One tends not to associate the likes of Skyrim with Christmas. ??Which is surprising, really, given all that snow and burly men with big beards. But with the holiday season upon us, one modder decides to bring yuletide festivities to this cold slice of Tamriel.

Back with another addition to your vanilla Skyrim playthrough, veteran modder JaySerpa has just released "The Gift of Saturalia - A Quest for the Holidays." This mod encapsulates an Elder Scrolls type of winter? celebration with a new quest to hopefully get you in the Christmas spirit.

Featuring fully voiced acting and expansions to some NPC lore, you'll be given the chance to help others out, as a "bearded old trader" teaches you about the tradition of ??Saturalia. The quest? itself is said to not be too long, but it's supposed to have "lasting effects, scenes and dialogue after its completion, altering some locations and the life of several NPCs."

Also, that trailer is pretty current

Here's e??verything that "The Gift of Satura??lia" boasts:

• Fully voiced, with a mix of new characters (with new VA) and spliced vanilla lines.
• Expands the stories of several vanilla NPCs that don't usually get much love.
• Around 500 lines of dialogue. Quest duration is overall short, but it will take you all over Skyrim. Roughly 1 or 2 hours of playtime.
• Lore friendly and feasible: My goal is to make content that feels like it could've been in the vanilla game from the start.
• Dynamic changes: The attitudes, routines, relationships and basically the life of several NPCs will be altered by the end of the quest. Some of the NPCs involved might live in a new home or even a new city. All with voiced reactions, custom scenes and quest-awareness.
• Persuasion options take into account your "history" with the characters you're talking to as part of the quest. Meaning, if you've helped them in the past (or wronged them), the persuasion attempt is more or less likely to succeed.
• Quest is very speech-centric and suitable for all ages. A literal quest for the holidays.
• If you own the Anniversary Edition Upgrade (including the Saturalia official addon), this mod will improve on the CC Saturalia NPC by giving him a new voice and appropriate lines (He will talk about his reindeer, trying to sell it to you, etc.)
• Interesting rewards that encourage staying in the cold areas of Skyrim.

For those who aren't aware (I must admit, even as a lifelong Elder Scrolls player, I was a bit ignorant), Saturalia is a Breton celebration that takes place o??n the 25th of Evening Star. It's a time for gift giving, get-togethers, and partying. Sound familiar?

Honestly, if this mod doesn't get you into the swing of the holiday season, then I do??n't know what will. Probably something else, I imagine. Who am I to judge? Not Santa, that's who.

The post Christmas comes to Skyrim (sort of) with this mod appeared first on Destructoid.

I may not put much thought into Christmas lists today, but back when I was a kid they were practically an art form. From the presentation to the content ??itself, I pulled out all the stops to draw attention to whatever it was I coveted at the ??time.

Thanks to the magic of Never Throwing Anything Away, we can now take ?a trip back to 1994 to see how well my wants, needs, and frothing ?demands stack up today.

When I first found this relic, I was instantly transported to more carefree days. While it may indeed be "just another Christmas list," there's a certain element of time travel involved when you're staring down the barrel of crumpled yellow legal paper full of must-own games, consoles, and action figures. Ever the savvy child, my '94 list is ordered by priority, with the first page practically screaming Castlevania: Bloodlines at a visual volume my parents woul?d never be able ?to ignore.

Bloodlines is a great example of a game I'd still be asking for today if I didn't already own it. With that logo so boldly emblazoned on the page, there's no way my folks could mistake it for anything else, but I'm willing to admit a prominent Belmont, skeleton, or Dracula himself could have made my plan even more foolproof. The rest of the first page is a mixed bag. The visual aids for the other two solid picks â€?Splatterhouse 3 and Shinobi III â€?have long since lost the battle with time. Rounding out the Sega Genesis page are X-Men and Aladdin, the latter of which earned an as??terisk from, most?? likely, my mom. 

I could live without X-Men, but Aladdin was pretty great on Genesis. Splatterhouse 3 is my least played of the trilogy, but it was at least interesting and very gr??ody. The rest of th?is page earns it a solid score overall.

PAGE ONE RATING: 8/10

Best Pick: Castlevania: Bloodlines
Worst Pick: X-Men

We bought a T-Rex

The Super Nintendo page is about as bare-bones as can be, with two very disparate outings front and center. Judging by my own memory, the asterisk, the "K-Mart" note, and the checkmark at the bottom, I can deduce that my parents went with Super Empire Strikes Back, which was not pictured. 

As for Ocean-published entry, it was 1994, one year after Jurassic Park hit cinemas, so you can't blame me for wanting to live that harrowing adventure for myself. As you'll see over the following pages, though, my greed knew no bounds. I didn't just want a single slice, I wanted the whole Jurassic Park video game pie for Christmas. 

Also, all the folks out there who've been complaining about 60 dollar games for the past decade can take that Mario All-Stars price point straight to the bank. 

PAGE TWO RATING: 6/10

Best Pick: Super Mario All-Stars
Worst Pick: Jurassic Park

That is one big pile of list

Here's a prime example of "one of these things is not like the other." On one end of the spectrum we have Jurassic Park and Mortal Kombat on Game Boy, both of which are not worth playing or owning for different reasons. On the other we have The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, one of ?the best Game Boy games of all time. The games might not all be created equal, but that on-page ranking speaks for itself.

Link, it would seem, found a way.

PAGE THREE RATING: 5/10

Best Pick: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Worst Pick: TIE - Jurassic Park / Mortal Kombat

Man creates batteries. Game Gear destroys batteries. 

If I were to tell you this is the last Jurassic Park related item on this list, would you believe me? I guess I didn't actually have a Game Gear just yet, but I sure wanted one. I also wanted Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six, Strider Returns, Sonic Chaos, and, yes, Jurassic Park. What, exactly, wa?s I going to do with all this time spent on Isla Nublar? If we're taking asterisks as canon for this Christmas list, I was a real spoiled brat in 1994. 

PAGE FOUR RATING: 3/10

Best Pick: Game Gear? I probably put a bunch of Energizer employeesâ€?children through college with this. 
Worst Pick: Jurassic Park? At ??this point I don't rem?ember how bad this one was. 

God help us, we're in the hands of engineers.

"Finally," you shriek, "video game accessories!" Buddy, I?'m just as excited as you are looking back at all this primo plastic from a time long-forgotten. Consider this the first of two bonus rounds, as we weigh the relative wisdom behind asking for some truly essential accoutrement. Looking back, SNES Advantage is?? absolutely not a controller that would have gotten much use in my household. The Game Boy Carry-All is certainly practical, as are the Game Gear Battery Pack, Game Boy Power Pak, and, no longer pictured, the six-button Genesis controller. 

The all-powerful asterisk tells the tale of a rotten little cheater, however. A game-breaking goober who absolutely, positively deserves to find rubbish like the X-Men: Project X Tiger LCD game in his stocking. 

PAGE FIVE RATING: 3/10

Best Pick: Game Gear Battery Pack
Worst Pick: Literally any Tiger LCD game

We spared no expense.

At this point, I'm just laying my obsession with Steven Spielberg's 1993 classic American film Jurassic Park â€?based on the hit novel by Michael Crichton â€?bare for all to witness. The "Toys and Boardgames" section is truly a depraved last effort to add to an embarrassment of indulgences. Just look at those Jurassic Park figures on order! Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Tim Murphy, and Ellie Sattler. TIM MURPHY? In my world, apparently you had to catch? 'em al??l before that was even a thing. 

Beyond that we have a trio of X-Men figures, the Jurassic Park Compound Center, Jurassic Park Survival Chase slot car set, Lego Fire-Breathing Fortress, and The Omega Virus. I had to look up what The Omega Virus even is, and I think I own it. Apparently it's a board game. Wasn't there some Jurassic Park board game I could have swapped in its place to stay on theme? The box copy screams, "It talks! It taunts! It must be terminated!" If ever there was a time to sell me on a ta?lking electronic board game, it was the ?early '90s. 

PAGE SIX RATING: 4/10

Best Pick: Ellie Sattler
Worst Pick: Tim Murphy

When the dust settles after blowing it off these ancient yuletide yearnings, it doesn't really matter what I think about them. I leave this overly ambitious list to the judgment of others, so that I, too, may be judged in turn. It might seem as if a key takeaway should be that I'm the biggest mark ever for the Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I was a big? dummy; those games stink!

The post Let’s see how my 1994 Christmas list holds up nearly 30 years later appeared first on Destructoid.

It's not just Steam that has sale events, albeit those are the ones most PC gamers think of. Other outlets such as GOG also put some deals on as well, and the CD Projekt-owned distribution site has recently started ??its winter sa??le.

If you head over to Good Old Games, you'll see a host of titles that are currently on offer. The event is going until January 4, so you've got some time to get a few downloads in around th??e Christmas period.

As for what's on offer, there's a veritable bevy of classic/retro and more modern releases. For example, the original Mortal Kombat games are currently 75% off, as is the complete Yakuza series. The remake of System Shock is 35% off and, naturally, Cyberpunk 2077 and the DLC are discounted at 50% and 15%?? respectively.

Yes, of course Skyrim is in the sale, too

All-in-all, there are around 6,000 ga??mes that are part of the winter sales event. Oh, I could list off many m?ore examples, but I'd be here for quite some time.

Suffice it to see, there's quite a few that I'll be tempted to pick up between now and January. I was pleasantly surprised to see the Myst 30th anniversary collection at nearly 60% off. Not because I'm a fan of Myst (have never played?? it), but because I don't think I even knew it was that old.? Time is fleeting, etc.

Anyway, as we approach the end of 2023, all the gaming platforms and websites will be putting o??n their own sales. Look out for the Steam winter event next week. Admit it. That's probably what most of you are waiting for.

The post The GOG winter sale is in full swing appeared first on Destructoid.

At this moment in time, No Man's Sky is easily one of the best sandbox games around. We're long past those dark days when the overhyped game underdelivered to the pain of wa?iting fans. Now, with the holiday season upon us, Hello Games is giving us one more chance to replay this year's limited-span content.

To see the year out, No Man's Sky is bringing back 2023's community Expeditions, "offering? explorers another opportunity to experience these?? stories and events and earn exclusive rewards."

They'll only be available for a limited amount of time, but it at least gives those who missed it the chance to pla?y them out. Or for those who have already experienced them, an opportunity to revisit.

On ?top of this, the studio is also reintroducing Cartographers, a fan favorite Expedition that originally did the rounds in 2021. The release schedules for each of these are as follows:

No Man's Sky Utopia Expedition - Dates

This one is alr??eady in full swing. You'll be able to work with other Travellers to "rebuild an abandoned solar system for th??e mysterious Utopia Foundation."

This Expedition rolled out on December 8 and is going on until December 15, so you still have a few days ??left to check it out.

No Man's Sky Singularity Expedition - Dates

This was the 10th Expedition to be added to No Man's Sky. Originally coming out in June, Singularity is about expanding the lore for the Interceptor update that rolled out earlier this year.

Hello Games describes it as a "mystery that touches?? upon artificial intelligence, the will to exist, and the very nature of what it means to be alive.?" You can revisit this between December 15 and December 22.

No Man's Sky Cartographers Expedition - Dates

From December 22 to December 29, you'll get to re-experience Cartographers. This ??was the third Expedition and focused on deep exploration. So if you're the kind of person who likes a lot of exploring, this one is for you.

It originally came out in Septem?ber 2021, and has you surveying ?the "fiery planet of Coul Major," where you'll "explore its surface as you work to repair your bespoke starship."

No Man's Sky Voyages Expedition - Dates

To see us into the new year, No Man's Sky will bring back Voyagers. This was the 11th Expedition and it encourages players to seek out interesting? worlds, cataloging the??ir findings.

You'll get to play this between December 29 and January 8, so it's a nice one to keep people who don't have much planned over New Year busy. You can read more about the Expedition Redux here.

In other news...

Did you know that it's been ten years since No Man's Sky was first announced? A video on YouTube (embedded above) briefly chronicles the journey the game and the team had between then and now. It shows Sean Murray discussing ??the game with Geoff Keighly back in 2013.

We see all th?e changes it's been through and all the updates that have significantly improved the original release from 2016.

From one of the most disappointing releases of its generation to one of the most celebrated sci-fi games in recent memory, there's a reason people keep referring to No Man's Sky in terms of its redemptive arc.

The post PSA: Limited-time No Man’s Sky Expeditions are coming back for the holidays appeared first on Destructoid.

When you think of Christmas, you probably don't think of Morrowind. And why would you? With its fantasy folklore and cursed Ashlands, it's not a fictional universe ripe for December joy. But that doesn't mean you can't be an outlander and not get into the spirit of the season.

To get all of us in the mood for the holidays, Nexus Mods user Danae123 has created an in-game advent calendar for Morrowind. Consisting of one gift per d??ay, it gives you the chance to have a little festive joy up to December 24.

Yes, I'm aware that we're now seven days into the month. That's on me fo?r not spotting this sooner. But you can still claim a gift-a-day from a secret cabin for the rest of the time period.

Candy canes and moon sugar

For obvious reasons, Danae123 doesn't say what the advent ??gifts are each day. You wouldn't want to spoil the surprise no??w, would you?

As for how you can collect your presents, when asked on the mod page, a user was told that it's a "vanilla cabin on Solstheim that you are sent to during the Moon Sugar Mystery quest." Given this, you'll need to make sure you have the Bloodmoon expansion installed at the very least, as this is the only way to get access to the Morrowind island.

While many are still playing Skyrim, it's nice to see that the classic Elder Scrolls games are still getti?ng some love. They might not officially celebrate Christmas on the Dunmer island of Vvardenfell, but that shouldn't stop you from wearing a Christmas smile as you slash through Nix Hounds and bandits.

The post Have you opene??d your Mo??rrowind Advent Calendar yet? appeared first on Destructoid.

Crap. It’s already December. Mercifully, I haven’t heard much Christmas music in the stores I deign to visit, but that probably now ends. The holidays are bear?ing down on us like a sugar-infused child?.

Christmas definitely isn’t my favorite time of the yea??r. I make the most of it, but not only am I a spiritually-devoid husk, I also once worked a job in retail over the holiday season. If ?you ever want a reason to give up on humanity, that’s how you do it.

So, I’m bitter about the holidays. Not only that, but I’m well-practiced at being bitter about the holidays. Maybe you are, too. If that's the case, I invite you to learn from my years of humbug-slinging and celebrate the way I do: by playing a bunch of marg??inally Christmas-related games that pay no respect to the holiday.

Batman Returns (SNES, 1993)

Batman Returns is easily and inarguably the best Christmas movie ever made. It has an excellent cast, including Danny ??DeVito as a sad vomit man and Christopher Walken as Christopher Walken. A woman gets pushed out a window by her boss, and Batman lights a clown on fire. It’s a great movie for the kids and really captures the spirit of the holiday. When I was younger, I had a Michael Keaton action figure.

You could probably argue any of the many versions of Batman Returns. I know a lot of people swear by the Amiga B-Man, but for my money, I like to walk down a street devoid of holiday shoppers and smash clowns into guardrails in the SNES version. It’s a great way to work out my ample and boundless seasonal a??ggression. It’s also over rather quickly, which is always something I hope for when it comes to the holidays.

Die Hard (NES, 1991)

Die Hard is easily and inarguably the best Christmas movie ever made. It really captures the holiday spir??it by having a guy walk barefoot across broken glass.?? That’s actually a mechanic in the NES game, by the way.

I wrote about this before, but while Die Hard is sometimes considered to be kusoge, it’s rather i??nterestingly designed. In a lot of ways, it plays like an early immersive sim. You’re set loose in Nakatomi Plaza, and you need to save the day using only your skills, your bare feet, and your knowledge of the movie’s plot.

Also, there are Christmas trees on one floor of the game, so it cou?nts.

ToeJam & Earl (Genesis/Mega Drive 1991)

A game about two allegedly funky aliens being stranded on the hostile and uninhabitable planet Earth may not seem like it has a lot to do with Christmas. One might also say that ToeJam & Earl isn’t even a Christmas game. But really, one of the central mechanics of the game is picking up presents, opening them, and finding out what’s inside. It really captures the all-encompassing spirit of the h??oliday.

If that isn’t enough for you, the ce?ntral religious figure the holiday supposedly represents makes an appearance. That’s right, Santa Claus. He flies around in his jetpack. If you spot him unawares, you can take part in everyone’s favorite holiday tradition. Sneak up behind him, grab his butt, and watch as presents spray out of him in all directions. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Massacre (PC, 2021)

Christmas has long been a fixture of horror movies because trauma is super effective during the holidays. Puppet Combo's Christmas Massacre taps into this classic buster of holiday cheer by cast??ing you as Larry, a slasher killer in a Santa outfit. Larry’s Christmas tree tasks him with killing naughty ?people, which seems to just be everyone.

Christmas Massacre is a mostly enjoyable mess of a stealth game. But, more importantly, the image of a man wearing nothing but his underwear and a Santa mask getting directions from his Christmas tree really captures the warmth of the holidays. Then, it g??ives you the opportunity to extinguish it.

Parasite Eve (PS1, 1998)

1998’s Parasite Eve begins on Christmas? Eve, one of the many overt links to the word “eve�that it makes. One of the earliest cutscenes in the game shows an entire opera house full of people catching fire like a Yule log and melting like a plastic tree. It really captures the warmth of the holidays.

The story stretches across the holiday season, but while it’s the (allegedly) most wonderful time of the year, there won’t be much celebrating in Manhattan. It gets evacuated due to a strange threat that turns rats into beasts and people into bubbling pools of liquid consumers. If you can get over the narrative’s obsessi??on with mitochondria, it’s the perfect ga??me to distract you while everyone else pretends to be happy for a couple of weeks.

The post 5 Christma?s games for people who hate the holidays appeared first on Destructoid.

The Final Countdown

Good morning, good day, good weekend, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? In fact, the final Wha??tcha Been Playing?? of 2022, as today will see another year shuffles off out of door, shrugging its shoulders and probably blaming you. I'm very grateful to all of you for showing up this weekend, and hopefully you've recovered from the festive carnage of last week in time to wreak further havoc this evening.

I myself had a fine and quiet Christmas, which was exactly what I was looking for. I ate too much and re-visited No Time to Die and Gremlins. So, in a sense, I spent my Christmas with Ana de Armas and Phoebe Cates and nobody can tell me otherwise. It was perhaps the most chill day I have had in a very, very long time, and I hope that however you spent the holidays, it brought you the rest and joy you deserved. Here's hoping that this weekend will be equally rad for you and yours.

Winter Brainaches

Unfortunately, yer boy got kinda sick following the big day, waking up with a bizarre insta-cold on the 26th and a headache that pressed forward into a miserable, full-blown migraine come Thursday �The first I've had in well over a year, but health will do what health will do. As such, I haven't gotten around to a whole lot of gaming this week. I did squeeze in some Streets of Rage 4 with Destructoid's own CJ Andriessen, which was a lot of fun, and less stressful than the struggles we've had with the obnoxiously unpredictable teams of Overwatch 2 �Now there's a title that has really done an about-face.

It's a shame I couldn't end the year with a big ol' gaming marathon, but it's fine. There's always tomorrow. After all, gaming is for life??, not just for Christma?s.

Happy New Year, friends

And so, before I send you all off galivanting into the final day of 2022, I'd like you to take this final opportunity, (this year), to tell me and your fellow community members Whatcha Been Playing? I don't think you need me to r?eiterate this, but it has been my pleasure to bring you another 52 straight weeks of Saturday morning get-togethers, and while I don't always have the spirit or time to get the job done, you'll always find me here come the weekend. At least, as long as I'm on Destructo??id's deck, of course.

Thank you f??or turning out here, week after week, thank you for sticking it out during the rougher periods, and thanks for showing the staff, the management, and even the drive-by commentators exactly why we remain the best video game community on the information superhighway. We aren't perfect, not by a long shot, but ??we do our best for you. And will continue to do so, into 2023 and beyond.

Have a wonderful weekend and a very happy new year, from all?? of us at Destructoid.

The post Whatcha been playing the final w?eek of 2022, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

We hope it was a good one!

2022 was an exhausting year, and we could use a bit of respite before we head into the great unknown of 2023. As is our yearly tradition, we figured we'd check in with the community and see how everyon??e's Christmas is going.

As for me, friends of the family picked us up the Super Nintendo Entertainment System ornament from Hallmark, which is going next to our Minecraft one. My wife grabbed me an accompanying Raccoon Mario ornament, as well as a few goodies for my ever-growing tabletop collection. The little bands on the bottom of the header image are for keeping open board game boxes shut, and the case at the top is a Quiver: for holding game cards. I gifted myself a red DualSense PS5 controller earlier this week on? sale, since we could use a third one for our kid.

I've been playing a lot of Marvel Champions, Arkham Horror: The Card Game, and Lord of the Rings: The Card game this year, so both of those accessories will come in handy. Video game-wise we've been playing a lot of couples games lately, including the recently-released Escape Academy DLC, as well as Operation Tango.

There's a lot of opportunities to clean up on some video game-related gifts this year, but the tabletop industry is adjacent enough to share if you want! Merry Christmas Destructoid!

The post What did you get for Christmas 2022, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

Festive cheers and best wishes to our community

It's that time of year again, in fact, it's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year again. Yes, it is indeed The Holidays (tm) and I hope that this festive weekend finds each and every one of you happy, healthy, and, at the very least, enjoying some well-earned �hard-earned �rest and relaxation.

This weekend should present the opportunity for good times, good company, and, of course, some good gaming. I of?ten find that the holidays provide one of the few chances I get in the entire year to sit down and play some games "for me", Y'know? This particular year has seen me playing games for "work-related" reasons perhaps more than ever before, leaving me little opportunity to check out many of 2022's offerings. A shame, because it's been a preeetty ace year for gaming, truth be told.

//www??.youtube.com/watch?v=VF82Df1Yt1E&ab_channel=AlteReklame

I will be taking the opportunity today to watch some of the films that have passed me by this year, and I may find the time to get stuck into Marvel's Midnight Suns, which has been sitting patiently on my hard drive since launch day. Oh, And to truly get into the spirit of the season, I will be revisiting The Blob (1988), as it somehow never truly feels like Christmas has? begun until Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith jump a gorge on a speeding motorcycle while escaping an all-consuming gelatinous mass.

Speaking of? which, I am also aiming to eat my own weight in Pringles and Toffifee before lunchtime.

It goes without saying that whether you're celebrating Xmas or not; whether you are activating Max Chill mode or grumbling your way into work; or whether you are surrounded by faces or simply enjoying your own company �you deserve to take time for yourself. It's been another tough year, and you made it through once again. I knew you would. You always do. You are more than welcome to join us on Destructoid today �whether hanging out in the comments or Qposts, chatting with your fellow community members, or checking out our recent GOTY winners. We understand that the holidays are not for everybody, but Destructoid is a place for everybody. You are always among friends here??.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from all of us at Destruc??toid!

Ladies and Gentlemen... Topy & Robo.

//www.youtube?.com/watch?v=f_vcZBwv2ZA&ab_channel=AreSoundsElectrik%3F

The post Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays from Destructoid! appeared first on Destructoid.

Beginning to look a lot like Chris Moyse

Good morning, good weekend, happy holidays, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? I hope that you're all feeling suitably festive this Saturday morning, regardle??ss of your disposition to The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. I must admit to not feeling particularly "Christmassy" in 2022, and I haven't in some years. But, importantly, I never lose the love for life slowing down just a little, and delivering us all a little bit of holiday cheer, with the emphasis on "Holiday".

So, I hope that this week has been kind to you and yours, and that this weekend will allow you to take your? foot off the accelerator a little �regardless of whether you're celebrating Santa Day or otherwise. I'm really grateful that you took a little time out?? to join us this morning, and I'm sending you lots of love and good wishes for a happy weekend and, hopefully, a nice long holiday from the rise and grind.

At least the workplace rise and grind. The gaming rise and grind doesn't take a holiday. Ever.

//twitter.com/ChrisxMoyse/status/1594027507665313817?s=20&t=EZBbeeUt?XHFmZ3Z6h5JX1Q

We wish you a Juri Christmas

In terms of gaming, I spent more time than was sensible gobbling up every second of the second Street Fighter 6 closed beta. Look, I gotta tell ya, that game just feels better and better the more ??I play it. You never really know exactly whether a fighter is working out until a couple of months after launch �That's when we've investigated what works, what doesn't, how the meta has rolled out, how toxic the game is, etc. But, just from these early play sessions, I can't rea??lly get enough of Capcom's next scrapper.

The visuals, the sound, the new character models, the exciting new roster additions. And that's without even mentioning the elements we haven't explored yet: World Tour, mini-games, competitive scene, story mode, and all the newcomers and their roles in the Street Fighter universe. June is gonna be a bit of a wait, that's for sure, but every month that passes is a month more polish. I hop??e t?hat, come launch day, Capcom really delivers on this early promise shown by the title. Stay the course, team. Ah'm beggin' ya.

Baby, it's cold outside... So stay in and comment

It's time to shuffle off to our respective weekends. Before you do so, I have a couple of important things to note. Firstly, be sure to jump into the comments below and share with us all Whatcha Been Playing. I've really been digging how in-depth some of y'all have been getting in recent weeks, and I appreciate the time you choose to spend here with me. Secondly, last week's comment count shot back up to typical numbers following the return of "Comments Beneath Article". Thanks for helping to show why this matters.

Let's keep the comment train chugging in 2023. Destructoid appreciates it, the community appreciates it, and, more than anyone, I appreciate it.

Have a wonderful holiday weeke?nd, from all of us at Destructoid.

The post Whatcha been playi??ng this holiday week, Destruct?oid? appeared first on Destructoid.

Which game brings the most holiday cheer?

Seasonal events in live service games are something I look forward to every year. Whether they're for the holiday season at the end of the year, or the best time of the year aka spooky season, it's always a good time to collect all the themed cosmetics and jump into a special game mode that will only b??e around for so long. These days, pretty much every live service game worth its salt has a holiday event to speak of, and with so many ??great ones out there (and a few that deserve a lump of coal), I had to do what we games journalists do �I had to rank them.

So here's my list of the live service holiday events of 2022. When it came to the games I chose, it came down to which titles I play, are intrigued by, or believe to generally have a big audience. I tried to k??eep things varied, but admittedly I am drawn to first-person shooters and cozy life sims. Those preferences will be reflected here. Generally the main qualific??ation was whether or not they make me feel the holiday spirit, which is intentionally intangible on my part, because at the end of the day it's my list and I'm gonna rank 'em how I want. If I missed the holiday event from your live service event, make sure to share your thoughts and we can duke it out in the comments. Happy holidays, y'all!

10. Call of Duty - Festive Fervor

Last year, this event would have been at the top of this list. There was a Krampus (or bas?ical??ly a big scary buff goat dude inspired by the figure of European folklore of the same name) running around the map and causing chaos, killing any player that stood in his way. Shipment is already my favorite Call of Duty map to play, b?ut having a genuinely frightening creature hunting you down only added to the chaos and fun �hence the name “Festive Fervor.”�/span>

Plus it was always?? hilarious to see a dude come barrelling around the corner at me full speed, only for me to catch a glimpse before ??he took me out with his knife. I was laughing so hard I didn’t even care that I died.

This year, Call of Duty is at the? top of my Naughty List, because they’re?? not even having a winter event at all this time around. I get that entirely different studios worked on Vanguard and Modern Warfare II, but Festive Fervor was? one of my favorites ??and the fact that they didn’t bring it back is a total downer.

9. Dreamlight Valley - Gift of Giving

I get it �we’re too busy in Dreamlight Valley trying to save the kingdom to take a bunch of time off to hang around for the holidays. Well, maybe a little break wou??ldn’t hurt�After all, removing Night Thorns is ??one of the Festive Star Path events you can do as part of the event. All in all, though, Dreamlight Valley’s Gift of Giving is pretty par for the course �collect holiday outfits, furniture, and decorations for the town. You get access to all of those things by comp?leting tasks, which are fairly simple, like petting animal companions or mining in the Plaza.

I’m docking points on this one, because doing chores in order to get your presents doesn’t evoke the holiday spirit to?? me. Plus, there’s kind of a way to sneak around it if you’re willing to dish out some real world cash for in-game currency. No thanks.

8. League of Legends - Winterblessed

League of Legends�/span> winter event, Winterblessed, certainly isn’t anything to turn you?r nose up at. There’s plenty to get excited about if you’re already nose-deep in League, but ??the offerings aren’t enoug??h to make a casual like me want to dive into the proverbial pile of snow. You’ve got your themed Runes, in-game ?consumables, costumes for your minions, a snowy map, skins, and more. There are some themed missions as well, which include regular in-game actions like dealing damage or getting a trip??le kill, while you can also complete a mission for throwing snowballs. Fun! 

There is a bit of a downside, however �while you ?can earn pretty much all of the cosmetics by going the free-to-play route, you can't get the coveted Prestige skin without buying in first. I've never met Santa, but I like to think he couldn't take kindly to premium battle passes.

7. Elder Scrolls Online - New Life Festival

The Elder Scrolls games always intimidated me because of just how big they are with so many things to do all the time, so it shouldn’t have come as?? a surprise to me that their holiday event would be just as substantial. The main draw to Elder Scrolls Online’s New Life Festival are the New Life Festival Boxes (they c??ould have been a little more creative with the naming convention, but I digress). These boxes contain all kinds of valuable items that relate to the festival, including recipes, ing?redients, or rare collectibles.

There are a whole h?ost of quests that players can complete every single day to earn up to ten boxes every 24 hours. Players who love the grind will absolutely love the New Life Festival, and while it’s fun to see the townspeople getting? into th?e holiday spirit in game, I admit this one is a bit too much for me.

6. Overwatch 2 - Winter Wonderland

I really wish I could put Overwatch 2’s Winter Wonderland higher ??on the list, because it truly has been one of my favorites to play over the years. There are multiple limited-time game modes that come around each year, and considering they have an ice-themed hero to play off of, they do a great job of utilizing her kit to make for some unique arcade modes.

Blizzar??d usua??lly puts out some awesome cosmetics, with the winter-themed skins being some of the absolute best you could get in the game. My problem with this year’s Winter Wonderland will sound familiar to anyone who? has heard my complaints about Overwatch 2 in general �it’s pretty slim pickings when it comes to the new skins, and aside from the Brigette skin you ?can grind for, you ha?ve to buy the rest in the shop. Bah humbug.

5. Destiny 2 -  The Dawning

I don’t play Destiny, not because I don’t think I’d like it, but because I think I’d like it too m?uch and be sucked into a black hole of catching up on the game’s insanely detailed lore. This year’s Destiny holiday event, known as "The? Dawning", will not only get you some festive skins and weapons, but you can throw snowballs at enemies and bake treats for your friends.

That’s insanely adorable, and if Bungie is willing to p?ut that in the game, it ma??kes me think that Destiny 2 really would be my cup of tea all over again.

4. Fortnite - Winterfest

I haven’t touched Fortnite since it was in early access before the battle royale mode was even introduced, and the game sure has changed a lot since then. If there? is one thing I k?now for sure about Fortnite, though, is that they never do anything halfway, and that go??es for their holiday event, too. 

Not only are there some festi?ve cosmetics on offer, but there’s an entire cozy lodge where players can enter and open gifts. I’m a real sucker for anything cozy, so it sounds like Fortnite fans are gonna be in for a real treat thi??s year (especially because the My Hero Academia crossover also just dropped).

3. Rocket League - Frosty Fest

I’m terrible at Rocket League, but I hav??e to admit it’s one of my favorite esports games out there. I usually don’t pay much attention to their winter events because it’s a game I only play once in a blue moon, but they really got me this time around. Rocket League is known for having some cool collabs (they even put our robot mascot Mr. Destructoid in there), but they outdid themselves by teaming up with the Lofi Girl. 

I am known to keep the “lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to�YouTube stream on pretty much 24/7, so I was pumped to see that she was part of the ev?ent this year. "What's so festive about the Lofi Girl?" you ask. Well, it's simple, the most important p?art of the holidays is feeling cozy, obviously. Nothing makes me feel cozier than bundling up with a warm cup of tea, a blanket, and some relaxing lofi beats. Okay, I'll admit this one's a bit of a stretch, bu?t I love the collab so much I don't really?? care.

2. Apex Legends - Wintertide

Apex Legends is another entry in the battle royale genre that’s managed to stick around and make a name for itself, and while it’s another title that I don’t play, it has one of the coolest themed game modes I’ve ever seen. It basically works like this: there’s a train called the Winter Express that’s moving around the map to different stations, and players are pitted against other teams to board the train and capture it, like a big, moving ??control point. I always love a map that has moving elements, and the idea of fighting on and around a g??iant train set piece sounds amazing.

Apex does have the who??le battle pass formula that I’m not too fond of, so getting their skins might be tedious for some, but I have to give points for the creativit??y of drawing upon holiday classic The Polar Express. With so many games jostling to stand out in a sea of other winter-themed modes, a high-speed battle set on a train has to be one of the coolest I’ve s??een.

1. Animal Crossing - Toy Day

With all the other holiday event?s are out here with their fests and wonderlands, I can’t deny how much I love the bluntness of “Toy Day.�In the Animal Crossing world, it’s?? a day for receiving, opening, and playing with toys, and I have nothing but respect for that. When it comes to the actual event, it’s gotta be the best in terms of getting you involved and into the holiday spirit. 

Not only do you have all the wintery outfits, furniture, and decorative items you could want, but you also have to plan ahead by purchasing gifts for each one of your villagers in the weeks leading up to Toy Day. Then when?? the day finally arrives, a reindeer named Jingle will visit your town, and after you ??complete a series of tasks for him, you give your villagers the gifts you so lovingly purchased and wrapped for them. What’s more, they’ll even gift you a gift in return as a token of their appreciation.

I know, I know, ??other games focus more on shooting at other players instead of being their friends and giving them gifts, so it’s not quite a fair comparison. But if we’re talking about what’s going to get me in the holiday spirit, nothing works better than a wholesome quest of giving my friends something that will make them feel special.

The post Let’s rank some live service games’ holiday events appeared first on Destructoid.

Why does it have a film-grain filter?

I was out completing my annual holiday tradition of buying myself some classic games, and also buying something token for my family. The clerk, who apparently knows of my disreputation, upsold me by suggesting the holiday classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Wii. With Banjo-Kazooie, Batman Returns, Die Hard, Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes, Christmas Nights into Dreams, Toejam & Earl, and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories already o?ccupying my usual rotation for holiday classics, I thought I could always fit in one more.

Now, listen, I get that game design is merely a job for a lot of people. Sometimes you don’t land at your dream developer right off the hop. Other times, a developer churns out licensed games to help fund their own passion project. I get it. However, Christmas is a time for building memories with family or friends, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is so short that it ?took longer for me to hook up my capture equipment than it did for me to play it. It also took me longer to walk home after purchasing it, and this article is almost definitely going to take more time to write. Chances are, when I think back to this moment, I’m mostly going to remember those things and not all the most famous reindeer of all.

Discount Burl Ives

I thought Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer was going to be based on the Rankin/Bass holiday classic TV special. I thought that would be funny, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen that one in completion, so I could make all sorts of speculation on what it’s actually about. However, while the aesthetics are based on the movie, the game itself has absolutely not??hing to do with it.

Christmas is apparently under threat, but I don’t remember anyone mentioning its precarious condition until the last level of the game. I’m going to assume that Starbucks is at it again with their “Happy Holidays�crap again. Look, I know other people celebrate different religious happenings this time of year. I’m not exactly the best?? lamb in the flock to start with. But this is the time of year when everyone should get in line and kiss the feet of humanity’s ruler, Santa Claus, and reflect on the time? he saved Nakatomi Plaza from terrorists using traditions stolen from the Pagans. All that time spent slipping down chimneys really prepared him for sliding through vents.

The story, is told to you by a snowman, and while it looks like Sam the Snowman, he talks like that time when Invader Zim impersonated Santa Claus. Obviously, the voice actor hasn’t watched the TV special, either, because they sure as sugar don’t sound remotely close to Burl Ives.

There are four levels to play through, so we might as well go through all ??of them.

Koliday Kelper

I think that’s supposed to be Holiday Helper, but those H’s look a lot like K’s. Your job is to d??ecorate the Yule Log. For some reason, this is done by having an elf hurl presents and decoration??s from the top of a ladder, and you need to bounce them across the room and onto or under the tree. Except freakishly-shaped presents; they need to go in Santa’s sack of horrors.

Since this is? a Wii game, you control one of two Reindeers, Santa, or a dentist by tilting the controller. You can also jump by jerking the controller upward, or just press the 2 button. I don’t know why they gave us an out for jumping but not moving, but that’s how it is. Fortunately, it’s all as sensitive as an infected eyeball, so the worst part of the controls is that they work too ??bad. Otherwise, the physics are awful here, which may cause you to lob items irrevocably in the wrong direction. I’m not sure if you can even fail this game, though. I certainly didn’t do well, but the yeti still came out and put a star on the tree.

Toy Maker

Despite the name, you’re not actually making toys in this minigame; you’re painting them. You do this by flicking the Wiimote around, which sends globs of paint at toys appearing on a conveyer belt. Somehow, perhaps through the magick of Chrismas, the dollops of primary colors shape their way perfectly around the toy. Meanwhile, a couple of elves tell you how awesome you are and that they “love to paint.�/p>

I did this mini-game perfectly. Not a single toy escaped uncolored. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer didn’t give the slightest shit. There wasn’t, lik?e, a “perfect�scrawled across the screen. The elves didn’t cheer extra hard. The yeti didn’t pat me on the butt. Nothing.?? If I wanted to be this unrewarded for my hard work, I’d get a real job.

Cookie Cooking

Okay, so, I feel this should be “Cookie Baking,�or, if we’re married to alliteration, I guess it could be “Biscuit Baking,�but technically, baking is just a more specific form of cooking, so I’ll let it ??slide. This one is my favorite mini-game. You roll the dough, cut the shapes, and slide the cookies into the oven before decorating them with sprinkles.

I think the only reason I like this game is that it really makes me want shortbread cookies. I’m normally a ginger molasses girl, but Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer just makes the cookies look so good. Then, when you win (again, I don’t think yo?u can lose)??, your deer dances on the counter, which is adorable.

Saving Christmas

Again, I’m not sure how Christmas is in danger. All I know is that this is war. Your job is to fling presents at houses. The game tells you that you’re aiming for the chimney, but you still get points if it lands on the roof. Here’s the thing: there’s no penalty for missing, and you can hit a house more than once. I see absolutely no reason ?not to just carpet-bomb the whole town. Crush all those unsuspecti??ng materialists under an avalanche of holiday cheer.

Communal Suffering

That’s actually all there is to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It saves your high scor??e in case you are really desperate for some kind of challenge. You can also play with a second player, which really is what Christmas is about: communal suff?ering.

It took me 12 minutes to get through all of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. If I was a parent, and I had bought Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer f??or my kids, I would be extremely steamed that it didn’t keep the little bastards entertained for even long enough to take a nap. If you really feel like you need more disappointment in your holidays, you could do worse. Or better? Either, really.

For previous Weekly Kusoge, check this link!

The post Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Wii is the true meaning of Chris??t?mas appeared first on Destructoid.

Football sim fends off Call of Duty to take coveted spot

Statutory body GfK has released the final UK Chart placings before Christmas, revealing that Electronic Arts' football sim FIFA 23 is officially 2022's Christmas No.1, at least in rega??rd to ph??ysical game sales.

Riding high on a wave of World Cup fever, FIFA 23 successfully fended off advances from both Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Sony Santa Monica's God of War: Ragnarok in order to retain its number one position for the coveted Christmas weekend. For many years now, the battle to be the star atop the Christmas Tree has been waged between the FIFA and Call of Duty franchises. FIFA has now taken the spot on 10 separate occasions, while Call of Duty has racked up a still-impressive nine.

FIFA 23 represents the series' final release to receive official branding from the football regulatory body FIFA. As of the next release, the mega-selling franchise will be rebranded as EA Sports FC.

Elsewhere in the charts, the only new physical release was Square Enix's Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, which made a modest debut within the Top Ten at number eight. As is always the case during the holidays, the remainder of the Top 20 is packed out with Nintendo Switch releases, including Pokemon Scarlet & Violet at numbers seven and five respectively, Minecraft Switch at number nine, Nintendo Switch Sports at number six, and the ever-present Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at number four.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: December 17, 2022
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. FIFA 23 �Electronic Arts
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II �Activision
3. God of War Ragnarok �Sony Interactive Entertainment
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe �Nintendo
5. Pokemon Violet �Nintendo
6. Nintendo Switch Sports �Nintendo
7. Pokemon Scarlet �Nintendo
8. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion - Square Enix
9. Minecraft: Switch Edition - Nintendo
10. Just Dance 2023 - Ubisoft

U.K. Video Game Charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post UK Charts: FIFA 23 sees EA?? take another Christmas ?No.1 appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the coolest gaming-themed gifts I've seen this year

Christmas presents from grandparents can be a little bit hit or miss, in my experience. Sometimes it's something homemade that you really want to appreciate, but you know you're never going to use it again. Sometimes, your parent just intervenes and tells them exactly what to get, which won't make for a good surprise, but hey, at least you'll like it. Then, there's the rare occasion where they just nail it, which is exactly what happened for Reddit user u/drummerboy441 when his grandma made him an artful cross-stitch of all of the songs from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

//www.reddit.co??m/r/gaming/comments/rp3f6i/my_grandma_is_the_one_that_got_me_into_video/

For those who don't know, cross-stitching is a form of sewing where you make little tiny X-shaped stitches in various colors to make a larger picture. Cross-stitching is really tedious and time-consuming, and if you aren't focused the stitches can end up looking messy. That's why it's so impressive to see the work that this guy's grandma did on this Ocarina of Time cross-stit?ch, because I may not know a ton about sewing, but?? I do know that she is a master of her craft.

It's hard to tell exactly how big the piece is just by the picture, but it's definitely not tiny, I think I can say that with confidence. This must have taken hours and hours to complete, and the results are honestly stunning. It's really difficult to get it looking this neat, especially the tiny words included for the name of each song and in the Ocarina of Time logo at the bottom.

What really gets me is that the title of the post says that drummerboy441's grandma is the one who got him into games in the first place. I'm the only one in my family who games really, so I have to admit that I'm jealous that OP's family understands his hobby and gets to enjoy it with him. I went to comments to see if he elaborated on how she got him started in games, but unfortunately there was no follow-up. That's alright, hopefully that means he's enjoying some games with his loved ones.

The post You have to see this incredible Ocarina of Time ??cross-stitc?h appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 12/18 to 12/24/2021

-Siddartha85 shares their top gaming moments of this year.

-Siddartha85 shares their sec??ond-best top gaming moments of this year.

-Black Red Gaming discusses 10 gaming ne??ws stories that went t?he rounds last week.

-Lord Spencer reviews Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-TroyFullbuster makes a video trying to explain theories about Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach.

-CoruptAI125 discusses the favorite games they played in 2021.

-Virtua Kazama looks back at Virtua Fighter 3 & 4 as part of his blogs on Virtua Fighter month.

-PhilsPhindings continues to discuss the similarities between the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VI and Baroque music.

-Black Red Gaming reports on new logo swapping patent by The Sinking City's Nacon. (Satire)

-TheBlondeBass writes a poem, called "The Card", check it out.

-TheBlondeBass writes a short story, c??alled "The Thread", check ??it out.

-AceFlibble goes into detail to prove that Black Cat in The Amazing Spider-Man is not a Sony fan.

-Siddartha85 shares their top list ??of gaming music of this year.

-MeanderBot makes a new 2022 Destructoid New Year's print that you can o?rder.

-ChronoLynxx opens ??this Christmas week's TGIF community thread for open discussion.

Far more blogs than I was expecting this holiday week! We've really enjoyed reading all of your thoughts and opinions on all matters gaming (and otherwise) over the past year. We're so happy that we have so many talented community members willing to share their HOT TAKES with us. Major thanks to Lord Spencer for putting these recaps together week aft?er week, we couldn't do it without you and, on a personal note, I love reading your retro write-ups, keep it up!

Here's to another year of great blogs from our fantastic community. Thank you, ?folks.

The post What was your favorite ‘gaming moment’ of 2021? appeared first on Destructoid.

I think I've got it!

My father has been dreaming of a "White Christmas" for about 20 years now. And I can understand why. Besides the aforementioned song that gets blasted over his classic yuletide Spotify playlist each year, every Ch????ristmas movie we watch during the holiday season paints a picture of snow being as common as perfectly wrapped Christmas presents under the tree or marriage proposals from hunky Canadian actors you've never heard of before. But thems the breaks when you live in California, as my parents do. There are no white Christmases in their town, only rainy ones with fleeting moments of clear blue skies. What's ironic, in an Alanis Morissette kind of way, is that if my folks decided to make the trek to where I live for the holiday, we all would have been treated to a white Christmas with the winter storm that is just battering my town right now.

But I can understand his desire. I too long for the picturesq??ue white Christmases we've been singing about since the 1940s. I can't remember the last time it snowed on the big day, but really, I don't remember much at all about past Christmases or even just the past in general. Most of the knowledge I have in my head of my youth is just the embarrassing stuff my brain can use against me whenever my self-esteem ??registers a notch above "non-existent." I'm sure I've had some great Christmas mornings in my youth, but the only one I can strongly remember is the year my brother and I both got our own video game consoles and televisions for our rooms, meaning we never had to communicate with each other again. That was a great Christmas, but this year, I got a beautiful reminder of another piece of my past that had previously been lost to the miasma of my mind.

This year was a pretty good year for me, presents-wise. I really got into photography over the past year, so the big gift waiting under the tree for me was a new Fujifilm lens for my X-T200. With a 230mm zoom, I should really be able to step up my wilderness and wildlife photography this year. Beyond the lens, I got a nice new sweater, some Friends wine glasses? and socks, a shaved ice machine, and a nice, wool Gatsby cap. I also got this $5 bo?ok of puzzles from Kohl's, which held great meaning for my mom as she tried to explain to me why she bought it.

As I unwrapped the book, she told me she had to buy it because it re??minded her of this game we used to play years ago, back when I was a kid. She said it was that "Professor game." Now, you probably already know what game she's talking about. But I, the extremely clueless and forgetful person that I am, drew an absolute blank. She pressed on, repeating "the professor game, that professor game" to no avail. I started asking myself, "What professor game did I play as a little kid?" My mind immediately went to Super Solvers: Midnight Rescue. But I only played that at school b??ecause we didn't have a PC at home back when I was in elementary school.

After about two minutes of me just sitting there like a dumm?y, my mom gave up on trying to get me to remember with a devastating, "I guess it meant more to me than it did to you." That's such a mom thing to say, but with those words, I knew I had to remember. I wouldn't open another fucking gift until I could recall this moment in our shared history she was talking about. I remembered most of our other gaming memories, from Kirby's Avalanche to Mario Kart Wii, so surely this ?knowledge had to be tucked away somewhere in my mind.

So, I pressed on. I asked her what grade I was in when I played this, to which she responded, "You were already out of college. You know, that professor game where you rescue those people?" Her memory of what you actually do in this game may be spotty, but the moment she said "out of college" I knew the exact game she was talking about. Those three little words broke the dam in my mind and the memories started flooding b??ack in. I remembered walking two miles to the Kmart to buy the game, putting in my Nintendo DSi, and playing through it over the course of the week. I remembered my mom asking me what I was playing, explaining to her what the game was, and seeing genuine excitement in her eyes when I told her all about it. I remembered coming home from work and? catching my mom working on her own playthrough of the game on my DSi and the long talks we'd have about the game and how we'd help each other solve its puzzles.

The game in question is, of course, Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I have adored this game?? since I first got wind of it in the pages of Nintendo Power and made it a point to pick it ?the moment I had the money for it. My mind is f??illed with memories of playing through the entire Layton series, but until yesterday, I had completely forgotten tha??t I once shared those memories with somebody else, someone I care about a great deal who didn't always understand why I spent so much time with?? a controller in my hand. Professor Layton wasn't just a pivotal game for me, but for my mom as well as it was one of the few games she could get into to underst??and why it is I love video games so much. ?Without The Curious Village, she might still think of gaming as?? something I should have outgrown by no??w.

Sadly, this would be the only Layton game we'd bond over. By the time Diabolical Box came ou?t in ??North America, I'd moved out of my parent's house and taken my DSi with me. She never bothered picking up one of her own, so from then on, the only time we'd connect over games would be during rounds of Wii Sports and Mario Kart Wii. Today, she doesn't? game at all, instead, spending her free time searching for recipes on Pinterest. My dad is now the gamer of the two if you can call playing slot machine apps on a Galaxy Tab being a gamer.

The Fujifilm lens is great, the ??Gatsby ??hat is nice, and the Friends wine glasses are pretty goddamn Caucasian, but the best gift I got this year is a memory, a beautiful memory of my past that had been lost until my mom came across a $5 puzzle book on a shopping trip to Kohl's. No piece of plastic or glass will bring me as much happiness as ?that.

I just can't share this fact with my p??arents because I still? do enjoy getting all those expensive things too.

The post The best video game gift I got this Chris?tmas was this puzzle?? book appeared first on Destructoid.

Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays!

Good morning, festive friends, and welcome to a double dose of Whatcha Been Playing? Y'see, for many years, yer boy Moyse has written "Happy Holidays" posts for Christmas morning. But, this year, December 25th falls on Saturday! And that's Whatcha Been Playing day! So I decided the best course of action was to combine the two, offering a?ll y'all happy festive wishes from Destructoid while maintaining my triple-figure Saturday streak. This way, everybody wins �you, me, and especially the communists.

Today presents the opportunity to catch up with good movies, good friends, good food, and, of course, good video games. I will be partaking in some of the above even though, I cannot lie, I am mostly here for the quiet. It has certainly been quite a year for all of us, and it's understandable if you're feeling a little (or even a lot) burned out by the ev??ents of 2021. You won't be alone in this�I can promise you that �and if the weight of this here world has crushed your festive spirit a little, then that's absolutely fine. Nobody is expecting you to fake it 'till you make it. I just want you to be kind to yourself.

What is important is that you made it through to today, just like I knew you would. Take this holiday week as an opportunity to reward yourself for facing the trials of 2021 with strength and spirit. If you are getting together with other folks, then please be safe and take the necessary precautions. If you're just having a quiet one, then simply make it as fun or as restful as you want it to be. Me? I will spend the weekend hitting up some of my favorite titles of the year, including Returnal, Guilty Gear Strive, and F.I.S.T., all while getting ever-so-sl??ightly worse for wear.

I've got A View to a Kill on in the background right now, which is a helluva start. I'm sure you'll agree. Destructoid will, obviously, be quieter than usual today, but I will be dipping in and out of this here article as the weekend progresses. So remember, even if your holiday is a little subdued, our door remain?s open to you. You are always among friends ?here.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas ??and Happy Holidays??, from all of us at Destructoid!

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous LOVELYZ.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDxD4HwEFdY

The post Whatcha been playing thi… these Holidays, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Shortform horror games have been my jam lately. The genre has been long trapped with grizzled heroes cutting down slavering monstrosities. Even Japanese horror games, though they’re known for their more psychological approach, can’t get away from killing monsters. But recently, creators like Puppet Combo, Chilla’s Art, and my new obsession, Scythe Dev Team, have been focusing on games that recreate a di?fferent experience.

While Chilla’s Art is clearly J-horror inspired, Puppet Combo leans more towards the grungy VHS tapes at the back of the vi??deo store. Slashers, mostly. Trashy, ugly, screamy slashers. They even use a VHS-style tracking overlay (that you can turn off).

Usually, you’re the victim in these games, running from the knife-wielding psychopath that stalks you. But with Christmas Massacre this holiday season, Ben Cocuzza is putting you back in the boots of Larry, the killer from 2019’s Blood Maniac. Larry’s gotten a ta??ste for the Christmas spirit and it’s time to deck the halls. With blood!

Christmas Massacre (PC)
Developer: Puppet Combo
Publisher: Puppet Combo
Released: December 17, 2021
MSRP: $7.99

Starting off in the shoes of Larry during his boarding school days, Christmas Massacre gives you instructions to obtain a knife from the kitchen. To do this, yo?u avoid the nu?n’s gaze by sneaking through the shadows. You’re then free to start your killing spree.

Flash forward years later, and it’s time for Larry to kill again, as instruct?ed by his Christmas tree. Thus begins the holiday slaying.

Christmas Massacre is something of a light stealth game. Staying in the shadows conceals you, and if a victim spots you, they’ll run for the exit. If they escape, you lose. It’s less like Splinter Cell and more like Hotline Miami. Being discovered is inevitable, but knowing where your victims are and how you can trap them will allow you to succeed. The lo??nger you can go without alerting someone, the easier it will be to take out the remaining victims.

Unfortunately, Christmas Massacre is a little slapdash with its design. Actually hitting someone with your knife is pretty unreliable. At times, I could stand in a choke point and stab at the air until someone walked into my blade (at which point it was their own fault), other times they’d just scooch right past me. I’d occasionally find mys??elf flailing at the air around someone, and it kind of ruins the Christmas spirit when a target ignores your attempts to gut them.

Victims absolutely take off the moment they see you or a corpse. No hesitation, no pleading, no assuming it’s their friends trying to scare them. No, they’re on their feet and headed for the exit the moment one whisker of your Santa mask is shown. A lot of the environments are quite small, so they don’t have to run far, and as soon as they touch the door, it’s over. Christmas Massacre is neither forgiving nor accomodating.

Also, they’ll shriek when they see you, but no one near them se??ems to hear.

Then ??you’re given the ability to throw knives, and if you hold down the spacebar, you send out an unlimited supply at a rather quick rate. Each one is an instant kill, so standing in a choke point and doling out death is absolutely a reasonable tactic.

I kind of feel like complaining about the loose mechanics is missing the point, though Christmas Massacre is at its best in the spacious supermarket level and at its worse in cramped corridors. The fact of the matter is the game is something of a Christmas?? gift to fans. It takes recognizable elements of other Puppet Combo games and mashes them together with a jolly laugh.

And it is rather amusing. The character of Larry’s Christmas tree was a big hit with me, and the dialogue is a lot of fun. It also gives you the opportunity to get back at Nun Massacre, in case that game gave you the willies. It doesn’t take itself very serio?usly, and that’s a nice dash of lightheartedness.

All-in-all, it took me two hours?? to play through, but that’s generally what you get from a weekend rental. There are also a few costumes you can pick up, and the game rates you on level completion to give you a bit of extra replay ??value.

Christmas Massacre is a seasonal treat. It might not have all the fine atmosphere and interesting design as something like Bloodwash, but it’s quick entertainment. It’s a bit of joy to inject into your holidays. And really, even when you’re battling with hit detection, it’s fun to be the slasher. Going around and killing �0s teen stereotypes while d??ressed as Santa is a great way to prepare you for spending time with the family.

Just don’t expect anything more than a stocking stuffer. Painting the walls with the festive color of red can be a really good time when everything clicks, but this isn’t Puppet Combo at their finest. It's quick and messy, like a crime scene. But if you’re already a f??an, the tag has your name on it.

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

The post Review: Christmas Massacre appeared first on Destructoid.

Buckle in, folks

I don't know about you, but I'm a bit of an anxious flyer. There's something about bei??ng 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, games seem to be the only thin??g I can have with me that helps me relax a little. I think it's because games are such an active activity, I u??sually 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 fol?low alo??ng.

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 obviously some of the most relaxing games you can pl??ay, which is going to help you deal with all the stress of getting through the airport. 

Animal Crossing is a great one as you c?an use this time to get all your daily chores done, but Stardew Valley is?? also a solid go-to for me here because it divides 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 t??his game means that you can 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 f?or you to do your button input, whether it's making your turn or simply pressing A to progress the dialogue. 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 otherwise visual-novel-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 th?roug?h one during the five-hour flight it takes to get back to the East Coast. Slay the Spire is such a fun game and it's honestly slept on �it's? a deck-builder roguelike that's perfect to play in sh??ort bursts.

Other great turn-based or v?isual-novel-style games to try are 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 of my other anxious fl??yers 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 totall??y forget about your holiday travels. Anything with real-time action will be your 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 comfort game on pla??nes for me, honestly. I've also considered trying out shooters that I know I enjoy like the BioShock series, because the sto?rytelling and gameplay are so involved, I think it would have th?e same effect. More than genre, what's key here is to find a game that you feel sucked into.

Other immersive games?? to play while traveling are Minecraft?, The Witcher 3, Monster Hunter, Assa?ssin'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 fa??st-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 active brainpower, so I really have no other choice than to focus on the game over my ??anxiety.

The 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 hassle. Hades is hands down my go-to for this, and has gotten me through those last few exhausting hours of the flight pret??ty nicely.

Other twitchy games to try are Hollow Knight, Celeste, Cuphead, Super Smash Bros., and really any othe??r 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 o?f the year. And of course, feel fr??ee to give these a try if you're just at home needing an escape from your family 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.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

If there's one thing that video game fans can expect when December 25 rolls around, it's server outage. As the planet simultaneously makes way for an abundance of new consoles and online store gift cards, services from PlayStation Plus to Nintendo? Online are often left feeling the strain as players spend a good few days gobbling up t?he juice. And speaking of Nintendo, the legendary developer/publisher has already candidly stated it expects this week to be no different.

Through its support account, Nintendo has suggested that players looking to use Nintendo's online services (eShop included) this festive weekend perform as much prep as possible beforehand. Whether booting up new consoles and installing updates, pre-purchasing games and software, registering Nintendo Online or Family account, The Big N ??has openly tipped players to jump online and gets these acts completed right now, before December 25 sees the service run thin, possibly delivering little more than a very slow service at best and network outage warnings at worst.

Of course, this is by no means a Nintendo-only Christmas issue, nor a particularly new issue. Ever since gaming hit its online stride with the PS3/Xb??ox 360, players have been left frustrated by server outages, store closures, and network failures over the holiday season. While all major publishers have taken steps to curtail the problem, there simply is not enough power at the source to cover an entire international community of eager video game fans �so ta??ke a tip from Scar and Be Prepared.

Nintendo Expects Servers to Overload Again on Ch??ristmas 2021 [Siliconera]

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The gift that keeps on giving (buying)

This year sees Christmas Day fall on a Saturday, the same day the charts for the previous week are compiled. As such, we already know the UK's Christmas Number #1 video game for 2021, and it's Electronic Arts' annual soccer sim, FIFA 22.

The final UK Charts Top Ten before Christmas is a who's who of by-the-numbers bestsellers, with the listings packed out with all of the titles one would expect to be rocking around the Christmas tree come December 25. Following FIFA 21's premier position is Activision's Call of Duty: Vanguard at number two, perennial mainstay Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at number three, with positions four and five rounded out by Insomniac's excellent Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Innersloth's viral sleuther Among Us. Rockstar's horrendous Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy �Definitive Edition is also in the mix at number six. Lordy.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYsi5QuOJNE

This is one of the many reasons I stopped reporting the weekly charts back in the summer of this year. Not only are high street sales becoming less lucrative on a yearly... nay... monthly basis, but the UK Charts simply isn't an authentic representation of what the world is playing, or which new releases are worth your cash. With the slow decay of physical sales, COVID-19 causing severe damage to the retail industry, and Britain's unending love affair with the same four franchises �regardless of output quality �nothing is to be gained from knowing what titles shifted the most copies last week at your local Sainsbury's. Around half of the games in the Top Ten below didn't even debut within the las??t 12 months.

FIFA 22 might be Christmas No.1 2021, but it doesn't pop the Top 30 when it comes to the year's best video game releases. The UK Charts is an archaic ??concept, barely representative of the industry's sales, product quality, or market share??. While I dusted off the concept today in order to announce the UK's "holiday favorite", writing this up has only further confirmed that I made the right decision when I decided to stop reporting on it weekly.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: December 18, 2021
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. FIFA 22 �Electronic Arts
2. Call of Duty: Vanguard  �Activision
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe �Nintendo
4. Among Us �Maximum Games
5. Spider-Man: Miles Morales �Sony Interactive Entertainment
6. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy Definitive Edition �Take-Two
7. Minecraft �Nintendo
8. Just Dance 2022 �Ubisoft
9. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond �Nintendo
10. Animal Crossing: New Horizons �Nintendo

U.K. Video Game Charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post UK Charts reveals FIFA 22 as this year’s Christmas No.1 appeared first on Destructoid.

You gotta start somewhere

Holiday shopping can be prett?y difficult, especially when you have really different interests and hobbies than your non-gamer friends or family. Gift-giving can, however, be a great opportunity to introduce your loved ones to the magic of gaming, because there's nothing better than helping someone understand your passions and then enjoying them together.

The only thing is, if you're going to get someone a game who has never tried them before, you've got to make sure it's the right one, lest you risk putting them off of games forever. To give you some handy ??suggestions, or at least get you thinking on the right track, here's our list as some of the best newb-friendly games to gift to your favorite non-gamers this holiday season.

1. Minecraft

When taking into account different types of potential players, Minecraft is an all-arounder when it comes to game recommendations. It can appeal to people who just want to chill out in creative mode and build something cool, as well as those who want to challeng?e themselves with survival mode.

There are also a plethora of mods out there ?that can cater to all kinds of niche interests, so you can customize the ga??me to be appealing to anyone in your life. To top it all off, it's also a great way to help someone learn gaming controls in a low-stakes, low-pressure environment.

2. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a great choice for a new player because of its more casual feel. The game never rushes or forces you to do anything i??n particular �you can play it however you want. The mechanics are also simple and relaxing (with the exception of combat, but new players can work their way up ??to that), and do a good job of easing the player in as they learn.

There's also the benefit of it being a 2D game, so you do?n't hav??e to worry about dealing with the whole moving-and-looking-at-the-same-time thing if that's a stumbling block. Just make sure you set them up with the practice fishing rod at the start, and your buddy should have an awesome time.

3. Pokémon

I kind of missed the Pokémon train the first time around, but after playing Sword & Shield, I have to agree with my friends that say this series is a great way to introduce someone to turn-based combat or JRPGs. Having cute little critters to collect makes for a fun, easily understandable objective, and you don't have to be amazing at the game to progress, especially with the newer entries in the series. I've heard Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee! can be a great?? place to start, but you're probably fine if you try any mainline series entries that have come out in the last decade.

4. Telltale's The Walking Dead

Telltale's The Walking Dead is a great choice because while it does introduce new? characters, it's part of a franchise that non-gamers a?re already familiar with. It's even structured like a TV show with its episodes, which also divide what is overall a longer game into manageable chunks.

The gameplay itself is mostly limite??d to dialogue choices, but also includes some classic point-and-click adventure stuff �both of these factors can make it a great jumping-off point to try so?me other games that share these mechanics.

5. Portal

Portal is also a great g?ame I recommend to newbies, seeing as it's the game I played to learn shooting mechanics on a controller. Because it's a puzzle game that only has stationary tu??rrets as enemies, you can really take your time as you try to figure out how the camera works. Some of the later levels require perfectly-timed shots, but by the time you get there, you pretty much have ?the controls down.?

There's also the fact that Portal has one of the best game stories out there, s?o in addition to helping a new player learn the ropes, they can also see some of the superb storytelli?ng that games are capable of. I'd just steer clear of this one for someone who is particularly puzzle-averse, because it can be pretty challenging to figure out some of the solutions.

6. Journey

One of the problems I've run into while trying to recommend games to someone who has never played them is how long most of them take to complete, but Journey negates this issue by having a run time of about two hours. What better way to convince a skeptic than to have them play a great game that's no longer than a movie???

Journey is also new player-friendly because of its fluid, relaxing gameplay. There are no enemies to be seen, so your friends shouldn't have any issues making it to the end. The game is known for its gorgeous visual style and music as well, so if you show someone Journey, they know they're getting? some of ?the best that gaming has to offer.

7. Overcooked

Want to be able to play alongside that friend or family member while they learn the ropes? No problem! Overcooked?? is a great option �while things can get a bit hectic as you progress through the levels, the game is designed to be easy to pick up and understand. Considering it's one of t?hose games where you can see yourself mastering it as you go along, it can make for a good confidence booster before throwing your new player into the deep end.

8. Firewatch

Firewatch is such a fun ride, but in different ways than you might expect. The gameplay is super simple, and mostly invol?ves walking around and interacting with items. The real star of the show here is its story, particularly its voice acting, which can make it the perfect option for someone who prefers a more narrative-based experience, if that's something your new gamer is into.

I know for me, story games were a great way to initially get into the hobby, and then I started trying out some more gameplay-heavy games once I learned the ropes. Firewatch also has the benefit of helping players learn the controls at their own pace, similar to Portal.

9. What Remains of Edith Finch

Many of the principles that apply to Firewatch are also in play here. What Remains of Edith Finch is in the upper ?echelon of game stories, in my opinion, so it's another excellent choice for those who l??ike storytelling.

It also? just has some really clever gameplay sections ?that I think showcase some of the best narrative design in the industry. It's wistful and moving, and is yet another relatively short play that can help you learn controls, so this one is a must for new players.

10. Uncharted 2

If you have a buddy who loves action movies and just wants to feel like a hero, Uncharted 2 is the way to go. I could be recommending the first Uncharted, but parts of that game haven't ?aged super well gameplay-wise (I'm looking at you, jet ski level), and the sequel is where Naughty ??Dog really hit their stride with the franchise, both in terms of narrative and gameplay.

You've got loveable characters, swashbuckling action, and puzzles that will make you stop and think, which makes it perfect for a movie buff. Plus, if they end up liking it, there are still four other Uncharted games they can go and play.

The post 10 newb-friendly games to gift to the ??non-gamer?s in your life appeared first on Destructoid.

Bah humbug

Battlefield 2042 has only been out for a few weeks, but in that short time, its issues have made it one of the worst launches of the year. The game is plagued with a variety of bugs, a lack of features, and overall design flaws, and now DICE and EA are scrambling to save face and basically redesign whole aspects of the game post-launch. When things were already looking bad enough for the studio, they pre-emptively showed off some of the Christmas-themed cosmetics items that would be introduced during the next update, and let's just say players were not happy. The game's third update since it was released introduces weekly missions, improvements to the menus, and over 150 much-needed fixes �but the real star of the show on social media was one of the new Specialist skins called Father Winter, which turns the Battlefield 2042 character Boris in?to a gun-toting version of Santa.

The first complaint is that the skin didn't fit into the aesthetic of the game at all. It feels kind of ridiculous to be playing A Very Serious War Game, only to see a literal Santa Claus run around the corner and melee you to death. Players have noticed an effect where these types of games will start off with skins that are pretty tame, but as time goes on, they feel the need to keep one-upping themselves with the over-the-top skins. But Battlefield 2042 just launched so... what's the excuse there?

//www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments??/r78aqf/battlefield_is_officially_dead/

Then there's the fact that players don't care about fancy skins right now �they just want the game they paid for to work. Rather than doling out obligatory seasonal updates, Battlefield 2042's community has expressed that they would much rather EA spend that time fixing the game and adding the features that they want. While it is pretty silly that a game that tackles topics as serious as climate change chose to include a playable Santa, the real crux of the problem is that players are losing faith in developers on a large scale, especially after the previous failures of games like Cyberpunk 2077.

The devs have since taken to Twitter to do some damage control after seeing the response -- the story now is that DICE won't be implementing every item that was shown this year, and that most of the wackier stuff we've seen will be accessible in the game's Portal modes, rather than in the main game. Even if this was always the plan (which seems unlikely), it still doesn't really make up for what anno??yed the fanbase in the first place.

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Happy Holidays... or just Any Days

As the clock spins its hands to the end of September, it is clear that the Holiday season is just around the corner. And if you know a video game fan that likes to decorate their house for the festive season, then perhaps point them in the direction of this super adorable SNES tree ornament, which is available from internat??ional card-peddlers Hallmark.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System Console (SNES) Ornament With Light and Sound is, as the name would suggest a tree ornament fashioned after the Super Nintendo Entertainment System that emits Light and Sound. The dinky three-inch replica depicts a Nintendo's legendary 16-bit console, complete with two controllers and a little Super Mario World cartridge. So cute! Furthermore, once activated, the power light flashes and we get to hear some of the classic game's score, complete with sound effects and the iconic victory fanf?are. It's the t??rue meaning of Christmas! Or something.

If you want to bag The Super Nintendo Entertainment System Console (SNES) Ornament With Light and Sound for your holiday tree, then visit the official Hallmark website, where you can pick up the decoration for a princely $19.99 (USD). You don't even have to own a holiday tree. It's not the? law. You could just hang the mini SNES from your school bag, or a bathroom cactus, or anything really. Remember, The Super Nintendo Entertainment System Console (SNES) Ornament With Light and Sound is for life, not just for Christmas.

(Since writing this article, our own CJ Andri?essen has informed me that these have been available for some time. But if you haven't seen them, it's new to you! So I'm posting it anyway in the spirit of the season... The season being "Fall".)

The post omg this SNES christmas tree ornament appeared first on Destructoid.

Welcome to the World of Tomorrow

It is now - officially - a brand new year. I was starting to think that we'd never get here. I sincerely hope 2021 brings you much joy, success, and happiness. Do err on the side of caution, however. The date is merely a number, after all, and we are not suddenly auto-immune from the myriad problems that troubled the planet over the course of 2020. There is definitely hope ahead, and that's beautiful, but stay safe and be wary of falling into the "New Year = No Proble??ms" mentality that some have chosen.

This week has seen me smashing through a selection of games new and old, in-between bouts of grumbling onto the scales and feeling blue about what the festive week has done to my waistline. I've been barrelling through the run 'n' jump chaos of Super Meat Boy Forever, (of which you can expect a review very soon indeed), while also chipping away at a 100% completion rate in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The latter has seduced me with secret protagonist Bloodless, however, who now has me gall?ivanting around Hellhold Castle all over again. Curse her and her adorable guillotine parasol.

Anywhoo, I gotta get back to work. It's a new year and there is much to do. But thank you, as always, for taking the time to stop by. Be sure to dive into the comments and share with us the video games that are ringing in the new year for you. Whether you're picking through your backlog, playing some newly acquired releases, or just chilling with familiar favorites, fill us in on the action. We always, always enjoy hearing all about it.

Have a safe and pleasant we?ekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

The post Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

Happy Holidays!

Hey folks, hope you're enjoying the spirit of the season. Regardless of whether you celebrate or even care about Christmas, it's still nice that, for most peo?ple, the world slows down just a tad to give us all some breathing room. And lord knows we could all use as much of that?? as possible. I hope the week has been kind to you, and that the weekend brings you some good times, whether crashed out with your favorite games and people, or just finding a few small moments to yourself. Have a great one, friends.

My festive week has been spent bouncing on and off-site while hitting up various vidya gamez. I got Festive Bernie in Fire Emblem Heroes - joy - and I shot a lot of people in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, I've also been running and bouncing like a madman in new release Super Meat Boy Forever, so you can expect my full review of that in the coming week, h?opefully.

But let's hear from you, our darling community. Whether you've been enjoying brand new goodies from friends, treating yourself to some new releases, cramming some of 2020's excellent titles, or just chilling back with familiar favorites, be sure to take the time to drop into the comments and fill us in on your latest escapades. The world might ?be taking a brief time out, but the community is always open.

Have a joyful and happy weeke?nd, from all of us at De?structoid.

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Coming to rock your Holiday season

We're still neck deep in holiday treats and gifts, but there's no rest for Nintendo's dedicated pocket battler Fire Emblem Heroes. Christmas Day saw the arrival of the title's newest Legendary Hero, Lilina, who made her series debut in 2002 Game Boy Advance release Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade.

Hailing from Ostia, Lilina - the daughter of Blazing Blade protagonist Hector - is a positive minded woman of no?ble blood. Though she is somewhat immature and childlike in her ways, Lilina has spent her young life studying the magical arts and has already become a successful fire mage - a fierce element somewhat opposite to her pleasant and happy nature.

You can see Lilina and her highly flammable skills in?? action in the trailer below.

In addition to Legendary Lilina's arrival, her new summoning event also sees the return of several heroes to big bag o' gacha. FeH players will have a new opportunity to bag five-star variants of returning characters Duma, Peony, Celica, Bramimond, Dimitri, Claude, Edelgard, Jill, Gatrie, Plumeria, and new gal Reginn, (although the latter's own story event is still live).

Fire Emblem Heroes is available now on iOS and Android devices.

The post The Binding Blade’s Lilina is the latest Legendary in Fire Emblem Heroes appeared first on Destructoid.

It's going to be a spicy holiday

As anyone with kids knows; your pi?les of Christmas gifts begin to shrink over time.

My family wasn't perfect, but Christmas was. My mom knew exactly how to make that day memorable, to the point where I've practically memorized every gift and kind act she made throughout my entire childhood (shoutout to Zen: Intergalactic Ninja and Toxic Crusaders NES, two rockin' obscure parental picks). Th??at's the philosophy I want to pass on to my daughter: to channel my Christmas spirit into her experience as she grows. My kid was dressed like Elsa and opened up a giant snow fortress playset: I think things are going great.

So! In recent years, Christmas has been relatively low key for me. What do you get the full-time gaming reviewer that he doesn't already have? It's nigh impossible! Today, I got a lot of great gifts from friends and family that involved hot sauce and food of some kind. Given how much time I spend co??oking in t??he kitchen, it checks out.

My wife got me an amazing "couples do-it-yourself" painting kit that tasks us with creating a star-filled night sky (I'm gonna need more than a few YouTube tutorials but she's more than up to the task). I gave h?er a D.Va mouse for her work laptop, and a Murloc backpack: I might not get gaming gifts as much any more, but that doesn't mean I can't give them!

What about you? One of my favorite parts of the year is seeing all of the co??ol gifts from around the Dtoid community.

The post What did you get for Christmas 2020, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

Festive greetings to one and all

Well, it definitely feels like it kind of snuck up on all of us this year, but it is indeed the Holidays! Here's hoping that the weekend finds you and yours well, and that it offers you some much-earned rest and relaxation from ?the trials and tribulations of 2020. And there have been many trials and tribulations.

I'm hoping that you're able to make the most of this Holiday weekend, whether spending it in the company of your fellow home dwellers, or whether you're just enjoying some time to yourself. Today is a perfect opportunity to dive into ?that backlog of games, movies, and more while taking a break from the 100 mph world. If you're working this Holiday weekend, here's to you, but be sure to take some time out for yourself, too.

As is my wont, today is relatively low-key for me. I plan to eat, drink and be relatively merry, while catching up on some missed movies and pressing on with some of my favorite games. In the spirit of the season, I'm also going to re-watch the 1993 Battle Angel Alita anime. After all, isn't that really what Christmas is all about?

The key today is rest and reflection. It's been a difficult a?nd stressful year, but you kept it together, just like I said you would. You've earned some time to focus on being kind to yourself, so do just that. And remember, you're quite welcome to chill out with us on Destructoid. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are always among friends here.

Wishin??g you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from all of us at ??Destructoid!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Ms. Kate Bush

The post Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays from Destructoid! appeared first on Destructoid.

Deliver the Payload along with your presents

I've always had this strange association between Overwatch and Christmas, which likely stems from spending three festive seasons in a row utterly embedded within Blizzard's colorful multiplayer shooter. And now you too can make said association, as Overwatch is free-to-play for the entirety of ?this festive fortnight.

All you need do is download Overwatch to the platform of your choice, then you can spend the wintry evenings absolutely fuming that you're the only person on the Payload - AND you're the support - while everyone else runs off for salty 1v1 sniper battles. I tease, of course, because Overwatch is an excellent game when the ri?gh?t players come together.

The free trial runs until January 4, and if you pull the trigger on a purchase, then all of your progress and unlocked content will obviously carry over into the full game. Overwatch is currently rocking its joyous Winter Wonderland event, offering up skin??s,?? stickers, and modes all emboldened with sleigh bell janglin' aesthetics. In the middle of writing this article I re-opened Battle.net and hit Download - I can't help it. It just got its hooks into me.

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