Following in the footsteps of other visual novels like VA-11 HALL-A and Coffee Talk, Tavern Talk places you behind the counter of a medieval fantasy inn where you'll meet and serve a gaggle of adventuring customers. You'll hand out quests, as well as advice and drinks, influencing how various stories will play out from behind the counter of your cozy bar. While the tropes and motifs are well worn, they're also fairly well-executed and the game as a whole avoids slipping from "wholesome" to "cloying" as some of its fellow travelers do, even if it can play it a bit too safe at times.

Tavern Talk is primarily a visual novel during which you also have to serve drinks to your patrons, brewed from a number of stat-boosting ingredients. These start out simple enough. A patron asks for something to boost their strength, and you make the drink with a lot of the strength ingredient. Naturally the difficulty increases as you unlock more recipes and the requests get less obvious, but the game also mixes things up with the quest system. As the natural hub for adventurers in the region, your tavern also serves as a place for people to post missions (or for you to post ones pieced together from a the ramblings or rumors you pick up). Other patrons can then pick up these quests, but before they go they will often ask for a drink for the road. Whichever drink you serve can alter how they go about completing the quest and whether they succeed.

It's serviceable, but rarely challenging. Even with the addition of infusions, you rarely need to make more than the odd adjustment to a recipe. The entire time, I kept thinking back to a Honkai: Star Rail event called "Vignettes in a Cup," which had a similar, but slightly more involved, drink-mixing minigame that served as a more substantial puzzle. That said, you could make a good argument that a more complex system would only slow this game down and keep players from getting to the real draw: the characters.

Tavern Talk features a robust gallery of rogues (or fighters, or clerics, or... detectives), and each feels like they could be someone's player character. There's a grumpy dwarf that has no time for worldbuilding and wants to get on with the game, the stuffy cleric that rigidly obeys their alignment, and a changeling with the most rancid vibes I've ever seen. They bounce off each other well too, and sometimes buddy-up with interesting results. The edgy rogue and the optimistic kitten were a fun pair, as was the anxious elf taking charge of the imposing warrior woman. Their interactions also helped sell me on the setting, which I otherwise found to be fairly typical high fantasy fluff. The more I saw of how they talked about the world at large, the more lived in it felt.

Patrons can even bring back decorations they find on quests to spruce up your bar, though you don't get to place or customize them yourself. It's also a nice touch that Tavern Talk lets you open up a logbook at any time to read a bio on all your regulars, including their class and alignment. That last part was actually interesting to observe in the dialogue, as there were more than a few times I found characters agreeing (or perhaps, aligning) on certain topics despite having vastly different personalities. I usually despise the Dungeons and Dragons alignment system as limited and limiting, but here it felt less obtrusive and more like a consistency.

My biggest criticism of Tavern Talk is just that it doesn't really step too far outside that cozy comfort zone to re-evaluate things. To bring back a previous reference, VA-11 HALL-A (for all its problematic elements) used its 'worms-eye view' to show a different side of its cyberpunk setting, where you rarely have all the answers about whats going on and can do precious little when something happens to your friends and colleagues. It made the rapport you built with your regulars more meaningful, and in the end it felt like you had fostered a community that could mutually assist each other against the horrors of corporate dystopia. I never quite got that same feeling with Tavern Talk despite it hitting similar notes, or perhaps even because you have that little bit more agency in the story.

That's not to say the game fails, in fact Tavern Talk accomplishes everything it sets out to do: it has coziness in spades and plenty of entertaining characters to encounter. If you enjoy a gentle ride and the odd tabletop RPG, Tavern Talk will feel like ordering a favorite drink from your regular watering hole. It won't challenge you, but it might be just what you need to refresh after a long day.

Tavern Talk is immediately available on PC and Nintendo Switch.

The post Review: Tavern Talk Is Comfy, But Not Very Adventurous appeared first on Siliconera.

TechRadar reported that it seems UK-based chain store GAME will no longer be accepting pre-orders for games in-store, though they can still be placed via the company's online store. Existing pre-orders set to release before January 31, 2025 will still be honored, but all others are to be issued refunds. [Thanks, Eurogamer and TechRadar!]

Apparently the announcement came from an internal staff memo, and it has yet to appear on the company's social media accounts and site. Sources that spoke to both TechRadar and Eurogamer suggested the change is a result of plans to install new till (cash register) systems in store, intended to bring them in line with other companies owned by the Frasers group that acquired GAME back in 2019. Allegedly, the new "Enactor" tills are unable to process specific services GAME was known to provide, such as rewards cards, trade-ins, and sales of pre-owned games, and so the company has decided to discontinue the services.

GAME retail stores will apparently no longer be accepting in store pre-orders, though the company hasn't made any official announcements online yet. If things proceed as reports suggest, pre-orders set to release before January 31, 2025 will be honored, but orders for games releasing after or with unconfirmed release dates will be refunded.

The post GAME Stores Apparently About to Stop Accepting Pre-orders appeared first on Siliconera.

A suite of new tools are now available to Zenless Zone Zero players over on HoYoverse's HoYolab website. The tools include access to the wiki, character and account information, and a daily check-in rewards tracker.

Potentially the most useful feature of the 1.0 version of the toolset is the ability to check your level of Battery Charge (the game's stamina system) and the completion of certain daily tasks like scratch cards. Players will also be able to check the status and level of their characters and Bangboo, or browse the official wiki to see their full moveset and other details. There is also a reward track for daily log-ins similar to those for other HoYoverse games like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, with extra polychrome awarded for new players.

To commemorate the launch of the game, several manga artists such as Masakazu Katsura and Mizuki Yoda drew its characters in their own styles. HoYoverse also recently announced fixes for several issues from typo's to progression-blocking bugs.

Zenless Zone Zero itself is readily available on PC, PS5, and mobile devices. Several tools for Zenless Zone Zero players are now available via HoYolab.

The post Zenless Zone Zero Tools Launch on HoYolab appeared first on Siliconera.

The newest SSR to arrive in the worldwide version of Fate/Grand Order is a version of Tsukihime heroine Arcueid Brunestud, known as Archetype: Earth. She is available to pull for on the 7th anniversary banner up until July 16, 2024.

The character originally released on the Japanese version of FGO back in 2022 as part of the game's 7th anniversary celebrations, but has only just come to the global version because it runs approximately two years behind. The gacha banner for Archetype: Earth began on July 6, 2024, and is set to remain available until July 16, 2024. Arcueid appears as the Moon Cancer class, and she will be joined on her banner by the SR Alter Ego Xu Fu. Several craft essences like King of the Seraph and Hunter's Dream will also be available before they and Xu Fu are added to the permanent banners.

You can get a look at SSR Archetype: Earth's attack animations and Noble Phantasm via the Youtube video below:

Meanwhile on the Japanese server, the new SSR Alter Ego character(s) Azumi no Isora were revealed back in June, 2024. That month also saw a new key visual revealed for the upcoming Fate/Stay Night remaster.

The Fate/Grand Order 7th Anniversary Archetype: EARTH Pickup Summon featuring Arcueid Brunestud will be available until July 16, 2024. Fate/Grand Order is available now for mobile devices worldwide.

The post Arcueid From Tsukihime Joins Fate/Grand Order appeared first on Siliconera.

FFXIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida issued a statement over a known issue with the game's lighting system in player housing areas. A fix is expected by Patch 7.05, which is expected to arrive around the end of July 2024.

The issue appears to have been caused by the updates to the lighting system that arrived with FFXIV patch 7.0, with reports of player housing areas being too dark at high levels and too bright at low levels. In the statement, Yoshida begins by apologizing and promising a fix by Patch 7.05. He then explains that while the team wants to make the new system match the old one as much as possible, players will likely still need to rearrange things to get the lighting exactly as they want it.

This isn't the first issue the new expansion and 7.0 has faced, and the frequency of bugs has led to Yoshida and Square Enix giving out free game time to players as an apology. The company also recently announced a suite of adjustments for various classes in the game, including the new Pictomancer and Viper.

A fix for the Final Fantasy XIV lighting issues in player housing is expected by Patch 7.05, roughly scheduled for the end of July, 2024. The game itself, along with the new Dawntrail expansion, are readily available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox

The post FFXIV Housing Lighting Issues to be Fixed by Patch 7.05 appeared first on Siliconera.

Developer HoYoverse shared the 4.8 Genshin Impact release date and released two new trailers previewing the upcoming nation of Natlan, as well as content coming in the July 17, 2024 update. Natlan appears to be inspired by South American and Indigenous Australian cultural motifs, while 4.8 will see players enter the toy-themed dreamworld of Simulanka.

The trailer for Natlan shows a new, possibly Geo element, character being chased by bandits through the map. Along the way, she encounters two other characters, one who is likely of the Hydro element and rides a shark and another who could be an Anemo or possibly Dendro unit.

The trailer for the Genshin Impact 4.8 update, on the other hand, shows off the previously teased Fontaine perfumer Emilie and the environment of Simulanka, which is planned to be a time-limited map. Kirara and Nilou are also set to get new outfits in the update, which is titled "Summertide Scales and Tales." Kirara's will be available to earn for free while Nilou's will be paid.

You can watch the Genshin Impact preview trailer for Natlan here:

And the trailer for Version 4.8 below:

In June 2024, a trailer for new character Sigewinne appeared ahead of her debut in Genshin Impact itself. Pre-orders also became available for a new figure of Hu Tao.

There is currently no release date for the 5.0 Natlan update in Genshin Impact, but version 4.8 will arrive on July 17, 2024. The game itself is readily available on the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices.

The post Genshin Impact Natlan Trailer and 4.8 Release Date Appear appeared first on Siliconera.

Darktide, oh Darktide, how you frustrate me. Self-righting admirably after a wonky launch, developer Fatshark has continued to add to the game with patches and updates of varying sizes. Secrets of the Machine God is the latest of these, but despite some decent additions it still doesn't add that certain something Darktide really needs.

For those who haven't partaken, Darktide is a co-operative shooter based in the Warhammer 40,000 universe where players fight through hordes of cultists and zombified poxwalkers in a dystopian megacity. Think Left 4 Dead with more of a focus on melee, and a sci-fi setting that is both Grim and Dark (oh, my!). The guns are punchy, if often imprecise, and I still giggle with unfettered glee when I hit the button to rev my weapon before sawing a heretic in half. It's got fantastic gamefeel and a grimy, lived in setting, but it's long been held back by instabilities and unsatisfying loot systems that stop the gameplay loop really solidifying.

The update, Secrets of the Machine God, adds a new level, a new story character, and several weapons to Darktide on top of an array of quality of life upgrades. Perhaps the juiciest part are the weapons, which include two-handed pickaxes for the hulking Ogryn class, a double barreled shotgun, and the iconic Bolt Pistol for others. They all feel great to use, especially with the tweaks to how bolt weapon rounds explode at a certain range, but they don't especially stand out from the pack. We already have shotguns and automatic Bolters after all, so while the new additions have their own idiosyncrasies they don't offer new options or playstyles to get excited for.

The new level encounters similar issues. In it, players travel to a new area of the hive with its own short storyline and some frosty scenery, alongside a secretive new character codenamed Swagger. It's a nice addition with some slightly more involved tasks to perform mid-horde, and the banter remains entertaining without getting irritating. It fits in perfectly with the missions already available, but that's sort of where the problem lies. It doesn't really shake up the (admittedly very satisfying!) gameplay loop the game has been refining since launch. As for Swagger, he's well voiced and could lead to some new directions to explore later down the line, but for the time being he feels unnecessary when we already have several characters aboard our hub ship that we barely know.

Prior to the update, Siliconera was invited to a preview event followed by a Q&A session with the developers and early access to a test build. The atmosphere was informal, with designer Maxime Montera, Executive Producer Juan Martinez, and Team Lead Luigi di Domenico showing off trailers and some of Fatshark's plans for the game before a brief break as they answer the door for their pizza. The developers seemed keenly aware of the community's biggest gripes with the game as they laid out their future plans for the crafting system, and spoke about wanting to explore more of the less-explored hive city setting, rather than jetting off to other worlds and the like.

Darktide continues to teeter on the edge of greatness, and having seen how solid its predecessor series Vermintide became after successive updates, I have confidence it will reach it. But Secrets of the Machine God just doesn't deliver the kind of impactful changes or additions the game needs right now, even if it is still very fun.

The post Darktide’s Secrets of the Machine God Update Doesn’t Change the Game appeared first on Siliconera.

The long teased collaboration between HoYoverse's Zenless Zone Zero and DJ Tiesto arrived alongside an animated music video. The song, titled "Zenless," features the vocals of Silent Child and was produced by Dutch musicians Tiesto, Lucas de Wert, and Steve Jansen.

The video begins in a desolate landscape littered with television sets, including one that appears to be encased in a block of ice. We then shift to an action scene featuring Anby Demara, Billie Kid, Ellen Joe, and Zhu Yuan, with the latter two set to be available via the game's first gacha banners. The quartet face off against two large enemies, which are a four-armed ethereal and another seemingly made out of construction equipment. According to the credits below the video, the animation was done in-house by HoYoVerse.

You can watch the Zenless Zone Zero song featuring Tiesto via Youtube below:

Ahead of the game's launch, HoYoverse has been releasing character trailers with the most recent featuring the shark-maid Ellen Joe. The company is also set to run an event at the Oculus in New York later in July 2024.

Zenless, featuring Tiesto, is available to stream from platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Itunes, Deezer, and Amazon Music. Zenless Zone Zero releases for PC, PS5, and mobile devices on July 4, 2024.

The post Hear the DJ Tiesto Zenless Zone Zero Song appeared first on Siliconera.

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Crunchyroll announced that they will be responsible for bringing the upcoming three Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle movies to worldwide audiences. The films will receive a theatrical release, however there is currently no release date for them as of yet.

Anime studio Ufotable (Fate/Zero, Tales of Symphonia the Animation) will once again be producing the films, with direction from Haruo Sotozaki. The trilogy is expected to adapt the final two story arcs known as Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown, in place of a fifth season of the anime. The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train was an adaptation of the previous arc in the series.

You can watch the trailer for the arc via Youtube below:

Back in May 2024, it was announced that Universal Studios Japan would host another attraction based on the Swordsmith Village and Hashira Training Arcs of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. More recently, Japanese viewers were incensed by a political alert appearing during the broadcast of the anime.

The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle movie trilogy will be distributed outside of Japan and select Asian territories by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Crunchyroll. The anime is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

The post Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Movie Trilogy Heading West appeared first on Siliconera.

Author George RR Martin commented on the rumors of a tv show or movie based on the world of Elden Ring, which Martin helped create the setting for, in his official blog. The quote itself is fairly inconclusive, but does suggest that there is some kind of project in motion.

The comment came from a post in which he also discusses his wins and losses at recent awards ceremonies. Martin segued into Elden Ring by mentioning that he recently received his trophy from the 2023 Nebula awards, which he won for his work on the game alongside developers FromSoftware and director Hidetaka Miyazaki. It is then that he talked about the rumors.

Oh, and about those rumors you may have heard about a feature film or television series based on ELDEN RING… I have nothing to say. Not a word, nope, not a thing, I know nothing, you never heard a peep from me, mum mum mum. What rumor?

George RR Martin

While, literally speaking, the comment is a denial of any knowledge of such a project, Martin plays it up so much it's hard not to read it ironically. Even so, there's not much to glean from the statement other than there may be an Elden Ring movie, tv show, or other project in the works somewhere, likely with his involvement.

As for the game itself, some PC players of Elden Ring were recently hit by a bug that caused the game to mistakenly detect "inappropriate activity." Bandai Namco acknowledged it and offered a means of working around it. Studio SO-TA has also revealed a line of capsule and box toys based on the game's Living Jars.

Elden Ring and its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion are readily available on the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The post George RR Martin Addresses Elden Ring Movie or Show Rumors appeared first on Siliconera.

The Zenless Zone Zero Pre-Release Special Program arrived, with the first one giving us a look at what to expect from the game's launch next week. As well as a general overview of the game and introduction to the story, the program also announced several packs of goodies for players and the real of two new launch characters.

The Zenless Zone Zero Special Program began with a music video, an overview of the story, and an introduction to some of the previously revealed factions like the Cunning Hares and Belobog Heavy Industries. After a brief overview of the combat, we move on to new and recently announced content:

• In addition to the characters already revealed, the launch version will also include Piper and Lucy from the Sons of Calydon faction. Piper (Suzie Yeung) is a Physical and Anomaly type character who builds up power for a powerful final hit, while Lucy (Courtney Yin) is a Fire element Support character who buffs allies.
• It appears that the first Gacha Banner, or Signal Search, will feature Ellen the Ice Attacker from Victoria Housekeeping and Zhu Yuan the Ether Attacker from Public Security.
• Bangboo, the little rabbit bots that can assist you in battle, are obtained via their own gacha system operated with Boopons earned in game. You can also select specific Bangboo to be guaranteed from your S-rank pulls.
• The available gameplay area in the official release will be roughly twice the size of that seen in the beta tests. The protagonists' home base now contains bedrooms and sleeping in the bed can trigger events with agents. You can also invite agents to hang out in various areas over the phone.
• Officer Mewmew will help players keep track of tasks to complete in the local area, like sidequests or finding collectables.
• Hollow Zero is a new permanent event that appears similar to Honkai: Star Rail's Simulated Universe mode, featuring rogue-like upgrades as well as the chance for bonuses from Agents you have built trust with. You can try out certain Bangboo in this mode as well.
• The team aims to eventually add full level maps rather than the "board system" in place currently.
• 100 free pulls and 80 Boopons will be available to players on launch. The stream also featured a free bundle for inputting the redemption code ZZZFREE100 when the game goes live, remaining valid until July 11, 2024. The bundle includes 300 Polychromes, 30,000 Dennies, 2 Senior Investigator Logs, and 3 W-Engine Energy Modules.

You can watch the whole Zenless Zone Zero Special Program via Youtube below.

In the run-up to the game's launch, HoYoverse has been sharing character trailers including ones for Soldier 11 and Rina. The company also shared a list of conventions the game is set to be showcased at during the latter half of 2024.

Zenless Zone Zero will launch for PC, PS5, and mobile devices on July 4, 2024.

The post Everything in the First Zenless Zone Zero Special Program appeared first on Siliconera.

M Bison has returned, and he is now available to play as in Street Fighter 6 for holders of the Year 2 Character Pass or for those who purchase the DLC separately from the in-game Goods Shop. Capcom also shared a new update that brings bug fixes and other adjustments to the game.

For those that own the relevant DLC, Bison is now available to play in multiplayer, meet in World Tour, or take into the arcade story mode. He comes with an extra costume and several color variants, as well as various other goodies like stickers and titles. In addition to adding Bison, the update also includes some changes to the visibility of the Drive and Vitality gauges, tutorials, and lets players preview items in the Goods Shop.

You can watch the M Bison Update trailer via YouTube below:

Other characters coming to Street Fighter 6 as part of the Year 2 update schedule include Elena and guest characters Terry and Mai from the Fatal Fury series. Bison's theme music was also showed off by Capcom earlier in June 2024.

The M Bison character DLC is now available for Street Fighter 6. The game itself is available for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

The post M Bison Joins Street Fighter 6 appeared first on Siliconera.

A new Goddess of Victory: NIKKE collaboration event is on the way, and this time the unlikely partner is Dave the Diver. The event is set to launch on July 4, 2024, and will include a new minigame and new skins for characters like Mast and Anchor.

The new event features the characters Helm, Anchor, and Mast taking part in what appears to be a pretty faithful recreation of Dave the Diver's core gameplay including diving, fishing, and then operating a sushi restaurant at night. New costumes have also been confirmed. Anchor's diver skin will be available through playing the minigame, while Mast's skin is found in the premium track of the new "Diver Pass".

You can watch the trailer for the crossover event via YouTube below:

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is currently running an event called Clay, More, which is set to end on July 3, 2024. That's just before the new collaboration begins. Meanwhile, back in March 2024, it was announced that Dave the Diver would also be having a collaboration with Arc System Works' Guilty Gear Strive.

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is immediately available for PCs and mobile devices, while Dave the Diver is available for the PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. The NIKKE x Dave the Diver crossover event will begin on July 4, 2024.

The post Dave the Diver NIKKE Crossover Event Announced appeared first on Siliconera.

Thrustmaster and Bandai Namco collaborated to produce a new controller inspired by the Elden Ring DLC expansion Shadow of the Erdtree. The controller boasts more precision and customizability, but comes with a hefty price tag of $199.99.

The Eswap X2 Elden Ring Pro Controller is compatible with Xbox consoles and PCs, and includes mechanical buttons and precise analog sticks. Said sticks as well as the directional pad are also able to be removed or swapped around, while on the underside are extra mappable buttons for assigning shortcuts. The Elden Ring controller itself is black with gold accents and has side panels that resemble lacquered wood. US orders are available from Amazon for $199.99, plus shipping with a release date of September 30, 2023.

You can get a look at the controller via the gallery below:

Alongside the expansion, Developer FromSoftware released a new update for the game that tweaks weapon balance and allows your mount to be used in a certain boss arena. Prior to the launch, the company also warned players against sharing spoilers online.

The Eswap X2 Elden Ring Pro Controller is available to order in the US from Amazon with a release date of September 30, 2024. Other retailers are listed on the main webpage. Elden Ring itself, as well as the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, are readily available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The post Elden Ring Controller From Thrustmaster Costs $200 appeared first on Siliconera.

Producer Yoshihiro Watanabe teased that the Orange Studio Unveiling showcase at Anime Expo 2024 may include updates on the Trigun Stampede and Beastars anime series. The event will take place at the Petree Hall panel room on July 4, 2024, and it begins at 11am PT for attendees.

The panel is set to showcase the studio's work as well as upcoming anime series Leviathan, which is based on the books by Scott Westerfeld. Watanabe, who is set to speak at the panel, stated that it would also include "follow up" on the featured series which could include new updates on the second season of Trigun Stampede and/or the third season of Beastars. Watanabe is set to be joined by fellow producers Kiyotaka Waki and Justin Leach.

You can find the tweet from producer Yoshihiro Watanabe below:

Earlier in June 2024, it was announced that the Blu-ray and DVD releases of Trigun Stampede would arrive in September 2024. Beastars, meanwhile, was also present at last year's Netflix panel at Anime Expo 2023.

Updates on Trigun Stampede and Beastars are expected at the Orange Studio Unveiling event at Anime Expo Los Angeles on July 4, 2024. The Trigun Stampede and Beastars anime are available to watch on Crunchyroll and Netflix respectively.

The post Trigun Stampede and Beastars Anime Producer Teases Updates appeared first on Siliconera.