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Gundam Breaker 4 Review – Steam Deck, Switch, and PS5 Tested – TouchArcade

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Gundam Breaker 4 Review – Steam Deck, Switch, and PS5 Tested – TouchArcade


Back in early 2016 when I was looking for import-friendly games on PS Vita, I used to often see Gundam Breaker mentioned. If you’ve never heard of the series before, think of them as hack and slash action games with RPG elements, deep customization, and a pure unadulterated love of Gunpla. Around the time I was looking into the series, Bandai Namco announced an Asia English release for Gundam Breaker 3 on PS4 and PS Vita, and I decided to buy both versions. I ended up loving it as my first Gundam game. Since then, I’ve imported and played Gundam Breaker 1 and 2 on PS Vita, and also gotten basically every Gundam game released in English across platforms. To see Gundam Breaker 4 announced earlier this year and confirmed for a global multi-platform simultaneous release remains one of 2024’s biggest surprises. Fast forward to today and Gundam Breaker 4 is finally here on Steam, Switch, PS4, and PS5. Having put in about 60 hours across platforms, I adore Gundam Breaker 4, but it has a few issues right now.

Gundam Breaker 4 is a very important release not only because of the game itself, but because of how far we’ve come with the series in the West. So what makes Gundam Breaker 4 a big deal? Gone are the days of waiting for an Asia English release to import. Gundam Breaker 3 was an Asia English release not released in the West, and just on PlayStation. I can’t recall the last Gundam game that had an English dub option, but here we are with a dual audio option and multiple subtitle options (EFIGS and many more). But what about the game itself and the different platform versions? I’m going to cover all of that in this extended review that will also take you on a journey of me starting my first Master Grade Gunpla (Gundam Plastic Kit if you’re new to this) after building some High Grade (easier and smaller kits) before.

Gundam Breaker 4’s story ranges from getting the job done to some highs and lows. The lows are when I felt like certain pre-mission dialog was going on a bit too long, and the highs were in the latter half of the game when there are interesting character reveals and also more interesting dialog. If you’ve not played a single game in the series before, Gundam Breaker 4 still does a good job of bringing you up to speed, but you might wonder why the appearance of certain characters is a big deal later on. The embargo only allows me to talk about the first two chapters of the story, and it feels like a straightforward affair during those two. I ended up liking the main characters quite a bit by the end, but my two favorite characters appear much later in the story.

The real draw of Gundam Breaker 4 is not the story though. It is building your own perfect Gunpla, improving it over time, getting better gear, and becoming stronger to tackle higher difficulties and more quests. When you begin, you get the basics, but what the team really underold in the promotion is the customization aspect. It is incredible. Not only can you adjust individual parts like left and right arms, but you can also adjust ranged weapons for each arm, melee with dual wielding, and adjust the individual part size and scale. This means you can even use SD (super deformed) parts on your normal Gunpla and either have it look like this weird frankenstein suit or scale things to your liking.

Beyond the actual parts for each main category in assembly, the customization in Gundam Breaker 4 takes things further with builder parts that let you add even more things to your Gunpla. Some of these even have their own skills. Speaking of skills, you have EX and OP skills to use in combat. These depend on your parts and weapons. Later on, you also unlock ability cartridges that have their own specs that give you buffs or debuffs.

As you go through the missions breaking parts and earning S-rank reward parts, you also get materials. These can be used to level up your parts. Each mission in Gundam Breaker 4 usually has a recommended parts level indicating how suitable it is for your current gear. In addition to materials you earn to upgrade parts, you start earning materials to increase part rarity later on. This lets you upgrade for more skills as well, and you can use older or lesser part skills when you upgrade and cannibalize those older parts.

During the main story, I spent a bit of time on the optional quests to earn money or parts, but feel like the game is balanced enough where you won’t really need to grind during the main story on the standard difficulty at least. Speaking of the difficulty, you unlock three higher difficulties as the main story progresses, and these up the challenge and part level recommendation quite a bit. If you do plan on skipping most of the optional quests during the main story, make sure to keep an eye on the new unlocks because some of the optional quest types are a lot of fun, especially the survival mode.

Outside of all of this, you can also adjust the paint of your suit which lets you color schemes you’ve unlocked through progression or from DLC. If you put time into Gundam Breaker 4, there’s a ton of stuff for you to get out of it, and I’m floored by how much has gone into this. When you’re done with paint, you can work with decals and weathering effects as well. Gundam Breaker 4 is the real deal for Gunpla enthusiasts, but does it play well?

Having enjoyed everything Gundam Breaker 4 has to offer in its gameplay through story missions, side content, and boss fights aside from one specific mission type, I think the team nailed it. I never got bored of combat even though the normal difficulty is on the easier side. I kept swapping out weapons and trying the various types before settling on a greatsword style weapon for the rest of my playthrough. Everything feels varied enough, and the individual skills and stats make for a fresh experience throughout.

When it comes to the bosses and minibosses, I love having them appear on the stage in the Gunpla boxes and then breaking out before fighting you. This never gets old, and seeing one of the Gunpla kits I built appear as a boss later on was awesome. Most boss fights involve targeting weak points, damaging the many health bars, destroying shields, and the usual. I did have trouble with one particular boss’ weak points using specific weapons, but I changed to a whip and sorted it immediately. The only real hard boss fight in the story was dealing with two of a specific boss at once. I won’t get into details for spoiler reasons, but I did struggle with the AI in one specific fight.

Visually, Gundam Breaker 4 ranges from great to fine. The environments look lacking early on, but I found the variety good overall. Most of the work went into making sure the Gunpla kits and animations look the best, and it shows. The developers clearly weren’t trying to go for a realistic art style here, so don’t expect something like Gundam Evolution or even how some bits of Gundam Breaker 3 looked. The aesthetic in Gundam Breaker 4 works well and it scales as it should on lower end hardware. The effects look great, and the scale of many boss fights is awesome.

The music in Gundam Breaker 4 ranges from forgettable tunes you won’t think of outside the game to a few really great songs in specific story missions. I am disappointed in no way to set music from the various anime and movies here. Usually we’d see some anime music pack DLC or a premium bundle for Asia and Japan, but I’ve not seen any of that yet in the game or announced. I also don’t see a way to load custom music like in Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs Maxiboost ON on PS4.

The voice acting has been a pleasant surprise. I played through the game completely with English on one save, and also spent about a dozen hours with the Japanese voice option on another platform save. Both were very good and I found myself liking the English more during missions because I hate reading small subtitles during action battles when I’m focusing on fighting enemies.

So far, aside from one mission type really annoying me (thankfully not too prevalent) and a few bugs, I’ve had no real issues with Gundam Breaker 4. If you are new to this series and aren’t a fan of replaying missions to grind out better gear and drops, you may find things repetitive. I’ve always viewed Gundam Breaker like Earth Defense Force and Monster Hunter where after finishing the story, I spend time building my perfect Gunpla.

As for bugs, I ran into one where certain names wouldn’t save or two I think are Steam Deck-specific. The first is that returning to the title screen from in-game takes way too long. The second is one specific mission that crashed for me only when playing on my monitor. I replayed it on the Deck itself and it was fine. It might just have been relating to the performance penalty I see in some games docked, but I can’t say for sure.

The one aspect I’ve not touched on so far is the online. Pre-release I managed to play a good amount of the network test on PS5 and Switch, but I only managed to test a bit of the retail release on PS5 with a friend who is reviewing that version. The PC version’s servers have not been online pre-launch at all, so I cannot test if the online works fine on Steam Deck yet. I will be updating this once servers go online and I’ve managed testing the PC version on Steam Deck with friends online.

At this point, you’re probably wondering about the Gunpla I was building. I made some progress and got through 5 sets of runners, but made a mistake with one small part. I panicked and almost broke it while trying to separate things. This is where my guitar pick came into the picture and saved me. I ended up stopping with my RG 78-2 MG 3.0 about halfway done. Once the review embargoes of this week are over, I’ll get back to it and finish it.

Now let’s get to the platform differences and features.

Gundam Breaker 4 PC port controls – keyboard, mouse, and controller support

Gundam Breaker 4’s on PC is the only version of the game that supports above 60fps. The PS5 version is capped at 60fps and the Switch version hovers around the 30fps mark. The Gundam Breaker 4 PC release also has mouse and keyboard support in addition to controller support with multiple button prompt options.

When playing on the Deck itself, it displayed Xbox button prompts. When using my DualSense controller over the Dock on my monitor, Gundam Breaker 4 showed PlayStation prompts correctly. It also auto switches between keyboard mouse and controller prompts based on your input. The only controller-related issue I ran into is the game not correctly detecting when I’ve reconnected a controller. I tested this on my DualSense and 8BitDo Ultimate controllers wirelessly.

Gundam Breaker 4 ships with three controller presets and a custom option. You can adjust the keyboard mouse and controller settings independently.

One setting I recommend changing immediately or after you try out the first few missions is camera sensitivity and distance. You can do this in Player Mode from the game settings. I found the default too slow and close.

Gundam Breaker 4 PC graphics settings and display options

Gundam Breaker 4 supports multiple resolutions and frame rate caps. On the Steam Deck itself, it sadly doesn’t support a full 800p and runs at 720p and 16:9. On the frame rate side, it can go from 30fps to 360fps and unlimited on PC. I set it to 120fps when playing on Steam Deck since I played it almost exclusively on my Steam Deck OLED. You can also toggle v-sync.

On the graphics side, you can adjust the quality of textures, anti-aliasing, post-processing, shadows, effects, and also adjust brightness and toggle motion blur.

Gundam Breaker 4 Steam Deck performance – does it work out of the box?

I played Gundam Breaker 4 with Proton Experimental (bleeding edge) as I normally do for untested games, but I also tested it on the default Proton. It works perfectly out of the box and even invokes the on-screen keyboard for text input. I have confidence in this being Steam Deck Verified pre-launch or soon after. The 35 hours I put into it on just my Steam Deck OLED prove that.

When playing with all settings at High aside from shadows, Gundam Breaker 4 easily hit 60fps, but I wanted more. For this, I turned things to medium and played at 80-90fps almost across the board. A few late-game missions saw drops to the high 60s during gameplay, but otherwise I had no issues in actual gameplay. In-engine cut-scenes do take a hit to performance and run in the 50-70fps range for me on Steam Deck. I did run into one issue where the assembly section suddenly dropped to 1-3fps for a few seconds before shooting back up to 90fps. This didn’t happen more than three times total, but I couldn’t figure out what caused it. If this is a Proton related issue, I hope Valve can fix it.

The only visual issue I had when playing on the Deck itself is some of the icon glyphs and menus had either smaller than expected fonts, or they weren’t as crisp as they should’ve been. I noticed this even on Switch so it likely is an issue with the game being designed for a higher res and bigger screen. Not a dealbreaker, but worth pointing out.

Gundam Breaker 4 Switch vs PS5 – what to buy?

On the console side, I didn’t have time to test Gundam Breaker 4 on my PS4, so I focused on the Switch (Lite and OLED) and PS5 versions. Gundam Breaker 4 on PS5 looks amazing and runs basically perfectly at 60fps in the time I put into it, but I didn’t reach the few missions in the story towards the end that were more visually demanding. I also didn’t reach here on Switch, but I put nearly two dozen hours into the Switch version to see enough of how it runs there. Check out a comparison of the opening tutorial mission on PS5 and Switch in the screenshot comparison below:

The biggest downgrades on Switch aside from the performance are with resolution, detail, and reflections. This applies not only to the stages, but also the Gunpla parts. During the network tests, a friend of mine pointed out how the Switch version looked like an HG Gunpla while the PS5 version looked like an RG in some scenes. If you built Gunpla you will understand this, but for everyone else, it just means Gunpla in the Switch version ends up lacking in many details like decals, lining, and even weathering effects in specific situations. They do appear, but I think the lower resolution and draw distance makes it so that they are invisible sometimes. This is one of those changes you won’t realize until you see the game outside Switch.

I honestly expected this to run at 120fps on PS5 given the visuals. Playing Megaton Musashi at 120fps was good as a recent release. Maybe the developers capped this to 60fps for multiplayer reasons with the PS4 version, but I’m not sure. Aside from the 60fps cap, Gundam Breaker 4 has decent rumble support and even has PS5 Activity Card support to load into your save quicker. Since the review embargo prevents me from showing anything beyond chapter two in the story, the screenshot below is from when I just began playing showing the Activity Card implementation for story mode. I hope this supports online play and lobbies in the future as well.

Speaking of loading, the Switch load times are really long compared to PS5 and Steam Deck. Even running the game off the SD card on my old Steam Deck LCD had much faster load times than Switch.

If you only care about portability, you obviously won’t bother with the PS5 version, but the Switch port currently has one major issue that makes me hesitate to recommend it. The assembly section and diorama mode feel very sluggish. While the main lobby or hub is also sluggish, the performance in missions is better albeit still not a perfect 30fps. I saw drops even in early missions from 30fps, but again, this is a lot better than I expected given some recent Switch ports.

I would be ok with this given the hardware if the assembly section ran better considering you will be spending a lot of time there after each mission. Diorama mode also needs more optimization on Switch with how sluggish it feels. If you played Gundam Breaker 3 on PS Vita, you will be more than fine with the Switch version, but I was hoping for a better port all things considered. Since there are more content updates planned, I hope we see some optimization on this front.

For those who own multiple platforms, I only recommend the Switch version if you exclusively want to play portably and don’t own a Steam Deck. Speaking of portable play, I enjoyed Gundam Breaker 4 on my Switch Lite aside from the text size in some menus. Gundam Breaker 4 is also sadly the final game I reviewed on it before the screen developed some LCD-related issues.

Is the Gundam Breaker 4 Ultimate Edition worth it?

I had access to some of the DLC included in the Gundam Breaker 4 Deluxe Edition and Gundam Breaker 4 Ultimate Edition. I can’t comment on the story DLC yet since it isn’t available, but the early unlocks aren’t game changing. You get level 1 parts for the suits listed on the store page, but I found the builders parts to be better as early DLC to help you get started.

Beyond that, the Diorama content doesn’t seem to be fully available right now, but there is some content from the DLC I had access to, and it was really good for posing Gunpla and using the cel-shaded filter as well. Having tried the Diorama mode a lot across my playthroughs on all platforms, photo mode enthusiasts and those who enjoy those kinds of modes in games will find a lot to love here. Having more items and accessories in this mode will be good, but you could get those separately I assume. I love how Gunbarrel Strike Gundam – Gundam Breaker Ver looks, so having those parts was nice. I liked the design enough to order the collector’s edition the moment pre-orders went up as well.

Is Gundam Breaker 4 worth it for the story?

I’ve seen some folks excited to play Gundam Breaker 4 for its story, and while it is a fine story, you really are here for customization, battles, and building your ideal Gunpla. If you want a story-focused game instead, look at Megaton Musashi. Both games have their strengths and weaknesses, but I ended up clicking with the gameplay in Gundam Breaker 4 more as a fan of the older games.

When I got my review codes for Gundam Breaker 4, I had a fun idea of starting the MG 78-2 Version 3.0 kit and building it alongside the game to finish both at the same time, but sadly there are too many other games releasing for me to be able to do that.

Not only was it great to play a new Gundam Breaker alongside building my newest Gunpla kit, but there’s a new found appreciation I have for the work that goes into designing these kits now after moving to an MG and also an RG from HG kits. I’ve also been lucky enough to have some friends who are super helpful with Gunpla tips for decals, panel lining, and also what to do when stuck. I look forward to finishing this kit and then working on my RG next.

The wait for Gundam Breaker 4 has been super long, and I didn’t even think we’d see a new game in the series after New Gundam Breaker, but here we are. Gundam Breaker 4 is real and it is spectacular in almost every way. It is my favorite Steam Deck game this year since Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance, and one I look forward to playing online and offline over the coming months with all the DLC planned.

Gundam Breaker 4 Steam Deck review: 4.5/5



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Meta Cancels Next-Gen Headset Amidst Changing Market Landscape

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Meta Cancels Next-Gen Headset Amidst Changing Market Landscape


The tech community is buzzing over Meta’s recent cancellation of a next-gen mixed-reality headset. Was this a necessary move for a swiftly changing market that has yet to establish a viable product, or was it a strategic error that forfeits a chance to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro? The answer appears to be a bit of both as Meta seeks the sweet spot between innovation and market demand.

Meta’s mixed-reality headset will no longer be developed. CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other executives reached this decision after the product review meeting, during which they threw the headset under the bus. Once considered a top contender and a direct competitor to Apple’s Vision Pro, the device’s development was clearly no longer tenable—hence, the decision to stop working on it.

The cancellation of the next-generation Reality Labs headset can mainly be attributed to the high costs associated with advanced OLED display technology. Reality Labs has been a big area of focus for parent company Meta, but the division’s ambitious vision for AR/VR has come at a staggering cost, resulting in billions of dollars in losses.

Zuckerberg is undeterred, though. He continues to believe that the AR/VR field will amount to something tangible over the next decade or so. Still, the decision to cancel the headset seems to suggest he is rethinking his approach.

Impact of Apple’s Vision Pro

Initially seen as a game changing device, Apple’s Vision Pro headset has had trouble catching on. Sales have been disappointing, to the point that we could say the product has not yet found its market. Meta may well have looked to Apple’s struggles when second-guessing its own decision to introduce a pricey mixed-reality headset to a consumer base that seems highly doubtful, at present, about the usefulness of such products.

In general, the virtual reality marketplace seems to be in a state of turbulence. Microsoft’s HoloLens has moved toward niche markets with heavy wallets, and Google’s smart glasses failed to catch the public’s attention.  Meta, looking at all this, might have decided that now is not the best time to invest in a premium VR headset.

Shift in Market Focus

Meta’s cancellation of the next-generation headset appears to be part of a larger strategic realignment. Instead of going head-to-head with the high-end hardware competitors, Meta seems to be focusing on its software ecosystem. If the company manages to create a compelling environment for users and developers, it will have accomplished something of value that it can then monetize.

In the long run, Meta’s vision could be in forming partnerships and collaborations with other tech firms and start-ups focused on developing affordable AR/VR solutions. If they do that, it might open the door to innovation in areas where Meta could achieve competitive differentiation, like AI integration or improved connectivity between AR/VR devices and smartphones.

From High-End to Consumer-Friendly Options

That said, the projected growth for the worldwide smart glasses market is nothing short of impressive. Estimates call for the sale of 13 million units by 2030, and the average annual growth rate from 2023 to 2030 is expected to be as high as 53.0%. In 2023, the U.S. market for smart glasses reached approximately 432,300 units, and this value is poised to climb.

While high-end items such as Apple’s Vision Pro might keep making the news, the real expansion should come from cheaper, more consumer-friendly products. Meta looks likely to take the lead in this. Its recent foray into the next big thing in computing—mixed-reality (MR) headsets—seems to have the everyday consumer in mind, and not only the well-heeled VR enthusiast.

Future Implications

The premium mixed-reality headset that Meta promised to build and sell has been canceled, and that may indicate a turnaround in strategy—away from high-end hardware that delivers premium mixed-reality experiences and toward making augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) technology more accessible and practical. Despite cancelling the headset, Meta still plans to offer a range of hardware and software solutions for various AR/VR use cases, and its significant investment in this area still gives the company an edge in the office and education markets.

The future of AR/VR may rely less on cutting-edge devices and more on the kind of affordable, everyday products that consumers can easily make use of.

Editor’s note: This article was written with the assistance of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Owen Skelton.

Owen Skelton

Owen Skelton is an experienced journalist and editor with a passion for delivering insightful and engaging content. As Editor-in-Chief, he leads a talented team of writers and editors to create compelling stories that inform and inspire.

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‘Fragrant Story & Papaya’s Path’, Plus Today’s Other Releases and Sales – TouchArcade

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‘Fragrant Story & Papaya’s Path’, Plus Today’s Other Releases and Sales – TouchArcade


Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 26th, 2024. In today’s article, we get the week started with a somewhat lighter edition than we usually go with. No reviews today as I’m a bit busy on other projects, which means we just have a few new releases to go through plus the usual lists of new and expiring sales. Well, at least one of the new releases is interesting. The sales lists aren’t too shabby either. I’ll have some reviews tomorrow, hopefully. Let’s head on in and check out what we’ve got!

Select New Releases

Fragrant Story and Papaya’s Path ($7.99)

Ah, the sordid tale of Fragrant Story, one of the would-be final Nintendo 3DS releases. There’s a lot of confusion out there around this game, so let me sort it out. Despite being a seemingly star-studded tactical role-playing game, those who bought the game on its release were surprised to get a game that lasted all of twenty minutes. The real story? Nintendo’s deadline for 3DS releases was coming quickly, so the developer pushed an unfinished game to the eShop. It was later updated into its intended from, a far more substantial game that lasts more than ten hours. So don’t worry if you see anything about this game being ridiculously short. It’s not. This version has the updates already packed in, and is a pretty solid pick-up for eight bucks if you’re into the genre.

Quack Jump ($3.99)

A simple platformer, but a functional one. It tries to keep things fresh through its 40-level run by sprinkling in new gimmicks as you go. For four dollars, it’s amusing enough.

Underground Station ($7.90)

Something of an idle game where you’re trying to repay your debts by working in a dungeon. It doesn’t look very fancy, but on a day where we have to wade through Moist Editions of AI-generated bikini anime girls, we take what we can get.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Okay, let’s check that inbox first. Another sale from Limited Run Games, which is nice if you’re missing any of their quirky releases. Most of TROOOZE’s junk is on sale, of which I’ve listed only a few. Some Team 17 sales, too. Over in the outbox, the recent somewhat rare sale on the Front Mission remakes is drawing to a close. You might want to add them to your collection if you’re interested, because it seems like they’re discounted far less frequently than Forever’s other games.

Select New Sales

Jurassic Park Games Collection ($17.99 from $29.99 until 8/31)The House in Fata Morgana ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/31)Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/31)Night Trap ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/31)Cosmic Star Heroine ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/31)Phoenotopia: Awakening ($6.99 from $19.99 until 9/7)Enoh ($5.49 from $19.99 until 9/13)CosmoPlayerZ ($5.49 from $10.99 until 9/13)Knowledge Keeper ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/13)Three Minutes to Eight ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)Fall of Porcupine ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9/13)Star Gagnant ($22.80 from $38.00 until 9/13)Moon Dancer ($13.29 from $18.99 until 9/13)Re:Touring ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/13)Life of Slime ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/13)

Cybertrash STATYX ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/13)Awesome Pea 3 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/13)Itorah ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/13)Pizza Tycoon ($2.09 from $14.99 until 9/13)Lacuna ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/13)Alien Survivors: Starship Resurrection ($10.49 from $14.99 until 9/13)World War: Battle of the Bulge ($10.49 from $14.99 until 9/13)World War: D-Day Part One ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)World War: D-Day Part Two ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)Out Racing: Arcade Memory ($10.49 from $14.99 until 9/13)Last 4 Survive: The Outbreak ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)Modern War: Tank Battle ($1.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)Counter Delta: The Bullet Rain ($1.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)Haunted Dawn: Zombie Apocalypse ($1.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)

Urban Warfare: Assault ($11.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)Operation Scorpion: Takedown ($11.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)Hamster on Rails ($5.99 from $14.99 until 9/14)Ultimate Chicken Horse ($6.74 from $14.99 until 9/14)Our Field Trip Adventure ($3.99 from $14.50 until 9/15)Overcooked! All You Can Eat ($15.99 from $39.99 until 9/15)Worms Rumble ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/15)The Survivalists ($2.49 from $24.99 until 9/15)Blasphemous 2 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 9/15)Moving Out ($7.49 from $24.99 until 9/15)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 27th

Aeterna Noctis ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/27)Arise: A Simple Story ($2.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree ($1.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)Badland: GotY Edition ($1.99 from $5.99 until 8/27)Bang-On Balls: Chronicles ($9.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)Blazing Beaks ($1.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)Bus Driving Simulator 22 ($2.99 from $27.99 until 8/27)Chippy & Noppo ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)Cult of the Lamb ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/27)Descenders ($4.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)Everdream Valley ($9.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)Flame Keeper ($3.99 from $11.99 until 8/27)Front Mission 1st: Remake ($17.49 from $34.99 until 8/27)Front Mission 2: Remake ($23.44 from $34.99 until 8/27)

Gamedec: Definitive ($2.99 from $29.99 until 8/27)LOUD: My Road to Fame ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/27)Nine Parchments ($4.39 from $19.99 until 8/27)Ready, Steady, Ship! ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)Red Wings: American Aces ($1.99 from $11.99 until 8/27)Soundfall ($4.49 from $29.99 until 8/27)Summum Aeterna ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)SuperEpic: The Entertainment War ($1.99 from $17.99 until 8/27)Terra Flame ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)Tools Up ($1.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)Trine 2: Complete Story ($3.73 from $16.99 until 8/27)Trine 3: Artifacts of Power ($4.39 from $19.99 until 8/27)Trine Enchanted Edition ($3.29 from $14.99 until 8/27)War Titans ($1.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)Xiaomei & the Flame Dragon’s Fist ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new releases, more sales, and perhaps some reviews and news. It really depends on what else I’ve got to deal with. Wish me luck in getting things done in a timely manner. I hope you all have a magnificent Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!



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‘TMNT Splintered Fate’, ‘Subway Surfers’, ‘Another Eden’, and More – TouchArcade

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‘TMNT Splintered Fate’, ‘Subway Surfers’, ‘Another Eden’, and More – TouchArcade


Hello everyone, and welcome to the week! It’s time once again for our look back at the noteworthy updates of the last seven days. Lots of big names in the list this week, though one heavily skewed towards free-to-play stuff. Some Apple Arcade games as well, naturally. Still, it’s a good mix of games with some interesting updates to consider. Of course, you can keep an eye out for updates yourself by participating in the TouchArcade forums. This weekly summary is just here to fill you in on the things you might have missed. Let’s go for it!

Subway Surfers, Free

Sydney is a city, and Sydney is the center of a couple of updates this week. Apparently in the world of Subway Surfers, there is a veggie revolution happening. Veggie, not Vegimite. Collect Veggie tokens, build a bean burger, and unlock Billy Bean. On top of this, you can look forward to a bunch of green-themed characters, boards, and bundles. Oh, I see. It’s a whole “green” thing. Okay, that’s fun. Save the planet, kids. It’s the only one we’ve got. Mars isn’t happening anytime soon.

Tiny Tower: Tap Idle Evolution, Free

Out with the Olympics event, in with the summer event. It’s still summer! So says the calendar, so says the temperature. Anyway, the gist of this event is that you serve up VIPs and roll the dice to earn event points, and at certain thresholds you get rewards. Each week is its own thing, and at the end you’ll get rewards based on your overall progress across all weeks. Different VIPs are worth different amounts of points, and you know the pay to win option is real here. But hey, free stuff.

MARVEL Puzzle Quest: Hero RPG, Free

I don’t talk enough about Marvel Puzzle Quest, but that’s more because it trucks along consistently and quietly. As with other Marvel games, this one was doing an event tied in with Deadpool and Wolverine. It’s over now, and all the sweeping up has been done. That includes a rebalance for Old Man Logan, complete with a new costume. The latest PVP Season of Mind has come to a close, so keep your eyes out for the next one. Hm. I’m now realizing this update is mostly clean-up, but at least you’re thinking about Marvel Puzzle Quest now.

ANOTHER EDEN, Free

The King of Fighters! In addition to being a pretty good little RPG in its own right, Another Eden has been home to some truly strange collaboration events. Is The King of Fighters the strangest? Probably not, but it’s up there. On top of that cross-over, this update adds a new Parallel Time Layer Ally, the Thornbound Witch Shanie. Is Mai here? Let me check the paperwork. Yes, she is. Good. Terry, Kyo, Mai, and Kula. Good enough. I’ll give this the UMMSotW award for this week because Mai is cool.

Temple Run: Legends,

The relatively recently-launched stage-based Temple Run game already has a nice little update to enjoy. The new Outfit System does pretty much what you would think it does. Unlock new Outfits to equip to the characters to change their looks. But wait, there’s more! Those Outfits have some useful new traits to give you a variety of advantages during your runs. Wacky looks that work for you? If only real life was like that! Instead people just point and laugh, which is not an advantage at all.

TMNT Splintered Fate,

Those Toitles are at it again! Splintered Fate launched on other platforms recently, and it seems the developers have decided to bring over some of the improvements for those versions over to the mobile release. Couch co-op! Cross-platform online multiplayer! Improved controller interfaces! All that, plus some nice upgrades to the graphics, audio, and more. It’s like getting extra cheese on your pizza without asking for it!

Disney Dreamlight Valley,

The Princess and the Frog is in the spotlight in the latest version of Disney Dreamlight Valley. Tiana is here to set up a restaurant and a new Stall, and apparently Remy is somewhere around too. Makes sense. Cooking is kind of his thing. You can also get a New Orleans style parade going on. That’s fun. I always like seeing Disney movies outside of the biggest hits get some representation in games like these.

Outlanders,

Okay, let’s try to parse the update notes for Outlanders. Always a challenge. Volume VI of Outlanders Chronicles is here, giving you six new playable leaders and following the rise and subsequent fall of a community. Something to do with a comet not appearing when it should have. Maybe they’re one of those weird cults? Well, I’m not about to bother them to find out. They seem sad about it. You, however, can feel free to bother them by checking out this latest version of the game.

SimCity BuildIt, Free

Here’s our other Sydney-themed update today, and it’s also somewhat focused on the whole green angle. Okay, that’s fine. Captain Planet would certainly approve, and I never mess with someone with a green mullet. Add buildings like the Beam Wireless, Green Exchange, and Flower Bud to your city. There are also some limited-time structures like the Sydney Zoo and Paper Bag. Jump in on this Mayor’s Pass Season and liven up your city with these new sites. Sights? Sites and sights.

Merge Mansion: Mystery & Story, Free

The obligatory free-to-play matching puzzle game update of the week is our closer this time, and I’ve picked Merge Mansion. A new area is available in the form of the Speakeasy. Wait, are those legal? Like Grandma would care. Some improvements have been made to the Landing Room and Lounge, a new Mystery Pass offers an intriguing new pet, some balance adjustments have been made, and a whole mess of events have been seeded in that you’ll see pop up in the coming weeks. Add in some bug fixes, and that’s about it for this one.

That about wraps it up for last week’s significant updates. I’m sure I’ve missed some, though, so please feel free to comment below and let everyone know if you think something should be mentioned. As usual, major updates will likely get their own news stories throughout this week, and I’ll be back next Monday to summarize and fill in the blanks. Have a great week!



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‘Monster Hunter Now’ Season 3 To Add Magnamalo, Heavy Bowgun Weapon, Cooking, and More on September 11th – TouchArcade

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‘Monster Hunter Now’ Season 3 To Add Magnamalo, Heavy Bowgun Weapon, Cooking, and More on September 11th – TouchArcade


Niantic and Capcom just detailed the next major update coming to Monster Hunter Now (Free). Monster Hunter Now Season 3 “Curse of the Wandering Flames” sees Magnamalo arrive as the first Monster Hunter Rise original monster joining the Monster Hunter Now roster. Alongside Magnamalo, two other monsters join in the action including my favorite: Rajang. The final monster addition is Aknosom. Monster Hunter Now’s Season 3 update also brings in a new weapon, the Heavy Bowgun, cooking as a feature, and more. I’m curious to see how Magnamalo and Rajang are in-game as I adore hunting both of them in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak and Monster Hunter World: Iceborne for Rajang. Check out Magnamalo’s artwork for Monster Hunter Now below:

Check out some of the new gear from the update below:

If you’ve not played Monster Hunter Now recently or are planning to just start playing, I put together tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of the current state of the game and are you looking forward to Teostra next month?



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Blue Exorcist Another Story’ From Aniplex Gets a New Trailer Ahead of Its Launch on Mobile and PC – TouchArcade

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Blue Exorcist Another Story’ From Aniplex Gets a New Trailer Ahead of Its Launch on Mobile and PC – TouchArcade


At Anime NYC this weekend, Aniplex USA shared more details for its upcoming 3D action RPG Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist Another Story (). Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist Another Story is in development for iOS, Android, and Windows release this year. Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist Another Story is based on the Blue Exorcist IP, and the story of the game features new original characters showcased in the game’s new trailer. In addition to this new trailer, pre-orders and pre-registrations have gone live for the game. Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist Another Story sees you taking on the role of an exorcist assigned to the Special Investigations Unit in the Japanese branch of the Knights of the True Cross. Watch the new trailer below:

Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist Another Story doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, and the App Store page also confirms that the date listed there is a placeholder. If you’d like to try Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist Another Story, you can pre-order it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out the official website here where a lot of the pre-registration reward tiers are detailed. Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist Another Story is due this summer on iOS, Android, and Windows. What do you think of Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist Another Story so far?



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Most expensive necklace in the World: Jewels That outshine Confidence

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Most expensive necklace in the World: Jewels That outshine Confidence




August 26, 2024








Nothing speaks of luxury and elegance like a necklace—the perfect piece of jewelry for the lady of distinction. Necklaces have always been much more than mere ornaments, they have been precious icons of status, richness, and the ability to show due respect to the finest aspects of life.

They are worn on the necks of queens, celebrities, or other high-profile individuals, and with this comes history, elegance, and power. There are countless most expensive necklace in the world that were made over centuries and millennia, but there are a few rare ones that are unmatched not only in terms of their appearance but also in terms of their value.

This is the story of the most expensive necklaces in the world, which cost as much as it tells about the artistic brilliance enshrined in the piece. Sculpted using only the finest materials, including exquisite stones, these masterpiece necklaces are far more than a mere fashion accessory.

This is a historical masterpiece of human creation, a living art, a showcase of how luxury can be defined with precision and elegance, and a representation of what is possible when talent, determination, and the very best of materials are combined. These necklaces are not just an ornament; it is history, pronunciation, and, more importantly, art, and for that matter, the final epitome of luxury.

In this blog, we are going to discuss the most expensive necklaces in the world and how they are capturing the eyes of individuals from all over the world. Our discussion will cover the necklaces’ rich history.

1. A Heritage in Bloom

A Heritage in Bloom

The Wallace Chan magic we can call it, This necklace is designed and crafted by a Chinese jeweler Wallace Chan, The necklace is called “A Heritage in Bloom”. It is considered one of the most expensive necklace in the world when it was revealed in front of the entire world.

If we talk about the specification of this necklace it has 11,551 diamonds that weigh a total of 383.4octs, The inspiration behind the design of this necklace comes from Chinese culture itself. The bats and butterflies are featured as the symbolic icons for this necklace.

The story goes back to Hong Kong, where Chow Tai Fook asked Chan to craft and create this famous necklace, Chow Tai Fook is the owner of Cullinan Heritage diamonds. In this piece of jewel, 24 D-colour internally flawless diamonds are cut from 507.55ct rough stone, which also includes the 104ct centerpiece revolved around jade.

There are some amazing things associated with this masterpiece, it took more than 47,000 hours to complete this necklace and it can be styled in 27 different ways. It is the most expensive necklace in the world for a reason. 

2. The Blue Belle of Asia

The Blue Belle of Asia

As the name suggests “The Blue Belle of Asia” is considered one of the fabled pieces of sapphires in the world. Due to its rarity, this is the most expensive sapphire in the whole world. In November 2014 it was bought by Christie’s Geneva.

This piece of luxury jewelry went through the process of bidding, in which the initial bid price was 6,650,00 Swiss Francs (approximately $6.9 million), and later on it was bought by an unidentified individual which is not known till now at the final prize of 16,965,000 Swiss Francs ($17,564,156).

There’s an interesting story behind this gem as it was first found in Ratnapura in 1926. Back in those days it was owned by a famous gem dealer called Macan Markar “Colombo”. Macan Markar also started this famous firm called O.L.M. Markar has clients from the British Royal family.

Markar used to consider this sapphire as one of his prized possessions, later on in 973 it was sold to Lord Nuffield who was the founder of famous Morris Motors. These ornaments are very rare and exclusive which  makes them so expensive and they cannot be bought just directly. These special stones can only be purchased via auction and the “The Blue Belle of Asia” is ranked as the most esteemed gemstone in the world. 

3. L’Incomparable Necklace

The Most Expensive Necklace in the World L’Incomparable Necklace

Being sold for $55 million, the L’Incomparable Necklace is a still unparalleled piece of jewelry art that can be hardly considered a simple piece of jewelry. This is a splendid necklace that has been developed based on a single concept: the largest internally flawless diamond in the world, which is 407.

The 48-carat gem is popularly referred to as the Incomparable Diamond. It was cut in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the 1980s. The diamond was tipped as worthless when a young girl stumbled on it while sorting through a pile of debris.

In fact, later they came to know it to be a unique and extremely valuable stone without any comparison in size or quality. Mouawad, the luxury jeweler, has designed this necklace, and it is a tremendous combination of innovation and beauty.

The remaining arrangement of petals showcases 90 white diamonds that amount to almost 230 carats and are all set in rose gold in a most unconventional, maddening, and beautiful pattern. The design emphasizes the fact that this is a triangular cut diamond and makes sure that the light reflects off the stone in the most alluring manner.

L’Incomparable Necklace is not only a piece of jewelry but an admiring piece of art that was created by mankind, found in the bowels of Earth, and turns into the symbol of the uppermost chic. It is therefore no exaggeration to speak about this necklace as the true jewel, which is highly appreciated and sought after by collectors all over the world and can be admired from a close distance very rarely.

4. The Heart of the Ocean Diamond Necklace

The Heart of the Ocean Diamond Necklace

One more renowned beautiful jewel is the Heart of the Ocean Diamond Necklace, which is estimated at $20 million. This is an extremely beautiful piece of jewelry that is famous for its incredible design and its core gemstone.

The necklace consists of a stunning dark blue diamond, described as being similar to the Hope diamond, that is surrounded by a design of platinum and diamonds. It is not only the beauty of the stone that captivates people on the one hand but also its background and provenience on the other hand.

This version of the necklace was in fact based on the one that was worn by the character of Rose portrayed by actress Kate Winslet in the movie ‘Titanic,’ and it does not surprise that it copies all the features of the motion picture’s legend by its exquisite and utterly unique charm.

The central diamond is 45 impressive carats in weight. It is famous for its size, which is 52 carats, and it shines bright because of its top-quality color, clarity, and cut. In addition to the main diamond on the centerpiece are additional plots made in a subtle network that add to the luster of the necklace and provide an aesthetic rhythm of bright and dark.

The Heart of the Ocean is not only just a jewel; it is an art that is of the highest standards of art and beauty, and the sole sight of this piece was enchanting and awe-inspiring. Apart from the cost of the actual diamonds and the uniqueness of the item, the price includes the craftsmanship of creating an item as a symbol of an era.

5. Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace

The Most Expensive Necklace in the World Hutton Mdivani Jadeite Necklace

A Jadeite necklace valued at $27 million is owned by the Hutton-Mdivani family. It is a fine image of the exquisite standards and history within the world of high jewelry. This piece is well-known for its Beyond Wonderful jadeite cabochons, jadeite is one of the most prized gemstones in the world due to its scarcity.

There are 27 jadeite beads in the necklace, carefully chosen high-quality jadeites with regard to their color, which is bright green with brilliant luster. These beads are interconnected with each other with no gap, so the design of this piece of jewelry is harmonious, and the real beauty of the jadeite color is revealed.

The necklace is traditionally named after the socialite and philanthropist Barbara Hutton and Princess Himmeh Mdivani, whose additional provenance enhances the value of that piece.

It was taken in by Ruth Seymour Hutton, a widely famous American heiress famous for her extravagant lifestyle and penchant for the finest in everything in the 1930s. This is shaped as a piece of timeless elegance that speaks of its history, this necklace is a work of art to which collectors and admirers of vintage pieces cannot remain indifferent.

The worth of the Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace extends far deeper than the aesthetic appeal and rarity of the piece; it is in historical importance, paired with the fact that only the most recognizable celebrities have ever been able to wear it.

The jadeite beads that are used have to meet certain criteria as far as color, translucency, and texture are concerned, and each bead is selected with these qualities in mind. This appraisal extensively vindicates the attributes of sheer superb workmanship, finest quality jadeite, and business of legend behind this grand jewel—the necklace.

6. The Red Emperor Necklace

The Red Emperor Necklace

The Red Emperor Necklace costs $10 million, and it has to be one of the most enduring pieces of haute couture jewelry ever made. This piece is most remarkable for the centerpiece—an incredible red diamond, which is even rarer than the blue one.

Weighing approximately 3.02 carats, the red diamond is famous for its rich and strong tone and wonder, which cannot be observed in any other gemstone. The red diamond is located in a necklace made with remarkable detail in combination with diamonds and precious metals that serve to complement the intense color of the central diamond.

The setting of the necklace also features an extra pave of white diamonds that create a ballet of contrast to the visibility of the red diamond. What is produced is, therefore, a piece that also articulates the best characteristics of a red diamond alongside the design brilliance worthy of top-tier jewelry niches.

The Red Emperor Necklace is not just a piece of jewelry worn to convey a sign of wealth but can also be a sign of the type of personality that the owner has and the type of gemstone that the owner loves to wear.

The fact that the Red Emperor Necklace could be valued so highly is due to the fact that red diamonds are one of the rarest and most valuable diamonds in the world. These are rare due to the elaborate work and superior quality workmanship of the necklace, which raises the price significantly.

The Red Emperor Necklace could not be a better illustration of how a single stone is enough to bring life and color to the necklace and turn it into an art piece that collectors would lay down their lives to own.

7. A Diamond and Emerald Necklace by Bulgari

A Diamond and Emerald Necklace by Bulgari

The spectacular and one-of-a-kind necklace is a true masterpiece of Bulgari’s high jewelry collection, and it is estimated to be worth $3 million! This stunner is admired for its creation of an elegant diamond setting augmented with bright and vibrant emerald stones that are characteristic of the Bulgari brand.

This model is adorned with an impressive necklace set, which comes with a multitude of cut diamonds coordinated in a unique manner that first captures attention with the quality and flexibility of the cuts. Accompanying these sparkling diamonds are fine emerald, green stones characterized by high clarity and rich color.

Every emerald is hand-picked because of its shade and clarity; this contrast with the lacelike setting of the surrounding diamonds makes this design unique.

The necklace that is presented is also typical for Bulgari, where the timeless classics are combined with the tendencies of the present days. In the current designs, the use of the four Cs will be done in a manner that will make the emeralds’ setting to be elegant and appealing to the eyes.

The setting of the necklace tends to be of first-class platinum or gold, thus offering a perfect background that enhances the glow of the stones and the tones of colors.

The above Bulgari necklace was valued at $3 million, and they have got it right in terms of the quality of the gemstones, finishing, and the reputation of the Bulgari brand. This piece is a testimony of the volume of elegance that defines fine jewelry pieces, which, while retaining classical feelings, presents a touch of contemporary liberalization.

Its value is a result of the rarity of the emeralds, the brilliance of the diamonds, and the absolutely total professionalism with which Bulgari approached the creation of masterpieces of haute couture jewelry.

8. Leviev’s Diamond Necklace

The Most Expensive Necklace in the World Leviev's Diamond Necklace

One of the well-known masterpieces of Leviev’s creation is a diamond necklace that is worth $10 million; it is the embodiment of the jewelry traditions of exquisite taste and refinement. This phenomenal creation is set with a range of the world’s finest diamonds, famous for their fire and clarity.

The necklace features an elaborate setting of diamonds, with each piece of diamond having been expertly placed and cut to give the best glittering and shine. The diamonds are mounted on a precious metal, which may be platinum or white gold, and this serves to complement the cut of the gemstone while providing a backdrop on which to display the luminosity integral to the diamond.

Leviev’s diamond necklace is not just big in terms of size and the number of diamonds, but it is also conceptually superior, more creative, and visually arresting than its rivals. Despite the presence of larger gems, it presents the stones in such a way that one cannot help but appreciate their individual sparkle.

An element that often appears in the design of the necklace is the use of several diamond cuts—round brilliants, marquises, or pears—all the stones are placed next to each other, creating an amazing effect. Such an arrangement is considerate in the sense that the necklace is able to light up from all sides, leading to the brightness and sparkle of the piece.

The $10 million worth price of Leviev’s Diamond Necklace is an indication of the diligence that went into modeling the necklace and the quality of the diamonds that were used to make it.

Leviev is one of the most famous high jewelry companies in the world and is famous for its ability to buy some of the largest and best quality diamonds and cut them into fantastic shapes that really suit the jewelry.

This necklace is so much more than just a jewelry piece; it is the epitome of luxury and craftsmanship, to become a true standout in any collection of luxurious jewelry.

9. Marie Antoinette’s Necklace

Marie Antoinette’s Necklace

Marie Antoinette Necklace also known as the Diamond Necklace Affair is one of the most famous and of course most expensive jewelry items of all times. The necklace as an ornament is perfect and magnificent; it symbolizes the royal taste of the French queen and the crisis of pre-revolutionary France.

Made in the second half of the eighteenth century, the necklace was ordered by the renowned firm of Boehmer and Bassenge. It has a mind-blowing 647 diamonds and is arranged in a masterpiece that is classy to the extreme and yet it has that over-the-top appeal to it.

In the middle of the necklace is a series of diamonds of different shapes and sizes each set in a way that ensures that the light emitted from the diamonds is out of this world.

It is perhaps for that reason that the necklace gained notoriety as a result of the “Affair of the Diamond Necklace,” which involved the French court. The crime was a plan to steal the necklace on the pretext of purchasing it for the Queen and then bringing her to the investing of funds embezzled by the Police. While the queen never participated in it, her name was stained and public unrest that fueled the French Revolution grew.

In the contemporary world, the necklace is valued not only for its craftsmanship, and the quality of diamonds used for its creation but for being a part of the history of human civilization.

It is a symbol of the hedonism of the royal family of France and is a reminder of the materialistic richness of that period. The necklace hence cannot be valued, it is an example of artwork, and the history that it forms part of cannot be quantified.

10. The Christie’s Diamond Necklace

The Most Expensive Necklace in the World The Christie’s Diamond Necklace

A stunning and breathtaking piece of high jewelry is the Christie’s Diamond Necklace, which is estimated at a wonderful $8,000,000. This stunning creation is well known for the special attention paid to its workmanship and the caliber of diamonds used. The necklace has a range of shaped round brilliant cut diamonds, hand-picked for their ‘fire,’ and set in a pattern that will enhance the flames.

The focus of the Christie’s Diamond Necklace is usually a single big stone or, in best cases, several distinct big diamonds surrounded by a number of stones that enlighten and sparkle magically.

The ‘jewelry design’ as the name implies generally involves a more refined pattern that brings the shine of the diamonds to life, be it in the basic line of formation or an artistic formation. The necklace is made from precious alloys, including platinum or white gold, that give the diamond a classy and elegant background.

This has been valued at $8 million, which we can also see is a result of the scarcity and quality of the pieces as well as the workmanship put into a piece such as this. Christie’s, which specializes in auctions and luxury jewelry, guarantees that each jewelry piece is a perfect example of exquisite class and craftsmanship.

Some other factors that informed the value of the necklace are the possible historical value of the jewelry as well as the value of Christie’s brand. Due to its nature as a unique and extraordinary piece, Christie’s Diamond Necklace is one of the most desired pieces of luxury jewelry by most collectors and lovers of jewelry items.

11. The Blue Moon Necklace

The Blue Moon Necklace

The Blue Moon Necklace, with its eye-watering valuation of $48.4 million, stands as a paragon of opulence and extraordinary craftsmanship in the realm of high jewelry. This breathtaking creation, designed by the prestigious jeweler Mouawad, showcases a stunning 12.03-carat Blue Moon diamond, which is one of the rarest and most sought-after gemstones globally.

The diamond’s captivating deep blue hue, achieved through a natural and exceptionally rare combination of elements, is further accentuated by its cushion cut, a shape that maximizes its brilliance and scintillation.

The meticulous craftsmanship of the necklace extends beyond the central gem, with the diamond being set in a luxurious platinum setting that not only supports but amplifies the stone’s inherent beauty. Surrounding the central Blue Moon diamond is a halo of exquisitely matched smaller diamonds, each carefully selected for their clarity and brilliance, creating a dazzling contrast that highlights the central gem’s striking color.

The necklace’s design is a testament to the mastery and artistry of its creators, blending classic elegance with modern sophistication. Unveiled at a high-profile auction, the Blue Moon Necklace immediately garnered global attention and admiration, not just for its staggering price tag, but for its unparalleled rarity and the exceptional skill involved in its creation.

The necklace is a symbol of the zenith of luxury and exclusivity, representing a singular achievement in the world of fine jewelry and remaining a coveted treasure among collectors and connoisseurs alike.

12. The “Incomparable” Diamond Necklace

The Most Expensive Necklace in the World The “Incomparable” Diamond Necklace

The Necklace of “Incomparable” Diamond is one of the main pieces of art of haute joaillerie, which is admired for its loveliness and history. This is a magnificent piece of jewelry characterized by the centerpiece, which is stupendously rare and perfect. It is set with a 48-carat diamond known as the Incomparable Diamond and has a surrounding row of other smaller marquise-cut diamonds.

The necklace is cultured elegant and trendy with an aesthetic architectural design that provides an orderly arrangement of the centerpiece that is the diamond and ensures that the entire structure is in harmony to produce a coherent jewel that is the necklace in question. This particular necklace was crafted in the early part of the twentieth century, although the diamond used in the construction of the necklace was discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The necklace is a model of the highest class of diamond work and has an exciting and interesting history related to rare stones’ adventurous and prestigious traditions. They know from experience that its value is more than just a financial one, for it is both an example of the earth’s beauty in its natural state as well as the result of centuries of human adaptation and refinement.

Conclusion

In the world of luxury, these incredible necklaces represent the height of elegance and rarity. Each piece, from the dazzling Heritage in Bloom to the stunning Blue Moon Necklace, showcases amazing craftsmanship and precious gemstones. These necklaces are more than just beautiful accessories—they symbolize the ultimate in luxury and timeless style.







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Bubble Pop’ Is a New Bust-a-Move-Like Coming to iOS and Android Through Tic Toc Games, Nickelodeon, and Netflix – TouchArcade

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Bubble Pop’ Is a New Bust-a-Move-Like Coming to iOS and Android Through Tic Toc Games, Nickelodeon, and Netflix – TouchArcade


Netflix recently announced more games coming to its service in the coming months, but an unannounced (as far as I’m aware) casual Bust-a-Move-like game in the form of SpongeBob: Bubble Pop has gone up for pre-order on the App Store and pre-registration on Android. SpongeBob: Bubble Pop (Free) from Tic Toc Games and Nickelodeon is due on September 17th going by the App Store listing, and it aims to offer players hundreds of puzzles where you match colors and free sea snails to save Bikini Bottom. It will include boosters, various unlocks, SpongeBob cosmetics, a skill crane to earn even more costumes, and more. Check out some screenshots from it below:

If you’d like to play SpongeBob: Bubble Pop at launch, you can pre-order it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. If we get a gameplay trailer, Ill post about it, but I think everyone knows what to expect from a game like this. I’m curious if we see more games announced at Netflix Geeked week in the near future. What do you think of SpongeBob: Bubble Pop and Netflix bringing more casual games like this to its service?



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‘Genshin Impact’ Version 5.0 Update Pre-Installation Now Live, New Trailer Released – TouchArcade

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‘Genshin Impact’ Version 5.0 Update Pre-Installation Now Live, New Trailer Released – TouchArcade


HoYoverse has begun pre-installation for the major Genshin Impact (Free) version 5.0 “Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn” update for on supported platforms. If you’ve not followed the game recently, Genshin Impact 5.0 brings in the sixth nation: Natlan, new characters like Mualani, reruns for Raiden Shogun, and much more. The update will launch beginning August 28th for mobile, PC, PS5, and PS4 with the game launching on Xbox Series X this November. The first Genshin Impact 5.0 banner features: Mualani, Kachina and Kaedehara Kazuha while banner 2 has Kinich and Raiden Shogun. This update is also supposed to bring in updated visuals. Read about that here. Watch the new Genshin Impact trailer for Kachina below:

You can pre-install it by tapping the pre-install resource package button. The download size is 2.67GB on iOS and about 16GB on PC. If you’d like to play Genshin Impact and don’t own it yet, you can download it for free on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The PC version is available on the official website here and the Epic Games Store. If you play on iOS, with iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 and later, you can use PS5 and Xbox Series X|S controllers to play Genshin Impact. We featured Genshin Impact as our Game of the Week when it released and awarded it our 2020 Game of the Year. I also featured it as one of the best iOS games to play with a controller. What do you think of Genshin Impact 5.0 so far?



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OSFest 2024 Opens for Builders and Participants – Hypergrid Business

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OSFest 2024 Opens for Builders and Participants – Hypergrid Business


OSFest 2024 Opens for Builders and Participants – Hypergrid Business
OSFest 2024. (Image courtesy Lisa Laxton.)

The virtual doors of OSFest 2024 have swung open, welcoming creators, builders, merchants, performers, and sponsors to begin crafting their digital spaces. This annual event, hosted on the OpenSim Fest grid, is set to run from October 4 through October 20, 2024, offering a diverse platform for virtual exhibitions, performances, and commerce.

Lisa Laxton

“The grid is open for participants to build or bring in their creations via the hypergrid,” said Lisa Laxton, OSFest director and founder of the Infinite Metaverse Alliance and Laxton Consulting.

Based on the feedback from previous events, OSFest now has a new mainland layout, she told Hypergrid Business. There are also small sponsor parcels available at US$3 each for other grids or region owners looking to increase their visibility in the hypergrid community and promote their grids.

There is also a limited number of free parcels available for exhibitors and merchants, paid for by sponsors.

OSFest is also looking for volunteers to join the OSFest team and help get everything ready for the event, and to help out during the festival itself.

For more information, check out the event’s home page, or the FAQ page.

The festival will feature 110 hours of performer events and 84 hours dedicated to exhibits, stores, and interactive activities. In a nod to the broader virtual community, OSFest has also allocated eight hours for satellite events on other grids, encouraging cross-platform participation.

OSFest 2024. (Image courtesy Lisa Laxton.)

Most of the 110 hours of performer slots are already booked, Laxton said, and merchant sales event times have been scheduled. There are non-music events and activities on the schedule as well, she added.

“Some participants have started or will soon bring in their builds, and the content infrastructure is ongoing with expected updates on the website, calendar, and Discord server,” she said. “This is the fun and exciting time leading up to opening day.”

This year’s festival breaks new ground by eschewing a unifying theme, a decision made through community vote. This approach promises an eclectic mix of exhibits, stores, and performances, reflecting the diverse interests of the virtual world community. Adding to the fresh feel, the grid layout has been completely redesigned, offering new experiences for both returning participants and first-time visitors.

Participants can access the grid via hypergrid using the address: grid.opensimfest.com:8022:OSF_HGWelcome.

Organizers are encouraging early setup, with a target completion date set for late September.

OSFest 2024 is Gloebit-enabled, allowing for virtual transactions within the grid.

Various sponsorship levels are available for those wishing to support the event financially.

Hypergrid Business editor and publisher Maria Korolov is a science fiction novelist. During the day, Maria Korolov is an award-winning freelance technology journalist who covers artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise virtual reality. See her Amazon author page here and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, and check out her latest videos on the Maria Korolov YouTube channel. Email her at maria@hypergridbusiness.com. Her first virtual world novella, Krim Times, made the Amazon best-seller list in its category. Her second novella, The Lost King of Krim, is out now. She is also the publisher of MetaStellar, a new online magazine of speculative fiction.
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