Party News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Elminster is an incredibly powerful wizard that's been around forever - both in universe and as a character in The Forgotten Realms. He's such a big deal, in fact, that he hasn't got time to speak with your party in person in Baldur's Gate 3, and instead sends his simulacrum to do his bidding. Still, his simulacrum means business too, so you wouldn't want to start a fight with it.

Blizzard is implemented adjustments and fixes to The Blood Moon Event in Stranglethorn Vale, to address issues with groups being on different layers during the event. Blizzard has also shared that they will be seeking feedback on these changes and will likely be doing further adjustments in the future to layering in STV.

Baldur's Gate 3 can be a challenging game, but Honour Mode is right there for the truly brave among the community that want that terrifying risk of permadeath for that extra sprinkle of realism. Ever since the mode was introduced, we've seen some heartbreaking stories of players falling at the final hurdle, being killed through no fault of their own, or making a single foolish choice only to be met with fatal consequences. I doubt you'll find a more tragic tale than today's though. Be warned, big spoilers are coming up.

On the first anniversary of the PlayStation VR 2 launch, Sony has announced that they are testing PC support for their second generation VR headset.

Baldur's Gate 3 has plenty of difficult sections that players will just about crawl through, but you'll struggle to find one as universally dreaded as the Gauntlet of Shar. Affectionately dubbed the "Shar Olympics" by fans, this section of the game has you taking on a variety of fiendish puzzles and challenging encounters that really can have you questioning whether you like Shadowheart enough to deal with the dungeon's tomfoolery.

I have a number of valuable games in my collection. Some I acquired through lucky timing, others I’ve actually shelled out for, but all of them are the result of questionable priorities. None are as valuable as my copy of Little Samson.

Who would have thought that 2024 would be the year of the monster-collecting game? While several have tried (and often struggled) to recapture the joys of Pokémon, this year’s Palworld is perhaps the first game that’s ever truly been able to pull it off. Granted, it did that by trading in finely tuned RPG combat for Ark-like survival crafting that makes it an entirely different game, but a win’s a win. While Palworld has broken records on Steam, its early access nature means you can hit its bottom quickly — something fans seem to be struggling with as its player count continues to drop.

Another cute addition to the casual social network game Play Together! The latest NPC to join the scene is Cutiepie, a big-time influencer on Kaia Island. She’s stepping in to show players the ropes of the influencer life. So, are you ready to Play Together with Cutiepie?

Larian's back with another hotfix for Baldur's Gate 3, addressing important issues like cutting dialogue, several instances of crashing, and crucially, fixing kisses involving two more characters.

On the first anniversary of the PlayStation VR 2 launch, Sony has announced that they are testing PC support for their second generation VR headset.

I had over two weeks to play Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and I spent most of the last seven days asking myself: Do I say that I loved this game, or that I hated it? It’s time to put pen to paper and the truth is, I still haven’t decided. I did love this game; I did hate this game. My waking hours not spent on my day job — over 90 such hours, by the time I saw credits — were nothing but this game. “A Lot” is a reductive but justified way of describing it, in every sense of that phrase.

When I saw that Final Fantasy 7 Remake came out in 2020, I had to do a triple-take. Really? It was out on PS4, four years ago? No way!

There have never been more Mario games available on a single console than on Nintendo Switch. There are brand-new entries in the core 2D and 3D series; numerous spinoffs, sports, and party games; a few remakes, including the freshly released Mario vs. Donkey Kong; the best-selling Mario game ever, in the shape of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; plus a roster of classic titles on Nintendo Switch Online as it has expanded to include NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance titles — including among them what are indubitably some of the greatest video games ever made.

Behaviour Interactive has revealed Dead by Daylight's next chapter, All Things Wicked. 

For those who already tried the demo for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, there’s now more in store. Today, the demo has expanded with an open-world section of Junon for players to roam about and explore.

Have you heard of critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy 14? Of course you have! Maybe you’re interested and you want to dip your toes in the extremely popular online game (especially now that it’s out on Xbox) and you don’t know where to even begin.

Connections is the latest puzzle game from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.

The batch of fresh additions coming to PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium in February have just been revealed by Sony. As usual, there's a good number of new titles joining the party, with 13 in total going live in their respective tiers come 20th February, 2024.

Sony somehow managed to panic the entire PS5 fanbase this week, when it said it won’t release any entries in its “major existing franchises” this year. The wording was always imperative here, however: it appeared to be alluding to tentpole series like Marvel’s Spider-Man and God of War, thus meaning it’ll rely on smaller franchises and new intellectual property instead.

For the best part of this generation, Sony’s been pressured by a vocal part of the gaming community to borrow Xbox Game Pass’ unproven business model with PS Plus. The platform holder eventually decided to take a half-step, merging PS Now with its existing subscription but resisting the urge to add day one first-party software to the service. It’s described this strategy as unsustainable.

Sony will not release any sequels or updates to “major existing franchise titles” before March 2025. The wording is exceptionally important here: this does not eliminate the likelihood of PS5 exclusives entirely, it just means you’re unlikely to see a new Ghost of Tsushima or The Last of Us in the next 12 months and a bit.

As reported earlier today, Sony shipped 8.2 million PS5 consoles during the three-month period ending 31st December, 2023 – a very good number which contributed to record-breaking revenue, but not enough to help it reach its forecast of 25 million units for the current financial year. Thus far, it’s sold 16.4 million units, and subsequently it’s revised its forecast down to 21 million.

Patch 6 for Baldur's Gate 3 is available to download now on PS5, bringing yet more improvements and fixes to the award-winning RPG. While there aren't any massive additions or alterations in this update, it does feature a fairly long list of welcome changes, some of which have been highly requested.

There is currently a bug in Diablo 4 which teleports Sorcerers between the final rooms in the Vault of the Loom when they are using the . Diablo 4 Vault of the Loom Guide Diablo 4 Malphas Boss Guide Sorcerers will get teleported constantly between the gauntlet rooms at the end of the minor Vaults due to the being a zone-wide effect that also gets triggered by other group members entering you into combat with the monsters in the gauntlet of the other party members.

Since Wizards of the Coast has confirmed a rule revision is on the way for , many players have shifted their focus to the future of, but before the launch of the system, now is the perfect time to finally start a high level 5e campaign. The exact nature of the replacement rulebooks is still unclear to some since the developers promise full compatibility with existing 5e adventures, but the rules previewed thus far include fundamental changes for player characters. A final epic adventure with 5e rules has several merits.

Augmented reality monster-catching game Pokémon Gois known for taking its players to strange new places, but one trainer found themselves in an especially bizarre situation. 

US games giant Activision Blizzard is making over 130 people redundant from its office in the Republic of Ireland.

When Harry Met Sally is one of the best and most beloved rom-coms of all time, but director Rob Reiner recently revealed that the movie could have had a very different ending. 

The Limbus Company 1st Anniversary bash is here, and it’s bringing many goodies. Also, to throw a party fit for even the most hardcore gacha veteran, they’re showering players with free stuff, events, and even a special birthday announcer.

League of Legends is a competitive game that demands concentration, focus, and knowledge of both the champion and the map. By contrast,Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is a cheerful crafting RPG that’s equal parts whimsical and satisfying. Bandle Tale stars a Yordle, a furry little fae-style creature who lives in the realm of Bandle City. A party goes haywire, and the portal network connecting the islands of Bandle City falls apart. Luckily, the protagonist has just completed a hundred-year apprenticeship that lends them the ability to magically knit the portals back together — with a little training, elbow grease, and can-do thinking.

Blizzard Developer Tom Ellis shared some interesting insight on Twitter covering the history of Sharding, Layering, and how layering issues are working on being resolved. Many players have been sharing negative experiences with layering during the Blood Moon Event in Stranglethorn Vale on Season of Discovery, hopefully a fix will be implemented soon.

John Eric Bentley - the actor behind machinegun-armed party member Barret Wallace in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth - has dished on the character's role in the upcoming sequel and his thoughts on the original's depiction. 

The Baldur's Gate 3 community has shared the quests, dialogue, and hidden details that they reckon most players have missed in the mammoth roleplaying game.

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A new Baldur's Gate 3 patch is now live on PC and consoles, bringing a massive number of new features, improvements, fixes, and more.

We are now past the halfway point in February, somehow, and things are already getting crazy in the video game space in more ways than one. Even when you discount the “chaos” that’s going on with Sony and Microsoft right now, no one really knows what’s going on with Nintendo. We don’t know when their next console is coming out or when it’ll be announced. We don’t know whether the games announced for 2024 will be the only “big releases,” and the Nintendo Direct that was supposed to happen this month hasn’t happened yet! It’s all very frustrating for fans and gamers alike.

Larian Studios has its priorities straight. It’s newly published patch improves a fan-favorite activity in Baldur’s Gate 3: kissing. Baldur’s Gate 3 already had a bevy of potential lovers — like everyone’s favorite, Shadowheart — and offered plenty of opportunities for kissing. It’s important! But the studio’s been hyping up improved smooches for days now, and on Friday, players got a look at what that actually means.

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 6 is live now, with patch notes promising everything from improved kissing animations to party management.

It was yet another big night for Larian Studios, as Baldur's Gate 3 won big at the DICE Awards 2024. Winning in five categories including Game of the Year, this success meant that Larian got another chance to take to the stage and make an acceptance speech, using the opportunity to comment on the state of the industry.

Baldur's Gate 3's highly-anticipated Patch 6 has added in a new Hungover condition that is sure to make it even easier to roleplay as your character.

The current chairman of Sony has revealed that the company plans to "proactively" work on multiplatform releases as part of an "aggressive" growth plan.

Sony’s latest financial report saw the company revising expected PlayStation 5 sales downward for the coming year, with Sony Group President Hiroki Totoki saying that they “do not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles next fiscal year.”

Blizzard has released hotfixes for Season of Discovery Realms, addressing issues related to the Blood Moon event, several Gnomeregan bosses, and various class tweaks.

Following the Q3 2023 earnings release where Sony announced the latest PlayStation 5 sales figures, the earnings call provided interesting tidbits from Sony executives.

Professional MMA fighter Octavio Bergmann (Emilio Sakraya) is getting ready for one of the biggest fights of his career. His opponent is late, and that’s a problem: It’s actually the night of his daughter’s birthday party, and he promised to attend. However, as he’s entering the ring, he finds out that his ex-wife is filing for sole custody unless he can get to the party in the next hour. Octavio drops everything and runs to them — angering elements of the criminal underworld who bet big on his fight and will now chase him around Berlin to try and get him back to the ring.

Blizzard has released A New Dawn, a trailer video by famed machinima artist IKedit for the upcoming Mythic Dungeon International 2024 tournament!

The MDI 2024 starts this Friday, February 16th! Here's what you need to know.

Sony’s latest financial report saw the company revising expected PlayStation 5 sales downward for the coming year, with Sony Group President Hiroki Totoki saying that they “do not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles next fiscal year.”

A new patch for the sprawling role-playing game (RPG) Baldur’s Gate 3is on the way, and developer Larian Studios has been teasing some of the changes that are in store. In addition to enhanced kissing animations (which the studio says will provide “improved smooches” across the board), the update will also simplify the process of dismissing one of your current companions.

Patch 6 for Baldur's Gate 3 is set to hit PS5 this week, and developer Larian Studios has outlined the update's key features. To be clear, this patch doesn't include any kind of big gameplay addition or overhaul, but it does implement a bunch of highly requested improvements and fixes — the sort of stuff that'll make the game better than ever.

«How did it feel being back up there? I don't know… nostalgic, I guess?» Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth summarised our feelings with one simple question. We love the original game but when Final Fantasy 7 Remake opened the door to some dramatic changes, nothing was guaranteed moving forward. Thankfully, Rebirth feels like a natural evolution that continues walking this precarious path with grace, and right now, it's mixing that nostalgic familiarity with a renewed uncertainty.

The hype train for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth already left the station with the surprise launch of a demo earlier this month. Before pulling into the final station on February 29, 2024, Square Enix is making a quick stop for Valentine’s Day. After all, what says love like subconsciously stealing the identity of a girl’s dead, but now not dead, boyfriend while also being oblivious to the affections of your childhood friend?

Patch 6.57 for FFXIV dropped in the early hours of February 13, bringing a host of updates in preparation for the upcoming Xbox open beta, lifted raid restrictions, and better A Realm Reborn quest rewards. It’s not a big patch, but it’s one worth mentioning.

Larian Studios has revealed a few features coming in Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 6 alongside its colossal file size.

Larian has revealed a few key details about what's included in Baldur's Gate 3 patch 6, and a few of the changes are, dare I say it, game changers.

Larian has revealed more details on the upcoming patch for Baldur's Gate 3, and it includes a great quality-of-life feature. Finally, we'll be able to swap companions around without manually dismissing one of them, and then running over to recruit the other.

The next big update for Baldur’s Gate 3, Patch 6, is on its way and Larian is teasing some of the changes it will usher in. These include new Legendary Actions in Honour Mode, streamlined party management, the ability to prioritize your avatar as the “main speaker” so teammates won’t hog the conversation, and more. The patch will weigh in at a fairly meaty 21 GB, and will launch on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 simultaneously (Mac users will have to wait for a bit). Here’s a rundown of what Larian has teased for the patch thus far…

If you didn’t already think Disney was taking over the world, their latest announcement alongside Epic Games should terrify you.

Blizzard has pushed hotfixes to Season of Discovery Realms, implementing the Starsurge nerf that was announced earlier, as well as other various hotfixes.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is almost upon us, and after countless trailers and one dedicated State of Play, we've finally seen the whole gang in action. Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind were the final two characters to join the party, and we've been given a decent look at both heading into the release of the game. Unfortunately, if you were hoping to include either in your main party, you'll unfortunately need to wait until the third installment.

Final Fantasy VIII was (until XIII rolled around) the most divisive entry in a series famous for changing things up, with oceans of ink spilt by the game's rabid detractors and stalwart defenders. Aside from stoic protagonist, Squall, and the way enemies levelled up alongside the party, players' most significant issue with the game was how it handled progression: the complex and quite vague Junction system.

One of the big talking points emerging as part of Microsoft’s rumoured switch in strategy is that a reduction in competition could result in complacency from PlayStation and its army of first-party developers. The issue, according to some, is that if Xbox were to abandon its own hardware – which, for the record, isn’t what any speculation is suggesting – Sony would have no real reason to compete.

In a tragic update to a story we brought you back in September, the coolest companions in the original and upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will not join Cloud and company on the battlefield after all. It was first thought that «accompanying characters» Cid and Vincent might lend a hand in an automated fashion as Red XIII did in Remake, but sadly, this will not be the case.

«How did it feel being back up there? I don't know… nostalgic, I guess?» Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth summarised our feelings with one simple question. We love the original game but when Final Fantasy 7 Remake opened the door to some dramatic changes, nothing was guaranteed moving forward. Thankfully, Rebirth feels like a natural evolution that continues walking this precarious path with grace, and right now, it's mixing that nostalgic familiarity with a renewed uncertainty.

It would appear all is well when it comes to recent Japanese games. We've had a great run of big new releases from Eastern teams lately and, if Steam player numbers are anything to go by, it seems they're all making a decent splash right now.

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Get ready to celebrate because Priconne JP’s 6th Anniversary Update is upon us, bringing a ton of exciting stuff to the party! From free pulls to boosted rates and even a brand new way to power up your characters, there’s something for everyone to enjoy during this special event. So, let’s dive into the details and see what awaits you in this anniversary update:

Nintendo seems to have added in a highly requested feature for their next upcoming platform.

Viral co-op horror Lethal Company may only have released in early access in late October 2023, but it's already received almost 50 updates.

It’s been fascinating to watch the fallout from the Xbox third party rumours this week. But what’s been more fascinating is Microsoft’s complete lack of response to them.

If you have looked at any website for the past month or so, you have heard about Palworld. It is avoidable. Inescapable. Inevitable.

Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has no plans for DLC, but that isn't stopping fans from putting together wishlists for all the further adventures they'd love to take their parties on.

A Baldur's Gate 3 player has found what might be one of the most frustrating deaths in Honour Mode, as Gale's dead body brings their run to an end. Withers gets some of the blame too, as he inadvertently kills the player while trying to resurrect a fallen Gale.

It’s been fascinating to watch the fallout from the Xbox third party rumours this week. But what’s been more fascinating is Microsoft’s complete lack of response to them.

Xbox look set to release all of their games onto PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, and in the very near future. And despite a large amount of theorising, that’s about all we know. But that is bad enough.

Make a mighty morphing moment for yourself or your party members when you deploy the Murkmorpher toy.* Deploying the toy will temporarily change your appearance into an ever-popular Westfall Story Murloc or other random, colorful variant of the amphibious biped variety.

The title How to Have Sex might suggest a raucous, cheeky teen sex comedy, somewhere between American Pie, The Inbetweeners and a Carry On movie. Instead, this is an achingly sensitive and honest drama about sex, booze, consent, friendship, the painful precipice of adulthood, and the secret history of one messy weekend. Written and directed by Molly Manning Walker, it’s the latest in a recent string of excellent, heartfelt directorial debuts by a new generation of British female filmmakers, including Charlotte Regan’s Scrapper, Georgia Oakley’s Blue Jean, and most famously, Charlotte Wells’ gorgeous, melancholy Aftersun, which earned an Oscar nomination for All of Us Strangers co-star Paul Mescal.

Champions! offers a unique twist on the party game genre, immersing players in a whirlwind of crazy tournament-style duels where characters chosen by the players battle it out for the coveted title of Champion! The game’s play style revolves around predicting which of the eight candidates will emerge victorious through three intense rounds of play, making it an engaging and unpredictable experience for all involved.