If you want to summon a Sister of Parvos in Warframe, then chances are you're going to need to use the Xoris to help you do it. Here's everything you need t??o know about obtaining one.

Where to get the Xoris in Warframe

The Xoris is a Corpus-created Glaive that is quite powerful in its own right, but the main use for it is to help you conquer the Granum Void; a requirement for summoning a S?ister of Parvos.? Unlike most base weapons in Warframe, you cannot outright purchase Blueprint or any of its components, at least not initially.

To get these, you must dive into the Deadlock Protocol questline, which will take you through the Granum Void for various story-related reasons. Most importantly, you will end up building the Xoris during the questline and will have to use it during too. The Deadlock Protocol can be accessed from your Codex.

Once you've built a Xoris and completed The Deadlock Protocol questlin??e, you can purchase additional Blueprints and parts from Cephalon Simaris, located at any normal relay?, in case you ever need to build it again.

What does the Xoris do in Warframe?

As already mentioned, the Xoris is a Glaive and can be used for both close-range slashing and long-range explosive attacks when thrown, allowing you to adapt to different enemy types and situations. It?s base damage is evenly split between Slash, Puncture, and Impact, providing balanced performance against different enemy armor types. This is useful for buildi?ng it against certain enemies.

The Xoris' has two special abilities, the first lying in its infinite combo duration when used with a fully charged throw. Unlike other melee weapons, the Xoris�combo counter doesn't decay, making it ideal for maintaining high damage output over extended fights. Additionally, it can be used to enhance abilities that scale with the combo counter, such as certain Warframe abilities like those of Khora, Valkyr, or Atlas, adding versatility beyond just melee combat.

The other ability is its extreme effectiveness against Errant Specters, common enemies you will encounter while in the Granum Void. The reason you want to use the Xoris in the Granum Void is because it will destroy an Errant Specter in a single throw. This is highly valuable when attempting to summon a Sister of Parvo, as you need to reach the first rank of rewards in a Zenith Granum Crown Void challenge in order to do so.? Reaching the first rank requires k?illing a number of enemies in the Granum Void within a short amount of time, increasing the value of the Xoris in these encounters.

The post How to get the Xoris in Warframe appeared first on Destructoid.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 developer Saber Interactive has confirmed that Public Test Servers ar?e to be added to the game in a future update.

In a message spearheaded by Game Dir??ector Dmitriy ?Grigorenko, it was confirmed that this will allow player?s to "try out major balancing update?s and make your voices heard before they are pushed onto public branches."

Space Marine 2 rolls back balance changes, Public Test Servers confirmed

Last week, Space Marine 2 released its 4.0 patch, and to say players weren't happy is an understatement. Unpopular weapon nerfs and a higher difficulty curve all around had gamers up in arms, leading some to ?take to the virtual streets in a form of protest as old as time: Steam review bombing.

Space Marine 2 fans can officially put down their pitchforks; the new 4.1 update to the game ??rolls back those controversial changes, with Grigorenko claiming he "forgot that once the game comes out, it's no longer a dev's game. It's yours first and foremost."

To avoid repeating the mistake with future balance updates, Saber Interactive confirmed that the aforementioned Public Test Servers will be coming to Space Marine 2 in "early 2025." However, no further timeline has been ?gi??ven for this as of yet.

The post Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 anno??un??ces Public Test Servers to avoid repeat of unpopular balance changes appeared first on Destructoid.

Without a Progenitor, you can never get your hands on some of Warframe's most powerful, destructive weapons. They can be tricky to pin down, but fortunately, I own most of the weapons in question and can expla??in how you can find one of these tricky enemies.

Where to find a Progenitor in Warframe

To interact at all with Warframe's Nemesis (Kuva Lich/Sister) system, you must first turn a Progenitor into a Kuva Lich (Grineer) or Sister of Parvo (Corpus). This is done by 'killing' a Progenitor and stabbing him with your Parazon. The next time this Progenitor appears, he will h??ave a name, a staple Element (based on the Warframe you used to kill it), and a serious attitude for you to adjust. More importantly, though, successfully killing this empowered Progenitor will yield a powerful weapon with bonus Elemental damage tied to the Element the Lich/Sister was.

Now, where exactly can you find a Progenitor to begin this process? Despite how difficult they seem to find, they are quite easy to cast out of the shadows. I'll break down the process for ??both the Grineer and Corpus.

Grineer Progenitor - Kuva Larvling

To spawn a Kuva Larvling, you must first have completed The War Within main quest. Afterward, any Grineer mission that spawns level 20 or higher enemies will have a chance to spawn a Kuva Larvling. During any normal Grineer mission, if your screen begins to flash, you must slay 10 enemies within one minute for a guaranteed appearance of a Kuva Larvling. I've found Capture Missions on the Grineer Asteroid tileset the ea?siest mission type for spawning Kuva Larvlings, as you will have a near-infinite source of enemies coming after you even after you've completed the objective.

Once one has spawned for you, slay it and stab it with your Parazon to turn it into a Kuva Lich.

Corpus Progenitor - Candidate

Corpus Candidates are a bit more difficult to summon only because their requirements are a bit more strict. To spawn a Candidate, you must use a Zenith Granum Crown on any Corpus Ship mission and then reach Rank 1 rewards during the challenge. Kill the Corpus Treasurers that spawn to obtain Zenith Crowns. You must then use the Crown on a Gold Hand Tribute statue. Additionally, you must have completed The War Within and Call of the Temperstarii questlines before one can spawn for you.

If you've managed to get this far, then the process for dealing with a Candidate is the same as with the Kuva Larvling. Slay it and stab it with your Parazon to turn it into a Sister of Parvo.

What is a Progenitor Warframe?

The last piece of the puzzle is the Warframe you use to kill a Kuva Larvling or Candidate. As I mentioned, the Element the resulting Kuva Lich or Sister of Parvo will have depends entirely on which Warframe you used to slay it, thus a Progenitor Warframe. If you're looking for a specific element from one of the weapons a Lich or Sister drops, ensure to kill their premature forms with the correct Warframe.

• Heat - Chroma, Ember, Inaros, Jade, Kullervo, Nezha, Protea, Vauban, Wisp
• Electricity - Banshee, Caliban, Excalibur, Gyre, Limbo, Nova, Valkyr, Volt
• Cold - Frost, Gara, Hildryn, Koumei, Revenant, Styanax, Titania, Trinity
• Impact - Baruuk, Dante, Gauss, Grendel, Rhino, Sevaogth, Wukong, Zephyr
• Toxin - Atalas, Dagath, Ivara, Khora, Nekros, Nidus, Oberon, Saryn
• Magnetic - Citrine, Harrow, Hydroid, Lavos, Mag, Mesa, Xaku, Yareli
• Radiation - Ash, Equinox, Garuda, Loki, Mirage, Nyx, Octavia, Qorvex, Voruna

The post How to find a Progenitor in Warframe appeared first on Destructoid.

In Warframe, Focus Schools are Operator-based talent trees that provide significant buffs and additional mechanics to your standard Warframe's playstyle. T??here are five different schools so here's a breakdown of all five, and how they benefit you to in??vest into.

All Five Focus Schools in Warframe

The five Focus Schools in Warframe are all tied directly to your Operator, and provide meaningful buffs to both your Operator and Warframe alike. These are Madurai, Naramon, Zenurik, Unairu, and Vazarin. While you can invest in all five, only one can be considered Active, ??and only the active School will provide any benefits.

Madurai

The Madurai School is primarily focused on greatly empowering you??r Amps increasing their damage output and energy efficiency while allowing you to apply damage amplification buffs/debuffs to yourself and enemies around you. It is an offensive school meant for players interested in using their Operator as much as their Warframe, switching in and out of Warfra?me-to-Operator form like a dance.

The Key Focus nodes for Maduari are Inner Gaze, Eternal Gaze, Power Transfer, and Void Strike.

• Inner Gaze - Increase Energy for Amps and Void Beam
• Eternal Gaze - Increases Energy Regeneration for Amps and Void Beam
• Power Transfer - Increases Amp Critical Damage when swapping to Operator, and Casting Speed when swapping to Warframe
• Void Strike - Active ability that increases Damage by a percentage amount of the Energy consumed to use this ability

These four nodes highly emphasize the offe?nsive-swap gameplay required to reap the benefits of Maduari and should be invested f??irst and foremost.

Naramon

The Naramon School focuses heavily on improving the Offensive Melee and Mobility capabilities of both your Warframe and Operator while offering some light crowd control as side helping. The tree significantly improves Finisher Damage while also?? making Combos last longer. Active abilities focus on Mobility and Crowd Control. For player??s interested close-quarter combats, Naramon is absolutely the best choice.

The Key Focus nodes of Naramon are Opening Slam, Power Spike, Sling Stun, and Killer's Rush.

• Opening Slam - When performing a Slam attack, automatically swap to your Warframe and gain Double Combo generation
• Power Spike - Melee Combos now decay slowly while out-of-combat instead of all at once
• Sling Stun - Active ability that increases the width of your next Void Sling, and hitting an enemy with a Void Sling causes them to take more damage from Finishers
• Killer's Rush - Starting a Finisher with your Operator automatically swaps to your Warframe, and your Melee Critical Chance is increased

These nodes prioritize improving your Melee damage and emphasize the focus on getting up and personal with your foes. As such, they should be your priority if you choose?? to Focus on the Na?ramon school.

Zenurik

The Zenurik School focuses almost entirely on granting you constant Energy Regeneration allowing you to use your Operator's and Warframe abilities as you please. As a Utility-based school,?? it is meant to be played secon?dary to your standard Warframe gameplay and provides significant Energy to nearby allies as well.

The Key Focus nodes of Zenurik are Energy Pulse, Wellspring, and Hardened Wellspring.

• Energy Pulse - Picking up Energy Orbs provides bonus Energy over time.
• Wellspring - Active ability that creates a conduit of Energy that restores Energy over time when passed through. Works for you and allies.
• Hardened Wellspring - Using Wellspring within an active Wellspring increases its size and improves Ability Strength for all that pass through it.

These nodes support the heavy focus on Energy that Zenurik offers?? its followers. If you're playing Warframes that want to use their abilities often, consider Zenurik as your school of choice.

Unairu

The Unairu School focuses on improving your Defensive capabil??ities while also providing several extremely powerful abilities that can easily be used to cripple heavily armored or shielded foes. As a Utility-based school, Unairu's natural ability to deal with well-defended enemies allows followers of the tree to focus their weapons around other disciples rather than directly countering the ene?mies they face.

The Key Focus nodes of Unairu are Poise, Caustic Strike, Magnetic Flare, and Stone Skin

• Poise - Gain total immunity to Crowd Control effects when transferring between Warframe and Operator forms
• Caustic Strike - Activite ability that launches an energy bomb that Strips the Armor of any enemies hit by it.
• Magnetic Flare - Active ability that creates a radical field that Disables the Shields of any enemies within
• Stone Skin - Provides an unconditional Armor bonus to your Operator and Warframe at all times

These nodes heavily emphasize the value of choosing the Unairu School as your Focus. The versatility this school offers is unparalleled in Warframe and is a strong choice for those who desire not to have to build around the ??enemies they face, always having the answer to any problem in Ope??rator form.

Vazarin

The Varazin School focuses on dramatically improving your healing and ability to su?pport allies through Health Regeneration and Immunities. As a Support-focused school, Vazarin has little offensive capabilities and should be played only as necessary, when healing becomes a requirement, as it does not offer much beyond this scope.

The Key Focus nodes of Vazarin are Void Regen, Squad Regen, Mending Unity, Guardian Shell, and Protective Sling

• Void Regen - Regenerate Health over time, increasing the longer you remain in Void Mode to a cap.
• Squad Regen - When Void Regen reaches its Health Regeneration capstone, spread the effects of Void Regen to your allies with Affinity Range.
• Mending Utility - Improves the radius of your Affinity Range, making to easier for allies to gain your beneficial effects
• Guardian Shell - Activity ability that places an Immunity barrier on you and your allies within Affinity Range. The barrier is immune to all damage initially but can be damaged after several seconds have passed.
• Protective Sling - All allies hit by your Void Sling are granted complete damage Immunity for a short time and receive healing over time

These nodes well-reflect the supportive n?ature of Vazarin Focus School and should prioritize first before taking anything else in the tree. If you're a player who loves to support the team, consider inve??sting in Vazarin.

The post Warframe – Focus Schools, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

Warframe 1999 is a unique upcoming update that sort of ties back to the events of Digital Extremes' Dark Sector. Here's everything we know about it, including ?when it is slated to release.

When is Warframe 1999 going to be released?

While there is no strict date set for the Warframe 1999 updat??e, we do know ??that it will be coming in Winter 2024, which will highly likely end up being sometime in December. The update is slated to be rather beefy thanks to the subject matter, but we'll let you know the details once more have been released.

Considered an 'expansion' by the developers, we got a sneak peek of the update during the Whispers in the Walls quest line. During this, players got to go back in time to the age of the very first Tenno, Hayden Tenno, who was, incidentally, the protagonist of Dark Sector. The segment was very short but gave ?a highly impactful preview for whats to come.

What is Warfarme 1999?

Warframe 1999 is an expansive update for Warframe that will contain a story quest relating to Dark Sector protagonist, Hayden Tenno. The '1999' portion relates to the year of the events of this questline, which is a massive jump back in time for players of Warframe.

Unlike the rest of Warframe, Warframe 1999 will feature dark urban streets and 'modern-sci-fi' features over the high-sci elements the rest of the game already offers. Weapons and enemies will also feature a 'modern' sci-fi twist, that is sure to bring a unique experience to Warframe players, long-time and new.

On October 16, all Warframe players will get to try out Warframe 1999 early with a demo that highlights what to expect from the expansion. Participating in the demo will, additionally, earn all players the Protokil Longsword skin as a free additional gift. Simply claim it from your mailbox once y??ou log in.

To access the demo, players will need to have minimally completed the Awakening and Vor's Prize questlines, which is effectively the game's tutorial. You do not need to have completed Whispers in the Wall or any other questline in Warframe to participate.

Warframe 1999 - Quest Prerequisites

If you're looking to play the full version of Warframe 1999 on release, however, there are se?veral main story quests you need to have completed first and foremost.

• Vor's Prize
• Saya's Vigil
• Vox Solaris
• Once Awake
• Heart of Deimos
• The Archwing
• Natah
• The Second Dream
• Rising Tide
• The War Within
• Chains of Harrow
• Apostasy Prologue
• The Sacrifice
• Prelude to War
• The New War
• Whispers in the Walls
• The Lotus Eaters

All of these quests can be accessed in-game via your Codex, and you also check your progress on them. Some may individually require additional prerequisites to begin, but you have time to get these all done before the official release of Warframe 1999.

The post What is the Warframe 1999 release date? appeared first on Destructoid.

Having access to an Archwing in open environments can massively save you transversal time in Warframe. Thus, getting an Archwing Launcher Segment should be a priority if you spend a lot of time planetside; he?re's how you can get one.

Where to get an Archwing Launcher Segment in Warframe

The Archwing Launch?er Segment is an Orbiter modification that allows you to install an Archwing Launcher on your ship. This, as a result, will enable you to deploy your Archwing in open-field areas (Cambion Drift, Plains of Eidolon, and Orb Vallis). This is ridiculously use?ful for exploring those large areas, as moving on foot will waste a lot of your time.

That said, there are two ways you can obtain an Archwing Launcher Segment. The first and easiest is to buy it directly from the Warframe Market. It costs only 175 Platinum, and while Platinum is Warframe's premium currency, you can earn it fairly easily by selling Void-rela??ted goods to other players. I recommend farming up a few rare items from Void Missions and then selling them off if you don't need them. Players are always looking for these trinkets (because of their rarity); thus there is always a decent-sized market for them.

The other method of obtaining an Archwing Launcher Segment is by joining a clan, researching it at the Tenno Lab,? and then building it up from scratch. This method will take you considerably more time to complete, so I don't recommend going this route, especially if you're a solo player. If you insist, however, here? are the required materials for research and crafting the component.

Researching Costs:

• 20,000x Credits
• 2x Tellurium
• 5000x Polymere Bundle
• 800x Cryotic
• 600x Oxium
• 72 Hours (Real-time)

Crafting Costs:

• 100,000x Credits
• 50x Grokdrul
• 50x Iradite
• 1,200x Oxium
• 12 Hours (Real-time)

How to use the Archwing Launcher in Warframe

Once you've crafted/purchased an Archwing Launcher Segment and installed it on your Orbitor, you can access the Archwing Launcher. The Archwing Launcher is considered Gear in your inventory, so you'll need to first place it on your Gear Wheel before you can use it.

When it is on your Gear Wheel, head to any open-field map and cycle to the Archwing Launcher on the wheel. Doing so will automatically deploy our Archwing on the map. You can stay airborne indefinitely, and you have infinite uses for your Archwing Launcher.?? You can also fire your weapons while it is deployed but cannot use your Warframe's abilities at the same time. You can, however, make use of your Archwing's abilities instead.

The post How to get an Archwin?g Launcher Segment ?in Warframe appeared first on Destructoid.

With the release of Warframe's Koumei & the Five Fates, several old and outdated weapons received brand new Incarnon forms, bringing them back into the limelight. If you're interested in these old favorites and want to pick them up for your use?, here'??s how you can do so.

Every new Incarnon and how to get them in Warframe: Koumei & the Five Fates

In total, five new Incarnons were added with the update's release, and the weapons that received them have effectively been brought back into relevancy. Before I get into them, if you're not sure what an Incarnon weapon is, it is a system introduced into Warframe several upd??ates ago designed to greatly empower old weapons so that they become viable once more?.

Typically, when weapons receive Incarnon forms, they become some of the strongest weapons in ??the game, often gaining significant new mechanics on top of all the buffs that come with them. That said, let's jump into which weapons received the polish this time around.

Dera (Base, Vandal)

Both the Base and Vandal versions of the Dera have become eligible for Incanron empowerment. The Incarnon form of the Dera allows it to fire high-powered beams and gain base access to Magnetic damage typing. Note that the Dera can still be used as a standard laser rifle, and to gain access to the beams, it needs to Incarnon Transform first.

Like all Incarnon weapons, you first need to build up its Incarnon Gauge before it can transform. This is done by scoring headshots with the base weapon. When you have enough Incarnon Gauge (it doesn't need to be full), pressing the Alternative Fire button will transform it.

Some key notes about the Dera's Incanron Form:

• Uses a separate magazine from the standard
• Beams grant increased Punch Through, Damage, Critical Chance, and Critical Multiplier
• Reduced Status Chance and Fire Rate
• Gains Magnetic Damage

To install the Incarnon on the Dera, you will need to use a Dera Incarnon Genesis, which is purchased for 120 Platninum from Cavalero in the Chrysalith. You will ??also need the following materials for the ??process:

• 20x Path Clamps
• 80x Eevani
• 70x Ueymag

Sybaris (Base, Prime, Dex)

All three obtainable versions of the Sybaris have received Incarnon empowerment for this update. The Incarnon form al?lows the Sybaris to fire in four-round bursts and gain access to the Blast Status effect. To access this impr??oved burst mode and the Blast Damage, the Sybaris needs to be in Incarnon Form after being charged up through headshots.

Key notes about the Incarnon Form:

• Uses a separate magazine from the standard
• Gains Blast Damage and Blast Status is guaranteed on Hit
• Increases Damage, Critical Multiplier, and Status Chance
• Reduces Critical Chance

To install the Incarnon transformation onto the Sybaris, you will need to use a Sybaris Incarnation Genesis, which can be purchased for 120 Platninum from Cavelero. You will also need t?he following materials for the process:

• 20x Path Clamps
• 150x Saggen Peral
• 70x Ueymag

Cestra

The Incarnon Form of the Cestra sidearm allows it to gradually increase its Critical Chance the longer it is fired, uninterrupted. Unlike the previous mentions Incarnons, it does not gain any new status effects. Even so, this mechanic is a massive boost to the Cestra's damage thanks to how Criticals scale in Warframe. To gain this mechanic, the Cestra must be in its Incarnon Form, which is ch???arged up by landing headshots.

Key notes about the Incarnon Form:

• Uses a separate magazine from the standard
• Critical Chance is increased the longer it is fired
• Innately increases base Critical Chance, Critical Multiplier, Damage, and Status Chance
• Fire Rate is reduced

Installing the Incarnon Form onto the Cestra will require using a Cestra Incarnon Genesis, obtained by purchasing it from C?avelero for 120 Platinum. You will also need the following materials:

• 20x Pathos Clamps
• 150x Saggen Pearl
• 80x Kovnik

Sicarus (Base, Prime)

The Incarnon Form of the Sicarus (both types) allows the weapon's bullets to ricochet when fired. This ricochet is not random, as the ricochet will hit targets clos??e to the main one. To gain access to this, the Sicarus must be in its Incarnon Form, which is charged up by landing headshots.

Key notes about the Incarnon Form:

• Uses a separate magazine from the standard
• Bullets will ricochet to one additional target
• Ricochets have innate Punch Through
• Increased Damage, Critical Chance, and Critical Multiplier

Installing the I??ncarnon Form for the Sicarus will require using a Sicarus Incarnon Genesis, purchased by Cavelero for 120 Platinum. Additionally, you will need the following materials:

• 20x Pathos Clamps
• 100x Nacreous Pebble
• 150x Aggristone

Okina (Base, Prime)

My personal favorite of the bunch, the Incarnon Form of the Okina (both versions), causes kills with the weapon to generate spectral daggers that seek out enemies, applying maximum Cold Status stacks to them. Since the Okina is a melee weapon, it does not rely on headshots to charge its Incarnon Gauge. Instead, you must reach a Melee Combo Multiplier of 6x to activate its Incarnon Form.

Key notes about the Incarnon Form:

• Kills create a single dagger that flies off toward an enemy
• One Dagger applies 10 Cold Stacks
• Daggers have an explosive radius, applying 1 Cold Stack to nearby enemies
• Incarnon Form lasts for 180 seconds

To apply the Incarnon Form to the Okina, you will need to use a Okina Incarnon Genesis, which is obtainable from Cavelero for 120 ??Platinum. You will also need the following materials to complete the? process:

• 20x Pathos Clmaps
• 20x Maw Fangs
• 80x Lamentus

How to unlock the Incarnon System in Warframe

In order to use any Incarnon weapon, you must unlock the ability to purchase them first. Unfortunately, this is not an easy task, as the Incarnon System was designed for veteran players first a??nd foremost. The process of unlocking requires several important criteria to be met.

• Complete The Duviari Paradox questline
• Complete the Angels of the Zariman questline
• Unlock The Steel Path

The easiest of this bunch is the completion of The Duviari Paradox because new players can choose to begin their life in Warframe from this quest. Simply following the questline and its objectives will allow you to complete this part pretty easily.?? The Duviari Paradox is also rather short.

The Angels of the Zariman, on the other hand, will require the completion of several major prerequisite questlines that lead directly into this one's story. The Angels of the?? Zariman is required because Cavelero is an NPC located on the Zariman itself, which mea?ns you cannot purchase from him if this questline is not finished.

Unlocking The Steel Path is by far the most difficult portion of the unlocking process, as it requires you to complete all of the main mission nodes on every planet in the Solar System. The Steel Path mode significantly boosts the difficulty of a majority of Warframe's missions, requiring you to have extremely solid builds, well-built gear (Warframes and weapons), a?nd a degree of skill to handle the much more powerful enemies present.

Warframe - Incarnon Evolutions, explained

All Incarnon weapons have access to an Incarnon Form, which allows them to transform into a much more powerful version of themselves for a limited time. However, the power of Incarnon does not stop here, as all Incarnon weapons also have access to Evolutions to further boost thei??r power.

Incarnon Evolutions give Incarnon weapons permanent buffs in their base and Incarnon forms. Most Incarnon weapons have four or five Evolutions available to them, with the first one always being the ability to use the Incarnon Form they have. Further Evolutions require you to complete weapon-specific challenges that allow them to Evolve into their next state. Success with one of ??these challenges will allow your Incarnon weapon to evolve, letting you select between one to three perks to boost the weapon's power.

The Felerax Incarnon weapon, for example, requires you to complete a Solo Mission with an Incarnon weapon in every gear slot to reach its fifth and final Evolution. As the final Evolution, the reward is the ability to p?ick between three different perks that drama?tically boost the power of the Felerax.

The post All ne?w Incarnons in the Warframe: Koumei & the Five Fates appeared first on Destructoid.

Bulwark is one of Remnant 2's unique buffs that you have ?access to. If you're interested in making good use of Bulwark, here's what you ne??ed to know about it.

What is the Bulwark buff in Remnant 2?

As the name of this buff implies, Bulwark is a defensive buff that gives you a stacking, duration-based damage reduction, helping you stay alive even in the direst of situations. Its usefulness depends on how you wield it ??in your build, as it very much wants to be stacked up quickly to gain its full effectiveness. A single stack of Bulwark is not noticeable, but if ?you find ways of stacking up, you can turn into a literal tank while the buff is active.

How to gain Bulwark in Remnant 2

There are many, many sources of Bulwark, with the most obvious coming from accessory items like Whispering Marble, which gives you three stacks of ?it pe?rmanently just by equipping the item.

You can compound Bulwark effects by using other items that also grant the buff, such as the Fae Bruiser Ring, which giv??es you two stacks when you land a melee attack on an enemy.

The more sources of Bulwark you have, the more powerful it becomes. ?Some items also work exclusively off the fact that you have it active rather than just giving you the buff. For example, the Insulation Driver increases your damage by 15% and gives you the Haste buff while you have Bulwark.

Additionally, the other method of obtaining Bulwark is by playing the Challenger archetype. Its Prime Perk, Die Hard, grants you a stack as a passive effect while it is on cooldown. Naturally, this Archetype-based Bulwark works with all other item-based Bulwark stacks, so you can compound them together to make a build around it. Just keep in mind that Challenger needs to be set as your Prime Archetype to get the Bulwark stack from the class.

Is Bulwark worth using in Remnant 2?

I've completed Remnant 2 on the hardest difficulty without ever making use of Bulwark, as I used Shields instead to mitigate damage. That said, one of my coop partners used Bulwark exclusively throughout the entire game (and DLC), and played with the buff to make a powerful, functional, melee build. In conclusion, Bulwark is worth using only if you build around it.

Other items and abilities that give Damage Deduction will function well with Bulwark. Stacking Base Armor, Armor Bonus, and Damage Reduction through the new Fragment/Prism System will further benefit Bulwark. Just don't expect it ?to be effective if you're using the buff half-heartedly, as it requires seve??ral stacks to be even remotely effective.

The post What is Bulwark in Remnant 2? appeared first on Destructoid.

Boss Rush is a new Adventure game mode added with Remnant 2's The Dark Horizon DLC, and it comes with a set of rewards that will b??e ??quite useful to anyone looking for more loot. Here's everything you need to know about them.

All Boss Rush in Remnant 2

Boss Rush features numerous rewards for the successful completion of a run, ranging from unique stuff only found in this mode to items you never obtained during the main game. That's right: the rewards are totally random, and you'll tend to get ones you don't already own. There are many, many items to be found in Remnant 2, so don't be surprised if?? your friend potentally gets different rewards fr??om you, every run.

One last thing to note is that your rewards are directly tied to your progress. The further you go in a Boss Rush, the more you'll get at the end, with a total victory rewarding the most trinkets. Also, while I'm not certain about this, I've only obtained accessory rewards at the end of my Boss Rush runs, not weapons or armor sets, but it may be possible wi?th further playthroughs. You'll gain a slew of experience and minor materials while running Boss Rush, making it a great mode for general farming in Remnant 2. What you gain here will also depend on how far you progress.

What is Boss Rush in Remnant 2?

Despite the name, Boss Rush is a Rogue-like mode that has you facing off across all of Remnant 2's tilesets at random, with several bosses sprinkled in the middle of them. There are three versions of this mode, with each version escalating the challenge difficulty, the number of 'floors' ?you need to clear, and the number of?? bosses you need to face.

In the hardest variety of Boss Rush, you will have to face all of Remnant 2's bosses and win on the first try, or you'll need to begin anew if you fail. You will always face a ?boss at the end of each floor, ?and the one you get will be random, though the tileset you get before reaching the boss does influence which one you'll face (Fey Kingdom tileset can be any of the Fey bosses, like The Red Prince, for example).

The Rogue-like aspect of Boss Rush pla?ces nodes on your map that will allow you to choose various buffs to aid your progress if you interact with them. ?Some of these buffs can be stacked, allowing for profound builds that allow you to breeze through the mode at times. I personally favor stacking Damage Reduction to the sky using these nodes because no amount of damage will stop a random stray from a boss from one-shotting you. If that happens, your run is over.

The post Remnant 2 – Boss Rush Rewards appeared first on Destructoid.

Prisms are Remnant 2's new extended progression system added in the final DLC, The Final Horizon. Leveling it up properly can be quite a time-consuming chore, but there is a method you c??an use to do so at a more reasonable pace than normal.

Best way to Level your Prism in Remnant 2

After reaching the maximum level in both of your classes, the only thing left to upgrade is your Prism. Similar to your classes, Prisms gain a portion of your total experience, and once enough has been earned, you'll receive an in-game notification to level it up. At this point, you’ll be able to choose from three randomly selected stats to enhance your Prism. These stat boosts are permanent and dir?ectly apply to your character. Since Prisms can level up indefinitely, t??hey’ll eventually become your primary source of additional stats, surpassing the benefits of your standard build over time.

Now, leveling Prisms early on is a rather quick endeavor, but as you progress, they take more and more experience to increase. In normal Remnant 2, there are rarely more than a few enemies on screen at a time. Killing enemies in the normal game mode will eventually take too long to be worth your time. Enter the new Boss Rush mode.

Boss Rush functions much like a roguelike, where you're dropped into a random tileset and tasked with surviving waves of enemies while earning various buffs along the way. Each run ends with a boss fight you've encountered previously. Depending on the version of Boss Rush you're playing (there are three types), you'll face a minimum of three bosses before the run concludes. The experience you earn is based on your progress, but the real advantage lies elsewhere. Boss Rush spawns significantly more enemies than standard modes, making it the ideal place for quickly leveling up your Prisms through constant combat and consistent rewards.

Best stats for your Prism in Remnant 2

The best stats you should focus on should be the stats that align with your core build's primary attributes. An?? e??xplosive build wants Explosive Damage as one of its main Prism stats, for example.

Prism can only house five stats, and once all five slots are full, all Prism level-up upgrades can only be one of those five stats. This means that if you're unlucky with RNG, there is a chance you will not ??receive all the stats you want.

Thankfully, feeding your Prism Fragments with the stats you desire greatly tilts the randomness factor in your favor. Before leveling up your Prism even a single time, make sure to feed it the Fragment stats you want first. This reduces?? how much RNG you'll be forced to deal with.

How to get more Fragments for your Prism in Remnant 2

If you don't have Fragments with the stats you desire, there are two ways to get more. The easiest way is to head to Ward 13 and talk to Dwell, just West of the Checkpoint Stone.

Dwell sells a variety of items, including Prisms and Fragments, for all three stat types: Offensive (Red), Defensive (Blue), and Utility (Yellow). Buying one of these color-coded Fragments will give you a random Fragment with stats associated with its typing. All Fragments cost Relic Dust, w?hich is a very common currency found scattered around the game world.

The other way you can get Fragments is to find them whole. It is possible to loot entire Fragments from chests, enemies, and any other interactable container you find in Remnant 2.

The post How to level up your Prism in Remnant 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

If you're a fan of explosive builds in Remnant 2, then it's likely you'll want to ge?t your hands on the Detonator Mutator as quickly as possible. Fortunately, I am also quite keen on explosives and can tell out exac?tly how you can obtain this powerful piece of hardware.

Where to get Detonator in Remnant

Detonator is one of several brand new? Mutators introduced with The Dark Horizon DLC, and it packs quite a wallop. This?? Mutator significantly enhances explosive damage, making it a must-have for players who favor a high-risk, high-reward playstyle. However, acquiring it can be quite a challenge.

Finding it is tricky due to the vast, labyrinthine new area in N'erud, which is difficult to navigate because of its fractured pathways and hidden dangers. The foggy atmosphere ?and lurking enemies also make exploration potentially deadly, forcing you to stay on high alert. This combination of factors is the primary reason why the Detonator Mutator is so difficult to find.

To obtain the Detonator Mutator though, you’ll first need to reroll your Adventure Mode until you land on the starting area, Devoid Quietus. This zone is unique to the Dark Horizon DLC and serves as the critical launch point for your journey. Without this specific area, obtaining the Mutator is impossible, so rerolling until ?you have it selected is essential.

Next, head to the Devoid Quietus, and follow the path around to the left until you reach the edge of a cliff. The path is linear, so it should be easy to find. A cutscene should play the moment you reach the edge of the cliffside.

Watch or skip the cutscene, and you'll end up in the lower part of the area with a Checkpoint Stone nearby. You'll also obtain the Prototype Head if you're in the right place. You will not be? using this item in any way to get Detonator, however.

Follow the path in front of you around and to the right until you encounter an NPC in the area. Speak with him and exhaust all of his dialogue to unlock the Glider at the edge of the cliff, to ??his left. You will need this to reach the next f??ew locations.

Once the Glider is unlocked, take it across the ravine to the other side. From here, you will start enco??????????????????????????untering enemies, so deal with them as necessary before continuing.

When you're done fighting, follow the path to the left to another Glider, and float through the massive canyon in front of you. Unlike the ravine, this is a rather long path, but you'll know you're going the right way if you find a white wind funnel in front of you.

Float to this wind funnel and allow it to shoot you upward so you have more air time. From here, continue down the pa?th until you reach a second wind funnel, and do the same thing. Following the second funnel, land on the platform in front of it. You should see a second Checkpoint Stone if you're in the right place.

Activate the Checkpoint Stone and follow the linear path out until you reach a left and right split path. Follow the rightmost path. It should eventually open up into a huge area with a big spider-like alien roaming around.

Avoid it and continue to hug the rightmost part of the area until you reach the cliff?side where another G??lider is waiting for you.

Now, take the Glider and float downward underneath the platform you were on prior to taking it. It might take a little time for it to descend, but be patient. If you're having issues with this step, float out toward the open area first. Then, look for a hidden path underneath you, layered with stalactites. Float toward them as soon as you see them.

Once you've entered this hidden area, you will encounter a third wind funnel which you will need to use to maintain air time. Float into it and allow it to shoot you upward. Then, immediately to your left, float toward the fourth wind funnel and let it shoot ?you upward as well. If you're struggling to gain air, cycle bac??k around into these funnels a few times until you've gained some attitude.

When you let the fourth wind funnel launch you, you should immediately see a land mass to land on, along with a large red spider-like alien roaming about. This is the Astral Harvester boss encoun??ter. Kill this monstrosity, and Detonator will drop fro??m its corpse.

What does the Detonator Mutator do?

The main benefit of the Detonator Mutator is that it ??increases the Explosive Damage of the weapon it is equipped on by 20% at level?? 10. This is an incredible damage boost on any weapons that naturally deal damage with explosions, like the Meridian.

However, every time you fire off 10% of the equipped weapon's maximum magazine, a small explosion will also occur on the target, dealing minor Explosive Damage. This is not very impactful on its own, but when combined with other equipment that benefits from explosions, this effec?t is more potent than it may seem.

For example, if you equip the Detonation Trigger neckpiece, all explosions you cause will apply the Burning status and deal Fire DoT (Damage over Time). Naturally, the miniature explosions caused by Detonator also count, effectively allowing you to apply the Burning status with any weapon that has the Mutator equipped.

Also, since Detonator requires you to use 10% of the equipped weapon's magazine to activate, weapons with more than 10% of their magazine fired with every squeeze of the trigger will activate Detonator's effect. For example, when equipping this Mutator on a Bow (magaz??ine size of one), ?every single arrow will cause an explosion, and with Detonation Trigger equipped, also ignite your target.

The post How to get Detonator in Remnant 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Stagnant Manufactory is one of several potential side areas you can visit in Remnant 2's The Dark Horizon DLC,??? and in it, you may encounter a locked door with no obvious way of opening it.

If you're struggling to open this special door, then you're in luck because I got the information you need to ?do just t??hat.

How to open the door in Stagnant Manufactory - Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon

When you first approach the large steel door in Stagnant Manufactory, it is likely you will also encounter four patrolling mechs just outside of it. As with most enemies in Remnant 2, destroying them is a completely viable option?? to remove them from your sight?, but doing so is problematic to opening this specific door.

When you first find this door, it is already open (or should be if you press the control button above the room), but you need to have noticed this to realize what is actually happening. The open door is your reward for solving the not-so-obvious puzzle just outside of it, which is reaching the door without being spotted by the mechs.

By engaging the mechs or even being spotted by them, the door will hasten shut, and you'll need to reload the area to attempt it again. Stealth is the name of the ga??me here, and unless you decide to embrace the playstyle, you won't be reaching the door while it's op??en. Thankfully, I've got a few tips to help you out.

Use Hunter's Focus

The area surrounding the door is engulfed in a thick fog, making spotting the patrolling mechs quite difficult. Hunter's Focus is an extremely helpful ability that will allow you to see the mechs through walls and the f??og while the ability remains active. If you can, reallocate your points toward Skill Duration so that it remains active for longer. While active, plan your routes carefully by watching the routes the mechs take. There are four total, and none of them will devi??ate from their patrol designations.

Avoid the Hidey Hole

There is a hole you can hide in once you get into the room that may seem like a great place to gather your barrings while scoping out where the mechs are. However, I recommend avoiding taking refuge ther?e because while it does offer you solace, it will not be all that useful for getting past the overlapping routes the mechs take. You'll find yourself 'stuck' waiting for the briefest of moments to make a move, only to be discovered in the final hour.

Watch out for Red Lights

With the low visibility in the room, it will be difficult to see the mechs patrolling there while Hunter's Focus is inactive. This is why I recommend you stop looking for the mechs in this scenario and look for their red searchlights instead. These red lights beam bright th?rough the obscuring fog, and will immediately alert you when a mech is close while informing you of which way they are? looking.

Have an Ally provide Overwatch

The control center for the door is right above it, just before you enter the elevator to go down into the room. There is a large window there that another player can look through and use to provide helpful i??ntel on where the mechs are moving. Playing with a friend makes? solving this stealth puzzle much easier for this reason. Be aware, however, that there are blind spots that the overwatching player cannot see from the control center.

What do you get for opening the Stagnant Manufactory Door in Remnant 2?

Should you manage to bypass the mechs and reach the door without being spotted, you'll be rewarded with the Bypass Primer, a brand-new ring introduced in The Dark Horizon DLC.

It allows you to automatically reload your weapon when you successfully activate a Perfect Dodge, perfect for gun-focused builds that are always in the midst of the action. If you're not yet aware, a Perfect Dodge is a dodge that successfully avoids an attack rather than just repositioning you. Rolling 'through' an attack with a dodge's iframes (invul?nerability frames) is considered a Perfect Dodge and will activate the reload effect of this ring.

The post How to open the Stagnant Manufactory Door in ??Remnant 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Mastering the insane mobility available to you in Mecha BREAK is imperative if you want to be competitive. One ??of the ??most powerful, yet obscured, mobility options you have is Fast Landing, and I'll explain here how you too can use it.

How to use Fast Landing in Mecha BREAK

Fast Landing is a mechanic that allows you to plunge downward to the ground from any verticle position. All mecha in Mecha BREAK can perform it, but thanks to it not being highlighted in the game's tutorial, it's easy to miss such a powerful tool. So, to do a Fast Landing, simply hit ALT by default. Doing so while airbo??rne in any cap??acity will see you perform a Fast Landing.

The biggest reason why you'd want to use a Fast Landing is for hasty repositioning. There's nothing worse than being caught airborne while a Narukami is scoping you out. You're the ver??y definition of a sit-and-duck in such a scenario, but with Fast Landing, you can easily escape it.

In a similar scope, Fast Landing is also extremely good at breaking enemy lock-ons and general targeting because of just how fast you can reach the dirt from any verticle position. The landing is so quick that it was incredibly di??fficult for me to e??ven get a screenshot of it in action.

Now, imagine you??'re trying to aim at someone who decided to use a Fast Landing behind a skyscraper on Gracelynn Skycity. Let's just say that nothing you can do will catch them in the act. You're losing that lock, which is precisely why Fast Landing is so strong?. I've found it especially powerful for Falcon and Skyraider because of their natural ability to transform and reposition thanks to their jet transformations.

If you want to stay competitive in Mecha BREAK, mastering Fast Landing is a must. Its blinding speed and exception??al positioning power make it a game-changer. You'll be amazed at? the intense engagements you can survive just by utilizing this skill effectively.

The post How to perform a Fast Landing in Mecha BREAK appeared first on Destructoid.

The mecha you pilot in Mecha BREAK are all quite powerful out of the box, but you can use Mods to custom-tailor them to your liking. The best Mods you can use?? are called Top-Tier mods, and gett??ing your hands on them can be rather difficult if you don't already know how.

Where to get Top-tier Mods in Mecha BREAK

There are two different sources where you can obtain Top-tier Mods. Both methods yield random stats on your Mods but they are Top-tier nonetheless. You'll know you've gotten your hands on one if the Mod has a yellow background.

Opening Seasonal Crates

Your initial source of Top-tier Mods will be from opening the Seasonal Crates, which you automatically obtain just by playing the game. You'll receive these crates automatically, but you still need to manually open them by yourself. To do this, navigate over to your Inventory from the hanger screen, and click on it there. There's a good chance you already have a bunch piled?? up, and there's no harm in opening them?? in batches.

Every time you open a crate, you have a chance to receive a Top-tier Mod. In my experience, you have a much better chance of getting a Top-tier mod from a Supply Crate Type II, though the chance is still pretty low. It is highly unlikely (if not impossible) that you'll get a Top-tier M??od from a Supply? Crate Type I.

Craft through Mod Assembly

The other, more guaranteed, method of getting your hands on a Top-tier Mod is by crafting it yourself in the Mod Assembly. You get to Mod Assembly by entering it through the Hanger, pressing the 'Mod' button at the top of the screen, and then Mod Part Assembly at the bottom.

Crafting a Top-Tier Mod requires the use of 10 Advanced Mods, making the process quite costly, especially considering the final stats remain randomized. Advanced Mods are distinguished by their purple background, so you can easily identify them whi??le hunting for the necessary components. Gathering all the required Mods will demand a significant amount of grinding, but there is no immediate competitive pressure to rush the process. Why?

Keep in mind that while top-tier Mods may offer the highest stats, they also come with the most severe drawbacks. This is a critical factor to consider when designing any build, as these negative effects can significantly impact your performance. Balancing the benefits and drawbacks of these pow??erful Mods requires careful consideration. Ensuring that your build can handle the negative aspects while still capitalizing on the positive ones is key to maximizing your effectiveness on the battlefield.

The post How to get Top-tier Mods in Mecha BREAK appeared first on Destructoid.

Your main weapon is usually the one that does the talking in Warframe, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a strong secondary on hand just in case things break down fur?ther. Rarely are there second chances, but the moment one rears its head, you want t?o have the top-of-the-line secondary ready to speak up, just in case.

Strongest Secondary Weapons in Warframe

Sometimes speaking from the hip is the best way to get your point across, and in Warframe, the best secondaries excel in all forms of content, including the h?arrowing Steel Path. These guns all pack a serious punch and ensure that no one else will be getting a word in, should you have to pull one of them out.

Grimoire

The Grimoire is like a mystical Swiss Army knife, packed with dark energies thanks to its ability to use unique Tome mods to buff allies. As a weapon, it deals pure Electricity damag?e, which is one of the best elements to combine with for the sake of versatility. Its alt-fire shoots a slow-traveling voltaic orb that delivers powerful shocks to all foes that dare go near it. Think of it as your ??own personnel storm in a book, zapping enemies into submission while giving buffs to your allies all at the same time.

Laetum

The Laetum is an absolute beast of a pistol, known for its insane fire rate and Crit potential. This Incarnon weapon starts strong, but it gets even wilder—nail enough headshots in its base form, and it morphs into a fully automatic rifle with a fast rate of fire. Its pinpoint accuracy and enemy-shredding capabilities make it a beloved favorite among players. Because the Laetum is an Incarnon weapon, you?? can slap on uni?que perks that turbocharge its already ridiculous performance. The Laetum’s reliable, adaptable performance ensures it’s always the life of the party in any Tenno’s arsenal, ready to wreak havoc at a moment’s notice.

Hystrix Prime

The Hystrix Prime is a total powerhouse in terms of damage, and it's easy to see why! Its secret weapon? The ability to swap between four ammo types: Heat, Electricity, Toxin, and Cold. With this feature, you can tailor its firepower to any situation using m?ods while also guaranteeing status procs for the element you choose. This insane versatility means you’re always ready for whatever the battlefield throws at you. Whether you need to melt through a??rmor or freeze foes in their tracks, the Hystrix Prime has got you covered.

Kuva Nukor

The Kuva Nukor is a radiant powerhouse, and here’s why: it’s like carrying a mini sun on your belt. It excels at spreading chaos by dealing radiation damage, which makes enemies t?urn on each other in confusion. Each shot from the Kuva Nukor can chain this disorienting effect to multiple targets, creating a dazzling display of chaos and destruction. Due to its Kuva label, the Kuva Nukor always comes with an additional elemental bonus attached. With the right mods, you can make this weapon a true beacon of mayhem, causing enemies to fry themselves in a radiant frenzy. It’s like having a weaponized light show that turns foes into a sea of fireworks.

Pyrana Prime

The Pyrana Prime is a powerhouse that packs a serious punch all thanks to its fierce combination of features. This weapon shines with its rapid-fire rate and high Crit chance as a hand-he??ld shotgun, allowing it to deliver a storm of pellets downrange in no time. Its real strength lies in its ability to unleash a torrential spray of projectiles, making it perfect for close-quarters combat and overwhelming enemies with sheer volume. It's the perfect response to foes who want to get up close and personal.

Lex Prime

The Lex Prime is a formidable weapon thanks to its sheer power and precision. While is undoubtedly the most basic of the secondaries on this list, this pistol packs a punch with its high base damage and excellent Crit hit chance, making each shot a potential game-changer. It’s known for its impressive single-shot damage output, which allows it to deal with high-priority targets efficiently. In Warframe, raw power enough to deal with most threats, and Lex Prim????e combines it with pinpoint accuracy and high Crit potential, making it a top choice for taking down even the toughest enemies with precision and force.

Kuva Brakk

As a shotgun, the Kuva Brakk is exceptionally strong ?due to its high base damage, significant Crit Hit Chanc?e, Status Chance, and projectile spread, allowing it to hit multiple enemies all at once. Its effectiveness is further amplified by the influence of its Kuva label, providing an additional elemental damage bonus on top of its raw base damage. It serves as an excellent choice as a Secondary solely because of its raw power, which works as a strong alternative to the Pyrana Prime for those looking for a more traditional shotgun experience.

The post Best Secondary Weapons in Warframe appeared first on Destructoid.

There are so many primary weapons in Warframe that it can be difficult to pick and choose which ones you should build up and use. As someone who's been playing Warframe since its closed beta, allow me to provide you with a humble list?? of the best primaries yo??u need to fill out your armory.

Strongest Primary Weapons in Warframe

Every weapon on this list is a juggernaut when it comes to raw destructive power and versatility amongst the Steel Path. These are weapons designed to devastate all those hostile toward the Tenno, and they have little drawbacks in that crusade. They are not listed in any sort of order because, like everything else in Warframe, there are always nuanced situations where one might outperform?? another. However, know that no matter which one you pick, you cannot go wrong.

Felarx

Starting out strong, we have the Felarx, a unique Incarnon weapon with the ability to change from a powerful shotgun to a pair of headhunting pistols on command. Unlike most weapons in Warframe, the Felarx allows you to customize it using several perks that dramatically change its overall ?functionality, making it powerful in multiple different scenarios entirely depending on your preference.

Nataruk

The Nataruk is the most powerful, destructive Bow in all of Warframe, and it's an entirely free weapon you can earn just by playing through the story. Like all bows, Nataruk has access to charged shots, and these shots deal incredible damage alone. However, unique to it, releasing the charged shot of Nataruk at the right time rewards you with scaling burst damage that is practically unrivaled anywhere else. If that wasn't enough Nataruk has very high base damage, making its non-charged rounds even deal impressive damage, and has infinite ammo to boot.

Kuva Bramma

Just because Nataruk is the top of the line, doesn't make it the only Bow to hit this list. Enter the Kuva Bramma, a Kuva Grineer-themed tech bow that launches literally explosive rockets at high speeds. These rocket arrows are of the Blast variety, enabling you to incorporate various elemental effects. This is particularly advantageous due to the acquisition method, which? provides an additional elemental damage bonus based on the frame you used to acq??uire it.

The Kuva Bramma has the highest base damage of all bows, making it techni?cally the bow with the biggest numbers attached on paper. The only real negative to using this Bow is i?ts incredibly poor ammo economy, which is a major problem in longer missions without the aid of ammo packs or Protea's Dispensary ability.

Cedo

There are many Shotguns available for you to use in Warframe, but among the most powerful is the fully automatic Cedo. This shotgun comes with the unique ability to fire an explosive glaive using its secondary fire. This glaive has one of the highest Status Chance percentages out of all weapons, and this is for a good reason. The Cedo does a walloping 60% more damage per unique Status Effect on an enemy. This makes the Cedo deal an unruly amount of damage provided you can inflict several statuses at a time. This is important because the Cedo has low Base damage to compensate for its insane ramp??-up potential.

Tenat Arca Plasmor

There's not too much to say about this highly-popular weapon. Though classified as a shotgun, the Tenat Arca Plasmor operates more like an energy cannon, unleashing devastating blasts at close r??ange. Thanks to how it is acquired, similar to the Kuva Bramma, it will always come with one additional elemental damage bonus based on the frame used to obtain it, outside of its innate Radiation damage.

Ignis Wraith

The Ignis Wraith might be a veteran of Warframe’s arsenal, but don’t let its age fool you—this flamethrower still burns bright with sheer destructive power. With its innate Heat damage, it unleashes a torrent of flames in a wide Area of Effect (AoE), scorching anything caught in its path. Its continuous fire comes with a hefty Status Chance, making it a blazing hot choice for melting through enemy ranks. Heat’s versatility lets you pair it with other elements, turning this weapon into a formidable tool for inc?inerating various foes. Plus, with its straightforward use, the Ignis Wraith has earned its place as a beloved favorite among players of all stripes.

Trumna

The Trumna is what happens when you combine a high-capacity machine gun that fires explosive rounds with a bouncing, high-explosive grenade launcher. This crazy combination results in a death machine capable of tearing through hoards of all types of enemi??es with incredible ease. The only true negative is that it requires an expensive, time-hu??ngry grind, as it requires you to farm Standing with the Entrati Family located on Deimos.

Kuva Chakkhurr

This quirky flintlock rifle packs a punch with explosive rounds that create a massive area of effect (AoE). Lighting up an entire room with a single shot is just another day at the office for this gun. Despite its semi-auto rifle mechanics, many consider it more of a launcher. The real cherry on top? Headshots with the Kuva Chakkhurr deal an extra 50% damage, an?? insane modifier that turns its already monstrous base da??mage into pure overkill. It’s a literal blast in every sense of the word.

Soma Prime

One of the oldest weapons to make this list, the Soma Prime is a high-capacity mach?ine gun with a spooling time that increases as it fires. Its very high Crit Chance and Crit Multiplier allow it to easily dish out extreme amounts of damage at a rapid pace. More so, it has Incarnon form like the ??Felarx, which is why it belongs on this list.

Kuva Zarr

If you've ever dreamed of unleashing cannonball mayhem in Warframe, the Kuva Zarr is your ticket to pure explosive delight. With its formidable extra elemental bonus like other Kuva armaments, this beastly weapon is all about delivering bone-rattling devastation. The Kuva Zarr boasts two firing modes: on??e that sprays a ferocious shotgun blast, and another that launches a mighty cannonball. Whichever mode you choose (and let's be real, you'll probably end up loving both), the Kuva Zarr guarantees a booming good time. Prepare to be blown away, quite literally, by this powerhouse of a weapon.

The post Best Primary Weapons in Warframe appeared first on Destructoid.

The First Descendant is ??a hardcore co-op experience, even though you can pla??y all the content on your own, and all fights can be fought with strangers and friends alike.

The presence of crossplay allows you to play with your friends without any worry about the platforms being used. Nexon has released their latest title on PC and both generations of Xbox and PlayStation consoles. While crossplay removes several barriers allowing you to play w?ith your friends, there are some additional steps that you have to take.

How to add friends in The First Descendant

Before you can play with your friends, you have to add them to the game. This walkthrough uses controls from the PC default settings, but similar actions a?re also available on consoles (so don't w?orry if you're playing on a PS5 or an Xbox Series X).

• Start the game and load your selected Descendant.
• Once you're at Albion, press the M button to open the social tab.
• This tab shows all the players who are situated locally at Albion besides your character.
• On the right side, you'll see a text box where you can enter a player's ID.
• Input your friend's ID and search for them. Once their profile is shown, you'll have the option to add them as a friend.
• Send them the request and wait for them to accept it. Alternatively, they can follow the same steps and send you the request.

How to invite your friend in The First Descendant

All your in-game friends will show up in the middle? column of the social tab. You can have a maximum of 50 in-game friends as of writing (this limit might be increased in the future).

• Click on a friend you want to invite to your party.
• Click on Party Invitation.
• They will be added to your party once they accept the invite.

You can now jump into different missions with your friend and enjoy all the progression together. As mentioned earlier, there's full crossplay support acr?oss all available devices, making it extremely easy to matchmake with friends.

The post How to pl??ay with you?r friends in The First Descendant appeared first on Destructoid.

Helldivers 2 is a somewhat unexpected success, currently sitting at the top of the PSN charts and taking over?? the hearts and minds of gaming everywhere.

Unfortunately, it may be taking over too many hearts and minds, as developer Arrowhead Game Studios has found out with a slew of crashes and server instability issues. It's a good problem to have, b?ut a problem nonetheless, which is why the devs have taken a drastic step to fix the problem.

Helldivers 2 caps player count at 450k

Announced in the official Helldivers 2 Discord and reported on Twitter by Wario64, Helldivers 2 concurrent player counts have been capp??ed at 450,000.

It's a drastic step for a game that relies on multiplayer and may only further compound issues that have been frustrating players. Server failure errors and long log-in queues have been the name of the game for Helldivers to date. The game is actually just winding down a bonus XP weekend annou???nced held to compensate players who had been impacted by previous server instability.

Addressing these stability issues has been the top priority for Arrowhead, who rolled out a patch as recently as February 14 to attempt to further optimize matchmaking.

While the cap may not be the best news for players, they can find some solace i??n that Arrowhead regards it as a temporary issue, and are working to raise the cap further to allow for more players and better stability.

Helldivers 2 is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC.

The post Helldivers 2 ha??s limited player counts ??to stop server crashes appeared first on Destructoid.

The First Descendant feels like a callback to the Xbox 360 and PS3 era. There are hordes of enemies to defeat with your friends as you level up your character and guns. You're eliminating many surrounding enemies and protecting points of interest. For some folks, that might sound great! As for me, I went back to my bed and fell asleep (literally) after playing an hour or two of The First Descendant. I'm over it. But...there's an intriguing [good] Genshin-like aspect that might draw me in.

[caption id="attachment_403320" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The First Descendant is derivative of past games and lacks personality

Shooting foes in the face and getting loot from them is nothing new, and unfortunately, The First Descendant doesn't do a great job of bringing something new to the table. There are some cool abilities like casting ice spells and being able to whip yourself up to a higher platform, but other than that, I truly felt bored with the concept of this game. You're defeating waves of hordes that act as bullet sponges and require little strategy to remove. There's one enemy that has a shield, and you need ice to freeze them in place so they're open. Other than that, there's nothing exceptional in terms of its game design from the two or three hours I've played of The First Descendant. 

The guns you collect also don't feel unique. In the modern shooter landscape (take Borderlands for example), guns often feel different from one another. The First Descendant lacks any personality when it comes to its weapons at this early point in the game. I've felt like I've played this game 10 times already in titles like Destiny, Outriders, and other shooters of this type. However, if you're missing a game like this, I could see you dropping i?n with your friends over crosspl??ay for something nostalgic.

The weapons are lacking

Later on in The First Descendant, you can build special weapons like the Thunder Cage and The Last Dagger, but with so many materials needed for both of them, it may take you a while to acquire these in your arsenal. I was able to check them out in this preview build as a level 40 character and to be honest, they are a little underwhelming. I'd be a??nnoyed if I spent so much time trying to get these weapons and then getting disa?ppointed.

Something that adds something new to the formula, however, is the module system. You can add upgrades to your guns and your character like increased defense or better weakpoint damage against foes. Hopefully, Nexon gets creative with these modules as the game progresses like Nier Automata's Plug-In Chip system.

[caption id="attachment_403323" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A third-person shooter that's like Genshin?

As you play through the game, you can unlock new characters to play as. Each descendant has their own abilities to o??ffer to th??e table. Valby, for example, can hover around the battlefield with her water skills and can entrap enemies into bubbles. Meanwhile, Bunny zips around at lightning speed and can fire a streaming laser of electric chaos. The first few descendants available to players seem to be fairly dull to play as, unfortunately. The unlockable descendants you play as seem to make up for the lack of creativity within the weapons.

I liked the personalities of Valby and Bunny, similar to Genshin Impact's Venti and Kazuha. This whole aspect of the game has potential??.

Even though the guns aren't that impressive, the actual feel of the gameplay is stellar, and it runs smooth like butter in Unreal Engine 5. The environments and characters look clean, and shooting down waves of enemies does look fantastic on screen. Aiming down sights is agile, and I felt like I was in control at all times. The art design is a bit too basic for my liking and perhaps should have gone in a more daring direction like another Unreal Engine 5-powered game Immortals of Aveum, which had levels at a grander scale. Fighting on a moving mech was so awesome, and you don't get that thrill in this shooter The First Descendant, at least in this preview build so far.

I wanted to skip the cutscenes

While I dug a lot of the character work, ?the lore is so dreadfully dull. The explanation of what's happening in this world in the first 20 minutes of this game is excruciating, and there are a lot of wooden performances that should have been re-recorded. I truly just didn't care about the story in any inkling and wanted to skip the cutscenes so badly.

In addition, the audio was hard to listen to. The gunfire is extremely loud and off-balanced, causing me to miss some of?? the dialogue. I've set the audio effect??s to 3 while every other audio setting is at 5 or 6, and it's still too abrasive for my ears.  I'll need to lower it even further.

[caption id="attachment_403332" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The First Descendant needs work

As The First Descendant hasn't been fully released yet, I hope there's still time to tweak the game. More intriguing loot would be a stel??lar additi??on, and the performances during cutscenes can be vastly improved. Most importantly, the gunplay could certainly be more creative as well if Nexon wants players to be invested in getting the best loot in the game.

On the other hand, there's a solid foundation. The visuals look tremendous with a smooth frame rate, and shooting at enemies, however basic they are, feels satisfying. Each of the unlockable characters also provides new abilities to tinker with. I'll check this game's official release to see if it lives up to its potential. The First Descendant will be released as a free-to-play game on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC wi?th cross-play functionality.

[This writer was provided with a PC preview code by the publisher]

The post Hands-o??n: The First Descendant feels like a flashback, and not in a g??ood way appeared first on Destructoid.

Remnant 2 has been a trending game since its release on July 25. Recently, Game director David Adams hosted an AMA on the Remnant subreddit. It was a generally positive AMA, with many fans expressing their love for Gunfire Games' latest title. Adams discussed the future of Remnant 2, revealing that the studio has plans for DLC and updates to the game?'s quality of life.

[caption id="attachment_387141" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Gunfire Games[/caption]

More content is coming to Remnant 2

In the AMA, Adams spoke about both the past and future of Remnant 2. Giving a bit of insight into the development process of the game, Adams revealed that a team of roughly 90 people worked on it. Emphasis was placed greatly on the design process, with only about 8 people working as programmers. As for the game's future, Adams claimed that developers have general plans to “tighten up the current game and try to build on it over time�as well as a “lot of plans and schemes for the ?franchise.�Fortunately, he did go into detail regarding what you can expect.

Adams mentioned Remnant 2 DLC a f?ew times in the AMA. He revealed that work on the first DLC started immediately after the main game was completed, and he promised that developers aren’t planning to “phone it in.�There are currently three DLCs planned, and like the main game, they’ll have plenty of puzzles and secrets. At least in Adams' opinion, the first DLC is "already looking pretty cool."

It? was confirmed that DLC will bring more armor, allowing players to be a bit more fashionable when they’re out exploring. It was also revealed that there are new archetypes on the way, though Adams predictably did not specify precisely what's in store. Quality of life impr??ovements are in development, and Adams did list some of them, including adding loadouts, improving latency in co-op, including the option to hold a button to sprint, and tweaking the trait system.

Some Reddit users asked about crossplay, as this would allow players on different consoles to play together. According to Adams, crossplay is something that developers are looking into, though they are encountering “issues with the different platforms and what they require in order to allow crossplay.�/p>

It should please fans to know that Remnant 2 has been a hit, and it has already sold over a million copies. This puts Gunfire Games in a good position, and the studio? has the chance to impress fans a?gain with the upcoming DLC and updates.

The post Gunfire Games discusses future of Rem?nant 2 in Reddit AMA appeared first on Destructoid.

Gunfire Games' Remnant 2 has been making waves since it launched on July 25. The tough co-op shooter wears its FromSoftware influence on its sleeve, which has resonated with fans and critics alike. The developers have revealed that Remnant 2 has alre?ady sold o?ver a million copies, exceeding the first game's launch sales by a considerable amount.

[caption id="attachment_394243" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Remnant 2 soars to the top of the charts

When Remnant: From the Ashes hit shelves in 2019, it took two months before it sold over a million copies. As Gunfire Games has announced, the sequel achieved this feat in just four days. Yoon Im of Gearbox Publishing stated that "Remnant 2 exceeded our expectations. As a commercial and critical hit, we’re incredibly proud of the Gunfire team?? and everyone here at Gearbox Publishing who brought this title to life."

There were early signs that Remnant 2 was gearing up for an explosive launch. Before its release, it had claimed the top spot on Steam's best-seller list, overtaking trending titles like Starfield and BattleBit Remastered. It currently sits in third place, surpassed only by Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Baldur's Gate 3. When it was finally released, it doubled the number of concurrent players its predec?essor had at launch.

The high sales numbers have been accompanied by plenty of critical acclaim, with our own Steven Mills scoring it an impressive 8.5. And with its numerous secrets, we'll like??ly talk about this one for some time stil??l.

Remnant 2 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and ??PC.

The post Remnant 2 clears one million copies sold appeared first on Destructoid.

Game and anime receive a brand refresh

At this weekend's AnimeJapan 2023 expo, publisher Bandai Namco announced a slight rebranding of its upcoming mech adventure, Synduality, which will now be titled Synduality: Echo of Ada. The third-person action RPG is currently?? in development for PC and Gen 9 consoles.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMgOznJOzOo&ab_channel=BandaiNamcoEntertain??ment

Originally announced during the fall 2022 State of Play presentation, Synduality: Echo of Ada, sees a young woman, existing in a polluted and dystopian future, who makes a living by gathering resources fr??om the inhospitable atmosphere of Amasia. Guiding an A.I. mech, (or "Cradle Coffin"), through the poisonous terrain, players must fight off not only predatory creatures, but also other human players, in a race to bring home the lion's share of precious "AO crystals".

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzwpalvyRas&;ab_chan??nel??=EMOTIONLabelChannel

A Synduality anime, exploring the lore of the world and its characters, is also in the works. This project has been newly rechristened Synduality: Noir and is expected to premiere in July of this year. A new trailer, which you can check out above, features new footage from the animated series. The video is soundtracked by the anime's theme song "Raytracer", as performed ??by artist Stereo Dive Foundation.

Synduality will launch?? on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X later in 2023.

The post Mech adventure Synduality is now Syn?duality: Echo of A??da appeared first on Destructoid.

And you get some cat ears into the bargain, too!

110 Industries' wild, cyberpunkian adventure Wanted: Dead has been let loose upon the world, exposing its utterly merciless challenge to PC and console players everywhere. As we noted in our review, it's a rock-solid title, w?ith precise melee action, s?pongey enemies, and brutally distanced checkpoints.

The brutal challenge of Wanted: Dead is a??ll part and parcel of the experience, wit?h the default difficulty of "Normal", an optional "Hard", and the reward of "Japanese Hard" once you complete the game for the first time. But if you and Lt. Hannah Stone are having too tough a time against the battalion of Trash Mobs thrown your way, then we're here to help, with a guide to unlocking a secret "Easy Mode".

How to unlock "Neko-Chan Mode"

If you want to make Zombie Unit's mission a little less suffocating, then get yourself to the Wanted: Dead title screen and simply tap Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Left, Right, and Right. You should hear an old-school chime, and the save icon will appear in the bottom right of the screen. And, when you next start a New Game, you'll have unlocked the "Neko-Chan Mode" option, which redu??ces the overall difficulty of the game's combat.

As a bonus, Hann?ah Stone will also don a cute pair of cat?? ears. And why not?

Wanted: Dead is available now on ??PlayStation, PC, and Xbox?? platforms.

The post How to unlock Easy Mode in Wanted: Dead appeared first on Destructoid.

St. Valentine's Day Massacre

The sequence comes aroun?d an hour into the story and lasts approximately 95 seconds. Lieutenant Hannah Stone, freshly showered from another terrible, violent day on the job, walks into the cafeteria of her headquarters for dinner. At the counter, she is handed fish soup, Bratwurst curry with potatoes, a blackcurrant jelly, and a steamin?g cup of coffee. Well earned.

Taking a seat at an empty table, Hannah stares at the bowl. Ato??p her soup is a severed fish head. It stares at her. Hannah looks it in the eye, which peers back into her soul. Hollow. Unblinking. Accusing. Hannah discards the soup to one side, where even a hungry cat decides not to partake in the free meal. Picking up her fork, Hannah stabs it into the bratwurst, or at least attempts to, as the cutlery fails to even pierce the sausage's skin. Moving to the potatoes yields similar results, with the tots merely pinging violently off of the plate.

The jelly? Well, it scoops cleanly enough. Too cleanly, in fact, as it remains steadfastly glued to Hannah's spoon, refusing to budge, and looking far blacker now than it did in the dish. All that is left to rescue this sad meal is the coffee. And so, in the deafening silence of the hollow cafeteria, Hannah picks up the cup... Is that a literal skull she spies in the steam of the drink?

Hann?ah's dinner is ruined. The meal has been a disaster.

The preceding sequence has no bearing on the plot, the characters, or the narrative themes of Wanted: Dead whatsoever. But, with that scene of culinary disappointment, the game captured ??my heart.

Wanted: Dead (PS5 [reviewed] PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
Developer: Soliel Ltd.
Publisher: 110 Industries
Released: February 14, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

Wanted: Dead is a brand new third-person slasher/shooter, developed by Japanese studio Soliel and published by Swiss outfit 110 Industries. Described by its publisher as "a love letter to the sixth generation of video game consoles", Wanted: Dead wears its Spirit of '01 boldly on its sleeve, aiming to deliver a warts-and-all recreation of the clunky action, convoluted storytelling, and brutal, borderline unfair challenge of the run 'n' gun titles of the early-'00s??.

The story, at least as much as can be discerned from an occasionally incomprehensible script, follows a week in the life of privatized Hong Kong Black Ops team "Zombie Unit" �a "Suicide Squad" of sorts, comprised of ex-war criminals tasked with taking on the dirtiest of deeds in Hong Kong's underworld. Led by Swiss agent Hannah Stone, the unit, despite the locale, does not feature a single Asian member, such is the way with almost the entirety of Wanted: Dead's cast, perhaps offer??????????????????????????ing the whiteist,?? most ridiculously Americanized version of the eastern world that fiction has seen in a long time.

This awkward anachronism forms the first of many mind-boggling aesthetic and thematic choices that infuse Wanted: Dead with its distinct identity. That is to say, Soliel's title openly embraces its own awfulness, while occasionally blowing minds with the arrival of a cool character, a satisfying spot of ultraviolence, ?or a top-tier bit of Carpenter-esque synth. All of the title's high points are juxtaposed with inane, repetitive ??enemies, a barely relevant gun customization system, relentlessly long stages, and exposition-free dialogue that would leave Roger Corman asking for "A bit more script padding, please".

To be frank, Wanted: Dead is a modern atrocity of game design. And I lo?ve it.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6aeZnsBZBc&ab_?channel=110Industr??ies

Set in an alternate cyberpunkian future, Asia has thrived in the A.I. market post-Cold War, lorded over by humanoid (think "Replicant") developer Dauer Synthetics. However, a violent smash-and-grab at the company's headquarters forces Dauer to declare bankruptcy, leading to corporate fallout and mass rebellion by the synthetic populace. Because they're apparently really good at being completely awful people, Zombie Unit is dispatched to investigate the mayhem, guided by police chief stereotype Cpt. Simmons and assisted by TV chef-turned-gunsmith Vivienne Niermantsverdriet, (portrayed by Stefanie Joosten of Metal Gear "Quiet" fame).

What follows is a series of incredulous shooting galleries as Stone and her squad massacre their way through crime scene after crime scene �Hannah's expert marksmanship and samurai-level swordplay turning the opposition into complete mush. Wanted: Dead is violent. Verhoeven violent. Hannah's enemies peel apart like wet tissue, pumped full 'o' lead then sliced and diced. This results in sloshy crimson fountains that leave everything?? and everyone in the vicinity looking like ??Carrie White's prom date.

There is an inherent "naughtiness" to Wanted: Dead's action, vulgarity, and narrative It knows that it's being crass, obnoxious, and shallow. And yet, even in our far evolved gaming world, there is something appealing about its simplistic coarseness. Wanted: Dead is real tough, with painful restart points, an awkward cover system, and sword fights that �while satisfying and dynamic �put Hannah in the morgue after just a few mistakes. At times, the game is almost comically difficult. It will set you up with a brutal mid-boss battle only to then not reward you with a checkpoint immediately after. A police station i??nvasion at the story's midpoint is merciless, and only the bloody-minded will see much further.

(Though a secret Easy mode is unlockable, Konami fans.)

Deadly Ammunition

I need to make one thing absolutely clear. The gameplay in Wanted: Dead is archaic by design. While the game is playable, enjoyable, and compelling, (I've already finished it on two difficulty settings), it is incredibly samey, long-winded, and seriously lacking in variance. You can never tell whether the title is aware of just how intentionally clumsy/old-school it is. Wanted: Dead chooses chaos every step of the way.

The abominable NPC banter, the bullet-sponge enemies, the "one appearance" mechanics, Shoot the Red Barrel for Explosion. Endless rows of unopenable doors. Characters repeating themselves in battle over and over again... "Grenaaaade!" "Reinforcements!" "Get that bitch!" "Grenaaaade!" "Reinforcements!" "Get that bitch!". One villain simply has Tom Cruise's likeness. Sure, why not?

Are they all in on the joke? They might well be... And if so, then we're the punchline, Jack.

Still, there is something so attractive about the simplicity of the whole affair, a flower of wanton indulgence grown from a plot of dirt. The characters are all universal dopes of dubious moral fiber, but they're still bizarrely warm and likable. Some of the dialogue has terrible "first take" cadence, (Tommy Wiseau/Barry Burton levels), yet becomes oddly e?ndearing. As for the score, it's legitimately cool, featuring a host of origi??nal songs (some performed by Joosten herself) along with a handful of '80s covers. If you wanna eat ramen to The Divinyls' "I Touch Myself", have I got the game for you.

It's this curious amalgamation of design that keeps Wanted: Dead's blood pumping. Whenever you begin to tire of the stringently old-school gameplay, one of Vivienne's cats will break the fourth wall, or you'll encounter a genuinely cool setpiece or boss character. Even the story cinemat??ics are packed with variance, bouncing between in-engine machinima, FMV, and traditional anime. Which all adds to the title's frenetic "lucky dip" approach to style, tone, and thematic choice.

When not dishing out police procedure at the point of a katana, Hannah and friends can relax with a selection of unlockable mini-games. These include rhythm-action escapades based upon speed-eating ramen, or chilling out with Vivienne for a Karaoke duet. Hannah can also build up a collection of character figurines via some surprisingly authentic crane games, which are just as frustrating to play as the real thing. In addition, a full seven-stage shmup, Space Runaway, can be found within the Zombie Unit H.Q. and is, in itself, a fun endeavor that recalls genre classics such as Gradius and R-Type.

In order to improve her battle abilities, Lt. Stone can visit the shooting range for score-attack action, or take on VR opponents in sword-based showdowns. Mastering Hannah's abilities is a key component to enjoying Wanted: Dead. A skill tree allows for the unlocking of new moves, better defense, and evasive actions, all of which?? are top priorities. Our girl is pretty underpowered from the off �which will potentially scare off impatient players �But the more you refine your headshots, frame-perfect parries, and gory finishers, the less frustrating your melee mayhem will be.

And, for everybody else, there are chainsaws.

Loose Canon

For all of its tongue-in-cheek "flaws by design", Wanted: Dead does have one major point of contention. Despite offering a cast of fun weirdos and a cool futureworld for its storytelling, the narrative actually goes nowhere. Multipl?e threads are cast and then instantly dropped, while exciting and intriguing characters �such as the cloaked assassin Kolchak, the sexy insurance agent Madam Wong, and the innocent synthetic, October �are introduced as main players only to simply vanish a scene or two later.

Fatally, just as the threads of the plot are coming together... the credits roll. And while Soliel should be praised for not letting the unvarying gameplay outstay its welcome, (approx. 11 hours dependent on skill), there is so much left on the table in terms of the central thread and individual character arcs. Having gone through the game twice, I'm still utterly disoriented in regard to the main conspiracy, the villains, their motives, and Zombie Unit's re?asoning. Hannah herself leaves the tale riddled with questions, while several characters are simply M.I.A. by the halfway mark.

Insert "Scenes Missing" placard.

Clearly, Wanted: Dead has been produced as Act One of a possible three-act play. So y'all better go buy it, as I, and the rest of the gaming world, need more of Vivienne and her 11?? cats in our lives.

//www.youtub??e.com/watch?v=YJQYNrGUWQA&ab_channel=110Industries

'Where's that fluffy bastard?'

Are you a video game fan who complains about mechanics such as free-to-play, always-online, gacha, games-as-a-service, forced multiplayer, empty open worlds, crafting, constant gear stat introspection, microtransactions, or the infamous "UbiBloat"? Well, guess what, they made a game that doesn't have any of those things. Not one. Admittedly, it doesn't have a lot of other things too: Ray tracing, a coherent s??toryline, co-op mode, varied gameplay/enemies, character shadows, or An Endi?ng.

There is also the subjective, but important, point of pricing. How much is too much to pay for a game of this caliber? And does its "Bargain Bin" theme suggest that it d??es??erves a matching price point? The answer is between you and your wallet. Read other reviews and weigh up the odds. Buyer beware, friend.

Wanted: Dead is the best worst game I've played in years, and is absolutely not for everybody. It's barely for anybody. It's antiquated in many ways, whether intentionally or otherwise, and it's also rock solid, throwing the player in the deep end and telling them to buckle up. Yet, in fascinating fashion, the PS2-era gameplay, wanton violence, narcotic atmosphere, and gratuitous scripting are just inexplicably appealing. I mean, we did all want a sequel to The Punisher, right?

You can question the necessity for such a title in 2023, but there's no questioning the passion and boldness with which it attacks the zeitgeist, leaving a beautiful mess in its wake. Other games whisper and tiptoe, terrified of not falling into the Exact Genre Parameters that constitute success in the AAA gaming space. By comparison, Wanted: Dead stumbles into the party uninvited �whiskey in hand, pants 'round its ankles, bellowing "99 Luftballoons". It takes the opportunity to flip the bird at a nearby Soulslike??, before telling a billion-dollar shooter to eat shit. Then it falls over a chair and vomits.

A hangover of abandoned game design, dressed up in unruly aesthetics and powered by cyberpunk Pat Benatar. The unforgiving gameplay and repetitious action will leave some utterly appalled, but the radiant cast of reprobates, silly mini-games, baffling dialogue, and shameless commitment to the bit results in one of the most bewildering, hypnotic releases in some time. Simply put: Wanted: Dead is a fucking train wreck, and yo??u better get your ticket punched.

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

The post Review: Wanted: Dead appeared first on Destructoid.

Collect resources and avoid other mechs

Synduality is a new sci-fi shooter from Bandai Namco Entertainment with crystals to collect and giant alien enemies to fight. But the most dangerous threat might not be them, but other?? players.

This new mech game debuted at yesterday's Sony State of Play, showing off its combat and style. The thrust of Synduality is that you're in a dystopian future where poison??ous rain and aggressive, mutated ??creatures have changed the world.

You and your AI partner need to build a home for humanity, and to do that, you need resources. As a Drifter, you make a living collecting AO crystals. (No, not that AO.) And so you set out in yo??ur mech, dubbed a C?radle Coffin, to find some and bring them back.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cd5PcLDh9I

Things are not so simple, though. The aggressive creatures, called Enders, will t?ry to stop players from collecting AO crystals. You'll need different kinds of weapons to fend them off, all of which are customizable to your Cradle Coffin. But then there are the ?other players.

It's a dangerous world for a mech

Synduality is ??a PvPvE game. So yes, while playing online, you may run into other characters trying to complete their own missions. And they might even try to stop you from completing yo??urs. While that's not really super-helpful for humanity, it does mean sick mech battles.

In a PlayStation blog about the game, producer Yosuke Futami says the team was interested in how humans and AI would interact in the future. To wit, alongside your mech, there's also the flying character you see zooming around, who is your AI companion Magus. Magus can give you directions, hints, and warnings. Bandai? Namco says there will also be unique dialogue and interactions with M??agus, depending on the situation.

Synduality seems like an interesting concept. I'd like to see more about what the customization and progression looks like. Right now, it reminds me of extraction-style shooters like Tarkov. That setup, with a heavy dash of mechs, could be neat. We'll hopefully see more, as Bandai Namco is targeting Synduality for sometime in 2023.

The post Synduality is a n??ew sci-fi shooter with mechs, AI, and dangerous foes appeared first on Destructoid.

The other bodysuited hack 'n' slash gal

During today's State of Play presentation, developer Shift Up released a new gameplay trailer for its previously teased hack 'n' slash adventure Project EVE, which has now been officially titled Stellar Blade. It?? will launch as a PS5 exclusive at some point in 2023.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayek3ZzWb1E

Previously shown off during a State of Play presentation one year ago, Stellar Blade follows a powerful mercenary, Eve, as she spearheads a mission to bring humanity back to Earth, following a violen??t expulsion at the claws of a monstrous force known as "NA:tives." It is up to Eve and her military friends to take back Earth from its occupiers.

Equipped with amazing acrobatic ability and cybernetic weaponry, Eve will slice 'n' dice her way through an army of enemies, while upgrading her weapons, skills, combat maneuvers, and high fashion with the expenditure of gathered XP, which in the Stellar Blade universe is known as "Beta Gauge." It looks suitably flashy and action-packed, with an opulent and special-effect-packed presentation style. One worth keeping an eye on for the Devil May Cry and Bayonetta crowd methinks.

Stellar Blade will launch exclusively on PS5 in 2023??. Next year is filling up fast.

The post ?Project EVE is now Stellar Blade, coming exclusively to PS5 in 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Mercenary Behavior

Forever Entertainment, probably surprising more than just a few fans, has released a gameplay trailer for the long-in-production remake of 2000 PlayStation cyberpunk adventure Fear Effect �According to the new trailer, not only is the forgotten r??elease still in the works, but it will also arrive "soo??ner than you think."

Fear Effect Reinvented, which was first announced way back in 2017, will tell the tale of ruthless mercenaries Hana Tsu-Vachel, Royce Glas, and Deke who are tasked with locating the kidnapped daughter of a prominent businessman. What starts out as a typically hazardous smash-and-grab for the trio of am?oral reprobates soon turns into a particularly otherworldly experience �involving cults, unspoken rituals, ancient prophecies, and a terrifying supernatural apocalypse.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkxIJuzBH1Y&t

Fear Effect, and its sequel Fear Effect: Double Helix, were considered conceptually interesting from a design standpoint but were rightly criticized for their horrendous controls, eye-searingly fuzzy visuals, and frustrating load times... And this is coming from a fan of the series. The franchise would return in 2018 in the form of frankly rubbish isometric shooter Fear Effect Sedna. The failure of this release led many to believe the plug would be pulled on Reinvented. This is, clearly, has not been the case.

This brief gameplay trailer sees anti-hero Hana engaging in some fairly by-the-numbers cover-based shooting, although the neon nightmare of Fear Effect's dystopian universe is certainly present and correct. It appears that developer MegaPixel Studio has decided to play it safe with the design methodology this time around, replacing the original's biza??rre mix of FMV backgrou?nds and 3D models with typical, over-the-shoulder, shooting gallery action.

Is that what the Fear Effect fanbase what? Is there a Fear Effect fanbase? Hell, at this point, does anybody know what Fear Effect, from a conceptual standpoint, actually is?

Fear Effect Reinvented is current?ly in development at MegaPixel Studio for undisclosed platforms.

The post Fear Effect Reinvented still in the works, gameplay t??railer release??d appeared first on Destructoid.

Close the tome

[Update: Since this news broke earlier today, Blizzard Entertainment has noted to news outlets that it is still in the stage of intent in regards to purchasing Proletariat. The transaction has not been officially settled. Regardless, the closure of Spellbreak is still scheduled to take place in early 2023.

"We are putting players at the forefront of everything we do, and we are working hard to both meet and exceed their expectations," said Blizzard CEO Mike Ybarra in a new statement. "A critical part of taking car??e of players is taking care of our teams—making sure we have the resources to produce experiences our communities will love while giving our teams space to explore even mor??e creative opportunities within their projects. Proletariat will be a perfect fit for supporting Blizzard’s mission in bringing high-quality content to our players more often."]

Original Article

Proletariat has announced that it is preparing to shut down its fantasy battle royale title Spellbreak. The online servers will close on both PC and consoles in early 2023 rendering the game unplayable from then on. As reported by VentureBeat, the studio has been acquired by Blizzard Entertainment, and will now work support duties on World of Warcraft.

"We are grateful to everyone in the game’s community for exploring the magical worlds and experiences we created together," wrote the development tea??m on the official website. "Spellbreak was an ambitious project that saw our team push new boundaries in design and development and we are excited to conti??nue to innovate as we create new titles in the future."

"To all Spellbreak fans around the world, thank you for the support and dedication that made the game ?and community so special."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6MRg-D3T-w

Arriving in Early Access in 2018, during a flood of battle royale releases, Spellbreak chose a high fantasy setting and a cast of cool-looking wizards, witches, warlocks, and other sorcerer supremes as they fought it out in the mythical "Hollow Lands." Spellbreak's mystical aesthetic was designed a?s a distinct alternative to the firearm-heavy, militaristic appr?oach taken by so many battle royale titles.

While Spellbreak was received positively by critics it has, like so many titles in the wash of genre examples, found itself unable to maintain a long-term, mainstream audience. Millions of players traveled through the Hollow Lands in the ensuing four years, but titles such as Epic Games' Fortnite, EA's Apex Legends, and Activision's Call of Duty Warzone still hold court a?s the dominant battle royale experiences.

Spellbreak will officially shut down on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in early 2023. Proletariat's first duties at Blizzard Entertainment will include working on the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Dragonflight. You can read an abridged timeline of the Activision Blizzard controversy right here.

The post (Update) Blizzard announces intent to purchase Proletaria??t, Spellbreak to shut down ?in 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Dis Fockin' Guy

A fascinating video has appeared online that appears to show alpha footage of a sequel to the 2006 action-adventure adaptation Scarface: The World is Yours. The sequel, Scarface: Empire, was in development at studio Radical Entertainment but was canceled on??ce the Canadian outfit was merged with Activision in 2008.

The new footage, acquired by YouTube channel Mafia Game Videos and spotted by the eagle eyes of VGC, shows the apparently unkillable Tony Montana running amok in the streets of Las Vegas, taking on an army of hoodlums while accompanied by a gang of masked associates. The carnage is scored by two licensed music tracks: Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas" and Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood," suggesting that Scarface: Empire would have had a licen??se??d soundtrack befitting its late-'80s setting.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgHo2XgbDmo

Following the run 'n' gun action, we also get to see a short clip of driving action, as Tony outruns the cops behind the wheel of his vehicle, (sadly not his insanely garish Cadillac). We are also shown a very basic build of the game's revival mechanic, perhaps suggesting that Scarface: Empire would have had a team-based multiplayer mode. Throughout all of the ?above footage, we hear the foul-mouthed spewin??g of Mr. Montana himself, once again voiced by a (pretty good) soundalike actor, André Sogliuzzo.

Scarface: The World is Yours sounded like a disaster on paper; a quick Grand Theft Auto cash-in that goes as far as to rewrite the ending of Brian DePalma's fascinatingly ugly 1983 movie. Surprisingly, however, the PS2, Xbox, and Nintendo Wii release was actually a perfectly fine third-perso??n shooter, clearly making enough of a sales impact to warrant the commissioning of this sequel. Of course, as we know, it would not come to pass, and today Radical Entertainment is essentially no more, ha??ving been absorbed into gaming's Unicron, Activision Blizzard.

Still, it's always intriguing to see videos of unfinished titles, adding small and often melancholy footnotes to the history of video gaming. For more crime sim content, be sure to visit Mafia Game Demos.

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Goo Moon

During today's Summer Game Fest 2022 live stream, developer Striking Distance Studios and publisher Krafton showed off a fully uncensored version of its interstellar terror trip, The Callisto Protocol. Accompanying the trailer was the first raw gameplay footage, which ?shines a pretty miserable, viscera-co?vered flashlight on the brutal space adventure.

//youtu.be/5oApNe6AwFo

The gameplay footage saw a protagonist picking their way through a terrifying space vessel, packed out, whackin' n' smackin' a bevy of disgusting, body-horror monstrosities. Clearly, fans of seeing the Dead in Space will not be disappointed when The Callisto Protocol final??ly launches, December 2, on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K5WqA3VcRo

The post The Callisto Protocol shows o??ff its gory night?mare gameplay appeared first on Destructoid.