Paradox Arc has published some absolute bangers as of late including Nexus 5X, Mechabellum, and Space Trash Scavenger. It has now entered the isometric city-builder genre with developers Bellwood Studios and Perspective Games' ancient Aztec-themed colony sim Tlatoani: Aztec Cities which has been released in Early Access.

Tlatoani: Aztec Cities (PC)
Developer: Bellwood Studios and Perspective Games
Publisher: Paradox Arc
Released: October 31, 2024
MSRP: $19.99, $15.99 with launch discount through November 10

I have fond memories of playing Egyptian-themed isometric city-builder Pharaoh and its expansion Cleopatra as well as the Roman-themed isometric city-builder Caesar III. Both of the games were released when I was about ten years old, and while I didn't understand all the intricacies of properly managing and overseeing the cities I built, simpl??y building them and watching them grow was enough to keep me engaged for many hours in striving to build up my city.

Tlatoani aims to rekindle that nostalgic feeling by tasking players with building an entire ancient Aztec empire one city at a time. You'll still focus on one city at a time, build??ing it into a thriving metropolis in Mesoamerica, but you can eventually expand to have multiple city-states that trade and continue to grow your empire as a whole. It's a very unique addition to this old-school style of city-building that fixes one of the major problems in the genre. In Early Access, the foundation for this is laid but that's about it. Most of the focus is still on building a single city which can be done via the Campaign or through six different Scenario missions.

In most entries into the genre, including the classics like Caesar III and Pharaoh, you build up your city, complete your tasks for that mission, and then move onto the next where you're once again building your city from scratch. In Tlatoani, you'll instead start a new city perhaps wi??th a separate production focus, before intertwining it into your entire Aztec civilization.

The gameplay itself when it comes to building your city in Tlatoani is for the most part similar to other entries in the genre. You build up your city by adding housing for your citizens while also ?setting up production lines for goods they require such as access to food, wat?er, and entertainment. As your city grows, your inhabitants will require more—and better-quality—goods.

A huge staple of Ancient Aztec life was religion and so that's understandably a big part of the needs of your citizens as their ruler in Tlatoani. When building religious buildings you have the freedom to choose which gods to dedicate them to, each with their own unique buffs as well as traditions that must be satisfied to appease th??em. You can throw festivals a??nd engage in other historic Aztec traditions like animal and human sacrifice.

The best change up to the classic city-builder formula in Tlatoani in my opinion is the symmetry system. In Ancient Aztec history, symmetrical building layouts were a huge part of the tra?dition. As Tlatoani, it's up to you to put your architectural prowess to good use and attempt to mirror and maintain symmetry in the layout of your city. This will not only make it easier to satisfy the needs of your citizens but it will also appease the gods and your citizen??s simply for being better to look at. It's a fun element when planning out your cities to keep in mind the symmetry of everything.

In its Early Access state, Tlatoani: Aztec Cities is pretty much exactly what I hoped it would be: a spiritual successor to Pharaoh and Caesar III with its city-building elements. What will really make Tlatoani stand out in my opinion is how much they continue to flesh out and build upon the system of building an entire Aztec civilization comprised of many city-states working together. If the developers can figure out how to eliminate the normal burnout of having to start a city from scratch with no real benefit for creating the previous city other than reaching a milestone to unlock the next mission, I think Tlatoani could be a standout title in the genre. But even in its current form, Tlatoani still scratches that classic city-builder itch.

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It's hard not to feel Visions of Mana is a bit of a surprise. The Mana series has quietly stirring for some time at Square Enix's studios; the Collection of Mana, and 2020's 3D remake of Trials of Mana, all seem like trial balloons in hindsight.

Now, Visions of Mana is the first fully-fledged new entry since 2006's Dawn. The good news? It's practically overflowing with Mana charm, even when its showing some rough edges.

Visions of Mana is an action RPG that keeps to its roots in many ways. The protagonist, Val, is a bright-eyed warrior who's more t??han happy to play Soul Guard to his entrusted Alm and childhood pal Hinna. They're tasked with taking Hinna to the Mana Tree, so she and the other Alms of various elements can giv?e their lives to keep the Mana of the land flowing.

We're off to see the Tree

Rest assured that this pilgrimage, presented straight-faced early on, begets a dark turn or two. Visions of Mana can pivot fast between tones. At one point in my journey, while I was roaming the open world, the party was refle??cting on a t?ragic event that had just transpired. Two party members discussed amongst themselves how to help someone clearly in mourning. Then, as I ran over a collectible drop of syrup that I could trade to the fantastical bears in hub towns, Val suddenly and cheerfully exclaimed, "Grrrizzleeeee!"

The tonal whiplash was so drastic, I had to pause and laugh a bit, but I don't count that as a negative. There's something inherently charming about how Visions of Mana can pivot on a dime. In one segment, I'm watching one of my party members cope with the crushing memories of a fatal mistake they can never take back; in another, I'm fightin??g little ducks with fake army helmets on called Mad Mallards. They swing giant wrecking balls around their head. They're adorable.

While the setting and dressings of the Mana series are obviously here, they feel warmly nostalgic. It's here I have to admit, this is easily the most time I've spent with a Mana game; aside from a couple hours put into the original Trials, I'm not exactly an expert on the subject. Yet even coming to it from that perspective, Visions of Mana feels comfy and nostalgic. It's funny and light-hearted, dark and serious, juggling all these tones to create a?? fantasy world that grows and deepens the further you peel back that first naïve outer layer.

Bread and butter

Adding to this notion of simple, satisfying, and surprising depth in spots is the combat. For the first few hours of Visions of Mana, fighting is going to feel fairly straightforward. Every action game loves its light-light-heavy combo, and though you have a few spells, they really only serve as combo-enders or casted enha??ncements, like lighting your weapons on fire for some elemental help.

Quickly, though, the companions?? start to shake things up. Careena can team up with her animal pal for some neat combos; Morley has some big Vergil energy, slicing and dicing foes with speed; and Palamena brings some magical prowess, alongside a flail or whatever weapon her current Vessel enables.

Vessels form the class system of Visions of Mana, letting characters aspect into certain?? elements. This changes their basic attacks and combos, sometimes adding new mechanics in the process, and also lets them tap into the latent powers of that element. The Moon relates to time, and so characters using the Moon Vessel can create time bubbles, slowing enemies and speeding up allies.

While its barebones elements are simple and easy to understand, there's a really satisfying rhythm to fighting once you're far enough along in Visions of Mana. The first few hours can feel repetitive, but as the game trickles out more options for build-crafting, combo-enhancing, and interesting moves to toy with, Visions can feel rewardin??g to master. You're not quite sta??nce-switching for ultra-stylish combos, but you're developing a playstyle that feels fulfilling as you roll over adorable monsters.

That's not to say there aren't still times where fights feel a bit drawn out, as you mash into an enemy's face and occasionally dodge. I wish some of the combo routing felt just a bit tighter. Using items mid-fight feels finnicky, as someti??mes I'll have to re-input the command because it didn't register the first time. And grinding can feel tedious; even when I was fighting groups a few levels above me, an average overworld bout d??idn't feel like it gave me a ton of experience.

Boss fights are where Visions of Mana can really let loose, though, and?? there are some great ones. A giant kraken attempting to crack your ship in half and a menacing crab named the Fullmetal Hugger are just a few highlights. Though it's still often as straightforward as targeting body parts to put the boss on their back? foot, these fights can be fast, furious, and even a bit tough. I've yet to wipe on a fight, but I've had some close encounters.

Party time

The stars of the show so far, i?n my eyes, have been the cast. While I don't quite have the full party yet, the Alms I've recruited thus far to fight alongside Val are all immediately charming and memorable. Careena's s??tand-offish attitude reflects how her upbringing raised her, a source of friction she struggles with as she seeks to leave its borders and see the world. Palamena is concerned about her own responsibilities, but more importantly, who they fall to in her absence.

Morley is easily my favorite party member. You can usually expect a katana-wielding catboy to be a bit moody, but rather than simply being stoic or sorrowful, Morley gets to display a wide variety of emotions. I think most other stories might have just let him be the resident saddie of the group, but in Visions of Mana sees him experience and exhibit a huge range of emotions throughout my travels with him. Honestly, Val ends up being the most cookie-cutter of the bunch, and even he gets so??me real moments to shine as the gleeful cheer of the world gives way to harsh truths.

Accompanying all of ??this is a very bright and colorful art style and some stellar music. On the audio front, I really have no notes. I really enjoy the ?musical hits, as they convey a sense of wonder and adventure.

Graphically, Visions of Mana can both stun and stumble. Some locales, characters, and bosses look absolutely gorgeous in the PC build I've been playing. Other times, side characters don't get a flattering close-up, strange pop-ins can occur, or other visual oddities can t?hrow you off. I've also had more than a few problems with the camera, in and out of battle.

Looking at the spectrum of Square Enix releases over time, it's hard to find an exact spot where Visions of Mana falls. It doesn't quite feel like an ultra-high budget blockbuster, the likes of Final Fantasy XVI or Forspoken; it also doesn't feel like a smaller effort, either. It carries great legacy, but could easily be seen as a mid?dle tier game compared to what's gone into other titles.

Yet, it's that middle-tier vibe that makes it all the more notable to me. Visions of Mana isn't trying to force the latest PlayStation to push more pixels than it ever has. It's rekindling an old flame, resurfac??ing a piece of Square history that has laid quiet far longer than it should have.

Though it has a few imperfections, Visions of Mana is the exact kind of comfy, breezy, substantial RPG that wouldn't feel out of place in another era. It's a pilgrimage that moves along at a decent pace, strings together some fun fights, keeps you switching up gear and skill sets, and layers on the charming sights and sounds. It hasn't set my world on fire, but it doesn't need to. Visions of Mana already won a spot in? my heart by just being itself.

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It's not uncommon, in the world of video games, to see one game jump-start a genre gold rush. Vampire Survivors led to the bullet-hell bonanza, Dota Auto Chess spawned its fair share of imitators, and there was certainly no shortage of hero-shooters in the wake of Overwatch.

In that respect, Marvel Rivals almost feels a bit late to the party. Overwatch lit the world on fire back in 2016, eight years that feels like an eternity today. We've seen games like Paladins, Gigantic, and Lawbreakers all put spins on it already, followed by discourses about whether similar shooters like Apex Legends or Valorant were going to cut into Overwatch's base. Hell, we got Overwatch 2.

Yet Marvel Rivals, and a few other games like Concord, seem confident that the bell hasn't rung yet. They might even be right. Despite Overwatch weathering so many storms and still coming out on top, Marvel Rivals might be enough?? to make Blizzard's titanic hero-shooter s??weat a bit.

Heroes never die

Marvel Rivals is, in its base essence, quite similar to Overwatch; specifically, the original Overwatch. Teams of six, made up of heroes and villains from the pages of Marvel comics, fight through hallways and corr?idors over objectives. Some maps might see an attack team pushing a payload, with a defense team trying to stop them. Others just pit two teams? more directly against each other, vying for control of points across a series of maps.

Heroes themselves have several? basic abilities and an ultimate they charge up over time, forming kits tha?t can feel cohesive, though sometimes idiosyncratic (more on that in a moment). All of the heroes can be classified as Vanguard, Duelist, or Strategist, though Tank, Damage, and Support would have sufficed.

If all of this looks and sounds familiar, that's because it is. When Marvel Rivals lifts from the Overwatch blueprint, it's not exactly subtle. Scarlet Witch's siphon skill that fuels her chaos projectiles has a similar set-up to Overwatch's Moira, albeit more DPS-focus??ed and less about healing. Magneto and Dr. Strange both bring S??igma to mind, and Venom's toolkit is quite reminiscent of Wrecking Ball.

That's not to say it's without its own ideas, though. Some of them are just interesting mixes of ideas. Luna Snow has become a fast-favorite for me in the healer department; she's got some ideas that feel familiar to Zenyatta and Lucio, alongside a potent skill that can freeze an opponent. It's really fun to snowball an enemy and freeze them mid-ultimate. Su?pports, in general, feel really engaging to use, and don't feel relegate??d to topping off health bars the entire match.

Some tech feels refreshingly new, like Dr. Strange's portal. Where using a teleporter sometimes felt funky, opening a portal and jumping through, or shoo?ting through, feels natural. On one control point, the other team opened a portal from their spawn to the point and poured in, catching us completely unaware. It was surprising, in a way I haven't felt in a hero shooter for a while.

Marvel Rivals' best contribution to the genre, for my money, is the Synergies concept. Characters, linked by their in-universe connection??s or just a novel pairing of talents, can get bonuses when they're on the same team. Guardians of the Galaxy can synergize with Adam Warlock's "cocoon" respawning talent. Venom can lend Symbiote powers to Spider-Man and Penni Parker. These aren't necessarily game-breaking, but they? do feel like an interesting wrinkle that makes the cast feel a bit more connected in gameplay; you don't just see these heroes fighting alongside each other, but teaming up and assisting each other in tangible ways.

The maps have their own identity too, though they still have some fairly visible similarities to classic Overwatch locales. The destructible environment gimmick is neat, though it does result in really strange moments wh??ere pieces of the level slowly spawn back in as you're fighting?? over them.

Straight from the pages

Ultimately, Marvel Rivals' biggest advantage may just be in its name. Marvel has reached peak cultural saturation; it is everywhere, for better or worse, thanks to the never-ending rollout of MCU and the renewed flood of Marvel games. Sure, some have been hits and some haven't, but there's an advantage to be had in Iron Man, Spidey, and Black Panther being essentially household names. Even relatively lesser-known characters get renewed spotlights here; I was personally thrilled to see Magick, a highlight of Marvel's Midnight Suns for me, on the Rivals launch roster.

So yes, the Marvel name could take Marvel Rivals pretty far. I've been less sold on the cosmetic variety; there is a Battle Pass with a premiu?m track, of course, and there are some solid alternate looks in there, like a steampunk Iron Man. Others are simple color variations, like "what if this character had more green."

The cast is also wide-open, and NetEase Games has been making some interesting decisions in that department. Already, since the start of the beta, we've seen the addition of Thor (expected) and Jeff the Land Shark (unexpected). The latter's not just surprising, but really fun to play from the few matches I've had playing as him. There's really no shortage of Marvel faces and names to draw on, and if the team keeps making deep cuts, it could be a killer angle for Rivals.

The state of the hero shooter

But as much as Marvel Rivals has its own advantages, the hubbub also seems driven by Overwatch's relative precarity. As I wrote up above, the similarities between Marvel Rivals and Overwatch, especially the original Overwatch, aren't hard to notice. Everyone playing Rivals, from critics to people on the Blizzard forums, have noticed the similarities and drawn comparisons.

Overwatch 2 isn't exactly on steady ground these days, either. Blizzard's already scrapped its original plans for PvE, one of the biggest reasons behind adding a number to the name. Initial response to Overwatch 2 was lukewarm, its stadium-sized esports ambitions crumbled under the weight of the Overwatch League, and its cosmetics and currencies have curried controversy. While the studio seems optimistic about its player count, it's hard to feel like Overwatch 2, as it?? is right now, panned ou??t like Blizzard would have hoped.

While Marvel Rivals doesn't currently seem to have cinematic or story ambitions, it does have some style, substance, and novelty. It's new, it's got a surge of staggered launch hype pushing it, and it's got Iron Man in it. Rivals doesn't have to fulfill the promises Overwatch 2 didn't, just provide a compelling alternative.

It's hard to not feel like Blizzard is already reacting to this renewed competition. The studio is apparently already considering the return of 6v6, after it cut a tank slot from teams going into Overwatch 2. In the blog, game director Aaron K??eller is fairly transparent about taking a broad loo??k at a consistent feeling of familiarity in matches:

"When you look at the changes to Overwatch since its inception, it’s clear that many of those have reduced some of the variety within an Overwatch match. We get feedback from some players that Overwatch can feel 'the same' from game to game. While much of this gets attributed to 5v5, we feel that there is more at play here. Besides running experiments with 6v6, we’d like to run some that re-examine the ways we tried solving previous problems, specifically with the goal of bringing some of the freedom back to an Overwatch match without the severity of iss?ues that accompanied it."

Aaron Keller, Overwatch 2 Game Director

Who will survive?

Does Marvel Rivals have what it takes to be an Overwatch killer? The strewn corpses of MMOs past, all dubbed WoW k??illers, may be enough to prove it's not?? easy to usurp Blizzard. But even those dynamics have shifted. The enemy, in my opinion, isn't really other games. It's time.

There are so many games coming out every single day, all vying for your time and attention. Dozens of titles, every year, don't just want you to dip in when possible. They have systems meant to drive engagement over time. Both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals have battle passes. So does Helldivers 2, MultiVersus, Apex Legends, Fortnite, Diablo IV, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact, Destiny 2, even Foamstars. While Palworld and the upcoming Concord don't have passes, they are still games with persistent updates. There are always new characters, skins, and more. Everything to keep you coming back, g??rinding objectives, and competing to fill your fi??nite hours.

Yes, Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals will offer each other a bit of direct competition. But the live service arena at large is as competitive as it's ever been. Rivals' similarity to Overwatch just makes the fight for your Friday night gaming time more palpable. Many end-of-services past make it clear that it's a tough arena, and even the Marvel moniker doesn't always guarantee a long lifespan.

Opinions on Marvel Rivals even now are positive, but it's certainly not universally praised, and will continue to evolve over time. But if anything, it's clear that eight years after Overwatch took the world by storm, ther??e is still room for a new hero shooter on the block. Why not the one with Iron Man in it?

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It’s finally here, the Konami/Poncle crossover everyone dreamed of the moment they first picked up Vampire Survivors. Contra has ??finally arrived to mow down waves and waves of id??entical enemies.

Vampire Survivors just didn’t feel complete without Bill Rizer and Lance Whosits. And there is no game that can’t be made better with the inclusion of guns. Just go back and ask 8-year-old Zoey, she’d definitely tell you Mario would be better with a gun. Vampire Survivors already had guns, but its arsenal was missing one thing: lots of guns.

Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns is here to salve those gaping, fe??stering wounds and finally deliver to us the game we’ve always thirsted for.

Similar to the last DLC, which crossed it over with Among Us, Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns contains a new “one big map,�an adventure to add to the growing list, and a tonne of new unlocks. Operation Guns brings the heat with 22-ish new weapons, and 11-ish new characters from across the Contra seri??es. There's also an extra-special level that includes hoverbikes.

Poncle named the laser weapon upgrade the “C.U. Laser�and now that’s what I’m going to call it in Contra. Thanks a lot!

Most importantly (maybe) is that new music tracks have arrived to drill their way into your ears. There are six remixes and 13 new tracks. I have the Hard Corps remix stuck in my head right now. It won’t stop!

Personally, I’ve always put Contra on a much higher pedestal than Among Us. That’s probably because I’m old, don’t have any friends, and remember the good old days. However, as with the Emergency Meeting DLC, Operation Guns doesn’t really add much of Contra’s DNA into the mix. It’s still Vampire Survivors in a Contra T-Shirt.

Despite that, the references are very well interwoven. The “one big map�stretches from a jungle, to a ruined city, to an alien hive. There’s even a familiar boss that pops up in there. It bops to ??the music! I don’t know why i??t dances or whose decision it was to make it dance, but it is easily the best thing ever.

A number of the guns still behave as they do in the classic run-’n-gun shooter series: the spreader spreads, the C.U. Laser penetrates deep into enemy skulls. New to Operation Guns is an item specifically for evolving Contra weapons. While you sometimes still need a passive power-up to evolve Contra guns, they also require the Weapon Power-Up item, which doesn’t take a spot from your subweapons, but is a pretty finite resource. Mostly, they’re just found on maps. And they weren’t added to non-Contra maps.

Which is strange to the point where I think I’m missing something. I wouldn’t believe that you just can’t upgrade the Operation Guns guns on normal maps. That would make all the new ?weapons feel like needless clutter in an already bloated selection.

I don’t feel like the new weapons are as overpowered as some of the ones I found in Emergency Meeting. But, as I said there, I think part of the appeal of Vampire Survivors is becoming so overpowered that it starts to feel like the game is about t?o break.

However, as with Emergency Meeting, I never hit the point in Adventure Mode where I felt like I was going to lose. I always hit the endpoint of a level, but having clocked so many hours into Vampire Survivors already, I’ve alread?y built skills to pay the b?ills.

So, it’s kind of hard to rate Operation Guns, which is why I’m not doing that. It’s another part of the growing, grotesquely mutating mass of Vampire Survivors. If you’re already in love with that mass, then you’re probably going to want to shovel more into it. And at $2.50, Poncle still remains hilariously bad at taking your money. If you think Vampire Survivors would be better if you could spend hours looking at Brad Fang’s hairy, shirtless torso (and why wouldn’t you?) then the question of whether or not you should purchase Operation Guns should be obvious.

Hopefully, this won’t be the last Konami crossover we see. There are many other great licenses that could be a great fit in the overstuffed bag of Vampire Survivors. For example, Rocket Knight Adventures. For another example, Ganbare Goemon. Those are all the Konami games I can think of.

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Supergiant Games had a titan of a task ahead of itself in making a sequel to Hades. 2020's rogue-lite adventure was arguably their largest game yet, and with Hades 2, Supergiant would ?be doing something they'd never done before: make a sequel.

After a promising Technical Test, I got some hands-on time with the Early Access build that's out now. Not only is it bigger and better than I could've expected, but it's the rare Early Access I'd actually encourage people to get in on the ground floor of, whether you're already a Hades fan or not. Even at this early stage, it's one of the best things I've ?played this year.

Death to Chronos

Let's start from the top. In Hades 2, you play Melinoë, the Princess of the Underworld. If the attire, garb, and attitude weren't dead giveaways, she's brother to Hades 1 protagonist Zagreus, and daugh??ter to Hades and Persephone. Her grandfather, the Tit??an Chronos, has returned and wrought revenge upon the House of Hades. Taken under the care of Hecate, Melinoë has been training, and your story starts with her setting out on the path of revenge; to dive back to where this all started, save your family, and kill time itself.

Her path is fraught with peril. You will hack and slash, defeating enemies and boss Guardians alike but you will, inevitably, die. Death's not the end, though. Each setback sees Melinoë return to shadow and reappear at the Crossroads, where she can recuperate, chat with her companions and comrades, then improve her equipment and abilities ??for the next run.

This rogue-lite loop has become a fairly standard framework these days, but again, Supergiant shows its talent for weaving themes and stories throughout the experience. Some runs might last half-an-hour, others die out in ten minutes, but each one feels like a step forward. You can collect reagents and resources to unlock more weapons or concoct new Incantations at your bubbling cauldron. (Hades 2 leans into its witchy vibes, and does so quite well.) Speaking to the Olympians who provide you aid through their boons can advance the plot, as can finding new locales with ?regions you might not have seen in prior runs.

Weaving a tale

Hades already laid the blueprint. What's impressed me with Hades 2 i?s the ways in which Supergiant expands and builds upon its foundations. There's still plenty of time spent talking to unusually attractive gods and legends, and many of them are new faces that didn't appear in the previous game. You can still pass out Nectar to win them over and acquire valuable Keepsakes to influence your run's rewards a??nd stats.

Yet side areas of the Crossroads, like the Hot Springs, which can be built through the cauldron and used to have a nice soak with your pals, add additional opportunities for both character development and a surprising degree of character vulnerability. Some of the heaviest moments in the first Hades were when characters opened up about their circumstances or past. Hades 2 smartly adds even more opportunities for that, while also deve?loping a steady, compelling roster of gods fo??r your home base.

The themes of Hades 2 are also a bit different this time around. For Zagreus, his escape runs were attempts to cope with a broken home and familial trauma. In Melinoë's case, though, she's had to find a family at the Cro??ssroads. An early flashback scene shows how she was raised by this assembled band of rebels, learning to fight from a young age. Themes of inheriting a legacy, coping with loss, and fighting an uncertain future - the unstoppable ravages of time - abound. ??While this is a tale of revenge, it's also about how one copes with the inevitable progress of time, and the changes time brings.

I promise, though, it's not all heavy. Many characters have made me laugh and smile. The Olympian gods are their usual selves, enhanced by the addition of newer faces like Hephaestus, Apollo, and Hestia. Dora, the little shade that hangs out in Melinoë's tent, is already a favorite character, aptly filling the role Dusa played in Hades. It's surprising that, even on story alone, Hades 2 feels massive.

In the air tonight

The scope extends to the rest of Hades 2, as well. The first Hades launched into Early Access with just Tartarus and Asphodel. Hades 2, meanwhile, doesn't ju?st have a full "run" locked in, but a second one to unlock. Without going too far into details, Melinoë both gets to dive down, and venture into new territory for the denizens of the underworld, all in pursuit of the power to stop Chronos.

Once you start fighting through those areas, it might feel daunting to see how much there is to do in Hades 2 already. Five weapons are in the game right now, alongside many of the features you might expect if you had played the 1.0 launch of Hades. Aspects, helpers, plenty of boss fights, and more wa??it to be found. I learned about a gameplay feature the other day from another one of ou??r writers who's been playing, and I've put tons of time in.

The weapons themselves, as I outlined in my Technical Test write-up, are pretty solid. I'm still figuring my way around some of them, but the Sister Blades and Argent Skull are already favorites. Each one also interacts with Melinoë's unique magi??c system, letting her charge up for Omega casts to add effects and power at a cost. It's made each run with each weapon feel unique, even before aspects start to get introduced.

Elemental options add a little extra reason to try new boons, offering benefits through Infusions. A reward may offer you a hefty chunk of health if you acquire at least four Water-aspect boons, for example, and different gods offer different variety of elements. There are a lot of reasons to break out of your comfort zone, and as someone who got very comfortable with specific builds and playstyles in Hades 1, I've enjoyed the newfound challenge in Hades 2.

The witching hour

There are some places where the Early Access nature of Hades 2 is still obvious. Certain characters don't have their portraits implemented yet, or only exist as a con??cept art sketch. (This was changing as recently as days before the EA launch though, so I wouldn't be surprised if that gets taken care of fairly fast.)

In a few cases, I felt like I was getting a story scene well after, and in one case before, I'd fla??gged it. ?And a few times, I had some odd funkiness with how Melinoë would hitch on some terrain, or how a hitbox appeared to me.

Despite all that, I can wholeheartedly recommend picking up Hades 2, and doing so now, rather than waiting for a 1.0. A lot of people, myself included, waited for the "full launch" of Hades to play it. I was con??cerned about getting inve?sted in a story that wasn't finished, and wanting to get the full experience.

Hades 2 already feels like a hearty experience, even in the moments where I can tell it's not complete yet. Already, this is a stellar follow-up to Supergiant's tale of gods and families, and if the road only goes up from here, this feels like another hit in the making. That's without even getting into Darren Korb's work on the Hades 2 soundtrack, which is phenomenal; the use of familiar motifs and ideas from the first game, while incorporating eerie, spritely, ethereal concepts like synths and wailing saxophones wo?rks so well, building up the witchy vibes even further.

Every looped night, every sleek new combination and build I put together, every narrow victory over a tough boss, even every tree slammed into a wailer for a terrain kill, feels fantastic. And sure, you could wait it out just to get the whole package. But what's here now in the Early Access of Hades 2 is one of the best games I've played so far this year, and so far, it seems like it will only get better as the months go on. Killing Time has rarely been quite so enjoyable as it is in Hades 2.

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It's been just about four years since Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes hit Kickstarter, quickly tallying up the support it needed for a bold mission: reignite the Suikoden style of RPG, under the guidance of members of the original Suikoden team. Now, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes ??is here, and it seem??s to be making good on that, with some notable caveats.

This is Rabbit & Bear Studio's debut solo effort, after assisting Natsume Atari on 2022's surprisingly solid prequel game Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. It also arrives not long after the passing of Yoshitaka Murayama, the legendary creator of Suikoden and head of Rabbit & Bear, earlier this year. It's that indelible legacy of Suikoden that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes tries to carry f?orward, and to my lesser-trained eye, it is managing it??.

I need to put the qualifier on because, while I've played roughly what you'd call the "introduction" of Suikoden 2, that's as far as I've made it. Similarly, I'd say I'm still fairly early in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, still getting to grips with its systems and grander concepts. The foundational aspects in Eiyuden feel familiar, though. I'm organizing a party, fighting in columns of back and front, three party members apiece. Heck, there's a castle that I can build up and tons of party members to recruit. That's pretty darn Suikoden.

Laying the bedrock

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes puts you into the shoes of Nowa to start. He's an RPG hero through-and-through?, adventuring away from his small town to join the Eltisweiss Watch, to see new horizons and grow. Soon, he collects an ever-growing roster of friends gained through little adventures or quests, or as pa??rt of the main story, expanding out into a massive roster of playable characters.

All the while, Nowa is caught up in something greater. He lives in League lands, while the Galdean Empire looms in the distance, seemingly gearing up to invade. Seign, another lead in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, bears a hefty weight on his shoulders, as an Imperial soldier with his sta?r on the rise. I've only spent some brief time with Marisa, the third protagonist, but I dig her conne?ction to the deeper mysteries surrounding the world's lore.

These three leads fall under some identifiable tropes, but they work. I especially like how Nowa and Seign play off each other, making for some of the more compelling parts of Eiyuden's intro. The? r??est of the Hundred Heroes are, well, a mixed bag.

Having a hundred recruitable characters, as the title purports, means there is going to be wheat and chaff. I really like the more expressive characters, like the attitude-filled punk Yusuke and the healer Francesca, who goes from stereotypical White Mage to a brash, foul-mouthed fighter once battles get heated. She gives Kaine from NieR a run for her money at times. She's great.

Then, there's a guy whose whole personality is hunting and having a crossbow. Maybe he unlo?cks some great revelation down the line, but right now, he looks like he walked out of an isekai Bass Pro shop. They can't all be winners, but the one-note characters do shine or falter based on how good that note is.

It doesn't help that the start of this game is really slow, and issues with refresh rates ma?de clearing quests that, say, require you to beat a random encounter enemy a certain number of times, made the intro drag on even longer. Dungeons haven't really amazed me yet, either. Most have been a lot of running around, walking up and down side paths, and managing the brutally limiting inventory as the game chucks items at you.

Six-on-six

This extends into battles where, again, a slow start and one-note characters can make early fights feel very repetitive. Rune slots allow your teammates to expand their moveset or reinforce their strengths, but those don't unlock for a while. Instead, you hold a big bag of Runes you've collected from dungeons and towns, and wait for l??evels to unlock.

Where the c?ombat system shines brighter is during boss battles, especially ones with gimmicks. These specifically labeled ?mechanics require you to engage with something besides just smacking the enemy force in front of you; in my personal favorite, it was hitting the switch on a crane, to make it drop a rock on my foes instead of me. This particular one made me think about turn order and the action economy in new ways, and I loved it.

Other than that, it's standard turn-based combat that will feel right at home for Suikoden fans. I do enjoy the team-up attacks, called Hero Combos here, and they all look fantastic and haven't grown old for me yet. Some are funny, some are spectacles, and others are just neat ways o??f game-ifying the relationships forged within your massive party.

Two other pillars of Suikoden combat are here, too. One-on-one duels are the same as you remember; read the dialogue, respond in kind, soak in the drama. The grand strategy battles are a different case, and I'm a bit mixed on them. During these, you deploy massive forces on a tiled field, and each one can advance or change facing. It feels like an old war in the good ways, where even just directing a massive amount of troops feels as arduous as it should. The actual battles themselves look neat, with some nice effects, and while they're not incredibly involved or deep yet, I do enjoy them. But they also tie in one of my other major nitpicks of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

Stumbling out the gate

Eiyuden Chronicle was Kickstarted, and it's obvious in places that other Kickstarter-backed games have been, in the past; think Bloodstained. You'll be in the middle of a cutscene, and a portrait of someone clearly not part of this fantasy world is hanging in the corner. Pets have names that seem like they came from backers (this is honestly not a critique, though it does mean there's a pretty high volume of pets roaming Eiyuden's world). And during strategy battles, an actual kill feed sits on the right-hand side of the screen, with lore-app?ropriate names appearing alongside what I'm pretty sure are backer names.

The impact of these things can range from a small irritation to major nuisance, but they all compound. It doesn't help that some of the dialogue for NPCs also gets... strange, at times. One boy kept asking me, "Don't you have any?" when I talked to him. No context, no elaboration. Add on some strange pacing decisions early on, like a fade-to-black moment moving into a conve??rsation where Nowa comments on what a wild two weeks it's been, make a lot of the narrative and world structure around the RPG feel flimsy.

The real, pointed issue with Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes right now at launch, though, is the state of it on the Nintendo Switch. I originally intended to play this game on my OLED Switch, and after a few hours, requested a Steam key instead. Graphical issues, chugging frames, long load times, and a full-on freeze every time I opened my menu—where I use healing items or handle party management—made it rough as hell. Go read our sister site Siliconera's coverage for more; Jenni w?eathered more of the Switch version than I could, and is a real trooper for it. Patches have since tried to bandage some of the more egregious problems, but it's still in a really rough state.

By the accounts of both other reviewers and bac?kers who got ear?ly copies, the PlayStation and Xbox versions fare better, but the PC looks to be the most reliable, stable platform at the moment. It's a major shame, as this sort of massive RPG with tons of stuff to do and chase after, with so many characters to recruit, would feel at home on a handheld. For now, I cannot really recommend picking up the Switch version.

Carrying the torch

It's a shame that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes comes with so many caveats. There is a tangible reverence here, a love for the style of game that Suikoden once was, and an attempt to bring that kind of RPG back into the limelight. Like Bloodstained and Shenmue 3 before it, there's almost a bridging of time happening here. Like Rabbit & Bear truly just set out to make another Suikoden, but with its own world and c??oncepts it could own.

Sadly, that does mean it falls prey to some issues. A few are related to that strict adherence, though I'd argue the vast majority of issues are with how the game performs and functions. Maybe there's some hope, then, that Eiyuden Chronicle could continue to get patched and fixed, bringing it? closer to that ideal vision.

I'm planning on finishing out my run regardless, as I'm curious to see how it ramps up and closes out. There's enough here that I think a Suikoden fan is going to reignite some nostalgic sparks. Heck, I felt a bit rosy just seeing a new game take on this art form, combat style, and general approach. It's heartwarming to see that, between Eiyuden and games like Octopath Traveler 2, people might be truly hungr?y ??for more pixelized RPGs.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will need some time though. It's not a swinging success right out of the gate, and even with what I hope are inevitable patches and fixes, it will still hav??e its caveats. This one might just be for the fans right now, and PC fans specifically, but if you fit that Venn diagram, this still might be a journey worth checking out.

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When I bring up the "tactics RPG," it feels like there is a certain image that comes to mind: grid-based, turn-based, isometric, or top-down, with units hopping up and down terrain to bonk each other on the head with swords and magic. The sheer popularity of games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, and Fire Emblem have cemented as much.

Maybe this is my own biases speaking, but hearing "(insert name here) Tactics" immediately brings that image to mind, and it's held true for several variations of tactical spin-offs. After playing the demo for Unicorn Overlord, Vanillaware's latest, it is clearly falling in the strategy side of the genre; rather than another Tactics, it's hearkening back to a different branch of the Ogre series: Ogre Battle.

It's a really interesting approach to see Vanillaware take. While Ogre Battle had a huge impact on the industry, Tactics Ogre and FFT felt like they eclipsed it. But in seeing this team tackle those ideas, systems, and even the framing of the story, Unicorn Overlord feels like a spiritual successor, years later.

Life in real-time

To start, Unicorn Overlord is a strategy RPG. In the demo�a href="//jbsgame.com/unicorn-overlord-gets?-a-switch-demo-today-with-save-data-carryover/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">out now on Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X|S—the game basically starts at the beginning, giving you a b??rief prologue and a few tutorials before dumping you out into the main continent of Cornia.

You are Prince Alain, the heir to the throne of Cornia, living in exile after a former general broke ranks and overthrew your mother, establishing the Zenoiran empire. Years later, the entire world has slowly fallen to Zenoira. Alain, his trusty advisor Josef, and a slew of friends and companions now make up the Liberation Army, seeking to wrest Cornia back for its rightful rul?er.

Alread??y, we're into some fairly standard ideas. And if I have anything to nitpick about the demo, it's that the main plot is what yo??u'd expect: knights and warriors fighting to regain control from the evil, mind-controlling empire.

The appeal of the early areas are in their open approach. After a friend is taken hostage, Josef warns Alain that the Liberation force is not up to the task of?? a rescue just?? yet. Instead, he should venture around the continent, establishing a foothold and recruiting allies, eventually building a force strong enough to forge ahead.

So you run around the world in real-t??ime. All around Alain, NPCs wander around, waiting to gossip or provide helpful tips; different resource nodes provide lumber or ore, to turn in for reconstruction efforts in war-torn tow??ns you've liberated; and even some treasure waits to be discovered, deep in ruins or graveyards.

There's a sense of place here that already sets it apart from other games. While I miss the intricate, detailed battle maps of a tactics game, what I get in its place is the feeling of a persistent world and campaign. When I wander into enemy territory, I have to be wary of patrols. Eventually, I can start a battle stage,? shuffling me into a mode where I can deploy my forces and charge forth??. When this happens, enemies throw up barricades, man towers, and hole up in garrisons dotting the path between my base and the objective.

It's really impressive to see the ways that Vanillaware plays with terrain and locale, in these situations. A swampy land has an eerie mood to it, yes, but also makes for an interesting strategic puzzle to solve when I have to actually direct troops across it. I loved the enclosed, walled city of Barbatimo, which sat at a crucial crossroads for my campaign. It looked like what I would imagine a critical juncture point would in Unicorn Overlord's world. Laying siege to it was as tricky as? I would've hoped.

Automatic battles

Combat in Unicorn Overlord is, essentially, an auto-battling affair. When units of opposing forces meet on the field, they go into conflict, backed up by any nearby ranged or magical units. And by unit, I mean a squad: moving bodies on the board of Unicorn Overlord are actually m?ultiple different soldiers, comprising a single "unit." So if my knight is leading a band alongside a healer, housecarl, and archer,?? that's who goes into battle.

Then, the two forces clash in an automated battle, where the logic of your own Final Fantasy XII Gambit-system tactics goes toe-to-toe with the enemies'. Units spend their active and passive point a??llotment as you've told them to, and whoever wins advances forward.

It works really, really well. While having a lack of control in battle might feel a bit concerning, the amount of influence you exert beforehand is massive?. Actions c??an be given conditions, like "use this attack, if there's a flying enemy on the field," or "activate this if someone drops below X health threshold." It activates the strategy part of my brain, rather than the immediate act-and-react of tactics.

A lot of Unicorn Overlord is thinking ahead, in terms of moves, time, actions, and strategies. In one fight, I had to ensure my units had a good spread of magic damage, to deal with all the heavy armor on the other side of the field. In another, ??I needed to roll out a unit with a leader who could break down barricades first, to clear t?he way for my cavalry.

Constantly, I faced choices based on what the enemy was doing, how much time was left, and what state my units were in. Individual unit stamina can drop fast, and an overworked unit can leave itself open to an enemy strike, so I even had to take that into account.

Back to the past

With all this in mind, I was already fascinated. And after doing some research, I wanted to see how much Unicorn Overlord pulled from the past. So, I went and booted up Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen. It's kind of amazing to put?? the two side-by-side; it makes it quite evident where Vanillaware drew inspiration from, for its real-time overworld strategy.

That's not to say it's all Ogre, though. Pieces of Unicorn Overlord also dredged up other tactics giants; the stats and level-up screen, as well as using the "Talk" function on the battlefield, all reminded me of Fire Emblem. And the aforementioned logic-tactics add their own spin to things. Its persistent overworld gives me flashes of Heroes of Might and Magic at times.

So yes, Unicorn Overlord feels like Vanillaware rekindling an old Ogre Battle flame that's been dormant for quite some time. The last new entry was over two decades ago, after all. But my combining and wearing its influences on its sleeve like this, Unicorn Overlord still feels fresh and exciting, especially for those like me who missed ??this era back when it first happened.

It's nice to feel like pillars of this genre are getting renewed interest, and with that Vanillaware touch of art and music, too—both of which are excellent, by the way. The fairly lengthy demo gives a pretty good look at what's ahead, and now I'm more curious than ever to see whether Unicorn Overlord can stick the landing.

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The video game industry is one that has been built on trends. If a game reaches escape velocity and becomes a ??big hit, it’s inevitable that others will be lining up to get a slice of that turkey.?? This has had some unfortunate consequences.

For some formulas, there’s plenty of room in the market for pretenders. Consumer hunger may wane over time, but genres like open-world, survival, RPG, or fighting have always had an audience. However, this doesn’t hold true with Games as a Service, whether it’s subscriptions or microtransactions. Publishers rushed into the MMO market following the explosive success of World of Warcraft, and now we have a trail of very expensive corpses littering the past two decades.

But investors never learn. So, in order to drum up some excitement, publishers from all over are trying to jump on the bandwagon, and there’s a tinge of schadenfreude watching so many hollow efforts fail.

Which brings us to Foamstars. I’ve most lik??ely already given away how I feel ab??out it.

Honestly, I went into Foamstars with as open a mind as I could muster. I like Splatoon. Foamstars obviously lifts heavily from Nintendo’s multiplayer shooter. It could be a good time.

You play as a hip young person who has the ability to squirt foam. They have harnessed this unique ability to fight crime and also participate in a competition to see who is the best foam squirter. Each event is a 4v4 affair but in different configurations. One has the team split into combatants and supporters (Happy Bath Survival, which is a great name), another has you whittle down the team’s life stock (Smash the Star), and another is pretty much just Tower Control from Splatoon (Rubber Duck Party.)

The big difference between Foamstars foam and Splatoon’s ink is that the foam can stack into colorful mounds of cryptid fluid, which works�okay. There’s no analog to Splatoon’s classic Turf War match style, so the foam is mo?stly functional. You can still surf across your team’s foam, just like, well, you get the idea.

To knock out an opponent, you have to deplete their health bar, at which point they’ll be encased in a coco??on of froth. You can then surf into them?? to claim the “chill�(because foam is about love, not war), or a teammate can free them.

While Foamstars wears its influence on its sleeve, it does enough to differentiate itself from Splatoon. A match in each feels similar but not quite the same. If that’s not enough, you can tell the difference because Foamstar’s personality feels entirely forced.

There are six characters t?o choose from, with one unlockable through gameplay and the other through money. Okay, that’s not entirely true; Mel T can be unlocked by raising your Season Tier up to 31, which doesn’t seem imposs?ible based on the pace of leveling I had while playing. Anyway, we’ll talk about microtransactions in a bit.

The fact that you’re stuck with these few characters is kind of annoying to me. Customization for them comes down to a small assortment of outfits, weapons, and ?surfboards. Very few of these are unlocked through gameplay. Most of them have to be paid for. But we’ll get to that.

My biggest issue with the characters is that they’re annoying. They’re overly cheerful, spout as many bad puns as they do foam, and some of the voice acting is just grating. I wound up switching the vocals to Japanese, just so I could play without constantly cringing. Splatoon has its own share of bad jokes and puns, b??ut at least the characters speak jibberish.

However, if you’re down for some cringing, there’s a shockingly insubstantial wave-based defense single-player mode with an inconsequential story about very little. It’s so bare that it’s practically see-through, but there are some very dim attempts to explain the lore. It feels like such an afterthought. It’s pretty bad when Splatoon’s single-player feels more developed.

There was one moment when the game crashed completely during the first round of Happy Bath Survival. Straight to the PS5 menu. I went right back into Foamstars, where it told me that the round would be recorded as a loss, which is pretty normal to prevent people from just logging out and scrubbing a bad game. I don’t really care if the loss is on my record; I don’t even know how to check it. However, it told me to “Please check [my] network connection and try again.�I was incensed. Check your game, Square Enix, an??d watch where you wag?? that finger.

Growing pains, I get it. Few online-focused titles have smooth launch days. Every time I queued up for a match, it would take five minutes to get in. I’m sure in a week, it won’t be such an issue. Besides, sitting around for five minutes ga?ve me time to write this article and take a look at the real-mone?y shop.

Holy damned crap. Character packs that come with a costume, a weapon skin, a pair of surfboards, and a couple of other things cost 60 Canadian Loonies. I could order in the fancy curry for my partner and me, and th??e aftertaste would probably last longer than my interest in what pants my character is wearing.

I don’t know; maybe I’m a bad judge of value, but that seems a little?? pricey to me.

You’d also be betting that money on whether or not Foamstars will be around in a year. I can’t claim to?? see the future, but I wouldn’t take those odds.

Foamstars can be a good time in the heat of a match, though I’d argue most competent online shooters can be. I had some exciting moments of fighting through mountains of foam, but there was a lo??t that b??ugged me about it.

For one thing, I never really got a feel for how foam is removed or replaced. In Splatoon, it’s easy; one ink just replaces another. For Foamstars, it would sometimes seem like I could throw everything at a mountain of the other team’s fluids, and it would still be standing. On other occasions, my hard-spread spittle would get wiped away in an instant. Th?ese are things I can’t think about?? in the moment.

It can get pretty chaotic and hard to read. Midway through the match, the level becomes just a field of colorful undulations. I never quite got the feel for when and how was the best way to use my sub-weapons. They always seemed entirely useless. I got better with reading the game over time and was able to take out targets with more precision, which makes sense that I’d impro??ve, but it still didn’t quite click.

It’s fine. But fine doesn’t really cut it in the world of GaaS. Any game can get better over time, but a live service approach needs to come out swinging to draw attention away from more established titles, and Foamstars can barely get thr?ough the ropes. Even if you really enjoy the core game, there isn’t a lot of content to support it. A lot of the arenas feel interchangeable, there isn’t a very good variety of cha??racters, and an overwhelming amount of cosmetics are locked behind extremely galling pricetags.

It was released for free on PlayStation Plus, and given the prices they’re charging to add on to the meager content within, it should probably remain that way. But no, if you want to pick it up next month, it will run you $29.99??.

If you’re picking up Foamstars while it's free and can look past the hollow nature of its framework, it’s possible to have fun with it. You might even find it appealing. I can even admit to having a bit of fun with it. However, it’s not even close enough to make up for the disgust I feel towards its expensive microtransactions, derivative nature, and irritating characters. The best thing I got out of this experience was the desire to return to Splatoon 3 for some Salmon Run. As for Foamstars, I’m just uninstalling it.

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It's rare that a demo hooks me in as quickly as Mouthwashing did. Sure, plenty of games have solid slices showcasing a few cool gameplay elements that make me intrigued, curious, or interested to see the final build. But it's really rare for a demo to feel so crafted ?that it might as well be a standalone work, impressive in-and-of-itself, outside the b?ounds of previewing.

Horror games are usually the ones that thrive in that space. Some of my most well-remembered demos, like Signalis, Slay the Princess, and the two lette??rs at least a few of you are screaming at the screen right now, were all horro??r games; so sure, maybe it's that. Few ??genres create small slices that stick with you in the same ways horror can.

But this long tangent to start isn't just to celebrate excellent horror demos. It's to tell you that if you dig any of what I've just said, or you enjoy horror, or you want to play a 20-minute game that will get stuck in your craw and fester for hours, maybe days? Play the Steam Next Fest demo of Mouthwashing. But leave this tab open for a bit, you know, because site metrics an?d stuff.

Monsters

If you're still here and need convincing, here's the set-up. Mouthwashing follows a crew ??of five adrift on the Tulpar, a long-haul space freighter for the Pony Express on a 382-day trip. They're 147 days in, and things have not gone as planned.

Due to an unknown incident, the captain has practically immolated himself. Foam has sealed off major parts of the?? ship, and the crew is now terrifyingly anchorless and adrift in the vast expanse of space. They have some food supplies they could ration, but demand for oxygen will probably catch up soon, too.

So they try to figure it out. They try to get by. A vote keeps the captain alive, and in one stomach-turning moment, the player can opt to force painkillers down his throat to help him out. Tensions rise over whether the cargo hold ??should be opened and raided for potentially life-saving supplies. Usually, it's the captain's call. But the capta?in's not really in a state, mentally or physically, to make that decision.

Look, there are only so many ways I can say, "if you like Alien or The Thing, you will like Mouthwashing." And if you dig interesting takes on what games can do, that's here too. The team behind Mouthwashing, Wrong Organ, has another fascinating title under their belt in How Fish Is Made. It's one I've heard other people laud, and now playing their new eff?ort, I can see why.

Writing our stories

For the scaredy-cats, it might reassure you to know that even though the atmosphere of Mouthwashing is absolutely dense and terrifying, it's not really a jump-scare game. There is significant dread, and some decidedly grotesque imagery, even sounds that might make you sq??uirm. But an animatronic bear is not going to leap out at you from the shadows.

What's stuck in my head with Mouthwashing is the writing. It is, to put it plainly, excellent. You understand the crew and their moment-to-moment tensions. Lines from each of them have been bouncing around in my head since I closed out of the application. Even just the intro screen, displaying some plain, mundane information about the trip at hand before ending in "I hope this hurts" struck a chord with me. That's how you instill? some suspense, right before the demo k??icks off.

So yes, go play Mouthwashing. It's already been added t?o my mental list of "incredibly solid standalone demos," and now has Wrong Organ's new title sitting on my Steam Wishlist, waiting for news of more. Thankfully, it's not going t?o be a long wait. Right now, the team is targeting a Q1 2024 launch.

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With the end of 2023 just around the corner, I feel confident in saying that Monster Hunter Now is one of my biggest surprises of the year. It’s easily Niantic’s best game since Pokemon GO, and with the game’s first major update on the horizon, it’s looking like ??the title will s??tay relevant heading into 2024.

For those just tuning in, Monster Hunter Now is a GPS driven augmented-reality game based on Capcom’s Monster Hunter series. While this seems like an odd pitch, it’s an entertaining concept that stays remarkably true to its source material. Though the combat naturally makes concessions to play smoothly on touch screens, Niantic’s take on the formula does appear t??o have resonated with players since launch.

That said, there’s certainly room for improvement here in a lot of ways, which has raised questions about what the game’s future will look like. Sure, we’ve had a few events pop up, but will the game ever see more than a slow drip feed of new monst??ers and quests?

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long to see the answer to the question. On December 7, Monster Hunter Now will launch its first major seasonal update: Fulminations in the Frost. Among other improvements, this update will include four all-new monsters to hunt and two new weapon types. Ahead of the update’s launch, I was able to attend an event hosted by Niantic and check out Fulminations of the Frost for myself. And while I’ll need to spend more time with the new content t??o see where my feelings ultimately land, what I’ve played so far has delivered the kind of content I’ve wanted to see from the game since it originally launched, albeit with a few concerns.

Four new monsters

During my hands-on time, I was given access to a test account with paintballs spanning the four new monsters in Fulminations in the Frost. The new beasts are Zinogre, Banbaro, Barioth, and Radobaan. Niantic also confirmed that we’ll see Cortos and Wulg as new small monsters. Even if those last two just exist as m?ore fodder to charge my special gauge, I’ll appreciate the variety nonethel?ess.

I got to face each monster a couple times, and, honestly, I don’t have a lot to say about them. That’s actually a good thing in my book. These are all fierce looking baddies on the larger side, so they’re closer in ??feel to late-game monsters like Diablos instead of, say, Great Jagras. However, their attack patterns don’t necessarily resemble anything in the game right now, aside from a few circular tail swipes we see monsters like Paolumu use. While I did my best to dodge between strikes, I did get smacked more ??times than I’d like to admit.

I’m frankly happy that I couldn’t fully learn these new fights in a couple of attempts. Like the core Monster Hunter games, battles in Monster Hunter Now stay engaging because you learn to optimize each encounter with repeated attempts. To say you need to repeat fights a lot to craft all the equipment you need is a massive understatement, so really, mastering each monster is a game unto itself. I liked t??he fights based on what I played, so I imagine I’ll get into repeating these encounters when the update officially launches.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be max rank to face off against the new monsters. Judging from what I saw, the new monsters seem to start appearing at either four or five-star difficulty. This is around the point when progression hits a wall, but just unlocking four-star monsters isn’t a particularly tough challenge. So even if you’re relatively new or early in the game, you can still enjoy Fulminations in the Frost.

Two new weapons

Conversely, I do feel comfortable giving firm feelings on the two new weapon types: Lance and Dual Blades. I used them exclusively across all the battles I tried,? and I felt I got a pretty good feel for how each played.

Lance appears to be a weapon best suited for players looking for a real tanky playstyle. It’s slow, with quite a bit of reach for a melee weapon, but your mobility really falls with it equipped. Movement and dodging ??become very brief sidesteps, so closing the distance on far-away monsters can be a real challenge. That said, it did look more defensiv?e than the game’s Sword and Shield, so I imagine Lance would be a great fit for multiplayer parties. For example, you could use it to get safely in a monster’s face to stun it and break its head while your friends hack away at the legs and tail.

Meanwhile, Dual Blades are just about everything I hoped they would be. These are easily the fastest weapons in the game, letting you pull off fierce combos with tons of hits. You do have to be a bit careful with your combos, as those sick flips and spins your character pulls off do put you in animation lock. Fortunately, outside of that one caveat, Dual Blade users are very adept at dodging. In fact, you can actually attack while dodging with these weapons, which I didn’t know I wanted until I saw it. Even your special move vaults your character right over the monster you’re fighting while slicing and dicing them to bits. Honestly, this gave me similar vibes to the new Thief class in Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma 2, which is a very good thing.

Overall, Lance appeared to be a more niche weapon option, whereas Dual Blades were easy to play and looked anime as hell ?in action. I’ve mained Sword and Shield until now just because I like fast weapons, so I 100% plan to switch to Dual Blades. Of course, players will have to start from scratch crafting the new weapon types, so you may need to consider whether you want to make that material investment. This won’t be a problem for new players, but for those deep into the??ir progression already, I recommend stocking up materials now if you plan to use the new toys.

Other changes to come as well

The new weapons and monsters were obviously the main draw, but the update will come with a few other adjustments as well. One thing I noticed as I poked around the menus is that weapons were more clearly sorted by type. While the game already kind of does this, having clear sections that say “Hammer�or “Bow�cuts down on clutter. Som??e weapon rebalancing was teased as well, which should reward melee players a bit more. The Dual Blades felt pretty powerful during my testing period, so I do wonder if that was in?? part due to the balancing changes.

Niantic also teased at ??least one other feature that will offer “an exciting new hunting experience.�We’ll learn more about this as we get closer to the update’s launch. That said, based on this small morsel of information, I do appreciate that we’re seeing more added to the game beyond new weapons and monsters. I’m personally hopeful that a “new hunting experience�may make playing multiplayer easier. I’m still trying to rope friends and family into playing this game with me, so I have my fingers crossed.

I also do want to mention that, with the additions of the new monsters, there are naturally new armor sets and new varieties of t?he existing weapons as well. Notably, at least one monster’s materials can be crafted into weapons that inflict sleep. I can’t judge the viability of the n??ew equipment, but at least those who don’t want to jump into the new weapon types may still have some gear to chase.

Finally, there was also a note of increasing “the maximum number of items you can hold at one time,�which could potentially be a big deal depending on how this is rolled out. I’m finally starting to wrestle with the item cap now that I’m facing 6-star monsters, so if this means an increase to the default cap, this is a very welcome change. However, since players can just pay outright to increase their max item cap right now, this could also simply mean that?? the paid item cap will increase instead. I really hope the former is true, but I suppose we’ll know what Niantic means by this soon enough.

I have some reservations, but I like what I see

Aside from the item cap point, my one main reservation about Fulminations in the Frost is that I don’t know if any of this content is time limited or not. Niantic is calling this update a “season,�which typically refers to limited time content in free-to-play games. FOMO is something that really gets to me, and one of the things I’ve liked about Monster Hunter Now is that it generally hasn’t encouraged obsessive play.

As it is, I haven’t exactly loved that monsters like Black Diablos only appear for very limited windows. Additionally, the drop rate for rare materials is still really low, which I hope gets addressed in one way or another. But either way, Monster Hunter Now works well as a slo??w burn, so I hope I can enjoy this new content at my own pace. I reached out to Niantic for comment, but I have yet to receive a response as of writing.

Despite that concern, I’m overall very pleased with how Fulminations in the Frost looks so far. Getting a handful of monsters and new weapons and potentially a new game mode is honestly way more substantial than I thought we’d see at this point in the game’s life, and I can only hope this is the precedent for all the game’s future major updates. If Niantic can consistently release updates of this size every few months, Monster Hunter Now will essen?tially double its current conten??t within a year’s time. 

Everything I demoed felt solid, so here’s hoping th?at any future updates will retain that level of passion moving forward. And even if the game stumbles, at least I’ll have my Dual Blades with me to ke??ep me entertained.

Monster Hunter Now: Fulminations in the Frost will launch on December 7^th.

The post Hands-on: Monster Hunt?er Now: Fulminations in the Frost builds a foundation for the future appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the major reasons that 2020’s Chicken Police: Paint it Red lives on in my head is because of how obviously the setting and characters are loved by the writers. It’s ?easy to ignore any shortcomings when the passion for the project is so infectious.

The follow-up, Chicken Police: Into the Hive, currently has a vague release date of 2024. That means it’s anywhere from a long time to very soon that we’ll be seeing it. In the meantime, The Wild Gentlemen have been able to fit in the development of Zipp’s Cafe, a short-form prologue game to keep us satisfied until its arrival. Not only that, it’s an attempt by The Wild Gentlemen to create more media based around the "World of Wilderness�setting that they started with The Chicken Police.

It’s easy to wonder why such a game is necessary. However, after playing it, the answer seems to be, once again, that the developer just loves their world and characters so very?? much.

Perhaps surprisingly, you don’t need to have played Chicken Police: Paint it Red to get into Zipp’s Cafe. While it does make reference to the events of the first Chicken Police game, any major bits of backstory ar??e provided as context, and the political landscape? of both Clawville and the greater Wilderness settings are described both in dialogue and in a notebook.

The game centers around the eponymous Zipp’s Cafe run by the also eponymous Zipp. Previously, it was known as the Hop Dog, but Zipp decided to class up the joint. It’s located smack between the insect slums known as “The Hive�and the rest of Clawville. The insect population of Clawville has long been the victim of racism from the rest of the city’s a??nimal population, and in recent years, they’ve all been driven into the singular district that has fallen into disrepair.

It’s referenced a few times in Chicken Police: Paint it Red, with the titular duo expressing their sympathy for the population. However, it’s also mentioned that the district is a roiling pot ready to burst at any moment, and Zipp’s Cafe takes place on the precipice of this, with a factory shutting down in the district and in??citing riots.

The narrative involves Zipp getting caught in the midst of some spill-over. He’s being extorted by a ganglord, a police dete??ctive needs his help getting into The Hive, and a young couple wishes to escape the city. Meanwhile, Zipp is trying to leave his dark past behind while serving the best coffee in the city.

Despite being a ?narrative-??first prologue game, there is more to the game than listening to people talk. In fact, despite what you might expect, there are very few choices you get to make as a player. Instead, you actually take on Zipp’s tasks of brewing coffee, fixing meals, and even washing the dishes at the end of the day. 

These short gameplay vignettes are rather simple to complete; there’s no time limit, and failure won’t mean the brakes are pulled on the story. Weirdly, though, they’re also very satisfying to play. Maybe there isn’t any real gameplay incentive to maximize your efficiency, memorize recipes, or get orders to customers quickly, but I just found ??it fun to do. The tactility of these short asides is surprisingly well done, to the point where I kind of wish they were featured in a larger game.

The narrative of Zipp’s Cafe is expectedly narrow in scope. I mean, it’s supposed to be a prologue. It takes place over three days, in which a plan is conjured and executed. However, it’s mostly here to introduce us to some of the players in the upcoming Chicken Police: Into the Hive, which it does a?? good job of. It provides a l?ot of context to the first trailer of that game.

Yet, even while the story is kept small, the obvious love from the writer still shines through. It com??es through as small details, vague allusions, and visible empathy. It may not nearly be th?e deepest, most original, or thought-provoking story, but it still manages to have a heart.

Zipp’s Cafe may be a game just for the fans. Or maybe it’s for those who want to play Into the Hive without going through all of Paint it Red. But for me, I enjoyed it because I love the creative process. Zipp’s Diner is created from the position of someone who is so excited about their work that they can’t help but try and show it off. It’s from someone who is excited to explore The World of Wilderness, a setting born from their imagination, and can’t wait to have others explore it as well. I relate to that, which is why I’ll keep returning to The Wi??lderness as long as th??e passion remains.

The post Zipp’s Cafe is a short-form prologue game with heart appeared first on Destructoid.

I've been excited for Pax Dei since developer Mainframe Indus?tries showed off the sandbox MMO earlier this year. As per the announcement back then, the MMORPG is preparing for an upcoming Alpha test starting on November 14. I had the opportunity to jump onto the test server a few days early and ge??t a feel of what it would be like to live in this medieval fan?tasy world.

A massive open world

Nicknamed "Home Valley", this Alpha test focuses primarily on the peaceful gameplay aspects of Pax Dei. Players can venture into one of four provinces each with 6 Heartlands valleys which are intended to be their own separate communities for players. In this test, players can create their character, choose which province and valley they want to start in, and then begin their life in Pax Dei.

After creating my character, I settled in the Kerys province in the valley called Dolavon. I immediately discovered I could pick up some resources off the ground, like stones and sticks. If you've played a survival game like Conan Exiles or ARK: Survival Ascended, it felt very similar. After crafting an axe, I was able to chop down a tree and upon picking up ?the logs unlocked a few recipes for buildings.

It took me a while to find the perfect spot I wanted to call home. I already knew my goal in Pax Dei was to carry out a long-time goal of mine: to be a blacksmith who rarely left his shop. Ever since my early days of delving into MMOs back in the early 2000s, I always thought it would be cool to play an MMO where you could just be a blacksmith, shopkeeper, or innkeeper, and be able to fully play that role while still making a difference in the game world. After speaking with the Mainframe Industries developers, it seems this is a big goal of Pax Dei: to give pl?ayers the freedom to do whatever they want in this open-world medieval sandbox and feel like they have the tools to do so.

The Heartlands wasn't built in a day

Building in Pax Dei is also similar to that in survival games like Conan Exiles. Instead of using prefab structures, the developers opted to let players build how they wanted, piece by piece. You'll build the foundation, walls, and roofing of your buildings, then fill them with furniture, crafting stations, and other objects. Along the way, you have to gather resources to build each piece, as well as keep in mind integrity when trying to build vertically. If you want to make a multi-level structure, you have to ensure support beams and?? pillars are in place to support the weight.

There are a variety of gathering and crafting-focused skills already in Pax Dei, with more to come later. C??ooking, Alchemy, Armorsmithing, Weaponsmithing, Blacksmithing, Tailoring, and Leatherworking are?? just some of the ones I dabbled with before focusing entirely on Weaponsmithing and Blacksmithing.

At first, I was able to craft everything on my own. I'd head out and mine the Iron ores needed to ?bring back to my base and smelt them into Iron Ingots using the ores as well as some charcoal I made from firing wood in a Charcoal Kiln. Each of these processes took some time, so in between I'd go back out and gather more resources or continue working on the design of my house.

But later Weapons were a bit more in-depth to craft??. I eventually required leather bindings and tailored ?cloth linens to form the hilt of the weapons. Instead of a single chunk of Iron being required to forge the metals, I needed multiple pieces to all be brought together in crafting the weapon. It became easy to see why the community would be such a big part of this sandbox experience. Not only would I need to find others to sell my finished goods to, but I'd likely need to find suppliers of more intricately crafted leather and cloth goods for future weapons, not to mention potentially sourcing miners to gather the massive amount of ore required.

A bright starting point

Even though there is currently combat in Pax Dei, it's not a focus of the current playtest. You can travel to certain areas and fight enemies for some basic loot including gold coins. That's one of the more interesting aspects of Pax Dei. Everything in the game is player-created and player-driven. There are no vendors or quest givers in Pax Dei. Instead, each community will create its own economy based on the supplies and demands of each va?lley.

With no vendors to buy your goods, gold coins are only those generated by killing enemies in the wild. As such, it will truly be up to players to decide the value of things as the game world evolves around them. The premise of a truly dynamic economic system is extremely appealing in the open-world sandbox that is Pax Dei, so I'm looking for?ward to seeing ho?w it shakes out.

PvP will also be a part of the experience at a later date, which can really change things up as well. While the valleys will always be peaceful environments, an area called the Wildlands connects all six valleys in each providence. Eventually, players will be able to combat each other in this area, though Mainframe Industries isn't quit?e ready to reveal exactly how the PvP will work.

In its current state, the Pax Dei Alpha isn't going to be for everybody. If you're looking for a more traditional theme park MMO or a focus on fighting and combat, this isn't the right place to look. But if you want to get a taste of living life by focusing on a trade skill in a medieval fantasy world, Pax Dei feels like the perfect representation of just that. I'm excited to see the area around me in the Dolavon Valley as more people join the test and get access to the game. I'm even more excited to see where Pax Dei ultimately ends up as the Mainframe Industries continues to work on the MMO. I believe in the vision they have for? a truly sandbox MMO and ?will be there for the journey.

The post Pax Dei feels like a true medieval life s??im as a sandbox MMO appeared first on Destructoid.

When I first saw the trailer for Roman Sands Re:Build, I didn’t know what was going on. I'm into its vibe, however. I like weird. I like weird when it’s flashy. Actually, I like weird all the time. But having played the demo of Roman Sands Re:Build, I am both curious and baffled.

The demo kicks off with a conversation between a few silhouettes, and the dialogue sounds like it’s pulled from Killer7. They’re talking about the sun getting bigger.

You’re then dropped on the beach in front of a surreal, upscale resort. After a quick look around, you head inside and get inundated with insults and demands from the posh clientele. The game then becomes about trying to please these people an??d meet their demands. However, there’s a catch. As you transfer between areas of the resort, time ticks forward. Once night hits, you are instructed to return to the beach and then�Uh, get a performance evaluation before starting the day all over again. The patrons have the same demands and don't seem to remember you.

You’re given XP after each day, and then you can go down into the basement and spend it on some new gear, including the coveted toolkit, which allows you to address the biggest complaint of the clientele: The elev?ator.

Fixing the elevator treats you to a cutscene where everyone gives you big applause for doing your job. It's nice to have some appreciation for once. Then it's onto part 2 of Roman Sands Re:Build

The Golden Age

And then your cow’s dead. You wake up in some futuristic facility to find a dead cow in its pen. Someone who is less obnoxious than the resort’s patrons is talking to you, but honestly, they don’t seem that fond of you either. You do a small puzzle involv??ing managing the oxygen supply in your habitat. You take the precious air from your dead cow because it isn’t using it anymore.

That’s basically it.

I’m not upset, but I’m very confused. The opening resort portion of the game kind of gives off the feeling that you’re playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater mixed with Groundhog Day. There are little seams on the floor that are like a golden path to your next task, and staying on them speeds you up. It almost feels like you’re playing the day over and over trying to get it just right �to optimize your servitude. But that doesn’t happen. You can deliver the margarita every day and eventually get the to??olbox to end the session.

The other part is more conventional. The dead cow part. ?It’s conventional to the point where I don’t know what else to say about it.

Your cow died

So, if a demo is supposed to sell you on a game, I don’t know what to think of Roman Sands Re:Build. I don’t think it got to the point. It gave no indication of what its vision is, what gameplay is like, or what the ??central narrative will center around. Serving rich people at the end of th??e world? Frankensteining a dead cow? It’s going to flip back and forth between the two settings; that much is clear.

There’s no hook here. There’s nothing that digs into your cheek and pulls you forward. Nothing to leave you wanting more. Unless you really want to know what’s up with that dead cow.

The PR advertises it as an “adventure, visual novel, gacha, horror, simulation, and puzzle game,�and I’m only seeing three of those words depicted in the Roman Sands Re:Build demo. It’s made by the developer behind Paratopic, so there’s some pedigree behind it. It’s also a remake of a 2019 game of theirs (simply called Roman Sands), which I can find very little information on. So,? maybe?? it’s for the fans of the original.

It’s maybe just not a game suitable for a demo. The trailers do a much better job of demonstrating its weirdness and getting you curious. The demo still manages to make me curious, but not that curious.

Roman Sands Re:Build doesn't have a solid release date (it was supposedly coming to PC in Summer 2023), but it ??is coming to Switch, PC, and Xbox.

The post I played the Roman Sands Re:Build demo, and ?I am very confused appeared first on Destructoid.

Life is not easy for Maomao, the central character of The Apothecary Diaries. The young apothecary lives a quiet life servicin?g the red-light district, until she's one day kidnapped into servitude at the royal palace.

Here, she could have simply worked away the days until she made enough wages for freedom. But an illness falls over two of the emperor's favorite concubines and their children, drawing Maomao's curiosity. And from there, events spiral out to bring Maomao further into the viper's nest of rear palace p??olitics.

The Apothecary Diaries is certainly an interesting premise for an anime. If you're newer to these stories, you might think of battle arcs and isekai series with bizarrely long names, with a few surprises and lowlights. This year has surprised me with its vibes few times over, though; first with Frieren, a brilliantly melancholic series, and now again with the pseudo-historical light novel adaptation The Apothecary Diaries.

I say pseudo-historical because, while The Apothecary Diaries series has yet to define its world in any concrete terms, its fictional world certainly draws obvious parallels to ancient China. Its status as period piece alone,?? especiall?y without any fantasy or unrealistic twist (yet), would already set it apart. But the court drama aspect adds an extra twist, making it much more interesting for anyone looking for something a little different.

Trapped in the palace

Maomao finds herself trapped in the rear palace, an area inhabited by those from three distinct walks of life: the emperor's concubines, their all-female servants, and the eunuchs?? who assist them. Aside from a few other appearances, these three classes—each with their own shifting hierarchies—are the structure the show is buil??t on.

Take the example I laid out from the first episode: two c?oncubines, Lady Lihua and Lady Gyokuyou, both have children who are falling ill. As Maomao takes an interest, she also starts to see the simmering tensions beneath the health crisis; each lady has their own? standing to maintain within this system, drawing one to even suspect another of foul play.

The Apothecary Diaries reiterates this as Maomao, after the gorgeous eunuch Jinshi notices her talent for medicin??al remedies and antidotes, becomes part of the court intrigue itself. As a food taster, she's directly presented with the danger that someone may try to poison her lady's food. But in other cases, Maomao uses her abilities to affect leniency on a misunderstanding, nurse the sick back to health, or in a particularly moving episode, allow love to flourish unabated.

What makes The Apothecary Diaries really click though is that, amidst all the court drama and intrigue, the human conflicts and emotional core stays centered. When?? one lady falls ill for mysterious circumstances, Maomao's approach dissects not just the symptoms, but the core cause, often revealing ?a truth at the center.

Grounding it up

So yes, this is ultimately a mystery show too, with a "case of the week" vibe that fans of House would probably really dig. Still, it's about an apothecary too, and that aspect is a d??raw all its own.

I wouldn't say the medicinal solutions in The Apothecary Diaries come as close in elaborate, gratuitous exposition as something like Food Wars, but there's a "this could happen" ??????????????????????????realism to each issue that k?eeps the mysteries compelling.

It would have been an otherwise easy thing, to have Maomao have some sort of special power or othe??rwise unrealistic solution-creating ability. Instead, she's simply keen and knowledgeable. Empathy and observation,?? with a bit of a mind for Sherlock Holmesian logic, are the tools for Maomao's diagnoses.

One of my favorite character traits that Toho Animation Studio and OLM draw attention to well is Maomao's arm. Her arm is frequently bandaged and covered up, which leads some servant girls to think she was formerly abused; but in reality, Maomao tests various concoctions and remedies on herself, on this arm. (In one particularly funny flashback, we see Mao?mao actually letting a snake bit her arm, eager to diagnose the venom.)

Aoi Yuuki's performance as Maomao also drives her character home extremely well. She is frequentl?y cool and calculating, but breaks the façade for moments of joy, excitement, and sometimes embarrassment. A particularly powerful moment in episode four sees her reprimand another girl for a misstep in treatment, and it's a highlight of the series thus far.

Drama through the ages

Add in some excellent animation work—plus knowing just when to let big, gorgeous stills linger for a moment or have a sad, knowing gaze sit on screen—and The Apothecary Diaries has bee?n a refreshing series to keep up with e?ach week.

While it does still have some room to pick things up—it's taking a while for Jinshi's quest to be berated to grow on me�em>The Apothecary Diaries has added some welcome variety to my lineup each week. As I said before, it's been a good season for this. Frieren and TAD both offer those quiet, emotional beats.

But where The Apothecary Diaries sets itself apart is in its curious, yet effective blend of period-piece drama and episodic case-solving. If ??you've wanted a show where the detective played doctor using natural and herbal remedies, while also revealing some emotional and sometimes harsh truths lying just beneath the surface, this one's ?for you.

Four episodes are out, as of this writing, and you can find them on Crunchyroll here.

The post The Apo??thecary Diaries deftly blends palace mysteries with heartfelt drama appeared first on Destructoid.

I recently had the opportunity to check out the first episode of Shangri-La Frontier, a new anime about a VRMMORPG. Now, this genre in particular has gotten a bit saturated in recent years due to the success of Sword Art Online, Log Horizon, and even Ready Player One. However, the art style of the trailer piqued my interest, and the press release indicated SLF would?? have a bit more of a focus on world-building an??d game mechanics.

A beautiful world

Shangri-La Frontier is by C2C Studio, a Japanese animation studio that has been around since 2006. C2C's popular recent works include Reincarnated as a Sword and Otaku Elf. I have to admit, I only recently got back into anime and have been extremely picky so I haven't seen either of those. But, after watching the trailers for both, I'm even more impressed with the visuals in Shangri-La Frontier. That's not to say the other two titles look bad by any means, but SLF is defi?nitely their best work yet in ter?ms of visual quality.

The premise of Shangri-La Frontier is simple enough. The main character Rakuro Hizutome is an odd one, preferring to play scuffed games that are considered trash by others. He finds enjoyment in learning how to navigate and appreciate a title's bugs, as opposed to getting ?upset by them. But after a recent playthrough of Faeria Chronicle Online, Rakuro heads to the game store to check out something new. A poster for Shangri-la Frontier, a massively popular VRMMO catches his eye. He? feels it's time to try what some would consider a god-tier game, as opposed to a trash one.

It's fun watching an anime that clearly cares about gaming. While Rakuro is in the local game shop, a "Comic Frontiers" poster is in the back with the same font and art style as Sonic Frontiers. Not relevant to ??the story, but still fun to see.

Focusing on the details is what makes SLF entertaining

While creating his character, Rakuro settles on Twinblade Mercenary as his class and chooses Wanderer as his Origin story. His preference to focus on acquiring the best weapons and ignoring armor results in him selling all his starter armor. However, he doesn't want to be running around naked if everyone can see his face, so he also grabs a blue bird mask to hide his face. And so his character, Sunraku, is born. Rakuro logs into Shangri-La Frontier for the first time, and his adventure begins.

It's here that the worldbuilding and focus on game mechanics really start to kick in. Rakuro begins grinding on Goblins found in the forest he spawns in, keeping track of their spawn rate as well as the?? experience gains and item drop rates along the way.

He also encounters a rare spawn that gives noticeably more experience. More importantly??, the rare spawn has a cool-looking weapon that surely deals more damage than his starting weapons. Unfortunately, the rare spawn doesn't drop anything on de??ath, but he's convinced the weapon is on his drop table. Hours later Rakuro is dual-wielding the weapon, over-leveled, and still in the beginner area. He's calculated the drop rate at this point but feels it's time to move on. Better experience gains are out there.

I've been here before. I know that feeling. An accomplishment that's not so meaningful in the grand scheme of things—after all I'm sure he'll quickly replace the weapons. But in the moment, feels so rewarding. Maybe that's what's so intriguing to me about SLF. It doesn't beeline through everything but rather takes its time and show??s you all the details.

Another glimpse of where VR MMOs could someday be

The episode ends w??ith Rakuro extremely excited to take on a boss higher level than him that the game recommends a party to take down. For the first time in a while, he can utilize his skillset as a gamer to take on a tougher enemy without the fear of silly bugs getting in the way. For a moment we see a glimpse of Rakuro lying in his bed, completely still, VR headset on. But with a smile on his face. I have to admit, I'm envious of Rakuro at this moment. I can't wait until we can explore truly immersive VRMMOs like this.

If you're a fan of Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, or even just an MMO fan, I recommend checking out Shangri-La Frontier. Especially if you care more about the details, mechanics, and even numbers when it comes to that sort of experience. I can tell SLF plans to tell its story while building the world around it, which is a refreshing take on the genre. I'm not a huge anime guy, but when a show properly mixes gaming into it, I'm all for it. And SLF does this well.

Shangri-La Frontier is available now ??on Crunchyroll and will continue to be simulcast on a weekly basis.

The post Shangri-La Frontier is a fun story about a VR MMORPG that focuses on t??he details appeared first on Destructoid.

The penultimate episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series is rather polarizing. In essence, the highs of the episode are probably the peak of The Expanse title so far, but the lows are equally as low. Episode 3 l?eft us—as Camina Drummer—at an old abandoned ?mining station in deep space. Our oxygen is low and we're all alone after Arlen and Rayen took control of the Artemis and left us.

Drummer adventures back through the derelict station. in an attempt to find a communications panel to activate a beacon and hopefully get help. At the start of the episode, there is a power box puzzle similar to the ones in Episode 3, and the?n the episode turns into somewhat of a walking simulator. And I definitely mean it when I say "walking."

[caption id="attachment_403819" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 4 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: September 7, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

A rough start

A majority of the episode is walking through the station—with no ability to run—while Drummer hallucinates due to oxygen deprivation. To put it bluntly, this is by far the slowest and most boring part of The Expanse yet. Not only is it painstakingly slow due to the hindered movement speed, but it also just sort of rehashes everything that has happened so far. This wouldn't be so bad if we were in the penultimate chapter of a long game. However, in this case, our total playtime is literally only several hours. Some of the things the game is having us relive, I literally experienced an?? hour or so ago in terms of gameplay.

Filler is definitely not necessary when we're talking about five one-hour-long episodes. Maybe there would be some intensity there if we didn't know the fate of Drummer. But seeing as The Expanse game here is a prequel to the show, we know Drummer survives this event just fine. Instead, the?? majority of the episode just feels like filler meant to get us to t?he next episode.

Near the end of the segment in the station, Drummer has somewhat of a flashback where we get a little more information about her time working for Anderson Dawes before the show. It's a nice little nod to fans of the series, that gives us a little bit more information. But, n??one of what happens is game-changing in any way in terms of story. And as far? as gameplay, you literally just walk to each part of the room, triggering another moment from her past.

Perhaps the worst part of this long section of the episode is that, graphically, your screen is blurry due to? Drummer's oxygen deprivation. Unfortunately, I was unable to get any good screenshots of the episode for this reason.

All around me are familiar faces

Near the end of the episode, we finally reach the comms panel and activate the rescue beacon. Unfortunately, our saviors are in fact the pirates from Episode 2. Not quite the help we were looking for. Once taken on board, we also encounter another familiar face. Not familiar to Drummer, but familiar to fans of The Expanse TV series. I won't say w?ho it is, but I'm also not sure if the character's appearance really means too much. In the end, this may just be a cool nod to the fans, rather t??han an impactful narrative.

We also finally come face-to-face with savage pirate captain Toussaint whom we evaded in Episode 2. She talks about wanting Drummer to join the team—which canonically we know does not happen—but also points out she tracked the Artemis and is following it. This, of course, is setting up a final showdown between Drummer and Arlen and Rayen. While cool, this really does nothing for the overall narrative of The Expanse, an??d it's hard to really care about the characters? we have barely seen and that did not exist in the show.

Another odd point about this episode is that there weren't many choices. I found myself wondering near the end of? the episode if there would even be a post-episode screen t??hat shows the community split on choices throughout the episode. In the end, there was, but the number and quality of choices we made in this episode were super-low compared to the previous episodes.

[caption id="attachment_403820" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The beginning of the end

As we conclude the penultimate episode and head into the finale, I find myself a bit disappointed. The adventure started strong with Episode 1, and I was very excited for the future. In the beginning, I was thrilled about the potential The Expanse: A Telltale Series had, and it seemed to be handling the story right. But every episode since has felt pretty lackluster. The connecting story revealed at the end of Episode 3 feels as ?though it's not going to progress any further with just one episode left.

And once again, we have to talk about length. Telltale titles and other narrative games have never been super long, but The Expanse is still way too short. Each episode has been about an hour, some a little less, and some a little more. But to say I've played about 4-5 hours through four out of the five episodes really makes me question the value. After all, The Expanse: A Telltale Series is priced at $39.99.

On September 21 we will get the final episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series. At this point, I will write my final review and score for the series. With the direction we're headed at the end of this episode, I'm not optimistic. But, The Expanse has certainly surprised me before. My hope is that, in the end, this is a memorable addition to The Expanse universe. Unfortunately, my fear is that it will instead be a forgettable—and honestly irrelevant?—footnote in the story of Camina Drummer.

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher. We’re saving the score for the final episode to encompass the complete experience.]

The post Revie??w: The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

With Episode 3, The Expanse: A Telltale Series reaches the midpoint of its story. After the end of the second episode, we find Drummer and her crew piloting the Artemis toward the coordinates found on a data card in the first episode. Episode 3 b??egins with the Artemis approaching the location of those coordinates: an old derelict space station.

Interestingly, this is one of the earliest created space stations. It was built shortly after the creation of the Epstein Drive, which allow??ed interplanetary travel in the solar system. This station existed before the term "Belters," and before the formation of the OPA. This station was home to some of the first humans to leave Earth?? and settle in space.

[caption id="attachment_399107" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 3 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: August 24, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

A monumental narrative episode that connects with the show

Until this episode, The Expanse: A Telltale Series has kind of been its own standalone experience in The Expanse universe. More specifically, it takes place before the events that unfold in the six-season television series. However, in Episode 3, the overall narrative actually connect??s with the show and gives us a more detailed look at the events leading up to it.

Honestly, I was curious if Deck Nine would end up doing this, but wasn't too sure if it would. After all, the events of The Expanse: A Telltale Series are canon in The Expanse universe. Part of me felt like it would just be its own separate standalone story that simply takes place using a character we came to love from the show. But let's be real here. If the goal is to make this a truly memorable experience, it would probably have to connect to the show in some way. Now that it does, the story definitely feels more impactful and meaningful. I'm more interested in seeing where we go from here with the final two e?pisodes.

[caption id="attachment_399125" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The gameplay loop continues

I had stated in my impressions of Ep??isode 2 that I was afraid every episode would be exploring ship wreckage. For the first two episodes, that's what we were ??doing most of the time. Fortunately, we step foot in an actual space station for the majority of this episode, though exploring a structure in zero-G is obviously very similar to exploring what's left of a derelict ship.

While Episode 2 introduced a laser-dodging gameplay mechanic, Episode 3 features a new puzzle. For several spots throughout the space station, you have to direct power via cables to connect a grid of power boxes. It's honestly very simple and not difficult at all; you just trace where which cable goes to the next box and activate it. Once again, The Expanse: A Telltale Series is primarily a n??arrative-driven experience. However, it is nice to see the developer try to throw in some?? new gameplay elements with each episode, no matter how simple they may be.

[caption id="attachment_399111" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Yep, my choices mattered

In Episode 2, it felt like my choices were starting to matter. But, in Episode 3, it's very clear that my choices do in fact matter. Two big things happened at the end of th??e episode that made me curious—did I affect this outcome? In standard Telltale fashion, at the end of each episode, you get to see how your choices compare statistically to the choices of other players. While it appears one of the big things that happened does in fact happen no matter what, it appears as though the other big thing can be prevented. Sorry for the lack of detail here, I don't want to spoil anything.

However, it gets even more interesting. Out of pure curiosity, I speed-ran through Episode 3 again, specifically trying to change the outcome. Don't worry, I still planned to use my original playthrough going into Episode 4. With these types of titles, I find it most interesting to live with your choices. But I was surprised to find out that despite changing things, I still had the same outcome. I could be wrong, but I think it was actually a choice I made at the end of Episode 2 that had an effect on the outcome in Episode 3, which is great.

[caption id="attachment_399128" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A solid experience so far

As we head into the final two episodes, I'm overall feeling pretty happy with The Expanse: A Telltale Series so far. My only issue with it so far may be the length in comparison to the price point. The Wolf Among Us was $14.99 for five episodes that totaled close to 10 hours. So far, through three of the five episodes of The Expanse: A Telltale Series, I'm at a little less than four hours. And the price is $39.99, over double the price compared to The Wolf Among Us.

Not taking the length and price into consideration, this has been a fun trek through the universe of The Expanse. And, I feel like it's about to get even more interesting as we ??head ??into the back half of the story.

In two weeks we will take a look at Episode 4. And on September 21 we will reach the conclusion of The Expanse: A Telltale Series with the final episode.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher. We're saving the score for the final episode to encompass the complete experience.]}

The post Review: The Expanse: A Telltale Series �E?pisode 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

I had the opportunity to get an early look at Astronaut: The Best ahead of its August 15 release. Admittedly, I knew very little before jumping in. All I had seen is this Launch Announcement Trailer that had silly 2D graphics that reminded me of Homestar Runner. This is also studio Universal Happy??maker's ??first title, so I didn't have much history to rely on.

But then on the Universal Happymaker YouTube channel, I saw videos showing off Astronaut: The Best going back as far as six years. And, after learning more about the title, I found out the team of four has actually been working on it for over eight years. Whenever a team is willing to put that amount of passion and dedication into their work, I'm more than willing to try it out. And with Astronaut: The Best, I'm oh so glad that I did.

//youtu.be/EbkPomZBxyE

Bring glory to Flaustria

The premise of Astronaut: The Best is rather simple. The previous director for the space program of the great nation of Flaustria has failed. Unfortunately, the program is in shambles, b??ut the five High Priests have brought you in to fix things. Over the course of five missions, you're tasked with doing everything in your power to train your astronauts for space. However, like any grand space program, there are som?e hurdles.

First off, Flaustria isn't the only nation with a space program. You'll have to deal with a rival nation plotting to sabotage and curtail your program in any w?ay. Each mission has a unique focus, but along the way, you'll also have to deal ??with the competing space program.

Also, the five High Priests each have their own desires for how they want the space program handled. It's your job to consider all the options to figure out what gives you the best cha?nce of success while also keeping the High Priests happy. Each o?f the five High Priests has their own unique personality, leading to some pretty comical interactions.

For example, in mission two the High Priests deemed it necessary for two of?? my astronauts to partake in a boxing match against astronauts from a rival nation to show our superiority. T??his is all while trying to prepare them for the space mission, mind you. Before the fight, High Priest Inside Track, who is in charge of the economy of Flaustria, paid me a visit. He subtly asked me to throw the match so we could make a lot of money. As you can imagine, it can be challenging juggling the demands of the High Priests while trying to successfully get to space.

[caption id="attachment_396459" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

These may not be the best astronauts for the job, but it's up to you to change that

Each astronaut that you recruit has five stats and several unique traits. Most of the time you'll have to train your astronaut in a specific stat in order to unveil the trait. Some are good, some are bad, and some are both. Typically these? traits give you an increase or decrease in specific stats. Sometimes the traits aren't stat-related at all.

For example, I had one astronaut who was a pirate in her off-time and was willing to share a cut of her pillaging gains with the space program. This gave me some more funds to train the astronauts each week. Or, at least it would have. Unfortunately, I also had an astronaut that was obsessed with the latest designer cl?othes and would bill it to the program. In the end, the two usually balanced each other out, but as you can im?agine this can create unique hurdles for how you approach a mission.

Overall, Astronaut: The Best is a time management game. Each day you'll be visited by a High Priest, then choose how you want to train each astronaut ??that day. Training them too much will stress them out, which can lead to them having a breakdown with destructive results. However, you can give them the day off to relieve stress or use consumable items that do the same.

The gameplay reminds me a lot of Cultist Simulator mixed with a world like Papers, Please, or Not For Broadcast. If you like all those titles, you'll get into Astronaut: The Best.

[caption id="attachment_396460" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Astronaut: The Best does what it does well

If you're looking for a quirky time management game set in an intriguing—and comical—world, you want to check out Astronaut: The Best.? I only got to play a couple?? of missions, but there are five in total. Each mission has its own branching storyline and narrative based on your choices along the way. This creates quite a bit of replayability, even if the mission count seems low at first. Events and tasks that pop up throughout each run are also procedurally generated, making each playthrough unique.

Don't let the screenshots fool you. They almost did me, and they made me a bit worried about what I was getting myself into. But, after playing, I can tell you this is the perfect graphical style for Astronaut: The Best. You can learn the fundament??als very quickly, and each time you play you? will learn more about how to increase your chances of success with the space program.

Oh, and you also get to chat with a si??x-legged lion. Where else can you?? do that?

Astronaut: The Best releases on PC via Steam on August 15. It's also Steam Deck verified.

The post Astronau?t: The Best is a fun quirky occult management game about ru?nning a space academy appeared first on Destructoid.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series picks up right where the first episode left off. Things were in a bit of disarray, so the opening moments of The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 2 are a bit hectic. However, Camina Drummer is now the captain of The Artemis, which means our choices should now matter more than ever. Even thou?gh we're technically still in the first half of the series, by the end of the episode I certainly feel like things are moving forward.

[caption id="attachment_395756" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 2 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: August 10, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

A familiar gameplay loop

I have to admit, Episode 2 is very similar to Episode 1. We start out onboard the Artemis, before encountering a ship debris field. We navigate the wreckage, find a few ??hidden items, then finish out the episode back on the Artemis. Don't get me wrong, the narrative moved forward in Episode 2. But with each of these episodes only lasting about an hour and a half so far, I'm starting to worry a bit.

Listen, I understand...this is The Expanse. It makes sense that we've spent all of our time in the depths of space so far. But, that doesn't make it a fun gameplay loop. Space looks just as beautiful as it did in the first episode, but navigating the derelict ship felt a bit too much like I had just done the same thing. It would be cool if we get to explore a station at some point, or even maybe visit Earth, Mars, or even another planet. Even though that's highly unlikely given the overarching narrative of The Expanse, I do think it would be cool to do.

About halfway through the episode, there is a new gamep??lay element in which you have to navigate the wreckage while dodging the lasers from drones that are searching for you. It's nothing game-changing, but it is nice to see Deck Nine trying to add some new gameplay mechanics into a narrative-focused title.

[caption id="attachment_395755" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Choices do seem to matter

While I seemingly made some big choices in the first episode, I wasn't sure if they?? were actually going to end up mattering or not. Furthermore, I went out of my way to complete some "side missions", obtaining various items my crew had requested.

To my surprise,  the choices I made actually seemed to impact what happened throughout this episode, which is great. Also, it seems like going out of my way to gather those extra items also made a difference too. For example, in Episode 1 our medic had requested a new laser crystal for our surgical device on the Artemis. I was able to find it and in Episode 2 someone required a surgical procedure. The proc?edure was seemingly effective specifically because I found the laser crystal. I am a bit curious about what would have happened had I not found it.

As a side note to The Expanse fans, this is definitely the Camina Drummer from the show. As I said in my impressions of Episode 1, Cara Gee knocks it out of the park. I'm really glad they were able to get her to reprise the voice of Drummer. There are a few choices you have to make throughout this episode, and they certainly felt like Drummer options. At the e??nd of the episode, we catch up with our crew?? on the Artemis. We really get to see the effects of Drummer being captain, which I'm sure is setting up future episodes.

In two weeks we'll take a look at Episode 3 at which point I think we'll have a good idea of the direction The Expanse: A Telltale Series is taking.

The post Review: The?? Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

If you check my profile on any number of the dating sites I’m listed on, you’ll find I have some very ?specific criteria for my perfect match: non-smoker,? no kids, vampire (demons and werewolves acceptable).

Gosh, I’m lonely.

So, it’s no surprise that Cabernet has attracted me to take a bite. It’s a unique narrative game set at the end of the 19th century where you get to play as a newly turned vampire trying to navigate high so?ciety. I know exactly where I’d navigate to.

In any case, Party for Introverts has released a demo alongside the Steam Visual Novel Fest, which gives me a chance to see if Cabernet has the bite I’m looking for.

[caption id="attachment_395710" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Delicious blueblood

You play as Liza, who has the good ?fortune of waking up dead in a spooky basement. She finds her way out of the depths and into the pleasant company of a bunch of bluebloods. After a quick wardrobe change, she learns that she’s a vampire. Rad, but it’s a lot to take in all at once. Rather than panic, she goes and mingles to learn about her new affliction through polite conversation.

The demo for Cabernet is teasingly short, but it lays out the basic concepts extremely well. Starting with your funeral, you’ve given points to put into four fields: Science, history, art, and literature. Having sufficient knowledge in any of these fields opens up dialogue options and other actions that affect how things progress. While proceeding through the game, youâ€??™ll gain experience. When you level up, you can put more points into these fields. Likewise, you can sit down with a good book, and at the cost of a chunk of a day, you can learn a bit more about those topics.

There’s also a good/evil dichotomy in the form of humanity and nihilism you get by either showing sympathy or just by being a prick. You also gain and lose relationship points by schmoozing with characters. All the above translates into additional actions you can take in conversation??, which will affect the greater plot and provide a greater backstory and understanding of what’s going on.

[caption id="attachment_395711" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Careful ambition

It’s an ambitious system tangle of systems that we don’t really get a chance to see fully in action. There are certainly moments that demons??trate these systems in action, but the 45 minutes of the demo don’t really show how knotted thes??e can get. With the small handful of scenes you are given, it’s easy enough to manage the number of branches that can shoot out from the varying options, but beyond that, the complications begin to increase exponentially.

That’s not to say it can’t be done, even by a small team. It’s just a pitfall t?hat’s e?asy to fall into. Ambition has to be kept in check by careful planning. It’s my biggest concern, and while the demo doesn’t hint at it becoming a problem, it also doesn’t prove it’s being approached with due care. It’s something we’ll just have to wait and see.

[caption id="attachment_395712" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Just a bite

For that matter, what is present in Cabernet’s demo is extremely solid. The writing currently doesn’t allow itself to get weighed down by melancholy. The exposition is carefully woven into dialogue with other characters. So, while there’s a lot to get through, it isn’t just heaped on top of you but rather given bits at a time carefully over a fe??w scenes. For that matter, dialogue isn’t needlessly long, either. It’s impressively lightweight and concise.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that Liza still has some agency of her own. You’re presented with a few situations?? where you, as a player, aren’t really given much control over her actions. At least at the beginning, you’re not allowed to just go ham at the opening party and start opening every mortal artery you bump into.

I th??ink the softened humanity/nihilism nomenclature for the moral choices you make is probably for the best. At least in the beginning, you’re not allowed to go full paragon or hopelessly evil. You can shape Liza’s moral fiber, but you can’t choose to throw all caution to the wind. You wouldn’t want to commit a faux pas.

[caption id="attachment_395713" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The smell of blood

The demo also hints that you’re going to have lots of space to do your whole vampire thing?. You’re only given access to two of your four spooky powers throughout the runtime, and with them comes a short list of rules you have to follow. I’m looking forward to seeing how they’re both enabled and restricted throughout the rest of the game. Likewise, I’m interested to see the day/night system in action and what ultimate conclusion the narrative works toward.

Cabernet’s demo is everything I wanted it to be and more. I am well ?beyond excited to see where things go ??and am already looking forward to my chance to peer beyond what I’ve seen already. The fangs are what brought me here, but the careful worldbuilding has convinced me to stay.

The post T?he Cabernet ??demo provides a bite of something delicious appeared first on Destructoid.

Baldur's Gate 3 is out of Early Access. Larian Studios' take on the classic Dungeons & Dragons series sees two role-playing giants collide, with all the entwined legacy and carryover you might expect. But in its early hours, what's impressing me most is how Larian keeps the party moving towards? goals, both grandiose and small.

I've only had a few days with the launch version of Baldur's Gate 3, so this isn't comprehensive by any means. I'm writing this after just having retread Act 1, the same area that was in the Early Access but feels noticeably different in launch. I've got more on that in a write-up here, that's also angled a b??it more towards ret??urning players.

For these day-one? impressions, I wanted to speak a bit more to newcomers. Not the folks who have been poring over community updates, or posting anxious forum memes counting down days to launch, or who have hundreds of hours in the EA already. If you feel intrigued by the allure of a big, high-production RPG with several ?legacies behind it—or maybe you just saw the bear scene and said "I'm in"—this one's for you.

[caption id="attachment_394833" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Bringing the table to the computer

Baldur's Gate 3 marks the continuation of a classic RPG series that has lain dormant for years, Baldur's Gate. It was one of the most notable BioWare games in the pre-Mass Effect days, and its second entry still garners acclaim.

Larian, meanwhile, has made a name on continuing the CRPG (computer role-playing game) legacy through its Divinity games. Divinity: Original Sin 2 was a superb entry, and now, with Baldur's Gate 3, Laria?n has been given the keys to a?? beloved classic.

It opens like most role-playing games do; make a character (or choose a pre-made Origin character), customize them, and set off on a journey. One thing I've always really liked about Baldur's Gate 3 is that it starts with immediate tension. You have been kidnapped by mind flayers and infected with a tadpole. This parasite will, sooner or later, kill your c??haracter and turn them into a mind flayer. You want to avoid that, if at all possible.

So after an intense escape sequence, you crash land on a beach and start to get a bearing on your surroundings. You can gather up a pa?rty of likewise infected adventurers and team up, forming a ragtag crew of tadpole-infested heroes. Well, maybe not so heroi?c.

Ain't no Long Rest for the wicked

The initial set-up works great for giving you a personal motivation to venture forth, and to bring a party together. What keeps it compelling? are the interpersonal interactions within your party. These aren't happy adventurers, brought together by a love of the sport. In fact, you're reminded fairly often that your reason for banding together is fairly singular: the tadpoles you've all got in your heads.

But this occassional dissent and tension really keeps the party atmosphere alive. Everyone has their own goals, ideas, and motivations that conflict with each others'. The Githyanki warrior Lae'zel is one of your earliest companions, and wants to seek out her creche, where she says they can cleanse away the tadpoles. The cleric Shadowheart, however, doesn't approve of this idea, or maybe just disapproves of Lae'zel's methods. Ot?hers want to seek a healer, one skilled enough to remove the parasites.

[caption id="attachment_394830" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Sometimes, these conflicts come to a head, and result in real, tangible consequences. Baldur's Gate 3 likes to leave scars and reminders of big moments, and I appr??eciate that. To be clear, there are plenty of funny, engaging, endearing, even intimate moments you can experience between your avatar and these party members. But it's the dynamics that make it all ??work so well.

No time to die

Outside of dialogue and cutscenes (though sometimes in them too), Baldur's Gate 3 feels like playing a virtual tabletop campaign. You venture through a large area in the first act, encompassing a druid's grove, a vicious goblin camp, temple ruins, and more. There is, frankly, a lot to see ?and do. It can feel overwhelming, even, but in a good way. There's something around every corner, and NPCs are frequently worth talking to and gleaning information from.

A lot hinges on die rolls, as you are playing what is essentially Larian's house rules for Dungeons & Dragons 5E. Modifications have been made to accommodate a solid virtual experience, but you will be rolling for attack hits, damage, resistance, saving throws, and dialogue checks. Heck, sometimes you'll be walking around and you'll get a check over your character's head. Nothing instills fear l??ike a sudden failed Perception check.

These can feel good and bad in equal measure, usually through whether you succeed or fail. Much like Disco Elysium, though, I think Larian does a great job in making failures feel important. Yes, I absolutely restart battles if a teammate goes down. But if I fail a roll that puts me into combat, or miss a persuasion attempt, I'll often play it out just to see the result. Rather than feeling like a win-or-lose, Baldur's Gate 3 does a pretty decent job at making the act of rollin??g and playing out the consequences feel worthwhile, in and of itself.

[caption id="attachment_394832" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Critical hit

Combat is turn-based, closer to Original Sin than previous Baldur's Gate game??s. Though the lack of real-time with pause might frustrate some, I think it works really well, mostly because it's how tabletop works, and what a lot of those fans a??re familiar with seeing.

What gets more complex is how intricate combat can become, and quickly Baldur's Gate 3 will punish a misstep. It's here where I think some familiarity with D&D helps. I'll freely admit, when I started Early Access, I took what I call the Pokémon Red/Blue approach. When I first played Pokémon, I would only learn offensive moves, foregoing ??any defensive or utility options. It wasn't until later in life that I learned oh, hey, those moves are actually worthwhile.

Same goes for Baldur's Gate 3, where things like gaining Advantage (roll two die and take the highest outcome) or inflicting Disadvantage (roll two die and take the lowest) can make a difference. When an angry paladin is bearing down on your feeble Wizard Gale with pockets full of Divine Smite to unleash, you'll be thankful for any crowd-control or enfeebling spells you might have on deck. Reading spells, doing research, and maybe pausing to consider your approach and concocting a better one are all crucial to surviving some of Baldur's Gate 3's harder fights.

[caption id="attachment_394831" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Something ends, something begins

All of this is to say, I think Baldur's Gate 3 is pretty great so far, if you're able to invest in it. It's filling a pretty massive craving I've had; for a good CRPG, for something with BioWare-adjacent companions and interactions, and for something with a clear love for the role-playing craft at its heart. If Final Fantasy XVI was a vision of what role-playing games could be through embracing new genres and ideas, Baldur's Gate 3 shows what a CR??PG can still do with the right team behind it.

Of course, that's all still early. This is only a slice of what Larian has said is an absolutely massive game. And I've certainly seen teases of what's on the road ahead that intrigue me, from a shadowy cabal of servants to the mysterious Absolute, to a stranger in my dreams, to stories shared with companions by the campfire. By all accounts, Baldur's Gate 3 certainly feels massive. There are some issues too, to be clear. I've seen some odd bugs and glitches, stran?ge lighting situations, and a few other noticeable tec??hnical issues.

But whether you just want to experience what a high-production CRPG might have to offer, or romance some companions, or play some virtual D&D, I do think Baldur's Gate 3 brings something for every one of those interests to the table. Embrace the successes and failures, talk to party members, read the spell text, and you'll be surprised how quickly you're taken in. It's a great start, and I'm hopeful that Larian can keep up the pace moving into the later areas of Baldur's Gate 3.

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 launch impressions: a compelling journey thus far appeared first on Destructoid.

After a five-year hiatus, Telltale has returned with The Expanse: A Telltale Series. With all the drama surrounding the company's bankruptcy in 2018, followed by its acquisition by LCG Entertainment in 2019, it's fair to have some doubts. Furthermore, Deck Nine are the developers. While they have experience with narrative-driven games, will this even feel like a Telltale game? Well, I can tell you that answer is yes. And while I'd never dare try to dethrone The Wolf Among Us, I will tell you this: The Expanse?? is shaping up to be one of the best T??elltale Games titles yet.

I should start by saying I am a huge fan of The Expanse. The SyFy/Amazon Prime series is genuinely in my top three TV shows of all time, maybe even number one. I have to admit that when I first discovered the details behind The Expanse: A Telltale Series I was a bit worried. With it taking place before the show, how could I really care about the story? Furthermore, I loved Camina Drummer in the show, but could a narrative-driven experien??ce focused on one of her adventures really hold my interest over five episodes? Thankfully, my concerns were allayed early on in Episode 1.

[caption id="attachment_393844" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series - Episode 1 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: July 27, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

Long live the Belt

In The Expanse: A Telltale Series you take on the role of Camina Drummer, XO of The Artemis, a scavenging ship skirting the uncharted edges of The Belt. Drummer is voiced by Cara Gee, who played her in the show, and she absolutely continues to prove she's perfect for the role. If you are expecting some good ol' ??Belter Creole, don't worry—there's plenty of it, Beratna.

The ship's captain discovers the wreckage of an Earther ship near Jupiter. Based on the fact the ship is out here alone and there's no public record as to why it would be out there, the?? captain thinks there has to be something valuable on board. The crew sets course for the wreckage, setting up the events that will pan out over all five episodes.

Like any Telltale game, there's a big emphasis on choices mattering. With this being just the first episode of five, most of th??e story threads haven't had time to result in any sort of consequences for my actions, which is understandable. However, at the end of the episode I had to make what certainly felt like a meaningful choice. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I?? made the right one—only time will tell.

Similar to previous Telltale titles, th??e choices are often not easy. It's not, "Do you want to save a puppy or drop it down a volcano?" In fact, in most cases, you can even guess what sort of consequences may arise from each choice. From there, it's up to you to decide what you think is the lesser of ?two evils. I'm excited to see how much player decisions actually shape the game, because it always felt a bit hit-or-miss in previous Telltale games.

Doors and corners, kid

Graphically, The Expanse is the best-looking?? Telltale game to date. Even though there's still the somewhat cartoony style, it looks very clean. Some of the sections of The Artemis are surprisingly detailed, and the vast expanse (hehe) of space looks incredible. Deck Nine really knocked it out of the park in this regard—deep space has never looked so beautiful. Furthermore, character facial animations of come a long way. It's fun to see Drummer react to an intense situation or banter with her crew, and actually react to it accordingly.

This is definitely still a story-driven game, but the gameplay itself has big improvements as well. Running around as Drummer feels a lot smoother and less restrictive than I remember in The Walking Dead �The Final Season. There's also a system to float around in zero-G space that reminds me a lot of the similar zero-G segments in Dead Space.

Also, there are even little side missions you can tackle while progressing through the chapter. I've yet to see if they will actually influence the game in any way, but they are a nice addition. While exploring the wreckage of the Earther ship I managed to find a laser crystal for The Artemis' medic, and a cigar for the pilot. There's even a mission log on the bridge of the ship so you can check your active mission. I also came across several areas where I could pull out my blow torch and slice through a panel to retrieve some salvage. Every time I did my crew would c??ommend me for doing so, but I'm not sure just yet if there will be a practical use for the materials.

[caption id="attachment_393870" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

I'm excited about the future, beltalowda

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 1. With episodic content, we really won't have a full appreciation for The Expanse until the entire story is told. New episodes will release every two weeks, so The Expanse should be complete in September. What I do k??now, is this is a very strong start to the adventure. I'm very excited to see what's i??n store for Drummer and the crew of The Artemis.

If you are a fan of The Expanse TV series, this should be a no-brainer purchase for you. Any more The Expanse material is worth checking out. That being said, this story takes place before the show, so it's not necessary to have watched it to enjoy this entry. Sure, you might not recognize a couple of easter eggs, but the narrative itself is its own. This first chapter does a great job of setting the stage for the remaining four episodes. Regardless of your previous experience, The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 1 is a fun experience in a beautiful universe.

The post Review: The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Episode 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

Otherwise, it's a rather jolly time

It has taken a while, but Koei Tecmo and Gust’s long-running Atelier series is finally clicking with a broader a??udience.

The Ryza trilogy has resonated in a way no prior games have. Whether it’s the changes to the combat, the toned-down magical girl aesthetics, or Gust discovering all we ever wanted were some thicc thighs, the future is promising for this still-pretty-niche-but-not-as-niche-as-it-used-to-be franchise. I’m sure we’ll find out in the next couple of months what the next new Atelier game will be. In the meantime, we can return to where it all started with Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg.

My history with the Atelier series is rather short. Like a lot of people, Atelier Ryza served as my proper introduction, though I did previously dabble with the mobile game and Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island for the Nintendo DS. Though I was only able to put about 10 hours into the game before having to move on, my adoration for Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout piqued my interest in the rest of the Atelier franchise. While I don’t think I’ll go back to play any of the previously released games that were ported to Switch, partially on account of how they never seem to go on sale, I did make sure to set aside time for the Atelier Marie Remake.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=sizYuIJitm4

And I’m glad I did. Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is a delightfully laid-back crafting RPG where time is of the essence. You play a??s Marlone—Marie for short—as she embarks on a five-year quest to prove herself a worthy alchemist. Her teacher, Ingrid, sets her up with an alchemy shop in town and tasks her with creating an impressive item. That’s all there is to the set-up of this game. From there, it’s up to you to decide how Marie will spend each day of t??he year.

Unlike the Story of Seasons franchise, Atelier Marie doesn't condense in any way. You have five full calendar years to finish the job, but time moves way faster than you might think. Pretty much everything you do moves time forward. Gathering supplies costs a day. Collecting your spoils after a battle also ticks another day off the calendar. Traveling from town to one of the locations around the map can take up to a week. Practicing alchemy can cost anywhere between one day and several weeks, depending on ?the rarity of the item you’re creating. And if you need to cr??eate other items before you can make your targeted item, don’t be surprised if an entire season passes you by. Near the end of my first run, I lost all of autumn and a little bit of winter trying to craft a single item.

There are a few things that don’t cross? out days on the calendar. You’re free to explore the tiny town of Salburg, including checking out the tavern for requests and rumors, visiting the weapon shop, going to the academy to bone up on Marie’s education, or attempting to get into the castle. There is also a diorama mode in the Hall of Memories and an easy-access photo mode. I was excited to take pictures in this game, given how beautiful it looked in trailers. While it’s still lovely on my Switch, it's also too damn bright.

[caption id="attachment_391280" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Bloom lighting is alive and well in the Schigsal Kingdom. This place hasn’t known an overcast day in its life, with each season experiencing incredibly bright days that can look almost blinding on a Switch OLED. Winter, in particular, looks so bright I worried my transitional glasses would darken if I stared for too long. It’s a shame the lighting is so overwhelming here because the art direction is quite good. It reminds me somewhat of what Nintendo and Grezzo were going for with the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, but with a stable framerate.

It’s not only the lighting that picks away at the stunning nature of the art direction. In battle, everything moves so quickly that I never really got to enjoy the designs of the combat areas. With toned-down l?ighting and an easing up on the speed of battle, I could have appreciated the look of this world a bit more than ??I did.

Speaking of battles, they’re straightforward turn-based affairs. Marie can recruit party members around town, each with unique weapons, skills, fees, and side stories to invest in. I got t??hrough most of the game with Hallesch and Ruven at my side, though I eventually swapped out the latter for Kirielich as her special attack was far more useful for some of the later battles. The more you battle with your companions, the stronger your bonds with them will be, leading to short story events that flesh out their motivations.

Nothing here is too hard-hitting or in-depth, but I must credit the translation team for creating a cast this well-written. Especially for Marie. After reading Koei Tecmo describe her as “careless,�I was sure she’d fall into an annoying character trope. Fortunately, she never does. The game doesn’t play up her lack of student excellence as her being some s??ort of dummy, but rather a person who learns better outside of a classroom. It’s a great direction to go with the character, and I’m glad my expectations were so pleasantly subverted.

[caption id="attachment_391283" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Due to the player-driven nature of Atelier Marie, there are a lot of story moments and events I missed. Maybe I was rushing too? much, but I never experienced aspects like the Martial Tournament and the King’s Birthday. I believe the game shares some of the blame here thanks to the random nature of how some things unlock. For instance, to access new areas for gathering and battling, you need to purchase rumors at the tavern. There is no set order in which you unlock these locations, and one of the first areas I unlocked was marked for level 20 and above. It would be several more hours before I could safely visit it. Meanwhile, the final area I unlocked was marked for level 10 and above. By the time that finally became available to me, I'd already gotten Marie up to level 36.

As for the different events you can experience, the game does include a handy list and how to unlock them. But because the menus are so unintuitive, I kept forgetting about it. The menu system ?here is not as streamlin??ed as it needs to be, with everything split between two cumbersome interfaces. I also couldn't find a useful calendar, something that significantly help me better plan my time with the game. As lousy as the menus are, they didn't deter me from playing.

[caption id="attachment_391282" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It was easy for me to lose hours every night this past week with Atelier Marie. The gameplay loop of gathering and crafting is incredibly satisfying, and this is coming from someone who generally hates crafting. Maybe it’s the non-confrontational gameplay or that everything moves at a good clip, but? I?? never felt bored of it. I didn’t think this game would devour all my primetime television hours, but that’s exactly what it did. And I think the fact that there is a time limit is part of the reason for that.

Five in-game years sounds like a long time, but you can complete Atelier Marie in less than ten hours. That is short enough that I have no problem giving it a second run. While some might consider an arbitrary timer an outdated design choice, I’d like to see more games bring it back. Pikmin 2 and 3 are great, but neither gives me the same sense of accomplishment as beating the clock in the original Pikmin. Atelier Marie Remake does include an unlimited mode that dr?ops the five-year limit—as well as some in-game events—but I do??n’t think I’ll ever bother with it. The original concept works, and I encourage anyone who’s picking this up to give it a go in its original form at least once before ditching the time limit.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg offers a rather simple experience, but I tho??roughly enjoyed it. As somebody who constantly struggles to find time to game these days, I feel delighted to see short, succinct RPG experiences like this out there. While I wasn't able to see enough to give this game a proper review, I've played enough to recommend it to anyone who might be curious about the origins of this franchise.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg releases on July 13, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, Steam, P??layStation 4, and PlayS?tation 5.

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

The post The Atelier Marie Rema????ke needs to patch in a dimmer switch appeared first on Destructoid.

High caliber dinner

I appreciate what Henry Hoare and Jordan King (Black-Eyed Priest) bring to the indie-horror cafeteria. They definitely understand the assignment, delivering rickety packages of gameplay, spartan visuals, and deliberately tacky and uncomfortable subject matter. Bloodwash still stands as one of my favorite titles of the lo-fi horror genre, and the amusing part of t??hat is it’s largely just creeping dread and atmosphere. The actual horror game only takes up a small portion of its final act.

As part of Steam Next Fest, Torture Star Video brings us a demo of their upcoming game Sniper Killer as part of Steam Next Fest. Having chewed on its 25-30 minutes of gameplay, I ha??ve to say I’m excited to see the final product. I can really dig its routine of getting shot, shoot, repeat.

[caption id="attachment_387399" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Herr Hans Fotostein!

The Sniper Killer demo opens up with you in the heels of Pamela. She’s degraded herself to taking on a sketchy modeling job in the basement of some awful apartment building. She finds herself posing for a diminutive German stereotype named Hans, who references a hilariously sordid past as a modern Dr. Frankenstein. This? all ends with murder.

Next, you’re placed in the shoes of the ??eponymous Sniper Killer. You hang up your shoes, get to examine the tattered dregs of their life, then quickly get another call. Someone else needs to have their brains aerated.

You travel to the local carnival where you’re told you’re h?unting the person dressed as a werewolf. Find your target, fin??d a vantage, and take your shot. I’m not sure who lets someone on a carnival ride with a rifle, but I’m going to assume a very long and unseasonal coat was involved.

After claiming your victim, you take the wheel of Gail, a journalism student and acquaintance of Pamela. She takes a short reprieve from studying toward a life o??f constant poverty to investigate the mess you made at the carnival. After poking your nose around where it doesn’t belong, you once again find yourself on the business end of the Sniper Killer.

[caption id="attachment_387398" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Protect national security

The narrative scenes of Sniper Killer are rather restricting, and the murder scenes are pretty simple. However, I couldn’t help but find the whole ?demo rather ent?ertaining. The tone strikes a nice balance between seedy and amusing. I’m not sure about it being scary or even tense. The part of my brain that feels fear has long since been eroded away by a lifetime of digital headshots. However, I appreciated the small touches, like dropping a coin while trying to pay for a turnstile.

Overall, I feel like what’s been demonstrated of Sniper Killer is enough to keep me interested in seeing the final product. Alternating between the perspective of the murderer and their victims is a fun narrative approach, and I’m looking forward to seeing it extended throughout a complete story. I also enjoy the lo-fi, neon heavy visuals that Henry Hoare and Jordan King lean on. It’s a great way of encapsulating ev?erything in ?urban gloom.

Puppet Combo is also releasing a demo of Power Drill Massacre for Steam Next Fest. I was ??going to do this post as a double-feature, but when you start up the demo, you’re given a static screen that tells you the demo isn’t finished yet, and to check back after an update on Wednesday. What a shameless prank to pull. I guess I’ll have to circle back on that one for a separate matinee.

The post The Sniper Killer demo shoots its ?shot as part of Steam Next Fest appeared first on Destructoid.

The heart of the franchise was not lost in translation

Making the jump from a two-screen device to a single-screen experience can be a tricky proposition. Some games, like The World Ends with You, lose something in the conversion. Others, like Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire’s Conspiracy Deluxe Edition, discover life can effortles?sly go on with just one screen. Most games have a logical path f?orward moving from the Nintendo DS/3DS to modern hardware.

But Etrian Odyssey is not like most games. This fr??anchise is categorically connected to the dual-screen era of gaming that it’s almost hard to imagine how it could possibly work on Switch. I mean, what’s Atlus going to do, cram everything onto one screen and hope for the best?

Yes, that’s exactly what it did. And surp??risingly,? it works.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSeXc8JwwFw

One reason why there’s always been a question mark around porting the Etrian series to Switch or any single-screen device is that its identity is in its map-making. Dungeon-crawling RPGs are pretty prevalent today, but few of them ask players to make their maps the way Etrian Odyssey does. That was the appeal of the original game; how it tied into the pen-and-paper tabletop RPGs of the '70s and '80s. It was a gimmick that worked exceptionally well with the Nintendo DS and 3DS touch screens. Hundreds of thousands of people saw the appeal, which is how we managed to get six mainline entries, two remakes, and two Mystery Dungeon spin-offs.

To remove the cartography features, or to dial them down, would remove the very soul of the series. Etrian Odyssey just isn’t "Etrian Odyssey" if you’re not drawing walls and dropping icons for treasure chests you need to revisit. So, for Atlus to find a way to port the first three titles of the seri??es to modern hardware that reta??ins its unique niche in the industry is quite the achievement. It may not be elegant, and it may not look great in screenshots, but by god, Atlus’s single-screen solution works.

[caption id="attachment_385716" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The left side of the screen is dedicated to the?? first-person dungeon crawling experience. It works well because all three games originated on the Nintendo DS. You’ll remember the top screen of the Nintendo DS was not widescreen at it was on its successor, so fitting the picture to one-half of the Switch screen doesn’t at all feel like anything is getting scrunched. The right side of the screen is for the mapping system. On top, you have the overall map of the dungeon floor, while the bottom is a ??zoomed-in view of your location icon. The top map also houses the various mapping tools you can use, and players have two control options for using those tools.

With touch controls, you’ll use your finger as you would the stylus on the DS or 3DS to draw those walls and set those reminders. If you have a stylus that works with your Switch, even better. You’ll get a more precise placement with that. I don’t have a suitable stylus, so I have to rely on my fingers and those sausages are not accurate. Also—and this is just a personal thing—but I hate touching my OLED screen. I go out of my way to never accidentally leave a fingerprint on that thing, so I obviously spent the majority of?? my time with the other control option.

[caption id="attachment_385714" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The second control option is more intricate, and while it can seem slow-going at first, once I got the hang of it, I started to enjoy mapping out dungeons here almost as much as I enjoyed it back on the hand?held systems. This control option uses the ZR and ZL buttons in tandem with the control sticks.

What’s important to know is these control options are separate from the character movement controls. You’ll move your party through each stratum floor using the directional buttons/directional pad, and any actions associated with exploring the dungeon floor are separate from the map-making tools. After an hour or so of playing through Etrian Odyssey II and Etrian Odyssey III, the control scheme felt like second nature to me, and I could easily chart each dungeon floor as I moved my party through them without feeling like I was getting bogged down by busy work. If you're playing in handheld mode, you can switch ?between the two input opti?ons on the fly.

[caption id="attachment_385715" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

If you never cared about mapping a dungeon floor, there are auto-mapping options available that will chart out the layout of each dungeon floor but will not put down any icons for you. And if you’ve never played an Etrian Odyssey game before, there are several options here to help ease you into the experience. All three? games of the collection feature three difficulty levels—Picnic, Basic, and Expert—that can be changed at any time with no penalty. There are multiple save slots if you’re the type of player to utilize those, a quick save option within the labyrinth, and an auto-save option you can toggle. There are three control options, but they’re limited to the control sticks and directional buttons/pad. If you’re left-handed and would prefer the mapping windows on the left side of the screen, there’s an option for that as well.

All-in-all, this is a well-rounded package that is welcoming to newcomers while retaining the elements that made this series such a niche hit. Etrian Odyssey’s conversion to a single screen gets the job done even if it's not the most sophisticated of transformations. Whether or not that’s enough to justify charging $80 for the collection—or $40 for each title separately—is certainly up for debate. If, for some reason, you do opt for a single game in the collection, go with Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City HD. It’s the best of the collection.

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

The post ??Etrian Od??yssey Origins Collection works well enough as a single-screen experience appeared first on Destructoid.

The writer is writing again

Remedy has been on a bit of a journey since the first Alan Wake. The team went from the Microsoft-published horror experience into the realms of Quantum Break and Control, and all the while, the writer has been waiting. With Alan Wake 2, it feels like Remedy is returning to the series with? both new concepts and ideas built over the years since Wake's first venture.

In a hands-off demo of Alan Wake 2 at Summer Game Fest 2023, I got to see an extended look at just how that adventure will play out. The first big note is that Alan Wake 2 will feature two protagonists, with different viewpoints and sets o??f missions. Ala??n Wake returns, but in the session we saw, we followed Saga Anderson—an FBI agent and profiler who's looking into a series of ritualistic murders in Bright Falls.

Into the void

Our look at Saga's section st??arted with her and Alex Casey, a veteran agent, heading into the woods in search of a corpse that's come back to life. Though it starts out slow, the dread already starts to seep in. The woods aren't very inviting, and the further in they go, the more winding it all starts to feel.

[caption id="attachment_386012" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Remedy[/caption]

A big part of Saga's story is her ability to ??deduce and profile. At any point, Saga can enter her Mind Place, a safe haven for managing both her inventory and evidence. Using different clues found out in the world, Saga can corkboard her way through mysteries, unlocking new avenues for investigation. Profiling does something similar, as Saga dives deep into? the psyche of different characters to find new leads.

It gives Saga's side of Alan Wake 2 a True Detective vibe, as the duo splits up, searches around, and pieces through the increasingly dark, shadowy, rainy Br??ight Falls. The audio design really increases the tension, as every little bump?? feels like a quick ratcheting-up of tension.

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

Sprinkled throughout these areas are some fun references to Remedy's history. A poster in a cabin advertises "Ahti and the Janitors," a nod towards Control. And the thermos, an infamous collectible from the first Alan Wake, now serves a greater purpose: save point. Between gathering clues and solv??ing puzzles like a missing fuse, there's a lot to look into.

[caption id="attachment_386009" align="alignright" width="640"] Image via Remedy[/caption]

Hit the lights

The earlier parts of Saga's story were a lot of that: tension and investigation. Then, as she ge??ts closer to the more supernatural elements of the story, the action seeps in.

While I've played some amount of the first Alan Wake, it was all the way back when it first launched. But I do feel like this time around, it's a little bit more survival horror. The horrors of the woods start to emerge and attack Saga, and our demo driver had to start maneuvering, using the flashlight to stun fo??es, and land shots with a set pool of ammo.

Light is still a weapon of choice, and it can be dispersed in a few ways. Saga's flashlight ?is a handy option, but we also saw a floodlight act as a safety?? field while dealing with multiple entities. Everything was fast and hectic, in the way you'd want from a survival horror experience.

Through the looking glass

It all culminated in an otherworldly, dreamlike journey into the Overlap. While winding through looping areas and hazy, layering visions, she eventually finds her walking corpse. This kicks off a boss battle. The c??hase through the circular dreamworld is just as fast and nerve-wracking,?? as the hulking man relentlessly pursues Saga through the Overlap.

Our showcase of Alan Wake 2 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. We saw more mysteries laid out, questions unanswered, and the writer himself make contact with Saga. There's even a fun reference to how long it's been since the first Alan Wake. Both characters will have their own sides of the story, which the player can swap back and forth on; I asked Remedy how often that would be possible and?? it sounds like that's still being fine-tuned, but the plan seems set to let players follow the lines of the narrative that intrigue them.

[caption id="attachment_386010" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Remedy[/caption]

We didn't get a look at Alan's side of the story, which Remedy says will be shown off ahead of Alan Wake 2's release date on October 17, 2023. But from the slice I've seen, Alan Wake 2 has become one of my most anticipated games of the year. It's dark and intriguing, winding a supernatural h?orror tale around a moody detective story. And if it ??carries forward as well as it played out in our demo at SGF, it could really be one to watch for.

The post Alan Wake 2 looks like a frighteningly good time appeared first on Destructoid.

The truth will be revealed in time

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is a bit different from Don't Nod's previous work. It's not the setting, as the studio is well-known for supernatural mysteries, whether it's Life is Strange, Tell Me Why, or others. It's the look of Harmony, and the form the story takes, that mak??e ??this a peculiar and intriguing new story for Don't Nod.

Right away, the difference is felt in Harmony's opening. It's gorgeously animated, as protagonist Polly?? sets out for the day, surround by near-future tech. There's a cutting-edge world pinned up against homes made in emptied pools that really sets a tone early on. Polly's returned ho??me to help search for her missing mother, Ursula, but soon gets swept up in much more than she bargained for in the Reverie.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh6_hPvTzLk

This alternate wo?rld, Reverie, houses the variou?s Aspirations of Humanity: Bliss and Power, Bond and Glory, Truth and Chaos. Here, Polly becomes Harmony, a force that can utilize clairvoyant powers and align with these Aspirations to determine a future, for both Reverie and the world.

All in due time

Maybe it was the gorgeous art, or maybe it was the deity-driven story, but both reminded me of The Wicked + The Divine. There's an intriguing element of balance between the two stories, as Polly has to discover why she can access Reverie and what powers it's given her, alongside the links it has to her mother's di??sappearance.

[caption id="attachment_377201" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

In practice, this plays out in similar fashion to a visual novel. Aside from the aforementioned gorgeous cutscenes, most of the story is told in dialogue boxes between characters, as Polly searches in the world for clues while deali?ng with seemingly primal beings in the other world.

A big component of this is the timeline. Don't Nod lays out the path ahead visually, so the branching paths are all visible. Each one has different options, with some choices opening up other branches and others locking off entire lines of inquiry if taken. It's a neat structure that's become more and more common in branching story-driven adventures, and Harmony: The Fall of Reverie does some interesting things with it, especially in linking the ??bra?nching paths with its characters.

A blissful existence

Each deity embodies an emotion or aspiration, and so choices in the narrative can elicit crystals representing each aspect. Over time, you can start to define how you'd like to progress through the story; do you seek Power, or do you find strength in the Bonds you share with others??? Those elements were compelling, and I thought it? was a neat way to physically symbolize how Polly approached conflicts.

Where it hit some friction, for me, was in how tho??se crystals are put into practice. Different icons on the flowchart might be inaccessible if you don't have the right crystals, and ??the Outcomes—a greater resolution to the arc you're on—are determined based on what crystals you have earned over the course of play.

[caption id="attachment_377202" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

This is where some of the long-spanning, timeline-analyzing aspects of Harmony got away from me. This is not a timeline-hopping game, it is a timeline-informing game. While you can move between options to some extent, you will eventually have to choose a side and lock it in. You're working with more information than you'd normally have in, say, Life is Strange; I can see that, if I continue down my path, Polly will eventually be able to ally herself with ?the person I'm talking to. But I'm not jumping between viewpoints or alternate universes, as I would in other timeline?-driven games.

So picking locks and determining a future course of action is still, ultimately, driven by choice. And the choice seems to rapidly shift between which deity you'd like to garner more favor from, and also which outcome you'd like to see as Polly and pals solve the real-world mystery. It's that aspect that I find really intriguing, as my drive to spend time with certain deities might force me to act differently in the real world and vice versa, but some of the long-stretch planning and numbers game I was playing with crystals didn't feel as compelling as that in-the-moment ??friction.

Pantheon of the gods

Still, I found the pantheon of Harmony: The Fall of Reverie interesting?. I didn't get much of a sense of the main real-world cast, though the scoop-chasing journalist Jade was a memorable encounter. But the?? Aspirations themselves add a good amount of life to what's happening, and can even start to pop up in real-world events (unbeknownst to anyone but Polly) as commentators on what's going on.

[caption id="attachment_377203" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

All this mystery and intrigue happens under the watchful eye of MK, a super-corporation that's taken over the community. It's a really interesting world that Don't Nod has constructed, with music from Lena Raine backing all of it. It's admittedly a slow burn, partly because of fiddling with the timelin??e. And especially at the beginning, some of the exposition can carry for a while.

Still, this is Don't Nod doing something quite different with a supernatural mystery drama, and I'm intrigued by it. Even on production value alone, I think Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is worth keeping an eye on. There will be a demo available as part of this year's LudoNarraCon. Otherwise, Harmony will l??aunch on June 8 for PC and S??witch, and on June 22 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is a gorgeously animated supern??atural mystery appeared first on Destructoid.

Roomba will wipe the floor with you

I've had the pleasure of playing Street Fighter 6 multiple times since its initial reveal, just one short year ago. I first checked out the rad-looking sequel during the summer of 2022 at Birmingham's VS Fighting tournament, then later that year at EGX London. I've also had the good fortune to take part in both beta tests and, as previously reported, I have been left in a pret?ty excitable state from each experi?ence.

A fortnight ago, I was kindly invited to Capcom's UK headquarters in order to check out what was, more or less, the full and final build of SF6. And, by the end of my short time spent with the complete game, my anticipation for this scrapper has, more or less, reached something of a eye-twitching, hand-scratching fever pitch... Or maybe that's just the? coming of summer pollen. Who knows?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JmxWphGO5Y&ab_chann??el=StreetFighter

While there were limitations placed on what I could and could not play, (so save yer gripin'), as well as what I may or may not reveal, I was given the opportunity to check out one character's arcade mode, a healthy chunk of the "World Tour" feature, and poke around within various Tutorials, Character Guides, and Combo Trials. Most excitingly, I was given free rein with SF6's 18-strong launch roster, affording the opportunity to step into the ring with returning veterans Honda and Dhalsim, as well as frankly frightening newcomers such as Marisa, Manon, and JP.

I'll tell you this much, whoever you're taking to the lab, you can shape into a force to be reckoned with. And, for the first time since Killer Instinct, I  truly want to �and feel like I could �exceed as anybody.

//youtu.be/QcI58UECAAc

Choose Your Fighter

While I hardly had the time to get neck-deep into the entire roster, the key element of the SF6 lineup that stands out to me is the perceived viability of almost every character, at least on first impressions. The sequel's fast, aggressive playstyle and incredibly flexible mechanics allow for all 18 World Warriors to feel solid and practical, while also owning their bespoke playstyles. With a roster of zoners, rushdown champs, grapplers, and hybrid fighters, SF6 has a highly varied pack of pugilists, each character built around one (or more) personal mechani?cs that offer them distinct personalities among their peers.

For example, Zangief and Marisa are both incredibly dangerous and dominant grapplers. But while Zangief is about smothering the opponent with ground-gaining strikes and singular, devastating throws, (many of which have way more armor than should be legal), Marisa's gameplay revolves around charging her buttons, (with all of her standing normals able to be held for alternate effect), with the Roman giant locking her opponents down with unpredictabl??e striking rhy??thms that leave her hapless foes scared to press buttons.

So, while both characters boast what is essentially a "wrestler" archetype, the two titans are completely different from one another in control, strategy, and offensiv?e and defensive tactics. It's this emphasis on distinction that makes the entire roster interesting, resulting in the player being almost spoilt for choice.

//youtu.be/JSyL0llQplw

Lily is a fantastic hybrid character. The Thunderfoot Tribe member has learned many Specials of her predecessor, T. Hawk, but she is imbued with mobility and reach that was not afforded her chunky-sized ancestor. Of all of the new characters played, Lily is perhaps my favorite. There's just something so infectious about her. I also spent a little time as Manon, who very much felt a "specialist" character, one that will require deft study and experimentation, to be ultimately rewarded with a fighter who is frightening at mid-range and frankly terrifying in close quarters.

Cammy, delightfully, is still Cammy, and slips right into her role as an acrobatic rushdown character relying on dizzying speed coupled with assault from myriad directions. Within seconds the Delta Red Queen felt extremely comfortable, and her fans will be very pleased with her latest incarnation. If it ain't broke... right? Cammy's most important new addition is definitely her newest cat pal, who both hangs out with her on the character select screen and interrupts her mid-match victory poses.

//youtu.be/e8ijMj4BF_U

An interesting note about piano commands, directly affecting Messrs E. Honda and Blanka in particular. Both Hundred Hand Slap and Electric Thunder are now Command Moves (qcf/qcb + P). In fact, during my short time playing the full game, I did not find a single piano-based input, a change perhaps necessitated by the addition of the new "Modern" and "Dynamic" control systems.

As for the sinister-looking JP, a variety of scary, multi-planed projectiles �one of which is actually a throw �brings about the same cautious anxiety conjured up by say, Mortal Kombat's Cetrion or King of Fighters' Goenitz. Oh, and he also has a screen trap, with a time-delayed release, (ala Korin), which is also a teleport... which he can also feint?. Cheers. You can check out some of the?se moves in the video below.

We'll solve ??the puzzle, but ?JP is going to be an online monster in the early going. Put that in the bank.

//youtu.be/VeiRp0J7iqQ

We are The World

Many of you will have, by now, played the World Tour opening as featured in the Street Fighter 6 demo, available now on PC and console platforms. I got the chance to push a little further beyond what is shown in the demo, touching base with Chun-Li and her adorable chum Lei-Feng, getting into scrapes with several card?b??oard box-headed ruffians, and even agreeing to some (fairly dopey) sidequests from various Metro City residents.

The World Tour mode, aside from the character-building elements featured in the demo, also offers up an array of (mostly silly) side activities, which include smashing up trucks at Abigail's Scrapyard, (no sign of the Big Man himself, thankfully), breaking ?boards for a scene in a kung-fu movie, teaching a wannabe gang member the error of his ways, (kicked the shit out of him, basically), and promising an "infooencuer" that I'd help him make some red hot fighting content ?for his channel. I won't.

//youtu.be/Mlkld8nD8P8

This story-cum-adventure mode appears to be mostly designed to help introduce players to SF6's mechanics, characters, and fighting styles, piece-by-piece, while also offering up single-player fun for those who want to take time out from one-on-one matchmaking. SFV was rightfully lambasted at launch for its barebones release and utter disinterest in single-player content, which was eventually "rectified" with a crushingly long-winded story campaign.

Clearly, World Tour is an effort to offer players their own out-of-the-ring adventure, presented in the style of Like-a-Dragon-lite, if you will. I can't deny that I find the script and strange central plotline of "Chasing Strength" cheesy, even childish, with a stilted delivery and muted presentation style that feels generations old. But, all that said, I do really dig the excellent character creator, as well as some of the fun side modes and cameo appearances from some of Street Fighter's finest combatants (and beyond).

Besides, where else in gaming could you find yourself assaul??ted by a very angry Roomba?

//youtu.be/GMzx5Hk7o7A

No Train, No Gain

My final few minutes were spent with two of the Training tools in Street Fighter 6's arsenal, namely the Character Guides and the returning Combo Trials. The Character Guide aims to go way beyond the act of merely showing you a respective fighter's moves, and instead breaks down exactly why and when you would use them, offering examples of counterplay against numerous eventualities. Essentially, the new Character Guides are not only hoping to teach you the ways of Juri, Guile et al, but they are also hoping to tutor you in the basics of Street Fighter itself.

Not just How to throw a Hadouken, but When t?o throw a Hadouken. Knowledge that is e?qually important.

While the Combo Trials will be immediately familiar to Street Fighter aficionados, the SF6 edition includes a valuable new feature, that allows players to slow down the action to better build the wrist-shattering attacks moment-to-moment. With several speed settings, the t??rickier combos can now be started and completed in super slo-mo, with the player gradually increasing the spe?ed and input window until they find themselves cracking out a 20-hitter 10 times out of 10.

Or, in?? my case, a two-hitter 8 times o??ut of 14. Nobody ever said the path to enlightenment was easy.

//youtu.be/33eZ4sAhfnA

Fun F??act: Cammy has a Ryu-styl?e mule kick (B+HK) that cancels into numerous specials/supers.

I think part of the reason I was greatly encouraged to spend time in the World Tour, Character Guide, and Combo Trial modes was Capcom's enthusiasm to demonstrate that Street Fighter 6 is not only being built as a fully-featured title, b??ut also a ??title that hopes to pull in newcomers and wayward veterans.

With SF6's triple-control system, overhauled tutorials, new practice tools, and info-feeding story mode, Capcom clearly wants to educate players of all persuasions that its spanking new fighter, while undoubtedly deep, will be accessible. A title that will offer an array of ??tuneable options to allow even the youngest, newest, or most befuddled of fighting game fans to take their first steps to glory.

//youtu.be/AnvWyO0hWhA

As for myself. Well, I've seen just about all I can ahead of next month's launch. With Street Fighter 6, Capcom is hoping to see its flagship fighting series, one that defined the genre itself, make a grand challenge for its (lost?) fighting game throne, offering fans old and new a fully-featured and en??gaging sequel that has learned from the mistakes of its past, w?hile evolving its entire pedigree for a bold and electrifying future.

At this point, it's all over bar the fight itself. And in just five short weeks' time, we'll find out whether SF6 is set for the mother of all comebacks, or is to be left flat on its back, ??staring at the lights in a final K.O.

I'm not a betting man. But I kno?w where the smart money's goin'

Street Fighter 6 launches June 2 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. In the meantime, be sure to check out our reports on the 50 things I loved in the beta, a full playlist of character themes, and my suggestions on the 10 World Warriors who would?? fit right into the new title as post-launch DLC.

_{[This preview is based on a build of Street Fighter 6 played on a PS5. Expenses were not provided by the publisher.]}

The post Preview: I played a full build of Street Fighter 6, and it can’t get here soon enough appeared first on Destructoid.

We should numerical notation this dapper dude

As those of an age may remember, when Crimson Viper first made her debut in 2009's Street Fighter IV, there was a common opinion that in character design, personality, and playstyle, the Secret Agent Mom felt like SF's answer to the fashion-forward King of Fighters roster. C. Viper fit like an (electric) glove, but something about her just felt different �distinctly different from her SF brethren.

I recently visited Capcom HQ, where I had the chance to check out a full build of Street Fighter 6, complete with its launch roster. And while many of the new characters felt familiar �retaining the skills of fighters who had maybe passed through the Worl??d Warrior ranks before �one character really stood out, featuring a playstyle that felt? borrowed from not just one, but many other fighting franchises.

And that character is the charming but extremely unnerving gentleman, JP.

//twitter?.com/ChrisxMoyse/status/1653297535694372865?s=20

JP's fighting style is one of extreme zoning, mind games, and, ultimately, full-screen frustration. The sinister industrialist fights with emotional apathy, content to stand the full length of the screen and prevent his opponent from gaining any ground. JP is equipped with multiple ethereal projectiles, ("Torbalan"), that are able to attack at multiple heights, and, dependent on the version used, can contain the properties of overheads, lows, and even unblockable throws.

In addition to these attacks, JP's "Triglav" allows him to stab his cane directly into the ground, launching thorns at optional distances that create knockdown potential at full range, while also defending him from i?ncoming projectiles and airborne opponents. If this arsenal wasn't enough, then "Departure" sees him create up to two portals at will, that can throw out ?further thorns on timed release, ("Departure: Shadow"), or also act as teleportation portals, ("Departure: Window"), for when things get a little crowded.

//youtu.be/VeiRp0J7iqQ

It doesn't end there, as JP is also able to counter melee strikes into "Amnesia", which sees a bomb of pure Psycho Power chase down and attach itself to the opponent, detonating in a fashion to leave them open to attack or combo extensions �ala Rose's Soul Sattelite, or Manon's orbs. And even if an opponent does manage to lock our man down, then he can send them r?eeling backward with? "Stribog" a swift, hard attack with his cane, that also wallsplats at the cost of meter.

Ultimately, JP's game plan is to keep his op??ponent practically full screen, close down all their routes of entry, push back on any advance, and then surprise them with teleports �either f?or the purpose of escape or attack. Essentially it is a combination of prediction (for him) and frustration (for them).

He's a frightening entity. Which might see him become a very popular choice in SF6's launch days.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTYp2nCHldo&list=PLs4LjNCY15zO3ahXBcPZKf36?kevvHyOXh&index=12&ab_ch?annel=StreetFighter

With his oddly-shaped, ghostly projectiles, myriad directional options, homing attacks, on-screen "traps", and his exquisite visual design, he reminds me of a typical Guilty Gear fighter, while his barrage of tough-to-read, full-screen specials recalls the ungodly King of Fighters bosses from the '90s, or even Lost Warrior from DNF Duel.

Perhaps most bizarrely of all, JPs array of projectiles, diagonal air strikes, ground thorns, and "keep away" gameplay instantly recalls the controller-snapping irritance of facing Mortal Kombat 11 Elder Goddess, Cetrion. On firs??t impressions, JP is a reminder of so many different, non-SF fighters.

And all of them are a menace.

While some characters should have little trouble gaining ground between these attacks �think Blanka?? Ball, Sumo Headbutt, or Yoga Teleport �I think we'll find, in time, that the key to defeating these smothering specials will be deft use of the Drive Gauge. Drive Impact to power through ??his close-distance pushback efforts, and Parry Rush proving the key to responding to JP's projectiles �closing the gap before he can recover.

Still, these are not beginner skills, and I can't help but wonder whether Online JP is to be crowned the first Street Fighter 6 nightmare in the early going...

...Well, you all did want a villain, right?

Street Fighter 6 launches June 2 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. Be sure to check out my other thoughts on the new build, as well as my report on Lily's Arcade Mode. In addition, here are 50 things I loved in the beta, and my suggestions on the 10 World Warriors who would fit right ?into the n?ew title as post-launch DLC.

The post Street Fighter 6’s menacing JP plays like he’s The King of Fighters appeared first on Destructoid.

Biting back

Redfall starts off in a curious place. Within the first moments of the game, the player is shown a montage of the little town’s downfall. Creatures of the night begin to fester and swarm, soon locking the town in with bloodsucking beasts, the cult that worships them, and the security contractors hired to cover it all up. A towering vampiress with a haloed visage holds you by the throat, telling you of big plans currently brewing, as the sun emerges outs??ide.

The late??st game from Arkane starts off strong. But as the da?ys and nights go on in Redfall, I’m finding myself runn?ing up against its layout over and over. Some aspects are inventive twists on the four-player co-op shooter. But in both gamepla??y and technical aspects, it’s falling short of what I had hoped for.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwY9IncC6XI

Redfall (PC [Reviewed], Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Arkane Austin
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release: May 1, 2023
MSRP: $69.99 (also on Game Pass)

In about 12 hours of Redfall played over the weekend, I’ve managed to clear the first of its two distinct hub areas and get a decent way into the second. From the start, the player gets to pick their ch??aracter to play as, wh??ich defines their skill set moving forward. 

If you like gadgets with cool effects, try?? out Davinder. If you prefer some mobility and like the idea of ringing up a vampire ex-boyfriend to help you out, Layla’s your pick. Because I like to help out a bit and wanted free healing, I went with Remi, whose robot helper Bribón can distract enemies and provide a second ring of her healing circle. Each character brings something a little different to Redfall, and the initial diversity is promising.

[caption id="attachment_376681" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

In practice, however, it hits some snags. Redfall will feel familiar to other Arkane first-person games. It’s laid out in a similar way, too. Right away, fro??m the starting segment on a beached boat attempting to flee Redfall, Arkane presents you with choices. You could have a little shootout with the cultists patrolling the area, or you could sneak around them. Go low, go high, or go straight through the?? middle.

Yet not long after that, you’re forced ??into combat anyways. If not with a cultist, then certainly with a vampire, in a fight that requires some bullets, fire, and a stake to settle. The straight-ahead path into the first hub then opens up into a large town, with different zones and points-of-interests, all open for exploring.

These zones aren’t so conducive?? to the kind of multifaceted approach Arkane offers up front. Some areas, especially those tied into main quests, might offer some alternative entrance options. And in some cases, it might be a good idea to sneak rather than shoot. But the second you’re spotted, the alarm’s on and all forces converge. And where Dishonored or Deathloop have tools for quick getaways, you—or members? of your crew—may not.

It forms a strange dichotomy where my single-player time felt a little more slow and steady, encouraging some careful play and picking fights, sometimes breaking out into mad scrambles for survival; but in co-op, it often felt like running and gunning with my b??est weapons was the best option.

[caption id="attachment_376686" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

The loot doesn’t feel too rewarding, as guns tend to rotate out fast aside from golden drops, an??d I always found it mor?e worthwhile to save my scrap than spend it on drops from the arsenal. In fact, I really only spent my salvaged barter cash on ammo refills and the occasional lockpick. Those were often not needed in co-op, but in single-player, some extra ammo and an easily opened door does make life a little easier.

Co-op, in general, comes with a few asterisks in Redfall. One big s??ticking point for some might be that story progress does not carry over for you, unless you’re the host; so if you join someone else’s game and beat a few story missions, you’ll need to replay them in your own file. That’s not a huge problem for those already planning to four-stack it through the whole campaign, but might put a sour note on mor?e impromptu sessions.

Redfall??’s co-op also just amplifies some of the ?storytelling shortcomings for me. A decent amount of Redfall’s ambient story is told through notes found in the open world, or dialogues between characters—either NPCs or those within your own party. Sometimes, dialogue will start just as you walk by. With all four players roaming a hub, conversations were constantly firing off, making it difficult to tell what story was happening ??where. And notes ??picked up by other players were inaccessible to me in co-op.

[caption id="attachment_376679" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

There are quite a few mechanical hitches, too. In co-op, we had players flying through the sky or crouch-walking through the ground. After one cutscene, a player had a duplicate avatar frozen in the middle of the hub. Limbs wouldn’t move right. And in both single and multi-player, di??fferent bugs would cause problems. Enemies slide around or fail to detect players right next to them. In the worst case, Bribón disappeared for several missions, and didn’t reappear until I restarted the game.

On top of that, I ran into what seems like optimization issues on PC. I’ve got an AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, NVIDIA 2070 Sup??er, 16 GB of RAM, and I’m running Redfall off a solid state drive—noth??ing top-of-the-line, but should clear the Recommended bar. But Redfall defaulted me to a choppy Medium that I eventually moved down to Low. Still, frame rates would drop low and world elements would pop in, issues that four-player co-op exacerbated. A friend I played with, who has a simi??lar set-up to mine, experie??nced similar optimization issues.

All of?? the technical mess is something that might exist now, at launch, and then soon be tinkered with and fixed. That’s not necessarily new in the world o??f reviewing games. However, it did make some elements of Redfall that I enjoyed difficult to?? appreciate. I do like its horror and supernatural elements, and there are? a few special areas that feel laid out well for a creepy experience. Though ambient dialogue can often spoil some surprises, there were still moments where I was afraid of what might lurk in some downstairs shadows.

And when the story gets going, especially in the second area, it gets pretty alright. I haven’t mentioned it much because the goal is straightforward: vampires are infesting the ?town, so go take them out. There are big bosses like The Hollow Man, and lesser evils you’ll have to uncover and hunt through side missions. Details on those vary, but a few were thematically interesting, especially when they involved the special versions of vampires like the Angler or Shroud. Where regular vampires start off intimidating but can be ??easily dispatched once you’ve got a few good weapons, special vampires remain a threat. They force you to change up tactics, introducing new rules that can make the otherwise cannon fodder-esque human enemies more dangerous, even just as distractions.

[caption id="attachment_376680" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

And one or two missions so far have shown?? a little more of that multiple-approach design, encouraging me to find some fun alternate ways to tackle objectives. But for the most part, missions in Redfall have constituted navigating to an area, shooting vampires/cultists/security forces, and? picking up or interacting with an objective. A few interesting diversions aside, Redfall seems laser-focused on killing vampires.

Which is why, so far, it’s? fallen short for me. I enjoy blasting a vampire with a stake launcher. Every now and then, I’ve felt clever as I set a trap with my C4 and lure enemies towards it, or used Bribón’s distraction function to line up a perfect shot. But more often, I’m walking into an area, blasting whoever I see, and teleporting back to a safehouse to pick up a new mission.

Overall, Redfall so far feels like a co-op shooter with some neat ideas that aren’t fully realized. I can see some of the concepts, like managin?g a limited loadout of weapons and carrying powerful anti-vampire weapons alongside anti-personnel armaments, and how they create interesting moments. Sometimes, they really pull them off. 

[caption id="attachment_376690" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

I can think of a few occasions where I was running through a firefight, hurriedly reloading and making snap decisions. Sometimes I’d feel rewarded for taking an alternate route, cleverly avoiding some traps. Or, in o?ne instance, ducking behind cover to hastily swap in a different weapon because a deadly Rook was on the way and I needed some vampire-slaying power, now.

More often, though, Redfall has been technical hitches, repetition, and scattershot story. I enjoy the kind of world, narrative, and experience it wants to be, but I just don’t think it gets there. We??’ve only had a few days with it, but we’ll have more on Redfall once we’ve rolled credits later this week.

The post Review in Progress: Redfall appeared first on Destructoid.