Gizmos, For-Each Zone and more! NEW Geometry Nodes features - Blender 4.3 By Bart on November 22, 2024 Blender Development Geometry Nodes in 4.3 got three impressive updates. Learn how to use them in this video by Blender Studio technical artist Simon Thommes. Use Gizmos to add interactive control to your geonode setup. For-Each Zones let you iterate over each element in a geometry to instance objects - which wasn't possible in Repeat Zones. The Geometry Name node lets you programatically set object names. Check out our 4.3 overview for more new features.

Texas AG Declares War On Advertisers Who Snub Musks ExTwitterfrom the it's-okay-when-the-gop-does-it deptFri, Nov 22nd 2024 09:32am - Mike MasnickTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton loves to preach about free speech and free marketsexcept, apparently, when it comes to his political allies. In a stunningly hypocritical and authoritarian move, Paxton has launched an investigation to bully advertisers who have chosen not to support Elon Musks troubled ExTwitter platform.This is a chilling attack on both free speech and free markets. Ken Paxton has gone from cosplaying as a free speech warrior to acting as Elon Musks personal speech cop, using the power of the state to punish companies who wont support Musks online kingdom. The hypocrisy would be laughable if the authoritarian overtones werent so chilling.Remember, Elon Musk himself told advertisers who disagreed with his position on content moderation to go fuck themselves. And yet, now hes egging on this sham investigation.Paxtons actions are part of a disturbing pattern of Republican leaders who claim to be free speech champions, but are quick to use government power to punish speech they dislike. From DeSantis attacks on Disney to Trumps threats against media critics, the right increasingly sees free speech as a one-way street.Many major advertisers have pulled back spending on ExTwitter due to concerns about an increase in hate speech and misinformation on the platform under Musks leadership. This isnt the result of some coordinated boycott or conspiracy. They are simply making the rational business decision to worry about their ads appearing next to objectionable content and damaging their brands. Choosing where to spend ad dollars based on a media companys content policies is a normal business decision, not a conspiracy.It really was just a few months ago that Paxtons similarly cynical, opportunistic sham investigation into Media Matters got laughed out of court. That investigation was also on a similar lets suck up to Elon basis, after Elon got mad at a news article published by Media Matters that highlighted how ads for big Fortune 500 companies were showing up next to neo-Nazi content.In that case, everyone admitted that the ads did show up next to that content, but Elon didnt like that Media Matters didnt explain the steps it took to have those ads show up that way. So he not only sued Media Matters directly but also called for state AGs to investigate. Ken Paxton immediately jumped on that.A judge in DC called out just how problematic Paxtons investigation was, and how it was a clear retaliation against Media Matters for its speech:Defendants investigation of Media Matters is retaliatory action sufficient to deter a person of ordinary firmness in plaintiffs position from speaking again[.] Defendant makes no contrary argumentBut getting dinged by the court apparently has not stopped Paxton from wanting to launch similarly chilling investigations into others for their free market and free speech decisions.On Thursday, Paxton announced he had launched an investigation into advertisers for the apparent crime of not advertising on Elon Musks ExTwitter platform:Attorney General Paxton is investigating a possible coordinated plan or conspiracy to withhold advertising dollars from certain social media platforms by pressuring advertisers not to purchase online advertising space. Although companies are free to choose when and where they want to advertise, a conspiracy among companies along these lines can result in harm to competition and may violate the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act of 1983. The civil investigative demand requests documents and information related to WFA and its sub-organization known as the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) organizing their membership to potentially boycott social media platforms that are deemed to violate their Brand Safety Standards.It is completely unacceptable and un-American that the Department of Justice under the Biden Administration failed to enforce antitrust laws against its perceived political allies, said Attorney General Paxton. Trade organizations and companies cannot collude to block advertising revenue from entities they wish to undermine. Todays document request is part of an ongoing investigation to hold WFA and its members accountable for any attempt to rig the system to harm organizations they might disagree with.This is monstrously gross partisan hackery against completely understandable marketplace decisions. But it gives you a good sense of the kind of hackery to expect over the next few years. Daring not to give Trump allies money will be seen as illegal boycotts.By launching this bad-faith investigation into advertisers choices, Paxton is wielding the power of the state to bully companies into supporting his political allies. This is a blatant effort to chill the speech of Musks critics and coerce businesses into spending money on his platform, even if they object to how its being run. Its an authoritarian tactic masquerading as an antitrust probe.Its clear to everyone that this is corrupt. Its nakedly designed to create chilling effects and pressure companies into giving money to ideological allies of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Its cynical, obnoxious, and an attack on free speech and the rights of companies to choose not to advertise on sites they dislike.Paxtons investigation is a political stunt with no legal merit. It tramples on the free speech rights of Musks critics and the freedom of companies to make their own advertising decisions. This kind of bullying of businesses by the state is a disturbing attack on fundamental liberties, but Paxton seems to be betting on the idea that were in an era where its okay to trample on free speech rights, so long as its Trump-supporters doing it.Filed Under: advertising, boycotts, elon musk, free speech, ken paxton, texasCompanies: garm, twitter, world federation of advertisers, x

By Matt Novak Published November 22, 2024 | Comments (67) | Telecommunications towers on top of Monroe Peak at 11,227 feet elevation on the Sevier Plateau in central Utah. Photo by: Jon G. Fuller/VW Pics /Universal Images Group via Getty Images Hackers for the Chinese government were able to deeply penetrate U.S. telecommunications infrastructure in ways that President Joe Bidens administration hasnt yet acknowledged, according to new reports from the Washington Post and New York Times. The hackers were able to listen to phone calls and read text messages, reportedly exploiting the system U.S. authorities use to wiretap Americans in criminal cases. The worst part? The networks are still compromised and it may take incredibly drastic measures to boot them from U.S. systems. The hackers behind the infiltration of U.S. telecom infrastructure are known to Western intelligence agencies as Salt Typhoon, and this particular breach of U.S. equipment was first reported in early October by the Wall Street Journal. But Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, spoke with the Washington Post and New York Times this week to warn the public that this is so much worse than we initially thought, dubbing it the worst telecom hack in our nations history. And those articles based on Warners warnings were published late Thursday. Warner is chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee and a former venture capitalist who bet big on telecom in the 1980s and 90s, making him uniquely qualified to talk about threats to U.S. communications infrastructure. And he says its really bad. My hairs on fire, Warner told the Post.Hackers werent able to monitor or intercept anything encrypted, according to the Times, which means that conversations over apps like Signal and Apples iMessage were probably protected. But end-to-end encryption over texts between Apple devices and Android devices, for instance, arent encrypted in the same way, meaning they were vulnerable to interception by Salt Typhoon, according to the Times. Warner told the Post that the infiltration wasnt directly related to the U.S. elections on Nov. 5, noting that hackers breached the system months earlier, and in some cases more than a year ago, though that logic is a bit confusing. If you wanted to hack a system and be prepared to gather intelligence for the election, youd naturally want to do that well before the election. A spokesperson for Warner clarified through email Friday morning that the senator was saying this was an espionage effort as opposed to an effort to influence the election.As for the targets, the Post reports fewer than 150 people have been identified as having their text messages or phone calls monitored and the FBI has been in contact with them. Most of the people are in the Washington DC area, which makes sense if the hackers were interested in political targets. But 150 people can communicate with a lot of people, even in a short period, so the number of targets could be in the millions, according to Warner. You get the sense U.S. authorities have no real idea how many people have been impacted, given the scope of the intrusion. The details about how the hackers were able to push so deeply into U.S. systems are still scarce, but it has something to do with the ways in which U.S. authorities wiretap suspects in this country with a court order. The monitoring of phone calls wasnt 24/7, according to Warner, but he didnt seem to elaborate on what that meant to the Times.From the Times: Investigators believe that, so far, the Chinese hackers lack the ability to go back into the records they gained access to and listen to past calls. But they could gather metadata about previous callsthe phone numbers called, the length of the calls and perhaps the rough location of the cellphones involved. Even if they did not listen to many calls, the metadata and geolocation data the Chinese have gathered of important American officials are alarming. All the major U.S. carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, were impacted, according to the Post. Incredibly, Warner says the hackers are still inside the U.S. system and theres no obvious way to get them out that doesnt involve physically replacing old equipment, according to Warner.This is massive, and we have a particularly vulnerable system, Warner told the Post. Unlike some of the European countries where you might have a single telco, our networks are a hodgepodge of old networks. [] The big networks are combinations of a whole series of acquisitions, and you have equipment out there thats so old its unpatchable. With less than two months before inauguration day, this will soon become the problem of President Donald Trump, who talks tough on China but received at least $7.8 million from the country through payments to Trump Tower in New York and Trump hotels in DC and Las Vegas, according to a report in early 2024 from the House Oversight Committee. Trumps pick for head of the FCC, Brendan Carr, told the Post hed received briefings on Salt Typhoon but spoke very generally about what was ahead.Cybersecurity is going to be an incredibly important issue, Carr said, according to the Post. National security is going to be a top priority.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Kyle Barr Published November 22, 2024 By Dua Rashid Published November 18, 2024 By Kyle Barr Published November 18, 2024 By Kyle Barr Published November 15, 2024 By Dua Rashid Published November 12, 2024 By Dua Rashid Published November 11, 2024

The reveal of the Tempest class inDiablo Immortalcaptivated fans with its stunning 2.5D cinematic trailer, a testament to the artistry and expertise of VOLTA, a renowned creative services studio. Known for crafting high-end visuals for some of the biggest names in gaming and film, VOLTA brought their unique touch to this dark and immersive chapter in Sanctuarys lore.From conceptualizing the hauntingly detailed ship to designing characters that embody the Diablo universes gothic essence, VOLTAs team, including artists Dima Grigorev, Marco Espinosa, Miguel Membreo, Tiago Sousa, James Strehle, and Pablo Hurtado de Mendoza, meticulously shaped every frame of the trailer. Their passion for the franchise and Blizzard Entertainments detailed documentation and animatics resulted in a seamless alignment with Diablos iconic aesthetic.The success of this project has opened the door to more collaborations, with VOLTA now working on two additional cinematic projects for Blizzard. With a legacy of delivering exceptional visuals since 2006, VOLTA continues pushing the boundaries of creativity, leaving an indelible mark on the gaming and entertainment worlds.As fans anticipate the following chapters of Diablo, the Tempest class trailer stands as a shining example of what happens when artistry and storytelling unite, reminding us why this franchise remains an enduring icon. Diablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & ConceptsDiablo Immortal Cinematic Illustrations & Concepts

Discover the Art of Najeeb Najjar, a concept and digital artist who has worked as a Concept artist and matte painter at DNEG, an image and environment artist on an AAA game. At The Coalition games, amongst other things. Najeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb NajjarNajeeb Najjar

Need To EvolveAs Need For Speed turns 30, the devs currently running the series say the biggest challenge new entries face is "literally the age of the franchise""The trajectory has been bumpy, actually, in some cases."Image credit: EA/VG247 Article by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Nov. 22, 2024 I remember going to what was probably the local video game shop or computer shop, and me and my friends saw it on the 3DO, and we were like whats this?, we all jumped on it, and you felt badass, current Need For Speed producer Patrick Honnoraty says. Being able to drive it, being chased by the cops, there wasnt an experience that was really like it at the time.Since the release of that game - The Need for Speed or Road and Track presents: The Need For Speed if you want to stick to whats on the box art - in 1994, the racing genre has evolved to a place no one could really have predicted back then. Not least me, as I write this, given Id not be born for another half a decade or so.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. But Need For Speed has stuck around, and next month, it hits the milestone of turning 30 years old. Thats 30 years of changing and evolving in different ways, some inevitably more well-received by players than others, a sentiment that isnt lost on the current and former NFS developers who spoke at a recent 30th anniversary roundtable attended by VG247.The trajectory has been bumpy actually, in some cases, Honnoraty acknowledges, but whats happened and I think whats been most important is that if you think about the first inception of what The Need For Speed was, it was really accessible, really easy.He continues that in his estimation, Need For Speeds really tried to stay true to that formula established by the original. Its still accessible today, a lot of car racing games are not so easily accessible, so people still have the option to jump into a Need For Speed game. Another important factor in the devs eyes is staying relevant to the ever-changing trends of car culture, with Honnoraty saying: Its [vehicle artists like] Bryn [Alban] and Frankie [Yip]s job all the time to be looking at whats happening, and upcoming trends, and trying to include that back into the game.Id say in [Need For Speeds] trajectory of its ups and downs, its probably been at some of its worst times when those things have been removed actually, he adds, When customisation has not found its way into the priorities that weve set, and its been removed from the game, I think the games suffered in those times when we had that. Is it really a Need For Speed game if you can't stick on some new rims, tune the engine, and embrace your inner artist with some vinyl? | Image credit: EAThats the thing though, as the series has grown and changed over time - from those earliest joyrides to the noughties street racing romps of Underground and Most Wanted, then on to trying some different stuff with games like Prostreet, The Run and the Shifts, before moving into its latest era thats seen development move from Criterion to Ghost Games and then back to Criterion - its become a lot of things in the eyes of an awful lot of players. So where does that leave it in November 2024?I think today the biggest challenge we face is literally the age of the franchise, and what its been, Honnoraty says. Its been so many different things and appeals to so many different people that we even see the debates between players [as to] which is the best game, and why is it the best game.Ill give you an example. When we had Need For Speed Payback at EA Play, we had people on the booth, people would jump [in] and they would play the highway heist. They would come off the booth and Id be like How was it?, and theyd be like Oh man, that reminds me of Most Wanted, that was amazing and then [other] people would come up and go Oh man, that reminded me of Underground, it was so good. Im like How? What? Theyre totally different!So, I think its just people carry with them the feeling that they had when they played those games. Some of them skipped ones and then came back for others. I think thats the hardest thing today, is honestly reconciling what Need For Speed means to players, and youve seen it - when we go in one direction with something [and] it doesnt quite work, it doesnt appeal to certain sorts of players, and we go in another direction. Its a real thing that we have to tackle, day-in, day-out. John [Stanley, Criterion senior creative director] and I work with it constantly, Honnoraty concludes, joking: We think weve nearly cracked it. Have they cracked it? Well, that probably depends on what you want from an NFS game. | Image credit: EAIt means so much to so many different people and everybodys got a different opinion as to what a good Need For Speed is, adds vehicle art director Bryn Alban. So, trying to appease everybody at all times is super difficult, even down to the nitty-gritty details of what customisation we put on our cars. Its so divisive a subject for our players that its almost impossible for us to get it 100% right all the time.While listening to that spread of vocal and passionate fan viewpoints and opinions is clearly important for developers working on the series, long-time NFS developer, Justin Wiebe - currently a studio design director at Battlefield studio Ripple Effect - says its not just a case of trying to blindly make something that the pleases every potential player with each entry. Especially with a series that for a while had annual - or near annual - releases.I think for me, one of the largest learnings and challenges is that if you try to make something for everyone, what you wind up doing is watering it down and making something for nobody in particular, he says, So, you really do have to be ruthless with your vision and say We are going to take this component, this part of what people love about Need For Speed and were going to bring it to the next level.Then [its about] what does that mean, and were looking, we know that other people are going to miss X, Y and Z, because thats what Need For Speed is for them. So, are we ok with that? How do we massage it? How do we manage the message for what this particular Need For Speed is gonna be about? Ill go back to my experience on Prostreet, which, as we say, talk about taking risks - lets take Need For Speed off the streets, out of the open world, lets make it sanctioned on racetracks in professional sporting events, and say This is your Need For Speed. There was none of this - well, aside from the driving cars bit - in Prostreet. | Image credit: EAPeople are like What about the story, what about the cops, what about this? Its like Yes, we understand those arent there, but we made a decision, we want to go big, we want to bring car culture to sanctioned racing tracks, and that was the vision for this years Need For Speed. Thats the hardest thing, is to make these decisions that we know are going to be polarising for players, but that we believe is best for that particular product in that moment in time.Naturally, this is something the most recent entries in the series - and the ones thatll inevitably follow them as it accelerates on into the next 30 years - continue to grapple with in the quest to keep on evolving what a Need For Speed game can be.Even in my time recently, Honnoraty says, We did a kind of version of Hot Pursuit [with] Rivals, we then changed and we kinda went back to a re-imagining of what would Underground look like today, bringing back customisation, we even then looked at focusing on a very much more action-oriented game [with Payback].Then [we] moulded some of those things together to create something like Heat, brough in Heats idea of risk [vs] reward and doubled down on it for Unbound to create the calendar system. So, its always re-inventing, always trying to pick the ideas that make what you do with these vehicles interesting. Something thats slightly beyond the racing, but the racing is always still at the core of what they are.I think thats what weve done, for good and for bad, because those things [being] risks, they dont always work and they dont always resonate with players, but youll guarantee we will always be doing something different.

Illumi-wait over?Helldivers 2 just got a Steam update literally entitled "gameplay_illuminates", and players aren't sure if it's the real thing, or god-tier Arrowhead trolling"Can't wait for it being an update on the lighting in the gameplay and everyone getting bamboozled."Image credit: Arrowhead News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Updated on Nov. 22, 2024 At this point, Helldivers 2 actually getting its long-rumored third faction - the first game's Illuminate - feels like something that we've been chatting about on and off for years. However, there's fresh hope now, in the form of a Steam depot update to the game that literally titled, er, "gameplay_illuminates".No, I'm not messing with you. It seems Arrowhead, for whatever reason, has gone for something as potentially literal as Democracy Space Station in its name for the thing it did to the game earlier today, naturally inciting speculation about the lads we all thought might rock up in the Galactic War back around the time Meridia got spaghettified and at a few points after that.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. As spotted by keen-eyed Helldivers 2 subreddit user Dangerous-Return5937, according to SteamDB, Helldivers 2 got a depot update earlier today that's literally dubbed "gameplay_illuminates". There's no more info to be gleaned about what this update actually means - whether it does herald the arrival of those Illuminates its title suggests, or when they might actually be deployed in-game.Just the name, in a place that anyone with an internet connection can find it, meaning it's not even technically a leak, depending on how you classify such things. Naturally, players are split on what to make of it. Those who want to believe are getting excited, while others are taking a bit of a wait and see approach, and some are just plain confused. Great things are happening on SteamDB rn byu/Dangerous-Return5937 inHelldiversTo see this content please enable targeting cookies.As some of the latter camp have pointed out, it seems strange that - if it is the Illuminate - Arrowhead would decide to give it such an obvious name. While it has attatched other recent updates to titles like "studio_playtest" and "gameplay_worlds", it's also done some updates under names like "mimosa", "orion" and "wushu" that are a lot less likely to stoke potentially undue player speculation.As one HD2 subreddit moderator puts it: "If anything, Arrowhead is kinda asking for it by giving the depot update that title." Anyway, some folks are still convinced it'll turn out to be the studio trolling them rather than making some kind of error. "Can't wait for it being an update on the lighting in the gameplay and everyone getting bamboozled," one wrote.For now it seems sensible not to get too hyped up, given that even if this is about those Illuminates, there's no guarantee it means they're gonna be arriving properly in the immediate future, but definitely let us know what you think of this weirdness below!

The Most Visually Stunning Indie Games of 2024 Epic narratives, surreal soundtracks, gorgeous art and animation, and immersive gameplay make video games a unique and enthralling artistic expression.After putting hundreds of hours into Elden Ring, the most awe-inspiring, oh, wow! moments always came from discovering the sweeping vistas throughout the Lands Between for the first time. The glorious element of these oh, wow! moments is that theyre usually not budget-dependent, allowing AAA and indie developers to embrace the visual style that best aligns with their vision. Indie games like Sable, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, and Flock are all examples of masterclasses in this.But its not unusual for indie games to go unnoticed or underappreciated in years when big titles drop, like the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. So, lets highlight some of 2024s most visually stunning indie games, to help you find a new obsession this winter. As a bonus, youll find some of these games in the RAWcember to Remember Humble Bundle, which focuses on where art meets storytelling in unforgettable ways.SableSteam score: Very positiveVisual style: Low-poly, flat shadingSable is a beautiful and atmospheric open-world exploration game with a unique art style, inspired by Moebius, featuring vibrant colors and intricate details.In the game, you play as Sable, a young nomad who embarks on a rite of passage called the Gliding and explores vast deserts and breathtaking landscapes. Throughout the journey, she discovers ancient ruins, encounters intriguing characters and uncovers the mysteries of her world.The game emphasizes exploration, discovery and emotional storytelling over combat, creating a peaceful and contemplative experience that invites you to lose yourself in its captivating world.Snufkin: Melody of MoominvalleySteam score: Overwhelmingly positiveVisual style: Hand-drawn, whimsicalNext on our list is Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, a charming and relaxing adventure game based on the beloved Moomin stories by Tove Jansson.This narrative-driven title features a beautiful, whimsical and hypnotizing art style thats halfway between early Disney movies and something Tim Butron would draw, capturing the essence of the Moomin stories perfectly.Taking up the role of Snufkin, youll explore the lush forests, serene rivers, and cozy homes of Moominvalley, encountering many quirky and endearing characters along the way as you preserve the pristine forest from the destructive camping industry.To thwart the campers and drive them out of the forest, youll use Snufkins harmonica to solve puzzles and interact with the environment. By playing different melodies, you can open doors, trigger events, and even influence the behavior of certain charactersSnufkin has some of the best art in indie games and is a delightful and heartwarming tale that perfectly captures the spirit of the Moomin stories. Its a great choice for fans of the series and those who enjoy peaceful and relaxing games.SCHiMSteam score: PositiveVisual style: Minimalistic, abstract, and cel-shadedSCHiM is a 3D platformer that revolves around the concept of shadows and offers a minimalistic and cel-shaded world with surprising depth. The high contrast used in the game not only makes it visually appealing and unique, its also an essential part of the gameplay. As SCHiM, a bonded soul, your goal is to find your way back to your human before its too late. The catch is that you can only exist in the shadows.The games quaint and minimalistic graphics help you feel the urgency SCHiM feels in his quest. You not only begin to feel a need to help SCHiM, but over time empathize with his journey, and will find excitement and wonders along the way.Utilizing the shadows present in the world, you journey across the captivating landscape while avoiding danger and utilizing every shadowy nook and cranny (literally) you can find. This beautiful and abstract environment will keep you addicted as you discover the story hidden on every level.FlockSteam score: Very positiveVisual style: Naturalistic, bright palettesFor a cozy and naturalistic co-cop game, we highly recommend checking out Flock, a delightful game about collecting adorable critters.Flocks art shines bright with vibrant colors, whimsical designs and a sense of childlike wonder reminiscent of classic childrens books and cartoons.In the game, you work with your friends to explore diverse biomes and landscapes and gather various creatures in your flock by charming them. Along the way, youll discover rare creatures, unearth hidden mysteries and build useful supplies to continue your adventure and expand your flying family. With various environments filled with imaginative and breathtaking creatures, youll get lost exploring this world for hours.Wild BastardsSteam score: Mostly PositiveVisual style: Cel-shaded, polygroundOur list ends with the colorfully bright and cel-shaded world of Wild Bastards. A spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed Void Bastards, this first-person shooter is a unique twist on roguelike strategy games. Youll play as one of 13 outlaws trying to survive in a harsh galaxy. Enhancing the gameplay with a well-crafted and beautiful world, Wild Bastards showcases how art can intersect with gameplay.The unique visuals help bring players into this engaging sci-fi meets western shooter. The highly colorful and over-the-top effects enhance the storytelling and the edge-of-your-seat emotional ride it offers.Making strategic choices while exploring each planet, youll develop your team of outlaws and thrive to become the best gang out there. By building and maintaining relationships, leveling up your gang members, and using resources to heal and enhance your crew, you will eventually go up against the puritanical and dangerous Jebediah Chaste posse.Breathtaking environments transport players, allowing them to experience far-away destinations. Sometimes, simple visuals, like the shadows SCHiM, provide unique mechanics that drive the imagination. Even the unique stylization of games like Snufkin and Wild Bastards helps bring players further into these worlds.Remember to explore the RAWcember to Remember bundle to find these games and more.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube786kLevel-5 returned to the West in a big way earlier this year with the release of Megaton Musashi W: Wired. Eight months on, the mech battler is landing a beefy new patch, with the 'Megarobo Batroseum' update scheduled to come to Switch on 26th November.As detailed in the new trailer (above) the headline addition of this one is a new online PvP mode fittingly called 'Megarobo Batroseum' where you'll select a mech from a limited number of pre-sets and get right into a battle. You can either invite friends or hop into a room with other fighters based on your match rule preferences. Nice.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube786kWatch on YouTube Equally nice are the new Battle Royale and Team Battle modes for one-on-one duels or chaotic free-for-alls, the new stat-boosting in-game items and the fresh 'Sengi' system a unique ability to each unit that can be built up during battle.And that's still not all. The 'Megarobo Batroseum' update also throws in a fresh batch of stages and pilots, the latter of which can be used in select story missions and online play, as well as the titular PvP mode.All of these new additions are showcased in the above update trailer, but you can also see the full list of newbies on the Megaton Musashi website if you'd prefer it in written form.We had a great time with Megaton Musashi W: Wired when it landed on Switch earlier this year. In our review, we described the game as "a strong return to form for Level-5, offering up addictive mech-battling action that feels like the most slept-on release of the year". Level-5 is back!Have you picked this one up yet? Is there anything that you're particularly pleased to see in the update? Let us know in the comments.[source megaton-musashi.jp, via youtube.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNew Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Update Leaves The Switch BehindLa-li-lu-le-lower resolution62 Switch Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's Black Friday Sale (Europe)Every Switch game on sale that we rated 9/10+133 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Cyber Deals' Switch eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherSuper Mario Party Jamboree Version 1.1.1 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch NotesAn update to online play

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube786kWe've been keeping an eye on Amber Isle, the Animal Crossing-meets-dinosaurs life sim from developer Ambertail Games, for a while now. This one was initially supposed to land on Switch in late October before getting a last-minute delay to November. Well, the developer has now announced yet another delay, with the planned release date shifting to February 2025.A delay like this is never something that we like to see happen, but in the accompanying statement, the developer claimed that the Switch version isn't currently up to scratch: "the island needs a little more prep time before we're ready to open our ports and have you all come ashore". Hey, we'd always rather see a delay than a bug-filled release.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube786kWatch on YouTube Ambertail and Team17 shared the statement on social media last week, confirmed by a new Switch trailer (above) released earlier today. You'll find the developer's full message and the original socials post below:Hey folks! We know you have been patiently waiting for Amber Isle's Nintendo Switch release, but we're very sorry to announce that we will be increasing the delay on our Switch port until February 2025.Seeing the excitement around the Switch launch has made this a really difficult decision. Our team has been working to iron out the bugs from our Steam release whilst making incredible strides to get our Switch version to a high standard of performance, but the island needs a little more prep time before we're ready to open our ports and have you come ashore!At launch in February 2025, our Nintendo Switch version will include all previous patches and updates from the Steam version! Additionally, for those who don't wish to wait but are able to play Amber Isle on Steam, we're part of the Team17 Fall Savings and Steam Autumn Sale so you can pick up Amber Isle at a discounted price.Our community has been incredibly kind and patient with us regarding our delays and bugs, and we'd sincerely like to thank you all for your understanding. Overall, we would hate to disappoint you with your first Switch experience of Amber Isle featuring performance issues, rather than being about meeting our friendly dinos! The extra time will be used to polish the Switch port to put out the highest-quality version of the game on this platform in February 2025. Thank you and see you soon!Hey, folks! Unfortunately, we have to delay our Switch launch of Amber Isle until February 2025. We understand how much you've been looking forward to it, and didn't feel comfortable releasing something that needed more time before it was in your hands Full details below: Ambertail Games (Amber Isle on Switch Feb 2025 PC OUT NOW!) (@ambertail.games) 2024-11-15T12:00:03.391ZThe dev confirmed that pre-orders for the Switch version of Amber Isle will go live on the eShop in January with a 20% pre-launch discount bringing things down to 20 / $20. There are, apparently, "no confirmed plans" for a physical release either, so you better snatch up the digital copies while they're hot.For those who missed the initial announcement, Amber Isle is a life sim game where you set up shop on a prehistoric island inhabited by cute dinosaurs. You'll be selling goods, making friends, decorating and customising your get-up you know, all the Animal Crossing good stuff.We're keeping our fingers crossed that this one hatches on its new (new) release date. Run your own dino-storeWill you be picking up Amber Isle next year? Let us know in the comments.[source bsky.app]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:91 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related Articles62 Switch Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's Black Friday Sale (Europe)Every Switch game on sale that we rated 9/10+New Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Update Leaves The Switch BehindLa-li-lu-le-lower resolution133 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Cyber Deals' Switch eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higher