Persona 5: The Phantom X is the latest of Atlus’ efforts to turn it into every genre. After a dancing game, a Musou and a tactics RPG, here is the attempt to capitalize on the popularity of gacha games. After the Black Wings Game Studio game's release in China and South Korea over a year ago, it’s now reaching English and Japanese audiences.

Persona 5 as a gacha is a concept that surprisingly makes sense. Gachas work through regular updates with story chapters that introduce new characters. Persona’s “gain a party member in each dungeon” progression system fits alarmingly well.

Making this work requires a new cast though. Theoretically, it’s unlikely anyone would want to gamble to pull each of the original Phantom Thieves when you could just play Persona 5. Instead of the usual gang, we get a new protagonist codenamed Wonder who is basically Joker with a 90s boy band haircut. He is introduced to the Metaverse by Lufel, an owl whose name I keep forgetting since I call him Owlgana so often. Imagine Morgana, but he can fly and uses big old-timey words. Also his vehicle form is a car, not a bus. Those are the only differences.

In Persona 5: The Phantom X, a mysterious force is using the Palaces in the Metaverse to drain the desires of ordinary people. An incident with a deranged bike courier causes Wonder to fall on his phone and enter the Metaverse. Once there, he unlocks his Persona and begins recruiting members for a new band of Phantom Thieves. Some of them are recruited through the traditional Persona way. Motoha Arai is a Chie/Ryuji hybrid with a personal connection to the first villain. Others are pulled from Contracts, aka a gacha system.

It feels reductive to call this Persona 5 with gacha mechanics, and yet that is exactly it. If you’ve played a gacha game, you know what this means. There are daily goals, training modes and time-limited events. You have a multitude of currencies, upgrade items, and special character tickets, all of which can be earned or paid for. My experience with the genre is entirely HoYoVerse’s work, particularly Zenless Zone Zero, but the systems are practically identical.

But under that, this is Persona 5. The same stylish UI is meticulously recreated. The dungeon navigation is tinged with stealth mechanics and hidden treasures. Combat involves the same turn-based system, with Baton Passes, All-Out Attacks, and navigator bonuses all present. There’s a Velvet Room (this one’s underwater) where you can fuse Personas. All this is wrapped up in a city life sim, during which you have to study, work part-time jobs, and hang out with your friends. Everything you’d expect from Persona 5 is here, just as you remember it.

However, Persona 5: The Phantom X always feels like a lesser version. City life elements are no longer measured on a limited timeline, instead restricted by a daily energy meter. Dungeons strip out resource management tension (save rooms auto-heal you) and instead block progress with arbitrary level caps. Even the plot feels weaker. The original game's first target is a creepy school coach abusing his power. Here the first target is a man who… likes bumping into women on the subway?

The most egregious downgrade comes in the Persona system itself. Negotiation is out, as Personas leap straight into your compendium upon defeat. You’ll amass a small army as a result, but Wonder can only equip a maximum of three, a quarter of Joker’s maximum. Even building them feels limited, with fewer ability slots and a greater number of passives over battle actions. Personas feel less versatile all round here, which is a shame when the series is literally named for them.

Persona 5: The Phantom X is a difficult game to recommend. As a gacha game, it’s elevated by lifting so much from Persona 5. But the inverse is true, as the gacha elements have weakened a lot of what made the original game great. If you loved the style of Persona 5 and want something free and casual that lets you kick around in its world some more, there’s fun to be found in Persona 5: The Phantom X. But those who min-max the Fusion system or hate gachas are unlikely to be convinced.

Persona 5: The Phantom X is out now for PCs and mobile devices.

The post Review: Persona 5: The Phantom X Is a Shadow of the Original appeared first on Siliconera.

Microsoft announced the date for the comapny's 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, along with a special presentation on The Outer Worlds 2, the sequel to the 2019 game. The Showcase will be streamed on June 8, 2025. This will fall during Summer Game Fest 2025. It is also about when the company used to share its E3 presentations, back when the event existed.

It’s unknown what Microsoft has planned for the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. Like previous years, it will show off what’s in development across the various Xbox studios, including those at Bethesda and Activision. Microsoft have also confirmed that third-party games will have a presence in the line-up. The focus will likely be on Xbox Series X titles, though we have seen Xbox One games appear in the past during these types of presentations too.

The only game confirmed is The Outer Worlds 2, which will be the focus of an additional second presentation after the main showcase. This is nothing new for Xbox, as the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase featured a dedicated showcase for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and 2023 featured a special Starfield presentation going over the Bethesda game. With this presentation, it’s clear that Microsoft expects The Outer Worlds 2 to be the company's big holiday release for this year. If this is the case, it will be the second Obsidian project to release in 2025, alongside Avowed.

The Xbox Games Showcase 2025 will be streamed through the official Xbox channels on YouTube, Twitch and Facebook. It will start at 10am PDT/1pm EDT/6pm BST/7pm CEST on June 8, 2025. EDT/6pm BST/7pm CEST. The Outer Worlds 2 Direct showcase will follow immediately afterwards. The presentation will be available in 40 languages, along with British and American Sign Language and English audio descriptions. The Outer Worlds 2 Direct showcase will follow immediately afterwards.

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The English dub cast has been revealed for the first episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. The news was revealed as the series released on Crunchyroll with a simultaneous English dub.

The English dub cast of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes consists of:

• Koichi – Jack Broadbent
• Knuckleduster – Jason Marnocha (Transformers: Combiner Wars, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
• Pop Step – Macy Anne Johnson (Akudama Drive, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie)
• Kugisaki – Joshua Waters (Death Battle, Honkai: Star Rail)
• Number 6 – Aaron Campbell (Chainsaw Man, One Piece)
• Tokage – Kamen Casey (Bluelock, Sing a Bit of Harmony)
• Tochi – Mike Smith (Sand Land, Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan’s Island)
• Kugutsu – Dakota Farnsworth (I May Be a Guild Receptionist But I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time)

In addition, Justin Briner, Christopher Sabat, Dave Trosko and Christopher Wehkamp are reprising their roles as their characters from the original My Hero Academia anime.

The English adaptation of the anime was handled by Matthew Greenbaum and produced by Zach Bolton, who also did the voice direction. The original anime was directed by Kenichi Suzuki, featuring character designs by Takahiko Yoshida and music by Yuki Hayashi, Shogo Yamashira and Yuki Furuhashi. The first episode is available to view now via Crunchyroll.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a spin-off of the original My Hero Academia manga. It ran in Jump GIGA and Shonen Jump+ from August 2016 to May 2022. It acts as a prequel to the main series. A trailer for the anime adaptation was released by Crunchyroll back in January 2025.

The first episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is available to view now on Crunchyroll, with the English dub released simultaneously.

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes English Dub Details Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

Promise Mascot Agency involves a strange concept for a game. It’s an open world management game set in a world where mascots are sentient creatures, not people in suits. You’re a yakuza seeking redemption. And somewhere along the way you must save a rural town from its slow decay. It’s a concept that immediately grabbed me when it was announced, and I was excited to get my hands on it.

Michi is a yakuza banished to the small town of Kaso-Machi after he loses 12 billion yen in a deal gone wrong. There, he must raise the lost money by reviving an old agency for mascots, staffed only by Pinky, a murderously adorable mascot in the shape of a severed finger. However, if he doesn’t complete his task quickly enough, the curse of the town will claim his life.

Initially, it may be difficult to grasp exactly what Promise Mascot Agency is. Fortunately, there’s an obvious answer in the protagonist himself. Michi is voiced by Takaya Kuroda, who you might know best as a different video game yakuza: Kazuma Kiryu. It’s an appropriate voice, because if you’ve lost days to any of the Yakuza franchise’s management side games, you’ll have a rough idea of what to expect here. Most of the management aspects of Promise Mascot Agency echo those seen in the cabaret club or real estate management of Yakuza 0 or the Ichiban Holdings side story in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Here’s how it works. You drive your little kei truck around the town, finding unemployed mascots and offering them contracts. Once hired, mascots can be sent on jobs with local businesses. You can then use the money to invest in improvements to the agency, which brings in more money and fans. You can also use your money to invest in the town itself, causing business to pick up, creating more work for you. You also need to send money back to your matriarch as often as possible, to prevent the debt collectors showing up and breaking everyone’s kneecaps. Also, occasionally you have political debates as Pinky attempts to defeat the town’s corrupt mayor in the upcoming election.

Despite the persistent time limit presented by the family’s debt, Promise Mascot Agency is a surprisingly chill game. Most of your time is spent cruising around town, picking up contracts, mascots and collectibles. It’s strangely meditative, and easy to lose hours to its gameplay loop. Its freeform nature also reminded me of the previous game from developer Kaizen Game Works, Paradise Killer. Just like that game turned a murder mystery into a relaxing wander around an island outside the bounds of reality, they’ve done the same here with a management sim and a run-down town in rural Japan.

While Promise Mascot Agency doesn’t lean as hard into the vaporwave aesthetics of Paradise Killer, elements of that game have snuck in. The game’s persistent VHS filter and light city pop inspired soundtrack are obvious parallels for a start. But the character designs also manage to evoke the surreal residents of Paradise Island 24, even with the influence of former Capcom and Tango Gameworks designer Ikumi Nakamura.

However, it does still manage to carve out its own space within this. Unlike Paradise Killer, Promise Mascot Agency is a lot more grounded in reality. This may be a world where you can bump into a walking tofu block or a vampire made of shaved ice, but their stories are painfully real. Everyone in this town is suffering from government corruption and mismanagement of rejuvenation funds, something that you’re constantly working to combat. It maintains a dark sense of humor about it all, particularly with Pinky’s frequent asides about burying the mayor in a shallow grave. It’s definitely not a dour experience, as the cast is full of lovable oddballs always up to some kind of shenanigans.

Promise Mascot Agency isn’t going to appeal to everyone though. The gameplay leans a little heavily into repetition, with most of the management aspects amounting to selecting things from a menu. It’s a game that quickly fills up a task list for you and you spend a lot of time simply driving between those tasks. If you click with the setting and the humor, you’ll happily sink into the experience and go along for the ride. If you’re looking for more action or a more in-depth management experience, you’re unlikely to find it here.

Promise Mascot Agency is still a strange game. Its repetitive gameplay loop, limited management aspects and refusal to be serious at any point may be off-putting to some. But if you enjoy surreal humor and are seeking a cozy life sim with a vaguely threatening aura, you’ll be able to find a home in Kaso-Michi.

Promise Mascot Agency will release on April 10, 2025 for PC, Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

The post Review: Promise Mascot Agency Is a Charmingly Strange Management Game appeared first on Siliconera.

A new FromSoftware game, The Duskbloods, was announced at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. It is set for release in 2026.

The Duskbloods is a new IP from FromSoftware, set in a new Victorian-inspired world with similarities to Bloodborne. The trailer showed off a number of mysterious characters, including a woman in Chinese dress and a strange figure in a full-body suit with a gas mask walking through a poison swamp.

While not much is known about the game, we can see demonstrations of vampiric powers and telekinesis, although it's not clear if these are powers the player can make use of or if they're used by major enemies.

Currently, The Duskbloods has only been confirmed for release on the Switch 2. It's not the only FromSoftware game set to release on Nintendo's new system though, as a port of Elden Ring has also been confirmed.

The Duskbloods is set for release for Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. Other platforms have yet to be confirmed.

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Super Mario Party Jamboree will be getting a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition containing new content including a new addition called Jamboree TV. This was revealed at Nintendo's Switch 2 reveal Direct.

Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV is the same as the base game, only now this edition will use exclusive features of the Switch 2. The game makes use of the new Joy-Con mouse functionality and the system's voice chat features, as well as the optional Switch 2 Camera. The mouse controls and microphone will be used for new games, while the camera will be used to display player faces next to their characters.

The game will also feature two new modes: Bowser Live and Carnival Coaster. Bowser Live will encourage lively competition, with the camera and microphone being used for games involving full-body movement. Carnival Coaster is a shooting game that will occasionally switch to minigames, both using the mouse controls.

As well as Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV, Nintendo revealed Mario Kart World as a launch title for the new system.

Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV will release for Nintendo Switch 2 on July 24, 2025.

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The Legend of Zelda movie now has a release date of March 26, 2027. The announcement was made through the new Nintendo Today news app. That was first revealed during the March 2025 Nintendo Direct, and it is available on mobile phones worldwide.

While the movie adaptation of The Legend of Zelda now has a release date, not much else is known about the project. Nintendo’s announcement was presented as a 25-second teaser video, featuring the title music from the Famicom Disk System version of the original 1986 game. It features the Triforce fading in along with news of the announcement. No further details were announced.

The Legend of Zelda movie was first announced in 2023 as a joint production between Nintendo and Sony Pictures. The producer is Avi Arad, who previously produced various Spider-Man projects, including the Sam Raimi movies and the Spider-Verse animated movies. He has also produced two video game movies, Uncharted and Borderlands. The director is Wes Ball, whose previous projects include The Maze Runner trilogy and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

It's not clear if the movie will be a direct adaptation or an original story set in the game’s world. No cast members have been announced at the time of writing.

The Legend of Zelda movie will release on March 26, 2027.

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SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered was both announced and released today for Nintendo Switch. It was revealed as part of the March 2025 Nintendo Direct. This is the second remaster in this line of SaGa games to appear.

SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered contains the original game with enhanced visuals, along with brand new events. The game will also increase how many allies can join you in battle, including some characters from the first game, and a new stat transfer system has been added. New powerful bosses have been added as a post-game challenge. In addition, the PocketStation minigame from the original has been adapted into the remaster.

SaGa Frontier 2 originally released for the PlayStation in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in North America and Europe. It features two main protagonists, Gustave and Wil, whose stories intertwine in a non-linear narrative. Players can select which parts of the timeline they wish to play at any given time, and features three different turn-based battle systems. A remaster had been suggested by series director Akitoshi Kawazu, although he last claimed it would take a while to appear.

SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered is out now for Nintendo Switch. The original SaGa Frontier Remastered is also available on the console.

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A new gameplay trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was revealed at the March 2025 Nintendo Direct. The game will release for Switch sometime in 2025.

In new gameplay trailer, Nintendo showed more of Metroid Prime 4. The trailer introduced us to Planet Viewros, a jungle planet built around a giant tree, along with a selection of new enemies that Samus will face off against. The trailer also revealed that most of Samus' new abilities are going to revolve around psychic powers. Telekinesis was the main power shown off, with Samus moving energy around, manipulating objects and changing the trajectory of her beams.

We also got hints at the game's plot, as a mysterious alien race appear to have called Samus to their planet. One of them calls her the Chosen One. A new red suit was also shown right at the end of the trailer too, although it's not clear what the purpose of it is yet.

Metroid Prime 4 was first announced way back in 2017. It was being worked on by an unconfirmed developer until 2019, when development restarted under original Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios. It finally resurfaced at the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, now under the title Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will release for Nintendo Switch later in 2025.

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Bandai Namco announced that Tekken will inspire a board game adaptation. The project can currently be supported on Gamefound. Elements from Tekken 8 will apparently be incorporated into it.

The Tekken Board Game is being developed by Go On Board in collaboration with Bandai Namco. The game designers promise the game will translate the gameplay of the Tekken games to a tabletop through unique character and stage mechanics. The game will make use of the game’s use of High, Mid and Low strikes as part of its central gameplay. While it’s primarily played with two players, a tournament mode will allow the game to be extended to eight players. The game will also feature detailed miniatures of fighters from the game, although the full lineup has not been announced.

The project can currently be followed on Gamefound, a crowdfunding site for tabletop games. When the campaign goes live, supporters will be receive a special Angel Jin statue exclusive to the campaign. Prior to the Tekken Board Game, Go On Board worked with CD Projekt to develop board games based on The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. They also developed their own original board games, Titans and Valhalla.

The Tekken Board Game was announced during the most recent Tekken Talk presentation, where the Tekken team also discussed the latest DLC character, Anna Williams, and briefly covered an upcoming crossover collaboration with Atelier Yumia.

Tekken 8 is available now for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S. The Tekken Board Game is in development and can be followed on Gamefound.

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The Classification Board in Australia has no longer refused classification for Silent Hill f, despite reports over the past weekend. The upcoming horror game is now awaiting classification ahead of its release. This update came after Stevivor received an official comment from the board regarding the new game's status. [Thanks, Stevivor!]

The Australian Classification Board initially featured a page that revealed Silent Hill f had been refused classification, meaning it was effectively banned from sale in the country. However, this appears to be an automatic classification provided through the IARC Global Rating Tool, which publishers can use to self-report the content of their game.

However, it’s historically been a problem in Australia, where games tend to get an automatic rating higher than the one assigned by the Classification Board itself. Games such as We Happy Few and Kingdom Come: Deliverance have also been reported to have been refused for classification through this system, despite releasing in Australia without issue. A recent statement from the Board itself has confirmed that Silent Hill f is still awaiting a rating and has not been refused classification in Australia.

The Australian Classification Board has a rocky history with video games. This is due to the highest rating (R 18+) originally not being applied to games in the way they would for movies. This was changed in 2013, but its requirements remain strict. Games which feature drug use as a form of reward, sexual violence or "high impact violence” are usually refused classification. Silent Hill f’s Steam page features a warning about the game containing child abuse and drug-induced hallucinations. These are likely reasons for why the system initially claimed the game has been refused classification.

Silent Hill f is the next upcoming game in Konami’s horror series. Originally announced in 2022, a full trailer was shown off at the latest Silent Hill Transmission in March 2025. It will be set in Japan during the 1960s and features a story written by Ryukishi07 (When They Cry series).

Silent Hill f is currently in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

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The Kabukimono are a group of ronin causing trouble in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. One extended sidequest requires you to track them all down across Settsu and take them out.

You can find the initial quest at the Nishinomiya Shrine, west of Amagasaki. You’ll find one of the priests standing at the entrance, trying to calm down a child. He explains that the Kabukimono are a group of ronin who are causing trouble across the region, and he would like something to be done about them.

He gives you clues to the locations of most of them, and they can be dealt with in any order. However, this is the order I recommend, going from easiest to hardest.

How to Find and Defeat the Ghost General Kabukimono in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

The easiest of the Kabukimono in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The Ghost General can be found at the port in Sakai, traveling along the piers and interacting with merchants. Simply head to the port and you can overhear locals talking about his habit of stealing food.

Fortunately, his open public presence and limited bodyguards make him easy to take out. To make things easier, he also loves standing near the water, usually while his bodyguard walks elsewhere. Wait for him to held along a pier and swim out. If you can’t get him from the water, climb out behind him and take him out. You will need to fight him to remove the last part of his health bar, but once he’s gone, escape into the ocean.

How to Find and Defeat the Grave Dancer

Another relatively easy member of the Kabukimono. The Grave Dancer hangs out at the Sumiyoshi Shrine southeast of Osaka. It’s another public location and, like the Ghost General, only has one bodyguard. He also likes to walk near tall buildings, perfect for pouncing on him from above.

Of course, that is the strategy. Climb onto one of the shrine’s buildings, move above him and perform an assassination. You won’t kill him outright but this does remove a lot of his health. With a big chunk of his health bar removed and only one assistant, this is a relatively easy fight.

How to Find and Defeat Ember

The clues for Ember are slightly misleading, as they state he is southwest of Osaka Castle. This just means he’s in Osaka, inside a block on the west side, near the southern bridge to Kojo Ruins. This block is a guarded area, so you’ll be attacked on sight when you enter.

However, there is an extremely simple solution to this. There are two straw awnings you can climb onto – one to the east and one to the south. Ember and his guards are also standing next to a pile of explosive urns. Simply throw a kunai at this pile to cause significant damage. You may need to hop in to finish him off, but the explosion will do most of the work for you.

How to Find and Defeat Big Sueki

Big Sueki is the first of the Kabukimono who might prove a challenge. He can be found in a private garden in Muko Post Town, north of Amagasaki. There’s a small building with an alley into a garden next to it. Big Sueki and his cohorts are hanging out in this garden, but with so many of them, you shouldn’t really enter through the alley.

Instead, head to the building next door and head into the area behind it. There’s a gap in the fence that takes you behind the foliage in the garden and provides a helpful patch of grass to hide in. Sneak around and perform a sneak attack on Sueki. You won’t take him out immediately, so you’ll be forced into a fight with the whole crew. However, a smoke bomb should help cause a distraction. Focus on Sueki, then flee as soon as he’s dealt with.

How to Find and Defeat Chief Cuckoo

Chief Cuckoo is the hardest member of the Kabukimono to assassinate in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. This is because he’s located in the Katano Oil Trading area southwest of Katano Castle (or south of Katano’s Ornament Vendor). This is a heavily guarded area, and his patrols are usually through areas with a high density of guards.

If you’ve got Yasuke, it may be easier to charge in with him and make use of his higher defence, but if you want to be stealthy with Naoe, there are some options available to you. Upgrading your kunai skills to do more damage will help in softening him up from a distance, and smoke bombs can help cause a distraction. If there’s too much pressure, it may be worth fleeing temporarily and coming back to finish him off when they’ve lost sight of you.

How to Find and Defeat the Final Three Kabukimono in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

The final three slots on the Kabukimono quest can now be opened up with all the other targets defeated. You’ll need to head back to the Nishinomiya Shrine and leave a message to draw out the remaining trio. You get the option to hunt them individually or gather them in one place. I would recommend the latter option, mainly because it’s the quickest and easiest.

However, you will need to wait a little while, as the trio are level 23, and located in Harima, which is likely to be difficult to get through at the level the initial targets become available. When you’re an appropriate level, head into Harima west from Amagasaki. If you follow the coastal road towards the Kakogawa Estuary then head north before crossing to the Estuary island. This road leads to the Takagi Otsuka Fort. The Kabukimono camp is southeast of this fort.

To take out your targets, you’ll need to get into the camp. The east side has a rock formation that you can climb that allows you to jump the fence onto the roof of a building. Drop down between this building and the fence and sneak around behind the opposite building, placing it between you the targets. From here, you can peek around the corner to see them, but this also gives the perfect angle to throw a kunai at an explosive urn near your targets. This is the ideal way to weaken them and make the fight easier.

In the chaos, you have the ability to throw a couple more tools as they start moving towards you, and a smoke bomb will confuse them and allow you to do more damage quietly. Despite the numbers, this surprisingly isn’t as difficult as it first seems. Once they’re all down, return to the priest who gave you the quest to receive your rewards.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is out now for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S.

The post How to Find and Defeat the Kabukimono in Assassin’s Creed Shadows appeared first on Siliconera.

Early on in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you can encounter Kuji-Kiri spots where Naoe can perform meditation and complete flashback quests. Each of these quests is a special stealth mission designed to teach you the skills of the shinobi, although some might prove a little tricky.

Where to Find Kuji-Kiri Mediation Spots in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

While Naoe’s quest requires you to complete four Kuji-Kiri meditations to view all the flashbacks, the specific spots you visit don’t matter. Regardless of which spots you visit, the flashbacks will always play in the same order at the first four.

When you first gain access to the map in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, your first task is to find Tomiko in her homestead, but you can tackle a few of the meditation quests before you get to her. There's a fourth nearby too. These are not the only locations to find meditation spots, but they’re the easiest to access immediately.

The first Kuji-Kiri spot is just north of your starting point in Makinoodera Temple. Head straight down the path from the temple and you will reach a junction. Take the left and you’ll reach a torii gate marking some stairs. Head up these stairs to the Eboshigata Shrine and the first Kuji-Kiri spot is straight ahead of you on the cliff edge.

The second spot is the Rolling Glen, which you will likely pass on your way Tomiko’s. The path west of the first Kuji-Kiri spot will take you to another road that heads north past the Tennoji Temple. Once past the temple, you’ll reach a junction. Head right and eventually the Kuji-Kiri spot will be on the left.

The third spot is incredibly easy to find. Once you’ve reached Tomiko’s Homestead, head all the way to the east to find the spot next to a waterfall.

The fourth can be found in Kawachi Heights to the southeast of the hideout. Head back out of the hideout and return south (turn left from the hideout) and continue until you reach a bridge. Take the path left of it. When the path forks, go left and take another left at the immediate crossroads. Follow this road until you cross a bridge and see a lantern at a fork in the road. Head right through a torii gate and continue up the hill to find this spot.

How to Complete the First Kuji-Kiri Meditation Quest

Initially you have to follow Mitsu to retrieve a katana. After the cutscene, you’ll need to climb the hills while avoiding enemies along the way. Once you pass a bridge, immediately duck into the bushes on the left and follow them up the hill to avoid the enemies that start walking down towards you. At the end you’ll find a dead body and a cutscene will begin.

After the scene, continue along the path. As soon as you pass a stream, go prone into the grass on the left and follow this until you reach a rock blocking your path. This is probably the toughest part of this flashback because there are a lot of guards in the area. But if you keep moving and stay vigilant for the immediate soldiers, you should be fine.

Wait until the visible guards turn away from you and crawl across to the grass on the right. Keep moving through the grass, following the paths up the hill and dodging any guards who might walk in your direction. Eventually you’ll reach a bridge. Check back on the guards to make sure no one is looking at you, then dash across the bridge. From here, you’re safe to continue along the path. You’ll encounter more cutscenes and an easy fight.

How to Complete the Second Kuji-Kiri Meditation Quest

While the first quest was easy, the remaining Kuji-Kiri meditation quests in Assassin’s Creed Shadows will test your stealth abilities a little more.

After the cutscene, go and speak to Mitsu and you’ll get a marker for the shrine. Follow it until you see people running away, mentioning that bandits have taken over the shrine. You’ll need to stay out of their way to retrieve Mitsu’s scroll. There are two main areas you need to worry about, the entrance area and the main shrines.

In the starting area, there is a bandit patrolling. Stick to the left and move between bushes when he’s looking away until you reach the river. Don’t worry about the other two, they’re too distracted.

At the river, you’re free to continue upwards without being seen. However, as you approach the top area with the three shrines, you ideally want to be on the right. The scroll you want is in the furthest right shrine, and the best way to grab it is to hug the far wall, and slip around the corner to quickly grab it.

To leave, retrace your steps, and now you have quicker route across the river as there is a set of stairs going up to the main area. Repeat the process of crossing through the bushes and then return home.

How to Complete the Third Kuji-Kiri Meditation Quest

This quest sees you infiltrating an outpost in the snowy mountains under the instruction of Momochi Sandayu. Speak to him at the top of the stairs before returning down the hill and climbing the ladder on the left.

The first sequence introduces you to swinging with the grappling hook. You’ll need to swing from the first rock to the next, before using two swing points in quick succession. This is a good opportunity to practice grappling a second point in mid-air, as there are no consequences to missing the jump. After landing in the haystack on the other side, slip through a gap in the bushes, cross the bridge and head left up the hill. Eventually you’ll be able to climb a ladder onto a rock with a fallen log. Use this log to reach a grapple point and swing into the outpost.

The route through here is mostly linear, but it is easy to trip up and end up on the ground or in a place you shouldn’t be. From the watchtower, hop to the next wall, quietly slip past the guards in this section (they don’t turn around) and jump through the hole in the wall. Now hook up to the roof of the building.

From here, do not leave the rooftops. Instead, swing from here to the opposite roof, jump to the tree and then swing to the right-hand building in the next area. Here you can eavesdrop on some enemy soldiers from the roof. After they’re done, swing to the large watchtower and climb up. Again, do not land in the lower areas. Stay on the higher levels.

After examining the body, you can jump from the watchtower, slide through the forest and follow a path back to Sandayu, completing the flashback.

How to Complete the Final Kuji-Kiri Meditation Quest in Assassin's Creed Shadows

There’s a lot of plot to start this final Kuji-Kiri meditation quest in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The choices aren’t consequential, although Naoe does seem cooler if she speaks up for Iga. You’ll then have to fight another Iga member in a duel. Focus on parrying and dodging over going on the offense.

Eventually, you’ll be placed at the bottom of a fort with Naoe’s father. Head up the scaffolding and follow the hill upwards. You can find a tree at the top that allows access to the fort. After another scene with your dad, the stealth mission begins.

Use your grappling hook to climb up the large tower, jump to the next and hop down to the next ledge. This next part requires you to be quick as well as stealthy, as you’ll need to distract a guard to slip by unseen. Ignore the gap in the fence (this only leads to you walking into a guard) and instead go to the locked gate at the end. Whistle to the guard and immediately climb the gate. Hop to the next ledge, duck into the shadows and quickly (but quietly!) move to the other side and climb another gate. If you’re too slow, the guard will come back and see you, so be careful. The two guards on the second ledge are too distracted to notice you if you don’t approach them.

After eavesdropping, the general advice for the next part is stick to the rooftops. Turn right, cross the ledge to the roof, jump to the next one on the left. Jump the wall, climb the gate, then follow the rooftops around to the far building in the next courtyard. Drop down on the far side and slip into the window to complete the quest.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is now available for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S.

The post How to Complete the Kuji-Kiri Meditation Quests in Assassin’s Creed Shadows appeared first on Siliconera.

HoYoVerse is releasing more Twitch drops for Zenless Zone Zero. The drops are available now up to April 8, 2025. Earning them works the same as usual, so those of us who've collected these types of rewards will be able to immediately start watching streams for the bonuses. The best one this time around involves free Polychromes.

As usual, the new Twitch drops require you to watch Zenless Zone Zero livestreams on the streaming service after linking your HoYoVerse and Twitch accounts. The linking process can be completed via the official web page. Simply sign into both accounts and they’ll be linked, allowing you to gain rewards by watching streams of the game.

Here are the Twitch drops available:

• 15 minutes: 12,000 Dennies
• 20 minutes: 2 Senior Investigator Logs
• 45 minutes: 3 W-Engine Energy Modules
• 60 minutes: 2 Bangboo System Widgets
• 120 minutes: 50 Polychromes

The Twitch drops will be available until April 8, 2025.

The Twitch drops event has started just in time for the release of Zenless Zone Zero 1.6, which brings a new S-Rank variant of Anby to the game. A new story update also sheds light on her past, which has been kept deliberately vague up to this point. However, the new update has also attracted controversy, with the English voice actors for Von Lycaon and Soldier 11 both being replaced.

Zenless Zone Zero is out now for PS5, PC and mobile devices. The Twitch drops event will continue until April 8, 2025

The post New Zenless Zone Zero Twitch Drops Appear appeared first on Siliconera.

Pokemon GO and other mobile games from Niantic have been sold to Scopely. The deal is reported to be worth $3.5 billion. The company confirmed this via official sites for titles.

This sale means that all Niantic games will now be managed by Scopely, the mobile developer responsible for Monopoly Go, Star Trek: Fleet Command and Marvel Strike Force. While Pokemon GO is the most prominent game sold as part of the deal, Scopely will also be overseeing other former Niantic games. This includes Nintendo's Pikmin Bloom and Capcom's Monster Hunter Now. At present, the existing teams handling these games will remain in place, with no changes to personnel. This includes the Pokemon GO team leader, Ed Wu, who wrote about the sale in a blog post on the game’s official website.

The sale attracted some criticism due to Scopely’s connection with the Saudi Arabian government. While the company is based in the US, it is a subsidiary of Savvy Games Group, an investment firm created by the Saudi Arabian public wealth fund. Meanwhile, Niantic have sold off their games division in order to focus on technology development, particularly AI.

Despite the game being sold to Scopely, Pokemon Go should see no immediate changes. Updates and events will continue as normal, such as the recent event that brought Black Kyurem and White Kyurem to the game.

Pokemon Go is out now for mobile devices.

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