Gaming

When I first booted up Age of Empires Mobile, it seemed like a faithful, if simplified, mobile adaption for the popular real-time strategy game series. I used my phone’s touchscreen to move units around, engage in combat, or take down structures. I was starting to see how this game could hook me if it were always like this, as I’ve dumped my fair share of time into games like Age of Empires II. Unfortunately, after that opening, Age of Empires Mobile exposes its true form.

Much of my early time in Age of Empires Mobile was spent in gacha menus, idle city building, and auto battles — none of which screamed Age of Empires to me. Nuggets of what’s so enjoyable about Age of Empires can be found in its mobile counterpart, but in practice, it feels like a mobile game adapted to the Age of Empires IP rather than a faithful and considerate Age of Empires adaptation for mobile.

A historical gacha

The core gameplay loop of Age of Empires Mobile is all about obtaining resources so you can continue to build up your citadel and upgrade the historical heroes and troops. For this early build, I was given tons of resources and never had to worry about timers or having insufficient resources to build what I needed. I suspect there will be time and money gates for free-to-play players, though. Obtaining historical figures through gacha pulls works for Age of Empires Mobile, as it gives the game a chance to cover a wide breadth of history without overloading the experience with many factions or campaigns from day one.

While games like Marvel Strike Force have shown me how this system can get predatory, I at least understand its inclusion here.  These historical figures serve as the leaders of troops I commanded, but unfortunately, Age of Empires Mobile lacks the depth of its PC counterparts or even fellow real-time strategy games on mobile, such as Warcraft Rumble. There’s a world map where players can walk around and engage players, but these battles are as simple as clicking a button to attack and watching the battle play out in real time. If you’re at a higher level than whoever you’re fighting, you’ll always win.

Age of Empires Mobile does feature Sieges and multiplayer battles that seem to act closer to the PC strategy games, but I did not encounter any of these in the early hours of the game outside of that opening. Even if that kind of content exists somewhere down the line, it feels a little misleading for Age of Empires Mobile not to get right into it. Choosing to focus on idle city building and an autobattler mode early on rather than the kind of RTS gameplay the series is known for is a baffling decision.

Building up my citadel was where most of my playtime was spent. It’s a sensible area for this mobile game to focus on, as maintaining a well-built and defended base is part of the PC Age of Empires games. Unfortunately, there’s little in the way of actual customization, so this part of the game felt like a huge time and resource sink to me rather than engaging. It also didn’t help that I was frequently directed to Age of Empires Mobile’s Island Tactics mode.

This mode is a direct clone of Auto Chess, as I placed my historical heroes in tiles and hoped they outlasted the competing forces. Autobattlers can be fun, but that’s not the type of strategy gameplay I come to Age of Empires for. It lacks much in the way of strategic interaction, which seems to be a recurring problem with Age of Empires Mobile. Outside of that opening and the occasional exciting historical hero pull, it does not feel like an Age of Empires game, but rather a reskin of other popular mobile games.

I’m not one to immediately dismiss mobile games. Marvel Snap has been my most-played game ever since it entered beta in May 2022, and I’ll occasionally check out games like Threes, Marvel Strike Force, or Warcraft Rumble when I need to kill some time on my phone. As a fan of Age of Empires, I was ready to be hooked by its mobile adaptation. Instead, I was left underwhelmed and confused about why I was seeing so many clichés rather than a sharp mobile strategy adaptation that gets why the PC Age of Empires games are as beloved as they are. Age of Empires Mobile may find an audience, but I doubt it will be with hardcore Age of Empires fans who’ve enjoyed the series for decades.

Age of Empires Mobile launches for iOS and Android on October 17.

It’s been nearly 17 years, and Dragon Ball fans are finally getting the long-awaited fourth entry in the legendary Budokai Tenkaichi series with Sparking Zero. Just like previous entries in the franchise, Sparking Zero includes a massive roster of 181 characters with beloved fighters, a single-player mode that takes us back to the most iconic moments, and a number of “What if” storylines.

With Sparking Zero‘s release right around the corner, gamers can’t wait to get their hands on this title and dive back into the Dragon Ball franchise. The fighting game’s file size has also surfaced online, finally giving us an idea of how much space we’ll need. It’s truly getting embarrassing for the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

If you’re planning to pick up Sparking Zero, you’re probably keen to know about the download size. After all, all modern-generation games can prove to be quite extensive in terms of required space. Fortunately, this fighting game won’t chew away much of your storage drive.

Thanks to PlayStation Size and Yeims_11, we finally know how much space the upcoming title will take. Currently, Sparking Zero is set to take 39 GB on Steam, 27.5 GB on PS5, and 21.9 GB on Xbox Series S/X. Compared to other fighting games out there, the download size is rather small.

Sources:
@/PlaystationSize
@/Yeims_11 who was able to pre-download on Xbox and Steam’s official site. pic.twitter.com/jcM4nP2fE6

— Hype (@DbsHype) October 4, 2024

Previous rumors suggested that Sparking Zero would require at least 80 GB on Xbox Series S/X or even over 100 GB. If we compare, Dragon Ball Z Kakarot‘s file size was around 40 GB of storage, which was fair considering the fact that it was an open-world adventure game.

While the title won’t require 80 GB of storage, Sparking Zero, being 30 GB, is quite shocking. As we’ve said before, Sparking Zero is packed to the brim with content, including huge rosters, heavily detailed arenas, and an expansive story. Players can create their own storylines and share campaigns for online players to experience as well, meaning there’s a lot to do.

It’s great to see Bandai Namco caring for its fans and their storage drives, unlike Activision with the upcoming Call of Duty Black Ops game.

Traditionally, Call of Duty titles have always featured a large file size. At this point, we’re all used to it, but for some odd reason, Activision is taking things to the next level with Black Ops 6.

Thanks to the Xbox store, gamers got to know that the approximate file size for the upcoming Black Ops game is 309.8 GB. That’s way too much for a single game, but according to the developers, it’s the size for the Call of Duty application, which contains the majority of the files for 2023’s Modern Warfare 3, 2022’s Modern Warfare 2, and Warzone.

Black Ops 6 itself will take 149 GB of storage. Even though it’s not a crazy number, like 309.8 GB, it’s still quite bizarre. Activision states that the game is highly graphic-intensive with brand-new characters, maps, modes, and features such as Omnimovement, which has led to larger file sizes.

Maybe it’s time for Activision to take a page out of Bandai Namco’s book and learn how to properly optimize game files and not destroy gamers’ storage drives.

With that said, are you excited to play Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero? If so, let us know in the comments below.

The Avatar universe is set to get “the biggest video game in franchise history” — an AAA RPG where players will be introduced to a whole new Avatar.

IGN reported Thursday that Paramount Game Studios and Saber Interactive are working on the game for both PC and console that will have the players take on the role of a new Avatar in an original story. It’s being made in conjunction with Avatar Studios, the company founded in 2021 by Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko to expand the universe into other media.

While the game will feature all-new story elements and characters, Paramount and Saber told IGN that it’ll still be familiar to players. Players will have to master all four elements, engage in fights with companions, and “experience the challenges and decisions that come with being the keeper of balance in the world.”

Saber’s catalog is full of licensed games. Earlier this month, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, from Saber developers, launched to critical acclaim. The day following release, publisher Focus Entertainment revealed that around 2 million players have logged on. Other games Saber is developing include one based on John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, and continued development on a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake.

“At Saber, we are all truly fans of the IP we work with,” said Josh Austin, head of IP development and licensing at Saber Interactive. “Our team members are some of the most devoted, passionate creatives out there and it’s an honor to join forces with Avatar Studios and Paramount Games to further expand the Avatar Legends universe in video games.

This isn’t the first attempt at bringing the Avatar universe to video games, although it is the biggest. There have been video game adaptations since 2006, and with the series’ mostly consistent popularity, there have been many others even recently. Avatar Generations was a mobile turn-based RPG from Square Enix that shut down around a year after it launched in 2023. There’s also an Avatar: The Last Airbender fighting game in the works at Maximum Games set to release in early access next year.

Despite the company’s recent decision to abide by the demands of the Brazilian Supreme Court, X still isn’t back online in Brazil — and according to Reuters, that’s at least in part because it paid its fines to the wrong bank. After weeks being banned in Brazil, X in late September named a legal representative for the country as ordered, and took down accounts the court accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech. Its final hurdle was to pay off the fines that it had racked up, reportedly amounting to roughly $5 million.

Citing Friday court filings, Reuters reports that X says it’s paid the fines and requested to have services restored. But, Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the funds went to the wrong bank, and the decision will have to wait until they’ve been transferred. X maintains that it paid its fines correctly, according to Reuters. X has been banned in Brazil since the end of August. While the company initially resisted the court’s orders, it recently changed its tune and said it was working with the Brazilian government to get the platform back online in the country.

The chaotic world Gremlins is back with Season 2 of the Max Original Gremlins series dubbed Gremlins: The Wild Batch.

Thanks to Comicbook, here’s a clip from the show showing off a scene of little Gizmo finding himself trapped by The Warden, played by Will Forte, enamored by this little Mogwai, holding him up in Alcatraz.

Beyond the Sausage Party: Foodtopia alum, we also have Ronny Chieng, Michael Paul Chan, Keith David, John Glover, Kelly Hu, and Jimmy O. Yang within the voice cast. This impromptu visit to the San Fran prison also introduces Simu Liu playing Chang. Based on the description, this also takes place one year after Season 1 and sees the trio of Gizmo, Sam, and Elle making their way home from Shanghai.

“Taking place one year after the events of season one, GREMLINS: THE WILD BATCH follows Gizmo, Sam, and Elle as they travel from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco, bringing even more magic, mystery and Mogwai mayhem. Hot on the trail of a new brood of evil Mogwai, our heroes journey deep into the American West, coming up against new supernatural creatures and picking up a few mysterious characters along the way.

Gremlins: The Wild Batch is available to stream right now on Max.

When you talk about MMA simulation titles, you can never go past EA Sports UFC. This franchise began its reign in this genre in 2014 after THQ’s immense success with UFC Undisputed. EA even went on to hold its highly popular Fight Night boxing simulation franchise to begin this MMA simulator franchise.

The MMA simulation title from EA marked its 5th installment in 2023, which is by far probably the best MMA game in terms of realism and gameplay. But just like every other EA Sports title, this game is also not free from bugs and glitches. And this might be the biggest problem for the game right now.

Recently, a fan took to Reddit and shared their disgust about the extreme glitches and bugs of EA Sports UFC 5. The fan has shared a GIF clip of a match in this game where a fighter looks like a Runner from The Last of Us.

This is a $70 game ladies and gentlemen…
byu/BBQ_Boi ingaming

It’s actually true. The character looked like a zombie more than a fighter because of a weird glitch as it was also unable to hit its opponent. It crawled in front of the opponent, throwing punches in the air mindlessly.

In the comment section of that post, another fan has stated this glitch to be worse than FIFA. This fact can’t be denied because we have seen many game-breaking glitches in EA Sports FC (previously FIFA), where the player goes straight into the goal post or an outfield player slams a chop kick directly on the goalkeeper.

On the other hand, there is another fan who commented on the Reddit post, where he shared a YouTube video. This video shows the condition of the very first game of this long-hailed series. Yes, EA Sports UFC, which was released more than a decade ago, was also infested with bugs and glitches.

The shocking part is that both the games, UFC and UFC 5, look almost similar. That means there has been no change for the last 10 years as far as fixing the bugs and glitches are concerned We hope EA looks into one of their most popular franchises and gets rid of these bugs and glitches. If you are new to the game, then you can check our review of the game for a better overview.

EA might not be that efficient in fixing the bugs and glitches in the game, but it always makes sure that there is no shortage of new content. That is why a new content update for this month is available in the game.

This update will focus on the Prime Series Alter Egos, which will revisit the early days of MMA legend Nick Diaz during his Strikeforce era. Along with Diaz, Daniel “DC” Cormier and Leon Edwards will also join the roster.

Besides this Alter Ego collection, 25-year-old lightweight prospect, Chase Hooper, will join the UFC roster too. Not only that, the undefeated champion in the undefeated category, Lerone Murphy, who holds a perfect 14-0-1 record, is also coming to maintain his undefeated streak.

Now everything will be sorted out if EA looks after the bugs and glitches in the game just like they do for the game’s content. What’s your opinion on this? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.

Ever since I saw Windblown in action at this year’s Game Developers Conference, I’ve been eager to get my hands on it. Motion Twin’s Dead Cells follow-up looked like an entirely different rouguelike on its colorful surface, but I could see the studio’s DNA in its fast action and progression hooks. Now players don’t have to wait long to try it for themselves. Windblown will launch into early access on October 24, and a free demo will be available even sooner on October 14.

Ahead of its launch, I went hands-on with a truncated version of the early access build. I wouldn’t have access to every weapon and I’d only get to explore two biomes (there will be five in the early access version), but that was more than enough to hook me. While it may look like a fairly standard action roguelike on its surface, Windblown’s lightning-fast action demands to be played. Once you do, you’ll immediately understand why it’s likely to become the next great roguelike.

Quick as lightning

Windblown wastes no time getting into the action. I’m immediately thrown into a run after choosing what animal hero I want to play as (I went as an adorable axolotl, of course). From there, I’m introduced to what initially feels like a fairly simple genre loop. I slash rooms full of enemies with my trusty cleaver and collect upgrades that make me stronger in that run. The main difference, especially from Dead Cells, is that I’m doing it in a 3D world that looks like it was pulled from a joyful cartoon. It’s a night-and-day change for Motion Twin, but it nails the vibrant style.

The more I play, the more Windblown unfurls into something special. The star feature is my character’s dash ability. By pressing a button, I can zip forward incredibly fast. That’s not just used for evading attacks; it’s how I navigate levels, which are fractured, floating islands. Even without aiming too precisely, it always feels like Windblown understands where I’m trying to go, creating perfectly smooth traversal. The more confident I get with it, the more fantastic it feels. I can zip around biomes like a lightning bolt, making Windblown a speedrunner’s dream. Battles can fly by just as fast too, as I can bolt away from an enemy to avoid its attack in an instant and just as quickly pop back in to continue my assault.

Not long after getting the hang of that, I really start to see what sets Windblown apart from its peers. At any given time, I can equip two main weapons (as well as two side trinkets that operate on cooldowns, like bombs or a whirling slash). Each weapon is assigned to a button, so I don’t need to swap one out to use the other. They don’t just have different ranges and attack speeds; each one achieves critical hits in different ways. One weapon will only deal critical damage via backstabs. Another, a crossbow, has a rhythm game component to it. If I fire when a circle on the screen lights up, I’ll dish out extra damage.

The combat widens even more when I learn about alterattacks. My two-weapon loadout isn’t just for show. Any pair of weapons I mix and match unlocks an extra attack for each. When I hit a specific attack sequence, a blue marker flashes on screen. For instance, it will always flash after I land two critical hits in a row with my bow. If I attack with my other weapon while it’s on screen, I pull off a bit of a special attack like a massive crossbow shot or jumping spin slash. Both of these twists make combat more rhythmic and strategic, almost like Hi-Fi Rush without the actual beat markers. You can button mash your way through battles if you want, but you’ll dish out far more damage if you actually learn the nuances of each weapon and nail them accordingly.

Even then, that’s not the bottom of Windblown’s deceptively complex combat system. After getting deep into its second biome after a few runs, I unlock a new ability: Crystallize. When an enemy is weak enough, I’ll occasionally be prompted to hit the left trigger. If I do that instead of finishing it off with standard attacks, I’ll slam into it to perform a finisher and get more resources for doing so. It’s another way that Windblown makes players stop and think about their actions instead of hastily spamming buttons. Alterattacks and Crystallization are both split-second decisions that require quick reaction time from players. While I have trouble keeping up with both at first, I eventually find that they become second nature to me as I hit them consistently. I feel like I’m mastering an instrument, going from an amateur guitarist barely being able to strum basic chords to someone capable of nailing a riff without thinking about it.

Building on a formula

All of those twists pair with Motion Twin’s genre expertise, building off the foundational Dead Cells. There are tons of progression hooks to chase that already have me popping into runs over and over without a second thought. My accumulated currencies let me unlock more weapons, perks that can appear during runs, and even some permanent upgrades that open up where I can explore — it’s the same Metroidvania hook that Dead Cells uses so well. I still have plenty to unlock after playing for hours, including upgraded healing flask capacity, more starting weapon choices at the top of each run, and more.

The more I’ve unlocked, the more build potential I’ve found. When I unlock the Goo Brush, a paintbrush weapon that makes enemies more susceptible to critical blows, I’m able to pair it with perks that make my goo corrosive. That, combined with a secondary Goo Bomb, meant that I could burn enemy health down quickly with the right strategy.

All of this comes together in co-op play. Up to three players can adventure together and there are lots of little design decisions that buff up that system. One trinket sets an enemy ablaze, but also puts a round aura around me for a short time. Any teammates standing in its perimeter get burn damage applied to their weapon while it’s active. Health flasks also create healing circles that any player can stand in to recharge their health, giving Windblown some light MMO influence.

Even the small touches stand out in co-op. When buying things from shops between biomes, players can actually pool their own resources to help others. In my co-op game, my teammate didn’t quite have enough golden shells to recharge their healing flask. He deposited 275 or so into the shop and then I put in the other 25, letting him take it. There’s a lot of potential for thoughtful team play here.

While Windblown is already winning me over, keep in mind that it’s an early access game. Weapon and perk choices are still limited, which can make runs feel a bit repetitive early on. The first two biomes I played also tended to feel the same from run to run, with a small set of room layouts that shuffled around each run. The early access release will be bigger, though, and Motion Twin will undoubtedly expand the experience based on player feedback on its road to 1.0. If you want to be part of the crowd that shapes it, Windblown is already worth diving into. It’s a blood-pumping bolt of adrenaline that’s destined to help shape the roguelike genre, just as its predecessor did all those years ago.

Windblown launches into PC early access on October 24.

Bloomberg recently reported that Apple is close to releasing an updated iPhone SE, which will be its first update to the low-end model since 2022. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is also planning to use the phone as a launching pad for its in-house 5G modems. The company purchased the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business for $1 billion back in 2019 after taking steps to be more self-reliant and aggressively recruiting staff to make that happen. But it has yet to release devices that use the modems designed by its internal team.

Apple and Qualcomm have somewhat of a complicated history. Qualcomm sued Apple in 2017, accusing it of violating its patents related to its phones’ ability to quickly connect to the internet after they’re switched on, as well as patents related to battery efficiency, graphics processing and apps’ capability to download data faster. They eventually settled their patent dispute after Apple agreed to pay Qualcomm royalties and to enter a six-year licensing deal, as well as a multi-year wireless chipset supply deal.

At the moment, Apple still equips its devices with Qualcomm-made 5G modems. Qualcomm also announced last year that it will continue providing modems to Apple until 2026. It’s possible that Apple wants to put its in-house modem to the test with just one iPhone first before it puts its technology in more devices.

The iPhone SE 4 will look similar to the iPhone 14 (pictured above), 9to5Mac says, and will be powered by an A18 chip with 8GB of RAM that will make it possible for it to have some Apple Intelligence features. It will reportedly feature Face ID and will no longer have a home button like previous iPhone SEs, and the device will apparently have the iPhone 15’s 48MP wide camera and 12MP front cam. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to be unveiled next year, possibly sometime in the spring.