Originally released as a Nintendo Wii exclusive in 2009—and only in Japan�em>Tales of Graces was eventually remastered and brought to the Western audience on the PlayStation 3 in the form of Tales of Graces f in 2012. Now, almost 13 years later, the JRPG has been remastered once again and made available on pretty much every modern platform with Tales of Graces f Remastered.

Nowadays remastered can mean a lot of things when it comes to games, anywhere from basic ports to a more modern system to a complete remake like Final Fantasy 7 Remake. In the case of Tales of Graces f Remastered, it means upda????ted graphics to look better on modern displays, alongside a plethora of quality-of-life additions ranging from small to huge.

Most of the additions simply make this over two-decade old JRPG more accessible and fun to play, while keeping most of the experience authentic and true ?to the original. Which, I'm not afraid to admit, is one of my favorites in the 'Tales?? of' franchise.

Tales of Graces f Remastered (PC, PS5[reviewed], PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)
Developer: TOSE Co. LTD
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Released: January 16, 2025
MSRP: $39.99

Yup, you heard that right. If I had to pick an absolute favorite, it would probably be the most recently released Tales of Arise. But before then, I'd put Tales of Graces f up there alongside Tales of the Abyss as my favorite, mostly bec??ause of its fun high-speed battle system that was a standout in the series. Thankfully, developer TOSE Co.?? LTD has left the battle system fully intact from the original.

The story of Tales of Graces f Remastered takes place in the fantastical world of Ephinea, a world divided into three different countries: Windor, Strahta, and Fendel. At the start of the game, the main protagonist, Asbel, and his younger brother Hubert find a peculiar purple-haired girl named Sophie near their town. Sophie is suffering from amnesia and has no idea who she is or ??why she is there. Asbel and Hubert take Sophie back to their village, only to encounter Prince Richard, the future king of one of the other three kingdoms. The four become friends before an unexpected tragedy results in the group all going their separate ways.

From here, Tales of Graces f Remastered jumps forward seven years to a time when the three kingdoms that were all previously at peace are now under the threat of war due to a series of events that transpired over that period ?of time, resulting in the childhood friends reuniting during rather trying times as the three kingdoms are under the threat of an all-out war.

Like most JRPGs, the story of Tales of Graces f Remastered is an important part of the game. I think the reason I enjoy the story of Graces so much is due to the constant tension brought on by the element of political intrigue, somet??hing often absent in JRPGs and, more specifically, in the 'Tales of' series. It's not without its faults—it certainly suffers f??rom some of the usual JRPG? cliches, especially with its characters—but the constant twisting and turning of the story due to backstabbing and politicking sets it apart from other entries in the series.

While I enjoy the story, it's important to highlight that I very much recommend you play through the optional 'Lineage and Legacies' after completing the main story. It was originally a DLC that actually serves as the ending to Tales of Graces, resolving a lot of ongoing subplots and overall puts a nice finishing touch on the main story as well. The Lineage and Legacies DLC, as well as all the other DLC that was released for Tales of Graces f other than a few pieces of license-restricted cosmetics, are included in the rem?astered version.

Tales of Graces f Remastered utilizes an action combat system where running into enemies on the world map will send you into a real-time battle against the enemy. You can run around the battle map as well as block or dodge attacks, all while attacking your foes with a variety of attacks, including A Artes (physical special attacks) and B Artes (magical special attacks. Using a system called Chain Capacity (often referred to as CC), you can combo Artes together to deal massive damage. As you progress through Tales of Graces f Remastered, accomplishi??ng various achievements will unl??ock Titles for each of your characters that also grant new Artes.

I remember trying to get the platinum trophy for Tales of Graces f which required you to get 100 Titles for each of the playable characters. This was a huge time sink, as many titles simply required you to grind them out mindlessly. With Tales of Graces f Remastered, you get full? access to the Grade Shop, a special shop that allows you to enable and disable certain systematic changes to the game on the fly, such as Double Item Drop chances, increased experience and currency gains, ?and more. Believe me when I say some of these will really cut down on the grind, especially if you're looking to get all the Titles. In the original, you could only access the Grade Shop after completing the game. For those who have played previously and are looking to have a less grindy?? experience, this is a very welcome quality-of-life addition. And for those who don't want it, you can simply choose not to enable any of the buffs from the Grade Shop.

Alongside the Grade Shop, here are some of the other quality-of-life additions in Tales of Graces f Remastered. On the overworld map, you can toggle your run button into a dash button to more quickly traverse the world. You can also toggle enemy encounters on or off vi??a a simple setting in the options menu, so if you want to avoid battles and just progress the story for a bit, you can ??do so. All cutscenes and dialogue skits are skippable (thank god) and destination icons for your next main story quest destination have been added when on the overworld map.

At the end of the day, Tales of Graces f Remastered is everything a remaster should be: graphical upgrades that make an old game look better on modern platforms, a trove of quality-of-life additions that make the game better while staying true to the original version, and inclusion of all the DLC for the complete package. It's really solid value, especially for those who have yet to play Tales of Graces in either of its previous two forms, since this is essentially the u??ltimate version. Now I just hope Tales of Xillia 1 and 2?? or maybe even Tales of the Abyss are next!

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

The post Review: Tales of Graces f Remastered appeared first on Destructoid.

I have fond memories of the original release of Freedom Wars back in 2014 on the PlayStation Vita, as it felt like one of the more unique exclusives on the platform. Fast forward to today, over a decade later, and developer Dimps and publisher Bandai Namco have brought the action RPG to the modern console and PC market in the form of Freedom Wars Remastered.

When it comes to giving a title the remastered treatment, Freedom Wars may just be the ideal candidate. Even though over?? 7?00,000 copies of the original were sold, being exclusive to a handheld console still meant many never gave it a try, even if it seemed right up their alley. It's a game that even in over a decade ago I felt it could potentially feel and play even better on a console, so it's great to finally have that opportunity.

Freedom Wars Remastered (PC, PS5 [reviewed], PS4, Switch)
Developer: Dimps
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Released: January 10, 2025
MSRP: $39.99

If you didn't have the privilege of playing the original back in 2014, Freedom Wars Remastered takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future where all of humanity exists inside enormous underground prison facilities called Pantopicons. At birth, every human is sentenced to one million years of imprisonment simply for existing in a time where resources are scarce, and the surface of the planet is inhabitable. By completing missions for your Panopticon—typically going out and slaying giant monsters called Abductors Monster Hunter-?style—you'll reduce your lengthy sentence and earn rewards for doing so to incentivize you t??o keep chipping away at it.

Of course, you can easily add to your sentence, as well. Stand around too long while you should be actively completing your mission? Here's an extra decade to your sentence. Have the audacity to waste your Panopticon's time by failing a mission? Here's a few thousand years. Your sentence is mostly just dressing to the events going on in Freedom Wars Remastered, but I have to admit the gameplay loop feels even better when you see the fruits of your labor result in that s??entence going down.

I found the story of Freedom Wars Remastered to be quite intriguing a decade ago, and it probably holds up even better today than it did then. In 2014, it seemed a bit too farfetched, but as we head into 2025 many aspects of the grim reality of the title's setting seem to hit home just a bit harder this?? time around; themes of government surveillance, a punishing social credit sy??stem, and the value of human life and freedom being reduced to a mere number are just some that echoed with me more.

The gameplay loop of Freedom Wars Remastered is simply yet enticing enough. Choose a mission from your Panopticon, then head to a preset map to complete said mission with some simplistic but fluid action RPG combat. You have both ranged and melee weapons—which of course, being a Monster Hunter-li??ke game, you'll upgrade using parts you knoc?k off the monsters you defeat—but can also jump around and also even quickly traverse the battlefield through the use of an item called a Thorn.

All Sinners (the name for those serving a sentence to their Panopticon, so pretty much everyone) has a Thorn which is essen??tially a lasso mixed with a grappling hook. It allows you to try and bring down certain enemies but, more commonly, is used to quickly sling around the area. There are even some rather unique aerial attacks you can pull off by using your Thorn appropriately, which is both fun and rewarding as they often allow you to target otherwise hard-to-??reach parts on the Abductors.

Freedom Wars Remastered is also a fully functional multiplayer game in more ways than one. Most importantly, you can team up with or even do battle against up to seven other players at once, either working together with a team of four to take on Abductors, or in a PvPvE style setting against another team o??f four.

Another cool multiplayer element is that when you start the game, you choose from one of many locations as the Panopticon you represent. At the moment, it looks like only Japan's 47 prefectures are available, but I know in the original Freedom Wars there were also some generalized Panopticons for variou?s countries, which may be the case when full release hits. Your sentence serves as your "score" and is c??ompared against other players, both globally and in your Panopticon, in the form of a leaderboard. It's a cool feature that also ties in well with the societal narratives of the story, which is fun.

Overall the combat of Freedom Wars Remastered is fast-paced and fluid like you'd expect from a game taking inspiration from Monster Hunter, but it's a bit more simplistic than MH. But ??it still manages to stay f?un and rewarding feeling throughout the entire story and campaign.

The main upgrade of the remastered version is the visual enhancements, allowing for up to 4K resolution and 60 FPS on PlayStation and PC, as well as upgraded ??textures. The improvements are definitely noticable—remember, this was a Vita game originally, after all—but don't expect anything revolutionary. The upgraded t?extures make things look more modern and overall crisp, but some graphical elements such as facial animations and various animations during cutscenes don't seem to have received the same amount of love and still show signs of a past generation (or two).

My main complaints after my roughly 30-hour adventure through Freedom Wars Remastered echo the same complaints I had over a decade ago when I played the original on Vita. The story is intriguing and mysterious enough to have kept me hooked, but the end result is extremely disappointing. It's about as much of a cliffhanger as it gets, and certainly sets things up for a sequel that never happened. Hopefully, the remastered treatment is a hint that a sequel is finally ??coming, one I'd certainly welcome with open arms.

Crafting and upgrade weapons have received a bit of a rework in Freedom Wars Remastered, but some of the bigger flaws like ?very few actual worthwhile stats worth pursuing on your gear and a rather lackluster pool of end-?game options still exist for those that look to continue their play after the credits have rolled.

Despite the issues, though, Freedom Wars Remastered is a fun time, especially for anyone looking to sink their teeth into an action RPG with the loop of slaying big monsters for parts to upgrade their gear. The story is intriguing and engaging, and overall worthwhile to experience even with the cliffhanger ending. The combat is engaging and fun, and sure to scratch that Monster Hunter itch. Even over a decade later, Freedom Wars Remastered is an extremely satisfying? endeavor with the constant reward of seeing your million-year sent??ence drop lower and lower as you progress, a feeling that's been a bit absent in this 10-year window since the original.

The post Review: Freedom Wars Remastered appeared first on Destructoid.

During The Game Awards 2024, Bandai Namco revealed the final playable character in Tekken 8's Year 1 Pass, and it's none other than the protagonist of Final Fantasy XVI, Clive Rosfield.

This epic new trailer shows Clive fighting several Tekken 8 characters by using all of his Eikon abilities. Even his loyal companion, Torgal, assists him in some of his moves! And if that wasn't already exciting enough, Clive will arrive alongside a brand-new battle stage, Phoenix Gate from Final Fantasy XVI, complete with Ifrit and Phoenix fighting in the background and "Find the Flame" (one of the best songs in the Final Fantasy franchise) as its background theme.

And yes, voice actor Ben Starr confirmed that he's returning to voice his breakout character. Clive Rosfield will debut in Tekken 8 on December 19, 2024, but players who have bought the Year 1 Pass will be able to try him out 72 hours earlier, on December 16. On top of that, the official Tekken 8 Twitter/X account confirmed that the collaboration will also include many other cosmetic items based on other Final Fantasy XVI chara??cters, like Joshua Rosfield and Jill Warric??k.

This DLC character got a divisive reaction from Final Fantasy fans

Fans had been asking Bandai Namco and Tekken 8 producer Katsuhiro Harada to add Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII to the game for months. She seemed like a perfect fit, not only because Square Enix recently released FFVII Rebirth, but also because she's a martial artist who fights with her fists. As a result of this rampant speculation, many gamers expressed clear surprise and disappointment due to the fa??ct that Bandai Namco and Square Enix decided to go with Clive Rosfield instead of her.

Nevertheless, Clive's inclusion shouldn't really be much of a surprise because it's reminiscent of the time in which Noctis Lucis Caelum from Final Fantasy XV was added to Tekken 7, so this seems like the next chapter in a weird new tradition between Square Enix and Bandai Namco. Aside from that, Final Fantasy XVI still is an incredible video game that deserves recognition, so this definitely wasn't a bad choice at all. While Clive would fit the style of Soul Calibur way better, it doesn't seem like ?Bandai Namco plans to revive that franchise anytime soon.

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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 Mausol??eums in the base game of Elden Ring. Here they ar?e 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 first 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 w??ill 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 Mausol??eum 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 barnacles on its body to b??ring it down and open the door.

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

Mausoleum Compound (Liurnia of the Lakes)

There are two Mausoleums here which will require you to hit the barnacles on their legs to bring them down. I?t'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 b??e 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 barnacles 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 Walking 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 (turtle towers) appeared first on Destructoid.

Dr. Wheelo in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is a huge robotic beast that can deal a lot of damage against the Z-Warriors. You can use this monstrous power ?if you unlock it in one of two different ways.

How to get Dr. Wheelo in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero

Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest antagonist Dr. Wheelo is available as a hulking character in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. He can destroy a world with his Planet Geyser attack that's represented in Sparking Zero. There are two ways to unlock the villain in?? this game. They include:

1. After getting to Player Level 10, you can purchase Dr. Wheelo for 45,000 Zeni from the Shop
2. Play as Dr. Gero in any battle 10 times

The cheapest way to get Dr. Wheelo is to complete a battle playing as Dr. Gero 10 times. The best method is to have Dr. Gero face Hercule (Mr. Satan) as he's the weakest character in the game. His HP is low and Dr. Gero's special attack Drain Life 20 obliterates the human's health quickly. Kid Gohan and Videl also work for this if you get?? tired of seeing Hercule??'s mug.

The problem with Dr. Gero, however, is that he can't charge Ki like other characters. You can increase his Ki meter by attacking foes and once the bar is golden,? you can? charge Dr. Gero into his MAX state. From here, you can use Drain Life 20.

After finishing 10 battles with Dr. Gero, head to Zen-Oh's Orders on the Main Menu and redeem your reward, Dr. Wheelo.

Other characters you can unlock

Cui is an easy unlockable you can get from the beginning of the game. Simply start Vegeta's storyline in the Episode Battle mode and defeat Vegeta's minion to unlock him. Cui is also i?mmediately available from the Shop.

Another relatively easy unlock is Super Garlic Jr. You need to complete 10 battles with Piccolo to get the villain for your roster or you can purchase him from th??e Shop after getting Player Level 10.

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The vengeful Super Garlic Jr. in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is angry over the sealing of his father from Kami. After unlocking the character, you can place that?? anger into defeating the likes of Piccolo and Goku.

Two ways to unlock Super Garlic Jr. in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero

There are two methods to unlock Super Garlic Jr. in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. You'll need to do either of the following:

1. Finish 10 matches with Piccolo.
2. Buy Super Garlic Jr. from the Shop for 45,000 Zeni and you'll need to be Player Level 5.

The quickest way to unlock Super Garlic Jr. from Player Level 1 is to play 10 matches with Piccolo. Go to Battle, and then Offline to start matches against the CPU. You'll want to beat your foe as quickly as possible, so make sure Piccolo's opponent is Hercule (Mr. Satan). His HP is low, so it should take a few minutes, if that. You definitely don't want to face the likes of Gogeta or Ultra Instinct Goku, for example.

Also, pick the standard Piccolo, not t?he one fused with Kami. If you get bored of Hercule, you can choose the Kid vers??ion of Gohan, who is fairly weak as well. You can change the CPU team by pressing the right shoulder button (R1) and selecting the character.

How to use Piccolo

To quicken the process even more, use Piccolo's moves like Special Beam Cannon. You can activate it after charging up and reaching the MAX meter after getting to 1 on the top left meter. The Paralyze Beam can be a great set-up for a projectile move as it keeps them paralyzed for a few seconds. It would help to learn how to escape combos as well.

The post How to unlock Super Garlic Jr. in Dragon Ball: Sparking Ze?ro appeared first on Destructoid.

Every Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero stage, listed

There are plenty of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero stages to choose from. The base game includes 12 stages at launch with variants based on attend?ance of the fight and the time of day. They include the following:

• Planet Namek
• Open Field

  • Open Field (Evening)
  • Open Field (Night)

• Rocky Land

  • Rocky Land (Evening)
  • Rocky Land (Night)

• City

  • City (Daytime - Cloudy)
  • City (Evening)
  • City (Night)

• World Tournament

  • World Tournament (No Crowd)

• Tournament of Power Arena
• Hyperbolic Time Chamber
• Land of the Kais
• Islands

  • Islands (Evening)
  • Islands (Night)

• Cell Games Arena

  • Cell Games Arena (Evening)
  • Cell Games Arena (Night)

• City Ruins
• Destroyed Planet Namek

What happens on these stages in the anime?

The Hyperbolic Time Chamber is a location prominent within the series as Goku, his son Gohan, and other Z-fighters train to overcome incoming threats like Cell and Buu. One year inside the chamber equals one day outside, so t?hat leaves a lot of time for our heroes to train, spar with each other, and become stronger.

The Cell Games Arena is where Gohan and Cell have their fateful fight in Dragon Ball Z. It's where the teenager performs the Father-Son?? Kamehame??ha to defeat Cell and saves the world.

Planet Namek is where the events of the Frieza saga takes place, where Vegeta, Gohan, and Krillin struggle to survive as they search for the Dragon Balls. Goku ??eventually helps them and turns into a Super Sai?yan against the mighty Frieza.

Lastly, the Land of the Kais is where Goku performs a Spirit Bomb to rid us of the frightening Kid Buu, and the Rocky L?ands is likely based on the initial b?attles between Goku and Vegeta in the Saiyan arc.

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As advanced as video gaming is getting these days, there is something to be said about a trip down Nostalgia Avenue. Remasters from studios like Nightdive, as well as the return of classic games in collectible sets and downloads, keep us retro fans happy. However, if you're big into Tekken and would love to play the old games o?n modern systems, that might not be happening.

In a recent interview with The Gamer, producer and director Katsuhiro Harada �who's been with the series pretty much since day one �kind of suggests we won't get a Tekken "classics collection" any time soon.

Along with designer Michael Murray, the two discussed the ways in which fighting games age over the years. This is pretty prominent in 3D titles as opposed to 2D games like Street Fighter. Murray �translating for Harada in the interview �says ho?w fans of 3D fighting games tend to "play the latest installment" and that 2D titles use sprite characters instead of polygons, which means "they don't seem to age graphically that much."

But I want my low-poly Yoshimitsu

It should be said that this does not mean we won't ever see the older Tekken games come back as some sort of wistful collection. What Harada and Murray seem to be saying is that a lot of fans of the series might not be interested in lo?oking back across the years. True, the first game �released all the way back in 1994 �is rather unpretty when compared to the sleek, crisp, high-poly visuals of the latter entries, but there will almost certainly be a demand for the classics.

Murray goes on to say the following:

If it's a drastically different gameplay change, like a Tag 2 compared to 7 or 8, maybe that's something I would probably pick up and play for a l?ittle bit. Or maybe the Tekken Force mode or Devil Within or? something like that.

However, he does caveat that by adding:

I wouldn't even see myself picking up Tekken 3 and playing against friends for an extended period of time. So yeah, there is a difference we feel between th?e 3D fighters and 2D fighters in that respect.

Again, this doesn't mean we won't ever get a Tekken classics collection sometime in the future. It just seems like, at the moment, the studio is probably not considering one. Lord knows, I'd love to be able to play the earlier games, especially the third one, which is st??ill one of my favorite fighting games of all time. You didn't really need to know that. I just felt like sharing.

The post Unfortunately, a Tekken ‘classics collection’ may not be on the horizon appeared first on Destructoid.

Bandai Namco revealed today that the previous PlayStation Vita (yes, that Sony Handheld device) exclusive Action RPG Freedom Wars is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with Freedom Wars Remastered. The HD remaster will feature new and improved features from?? the Vita version including 4k resolution, 60 FPS, game balance and difficulty options, and updates to the weapon crafting and upgrading systems. Freedom Wars Remastered will be released in just a few months on January 10, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

The premise of Freedom Wars is simple. In the harsh dystopic world, the game takes place in, your character has? been sentenced to a 1,000,000-year prison sentence simply for being born. To work off your sentence, you must head out into the apocalyptic battlefield and take on colossal creatures called Abductors, killing them to lower your senten??ce and dismantling their body parts to craft and upgrade better equipment.

I put quite a few hours into the original release of Freedom Wars back on the Vita. In fact, it may have been one of my most played games on the platform, as it was one of the better ones. I'd even argue it was ahead of its time back in 2015, in what was essentially a sci-fi Monster Hunter meets Attack on Titan meets Sword Art Online.

There's even online co-op gameplay, and it's fun to team up with friends to take down some Abductors. I'm excited to see the updates to crafting and upgrading, as it could really streamline progression if done right. We'll know soon as enough as Freedom Wars Remastered launches on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via ?Steam on J?anuary 10, 2025. I certainly didn't see this coming, but I'm so glad that it is.

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The Z Fighters are ready for Battle!

Bandai Namco released the latest update of Dragon B?all FighterZ earlier this week. Version 1.38 sees major changes to both character balance and universal system mechanics.

The new balance patch is DBFZ's first in over a year and comes nearly seven months after the game received a long-awaited rollback netcode update on February 28. The patch was handled by Bandai Na??mco and the develo??per Arc System Works in a team effort.

Version 1.38 focuses on increasing pl??ayer options and game speed by buffing character damage and pressure sequences, and decreasing the effectiveness of over-centralizing mechanics. Other changes include buffs to anti-air attacks, invincible super moves, and the speed of normal attacks.

Overview of Changes

Z Assist (C Type)

C Type assists received a universal nerf by havi?ng their cooldown time increased. The move retains its ability to generate huge advantages and mixup opportunities but will no longer be the highly abusabl?e tactic it has been in previous patches.

Sparking Blast

Players can now Super Dash or perform Specia?l Moves out of any Speci??al Move while Sparking Blast's effect is active. This change boosts the overall power level of all characters and allows players to have greatly increased freedom of expression when attacking or juggling their opponent.

Anti Air Attacks

Certain invinci??b?le moves that could only be stopped with crouching heavy attacks now have increased vulnerability to anti-air attacks, increasing player options for dealing with approaching opponents.

Super Moves

The invincibility of Super Moves for each char??acter star??ts faster, giving them increased utility.

Special Moves

Light, medium, and he??avy variations of Special Moves now count as separate attacks towards the Z combo limit. This change gives players enhanced freedom of expression in their combo routes.

Normal Moves

Many normal attacks are now faster and remain active for a longer period of time. Some characters received new attack extensions or the ability to extend attacks even after m??issing the opponent.

Dragon Ball FighterZ Version 1.38 Full Patch Notes

Dragon Ball FighterZ Patch Notes 1.38: ??Battle version requires updating, meaning previous version repla?ys will no longer be viewable.

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A double whammy of bad news came through for multiplayer game Blue Protocol. Not only is the end of service on the horizon in Japan, but western release p??lans hav??e been canceled entirely.

Bandai Namco shared an update on "The Future of Blue Protocol" via the official website. The servers will shut down in Japan on January 18, 2025, and there will no longer be a collaboration with Amazon Games to launch Blue Protocol in the west. 

“We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Amazon Games throughout the development of BLUE PROTOCOL," read a statement from Bandai Namco Online. It went on to say, "both of our teams are disappointed that we will not be able to deliver the game to players around the world.�/p>

The non-future of Blue Protocol

Blue Protocol had previously been hit with some delays along its road to a planned western launch. A closed technical test was held in North America and Europe in November 2023, giving? players a chance t??o explore the world of Regnas, customize characters, challenge dungeons, and more.

As for why Blue Protocol has canceled its release and shut down its servers, there was mostly a boilerplate explanation. As Bandai Namco put it, it would be "beyond?? our capabilities to continue providing a se??rvice that satisfies everyone."

In Japan, new content will cont?inue to be released from now until the end of service. This includes new stories, so fans over there at least have a little bit more to look forward to in the coming months. As for the rest of us, we'll just have to kiss our Regnas vacation plans goodbye??. 

The post Blue Protocol is shutting down, and no longer? coming to the west appeared first on Destructoid.

Dragon Ball Project: Multi is an upcoming multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game from Bandai Namco and here are it??s minimum and recommended PC system requirements.

Bandai Namco has long been a popular publisher for providing some excellent games, including Tekken 8, One Piece Odyssey, and a lot more.

Dragon Ball Project: Multi from them will be a 4v4 game (for PC, Android, and iOS) where players dive into an arena fea?turing iconic heroes and villains such as Goku, Vegeta, Future Trunks, Piccolo, Android 18, Majin Buu, a?nd more.

Dragon Ball Project: Multi minimum system requirements

The ??minimum requirements of the game are fairly reasonable:

• OS: Windows 10 or 11 64-bit
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G / Intel Core i5-6600
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• GPU/Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 / AMD Radeon R9 280X / Intel Arc A310
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 4.5GB available space

Dragon Ball Project: Multi recommended specs

Below are the recommended specs by Bandai Namco:

• OS: Windows 10 or 11 64-bit
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3100 / Intel Core i7-7700K
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• GPU/Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290X / Intel Arc A380
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 4.5GB available space

As per the game's official website, the specifications mentioned above are for the beta test only and are su?bject to change during its official release. In case that happens, we'll update these sections accordingly.

Minimum and recommended specifications for mobile

For the mobile app, these are the specifications your smartph?one needs to have:

Android

• Minimum specs:

  • Snapdragon 855 or later
  • OS: Android 10 or later
  • Memory: 4GB or more

• Recommended specs:

  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or later

iOS

• Minimum specs:

  • Phone11 or later
  • OS: iOS 15 or later
  • Memory: 3GB or more

• Recommended specs:

  • iPhone13 or later

Bandai Namco has also scheduled a regional beta test for the game in August 2024, limited to cert??ain regions only.

The post Dragon Ball Project: Mul??ti minimum ?& recommended PC system requirements appeared first on Destructoid.

Get ready for a new era of Elden Ring. Well, at the very least, the latest patch was sent out earlier today. Version 1.13.2 of the game promises a number of issues being fixed, with developer FromSoftware thanking fans for the??ir "support and passion."

A post on X refers to the latest hotfix as a "calibration" update, which has started rolling out for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which was released back in June. Despite the fact that the base game is largely considered one of the greatest role-playing releases in modern times, the expansion is sitting on a recent review score of "mixed" on Steam. Go figure.

Anywa??y, here's everything you need to know about the update, which is rolling out to all platforms.

Elden Ring 1.13.2 patch notes

Information from the Bandai Namco website.

A hotfix (1.13.2) has been released to fix a bug.
Please download and apply the latest update in order to play the game. We apologi??ze for the inconvenience.

Targeted Platforms

PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5?? / X??box One / Xbox Series X|S / Steam

Bug fixes

• Fixed a bug which caused the Death status ailment from the Skill "Death Flare" to be applied to the Skill "Deadly Poison Spray".
• Fixed a bug that caused the power of some attacks used by the NPC "Red Bear" to be higher than intended.
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from invading other players' worlds in some areas of Scadu Altus under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug that allowed Cooperative multiplayer in some areas of Scadu Altus with no area bosses present.
• Fixes to adjustments regarding Revered Spirit Ash Blessing and some spirits introduced in App Ver. 1.13 App Ver. 1.13/Regulation Ver. 1.13.1
• Fixed a bug where summoned spirits were not correctly receiving the attack power and damage negation increase effect from Revered Spirit Ash Blessing.
• Fixed a bug in which the amount of status increase in the following spirits was different than expected. Warhawk／Spider Scorpion／Bigmouth Imp／Gravebird／Stormhawk Deenh／Banished Knight Engval／Fire Knight, Hilde／Battlemage Hugues／Depraved Perfumer Carmaan／Blackflame Monk Amon／Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh／Cleanrot Knight Finlay／Nightmaiden & Swordstress

The version number of this update shown at the l??ower right corner of the Title Screen will be as follows:

App Ver. 1.13
Regulation Ver. 1.13.2

• In PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions, Regulation files can be downloaded by logging in to the server.
• If the Regulation Ver. listed in the lower right corner of the title screen is not1.13.2, please select LOGIN and apply the latest regulation before enjoying the game. Online play requires the player to apply this update.

The post Elden Ring version 1.13.2 patch notes for ‘calibration update’ issue several bug fixes appeared first on Destructoid.

Tekken is a franchise widely known for giving players a high degree of freedom when the subject is customization. That, of course, remains true in Tekken 8, which results in the debut of both novel crossov?ers and cursed creations.

But did you know that it is possible to make high-quality custom characters while only using F2P items/options? To help you add even more personality to your main, here are 10 great custom characters/ outfits you can make for free in Tekken 8, as well as how to make them.

Ryu and Ken (Street Fighter)

To start with two of the most popular customizations in the game, you can fight while dressed as both Ryu and Ken in Tekken 8 by using the simple Gi and headband combinations below. If you want to go beyond and fully embody the world's most famous shoto duo, equip the Sharee??n Short Hair on your Ryu and a blonde Lee Short Center Part Haircut on Ken.

• Head (Ryu only): Japanese Headband (Short) - Red. You can also use a white Japanese Headband (Long) for that Street Fighter Alpha look.
• Upper Body: Karate Top (Gloves) - Use a white Gi for Ryu and a red one for Ken. Keep in mind that Ryu wears red gloves while Ken favors black ones.
• Lower Body: Ripped Karate Bottoms - White for Ryu and a red pair for Ken.
• Shoes: No shoes.

2B (NieR)

For all Nier fans ?looking to showcase their love, you can dress Alisa, Lily, and Asuka as 2B by first equipping their Tekken 7??, Tekken 8 Style [P1], and Tekken 8 Style [Lili P1] outfits, respectively. After doing that, simply paint your chosen outfit completely black and equip the below:

• Hair: Short Bob and Bangs - White.
• Glasses: Blindfold.
• Accessory (Optional): Naginata. If you have purchased the Ninja Pack DLC, use the Ninja Katana to equip a weapon resembling 2B's signature Virtuous Contract.

Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil)

One of the most known custom characters in the game, made famous by Reddit user shmick28, you can turn any male character into Leon by equipping them with the Short Curtain Haircut, a brown Aviator Jacket, a pair of black Slacks, and the Nicklas Boots. To finish the look, many also enjoy giving him the Shotgun Accessory. To recap, here's how to make Leon's signature Resident Evil 4 Remake look in Tekken 8:

• Hair: Short Curtain Haircut (Light brown). Make sure to change the color of your character's eyebrows as well.
• Upper Body: Aviator Jacket - Brown.
• Lower Body: Slacks - Black.
• Shoes: Nicklas Boots - Black.
• Accessory: Shotgun (Optional).

Ada Wong (Resident Evil)

As she is the only character in the game who wears a dress similar to Ada's, you can only replicate the latter's classic Resident Evil 4 look while using Nina. To do that, equip Nina with her Tek?ken 8 Style [Alternati??ve A] or [Alternative B] outfits before changing the color of your chosen dress to red. After doing that, just equip her with the Asuka Short Hair and change the color of her eyebrows and hair to black.

If you are n?ot a Nina main, you can also cosplay as Ada with any o??ther female character by pairing the Asuka Short Hair with the assemble below:

• Glasses: Nina Sunglasses - Black.
• Upper Body: Trench Coat or the Detective Coat - Light brown.
• Lower Body: Slacks - Black.
• Shoes: Nina High Boots (Stockings).

Terry Bogard (Fatal Fury/KOF)

Terry is everywhere, so why not bring him to Tekken? Taking inspiration from Reddit user bitboydz, you can make the Legendary Hungry Wolf b??y first changing your chosen character's h??air and eyebrow colors to blonde (if needed) and equipping a red Baseball Cap. Now, go to Accessories and place a Straight Hair Extension B on the back of their head to simulate Terry's long hair before equipping the below:

• Upper Body: Biker Vest - Red vest, white shirt, and black gloves.
• Lower Body: Jeans - Any shade of blue.
• Shoes: High Top Sneakers - Red and white.

Satoru Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)

You can make two distinct versions of Jujutsu Kaisen's Satoru Gojo in Tekken 8, one featuring his The Battle of the Strongest outfit and one boasting his Hidden Inventory look. We will be focusing on the former, which can be made by selecting any ?character and then equipping them with the following:

• Hair: Leo Short Hair - White. Make sure to also change your character's eyebrow color.
• Eyes: Beast.
• Upper Body: T-shirt - Black.
• Lower Body: Karate Bottoms - White pants with a black belt. If using a female character or Leo, use either a white pair of Checkered Slacks or a white pair of Wide Jeans.
• Shoes: A black pair of Letter Shoes when using a male character / Loafers (Socks) when using a female character or Leo.

Power (Chainsaw Man)

You can make Chainsaw Man's Power in Tekken 8 by first equipping your chosen character with the Alisson Summer Medium Hair and then ??changing its color to match the character's. To make her horns, we will then use two Single Horns placed at the center of her head. Once you are done with the above, simply add ?the following to the mix:

• Eyes: Sunflower (Use Justify if you have acquired it as a paid-tier Tekken Fighter Pass reward).
• Upper Body: 3/4 Sleeve Shirt (Necktie) - Black necktie.
• Lower Body: Checkered Pants - Black.
• Shoes: Steve Snickers. Make sure to paint all of its colored portions with pink.

Sanji (One Piece)

The first custom character I ever made in the game, you can turn any male Tekken 8 character into Sanji by dressing them up with a Formal Jacket, a pair of Stripped Slacks, and a pair of Leader Shoes. Alt?hough no hairstyle in the game can come close to his, the Leo Short Hair, the Short Curtain Haircut, and the Asuka Short Hair will provide a similar look. If using a female character, pair your chosen hairstyle with a Blazer, a pair of Checkered Pants, and with the Loafers (Socks).

To recap, here are the items needed to make One Piece's Sanji in Tekken 8:

• Hair: Leo Short Hair / Short Curtain Haircut / Asuka Short Hair - Blonde.
• Upper Body: Formal Jacket / Blazer - Black with a golden dress shirt and a black tie.
• Lower Body: Stripped Slacks / Checkered Pants - Black.
• Shoes: Leader Shoes / Loafers (Socks) - Black.

Trunks (Dragon Ball)

Even if not as popular as the Super Saiyan Goku and Badman Vegeta custom outfits, Tekken 8 allows you to make a spot-on recreation of Future Trunks (also known as the best version of the character). You can make Trunks in Tekken 8 by equipping the following:

• Hair: Short Curtain Haircut - Light Purple
• Upper Body: Motorcycle Jacket - Matte purple
• Lower Body: Slacks - Black pants featuring a golden or yellow belt
• Shoes: Boots / Steve's Boxing Shoes - Golden

As revealed by Youtuber reinanuoni, you can also make a jacketless version of Trunks by pairing the Jeans with Chain with a Tank To??p, as using the latter will cause the top to be tucked in.

Now that you how to dress your favorites as your well, favorites, don't forget to also check out our updated Tekken 8 v1.06 tier list.

The post 10 great Tekken 8 custom characters (costum??es) you can make for ?free appeared first on Destructoid.

It is not an understatement to say that Tekken 8 features one of the most balanced rosters within the franchise, as new patches are constantly releas??ed to address unintended behaviors and?? provide buffs and nerfs in equal measure (in most cases).

But no matter how balanced a game might be, it is unavoidable that some characters will perform better than others. To help you be ready for the next battle, here's an updated tier list featuring all of the playable characters in Tekken 8.

• Before we start, keep in mind that a character's placement here should not discourage you from trying them out, as mastering your main and understanding the opposition will give you a fair chance no matter who you face.

Tekken 8 Tier List

Side-stepping away from the usual S to C format, we decided to divide our Tekken 8 tier list into six tiers, going from S+ to B —the latter given how I don't believe any member of the game's roster is bad enough t??o be considered C-??Tier. You can check out our tier list below and a deeper dive into each tier by heading further down.

In the S+tier we have characters with no (or very few) bad matchups, courtes?y of their versatility and ability to keep ta?bs on you at all times. Among them, Dragonov stands in a class of his own, as even if we argue that Nina's amazing pokes and Jin's mix-up potential set them on equal footing, they pale in comparison to the suffocating pressure the White Angel of Death can apply on both mid and close range. His ability to crouch cancel also adds another layer to his already-filled toolkit.

In the S-tier, we have what I like to call S+ characters with weaknesses. That means that using them will demand taking a few risks, even if some cases —like King's�will produc??e a massive payoff. That also makes them considerably easier to punish when compared to our top tiers. An example of that can be seen in Alisa, who can be easily countered with well-timed sidesteps.

In the A-tier, we have characters that are just as dangerous, but have way clearer strengths and weaknesses when compared to the above,?? which limits them to a certain degree and translates to a higher amount of bad matchups. The home of most of the game's cast, you will also find a good mix of technical (such as Lili, Steve, and Kazuya) and easy-to-pick-up characters here.

As the g??ame's newest addition, it's important to highlight Lidia here, who earns a spot thanks to her ability to quickly close the distance (especially with her excellent →→2 and running + 1) and perform a good array of mix-ups.

In the B+ tier, we have character??s that albeit solid, lack versatility. That causes them to quickly become predictable, as most of their out-of-the-box options and mix??-ups won't offer a decent payoff. Some will also have gimmicks that can do more harm than good in certain instances or have in their large majority risky moves, such as Jun and Devil Jin respectively.

On B-Tier, we have characters that can still deplete your health bar in seconds but are considerably easier to punish even if the player decides to shift its pace, which can make th?em feel one-dimensional and cause them to be easily countered when faced with high-level players. The biggest example of this is Eddy, who although one of the biggest nightmares for new and intermediate players given his long strings and unholy lows, needs to dance over eggshells when faced with most matchups at a high level.

Now that you know in which tier your favorite character is, don't forget to also check out how to successfully read combos online in Tekken 8.

The post Tekken 8 Tier List (v1.06): Th??e Best Tekken 8 characters, r?anked appeared first on Destructoid.

Fans are already touting Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree as an even bigger challenge than the base game, and that's naturally due to its new ??boss?? roster.

While I don't think any of the bosses in the new gallery of monstrosities reaches the heights of Malenia when it comes to sheer difficulty, I can still safely say that Shadow Of The Erdtree's har??dest bosses feature some highl??y challenging and inventive foes.

10. Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame

As with with all things frenzied flame, Midra requires players to worry about the yellow madness ?meter that builds up when they get hit by his attacks. Though madness is his most perilous threat, he has a harder time charging up the meter than the guards that inhabit the woods section players must cross to reach Midra.

Midra isn't a particular?ly daunting foe if you know what you're up against, but getting too comfortable against his rather slow move-set might prove your downfall as he still has some fas??ter lunges with his sword, and because you might forget the buildup of the aforementioned madness.

Though he is a respectable foe, the most difficult part about Midra ?is getting to him, as he hides inside a secret area that's easily the least fun to traverse in the entire game.

9. Divine Beast Dancing Lion

The DLC's first main boss isn't as hard as Magrit, the first main boss in the main game, but he's the perfect foil for players who dare to underestimate Shadow Of The Erdtree's new trappings.

If you go head-first into the DLC's main quest, the Dancing Lion might ??prove a challenge, due to how the DLC's new level scaling mostly nullifies the advantages players would expect from entering it at a high level. The Dancing Lion is a big enemy who attacks with large swings and elemental AOE abilities, but he's actually pretty accessible as a "first boss" for players engaging the DLC as FromSoft intended.

If he's giving you a hard time, take a step back, do your reconaissance, grab some Scadutree fragments here and there, and then give it another shot. You'll see that his threat will ??be greatly diminished.

8. Bayle, The Dread

One of the very first lessons you learn when playing the first game in the Souls series is that all enemies can kill you, but Dragon-type enemies even more so??.

FromSoft seems to love putting Dragons in their DLCs that are even stronger than the Dragons seen in the base games, and Bayle might just be their masterpiece. While not as strong and resilient as Darkeater Midir from the Dark Souls 3 Ringed City DLC, Bayle is still very resilient and a much more well-rounded enemy, courtesy of its smaller frame and vaster moveset. Bayle is likely the most fun Dragon-type boss to fig?ht in the whole series.

7. Scadutree Avatar

Not all bosses need to rush players with an incessant barrage of crazy moves to provide a challenge. Scadutree avatar picks his battles, and splits his most devastating abilities into three phases �yes, this thing is almost a Final Fantasy boss.

On top of having the unwavering discipline necessary to navigate the Scadutree Avatar's three forms, players can't just reduce its health to 0, as they'll also have to seal the deal at the end of each form by performing a Sekiro-like critical hit a?nimation. Sleeping on that will just cause t??he beast to get back up and deny you the fruits of your hard labor.

6. Messmer

Going into the DLC, many likely expected Messmer, the most publici?zed new enemy in the DLC, to become its most challenging foe. That fear grew even stronger when we started hearing rumors that he could be Malenia's third sibling.

Though Messmer possesses two different forms and various powerful AOE attac??ks, he never poses as much ??as a challenge as his sister.

Messmer even has one continuous attack that seems to emulate the Waterfowl Dance, Malenia's most dangerous move, but it's still not as difficult to avoid as his sister's nightmarish game??-ender. Messmer can deal a lot of damage if left unchecked, but he doesn't prime for his resilience. I nearly did him in my first attempt, and that was before I started searching the map to stock up on Scadutree Fragments.

5. Putrescent Knight

One of the cool things about Elden Ring is how it allows players to pick between going on foot or on horseback against most enemies. That's advantageous to us, but it would totally suck to have to face a boss who can also switch between the two modes on the fly. The Putrescent Knight does that, and then takes it a step further by commanding his ride to attack you while he's also striking you on foot. Expect a barrage of attacks that will only stop once either you or this?? thing is looking at his equivalent of the "You Died" s??creen.

Now, please don't g?et me wrong. I just made him look like a nightmare, but the the Putrescent Knight is also one o??f the most fun challenges in the game.

4. Blackgaol Knight

Do no??t let the lack of lore or altogether presentation throw you off. This guy is not to be trifled with. He resides in a crypt near the start of the game, which might lead you to believe he's a training dummy that Miyazaki nicely put there to ease you into the game. But h??e's a whole different thing.

The Blackgaol Knight is very dangerous from afar, as he can ma?ke use of his automatic crossbow to fill players with?? burning arrows. Things don't get much better up close, where he'll absolutely obliterate most players courtesy of his high poise-granting armor and massive sword. He's as fast as the player, can self-heal once, and is completely relentless. His moveset is rather simple, but he leaves absolutely no room for failure.

Bringing a hig??h level from the base game with no new upgrades counts for very little once you enter his arena. One mistake or one instance of getting too cocky is all that it takes for your life to immediately reach zero. I'm pretty sure FromSoft pu?t it there just to let players know that even a straightforward enemy is all that it takes to destroy players who won't adhere by the DLC's rules.

3. Rellana, Twin Moon Knight

Rellana is the sister of Rennala ??from the base game, but the two boss fights are nothing alike. Rennala is a mage that will try to keep her distance from players to try to snipe them with ranged spells. Rellana is a knight who'll use her two swords to cut players from up close via an incredibly aggressive moveset �but is also somehow capable of inflicting immense damage from afar. In fact, Rellana's most deadly spell is more powerful and harder to avoid than any of Rennala's spells.

Rellana's swords heavily resemble Pontiff Sulyvahn's weapons from Dark Souls 3, but this ?spiritual disciple of Sulyvahn's is a much, much more formidable opponent than the old man.

2. Commander Gaius

As soon as I gathered the courage to admit that I was getting my ass handed to me by a rando on literal piggyback, I was immediate??ly assured by the Destructoid team that Commander Gaius was no joke.

Though he's not one of the most famed bosses, I'd argue that he's the boss that can kill you the fastest. I'm not saying FromSoft messed up when coding this one, but something about the hit detection of his ramming attacks just didn't feel right in any of the (over) ten attempts I needed to beat him �and he rams a lot. It feels like he hits?? you before his character model comes in contact with your character, then there seems to be a second hit detection for the boar that he's riding. He hits fast, hard, and also moves very quickly. This is one of the very few enemies in t??he entire series that's hard to outrun �even when riding Torrent.

As for his moveset, well, he feels like a mix between that Tree Sentinel known for stomping on all Elden Ring newcomers, and the special moves of General Radahn. He's an absolute m?enace.

1. Promised Consort Radahn

Ever looked at Radahn in his Elden Ring form and?? wondered how much of a beast he'd have bee?n in his prime? Well, you probably shouldn't have done that.

Radahn's new fight is poised to be difficult simply because he'll revive the memories of the frustrations you had when going up against him in the original game, but this time he's even worse. This is not old decrepit Radahn. This is the Radahn that Malenia ?had to nearly sacrifice herself to beat. And, if just being so much stronger w??eren't enough, instead of a horse, he now has the help of a literal god on his shoulders.

Much like the original iteration, the new R?adahn has a wide range of flashy moves, many of which are capable of bringing your HP bar to 0 with ease. Unlike the original iteration, however, which didn't prime for its toughness, new Radahn has a lot of HP �even if you have your character up to date with the new Ashes and Scadutree upgrades.

This Radahn is one for the ages, and n?ot just because he might take ages for you to beat.

The post Elden Ring: Shadow ?Of The Erdtree hardest bosses, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Much like its predecessors, Elden Ring often drops mysterious keys with no clear direction on where to bring them. The Well Depths Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is one such item??, but luckily we can figure? out where to take it rather quickly.

You'll find the Well Depths Key in Belurat, the Tower Settlement to the northwest of where you begin your journey in the Elden Ring DLC. It's located in a room that's cut off from a main path but is accessible with just the right amount of ?exploration and light hopping. The key opens a door at the bottom of a well, but we can tackle that step later.

Where to find the Well Depths Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

The fastest way to the Well Depths Key location is to start at the 'Small Private Altar' Site of Grace, the second site after entering the settlement.

To find the key, walk through the door with the s??tone arch near the Small Private Altar. To the left is a b??ridge (where you can find the two enemies who were firing at you earlier), and to the right is a staircase leading up.

Take the staircase but watch out for the Horned Warrior patrolling up top. U?nfortunately, to find the key, you'll need to head left to where the warrior is going. Fight the warrior if you're feeling con??fident, or follow him and head up the second short staircase. He'll keep walking and stop at the end of the path.

You will be able to see where you need to go from here. Look up toward the building covered in purple cloth with a massive bird enemy standing guard. That's where the key is.

To get there, we'll? need to find our way around. Head right just past the stairs and walk along the path with the bu??ilding to your left and a broken wall along the right.

Keep going until you hit a wall, then go left �but watch for ambushes. The first is on your left before the end of the path, and the second is t?o your right after you turn and walk a short way. Keep moving until you reach a yellow stream heading left toward a waterfall. There's another enemy ready to ambush you on the left-hand side, so be ?careful

After defeating the two large?? buttheads, walk toward the waterfall and en?ter the building on the right. There will be a lantern hanging to the left of the door.

Take the ladder to the floor above. If you turn around here, you will see a door leading o??nward. That's?? where we need to go but, well, not with the hole here. Grab the Storeroom Key off the corpse against the wall and leave via the door to its right.

Outside is ??a staircase on the right leading up, and another staircase to your left heading down. Go left and stop at the top of the stairs (you may need to defeat the enemy? here before continuing).

Don't go down. Inste?ad, look to your left to see a small, slanted rooftop with what appear?s to be sand covering a section. Jump onto the roof and walk until you get to the edge.

Look le??ft ??and you'll see a connecting hallway between two buildings with purple cloth draped over the side. Jump on the fabric and then hop over the railing.

To the left is the room with the ladder mentioned before, so go right instead. Watch for the ambush on your left and kill the?? enemy inside the room. The corpse in the cor??ner holds the Well Depths Key.

Where to use the Well Depths Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

The Well Depths Key unlocks a door at the bottom of a well in Belurat. To find it, open up the map and warp to the 'Belurat, Towe??r Settlement' Site of Grace.

Walk in the direction of the inner settlement toward the wat?er fountain.

Take a right and go up the short staircase next to the fountain, avoiding or killing any enemies. Instead of going left toward the Small Private Altar, head right at the top of the stairs. Ahead, you'll see anothe??r fountain with four spectral enemies praying. To the left of the fountain is a covered well, hiding in shadow. Take the ladder in the well, going down.

At the bottom of the ladder is a large drain pipe with a few e??nemies mulling about. Kill them and use the Well Depths Key on the gated door.

That's it! So, what's your reward for all this? A big, putr?id lake of poison and (checks notes) an Ulcerated Tree Spirit ready to make your life a l??iving hell. Awesome. Thanks, FromSoftware.

The post How to find and where to ?use the Well Depths Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree appeared first on Destructoid.

We’ve been showering Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC with praise for the very important things it does right from even before it came out, so now it's time we shower it with even more praise for the smaller things.

Bandai Namco recently changed the logo screen that shows up at the start of their games. If you are to boot up the fully-updated version of Elden Ring right now, you'll be greeted by the Bandai Namco'??s logo against a completely black background.

If you're just booting the game for the first time to learn what the fuss surrounding Elden Ring and Shadow Of The Erdtree is all about, y?ou might be wondering why I'm gushing about some pretty basic logo. That is because you don't know the very real struggle of being a fan of FromSoft games who likes to play in the dark.

Look, I'm totally down to praising the sun and all, but the original presentation of the Bandai Namco logo hit us gamers of the dark harder than a flashbang straight out of CS:GO.

The actual logo's design remains the same �it was no longer the one seen on the meme above �but the switch in background color that gifts us with somewhat of a "Bandai Namco Night Mode" is an extremely welcome change. In a time when brand logos are constantly changing for the worse, it's nice to see a ??pleasing ae?sthetic change that comes close to bringing actual health benefits.

Can this change be because FromSoft just wanted a darker colored background to match the creepier tone of Shadow Of The Erdtree? Maybe, but I'm willing to bet that Miyazaki and co. did it out of the benevolence of wanting to allow our unstrained eyes to enjoy the rest of the game. Either way, this might turn out to be yet another important Souls lore-related mystery that we'll never k?now the answer to.

You can now play Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, X?box One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The post Elden Ring got?? a new Bandai Namco logo on start-up, saving our retinas appeared first on Destructoid.

During Evo 2024, Bandai Namco shared a new trailer highlighting the first season of content and updates it has planned for Tekken 8, capping ?things off with a DLC character reveal for Lidia Sobieski.

As a refresher, Lidia is the prime minister of Poland and a practitioner of karate who was introduced as a DLC fighter in Tekken 7. Her Tekken 8 reveal doesn't show any of her gameplay, sadly, though I can't imagine she'll play that much differently to how she did in Tekken 7. She's slated to arrive in the summer, but anyone who buys the Character Year 1 Pass will get early access to her, just ?like what happened with? Eddy Gordo's inclusion.

A new character isn't all Bandai Namco has promised for 2024. For starters, Tekken 8 will start receiving battle adjustments later this spring to keep the game balanced. Then, in the summer, Lidia will be accompanied by a new Seaside Resort stage (which looks awfully similar to the Island Paradise stage that was bundled with Lidia's inclusion in Tekken 7) as well as a photo mode, both of which are free updates. No mention of a Waffle House stage though.

The thing I'm most looking forward to is the new story chapter in the fall. Exact details are slim, but the brief glimpses we see of it show it'll prominently feature Eddy, who obviously missed out on Tekken 8's story mode by virtue of being DLC. Judging by what little there is, it seems Eddy will be ditching his previous role as a member of the Mishima Zaibatsu's Tekken Force so he can team up with Jin to help bring do??wn Kazuya and save the world.

So, it's not continuing the main story but showing new sides of it, which I'm more than happy with, especially since it's a free update, meaning you don't?? even need to purchase Eddy to access it. Hopefully, this isn't the only story update; I'd love to see what Lidia was doing during all this considering Kazuya was threatening to destroy the nations that failed to win his fighting tournament. Surely, Lidia would've entered herself to protect her homeland.

Bandai Namco has mentioned it'll add two new gameplay modes—Ghost vs. Ghost and Online Practice—as well, but it hasn't provided release windows for them yet. There are also two more DLC characters still to come in the fall and winter, but their identities remain a mystery. Could one of them be a guest character, like Akuma and Geese Howard were for Tekken 7? Executive producer Katsuhiro Harada hasn't ruled out Tekken 8 receiving guest characters, only saying, if it were to ha?ppen, they'd be DLC and not part of the base ro?ster.

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Is it necessary to grind in Elden Ring? To go out of your way? to semi-mindlessly strike down the same wretches again and again? Not ??really. But that's not going to stop us!

I was hesitant to spotlight any rune-farming spots until the dust had settled. For a large portion of the game, the best advice is to explore to your heart's content and face whatever threats pop up �to seek out those caves 'n' catacombs and play organically. But the community has figured out The Spot for farming runes, at least when it comes to the endgame in Elden Ring. It's even good? enough to warrant a respec for ma?ximum gains.

You may feel the need to farm runes in Elden Ring toward the e??nd, particularly when it comes to the last handful of main-story bosses and a certain optional fight. And, hell, sometimes it's just nice to take out your frustration on random fodder before trying to break through an intimidating brick ??wall that's showing no signs of cracking.

With the game's open structure (and potential to reach zones more or less "out of order"), what qualifies as the endgame can vary from person to person. That's why I really like this location for rune farming, to the point where I just had to share it. It's tucked out of the way, and in fact, it was the literal last location I found in Elden Ring â€?way after I had finished the story, even. It?'s a freaky place, full of hard-hitting foes ?in huge groups.

If you feel in your gut like you're near the end of Elden Ring, this guide is for you.

Seek it out if you're in the home stretch or are looking to bulk up before New Game+

**Spoilers below**

So, the location in question is Mohgwyn Palace. It's a great way to hurtle past level 150.

This zone is hell �even more so than Caelid. While Elden Ring's rotted-out southeastern region is ominous,? the blood-soaked Mohgwyn? Palace goes further. It feels like a truly cursed place you aren't meant to see. Funny enough, though, it's ripe for rune farming.

There are multiple ways to reach Mohgwyn Palace, but the easiest �at least for me �was to take a random teleporter in a distant land. Such is the way in Elden Ring.

How to get to Mohgwyn Palace in Elden Ring

That creepy masked NPC at the beginning of Elden Ring, right before the Tree Sentinel boss, can get you to Mohgwyn Palace. By chatting with him, beating Godrick, chatting some more, and seeking him out at the Rose Church, you'll be able to invade players to eventually get the Pureblood Knight's Medal, which is your ticket to Mohgwyn Palace.

There are quite a few steps, so here??’s a rundown on how to get to Mohgwyn Palac??e through White Mask Varré:

• Meet up with him at the Rose Church after talking to the two fingers at the Round Table Hold.
• Invade three players with the Festering Bloody Finger.
• Return to Varre and say yes to joining the Order. He'll give you the Lord of Blood's Favor.
• Go to the Church of Inhibition and interact with the corpse in Liurnia. You can then use that Maiden's blood to progress.
• Return to Varre and exhaust his dialogue. He'll eventually give you the Pureblood Knight's Medal.
• Using this item will teleport you right outside of the area where you fight Mohg, Lord of Blood.

If you manage to get here early, through White-Faced Varré's questionable questline (I only half-finished it), more power to you; he seemed too sketchy in that Dark Souls "wait why are all my NPCs suddenly dead?" sort of way. The site of grace you're looking for �Palace Approach Ledge-Road �is a hectic horse ride?? away. If you can get up on the hillside, you're golden. I've got an exact screenshot of this Site of Grace further down.

The best rune-farming strategy for Elden Ring involves a nearby group of foes who are mostly just sitting around â€?but there's an alternate method for lower-level characters at Mohgwyn Palace that involves sniping a crow monstrosity. The ??nightmare-fuel creature is r??elentless up close, but if you hit it with an arrow, it'll run off a cliff and die.

I haven't fully tested this method myself, but I wanted to at least mention it, in case your progress in Elden Ring happens to align with it. For me, and anyone who's at the end and/or skipp?ed the Varré quest, here's the way, as well as a ridiculous farming setup.

Reaching Mohgwyn Palace later via a teleporter

I've marked the location of the teleporter to Mohgwyn Palace in the screenshot above with a red circle �it's directly west of the Inner Consecrated Snowfield site of grace.

You might not recognize this slice of the map, and if so, you'll need to uncover it the hard way. For a long time, it seemed like there might be a sneaky way down to this zone from the upper Mountaintops of the Giants (which is part of the main story's critical path) using carefully planned horse double-jumps. Nope! Instead, to access the Consecrated Snowfield, you'll need to ride an elevator (the Grand Lift of Rold) using a pair of obscure items: two halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion. One is found in a village in Liurnia; the other comes from a boss at Castle Sol in the snowy Mountaintops of the Giants.

Once you locate the teleporter (pictured below), it might not be active yet. To hitch a ride to Mohgwyn Palace, you'll need to take out a red phantom who's prowling the area.

After activating the teleporter, you'll materialize in a cave. (I hope you have a lantern!)

From there, you'll step outside, and see a site of gr??ace in the distance �this is our goal. It looks far o?ff, but you can summon Torrent and run right to it. The hard part is over.

The site of grace is called Palace Approach Ledge-Road. Here's an aerial map view:

Farming runes in Elden Ring's endgame

The key thing to reiterate, before I go into any optimizations, is that this area is ideal for farming runes in general. Steps away from this site of grace, there are about a dozen enemies, some of whom are passive until?? attacked. It's a bad ide??a to fight them all at once, but even if you're casually grinding for runes one kill at a time, the payout is big.

In an ideal scenario, you will use one of many possible area-of-effect skills (or long-range spells) in Elden Ring to safely kill these cartwheeling Albinaurics all?? at once. Warp back in, reset, and repeat. This rune??-farming spot is *really nice* with an endgame setup.

Wave of Gold is cheesy goodness

The sweet sauce �and this is the part where I had to temporarily respec my character (with no regrets, because it's worth it) �is using an AoE skill to take out all of the enemies at once. There are different options thanks to the customizable Ashes of War.

Personally, I took notes from a YouTube video I came across from Paul Gilbert �I used the last boss's soul (aka "Remembrance") to fashion the Sacred Relic Sword. (Spoiler pic.)

Sacred Relic Sword requirements

This weapon requires 14 Strength, 24 Dexterity, and 22 Faith, and its Wave of Gold skill fires "a wide, golden wave" that just keeps going and going. I reworked my stats so I could wield it, then spent my stockpile of Somber Smithing Stones to fully upgrade it, and went to town on these gray-skinned lads. I just hit L2 once, and the deed wa??s done.

If the idea of taking a few steps, hitting a single button, warping back, and doi??ng it again a few more times to level up sounds app??ealing to you, Mohgwyn Palace is worth finding.

I wish I had known about this endgame rune farm before fighting a certain duo, but it helped me conquer the hardest (optional) fight in Elden Ring, so I can't c??omplain. It's good for stocking up on boss armor, smithing stone?s, and other items before New Game+.

Yep, we're talking 40K low-effo??rt runes in a matter of seconds.

Two final notes about rune farming in Elden Ring

In general, any rune farming you'll do in Elden Ring can benefit from the Gold Scarab, which is a talisman found in an Abandoned Cave?? in Caelid. It's a bewildering p?lace that's tricky to run through, but it's worth your while to trod through the scarlet rot.

If you're open to item crafting and everything that entails, it's also worth stocking up on a consumable item called Gold-Pickled Fowl Feet to further bolster your rune farming.

You can do one, or the other, or both for maximum potency �they stack.

And if you haven't set any group passwords yet, that's a low-effort way to ?increase your Rune gains. Tag along with a popular group like "SEEKERS" for a ??frequent buff.

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Bandai Namco has opened pre-orders and shared launch details for Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs, a co??ntender for the most unnecessarily long-winded game?? title ever.

In case you haven't heard of it, Chomp Champs (I'm not writing out its full name every time) was announced this past October and is essentially a Pac-Man battle royale, kind of like the short-lived Pac-Man 99, which was de-listed that same October. Whereas Pac-Man 99 was a Nintendo Switch exclusive, Chomp Champs is a multi-platform title and sees up to 64 players battle it out to see who can be the last Pac standing. An??d yes, there is cross-play, so you aren't restricted to only playing against people on the same platform as you.

Chomp Champs may sound like a downgrade, since Pac-Man 99 saw 99 players duking it out at once, but each player was consigned to their own maze. In Chomp Champs, all players share the same set of interconnected maze??s, and can use special items to either sa?botage each other or make avoiding/eating ghosts easier. You can even eat other players if they get in your way.

Chomp Champs will offer two gameplay modes: an arcade-style Elimination mode that anyone can participate in, and a dedicated Ranked mode that pits you against opponents of a similar skill level. You can also customize your Pac-Man with a variety of cosmetics, likes hats and sunglasses, which you unlock with Tokens you earn f?rom the Exhibition mode. Bandai Namco hasn't mentioned anything about being able to purchase cosmetics or Tokens with microtransactions, although there are exclusive cosmetics for those who pre-order the game or buy the digital deluxe edition.

Despite the higher price-tag, long-time Namco fans may be tempted by the deluxe edition since some of the cosmetics are based on other Bandai Namco IPs, including Dig Dug, Katamari Damacy, and Klonoa. It also c?omes with seven-days early access if you really can't bear to wait any longer to start playing??.

Chomp Champs launches on May 9 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The standard edition costs $1?9.99 / ÂŁ15.99 while the digital deluxe edition costs $29.99 / ÂŁ24.99.

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Xbox kicked off the Xbox Partner Showcase with Unknown 9: Awakening. Originally teased in 2020, we haven't really seen much about the action-adventure g??ame. However, developer Reflect Entertainment have released a new Announcement trailer highlighting the protagonist Haroona and detailing the gameplay players can expect when the game releases in Summer 2024.

Based on the gameplay it reminds me a lot of Assassin's Creed with powers. Haroon, portrayed by actress Anya Chalotra best known as Yennefer in The Witcher, yi??elds powerful skills called Umbric abilities. With these powers Haroon can manipulate p?eople, objects, and weapons from a distance.

Unknown 9: Awakening will release in Summer 2024 o?n PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Ser?ies X|S.

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After some time in development and testing, the Dragon Ball FighterZ rollback netcode update is here to Spirit Bomb the lag away. Those hopi??ng to pl??ay some online matches without the delay-based netcode can start doing so, for certain platforms.

The Dragon Ball FighterZ rollback n??etcode patch will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. However, devices like the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch will still only feature a delay-based netcode mechanic. The Circle Party and Party Battle modes will also be limited to the delay-based netcode.

Rollback will go l??ive for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on February 29, when those consoles' versions go live. It's also h??eaded to PC at the same time.

As for what the update actually does, it seeks to fix input lag and visual stuttering for compatible online matches through rollback netcode, resulting in much smoother gameplay. Bandai Namco mentions that it "feels closer to offline play" due to its quicker response ??system.

Unlike consoles, PC will get the option to choose between the rol?lback or delay-based netcode, depending on the matchmaking performance. Save data transfers are available as well, for? those who want to make the switch to a newer console and its netcode.

Many online games have issued out rollback netcode updates in the past, to better the performance of online play. The system has been gradually adopted across fighting games as a preferable option for handling bouts over long distances, using predictive options rather than hitching the action. We've seen the likes of Samurai Shodown and Street Fighter 6 adopt rollback, to help with online lag. And now, Dragon Ball FighterZ has joined the rollback club.

Dragon Ball FighterZ unfortunately continues to not have cross-play functionality. But hopefully, rollback netcode will be a good move for keeping the online bouts of DBFZ going strong.

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Miquella is back. From Software and Bandai Namco just released the official gameplay trailer for the upcoming Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and it looks exactly like I hoped it would. More epic boss battles, new weapons to find and learn, and lots of dying. You know, more Elden Ring. Shadow of the Erdtree is set to release on ??June 21, 2024, and is even ge??tting its own collector's edition that looks pretty epic.

Shadow of the Erdtree

In Shadow of the Erdtree players will follow in the footsteps of Miquella, an Empyrean and brother to probably the most epic encounter in Elden Ring, Malenia. Along the way, we'll confront new bosses and acquire new weapons and armor. There's a lot to unpack from the ro?ughly three-minute trailer, but I'll say this: a lot of the new weapons look like a lot of fun.

Shadow of the Erdtree will launch ??with a handful of physical and digital editions.

Those who already have the base game can pick up just the Shadow of the ErdtreeDLC for $39.99. However, for those without a copy of Elden Ring, a new Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Edition includes both?? the ba?se game and the new expansion.

For those wanting some extra goodies, a Premium Edition is available for both a??forementioned editions that add a digital art book and digital soundtra??ck.

There's also a limited quantity Collector's Edition featuring a 46cm statue of "Messmer the Impaler", a 40-page physical art book, and the digital soundtrack. It also includes a voucher code for the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion on the platform of your choice.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree releases globally on PC, PlayS??tation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on June 21, 2024.

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FromSoftware has announced via Twitter that the expansion to Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree will be getting its first substantial?? traile?r tomorrow. It will go live at 7am PST, 10am EST.

For those keeping up, that’s directly after the Nintendo Direct that is scheduled for 6am PST, 9am EST. Busy day.

It was about a year ago that we first heard that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree was on its way. We still don’t really know much about what is going to be in it and how it will build on the 2022 megahit, but that’s what makes this announcement about an announcement so anticipated. It’s been nearly two y??ears since the game first launched,? so it’s expected to be rather extensive. We’ll have a better idea sometime tomorrow.

I never did finish Elden Ring. I guess I’ll soon know if I should h?old off or if I ??need to pick it back up again before the expansion launches.

?The trailer is set to ??be three minutes long, so it’s not going to be an in-depth look, but hopefully, we’ll get a good look at things.

The trailer fo Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is set to go live at 7am PST, 10am EST on Februar??y 21, 2024.

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Bandai Namco's epic RPG Tales of Arise is now available on Xbox Game Pass. It will be joined this month by the adorable Bluey: The Videogame, Indivisible, and Space Engineers among other titles, according to Xbox Wire.

Tales of Arise can now be played by Game Pass subscribers on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. It also works on the cloud through the Xbox app on your phone. It's a well-regarded JRPG marked as a return to form for the long-running Tales of series. It's al?so on PlayStation Plus through the Extra and?? Premium Game Catalog options this month, too.

In our review, Eric Van Allen wrote: "Whether this is the big Tales breakthrough or not is a matter that history will decide. This is a Tales game that hits the right spots for me, puts a lot? of love into its cast and its action, and somehow manages to strike a balance between the old and the new. It’s not without a few shortcomings, but it’s also got a lot of improvements that at least shore those up a bit."

If you're not a big JRPG fan, you're in luck because there are many February and March Xbox Game Pass titles to look forward to. They include Return to Grace, Bluey: The Videogame on February 22, Maneater (which is returning on February 27), Madden NFL 24 for cloud services on February 27, underrated RPG Indivisible on February 28, and Space Engineers on February 29.

The Doom-like FPS game Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun also demolishes its way to Xbox Game Pass on March 5. Another huge game Diablo IV slithers its way to Xbox Game Pass on March 28. If you get fed up with Tales of Arise?? on Xbox Game Pass, you can always get into Blizzar??d's action RPG madness.

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Bandai Namco has issued an update this morning, addressing matchmaking errors and crashes that popped up on launch night for Tekken 8.

The latest entry in the Tekken series went live last night, and I hopped on for a few rounds with friends myself—said pals were playing on PC, and I was on PlayStation 5. It was quite surprising when we continuously ran into issues with crashing while trying to create and run an online lobby match. Whether PC-to-PC, ??or on crossplay, both platforms kept seeing crashes.

It doesn't look like we were alone in this, either. Players were posting about it on various social forums, sites were starting to write about it, and Katsuhiro Harada himself made a statement. Per the Tekken official account, it was due to "a high concentration of users connecting to matching and competition servers." Which reads to me as, dang, Tekken 8 might h??ave been a bit more popular at launch than they expected. Anecdotally, I saw it hovering in the top sellers of Steam last night, so that's something.

An update is live for Tekken 8 matchmaking

Now, this morning, the Tekken team says a fix is live, and online ex??periences "s??hould now be much smoother."

"Errors and crashes that occurred during online matching and matches have been resolved by server modifications and enhancements," said Harada in a post this morning. "Thank you for your cooperation in reporting!"

That's good news for Tekken fans, including myself. Because honestly, when the game was live and working, I was having a blast with Tekken 8. I know we're in an upswing era for fighting games right now, but Tekken was the series that weathered the storm of harsher years for brawlers; Tekken 7 was, at least for me, always a resp?ite during leaner years for f??ighting games.

So legitimately, I'm hoping this fix bandages all the problems, because I'm quite eager to get back to working on my Jun Kazama. Here's hoping the servers are now stable enough to support some Good Ass Tekken.

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Bandai Namco has announced that Sand Land, based on the manga by Akira Toriya??ma, is set to release on Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC on April 26.

Alongside the release date announcement, Bandai Namco has released a new trailer showcasing the game’s environments and various vehicles. It looks fantastic to me. I know next to nothing about the manga, but I’ve been in love with post-apocalyptic vehicular combat since basically forever. However, it was pushed into overdrive after I discovered the Metal Max series.

Set in a world ravaged by war and environmental disasters, Sand Land stars Beelzebub, the Thief, and Sherif??f Rao as they explore the desert. It’s an action RPG with a heavy focus on customizable vehicles. These range everywhere from tanks, to bikes, to mechs. 

I’m not sure how this will shake out, but I’m hoping for something somewhere between Metal Max and Dragon Quest. As far as we’ve seen, things look promising.

Sand Land will release on?? April 26, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC.

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Tekken 8 is just around the corner, and Bandai Namco released a glimpse of Leo's glorious combos and eccentric personality in a trailer W??ednesday. Their stylish red and white jacket shines as they show off their impressive?? new counter.

The German fighter Leo Kliesen is back in Tekken 8 with their Baji Quan fighting style. With their hatred of the main antagonist Kazuya Michima, it makes sense if they make an appearance in the story mode. With the codename "Seeker of Truth," they'd likely join the battle?? to find out more about their murdered mother and missing father.

We didn't get many details in Tekken 7 as they were sidetracked by a love-stricken Yoshimitsu, but in Tekken 6, we learned that their mother worked for the Mishima Zaibatsu and ??G Corporation.

Leo is looking sharp

Not much seems to have changed with Leo's moveset, except for the previously mentioned co?unter. They'll still stomp their foes' toes and have an elaborate combo set up with their punches and kicks. It's been a few years since I've stepped into the shoes of Leo but one new move seems to be an impactful swirling kick in the air, which is shown in the trailer.

They also has a new grappling hook that'?s used for Leo's Rage Art. Perhaps this will ??be used in combos too, but we haven't seen it implemented yet.

The trailer also shows their adorable carefree pe??rs?onality as they're surprised by the Coffee Queen's name. They stagger back like an anime character as shown in the screenshot above.

We'll be able to play as the German blonde Leo when Tekken 8 releases on January 26, just a few months away. They'll be fighting against many combatants, like the first French fighter in Tekken Victor Chevalier and a mysterious Heihachi-like character named Reina, and the rest of the healthy launch roster for the new Tekken.

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Tekken 8 may not be launching until January, but Bandai Namco announced the 32nd and final combatant of the game's roster today??. Ladie??s and gentlemen, enter the acrobatic Taido specialist, Reina.

Tekken 8 Director Kohei Ikeda took to the PlayStation Blog to detail how the character went from conception to reality. Bandai Namco also dropped a new Tekken 8 trai?ler today showcasing the mysterious fighter's skill set.

The traile??r opens with Reina sitting on a throne of sorts before the nickname "Purple Lighting" is emblazoned across the screen. You quickly see why the moniker is fitting.

We see flashy snippets of bouts versus Feng, Hwoarang, Jun, Xiaoyu, Leroy, and Lars. All of whom are easily dispatched with a flurry of flips and kicks. Series lead Jin Kazama then steps in t??o show the latest?? entrant some manners.

Heihachi's protégé

As this is a Reina trailer, that doesn't exactly work out for Jin. But it's here that we get a tease as to what Reina's place is in Tekken 8's story. Jin asks "Who are you...?" To which Reina playfully replies "Jin ??senapai. We f??inally have our chance to fight!" As the two characters begin to battle, Reina easily disposes of Jin with an impressive set of attacks and combos.

While Reina's heritage is a purposeful mystery at this point, it's worth throwing out there that Purple Lightning may be a telling nickname. The use of lightning is a bit of a calling card for members of the Mishima family of fighters. And when Kazuya enters the trailer after Jin, there's an obvious distaste for one of the overarching villains of the Tekken series. The duo even leads with what appears to be o??pposing lightning attacks as their bout begins. And there may even be a tease of the new character possessing the Devil Gene that pl??agues some of the series' most important combatants.

In Kohei Ikeda's blog post, he indicates that Reina "plays a vital role in Tekken 8’s story". Ikeda also teases that the character "exudes a charismatic sense of evil, reflecting her character’s duality in both personality and fighting style." So it will remain unclear until the game launches which side of this family feud the character falls in line with (if any), but the ?implication definitely leans towards Reina being a potential missing heir of Heihachi Mishima.

With the recent reveal of the French fighter Victor Chevalier, and now Reina, we are at 32 confirmed characters. If you're interested in a breakdown of each, check out our complete list of all the Tekken 8 fighters revealed so far. Th??e latest entry in the historic fighting series launches on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on January 26.

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