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 b?e a struggle to make tangible upgrad??e progress unless you grind in familiar areas or tread new ground with extreme caution.

Player??s 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 technical??ly optional, but I highly recommend you come here. Many prowling enemies infest the main path through Hirat?a 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 don'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 Gyo??ubu 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 befo??re 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 soldier 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 terrific 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 a??ttack-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 lo??t less linear around the mid-game point, which gives you more freedom to avoid 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 bui?lt-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 mindless, this is engaging as? a muscle-memory wa?rmup.

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 difficulty mountain. Enemies get harder, upgrade materials get rarer, and the bosses can feel unfair. Even if you've become a p??arrying 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 expensive Mushin Arts skills to unlock. I?'m glad I didn't force it.

The post Sekiro guide: Farm XP and gold in this quic??k, simple spot appeared first on Destructoid.

Very early into Elden Ring, I kept seeing these random, cracked, conspicuous-as-hell statues with a blue or turquoise light. And 50? hours in, I finally know how to break them open.

Backing up a step, there are many different types of statues in this game, some of which you can directly interact with. I'm not talking about those. I mean the statues t?hat are partially sliced open, and often embedded in the ground or toppled over. You'll probably recognize them when you see them. Like this one!

**Spoilers below**

If you're anything like me, you might've tried two-handing your weapon, various jump attacks, and explosive throwables, to name a few tactics that seemed like a good idea at the time. No dice �at least, not that I've seen. Instead, you'll need to source som??e outside help. You need to use a big boy.

That's right, a big boy

Had I spent more time scoping out this cracked glowing statue on stormy Limgrave hillside with several trolls roaming nearby, I probably would've figured out the solution way sooner. In fact, on a return visit, the a-ha moment happened organically: a giant just casually strolled through it on his way to my character, and the cracked statue exploded, reve?aling a shiny?? reward.

What was inside? Unfortunately, just some low-level smithing stones �a useful f??ind in the early game, but far less helpful down the road when they're more plentiful.

If you missed ?the statue pictured above, you might've seen this statue with a glowing crack in the heart of Stormveil Castle, which you would've gone past on your way to? the boss.

It's not-so-conveniently resting next to a large, gnarly enemy �large enough to make me think it could also be strong enough to bust open the statue... but it didn't work for me. Appearance isn't always everything, but once you get a feel for who (or what) has the magic touch to bust open glowing statues in Elden Ring, y??ou'll probably be abl??e to instantly recognize them.

What I simply had to do upon luring this troll was to have it casually walk on top of this statue. It could have also just swung its weapon at me and broken the statue as collateral damage, but at lower levels, that could be very? r??isky.

Interestingly, it seems that other large-scale enemies in Elden Ring are capable of opening these glowing cracked statues. When we mean big boys, they don't have to be on the scale of the aforementioned trolls. You just need to be able to look and them and? think, "Yeah, this guy could probably eat rocks."

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Other ways to break glowing cracked statues in Elden Ring

Depending on the area you're in, you will have to do some scouting on what the biggest enemies are. You'll have to train a beast or two and bring them to the statue with the glowing cracks. In the example below fou?nd in the Sealed Tunnel, this statue is against the wall, so you can't just hide be??hind it in hopes of your enemy walking right into it.

What you will have to do is put your back against the ??statue as an enemy is about to attack you. At the right moment, dodge its attack and hopefully, they'll open the thing for you. Not the safest thing to do, but you probably won't get anywhere just asking politely, either.

What do glowing cracked statues contain?

In terms of reward, from every example I've seen, these glowing cracked statues just give out various tiers of upgrade materials like Smithing Stones for your weapons and shields. A potentially good haul, but not necessarily something I'd want to g?o out of my way to get, if that makes sense.

This is just the latest in a line of "Wow, I really overthought that!" mome?nts in the game. I'm loving it. Especially now that I've hit a brick wall, and it's time to go wandering again.

The post How to break glowing blue cracked stat??ues in Elden Ring appeared first on Destructoid.

Note that the Elden Ring Walking Mausoleums are found as quickly as the first area, but if you want to go in fresh. Skip away!

Here's a buffer for you:

[caption id="attachment_624604" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Okay, ready?

To get into the Elden Ring Walking Mausoleums, you'll need to bring them down to your level.

So, for many hours (like 30), I thought you had to run up some mountain somewhere and then jump down on it. Some will require you to do that while others are more straightforward.

How to get into every Walking Mausoleums in Elden Ring

There are a total of seven Walking Mausoleums in the base ga?me of? Elden Ring. Here they are as follows from their closest Site of Grace:

[caption id="attachment_624606" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Isolated Merchant's Shack (Limgrave)

Just a bit northwest of spawning here, you'll see your firs?t Mausoleum roaming around. Carefully remove the barnacles on its legs. They appear more like? skull clusters. You will do so by attacking them. Upon cleaning up enough of them, the Mausoleum will come down, granting you entry inside the tomb.

[caption id="attachment_624605" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Gate Town North (Liurnia of the Lakes)

Go north from hear by the cliffside to find the Mausoleum with a bell. This one requires you to jump onto the grassy part of its body to bring it down. You'll need? to wait until it gets close enough to the cliffs you can scale to climb aboard. You can also use the spirit spring to jump onto it if you're scared of falling to your death.

Once on top, clean up the barnacle??s on its body to bring it down and open the door.

[gallery size="full" ids="624608,624607"]

Mausoleum Compound (Liurnia of the Lakes)

There are t??wo Mausoleums here which will require you to hit the barnacles on their legs to bring them down. It's straightforward, but they do get agitated and start jump-stomping. When you see them do so, make sure to get back so you won't get crushed.

[caption id="attachment_624610" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Apostate Derelict (Consecrated Snowfield)

South of this Site of Grace will be the next wandering Mausoleum. Once again, hack away at the skull barnacles on its feet to bring it down. This time,?? it'll shoot you with ranged attacks, so be ready to dodge not only its feet, but magic bolts coming at you.

[caption id="attachment_624611" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Castle Sol Main Gate (Mountaintops of the Giants)

Right next to Castle Sol's gates will be the sixth Mausoleum. Slash? away at the barnacl??es to bring it down.

[caption id="attachment_624612" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Nameless Eternal City (Deeproot Depths)

The final one can be encountered underground. Unlike most other Mausoleums, you will have to use the roots around it to climb onto the thing while it's still in motion. The barnacle skulls will be on its ??upper body compared to the legs. Clear enough of them to bring it down.

Once you're there, the Elden Ring Walking Mausoleums can be used to duplicate remembrances.

If you've played the Souls series before, you'll be very familiar with this concept: they're boss souls. In Elden Ring, they can be used to "squash" into raw runes (souls) for leveling up for buying items, or ?you can transmute them into one of two items at the hub area (usually a weapon, or a spell).

Good luck! The Wa??lking Mausoleums are super easy to spot, and now that you know the trick, you can bring them down.

The post How to get into the Elden Ring Walking Mausoleums (tur??tle towers) 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 the 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 deal??t. 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 candles 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 Weapons than you can normally carry. It's incredibly p??owerful in beefing up the back half of your run while hel?ping 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, all incredibly powerful. They are still s??ub??ject 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 Sapphire Mist, which requires you to reach a Cooldown Bonus of -85% with Sp??ace 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 as??pect is that it gives you 20% Might and -8% Cooldown for each active ??weapon slot left empty.

As you play, you'll need to always Banish weapons, and only ever pick up Passive Weapons. As long as you have fiv??e 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 h?er health reaches a critically l??ow level. As far as I could tell, you just need to trigger 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 similar 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 cr??itically 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 visuals. You'll nee??d 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 items, you'll hear the unlock soun??d effect and Bats Bats Bats will be available from the character select 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 B??ats 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 ne??w 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.

The post How to unlock every?thing in the Vampire Survivors Darkasso update appeared first on Destructoid.

Wuthering Waves1.2 introduces a slew of new con?tent, including the new five-star Resonator, Zhezhi, to pull for. If you're interested in pulling her, or you already have and are trying to build her up, here's a useful guide to help you build Zhezhi.

Best Zhezhi Build in Withering Waves

Zhezhi is a Glacio character with a stark focus on dealing out Basic Attacks, both on-field and off, to deal her damage. She plays the role of a Sub-DPS due to her extraordinarily powerful Out?ro skill buffs, fast Concerto rotation, and consistent off-field damage thanks to her Ultimate.

Much like other characters in Wuthering Waves, Zhezhi's skill descriptions are very convoluted and difficult to understand, but her actual gameplay isn't nearly so daunting. Her core gameplay mechanic revolves around her Forte Circuit, Ink and Wash, which allows her to summon Phantasmic Imprints onto the field when her Heavy Attack or Skill is used, provided there is enough Affaltus, her Forte Circuit resource. Affaltus is built by simply a??ttacking enemies with Basic or Intro Attacks, and she can ??hold 90 Affaltus in total.

Casting Heavy Attack after the third attack in her Basic Attack String or while mid-air with at least 30 Affaltus will summon a Phantasmic Imprint - Middle onto the field. Casting her Skill with 60 Affaltus will summon Phantasmic Imprint - Left and Phantasmic Imprint - Right, allowing you access to all three Imprints when using both methods of summoning. Now, when Zhezhi has at least one Imprint on the field, using her Skill will allow her to teleport to the closest Imprint a?nd deal big damage that counts as Basic Attack Damage.

While on-field, Zhezhi does most of her damage by teleporting to her Imprints and following them up with a Basic Attack, so this is the core of what you want to be doing while she is there. Due to the nature of teleportation, Zhezhi is extremely mobile, which gives her a big advantage against many of the hardest enemies in Wuthering Waves.

Her off-field damage comes purely from her Ultimate, Living Canvas, which summons a massive circle in the sky that causes Inklit Spirits to crash down onto foes below. This lasts a walloping 30 seconds or until 21 Inklit Spirits are invoked. Attacks from her Ultimate are considered Coordinated Attacks, which is important to keep note of when bui??lding her team comp. More on that soon??.

??That was a lot??, but I promise her gameplay sounds more complicated than it is to execute. Let's talk about her to actually build her now.

Best Echoes for Zhezhi

Thanks to her Sub-DPS nature, you have two main options when it comes to Echoes. The set I'd recommend most is 4-piece Moonlit Clouds, as it enables her to buff her next teammate with 22% extra ATK (Attack) when swapped with max Concerto. The set also gives Zhezhi 10% extra Energy Re??gen, which is a nice bonus for keeping her ??Ultimate active.

If you favor her doing more damage than supporting, you can also run 4-piece Freezing Frost, which is, personally, my preferred set since I already have a few Moonlit Cloud users on my account. Freezing Frost will considerably boost her personal damage since it grants her a massive 30% ATK buff, pretty much permanently.

For her active Echo, I recommend using Lampylumen Myriad as it simply does massive damage on its own ?while ??buffing Zhezhi's Glacio damage as well.

Best Team Comps for Zhezhi

Since Zhezhi is a sub-DPS, her role is to help the team dish out as much as possible alongside your main DPS without getting in the way of their required field time. It is possible to have 100% uptime on Zhezhi's Ultimate, and she has a very quick Concerto rotation. Both of these aspects pair very nicely with her best teammates, Jinhsi and Verina. She also has direct synergy with Sanhau, if you can fit her into a team comp, but I don't recommend doing so ?if you're planning to us?e Zhezhi in her dedicated sub-DPS role.

Jinhsi is Zhezhi's best partner as she provides Jinhsi with everything needed for her to completely destroy her foes. Zhezhi's Ultimate rechanges Jinhsi Forte very fast, which is huge for synergy with her. On top of that, thanks to her fast Concerto charge, Zhezhi allows Jinhsi to use her Intro more often, allowing Jinhsi to go into her big damage rotation more often. More so, Zhezhi's Inherent Skill, Flourish, allows her to charge Jinhsi's Ultimate every time she swaps into her. The two characters are made for each other, and should absolutely be u??sed on the same team.

Verina is the overworked support that buffs everyone in Wuthering Waves, and Zhezhi is no exception. Both Verina and Zhezhi have fast Concerto rotati?ons, which means they can both activate the powerful buff effects of their Intro skills very consistently and easily. Both also have Coordinated Attacks, making them ideal for playing with Jinhsi.

Sanhau has the fastest Concerto rotation in Wuthering Waves and, additionally, buffs Basic Attack Damage when she swaps while full. This is entirely a benefit to Zhezhi because all of her damage is considered Basic Attack Damage. Zhezhi buffs Skill and Glacio Damage when she swaps with a full Concerto, which is a massive buff to Sanhau's damage. The issue with playing them together is that they both are sub-DPS. However, they still function quite well as a team with Zhezhi playing main DPS (she has the damage t?o do so), should you decide to use them together.

Best Weapons for Zhezhi

Zhezhi has three strong options for weapons she can use. The first is her signature weapon, Rime-Drapped Sprouts, which massively buffs her Basic Attack Damage. It also co??mes with a mind-blowing amount of CIRT DMG as a sub-stat.

Her second-best weapon is Yinlin's signature, Stringmaster. Stingmaster ??is an extremely potent stat-stick for Zhezhi, thanks to its high CRIT RATE sub stat an?d general ATK buffs.

The last recommended weapon for Zhezhi is the standard Cosmic Ripples, which provides her with a large boost to her Basic Attack Damage as well, though not nearly as potent as Rime-Drapped Sprouts. Cosmic Ripples also has an ATK% sub-stat. While this isn't bad, as ATK% does have a lot of value in Wuthering Waves, it does not equate to Rime-Drapped Sprout's CRIT DMG or Strin?gmaster's CRIT RATE sub-stats.

Best Sequences for Zhezhi in Wuthering Waves

Zhezhi's Sequences mostly provide her with raw DMG and ATK% buffs that will certainly boost her power. However, at S0 (Sequence 0), Zhezhi is more than powerful enough to deal with anything in Wuthering Waves. Still,? if you? fancy yourself a few of her Sequences, allow me to summarize them for you, for your info.

• Brushwork's Finish (S1) - When Zhezhi uses her Skill while she has two stacks of Painter's Delight, she restores 15 Resonance Energy and gives her 10% CRIT for 27 seconds. This S1 removes any potential need for Energy Rechange on Zhezhi, as with it, she can fund her own Ultimate easily. Her Skill has a very short cooldown, which makes this S1 a strong stopping point. Extra CRIT makes building her that much easier.
• Vivid Strokes (S2) - Adds six more Inklit Spirits to Zhezhi's Ultimate, Living Canvas. This is a nice bit of extra damage, but far from powerful enough to be worth investing in, especially for an S2. Meh.
• Reflection's Grace (S3) - When Zhezhi uses any version of her Skill, she gains 15% ATK for 27 seconds, stacking up three times. In short, Zhezhi gets 45% ATK at all times, effectively. This is a significant boost to her performance and is worth going for if you're already at S2.
• Hue's Spectrum (S4) - Zhezhi gives her entire team 20% ATK for 30 seconds after using her Ultimate. This is a large buff to her whole team (including herself), all by casting her Ultimate, which you will always be able to use thanks to her S1. This Sequence is a lot more powerful than it appears. It's a permanent 20% ATK buff.
• Composition's Clue (S5) - Every three Inklit Spirits summoned by her Ultimate will cause a fourth empowered Inklit Spirit to spawn, dealing 140% of a standard Inklit Spirit's damage. This dramatically boosts the potency of Zhezhi's Ultimate.
• Infinite Legacy (S6) - When Zhezhi uses any version of her enhanced Skill (Stroke of Genius or Creation's Zenith), it will cause an Ivory Herald to spawn and deal 120% of her Skill's normal damage as a bonus. Because Zhezhi uses her Skill so often, this is a ridiculous boost to her overall damage while she is on-field. It is fitting for a S6.

The post Best Zhezhi build in ??Wuthering Waves �Weapons, Echoes, and ?Team Compositions appeared first on Destructoid.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is one of the most anticipated games coming out this year thanks to its apparent innovations to the long-running series. With an open beta on the way, all interested players wil?l get to try it, so here?'s how you can gain access to it yourself.

How to get in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Beta

The Black Ops 6 open beta is open to all players once it starts, but not initially. The game features an Early Access period that will allow people who pre-order the game or have a qualifying active Xbox Game Pass subscription to play it early.

If you're looking to play the beta for Black Ops 6 early, simply pre-order any Digital Edition through your platform's digital storefront. You can also subscribe to Xbox Game Pass (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass PC, Game Pass Console). Both methods will automatically flag your account for early open beta access, and you'll be able to log into t?he Early Access open beta as soon as it opens.

Alternatively, you can pre-purchase the game at any physical retailer to receive a redemption code. This code, once enter??ed and redeemed, will also flag you for access to ??the Early Access Open Beta.

For players interested in playing the open beta without a cost attached, you will be a??ble to play once the Early Access period for the open beta has concl?uded. Once it has, you'll be able to log into the beta freely, without any extra steps.

When can you play the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Open Beta?

The open beta officially begins on August 30 and will run until September 9. The Early Access period begins August 30 until September 4. All players, regardless of purchase status, will be able to play in the Open Beta from September 4 until its conclusion on September 9.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 officially launches worldwide on October 25 for the X??box Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and ?PC.

The post How ?to get into the Call of Duty?: Black Ops 6 Open Beta appeared first on Destructoid.

If you thinking of jumping back into Diablo 4 for the release of Season 5, then i??t's always a good idea to know what you're getting into. Here's a quick overview of all the new features added in the seasonal update.

Everything new in Diablo 4 Season 5

Diablo 4 Seaso?n 5 is much smaller than normal seasons because it focuses on fixing what came before it, namely the loot system revamp introduced in Season 4. The revamp fixed many issues with loot, but also created several new ones that the developers have decided to tackle with the big update.

Season 5 is?? slated to last merely two months instead of the usual length, and that notion sets?? the stage for how much new content is actually in the season.

Return to Hell with Infernal Hordes

The biggest new addition to Diablo 4 in Season 5 is a new endgame mode/feature called Infernal Hordes. Infernal Hordes is a new endgame mode designed to challenge you with wave-based encounters that end in a boss fight. The mode features eight tiers of escalating difficulty, each progressively testing your skill and strategy. You will face increasingly formidable waves of enemies, with the ultimate goal of defeating the final boss to complete the encounter. Success in Infernal Hordes allows you to earn Burning Aether, a currency that can be used to unlock vario??us rewards.

The rewards for participating in Infernal Hordes include gear, materials, and gold, with you having the freedom to choose what you want based on your accumulated Burning Aether. Additionally, this mode serves as a new source for acquiring Legendaries and Uniqu?es, offering you the chance to enhance your equipment with rare and powerful items.

Major Itemization Improvements

Diablo 4 Season 5 brings a slew of improvements that enhance the overall game quality. New Uniques and Legendaries offer fresh customization options, while the Unique System overhaul refines affixes to be more build-specific. Mythic Uniques now drop from Tree of Whisper ?Collections, Tortured Gifts in Helltides, and the Purveyor of Curiosities, providing more ways to obtain these powerful it?ems.

Weapon types are now available to additional classes, expanding playstyle options. Sorcerers, for example, can now use 1-handed swords. The? season also introduces new and adjusted Tempering Manuals and Affixes, f??urther improving fine-tuning gear enhancement mechanics introduced in Season 4.

Quality of Life and Accessibility Additions

Diablo 4's Season 5 introduces several Quality of Life improvements and accessibility features aimed at enhancing your overall experience. Among the notable changes are improved Treasure Goblin loot drops, making these elusive creatures even more rewarding to hunt (finally). Whisper bounties have been adjusted to require less time, allowing you to complete them more efficiently. Additionally, the drop rates for Mythic Uniques from non-Boss enemies have been increased, and these ?powerful items can now be obtained from a broader range of sources. However, the drop rate for the Baneful Heart crafting material has been reduced, and Tort??ured Gifts will no longer contain Murmuring Obols. This is a minor loss, but the rewards are still much greater.

Season 5 also brings significant enhancements to ensure the game is more inclusive. New features include Auto-Pin and Audio Navigation Assistance, designed to help you navigate the game world more easily. Additionally, a Compass has been added to improve directional guidance.

New Seasonal Cosmetics

While nothing much has changed with the Seaso??n Journey system, you can still enjoy earning brand new rewards from following its progression. New Cosmetic appearances are also available to? earn just by playing through the Season.

The post All new features in Diablo 4 Season 5 appeared first on Destructoid.

Infernal Hordes is the major new feature added in Diablo 4 Season 5, and while it's mostly front and center, it may not be clear how to unlock it. As a new endgame mode, you'll want to participate in Infernal Hordes for the greatest seasonal return, so here's?? how you can access it.

How to Access Infernal Hordes in Diablo 4 Season 5

To unlock and gain access to the Infernal Hordes endgame activity, you must first reach Level 50 and enter World Tier 3 for the first time. Doing so will give you access to the 'The Eyes of the Enemy' questline, which will allow you to participate in Infernal Hordes upon completion. The Eyes of the Enemy begins within Hawezar, technically the final main region of base Diablo 4. If you're not sure where to find it, look south of Fractured Peaks on your map. From there, head to Zarbinzet and inves??tigate the disturbance occurring in the main plaza area.

How to begin an Infernal Horde in Diablo 4 Season 5

Once you have the Infernal Horde feature unlocked following the quest completion of To the Edge of the Abyss, you should have gained access to an Infernal Compass. An Infernal Compass is required to begin an Infernal Horde, and they function similarly to Night?mare Sigils. To start an Infernal Horde, simply consume an Infernal Compass in your inventory.

Infernal Compasses are a finite resource, so you'll need to gather more if you want to do more Infernal Horde runs. Thankfully, they are super easy to obtain as a large majority of your standard endgame activities often reward you with these hellish compasses. Infernal Compasses are tiered, again similarly to Nightmare Sigils, and require Abyssal Scrolls to upgrade them.

I've personally found them most commonly through opening Helltide Chests amid an active Helltide. Helltides are such a simple activity that only requires you to farm within the small area it's active, so I've found this to be the easiest way to get them in bulk. You can also obtain Infernal Compasses via the Tree of Whispers or just crafting them at the Occultist?? in a very identical way you would Nightmare Sigils. Regardless of which method you use, you'll find Infernal Compasses very easy to obtain.

How do Infernal Hordes work in Diablo 4 Season 5?

The Infernal Hordes activity itself is similar to Helltides in that you'll be facing large numbers of Hell's denizens constantly. However, unlike Helltides, it is structured around wave-based combat, where you must fend off multiple waves of demons, each wave lasting roughly 60 seconds. To add to the challenge, you can activate Infernal Offers, modifiers that increase both the difficulty and the potential rewards. After successfully surviving all the waves, you must defe?at a boss (or bosses) for the final rewards of the activity.

Infernal Horde Rewards

Participating in Infernal Hordes offers several rewards, most notably Burning Aether. This resource can be used to open Spoils of Hell, which contain a variety of valuable items, including potential Legendary/Unique items and Masterwork crafting materials.

The activity is one of the most lucrative and rewarding events you can do in Diablo 4, and is certainly worth your time if you're looking for a new way to farm high-end loot. The best part about Infernal Hordes is that they are not locked to Seasonal Realms. That's right. Eternal Realm players can also participate in Infernal Hordes as of the Season 5 update. Thanks to this, it's reasonable to expect this mode to be actively updated as Diablo 4 gets new content.

The post How to unlock Infernal Hordes in Diablo ??4 Season 5 appeared first on Destructoid.

While the term "overpowered" can be subjective, some of the Ashes of War introduced in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree are undeniably powerful and can be game changers, especially for those finding the content challenging. If you're struggling with Shadow of the Erdtree or are just curious to know, here are the most?? formidable ones in the bunch.

Best Ashes of War in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

The following Ashes of War are all popular choices for meta builds within Shadow of the Erdtree. While they are always subject to change (and some of them have been changed since the game's release), they remain extremely competent choices for various forms of combat in Elden Ring.

Carian Sovereignty

Carian Sovereignty is a true game-changer, with its ability to deliver a duo of powerful magical attacks that can deal significant damage to enemies. The spell’s wide area of effect and high damage output make it an excellent choice for both crowd control and dealing with tougher foes. Notably, the second hit of Carian Sovereignty stands out as one of the single largest sources of damage you can achieve in all of Elden Ring. This immense damage potential makes the spell invaluable in boss encounters, if you can get the cast off.

Flame Skewer

Flame Skewer is an evolved version of Giant Hunt, now?? dealing powerful Fire damage. It features a special interaction with Fire Knight weapons, amplifying its impact. Like Giant Hunt, Flame Skewer delivers massive Poise damage, often launching all but the most resilient foes into the air. Additionally, its impressive range for a melee attack and its vertical attack capability make it an excellent choice for targeting high-reaching weak points on enemies, such as dragon heads. The combination of its fire damage, Poise damage, and extended reach ensures Flame Skewer is a fo??rmidable asset in any battle.

Rolling Sparks

Rolling Sparks was heavily nerfed from its original state, but remains a strong choice without being oppressively powerful. It requires a Perfume Bottle to use, and its explosive range for a melee Ash of War makes it highly effective for dealing substantial damage at a considerable distance. Despite the nerf, its ability ?to impact enemies from afar continues to make it a valuable tool in combat.

Blindspot

Blindspot stands out for its unique ability to provide both offense and defense. By allowing players to avoid incoming damage while simultaneously dealing their own, it offers a strategic advantage that's hard to ignore. This Ash of War is exceptionally powerful in high-stakes battles where both evasion and damage output are crucial. Its dual functionality makes it a versatile choice for players who need to adapt quickly to changing combat scenarios. I personally used this one to utterly trounce the endboss of Shadow of the Erdtree.

Swift Slash

Despite its recent nerf, Swift Slash remains a formidable Ash of War, particularly in PvE. Its rapid and powerful strike allow players to deal significant damage quickly, making it effective in various combat situations. Although its effectiveness in PvP has been somewhat reduced, it’s still a strong option for players who excel i??n fast-paced, aggressive combat. Swift Slash’s speed and damage output ensure that it conti??nues to be a valuable asset in the right hands.

Savage Lion's Claw

Savage Lion's Claw excels with heavy weapons due to its quick speed and immense power. This Ash of War combines the brute f?orce of heavy weapons with a series of fast, aggressive, overhead attacks, making it exceptionally strong. The speed of its strikes allows players to overwhelm enemies before they have a chance to react, making it ideal for those who want to capitalize on their heavy weapon's strengths and keep the pressure on their opponents. Like the standard version of Lion's Claw, it does big Poise damage to those who are hit by it.

Palm Blast

Palm Blast is notorious for its incredible damage output and the infinite Poise it provides while charging. This?? Ash of War allows players to deliver a devastating attack without fear of being interrupted, making it a?? powerful choice for those who want to deal extreme damage while maintaining their stance. Its ability to absorb damage while charging makes it a strong contender for players looking to dominate in combat in PvP and break through general enemy defenses with ease.

The post These are th??e most overpowered Ashes of War in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree appeared first on Destructoid.

Gaming’s indie horror scene has hit it off strong in 2024 with the likes of Crow Country and Withering Rooms making a great impression among critics and players alike. But ??the second half of the year is stacked with even more excellent looking horror games on the horizon from smaller ??publishers and independent development teams.

The following games have been lurking in the shadows for long enoug??h. Here's a spotlight on what's to come for indie horror fans during the res??t of 2024.

CONSCRIPT

Unlike any of the other games listed here today, CONSCRIPT does not feature supernatural ent??ities or undead ghouls. Instead, it focuses on the atrocities ?of war, and the toll it takes on the soldiers ordered to conduct it. The game is played from the perspective of a French soldier during World War I attempting to survive in the trenches over the course of the years-long conflict.

Inspired by the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, CONSCRIPT adapts the combat and puzzle mechanics from classic survival-horror games in its portrayal of the historical horrors. After seven years in the making, CONSCRIPT is finally available now as of?? July 23, 2024, as well as a demo currently available on Steam.

Zoochosis

Anybody yet unfamiliar with Zoochosis would have thus been unable to draw obvious comparisons, so now is as good a time as any to head that off at the pass: if John Carpenter’s The Thing was set in a zoo, you would have Zoochosis.

With that established, this first-person simulation game casts pla??yers as a night-shift zookeeper while an infectious disease spreads among the animal residents, causing them to undergo a macabre metamorph?osis into hostile, disfigured abominations. Job responsibilities involve socializing with the animals, feeding them, cleaning up their spaces, and monitoring them to ensure they don’t grow an excess of limbs and scale the walls of their enclosure. Standard procedure.

In order to prevent further loss of life - be it the animals or their own - the protagonist must develop vaccines to spare the animals from transforming. The player’s decisions will affect whether or not they can be saved in time, as well as which ending they receiv??e.

Prepare to capture all the grisly body horror through the body camera lens when Zoochosis is freed from its cage on September 23, 2024.

Post Trauma

With its unsettling designs and focus on psychological horror, Post Trauma is shaping up to be a very promising de?but title from Red Soul Games.

Our protagonist, Roman, is a heavy-set train conductor in his late 50s, who finds himself trapped in a warped subway system inhabited by disturbed creatures and infested with malignant tendrils, l??ining the dismal tunnels the deeper he explores.

The cryptic puzzles and fixed-camera angles are inspired by classic horror franchises, with the setting in particular evoking the opening hours of Silent Hill 4: The Room. Post Trauma is on schedule for a fall 2024 arrival, but for those eager to get on board, a demo for the game is available on itch.io.

Clock Tower: Rewind

The Clock Tower series has a storied history as one of the original gaming horror franchises that ended up fading into obscurity. The premier game in the series, Clock Tower, was released for the Super Famicom in 1995 by Human Entertainment, but now WayForward is debuting it outside of Japan for the first time with Clock Tower: Rewind, an enhanced port for modern platforms.

This point-and-click adventure horror title puts players in the role of a young girl named Jennifer, who is among a group of orphans that have ??recently been adopted and sent away to an old Norwegian mansion. However, shortly after their arrival, the children find themselves pursued by a half-pint killer wielding a set of scissors twice his stature. With the aptly named Scissorman stalking the manor halls, J??ennifer must locate the rest of her adoptive siblings while evading the murderous prowler.

Get your oversized scissors ready, the ribbon cutting for the game’s release is set for October 31 in Japan, with other regions listing a October 11 - November 11 shipping window.

Bye Sweet Carole

Developer: Little Sewing Machine - Meangrip Studios
Publisher: Maximum Entertainment
Platforms: PS5, PS4, XSX|S, XBO, Switch, PC (Steam)
Release: 2024

On the subject of Clock Tower, this twisted take on a classic Disney animation blends the run-and-hide gameplay and side-scrolling perspective of the former with the aesthetic of Snow White or Alice in Wonderland. From the creator of the Remothered series, Bye Sweet Carole’s authentic hand-drawn presentation appears pleasant and inviting, starkly juxtaposing its dark themes and viole?nt i??magery.

When a young girl named Carole goes missing from an orphanage, her fellow resident and friend Lana goes searching for her, and in the process finds another world unlike her own full of stra?nge creatures and homicidal hares that will hunt Lan??a throughout the game.

Be pre?pared to get lost going down this rabbit hole when the game releases later in 2024.

Hollowbody

At first glance, Hollowbody presents itself as a sci-fi noir story, starring an illegal smuggl??er named Mica in search of their partner Sasha, who went missing on a dangerous job in a restricted area alone. Mica attempts to follow after her, but upon entering the restricted airspace, her flying vehicle malfunct??ions and crash lands amid a dilapidated suburb hidden beneath the clouds. With the futuristic-cyberscape veneer stripped away, Mica is left stranded in a morose town full of plague-ridden monsters.

Emulating the aesthetic of a PS2-era horror title, Hollowbody features a mix of dynamic- and fixed-camera angles along with traditional survival-horror combat and puzzle solvin??g.

Hollowbody will only be roughly three hours long, aiming to be a short-st?ory, but players that are on the fence can try out a newly updated demo on Steam before the game releases later this year.

Sorry We’re Closed

A vibrant standout from the pack, Sorry We’re Closed is no less rife with macabre creatures, rustic environme??nts and unholy imagery.

A curse has been placed on our protagonist, Michelle, that threatens to cut her life short in a manner of days; however, the demon that inflicted the curse barters an opportunity to lift it if Michelle ventures into the dangers of the demon world to fulfill their bidding. Sorry We're Closed is played from a fixed-camera perspective and, with the use of a Third Eye granted to her, Michelle can peer into the parallel reality of the demon world. This vision?? can also expose weak points on enemies, allowing her to dispose of enemies in first-person combat.

With numerous diverse characters to engage with and influence, player’s choices will lead to multiple outcomes in determini??ng the fate of Michelle’s story.

A demo?? is available on Steam now, with the full release expected for so?me time in 2024.

Echoes of the Living

Perfectly encapsulating the visuals and atmosphere of the Resident Evil (2002) remake, Echoes of the Living is a love letter to the classic franchise, with two playable ch??aracter??s, zombie filled streets, fixed camera angles, and elaborate puzzles.

The plot is a direct homage to Resident Evil 2, right down to the dual protagonists of a young lady looking for her brother father and a new gu?y in town looking for a fresh start right before a ?zombie outbreak sweeps through a small town, all set in the late '90s.

While it may not be an original idea, it is certainly a welcome one if it can pull off the same level of tension and design as its inspirations. A playable demo was previously available during the October 2023 Stea??m Next Fest, so hopefully the game will receive another demo prior to launch, which is listed for re?lease in 2024.

Tormented Souls 2

Keeping in theme with Resident-Evil-like games, the original Tormented Souls from 2021 garnered attention for its traditional approach to survival horror, including restrictive fix?ed-camera exploration and combat paired with perplexing puzzles, all set in a detailed and claustrophobic hospital.

Tormented Souls 2 retains these core elements as it furthers the story of protagonist Caroline Walker, who now must seek out a cure for a supernatural illness that plagues her younger sister, Anna. Her search brings her to the South American town of Puerto Miller that harbors a deranged cult with a dark and storied history.
Although details are still scarce, this up-and-coming horror franchise is set to arrive later this year.

Fear the Spotlight

As part of the Blumhouse Games publishing initiative for smaller horror projects, Fear the Spotlight leads the pack ??with an impressive start. ??This polygonal adventure garbs itself with a retro aesthetic, but features a modern third-person perspective with a fully voice-acted narrative.

The story follows a young girl named Vivian, who has been convinced by her friend Amy to break into their school after dark in order to perform a hokey sé??ance for fun; that is, until actual spirits are summoned forth, and Amy’s demeanor changes ?from thrill-seeking teen to an indoctrinated acolyte of dark forces. Now pursued by a spotlight-head monster, Vivian must hide from its gaze to survive, all the while solving puzzles, uncovering mysteries, and trying to find Amy to escape the school with their lives.

Although Fear the Spotlight was originally release??d in 2023, the developers removed this version in order to undergo a major overhaul of features and content before re-releasing in 2024.

The post 10 promising ??indie-sized horror games slated for the second half of 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Your main weapon is usually the one that does the talking in Warframe, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a strong secondary on hand just in case things break down further. Rarely are there second chances, but the moment one rears its head, you want to have the top-of-the-line secondary ready to speak up, j??ust in case.

Strongest Secondary Weapons in Warframe

Sometimes speaking from the hip is the best way to get your point across, and in Warframe, the best secondaries excel in all forms of content, including the harrowing Steel Path. These guns all pack a serious punch and ensure that no o??ne else will be getting a word in, should you have to pull one of them out.

Grimoire

The Grimoire is like a mystical Swiss Army knife, packed with dark energies thanks to its ability to use unique Tome mods to buff allies. As a weapon, it deals pure Electricity damage, which is one of the best elements to combine with for the sake of versatility. Its alt-fire shoots a sl?ow-traveling voltaic orb that de?livers powerful shocks to all foes that dare go near it. Think of it as your own personnel storm in a book, zapping enemies into submission while giving buffs to your allies all at the same time.

Laetum

The Laetum is an absolute beast of a pistol, known for its insane fire rate and Crit potential. This Incarnon weapon starts strong, but it gets even wilder—nail enough headshots in its base form, and it morphs into a fully automatic rifle with a fast rate of fire. Its pinpoint accuracy and enemy-shredding capabilities make it a beloved favorite among pla??yers. Because the Laetum is an Incarnon weapon, you can slap on unique perks that turbocharge its already ridiculous performance. The Laetum’s reliable, adaptable performance ensures it’s always the life of the party in any Tenno’s arsenal, ready to wreak havoc at a mome??nt’s notice.

Hystrix Prime

The Hystrix Prime is a total powerhouse in terms of damage, and it's easy to see why! Its secret weapon? The ability to swap betwe??en four ammo types: Heat, Electricity, Toxin, and Cold. With this feature, you can tailor its firepower to any situation using mods while also guaranteeing status pr??ocs for the element you choose. This insane versatility means you’re always ready for whatever the battlefield throws at you. Whether you need to melt through armor or freeze foes in their tracks, the Hystrix Prime has got you covered.

Kuva Nukor

The Kuva Nukor is a radiant powerhouse, and here’s why: it’s like carrying a mini sun on your belt. It excels at spreading chaos by dealing radiation damage, which makes enemies turn on each other in confusion. Each shot from the Kuva Nukor can chain this disorienting effect to multiple targets, creating a dazzling display of chaos and destruction. Due to its Kuva label, the Kuva Nukor always comes with an additional elemental bonus attached. With the right mods, you can make this weapon a true beacon of mayhem, causing enemies to fry themselves in a radiant frenzy. It’s like having a weaponized light show that turns foes into a sea of f?ireworks.

Pyrana Prime

The Pyrana Prime is a powerhouse that packs a serious punch all thanks to its fierce combination of features. This weapon shines with its rapid-fire rate and high Crit chance as a hand-held shotgun, allowing it to deliver a storm of pellets downrange in no time. Its real stren?gth lies in its ability to unleash a torrential spray of projectiles, making it perfect for close-quarters combat and overwhelming enemies with sheer volume. It's the perfect response to foes who want to get up close and personal.

Lex Prime

The Lex Prime is a formidable weapon thanks to its sheer power and precision. While is undoubtedly the most basic of the secondaries on this list, this pistol packs a punch with its high base damage and excellent Crit hit chance, making each shot a potential game-changer. It’s known for its impressive single-shot damage output, which allows it to deal with high-priority targets efficiently. In Warframe, raw power enough to deal with most thre??ats, and Lex Prime combines it with pinpoint accuracy and high Crit potential, making it a top choice for taking down even the toughest enemies with precision and force.

Kuva Brakk

As a shotgun, the Kuva Brakk is exceptionally strong due to its high base damage, significant Crit Hit Chance, Status Chance, and projectile spread, allowing it to hit multiple enemies all at once. Its effectiveness is further amplified by the influence of its Kuva label, providing an?? additional elemental damage bonus on top of its raw base damage. It serves as an excellent choice as a Secondary solely because of its raw power, which works as a strong alternative to the Pyrana Prime for those looking for a more traditional shotgun experience.

The post Best Secondary Weapons in Warframe appeared first on Destructoid.

In Elden Ring, there is already a large selection of Sorcery spells to choose from, but its famed expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree introduced a whole new spell school to hunt for. Finger Sorcery is an oddly unique school of magic, but you won't be getting your hands on any of its ?spells unless you unlock them first.

How to get all Finger Sorcery spells in Shadow of the Erdtree

There are four different Finger Sorcery spells you can earn in Shadow of the Erdtree, and all four require you to participate in Count Ymir's Questline, started from within the Catherdral of Manus Metyr.

For your refe??rence, here are all four spells and what they do for you on??ce cast.

• Glintstone Nail - Fires a Glintstone shard that moves only in straight lines as it homes in on its target.
• Glintstone Nails - Fires four Glintstone shards that move only in straight lines as they home on their target.
• Fleeting Microcosm - Creates an orb that pulses with a power wave before exploding, dealing high damage in a large area around it.
• Cherishing Fingers - Summons numerous Fingers around the caster, dealing damage to all that come in contact with them.

These spells are all earned at different points during Count Ymir's Questline, so I'll walk you through the process of unlocking each and every ??one. Without further ado?, let's get started.

How to get Glintstone Nail and Glintstone Nails

Glintstone Nail and Glintstone Nails are both earned as the reward for completing part one of Count Ymir's questline. Before going into detail, head to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr and speak with Count Ymir, sitting upon his throne. Exhaust all of his dialogue and he will give a map to an unspecified ruin. So you don't need to torture your eyes squinting at the map, the Finger Ruins of Rhia is the location you need to reach. You can find it directly East of the Gravesite Plain grace.

You'll need to travel through the Cerulean Coast to reach the ruins. You'll know you're in the right place if you see a large number of Finger-like structures se?emingly sti??cking out of the ground.

Once you're reached the ruins, travel North from the entry point until you see a Finger-like bell surrounded by other Finger structures.

Walk up to this bell and interact with it. This should cause you to ring it, which means you've completed your objective. Return to Count Ymir and exhaust his dialogue again. He will give you a second map for part two of his questline. After this happens, you'll be able to buy Glintstone Nail and Glintstone Nails from Count Ymir at you're leisure.

How to get Fleeting Microcosm

Fleeting Microcosm is the reward for completion of part two of Count Ymir's questline. Like with the first, you're given a map to find another unspecified Finger ruin. This time, your target is the Finger Ruins of Dheo, located East of the Shadow Keep.

This one is a bit trickier to reach, however, as it requires you to first open the door leading to the ruin. Explore the Shadow Keep until you find the Shadow Keep, Back Gate grace. ?As the name implies, it's located in the back of Shadow Ke?ep.

Once you've reached the Back Gate grace, turn right and walk into the room with a Summoning Pool statue at its entrance. You'll see a statue of Marika in the room that appears to have a dead end. However, the statue is the door that you need to open to reach ruin. To open it, use the O Mother gesture i?n front of it. Doing so will see the door slid open after the an??imation has concluded.

From here, go through the door and follow the path all the way to the end, where you'll find the Finger Ruins of Dheo. The path is wide but ?linear, so you won't be able to miss it. You're looking for an identical Finger Bell which you'll find at the center of ruin, much like the previous one.

Interact with it and then return to Count Ymir. Exhaust his dialogue once more, and he'll give you a third map for t?he final part of his questline. After hearing him out, speak with him again to purchase Fleeting Microcosm.

How to get Cherishing Fingers

Cherishing Fingers is the reward for the third and final part of Count Ymir's questline. However, unlike all of the previous spells, you won't be purchasing it from him. Getting this spell is the hardest part of the questline because you must defeat two bosses and two invaders ?before it's within your reach. Don't worry. I'll walk you through it.

Firstly, with the third map in hand, go and rest at any grace, preferably the one just outside Count Ymir's audience chamber. After resting, go back to Count Ymir's location. You'll immediately notice that Count Ymir is no longer present on his throne. However, with him gone, you can now interact with it, which you should do. Doing so will open up a secret passage underneath it, leading to the Finger Ruins of Miyr, your final target.

Take the ladder down, and you'll be able to see the last Finger Bell you need in the distance. When you walk toward it, you'll be invaded by Swordhand Anna. Defeat her then walk up to the bell but don't interact with it until you're ready. You'll be facing the grotesque Metyr, Mother of Fingers boss once you do. This boss is quite hard, but you are required to kill it to earn thi?s spell, s??o steel yourself.

Once you've slain the beast, return once more to Count Ymir's chambers. Upon stepping into his chamber, you'll be invaded by another one of Count Ymir's Swordhands, Jolan. The moment you defeat Jolan, Count Ymir himself will appear before you as a boss. He is a long-ranged spell caster and uses Finger Magic almost entirely to assault you. He will also cast Cherishing Fingers against you when you're close to him. Once Count Ymir is dead, you will have completed the entire quest line. All that's left to do is claim your reward.

To earn Cherishing Fingers, go to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr grace and head into Count Ymir's chamber. About halfway to his throne room, turn right and head into the graveyard area of the cathedral.

In the graveyard, there is one ??item that can be looted. Walk up ?to it and pick it up, and you'll receive the last Finger Sorcery spell, Cherishing Fingers.

The post How to unlock Finger Sorcery in Shadow of? th?e Erdtree appeared first on Destructoid.

While levels and gear were the most important aspects of power progression in base Elden Ring, Shadow Realm Blessings take center stage in its exclaimed expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. While this may be hard to believe, there? are numerous reasons why you should be a??ware of this mechanic.

Should you use the Shadow Realm Blessing system in Shadow of the Erdtree?

Shadow Realm Blessings provide your character with a significant amount of power and defense to help you kill your foes and survive them efficiently. Without using them, you'll find yourself struggling massively against the denizens of the Sh??????????????????????????adow Realm. Even basic footsoldier??s will prove to be incredible challenges for you. So yes, you should be making full use of the Shadow Realm Blessings. If you do not use these blessings and build them up, you're in for a hard time and a world of frustration. For your reference, there are two types of blessings you should know about.

• Scadutree Blessing - Provides your character directly with free offensive and defense stats. This blessing stacks in power and must be upgraded using Scadutree Fragments found throughout the Shadow Realm.
• Revered Spirit Ash Blessing - Boosts the offensive and defensive stats of your Spirit Ash summons, allowing them to remain relevant in the Shadow Realm. Like the Scadutree Blessing, you need a special resource called Revered Spirit Ashes to upgrade it, allowing it to stack in power.

When you find the necessary resources to upgrade a Shadow Realm Blessing, the process can be done by sitting at any Grace and selecting the Shadow Realm Blessing option.

Doing so will allow you to choose which of the two blessings you wish to upgrade. As you level both blessings up, eventually, the cost for each will increase. Note that the upgrade materials for both Blessings are scarcely found, and you'll need to search the Shadow Realm high and low to locate them. This is a process you'll be constantly doing throughout your playthrough of Shadow of the Erdtree.

As for where to find more, Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes are found throughout the Realm of Shadows. Some are hidden away in catacombs or waiting after a tough boss room, while others are just tucked away in the open world. If you ever see a ghostly shade holding a pot, make s??ure to take them out and loot the body, as some appear to be held by those enemies.

One last thing you should know about these Blessings is that they only take effect while you're within the Shadow Realm. The benefits they reward you with is staggeringly high, so if you could use them elsewhere, you would effectively be trivializing base Elden Ring, in its entirety.

The post Why you should n?ot ignore the new Blessing syste??m in Shadow of the Erdtree appeared first on Destructoid.

Sony has announced that the c?oming weekend will offer PlayStation players free access to online?? multiplayer modes in games that they own. The PlayStation Plus free weekend access is set for June 22-23.

While PS Plus�online multiplayer feature will be free for all players this weekend, it is important to understand that the free access is solely for online multiplayer gaming, and no other PS Plus benefits will be free this weekend, such as access to Game Catalogue. This also means that you must own the video games you want to try out the online mu??ltiplayer modes for.

Subscription to a PlayStation Plus tier is generally required across many games on the PlayStation in order to play online multiplayer modes. Owning a video game on the console is not enough for some titles to gain access to multiplayer modes, with titles such as Helldivers 2, EA Sports FC 24, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, GTA Online, and many more requiring a PS Plus subscription.

However, there are also games available on PlayStation that do not require any PS Plus subscription to gain access to the online multiplayer modes. Games such as Fortnite, Call of Duty Warzone, and Rocket League give players access to multiplayer ??modes without requiring an active PS Plus subs??cription.

PlayStation X/Twitter account’s official announcement carries the promo picture for this upcoming free multiplayer weekend, where for some reason, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is featured alongside NBA 2K24, and EA Sports FC 24. Modern Warfare 2 came out back in 2022, and its successor Modern Warfare 3 came out last year in November 2023. Regardless, the free multiplayer weekend can be utilized to try out multiplayer modes for games you own. What are you plan??ning to play this weekend?

The post PSA: P??layStation Plus has a free multiplayer weekend on June 22-23 appeared first on Destructoid.

Okay, so you've been playing Fallout 4 since launch and you've wandered the wastes, ?scoured the ruins of Boston, and swam in the glowing sea. You've had a lot of adventures. Now you're thinking about settling down and checking out all that settlement crap you haven't touched since Preston begged you to show him and his?? buddies how to plant carrots.

That's fantastic because I've been wasting my time playing around with the settlement stuff since the day the game came out and I have a ??full country harvest of tips and tricks that will save you time and get the most out of your settlements.

Best perks for building settlements in Fallout 4 

Before you lay down the foundations of you?r personal empire, you need to get yourself right first. If you want to be serious about your settlements, you'll need a few perks to make it work, including a hefty investment in charisma. This could be tricky if you've already been playing for 50 hours with an anti-social radioactive super soldier and just now want to sta?rt rebuilding the Commonwealth, but not un-doable (remember, you can get a charisma-boosting bobblehead at the Parsons State Insane Asylum and invest perk points into S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats if you really need to get that number up, among other less savory methods that I'll discuss later). You can also just roll up a new character specifically made to dive into the building and crafting aspect of the game.

You'll need six Charisma to get two levels of the Local Leader perk and at least level two of the Cap Collector perk. These will let you make supply lines (ESSENTIAL) and awesome stores in your settlements. You'll probably also ?want to go deep on Intelligence -- the Gun Nut and Science! perks are practically nec??essary if you want to build the best versions of generators and defense turrets and Scrapper is a little too good to ignore (it will let you turn all those junky laser pistols and pipe rifles you normally throw in the dumpster into useful copper, gears, and circuitry).

I know, it sucks that the way crafting in Fallout 4 works basically pigeonholes you into a certain build. There is still plenty of room for creativity even after those stat demands though and the joy of raising a civilization out of the ashes o??f history does take the sti?ng out a bit.

Fallout 4 settlement building basics

If you want your settlement to grow, you'll need a few things: water, food, beds, and a radio beacon. Each settler you bring in needs one unit of food and wate??r per day and they get whiny if they don't have a nice downy pillow to rest their head on at night, so you'll want to get those things sorted first.

Plant a few crops (easily done by raiding other farms for their crops and it quickly becomes self-perpetuating when you can?? just harvest your own fields for planting supplies), install two or three water pumps, and flop down a few beds. No need to go ??crazy, it takes a settlement time to grow and you can always add more as needed (and later crafting options can make old ones obsolete so no need to waste scrap on something you won't need).

A radio beacon draws a steady flow of new settlers to your homestead. You'll need a power source to run it so build a generator (which will come in handy for other things, anyway). Remember, you can turn a radio beacon off when you think you have enough settlers in one ??place. In some of the smaller areas like the Red Rocket station near the beginning of the game, you may want?? to put a cap on the number of people you take in.

You'll probably want to defend your patch once you have it all set up. Turrets are the go-to option for this (and why you need Science! and Gun Nut so badly so you have access to the upgraded versions). Each turret, trap, or manned guard tower adds a few points to the defense rating of a settlement. Try to keep that numbe?r the same or slightly higher t??han the sum of both the food and water points to discourage attacks.

When an attack does occur, you will be notified on your Pip-Boy and can help your settlers defend their home. Raids on your property can be unpredictable. In my time responding to would-be home invaders, I've seen everything from realistic flanking a?ttacks from Super Mutants pouring over the hills, to packs of feral Ghouls somehow spawning deep inside the walls of a fortified base. Your best bet is to spread out your defenses to cover likely avenues of attack while also covering populated areas where yo?ur settlers are likely to take a stand.

How to build a settlement in Fallout 4

You could just work with what each settle??ment already has, but what is the fun in that? Leave your personal mark on the wasteland with a proud series of ramshackle apartments, abodes, and disturbingly militaristic forts.

The tools for building things in Fallout 4 are honestly pretty terrible. Objects float about in weird ways, mechanics are never explained unl??ess you go digging through the help topics in the menu (and even then it's hit or miss), and the way walls and attachments snap (or fail to snap) together will? give you no end of grief.

But don't let that stop you! With a little patience and a few pointers, you can make some reasonably cool-looking digs for your wastelanders. If someone could make this monstrosity of?? ??wires and pressure pads work, you can probably get a few fences to stand up straight.

First thing first, lay down a foundation and a floor. Un??even terrain tends to m?ess with the building tools so you'll want to keep things as level as possible to make things easier on yourself.

Try to build up! Many of the settlement areas have limited usable ground space. Small area??s strewn with debris and hills do not make for nice buildings, but you can avoid that problem by building vertically. Don't be afraid to slap down ladders and staircases and build on top of what is already there. Not only is it space efficient, but a rad tower fort on top of the local Red Rocket station looks much cooler than a bunch of square boxes crammed together on the parking lot.

Set up supply lines from a ?central hub to make life easier. Trying to cart around tin cans and microscopes between settlements and keeping track of which place has w??hat is a sucker's game. With the Local Leader perk you can assign a settler to run supplies between locations and everyone can share from the same pool of salvage (but not hard items like guns or armor).

Make a supply chain by assigning one runner from settlement A to take goods to settlement B, and one from B to take goods to C, and so on. That way you can just toss all your junk in any workbench in the line and use all of it anywhere. Provisioners seem to be immortal like Comp??anions, so don't worry about them dying on the road the first time they ru?n afoul of some Mole Rats.

Fences can really help with invasions by funneling attackers into kill zones as well as giving your settlement a homey, lived-in look (murder and comfort together at last!). Sadly, when you start putting rings around all your settlements they also become material hogs, gobbling up steel and wood like nobody's business. I recommend you pick up an issue of Picket Fences from Beantown Brewery so you can make, well, picket fences. They don't consume steel when?? crafting them and they look more charming than rusty chain links (granted, they look slightly less so when splattered with Super Mutant blood).

How to power your settlement in Fallout 4

How you provide power to your settlements is poorly explained in-game but essential for making a great homestead, so be prepared to mess with it. Basically, you have two kinds of powered devices at your disposal. Active devices like laser turrets and water purifiers require units of power to run (meaning your generator has to be able to match their power draw to keep everything working), and passive devices like lights and traps can run off the ambient ?grid. Active devices need a line running directly into them, while passive devices need either a nearby connected pylon or wall socket to work.

Power pylons can be used to run lines from a generator to far-away devices or a conduit. The maximum length of a wire is fixed but can be cut short by obstacles, hanging on the ground, and so on. I recommend you build your generators in elevated positions to get the most out of your copper. Pylons give off a radius of electrical power that can be used to run lights, traps, and other things. Plugging a conduit into the wall of a building supposedly provides power to the entire shack, but my experience with them has been mixe??d. Mostly, they seem to work just like pylons (but are slightly cheaper to make and more compact to string up between nearby buildings).

Making complex grids for my settlements has been hands down the single most frustrating and rewarding part of building things in Fallout 4. It's a very fussy system (I can't tell you how many times I broke everything trying to slightly adjust one little wall tile or light bulb) but once you get used to it, you c??an really make your settlements pop.

Adding shops to your Fallout 4 settlement

Shops are won?derful. While having to invest in two ranks of Local Leader and Cap Collector to make the biggest shops (which really is the only way to go) is a drag, what you get out of having a few shops spread among your networked settlements can be well worth it.

There are six kinds of shops you can make for your settlements with four tiers of value. Each type of shop will boost your settlement's happiness and pull in cap??s, but a few stand out as handier to have in your personal base of operations than others. Weapon shops can be a reliable source of ammo without having to make a trip to Diamond City, trade goods shops can help cut down on the time it takes to scavenge for parts, clinics can help you cheaply cure addiction and radiation poisoni??ng at your convenience, and bars are great for ingredients for cheap healing items. Armor and clothing shops are fun too and you'll probably want one of each in your network at some point just for variety, but they're not as overtly useful.

You can build the first two tiers of shop with just the second level of the L??ocal Leader perk. They're fine and will do the trick if you want to be a skinflint about it. But if you invest all the way to the third tier of the shop by getting two levels of Cap Collector, your market stalls will start to carry surprisingly great gear. What's better is once you have tier-three stores, you'll occasionally run into special vendors in the wasteland that you can invite to work at your locations that will turn them into unique fourth-tier stores that carry special gear.

Shops will generate an income you can draw from on their own -- just check your workbench from time to time and you'll notice you have a handful of caps you can pull out. But don't get the wrong idea: shops accrue money slowly, so you won't be diving into a vault of caps like Scrooge McDuck anytime soon. The value of having a nice network of shops is the convenience of being able to talk to a merchant on demand rather tha?n wander around looking for a traveling trader or making a special trip. It lets you make more money off of explorations (you can trade found gear for caps more easily) and enables you to restock and refuel faster to get you ??back out in the wasteland.

Advanced Fallout 4 settlement tips

There are plenty of mechanics involved in the settlement system that the game doesn't go out of its way?? to t?ell you. I'll try and shed some light on them here.

• Did you know the maximum population of your settlements is tied to your Charisma stat? Ten people by default plus one extra point of Charisma. For most people, this either means an 11 settler max, or up to 22 if you went whole-hog on Charisma. Vault 88 from the Vault-Tec Workshop DLC boasts an inherent +10 maximum settler limit, making its settler cap 32. I'm told wearing Charisma-boosting gear can let you break that cap but I haven't noticed it in my game.
• Spread out your beds. For the longest time, my settlers in Sanctuary were complaining about “the bed situationâ€?despite having plenty of cots to rest on. At first, I assumed it was a bug (this is a Fallout game), but I stumbled on some other people online having the same problem. Apparently, putting too many beds in one area makes your tired and poor wastelanders cranky (maybe they'd like it back in the wilds with the Deathclaws where I found them). I haven't found exact numbers, and testing for it is difficult, but it seems like four beds in one room or hut is the sweet spot.
• Water purifiers are a godsend and you should put them in any settlement that isn't landlocked. A single industrial water purifier will produce 40 units of water, far more than you'll ever need for a settlement on its own. Plus, extra water goes into your workbench as an aid item. You can pull out a bunch for cheap healing, or sell them all to a trader who wanders into your settlement for a stack of caps.
• Equip gear on your settlers for protection and convenience. Instead of scrapping or selling every spare gun you pick up, try placing it in a settler's inventory and have them equip it (use the triangle or Y button on the console controllers) and a single piece of ammunition for it (it will last them forever, thanks to Lex for the tip!). I know this might be really obvious, but I keep hearing from people who missed it! Not only will they be able to help next time a Super Mutant wanders into the neighborhood, but you can coordinate their outfits to help you keep track of what jobs people are doing. Or just give them a creepy uniform look if you want to make your own apocalypse cult.

• Each settler assigned to work on crops can sustain enough plants to generate six points of food. This means you only really need three or four full-time farmers, which frees up the rest of your population for things like guard duty at watch towers, scavenging for supplies, or manning the tills at your shops.
• Speaking of guard posts, while they initially seem like a terrible deal (only a measly two defense for a manned post), if you set up multiple posts and assign a person to one of them, he or she will walk between up to three of them like a patrol and provide the defense benefit of each. So one person on guard duty watching three posts can actually provide a decent six defense; better than a level-one turret.
• Folks assigned to scavenging benches generate a small amount of junk for the workbench on their own. What they gather is fairly inconsequential, but something is better than nothing if you don't have them assigned to anything else. Interestingly enough, they tend to walk around with their weapons drawn, seemingly looking for a fight. Not sure why they do that, but I like to put the best of my spare weapons on them so they can be ready to draw down on any intruders.
• Build a bell! In the miscellaneous resources menu you can find a bell that will summon settlers to your location. This will save you loads of time when trying to assign jobs or equip folks since they can hide like ninjas when left to their own devices. I didn't find this until embarrassingly late in my game and it would have saved me a lot of time.
• In a nice little touch, settlers will congregate at a bar after hours if you build one. When the workday is over, everyone just wants a nice slice of grilled brahmin and a drink, I suppose. So maybe spend a little extra time laying out chairs and making your bar area look nice.

How to use Fallout 4 settlement cheats

I've really enjoyed building up my settlements, tinkering with the crafting tools, and spending entirely too much time equipping all of my little serfs with laser pistols and shotguns, but I'd be lying if I said it hasn't also been a chore. It just takes too long to collect all the knick-knacks and scrap you need to make things. I don't want to have to root around in some raider-infested warehouse looking for power coils and broken light bulbs for hours just to wire up some patio lights in my fifth fully-?loaded farmhouse.

Or maybe, like I mentioned earlier, you built your character to tame the wastes with hands made of concrete and a bulletproof hide. You didn't give any thought ?towards a useless dump stat like Charisma when you started the game. Now you're stuck looking at the unappealing idea of tossing multiple perk points into your stats just to start building decent settlements.

So might I recommend cheating?

If you're on PC, this is easy. Open up the console command line using the tilde (`) key and go to town. If you are like me and playing on the PS4 (or Xbox One for that matter), you'll have to resort to installing mods that do the dirty work for you.

There are numerous console commands in the game that can take the headache out of settlement building in Fallout 4. The most notable and easiest-to-remember consol??e command? is:

• tgm - Toggle God mode

God mode transforms settlement building ??into a pseudo-creative mode by providing an infinite amount of resources. It also removes perk requirements for most items besides the settlement vendors.

Cheating is going to be something players will have to come to or avoid on their own. Personally, I don't recommend cheating like this right off the bat as it can ruin the experienc??e. But if you're 30 or 40 hours? deep into the game and pulling your hair out because you built your character wrong at the start or just can't find enough oil to keep your turrets up and running, it's nice to have a safety net like this available.

The post The wastelander’s guide to building settlements in Fallout 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

There's no question that Sephiroth is an icon, striking fear into players even remotely familiar with the villain. Just the opening notes of his theme song, One Winged Angel, are enough to get the heart racing. But Sephiroth didn't make a name for himself with Final Fantasy alone. A particular Disney and Square Enix collaboration, Kingdom Hearts, introduced the villain to a new era of fans, and his appearances in that series are just as menacing, if not more so, than his Final Fantasy 7 presence.

If players missed out on Sephiroth's 1997 Final Fantasy 7 debut, it might be hard to discern why fans go gaga over the character. Heralding a planet-ending event and haunting protagonist Cloud Strife throughout FF7, Sephiroth presented himself as a fearsome villain from the get-go. However, for some of us, Sephiroth's anxiety-inducing encounter in Kingdom Hearts is what truly cemented him as a terror.

In 2002, found myself on the other end of Sin Harvest, and it was in this Disney amalgamation that the One-Winged Angel left an impression that still lingers. See, I wasn’t really old enough to get on the FF7 wave when it was hot, and it wouldn’t be until years later that I experienced the title. So, for me, Kingdom Hearts was the game that introduced Sephiroth. And man, what an?? introduction that was.

Sora's Platinum match

As players near the end of Kingdom Hearts, they can revisit the Olympus Collesuem to participate in new ??tournaments. One of these is the Platinum match, which sheds many of the boss fight conventions experienced up to that point. It pits Sora against Sephiroth in a fight most players will initially lose.

Until encountering the Platinum match, I barreled my way through enemies without much preparation. Sure, some grew a little te??dious, but after retreading a few zones to nab a few easy levels, I cleared obstacles in a flash, though nothing prepared me for a fight ??requiring speed and quick-thinking to match a demigod. 

After starting the Platinum match, Sephiroth telepo?rts into the arena and wordlessly readies his weapon as his theme song builds. The powerful vi?llain doesn't sprint or engage in a reckless assault. No. Much more hauntingly, Sephiroth slowly walks towards me as if to say, “Oh, are you here too?�as One Winged Angel blasts over the arena. This unabashed display of badassery sets the tone.

Thanks to his massive sword, Sephiroth could reach me from nearly anywhere, and his impossibly fast sword swipes met me whenever I faltered. If I tried to close the distance with a brute-force approach, he would completely ignite his surroundings in a fiery tempest. Alternatively, if I tried to ?play the backfield, Sephiroth co??uld teleport and leap around the arena to line up an attack. There was no safe footing. 

By some miracle, I was able to push the One-winged An?gel enough to start taking me seriously. Then the big attacks came out, summoned meteor showers ??or, even worse, that Sin Harvest move that takes Sora down to one HP and zero MP in the blink of an eye. It’s all I can muster to stay alive through the assault, meekly chipping at his health here and there. All the while, it doesn't even look like Sephiroth breaks a sweat.

Faster than I realize, it’s already over. Sephiroth catches me in the center of one of his fire attacks, and in my haste to heal, I stop right in front of? his sword. The first time I lost the Platinum match, it felt unwinnable. But that’s precisely w?hat drove me to throw myself at it again and again until I eventually scraped by.

Sephiroth's Dark Depths

While Kingdom Hearts might have led to me think I knew what to expect from Sephiroth, his second appearance continued to throw curveballs. The battle occurs in a rocky area with more room than the previous bout, but maneuverability worked against me. Throughout Kingdom Hearts 2, I unwisely neglected the painstakingly-slow-to-unlock movement and traversal abilities, and that made my Sephiroth rematch all the more imposing. The villain moves around a lot more in Kingdom Hearts 2, often tel?eporting behind or taking to the ??sky, and I had no means to defend against these hit-and-run tactics.

In stark contrast to his previous appearance, Sephiroth charges as soon as the fight starts with an attack that’s only avoidable via an unexpected quick-time event. This wasn’t the only time he tried to catch me off guard with the deadly strike, it randomly happens throughout the fight. It’s something I had to always stay on the lookout for, as the blow has the potential to end the match instantly. Without giving me a chance to counterattack, Seph??iroth moved back to familiar tactics, teleporting and leaping around, testing my defenses with his blade.

Difficulty felt exaggerated by the fact that nearly all of Sephiroth's attacks could bring me down to critical HP, and he'd unleash onslaughts back to back without care. This quickly backed me into a new game of attrition, with Sephiroth effortlessly whittling away my health while I scrambled to keep my head above water. We danced around that arena for what felt like hours, with Sephiroth laying out one spectacular display of strength after another and me panic healin?g and scratching slices off his health with quick combos.

When I finally bested Sephiroth again, a scene shows him literally brushing some dirt off his armor like he’s brushing off our maddening encounter. In the ultimate insult to injury, Sephiroth conc??ludes that only Cloud can offer him a real challenge before sending me off to fetch the ex-SOLDIER for him. Ouch man, that hurts.

Reintroducing Sephiroth

The Kingdom Hearts series offered Square Enix an opportunity to grow Sephiroth's fame and notability. The character was already a fearsome antagonist to those who first met him in FF7, but Kingdom Hearts would open the door for the One-winged Angel to transcend his own ?universe. It would have been easy to use Sephiroth for a throwaw??ay cameo like Tidus or Selphie, but the more substantive approach paid off.

Before Kingdom Hearts, Sephiroth only existed to me as an enigmatic legend I heard about from friends�older siblings or on online forums. But once Kingdom Hearts presented the terrifying foe, his reputation suddenly made sense. Going through the toils of preparation and practice to beat Sephiroth in these Disney games is forever cemented in my memory. It forced me out of my comfort zone and got me thinking in a game that primarily encouraged button mashing. And no doubt, whether players like the character or not, Kingdom Hearts ensured Sephiroth lived up to his hype.

The post Sephiroth’s deadliest appearance wasn’t in a Final Fantasy game appeared first on Destructoid.

It's the beginning of another month, and Sony is here to tease us with its PlayStation Plus November games lineup. The publisher announced its trio of titles headed to the subscription s??ervice next week, with none of them exactly bein??g headliners.

Perhaps among the more noteworthy includes 2021's Aliens: Fireteam Elite, a third-person survival shooter with both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions. Back in the day, Destructoid reviewed the title, scoring it at a whopping 5.5.

Fireteam Elite sees a squad? of three marines, whether cooperatively with friends or alongside AI, explore the caves and ruins of the mysterious planet LV-895. Players can build up their marine's skills across six different classes with 130 different perks. All in an effort to fend off Xenomorphs, Spitters, and other alien creatures dead set on exterminating you.

The PlayStation 4's Mafia II: Definitive Edition is also a free offering to subscribers this month. The PS4 version of the game sits at a 56 on Metacritic and was criticized for various bugs, glitches, and gameplay flaws. However, if you're a big fan of the original 2010 crime game, this 2020 remaster brings an HD makeover and incorporates all of the previously released DLC. Destructoid awarded it a 7, noting there are "hard-to-ignore faults, but t??he experience is fun."

Dragon Ball: The Breakers for PlayStation 4 is the third title coming to PlayStation Plus members this month. The game features Raiders v. Survivors gameplay, with Raiders being iconic characters like Cell, Frieza, or Buu from the manga/anime series. The Raiders will grow in power during the course of each round, and Survivors must work together to thwart their efforts. Released for PlayStation 4 last October, it was generally panned with that version of the game residing at a 52 on Metacritic.

With these three games coming to PlayStation Plus on November 7, another group is on its way out. October's PlayStation Plus lineup of The Callisto Protocol, Farming Simulator 22, and Weird West will no longer be available after November 6.

The post The PlayStation Plus November games lineup has been r?evealed appeared first on Destructoid.

Souls-like games seem to be more popular than ever. One of the newest additions to the genre, Lies of P, had a very successful launch back in September—and now, the project's director has confirmed a Lies of P sequel is on the way.

Game director Ji Won Choi broke the news in a newly released director's letter video. He began by thanking fans for their enthusiasm and reiterated that the game broke the million copies sold mark following its September 19 launch. He then stated that the team's "highest priority?? is developing the DLC and working on our sequel."

The director confirmed that the game's next patch should be ??arriving in November. Within it will be balancing to the Weapon Assembly System, as "certain bl?ades and handles were not meeting expectations."

Ji Won Choi also mentioned that the team at Neowiz Games is aware that some players were having problems with the early difficulty of the game. The upcoming pa??tch will make the Rising Dodge Ability a default skill that playe?rs can select to help alleviate any early struggles. In addition to that, Polendia will now sell two additional quartz from the first state of his shop.

The November Lies of P patch will also include free ??cosmetics to look forward to. Alidoro's costume, including his mask, is being added, as is the Alchemist's Hat and a pair of glasses. To provide more character customization, an extra facial accessory slot is being implemented so both glasses and hats can be worn at the same time going forward.

In late September, a collaboration between Neowiz Games and Team Ninja saw a pair of Lies of P weapons being introduced into the world of Wo Long Fallen Dynasty. The director's letter confirmed that the duo will work together once again for another collaboration, with details coming a bit furt?her down the line.

The Lies of P soundtrack is officially on the way, too. The team is working to deliver it "as swiftly as they can". It will feature over 60 tracks in total, which incorporates nearly all of the game's m??usic.

As the video wrapped up, Ji Won Choi stated that Neowiz is "fully dedicating ourselves to the development of the DLC" and revealed the studio is actively hiring to bring the project to fruition. It was then that Choi teased the game's upcoming DLC again, saying he "secretly sneaked sketches" for viewers to enjoy. You can see the pair of concept art screens below. It will have to hold fans over until more details on the Lies of P sequel or the upcoming DLC trickle out.

The post Lies of P director announces sequel, teases DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

With Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 releasing digitally in just a week, GameMill Entertainment has pulled back the curtain to reveal the title's overhauled campaign mode. In a newly launc?hed trailer for the game, the single-player story is intriguingly called "an epic roguelike campaign."

The crux of the campaign's story revolves around Danny Phantom's Vlad Plasimus as the villain "wreaks havoc across the Nic?kelodeon universe." To progress through the adventure, you'll have the option to choose different paths at key moments. Successful bouts lead you toward unlocking new characters and power-ups to aid you further along.

The world's most fearsome fighting team

Outside of the campaign, we also got a glimpse at some other additions to Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2's single-player content. A new Pop the Slime Balloons game is shown off which looks like an homage to Super Smash Bros.'s Break the Targets. There's also a Whack-a-bot mode that seems similar to Smash Bros.'s 100-Man Smash.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 will also feature a boss rush mode, with the trailer teasing numerous villains including SpongeBob SquarePants' Flying Dutchman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Shredder. Each of the single-player m?odes ment?ioned will have a speedrun option as well so that players can compete for the fastest times.

With today's news, GameMill Entertainment also confirmed what's in store for Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 DLC. The platform fighter will com??e equipped with ??25 fighters at launch (14 returning, 11 new). But for those who need more, a $24.99 Season Pass will feature a four additional combatants.

The future DLC newcomers include Mr. Krabs, Rocksteady, Zuko, and Iroh, with Mr. Krabs planned to appear first in early 2024. There's also a Costume Pack that players can purchase for $19.99 that includes a brand-new outfit for each character. Furthermore, GameMill notes that players can purchase "future i??ndividual DLC brawlers" with three costumes included for $6.99.

Due to the game's delay, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 will debut digitally on November 7 for Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. Meanwhile, physical copies of the game will launch December 1. That said, note that the developers confirmed that t?he Nintendo Switch physical version is just a code in a b?ox.

The post Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 trailer sho?ws off new roguelike story c?ampaign appeared first on Destructoid.

A new platform for development

Unreal Editor for Fornite has opened the doors for aspiring game developers to get a foothold on game development. While you might think this would only appeal to novices, the doors are open to everyone. This has led some established developers to see this as an opportunity. Look North World is a small "community-focused" development studio aiming to develop social experiences in Fortnite.

[caption id="attachment_392365" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Look North World[/caption]

AAA Devs open new studio to make games in Fortnite

Look North World is founded by Alex Seropian, co-founder of Bungie, Patrick Moran of Disney, and developers who've worked for EA and Amazon. The studio's focus is to develop experiences within the battle royale shooter and work with the community to deliver titles they want to?? see. Players can give feedback and interact with the developers through their Discord server. To showcase their dedication to the community, they're offering beta testing access to the first 1,000 players who join their discord server.

As of writing, Look North's first title is a 1v1 skill-based shooter called Outlaw Corral. 16 players will work through a tournament bracket to determine a champion through 1v1 fights. The developers claim that this island will help players sharpen their 1v1 skills. ??While not available yet, their second title, codenamed "Murcielago," is ??in development.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThTb26MZo2g

It seems strange that a developer would dedicate their studio to developing games exclusively in Fortnite. In a press release, Alex Ser?opian goes on to ??justify their studio's business decision.

"Developing in UEFN opens a whole new world of opportunities and we are in uncharted territory. Through experimentation, we will see what the players like and involve them in decisions. We will throw in a mix of fun game components that players love with a healthy dose of humor when we can. We are jumping into it with a 'the virtual sky is the limit' mentality. As we develop creative ideas, we will learn how these platforms engage, entertain and boost social interactions in order to iterate accordingly"

Look North World claims that the studio aims to put community and fun first. With only one game released, it seems only time will tell if Look North World will rise through the ranks of Fortnite Creative's competitive environment. Players can try out Outlaw Corral now by entering the island code 0985-8384-1768.

The post Former AAA devs open new studio to make games in Fo??rtnite appeared first on Destructoid.

The power of music

Square Enix's premier RPG series is known for its grand story, epic battles, and outstanding graphics, but it is also known for its Final Fantasy battle themes. Across its 36-year span, the Final Fantasy series h??as enlisted many talented? musicians, including Nobuo Uematsu, Yoko Shimomura, and Masashi Hamauzu.

From Final Fantasy XIII's "Blinded by Light" to the original battle theme from the first FF, here are the best Final Fantasy battle themes??, ranked. Let us know your favorites in the comments below.

10. Final Fantasy VI - "Decisive Battle"

//youtu.be/WmBPTpvYyIY

This upbeat Final Fantasy battle theme ups the stakes with its frenetic tune and intense drumline that keeps your heart racing. A great battle theme keeps you energized and "Decisive Battle" cert??ainly does that. Something about the nostalgic 16-bit tone also adds so much that's lost within modern remakes of this track.

9. Final Fantasy XIV - "Torn from the Heavens"

//y??outube.com/watch?v=lWtVj3OnCPc&??amp;si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE

Final Fantasy XIV is known for its epic themes whenever a big battle occurs, and "Torn from the Heavens" is certainly one of those. The callback to the main theme of the series alongside its gorgeous percussion and choir makes this an unforgettable track. The stakes are raised whenever "Torn from the Heavens" is played in this grand MMORPG.

8. Final Fantasy I - "Battle Theme"

//youtu.be/uddFta0D7FY

All great series have their beginnings, and Final Fantasy I made an impression from the very start. The melody is as intense as it can get on an 8-bit system, and the flow of the piece is sublime. You'll hear how great this composition is if you check out World of Final Fantasy's interpretation of the track. It ??truly gives the original piece justice with a rocky interpretation and a lovely strings throughline.

7. Final Fantasy X - "Battle Theme"

//youtu.be/aZzQLHdMkQc

With a game that's as long as Final Fantasy X, you'll want to make sure the standard battle theme is a banger. Thankfully, it is. Tidus' journey is complemented by a track with a tasty bassline, an exciting clash of drums, and a riveting melody that will keep you focused on the?? fight. What also helps with a battle theme such as this is the unpredictable nature of the track. It keeps surprising us with alterations to the song, and for the first ten times of listening to it, you'll notice a new twist on the main melody.

6. Final Fantasy V - "Clash on the Big Bridge"

//youtu.be/1a8OirsKVbc

"Clash on the Big Bridge" used the SNES sound font to the absolute max. This battle theme has an impressive melody, a wonderful drumline, and will catch you off-guard with how fast it is. It's a blast to play on Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. The otherworldly playing of the introduction i??s also striking and catches your attention.

5. Final Fantasy XV - "Stand Your Ground"

//youtu.be/GqDeit4elR8

Yoko Shimomura is known for her work on the Kingdom Hearts and Street Fighter series but she brought her A-game to Final Fantasy XV.  The battle theme "Stand Your Ground" starts the track with an epic sweep of the strings section and doesn't let you go until the very end. It then gets followed by a glorious reference to the main Final Fantasy t??heme, just like "Torn from the Heavens." After that, the action gets elevated by a rambunctious array of the orchestra with the blissful woodwind matched with the thunderous percussion.

4. Final Fantasy VII - "J-E-N-O-V-A."

//youtu.be/G8eCJCcBelo

Whenever you hear that high-pitched synthesized intro from "J-E-N-O-V-A," you know you're in for a good time. The melody is pleasing, the drum beat elevates the action, and the bassline is a grand accompaniment to the whole piece. It's a track that sounds mysterious as Cloud and his friends are unsure of what lies ahead of them. Music should help set the scene, and "J-E-N-O?-V-A." does that perfectly.

3. Final Fantasy XIII - "Blinded by Light"

//youtu.be/WyTRg-DJ99M

Final Fantasy XIII is arguably the most controversial game in the series, but you can't deny how awesome the soundtrack is. "Blinded by Light" is one of the best Final Fantasy battle themes because it consistently engages the player with its striking melody and ability to let every instrument in the piece shine. The guitar? in ??the background gives it a hard edge, and the heavy use of the emotive strings section makes this theme song epic, but beautiful at the same time.

2. Final Fantasy VII - "One-Winged Angel"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNms5rOaGlk

When "One-Winged Angel" plays, fear strikes the heart of every Final Fantasy VII fan. The dread-filled drums, the terrifying cluster of brass, and bewildered strings section all set the scene for the evil Sephiroth. Then there's a badass guitar throughline and the deep choir that adds to the drama of the piece. Each fight with Sephiroth is meaningful, and "One-Winged Angel" makes it next level. While the Advent Children version isn't technically from a game, it is the best version; it's in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The PS1 and Remake editio?ns of the track also des??erve praise, however.

1. Final Fantasy VII Remake - "Let the Battles Begin!"

//youtu.be/zRHiTjce9s0

A great Final Fantasy battle theme is able to establish the danger present for your characters and motivate the player to carry on forward with the fight at hand. "Let the Battles Begin!" from Final Fantasy VII Remake successfully establishes that. The mixture of the powerful brass, thunderous drums, and emotive strings all make for a piece that truly stands out in the Final Fantasy series. Listen to it and you'll get hyped for anything: a run, pumping weights, or going to your dreaded dental appointment. "Let the Battles Begin" is a perfect battle theme, through and through, and Final Fantasy VII Remake just takes it one step further.

The post 10 best Final Fantasy battle themes, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Part Deux

Less than a year ago, Trails fans finally got their hands on an officially localized release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero. Released for the PSP back in 2010, the game never made its way over the Pacific, robbing players outside Japan and China of the chance to experience the Crossbell Arc of the greater Legend of Heroes storyline. Zero would be the game that introduced me to the Trails series as a whole, and I found it to be a highly enjoyable (if s?uper chatty) RPG.

Of course, as good as it was, Zero only covered the first part of the Crossbell Arc. And while it certainly didn’t feel like it was half a game, its ending did leave me clamoring for its 2011 sequel, Trails to Azure, which will release outside of Japan and China for the first time next week. Given how closely Zero ties into Azure, I’m gla?d NIS America didn’t make us wait too long to pl??ay it.

[caption id="attachment_367253" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Falcom
Publisher: NIS America
Released: March 14, 2023
MSRP: $39.99 (Digital) / $49.99 (Physical)

If you’re unfamiliar with the Trails series, join the club. While Trails from Zero made a great impression last September, I haven’t had nearly enough free time since then to try out the rest of the series �even if I own two Cold Steel games on my PS Vita. But I’ve happily made time for Trails to Azure becaus?e I really wanted to see how this whole ??journey wraps up.

Trails from Azure begins just a month after the events of Trails from Zero. Protagonist Lloyd Bannings is still heading up the Special Support Section (SSS) along with Elie MacDowell, though this time, they’re joined by newcomers Noel Seeker and the ridiculously named Wazy Hemisphere. If you played Zero, you will no doubt recognize those last two characters, as they were pretty prominent thro??ughout the game’s narrative.

In fact, almost everyone who appeared in Trails from Zero is back for Azure. If, for some reason, you’re choosing to jump into this story mid-stream �and I have to advise against that �there is a handy refresher menu that’ll explain who all the prominent characters are and give the gist of what happened last time. As somebody who last played Zero in October, it was nice to get a refresher on some of the extended cast, but the brief synopses provided in Azure don’t really get to the heart of why some of these?? characters are so memorable. Especially with KeA. You really need to have ??been there from the beginning to fully appreciate her place in the story arc.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjPAQQLf8PY

In combat, Azure really hasn’t changed that much since Zero. The turn-based battles still occur on a grid where you can attack?? enemies with melee attacks, Orbal Arts (i.e. magic), Crafts (i.e. skills), and more powerful skills known as S-Crafts. There are two-person Combo Crafts attacks and group rushes, the latter of which happen at random, and you can still get the upper hand on a foe if you hit them from behind on the battlefield. Burst is one new element to? the game's combat system. This can provide your team with a few boosts in battle, like increasing your party's attack speed, but so far I haven't found it all that monumental of an addition outside of a few boss battles.

Also new to Azure is Master Quartz. Regular quartz is used to unlock Orbal Arts for your?? characters to use in battle. Players are encouraged to freely swap those out as they build ?their party. Master Quartz are meant to be kept around as they level up and gain new abilities. Only one type of Master Quartz can be equipped per character, unlike regular quartz.

I get that I’m not saying all that much about Trails to Azure with this review-in-progress, but that’s only because the game is so similar to its predecessor. Outside of small changes like the introduction of the Master Quartz and some quality of life changes �smell you later, taking the bus �there really isn’t much to say here that I didn’t already say about my last trip to Crossbell.

[caption id="attachment_367252" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

But that’s not a bad thing. I enjoyed the hell out of Trails from Zero, from its characters to its writing to the fact it truly felt like you were playing through a police procedural in the shape of an RPG. All of that is back in Trails to Azure and, 20?? hours in, I am h?aving an absolute blast with it.

One final note: if you played through Trails from Zero, make sure you still have your save from that game available. Because the bonuses you receive are totally worth it when you transfer the data to Azure.

_{[This review in progress is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review in Progress: The Le??gend of Heroes: Trails to Azure appeared first on Destructoid.

And yet I still can't download the mobile game from Google Play or the App Store

This weekend is the annual Granblue Fantasy Fes event in Japan, and as usual, we’re getting some big announcements from the world of Granblue. Specifically, Granblue Fantasy: Versus is getting an expansion that’s launching worldwide this year. Granblue Fantasy: Versus Rising will feature new stages, new characters, and a new story for players to experience. As you can see in the Versus Rising trailer below, it’s confirmed the game will have rollback net code and crossplay between PS4/PS5 and PC via?? Steam.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ln58g217C4

Skimming through the game's website, it's confirmed that all 24 characters from the original game will return for this semi-sequel. Additionally, anybody who missed out on Versus will be able to experience an abridged version of that game's celebrated story mode. If you play a lot of Versus online, know that the online lobby will be completely revamped for Versus Rising and will include the all-new "Grand Bruise Le??gends" mini-game mode.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOVAZg3QJF0

I guess calling it "Granblue Fall Guys" would have been a little too on the nose. Either way, all of that looks great, and it's nice to know that Street Fighter 6 will have some competition this year. Expect Cygames and Arc System Works to reveal more details and new features as we get closer to its launch date. Granblue Fantasy: Versus Rising will release worldwide this year for PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam. And if you're still playing the original Versus, know that the final update for that game will release on January 24.

The post Gr?anblue Fantasy: Versus Rising set t??o launch in 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

You know what? I'm more interested now

Diablo is such a weird series: and I vibed with that feeling since the very first game. I had zero idea of what to expect, and didn't understand the strange history of the Hellfire "expansion" until many years after its release. By the time Diablo 2 rolled around my little crew of Diablo-pla?ying-friends was around 20 st??rong, and it was a bonafide hit that people still play today.

But Diablo 3 changed things considerably. Blizzard was already changing in terms of its perception as a bulletproof company, and the Auction House debacle was a sign of trouble to come for the publisher. In the end, D3 sold very well, but the team had a lot to prove when they first announced Diablo 4 to the world.?? So far, based on some hands-on time with the game, I think they're doin?g just that.

You can choose between more or less guidance: depending on your experience with the series

My build went up to level 25 with three classes (Barbarian, Sorcerer, Rogue), and contained still-in-d?evelopment content from Act 1. As an FYI, my PS5 copy was watermarked: and I couldn't use my own screens or footage. And with that out of the way, onto im?pressions!

Smartly, Diablo 4 is aiming to pick up players of all playstyles: lapsed fans, hardcore folks, and newcomers. Immediately I was given the option of toggling on/off most tutorials, depending on your experience with the series. If you want, you can dive into the game's new skill tree system immediately, which I did with my "main," the Barbarian (something I never really do in a core Diablo as a first character).

Here are the three options, with all the spec??ializations you can choose from:

• Barbarian (berserking, bleed-focused, walking arsenal [tank], or unbridled rage [damage])
• Sorcerer (frost, pyromancy, or shock)
• Rogue (marksman, imbuements, or traps)

Most of my time was spent with the Barbarian, which I had a lot of fun with. You can whirlwind and leap still, and augment e?ach individual skill/ability with a little spice (like extra damage or more utility)??. On PS5 by default most of your abilities are linked to the face buttons and the triggers: with a dedicated dodge button.

Bringing in Blizzard's time with Diablo 3 on consoles, this is now a full-on mechanic in every build (PC included), and char????ges will increase over time (governed by a cooldown period). I immediately noticed some enemies are designed around this skill, which made a lot of the typically rote fights a little more interesting and engaging.

Respeccing (changing your build) is in. Initially it's free and can be done anywhere; with a gold price associated with it. I also got the chance to speak to Joseph Piepiora (Associate Game Director), Adam "AZ" Jackson (Lead Class Designer), and Ash Sweetring (Dungeon Producer) about class spread, and learned how the team went about approaching Diablo 4's class philosophy:

Destructoid: "I feel like you've done a pretty good job of condensing down the D4 classes to a good spread of representation from D1 and D3 - Was there a temptation to add more? How did you decide on the final count and what should be included?"

Joseph Piepiora: "We wanted to make sure as we're looking to advance the world of Sanctuary...reach back into the series' past and pluck out these iconic classes to reinterpret. Anyone who's played recently sees the evolution in the Barbarian...there's a lot of opportunities for us to take skills and reinterpret them into this new system. In terms of overall count we love the number five (laughs)...but for real, the game has many layers of complexity. Five is a good enough number to hit a good amount of core fantasies, while also giving us enough space on the design side to make things complex...the broader we go the less time we get to spend with each class. There's an opportunity to grow this roster in the future."

Adam Jackson: "There's always a temptation to add more...we love adding more. But like Joe mentioned, a big part of Diablo 4 is mixing the old and the new. You also probably have noticed that these classes have a lot of depth...in order for us to really sell these fantasies and get as deep...and introduce new ways to play, we had to stick to this number to nail the fantasies. As an example the Rogue in Diablo 1 is more fleshed out in Diablo 4."

Difficulty settings follow a world tier system

We're moving into world tiers, as Diablo 4 continues to incorporate more open world game design into the series. "Adventurer" is tier 1 (the lowest/easiest), and "Veteran" is tier 2. You can increase your tier at specific statues (usually in hubs), or on the title screen: and doing so will add more challenging enemies, better drops, and increased XP an?d gold (the usual stuff).

By default (at thi?s current time in the game's development cycle), you can swap between the two freely, but the rest are locked. Here's the full list available to us at the momen?t:

• Nightmare (recommended level 50 - sacred item drops appear, and nightmare dungeons, triggered through nightmare sigils, are unlocked)
• Hell (recommended level 60 - greater chance of sacred item drops, and rare nightmare sigils)
• Torment (recommended level 70, ancestral items appear, as well as new unique items)

Each of these tiers from nightmare on requires players to beat a prerequisite dungeon at the previous tier (so in the case of Nightmare, you'd have to play on Veteran). It seems pretty straightforward, and as a Diablo player, I swapped it to Veteran tier right away, and it was manageable. It'll be fun trying to break ?into higher tiers at lower levels.

The mood feels a lot like Diablo 2

Playing through the first Act, I felt tinges of Diablo 2 in more ways than one. The design is a lot darker, and the story in general feels more dire. The intro showcased a more helpless/beaten down protagonist (they were huddled in a cave, freezing, with a dead mount), which I dug right away. I mean within minutes you're kicking some wildlife ass, but among that, you'll come across deserted and broken down cabins and towns. NPCs ask you to prove your worth instead of jumping right into the role of the chosen one straight away, like D3 di??d. Lilith, the new big bad, also brings an air of freshness to the game, as they're actually doing hands-on work in the story instead of being relegated to a mysterious force you meet basically at the end.

After???? seeing this take in action, I dug into it more with Associate Game Director Joseph Piepiora:

Destructoid: "Playing through the current build, I would probably describe the theme, more so than anything else, as 'dire.' In D4, my first character started out huddled in a cave and had to get hands-on help from NPCs: definitely a different vibe from D3. Obviously at some point I'll take down Lilith, and/or maybe a surprise Diablo. Will that dire theming maintain throughout the game, even as you level up? Either way, was striking that balance tough?"

Piepiora: "The story of the Fractured Peaks is the prologue, and the story is starting at a low point. We want that to set the tone in how players engage in the world. In terms of whether we keep that tone...the tone will change a little as you go. I don't even want to talk about it. But I will say as the player gets more powerful they get slightly more agency in the story, and develop more relationships. At no point does Diablo 4 cease being a gothic horror game. The character is a hero, and they're using world-shaking power to rise against unstoppable evil. That power fantasy is at the heart of Diablo 4."

There's a decent chunk of things to do

When scouring through the Act 1 map, I came across numerous micro-dungeons and random encounters/activities. The classic "elite jumbled up ability" enemy types are still present, but the map feels so much bigger now that there's more of them. Dun?geon Producer Ash Sweetring noted in our interview that it could take players "around 45-50 hours" just to complete the campaign, with a lot more to do after that.

There's still a lot of "what ifs" with Diablo 4. The team stressed again that premium purchases will be restricted to just cosmetics: but we've heard that before. From a pure gameplay standpoint, Diablo 4 also needs to keep things up, and maintain that tension throughout every act. And the endgame (which was hyped again in this media session) needs to delive??r. We'll see what happens, but I'll be more inclined to be there day one aft?er my time with it.

The post Hands on: Diablo 4 feels like a mix of its p??redecessors, and mostly D2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Kaiju vs. Titan

There has been a lot of good Godzilla news as of late, no matter which version of the big green monster you prefer. Apple TV+ is developing a Godzilla and the Titans streaming series, the Godzilla vs. Kong sequel wrapped up production last month, and Toho confirmed it's working on a new film set to release in 2023. Unfortunately, we're going to have to wait months, even years, to see what comes of those projects. Arriving far sooner than any of those is the big collaboration between the monster brawler GigaBash and the Godzilla universe. After weeks of speculation, we finally know what??'s coming as part of this DLC update, and it's a good bunch of kaij??u.

Starting tomorrow, GigaBash owners will be able to download the Godzilla 4 Kaiju DLC pack and get immediate access to Gigan, Destoroyah, Mechagodzilla, and, of course, Godzilla. In the trailer below, you can see a lot of work went into these kaiju as film accurate as possible and I for one love that the Godzilla flying kick made the cut.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWMpfRJF5H4

In addition to the DLC pack, GigaBash will also be updated to Version 1.1, which includes some of the most requested features for the fighter. First and foremost, the game is getting an Arcade Mode, something I mentioned as sorely missing in my review earlier this year. It'll also receive a new Onslaught Mode that'll have players facing off against endless waves of enemies. This mode can be played solo or with a friend in couch co-op. Mayhem Mode, which includes several fun minigames, will go online with Version 1.1 and the game is getting cross-platfor??m matchmaking?.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5y4MYSlSzw

With all these new features and characters, it's a pretty good day to be a kaiju fan. The GigaBash x Godzilla DLC will launch tomorrow, December 7, along with the Version 1.1 update. GigaBash is now availa?ble on PlayStation 4, PlaySt??ation 5, and PC via Steam or the Epic Games Store.

The post Godzilla, Gigan, Destoroyah and Mechagodzill?a invade GigaBash tomorrow appeared first on Destructoid.

Season 11 is coming on December 6

An an interesting move, Bethesda has revealed the theme for season 11 of Fallout 76: and it's going to fold over into the upcoming December 6 expansion?. Yep, it's none other than Nuka-World, complete with a season map that depicts the theme park before the post-apocalyptic setting of the series.

Like past seasons (wow, has there really been 11 at this point?), Nuka-World will offer "cosmetics, CAMP items, atoms, caps, and more" as you progress through the track. There's a short trailer you can watch below that shows off the season offerings/rewards, as well as some of the expansion ??itself.

??As a reminder, the ammo box is also coming, but only if you pay up for the game's subscription service: "Active Fallout 1st members can also unlock exclusive rewards and special S.C.O.R.E. boosts throughout the Season, but there’s more! This update also grants an all-new feature for Fallout 1st members at no additional charge: the Ammo Box! Keep unlimited numbers of your bullets, shells and such in safekeeping, like the existing Scrap Box currently available to Fallout 1st members. Note that the Ammo Box is for stackable ammo types only and won’t store Fusion Cores or Plasma Cores."

In addition to a few other "holiday games," I'm thinking I might hunker down and play through this expansion when things get slower in mid-December: the g??????????????????????????ame is in a decent place to recruit friends into, especially with Game Pass.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfLWJ30kIvs

The post Fallout 76’s Nuka-World expansion theme will be incorporated in the season pass appeared first on Destructoid.

Nuka-World on Tour is still slated for December 6

In case you missed it, Fallout 76 is still around, and still pushing out major free updates. On December 6, the "Nuka-World on Tour" expansion is set to drop,

Bethesda and the powers that be are still pushing the "Fallout 1st" subscription, and it'll apparently offer a new feature called the "ammo storage box." Yep, it's exactly how it sounds, as the team is offering "unlimited space to store all your excess munitions [with the exception of Plasma Cores and Fusion Cores." It's fascinating to see premium elements that impact direct gameplay creep in over time, and how the community responds to it.

Whether you're thinking about jumping back in or you're excited for the update: there's some gameplay and developer commentary you can watch below. One of the b?est parts of the episode is actually near the start, where Carl McKevitt, senior quest designer, talks abo?ut ??how they carved out an existing area to make room for the actual "tour" in the Nuka-World on Tour location.

We don't really have a clear view of many?? things coming after this, so we'll see what 2023 brings. Next up, the team promises an update on December 1 with more info on Nuka-World on Tour.

Fallout 76 �Nuka-World on Tour (Developer Gameplay)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTPRMyrXAbM

The post The Fallout 76 team gave us? a glimpse a?t the next big update: Nuka-World appeared first on Destructoid.

God of War 2 is still the king, and I think a lot of you agree

God of War has been around for 17 long years, and with Ragnarok still fresh in everyone's minds?, we ??figured it was worth taking a look at a few of the best games in the series.

Here's a list of the top three God of War games to date!

3 - God of War Ragnarok (2022)

I've had access to God of War Ragnarok for weeks at this point: which is solely a statement on how much I've been absorbed with it, and nothing more!

Ragnarok is a fantastic modern action game that builds upon a a lot o??f what the 2018 laid down, while adding its own twists, turns, and character moments. There are some points that feel rushed, and give credence to the suggestion that this Norse story should have been a trilogy: but it does stick the landing, and has a few undeniably useful quality of life/mechanical upgrades that make it easy to get into. Plus, the postgame is extremely smooth in terms of its segue, and it's been really fun to "mop up" the rest of this packed game.

I suspect that the specific placing of God of War: Ragnarok and God of War 2018 will be the most con??tentious part of this list: we'll? see how it plays out!

2 - God of War (2018)

God of War 2018 had the unenviable task of re-introducing (not rebooting per se) the franchise to the general public, and God of War fans as a whole.

Amazingly, the team managed to do just that and not only surpass expectations; but keep the continuity from the prior games. To me that's arguably the biggest achievement in a sea of pointless and cynical reboots, as the creatives had to bring Kratos into the modern era while keeping his rage, violence, and general aura alive. Bringing a son into the mix was the perfect way to do that, and God of War 2018 serves as a great blueprint for how to handle companions in games and not make them feel like an escort q?uest hinderance.

All of the babble and exposition when walking around makes God of War extremely replayable too; and when ??checking it out before making this list, it easily justified its inclusion. I don't think it gets enough credit for how much pressure it was under to deliver.

1 - God of War 2 (2007)

History has been extremely kind to God of War 2, as it's still living rent free in the pantheon of all-time action greats, even this far removed?? from the PS2 era.

While God of War 3 will make it on a lot of top three lists: I found it to be overly bombastic at points, and drawn out with a few of its environment/level choices. God of War 2 on the other hand is a nonstop thrill ride and accompli??shes everything it sets out to do.

Like many top tier action games, I hold anything that can give you a good mix of humanoid and monstrous boss fights in high regard. Devil May Cry gave us faceoffs against Vergil. Ninja Gaiden had the Spider Clan. God of War 2 has Perseus, Icarus, Zeus, and Theseus: while throwing out iconic creatures like the Kraken.

It enhances what came before it with the impactful, but surpassed original God of War, and it provides one of the most all-encompassing fantasies of immersing yourself in (tearing apart) Greek mythology that the series has ever given us. While most of the franchise is tethered in Greece (including the spinoffs), God of War 2 was the one that? really nailed it, and felt like a "greatest hits" of the time p??eriod.

The post The top 3 Best God of War Games, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Fishing is done at specific spots, not everywhere

As Sonic zooms into a semi open-world adventure with Sonic Frontiers, the "greatest hits" of the genre comes with it: which? includes a fishing minigame. But given the historica?l significance (depending on who you ask) of Big the Cat, you could argue it actually fits here.

Here's a quick guide on ??how to a??pproach fishing in the game.

In Sonic Frontiers, fishing has to be done at fish icons on the map

So you can't just get a special fishing rod item and fish anywhere on the map: but by that same token, the minigame doesn't require you to get a unique fishing rod either. You'll come across specific locations where you? ca?n initiate a minigame, hosted by Big the Cat. It'll be denoted by a fish icon on the map.

Once you're in, Big will actually give you a quick tutorial on the process, which costs purple fishing coins (which you'll find in the game world). Catching fish will grant you green "treasure tokens," which are used o?n items in Big's shop (more on that later).

The actual fishing minigame is pretty easy - just tap when the white circle is in the red circle

After casting in an area with fish shadows in the water: all you need to do is press the button on t??he prompt (X on PlayStation) when the white circle enters the red circle. That's it. Be prepared though, because some fish put up a bigger fight, and require two circle button presses in quick succession. Caught fish will generally convert directly into treasure tokens: and you'll rinse and repeat until you've earned enough to buy what you want.

Instead of fish, there's a chance you can randomly pull out scrolls. These unlock fast travel on the island you're on (read: there are multiple s??andboxes/islands) to the Elder or Hermit Kocos (NPCs) ?of that particular island.

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The rewards are actually pretty good

Once you earn a few treasure tokens, you can buy stuff based on a few options in Big's shop. Take note of the little numbers above the actual shop selection. That's your current count of everything in that area?, which could influence w??hat you actually buy.

If you're looking for progression and aren't having many issues with the game's difficulty level: choosing Portal Gears and Chaos Emerald Vault Keys will get you further through the story. Egg Memos are kind of like BioShock audio logs??, and give you extra story background on Eggman. I would recommend never buying memory tokens, as they're one of the most common collectibles in the game.

The post So?nic Frontiers: Big the Cat fishing minigame guide appeared first on Destructoid.

Just do it in an app

Back in my day, our 3D Sonic games had Chao Gardens. OK, so maybe it was only really for Sonic Adventure 2, and anyone who was caught in that web at the time just eternally associates Chaos with Sonic (ha). To be fair, they have appeared in various games as mascots of sorts, and as several higher-ups in Sega have pointed out: they are present in spinoffs like Team Sonic Racing. Sadly, Sonic Frontiers continues the trend of not having an in-game Chao Garden. But I think it's time to change that.

I know some of you are probably sighing at the idea of digging up an old 3D Sonic trend, but there's so much potential here. Most people liked the Chao Adventure gimmick with the VMU, right? While not quite a "garden" per se, the idea of getting a whole extra game within a game was mind blowing at the time. I mean, the VMU was way ahead of its time too, but learning that you just bought Sonic Adventure and got a free digital Tamagotchi pet was insane: and part of the reas??on why the Dreamcast earned its reputation as a quirky and enduring console. All of that can be done within an app now, which can interact with any given future Sonic entry.

Funnily enough, producer for Sonic Frontiers, Takashi Iizuka, laughed when asked about Chaos earlier this year. Game Informer spoke to him with a "rapid fire" question format, and asked "is there a Chao Garden in the game," he replied firmly with a "no." The next rapid fire question was "are Chaos just extinct at this point?" which he also replied with "no," while laughing. You can find that se??gment here at this timesta??mp (4:50).

The post B?ring back the Chao Garden for games like Sonic Frontiers appeared first on Destructoid.