Summary New details regarding one of the newIntelArrow Lake-S chips have been leaked, including exact specifications.IntelArrow Lake CPUs are expected to launch later this year, with a full reveal reportedly set for the upcoming Intel Innovation event in September. In June, leaks revealed information aboutIntel Lunar Lake’s Skymont efficiency cores, which are also featured in Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake desktop CPUs. Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake’s Skymont cores feature “double-digit” instructions per clock, or IPC, over previous generation Crestmont cores....

Summary Earth Defense Force 6is the latest entry in the series, known for its chaotic alien-blasting action. Set three years after the events ofEDF 5, the game continues the classic formula of defending Earth against waves of giant insects, alien invaders, and massive robots. WhileEarth Defense Force 6’s gameplay remains true to its roots, some players feel that the lack of significant innovations means it could have been released as a large expansion rather than a full sequel....

Resource Systemsare what grant an identity to the strategy genre, and though not all Strategy games rely solely on their resources to give players a fully immersive experience, they are a feature that needs to be around most of the time in orderto give shape to many other mechanics in this genre. Unlike population systems that force players to keep close control of their unit budget, resources can come in various colors and shapes....

Summary A formerSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguedeveloper has lambasted the game optimization process for theXbox Series S, calling it “annoying” and wishing the console “never existed.” This statement comes in the wake of the numerous game delays on Xbox consoles in recent memory, and complaints about working on theXbox Series Sfrom some developers. The Xbox Series S launched alongside the Series X in holiday 2020 as a less powerful, budget-oriented current-generation console....

Developer Neople’s upcoming action RPGThe First Berserker: Khazanis yet another ambitious project coming from under the umbrella of parent company Nexon.The First Berserker: Khazanbuilds off the foundation ofDNF Duelto provide players with an action RPG featuring a heavy emphasis on the “action” part of the equation. While Khazan is a character that features prominently in theDungeon & Fighteruniverse,Nexon’sThe First Berserker: Khazanis meant to give players some important insight into his background and motivations....

Summary The journey to get a live-actionHaloadaptation was a long and arduous one. After some excellent Neill Blomkamp-directedHaloshorts made their way online back in 2007, a live-actionHaloadaptation seemed like the obvious next step for the franchise, but it would be another six years until talk of a proper live-actionHaloTV show came about. Originally set to beproduced by Steven Spielberg, theHaloshow went through development hell, swapping hands multiple times before finally releasing in March 2022 as a Paramount Plus streaming show....

Video game movies are a losing proposition. Everything that works in an interactive medium will struggle when reduced to moving images. It’s like reading the novelization of a beloved film. The creator needs to do a lot to make up for what gets lost in translation. However, there are rare cases in which the loss of interactivity can change an element for the better. One controversial example may be the widely despised companion characters inThe Legend of Zelda, who may play better in the movie....

Summary Bringing Link and the world ofThe Legend of Zeldato life in a live-action adaptation is a daunting task —one that that Wes Ball, director ofKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is willing to undertake. There’s a lot for filmmakers to get right, from the right actor to play Link, to the right location to fill the role of Hyrule. Perhaps Ball will follow in Peter Jackson’s footsteps and use New Zealand as the movie’s backdrop....

Summary One of the things that has madeAnimal Crossinginto one of Nintendo’s biggest and most beloved franchises is its villagers. Each has a unique design and has its own appeal, giving players many different options as to who they want to have as residents of the world they intend to build. But while people can deem any of them as the coolest, prettiest, or evencutest villagers ofAnimal Crossing, there’s no control over which one appears or when they decide to leave in a playthrough....

InThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, there are perhaps no two characters more important than the ringmaking duo Sauron and Celebrimbor. A peerless master craftsman, Celebrimbor would be Sauron’s ideal partner as he plots to dominate the leaders of Middle-earth. Game Rant spoke withThe Rings of PowerSauron actor Charlie Vickers and Celebrimbor actor Charles Edwards about the pair’s approach to their characters and the dynamic between them. Vicker spoke to Sauron’s motivations and perspective, while Edwards offered insight into the power dynamic between the legendary elven craftsman and the fallen Maiar....

Summary Though the vast majority of players will never actively think about them, just about every video game has a set of dos and don’ts that players follow to maximize their efficiency during gameplay. Theseunwritten rulesare particularly prominent in online multiplayer games, where there are certain unspoken expectations placed on teammates. Though it’s only a week old,Concordalready has its own set of unwritten rules. While its player count is dropping rapidly by the day,Concordis far from a bad game, and when it inevitably goes free-to-play or joins PlayStation Plus, newcomers might finally be tempted to give the hero shooter a go....

Summary The Hero of Ferelden is the legendary first hero ofDragon Age, a Grey Warden whose mantle many players don to this day. This first game’s popularity is well-founded:Originsis a story that has something new to offer for gamers looking for a highly replayable dark fantasy. This game paved the way for RPGs in many respects, not the least of which is how much of theWarden’s character is up to players, and what kind of hardships and relationships shape a person....

Summary Twitch streamer MissMikkaa overcame the odds by beatingElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreewhile playing the game on PC and PS5 simultaneously. Famous for her approach to streaming games, this was her way of makingElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeeven more of a challenge. The new DLC forElden Ring, calledShadow of the Erdtree, came out this year and has taken the community by storm. It offers players a completely new region to explore, along withpowerful new Spirit Ashes, armor sets, consumables, and more....