Elix MixDiablo 4 players are thrilled about a couple of undocumented changes in Season of Witchcraft that only demon-killing veterans will appreciateBlizzard forgot to include a few of the changes that made it to Diablo 4 with the start of Season 7 in the patch notes, and it made players all the more excited to see them.Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment. News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on Jan. 24, 2025 As is often the case with new Diablo 4 seasons and major patches, a few of the smaller changes often dont get included in the patch notes. Discovering what those are has actually sort of become one of players favourite activities at the launch of every new season.Season of Witchcraft, Diablo 4s seventh season, launched on Tuesday with a beefy gameplay patch, alongside new a host of seasonal content, quest, witchy powers and more. Some of the changes that had players very excited, however, have little to do with any of that.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The ever-vigilant players on the Diablo 4 subreddit discovered a small change to Incense thats not only been commonly requested, it's one that just makes sense! Incenses now last 30 minutes, just like Elixirs. Since you can have one of each active at any one time, the new tweak means you can start the countdown for both at the same time, knowing that theyre going to end together, too.Prior to that change, Incense always ran out before Exliris, so you either had to wait for your active Elixir to be depleted before activating both again, or activate another Incense immediately, which usually meant forgetting to re-activate your Elixir. This may sound small, but in the endgame, relying on Elixirs and Incense makes a big difference, and anything that makes managing the mundane aspects of gameplay easier will always be appreciated by players.Patch 2.1.0, which arrived with the new season, also made yet another welcome quality of life change to Elixirs. The options available to craft are better organised, meaning the giant list we used to have that included every different Elixir is gone, replaced with categories that are easier to sort through. In other words, you wont have to worry about reading which tier the Elixir you're looking at is, which can get quite annoying later into the game when all options are available to craft. The Armory has also been getting its share of love and appreciation. | Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.You may have also noticed that the Wardrobe and player customisation screen have been entirely redone. The pigments now have their own tab, which makes it easier to give all items the same colour by default. The new layout is easier to read, too, and allows for more room for our evergrowing collection of transmogs.Unfortunately, the new design brought back the item notification bug, whereby the icon letting you know theres something new for you to see remains visible no matter what you do. If these things tend to annoy the life out of you, youre certainly not alone in that.Season of Witchcraft has been well-received by players so far, and many are especially happy with the volume of quality of life features Diablo 4 has now compared to last year, which affects all players of the game regardless of whether or not they engage with seasonal content.

If you hopped into Marvel Rivals to give its freshly dropped Spring Festival a go yesterday, you may well have been at risk of ending up in a Clash of Dancing Lions match forever, forced to live with the shame of having given up a goal for all time. Read more

Image: NintendoLate last year, it was reported that several PlatinumGames veterans had seemingly left the studio. While only Bayonetta Origins' Abebe Tinari confirmed this news, it looks increasingly likely that Astral Chain director Takahisa Taura has followed suit, potentially forming a new company in the process (thanks, Nintendo Everything).Initial rumours about Taura's PlatinumGames departure arose after the director (alongside several other Platinum vets) removed all mention of the studio from his social media bios. Adding fuel to the fire, one fan on Twitter noted that Taura's Facebook profile has been updated with a new place of work: Eel Game Studio.We know very little about this studio or Taura's role in it at the time of writing, though its registration info (as flagged on ResetEra) states that it was established in late 2024 and is based in Tokyo. We know, shocking.That's not to say that fans aren't already piling on the speculation, mind you. Earlier this week, a Reddit user (who swiftly deleted their account) took to the PlatinumGames forum, claiming to have information about 'Astral Chain 2'. According to their story allegedly sourced from "someone who previously worked at Platinum Games" a sequel was in development at Platinum, but conflicts from within the studio and from Nintendo meant that the project was eventually rebooted with the Big N at the helm (studio head Atsushi Inaba said that the series was under Nintendo's control back in 2021).It's an elaborate read, but one that almost makes sense the longer you go with it if you can get past the suspicious account deletion and the "Platinium" typo in the topic, that is:If (and it's a big if) Astral Chain's director truly has left PlatinumGames and has since formed a new studio, there's every chance that a full sequel could be in the works. We're reading all this with a hefty pinch of salt, naturally, but it's fun to dream.Taura joined the likes of Metal Gear Rising's Kenji Saito, The Wonderful 101's Masaki Yamanaka and the aforementioned Abebe Tinari with the bio updates late last year, seemingly confirming a huge blow to the studio's talent.That said, it would be foolish to count PlatinumGames out. Just yesterday at Xbox's Developer_Direct 2025, the studio popped up with Koei Tecmo's Team Ninja to reveal Ninja Gaiden 4 for Xbox, PlayStation and PC. No, a Nintendo version hasn't been announced (yet), but it's clear that work is still underway from the Bayonetta developer, regardless of how many of its veterans may have left. He's moved to a PlayStation teamHideki and seekThe Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames is backDo you hope to see an Astral Chain sequel in the future? Let us know in the comments.[source facebook.com, via nintendoeverything.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 ArticlesRound Up: Video Game Industry Reacts To Nintendo's Switch 2 AnnouncementHere's what everyone thoughtNintendo's Share Price Dips Following Its Big Switch 2 RevealNo need to panic, thoughNintendo's Switch 2 Announcement Reportedly Impacted Steam Deck SalesThe surprise reveal got everyone's attentionNintendo's Average Salary Crowned The Second-Highest In Western Japan Last YearDespite the annual salary falling a little

This review was originally published in April 2009. We're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of the game in the Nintendo Switch Online SNES library.Every so often a game comes along that makes you take your thumb off the fire button and don your thinking cap. But who wants to have to spend a lot of time thinking just to get through a game, you say? Well, one thing that's abundantly clear from playing Sutte Hakkun is that you're going to either love this game or hate it.This late-gen Satellaview/Super Famicom collaboration between Nintendo and indieszero presents one of the most unique and innovative puzzle/platforming experiences ever found in a video game, with simple controls and mind-bending puzzles found in each insane level. As much fun as the game is, however, later levels belie the happy, colourful visuals and feel more like a college thesis than a video gaming experience - you'd better hope that you haven't destroyed too many brain cells if you have any hopes of ever beating this brain buster.The premise of Sutte Hakkun is quite simple: you take on the role of the drinking bird Hakkun, and, using your pointed beak, you must suck in various blocks, move them to where you want them, and then spit them out. You can also suck in coloured Nectars and inject the translucent blocks with it. These various Nectars each have their own unique characteristics: Red Nectar will make the blocks move up and down, Blue Nectar makes them move side to side, and Yellow Nectar makes them move diagonally.Trying to figure out these combinations proves the biggest challenge in reaching the Rainbow Shard placed somewhere in each level. Your job is to locate all of the Rainbow Shards strung across the island and reconstruct the shattered Rainbow of Happiness, thus restoring peace to the land. Sounds simple, right?Hakkun can walk left and right and can also jump a short distance. The problem is that the game generally places the platforms out of reach this is where the translucent blocks come into play. You'll have to move them around by sucking them in and then spitting them out to get to previously inaccessible areas. You must then figure out which colour Nectar needed to get the correct movements from these blocks.As if this wasnt enough, you also have a creature called a Makkun which can be injected with Nectar and given special characteristics. The early stages give a nice smooth introduction as to how the game plays, but the challenge quickly increases.Controls are super smooth and perfectly built for the type of action you'll encounter in each level. Once you get a handle on the mechanics, Sutte Hakkun plays like a well-oiled machine. You can also pull up the submenu if you're stuck and it will provide hints. (Note. The NSO version is in Japanese, so navigating menus may take some trial and error!) This should really only be used as a last resort, as figuring out these tricky levels is really the whole point.The visuals in the game are sharp, but not very detailed that's not what this game is about. The colours are all very vibrant and the use of the translucent characters, enemies, and blocks provides a strong contrast that makes these bright hues stand out even more. Sure, there are no fancy Mode-7 effects or rotating polygons to marvel at, but you'll be too busy trying to figure out how to reach the Rainbow Shard in each level to worry about any lack of visual flair.Sutte Hakkun's music is almost as eccentric as the visuals. They're all very upbeat and happy tunes, and the way they blend into the background as you're thinking things through keeps them from ever becoming too repetitive, even when you find yourself stuck on the same level for ages. The sound effects are subtle as well, yet perfectly implemented, fitting the game's oddball theme like a glove. It's clear that a lot of time and effort were spent figuring out how to approach the audio/visual presentation of this unique puzzler and this extra effort really paid off in the end product.

The U.K.s antitrust regulator has reached an agreement with Google to counter the scourge of fake online reviews. The internet giant has committed to several remedies.Bogus endorsements have blighted the web since the creation of user reviews, which is why regulators around the world have been upping the ante on tech companies to put measures in place to curb such practices.The U.K.s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into several online platforms way back in May 2020, with formal enforcement cases launched against Google and Amazon the following year. The CMA had expressed concerns about whether the companies were doing enough to eradicate fake or misleading reviews.Some five years on, and the CMA has finally concluded the Google facet of the investigation, while the Amazon investigation rolls on for now. As part of the deal, the CMA says that Google is putting in place rigorous steps to identify and remove fake reviews on Google and Google Maps. This will include removing any identified fake reviews and banning the individuals behind those reviews from posting new reviews. Businesses will also have warnings emblazoned across their Google profiles, warning consumers that it has detected suspicious activity, while the ability to leave new reviews on that profile will be removed.While Google does lean on AI and machine learning to identify some fake reviews, it also relies on good old-fashioned human feedback. As such, the CMA says that Google has agreed to implement a new system to make it easier for consumers to report concerning reviews this will also include situations where they have been offered an incentive to post a positive review. Under reviewIts difficult to overestimate the impact that online reviews can have on a business, with CMA research indicating that as much as $23 billion of online spending is influenced by feedback posted publicly by previous customers. As the preeminent search engine in many markets, Google was always going to be a central figure in any efforts to reduce the spread of fake reviews, while Amazon is an obvious target as one of the worlds largest marketplaces.Left unchecked, fake reviews damage peoples trust and leave businesses who do the right thing at a disadvantage, Sarah Cardell, chief executive at the CMA, said in a statement. The changes weve secured from Google ensure robust processes are in place, so people can have confidence in reviews and make the best possible choices. They also help to create a level-playing field for fair dealing firms.The CMA has targeted other online platforms in the past over issues related to fake reviews, including Facebook and eBay. In the U.S., meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently finalized a new rule prohibiting specific practices around fake reviews, with penalties of up to $51,744 per violation.As part of their agreement, the CMA says that Google will report back to it over a three-year period to provide progress updates.A Google spokesperson said that it already blocks millions of fake reviews annually, many of which before theyre even published. Our work with regulators around the world, including the CMA, is part of our ongoing efforts to fight fake content and bad actors, the spokesperson said.

Landy Liu knows how hard it is to save for a home.While working at mortgage startup Better.com, he spent years dealing with first-home home buyers who felt overwhelmed when it came to shopping for homes. By the time it was his turn in 2022, mortgage rates had nearly doubled, and he found himself in one of the most challenging homebuying environments in decades.I put my purchase on hold and used my down payment to start Foyer, where I am a user alongside our members, he told TechCrunch.Foyer is a platform that helps consumers save for down payments, essentially acting as a 401k for homeownership, Liu said. He noted that specialized saving accounts and apps exist these days for nearly every big milestone, retirement, college tuition, even major health expenses, he said. Yet while there are general options in the market for saving up for down payments, there is nothing akin to a platform focused on down payments for homes.We believe homeownership is a vital part of the American dream and first-time homebuyers need all the help they can get, he added.On Foyer, users can create target savings goals and access personalized guidance on the best ways to save for a home, information about mortgage rates, and choosing a real estate firm. The company has a subscription model, offering memberships to users looking for more support. It can connect users with real estate professionals and also allows customers to earn rewards that can be used towards a home purchase.Real estate service providers spend billions annually marketing to end users and now they are able to more directly support the financial wellness of aspiring homebuyers, Liu said.Buying a home has become quite challenging in the past few years, with many aspiring homebuyers finding themselves priced out of the market completely, far away from hitting the milestones that generations previously hit at young ages. Saving for ones home requires better planning than ever, he said.Investors clearly see some shine in the idea. Today, Foyer is announcing a $6.2 million seed round led by Alpaca VC and Hometeam Ventures. Accion Venture Lab and Clocktower Ventures also participated in the round.Homeownership plays a crucial role in building long-term financial security, particularly for underserved communities that have historically been shut out of wealth-building opportunities, Amee Parhboo, a managing partner at Accion Venture Lab, told TechCrunch.David Goldberg, general partner at Alpaca VC, said what drew the firm to Foyer was its reimagined approach to homeownership.The combination of high-yield savings, education, and strategic partnerships makes this a compelling bet on the future of homebuying, he told TechCrunch.Liu said he met the lead investors through mutual connections in the fintech and proptech space. For now, Liu said Foyers main competition is traditional savings accounts. Foyer launched last year in Michigan but has since spread throughout the country, attracting more than 10,000 users, it said.The fresh capital will help the company expand and enhance product features.Home affordability is in crisis and yet homeownership remains the greatest source of wealth creation for middle-class and minority families in the United States, Liu said. Foyer is providing a solution for first-time homebuyers, a dedicated savings account that works for the next generation of homeowners.

Breakdown & ShowreelsLes Armes: VFX Breakdown by Alchemy 24By Vincent Frei - 24/01/2025 Chaos unfolds in Les Armes, and the Montreal-based studio Alchemy 24 ensures you feel every moment. Their invisible visual effects blend seamlessly with the story, elevating the tension of this military drama!Click on the picture to watch the reel. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

Tilst Church Expansion | Laura StamerLocated in the suburban area of Tilst, approximately 10 km west of Aarhus, Denmark, Tilst Church has long served as both a spiritual center and a gathering place for the local community. With its growing congregation and evolving community needs, the church required an expansion to enhance its functionality while maintaining its historical integrity. The architectural firm Tulinius Lind was commissioned to design this extension, which includes a new sacristy, an activity house, and a librarycollectively known as Lanternen.Tilst Church Technical InformationArchitects1: Tulinius Lind ArkitekterLocation: Tilst, DenmarkProject Year: 2020 2024Photographs: Laura StamerThe sacristy serves as a preparation area for clergy and choir members, featuring ample storage for liturgical garments and church artifacts. The design emphasizes natural light, with strategically placed windows creating a serene atmosphere conducive to reflection and preparation. Tulinius Lind ArkitekterTilst Church PhotographsFacade | Laura StamerExpansion | Laura StamerExpansion | Laura StamerExpansion Interior | Laura StamerExpansion Interior | Laura StamerTilst Church Expansion Architectural AnalysisTulinius Lind approached the project by focusing on harmonizing tradition with contemporary needs. Their vision was to create a seamless architectural dialogue between the existing church and the new additions, ensuring that the expansion would respect the churchs historical essence while offering modern amenities. This approach not only preserves the spiritual character of the site but also strengthens its role as a cultural and communal hub.One key expansion element is the new sacristy, designed to function as a preparatory space for clergy and choir members. This area is essential for housing liturgical garments, religious artifacts, and other sacred objects necessary for church ceremonies. The architects emphasized spatial efficiency, ensuring ample storage while maintaining an uncluttered and tranquil atmosphere.The sacristy is infused with natural light, a critical element in ecclesiastical architecture. Strategically placed windows allow sunlight to filter in, creating a serene ambiance conducive to reflection and spiritual preparation. The material palette remains understated, with a careful balance between contemporary finishes and traditional elements that honor the churchs architectural lineage.Lanternen The Activity House and Library as Community AnchorsBeyond its sacred functions, Tilst Church is a social and educational center for the surrounding community. Recognizing this role, Tulinius Lind introduced Lanternen, an addition comprising an activity house and library designed to foster community engagement.The Activity House: A defining feature of this space is its glass facade, which promotes transparency and connectivity with the exterior landscape. This design choice establishes a visual and physical dialogue between the church and its surroundings, reinforcing its openness to the community. The activity house is intended for diverse functions, including educational workshops, social gatherings, and cultural events, ensuring that the church remains a vibrant center beyond religious services.The Library: Designed to servethe local school and the general public, the library integrates reading, learning, and cultural activities within a welcoming space. Its layout prioritizes accessibility and comfort, encouraging knowledge-sharing and intellectual engagement. This expansion reinforces the churchs commitment to nurturing spiritual and intellectual growth in the community.Materiality, Light, and Spatial ExperienceTulinius Linds design philosophy is deeply rooted in the interplay of materiality and light, both of which play pivotal roles in shaping the spatial experience of the Tilst Church expansion.Material Choices: The architects opted for a restrained material palette that complements the churchs existing structure. Wood, glass, and brick are employed to create a sense of continuity between old and new while also ensuring durability and sustainability. The material selection enhances the spaces tactile quality, reinforcing each areas sacred and communal functions.Daylight as a Design Tool: Natural light is a recurring motif throughout the project, servingaesthetic and functional purposes. Light creates a contemplative atmosphere in the sacristy, while warmth and openness are fostered in the activity house and library. The architects strategically positioned openings to capture different lighting conditions throughout the day, enriching the spatial experience for visitors and users.Human-Centered Design: Every element of the expansion is crafted with the human experience in mind. From the scale of the rooms to the furniture and finishes, the design ensures that the spaces are welcoming, inclusive, and adaptable to the diverse needs of the churchs congregation and the broader community.Critical Reflection: Architectural Impact and LegacyOne of the most significant achievements of the Tilst Church expansion is its ability to honor tradition while embracing contemporary design principles. The project does not seek to overshadow or compete with the churchs historical architecture; instead, it complements and extends its role into the modern era. This balance ensures that the church remains a relevant and dynamic institution for years to come.The design also incorporates principles of sustainability and longevity, ensuring that the new additions stand the test of time. The use of natural light reduces reliance on artificial lighting, while the choice of durable materials minimizes maintenance needs. These elements contribute to the buildings environmental responsibility and long-term viability.Tilst Church PlansSite Plan | Tulinius Lind ArkitekterFloor Plan | Tulinius Lind ArkitekterElevations | Tulinius Lind ArkitekterTilst Church Image GalleryAbout Tulinius Lind ArkitekterThomas Tulinius is a Danish architect and co-founder of Tulinius Lind Arkitekter. With a deep commitment to contextual and human-centered design, he specializes in projects that seamlessly integrate modern architectural principles with historical and cultural significance. His work reflects a meticulous attention to materiality, light, and spatial experience, emphasizing sustainability and adaptability. Through projects like the Tilst Church Expansion, Tulinius continues to explore the evolving role of architecture in fostering community engagement and spiritual reflection.Credits and Additional NotesLead Architects: Thomas Tulinius, Tulinius Lind

Scale Architectures cost-efficient house showcases a possibility to regenerate the coastal built environment razed by bushfireThis project was shortlisted in the 2024 AR House awards. Read about the full shortlist hereClick to download drawingsIn 2020, the seaside bushland of Rosedale in New South Wales, Australia, was destroyed by the Black Summer bushfires. The fire brought drastic changes to the local built context: while the bushland recovered with utmost resilience, oversized houses and insensitive developments sprawled in the name of regeneration. The Rosedale House, designed by the Sydney-based studio Scale Architecture under multiple constraints, is one of the foremost responses to the sensitive repair and regeneration of the post-disaster area.The house is a single compact pavilion, designed pragmatically around the clients brief to rebuild their two-bedroom one-bathroom summer home lost to the bushfire, under the restrictive insurance payout of AU$430,000 (220,000). To avoid uprooting trees, Scale Architecture located the house away from the dense bushland area on the site and identified that the buildings footprint should cover a maximum area of 100m2. To minimise its disruption to the natural context and to address the significant level difference across the site, the house is placed on a galvanised steel frame, perched on a slope.The house sinks into its topographyCredit:Tim ClarkFrom the street, the house appears to be sunken, ensuring a level of privacy. To the south-west, a sun deck is open to the surrounding landscape of spotted gums, endemic to the eastern coasts of Australia. Under a hipped roof, gently pitched and truncated by a skylight at its apex, an open continuous living area is laid out from the entrance near the street to the decks to the rear. More private spaces the two bedrooms and a bathroom sit either side of the open living area.For Scale Architecture, the primary aim was to ensure the project was feasible within the budget restraints, in a remote location (roughly four hours drive from Sydney) with a limited local workforce the population of Rosedale is just 225. Finding that the traditional construction model was out of reach financially after the first tender, the architects took on an expanded role in the construction process, devising a method that minimised any unnecessary work on-site by using prefabricated structural elements and streamlining the process by purchasing most of these parts on behalf of the client (albeit a great financial risk for the small studio).Another result of the restricted budget is the simple material palette. The exterior is clad entirely in red corrugated iron; a red tin shack as described by the architects, the house is a reference to the beachside tin shacks that dot the coastal landscape of Rosedale. The timber flooring is sourced from a recently demolished Scout Hall in Casula, a suburb of Sydney; covering the floor of both the indoor and outdoor living areas, the timber makes a connection with the natural materials in its immediate setting.Scale Architectures Rosedale House is a humble and calm intervention in the bushland; its red monochromatic presence brings a breeze of hope and optimism to its fragile post-disaster context. It is a house of resilience and an exercise in restraint in the architects words, showcasing care and sensibility for its community and natural surroundings.The architects describe the house as an exercise in restraintCredit:Tim Clark

All images Jennifer Esseiva, shared with permissionFrom Dazzling Lights to Bursting Geysers, Jennifer Esseiva Captures Icelands Diverse SceneryJanuary 24, 2025NaturePhotographyJackie AndresNicknamed The Land of Fire and Ice, Iceland is home to an exceptionally diverse array of landscapes teeming with topographical gems and majestic skies. For these reasons, its no surprise the destination is considered a haven for photographers all over the world. After dreaming of visiting the scenic country for years, 2024 finally presented an opportunity for Swiss photographerJennifer Esseiva (previously).Esseiva devoted a 10-day trip across southern Iceland entirely to the regions vast surroundings, from the black sand beaches, towering glaciers, and impressive waterfalls to the moss-covered formations and striking displays of the Northern Lights.Where many prefer to travel in sunshine, Im more interested in clouds and rain, she says. Ive always found that photographing landscapes in different weather conditions gives them another dimension, a unique grandeur.The photographer is planning a forthcoming trip in March, this time to Finnish Lapland. Keep an eye on her Instagram for more, and check out her website for past projects and prints for purchase. Next article