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Cannon Dancer – Osman will launch digitally for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch on April 13 worldwide, publisher ININ Games announced. The PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch versions will also be available physically. Pre-orders for both the Limited and Collector’s editions are available now via Strictly Limited Games. Here is an overview of the game About After being released during the 90s fighting-game hype Cannon Dancer, also known as Osman in the United States, slowly began to fade out of arcades due to the small number of units. Over the years, the title became a video game legend, with fans around the globe interested in getting their hands on it. Almost 30 years later, ININ Games has teamed up with two key members of the original development team to finally bring the game to modern home consoles: the game designer Kouichi Yotsui (also known as “Isuke” and famous for his work on Strider) and the artist Takashi Kogure (better known as “Utata Kiyoshi”).Cannon Dancer is an action jump-and-run game set in a dystopian late 21st century, in which the world is under the control of a single federal government. One day, a new threat known as “Abdullah the Slaver”—an evil sorceress who wants to take control of the world—appears, causing widespread terror and panic. This fear incites the abandonment of all economic activity and corruption in the government, which now undermines the foundations of society itself. Judicial Affairs Director, Jack Layzon, fears the worst and summons a lone assassin.The player controls a Cannon Dancer called Kirin; a top-class agent in a mercenary unit known as “Teki,” and a highly skilled martial arts fighter. As he travels, he has to face not only Abdullah the Slaver and the government forces but also the other members of the Teki, who want him dead for personal reasons. Key Features Ported on modern consoles for the first time in history. Classic retro games mechanics, praised for their speed and agility. A total of six stages set in different, exotic locations. Three different types of power-ups. Tons of bosses and enemies. Variety of wondrous retro scenarios and graphics with bright and even psychedelic colors, related to the final bosses of each stage. Rewind feature. Save and Load feature. Enhancements Of the many subtle enhancements, the main ones are: Save states Rewind feature Controller vibration Customizable controls Graphic filters and shaders Double jump Invincible jump Invincible slide Invincible attack Auto attack (speed 1 to 5) Extra credits https://www.gematsu.com/2023/04/cannon-dancer-osman-launches-april-13-worldwide

The PC version of The Last of Us Part I has received another patch, fixing more issues with the game. Version 1.0.2.0 is the fourth patch for the game since its release on March 28, which was met with complaints over numerous performance issues, bugs and glitches.We at Naughty Dog and our partners at Iron Galaxy are closely watching player reports to support future improvements and patches,” Naughty Dog writes at the end of the patch notes.“We are actively optimising, working on game stability, and implementing additional fixes which will all be included in regularly released future updates.”Earlier this week the studio tweeted that it will be prioritising fixes for the PC game over any plans to get it running better on the Steam Deck.“While we know many of you would like to play The Last of Us Part I on Steam Deck, we are prioritising fixes and patches before submitting it for verification,” it said at the time.“We will keep you updated of its Steam Deck status as we continue to improve the PC version.”The PC port of The Last of Us Part I has been heavily criticised for poor performance and frequent crashes, with Steam Deck players in particular noting major issues such as extremely low frame rates on the lowest settings. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/the-last-of-us-pc-gets-another-patch-fixing-another-40-bugs/

Just before my group of four young astronauts with major, personal conflicts of interest blast off to the red planet, I'm assured by our team leader that, while some corners had to be cut to get our ship spaceworthy, it should do its job just fine. And it does… kind of. Which is a great metaphor for Deliver Us Mars as a whole. This platforming, puzzle-solving, interplanetary adventure is trying to do too much with too little, and it ends up touching down just North of adequate.The backstory for our plucky, rebellious, sometimes even endearing hero, Kathy, is that she was separated from her father Isaac just before he boarded a colonization mission bound for Mars. Years later, she's been through astronaut school on a climate-ravaged Earth and a mysterious transmission from Isaac spurs her and her older sister, Claire, to seek seats on the mission to bring the colony ships back. Periodic flashbacks do a respectable job of filling in the complicated and painful story of their family along the way. Deliver Us Mars Screens The launch sequence from Cape Canaveral is among the strongest. It has you perform various checks and landing procedures that feel authentic and tactile before watching through the front window as your ship, the Zephyr, leaves Earth's atmosphere with no cuts or loading screens. You're not briefed on any of these procedures ahead of time, which led to a lot of me swiveling my mouse pointer around frantically trying to find the highlighted switch for the internal power interval or whatever, but it was neat once I got the hang of it.Outside these scripted sequences, Deliver Us Mars consists of first- and third-person explorations of an orbital facility and the surface of Mars itself, featuring some fairly simple puzzle-solving and occasional, frustrating platforming. There are several sections where you have to bounce wireless power beams around, matching the voltage on doors and terminals to get to the next area. They're generally not too difficult, but I found some of the trickier ones satisfying to solve. Exploration features fairly simple puzzle-solving and occasional, frustrating platforming. What wasn't nearly as satisfying were these obnoxious climbing wall segments. You have to click the left and right mouse button at the same time to grab onto a wall to begin with, and you have to do so with enough room that you don't slide off of the climbing surface. But this action is so unresponsive that whether you can get a purchase or not feels more random than anything, especially in some cases where you have to jump at an angle. Also, one of the moves you need to progress in some of the later segments is never explained at all, and I discovered it by accident when I was just trying out random buttons in frustration after I'd been stuck for several minutes. Pro tip: You can hold S and press spacebar to jump to a wall that's behind you.This lack of direction even extends to some segments of the main story where you have several different ways you can go, but aren't told at all which is the right one and can end up wandering way off in the wrong direction. There is an option under Accessibility to always display quest markers, and while I don't necessarily need a big star constantly guiding my every step, it could really use some sort of middle ground. If you tell me to go to Ark Vita without ever giving me a hint about where it is, that seems like you're really leaving me to twist in the wind. Doll-like models can't keep up with otherwise convincing performances. At least the characters are endearing. What few of them there are, anyway. Neil Newborn (whom you may remember as Resident Evil: Village's maniacal Heisenberg) gives a great performance as Isaac, a complex character with conflicted motivations. Kathy herself is brought to life by Ellise Chappell, who gives a convincing performance with a wide emotional range. And the story is respectable, with the mystery of what happened to the Martian colonists pulling me forward at each turn.The character models can't really keep up with it, though. They have a very doll-like, uncanny valley look to them – when we get to see their faces at all. A lot of backstory is delivered through these pre-recorded holograms where hairless, faceless crash test dummies pose in place while dialogue plays. It really looks like placeholder art you'd see in an unfinished game, and the developers just never had the time or resources to replace it. There is also a whole chapter toward the end that jumps from one scene to something completely unrelated, giving me the sense that they cut a significant amount of plot without doing a very good job of stitching it back together.Performance, especially during cutscenes, is also a major issue. My RTX 3080-powered system exceeds the recommended specs, but in many cinematics I would see my framerate drop below 10 fps, even with DLSS on. I had to turn off the per-strand hair rendering altogether because it kept glitching out. In regular gameplay, it's usually fine. But this is clearly not a very well-optimized project. Verdict A rousing mystery brought to life by a great voice cast and nuanced character writing can't really save Deliver Us Mars from its shortcomings. Poor technical performance during cutscenes and backstory that is too often delivered by these barely-differentiated mannequins make it difficult to get sucked into this extraterrestrial world. Even when it’s running smoothly, frustrating climbing and platforming mechanics are just a chore to get through so that you can reach the more clever puzzles and rewarding exploration that break up the annoyances with moments of wonder and satisfaction. But I could never shake the feeling that Deliver Us Mars simply bit off more dehydrated astronaut food than it could chew. https://www.ign.com/articles/deliver-us-mars-review

It's hard to appreciate Overwatch 2's newest support hero(opens in new tab) knowing that at any moment he could absolutely ruin your day.On April 11, Overwatch 2 will introduce Lifeweaver, a charming Thai hero who has the ability to pull his teammates toward him. If an ally is in danger, Lifeweaver can cast a shield onto them and yank them to safety. He can also yank them into danger, or off the map.Lifeweaver could be a griefer's dream, but Blizzard seems confident it won't be a problem."In terms of trolling, we do have some controls over where Life Grip can be cast from, and it's doing some detection to make sure that you're not doing something really bad like dragging someone into a death plane off the side of the map or something like that," hero design producer Kenny Hudson said in a group interview with PC Gamer.Heroes with their own movement abilities, like Tracer's Blinks or Moira's Fade, can escape Lifeweaver's grip, but wasted abilities cost you precious time in a fast-paced match."Internally, when we were coming up with this ability, there was a little bit of apprehensiveness," Hudson said. "But what we found as we were playtesting was that we actually saw a lot of heroic saves with Life Grip, especially if you have an over-extending tank or something like that."In the gameplay video released today, you can see Lifeweaver pulling a friendly Reaper and Pharah through enemies as they use their otherwise stationary ults. It's an impressive display of what coordinated plays could look like with the ability, but it also seems like it would be rare outside of high-skill matches.Lifeweaver has to spend time healing too, but he was designed to offer an alternative for players who want to help their team in other ways. Blizzard hopes its long cooldown will help players learn how to use Life Grip effectively without disrupting their teammates. I'm not entirely convinced Life Grip won't be a problem given how sparse communication is in everyday matches. I've played over 3,000 hours of this game and I hesitate at the idea of moving my teammates around without their permission. I can't always see what they see or know what they're thinking. It's hard enough trying to play my own hero well. Petal problems Lifeweaver's other major ability, Petal Platform, could introduce a similar problem. When used, he tosses a flower platform onto the ground that rises up into the air when he, an ally, or an enemy steps on it. Say hello to a new way to accidentally give the enemy Cassidy the biggest high noon of his life.Thankfully, Petal Platform can be taken down by Lifeweaver at any time and it can be destroyed by enemies, so, like with Life Grip, Blizzard seems confident it won't be as big of an issue as it sounds. I'm inclined to believe it; Mei's had the ability to raise an ice wall that can lift players up since the game's launch and it's rarely a problem.As long as Lifeweaver doesn't become the bane of every match, he's got a lot to like in the rest of his kit, which looks like this:Primary fire: Healing Blossom — Hold to charge a healing burst. Release to heal a targeted ally. Secondary fire: Thorn Volley — Rapidly fire a spread of projectiles. Petal Platform: Throw a platform that springs upwards when stepped on by the first person, enemy or ally. Rejuvenating Dash: Dash towards your traveling direction and lightly heal yourself. Life Grip: Pull an ally to your location, protecting them as they travel. Passive: Parting Gift — On death, drop a gift that heals the first person, enemy or ally, to pick it up. Ultimate: Tree of Life — Place a tree that instantly heals allies upon sprouting and continues healing periodically as it lives. Lifeweaver appears to be a blend of Mercy's consistent healing and Kiriko's utility for saving her teammates. He can pump out heals and save someone in a pinch.Blizzard has admitted that the support category has lacked variety for far too long. Lifeweaver is the first step toward making support more appealing to more types of players—but that just might include some people who aren't interested in helping.Everyone will be able to play Lifeweaver when Overwatch 2 season 4 begins on April 11 for a limited time, according to a post on Xbox Wire(opens in new tab). But to unlock him permanently, you'll have to purchase Overwatch 2's season 4 premium battle pass, climb to tier 55 of the free track, or complete a set of challenges. https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-2s-new-support-hero-can-sabotage-his-own-team-but-blizzard-hopes-players-will-behave/

After debuting on PlayStation 5 and PC last year, Ghostwire: Tokyo is heading to Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass. Developer Tango Gameworks announced Wednesday that the game will arrive on Microsoft’s current generation consoles on April 12th. That same day, the studio will release the free “Spider’s Thread” update for all platforms. The DLC adds a new game mode that will challenge players to complete a 30-stage gauntlet. As you progress through the mode, you’ll earn in-game currency you can spend to purchase upgrades for your run. Separately, the update adds new locales and missions within the game’s supernatural take on Tokyo for players to explore and complete. Complementing the new content are extended cutscenes designed to provide more insights into the game’s story. Good thing too because Engadget’s Mat Smith thought the game was begging for DLC to flesh out some of its more ambiguous plot points. With today’s announcement, Ghostwire: Tokyo becomes the last Bethesda Softworks PS5 exclusive to receive an Xbox release date. Alongside Deathloop, Bethesda, before its acquisition by Microsoft, agreed to make the game a timed PlayStation 5 exclusive. https://www.engadget.com/ghostwire-tokyo-heads-to-xbox-series-xs-on-april-12th-162825617.html

Naughty Dog has said it’s prioritising fixes for the PC version of The Last of Us Part I over any plans to get it running better on Steam Deck.A new Twitter thread from the official Naughty Dog account reads: “A reminder that we will have a new hotfix live for The Last of Us Part I on PC tomorrow [Tuesday], and a patch on Friday.“We will share patch notes when the hotfix is live, and let you know some of what to expect in Friday’s patch ahead of its launch.”It then adds: “And while we know many of you would like to play The Last of Us Part I on Steam Deck, we are prioritising fixes and patches before submitting it for verification.“We will keep you updated of its Steam Deck status as we continue to improve the PC version.”The PC port of The Last of Us Part I has been heavily criticised for poor performance and frequent crashes, with Steam Deck players in particular noting major issues such as extremely low frame rates on the lowest settings.Before its release there were indications that the game would work on Steam Deck, from both Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann and Valve itself.Druckmann stated back in December that the game would be playable on the device, claiming on Twitter: “Ellie and Joel will grace the Steam Deck, don’t worry.”Then, just one day before the game’s PC release, Valve posted a new promotional image on the Steam Deck website showing a montage of games running on the system, including The Last of Us Part I alongside the likes of Hades, No Man’s Sky and Stray.Druckmann’s comments and Valve’s use of the game to promote the handheld both implied it would be officially Steam Deck verified, but it isn’t at the time of writing.Unusually for a Sony Interactive Entertainment game, there were zero reviews for The Last of US Part 1 on PC published on Metacritic on release day, suggesting that press either did not receive review code, or did so extremely late. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/naughty-dog-is-prioritising-the-last-of-us-pc-fixes-over-steam-deck-compatibility/

UPDATE: Microsoft confirms Quantum Break's removal is "temporary". Quantum Break is being "temporarily removed" from Game Pass, Xbox exec Aaron Greenberg has confirmed. In response to a question asking whether other Xbox exclusives will leave Game Pass at some point, Greenberg stated Quantum Break is being removed due to expired licenses. Once the licenses have been renewed, the game will return to Game Pass, Greenberg assured.There's no word on when the game will disappear from the Xbox Game Pass catalogue, or for how long.The first set of games to leave Xbox Game Pass in April has been revealed through the Leaving soon section of the app.Subscribers on console will lose access to Quantum Break, an Xbox exclusive title which Microsoft published, while the PC library will lose Panzer Corps 2.Other titles leaving this month include The Long Dark, Life is Strange: True Colors and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction.The date for Quantum Break's removal from Game Pass has not been confirmed yet, though it'll leave at some point in the next couple of weeks.If you want to keep playing any of these games after 16th April you'll need to purchase them, though Game Pass subscribers get a 20 percent discount. https://www.eurogamer.net/xbox-console-exclusive-quantum-break-is-leaving-xbox-game-pass

After a lot of waiting, Ghostwire: Tokyo is finally coming to the Xbox Series consoles and PC Game Pass later this month. The developers know you have waited long enough to play the game, and want to make the wait less annoying – you can now pre-load Ghostwire Tokyo on Xbox and PC starting right now! Ghostwire: Tokyo Preload Is Now Live On Xbox and PC Game Pass Ghostwire: Tokyo was developed by Tango Gameworks exclusively for the PS5 and PC in March 2022, but the title was a one-year timed exclusive on the PlayStation 5, which prevented the title from being on the Xbox Series consoles. However, the one-year exclusivity ended and now the title is finally coming to the Xbox consoles and PC, and free for Game Pass users. If you are curious about the file size for the game on both platforms, the PC version is 26GB on the Xbox app for Windows. If you want to preload the game on the Xbox Series consoles, the file size comes in around a similar size. The game is very light in size, so you will not have to worry about space when downloading the game. You can preload the game today in time for the addition of it to Game Pass on April 12th, 2023 for PC and Xbox Game Pass subscribers. https://whatifgaming.com/ghostwire-tokyo-xbox-pc-game-pass-preload-live/

Minecraft Legends is a whole new way to experience the Minecraft universe by playing an action-strategy adventure where the focus is much more on defeating the piglins than building and mining. This realtime strategy game offers multiplayer PvP competitions and co-op campaigns, or an epic narrative in single-player story mode. The serene Overworld has been overrun by piglins from another dimension, and it is up to the player to save everyone and restore peace. An RTS spinoff of the po[CENSORED]r game Minecraft, Minecraft Legends promises to be an entirely different style of game that is set within the Overworld that fans know and love. Its development was started back in 2018, although the game wasn't announced until June 2022 during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase. Now, not even a year after that initial announcement was made, Minecraft Legends is set to release in just a few weeks for excited fans to experience the chaos that all the piglins have caused this simple land. Minecraft Legends Will Be Released On April 18, 2023 Minecraft Legends is scheduled to launch on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, and is available for pre-order now. On that day players will be able to jump right into this open world filled with epic battles where old enemies become allies as players put an end to the piglins' rampage. The title has been developed by Mojang Studios and Blackbird Interactive and is being published by Xbox Game Studios. However, just because Xbox Game Studios is publishing it does not mean that it will only be available for Xbox systems. Which Platforms Minecraft Legends Is On Every current- and previous-generation gaming platform will be able to play Minecraft Legends, and all will be released simultaneously on April 18, 2023. Just like standard Minecraft, the developers have made the game very accessible to most players. It will be available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Windows, and will be available through PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass. Subscribers of the Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass services will have access to the game at no additional cost beyond their subscription fee, though other platforms will require the purchase of the game. As is shown in the below trailer released by the Minecraft YouTube channel, Minecraft Legends will allow players to battle piglins and save the Overworld with the help of allied mobs and golem minions. Other than the art style and familiar creatures, the game is very different from the standard Minecraft gameplay by focusing entirely on action and strategy mechanics instead of mining and crafting. https://screenrant.com/minecraft-legends-release-date-price-platforms-multiplayer-gameplay/

Mega Man Battle Network is returning as part of a new Legacy Collection. Here are all the games, the price and release date for Vol. 1. Mega Man Battle Network was a spin-off, tactical RPG title of the Mega Man series. It takes place in an alternate timeline, where scientific advancement is prioritized over robotics. The first Mega Man Battle Network game was debuted in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance. Since then, a total of six mainline games have been amassed, with a selection of spin-off titles, too. The games focus on protagonist, Lan Hikari, and his NetNavi, MegaMan.EXE, who must work together to solve numerous crimes and incidents across the world. Capcom are releasing all of the Mega Man Battle Network games as part of two Legacy Collections: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Here’s what’s included in Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1. Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 games Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 includes: Mega Man Battle Network Mega Man Battle Network 2 Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue Mega Man Battle Network 3 Whit Additional features are also included, such as a gallery of illustrations and music. Online play is supported across the games. Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 release date, price Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 will be available for purchase from April 14, 2023. The Vol. 1 collection will cost $39.99. Pre-orders for the collection are available but only as part of the Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 bundle, containing both volumes. Pre-orders include a Custom PET Pack, featuring: 3D Mega Man’s Two Special Skins: Vol. 1: Hub Style, Vol. 2: Dark Mega Man Four Arranged Music Tracks: Vol. 1 – Hometown (Pop Rock Version), Shooting Enemy (Dance Version), Vol. 2 – Liberation Mission (Piano Version), Central Town (Kawaii Future Bass Version). Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 is not available to pre-order individually. https://apptrigger.com/2023/03/20/mega-man-battle-network-vol-1-games-price-release-date/

A new Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty update is now live on PC and consoles, introducing plenty of quality-of-life improvements, balance changes, and bug fixes for a smoother experience. Update 1.05 introduces new lock-on options that allow automatic target switching when deflecting enemy attacks, as well as the ability to lock on to the nearest enemy by pressing the right stick and change the rotation and tracing speed for the lock-on camera. The new Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty update also brings some changes for Reinforcements, as the menu now shows warriors that have sworn oaths with the player but are not available as companions. Additionally, it will be possible to dismiss companions via the Reinforcements menu, which could only be done previously with the Willow Branch item. Among the new quality-of-life improvements brought by the update is a new interface that allows players to compare equipment from the menu, check mark icons for completed missions in the Travel menu, and more. The Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty 1.05 update also introduces plenty of balance changes, such as adjusted item drop rates for bosses, invading players and enemies with higher Morale Ranks than the player, and multiple bug fixes. You can find the full update notes on the game's official website. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is the latest game from Team NINJA and a solid action game that fans of the Nioh series and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will surely enjoy, despite the streamlining of certain features like the RPG mechanics, movesets, and loot system. These changes, and the somewhat lower challenge level, make the game perfect to get into masocore games. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One. The game is also available via Xbox Game Pass on PC and Xbox. https://wccftech.com/wo-long-fallen-dynasty-update-1-05-adds-quality-of-life-improvements-balance-changes/

Alan Wake 2 is reportedly on track to release in 2023, as planned. According to a new financial report from developer Remedy Entertainment, it’s also now completely playable, from beginning to end. While the studio is currently working on a number of new titles, Alan Wake 2 has been flagged as a major priority, as the franchise has ‘high value’ for the company. It has a significant budget and scope, and this is being deployed well as the game enters ‘full production’ and developers begin work on refining it. ‘The game will soon have all content in place, and it is playable from start to finish,’ Remedy confirmed in February 2023. ‘We will then move onto polishing the experience. Alan Wake is a unique brand that holds high value for the company today.’ While Remedy has noted the recently-released Alan Wake Remastered has yet to generate any royalties, it expects interest in this remaster, and the franchise as a whole, to pick up with the imminent launch of Alan Wake 2. As one of the most anticipated games of 2023, it’s sure to attract an entirely new audience – even beyond those who played and enjoyed the original release on Xbox 360. Elsewhere in its latest financial reports, Remedy confirmed a number of developments for projects in the works. Control 2 was confirmed as being in steady development, with ‘detailed concepts on the game vision and all creative areas including the gameplay, narrative and art’ now in the hands of Remedy. ‘We are pleased with the work the team has done and as of January 2023, the game has progressed into the proof-of-concept stage,’ the studio has announced. The project is a collaboration with 505 Games, and both studios are currently working on concepts. Codename Condor, a mystery live service game, is also progressing steadily, with Remedy currently building the ‘right team’ for the project, which remains in the proof-of-concept stage. Codename Vanguard, another mystery game, remains in the proof-of-concept stage, although ‘significant expansion’ on this title was postponed until a nebulous 2023 date. Meanwhile, the upcoming Max Payne 1&2 Remake has made ‘good progress’ as it continues through the concept stage. Remedy has expressed excitement about fans finally getting to play the original Max Payne adventures in newly remade form. While Remedy’s financials, including revenue, have experienced a downturn in the last financial quarter, this is a reflection of the global economy as a whole – and the company’s reports are mirrored by others in the industry. As work on the studio’s latest titles continues, this downturn is expected to reverse. Everyone can look forward to updates on Alan Wake 2, Control 2, Max Payne 1&2 Remake, Codename Condor, and Codename Vanguard in future. https://www.gameshub.com/news/news/alan-wake-2-full-production-remedy-games-report-february-2023-2606634/#:~:text=Alan Wake 2 is reportedly,developers currently polishing their work.&text=Alan Wake 2 is reportedly on track to release in,playable%2C from beginning to end.

A classic turn-based RPG in the style of Dragon Quest is not exactly the first place my mind goes when it comes to thinking of game genres that would pair well with the action-heavy world of One Piece, but as One Piece Odyssey proves, it’s actually kind of a great fit. The Straw Hats make for one hell of a party of RPG characters; Eichiro Oda’s one-of-a-kind art style lends itself well to filling the world with fantastical and amusing creatures; and the over-the-top nature of battles from the actual manga and anime gives plenty of material for some of the coolest (and funniest) special attacks I’ve seen in any turn-based RPG. Those fights would’ve been better if they were a more consistent challenge, and I could’ve done with less backtracking through areas I’d already explored, but this is still a surprisingly satisfying JRPG that’s not quite by the numbers. The story begins with Luffy and crew suddenly finding themselves marooned on the mysterious island of Waford. It isn't long before they meet two original characters: Lim and Adio, who have an understandably deep distrust of pirates. So much so that, upon first meeting, they steal the powers of the Straw Hats, providing a convenient way to explain why Luffy and company don’t win every battle just by looking at their enemies. (Though, that does come later.) What follows is a grand story that plays out on two fronts: The adventure in Waford sees The Straw Hat crew attempting to help Adio and Lim by defeating a handful of elemental colossi that are responsible for the giant storm that surrounds the island (I know, what’s the worst that could happen?); and another that plays out in Memoria, a world of memory created through Lim’s special ability that allows the Straw Hats to revisit specific locations and events in their history. The revelations and twists won’t shock anybody, but I still very much enjoyed both sides of Odyssey’s story. Lim, especially, is a wonderful addition to the cast, and I loved watching her go from being extremely wary and cold towards the crew to being intrigued and occasionally flabbergasted by each of their individual quirks, and eventually fully embracing the Straw Hats as her friends. Odyssey is aimed directly at long-time One Piece fans. It should be noted that Odyssey is aimed directly at long-time One Piece fans, with its story picking up well after the Dressrosa arc (about 750 episodes in), and it is not shy about diving deep into some of the biggest surprises of the show. This makes it a tough recommendation for anybody new to the series, but if you’re deeply invested in the world and characters of One Piece, there are some really great payoffs in the Memoria chapters. These come in the form of “what if”-like scenarios that have the crew revisiting pivotal moments from the series with new perspectives. Even small things, like the crew reacting to seeing the Going Merry docked at Alabasta, is a moment that provides a powerful emotional gut punch for any long-time fan like myself. Moments like these are the heart of One Piece Odyssey’s story, and they’re brought to life brilliantly thanks to writing that feels totally in step with the anime and manga, excellent performances, and a fantastic art style that authentically translates the unique style of One Piece to 3D. A Straw Hat Scrap One Piece Odyssey’s combat is refreshingly simple, though that simplicity does wind up being a double-edged sword. The traditional turn-based combat is powered by a rock/paper/scissors logic that assigns every party member, enemy, and boss a damage type of either power, speed, or technique. Power beats speed, technique beats power, and speed beats technique. What makes this system work is that there’s no traditional turn order, and you can just freely pick whatever character you want to take the first move in combat. Even if they’re not in your active party of four characters, you can freely swap them in without taking up a turn. You’re also able to see which of your enemies will be next up to take their turn and try and plan around that as well. Once all four characters in your active party have taken an action, the round of combat ends and everyone is able to act once again. The one complication to all of this is that there are multiple zones in the combat field, and in order for one character to move from one to another, they must first defeat all of the enemies in their own zone. So on paper, there’s some strategy involved in deciding the order of which of your characters should attack first. Let’s say for example, there’s a group of enemies in one zone that have a weakness to Technique, but my strongest technique character, Zoro, is stuck in a zone with a single enemy that’s weak to Speed. I can have Usopp, my Speed character, go first by using a ranged attack to hit enemies in other zones to free up Zoro; then, Zoro can clean up the other zone with one of his attacks that hit multiple enemies. One Piece Odyssey is so easy for 95% of its battles that strategy is rarely required. That’s an example of how the strategy could come into play. The problem is that One Piece Odyssey is so easy for 95% of its battles that strategy is rarely required, and there’s no way to adjust the difficulty. I never grinded – in fact, I ran past a lot of enemies that could’ve given me even more exp – and still felt wildly overpowered for most of the 40 or so hours it took me to reach the end. A lot of this stems from the Dramatic Scenes system, which randomly gives you an additional objective during certain enemy encounters. They’re almost always trivially easy, like “defeat enemy C before a crew member gets knocked out,” but the bonus they reward is just astronomical, sometimes doubling or more than tripling the amount of exp earned for a single fight. I’ve fought packs of rats that gave more exp than big, chapter-ending boss battles. That just seems poorly balanced. Towards the very end there’s a significant bump in difficulty, but even then I never felt like it made for more challenging or particularly fun battles. It was more that it forced me to pay more attention to my characters’ equipment loadouts, which at least is fun in its own right. Rather than find new weapons or pieces of armor, you find accessories of varying sizes and shapes that you must fit onto an ever-expanding grid. It’s a very flexible system that allows you to assign your own roles to each character, and just as easily switch them up if you want to focus on a different character or bolster a different attribute. You could even make Nami your big damage dealer by loading her up with attack gear, which is surprisingly effective given the fact that for a while, she’s the only character that can hit every, regardless of what zone they’re in. Eventually, you gain the ability to fuse these artifacts and add up to four effects on them, allowing you to really turn your party into absolute beasts. Despite the lack of tension during fights, I still enjoyed Odyssey’s combat overall, mainly because the special skills are so much fun to watch. They absolutely nail the look, impact, and comedy found in just about every notable attack used by the Straw Hats. Whether it’s the ridiculousness of Usopp’s Rubber Band of Doom, the absolute badassery of virtually any of Zoro’s moves, or the sheer devastation of Luffy’s Gear 3rd and 4th abilities. The attention to detail when it comes to how the developers took these iconic moves from the source material and put them into Odyssey is truly something to behold. In Memoria In your journey through Memoria, you’ll visit four main locations from One Piece’s storied history and credit goes to developer ILCA for doing an amazing job of making each of them feel like real, lived-in locations. The Kingdom of Alabasta is enormous, with two bustling towns to explore – Nanohana and Alubarna – and vast deserts connecting them; Water Seven has the vibe of a chill Venetian city with rivers running alongside its many streets; and while you only to get to explore it after all of the birdcage related madness goes down, there’s a chilling sense of grief and overwhelming loss as you walk the streets of the recently ravaged kingdom of Dressrosa. Of the four, the only one that wore out its welcome was the very first Memoria location of Alabasta. The main quest pads out its length by bouncing you back and forth between locations you’ve already visited, sending you on a bunch of errands and fetch quests, and forcing you through drab caves. It’s a very slow burn to get to the actual meat of the story you’re reliving, and it's made especially repetitive due to the fact that you don’t get any new techniques or abilities when you level up. Instead, you just unlock a ton of abilities at once at the conclusion of the chapter, making the feeling of progress uneven. So it's just hours of the same types of battles against mostly the same types of enemies until you reach the end of this one extraordinarily long chapter. The main quest bounces you back and forth between locations you've already visited. It was especially a bummer for me because Alabasta is one of my personal favorite One Piece arcs. Fortunately, the others strike a better balance of keeping their main quest pointed and focused on the story, while relegating the more menial tasks to optional sidequests, of which there are many, though few of which were actually compelling to start or rewarding to complete. The Hysteria sidemissions are the notable exception, as they at least reward you with neat team-up special moves that gather up three party members for a single super powerful attack. Outside of Memoria you’ll explore a handful of more puzzle-focused dungeons, which typicallsy require you to use each individual character’s unique field techniques. Luffy can use grapple points to cross gaps as well as grab items from a distance, Usopp can use his slingshot to knock down items or activate certain switches from afar, Zoro can cut through steel doors, and Chopper can fit through small passages and access hidden areas. None of these abilities really enhance the puzzles or exploration in any significant way, but they do a nice job of varying up the visual design of the dungeons, adding some hidden collectibles off the beaten path, and giving you something to do other than just walk on a path fighting enemies for hours. The Verdict The power of One Piece’s story, world, art, and characters does a lot of the heavy lifting in making One Piece Odyssey a joy to play, even if I could beat most of the battles in my sleep. It really could have used some sort of way to adjust the difficulty and add even just a little more tension to its fights to make them more satisfying to get through, and a lot of the quest design in the middle relies too much on backtracking through already-visited areas, but One Piece Odyssey nails the most important parts: The heart, humor, and soul of One Piece. https://pk.ign.com/one-piece-odyssey/197662/review/one-piece-odyssey-review

The Last of Us Part 1 is finally available on PC… if you can get it to work. Steam have slammed the PC version of the PlayStation classic due to crippling performance issues and crashes. In fact, it currently has “mostly negative” reviews. “Crashes every 20 minutes,” said one review. “Game is badly optimized. Game looks great just needs to be better optimized.” Naughty Dog is currently investigating the issues, however, and has promised it's team is working on resolving them. “The Last of Us Part 1 PC players: we've heard your concerns, and our team is actively investigating multiple issues you've reported. We will continue to update you, but our team is prioritizing updates and will address issues in upcoming patches.” At the moment, only 33% of The Last of Us' 6,015 user reviews have reported having a positive experience, leaving a staggering 67% underwhelmed. “I waited for almost 2.5 hours for the game to build shaders while crashing in the main menu every five or so minutes, [it's] one of the most frustrating experiences I've had with a game,” said another review. “To clarify, if the game didn't crash every five mins while in the main menu, it would've taken half the time to build the shaders and actually start playing.” One of the main problems seems to be that shader compiling takes a long time, especially on PCs that only just meet the game’s requirements. That said, users seem to be experiencing issues across the board, and complain that the game simply hasn’t been well-optimized. One user even reported a massive 14 crashes within 4.8 hours of playtime. The Last of Us was ported to PC by Iron Galax, the same company that recently served up Metroid Prime Remastered on the Nintendo Switch, as well as the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. Want to read more about The Last of Us? Check out how the TV show’s success has driven sales for the game as well as this pretty cool tabletop version of The Last of Us. https://www.ign.com/articles/the-last-of-us-part-1-is-getting-slammed-on-steam-over-pc-performance-issues

A major DNA study has shed new light on the fate of millions of Africans who were traded as slaves to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries. More than 50,000 people took part in the study, which was able to identify more details of the "genetic impact" the trade has had on present-day po[CENSORED]tions in the Americas. It lays bare the consequences of rape, maltreatment, disease and racism. More than 12.5m Africans were traded between 1515 and the mid-19th Century. Some two million of the enslaved men, women and children died en route to the Americas.The DNA study was led by consumer genetics company 23andMe and included 30,000 people of African ancestry on both sides of the Atlantic. The findings were published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. Steven Micheletti, a po[CENSORED]tion geneticist at 23andMe told AFP news agency that the aim was to compare the genetic results with the manifests of slave ships "to see how they agreed and how they disagree". While much of their findings agreed with historical documentation about where people were taken from in Africa and where they were enslaved in the Americas, "in some cases, we see that they disagree, quite strikingly", he added.The study found, in line with the major slave route, that most Americans of African descent have roots in territories now located in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. What was surprising was the over-representation of Nigerian ancestry in the US and Latin America when compared with the recorded number of enslaved people from that region. Researchers say this can be explained by the "intercolonial trade that occurred primarily between 1619 and 1807". They believe enslaved Nigerians were transported from the British Caribbean to other areas, "presumably to maintain the slave economy as transatlantic slave-trading was increasingly prohibited". Likewise, the researchers were surprised to find an underrepresentation from Senegal and The Gambia - one of the first regions from where slaves were deported. Researchers put this down to two grim factors: many were sent to work in rice plantations where malaria and other dangerous conditions were rampant; and in later years larger numbers of children were sent, many of whom did not survive the crossing.In another gruesome discovery, the study found that the treatment of enslaved women across the Americas had had an impact on the modern gene pool. Researchers said a strong bias towards African female contributions in the gene pool - even though the majority of slaves were male - could be attributed to "the rape of enslaved African women by slave owners and other sexual exploitation". In Latin America, up to 17 African women for every African man contributed to the gene pool. Researchers put this down in part to a policy of "branqueamento", racial whitening, in a number of countries, which actively encouraged the immigration of European men "with the intention to dilute African ancestry through reproduction".Although the bias in British colonised America was just two African women to one African man, it was no less exploitative. The study highlighted the "practice of coercing enslaved people to having children as a means of maintaining an enslaved workforce nearing the abolition of the transatlantic trade". In the US, women were often promised freedom in return for reproducing and racist policies opposed the mixing of different races, researchers note.The Black Lives Matter movement has shone a light on the damaging legacy of colonialism and slavery on African Americans and other people of African heritage around the world. Statues of colonial-era slave traders have been pulled down as protesters demand an end to the glorifying of symbols of slavery.

A 93-year-old former Nazi SS concentration camp guard has been found guilty of complicity in the murder of more than 5,000 prisoners. Bruno Dey was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence by a court in the German city of Hamburg. Dey had manned a tower at the Stutthof Camp in what was then occupied Poland. It is expected to be one of the last Nazi-era trials, as both survivors and perpetrators are now very old, and in some cases their memories are failing. Dey was tried in a juvenile court because he was 17 at the time the atrocities were carried out, between August 1944 and April 1945, according to the indictment.During the nine-month trial, Dey listened to witness statements but maintained he had been forced into his role as a guard at the camp and had not been involved in the killings. In his last statement to the court, he said he had been "shaken" by the witness accounts and apologised to "those who went through the hell of this madness". However, he added that he had not been aware of the "extent of the atrocities" until the trial. Sentencing Dey, the judge acknowledged his willingness to take part in the trial but said he had refused to acknowledge his own complicity in what was going on. "You saw yourself as an observer," the judge said.The trial in January heard from a historian who testified that Dey had been sent to the camp initially as a Wehrmacht soldier and had not joined the SS until September 1944. So, it was argued, he could have asked for a transfer to another unit before becoming part of the SS mass murder machine. Although Dey acknowledged knowing of the Stutthof gas chambers and admitted seeing "emaciated figures, people who had suffered", his defence team argued that he was a relatively unimportant figure in the camp and was not directly involved in the 5,230 deaths. But prosecutors argued he had known what was happening, had had contact with the prisoners and had actively prevented their escape. "When you are a part of mass-murder machinery, it is not enough to look away," prosecutor Lars Mahnke said in his closing arguments.Stutthof, located near modern-day Gdansk, was officially designated a concentration camp in 1942. It was the first such camp built outside German borders in the war and the last to be liberated, by the Soviet army on 9 May 1945. Guards began using gas chambers there in June 1944. More than 65,000 people are thought to have died in the camp, from illness and malnutrition as well as from the gas chambers and other executions. Dey's was one of several war crimes investigations that were considered by the German authorities after a landmark 2011 ruling against former Sobibor camp guard John Demjanjuk. He was given a jail term as an accessory to mass murder but died pending an appeal. Previously, courts had required evidence of former SS guards' direct involvement in atrocities.

¤ Nickname: NANO ¤ Name: Hizbullah ¤ Age: 17 ¤ Country: Pakistan ¤ City: Abbottabad ¤ Favorite Games: cs 1.6 , GTA V , CS:GO ¤ Favorite Shows: - ¤ Favorite Movies: Bollywood. ¤ Favorite Songs / Favorite genre: Hindi/Urdu ¤ What would you like to do in life: Gaming ¤ Favorite actor - why ?: Kartik [Hard worker] ¤ Favorite actress - why ?: Kriti {Cute] ¤ You Smoke? / What brand of cigarette smoke: No. ¤ What alcoholic drink frequently: - ¤ Favorite juice: Lemon ¤ In what country would you like to live: Canada/Romania/Turkey ¤ Favorite football team: FC Barcelona ¤ Car models: BMW ¤ A brief description about you: Cute , Loyal , Respectful , Hardworking , Programmer , ¤ How did you find NewLifeZm?: Freind.[Mark] ¤ If you win 1 million dollars, which would be the first thing you do?: I will buy @myCro ?

The US has ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, by Friday - a move described as "political provocation" by Beijing. The US State Department said the decision was taken "in order to protect American intellectual property". But China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said it was "outrageous and unjustified". The statements came after unidentified individuals were filmed burning paper in bins in the building's courtyard. Tensions have been rising between the US and China for some time. President Donald Trump's administration has clashed repeatedly with Beijing over trade and the coronavirus pandemic, as well as China's imposition of a controversial new security law on Hong Kong. Then on Tuesday, the US Department of Justice accused China of sponsoring hackers who had been targeting labs developing Covid-19 vaccines. Two Chinese nationals, who allegedly spied on US research companies and got help from state agents for other thefts, have been charged. The US State Department released a statement shortly after Mr Wang spoke on Wednesday. "We have directed the closure of PRC [People's Republic of China] Consulate General Houston, in order to protect American intellectual property and American's private information," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said. The consulate is one of five in the US, not counting the embassy in Washington DC. It is unclear why this one was singled out. Ms Ortagus added the US "will not tolerate the PRC's violations of our sovereignty and intimidation of our people, just as we have not tolerated the PRC's unfair trade practices, theft of American jobs, and other egregious behaviour". Ms Ortagus also pointed to the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, under which states "have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs" of a host country. In a separate statement, the State Department accused China of engaging "in massive illegal spying and influence operations", interfering in "domestic politics" as well as having "coerced our business leaders, threatened families of Chinese Americans residing in China, and more".China called the decision "an unprecedented escalation", saying it violated international law. Mr Wang went on to say Washington had been "shifting the blame to China with stigmatisation and unwarranted attacks". He urged the US to reconsider, saying if it insists "on going down this wrong path, China will react with firm countermeasures".n reality, in terms of the number of Chinese and American embassies and consulates in each other's countries and the number of diplomatic and consular staff, the US has far more people working in China," Mr Wang said. Chinese state media outlet the Global Times began running a poll on which US consulate to close in response. Later, the foreign ministry posted a warning to Chinese students in the US, asking them to "be on guard" as "US law enforcement agencies have stepped up arbitrary interrogations, harassment, confiscation of personal belongings and detention targeting Chinese international students in the US".This is clearly a significant development in the diplomatic sparring between Washington and Beijing. The closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston comes soon after news emerged of the unsealing of a US indictment against two men accused of spying on US vaccine development on behalf of China's security services. It is not clear if the two episodes are linked. But it is clear that the Trump administration is determined to step up its very public calling out of Beijing. In the midst of a presidential re-election campaign and with the US economy and society battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Trump has determined that there is political advantage in playing the China card. It is hard to see how Beijing can avoid some equivalent response. The danger now is of a spiralling tit-for-tat battle, driven in part by US domestic considerations, which can only make the coThe first signs something unusual may be happening at the Houston consulate emerged on Tuesday, when people overlooking the building's courtyard noticed several bins on fire. Footage shows people throwing what appears to be paper into the bins. It is not known who they were. People were later filmed appearing to pour water on the bins. Emergency services were called to the building on Tuesday evening. However, the Houston police force said on Twitter officers "were not granted access to enter the building", but did see smoke. Mr Wang did not directly address the fires in the consulate's courtyard, simply saying it was operating as normal.There are a number of flashpoints between Beijing and Washington currently. Some of the most serious are: Coronavirus: President Trump has repeatedly referred to Covid-19, the first cases of which were reported in Wuhan in late 2019, as the "China virus". He has also alleged it originated from a Chinese laboratory, despite his own intelligence officers saying it "was not manmade or genetically modified". In response, Chinese officials have suggested that Covid-19 might have originated in the US, without evidence. Trade: Mr Trump has long accused China of unfair trading practices and intellectual property theft, but in Beijing there is a perception that the US is trying to curb its rise as a global economic power. The US and China have engaged in a tit-for-tat tariff war since 2018 as a result of the dispute. Hong Kong: China's imposition of a sweeping new national security law in Hong Kong in June led the US to revoke the region's preferential economic treatment. Mr Trump has also signed a law to impose sanctions on officials who cracked down on rights. Beijing has accused the US of "gross interference" in its domestic affairs, promising it would retaliate.