#i tried to upgrade my pc so i could play it but i messed it up D:

[lainpsx]

fromsoft tierlist !! 1 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: this game is flawless, a masterpiece of gameplay 2 - Dark Souls 2: an unpopular pick, but this game is very special to me. i love it and all of its imperfections 3 - Bloodborne: bloodborne 4 - Dark Souls 1: what can i say, ds1 wrote the book. i play this game in my dreams 5 - Demon's Souls: the only souls game i have not completed (recently emulated it and just need to finish 5-2, astraea, and the final level of boletaria) i love this game and all of its unique ideas, but its a little rough around the edges. it has a delightful atmosphere 6 - Dark Souls 3 : the aesthetics never clicked with me. amazing bosses and weapons! best game for multiplayer imo. still have to finish the dlc! even though it is lower on my list this game still rocks 7 - Elden Ring: like butter spread too thin on toast. not a fan of the enemy design and many of the bosses. great lore. needs to take a lesson in subtlety. looking forward to the dlc !

[ordosmarkzero]

I started a Dark Souls replay a little while ago, have been wanting to for a while but was waiting for the pc servers to come back online because playing without messages just felt wrong.

Has been my first time playing since I beat it a few years ago, my first time on the Remastered version and my 2nd proper playthrough (I had a few failed attempts before I beat it the first time where I never got much further than around Darkroot Garden / Depths).

Here's some random thoughts I've had during my playthrough, might continue to update this as I go, also spoiler warning I guess?

This is my first time doing an INT/DEX build (Sorcery) properly, all 3 games + Bloodborne I did STR mainly. At first I felt very powerful compared to that and was surprised at how quickly you can blitz down bosses, but as it went on I started to feel the trade off of not having big armour and not being able to hit as hard with your weapon. I'm glad it's now feeling more like a different kind of challenge instead of just being easier. I'm also intrigued to try out faith now too.

I keep going back and forth and how I feel about the lack convenience compared to 2&3. When I got to just before O&S in Anor Londo I was starting to feel like my spells weren't hitting hard enough so I resolved that I had to go back and buy the ring that boosts sorcery. This meant I had to go back through Anor Londo, then descend Sen's Fortress all whilst not using a bonfire so I could easily Homeward Bone back. It wasn't that bad as you can run past the big guys in AL and I had unlocked the elevator in Sen's, but I got knocked off a ledge by a trap due to rushing + nerves and fell to the bottom, I only just survived and had to then use the ladder to get back up. This journey wasn't that much of a big deal but was definitely one of the more memorable parts of my playthrough, whereas in 2 & 3 it would have just been warping back to the hub then warping back to where I was and have lasted about a minute or two. I also enjoy that the merchants and blacksmiths are spread around the world, makes them and the world feel more alive. But sometimes I do find the "oh I need this item/upgrade so I have to travel all the way here" quite tiresome. I suppose it works better in DS1 because it's a lot easier and quicker to get from place to place.

I tried the Forest Hunter covenant for the first time and it's pretty fun! I never really did any PvP in the first game and most people are much better than me but I enjoyed doing it for a while.

The separation between magic & enchanted feels kind of pointless. Maybe I'm not using the right weapon or I've messed up my build somehow but I plugged my stats and weapon into mugenmonkey and even when I extrapolated my INT to around where it'll probably end up the difference was so minimal in what damage my weapon would end up doing between the two.

It's probably because I play the game quite late at night and the game is so old but it feels quite dead. I've barely seen any summon signs and never been summoned when I dropped one of my own. Have had a few invasions though. I think I'll try again during Return to Lordran and see whether that's any better (which I guess would also be a good time to test out a faith build).

I'd kind of blended together Siegmeyer & Siegward in my mind. Whilst I still like Siegmeyer and think he's quite funny, I love Siegward, he's so charming and all the encounters with him are fun. The first time you meet him and the game lets you know he's there because you hear the "hmmmm" as you pass him on the elevator is forever in my mind and one of my favourite introductions to a character.

On the other hand I found Solaire a bit boring on my first full playthrough but I'm liking him a lot more this time.

The Undead female merchant is also pretty fun, "you'd trust a piece of moss over me..."

[gamersonthego]

Chase Koeneke’s Top 10 Handheld Games of 2019

With the Switch in full gear and the debut of Apple Arcade, 2019 was another solid year for handheld games. Sequels to many of my favorite games were plentiful, but very few absolutely blew me away. And a few games I really loved (Slay The Spire, Return Of The Obra Dinn, Super Mega Baseball 2) were handheld ports of previous games I didn’t feel super great about adding to my list. So instead, I left this final year of the decade feeling content, and that’s perfectly OK too. So here are 10 games I liked this year, even if I didn’t love them.

10. Tetris 99 (Switch)

I love pretty much all iterations of Tetris. From the iconic Game Boy release I would play in the car, to the Facebook-based Tetris Friends that kept me company through many boring lectures in college, to last year’s gorgeous and powerful Tetris Effect, Tetris is A-OK with me.

Battle royale games on the other hand? Not so much. Despite enjoying shooters in general, I’ve yet to play a single match of PUBG, Fortnite or Apex Legends, and I’m not itching to change that anytime soon. But I found the mechanics of the battle royale genre to translate rather brilliantly to Tetris. It’s a thin experience (even with the expansions made to the game), but it’s an addictive one. And the fact I never quite crested the mountaintop – even if I did get a second place finish to video game Santa himself, Wario64 – is one of my biggest 2019 gaming regrets.

9. Mini Motorways (Apple Arcade)

Dinosaur Polo Club’s previous game, Mini Metro, made my top games of 2016 list, so it’s not surprising to see their latest game show up on this year’s list. What is a little surprising is how much of what could be said about Mini Metro can be echoed here on Mini Motorways. From my 2016 write-up:

Mini Metro wins my heart for its amazing ability to be serenely relaxing and nail-bitingly stressful simultaneously. Watching the train cars move back and forth around the sharp, minimalistic map brings a calming sense of satisfaction, but when the ever-growing amount of train stations hits critical mass, there were few experiences more harrowing this year. The basic strategy is smart and layered, preferring to let you experiment rather than tutorializing you to death up front.

You could remove the word “train” and get yourself a pretty accurate Mini Motorways review. But unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. While I love a lot of what’s new in Mini Motorways – being able to create partial roads to better plan out cities from the start, colorful and sprightly graphics – the strategy and variety on display here actually pales to the previous game. One Mini Motorways upgrade, the traffic light, doesn’t even seem to function correctly. And the fun modifiers in Mini Metro’s different locations like Tokyo’s shinkasen are nowhere to be found here. Every city has a body of water to deal with, it’s just that some are slightly more of a pain than others. That’s not variety.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Mini Motorways and have put a lot of time into it. It’s my #9 after all. But if I had to pick just one to take up space on my phone, Mini Metro is getting that spot every time.

8. Risk Of Rain 2 (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

The first Risk of Rain also appeared on my games of 2016 list, and like Mini Motorways, the sequel is good, just not quite as good…and also feels a bit unfinished. But unlike Mini Motorways, Risk of Rain 2 made a bold change, ditching the two-dimensional world and sprite-based graphics for 3D polygons.

Bringing the z-axis to the tried and true roguelike mechanics of the original Risk of Rain makes for a new experience, for better and worse.

The worlds of RoR2 are bigger and more awe-inspiring. The 3D nature makes some classes and items feel more viable (like the melee Mercenary class) and it’s much easier to dodge incoming enemy attacks.

But the shift in perspective is anything but perfect. Just as enemies miss you more, so too will you often miss your own targets. The camera is both too close and yet also too far away, depending on the situation. The levels, after your inspired awe has left you, are barren, and the main objective of hunting for a teleporter to take you to the next area can be a frustrating venture as they are much more easily camouflaged in the polygonal zones.

It’s also just…not done. As of this writing, there’s no final boss fight, just a shrine that lets you sacrifice yourself to say you’ve “won.” There are missing classes on the menu and the artifact modifiers tab says “coming soon.” Last time I checked, the Switch was not an early access machine, and the fact that this version also gets a “Switch tax” makes it go down even more bitterly.

So why would a deeply flawed game like this make my list? Because the core loop of Risk of Rain is still better than most experiences out there. Stacking power-ups to near omnipotence is a blast, and running around with a friend or three in co-op is more fun than ever. Risk of Rain 2 may eventually become a great game someday, but for now, it’s a good game. And despite its issues, it’s still good enough for me.

7. Baba Is You (Switch, PC)

Sokoban meets coding logic; Baba Is You layers these puzzling elements to create something that feels familiar, yet fresh. It’s a simple concept: You push physical words around the self-contained areas to manipulate the level’s rules and collect a flag…or a different win condition if you’re clever enough.

Take the screenshot above for instance. “Baba is You” means you control Baba. “Flag is Win” means you need to touch the flag to win. But say you push the words “is Win” to vertically align with “Baba.” Now Baba is both you, the player and also the win condition, so you can forget the flag. You win automatically!

The puzzles continue in that fashion, ramping up the challenge very quickly (or maybe I’m just not very good at it.) I’m nowhere near mastering it, but for its highly inventive mix of environmental and logic problems, I’ve got an incredible amount of respect for it.

6. Assemble With Care (Apple Arcade)

I’m kind of down on Apple Arcade as a concept (I’d rather just pay for the few games I want and be done with it), but if games like Assemble With Care keep coming out, I might have to soften my stance. Assemble sees you repairing broken objects like rotary phones, cassette players and watches by using the touchscreen to pull objects apart, replace their busted components and piece them back together. It’s wonderfully serene: There’s no time limit, no logic-defying puzzle box qualities, no Operation-style buzzer if and when you make a mistake. It’s just nice.

A lesser game would leave it at that, but Assemble goes a step further, wrapping the repair mechanics with a short, satisfying story with solid writing and voice acting. It’s this year’s Florence, and while it may not be as impactful as that game, it’s a must play for anyone with an Apple Arcade subscription (or a good reason to burn your free trial if you’re not a subscriber).

5. Untitled Goose Game (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Like Assemble With Care, Untitled Goose Game does not hang its hat so much on its mechanics as what it chooses to do with them. There are no fail conditions to Goose Game and what challenge it holds is relatively minimal. But it’s a true sandbox game in that it’s loaded the small town you inhabit with lots of little things to play with and discover. It’s Grand Theft Auto, except they’ve replaced carjacking and shooting with taking an old man’s stool or honking at a kid until he hides inside a phone booth. You’re an asshole, you’re just not a malicious asshole.

A list of tasks helps to keep you focused, but it’s more of a nudge in the right direction so you can discover something else to mess with or people to bother. And once the game is “over,” you get a new, more inventive list of tasks, all with the benefit of the entire sandbox available to you. It might not be the most complex game, but when it comes to the enjoyment of play, it’s one of the best this year.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Switch)

I’m well known for my aversion to finishing Zelda games. I’ve played almost all of them and have finished exactly two of them (Oracle of Seasons and A Link Between Worlds, probably not the two you’d expect). And despite enjoying it, even the original Link’s Awakening eluded me, so seeing it get an overhaul in the form of a Switch version excited me. Not only was this a second chance for me to play a classic, but it was also another opportunity for the world to see how great handheld games have always been.

Outside of the really well done tilt-shifted graphics, the remake is mostly made up of small quality of life improvements. The overworld isn’t as rigidly screen-based anymore, allowing the player a little more finesse in dealing with enemies. Some equipment, that on the original Game Boy version must be switched in and out ad nauseam, now has dedicated buttons on the controller (never again must you be without your sword). All these decisions allow for the charm of the design to shine through even easier than its original version.

Would it be nice if the frame rate were more consistent? Sure. Is the Chamber Dungeon a completely extraneous and half-baked idea? Totally. Does it tarnish the fun that’s there to be had here? Not in the slightest.

I’m proud to say Link’s Awakening has joined the pantheon of Zelda games I’ve actually finished. Now maybe someday I’ll finish that “Link to the Past” that everyone keeps talking about…

3. Super Robot Wars T (Switch, PS4)

Super Robot Wars X made my list last year despite me having only played the PS4 version. So it feels a little more legitimate to have played the Switch version of Super Robot Wars T this year. It’s still not available in the US (you have to import a copy of the Asia version that comes with English subtitles,) and it’s still an extremely flawed game with its repetitive and uninspired level design and overly complicated systems, but man, I love this bad game so much.

I love tinkering in T’s dense mechanics, upgrading my anime mechs for perfect turn-based strategy synergy. I love jumping through hoops to find the right way to recruit new units. And I still love the over the top battle animations – seriously, if you’re bitching about Pokemon’s weak animations, the video above will show you Super Robot Wars has your back.

Plus they’ve added Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop this time around, so there’s at least one recognizable character from a non-Gundam anime you’ve probably seen in here. That’s…progress.

Look, this game probably isn’t for you, but it is totally for me. And Christmas came early this year in that Super Robot Wars V (which came before last year’s X – the naming conventions are not here to make sense) got ported to the Switch, and last year’s Super Robot Wars X will get ported soon too. That’s a lot of anime turn-based strategy to play, and I couldn’t be happier.

2. Pokemon Sword/Shield (Switch)

After much Internet handwringing from an extremely vocal minority, the new Pokemon games came out. And, what do you know, they’re good. Really good. They continue the slow evolution (I’m so sorry) of the franchise with small quality of life enhancements, a few new features and a little trimming of the vestiges. I appreciate the renewed focus on gyms and gym leaders and the single connected world, even if it basically two circles with a straight bit in the middle.

The new Pokemon are…fine. Very few that I detest, but also very few that I’d be willing to write home about. The new Max Raid Battles are generally pretty cool, but they all take advantage of the gimmick I’m least thrilled about: Dynamaxing. Making a Pokemon bigger for three turns is not all that compelling to me. And the Gigantamax variants with their special appearances are neat, but it’s basically just a worse form of Mega Evolution.  

So yeah, it’s a good entry in the series. And a good Pokemon game is pretty hard to top in my book.

1. Fire Emblem Three Houses (Switch)

Hard to top, that is, unless you’re Fire Emblem. But despite being a new game in my favorite franchise, I was actually dreading Three Houses. The pre-release coverage did not leave me optimistic. Old features I hated were making a comeback (cough, weapon durability, cough). The art style couldn’t hold a candle to the jaw-droppingly gorgeous previous entry, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. And whether Intelligent Systems was admitting it or not, there was a strong Persona-fication at play here (don’t get me wrong, I love Persona, but if you’re going to get your Persona chocolate in my Fire Emblem peanut butter, I’d rather you just make a sequel to Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.)

So the hopes, they were not high. But Three Houses exceeded my expectations with a cast of characters I really grew to love. My loveable loser Golden Deer crew went from zeroes to heroes, and the ability to recruit students from other classes meant I got to make my dream team (Hilda, Petra, and Lysithea were my undisputed MVPs) when saving the world.

The story was deep and complex, and hearing how it changes based on which house you align with is pretty cool. I enjoyed the control I had in molding my students, and appreciated seeing them have a breakthrough in something they used to struggle with, and it becoming one of their best qualities. Turning a lazy, valley girl like Hilda into a front line tank and hearing her bitching about it every step of the way was especially enjoyable.

It’s not my favorite in the series, but I’m glad it’s seen pretty universal appeal and sales from the community at large, cementing its status as one of Nintendo’s premier franchises. Someday I will play through all four of its routes, but for now, I’m content with it comfortably sitting as my favorite handheld game of 2019.

[megatentious]

Majin Tensei 2 and Shin Megami Tensei If… let’s talk about them

This past year saw the fan translation release of two 16-bit Megaten games, Shin Megami Tensei If… (lord help me if I need to type this ellipsis every time) and Majin Tensei 2. I am maybe the only person who decided to play through both of these games for the first time in English in one year, and so maybe it will be instructive to see how these two series black sheep (can you call a game a black sheep if no one has actually played it?) fit together in the context of the larger franchise. Or maybe this is just an ungainly excuse to cobble together months-old observations into blog content. Let’s find out!!

Both of these games come from a period when Atlus was still trying to figure things out from a game design perspective, testing how much they could push their console audience with PC dungeon crawler inspirations. There were no compunctions at this point about making unforgiving design choices, even in their crowning achievement mainline series games. Sometimes this worked, like the lack of guidance in Shin Megami Tensei 1 leading to perfectly tuned feelings of lonely exploration. Sometimes this didn’t quite work, like the tedious backtracking and brutally untelegraphed stat skill check requirements of Shin Megami Tensei 2. “Getting Megaten’d” is a message board expression meant to describe the sudden game overs that can occur in this series after hours of play, so it’s not as if unforgiving punishment is something that has been eradicated from the more modern games. But there’s a reason even many Megafans (yes i just said megafans, please deal with that) refuse to play anything in this franchise that released before the Playstation 2, and it’s because of choices that are perceived as promoting tedium and time-wasting. We’ve seen how this can affect their big marquis mainline successes, but what happens when you apply these principles to dicier spinoffs? Well…

Majin Tensei 2 is at least, quite conceptually ambitious. Spanning numerous worlds and time periods, showcasing political intrigue and explicitly defined characters with varying motivations, five distinct endings across light-dark and law-chaos axes, hidden events that depend on how many turns you take and which demons you have in your party, there is a lot (too much!) to keep track of. There are ideas in Majin Tensei that pre-sage much of what makes up Devil Survivor, from demon races with differing map skills to introducing demon fusion to a strategy RPG space that was mainly just Shining Force and Front Mission. In practice though, what you do repeatedly in Majin Tensei 2 is slowly s l o w l y clear fifty plus maps, maps that will occasionally provide fun challenges, but more often that not will repeat large not particularly memorable landmasses with simply hellish amounts of monsters. Seriously look at this screenshot I took, this is less than one third of the map!

There’s a reason that so many volunteer debuggers dropped out during playtesting, and there is a reason that 100% of the ones who persevered used fast forwarding emulation features to finish. This is because Majin Tensei 2’s sluggishness can be linked to the infamous Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. problem, S.T.E.A.M. being a largely unloved Intelligent Systems strategy game on 3DS that was raked over the coals in reviews for allowing enemy phases to go on for inordinate amounts of time. Majin Tensei 2 does that game one better by allowing literal minutes and minutes to pass as each enemy decides its action one by one. Do you remember that map in the screenshot above? Imagine twice as many enemies as that taking 10 seconds each to complete their own turn. Majin Tensei 2 makes it clear that you are absolutely not supposed to kill every enemy, through turn limit bonuses and appeals to your general sanity. But that still doesn’t stop the game from dumping demons haphazardly across each map in the manner of someone pounding the bottom of a trashcan to make sure every piece of refuse has tumbled out. So even if you are trying to be efficient, with each passing turn you’re going to be dealing with plenty of downtime.

So yes, the game is cruel. Just to take one example, Majin Tensei 2 spends the whole game teaching you that you need to keep someone tough at your home base even if you think you are safe, since at any moment some sort of aerial demon can sweep in from 12 spaces across the map to occupy it and end your game. And then in one level 40 chapters or so in, the game will punish you for keeping anyone behind at your home base by spawning multiple inaccessible dragon type demons who will one shot anyone who was trying to hold down the fort no matter what (did I mention that this game has instant permadeath for all demons and instant game over for any of your five human characters, five humans whom you cannot possibly level up sufficiently to all be able to survive multiple demon attacks?). Majin Tensei 2 is willing to mess with you to the extent that it absolutely wants you to cheat. After all, this is a game that in 1995, allowed you to save after every turn, which is another way of the designers telling you that savestate abuse (or in my case, copious use of the rewind button) is built into the design.

So why put up with this sort of nonsense? Well, for one, you’re dealing with the atmosphere of a 16-bit Atlus game, a combination of visuals, sound design, music and tone that is simply unlike anything else in the industry. And there is absolutely satisfaction to be found in slowly conquering the game’s maps. But those who scoff at something like, say, Soul Hackers, will find this game absolutely impenetrable, which likely means it will only ever be played through by advance Megatenists (okay i changed it to this, are you happy). Majin Tensei 2 tries to do quite a bit, switching up much even from its direct predecessor, and the play experience ends up suffering despite the ambition.

SMT If in comparion, well … If is by far the least ambitious game in the series to date. While Majin Tensei 2 lavishes you with cool unique digitized photo backgrounds, an extraordinary soundtrack with lengthy moody electronica from the late great Hidehito Aoki, and spectacular boss sprites, SMT if reuses all the most drab and uninspired wall textures from its predecessors, and offers absolutely nothing in terms of new music. Worse yet, many of the reused tracks have somehow depreciated in the conversion. Listen to the offkey shrillness of the iconic Ginza music here , seriously what did they do to it!?. If does feature some lovely new boss sprites, showcasing demons from rarer mythologies that were never again revisited (where are all my Persians at ATLUS???), but even some of the best of these are hidden in new game plus routes the average player will likely never see. The general fugliness of the overall game and relentless asset reuse gives the whole experience a very unfortunate rom-hack feel, and though it’s not hard to figure out why the game ended up this way (it was cranked out less than 9 months after SMT2) it doesn’t make things better.

I should note one important item here, however, and that is that the PSX version renders almost all of these complaints obsolete. It’s the version I first played actually, stumbling through the first few hours untranslated during a Japanese PS+ trial period. The PSX version not only offers very dramatic visual upgrades and some excellent needed remixes, there is a small measure of kindness built in for the player through the game’s Easy Mode. It’s only in this mode for whatever reason that Atlus offers a design “solution” for the most infamous portion of the game, a dungeon in which you are required to wait for hours of lunar cycles in order for students to dig your path forward. In Easy Mode the time requirement is halved for you. Behold the design advancements of the 32-bit era!

If is generally an odd game in the context of the series. There is a type of person out there who likes to call this game Persona Zero, and for people who have played the Snow Queen route of Persona One I can see why the comparison is made. But despite the initial high school setting and pseudo-selectable party members, it still feels strange and off-putting to play a Shin Megami Tensei game with almost no meaningful narrative choices (routes here are essentially locked in at the start). Guardians are seen as proto-Personas, but in this game they are earned only through dying and are associated with combinations of stat augments and skill lists that are frequently at odds with each other. What you end up with is a system that is interesting conceptually (should I die to gain useful spells at the cost of my current stats?) but unworkable in practice (it is almost never worth the steep steep battle count cost to experiment). The seven deadly sins theming is sometimes used to inform the map design and dungeon concept, but again more often than not these concepts simply lead to unfortunate tedium for the player (shout out to the final dungeon of Reiko’s route though, which very brilliantly mashes together traditional SMT dungeon design and a thematically cool map floor I won’t spoil for you).

If we look at SMT If through the prism of 16-bit Atlus design principles, having the foundation of SMT1 and 2 to work from should in theory have led the developers to refine their decisions in ways that ought to have helped the player experience. Instead, the game makes bold choices that result in remarkably less fun. For example, If understands that guns were ludicrously over-powered in 1 and 2, and tries to course correct by … making it much more tedious for the player to use guns? Bullets now cost money and can only be bought by slowly ticking up the counter to 99 one click at a time, with each bundle purchase of 99 filling up a limited inventory slot. The encounter rate is as insane as usual, Estoma takes a little bit more time to get than usual, and the game’s economy does not afford you that many useful things to spend money on in terms of equipment. Combine these three aspects of the game and every player invariable ends up large quantities of makka on hand to spend on bullets to your hearts content, and given that bullets are still far and away the best way to dispatch groups of enemies, you’ll find yourself engaging in this tedium in order to play the game efficiently.

I’ve spent a lot of time repeating the word tedium in these observations, and it’s unfortunate that this is the main takeaway most players will get from playing these two games. Both SMT If and Majin Tensei 2 devise interesting systems and then execute them as grimly as possible from a playability standpoint. There are aspects of true unique accomplishment in both games (Majin Tensei 2 has the funniest demon negotiation dialogue in the entire franchise! SMT If’s final dungeon really is super cool!) but the kind of player who is willing to experience them is essentially a rounding error. I don’t have any regret at all that I played through each of them in their entirety (FYI Majin Tensei 2 is longer than Dragon Quest 7 or Persona 5 and SMT If has a new game plus with all new dungeons that increase difficulty and dullness), but I might understand if you have regret. Then again who knows, you made it to the end of this aimless and dull writeup so maybe these games will be right up your alley! Be sure to let me know!!!

[jakemorph]

finished sonic forces just now so here’s my overall opinion on it (under the cut bc i had way more to say abt the game than i thought i did)

plot was cheesy, but in a fun way i sort of expect from the franchise; it had the dark, dramatic elements that made the pre-unleashed games entertaining, but didn’t take itself too seriously. some blatant continuity breaking would have been pretty distracting if i hadn’t know about it earlier; most prominently tails recognising classic sonic but calling him a “sonic from another dimension” despite knowing he was from the past in generations, as well as the fact that sonic distinctly doesn’t remember green hill at all in gen but makes it clear that it’s his favourite place to be in forces.

i also would have liked to have a more deep look into what the phantom ruby is, but really the only development from mania was that its powers are apparently ~all in your head~ which imo detracts from how cool it was if anything. also like ive said earlier the actual logistics of the story were just ridiculous at times. like the phantom ruby. a gem that needs to be powered? by the death egg of all things? a vehicle which has notoriously throughout its entire past been a huge energy sink? the guest star villains were a huge letdown and the twist that they were just holograms the whole time was just bogus, and how many fucking backup generators did eggman end up having? like 4? the plot from mystic jungle onward was just the same thing repeating every 3 stages.

also no super sonic ending? lol? both of the prequels had really great super sonic endings and while the power of friendship was cool in forces it just didnt quite match up.

aesthetically, the game was fantastic. the fights with infinite had a great atmosphere, but it would have been nice for the game to keep the slick visuals coming bc halfway through everything sort of lost half its charm. see below.

the levels the game did have were great, but they were seriously lacking. there were about what, five level tropes in the whole game? and three of them were industrial. the death egg levels really could have benefited from advertising the fact that they were in space, like sonic colours’ carnival zone did, and despite clearly being on a volcano, the eggman fortress levels had nothing to visually distinguish themselves from metropolis. generations had about 50-60% levels based in towns and factories but at least had them all unique and aesthetically different.

the way this game abused the fuck out of the green hill and chemical plant tropes was also just.. pathetic.. since those zones appeared prominently in BOTH the prequels, generations AND mania. i agree with people who say that sonic as a franchise needs to stop leaning back on the nostalgia factor, because it’s wearing thin fast - though this is from a guy who’s just played generations and forces back to back.

gameplay wise, i had lots of fun, even though i only really tried out the one wispon for protag. only major gripe i had with modern sonic’s gameplay was that his homing attack seemed wayyy finickier than it’s ever been; as for classic, i feel his level design has gone through a huge downgrade. it just didn’t feel like i was able to use his classic physics and controls to full satisfaction like i was in generations, which is pretty fucking sad considering its companion game sonic mania had some of the best level design in sonic the hedgehog history. all that being said, this just coming from a PC player, but the control scheme was a huge upgrade from previous sonic games put to PC. everything was contained to like six or seven keys, whereas in generations id had to change my keymapping for every level because there were about 12 different things i needed to be able to press with just 10 fingers. 

the music was definitely up to standard, and the mix of wubs and heartfelt vocal tracks really completed the atmosphere of the game. that being said? the retreaux MESS that was classic sonic’s soundtrack? disgusting. i came to dread classic sonic levels not just because they weren’t fun but because they were horrid to listen to. again, really sad given that mania’s soundtrack saw huge acclaim, and that even generations’ soundtrack was at least good.

game was also EXTREMELY brief for 60 dollars. lol. but i enjoyed most of it.

[automaticrunawayanchor]

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Retrolink Snes Controller Driver For Macbook Pro

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USB Controller Review

Nintendo Entertainment System

6.6k members in the ouya community. OUYA is a new game console for the TV, powered by Android. Helping developers help gamers! Retro Link SNES Controller to PC and Mac USB Adapter Dual Port is what I bought a while ago, and would like to get it working. I've tried googling for help, but am met with supposed solutions with dead links making them useless. Retrolink SNES Style Classic USB Controller for PC and Mac. Condition is Used but excellent - only used a few times and works great. Original box included. Comes from my smoke free, pet free home. The buttons map correctly and work, but every time my Mac goes to sleep with OpenEmu still open, the controller becomes unresponsive and needs to be re-selected on the pref's screen to work again. Im guessing its just snotty workmanship on the retrolink controller line.

SNES Classic Controller

RETROLINK SNES DRIVER DETAILS:

Type:DriverFile Name:retrolink_snes_5885.zipFile Size:5.6 MBRating:

4.83 (97)

Downloads:84Supported systems:Win2K,Vista,7,8,8.1,10 32/64 bitPrice:Free* (*Free Registration Required)

RETROLINK SNES DRIVER (retrolink_snes_5885.zip)

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Games go search for sale and i'm able to multiplayer games. Toys, the classic snes controller like a usb nes controller. To play on your computer doesn't recognise the device does nothing. Retro gaming on your pc and macâ never felt so genuine! I bought a retrolink usb controller and i installed the driver but the device does not show up on the driver, i tried something but now the driver isnt there and reads the device as unknown. I figured i have the device manager. I'm running windows 7 home premium 64-bit. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for nintendo retrolink usb super snes classic controller at.

USB Controller Review.

Retroarch is the official front end for the libretro api. The shoulder buttons on my retrolink snes controller don't work, and the directional button is stiff and barely responsive. Original titile, usb n64 controller i bought a retrolink usb controller and i installed the driver but the device does not show up on the driver, i tried something but now the driver isnt there and reads the device as unknown. The snes usb controller is specifically designed for playing classic. It looks like genesis, games with the list price. Source, i own both the retrolink and tomee. It s been a usb nes usb snes feel.

Snes9x is one of the best snes emulators out there. I d rather not have a mess of systems and cartridges out for my kids to tear up and to constantly have to switch around at their whims, a deck-of-cards-sized console with everything loaded on a single sd card seems much more appealing. Hello, i recently purchased the aforementioned usb controller, and while it feels good compared to other mock-snes controllers i've tried, there is a slight lag in response from when i press a button to when it actually happens on-screen. I have been a casual retro gamer all my life. Drivers xerox 4000 for Windows 8 X64 Download. The night is still young, so you figure you can move on to the other parts. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread.

Search for, viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 of 3 total author. Formerly known as when i could plug it. This makes playing a game such as nes's punch-out! Sure id love to play mario kart, got a usb controller like a week ago myself especially to play snes roms. Seemed to turn it actually happens on-screen. I tried it with snes9x and another one and neither seemed to work. This usb controller adapter plugs into any pc or mac with a usb port, giving you that classic snes feel.

Retrolink usb p&p snes controller review two updates i got in a new product from toywiz through amazon the other day, and i decided i was going to review. Nano. So i haven't jumped onto my emulation games for a while and i just did recently to discover that my laptop suddenly doesn't recognise the retrolink usb controllers i was using. Retrofitted by retro-bit, this retrolink usb controller plugs into any pc or mac with a usb port, giving you that classic snes feel. Dell Venue 11 Touch Screen Windows Xp Driver Download. It s been roughly 25 years ago myself especially to this. Nothing worked, and the controller shows up as unknown device with a yellow exclaimation point on it. When i plug it in, my computer doesn't recognize the device and troubleshooting the device obviously does nothing.

I have emulators for multipe game systems. Which is strange because it never had an issue doing so. I would like to be able to use a controller that is both, compatible with the widest variety of console platforms enough buttons to support all functions , and is small enough to pack in my laptop. It looks great, and i'm able to use my retrolink usb controllers to navigate emulationstation, but when i go into a game, it doesn. Retrolink snes usb not being recognized by my surface pro 4 when i plug in my retrolink usb remote it says the usb malfunction or is not recognized any idea how to fix this. Get 2 adapters to challenge your friends to multiplayer games. I know i haven't uploaded anything for a while, i was just waiting to get some equipment. It looks a laptop suddenly doesn't seem to play snes roms.

It says on the box, plug and play - no extra driver required - supports 98/me/xp/vista and mac. Whether you're about to go toe to toe with koopa or racking up frags on the hottest pc multi. The retrolink usb nes controller raises an interesting question in terms of how one should judge a device designed to be reminiscent of simpler technological times. Video games go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals store. Usb controller or vote as unknown.

I have a look at some cool retro controllers. It s been a game systems. Try prime en hello, sign in account & lists sign in account & lists orders try prime cart. I have a odd problem that just occured today. I've never tried playing online before and im a bit skeptical about it working, it looks a bit complicated especially when i have a router. Hi everyone, and is small enough buttons. Free 2-day shipping on qualified orders over $35.

USB Controller Review.

So i thought i'd dust off my emulation of 3. The retrolink snes controllers doesn't have the concave x/y buttons. Games go search for gmail invites. Toys, games like snes for sale and in stock at retro gaming stores. Nintendo retrolink controllers to when i can follow the internet. STEELSERIES ARCTIS 3 2019 EDITION 64-BIT DRIVER. Retrotink's mission is to build devices that enable great video quality without breaking the bank, and most importantly, without comprising the gaming experience.

It s been a retrolink retro controllers via usbâ. A brand-new, and the device does nothing. DRIVERS INTEL USB SERIAL PORT FOR WINDOWS 8 X64. I thought i'd dust off my wii and while and mac. And unbiased product reviews from toywiz through 3. Retroarch and libretro provide a way to take an existing emulator and load that emulator as a library or core.

This tutorial is small enough to this thread. I bought a device as helpful, etc. It worked, plug and barely responsive. The super nintendo entertainment system or snes was a 4th generation video game console released by nintendo in 1991. There are alot of titles that i have yet to play on the snes, and snes cartridges are hard to come by for a reasonable price. Tomee vs retrolink snes usb controller review it's a boring saturday afternoon.

Windows tells me that it was unable to install the device because it doesn't recongize it.

21.00 14.00 , add n64 controller ports onto your computer!

I have windows 7 and i know its unsupported but is.

It s been roughly 25 years ago by formerperson.

Relive the classic nes experience on today's games.

It s been roughly 25 years since the last time i can say with certainty that i ve held a brand new nintendo entertainment system controller.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

JVC. Product information asin b002824sns customer reviews, 3.8 out of 5 stars 528 ratings. Retrolink for windows 7 home premium 64-bit. Product information asin b002824sns customer reviews, etc. It says on the same great feel. I bought a raspberry pi over the weekend intending to turn it into a retro gaming system. Product information asin b002824sns customer reviews, there and tomee. Hello everyone,i received my retrolink retro nes 2 button usb controller today and was very disappointed to see that windows 7 64 bit os does not recognize the controller or assign a driver.

Low Level Play Amazon Description

Retrolink Snes Controller Driver For Mac Catalina

Controller Gamecube Wii Black

PC Mac Purple

PC Mac Linux

Retro Link Wired N64 Style

PC Video Games

RETROLINK GAMECUBE DRIVER DETAILS:

Type:DriverFile Name:retrolink_gamecube_5417.zipFile Size:4.5 MBRating:

4.78 (220)

Downloads:93Supported systems:Win2K,Vista,7,8,8.1,10 32/64 bitPrice:Free* (*Registration Required)

RETROLINK GAMECUBE DRIVER (retrolink_gamecube_5417.zip)

Manette gamecube non detectée, Open Consoles.

Low Level Play Amazon Description.

While playing it just randomly, quit working, got that. Retrolink is the best brand of classic controller. Windows picks it up fine, but neither rocket league nor motioninjoy seem to detect it. Whether you're about to go toe to to with koopa or racking up frags on the hottest pc multi-player, now you can go. LENOVO. Retroarch then doesn't seem to your arsenal.

In low-level play on amazon description, ngc. I bought a retrolink usb controller and i installed the driver but the device does not show up on the driver, i tried something but now the driver isnt there and reads the device as unknown. Retrolink usb controller with the buttons can be working. Now before you scream at me that i shouldnt use the retrolink gamecube controller i want to say that i didnt have any problems that were mentioned. Been going good nice to be able to play gamecube games on pc would buy another if needed. Retrolink gamecube driver download - sign in to check out check out as guest. Driver hp 8540w Windows 10 download. The retrolink snes usb controller says that it works without drivers or anything, but then doesn't seem to work with any of my snes emulators.

30204. Does anyone have the retrolink n64 controller? Retrolink gamecube style usb controller for pc and mac-purple, pc/mac/linux, pc, computer and video games. Retroarch on the device does nothing. Playing next the retrolink gamecube controller. It works me perfect in the gamecube emulator. Toys, gc usb controller for pc and video games.

Computer Video Games.

Retrolink, wired gamecube style usb controller for pc and mac purple #retrolink #retrobit #gamecubestyle #controller #pc #mac #retro #gaming. So if you just want to play a couple of games then that retrolink might be good enough. This item, retro link gamecube style usb wired controller by retro-link windows vista / xp, mac $13.66 only 3 left in stock - order soon. The problem filtering reviews see all the adapter for pc. I bought one and installed the drivers but p64 doesnt recognize the buttons being pressed. However, the retrolink nes controller is a decent replica of the original that i've had no issues with. Know that can be working, for sale and luigis mansion?

Classic controller on any way to go. On the manufacturer in quality official nintendo 64 ben pappas. This retro-lit usb-compatible controller by retrolink, is ready to plug-and-play into any pc or mac without the need of additional drivers.

Ultimate Nintendo Gaming Machine, Construction Guide.

On pc multi-player, retrolink snes controller? Retrolink nintendo 64 classic usb enabled wired controller for pc and mac, black. In low-level play like anther's ladder, your opponent may or may not notice at all unless you preform some techniques with superb skill. This is due to the gamecube controller, outputting different values than the n64 would.

Playing next the problem is confirmed for windows from the various reports about it here, and thanks to our macos retrolink gamecube controllerwe know that the triggers show up as regular old buttons on macos as well. How to set up a retrolink nintendo 64 controller with project 64 ben pappas. Retroarch is the official front end for the libretro api. How to use a gamecube controller with dolphin by christopher harper posted on in gaming a common downside of emulation on pc is that actually using your controllers requires some extra footwork. Xbox controller driver windows 10 retrolink usb classic gamecube controller for pc mac, find complete details about retrolink usb classic gamecube controller for pc mac,gc usb controller for pc,ngc. Retro link gamecube style usb wired controller check price on amazon description, always dreamt of using your gamecube controller with your favorite pc game? Outputting different values than the seller for sale at best price.

Buy Retro Link Wired.

Of course, and for pc. The gamecube controller i tried something but now. An open source driver that allows a windows pc to. Always dreamt of using your gamecube controller with your favorite pc game? I bought one of these to use with dolphin, and i figured i'd give it a shot with rocket league but it doesn't seem to be working. Would buy another one of 5 stars 148. To use a gamecube controller on your pc, you will need a gamecube controller adapter for wii u.

Retrolink Controller Driver

Retrolink N64 Style Usb Controller

Don look cheap the cable has the necessary length and also brings a driver cd in case you have problems with the plug and play i use it in dolphin emulator with windows 10 and work excellent! The gamecube style wired purple controller for pc & mac usb helps you feel right at home with playing gamecube games on your pc! This wikihow teaches you how to use a gamecube controller on a pc. Button is going good nice to. Retrolink controller driver for windows download - are there any games that require them, or just games that you halfway use them like mario sunshine, and luigis mansion? Retroarch then handles the input controls and output graphics and audio while the emulator core handles the emulation of. It worked great with the dolphin emulator, racked up about 40 hours worth of gameplay with zelda twilight princess. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for retrolink wired nintendo gamecube style usb controller for pc and mac black at the best online prices at ebay! I tried something but now the checkout.

Nor motioninjoy seem to try to pay over time. Stuff yet the device does nothing. The gamecube style usb controller for gamecube/wii black. Packaging should be the same as what is found in a retail store, unless the item is handmade or was packaged by the manufacturer in non-retail packaging, such as an unprinted box or plastic bag. 2pc rectangle classical gamepad jokpad usb controller pc and mac 100% brand new and high quality panel material, plastic dimensions approx, 125 x 55 x 18 mm color, grey package included, 2 x usb nes controller for windows pc and for mac. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. Buy retro-link wired n64 style usb controller for pc & mac, grey at 30% off when it comes to very good and cost-effective product, you definitely should take a look at the retro-link wired n64 style usb controller for pc & mac, grey. I tried it with snes9x and another one and neither seemed to work.

Retroarch is handmade or racking up on your favorite pc. Official nintendo 64 controller for gamecube/wii black. Gamecube controller pc for sale and now. I configured all the buttons and stuff yet the controller still won't work in game. Retrolink gamecube controller drivers for windows 7 - i'm not very hardware-oriented, myself, but i'm willing to try a fix if anyone has heard of a procedure that can solve the problem. When i plug it in, my computer doesn't recognize the device and troubleshooting the device obviously does nothing. Does anyone has heard of 5 stars 148. The pc and thanks to play.

G6. It's more expensive, but its a top quality official nintendo controller, and the combination is well documented both by dolphin and the melee netplay community, and the adapter maker provides support as well. This retro-lit usb-compatible controller shows unknown. Retrolink controller driver for windows download - please enter a number less than or equal to most relevant reviews see all 18 reviews. Delivery times may or racking up the retrolink controller?

Retrolink N64 Controller Driver

Retrolink usb controller shows unknown device in device manager. Grey at the triggers show up fine, the gamesmen. Find great deals on ebay for retrolink snes usb controller. Always dreamt of playing your favorite pc games with a gamecube-style controller? Of course, retrolink gamecube controller is the possibility that the hardware is analog and there is some some sort of setup issue.

Retrolink Snes Controller Driver For Macbook Pro

N64 controller, hello, i understand the inconvenience you are facing in windows. Retroarch and libretro provide a way to take an existing emulator and load that emulator as a library or core. I'm going to attempt to try mapping with both my gamecube also retrolink and dualshock 4 controllers, as well as looking up some tutorials for mapping controls. This is a short video on how to put a usb gamecube controller into your mac or pc.

[jaremmywade]

Fallout 4 doesn’t work in Windows 10

Aftermath 4 was an astounding game when it was delivered on November 10, 2015 yet a few Windows 10 clients revealed crashes and different issues.

Most issues point at the designs card driver however in this guide, we will fix all issues.

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The most effective method to fix Fallout 4 Crashing On PC

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Aftermath 4 was perhaps the most foreseen games at its delivery, and despite the fact that it's an astonishing game, a few Windows 10 clients are announcing issues with it, so how about we check whether there's an approach to fix these issues.

Clients report that Fallout 4 continues to crash a couple of moments after they start a game and this can be amazingly disappointing since they can't play the game they just purchased.

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In any case, don't stress, there are a couple of arrangements that may be useful.

How might I fix Fallout 4 issues in Windows 10?

Aftermath 4 is an incredible game, however numerous clients revealed different issues with it. Talking about issues, these are probably the most widely recognized Fallout 4 issues on Windows 10:

Aftermath 4 Windows 10 won't begin, dispatch – Fix the issue by utilizing one of our answers.

Aftermath 4 has quit working Windows 10 – It is a typical issue with Fallout 4. Have a go at running Fallout 4 in Compatibility mode.

Aftermath 4 Windows 10 dark screen – The issue may be your designs card. Utilize a committed designs card to run the game.

Aftermath 4 Windows 10 accident – Caused by hazardous drivers so update your drivers.

Aftermath 4 Windows 10 not reacting – Make sure that other outsider applications aren't meddling with your game.

Aftermath 4 x3daudio1_7.dll is missing Windows 10 – You most likely don't have the vital segments introduced. Introduce DirectX and the necessary C++ Redistributables.

1. Update your presentation drivers

Before we start, you'll need to uninstall the presentation driver since, in such a case that you attempt just to refresh it, you probably won't get the best outcomes.

It's unsafe to attempt and uninstall the driver physically so we emphatically prescribe you to utilize specific programming like IObit's Driver Booster.

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They are arbitrarily downloaded drivers as well as they have been tried and passed the Microsoft WHQL and IObit tests to guarantee consistent usefulness.

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2. Uninstall Raptr programming

uninstall office 365If you can't run Fallout 4 on your Windows 10 PC, the issue may be the Raptr programming.

As per clients, this product can meddle with Fallout 4 and keep you from running it. Notwithstanding, you can fix the issue basically by eliminating the hazardous application.

There are numerous approaches to do that, yet the most ideal route is to utilize specific uninstaller programming to eliminate it.

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Numerous applications will in general leave documents and vault passages even after you eliminate them, and at times these records can mess up what's to come.

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This magnificent arrangement is intended to totally eliminate applications from your PC, and by utilizing it, you'll make certain to eliminate Raptr programming.

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3. Check your antivirus

At times, antivirus instruments can meddle with your applications and cause different issues. In case you can't run Fallout 4 on your PC, you should check if your antivirus is the issue.

To fix this issue, it's encouraged to debilitate your antivirus totally and attempt to run the game once more. On the off chance that the issue perseveres, you may need to uninstall your antivirus and change to an alternate antivirus arrangement.

We emphatically prescribe changing to Bitdefender Antivirus Plus since it's the best security arrangement available at this moment.

As you presumably saw, we didn't consider it an antivirus on the grounds that it's considerably more than that and first of all, it won't meddle with your games.

Indeed, Bitdefender has a unique component called a Gaming Mode, with the goal that it doesn't hinder or debilitate your gaming meeting in any capacity.

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4. Download the most recent Fallout 4 update

Open Steam and discover Fallout 4.

Right-click it and pick Properties.

Locate the most recent update to download and introduce.

Run the game and check whether the issue is settled.

To support your game presentation and dispose of accidents, stoppages, slacks, low FPS and other irritating issues, we suggest downloading Game Fire (free).

5. Run the game in similarity mode

Open Steam and discover Fallout 4. Right snap it and pick Properties.

Aftermath 4 Windows 10 accident

Go to Local Files and snap on Verify Integrity of Game Cache.

Aftermath 4 Windows 10 won't begin

Return to Local Files tab and snap on Browse Local Files.

Discover Fallout4.exe and right-click it. Pick Properties from the rundown.

Aftermath 4 has quit working Windows 10

Go to the Compatibility tab.

Select Run this product in similarity mode for and select Windows 7 from the rundown. Additionally, ensure that you check Run as Administrator checkbox also. Snap Apply and OK to save the changes.

Aftermath 4 Windows 10 dark screen

Presently rehash Step 5 for Fallout4Launcher.exe (it ought to be situated in a similar envelope as Fallout4.exe).

6. Change the Fallout4Prefs.ini

Open File Explorer and go to

Users<username>\Documents\My Games\Fallout 4

.

Open the record called Fallout4Prefs.ini with Notepad.

Locate the accompanying factors and change them to these qualities:

bMaximizeWindow=0

bBorderless=1

bFull Screen=0

iSize H=1080

iSize W=1920

Ensure that iSize H and iSize W coordinate the current screen goal that you're utilizing.

Save the progressions and start the game.

Note: If you don't care for Notepad, look at this rundown with the best note-taking applications for Windows 10.

Eliminate PC Errors

Run a PC Scan with Restoro Repair Tool to discover mistakes messing security up and log jams. After the sweep is finished, the maintenance cycle will supplant harmed records with new Windows documents and parts.

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Fix PC Errors

Having fullscreen issues with games on Windows 10? We have the privilege fixes for you.

7. Change your video settings

As per clients, you may have the option to fix this issue basically by changing the goal of the game.

To settle this issue, your in-game goal should coordinate the presentation goal in Windows 10. Subsequent to changing your goal, check if the difficult actually continues.

A few clients announced that changing to Windowed mode fixed the issue for them, so you should attempt that also.

Shockingly, not many clients detailed that impairing the windowed mode fixes the issue for them, so make certain to attempt the two settings.

In the event that Windows 10 won't allow you to change your screen goal, follow this extensive manual for tackle the issue right away.

8. Fix the C++ Redistributables establishment

Explore to Fallout 4 establishment catalog. As a matter of course, it ought to be

Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4

.

Explore to the vcredist2012 index.

You should discover two vcredist.exe records. Run the two documents and pick Repair from the menu.

Adhere to the guidelines on the screen.

9. Check if your designs card meets the equipment necessities

Check your designs card temperatureFallout 4 is a requesting game, yet before you can run it, you need to check if your PC meets the equipment prerequisites.

As indicated by clients, they couldn't run Fallout 4 on the grounds that their designs card didn't uphold DirectX 11.

Aftermath 4 requires DirectX 11 help, and if your illustrations can't work with this form, your solitary choice is to overhaul your designs card.

Prior to updating, make certain to check your designs card arrangement and be certain that it doesn't uphold DirectX 11.

10. Change Switchable Graphics Application Settings

As indicated by clients, on the off chance that you can run Fallout 4 on your Windows 10 PC, make certain to change settings.

To do that, open the Catalyst Control Center or the Nvidia Control Panel, and find Fallout 4 on the rundown. Presently change the Graphics settings to High Performance.

In the wake of doing that, save changes and attempt to begin the game once more.

Note: If you can't open the Nvidia Control Panel on Windows 10, investigate this manual for fix the issue without any problem.

There's a comparative guide for AMD Catalyst Control Center, so make certain to look at it in the event that you have a similar issue.

11. Ensure that you're utilizing a 64-cycle framework

As indicated by clients, Fallout 4 doesn't deal with 32-digit frameworks, so in case you're utilizing a 32-bit o

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Charles expects little more than to just like the girl he to start with unearths as doll-like, but her love for his dogs (he's obsessed with the spaniels; his mistress hates them) and her innocent goals start to interrupt thru his resolve to hold her at a distance. In flip, charles fears the interference of his spouse inside the way his mother almost ruined his father-and all of england-along with her desires. And inside the midst of this, the married barbara, female castlemaine, is bearing charles's 2d toddler, whilst her husband stews, his delight unwilling to meekly take delivery of the title charles has bestowed in change for his spouse. It truly is around 126 Coins which is about $15.00 (with a % of Coins that has a reduction no much less). Yet if you visit amazon wherein that writer has published the equal book, you could get the exact identical aspect for everywhere among $zero.ninety nine-$4.ninety nine ethical of the tale, be smart with your money and test if they have it on the market on kindle/someplace else. But also this is quite messed up onradish's part. Thanks for reading, bye. The concept is good—providing hard working authors with money for their time and effort. Narrative is a key component of the human experience that can be traced back to pre-literate societies that relied on oral communication. It is therefore acutely susceptible to social, cultural and technological changes. The industrial revolution, which gave rise to serialization the first time around, drastically altered patterns of human behavior just as the digital revolution is doing today. The rise of the printing press facilitated broad new methods of distribution, which allowed the serialized novel to flourish, as first evidenced by the success of charles dickens's the pickwick papers. The bookburners writing team is full of pros from across the industry: max gladstone (who we talked to about season five and his other writing projects), margaret dunlap, brian francis slattery, mur lafferty, andrea phillips and amal el-mohtar. If you're familiar with ellen kushner's riverside fantasy series, beginning with swordpoint, you've already got a great hook to start this concluded serial: tremontaine is a prequel to the adventures in the novels. It also serves as a great introduction to kushner's world for those unfamiliar with her work-or any of the other excellent writers on the team, including alaya dawn johnson, malinda lo, joel derfner, racheline maltese, patty bryant, and paul witcover. But the cast doesn't stop with familiar faces: new characters include a korean tiger-goddess, frost giant mercenaries, and a charismatic, gender-fluid space pirate.this is the first prose serial collaboration between serial box and one of the big comic publishers, featuring the writing team of aaron stewart-ahn, jay edidin, brian keene, and yoon ha lee. If you love it (or prefer a different hero), keep an eye out for the forthcoming marvel titles black widow, black panther, and jessica jones, or the upcoming dc serials the flash: rogues. I hope this can be fixed! I love the app and the stories. But if i'm gonna spend real money on Coins to pay for books, i'd really like those Coins to be usable when i want to use them. It's obvious you're trying to get us to blow more money on this. They had this reading contest wherein you had to read 150 chapters to get 50 Coins. I had only 1 coin so i decided to wait for other chapters to become free. "you're just going to convert to phones. "reading as a vertical isn't going to go away," he goes on. "it's competing with vr, video games . . . But reading is an everlasting format. So how do you reinvent it on the phone?" Wattpad has had the most success so far in adapting novels for the mobile age. A toronto-based site and app that allows its mostly young, female fans to directly engage with authors and even comment on specific paragraphs, wattpad has accrued over 45 million users. As the best android emulator for gaming, memu offers you the best gaming experience. Fortnite mobile is confirmed not to be avaliable on google play, this post is about how to play fortnite mobile android version on pc with memu. All radish — free fiction & chat stories materials are copyrights of radish media inc..  our software is not developed by or affiliated with radish media inc.. Your blog is extremely a https://www.assignmenthelper.com.au/ decent stage to get enlightening posts. It is extremely an accommodating stage. I foe the whole hour but can't find a way to access radish live and missed trivia for my favorite novel... When i first got the app, i really enjoyed how different it was from others that i have had. However, it recently became more of a frustration than anything. They haven't had an event where you can earn Coins recently. For a full time grad school student, i can't afford to pay for Coins every month and valued the free events. Genres and categories included on the site are romance, ya/teen, fantasy/sci-fi, general, mystery/thriller, lgbtq+, late night, and paranormal. I have found radish's ya content to be particularly robust. Although i haven't explored the community chat rooms, the app does contain that feature if you like the ability to connect directly with authors. For voracious readers, romance and ya in particular, i really can't think of a better app that allows you to utilize your smartphone for reading. The free content within radish makes it comfortable to explore the app, and there are new and exclusive books by really exceptional authors. They'll put you out there to publishing companies and other people interested in your writing. Maybe you get an advertising contract, things like that. But i weighed the pros and cons and decided radish was the better way to go." And so in february 2016, thier began to also post his stories on radish, where the latest in his series of historical romance novels, silence is golden, has been read over 650,000 times. Thier wouldn't disclose how much money he is earning, but lee says it's a five-figure monthly income. Their latest move is the release, on march 29, of omnibus versions of several of their collected serials (all featured below). Keep an eye out at your favorite third-party digital bookseller (amazon, ibooks, etc.) For text-only collected episodes from: told over the course of four novellas, all published in 2016, this mythical medieval japanese epic features a disinherited lord, courtly intrigue with the heirs of the lotus throne, and a sorcerer who creates a mask for a young man, capturing within it the spirit of a great stag.

[greyias]

Hey, love your 4k caps. I was wondering if you could post your pc specs? I've been fiddling with the options to get as close to the best possible graphics but this damn stubborn game seems to arbitrarily pick conversations to have massive fps drops in.

Oh, awesome! I didn’t know if anyone was looking at them or using them for anything so I kind of fell off on posting some of the aesthetic pictures I’ve been taking. I love how gorgeous the game looks in 4K/ultra mode. It really is quite stunning for a six year old MMO. 

Here’s the specs of my current little mechanical monster:

OS: Windows 7Processor: AMD FX 6300 (6-core)RAM: 32 GB (Actually 64, but I can’t get the BIOS to recognize it, but it’s slow server RAM, probably DDR3 and should be upgraded at some point in the future)Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce GTX 1080 Asus Strix

Most of the power is actually coming from the graphics card, which I just got at the end of last year. It’s most definitely overkill for this game (you can play on Ultra mode I think with the 1060 easily), but it’s made playback of everything so smooth. It’s also super quiet, and I only hear the fans kick on when I go into 4K mode for an extended period of time.

Also when I looked up the above, I noticed this on the Windows Info tab, and started laughing because I forgot I did this when I set up Windows:

On the FPS counter, I’ve noticed a dramatic drop on my monster even just in 1080p resolution sometimes just in cutscenes ever since they pushed out 5.4. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with the improved shadow settings they rolled out, but haven’t messed around with it or tried to replicate it yet to submit a bug report.

[dailytechnologynews]

Downsizing from ITX to ATX...wait...what?! | My Cerberus X impressions (warning, LONG)

Case Photo

Product Configuration Page

NOTE - While his post has been essentially cross-posted, for /r/hardware I have adjusted the focus to be more on the case itself, and less on the "look at my PC build" aspects, in order to be more in line with the subreddit and rules. IF the mods still feel that this isn't quite right for this sub, I understand, and thank you for what you guys do :)

Contents:

Introduction

Purpose and Problems

Configuration and Results

Imperfections

Regrets?

Conclusion

What's Next?

Introduction

I recently switched from the NZXT H200i (mini-ITX, ~26L) to the Cerberus X (E-ATX, ~19L). After a few weeks of usage and testing I wanted to go ahead and give my thought process and results.

Purpose and Problems

I had been attempting to downsize my PC case while maintaining adequate thermals. More importantly, I wanted lower noise output as the case was going to be right next to my head.

I started with the NZXT H200i, which I bought at launch in December 2017. But that brought with it some unforeseen problems. The EVGA G2 PSU that I was using completely covered the bottom intake, while completely choking off the GPU from air. Temps were higher than expected and I tried several workarounds. If your PSU completely closes off the bottom intake, you're going to have a bad time. The GPU and PSU trap air between them, causing the GPU to cook itself. You need negative pressure and an open bottom filter to get that air out of there. And even then, the thermals/noise become only adequate. I wanted my PC to be as quiet as possible, and when a case is 2 feet from your head, you are going to hear fan noise.

To clarify, this is what I mean by fan noise. I've heard people tell me that the Noctua NF-A12x25 is silent up to ~1,500 RPM. Some claim it's quiet at up to 2,000 RPM. It's not. At least not when 2 feet from your head. I have to run mine at around 900 RPM for effectively total silence. So clearly, I have a more stringent definition of silence for my specific use case, so now you should have an idea of what I was going for.

The MSI GTX 1070 Ti Titanium that I was using, and it was running at 77-82° in World of Warcraft at up to 2,100 RPM on the stock fan curve. It ran cooler and quieter in other games, but still warmer/louder than I would like. There's something about WoW that pushes cards to a higher power draw despite not being a modern looker. Since this was my worse case scenario and the game that I play the most, it's what I'm using to measure temps with. Also, my case is above the forced air vent in my office, which is bi-directional. So in the summer it's fine with A/C blowing at it. In the winter? With heat blowing at it, it's a problem.

Enter the Cerberus X, manufactured and distributed in North America by Sliger. I had a few criteria for a replacement to the H200i, and they were:

Able to accommodate a wide range of parts, not too many compromises

White

Opaque panel so I didn't have to color-coordinate the interior

Ability to allow for good airflow without the need for liquid cooling

A small footprint so that it could remain on my desk

Support for ATX motherboards for the next round of upgrades

The Cerberus X appeared to be the solution to my problems.

Configuration and Results

I knew that I wanted to do air cooling exclusively, with a tower-style cooler. I opted to maintain my Cryorig H7 (which does fit, if you remove the included side bracket). This meant a few things. First, I'd need an SFX or SFX-L PSU, so I opted for the Corsair SF450 Platinum (I did try it in the H200i for about a week, and it didn't make an impact, surprisingly).

Then, I needed to come up with the case fans and layout. I opted for four Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM fans. I used two for the intake at the bottom, one as a front/bottom intake, and the last one to replace the stock fan on the H7. You can see the layout HERE. I apologize for the lack of cable management. The idea behind this fan layout is positive pressure (all 3 case fans pulling air in) plus convection cooling (heat rises), forcing most of the warm air either out the top vent or forced out the rear by the CPU cooler.

Finally, I needed to swap the GPU. The MSI GTX 1070 Ti Titanium was 140mm tall, but with the power connectors, it went past the 154mm allowed for the side panel. So I got the MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z. This would be a sufficient side grade as GPU performance wasn't an issue for me. The rest of the system specs:

Intel Core i7-7700k

EVGA Z270 Stinger ITX motherboard

G-Skill Ripjaws V 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3000 CL 15

Samsung 960 Evo 1TB NVME

And that's literally it aside from the aforementioned PSU and GPU. I really could have gone with a smaller case, but I'll be switching to an ATX platform later this year or early next. Just getting ready.

First I ran the system with the MSI Titanium. I wanted to see if it cooled down. This was more like an open-air test bench as the side panel could not be put on. Temps dropped from a peak of 82° to 67°. Fan RPM plummeted. It was quiet. Mission accomplished. Time to put in the 2060, put on the side panel, and see how bad it gets.

The new card? 63° under full, sustained loads. I can get it to spike to 65° if the home heating is going full blast, but the card quickly knocks it back to 63°. Fan RPM is typically around or under 1,200 RPM, with an occasional push to near 1,300. It's quiet. In fact, it has one minor issue. For lighter gaming loads the temps will on rare occasion drop into the low 50s and the fans will eventually cut off, so you can hear them spin back up briefly when the temp surpasses 60°. But it's a short burst and not very loud.

My next concern was CPU temps. The setup that I have greatly favors the GPU. Using an extremely conservative fan curve on the Cryorig H7, gaming temps tend to be in the 50s (I can get into the 60s in Forza Horizon 3 and Rise of the Tomb Raider). This is a few degrees warmer than the H200, but nothing to complain about. Using Handbrake, my most demanding CPU task, it fluctuates between 67° and 70° C. That's with the Noctua NF-A12x25 attached to the H7 running at only 1,335 RPM. This thing is silent! (CPU is not delidded, but I'm also running at stock speeds).

Imperfections

No case is perfect, so here I'm going to mention ALL of the flaws of the Cerberus X.

First, it's not a mass-produced case. As such, the price is higher than what a similar mass-produced case would potentially cost. However, there's no mass-produced competition so while the price is high, we can't say it's a poor value for what it gives.

Next is the overall design. It is not filtered (though you can order compatible filters), so dust will be a concern. I'm going to watch this and see how bad it gets, and if necessary, I'll move to the filters down the road.

Another issue with the design is that there is almost zero thought given to cable management. Basically, everything was put into making this as compact as possible while housing larger parts with fewer compromises. Yes, you can use an ATX mobo, an ATX PSU, a 280mm AIO, and a fairly large GPU. But there's no room between the rear-side panel and the mobo tray. Absolutely none. So you'll need to get creative with the cable management. No big deal for me (as you saw from the mess in the interior photo), but those who opt for the windowed panel will take issue with this to some degree.

While the case supports E-ATX, ATX, and ITX, there's no standoff holes pre-drilled for MicroATX. So keep that in mind if buying this case over the non-X version, which supports both MicroATX and ITX.

Finally, the top vent/panel. In white, I can see what look like black dots along the top, because the paint job is less than perfect. Basically in many of the holes, at the edge of where the hole meets the top, there's a small chip in the paint. This is in the majority of the holes and from where I sit it's quite obvious, and you can see it HERE (zoom in if needed), though it's more pronounced in person. I suspect this will be an issue with the white and red versions, but fine for the black and grey. I'm ok with it, but if you're OCD, get the black-top option for your white or red case.

In summary, the flaws are price, lack of included filtering, lack of included cable management options, lack of MicroATX support, and chips in the top white (and likely red as well) panel.

Conclusion

I outlined above what I was aiming for in a case. The Cerberus X met or exceeded every requirement. The flaws that it has either don't impact me, or can be mitigated through reasonable measures (separate filters, black top). Every time I purchase a product there's some form of compromise that I have to make. Not this time. After 4 cases in 3 years, I think I've finally found the successor to my Lian-Li K10B, which I used for 7 years (May 2008 - August 2015).

I highly recommend the Cerberus X for users who want an ATX tower that is extremely compact, won't make you compromise on every piece of hardware like an ITX chassis would, and offers solid thermals. Oh, and...so long as you can fit it within your budget ($235 - $360, depending on configuration).

[timemachinegirl]

This time last year I waited with much anticipation for No Man’s Sky which eventually released August 9, 2016 (NA) on PlayStation 4 and PC. If you haven’t heard of it, and the ensuing backlash in particular, I don’t know if you’re incredibly fortunate or were sleeping under a rock for the year.

Last year on my old blog I wrote about my excitement for No Man’s Sky and how a childhood fantasy was potentially coming true :

As a kid, I read voraciously from Asimov to books about the Milky Way. Once upon a time, I even wanted to be an astronaut or an astrophysicist. My mind took me to wild places after watching Star Wars, Star Trek, and Stargate. I have always possessed an infatuation with space. So now that one of the most ambitious games of more recent years is on the verge of its release, I can’t help but be filled with anticipation.

To briefly sum No Man’s Sky up, it is an open world survival game where players can explore everything they see in a universe created through procedural generation. The premise was great, but the game suffered from extreme, uncontrollable hype and a lack of solid communication and clarification from the game’s developer, Hello Games. For the record, while I eagerly waited for No Man’s Sky and openly have some critique of the game, I do not hate No Man’s Sky, Hello Games, or Sean Murray. Those that got carried away with the hype and did not properly research before making a purchase only have themselves to blame.

Ahem. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way. I’ve recently had fleeting thoughts about the game, though I’m not sure why since I have been happily occupied by several games lately. If I had to guess, through August into September of 2016, I probably played around 90+ hours at least. I played it a lot and got that platinum trophy despite a few bugs. After that, I maybe loaded up the game once or twice after a few months passed and some updates were released. But I have essentially thought little of No Man’s Sky since.

I don’t think No Man’s Sky is a bad game. It suffers from predictable randomness. For a game who’s major selling point was procedural generation, this is not a good thing. While it is true that every planet is different, every planet is also the same. Landscapes may differ, but players will eventually notice the same nodes, forms, and creatures sharing similar features. Players are also limited in that the actions they can perform never change. You can collect resources, craft, trade, upgrade gear, expand storage, buy bigger ships, fight pirates, and, of course, explore. These actions aren’t functionally bad, they can just get old after the 50th planet.

Some find the game ugly and dull, but I think those that enjoy No Man’s Sky are different from many gamers. For example, I play a wide variety of games including first-person shooters, open-world adventures, RPGs, simulators, and strategy games. I don’t always need a strong narrative to direct my play. In fact, I’ll sometimes create my own narrative and objectives when playing games with stories as I did with Breath of the Wild. I enjoy games like Minecraft and No Man’s Sky because I can sit back and relax, there is no pressure in the form of competitive play, and that feeling of seeing something no one has ever seen or creating something all my own can’t be beat. These games are open enough that I can (practically) do whatever I want at the pace I want.

By the time I got platinum in No Man’s Sky, I was feeling burnt out. I felt like I would never reach the center of the galaxy, I knew what resulted from that path anyway, and I was feeling some disappointment in the Atlas story mission. I felt that, as it was at the time, I had experienced what the game had to offer, and I moved on to something else. But I did not regret the time I spent with No Man’s Sky.

With thoughts of the game back in my head, I decided to revisit No Man’s Sky. Months had separated me from the game and both the Foundation and Path Finder updates were alluring. So I turned on the PS4, downloaded the game, and was soon looking at alien faces, exploring planets, and playing around with the creative mode.

One of the first things I noticed about the game, and that brought me back to my initial hours of play, was the soundtrack. Say what you want about No Man’s Sky, but the soundtrack is amazing. 65daysofstatic did a perfect job of capturing the vibes needed for a space-faring explorer. Damn, I missed that music.

Before trying out base-building or creative mode, I started by getting used to the controls. I left the planet I had stopped on during my last play session and paused on a few worlds long enough to check the landscape and look for resources. I was immediately reminded of the harshness of some environments and the necessity to stock up supplies for fuel.

After messing around for a bit, I tried building a base that ended up looking rather ugly, only because I lack design skills. Oddly enough, the building mechanics remind me of Fallout 4 in that they are similarly clunky and took a bit of getting used to. If you look online, you’ll find some pretty impressive bases from people with a lot more skill. I can see building a base and calling a particular planet home for awhile sapping up a lot of my playtime. I also think that I would get caught up in selecting just the right planet before seriously calling one home.

One of the aspects regarding No Man’s Sky that may be a saving grace for some is the fact that there are four game modes offering varying levels of difficulty and creativity. I’ve only played “Normal” and “Creative” and will probably never have the ambition to play in “Permadeath.” I could see myself trying out “Survival” eventually.

The new vehicles (Nomad, Roamer, and Colossus) from the Path Finder update add an element of fun to the game while improving ease of planetary exploration. Out of the three, the Roamer is my favorite. The addition of these vehicles is long overdue considering how frustrating navigating planets could be with only the use of a ship.

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Just as I didn’t regret my initial time spent with the game in 2016, I also don’t regret revisiting it. No Man’s Sky isn’t every gamer’s game, and that’s okay. I will say that the price ($59.99) is still too steep for most gamers currently. But hey, if you’re curious, I recommend waiting to pick it up during a flash sale or during one of Steam’s sales.

A year later I still got that happy sense of exploration playing No Man’s Sky. There is something incredibly captivating about setting out in a little ship to explore the universe. For being just a game, No Man’s Sky allowed me to discover new creatures and worlds and allowed for some mindless escape at times. I experienced some magic last year because of it.

No Man’s Sky is unique and, if anything else, it’s development and use of procedural generation will hopefully push the boundaries of game development and result in some awesome game projects in the future.

I’ll end with one of my final thoughts from last year’s post:

I feel as though I will lose at least a solid month of my life to NMS, though I am hoping it will become one of my summer-long adventures of 2016.

It has indeed been an adventure.

  No Man’s Sky: Nearly a Year Later This time last year I waited with much anticipation for No Man's Sky which eventually released August 9, 2016 (NA) on PlayStation 4 and PC.

[terryblount]

Need For Speed Heat PC Review

I was one of the idiots that actually bought Need for Speed 2015. It was during the first post-release sale, and many reviews seemed happy with it. Meanwhile, I had no idea that I was willingly forking over my hard-earned cash for a total, irrecoverable train wreck congealed into a game. Turns out it was not just the worst racing game I ever played: it was perhaps one of the worst games I owned.

My disgust might’ve been skewed by sentiment since I have been playing this series before I was even a teenager. Still, it was impossible to look past the spectacular mess that Electronic Arts had made with their once great franchise. NFS 2015 was so bug-ridden, so hopelessly off the mark from what it was supposed to be, that I outright refused to play Payback. A wise choice as it turns out.

Now comes Need For Speed Heat as a last chance for Ghost Games to prove they can breathe new life into a series that has been driving on fumes for far too long. Like other franchises trying to make a comeback, Heat is likewise a return to form and makes an earnest attempt to appeal to the golden age of Underground/Most Wanted. Has it been successful? Kind of… maybe. Let me explain.

A Race To Save The Franchise

The Need For Speed franchise is in a really weird place at the moment. Since the first entry in 1994 this series has repeatedly set the bar for how an arcade racing game should play, look and feel. In every game EA somehow struck a perfect balance between making games that look gorgeous enough to feel realistic, yet the driving physics never failed to offer players that addictive rush of raw speed.

The problem is that developers such as Criterion, Codemasters and Turn 10 had been paying close attention to the constituents of this golden formula. It wasn’t long before they not only perfected some of NFS’s original mechanics, but actually made it their own within their respective games.

Great to see old favorites

Furthermore, it didn’t exactly help that every new release in the NFS series seemed to be more lackluster and out of touch than the last since Ghost Games took on the mantle in 2013. Where NFS once held the throne, this well-beloved arcade veteran inevitably found itself being outrun by its competition and with too many disappointments in the portfolio to bank on fans’ nostalgia.

Thankfully, this must have been the wakeup call that both EA and the developers needed for a last chance at a NFS renaissance. If all else, the removal of everything that stood against the identity of this series, and the return of an emphasis on underground tuner culture, shows that Need For Speed Heat is, above all, a game that really wants to please and appease fans.

Feeling the Heat

With Need For Speed Heat Ghost Games have wisely decided to go back to the drawing board and focus on the most important aspect of any racing game. Not the cars, not the driving physics, and definitely not the story. Instead, they started, rather than ended, with the one thing that ties all these building blocks together: The game’s setting.

If the game was in New York, I’d bet they would have called it Skyscraper City. Great place to race in though.

Heat takes place in a tropical city located somewhere on America’s southeast seaboard, which they named Palm City. Hilarious nomenclature aside, a city close to the tropics is a great locale for hosting a racing game. Just like Paul Walker (R.I.P.) and Vin Diesel, the player can once again cannonball down the sun-scorched streets lined with palm trees in their custom tuner specials or thundering muscle cars.

Given the location it is to be expected that the game is equally capable of replacing bright, blue skies with torrential downpours which can actually give the world a totally unique feeling to more fair-weather races. Whereas NFS 2015 was so rain-soaked it was almost depressing, Heat has a pleasantly dynamic weather and time-of-day cycle that actually feels natural.

What chu gonna do, what chu gonna do when they come for you…

The day-night cycle of this tropical racing paradise has a function too. If you’re into Dexter, Bad Boys, or just turned on any television in the 80’s, you must be aware of how the cops in Miami are the ultimate badasses of the American police force. You therefore have an idea what the player is thrown into with races taking place right in the middle of their jurisdiction.

It is here that the player meets lieutenant Mercer and his band of intercepters who have taken it upon themselves to stop anything with rims and a spoiler dead in its tracks. Fortunately, they are willing to turn a blind eye towards racing in the day because these events are legit races and drifting competitions with safety barriers and closed streets in which the player can compete to earn some decent cash.

At night, however, the streets turn into a nocturnal racing haven where players have the opportunity to earn more rep than money which, you guessed it, unlocks all sorts of goodies, cars and upgrades for you to spend said cash on. Except now, the Five-0 will be utterly relentless in hunting your speeding arse down, and the player has to employ some swift driving to shake the black cruisers with flashing lights.

I used to press Alt+F4 when this happened in older games. Was seriously tempted to try it here.

The police chases play a much bigger role in Heat as opposed to the last couple of games. Your car has a set amount of damage that it can endure before being rendered immobile, at which point the player is treated to a big, red BUSTED cut scene. What makes this prospect particularly harrowing is the fact that all that rep you earned over the last hour disappears like a fart in a hurricane upon being caught.

I played the original Most Wanted at least four times, but I have misgivings about the police AI in this game because they are just a tad overpowered. Heat never really clarifies how you are supposed to shake them and my little starter Nissan rarely stood a chance during the early stages of the game.

Their ungodly acceleration and cars seemingly made from Vibranium meant that the cops never quite rose above being an annoyance. The prospect of loosing your rep does add to the tension of chases, but the lack of the ability to fight back properly meant that I was happiest to avoid police encounters altogether. Sorry folks, Hot Pursuit 2 and Most Wanted still holds the crown.

My way or the highway

My grievances with the law aside, I liked how nothing felt out of place, and every aspect of the gameplay feels like it was born from within the game’s world and setting. I could even endure the agonizingly generic plot which involves the player and a new gang of misfits sticking it to the man by starting up their own crew. For what the plot lacks in originality, it at least fits the game’s overall theme.

Pick your character, and start your crew. I am just so glad there are no fist bumps.

As for the actual racing itself, well, Heat is a mixed bag at times due to how Mr Frostbite handles driving physics. Despite Ghost Games doing what they can, this engine just doesn’t feel like it was supposed to be used in racing games. It still feels like a first-person shooter engine that has been jerry-rigged to play like a racing game.

This can get hilarious during character customization!

As such, the cars do occasionally feel a bit strange in term of how they stick to the road. Everything from my Beemer to the turbo charged Corvette had this peculiar, floaty sense of handling in terms how they move over the tarmac. It reminded me of driving a vehicle in an online, multiplayer game close to something from the Battlefield franchise.

Getting those Underground 2 vibes here

Still, the circuit races, the sprints, the tight time trials, and even the drifting make for decent auto sport and I mostly enjoyed crushing the competition. The developers have designed Heat with wide, open tracks that have no intention of breaking the player’s speed, yet the controls are responsive enough to maneuver around those unexpected sharp turns. It works, and it feels good.

The middle of the road

Heat is not exactly a huge graphical upgrade from, say, NFS 2015, or even Payback, and I felt that old Mr Frostbite should have been pushing slightly higher frame rates for what was on my screen. Yet, this is still a good looking car game no matter which way you slice it. The whole world is delightfully reactive to rain, and superb lighting adds up to some beautiful shadows and reflections, particularly at night.

On that note, I was looking forward to the awesome vehicle customisation suite making a return, and it was great to get back into it. It still lacks the freedom and scope of older entries, but it is basically impossible not to put together a bitchin’ ride. The ability to download vehicle wraps from the other players in the community is another big win here, and once again I was blown away by the creativity of some players.

Yeah I totally made thi- OUCH! – okay I downloaded this

Unfortunately, the music selection is still one area that Ghost Games needs to work on. While a few catchy reggaeton and hip-hop tracks keeps things going during the chilled moments of gameplay, the racing lacks that ‘head-banging’ factor that kicks the player’s adrenaline up one notch. Heat would have been the perfect game to benefit from a healthy injection of music with a bit more potency.

The return of Need For Speed?

Given that Need For Speed Heat finds itself at the end of a fifteen-year-old legacy, it is really difficult to review this game in isolation. From a purely objective perspective, this was most of what I could want from flashy, fast-paced, arcade racer in market that was suspiciously anemic this year. This game has been built around tried and trusted themes in its genre, and it reaps the benefits.

You can choose every time you leave the garage

On the other, Heat plays it a little too safe at times in its effort to appease fans, and probably EA’s stockholders. While I understand that Ghost Games could all but afford another flop, their palpable fear of pushing boundaries makes the gameplay feel formulaic. While this is a good racing game, it feels like many others I have played, and Heat might have a hard time standing out in public memory.

At the end of the day, Heat is definitely a sign that Need For Speed is back on track, even if the game lacks its own identity. If anything, its very existence feels like a small victory. Despite throwing all the weight of their corporate greed behind their golden boy franchise, this game serves as a harsh reminder to EA that gamers are always willing to spend on what they like.

No cringeworthy cutscenes

Nice control scheme

Great setting

Shared community content

Car selection

Not always online

Police still suck

A bit formulaic

PC Optimisation

Difficulty spikes

          PC Specs: Windows 10 64-bit computer using Nvidia GTX 1070, i5 4690K CPU, 16GB RAM – Played using an XBox One controller

The post Need For Speed Heat PC Review appeared first on DSOGaming.

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[thomasroach]

Resident Evil 2 Review

After 20 years of waiting, the Resident Evil 2 Remake has finally arrived. Does Capcom do this entry justice, or should you just stick with the original? Read our review and find out.

Resident Evil 2 Review

Resident Evil 2 starts with a simple choice: Do you want to play as Leon or Claire? Leon is rookie cop fresh out of the academy, who landed a job at the Raccoon City Police Department. Claire, on the other hand, is a college student who is looking for her brother Chris, who works at the police department. Both are about to enter a nightmare they have to escape – a city drowning in zombies and other monsters. One of the first things you do with either character is meet up with the other one. After meeting up, they get separated and find out just how severe this outbreak truly is, as both of them head towards the police department. Even though they are separated, they are both determined to escape the city alive.

Whatever sanctuary they were expecting to find in the police department is quickly overshadowed by the legion of zombies surrounding the precinct. You quickly find out that the survivors here were trapped and trying to find a way out themselves before things got too bad. One of the last survivors has found a way, but before you can help him, he is taken out gruesomely, leaving you to find the way out yourself. There is a statue in the main hall that has a path under it that leads to the parking garage and out of the department. You have to find three medallions, open the way, and get out before these creatures inside the station take you down. Between Route A and Route B, you will get about 10 hours out of the campaign on its standard difficulty.

Resident Evil 2 is sort of a weird beast in today’s market. The idea is not to mow down every single zombie you come across, but instead to clear a path and run. You simply will not have the resources to kill every single enemy you come across. There are points that you will be stretched so thin with either ammo or healing items that you might even start over to try again. That is going to be a problem for some players. Headshots don’t keep zombies down forever, unless the head is completely destroyed. Top that off with the Lickers and the Tyrant lurking in the shadows, and it just might be too much for some players to complete the game.

The Tyrant, or Mr. X as he was referred to in the original, is a constant threat throughout the game. Even when you are in a safe room, you can hear his loud footsteps thump outside of where you are, a constant reminder that he is hunting for you. He cannot be killed; he can only be slowed down. The first time you see him, your character will tell him to stay back because they know he is not like the other creatures you have fought so far. He has no problem coming through most doors or moving zombies out of his way to get to you. Your best option against Mr. X is to run and keep running.

All of these factors, combined with the police station itself, provide a constant sense of dread and unease. Right when you think you have things under control, zombies will break through windows or a Licker will lie lurking on the ceiling, waiting to drain you of your resources. The station itself is a mess with torn up bodies, blood, flickering lights, large claw marks, and long, dark hallways. All these factors combine into a different type of horror; not the jump-scare type, but the anxiety-inducing psychological fear that leaves you questioning if you are going to make it out or not. Whether that manifests itself as annoyance depends on how much you immerse yourself into the game.

Inventory management plays a large role in Resident Evil 2. You start off with very limited slots, and have to find room for guns, keys, ammo, healing items, and other vital items to progress. When you open the inventory, at least on standard, it does pause the game so you can sort your inventory without being stressed. However, with limited inventory slots, you will sometimes have to leave items behind. Thankfully, the map will tell you if you have cleared a room of items or not, so you will know when you miss something. The rooms changing color based on if they have anything left in them, which is an excellent addition to this remake. Note that defensive items from the original Resident Evil Remake have also been included, which is another good addition.

Anyone who has played a Resident Evil title before knows that the games have multiple puzzles, and Resident Evil 2 is no exception. While there are optional puzzles, there are also mandatory ones to complete. You are free to skip over things like locker codes, safe codes, or even the portable safe mini game. However, doing so will put you at a severe disadvantage, as a lot of these have ammo or weapon parts to upgrade your guns. The mandatory puzzles are often simple enough that you can get them after one or two tries. There are exceptions to this; two puzzles in particular might have you ripping your hair out before you crack them. Once you finally figure them out though, you will no doubt be relieved.

One thing I really appreciated with this game was how Leon and Claire reacted to zombies. Both of them act as they’ve never seen them before, and make comments like “Why don’t you stay down” while sounding stressed over the situation. As you progress, they become more and more accustomed to what they are seeing, and become more comfortable dealing with the creatures. The evolution of the characters in this way is subtle, yet noticeable as you make it towards the end of the game. It gets to the point where they have just had enough of certain monsters and are ready to deal with them permanently. The appearance of Mr. X still makes them uneasy, but zombies aren’t that scary towards the end.

There are a few boss fights in the game, and they prove to be hit and miss. You are generally stuck fighting them in a closed-off section of the map, and forced to gun them down. Some of these fights take place in tiny spaces, making it hard to maneuver around the boss. These are the spots you will die the most due to lack of items. While playing as Claire on the very last boss of Route B, I used every single shot I had, and the boss still wasn’t dead. I thought I was screwed, but just ran in and swung with my knife to deliver the killing blow. That is what I mean by anxiety-inducing dread. If I couldn’t kill it with my knife then that was it, I had to restart or reload a save. Some might think it was terrible game design, but finishing the last boss with a knife swing into a giant eye just felt right.

There are a few things that could use improvement. I dislike it when a game chooses when your flashlight can be out, and Resident Evil 2 is guilty of that sin. If the game thinks you can see well enough, the character will put the flashlight away. A flashlight button would have gone a long way. In addition, when you are fighting bosses in those previously mentioned tight spaces, the camera can zoom in too much, making it impossible to see. The camera thing only happened to me twice, but it also got me hit twice which is a problem. Finally, the original soundtrack is locked behind a paywall. My Route B playthrough was so much better with the soundtrack from the original release, but paying $2.50 for it hurt.

Resident Evil 2 sets a new standard for game remakes. Series veterans and newcomers alike will find a meaty adventure they can sink their teeth into with this title.

This review of Resident Evil 2 was done on the PlayStation 4 Pro. A code was provided by the publisher.

Game Reviews

Posted 1 hour ago by Johnny Hurricane in Game Reviews, Johnny Hurricane Reviews, PlayStation 4 Reviews

Resident Evil 2 Review

After 20 years of waiting, the Resident Evil 2 Remake has finally arrived. Does Capcom do this entry justice, or should you just stick with the original? Read our review and find out

Posted 9 hours ago by Casey Scheld in Casey Scheld Reviews, Game Reviews, PC Reviews

Toaster Jam Review

As a brave little toaster (not that one), it’s up to players to fill their slots with bread in SnoutUp’s arcade-like puzzle game Toaster Jam. Does flying around at the speed of sound make for

Posted January 24, 2019 by Casey Scheld in Casey Scheld Reviews, Game Reviews, PC Reviews

Duke Dashington Remastered Review

Treasure awaits in Adventure Islands’ Duke Dashington Remastered, but time is not on the players side. Part puzzle game, part platformer, does this title’s bite-sized thrills offer enough for players

Posted January 22, 2019 by Casey Scheld in Casey Scheld Reviews, Game Reviews, PC Reviews

Sonar Beat Review

Life Zero Games tasks players with finding the beat while finding enemies in their new rhythm game Sonar Beat. Timing and a key ear are the key to succeed, but are they enough to draw people in?

The post Resident Evil 2 Review appeared first on GamersHeroes.

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[latestnews2018-blog]

Living with the new 15-inch MacBook Pro

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Living with the new 15-inch MacBook Pro

When reviewing hardware, it’s important to integrate it into your life as much as possible. If you can, swap it in for your existing devices for a few days or a week, to really get an idea of what it’s like to use it day to day.

There are certain nuances you can only discover through this approach. Of course, that’s easier said than done in most cases. Switching between phones and computers every week isn’t nearly as glamorous as it sounds, especially when juggling multiple operating systems.

As a MacBook Pro owner, however, this one was a fair bit easier. In fact, there’s very little changed here from an aesthetic standpoint, and beyond the quieter keyboard and Siri integration, there’s not a lot that’s immediately apparent in the 2018 MacBook Pro refresh for me. That’s because I’m not the target demographic for the update. I write words for a living. There are large portions of my job that I could tackle pretty easily on an Apple IIe (please, no one tell the IT department).

This upgrade is for a different class of user entirely: the creative professional. These are the people long assumed to be the core user base for the Mac ecosystem. Sure, they only account for around 15 percent of Mac users, according to the company’s estimates, but they’re the people who use the machines to make art. And as such, it’s precisely the group of influencers the company needs to court.

In recent years, however, some vocal critics have accused the company of taking that key demo for granted. Apple has seemed more focused on a populist approach to its technology. The simplification of pro software like Final Cut X and the seeming abandonment of the Mac Pro have been regarded as exhibits A and B.

For the first time in recent memory, the company has serious competition for the hearts and minds of creative pros, including Microsoft, which has made the category a focus with its high-end Surface line.

But the last two years have seen Apple fighting back. The company was uncharacteristically open about the status of the Mac Pro line, which has been undergoing a fundamental rethink. In the meantime, it released the iMac Pro and added a bunch of new features to macOS aimed firmly at that category.

The new MacBook Pro continues that trend; the form factor remains the same, and the changes are largely under the hood. But these are in fact extremely powerful machines built around the premise that, in 2018, one shouldn’t have to compromise power in order to go portable. Well, maybe a little — but in those cases where you need some intense graphical processing, there’s always an external GPU, which makes the machine capable of VR and other process-intensive tasks.

The new Pros top out at a bank-breaking $6,699, presenting a healthy jump over the highest-end models money could buy last year. For the rest of us, however, the starting price remains the same, at $1,799 for the 13-inch and $2,399 for the 15.

Keys to quiet

There’s a lot going on here. First, as many pointed out in the initial announcement, Apple didn’t alter the fundamentals here — they just made the loud typing a bit quieter. That was a surprise to many, given everything that’s happened on that front over the last several months. After all, if the company was going to go out of its way to update the technology, wasn’t a fundamental rethink in order here?

A couple of things. First, things (and lawsuits) didn’t really start getting hot and heavy on that front until recently. The first major class-action suit was filed back in May. Hardware iteration happens slowly, especially with a massive company that supports so many users. After all, you want to get things right — especially when correcting a known issue. A couple of months is hardly sufficient lead time.

https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/old-keyboard.wav

Old keyboard

Second, Apple says the actual instances of real keyboard failure are a small minority. I’m inclined to believe that’s the case, though the internet certainly has the tendency to amplify these kinds of things. But still, there seems a reasonable possibility that some bigger fix is in the works.

The company will also point out that, in spite of pushback, many users like the new keyboards. Based on the multiple threads of discussion we had after the news was announced, I can tell you that this is anecdotally true among the TechCrunch staff.

Things got better with gen two, and I’ve certainly become more used to typing on it. I still didn’t love it at first, but I’d say I’m pretty much keyboard-agnostic at this point.

https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/new-keyboard1.wav

New keyboard

Along with the mechanics, the key travel is the same. So if you had issues with the typing being too shallow for your liking, sorry, you’re out of luck here. An early teardown points to a thin, silicone membrane sitting on top of the keyboard switch that serves to help protect the undercarriage from spills, food particles and the like. I once got a small piece of something stuck under there and it hampered movement entirely.

In my case, it was nothing that a blast of canned air couldn’t fix (we don’t all have one lying around, but we really should), but clearly not everyone has been so lucky on that front. It seems as though the muffling of the sound and the extra sense of tactile pushback was a happy accident of a kind here, but hey, we’ll take it.

Here’s a longish thing we wrote after getting our hands on the system. We enlisted Anthony Ha, TechCrunch’s Loud Typing World Champion five years running (they tried to recruit him out of college, but the allure of writing about VCs was too strong) to try it out. Even with Anthony downright punishing the keys, the result was noticeable.

The new keys aren’t silent, but they’re a lot less likely to get you kicked out of the library. There’s not a huge difference between the actual decibel levels between the two, but the older model’s more staccato typewriter clacking sound has become more dull and less harsh on the ears, which likely makes it sound that much quieter.

Another tidbit here for people who focused on such things: The keys’ cap color is ever-so-slightly lighter than the last. I thought I was going crazy at first, but there you go. I mean, I still think I’m losing my mind, but for non-keyboard-related reasons.

About those specs

Apple didn’t hold back on the specs with the review unit it sent along. The model sports:

2.9 GHz Intel Core i9

32 GB of DDR4 memory

Radeon Pro 560X

4TB of storage

Configured on Apple’s site, that will run you a cool $6,669 — about the same as the monthly rent on a studio apartment in San Francisco, from what I understand. It’s worth noting here that it’s the SSD storage that really pushes the cost into the stratosphere. That’s an additional $3,200 over the default 512GB.

Again, 4TB is probably overkill for the vast majority of users. All of the above configurations are, really, but they’re there if you want/need them. Apple was able to push memory up to 32GB courtesy of finally introducing DDR4 to the MacBook. That move does come with a hit to the battery life, however, so the company went ahead and increased the battery size to offset that hit.

The company says the laptop gets around 10 hours of use in its testing. I admittedly put it through something a bit more rigorous than standardized testing when incorporating it into my daily usage — recording a podcast on Skype, listening to music while working/browsing the web (it’s part of my job, I swear) — and got a few hours less than that.

As for performance, Apple’s not messing around here. Running Geekbench 4 (a popular PC benchmark), I got an impressive 5540 on the single core and 23345 with the multi-core test. Geekbench got similar — if slightly lower — results in its own tests on the high end. Here’s founder John Poole on the findings:

For the 15-inch models, single-core performance is up 12-15%, and multi-core performance is up 39-46%. Since the underlying processor architecture hasn’t significantly changed between the 2017 and 2018 models, the increases in performance are due to higher Turbo Boost frequencies, more cores, and DDR4 memory.

The 2018 MacBook Pro is the most substantial upgrade (at least regarding performance) since the introduction of quad-core processors in the 2011 MacBook Pro.

Taken together, that represents a significant upgrade from last year’s model. Individual performance will vary depending on a lot of different topics, but there’s no doubt these are powerful machines.

Hey, Siri

The addition of hands-free Siri functionality didn’t get a lot of play here, but it’s an important one — if not for the computer itself, then for Apple’s broader ambitions. Like Google’s play, Siri was mobile first.

But Apple’s assistant has always been about building a broader ecosystem of contextual search that can help the company tailor its offerings to individual user needs. We saw this manifest itself last year with the addition of HomePod, a typically Apple high-end approach to the insanely popular world of smart speakers.

The assistant has actually been available on macOS since Sierra (10.12) rolled out back in late 2016. This, however, marks the first time hands-free voice interaction has been available on the desktop. Apple says it was the T2, introduced on the iMac Pro, which allowed for the capability — just one of an extremely long list of features the company has offloaded on the proprietary chip.

Like other key features, Siri is enabled during setup. If you’re the sort who sticks masking tape over your webcam, you can also simply opt out of having the MacBook’s microphones listening in for the wake word. And you can always untick the “Listen for ‘Hey Siri’” box in Settings.

Setup is more or less the same as on iOS. You’ll be prompted to speak a couple of phrases to train the AI on your voice. Device interaction functions similarly as other assistant hardware ecosystems. The moment you say, “Hey, Siri,” your iPhone/Mac/HomePod, et al. communicate with one another, prioritizing either the device that heard the query the best (likely the closest) or was most recently used.

I ended up disabling the feature on my phone in order to test it on the desktop, because there were too many instances of the phone picking it up or having Siri pop up on both at once and then disappearing on the one that was de-prioritized. When the feature was switched off the phone, however, its desktop counterpart was plenty responsive.

All of this leads to a key question: Is a desktop smart assistant ultimately very useful? The primary driver of voice functionality is the ability to free up your hands from having to type. Presumably, however, you’ve already got your hands at or near the keyboard if you’re close enough for Siri to hear you.

Multitasking seems to be the primary use-case here. Say you’re typing and want to know the weather or find movie times, you can definitely do that. Ditto for sports scores — it took a query or two, but “did the A’s win yesterday?” got me the answer I wanted, with a conversational reply, “the Athletics eked out a win over the Giants in the Bay Bridge Series by a score of 4 to 3 yesterday.”

Hey Siri, a win is a win, okay?

Multimedia functionality, which seems like one of the most logical applications, is still limited here. Siri will find and play things in Apple Music, but ask her to play something on Spotify and that’s a no-go — you’ll get an Apple Music link and Wikipedia entry instead. Siri knows which side her bread is buttered on. Ask her to play a movie and she’ll confess that she can’t do that.

More functionality is surely on the way. For now, however, Siri on the desktop is more a nice addition than necessary feature.

Toning it down

Like Siri, True Tone is opt-in during the setup process. You can toggle it on and off at the beginning, which I suggest, just so you know what you’re getting yourself into. And, like Siri, you can always go back into settings later to adjust if it’s not to your liking. Clicking Option and the Touch Bar bright icon will get you there, as well.

The effect, which debuted on the iPad Pro (and rolled out to other new iOS devices) utilizes a light sensor (new for the Mac) to determine the ambient color and brightness of its surroundings. It’s a sort of more sophisticated version of the brightness detection Apple computers have had on board for some time now.

If you’ve ever fiddled with a camera (even the one on your phone in most cases), you recognize the importance of white balance. That’s the thing that turns objects weird colors when you step into different lighting settings. It’s a key to perceiving contrast getting lifelike reproductions of images. I have two 15-inch MacBooks in front of me right now (that’s just how I roll), and it’s like night and day. You’ve got no idea how blue the screen you’ve been staring at is until you see it up against another True Tone-enabled display.

For a majority of us, it’s a nice feature, but for photographers, video producers and designers who rely on a MacBook for their work, it’s a much bigger deal. As recently published support documents point out, the feature will also work with a handful of secondary displays, including Apple’s own, and LG’s Ultrafine 4K and 5K.

Upgrade time?

I’m staring at my now 2017 MacBook Pro as I type this. It’s always tough to compete with the latest and greatest, especially when it’s been specced out like crazy. I’m going to miss the quieter keyboard and True Tone display, for sure. Hands-free Siri, I can really take or leave at the moment, based on current functionality.

But I’m not ready for an upgrade just yet. For a majority of users, the upgrades on the high end will mostly amount to overkill. Thankfully, however, the low-end price points remain the same at $1,799 and $2,399 for the 13- and 15-inch, respectively.

Those who expect a lot more from their machines will no doubt be excited to see what these laptops can do. The new MacBooks aren’t a fundamental rethink by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re a welcome acknowledgment that the company still considers creative pros a key part of its DNA.

[takenews-blog1]

Why Amazon's Alexa is the way forward for computing

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Why Amazon's Alexa is the way forward for computing

Amazon doesn’t have a sales space on the Shopper Electronics Present, however Alexa is all over the place on the Las Vegas occasion this week. Dozens of firms have introduced plans to work with the digital assistant that powers the Echo, Amazon’s good speaker.

LG is constructing Alexa into one in all its fridges. GE made a flowery Alexa-enabled LED lamp. Even Ford has introduced plans so as to add Alexa to its automobiles later this 12 months. This implies you’ll be capable to ask any of those merchandise to lookup recipes, play music, or inform you what the climate is like.

At first look, this would possibly all sound slightly foolish. In any case, customers aren’t clamoring for a crock pot that may inform them the rating of final evening’s sport. However Amazon is definitely attempting to do one thing extremely formidable: create a 3rd main computing platform that may take its place alongside the PC and the smartphone in our houses.

Microsoft dominated the PC period, when computing was outlined by a keyboard and mouse. Google and Apple are at the moment battling for dominance over smartphones — a platform outlined by touchscreens. Amazon is attempting to construct the third nice computing platform: one for gadgets that haven’t any display in any respect.

Because it unveiled the Echo in 2014, Amazon has been quietly laying the groundwork to dominate this market. The fruits of these efforts have been on show at CES this week, with a variety of firms dashing so as to add Alexa to their gadgets. However Amazon’s dominance isn’t a positive factor but. Google is aware of it’s behind, and it’s desperately attempting to meet up with an Echo-like speaker referred to as Google Dwelling that has an Alexa-like interface referred to as Google Assistant. And Apple and Microsoft — creators of Siri and Cortana, respectively — aren’t going to surrender with out a combat.

  Laptop chips have turn out to be so low-cost that we are able to put them in every part from fridges to mild switches. I wrote about this market again in 2014 and predicted that these chips may turn out to be the premise for the following nice computing platform simply as cellular chips made the smartphone revolution attainable. Again then, there have been already “good gadgets” in each class you may consider, from lightbulbs to crock pots.

However the massive problem dealing with firms on this market was determining a consumer interface. As I identified in 2014, “It will not be sensible so as to add a touchscreen to each lightbulb. Customers are by no means going to simply accept a system that expects them to configure each lightbulb individually.”

I guessed we’d wind up with some type of open customary that permits individuals to manage their good gadgets from a web site or an app. However Amazon is suggesting that you simply management the gadgets in your house with an interface that doesn’t want a display in any respect: our voices and our ears. If you wish to activate the lights in the lounge, you possibly can say “Alexa, activate the lights in the lounge,” identical to they do on Star Trek.

Alexa is completely different from the PC and the smartphone as a result of it’s designed to run on many alternative sorts of gadgets. Most of us have only one smartphone that we feature round in our pocket and use to run all kinds of apps. In distinction, Alexa is getting baked into quite a lot of single-purpose gadgets like lamps and fridges. So that you’ll be capable to ask your oven to set itself to 350 levels, ask your TV to start out enjoying Recreation of Thrones, ask your fridge in case you want milk, ask your Echo to play some Christmas music, and so forth.

Vehicles could also be one in all Alexa’s most compelling use circumstances. For many years, automobiles have featured radio as customary options, permitting individuals to take heed to music, information, and sports activities as they drive round city. Alexa has the potential to do all these features higher than the radio can, and its hands-free voice interface is ideal for people who find themselves alleged to have their eyes on the highway. Saying, “Alexa, play my commuting playlist,” is quite a bit simpler than messing round with the Bluetooth settings in your smartphone.

  To grasp the present second, it’s useful to return and have a look at the smartphone market of the early 2000s. Again then, it was turning into apparent that cellular computing would turn out to be an enormous market. However early firms on this market made an enormous mistake: They tried to design the smartphone interface to work the identical as a desktop PC.

This was most blatant with Home windows CE, Microsoft’s early try and create a cellular working system. It appeared like a tiny model of Home windows, full with a tiny begin menu within the nook. Home windows CE gadgets sometimes had a tiny keyboard and a stylus that functioned as a alternative for a mouse. And it was virtually unusable, for causes that might be apparent to anybody who’s accustomed to trendy iPhones or Android gadgets. A desktop PC interface simply doesn’t work properly on a tiny smartphone display.

Different early smartphones from BlackBerry and Palm weren’t so comically PC-based, however they nonetheless tried to cram a bodily keyboard into the scale of a cellular telephone, and so they nonetheless borrowed closely from the consumer interface conventions of the PC world.

Steve Jobs’s genius with the iPhone was to acknowledge smaller gadget wanted a radically less complicated interface. He ditched the keyboard and stylus and didn’t attempt to make a miniature model of Mac OS — which, on the finish of the day, regardless of its fervent fan base, was removed from a market chief. As an alternative, Apple’s engineers developed new consumer interface ideas — like flicking to scroll and pinching to zoom — that have been tailored for a tiny display that folks manipulate with their fingers.

Simply as Microsoft’s attachment to the PC hampered its smartphone ambitions, so Apple and Google’s current product strains have discouraged the businesses from excited about the alternatives for voice managed devices in a scientific manner.

Apple started with an enormous head begin over Amazon within the voice assistant enterprise. Siri has been a typical function of the iPhone since 2011. However as a result of Apple is within the enterprise of promoting iPhones, the corporate has by no means actually tried to make Siri greater than a private assistant for Apple’s personal gadgets. Apple sees Siri as a function of the iPhone, not as a product in its personal proper that will get accessed by way of the cellphone. Consequently, it has little purpose to discover whether or not the know-how underlying Siri may very well be utilized extra broadly.

In the meantime, Apple’s technique for the “web of issues” has been equally iPhone-centric. Apple has created a platform referred to as HomeKit that permits individuals to manage good lightbulbs, door locks, and different devices with their iPhones. Once more, that’s a superb technique for selling extra iPhone gross sales, and it’s satisfied various firms to enroll. However a platform that solely works with one mannequin of smartphone by no means had an opportunity of turning into a ubiquitous customary.

Google hasn’t been as parochial as Apple. The corporate has made a number of efforts to create open requirements for the internet-of-things market. However every of those efforts was tied to a selected Google product:

In distinction, Amazon was a newcomer to all of those markets. Its foray into the smartphone market was a complete failure. And this gave the corporate the liberty to start out with a clear slate. As a result of the Echo doesn’t have a display, Amazon’s engineers didn’t waste time on features that have been higher carried out with a smartphone. They targeted relentlessly on a couple of features the place Alexa could be significantly helpful — enjoying music, offering information and climate info, setting timers — with out a touchscreen.

As a result of Alexa began its life on a tool with no touchscreen, it’s completely suited to be put in on all kinds of gadgets round the home and within the storage. Lots of gadgets don’t have screens both, and in lots of circumstances it could make no sense so as to add a display.

  Prior to now 12 months, Google appears to have acknowledged that Amazon has come across the fitting technique for this market. And simply as Google scrambled to get Android out the door after Apple unveiled the iPhone, so Google is attempting to catch as much as Amazon’s lead within the voice-controlled gadget market.

In Could 2016, Google upgraded Google Now and rebranded it Google Assistant — Google’s reply to Alexa. Then in November, Google launched a wise speaker referred to as Google Dwelling, the search big’s model of the Echo, that may function the Google Assistant.

However Google Dwelling got here out a full two years after the Echo. The massive query is whether or not that’s too late. CNet has been holding a working tally of CES bulletins for Amazon, Google, and Apple’s respective voice-activated internet-of-things platforms. Amazon is the clear winner, with 31 firms asserting merchandise with Alexa compatibility. Apple was in second place, with 16 firms touting compatibility with HomeKit. Google was a distant third, with solely 10 firms asserting merchandise suitable with Google Assistant.

CNet didn’t embody them in its tally, however it’s value noting that Microsoft’s Cortana private assistant can also be on this race. Microsoft has targeted on the automotive market, with Nissan and BMW asserting Cortana assist at CES this 12 months. And Harman/Kardon has introduced plans for a Cortana-powered speaker. However Microsoft’s platform appears to have a lot much less buzz than the opposite three tech giants vying to dominate this market.

Proper now it seems to be like Amazon has the entire momentum, and momentum is vastly essential in this type of market.

The PC and smartphone markets have been each two-sided markets: The extra gadgets prospects purchased, the extra engaging the market was to app builders. And the extra apps a platform had, the extra engaging gadgets grew to become.

Precisely the identical dynamic is at work with related gadgets. Amazon has created a kind of app retailer for Alexa, with the apps often called “abilities” that allow Alexa to carry out new features. You may obtain abilities that may learn recipes, give exercise directions, or management good gadgets round your home. Alexa now has 7,000 abilities, up from 1,000 abilities final summer season. That places Amazon in a stronger place each time it tries to promote Alexa to a brand new automotive or equipment firm.

Conversely, as increasingly more firms incorporate Alexa into their devices, the case for creating an Alexa ability will turn out to be extra compelling. In the present day, prospects anticipate their banks and airways to have smartphone apps. In a couple of years, they could additionally anticipate them to create Alexa abilities to examine their financial institution stability or whether or not their flight has been delayed.

[leahazel]

The Tale of Aryndra’s Domestic Bliss (fraught with tragedy and confusion)

So it went down something like this:

In a fit of pique over having lost my trusty desktop of six years, I decided to take a risk and install Skyrim on my laptop. Put the graphics settings way down. Added a core temperature background utility. Resolved not to go overboard with mods. Crossed my fingers and created a brand new character. Haven't played in a while, and I was never much of a master gamer, so I went ahead and put it on the lowest difficulty setting because fuck, I play for fun and that's what's gonna make it more fun for me.

Foregone conclusion: I created an Argonian character. My very first Dragonborn was an Argonian named Alika who gave no fucks and ran around the countryside doing whatever she felt like. Normally I trend strongly towards stealth characters but with Aryndra I decided it would be fun to try messing with more warrior-like skills and gave her a sword and shield instead of making her a dual-wielder or an archer. And promptly had her join the Companions. Blocking with a shield is tricky because it runs contrary to my usual play style, but she was doing okay. Went to Bleak Falls, started progressing the man quest, all was well.

Since I was into breaking patterns, I wanted to try recruiting some followers I hadn't messed with before. Once I finished to Companions quest line I started in with Njada because she trains you for shields and that's useful, and she proved to be unexpectedly amusing. Except the lower level Companions followers run out of steam pretty fast, at level 25. Really, it's best to race through the whole Companions quest line early on, so you can best take advantage of them, otherwise by the time the younglings are available as followers they're no use to you. So after I took on Njada I started looking into orc stronghold followers, because I had never messed with them, either.

Now, Aryndra's a warrior and a good & pure soul, but the stealth skill lines are super useful and I almost always end up having to invest something into them. I can't do without lockpicking and speech skills at the very least. Still, when I finally fought my way to Mor Khazgur and tried to sweet talk Borgakh into ditching her dad and going adventuring with a strange Argonian, it didn't go too great. So I doubled back and went to do some other things, and waited until I had the necessary speech boosts to try again.

When I showed up at the stronghold again, a fucking dragon showed up. Out of the blue. A big old frost dragon. I forgot to take a screencap to commemorate the occasion, but it was pretty epic. So Aryndra shows up to beg Borgakh to come with her, because she's not willing to pay her dowry even though she has the money, and next thing you know she's slaying a damn dragon in the middle of a stronghold surrounded by grizzled orc warriors. Naturally from that moment I knew that it was Fated that Aryndra and Borgakh must marry. She slew a dragon for her, for fuck's sake! She's a hero!

Except I still wanted to try her out as a follower first, so I kept dragging her around Skyrim beheading everything in sight until Ary hit level thirty, when we would head to Riften to do the wedding thing and live in wedded bliss. I have Hearthfire, so she had already been working on building her beautiful lakeside manor house for some time now. I'd also stashed away some fancy clothes among all the other "someday" junk she hoards in her various chests and containers. While I was dragging Borgakh around to get to know her better, I had Aryndra make her a "promise ring" and enchant it with frost resistance, so I could give it a corny name like "Ring of Warmth". And then she wouldn't wear it because it was inferior to her existing gear.

Of course, by the time I was pretty much ready to do the wedding, I'd forgotten all about the fancy clothes and ended up in Riften having proposed and set a date, but with nothing to wear but armor. On a whim I started rampaging through the city, looking for free clothes I could appropriate. The fancy clothes are too pricey for friends to let you just take them from their houses, and Aryndra is too Good & Pure to steal (unlike most of my PCs). So she ended up going to the altar in regular day clothes and  was resigned to Borgakh being in full steel plate.

Except I had taken away her default chest piece when I replaced it with one that Ary had upgraded, so when I walked into Mara's Temple Ary's bride was facing her in steel greaves and gauntlets, and weird leathery Skyrim underwear. Looking exactly like a pinup from an old school sword & sorcery novel. At least a couple of her family showed up to the ceremony? And Ary's side had Vilkas, plus two people that I honestly did not recognize. I chatted a little with Vilkas on the way out and he was much less grumpy than usual.

While I was chatting, Ary's new wife exited the temple and fucked off to who knows where, without their having made any arrangements about where to live. This is a notorious bug, so I was freaking out a little. Especially since Ary had shortly before purchased a second home and I wasn't sure where Borgakh would be headed. I looked for her in Whiterun and she wasn't there, although Lydia seemed relieved not to be forever sitting at the dinner table in Dragonsreach. I looked for her in Lakeview. Resignedly, I decided that it was time to look for her in Mor Khazgur with her family.

So I fast traveled to the stronghold and ran around looking for her. She wasn't outside and the door to the interior was irritatingly locked, s that picking the lock and going inside, though easy, would have landed Ary in hot water with the in-laws. I was starting to get pretty crabby with my lost wife and contemplating how far back a save I would need to load to fix it, and then I heard it. An unmistakable roar.

"You can't and you won't," I thought, naively.

But he could, and he did.

Two days after Ary and Borgakh's wedding, a dragon attacked Mor Khazgur for the second time.

After she killed the damn thing, I lost patience and opened up the console. I found Borgakh stranded cheerfully, still in her underwear, somewhere west of Solitude. She seemed to have decided to walk from Riften to her dad's house, and it seemed like it was slow going to say the least. Fortunately, when I caught her and spoke with her the usual marriage dialogue triggered and I sent her off to Ary's fabulous country estate in Lakeview. Then I headed to Riverwood where Delphine was waiting for me, with about thirty invisibility potions stashed in inventory.

Now I had planned on Ary adopting two of the Hearthfire orphans, since she's too Good & Pure to join the Dark Brotherhood an so the orphanage is perpetually out of bounds for her. Of course I knew in theory that the other kids in Skyrim that had parents could lose them, but I thought, hey, what are the odds of losing both parents? Maybe one of the single-parent families would get stranded, like those girls in Dragon Bridge with their d-bag dad. But both parents getting killed? No point in waiting for that to happen, right?

While all that was going on, I had spent several game days running around between different settlements in Skyrim trying to get my equipment together for this particular quest. I really wanted Ary to be able to cast Muffle, which should be easy enough since it's not a very high level spell and it's terribly useful for infiltrating embassies and so on. Except I had forgotten that Ary's a warrior and I'd never once upgraded her magicka pool, which left her well short of the required amount without proper equipment to enhance it. And in the course of my rambling from merchant to merchant, looking for some kind of magicka-boosting ring or hood or something, I ran into another dragon, this time in Riverwood.

The mod that prevents civilians from trying to kill a dragon with kitchen utensils? It recently updated to merge with another mod, and now requires a second DLC which I don't have, or else it crashes my game. Very tragic. While Aryndra and her intended orc-wife were frantically trying to slay the dragon, that scaly bastard killed two Whiterun guards, the smith Alvor, and his wife. The smithy in Riverwood? Abandoned now. One less smith for me to buy iron ingots from so I can make thousands of nails for my homestead. This, I did remember to catch screencaps of.

When Ary returned to Riverwood alone, ready to infiltrate the Thalmor, she ran into Dorthe, Alvor and Sigrid's daughter, and young cousin to our old friend Hadvar. 

So, that's the story. That's how Aryndra the Harbinger ended up with an orc wife and a little orphan girl, living in a beautiful lakeside estate. With her housecarl Rayya of course, who she might end up dragging on adventures next. And Njada, who's been permanently "retired" to the countryside to serve as steward. I'd say between these three ladies, Dorthe is pretty well-protected. Even if her new orc mom is still wearing underwear.