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Final Fantasy 14 Merch – Preorder These Upcoming Collectibles, Including Fat Chocobo & Fat Cat Plush Cushions

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Final Fantasy 14 Merch – Preorder These Upcoming Collectibles, Including Fat Chocobo & Fat Cat Plush Cushions


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Moana 2, Better Man, The Electric State on Netflix, and every movie new to streaming this week

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Moana 2, Better Man, The Electric State on Netflix, and every movie new to streaming this week


Each week on Polygon, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.

This week, Moana 2, the sequel to Disney’s animated splash hit starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Auliʻi Cravalho, finally comes to streaming (pun intended) on Disney Plus. There’s plenty of other exciting releases to choose from this week as well, including Anthony and Joe Russo’s The Electric State and the superhero action movie Kraven the Hunter on Netflix, the offbeat musical biopic Better Man on Paramount Plus, and much more. We’ve even got some some new releases available to rent on VOD, like the Oscar-winning drama I’m Still Here and the new horror thriller Borderline starring Samara Weaving (Ready or Not).

Here’s everything new that’s available to watch this weekend!

Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix

Image: Netflix

Genre: Sci-fi adventureRun time: 2h 8mDirectors: Anthony Russo, Joe RussoCast: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Anthony Mackie

Loosely based on Simon Stålenhag’s 2018 illustrated novel, the Russo brothers’ sci-fi adventure film stars Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) as Michelle, an orphaned teenager living in a retrofuturistic world where robots have been banished in the wake of an attempted rebellion.

After befriending a mysterious robot with apparent knowledge of her missing brother, Michelle embarks on a journey to the fortified robot enclosure known as the “Electric State” in search of him. Chris Pratt co-stars as an eccentric smuggler who comes to Michelle’s aid on her quest, along with his robot partner (Anthony Mackie).

Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix

Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) stands with his hands on a railing, wearing a sleeveless, open leather vest and showing off more abs than seems humanly possible in Kraven the Hunter

Photo: Jay Maidment/Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment via Everett Collection

Genre: Superhero actionRun time: 2h 7mDirector: J.C. ChandorCast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger

Following in the footsteps of Morbius and Madame Web, Kraven the Hunter is yet another Sony Spider-Man movie without Spider-Man in it. (And who knows? This might actually be the last one!) Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Kraven, who in this version gets some animal-like powers after being injected with a serum. He’s also a conservationist and animal lover, instead of a poacher who just wants to go after the most dangerous game. An antihero!

It’s a largely joyless affair, and Chandor can’t seem to decide on a dramatic or comedic tone, let alone a blend of the two. Taylor-Johnson often stands around delivering lines that seem intended to be catchphrases, but he does so with all the determination of someone who loathes the material. A quipper-hero Kraven is not, and neither is Taylor-Johnson. But then, practically every actor in the cast is entirely checked out. Rarely has a superhero movie featured this many talented performers phoning it in. But with such bland material, can you blame them?

Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu

Genre: Horror thrillerRun time: 1h 44mDirector: Shal NgoCast: Kelly Marie Tran, Miles Robbins, Kieu Chinh

In this horror movie, a woman is tormented by an itch on the back of her head that she can’t scratch away. With a premise this relatable, this movie’s sure to cause even the most hardened horror viewer to squirm a little.

Where to watch: Available to stream on Max

Genre: Comedy horrorRun time: 1h 40mDirector: Craig JohnsonCast: Nik Dodani, Brandon Flynn, Brian Cox

Spending a weekend with your parents as an adult can be a little weird, but it’s particularly tough when the house you’ve rented for the event happens to be inhabited by a 400-year-old evil ghost. Then again, in this horror comedy, maybe even a ghost is better than spending too much time with family.

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus

Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), the long-haired, tattoo-covered demigod of the Moana movies, brandishes his giant hook weapon and smirks in Moana 2

Image: Walt Disney Animation

Genre: Musical adventureRun time: 1h 40mDirectors: David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux MillerCast: Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Hualālai Chung

The Moana sequel was originally supposed to be a Moana Disney Plus show. But now it’s a full-fledged theatrical adventure, with Moana once again setting off on a sailing journey. This time, she’s joined by a ragtag crew, including a Maui fanboy, a quirky inventor, and a farmer who doesn’t know how to swim. Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui, too, and Moana and her friends search for a distant, legendary island in an effort to make contact with other people who might live on the islands in the sea.

Moana 2 may grow on me as well — frankly, my feelings for it could only go up from where they started. It’s been less than a day since I saw the long-awaited sequel (Disney screened the film for press just 17 hours ago), but unlike with the overwhelming let-me-hear-that-again rush of experiencing Moana for the first time, I don’t have the lingering gut feeling that I’ve missed something. In the end, Moana 2 is a vehicle for one banger, a feel-good throwback, and a few songs we’ll never talk about again, which doesn’t feel like enough for a brand-new Moana.

Where to watch: Available to stream on Paramount Plus

A monkey in a suit flanked by photographers in Better Man.

Image: Paramount Home Entertainment

Genre: Psychological dramaRun time: 2h 15mDirector: Michael GraceyCast: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton

Music biopics are getting a little same-y, which is exactly why Better Man tells the story of Robbie Williams by turning the British pop star into a CGI ape. That may sound bizarre, and it is, but the visual effect looks incredible and gives the movie plenty of room for creative and kinetic dance sequences set to Williams’ catalog of hits.

Where to watch: Available to stream on Criterion Channel

Two women staring at a red rice cooker in All We Imagine As Light.

Image: Janus Films

Genre: Romantic dramaRun time: 1h 58mDirector: Payal KapadiaCast: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam

This beguiling drama from writer-director Payal Kapadia centers on Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha), two roommates who work together at a city hospital. Both women find themselves at a crossroads in their lives, forced to choose between their own hearts and their obligations to their respective families as they navigate a city rife with dreams, hopes, and illusions. All We Imagine as Light was one of the best-reviewed new movies of 2024.

Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu

A family photo of a man, a woman, and their two children. The woman is staring off into the distance, while the other three family members smile at the camera.

Photo: Alile Onawale/Sony Pictures Classics

Genre: DramaRun time: 2h 17mDirector: Walter SallesCast: Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, Fernanda Montenegro

Based on a memoir by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, Walter Salles’ Oscar-winning drama follows the story of a family living under the yoke of Brazil’s military dictatorship during the 1970s. When her husband (Selton Mello) is taken away for questioning, Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres) must gather her courage and steel herself to protect herself and her family from the worst that the world has to pit against them.

Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu

A blonde haired woman (Samara Weaving) in a dark room holding a candle in Borderline.

Image: Magnet Releasing

Genre: Comedy thrillerRun time: 1h 34mDirector: Jimmy WardenCast: Samara Weaving, Ray Nicholson, Jimmie Fails

Scream queen Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) is back in her second horror feature of 2024! Borderline centers on Sofia, a famous pop star who wakes up one night to discover that her home has been invaded by Duerson (Ray Nicholson), an obsessive fan who harbors delusions of them getting married. To survive, Sofia will have to use every ounce of her cunning and wits to escape her captor and find help.



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How to Make a Fruit Milkshake in Disney Dreamlight Valley

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How to Make a Fruit Milkshake in Disney Dreamlight Valley


Fruit Milkshake is a 3-star Dessert Meal added with the A Rift in Time expansion. Players can make this meal for themselves to restore energy or gift it to villagers to increase their Friendship Level. However, this recipe is exclusive to the owners of the expansion. This guide will help you cook Fruit Milkshake in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Required Ingredients to Make Fruit Milkshake in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Players can make a Fruit Milkshake Dessert meal with the following ingredients.

Slush Ice is the only Ice-type ingredient in the game and you can unlock it by completing the Level 10 Friendship Quest “The Unknown Flavor” for Remy. Upon completing the quest, it will be available for purchase at Chez Remy Restaurant for 150 Star Coins along with all other Dairy Ingredients.

Milk is a dairy product that you can purchase from Chez Remy restaurant for 230 Star Coins. For the final ingredient, you can use any 1 fruit. A few of the easiest fruits that you can get are Apples, Bananas, Blueberries, etc.

How to Cook Fruit Milkshake in Disney Dreamlight Valley

After gathering all the ingredients for the Fruit Milkshake, go to any Cooking Station to start making it. Go to any cooking station in the Valley/Eternity Isle and interact with it. After that, put the ingredients into the Cooking Pot individually and then select the “Start Cooking” option to cook the Fruit Milkshake Dessert Meal.

Use of Fruit Milkshake

Players can choose to eat the Fruit Milkshake to restore 1,113 Energy. Moreover, they can gift it to other villagers to increase their Friendship Level. Lastly, they can sell it to Goofy for 544 Star Coins.



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People Can Fly Announces Mystery New Game Based On An Existing PlayStation IP

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People Can Fly Announces Mystery New Game Based On An Existing PlayStation IP


Well, here’s a very interesting story: Polish developer People Can Fly has entered into an agreement with Sony Interactive Entertainment to produce a mystery game based on an existing PlayStation IP.

The new game is codenamed Project Delta and we know almost nothing else about it except that it’s based on a PlayStation owned IP.

That leaves a lot of room for speculation. People Can Fly has developed and co-developed a lot of games over the years, but typically gravitates toward first and third-person shooters – Gears of War: Judgement, Outriders and Bulletstorm, just to name a few. The company is also currently working with Microsoft studio The Coalition on the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day.

Given People Can Fly’s track record, then, can we safely assume the Sony IP in question will be a shooter of some sort? The options are quite varied: perhaps the return of Resistance or Killzone? Both would be fantastic to see come back. SOCOM is another possibility. Or maybe a Helldivers spin-off of some sort? Hell, it could even be a sequel to The Order: 1886



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Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land Review | TheXboxHub

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Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land Review | TheXboxHub


From Preview to Playthrough: Atelier Yumia’s Expanded Experience

In our recent preview of Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land, we left very impressed with the size and scope of the game. 

Now, with our hands on the full game, we’ve been able to experience the peaks and troughs for a much longer period. Whilst the full game can’t quite match up to the opening hours from the preview, Atelier Yumia is still a great JRPG that marks the first entry for the long-running series on Xbox.

In a world where alchemy and alchemists have been outlawed, you naturally play as one. As Yumia, the daughter of an atelier who taught her all she knows, you have been drafted in to an expedition team to uncover the many secrets across the Aladissian Empire.

Atelier Yumia The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land review 1
Everything the light touches…

An open-world worthy of your time

This open-world of Aladiss is simply begging to be explored. After a short introduction that is actually from way further on in the game, the map opens up to you in four distinct regions. Much of these areas are covered with a thick fog and are called Manabound Areas, and clearing this fog is one of the major goals for exploration. 

Yumia has a constant supply of Mana Energy for nearly every activity she performs, but it depletes in these Manabound Areas. It is easy to get sidetracked when aiming for the source of the Mana – like any good open-world should feel – but sticking to the main path for the most part to be able to clear it meant that I rarely felt my Mana was going to run out completely. Should this happen though, a debuff will be applied to combat.

The main narrative follows a simple quested structure, with plenty of side quests to undertake too. Whether these are randomly generated or not is unknown as they devolve into mainly fetch quests. And in a game where you are highly encouraged to collect as much as possible, many of these can be turned in almost instantly due to the sheer volume of resources you need to be collecting. They are worth it though, granting plenty of skill points to upgrade in the skill tree.

The exploration aspect will definitely appeal to those that played Breath of the Wild or Genshin Impact. Open-worlds may not be entirely new to the Atelier series, but this is one of the more enjoyable worlds we’ve explored in a long while.

Exploration and combat are two of the main pillars of Atelier Yumia, along with synthesising and new for the series, building.

A more approachable combat system

Combat has evolved from the turn-based mechanics of earlier Atelier games into a more action-oriented system, but one that doesn’t disregard turn-based altogether. 

When you get into a fight, you can choose to fight in close quarters, or at ranged with magical abilities. Typically, this will depend on what your enemy is weakest to, as doing enough attacks correlating to their weakness can stun them. At this point, an enemy’s elemental weakness can be utilised, making the most of an item that Yumia has created and equipped.

Atelier Yumia The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land review 2Atelier Yumia The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land review 2
Yumia. The face of an outlaw

As you level up, you unlock more uses for your attacks, as well as new ones, meaning you will spend less time waiting for cooldowns to finish. Fights can be quite intense with a lot going on on-screen at any one time, but on Normal difficulty I rarely ran into any issues, even during the boss battles. 

These themselves are perhaps something that long-term Atelier fans will not be used to; a proper antagonist. They aren’t quite as frequent with their appearances as other JRPG antagonists, but they do help push the story along more than just simply through exploration.

Enemies can be seen on the world map, so initiating a fight is easily done. However, what type of fight you get into isn’t telegraphed, and this can be frustrating. A regular encounter is where you just fight the enemy you have run into. These can either be Rumble Encounters or Split Encounters. Rumble Encounters increase the number of enemies to defeat at once, pooling their life together and stun defences. These are fine and are at least explained to you in a tutorial.

Split Encounters on the other hand separate your team of three into individuals fighting against one monster each. Aside from a notification in the top of the screen, these aren’t ever properly explained to you, nor is why they occur. There is no story reasoning for why your party splits up for these battles either, and considering they take a considerable amount of time more than a standard battle, this just doesn’t sit right.

Your party expands over time, and each member brings with them their own baggage, much like any JRPG party. Yumia starts with siblings Isla and Viktor, who’s reasons for joining the expedition are laid out quite early. Isla is far more welcoming to Yumia’s alchemical abilities than her brother, but it is enjoyable to see their relationship evolve over time, even if it is a well-worn path at this point. 

Rutger and Nina join some time after, and aren’t just here to make up numbers. They can both handle a fight but also bring distinct enough personalities that makes the journey together more personal. Finally, there is Lenja, a non-human, but also part of the expedition team and again, unique enough to keep things interesting.

Super-Sized Synthesise

The third pillar of Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is the main pillar for the entire series; that of synthesising and making things. At first, hearing that Yumia was an alchemist, I was expecting lotions and potions of all kinds, but her skills are much more than just concocting defensive and offensive brews. Weapons, armour, crafting items, plot specific items and at one point a crucial component for what was essentially a motorbike, Yumia can lend her hand to anything.

Simple synthesis can be used to keep your bag topped up with healing items, lures for fishing and other simple items, and is new for the series as well. The core synthesis though is still here for those that want to get into the crux of the Atelier games.

Atelier Yumia The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land review 3Atelier Yumia The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land review 3
Isla and Viktor will join your party early

To explain what is needed here for regular synthesis would take too long. Basically, it involves cores, mana extraction, quality components and resonance areas; creating one item can take a while if you intend to maximise its potential. The reality though is that it is very easy to follow once you have done it a couple of times. Which is just as well, because it is something you will be doing often enough. You can get by only doing it for core plot devices, but you will be missing out on maximising battle proficiencies at the very least.

It is interesting to see how individual components can affect your cores when synthesising, and if you wanted to get into the minutiae of it, you most definitely can. For those who just want to crack on, you can auto-add ingredients and stipulate whether you want high quality, bare minimum or something in between.

Between this, the simple synthesis and the updated combat, the Atelier series is clearly setting its stall out to be more appealing to a wider audience. And as a member of that wider audience, it’s all pretty positive stuff.

A New Pillar For The Series

This approachability is even apparent in the new building mechanics. As you clear up Manabound Areas, you will uncover little areas where you can build upon to help the expedition team cross the map more easily. Your starting buildable items will be very basic, but there are a ton of additional items to craft with recipes found all over the world.

And you can get quite creative with it, albeit in a fairly restricted space for each location. But if that isn’t your thing, you can randomly generate buildings based on certain criteria that picks from the pool you have unlocked. Sadly, this random generation doesn’t do any interior design so whatever you generate looks like an ugly outer husk until you then spend the time decorating it. Again, you don’t have to though, but this will be detrimental to your Pioneering Effort.

That’s in capitals because it’s another mechanic, and one I will admit to spending a bit too long on, just to see the numbers tick up if nothing more. But there are also some valuable rewards to be had also. Each region has certain criteria that as you complete it, unlocks new blueprints or crafting items. Once again, you get out of it what you put in and doesn’t necessarily need to be done for you to just progress the story.

Atelier Yumia The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land review 4Atelier Yumia The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land review 4
A stellar addition

A Stellar Xbox Debut for the Atelier Series

As a first foray onto Xbox consoles, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land does a stellar job. It looks stunning, and the strong mix of exploration, alchemy and combat all complement each other extremely well. At times it does feel the story beats are a bit too spaced out, and the world map is daunting to look at, but no two play sessions are the same. 

This is an open-world that can quickly capture your attention, and then present you with numerous distractions; before you know it two hours have passed. It isn’t so much the story or the crafting elements that will keep you playing Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land, but simply uncovering every corner of this beautifully realised world.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land – The JRPG You’ve Been Waiting For? – https://www.thexboxhub.com/atelier-yumia-the-alchemist-of-memories-the-envisioned-land-the-jrpg-youve-been-waiting-for/

Buy Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/atelier-yumia-the-alchemist-of-memories-the-envisioned-land/9MZZJJ7KGL7Q/0017

Grab the Deluxe Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/atelier-yumia-the-alchemist-of-memories-the-envisioned-land-digital-deluxe-edition/9NNFSNV4J7BX/0017

Or go Ultimate – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/atelier-yumia-the-alchemist-of-memories-the-envisioned-land-ultimate-edition/9MTB3K9DL3WK/0017



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Blizzard must really like Diablo 4 players, because it’s bringing back the suped up bonus XP and Gold event yet again

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Blizzard must really like Diablo 4 players, because it’s bringing back the suped up bonus XP and Gold event yet again


No, this isn’t a deja vu, Blizzard really is bringing back Diablo 4’s Mother’s Blessing event for the second month in-a-row. This is the game’s not-quite double XP bonanza, though it does boost your XP and Gold earn rate significantly.

You may recall that Blizzard rolled it out in February, and pretty much about the same time, too.

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March’s Mother’s Blessing is, just like the February edition, the upgraded version of the thing. You still get 35% more XP, and a 50% boost to Gold (multiplicative). What’s new – which is something that started with the currently-active Season of Witchcraft – is the extra Gift of the Tree cache you get whenever you turn in your Whispers.

It’s a Collection of Chaos, so you won’t be able to optimise your farming, but it is a major bonus, especially seeing as how the entire loop of Season of Witchcraft revolves around Whispers. As always, the bonuses all stack with any Elixirs you may have active, as well as with the Urn of Aggression from the Seasonal Journey.

The event kicks off on Tuesday, March 18 and will be available for one week – until Tuesday, March 25. Anyone on the Seasonal, and Eternal Realms will be able to enjoy the bonuses, and this goes for all World Tiers, too.

Praise her.

Elsewhere in the world of Diablo 4, Blizzard recently hosted a livestream detailing everything coming to the game with patch 2.2, whose PTR kicked off this week. The PTR previews what’s to come in the game’s next season, and the list of exciting additions includes the ability to claim and use boss powers, an overhaul to the endgame boss ladder and how they’re summoned, as well as the arrival of Belial’s legion of enemies.



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One Of The Best Steam Sales In Years Is Happening Right Now

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One Of The Best Steam Sales In Years Is Happening Right Now


Screenshot: Valve / Kotaku

Right now some of the best games available on Steam, including Undertale, Doom (2016), and Spiritfarer are all on sale for incredibly cheap prices. Combine that with Steam’s annual Spring Sale and you have a recipe for some fantastic discounts.

There’s always some kind of deal or sale happening on Valve popular PC gaming storefront, and many of these sales are pretty good. But then, every so often, we get a sale that contains such great deals and big discounts that I drop everything to buy a bunch of games and tell others to do the same. And the new “Deep Discount” section in the Spring Sale is one of those kinds of sales.

The Spring Sale started today and ends March 20. There are a ton of games on sale as part of it. But Valve has created a special, smaller list of games that are discounted more than usual and all of them are being sold for just a few dollars.

Here’s the full list:

Doom (2016) – $2 ($20) Undertale – $1 ($10)Battlefield 1 – $2 ($40)The Elder Scrolls Online – $2 ($20) Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righetous – Enhanced Ed. – $4 ($40) Heavy Rain – $2 ($20) Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition – $3 ($30) Call to Arms – Gates of Hell: Ostfront – $3.50 ($35)Anno 1800 – $6 ($60)Enter the Gungeon – $1.50 ($15) The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series – $5 ($50)Conan Exiles – $4 ($40)

You can buy all of these games for less than $40. That’s wild! Anno 1800 is normally $60 by itself. BF1 is regularly $40. And right now you can get both of them and plenty of other awesome games (..and Heavy Rain…) for under $40 total.

Meanwhile, outside of these big discounts, plenty of other great games are on sale as part of the Spring Sale, including the Resident Evil 4 remake for $20, Assassin’s Creed Mirage for $20, Rainbow Six Siege for just $4 and Stardew Valley for $9.



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How to Make Chocolate Ice Cream in Disney Dreamlight Valley

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How to Make Chocolate Ice Cream in Disney Dreamlight Valley


Chocolate Ice Cream is a 4-star dessert meal that players can make early/mid-game. Players can make the Chocolate Ice Cream meal for consumption to restore Energy or gift it to any villager in The Valley. This guide will help you how to make a Chocolate Ice Cream in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Required Ingredients to Make Chocolate Ice Cream in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Players can make a Chocolate Ice Cream Dessert Meal with the following ingredients.

1x Cocoa Bean

1x Sugarcane

1x Milk

1x Slush Ice

Cocoa Bean is a sweet that grows on the Cocoa Trees in Glade of Trust and Sunlit Plateau biomes. It takes 30 minutes for the Cocoa Beans to grow back on to the trees. Harvesting each tree will give you 3 Cocoa Beans. You can purchase the Sugarcane from Goofy’s Stall in the Dazzle Beach biome for 29 Star Coins.

Milk is a dairy-type ingredient and you can purchase it from Chez Remy restaurant for 230 Star Coins. Slush Ice is the only Ice-type ingredient in the game and you can unlock it by completing the Level 10 Friendship Quest “The Unknown Flavor” for Remy. Upon completing the quest, it will be available for purchase at Chez Remy Restaurant for 150 Star Coins along with all other Dairy Ingredients.

How to Make Chocolate Ice Cream in Disney Dreamlight Valley

After gathering all the ingredients for the Chocolate Ice Cream, go to any Cooking Station to start making it. Go to any cooking station in the Valley/Eternity Isle and interact with it. After that, put the ingredients into the Cooking Pot individually and then select the “Start Cooking” option to cook the Chocolate Ice Cream Entrée Meal.

Use of Chocolate Ice Cream

Players will mainly require the Chocolate Ice Cream for completing The Pumpkin King Returns quest. It is a Level 2 Friendship quest for Jack Skellington. Moreover, players can choose to eat the Chocolate Ice Cream to restore 2,074 Energy. Furthermore, they can gift it to another villager to increase their Friendship Level. Lastly, they can sell it to Goofy for 655 Star Coins.



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Gaming Goodness: NVIDIA Reveals Latest Neural Rendering and AI Advancements Supercharging Game Development at GDC 2025

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Gaming Goodness: NVIDIA Reveals Latest Neural Rendering and AI Advancements Supercharging Game Development at GDC 2025



AI is leveling up the world’s most beloved games, as the latest advancements in neural rendering, NVIDIA RTX and digital human technologies equip game developers to take innovative leaps in their work.

At this year’s GDC conference, running March 17-21 in San Francisco, NVIDIA is revealing new AI tools and technologies to supercharge the next era of graphics in games.

Key announcements include new neural rendering advancements with Unreal Engine 5 and Microsoft DirectX; NVIDIA DLSS 4 now available in over 100 games and apps, making it the most rapidly adopted NVIDIA game technology of all time; and a Half-Life 2 RTX demo coming Tuesday, March 18.

Plus, the open-source NVIDIA RTX Remix modding platform has now been released, and NVIDIA ACE technology enhancements are bringing to life next-generation digital humans and AI agents for games.

Neural Shaders Enable Photorealistic, Living Worlds With AI

The next era of computer graphics will be based on NVIDIA RTX Neural Shaders, which allow the training and deployment of tiny neural networks from within shaders to generate textures, materials, lighting, volumes and more. This results in dramatic improvements in game performance, image quality and interactivity, delivering new levels of immersion for players.

At the CES trade show earlier this year, NVIDIA introduced RTX Kit, a comprehensive suite of neural rendering technologies for building AI-enhanced, ray-traced games with massive geometric complexity and photorealistic characters.

Now, at GDC, NVIDIA is expanding its powerful lineup of neural rendering technologies, including with Microsoft DirectX support and plug-ins for Unreal Engine 5.

NVIDIA is partnering with Microsoft to bring neural shading support to the DirectX 12 Agility software development kit preview in April, providing game developers with access to RTX Tensor Cores to accelerate the performance of applications powered by RTX Neural Shaders.

Plus, Unreal Engine developers will be able to get started with RTX Kit features such as RTX Mega Geometry and RTX Hair through the experimental NVIDIA RTX branch of Unreal Engine 5. These enable the rendering of assets with dramatic detail and fidelity, bringing cinematic-quality visuals to real-time experiences.

Now available, NVIDIA’s “Zorah” technology demo has been updated with new incredibly detailed scenes filled with millions of triangles, complex hair systems and cinematic lighting in real time — all by tapping into the latest technologies powering neural rendering, including:

ReSTIR Path Tracing
ReSTIR Direct Illumination
RTX Mega Geometry
RTX Hair

And the first neural shader, Neural Radiance Cache, is now available in RTX Remix.

Over 100 DLSS 4 Games and Apps Out Now

DLSS 4 debuted with the release of GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. Over 100 games and apps now feature support for DLSS 4. This milestone has been reached two years quicker than with DLSS 3, making DLSS 4 the most rapidly adopted NVIDIA game technology of all time.

DLSS 4 introduced Multi Frame Generation, which uses AI to generate up to three additional frames per traditionally rendered frame, working with the complete suite of DLSS technologies to multiply frame rates by up to 8x over traditional brute-force rendering.

This massive performance improvement on GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards and laptops enables gamers to max out visuals at the highest resolutions and play at incredible frame rates.

In addition, Lost Soul Aside, Mecha BREAK, Phantom Blade Zero, Stellar Blade, Tides of Annihilation and Wild Assault will launch with DLSS 4, giving GeForce RTX gamers the definitive PC experience in each title. Learn more.

Developers can get started with DLSS 4 through the DLSS 4 Unreal Engine plug-in.

‘Half-Life 2 RTX’ Demo Launch, RTX Remix Official Release

Half-Life 2 RTX is a community-made remaster of the iconic first-person shooter Half-Life 2. 

A playable Half-Life 2 RTX demo will be available on Tuesday, March 18, for free download from Steam for Half-Life 2 owners. The demo showcases Orbifold Studios’ work in the eerily sensational maps of Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt, with significantly improved assets and textures, full ray tracing, DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation and RTX neural rendering technologies.

Half-Life 2 RTX was made possible by NVIDIA RTX Remix, an open-source platform officially released today for modders to create stunning RTX remasters of classic games.

Use the platform now to join the 30,000+ modders who’ve experimented with enhancing hundreds of classic titles since its beta release last year, enabling over 1 million gamers to experience astonishing ray-traced mods.

NVIDIA ACE Technologies Enhance Game Characters With AI

The NVIDIA ACE suite of RTX-accelerated digital human technologies brings game characters to life with generative AI.

NVIDIA ACE autonomous game characters add autonomous teammates, nonplayer characters (NPCs) and self-learning enemies to games, creating new narrative possibilities and enhancing player immersion.

ACE autonomous game characters are debuting in two titles this month:

In inZOI, “Smart Zoi” NPCs will respond more realistically and intelligently to their environment based on their personalities. The game launches with NVIDIA ACE-based characters on Friday, March 28.

And in NARAKA: BLADEPOINT MOBILE PC VERSION, on-device NVIDIA ACE-powered teammates will help players battle enemies, hunt for loot and fight for victory starting Thursday, March 27.

Developers can start building with ACE today.

Join NVIDIA at GDC.

See notice regarding software product information.



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Relive the Magic as GeForce NOW Brings More Blizzard Gaming to the Cloud

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Relive the Magic as GeForce NOW Brings More Blizzard Gaming to the Cloud


Bundle up — GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.

Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genres of real-time strategy (RTS), multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and more. Classic Blizzard titles join GeForce NOW, including Heroes of the Storm, Warcraft Rumble and three titles from the Warcraft: Remastered series.

They’re all part of 11 games joining the cloud this week, atop the latest update for hit game Zenless Zone Zero from miHoYo.

Blizzard Heats Things Up

Heroes (and save data) never die in the cloud.

Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard’s unique take on the MOBA genre, offers fast-paced team battles across diverse battlegrounds. The game features a roster of iconic Blizzard franchise characters, each with customizable talents and abilities. Heroes of the Storm emphasizes team-based gameplay with shared experiences and objectives, making it more accessible to newcomers while providing depth for experienced players.

Warcraft Rumble on GeForce NOW
The cloud is rumbling.

In Warcraft Rumble, a mobile action-strategy game set in the Warcraft universe, players collect and deploy miniature versions of the series’ beloved characters. The game offers a blend of tower defense and RTS elements as players battle across various modes, including a single-player campaign, player vs. player matches and cooperative dungeons.

Warcraft Remastered on GeForce NOW
Old-school cool, new-school graphics.

The Warcraft Remastered collection gives the classic RTS titles a modern twist with updated visuals and quality-of-life improvements. Warcraft: Remastered and Warcraft II: Remastered offer enhanced graphics while maintaining the original gameplay, allowing players to toggle between classic and updated visuals. Warcraft III: Reforged includes new graphics options and multiplayer features. Both these remasters provide nostalgia for long-time fans and an ideal opportunity for new players to experience the iconic strategy games that shaped the genre.

New Games, No Wait

Zenless Zone Zero update 1.6 Among the Forgotten Ruins on GeForce NOW
New agents, new adventures.

The popular Zenless Zone Zero gets its 1.6 update, “Among the Forgotten Ruins,” now available for members to stream without waiting around for updates or downloads. This latest update brings three new playable agents: Soldier 0-Anby, Pulchra and Trigger. Players can explore two new areas, Port Elpis and Reverb Arena, as well as try out the “Hollow Zero-Lost Void” mode. The update also introduces a revamped Decibel system for more strategic gameplay.

Look for the following games available to stream in the cloud this week:

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
City Transport Simulator: Tram (Steam)
Dave the Diver (Steam)
Heroes of the Storm (Battle.net) 
Microtopia (Steam)
Orcs Must Die Deathtrap (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator (Steam)
Warcraft I Remastered (Battle.net)
Warcraft II Remastered (Battle.net)
Warcraft III: Reforged  (Battle.net)
Warcraft Rumble (Battle.net)

What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

 



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