I've held out hope for a Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition since the original Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition got the remaster treatment on the Nintendo Switch back in 2020. Don't get me wrong, I love the mainline series, but Xenoblade Chronicles X is special.

Xenoblade Chronicles X essentially takes the Xenoblade formula and shifts from high fantasy to a futuristic, spacey sci-fi settin??g. This change creates an incredibly fun and immersive experience for a series built around exploration and a massive open world.

I recently got some hands-on time with the early chapters of the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. I poured hundreds of hours into the original game back on the Wii U, but that was almost a decade ago. Truth be told, I was itching to revisit the world of Mira in XCX, ??and my hands-on experience just left me want?ing more.

The story of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition starts i??n the pretty near future in the year 2054. Two warring alien races engage in open combat in space above Earth, putting the planet and humanity in the crossfire. As a last-ditch effort, humanity launches a fleet of interstellar Ark ships with the hope of finding a new planet to call home. Only a few of the ships survive, including one called the White Whale. After a couple of years in space, the White Whale is attacked and crash lands on an alien planet called Mira, with the life pods carrying the colonists from Earth bein??g scattered across the planet.

One of those colonists is you. After being rescued from your life pod by a character named Elma, you join BLADE (Builders of the Legacy After the Destruction of Earth), a private military organization determined to ensure humanity's survival. As a mem??ber of BLADE, it's up to you to join Elma and other members in finding and rescuing more colonists in the life pods scattered across the surface, exploring Mira, and learning more about the planet.

As I said before, exploration is where XBX really shines. Mira is a massive open world teeming with alien life, including dangerous creatures of all shapes and sizes. In between progressing through the main story of XBX, you have plenty of other things to do, like taking on side missions from BLADE and explorin??g and surveying the planet. The exploration also ties in with the main story, so it creates this epic feeling of actually exploring, surveying, and discovering an unknown alien planet.

If you've played any other Xenoblade game, you'll feel right at home with Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition's combat system. It's still based around the more me?thodical MMORPG-lite battle style.? You'll engage in combat with mostly auto-attacks but have the opportunity to execute various skills, each with its own effects and cooldowns.

Some skills increase your damage output or make it affect multiple enemies at the same time, be it a cleave or an AoE effect. Others can interrupt your opponent's attacks, heal your allies, or even inflict various status effects if you successfully attack an enemy from the side or behind. It's a satisfying combat system that rewards you for actually taking the time to learn both your own toolkit—that continues to grow as you level up—and that of your enemies so you know how to combat them with the skills you have available effectively. Of course, a big change in XBX is that you wield both ranged and melee weapons, so you'll seamlessl?y switch between the two in combat, and in turn, some skills will require you to be in melee range or a minimum distance away from your enemy.

The definitive treatment does wonders for Xenoblade Chronicles X. I honestly think the origina??l still looks pretty good for being almost a decade old at this point, but the improved visuals of the definitive edition are very ??evident throughout the RPG. Character models are less blocky than in the original, especially around the face. The world of Mira is more beautiful than ever, with what looks like more vibrant foliage, and the creatures inhabiting the planet are more detailed.

But visuals aren't the only enhancement in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. There are several quality-of-life improvements, such as multiple save slots, an improved HUD and UI, and an on-screen assist guide for performing Overdrive combos. Perhaps the most impactful addition, however, is a new system called Quick Recast. Players can charge up their Quick Recast over time and then use it to instantly use skills again before the cooldown for them is up. It's a great system that makes the combat of XBX even more enjoyable.

My hands-on preview experience reminded me just how great of an RPG Xenoblade Chronicles X is, and I'm excited to see what new content the definitive edition adds to later parts of the game. The massive open world teeming with life creates a truly immersive experience that actually feels like a living, breathing world, something few games have pulled off successfully in the 10 years since XBX originally released. If you're a fan of MMORPGs, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition makes you feel like you're playing in an MMO world, which is a ton of fun. I can't wait to continue exploring Mira when Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition launches on the Ni????ntendo Switch on March 20, 2025.

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Like many Assassin's Creed fans, I've always felt that feudal Japan was simply a natural period for the series. ??I remember an early discussion by developer and publisher Ubisoft almost two decades ago about future entries into the franchise exploring unique periods, including Egypt—which ended up being a big change for the serie??s wi?th Assassin's Creed Origins—and Japan.

I recently got some hands-on time with the early parts of Assassin's Creed Shadows, including the prologue that introduces both playable characters Naoe ??and Yasuke, and one of the early sequences of missions in the open world.

My biggest takeaway from the preview was just how immersive Shadows felt in its setting, from the world in which it takes place to the story it's telling. After roughly three and a half hours with Shadows, I can happily say it exceeded my expectations in almost every way, and I'm excited to pl????ay more.

Starting off with the prologue, Shadows starts by introducing our two playable characters: Naoe and Yasuke. For Yasuke, the prologue explores how Yasuke came to Japan as well as the start of his journey to become a samurai. Naoe, on the other hand, has her own adventure that leads to her discovering the way of the assassin. From the prologue into the actual open-world sequence of missions I was able to play after, one thing became immediately clear: Ubisoft is telling a story with Assassin's Creed Shadows. It was a much more cinematic experience than previous entries in the series, featuring a plethora of cutscenes which I was told will play a big part throughout the whole game. It felt like the recently released Shogun TV series in playable form, and I'm eager to see where the sto?ry goes.

Between the prologue and the open-world segment I got to play, Naoe and Yasuke team up. It's evident that the two uniting is a bigger plot point, and I'm curious to see?? how it plays out in the time our preview skipped over. Once the two are together, however, you have the option of playing as either one. I?n the open world, you can switch between the two at any time. During actual quests, you'll have several points in which you can choose which character to play that sequence as.

Before playing, I had assumed the difference between the two would be mostly story-related. But the actual gameplay between the two is drastically different, which makes sense. Yasuke is a massive brute with the ability to take on many foes at once with sheer strength and combat prowess. Naoe, on the other hand, plays more like a traditional assassin in the series. The strengths and weaknesses between the two are very noticeable, and in the questline, I got to play through, the choice of who to use for certain segments felt li??ke an impactful one.

Know you're going to be fighting through a group of enemies? Probably best to use Yasuke. Trying to keep quiet and sneak into somewhere you shouldn't be? Advised to use Naoe. You're not prevented from using either character, it's just that their skillsets make each situation very different based on who?? you are playing.

Yasuke, for example, doesn't have ac??cess to a lot o??f the staple assassin capabilities like performing the Leap of Faith or utilizing Eagle Vision. You can attempt to be stealthy as Yasuke, but more often than not you're going to have to fight your way through.

Naoe, on the other hand, has no limits to her verticality, able to easily climb up the side of buildings and even make use of a grappling hook to quickly scale onto high-up rooftops. Of course, she has her weaknesses as well. Even though she can hold her own in combat, it's important to make use?? of her ability to dodge?? and parry attacks. While Yasuke can take quite a beating, a single heavy attack landing on Naoe can be devastating.

Something I noticed throughout my preview that I wholeheartedly didn't expect, is that your choices seem to actually matter, even if Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't immediately highlight that. Early on in the questline I played through, I had chased down someone who I believed may have had the information I was looking for. I had essentially two dialogue options: demanding he spill the beans or bring u?p the fact that his wife, who I had spoken to earlier, was worried about and looking for hi??m.

I chose the first choice, which led to him getting angry and inevitably attacking me. This was one of m?y earlier combat segments as Naoe and, well, didn't go too well. I then reloaded to the beginning of the dialogue with this character and figured there was no better time to rewrite history, and chose to instead tell him for his wife. This ended up being a p?urely peaceful route, leading to him giving me the information I was looking for, followed by hurrying off to go see his wife.

The early parts of Assassin's Creed Shadows are a ton of fun, and after a few hours of hands-on time, I'm anxious for more. If Ubisoft can keep the story engaging throughout, I could easily see Assassin's Creed Shadows standing out as another landmark addition to the series. We'll know soon enough as Assassin's Creed Shadows is set to release on PC, PlayStat??ion ??5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 20, 2025.

The post Hands-on Preview: Assassin’s Creed Shadows appeared first on Destructoid.

I love a good survival city builder, and what could be better than one that combines that beloved foundation with climate anxiety? All Will Fall is a deceptively not-depressing builder that puts that chocolate and peanut butter together. It’s like 1995’s Waterworld with Kevin Costner. Maybe! I haven’t seen it.

It’s also a bit like Timberborn with its emphasis on vertical engineering, but while Timberborn centered around clans of beavers because humans suck, All Will Fall thrives on humans because hum??ans suck. It’s a weird mix, and you’re either going to need to try out the playtest yourse?lf or just hear me out.

All Will Fall sees a?? scrappy group of humans getting shipwrecked on an artificial at?oll consisting of islands of humanity’s garbage. The tops of old highrises jut up from the waves like so many unwanted erections. With not much to go on, it’s up to you to wrangle these hapless jerks and guide them to building a new home.

Resources are obviously scarce, so a lot of emphasis is on trying to collect and store water and food, as well as finding resources floating around in the waters to build new structures with. B?ecause long after humanity is gone, our crap will still be everywhere.

Complicating things are these random events. They are some??times beneficial, like when another ship of jackanapes floats by and you can either recruit their humans or just rob them. Others are somewhat deceptiv??e, as you may make a choice in one just to have it backfire a little later on. You need to manage your influence and keep your folks happy, otherwise your little rubbage utopia could collapse under the weight of the human ego.

Tying this together is a rather forgiving physics system. All Will Fall is no Bridge Constructor, but structures and walkways are affected by gravity, and you have to constantly keep in mind what is getting stressed out. However, if you want to experiment??, or if you just have poor judgment, you’ll merely be shown how things are about to break, and then you can either fix things or delete what you were building entirely and take it back to the drawing board. It’s not very strict, and you’re give?n a lot of leeway in creating some ambitious designs.

And it all feels pretty great. The tide will come in and out and storms will bring up the water?? level. Occasionally you get a permanent drop in the sea level, and that allows you to extend ??your settlement to shorter buildings, as well as whatever was beneath the ones you’ve already built on. Some of your structures, like docks and cranes, work better when they’re closer to the water, so you frequently have to reconfigure things.

But what really feels great is how much optimizing you can ??do. There are three groups of settlers: workers, sailors, and engineers. A lot of the time, their uses are interchangeable, but there are certain tasks that only one group can perform. Sailors, for example, are the only ones who can work at the dock. And because you can set who is allowed to live at a specific house, you’re encouraged to make districts so that the sailors don’t have to walk as far to their tasks when they wake up in the morning. This means that, even as the water level rises and falls, you’re constantly moving around your buildings to try and optimize your settlement.

There’s always somethi?ng to do, so long as you have the resources for it, which isn’t always a given. Once you’ve cleaned up all the junk within your reach, you have to wait for the tide to move to expose more. Often, you have to rely on the boats you have in your collection to pick up stuff that’s further out. Even then, you’re often left deciding whether you should prioritize food or wood.

The playtest gives a great slice of the tasty All Will Fall pie, but it’s pretty clear that some things need to be rebalanced. Right now, your main goal is reaching a tower on the opposite end of the atoll. It’s set up in a way that you’ll probably reach it at the point when the water hits its lowest level. Once it does, a lot of the dynamism falls off. I imagine that’s not going to happen in the full release �at least, I hope it doesn’t.

But what’s on display is a good time. In particular, I love how surly the writing is during all the events that crop up. There will be occasions where the settlers tell you that the water rationing is too strict and you have the option to just tell them something to the effect of, “We’re fucking surrounded by water.�Another let me reply, “Are you blind or just stupid?�But one of the funniest was when a worker was injured, and one of the options was, “Shut the door. Okay, here’s a plan,�which resulted in -1 ??citizen and +120 food, if you catch my drift. It’s an unexpected injection of some pretty effective humor.

The events are often pretty interesting. A lot of options require you to have a certain amount of resources, including influence, which is built up by keeping your settlers happy. And you’re only given a certain amount of time to make a decision. So, at one point, it was reported that a strange fungus was growing on my buildings. There were options to ignore it or harvest the mushrooms, but I wasn’t convinced that would turn out well (I think there’s a random element in how some events play out). The only one that sounded safe was to dump all the building material affected and replace it, so I saved up 200 wood just to make sure my colony remained safe. While random events are nothing new in settlement builders, the ones in All Will Fall feel rather meani??ngful and your decisions i??mpactful.

It’s hard not to see the similarities to Timberborn with its vertical-focused construction and engineering, as well as the changing states of the game world (Timberborn has drought seasons, while All Will Fall has high and low tides). However, the two games play out a lot differently. All Will Fall has a lot more to do with survival and resource collection, and that, combined with the random chance of the events, makes for something that feels more like “survival�compared to Timberborn’s optimization focus.

B??uilding a colony out in the middle of the ocean is a lot more relaxing than it sounds. While there is the constant pressure of time, there’s a l?ot of space to just poke around with making new structures to try and please your people. It helps that the soundtrack is low-intensity, and so much of your vision will always be taken up in waves.

A lot still needs to be balanced and polished, however. I never felt that the social systems were all that meaningful. You can change things like rationing on a group level, for example, but I rarely needed to do that outside of specific events. I did have trouble telling whether or not happiness and loyalty were the same thing, and their effects weren’t very pronounced outside of gaining more influence. But as things stand, All Will Fall is a fun and enjoyable survival builder with a unique hook. It t??akes lessons from the best and adds its own spin that gives it distinction, and if everything comes together right, it might come close to reaching that high water mark.

If you want to try out All Will Fall, there's an open playtest on Steam that runs until January 31st. It's planning a la??un?ch sometime in 2025.

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All Civilization enjoyers know one rule is absolute when it comes to playing the popular 4X strategy series: games will always last longer than you anticipate. If I got a nickel every time some friends and I w??ou??ld plan to "play a game of Civ tonight" and end up playing the same game over the next few days...well, I'd have a lot of nickels.

With Sid Meier's Civilization VII, developer Firaxis has created a solution to this problem in the form of three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. On standard speed and Age lengths, each of these three ages will last between 150-200 turns, equivalent to about three or four hours of playtime. For those seeking a long grand campaign that progresses through all th??ree Ages, you can do so.

Those looking for a shorter game can opt to start at the beginning of any of the three Ages, and doing so in the Exploration or Modern Age will give you an Advanc??ed Start to the Age, so it's as if you have played the previous ones.

Back in August 2024, I got some hands-on time with Civilization VII's first Age, the Age of Antiquity. Now, for the first time, I got to dive into the second one: the Exploration Age. As the game?? describes it, the Antiquity Age is all about settling the immediate lands around you and planning out your civilization. With the Exploration Age, your new goal is to, well, explore. And expand. Reaching the Exploration Age will let you change your Civilization, and therefore change the focus of your empire. This means you can focus on expansion or economy in the Antiquity Age and then switch towards a militaristic or science-focused approach in the Exploration ??Age.

I will say, when I first jumped in, I immediately wanted to check out the Exploration Age, so I opted to utilize the Advanced Start to do so. With how much new there is in the series' latest entry, and having not played Civilization since the preview event back in August 2024, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the new systems. After about an hour, I decided to restart from the Antiquity Age, where that was not an issue. Obviously, after playing more and getting a real grasp of all the new additions to Civilization VII, this won't be an issue. But until ??you have that experience and knowledge, you're probably better off starting in the ??Antiquity Age, which gradually introduces the new systems to you over time.

The Exploration Age is where you really start to reap the benefits of the fruits of your labor from the previous Age. An??d with the ability to change your civilization and shift your empire's focus, it fixes a long-time problem of the series. You don't feel penalized for changing things up, and it adds a lot more flexibility for less-experienced players who might not be min-maxing things from the start. That being said, I imagine it will also create some crazy "build potential" for veteran players who do try and min-max the best civilizations to change to in each Age for each Leader.

After my all-day play session through the first two Ages, I backed out to the Main Menu and found the newly announced meta progression in Civilization VII, and I have to admit: it's pretty awesome. As someone who enjoys chasing achievements and trophies in games, this new system rewards players for doing so. Regardless of your skill level with Civ 7 and how you choose to play—whether you focus on one specific Leader or experiment with many of them—you'll complete challenges and unlock rew??ards along the way.

Every Leader in Civilization 7 has their own Leader Path to progress through, starting at Level 1 and going up to Level 10. Your account as a whole has a Foundati??on Path, also starting at Level ?1 and progressing all the way up to Level 50, earning XP towards the path regardless of which leader you play as. Both Paths have various challenges you can complete to earn X,P such as completing quests, reaching Legacy Path Milestones, and more.

Leveling up these Paths earns you a variety of rewards from cosmetic Badges, Banners, Borders, and Titles for your Player Card, as well as actual game-changing rewards called Mementos. These Mementos are essentially special items that you can equip on your leader at the start of a game, giving you a little extra bonus as well as giving you the ability to further specialize your play style. And while Mementos can be used in multiplayer, lobby hosts also have the option of disabling them. The added meta progression helps to fix one of the longstanding issues with the Civilization series, which is the feeling of "What now???" after ending a many-hours-long session by rewarding players over time ??for their achievements.

I'm excited to check out the third and final Modern Age and see what the late game of Civ 7 feels like. Once I've done so, keep an eye out for my full Sid Meier's Civilization VII review as we get closer to its February 11, 2025?? release date!

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I've always been relatively hesitant when it comes to the RPG world. It could be because of my indulgence in the simple pleasures of coz?y games or linear-heavy storylines. Or maybe I get too overwhelmed whenever my inventory gets overloaded with all the useless things I've picked up.

This uncertainty arose once again when I first began the adventures of Avowed, a first-person RPG in the same universe as Obsidian Entertainment's hit title, Pillars of Eternity. Even though I've never quite mastered the art of roleplaying games, nor have I ever played PoE, it didn't take long for me to get fully immersed in Avowed's world. It m??akes you feel like you're stepping into a classic fairytale book where you wield a myriad of powers in the palm of your hands.

As an envoy sent by the Aedyran emperor, you're tasked with stopping the deadly Dreamscourge plague that's taking over the Living Lands. Its corruption spreads throughout the realm, causing people and animals to turn into Dreamthralls, a destructive state in which their souls are no longer theirs. Fortunately, you have the powers of a Godlike at your side, giving you divine abilities that can halt the Dreamscr?ourge.

Initially, I was worried that I wouldn't understand Avowed's lore, as it has some correlation to Pillars of Eternity. But from what I gather, Avowed is a standalone title, so there's no need to jam-pack yourself with PoE knowledge. Wha?t's more, there's a handy Dialogue History & Lore feature that explains any vague terms the game throws at you.

Gameplay-wise, Avowed opens with a standard character creation that works like any other RPG. You can change general stuff like body type, hair, and background. However, the Godlike facial features set it apart from other roleplaying games. You'll be able to use its unique visuals to give your character a traditional fantasy look. It'll typically appear as a colorful fungi, creating distinct designs on your face. I know something like fungi doesn't sound the most visually pleasing, especially if you've seen The Last of Us' Clickers, but it's actually quite pretty t??o look at with its vibrant colors.

There isn't much to Avowed's character creation besides the Godlike facial features. It's pretty limited to various origins and races, restricting you to human and elf races. Nevertheless, your choices here are still crucial, specifically ?with Backgrounds and Attributes, as they can determine your dialogue selection later. For instance, I took on the Arca??ne Scholar Background, which gave me a bunch of knowledgeable and witty talking points. The Attributes, including Might, Dexterity, and Intellect, can also influence your conversations with other characters.

Since it's still a preview build, the choices weren't too abundant this time around. But I have a feeling decisions and character creation will be much more apparent with Avowed's full release. On the contrary, what does feel pretty fleshed out is the game's combat and exploration. Combat, especially, was the first thing that drew me in. I love diversity when it comes to weaponry and other tools, and luckily, Avowed excelled in t??his aspect.

You're not subjected to a single artillery; you have the freedom to wield any type of weapon at any given time. On one hand, you can have a grimoire, while the other holds a mighty spear. Most RPGs I've played would have restricted something like this, where they typically limit you to one playstyle. Yet, Avowed blends any two elements you desire for ??a more personalized experience. I particularly enjoyed having both magic and sword fighting at my disposal, a concept I always wished for to inflict both long and close-range strikes. Plenty of other options exist as well, such as bows and arrows, swords, hammers, and many more.

You'll also get help from your companions, who will assist you with various tasks on and off the battlefield. Sometimes, companions aren't the most compliant when it comes to games, but Avowed's characters prove their worth more than enough times. They can take down enemies and clear any obstruct??ions throughout your journey. Plus, they are entertaining to hang around with, given t??hat they will make snarky remarks to those who wrong you and commend your efforts in battle.

In a visual sense, Avowed's combat just looks fantastic. The first-person view puts you in the front seat, upping the thrill of eliminating the most fearsome creatures. I had fun using the pyro magic ability, spouting a beam of fire that made me feel like I was some Dragon Ball Z character unleashing an attack. However, considering that it is an early playthrough of the game, some parts appeared fuzzy and blurry, making some objects hard to see. The graphics primarily took a hit with its background, often sho??wing low-quality structures.

The cutscenes, on the other hand, were the most detailed and aesthetically pleasing. I can tell a lot of time went into these scenes, featuring some of the most realistic pieces of work I've seen in a game. I'm excited to see it grow with Avowed's official release, which hopefully polishes up the fuzziness of its ba??ckground.

All in all, Avowed has the potential to be the standout RPG of 2025. Its accessible mechanics make it a welcoming experience for newcomers to the genre, while its diverse combat tactics provide a satisfying challenge. In just a few hours, I found m?yself lost in its expansive world, filled with a variety of activities. I was left feeling empty inside by the end of the preview, just because I wanted to play more.

Avowed gave me the same sense of wonder and excitement that I felt when I first played the 2023 Game Awards winner, Baldur's Gate 3. Both titles have that classic RPG charm that truly immerses you in their stories and worlds, inspiring me to want to try out others in this genre. So, if you've been searching for a game that can fill the void left by BG3, I can confidently recommend Avowed.

Get ready for the launch of Avowed on Feb. 18, 2025. It will be available on PC and Xbox Series X|S platforms. Those with the Xbox Game Pass can dive into the game on Day One through the Ultimate or PC GP. Pre-orders are already open for all platforms, offering a Standard Edition for $69.99 or a Premium version for $89.99. The anticipation for?? this game is palpable, and I ??can't wait to see how it unfolds.

The post Hands-on preview: Avowed is a fantasy wonder that ??finally got m??e into the RPG genre appeared first on Destructoid.

Good news, chums, the release of Great God Grove is right around the corner. It’s the sort-of follow-up of Smile For Me by LimboLane. It has a lo?t of the? same good stuff, like puppets and flat characters. It also has jokes if your sense of humor hasn’t fallen off.

It’s pretty different, though. It’s still a joy-maker adventure game about helping people out, but Great God Grove bases its puzzles around sucking the words out of someone’s mouth and fi??ring them at someone else. It’s a unique twist on an old formula, and I’m not totally sure how I feel about it, so I’m going to work through my emotions the way I usually do: posting questionable content online.

In Great God Grove, you are placed in the boots of a Godpoke, which is a cross between a messenger of? the gods and a cowboy. Now, I’m going? to admit that I don’t fully understand all the details of the story here, so things are going to get a little dicey.

You’re on the trail of King, the previous messenger of the gods. King seemingly became fed up with the gods, mailed each of them a nasty message, and left the pantheon �and the world with it �in complete disarray. This is a problem because a massive rift has opened up in the sky. Apparently, these rifts open every 33 years and threaten to swallow up the world. To close it, the gods have to work together to pull it shut. Unfortunately, ??in the wake of King’s nastiness, the gods don’t feel like doing much, let?? alone cooperating.

The rift also has the power to elevate a single human to godhood, which is whe??re I start to?? get confused. King is apparently a god, so under his godhood, he was still delivering messages? Under normal circumstances, why does it take so long for the gods to close the rift? How does a human have time to enter it? Does something like this happen every time, where a mortal has to convince the gods to cooperate? Did the game explain this to me, and I just couldn’t grok it through the cutesy dialogue? I don’t know.

The important parts are clear however: King was nice and now t??hey’re not. T?he gods are all so absorbed in their own heartbreak that they aren’t even thinking about closing the rift, leaving the world on the precipice of disaster. As a godpoke, you need to use your power over words to restore order and close the rift.

You’re equipped with a, uh, thing�A suck thing. It has a name, it’s, er�Right, Megapon. Every once in a while, someone will say something perforated. There will be little dots around it, letting you suck? it into your Megapon. You can then find someone in the environment who says something like??, “Ooo, I wish someone would give me a fat compliment,�and you throw it at them, and they’ll hopefully react.

As I said, it’s a unique approach to the adventure game formula, but it also has the same problem that classic point-and-clicks had. When you’re not certain what to do, your main course of action might become j?ust rubbing phrases on people until one of them reacts. I ran into one early in the second area that had me scratching my head. I wound up needing to use a word given by a dog on a cow, then using? a word from the cow on my target. Looking back, there were certainly hints as to what the solution was, but I can also see why I was confused.

And while it’s certainly novel to use phrases to solve puzzles, I’m not sure they’re much better than items. And trust me, they feel exactly like items. You can carry five at a time, so you just have a pocket full of sentences. On the one hand, it’s easier for an advent??ure game to give you a hint when the solution always involves talking to someone. On the other hand, it’s not as exciting as carrying a hamster around in your pocket.

It’s wo?rth noting that you sometimes do just pick up regular items. It’s not very common in the demo I played, but maybe it is later in the game? I’m kind of feeling that it won’t be, and maybe that’s okay. I was really getting into the flow of things towar??d the end.

While I may be a bit iffy on the approach to puzzles, it’s hard not to love the art style. It still uses a simplistic, angular style similar to Scott C.’s work on Psychonauts or even just simply �0s cartoons. It feels more naturally executed than Smile For Me, which I already found great. However, I’ve found the art to be incredibly consistent and cohesive for both games. It blends well with the 3D backgrounds and effects. Whenever somethin??g looks a bit off, it’s usually easy to believe it was intentional.

Every once in a while, you can view explainer videos that feature real flesh-and-felt puppets. They’re pretty great, ?but they clearly haven’t helped me enough. They’re also complete asides that you can’t suck on, but watching two puppets chew on the same hoagie?? is worth the viewing.

The writing is charming and packed with wordplay, but it’s also maybe a smidge too much. Few folks will straight-talk with you, making you try to glean the communicated information from between cutesy intentional misspellings. The names given are often unique non-names �er, nononyms �and I already can’t remember people’s?? names at the best of times. Or their faces. Or past encounters, most of the time. So, remembering who Sirena is just makes things tougher. So, it’s a me problem, maybe, but thank you for naming the baker “Bayker.�I think I can remember that one.

I was given access to a slightly longer version than the demo that will be released as part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest. As it stands, I don’t really solidly know what I think about Great God Grove. I’m told I played about 40% of the overall game, so there’s a lot of time for me to start clicking with the things that haven’t yet clucked. Even towards the end of the demo, I was starting to get a better feel for how to overcome its wor??d puzzles.

And I kind of feel like something is still lurking under the surface. A great reveal, twist, or ??dash of darkness. I don’t think all its cards are on the table, and at least with the demo, I really want to see what else it has up its sleeve. It’s out on November 15, so at least I don’t have to wait terribly long to find out.

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My dream game would be one that captures the feeling of a road trip. It’s more than just driving a car somewhere; there’s a vibe to it. It comes through in being connected between a familiar car on an unfamiliar road, the signs of a distant gas station, the buzzing fluorescent lights of some 24/7 diner, moments of contemplation, or waking u??p in a new place every morning.

There have been a few games I can point to that have somewhat succeeded, sometimes without trying. Jalopy, for example, even if the final product was not quite what was envisioned. Sitting at the pub My Summer Car captured part of the feeling, watching the drunks have a spirited conversation over a beer and a greasy meal. But nothing that fully landed directly on target. Heck, Final Fantasy XV migh??t have been perfect if it didn't dump the car halfway through the game.

Keep Driving is an unexpected attempt from the developers behind Post Void and The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human. I maybe didn’t expect my envisioned road trip game to be in the form of a 2D game, and that’s probably because i?t’s not, but it’s pretty close nonetheless.

Keep Driving has more in common with Oregon Trail than it does with any driving game. It’s depicted from a side-on perspective. You don’t actually drive the car; you just stare at the passenger door while it travels the roads. While it drives itself, you can fiddle with the radio or just watch?? the scenery go by. Then, every so oft?en, you’ll find a hitchhiker or reach a road event.

Road events are where the meat of the game is. Each one presents a different problem, ranging from potholes to a slow-moving tractor. You then have to use your skills and tools in your car to mitigate the harm caused by these hazards, whether they threaten to damage your car, exhaust you, or drain your fuel. This is done using cards that can eliminate these dangers before they can affect you (or your car). It’s not the deepest system, but it’s relativel?y quick, allows for variety in challenges, and works for its purpose.

After completing a stretch of road, you arrive in a to?wn with various services. Sometimes, it’s gas. Other times, you can pick up an odd job for money. Occasionally, you’ll find a forested path that allows you to plumb a dungeon-like ?3D environment for items, and if you’re lucky, there’s an inn if you need it. You’ll come across stores and garages where you can buy upgrades for your car or supplies for your trip. Once you’re prepared, you check the map, choose your next destination, and head out.

The goal is to reach your friend’s house to play your favorite video game together. Apparently, you just graduated high schoo??l and you can feel your youth reaching its end, and you want to go out in the phosphor glow of a turn-of-the-millenium TV and the company of a distant friend. I can relate. This was clearly in the days before the internet poisoned everything meaningf?ul in the world.

There’s a character creator where you choose your face, your relationship with your parents, and your occupation. This isn’t far off from Oregon Trail’s character setup, where your occupation would define your readiness for the trip. A difficulty setting of sorts, or maybe more of a mod??ifier. In any case, once you’ve fo?und yourself, you can set off to the tune of some Swedish rock, which helps set the tone beyond what I could possibly believe.

That’s largely all there is to it. Your job is to prevent yourself and the car around you from falling to pieces. That may sound simple, and that’s because it is. This early demo of Keep Driving is easy as pie. I mean, I’m playing the pre-release ??version of a demo right now, so it’s hard to really judge where it will end up, but right now, its biggest proble?m is that there’s nothing to it.

I’m making a pretty big assumption that I’m not just really skilled at Keep Driving, which I think is a safe thing to assume because I’m not skilled at any??thing. Finding my?self prodigious at this would be really disappointing because I’m not sure where I’d apply it elsewhere in life.

I didn’t come close to losing my run. There aren’t many needs that require constant a?ttention. As long as you spend your skill points and buy extr?a supplies for your glove box, it’s easy to get through the various road encounters. Fuel isn’t that expensive, and for being a poor high school graduate, I was strangely loaded with cash most of the time. It got to the point where I was trying to get rid of it, buying car upgrades I didn’t need. I just picked my route based on what I needed at the time and still made it to my friend’s place with time to spare.

Maybe that’s something that is also inspired by Oregon Trail. In most versions of that game, you could just do the hunting minigame and lay waste to the animal population to store up embarrassing amounts of food. That makes the game really simple, and I have to wonder why so many children died of dysentery. Were they unable to shoot the virtual bears? Is this another thing I’m inexplicably prodigious at? Are my talents all related to Oregon Trail derivatives?

I only picked up one hitchhiker the whole way. He was pretty depressing. He recently lost his job and is feeling pretty directionless??. Whatever. He didn’t drug me and steal my kidneys. Maybe that’s where the challenge is supposed to be. I’m just really good at keeping my kidneys in my body. Very well practiced. I doubt it, though. I’m pretty sure this is supposed to be a chill game, and not chill in the way that you’d feel after waking up in a bathtub full of ice.

I had problems with bugs, as well, but between when I first started playing and today there was already a patch that fixed some of the weirder ??ones. As I said, this is an early demo. It even warns you when you start it up that some elements are just placeholders. I didn’t see anything that makes me truly concerned about where the quality will be on the final product.

Balancing happens over time. A game might be too hard to begin with, so advantages are added to make things a bit more friendly, and the same can happen the opposite way. If the game is too friendly, certain aspects can be changed to make it stiffer. The release version will have multiple endings, maybe arriving at a friend’s house and playing Halo on Legendary difficulty is actually the w?orst one.

There are many places where Keep Driving finds success. While the fact that you aren’t truly behind the wheel takes some of the road trip feeling away, it gives you a chance to just sit back, listen to the radio, sip your tea, and plunge your hand into a box of Frankenberry. There’s still a feeling of d??irectionless freedom and self-reflection, even while you know there are problems on the road ahead that you’ll need to deal with. There’s clear intent here, and a lot of it gets across. It’s ??obvious that Y/CJ/Y Games knows what they’re doing, and it’s not too hard to imagine them being able to reach their vision.

The release date for Keep Driving is still TBA, but there will be a demo availabl??e this coming Next Fest (October 14).

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Windblown is an action-heavy rogue-lite coming from the makers of the indie darling Dead Cells. For many fans of the genre, that line alone should be enough to garner high interest. But for those who need a bit more of a nudge, don't worry: Windblown is pretty dang fun.

The game comes to us from Motion Twin, which, until recently, has been supporting the 2018 breakout hit Dead Cells. Fans of rogue-lites should know the 2D action game well, as it's been propped up as one of the very best in the genre. And it is. Windblown has one hell of an act to follow.

Getting into the motion

So far, Motion Twin seems more than up to the task. While Windblown may not end up redefining the genre, my seven ho?urs with the demo have convinced me it may have the potential t??o stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its predecessor.

It still carries the typical marks of the genre: You enter a dangerous, randomly generated series of biomes; kill enemies while collecting cash; die, and return to the hub world to unlock upgrades that will hopefully get you a little bit further with every ru?n.

Windblown isn't Dead Cells' successor, however. Unlike its cousin, Windblown is fully 3D, dropping the pixel art to embrace polygons and a gorgeous, hand-painted world. The isometric camera gives you a fuller view of each regi?on and battle arena, allowing you to zip around multiple foes or ascend/descend with ease. The game prioritizes?? speed with its dash move, which you'll end up using with reckless abandon.

Upgrades, people

But Windblown is still very much a Motion Twin game. At the start, I was dropped into the middle of the game's first biome with nothin?g more than a Fish Knife sword to my name. I dashed throug??h the first biome, tackling enemy robots and smashing pots for golden Shells. Treasure chests and some enemies dropped crimson-colored Cogs, the currency you take back to the hub to exchange for new upgrades.

I was feeling good, and maybe a bit too cocky. Soon enough, as many are wont to do, I bit off more than I could chew. A mini-boss sent my anthropomorphic axolotl ass back to base camp where I respawned and promptly threw up in front of some strangers. It could have gone a little better.

This is where you get introduced to The Ark, a series of floating islands where you can practice your combos, ??purchase upgrades, and chat up the locals. Cogs are spent on upgrades such as one that unlocks a Health Flask or another that gives you a starting weapon for each new run.

Windblown during its first few hours feels like running into a brick wall. But you become stronger as you finish more and more runs, and soon enough you may just be ready to face off against the tougher challenges. Memories of fallen warriors you come across during runs give you access to things like special abilities and new weapons, which you can start unlocking after completing a quest to fix a robot friend on The Ark. By the end of the demo, I began every new run with a second starting weapon, a starting Trinket (such as bombs), and a level-three Health Flask. There was a lot more left to unlock.

Getting into the groove

Much like it did in Dead Cells, the climb feels daunting in Windblown, but still just as worth it. At first, I wasn't sure what I thought about the g??ame's combat. It felt, for the lack of a bett??er description, a bit lukewarm. But soon enough, it "clicked."

You know the moment; it's when you slowly fall into a rhythm and the game starts getting exciting. For me, that was after I began mastering a move called the Alterattack, which you unlock early. Pressing a button a??t the end of a combo when the Alterattack icon appears above your head lets you unleash a powerful special attack. The kind of attack depends on your secondary weapon type. One attack may fling you into the air in a devastating spin slash, whereas another adds a bleed effect to your primary weapon.

After a while, I was able to find weapon combos that synergized well with my playstyle �and I was having a blast. Windblown leans hard on quick reflexes and knowing when to strike or give your foe some distance. The action is fun and frantic, with plenty of skin-of-your-teeth moments where you barely avoi??d a devasting blow with a well-timed dash. You c??an also delay your Alterattack by activating it the split second after a dash, letting you evade an attack and follow up or get into a better position.

Eye candy

My enjoyment of the combat was buoyed by Windblown's wonderful visuals. The game's environments are rich in color, featuring thick blades of grass ?that dance with the breeze. I have a particular fondness for the water in the first biome. As a child, I always felt in awe of aquariums you can look into from above. The rivers and ponds of the first biome remind me of those, complete with gently waving underwater grass and floating lily pads. I didn't notice any fish, though.

Of course, it's sometimes hard to soak in the visuals due to how fast you can move through the biomes. The sense of movement in Windblown is fantastic. Using the dash, you're able to zip across gaps and move from floating platform to platform wit??h blist?ering speed. It's thrilling to tap the dash button and watch your character scream across the level like a bullet. There was more than one moment where I lamented not having a turbo button, but that's not an issue that lasts for long (wink).

But it's also wise to slow down at times. The two levels contained secrets with hidden chests offering up a bounty of Shells to exchange for new weapons, items, or things like Gifts that offer passive upgrades such as health or damage increases. Looking for treasure hidden behind waterfalls is a classic gaming trope, but it's one that Windblown is happy to keep in the zeitgeist.

It's dangerous to go alone

Windblown can be played solo or with a group of friends. Up to three people can play together to clear worlds and take on bosses. Sadly, I wasn't ab??le to experience the game with an ally. If you do, be sure to unlock the ability to change your appearance at The Ark (a cheap upgrade is required). Surely not everyone needs to be an axolotl, no matter how tempting it may be. I ended up swapping between the lizard and hamster, myself.

The demo I played was completed after I beat the second stage boss, which was an absolute monster compared to the first one. But I enjoyed what I experienced in the end. Windblown ??has some big shoes to fill, but so far it seems to be up to the task. You can try the game yourself later this month when a Steam demo containing the first biome launches on October 14, 2024. The game enters?? Steam Early Access on October 24, 2024.

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For a series that featured super-powered teens punching their way through enemy hordes, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was bereft of brawlers during its glory days of the '90s. Developer Digital Eclipse is set to fix that with Rita's Rewind, and so far, it seems up to the task.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers featured many brawls between teen drama and visits to the Angel Grov??e Youth Center, but beyond this, there was only one beat 'em up video game I can recall. In the '90s? I know, it's completely absurd! There were many fighting games, naturally. The brawler in question launched only for the Super Nintendo in 1995. I was a Sega kid, which meant I was out of? luck.

You know what time it is

As a rabid fan of the show in my youth, I could only dream of something like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind. Sure, I did enjoy the fighter on the Sega Genesis, in which I mostly won by spamming the Black Ranger's OP axe combo. But, as someone who would play Streets of Rage in the morning and later watch the cheesy, spark-heavy show, I wanted the same for the Rangers. After playing the demo, I'm confident that Rita's Rewind could end up being the game I always wanted.

It stars the titular teenagers with attitude who must punch and kick their way through waves of Putties on their way to dispatch one of Rita's nasty beasts. But the game isn't some anachronistic continuation of the show; it's a celebration of the golden age of the Power Rangers.

Rita's Rewind focuses on the original team from the first two seasons. Billy, Zach, Jason, Trini, and Kimberly face off against Rita Repulsa, but the scream queen isn't alone. Rita pairs up with Robo-Rita, a robotic variant of herself who successfully uses a time portal to return to the past. The game's story is inspired heavily by the plot of the 2023 Netflix special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always. I'??ll avoid any sp??oilers, but it's an inspired idea.

Taking the beats to the Angel Grove streets

Rita's Rewind is a beat 'em up in the strictest sense. You hit the streets and then hit everything that moves until you're the last one standing. Watch for the Go! sign and keep heading right. Combat is broken into light and heavy combos, complete with dash attacks, uppercuts, and dive moves. Anyone who has played a brawler in the last few decades will feel at home. The game also includes a move to get behind an enemy with an option for a follow-up attack, something that TMNT: Shredder's Revenge players should warmly embrace.

Rita's Rewind certainly feels like it's taking some cues from the Shredder's Revenge playbook, at least in the short demo I experienced. But it pulls off the action exceptionally well, much better than other games attempting to mix nostalgia and 2D brawler act?ion. Up to five players can team up on the couch or in o?nline co-op for some Putty-punching fun. And punch Putties you will.

The game isn't shy about filling the screen with the brainless gray foes. Busting combos as your Ranger of choice will send dozens of Pu?tties spiraling across the screen with satisfying thwack noises. Enemy types include your regular Puttie?s but also ones with spikes for hands and the flying, crow-like Tengas. A meter charges up as you punch and slash your way through the game, allowing you to let rip a super move that clears the screen.

The gameplay is crisp and smooth, leaving me little doubt that Rita's Rewind won't disappoint any of us old fogies when it arrives later thi?s year. There was also plenty I didn't experience in the demo, including shooting and vehicl?e segments showcased in the game's trailer.

I do have a few quibbles, but nothing too major. The super moves are merely serviceable and mostly exist as one-button screen wipes. They differ based on which Ranger fires it off, either by killing or freezing enemies. I didn't see them all, but I hope there's more variation. It felt like the team and I were competing with who could hold it and kill the most enemies simultaneously, leading to multiple supers going off at the same time. The window of time to pull off the downward attack also felt too short, and many of my successful attempts seemed l??ike luck.

We played a level that felt early in the game, which saw my team and I throwing fists in Angel Grove. The city looks fantastic in its pixelated form, from its grungy street to its rooftop cafes. Billboards for recognizable places from the show dotted the background. The battle was fierce as we reached the final roo??f, where Rita's iconic henchman, Goldar, was waiting for an old-timey scrap. We duked it out, and I was surprised by how tough the golden boy was.

Make this monster grow

We eventually won the battle, but the demo ended just as Rita hurled her wand to Earth for the classic kaiju-esque fight. Man, now that I think about it, I'm surprised no professional team ever offered her a contract. Rita's got?? a cannon for an arm if she's tossing that staff from the moon.

During the demo, I got to chat about the game with Digital Eclipse's content editor and industry vet Dan Amrich. He showed me the ropes and ultimately teased what happens after Rita makes her monster grow. I expected a sequence like in the show where the Rangers hop into their Dinozords to combine to form the Megazord for a titanic dust-up. That's true, but Amrich explained there's often more to it ??than that. You often get to pilot the Dinozords and fend off attacks, fighting your way with the team before a co-op fight using the Megazord. It all sounds so damn cool.

He also mentioned that many of those who came to try the demo hit him with a similar question: "Where's the White Ranger?" In August, Digital Eclipse revealed that players can unlock Tommy the Green Ranger after completing the campaign. It's only natural that fans would desire to play as him in his cl?ean, Season 2 drip.

Mostly, though, we reminisced about the show and how much it influenced us in our youth. When speaking with Dan, it was clear that Rita's Rewind is a passion project for him and the team. I can definitely feel it. If the small slice of the game is any representation, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind will be one for the fans and lovers of beat 'em up games. Before we parted, I couldn't resist asking Amrich if we should expect the White Ranger to arrive. He laughed and quickly made his escape. I'll take that as a soft may??be.

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It's a general rule of thumb with open-world RPGs that if you run across a man yelling in the street, he may have an important quest. That's how I met with Meister Menhard, who swept me into a narrative tale of swords and noble thievery in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

The Kingdom Come: Deliverance II demo I played at PAX West wasn't geared toward the expected combat an?d exploration aspects of the massive RPG. There was some swordplay, mind. But mostly my short time with the game introduced me to the choices I can make and t??heir consequences, good or ill.

Choices matter

The demo was roughly 50 to 60 hours into the 80-to-100-hour campaign. At least, that's what Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, the international PR manager at developer Warhorse Studios told me. But before I hit the dusty streets of 15-century Kuttenberg in Bohemia, I was told something else. Stolz-Zwilling directed me to speak with Menhard to start his quest but, in a cryptic tone, asked me to choose any dialogue option except to? stay? silent. He would explain why after the demo had finished.

With a cloud of foreboding hanging just above my head, I struck up a conversation with Menhard??.

He was upset. Based on our conversation, Meister Menhard von Frankfurt, a boisterous German man, was invited by King Wenceslas to start a sword-fighting school in Kuttenberg. Unfortunately, some internal p??olitics have kept him out of class and in the street where he stood issuing challenges. I took him up on his request.

Learning the ropes

As an admission of guilt, I never played the first Kingdom Come game �it's on my backlog! After a g??entle razzing by Stolz-Zwilling, he explained that people who didn't experience the original co??uld still enjoy the sequel without needing to play it. You again step into the dirty boots of the former blacksmith Henry, who is on a new adventure. The sequel also won't gloss over the mechanics for new players. In this case, it was sword-fighting.

I took up the blade against Menhard, who promised to teach?? me the ways with a solid thrashing. This was good news for me because I had no idea what I was doing.

Combat is more intuitive in Deliverance II, but the aspects are the same: Yo?u use the mouse or controller to angle your attack; watch your opponent's weapon; strike where their weapon isn't, and guard in the direction of their sw??ing. A rosette in the center shows the direction of your attack via a red arrow.

Menhard and I fought, but I was on the back foot most of the battle. In my defense, this was my first sword fight in the series, and it's not quite as rudimentary as something from, say, The Elder Scrolls. But I somehow managed to turn the fight around, and with a few lucky ripostes, the Meister was? on the defense. Before I could claim victory, our fight got interrupted by the guild leaders of the established sword-fighting school. And they weren't happy about the public display.

This was the conversation hinted at earlier. I had the option of saying nothing, but I dutifully defended Menhard against the agitators. There are multiple persuasion techniques you can employ in the game. You can tackle thin??gs using a Speech skill, or woo people to your side with Charisma. With Henry's own blood splashed across his face, I somehow managed to convince them to back off �after exchanging some choice word??s and a bit of coin. But things weren't settled yet.

Backroom schemes

I soon ended up in a tavern with Menhard, who was hatching a plan. To get his training school esta??blished, he needed to challenge the current guild and win. But that can only happen if the guild is seeking duels. Naturally, they weren't. And that's where Henry comes in.

I agreed to take a covert mission to?? sneak into the sword-fighting hall and steal the guild sword. It felt logical at the time. Once the sword was mine, I woul?d put it on display on the walls of the Kuttenberg town hall, indicating they were open for challengers. Easy.

The streets of Kuttenberg were bustling during the day, as townsfolk moved through the streets with supposed purpose. I traveled toward the quest marker, pointing the way to the guild. The trip across the city took longer than expected based on the hand-drawn map. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a bigger game than its predecessor, boasting a 25% larg??er world. Kuttenberg is one of the key locations in the game, and it's certainly no hamlet.

At last, I managed to make my way to the guild. The rectangular building looked unassuming, but the shields decorating the front and the two armed guards ?were dead giveaways. I staked the place out, looking for methods of ingress. The locked door in the back looked like my ticket in.

Sneaking in the dark

Like with many open-world RPGs, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II lets you wait a set amount of time. I waited for the cover of night. Henry must automatically equip a torch because I had one in hand after the timer ended. I tried putting it away, but?? Stolz-Zwilling told me it was a bad idea. If a guard happened to be walking by, they would get suspicious of a man meandering in the streets at night without a torch. But what about when I'm inside the guild? Well, that's okay, he said. But how would I see anything? Fair point.

I wandered over to the locked door in the back, where I was introduced to my next challenge: lockpicking. Like with many RPGs, you can pick locked doors. To do so in Kingdome Come II, you drag the cursor around the lock until you see it glow. Next, you need to select it (in my case, holding down the left mouse button), hold right (or the D key), and move the cursor in a circul??????????????????????????ar p??attern while staying within the glowing spot. I'm not sure how much the lock difficulty mattered in the demo I was playing, but I managed to clear two locks on my first try.

Regardless, I was in. I ignored the paranoia my ??still-equipped torch was providing and crouched down to stay quiet. I heard snoring, but that didn't mean I was in the clear. Sneaking through the guild, I managed to find the sword hanging from a wall upstairs. I shoved it into my woolen pantaloons and headed back down.

I was right to be worrie??d; someone was awake. A guard must have heard me because he was stalking the pantry while muttering that he knew I was ther?e. I waited for him to wander into another room before darting to the exit.

Challenge accepted

I hung the sword on the town hall and returned to the tavern, where I waited for Menhard. After giving him the good news, and promising I pulled off the heist without killing anyone, we went to the town hall. Sure enough, the opposing guild showed up, and ?they were pissed. But the scheme worked, and ??they agreed to a duel.

Before the demo ended, Menhard s?aid he wanted me to join his motley school as its first student. With blood still caked on Henry's face, I agreed.

Mine was just one ta??le, and many players may not experience it the exact same way. For example, if I lost the battle against Menhard earlier in the quest, he would have required me to pass a test before joining his school. I guess stealing a sword from under the opposing guild's nose wasn't enough. Instead, I was initiated after pointing out that I narrowly handed him his ass.

Many branching paths await

Wait, what about that?? warning about staying silent? According to Stolz-Zwilling, refusing to defend Menhard and his crew would result in them getting kicked out of the city. You can still do the quest, but that requires looking for them stewing outside the city? walls.

In the roughly 40-minute demo, I experienced multiple situations in wh?ich Henry's path could change. I managed to sneak out with the sword. But wha??t if I got caught? What if someone was killed? I can only imagine just how many different ways Henry's story will change based on the consequences of my actions, from swordplay to conversation choices.

The game will feature more than 2.2 million words in its script, which may just eclipse the current world-record holder, Baldur's Gate 3. This suggests that, no matter what choices you make, Warhorse Studios may have thought of an answer. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II could end up providing many water ?cooler conversations, and I don't plan on mi??ssing out when the game launches on February 11, 2025.

The post Hands-on: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a game where every choice matters, e?ven when you stay silent appeared first on Destructoid.

One refrain has echoed through the internet and inside the minds of BioWare fans for some time. At the preview event I attended for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it was frequently said: “It’s been almost 10 years since the last Dragon Age.�/p>

It’s what I was thinking as I sat down at the PC to play, too. How could I not? 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition and its 2015 DLC Trespasser was the last we’ve seen of the continent of Thedas in video game form. Truly, after nearly a decade of waiting, I was just eager to know if there was an executable that would launch Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Well, the good news is there’s an executable and much more beyond. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is real, and plays like a BioWare back in form, in a wa??y we ??haven’t seen in quite some time.

The makings of a hero

My preview session kicked off with the introduction, playing a short talk-over from Varric that sets the stage for the action to follow. Solas, our lovable/loathable elf god pal from Inquisition, has been up to some hijinks since credits rolled on Trespasser. He’s set to conduct a ritual of some kind, altering the Veil, the magical barrier between the real world and the Fade. There are demons and other bad things in the Fade, so obviously, Varric and co. want to put a s??top to it.

Rather than taking the mantle of the Inquisitor back up, the player’s put ??in the shoes of Rook, an up-and-coming talent Varric has scouted for his private group of Solas-stoppers. I’ll say first off that, while I like the tavern scene as an intro to your character’s look and an establishing moment for their approach to problem-solving, Rook does feel like they just sprung from the earth a hero. There’s a little choice-making in the character creator to help set up their backstory, but it felt a little thin to me, compared to other BioWare leads.

Thankfully, the character creator shines. It’s an extremely impressive engine, that I’m sure will keep fans of sliders and value shifting tinkering for hours upon hours. I saw a few other press folks get completely lost in the creation tool,?? and those who finished the preview content early—myself included—went right back in for more.

One of the coolest tools BioWare crafted for the character creator is the triangle slider for?? faces. Basically, take three preset head shapes and faces, and the creator lets you slide around a triangle, opting for more or less of each one’s individual qualities mixed with the group. It’s hard to describe in text, but seeing it in action is both incredibly intuitive and surprisingly effective.

Qunari characters have been a point of contention leading into Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as the Qunari see??n so far have been a bit smoothed-out and human compared to the unique looks of past characters like the Arishok and the Iron Bull. While I did make one I was ultimately happy with, it did take some tinkering, and still had a bit of that smooth look. I think letting the horns extend a bit further down the forehead and temples w??ould help, but otherwise, I mostly liked the Qunari Rook I arrived at, after about 10 to 15 minutes of playing with sliders.

The introduction plays out as we’ve seen it before: Rook and Varric meet up with scou??t Lace Harding and Neve Gallus,? an investigator and mage of Minrathous, and rush to stop Solas from tearing open the Veil with his ritual. Things go wrong, Solas winds up trapped in the Veil, and two ancient elven gods he had imprisoned are let loose on Thedas.

Shifting the title from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard makes a bit more sense now, seeing it all play out. Solas certainly isn’t out of the picture; both his history and present predicament play into the action at hand. But dealing with Ghilan’nain and Elgar’nan, the elven gods that got let out, is a more pressing and immediate issue. The former in particular is visually striking, adding some unsettling body horror to this world. In fact, just be ready for a lot of creepy blight-related horror in The Veilguard, especially whenever Ghilan’nain is around.

There are plenty of minor antagonist factions too, from the Venatori to th??e ever-present Darkspawn, to fill the combat arena.?? The latter, Thedas�long-time scourge, looks a bit different this time around, thanks to some Plot Reasons I won’t get too deep into. Suffice to say, I wondered why they looked different, and received an answer.

Rallying the guard

To fight the gods, you’ll need a good squad. And quickly, Dragon Age: The Veilguard gets you into the rhythm of building your party. We played two different?? missions, one recr?uiting the Veil Jumper Bellara Lutare, and another rescuing assassin and soon-to-be fan-favorite Lucanis Dellamorte from a magical underwater prison.

Immediately, this felt so familiar. That steady cadence of venturing out on missions to get new companions, talking to them back at base, and eventually unlocking new bits of their story or character-specific quests to encounter is one of the main appeals of BioWare for me. Thankfully, Veilguard has it locked down.

Like I said, Lucanis is charismatic from the jump. A suave assassin with a hint of magic and a darkness stirring within him? Sign me up. Harding’s own entanglements with magic seems to be leading her into investigations of dwarven culture, so that’s a huge bonus for anyone who loved the Orzammar sections of Dragon Age: Origins. Neve, Davrin, and Taash are all standouts I’d love to spend more time with, too. It’s a nice feeling, to have a group of lik?able,?? interesting companions that you just want to spend more time around. Chatting, laughing, maybe even smooching? Yes, there is romance.

Romance is obvious, because Dragon Age: The Veilguard adopts a similar chat wheel to its predecessors. Options will appear on the wheel, and they’ll usually have their tone communicated with a little art in the center; a stal?wart knight might indicate a stoic response, for example, w??hile the heart is an obvious green-light for flirting.

Everyone gathers and hangs out at the Lighthouse, a former base of operations for Solas inside the Fade, now home to the Veilguard. It has plenty of its own secrets to uncover, including some neat lore about Solas�rebellion and the lore at large. There’s a workshop for upgrading equipm?ent too, and this place also links into the Crossroads, an evolving zone with combat challenges and links to new areas that open up over the course of the game.

The world outside

With Dragon Age: The Veilguard taking place in the northern portion of the map, it seems like the focus is very much on new sights and sounds rather than old ones. While Orlais and F?erelden were mentioned, the adventures we saw focused on new regions we’ve?? really only heard about, like Minrathous and Treviso.

These areas are gorgeously realized and brought to life. I legitimately found myself stopping to take in the sights, whether it was the imposing panopticon-esque Templar watchtower in Minrathous or the alleyways of Treviso. It’s not all city streets, though; the Arlathan forest was filled with ??nature, contrasted with ancient ruins ??and technology.

It’s a bit hard to peg down a single “look�for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It can be extremely colorful and bright in battle, or shift to staunch black-and-white for important moments. Magic ripples and crackles in the air, the?? blight oozes, and the grim fantasy of all it can feel foreboding in the right moments. More than a few moments were taken to show off just what BioWare can do with some modern technology, and they really worked.

All of this operates around a hub-and-spoke world design that truly works. Rather than another open-world entry, BioWare is opting for several zones that can link up to each other, while also spinning off into their own mission areas. Mass Effect 2’s Omega is an eas??y and familiar comparison point. These are worlds that can be explored, with stories and quests to find, but also then lead you off to special areas for the big quests?.

These regions change, too, sometimes due to your own actions. I can’t rea?lly dive into details, but there are decisions you make that won’t just change whether someone likes you or not, but can leave permanent marks on the world. What I will say is that?? these changes are tangible ones you’ll contend with, rather than just a background alteration, and I loved how these changes were shown in-game.

Draw swords

Of course, aside from adventuring and chatting up companions, there’s also the combat. Many pillars of Dragon Age are still alive in The Veilguard: the Warrior/Rogue/Mage? class spl??it, using abilities to set up combos and detonation effects, and there are many returning spells and magical abilities.

Everyone gets a little extra oomph of power in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, though. Warriors can throw their shield like Captain America in their sword-and-shield stance, or hit a button to swap to their two-hander and start swinging. Rogues still feel combo-heavy, able to output huge amounts of damage and lock down single targets, though using gadgets and a bow felt fairly viable too. I didn’t spend too much time with Mage; it felt a bit slower to me, and besides, I’m pretty certain ??a lot of writers were spending their time flinging spells.

I p??ersonally loved playing the Rogue. Leaping into combat, dodging around giant axe swings and spells, and then throwing down a Lightning Flask to stagger my enemies into a brutal finisher felt great. The Ultimate skills take things a step further; mine threw out a bev??y of explosives in an area in front of me, which was incredibly useful in boss�add phases.

Combat in The Veilguard did have some noticeable shifts, though. I didn’t see health bars on my companions, which felt like it indicated they may not have them??. Also, control was strictly limited to my character, with the occasional tactical menu pulled up to order an ally to fire off a spell at a certain target.

In practice, this felt a little less like Origins�planning and tactics, and more like Mass Effect 2, a game I found mirrored quite often in The Veilguard. It means the action moves fast, battles are exciting, and everything narrows in on finding opportunities to do damage and stay ?alive. But I did feel some of that tactical layer peeled away in the process, at least for what I played.

I’m also curious?? to see how upgrades pan out, as the ones we picked up seemed to run the gamut from interesting additions (chance to proc Bleed on the final hit of a combo) to fairl??y mundane ones (a straightforward numbers boost). It can be hard to get a gauge on the power scale of an RPG in just one slice, but given the lengthy amount of time we had—over six hours, by my estimate—it did make me wonder.

A world in need of saving

Dragon Age: The Veilguard arrives at a juncture for BioWare. It’s not just the first Dragon Age game in almost a decade, but it’s also the newest RPG from a studio that’s been on rough waters. Mass Effect: Andromeda was, to use a tired phrase, a bit of a mixed bag, and Anthem was a noteworthy stumble.

The Veilguard itself went through its own iterations, and now has studio hopes hanging on it. Sure, there’s a new Mass Effect in the oven too, but eyes are on BioWare now to see if it can still do what Bi??oWare has been notoriously known for: beefy RPGs with com??pelling characters and enthralling worlds.

After hours spent with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I’m feeling much more positive than I was going in. Many of my concerns about what a BioWare game looks like, in 2024, were quickly washed away. The Veilguard is BioWare as hel?l: it’s got compelling characters, enthralling worlds, and plenty of beef.

Yet this crew, formed of some familiar faces and some new ones, seems to be making their own mark on it too. I can sift out the pieces that feel like older BioWare, sure; the ones that spark familiar tones of past games. But there’s some new ideas too. I love the world state changes, the quest-specific zones and areas, and the recontextualization of so many Dragon Age norms thanks to our new, northern locales.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard seems like it could see BioWare reclaiming its spot as a maker of big, exciting RPGs, and that’s encouraging. Walking in, I was just looking to ?see if the game was real. Now, I really can’t wait to get back to it.

_{[Travel and lodging for this preview was provided by the publisher.]}

The post Hands-??on: Dragon Age: The Ve??ilguard has action, companions, and world-building in full BioWare form appeared first on Destructoid.

Square Enix and Mistwalker's 2021 RPG Fantasian is finally escaping the confines of mobile and making it to new platforms as Fantasian Neo Dimension. Having played the game on PlayStation 5, I feel RPG fans have something to be excited ?about �but a ghost of handhelds past may end up haunting it.

Those who know me best will agree that ?I'm not the biggest JRPG player in the world. It's not that I dislike the genre �far from it. I know what these are about. You start by rolling out of bed at your parents' house, fast-forward about 100 hours, and you're body-slamming god through a fold-out table. Trust me, I get it.

Dance to my beat

To be clear, my enjoyment of JRPGs mostly hinges on how well they "vibe" with me. There are many games in the genre I played for some dozen or so hours and dropped. But in comparison, there are others I've completely devoured. For every unfinished Dark Cloud, there's Skies of Arcadia, which I've heaped praises on for decades. I couldn't get through Ni no Kuni, but you better believe I did everything in Tales of Vesperia and fulfilled my destiny by, yes, piledriving its god through?? a fold-out table.

My time with Fantasian was brutally short, but I'm thrilled to say that, save for one glaring issue, by the end of the demo I was rocking out to its rhythm. And I can sum up the primary r?eason with one confounding word: Bowling. Yes, bowling, which I'll explain shortly.

Playing the classics

For those who don't know, Fantasian is a turn-based RPG that launched in 2021 for mobile via Apple Arcade. A Mistwalker game, it involved two legends of the genre. The game's writer is none other than Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy. He's paired with composer Nobuo Uematsu, who was behind the music of Final Fantasy for more than a decade. If you, ever in your life, have listened to "One-Winged Angel" on repeat, you can thank Uematsu. It should come as no surprise that Fantasian feels like an echo of the past.

The game's story revolves around Leo, a young man who was viciously bludgeoned by an RPG trope. Suffering from amnesia, he's led by a lingering?? memory to find himself and save the world from a mechanica??l virus. Naturally, he's joined by fellow warriors of all types, whom he gathers as you make your way through the game.

The demo I played included such a chan??ce encounter. It was early in the game, and I found Leo paired with the white magician Kina and Cheryl, a spellcaster with mastery over ice magic. I walked through the world for a short while before finding a man under attack by someone with two wolf-like enemies called Wolzas by his side.

I've seen this one before

Pleasantries be damned, we decided to help t??he man being attacked. The game split the party, allowing me to use the stranger against the Wolzas. His kit was certainly inter??esting. Partnered with a spirit beast, his most powerful abilities drained not mana, but his own life bar.

Fantasian boasts traditional turn-based combat with weapon attacks and magic. I used Leo to slice away at f??oes, while Kina supported him and the stranger with healing and holy magic. There were only two enemies, allowing me to focus on one at a time. We easily won the fight, as it wasn't meant to be any kind of boss battle. The man took off, and so did Leo and friends.

Taking it all in

The post-battle respite gave me some time to soak in the game's environments. I wasn't acknowledging it before the fight, but the visuals of Fantasian Neo Dimension struck me during this moment. I thought things looked a bit odd at first. The characters were typical polygonal models, but the environment ha??d a surreal, dream-like quality. It was as if I was manipulating toys in a ?miniature movie set. I wasn't far off.

Fantasian Neo Dimension utilizes hand-made dioramas blended w?ith polygons and CG to showcase its world. I'm not sure how well it worked on a mobile device, but the effect was stunning on the larger monitor I used. The tan trail, looking like it was comprised of sawdust, was fenced off with blue and magenta bushes. Large boulders dusted by green paint appeared to be made of clay. I could see places wher??e they were scraped by tools.

As an upgrade, Fantasian Neo Dimension supports up to 4K on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam. I don't believe I experienced it during my preview, but I can only imagine just how much more impressive the game can look at that aspect ratio. Fantasian Neo Dimension may end up having one of the most beaut??iful visuals I've experienced in games. It's quite breathtaking in motion.

Despite the 4K support, Fantasian Neo Dimension still? bears t??he marks of mobile gaming. The characters are tiny on the screen, and the icons in the UI are large. That's not a huge issue, of course.

Out of control

But there is one lingering remnant that is. Since you'r?e meant to use a controller, you manipulate characters via a thumbstick instead of tapping a location on a screen. Moving characters using the latter method means that the camera has to relocate to support new perspectives, showing you more of the environment. ?But the thumbstick doesn't match the sudden swing the camera makes.

The effect made mov??ing around feel like I was stuck in a pinball machine. I even got lost a few times after my viewpoint suddenly shifted. It frustrat?ingly broke any immersion, and I ended up feeling a bit sick to my stomach. I hope it gets improved ahead of launch.

Despite bouncing around like a metal ball in a can of spray paint, I was still able to progress more in the demo. As per the norm, you can fight enemies in random encounters. But since I always feel a tad rushed when playing demos at events, I ended u?p running past a lot of fights. Well, that decision even?tually caught up with me.

It's a dungeon dimension, get it?

Fantasian Neo Dimension includes a unique system called a Dimengeon, which is a portmanteau of "dungeon" and "dimension." Every time you avoid a random battle, the enemies are placed into the Dimengeon. If it reaches maximum occupancy, you're unceremoniously pulled into the dark world where you must fight all the baddies you ignored. The arena fills up with enemies with a counter on the top-right of the UI showing ho??w many you need to fight to survive. It sounds oppressive. But you know what? I loved it.

This is where I return to my needlessly befuddling mention of bowling from earlier. Scrolling through the list of spells, you can see icons of which spell hits one enemy and which will pierce multiple. On mobile, using powers like magic spells required you to drag your finger to create a path toward enemies. With piercing shots, you can manipulate the spell's trajectory to blast through as many baddies as possible. The system works wonderful?ly on the controller. You pick a spell, move the thumbstick to create a straight or curved line, and let it fly!

In my first Dimengeon fight, I happily abused my piercing abilities at every chance. Gimmicks, shown as ??glowing icons, also appear in the Dimengeon and are often placed on the ground between your party and ene??mies. Hitting them with an ability grants a special power-up like increased damage.

I got into a groove. Enemies would plop onto the field en masse and I'd arc a blast of magic through a Gimmick before hitting up to five foes at once, killing several while injuring the others. It's just so much fun! I didn't even mind how much time I spent tearing through Mecha Jellyfish?. The game also allows? you to see many upcoming turns (up to 12 by my count) at once, allowing you to plan far ahead.

It's incredi??bly easy and intuitive and, yes, does kinda feel like bowling. The way enemies cluster tog?ether on the screen is not too unlike pins you can knock down with a heavy strike. Every time I fired off a spell that devastated a line of helpless foes, I wanted to let out a small cheer. It's incredibly satisfying.

The battle wore on, but eventually??, the enemy spawns slowed to a stop, allowing me to continue the demo. There wasn't much left to do, sadly.

Don't touch the merchandise

We soon stumbled on what I assumed was the reason we were here in the first place. My party located an old, injured man, who immediately warned us not to touch the nearby "golem" lest it wake up and beat everyone to a pulp. Leo?, clearly understanding the assignment, waltzed over and touched the golem after trying to pull an item out from under it. The golem woke up and completely dusted my party in about three moves. Thanks, Leo.

The party wipe heralded the end of my time with Fantasian Neo Dimension. Despite my concerns over the contr??ols, the demo left a strong impression. The game is beautiful and runs smoothly, and while standard combat feels rudimentary, the Dimengeon system adds a strong gust of?? fresh air.

Fantasian Neo Dimension doesn't have a release date yet, but it is scheduled to arrive in the winter of 2024. If the movement controls get smoothed out, I may happily add another to my shortlist of belove?d (and finishe??d) turn-based RPGs.

The post Han?ds-on: Fantasian Neo Dimension brings a refreshing twist on dungeon battles, but its awkward controls are distracting appeared first on Destructoid.

Just shy of eight years after the release of Planet Coaster, developer Frontier Developments is looking to build upon the ultimate amusement park-building experience with a sequel. Frontier recently invited me to spend about an hour and a half hands-on diving into some park building in Planet Coaster 2, and I'm very excited abou??t th??e direction in which the theme park sim appears to be heading.

Pack your bathing suit

The first part of the preview dropped me into a Scenario that I was told is about midway through the reworked Career mode in Planet Coaster 2. My inherited park was split into two separate partitions, and it's my job to essentially build a water park in one of them. I knew that water parks were the big draw of the sequel, but I was afraid it would just be the addition of some ??simple water-themed rides. I'm happy to report, that's not the case.

While there are in fact some new water-based flat rides, the main new feature here is being able to build your own beaches and pools. There are a few pre-made pools you can build, but you can also free-form build your own, shaping the size and the depth of the water. Aside fro??m looks, this also impacts how you can further interact with the pools you build.

Several new rides also interact directly with the pools you build. You have the option of keeping your pool as its own attraction in itself, be it a simple swimming pool, a wave pool, or even ??building out a lazy river for your guests to wade around the park, but you also have the option of integrating rides with the pool. New attraction options include water slides and flumes, with the opportunity to build your own custom creations, dumping your visitors into your pools at the end of the ride.

Inst?ead of taking the easy route and just throwing in some simple new rides, Frontier has added in-depth and fleshed-out systems that allow you to get creative and build some impressive water parks. The great thing is, it's up to you if you want to make the water park section of your amusement park its own thing, or you can integrate it alongside your standard coaster ??park.

Putting the THEME in Theme Park

Even though I only have about 50 hours in the original Planet Coaster—very casual numbers to the park-building aficionados—I immediately realized there are a handful of major quality-of-life improvements in the sequel. A very divisive task in the park-building world, the placement of queues and paths, has been fleshed out and optimized, making the?? process of wrapping your queues around the limited space in your park much easier than I remember in the original.

New themes have been added when building parks, giving players plenty of options for designing thematic sections of their park including the Resort, Aquatic, Viking, and Mythological themes. The custom pools you build can also integrate the new themes and props, allowing you t?o create uniquely themed sections of your park, just like you'd?? see at Disney World.

For the real park-building pros who like to add all the nitty gritty details, a new event sequence tool allows players to perfectly time and execute mesmerizing effects to further bring rides and the park itself to life. Some of the creations from the original Planet Coaster we absolutely insane, and I can't wait to see what players who take the time to master all the new systems in Planet Coaster 2 will be able to come up with.

A little more management

My only issue with the newer simulation titles including Planet Coaster, Planet Zoo, and Jurassic World Evolution is that the management options feel a bit thin. I didn't get to see all the new aspects of Planet Coaster in that? regard, but what I did see was certain improvements to the management features available.

I spoke with Planet Coaster 2 Senior Executive Producer Adam Woods and Game Director Richard Newbold about this exact thing, and they assured me that improving the actual management aspect of your park was a big focus when developing the sequel. First and foremost, an entire narrative aspect has been implemented alongside t??he Career Mode, with fully voice?d characters.

As you progre?ss through the Career Mode you'll be presented with challenges on how to tackle each scenario, earning starts for completing various challenges. As you accrue more stars, you can access mo?re scenarios.

But even on a base level, more management options are present in Planet Coaster 2. There are more staff to hire, more management-related buildings to build, and se??rvices to maintain. Players will have to build power generators and setup a power grid to keep their park running. Any attractions or pools will need to be properly maintained, and cleaned, as well as provided with a source of water via water pumps.

Planet Coaster 2 is set to launch on November 6, 2024 on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S at a price point of $49.99. A Deluxe Edition is also available for $64.99 which comes with the Vintage Funfair Ride Pack. This pack features a collection of 10 vintage attractions includ?ing a nostalgic Grand Carousel and some traditional wooden coasters.

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I always had mixed feelings about the original New World. I first played it when it launched in 2021 and got to experience the full mix of genuinely enjo??yable gameplay, questionable server issues, and quests that repeated the same few objectives throughout most of my playthrough. Even with all that said, I still dedica??ted over 400 hours to it, and I enjoyed the pace change from more traditional MMOs.

Fast forward to 2024, Amazon Games announced a rerelease for this moderately successful MMO named New World: Aeternum. Since I'd been away from the community for a while, I had no idea what to expe??ct going into it, and I'll admit to feeling some slight pessimism initially. Nonetheless, I looked forward to accepting and hopping into the Open Beta's early ?access weekend.

Fortunately, while it had a couple of mishaps here and there, New World: Aeternum did a great job at adding refreshing and interesting changes without turning it into a mess??y mish-mash of random features. I'll admit it: I'm hooked again, even if th??is revamped version has its ups and downs.

I was even more pleasantly surprised when I learned that this is a free, fresh-start rerelease for anyone who already owns New World. While it seems mostly intended for those with the Rise of the Angry Earth expansion, anyone with the base game will also see a good chunk of Aeternum's changes. At the very least, I was happy to hear that, outside of losing our original characters and servers, we would all get the chance to experience New World: Aeternum regardless of whether we had the ??expansion. Despite some pessimism at first, this was a positive though??t I kept in mind as I was playing the open beta.

A rough start

I won't harp on my first few minutes of tackling New World: Aeternum's servers too much, especially since this was a beta test, but I still felt it was worth mentioning as someone who has firsthand experience with New World 1.0's launch. While I didn't encounter long queues or crashes like in the latter, minor error hiccups occurred, with a real possibility of them resurfacing later. Admittedly, this much is par for the course for live-service game launches and is ultimately up to personal discretion, but the parallels it drew to New World's 2021 launch lingered in my mind for some time.

That is until I finally entered the game and immediately experienced some ne??w changes within the first few minutes. Any bad taste in my mouth at that point vanished instantly in favor?? of curiosity and intrigue. Wanting to see what other new features I'd discover, I dove in eagerly and forgot about my initial sour attitude going into this. Instead, it was replaced with fascination and optimism, albeit some skepticism that lingered even a couple of hours into my playthrough.

A few changes make all the difference

New World: Aeternum starts us off in a familiar setting, introducing us to Father Russo, Captain Thorpe, and crewmates on a pirate ship before diving into the game's character creator. Immediately, I recognize two massive changes: the polish of New World's new cut?scenes and the revamped character menu. Rather than just designing your appearance and figuring out your weapons later, the game introduces you to archetypes, w??hich are basically traditional character classes that impact your starting stats, weapons, and armor. Afterwards, you go into appearance and name-changing as usual.

I've always liked having a character class in games, especially MMOs, even if New World's original open-ended approach was more interesting to start. Since archetypes affect both your weapons and trade skills, giving you a 50-level boost to various skills, I'm left feeling curious about how it'll impact early and mid-game skilling, particularly once the trading post gets in?volved.

From this point onward, my optimism grew, and I suddenly felt genuinely eager to keep playing to see what other changes there were. By this moment, I had the game open for about ten minutes, and five of those were figuring out a weird server bug. Since I used a sword and shield during my first playthrough of New World, I entered New World: Aeternum as a ranger, giving my character a bow and spear to spice things up. There's a musketeer option, too, but I never really liked the feel of guns in the original and wanted to stick to somethi?ng more familiar.

My unexpected feelings of intrigue and curiosity continued as I witnessed more of the game's cutscenes and, later, the tutorial. Although my memories of the original New World's tutorial were a little foggy due to how long it's been since I've seen this, I immediately recognized the stark contrast in the setup, our protagonist's background, and the sequence of events that happen in it. We're no longer just a random person who stumbled into a corrupted plane of existence and were forced to fight random enemies for reasons we?'d barely pay attention to.

Instead, New World: Aeternum lays everything out through fascinating storytelling, a plot that actually makes sense, and surprisingly entertaining cutscenes that I enjoyed from beginning to end. We are a pirate who was part of the ship's crew, with Father Russo and Captain Thorpe's situations laid out in detail in front of us. I won't spoil what happens, but let's just say it makes more sense than whatever happened in the original New World. Even the tutorial and your usual ol' learning of the game's controls make sense now as you actively fight against th?e now-corrupted crew and have to fight your way out of the mess before your chara??cter dies.

Every change that New World: Aeternum introduces builds itself up to be a worthwhile successor to its original form even within its first few minutes. These feelings flourished as I played the game and noticed major and subtle quality-of-life changes, character interaction changes, and quest tweaks that made New World feel alive and refreshing. As time went on, though, I noticed that while there were plenty of differences, there were just as many similarities that were d?ifficult?? to miss.

Something feels a little familiar

After leaving the vastly improved tutorial that shocked me beyond belief, I finally entered New World's main map. From the get-go, I was expecting a completely different game from what I experienced over two years ago. Instead, there were numerous similarities, and I noticed this almost immediately. Sure, the quest themselves are different, and there's enough changes that I wouldn't call New World: Aeternum identical to its original. Nonetheless, I wouldn't quite call it a ??day-and-night difference between the two versions.

One of the first places I checked was my weapons and skill??s. After all, I eventually got pretty involved in fine-tuning my builds so I could get more involved in expeditions in the original. Although I didn't expect a complete revamp, I wasn't anticipating the skills and buffs to be almost identical. I don't mind this, as that means I won't have to use too much brain power to come up with completely new builds from scratch?, but I was hoping there'd be a few noteworthy changes.

The map and area names are also quite similar, with some level differences and quest-specific changes, as is the general mission structure. I've always enjoyed New World's quests despite most of them telling you to kill enemies and find items, and New World: Aeternum is no different. There's just something about seeing how your actions directly impact the world around you and the liveliness of the character's interactions with you that make generic quests feel worthwhile. You may not get vastly different mission structures in Aeternum, but you will get ?more interesting versions of what already existed.

The last main similarity I noticed immediately is the combat. While New World: Aeternum's feels much more polished and fluid than in its predecessor, it's still the same at its core. Trust me, I'm happy that I won't have to learn a completely new fighting style, but there are certainly opportunities to add some flair to combat, enemy types, and even basic movement that yo??u won't see in this new version. The enemies themselves are also mostly the same, aside from some quest-related bosses.

Unfortunately, I didn't quite find an opportunity to try out PvP during this part of the open beta, but I'm definitely looking forward to it in the future. I had a whole basket of issues with it in the original version of New World, but with how much smoother combat feels now, I'm optimistic ??that there's been some noticeable improvement.

Despite these similarities, there are a bunch of changes that make New World: Aeternum interesting. NPC dialogue was completely reworked, several new quests feature some pretty fun objectives and boss battles, and most of the characters actually serve a purpose beyond just spouting exposition and dialogue that goes in one ear and out the other. There are enough changes in Aeternum to make the experience feel fresh and exciting while still sta??ying familiar enough that someone who hasn't played for a while can get back into the swing of things without getting overwhelmed.

The world is old, but the experience is new

Although this might sound like I got bored or disinterested in Aeternum quickly, I still managed to fly through a good chunk of the open beta's content without even thinking about the time. If New World: Aeternum is so simila??r to the original, why was I able to play so much of it again without feeli?ng bored?

Surprise. This feeling of surprise over witnessing how different yet familiar New World: Aeternum feels and how these changes are enough to revitalize my desire to replay it all over again. The original New World served as a valuable lesson for Amazon Games, and Aeternum's changes reflect this in every way.

New World: Aeternum also seems to be geared towards a few specific audiences. If you were on the fence about the original, Aeternum might be just what you need to try this game out. If you already enjoyed New World but just got a little tired of it, there's enough new content to enjoy that'll make the experience feel fresh. For anyone looking for a direct sequel, though, you won't find that here, and that's completely okay. If you're me, you'll feel overall content with the direction Aeternum is moving toward but still st??ep forward cautiously in case the late-game experience goes awry or any drastic changes occur later down the line.

New World: Aeternum's open beta w??ill run from September 13 to 16 on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC via Steam. Its full rele??ase is planned for October 15, 2024.

The post New World: Aeternum preview: A famil?iar world with a refreshed coat of paint appeared first on Destructoid.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands: The Land of Giants issue #1 in August 2024 and further explored the Borderlands universe through its versions of D&D, Bunkers & Badasses, just as Tiny Tina's titular game did. Now, we have five p?ages from the second issue, which will be released on September 18, 2024, to show you.

In the first issue of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands: The Land of Giants, we were introduced to the colorful cast of characters and read about their escapades in a brand new story that Tiny Tina's put together for them. After?? a short side quest, the party finds themselves in Boomstone, where a hill giant named Hilly the Kid has been causing a bit of a ruckus. That's where we left off, and the first five pages of issue 2 pick right up from that point. ?Trust me when I say you're going to want to read about how the party helps Hilly the Kid calm down.

5 exclusive preview pages from Tiny Tina's Wonderlands: The Land of Giants issue #2

Below, I've showcased all five of the pages that Dark Horse Comics provided for us to reveal in this exclusive preview to fans. As I said, take your time to read through them because you'll see how this is a true Borderlands story plucked directly from Tiny Tina's mind.

As you can see, the story takes a pretty wild turn. While the party is trying to figure out what they can do about Hilly the Kid, they get lost in a haircut competition, and everything goes a bit off the rails. This fits the vibe of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands and its quirky twist on Dungeons & Dragons beautifully.

The main quest is never the main quest for long with Tiny arou??nd. The world state can change in an instant, and the party often doesn't have a choice when it co??mes to the zany side quests because they almost always end up doing whatever Tina wants them to do.

I love that the comic translates the humor of the games so well because, as some people reported when they saw the Borderlands movie, it's not an easy universe to bring into other mediums. If you're eager to read more, head over to Dark Horse Comics and pre-order your copy so you don't miss out.

The post Exclusive preview: 5 fresh pages from Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: The Land of Giants issue #2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite its status as a spin-off, Mario Party has become a well-established franchise of its own over the course of many years. Since 1998, the series has delighted and, often, enraged many fans. Super Mario Party Jamboree is next in line, bringing new ways to ?play and yell.

To be fair, most of the venting is due to the series of party games being surprisingly competitive, despite its delightfully spirited aesthetic. I've often joked that if you're looking to ruin friendships, few things work better than discussing religion, politics, or playing Mario Party. The games are a lot of fun for large gatherings, featuring exciting minigames to compete in as one of many dozens of Mario characters.

Party up in here

There are more than 20 Mario Party games across an assortment of consoles, handhelds, and arcades playing host to hundreds upon hundreds of minigames. It's impressive that the series continues to grow and add even more ways to play. Super Mario Party Jamboree will be no exception when it arrives on Nintendo Switch. It's a massive Mario Party game, featu?ring seven game boards, 22 playable characters, and more than 110 minigames. It also sports some cool new modes �two of which I got to try while at PAX West.

Sitting down at the event, I hopped into a traditional Party Mode with three others. We picked our chosen character, one going with Ninji, who makes their Mario Party debut. Pauline comes to Jamboree as the second of the two new characters to the roster. I we??nt with my boy Wario, because, let's just face it, he's the best. Accept no substi??tute.

Wigglin' on by

We played on one of the new boards, Mega Wiggler's Tree Party. Super Mario Party Jamboree has five new boards for fans to try out, along with two from the series' past. Mario's Rainbow Castle from the original game is getting gussied up for Jamboree, as is Western Land from Mario Party 2.

Mega Wiggler's Tree Party is pretty much as ??you'd imagine. It's a board dressed up with bright, green grass, trees, and mushrooms. Piranha Plants are strategically placed around the board, napping away until a player got close enough for a bite. A gigantic Wiggler is holed up in the center ??�in a literal hole �with spaces on its back on which players could use to progress. Bells dotted around the map can be rung, causing the Wiggler to move and potentially ruin someone's grand plans.

The map may be new, but the goal remains the same as it has for the last 26 years: Hit the dice, move around the board, grab coins, win minigames, and collect those Stars! The one with the most Stars is the? winner and the target of scorn.

Our match also started as expected. We took turns punching a rolling die, and the person with the highest number went first. For us, that was the newcomer Ninji, who managed to grab the game's first Star within a span of about two?? minutes. The tension was already rising.

We hopped into a few minigames while traveling around the board. One had us sliding around an icy platform while giant heads blew a gust of wind that threatened to push us into the cold water. Another had us ground-pound a button that sent out a ring of light; get hit by the light three times and you're out. Most of the games we played were were a blast, offering a blend of challenge and humor. Jamboree lets you practice the minigame and learn its rules before starting, which?? is t?ypical.

We didn't manage to get too far. The Nintendo reps quickly moved us to the first of the game's new online modes befor??e Ninji claimed another Star. I put down my chair.

A race to the top

Next was Koopathalon, a new, online multiplayer mode for up to 20 people. Our match was mostly filled with bots, but that didn't leave things any less competitive. In Koopathlon, you choose a character and dash laps around a large race track. Winning minigames allows you to advance on the course, while losing sets you ??back.

Of course, this means that the stakes are so much higher for winning those minigames. The last player standing gets a massive boost forward, while the stragglers end up eating dust. Things certainly felt more heated in Koopathlon, and I found myself nearing closer to the edge of my seat as we hopped from minigame to minigame. Being a somewhat competitive person in multiplayer games, Koopathlon kept me focused. I caught myself holding my breat?h a few times as my?? vision tunneled around the screen.

I found myself closely behind the player in first place. We raced on, using minigames as fuel to propel our characters forward. I discovered I'm quite good at a racing minigame where you press left or right to switch tracks while avoiding obstacles and collecting coins. I'll count my years grinding rails in Sonic games for that skill. There was another minigame that stood o?ut in which you had to pull bread out of an oven at the right time. As someone who spent years working in professional kitchens, this one stressed ?me out more than taxes.

I ended up really enjoying Koopathlon. While I have nothing against the traditional Party Mode, Koopathlon presents a more high-octane approach to getting you into minigames. There ?was no rolling of the dice to move, nor store to buy items, or Stars declaring the winner �from what I could tell. You move, play minigames, and move again. So far, it feels like a fantastic alternative for those who w??ant to ditch the Stars and chase the checkered flag.

Cooperative kaiju battles

The last mode we trie??d was another one new to the series. Bowser Kaboom Squad is an online multiplayer mode that's co-op, where you work together with a crew to take down a massive, city-stomping Bowser. The round-based mode tasked us with running around a board, busting through crates to collect bombs to toss into a cannon. When 20 bombs were loaded, it would fire at Bowser, chunking away at his health bar.

There were still minigames to play in Bowser Kaboom Squad. But afterward, you could collect items to help your team win. You could pick a banana peel and place it on Bowser's path, causing him to slip and fall on his scaly butt. Grabbing the mallet lets you break through the wooden boxes containing bombs faster. But my favorite is the pads that give you and your allies a brief burst of speed. Think of them like those Boost Pads in Mario Kart.

Bowser becomes more dangerous the longer the match goes. At low life, he belches fireballs into the air that land and continue to burn on the ground. The fire would block off certain paths, making it harder to get bombs to the cannon. Items like the boost pads could also be destroyed by the fire, slowing yo??ur progress.

We managed to win in the end. The final salvo of bombs was hand-delivered by your truly, and Bowser was beaten. (For now.) Bowser Kaboom Squad feels like a good addition to the roster of modes coming to the game. It was exciting to team up with the crew to take down a single big bad, as opposed to trying to one-up each other. The mode should prove to be a great for folks not wanting the high competition the other modes bring. It might also be a welcome palate-clean??ser for those long party sessions.

Just around the corner

Super Mario Party Jamboree is shaping up to be a fantastic addition to the long-s??tanding franchise. While fans of the traditional mode should be happy with the game, I'm glad to say that it has plenty of options to prevent things from getting st?ale.

I'd love to play more Koopathlon shortly, but I'm also looking forward to its co-op additions. Things should hopefully stay less stressful that way. Super Mario Party Jamboree is heading to the Nintendo Switch on October 17.

The post Hands-on: Super Mario Party Jamboree sparks fresh excitement (and a bit of road rage) ??with its new Koopathlon mode appeared first on Destructoid.

As I previewed The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, there was a moment where the first line ever spoken in the series came back to me. The famous quote from an old man ??in a cave takes on a strange refl??ection in Zelda's solo outing.

"It's dangerous to go alone," the old man began. We know it well. Those iconic words led to our hero of legend taking up the imparted sword to save the land of Hyrule and its princess, Zelda. The roles are reversed in Echoes of Wisdom, with Zelda taking on the mantle of hero for the first time (let's just say, officially). And as with the f?irst game, she's? not going at it alone.

The Adventure of Zelda

I got to play a couple of small sections in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom while at PAX West. I experienced the start of the game not long after Link and a chunk of Hyrule and its populous get swallowed by mysterious purple rifts. The preview also included the first dungeon, which showcased Echoes of Wisdom's distinct take on puzzle-solving and combat.

Echoes of Wisdom begins at the end of a Link-led adventure. Ganon is defeated once more, but the celebrations have to wait. The spear he wielded caused rifts to spread, taking Link who barely managed to break Zelda free of Ganon's magic. The demo I played took place soon after the intro, where, in a twist, Zelda is blamed for the rifts and is tossed into jail faster than a typical Elder Scrolls protagonist.

Tri this on for size

This is no A Link to the Past, and Zelda can't rely on Link to break her free from her cell. But help still arrives. It's here you're intr?oduced to Zelda's new partner, a small yellow fairy named Tri, whom only the princess can see. Tri offers Zelda a magical tool called the Tri Rod, which can create copies �called echoes �of objects and creat??ures.

But there are catches, of course. You can't copy every object; th??e ones you can shimmer with a gold light. Creatures can only be collected after defeated. You can also only create so many echoes at once, indicated by the number of yellow triangles floating behind Tri. If you place one more than what's allowed, the first echoed object disappears.

I was given only a small handful of these triangles to start, but it was enough. The first object I added to my collection was a wooden table. Stacking three tables like a small staircase allowed me to?? break out of my cell and make for the exit.

On my way out I was stopped by Impa, who handed me Link's blue cloak for a disguise (which worked for all but three second?s) and a logbook with gameplay info and a map. Reading the logbook also clues you in on how to use echoes you've attained. Once you're equipped with the cloak, pressing the 'R' button makes you twirl. Doing so lets you shred grass as easily as Link could with a sword �and it's just as fun. You can also use it in the water for a short boos?t.

It became established that the king of Hyrule is a phony, hence Zelda's surprising incarceration. The meeting with Impa was short, and I left to continue my escape while she went off?? to ninja-kick some guards. No matter the timeline, Impa still rocks.

Puzzle smarter, not harder

The castle basement is the training ground for the Tri Rod. Rooms filled with guards and puzzle challenges stand between you and sweet, sweet freedom. Zelda is no warrior in Echoes of Wisdom (sorry, Sheik fans). Against platforming puzzles and deadly enemies, her success relies on not being strong, but clever. Stacking tables will only get you so f??ar.

Tri is Zelda's constant companion in the game, offering thoughts and instructions. With Tri's help, you soon expand your l??ist of objects from tables to beds, boulders, crates, and much more, giving you multiple options on how to approach puzzles and navigation challenges. Boulders and potted trees can grant a vertical boost, while wooden crates or beds help you c??ross bodies of water.

Sneak Queen

Tables give you a step up, but they can't exactly span over a lengthy gap. Horizontally stacking a few Old Beds, however, might give you just enough reach. The Old Bed does have an amusing second purpose. Hopping on top and pressing the 'A' button lets you sleep, which slowly heals you ??over time. I was told that, yes, you can heal to full, but it takes longer depending on how much health you've lost. Hearts can be found in the typical clay pots and tall grass, sure, but I love the idea of Zelda completely zonking out in the middle of a dungeon on a magic bed.

The castle also introduces the game's stealth mechanics. Patrolling guards wandered throughout the castle basement, where shelves lined w?ith items or boo??ks created a maze-like path. I did have some trouble, sadly, and I ended up getting caught a few times. But using echoes of the Hyrule Castle Pot, I managed to get past by shattering said urns and hopping over shelves. Soon, freedom was mine.

Dungeon delving

Once I managed to escape, the Nintendo rep quickly whisked me off to the next section which takes place not long after the castle. I found myself actually inside a rift, called the Still World, which wasn't anything like the Dark World I e?xpected. Chunks of land floated in a sea of swirling miasma?, with captured Hylians trapped frozen in time.

Here was the location of the game's first dungeon: Suthorn Ruins. In the starting room was a waypoint marker, a strange-looking object that lets you fast-travel both in d?ungeons and ??in the overworld. Beyond the door, I learned Tri's other neat trick.

In a bit of a Bind

By sending Tri into objects and creatures, you can manipulate them to open up new paths or solve puzzles in a method called "Bind." If a massive stone is in the way, use Bind and then walk to move it. Binding makes an object match your vertical height. Jump and the object will mimic the movement. For those statues that Link would normally need to push onto a button, Bind lets you slide them over easily. Is a button on top of a ra?ised platform? Using Bind and a few stacked tables may be the key.

You can also hold the 'R' button while bound to follow along with moving objects such as mobile platforms and enemies. Yes, this means you can create an echo of an enemy that can climb walls then Bind and "follow" it up vertical cliffs. Binding is a remarkable new tool for Zelda ga??mes, and I'm excited to see just how much it'??ll blow open world exploration.

New challenges await

The castle may have introduced the concepts, but the dungeon is where I was put to task. Puzzles were harder to figure out, demanding a bit more thinking power to complete them. Echoes of Wisdom certainly feels like a Zelda game for fans of the series' puzzles. More than once I had to stop and rub my chin for a moment before going at a puzzle from a different angle. Thankfully, with the Tri Rod and a stable of echoes, there is no ??one way to solve a problem.

There were harder, optional puzzles to face in the dungeon. I was assured that critical ??items such as keys could be attained with the right echoes and some time. The tougher challenges typically result in a ches?t containing some other reward, like a cache of Rupees.

Unlike the castle guards, the dungeon enemies weren't in any capturing mood. You must use echoes to defend yourself against foes. Summoning a Moblin echo to chuck spears is certainly a good play against smaller beasts like slimes and bats. But when I went aga?inst a heavily armored Darknut, I needed a different approach.

As mentioned, you must outthink not just puzzles but also Zelda's opponents. The Darknut is resistant to blunt weapons, but not against fire. By captu?ring an Ignizol, a fire enemy, I was able to distract and damage the brute. You can't directly control your echo warrior, but holding the 'ZL' button lets you target an enemy, sending your fighter their way. Using fire and some rocks I heroically hurled in its direction when its back was turned, the Darknut went down and a new echo was mine to claim. Just in tim??e, too, as I was about to face a stronger, sadly familiar foe.

"Take this"

Imagine my shock when I entered a room to come face to face with an old friend... or so I thought. Shrouded in a purple mist and sporting?? red eyes, Dark Link, or maybe Rift Link, appeared as a mini-boss, wield??ing his sword and trademark shield.

Defeating the angry doppelganger wasn't a cakewalk for our weaponless Zelda. Even a Darknut echo seemed to ??have trouble dealing with the more nimble foe. But? it served well as a shield and distraction. As the two warriors fought in mortal combat, I ran around the arena chucking pots and boulder echoes at the anti-Link. After I moved into the tall grass that lined a path between two rock platforms, Link lost track of me for a moment. But doing so gave me enough time to bring out another Darknut and continue the fight.

He went down eventually, leaving his sword planted in the ground. The "Mysterious Sword" did apparently belong to the real Link, as his name was carved into it �likely a nod to the opening act of Link's Awakening.

It was here that the quote flashed across my mind. "It's dangerous to go alone," the old man said. "Take this." Nearly 40 years a??fter the original game, I found it strangely poetic for Link's sword to at last end up in the hands of the protagonist whose name is on every game? in which he's starred.

Taking up the blade

The sword lets you activate Swordfighter form, during which Zelda glows blue while wearing Link's cap, tunic, and shield. Swordfighter allows you to fight enemies as Link, and also slash through slime-??like obstructions blocking paths. It gives you all his basic abilities, such as the spin attack ?and defending with the shield.

But it's not permanent. The form uses energy, shown as a blue bar underneath your health. It dr?ained rapidly after I activated it, giving me only a few moments before it burned out. You can press the activation button to cancel it and save energy. Filling the bar requires you to collect blue bits of energy in the Still World or dropped during battle. In the demo, the blue bar had "Lv. 1" written on the side, suggesting it can be upgraded.

The Swordfighter for??m came in handy later against the dungeon's boss, Seismic Talus. Pairing up with a Darknut echo running a distraction, I chipped away at the boss' glowing weak point with boulders and the Swordfighter's blade. Each phase dropped a healthy supply of energy as well, making the fight feel like a real brawler.

Out into the world

The boss' defeat announced the end of the demo, which was quickly turned off to prevent cutscene spoilers. Oh well. I was given a chance to briefly check out some of the overworld, though. Doing so also allowed me to really soak in the game's gorgeous visuals. Echoes of Wisdom uses the Link's Awakening remake engine, complete with its charming toybox-like visuals and de??????????????????????????pth-of-field blur when the camera moves to an? isometric angle.

The game is just as beautiful as its top-down precursor. I also noti??ced it ran at a much more consistent framerate with slowdowns rarely occurring, noticeable only when I paused or unpaused the game. Zelda, with her determined face and blue cloak, is positively adorable, and I gleefully navigated her throu?gh the demo.

There are puzzle challenges and more to discover in the game's overworld. Treasure chests perched high on platforms gave off Breath of the Wild vibes. I managed to get one by stacking a couple of boxes and using a trampoline for the extra oomph. Various crates reveal Rupees and also fruit such as Refreshing Grapes. Also seemingly influenced by Breath of the Wild, you can gath??er and eat food for health or combine it into smoothies for greater effect.

Before I finished my time with the game, I found one last blast from the past in Echoes' growing list. While out and about, I was able to use a meat echo that?? baited Moblins �a humorous nod to the original game.

Sadly, I wasn't able to experience everything Echoes of Wisdom has to offer. I didn't discover a town, spend Rupees at a shop, or complete any possible quests. And that irks me! The time I spent?? with it wasn't nearly enough. I wanted to ask for a little more time. Just let me check out the Bind system some more... or make a smoothie! What happens when I stack two trampolines? Gah, I should have tried that.

I was excited already for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, but the wait for its September 26 launch? date is now much more difficult. So far, the Tri Rod is a brilliant idea for a Zelda-led odyssey. Using it to tactfully solve puzzles and fight enemies?? felt natural and engaging.

My time with Echoes of Wisdom was regretfully short. I came away feeling it could end up being not just a great Zelda adventure, but one of the year's most memo??rable. We only have a few short weeks to find out?.

The post Hands-on: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom puts the princess in the spotlight while p?aying homage to the past appeared first on Destructoid.

I couldn’t help but notice that it’s been a year since the last DLC for Two Point Campus. I figured that Two Point Studios had gone to work on the next entry in the Extended Two Point County Universe. Here it is! It’s Two Point Museum.

The Two Point games are big events for me, so I was extremely ex??cited to get my hands on the newest locale in the county. Even if it was only briefly. I also got to talk to Executive Producer Jo Koehler and Design Director Ben Huskins t?o get further details on the latest management game.

Backing up, the Two Point games began with Two Point Hospital in 2018. The most basic way to describe Two Point Hospital would be to say it’s a spiritual successor to 1997’s Theme Hospital by many of its creators. It’s a bizarre parody of a privatized, for-profit health care. Two Point Campus followed it up by transplanting the premise t?o education. They are deep but intuitive and easy-to-learn management games.

More importantly �to me, anyway �is that the Two Point games all exist?? in a singular county full of hapless, impulsive puppet people.

Two Point Museum con?tinues this approach to the management genre with another game about deterring people from learning things, but this time in a museum. You also get to plunder artifacts from out in the world, and while I hope there will be jabs at particular institutes that rob countries of important historical objects, the demo only had exhibits from the pre-history category. These are things like fossils and bones. You know, things that di??nosaurs aren’t using anymore and won’t miss.

It’s a mix of familiar and new. Museums are a different kind of business, making Two Point Museum something closer to something like Roller Coaster Tycoon. You need to draw in the crowds with some popular sights before you can squeeze them for their cash. In this case it is, of course, exhibits of differe??nt types.

You gain exhibits through expeditions that you perform by sending your experts out into the world. It’s not terribly far from something like Jurassic World Evolution, but the twist here is that there’s a risk and reward to it. When you select a location to plumb for educational loot, you’re presented with a list of events that could happen, both good and bad. You can affect the likelihood of bad stuff happening but ?seemingly not eliminate them entirely. These can result in your experts returning injured. At least, that’s what could be seen in the demo, as experts would return with tar-covered boots that they track through the?? museum.

The harm of Tarry Feet can be mitigated by hiring a janitor to clean up af??ter them and sending them to the Omni-cure in the staff lounge. Nothing too impressive, but I asked about how far this would go as the difficulty ramped up.

“We wanted expeditions to be meaningful,�Koehler told me. “It is possible for your experts to go missing�permanently.�/p>

“We have a few different types of ailments and injuries and even getting into things like curses and things like that that you have to resolve in different ways,�Huskins added. “Not everything can be cured in that cure machine, there are some that require a bit more thought and a bit more effort and have a bigger impact on your museum when those teams come back.�/p>

Once you have the artifacts in your building, you then have to place them accord?ingly. Not only does their adjacency to similar exhibits affect their popularity, but there’s a lot of decorative items that will make them more attractive. You then have to place dona??tion boxes and information boards in their vicinity to get people to empty their pockets.

You also need to hire staff, make sure the important facilities are on site, and keep things running smoothly. Some of the artifacts you bring back are encased in ice, such as a caveman. As shown in the trailer, if you don’t maintain your exhibits, they can break down. In the caveman’s case, he can break fre?e and escape the museum.

I asked if, once the caveman escapes, you could just put him back. I mean, it might be cruel to just re-freeze a protohuman, but one of the themes of the Two Point games is a somewhat dark lack of value for human life, especially in the face of? potential profits.

“Once they’re out, they cause a little bit of chaos around the museum,�Huskins told me. “But then they want to go out and live the life they didn’t manage to live many tens of thousands of years ago.�/p>

He says it’s a “fail state�for the exhibit, meaning you can’t get it back, which ensures you value your most important artifacts. After hearing that, I’m now wondering if the caveman will return to your museum ?as a guest.

Museums are a new setting for the Two Point games, but Two Point Museum still takes place in the same county. There are a lot of familiar elements to it besides the hapless, avarice-ridden citizens. The radio DJs (and “tannoy�voice) are back, which I’m happy to see. In the brief demo, I had Ricky Hawthorn a??s my host, as he oversaw a telethon to raise funds for Two Point Radio. I’m told that “the favorites�from previous games make their return, so if Harrison Wolff isn’t on the air, I’ll pout.

The expeditions reveal a world map around Two Point County. Previously, I thought that the county was simply in a fictional area of Britain, but the existence of a wider world implies that the whole planet might be similarly abstract. So, I asked if we’d learn where, ?exactly, Two Point County actually is.

“Not specifically, but we are excited to be exploring further,�Koehler sai??d.

Huskins explained further, “We like that idea of kind of teasing the wider world and giving you little pockets of it. We didn’t want to completely define the whole world because we kind of want to leave a bit of mystery around the edges.�/p>

On that topic, I pushed to find out if there was more lore around the Two Point games beyond just what’s explored in the games. Huskins told me, “I’m not going to claim that we’ve got Elden Ring levels of lore to Two Point County, but we do keep track of things that have come up before.�/p>

As I mentioned, the demo for Two Point Museum was distres?singly brief. It introduced many of the game’s concepts, including item placement, expeditions, staffing, and merchandising, but ended before I really got to flex my creative muscle. Or maybe I’m just complaining because I’ve been eagerly awaiting anything new from the series.

One thing that was mentioned to me that I didn’t really get to see was the new progression system. Previous Two Point games would have you build your Hospital or Campus, complete goals to reach a thr?ee-star rating, and then move on to the next level without really providing any reason to look back to your previous efforts. It’s the sticking point for a lot of people, as you nee?d to repeat a lot of your efforts each time a new level starts, and there’s little feeling of progression or persistence.

Progression seems to primarily revolve around exhibits. Artifacts that you discover on your expeditions are added to a pool that is available in e??ach location.

“You can mix and match what you want to have in? different museums. There’s a kind of natural fit for some of them, but it’s very much up to you what you put in each of your museums,�Huskins told me.

Exploration? of the world is also persistent, so you can continue disc??overing locations when you switch to a different location.

Huskins explained, “The way that you unlock locations is to complete objectives, and some of those objectives you can complete in the museum you’re already in, but some of those objectives really will require you to take advantage of the fact that you have built up multiple museums.�/p>

Unfortunately, the demo didn’t give much indication of how close to completion Two Point Museum is, nor has a release window been stated. I asked �I had to �but? there’s nothing to an??nounce right now.

I may not have seen much in the demo, but I have seen the Two P??oint charm applied to a new setting, which is enough for me to get excited. As an established fan ?of the Two Point games, I’m easy to please. Mostly.

For anyone who tried Two Point Campus or Two Point Hospital and didn’t quite jive with them, there are enough improvements to Two Point Museum to take a second look. It feels closer to a tycoon game where the goal is to obtain better and better attractions and place them in an optimal way to convince people to part with their wallets. Previously, the Two Point ?games were more of ?creating a flow between rooms to get the Two Point citizens through a progressive system to either be cured or educated. 

Two Point Museum has the? potential to be more engrossing for people who are looking for a more traditional managerial experience while not alienating fans of the previous two games. Personally, I can’t wait?? to experience more, and I hope it will wind up being worth the ticket price.

The post Hands-on Preview: Two Point Museum appeared first on Destructoid.

I was in college in 2006 when Dead Rising came out. HDTVs were already not in the majority of homes, but they were definitely a rarity in dorms. It was years before I learned ??what Otis was trying to tell me.

There was a common issue with Dead Rising: the font on subtitles was too sm?all to read on SDTVs. You could often make out what was written on screen, but it would take effort. More effort than you could fit into the timeframe it remained visible.

Otis was the worst. He contacts you regularly to tell you the location of survivors and would talk to you as you try to safely navigate past hordes of zombies. Trying to discern the microscopic text while watching your movements was next to impossi?ble. Then, he’d get offended if he was interrupted for any reason. We all hated Otis.

But not anymore, because Otis�dialogue is voice acted in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. Too bad?? my days of playing it on a standard definition display ??are long past.

Dead Rising was an impressive, influential, and ambitious game for 2006, but it was also a flawed one. I loved it when it was first released, but I can clearly remember a lot of frustration. Beyond Otis calling my a jerk for getting interrupted, the controls weren’t great and esc?orting survivors was also a quick shortcut to going mad.

If you weren’t around, Dead Rising is the story of boastful and somewhat sleazy photojournalist Frank West, as he drops into a zombie-infested mall to try and uncov?er a scoop that will make him famous. Unfortunately, he has to wait three days for his ride back to safety to arrive, and when it comes to finding a st??ory, he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

You’re left to run around a sandbox-ish mall full of zombies. There’s a persistent clock running, counting down 72 in-game hours until you’re saved. There’s a central plot that req??uires you to be in specific places at specific times, but you’re otherwise free to explore, save people in need of help, or ??take down “psychopaths�who have snapped beneath the weight of zombie-induced stress.

Deluxe Remaster doesn’t really change that. ??Well, aside from redu??cing the frustration.

Many of Deluxe Remasters�changes aren’t even immediately noticeable. In fact, if your memory is flawed, or you just didn’t play as much of the 2006 version as I did, you might only notice that it looks nicer. But that’s only because Capcom has been sly abou??t what got upgraded in terms of gameplay.

You might think that weapons always had a durability gauge, but the truth was that you just had to guess. Your katana would doubtlessly let you down by snapping when you needed it most.?? Now you can tell when it grows brittle. You can also move while looking down the sights of your gun. As I mentioned earlier, Otis can actually talk, so yo??u don’t need to watch the subtitles while you hear about who isn’t looking too good in the cosmetic store in the entrance plaza.

Most importantly, the survivors that you rescue are better at defending themselves and staying out of harm’s way. They aren’t super-capable, so you still need to lead them through safe routes and trim the zombies so they can get through. But they won’t immediately get swarmed the moment you take your eyes off of them, as they often would back in �6. I remember growing so frustrated in the original version that I stopped rescuing people, but it doesn’t look like it will be an issue with the Deluxe Remaster.

I played through the Deluxe Remaster from the beginning to 11 am on the second day; the length that Capcom would let me play through. Much of it felt familiar. The graphics have been glossed up with the RE Engine, but you can tell they’re applied over an older game. Dead Rising was impressive when it was released. The characters had more detailed movement and expressions than what you’d often se?e in cutscenes at the time, but there’s still some of the telltale stiffness of the earlier days.

Impressively, the new assets and effects work extremely well overtop the dustier parts of the game. The graphical effects and character models still have slightly exaggerated qualities to them that make them feel familiar. The mall is also a nicely sterile consumer environment that incorporates the upgraded lighting and reflection effects well. It avoids looking too much like a fan-made HD mod, and instead seems to understand Dead Rising’s aesthetics.

I’ve heard that some don’t really dig Frank West looking so much older in Deluxe Remaster, but I think it fits the character. He’s covered wars,?? you know.

On the other hand, I did notice a number of graphical weirdities in th?e PC version I played. I had a lot of issues with the framerate stuttering, though it typically ran fine. More noticeably, the depth-of-field blur wouldn’t mind its own business. Focusing in the camera mode was unreliable. More distractingly, the blur would sometimes cover characters in cutscenes. We’re still over a month out from release, which is usually the period of heavy bug squashing, so, with all likelihood, this will be fixed by launch.

With only a day of gameplay under my belt, it’s hard to say if this quality holds up throughout Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster’s runtime. While I’m happy to see better survivability among the??, er, survivors, I’m not certain how they will do in later sprints back to the sec?urity room. Likewise, I’ve always kind of hated the “Overtime Mode�of the original and want to see how it feels this time around.

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait long to find out since Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster releases on Septemb?er 18, 2024. If you’re savvy, you’ll notice that this is the day before the events in the game took place (September 19, 2?006).

I’m optimistic, to say the least. I’ve been putting off a replay of Dead Rising for quite some time now, and this glossed-up version of the original seems like it will be the ticket. It was never a perfect game, and it’s unlikely that Deluxe Remaster will be, either. However, it ?does nudge the classic title a notch closer to perfection.

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During TennoCon 2024, Digital Extremes put on the biggest show for Warframe to date. Fans got a new look at Soulframe and learned about everything coming to their favorite game later this year. But the real star of the show was the next expansion: Warframe: 1999, which launches in winter 2024.

I got to see the demo for Warframe: 1999 ahead of time and hear from the developers about all the different activities players will be able to partake in. The gameplay demo itself follows Arthur, an Excalibur Protoframe, and five other Protoframes as they follow a lead on a mysterious character who is hiding out in Warframe's version of 1999.

The demo opens with Arthur st??omping around because he's lost his keys, and he's angrily accusing the other Protoframes of having moved them. This is our introduction to each one, all of whom are characters that will help flesh out the story and real?ly humanize the Warframes we've been playing with for so long. Digital Extremes also revealed that, via a retro 90s-inspired instant messaging service, we'll be able to contact, flirt, and develop a relationship with each of these Protoframes in order to secure a New Year's Eve kiss.

Yes, you will be able to replay the entire Warframe: 1999 campai??gn and romance every Protoframe individually.

After meeting the cast, the demo moves on to see Arthur confronting the Infested forces that are all across Earth. It brings to life the very real fear that was palpable in the lead-up to New Year's Eve in 1999 when the world wasn't sure if it would wake up in the year 2000 ?or be obliterated by missiles due to a computer bug.

Some of us have even been joking about how this expansion is Warframe's version of Y2K and the future in Warframe is our alternate reality. Digital Extremes says that's not the case, though. Instead, this is Warframe's version of the '90s. So?,?? while there's an original boyband song, retro minigames, and various 90s iconography everywhere, it steps out of the '90s now and then because this is the game's version of the past. Not ours.

With that said, the environment oozes the '90s atmosphere and absolutely nails t??he feel of flip phones, clunky controls, and chunky keyboards. It's phenomenal just how well this has all been brought to life through a g??ame that has no tactile elements outside of a controller.

The demo shows the environments and so much more in action. One of the most interesting parts is Arthur's Atomicycle, which everyone will be able to unlo??ck and summon so they can race around the new sandbox.

Another incredible feature the expansion will add is Gemini Skins. These are fully voiced skins for your Warframe that you can use to switch between said Warframe and a chosen Protoframe. The Pro??toframes will say all sorts of things, from sassing your combat skills to asking to take a break w?hen you're done with them.

The demo ended with a boss fight against a massive tank that spews toxic sludge at Arthur. There's something so very Warframe about this that pulls the 90s into this universe in a way that doesn't feel like it's just reusing Infested from other parts of the game. It really feels like a whole new chunk has been added to the experience, as every Warframe expansion should.

What I love most about the combat in Warframe: 1999 is how Arthur uses grounded weapons with a slight futuristic spin. The AK-47 is the AX-52, and there's even a rocket launcher that he uses to dispatch the tank. There will be many more of these Warframe varian??ts of real-life weapons ??to keep the expansion firmly in this 90s vibe throughout the entire experience.

Finally, after completing this first mission in 1999, Digital Extremes returned to the present to show us how the modern-day Sol System has also changed in Warframe. What we'll find is an Infested stadium in space where an Infested boyband, one that's survived since 1999, is now c??ausing all sorts of havoc.

This will be a repeatable experience, one where you can pick up new weapons and test your mettle against some truly horrific combat encounters. I think what I love best about this idea is that in the '90s, boybands were everywhere, so of course, Warframe: 1999 needed?? one. As with everything, Digital Extremes put a spin on this idea, creating a zombie boyband that you don't come to watch. You come to fight.

Warframe: 1999 is shaping up to be something incredible. But it's content you can't access until you've completed everything else in the story. If you're excited about the idea of exploring a unique take on the 90s with so many fun ideas floating around t??hat you don't just see; you live through and experience, then now is the time to get up to d?ate.

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I hadn’t really heard of Dustborn, one of the games set to be published by Spotlight by Quantic Dreams, the oddly named publishing arm of the developers of Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human. Which is strange because, while it’s not dead center of the target of things I like to play, it’s near enough.

It's a road t??rip across an alternate reality United States with a traveling band of diverse misfits. It includes a narrative focus with spots of combat to break t?hings up. There’s also a social aspect that simulates what I imagine it’s like to have friends. 

But while I played through the lengthy preview, I kept thinking to myself, “I hope this slice isn’t a good representation of the full game.�/p>

You play as Pax, who is easily the least colorful member of the band. The group is headed across the American Republic, and now that I think about it, I’m not sure why. The information on the games says they’re smuggling a package, but I don’t recall it ever being shown or mentioned. One of the earliest moments in the game sees the tour bus getting stolen, but I don’t remember anyone saying, “Oh no, the package is on board.�/p>

Dustborn seems to be set up where each stop on the road is its own chapter. In the preview, you can look back at the previous chapter and try to absorb ?what had happened in the brief time that it’s available. There’s also an introduction comic, which I definitely read, and I still di?dn’t really know what was going on. The lack of context is something that dogged me throughout.

For example, it really seems to be built on the idea that you care about the characters. There’s one in particular, Pax’s sister, who is belligerent, and without really knowing why she's so hostile, it’s hard to tolerate. It’s probably explained in the previous chapter, but in the demo, I’m only treated to hostility. Some of the backstory gets revealed over time, but if there’s a real emotional center to the relationship, it probably happened off-scree?n. Probably.

I’m not sure I’m convinced. You meet another character, Eli, during this chapter. A former desert raider who is looking for the friend he lost after the weird, experimental underground school he attended was shut down. He’s apparently a former desert raider, but later on, it sounds like it was maybe for a week. He doesn’t have much to go on in terms of finding his lost friend, which I guess means we’re waiting for serendipity or deus ex machina. I'm simplif??ying i?t, but what I'm saying is: It’s not a very good character introduction.

It also makes the constant banter difficult to listen to. Unless you’re sliding up right beside a character to have a deep, eye-contac?t-y discussion, the exchanges are light remarks about what is going on. It seems like th?ey’re trying to be realistic to how actual people would interact. If that’s the case, all these characters are severely deficient in charm.

The bante?r extends to combat, and that’s where it’s most vexing. They’ll be talking about something, but all the while, characters will call out their moves and taunts. Every time they do, it interrupts whatever the main conversation is, and it will start the last part of the dialogue over. So not only are t??he characters talking over each other, but portions of dialogue are being repeated. The cacophony is so grating while trying to focus on the combat. It’s like trying to play some flow-state concentration-dependent fighting game while your spouse yells from the other room, asking where they left their belt.

The combat itself doesn’t feel terrible, but it does feel token. Enemies will often just group up on you so you can swat th??em back with Pax’s bat. There are “VOX�powers, which is what makes the central cast different from normal people. The VOX powers do a variety of poorly explained things, and it can be difficult to really see their effect. It’s hard to see if they’re even worthwhile in the chaos of a fight.

The fights themselves lack any real danger, since Dustborn constantly undermines them by making the antagonists (of this chapter) as goofy as possible. They’re typical Mad Max motorized raiders, but they’re really nice once you get to know them. Oh, they definitely still rob people, but you sh??ould definitely put on a concert for them after you beat them up.

The demo ended with all the characters around a campfire, and while they bantered about something, I realized I just didn’t care what they were saying. I wondered what the point was, as they made jokes bereft of amusement. When the mouths stopped, I figured out how to get to my feet, walked onto the bus, and watched as the nearly three hours I spent playing Dustborn got summed up on two comic pages.

If there’s one thing that Dustborn seems to do well, it is during the more investigative scenes, where you look around and decide how ?to proceed. Certain problems can be solved in different ways and involve different characters. Whether this has any sort of major impact on the narrative has yet to be seen, but on a scene-by-scene basis, it’s appreciable.

Aside from that, it depends on how optimistic you are. It’s entirely and completely possible that the demo removes too much context to be effective. If the characters are introduced with enough emotional depth, the problems with their interactions won’t be so pronounced. Maybe when you get into fighting the game’s main antagonists, the combat will be m?ore meaningful. Maybe songs that you gain later in the game are easier to listen to. It’s all?? possible.

However, what I’ve seen so far isn’t encouraging. A remaining possibility is that Dustborn isn’t for me. Some may click bet?ter with the game’s misfits and enjoy the social interactions more. I can’t really speak to that. For me, I found it borderline aggravating. I was barely able to convince myself to finish the demo. I don’t think I’ll attend this concert when it launches in August on PC and consoles.

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The League of Legends universe has grown well beyond the bounds of its MOBA origins. Its characters have shifted over to other genres and game types, ranging from auto-chess and fighting games to turn-based RPGs and Netflix shows. So in that respect, Riot putting its champions into the bullet heaven genre with League's Swarm mode shouldn't be a surprise.

Officially announced today, Swarm is the new PvE game mode arriving as part of this summer's event. The full name is Swarm | Operation: Anima Squad, and as the name implies, it's not just themed around League of Legends, but specifically the Anima Squad line of skins. For those who don't play League of Legends, that might be confusing, so I'll simplify it a bit: these are multiversal versions of characters, like the different Spiders of the Spider-Verse.

In this alt-universe, the Anima Squad is a cybernetic and animal-themed team fighting against the Primordians to save humanity. You'll still see names you recognize, between old standards like Yasuo and Jinx, and newer faces like Aurora. The entire event takes place inside the League client, much like Teamfight Tactics. But while the format looks familiar, Swarm will feel quite different, whether you've been a long-time League player or just starting out.

We got the chance to go hands-on with the new game mode at a preview event amid Summer Game Fest. I've spent quite a bit of time with Vampire Survivors and the many, many games inspired by it, so I was curious to see what Riot was doing in the space. My first surprise was that Riot was building this inside the League client, rather than making it standalone.

In a Q+A with the developers of the mode, it was made there because the original prototype was built there. But also, building within the League environment offered some speed. Champions, animations, and other assets are already in the client. Teamfight Tactics was, according to them, easier to make faster within the client than without. And since this is a League even?t, Riot? likes keeping it within that ecosystem.

Legendary survivors

In Swarm, you pick from the roster of League of Legends champions and enter the arena, where you then start walking around and fending off encroaching hordes of foes. You don't fire (most) of those skills yourself, though. They auto-fire, as you simply steer your champion around the map. And, for a League first, you utilize WASD for movement, while opting to either control the direction of your fire with your cursor or default to aut?o-aim.

Over time, the enemies get more durable and dangerous, eventually spawning special varieties of dangerous foes and even bosses. To combat this, you can pick up experience orbs that drop upon an enemy's death, choosing new abilities or boosting existing ones with a pick-three system every time you level up. If you've played Vampire Survivors, you know exactly how this plays.

Honestly, this familiarity isn't inherently bad. There's a reason many other games, not just Swarm, utilize concepts from Vampire Survivors for their own bullet heavens; the ideas are just that synergistic with the mode. Core concepts like picking up orbital projectiles to push back enemies, increasing your movement speed or fire rate,? and "evolving" abilities into stronger versions based ?on attack-attribute synergies all work as well here as they've worked elsewhere. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

One neat idea are "events" that can happen in the arena, where characters like Yuumi can po??p up and kick ??off mini-games for rewards. They can be pretty difficult, at times, and sometimes involve complicated mechanics to complete while avoiding waves of enemies, like kicking soccer balls into goals. They're worth it, though, for the upgrades if you can manage them.

Where Swarm feels notably different is how its individual champions move, attack, and operate. More than most other games I've played in this genre, champions have core mechanics that define the way t?hey survive in-game. Jinx is your prototypical bullet heaven character, whos??e machine-gun attacks and hype-up passive mean she gets the zoomies the more she kills, and shoots faster the more zoomy she is. Shoot fast, kill faster, rinse and repeat.

Swap over to Riven, th?ough, and you're playing something completely different. The broken sword-wielder does a hop-slam attack, metered off how much she has moved. So above all, keep moving. Her abilities encourage this further, giving you shields and scaling well with Armor, so you can get into the thick of the horde and still emerge alive.

Yasuo became a fast-favorite for several people at the preview event, I think. He loves increased odds to critically strike, and can start to really output dama??ge the higher his crit chance gets. Add in his Wind Wall, which can create a barrier and hold the waves of foes at bay for ranged attackers, and he's a surprisingly effective mix of utility and damage.

Champion identity might be the silver bullet for League of Legends' Swarm mode, as each character can function in different ways. The mode is also co-op, allowing up to four players to team up and fight back against the Primord??ians, and there's plenty of meta-progression to unlock too, between permanent upgrades to stats, new maps, and more characters.

Getting animated

Riot's vision for the game mode is also noticeably more colorful and cheerful than the more grim iterations of this genre. Rather than bats and zombies, you're fending off aliens in bright locales. During our preview period, dangerous projectiles manifested as beach balls that would menacingly roll towards us. I'm not sure if that's staying in, but I hope ??it does. There was nothing quite like hearing someone yell out "not another damn beach ball" amidst the rows of PCs.

There were times where the screen got a little hard to read, thanks to how many enemies and colors wer??e on the screen. Contrast could be a little higher, in my opinion. But for the most part, I knew where my character was, and where the enemies were. Following some of the shots and projectiles were a little harder, but it worked out okay.

The character and color extends to the bosses of Swarm, too. Boss fights aren't necessarily new for the genre either, but Riot makes use of its recognizable roster once again to construct massive, active boss battles. We got to challenge ?the Primordian version of Rek'sai, which meant taking out tunnels and dodging underground strikes. By the time we got there, our squad was fairly overpowered, but it felt good to fell such a massive titan and do some light raid mechanics, dodging AoEs and focusing targets.

Swarm will no doubt benefit from the built-in audience of League of Legends, and probably app??eal to anyone that loves those characters and their Anima Squad skins. As for bullet heaven genre fans, I do think there's enough here to merit downloading the client and trying it for the low, low price of free. While some core concepts will feel familiar, the way that champion toolkits have been integrated into the characters' actions works really well.

If anything, I'm curious to see whether it sticks around the way TFT has. The Anima Squad event kicks off on July 17 and runs through August 19, which leaves a short window for Swarm players to dig into all? that's here. Riot made it sound like they'd watch the numbers, when it comes to whether this mode could ever come back. But I wouldn't mind seeing Ri?ot continue to tinker with this idea. It's a good one so far, and could get even better given time.

League of Legends' Swarm mode goes live on July 17.

_{Travel accommodations for this preview were provided by Riot Games.}

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The older I've gotten, the more I come to appreciate slow-paced games that encourage you to kick back for an hour or so at a time. Coffee Talk and Donut County are among my favorites in this "chill" genre. SCHiM may soon join them if its demo is any indication.

I gave the SCHiM demo a try when I spotted it while perusing the sea of survival crafting games in Steam Next Fest, egged on by the low-key visuals and the promise of a relaxing time. In this hectic life and industry, we can all benefit by giving ourselve??s an hour to unplug and unwind.

The premise of SCHiM sounds like something out of Studio Ghibli or maybe Pixar. Everything, from living beings to various o??bjects, has a "spirit" called a schim. Losing it is akin to the loss of your soul.

Hop along

SCHiM starts you off teaching you how being a spirit works. Apparently, the rules on losing your schim are a bit fluid, sin??ce you can hop out of your host at will and enter other shadows so long as you eventually return. The protagonist schim in question is shown belonging to a young boy, whom you can briefly control while the schim operates in his shadow �as characterized by fantastic googly eyes.

Controlling the schim is a breeze. You can manipu??late the spirit in various shadows as if swimming in a darkened pool. A single button tap allows you to leap from the shadow, and you make pr?ogress by entering another shadow nearby.

The schim can't survive on illuminated surfaces, but you are given a short "safety hop" t?o make it to a shadow that was just out of your reach. Don't worry about dying; you warp back to the nearest shadow if you mess up. You can swap the isometric camera's angle around when you need to find another shadow just outside of your vision.

A single button press lets you interact with some objects, usually as a fun way to see how they react. You can cause a tree to shake or a child to sneeze if you hit the button while in their shadow. The moment I learned you can make bicycle bells jingle, it was over. I had to voraciously jingle every bike chime and make each duck I found quack with reckless abandon. For those desperate to know, yes, you can make ducks quack to the "Shave and a Haircut" jingle. No doubt 90% of e??veryone who plays the game will try it.

Spirit hopping

As suggested, SCHiM does have a story to share. It's not as subtle as something like, say, Unpacking, where you connect the delicate threads via the environment and the objects you manipulate. The game begins with you paired with the young boy as you view his life in brief fragments. As a child, he plays ?without a care in the world. Time passes, and you watch him experience high school, heartache, college, and finally, early adulthood in his very own tiny cubicle in the corn??er of an office. Things quickly go sour for the young man and, at his lowest, he trips and gets separated from his googly-eyed spirit.

That is pretty much the crux of SCHiM: You've been separated from your human host, who is now meandering through the city oblivious to what wa??s lost. Your goal is to give chase, navigating your way from shadow to shadow across levels with various hazards. It feels like an environmental puzzler, as you can find yourself needing to cross a street or get over a bridge by only using shadows to progress.

Most times, waiting for a few seconds will solve?? the issue with a passing human or animal. You can slip into the shadow of a cyclist or a car, which can speed you closer to your destination if you time it right. Shadows from cars can also grab you and carry you away if you're caught relaxing a bit too hard in the wrong spot.

But the game isn't tough with its challenges, which is the entire point. Its one-button approach to "solving" the navigational hazards makes moving your shadow frog from one end to another a rather cordial affair. At least, that's what I picked up from the demo. Based on the game's description on Steam, it doesn't sound like SCHiM wil??l ultimately venture into th?e waters of frustration often, if at all.

Clean styles

It helps that the visuals are so crisp. Purposefully monotone, the game juxtaposes? one color against a darker variant for textur?e, creating a look that's clean and pleasing to the eye. The calming greens of a neighborhood park give way to a busy street punctuated by rain and light-blue hues. It's all tied together with a soundtrack in which the tunes match the energy of each stage.

I have little criticism to lobby against SCHiM. The controls are tight, and the visuals and music melt together to create a little puzzler that puts me right in that Zen state I was searching for. SCHiM will launch next month on July 18.

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Though the name may not be as immediately recognizable as its lineage, Metaphor: ReFantazio has quite the lineup of Persona talent working on it. That alone, plus a hefty helping of art and style, may have been reason enough to pay attention. But after going hands-on, I walked away impressed with another aspect: Metaphor is blending action and turn-?based combat, and it works.

I got to play roughly an hour of Metaphor at Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, running through three cordoned-off sections of the role-playing game. The first was fairly straightforward, introducing me to the main character and their fairy helper Gallica, as well as an early party member, Strohl. Then, I got to jump ahead to a dungeon and another party member, and one more jump-forward showed me what one of Metaphor's massive boss fights looks like.

To get it out of the way early, Metaphor: ReFantazio might be one of the most stylish games I've seen in some time. Having previous Persona leads like director Katsura Hashino and character designer Shigenori Soejima on board, it shouldn't have surprised me to see Metaphor look so distinct from every other big game at the show. But it does genuinely feel like the art team just got to run w?ild with the game. Even the menus are g??orgeous. And thankfully, the style doesn't get in the way of the usability, either.

A lot of this is also something I could've told you from just the trailers. It's nice to know that they look great, and still function well, when you're actually holding a controller. And when you're holding that controller, there are definitely moments where Metaphor feels like Persona: the way your party runs around dungeons, the dramatic camer??a angles, even? the dialogue cut-ins and pacing feels warmly familiar.

It's all good news, for people who already love Persona and are into the idea of a fantasy adventure, Record of Lodoss War-es??que take on it. What really surprised me while I was playing, though, was how well its blend of action and turn-based combat actually works??.

Squad strike

When you're running around the world of Metaphor, controlling the player character—Travelling Boy, in my case—you can scan the environment with your fairy vision to spot enemies. These foes will glow red, yellow, or blue. And then you can hit ?them.

Yes, in the running-around bits, Metaphor ?lets you attack and dodge-roll like an actual action game. Don't expect lengthy combos or in-depth strings, but you can indeed slice enemies with your sword. This is where the color-coding comes into play: if an enemy is red, you can "defeat"? them without ever entering full-on combat. Just slash 'em a few times and collect your rewards. No post-battle results screen, no turn-based fighting.

If an enemy is yellow or blue, however, striking them will build up a bar. You can initiate a Squad assault at any time, which will launch you into the turn-based combat that, again, is fairly Persona in practice. Fill the bar with attacks before y??ou launch the Squad strike, and you'll get a free opening hit and turn.

Atlus has been slowly experimenting with ideas like this, including a Confidant skill in Persona 5 Royal that let you auto-wipe an enemy if it was weak enough. And of course, role-playing games have classically pit action and turn-based against each other, as opposing contrasts. The question of whether a game will be turn-based or not comes up pretty often, and can be a hot-button topic around certain series.

Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like the best of both worlds. Hack-and-slash through the small mobs like it's a musou, and then initiate a full-on t?eam attack for the big guys. What's fun, too, is that enemies can also catch you off-guard. These moments make for surprising little instances of action and surprise in the middle of dungeons, where you might otherwise just auto-pilot through the corrid??ors.

Synch up

As for other battle mechanics, the short three sections I played didn't give me a great sense for the breadth of what's available. Each character can take on an archetype, embodying a fighting style similar to a ty?pical Job system. In one slice, I acquired a new archetype by completing a quest, earning my protagonist the ability to become a Brawler and fight with their fists.

These archetypes complement each team member's move set, adding some additional elemental attacks and physical attack types to your repertoire. Though you won't see a "Maragi" or "Zionga" here, it's still what you'd expec?t to see: different types of attacks can target weaknesses, and gain you additional moves before you have to cede your turn to the enemy.

A really nice touch, though, is that swapping these roles also changed my on-the-field attack. So rather than slashing my sword to hit enem??ies in the field, I was swinging my fists. Sabin would be proud. It's a nice bit of attention to detail, amid all the beauty and splendor of the World's Sickest Menus.

I'm definitely still curious to see what the broad strokes of Metaphor look like, because the framing is one of the most important ingredients in the Persona-inspired pie. Sure, style gets you pretty far, but the calendar system and social l?inks bring it home, and I only saw hints and glimpses of here in this demo.

That said, if the combat is intriguing me this much, that's a promising start. Persona combat has always been solid, but Metaphor could've easily felt like a retread. By building up new ideas around it, Metaphor's action already feels like a new step forward. Hopefully the rest of it sh??akes out th?at way, too.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is set to arrive on PlayStati??on 4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 1?1, 2024.

The post Metaphor: ReFantazio isn’t just incredibly stylish – it’s also got a neat spin on RPG combat appeared first on Destructoid.

Metal Slug Tactics has been parked on the horizon for what feels like an eternity. First announced back in 2021, it’s perhaps due to my excitement that a few years have felt like an age. It’s almost here, however, and Iâ€??™ve had the opportunity to try it out and see if all the s??uffering was worth it.

If you aren’t familiar, Metal Slug Tactics is a spin-off of the venerable 1996 arcade classic. As the name implies, Leikir has tran?splanted the run-and-gun gameplay to the grid-like fields of a turn-based strategy game. And while those two genres are vastly different, there is ??very little in this world that can’t be improved with the presence of Fiolina Germi.

The narrative of Metal Slug Tactics is hardly surprising. Mainstay antagonist, General Morden, has escaped and is�bad. The demo doesn’t really suggest any subtext. You play as the good guys, and the rebels are the bad guy??s. Blow them up. It??’s actually kind of annoying how little the dialogue tries to show personality. Leikir’s maybe afraid of straying too far from the source material, but the result is just empty.

That’s not terribly important, considering you’ll spend most of yo??ur time viewing a battlefield grid. However, I have more bad news for (some of) you: It’s a roguelite.

You select your three characters ??in the garage, and then they speed out to a selected regi?on. You’re then set loose to complete a set number of missions before the boss shows up. If you can defeat the boss, you complete the region.

In between missions, you’re provided with random perks and equipment, which are only available for that run. Likewise, your characters level up, but once the run is complete, they’re back to?? square one. Permanent progress is made by buying upgrades?? for the perks you’re given as options.

T?he framework doesn’t bother me. The luck required to have the best perks show up between missions is the major reservation here, but the roguelite injection at least means that the battles depend more on skill than simply leveling up your characters. Your success is based mostly on how deftly you can cut through missions to get their rewards.

And there is a deceptively high skill ceiling. Characte?rs use their skills by spending adrenaline, and adrenaline is built up by trave??ling to the extremes of their movement range.

Beyond that, however, unit? placement is important to utilize sync attacks. Essentially, if one of your characters attacks while that enemy is in another unit’s sights, the stationary unit will add to the attack. If you’re careful and need to take down a particularly hefty enemy, you can position three characters so they’ll each join in for one big attack.

There’s no requirement to follow the turn order, either. Sometimes, a characte??r will get a bonus move for performing an action, which allows you to reposition them. If you?? take advantage of this, they can act in two separate sync attacks.

The importance of placement in Metal Slug Tactics means that things keep moving and rarely slow down?. There isn’t a lot of importance placed on sync attacks at the beginning, ei?ther, so it can make the game feel deceptively simple.

There’s a variety of missions that pop up which range from escort missions to enemy extermination. Each one has a sub-objective which will net you additional bonuses if you c??an? pull them off.

The boss battles are a bit more interesting. The demo only has a single one against ?Big Shiee, the Yamato-style battleship on treads. I was delig?hted since it’s also my favorite boss from across the series.

The battle is interesting since your soldiers?? leap across floating cargo containers. Every couple turns, a section of ground will drop into the water, killing anyone atop them. You have to attack B??ig Shiee in the middle, but you can’t simply ignore the soldiers who pop up with every new clump of junk. This means you have to keep moving and take your shots on the big ship whenever you have an opening. It’s pretty enjoyable, though there seems to be some effects missing in the demo.

Speaking of which, the visuals are nice but not exactly up to the legendary standards of the original series. It’s pretty difficult to live up to Nazca’s pixel art, but it’s not bad. My biggest issue with the visu?als is the menus and HUD, which don’t share the pixelated art of the gameplay. Any high-resolution text next to a pixel art backdrop is going to look awful. They might as well use Comics Sans.

After some hesitation, I eventually began enjoying my time with Metal Slug Tactics. It’s a deceptively simple strategy game, not unlike something such as Chroma Squad. Its link with the Metal Slug series feels largely cosmetic, but Leikir is making the most of it by incorporati??ng familiar bosses and enemies.

I’m not blown away, but I am looking forward to when the full version arrives this Fall. I’d like to see greater enemy variety, most of all. Tanks were mentioned in the demo, but aside from the eponymous Metal Slug, there were none to be seen. Here’s hoping that this small slice of Metal Slug Tactics is just the foundation for something special.

Metal Slug Tactics is releasing on PC and consoles in Fall 2024.

The post The Metal Slug ??Tactics demo sho??ws promise, also Fio appeared first on Destructoid.

There seems to be a noticeable uptick in classic cartoons and TV shows getting adapted into pixelated beat 'em ups and, man, I'm here for it. GI Joe is hopping into the fray as well with Wrath of Cobra, but my time wit??h the demo isn't as wrathful as I'd hoped.

Before we start, I have a confession to make: I never watched more than a single episode of GI Joe. Yes, I am what you can laboriously call a '90s kid, but I also grew up in the sticks where cable TV was a luxury. However, when I wasn't squinting at cartoons through static, I was playing a ton of beat 'em up games. I hope that's enough authority for some of you dyed-in-the-wool Joe fans. For the most part, I have enough experience in the genre to know that Wrath of Cobra is lacking at this stage.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. As mentioned, GI Joe: Wrath of Cobra, coming from the team at Maple Powered Games, is looking to join the very welcome trend of "old shows your uncle liked are video game brawlers now." TMNT: Shredder's Revenge brought the boys in green back to high praise, and the recently revealed Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is looking spicy. It makes perfect sense for Maple to want the sam??e for the Joes.

Go, Joe!

The demo provides a nice vertical slice of the game, starring s??everal characters of the series' main cast. You can play as Duke, Scarlett, or the ninja Snake Eyes. Naturally, I first dove in as Snake Eyes fo??r the very scientific reason of "ninjas are cool." And Snake Eyes is cool, decked out in black gear and wielding a katana.

The game's combat is typical, consisting of light and strong attacks you can combo in a few ways. Three light attacks in a row?? is your bread-and-butter move, but you can swap the third out for a strong attack. You can hold a block button to negate seemingly all damage from?? fists to laser blasts, which is impressive. Tapping up or down while pressing block lets you hop in either direction. Jumping leaves you dangling in the air long enough to get a little weird, but at least it works for when you need to hop over a hole in the floor.

Damage is oddly inconsistent in Wrath of Cobra, with the floating numbers fluctuating without any clear reason. Both the combos seem to deal similar damage regardless, with the latter (light-light-strong) ending in a flourish. Snake Eyes flings a couple ninja stars, for example, while Duke follows up with a big boot. You can't combo if you??'re not hitting an enemy.

These beats are so fresh

But since they both combos dish out the same amount of pain, I did?n't see much reason to not spam the bread-and-butter attack. You can charge the strong attack for an ultra-powerful move, but it takes so long that most enemies are able to smack you before you can pull it off. The same issue affects the light-strong combo, as the second half is a wind-up attack that leaves you open for just enough time for an enemy to bop you in the face. So, yeah, spam it is.

There is a dash to get you across the screen, and it can be followed up with a d??ash attack. It can do some decent damage, and Snake Eyes can attack again quickly with a slash that should make anime fans happy.

You also get a super move that charges up via a blue bar underneath your health. Snake Eyes sends out his wolf Timber to attack several enemies onscreen, while Duke drops a volley of explosive shells. Charging it up is fairly quick, as each defeated enemy adds to the bar. There's really no reason not to hold onto it for a boss fight. I do wish? they were a bit more impressive, though. With Duke and Snake, you can either kill a handful of enemies or a handful of enemies but slower.

Combat is the core of beat 'em ups, as is indicative of the name, so I'm disappointed that Wrath of Cobra feels so rudimentary and stiff in the demo. Moving around an arena can be tiresome, and both Snake Eyes and Duke play almost the same. The game does give characters different stats like stre??ngth and speed, but I hardly noticed the difference. Weapons dropped from crates range from laser rifles to grenade launchers, and they can liven up the party a bit.

I did mention a third character, Scarlett. I played her after the guys and, thankfully, she does change things up. Her light-strong combo has her flip into the? air with a vicious kick, and her a??ir attack has her whip out a crossbow that fires an explosive bolt. Yes! Precious variety. We really had to work to get here.

Tackling the Cobra legion

Enemy types is also rather typical. You have your blue Cobra soldier fodder, sometimes wielding guns, and blue Cobra soldiers with leather straps who have the power to, uh, block for an irritating amount of time. There is also a soldier?? variant who tosses bombs at a rhythm that continues knocking you back to the ground before you can react �that's nice.

The game does fill the screen with plenty of enemies and it can be fun to combo multiple at once, but a lot of the time they merely crowd your character and spam attacks (so that's what it ??feels like). Having more players in co-op should, at least, help pare down the numbers. Mini-bos??ses are also present, but act more like a punching bag than anything close to a threat.

The actual bosses don't fair much better. There is a boss battle at the end of both stages, ??one where you infiltrate a flying Cobra fortress and another in which you storm a mountain base. The Baroness stands against you in ??the former, where she flips around and occasionally fires her gun. It was an easy fight, but nothing compared to Dr. Mindbender at the end of the mountain stage who meandered around and attacked maybe twice. I was playing on Normal, for those wondering.

Visually, Wrath of Cobra looks fine. The game's pixelated characters and enemies closely match its contemporaries, though the level? backgrounds can use some brushing up. There's no parallax scrolling in the mountain level, making it look mo??re like the backdrop of a stage play.

Stop all the downloadin'

In the end, I suppose my biggest gripe is that Wrath of Cobra feels like a run-of-the-mill brawler buoyed by a GI Joe veneer. The demo didn't include any dialogue sections, so fans of the '80s Joe car??toon may be disappointed with the lack of corny one-liners. Worse, though, is that the game is mostly a bit boring. Scarlett does liven things up, so I'm hopeful for the ot?her characters I haven't tried yet. I also have no idea what the floppy disks enemies drop are supposed to do.

The game is still in development and is set to launch this year. There may still be time for Wrath of Cobra to become something Joe fans can be happy with. But let's admit it, the demo is probably already better than GI Joe: Operation Blackout.

GI Joe has certainly seen its fair share of video game adaptations since the halcyon days of the 1980s, back when the cartoon arrived and the franchise arguably hit its peak. Granted, a lot of those video games kinda sucked. Cobra Strike on the Atari 2600 was the only one I played while growing up, and I still have no idea what you were supp?osed to do.

GI Joe: Wrath of Cobra is, so far, thankfully not gearing up to be as bad as its worst predecessors, and may ultimately stand above them all. There is still a journey ahead of it, though, so hopefully "better than the others" isn't the only praise the game will ultimately receive. But if you'd rather find out how the game feels, you should try the Steam demo and decide for yourself if it's worth the ex??cite??ment.

After all, knowing is half the battle.

The post GI Joe: Wrath of Cobra isn’t the hero we need just yet appeared first on Destructoid.

One of my most anticipated games coming this year is Hollywood Animal. It has you run an up-and-coming mo??vie studio, submerges you into a pool of complicated and morally bereft staff, and allows you to deal with problems using underhanded methods. Just like real life?? (maybe).

The only thing that keeps me from claiming Hollywood Animal as my most anticipated game is that it seems like it might be attempting too much. There are so many variables at play and so much customization that it feels it would be complicated to ensure everything works together without a litany o??f bugs, cuts, and feature creep.

If the rather hefty demo shows anyth?ing; Weappy Wholesome has manag??ed to do it.

Hollywood Animal starts off with you purch??asing a bankrupt studio and making it your own. I won’t question how you came up with the funds. You select a logo and a name (I went with?? Middling Pictures) and you’re ready to learn the business.

The tutorial is interestingly structured. You inherit a mostly completed film that the previous studio was unable to release before they went bust. It’s a banger film (Hollywood Animals actually outlines its plot, which is a nice touch), and all you need to do is put the finishing touches on it and get it out the door. This introduces you to the post-produ?ction and distribution phases of the business. The ??????????????????????????former of which is relatively straightforward and the latter is one of the most mysterious parts of the game.

While that movie is performing in the box office, you’re then guided to hiring staff. This process is vast, so it runs the risk of being overwhelming. To ease that,?? you’re mostly just provided with your staff and given the option to rename them. Then you’re on to improving the studio lot, scriptwriting, planning, filming, decision making, and very slowly you’re let off the leash. It’s probably a good thing that you’re started off with a blockbuster already in hand because your movies are going to suck for a while until you get everything in shape.

Even though there is a tonne of room for your own creativity, the fact that Hollywood Animals is about repeating the same process over and over would normally bring the risk of going stale. This is especially true since the game starts in 1929 and slowly advances through time with events that mirror real-world history. However, there are so many things thrown at yo??u that keep things interesting.

One of the first that I was hit with was that the previous studio ownership promised the lead actor of the movie a share of the profits. Even though that star had passed away, as the new owner, I was supposed to honor it for their family. Except the family never read the contract, so screw that. I had my lawyer bu?ry it. It then went into my secrets pile, which ?is a collection of events that are at risk of being discovered.

Sure enough, this backfired. The family found out. Thankfully, I was able to settle out of court whi??ch didn’t cos??t me all that much more than just honoring the contract would have in the first place.

In another instance, security ?alerted me that a crazed and unpredictable man was waving a script around outside the studio. He wanted to sell it, but no one could know wh?at was actually in it. It was cheap, so I took the chance and bought it.

It turned out to be an incredible script. 8 stars out of 10 ?is a great foundation for a production. However, the Mayor of LA came to me asking to have his daughter put in a movie. She wasn’t an actor, but having a favor from the mayor in my pocket would be useful.

So, I used this incredible script to prop up this talentless hack that was thrust upon me. It was going to severely torpedo the quality of the picture, but so what? It wasn’t my script. I’d probably never see the guy again. It wasn’t my staff I’d be pissing off, so I might as well just wipe my ass with the scrip?t just to keep the mayor happy.

I should probably note that there seems to always be an honest way to de??al with problems, but honesty ??never built a successful business.

But it isn’t just random events that will be gluing your gears. Hollywood Animals wants to be sure that you know you’re working with humans. Simulated humans, sure, but they each come with their own egos, prejudices, and vices. Hell, I had a scriptwriter ask for time off ?to take care of their ailing mother, so they have fami?lies too.

You’re not just going to be handling HR. Sometimes casting wil?l be complicated by preferences. Actors will occasionally refuse to take on a certain role that they feel is beneath them.

One major roadblock I had was trying to cast a woman in the lead role of a thr??iller. A surprising number of actors refused to act in a movie with a female lead. I wound up having to pay out the ass just to fill one particular role because no man would accept this.

Then, when I tried to release it in theaters, the critics tore it apart simply because of the woman in the lead role. Critics are scum. I strategized my advertising to target women and was still able to ?turn a sizeable profit. The 1930s can sup upon my ass. We’ll see who’s laughing when it gets re-evaluated in a few decades.

In another situation, an actor was offered a better contract by a competitor. Thankfully, we had dirt on?? him. I threatened to reveal that he slept with a 15-year-old and put a stop to ?that talk.

Your “security�office can? be upgraded in a number of ways. The demo ends after roughly 2 hours, so I didn’t get to really get into some of the ways you can flex your poor moral fiber. However, the upgrade track escalates to straight-up assassination. Your opponents will try to get dirt on you and undermine your stars, so you can also use security to protect your secrets.

As I said, it’s a lot. There is just so much to Hollywood Animals. Considering it’s largely menu-based, there are a lot of things that could be abstracted. However, rather than just cover the basi?cs, Weappy Wholesome went completely all out. From the way that you get to pick the movie poster and tagline for your movies or the weather and time of day changes on your lot, there’s just so much color that heightens the experi??ence.

There is still the possibility that Hollywood Animals could fall apart later on in the game, but considering a release date hasn’t been ann??ounced and the demo is already polished to a mirror shine, I’m pretty convinced that isn’t going to be the case. It’s shaping up to be one of my favorite releases this year.

The post The Hollywood Animal demo ??looks like a blockbuster in the making appeared first on Destructoid.

I had a gut feeling that my time with the Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree would kick off where it did. How else could it start but with Miquella? The hand of the Empyrean was one of the big lingering threads left after players rolled credits on FromSoftware’s open-world journey, and Shadow of the Erdtree is all about him, and the many mysteries sur???????????????????????????rounding him.

We recently got the chance to go hands-on with Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, experiencing the expansion from the beginning. Even talking about how to get there will entail some degree of spoilers for Elden Ring's base game, but I’ll do my best to avoid too many unnecessary details about the actual expansion content itself. Discovery’s a big part of Elden Ring, and?? there is much to discover in the Realm of Shadow.

Waiting for me, inside Mohg’s palace, in front of the embryo found there after defeating the Lord ??of Blood, was a kni??ght named Leda. She acknowledged my Tarnished as someone also searching for Miquella, and for answers, and bade me to touch the hand left hanging from its grotesque shell.

This is how you kick off the DLC and proceed into the Realm of Shadow, and its placement gives you an idea of just how powerful FromSoft expects players to be when they enter it. Shadow of the Erdtree is not really someth?ing that you can just kick off from the start of a fresh file. You'll need to, at the very least, beat the Lord of Blood to start this new leg of your journey.

Inside the Realm of Shadow, I was greeted with a vast plain, home to stretches of ethereal tombs and wandering enemies. Some, like the dancing fighter with circular blades, reminded me how long it’d been since I had rolled credits on Elden Ring. Others seemed intentionally imposing, like a colossal wicker-giant stompi??ng around. It definitely gave off “optional world boss�vibes.

It took a few futile deaths to come to grips with my loadout. We had three options, th??ough we could also just jump back to a certain location from the base game and re-spec at any point. The Warrior and Knight options both offered their own approaches to the blade, but I was more interested in and spent most of my time with the hand-to-hand magic build.

Using special equipment that enabled fists as my weapons of choice �and with a B-tier Faith scaling, at that �the loadout mixed quick combos and hits with long-range magic. It felt like I was playing a Monk build, able to hurl lightning at fo?es from mid-range or deal tons of staggering damage up-close. Add on a Skill that basically let me unleash a flurry of kicks, and I had found my build for the run.

Mixing magic and might made hand-to-hand combat spectacular. This new playstyle felt like an expansion of the magic playstyle that actually encouraged close-quarters combat, allowing me to deal staggering damage to foes close?-up or strike from afar with ranged magic. Other weapons I found offered similarly smart twists on basics, whether it was a sword with a neat twist or some ?really intriguing weapon skills.

Other parts of my time in the Realm of Shadow fel??t familiar, though. Two different routes made up the main “paths�we could go down, without advancing too far into the DLC for this slice. Each one culminates in a dungeon, fog gate, and boss; the Belurat Castle Settlement and the Dancing Lion you might have seen in the trailer already. Then there's Castle Ensis, a very mysterious place with an even stranger boss waiting inside.

It would be pretty easy to say that this DLC felt a lot like more Elden Ring, because it really, honestly does in the best ways. I spent a ton of my time just running around, looking for paths forward or side alleys. Dungeons offered unique little challenges, like a host of melee enemies barring my path towards a couple of magic casters bombarding me from afar. Little jerks waited around corners to cheap-sho?t me as I ran by. And ??there were definitely some horrific terrors that caused me to jump once or twice.

In fact, that is one aspect where it feels like FromSoftware is escalating even more: the nasty terrors of the world ??around you. Creepy blue worms seem friendly, until you agitate them. Gnarly beasts and insect-like beings plague your path between graces. There is a natural, untamed wilds-aspect to the enemies here that weaves it all together well.

Bosses were their own demons to deal with, and naturally, the ones I fought in Erdtree are no pushovers. The two “main�bosses, found at the end of dungeons behind fog gates, gave me the most trouble. The Dancing Lion could move about and quickly deal with a pack of allies, while the other boss took the efforts of both my summoned companions and my Spirit Ashes to defeat. Additi?onal bosses lay in wait on the fringes of the map, in special evergaols or dungeons, waiting for me to find and bash my?? head against.

Along the way, I ran into followers of Miquella, who seem to be the running cast of thi??s expansion. They all have different reasons for swearing themselve?s to Miquella, and offer you help, so long as you continue to press on in the kindly Empyrean’s footfalls. You’ll need the help, too, as some of these bosses posed a pretty hefty challenge.

It feels strange to say I spent roughly three hours in this land and only have more questions, but it’s true. I want to dig into the mysteries of why certain forces and foes were appearing in the Realm of Shadow, and even what this realm is. I’m curious to understand the strange layout of this place, how structures can bend and twist upward into the sky. And I’m especially eager to understand how this unsung war, stricken from the records and seemingly unmentioned in the base game, now plays back into the lore of Elden Ring.

Miquella was always the loose thread waiting to be pulled, and Shadow of the Erdtree seems determined to yank as hard as it can. The question of what’s waiting to be found, however, will be extremel?y intriguing ??to discover as the whole yarn unravels.

While Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree certainly feels like more Elden Ring, it manages to do so without falling into tiresome repeats or old habits. Yes, there are ?some returning foes I ran into, though they feel placed with purpose, rather than just trying to take up dungeon space or round out enemy numbers. Certain parts, like dashing through an area on Torrent, searching for the next Grace before you get pummeled by the foes chasing you, absolutely dredge up some fond 2022 memories.

But in the years betwe?en, FromSoftware has clearly sought to build something that feels like its own new chapter. It's disparate??, taking place in a different realm, and even introduces a new form of power-scaling. The host of new characters, Miquella's followers, bring a lot to the experience too. Seeing a bunch of bright new faces, likely unprepared for the horrors that await them as NPCs in a FromSoft game, piques my curiosity even more.

It took very little time for me to settle back in with Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and it wasn't long after when I remembered just why the base game grabbed me. The RPG didn't only rely on the merit of being a good Souls-adjacent title. Elden Ring's world, ??its deep lore and mythos, and the physical manifestation of those ideas present in this giant open world waiting to be explored make for an appealing fantasy adventure. A few hours in the Realm of Shadow, and I can safely sa?y I'm eager for more.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree goes live on June 21, 2024.

_{[Travel and lodging for this event was provided by Bandai Namco.]}

The post Hands-on: Elden Ring took me to the shadow realm in its expansion, and it r??uled appeared first on Destructoid.

It’s tough being someone who, in the search for some sort of meaning in life, has arrived on video games as their foundation. I could have chosen?? a much worse passion, but I also could have probably picked one that would pass in normal conversation. Instead, no one I meet understands me. It’s lonely being better than everyone.

Elation for the WonderBox 6000 gets me. Unfortunately. It’s a bizarre game about loving one thing so much tha??t it becomes the central source of your alienation.

I think. That’s as much as I could glean from the less-than-10-minutes of demo.

Elation for the WonderBox 6000 comes from Digital Tchotchkes, the creator of Go Fly a Kite, which I should probably play. They describe the demo as, “it's a costco free sample style demo.�/p>

It starts off with a Doom-style text crawl telling you about the eponymous Elation for the WonderBox 6000, a game so transcendental that the protagonist suggests th?at it is the apogee of video games as an art. That if only more people played and understood it, then art wouldn’t have died. It is the protagonist’s goal to acquire this lost relic.

This opening ??????????????????????????exposition turns out to be something the protagonist is?? posting on the internet. The outpouring of distilled, potent opinions leads to them getting death threats, followed by a permanent ban from their chosen forum. We’ve all been there.

You’re then left to explore the wreckage of the protagonist’s life. You mouse around to see what’s interactive and then click on what you find to hear about it. Through this, you discover that society has continued its course toward refining the endorphin supply, which is part of why nobody remembers something as artful as Elation for the WonderBox 6000. Easier access to simpler stimulation has cau??sed the masses to lose their way.

It’s difficult to tell if Elation for the WonderBox 6000 is making fun of, or trying to explain, the perpetually repeating discourse of how things were better in the before times. Or both. Why not take the high ?ground over every other perspective?

It represents a part of myself I’m unable to take too seriously. Some people?? have to travel abroad or get lost in the desert to “find themselves.�I’ve always known myself. I like video games. I might enjoy video games to an extent that other people find annoying. The whole reason I’m here (on? this site, I mean) is that I want to support and spread the things I’m passionate about. It keeps me occupied until a bus finally decides to hit me.

But also, and I can’t stress this enough, the Elation for the WonderBox 6000 demo could be finished in less?? than 10 minutes. In that time, you look at stuff, talk to a person, and then walk to a place. That’s it. It could maybe be defined as the prologue. The game part of the game is beyond that demo wall.

It doesn’t really get me more excited to play Elation for the WonderBox 6000, but it also doesn’t make me less excited. I was just so disoriented when it e?nded.

On the other hand, it refers to ??the protagonist’s c??omputer as “My portal to philistines,�which is what I will now call mine.

The post The shockingly brief El??ation for the WonderBox 6000 demo really sp??eaks to me appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite many protagonists lacking them entirely, there have been many great feet in first-person shooters. Duke Nukem 3D, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, F.E.A.R.; when the kickers come out, it’s often a spectacle. Anger Foot attempts to outdo all previous feats of feet.

Anger Foot comes to us from Free Lives, a developer whose work has brought us a varied portfolio that includes games like Broforce, Genital Jousting, and Terra Nil. It’s coming sometime later this year, but I got to plant my feet in it today. Or, recently, I gues?s. What day is it?

Anger Foot takes place in Shit City, a location that makes me grateful that I work for a publication that lets me swea?r. In Shit City, crime is the law. You heard me. If a person isn’t committing a crime, that’s a red flag. At that point, police step in to ensure that the person gets the help they need to, at the very least, participate in petty larceny.

The city is ruled by four gangs, and you play as the one person who is willing to stand up to them. But only so they can steal some new shoes. However, before you get a single moment to admire your now complete sneaker collection, it’s stolen from under them. There are only two weapons powerful enough to get that footwear back, and their names are “Left�and “Right.�/p>

Actually, there are also guns, but you’ll be getting a ?lot? of mileage out of your two hooves.

Anger Foot is set up like a cross between Mullet MadJack’s corridor killing and Hotline Miami’s die-and-retry formula. Your goal is simply to reach the level’s exit point in the map, ?and any man, woman, or door that gets in your ??way needs to be kicked to splinters. One man. Two feet. All anger.

Anger Foot puts its best foot forward with its art style. Its grotesque stylings and use of bright comic-book colors are incredibly striking. ??The odd proportions and puppet people provide a helpful buffer to some of its gross-out humor. It’s like the Garbage Pail Kids have grown up with a fondness for toilets and swearing.

The music is similarly captiv??ating. It maintains a near-constant, pulsing beat, but when there’s a break in the action, it takes on a reverberating sound, like it’s be?ing played at maximum volume next door.

However, after emerging from the forest of its aesthetic, there’s much less impact. Kicking doors is great. It’s fun ?to watch them sail across the room before breaking on a thug’s face. And while the actual ?kicking will send foes flying, it strangely lacks force.

Melee combat is something that first-person shooter games often have trouble with. In Anger Foot you slide about, and when your foot is raised in anger, it doesn’t feel like it connects. There’s only the sensation that there’s a danger zone in front of your ?character. If you misjudge your timing, you might just pass by your target and glide around the floor to get ready for the next approach. There’s no weight or force in play. Even the drop kick doesn’t feel good to use. A door reacts to your toes in a fun way, but everything else just falls victim to the danger zone.

This is someth?ing that bothered me all throughout the sizeable chunk of gameplay I was served. I never felt powerful. It only takes a handful of shots to bring you down, and you’re not really given many options to avoid them in a crowded room. Keep moving,?? kite enemies, and keep kicking. You can pack yourself full of caffeine using cans of Thirst Fucker you find laying around, or get yourself drunk off of Brewforce if you feel like it, but it’s still just a couple of shots to bring you down.

The safest way to get through a level becomes kicking a door open, backing up, then kicking the enemies as they appear through the choke point. Even when you’re not cheesing, any time you need to be careful about your actions, the all-important momentum dies. Without the momentum, you don’t feel powerful, and that’s something that is crucial to Anger Foot and entirely lacking.

There are guns, but that’s just another problem.? Their ammo is so limited, and movement is so important that in the chaos of a firefight, your feet seem more useful. That’s certainly on message, but it doesn’t give a reprieve from its problems.

On the other hand, optional objectives that p?rovide stars give value to repeated playthroughs of levels (even if some are frustrating). More importantly, the stars are used to unlock new shoes, each of which comes with new buffs and abilities. I could see myself getting deeply into collecting new kicks if the gameplay was made more exciting.

Mullet MadJack feels so similar in intention to Anger Foot: Momentum, corridors, movement. However, through the use of systems like dashing and the glory kills of recent Doom games, MadJack feels much more satisfying.?? It has a series of mechanics that ensure that you never have to stop moving and you’re constantly killing.

Anger Foot is missing something. More accurately, it’s missing a few so?methings. There are quite a few approaches that can be taken to alleviate its issues, but it’s probably going to require a few changes. As it stands, the whole experience is just too shallow.

I’m hoping that before launch, Free Lives can implement something to bring everything together. The level design, aesthetic, and even framework are all outstanding. Everything except the core gameplay is exceptional. I love looking at it, but Anger Foot is going to need to do more than just put one foot in fro?nt of the other to really nail?? the landing.

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