The gaming landscape as a wh??ole has greatly shifted from the good days of the single-player games and the split-screen co-op, to a more online-oriented strategy. It's not the case that these games just don't exist, obviously, but the big-picture look drives us more and more toward online-focused,? multiplayer experiences. That's fine if done well, but we'll always need great single-player campaigns, so let's honor the best of the best. Easy task.

Below, I've outlined 15 of the best games you can play by yourself. While some of these may have a co-op campaign or some online functionality, those aren't their driving factors. With that in? mind, let's go ahead and break down those top picks, spanning console and PC generations new and old.

15. Baldur’s Gate 3

Please don't take Baldur's Gate 3's "low" ranking in my list of best-eve?r single-player games too harshly.

I just think it's too early to find a more permanent placement as BG3's very young, an??d I still, admittedly, have to get many more hours into the RPG so I can properly gauge its grandeur. Please see this awkward placement in this ranking as me just putting a pin oi it and betting that this will be an all-timer. Perhaps even one higher on the list in a future update.

14. The Witcher 3

Even though its rather simplistic combat mechanics leave its action paling in comparison to the likes of the Souls series, that's the only nit I have to pick with The Witcher. And not doing one thing as well as one of the best series of games ever made can't be that big of a problem. Everything else is there, from gorgeous graphics to a captivating story filled with dozens of memorable characters. Also, th??e DLCs could probably take a few ranks, too. But I'll limit it to one.

Truth be told, just hopping on Roach and going on a roadside trip alone to see all the moving vegetation will ?release more happy brain chemicals than most gam??es out there.

13. Final Fantasy VI

Allow me to spoil it for you right now: you won't find Final Fantasy VII higher than this. This is the only Final Fantasy game on this list, and it was a pretty tough decision to make.??

Wanna know what's weirder? I actually would've gone with VIII, and I know various loyal soldiers at Destructoid who would have my back. Still, even I have to accept that if there's one game in the series that came closest to doing everything right, that game is VI. It might look old as heck nowadays, but I'd argue that its 2D art style holds up better than VII's, and its gameplay mechanics definitely beat VIII's. Final Fantasy VI remains as crisp as ever, and its so??undtrack is also one of?? the best in the series.

12. Portal

You either love or loathe puzzle games, a challenge that the people at Valve triumphed over very easily by making a puzzle game that's both fun and funny.

Underneath a simple level structure, Portal hides layers and layers of some of the best gaming mechanics and overall writing I've ever seen in a game. Oh, and yeah, there's always the fact that the Portal mechanics themsel??ves were never before seen �almost wizardry-type stuff back when i??t came out �and still remain puzzling to this day.

Play it now, play it ten years from now. Portal will never get old.

11. Titanfall 2

Please don't let Titanfall 2's supposed emphasis on multiplayer fool you. As far as I'm concerned, that's all just extra fluff that pulls you away from one of the best ca?mpaigns of all time.

Despite being rather short, there's no wasted time here. ??Those five or so hours will have players finding one awesome new mechanic per level, enjoying some of the best setpieces in the history of gaming, and, perhaps, crying because of a robot.

10. Sid Meier's Civilization IV

Though the series was only about midway into its journey back in '05, I'd argue that Civilization 4 was likely its highest point yet.

Even if I'm wrong, I can at least hope you'll forgive me for snubbing your favorite game in the series. That's because all games in the series are responsible for the "just one more turn" curse that has destroyed so many of my nights I would've otherwise spent sleeping. Oh, an??d because doesn't go absolutely Nuke-crazy on this one.

9. Hades

If you're looking for the perfect balance between fun and challenging gameplay, then Hades is the game for you. Hades is trial and error perfected. It also features a be?autiful art style, fun dialogue, superb gameplay, and gorgeous animations, if? that helps.

Even the people who were already used to the marvelous games by Supergiant were surprised by the quality of this one, so it's quite a blast to start this one if you've never touched the team's other bangers like Transistor or Bastion.

8. Stardew Valley

Paraphrasing philosopher Henry David Thoreau, it's fine to leave the city and any current measure of success to just take it to the countryside to chill and stuff. Stardew Valley would be the video game ?version of that quote, if not for the fact that its sole developer ended? up creating one of the most successful games of all time.

It's a curse he deserves, though, as this immersive fa??rm life sim can truly steal you away from your life �and you'll feel all the bette??r for it.

7. Bloodborne

All Bloodborne required for success was to be Dark Souls but faster. But FromSoft didn't set out to "merely" succeed with Bloodborne. The company completely revamped the Souls genre for action addicts and created the most lusciously engrossing worl??d in the series.

You could call Bloodborne "Lovecraftian", but it just adds so much more to the table that even calling it the best Lovecraft??-inspired creation in history feels? demeaning.

6. Red Dead Redemption

I love Red Dead Redemption 2, but the simple fact that its entire plot cares more about setting up the events of the original than it does about creating a satisfying stand-alone series should leave no doubt over which one has ?the better plot.

The development of Red Dead Redemption varied from completely bonkers to nightmarish, ??but the result is, in my opinion, the most personal and personally fulfilling work in Roc??kstar's catalog.

5. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

Though its combat mechanics feel a little lackluster when compared to the games of today, I’d argue it’s still much more fun and immersive than Oblivion and Skyrim.

The thirst for adventure, discovery, and treasure hunting that I got from Morrowind has yet to be surpassed by a Bethesda game or by any other company �and I fear Morrowind will never be beaten in that regard.

4. Grim Fandango (Remastered)

Over 25 years since its initial release and its massive commercial flop, Grim Fandango ??rema??ins the funniest game I’ve ever played and the best classic adventure game in history.

It's just a miracle that the good people at Lucasarts managed to come up with an adventure game that only features one or two awful puzzles that make no sense. While I wouldn’t recommend the original version nowadays, the remaster is ac??e.

3. Half-Life 2

Even though Half-Life is the one that got it started, I maintain that Half-Life 2 is the one that perfected it. By "it", I'm talking about this concept that I've made up called the "Immersive FPS", a very exclusive game genre that pretty much just features the games in the Half-Life series.

Even though it might not look as technically impressive as the more recent FPS games of nowadays, you'd be hard-pressed to find a game that immerses you so well simply via its beautifully well-realized world and its writing. Much like Portal, I believe that Half-Life 2 is one of those games that will never ag??e a day �but you will, so think about getting to? it.

2. The Legend Of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

I thought about Ocarina of Time, about Majora's Mask, and I even thought about A Link To The Past. Then I mulled over, "Yeah, but which Zelda game would I recommend to a kid of today that I didn't want to strike as completely stuck in the past?" Well, the answer would be Breath of The Wild, so I picked Tears of The Kingdom �because it's Breath of the Wild but better.

You can complain that it just reuses a large portion of the area from the original Zelda game for the Switch, but, well, I really like that game, so that actually ?feels like some sort of retro compatibility, which I also love.

In all seriousness, though, I do feel like Tears of the Kingdom shows Nintendo at its most ingenious, and that's saying a lot about the video ga??me company that built its brand on i?ngenuity.

1. Elden Ring

Even though it's only two years old, you already know damn well that no one who has played it will ever forget Elden Ring. The only reason why I'm not saying that this is the culmination of everything FromSoft has been working on for the past decade is that I just know that those mad people will manage to come up with something even better next. Still, this is absolutely the most fulfillin?g single-player experience you can have right now.

... And, even with everything I've just said, I'm cool if you hate me for not having Dark Souls o?ccupying this spot. I kind o??f hate me for that as well.

The post The 15 best single player games, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

A Link to the Past and a Breath of Something New

With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Link is back in Hyrule, but things aren't quite what they used to be. Various communitie??s across the land have been reacting to the changes quite differently. Over in Kakariko, for instance, strange ring-shaped ruins have fallen from the sky, and folks aren't sure ?what to make of it or how to proceed.

Hateno is also undergoing change, forcing its inhabitants to reconsider the village's core identity and its future. This is epitomized by fashion designer Cece and mayor Reede, who have very different visions of what will serve their beloved settlement best. "Team Cece or Team Reede?" is one of Tears of the Kingdom's more memorable questlines, and it para?llels the franchise's own negotiations of convention and change within the modern gaming landscape.

[caption id="attachment_382171" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

Cece, Reede, and the Fate of Hateno Village in Tears of the Kingdom

Inhabited by the humanoid Hylians, Hateno Village is relatively small, and in Breath of the Wild, it is shown that the humble inhabitants mainly rely on agriculture. The village returns in Tears of the Kingdom, though things have changed slightly.

Many of the villagers no longer wear their regular rags, but instead sport mushroom-inspired outfits designed by Cece. Though the designs may seem odd at first, it is apparent that they have caught on. Even outside of Hateno, Link regularly spots Hyruleans w??earing colorful mushroom hats.

Cece's forward-thinking fashion benefits Hateno by bringing in a younger crowd. Unfortunately, conflict arises, as not everybody is on board with the sudden change. Some citizens are traditionalists, and they would much prefer things remain as they were. This is understandable, as traditions often have deeply rooted reasons for their existence, even if they aren't overt. They'd rather see Hateno known for agriculture than f?as?hion.

[caption id="attachment_382166" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

Hateno Village's Mayoral Election and the Great Solution

The conflict reaches a peak during the quest titled "The Mayoral Election". Cece wants to lead the village into a future of mushroom-inspired fashion. On the other hand, Reede wishes to retai??n the agricultural heritage of the village. The two appear diametrically opposed at first, but upon closer inspection, Link discovers that their ideologies aren't as incompatible as they?? initially seem.

Cece ca??n't entirely turn her back on Hateno's traditions, and she is secretly in love with the village's vegetables! Similarly, Reede claims to be a traditionalist, but he privately acknowledges the benefits of innovation. Hence, he has clandestine plans to team up with Nack and get the youth interested in agriculture by creating new pumpkins based on Cece's designs.

[caption id="attachment_382172" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

When election day rolls around, their secrets are revealed, and the two realize that they don't have to be enemies. Instead, innovation and tradition can be balanced to bring about the best benefits of both. As Reede concludes, the "best way to keep Hateno Village vibrant is to work together to combine traditional culture with new ideas". The lesson is a poignant one, and it addresses issues that have surrounded the new era of The Legend of Zelda.

[caption id="attachment_382167" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

Is The Legend of Zelda on Team Cece or Team Reede?

When development for Breath of the Wild began, it seems like Nintendo was thinking deeply about ways to liven up and innovate the franchise. The reasoning behind this isn't complicated. As iconic The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma explained in 2013, "things that don’t change with the times are going to get lost." It very much seems that there was a strong Cece-esque philosophy of wanting to draw in a fresh audience. In the same ??interview, Aonuma also admitted that he hoped to "get more people into Link."

Nevertheless, there were certainly plenty of Reede-esque elements to the game, and despite the drastic format change, it is firmly rooted in the franchise's history. For instance, the non-linear gameplay that characterizes Breath of the Wild hearkens back to A Link Between World's design. Rather than exclusively leaning into trad?ition or clawing for i??nnovation, the two philosophies are harmonized.

[caption id="attachment_382168" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

The constant dynamic balancing of both tradition and innovation is also seen in Tears of the Kingdom, albeit in a bit more refined form. Once again, there are plenty of elements from the franchise's past presented. Most strikingly, the floating islands peppering Hyrule's upper regions will not be a new sight to anyone familiar with Skyward Sword.

Furthermore, the Temples of Tears of the Kingdom have been greatly inspired by past The Legend of Zelda titles. As art director Satoru Takizawa has explained, "the four Divine Beasts were the dungeons in the last game, and they shared similar designs. This time, the dungeons are huge and each carry their own regional look and feel, just like traditional The Legend of Zelda games."

[caption id="attachment_382170" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

This doesn't mean that Tears of the Kingdom has foregone innovation. Instead, it has leaned further into what Nintendo has dubbed the "open air" genre, which is something Aonuma has claimed will be the new format for the franchise going forward.

Much like Hateno Village, The Legend of Zelda has had to renegotiate its identity, and it's not always clear what the correct path forward is. In the end, as the inhabitants of Hateno discover, neither Reede's nor Cece's philosophy will lead to success in isolation. Instead, a delicate blend of the two is necessary, and when it is struck, the result is an experience as impactful as Tears of the Kingdom.

The post Tears of the Kingdom’s mayoral conflict reflects the series’ evolution over the years appeared first on Destructoid.

Options, options, options

If you want to play a great 2D Legend of Zelda game today, the Nintendo Switch has you covered. With a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can play any of the pre-Ocarina games, plus a handful of excellent Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance titles with more on the horizon. One of the very best 2D Zelda titles, Link's Awakening, is available twice �in addition to the GBC version on NSO, there's also an exce??llent 2019 remake.

[caption id="attachment_359260" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

But if you want a new 2D Zelda experience? You're out of luck.

Where did 2D Zelda go?

Since 1998, there's been a fairly clean division between The Legend of Zelda games. There are 3D games, defined by behind-the-head and over-the-shoulder cameras, and 2D games, defined by their top-down view. This distinction might sound fairly unimportant but it is absolutely vital to the way these games are designed. 2D space allows for more rigid, defined puzzles, whic?h make dungeons dramatically more satisfying. The 3D games are generally more concerned with what's outside the dungeons, in the sprawling worlds. These games are frequently about the problems occurring aboveground. 3D dungeons can often be clever, but they're inherently broader and more open to experimentation, making th??em feel less like riddles anchored in space and more like ruins that stand between the player and a goal.

Both of these models are worth something, and they're both distinctly "Zelda," but they have different strengths, and they're perfectly capable of co-existing. The existence of Wind Waker did not erase the demand for The Minish Cap. Both of these games are considered some of the best in the series for entirely different reasons.

But one of these design philosophies simply does not exist anymore. The last major 2D Zelda game, Tri-Force Heroes, came out nearly eight years ago. The last single-player 2D entry will be a full decade old this year.

But... why?

At the moment, 3D Zelda has reached what many would describe as its peak. I don't personally adore Breath of the Wild, but there's no denying that it's perfected the series' broad, freeform energy. Everything in Breath of the Wild is open to experimentation?? and exploration. Even the dungeons generally have a number of different solutions based on how creati??ve you're willing to get with the game's much-lauded physics system.

[caption id="attachment_365490" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

But where does that leave the tighter, more specific dungeons? Surely there's still a market for puzzle boxes with carefully planned solutions. Even when the series' 3D side is so rewarding for so many people, I think there's space to explore more conventional Zelda designs. I was, in fact, left severely underwhelmed by Breath of the Wild's dungeons specifically because they felt so three-dimensional, motivated more by occupying a space than filling it with challenging, thoughtful ideas. Solving dungeons the "right" way is often boring specifically because the game clearly wants the player to break it, to gain a more robust understanding of Breath of the Wild's notion of physical space.

Again, there's nothing wrong with this concept. For many players, it's clearly incredibly refreshing. But it doesn't represent the full breadth of what Zelda can be, and I really wish? there was a more concise, less o??pen game to accompany it.

Division of labor

Obviously, it might be an especially difficult time for Nintendo to focus resources on a 2D Zelda game. The next 3D Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom, has had a famously long production cycle, one of many ways the game is following in Breath of the Wild's footsteps. But 2D Zelda is no stranger to outsourcing �Capcom has tackled three different 2D Zelda games while Nintendo handled their 3D counterparts, and Grezzo handled Tri-Force Heroes. Infamously, Ninten??do also once trusted Anim?ation Classics with the franchise, leading to the Philips CD-i games (this might not be the best move to replicate).

[caption id="attachment_362555" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

More recently, Nintendo entrusted Brace Yourself Games with the Zelda property for a rhythm game spinoff. But that was a side game. For a better model, we should look to MercurySteam's work on Metroid Dread, which occurred simultaneously with Metroid Prime 4's production. While one studio handled the next entry in the series' 3D lineage, another took care of the franchise's 2D roots. If this model works for Metroid, then why not Zelda?

I suppose what I'm trying to get at is simple: we could have a new 2D Zelda game and we should have a new 2D Zelda game. The Nintendo Switch plays host to some of the greatest games in the ??franchise's history, and revisiting those games is a great time. But seeing how things used to be really makes me wish Nintendo would take a glance back before diving into the future.

The post 2D Zelda deserves its Metroid Dread moment appeared first on Destructoid.

Tears of the Kingdom can't come soon enough

One of the many things I love about the Zelda series is that each game has its own unique vibe �from the cartoony wholesomeness of Wind Waker to the downright spooky atmosphere of Majora’s Mask. Of course, I’m excited to see how the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel, which we now know is called Tears of the Kingdom, will innovate on the gameplay mechanics from its predecessor, but even moreso, I’m pumped to see how the story of the world has changed since we last checked in with the Hylian hero.

When people ask me what my favorite video game stories are, they’re usually confused to hear that I add Breath of the Wild to that ??list. The game has minimal storytelling aside from the optional memories you can go around and find. What I think it does better than just abou?t any other game, though, is creating a world that not only feels lived-in, but that has a rich history hiding just under the surface.

You’re constantly coming across these ruins and wondering exactly what happened, usually left without any definitive answers. Most importantly, though, you’re seeing the world after all of the exciting stuff has already happened �Ganon has already won, and the inhabitants of Hyrule are surviving, not flourishing. It’s an idea that probably?? sounded risky during early development, but paired with some of the most pitch-perfect game design we’ve ever seen, it created one of the most hauntingly peaceful and yet endlessly fascinating game w??orlds in recent memory.

A shift in tone

Enter Tears of the Kingdom �from the get?-go, it’s easy to see how the game will be using the same art style and building upon the same mechanics. However, the tone has sh?ifted significantly, and rather than seeing the world through an innocent incarnation of Link, our hero looks like he’s been through a lot based on his left arm alone.

At this point, trying to deduce any significant story from the minimal details we’ve gotten from the trailers so far would be a waste of time, but I think it’s fair to say that Tears of the Kingdom will see the series return to a darker vibe �even just from the title alone. I’d wager to say that it’s the perfect time for some edgier Zelda content, considering we haven’t gotten a mainline entry that wasn’t a remaster with a gritter tone since maybe Twilight Princess back in 2006.

The world has cha?nged a lot since 2017, which feels like the understatement of the century. Things are worse now on the whole, and by saying anything otherwise, we’d be outrigh??t lying to ourselves.

Finding meaning in darkness

It’s always great to see Link and Zeld??a return, but this time seeing them face darkness in a visceral, immediate way feels pretty timely. Seeing the scattered remains of Hyrule floating in the air is a beautiful image, and maybe I took one too many college-level E??nglish courses, but it feels very symbolic of their world being altered beyond recognition, and having to do what they can to survive with the remaining pieces.

Regardless of my over-analyzation, we need stories of overcoming darkness against impossible odds now more than ever. Tears of the Kingdom’s release is anticipated for so m?any different reasons �gameplay innovations, beautiful worldbuilding, a return to classic characters we know and? love �but one of the things I’m looking most forward to is its story reflecting the darkness that always seems to be looming over our heads.

Part of me wonders how much Tears of the Kingdom’s story and aesthetics were already planned out years in advance, or if they’re a more immediate reaction to what we’ve been facing. Either way, I have nothing but complete faith that Ninten?do is going to knock this one out of the park, and the anticipation of its release on May 5, 2023 will be what keeps me going until then.

Story Beat is a weekly column discussing anything and everything to do with storytelling in video games.

The post It’s the perfect time for another dark Zelda game appeared first on Destructoid.

Regal Replica

One of the contributing factors to the enduring appeal of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild lies in its introduction of many mythical new characters to the Zelda universe. And for those of you besotted with?? the underwater kingdom of Zora, First?? 4 Figures might have a treat in store for you.

The merch-maker has offered a first look at a brand new figurine capturing the beautiful form of Zoran princess and Champion of Hyrule, Mipha. The PVC figurine stands roughly nine inches in height and is delicately pois?ed with her formidable Light??scale Trident. Mipha's ethereal presence and compelling beauty belie her adept combat skills and overwhelmingly courageous nature, reflected in her subtle stance.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGeIxpNMoMo&t

Mipha stands atop a sturdy circular base, emblazoned with the symbol of the secretive "Shadow People," The Sheikah. The base features LED lighting effects, which light up her royal highness with a delectable aqua blue glow. The Mipha figurine will look mighty fine standing on anyone's bookshelf, and will make an even better accompaniment to F4F's previous releases of Princess Zelda, Revali, and, of course, Link himse?lf.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Mipha figurine is available to pre-order now from the official First 4 Figures website. Mipha will retail for around $150 USD on release, but those who pre-order now can bag an Early Bird price of $137.99, not including shipping or any potential customs charges. Mipha is expected to ship in the fourth quarter of 2022 and payment?? options are also available.

The post The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Mipha is getting her own figurine appeared first on Destructoid.

Telling stories through the dishes we love

Food. It's one of the most quintessential ??parts of being alive, so it only makes sense that we would find a way to include it in a medium like video games that often tries to replicate real life.

Ever since the early days of gaming, food has been a way to get health or energy back. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about video game food has to be the meat you find in the walls of a spooky castle in Castlevania, or the hilariously anachronistic gyro and fries you can pick up in Hades. It's something that can seem really silly on the face of it, and the way we use food for health in video games has been memed and parodied to death. Admittedly, it is very funny to imagine your character in a game stopping in the middle of a scuffle to? shove fourteen wheels of cheese into their face before diving ba?ck into the fight.

But when you think about it, is there any other analogy that works better? I don't think so. Food is our fuel, it's what gives u?s energy to do the things we need to do �a simple, given fact of life that is still somehow easy for me to forget on an almost daily basis.

Cooking is the name of the game

[caption id="attachment_256206" align="alignnone" width="1280"] _{Cooking Mama: Cookstar.}[/caption]

While food remains an important mechanic to most games out there, we also have games that place their entire focus on food. Take the classic and beloved Cooking Mama series for example �there's literally nothing else to do in those games except make food. You'd think it would get too repetitive or boring after a while, but Mama always finds new ways to keep it just as interesting and chal??lenging as trying to make food in real life.

As someone who has had varied success on their journey to learn new recipes and make nutritious-enough food so as not to drop dead one day as an adult fending for myself, it's interesting to have games that turn what is usually a struggle for me into an enjoyable gameplay loop. Although, any Cooking Mama connoisseur can attest ??that the game can be equally as challenging, so maybe? it's a little too true to life there.

Tell me a story...with food

[caption id="attachment_321519" align="alignnone" width="1280"] _{The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.}[/caption]

My absolute favorite, though, is when games use food as a storytelling mechanic. This is less common than just using food as a health supplement, but we still see it fairly often in games. One of my favorites includes Stardew Valley, where food becomes the center of multiple holidays in the game, and is also a core way to "get to know" your favorite villagers and endear them to you.

Another game that comes to mind is Breath of the Wild. Some of the adventures I go on in that game have nothing to do with saving Hyrule, but instead finding the ingredients I need to make the perfect, most delicio??us-sounding meal. There are even quests that involve bringing someone food they like, or gathering ingredients for a favorite recipe.

These stories may seem small up against the epic, heroic backdrop of saving the world, but ?I think they reflect on our humanity in a really sweet way. I'm sure there are tons of other games out there that have equally engaging storylines surrounding food, I just need to search them out. Food is in many ways at the heart of how we interact with each other and the world, so having characters interact and bond over food reminds me of how special those interactions can be in real life.

Venba: a story of food and family

[caption id="attachment_321582" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _Venba.[/caption]

That's what gets me so excited for games like Venba, an upcoming narrative cooking game that is being featured at this year's Tribeca Games Festival. It centers on an Indian mother who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s, and "will cook various dishes and restore lost recipes, hold branching conversations and explore in this story about family, love, loss and more," according to the game's website.

The cooking gameplay makes it look like a spiritual successor to Cooking Mama in certain ways, but the addition of the narrative in parallel with that cooking mechanic is what has me the most excited about Venba.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know a whole lot about Indian culture, but what I do know is that food is a very important factor. I'm not only looking forward to playing Venba, but also learning more about food from another culture, and how that food ties into the family dynamics of first-generation immigrants. Of all the games coming to Tribeca this year, I think it's safe to say that Venba will be one to look out for.

If the goal of telling stories is to help us all connect and understand what it means to be human, ?food is a natural extension of that. It will always be fun to consume foods in-game to replenish health or receive a buff, but I love the idea of ??highlighting our relationship to food within game stories, rather than always using it as a means to an end. We have some great games out there that incorporate food into their narratives, but I'm looking forward to seeing more food-centric stories in games.

Story Beat is a weekly column discussing anything and everything to do with storytelling in video games.

The post Video game food: more than just some extra health appeared first on Destructoid.

Steve Austin settles the Legend of Zelda debate

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time imagining professional wrestlers in any other context than, you know, wrestling. I'm not sure why the idea of these big, muscly men sitting down to play on a Nintendo Switch is so funny to me, but they're normal people who like video games, just like anyone else. We now know that Stone Cold Steve Austin and Cody Rhodes in particular are men of culture, because they both love The Legend of Zelda series.

We got a small glimpse into their lives as gamers after a tweet from the official WWE Network's Twitter (via VGC) let fans know about Steve Austin's show Broken Skull Sessions, the guest for which will be Cody Rhodes this week on May 6. The two played a game where Austin asked Rhodes to give answers after prompting him in different categories, and with Rhodes having only 30 seconds to respond to the questions. Simple enough, and Austin started with the most important category of all: Best Zelda game.

//twitter??.com/WWENetwork/status/1521540838672801793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1521540838672801793%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww?.videogameschronicle.com%2Fblog%2Fstone-cold-steve-austin-thinks-breath-of-the-wild-is-better-than-ocarina-of-time%2F

Without missing a beat, Rhodes responded, "Ocarina of Time. Hands down." Austin wasn't having it, because he quickly responded with, "No dude, Breath of the Wild."

Rhodes claims this was a "bold choice," but I have to agree with Stone Cold Steve Austin on this one. Ocarina may have laid the groundwork for the modern Zelda era, but Breath of the Wild is a culmination of what the series could be. The other thing I love about this exchange is that they both so obviously care about their answers, and I imagine if they weren't under a time crunch, this would have spun out into a full-blown conversation. I know that I for one would love to see a fight where in between hits, the guys are yelling about which Zelda game is the best and why. Make it happen, WWE.

The post Stone Cold Steve Austin thinks Breath of the Wild is the best?? Zelda game appeared first on Destructoid.

At this point, we'll take what we can get

Zelda fans beware: what follows could contain some light spoilers for Breath of the Wild 2.

Breath of the Wild 2 was announced just shy of three years ago, and we haven't learned all that much more about the game since then. Nintendo has been notoriously tight-lipped about the whole thing, but we've gotten a small hint from one of the series' voice actors after he spoke on a podcast for the fan sit??e Lega Hyrule �specifically Pietro U?baldi, who does the Italian dub of the Goron Champion Daruk, as well as Daruk's Goron ancestor.

As originally reported by Eurogamer, Ubaldi revealed on the podcast that he is returning to the series, and has recorded new lines for both of these characters. That's all we got from the exchange, but it's more than enough to go on for die-hard Breath of the Wild fans. Nat??urally, theories have already started popping up online, tying into those that already existed from the information we got in previous trailers.

An already widely accepted theory is that Breath of the Wild 2 will take place an entire thousand years before the events of its predecessor, and now based on this interview, fans are speculating about what a return of the previous Champion characters and their ancestors could look like. Some think that we could be seeing the Champions in flashbacks only, similar to the first Breath of the Wild, while others believe that they will be featured as being in another time period altogether. Regardless of how they're featured, I'll be happy to see them again, because I ??really happen to love the Champion characters.

While Ubaldi may have given us a little tiny hint about what Breath of the Wild 2's story might have i?n store for us, we still know very little about the game's setting, as well as any new additions to the game's core me?chanics. We still have so much to look forward to, but I'll take any new info I can get �it's the only thing keeping me going at this point.

//www.tiktok.com/@destructoid/video/7095803059342707973?is_from_webapp=1&sender_d??evice=pc&web_id=7052788164067706373

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The truest form of Choose Your Own Adventure

I think by this point it's pretty clear that my favorite thing about games is how they can tell stories in whole new ways. Usually that means games that put narrative design at the forefront, with cinematic cutscenes or branching storylines that let you choose how the characters move forward through th?e plot. One type of narrative design I don't think about as often as I should, though, is the idea of emergent storytelling in games, which has been a??round for years.

What is emergent narrative?

It's a bit of a complex topic, mostly because emergent storytelling has a ton of crossover with the design of gameplay?? systems. The id??ea is that emergent stories aren't plotlines that were placed there by the devs for you to find, but instead, they're the stories that you create on your own based on how you play.

These narratives come about in just about every game genre, with the only real criteria being that they're stories that the devs didn't put there intentionally. They may have put the tools in place for you to be able to create a narrative of your own, but you're th??e one who has to put the pieces together.

//www.reddit.com/r/Breath_of_the_Wild/comments/u43s6h??/totally_didnt_just_run_across_a_half_of_hyrule/

One of the best ways I've heard to know if something has an emergent narrative is if you tell your friends stories of your time playing the game. You know, the classic "you had to be there" story. It's like trying to tell someone about something awesome that happened in your Dungeons & Dragons game, or a really cool dream that ??you had. We love to share these stories regardless �you see them all over Reddit and Twitter.

The stories write themselves

I recently started playing Pokémon for the first time ever as an adult, and the way the gameplay is?? designed, it's so perfect for making you feel like you're on your very own adventure. I had one of those classic narrow escapes where I was about to be team-wiped, but then one of my benchwarmers swooped in to triumphantly save the day, and it was awesome.

The list of video games with these types of stories is endless, from open-world games like Breath of the Wild to rhythm games like Beat Saber. While I find conversations about more structured, traditional kinds of stories in games can be equally as gratifying, there's something so special, so electric about creating your own stories from the pieces the developers gave you. When we give in to the fantasy of the game we're playing, whatever that might look like, it gives us the autonomy to make-?believe in ways that we haven't done since we were kids. I also love that no one sets out in a game thinking "I'm going to make a really cool story happen." Instead, these meaningful moments come about as a direct result of us just playing and trying to have a good time.

//www.reddit.com/r/AnimalCrossing/c??omments/u3ih7k/gayle_thievery_is_wro?ng/

Trying to tell other people about our endeavors may feel a bit like an attempt to relay somethi??ng that happened in a dream �you kind of had to be there, but that's kind of what makes it feel significant. It was a singular moment that only you were there for, where you truly felt something based on how you chose to interact with a virtual world. Sometimes it's thrilling, other times it's somber and moving, and some of the most enjoyable moments of emergent gameplay are when you've accidentally launched yourself off a cliff, and suddenly you're busting a gut at what a ridiculous, futile end the hero of the game has just suffered.

The freedom to explore

There's some really great literature out there that discusses how we can use games to explore new ways of seeing the world. It's a super low-stakes environment, because whatever happens, you can always restart the level, or create a whole new save file, or just shut the game off for good. Even with the heaviest of in-game consequences, there will never be any real-world consequences for what we do in a video game, withholding obvious exceptions. In a world that demands perpetual perfection from us, being able to enter a space where we can just throw ourselves at the wall to see what sticks without any fear of judgment, I think, is one of the most freeing things we can do. It's why I love picking the mean dialogue choices in games �that's not s??omething I do in the real world (or at least I try not to).

//www.reddit.com/r/Eldenring/comments/u45yj1/i_invad?ed_som??eones_swamp/

Then there's the world of multiplayer, which allows for a whole new slew of emergent narrative possibilities. The Soulsborne games are an amazing example of emergent multiplayer gameplay, and if you need convincing, go and watch any Bloodborne invasion compilation on YouTube. Epic sagas of betrayal, humiliating moments of crushing defeat, genuinely touching moments of unspoken friendship �it's all there, and it's all because those situations arise organically from players interacting?? with each other online. It's amazing, and it's so unique to games.

I think that's what really gets me about this whole thing. Games can do their best to replicate film or TV, or even carve their own path by taking well-known story conventions and reimagining them for the int??eractive medium, but the kinds of stories that come from the act of play itself? Only games can do that, and at risk of sounding so cheesy, I think that's beautiful.

That sentiment is one of the hardest things to get non-gamers to understand, and yet it's one of the most important things to telegraph if you want them to see why we love not only the art of games themselves, but the art that comes from playing them. Try as I might, there will always be important people in my life who will never be able to understand the gratification and artistic autonomy that comes along with the act of play, and honestly, that makes? me really sad for them.

Story Beat is a weekly column discussing anything and everything to do with storytelling in video games.

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She can offer you great power

The fan art and crafts that come out of the gaming communities are one of my favorite things about social media, because there are so many talented people out there who make things I couldn't even imagine making myself. Whether it's a Breath of the Wild fan animation made with Nendoroid figures, a delectable Kirby cake, or a giant bead mural of all 150 first-generation Pokémon, the passion and talent of other fans never ceases to amaze me. This is also true of Zelda creator edlothian's new project, a series of handmade statues from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

You see them all over Hyrule in the game, these ancient-looking, beautiful statues of the Goddess Hylia, where you can pray to upgrade your hearts or stamina wheel. edlothian was able to beautifully recreate the statues using a 3D printer, as well as fake moss and foliage that are reclaiming the bases of the goddess? figures. The end result leaves some statues that really look like they're made of stone somehow, like something out of the gam?e come to life.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="438"] _{[Image Source: edlothian]}[/caption]Personally, I'd love to have one of these in my house. In-game, they're placed in locations where the player knows they're safe, like by a peaceful pond in a town, or on top of a quiet, isolated mountaintop. I feel like having one of these Breath of the Wild statues in my room looking over me woul?d make me feel safe in a way that I'm not sure I fully understand myself.

Considering how impressive these art pieces are, it's not surprising to learn that this isn't edlothian's first Zelda-fan-art-making rodeo. Some of their other projects include the Forest Temple from Ocarina of Time and a Skyward Sword-themed stand for their Link amiibo. We'll be looking forward to any of their future endeavors, but for right now, those goddess statues are some of the best? fan art we've se?en in recent weeks.

[Via Nintendo Life]

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Buckle in, folks

I ??don't know about you, but I'm a bit of an anxious flyer. There's something about being on a plane that makes it impossible for me to get comfortable. I think it might have to do with being in ??such close proximity to strangers, especially right now. That can make it a bit difficult to get through the five-hour flight I've had to take to get home the past few years since I moved to the West Coast. Thankfully, gaming has been the one thing that seems to help during my holiday travels.

Of all the things I've tried to ?bring onto a plane to keep me busy, ga?mes seem to be the only thing I can have with me that helps me relax a little. I think it's because games are such an active activity, I usually get so involved with what I'm playing that I completely forget I'm on a plane at all.

So, in an attempt to help any other travelers who get a bit nervous during their journey, here's my guide to the types of games to play when you're traveling. Oh, and I travel with my Nintendo Switch, so you're going to need one ?of those if you want to follow along.

Simulators

Alright so you're gonna wanna go ahead and start with your favorite simulator game. I find these are great for the ride to the airport, waiting in line for TSA, waiting at the gate, and waiting for takeoff once you've boarded. They're obviousl??y some of the most relaxing games yo?u can play, which is going to help you deal with all the stress of getting through the airport. 

Animal Crossing is a great one as you can use this time to get all you?r daily chores done, but Stardew Valley is al?so a solid go-to for me here because it d?ivides up time into nice, digestible chunks. You need to wait an hour? Nah, that's only four days in Stardew time??. Plus, the slow-paced nature of this game means that you ca??n easily look up from your console as needed without risk of dying or loss of progress.

Other good simulator games to try are My Time at Portia, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, Spiritfarer?, and Farming Simulator.

Turn-based

If you're someone who needs a little more action in your life, turn-based games are a great way to go. Like simulators, they're easy to have going when you're multitasking, because they kind of pause themselves every few seconds ?while waiting for you to do your button input, whether it's making your turn or simply pressing A to progress the d?ialogue. These are great for any of the lead up to your trip, plus the first half of your flight when you're waiting to be interrupted by the drink cart. 

My favorite turn-based or otherw?ise visual-no??vel-esque games to travel with are Ace Attorney and Slay the Spire. Ace Attorney has the benefit of its episode structures, because I can make it through one during the five-hour flight it t??akes to get back to the East Coast. Slay the Spire is such a fun game and it's honestly slept on �it's a dec?k-builder roguelike that's perfect to play in short bursts.

Other great turn-based o??r visual-novel-style games to try ar?e Pokemon (duh), Octopath Traveler, Fire Emblem, Paper Mario: The Origami King, and pretty much any of the famous JRPGs.

Immersive

Okay, this one will come in clutch for any o??f my other anxious flyers out there �download an open-world game you know you love. You're gonna start playing, and soon you're going to be so consumed with what you're doing that you totally forget about your holiday travels. Anything with real-time action will be yo??ur best friend, because it forces you to focus more on what you're doing.

My personal go-to is Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, because no matter where I jump into a save file, I can immediately have fun with it. It's become something of a c??omfort game on planes ??for me, honestly. I've also considered trying out shooters that I know I enjoy like the BioShock series, because?? the storytelling and gameplay are so involved, I think it would have the same effect. More than genre, what's key here is to find a game that you feel sucked into.

Othe?r immersive games to play while traveling are Minecraft, The Witcher 3, Monster?? Hunter, Assassin's Creed, and Xenoblade Chronicles.

Twitchy

If all else fails, that's alright, we just need to bring out the big guns. If I'm really having a hard time on the plane, I put on whatever game has the twitchiest controls I can find. I want fast-paced, real-time gameplay that requires dodging, strategy, timed jumps, and so on. These?? types of mechanics not only require all of my attention, but my acti??ve brainpower, so I really have no other choice than to focus on the game over my anxiety.

T??he one catch with this one is that you usually need to bring a Switch Pro Controller along, set up the screen on the tray table, and play that way. It actually works pretty well, if you don't mind the extra bit of hassl?e. Hades is hands down my go-to for this, and has gotten me through those last few exhausting hours of the???? flight pretty nicely.

Other twitchy games to try are Hollow Knight, Celeste, Cuphead, Super Smash Bros., ??and really an?y other fighting game that you might enjoy.

Man, typing this all out really makes me feel crazy, but this is really the process I go through playing games during my travels. If nothing else, I hope that this could help someone else as they navigate one of the most stressful times of the year. And of course, feel free to give these a try if you're just at home needing an escape from your ??fam??ily this Christmas. I have a feeling I'm going to this year. Good luck out there, gamers.

The post Gaming through your holiday travels: a guide appeared first on Destructoid.

A somewhat unconventional Turkey Day spread

I don't think I'm alone in saying that as far as its origins go, Thanksgiving is by far the worst holiday of the latter part of the year. In light of this, I do my best to forget how the celebration got its start, and instead focus more on how much I love the food that I could eat year-round if I wanted, but only choose to eat on this holiday because it feels more special. Video games are known to have some of the most delectable-looking food that I'll sadly? never get to eat, but I can at least compile a list of all the virtual Thanksgiving dishes I wish I could down this year on my food holid?ay.

7. Fried Chicken - I Love You, Colonel Sanders!

[caption id="attachment_297593" align="alignnone" width="1200"] [Image Source: Gamebyte][/caption]I learned recently that KFC is a big holiday tradition in Japan, so I'm gonna go ahead and say that's fair game for the sake of this patc??hwork list. Now as far as how good this chicken looks in the game, I don't think they could have made it look more tantalizing if they tried. It's also presented to us?? in the format of a dating sim, which somehow makes it look even more dreamy and amazing. Honestly, screw a turkey this year, this game that was created solely for the purpose of selling me chicken has done an excellent job of making me want said chicken. And those mashed potatoes? Say no more.

6. Pumpkin Pie - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

[caption id="attachment_297595" align="alignnone" width="1024"] [Image Source: Amino Apps][/caption]The desserts aren't something to make super often in this game, because they don't have a ton of utility and their ingredients are often valuable and hard to come by. Did I make them anyway simply because they look amazing and I have a sweet tooth? Absolutely, yes. It feels like a special little treat to give Link a cake after he narrowly escaped death after running through a field of Guardians??. It feels only? fair. All of the desserts in Breath of the Wild ??look amazing, but I'm gonna have to go with the pumpkin pie on this one for obvious reasons. Plus, it'll give me an armor buff for when those Thanksgiving tensions start rising, am I right?

5. Stupendous Stew - Super Mario Odyssey

[caption id="attachment_297598" align="alignnone" width="1280"] [Image Source: IGN][/caption]When I was playing the Cookatiel boss fight in the Luncheon Kingdom, I swear I could barely focus �all I could think about was how good that stew looked. I love a good cream-based soup, and those big chunks of potatoes, carrots, corn, and zucchini looked amazing to me. The only thing it's missing is a little bit of protein to give it that rich flavor, but I assume that's what the Cookatiel is for. This is one of those recipes that gets replicated online a lot, and for good reason. I might just have ??to try and make my own Stupendous Stew for my own Thanksgiving cele??bration.

4. Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie - Undertale

[caption id="attachment_297586" align="aligncenter" width="488"] [Image Source: An Undertale Lover][/caption]Okay, I know the circumstances surrounding this pie are�questionable, but you cannot tell me that it isn't your dream to wake up from a nap and have the most incredible, warm, ooey-gooey butterscotch cinnamon pie just sitting?? out for you. It sounds cozy, and it's exactly what I would want if I found myself in some mysterious underworld that was full of monsters. To be honest, neither butterscotch or cinnamon are usually something I'll go out of my way to eat, but in this case, I just have to make an exception.

3. Stuffing - Stardew Valley

[caption id="attachment_297589" align="aligncenter" width="493"] [Image Source: Stardew Valley Wiki][/caption]Stuffing is a classic Thanksgiving staple, and one of my personal favorites, so I couldn't very well leave it out. It's simple, sure, and the low-res pixel art doesn't do it many favors, but when you take into account that it's going to be made with fresh ingredients right off of your farm, you know it's gonna be delicious. The recipe is simple �bread, cranberries, and hazelnut �and while that doesn't quite stand out as the most involved stuffing recipe I've ever received, the thought of it somehow still makes my mouth water. Plus, you get a +2 defense bonus. What?? is it with all these Thanksgiving foo??ds giving me defense buffs?

2. Sweet Potatoes - Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends

[caption id="attachment_297602" align="aligncenter" width="250"] [Image Source: Cooking Mama Wiki][/caption]Let's be honest, ??I could have included pretty much any dish f??rom any of the Cooking Mama games, but I chose Dinner With Friends because it was the one I played growing up. Now these sweet potatoes are certainly one of the more simple dishes you?? can make, but that's part of what makes them look so tasty. You're really taking your time to make sure they're slow-roasted to perfection, and that you get that nice sweet glaze on top. This is a much different way to prepare sweet potatoes than I was used to growing up, but I honestly think I would prefer it. Mama knows best, which means these bad boys have got to be incredible.

1. Ambrosia - Hades

Alright, I'll admit that th??is one is a bit of a wildcard, but I mean, come on. Never has a video game food or drink drawn me in with its siren song lik?e the Ambrosia from Hades. I??n real life, ambrosia is a h?orrifying monstrosity of a dessert that mixes fruit, marshmallows, and sour cream. Who does that? No, no, no, I want whatever sweet, golden liquid is in those fancy glass bottles. I once had this amazing drink?? made of fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices, and it was probably the closest thing I??'ll ever get in this earthly realm, goddamn it was so good. The fact that there is no real-world equivalent to this truly breaks my heart.

So, what video game foods would you want?? to add to your Thanksgiving plate? What real-life foods do you look forward to during the holiday season?

The post 7 video game foods I want?? to g?obble down this Thanksgiving appeared first on Destructoid.

Do they have Twizzlers in Hyrule?

Trick-or-treating: a time-honored tradition of showing up to strangers' houses and demanding candy. Of course when I do it as an adult, it's weird at best and trespassing at worst, but double standards aside, some of my fondest childhood memories are from running around my suburban neighborhood after dar?k on Halloween.

So, if I can't go trick-or-treating in real life, it got me thinking about all of the video game worlds? I'd want to spend the holiday in. From the quaint cul-de-sacs to the bustling metropolises, from the wholesome to the horrifying, here's my list of the video-game-bound neighborhoods I want to trick-or-treat?? in.

7) Haven from Life is Strange: True Colors

They say you always want what you don't have, and after growing up in the bizarre in-between that is suburbia, I envied the coziness of small towns. Life is Strange: True Colors' setting of Haven is so idyllic, it almos??t feels like hyperbole, so the idea o??f spending my favorite time of year there makes me weak at the knees.

We got a brief glimpse of Haven at Halloween time in Steph's spin-off DLC Wavelengths, as she decorated the record shop for the season. Now imagine the whole entire town like that, b??ut then with the backdrop of red, orange, and yellow trees on the mountains, far as the eye can see. Slap on the festivities and general atmosphere of the town, and it's a dream come true. The one downside is that the town does have its deep, dark secrets, but I imagine I won't really have to engage with that considering I'd just be a tourist, right?

6) Maple Bay from Dream Daddy

Okay so this one seems like it might be more of what I'm used to with the whole suburban neighborhood situation, but we all get nostalgic sometimes, right? Besides, there's a whole bunch of hunky, single dads runnin??g around, so that's a big plus, and from my experience, suburbs always have the best decoration setups.

You know that the residents of Maple Bay are going to go all-out for the festivities, too, especially someone like Da?mien. Joseph would totally make some?? bangin' food, and Matt would curate the best Halloween playlist ever. I just know that I personally dig some wholesome dad vibes, and having a multitude of dad energy on my favorite holiday sounds like a pretty good time to me.

5) Hateno Village from Breath of the Wild

[caption id="attachment_291282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] [Image Source: Zeldapedia][/caption]Okay, so I'm no Zelda expert, but I'm pretty sure they don't celebrate Hall?oween in Hyrule. Maybe they have some kind of fantasy version, I'm not sure. Either way, I want to trick-or-treat?? in this game for a few reasons.

For one, the food in Breath of the Wild looks so insanely good, I'd love to gob?ble down some treats from the game. The world is also just so beautiful, I think Hateno Village would look great with some festive decorating. There's something really weird to me when I think about the people of Hyrule celebrating our normal, non-fantastical holidays, but I kind of love it. From what I can tell, Hateno is also the village in the game with the most kids in it, and there's nothing better than seeing kids experience the magic of Halloween for the first time.

4) New Donk City from Super Mario Odyssey

Remember how I said we always want what we don't have? This is the other side of that coin. Sure, I live in a city now that I'm an adult, but that's t?he problem �I'm an adult, so I can't exactly see what it feels like to trick-or-treat in a more urban area.

Hence the New Donk City fantasy. Because it's not just a regular city; it's colorful, whimsical, and has a hot mayor who sings a city-wide musical number! Seems to me like the perfect place to celebrate my all-time favorite holiday. Whereas the slower pace of the towns on this list might give me the cozy, homey feeling I've been missing, I know New Donk City is where I could go t?o get down for Halloween, and man, does that sound fun.

3) Central Yharnam from Bloodborne

[caption id="attachment_291284" align="alignnone" width="1920"] [Image Source: Reddit user u/Quirkless0_0][/caption]Okay, I know this one is a little bit crazy. The obvious caveat here is that everything and everyone is going to try to kill me if I step foot in this place, but let'??s pretend for a second that that's not the case. Let's pretend instead that it's like a theme park replica, where things are scary but can't touch you.

Central Yharnam has the perfect Halloween atmosphere �the decrepit Victorian city, the strange voices coming from the windows, the horrible creatures walking around. It gives that little bit of horror that I'm looking for to spice up my life. Plus, the people in the houses seem pretty nice, and I'd love to see what weird, disgusting stuff they'd put in my bag. Is Yha?rnam the most Instagrammable Halloween setting? No. But it's probably one of the spookier neighborhoods you could choose, and what's more in the spirit of the holiday than that?

2) Rapture from BioShock

This one also needs a caveat, but it's my list and I'll do what I want. I'm talking pre-fall Rapture on t?his one, mostly because I know the parties down there had to be wild. I'm all about the extravagance of an experience, which is something I fi??nd to be severely lacking above sea level these days. All I know is that if Sander Cohen threw a Halloween party, it would go down in history.

I get the feeling I'd have a few doors slammed in my face when I actuall?y tried to trick-or-treat in this game, but if there's a small chance that I'm going to get a plasmid in my bag, I'm going to take it. Plus, I'd get to wander around Rapture in a Halloween costume �just think of how insanely cool the pictures would turn out.

1) Pelican Town from Stardew Valley

[caption id="attachment_291286" align="alignnone" width="1280"] [Image Source: Reddit user u/kateisakitty][/caption]If you've read anything I've written for this website in the past few months, this one shouldn't come as a surprise at all. Pelican Town technically calls its Halloween celebration Spirit's Eve, but the intent is still there. Maybe I just love the idea of unattainable video game food, because eating the spread they set out at the center of town is also a factor in my considerations here. Plus, the haunted maze seems so cool, it's one of my favorite seasonal events in Stardew Valley.

The biggest reason this game is on my list, though, is that I just love the idea of going around to everyone's houses in a classic trick-or-treating situation. I don't even know if they do that in Pelican Town, but if they don't I'm starting a new tradition. I've played the game enough that I'm so endeared to all of the characters, and as someone who doesn't really know their neighbors as an adu?lt, having the kind of community where I could go knock on my friends??' doors to get candy sounds really nice.

The post Seven video game neighborhoods I want to go trick-or-tr??eating in appeared first on Destructoid.

Always keeps us coming back for more

Replayability is a word that gets thrown around a lot, both as a criticism of games and as part of their development. It's an important factor to consider �your game has to be fun enough?? to play and creative enough ?as it goes on that players will always want to have another go, regardless of how many hours they've put into it.

This idea of playing a game over and over is not only a t?estament to how well it's designed, but can also help prolong the life, and revenue, of any particular title.

Take Twitch streaming for example -- a lot of the content is from players who are going?? back through their favorite games, which exposes viewers to that game again. That could drive players to return to a game they had put down and all but forgotten about, or even encourage them to purchase it for the first time. It's also a ??symptom of a devout fandom. When you really love a game, oftentimes you're willing to replay it?? because you want to experience that world again, and DLC just means more of it.

So this word comes up all the time when we're talking about a base game, but often DLC falls out of that conversation entirely. With all these new expansions dropping like Life is Strange: True Colors' Wavelengths, Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye, and of course the announcement of the final Smash Ultimate fighter Sora, it got? me thinking about what DLC out there is worth the replay. Th??ey deserve some love, too!

DLC itself can vary a lot in terms of what it offers the player �sometimes it's just a cool outfit you can equip i??????????????????????????n-game, sometimes it's a new game mode or map, and other times i??t's a story expansion that bolsters the whole experience. So for the sake of our argument, I think anything that has you coming back for more is fair game.

For me, mo??st of the time that means the story content. My number one DLC is easily The Last of Us: Left Behind. Sometimes I can find backstories a bit predic?table, but I th?ought Left Behind built on Ellie's character in a substantial way, while also giving us some of the most chal?lenging and compelling gameplay of the series. Maybe I'm a bit biased as a Last of Us Part I fangirl, but this is one of the all-time gr??eats for me.

BioShock Infinite's Burial at Sea is another one of my personal favorites �it draws on the main series in a fun way, the visuals are to die for, and there are some really sho??w-stopping set pieces. It's a fun change of pace to play as Elizabeth, especially when you get to stealth more than you usually would in a BioShock game. I honestly think Burial at Sea is a stronger story than Infinite, too, but that's a debate for another day.

Those are just the few that I??'ve played and really loved, but there are so many other DLCs out there that I know are worth the price of purchase al??one. I hear Minerva's Den from BioShock 2 is one of the best pieces of ??video game storytelling ever (that series really knows what it's do?ing with DLC). There's also Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare, which brought the game new life with a horror-themed zombie mode. You can never go wrong with zombies, and having them set in the wild west? Sign me up. I've been meaning to pick up the Breath of the Wild Champions' Ballad, because I hear it adds a lot of challenge to the gameplay.

So we wanna know, which of? your favorite DLCs get you coming back time and time again? What is it about it that you like? Which games don't have DLC that would make you give it another try if they did?

The post What DLC is the most replayable? appeared first on Destructoid.

My hot take in stunning 8K resolution

One of the most impressive things about games is just how far they've come technologically in only a few short decades. There was a time when a few blinking pixels on a screen were cutting-edge technology, and now we have games that are so photorealistic that we can see every grimy pore on our player character's face.

Look, I would never be one to diminish the hard work that people have put in to make that happen, but at the same time, I don't think that it's all tha?t necessary.

For one thing, hyper-realistic games d??on't age super well. Something that we think looks real one year will appear outdated in the next due to constantly improving technology. R??emember, there was a time when people thought the first Metal Gear Solid game was the most realistic thing they had ever seen. If a developer wants to go for a more grounded style, I think it works better to lean e?ver-so-slightly into some stylization. 

The Telltale games are a great example. Those games are far from photo-realistic, but the art style actually mimics the cell-shaded style of comic books, where many of the Telltale IPs got their start. They were great at creating atmosphere and a sense of place, which to me is so much more important than a one-to-one feeling t???????????????????????????hat I'm in the real world.

Personally, I'm a big fan of stylized art forms. Even when you want to go fo??r a more grounded feel, you can still use the art to help achieve that feeling. The art style can set the whole tone for a piece, and since games are such a visual medium, there's nothing I lov?e more than seeing devs use the art to help build on the game's tone, because I believe that's one of the most powerful tools they have at their disposal.

?We also can't ignore the fact t?hat the more "realistic" you want to make your game, the harder your designers, artists, and animators need to work. We're at a point now where you can easily find a balance between making things look how you want, while also not? crunching your developers into oblivion. The pros jus?t don't outweigh the cons in my eyes.

When the storytelling or gameplay is strong ??enough to carry a game on its own, that's what I really care about. If taking away a sense of visual realism makes your game unplayable, then?? I'm sorry, but you might just have a bad game on your hands.

Besides the visuals, then there's the actual design of the game itself. Nothing annoys me more? than design choices that are made for the sake of realism, only to find them as hindrances rather than being helpful. Take, for exa??mple, the inventory limits in Skyrim.

So you're telling me that I'm a magical being who can shoot fire out of my fingertips and slay dragons, but I can't carry one more wheel of cheese because it's too heavy? Yeah, I'm not buying it. Of course you w??ant to keep some things realistic, but I'm a strong believer in making a game as fun to play as possible (?if that is indeed the goal of the game), and I never think realism should get in the way of that.

After scouring Reddit, I found I'm not alone in this annoya?nce. Breath of the Wild's rain is a classic example of a hated "realistic" mechanic -- if you're going to make the weather system a thing in a game that so heavily relies on climbing, at least let us get an item that can bypass that annoyance later on. Other p??layers share their distaste for the health regen system that some shooters have, where your screen goes black and while or r??ed and you just have to wait it out behind cover. Another big one is having the player character slowly open drawers and cabinets to loot in real time.

I don't take issue with games where the who?le point is to be as reali??stic as possible, like a racing sim or even a brutal survival game like Rust, but when the objective is to provide a fantastical escape?? for the player, why are we bothering ourselves with cher??ry-picking which details we want to be realistic? It's like how fast travel doesn't always make sense in the?? universe of the game, but we're?? cool with suspending that part of our disbelief for the sake of convenience.

Because games are still so young as a medium, it feels like we're all still trying to figure out what makes for the most fun experience, which in some cases means making the player do tedious tasks for the sake of realism. I know some people out there completely disagree with me on all of this, and to?? each their own, but man, I can't?????????????????????????? wait until we move past this and just get down to what feels fun to play.

The post Sometimes games that are realistic…are worse appeared first on Destructoid.

How one player charted a path through Hyrule, without ever hitting their 'tail'

Link is patiently standing still. He is waiting, steadfast in a single spot, as the rain continues to pour on top of him. Surely he could move, get out of the rain, and dry off. But returning to the main path, or some shelter, or even teleporting might break the path of his journey through The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And that would break the rules of Snake.

Everest Pipkin is a drawing, games, and software artist who "produces small work with large data sets," and who also happens to like Breath of the Wild. And back when the Master Trials DLC launched and added the Hero's Path mode, allowing the player to see the route they took through the game as one long trail behind them, Pipkin had an idea: what if you played it like a game of Snake?

In an interview with Destructoid, Pi??pkin says they were inspired by other runs, what you might call non-standard methods, of playing through a video game? with some meta-textual goals or constraints in mind. They reference the San Andreas Deer Cam, and playthroughs of Minecraft where a player ?sought to find the edge of the procedurally generated world, seeing the landscape turn surreal and crumble arou??nd them as they went.

After wanting to?? do the run?? for years, Pipkin set out for adventure on November 11, 2020, ??with the g?oal to solve what they called "The Traveling Swordsman Problem." They sought to journey across Hyrule, without ever crossing their own trail.

As it turns out, that's a bit of a challenge.

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"Once I started, I ran into some problems right away, because I think I was originally like, 'Oh, I'll just save scum,'" Pipkin told me. "And like, it'll all be about finding a ?path through the world that lets me do the Divine Beasts, and I can try over and over again until I get it right."

It quickly became apparent that it wasn't going to be so easy, however. Breath of the Wild is fairly open in how? it lets the player glide, c?lamber, and journey across the open world of Hyrule, but that also means more aspects to account for. That means planning for possible ver??tical overlaps, for example. Knowing where certain scenes had to happen, and what was critical to progression and how it?? triggered, was all important in laying out a 2D path through t?his 3D world.

There were also unforeseen obstacles. Breath of the Wild's save management system, as well as its cutscenes and other actions outs??ide of Pipkin's control, could sometimes teleport Link to other areas, dropping him in a new spot, and inconveniently drawing a line from A to B, causing potential un??intended intersections.

Pipkin described a situation with Hestu, the cheerful Korok musician who can expand Link's inventory. His quest—to steal back his maracas—requires speaking to him twice. A normal task for any other player, but through Pipkin's ruleset, required some careful negotiation of cliffs and approach vectors. And, as it turns out, the dialogue can warp Link back over the path they took in. That, along with issues like resting, or loading from an autosave, can cause all kinds of straight-line paths that would directly conflict with Pipkin's goal. The Travelling Swordsman Problem wasn't just about navigating Hyrule, but also navigating Breath of the Wild's unwritten rules about what it does ?and doesn't write to the Hero's Path trail.

So when I asked Pipkin why they kept at it, and what kept them going, I chuckled a bit when their initial reply was to call it a "sunk-cost fallacy situation." Though really, it does take someone determined to pull this off; and even though it got tough at times, it never took a turn into being clearly i??mpossible.

"It felt like I had made this bet that I could see it done," said Pipkin. "And if there was ever a point where there was a hard exit, right, where it was like, okay, you know, this cutscene is essential. And there is no way to do it without drawing a loop in the map. Like, it's just impossible. Then maybe that would have been a failed state, maybe I would have been like, 'Okay, I guess this is impossibl??e, goodbye.' But because I never hit that, it was really just a matter of doing it right next time."

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So Pip?kin carried on. And what's more, they were ch??ronicling their journey the whole way. Their whole playthrough is available on YouTube: every new s?tep forward, every annoying restart, and plenty ??of time just hanging out, waiting for some NPC cycles to finish or rain to stop pouring.

This also means the process of slowly solving what can even be done using this type of run. Pipkin said they didn't want to just run to Hyrule Castle right after leaving the Great Plateau; if you're going to do this Snake-style run, then you "kind of have to move through the?? whole world."

Clearly,? some areas were more doable than others. Shrines, thankfully, don't record movement inside them to the Hero's Path, and so Pipkin found some freedom inside those challenges. But segments like teaming up with Prince Sidon to board the Divine Beast, for example, involved both cutscenes (potential teleports) and a gameplay segment where the pair would be constantly moving in loops. 

So, clearly, Divine Beasts were off the table. At several points, Pipkin attempted to route in Eventide Island, the infamous challenge area. And though they never found a solution, Pipkin still highlights it as a great microcosm of what the Travelling Swordsman Problem is all about: analyzing, carefully traversing, and figuring out how to deal with the chaos of Breath of the Wild's many, many overlapping sys??tems. At a??ny point, something you've never seen before could knock you off your intended route, so learning to mitigate disaster is a helpful skill.

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Eventually, Pipkin decided their win condition was to get every tower in Breath of the Wild, then head for Hyrule Castle. It was an important distinction to make, that this wasn't just ab?out a test of their ability to play the game, but to also understand the game.

"I felt like it was important to have somethi?ng else that wasn't just like, the pure capacity of my skill to not get hit by enemies," said Pipkin. "But rather, the capacity of infinite patience. To like, be in the wo?rld, and go on the worst walk ever."

That walk would require a fundamentally different approach than you might expect, too. It meant fighting in a different way, since doing the side-step dance with an enemy and flurry-rushing them would be too unpredictable, movement??-wise. They described doing a lot of moving forward and hitting, or standing still and waiting for enemies to approach. And if anything died behind you, none of those resources could be obtained.

Surprisingly, resources weren't too much of an issue. Shrines could offer some bounties, and as it turns out, Breath of the Wild?? is fairly generous in providing the player with resources. "There? were periods where it's like, I don't have any arrows, or I don't have a single shield," Pipkin recounts. "But for the most part, you know, I had enough to keep my very few weapon slots stocked."

Fairies were an especially precious resource, as they could act as a preventative against death, and deaths weren't just trouble for moving forward, but also fo??r keeping the path going as Pipkin wanted it to go. So a planned excursion to a Fairy Fountain resulted in some patient waiting for fairies to flit by, eventually coming close enough for Li??nk to grab some and stock up.

Rain, of course, was a big factor. Travelling off the beaten path means cliffs, mountains, and possibly unintended routes through different regions, and that means climbing. Traversing those slopes in the rain, as any Breath of the Wild player will tell you, is precarious at best. So then, it's a short bout of waiting on a cliffside for the rain to stop, hanging out in? chat as the in-game hours pass by.

Chat, at least, was helpful. Pipkin started their run with pre-recor??ded videos, but soon flipped to live-streaming the run and uploading VODs later. Passing the time gets a lot easier when you have a small?? group of viewers to chat with about the weather, pets, or whatever else has been going on as Link stands patiently resolute, holding out for the clouds to break.

After eight months, and six restarts, Pipkin accomplished their goal. Culmi?nating in a Hyrule Castle run that, due to it having its own map that logged to the main map, meant having to navigate the final dungeon from memory, they toppled Calamity Ganon and fi??nished their goal. The Snake run had been achiev??ed.

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But as Pipkin had gone on such a journey through Hyrule, altering how they thought about the game and its landscape, it was all doable. Though they say they had a couple versions of a map that looked like a "conspiracy theorist-like pinboard," Pipkin used those tools less and less over time. They were becoming familiar with the world and its systems in the context of this Snake run, and anticipating how to deal with chaos had become ??a little second-nature by the run's end.

They tell me they enjoy speedruns, but their own approach is a little different; they like the process of seeing those runs come together. "I am always interested in watching people who play games that way, playing them freely," said Pipkin. "Where they're like, fucking aro??und in the world, trying to find a better route, trying to like perform some sort of weird save system [trick], trying to duplicate a wall clip that somebody else did, and getting it wrong 100 times before they g??et it exactly right."

And after eight months, Pipkin did get it exactly right. They have solved the Traveling Swordsma??n's Problem. To ans??wer the most obvious follow-up: no, they have not done it again.

"I took it out," said Pipkin. "I took the game out of my Switch. I put it away. I'm tempted to play Skyward Sword but I don't even know if I want to do that."

While they still truly love Breath of the Wild, and how satisfying it is to mess around in its world with so many ways to play, they say they've seen enough of Hyrule for a while. Some mention of other games came up, like a shipless run of Outer Wilds, but it would need to have that same mix of interesting meta-textual, house-rules approach and existing attachment to the game. But while it may be a?? while, Pipkin isn't done with Hyrule forever.

"By the time Breath of the Wild 2 comes out," jokes Pipkin. "I'll be there."

The post Beating Breath of the Wild like it’s Snake took careful planning and ‘infinite patience’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Our controllers are sweatier than ever

With the unprecedented heat waves that are sweeping the country, it feels like there isn't anything we can do to escape these triple-digit temperatures. Of course, we can always escape into another world entirely, and video games are the perfect conduit for doing just that. If you're feeling like you're about to melt into a puddle of goo, ??here's our guide to using cool summer games to help you beat the heat.

Seek out cool settings

[caption id="attachment_274814" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] [Image Credit: Gamepur][/caption]Sometimes, cooling off is as simple as just thinking cool. Thankfully, there are plenty of games that take place in freezing temperatures that can help us feel the cold, at least in our minds. After exploring some (virtual) snow-covered mountaintops, icy tundra, and frozen glaciers, you'll be amazed at how much some wishful thinking can help. Games that come to mind in this regard include Skyrim, Breath of the Wild, and Uncharted 2.

One of the most refreshing games I can think of is Super Mario Sunshine, not just because of its innovative gameplay, but because having a magical sentient water jet on my back sounds like the dream right now. There are also games like Abzu, Subnautica, and Beyond Blue, which allow you to take on the role of a scuba diver. When it's just too damn hot, nothing feels better than plunging into a big body of water, and if you can't do it in real life, this is ????????????????????????????easily the next best thing.

Try going for flow state

[caption id="attachment_274815" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] [Image Credit: GamesRadar][/caption]Nothing is more distracting than ente?ring a flow state, which is basically where you're so engaged with what you're doing, the real world melts away, leaving you only to focus on the task at hand. When it's this hot, sometimes distracting ourselves is the best we can do.

Online multiplayer games can be great for this, especially twitchy FPS titles like Call of Duty, Overwatch, Apex Legends, Valorant, etc. It can feel pretty transcen??dent when you get into a groove, and I'm pressed to find any other genres that get me to an equally euphoric flow state as quickly, but beware of the flip s??ide of that coin �these types of games can have pretty high highs, but that opens the door to some low lows as well. At least you won't have to worry about your hands being warmed up enough, right?

Rhythm games are another great option if you're into that sort of thing. Got your old Guitar Hero or Rock Band instruments collecting dust? Maybe it's time to bust those out again! Or if roguelikes are more your thing, maybe try Tomb of the Necrodancer or its Zelda spinoff, Cadence of Hyrule.

I've also heard Tetris Effect is incre?dible for achieving flow state, but I've yet to give that one a try. Someone let me know how it is, yeah?

Chill out in a figurative sense first

[caption id="attachment_274816" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] [Image Credit: GamesRadar][/caption]Yes, it's hot out here, and my panicking about the impending climate crisis doesn't help anything. In cases where my anxiety is making me even hotter under the collar, I found that playing a game to relax can go a long way. These types of cool summer games can vary from person to person -- maybe you love a farming sim like Stardew Valley or Story of Seasons, or a puzzle game can help you calm down. 

There are also more artistic, poetic games that can be really soothing, especially because they don't have any sort of fail state. Journey or Flower are my favorites in that regard, but pretty much anything from thatgamecompany will do.

If you're more narratively inclined, I also recommend games like What Remains of Edith Finch or Gone Home. There's also Telltale's old catalog you could work your wa??y through -- some of them can be a bit intense, but at least you don't have to strain yourself when?? it comes to gameplay.

Switch on that Switch for cool summer games

[caption id="attachment_274817" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] [Image Credit: USgamer][/caption]If you have a Nintendo Switch, that might be the way to go in terms of a cooler gaming experience. For one thing, you're not tethered to one specific spot -- the console's handheld mode means?? you can game anywhere you damn well please, which includes directly in front of your air conditioner or fan. Or maybe even your open refrigerator. We won't judge.

Plus, large consoles like a PlayStation or Xbox, o??r a PC, often pump large amounts of hot air into your room. Sure, the Switch may not have the processing power to game in 4K, but what it lacks in graphical?? superiority, it makes up for in that it doesn't act as a mini-furnace.

We know times are to??ugh out there, so in all seriousness, we hope you can find some of this helpful. Make sure to stay hydrated as best you can, take care of yourself, and we wish you happy, chilled-out gaming!

The post Ride the he??at wave with these ice cold gaming tips appeared first on Destructoid.

Because Link deserves to be cozy, too

Since we've been in quarantine, I've gone a bit stir crazy. My daydreams have shi?fted focus to all of the places I want to live before my?? fleeting time on Earth is up, and more specifically, what my dream home would look like. I blame it on all the HGTV my mom used to watch when I was a kid.

The past few weeks, playing Breath of the Wild has also been a welcome escape, and when I started visiting all of the different settlements in the game, my two fantasies merged, and I was suddenly picturing what it might look like to live in the towns from Breath of the Wild's Hyrule. 

Yes, in a fantasy adventure game where I am a literal hero of ancient legend, I am daydreaming about living a very normal, boring life in a town. The heart wants what it wants, I guess. No one asked, but this is something I inexplica??bly care way too much about, so here are my thoughts.

Before we dive in, I should also mention that I'm going to talk about some of the side quests in Breath of the Wild (which are honestly the best ones in my opinion), so?? if you don't wanna be spoiled, maybe save this one for another time.

9. Goron City

I feel like this comes as a surprise to no one, but Goron City is hands down the city I would want to live in the least in Breath of the Wild. It's simple really: I want to live comfo??rtably in my home without the threat ??of burning to death at any second, and I don't think that's too much to ask.

Of course, there's always the Flamebreaker armor, but I get claustro??phobic having to wear too-heavy a winter coat, let alone an industrial grade suit made of metal. I like the heat, but not this much, so I'm gonna have to pa?ss on this one.

8. Korok Forest

I was not originally going to include the Korok Forest on this list as it did not register as a town in my mind, but after I looked at the map, I saw that it was denoted by on??e of the town icons, thereby forcing my hand.

Listen, do I think?? th??e Koroks are adorable? Absolutely. Would I want to live in a place where they are everywhere? Not at al??l. I'm already going crazy from cabin fever, if I only had Koroks to talk to I would go absolutely feral. No thank you.

7. Zora's Domain

I thin??k we can all agree that Zora's Domain is really beautiful to look at, but when I'm considering where I want to live, it all comes down to comfort. It's the same?? reason I hate the plague of minimalism that has taken over modern architecture �I don't want to live in a museum, I want to be cozy.

I think my problem is? that Zora's Domain is just too�sleek? It's a place I would want to visit for a day, but it's not somewhere I would feel at home cozying up to a fire and reading a book. Plus, the lack of walls would be a real problem with any sort of weather that isn't 75 and sunny. No thanks, I'm good.

6. Hateno Village

This is where the ranking starts to get difficult, because while the previous entries on the list are places I would actively not like to live in, I could take my pick of the rest of these. That being said, Hateno to me is the most vanilla of all the towns in Breath of the Wild, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Its look is simple, but it's quaint a??nd has lots of fun NPCs.

Of course, there's also the fact that Link's house is there if you complete the Hylian Homeowner quest, and having my own in-ga??me home is endearing for sure. As much as I love Hateno, there ju?st isn't enough about it to make it really stand out, so here it is at number six.

5. Rito Village

There's a certain novelty to Rito Village that I really love. It's almost got a Swiss Family Robinson thing going on. I love that the whole town is basically one giant staircase, and has those big platforms for the Rito to fly off of. It's a really cool b??it of worldbuilding that the Rito would build their town to be vertical, and most easily accessible from the air.

One thing I have to consider, though, similar to my critique of Zora's Domain, is that there are no walls. If I was a Rito, maybe it would be ran?ked higher, but I am ??a tiny human who gets cold very easily, so the draftiness works against it here.

4. Lurelin Village

I really love the beach. Always have. For that alone, Lurelin is ranked highly. It's also got great views, and the outdoor market is one of my f?avorite touches. The problem is, though, Lurelin feels more like a vacation spot to me ??than a place I would live.

I think the biggest factor there is that it's really remote, which would be g??reat for when I needed a getaway, but I'm a city girl, so I love being close to where all the action is. Give me a bustling seaport ??and I'll reconsider, but until then Lurelin is settling in at number four.

3. Gerudo Town

Of all the settlements in Breath of the Wild, Gerudo Town feels to me the most like a real city. There are all these cool passageways to explore, and the whole place feels like it's bustling with people. There's even a place that is heavily im??plied to be a bar, which I have nothing else to say about except "right on."

The architecture is really beautiful too, especially that main courtyard as soon as you enter through the main gates. You get this grand view of the throne room and its steps in the middle, with the shops lining the sides alo??ng the way. It's gorgeous, and one of my favorite places to hang out in-game. Plus I get to wear a cute outfit!

2. Kakariko Village

Visually, I think Kakariko has the most going for it. The houses, the red banners strung around town, the mountains surrounding it �it's all stunning and makes Kakariko feel like a distinct place. It's ?distinct, and striking, and I love ??it.

It also has some of my favorite sound design of any of the towns, partially because?? of the music, but also because you can hear all kinds of wildlife. It reminds me a lot of the summers in the Carolinas, so I can't help but have a soft spot for it.

1. Tarrey Town

It was so hard to pick a favorite honestly �like I said I would pretty much be happy living in any one of these places (as long as it was liste?d after number seven). Tarrey Town eked out the win though, which I feel like is partially for sentimental reas??ons. Whatever, it's my list and I'll do what I want.

If you didn't know, Tarrey Town is not a settlement that is initially, well, there. Instead, you have to build it through the "From the Ground Up" side quest, which is my favorite in the game. Basically, you meet a constru??ctio??n worker named Hudson who needs you to find him various patrons to help populate the town he's building (as well as exorbitant amounts of wood). 

From what I can tell it's the longest side quest in the game, but well worth it. It takes you all over the map to find who?? Hudson needs, so it really feels like an adventure in and of itself. Plus, the finale of this quest is hands down one of the best moments of this game for me.

So okay, that's just because I love the quest. What about the town itself? Well, the look of it is really cool. It's on this big sort of island in the middle of a lake, with just a little stri?p of land acting as a bridge leading up to it. You get this great view of the Torin Wetlands, which is full of the autumnal-looking trees that characterize the Akkala region. 

I also love the little square houses, and how they all form a circle. It feels like a community really lives there, which is doubly true after you've been endeared to all of the characters who will end up living there. As far as Breath of the Wild towns go, this is as good as it gets.

Well, that's my list! What are your favorite places to visit in Hyrule? Would you want to live in any of them? Let me know down in the co?mments.

The post Ranking the coziness of Breath o??f the Wild t??owns before they (probably) get destroyed in the sequel appeared first on Destructoid.

I have to wait how long?

Look, it's no secret that Breath of the Wild is up there as one of my favorite games of all time, so you could say I'm pretty pumped for the sequel. My prayers of some news about the next main entry in the Zelda series were finally answered during the E3 Nintendo Direct, and the new trailer got ?my mind racing for what possibilities we might see when the game is finally?? out next year.

So, just for fun, let's put on our speculation caps for a minute, and I'll take you through what I want to see from the Breath of the Wild sequel.

More focus on story

Alright listen, I know the hyper minimal storytelling in Breath of the Wild is something I really enjoyed about it, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I want a little bit more to work with the second time around. This is mostly because the trailers we've gotten so far have teased more Zelda content (as in we get to see more of the c?haracter Zelda herself, not just the series as a whole �you get it).

I love her character so much, especially in BOTW because we got to see a really sorrowful, yet strong side of her. Spending more time with Zelda in the story is something I would be over the moon about, especially if she's interacting with Link in a substantial way. The Zelda series is so rich with great lore, I just can't get enough of the different angles and perspectives we get on ??the main mythology with each incarnation of the story.

The idea of seeing Link and Zelda team up in a new way is honestly what's keeping me going at this point. Just think like the memories from the f??irst one, but all the time. Yup, I would very much like that.

The next evolution of combat and other mechanics

I feel like this is something players naturally want from a sequel, and the new trailer certainly hinted at some really awesome looking iterations of the mechanics we know and love from Breath of the Wild. It looks like the runes will have new abilities, which is great because they're part of what made e?xploring the world so fun in the first one.

I was also super intrigued to see some of ?the new enemy types that were teased, like a Bokoblin camp that was on top of? a Stone Talus. Whoever came up with that, if you're reading this, you're a genius. If that's what's being teased right now, with so much time left until it ships, I seriously can't wait to see what other crazy enemy crossovers Nintendo has in store for us.

I have to mention the fact that Link could pass through stone too �what was that all about?! It's a really cool idea, especially considering the world looks way more vertical, a la Skyward Sword. Nintendo's game design is always on? point, ??so I know that new mechanic is going to fold into the already existing mechanics seamlessly.

A darker, more chaotic Hyrule

Breath of the Wild's Hyrule was still dangerous, sure, but it was also quiet and relaxing. Based on the new trailer, it looks like the sequel is going to be much more chaotic, with Ganon's threat more present than before. With BOTW, we also got to see what Hyrule looked like after Ganon won, and how its people were still able to ??rebuild regardless.

It looks like this time around, most of that will be thrown to the wind, with Hyrule scrambling for survival in a way that is more reminiscent of Majora's Mask, especially because this looks like it'll be on the darker side thematically. I think that'll make for a great mirror to the first game, and give us some more variety in terms of what the series offers this con??sole generation.

More Ganon!

Who doesn't love a good villain? Ganon is such an iconic part of the series, but how muc?h we see of him has varied a lot from game to game. The blights made for some cool mini-bosses, and there was obviously the final fight with him, but other than that I pretty much forgot he was a thing for most of the game. The sequel's almost mummy-like Ganon (or some aspect of him) we've seen in the trailers looks really spooky and cool, ??so I hope he's a more present threat throughout this game.

On top of gameplay, I'd also love to see more story content with Ganon than we've ever seen before. Like I said, I adore the mythology of the Zelda games, and I'd love to see Ganon inte?ract with Link and Zelda in a way that gives us a bit more of his side of the story. Anti??heroes are really in right now, so who knows? It would definitely switch things up.

A return to more classic dungeons

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the shrines and divine beasts in BOTW. They were a fun divergence from the traditional formula, but at the same time, dungeons are such an iconic?? part of the series that their absence is felt when they're missing from a title. I would really ??love to see what more traditional dungeons would look like in this iteration of Hyrule, especially because of how tumultuous the sequel's world looks.

One Redditor posted a theory that an original dungeon might be coming back, too �they noticed that Death Mountain didn't have lava actively flowing out of it anymore, which means it might be accessible. The volcano was home to one of the dungeons in the very first game in the series, so I could totally see this coming to fruition. That's just the tip of the iceberg with fan theories, though.

Well, that's my wish list. At this point it's all conjecture, sure, but half the fun is the anticipation, and we'll have plenty of time to do that before the game drops. There's a ton I didn't even touch on, so let's speculate together �let me know what your ideal BOTW2 would look like in the comments!

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Link goes skyward again?

Announced during today's Nintendo Direct, the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now aiming for a 2022 release window. In the meantime, there was some gameplay shown today to tide the eager Zelda fans over.

In the last segment of today's E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, we got our first gameplay glimpses of Breath of the Wild 2. It starts with an ominous scene of darkness and Zelda falling, before it shows Link plummeting through the skies, which feels very Skyward Sword.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi-MRZBP91I

It seems we are indeed back in the ruined Hyrule of Breath of the Wild, only the skies will be a little more important. We se??e the castle take off into the air, surrounded by mor??e evil and nastiness. Maybe the Calamity isn't quite finished with us yet?

Breath of the Wild 2 will be targeting a 2022 launch, as Nint??endo keeps working away at the sequel.

The post Breath of the Wild 2 ge??ts so?me gameplay and a 2022 release window appeared first on Destructoid.

News perhaps?

Maybe Nintendo is planning something Zelda-related for their Nintendo? Direct, set to debut in 10 minu??tes or so? A recent string of sales might be the key.

So the internet was in a flurry this morning after suddenly realizing that Nintendo had discounted Zelda: Breath of the Wild by 20 bucks before their Nintendo Direct. This is like, mere minutes before, so it'??s entirely possible the announcement will be in the event itself.

If you're curious, you can find Breath of the Wild on sale for $40 at Best Buy and Amazon. This is a rare occurrence for Nintendo first-party games, and only happens a handful of times. At $40, you can basically buy the expansion pass to get back up to the current MSRP.

The post Zelda: Breath of the Wild is on sale at retailers ahead of the E3 Nintendo Direc??t appeared first on Destructoid.