Since time immemorial (well, 1996), Quake has been a lot of people's go-to when it comes to speedrunning. Already a pretty nippy FPS, id Software's iconic shooter continues to draw in new players who are looking to break world records. And another one has j??ust been beaten.

Over on the aptly titled YouTube channel, Quake Speedruns Expl??ained, we are treated to details about a record that's stood for nearly four years. As of May 2024, user Kisimov has achieved an eye-watering time of 22:582 seconds on the game's first (in a way) map, E1M1.

Over the course of 17 minutes, we get a breakdown of what it took to? achieve this target, which beats the previous world record by about half a second. Kisimov completed the level on Nightmare difficulty, rendering the time they got ever more impres??sive.

What the Quake?!

Although E1M1 is one of the shortest maps in the game, particularly as it's an early one, many speedrunners ha?ve been spending decades trying to nail down the route with perfect precision.?? As you'll see in the video, there's a lot that can get in the way.

For a start, playing on Nightmare d??ifficulty means there are more enemies who can deal more damage with greater accuracy. Add onto that the unpredictability of their movements and y?ou have a recipe for a frustratingly difficult record-breaking attempt.

Indeed, we get to see just a small example of the tens of thousands of attempts it took Kisimov to get to the end slipgate in just 22 seconds. Grunts being in the wron??g place, hitscans dealing enough damage to kill the player, or even the geometry of the map itself all contribute to restart after restart.

It's not just the sheer tenacity in moving from point A to point B in as quick a time as possible. Along with Doom, the original Quake is pretty much the poster child for how dedicated speedrunners can be. Many commit years of their lives to fine-tuning every frame, making attempts as n?ear to perfect as they can.

This latest record �which has been officially acknowledged by Speedruns.com �may not seem like much, but when the QSE host delves into the minutiae of these 22 seconds, it becomes a??pparent that speedrunning is serious business.

Just seeing all the failed attempts alone �some of which take place in the first room �is enough to put a lot of people off. I don't know if I ever could get into it myself, especially given that the video?? analysis seems confident that no one will ever beat Kisimov's E1M1 run. Though we've heard a line like that before.

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For the past 30 years, Doom has stood as one of the most influential first-person shooters of all time. Its 1994 follow-up �conveniently called Doom 2 �had just as much of an impact. Part of the reas?on these classic id Softw?are games are still around is thanks to the speedrunning community.

Now, more than two and half decades later, one user has managed to beat a long-standing record using a healthy blend of pixel-perfect techniques and sheer tenacity. Back in 1995, a runner called Demonlord managed to get through the first map of Doom 2 in an impressive time of 6.83 seconds. T??his has now been bested after decades of attempts.

The new record holder goes by the username 4shockblast (real name: Aleksey Kamenev) who, at the start of this month, managed to get to the exit of "MAP01: Entryway" in an eye-?watering 4.97 seconds, a feat many (including Demonlord) thought was impossible.

How the frick??

In order to understand the skill and determination involved in this attempt, and why it's such a significant run, YouTuber Karl Jobst goes through the history of some of the major attempts. While oth?er players, such as Thomas Pilger in 1998, have proved it's possible to get through Entryway in under six seconds, any quicker than that felt almost out of reach.

Although it's a short level, the luck and timing needed to get the new record borders on witchcraft. Jobst explains that the main hurdle is the horde of enemies blocking your path down each corridor. This has resulted in speedrunners firing a stray shot early on in order to get zombies and imps to react and move towards the sound. In theory, ??this then creates a window of opportunity to slip past them quickly.

This also led to players attempting to get under five seconds, but with monsters not on the map. This at least allowed for pathing techniques, finding the most optimal routes to see if getting a time of four seconds was even possible. Even with additional strategies being implemented, such as a specific type of straferunning called "SR50" and ?using walls and enemies ("things") to boost speeds slightly, ha??ving monsters turned off meant runs were only "theoretical."

The long and the short of it is: there's a reason it took 26 years to beat Demonlord's record. While others �such as SSlasher in 2002�did manage to get below six seconds, it wasn't until 4shockblast's latest attempt that getting under five seconds was actually achievable. While the final time is 4.97, Doom 2's end screen rounds it down to just four seconds. It's a m??ighty impressive achievement, and I fear the player who can do even better than that.

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If you tuned into Awesome Games Done Quick today, you might have seen one of the charity speedrunning event's biggest milestones as it welcomed its first dog speedrunner. 

Just as adorable as his name, Peanut Butter is a Shiba Inu who also happens to be an expert in assisting with Gyromite's Game B mode. Game B had Nintendo's short-lived robot assistant R.O.B. do the heavy lifting, pressing actuators to move pipes so Professor Hector can make it through each level unscathed. In this run, however, it was Peanut Butter who did all the hard work. You can see just how good this boy is right here.

The Peanut Butter Solution

While Peanut Butter makes it all look easy, speedrunner JSR spent a year training him to take over the role of the R.O.B. controller. He does so with a bespoke controller of his own, which allows him to press a few specific buttons on command with great accuracy (and with the looming promise of a delicious treat). JSR got the idea when he was trying to stream every game from every episode of Angry Video Game Nerd.

"It took us about a year of training, every single day," JSR said. "But I w??as able to get him to press and hold buttons down, and he's able to do it now for a long enough amount of time that he can speedrun games."

All that training resulted in a really cute run with a couple close calls. Much ham was expended to get the job done, and there's always the potential time loss hazard of an itchy belly. Even with the challenge of simply being a dog, Peanut Butter was able to blast through Game B of Gyromite and plenty of bonus kibbles in an impressi??ve 26 minutes and 24.5 seconds. 

Those who want to celebrate Peanut Butter's accomplishment and donate to a good cause â€?further benefitting the Prevent Cancer Foundation, which AGDQ supports each year â€?can pick up a limited time GOOD BOY! t-shirt from The Yetee. Six bucks from every tee goes directly to the charity, and the shirt is almost as lovable as Peanut Bu??tter himself. 

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Given the sheer length of time Mario has been around, it's not surprising that people are able to beat the original Super Mario Bros. in record time. Speedrunning is a huge part of the gaming co??mmunity, and the iconic Ni??ntendo game is close to having the perfect run.

Over on YouTube, runner Niftski has set a new world record, beating Super Mario Bros. in ??just 4:54.631. Watching the challenge itself is quite spectacular, but if you're curious as to why they're so elated when ??they finish the game, it's due to how near-perfect the run was.

//youtu.be/Khu9BB2g4Ks

You see, according to Niftski, someone just needs to shave off 0.366 seconds (or 22 frames) for it to be the absolute fastest �the literal limit �anyone can beat the classic platformer. Until now, this time was?? deemed impossible for human hands. But now a "new era" has begun for the speedrunning community.

Heart-pumping stuff

According to GamesRadar, this particular run is impress??ive because of something called "framerule." This is, as the report says, the "hidden in-game timer that checks every 21 frames to see if you've completed a level."

There's a 45-minute breakdown of how this works from YouTuber Summoning Salt, if you're interested in learning more. Suffice it to say, Niftski's reco??rd sets a new bar for ??others who want that perfect speedrun.

Speedrun.com has validated this latest run, which puts it just 0.233 seconds ahead of second place. Things are only going to get tighter, and it's going to be interesting to see who can come along and essentially do a frame-perfect run of Mario.

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Do you want to last longer in bed? Well, stop trying, because the new path to prestige is finishing as fast as possible. The bar has been set at 7 minutes, 54 seconds, as speedrunner Mae was able to charm the pants off of Lae'zel in that time. In Baldur’s Gate 3, I mean.

Mae had previously proven that Baldur’s Gate 3 can be completed in around 10 minutes, which is roughly how long I’ve spent in the entire game (that’s not a condemnation, I’ve just been busy with other things). But really, getting is the real goal of CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3. Saving the world?? is just something you do to meet?? potential partners.

//youtu.be/C-Rkgdcj5Ds

The video is generally what you’d expect, but fascinating all the same. Mae uses a lot of the normal techniques used to speedrun the game’s opening. They then focus?? on freeing Lae'zel and getting on their good side. They then settle down in the romantic light of ?a campfire, sneak away into the night, and submit to their base urges. Hoo boy. I just love a partner with focus.

Frankly, 7:30 minutes of foreplay can be a bit disappointing. Hopefully, the after-glow and pillow talk aren’t part of the run. I wouldn’t recommend speedrunning intimacy with your partner unless you’re on break at the office or waiting on a bus. However, in this busy world we live in, aren’t we always aiming to be more efficient?? We often try to minimize and abbreviate our pleasures so we can get back to what really matters: doomscrolling across the dying remains of social media.

Alright, so now we’ve seen the current Baldur’s Gate world record for copulation. Let’s see you do b??etter. Or worse? I’m not sure anym?ore.

The post How quickly can you go from zero to romance in Baldur’s Gate 3? 8 minutes, apparently appeared first on Destructoid.

Those into speedrunning will know Games Done Quick very well. Events like SGDQ 2023 help to raise staggering amounts for good causes, and now it's the turn of Flame Fatales, which is kicking off this weekend?.

The all-woman speedrunning event runs from August 13 (that's this Sunday) right up until August 20. You can check the Games Done Quick website for more details about it. Flame Fatales will run in aid of Malala Fund, a charity co-founded? by Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai that fights for "every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education."

[caption id="attachment_396066" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image via Games Done Quick.[/caption]

You can also check out the schedule that's now live, showing who's? playing what and when. Essentially, it's going to be a week that's jam-packed with some of the ?best women speedrunners around, helping to raise money for charity.

Millions raised

Over the years, the Games Done Quick brand has helped raise a ton of money that has gone to a number of worthy causes. Earlier this year, AGDQ raised $2.6 million ?for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. That's not ch??ump change!

Flames Fatales is just one more opportunity for streamers and runners to come together to provide video game entertainment, while also doing good in the world. The act of speedrunning (where you aim to finish a game as quickly as possible in any non-cheat fashion) has become immensely popul??a?r. People dedicate hundreds (if not thousands) of hours to perfecting their techniques in order to shave off milliseconds.

It's something that just about anyone can get into, but it takes an enormous amount of effort and time to truly be counted among the best. Let's hope Games Done Quick's Flame Fata?le event is just as successful as the others that have come before it.

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Shuffling along like a zombie

What's the opposite of a speedrun? A "slowrun," perhaps? If you want a Resident Evil challenge that requires you to clear your schedule for the next couple of days, this could be what you're looking for. You see, it turns out the 1998 Resident Evil 2 can actually be completed from start to finish w??ithout walking at all.

This was proved by Twitch streamer and speedrunner Punchy (as spotted by PCGamesN). In an edited video uploaded to YouTube recently, they give a commentary on this unique challenge, which saw them get to the end credits of Resident Evil 2 without taking a physical step. While this video is a 40-minute highlight of the run itsel??f, Punchy shows in the closing moments how ??long it took them to achieve this: 13 hours and 34 minutes!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gjJ4ozkVmE

When asking whether or not the OG Resident Evil 2 can be beaten without walking, Punchy had to establish a couple of rules. First: they could not initiate a walk themselves (i.e. by pressing on the D-pad to walk). However, they could turn to face directions, and walking upstairs was allowed, as it's an automatic animation when the player ??presses the use button.

How was it achieved?

The way they were able to move was by simply aiming their gun??. Doing so does shift Leon forward ever so slightly. We're talking inches. To give an idea of how slow this is, it takes around five minutes to get through the first three screens of the game.

One big challenge was fighting against the auto aim. See, Punchy was playing the Japanese version of Resident Evil 2, which comes with auto-aim always on. This meant that, in areas where enemies were off-screen but otherwise in ?the opposite direction Leon needed to go, ??things became tricky as he struggled to make progress.

[caption id="attachment_392889" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image via Techradar.[/caption]

The ultimate obstacle, however, came during the final boss sequence, in which a five-minute timer begins. Given how slow Leon is moving,?? this felt like an impossible achi?evement.

Indeed, Punchy almost gave up, choosing to run the final few meters toward?s the end cut scene. However, some off-stream testing showed that, by aiming the magnum down at the groun??d, Leon can actually get enough push to make it to the end of the game before the timer runs out.

The streamer admits this was not the most optimal run. If you feel you want to give it a try, Punchy has proven that it is possible to beat the original Resident Evil 2 without taking a step forward. But be prepared?? for one of t??he slowest game play sessions of your life.

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Maybe it should be called Eighth-Life instead of Half-Life...

We've pretty much had to accept the fact that Half-Life 3 is never going to happen. That's... fine, I guess? We still have the original two games, plus Alyx for those of you who have a VR headset. Over the years, fans have been challenging themselves?? to finish the Valve FPS series in eye-wateringly quick times, and there's a new one that puts a number of runs? to shame.

Recently, the YouTube channel SourceRuns (via PCGamesN) uploaded a Half-Life 2 speedrun, specifically of Episode Two, that clocks in at a staggering 9:46. Completed by speedrunners jorik and qv2b, the run is the culmination of 196 segmented pieces, which have been spliced together to produce this insanely quick time. It's definitely w?orth a watch.

//youtu.be/j2N0FJ0dhAw

Once ?the game starts, you'll see just how much both players are able to skip past huge chunks of? the game using exploits. In fact, much of the actual run itself takes place during the final battle at White Forest. Here, the action really slows down as Gordon Freeman defends the area from a Strider attack. Evidently, players haven't found a way to jump past this part that doesn't involve doing the actual fight.

However, at the time of writing, jorik and qv2b's video has not been featured on speedrun.com. This could be because they use a modded version of Episode Two, which removes the cutscenes, there??by reducing the time automatically. However, qv2b is second on the leaderboard, having achieved a time of 31:12:850 a year ago.

Half-Life 2 is easily one of the most influential FPS games of all time, almost surpassing the impact of its 1998 predecessor. To see people zooming through the game, (and its expansions), in unbelievab?ly quick fa?shion shows how skilled some have become at guiding our mute scientist hero.

The post This H??alf-Life 2: Episode ?Two speedrun is pretty much flawless appeared first on Destructoid.

Enough of your ghostly shenanigans

Capcom has released a new update for its smash-selling remake Resident Evil 4, bringing with it a selection of bug fixes that, among other things, removes the previously published "key item" glitch, and also, (unfortun??ately for some) puts a stop to a sneaky wall-w?alking hack.

The new patch, available now on PC and consoles, features fixes to several platform-specific problems, including visual rendering problems on Xbox Series X/S, incorrect subtitling on PlayStation, and the removal of a bug that would render the game incompletable due to a rare bug that would occur while trying to obtain a key item during Chapter 12 of the game �You can now swing your knife with reckless abandon. This patch also tweaks the dead zone properties of the Xbox analog? sticks.

But the update also removes the ability for the player to utilize a hack known as "Scope Warping" �A trick that allows Leon to glitch through certain walls while using the scope on his sniper rifle, or occasionally the iron sights on any weapon. The Resident Evil speedrunning community, savvy as they are, had already been using this glitch to fine effect in their efforts to complete the mission as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, once the game has been updated, this option?? is no more. It seems that launch builds will need to be acquired should the co??mmunity wish to utilize the glitch in their future speedruns.

Resident Evil 4 is available now on PlayStati??on, PC, ?and Xbox platforms.

The post Resident Evil 4 update removes ‘Scope Warp’ speedrun hack appeared first on Destructoid.

Feeling hot, hot, hot...

Look, I don't know where the year goes either, but we are, once again, preparing for one of?? the most exciting and most fun weeks of the entire gaming year �Yes, Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) will be upon us once again in a?? little over a month's time, as some of the fastest fingers in the world take on a cavalcade of new and old titles, and all in aid of a very worthy cause.

SGDQ 2023, which will kick off on Sunday, May 28, before winding up one week later on Sunday, June 4, will take place as a hybrid online/in-person event, and will see expert players from all over the globe will come together for seven days of electric speedruns, player?? vs player races, and unique and sometimes mind-blowing challenges. The GDQ team will, of course, be on hand for player interviews, viewer contests, and to read out messages of support from the home audience.

//twitter.com/??GamesDoneQuick/status/1645985238898860033?s=20

Looking at this year's schedule, we can see that almost all generations of gaming will be repped at this year's events, with a bevy of runs on modern titles such as Elden Ring, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, Lil Gator Game, and Fire Emblem Engage, as well as showings from speedrun stalwarts in the Metroid, Castlevania, Mega Man, and Legend of Zelda franchises. Of course, the strange and obscure will also be on deck, with runs planned for titles such as Final Fight 3, the X-Men arcade, Shatterhand, and the abominable SNES release, Wayne's World.

As always, viewers will be able to donate to the event throughout the week, with all proceeds going to non-profit organization Medecins Sans Frontieres, an international network of professional healthcare workers who provide medical aid, care, and relief to those who need it, wherever it’s needed, regardless of race, color, creed, or political persuasion. Last year's SGDQ event raised an amazing $3.01 million USD, and here's hoping that t?his year's event will be equally as succe?ssful.

SGDQ 2023 will take place between May 28 and June 4, 2023. The in-person event will take place at The Hilton Minneapolis hotel, and all streams will be available for viewing live on the GDQ Twitch channel.

The post SGDQ 2023 ??kicks off next month, full sc??hedule now live appeared first on Destructoid.

GDQ's sisterly spin-off returns!

[Update: As the curtain fell on anot?her awesome week of speedrunning excitement, Frost Fatales 2023 raised an amazing $151,614 USD for The ??Malala Fund. Congratulations to all runners and organizers for another highly engaging and entertaining week of gaming!

If you missed out on any of the action, never fear, as you can now check out all of the Frost Fatales 2023 runs, on-demand, via the GDQ YouTube channel. The next event, Flame Fata?les, ?will take place the week of August 13-20, 2023.]

//twitte??r.com/GamesDoneQuick/status/1632263477711589377???s=20

Original Article:

Is it that time of year already? Apparently so, as the fast femmes of video gaming are ready to see off the winter season with another week of exciting speedruns �So get set for Frost Fatales 2023, which will kick off this Sunday, February 26, live on Twitch!

For one week, the all-women GDQ spin-off community will offer up over 75 speedruns on a wide variety of titles, old and new. Players from across the globe will gather online to smash through awesome titles including modern classics, such as Gris, Death's Door, and Tunic; veteran speedrun franchises such as Final Fantasy, Super Mario Bros., and Silent Hill; and a fistful of retro games including Phantasy Star II, Super Metroid, and Tetris: The Grand Master.

Making their Frost Fatales debut this year will be Nintendo's Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Annapurna's Stray, House House's Untitled Goose Game, and *checks notes* Learn with Pokemon: Typing Adventure!? You can check out the full schedule for the event right here, complete with times localized to your zone. All runs will be held in an online capacity, so you only need tune in to the official GDQ Twitch each day to get on top of the action.

//twitter.com/FrameFatal???es/status/1605633618574974976?s=20

As always, viewers will be able to send in words support and congratulation to the runners, as well as donations directed to Frost Fatales' chosen charity, The Malala Fund. Cco-founded by the youngest Nobel prize winner in history, Malala Yousafzai, The Malala Fund is a non-profit organization that supports and facilitates important access to ??education for women and girls all over the world, regardless of their status, background, or economical means. Last year's event saw an amazing $132,000 USD raised for the cause, so here's hoping that the team is able to smash that re??cord this week.

Good luck to the production team, hosts, and all participating Frost Fatales speedrunners??!

Frost Fatales 2023 takes place from February 26 to March 4. For more information on the GDQ community, check out the official website.

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Who knew speedrunning could be so comforting?

When I was grow??ing up, the sounds of sports were always all over our house. My dad likes pretty much every sport imaginable, from football to baseball to track and field. A lot of the time I had no idea what was going on, but having a game on in the background made for the perfect backing track to take my Sunday afternoon naps. Sometimes when I want to feel extra cozy, I'll find an old NFL game on YouTube to put on while I fall aslee??p.

These days, the closest thing I get to watching sports is espo?rts. It's an entirely different world, as I've learned from my friends who work on that side of the industry, but there's also a lot of crossover there.

For one thing, esports took a ??lot from traditional sports when it comes to the way they set up their broadcasts, particularly when it comes to commentary or how they in??troduce players. As someone who was around sports my whole life (I have really athletic siblings), it's been fascinating to me to see how we've moved competition to a digital space, and how we choose to relay that information to those who are watching.

[caption id="attachment_333083" align="alignnone" width="2248"] _{[Image Source: NPR]}[/caption]

I think of speedrunning as esports' little cousin

Moreso than esports even, I've recently t??aken a liking to sp??eedrunning.

At this point I'm pretty sure everyone is familiar with the concept, but in case you're not, the basic idea is that players have competitions to see who can play through a game the fastest, and the rules can vary depending on whether speedrunners wa??nt to do a run that doesn't take advantage of bugs (known as a glitchless run), if they choose not to use certain items, if they choose to only race to a certain part of the game, and so on.

Speedrunning as a concept was widely popularized in the mid-1990s by players who would do runs of Super Metroid, but these days, you can speedrun just about everything by implementing some ??creative rules. While esports can be pretty rigid with rules, hero/champion bans, and intense practice schedules, there's a lightheartedness to speedrunnin?g that I find really charming.

In recent years, players have started doing runs of games like Stardew Valley, Cooking Mama, and the Little Mermaid NES game, to name a few. Seeing speedrunners lean into that silliness every once in a while speaks t?o how this community feels like a celebration of the games we love. I mean, you have to love a game a lot to play it for hundreds or thousands of hours to know it well enough to speed?run in the first place, right?

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

So now, when my best friend and I get together but don't know what to do, we just watch speedruns of our favorite g?ames. I love just sitting back and watching these amazing players explain to me all of the intricacies of their runs,?? and all the work they had to put in to shave even a few short seconds off of their runs.

This sounds familiar...

We were recently watching the highlights from Games Done Quick, a semi-annual speedrunning event that raises money for charity, and there were some really fun clips in there. While most of the players part??icipated from home, there were a few games where players got to do their runs in person at the event.

One moment that stuck to me, in particular, was a clip of four speedrunning doing a head-to-head speedrun race of the aforementioned Super Metroid from 2014.

//youtu.be/MTIqjXeMTIU?t=351

The commentators who were explaining the runs to the audience were in th?e room with the players, so they were speaking quietly so as n??ot to disturb their concentration.

There were moments of tense silence as the players went through difficult sections, only to be met by cheers when they cleared them. As we were watching this unfold, I had a sudden realization: this sounds exactly like when my dad would wat????ch golf on TV.

Now I've been putting on speedruns to either watch for fun, or to just have on in the background. With family stuff being a bit complicated right now, it's comforting to me to have something that's fa??miliar-sounding, yet is also something that also caters to my interests, unlike traditional sports. I always knew I liked speedrunning, but this gives them a whole new meaning for me.

There's nothing ??I love more than watching passionate people do what they're good at, and that's exactly what speedrunning is all about. I may not watch any more traditional sports in the future, but maybe speedruns are something I can show my dad in the future to return the favor.

One of the things that sports and speedrunning have in common is that it's about coming together to share a love of other peop??le ??doing something better than we ever could.

The post I watch speedrunning like my dad watches sports appeared first on Destructoid.

This feels very wrong

Sometimes, in the effort to go fast, we don't ask if we should go fast. Case-in-point: a newly discovered Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater glitch that, when properly executed, skips its i??nfamous ladder sequence.

MGS3 and Tomb Raider speedrunner "apel" showcased the gl??itch on social media today. They approach the ladder, flipping through their menu as they go. Then, at the base, they do some wall-hugging, followed by a few menu selections??.

Then, suddenly, Snake T-poses and rockets towards the camera. Rather than put hand over hand, foot over foot as the Snake Eater theme echoes throughout ?the maw? below, he simply ascends.

//twitter.com/apel__/status/1513870004898484229

You can find the clip on Twitter here, and also on YouTube. In a follow-up tweet, apel clarifies that any three food items will work for the trick. It do?esn't have ?to be snakes. They also say this is currently only possible in multi-segment runs, though they emphasize "currently."

Not for honor, but for you

I'm happy for the speedrunners, but wow. I did not know a man rocketing up a tunnel in a T-pose could make me feel emotions about the song Snake Eater.

The ladder sequence is probably one of the most famous parts of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, a game chock full of incredible moments. It's haunting, beautiful, ??and bizarre.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8pg2XoQTlA

When speedrunners have showcased MGS3 at events like Games Done Quick in the past, the ladder sequence has always been a fun lull. Maybe there will be a Snake Eater incentive at future events?

Silly qualms aside, it's always cool to see runners and glitch-hunters find new ways to break games. Sometimes, even casual players and streamers accidentally find new ways to go fas??t. And following the sometimes-rapid evol??ution of runs is always a good time.

The ladder may be ??skippable, but it will never be ??forgotten.

The post Newly discovered Metal Gear Solid 3 glitch lets players skip the ladder ?sequence appeared first on Destructoid.

"Imagine beating a Souls game without fighting anything"

Speedrunners are relentlessly whittling down Elden Ring, and as someone who's only been casually following the recent times they've been clocking, I got whiplash from this under-nine-minute Any% Unrestricted speedrun from Distortion2. With a fin?icky "zip" technique, it was possible to get through the Lands Between in 8 minutes and 56 seconds.

This run popped up in my feed yesterday a??nd I co??uldn't believe it.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTc469QNrBM

I mean, I could believe it �things tend to get pretty wild in FromSoftware speedruns when the idea is to just reach the credits through any means possible. But after spending dozens of hours with Elden Ring, it's hard to wrap your head around just how efficient a speedrun can become, glitches?? or no glitches. I spent more time on the Tree Sentinel!

"Imagine beating a Souls game without fighting anything," Distortion2 tweeted.

In this case, the runner made full use of wild-looking (yet really meticulous) zips to clear huge distances, as well as "kill" some m??andatory late-game bosses, like Maliketh.

Zipping across the Lands Between

So what are zips, exactly? A helpful pinned YouTube comment from Sketchy has our backs with a quick rundown: "A zip is performed by guarding and then walking at a specific time afterward for a specific number of frames. These are frame perfect. The zip is caused by the specific way the walking and guarding animations overlap. Zips are reliant on ha?rdware (and are therefore only allowed in unrestricted runs) and lower resolution makes them more consistent. Macros are not allowed, these are done manually."

If you're looking for a more in-depth breakdown, here's an explainer video from Daravae:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uLzEPEq63k

It's the kind of technique that proficient runners can nail dow??n to a ?staggering degree.

As for why many zones (and their bosses) can be bypassed but not Crumbling Farum Azula, that location "cannot be zipped to because it is not loaded in unless you get there legitimately." The current solution is to zip to The Four Belfries, catch a teleporter to Farum Azula as FromSoftware intended, then wrong warp �an Any% staple.

This record-breaking Any% Unrestricted Elden Ring speedrun ends in a?? fittingly strange way �we never even see the final boss?! �which is just icing on top. It's chaotic af.

[Update: Distortion2 has since posted a 6:59 Elden Ring speedrun, adding, "This categor??y has been quite the ride. Still some room for improvement but I am done with this for now."]

I know Any% runs aren't to everyone's tastes, so if you're curious to see more of the game's content cleared quickly rather than outright skipped, here's a 1:32:45 All Remembrances run of Elden Ring from Qttsix. The Sword of Night and Flame puts in work.

Keep doing your thing, Distortion2. I love it.

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A heaven for those who gotta go fast

Neon White was already pretty high on my own list of most-anticipated games this year. The indie project from Angel Matrix and Donut County creator Ben Esposito looked like a fast, gorgeous shooter.

The good news is that it's just that. But I can also confirm, after playing the Neon White demo currently available as part of Steam Next Fest, it's a little bit ??more. The game isn't just about taking out demons, but doing it fast. And it's built to make you keep wanting to reset the level for a new time.

The story pin of Neon White is that you're a badass who's died and gone to not-quite-heaven. Recruited to be one of many demon hunters cal?led "Neons" by heaven's angels, you—Neon White—compete with other Neons to earn a ticket into the more pleasant side of the afterlife.

These competitions take place in stylish but easily readable levels, where you run from start to finish line, exterminating every demon and finishing as fast as possible. At the conclusion of the run, you get a grade. Bronze simply counts as a clear, and is usually pretty forgiving. Silver gets a little to?ugher, but adds a special gift to the level, usually off the beaten path. Gold unlocks some helpful speedrunning hints, and Acing a level opens up the global leaderboard.

The ranking system is one of several reasons why Neon White feels like the perfect entry point to time-trial competition and speedrunning. The staggered approach makes it easy for those who want to just clear levels to keep moving on, while those who want to really jockey for a top spot get more tools as they shave seconds off their times. The hints system is particularly effective, and restarting a level has a snappiness that reminds me of Hotline Miami.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lUw7fMdNKE

Neon White is also pretty easy to pick up. On a keyboard and mouse, it's mostly just WASD and Space to move around, with an extra key dedicated to s??wapping your soul car??ds (weapons). Each card has a main fire and alt-fire; a reusable damage source and a one-off utility effect that "burns" the card. The pistol is a standard, semi-auto pistol, but sacrificing it gives you a double-jump. The machine gun launches a delayed-detonation grenade, which can also damage boost you across gaps.

What's great is how simple and clean this movement feels in the moment. There is no crouch-jumping or weird reaches across the keyboard. Neon White does an impressive amount with its inputs.

This extends out to the levels, where differe??nt routes are made apparent through repeat runs. I might take the long way around the first time, before realizing that I could use a damage boost to skip? a major portion of the level. Demons tend to mark the critical path, but geometry is at your discretion. The hint markers really help get you in this mindset too, pointing out some clever skips to help reach an Ace.

While the vaporwave heaven of Neon White was visually appealing all on its own, this Steam demo has really brought another strength to the fore: its speedrunning potential. Speedrunner Bryonato showed off some of its potential in a short segment on the Next Fest stream, and it already l???ooks great.

Already, I'm starting to trade times with friends and compete for hundredths of a second's advantage. The ??leaderboard that pops up after every clear amps up that drive, egging me on with every inch I gain on friends' times.

Neon White looks pretty interesting visually and conceptually, and it'??s good to know now that the game??play matches up too. If the final version keeps the same energy and drive of its opening levels, this could be one to watch.

Neon White is coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam sometime this year. You can find the Steam page and demo here.

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Highest-ever grand total for a single GDQ event

In a wonderful piece of news to kick off the week, it has been announced that this year's Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) speedrunning event has smashed all previous GDQ records, raising an eye-popping $3.4 million USD over the course of seven short day?s.

Over the course of the past seven days, some of the slickest video game players in the world gathered online to ply their skills against a huge roster of games, ranging from classics such as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Half-Life 2, Crash Team Racing, and various titles in the Castlevania series, to newer releases including Returnal, Deathloop, Death's Door, Lost Judgment, and Destructoid's own GOTY, Chicory: A Colorful Tale.

When the curtain fell late on Saturday, January 15, AGDQ viewers and supporters had raised somewhere in the region of an almighty $3,416,729,85. All of these proceeds will be donated directly to the Prevent Cancer Foundation, an international organization that works tirelessly to research life-saving developments in the curing of cancer. In addition? to the record-breaking grand total, both the $1 million and $2 million milestones were smashed i??n a shorter space of time than any previous event.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQeeRBtQgzE&t=13s

For many, the highlight of this year's event will be a mindboggling run that saw runner Mitchriz complete FromSoftware's challenging adventure Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice blindfold, guided through the game by only its audio. Mitchriz made short work of the adventure's many enemies and even walked away from a few boss battles without a scratch. It has to be seen to be believed. In fact, all of AGDQ 2022’s speedruns are archived on Twitch and YouTube, readily accessible via this Reddit thread.

Congratulations, as always, to one of AGDQ 2022's runners, organizers, promoters, and donors. Once again you all came through to showcase the very best of the gaming community, in the spirit of hope, generosity, selflessness, and togetherness. We need positive headlines now more than ever and this record-b??reaking grand total shows that while the world remains on a backstep right now, the core community of our favorite pastime will always come through for the great and good.

Summer Games Done Quick 2022 will return later this year, though a date is yet to be determined. Before then, all-women's speedrunning event F??rost Fatales will take place on the week of Feb??ruary 27.

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Gotta go fast!

Speedrunning's gotta be a tough gig. You're playing a game for hours on end with no breaks, working tirelessly to hit every frame perfectly, and if you mess it up, well you're out of luck, and you have to start all the way back at the beginning. It's a corner of games that's always fascinated me, so I'm always interested when I catch whispers of what's going on in the speedrunning community. That's exactly what happened today when I heard the news that the "glitchless" speedrun world record for Skyrim had been broken.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Xlym_uZ4Q

As originally reported by TheGamer, thi??s feat was accomplished by the YouTuber Nucular, whose real name is Jackson Reynolds. He uploaded a video of his new speedrun yesterd?ay, and this time he managed to get through the game's story at seventy-two minutes. He actually took the record from himself, as the record is now two minutes faster than the time Reynolds previously held.

Reynolds also took the comment secti?on on his own video to describe some of his strategies for the run, like playing as one of the High Elf race because of their quicker movement speed, which correlates to their being the tallest race in the game. He also humbly admits to the mistakes he made during the run, such as forgetting to grab a crucial fast travel point that lost him a precious thirty seconds.

Apparently the grind never stops, because Reynolds is also working to beat his record for the no glitch playthrough of Skyrim on the legendary difficulty.

Like I said, mad respect to Reynolds and his fellow speedrunners, because I can only imagine how much time and dedication this kind of thing takes. It always makes me think of a video I saw once of a streamer beating the Super Mario 64 world record for the 120-star run �he tells his parents, who are nearby in the o?ther room, and who celebrate with him in the most genuine and wholesome way. It still makes me tear up?? when I watch it, and it serves as a reminder of how awesome the speedrunning community can be.

//www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/comments/j09r4v/streamer_gets_the_world_record_time_for_super??/

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Speed Shemons

The fast femmes of Frame Fatales have succeeded in absolutely smashing their previous speedrun marathon records. On Saturday, August 21, the curtain fe??ll? on another awesome Flame Fatales event, with the all-women team having raised an incredible $126,830 USD following seven straight days of fast-paced gaming action.

Once again held in a socially distanced online capacity, Flame Fatales saw the Games Done Quick sub-community ply their trade on a wide variety of video games, old and new. Among the titles smashed with frame-stealing expertise was Super Mario Maker, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Stardew Valley, Super Meat Boy, Bayonetta 2, Axiom Verge, and, of course speedrun veterans Super Metroid and Silent Hill 2.?? It was a fascinating watch, as always, with great gameplay married to insightful commentary and Frame Fatales' engaging community spirit?.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN3tMXiFlJ4

The money raised will be donated directed to non-profit organization The Malala Fund, which continues in its vitally important efforts to that ensure women and girls worldwide are provided access to safe, free, quality education, regardless of their status, background, nationality, or local economy. Back in the fall of 2020, the Fleet Fatales event raised an impressive $80,000, so this season's six-figure sum is a massive cause for celebration �money that will no doubt go some way to facilitating opportunities for wome??n during a time a glob??al crisis.

If you'd like to check out the week's action for yourself, then each and every speedrun is currently archived over on the Games Done Quick YouTube channel. If you'd like to get involved with the Frame Fatales community, then speak to the organizers about visiting the group's Discord. ??Congratulations to all of the runners and staff involved in making Flame Fatales 2021 such an amazing success, your drive, talent, and compassion remains both awesome and endlessly inspiring.

The next Frame Fatales eve??nt, Frost Fatales, will take place Febr??uary 27 - March 5, 2022.

//twitter.com/GamesDoneQuick/status/1429298246048960513???s=20

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Breaking down doors, or at least, knocking Snake through them

There is no formula for discovering new ways to save time in a speedrun. Sometimes, it just comes down to chance, as was apparent when a streamer discovered a new skip for Metal Gear Solid over the weekend by accident.

Yogscast streamer "Boba" was playing Metal Gear Solid and reached a section of the game called Comm Tower A, where Solid Snake has to climb a pretty tall tower. Normally, you'd have to ascend a whole bunch of stairs. But as Boba discovered, you could also just get shot by a guard and blasted backwards throu?gh the door.

//twitter.com/bob?a_witch/status/?1426896049730465793

As Metal Gear Solid speedrunners went on to verify, getting shot can extend Snake's hitbox into a loading zone, even those behind doors. It appears to save around 2 minutes and 30 seconds, a pretty substantial amount of time, and it also doesn't seem to require getting shot. Players discovered that you can also make it work with a chaff grenade and the right angle.

The speedrunners are already having a field day with this, as new records for both Very Easy and Easy Any% are popping up on speedrun.com. For the Very Easy category, this not only nabbed the world reco??rd, but the first-ever run below 30 minutes, clocking in at 29:54.7244.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h9DJyL2S8M

The Metal Gear Solid Speedrunners Twitter and Discord has been following the new developments as they come in, and those are also good resources to check out if you're interested at all in running, or just learning more about it. Runners have already been replic?ating the trick and incorporating it into ?their run, so expect ??to see some jockeying for the top spot on the leaderboards. With the knowledge gained here t??oo, I'm curious to see if any other paths are found using this trick.

As for what the trick is called? Well, some already started calling it "Boba Skip," after its obvious namesake. Boba, however, has a different name for it: "Kevin." So congrats to Boba, on discovering Kevin. And if you want to check out some more speedrunning this week, check out the Flame Fatales e?vent that's currently und??erway, raising money for The Malala Fund.

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Fast Femmes

Everyone knows that there's no better way to fill out a week than with an excellent speedrun marathon. And we're all in luck, as the ladies of Frame Fatales have gathered online once again to showcase their mad skills on a wide variety of titles old and new �and all for a good cause. Yes, folks, the summer extravaganza known as Flame Fatales is now underway.

The week-long event, which kicked off just yesterday, will see expert players ply their trade on a whole host of great titles, from recent releases such as Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Cadence of Hyrule, to a slew of classics including Super Metroid, Silent Hill 2, Celeste, and Sonic the Hedgehog. F??lame Fatales is once again being held in an online capacity, in order to keep both runners and crew safe and socially distanced in the times of COVID -19.

Viewers can tune in each day to watch the action, offering support and donations while also bagging some sweet goodies and merchandise. Once again, all contributions raised will go directly to The Malala Fund, a non-profit organization that tirelessly fights to ensure women and girls worldwide are afforded access to safe, free, and high-quality education, regardless of their status, background, nationality, or economy. Back in November 2020, Fleet Fatales raised an amazing $80,000 USD,? so the team will surely be looking to smash that target with this summer's event.

You can catch all of the action live over on the official Games Done Quick Twitch channel. A full schedule of events, adjusted to your timezone, is available right here. As I've banged on about multiple times over the years, I love sinking into ??charity speedrun events, and the Frame Fatales showcase is no exception. Good luck to all run?ners and crew!

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Annual SGDQ event smashes last year's total

For many years now, I've written articles on the coming of, the start of, and the conclusion of a variety of GDQ events. And despite having hit these headlines over and over, they're never any the less heartwarming, any the less amazing, and any the less important. Once again, Summer Games Done Quick has knocked it out of the park, raising a staggering $2.8 million USD for a very worthy cause, all thanks to the hard work, tenacity?, and generosity of the video gaming community.

Following a week of awesome challenges, lightning-fast speedruns, and tool-assisted chicanery, the curtain fell on this year's SGDQ, which was once again held online due to COVID-19 restrictions. But even without the in-house audience or the faithful surroundings of Minnesota's Double Tree Hilton, the SGDQ 2021 team, a global network of speedrunners, and a faithful home audience still came through, donating a grand total of $2,897,704, beating out last year's total by almost half a million dollars. Fantastic.

The proceeds will go directly to medical organization Medicins Sans Frontieres, a global network that dispatches healthcare, resources, supplies, and medical professionals wherever it is needed on this green Eart??h, regardless of race, creed, or religious persuasion. Of course, given the tragedy of the global pandemic, healthcare charities such as MSF need our help now more than ever, and this money will certainly offer a boost to?? the non-profit organization's global network.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3AJkGdSt4Q&t=1s

SGDQ 2021 saw wildly entertaining runs on a gamut of classic and modern-day releases. Onstream this year were modern hits such as Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Last of Us, Streets of Rage 4, and Dark Souls alongside a huge selection of classics including Batman: The Video Game, Super Punch-Out!!, Silent Hill 2, Sonic 3, and Deus Ex. If you missed any of the week's action, no worries, as each and every run is now available to view on demand �bookmarked over on the official GDQ VOD page. One highlight of note is Harvrd's unique, brain-breakeing GeoGuessr run.

Even in the darkest of times, video game fans shine brightly. I know, I know, I say this every year �which is merely a testament to its truth. We hear so much negativi??ty about the industry and those within it, from the local bedroom up to the highest of boardrooms. But, like every element of society, there are more than enough passionate, caring, dedicated, and proud individuals within our favorite pastime. The GDQ event remains a standard for showing off video games, and the people who play, at their most selfless. Congratulations to the GDQ staff and the runners themselves for another incredible week.

The next GDQ event will be all-women's speedrunning showcase Flame Fatales, which will take place August 15-21?. Awesome Games D??one Quick will return January 9-16 2022.

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Where in the world are we?

Summer Games Done Quick 2021 has been underway for days now, with a bunch of speedrunners (remotely) coming together to demonstrate their skills for charity. This includes the usual suspects like Mega Man and Metroid, but SGDQ '21 spotlighted a wild run earlier this week: a speedy, precise run of GeoGuessr.

If you've never played GeoGuessr, it's the formal version of a Google Maps game you might have already tried. It plops you on street view somewhere in the world, and you have to guess where you are. And that "somewhere" can be just about anywhere, though a curated seed is used for a better overall experience (you can find and play that selection of over 52,000 locales here).

As speedrunner "Havrd" demonstrated, deducing your locale from your surroundings alone can be tricky. And for this category, Havrd w??as going for a perfect score, getting his own location essentially dead-on with a score of 5,000 for each of th?e five drop points. You can watch the run in full below:

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

Just looking around his location, he's able to deduc??e countries and regions. Roads make for an obvious marker, as well as exit signs. But the speed at which he can glean details, anything from a flag and written language to road lines, while flitting ?through the world is really impressive to see in practice.

I love the non-standard runs that get featured at Games Done Quick, and going online has only made it easier to feature some runs that would otherwise cause logistical challenges. VR and full arcade setups are some obvious examples, but I'm happy to see GDQ spotlighting stuff like GeoGuessr as well. It's not the most conventional "game," but it's fascinating to see these sorts of tool?s turned into games and then broken down into a run.

SGDQ 2021 concludes tomorrow, July 10, with a run of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix; here's where you can find the full schedule of upcoming games. You can follow?? the stream and help?? donate to a good cause (Doctors Without Borders) here.

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