Commercials don't always have to suck

Sometimes when we're feeling sentimental, my friends and I will pull up co?mpilations of old video game commercials from when we were kids and watch them for hours. Games have been around for over four decades now, and over the course of that time, there have naturally been some pretty awesome gaming advertisements.

From minimal yet effective print ads to truly bizarre commercials to murals on the sides of skyscrapers �game ads can be anything from puzzling to clever to downright inspiring. Mobile ads may have gone off the dee?p end, but there was a time when compa?nies put a lot of thought and effort into their marketing.

There are plenty of lists out there ranking the best we've ever seen, but there are a few advertisements for video games that really stick out in my mind. Advertisements are always a kind of time capsule of the era in which they were created, which makes it really fun and nostalgic to go back and watch them again as adults. Even after skimming the surface of all the classic ads we have from games, I feel like there could be a whole field of study dedicated just to the way companies sell games to us. In some cases, they've completely altered the course of how we think of games to this day.

//www.reddit.?com/r/gaming/co?mments/u7lfqs/resident_evil_print_advertisement_2002/

One of the campaigns that always comes to mind is the series of commercials Sony did to promote the PS3 in the mid-2000s. The real kicker there was that I didn't even see any of them in the wild when I was a kid because I was discouraged from playing games as a young girl in the South, but they're so good that even seeing them as an adult, they've stuck with me. First, there's the iconic PS3 baby doll commercial, which captures this really creepy existential dread in a way that you just can't ignore. It's so weird, you can't help but talk about it, and I for one think that makes for a great ad. Then there's the campaign starring Kevin Butler, who was a charismatic fictitious executive character that audiences of gaming advertisements loved back in ?the day.

Another great ad that comes to mind is Fortnite's "Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite" commercial that Epic released in 2020, at the height of their feud with Apple. I was shocked to learn that a lot of people didn't know that this ad was actually a shot-for-shot parody of an Apple commercial from the 1980s, which is widely considered one of the best ads of all time??. I have to give it props for being so clever, and who doesn't love some petty corporate drama?

//www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/rrpewk/probably_the_coolest_thing_i_have_ever_seen_?in_a/

Because I am admittedly biased in their favor, I've also been a huge fan of the series of ads that the K-pop girl group Twice did for the Nintendo Switch. They're adorable, the games they're playing are adorable, and knowing my favorite console is approved by my favorite musical artists just gives me the warm and fuzzie?s. I usually don't fall prey to celebrity endorsement, but I just can't help it with them.

So we wanna know �what are some of your favorite video game advertisements of all time, regardless of medium? What are the commercials that have really stuck with you over the ??years? Have you ever felt compelled to buy a game or console specifically because it had a great ad? Let's discuss below!

The post What’s your favorite video game advertisement of all time? appeared first on Destructoid.

Iconic shooter makes its long-awaited console debut

[This week Postal Redux sent us a check for $12 for our birthday. Here's a quick note from our sponsor.]

More than two decades since the original Postal arrived on PC, the infamous isometric shooter is making its long-awaited console debut with a Ni?ntendo Switch port.

Developer Running With Scissors has enlisted the help of Polish studio MD Games to port Postal Redux - an enhance??d version of the first game in the serie??s - to the platform next month.

Postal Redux has revamped graphics, sound and controls, but i??t’s billed as more ?than just a straight remaster. Not only does this special edition include extra levels, it comes with a new endurance-based gameplay mode called Rampage.

When playing in Rampage Mod??e, players are tasked with riddling as many bodies with bullets as possible. They're rewarded for the amount of havoc they wreak, and the aim is to achieve a kill streak record, with a grade and score awaiting at the end of each mission.

"Over 20 years ago, we had no clue the impact Postal would have had on society and gaming history," said Vince Desi, founder of Running With Scissors. "Postal coming out on SWITCH is our dream come true. On behalf of everyone at RWS we give thanks to our fans for the many years of support. We’re just getti??ng started."

Postal Redux will be available through the Nintendo eShop on October 16th.

The post Postal Redux is bringing murderous mayhem to Nin??tendo Switch next m??onth appeared first on Destructoid.

Rad libs

[This week Dtoid is made possible by Deadly Premonition: Origins. This is a sponsored post.]

That's right! Another Deadly Premonition game is out. Instead of trying to explain this batshit insane series, we thought using an AI program to gene?rate an o?riginal horror short story would be easier, and probably end up making slightly more sense.

Judge for yourself, as Dtoid proudly pres??ents: "The Tattered Teapot!"

The Tattered Teapot
by Dtoid

Flora Gobble lo??oked at the t?attered teapot in her hands and felt anxious.

She walked over to the window and reflected on her deserted surroundings. She had always hated creepy San Diego with its impossible, iffy igloos. It was ??a place that encouraged her tendency to feel anxious.

Then she saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the figure of Luke Gump. Luke was a sinister gamer with ginger thighs and vast eyelashes??.

Flora gulped. She glanced? at her own reflection. She was a cute, violent, whiskey drinker with blonde thighs and wobbly eyelashes. Her friends saw her as a vivacious, villainous volcano. Once, she had even brought a stingy old lady back from the brink of death.

But?? not even a cute person who had once brought a ?stingy old lady back from the brink of death, was prepared for what Luke had in store today.

The rai??n hammered like boating koalas, making Flora jumpy.

As Flora stepped outside and Luke came closer, she could see the juicy ??smile on his face.

"I am here because I want a wifi c?ode," Luke bellowed, in a friendly tone. He slammed his fist against Flora's chest, with the force? of 4953 red pandas. "I frigging hate you, Flora Gobble."

F?lora looked back, even more jumpy and still fingering the tattered teapot. "Luke, I ate your puppy," she replied.

They looked at each other with puzzled feelings, like two knowing, kaleidoscopic kittens bouncing at a very arrogant rave, which had R&B music playing in the background and two tactless uncles smiling to t??he b??eat.

Flora studied Luke's ginger thighs and vast eyelashes. Eventually, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you a wifi code," she e??xplained, in pitying tones.

Luke looked barmy, his body raw like a plain, ??puny piano.

Flora cou??ld actually hear Luke's body shatter into 4451 pieces. Then the sinister gamer hurried away into the distance?.

Not even a glass of whiskey would calm Flora's nerv?es to??night.

THE END....?

Not that you'll be able to surpass this Mad Libs masterwork, but if you submit your own story using Plot Generator, you'll be entered into a drawing for a chance at the possibility to perhaps someday win a Switch code for Deadly Premonition: Origins. Hit up our sister site, Nintendo Enthusiast, for more cracks at the game.

The post Contest: Submit your own auto-generated horror story for a chance to win Deadly Premonition: Or?igins! appeared first on Destructoid.

Tonight, the fare's on us

Tonight, Destructoid is presented by RawFury's Night Call, a neo-noir video game that puts you in the driver's seat o?f a Parisian taxi murder mystery. Lookin' for a free ride? Share your worst cab experience with us.

Isn't public transportation a strange beast? We all use it since it's usually the most convenient way to?? get around -- this especially goes for urban/metro areas -- but for some reason it seems to bring out the worst in people. The bus smells predominantly like a pepperoni peed in the aisle, trains are known primarily for their wrecks (the phrase "trainwreck" became common for a reason), and planes are the greatest thing on earth if you really like getting the flu in July.

Try as we m??ight, we just can't seem to do without other people driving us around.

The taxi is probably the most notorious of all. Seedy, intimate in all the bad ways, and expensive, a ride in a cab is cause for anxiety in most sane humans. A??nd for good reason -- ask anyone you know, and they've got a horror story from a cab ?ride. It's common to the point of redundancy. Don't believe me? We asked Dtoid readers to tell us about their worst cab rides. Here's what they had to say.

Dere:

Back in college me and my roommate were taking a cab back from a bar crawl. We hit up like six different bars that night. We caught a cab with two hotties we met at one of the bars thinking we'd get lucky. Well on the way back I apparently had to take a piss pretty badly and I yelled it out as l?oud as I could so the driver would hopefully stop. He did not, so I pissed myself in front of two hotties while in the cab and woke up the next morning in my? same piss-stained clothes, reeking of urine.

Tricerapops:

A cabbie in Georgia was playing with his phone while we waited for my drunk buddy to stumble to the cab. I saw that his wallpaper was covered in young wo?men in thongs and tiny bikini tops, so I yelled "BIG TITTIED BITCHES!" He got furious and started screaming at me and attempting to physically remove me from his cab while I brayed with laughter. They were his daughters.

...but yo, why you got your daughter in ??a thong as your wallpaper, bro?

LaserPirate:

I was backpacking through Europe with friends and our first stop in Italy was Florence. There was only one hostel available with room and it was a damn Christian h?ostel. Christian hostels always have curfews. Our train was late and we had no hope in hell of walking or b?ussing to the hostel in time so we grabbed a cab. Logical, right? Problem was we told the Italian cab driver we were in a hurry. Do this day I have not gone as fast in a car, to this day I have not driven on the wrong side of the road (with oncoming traffic), and to this day I have not nearly died so many times in the span of 20 minutes.

My brother was a cab driver in Whistler, though. He's got some crazy ass stories. He once beat the shit out of a fare and dumped his ass on the side of the road for trying to tear his cab apart (drunk-ass dude), drove off, went back, picke??d his knocked-out ass up, checked his ID for his address, and drive him home. Carried him into his house and put him on the couch. It was like -25C outside, though.

Xeo:

I used to take a cab to work just a few years ago. There was one guy I particularly liked, but riding with him was a wild ass ride. He was some sort of old biker from what I gathered. Long hair tucked into a bandanna, old faded, but intricate tats all over his arms. He was always blasting the classic rock station ??and got REALLY excited when Guns N' Roses came on during my first ride with him, and started blasting it.

He quickly turned it down and apologized, and I told him I didn't mind at all, in fact I quite like GNR. So he blasted it some more. This guy would smoke in the car, which none of the drivers were supposed to do. He sped, no shit straight jumped curbs or ran through the shoulder when stuck behind slow cars and cussed loudly at other drivers out his window. Drove like a fu??cking mad man too.

One day he's driving me to work and talking about how he used to drive in California when he was a bit younger and he knew a guy, a martial artist who according to him, was a badass motherfucker. But he said something along the lines ?of, "He was good, man. Real good. A black belt in 'Jeet Kwon Do,' ya ever hear a' that shit? Beat yer ass so fast you wouldn't even see it comin'. Like Bruce Lee, man." W?hich struck me as some of the funniest shit ever at the time, but I was trying not to laugh in the guy's face.

He was actually super cool and always funny to ride with, but every trip was one helluva ride. You? were never sure if you'd make it there without getting into an accident, but surprisingly he never did while I was with him anyway.

These are just the ones fit for publishing, by t??he way. Cab rides are truly a wonder.

For those of us who live for the strange things that occur in the shadows of night, Night Call lets us experience life on the other side. You play as a cabbie tasked wit??h spying on his customers. An interconnected world of murder and mystery lies in the back of your cab, and as the last known contact with a string of now-dead fares, it's either find out who's behind it all or take the rap.

Share your worst cab stories with us in the comments below. Give us the dirt on wh??at you saw, what they said, or what you ran over to get to your destination. The ten stop stories will receive a Steam key for the game, and the eternal glory of knowing you had the worst experience known to yellow, terrifying transport.

Check out Night Call for yourself, available now on Steam.

The post Night Call presents: Share y?our worst cab experience, win a free game appeared first on Destructoid.

To tell you how I feel

Tonight, Destructoid is presented by RawFury's Night Call, a neo-noir video game that puts you in the driver's seat of a Parisian taxi murder mystery. We've already said too much. Which brings us to the top??ic at hand: Why aren't the??re more video games about taxis?

Everyone's got a good messed up taxi story in real life. The sketchy drivers. ??The scammy pay schemes. The wise creep with conversation topics too cringe worthy to forget. It can get gross fast in there. Getting into a taxi after a night of evil whiskey can be a colorful experience, and you'd think there'd be far more games about those moody rides home. We took a long hard look at our video game collections and here's every virtual cab ride, classic and cancelled, and here's a few notable experiences that came to mind.

The complete disregard for public safety - Crazy Taxi

The half-naked cast of Crazy Taxi had a reptilian brain for that one thing: Making fast money with zero regard for the law, seat belts, or the basic laws of physics. This Dreamcast classic was wholesome arcade fun as long as you didn't think too much about the downsides of driving 100 miles an hour against oncoming traffic for a few extra dollars. A little vehicular manslaughter never hurt anyone. We'd suggest a replay but it's honestly not that crazy by 2019 standards, but more importantly we'd be a guilty of asking you to listen to The Offspring.

Entangling a taxi company into your wave of crime - Grand Theft Auto 

You can almost smell the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria through the monitor. Never mind the AK-47 on the passenger seat. When you're bored of shooting down civilians and stealing their cars, you can hire an unsuspecting cab driver straight from your in-game phone to take you where you need to go. Or you can become the taxi driver yourself. Yes, that’s right. You can immerse yourself 100% into becoming the taxi driver, earning $60 by completing trips, and then optionally stepping out of the cab and gunning down your passengers? for a partial refund right after. 

The sequel no one asked for -- Taxi Driver: The Game

Back in 2005, a full year before Destructoid was even launched, the gaming press revealed that a sequel was happening for Taxi Driver. You know, the 1976 movie with Al Pachino? Yes, a sequel that was going to happen in video game form. They had a trailer showing players shooting folks, driving a cab around New York, and it was all set to punk rock. Gamespot kindly called the game "sparse." L?ong story short, Taxi Driver: The Game, much like Majesco, was eventuall?y canceled. It was never spoken about again until some company threw away their advertising money on a listicl??e about taxis in video games. 

Getting a ride from the very first vampire in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines

The further we go down the list, the more apparent it is that taxis are frequently connected to either questionable means of making money, as a convenience connector for crime, or six degrees of seperation from t??he main character and death. That brings us to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, a video game based on the tabletop role-playing game. The game ?sees players dealing with a world that’s secretly being shaped by supernatural forces. One such creature is The Cab Driver, a character that's hinted to be Caine, the father of all vampires. He's your driver and he's just pawing at you to see how much you knew. The eeriness and uncertainty if we're going to get out of that cab alive was so damn good at the time (2011).

Taking money from the cops to spy on his passengers - Night Call

Alright, this one's ours:  You are a taxi driver. Paris is your city and you know every corner of it. Your shift starts when the night is dark and ends when the city wakes up. You work hard to ?pay back your car, your taxi license, and your bills. At night, passengers hop in your taxi. Sometimes you talk to them, sometimes they talk to you. You are not only a driver; for some people you are a priest, a confident, a friend. Everything changes when the police reveals that the recent murders shattering your city are connected. The victims were all clients of your taxi company. You are the last person to see the most recent victim alive...

Nothing is what it seems as a grisly murder unfolds, and you'll find yourself lost in a dynamically forking story line with over 70 characters to pry upon while trying not to get caught by the killer at large. If you're in the mood for a gritty, uncompromising take on one seedy underbelly of the taxi life, take a look. Night Call is out on Steam right now.

The post Night Call presents: Taxi moment?s worth talking about appeared first on Destructoid.

Moba meets Smash TV

[This week, Destructoid is sponsored by Relic Raiders. Here's a note from their dev team:]

Online battles got a little hotter with the release of Relic Raiders on Steam Early Access. The ?free-to-play multiplayer action game drops up to sixteen players into randomly generated arenas where they must fight until on?e remains.

Players choose from six characters that specialize in melee, ranged, or area-wide attacks. However, characters suc??h as Aria offer a balanced selection of abilities. Other characters include an agile ninja, a cybernetically-enhanced black bear, a time-bending sniper, a guy in a power suit ?with big guns, and a crazed robot assassin.

As a top-down shooter/fighter with a battle royale mode, Relic Raiders dives straight into the action. Players will need to learn when to dash, jump, block, and shoot, but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of the controls. Just knowing half of them is enou?gh to begin fighting.

At the start of a match, competitors must race across the hexagonal tiles to either find opponents or break open giant containers with sing?le-use power-ups inside them. Each character can hold three power-up??s at a time. These items can increase speed, create a wall to keep players from leaving or entering a tile, regenerate health, and more.

Each character also has three special abilities. For example: Aria's skills include a shield to
ram others off the map with, a body slam,?? and a heavy kick. She can also charge up her primary wea?pon for extra damage.

All the while, the map gradually shrinks, with a countdown timer showing when groups of tiles break apart before dropping away. This helps ensure tha??t matches are usually between five to ten minute??s long. That way, you can get in a few matches without having to set aside hours to play.

Much of the action happens in the air, as players jump around the tiles in order to evade and
maneuver around each other. Ranged characters may initially seem like they have the greatest advantage, but melee characters ?usually have the ability to pin down opponents to keep them still long enough to get in a few good hits.

There are a limited number of power-ups on the map, and they quickly go away as the map
collapses. So, players must constantly balance between acquiring them, moving between tiles, and fighting other players. The action remains fast-paced throughout the match, which
complements the short game sessions.

Although battle ro??yale is the currently the game’s only playable mode, the developers are working on “Raider Mode,” which will be a team-based mode that combines elements of Capture the Flag with King of the Hill. Six more characters are also in the works, which will bring the total to twelve. Although players may need to earn points to unlock access to some of these characters, in-game purchases will be limited to cosmetic items such as skins, taunts, and spra?ys. Other features and improvements will be added as the Early Access phase continues.

Visit the official Relic Raiders website for more information or download the free-to-play the game from Steam to dive straight into playing.

The post Play Relic Raiders today, a free-to-play battle royale ??shooter appeared first on Destructoid.

It'll certainly be a good time

_{[This week, Destructoid is brought to you by upcoming atmospheric adventure game The Uncertain: Episode 2 - Light at the End. Here's a quick note from our sponsor.]}

We at ComonGames are hard at work to bring you the next installment of our critically-acclaimed adventure series, The Uncertain: Episode 2 - Light at the End. To celebrate our success with the first chapter and our progress with the second, we're holding a full day of streaming and fun to bring you the latest developments from The Uncertain saga!

Watch live video from ComonGames on www.twitch.tv

Today, Sunday, October 28, we've got a full schedule of activities going on in ou?r stream. We're fe??aturing:

The Uncertain: Episode 1 - The Last Quiet Day is the acclaimed first entry in the series. Humanity has fallen, allowing robots to take over the planet. You play as RT-217NP, an engineering bot curious about the fall of man and eager to discover what's left of th?em. This atmospheric puzzle game has garnered a Very Positive rating on Steam, leaving fans clamoring for a sequel.

In Episode 2 - Light at the End, there may be hope for humanity yet. A small cell of outcasts thrives on through the harsh environment. But o??ne wrong move could finally ?spell the end for the human race. Game features include:

• Classic third-person sci-fi 3D adventure about robots that have taken over our planet
• Some of your decisions will affect certain events in the game
• Puzzles form an important part of our game. Each one of them is unique. Puzzles won’t drive you mad, but you’ll have to concentrate
• The main character has a holographic watch that he can scan items, take photos and find Easter eggs with
• Original indie soundtrack
• Beautiful and unusual post-apocalyptic atmosphere

The Uncertain: Episode 2 - Light at the End is scheduled for a Q2 2019 release.

The post We’ve got a full day of streaming, contests, and fun from The Uncertain: Episode 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Plugging the holes with a hen

_{[This week Destructoid is sponsored by the immortal chicken in Breathedge. Also, cocks. Here's a note from our sponsor:]}

We at RedRuins Softworks are very excited that our first game, Breathedge is now available on Steam! In the depths of space you'll find ou?r bearded protagonist more than a little ill prepared, we must admit, down to even the smallest joys of life. We didn't exactly give him?? a fair start.

Contemplate this: An asteroid belt suddenly shoots holes through your shuttle… and then... having to ?do that repair job with limited oxygen while holding your pet chicken in one arm. Or suddenly finding yourself in the middle of a conspiracy with hysterical princess while floating corpses are being hurled at you.

Are you downloading the game yet or what?

Adventurous simulator Breathedge&nb??sp;will br?ing you joy with kilotons of irony! 

• Survive in an exciting outer space adventure: Take an exciting tour of an interstellar dump, uncover a global conspiracy, meet strange characters along the way, and take refuge with your immortal chicken.
• Deep crafting system: Create a vast variety of useless objects and throw them out of the airlock. (What, do you need something more?) There are also many useful items to be created, but be careful as this may result in completing the game.
• It's really meditative: Fix and decorate your space station. Just because you can.
• The insanity: An intriguing plot thick with dark humor, cynical dialogues, a mad enemy, as well as badly-animated cutscenes and other features of an excellent game.

Grandpa’s body won’t bury himself - So hurry up and grab a copy on Steam.

The post Boom: Breathedge is out on Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Available now on iOS and Android

_{[This week, Destructoid is brought to you by Honkai Impact 3rd, currently rated 4.5/5 on Google Play with over 65,000 reviews. Here's a note from our sponsor:]}

In Honkai Impact 3rd, life isn’t all about fighting. Your valkyries don’t exist just to clash blades with the enemy, waiting every waking hour for the chance to test their mettle on the battlefield. It’s a tiring life fighting against the Honkai, so the girls and their commander need to take a break once in a while. That’s where the chibi dorm expansion comes in, a mix between The Sims and Animal Crossing, except for hardened battle ??maidens and their weapons.

Situated in the idyllic grounds of St. Freya’s High School for valky??ries-in-training, the dormitory is where you can get away from the heat of battle and take stock of things. A place to relax and unwind, or prepare for the long road ahead to SS??S-rank.

The dorm is an expandable living space for cute, chibi versions of your valkyries (and Stigmata) to move into. You can decorate the walls and floors of your dormitory, as well as furnishing it with fittings to make yo?ur home as comfortable as possible. A comfortable dorm means happier girls, so crafting furniture for them to relax on is essential.

Moving in

Like all new homes, when you first move into the dorm you’ll be living out of boxes. Sadly, it’s a little more literal in the girls’ case, as all your starting furniture is made ?out of cardboard – but they’re way too cute to let them live this way! It doesn’t take long to get them sleeping in a nice soft bed, but there’s some work to be done before you’re all relaxing on a sofa in front of a TV.

Each valkyrie and Stigmata has a number of “move-in missions”, simple requests specific to them and their activities outside the dorm?. Once you unlock a new valkyrie, their quest to move into the dorm begins and they earn points towards their eventual moving day for completing each one. Some happen through normal play, like reaching level 40, while others will mean you need to play with the valkyrie in certain side mi??ssions like the adventure open world or multiplayer raids.

Once you complete a move-in mission, you’ll be awarded progress in getting your chibi friend one step closer to chilling out with their friends, and a sum of cash money to spend on decorations and furniture. A hard day’s play out in the battle against the Honkai leads nicely into an evening of rel??axing, rearranging your dorm and walking around in your valkyries’ boots while they read and chat with each other.

Gym life

The dorm isn’t all fun and games for these cuties, there’s hard training to be done here too – it is a school, after all! In the common area of the dorm, there are facilities for the girls to use as they train their way up to be top of the class. A treadmill passively earns EXP for one valkyrie if you leave her running for a few hours, while the technique training machine (looks like a DDR machine to us!) will ??reward another valkyrie with some skill points to spend on new abilities. There are also refinement pods which will level up your weapons and Stigmata without having to use preci??ous resources.

And of course, no dorm is complete without a vending machine, which will store up excess stamina earned while you’re at full capacity and allow you to take some out once you’v?e tapped your reserves dry. A truly restful place to recharge for everyone involved.

Click Here to download Honkai Impact 3rd, available now for free on Android or iOS

The post [Free Download] Kick back with chibi valkyrie in Honkai Impact 3rd’s Animal Crossing-like dorm appeared first on Destructoid.

Finally, a dollar menu for gamers!

_{This week, Destructoid is sponsored in part by QubicGames. This is a note from our sponsor:}

Summer here in the northern hemisphere may be coming to an end, but that doesn't mean the doldrums of going back to school, work, or regular non-vacation life have to bring you down. QubicGames is celebrating the turning of seasons with their new super sale featuring seven of their hit party games going for just $1 each on the eShop! And be sure to check out the QubicGames Super Contest for your chance to win up to $250 ????in eShop Gift Cards! 

At just a dollar a pop, why are you still reading this pos??t? Go get some cheap games!

QubicGames is running their Party Sale & Contest. Seven o?f their awesome Switch multiplayer games are re??duced to one dollar apiece, including:

Astro Bears Party

Astro Bears Party is an easy-to-learn, hard-to-master game about running around a planet and avoiding each other's Magical Beary Ribbons. Jump and hover over Ribbons using a jetpack. Perform dashes to threaten your opponents. Be the last Bear standing!

Jumping Joe & Friends

Help Joe and his fellas on their upwards journey. Be quick as a flash and dodge roaring cannonballs, vicious bats and other traps. Perform high scores or leave your competitors in the dust!

Robonauts

The action combines familiar arcade shooting gameplay with a unique possibility to switch gravity. Colorful graphics appeal to both younger and adult players while first-class music by Simon Viklund makes the adventure feel even more epic.

Pirates: All Aboard!

Pirates: All Aboard! is a competitive battle game for solo and multiplayer pick 'n play fun.

One Strike

Only one strike settles the duel, master the fighting sty??le of each warrior to outsmart your opponents. Challenge your friends or the AI in easy, medium or hard mode.

Grid Mania

Solve over 170 levels in 4 different modes: Casual Puzzle, Quick Challenge, Grid Madness, and Chain Reaction. If you manage to solve all those riddles, the challenge is not yet over: Grid Mania generates random levels which might prove even m??ore puz?zling to wrap your head around.

Brawl

Step into the darkness of The Emporium with 8 u??nique characters, each with a rich back story and a surprising plot-twist. Fight your way to the end using different play styles, from pure brutality as a Wrestler to hiding in shadows as an elusive Thief.

The QubicGames Super Sale is running now through September 14 in North America, and through September 23 in EU/AUS/NZ, so get out there and get your discounted games! And be sure to check out the QubicGames Super Contest for your chance to win up to $250 in eShop Gift Cards?!

The post QubicGames Super Sale: Grab a ton of great multiplayer game?s for just $1, enter to win $250+ in gift cards appeared first on Destructoid.

Fight to survive...for free!

_{[Today Destructoid is brought to you by Will to Live, the new MMORPG-shooter where only the strong survive. Here's another great giveaway from the developer!]}

When the apocalypse hits, sending the world into chaos and c?reating factions of brutal survivors and raving mutants fighting for?? survival in a harsh environment, will you have the will to live?

Will to Live is t?he frenetic survival MMORPG shooter you've been waiting for. Either alone or with a clan, take on a lawless world as you fight for the right to live against a harsh environment and extreme odds.

Will to Live features sprawlin?g MMO gameplay where the world is against you at every turn. Master four player classes, upgradeable weapons and skills, and a comple?x crafting system as you outlast your enemies to show you have what it takes to survive.

Developer AlphaSoft is celebrating the success of Will to Live by giving us 100 Steam keys to give out to the Destructoid readers! Comment below with your best plan for survival when the world goes toes-up to claim yo??ur copy. Or if you prefer, email our contest guy at tacos@jbsgame??.com and let him know you want a free game!

Just make sure you have a Destru?ctoid account with your current email on file?? so we can get a hold of you.

Will to Live is available now on Steam.

The post We’re giving out 100 keys for Will to Live on Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Just tell us you want one!

_{[This week, Destructoid is brought to you by Deiland, available now on Steam! Here is a fun giveaway from the publisher.]}

You may have heard about Deiland, the charming new sandbox game with RPG elements. It ?released on Steam this past week, and to celebrate its PC launch the developer has decided to give away 100 copies to the Destructoid audience!

Deiland is a single-player RPG where you can farm, craft, and build your own planet in a relaxing open world. As you create new crops, recipes, and potions, visitors from neighboring planets will visit yours to trade for rare and unique goods. Just don't get dizzy! Deiland features a planet-turning mechanic that allows ?you to freely (and literally!) roam around your planet to defend it from meteors and enemies, while also giving you? total control over your landscape.

As a way of saying thanks to the Dtoid community, developer Chibig is giving away 100 copies of their brand new game -- totally for free! Want in on the action? Simply comment below with your prized crop from your planet to claim you??r Steam key. Or you can email our resident contest czar at tacos@jbsgame.com and ask for a key -- take your pick!

Just make sure your Dtoid account ??has your current email address so we can hook you up with a key.

Deiland is out now on Steam!

The post Let’s give out 100 copies of Deiland for Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Small prince, big plans

_{[This week, Destructoid is brought to you by Deiland, a sandbox RPG about protecting a small planet. Here's a note from the game's publisher]}

Deiland, a sandbox game with RPG and survival elements landed on Steam on August 9. The Steam launch is Deiland's first appearance on PC, as it originally released for PS4 ear?lier this year.

In Deiland, players take on the role of Arco, a young prince. After landing on the titular planet, Arco becomes its guardian, both caring for Deiland and protecting it from threats. According to publisher 101XP, Deiland's themes of planetary protection draw inspiration from The Little Prince?, a popular novella ab??out a boy who once traveled to different planets.

Arco can interact with visitors who land on his planet. There are over a dozen different characters in Deiland,? including a kind wizard, members of an interstellar patrol, and a spacefaring cook. The visitors allow Arco to increase his skill set, take on more than 100 different quests, and become a capable guardian. 

In addition to interacting with visitors, Arco can spend his time fishing, constructing buildings, crafting items, and growing crops. One of Arco's most key skills is the ability to physically rotate Deiland, which helps plants grow and protects buildings from incoming meteorites. He's a talented young pri?nce, and resolute in his duty as the planet's protector. Rotating Deiland is just one way of keeping it safe. Arco must also fight off invaders and raiders who seek to damage his new home.

Players can also travel outside of Deiland's orbit. Arco needs to establish relationships with interstellar traders and the inhabitants of other planets to earn much-needed crafting recipes. Traveling is a big part of Deiland's sandbox RPG design, as it encourages players to take ownership of Arco's planet's long-term success. Many?? of the game's most valuable resources are found off-planet, which makes traveling among the star?s an important part of the game. 

Despite its survival elements, Deiland is easy to master and designed to be a fun, charming experience for family members of all ages. It's available on Steam right now.

The post Deiland is a charming new sandbox g??ame with RPG elements appeared first on Destructoid.

You'd be safer camping out with Jason Voorhees

_{[This week, Destructoid is sponsored by Will To Live. Here's a spooky note on behalf of their dev team]}

Confronted by terrifying creatures, rabid mutants and desperate survivors, you and your party of wanderers must rely on your guts, your skills, your weapons and, more than anything, your Will to Live.

AlphaSoft Studio presents Will to Live, an exciting new MMORPG set within a decaying, post-apocalyptic wasteland. Whether alone or as part of a clan, you and your fellow survivors must fight for your life against the hostile terrain of a world dr??iven beyond the brink of total chaos. 

With no monthly subscription requires, there’s no better time than now to dive straight into Will to Live online’s intense, exciting and dead?ly world. Check ??out the trailer below:

Fight for your very right to live

Battle mutated creatures in a large, hazardous, open-world environment. Partake in raids and challenge bosses deep within mines, bunk?ers and abandoned Metro stations. Choose from one of four different classes, before customizing your character, armor and weaponry. Build camps and utilize your crafting skills and class traits to ensure that your party lives to see another dawn. Whether alone or with friends, you will have to work hard and smart to ensure you have the food, weapons, shelter and other resources needed to survive.

Though the world might be overrun with nightmarish monsters, Remember not to trust your fellow man. The Will to Live online universe is populated by ruthless factions and clans, all fig?hting for the s??cant resources and territory that is available, and willing to rip everything you have built away from you. You must fight not only to protect your possessions, but for your very right to live.

Will to Live is now on Steam as an Early Access title, available for a discounted price as part of the Steam Summer Sale. 

The post MMO shooter? Will to Live Online reduced ??in Steam Summer Sale appeared first on Destructoid.

New Overgrowth expansion now available

This week Destructoid is sponsored by Skyforge, a free-to-play MMORPG available now.  Download it on PC, Xbox One, or PS4, today!  This is an advertisement provided by them:

If you’ve ever enjoyed a role-playing game then you know how classes work. It’s simple, right? At the start of the ga??me you choose what class you want to be, and that decision shapes how you experience the rest of the game. It’s a familiar way of doing things.

It’s&h?ellip;??well, it’s a little boring.

Free-to-play MMORPG Skyforge does things differently. This is, after all, a game where you play as an immortal being, sworn to defend the world of Aelion, ascending to godhood along the way. Do you think gods let themselves be restricted in what they can do and when? Not likely. And that’s why Skyforge doesn’t force you to create multiple alternate characters in order to try everything in the game. You start the game with three classes, but 12 more can be unlocked as you progress through the game. Pass the temple for a new class, cash in some Sparks of?? Transformation, and you get a whole new set of toys to play with. No need to start over. Each class simply becomes another aspect of your godlike power. Pretty cool.

No need to start over to enjoy a new character class

Let’s say you want to get up close and personal with your enemies. You’ll want to switch to a melee class, like the chainsword-wielding Berserker or the ninja-style Slayer. Or maybe you want to be a little more graceful? Opt for the Monk class, and go to work with your Weightstone staff. If you’d rather just suck the life right ou?t of your foes, the recently added Revenant class is the one for you. These hulking vampiric warriors were banished from Aelion by the immortals, but have now come to an uneasy truce, fighting alongside their former oppressors in a quest for death or glory (or maybe both).

And that’s just the melee classes. If ranged combat is more your style, maybe try being a Gunner, with a Hand Cannon that works as machine gun, plasma rifle and missile launcher all in one.  Purists can go for the Archer class instead and rain down fire, electric and smoke arrows, or just go full gunslinger with the Outlaw class. If that's not your thing, lets say you want to throw around some magical energy attacks. Skyforge has no fewer than four classes offering different ways to do just that. Play as a Witch or Warlock and you can curse enemies, and summon creatures to fight for you. Kinetics, on the other hand, use powerful shockwave gauntlets to attack with the melee-style Sled??gehammer or a long distance Stone Spear. Cryomancers use advanced technology to freeze enemies solid, but the truly brutal will opt for the Necromancer class – raising the dead, draining life force, or just transforming into a terrible lich.

A totally new free-to-play expansion pack is available right now

And we haven’t even got into the tank qualities of Knights and Paladins, the support functions of mad scientist-style Alchemists and angelic Lightbinders, and there’s already another new class to try: Overgrowth, the latest expansion for the game, gives you the chance to experience battle as a n?ew class: the powerful Grovewalker. These powerful fighters can swap between their human and floral forms and are ideal for handling large numbers of enemies in either guise.

While in human form the Grovewalker Blooming attack is one that can turn the tide of battle. Not only does it shoot organic acid at your foes, but more deadly acid-spitting flowers sprout in its wake and these also attack nearby enemies for up to ten seconds. Combine this w??ith Tessa’s Call to boost the flower’s strength, then use Tessa’s Call again to detonate the flowers causing massive area of effect damage. If crowd control is more important, use Breath of the Forest to push enemies back, and Nature’s Grip to lash?? them in place with crushing vines.

While the Grovewalker human form works best at range, sometimes you just need to lay the smackdown, and that’s when you transform into ??the Living Armor form. Now suitably protected by bark-like skin, you can use Living Missile to hurl yourself at groups of enemies, delivering punishing damage when you strike. The effect is amplified if you use Shield of Thorns at the same time, reflecting any damage back at enemies and protecting you from harm. If you do find yourself wounded, the Touch of Life skill recharges your health for six seconds – a priceless ability in larger fights.

As you can see, the Grovewalker is more than just a damage-dealing tank, and more than another healing mage. They’re an amazing combination of the two, and a great example of the sort of unique experiences Skyforge offers.

Skyforge is available to? play for free now on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox O??ne. The Overgrowth expansion is also live now!

The post Skyforge spices up the RPG clas??s system with God?? powers appeared first on Destructoid.

Free download available now on iOS & Android

_{[This week Japanator is sponsored by Sword Art Online! The following article is an advertisement.]}

In the anime versions of the SWORD ART ONLINE story, we followed young hero Kirito as he battled through 100 levels to finally face Kayaba’s avatar in combat, and free Sword Art Online’s players. In Integral Factor’s massively multiplayer online recreation, you actually are one of those pl??ayers, and so is everybody el?se. Rather than following the designated hero, it’s up to you to explore the many different worlds in your own way and see if you can be the hero the world needs.

It’s a rich and deep setting for an RPG, and with the player controlling characters in an MMORPG who are aware they’re characters in an MMORPG, it has an existen??tial twist that makes ?it stand out from its genre peers.

It’s also the sort of undertaking that would usually result in a console or PC game, yet SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor is a free to play mobile game for both iOS and Android platforms. It’s also a fully featured MMO game, and after you’ve created your avatar and been through a tutorial disguised as the last day of S?WORD ART ONLINE’s in-game beta test, you’re free to take on quests, explore, level up, loot, craft and battle your way towards the u?ltimate victory.

Combat utilizes a system of normal and special attacks, augmented by the ability to switch quickly between different weapon sets, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Every day you play, you get a bonus – it might be free Arcana gems, the game’s currency, or it could be Skill Records, items that unlock new abilities and attacks for specific weapons, as well as useful passive abilities. There’s also the option to craft new gear, and the game offers daily quests expressly for building up your crafting resources and EXP points quickly. Unlike other MMOs, this is a game that wants you to spend your time ?interacting with characters and advancing the story, not mindlessly grinding.

And what of those characters? Familiar faces from the manga and anime will cross your path occasionally, but the emphasis is firmly on making this your adventure in SWORD ART ONLINE’s world, and you can’t do that if you’re constantly in the shadow of an existing hero. Think of it as your chance to go beyond the margins of the story that has already been told, and find out what else is happening in this bizarre digi??tal realm.

If you’re a fan of SWORD ART ONLINE already, the appeal of such a game is pretty obvious, but as SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor starts at the same point as the existing story there’s no reason for newcomers not to join in as well. All the characters ??are experiencing this strange tale for the first time too, so there’s no bewildering catch-up needed.

From its ?compelling exploration and combat, to its generous and addictive structure, and with new features being added all the time – including player guilds from April 26 – this is one game-within-a-game you&rsquo??;ll definitely want to be drawn into!

Also, all users log??ging in to the game before May 9th will be able to receive 2500 Arcana Gems, a pair of in-game stamps, 4 Star Asuna Skill Records (Attack & Defense boosts), additional localized languages and 4 avatar outfits for you and your partner when you log into the game.

Check out the SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor prologue comic and Official Facebook Page to look for more information!

Download the game right now and Dive into the world of SWORD ART ONLINE: Int??egral Factor by visiting Google Play or App Store.

©2016 REKI KAWAHARA/PU??BLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAO MOVIE Project

©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

Illustrated by abec

The post SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor is the Sword Art Online game?? fans have been waiting for appeared first on Destructoid.

Free download available now on iOS & Android

_{[This week Tomopop is sponsored by Sword Art Online! The following article is an advertisement.]}

In the year 2022, the brilliant scientist Akihiko Kayaba developed the first full dive VR MMORPG, SWORD ART ONLINE. However, it turns out that logging out before the game is cleared is impossible…A Game Over means “Death” in the real world, and the only way to clear the game is to conquer the 100 floors of Aincrad. In the original Anime series, the storyline follows the teenager Kirito. But in SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor, you will be the one to conquer and change the outcome of the game??.

That’s what makes new mobile game SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor so ingenious. It’s a SWORD ART ONLINE RPG that occasionally crosses over with the events familiar from the novel and anime, but allows fans – and newcomers – to discover the world of the anime for themselves. Instead of forcing you to follow Kirito&rsqu??o;s well-trodden footsteps it instead goes right back to the start of the timeline and casts you – and thousands of other players – as the other people trapped inside the game. Kirito is out there somewhere, doing his thing, but meanwhile the big question is how are you going to survive?

For fans it’s the perfect spin-off. You get to inhabit the same world as your favorite characters, and can seek out the secrets and references that tie in with the existing story. But if you’ve never read or watched SWORD ART ONLINE, it doesn&?rsquo;t matter – all the characters are experiencing it for the first time as well, so there’s nothing to catch up on.

“We wanted the player to project themselves onto the main character,” says the game’s producer. “Since this game is based on how the user themselves can navigate through the story, we intentionally intended not to focus too much on the anime characters. There were a lot of other players other than Kirito that had a b??ig impact in the SAO world, and we really want the players to co-operate with different characters and become one of them.”

SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor is also adding features to help you work together with fellow players, just as Kirito did. Guilds are being implemented in the game from April 26, so up to 30 people can join forces, create the?ir own emblem and collaborate to battle through Aincrad together. There are also daily bonus quests to earn more XP and crafting materials, for those who want to speed their progression, and more floors are being added to Aincrad all the time, with the latest bringing a forest world and a Chaos Boss to the game.

“Fans of the original anime or novels will definitely enjoy the game,&rd?quo; say the producers, “but even if you didn’t know the anime, it’s a game that can be enjoyed by anyone because it features original characters and storylines.”

SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor is available now for iOS and Android. There’s also an avatar design contest running on the official Facebook page, with the ??chance to see your creation included ?in the game!

©2016 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPO??RATION ASCII MEDIA W?ORKS/SAO MOVIE Project

©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

Illustrated by abec

The post How a new mobile game takes fans inside SWORD ART ONLINE’s virtual world appeared first on Destructoid.

Moviegoers, please set your mobile phones to Pew! Pew! Pew!

_{This article is sponsored by TimePlay, we’re inviting the jbsgame.community to test us out!}

Have you ever fantasized about renting out a movie theater and hooking up your video games to the projector? The creators of TimePlay certainly did.  They’ve developed a technology that allows movie-goers to pla??y local co-op games on the big screen, compete in live trivia, play along with music, and more from any mobile phone.  This is a real thing that’s being play-tested across movie theaters, right now.  The company has pilot programs right now in Detroit and Toronto, with some even givi??ng out some big prizes to the top players.

How does this madness work?

Your Apple, Android, or Blackberry phones are the co??ntroller, and everybody in the theater can join the game by connecting to the TimePlay WiFi Hotspot when it’s game time.  To get ready before you get seated, you must first download the free TimePlay app and register a gamer profi?le.  This will let you customize a big screen avatar, track your performance on in-app leaderboards by location, and over time for bigger prizes as well as easier redemption. Prizes vary by time and location: check the website for which theaters in participating areas are enabled and give it your best shot!

Play in theaters Jan 26th – Feb 22nd, with tournament finals on March 17th

Show off your TimePlay Skills! For the first time ever, compete against other TimePlayers in Toronto for a chance at a $5000 cash prize pool. Visit any one of Toronto’s TimePlay enabled theaters, get to your seat at least 15 minutes before your movie showtime, play TimePlay and you’re automatically entered for your chance to win! Toronto’s Top 20 players will be invited to the Finals in March 2018. Your tournament score is cumulative, th??e more you play the better your chances.  

Check out the rules for more info: //timeplay.com/toronto-tournament-rules/

The post What’s better than trailers? 300 player local co-op battles at the movie theater, duh appeared first on Destructoid.

A hit title with over 200 million downloads

_{[Advertising note: Anime is paying the bills this week. The game's free on mobile, check it out!]}

This week we're sponsored by an iOS and Android game that more people have downloaded than the Starbucks + AirBnB app combined. Over 200 million times! DragonBall Z: Dokkan Battle was released back in 2015, but obviously based on the super-popular Shonen? Jump series that debuted way in the 80’s. Whether you’re a long time fan, or cu?rious about getting into it, it's a game that's ever-evolving with something for everybody.

T??his is a challenge: Bandai Namco Entertainment?? invites Destructoid readers to come out and show us your moves!

It’s over 1000 (characters) !

To give the game mass appeal, it's (1) free, as in beer and (2)  there aren’t a lot of c?omplex game mechanics that need to be mastered. You can ??pick it up and play it anytime.

The gameplay is straightforward: It begin as a collectible digital card game. First, you go to battle with your starting deck, punching and fireballing people in the face, and then your deck will start gaining power. In-game purchases are optional, but it does help you ?progress faster to more difficult opponents. This one is for the super fans: Almost every character from the show can be captured, from Goku to the Saibamen and Arale. It’s a team-based game, so you can choose?? your favorites and figure out which abilities and handicaps best suit your play style.

With over 2 years under its belt, over 20 in-game “World Tournaments” from the Dragon Ball storyline have taken place! There are various new quests with bonus events, story-re??lated events, and frequent limited-time special events which are all part of the ever-evolving game. If you missed the game's original r??elease, don't sweat it. Now is a special time ?to pick it up as our anniversary takes flight. Check it out on your favorite platform for free today:  It's available on iOS and Android 

[Ads disclosure: Ads within this game may benefit Destructoid & Bandai Namco Entertainment]

The post ??A look into the popularity of Dragon Ball ?Z Dokkan Battle appeared first on Destructoid.

Pulverizing takes practice

[This week, we’re sponsored by Bulma’s bitcoin stash. This is an advertisement]

Hardcore DBZ fans and newbs are still duking it out on mobile with their favorite series' characters two years after the game’s release, and with good reason.  The game is still constantly being updated with limited-time events, and almost every character from the franchise can be collected -- over one thousand of them.  That gives us plenty of stuff to do, and probably why the game has over 200 million downloads.  

If you haven’t jumped in yet, it’s free on Android and iOS.  Here&rsq??uo;s some quick advice on how to f??ast track your way to the higher levels in no time.

Use training mode to level by fighting same-color characters

Don’t skip training mode - you can still earn XP there. To make the most of this, select a training partner with the same color as the character yoru trying to level up in order to earn bonus experience, and selecting two identical characters gives the chance to increase that character's Super Attack level. &??nbsp;The training mode is quite robust -- put in the time there and go through all of the special training partners, and return there any time you can’t take down some of the game’s tougher opponents.

Memorize the type chart, or at least keep good notes at your side

Like with many other games, Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle drops characters into spec??ific categories that are strong or weak against other types. Most of the information needed to get the most out of battles comes down to the game's Type flow chart, which shows strengths for and against each different type. For example, Red STR characters are strong against Yellowish PHY characters but weak against Blue AGL characters. Any STR-type attack ??against other Types will do normal damage, but players can lay down the hurt by keeping their attacks in line with specific strengths and weaknesses.

Gain bonuses by tracking down all Seven Dragon Balls

This one’s a no-brainer: As you capture them, choose the “I want more allies” bonus, and it increases your character slots to 10. Those additional slots provide many more strategic options. Not only is tracking down all seven Dragon Balls an essential part of the Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle experien??ce, but the fights are just so much more fun once you have a giant mob in tow.  T??his should be your priority.

Get the free login bonuses and other daily rewards

On most days you can rack up Zeni (money) and Dragon Stones just for logging in. Even better, you rack up bigger rewards by logging in on a few days in a row, meaning it's worth checking in once a day even if you’re not going into the arena. Daily rewards can really stack up, and coupled together with the game's special ?events, players can quickly get a lead on the competition without a lot of effort.  

Finally, only use Dragon Stones for summons

Using a Dragon Stone to restore Stamina or revive after a big boss battle is perhaps not the best idea.  Instead, just try again later after leveling up instead. Save those Dragon Stones for summoning new characters, and allow stats like st?amina to recover themselves over time. This will save more than just money and time, but also makes the game more enjoyable.  Don’t try to brute force it, you’ll only end up frustrated. Remember,? just return to practice mode to recover.

Practice Makes Perfect

It might go without saying, but we're going to say it anyway: nothing helps round out a team of fighters like experience. Sometimes players just won't have made enough progress to take down some of the game's tougher battles, and that's alright. Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle can be extremely rewarding if you take your time, follow the tips in ??this guide, and power up that deck dutifully every day, even just by lo??gging in.  

200 million strong can’t be wrong, so go climb those leaderboards! Check it out on your favorite platform for free today:  I????t's available on iOS and Android 

The post Very quick tips: ??How to win at Dragon?? Ball Z: Dokkan Battle appeared first on Destructoid.

Sledgehammer Games developers share their insider tips and strategies, and you could snag 2X XP for multiplayer

Now that Call of Duty: WWII is officially out in the wild, you might be on the lookout for ways in which you can get a leg up in the game’s highly competitive multiplayer component or its cooperative Zombies mode. Call of Duty: WWII has a drastically different feel than other recent Call of Duty games, especially since it marks a return to the classic "boots on the ground" gameplay that defined early entries in the franchise. Fortunately for you, members of the Sledgehammer Games development team took a little time out of their day to share some essential tips and strategies that can give you the advantage you need in both multiplayer and Zombies. Even better, thanks to Blazin' Rewards | Buffalo Wild Wings, you can claim your 2X XP multiplayer boost.

_{[Note: This article contains advertising links (for chicken wings, son!) See notes following the post. -ed]}

Multiplayer

Use Divisions to Support Your Team

As game director Michael Condrey explains in the video, Call of Duty: WWII has a new ‘Divisions’ feature for its multiplayer which allows players to fill more defined roles within their overall team. Naturally, you should focus on mastering the Divisions that you enjoy playing the most, but becoming at least somewhat competent in all the Divisions can help as well in case you ne??ed to shore up a noticeable weak spot in your tea?m’s performance.

Try Out the War and Gridiron Modes for a Change of Pace 

Like many Call of Duty games before it, Call of Duty: WWII has a variety of fan-favorite multiplayer modes including TDM, Domination, Search & Destroy, and others, but if you’re looking for a little change of pace from the standard fare, Mi?chael Condrey suggests both th??e War and Gridiron game modes.

War plays out in a similar manner to Battlefield 1’s Operations mode (only on a much smaller scale) with one team attempting to complete a series of objects and the other team having to stop them. Gridiron, meanwhile, is basically a boots on the ground version of the Uplink game mode that first appeared in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Think of it as a deadly game of football.

Start Out with Either the Infantry or Airborne Divisions 

While you can technically begin your Call of Duty: WWII multiplayer career ??in any of the game’s five available Divisions, Michael Condrey says that the Infantry and Airborne Divisions (the latter of which is Condrey’s favorite) were both designed with newer players in mind. They both offer an all-around easy playstyle to learn, and they can both be configured to have a decent number of attachments for their weapons (up to four in the Infantry’s case) which, again, make them both excellent Divisions to start out with.

Remember to Escort the Tank in War Mode 

At launch, Call of Duty: WWII has three different maps for War mode, and two of those maps involve escorting a friendly tank to an objective. As Condrey notes in the below video, it’??s important to stay near the tank and take out any nearby enemy players so that it can keep progressing. Fortunately, if you need a little extra bit of firepower to do that, you can hop into the tank’s 50 Caliber turret gun and mow down any enemy players who get too close, just make sure you’ve got some teammates backing you up since you’re also exposed when you’re in the turret.

Stick to War Mode if You Like Working Together 

Except for Free-For-All, the entire list of game modes in Call of Duty: WWII’s multiplayer features team-based combat, so there&rsqu??o;s plenty of content to dive into if you enjoy working with other players as a team. However, as game director Glen Schofield discusses in t?he below video, War is hands down the best mode for savoring that feeling of camaraderie thanks to its marriage of team-based and objective-based gameplay.

Pick the Right Tools for the Job 

Any Division can technically equip any of Call of Duty: WWII’s available multiplayer weapons, but as animation dir?ector Christopher Stone explains in the below video, picking the right weapon for the right Division can make all the difference. For example, the Airborne Division can equip the noise-cancelling suppressor as a free attachment to all SMG’s, making it the ide?al Division for stealth-oriented players. Meanwhile, the Infantry Division gets a free bayonet for all Rifles, making it a good choice if you, for example, like popping headshots with the M1 Garand.

Learn the Map Layouts

They say that forewarned is forearmed, and that certainly holds true in Call of Duty: WWII’s case. As Christopher Stone explains in the below video, learning and memorizing the layouts of the different multiplayer maps is something that can provide you a significant edge in any Call of Duty game, not just WWII. If you know when an??d where to flank an enemy instead of just blindly charging? in and hoping you win the ensuing gun battle, that right there can significantly increase your odds of winning.

Zombies

Stick Together to Survive Later Waves

This seems like obvious advice, but as fellow Sledgehammer game director Glen Schofield explains in the below video, it bears repeating. The early waves in Call of Duty: WWII’s Zombies mode shouldn’t be too challenging for your team, especially thanks to the game’s increased focus on survivability in Zombie??s, but once you start climbing into the higher wave numbers, you’ll definitel?y want to stick close to your buddies. The game will throw several different zombie types at you, and if you find yourself all alone and staring down a horde of these fiends, you likely won’t live to fight another day.

Find a Good “Train” Path

In Zombies, an excellent strategy that’s often used by skilled players in higher number waves is to run around and have all the zombies chase them, forming a sort of “zombie train” which they can then turn around and shoot at without fear of being surprised from behind. Animation director Christopher Stone says in the below video that this strategy remains ideal in Call of Duty: WWII, and he gives the strategy his own unique term: finding your ‘Ring of Life.’ No matte??r what, though, Stone says that Zombies players should always be on the move, especially once some? of the quicker zombie types start showing up.

So, there you have it. If you follow the above tips and strategies, you should be slaying your Call of Duty: WWII competition in no time, whether that competition is hordes of the ravenous undead or fellow players. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for Buffalo Wild Wings’ free Blazin’ Rewards program so that you can redeem the points you earn towards double XP codes for Call of Duty: WWII.

[Ad notes: This article was authored in partnership with Sledgehammer Games. It is syndicated on Destructoid as an advertisement for Buffalo Wild Wings. Yes, we're paying the bills with CoD and chicken wings. Brave new world. Also, #teambone]

The post Earn 2X XP with these 10 Call of Duty: WWII tips from S?ledgehammer Ga?mes appeared first on Destructoid.

Over 1000 "Very Positive" Steam reviews

_{[Disclosure: This week Destructoid is sponsored by EVERSPACE]}

Beginning with a Kickstarter campaign back in 2015, Everspace has been in an early access/beta stage since September 2016. If the comments on the Steam page are any indication, Everspace&n?bsp;is a thrilling experience?? that grips players from the beginning.

Players pilot a variety of spacecraft on a journey through dangerous territories, facing a wide variety of enemies. Enemies challenge players to test not only their piloting skills, but also their ability to improvise and in order to survive. According to Rockfish Games, “…you piece together the puzzle of your existence through encounters with interesting characters, each having ??their own unique part of the story to tell.” The game runs on the popular Unreal Engine 4.

In addition to thrilling combat, pla???yers will also be able to loot equipment during their journey, as well as craft their own. Gamers will be able to upgrade their arsenal and increase their chances of survival. However, doom is always looming in that “death is inevitable but is also only the beginning of a much larger journey.”

Here's the early access launch trailer:

Players are rewarded each time they die by being able to improve their starting conditions for upcoming journeys. Shield improvements, improved sensors, and weapon upgrades are just a few of the available bonuses that can be installed to players’ ships by both dying as well as looting and crafting. For more information on Everspace, visit the game’s official website. Everspace’s full release is scheduled for May 26, 2017 on PC and Xbox? One.

Rockfish Games is an independent video game developer comprised mostly of the team responsible for the Galaxy on Fire series of mobile video games. Everspace will be t??he company’s first attempt at console and PC gaming after having AAA success with mobile devices under the team’s former company, Fishlabs.

[Via OnlySP.com]

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120+ hours of video, mobile, and tvOS game design & dev training

You obviously love gaming just by virtue of the fact t??hat you’re here. Wouldn’t it be cool to make gaming more than a lifestyle, though, and actually make it your life? You can do it, I believe in you, and to show you just how much I’ve finagled the Complete Game Des?ign?? & Developer Bundle down to just $59 for today only at the Destructoid Store.

Yeah, there is a lot of money in game design and development, but more importantly, you’ll be maki??ng the games you wish existed.

Over these 6 courses, you’ll get hands-on training actually building games from scratch with SpriteKit, HTML5, Unity 3D, and much more. You’ll make simple art, configure logic for your games, master game layout, jazz them up with sound a??nd text, create scoreboards, and so much more that goes into making great vide??o, mobile, and tvOS games.

This one-day sale is… well, you get it, o?ver in one day. Get the Complete Game Design & Developer Bundle for $59 at the Destructoid Store today only!

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10 courses in Unity, Unreal Engine, and more, all for a price you pick

There are plenty of totally legit excuses to not learn to code??. Like “there will be other people in the class and I don't care for them,” and “But how will I buy cheeseburgers?” Well, no more excuses: I’ve got a deal in the Destructoid Store on a coding bundle where you can pick your price and you don't even have to leave bed. The best part? You'll be le??arning about your favorite thing. Video games! The 2017 Master Game Development Bundle is awaiting you.

Here’s how it works. You can pay below the average price and get two of the courses (the HTML5 Game Development in Construct 2 course and the Java Game Development course that teaches you how to make a Flappy Bird clone). Or you can beat the ??average price and get all 10 courses, valued at $1,110. You’ll get classes like:

Player vs. Player tvOS Games - a six-hour training in crafting games for Apple TV. You’ll master? the physics of your game world, learn how to animate explosions, and more.

Learn 3D Game Development and Programming with Unity - a five-hour training in turning your game idea into reality using Unity 3D, the?? industry-standard game engine. Lear?n how to program game mechanics, create game logic, and design levels.

Unreal Engine 4: The Complete Beginner's Course - an eight-hour introduction to one of the leading 3D game design softwares on earth. You probably won't build Gears of War in this?? course, but you'll take the first step tow?ards it!

No excuses — learn how to code and pay what you want for the 2017 Master Game Development Bundle.

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Save 49% on this Food & Wine Magazine favorite

What does meat have to do with videogames, you say? Oh, c'mon. Surely you've whipped a cinder block or two in your childhood that somehow produced an energy-filling p??ork chop. If heroes of old haven't protein-reinforced your walls and you're still going to the store to find good meat at full price, well then you’re not living the dream. Sit on the couch and magically teleport the meat party directly to you through the wonders of the Internet. That’s exactly what ButcherBox does: They deliver chunks of high-quality meat right to your door. Want in? I’ve gotten Butcher Box to stock the Destructoid Store full of meat, and t?hey’ve knocked down the price by up to 49%.

Get your high-qual??ity pro??tein on with four marked-down options:

- Chicken and Pork Box: Includes bacon (10 oz), organic, free-range chicken breasts (1.25 lb), thighs (1.25 lb) & pork chops (two 8 oz chops), and a $20 ??credit to??ward an additional subscription

- Steak, Chops, and Chicken Box: Includes bacon (10 oz), organic, free-range chicken breasts (1.25 lb), pork chops (two 8 oz chops), ribeye steak (two 10 oz steaks, NY strips (two 10 oz steaks) & top sirloin steaks (four 5 oz steaks),  and a $20 credit toward an additional ?subscription box

- Beef and Pork Box: Includes bacon (10 oz), ground beef (2 lb), sirloin tips (1 lb), top sirloin steaks (four 5 oz steaks), pork chops (two 8 oz chops), and a $20 credit toward an additional?? subscription box

- One-month Subscription: Your choice of the All Beef Bo??x, the Beef, Pork & Chicken Box, the Beef & Pork Box, or the Beef & Chicken Box (8.5 lb of meat in each box).

I??t's grass-feed beef, definitely worth trying. All of ButcherBox’s meat is humanely raised, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, toxin-free, and ridiculously delicious. (Plus free shipping, btw). Meat is flash-frozen at the peak of freshness, packed with dry ice, and delivered within 2-5 days of your order, so it’s super fresh when it gets to you.  Santa stocking full of sirloin, anyone? Yesss ... but maybe not near the fireplace.

Alright, stop drooling and go order your meat

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Save 62% on these sweat-proof Bluetooth buds

If yo??u've never caught your headphone wires and yanked them out?? of your ears while running or went into a psychotic rage while trying to untangle them, then you likely have already reached Nirvana. Congratulations. For the rest of us spiritual plebes, there are wireless headphones. I’ve got Center Link Media’s Bluetooth sport earbuds in the Destructoid Store for $18.99, a savings of 62%.

Wires are? a serious pain in the ass when you’re working out and trying to pret??end the treadmill isn’t the bane of your existence get in the zone. These sweat-proof buds ditch the wires without compromising sound quality. You’ll get high ambient noise reduction as you powe??r through your workout playlist, with? up to five hours of playtime before you need to recharge (that’s like five of your secret Jane Fonda workouts).

Sorry, now you’ve got no excuse to skip your?? next workout — grab these buds for $18.99 and free shipping.

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Seriously, just click a button and you're flying - stop crashing drones, dude

You’re the kind of person who drops irreplaceable heirloom china every family get together, and your longest tenured pet was a goldfish, right? You probably think you shouldn’t go anywhere near drones, and for the most part, you’re probably ?right. The JetJat Ultra Nano Drone, however, is different. This is one toy you can play with and not destroy within seconds, and ??it’s availa?ble now in the Destructoid Store for $99.99.

The JetJat might seem expensive at first, but when you realize th??e functionality it has, it seems like a bargain. You can tak??e off, maintain altitude, and land the it with literally a single button. Once you’re flying, you’ve got three speed modes to choose from, and you can attach your smartphone to the controller to live-stream everything. And yes, that includes flips, trips, and?? other aerials. The JetJat has all the perks of a full-sized drone at a fraction of the cost and associated risk. If you still manage to crash it, don’t worry, it comes with fo?ur extra propellers to get right back at it.

Spread your wings and fly, Butterfingers. Get the JetJat Ultra?? Nano Drone in the Destructoid Store f??or $99.99.

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One of the best Razer products ever

2004 was a good year. MySpace was just a year old (miss you, Tom), you watched Anchorman seven times in theaters, and you didn’t have to Google what the hell “on fleek” meant. (“Google” was like barely a verb!) It was also the year that the Razer Diamondback gaming mouse made its debut at the World Cyber Games, winning a rash of awards including Gamespot’s Hardware of the Year. This mouse hasn't been in stock for some time now, exc??????????????????????????ept for scalpers selling it's variants for ridiculous amounts on Ebay and Amazon.

I’ve since aged 12 mediocre years, and watched gaming mice evolve with the Diamondback as their spiritual sherpa. Now, finally, it has returned better than ever??, and I’ve got the collector’s edition in the Destructoid Store for just $59.99.

The best-selling mouse is better than ever—it’s got a crazy 16,000 DPI 5G laser sensor and 50 g acceleration. Plus, the seven programmable Hyperesponse buttons make it easy to customize for whatever game or style suits your fancy. Speaking of, the ambidextrous design will also suit you?r fancy; even small, clammy, weird ones like mine.

Go grab it at the Destructoid Store.

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Feel free to test the underwater audio when you fall in, too

If I could only bring one thing to a desert island, it would be a water desalinization plant, my Dunkin’ Donuts, a flint, someone to talk at, and the waterproof, shockproof HomeSpot Bluetooth speaker. Yeah, that’s more than one thing, but when would I ever voluntarily be going to a des??ert island and only bringin??g one thing? Stupid questions get smart answers.

For real t??hough, the HomeSpot is awesome. It provides a perfect soundtrack for camping, swimming, rafting, climbing, splitting coconuts, and pretty much any other activity you’d be doing while maroo?ned on an island. Not that you would be, but who knows. The best part is I got ‘em to knock down the price from $79.99 down to $29.99 for Destructoid readers.

This s?peaker’s completely weatherproof, deflecting dust, dirt, and water, and it’s coated with a rubberized surface that makes it shockproof, too. And yes, it does have the sound to match, with two high performance 6W acoustic drivers and a passive b??ass subwoofer. You can even use it as a lifeline, presuming somebody loves you enough to call you during your missing period, thanks t?o a built-in noise-canceling speakerphone for calls.

Oh yeah, it works just as well indoors too??. I’ve got the HomeSpot in the Destructoid Store now, so grab yours for $29.99 and free U.S. shipping.

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No headphone jack, huh?

Whether or not you think it was a dick move for Apple to ditch the traditional headphone jack you’ve been using literally your entire life on every listening device you’ve ever owned, this isn’t the time for a walk down memory ??lane. It is the time to pick up the superior HOCO L1 Lightning Cable Headphones at a steal, tho?ugh—the Destructoid Store’s got &lsq?uo;em for $21.99.

Yeah yeah, you’ll?? tell your grandkids all about the headphone jacks of the good ol’ days, while they go comatose in their portable Matrix machines instead of listening to you, that’s great. But in the meantime, these Lightning headphones were a top 10 pick by Heavy, thanks to the solid, du?rable design and the Sony Hi-Rs Standard audio. Plus, you can control volume right on the headphones so you’re not constantly staring at the phone that betrayed you.

The Destructoid Store is even throwing in free shipping, s??o wipe your tears and grab ‘em in black or white for $21.99.

For those of us who prefer the standard head?phone jack or can't afford an iPhone 7, here are two other headphone options:

• A-Audio Legacy Headphones ($79)
• XTC Genuine Wood Headphones ($23)

The post Deals blog: HOCO makes better Lightning headphones than Appl?e appeared first on Destructoid.