Sekiro is one of those games where you never feel overpowered. Even if you make smart skill-tree choices and prioritize unlocking high-impact abilities (bless you, Shadowrush), it can still be a struggle to make ta??ngible upgrade progress unless you grind in familiar areas or tread new?? ground with extreme caution.

Players have had five years to narrow down the best farming spots for XP and Sen, and?? I've? played the game enough times to toss my own two cents into the debate. Here are the best Xp and Sen farming locations in Sekiro

Best early game XP and Sen farming locations in Sekiro

The early stages of your journey through Ashida don't ?pull their punches, and you'll learn quickly that you need to get stronger if you want to save your young lord. Luckily, there are plenty of areas where you can farm XP to level up your skill and get Sen to buy upgrades for your prosthetic arm.

??One of the best areas to grind out XP and Sen early on is the Hirata Estate. This area is technically optional, but I highly recommend you come here. Many prowling enemies infest the main path through Hirata Estate, but you can kill them all without too much trouble by sticking to ceilings and high walls and using sneak attacks from above. Whether you start at the Estate Path's Sculptor's Idol or work your way back from "Hirata Estate - Main Hall," you'll rack up XP and Sen quickly.

The payouts aren't great at the beginning of Sekiro, so don't be afraid to pop Mibu Balloons if you're struggling and want to speed up the grind. You'll get plenty of them throughout ?the game, so d?on't let the fear that you'll run out of them keep you from maximizing your XP output.

Another area to consider early on is directly after the big arena fight against Gyoubu and his steed. From the "Ashina Castle Gate" idol in Ashina Outskirts, you can hunt "rats" (aka the little creepy dudes). They drop a respectable amount of XP and Sen for this point of the game, and you can rack up a decent?? amount of both resources by farming them. Just grab the Loaded Axe prosthetic before you come here otherwise you won't be able to smash through their shields.

The final early-game farming area I'd recommend is Ashina Castle—Upper Tower Antechamber. This area is full of assassins who drop quite a bit of XP and Sen, but they can be challenging to take down. I'd recommend killing the sol?dier with the rifle near the Ashida Castle Gate idol and grappling with the nearest assassin. From there, work up the tower and stealthfully take out the assassins. They even drop Divine Confetti, making this a fantastic area to hit up if you're having trouble with the ghosts in Kusabimaru.

With this strategy in mind, I could easily buy all the prosthetic tool variants minus the last few that require Lapis lazuli as a crafting ingredient. If you stick to these areas, Sen stops being an issue quick. It's terr??ific for XP grinding, too, but there are so many skills that it will still be a slog, especially if you're hoping to stockpile skill points for the attack-power-raising Dancing Dragon Mask.

If you haven't done the Bell Demon's Temple, seek it out.

Best mid-game XP and Sen farming spots in Sekiro

Sekiro gets a lot less linear around the mid-game point, which gives you more freedom to a??void challenging areas that would have been a roadblock earlier in the game. However, you will need to jump those hurdles eventually, so you'll want to familiarize yourself with some grinding spots.

Thinking back on other grinding spots I used for a good while, my go-to spot was the same one Chris mentioned: the Gun Fort in Sunken Valley. You can work backward through the fort and get revenge on all the nasty sharpshooters. I'd suggest using the Divine Abduction fan (or its upgraded counterparts) for the big lugs. The tool will let you backstab enemies even if they see you. (Side note: if you need more Fulminated Mercury, try grinding at "Poison Pool" in Ashina Depths.)

For a decent Sekiro farming ??locale with built-in catharsis, spend some time in Ashina Depths, starting at ??either the "Mibu Village" or "Water Mill" idol. Beating up weaklings is a nice stress reliever, especially if you're having trouble fighting the Headless Ape or the Corrupted Monk.

Finally, consider trying the "Flower Viewing Stage" idol for my favorite enjoyable grinding spot if you've made it to Fountainhead Palace. Once there, turn around, backstab the Noble, run and stab the next Noble, and then prepare for a lightning reversal against the spear-wielding guard. Whereas most other farming locations in Sekiro tend to be mi?ndless, ??this is engaging as a muscle-memory warmup.

Best late-game XP and Sen farming spots in Sekiro

Like many other FromSoft games, Sekiro's end-game isn't a difficulty spike; it's a dif??ficulty mountain. Enemies get harder, upgrade materials get rarer, and the bosses can fe??el unfair. Even if you've become a parrying master, you'll probably need to grind for level-ups and upgrades.

The best end-game framing spot in Sekiro is, without a doubt, Ashida Outskirts. I'd recommend running through the area until you beat Shigekichi of the Red Guard and reach the Outskirts Wall - Stairway in Ashina Outskirts Sculptor's Idol. Then, weave your way back through the main path, backstabbing enemies and reaping the massive harvest of XP, Sen, and various materials. The XP and Sen you get from this will help pay for any late-game upgrades you want, and the Ministry Dousing ?Power the enemies drop comes in handy during the fight against the Demon of Hatred.

It'll feel phenomenal to check the "Height of Technique" achievement/trophy off the list. I'm on New Game +4 and I still have a few ex??pensive Mushin Arts skills to unlock.? I'm glad I didn't force it.

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Castlevania is a very personal series for me.

I grew up with the franchise from the very first game's wondrous release, through my utter confusion with Simon's Quest, all the way full circle to the newest iteration of the franchise, Lords of Shadow -- Mirror of Fate.

Symphony of the Night was there for me during one of the toughest times of my childhood. My wife and I bonded over the original Castlevania, and it was o??n?e of the first games we ever beat together.

I have a million of these stories, and for good reason. The art of Castlevania is always beautiful, the music is practically unparalleled, and the serie??s itself moved the entire industry forward on a number of occasions.

To celebrate this amazing franchise, here are?? the five best games that it ha??s to offer.

As a side note, I have been playing Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate as of yesterday. Reviews are all over the place, and pe??rsonally, I find it to be a serviceable 2D platformer.

No, it's not the classic Castlevania you know and love, but just like Lords of Shadow, it manages to strike a decent compromise and acclimate itself to the genre to the point where most people would have fun with it. There are exploration elements, but they feel l??imited -- and as a warning, yes, there are some QTEs.

I wouldn't consider it even close to worthy of this list, but then again, these are some of the best games of all time on ?offer here.

As u??sual, the following list is in no particular order.

Super Castlevania IV (Super Nintendo - 1991, Virtual Console - 2006)

What Castlevania list would be complete without Super Castlevania?

A revolution at the time, Super brought Castlevania into the new era of 16-bit, with a mind-blowing array of graphical prowess, and a??n incredible soundtrack to boot. Protagonist Simon Belmont could now whip in eight directions, hold out his whip to utilize a new attack and grapple select hooks. You could also (gasp!) control your character while jumping, and crouch walk.

As a result, players had more control over Simon's actions, creating a more action-oriented feel. In short, it sought? to keep the franchise from being antiquated, and it succeeded.

If you haven't played it yet, definitely make time soon to do so -- it still holds up, even if Egoraptor thinks that all of these new freedoms of control result in a less complex game over??all.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PlayStation 2, Xbox - 2005)

I love the art direction for Curse of Darkness, to the point where visually, it's probably my favorite in the franchise. Although the level designs weren't always up to par in the first portion of the game, the art and character designs are so beautiful, that they ended up spawning a two volume manga spinoff.

Another reason why I enjoy Curse of Darkness is how original it is, and how Konami managed to keep the game fresh, yet distinctly Castlevania. Instead of yet another Belmont, this game features He??ctor, a former Devil Forgemaster for Dracula. Hector's quarrel deals with his former friend, Isaac, who murdered his wife.

There's a ton of content here, including a fully explorable castle, tons of items to collect, a complex level system involving familiars, and a fully playable Trevor Belmont. It plays like a mix of Lament of Innocence and Symphony of the Night, which is incredibly unique from a gameplay perspective??.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PC Engine - 1993, Wii Virtual Console - 2010, SNES [remake] - 1995, PSP [remake] - 2007)

The release schedule of Rondo of Blood is a confusing riddle that took me years to decipher. Originally, it was released in 1993 as a Japan-only title for the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16). It had multiple paths, a super ability that lets you go berserk with sub-weapons, some of the best level design in any Castlevania game, and the ability to play as both Richter Belmont and Maria, his lover's sister. In? short, it was hectic, and one of the better games from a pure action standpoint.

Not content with keeping the game in Japan, Konami remade the game on the SNES into the version most Americans are familiar with today -- Dracula X. When Dracula X was released, critics were divided, some calling it a serviceable remake, and others calling it an inferior port. Years later having played the original Rondo of Blood, I tend to agree with the latter sentiment, but Dracula X is still a very playable game if you haven't tackled it a?lready.

Even still, Konami wasn't done with Rondo. Years later, they released Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles [pictured], a 2.5D PSP remake that also included the sequel, Symphony of the Night in one package. Chronicles as a port is closer to the original, and it's a better experience than Dracula X.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Game Boy Advance - 2003)

Choosing a favorite portable Castlevania game is torture. They're pretty much all good in their own way, but one in particular stuck out: Aria of Sorrow.

As weird as it sounds, Soma Cruz is one of my favorite prot??agonists in the franchise, mostly because of how crazy he is conceptually. I mean, a teenage reincarnation of Dracula? How muc??h wackier can you get?

Gameplay-wise, it plays out pretty much like Symphony of the Night. There's a fully explorable open world, an experience system -- the whole shebang. Hell, even the life meter looks 1:1 like Symphony of the Night.

But it's the tactical soul system that sets it apart. Soma is one of the more unique heroes in that he can absorb the souls of his fallen foes to gain new abilities (think Blue Mages in Final Fantasy). You could trade these souls through a Game Boy Advance link cable, and collecting them was as addicting as Pokémon.

Also, an optional New Game+ Mode is never a bad thing, nor is an additional Hard Mode, Boss Rush, or a mode in which you can play as Julius Belmont. As a spiritual successor to Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow delivers.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation - 1997, PSN - 2007, Sega Saturn - 1998, Xbox Live Arcade - 2007)

I know I said this wasn't in any particular order, but I can't resist making the following statement: Symphony of the Night is easily my favorite Castlevania game ever. Full stop.

It has one of the best soundtracks of all time, inc?redible level design, and one of the most classic twists in all of gaming. Alucard is also one of the most enjoyable videog?ame protagonists I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. He's incredibly versatile, fun to play, and an all-around badass.

From start to finish, Symphony of the Night reminded me why I even like playing? games in the first place. Everything wasn't painfully obvious and the difficulty was at just the right setting, to the point where it took actual effort to persevere. When everything was said and done, you felt like you actually accomplished something, rather than ?feel like the developer held your hand through the entire experience.

To have such an Earth-shattering revelation as an entire second castle that's different enough, yet familiar, after you obtained a secret ending that essentially doubled your game length, was mind-blowing. I've been enamored by a lot of 2D platformers over the years, but it's distinctly possible that none of them have captured my attention as well as Symphony of the Night.

It's that good.

Best Castlevania Games Honourable Mentions

There were so many Castlevania games over the years that coming up with 5 was pretty difficult. For that reason, I do want to s??????????????????????????how a little lov??e to some of the games that didn't make the list but were somehow still crucial in this franchise's journey.

Castlevania Bloodlines (SEGA Genesis - 1994)

I remember when the Sega Genesis reached our shores. Everyone in my neighborhood thought it was the next best thing, and every kid begged to have their NES replaced stat. And while a large part of that was becau??se of Sonic?'s exploits, Bloodlines is what sold it for me.

Castlevania (Famicom - 1986; NES - 1987)

If this one didn't exist, this list wouldn't exist, so it really does deserve a spot somewhere. The original Castlevania was great when it launched, playing into the popular platformer genre of the time. It's not all that playable these days unless you'r?e after some simple n?ostalgia.

So while it's no longer "good enough" to make a top-five ?list, it still stands as the grandfather of this entire fran??chise.

Castlevania III Dracula's Curse (NES - 1989)

Where are the days when we could get a brand new entry to a franc?hise every year? On second thought, maybe those days are better ??left in the past.

While Castlevania II Simon's Quest began to change the way platformers were viewed, it wasn't until Castlevania III that the non-linearity started to click into place. Being able to branch off and "follow your own path" made this an interesting title at the time. It had its flaws, for sure, but it was th?e innovation in those early years that earns it an honorable mention.

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11 years after its initial release, GTA V is back at the top of the ?charts, according to data collated by GamesIndustry.biz, having been ??the best-selling game in Europe during August. The game has sold more than 200 million copies globally, with only Minecraft having sold more copies.

There was some anticipation that the newly launched Star Wars Outlaws would take the spot for game sales in August, but lackluster sales for the new release and GTA V’s seemingly unending allure meant that wasn’t the case, with Rockstar’s title pushing the Star Wars open world game back into second position. Hogwarts Legacy was the third best-selling title for the month with Kingdom Come: Deliverance and EA Sports FC 24 rounding out the top five.

GTA V launched in September 2013 to much accla??im. In particular, it was r??oundly praised for its solid single-player campaign, which lasts more than 30 hours and includes tons of side quests and additional content for intrepid players.

However, it is the game’s online campaign, GTA Online that has helped it remain in the public eye and on top-selling games charts. The game still has a considerable online following and has become extremely popular with content creators for its roleplaying capabilities. There were plans for GTA V to have three DLC packs, although only one of these materialized as an online download. Rockstar has previously stated that its work on Red Dead Redemption 2 and continued work on GTA Online led to the DLCs being scrapped.

In late 2023, fans of the series were treated to a trailer for the next game in the series, GTA 6. It is expected to be released in fall 2025 and has been confirmed for launch on the Xbox Series X/S and PS5. It has not yet been confirmed for release on previous-gen conso?les, ho??wever.

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Undead Labs has announced that, following one more content update for State of Decay 2 that is set to land at the end of this year, they will be concentrating their efforts on producing State of Decay 3.

After launching the original title in May 2018 on Windows and Xbox One, Undead Labs has produced nearly 40 updates and patches for the game that have fixed bugs??, brought new game modes, and offered new characters, weapons, and a host of other in-game items.

Although the Xbox exclusive was met with mixed reviews, with a "66" critic score and a 5.7 out of 10 player rating on Metacritic, it has a strong following of loyal players. Those players will be disappointed to hear that Undead Labs is bowing out of further updates to the game after this year.

However, they will be heartened to learn that the move is being taken so that the company can concentrate its efforts on making State of Decay 3 “the best it can be� The company has not provided a release date o?r further details on the upcoming title, as yet.

State of Decay 2 stalwarts can still enjoy playing the zombie survival game and have one last big update to look forward to. Update 38 is slated for release at the end of this year and will include quality-of-life improvements as well a?s the unlocking of seasonal and other gaited content.

??Undead?? Labs has said that the game will still be available and bounties at the Bounty Broker will continue to cycle but the support system will be closing and there will be no further content updates after this year.

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Mörk Borg is spreading its dark tendrils off the tabletop and onto Steam. Originally released in 2020 by Free League Publishing, Mörk Borg has been the undisputed, award-winning breakout hit from the Old School Renaissance? world of game design. The tabletop role-playing game strips back the d20 ruleset to its most deadly and fill the empty space with bright and harrowing death metal-inspired art, equal parts vicious and colorful, like its mechanics.

On September 24th, indie game designer Morbidware announced that they were working on a new video game inspired by Mörk Borg's world, deadliness, and art design. The game is called Mörk Borg Heresy Supreme. The game is a 2D action sidescroller, and the Steam page makes its dark promises of death with a "Roguelike" tag. From what very little of the game we have seen so far, it resembles its peers like Blasphemous and Corpse Keeper.

Mörk Borg Heresy Supreme vows not to forget its OSR roots, featuring RPG elements in the form of stats and rolled skill checks. As the Steam page threatens, "You should always put your life in the hands of a die roll. That's why it's called a die roll." In many ways, the game promises a mix of gory gorg??eousness and the knowledge that you will churn through many, many characters before you finally reach the end of its pitch-black apocalypse.

Mordbidware's previous game was The Textorcist, an exorcism-based bullet hell typing game, which only makes this partnership with Mörk Borg make more sense as I say it. Mörk Borg Heresy Supreme announced a Kickstarter to fund this new digital vision of their surreal hellscape. The Kickstarter goes live on October 1, and the ??game is said to be releas?ed in late 2025.

The tabletop game advises you to burn your book; I suppose now we should burn our PCs too. ??I?? just hope they've kept the femur club.

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The Adeptus Astartes of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 have an assortment of weapons to play with. However, in Space Marine 2's PvE Operations mode, players will need to upgrade their gear if they want to keep?? pace with tuned-up difficulty options.

While higher difficulty settings offer more significant rewards, they also impose? some of the most formidable challenges in the game. That said, the path toward improving ??weaponry isn't exactly straightforward.

Space Marine 2 offers cooperative PvE in the form of its Operations mode. It currently contains six difficulty-adjustable missions, with plans to add more. As players ramp up the difficulty, XP and the chance for better rewards increases, but it also means basic bolters and ch?ainswords won't cut it.

Master your arsenal

The Armory is where the Ultramarines can tinker with their equipment between missions. A quick visit to the Armory allows players to access a menu where all available gear can be equipped, upgraded, and have cosmetics applied. While players can unlock additional weapons as they level up, they can start upgrading the o??nes they already have right from the start.

The first thing players will need to do to upgrade the weapon of their choice is to use it. As player??s complete Operations and earn? XP or Gene Seed, they'll also earn progress toward mastering the current iteration of their weapon. Once the gun or melee armament has been used enough, players will earn a Mastery Point to upgrade the weapon family further.

Don't forget the Armory Data

However, before that Mastery Point can be used, players will first need to upgrade the quality of their chosen weapon. This is done by expending the Armory Data required to unlock the next tier. The Data itself can be earned in each Operation, rewar??ded for finding hidden Servo Skulls within the PvE missions. 

There are three variations of Armory Data: Master Crafted (green), Artificer (purple), and Relic (yellow). The quality of Armory Data found depends on the difficulty of the Operation, so Relic upgrades will naturally only come from the highest tier of d??ifficulty. In that same vein, as players upgrade a weapon family, it will ask for the corresponding quality Armory Data.

How to spend Mastery Points

Once players have earned Mastery Points and have unlocked the next tier of their we?apon, they can spend the Points to improve how the weapon family performs. You can access the Perk Tree tab by viewing the weapon in the Armory, and that's where upgrades? will be available. The number of available Perks coincides with the number of variants in the weapon family, so don't worry; extra work will be rewarded.

Pushing into Artificer and Relic tiers, players will need to master multiple variations of the weapon, with each successful variant bringing?? players closer toward overall mastery for the next weapon tier. These weapon variants can be changed at will by visiting the Armory and switching via the Versions tab on the weapon.

The post How to upgrade weapons in Space Marine 2’s PvE Operations appeared first on Destructoid.

In Warhammer 40,000, the Ultramarines are synonymous with the Space Marines. The blue-clad warriors are practically the poster children for the faction, often appearing as the defacto Legion whenever Space Mar??ines are featured in video games or other visual media. But the Ultramarines are more than just generic Space Marine fodder. The Legion has a rich history with a Greco-Roman flair and even has a still-living Primarch.

Space Marines, or Adeptus Astartes, are the genetically and surgically enhanced super soldiers of the Imperium of Man. Space Marines were originally categorized and ?separated by Legion, with each of the original 20 Legions led by a Primarch. Primarchs are "sons" of the Emperor of Mankind, genetically engineered to embody a specific aspect of the Emperor. Eventually, during the 31st millennium, a schism emerged amongst the Primarchs, leading to a civil war between Legions known as the Horus Heresy. In the aftermath of the conflict, a doctrine called the Codex Astartes was created, serving in some ways to police the Space Marine Legions and split them into smaller Chapters.

Ideology of Ultramarines

Ultramarines have a reputation for being strict adherents to rules and honor, with the Codex Astartes serving as their guiding light. The Ultramarine Primarch, Roboute Guilliman, authored the doctrine himself, and its direction on organization and tactics helped all loyal Space Marine Legions navigate the chaotic period following the Horus Heresy. Though the Ultramarines have many successor Chapters, most still recognize and follow the Legion's ideologies. However, the Legion isn't just a collection of compassionless soldier-bureaucrats. Unlike many other still-loyal Space Marine Legions, Ultramarin?es regularly work and live alongside ordinary humans.

Guilliman was raised to respect and care for all of those around?? him, and that trait has largely extended throughout the rest of the Legion. Ultramarines regularly seek insight and collaboration with their lesser counterparts, whether supporting a battle-locked group of Imperi??al Guard, sprinting back into the fray to save civilians, or even advancing out of service to become an Ultramar senator alongside human politicians.

While it's easy to imagine every Ultramarine as the same, that's not qu??ite the case. After 10,000 years since Legions were first forced to splinter into Chapters, there are some notable differences between Ultramarine organizations and their interpretation of the Codex Astartes. Some of these Chapters even veer to the extreme. Take, for example, the Novamarines Chapter. Believing Guilliman's text in the Codex Astartes to be sacred, they have been known to become violent if they witness other Space Marines?? stray too far from its teachings.

On the other hand, there are Chapters like the Iron Snake??s, whose interpretation of justice and adherence to rules see prisoners tied to large rocks in the oceans of their planet, Ithaka. There, giant sea serpents called Wyrms deal out sentencing. If the Wyrms don't claim the accused after six hours, they're an unworthy snack for the beasts and guilty of their crimes.

Protectors of Ultramar

The homeworld of the Ultramarines is Macragge, but that's just the crown jewel in the swathe of space they oversee, ?known as the 500 Worlds of Ultramar. Where other Space Marine Legions are content with their space-bound fortresses or isolated homeworlds, the Ultramarines want to build civilizations. Other than the realm of Ultramar, only Sol (Earth) via the Imperium and Mars via the Adeptus Mechanicus are allowed to colonize worlds in the name of humanity, making the 500 Worlds something of an exception.

Not only are the Ultramarines and the 500 Worlds of Ultramar a beacon for humanity, but they're also involved in some of the most notable events in the Warhammer 40,000 timeline. During the Horus Heresy, when the 500 Words were cut off from the rest of the Imperium by massive Warp storms, Guilliman founded Imperium Secundus, an acting form of governmental cohesion for Ultramar centered on Macgragge. Guilliman's idea in establishing Imperium Secundus was that the 500 Worlds and other loyal planets cut off from the Imperium still needed law and order, and he'd provide that until the Warp storms subsided. More recently, Ultramar was host to iconic conflicts and events like Abaddon's 13th Black?? Crusade and the Plague Wars.

Outside of just Macragge itself, most of Ultramar's planets are self-sufficient, featuring sprawling cities, industrial zones, farm regions, and bodies of water. Many Ultramar worlds are modeled after Greco-Roman civilizations featuring senate halls and amphitheaters woven into the fabric of society. This is a far cry from what's seen with typical words within the Imerpium, often suffering from uncontrolled overpopulation or rampant environm??ental hazards, sometimes even to the knowledge or design of the ruler. For most other Space Marine Legions specifically, many prefer relative solitude or the stoic company that only their brother Space Marines can provide. 

Tactical generalists

While many Space Marine Legions ar??e known for their specific quirk, like how the Space Wolves are essentially Space Marine werewolves, the Ultramarines don't really have one. These quirks are usually represented in how a Legion conducts itself in battle, with the aforementioned Space Wolves mounting giant wolves and fielding their Wulfen (werewolf) warriors. If anything, Ultramarines' quirk is that they're rule-abiding and love politics. As such, aside from doing things by the book, the Legion doesn't really have a flashy combat identity. Ultramarines are often depicted as generalists, not specializing in one particular field but possessing the flexibility to adapt to any circumstance.

Though being a generalist isn't as flashy as being a sci-fi werewolf or?? a master of subterfuge, it do??es have its advantages. Ultramarines reevaluate situations as they develop, allowing the Legion to fall back, flank, or hunker down as needed. Interestingly Ultramarines have the record to back this strategy up, bolstering some of the highest assignment success rates among Legions.

Ultramarines are typically equipped with ?a bolt gun, as with many Space Marine legions, but they usually forgo the iconic chainsword for a short sword called a gladius. The gladius is a power weapon, trading the chainsaw teeth of a chainsword for a destructive energy field encasing the blade. Ultramarines can also use almost any other type of standard Space Marine gear, including plasma weaponry, jump packs, ??Dreadnoughts, and more.

Regardless of the perils involved, humanity can be s??ure that the Ultramarines will be on the front line of its defense. The Legion may appear just to be blue Space Marines, but they're among the most loyal and skilled warriors in the Imperium??.

The post Warhammer 40K: Who are the Ultramarines? appeared first on Destructoid.

An unexpected update was recently released for Vampire Survivors, with?? a surprising amount of content. It contains the first few cards in the new "Dark Arcana," serving as the groundwork for some incredibly powerful abilities.

There's more: A new stage, some new secrets, and a new character are also awaiting you. We're here to make sure you know how to find and unlock everything in Vampire Survivors' Darkasso update.

How to unlock the new stage

The first thing you'll need to start on the path to unlocking everything is the new stage. While the clue might be obvious, we'll still explain the details. The stage unlocks when you "cast a spell" called "forbiddenbox." As long as you've collected the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane, you'll have a main menu option called "Secrets." Go there, and navigate to the "Cast Spell" box. Type out the spell's name, "forbiddenbox." But be prepared, you'll immediately drop into th?e new level with a random character!

This is the surprisingly spooky new stage??, Room 1665. You'll need to navigate south by killing enemies until the door opens. I wouldn't worry about build outside of assisting whatever character you're dealt. Just get your most powerful weapons and survive. When you hear a strange laugh, the next door will open.

When you see a little treasure goblin walk across the stage, aim for them, as they will drop a treasure chest. The corridors between rooms have can?dles in them?? for supplies like floor turkey. The stage is a shorter one, only 20 minutes long. As long as you reach the bottom room, however, you'll have everything you need for now.

Sadly, characters who can pass through walls cannot skip the door ??mechanic. You have to wait through each room, of which there are 16 in total.

Getting to the end of the stage unlocks the Darkasso: Rhe Dark Arcana used to mix up your runs. You'll have Number VI - Moonlight Bolero by default. It causes an extra treasure boss to spawn every minute. The treasures it carries might allow you to have more Arcana cards or Passive Weapo?ns than you can normally carry. It's incredibly powerful in beefing up the back half of your run while helping level all your weapons faster.

How to unlock each of the new Dark Arcana in Vampire Survivors

There are five new Dark Arcana cards total, al?l incredibly?? powerful. They are still subject to change based on feedback from the players.

You'll start with the Moonlight Bolero once you unlock the Dark Arcana so that one is out of the way. The next one you'll want is the Sapp??hire Mist, which requir??es you to reach a Cooldown Bonus of -85% with Space Dude. If you don't have him, you'll have to survive 20 minutes in the Space 54 stage.

Once you have him, I recommend playing on The Library, as it has an Empty Tome you can pick up. You'll need this as part of the challenge. Before you start, I also recommend using as many Seals as you can to lock away as unevolved weapons. When you start your match, you'll want to pick Arcana XX - Silent Old Sanctuary. It grants you extra Rerolls, Skips, and Banishes. But the more important aspect is that it gives you 20% Might and -8% Cooldown for each active weapon slot lef??t empty.

As you play, you'll need to always Banish weapons, and only ever pick up Passive Weapons. As long as you have five empty Weapon slots, you should have a -85% cooldown. The trick to unlocking this?? is that you have to finish the stage with this cooldown reduction. Once you do, a powerful new Dark Arcana will be yours.

For Hail the Future, you'll need to play as Santa Ladonna. If you haven't unlocked her, you'll need to survive 20 minutes on the Laboratory stage. Santa Ladonna has a passive ability that triggers a Rosary when her health?? reaches a critically low level. As far as I could tell, you just need to trigge??r this ability to unlock the Arcana.

Forcing it to trigger by taking damage was the only unusual thing I did for the stage when I played her. The same applies to the next card, Crystal Cries. Except you'll use the character She-Moon Eeta. She's unlocked by surviving 20 minutes in Whiteout. She-Moon has a sim??ilar low-health ability that triggers, though hers freezes enemies for 10 seconds. Force yourself to take damage until it triggers, and you should be all set.

For the final card, you'll need to reach +665 Max Health with Bat Robbert. You can unlock him by unlocking his weapon, which itself ??is unlocked by beating over 160,000 bats. If you need help with this, play Bat Country a few times. Bat Robbert gains +32 Max Health whenever his health reaches a critically low? level. Between this and the Hollow Heart item, it shouldn't be difficult to get him to max.

I recommend taking some Revive passive items and Arcana to help protect yourself if your health gets too low. You'll have to trigger it multiple? times, so keep an eye on the pause menu to see what your health buff is. If it goes ??over 665, that's okay.

How to unlock the new character Bats Bats Bats

To unlock Bats Bats Bats, you'll have to follow one of the most cryptic clues in the game. "It's as easy as ABC, find the Ring of Rings." The "ABC" in this clue is a reference to the stage Bat Country, which features a secret set of lettered tiles that let you play with the background visual?s. You'll need to find the "Ring of Rings," which is more literal than it sounds. In Bat Country, there is a circle made of the Golden Ring item on the right side of the map.

Be careful when you acquire them - not only are they cursed items, but each of the six rings has an Atlantean Ring Wraith protecting it. Once you collect the i??tems, you'll hear the unlock sound effect and Bats Bats Bats will be available from the character sele??ct screen.

Bats Bats Bats starts with a special version of the evolved form of the Pako Battiliar, the Mazo Familiar. Its Damage and Amount are affected by your Max Health. The original item requires the Hollow Heart to evolve into the Mazo Familiar, but it's still a good idea to pick it up for the bonus damage. Bats Bats Bats's version continues ??to grow stronger when you level up. Also, if you revive during a match, it increases the weapon's Amount and gives you a follower bat. He's incredibly powerful when teamed up with the IV - Awake Arcana and the Tirajisu.

How to unlock new old characters

Two classic characters, Poe Ratcho and Imelda Belpaese, have new versions that can be unlocked. To do so, you'll need to clear their respective Adventure Mode campaigns. ?If you already have, but you do not see these characters unlock, try opening up their Adventure Mode menus and see if that prompts the achievements to collect.

Once unlocked, you can select these new versions of the characters from the Character Select screen. You'll have to select? the originals and then select their alternate appearances. Select the character, then press Left on the D-Pad from the Start button. You'll be able to pick from the normal, the original sprite, and the new versions. The new versions also come with level 5 versions of the Passive Weapon that evolve their default item.

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Even though Black Myth: Wukong is technically not a Souls-like title, it certainly has a lot of the DNA of one, including th??e ability to farm respa?wning enemies for experience points. If this sounds like something up your alley, here are some of the best farm locations in the game.

Best experience farms in Black Myth: Wukong

So, what makes a good farm spot is a location near a rest point shrine surrounded by enemies that yield a decent a??mount of experience when killed, and are easy to kill efficiently. These aspects increase your experience gain per hour (if you're going that long), which means easy experience for earning Sparks.

In my time in Black Myth: Wukong, I've favored two particularly effective experience farm locations that I think you'll find as helpful as I have. The first makes its home at the Windrest Bridge shrine in Chapter 2 (Yellow Wind Ridge). This location, as the name implies??, is home to a large bridge with a shield-bearing Yaoguai sitting in the middle. At h??is side, are two weak ranged enemies.

The idea for this farm is to kill all three mobs, then rest at the shrine to respawn and repeat the process. This will earn you roughly 355 XP (Experience) per run, which is solid for the amount of time it takes to kill these mobs. That is roughly 1/6 of a Spark, which is efficient for a farm. I highly recommend you pop all of your cooldowns every time you do a?? run to make this process efficient.

The second effective farm location I've found is right in front of the Windrest Hamlet shrine in Chapter 2. Like the Windrest Bridge, this one also features a bridge with the same shield enemy patrolling up and? down it. The key difference with this farm location is that the distance to this shield mob is much closer to the shrine, allowing you to kill it more quickly a??nd reset.

This shield enemy is surrounded by two zombies, which yield the same ??experience as the ranged enemies from Windrest Bridge. By all metrics, this farm location is better than the previously mentioned as it yields the same to?tal amount of experience, and is even closer to the shrine. The only downside is that it is quite a bit further into Chapter 2 than the Windrest Bridge, so you'll need to progress a bit to reach this one.

I will continuously update this guide with more high-quality farm locations, for your experience?-earning pleasure. So, check back regularly to see what's newly added.

The post Black Myth: Wukong – Best Farm Locations appeared first on Destructoid.

Focus Points are an integral part of combat in Black Myth: Wukong, to the point that no??t being aware of them means almost certain failure later in the game. If you're not sure how they work, here's a guide explaining to them in detail, and why you should be using them often.

What are Focus Points in Black Myth: Wukong?

Focus Points are a unique, combat-orientated resource that allows you to use powerful staff attacks to overwhelm your foes. Your most potent abilities, outside of spells, in Black Myth: Wukong will come from expending Focus Points, so it is ??imperative to understand how they work.

Focus Points are earned by dealing damage with staff attacks, charging up your Heavy Attack, and perfectly dodging enemy attacks. You can see the resource fill at the bottom-right portion of your UI. They look like little white orbs when filled and blank orbs when not. Focus Point orbs earned by dealing damage and dodging attacks will re??main filled until you use them. However, Focus Point orbs filled by charging your Heavy Attack will disappear once you've released the charge.

The amount of these Focus Point orbs you have is determined by how many Sparks you've spent in the Staff Stances tree. You can have a grand of total four Focus Point orbs once you've spent 20 Sparks in the tree. Just make sure you take the nodes named Focused Attack in the tree, to ensure you get the orbs unlocked.

Focus Point orbs are essential for either enhancing staff attacks or enabling specific moves. Certain staff attacks require a Focus Point orb to activate, while others can be used without one. However, by holding down Heavy Attack, you can charge some of these moves with a Focus Point orb fo??r added power and poise damage. Some staff skills yield special effects when using Focus Points, like Pillar Stance, which allows you to perch ??higher on the staff with more Focus Points used.

Another crucial aspect of Focus Points is the risk involved in using them during combat. While they are a valuable resource for enhancing your attacks, misusing them can lead to serious consequences. If you activate a Focus? Point move or charge one up using Heavy Attack, and your poise is broken in the process, you’ll lose all the Focus Points you’ve accumulated or attempted to use. Focus Point attacks are high risk, high reward, so it’s vital to time them carefully. Otherwise, you risk weakening yourself significantly in battle.

The post Black Myth: Wukong – Focus Points, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

When finishing Chapter One of Black Myth: Wukong, you're given the Craving Eyes relic, and a choice to pick between three permanent buffs for your character. If you're wondering which? of the three you should choose, then you've come to the right place.

Which buff should you choose for Craving Eyes in Black Myth: Wukong?

To add a little clarity, you're given this choice right after completing Chapter 1, just aft?er the cutscene. The relic you obtained from defeating the Black Wind is?? Craving Eyes, and it comes with three character-defining benefits that can significantly impact your build.

• Opportune Watcher - Increased Focus gain after consecutive successful Light Attacks
• Eagle Eye - Unveiled Strike has a massively reduced cooldown if it lands
• Keen Insight - Massive increase to your Critical Hit Damage

All three choices are incredibly impactful, and it's easy to under why it's such a hard choice. However, based on my experience with RPGs, and Black Myth: Wukong in general, I recommend running Opportune Watcher over all the other t??wo. The reason is simple: Co??nsistency.

Eagle Eye, while st?rong, has the significant drawback of having a Mana cost in order to use the ability. This means, that after enough uses, you won't be able to use Unveiled Strike again unless you rest at a Shrine. This is rath?er lackluster and about as far from consistent as possible.

Keen Insight, on the other hand, provides a big boost to your CRIT DMG, which is v??ery strong, but only if you have the CRIT chance to make use of it. Without enough CRIT, this upgrade hardly does anything. It, also, is not consistant.

Finally, we come to Opportune Watcher, an upgrade that gives you a constant supply of Focus Points to work with, all at the cost of simply attackin??g the enemy. I recommend it because there are no other activation requirements, and it is always active. It allows you to use your Hea??vy Attack combos more often, which means more damage.

Can you respect Craving Eyes in Black Myth: Wukong?

At present, there’s no way to ??respec Craving Eyes, so whichever path you choose will be permanent for now. Thankfully, each option offer?s unique strengths, so no matter which direction you take, you'll be well-equipped for the challenges ahead. While there's no respec feature yet, it’s possible this could change with future updates. I'll keep you informed as more information becomes available.

The post Which talent should you pick for Craving Eyes in Black Myth?: Wukong? appeared first on Destructoid.

There's plenty of buzz surrounding Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 as it creeps closer to its release, and understandably so. Fans of the Zombies mode had it especially good recently with the release of a ??trailer showcasing an intro cinematic and snippets? of gameplay for one of the game's launch maps, Terminus.

That trailer made it immediately apparent who the real big bad of the ongoing Dark Aether storyline is, and for longtime Zombies players, it's both a surprise and not much of a surprise at all who's pulling the strings. After being teased previously in Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War, Dr. Edward "Eddie" Richtofen (Nolan North) stands revealed as the arc's bad guy, and he ha?s a pretty massive targe??t on his back.

As seen in the Terminus trailer, his name is scribbled on Grigori Weaver's (Gene Farber) prison cell wall, indicating that he h?as some serious revenge coming his way. William Peck (Zeke Alton) also expresses interest in killing Richtofen for stealing his life's work.

We'll have to wait and see if he appears in the flesh, but how is the maniacal German scientist back in the Zombies spotlight? Ahead of the release of Black Ops 6, let's take a trip down memory lane to discuss what became of Richtofen by the end of Black Ops 4.

Richtofen's role in the Dark Aether storyline

To understand Richtofen's place in the Dark Aether saga, we have to go back to the end of the Aether story in Black Ops 4. To sum up the past decade or so, everything in the multiverse is enveloped by the Dark Aether, a twisted, corrupted version of the real world. Our main Zombies crew in their Primis and Ultimis forms are killed, and the cycle they'd been trapped in for so long is destroyed. All that remains of this multiverse in the new one born out of it are Samantha Maxis ?(Julie Nathanson) and a young Eddie from another dimension. They walk hand in hand to the new world, though they don't live peaceful lives?? by any means as they become adults.

While Samantha grows up to become a military operative and joins the front lines against the Dark Aether's invading forces, Eddie's story takes a more surprising turn. The specifics of his childhood remain unknown, but as an adult, he serves as the Director of the Requiem, which is a unit of the Central Intelligence Agency that monitors Dark Aether activity. Though she doesn't know it, as revealed in Black Ops: Cold War, Richtofen is her boss and later her interrogator as he tries to unlock her powers after she's exposed to the Dark Aether. He also oversees the arrests of her companions, hence why th??ey're in prison be??fore the events of Terminus.

What is Richtofen's latest scheme?

This brings us to Black Ops 6, where Requiem has been disbanded, and Richtofen seems to have given up his position at the CIA. For now, all we can do is least speculate as to what he's been up to and how Eddie went from an innocent child to a ruth??less government figure with no regard for the lives of others.

At the heart of whatever he's concocting is his fascination with the Dark Aether. Could it be that he simply wants to harness its power for himself, much like how the previous Richtofen took an interest in the power of the Aether? Or, is he more so a pawn in a larger game? Richtofen was previously influenced by the Apothicons and the Shadowman (Robert Picardo) to do their bidding, so maybe? they or another m??alevolent entity is swaying Eddie for an unknown end.

Then again, sinc??e he has memories of the previous multiverse, unlike Samantha, maybe he wants to resurrect it and those within it, believing her Dark Aether abilities could be the key to making that happen. He might want to show her what they lost so she contributes to his grand plan to restore the banished m?ultiverse.

Are more Zombies legacy characters on the way?

With Richtofen making a comeback, some wonder if other legacy Zombies characters could emerge in Black Ops 6 and beyond. Seeing as Richtofen's fellow Zombies icons Tank Dempsey (Steve Blum), Nikolai Belinski (Fred Tatasci?ore), and Takeo Masaki (Tom Kane) are all dead, they're not likely to come back. On the other hand, there is one tenured Zombies crew that could theoretically pop up during the Dark Aether saga.

The Victis crew, known colloquially as the TranZit crew since that was their debut map, was introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Abigail "Misty" Briarton (Stephanie Lemelin), Samuel Stuhlinger (David Boat), Russman (Keith Szarabajka), and Marlton Johnson (Scott Menville) make it all the way to Black Ops 4, helping bring an end to the multiverse and kickstart the new world seen in Black Ops: Cold War and Black Ops 6.

They don't necessarily die at the end of Tag der Toten, simply being sent off to ?the Dark Aether. While it's entirely likely they were killed or went insane while there, there's a slim chance they're still alive, waiting for a chance to help out once again.

If they or others don't come back, though, at least longtime fans can spend some time with Richtofen, the twist??ed lynchpin of the en??tire Zombies game mode, yet again.

The post What the return of Edward Richtofen could mean for Zombies in Ca??ll of ??Duty Black Ops 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

Mastering the insane mobility available to you in Mecha BREAK is imperative if you want to be competitive. One of the most powerful, yet obscured, mobility options you have is Fast Landing, and I'll explain here how? you ?too can use it.

How to use Fast Landing in Mecha BREAK

Fast Landing is a mechanic that allows you to plunge downward to the ground from any verticle position. All mecha in Mecha BREAK can perform it, but thanks to it not being highlighted in the game's tutorial, it's easy to miss such a powerful tool. So, to do a Fast Landing, simply hit ALT by default. Doing so while airborne in any capacity wil??l see yo??u perform a Fast Landing.

The biggest reason why you'd want to use a Fast Landing is for hasty repositioning. There's nothing worse than being caught airborne while a Narukami is scoping you out. You're the very definition of a sit-and-duck in such a ?scenario, but with Fast Landing, you can easily escape it.

In a similar scope, Fast Landing is also extremely good at breaking enemy lock-ons and general targeting because o?f just how fast you can reach the dirt from any verticle position. The landing is so quick that it was incredibly difficult for me to? even get a screenshot of it in action.

Now, imagine you're trying to aim at someone who decided to use a Fast Landing behind a skyscraper on Gracelynn Skycity. Let's just say that nothing you can do will catch them in t??he act. You're losing that lock, which is precisely why Fast Landing is so strong. I've found it especially powerful for Falcon and Skyraider because of their natural ability to transform and reposition thanks to their jet transformations.

If you want to stay competitive in Mecha BREAK, mastering Fast Landing is a must. Its blinding speed and exceptiona?l positioning power make it a game-changer. You'll be amazed at the intense engagements you can survive just by utilizing this skill effectively.

The post How to perform a Fast Landing in Mecha BREAK appeared first on Destructoid.

Zenless Zone Zero has often been compared to fighting games due to ??its input-based abilities for certain characters. While most characters' abilities are well-documented, som?e have inputs that are either not listed in any moveset or are so obscure they can easily be overlooked—until now.

All Hidden Character Inputs in Zenless Zone Zero

To be clear, not every character in Zenless Zone Zero has an obscured input, but many have special mechanics tied to their abilities that are not obvious. As I go down the list, I'll make sure to highlight which mechanics, moves, and/or abilities are hidd??en outright or are just not out in the open, bugs ex??cluded.

Nicole

Nicole is probably the character with the most impactful hidden moves (plural), as they directly affect her performance and are important to make use of thanks to her supportive capabilities. Her EX Skill, Stuffed Sugarcoated Bullet, has three variants, and depending on how you input the move, changes the end result of the skill???.

By performing a full-circle motion (moving the stick 360 degrees or pressing WASD in circular succession) during the start-up charge of Nicole's EX skill, if you hold her charge, she performs a secondary version of the move that lets her charge longer than the standard. You'll know if you succeeded because Nicole will sit down on her suitcase while charging. The result is a longer-lasting Ether orb (if you ha??ve her Cinema level for this functionality). This allows Nicole to shred enemy defenses longer, which is a big help for DPS.

The second variant also requires you to perform a full-circle motion during her EX skill's start-up, but instead of holding, release the charge just after you perform the hidden input. Doing so will allow Nicole to fire off her EX skill faster than normal with the added benefit of it being launched like a mortar at her target enemy, allowing it to bypass enemies in the way of her intended target. You'll know if you performed this one correctly if Nicole falls down while casting her skill.

Lucy

Lucy's secretive input isn't nearly as important ??as Nicole's in terms of functionality, but it does have a use if you want to constantly inflict her Fire Damage over her standard Physical during her basic attack string. It's also easy to perform: no crazy circular inputs here.

When Lucy performs the fourth attack in her basic attack string (the one that causes her Guard Boars to spin), you can click again to finish her string with her fifth and final basic attack. However, if you continue clicking past this point, instead of Lucy restarting at the first attack in her string, she will repeatedly use her fourth and fifth attacks endlessly until you stop pressing basic attack. This is useful because her fourth basic attack deals pure Fire damage, which helps build up the Burn status effect.

Koleda

Koleda doesn't have a secret input, but she does have a very useful obscured ?mechanic that is easy to overlook if you're not paying attention. There's no need to perform it because it happens automatically, but you do need to be conscious of it, t?o make use of it.

During the fourth attack in Koleda's basic attack string (the one that launches her into the air), Koleda is completely invulnerable to all forms of damage while she remains airborne. This means that Koleda does not need to dodge often if you can time her ??fourth attack to land during the enemy's attack. Useful ?if you're trying to reach her final attack to activate her EX skill for stunning.

Anby

Anby is a pretty basic character, all things considered, but she does h??ave one useful hidd??en input that will allow her to land her stun combo slightly faster. This input is easy to pull off, but only if you know when to actually use it.

During the third attack in An?by's basic attack string (the one that makes the hilt of her sword glow blue for a second), you can ?hold down the basic attack to perform her Thunderbolt move, which does a lot of stun damage, and a lot of damage to enemies that are stunned. This is normal for her.

However, while her sword hilt is glowing blue, you can, instead, use her EX Skill mid-combo, which makes it come out faster, removing the start-up frames from the move. More so, while Anby is airborne, if you hold basic attack, Anby will pick up her basic attack string where she left off, allowing you to go straight into her Thunderbolt move right after her EX Skill. The benefit is a slightly faster version of her? typical stun-building combo.

Zhu Yuan

Zhu Yuan, surprisingly, has ??quite a few obscured me?chanics in some of her moveset. While none of it requires any crazy additional inputs like Nicole, there are a few things you'll want to know about if you're playing her.

Starting with the biggest impact mechanics, Zhu Yuan has several invulnerability frames in her moveset. The first is during her fourth basic attack in her basic attack string (the one that makes her do an aerial backflip). During the flip portion, she cannot be hit by any attack. This is useful because the fourth basic attack also restores ammo to her gun, which is highly im?portant for her DPS.

Zhu Yuan is also fully invulnerable anytime she is in the middle of her strafing dash basic (while she is diving either le??ft or right, firing her gun). Speaking of her strafing dash basic, if you press Dodge, any directional input, and basic attack together at any time during any of her combos, s??he will perform her strafing dash basic, This is extremely useful for safe repositioning since many of her attacks launch you toward the enemy without additional input.

Lastly, if you continue pressing Zhu Yuan's basic attack following her third basic attack, without throwing in any additional inputs, she will continuously perform her third, fourth, and fifth basic attack string without needing to start at the beginning. This is useful because the fourth attack in her string restor??es one am?mo. However, because of how long this sequence is, it may be hard to get off against aggressive enemies.

Zenless Zone Zero is filled with hidden details about? its characters, so i??f I miss any or uncover new ones later, I'll keep this updated to ensure it stays accurate.

The post All Hidden Inputs for Characters i??n Zenless Zone Zero appeared first on Destructoid.

The mecha you pilot in Mecha BREAK are all quite powerful out of the box, but you can use Mods to c??ustom-tailor them to your liking. The best Mods you can use are called Top-Tier mods, and getting your hands on? them can be rather difficult if you don't already know how.

Where to get Top-tier Mods in Mecha BREAK

There are two different sources where you can obtain Top-tier Mods. Both methods yield random stats on your Mods but they are Top-tier nonetheless. You'll know you've gotten your hands on one if the Mod has a yellow background.

Opening Seasonal Crates

Your initial source of Top-tier Mods will be from opening the Seasonal Crates, which you automatically obtain just by playing the game. You'll receive these crates automatically, but you still need to manually open them by yourself. To do this, navigate over to your Inventory from the hanger screen, and click on it there. There's a good chance? you already have a bunch piled up, and there's n??o harm in opening them in batches.

Every time you open a crate, you have a chance to receive a Top-tier Mod. In my experience, you have a much better chance of getting a Top-tier mod from a Supply Crate Type II, though the chance is?? still pretty low. It is highly unlikely (if not impossible) that you'll get a Top-tier Mod from a Supply Crate Type I.

Craft through Mod Assembly

The other, more guaranteed, method of getting your hands on a Top-tier Mod is by crafting it yourself in the Mod Assembly. You get to Mod Assembly by entering it through the Hanger, pressing the 'Mod' button at the top of the screen, and then Mod Part Assembly at the bottom.

Crafting a Top-Tier Mod requires the use of 10 Advanced Mods, making the process quite costly, especially considering the final stats remain randomized. Advanced Mods are distinguished by their purple background, so you can easily ??identify them while hunting for the ne??cessary components. Gathering all the required Mods will demand a significant amount of grinding, but there is no immediate competitive pressure to rush the process. Why?

Keep in mind that while top-tier Mods may offer the highest stats, they also come with the most severe drawbacks. This is a critical factor to consider when designing any build, as these negative effects can significantly impact your performance. Balancing the be??nefits and drawbacks of these powerful Mods requires careful consideration. Ensuring that your build can handle the negative aspects while still capitalizing on the positive ones is key to maximizing your effectiveness on the battlefield.

The post How to get Top-tier Mods in Mecha BREAK appeared first on Destructoid.

When people ??think of perfect comic book character movie castings, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is at the forefront. Despite being considerably taller than the Marvel Comics version of the ?character (and not a Canadian, either!), Jackman excelled at bringing Logan's ferocity, dry wit, and raw emotion to the big screen.

Jackman will again don those adamantium claws for the highly-anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine. At long last, Marvel fans will get to see him and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool team up for all kinds of blood-soaked, fourth-wall-breaking fun. Though it stands to reason that this version of Wolverine isn't the same as the one seen in the 20th Century Fox X-Men franchise, given h?is costume and the fact that that character's story is over, now is st??ill as good a time as any to look back on Jackman's previous Logan performances.

At this point, Jackman's work as Wolverine is well-documented. He featured in a bevy of X-Men titles: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men the Last Stand, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and X-Men: Apocalypse. Along the way, he found time to star in his own trilogy, consisting of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine, and the aforementioned Logan. While one might think this is where the story ends regarding his past performances, he's a?ctually portrayed the character twice more and two often overlooked projects that are both worth remembering.

Jackman's Wolverine gaming debut came in X-Men: The Official Game

As the wait for X-Men: The Last Stand wound down, Activision released a video game tie-in. X-Men: The Official Game, the story bridges the gap between X2 and The Last Stand,?? splitting up the titular team as individuals and groups go on different missions. It all culminates in the X-Men battling Sentinels created by William Stryker to destroy all mutants. The villainous HYDRA ??faction is also a persistent threat throughout the game.

The game allows players to control three different X-Men: Nightcrawler, Iceman, and, of course, Wolverine. Jackman voices Wolverine here and delivers a strong performance throughout the game. His line reads breathe life into the otherwise pretty lifeless cutscenes, and everything from his grunts and groans as he takes damage to his quips as he mows down enemies are delivered perfectly. Gamers also get to explore a bit of his past, learn more about his foes like Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth, and battle the Silver Samurai long before his movie debut in The Wolverine.

Though the game isn't the strongest X-Men title out there and has largely fallen into obscurity over the years, the lore, the strong graphics for the era, and the performances like Jackman's make it a worthwhile play. Not to mention, the game features Wolverine's comic costume as an unlockable. Seeing as the character model features Jackman's likeness, this game technically beat Deadpool & Wolverine to the punch in putting the a?ctor in such a suit.

Jackman voiced Wolverine in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine tie-in game

After being the X-Men film series's focal point for almost a decade, Wolverine finally received a spotlight all his own in 2009. X-Men Origins: Wolverine promised to tell Logan's tale from long before he joined the X-Men. Unfortunately, the film was a bloated, inconsistent nightmare that remains one of the most widely-maligned superhero flicks of all time. Thankfully, the video game tie-in?? of the same name performed much better with the general public and is fondly remembered by those who played it.

As one would imagine, the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game covers similar narrative ground as the movie, albeit with some additional and revised material to make it stand out. Jackman voices Logan perfectly yet?? again, making players feel like the character more than the hack-and-slash combat and copious amounts of bloodshed already do. Further sweetening the deal, the game includes Wolverine's classic comic book outfits. Once again, the gaming world got Jackman's Wolverine in yellow and blue before Deadpool & Wolverine was even so much a thought.

With these two games in mind, and including Deadpool & Wolverine, Jackman has portrayed Wolverine an impressive 11 times. Only time will ??tell if he'll make that total grow beyond his Deadpool adventure or if that feature will be his true send-off this time arou?nd.

The post Hugh Jackman’s forgotten Wolverine performances (and why they’re worth remembering) appeared first on Destructoid.

If you're going to be a top-notch bounty hunter in GTA Online's new B??ottom Dollar Bounties update, you'l??l need a weapon that can incapacitate rather than eliminate. That's where the Stun Gun comes in, and we can help you get your hands on it.

If you've started your bounty hunter business already, and want to start bringing in crooks for?? cash, you'll need to be able to take down enemies without killing them. The Stun Gun is the easiest way to do this, shooting an electric current through the body and knocking them to the floor.

So, if you want to add one to your inventory, here'???s how to do it.

How to get the Stun Gun in GTA Online

There are three ways to get the Stun Gun in GTA Online, one of which is f?ree, while the other will cost you some cash.

• You can get the Stun Gun for free during the Silent & Sneaky approach when completing The Diamond Casino Heist.
• You can purchase the Stun Gun from the Agency Armory for $375,000. ($326,250 for Agency owners.)
• You can purchase the Stun Gun from the Gun Van when it rotates into the stock for $262,500.

How to get the Bottom Dollar Bail Enforcement Stun Gun skin in GTA Online

If you fancy getting a special edition skin to show off your new job as a bounty hunter, Bottom ??Dollar Bail Enforcement has created a special red and blue-themed weapon skin for your Stun Gun.

T??o unlock it, you'll need to complete the second tier of the Bottom Dollar Bounties career progress. The weapon is labeled as "Stun Gun Finish," and will be unlocked as soon as you complete the second stage.

At the mome?nt, it seems like the Bottom Dollar Bail Enforcement skin is only available on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and PC players have not been ab??le to unlock it yet. It's possible that it will be unlocked in the near future.

For more, check out all the new vehicles added in the GTA Online Bottom Dollar Bounties update.

The post How to get the Stun Gun in GTA Online appeared first on Destructoid.

GTA Online's Bottom Dollar Bounties update has arrived, and not only can y?ou now capture the criminals roaming San Andreas for rewards, but you can also purchase nine new vehicles from Los Santos' dealerships.

The Bottom Dollar Bounties update allows you to create and manage your own bounty-hunting business, offering rewards for e??very on-the-run crook you can catch on the streets. To do that ??though, you'll need the right vehicles, which is where the new cars added to the game will come in handy.

There are nine in total, spread across Legendary Motorsports, Warstock Cache & Carry?, and Southern San Andreas Supercars, which we have listed below.

All new Legendary Motorsports vehicles in Bottom Dollar Bounties update

Five new vehicles were added to Legendary Motorsports' offering,?? listed below along with their price.

• Bollokan Envisage: $2,472,000
• Annis Euros X32: $1,499,000
• Enus Paragon S: $2,010,000
• Ubermacht Niobe: $1,880,000
• Inuetero Coquette D1: $1,500,000

All new Warstock Cache & Carry vehicles in Bottom Dollar Bounties update

If you're looking for something that gives you an air of authority, then head to Warst?ock Cache & Carry for t?hese three police vehicles just waiting for you to purchase.

• Impaler SZ Cruiser: $4,720,000
• Dorado Cruiser: $5,005,000
• Greenwood Cruiser: $4,910,000

All new Southern San Andreas Superautos vehicles in Bottom Dollar Bounties update

Th??ere's just one vehicle added to th??is dealership: A white pick-up truck from the early 2000s.

• Declasse Yosemite 1500: $1,205,000

For more, check out the 10 fastest cars in GTA Online.

The post Every new vehicle in GTA Online’s Bottom Dollar Bounties update appeared first on Destructoid.

GTA Online's Bottom Dollar Bounties update has arrived, which means you can start your own bounty-?hunting business and clean up the streets of San Andreas. It's not instantly clear how to do this though, so I've put together this guide to walk you through it.

The streets of Los Santos are filled with thieves and criminals, and if you want to make some extra cash while rounding up these crooks, you'll need to work with Maude and open a bounty hunter business. Thankfully, the ??steps to do it aren't too difficult, but you'll need some cash to make ??it happen.

How to become a bounty hunter in GTA Online

The next time you log into GTA Online, you'll receive a call from Maude, who you may recognize from the single-player campaign. Based out of Sandy Shores, Maude gives Trevor ?four bounty jobs, sending him to capture targets for her, retiri?ng when the missions have been completed.

Now, Maude is back, is looking to expand her business, and wants you to be part of it. If that sounds like your cup of tea, here are the steps yo?u'll need to capture crooks.?

1. Open your phone in-game.
2. Go to your phone's web browser.
3. On the homepage, select Maze Bank Foreclosures.
4. When the map appears, select "Bail Offices" from the top-right corner.
5. Select which of the five Bail Offices you want to buy. They are marked on the map with a blue house symbol with a set of handcuffs.
6. When purchased, drive to your Bail Office.
7. Enter the building and watch the cutscene.
8. You can now choose which bounty you want to chase.

How much is a Bail Office?

To become a bounty hunter, you're going to need to have some cash in your bank account, as the cheapest Bail Office costs $1.65 million, while the most expensive one will set you back $2.62 million.

The prices are as follows:

• Paleto Bay: $1.65 million
• Davis: $2 million
• Del Perro: $2.35 million
• Mission Row: $2.39 million
• Downtown Vinewood: $2.62 million

If you haven't got the money just yet, you'll need to complete some missions and get stuck into some heists to get your funds up.

GTA Online Bail Office locations

There are five Bail Offices in GTA Online. Four of them can be found in the city of Los Santos, with the fifth found right a??t the top of the island. We've included images of their locations below so you can choose which one is best for you to access.

GTA Online's Bottom Do??llar Bounties is live on PC,?? Xbox, and PlayStation, so get stuck in and start rounding up San Andreas' biggest crooks.

The post How to start a bounty hunter business in GTA Online: Locat?ions and price appeared first on Destructoid.

If you're a PlayStation owner and feel like you've missed out on one of 2024's biggest game releases, then good news may be heading your way as Palworld's community manager dropped ??a significant tease about a possible release.

When Palworld launched back in January, it was exclusive to PC and Xbox consoles, leaving those who own the Sony machine out in the cold. While it didn't affect player count, with over 25 million gamers jumping into the weird and wacky?? universe, plenty were b??egging Pocketpair to drop a PS5 version.

According to a tweet from Bucky, who is Palworld's community manager, that possibility may be on the way, after twee??ting the name of the game with black, green, and white hearts. They then wrote: "I want to add more h??earts, but not sure what color would fit," then added a blue heart alongside the rest.

Black, green, and white are well-known as Xbox colors, but it's the addition of the blue ones that's really set tongues wagging??, especially when Bucky wrote that it "looks good," finishing the message off with a set of suggestive eyes.

Of course, this isn't official confirmation from Pocketpair, but there's little chance that Bucky has gone rogue and teased something as huge as this without permission from the development. This tweet is likely to build hype ahead of the big announcement, which could happen around the release of the Sakurajima update on June 27.

As for when a possible PS5 version could drop, the truth is we don'?t have any idea right now. It's unclear if Pocketpair has already been working on a port of the game, or if the announcement will confirm that development is starting on it. For now, at least things are moving in the? right direction.

The post Palworld dev drops major hint abou??t possible PlayStatio??n release appeared first on Destructoid.

Fancy causing even more mayhem in GTA V than usual? Want to make yourself immorta?l? Then you need cheat codes, and we've got every single one of them so you can mold Los Santos and San Andreas to your wi??ll.

With GTA 6 now officially on the horizon, lots of gamers are heading back to Grand Theft Auto V for one last experience of what the game has to offer. Over a decade after its original launch, the game is still amazing, which makes the thought of what's to come even mo?re exciting.

If you want to have a little more fun though, cheat codes have always been a GTA staple, and this game is no different. There are two ways to enter them in GTA V, with both phone codes and the classic button combinations working. Th??at's why we've included both, ?to let you choose your preferred option.

Every PS4 and PS5 GTA V cheat code

Gameplay

Vehicles

For more, check out the 10 fastest cars in GTA Online.

The post All GTA 5 cheat codes for PS5 and PS4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Closing out the Latin American Games Showcase was an impressive new trailer for the gorgeous pixel-art hack-and-slash Mariachi Legends, with a mixture of live-action scenes and high-fidelity side-scrolling a??ction.

You’d be forgiven for overlooking the Latin American Games Showcase last w??eekend. Let’s face it, with over a dozen unique showcases over the span of a few days, it is unlikely most audiences will catch them all, particularly when the shows are each focused on a specific niche.

But this show in particular was littered with beautiful works and inventive concepts, a description no less fitting of the presentation’s final game, Mariachi Legends from Halberd Studios, which was unveiled at last year's PC Gaming Show.

Opening to a hazy sunset, the trailer begins with a live-action sequence introducing the fictional town of Santa Mascota and the lead character, Detective Pablo Cruz, who has been assigned by ??Lady Death to delve into the Realm of the Dead and collect a mystical amulet that is compromising her rule over the underworld.

This is no simple task, as the group of beings known as the Mariachi Legends protect this dominion at all costs. In order to stand a chance against them, Pablo must ??don the powerful garment, La Sombra, which grants him otherworldly strength and abilities.

With a transition to gameplay, it makes an immediate impression with its smooth and fluid animations, such as Pablo brandishing his pen and notebook with a flourish when taking investigation notes and trotting around with a swagger that closely resembles Castlevania’s Soma Cruz.
Although these two protagonists may share a last name and running animation, ironically what they do not have in common is being part of the Metroidvani??a genre.

Unlike the studio’s previous work, 9 Years of Shadow, which was a full-fledged metroidvania, Mariachi Legends describes itself as a branching beat-em-up platformer, with bounding, swinging??, and dashing along platforms to navigate the game’s levels and an emphasis on extravag?ant combo-centric combat.

Pablo dual-wields a set of sabers and a pair of flintlock pistols, firing off point-blank barrages before effortle?ssly eviscerating h??is enemies in a spinning cyclone of carnage. He has a variety of special abilities as well, including a noxious face-cracker whip that melts flesh from the bone and morphing into a spectral skull enveloped in a sickly green flame to consume enemies whole.

The end of the trailer blends more live-acton cuts with gameplay, this time to the kitchen to demonstrate the cooking component to the game. Pablo can spice up his special abilities by dishing up recipes he learns along his jou?rney.

Mariachi Legends will be available for Switch and Steam, with a 2024 rel?ease window listed on the store p?age.

The post Don’t miss the liv?e-action gameplay hybrid trailer for Mariachi Legends appeared first on Destructoid.

Final Fantasy XVI ende?d up being one of my favorite games from last year. Clive’s journey to liberate the oppressed magic-weiding Bearers of Valisthea and cleanse the world of the spreading Blight won me over with its earnest and lovable characters, flashy and frenetic fights, serene and grandiose soundscapes, and the titanic, cinematic boss battles that are simply unforgettable.

But for all of its many achievements, Final Fantasy XVI felt a bit simple and underdeveloped at times. A number of design choices seem derived from the developer’s previous experience with Final Fantasy XIV, while? other elements fail to meet the same complexity and ??variety as its MMO counterpart.

If the recently rebranded Creative Studio III gets an opportunity to follow up on this style of Final Fantasy game, these are some of the improvements that would truly elevate the game? beyond its current potential.

Give us less busy-work in side quests

Side quests in FFXVI are very commendable, delivering important context and full story arcs to many of the supporting cast members. However, the tasks themselves are not nearly as interesting, with too many side quests that ask players to go from point A to B, defeat a few enemies, hold a button to pick up three key items and return back to point?? ?A.

This kind of busy work is outdated even in the MMO space. For a cinematic action game, the process is boring and meandering. Future installments would benefit from more diverse objectives and sequences that differ from routine fights. Just imagine destroying nests of spawning deadly insects at a nearby village or capturing and holding multiple points from an invasion of Akashic. I’m sure the team can come up with ideas leagues better than my own?? with a bit more time and focus on them.

A great wide world with nary a thing to do 

The world of Valisthea is vast and beautiful, inspiring players to wander off into the open terrain and lose themselves in its various locales. The only problem is, there’s hardly anything rewarding to find amid it all. The existing design is full of potential for interesting events to occur and secrets to discover, but most of these moments are reserved until the correct side quest has been acquired. Outside of a handful of interspersed item chests and a few Chronoliths hosting combat challenges, the environments are barren of meaningful content to uncover.
If we ever get a chance to revisit Valisthea or its spiritual successor, the explorable spaces need more discoveries to? stumble upon organically to ince??ntivize players to roam the maps.

Over-reliance on cooldowns makes for stagnant battles

Eikon abilities are the core mechanic that binds FFXVI??’s combat together, serving as dazzling and impactful extensions to Clive’s basic abilities. However, every one of them is on a cooldown, and once access to these powers has been expended, players are left with a rather dull and simple base skillset. This is punctuated by the game’s opening hours, where players have to lean on this very limited array of abilities.

Upgrading moves and incrementally attaining new skills to work into combos is highly rewarding at first, but it’s all t??oo easy to end up falling into the same groove, efficiently dispatching enemies with the same rotation of fiery uppercuts and laser blasts. Introducing additional button combos to the regular swordplay and magic casting would make it all the more fun to interweave alongside the Eikon powers to further amplify the pulse-pounding action.

The cast of supporting characters is under utilized

Party members are poorly integrated i??????????????????????????nto the overall gameplay of FFXVI, considering the presence of each member is contextual to the story. The only consistent party member is Togal, who gets a dedicated menu for action commands, but these aren’t ??particularly useful.

Imagine having a selection?? of party members on reserve at the hideaway that could be rotated in and out of the party, ready for the call to action for each mission you select. The partner options could still be limited by the events of the story, omitting characters as needed but leaving room for more p??layer choice and playstyle intricacies.

While it would be too cumbersome to control multiple party members with FFXVI’s style of? action-RPG combat, the ability to customize each teammate’s abilities to better complement Clive’s would contribute greater depth to each encounter. Top it off with their own equipable items and gear to bolster their abilities, and suddenly, these ancillary companions would become invaluable comrades in battle.

Useless gear, loot, crafting and overall economy

With so much attention given to the fighting and Eikon m?oves, FFXVI offers shock??ingly little in the way of stat boosting and loadout optimization. The game only includes the four basic stats: health, defense, attack, and stagger infliction. Technically there is also strength, vitality and willpower, but these only increase by leveling up and are unaffected by equipment.

In total, there are only six equippable slots to improve Clive’s attributes: sword, belt, bracers, and three accessories. The former three pieces of gear only serve to improve the character’s base stats, which makes the power scaling of weapon and gear upgrades incredibly linear. There's just no room for custom??izing attributes for different variations in play style. 

As for accessories, they provide a much wider range of different effects, including cooldown reduc?tion, healing potency, and even stacking buffs on prec?ise move executions. But with only three slots to choose from, it doesn’t take long to find a preferred loadout, making it difficult to get excited about acquiring new accessories in chests or as quest rewards.

The game could have significantly benefited from the integration of the franchi?se’s familiar materia system, allowing for extra bonuses to attach to existing gear. This could also diversify th??e upgrades attained at the forge, allowing players to opt for expanding their materia slots instead of - or, simply, in addition to - base stat increases.

On top of everything else, the game’s economy is completely useless. There is no sense in buyi??ng potions since they are completely replenished any time you retry from a game over. Meanwhile, tonic buff??s are rare to come across and exceptionally expensive for routine restocking, so they are not compelling to purchase either. The only item of value to put money towards is orchestrion rolls, which serve more as a collectible than a value proposition for your hard-earned gil.

Crafting items are also? obtained throughout the game, but since they only contribute to the basic forge upgrades and item crafting, they are seldom used. Perhaps if forge upgrades also required a monetary cost, or if there was more purpose to the crafting mechanic that would facilitate a demand for buying crafting items, that could potentially improve the game’s economy systems. But as they stand, it is barebones and forgettable.

Final Fantasy XVI is still phenomenal, I promise!

While this ???may seem like a lot of problems, these are ultimately blemishes on an otherwise fantastic experience. The remarkable presentation, captivating action, and grimly optimistic story and themes still burn brightly as the Phoenix’s flames, outshining any mars against it.

I’m confident that any effort from Creative Studio III to iterate and improve on the precedent set by Final Fantasy XVI is well worth being excited for.

The post Five improvements we’d like to see in a Final Fantasy XVI successor appeared first on Destructoid.

Resident Evil developer Capcom recently announced that it will bring the seventh entry in its iconic series, Resident Evil Biohazard, to all Apple devices with an M1 chip or better. For Mac laptops, that means any Mac Book Air or M?ac Book Pro from late 2020 onwards will be able to run the game.

However, this isn’t the first time Capcom has released a Mac and iOS port for the Resident Evil series. The current Mac Resident Evil games are essentially a dedicated showcase of just how powerful the M-seri?es chips and integrated graphics cards can be, especially on devices such as the Mac Book Air, which don’t have a fan. 

Resident Evil Games for Mac Available Now

Mac and iPhone users can currently purchase both Resident Evil Village and the Resident Evil 4 remake via their device’s App Store. Resident Evil Village on Mac in particular is a spectacle to behold; I can ?personally vouch for its impressive performance on the M1 Mac Book Air. While there have been a few aud??io glitches here and there, the port is exceptionally well optimized. 

The Resident Evil 4 remake on M1 devices also has generally positive rev??iews on the Mac App Store, though users should note that you’ll need approximately 125 GB of free space on your drive to install the game, which is nearly double the listed size requirement in the store. 

Upcoming Resident Evil Games for Mac

The Resident Evil Biohazard Mac and iOS port is currently slated for July 2nd, 2024. However, Capcom has also announced on its Apple games page that it will be bringing the Resident Evil 2 remake to all M-series Apple devices as well. We don’t have a release date for this one yet, but if the previous Mac Resident Evil ports are anything to ?go by, it’s sure to b?e an exceptional experience.

The post Resident Evil on Mac: Which Games are on Apple D?evices? appeared first on Destructoid.

There are a lot of Soulslike games that have taken from plenty of From Software's standard-setting works. Games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order have used the format of the Soulslike and thrown in Metroidvania-styled exploration, while also doubling down on a parry mechanic despite being released before Sekiro.

Still, despite the popularity of Soulslikes, it has not felt like enough games have taken inspiration from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Many fans of From Software's games, as well as those who simply appreciate a well-made video game with fleshed-out combat mechanics, tend to refer to it ?as a masterpiece.

So, why a Sekiro-like instead of Soulslike?

It's important to lay out what separates Sekiro from the rest. The game places a special emphasis on its parry mechanic and haste within its combat's pacing. The Dark Souls games, as well as Bloodborne and Elden Ring, will reward players for a well-timed parry. Usually, players get time to breathe and the opportunity to land a high-damage hit, but Sekiro throws in the Posture mechanic.

Posture is the ability to withstand a hit. Properly attacking and parrying damages an enemy's Posture, and fully breaking an enemy's Posture provides the player a chance to pull off a Deathblow. The lower an enemy's health is, the slower their Posture rebuilds. Sekrio did not c??reate the parry, nor did it popularize it, but plenty of gamers look to the game as an example of how to do it best.

Before the release of new titles like Stellar Blade and Nine Sols, not many titles took inspiration from Sekiro, even though new Soulslikes continue to pop up. This could be attributed to the fact that games just take a long time to make. It could also take developers even more time to structure an entire game around combat as polished as Sekiro's.

Many gamers just end up going back to Sekiro because it's ??hard to find a similar experience, but with so many upcoming releases, those seeking to scratch that itch may not have to?? wait much longer.

Games that are definitely Sekiro-likes

Nier: Automata and Bayonetta were the primary comparisons people made to Stellar Blade when they first saw Stellar Blade.?? Despite that, this game features a strong focus on its par??ry mechanic.

It may take Sekiro players some time to adjust to the way that inputs register. Dodging, parrying, and movement have a significantly different weight in Stellar Blade. Still, gamers do agree that the Sekiro influence is there. Stellar Blade even includes its own ??spin on Posture, called Balance, though it ??does differ in areas like its skill trees and additional ways to tune combat to the player's liking.

Nine Sols is different in a couple of ways, namely that it has a hand-drawn 2D art style and features platforming. Regardless, developer Red Candle Games has gone all-in on the Sekrio inspiration.

Nine Sols' combat is based on deflection, with enemies putting enough pressure on the player to force them to consistently deflect. Deflection in Nine Sols allows players to store Chi energy to use in charged attacks instead of h??aving a Postur?e bar to maintain.

Games that focus on parrying

Where Winds Meet is a Wuxia-inspi?red game that offers versatility in weapon choice and combat approach, though countering appears to be central to its gameplay.

In each gameplay showcase so far, trailers have featured its protagonist swiftly parrying an enemy attack. Everstone Studio seems ambitious with the many different features it plans to incorporate into Where Winds Meet. The game will feature a picturesque open world alongside a narrative that is said to be influenced by player choice. Where Winds Meet is slated for a 2024 release.

Then there's Phantom Blade Zero. The combat in this game's original tr?ailer looked too good to be true, and people insisted that it must be scripted in some way. But the more ??footage fans see of it, the more the game shows its hand.

There are plenty of gaps for player input. Some animations appear to cancel very well into the other, allowing for a wide range of player expression. There is risk, though, as the game seems to force players to commit to their actions. At IGN's hands-on demo, Developer S-Game pushed back a bit against the haste to lump Phantom Blade Zero in with ??every other Soulsborne. S-Game noted a feature on "old-fashioned combo-driv??en traditional action" while using a map design akin to Souls games.

Phantom Blade Zero appears to share plenty in common with Assassin's Creed and Ghost of Tsushima, but this doesn't mean it has nothing in common with Sekiro. In Phantom Blade Zero, players and enemies have a Sha-chi meter, which functions similarly to Posture and depletes when guarding. Taking consecutive hits breaks this defense and leaves the target wide open. There is a block stance, but pulling off a parry or perfect dodge can reward players with a?? counterattack called a Ghoststep.

Games that may continue Sekiro's legacy

Black Myth Wukong has gamers excited for a couple of reasons. Those who like a good story are excited to see a big-budget video game put a ??spin on the story of Sun Wukong, while others are here for the combat.

The combat system in Black Myth Wukong appears to be somewhat different from Sekiro. The ga?me appears to put a heavy emphasis on agility, and while it does occasionally show a player blocking an attack, it does not seem nearly as consistent. That ??being said, there appears to be a similar emphasis on an aggressive play style.

Lastly, there's Ballad of Antara, which gamers are waiting to see more about, but one thing seems certain—guarding agains??t ?enemy attacks matters.

Each segment of action shown feels demanding. In the announcement trailer for Ballad of Antara, combat comes off as dynamic and weighty. The game appears to reward aggressive gameplay and consistent guarding. For those searching for something closer to Sekiro than Souls, this? game appears to sh??ow off more guarding than it does dodging, which could be promising.

Some of these games may take even longer than expected to release, and by the time they all come out, they could end up being closer to Dark Souls or something entirely different. No matter what, there appear ??to be plenty of interesting action games in the works.

The post This could be the Year of the Sekiro-likes appeared first on Destructoid.

Amidst the flurry of Steam Next Fest demos, Codename: Ocean Keeper from RetroStyle Games emerges as a standout, blending underwater mecha action with the survival challenges of Vampire Survivors. Quite the exciting twist, and? one that brings with it an interestin?g new take on the action survival roguelike genre.

At first glance, Codename: Ocean Keeper entices with its premise, merging the allure of ancient horrors with the futuristic focus of underwater mech combat. Players assume the role of a pilot tasked with navigating treacherous undersea environments teeming with monstrous creatures. Drawing from the survival roguelike elements of Vampire Survivors, the game challenges players to ?scavenge for resources, upgrade their mech, and battle increasingly formidable adversaries.

Gameplay Undersea

The gameplay loop of Codename: Ocean Keeper revolves around strategic decision-making based on an ever-looming timer. Each dive into the abyss presents new dangers and opportunities, from important resource gathering to artifact scavenging, testing both reflexes and tactical prowess. Your ?mech can be customizable?? with an array of weapons and utilities and becomes the player's lifeline against the tide of increasingly monstrous denizens.

Resource and artifact harvesting are critical aspects of the gameplay loop in Codename: Ocean Keeper. To survive the waves of alien lifeforms that arrive at ??specific time intervals, players must constantly gather resources and artifacts to purchase upgrades within a session. These upgrades are essential, not only for sustaining themselves but also, for upgrading their mechs and enhancing their chances against the relentless o?nslaught from the depths. As the countdown to these encounters ticks away, strategic resource management becomes paramount, adding a layer of constant urgency that eats away at you as you progress.

Demo Dives: Unveiling the Adventure

From the moment I jumped into Codename: Ocean Keeper’s demo, I was immersed in a world where action and strategy merge seamlessly. The ??game wastes no time throwing you into the thick of it as soon as you start the game for the first time. This immediate engagement hooks instantly, as you're encouraged by the game's short tutorial to explore the abyssal depths for vital resources. After this tutorial, the ticking? timer begins, and the frantic race for upgrade resources begins.

Navigating the murky depths in search of resources felt exhilarating yet perilous. Yes, you're in an undersea spider mech, but that alone is far from enough to survive the horrors that lurk in the dark. Every moment-to-moment decision counts as resources carry weight, forcing you to carefully balance the amount you gather against the time needed to return them to your mech. This dynamic adds a layer of tension and strategic depth that kept me constantly on my toes, calculating risks and rewards with each ventur??e into the unknown.

The ti??mer looming in the background heightens the sense of urgency, reminding you that every second counts. It’s a thrilling bala??ncing act that demands both quick thinking and precise execution, ensuring that each gameplay session is a gripping challenge. The monsters of the depths grow stronger with each passing moment, and you're tasked with keeping up with the tide or risk becoming derelict at the bottom of the sea.

Codename: Ocean Keeper shines with its gameplay mechanics, however, I did find myself occasionally distracted by the repetitive nature of its music and audio design. The soundtrack initially sets a mood of suspense and anticipation, whi??ch I enjoyed, but the repetitive loops became somewhat annoying after only a few minutes. Particularly, the singular track that played during combat encounters became especially tiresome. Nevertheless, exploring the depths and overcoming challenges in this captivating underwater world was still an enjoyable experience for me, and I have no doubts RetroStyle Games will make the necessary changes for the game's full release.

Looking Forward

Codename: Ocean Keeper beckons players into its intriguing universe. A recent trailer teases a game filled with danger and peril, offering an adventure that's both captivating and challenging for indie gaming enthusiasts. Setting itself apart from Vampire Survivors, Codename: Ocean Keeper introduc??es a dis?tinctive twist that seamlessly blends undersea adventure with strategic resource gathering, a blend that highlights the promising bright future ahead for this title.

If you're interested in trying out Codename: Ocean Keeper, you can jump in right now with its free demo available on Steam. It's a great way to explore the game's universe an?d experience its challenging strategic gameplay firsthand. Whether you're draw?n in by its unique premise or just looking for something new in indie gaming, the demo offers a taste of what promises to be an exciting change of pace for the genre.

The post Codename: Ocean Keeper is Vampire Survivo?rs with an underwater mecha twist appeared first on Destructoid.

LEGO Fortnite's new Expe?rt mode is essentially a hardcore mode, where if you die, your time in that world is finished—permanently. To stay in the world, you'll need a Totem of Return, and I know how to make it.

Expert mode was introduced as part of Fortnite's 30.10 update, giving players a true challenge if they th?ink they're up to the test. Not only do you have one life, but new Storm-Wild creatures deal more damage, have more health, and move faster than their normal counterparts, making your world even more dangerous than it was before.

How to make the Totem of Return

The Totem of Return comes in three rarities in LEGO Fortnite: Uncommon, Rare, and Epic. The higher the rarities, the more hearts you will have when you respawn, so if y??ou're able t?o make the Epic one, I would suggest doing so.

While the rec?ipes are different, you'll need a Storm Core for all three.

• Uncommon: Storm Core x50, Silk Thread x5, Wolf Claw x8, Shell x3
• Rare: Storm Core x50, Wool Thread x5, Sand Claw x8, Sand Shell x3
• Epic: Storm Core x50, Heavy Wool Thread x5, Artic Claw x8, Frost Shell x3

To make the Totem of Return, you'l??l need these ingredients and a fully upgraded Crafting Bench. Take these items to it, and you'll be able to craft one.

How to get Storm Cores in LEGO Fortnite

To get Storm Cores, you'll need to kill Storm-Wild e??nemies. These animals have been infected by t??he storm, and now deal more damage per hit, have more health which makes them harder to kill, and move faster than their regular counterparts.

They ha?ve a purpl?e hue around them, similar to the storm that you see in Battle Royale, and drop Storm Cores when eliminated.

What does the Totem of Return do in LEGO Fortnite?

In Expert mode, once you die, your save is over and you'll need to start again. However, if you have a Totem of Return, you get another chance at life. Instea?d of permanently leaving the world, you'll spawn back in your bed with your inventory intact.

However, once you use a Totem of Return, it's gone for good. So, you'?ll need to keep making them if you want to have a back up plan at all times.

The post How to make the Totem of Return in LEGO Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

Star Wars Outlaws is the next big entry into the wide world of Star Wars games, and creative director Julian Gerighty has revealed how long it will take for you to finish the story, and how long completionists will need to spend to find and unlock every ??single item.

Outlaws is the first open-world Star Wars game set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. You won'?t be controlling a Jedi though, as instead, you'll be playing as Kay Vess, a criminal looking to start a new life in the galaxy away from the murky world o?f delinquent gangs and syndicates.

How long is Star Wars Outlaws' campaign?

In an interview with VGC, Gerighty stated: "Very, very early on, we decided that this is going to be a 25, 30 hours golden path adventure. It's not an Assassin's Creed epic, 200 hours worth of gameplay, so that allows?? us to re?ally focus on the detail, it allows us to focus, maybe with a smaller team, on executing something that is manageable."

So, straight from the horse's mouth, it'll take around a day to finish the story, de??pending?? on your difficulty.

How long will it take to 100% complete Star Wars Outlaws

In the same interview, Gerighty suggested that if you want to 100% complete Star Wars Outlaws, achieve every trophy and unlock everything possible in the game, it'll take between 50 and 60 hours, which he ??said was still a "fair amount of time?," especially for "a guy with a family and a job."

Star Wars Outlaws is scheduled to be released on August 30, 2024.

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Assassin's Creed Mirage, the latest AAA title in the series, has officially made its way to Apple devices. The game is now available on iPad Air, and iPad Pro devices with an M1 chip or later. Moreover, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users can also play Assassin’s Creed Mirage on their devices.

The game, centred around protagonist Basim and his adventures in ninth-century Baghdad, offers the beginning stages for free, but players would then be asked to buy the full version of the game through an in-app purchase. Ubisoft’s AAA title game will cost $49.99 on compatible iOS devices, but there’s a special launch offer with a discount of 50% running at the moment, bringing the price down to $24.99 until June 20, 2024. 

Assassin's Creed Mirage promised to bring the franchise back to its roots with more focus on stealth. In our review of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, we rated it a 7.5/10 and felt that there “could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.�/p>

Ubisoft has also revealed its plans to launch Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for Apple Macbook devices in the winter of 2024. Pre-orders for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Mac is now live, with a price tag of $49.99 on it.

Apart from Mirage’s launch and plans for The Lost Crown, Ubisoft has also launched Rabbids: Legends of the Multiverse on Apple Arcade. For those unfamiliar, Apple Arcade is a paid subscription service that offers you ??access to a library of games without featuring any in-app purchases or ads.

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Rockstar has officially announced the GTA Online Summe?r update, and the patch's headline addition will be a new business? that lets you become a true bounty hunter and arrest criminals across San Andreas for cash.

If you've played GTA V in the decade since its release, it's very likely that you've been the one causing mayhem and committ??ing crimes on the streets of Los Santos. If you fancy going clean, however, Rockstar will let you become the hunter ra?ther than be the hunted with this summer's major update.

In a blog post on the Rockstar website, the developer quoted Sandy Shores resident Maude Eccles, claiming t?hat "this world is full of scum and detritus," and that's time that "we all bear our share."

"This? summer, it's time for some (high-value) target practice to clean up the roving reprobates of Southern San Andreas," the blog reads, confirming that "your very own bail enforcement and bounty hunting business" is coming in the game's next major update.

How it will work exactly remains unclear, but I would guess that there will be a b??ounty board in your business that tells you who needs to be apprehended. We'll hear more about the bail enforcement business in the coming weeks as we build up to the Summer update.

Also included in the Summer update is a new Vincent mission that ties in with the new ??bail work, new tools to make custom Drift and Drag Raves, new vehicles, and boost payouts for Taxi Work, Open Wheel Races, and Operation Paper Trail missions.

The GTA Online Summer patch doesn't have a release date just yet, but with GTA 6 now firmly on the horizon, some wonder if it'll be the last major upda?te for the game. I expect to see a Christmas patch personally, b??ut it wouldn't surprise me if this was the last Summer update we get.

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