Set immediately after your reunion with Godwin, The Finger of God quest tasks Henry with making sure all within Nebakov Fortress are ready for their departure in the morning. But given his luck, it was expected that things would go south quickly. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to complete The Finger of God in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 The Finger of God Guide

Like most main quests in KCD 2, The Finger of God is divided into multiple main and sub-objectives, most of which are optional. One of the latter will also allow you to unlock a romance scene with Klara (her second one if you managed to romance her during Necessary Evil). You can check out how to complete the quest, as well as all of its main and optional objectives, below. If you just want to know how to romance Klara (don't worry, we get it), you can jump straight to that by clicking here.

1. Follow Godwin and bury the bodies

After following Godwin to the burial site, your first task as part of The Finger of God will be to bury three unnamed soldiers. To do that, grab the bodies by the left ?side of the road and bury them in the graves highlighted in the image below. You can speed up the process by digging all graves beforehand and then bringing the bodies to them one by one. Keep in mind that you wi??ll need a spade to perform the digging.

2. Go to the fosse and learn how to use a hand cannon

After burying the bodies, Godwin will ask you to meet him by the fosse and introduce you to the ever-deadly handgonne. During the testing, focus on getting used to the new weapon above all else. At the end of it, you will receive both your first pistole a??nd 20 lea?d balls.

From this point forward, you will be able to skip all of the optional objectives and go straight to the end o??f the quest by sleeping. I don't recommend doing so, as they will either play a big part in boosting your forces for the ??battle to come or feature meaningful interactions. If you still wish to skip the optional tasks, simply scroll down until you reach Defend the Castle.

3. Load supplies into the cart (Optional)

Triggered after you and Godwin part ways, you can complete the Load supplies into the cart objective?? by heading toward the H marker on your map and meeting Hired Hand Bluster. The NPC ?will try to fight you, but you can avoid that by succeeding in any of his stat checks. After talking or fighting with him, put the five sacks highlighted below on Bluster's cart and answer him with "Agree" to complete the objective.

4. Find horseshoes for Peltzel (Optional)

From the spot where you met Bluster, you can trigger this objective by heading to the stables to meet Groom Peltzel. As the title implies, he will ask you to forge a set of three farmer horsesh??oes. Once you are done with the forging, return to him to receive 55x Groschen, 1x Cockerel Potion, and eight lead balls for your pistole.

5. Help Bull in the forge (Optional)

Triggered by talking to Apprentice Bull at the forge, this objective will t??ask you with sharpening a set of three weapons to perfection. But be advised as Henry must pass a stat check during your initial conversation to start it without a fight. You can find the weapons by opening the wooden barrel highlighted below and sharpening them by using the wheel on your right.

Once the job is done, ?talk to Bull again to deliver the weapons and receive 24x arrows and 8x Scattershots. I also recommend taking this chance to forge the horseshoes needed to complete Find horseshoes for Peltzel. You will be able to get the iron needed to do it by purchasing it from Bull. Don't worry about the time, it will only advance after you sleep.

6. Offer help to Klara and treat the wounded (Optional)

You can trigger ??Klara's optional objective and unlock the ability to romance her by talking to her either by the prison cells or at her cabin. If you spot her by the cells, she will be arguing with a couple of guards regarding the care of two prisoners. Interviewing can lead to a fight, but I was able to avoid that by selecting "You can get a ransom for those noblemen" with 13+ Charisma.

Once y??ou deal with the guards, talk to Klara ag??ain and ask if she needs help to trigger her objective, which will prompt her to give you the locations of two patients in urgent need, Mark and Zwerk. You can get all of the medicine and tools needed to treat them from Klara's chest, located on the second floor of her cabin.

• How to treat Mark: Talk to him and exhaust all stat checks (I was able to succeed in all by having 9 Alchemy and 11 Craftsmanship) before picking the following:

  • I'll clean and dress your wound
  • I'll clean your wound. Use either Drinking Water or preferably 1x Schnapps
  • I'll dress your wound (Will consume 1x Bandage)
  • I'll give you a potion. Select the Weak painkiller brew you got from Klara's chest.
  • Finish the treatment.

• How to treat Zwerk: Talk to him and exhaust all stat checks (I was able to succeed in all by having 14 Survival and 9 Alchemy) before selecting the following:

  • I know all I need, Zwerk
  • I'll clean your wound (Use 1x Schnapps)
  • I'll dress your wound (Will consume 1x Bandage)
  • I'll rub this on your ankle. Select one Weak Chamomile brew
  • Give him a few drinks if you wish before finishing the treatment

Once you are done treating the wounded, talk to Klara at her cabin to compl?ete the objective and ?receive 1x Painkiller Brew, 1x Artemisia, and 2x Bandages.

How to romance Klara during The Finger of God

After complet?ing her objective, you can romance Kl??ara during The Finger of God by talking to her and selecting the following dialogue options. You can do this at any time before heading to bed.

• Are you finished working? > Isn't there anyone you care about here? > Let's go and get that drink (At least 12 Persuasion) / No walk today, I reckon? (At least 12 Persuasion, only available if you romanced her before)

If you succeed in the stat check above, go to sleep to trigger the romance cutscene and receive the Time? Well Spent buff. Keep in mind that triggering the romance will lock you away from completing any other optional objectives during the quest.

7. Play dice with Capon (Optional)

As you might have realized on your way to the blacksmith, Hans will be waiting for you on the watchtower atop the fortress's main gate. To trigger the objective, talk to him and play a game. The result won't matter here, so just enjoy a friendly game and another great cutscene with your lord and best friend. Completing this before talking to Klara for the first time will skip the whole prison segment? of her obje??ctive.

8. Defend the Castle

After going to bed (either by himself or with Klara), Henry will be awoken b?y the sound of battle. To complete the quest and defend the gate, follow the instructions and focus on first bringing down the enemy ladders. You can do that by equipping a Bardiche and holding down X/A while near them. To get the we?apon, head to the bottom of the stairs left of your starting position.

With the ladders dealt with, head ??to Hans and join him in stopping the enemies from breaking in through the main gate. As your comrades will have the front taken care of, focus solely on throwing stones at the enemies below for both an easy clear and the Rock and Stone! Trophy/Achievement. If you succeed in the above, Zizka will then call for you to deal with a large force in the lower grounds. To make the battle easier, stay within your lines and go for 2v1 scenarions. A shield can also be a god??send here via its ability to broaden your margin of error.

Once the above is done, enemies will invade the courtyard. To complete The Finger of God in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, simply make your way there. If you ??fail any of the objectives before this and the enemies infiltrate the castle walls, you will immediately trigger the end of the quest. But don't worry, that will not cause it to fail.

The post How to compl?ete The Finger of God in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

The lockpick can be considered one of the most useful tools in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, as even if you don't want to use it to break in, many chests around the wo?rld will demand it.

But did you know that you can get a few lockpicks pretty much from the get-go? Here are all the ways to get lockpicks early on in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

How to get a lockpick early in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Available after you and Hans go your separate ways during the Laboratores main quest, you will be able to immediately get a free lockpick in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 by talking to Bara at Troskowitz. She will call you over as soon as you trigger Wedding Crashers. To get the lockpick, simply selec?t the follow??ing dialogue options:

• "Help Me..."
• "I need something to wear"
• Any option but the one related to Sir Brunswick's Armor

As with all others, the lockpick given to you will break after a single misuse, so make sure to visit Jurg Thomel's shop for a few more?. If you want to get a large sum quickly, I then recommend heading to Nomads' Camp, as Fence Whitebeard will sell up to 41 of them for 12.4 Groschen each. If you are worried about the price, don't, as you will be able to get more than enough by playing dice during your many stops.

Best way to farm lockpicks for free

The best way to farm free lockpicks early in KCD 2 can be done by shooting down and then examining Bird Nests. The nests can be found all over the game's main regions and will have a 1/3 chance of featuring the item. Keep in mind, however, that you will need to use either a bow or a crossbow to bring them down. To help yo??u get started, here are a few nests close to Troskowitz:

How to lockpick in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Although frustrating for many, lockpicking is a matter of precision in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. To be more specific, you can do so by using the righ??t analog stick (or mouse) to find the best position within your chosen lock before moving the cursor slightly to stay on target while turning it. There's no easy way to do this, as Henry cannot seem to keep his hands steady early on. You will know you are close to the sweet spot via the size of the cursor.

To make the endeavor easier, I recommend investing in the Tool Master skill to boost your lockpick durability by 15?%. Make sure to also both steadily boost your Thievery mastery to increase your performance when lockpicking and avoid any locks above your level. You will know a look is too hard for you if a warning appears after st?arting the minigame.

Now that you know how to get your hands in a lockpick early on, don't forget to also check out all points of no return in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 so you can pace your playthrough accordingly.

The post How to get a lockpick early in Kingdom Come Delive??rance 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

A task only available before For Victory, Demons of Trosky sees Henry run around the castle in an effort to put a halt to the advances of hell itself. But given its time-gated fashion, clearing it might prove to be more challenging than expected. Here's how to complete the Demons of Trosky task in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

• Table of Contents:

  • How to trigger and complete Demons of Trosky
  • All Maiden Fireplace Locations
  • All Crone Fireplace Locations

How to trigger and complete Demons of Trosky in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

You can trigger Demons of Trosky in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 by speaking with Chamberlain Ulrich at Trosky Castle. He will then ask you to find three NPCs —the cooks Manyeta and Nerta, as well as everyone?'s favorite blacksmith, Osina.

The only important tasks here will be the ones given to you by the cooks, as the blacksmith will only fool Henry and make you visit the disgusting areas scattered around the castle. To speed that up and skip Osina??'s portion of the quest, talk to him and visit the latrine located right below Father Nicodemus's quarters before returning and selecting "I don't h?ave time for this!".

Now that Osia is done with talk to Manyeta and Nerta to be asked to sprinkle water on a total of 10 fireplaces divided across the Mai?den and Crone portions of the castle. You can check out the locations of all fireplaces below:

All Maiden Fireplace Locations

After talking to Manyeta, you will be able to find the first Maiden fireplace ??by heading to the castle's main kitchen. Once at the area, simply come close to the rightmost fireplace to sprinkle it.

From the kitchen, head up to the third floor before goin?g through a door facing the staircases to find the second ??fireplace. After sprinkling it, head to the door on your left to find the third one. If you have already informed von Bergow of the Semine incident, the room featuring the third fireplace will be inaccessible, no matter what you do.

From the room above, you will then?? be able to spot the fourth fireplace in von Bergow's quarters. The fifth and final Maiden one can then be found in his office, as you can see below. Both rooms will be found on the fifth floor.

All Crone Fireplace Locations

You can find the first Crone fireplace by entering the room leadin?g to the northern bridge connecting the Maiden and Crone portions of the castle. The second one can then be found on the floor below, in the kitchen.

The third fireplace can then be found in the scribe's room, located by the staircase connecting the area's fourth and fifth floors. Fro?m there, continue upward past the former alchemist's room to spot ?the fourth fireplace and then head to the top floor for the final one.

After baptizing all ten fireplaces, simp??ly return to Ulrich to complete the quest and get 55x Groschen, a boost in both Survival and Vitality, as well as one Golden Cup and one Golden Chalice. As always, you will also get a boost in your reputation.

The post Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Demons of Trosky Guide appeared first on Destructoid.

The first PlayStation State of Play for 2025 is in the books, and throughout the rou?ghly? 40-minute presentation, we got a look at what's in store for PlayStation titles this year. Let's recap everything that was shown in the PlayStation State of Play for February 12, 2025.

PlayStation State of Play February 2025 Recap

There was a lot revealed during the first Stat?e of Play of 2025, so let's jump right in and ??take a look at everything!

Monster Hunter Wilds Gameplay Trailer

Things kicked off with the latest Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay trailer only further building hype for one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Which, by the way, is just over two weeks away. Throughout the trailer, we got a look ??at various weapons in? action as well as a glimpse of the story to expect in the upcoming Mon-hun game. We also got a glimpse at the MHW future roadmap with the announcement of the Spring 2025 Free update that will add the legendary monster Mizutsune.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Announced

Next in the February State of Play was the announcement and world premiere of the stylish 2D action platformer Shinobi: Art of Vengeance from the creators of Streets of Rage 4. Utilizing beautiful hand-drawn art, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance puts players into the role of legendar??y shinobi Joe Musashi, master of the ninja arts. Musashi finds his village burned to the ground and his clan turn??ed to stone and sets off on a quest for vengeance.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Announced

It looks like Sonic Racing is returning with Sonic Racing: Crossworlds, allowing players to race across land, sea, air, space, and time as they warp through Travel Rings into new dimensions. Players will be able to race solo or as a team in a variety of offline and online modes as well as build their ultimate ?machine that matches their ??racing styles.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger Announced

I didn't realize this was Digimon when the trailer cooked off, showing a Train going into a Valhalla-looking city and narrating that an apocalypse loomed over parallel worlds, causing fates to begin to intertwine. However, it looks like it is in fact the third installment in the series with Digimon Story: Time Stranger, a journey alongside gods, heroes, and monsters of bygone eras. No exact release date was provided but Time Stranger is set to release in 2025.

Lost Soul Aside Release Date

Up next was a pre-order trailer for Lost Soul Aside, an action game long in the making. Players embark on an epic odyssey to save their sister and all of mankind from interdimensional invaders. Lost Soul Aside will be released on PS5 and PC on May 30, 2025.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii demo coming this week

A brief trailer indicated that a demo for the upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii that releases on February 21, 2025 will ?be available ??this Friday, February 14, 2025.

Dave the Diver: Ichiban's Holiday - Like a Dragon Collab Crossover

Speaking of Like a Dragon, Ichiban is getting a Dave the Diver collab crossover this April with Dave the Diver: Ichiban's Holiday. Ichiban ventures into the Blue Hole for a much-needed getaway where he will take on unsettled threats and forge new fr?iendships.

Splitgate 2 Alpha

Another brief trailer indicated that the upcoming FPS Splitgate 2 wil??l have an alpha testing period starting on February 25, 2025.

WWE 2K25 The Island reveal

A new feature called The Island, an online environment with WWE-themed landmarks, quests, shops, and live events, with 50 other players at a time, is coming to WWE 2K25. The Island offers players deep customization to customize their superstars. A notification at the bottom of the video indicated that The Island won't be available on PS4. WWE 2K25 will be released on March 14, 2025.

Borderlands 4 Release Date

Alright, I'll admit it, Borderlands 4 is looking sick. The roughly one-minute trailer shows off a ton of Borderlands weapons and monsters before revealing that Borderlands 4 will be released worldwide on September 23, 2025. Gearbox also indicated there will be a special State of Play this Spring focused on Borderlands 4.

Split Action Story Trailer

A brief story trailer showcased some of the storyline in the upcoming co-op adventure game from Hazelight Studios, Split Fiction. Heroes Mio and Zoe don't get along at first but soon become each other's only hope as they journey through unexpected twists and turns where they must rely on each other. Split Action is set to release on March 6, 2025.

Directive 8020 Story

The next story-driven narrative game by Supermassive Games and part of the Dark Pictures series is Directive 8020. We've seen it before, but this time we get a more expansive look at the intricately spooky storyline as brave astronauts of the ship Cassiopeia embark on a deadly mission to save humanity before their ship is infected by an alien lifeform that? imitates its prey.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic

The next installment in the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise is Secret of the Mimic. It looks like we're getting more spooky animatronic goodness wh?en it releases on June 13, 2025.

The Midnight Walk Release Date

The unique and interesting-looking dark fantasy clay horror game, The Midnight Walk, officially has a release date. Players take on the role of The Burnt One and befriend a lost lantern creature named Potboy, using his flame to light their way through a world of horror and wonder made entirely from real-life clay. The Midnight Walk releases on PS5 and PS VR2 on May 8, 2025.

Darwin's Paradox! Announced

If you've ever wanted to play as an octopus, now is your chance. Darwin's Paradox! puts players into the role of an octopus named Darwin who's been snatched from the sea and thrust?? into a mysterious food factory in? an action platformer coming to PS5 later this year.

Warriors: Abyss revealed and OUT NOW!

Koei Tecmo revealed Warriors: Abyss, a hybrid between Dynasty Warriors and the roguelite action genre. It looks a lot like Dynasty Warriors meets Vampire Survivors, which I'm all for! Players command historic and masterful warriors by challenging swarms of enemies. Warriors: Abyss is out now on PS4 and PS5!

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is getting the remastered treatment with higher-resolution graphics and modernized controls. Oddly enough, this is only on PS4. I know it can still be played on PS5, but seems like an odd choice. Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny releases on May 23, 2025.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword Story Reveal

Next, we got a look at the story and new protagonist in the next chapter in the Onimusha series by Capcom, Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Play as Miyamoto Musashi as you carve enemies up in classic Onimusha swordplay action when it releases on PS5 ?in 2026.

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater Release Date reveal

The remake of 2004 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater officially has a release date of August 28, 2025. With improved visuals and offering an "even more immersive experience", Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater is looking great with its revamped look.

Hell is Us Release Date reveal

Hell is Us is an action-adventure game set in a war-torn country where players have to unrav??el the mysteries of their past and confront the human darkness that is fueling the ch?aos. I'm not 100% sure what is going on in this trailer but its got me very intrigued and I'll be sure to check it out when it launches on PS5 on September 4, 2025.

Lies of P: Overture

A DLC expansion to the puppet-themed soulslike Lies of P, Overture serves as a prequel to the original game, transporting players to the city of Krat in its final days during the late-19th-century Bell Epoque beauty. Players must follow the legendary Stalker through untol?d stories and chilling secrets as Geppetto's de??adly puppet, set to release in Summer 2025.

Dreams of Another Announced

Dreams of Another is a third-person exploration action game built around the theme "There is no creation without destruction." It's a c??ool concept as players don't destroy objects by shooting them, but rather shots will materialize and rebuild the world around you. Coming to PS5 and PS Vr2 but no release date just yet.

Days Gone Remastered Announced

I'm not sure we needed a remaster for this one as it already looks great and I'm sure most fans would rather a sequel, but at least it's something! Days Gone Remastered will feature some bonus content tha??t will also come to PC a??s a standalone Broken Road DLC. Both the remaster and DLC drop on April 25, 2025.

Stellar Blade x Goddess of Victory Nikke DLC

I'll take any Stellar Blade DLC as it's an amazing game. Stellar Bladex Goddess of Victory - Nikke DLC is coming to PS5 and PC in June 2025.

Blue Prince Announced

In Blue Prince, players discover secrets and mysteries in a house they build one room at a time. Each door is a decision, adding another layer of strategy, puzzles, and exploration, as you build an ever-changing manor of 45 shifting rooms. It looks really cool and like a unique mash-up of genres. Blue Prince is set to release on PS5 in Spring 2025.

Abiotic Factory headed to Consoles

Popular previously PC-exclusive survival crafting game Abiotic Factor is headed to consoles. 1-6 players can go solo or team up to venture into the depths of an underground research facility caught between a paranormal containment failure and a military crusade through a dozen realms. Abiotic Factor is co?ming to PS5 in Summer 2025 and will be available in the PS Plus Game Catalog.

Tides of Annihilation Announced

The animation and gameplay of Tides of Annihilation look amazing, but I'm a little thrown off by the dialogue. Still, this looks like it has a lot of potential. In Tides of Annihilation, the streets of London are engulfed by an Outworld invasion, and the?? only survivor, Gwendolyn, discovers a mysterious power to command the legendary Knights of the Round Table. She must then embark on a high-stakes journey across two worlds: a shattered modern-day London and the mythical world of Avalon as she desperately tries to save her sister. Coming to PS5 and enhanced for PS5 Pro "soon".

Metal Eden Revealed

Set in a dystopian future, players take on the role of ASKA, an advanced battle android on a suicide mission to rescue the citizen's cores from the vast monolith city Moebius in an adrenaline-rush sci-fi FPS called Metal Eden. Metal Eden is headed to PS5 on May 6, 2025.

MindsEye Revealed

No this isn't Grand Theft Auto 5.5, it's MindsEye. Play as Jacob Diaz, a former soldier fitted? with a unique neural implant called The MindsEye that haunts him with fragmented memories from a covert mission that changed his life forever. In a relatable world of AI and high-tech experimentation and unchecked military power, Jacob must work in the shadows to find the answers he's looking for.

Saros Announced

As the trailer rolled on, I got serious Returnal vibes, so I was pleasantly surprised at the end to see that Saros is in fact that next game by Returnal developer Housemarque. Set on the planet of Carcosa which is under the threat of an ominous eclipse that surely serves as the roguelike mechanic of the game, players must progress through various deaths that reshape the world and give players permanent progression, power, and upgrades. It looks great but unfortunately we will have to wait until 2026 to get our hands on Saros.

The post Everyt??hing shown in the PlayStation State of Play for February 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

If you're looking to spend Valentine's Week? with your loved one in the realms of video games, there are some perfect co-op titles to explore on your PS5.

Of course, co-op in video games can be slightly different based on which title you might be play?ing. There are not too many options currently available if you want to enjoy a split-screen experience with your partner. That said, enjoying online co-op is significantly easier and perfect if you're i?n a long-distance relationship. Here are some great examples.

Don't Starve Together

The console edition of Don't Starve Together is a perfect way to enjoy a survival game without it becoming too intense. I have always loved the Tim Burton-esque design of the game's world, and the survival elements make it a unique experience. Don't fall for the cartoonish appearance of the threats, as they can be extremely dangerous. If the wild doesn't get you, hunger and thirst might. Don't Starve Together is an okay experience if played alone, but the fun beg??ins when playing with your loved one. There's an online co-op that works pretty seamlessl??y, and you can also enjoy different mods.

Spiritfarer

The co-op element in Spiritfarer is slightly limited, as one of you will be playing as Stella's cat, Daffodil. The main work must be done by Stella, the ferry master. However, your partner can help you complete certain mini-games and support you on your journey of ferrying the departed souls. Spiritfarer is the perfect casual experience?? that can be enjoyed by almost anyone (no need to be a pro gamer), and the couch co-op experience is pretty sweet.

The Dark Pictures Anthology

If you and your partner are strongly into horror movies, The Dark Pictures Anthology is a perfect set of?? stories to explore. Unlike horror movies, the two of you can control the decisions taken inside the games, taking turns in the Movie Night couch co-op mode to decide how the stories unfold. Out of the four stories, House of Ashes is by far the best one, so you should start with that episode. Apart from couch co-op, online multiplayer is available as well.

Overcooked 2

Too many cooks might not always spoil the broth, and you will find that out by playing Overcooked 2. In the sequel, you can play local co-op or switch to the online version if you and your partner have at least a few geographical miles in between. In Overcooked 2, you'll ?find out who is the better cook, as the objective is to score more than the other. Make sure not to become too competitive lest you want some unnecessary tension during Valentine's Week.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley might not have a local co-op, but it makes up for it with exceptionally satisfying gameplay, which can now be enjoyed with your friends and loved ones. In Stardew Valley, you can fish, farm, and socialize in the lovely location of Pelican Town, sharing a save with up to three more players. Just pay whether your partner is trying to grab the attention of one of the dateable N?PCs.

Raft

If you ever wondered what survival might have looked like for Robinson Crusoe (to some extent), Raft might be the perfect experience. Your only means of survival is expanding your raft. While you can enjoy the game with your special other, there's no couch co-op. However, the online co-op works pretty smoothly and allows you to bypass the limitations of a long-distance relationship. Raft is one of those few games that is extremely eas?y to learn, but the advanced concepts take time and effort (almost like a relationship).

Cuphead

Cuphead is a journey down nostalgia, as the esthetics and design elements of the cartoons from the 1930s heavily inspire it. With your partner, you can enjoy hand-drawn graphics and retro elements that are hardly seen in modern days. Cuphead is way more enjoyable if you play with your beloved using the local co-op function. The objective is to play as Mugman and Cuphead as you explore the world, acquire new weapons, and complete the different ??stages. It's a simple game to enjoy on Valentine's Day, and some sessions can be a blast.

The Forest

If you ever have the fear of getting stuck on an island full of cannibals with your beloved, The Forest helps you envision what might actually happen. Thankfully, death in a video game means nothing (unlike in real life), but playing together will certainly increase your chances. Together, you will find it easier to communicate, build, and survive the horror of the i??sland. There's no local co-op, which is perhaps the only negative aspect.

It Takes Two

It Takes Two is arguably my favorite co-op game to play with your partner. It's simple, colorful, and intense, as some puzzles are incredibly hard to solve unless you communicate well with your special other. An additional brownie point can also be awarded as you and your partner will play as husband and wife. A fun game, It Takes Two, is one of the best exampl?es of what a good loc?al co-op experience should be.

A Way Out

Before It Takes Two, we had A Way Out. By today's standards, the prison-escape simulator might feel a bit outdated in terms of graphics, but the gameplay remains evergreen. Unlike It Takes Two, you and your partner will have to help two prisoners escape the jail with the help of parkour-based moves. Thanks to split-screen co-op, the two of you can enjoy it all from th??e same cou??ch.

The post Best Co-op Games for Couples on PS5 appeared first on Destructoid.

Originally just a rumor, Sony has officially confirmed and announced that the next State of Play will be tomorrow, February 12, at 5 pm EST. According to Sony, its first State of Play for 2025 will run for over 40 minute?s and showcase a creative and unique selection of exciting games from studios around the world.

Length-wise, this puts tomorrow's State of Play about on par with Sony's most recent State of Play from September which ran just shy of 40 minutes and ended with the reveal of Ghost of Yotei. Other notable announcements from the September State of Play included the Monster Hunter Wilds release date which is now just around the corner on February 28, Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 and 2 Remastered which turned out quite good, the reveal of a Lunar Remastered Collection and a non-MMORPG ArcheAge game called ArcheAge Chronicles that looks pretty sick.

As for what we can expect tomorrow??, well, that's purely just speculation at this point. But I like to speculate. Sony never really talks about what's going to be included in its State of Plays—good call, why ruin the fun!—but it is always fun to talk about possible "Wh?at ifs".

For me, that would have to include something Bloodborne related. Look, I know, every year for the last decade we've tried to find ways to prove that the stars are aligned just right for some more eldritch goodness. But that's the important part this time: a whole decade. Next month Bloodborne celebrates its 10-year anniversary. And to add more fuel to the proverbial Yarnham bonfire, Sony has recently been issuing DMCAs to Bloodborne fan game?s and even fan-made patches, including one that simply enabled the popular? souls-like to run at 60fps.

This certainly isn't proof that some Bloodborne news is coming tomorrow, but it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to see? these timely DMCAs ahead? of any new announcements.

Look, Sony, at this point, I'll take anything. Just a morsel of content? A remaster with said 60 fps? A SEQUEL? Gah, I know, back to bed, Gra?ndpa.

But there's a chance, right?

Sony's State of Play will stream live on the PlayStation YouTube and Twitch channels tomorrow, ??February 12, starting at 5 pm ET. See?? you there!

The post Surprise! Sony’s Doing a State of Play Tomorrow and We’re All Secretly Hoping for some Bloodborne News appeared first on Destructoid.

While enjoying the Semine wedding as part of Wedding Crashers in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, He??nry is asked by a worried mother if he would mind taking her daughter Doubravka for a ?dance, even at the cost of his toes.

But did you know that, unlike Myshka, you can actually romance her during the celebration? Here's how to romance Doubravka in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

• Table of Contents:

  • How to unlock the Doubravka romance
  • Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Doubra?vka Romance Guide

How to unlock the Doubravka romance

During the wedding celebration, you can trigger the Doubravka objective and the ability to romance her in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 by heading to the secondary entr?ance to the Semine courtyard, which will prompt her mother to call you over. After talking to her and accepting her request, you will be able to talk to Doubravka by heading to the fireplace facing your position.

You can check out the exact spot ????where you can find Doubravka's mother below. The objective can be triggered from the moment you arrive at the party.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Doubravka romance guide

Once you talk to Doubravka, you will be able to romance her in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 by first having that dance. There's no way to mess up here, as even if you fail both of the optional stat checks during the conv?ersation, Doubravka will still agree to dance after having a cup of wine for courage. If you don't have wine with you, you will be able?? to get it by picking up any of the silver cups across the party.

After the dance, select "You dance like an elf (Lie)" while having a Persuasion stat of 11+. This is a must, as failing ??the check will lock you away from the romance. Now, simply wait for the ceremony to end and then talk to Doubravka ??again by the fireplace before selecting the following dialogue options:

• I'm listening > I like you too > I see. Let's go then
• I'm listening > I like you too > What do you want to show me? > Any sequence of options that are not refusals > Gladly

After romancing her, you can talk to Doubravka again for a disappointing truth regarding the encounter. Completing it will also allow you?? to enjoy the Time Well Spent buff and its +1 boost in Vitality, Agility, and Strength until the end of Wedding Crashers.

Now that you know how to romance Doubravka, don't forget to also check out how to haul sacks to the charcoal shed and complete From Whom the Bells Tollss quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

The post How to romance Doub?ravka in Ki??ngdom Come Deliverance 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

After interrogating the prisoner in Necessary Evil, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 players are given the choice to either withhold part of the truth or tell Otto von Bergow about the in??volvement of Olda Semine in the whole affair.

But as the choice can have huge repercussions, you should not take it lightly. Here's what will happen in all scenarios, as well as whether or not you should tell Otto von Bergow about Young Semine in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

• Table of Contents:

  • What happens if you tell von Bergow
  • What happens if you hide the truth
  • Sho??uld you tell von Bergow about Young Semine in Kingdo?m Come Deliverance 2?

What happens if you tell von Bergow

If you decide to tell von Bergow about Olda Semine's alliance with the bandits, the lord will assemble a party and send Henry, Hans, and Burgrave Hashek to Semine. Shortly after reaching their destination, Henry wi?ll then be given the choice to side with either Hashek or the Semines, as a fight becomes inevitable. Yo?u can check out what will happen in both cases below:

• If you side with the Semines (Select "Nothing is going to burn"): Henry and Hans will aid the Semines in the fight. After the fight and the deaths of both Hashek and his company, all parties will agree to hide the truth and the Semines will go into hiding following the burning of their fortress.
• If you side with Hashek (Select "I'm on your side"): After defeating Jan Semine and killing his soldiers, Hashek will go on a rampage and order his men to search the fortress for Olda while killing all in sight. After you arrest Olda, Hashek will then kill him and leave him to burn after setting the fortress on fire. If you choose to let Olda escape after confronting him, Hashek will turn against you before triggering a similar outcome to the above.

You won't need to pass any stat checks to lie to von Bergow about what happened at the fortress. But don't go trying to appeal to the lord's humanity after siding with the Semines, as revealing the truth about Hashek's death will see him sentence Henry to the gallows. This will unlock a h?idden "ending" where Henry is sentenced to death. His execution cutscene will then be followed by a standard game-over screen.

What happens if don't tell von Bergow

Contrary to the above, not telling von Bergow about ??Young Semine will skip?? the second portion of the Necessary Evil quest in its entirety and see the lord immediately start preparations for an attack on Nebakov Fortress. You will then immediately start the For Victory main quest.

Should you tell von Bergow about Young Semine in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2?

I believe withholding the truth and not telling von Bergow about Young Semine is the best choice here, as although Olda should be held accountable, the civilians in the fortress are inn?ocent. Doing that will also allow you to progress while keeping Hashek, his men, and all within Semine alive.

If you don't want to skip the eve??nt but still want the best possible outcome, siding with the Semines will save the most lives, as all the innocent within the fortress will be spared. I'm not gonna lie though, even if saving the people is the only right choice here, letting Olda go after learning of his crimes and lack of remorse will? still leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.

The post Should you tell Otto von Bergow about Young Semine in Kin?gdom Come Deliverance 2? appeared first on Destructoid.

If you choose to attend the Semine wedding with Radovan during Wedding Crashers in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Henry will be tasked with saving the ceremony by finding out the whereabouts of the recently forged wedding gift. To help you avoid a catastrophe, here's how to find the sword for Lord Semine's son in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

• Table of Contents:

  • How to find the young man dressed in yellow
  • How to find the sword for Lord S??emine's son in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

How to find the young man dressed in yellow

As part of the first sub-??objective, you must follow a clue by Radovan —who was too busy showing off to take proper care of the wedding gift�?and find a male guest dressed in yellow. To advance through the quest, talk to the man in the spot highlighted in the image below, found by the m?ain dining table.

After talking to him, head to the second floor of the ??cellar (the area where Gnarly will be hosting a fighting tournament) to find Hans, who will reveal that the Bailiff's son Svatopluk is the true culprit behind the crime. You can find him by a cart facing the musicians in the courtyard.

After talking to him, I was able to get Svatya to reveal the whereabouts of the sword by selecting '"Not even the bailiff's son will escape punishment." The option will?? demand a stat check, but don't worry, as your Charisma will be high enough to pull it off.

How to find the Sword for Lord Semine's son in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

As Svatya will reveal that he threw the present on the pond east of Semine, you can find the Sword for Young Lord Semine in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 by going through the door highlighted below —if you choose to help Myshka, she will most likely have shown you its location. From there, take a few steps inside the pond to find the submerged sword??.

Now that you have the sword return it to Radovan to progress through the quest and see the wedding. Funnily enough, and just like with Ambrose’s Broken Sword, you can actually skip the whole chain of events above by simply picking up the sword from the pond after Radovan tasks you with finding it. I don't recommend doing that, though, as those small interactions, in particular the one between Hans and Henry, are a big part of what makes Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 great.

The post How to find the sword for Lord Semine’s son in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

While returning to the Hermit after fulfilling Ambrose's last wish in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Henry meets a few Order of The Cross knights, who after claiming that Konrad is guilty of betraying the brotherhood,?? enlist him to help in their quest.

But should you turn your back on the hermit and aid the knights or fight by his side? And above all else, where does the truth lie? Here's whether you should kill or save Konrad the Hermit in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

• Table of Contents:

  • Should you kil??l or save Konrad the Hermit in King??dom Come Deliverance 2?
  • How to approach Konrad after you meet the knights
  • What do you get for saving the Hermit in KCD 2?

Should you kill or save Konrad the Hermit in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Although the choice will ultimately lie in how you want to play, I believe saving Konrad is both the right choice and the one that leads to the best outcome. The reason for that? He was indeed telling the truth and was only being hunted for discovering? the betrayal within the order.

Even though Konrad will claim the above during certain dialogues before and after facing the knights, you can get?? a clearer picture by reading his diary, located below a few sacks on th??e upper floor of his shack. Keep in mind that if the Hermit is saved, entering the shack will be considered trespassing.

How to approach Konrad after you meet the knights

After meeting the knights and either agreeing or being coerced to help, Konrad will be waiting for you with his crossbow at the ready. To approach him successfully and unlock the ability to save him, you must stop moving at the moment he tells you to and then hold? "Look" before selecting "Try to get answers" and "I am not your enemy."

Once he agrees to talk, wait for Konrad to put away his crossbow before resuming and heading towards him. This is a must, as even if you did receive the go-ahead, moving forward before he holsters the weapon will cause him to become hostile. To save Konrad, simply talk to him again, select "I'll help yo??u," and defeat? the knights.

What do you get for saving the Hermit in KCD 2?

Apart from finally being given the location of Ambrose's Broken Sword —which, funnily enough, can be acquired from the get-go if you manage to stumble upon it�?saving the Hermit in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 will prompt him to offer to reward you for your help. Should you accept, Henry will receive 85 Groschen. You wil?l also be able to get a good amount of items by looting the bodies of the fallen knights, including an Order of the Cross Knight Shield and a lot of valuables worth good sums when resold.

Now that you have everyt?hing you need, simply head back to Radovan to forge The Hermit's Sword and get one step closer to th?e main portion of the Wedding Crashers quest.

The post Should you kill or save?? Konrad the? Hermit in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Having a torch at hand is an absolute must when exploring the world in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, as even if we ignore how dark nighttime i??s, Henry must use it to avoid trouble while passing by settlements and towns after sundown.

But how exactly can you equip and use your torch? Here's how to easily get, equip, and use a torch in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and if there are any alternatives to it.

How to equip and use a torch in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

After getting a torch by either looting corpses or from pretty much any merchant in the game, you can equip it in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 by heading to your inventory screen and selecting it. Once the torch is equipped, you will be able to use it by holding down on your D-pad (consoles) or R (mouse + keyboard) until the torch gauge at the bottom of your screen fills up??. No matter how much you use it, your torch will not go off.

As the torch will occupy one of your hands, it is not recommended to use it when in do-or-die situations. To go aro?und that and get a higher boost in visibility at no drawback, use either a Weak Nighthawk or a Nighthawk potion. As we mentioned early on, make sure to also remember that to avoid getting into the guard's bad side, you must have your torch equipped at all times while passing through citi??es at night.

How to get the recipes for the Nighthawk and Weak Nighthawk potions

The quickest way to get the Nighthawk recipe in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 can be done by purchasing it from Aranka at the Nomad's camp. The camp will be located in the westmost portion of the Trosky region and cost 164 Groschen. She will ??also sell the Nighthawk potions for 36.9G if you are short on cash. After getting the recipe, you will be able to make each potion by gathering 2x Eyebright, 1x Belladonna, and 1x Chamomile. If you want to pay a little more for the same product, the Apothecary will also sell the recipe.

Now that you know how to equip and use a torch in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, I also highly recommend that you check out How to play Dice in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 for a cons??istent and handy amount o??f gold early on.

The post ?How to equip and use a to??rch in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

For many their first, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 players can ?get their hands on the Drowner's treasure map after discovering the tragic fate of two hired hands at Rocktower Pond.

But as expected, the makeshift map will be lacking a lot and instead, will offer only a cryptic look at the treasure's location. Here's where to find the Drowner's Map treasure in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. If you have yet to get the map, you can also check out its exact ?location by heading further down.

• Table of Contents:

  • Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Drowner's Map t?reasure location
  • Where to find the Drowner's Map

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Drowner's Map treasure location

You can find the Drowner's Map treasure —also known as the Water Goblin's treasure�?in KCD 2 by heading to a shore northeast of Nomads' Camp and parallel with the Water Goblin's Hut. To unlock the pin for the latter, just talk with Innkeeper Lawrence at Zhel?ejov Wagoners' ??Inn and ask about the news within the area.

To reach the treasure quickly, head to Nomads' Camp and follow the path leading west before crossing the forest toward the trail north of it. You can also easily reach the path by heading west from Bozhena's Meadow. Once at the shore, simply follow it until you spot the vase below, which will house the treasure. Don't worry, as unlike what i??t's hinted to ??have happened to the farm hands, I don't believe the Water Goblin will come after you for getting it.

Where to find and how to get the Drowner's Map

You can get the Drowner's Map in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 by looting a black sack on the Bathing Spot's pier, located in the spot marked below. The sack will also house 3x Fine Wine bottles, 1x Roast Duck, and 138 Gro?schen. Although you can easily reach the area by fast traveling to Rocktower Pond and then following the path on the right, those who have yet to discover the area can reach it by heading east from Nomads' Camp. You can check out the Bathing Spot's exact location below:

If you are not opposed to the idea, looting the body of the hired hand left from the pier can also net you 6.9 Groschen, as well as one Shrinking die and one? Carpenter's badge of advantage, the latter which can help make up for the treasure's lack of items. Keep in mind that doing so will be considered a crime.

The post How to find the Drowner’s Map treasure in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

To the delight of all looking to fast travel early on, Minecraft allows players to boost their minecart speed from the known value of eight? bl??ocks per second to a striking and honestly game-breaking 1,000.

But contrary to what you might think, doing that won't demand the use of outlandish rail compositions. Instead, it's possible by completing a series of requirements before utilizing a very specific command. Here's how to change the speed of your minecarts in Minecraft, no matter if you are playing alone or?? on a server with friends.

How to change your minecart speed in Minecraft

You can change the speed of your minecarts in Minecraft by heading to Edit G??ame Rules while creating your world and toggling on Allow Commands. Make sure to also head to Experiments and enable Minecart Improvements. After doing the above and creating your world, you will be able to change the maximum speed of your minecarts to any value up to 1,000 blocks per second by doing the following:

• Open the in-game chat
• Type /minecartMaxSpeed plus your desired speed or [<value>] (ex: /minecartMaxSpeed 1000)

If playing in a multiplayer server you did not crea?te, you will only be able to activate the commands after attaining a high enough permission level (in this case Operator). To do that, the server's administrators mu??st click on the icon next to your profile (which showcases your rank) and then enable the use of Operator Commands.

At the time of writing, the code can only be used when playing the Java? version of the game, which means that ??those playing on Bedrock will have to either wait a little longer or try to get the most out of their carts in the usual way.

How to make minecarts faster on Minecraft Bedrock

Although their speed will still pale in comparison to that of the Ice Boats, you can boost the speed of your minecarts while playing Minecraft Bedrock by using both the environment and the right types of rails. More specifically, I recommend?? adding Powered Rails at key spots throughout your tracks, all while relying on drops for a natural boost in mome?ntum. Ideally, you want to have a few Powered Rails within every 25 to 30 blocks or after each descent.

You can make sets of six Powered Rails in Minecraft by gathering 6x Gold Ingots, 1x Stick, and 1x Redstone Dust before placing them in a 3-2-3 formation on your crafting gr?id. The Stick must then be placed above the stone, in the middle of the grid.

The post How to change minecart speed in Minecraft appeared first on Destructoid.

To the delight of all who already uncovered everything within Citadelle des Morts, Black Ops 6 Season 2 brought to the game a new Zombies map in The Tomb, which did not disappoint regarding ??both its difficulty and amount of easter eggs.

That of course, makes knowing where to find all of its items a must. Here's where to find all Perk-a-Cola machines and traps, as well as the locations of all armor and weapon wall buy stations in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 The Tomb.

• Table of Contents:

  • All armor locations in The Tomb
  • All weapon locations in The Tomb
  • All Perk-a-Cola locations in BO6 Zombies The Tomb
  • All trap locations

All armor wall buy locations in The Tomb

From the get-go, you will be able to find the wall buy station for the Rare armor vest by heading north from The Tomb's spawning point. As you can see below, the wall buy will be ??easy to spot and?? be located on a makeshift mural facing the center of the site.

The Epic (Purple) Wall Buy station can then be found by headi??ng to the map's eastmost portion, more specifically to the Subterranean Temple area. Once there, the wall buy can be found on a pillar close to the center. To make the most of your money, I recommend that you purchase the rare vest before heading here and only commit to th?e purple one after Pack-a-Punching your weapon.

If you feel you need extra protection, you can unlock the Golden Vest Wall Buy as a reward by completing all Blood Sacrifice challenges after acquiring the two statue heads. Once unlocked, the Wall Buy station will be located close to the map's Exfil Point and be available for free. You can check out where to find the statue heads and how to complete all challenges in our How to unlock the Golden Armor Plate?s Egg in BO6 Zombies guide.

All weapon locations in The Tomb

You can f??ind six weapon wall buy stations in The Tomb, with the first one (housing the Marine SP Shotgun) being found at the highest point of the Dig Site, more specifically by right of both bull monument and the map's eventua??l Exfill Point.

From the area above, you will be able to find the stations for the Tanto .22 and Kompakt 92 in th?e Tombs and Neolithic Catacombs areas respectively. Once in either area, you will be able to spot their set wall?? buy station by staying close to its center.

The map's remaining three weapon stations —featuring t??he AK-74, XM4, and the GPMG-7�?can then be found in the Shrine of Hierophants, Ossuary, and Subterranean Temple areas respectively. While th??e LMG can be easily spotted facing the main portal to the Dark Aether Rift, the ones housing the assault rifles will be placed on walls outside of your main path.

All Perk machine locations in Black Ops 6 The Tomb

You can find vending machines for the Death Perception, Stamin-Up, PhD-Flopper, Deadshot Daiquiri, Speed Cola, Quick Revive, and Jugger-Nog Perk-a-Colas while exploring The Tomb. Once you reach the upper rounds, a Der Wunderfi??zz machine will also become available. You can check out where to find each of them below:

PhD-Flopper location

The first Perk-a-Cola you will get access to, you can find the PhD-Flopper machine right by the Neolithic Catacombs gate, located on the south portion of the Dig Site (the spawn area). If you want to use Mustang and Sally, make sure to grab this perk eventually for its ability to nullify explosive da?mage.

Deadshot Daiquiri and Speed Cola locations

One of the easiest to spot among the map's selection, you can find the Deadshot Daiquiri machine at the en?trance of the Neolithic Catacombs area. There's no secret here, as the machine will be pretty much facing the area's main entrance.

The third Perk you can come across if you choose to follow the pathway sou??th, you can spot the Speed Cola machine by a broken wall on the southmost portion of the Ossuary. The machine will be hard to miss given it's?? proximity to the gate connecting the area to the Subterranean Temple.

Death Perception and Stamin-Up locations

If you?? choose to follow the northern path, you will be able to spot the Stamin-Up machine by the entrance of the Tombs area. The machine will be located close to both the Tanto .22 weapon wall buy and an Ammo Cache.

The Stamin-Up machine can be found within the Shrine of Hierophants. Once in the area, you will be able to spot it in the spot highlighted below??, facing a Gooblegum Machine. This perk is also a must-have, as it will boost your movement speed.

Quick Revive location

A game-changing pick when in a team, you can find the Quick Revive Perk-a-Cola machine on the opposing end of The Tomb's map, more specifically behind the altar in th?e Subterranean Temple area.

Jugger Nog and Der Wunderfizz locations

The Tomb's final two, you can find both the Jugger-Nog and t??he Der Wunderfizz machines in the Dark Aether Nexus. Once inside, you will be able to find the former atop a rock formation in the map's westmost portion, close to the yellow portal leading to the Shrine of Hierophants.

The Der Wun??derfizz machine, on the other hand, can be found on the eastmost portion of the nexus, facing the green portal leading to the Ossuary. As always, the vending machine will only become available after you reach the 25th round. The price of the Perks within it will increase per purchase.

All trap locations in Black Ops 6 The Tomb

You can find four series of arrow traps while exploring The Tomb, with two of them being located on t??he Ossuary and the reaming being found in the pathways connecting the Tomb to the Shrine of Hierophants and the Shrine of Hierophants t??o the Subterranean Temple respectively. You can check out the exact locations of each of them below.

Now that you know where to find all purchasable items within the map, I also highly recommend checking out how to unlock all Easter Eggs and secrets in Black Ops 6 The Tomb.

The post All weapon, perk, armor, and trap ??locations in Black Ops 6 The?? Tomb appeared first on Destructoid.

The history of gaming is filled with twists, a fascinating tale of ‘what ifs�?and ‘maybes�?that has culminated in the current console wars and exclusivity rights. One of the ‘what ifs�?comes in the form of the ‘Nintendo PlayStation�? and it really is a rabbit hole of a story.&nbs??p;

It’s jarring, isn’t it? To see the Super Nintendo controller with the PlayStation branding that we’ve now all come to know so well. How did it get there, and why? Here’s everything you could ever want to know about the sordid tale of the doomed Nint??endo P?layStation.

The birth (and death) of the Nintendo PlayStation

Back in the late 1980s (1988, to be precise) Sony and Nintendo were actually working together very well. Sony were working on not only a standalone CD based add-on for the Super Nintendo, but also a hybrid console that would combine both formats. It seemed like a good idea, ?at the time, and around 200 prototypes of this dual console were created. 

But then things went horribly wrong, and the exact story varies depending on where you get it from. Either way, some things are known for certain. On June 1, 1991, Sony announced that they would be working on a CD add-on for the Super Nintendo at Summer CES. The very next day, in an act of betrayal that must have really pinched, Nintendo announced that the company would rather partner with Philips to create this add-on??.&nbsp;

Nintendo apparently grew concerned that they were being u?sed as a ‘prop�?in Sony’s ambitions for a console release, and had uncovered ?details that warned of Sony’s intention to take all of the profits, but that’s never quite been entirely confirmed. 

As a result, most of the prototype consoles were destroyed, and ot??hers were lost to history for a very long time, but more on that la??ter. 

Whatever happened to the Philips CD-i?

Though the partnership between Philips and Nintendo didn’t actually get off the ground and produce a joint console, Philips were left with the rights to create Nintendo video games. They used these rights to create games for the already existing Compact Disk Interactive, otherwise? known as the CD-i. 

Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it before. While the CD-i itself was around for almost a decade, the gaming aspect was doomed and short lived. Only four games were ever released for the platform (Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda’s Adventure, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Hotel Mario) with two further cancelled titles (Super Mario’s Wacky Worlds and Mario Takes America) rounding up the total number of releases for this ill-?fated platform to six. 

The rediscovery of the PlayStation Nintendo

This is where the story takes a fortunate and fascinating turn. One of the prototype consoles had escaped being destroyed, and was instead stored away by former Sony CEO Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson when he became a Boa?rd of Director member at Advanta. There it remaine?d, until 2009. 

When Advanta filed for bankruptcy, all of the company’s former property was included in a bankruptcy auction and a former worker named Terry Diebold decided to pick up a few lots, mainly because he wanted some tableware that took his fancy. Unbeknownst to him, Terry paid $75 USD for a lot that included a long-lost piece of gaming history. 

But he ha?d no idea what he’d stumbled ??upon, and put it into his attic for six years. 

It was only when Terry’s son, Daniel, found the console in his fath?er’s attic that news of its discovery came to light, with Daniel posting a short clip to YouTube shortly after to prove its existence. 

The Diebolds then handed the PlayStation Nintendo prototype off to Benjamin Heckendorn, otherwise known as Ben Heck Hacks on YouTube, trusti?n??g his extensive knowledge of console restoration to get the prototype working again. And get it working he did. 

So now we have a PlayStation Nintendo prototype that will run Nintendo Ca?rtridges and Audio CDs, but what happened next?

Where is the Nintendo PlayStation now?

After touring the world with their fascinating discovery, the Diebolds eventually decided to put the Nintendo PlayStation up for auction via Heritage Auctions, a well known online collectibles auctioneer. Interest was high, understandably, but the prototype eventually sold on March 6, 2020, for $360,000 USD including fees. Not much, considering the Terry Diebold's claim that he turned down an offer of £1.2 million a few years before. A bargain, by all accounts.

It was purchased by Californian Greg McLemore, an entrepreneur who is most known for founding both pets.com and toys.com, websites that are now defunct. It seems like an odd choice of purchase for the man, but it turns out that McLemore is an avid collector and cataloger of arcade and video game history, running the online site Arcade Museum since 2000. 

And, as far as anyone knows, the Nintendo PlayStation is still in his hands. You can still see the prototype on the Museum of Obsolete Technology page of the aforementioned website. 

The Nintendo PlayStation timeline

Don’t worry if you’re a little bit confus??ed by this perplexing winding tale. Here’s ??the full timeline, condensed:

Legacy and influence on modern gaming

Despite their disastrous collaboration with Nintendo, Sony persevered and released the PlayStation 1 in 1994. In a turn of events that has probably been a thorn in N?intendo’s side ever since, the console sold more than twice as many unit?s than the Nintendo 64, which was released two years later. 

I think it’s safe to say that PlayStation has had a choke hold on the gaming sphere ever since, and w?e’re now on the fifth iteration of the console, with no signs of slowing down. This begs the question of what could have been had this collaboration been not doomed to fail?

Without focusing too much on the simple fact that PlayStation exists, I think it’s useful to consider the other influence that PlayStation has had on the gaming industry. Console wars between Sony and Microso?ft have driven development of newer, more powerful consoles for decades now, and that shows no sign of changing any time soon. 

While it’s understandable to wonder about what could have been, it’s?? perhaps a good thing that the Nintendo and Sony collaboration never actually materialized into anything. The gaming industry would likely be a vastly different place if it had, and with all of the incredible releases that have come in the last 30 years, I for one ?happen to quite like it just the way it is. 

The post A brief history of the Nintendo PlayStation appeared first on Destructoid.

A feature that revitalized the game and brought its community together like never before, MK1 players can unlock? an ??exclusive stage by finding and defeating the pink ninja Floyd. But as you can expect, unlocking the fight won't be as simple as getting a 25-win streak.

So that you can add the game's most breathtakingly impractical stage (really, just try facing Cyrax on it) to your collection, here's how to find Floyd and unlock the Field in Mortal Kombat 1.

How to Unlock the Floyd Secret Fight in MK1

As revealed by the community and confirmed by modder and dataminer thethiny, you can unlock the Floyd fight in Mortal Kombat 1 by completing ten challenges among a series of 37. You will know you completed a challenge once a small Pink Floyd icon appears on the side of your screen, followed by its signature guitar riff. The thing is, there's no way to know wh??ich ten will trigger the notifications for you, as each player will be given a random selection.

You can check out all of the challenges below, based on how they are listed in thethiny's Floyd Challenges spreadsheet and organized by whether or not t?hey demand specific characters.

Once you go through the list and unlock you?r 10th Floyd notification, you will either immediately face Floyd or be able to trigger the fight by starting a Player vs CPU battle. To make the process easier, I recommend com?pleting as many tasks as possible while in local Player vs Player. Leaving the non-playable character-locked challenges for last is also a must here if you want to face Floyd with your main duo.

How to Defeat Floyd and Get The Field Stage in Mortal Kombat 1

After triggering the fight, you can defeat Floyd by making the most out of your chances and focusing on blocking until you spot an opening. When the opportunity does show itself, make sure to get the most out of it, as Floyd will have access to caff??eine-infused versions of many ninja moves and won't hesitate to use them to either mix you up or catch you whiffing. On the bright side, once in a combo, his lack of a Kameo won't allow him to break it.

To make the fight easier, I recommend using your first try to get the hang of the battle. Remember, you will have three chances to defeat Floyd. There's also no need to worry if you cannot do it, as losing will refresh your challenges and give you another random sel??ection.

Can you unlock Floyd as a playable character?

Floyd cannot be unlocked as a playable character in Mortal Kombat 1.?? But that does not mean you won't be able to flaunt your achievements when in competitive matches, as defeating him will reward you with a few Floyd-themed Pallets for both Kameo Scorpion and Sub-Zero, as well as a few themed banners (aka Kombat Cards).

The post MK1 Flo?yd Guide: How to find Floyd and unlo??ck the Field stage in Mortal Kombat 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

The first triple-A Bleach game to be released since Soul Resurrection graced the PlayStation 3 in 2011, Bleach Rebirth of Souls promises to add a new spin to the arena fighter genre. But while the game is set to follow the story from the Agent of the Shinigami to the end of the Arrancar arc, many are left wondering if their favorites made the cut. Here are all the playable characters confirmed to be featured in Bleach Rebirth of Souls.

Bleach Rebirth of Souls full character list

At the time of writing, a total of 27 characters have been confirmed to be featured in Bleach Rebirth of Souls, with Shuhei Hisagi being its latest addition. Keep in mind that the list here is far from final??, as staple characters like Orihime Inoue and major antagonists such as the remaining Espadas are still nowhere to be seen. You can check out the full list of confirmed characters below.

• Ichigo Kurosaki
• Ichigo Kurosaki (Bankai)
• Rukia Kushiki
• Uryū Ishida
• Biyakuya Kuchiki
• Yoruichi Shihōin
• Yasutora Sado
• Kisuke Urahara
• Gin Ichimaru
• Rangiku Matsumoto
• Tōshirō Hitsugaya
• Kenpachi Zaraki
• Ulquiorra Cifer
• Kaname Tōsen
• Suì-Fēng
• Renji Abarai
• Izuru Kira
• Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck (Nel Tu)
• Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
• Mayuri Kurotsuchi
• Sosuke Aizen
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto
• Shinji Hirako
• Szayelaporro Granz
• Shunsui Kyōraku
• Sajin Komamura
• Shuhei Hisagi

You can check out the individual trailers for all of the characters above by heading to the official Bandai Namco Entertainment A?merica YouTube channel. They can also be found on the game's Steam page, as well as by visiting its official profile on X (formally Twitter).

Will Rebirth of Souls have characters from TYBW?

As revealed in the game's System Overview Trailer, characters from the Thousand-Year Blood War arc are confirmed to be arriving as part of its first Season Pass. The Season Pass will feature four additions, but no details regarding who they are have been revealed or leaked. So don't lose hope if, like me, you would love to see Rukia's Bankai and Ichigo's True Bankai outside of Jump Force.

When will Bleach Rebirth of Souls be released?

Bleach Rebirth of Souls is set to be released on March 21, 2025, for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam). Unlike Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, those who purchase the game's Deluxe and Ultimate edi??tions will not be able to play early via early access. Instead, you will get access to all Season Pass charact?ers and will be able to take them to the field one week early.

Those who purchase the editions will also receive a few Soul ?Crystals and the Thousand-Year Blood War Costume Set. As far as pre-orders go, guaranteeing your copy? will also give you access to the TYBW costumes for Hitsugaya and Yoruichi.

The post Bleach Rebirth of Souls full ??character list: All confirmed ?characters appeared first on Destructoid.

Ubisoft has confirmed that the Japanese version of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be cen??sored in some areas to comply with the regional rating organization CERO. The game initially received a "Z" ??rating from CERO, which ensured that it would have been illegal to sell the game to anyone under the age of 18.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Japan censorship explained

In a statement trans?lated on X, Ubisoft claims that "there are some differences in the in-game content of the version sold in Japan in order to c??omply with the regulations of the reviewing organization," referring to CERO.

"The option to switch dismemberment on and off has been removed from the game settings, and now dismembering the heads and limbs of enemies w??hile playing is permanently disabled. The way severed body parts are depicted has also been changed." This will be a huge disappointment to players in Japan who were looking forward to this element of the game, although the rest of the world remains unaffected, with the option to toggle dismemberment intact.

That's not all, though. Interestingly, "the representation of some Japanese voices played?? in the overseas versions (North America and Europe) has been changed." Ubisoft was light on details regarding this, so it remains to be seen what has specifically changed here.

Assassin's Creed Shadows finally takes the long-running series to feudal Japan, arguably one of the most requested periods since the series' inception. On the surface, the two seem to be a match made in heaven, returning back to the RPG formula after the back-to-basics approach of the previous game, Assassin's Creed Mirage.

The road to Shadows has been fraught with controversy, namely multiple delays that have halted the hype somewhat. Still, hands-on previews of Assassin's Creed Shadows have been l?argely positive, offering hope that Ubisoft may have stuck the landing on this one.

The post Ubisoft confirms Japan version of Assassin’s Creed Shadows to be censored appeared first on Destructoid.

Astra-nomical Moment just debuted, bringing to Zenless Zone Zero the long-??aw?aited arrival of Astra Yao, Ridu's biggest superstar and the first member of the Stars of Lyra to join the game.

However, given how her banner will be immediately followed by Evelyn's, many players currently find themselves in the all too common Gacha conundrum. After all, should you try to get Astra or save your pulls for her manager? Here's whether you should pull for Astra Yao or save for Evelyn in Zenless Zone Zero 1.5.

• Table of Contents:

  • Reasons to pull for Astra Yao
  • Reasons to pull for Evelyn
  • Should you pull for Astra Yao or save for Evelyn?

Reasons to pull for Astra Yao in ZZZ

Before heading any further, it is vital to understand what Astra and Evelyn bring to the table, starting with the former, who joined Caesar as one of the game's most adaptable top-tier supports. The reason for that? Her ability to provide your DPS with up to 1,200 ATK, as well as the whole team with a 20% DMG and 30% CRIT DMG increase once at Idyllic Cadenza. The universal buffs above and her attribute of choice also make Astra one of the best overall supports for Miyabi, as well as by far the best for Zhu Yuan.

To top that off, Astra can also provide a good amount of healing with her Ultimate, Fantasian Sonata. Unlike Caesar, she is also not dependent on her ?signature W-Engine and has in both Soukaku's Bashfull Demon and Lucy's Kaboom the Cannon great alternatives. Nicole's The Vault can also be a great fit if fully overclocked.

Reasons to pull for Evelyn

An agent that shines on quick rotations, Evelyn will take on Soldier 11's spot as the game's best Fire DPS via her higher damage ceiling and ability to both boost her Crit Rate by 25% when in Burning Seal and her Chain Attack and Ultimate DMG by up to 30% via her Core Passive. If her Crit Rate value goes above 80% at any time, her Additiona?l Ability will then boost the damage of her Chain Attack and Ultimate by another 125%. The latter is huge, as she has in her Ultimate both her biggest strength and the foundation of her kit.

Even if Astra will be her BIS support, the way Evelyn's Additional Ability can be triggered by any Stun or Support makes her extremely friendly when the subject is team building. For example, you will be able to get a lot of her, no matter if you have her premier team (Lighter and Astra) or Anby and Lucy. If you manag??ed to get Marcato Desire during 1.4, you will also already have the best A-Rank W-Engine for her in your arsenal.

Should you pull for Astra Yao or save for Evelyn in Zenless Zone Zero?

I believe that her Astra Yao's versatility makes her the better pick of the two, even more so if you don't have an S-Tier support (aka Caesar). The way she has everything to stay relevant in future patches also played a huge role here, as no matter how great Evelyn is, both Miyabi and no?w Silver Soldier - Anby showcased how HoYoverse is not aversed to power-creeping recently released S-Rankers.

The post Should you pull for Astra Y??ao or?? save for Evelyn in Zenless Zone Zero 1.5? appeared first on Destructoid.

Not many can say this, but I immigrated to Canada and then moved back to England 16 years later, and m??an, that can cause issues for your games collection. It's been a nightmare after trading in all of my beloved PS2 games and special edition Mario Game Boy Advance as a kid all that time ago, and now returning to the United Kingdom with my PlayStation Plus selection from Canada.

You can't change regions for your games collection

Time after time, I come across the same issue. After more than a decade of using the same PlayStation Network account, I can't change my region from Canada to the United Kingdom. That means, if I make a new account, I'll lose access to all the PlayStation Plus games and the save data I've acquired through all that time. Annoyingly, I can't use?? my British debit card on my Canadian account so to keep playing my games: I need to get PSN credit through a website like CDKeys (and then use a VPN to access the credit I need) or ask a fri??end to get a code for me. Unfortunately, my Nintendo account doesn't allow me to switch regions either.

Additionally, transferring money from my UK bank to a Canadian account is costly, leading to many annoyances to keep my subscription going in Canada while living in t??he ??United Kingdom. It would be far easier to just be able to switch the region rather than going through all this hassle. After many years of purchasing games through PlayStation and Nintendo's services, these companies should return the favour.

The accounts are not the only issue when you switch countries. Many systems used to be region-locked, so all of your retro games will likely not work overseas unless they get modded. Thankf??ully, that's not the case anymore with th?e big three systems and PC.

I had to buy Kingdom Hearts HD ReMIX three times before my saves worked again

One annoying issue I found in my gaming journey after moving to the United Kingdom is some of my game saves. No matter how many times I reinstalled Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX on my PS5 with a UK disc, I couldn't get my saves to work. After the collec?tion was removed from PlayStation Plus, it was a big hassle.

I decided after the physical version didn't work, I'd get a digital copy from the UK PlayStation Store. Unfortunately, that didn't work either. To get my saves to finally work, I had to buy a Canadian version of the game digitally, and even then, it was a struggle for t??he PS5 to recognize I wanted the North American copy to boot up. I thought I lost hu??ndreds of hours of save data but I finally prevailed after many attempts.

Overall, it should be easier for customers to keep their content, no matter where they live. That's one of the dan?gers of keeping your library digital because you never ??know if you're going to lose your games.

The post Want to keep your games collection? Don’t move countries like me appeared first on Destructoid.

Astarion is one of the most popular companions in Baldur's Gate 3. You'll likely meet him ear??ly in your adventure, a Rogue whose tongue is as fast as his sword. One ?thing's for sure: you want to keep Astarion around.

Astarion has one distinct advantage as a Rogue over other Baldur's Gate 3 characters. Whether you're playing as him or bringing him along as a companion, Astarion can choose up to four feats as ??he levels up, while others only get three. These feats ??come at Levels 4, 8, 10, and 12 for Rogues.

But which ones should you be taking for your playthrough? We're going to take a look at the best feats for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, to make sure you get yo?ur Rog??ue build just right.

Best feats for Rogue Astarion in BG3

When looking at the best feats for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, we'll highlight the four you should take throughout your playthrough. There are so many BG3 feats that these four aren't the only ones you can take, so we'll also include some honorable mentions that also work pre??tty ??well for an Astarion run.

Here's a quick summary of the ??four feats we recommend taking for Astarion th?at focus on maximizing his damage as a stealthy sharpshooting rogue:

• Ability Improvement (Dexterity)
• Sharpshooter
• Dual Wielder
• Mobile

The priority with these feats is to create a ranged Astarion BG3 buil?d. In the?? late game, this can result in some pretty crazy damage with the right feats in place.

Ability Improvement feat for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

With four feats to choose from, you should always be taking Ability Improvement. Usually, for a Rogue, you'd dump the extra two points here into Dexterity, allowing you to take advantage of Stealth skills and giving you a bonus for abilities such as Sleight of Hand. Once you combine this with various items later in your playthrough, you'll start having noticeably high Initiative and success with stealth kill??s.

We'd recommend taking Ability Improvement for your Level 4 feat in Baldur's Gate 3. Astarion will reap the benefits if you take this one as early as you possibly can. Ability Improvement is one of those skills that will almost a??lways help you, particularly in the early game when you have limited access to build-defining equipment.

Sharpshooter feat for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

Any Astarion build in BG3 isn't complete without taking the Sharpshooter feat. It makes him an absolute menace from range, and removing penalties from low ground is just overpowered. Make no mistake - if you choose Sharpshooter as one of your feats for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, you should switch primarily to ranged attacks.

You should take Sharpshooter as your Level 8 feat for Astarion. The -5 penalty to Attack Roles can be negated by high Dexterity if you took Abil??ity Improvement earlier, and the extra 10 damage is an enormous buff in exchange.

Dual Wielder feat for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

When you're really starting to hone your Astarion build in Baldur's Gate 3, we'd definitely recommend Dual Wielder. This feat will allow you to dual-wield crossbows, which, when combined with your previous two feats, makes Astarion a damage-dealing machine. The +1 bon??us to Armour Class isn't too shabby, either.

Dual Wielder is a Baldur's Gate 3 feat you should take for ??Astarion at L??evel 10. The previous two are so beneficial early that you'll see more rewards from taking them first. Dual Wielder is great, but it's quite a specialist feat.

Dual Wielding is also helpful if you pick up rare or legendary weapons later in your playthrough. Throughout BG3, particularly in Act Three, you'll have numerous opportunities to pick up valuable items that synergize will ??with each other. Being able to dual-wield these will eliminate the struggle of choosing while enabling these synergies. As a bonus, it's a fun option if you want to turn Astarion into a cool-looking Gloomstalker Rogue or?? a stealthy thief.

Mobile feat for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

The Mobile feat is one of the best for players who enjoy the stealthy aspects of a Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion playthrough. It's commonly used alongside Dash to avoid Opportunity Attacks as you maneuver around the battlefield, then Cunning ??Action: Hide to go into Steal??th mode.

Regardless of Astarion's subclass and build, Mobile gives you a way to go in and out of combat with minimal risk. While it's usually best to stick to the backlines and fire away at your enemies, they'll often Misty Step next to you unexpectedly. Having a way to quickly run away and slip back into the shadows can h??elp in a sticky situation. Similarly, if you need to step up to the frontline for an attack, you can dash back into the backline without disengaging.

When using Mobile as part of that combination, Astarion can pop in and out of stealth during combat, dealing massive damage b??efore slipping away into the night. Even for ranged characters, Mobile is great for simply repositioning quickly without taking tons of damage. Grab this feat at Level 12 - it shouldn't be an early priority, but it's worth having.

Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion feats - honorable mentions

The four feats above aren't the only viable ones for an Astarion playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3. Here are some honorable mentions you can use, even if you're not emb??racing the range-heavy build we recom?mended above.

Although these feats are primarily used in?? specific builds or in niche situations, they still have their uses even in more popular Astarion Rogue builds. Let's talk about each feat in more detail.

Alert feat benefits

When playing Astarion as an Assassin Rogue, Alert is a fan??tastic skill for gaining Initiative and avoiding surprise. By default, his Initiative is already high with his Dexterity, but Alert gives you that extra edge that almost guarantees he goes first. Considering an Assassin Rogue's purpos?e is to get quick kills on surprised opponents, this feat works perfectly with it.

Crossbow Expert feat benefits

Remember when I mentioned dual-wielding crossbows earlier? Rather than taking Sharpshooter to remove High Ground penalties, grabbing Crossbow Expert can provide just as many, if not more, benefits. Any time you attack ?with a crossbow in melee range, you'll no longer have Disadvantage, making you much more likely to land your shots. The feat also buffs Gaping Wounds, causing your enemy to take additional Piercing damage.

Lucky feat benefits

Another risky but interesting choice is Lucky. Every time you Long Rest, you'll gain three charges of Luck Points, which you can spend to gain Advantage on Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, or Saving Throws. If you're having a tough time in combat??, you can also use it to make an enemy reroll their Attack Rolls.

Ideally, if you h?ave a strong build for Astarion using other feats, you won't be in too many situations where you have to reroll your dice. Sometimes, though, it's nice to have another shot at increasing your damage or potentially saving yourself from certain death. If you often fall victim to low rolls l??ike I do, having that little luck boost can be handy, especially if you accidentally fumble a sneak attack or need to save an Honour Mode run.

Savage Attacker feat benefits

Savage Attacker is for anyone who prefers Astarion as a melee, dagger-wield??ing assassin who lurks in the shadows. If you have a weak frontline and need additional support from someone who can slip in and out of combat, Savage Attacker on Astarion lets you roll twice for every melee at?tack he initiates. Although a ranged build is generally safer for most Rogue builds, melee can do some wild damage with the right weapons and feats.

Tough feat benefits

Last but not least is Tough, a feat that gives you more health per level. This one is the simplest of the bunch: Astarion will gain HP every time he levels up, making him slightly harder to kill. Typically, Astarion focuses on stealthy combat and maneuvering in the world, making him ?less likely to receive damage than your frontline or anyone that can taunt a crowd.

However, this one is slightly more effective in a melee Rogue build, especially if you pick up feats like Savage Attacker and Dual Wielder. If you'??re going full Assassin Astarion and want to prioritize sneak attacking, other feats that complement this build will ??help you more.

Astarion's role in combat

As a Rogue, Astarion has two primary purposes depending on his role: stay in the backl?ine and snipe down foes from afar, or sneak behind enemy lines and quietly eliminate their backline. Whether you go a ranged or melee build will significantly influence this.

Generally speaking, ranged is the way to go, especially if you're focusing on an Assassin Astarion build. Using feat benefits from Sharpshooter and wielding two ranged (or melee) weapons using Dual Wielder will help you one-shot most enemies, especially as you advance later in Baldur's Gate 3 and improve your Dexterity. Astarion also?? has high Initiative to start, allowing you to act much earlier than most enemies. You can hop in, snipe someone, and then hide in the shadows without anyone knowing where you are.

Swapping to a melee build changes this dynamic slightly. Nonetheless, it's still viable, with your main purpose being to slip into their backline and defeat any spellcasters that can weaken or one-shot your party. Your frontline can absorb ?most of the damage, while Astarion focuses on getting quick kills and disengaging when the enemy notices his presence. This strategy is much riskier but can make for a unique and uncommon playstyle.

Tips for maximizing Astarion's stealth abilities

Since Astarion is all about stealth, your playstyle, feats, and subclass will reflect that. If you want to focus solely on d??ealing as much damage a??s possible without getting pulled into the middle of the action, you'll want to change Astarion to an Assassin subclass starting at level three.

Selecting this subclass gives you Advantage against enemies who haven't taken a turn yet, and you'll always deal Critical Hits to Surprised opponents if your attack roll is succe??ssful. You'll also restore your action and bonus action when combat begins, pa?iring especially well with feats like Alert and Ability Improvement to raise your Dexterity early on.

Alternatively, swapping to Thief or Arcane Trickster is also viable if you want to focus more on utility. While you'll deal less damage overall with these two subclasses, it gives you options both within and outside of combat that Assassin's all-in approach doesn't tack?le. In the case of Arcane Trickster, you can easily set up illusions to he??lp you and your team, while Thief's main purpose comes from the out-of-combat benefits of sneaking around the map more easily.

It's worth experimenting with your Astarion feats in Baldur's Gate 3. If you think you've made the wrong choice for your playthrough, you can respec your class via Withers and choose your feats all over again. This will set you back 100 gold each time, which isn't much at all when you get into the latter stages of Baldur's Gate 3.

The post Best feats for Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) appeared first on Destructoid.

Dynasty Warriors Origins allows players to wield a wide array of distinct weapons, each featuring their own exclusive movesets and Special Arts. But although you will have access to Guardian of Peace's go-to sword from the start, getting the remaining weapons mi?ght take a while.

So that you can get access to the game's whole arsenal as soon as possible, here's how to unlock all weapons in Dynasty Warriors Origins, as well as how to get all of thei??r ultimate —or Lu?an�?variants.

• Table of Contents:

  • How to unlock all weapons in Dynasty Warriors Origins
  • How to get all Luan Weapons in Dynasty Warriors Origins

How to unlock all weapons in Dynasty Warriors Origins

In total, Dynasty Warriors Origins allows players to wield a total of ten weapon types, from the already mentioned sword to the army-splitting (and only available in the post-game) halberd. You can check out how to unlock all weapon types in DW Origins below, in the order in which you can get them.

How to get all Luan Weapons in Dynasty Warriors Origins

The game's set of ultimate picks, each featuring 600+ ATK, are known as the Luan weapons. You can unlock all of the Luan weapons in Dynasty Warriors Origins by completing Ultimate Warrior Challenges. The challenges will only be available while playing on Ultimate Warrior difficulty. To unlock the difficulty, you? must complete the game once. You can check out which challenge you need to complete to unlock each weapon below:

Now that you know how to unlock all weapon types in the game, as well as how to unlock all of their ultimate picks, don't forget to also check out our Dynasty Warriors: Origins Weapons Tier List.

The post How to unlock all weap??ons ?in Dynasty Warriors Origins appeared first on Destructoid.

While revealing more about the exploration in the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows, U?bisoft has promised less hand-hold??ing with a renewed focus on player exploration. I don't know about you, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Assassin's Creed Shadows exploration changes explained

Ubisoft's latest blog post takes a look at the exploration in Assassin's Creed Shadows, where game director Charles Benoit explains some of the creative choices in the game. Benoit specifically states that the team "didn't wan??t to hold the player's hand too much with icons and markers," instead focusing on creating "an open world where information was key and would become a form of reward."

Changes have also been made to Viewpoints. You can synchronize from the skies above like in previous entries, but this time, it won't immediately detail vast swathes of the map. Instead, you have to actually look around and mark notable locations for exploration later. According to Ubisoft, th??is was to "give players a more intentional and active way to find their next adventure."

The companion Eagle is gone, too. In the recent RPG Assassin's Creed entries, this made it far too easy to m??eticulously plan out your approach. You could have an entire area of enemies tagged before approaching, removing any difficulty from the stealth mechanics.

On th?e surface, this all sounds fantastic, a throwback to games from eras gone by, where you had to sink or swim in the world around you. So what's the catch? Because this seems like a massive improvement over previous iterations, but I've been burnt too many times by Ubisoft buzzwords to go all-in on my hype for this.

Perhaps my cynicism is led by the fact that this would be such a massive change for Assassin's Creed. Hand-holding via icons and markers is this series' bread and butter, so it's hard to imagine it going too far in the other direction. Consider me down on record as being cautiously optimistic, and I'll believe in Assassin's Creed Shadows' improved exploration once I see it in a??ction for myself. If Ubisoft can pull it off, it'??ll be immense.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows promises less ‘hand-holding’ exploration, but I’ll believe it when I see it appeared first on Destructoid.

To celebrate Palworld's first anniversary, Pocketpair has revealed the game's Early Access roadmap,? offering players a glimpse at the content they can expect to receive on the road to a 1.0 release.

Palworld came out of the gates swinging at the start of 2024, becoming a surprise mega-hit for Pocketpair despite still being an Early Access title. The game's unique "Pokemon with guns" theme was enough to pique gamers' curiosities, making the game an overnight success. While the player count hasn't remained at the dizzying heights of its launch period, Palworld remains extremely popular.

Palworld teases Early Access roadmap

Despite Palworld's popularity, Pocketpair never rested on its laurels, continuing to deliver frequent content for players. Now, as it celebrates the game's first anniversary, the developer has revealed the future roadmap as Palworld hurtles toward its 1.0 release.

Before Palworld fully launches, there are some pretty big features on the way. Headlining the roadmap is the addition of co-op crossplay, which will allow you to team up with your friends no matter where they play. The chance to transfer Pals between worlds and a potential ending scenario should als?o be an exciting prospect for fans.

Also in the pipeline is the already-announced Palworld x Terraria crossover, although this roadmap seems to hint at even more collaborations in the future. Then, there are the seemingly obvious things such as new Pals and technologies, which most could have guessed were on the way at some point. Finally, the roadmap reaches?? the generic "Other Improvements" category, promising vague improvements across the board in vario??us areas.

At the moment, Pocketpair has yet to provide a timeline for all of its planned Early Acces??s content. Given the s??cale of the updates released over the last 12 months, it's not impossible to think most of the roadmap content will arrive in 2025.

The post Pal??world looks to the future as it reveals Early Acces??s roadmap appeared first on Destructoid.

Although players cannot witness the franchise's known individual ones, Dynasty Warriors Origins features a total of six unlockable endings, with each faction having both a regula?r and a true one.

But contrary to the normal endings, which can be unlocked by simply choosing a hero and seeing their respective stories through, getting the true conclusions to each tale will demand a lot more legwork. Here's how to unlock the true endings for the Wei (Cao Cao), Shu (Liu Bei), and Wu (Sun Jian) factions in Dynasty Warriors Origins.

• Table of Contents:

  • How to Unlock the Shu (Liu Bei) True Ending
  • How to Unlock the Wei (Cao Cao) True Ending
  • How to Unlock the Wu (Sun Jian) True Ending

How to unlock the Shu true ending (Liu Bei)

After selecting Liu Bei as your chosen hero during the game's third chapter, you will be able to unlock the true ending for the Shu faction in DW Origins by defeating Cao Cao at the Battle of Changban and then completing the story as you see fit. The battle will take place a the start of the fifth chapter and you can jump right to it by heading to Story if on the post-game. To recap, here's how to unlock the true ending for the Shu faction in Dynasty Warriors Origins:

• Side with Liu Bei.
• Reach it or head to Story and select the Battle of Changban (Chapter 5).
• Progress through the mission until Cao Cao joins the fray.
• Focus on clearing the majority of the officials on the south portion of the battlefield before heading north to defeat Cao Cao and get the Fate Altered message (the proof that you succeeded in unlocking a new story path)
• Complete the stage and continue the story to unlock the true ending.

If you are planning on trying for the ending on your first playthrough, it is very likely that you won't have the DPS needed to de?feat Cao Cao and his personal army. You will also need to complete the task fast, as just like you wil??l be gunning for their commander, Liu Bei will be public enemy number one for the opposing faction.

How to unlock the Wei true ending in Dynasty Warriors Origins (Cao Cao)

A huge step up from the difficulty posed by the Shu route, you can unlock the True Ending for the Wei faction in Dynasty Warriors Origins by completing the story after making sure Dian Wei survived his last stand on the Battle?? of Wan Castle in Chapter 3, Guo Jia stayed alive after the?? Battle at Mt. Bailang in Chapter 5, and Huang Gai's plan failed at the Battle of Chibi. Here's how to complete all of the above:

• How to Save Dian Wei during the Battle of Wan Castle

  • Once at the Battle of Wan Castle, start by making a beeline for the enemy base located right of the castle and clearing it before heading and claiming the one on the opposing end.
  • Stop the invasion at the map's southmost base (point E) before joining Cao Cao's main force at the center and defeating as many Mighty Generals as you can until Guo Jia calls for the ladders.
  • Enter the castle's outskirts through the west base and head south until you spot one of the ladders leading to the walls.
  • Enter the castle grounds and kill Zhang Xiu, Jiu Xu, and Zhang Quan. All officials can be found by the gate connecting the castle walls to the western portion of the map.
  • Head to the east side of the grounds and kill Huche'er.
  • Once all of the above are defeated, their forces will vanish, Dian Wei will mention how the number of enemies is thinning, and you will unlock the Fate Altered message. If that does not happen, it will be a sign you took too long to clear the officials, so restart and try again.

• How to make sure Guo Jia survives the Battle at Mt. Bailang aftermatch

  • The key here will be making sure Bailuan fails in his quest to buy time during the battle, so start by claiming the two enemy bases at the southwest portion of the map.
  • From there, continue west toward the base northwest and defeat both the army guarding it, as well as Yuan Xi and Yuan Mai, who will attack it.
  • Once the base is claimed, Bailuan will enter the field, so defeat him to alter fate. If he mentions how he accomplished his goal, restart.
  • Complete the stage to prevent Guo Jia's demise.

• How to stop Huang Gai at the Battle of Chibi

  • From the start of the battle, quickly make your way to the altar located in the southwestmost portion of the map, right below point E. Make sure to defeat as many officials as possible on your way and only speed up once Zhuge Liang starts moving towards it to boost your army.
  • Reach the altar and defeat Zhuge Liang to stop his plan.
  • Continue the battle until Huang Gai withdraws.
  • Wait for Huang Gai to reappear and head to the marked spot at the center of the map.
  • Stay close to the area until Guo Jia mentions the shift in the winds.
  • Enter the marked area and defeat Huang Gai.
  • Once he is defeated, simply complete the stage to unlock the true ending.

How to unlock the Wu true ending in Dynasty Warriors Origins (Sun Jian)

You can unlock the Wu True Ending in DW Origins by completing the story after saving Sun Jian during the Battle of Xiangyang in Chapter 3 and Sun Ce during th?e Suppression of Wu in Chapter 4. You can check out how to do both below. Like with the Wei one, unlocking the true Wu ending during a? first playthrough is considered by many, myself included, to be impossible, as you won't have 1/10 of the damage needed to defeat Phantom Zhang Jiao in time.

• How to save Sun Jian during the Battle of Xiangyang

  • From the moment Sun Jian begins advancing toward Huang Zu, make your way to the path located on the battlefield's southeast portion and continue onward until you meet Phantom Zhang Jiao.
  • Defeat the phantom before rushing toward Sun Jian.
  • To make sure you succeed, you must reach him either before or together with Huang Gai. Upon reaching Sun Jian, a cutscene will play out and trigger the Fate Altered outcome. The stage will also immediately end.

• How to save Sun Ce during the Suppression of Wu

  • From the battle's starting point, make your way to Sun Ce and Sun Quan while clearing the enemy base at C.
  • Head and claim the bases located north of point D and west of A. This is a must, as you must keep your morale high and boost your numbers early on to deal with multiple ambushes.
  • Once Sun Ce starts moving west, follow him and head to the secluded pathway located at the battlefield's westmost area.
  • Use the Eyes of the Secret Bird to spot it and then follow the incense trail toward a secret path southwest, where you will meet Bailuan.
  • Defeat Bailuan to trigger the Fate Altered message before completing the stage.

To make triggering each of the endings easier, don't forget to also check out the best weapons in Dynasty Warriors: Origins.

The post How to unlock all normal and true endings in Dynasty Warriors Origins: Al?l Wei, Wu, and Shu endings guide appeared first on Destructoid.

You can come in contact with a fair amount of Old Coins while traveling through the many provinces and battlefields in Dynasty Warriors Origins. But unlike your spare weapons and consumables, you won't be able to sell them at shops. Instead, they can only be exchanged?? for rewards at Shui Jing Retreat.

Here are all the ways to get Old Coins, how to unlock Shui Jing Retreat, and all the rewards you can get by collecting them in Dynasty Warriors Origins.

• Table of Contents:

  • How to Get and Best Ways to Farm Old Coins
  • How to Unlock Shui ??Jing Retreat and All Old Coin Rewards

How to get and the best ways to farm Old Coins in DW Origins

Apart from harvesting them from fixed spots while on the world map, you can get Old Coins in Dynasty Warriors Origins by opening letters, unlocking bond cutscenes/events, and as rewards for re?aching Peace milestone?s in Provinces. You can also get large amounts of them by completing requests and Ultimate Warrior Challenges.

The challenges will become available as part of the story missions when playing at Ultimate Warrior difficulty. Just keep an eye on which challenges will reward you with the coins. For example, while completing the Battle of Luxang Challenge will reward you with 10 coins, completing the Battle of Xiapi's will allow you to unlock Lu Bu a??s a playable companion and get his Halberd.

How to unlock the Ultimate Warrior difficulty

You can unlock the Ultimate Warrior Difficulty in DW Origins by? completing the game's main storyline at least once. Your chosen path will not matter. Completin?g the game will also allow you to return to any unlocked point in its story while resting.

All Old Coins rewards and how to unlock Shui Jing Retreat in Dynasty Warriors Origins

Unfortunately, you can only unlock Shui Jing Retreat during the game's second chapter. Don't worry, though, as the retreat will be unlocked automatically as part of the main storyline, more specifically shortly after you meet Yuanhua. Once at the retreat, you will be able to receive the rewards below by reaching their respective coins milestones ?and then heading to Old Coins.

Now that you know how to get Old Coins and what reaching each milestone will get you, don't forget to also check out our Dynasty Warriors: Origins Weapons Tier List.

The post D?ynasty Warriors Origins Old Coins: How to get, all rewards, and how to redeem th?em appeared first on Destructoid.

The PlayStation brand has spawned some of the most beloved and influential gaming IPs ever made - like Ratchet & Clank, God of War, Uncharted, and m??ore - and many of them still receive new entries to this day. However, Sony has also been infa?mous for ignoring many of them, even the most popular ones, for many years.

Fortunately for PlayStation fans around the world, it seems that this is finally going to change because the massive success of Astro Bot and its many adorable character cameos have inspired Sony to leverage some of? its legacy IPs, meaning that some of these classic PlayStation franchises may get brand-new ??games ?in the near future. The only question is: Which ones should ?Sony revive in the next few years?

Ape Escape

• First game: Ape Escape (1999)
• Last game: PlayStation Move Ape Escape (2010)

The PlayStation 1 was synonymous with many legendary 3D platforming mascots, like Crash Bandicoot or Spyro the Dragon. The only issue is that most of them are not actually owned by Sony, so the company doesn't have a say on whether or not they come back. Nevertheless, there is one other iconic platforming mascot series from the PS1 era that Sony actually created and owns, and that is the amazing Ape Escape series.

These games are entertaining, whacky, unique and surprisingly important for the brand, seeing as the original Ape Escape was one of the first games that made full use of Dualshock's analog sticks. On top of that, its titular characters, the Pipo Monkeys, have made multiple subsequent appearances in other products, as they slowly became one of many PlayStation mascots. While this franchise hasn't gotten a new game in over 14 years, Astro Bot had a really fun and refreshing Ape Escape level that proved this formula can still work very well?? for modern au?diences, so Sony should definitely prioritize reviving it as soon as possible.

Sly Cooper

• First game: Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (2002)
• Last game: Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (2013)

The PlayStation 2 was also home to many incredible 3D platforming series, and Sony actually owned most of them this time around. While there's no denying that Ratchet & Clank dominated the platform, the Sly Cooper series was another major highlight of its catalog. These games perfectly blended stealth mechanics with precise 3D platforming, coupled with a colorful cast of characters and an excellent?? cartoon?y art style. Not to mention that these titles are singlehandedly responsible for putting Sucker Punch Productions on the map.

Unlike Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper couldn't really carry this momentum into the PlayStation 3 era. After the release of its fourth entry, Thieves in Time (which was made by another studio, Sanzaru Games) the series went completely dormant. The worst part is that Thieves in Time ended with an aggravating cliffhanger, so fans have been waiting for more than 10 years to see what happened with Sly after the conclusion to that story. If Sony is looking to revive another beloved platforming mascot, they should take a look at Sly Cooper, and maybe also revive its forgotten animated f?ilm/TV show whi?le they're at it.

Jak and Daxter

• First game: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001)
• Last game: Jak and Daxter Collection (2012)

After the huge success of the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Naughty Dog began working on a new open world collect-a-thon platformer for the PlayStation 2. The final result was Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, an incredible and colorful adventure that spawned its own franchise, which slowly went into an edgier and more mature direction with every new release. Like the orange marsupial before them, the Jak & Daxter trilogy is one of the best th?ings you can experience on the PlayStation console of tha?t generation.

But what made this series stand out from its contemporaries - Ratchet & Clank and Sly Cooper - is that it was never able to make the proper jump to the PlayStation 3. After a few spin-offs on PSP and PS2 and the inevitable HD collection on PS3, Jak & Daxter disappeared from the face of the earth. Of course, Naughty Dog is now working on completely different games (like The Last of Us or the upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet), but Sony doesn't even need to assign that studio to the development of a new Jak & Daxter game. All it should really do is hire a smaller studio so it can work on a modern remake of The Precursor Legacy, similar to Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.

Bloodborne

• First (and only) game: Bloodborne (2015)

The way Sony treated Bloodborne has been extremely odd. This excellent action RPG by FromSoftware captivated audiences with its dark atmos??phere, impeccable combat system, and challenging bosses, but despite the fact that it pretty much became the PlayStat??ion 4's very first system seller, Sony has never done anything else with the IP. Not even a simple HD remaster for PS5 and/or PC.

Bloodborne is infamous among "Soulsike" fans because it is considered one of the absolute best games in the entire genre, and yet, gamers can still only experience it on its original PS4 version from 2015. While most fans are just asking for a port or remaster for modern consoles, Sony should really consider reviving this IP, starting with a brand-new Bloodborne title, but onl??y if it can actually get FromSof?tware to make it.

Infamous

• First game: Infamous (2009)
• Last game: Infamous Second Son (2014)

After Sly Cooper and before Ghosts of Tsushima, Sucker Punch Productions made another iconic franchise during the PS3 era: Infamous. This was a series of open world superhero games in which players could make decisions affecting their morality and the story. The first two games and their respective expansions were some of the best PS3 exclusives, not to mention that the fourth one, Second Son?, was a key title during the PlayStation 4's first year in the market.

Sucker Punch obviously spent the rest of the eight console generation working on Ghost of Tsushima, which it released at its very end. Maybe it could revive Infamous after the launch of Ghost of Yotei?  S?ony could also hire another studio with prior experience with world games to work on this franchise because a brand-new Infamous game create??d with the modern technology of a PlayStation 5 (with a scope similar to Marvel Spider-Man 2's) has the potential to become one of the most excit?ing games of this generation.

MediEvil

• First game: MediEvil (1998)
• Last game: MediEvil (2019)

MediEvil is truly one of PlayStation's most bizarre yet whimsical franchises, mainly thanks to its unique art style (which is reminiscent of something like The Nightmare Before Christmas) funny characters and endlessly entertaining gameplay. After two great entries on PS1 and a controversial PSP remake, Sony finally and unexpectedly brought MediEvil back in 2019, when it released a more m??odern remake for the PS4. It finally seemed like this once-forgotten franch?ise had a bright future ahead...

Unfortunately, it seemed like the PS4 MediEvil remake was a one-and-done for Sony, despite its positive reviews and solid sales numbers. Fans of the franchise kept waiting for Sony to announce a remake of the sequel, but this never ended up materializing. This is a real shame because MediEvil introduced us to a fascinating gothic world, not to mention that Sir Daniel F??ortesque is?? a delightful protagonist, so it would be great if we could all reunite with him once again on our modern consoles.

WipEout

• First game: WipEout (1995)
• Last game: WipEout Omega Collection (2017)

F-Zero is not the only influential sci-fi racing game series out there since PlayStation's WipEout games also offered gamers exhilarating races with futuristic vehicles that can go ?up to extremely high speeds. Because of its positive reception, this series currently has even more games in it total lineup than Nintendo's racing franchise. Needless to say, the fate of the WipEout series was sealed the moment its origina??l home studio, Psygn?osis, shut down in 2012.

However, this franchise could (and should) still make a comeback, because it clearly is very important for the PlayStation brand, considering that Astro Bot featured 5 different bots based on its classic teams. And while Psygnosis is obviously not around anymore, the studio that worked on WipEout Omega Collection, XDev, is now part of PlayStation Studios, so it could also work on a brand-new title.

Gravity Rush

• First game: Gravity Rush (2012)
• Last game: Gravity Rush 2 (2017)

There's no denying that the PlayStation Vita was one of Sony's biggest failures. This happened due to multiple reasons, and one of them was a lack of solid exclusives that would justify the purchase of such a unique and expensive handheld. Gravity Rush was one of the Vita's very few great exclusives and, despite the system's inevitable fate, the IP managed to gain a cul?t following with a siza??ble fan base.

This can be chalked up to the fact that it was a unique game, with a brilliant antigravity mechanic and a charming protagonist named Kat. Sony must have noticed Gravity Rush's reputation at some point because it bri?efly tried to give the IP the treatment it deserved during the mid-2010s, as it ported the original game to PS4 in 2015 and released an even better sequel in 2017. However, this is sadly where Kat's story end??s, since Gravity Rush fans have spent 7 years waiting for news of a new entry. This franchise should definitely not remain dormant because Kat is a wonderful character, and her antigravity powers resulted in some distinctive gameplay that everybody should experience one more time.

LocoRoco

• First game: LocoRoco (2006)
• Last game: LocoRoco Midnight Carnival (2009)

It's important to remember that the PlayStation brand is not all about big-budget action adventure games, extensive JRPGs, and/or colorful 3D platformers. PlayStation?? consoles were also the home to many weird and experimental titles, especially during the PS2 and PSP eras, and LocoRoco was one of its most memorable ones so far. This was a brief series of platforming titles that played like nothing we had tried out before, and no other new game has managed to replace ever since.

While some may think that LocoRoco's gameplay may be too dependent on the PlayStation Portable's unique hardware, it did also receive a special themed level in Astro Bot that proved this franchise's formula can work very effectively on a 3D environment c?reated within a modern gaming system. It has been 15 years since we last saw these whimsical creatures known as LocoRocos, and it's time for them to make their long-awaited comeback.

Heavenly Sword

• First (and only) game: Heavenly Sword (2007)

When it first launched back in 2007, many people deemed Heavenly Sword as a random God of War clone and not much more. While it was very obviously inspired by Kratos' franchise, this still was an exciting hack-and-slash title with a cool protagonist, a satisfying combat system and epic bosses. Sadly, aside from the fact that Nariko appeared in a few other games like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and Astro Bot, Heavenly Sword never r?eceived any sequels that cou??ld actually improve on the elements of the original game.

Of course, it would be almost impossible for the studio that made it, Ninja Theory, to come back because Microsoft owns it now and its developers are busy working on the Hellblade series. Nevertheless, Sony should still try to find another studio to work on a Heavenly Sword revival - whether its a remake, a remaster or a new game. After all, the new God of War games now have an entirely different play style, so we can't really consider them to be part of the hack-and-slash genre anymore, meaning that Heavenly Sword ?could very easily fill the hole that Kratos left when he move??d to Midgard.

The post 10 cl??assic PlayStation franchises that Sony should revive in the near future appeared first on Destructoid.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins puts pl??ayers in the role of a mysterious wanderer who, by chance or fate, ends up becoming a vital figure in the history of the Th??ree Kingdoms.

However and as many can imagine, the focus on a self-insert protagonist also brought forward a question. After all, does his presence mean that, for the first time in the main series, players will be able to romance fan favorites such as Zhao Yu, Cao Cao, and Diaochan? Here's whether or not you can romance characters in Dynasty Warriors: Origins.

Can you romance characters in Dynasty Warriors Origins?

Although the game's main story does feature romance, it is not possible to romance characters in Dynasty Warriors: Origins. The reason for that is quite simple: even if the protagonist's presence adds a completely new element to the tale, t?he game does its best to stay true to the dynamics featured in the source material.

But the lack of a true-to-form romancing system does not mean you cannot create lifelong connections with your favorites, as Origins allows you to earn their favor and unlock exclusive scenes by increasing their Bond Levels. You can check? out how the system works, as well as how to unlock it below.

Dynasty Warriors Origins bond system, explained

Way simpler when compared to the Social Link/Confidant and Support systems featured in the Persona and Fire Emblem franchises, respectively, the Bond system allows Dynasty Warriors Origins players to increase their affinity with a myriad of characters by completing training tasks and ?requests. Selecting the right dialogue options during both the bond cutscenes and the g?ame's main story will also allow you to raise your affinity with set characters.

Keep in mind that all bond-related tasks and events not part of the game's main storyline will be accessible by talking to characters whil??e on the world map, so make sure to pay close attention and make constant use of the Eyes of the Sa?cred Bird. You can also check out a list of all bond-related events available for you at Shui Jing Retreat.

How to check your bond level in Dynasty Warriors Origins

It is not possible to monitor your bond levels in Dynasty Warriors Origins, with the closest option being the ability to see the requirements for each character's bond events/scenes. While you will be able to trigger the events and take on training requests while in the game's first chap?ter, you will only unlock the ability to check out the levels required after meeting Yanhua at the second one. Playing at Hero and taking on as many skirmishes and side quests as possible, it took me around 7 hours to meet him.

Once the doctor joins you, you can check how many bond? events any already met character has, as well as rewatch any previously unlocked scene by heading to Records and then selecting Bond while at an Inn or Tent. You can also do so while at Sh?ui Jing Retreat.

Now that you know everything about the game's approach to romance, don't forget to also take a look at our Dynasty Warriors: Origins Weapons Tier List.

The post Is there romance in Dynasty Warriors Origins? appeared first on Destructoid.

Over the last few weeks, you may have seen footage and screenshots circulating of an ambitious Grand Theft Auto 5 mod, which aimed to bring GTA 4's metropolis of Liberty City into the game, complete with? NPCs to meet and activities to complete.

I hope you didn't get too excited about it. Rockstar has already shut down the Liberty City Preservation project, making it ina??ccessible to gamer?s going forward.

GTA 5 Liberty City Preservation project shut down

Given the scale of what it was promising, the Liberty City Preservation pr?oject all seemed too good to be true. Well, that's because it was, but not through any fault of the developers' own.

After the project gained momentum with Grand Theft Auto fans, it also attracted the attention of Rockstar itself. Given Rockstar's reputation with projects like this, it was only ever going one way. In a statement on the project's Discord server, developer? nkjellman shared a message stating, "aft?er speaking with Rockstar Games, we have decided to take down the Liberty City Preservation project."

With rumors starting to fly, nkjellman also shared a follow-up message, claiming that it wasn't a DMCA, but "rather a friendly takedown, mutually agreed upo?n by all parties involved." While the team may not have faced the full force of Rockstar's legal team, it certainl??y sounds like the developer provided a scary enough nudge to make this takedown happen.

Ultimately, the removal of this mod shouldn't really surprise anyone. Rockstar has been notoriously frivolous with takedowns in the past, even going as far as to DMCA the YouTube channel of Mike Dailly, one of the GTA franchise's original creators, for showing early prototype footage of the older games. Rockstar isn't quite Nintendo in this regard, but it cert??ainly has fo??rm.

There is the "why?" of it all. It's rumored that Rockstar was at one point working on a long-canceled Liberty City expansion of its own for GTA 5, but with the sixth game on the horizon, that seems extremely unlikely at this point. Maybe we'll finally get that Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster we've all been waiting for? Proba??bly not, but it's good to have dreams.

The post Rockstar shuts down massive?? GTA 5 Liberty City mod, to the surprise of no one appeared first on Destructoid.

Here we go again - another report has claimed that, yes, the Oblivion remake is definitely real, and could even be taking a few notes from Soulslikes in its gameplay evolutio??n.

Concrete rumors of an Oblivion remake have been circulating for a f?ew months now, offering gamers hope that a return to the land of Cyrodil may be just around the corner. With Bethesda remaining typically tight-lipped, the rumors have remained just that for the time being.

The Oblivion remake is real, apparently

A report published by MP1st claims to have verified that the Oblivion remake is real, and goes much further than just a typical remaster. This allegedly ??comes via the website of a former Virtuos employee, the studio rumored to be developing the game.

So, what's (supposedly) changing? Lots, apparently. Like everything else in the world, the Oblivion remake is being developed in Unreal Engine 5, with s??ignificant changes coming to several gameplay areas. The HUD has been changed to make it cleaner for the modern gamer, stamina knockdowns have been made much less frequent, and Archery has been reworked to make it playable in both first and third-person.

The real big news comes in the form of the Blocking overhauls. According to the report, blocking during combat has been overhauled with inspiration from Soulslike games, describing the original Oblivion system as "boring" and "frustrating." If accurate, this would raise the skill ceiling of Oblivion massively, which would be a pleasant surprise, especially for a modern re?make where systems are often diluted and dumbed down.

Gamers hoping for a reveal of Oblivion at the upcoming Xbox Developer Direct are likely to be disappointed. The report claims it's not expected to make an appearance there, although it does point out that other outlets have claimed a June release is possible for the remake. If this is true, then a reveal likely isn't far away, with some theorizing that Microsoft is waiting until after the February release of Avowed, given the aesthetic similarities between t?he two.

The post The Oblivion remake is apparently real, and could be taking no??t?es from Soulslikes appeared first on Destructoid.