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#like when I was high performance (or more high performance) it was 2x a week but 1 hour each. it makes a difference
6ebe · 1 year
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You can tell my boat club has an over-training problem bc we just had a world championship rower in our weights session and she was like this is way more hardcore than my usual weights? 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️
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Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/steam-deck-weekly-gamescom-2024-steam-deck-news-reviews-including-bakeru-and-schim-new-verified-games-discounts-and-more/?feed_id=177119&_unique_id=66ca902fd7b39 Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions for Bakeru and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, reviews of a few notable indies, Shaun’s take on the Warhammer 40K: Boltgun DLC, bundles, new Steam Deck Verified games, and more. Let’s get into the reviews and impressions first.Steam Deck Game Reviews & ImpressionsBakeru Steam Deck ReviewWhen Bakeru was released in Japan, a friend of mine imported it and praised it quite a bit. I tried the demo and was turned off by the technical issues. It was charming, but not enough to put up with no localization and performance issues on Switch. When it leaked on the eShop, I was hoping we’d see performance improvements or a port to PC. We ended up getting both more or less. Bakeru’s Switch release in the West is improved over the Japanese launch version, and it is also now on PC with an excellent port.Bakeru is an action platformer from Good-Feel who are most known for the Yoshi games and also more-recently Princess Peach Showtime from Nintendo. The studio has done some games outside Nintendo brands, and the newest in this line of non Nintendo games from Good-Feel is Bakeru. Shaun will be doing a full review for this one, but so far Bakeru feels and plays great on Steam Deck.On Steam Deck and PC, Bakeru lets you adjust display mode (windowed and borderless only), resolution (with full 16:10 support), toggle v-sync, adjust frame rate cap (Note that v-sync off means the game runs at 60fps. Turn it on if you would like to play at your monitor’s refresh rate or at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, SMAA), adjust filtering quality (trilinear, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x), and draw distance (low, medium, high).I played Bakeru on both my Steam Decks. My LCD is running the newest SteamOS beta. On that, I had zero issues with the game and it ran at a locked 60fps at maximum settings. On Steam Deck OLED running the public build of the OS, I only had some issues at 90fps. This seemingly wasn’t related to the settings, but something in the game because I had some shader-related or traversal stuttering in parts, but they only happened initially. I imagine Bakeru will be Steam Deck Verified soon as it runs perfectly if you play at 60fps and near-perfectly at 90fps.The one issue I ran into pre-release that Spike Chunsoft and the developers already fixed is button prompts being incorrectly displayed. This had the game showing Switch positions instead of Xbox ones when using my 8BitDo Xbox controller or the Steam Deck itself. I’m glad this was resolved pre-release as the game has no port issues, and it is dramatically better than the Switch version. When using a DualSense, it correctly showed PlayStation prompts with the proper labels and positions as well.Bakeru is a good platformer that I recommend playing on PC over Switch right now. The Switch version, despite performance improvements over the Japanese demo, still has too much variance in its performance to be an easy recommendation. The HD Rumble there is nice, but everything else holds it back. On PC, you miss out on the HD Rumble, but Bakeru runs a lot better across the board, and I’ve been enjoying digging into it over the last week. Stay tuned for Shaun’s full review of the Switch version in the near future.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Steam Deck ReviewThere have been many game franchises that I completely missed out on over the years.
The Sam & Max series of games is one of those. When I was offered a code to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I figured now was the time to finally play these games with the new remasters. If you’re just here for the game itself, I urge you to read Shaun’s Switch review here. I’m going to focus on how it plays on Steam Deck.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the final game in the episodic Sam & Max main trilogy. This new remaster is amazing in basically every way. This includes how it controls, looks, sounds, and feels. It even has many accessibility options to make things go smoothly if you’re new to this kind of adventure game. You can toggle different hint levels and disable flashing in the accessibility settings.On the graphics and display side, you can play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse at higher resolutions when docked on Steam Deck, but performance doesn’t hold close to 60fps if you play at 4K. I recommend sticking to it in handheld mode for a 60 or higher experience. You can adjust the graphics quality, texture quality, anti-aliasing, toggle v-sync, and adjust display mode and resolution in the graphics settings.With Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I’m glad I finally got around to playing these games. Not only are they all absolutely worth your time and money, but they play superbly on Steam Deck. I’d love for the remasters to hit iPad, but until then the Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Skunkape Games’ remasters.SCHiM Steam Deck ReviewGiven the sheer amount of releases lately, I didn’t get around to playing SCHiM much at launch. I’m glad I finally rectified that because it is equal parts charming and gorgeous, and it has been the perfect game to relax with as a break from the longer upcoming games I’m playing for review right now. Developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have released a brilliant take on a 3D platformer using light, shadow, and more for puzzles, and it is all elevated by excellent audio.Aside from the striking aesthetic, what really carries SCHiM through its four or so hours long runtime is the animation work and sound design. As you work towards solving the various puzzles in the game, every interaction has a lovely little animation, and it all feels beyond polished when played at a rock solid 90fps on Steam Deck OLED. The blend of the shadows and lights for puzzles also are enhanced by the screen in handheld mode.So SCHiM runs perfectly out of the box on Steam Deck at 90fps, but how about docked? When played at 720p docked, it nearly does a locked 144fps. Playing at 1080p results in well over 100fps at all times. SCHiM supports 16:10 as well which is great to see on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with it aside from the fact that it might seem short for its price to some, and that there really is no evolution of the mechanics over the course of the game. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does hold SCHiM down from perfection.SCHiM is a lovely abstract take on games like Frogger for the modern era. Come into this expecting a work of art with excellent audio design more than a complex puzzle game. I enjoyed just about every level despite the mechanics not really evolving. I enjoyed it enough on Steam Deck to order a physical copy of the Switch version from Japan already. This is definitely worth your time if you enjoy delightful, gorgeous, and relaxing puzzle games.SCHiM Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck ReviewGestalt: Steam and Cinder is another game I wish I got around to playing sooner like SCHiM above. It has been on the review backlog for a bit now, but having played it, this action platformer is fantastic. Not only does it nail the aesthetic with its blend of 16 and 32-bit visuals, but the sound design, story, and gameplay are sublime.What initially drew me to Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, is the steampunk visual style in pixel art. I adore the character designs, but wasn’t sure another action platformer would be able to hit hard enough for me in recent years.
Having played it, the story is very good, but without getting into spoilers, I feel like there’s more to this tale. Hopefully we see some story DLC in the future.On the gameplay side, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder felt a bit easier than I expected outside of two bosses I had trouble with. Nothing major though, and the responsive controls help across the board.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder ships Steam Deck Verified, and it is perfect on Valve’s handheld. The only thing I’d like to see, if feasible, is support for 90fps. Right now, the game is capped at 60fps and 16:9. I tested this on both my Steam Decks docked and in handheld mode.Given how crowded the genre is, I know most people roll their eyes when they see another action platformer, but Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one you cannot afford to miss. It is one of the best in the genre with its excellent gameplay, narrative, music, and slick visuals. Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is also perfect on Steam Deck from start to finish.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck ReviewThe original Boltgun was a refreshing surprise for me when it was released last year. While I’m not as into first-person shooters as deeply as some, I can certainly enjoy a good boomer shooter. Give me fast, furious action with some interest levels to explore, a satisfying selection of weapons, and challenging enemy encounters and I’m there. Boltgun had all of that, all dressed up in a Warhammer theme that if nothing else helps the world feel like it extends outside of the borders of the game.  A thoroughly enjoying game to play through, and one that left me properly sated… or did it?While I thought I had had my fill of Boltgun, I was actually quite happy when Forges of Corruption was released. I guess I was still hungry. This expansion gives you five more levels of carnage to engage in, and they run on the larger side. You get two new guns to play with, one being an enhanced flamethrower and the other a rocket launcher. Sure, can’t argue with that. You also get some new enemies to try those toys out on, and you’ll need every edge you can get to deal with them.When compared to the original game’s levels, Forges of Corruption‘s stages favor more wide open spaces. This puts your mobility skills to the test, as you’ll have to keep on moving to avoid getting surrounded or cornered. If you haven’t mastered the dash already from playing the main campaign, you’ll need to get up to speed fast here. It’s an interesting change-up from the more compact design that the base game relied on so much. The enhanced flamethrower’s spread can really help you out here, and rockets always prefer open spaces.Difficulty-wise, these levels are mostly going to be a relative breeze for those who played through the first game. The last one is a real beast though, and you’re going to have to use everything you’ve learned to overcome it. Which is to say that while you can play this expansion without finishing the main game, you really should leave it for after. All-up, it takes a few hours to get through it all.Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.-Shaun MusgraveWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck review score: 4/5News and TrailersLet’s begin the massive (and fast-paced) news section of this week with a brand-new trailer for my most anticipated game of 2025: Monster Hunter Wilds. The trailer has the game looking better than before, and I’m getting more excited reading all the details from hands-on gameplay sessions people have at Gamescom.
Watch the third Monster Hunter Wilds trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp4gR1QEvVA[/embed]The next bit of news I’m excited for is Final Fantasy XVI, the best singleplayer Final Fantasy game since XII, is coming to Steam in a few weeks with pre-orders and a demo now live. It is sadly pretty rough on Steam Deck, but I hope things improve. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBqpFlA_4Is[/embed]Terry Bogard launches on September 24th in Street Fighter 6 as the second DLC for the Year 2 Pass. His gameplay trailer looks incredible. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPhkX2oMmQ[/embed]While not directly Steam-related, Capcom is also bringing Resident Evil 2 to GOG on August 27th. I couldn’t get Resident Evil 1’s GOG release to work on Deck, but I hope this one works. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EuuJCGWfC8[/embed]Capcom also released a demo for the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam and consoles. Check it out here. Read my preview of the full game here.Silent Hill 2 from Konami got a new story trailer, and this is the first trailer that’s been liked by a friend of mine who is a huge fan of the series. This will be my first Silent Hill game, so I’m excited to try it. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjR0I7dJQpk[/embed]Square Enix released a new “Final” trailer for Visions of Mana ahead of its launch next week. I can’t wait to talk about the full game soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubnfqC-vxk[/embed]A few days ago, Cygames released the big Version 1.50 update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on Steam and consoles bringing in big balance adjustments, the new DLC character Versusia, and in-game content included with Battle Pass Round 5. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2OoiGWYFUk[/embed]Persona 3 Reload’s expansion Episode Aigis is adding Joker as a boss fight. I didn’t expect that one, but I’m looking forward to playing the DLC very soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89HkGkSr7c[/embed]Atlus will host a new ATLUS Exclusive showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio on August 28th at 8 PM. It will be on YouTube. I’m looking forward to playing this hopefully soon for review. Atlus also revealed the English voice cast for the game. Check it out below:Protagonist – Caleb YenStrohl – Stewart ClarkeHulkenberg – Kristin AthertonGallica – Alejandra ReynosoHeismay – Phillipe SpallJunah – Emma BallantineEupha – Emily BurnettNeuras – David MonteithLouis – Joseph TweedaleMore – Greg ChunGrius – Gordon Cooper [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[/embed]A new trailer for Metaphor has also gone live, and it is the best one yet for the game ahead of its launch in October. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_-BPELOl0M[/embed]SEGA released a new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations that makes me wish the game was out sooner. We need anime music videos based on this for sure. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-64Uzx2ac[/embed]Tempest Rising from 3D Realms got a new PvP teaser trailer this week at Gamescom 2024. It looks superb. Check out the footage below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC4ywATBI[/embed]A game I’m excited to play later this year, Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio, got a new story trailer this week. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EENlMq23sE[/embed]A game most thought wouldn’t release this year, The Plucky Squire from Devolver Digital, launches on September 17th with a lovely new trailer you can watch below. I’m excited to try this out on Steam Deck and Switch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DpvZWrts_M[/embed]Devolver Digital is also launching Sumerian Six, the real time tactical stealth game via Steam, on September 2nd. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DeYqVHkkM[/embed]Raw Fury is releasing the horror survival game Post Trauma on October 29th. Check out its release date trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb9EwFKEi28[/embed]Blizzard
is celebrating Warcraft’s 30th anniversary in Overwatch 2 with a new skin for Widowmaker as Sylvanas next month. Check it out below:Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening from Bandai Namco launches on October 18th for Steam and consoles. Pre-orders are now live with a new gameplay trailer you can watch below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgaV3cZwVI[/embed]Eternal Strands, set to launch in 2025, got a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2024 from Yellow Brick Games. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtabO0hj8[/embed]Superhero-themed visual novel Sacrifice Villains from Shiravune is set to release on Steam this year. It will be priced at $19.99. Check out the Steam page here.Little Nightmares III also had a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. It releases on Steam and all consoles next year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ndYfBtYwI[/embed]Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion got a new trailer showcasing the Mercenary companions ahead of the expansion’s launch this October. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_RHvTVnBiI[/embed]Inti Creates is releasing a demo for Card-en-Ciel on September 4th for Steam. Alongside this news, a new gameplay trailer has been released. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwI3Al25LJo[/embed]A sequel to Wilmot’s Warehouse is set to release on Steam on October 23rd in the form of Wilmot Works It Out. I loved the original and cannot wait to play this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARyZ2peq3U[/embed]Risk of Rain 2’s Seekers of the Storm DLC launches on August 27th for PC and consoles. I’ll be checking this one out on Steam Deck. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh36MdjdzHw[/embed]Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launches on February 11th, 2025 and a new gameplay showcase this week makes me wonder if this will even run on Steam Deck with how good it looks. I’ll definitely try it. Watch the showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6bjlger8[/embed]Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves from SNK launches on April 24th, 2025 for Steam, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X. The launch price is a special edition with the first pass. Watch the new trailer showing off the amazing Mai Shiranui and the release date showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgsu-Cn5fs[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjjlpCoBOQ[/embed]Level Infinite streamed its recent “Into the Infinite” showcase featuring updates from its partners covering games like Soulframe, Warframe, and much more. Watch it below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAIFQ8TZCp8[/embed]Sharkmob’s Exoborne had a new trailer released during the showcase above as well. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehaixwsBHVg[/embed]Civilization VII from Firaxis and 2K launches for Steam and all consoles on February 11th, 2025 with pre-orders now live. Check out the gameplay trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U[/embed]2K also revealed two other games for 2025, and they’re big ones. Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country are in development for Steam and consoles for 2025 release. Watch the trailers below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDUx5suLm4[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8WImF649E[/embed]Arc System Works has revealed new details for Double Dragon Revive including the composers and story details. The composers include Raito and many more. Check out the website here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_BX_N_zZU[/embed]Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Steam and Xbox on December 9th with pre-orders now live on Steam. I’m looking forward to playing this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg[/embed]The newest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailers focus on Leafa and Sinon. Watch them below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqhzTC9-Is[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q1uonLUwA[/embed]Delta Force, the first person
multiplayer shooter, previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops launches later this year for PC via Early Access on Steam from Level Infinite. It is also set to come to iOS and Android and consoles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwtosVfqog[/embed]Amazon Prime is doing a series on video games titled Secret Level with a focus on specific games over 15 episodes. These include Armored Core, Spelunky, New World: Aeternum, and more. It is set to begin streaming this December. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLihxsmI_OU[/embed]Speaking of New World: Aeterum, a new video series based on the game can now be watched ahead of the game’s launch on October 15th: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVO6W9rxN68[/embed]Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games launches as a free to play game on December 6th for Steam and consoles with all heroes included for free. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAZrZGkIgY[/embed]Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC launches on September 30th for Steam and Xbox. A new update is also available now on all platforms. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1z1DbA_Io[/embed]Akatsuki Games released a new trailer for the extreme action game Tribe Nine ahead of its launch on Steam and mobile. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-ZANvmcL4[/embed]Free to play third person MOBA Predecessor is now available on Steam and consoles from Omeda Studios. Watch the trailer for it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnN2DYyAAg[/embed]Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO gets another trailer showing off more of the game in its “50 days from now” trailer. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4[/embed]Path of Exile 2 launches on Steam and consoles via Early Access on November 15th. Watch the new trailer from Grinding Gear Games below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaSU9UCe0w[/embed]Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone open world game that’s free for owners of Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition. It is set to release in the future. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50gFkG91jc[/embed]Idea Factory International announced that Date A Live: Ren Dystopia releases on September 5th for Steam. I’ll be reviewing this one. Check it out on Steam here.Torn Banner Studios (Chivalry 2) announced that the UE5-powered shooter No More Room in Hell 2 will launch in Steam early access this Halloween. Watch the trailer below from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3nRkfkp1w[/embed]Warner Bros Games also showcased a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer focussing on Cyrax who is a part of the new DLC. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwmIbv-LtA[/embed]Tokyo Xtreme Racer from Genki is a new entry in the long-running series coming to Steam in 2025. I’m glad to see this because a friend of mine is a huge fan. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhzyVcUCCM[/embed]Square Enix released a new trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure showcasing Max’s powers. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPGjvD5jRo[/embed]New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the weekThis week, Yakuza 4 and Devil Blade Reboot are the highlights for new Verified games, and EA’s anti-cheat issues continue to make more games unplayable on Steam Deck. Check out every notable game tested by Valve since the last article below:#BLUD – VerifiedAtlas Fallen – UnsupportedBattlefield 1 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)DEVIL BLADE REBOOT – VerifiedEA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Eastward – PlayableFlatout 3 – Playablehololive treasure mountain – VerifiedIsles of Sea and Sky – VerifiedLISA: The First – UnsupportedMetropolis: Lux Obscura – PlayableMika and The Witch’s Mountain – VerifiedPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Pocket Bravery – Playableshapez 2 – PlayableSkull and Bones – PlayableSNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS – PlayableSPY×ANYA: Operation
Memories – PlayableSquirrel with a Gun – VerifiedSword of Convallaria – UnsupportedTeeny Tiny Trains – PlayableThe Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker – PlayableTHE LAST BLADE – PlayableTomba! Special Edition – PlayableWild Bastards – VerifiedYakuza 4 Remastered – VerifiedSteam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and SpecialsThe highlights of the week when it comes to sales and discounts are the Steam Rhythm Fest until August 26th with discounts on games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Trombone Champ, and DJ MAX RESPECT V, and also the new Capcom Resident Evil Humble Bundle.Next week, following the Rhythm Fest, the Isometric Games Sale begins with many discounts from publishers and developers including Owlcat Games. Check out a trailer for the event below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2N5XqsNRgE[/embed]That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.“Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right … Continue reading “Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck…”Source Link: https://toucharcade.com/2024/08/23/mameda-bakeru-steam-deck-pc-review-ff16-release-date-gamescom-2024-news/ http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/6285223545_2953179078_o.jpg Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web - #GLOBAL BLOGGER - #GLOBAL
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Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web https://www.merchant-business.com/steam-deck-weekly-gamescom-2024-steam-deck-news-reviews-including-bakeru-and-schim-new-verified-games-discounts-and-more/?feed_id=177118&_unique_id=66ca902e87bd7 #GLOBAL - BLOGGER BLOGGER Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions for Bakeru and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, reviews of a few notable indies, Shaun’s take on the Warhammer 40K: Boltgun DLC, bundles, new Steam Deck Verified games, and more. Let’s get into the reviews and impressions first.Steam Deck Game Reviews & ImpressionsBakeru Steam Deck ReviewWhen Bakeru was released in Japan, a friend of mine imported it and praised it quite a bit. I tried the demo and was turned off by the technical issues. It was charming, but not enough to put up with no localization and performance issues on Switch. When it leaked on the eShop, I was hoping we’d see performance improvements or a port to PC. We ended up getting both more or less. Bakeru’s Switch release in the West is improved over the Japanese launch version, and it is also now on PC with an excellent port.Bakeru is an action platformer from Good-Feel who are most known for the Yoshi games and also more-recently Princess Peach Showtime from Nintendo. The studio has done some games outside Nintendo brands, and the newest in this line of non Nintendo games from Good-Feel is Bakeru. Shaun will be doing a full review for this one, but so far Bakeru feels and plays great on Steam Deck.On Steam Deck and PC, Bakeru lets you adjust display mode (windowed and borderless only), resolution (with full 16:10 support), toggle v-sync, adjust frame rate cap (Note that v-sync off means the game runs at 60fps. Turn it on if you would like to play at your monitor’s refresh rate or at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, SMAA), adjust filtering quality (trilinear, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x), and draw distance (low, medium, high).I played Bakeru on both my Steam Decks. My LCD is running the newest SteamOS beta. On that, I had zero issues with the game and it ran at a locked 60fps at maximum settings. On Steam Deck OLED running the public build of the OS, I only had some issues at 90fps. This seemingly wasn’t related to the settings, but something in the game because I had some shader-related or traversal stuttering in parts, but they only happened initially. I imagine Bakeru will be Steam Deck Verified soon as it runs perfectly if you play at 60fps and near-perfectly at 90fps.The one issue I ran into pre-release that Spike Chunsoft and the developers already fixed is button prompts being incorrectly displayed. This had the game showing Switch positions instead of Xbox ones when using my 8BitDo Xbox controller or the Steam Deck itself. I’m glad this was resolved pre-release as the game has no port issues, and it is dramatically better than the Switch version. When using a DualSense, it correctly showed PlayStation prompts with the proper labels and positions as well.Bakeru is a good platformer that I recommend playing on PC over Switch right now. The Switch version, despite performance improvements over the Japanese demo, still has too much variance in its performance to be an easy recommendation. The HD Rumble there is nice, but everything else holds it back. On PC, you miss out on the HD Rumble, but Bakeru runs a lot better across the board, and I’ve been enjoying digging into it over the last week. Stay tuned for Shaun’s full review of the Switch version in the near future.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Steam Deck ReviewThere have been many game franchises that I completely missed out on over the years.
The Sam & Max series of games is one of those. When I was offered a code to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I figured now was the time to finally play these games with the new remasters. If you’re just here for the game itself, I urge you to read Shaun’s Switch review here. I’m going to focus on how it plays on Steam Deck.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the final game in the episodic Sam & Max main trilogy. This new remaster is amazing in basically every way. This includes how it controls, looks, sounds, and feels. It even has many accessibility options to make things go smoothly if you’re new to this kind of adventure game. You can toggle different hint levels and disable flashing in the accessibility settings.On the graphics and display side, you can play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse at higher resolutions when docked on Steam Deck, but performance doesn’t hold close to 60fps if you play at 4K. I recommend sticking to it in handheld mode for a 60 or higher experience. You can adjust the graphics quality, texture quality, anti-aliasing, toggle v-sync, and adjust display mode and resolution in the graphics settings.With Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I’m glad I finally got around to playing these games. Not only are they all absolutely worth your time and money, but they play superbly on Steam Deck. I’d love for the remasters to hit iPad, but until then the Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Skunkape Games’ remasters.SCHiM Steam Deck ReviewGiven the sheer amount of releases lately, I didn’t get around to playing SCHiM much at launch. I’m glad I finally rectified that because it is equal parts charming and gorgeous, and it has been the perfect game to relax with as a break from the longer upcoming games I’m playing for review right now. Developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have released a brilliant take on a 3D platformer using light, shadow, and more for puzzles, and it is all elevated by excellent audio.Aside from the striking aesthetic, what really carries SCHiM through its four or so hours long runtime is the animation work and sound design. As you work towards solving the various puzzles in the game, every interaction has a lovely little animation, and it all feels beyond polished when played at a rock solid 90fps on Steam Deck OLED. The blend of the shadows and lights for puzzles also are enhanced by the screen in handheld mode.So SCHiM runs perfectly out of the box on Steam Deck at 90fps, but how about docked? When played at 720p docked, it nearly does a locked 144fps. Playing at 1080p results in well over 100fps at all times. SCHiM supports 16:10 as well which is great to see on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with it aside from the fact that it might seem short for its price to some, and that there really is no evolution of the mechanics over the course of the game. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does hold SCHiM down from perfection.SCHiM is a lovely abstract take on games like Frogger for the modern era. Come into this expecting a work of art with excellent audio design more than a complex puzzle game. I enjoyed just about every level despite the mechanics not really evolving. I enjoyed it enough on Steam Deck to order a physical copy of the Switch version from Japan already. This is definitely worth your time if you enjoy delightful, gorgeous, and relaxing puzzle games.SCHiM Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck ReviewGestalt: Steam and Cinder is another game I wish I got around to playing sooner like SCHiM above. It has been on the review backlog for a bit now, but having played it, this action platformer is fantastic. Not only does it nail the aesthetic with its blend of 16 and 32-bit visuals, but the sound design, story, and gameplay are sublime.What initially drew me to Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, is the steampunk visual style in pixel art. I adore the character designs, but wasn’t sure another action platformer would be able to hit hard enough for me in recent years.
Having played it, the story is very good, but without getting into spoilers, I feel like there’s more to this tale. Hopefully we see some story DLC in the future.On the gameplay side, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder felt a bit easier than I expected outside of two bosses I had trouble with. Nothing major though, and the responsive controls help across the board.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder ships Steam Deck Verified, and it is perfect on Valve’s handheld. The only thing I’d like to see, if feasible, is support for 90fps. Right now, the game is capped at 60fps and 16:9. I tested this on both my Steam Decks docked and in handheld mode.Given how crowded the genre is, I know most people roll their eyes when they see another action platformer, but Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one you cannot afford to miss. It is one of the best in the genre with its excellent gameplay, narrative, music, and slick visuals. Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is also perfect on Steam Deck from start to finish.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck ReviewThe original Boltgun was a refreshing surprise for me when it was released last year. While I’m not as into first-person shooters as deeply as some, I can certainly enjoy a good boomer shooter. Give me fast, furious action with some interest levels to explore, a satisfying selection of weapons, and challenging enemy encounters and I’m there. Boltgun had all of that, all dressed up in a Warhammer theme that if nothing else helps the world feel like it extends outside of the borders of the game.  A thoroughly enjoying game to play through, and one that left me properly sated… or did it?While I thought I had had my fill of Boltgun, I was actually quite happy when Forges of Corruption was released. I guess I was still hungry. This expansion gives you five more levels of carnage to engage in, and they run on the larger side. You get two new guns to play with, one being an enhanced flamethrower and the other a rocket launcher. Sure, can’t argue with that. You also get some new enemies to try those toys out on, and you’ll need every edge you can get to deal with them.When compared to the original game’s levels, Forges of Corruption‘s stages favor more wide open spaces. This puts your mobility skills to the test, as you’ll have to keep on moving to avoid getting surrounded or cornered. If you haven’t mastered the dash already from playing the main campaign, you’ll need to get up to speed fast here. It’s an interesting change-up from the more compact design that the base game relied on so much. The enhanced flamethrower’s spread can really help you out here, and rockets always prefer open spaces.Difficulty-wise, these levels are mostly going to be a relative breeze for those who played through the first game. The last one is a real beast though, and you’re going to have to use everything you’ve learned to overcome it. Which is to say that while you can play this expansion without finishing the main game, you really should leave it for after. All-up, it takes a few hours to get through it all.Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.-Shaun MusgraveWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck review score: 4/5News and TrailersLet’s begin the massive (and fast-paced) news section of this week with a brand-new trailer for my most anticipated game of 2025: Monster Hunter Wilds. The trailer has the game looking better than before, and I’m getting more excited reading all the details from hands-on gameplay sessions people have at Gamescom.
Watch the third Monster Hunter Wilds trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp4gR1QEvVA[/embed]The next bit of news I’m excited for is Final Fantasy XVI, the best singleplayer Final Fantasy game since XII, is coming to Steam in a few weeks with pre-orders and a demo now live. It is sadly pretty rough on Steam Deck, but I hope things improve. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBqpFlA_4Is[/embed]Terry Bogard launches on September 24th in Street Fighter 6 as the second DLC for the Year 2 Pass. His gameplay trailer looks incredible. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPhkX2oMmQ[/embed]While not directly Steam-related, Capcom is also bringing Resident Evil 2 to GOG on August 27th. I couldn’t get Resident Evil 1’s GOG release to work on Deck, but I hope this one works. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EuuJCGWfC8[/embed]Capcom also released a demo for the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam and consoles. Check it out here. Read my preview of the full game here.Silent Hill 2 from Konami got a new story trailer, and this is the first trailer that’s been liked by a friend of mine who is a huge fan of the series. This will be my first Silent Hill game, so I’m excited to try it. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjR0I7dJQpk[/embed]Square Enix released a new “Final” trailer for Visions of Mana ahead of its launch next week. I can’t wait to talk about the full game soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubnfqC-vxk[/embed]A few days ago, Cygames released the big Version 1.50 update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on Steam and consoles bringing in big balance adjustments, the new DLC character Versusia, and in-game content included with Battle Pass Round 5. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2OoiGWYFUk[/embed]Persona 3 Reload’s expansion Episode Aigis is adding Joker as a boss fight. I didn’t expect that one, but I’m looking forward to playing the DLC very soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89HkGkSr7c[/embed]Atlus will host a new ATLUS Exclusive showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio on August 28th at 8 PM. It will be on YouTube. I’m looking forward to playing this hopefully soon for review. Atlus also revealed the English voice cast for the game. Check it out below:Protagonist – Caleb YenStrohl – Stewart ClarkeHulkenberg – Kristin AthertonGallica – Alejandra ReynosoHeismay – Phillipe SpallJunah – Emma BallantineEupha – Emily BurnettNeuras – David MonteithLouis – Joseph TweedaleMore – Greg ChunGrius – Gordon Cooper [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[/embed]A new trailer for Metaphor has also gone live, and it is the best one yet for the game ahead of its launch in October. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_-BPELOl0M[/embed]SEGA released a new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations that makes me wish the game was out sooner. We need anime music videos based on this for sure. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-64Uzx2ac[/embed]Tempest Rising from 3D Realms got a new PvP teaser trailer this week at Gamescom 2024. It looks superb. Check out the footage below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC4ywATBI[/embed]A game I’m excited to play later this year, Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio, got a new story trailer this week. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EENlMq23sE[/embed]A game most thought wouldn’t release this year, The Plucky Squire from Devolver Digital, launches on September 17th with a lovely new trailer you can watch below. I’m excited to try this out on Steam Deck and Switch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DpvZWrts_M[/embed]Devolver Digital is also launching Sumerian Six, the real time tactical stealth game via Steam, on September 2nd. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DeYqVHkkM[/embed]Raw Fury is releasing the horror survival game Post Trauma on October 29th. Check out its release date trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb9EwFKEi28[/embed]Blizzard
is celebrating Warcraft’s 30th anniversary in Overwatch 2 with a new skin for Widowmaker as Sylvanas next month. Check it out below:Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening from Bandai Namco launches on October 18th for Steam and consoles. Pre-orders are now live with a new gameplay trailer you can watch below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgaV3cZwVI[/embed]Eternal Strands, set to launch in 2025, got a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2024 from Yellow Brick Games. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtabO0hj8[/embed]Superhero-themed visual novel Sacrifice Villains from Shiravune is set to release on Steam this year. It will be priced at $19.99. Check out the Steam page here.Little Nightmares III also had a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. It releases on Steam and all consoles next year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ndYfBtYwI[/embed]Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion got a new trailer showcasing the Mercenary companions ahead of the expansion’s launch this October. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_RHvTVnBiI[/embed]Inti Creates is releasing a demo for Card-en-Ciel on September 4th for Steam. Alongside this news, a new gameplay trailer has been released. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwI3Al25LJo[/embed]A sequel to Wilmot’s Warehouse is set to release on Steam on October 23rd in the form of Wilmot Works It Out. I loved the original and cannot wait to play this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARyZ2peq3U[/embed]Risk of Rain 2’s Seekers of the Storm DLC launches on August 27th for PC and consoles. I’ll be checking this one out on Steam Deck. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh36MdjdzHw[/embed]Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launches on February 11th, 2025 and a new gameplay showcase this week makes me wonder if this will even run on Steam Deck with how good it looks. I’ll definitely try it. Watch the showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6bjlger8[/embed]Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves from SNK launches on April 24th, 2025 for Steam, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X. The launch price is a special edition with the first pass. Watch the new trailer showing off the amazing Mai Shiranui and the release date showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgsu-Cn5fs[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjjlpCoBOQ[/embed]Level Infinite streamed its recent “Into the Infinite” showcase featuring updates from its partners covering games like Soulframe, Warframe, and much more. Watch it below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAIFQ8TZCp8[/embed]Sharkmob’s Exoborne had a new trailer released during the showcase above as well. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehaixwsBHVg[/embed]Civilization VII from Firaxis and 2K launches for Steam and all consoles on February 11th, 2025 with pre-orders now live. Check out the gameplay trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U[/embed]2K also revealed two other games for 2025, and they’re big ones. Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country are in development for Steam and consoles for 2025 release. Watch the trailers below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDUx5suLm4[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8WImF649E[/embed]Arc System Works has revealed new details for Double Dragon Revive including the composers and story details. The composers include Raito and many more. Check out the website here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_BX_N_zZU[/embed]Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Steam and Xbox on December 9th with pre-orders now live on Steam. I’m looking forward to playing this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg[/embed]The newest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailers focus on Leafa and Sinon. Watch them below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqhzTC9-Is[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q1uonLUwA[/embed]Delta Force, the first person
multiplayer shooter, previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops launches later this year for PC via Early Access on Steam from Level Infinite. It is also set to come to iOS and Android and consoles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwtosVfqog[/embed]Amazon Prime is doing a series on video games titled Secret Level with a focus on specific games over 15 episodes. These include Armored Core, Spelunky, New World: Aeternum, and more. It is set to begin streaming this December. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLihxsmI_OU[/embed]Speaking of New World: Aeterum, a new video series based on the game can now be watched ahead of the game’s launch on October 15th: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVO6W9rxN68[/embed]Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games launches as a free to play game on December 6th for Steam and consoles with all heroes included for free. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAZrZGkIgY[/embed]Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC launches on September 30th for Steam and Xbox. A new update is also available now on all platforms. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1z1DbA_Io[/embed]Akatsuki Games released a new trailer for the extreme action game Tribe Nine ahead of its launch on Steam and mobile. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-ZANvmcL4[/embed]Free to play third person MOBA Predecessor is now available on Steam and consoles from Omeda Studios. Watch the trailer for it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnN2DYyAAg[/embed]Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO gets another trailer showing off more of the game in its “50 days from now” trailer. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4[/embed]Path of Exile 2 launches on Steam and consoles via Early Access on November 15th. Watch the new trailer from Grinding Gear Games below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaSU9UCe0w[/embed]Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone open world game that’s free for owners of Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition. It is set to release in the future. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50gFkG91jc[/embed]Idea Factory International announced that Date A Live: Ren Dystopia releases on September 5th for Steam. I’ll be reviewing this one. Check it out on Steam here.Torn Banner Studios (Chivalry 2) announced that the UE5-powered shooter No More Room in Hell 2 will launch in Steam early access this Halloween. Watch the trailer below from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3nRkfkp1w[/embed]Warner Bros Games also showcased a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer focussing on Cyrax who is a part of the new DLC. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwmIbv-LtA[/embed]Tokyo Xtreme Racer from Genki is a new entry in the long-running series coming to Steam in 2025. I’m glad to see this because a friend of mine is a huge fan. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhzyVcUCCM[/embed]Square Enix released a new trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure showcasing Max’s powers. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPGjvD5jRo[/embed]New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the weekThis week, Yakuza 4 and Devil Blade Reboot are the highlights for new Verified games, and EA’s anti-cheat issues continue to make more games unplayable on Steam Deck. Check out every notable game tested by Valve since the last article below:#BLUD – VerifiedAtlas Fallen – UnsupportedBattlefield 1 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)DEVIL BLADE REBOOT – VerifiedEA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Eastward – PlayableFlatout 3 – Playablehololive treasure mountain – VerifiedIsles of Sea and Sky – VerifiedLISA: The First – UnsupportedMetropolis: Lux Obscura – PlayableMika and The Witch’s Mountain – VerifiedPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Pocket Bravery – Playableshapez 2 – PlayableSkull and Bones – PlayableSNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS – PlayableSPY×ANYA: Operation
Memories – PlayableSquirrel with a Gun – VerifiedSword of Convallaria – UnsupportedTeeny Tiny Trains – PlayableThe Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker – PlayableTHE LAST BLADE – PlayableTomba! Special Edition – PlayableWild Bastards – VerifiedYakuza 4 Remastered – VerifiedSteam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and SpecialsThe highlights of the week when it comes to sales and discounts are the Steam Rhythm Fest until August 26th with discounts on games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Trombone Champ, and DJ MAX RESPECT V, and also the new Capcom Resident Evil Humble Bundle.Next week, following the Rhythm Fest, the Isometric Games Sale begins with many discounts from publishers and developers including Owlcat Games. Check out a trailer for the event below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2N5XqsNRgE[/embed]That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.“Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right … Continue reading “Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck…”Source Link: https://toucharcade.com/2024/08/23/mameda-bakeru-steam-deck-pc-review-ff16-release-date-gamescom-2024-news/ http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/6285223545_2953179078_o.jpg Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions … Read More
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Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web - #GLOBAL https://www.merchant-business.com/steam-deck-weekly-gamescom-2024-steam-deck-news-reviews-including-bakeru-and-schim-new-verified-games-discounts-and-more/?feed_id=177117&_unique_id=66ca902d2258c Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions for Bakeru and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, reviews of a few notable indies, Shaun’s take on the Warhammer 40K: Boltgun DLC, bundles, new Steam Deck Verified games, and more. Let’s get into the reviews and impressions first.Steam Deck Game Reviews & ImpressionsBakeru Steam Deck ReviewWhen Bakeru was released in Japan, a friend of mine imported it and praised it quite a bit. I tried the demo and was turned off by the technical issues. It was charming, but not enough to put up with no localization and performance issues on Switch. When it leaked on the eShop, I was hoping we’d see performance improvements or a port to PC. We ended up getting both more or less. Bakeru’s Switch release in the West is improved over the Japanese launch version, and it is also now on PC with an excellent port.Bakeru is an action platformer from Good-Feel who are most known for the Yoshi games and also more-recently Princess Peach Showtime from Nintendo. The studio has done some games outside Nintendo brands, and the newest in this line of non Nintendo games from Good-Feel is Bakeru. Shaun will be doing a full review for this one, but so far Bakeru feels and plays great on Steam Deck.On Steam Deck and PC, Bakeru lets you adjust display mode (windowed and borderless only), resolution (with full 16:10 support), toggle v-sync, adjust frame rate cap (Note that v-sync off means the game runs at 60fps. Turn it on if you would like to play at your monitor’s refresh rate or at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, SMAA), adjust filtering quality (trilinear, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x), and draw distance (low, medium, high).I played Bakeru on both my Steam Decks. My LCD is running the newest SteamOS beta. On that, I had zero issues with the game and it ran at a locked 60fps at maximum settings. On Steam Deck OLED running the public build of the OS, I only had some issues at 90fps. This seemingly wasn’t related to the settings, but something in the game because I had some shader-related or traversal stuttering in parts, but they only happened initially. I imagine Bakeru will be Steam Deck Verified soon as it runs perfectly if you play at 60fps and near-perfectly at 90fps.The one issue I ran into pre-release that Spike Chunsoft and the developers already fixed is button prompts being incorrectly displayed. This had the game showing Switch positions instead of Xbox ones when using my 8BitDo Xbox controller or the Steam Deck itself. I’m glad this was resolved pre-release as the game has no port issues, and it is dramatically better than the Switch version. When using a DualSense, it correctly showed PlayStation prompts with the proper labels and positions as well.Bakeru is a good platformer that I recommend playing on PC over Switch right now. The Switch version, despite performance improvements over the Japanese demo, still has too much variance in its performance to be an easy recommendation. The HD Rumble there is nice, but everything else holds it back. On PC, you miss out on the HD Rumble, but Bakeru runs a lot better across the board, and I’ve been enjoying digging into it over the last week. Stay tuned for Shaun’s full review of the Switch version in the near future.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Steam Deck ReviewThere have been many game franchises that I completely missed out on over the years.
The Sam & Max series of games is one of those. When I was offered a code to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I figured now was the time to finally play these games with the new remasters. If you’re just here for the game itself, I urge you to read Shaun’s Switch review here. I’m going to focus on how it plays on Steam Deck.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the final game in the episodic Sam & Max main trilogy. This new remaster is amazing in basically every way. This includes how it controls, looks, sounds, and feels. It even has many accessibility options to make things go smoothly if you’re new to this kind of adventure game. You can toggle different hint levels and disable flashing in the accessibility settings.On the graphics and display side, you can play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse at higher resolutions when docked on Steam Deck, but performance doesn’t hold close to 60fps if you play at 4K. I recommend sticking to it in handheld mode for a 60 or higher experience. You can adjust the graphics quality, texture quality, anti-aliasing, toggle v-sync, and adjust display mode and resolution in the graphics settings.With Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I’m glad I finally got around to playing these games. Not only are they all absolutely worth your time and money, but they play superbly on Steam Deck. I’d love for the remasters to hit iPad, but until then the Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Skunkape Games’ remasters.SCHiM Steam Deck ReviewGiven the sheer amount of releases lately, I didn’t get around to playing SCHiM much at launch. I’m glad I finally rectified that because it is equal parts charming and gorgeous, and it has been the perfect game to relax with as a break from the longer upcoming games I’m playing for review right now. Developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have released a brilliant take on a 3D platformer using light, shadow, and more for puzzles, and it is all elevated by excellent audio.Aside from the striking aesthetic, what really carries SCHiM through its four or so hours long runtime is the animation work and sound design. As you work towards solving the various puzzles in the game, every interaction has a lovely little animation, and it all feels beyond polished when played at a rock solid 90fps on Steam Deck OLED. The blend of the shadows and lights for puzzles also are enhanced by the screen in handheld mode.So SCHiM runs perfectly out of the box on Steam Deck at 90fps, but how about docked? When played at 720p docked, it nearly does a locked 144fps. Playing at 1080p results in well over 100fps at all times. SCHiM supports 16:10 as well which is great to see on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with it aside from the fact that it might seem short for its price to some, and that there really is no evolution of the mechanics over the course of the game. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does hold SCHiM down from perfection.SCHiM is a lovely abstract take on games like Frogger for the modern era. Come into this expecting a work of art with excellent audio design more than a complex puzzle game. I enjoyed just about every level despite the mechanics not really evolving. I enjoyed it enough on Steam Deck to order a physical copy of the Switch version from Japan already. This is definitely worth your time if you enjoy delightful, gorgeous, and relaxing puzzle games.SCHiM Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck ReviewGestalt: Steam and Cinder is another game I wish I got around to playing sooner like SCHiM above. It has been on the review backlog for a bit now, but having played it, this action platformer is fantastic. Not only does it nail the aesthetic with its blend of 16 and 32-bit visuals, but the sound design, story, and gameplay are sublime.What initially drew me to Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, is the steampunk visual style in pixel art. I adore the character designs, but wasn’t sure another action platformer would be able to hit hard enough for me in recent years.
Having played it, the story is very good, but without getting into spoilers, I feel like there’s more to this tale. Hopefully we see some story DLC in the future.On the gameplay side, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder felt a bit easier than I expected outside of two bosses I had trouble with. Nothing major though, and the responsive controls help across the board.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder ships Steam Deck Verified, and it is perfect on Valve’s handheld. The only thing I’d like to see, if feasible, is support for 90fps. Right now, the game is capped at 60fps and 16:9. I tested this on both my Steam Decks docked and in handheld mode.Given how crowded the genre is, I know most people roll their eyes when they see another action platformer, but Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one you cannot afford to miss. It is one of the best in the genre with its excellent gameplay, narrative, music, and slick visuals. Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is also perfect on Steam Deck from start to finish.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck ReviewThe original Boltgun was a refreshing surprise for me when it was released last year. While I’m not as into first-person shooters as deeply as some, I can certainly enjoy a good boomer shooter. Give me fast, furious action with some interest levels to explore, a satisfying selection of weapons, and challenging enemy encounters and I’m there. Boltgun had all of that, all dressed up in a Warhammer theme that if nothing else helps the world feel like it extends outside of the borders of the game.  A thoroughly enjoying game to play through, and one that left me properly sated… or did it?While I thought I had had my fill of Boltgun, I was actually quite happy when Forges of Corruption was released. I guess I was still hungry. This expansion gives you five more levels of carnage to engage in, and they run on the larger side. You get two new guns to play with, one being an enhanced flamethrower and the other a rocket launcher. Sure, can’t argue with that. You also get some new enemies to try those toys out on, and you’ll need every edge you can get to deal with them.When compared to the original game’s levels, Forges of Corruption‘s stages favor more wide open spaces. This puts your mobility skills to the test, as you’ll have to keep on moving to avoid getting surrounded or cornered. If you haven’t mastered the dash already from playing the main campaign, you’ll need to get up to speed fast here. It’s an interesting change-up from the more compact design that the base game relied on so much. The enhanced flamethrower’s spread can really help you out here, and rockets always prefer open spaces.Difficulty-wise, these levels are mostly going to be a relative breeze for those who played through the first game. The last one is a real beast though, and you’re going to have to use everything you’ve learned to overcome it. Which is to say that while you can play this expansion without finishing the main game, you really should leave it for after. All-up, it takes a few hours to get through it all.Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.-Shaun MusgraveWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck review score: 4/5News and TrailersLet’s begin the massive (and fast-paced) news section of this week with a brand-new trailer for my most anticipated game of 2025: Monster Hunter Wilds. The trailer has the game looking better than before, and I’m getting more excited reading all the details from hands-on gameplay sessions people have at Gamescom.
Watch the third Monster Hunter Wilds trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp4gR1QEvVA[/embed]The next bit of news I’m excited for is Final Fantasy XVI, the best singleplayer Final Fantasy game since XII, is coming to Steam in a few weeks with pre-orders and a demo now live. It is sadly pretty rough on Steam Deck, but I hope things improve. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBqpFlA_4Is[/embed]Terry Bogard launches on September 24th in Street Fighter 6 as the second DLC for the Year 2 Pass. His gameplay trailer looks incredible. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPhkX2oMmQ[/embed]While not directly Steam-related, Capcom is also bringing Resident Evil 2 to GOG on August 27th. I couldn’t get Resident Evil 1’s GOG release to work on Deck, but I hope this one works. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EuuJCGWfC8[/embed]Capcom also released a demo for the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam and consoles. Check it out here. Read my preview of the full game here.Silent Hill 2 from Konami got a new story trailer, and this is the first trailer that’s been liked by a friend of mine who is a huge fan of the series. This will be my first Silent Hill game, so I’m excited to try it. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjR0I7dJQpk[/embed]Square Enix released a new “Final” trailer for Visions of Mana ahead of its launch next week. I can’t wait to talk about the full game soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubnfqC-vxk[/embed]A few days ago, Cygames released the big Version 1.50 update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on Steam and consoles bringing in big balance adjustments, the new DLC character Versusia, and in-game content included with Battle Pass Round 5. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2OoiGWYFUk[/embed]Persona 3 Reload’s expansion Episode Aigis is adding Joker as a boss fight. I didn’t expect that one, but I’m looking forward to playing the DLC very soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89HkGkSr7c[/embed]Atlus will host a new ATLUS Exclusive showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio on August 28th at 8 PM. It will be on YouTube. I’m looking forward to playing this hopefully soon for review. Atlus also revealed the English voice cast for the game. Check it out below:Protagonist – Caleb YenStrohl – Stewart ClarkeHulkenberg – Kristin AthertonGallica – Alejandra ReynosoHeismay – Phillipe SpallJunah – Emma BallantineEupha – Emily BurnettNeuras – David MonteithLouis – Joseph TweedaleMore – Greg ChunGrius – Gordon Cooper [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[/embed]A new trailer for Metaphor has also gone live, and it is the best one yet for the game ahead of its launch in October. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_-BPELOl0M[/embed]SEGA released a new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations that makes me wish the game was out sooner. We need anime music videos based on this for sure. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-64Uzx2ac[/embed]Tempest Rising from 3D Realms got a new PvP teaser trailer this week at Gamescom 2024. It looks superb. Check out the footage below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC4ywATBI[/embed]A game I’m excited to play later this year, Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio, got a new story trailer this week. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EENlMq23sE[/embed]A game most thought wouldn’t release this year, The Plucky Squire from Devolver Digital, launches on September 17th with a lovely new trailer you can watch below. I’m excited to try this out on Steam Deck and Switch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DpvZWrts_M[/embed]Devolver Digital is also launching Sumerian Six, the real time tactical stealth game via Steam, on September 2nd. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DeYqVHkkM[/embed]Raw Fury is releasing the horror survival game Post Trauma on October 29th. Check out its release date trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb9EwFKEi28[/embed]Blizzard
is celebrating Warcraft’s 30th anniversary in Overwatch 2 with a new skin for Widowmaker as Sylvanas next month. Check it out below:Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening from Bandai Namco launches on October 18th for Steam and consoles. Pre-orders are now live with a new gameplay trailer you can watch below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgaV3cZwVI[/embed]Eternal Strands, set to launch in 2025, got a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2024 from Yellow Brick Games. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtabO0hj8[/embed]Superhero-themed visual novel Sacrifice Villains from Shiravune is set to release on Steam this year. It will be priced at $19.99. Check out the Steam page here.Little Nightmares III also had a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. It releases on Steam and all consoles next year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ndYfBtYwI[/embed]Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion got a new trailer showcasing the Mercenary companions ahead of the expansion’s launch this October. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_RHvTVnBiI[/embed]Inti Creates is releasing a demo for Card-en-Ciel on September 4th for Steam. Alongside this news, a new gameplay trailer has been released. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwI3Al25LJo[/embed]A sequel to Wilmot’s Warehouse is set to release on Steam on October 23rd in the form of Wilmot Works It Out. I loved the original and cannot wait to play this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARyZ2peq3U[/embed]Risk of Rain 2’s Seekers of the Storm DLC launches on August 27th for PC and consoles. I’ll be checking this one out on Steam Deck. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh36MdjdzHw[/embed]Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launches on February 11th, 2025 and a new gameplay showcase this week makes me wonder if this will even run on Steam Deck with how good it looks. I’ll definitely try it. Watch the showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6bjlger8[/embed]Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves from SNK launches on April 24th, 2025 for Steam, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X. The launch price is a special edition with the first pass. Watch the new trailer showing off the amazing Mai Shiranui and the release date showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgsu-Cn5fs[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjjlpCoBOQ[/embed]Level Infinite streamed its recent “Into the Infinite” showcase featuring updates from its partners covering games like Soulframe, Warframe, and much more. Watch it below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAIFQ8TZCp8[/embed]Sharkmob’s Exoborne had a new trailer released during the showcase above as well. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehaixwsBHVg[/embed]Civilization VII from Firaxis and 2K launches for Steam and all consoles on February 11th, 2025 with pre-orders now live. Check out the gameplay trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U[/embed]2K also revealed two other games for 2025, and they’re big ones. Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country are in development for Steam and consoles for 2025 release. Watch the trailers below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDUx5suLm4[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8WImF649E[/embed]Arc System Works has revealed new details for Double Dragon Revive including the composers and story details. The composers include Raito and many more. Check out the website here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_BX_N_zZU[/embed]Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Steam and Xbox on December 9th with pre-orders now live on Steam. I’m looking forward to playing this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg[/embed]The newest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailers focus on Leafa and Sinon. Watch them below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqhzTC9-Is[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q1uonLUwA[/embed]Delta Force, the first person
multiplayer shooter, previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops launches later this year for PC via Early Access on Steam from Level Infinite. It is also set to come to iOS and Android and consoles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwtosVfqog[/embed]Amazon Prime is doing a series on video games titled Secret Level with a focus on specific games over 15 episodes. These include Armored Core, Spelunky, New World: Aeternum, and more. It is set to begin streaming this December. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLihxsmI_OU[/embed]Speaking of New World: Aeterum, a new video series based on the game can now be watched ahead of the game’s launch on October 15th: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVO6W9rxN68[/embed]Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games launches as a free to play game on December 6th for Steam and consoles with all heroes included for free. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAZrZGkIgY[/embed]Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC launches on September 30th for Steam and Xbox. A new update is also available now on all platforms. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1z1DbA_Io[/embed]Akatsuki Games released a new trailer for the extreme action game Tribe Nine ahead of its launch on Steam and mobile. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-ZANvmcL4[/embed]Free to play third person MOBA Predecessor is now available on Steam and consoles from Omeda Studios. Watch the trailer for it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnN2DYyAAg[/embed]Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO gets another trailer showing off more of the game in its “50 days from now” trailer. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4[/embed]Path of Exile 2 launches on Steam and consoles via Early Access on November 15th. Watch the new trailer from Grinding Gear Games below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaSU9UCe0w[/embed]Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone open world game that’s free for owners of Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition. It is set to release in the future. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50gFkG91jc[/embed]Idea Factory International announced that Date A Live: Ren Dystopia releases on September 5th for Steam. I’ll be reviewing this one. Check it out on Steam here.Torn Banner Studios (Chivalry 2) announced that the UE5-powered shooter No More Room in Hell 2 will launch in Steam early access this Halloween. Watch the trailer below from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3nRkfkp1w[/embed]Warner Bros Games also showcased a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer focussing on Cyrax who is a part of the new DLC. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwmIbv-LtA[/embed]Tokyo Xtreme Racer from Genki is a new entry in the long-running series coming to Steam in 2025. I’m glad to see this because a friend of mine is a huge fan. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhzyVcUCCM[/embed]Square Enix released a new trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure showcasing Max’s powers. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPGjvD5jRo[/embed]New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the weekThis week, Yakuza 4 and Devil Blade Reboot are the highlights for new Verified games, and EA’s anti-cheat issues continue to make more games unplayable on Steam Deck. Check out every notable game tested by Valve since the last article below:#BLUD – VerifiedAtlas Fallen – UnsupportedBattlefield 1 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)DEVIL BLADE REBOOT – VerifiedEA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Eastward – PlayableFlatout 3 – Playablehololive treasure mountain – VerifiedIsles of Sea and Sky – VerifiedLISA: The First – UnsupportedMetropolis: Lux Obscura – PlayableMika and The Witch’s Mountain – VerifiedPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Pocket Bravery – Playableshapez 2 – PlayableSkull and Bones – PlayableSNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS – PlayableSPY×ANYA: Operation
Memories – PlayableSquirrel with a Gun – VerifiedSword of Convallaria – UnsupportedTeeny Tiny Trains – PlayableThe Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker – PlayableTHE LAST BLADE – PlayableTomba! Special Edition – PlayableWild Bastards – VerifiedYakuza 4 Remastered – VerifiedSteam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and SpecialsThe highlights of the week when it comes to sales and discounts are the Steam Rhythm Fest until August 26th with discounts on games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Trombone Champ, and DJ MAX RESPECT V, and also the new Capcom Resident Evil Humble Bundle.Next week, following the Rhythm Fest, the Isometric Games Sale begins with many discounts from publishers and developers including Owlcat Games. Check out a trailer for the event below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2N5XqsNRgE[/embed]That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.“Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right … Continue reading “Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck…”Source Link: https://toucharcade.com/2024/08/23/mameda-bakeru-steam-deck-pc-review-ff16-release-date-gamescom-2024-news/ http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/6285223545_2953179078_o.jpg BLOGGER - #GLOBAL
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Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/steam-deck-weekly-gamescom-2024-steam-deck-news-reviews-including-bakeru-and-schim-new-verified-games-discounts-and-more/?feed_id=177116&_unique_id=66ca902b8c40b Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions for Bakeru and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, reviews of a few notable indies, Shaun’s take on the Warhammer 40K: Boltgun DLC, bundles, new Steam Deck Verified games, and more. Let’s get into the reviews and impressions first.Steam Deck Game Reviews & ImpressionsBakeru Steam Deck ReviewWhen Bakeru was released in Japan, a friend of mine imported it and praised it quite a bit. I tried the demo and was turned off by the technical issues. It was charming, but not enough to put up with no localization and performance issues on Switch. When it leaked on the eShop, I was hoping we’d see performance improvements or a port to PC. We ended up getting both more or less. Bakeru’s Switch release in the West is improved over the Japanese launch version, and it is also now on PC with an excellent port.Bakeru is an action platformer from Good-Feel who are most known for the Yoshi games and also more-recently Princess Peach Showtime from Nintendo. The studio has done some games outside Nintendo brands, and the newest in this line of non Nintendo games from Good-Feel is Bakeru. Shaun will be doing a full review for this one, but so far Bakeru feels and plays great on Steam Deck.On Steam Deck and PC, Bakeru lets you adjust display mode (windowed and borderless only), resolution (with full 16:10 support), toggle v-sync, adjust frame rate cap (Note that v-sync off means the game runs at 60fps. Turn it on if you would like to play at your monitor’s refresh rate or at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, SMAA), adjust filtering quality (trilinear, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x), and draw distance (low, medium, high).I played Bakeru on both my Steam Decks. My LCD is running the newest SteamOS beta. On that, I had zero issues with the game and it ran at a locked 60fps at maximum settings. On Steam Deck OLED running the public build of the OS, I only had some issues at 90fps. This seemingly wasn’t related to the settings, but something in the game because I had some shader-related or traversal stuttering in parts, but they only happened initially. I imagine Bakeru will be Steam Deck Verified soon as it runs perfectly if you play at 60fps and near-perfectly at 90fps.The one issue I ran into pre-release that Spike Chunsoft and the developers already fixed is button prompts being incorrectly displayed. This had the game showing Switch positions instead of Xbox ones when using my 8BitDo Xbox controller or the Steam Deck itself. I’m glad this was resolved pre-release as the game has no port issues, and it is dramatically better than the Switch version. When using a DualSense, it correctly showed PlayStation prompts with the proper labels and positions as well.Bakeru is a good platformer that I recommend playing on PC over Switch right now. The Switch version, despite performance improvements over the Japanese demo, still has too much variance in its performance to be an easy recommendation. The HD Rumble there is nice, but everything else holds it back. On PC, you miss out on the HD Rumble, but Bakeru runs a lot better across the board, and I’ve been enjoying digging into it over the last week. Stay tuned for Shaun’s full review of the Switch version in the near future.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Steam Deck ReviewThere have been many game franchises that I completely missed out on over the years.
The Sam & Max series of games is one of those. When I was offered a code to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I figured now was the time to finally play these games with the new remasters. If you’re just here for the game itself, I urge you to read Shaun’s Switch review here. I’m going to focus on how it plays on Steam Deck.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the final game in the episodic Sam & Max main trilogy. This new remaster is amazing in basically every way. This includes how it controls, looks, sounds, and feels. It even has many accessibility options to make things go smoothly if you’re new to this kind of adventure game. You can toggle different hint levels and disable flashing in the accessibility settings.On the graphics and display side, you can play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse at higher resolutions when docked on Steam Deck, but performance doesn’t hold close to 60fps if you play at 4K. I recommend sticking to it in handheld mode for a 60 or higher experience. You can adjust the graphics quality, texture quality, anti-aliasing, toggle v-sync, and adjust display mode and resolution in the graphics settings.With Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I’m glad I finally got around to playing these games. Not only are they all absolutely worth your time and money, but they play superbly on Steam Deck. I’d love for the remasters to hit iPad, but until then the Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Skunkape Games’ remasters.SCHiM Steam Deck ReviewGiven the sheer amount of releases lately, I didn’t get around to playing SCHiM much at launch. I’m glad I finally rectified that because it is equal parts charming and gorgeous, and it has been the perfect game to relax with as a break from the longer upcoming games I’m playing for review right now. Developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have released a brilliant take on a 3D platformer using light, shadow, and more for puzzles, and it is all elevated by excellent audio.Aside from the striking aesthetic, what really carries SCHiM through its four or so hours long runtime is the animation work and sound design. As you work towards solving the various puzzles in the game, every interaction has a lovely little animation, and it all feels beyond polished when played at a rock solid 90fps on Steam Deck OLED. The blend of the shadows and lights for puzzles also are enhanced by the screen in handheld mode.So SCHiM runs perfectly out of the box on Steam Deck at 90fps, but how about docked? When played at 720p docked, it nearly does a locked 144fps. Playing at 1080p results in well over 100fps at all times. SCHiM supports 16:10 as well which is great to see on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with it aside from the fact that it might seem short for its price to some, and that there really is no evolution of the mechanics over the course of the game. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does hold SCHiM down from perfection.SCHiM is a lovely abstract take on games like Frogger for the modern era. Come into this expecting a work of art with excellent audio design more than a complex puzzle game. I enjoyed just about every level despite the mechanics not really evolving. I enjoyed it enough on Steam Deck to order a physical copy of the Switch version from Japan already. This is definitely worth your time if you enjoy delightful, gorgeous, and relaxing puzzle games.SCHiM Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck ReviewGestalt: Steam and Cinder is another game I wish I got around to playing sooner like SCHiM above. It has been on the review backlog for a bit now, but having played it, this action platformer is fantastic. Not only does it nail the aesthetic with its blend of 16 and 32-bit visuals, but the sound design, story, and gameplay are sublime.What initially drew me to Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, is the steampunk visual style in pixel art. I adore the character designs, but wasn’t sure another action platformer would be able to hit hard enough for me in recent years.
Having played it, the story is very good, but without getting into spoilers, I feel like there’s more to this tale. Hopefully we see some story DLC in the future.On the gameplay side, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder felt a bit easier than I expected outside of two bosses I had trouble with. Nothing major though, and the responsive controls help across the board.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder ships Steam Deck Verified, and it is perfect on Valve’s handheld. The only thing I’d like to see, if feasible, is support for 90fps. Right now, the game is capped at 60fps and 16:9. I tested this on both my Steam Decks docked and in handheld mode.Given how crowded the genre is, I know most people roll their eyes when they see another action platformer, but Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one you cannot afford to miss. It is one of the best in the genre with its excellent gameplay, narrative, music, and slick visuals. Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is also perfect on Steam Deck from start to finish.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck ReviewThe original Boltgun was a refreshing surprise for me when it was released last year. While I’m not as into first-person shooters as deeply as some, I can certainly enjoy a good boomer shooter. Give me fast, furious action with some interest levels to explore, a satisfying selection of weapons, and challenging enemy encounters and I’m there. Boltgun had all of that, all dressed up in a Warhammer theme that if nothing else helps the world feel like it extends outside of the borders of the game.  A thoroughly enjoying game to play through, and one that left me properly sated… or did it?While I thought I had had my fill of Boltgun, I was actually quite happy when Forges of Corruption was released. I guess I was still hungry. This expansion gives you five more levels of carnage to engage in, and they run on the larger side. You get two new guns to play with, one being an enhanced flamethrower and the other a rocket launcher. Sure, can’t argue with that. You also get some new enemies to try those toys out on, and you’ll need every edge you can get to deal with them.When compared to the original game’s levels, Forges of Corruption‘s stages favor more wide open spaces. This puts your mobility skills to the test, as you’ll have to keep on moving to avoid getting surrounded or cornered. If you haven’t mastered the dash already from playing the main campaign, you’ll need to get up to speed fast here. It’s an interesting change-up from the more compact design that the base game relied on so much. The enhanced flamethrower’s spread can really help you out here, and rockets always prefer open spaces.Difficulty-wise, these levels are mostly going to be a relative breeze for those who played through the first game. The last one is a real beast though, and you’re going to have to use everything you’ve learned to overcome it. Which is to say that while you can play this expansion without finishing the main game, you really should leave it for after. All-up, it takes a few hours to get through it all.Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.-Shaun MusgraveWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck review score: 4/5News and TrailersLet’s begin the massive (and fast-paced) news section of this week with a brand-new trailer for my most anticipated game of 2025: Monster Hunter Wilds. The trailer has the game looking better than before, and I’m getting more excited reading all the details from hands-on gameplay sessions people have at Gamescom.
Watch the third Monster Hunter Wilds trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp4gR1QEvVA[/embed]The next bit of news I’m excited for is Final Fantasy XVI, the best singleplayer Final Fantasy game since XII, is coming to Steam in a few weeks with pre-orders and a demo now live. It is sadly pretty rough on Steam Deck, but I hope things improve. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBqpFlA_4Is[/embed]Terry Bogard launches on September 24th in Street Fighter 6 as the second DLC for the Year 2 Pass. His gameplay trailer looks incredible. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPhkX2oMmQ[/embed]While not directly Steam-related, Capcom is also bringing Resident Evil 2 to GOG on August 27th. I couldn’t get Resident Evil 1’s GOG release to work on Deck, but I hope this one works. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EuuJCGWfC8[/embed]Capcom also released a demo for the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam and consoles. Check it out here. Read my preview of the full game here.Silent Hill 2 from Konami got a new story trailer, and this is the first trailer that’s been liked by a friend of mine who is a huge fan of the series. This will be my first Silent Hill game, so I’m excited to try it. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjR0I7dJQpk[/embed]Square Enix released a new “Final” trailer for Visions of Mana ahead of its launch next week. I can’t wait to talk about the full game soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubnfqC-vxk[/embed]A few days ago, Cygames released the big Version 1.50 update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on Steam and consoles bringing in big balance adjustments, the new DLC character Versusia, and in-game content included with Battle Pass Round 5. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2OoiGWYFUk[/embed]Persona 3 Reload’s expansion Episode Aigis is adding Joker as a boss fight. I didn’t expect that one, but I’m looking forward to playing the DLC very soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89HkGkSr7c[/embed]Atlus will host a new ATLUS Exclusive showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio on August 28th at 8 PM. It will be on YouTube. I’m looking forward to playing this hopefully soon for review. Atlus also revealed the English voice cast for the game. Check it out below:Protagonist – Caleb YenStrohl – Stewart ClarkeHulkenberg – Kristin AthertonGallica – Alejandra ReynosoHeismay – Phillipe SpallJunah – Emma BallantineEupha – Emily BurnettNeuras – David MonteithLouis – Joseph TweedaleMore – Greg ChunGrius – Gordon Cooper [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[/embed]A new trailer for Metaphor has also gone live, and it is the best one yet for the game ahead of its launch in October. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_-BPELOl0M[/embed]SEGA released a new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations that makes me wish the game was out sooner. We need anime music videos based on this for sure. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-64Uzx2ac[/embed]Tempest Rising from 3D Realms got a new PvP teaser trailer this week at Gamescom 2024. It looks superb. Check out the footage below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC4ywATBI[/embed]A game I’m excited to play later this year, Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio, got a new story trailer this week. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EENlMq23sE[/embed]A game most thought wouldn’t release this year, The Plucky Squire from Devolver Digital, launches on September 17th with a lovely new trailer you can watch below. I’m excited to try this out on Steam Deck and Switch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DpvZWrts_M[/embed]Devolver Digital is also launching Sumerian Six, the real time tactical stealth game via Steam, on September 2nd. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DeYqVHkkM[/embed]Raw Fury is releasing the horror survival game Post Trauma on October 29th. Check out its release date trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb9EwFKEi28[/embed]Blizzard
is celebrating Warcraft’s 30th anniversary in Overwatch 2 with a new skin for Widowmaker as Sylvanas next month. Check it out below:Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening from Bandai Namco launches on October 18th for Steam and consoles. Pre-orders are now live with a new gameplay trailer you can watch below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgaV3cZwVI[/embed]Eternal Strands, set to launch in 2025, got a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2024 from Yellow Brick Games. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtabO0hj8[/embed]Superhero-themed visual novel Sacrifice Villains from Shiravune is set to release on Steam this year. It will be priced at $19.99. Check out the Steam page here.Little Nightmares III also had a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. It releases on Steam and all consoles next year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ndYfBtYwI[/embed]Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion got a new trailer showcasing the Mercenary companions ahead of the expansion’s launch this October. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_RHvTVnBiI[/embed]Inti Creates is releasing a demo for Card-en-Ciel on September 4th for Steam. Alongside this news, a new gameplay trailer has been released. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwI3Al25LJo[/embed]A sequel to Wilmot’s Warehouse is set to release on Steam on October 23rd in the form of Wilmot Works It Out. I loved the original and cannot wait to play this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARyZ2peq3U[/embed]Risk of Rain 2’s Seekers of the Storm DLC launches on August 27th for PC and consoles. I’ll be checking this one out on Steam Deck. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh36MdjdzHw[/embed]Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launches on February 11th, 2025 and a new gameplay showcase this week makes me wonder if this will even run on Steam Deck with how good it looks. I’ll definitely try it. Watch the showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6bjlger8[/embed]Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves from SNK launches on April 24th, 2025 for Steam, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X. The launch price is a special edition with the first pass. Watch the new trailer showing off the amazing Mai Shiranui and the release date showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgsu-Cn5fs[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjjlpCoBOQ[/embed]Level Infinite streamed its recent “Into the Infinite” showcase featuring updates from its partners covering games like Soulframe, Warframe, and much more. Watch it below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAIFQ8TZCp8[/embed]Sharkmob’s Exoborne had a new trailer released during the showcase above as well. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehaixwsBHVg[/embed]Civilization VII from Firaxis and 2K launches for Steam and all consoles on February 11th, 2025 with pre-orders now live. Check out the gameplay trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U[/embed]2K also revealed two other games for 2025, and they’re big ones. Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country are in development for Steam and consoles for 2025 release. Watch the trailers below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDUx5suLm4[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8WImF649E[/embed]Arc System Works has revealed new details for Double Dragon Revive including the composers and story details. The composers include Raito and many more. Check out the website here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_BX_N_zZU[/embed]Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Steam and Xbox on December 9th with pre-orders now live on Steam. I’m looking forward to playing this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg[/embed]The newest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailers focus on Leafa and Sinon. Watch them below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqhzTC9-Is[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q1uonLUwA[/embed]Delta Force, the first person
multiplayer shooter, previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops launches later this year for PC via Early Access on Steam from Level Infinite. It is also set to come to iOS and Android and consoles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwtosVfqog[/embed]Amazon Prime is doing a series on video games titled Secret Level with a focus on specific games over 15 episodes. These include Armored Core, Spelunky, New World: Aeternum, and more. It is set to begin streaming this December. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLihxsmI_OU[/embed]Speaking of New World: Aeterum, a new video series based on the game can now be watched ahead of the game’s launch on October 15th: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVO6W9rxN68[/embed]Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games launches as a free to play game on December 6th for Steam and consoles with all heroes included for free. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAZrZGkIgY[/embed]Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC launches on September 30th for Steam and Xbox. A new update is also available now on all platforms. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1z1DbA_Io[/embed]Akatsuki Games released a new trailer for the extreme action game Tribe Nine ahead of its launch on Steam and mobile. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-ZANvmcL4[/embed]Free to play third person MOBA Predecessor is now available on Steam and consoles from Omeda Studios. Watch the trailer for it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnN2DYyAAg[/embed]Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO gets another trailer showing off more of the game in its “50 days from now” trailer. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4[/embed]Path of Exile 2 launches on Steam and consoles via Early Access on November 15th. Watch the new trailer from Grinding Gear Games below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaSU9UCe0w[/embed]Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone open world game that’s free for owners of Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition. It is set to release in the future. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50gFkG91jc[/embed]Idea Factory International announced that Date A Live: Ren Dystopia releases on September 5th for Steam. I’ll be reviewing this one. Check it out on Steam here.Torn Banner Studios (Chivalry 2) announced that the UE5-powered shooter No More Room in Hell 2 will launch in Steam early access this Halloween. Watch the trailer below from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3nRkfkp1w[/embed]Warner Bros Games also showcased a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer focussing on Cyrax who is a part of the new DLC. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwmIbv-LtA[/embed]Tokyo Xtreme Racer from Genki is a new entry in the long-running series coming to Steam in 2025. I’m glad to see this because a friend of mine is a huge fan. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhzyVcUCCM[/embed]Square Enix released a new trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure showcasing Max’s powers. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPGjvD5jRo[/embed]New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the weekThis week, Yakuza 4 and Devil Blade Reboot are the highlights for new Verified games, and EA’s anti-cheat issues continue to make more games unplayable on Steam Deck. Check out every notable game tested by Valve since the last article below:#BLUD – VerifiedAtlas Fallen – UnsupportedBattlefield 1 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)DEVIL BLADE REBOOT – VerifiedEA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Eastward – PlayableFlatout 3 – Playablehololive treasure mountain – VerifiedIsles of Sea and Sky – VerifiedLISA: The First – UnsupportedMetropolis: Lux Obscura – PlayableMika and The Witch’s Mountain – VerifiedPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Pocket Bravery – Playableshapez 2 – PlayableSkull and Bones – PlayableSNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS – PlayableSPY×ANYA: Operation
Memories – PlayableSquirrel with a Gun – VerifiedSword of Convallaria – UnsupportedTeeny Tiny Trains – PlayableThe Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker – PlayableTHE LAST BLADE – PlayableTomba! Special Edition – PlayableWild Bastards – VerifiedYakuza 4 Remastered – VerifiedSteam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and SpecialsThe highlights of the week when it comes to sales and discounts are the Steam Rhythm Fest until August 26th with discounts on games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Trombone Champ, and DJ MAX RESPECT V, and also the new Capcom Resident Evil Humble Bundle.Next week, following the Rhythm Fest, the Isometric Games Sale begins with many discounts from publishers and developers including Owlcat Games. Check out a trailer for the event below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2N5XqsNRgE[/embed]That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.“Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right … Continue reading “Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck…”Source Link: https://toucharcade.com/2024/08/23/mameda-bakeru-steam-deck-pc-review-ff16-release-date-gamescom-2024-news/ http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/6285223545_2953179078_o.jpg #GLOBAL - BLOGGER ... BLOGGER - #GLOBAL
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Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/steam-deck-weekly-gamescom-2024-steam-deck-news-reviews-including-bakeru-and-schim-new-verified-games-discounts-and-more/?feed_id=177115&_unique_id=66ca9029ce3b4 Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions for Bakeru and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, reviews of a few notable indies, Shaun’s take on the Warhammer 40K: Boltgun DLC, bundles, new Steam Deck Verified games, and more. Let’s get into the reviews and impressions first.Steam Deck Game Reviews & ImpressionsBakeru Steam Deck ReviewWhen Bakeru was released in Japan, a friend of mine imported it and praised it quite a bit. I tried the demo and was turned off by the technical issues. It was charming, but not enough to put up with no localization and performance issues on Switch. When it leaked on the eShop, I was hoping we’d see performance improvements or a port to PC. We ended up getting both more or less. Bakeru’s Switch release in the West is improved over the Japanese launch version, and it is also now on PC with an excellent port.Bakeru is an action platformer from Good-Feel who are most known for the Yoshi games and also more-recently Princess Peach Showtime from Nintendo. The studio has done some games outside Nintendo brands, and the newest in this line of non Nintendo games from Good-Feel is Bakeru. Shaun will be doing a full review for this one, but so far Bakeru feels and plays great on Steam Deck.On Steam Deck and PC, Bakeru lets you adjust display mode (windowed and borderless only), resolution (with full 16:10 support), toggle v-sync, adjust frame rate cap (Note that v-sync off means the game runs at 60fps. Turn it on if you would like to play at your monitor’s refresh rate or at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, SMAA), adjust filtering quality (trilinear, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x), and draw distance (low, medium, high).I played Bakeru on both my Steam Decks. My LCD is running the newest SteamOS beta. On that, I had zero issues with the game and it ran at a locked 60fps at maximum settings. On Steam Deck OLED running the public build of the OS, I only had some issues at 90fps. This seemingly wasn’t related to the settings, but something in the game because I had some shader-related or traversal stuttering in parts, but they only happened initially. I imagine Bakeru will be Steam Deck Verified soon as it runs perfectly if you play at 60fps and near-perfectly at 90fps.The one issue I ran into pre-release that Spike Chunsoft and the developers already fixed is button prompts being incorrectly displayed. This had the game showing Switch positions instead of Xbox ones when using my 8BitDo Xbox controller or the Steam Deck itself. I’m glad this was resolved pre-release as the game has no port issues, and it is dramatically better than the Switch version. When using a DualSense, it correctly showed PlayStation prompts with the proper labels and positions as well.Bakeru is a good platformer that I recommend playing on PC over Switch right now. The Switch version, despite performance improvements over the Japanese demo, still has too much variance in its performance to be an easy recommendation. The HD Rumble there is nice, but everything else holds it back. On PC, you miss out on the HD Rumble, but Bakeru runs a lot better across the board, and I’ve been enjoying digging into it over the last week. Stay tuned for Shaun’s full review of the Switch version in the near future.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Steam Deck ReviewThere have been many game franchises that I completely missed out on over the years.
The Sam & Max series of games is one of those. When I was offered a code to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I figured now was the time to finally play these games with the new remasters. If you’re just here for the game itself, I urge you to read Shaun’s Switch review here. I’m going to focus on how it plays on Steam Deck.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the final game in the episodic Sam & Max main trilogy. This new remaster is amazing in basically every way. This includes how it controls, looks, sounds, and feels. It even has many accessibility options to make things go smoothly if you’re new to this kind of adventure game. You can toggle different hint levels and disable flashing in the accessibility settings.On the graphics and display side, you can play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse at higher resolutions when docked on Steam Deck, but performance doesn’t hold close to 60fps if you play at 4K. I recommend sticking to it in handheld mode for a 60 or higher experience. You can adjust the graphics quality, texture quality, anti-aliasing, toggle v-sync, and adjust display mode and resolution in the graphics settings.With Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I’m glad I finally got around to playing these games. Not only are they all absolutely worth your time and money, but they play superbly on Steam Deck. I’d love for the remasters to hit iPad, but until then the Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Skunkape Games’ remasters.SCHiM Steam Deck ReviewGiven the sheer amount of releases lately, I didn’t get around to playing SCHiM much at launch. I’m glad I finally rectified that because it is equal parts charming and gorgeous, and it has been the perfect game to relax with as a break from the longer upcoming games I’m playing for review right now. Developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have released a brilliant take on a 3D platformer using light, shadow, and more for puzzles, and it is all elevated by excellent audio.Aside from the striking aesthetic, what really carries SCHiM through its four or so hours long runtime is the animation work and sound design. As you work towards solving the various puzzles in the game, every interaction has a lovely little animation, and it all feels beyond polished when played at a rock solid 90fps on Steam Deck OLED. The blend of the shadows and lights for puzzles also are enhanced by the screen in handheld mode.So SCHiM runs perfectly out of the box on Steam Deck at 90fps, but how about docked? When played at 720p docked, it nearly does a locked 144fps. Playing at 1080p results in well over 100fps at all times. SCHiM supports 16:10 as well which is great to see on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with it aside from the fact that it might seem short for its price to some, and that there really is no evolution of the mechanics over the course of the game. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does hold SCHiM down from perfection.SCHiM is a lovely abstract take on games like Frogger for the modern era. Come into this expecting a work of art with excellent audio design more than a complex puzzle game. I enjoyed just about every level despite the mechanics not really evolving. I enjoyed it enough on Steam Deck to order a physical copy of the Switch version from Japan already. This is definitely worth your time if you enjoy delightful, gorgeous, and relaxing puzzle games.SCHiM Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck ReviewGestalt: Steam and Cinder is another game I wish I got around to playing sooner like SCHiM above. It has been on the review backlog for a bit now, but having played it, this action platformer is fantastic. Not only does it nail the aesthetic with its blend of 16 and 32-bit visuals, but the sound design, story, and gameplay are sublime.What initially drew me to Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, is the steampunk visual style in pixel art. I adore the character designs, but wasn’t sure another action platformer would be able to hit hard enough for me in recent years.
Having played it, the story is very good, but without getting into spoilers, I feel like there’s more to this tale. Hopefully we see some story DLC in the future.On the gameplay side, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder felt a bit easier than I expected outside of two bosses I had trouble with. Nothing major though, and the responsive controls help across the board.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder ships Steam Deck Verified, and it is perfect on Valve’s handheld. The only thing I’d like to see, if feasible, is support for 90fps. Right now, the game is capped at 60fps and 16:9. I tested this on both my Steam Decks docked and in handheld mode.Given how crowded the genre is, I know most people roll their eyes when they see another action platformer, but Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one you cannot afford to miss. It is one of the best in the genre with its excellent gameplay, narrative, music, and slick visuals. Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is also perfect on Steam Deck from start to finish.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck ReviewThe original Boltgun was a refreshing surprise for me when it was released last year. While I’m not as into first-person shooters as deeply as some, I can certainly enjoy a good boomer shooter. Give me fast, furious action with some interest levels to explore, a satisfying selection of weapons, and challenging enemy encounters and I’m there. Boltgun had all of that, all dressed up in a Warhammer theme that if nothing else helps the world feel like it extends outside of the borders of the game.  A thoroughly enjoying game to play through, and one that left me properly sated… or did it?While I thought I had had my fill of Boltgun, I was actually quite happy when Forges of Corruption was released. I guess I was still hungry. This expansion gives you five more levels of carnage to engage in, and they run on the larger side. You get two new guns to play with, one being an enhanced flamethrower and the other a rocket launcher. Sure, can’t argue with that. You also get some new enemies to try those toys out on, and you’ll need every edge you can get to deal with them.When compared to the original game’s levels, Forges of Corruption‘s stages favor more wide open spaces. This puts your mobility skills to the test, as you’ll have to keep on moving to avoid getting surrounded or cornered. If you haven’t mastered the dash already from playing the main campaign, you’ll need to get up to speed fast here. It’s an interesting change-up from the more compact design that the base game relied on so much. The enhanced flamethrower’s spread can really help you out here, and rockets always prefer open spaces.Difficulty-wise, these levels are mostly going to be a relative breeze for those who played through the first game. The last one is a real beast though, and you’re going to have to use everything you’ve learned to overcome it. Which is to say that while you can play this expansion without finishing the main game, you really should leave it for after. All-up, it takes a few hours to get through it all.Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.-Shaun MusgraveWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck review score: 4/5News and TrailersLet’s begin the massive (and fast-paced) news section of this week with a brand-new trailer for my most anticipated game of 2025: Monster Hunter Wilds. The trailer has the game looking better than before, and I’m getting more excited reading all the details from hands-on gameplay sessions people have at Gamescom.
Watch the third Monster Hunter Wilds trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp4gR1QEvVA[/embed]The next bit of news I’m excited for is Final Fantasy XVI, the best singleplayer Final Fantasy game since XII, is coming to Steam in a few weeks with pre-orders and a demo now live. It is sadly pretty rough on Steam Deck, but I hope things improve. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBqpFlA_4Is[/embed]Terry Bogard launches on September 24th in Street Fighter 6 as the second DLC for the Year 2 Pass. His gameplay trailer looks incredible. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPhkX2oMmQ[/embed]While not directly Steam-related, Capcom is also bringing Resident Evil 2 to GOG on August 27th. I couldn’t get Resident Evil 1’s GOG release to work on Deck, but I hope this one works. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EuuJCGWfC8[/embed]Capcom also released a demo for the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam and consoles. Check it out here. Read my preview of the full game here.Silent Hill 2 from Konami got a new story trailer, and this is the first trailer that’s been liked by a friend of mine who is a huge fan of the series. This will be my first Silent Hill game, so I’m excited to try it. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjR0I7dJQpk[/embed]Square Enix released a new “Final” trailer for Visions of Mana ahead of its launch next week. I can’t wait to talk about the full game soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubnfqC-vxk[/embed]A few days ago, Cygames released the big Version 1.50 update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on Steam and consoles bringing in big balance adjustments, the new DLC character Versusia, and in-game content included with Battle Pass Round 5. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2OoiGWYFUk[/embed]Persona 3 Reload’s expansion Episode Aigis is adding Joker as a boss fight. I didn’t expect that one, but I’m looking forward to playing the DLC very soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89HkGkSr7c[/embed]Atlus will host a new ATLUS Exclusive showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio on August 28th at 8 PM. It will be on YouTube. I’m looking forward to playing this hopefully soon for review. Atlus also revealed the English voice cast for the game. Check it out below:Protagonist – Caleb YenStrohl – Stewart ClarkeHulkenberg – Kristin AthertonGallica – Alejandra ReynosoHeismay – Phillipe SpallJunah – Emma BallantineEupha – Emily BurnettNeuras – David MonteithLouis – Joseph TweedaleMore – Greg ChunGrius – Gordon Cooper [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[/embed]A new trailer for Metaphor has also gone live, and it is the best one yet for the game ahead of its launch in October. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_-BPELOl0M[/embed]SEGA released a new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations that makes me wish the game was out sooner. We need anime music videos based on this for sure. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-64Uzx2ac[/embed]Tempest Rising from 3D Realms got a new PvP teaser trailer this week at Gamescom 2024. It looks superb. Check out the footage below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC4ywATBI[/embed]A game I’m excited to play later this year, Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio, got a new story trailer this week. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EENlMq23sE[/embed]A game most thought wouldn’t release this year, The Plucky Squire from Devolver Digital, launches on September 17th with a lovely new trailer you can watch below. I’m excited to try this out on Steam Deck and Switch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DpvZWrts_M[/embed]Devolver Digital is also launching Sumerian Six, the real time tactical stealth game via Steam, on September 2nd. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DeYqVHkkM[/embed]Raw Fury is releasing the horror survival game Post Trauma on October 29th. Check out its release date trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb9EwFKEi28[/embed]Blizzard
is celebrating Warcraft’s 30th anniversary in Overwatch 2 with a new skin for Widowmaker as Sylvanas next month. Check it out below:Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening from Bandai Namco launches on October 18th for Steam and consoles. Pre-orders are now live with a new gameplay trailer you can watch below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgaV3cZwVI[/embed]Eternal Strands, set to launch in 2025, got a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2024 from Yellow Brick Games. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtabO0hj8[/embed]Superhero-themed visual novel Sacrifice Villains from Shiravune is set to release on Steam this year. It will be priced at $19.99. Check out the Steam page here.Little Nightmares III also had a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. It releases on Steam and all consoles next year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ndYfBtYwI[/embed]Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion got a new trailer showcasing the Mercenary companions ahead of the expansion’s launch this October. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_RHvTVnBiI[/embed]Inti Creates is releasing a demo for Card-en-Ciel on September 4th for Steam. Alongside this news, a new gameplay trailer has been released. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwI3Al25LJo[/embed]A sequel to Wilmot’s Warehouse is set to release on Steam on October 23rd in the form of Wilmot Works It Out. I loved the original and cannot wait to play this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARyZ2peq3U[/embed]Risk of Rain 2’s Seekers of the Storm DLC launches on August 27th for PC and consoles. I’ll be checking this one out on Steam Deck. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh36MdjdzHw[/embed]Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launches on February 11th, 2025 and a new gameplay showcase this week makes me wonder if this will even run on Steam Deck with how good it looks. I’ll definitely try it. Watch the showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6bjlger8[/embed]Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves from SNK launches on April 24th, 2025 for Steam, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X. The launch price is a special edition with the first pass. Watch the new trailer showing off the amazing Mai Shiranui and the release date showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgsu-Cn5fs[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjjlpCoBOQ[/embed]Level Infinite streamed its recent “Into the Infinite” showcase featuring updates from its partners covering games like Soulframe, Warframe, and much more. Watch it below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAIFQ8TZCp8[/embed]Sharkmob’s Exoborne had a new trailer released during the showcase above as well. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehaixwsBHVg[/embed]Civilization VII from Firaxis and 2K launches for Steam and all consoles on February 11th, 2025 with pre-orders now live. Check out the gameplay trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U[/embed]2K also revealed two other games for 2025, and they’re big ones. Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country are in development for Steam and consoles for 2025 release. Watch the trailers below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDUx5suLm4[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8WImF649E[/embed]Arc System Works has revealed new details for Double Dragon Revive including the composers and story details. The composers include Raito and many more. Check out the website here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_BX_N_zZU[/embed]Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Steam and Xbox on December 9th with pre-orders now live on Steam. I’m looking forward to playing this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg[/embed]The newest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailers focus on Leafa and Sinon. Watch them below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqhzTC9-Is[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q1uonLUwA[/embed]Delta Force, the first person
multiplayer shooter, previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops launches later this year for PC via Early Access on Steam from Level Infinite. It is also set to come to iOS and Android and consoles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwtosVfqog[/embed]Amazon Prime is doing a series on video games titled Secret Level with a focus on specific games over 15 episodes. These include Armored Core, Spelunky, New World: Aeternum, and more. It is set to begin streaming this December. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLihxsmI_OU[/embed]Speaking of New World: Aeterum, a new video series based on the game can now be watched ahead of the game’s launch on October 15th: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVO6W9rxN68[/embed]Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games launches as a free to play game on December 6th for Steam and consoles with all heroes included for free. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAZrZGkIgY[/embed]Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC launches on September 30th for Steam and Xbox. A new update is also available now on all platforms. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1z1DbA_Io[/embed]Akatsuki Games released a new trailer for the extreme action game Tribe Nine ahead of its launch on Steam and mobile. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-ZANvmcL4[/embed]Free to play third person MOBA Predecessor is now available on Steam and consoles from Omeda Studios. Watch the trailer for it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnN2DYyAAg[/embed]Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO gets another trailer showing off more of the game in its “50 days from now” trailer. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4[/embed]Path of Exile 2 launches on Steam and consoles via Early Access on November 15th. Watch the new trailer from Grinding Gear Games below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaSU9UCe0w[/embed]Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone open world game that’s free for owners of Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition. It is set to release in the future. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50gFkG91jc[/embed]Idea Factory International announced that Date A Live: Ren Dystopia releases on September 5th for Steam. I’ll be reviewing this one. Check it out on Steam here.Torn Banner Studios (Chivalry 2) announced that the UE5-powered shooter No More Room in Hell 2 will launch in Steam early access this Halloween. Watch the trailer below from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3nRkfkp1w[/embed]Warner Bros Games also showcased a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer focussing on Cyrax who is a part of the new DLC. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwmIbv-LtA[/embed]Tokyo Xtreme Racer from Genki is a new entry in the long-running series coming to Steam in 2025. I’m glad to see this because a friend of mine is a huge fan. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhzyVcUCCM[/embed]Square Enix released a new trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure showcasing Max’s powers. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPGjvD5jRo[/embed]New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the weekThis week, Yakuza 4 and Devil Blade Reboot are the highlights for new Verified games, and EA’s anti-cheat issues continue to make more games unplayable on Steam Deck. Check out every notable game tested by Valve since the last article below:#BLUD – VerifiedAtlas Fallen – UnsupportedBattlefield 1 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)DEVIL BLADE REBOOT – VerifiedEA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Eastward – PlayableFlatout 3 – Playablehololive treasure mountain – VerifiedIsles of Sea and Sky – VerifiedLISA: The First – UnsupportedMetropolis: Lux Obscura – PlayableMika and The Witch’s Mountain – VerifiedPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Pocket Bravery – Playableshapez 2 – PlayableSkull and Bones – PlayableSNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS – PlayableSPY×ANYA: Operation
Memories – PlayableSquirrel with a Gun – VerifiedSword of Convallaria – UnsupportedTeeny Tiny Trains – PlayableThe Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker – PlayableTHE LAST BLADE – PlayableTomba! Special Edition – PlayableWild Bastards – VerifiedYakuza 4 Remastered – VerifiedSteam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and SpecialsThe highlights of the week when it comes to sales and discounts are the Steam Rhythm Fest until August 26th with discounts on games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Trombone Champ, and DJ MAX RESPECT V, and also the new Capcom Resident Evil Humble Bundle.Next week, following the Rhythm Fest, the Isometric Games Sale begins with many discounts from publishers and developers including Owlcat Games. Check out a trailer for the event below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2N5XqsNRgE[/embed]That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.“Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right … Continue reading “Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck…”Source Link: https://toucharcade.com/2024/08/23/mameda-bakeru-steam-deck-pc-review-ff16-release-date-gamescom-2024-news/ http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/6285223545_2953179078_o.jpg BLOGGER - #GLOBAL Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions … Read More
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Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web https://www.merchant-business.com/steam-deck-weekly-gamescom-2024-steam-deck-news-reviews-including-bakeru-and-schim-new-verified-games-discounts-and-more/?feed_id=177114&_unique_id=66ca8f0915a45 ... BLOGGER - #GLOBAL Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions for Bakeru and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, reviews of a few notable indies, Shaun’s take on the Warhammer 40K: Boltgun DLC, bundles, new Steam Deck Verified games, and more. Let’s get into the reviews and impressions first.Steam Deck Game Reviews & ImpressionsBakeru Steam Deck ReviewWhen Bakeru was released in Japan, a friend of mine imported it and praised it quite a bit. I tried the demo and was turned off by the technical issues. It was charming, but not enough to put up with no localization and performance issues on Switch. When it leaked on the eShop, I was hoping we’d see performance improvements or a port to PC. We ended up getting both more or less. Bakeru’s Switch release in the West is improved over the Japanese launch version, and it is also now on PC with an excellent port.Bakeru is an action platformer from Good-Feel who are most known for the Yoshi games and also more-recently Princess Peach Showtime from Nintendo. The studio has done some games outside Nintendo brands, and the newest in this line of non Nintendo games from Good-Feel is Bakeru. Shaun will be doing a full review for this one, but so far Bakeru feels and plays great on Steam Deck.On Steam Deck and PC, Bakeru lets you adjust display mode (windowed and borderless only), resolution (with full 16:10 support), toggle v-sync, adjust frame rate cap (Note that v-sync off means the game runs at 60fps. Turn it on if you would like to play at your monitor’s refresh rate or at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, SMAA), adjust filtering quality (trilinear, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x), and draw distance (low, medium, high).I played Bakeru on both my Steam Decks. My LCD is running the newest SteamOS beta. On that, I had zero issues with the game and it ran at a locked 60fps at maximum settings. On Steam Deck OLED running the public build of the OS, I only had some issues at 90fps. This seemingly wasn’t related to the settings, but something in the game because I had some shader-related or traversal stuttering in parts, but they only happened initially. I imagine Bakeru will be Steam Deck Verified soon as it runs perfectly if you play at 60fps and near-perfectly at 90fps.The one issue I ran into pre-release that Spike Chunsoft and the developers already fixed is button prompts being incorrectly displayed. This had the game showing Switch positions instead of Xbox ones when using my 8BitDo Xbox controller or the Steam Deck itself. I’m glad this was resolved pre-release as the game has no port issues, and it is dramatically better than the Switch version. When using a DualSense, it correctly showed PlayStation prompts with the proper labels and positions as well.Bakeru is a good platformer that I recommend playing on PC over Switch right now. The Switch version, despite performance improvements over the Japanese demo, still has too much variance in its performance to be an easy recommendation. The HD Rumble there is nice, but everything else holds it back. On PC, you miss out on the HD Rumble, but Bakeru runs a lot better across the board, and I’ve been enjoying digging into it over the last week. Stay tuned for Shaun’s full review of the Switch version in the near future.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Steam Deck ReviewThere have been many game franchises that I completely missed out on over the years.
The Sam & Max series of games is one of those. When I was offered a code to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I figured now was the time to finally play these games with the new remasters. If you’re just here for the game itself, I urge you to read Shaun’s Switch review here. I’m going to focus on how it plays on Steam Deck.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the final game in the episodic Sam & Max main trilogy. This new remaster is amazing in basically every way. This includes how it controls, looks, sounds, and feels. It even has many accessibility options to make things go smoothly if you’re new to this kind of adventure game. You can toggle different hint levels and disable flashing in the accessibility settings.On the graphics and display side, you can play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse at higher resolutions when docked on Steam Deck, but performance doesn’t hold close to 60fps if you play at 4K. I recommend sticking to it in handheld mode for a 60 or higher experience. You can adjust the graphics quality, texture quality, anti-aliasing, toggle v-sync, and adjust display mode and resolution in the graphics settings.With Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I’m glad I finally got around to playing these games. Not only are they all absolutely worth your time and money, but they play superbly on Steam Deck. I’d love for the remasters to hit iPad, but until then the Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Skunkape Games’ remasters.SCHiM Steam Deck ReviewGiven the sheer amount of releases lately, I didn’t get around to playing SCHiM much at launch. I’m glad I finally rectified that because it is equal parts charming and gorgeous, and it has been the perfect game to relax with as a break from the longer upcoming games I’m playing for review right now. Developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have released a brilliant take on a 3D platformer using light, shadow, and more for puzzles, and it is all elevated by excellent audio.Aside from the striking aesthetic, what really carries SCHiM through its four or so hours long runtime is the animation work and sound design. As you work towards solving the various puzzles in the game, every interaction has a lovely little animation, and it all feels beyond polished when played at a rock solid 90fps on Steam Deck OLED. The blend of the shadows and lights for puzzles also are enhanced by the screen in handheld mode.So SCHiM runs perfectly out of the box on Steam Deck at 90fps, but how about docked? When played at 720p docked, it nearly does a locked 144fps. Playing at 1080p results in well over 100fps at all times. SCHiM supports 16:10 as well which is great to see on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with it aside from the fact that it might seem short for its price to some, and that there really is no evolution of the mechanics over the course of the game. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does hold SCHiM down from perfection.SCHiM is a lovely abstract take on games like Frogger for the modern era. Come into this expecting a work of art with excellent audio design more than a complex puzzle game. I enjoyed just about every level despite the mechanics not really evolving. I enjoyed it enough on Steam Deck to order a physical copy of the Switch version from Japan already. This is definitely worth your time if you enjoy delightful, gorgeous, and relaxing puzzle games.SCHiM Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck ReviewGestalt: Steam and Cinder is another game I wish I got around to playing sooner like SCHiM above. It has been on the review backlog for a bit now, but having played it, this action platformer is fantastic. Not only does it nail the aesthetic with its blend of 16 and 32-bit visuals, but the sound design, story, and gameplay are sublime.What initially drew me to Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, is the steampunk visual style in pixel art. I adore the character designs, but wasn’t sure another action platformer would be able to hit hard enough for me in recent years.
Having played it, the story is very good, but without getting into spoilers, I feel like there’s more to this tale. Hopefully we see some story DLC in the future.On the gameplay side, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder felt a bit easier than I expected outside of two bosses I had trouble with. Nothing major though, and the responsive controls help across the board.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder ships Steam Deck Verified, and it is perfect on Valve’s handheld. The only thing I’d like to see, if feasible, is support for 90fps. Right now, the game is capped at 60fps and 16:9. I tested this on both my Steam Decks docked and in handheld mode.Given how crowded the genre is, I know most people roll their eyes when they see another action platformer, but Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one you cannot afford to miss. It is one of the best in the genre with its excellent gameplay, narrative, music, and slick visuals. Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is also perfect on Steam Deck from start to finish.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck ReviewThe original Boltgun was a refreshing surprise for me when it was released last year. While I’m not as into first-person shooters as deeply as some, I can certainly enjoy a good boomer shooter. Give me fast, furious action with some interest levels to explore, a satisfying selection of weapons, and challenging enemy encounters and I’m there. Boltgun had all of that, all dressed up in a Warhammer theme that if nothing else helps the world feel like it extends outside of the borders of the game.  A thoroughly enjoying game to play through, and one that left me properly sated… or did it?While I thought I had had my fill of Boltgun, I was actually quite happy when Forges of Corruption was released. I guess I was still hungry. This expansion gives you five more levels of carnage to engage in, and they run on the larger side. You get two new guns to play with, one being an enhanced flamethrower and the other a rocket launcher. Sure, can’t argue with that. You also get some new enemies to try those toys out on, and you’ll need every edge you can get to deal with them.When compared to the original game’s levels, Forges of Corruption‘s stages favor more wide open spaces. This puts your mobility skills to the test, as you’ll have to keep on moving to avoid getting surrounded or cornered. If you haven’t mastered the dash already from playing the main campaign, you’ll need to get up to speed fast here. It’s an interesting change-up from the more compact design that the base game relied on so much. The enhanced flamethrower’s spread can really help you out here, and rockets always prefer open spaces.Difficulty-wise, these levels are mostly going to be a relative breeze for those who played through the first game. The last one is a real beast though, and you’re going to have to use everything you’ve learned to overcome it. Which is to say that while you can play this expansion without finishing the main game, you really should leave it for after. All-up, it takes a few hours to get through it all.Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.-Shaun MusgraveWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck review score: 4/5News and TrailersLet’s begin the massive (and fast-paced) news section of this week with a brand-new trailer for my most anticipated game of 2025: Monster Hunter Wilds. The trailer has the game looking better than before, and I’m getting more excited reading all the details from hands-on gameplay sessions people have at Gamescom.
Watch the third Monster Hunter Wilds trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp4gR1QEvVA[/embed]The next bit of news I’m excited for is Final Fantasy XVI, the best singleplayer Final Fantasy game since XII, is coming to Steam in a few weeks with pre-orders and a demo now live. It is sadly pretty rough on Steam Deck, but I hope things improve. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBqpFlA_4Is[/embed]Terry Bogard launches on September 24th in Street Fighter 6 as the second DLC for the Year 2 Pass. His gameplay trailer looks incredible. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPhkX2oMmQ[/embed]While not directly Steam-related, Capcom is also bringing Resident Evil 2 to GOG on August 27th. I couldn’t get Resident Evil 1’s GOG release to work on Deck, but I hope this one works. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EuuJCGWfC8[/embed]Capcom also released a demo for the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam and consoles. Check it out here. Read my preview of the full game here.Silent Hill 2 from Konami got a new story trailer, and this is the first trailer that’s been liked by a friend of mine who is a huge fan of the series. This will be my first Silent Hill game, so I’m excited to try it. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjR0I7dJQpk[/embed]Square Enix released a new “Final” trailer for Visions of Mana ahead of its launch next week. I can’t wait to talk about the full game soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubnfqC-vxk[/embed]A few days ago, Cygames released the big Version 1.50 update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on Steam and consoles bringing in big balance adjustments, the new DLC character Versusia, and in-game content included with Battle Pass Round 5. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2OoiGWYFUk[/embed]Persona 3 Reload’s expansion Episode Aigis is adding Joker as a boss fight. I didn’t expect that one, but I’m looking forward to playing the DLC very soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89HkGkSr7c[/embed]Atlus will host a new ATLUS Exclusive showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio on August 28th at 8 PM. It will be on YouTube. I’m looking forward to playing this hopefully soon for review. Atlus also revealed the English voice cast for the game. Check it out below:Protagonist – Caleb YenStrohl – Stewart ClarkeHulkenberg – Kristin AthertonGallica – Alejandra ReynosoHeismay – Phillipe SpallJunah – Emma BallantineEupha – Emily BurnettNeuras – David MonteithLouis – Joseph TweedaleMore – Greg ChunGrius – Gordon Cooper [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[/embed]A new trailer for Metaphor has also gone live, and it is the best one yet for the game ahead of its launch in October. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_-BPELOl0M[/embed]SEGA released a new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations that makes me wish the game was out sooner. We need anime music videos based on this for sure. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-64Uzx2ac[/embed]Tempest Rising from 3D Realms got a new PvP teaser trailer this week at Gamescom 2024. It looks superb. Check out the footage below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC4ywATBI[/embed]A game I’m excited to play later this year, Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio, got a new story trailer this week. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EENlMq23sE[/embed]A game most thought wouldn’t release this year, The Plucky Squire from Devolver Digital, launches on September 17th with a lovely new trailer you can watch below. I’m excited to try this out on Steam Deck and Switch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DpvZWrts_M[/embed]Devolver Digital is also launching Sumerian Six, the real time tactical stealth game via Steam, on September 2nd. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DeYqVHkkM[/embed]Raw Fury is releasing the horror survival game Post Trauma on October 29th. Check out its release date trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb9EwFKEi28[/embed]Blizzard
is celebrating Warcraft’s 30th anniversary in Overwatch 2 with a new skin for Widowmaker as Sylvanas next month. Check it out below:Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening from Bandai Namco launches on October 18th for Steam and consoles. Pre-orders are now live with a new gameplay trailer you can watch below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgaV3cZwVI[/embed]Eternal Strands, set to launch in 2025, got a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2024 from Yellow Brick Games. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtabO0hj8[/embed]Superhero-themed visual novel Sacrifice Villains from Shiravune is set to release on Steam this year. It will be priced at $19.99. Check out the Steam page here.Little Nightmares III also had a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. It releases on Steam and all consoles next year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ndYfBtYwI[/embed]Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion got a new trailer showcasing the Mercenary companions ahead of the expansion’s launch this October. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_RHvTVnBiI[/embed]Inti Creates is releasing a demo for Card-en-Ciel on September 4th for Steam. Alongside this news, a new gameplay trailer has been released. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwI3Al25LJo[/embed]A sequel to Wilmot’s Warehouse is set to release on Steam on October 23rd in the form of Wilmot Works It Out. I loved the original and cannot wait to play this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARyZ2peq3U[/embed]Risk of Rain 2’s Seekers of the Storm DLC launches on August 27th for PC and consoles. I’ll be checking this one out on Steam Deck. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh36MdjdzHw[/embed]Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launches on February 11th, 2025 and a new gameplay showcase this week makes me wonder if this will even run on Steam Deck with how good it looks. I’ll definitely try it. Watch the showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6bjlger8[/embed]Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves from SNK launches on April 24th, 2025 for Steam, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X. The launch price is a special edition with the first pass. Watch the new trailer showing off the amazing Mai Shiranui and the release date showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgsu-Cn5fs[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjjlpCoBOQ[/embed]Level Infinite streamed its recent “Into the Infinite” showcase featuring updates from its partners covering games like Soulframe, Warframe, and much more. Watch it below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAIFQ8TZCp8[/embed]Sharkmob’s Exoborne had a new trailer released during the showcase above as well. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehaixwsBHVg[/embed]Civilization VII from Firaxis and 2K launches for Steam and all consoles on February 11th, 2025 with pre-orders now live. Check out the gameplay trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U[/embed]2K also revealed two other games for 2025, and they’re big ones. Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country are in development for Steam and consoles for 2025 release. Watch the trailers below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDUx5suLm4[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8WImF649E[/embed]Arc System Works has revealed new details for Double Dragon Revive including the composers and story details. The composers include Raito and many more. Check out the website here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_BX_N_zZU[/embed]Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Steam and Xbox on December 9th with pre-orders now live on Steam. I’m looking forward to playing this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg[/embed]The newest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailers focus on Leafa and Sinon. Watch them below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqhzTC9-Is[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q1uonLUwA[/embed]Delta Force, the first person
multiplayer shooter, previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops launches later this year for PC via Early Access on Steam from Level Infinite. It is also set to come to iOS and Android and consoles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwtosVfqog[/embed]Amazon Prime is doing a series on video games titled Secret Level with a focus on specific games over 15 episodes. These include Armored Core, Spelunky, New World: Aeternum, and more. It is set to begin streaming this December. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLihxsmI_OU[/embed]Speaking of New World: Aeterum, a new video series based on the game can now be watched ahead of the game’s launch on October 15th: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVO6W9rxN68[/embed]Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games launches as a free to play game on December 6th for Steam and consoles with all heroes included for free. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAZrZGkIgY[/embed]Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC launches on September 30th for Steam and Xbox. A new update is also available now on all platforms. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1z1DbA_Io[/embed]Akatsuki Games released a new trailer for the extreme action game Tribe Nine ahead of its launch on Steam and mobile. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-ZANvmcL4[/embed]Free to play third person MOBA Predecessor is now available on Steam and consoles from Omeda Studios. Watch the trailer for it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnN2DYyAAg[/embed]Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO gets another trailer showing off more of the game in its “50 days from now” trailer. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4[/embed]Path of Exile 2 launches on Steam and consoles via Early Access on November 15th. Watch the new trailer from Grinding Gear Games below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaSU9UCe0w[/embed]Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone open world game that’s free for owners of Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition. It is set to release in the future. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50gFkG91jc[/embed]Idea Factory International announced that Date A Live: Ren Dystopia releases on September 5th for Steam. I’ll be reviewing this one. Check it out on Steam here.Torn Banner Studios (Chivalry 2) announced that the UE5-powered shooter No More Room in Hell 2 will launch in Steam early access this Halloween. Watch the trailer below from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3nRkfkp1w[/embed]Warner Bros Games also showcased a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer focussing on Cyrax who is a part of the new DLC. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwmIbv-LtA[/embed]Tokyo Xtreme Racer from Genki is a new entry in the long-running series coming to Steam in 2025. I’m glad to see this because a friend of mine is a huge fan. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhzyVcUCCM[/embed]Square Enix released a new trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure showcasing Max’s powers. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPGjvD5jRo[/embed]New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the weekThis week, Yakuza 4 and Devil Blade Reboot are the highlights for new Verified games, and EA’s anti-cheat issues continue to make more games unplayable on Steam Deck. Check out every notable game tested by Valve since the last article below:#BLUD – VerifiedAtlas Fallen – UnsupportedBattlefield 1 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)DEVIL BLADE REBOOT – VerifiedEA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Eastward – PlayableFlatout 3 – Playablehololive treasure mountain – VerifiedIsles of Sea and Sky – VerifiedLISA: The First – UnsupportedMetropolis: Lux Obscura – PlayableMika and The Witch’s Mountain – VerifiedPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Pocket Bravery – Playableshapez 2 – PlayableSkull and Bones – PlayableSNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS – PlayableSPY×ANYA: Operation
Memories – PlayableSquirrel with a Gun – VerifiedSword of Convallaria – UnsupportedTeeny Tiny Trains – PlayableThe Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker – PlayableTHE LAST BLADE – PlayableTomba! Special Edition – PlayableWild Bastards – VerifiedYakuza 4 Remastered – VerifiedSteam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and SpecialsThe highlights of the week when it comes to sales and discounts are the Steam Rhythm Fest until August 26th with discounts on games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Trombone Champ, and DJ MAX RESPECT V, and also the new Capcom Resident Evil Humble Bundle.Next week, following the Rhythm Fest, the Isometric Games Sale begins with many discounts from publishers and developers including Owlcat Games. Check out a trailer for the event below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2N5XqsNRgE[/embed]That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.“Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right … Continue reading “Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck…”Source Link: https://toucharcade.com/2024/08/23/mameda-bakeru-steam-deck-pc-review-ff16-release-date-gamescom-2024-news/ http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/6285223545_2953179078_o.jpg #GLOBAL - BLOGGER Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions … Read More
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Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/steam-deck-weekly-gamescom-2024-steam-deck-news-reviews-including-bakeru-and-schim-new-verified-games-discounts-and-more/?feed_id=177113&_unique_id=66ca8f07c2e9e Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions for Bakeru and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, reviews of a few notable indies, Shaun’s take on the Warhammer 40K: Boltgun DLC, bundles, new Steam Deck Verified games, and more. Let’s get into the reviews and impressions first.Steam Deck Game Reviews & ImpressionsBakeru Steam Deck ReviewWhen Bakeru was released in Japan, a friend of mine imported it and praised it quite a bit. I tried the demo and was turned off by the technical issues. It was charming, but not enough to put up with no localization and performance issues on Switch. When it leaked on the eShop, I was hoping we’d see performance improvements or a port to PC. We ended up getting both more or less. Bakeru’s Switch release in the West is improved over the Japanese launch version, and it is also now on PC with an excellent port.Bakeru is an action platformer from Good-Feel who are most known for the Yoshi games and also more-recently Princess Peach Showtime from Nintendo. The studio has done some games outside Nintendo brands, and the newest in this line of non Nintendo games from Good-Feel is Bakeru. Shaun will be doing a full review for this one, but so far Bakeru feels and plays great on Steam Deck.On Steam Deck and PC, Bakeru lets you adjust display mode (windowed and borderless only), resolution (with full 16:10 support), toggle v-sync, adjust frame rate cap (Note that v-sync off means the game runs at 60fps. Turn it on if you would like to play at your monitor’s refresh rate or at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, SMAA), adjust filtering quality (trilinear, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x), and draw distance (low, medium, high).I played Bakeru on both my Steam Decks. My LCD is running the newest SteamOS beta. On that, I had zero issues with the game and it ran at a locked 60fps at maximum settings. On Steam Deck OLED running the public build of the OS, I only had some issues at 90fps. This seemingly wasn’t related to the settings, but something in the game because I had some shader-related or traversal stuttering in parts, but they only happened initially. I imagine Bakeru will be Steam Deck Verified soon as it runs perfectly if you play at 60fps and near-perfectly at 90fps.The one issue I ran into pre-release that Spike Chunsoft and the developers already fixed is button prompts being incorrectly displayed. This had the game showing Switch positions instead of Xbox ones when using my 8BitDo Xbox controller or the Steam Deck itself. I’m glad this was resolved pre-release as the game has no port issues, and it is dramatically better than the Switch version. When using a DualSense, it correctly showed PlayStation prompts with the proper labels and positions as well.Bakeru is a good platformer that I recommend playing on PC over Switch right now. The Switch version, despite performance improvements over the Japanese demo, still has too much variance in its performance to be an easy recommendation. The HD Rumble there is nice, but everything else holds it back. On PC, you miss out on the HD Rumble, but Bakeru runs a lot better across the board, and I’ve been enjoying digging into it over the last week. Stay tuned for Shaun’s full review of the Switch version in the near future.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Steam Deck ReviewThere have been many game franchises that I completely missed out on over the years.
The Sam & Max series of games is one of those. When I was offered a code to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I figured now was the time to finally play these games with the new remasters. If you’re just here for the game itself, I urge you to read Shaun’s Switch review here. I’m going to focus on how it plays on Steam Deck.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the final game in the episodic Sam & Max main trilogy. This new remaster is amazing in basically every way. This includes how it controls, looks, sounds, and feels. It even has many accessibility options to make things go smoothly if you’re new to this kind of adventure game. You can toggle different hint levels and disable flashing in the accessibility settings.On the graphics and display side, you can play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse at higher resolutions when docked on Steam Deck, but performance doesn’t hold close to 60fps if you play at 4K. I recommend sticking to it in handheld mode for a 60 or higher experience. You can adjust the graphics quality, texture quality, anti-aliasing, toggle v-sync, and adjust display mode and resolution in the graphics settings.With Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I’m glad I finally got around to playing these games. Not only are they all absolutely worth your time and money, but they play superbly on Steam Deck. I’d love for the remasters to hit iPad, but until then the Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Skunkape Games’ remasters.SCHiM Steam Deck ReviewGiven the sheer amount of releases lately, I didn’t get around to playing SCHiM much at launch. I’m glad I finally rectified that because it is equal parts charming and gorgeous, and it has been the perfect game to relax with as a break from the longer upcoming games I’m playing for review right now. Developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have released a brilliant take on a 3D platformer using light, shadow, and more for puzzles, and it is all elevated by excellent audio.Aside from the striking aesthetic, what really carries SCHiM through its four or so hours long runtime is the animation work and sound design. As you work towards solving the various puzzles in the game, every interaction has a lovely little animation, and it all feels beyond polished when played at a rock solid 90fps on Steam Deck OLED. The blend of the shadows and lights for puzzles also are enhanced by the screen in handheld mode.So SCHiM runs perfectly out of the box on Steam Deck at 90fps, but how about docked? When played at 720p docked, it nearly does a locked 144fps. Playing at 1080p results in well over 100fps at all times. SCHiM supports 16:10 as well which is great to see on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with it aside from the fact that it might seem short for its price to some, and that there really is no evolution of the mechanics over the course of the game. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does hold SCHiM down from perfection.SCHiM is a lovely abstract take on games like Frogger for the modern era. Come into this expecting a work of art with excellent audio design more than a complex puzzle game. I enjoyed just about every level despite the mechanics not really evolving. I enjoyed it enough on Steam Deck to order a physical copy of the Switch version from Japan already. This is definitely worth your time if you enjoy delightful, gorgeous, and relaxing puzzle games.SCHiM Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck ReviewGestalt: Steam and Cinder is another game I wish I got around to playing sooner like SCHiM above. It has been on the review backlog for a bit now, but having played it, this action platformer is fantastic. Not only does it nail the aesthetic with its blend of 16 and 32-bit visuals, but the sound design, story, and gameplay are sublime.What initially drew me to Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, is the steampunk visual style in pixel art. I adore the character designs, but wasn’t sure another action platformer would be able to hit hard enough for me in recent years.
Having played it, the story is very good, but without getting into spoilers, I feel like there’s more to this tale. Hopefully we see some story DLC in the future.On the gameplay side, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder felt a bit easier than I expected outside of two bosses I had trouble with. Nothing major though, and the responsive controls help across the board.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder ships Steam Deck Verified, and it is perfect on Valve’s handheld. The only thing I’d like to see, if feasible, is support for 90fps. Right now, the game is capped at 60fps and 16:9. I tested this on both my Steam Decks docked and in handheld mode.Given how crowded the genre is, I know most people roll their eyes when they see another action platformer, but Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one you cannot afford to miss. It is one of the best in the genre with its excellent gameplay, narrative, music, and slick visuals. Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is also perfect on Steam Deck from start to finish.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck ReviewThe original Boltgun was a refreshing surprise for me when it was released last year. While I’m not as into first-person shooters as deeply as some, I can certainly enjoy a good boomer shooter. Give me fast, furious action with some interest levels to explore, a satisfying selection of weapons, and challenging enemy encounters and I’m there. Boltgun had all of that, all dressed up in a Warhammer theme that if nothing else helps the world feel like it extends outside of the borders of the game.  A thoroughly enjoying game to play through, and one that left me properly sated… or did it?While I thought I had had my fill of Boltgun, I was actually quite happy when Forges of Corruption was released. I guess I was still hungry. This expansion gives you five more levels of carnage to engage in, and they run on the larger side. You get two new guns to play with, one being an enhanced flamethrower and the other a rocket launcher. Sure, can’t argue with that. You also get some new enemies to try those toys out on, and you’ll need every edge you can get to deal with them.When compared to the original game’s levels, Forges of Corruption‘s stages favor more wide open spaces. This puts your mobility skills to the test, as you’ll have to keep on moving to avoid getting surrounded or cornered. If you haven’t mastered the dash already from playing the main campaign, you’ll need to get up to speed fast here. It’s an interesting change-up from the more compact design that the base game relied on so much. The enhanced flamethrower’s spread can really help you out here, and rockets always prefer open spaces.Difficulty-wise, these levels are mostly going to be a relative breeze for those who played through the first game. The last one is a real beast though, and you’re going to have to use everything you’ve learned to overcome it. Which is to say that while you can play this expansion without finishing the main game, you really should leave it for after. All-up, it takes a few hours to get through it all.Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.-Shaun MusgraveWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck review score: 4/5News and TrailersLet’s begin the massive (and fast-paced) news section of this week with a brand-new trailer for my most anticipated game of 2025: Monster Hunter Wilds. The trailer has the game looking better than before, and I’m getting more excited reading all the details from hands-on gameplay sessions people have at Gamescom.
Watch the third Monster Hunter Wilds trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp4gR1QEvVA[/embed]The next bit of news I’m excited for is Final Fantasy XVI, the best singleplayer Final Fantasy game since XII, is coming to Steam in a few weeks with pre-orders and a demo now live. It is sadly pretty rough on Steam Deck, but I hope things improve. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBqpFlA_4Is[/embed]Terry Bogard launches on September 24th in Street Fighter 6 as the second DLC for the Year 2 Pass. His gameplay trailer looks incredible. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPhkX2oMmQ[/embed]While not directly Steam-related, Capcom is also bringing Resident Evil 2 to GOG on August 27th. I couldn’t get Resident Evil 1’s GOG release to work on Deck, but I hope this one works. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EuuJCGWfC8[/embed]Capcom also released a demo for the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam and consoles. Check it out here. Read my preview of the full game here.Silent Hill 2 from Konami got a new story trailer, and this is the first trailer that’s been liked by a friend of mine who is a huge fan of the series. This will be my first Silent Hill game, so I’m excited to try it. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjR0I7dJQpk[/embed]Square Enix released a new “Final” trailer for Visions of Mana ahead of its launch next week. I can’t wait to talk about the full game soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubnfqC-vxk[/embed]A few days ago, Cygames released the big Version 1.50 update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on Steam and consoles bringing in big balance adjustments, the new DLC character Versusia, and in-game content included with Battle Pass Round 5. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2OoiGWYFUk[/embed]Persona 3 Reload’s expansion Episode Aigis is adding Joker as a boss fight. I didn’t expect that one, but I’m looking forward to playing the DLC very soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89HkGkSr7c[/embed]Atlus will host a new ATLUS Exclusive showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio on August 28th at 8 PM. It will be on YouTube. I’m looking forward to playing this hopefully soon for review. Atlus also revealed the English voice cast for the game. Check it out below:Protagonist – Caleb YenStrohl – Stewart ClarkeHulkenberg – Kristin AthertonGallica – Alejandra ReynosoHeismay – Phillipe SpallJunah – Emma BallantineEupha – Emily BurnettNeuras – David MonteithLouis – Joseph TweedaleMore – Greg ChunGrius – Gordon Cooper [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[/embed]A new trailer for Metaphor has also gone live, and it is the best one yet for the game ahead of its launch in October. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_-BPELOl0M[/embed]SEGA released a new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations that makes me wish the game was out sooner. We need anime music videos based on this for sure. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-64Uzx2ac[/embed]Tempest Rising from 3D Realms got a new PvP teaser trailer this week at Gamescom 2024. It looks superb. Check out the footage below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC4ywATBI[/embed]A game I’m excited to play later this year, Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio, got a new story trailer this week. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EENlMq23sE[/embed]A game most thought wouldn’t release this year, The Plucky Squire from Devolver Digital, launches on September 17th with a lovely new trailer you can watch below. I’m excited to try this out on Steam Deck and Switch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DpvZWrts_M[/embed]Devolver Digital is also launching Sumerian Six, the real time tactical stealth game via Steam, on September 2nd. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DeYqVHkkM[/embed]Raw Fury is releasing the horror survival game Post Trauma on October 29th. Check out its release date trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb9EwFKEi28[/embed]Blizzard
is celebrating Warcraft’s 30th anniversary in Overwatch 2 with a new skin for Widowmaker as Sylvanas next month. Check it out below:Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening from Bandai Namco launches on October 18th for Steam and consoles. Pre-orders are now live with a new gameplay trailer you can watch below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgaV3cZwVI[/embed]Eternal Strands, set to launch in 2025, got a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2024 from Yellow Brick Games. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtabO0hj8[/embed]Superhero-themed visual novel Sacrifice Villains from Shiravune is set to release on Steam this year. It will be priced at $19.99. Check out the Steam page here.Little Nightmares III also had a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. It releases on Steam and all consoles next year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ndYfBtYwI[/embed]Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion got a new trailer showcasing the Mercenary companions ahead of the expansion’s launch this October. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_RHvTVnBiI[/embed]Inti Creates is releasing a demo for Card-en-Ciel on September 4th for Steam. Alongside this news, a new gameplay trailer has been released. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwI3Al25LJo[/embed]A sequel to Wilmot’s Warehouse is set to release on Steam on October 23rd in the form of Wilmot Works It Out. I loved the original and cannot wait to play this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARyZ2peq3U[/embed]Risk of Rain 2’s Seekers of the Storm DLC launches on August 27th for PC and consoles. I’ll be checking this one out on Steam Deck. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh36MdjdzHw[/embed]Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launches on February 11th, 2025 and a new gameplay showcase this week makes me wonder if this will even run on Steam Deck with how good it looks. I’ll definitely try it. Watch the showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6bjlger8[/embed]Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves from SNK launches on April 24th, 2025 for Steam, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X. The launch price is a special edition with the first pass. Watch the new trailer showing off the amazing Mai Shiranui and the release date showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgsu-Cn5fs[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjjlpCoBOQ[/embed]Level Infinite streamed its recent “Into the Infinite” showcase featuring updates from its partners covering games like Soulframe, Warframe, and much more. Watch it below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAIFQ8TZCp8[/embed]Sharkmob’s Exoborne had a new trailer released during the showcase above as well. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehaixwsBHVg[/embed]Civilization VII from Firaxis and 2K launches for Steam and all consoles on February 11th, 2025 with pre-orders now live. Check out the gameplay trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U[/embed]2K also revealed two other games for 2025, and they’re big ones. Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country are in development for Steam and consoles for 2025 release. Watch the trailers below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDUx5suLm4[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8WImF649E[/embed]Arc System Works has revealed new details for Double Dragon Revive including the composers and story details. The composers include Raito and many more. Check out the website here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_BX_N_zZU[/embed]Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Steam and Xbox on December 9th with pre-orders now live on Steam. I’m looking forward to playing this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg[/embed]The newest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailers focus on Leafa and Sinon. Watch them below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqhzTC9-Is[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q1uonLUwA[/embed]Delta Force, the first person
multiplayer shooter, previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops launches later this year for PC via Early Access on Steam from Level Infinite. It is also set to come to iOS and Android and consoles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwtosVfqog[/embed]Amazon Prime is doing a series on video games titled Secret Level with a focus on specific games over 15 episodes. These include Armored Core, Spelunky, New World: Aeternum, and more. It is set to begin streaming this December. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLihxsmI_OU[/embed]Speaking of New World: Aeterum, a new video series based on the game can now be watched ahead of the game’s launch on October 15th: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVO6W9rxN68[/embed]Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games launches as a free to play game on December 6th for Steam and consoles with all heroes included for free. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAZrZGkIgY[/embed]Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC launches on September 30th for Steam and Xbox. A new update is also available now on all platforms. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1z1DbA_Io[/embed]Akatsuki Games released a new trailer for the extreme action game Tribe Nine ahead of its launch on Steam and mobile. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-ZANvmcL4[/embed]Free to play third person MOBA Predecessor is now available on Steam and consoles from Omeda Studios. Watch the trailer for it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnN2DYyAAg[/embed]Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO gets another trailer showing off more of the game in its “50 days from now” trailer. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4[/embed]Path of Exile 2 launches on Steam and consoles via Early Access on November 15th. Watch the new trailer from Grinding Gear Games below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaSU9UCe0w[/embed]Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone open world game that’s free for owners of Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition. It is set to release in the future. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50gFkG91jc[/embed]Idea Factory International announced that Date A Live: Ren Dystopia releases on September 5th for Steam. I’ll be reviewing this one. Check it out on Steam here.Torn Banner Studios (Chivalry 2) announced that the UE5-powered shooter No More Room in Hell 2 will launch in Steam early access this Halloween. Watch the trailer below from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3nRkfkp1w[/embed]Warner Bros Games also showcased a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer focussing on Cyrax who is a part of the new DLC. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwmIbv-LtA[/embed]Tokyo Xtreme Racer from Genki is a new entry in the long-running series coming to Steam in 2025. I’m glad to see this because a friend of mine is a huge fan. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhzyVcUCCM[/embed]Square Enix released a new trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure showcasing Max’s powers. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPGjvD5jRo[/embed]New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the weekThis week, Yakuza 4 and Devil Blade Reboot are the highlights for new Verified games, and EA’s anti-cheat issues continue to make more games unplayable on Steam Deck. Check out every notable game tested by Valve since the last article below:#BLUD – VerifiedAtlas Fallen – UnsupportedBattlefield 1 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)DEVIL BLADE REBOOT – VerifiedEA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Eastward – PlayableFlatout 3 – Playablehololive treasure mountain – VerifiedIsles of Sea and Sky – VerifiedLISA: The First – UnsupportedMetropolis: Lux Obscura – PlayableMika and The Witch’s Mountain – VerifiedPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Pocket Bravery – Playableshapez 2 – PlayableSkull and Bones – PlayableSNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS – PlayableSPY×ANYA: Operation
Memories – PlayableSquirrel with a Gun – VerifiedSword of Convallaria – UnsupportedTeeny Tiny Trains – PlayableThe Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker – PlayableTHE LAST BLADE – PlayableTomba! Special Edition – PlayableWild Bastards – VerifiedYakuza 4 Remastered – VerifiedSteam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and SpecialsThe highlights of the week when it comes to sales and discounts are the Steam Rhythm Fest until August 26th with discounts on games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Trombone Champ, and DJ MAX RESPECT V, and also the new Capcom Resident Evil Humble Bundle.Next week, following the Rhythm Fest, the Isometric Games Sale begins with many discounts from publishers and developers including Owlcat Games. Check out a trailer for the event below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2N5XqsNRgE[/embed]That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.“Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right … Continue reading “Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck…”Source Link: https://toucharcade.com/2024/08/23/mameda-bakeru-steam-deck-pc-review-ff16-release-date-gamescom-2024-news/ http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/6285223545_2953179078_o.jpg Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web - #GLOBAL BLOGGER - #GLOBAL
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Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web https://www.merchant-business.com/steam-deck-weekly-gamescom-2024-steam-deck-news-reviews-including-bakeru-and-schim-new-verified-games-discounts-and-more/?feed_id=177112&_unique_id=66ca8f069c28c #GLOBAL - BLOGGER BLOGGER Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions for Bakeru and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, reviews of a few notable indies, Shaun’s take on the Warhammer 40K: Boltgun DLC, bundles, new Steam Deck Verified games, and more. Let’s get into the reviews and impressions first.Steam Deck Game Reviews & ImpressionsBakeru Steam Deck ReviewWhen Bakeru was released in Japan, a friend of mine imported it and praised it quite a bit. I tried the demo and was turned off by the technical issues. It was charming, but not enough to put up with no localization and performance issues on Switch. When it leaked on the eShop, I was hoping we’d see performance improvements or a port to PC. We ended up getting both more or less. Bakeru’s Switch release in the West is improved over the Japanese launch version, and it is also now on PC with an excellent port.Bakeru is an action platformer from Good-Feel who are most known for the Yoshi games and also more-recently Princess Peach Showtime from Nintendo. The studio has done some games outside Nintendo brands, and the newest in this line of non Nintendo games from Good-Feel is Bakeru. Shaun will be doing a full review for this one, but so far Bakeru feels and plays great on Steam Deck.On Steam Deck and PC, Bakeru lets you adjust display mode (windowed and borderless only), resolution (with full 16:10 support), toggle v-sync, adjust frame rate cap (Note that v-sync off means the game runs at 60fps. Turn it on if you would like to play at your monitor’s refresh rate or at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, SMAA), adjust filtering quality (trilinear, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x), and draw distance (low, medium, high).I played Bakeru on both my Steam Decks. My LCD is running the newest SteamOS beta. On that, I had zero issues with the game and it ran at a locked 60fps at maximum settings. On Steam Deck OLED running the public build of the OS, I only had some issues at 90fps. This seemingly wasn’t related to the settings, but something in the game because I had some shader-related or traversal stuttering in parts, but they only happened initially. I imagine Bakeru will be Steam Deck Verified soon as it runs perfectly if you play at 60fps and near-perfectly at 90fps.The one issue I ran into pre-release that Spike Chunsoft and the developers already fixed is button prompts being incorrectly displayed. This had the game showing Switch positions instead of Xbox ones when using my 8BitDo Xbox controller or the Steam Deck itself. I’m glad this was resolved pre-release as the game has no port issues, and it is dramatically better than the Switch version. When using a DualSense, it correctly showed PlayStation prompts with the proper labels and positions as well.Bakeru is a good platformer that I recommend playing on PC over Switch right now. The Switch version, despite performance improvements over the Japanese demo, still has too much variance in its performance to be an easy recommendation. The HD Rumble there is nice, but everything else holds it back. On PC, you miss out on the HD Rumble, but Bakeru runs a lot better across the board, and I’ve been enjoying digging into it over the last week. Stay tuned for Shaun’s full review of the Switch version in the near future.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Steam Deck ReviewThere have been many game franchises that I completely missed out on over the years.
The Sam & Max series of games is one of those. When I was offered a code to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I figured now was the time to finally play these games with the new remasters. If you’re just here for the game itself, I urge you to read Shaun’s Switch review here. I’m going to focus on how it plays on Steam Deck.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the final game in the episodic Sam & Max main trilogy. This new remaster is amazing in basically every way. This includes how it controls, looks, sounds, and feels. It even has many accessibility options to make things go smoothly if you’re new to this kind of adventure game. You can toggle different hint levels and disable flashing in the accessibility settings.On the graphics and display side, you can play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse at higher resolutions when docked on Steam Deck, but performance doesn’t hold close to 60fps if you play at 4K. I recommend sticking to it in handheld mode for a 60 or higher experience. You can adjust the graphics quality, texture quality, anti-aliasing, toggle v-sync, and adjust display mode and resolution in the graphics settings.With Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I’m glad I finally got around to playing these games. Not only are they all absolutely worth your time and money, but they play superbly on Steam Deck. I’d love for the remasters to hit iPad, but until then the Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Skunkape Games’ remasters.SCHiM Steam Deck ReviewGiven the sheer amount of releases lately, I didn’t get around to playing SCHiM much at launch. I’m glad I finally rectified that because it is equal parts charming and gorgeous, and it has been the perfect game to relax with as a break from the longer upcoming games I’m playing for review right now. Developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have released a brilliant take on a 3D platformer using light, shadow, and more for puzzles, and it is all elevated by excellent audio.Aside from the striking aesthetic, what really carries SCHiM through its four or so hours long runtime is the animation work and sound design. As you work towards solving the various puzzles in the game, every interaction has a lovely little animation, and it all feels beyond polished when played at a rock solid 90fps on Steam Deck OLED. The blend of the shadows and lights for puzzles also are enhanced by the screen in handheld mode.So SCHiM runs perfectly out of the box on Steam Deck at 90fps, but how about docked? When played at 720p docked, it nearly does a locked 144fps. Playing at 1080p results in well over 100fps at all times. SCHiM supports 16:10 as well which is great to see on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with it aside from the fact that it might seem short for its price to some, and that there really is no evolution of the mechanics over the course of the game. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does hold SCHiM down from perfection.SCHiM is a lovely abstract take on games like Frogger for the modern era. Come into this expecting a work of art with excellent audio design more than a complex puzzle game. I enjoyed just about every level despite the mechanics not really evolving. I enjoyed it enough on Steam Deck to order a physical copy of the Switch version from Japan already. This is definitely worth your time if you enjoy delightful, gorgeous, and relaxing puzzle games.SCHiM Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck ReviewGestalt: Steam and Cinder is another game I wish I got around to playing sooner like SCHiM above. It has been on the review backlog for a bit now, but having played it, this action platformer is fantastic. Not only does it nail the aesthetic with its blend of 16 and 32-bit visuals, but the sound design, story, and gameplay are sublime.What initially drew me to Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, is the steampunk visual style in pixel art. I adore the character designs, but wasn’t sure another action platformer would be able to hit hard enough for me in recent years.
Having played it, the story is very good, but without getting into spoilers, I feel like there’s more to this tale. Hopefully we see some story DLC in the future.On the gameplay side, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder felt a bit easier than I expected outside of two bosses I had trouble with. Nothing major though, and the responsive controls help across the board.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder ships Steam Deck Verified, and it is perfect on Valve’s handheld. The only thing I’d like to see, if feasible, is support for 90fps. Right now, the game is capped at 60fps and 16:9. I tested this on both my Steam Decks docked and in handheld mode.Given how crowded the genre is, I know most people roll their eyes when they see another action platformer, but Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one you cannot afford to miss. It is one of the best in the genre with its excellent gameplay, narrative, music, and slick visuals. Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is also perfect on Steam Deck from start to finish.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck ReviewThe original Boltgun was a refreshing surprise for me when it was released last year. While I’m not as into first-person shooters as deeply as some, I can certainly enjoy a good boomer shooter. Give me fast, furious action with some interest levels to explore, a satisfying selection of weapons, and challenging enemy encounters and I’m there. Boltgun had all of that, all dressed up in a Warhammer theme that if nothing else helps the world feel like it extends outside of the borders of the game.  A thoroughly enjoying game to play through, and one that left me properly sated… or did it?While I thought I had had my fill of Boltgun, I was actually quite happy when Forges of Corruption was released. I guess I was still hungry. This expansion gives you five more levels of carnage to engage in, and they run on the larger side. You get two new guns to play with, one being an enhanced flamethrower and the other a rocket launcher. Sure, can’t argue with that. You also get some new enemies to try those toys out on, and you’ll need every edge you can get to deal with them.When compared to the original game’s levels, Forges of Corruption‘s stages favor more wide open spaces. This puts your mobility skills to the test, as you’ll have to keep on moving to avoid getting surrounded or cornered. If you haven’t mastered the dash already from playing the main campaign, you’ll need to get up to speed fast here. It’s an interesting change-up from the more compact design that the base game relied on so much. The enhanced flamethrower’s spread can really help you out here, and rockets always prefer open spaces.Difficulty-wise, these levels are mostly going to be a relative breeze for those who played through the first game. The last one is a real beast though, and you’re going to have to use everything you’ve learned to overcome it. Which is to say that while you can play this expansion without finishing the main game, you really should leave it for after. All-up, it takes a few hours to get through it all.Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.-Shaun MusgraveWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck review score: 4/5News and TrailersLet’s begin the massive (and fast-paced) news section of this week with a brand-new trailer for my most anticipated game of 2025: Monster Hunter Wilds. The trailer has the game looking better than before, and I’m getting more excited reading all the details from hands-on gameplay sessions people have at Gamescom.
Watch the third Monster Hunter Wilds trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp4gR1QEvVA[/embed]The next bit of news I’m excited for is Final Fantasy XVI, the best singleplayer Final Fantasy game since XII, is coming to Steam in a few weeks with pre-orders and a demo now live. It is sadly pretty rough on Steam Deck, but I hope things improve. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBqpFlA_4Is[/embed]Terry Bogard launches on September 24th in Street Fighter 6 as the second DLC for the Year 2 Pass. His gameplay trailer looks incredible. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPhkX2oMmQ[/embed]While not directly Steam-related, Capcom is also bringing Resident Evil 2 to GOG on August 27th. I couldn’t get Resident Evil 1’s GOG release to work on Deck, but I hope this one works. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EuuJCGWfC8[/embed]Capcom also released a demo for the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam and consoles. Check it out here. Read my preview of the full game here.Silent Hill 2 from Konami got a new story trailer, and this is the first trailer that’s been liked by a friend of mine who is a huge fan of the series. This will be my first Silent Hill game, so I’m excited to try it. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjR0I7dJQpk[/embed]Square Enix released a new “Final” trailer for Visions of Mana ahead of its launch next week. I can’t wait to talk about the full game soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubnfqC-vxk[/embed]A few days ago, Cygames released the big Version 1.50 update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on Steam and consoles bringing in big balance adjustments, the new DLC character Versusia, and in-game content included with Battle Pass Round 5. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2OoiGWYFUk[/embed]Persona 3 Reload’s expansion Episode Aigis is adding Joker as a boss fight. I didn’t expect that one, but I’m looking forward to playing the DLC very soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89HkGkSr7c[/embed]Atlus will host a new ATLUS Exclusive showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio on August 28th at 8 PM. It will be on YouTube. I’m looking forward to playing this hopefully soon for review. Atlus also revealed the English voice cast for the game. Check it out below:Protagonist – Caleb YenStrohl – Stewart ClarkeHulkenberg – Kristin AthertonGallica – Alejandra ReynosoHeismay – Phillipe SpallJunah – Emma BallantineEupha – Emily BurnettNeuras – David MonteithLouis – Joseph TweedaleMore – Greg ChunGrius – Gordon Cooper [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[/embed]A new trailer for Metaphor has also gone live, and it is the best one yet for the game ahead of its launch in October. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_-BPELOl0M[/embed]SEGA released a new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations that makes me wish the game was out sooner. We need anime music videos based on this for sure. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-64Uzx2ac[/embed]Tempest Rising from 3D Realms got a new PvP teaser trailer this week at Gamescom 2024. It looks superb. Check out the footage below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC4ywATBI[/embed]A game I’m excited to play later this year, Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio, got a new story trailer this week. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EENlMq23sE[/embed]A game most thought wouldn’t release this year, The Plucky Squire from Devolver Digital, launches on September 17th with a lovely new trailer you can watch below. I’m excited to try this out on Steam Deck and Switch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DpvZWrts_M[/embed]Devolver Digital is also launching Sumerian Six, the real time tactical stealth game via Steam, on September 2nd. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DeYqVHkkM[/embed]Raw Fury is releasing the horror survival game Post Trauma on October 29th. Check out its release date trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb9EwFKEi28[/embed]Blizzard
is celebrating Warcraft’s 30th anniversary in Overwatch 2 with a new skin for Widowmaker as Sylvanas next month. Check it out below:Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening from Bandai Namco launches on October 18th for Steam and consoles. Pre-orders are now live with a new gameplay trailer you can watch below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgaV3cZwVI[/embed]Eternal Strands, set to launch in 2025, got a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2024 from Yellow Brick Games. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtabO0hj8[/embed]Superhero-themed visual novel Sacrifice Villains from Shiravune is set to release on Steam this year. It will be priced at $19.99. Check out the Steam page here.Little Nightmares III also had a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. It releases on Steam and all consoles next year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ndYfBtYwI[/embed]Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion got a new trailer showcasing the Mercenary companions ahead of the expansion’s launch this October. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_RHvTVnBiI[/embed]Inti Creates is releasing a demo for Card-en-Ciel on September 4th for Steam. Alongside this news, a new gameplay trailer has been released. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwI3Al25LJo[/embed]A sequel to Wilmot’s Warehouse is set to release on Steam on October 23rd in the form of Wilmot Works It Out. I loved the original and cannot wait to play this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARyZ2peq3U[/embed]Risk of Rain 2’s Seekers of the Storm DLC launches on August 27th for PC and consoles. I’ll be checking this one out on Steam Deck. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh36MdjdzHw[/embed]Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launches on February 11th, 2025 and a new gameplay showcase this week makes me wonder if this will even run on Steam Deck with how good it looks. I’ll definitely try it. Watch the showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6bjlger8[/embed]Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves from SNK launches on April 24th, 2025 for Steam, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X. The launch price is a special edition with the first pass. Watch the new trailer showing off the amazing Mai Shiranui and the release date showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgsu-Cn5fs[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjjlpCoBOQ[/embed]Level Infinite streamed its recent “Into the Infinite” showcase featuring updates from its partners covering games like Soulframe, Warframe, and much more. Watch it below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAIFQ8TZCp8[/embed]Sharkmob’s Exoborne had a new trailer released during the showcase above as well. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehaixwsBHVg[/embed]Civilization VII from Firaxis and 2K launches for Steam and all consoles on February 11th, 2025 with pre-orders now live. Check out the gameplay trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U[/embed]2K also revealed two other games for 2025, and they’re big ones. Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country are in development for Steam and consoles for 2025 release. Watch the trailers below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDUx5suLm4[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8WImF649E[/embed]Arc System Works has revealed new details for Double Dragon Revive including the composers and story details. The composers include Raito and many more. Check out the website here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_BX_N_zZU[/embed]Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Steam and Xbox on December 9th with pre-orders now live on Steam. I’m looking forward to playing this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg[/embed]The newest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailers focus on Leafa and Sinon. Watch them below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqhzTC9-Is[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q1uonLUwA[/embed]Delta Force, the first person
multiplayer shooter, previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops launches later this year for PC via Early Access on Steam from Level Infinite. It is also set to come to iOS and Android and consoles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwtosVfqog[/embed]Amazon Prime is doing a series on video games titled Secret Level with a focus on specific games over 15 episodes. These include Armored Core, Spelunky, New World: Aeternum, and more. It is set to begin streaming this December. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLihxsmI_OU[/embed]Speaking of New World: Aeterum, a new video series based on the game can now be watched ahead of the game’s launch on October 15th: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVO6W9rxN68[/embed]Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games launches as a free to play game on December 6th for Steam and consoles with all heroes included for free. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAZrZGkIgY[/embed]Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC launches on September 30th for Steam and Xbox. A new update is also available now on all platforms. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1z1DbA_Io[/embed]Akatsuki Games released a new trailer for the extreme action game Tribe Nine ahead of its launch on Steam and mobile. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-ZANvmcL4[/embed]Free to play third person MOBA Predecessor is now available on Steam and consoles from Omeda Studios. Watch the trailer for it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnN2DYyAAg[/embed]Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO gets another trailer showing off more of the game in its “50 days from now” trailer. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4[/embed]Path of Exile 2 launches on Steam and consoles via Early Access on November 15th. Watch the new trailer from Grinding Gear Games below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaSU9UCe0w[/embed]Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone open world game that’s free for owners of Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition. It is set to release in the future. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50gFkG91jc[/embed]Idea Factory International announced that Date A Live: Ren Dystopia releases on September 5th for Steam. I’ll be reviewing this one. Check it out on Steam here.Torn Banner Studios (Chivalry 2) announced that the UE5-powered shooter No More Room in Hell 2 will launch in Steam early access this Halloween. Watch the trailer below from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3nRkfkp1w[/embed]Warner Bros Games also showcased a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer focussing on Cyrax who is a part of the new DLC. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwmIbv-LtA[/embed]Tokyo Xtreme Racer from Genki is a new entry in the long-running series coming to Steam in 2025. I’m glad to see this because a friend of mine is a huge fan. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhzyVcUCCM[/embed]Square Enix released a new trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure showcasing Max’s powers. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPGjvD5jRo[/embed]New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the weekThis week, Yakuza 4 and Devil Blade Reboot are the highlights for new Verified games, and EA’s anti-cheat issues continue to make more games unplayable on Steam Deck. Check out every notable game tested by Valve since the last article below:#BLUD – VerifiedAtlas Fallen – UnsupportedBattlefield 1 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)DEVIL BLADE REBOOT – VerifiedEA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Eastward – PlayableFlatout 3 – Playablehololive treasure mountain – VerifiedIsles of Sea and Sky – VerifiedLISA: The First – UnsupportedMetropolis: Lux Obscura – PlayableMika and The Witch’s Mountain – VerifiedPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Pocket Bravery – Playableshapez 2 – PlayableSkull and Bones – PlayableSNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS – PlayableSPY×ANYA: Operation
Memories – PlayableSquirrel with a Gun – VerifiedSword of Convallaria – UnsupportedTeeny Tiny Trains – PlayableThe Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker – PlayableTHE LAST BLADE – PlayableTomba! Special Edition – PlayableWild Bastards – VerifiedYakuza 4 Remastered – VerifiedSteam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and SpecialsThe highlights of the week when it comes to sales and discounts are the Steam Rhythm Fest until August 26th with discounts on games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Trombone Champ, and DJ MAX RESPECT V, and also the new Capcom Resident Evil Humble Bundle.Next week, following the Rhythm Fest, the Isometric Games Sale begins with many discounts from publishers and developers including Owlcat Games. Check out a trailer for the event below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2N5XqsNRgE[/embed]That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.“Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right … Continue reading “Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck…”Source Link: https://toucharcade.com/2024/08/23/mameda-bakeru-steam-deck-pc-review-ff16-release-date-gamescom-2024-news/ http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/6285223545_2953179078_o.jpg Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions … Read More
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Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More - Journal Today Web - #GLOBAL https://www.merchant-business.com/steam-deck-weekly-gamescom-2024-steam-deck-news-reviews-including-bakeru-and-schim-new-verified-games-discounts-and-more/?feed_id=177111&_unique_id=66ca8f051c191 Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right now with news from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, game announcements, show floor information, and more. If you missed my Black Myth: Wukong Steam Deck review, read it here. Today’s article has Steam Deck impressions for Bakeru and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, reviews of a few notable indies, Shaun’s take on the Warhammer 40K: Boltgun DLC, bundles, new Steam Deck Verified games, and more. Let’s get into the reviews and impressions first.Steam Deck Game Reviews & ImpressionsBakeru Steam Deck ReviewWhen Bakeru was released in Japan, a friend of mine imported it and praised it quite a bit. I tried the demo and was turned off by the technical issues. It was charming, but not enough to put up with no localization and performance issues on Switch. When it leaked on the eShop, I was hoping we’d see performance improvements or a port to PC. We ended up getting both more or less. Bakeru’s Switch release in the West is improved over the Japanese launch version, and it is also now on PC with an excellent port.Bakeru is an action platformer from Good-Feel who are most known for the Yoshi games and also more-recently Princess Peach Showtime from Nintendo. The studio has done some games outside Nintendo brands, and the newest in this line of non Nintendo games from Good-Feel is Bakeru. Shaun will be doing a full review for this one, but so far Bakeru feels and plays great on Steam Deck.On Steam Deck and PC, Bakeru lets you adjust display mode (windowed and borderless only), resolution (with full 16:10 support), toggle v-sync, adjust frame rate cap (Note that v-sync off means the game runs at 60fps. Turn it on if you would like to play at your monitor’s refresh rate or at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, SMAA), adjust filtering quality (trilinear, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x), and draw distance (low, medium, high).I played Bakeru on both my Steam Decks. My LCD is running the newest SteamOS beta. On that, I had zero issues with the game and it ran at a locked 60fps at maximum settings. On Steam Deck OLED running the public build of the OS, I only had some issues at 90fps. This seemingly wasn’t related to the settings, but something in the game because I had some shader-related or traversal stuttering in parts, but they only happened initially. I imagine Bakeru will be Steam Deck Verified soon as it runs perfectly if you play at 60fps and near-perfectly at 90fps.The one issue I ran into pre-release that Spike Chunsoft and the developers already fixed is button prompts being incorrectly displayed. This had the game showing Switch positions instead of Xbox ones when using my 8BitDo Xbox controller or the Steam Deck itself. I’m glad this was resolved pre-release as the game has no port issues, and it is dramatically better than the Switch version. When using a DualSense, it correctly showed PlayStation prompts with the proper labels and positions as well.Bakeru is a good platformer that I recommend playing on PC over Switch right now. The Switch version, despite performance improvements over the Japanese demo, still has too much variance in its performance to be an easy recommendation. The HD Rumble there is nice, but everything else holds it back. On PC, you miss out on the HD Rumble, but Bakeru runs a lot better across the board, and I’ve been enjoying digging into it over the last week. Stay tuned for Shaun’s full review of the Switch version in the near future.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Steam Deck ReviewThere have been many game franchises that I completely missed out on over the years.
The Sam & Max series of games is one of those. When I was offered a code to play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I figured now was the time to finally play these games with the new remasters. If you’re just here for the game itself, I urge you to read Shaun’s Switch review here. I’m going to focus on how it plays on Steam Deck.Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the final game in the episodic Sam & Max main trilogy. This new remaster is amazing in basically every way. This includes how it controls, looks, sounds, and feels. It even has many accessibility options to make things go smoothly if you’re new to this kind of adventure game. You can toggle different hint levels and disable flashing in the accessibility settings.On the graphics and display side, you can play Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse at higher resolutions when docked on Steam Deck, but performance doesn’t hold close to 60fps if you play at 4K. I recommend sticking to it in handheld mode for a 60 or higher experience. You can adjust the graphics quality, texture quality, anti-aliasing, toggle v-sync, and adjust display mode and resolution in the graphics settings.With Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, I’m glad I finally got around to playing these games. Not only are they all absolutely worth your time and money, but they play superbly on Steam Deck. I’d love for the remasters to hit iPad, but until then the Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Skunkape Games’ remasters.SCHiM Steam Deck ReviewGiven the sheer amount of releases lately, I didn’t get around to playing SCHiM much at launch. I’m glad I finally rectified that because it is equal parts charming and gorgeous, and it has been the perfect game to relax with as a break from the longer upcoming games I’m playing for review right now. Developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have released a brilliant take on a 3D platformer using light, shadow, and more for puzzles, and it is all elevated by excellent audio.Aside from the striking aesthetic, what really carries SCHiM through its four or so hours long runtime is the animation work and sound design. As you work towards solving the various puzzles in the game, every interaction has a lovely little animation, and it all feels beyond polished when played at a rock solid 90fps on Steam Deck OLED. The blend of the shadows and lights for puzzles also are enhanced by the screen in handheld mode.So SCHiM runs perfectly out of the box on Steam Deck at 90fps, but how about docked? When played at 720p docked, it nearly does a locked 144fps. Playing at 1080p results in well over 100fps at all times. SCHiM supports 16:10 as well which is great to see on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with it aside from the fact that it might seem short for its price to some, and that there really is no evolution of the mechanics over the course of the game. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does hold SCHiM down from perfection.SCHiM is a lovely abstract take on games like Frogger for the modern era. Come into this expecting a work of art with excellent audio design more than a complex puzzle game. I enjoyed just about every level despite the mechanics not really evolving. I enjoyed it enough on Steam Deck to order a physical copy of the Switch version from Japan already. This is definitely worth your time if you enjoy delightful, gorgeous, and relaxing puzzle games.SCHiM Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck ReviewGestalt: Steam and Cinder is another game I wish I got around to playing sooner like SCHiM above. It has been on the review backlog for a bit now, but having played it, this action platformer is fantastic. Not only does it nail the aesthetic with its blend of 16 and 32-bit visuals, but the sound design, story, and gameplay are sublime.What initially drew me to Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, is the steampunk visual style in pixel art. I adore the character designs, but wasn’t sure another action platformer would be able to hit hard enough for me in recent years.
Having played it, the story is very good, but without getting into spoilers, I feel like there’s more to this tale. Hopefully we see some story DLC in the future.On the gameplay side, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder felt a bit easier than I expected outside of two bosses I had trouble with. Nothing major though, and the responsive controls help across the board.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder ships Steam Deck Verified, and it is perfect on Valve’s handheld. The only thing I’d like to see, if feasible, is support for 90fps. Right now, the game is capped at 60fps and 16:9. I tested this on both my Steam Decks docked and in handheld mode.Given how crowded the genre is, I know most people roll their eyes when they see another action platformer, but Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one you cannot afford to miss. It is one of the best in the genre with its excellent gameplay, narrative, music, and slick visuals. Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is also perfect on Steam Deck from start to finish.Gestalt: Steam and Cinder Steam Deck review score: 4.5/5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck ReviewThe original Boltgun was a refreshing surprise for me when it was released last year. While I’m not as into first-person shooters as deeply as some, I can certainly enjoy a good boomer shooter. Give me fast, furious action with some interest levels to explore, a satisfying selection of weapons, and challenging enemy encounters and I’m there. Boltgun had all of that, all dressed up in a Warhammer theme that if nothing else helps the world feel like it extends outside of the borders of the game.  A thoroughly enjoying game to play through, and one that left me properly sated… or did it?While I thought I had had my fill of Boltgun, I was actually quite happy when Forges of Corruption was released. I guess I was still hungry. This expansion gives you five more levels of carnage to engage in, and they run on the larger side. You get two new guns to play with, one being an enhanced flamethrower and the other a rocket launcher. Sure, can’t argue with that. You also get some new enemies to try those toys out on, and you’ll need every edge you can get to deal with them.When compared to the original game’s levels, Forges of Corruption‘s stages favor more wide open spaces. This puts your mobility skills to the test, as you’ll have to keep on moving to avoid getting surrounded or cornered. If you haven’t mastered the dash already from playing the main campaign, you’ll need to get up to speed fast here. It’s an interesting change-up from the more compact design that the base game relied on so much. The enhanced flamethrower’s spread can really help you out here, and rockets always prefer open spaces.Difficulty-wise, these levels are mostly going to be a relative breeze for those who played through the first game. The last one is a real beast though, and you’re going to have to use everything you’ve learned to overcome it. Which is to say that while you can play this expansion without finishing the main game, you really should leave it for after. All-up, it takes a few hours to get through it all.Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.-Shaun MusgraveWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption Expansion Steam Deck review score: 4/5News and TrailersLet’s begin the massive (and fast-paced) news section of this week with a brand-new trailer for my most anticipated game of 2025: Monster Hunter Wilds. The trailer has the game looking better than before, and I’m getting more excited reading all the details from hands-on gameplay sessions people have at Gamescom.
Watch the third Monster Hunter Wilds trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp4gR1QEvVA[/embed]The next bit of news I’m excited for is Final Fantasy XVI, the best singleplayer Final Fantasy game since XII, is coming to Steam in a few weeks with pre-orders and a demo now live. It is sadly pretty rough on Steam Deck, but I hope things improve. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBqpFlA_4Is[/embed]Terry Bogard launches on September 24th in Street Fighter 6 as the second DLC for the Year 2 Pass. His gameplay trailer looks incredible. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPhkX2oMmQ[/embed]While not directly Steam-related, Capcom is also bringing Resident Evil 2 to GOG on August 27th. I couldn’t get Resident Evil 1’s GOG release to work on Deck, but I hope this one works. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EuuJCGWfC8[/embed]Capcom also released a demo for the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam and consoles. Check it out here. Read my preview of the full game here.Silent Hill 2 from Konami got a new story trailer, and this is the first trailer that’s been liked by a friend of mine who is a huge fan of the series. This will be my first Silent Hill game, so I’m excited to try it. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjR0I7dJQpk[/embed]Square Enix released a new “Final” trailer for Visions of Mana ahead of its launch next week. I can’t wait to talk about the full game soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubnfqC-vxk[/embed]A few days ago, Cygames released the big Version 1.50 update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on Steam and consoles bringing in big balance adjustments, the new DLC character Versusia, and in-game content included with Battle Pass Round 5. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2OoiGWYFUk[/embed]Persona 3 Reload’s expansion Episode Aigis is adding Joker as a boss fight. I didn’t expect that one, but I’m looking forward to playing the DLC very soon. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89HkGkSr7c[/embed]Atlus will host a new ATLUS Exclusive showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio on August 28th at 8 PM. It will be on YouTube. I’m looking forward to playing this hopefully soon for review. Atlus also revealed the English voice cast for the game. Check it out below:Protagonist – Caleb YenStrohl – Stewart ClarkeHulkenberg – Kristin AthertonGallica – Alejandra ReynosoHeismay – Phillipe SpallJunah – Emma BallantineEupha – Emily BurnettNeuras – David MonteithLouis – Joseph TweedaleMore – Greg ChunGrius – Gordon Cooper [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[/embed]A new trailer for Metaphor has also gone live, and it is the best one yet for the game ahead of its launch in October. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_-BPELOl0M[/embed]SEGA released a new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations that makes me wish the game was out sooner. We need anime music videos based on this for sure. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-64Uzx2ac[/embed]Tempest Rising from 3D Realms got a new PvP teaser trailer this week at Gamescom 2024. It looks superb. Check out the footage below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC4ywATBI[/embed]A game I’m excited to play later this year, Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio, got a new story trailer this week. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EENlMq23sE[/embed]A game most thought wouldn’t release this year, The Plucky Squire from Devolver Digital, launches on September 17th with a lovely new trailer you can watch below. I’m excited to try this out on Steam Deck and Switch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DpvZWrts_M[/embed]Devolver Digital is also launching Sumerian Six, the real time tactical stealth game via Steam, on September 2nd. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DeYqVHkkM[/embed]Raw Fury is releasing the horror survival game Post Trauma on October 29th. Check out its release date trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb9EwFKEi28[/embed]Blizzard
is celebrating Warcraft’s 30th anniversary in Overwatch 2 with a new skin for Widowmaker as Sylvanas next month. Check it out below:Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening from Bandai Namco launches on October 18th for Steam and consoles. Pre-orders are now live with a new gameplay trailer you can watch below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgaV3cZwVI[/embed]Eternal Strands, set to launch in 2025, got a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2024 from Yellow Brick Games. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtabO0hj8[/embed]Superhero-themed visual novel Sacrifice Villains from Shiravune is set to release on Steam this year. It will be priced at $19.99. Check out the Steam page here.Little Nightmares III also had a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. It releases on Steam and all consoles next year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ndYfBtYwI[/embed]Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion got a new trailer showcasing the Mercenary companions ahead of the expansion’s launch this October. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_RHvTVnBiI[/embed]Inti Creates is releasing a demo for Card-en-Ciel on September 4th for Steam. Alongside this news, a new gameplay trailer has been released. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwI3Al25LJo[/embed]A sequel to Wilmot’s Warehouse is set to release on Steam on October 23rd in the form of Wilmot Works It Out. I loved the original and cannot wait to play this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARyZ2peq3U[/embed]Risk of Rain 2’s Seekers of the Storm DLC launches on August 27th for PC and consoles. I’ll be checking this one out on Steam Deck. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh36MdjdzHw[/embed]Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launches on February 11th, 2025 and a new gameplay showcase this week makes me wonder if this will even run on Steam Deck with how good it looks. I’ll definitely try it. Watch the showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VP6bjlger8[/embed]Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves from SNK launches on April 24th, 2025 for Steam, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X. The launch price is a special edition with the first pass. Watch the new trailer showing off the amazing Mai Shiranui and the release date showcase below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgsu-Cn5fs[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjjlpCoBOQ[/embed]Level Infinite streamed its recent “Into the Infinite” showcase featuring updates from its partners covering games like Soulframe, Warframe, and much more. Watch it below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAIFQ8TZCp8[/embed]Sharkmob’s Exoborne had a new trailer released during the showcase above as well. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehaixwsBHVg[/embed]Civilization VII from Firaxis and 2K launches for Steam and all consoles on February 11th, 2025 with pre-orders now live. Check out the gameplay trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK_JrrP9m2U[/embed]2K also revealed two other games for 2025, and they’re big ones. Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country are in development for Steam and consoles for 2025 release. Watch the trailers below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDUx5suLm4[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8WImF649E[/embed]Arc System Works has revealed new details for Double Dragon Revive including the composers and story details. The composers include Raito and many more. Check out the website here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_BX_N_zZU[/embed]Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Steam and Xbox on December 9th with pre-orders now live on Steam. I’m looking forward to playing this. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrKl828Aeg[/embed]The newest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream trailers focus on Leafa and Sinon. Watch them below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqhzTC9-Is[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q1uonLUwA[/embed]Delta Force, the first person
multiplayer shooter, previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops launches later this year for PC via Early Access on Steam from Level Infinite. It is also set to come to iOS and Android and consoles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwtosVfqog[/embed]Amazon Prime is doing a series on video games titled Secret Level with a focus on specific games over 15 episodes. These include Armored Core, Spelunky, New World: Aeternum, and more. It is set to begin streaming this December. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLihxsmI_OU[/embed]Speaking of New World: Aeterum, a new video series based on the game can now be watched ahead of the game’s launch on October 15th: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVO6W9rxN68[/embed]Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games launches as a free to play game on December 6th for Steam and consoles with all heroes included for free. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAZrZGkIgY[/embed]Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC launches on September 30th for Steam and Xbox. A new update is also available now on all platforms. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1z1DbA_Io[/embed]Akatsuki Games released a new trailer for the extreme action game Tribe Nine ahead of its launch on Steam and mobile. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-ZANvmcL4[/embed]Free to play third person MOBA Predecessor is now available on Steam and consoles from Omeda Studios. Watch the trailer for it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnN2DYyAAg[/embed]Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO gets another trailer showing off more of the game in its “50 days from now” trailer. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcsMP0yHJ4[/embed]Path of Exile 2 launches on Steam and consoles via Early Access on November 15th. Watch the new trailer from Grinding Gear Games below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaSU9UCe0w[/embed]Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone open world game that’s free for owners of Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition. It is set to release in the future. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50gFkG91jc[/embed]Idea Factory International announced that Date A Live: Ren Dystopia releases on September 5th for Steam. I’ll be reviewing this one. Check it out on Steam here.Torn Banner Studios (Chivalry 2) announced that the UE5-powered shooter No More Room in Hell 2 will launch in Steam early access this Halloween. Watch the trailer below from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3nRkfkp1w[/embed]Warner Bros Games also showcased a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer focussing on Cyrax who is a part of the new DLC. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZwmIbv-LtA[/embed]Tokyo Xtreme Racer from Genki is a new entry in the long-running series coming to Steam in 2025. I’m glad to see this because a friend of mine is a huge fan. Watch the trailer below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhzyVcUCCM[/embed]Square Enix released a new trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure showcasing Max’s powers. Watch it below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPGjvD5jRo[/embed]New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the weekThis week, Yakuza 4 and Devil Blade Reboot are the highlights for new Verified games, and EA’s anti-cheat issues continue to make more games unplayable on Steam Deck. Check out every notable game tested by Valve since the last article below:#BLUD – VerifiedAtlas Fallen – UnsupportedBattlefield 1 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)DEVIL BLADE REBOOT – VerifiedEA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Eastward – PlayableFlatout 3 – Playablehololive treasure mountain – VerifiedIsles of Sea and Sky – VerifiedLISA: The First – UnsupportedMetropolis: Lux Obscura – PlayableMika and The Witch’s Mountain – VerifiedPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – Unsupported (new anti-cheat issues)Pocket Bravery – Playableshapez 2 – PlayableSkull and Bones – PlayableSNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS – PlayableSPY×ANYA: Operation
Memories – PlayableSquirrel with a Gun – VerifiedSword of Convallaria – UnsupportedTeeny Tiny Trains – PlayableThe Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker – PlayableTHE LAST BLADE – PlayableTomba! Special Edition – PlayableWild Bastards – VerifiedYakuza 4 Remastered – VerifiedSteam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and SpecialsThe highlights of the week when it comes to sales and discounts are the Steam Rhythm Fest until August 26th with discounts on games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Trombone Champ, and DJ MAX RESPECT V, and also the new Capcom Resident Evil Humble Bundle.Next week, following the Rhythm Fest, the Isometric Games Sale begins with many discounts from publishers and developers including Owlcat Games. Check out a trailer for the event below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2N5XqsNRgE[/embed]That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.“Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. I delayed publishing this because Gamescom 2024 is on right … Continue reading “Steam Deck Weekly: Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck…”Source Link: https://toucharcade.com/2024/08/23/mameda-bakeru-steam-deck-pc-review-ff16-release-date-gamescom-2024-news/ http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/6285223545_2953179078_o.jpg BLOGGER - #GLOBAL
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“ Madison, who works a customer service job at an airport spa, has an employee handbook that says “makeup should be well maintained” and “hands and nails must be well manicured.” She says the few men she works with just ignore these guidelines “because they’re meant for women but [it] doesn’t explicitly say that.” Her wages ($13.25 per hour + 15% retail commission) do not include additional pay to purchase manicures or makeup. During her interview, her now-boss commented on how nice her makeup looked and how well her shoes matched her purse—comments that make her feel like she needs to keep up that kind of appearance even though she already has the job. 
It’s well known that a persistent wage gap exists for women workers in the United States, a gap that becomes even wider when race, industry, age and geography are taken into account. But less frequently discussed is the often silent expectation around appearance imposed on women workers, which has its own financial costs—known as the “grooming gap.” The grooming gap refers to the set of social norms regarding grooming and appearance for women, including the time women workers must spend to conform to these norms and the material consequences it has on their lives. 
We’ve all heard the common advice to “look the part” at work. For men, that can often just mean business casual clothing and a short haircut. For women, it can mean hours spent each week on makeup, hair styling and curating an outfit that’s both attractive and professional. 
The rules are usually unspoken; even when employers do not explicitly require workers to wear makeup, for example, women workers often feel required to wear it anyway. 
They’re not wrong: Sociologists Jaclyn Wong and Andrew Penner found that physically attractive workers have higher incomes than average-looking workers, but that this relationship is eliminated when controlling for grooming in women. In other words, if you purchase the right clothes, makeup and haircut, higher wages are more within reach. It’s true that men need to abide by certain grooming rules, too, but they are less complex, less expensive and less time consuming. Men’s haircuts, for example, often cost much less than women’s haircuts—regardless of hair length. The grooming gap essentially constitutes a pay cut catch-22: If women don’t conform, they are paid less; if they do conform, they’re expected to use those higher wages on beauty products and grooming regimens. 
Grooming costs for women can be extremely expensive; the global beauty industry, valued at $532 billion worldwide, directs aggressive advertising toward women to convince them they need to purchase a whole host of products to have a chance at being beautiful, well-liked or successful. The industry relies on maintaining impossible expectations around women’s looks so it can continue to rake in enormous profits. One 2017 study found the average woman puts $8 worth of product on her face each day; another found the average woman spends up to $225,000 on skincare and makeup during her lifetime. And then there’s the “pink tax”: Studies confirm that, 42% of the time, products marketed to women are more expensive than comparable products targeted to men. 
The grooming gap also results in a loss of free time: 55 minutes each day for the average woman, the equivalent of two full weeks each year. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFACWA), says that, in her industry—a workforce that is 79.3% women—the expectation around appearance literally “interrupts your sleep”: Flight attendants get minimal rest between flights, and that rest time is further shrunk because they are expected to appear “perfectly coifed” before their next flight. Nelson says that all of her grooming tasks took 30–40 minutes each day (more than two hours in a five-day work week). Madison agrees: it takes her 45 minutes to do her makeup and style her hair before her 7 a.m. shift—and she wakes up at 5 a.m. to get it all done. Prior to this job, Madison says she worked at the beauty department at Target, where she spent $200 on products every other week. 
Restaurant and hospitality workers are perhaps hardest hit by the grooming gap, as they rely on tips to survive. When I was a barista in 2010–2011, the only official dress code rule was to wear closed-toed shoes, for safety. Still, I knew I had to show up looking pretty to pay the rent; I made less than $10 an hour and I needed the tips.
Katie, 36, a veteran bartender and server in Fort Smith, Ark., says at her current job, it’s “understood” she should wear makeup. At a previous restaurant, a manager even told her and her coworkers they would “make better tips if [they] wore makeup.”
“Based on my own appearance—weight fluctuations, makeup versus no makeup, jewelry versus no jewelry—there’s a definite difference,” Katie says. She adds that she was passed over for the most lucrative bartending shifts at her previous job after overhearing her managers say they wanted “cuter girls” to bartend instead.
Multi-billion dollar industries also market fad diets and anti-aging products to women. Both Katie and Jeeva, 24, a bartender and member of UNITE HERE, the union representing hospitality, hotel and airport workers, worry about aging. “As you get older, as a female bartender, your tips can go down,” Jeeva says. Katie says she “hope[s] to leave [the service industry] in the next 10 years, before I get too ugly.”
The grooming gap’s effects are compounded for women of color. According to Restaurant Opportunity Center, restaurant owners look for workers who are “clean-cut, [have] good hygiene or a professional appearance, all potential code words for race.” For instance, Black women spent $473 million on relaxers, weaves and other hair care in 2017, in part because of racist ideas that natural Black hair is not professional or attractive. Black workers annually spend nine times more on hair and beauty products than other workers. 
For transgender women, too, there can be an added layer of work, stress and self-consciousness. Autumn, who transitioned while at her current publishing job in Washington, D.C., says she quickly realized how much time and energy it takes to perform femininity for work. She used to spend 20 minutes to get ready in the morning, but now takes at least 45 minutes. Autumn adds, “I have to do things that cis women don’t have to… [but] it’s gotten easier with time and practice,” like tucking and dealing with facial hair. Because she presents extremely femme, Autumn says she hasn’t dealt with enforcement around her appearance, but other women workers around the country have been disciplined and even fired for appearing insufficiently feminine. Women workers have sued—and won—over gender discrimination that manifests as attractiveness discrimination.
Nat, a trans woman who works at a union in the Washington, D.C., area, says, “I didn’t feel like I was allowed to be a woman if I liked masculine things. It delayed any kind of self-reflection” about gender and identity “for such a long time.”
At work and in the world, all women—cis and trans—feel the pressure to conform to normative standards of femininity and attractiveness. But the solution to this problem isn’t to throw away all the eyeshadow or take out a new line of credit for weekly manicures. The solution is to organize together.”
Continued in the link to the article, but uh
TL;DR: There’s a significant wage gap between women who conform to traditional feminine beauty standards by, for example wearing makeup and heels and using a lot of hair and beauty products, and the women who don’t. Meaning women are financially punished for not conforming to femininity or beauty standards. The gap is worse for women of color and trans women because there’s higher beauty standards for women of color and trans women.
And when women do get those higher wages by playing the game and conforming to beauty standards and femininity, they have to spend 2x-3x+ more on grooming and their appearance than their male colleagues, so those high wages just disappear and go right back into keeping up their looks, making it difficult if not impossible to keep up financially with men, this isn’t even mentioning how much more time women lose each day to having to keep up their “professional” appearance compared to male colleagues.
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deeeelightfuldee · 3 years
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Are you better at cooking dinners or making cakes/biscuits/sweets? baking definitely. I want to get more comfortable cooking.
Have you ever cut someone else’s hair? yes. I used to be pretty good at doing my brothers hair-- even the fading. But I’m sure I’ve forgotten it all by now.
Who was the last guest in your house and what were they staying for? probably my sister or my nephews.
How many long term relationships have you been in? blegh. not many. Whenever I’d know that it didnt have long term potential, id drop it. no sense dragging out the inevitable.
Do you sleep with all the lights out, or do you leave a lamp or even the television on? so for the longest time I kept my room super dark. I slept well. once miller died and kile broke my heart, I couldn’t sleep without the tv playing. I needed to hear something calming and voices talking so I wouldn’t be left with my thoughts. I still can’t turn it off.
Who is one person you have forgiven, but still have not “forgotten” what they have done? i think its easy to say “forgive and forget” but the reality is that once we have endured trauma we don’t easily forget. I think its kind of unrealistic. I’m trying to forgive kile but thats going to take.. i dont know how long. As for what it was... it was just betrayal.. lying. for six+ years. lots of laughing at me. 
Are you a fan of Lana Del Rey? I like some of her songs.
Do you know your blood type? o+
Do you know your mother’s birthday? Yes. its coming up. 
Have you ever been pregnant? I dont think so. I was really late after my assault but who knows.
How old were you when you first went on a plane? like 7ish
Have you ever had to take out a loan for anything? Yeah, student loans. 15k feels so daunting right now.
Are both of your blood parents still in your life? One is. My mom.
When was the last time you went apple picking? highschool maybe?
Someone asked you what you wanted, what would you say? money.. or a trip.
Have you ever been drunk at school or work? definitely not. 
How many bedrooms are in your house? four. 
Are you smart about computers? I know some stuff.
Have you ever played Just Dance for Wii? oh heck’n yeah
Do you own a Xbox 360? I had one from my brother for a little while but I traded it for the gamecube since Kile was going to send me one of the 15 he had lol. That didn’t end up happening, but its OK i really dont need more gaming.
Would you ever do a sex tape for a million dollars? oooooooo.. probably not.
So, do you need a nap? all day is full of naps to try and get over this.
What would you rather be doing? school
What sport are you the best at? maybe volleyball or swimming
Do you have a little sister? What’s her name? Nope, im the baby. 
Do you complain a lot? no, i try not to. I find complaining to be the most unattractive and yet common human trait and while there are definitely situations worthy of complaining, most of the time it just makes a situation worse than it actually was.
Would you rather go to an authentic haunted house or an ancient temple? temple
Do you like fruity or minty gum? definitely minty
Are you looking forward to any day of this month? i was really looking forward to Kile’s birthday on monday, but since we arent talking anymore then there is no joy in that. all the other special dates have been ruined by covid.
Have you ever gotten detention? Nope. homeschoolers and detention arent a thing. 
Is there a traumatic event that you’ve experienced that’s changed your life? oh sure. heartbreak, deaths, assaults, etc.
Do you buy a majority of your clothes from a certain store, or do you just pick out items of clothing you could see yourself wearing, not caring about the store it came from? no, i can’t be super picky because not every store carries clothing long enough for me.
Have any of the artists you’re fond of released new albums recently? i havent got a clue
Would you ever keep your favorite animal as a pet? I mean I’m very fond of cats & dogs
Ever cried so much you threw up? this is what happened the whole 2-3 weeks following finding out about Kile.
Who is your best guy friend? I suppose now that would be Nathan
What do you two do when you hang out? drives, game nights, get food/drinks, or just talk.
What is a movie that you thought you would hate but you ended up loving? Her
Do you even like horror movies? not particularly. I’ll watch them if someone else wants to but its not my preference.
Do you live in the country? i live in the suburbs i suppose.
What is your favorite accent? Some southern and British accents. <same ... i have no idea how I made the font like this.
Have you ever had a boyfriend your parents didn’t like? Not that I can think of.
Do you drink Pepsi or Coke? diet coke
What do you plan to do on your 21st birthday? my family celebrated during the day and then I think nathan took me out on the town
Do you have any person in your family with an addiction to beer? nope.
Do you take a lot of pictures? man. this question is hard. I used to love taking pictures of myself. I had much more self confidence and some of it was because kile LOVED my selfies -- or so he said. and I just had so much fun doing that. Since the heartbreak, I’ve maybe taken 10 selfies. I just don’t have any self confidence in my looks anymore. its so different now. most of my pictures now are of other people or scenery.
What kind of face wash do you use? cerave when I want to. otherwise i use water and a very particular type of fabric. 
Does drama always seem to follow you? No, i dont think so.
Does anybody in your family race? like cars? running? no.
Are you closer to your mom or dad? My mom.
How much money did you used to get from the ”tooth fairy?” I think i got it like 2x and it was a dollar.
Do you have a laptop or desktop? Laptop.
Do you like your parents? i love my mom.
Do you secretly like someone? No.
Would you ever date your best male friend? I don’t see any romantic feelings developing between nathan and I
What are you currently listening to? I have gilmore girls on.
Do you want to be single? oooof. Um. I am torn on this subject. On the one hand, i really am ready to be loved, held, protected, cared for, etc. I love the idea of building a life together with someone and us both protecting our unit. I miss supporting, cherishing, loving on someone. Yet on the other hand, im fine being single. I have so much insecurity about myself lately that I dk that anyone else needs to deal with that baggage. Idk
Did you go out or stay in last night? I stayed in. ill be staying in for some time.
Have you pretended to like someone? romantically, no. professionally, yes.
How is your heart lately? Sad. heavy. 
Are you wearing socks? not at the moment. 
What do people call you? Di, diana, dee, ana, di-nan-na, dine-uh, deenah.
Do you get stressed out easily? no, I really dont
Have you ever been taken to the emergency room in an ambulance? yes
What is wrong with you right now? im sick. im heartbroken.
Do you own something from Hot Topic? not that I know of. if I do, it’d be from like middle school. I never shopped there but people tended to give gifts from there.
Would you rather sleep with someone else or alone? Alone. maybe I havent found the right sort of person to share a bed with.
Do you still talk to the person you last made out with? No.
Have you ever seen your best friend cry? Yes, several times. 
Did you get any compliments today? No.
Have you ever gone to a beach? many many many times.
What would you say if someone asked you to get high right now? not my thing. at all.
Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? Yes.
Have you ever done volunteer work just because you wanted to? Yes.
Do you have long nails? they are healthy length. I want to grow them out a bit more. 
Do you like the gender you are? Yeah.
Do you generally look nice in photos? Not anymore
Have you ever had a stick insect as a pet? no haha
What colour are your father’s eyes? Blue.
If I handed you a concert ticket right now, who would you want to be the performer? uhhhhm, blue october
Would you ever get into a long distance relationship? maybe not anymore. 
What’s your favorite hot beverage? hot chocolate from dunkin
Did you ever play an instrument? If so what? i did. no comment.
Would you rather carve pumpkins or wrap presents? oooooohhhhhhhhh man i love both.
Do you think you’re important? I mean i offer some importance to this world but eh.
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? Hmm no idea.
Have you been diagnosed with any mental disorders? no
Have you ever moved to another state or country? If so, how did it feel to be new? No.
Do you know how to properly eat food with chopsticks? Nope.
What was the first thing you ate today? I haven’t eaten since breakfast yesterday
If you could spend the day, doing absolutely anything, with anyone, anywhere, what would it be like? for the longest time it was to spend the day driving aimlessly and getting food and talking about everything and nothing with Kile. now, its just.. idunno. blank.
If I were to ask you how you are doing, and you were only able to answer completely honestly, what would come out? I’m not doing well.
What is the one thing that you have been avoiding that you should do? There’s a few things related to school.
Is there anything that you wish you could take back? not really, no.
What, in your mind, could make you truly happy? this whole covid nonsense going away, heartbreak to soothe, and my miller back.
If you could change one conversation in your life, what would you say differently? Would it have REALLY made any difference? i dont know. 
When is the next time you’ll change your hairstyle? Will you color it? I just changed it up so itll be a bit.
Do people normally say you’re a fast typist, or are you rather slow? Fast.
Have you ever been considered the ‘smartest person in school?’ yes. several times.
How many drugs are in your system? lol lots of meds rn to kick this. usually none.
What’s on your schedule for tomorrow? the same as today.
Do you currently have any bite marks/hickeys on your body? No. i dont like the idea of bite marks but hickeys were fun for a time. in not visible areas tho.
Do you call anyone baby? Not anymore.
What’s your current mood? Bleh.
What were you doing before filling out this survey? Watching gilmore girls
How late did you stay up last night? I took PM meds at i wanna say 8? maybe 7? I don’t remember.
When was the last time you cried really hard? its been a few weeks since ive cried about Kile. I’m in the numb stage.
Is your hair longer than your shoulders? hahahahahahah
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Random Saturday things
I don’t smoke pot because I don’t like the burning in my throat. I’ve not really been a huge pot person in general, but I bought these gummies that are a blend of the two kinds and it’s awesome. I don’t feel super high, I just feel relaxed. 
I got eight hours of sleep last night despite Minnie SCREAMING at me to wake up and play at some point, and a prolonged dream where I had bought a tiny little house with a porch and bright white walls inside with little bursts of color; I kept trying to pack for a trip and I could not figure out what tine to get to the airport, the flight left at 3pm and I kept showing up hours and hours earlier and getting frustrated because I was so confused. I kept going to the terminal and then coming back home because I was there so early. At one point, I was in line with LO - a woman on my team I need to give a tough performance score at her review to which I am dreading - and she was casually in line for food. I was panicked to get to the gate and she was so relaxed and calm - I couldn’t figure it out - and then I realized I’d arrived too early again. I woke up from the dream and it was so heavy with me for hours upon waking. 
The official closing date is 8/5. I still can’t believe I was able to sell the Clocktower and Woodlawn so quickly, I am grateful it was almost too easy. I will have to do a tax estimate to make sure I hold back enough for capital gains which will be significant, this tax year is going to be a trip - but, I’d rather know earlier and then hold more back than anticipated, I can’t ever get into that situation again where I owe so much money to the IRS. Singularly more terrifying day in my life for sure. 
My mom will be 85 in November, and my dad will be 90 next February. It’s really hard to believe they are still alive but they are, and frankly just easier because we aren’t in touch much. I still order his sandwiches every week though now he’s switched - after years - and wants to eat frozen spaghetti instead. So their housekeeper just buys it and likely wine too, and I reimburse her. They are of sound mind and they are adults; I’m glad they are able to live in their home for so long relatively independently. My mom’s teeth are all apparently pretty much rotten and she needs them all replaced - she never brushes her teeth - I winced when I heard that and then just said to send me the bill. I haven’t looked at the cameras in months - honestly, I’ve not even thought about it most days. I am pretty detached. I think that’s likely a good thing. My sister is really scared about the economy, I know she’s quietly betting on a little bit of an inheritance (there isn’t going to be much) and is scared about the stock market; I am arranging for the three of us to talk to their financial planner together because I can’t bear the burden of these decisions alone. I do have a feeling my brother and I will want to keep things as is so we don’t realize a tax burden and she won’t, so we’ll need to figure it all out next week. 
I had a friend from my Seattle days reach out - he’s a conservative Trump supporter and while our politics are so different, we’ve been very close through the years. And he was a cop. Recently, I’m kind of repelled by the relationship and both he and his wife, I don’t want anything to do with him anymore, they both enrage me. He just reached out and asked if we could talk in a week or two to which I responded brightly, “SURE!” ugh. I said I’d get back to him with a good time. I am dreading it. 
I am going for coffee with my neighbor tomorrow, we’ll order online and sit in the park. BND and I text steadily 1x-2x a week, most of the time I get focused on something else and don’t text back for days. It’s hard to think that a few years ago, he was in my constant thoughts the second I woke up until the moment I slept. So much emotional energy spent on him, And now, not so much. 
My therapy has been so productive. Getting behind, beneath the anger, the need to be alone. The fatigue of being with people. It’s good. 
Shows I’m obsessed with? ‘Street Food’ on Netflix, and I’m also watching ‘Love’ again which is one of those series you wish so much could have another season but it was so beautifully done in three. I also love ‘I Might Destroy You’ and find her to be so beautiful. 
And Bud is still alive so I’m winning all around. 
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cs0127 · 5 years
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A detailed review of the OnePlus 7T from :wired:
I TEST A lot of phones here at WIRED. Smartphones incrementally change each year, and they’ve become more of an essential utility and less of a source of the tech world’s greatest innovations. I often appreciate their new features, but few of those enhancements spark actual joy. The OnePlus 7T, however, has done just that. Putting down the glossy, fingerprint-plastered Galaxy Note10 to review the matte glass 7T was both a relief and a reminder why OnePlus has continued to gain popularity as a smartphone brand year after year.
Like the company's previous devices, the 7T is a phone that showcases much of the best smartphone tech introduced in 2019 at a $600 price—more than $100 cheaper than many top rivals from Samsung, LG, and other manufacturers. What I’ve come to appreciate more is how it uses all that latest tech to enhance my life, often by getting out of my way. Its touch interface is simple and looks just like the brand new Google Android 10 OS it runs on, only a little easier to navigate. It’s just more pleasant, like a PB&J sandwich where mom cut the crust off just because she loves you.
Smooth and Frosty
If you’ve seen an expensive smartphone in the last two years, you know what the 7T looks and feels like, but I’ll describe it anyway. It has a 6.5-inch AMOLED display (that means deeper blacks and richer colors) that takes up its entire front. A teenie teardrop cutout hanging from the top of the screen holds a 16-megapixel selfie camera.
Like the similar and more expensive OnePlus 7 Pro, this display has a 90 Hz refresh rate, which makes the entire interface noticeably smoother. OnePlus calls it a Fluid AMOLED display, and it may live up to that name. Phones have been bumping up the resolution (this one has a 1080p HD screen), but the bump in refresh rate is more noticeable. Everything feels smoother and faster, with richer color than many displays.
The power and volume buttons are in all the right places, and OnePlus has kept its sound/mute/vibrate switch on the right side. It’s a dead-simple little toggle and worth every millimeter of its cutout, letting you easily silence your phone or perk it up anytime.
OnePlus was one of the first companies to introduce an in-display fingerprint sensor, and the latest iteration on this phone is faster than ever. I’ve had trouble with Samsung's on-screen sensors in the Galaxy S10 and Note10, but the optical fingerprint reader in the 7T does the trick in a way that’s more convenient than the fingerprint sensors on the back of many phones like the Google Pixel 3A.
The phone's frame is metal, and the back is covered in shimmering Gorilla Glass because ... well ... trends. It’s silly that the back is made of glass at all, given that we probably drop our phones more than anything besides our keys, and there's no big advantage to the glass here since the 7T doesn’t have wireless charging. But the “glacier blue” color certainly is sleek, and the frosted texture repels fingerprints better than some phones. OnePlus thankfully includes a clear case in the box. I suggest you slip it on.
All Spec’d Out
Between all that glass is a list of luxury technical specs. The 7T runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor, which is half a tad speedier than the 855 on some earlier phones this year. It also comes with 8 gigabytes of RAM, and 128 GB of storage. (Sorry, no MicroSD slot; that’s all you get.) These are all fantastic numbers, as are the numbers you’ll see from benchmark performance tests. It’s a powerful phone, right up there with the best.
OnePlus doesn’t make a lot of changes to Android 10, but the changes it does make seem to (mostly) improve the phone's performance. You can more easily swipe up or down from anywhere on the homescreen to access the notification shade or pull up your entire list of apps. I also like the gesture controls that mimic recent iPhones, and the option to turn the back button into a swipe from the left side of the phone has worked well for me. Your mileage may vary, but you can disable these gestures controls and go back to a traditional back-button setup if you like.
The fact that the 7T even has the latest Google OS is a testament to the company’s focus on delivering software and security updates. It promises two years of updates for buyers of the 7T, and has demonstrated a positive track record on updates for older phones. This is notable—despite costing close to $1,000, most Android phones outside of Google’s Pixel line and Motorola's handsets do not get regular software updates, leaving security vulnerabilities exposed and new features out of reach.
With stereo speakers and a gaming mode that optimizes graphics (and can also restrict notifications and calls so you can play without interruption), this is an ideal machine for playing Mario Kart Tour, or any other high-end title, until your eyeballs fall out. Netflix looks lovely, as well.
I’ve ended most days having spent four or five hours with the screen active, and seen about 50 percent battery remaining. A few nights, it’s been closer to 30 to 40 percent, if I stay up late. This is good, but somewhat normal battery life. If you want to improve your power efficiency, you can turn the 90 Hz refresh rate down to a more normal 60 Hz. In a pinch, the included charger is very quick. It can juice the 7T up significantly in a half hour.
Sadly, like many high-end phones, there’s no audio jack (and no adapter in the box), but OnePlus sells an adapter for $13. And this phone also isn’t IP-rated for water resistance. OnePlus claims it will handle some rain pretty well, but you won’t want to drop it in the tub.
Ready to Zoom
When it comes to smartphones, you ain’t cool unless you have three rear cameras these days, and OnePlus always wants to be cool. Like the 7 Pro, it has a 48-megapixel standard rear shooter that outputs extra sharp 12-megapixel images, a 16-megapixel sensor beneath an ultrawide lens, and a 12-megapixel telephoto. This lets you take shots that you can both zoom out a bit, and zoom in to 2X. There’s also a portrait mode, which adds a bokeh effect, the shallow depth-of-field trick that keeps the subject in focus but blurs the background in a close-up photo.
I had a great time shooting plenty of outdoor shots around Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the past week, and I've even enjoyed the extra stability of the Super Stable video mode, which uses the wide angle lens to better stabilize 1080p video; 4K 30 fps video is also available. Everything looks good, especially shots in the Nightscape mode. Like the new iPhone 11 and the latest Pixel phones, the 7T enhances night shots, adding more light, color and detail to areas that would have just appeared as black splotches on older phones. Night shots require a steady hand and a second or two wait, but they are a definite improvement.
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In some of the above shots, you can see some examples of Nightscape mode and Super Macro mode. If you press the flower icon in the upper left side of the camera app, you can move in closer to small objects and still see them stay in focus. The effect isn’t perfect, but I was able to get closer to some plants and ants than I ever have before using a smartphone. It’s a blast to play around with modes like these, and they solidify the OnePlus 7T as a phone for shutterbugs.
Plus One
OnePlus isn’t tampering with the formula that got it to the dance, and that’s good. The 7T is one of the most powerful phones you can buy, and it costs hundreds less than its peers. It also runs on all four major US carriers, and T-Mobile sells it directly.
I've recommended the Pixel 3A ($400) as the best phone to buy for a few months now, and given the performance it offers for the price, for many of you it still is the best phone. But if you are willing to spend an extra $200, the OnePlus 7T will give you a taste of the luxuries you’d otherwise miss out on.
Correction: I referred to the display as a "Liquid" display. OnePlus calls it a "Fluid" display.
you can check out all Amazon has to offer in the One Plus lineup at:(https://amzn.to/35H33nU)
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annakie · 5 years
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Have I gone too far?  Or have I gone NOT TOO FAR ENOUGH?
Some notes on rebulding my computer below.  
Sorry the gifs are kinda meh.
So first of all, full confession, I bought that 2060 back in uh... *checks notes* March?  I think I posted about this somewhere.  And then  it wouldn’t fit in my case, so I bought a new case, and then was real busy for a weekend or two and then... the entire project just... laid forgotten.  Because I’m a lazy bitch like that sometimes.
So yeah for like six months I had a bright shiny new video card and case and didn’t use them.
Last weekend I got fed up with myself and moved it all to the new case.  I showed some pictures to my coworkers and one was like “Ew, why do you still have that Intel stock fan on your processor?”  Also I agreed, it looked like crap and was on sideways so, I decided to get a better processor fan.  Also, the red fan on top was never my favorite, it came with my previous case, and was really harshing the vibe I was going for.  So this week I spent like $40 more on a much better heatsink/fan for the processor and some other purple fans for the top and back.
I would highly NOT reccommend that particular heatsink / fan I got.  It was, by far, the most frustrating part of this entire build and very high in the list of most frustrating components I’ve ever installed on any computer, ever, and I’ve been building my own computers since the late 90′s.  It may be better on some motherboards, but the base that fits on the back of the motherboard doesn’t quite line up with the holes in the motherboard because there’s a slight bump on the processor backing.  So TBH, the fan itself is only anchored on two sides and I’ll be keeping a close eye on if it starts wiggling free in a few months.  
Also, turns out my motherboard is old enough where it doesn’t have the required plug for RGB control for a heatsink/fan with RGB, so I was hoping that I could get it to sync with the video card RGB.  And it would, but since I can’t plug that control in, instead it’ll just be a fun rainbow spin all the time.  It doesn’t match like I want it to.  But that’s my own fault for not having a newer motherboard.  I don’t see myself getting a new MB for another year or two so, for now, this is how it is.
The top fans are a bit brighter than I was hoping for honestly, I was kind of thinking they’d have the softer purple glow like the 2 purple Corsair fans in the front, but honestly, they work and I like them?  I mean I like the color they give off when not looking at the fans themselves, they’re a bit bright when you look at them.   My only real complaint  about them is that they have a cord which can connect to a power supply with two different adapters and there’s not enough space between the two adapter types on the wire, so the much larger and uglier adapter was difficult to hidefor both, but after some finagling, you can barely see them, and not at all in those pictures.
I TRULY love this case and can’t imagine replacing it anytime soon.  The glass front is easy to get off and put back on, the case back is well laid out (even if I didn’t manage the cables as well as I could have), there’s plenty of space and it even thoughtfully left space open to easily put the mount on the heatsink back so i didn’t have to take the entire motherboard out.  (I would have returned the heatsink before doing that, tbh.)
I think I’m done tinkering with it for a year or two, though.  
So, current specs in my Mid-Range gaming PC:
Motherboard: MSI Z370-A Pro Processor: Intel 8th Gen Core i5-8400 Processor Video Card:  Strix GeForce RTX 2060 Case: NZXT H500 RAM: G.SKILL FORTIS Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (Maybe my next upgrade.) Mouse:  Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse Keyboard: Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard (I really want a comfortable mechanical ergonomic keyboard RGB but haven’t found anything viable yet.) Sound: Logitech G533 Wireless Gaming Headset Monitors: 2x ASUS VE278H 27" Full HD 1920x1080 HDMI VGA Back-lit LED Monitor.  Honestly, after memory, I want to upgrade to get a 4k gaming monitor here next.  But they’re fine. Storage: 2TB hard drive, 3TB in SSDs
B: BoyThat’sALotOfStuff:WD Black 2TB Performance Desktop Hard Disk Drive - Slow but reliable storage for pictures, media, backups of stuff from old hard drives, general file / archive drive.
C: LocalDisk - Samsung 840 Series SSD 250 GB for Windows and misc. programs installed.  
G: Games - Samsung 850 EVO 500TB SSD for video games... only about 50gb free on this one.
M: MassEffect - another 250gb Samsung 840 Series for all 4 Mass Effect games + Mods, also all three Dragon Ag games and The Sims 4 are on there too.  I’d move The Sims off if it wasn’t such a hassle.
S: SoManyGames - Samsung 860 QVO 1TB SSD... Oh yeah uh, I bought this on sale like a year ago and FORGOT and found it while doing some housecleaning recently, and literally installed it yesterday. I think I’m gonna download and install a lot more games now.
V: Video Games - My other main 1TB SSD for  Video Games.... only about 25% full.  I think this is also Samsung, but not 100% sure.
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euteh · 5 years
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How long have you been using your current smartphone? The answer for an increasing number of consumers is years, plural. After all, why upgrade every year when next year’s model is almost exactly the same as the device you’re holding in your hand?
Dutch social enterprise Fairphone sees this as an opportunity to sell sustainability. A chance to turn a conversation about ‘stalled smartphone innovation’ on its head by encouraging consumers to think more critically about the costs involved in pumping out the next shiny thing. And sell them on the savings — individual and collective — of holding their staple gadget steady.
Its latest smartphone, the Fairphone 3 — just released this week in Europe — represents the startup’s best chance yet of shrinking the convenience gap between the next hotly anticipated touchscreen gizmo and a fairer proposition that requires an altogether cooler head to appreciate.
On the surface Fairphone 3 looks like a fairly standard, if slightly thick (1cm), Android smartphone. But that’s essentially the point. This 4G phone could be your smartphone, is the intended message.
Specs wise, you’re getting mostly middling, rather than stand out stuff. There’s a 5.7in full HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 chipset, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (expandable via microSD), a 12MP rear lens and 8MP front-facing camera. There’s also NFC on board, a fingerprint reader, dual nano-SIM slots and a 3,000mAh battery that can be removed for easy replacement when it wears out.
There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack: The handy port that’s being erased at the premium smartphone tier,  killing off a bunch of wired accessories with it. So ‘slow replacement’ smartphone hardware demonstrably encourages less waste across the gadget ecosystem too.
But the real difference lies under the surface. Fairer here means supply chain innovation to source conflict-free minerals that go into making the devices; social incentive programs that top up the minimum wages of assembly workers who put the phones together; and repairable, modular handset design that’s intended to reduce environmental impact by supporting a longer lifespan. Repair, don’t replace is the mantra.
All the extra effort that goes into making a smartphone less ethically challenging to own is of course invisible to the naked eye. So the Fairphone 3 buyer largely has to take the company’s word on trust.
The only visual evidence is repairability. Flip the phone over and a semi-opaque plastic backing gives a glimpse of modular guts. A tiny screwdriver included in the box allows you take the phone to pieces so you can swap out individual modules (such as the display) in case they break or fail. Fairphone sells replacements via a spare parts section of its website.
Despite this radically modular and novel design vs today’s hermetically sealed premium mobiles the Fairphone 3 feels extremely solid to hold.
It’s not designed to pop apart easily. Indeed, there’s a full thirteen screws holding the display module in place. Deconstruction takes work (and care not to lose any of the teeny screws). So this is modularity purely as occasional utility, not flashy party trick — as with Google’s doomed Ara Project.
For some that might be disappointing. Exactly because this modular phone feels so, well, boringly normal.
Visually the most stand out feature at a glance is the Fairphone logo picked out in metallic white lettering on the back. Those taking a second look will also spot a moralizing memo printed on the battery so it’s legible through the matte plastic — which reads: “Change is in your hands”. It may be a bit cringeworthy but if you’ve paid for an ethical premium you might as well flaunt it.
It’s fair to say design fans won’t be going wild over the Fairphone 3. But it feels almost intentionally dull. As if — in addition to shrinking manufacturing costs — the point is to impress on buyers that ethical internals are more than enough of a hipster fashion statement.
It’s also true that most smartphones are now much the same, hardware, features and performance wise. So — at this higher mid-tier price-point (€450/~$500) — why not flip the consumer smartphone sales pitch on its head to make it about shrinking rather than maximizing impact, via a dull but worthy standard?
That then pushes people to ask how sustainable is an expensive but valueless — and so, philosophically speaking, pointless — premium? That’s the question Fairphone 3 seems designed to pose.
Or, to put it another way, if normal can be ethical then shouldn’t ethical electronics be the norm?
Normal is what you get elsewhere with Fairphone 3. Purely judged as a smartphone its performance isn’t anything to write home about. It checks all the usual boxes of messaging, photos, apps and Internet browsing. You can say it gets the job done.
Sure, it’s not buttery smooth at every screen and app transition. And it can feel a little slow on the uptake at times. Notably the camera, while fairly responsive, isn’t lightning quick. Photo quality is not terrible — but not amazing either.
Testing the camera I found images prone to high acutance and over saturated colors. The software also struggles to handle mixed light and shade — meaning you may get a darker and less balanced shot that you hoped for. Low light performance isn’t great either.
That said, in good light the Fairphone 3 can take a perfectly acceptable selfie. Which is what most people will expect to be able to use the phone for.
Fairphone has said it’s done a lot of work to improve the camera vs the predecessor model. And it has succeeded in bringing photo performance up to workable standard — which is a great achievement at what’s also a slightly reduced handset price-point. Though, naturally, there’s still a big gap in photo quality vs the premium end of the smartphone market.
On the OS front, the phone runs a vanilla implementation of Android 9 out of the box — preloaded with the usual bundle of Google services and no added clutter so Android fans should feel right at home. (For those who want a Google-free alternative Fairphone says a future update will allow users to do a wipe and clean install of Android Open Source Project.)
In short, purely as a smartphone, the Fairphone 3 offers very little to shout about — so no screaming lack either. Again, if the point is to shrink the size of the compromise Fairphone is asking consumers to make in order to buy an ethically superior brand of electronics they are slowly succeeding in closing the gap.
It’s a project that’s clearly benefiting from the maturity of the smartphone market. While, on the cellular front, the transformative claims being made for 5G are clearly many years out — so there’s no issue with asking buyers to stick with a 4G phone for years to come.
Given where the market has now marched to, a ‘fairer’ smartphone that offers benchmark basics at a perfectly acceptable median but with the promise of reduced costs over the longer term — individual, societal and environmental — does seem like a proposition that could expand from what has so far been an exceptional niche into something rather larger and more mainstream.
Zooming out for a second, the Fairphone certainly makes an interesting contrast with some of the expensive chimeras struggling to be unfolded at the top end of the smartphone market right now.
Foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Fold — which clocks in at around 4x the price of a Fairphone and offers ~2x the screen real estate (when unfolded), plus a power bump. Whether the Fold’s lux package translates into mobile utility squared is a whole other question, though.
And where foldables will need to demonstrate a compelling use-case that goes above and beyond the Swiss Army utility of a normal smartphone to justify such a whopping price bump, Fairphone need only prick the consumer conscience — as it asks you pay a bit more and settle for a little less.
Neither of these sales pitches is challenge free, of course. And, for now, both foldables and fairer electronics remain curious niches.
But with the Fairphone 3 demonstrating that ethical can feel so normal it doesn’t seem beyond the pale to imagine demand for electronics that are average in performance yet pack an ethical punch scaling up to challenge the mainstream parade of copycat gadgets.
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Fairphone 3 is a normal smartphone with ethical shine – TechCrunch How long have you been using your current smartphone? The answer for an increasing number of consumers is years, …
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