Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Shaun Walton'
Sword of Convallaria smashed through five million downloads in just a single week
Since its announcement, I have been incredibly excited about XD Incs’ fantasy TRPG Sword of Convallaria, and it seems like I was not alone. It has only been one week, and I need to stress one, but the game has already been downloaded over five million times, and that is mind-blowing. To celebrate this incredible start, XD will be sharing the love and hosting a special login reward event starting today and lasting until August 18th. If you log in for a total of seven days during this period you will receive ten Secret Fates to summon more allies to save Iria, as well as random Legendary Weapons to gear up with. As well as revelling in the current success, XD is also looking toward the…
The Lotus Eaters update lands August 21st as Warframe builds up to 1999
The long wait for Warframe's next huge update, 1999, is kicking off later this month with the release of The Lotus Eaters on August 21st. This update will act as a warm-up to the big event and will also bring the next Prime, as Sevagoth rises from the briny deep in an enhanced form. Following on from Whispers in the Walls, the Man in the Wall is not sitting by twiddling his thumbs. You will receive an SOS from The Lotus asking you to investigate an odd sound originating from Deimos in Sanctun Anatomica, but when you arrive you will be greeted with a sense of deja vu. The enigmatic Albrecht Entrari awaits at the end of this thread, but how is he connected? To help get to the bottom of this…
Tencent receives import approval for Final Fantasy XIV Mobile and a big win for Ubisoft
When I am not working I will most likely be sitting in front of my laptop playing Final Fantasy XIV, the game that launched a thousand critically acclaimed memes. There are only two things that would make it better; a fully immersive VR simulation, or a mobile version, and we might just have news on the latter. According to research by Daniel Ahmad over at Niko Partners, on August 2nd Chinese publisher Tencent received approval for the import of four new games; Final Fantasy XIV Mobile, Rainbow Six, Dynasty Warriors, and Marvel Rivals. Now, some of you may know there is no Mobile version of FFXIV anywhere, and that is because this is a joint development project between Tencent and Square En…
NFL and the NFLPA team up with Ubisoft to announce NFL Primetime Fantasy
If you have ever been to a sports game of any kind, you know the whole audience is full of people who know better than the professional coach. Now American Football fans can prove this, with the National Football League and the National Football League Players Association teaming up with Ubisoft to release NFL Primetime Fantasy. As you might get from the use of sport and fantasy, this is a fantasy football-type affair. Quite interestingly though, there is a very big emphasis on the live aspect of sports here. During regular and post-season games you can take actions with your team to maximise your fantasy score. Is your starting QB having an off night, but the one on your bench is sh…
Zenless Zone Zero gears up to release Version 1.1 on August 14th
August 14th will see the arrival of Version 1.1 for HoYoverse's urban ARPG Zenles Zone Zero. This expansion will bring powerful characters to recruit, an interesting story of crime and justice, and a whole new gameplay mode to get stuck into. The Mountain Lion Gang is causing trouble, and it is down to Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and Seth to work together and put a stop to it. Every time the gang is close to being busted though, the mysterious Jane bails them out. By advancing in the Special Episode Undercover R&B, you can take on the visage of Jane, complete quests, and uncover her past. To help tackle this dastardly group you can recruit four new fighters. Qingyi is an S-Rank with a kit packed…
Star Wars: Hunters Season 2 drops with a new character and epic battlefield
It took about three years since it was announced, but Star Wars: Hunters is well and truly here, and is already debuting its second season. This update will introduce an iconic new battlefield, a handful of cosmetics, and perhaps most importantly, a new character to cause havoc with. Star Wars: Hunters is a new arena shooter game in the same vein as those like Overwatch, where you choose a character inspired by the monolithic Star Wars franchise. These include the Mandalorian Aran Tal with his twin blasters, the Dark Side Assassin Rieve, and Utooni, the Jawa Scavengers. Adding to this roster of characters this season is K-A0S, a KX-series droid. If you watched Star Wars: Rogue One or playe…
Olympic fever hits Netflix with the release of Sport Sports
You might have noticed that the 2024 Summer Olympics are in full swing, and like me, you may be feeling equal parts amazed and in awe of these superhumans. We might not be able to complete a Triathlon or even a Monothlon, but you can feel like it with the new Netflix game; Sports Sports. We have been spoilt in recent years with realistic gameplay and in-depth career modes, at least in some titles, but Sports Sports doesn't offer any of this. Instead, you create your own little pixel athlete, and let them lose in some retro-inspired sports fun. It is simple, straightforward, and delightful. You can virtually take part in twelve different sports, comprising track and field events, swimming,…
Null Games announces the release date for retro-inspired tactical game Athena Crisis
Despite their simplistic look, retro grid-based strategy games like Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics provide countless hours of joy and soon we can throw one more onto the pile with Athena Crisis. And with Null Games announcing the release date recently, we now know when. Athena Crisis is an upcoming strategy game that draws a lot of inspiration from the classics such as Advanced Wars, with over 40 types of units to cobble together and command. There will be seven environments to conquer, each with its own perks and disadvantages for you to master. You can tackle the single-player story mode, comprised of over 30 maps and missions or head online for some truly mammoth tactical challeng…
Harness the power of One for All as My Hero Academia lands on Stumble Guys
Almost immediately after being released, the manga series My Hero Academiacatapulted itself right into mythical status and became one of the most beloved series worldwide. Fans can now step into the shoes of their favourite characters, in a way, as the much-beloved series crossed over with Stumble Guys. Version 0.76, and I'm surprised it is not on version 1 yet, of Stumble Guys will let players wield a variety of Quirks and take on one of the hardest challenges you will ever face; the Gero Exam. Head into Ground Beta, pick your Quirk and tackle a course that scales on your mastery of Quirks. There are five Quirks to pick from, starting with the big one. One for All gives you a Shockwave pu…
Travel the world and cook with K-pop royalty in BTS Cooking On: TinyTAN Restaurant
Sometimes you just don’t want to cook unless you are backed up by one of the biggest K-pop groups there have ever been, and luckily Com2uS now has you covered. The publishers have confirmed that BTS Cooking On: TinyTAN Restaurant will be released on August 7th, almost worldwide. Developed by Grampus, BTS Cooking On is a cooking simulator featuring the massive hit band BTS. It's all there in the title. Fans might be worried about entrusting the band's name to just any developer, but Grampus has proven themselves with a combined 33 million downloads in the cooking game genre with titles such as Cooking Adventure and My Little Chef. You will travel the world and stop in various cities w…
Arena Breakout celebrates one year anniversary with new game mode
Every time a game celebrates an anniversary I feel more and more that time is an illusion because there is no way that Arena Breakout is already turning one. To celebrate this supposed first birthday, MoreFun Studios is hosting the Road to Gold Anniversary Season update, and there are some nifty things on offer. The war rages on and has spilled into a new area; the Mine. It is a big map, with every corner having the potential of tricks or treats. There will be a bunch of gold to grab, however, so to hell with the risk. To help you travel this massive area faster, Arena Breakout now has vehicles to hop on and speed around with. In this update, you will come face-to-face with Hecate, a boss…
Blue Archive unveils its latest event and releases a huge four new students
Blue Archive has released its latest event story, Basking in the Brilliance of Their Serenade, and it comes with a host of new recruits. A teacher comes from Kivotos to help Gehenna Academy throw a party for the century, but the night is packed with unforgettable twists and turns. This story will consist of seven stages, and completing them will unlock the mystery-type striker Ibuki. Her EX skill increases ally attacks and recovers Ibukis’ own health, and her Normal skill debuffs enemy attacks and deals damage every 30 seconds. An excellent character to gain for free. You will also be able to enjoy a new type of content called Field Exploration. Here, you will take control of the stu…
Grimguard Tactics: End of Legends unveils its pre-registration incentives and they are good
Outerdawn has announced the pre-registration milestones for their upcoming dark fantasy, Grimguard Tactics: End of Legends, and there are some delectable items up for grabs. Stick your name down and head into the games’ Boss fights and Dungeon raids with a very unfair advantage. Grimguard Tactics is a, as you might guess, strategic tactical RPG. Command your team to unleash RPG-style combos, and execute powerful tactics to turn each battle on its head. Or, if you are feeling spicy, head to the PVP Arena and beat up your fellow players to climb the leaderboards. To help you tame this dark world you will need help, and luckily you will have a ton of epic heroes with their own perks, ab…
Tackle the new Sanctum of Rebirth Boss Dungeon in Runescape
Despite being around since the dawn of time, Jagex is still finding new things to add to their legendary MMORPG Runescape, and even more impressive it never seems to be content just for the sake of content. This time around we will be able to experience the first-ever Boss Dungeon; the Sanctum of Rebirth. Set deep in the Underworld, the Sanctum of Rebirth was abandoned for a long time, until one day it was claimed by the goddess of destruction herself. Amascut the Destroyer is back and has taken over the halls with her followers, and has left a few formidable foes to deal with anyone foolish enough to enter. Inside, you will come face to face with three deadly soul devourers; Vermyx, Kezal…
Head back to the Xianzhou Luofu and enjoy the Wardance ceremony later this month in Honkai: Star Rail
The Penacony dream is over, and our favourite Trailblazer is headed back to the Xianzhou Luofu in Honkai: Star Rail’s next update. Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue will land on July 31st and sees the team head to the Wardance ceremony, where the Express’s own March 7th will unlock some new skills. Version 2.3 will also introduce The Shackling Prison, a map overseen by the Ten-Lords Commission. It is home to some of the world's most dangerous criminals and is where Xueyi and Hanya carry out their duties. Explore at your own peril, as it also houses wolflike terrors called Borisin, ruthless beasts with innate Moon Rage. If you are looking for some new 5-star characters, then Y…
