillermo Del Toro collaborator Guy Davis – contributing creature designs – and doom-jazz legend Jason Köhnen – helping shape the game’s oppressive atmosphere – the team creating Alone in the Dark are dedicated to creating a game that’s at once a faithful recreation for fans and an accessible entry point for players new to the series.

There are still surprises to come between now and October, but you don’t have to wait that long. You can get your first taste of the torment that awaits in Derceto today for free, with the Alone in the Dark Prologue, and pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition for access to the Derceto 1992 Costume Pack, Vintage Horror Filter Pack, and Director’s Commentary with Mikael Hedberg.

Alone in the Dark

THQ Nordic

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

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Psychological Horror meets Southern Gothic in this reimagination of the classic survival horror game, Alone in the Dark

This love letter to the ground-breaking original lets you experience a haunting story through the eyes of one of two protagonists. Play as either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood and explore your environments, fight monsters, solve puzzles and uncover the uneasy truth of Derceto Manor…

Deep in the 1920’s south, Emily Hartwood’s uncle has gone missing. Together with private investigator Edward Carnby, she embarks on a journey to Derceto Manor, a home for the mentally ill where something is lurking. You’ll encounter strange residents, nightmarish realms, dangerous monsters and ultimately uncover a plot of rising evil. At the intersection of reality, mystery, and insanity, an adventure waits that will challenge your core beliefs. Who can you trust, what will you believe, and what will you do next?

See Emily and Edward brought to live by the Hollywood talent of Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, Free Guy) and David Harbour (Stranger Things, Black Widow), who lend their voices, their appearance, and their formidable acting skills to the protagonists

Alone in the Dark Prologue

THQ Nordic

☆☆☆☆☆
73

★★★★★

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Alone in the Dark Prologue is an atmospheric Playable Teaser for the upcoming re-imagination of Alone in the Dark – the game which gave birth to the survival horror genre.

One of Derceto’s residents, Jeremy Hartwood, has been acting strange lately. He asks Grace to do one simple thing – help him deliver a letter to his niece, Emily Hartwood. She seems to be the only one capable of understanding the otherworldly horrors plaguing Jeremy’s mind.

Grace agrees and embarks on a short yet memorable trip through a wing of Derceto Manor, invaded by a presence which appears to have emerged from the dark depths of the Bayou…

Pre-order the full game here.