A server maintenance for EA FC 24 has been announced today, August 21, which will affect all forms of online matchmaking.

A tweet from EA's official communications handle has announced the impending maintenance. It comes right before the end of the current Ultimate Team season. While the developers haven't announced a reason, it could be in preparation for the new season and upcoming content.

When does the EA FC 24 maintenance (August 21) begin?

Today's maintenance is set to begin at 8 a.m. UTC/1 a.m. PST/4 a.m. EST. It's the same schedule as the one followed during the last maintenance in June. All forms of online matchmaking, including Ultimate Team, will be disabled 30 minutes before the scheduled start.

Today's maintenance will also affect EA FC 24 servers across all platforms.

When does the EA FC 24 maintenance (August 21) end?

As per the announced schedule, today's maintenance will be an affair of six hours. Unless there's any delay, it will end at 2 p.m. UTC/7 a.m. PST/10 a.m. EST. There's always a chance for the maintenance to be extended without prior notice from the developers.

Which game modes will be affected?

Ultimate Team, for starters, will be completely unavailable. Any attempts at matchmaking will result in an error. The same applies to other online modes like FC Clubs. You could play games in offline modes like Career. In Career, you can lead your selected club to glory as a player or a manager.

That said, fans hope there won't be any delay and that matchmaking will return as per the official schedule.

The post EA FC 24 maintenance (August 21): When will the servers come back appeared first on Destructoid.

Sony's own action-adventure game Horizon: Forbidden West is strangely leaving the PlayStation Plus Extra lineup next month. What makes it even odder is that only Europeans will be affected by this move.

While North Americans miss out on playing the Destroy All Humans franchise through PlayStation Plus Extra in September, Europeans are losing multiple highlight games, including Marvel's Midnight Suns, Nier Replicant, and Horizon: Forbidden West. It was shown in the "Last Chance to Play" section of the service.

Another Horizon game was taken off PlayStation Plus Extra in May

It made sense when Horizon: Zero Dawn left PlayStation Plus back in May as there's a rumor a remaster is in the works. However, the already PS5-released Forbidden West being taken off PlayStation's own service seems to be a mistake to fans. It seems like the company is cutting its own foot, and it's a lovely foot at that. You wouldn't think Netflix would remove Stranger Things, for example.

As highlighted by GameSpot, the full list of PlayStation Plus Extra games leaving the service in Europe next month includes:

• Horizon Forbidden West
• Marvel's Midnight Suns
• Alien Isolation
• Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139...
• Spiritfarer
• Star Ocean: First Departure R
• Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
• Star Ocean: The Last Hope 4K & Full HD Remaster
• Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
• Star Ocean: The Divine Force

North Americans, however, will miss out on these games:

• NBA 2K24
• Need for Speed Unbound
• Destroy All Humans!
• Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed
• Spellforce: Reforged
• Trials of Mana
• Lost Judgment
• Moving Out 2
• Midnight Fight Express
• Sea of Stars

A sign to come?

Hopefully, the removal of Horizon Forbidden West isn't a sign to come for the service. It currently has other first-party titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, and Sackboy's Big Adventure. You'd hope that PlayStation adds to the service more than it takes away. Thankfully, a promising indie called The Plucky Squire is heading to PlayStation Plus Extra on day one.

The post Horizon: Forbidden West and more leave PlayStation Plus Extra next month appeared first on Destructoid.

Season 12 of Overwatch 2 is themed heavily around Egyptian gods, but Egyptian heroes like Ana and Pharah aren't getting the spotlight. This season's Mythic Skin, based on Anubis, is going to Reaper.

On the Overwatch subreddit, players were shocked by the decision to give Reaper a skin based off of Anubis over Ramattra, given Ramattra's early design concepts. In a 2017 video, Blizzard shared the concept that ultimately led to Ramattra; an Omnic, wearing Egyptian-styled garb.

Another Developer Update from Blizzard briefly goes over the team's decision to give Reaper the Anubis skin. Lead Concept Artist, Morten Skaalvik, mentions that a meeting was held to discuss who the Mythic Skin should go to. Skaalvik says that the meeting was concluded quickly as everyone had "instantly agreed it needed to be Reaper."

The reasoning behind this decision stems from Reaper being closely associated with death and Anubis being the Egyptian god of death. While the logic behind this decision is fair, players on Twitter/X agree that the skin should have gone to Ramattra.

For additional salt in the wounds, it's still unclear if Ramattra will receive any new skins in the upcoming season. The trailer for Season 12 reveals a variety of skins as part of the Battle Pass and skins that will be coming to the shop. Unfortunately, no new skins were shown off for the leader of Null Sector.

However, Ramattra isn't the only hero getting the short end of the stick. Despite this season's theme, Egyptian heroes Ana and Pharah only had one skin each revealed in the Season 12 trailer. The Pharah skin won't even be available in the Battle Pass, instead being obtained from the shop. Meanwhile, Mercy has received two additional skins set to appear in the shop.

Some players on the Overwatch subreddit have become fed up with the consistent stream of Mercy skins. Especially since this season is brimming with potential for Ana, Pharah, Ramattra, and Venture. Even though they don't have any ties to Egyptian mythology, Venture's job as an archaeologist could have led to some skins incorporating ancient Egyptian artifacts.

The post Overwatch 2 fans feel frustrated with Season 12’s skin choices appeared first on Destructoid.

Halo Infinite's sandbox lives and dies by its weapons. If the gunplay isn't solid and the weapons don't feel fun, then little else matters. It's something that the series has nailed over the years, and luckily, Infinite is no different.

In Halo Infinite, multiple old favorites return. You can find classic weapons like the Energy Sword and Gravity Hammer, helping the game feel familiar to long-time series fans. However, it also introduces several new weapons such as the Mangler and the Cindershot, which keep the sandbox fresh, even for Halo veterans.

Halo Infinite Weapons Tier List

Halo Infinite has 23 weapons in total across its campaign and multiplayer. This is more than enough to give you a ton of variety, because not all of the weapons will appear on every Halo Infinite map. Frankly, this is for the best. We couldn't cope with every player on the server having power weapons all at the same - that might be a little too chaotic.

When ranking Halo Infinite's weapons into a definitive Tier List, there are a few things to consider. First of all - fun. We're asking the question, "Do these weapons feel fun to use?" After all, it's Halo, a series known for its iconic armory of weapons, so the best of Infinite's offerings will likely be the ones that are the most fun to use.

It's important that we consider weapon efficiency, too. Sure, a weapon can feel fun, but it's hardly any use if you can't actually kill anyone with it. Pick up the weapons near the top of our Tier List to ensure you're at the top of the leaderboard in every multiplayer match.

S Tier

• BR75 (Battle Rifle)
• Energy Sword
• Gravity Hammer
• M41 SPNKR (Rocket Launcher)
• S7 Sniper Rifle
• VK78 Commando

A Tier

• M392 Bandit
• M50 Sidekick
• MA40 AR (Assault Rifle)
• Needler
• Sentinel Beam
• Shock Rifle
• Skewer

B Tier

• Cindershot
• CQS48 Bulldog
• Heatwave
• Hydra
• Plasma Pistol
• Ravager
• Stalker Rifle

C Tier

• Disruptor
• Mangler
• Pulse Carbine

The fact that so many of Halo Infinite's weapons are in the S and A tiers here is a compliment to 343 Industries' balancing. Overall, the studio did a solid job making sure the game's armory feels fun and powerful, yet rarely overpowered. This isn't to say that weapons in the B and C tiers can't be well-utilized by skilled players. Still, the average gamer will likely have a tougher time trying to dominate multiplayer lobbies while using them.

With Halo Infinite still receiving updates years after its launch, even more weapons may be added in the future. The M392 Bandit is the most recent addition to the game, arriving in early 2023.

The post Halo Infinite weapons Tier List: All weapons, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Taking on the massive bosses that you’ll come across on your journey through Black Myth: Wukong is no small task. You’re going to need to be strong and swift to beat them all, as well as have tough armor to keep yourself safe. 

To upgrade your armor though, one of the materials you’re going to need Silk. If you don’t know where to look, this can be an elusive material. Luckily, we’re here to show you how you can get Silk and how to use it. 

Where to find Silk in Black Myth: Wukong

The main way for you to get Silk is by defeating enemies. However, since Silk is a rare drop, you’re not likely to pick up a lot of it in the early game. When you reach Chapter Two, you’ll have much better luck. This is because the enemies drop rarer materials. 

You can also find Silk by opening chests and pots. Occasionally these will contain Silk when they’re opened, however this is not guaranteed at any location. Open up any of these chests or pots you come across since it’s worth picking up the materials inside.

There is a special location you can pick up Silk from in Chapter One, and that’s the merchant at the Keeper’s Shrine in the Secret Ancient Guanyin Temple — Grand Chamber. When you arrive at the Keeper’s Shrine, select the store and there will be two Silk available for you to purchase. 

How to farm Silk in Black Myth: Wukong

The best location for farming Silk is anywhere in Chapter Two. Enemies regularly drop Silk upon defeat during the second chapter. To farm it, simply continue killing any enemies you come across.

Killing as many enemies as you can in Chapter Two ensures that you have a solid supply of Silk for the later chapters, where you’ll need to upgrade your armor. 

How to use Silk to upgrade armor in Black Myth: Wukong

To upgrade your armor, you’ll need to have Yin Tiger unlocked in the Painted Realm. This area isn’t available until Chapter Three, and you’ll need to complete the right quests to get to him. 

To unlock the Painted Realm, find Xu Dog during Chapter Two near the Village Entrance of Sandgate Village. Talk to him and defeat the Lang-li-Guh-Baw boss for him. You’ll find him later in the story in the Cellar of the Crouching Tiger Temple.

The next NPC you need to find to unlock the Painted Realm is Chen Loong, which can be done after you defeat the boss Kang-Jin Star. You can find him under the turtle’s head on the beach. Defeat him and give him the special pill you can purchase from Xu Dog. 

You can now travel to the Painted Realm, where talking with Yin Tiger will upgrade your armor for you. Several armors require Silk for upgrades, where you can finally put your Silk to good use. Just like upgrading your Gourd, upgrading your armor will make you stronger and able to survive.

The post How to get Silk and upgrade your armor in Black Myth: Wukong appeared first on Destructoid.

To celebrate the recent release of the Unholy Alliance update, Devolved Digital is giving Cult of the Lamb players the chance to get their hands on in-game items through Twitch drops. There are three décor items to gain through watching others play, and a set available for subbing. 

All of the items up for grabs through this Twitch drop campaign will be officially released to players on all platforms further down the line, although there is currently no confirmation about when this will actually happen. 

For now, if you’re playing through Steam and want to get yourself any of the following decorative pieces for your Cult of the Lamb playthrough, there are a number of different rewards on offer and you have until September 20 to claim yours. 

In order to get any of the following drops, you’ll need to first link your Twitch account with the Devolver Digital codes site. To do this, just head to the website and click on the “Connect your Twitch Account” button at the top. 

How long do you need to watch to get Cult of the Lamb Twitch drops?

There are three items ready to be claimed by players who tune into any stream on Twitch with the “DropsEnabled” tag (you can find all of the currently live and eligible streams here). The items you stand to gain, and how long you need to watch to get each of them, are as follows:

• Goat Effigy (1 hour of watch time)
• Goat Statue (2 hours of watch time)
• Goat Plant (3 hours of watch time)

In total, you’ll only need to watch someone play for three hours in order to get all of the Twitch drop items. 

How to get the Cult of the Lamb Support a Streamer pack

The Support a Streamer pack isn’t gained through watch time and instead requires you to do one of the following:

• Subscribe to a Twitch streamer with the “DropsEnabled” tag active
• Gift a subscription to someone else in a stream with the “DropsEnabled” tag active

For doing this, you’ll get not one, but four items for your playthrough:

• Teddy Dog follower form
• Flower Bottle decor item
• Leafy Sculpture decor item
• Mushroom Candle decor item

The post How to get all Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance Twitch drops appeared first on Destructoid.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Firaxis Games studio in Sparks, Maryland, where I got to learn more about the studio behind the monumental turn-based strategy franchise as well as get a few hours of hands-on time with the upcoming Sid Meier's Civilization VII. It was great to see such a passionate team of developers pridefully showcase the next installment in the beloved franchise. As a Maryland native myself, I've always felt like Maryland game studios simply do things differently, and in a good way. And my roughly three hours of hands-on playtime with Civilization 7 only furthered that sentiment.

History Comes in Layers

Creative Director of the Civilization franchise, Ed Beach, has been at Firaxis Games for over a decade. He kicked off our hands-on preview by telling us about the vision for Civilization 7. Instead of just making "another Civilization" game, the team instead chose a new element of focus: History Comes in Layers. Beach described this vision as akin to what we see in historical locations throughout the world. As new empires laid claim to various settlements and cities throughout the world, they would often simply build over what used to be there, still leaving behind remnants and glimpses of the past while replacing it with new ideas and technologies.

To create that same element of building on the past—history in layers—Civilization 7 features an all-new three-stage Age system: The Age of Antiquity, the Age of Exploration, and The Modern Age. A full campaign in Civilization 7 will expand across these three ages, allowing the player to change their Civilization at the start of each new wave. Oh, and for the first time ever, players will be able to choose their Leader separately from their Civilization at the start of the game. That's right, you can lead an Egyptian empire as Benjamin Franklin.

The four classic Legacy paths will remain throughout each Age. That is Science, Economics, Culture, and Military, which are the victory conditions traditionally available in Civilization. The choices and actions you make in each Age will decide which civilization you can change to as you transition into each Age. So while you may start off as a culture or science-focused civilization, if you find yourself engaging in a lot of wars due to pesky neighbors you may end up unlocking a more war-driven civilization when you reach the next Age.

It almost feels as if each Age will be sort of its own contained game inside a bigger overarching one. That being said, in my limited hands-on time I only got to experience the Antiquity Age, so I never got to see what civilizations I unlocked based on my actions.

Sprawling cities

The History in Layers mantra of Civilization 7 really shines through the progression of your cities as you advance through the game and build up your city. Builders are no longer a unit in Civilization, nor are the pre-defined districts you could build in Civilization 6. Instead, you will have Rural areas that feature the improvements you make to the nearby city, while Urban districts allow you to build up to two buildings per hex.

Of course, the visuals of the city will change as you plop down these new entities, molding your city into its ultimate vision as you continue to add and build upon it as it spreads outwards. Because my hands-on time only explored the Antiquity age, I didn't get to see what sort of changes would happen when moving towards a completely different civilization, but I can only imagine it will further enforce History in Layers.

Another big change that I actually found really promising is that you can choose to keep a Town as a Town, rather than progressing it into an actual City. Doing so allows you to give the town a specific specialization, granting it buffs while focusing on a specific task. For example, a Mining Town will get production bonuses while a Farming Town will get bonuses for food production and growth.

You can then use these towns, and the Luxury Resources surrounding them, to funnel back into your city and boost it even further. It's a unique gameplay loop on expanding which is a big part of Civilization, and I'm excited to see what players who are much better than me end up doing once they've gotten a hold of the new system.

Combat is all about Commanders

Another big change is how Military Leaders, and more importantly experience from combat, work in Civilization 7. In previous entries in the franchise, each unit gained experience after combat. You could then train or purchase various generals that would provide buffs when near certain units, but they would not gain experience.

In Civilization 7, basic combat units no longer get experience. Instead, Commanders gain experience based on the combat performed by units around them. Through experience, they will level up and gain access to buffs that are also then applied to the units around them.

Furthermore, you can link or stack units into a Commander, move them across the battlefield as one single entity, and then deploy the units as necessary on the frontline. It's actually a massive change to how combat will work in Civilization, and as someone who is a more casual enjoyer of the series, I found the change to be a good one both from a quality-of-life perspective and also in terms of gameplay.

I typically often go more into Culture, Science, or Economics when I play Civilization, simply because I've never been a huge fan of the combat. But in the campaign I played, despite choosing an economic culture-favored civilization, I found myself really getting into the combat and for sure would have transitioned towards a military-favored civilization had I reached the next age.

A Promising Step Forward

With a game like Civilization, three hours is certainly not enough time to get a full grasp of the game. In fact, for a casual Civ player like myself, I might have only been halfway or so into the first of the three Ages. But the systems and elements I did get to experience—the new combat experience and Commanders, mixing Civilizations with Leaders, specializing Towns, or turning them into cities—all felt like solid meaningful changes to the Civilization franchise.

In the end, this is still Civilization. The same historical immersion and strategic depth we've come to expect from the turn-based strategy game across its many many hexagons are still very much front and center. But instead of just pushing out a prettier Civ game, Firaxis Games seems to be walking the perfect balance of adding new, impactful features and systems while being careful not to disrupt the Civilization formula that many have come to love over the decades. This was certainly a hands-on experience that left me pining for more, and I can't wait to try some crazy Civilization and Leader combinations to rewrite history in some fun ways.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII is set to release on February 11, 2025 on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

Note: I also had the opportunity to interview a couple of developers from the Civilization 7 team at Firaxis which will be going live tomorrow. I asked some development questions, as well as some fun ones like their favorite leader/civ combos, so keep an eye out for that!

The post Hands-on Preview: Sid Meier’s Civilization VII appeared first on Destructoid.

In Madden NFL 25's Franchise mode, it's possible to play with prospects who are expected to appear in future draft classes.

Thanks to the Team Builder website, which is available to all for free, you can play with custom squads. There are already some wonderful creations themed around them, and some involve future rookies. That said, importing them into a Franchise mode can be tricky if you haven't done it in previous Madden titles.

How to download future draft classes in Madden NFL 25

The Download Center will be your best friend (unless you want to sit and create the entire future draft class).

• Start and load the game.
• From the main menu, go to the first option under Download Center.
• Here, a host of different types of downloads will be available for free. The one you're looking for will be featured as Rosters.
• When I accessed this section, I could already find 2025 and 2026 draft classes with several downloads from the community.
• Just select one, and it will be downloaded. You can check this under the "My Downloads" section.

This completes the first part of the task.

How to load future draft classes in Madden NFL 25

For this part, you'll need a new save file.

• From the Download Center, go to the last option.
• Here, you can load your custom files. Load the one you downloaded with a future draft class.
• Create a new Franchise mode save.
• Make sure to choose a custom squad instead of using a default one.

This will automatically load your custom squad file containing future draft prospects. Do remember that the community makes all such files. There might be a chance of something going wrong in your save in the future (it might not happen, but fair warning nevertheless).

The post How to use future draft classes in Madden NFL 25 Franchise mode appeared first on Destructoid.

Black Myth: Wukong is oftentimes compared to Soulslikes because of its difficulty and grand bosses, but are there settings to change that? If you want to get into the game but are scared of it potentially being really difficult, here’s what you need to know.

Can you change difficulty settings in Black Myth: Wukong?

Unfortunately, Black Myth: Wukong does not have difficulty setting options at this time. While the game might not be as difficult as Bloodborne, Sekiro, or Elden Ring, it’ll still pose quite the challenge. 

The only way you can really alleviate the game’s difficulty is to farm up levels, or Sparks. Use them to further enhance your character’s abilities and you should hopefully turn the tide in battle against the dozens of bosses you’ll face ahead.

Also, you can skip a handful of bosses if you want, but it’s recommended that you don’t because they drop new items that can help you later down the line. They’ll also drop crafting materials for better gear and give you huge XP boosts upon beating them.

You can also upgrade your abilities like your spells and transformations so that you can deal more damage or have more use out of them, so use all you can if some of these battles are too tough.

Can you summon NPCs or other players in Black Myth: Wukong?

If you were hoping that you could summon an NPC to take the aggro off of you in boss battles, you can’t do that. You’re mostly alone in this game.

With that said, you also can not summon other players via any sort of co-op or multiplayer session. It’s up to you to take on the game with the tools you have.

Since Black Myth: Wukong is solely a single-player game, it can deter many who need a partner or a leg up against these tough bosses. No way are they in the same realm as actual Soulslikes, but they can still be a headache for many.

The post Does Black Myth: Wukong have difficulty settings? appeared first on Destructoid.

The summer of gaming news is fading into the fall of new releases, and Gamescom Opening Night Live has aired to herald the end. Today, we got a whole lot of news, trailers, reveals, and more to set the stage ahead for 2024, 2025, and beyond.

The Game Awards showrunner Geoff Keighley took the stage again, accompanied by long-time esports host Eefje "sjokz" Depoortere, to run the festivities as dozens of news and announcements aired. Some were essentially just trailers for games that are already out, or coming out soon, so we won't cover those here.

But even the Kyle Bosman-led pre-show had some fun tidbits, from Dave the Diver getting crossovers with Balatro, Potion Craft, and mxmtoon to some more Terry footage from Street Fighter 6 and a look at the next Dark Pictures horror adventure Directive 8020.

Here's all the big news and announcements from the main show at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024.

Everything shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024

• We open with a bang. Borderlands 4 is very real, and arriving sometime in 2025. There's not too much we can scrounge from this trailer, except for some SHIFT codes probably, but that's something for fans of the series to look forward to after a rough showing on the silver screen.
• Activision showed off some Call of Duty Black Ops 6 campaign footage, which starts out a bit surprisingly, with alternative routes and not a lot of shooting. Don't worry; once the big plan goes bad, the bullets start flying, and it starts looking familiar. Early access kicks off on August 30 for that, with an open beta due soon after.
• In one of the stranger trailers of the show, a bunch of game parodies lead into the reveal of Goat Simulator Remastered, arriving sometime in 2024. Looks like a good time to be a baaaaa-d goat? (Don't boo me, I'm trying.)

• Persona 3's Episode Aigis DLC is arriving soon, bringing The Answer to Atlus' remake. And now it looks like some challenge battles are in tow too, alongside an appearance from Persona 5's Joker. That's out on September 10.
• Dying Light: The Beast was going to be Dying Light 2 DLC, until Techland apparently spun it out into its own standalone game, starring DL1's Kyle Crane. It's neat to see the series still chugging along. No date for this, but owners of the big content pass for Dying Light 2 won't have to shell out for it.
• Lynked: Banner of the Spark is a mixture of town-building and roguelite elements, and it sure is colorful too. You can read more in our writeup here, and keep an eye out for the Early Access launch on October 22, 2024.
• Love creepy mysteries, teen angst, and a little bit of '90s nostalgia? Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, the latest from Don't Nod, looks to have it all. Read more in our hands-on preview here, as it's quickly becoming one of my more anticipated games going into 2025.

• The zombie-slaying No More Room in Hell 2 is certainly on its way, with some co-op permadeath action in store. But frankly, I just can't get over how the guy in this trailer sounds like Plankton from SpongeBob. Once you hear it, you won't be able to un-hear it.
• Arc Raiders is a game that surprised me a while ago, mostly because it seemed to involve giant, bouncing, destructive orbs. There may be more happening, but today's trailer mostly teased that sign-ups are live now.
• Around the Destructoid water cooler, Infinity Nikki has come up more than a few times. If you're not familiar with the Nikki series, you might not know how popular this series can be, but today's trailer certainly makes a case for its adorable open-world adventures. Closed beta sign-ups are also going live for Infinity Nikki.
• Paragon successor Predecessor (say that five times fast) is officially launching, and it celebrated as much during today's Opening Night Live stream. Hopefully the path ahead goes better for them than it did for Paragon.

• Dungeon-crawling action-RPG Path of Exile 2 hits Early Access on November 15, so get those loot bags ready and build-crafting spreadsheets open. At least, that's what I imagine ARPG sickos go in for, anyways.
• We got a look at some Dune Awakening gameplay, which lets you live out your dream of being a random wanderer on the planet of Arrakis. Worms, sun stroke, and enemies are all there to kill you, but maybe you can learn to survive and even thrive? Or get griefed by a dude named "Chimothée Talamet." That's set for PC in early 2025.
• Tarsier Studios, creators of Little Nightmares 1 and 2, unveiled their new project today: the very Little Nightmares-esque Reanimal, which is all about being little fellas running from giant creepy animals. It looks hauntingly gorgeous, and will head to PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC.

• Have you been wanting to play Genshin Impact, but only own an Xbox? Well, today, that specific crowd gets their prayers answered. Hoyoverse's massive action-RPG is coming to Microsoft's box on November 20. Also, there's a new region on the way!
• Monster Hunter Wilds showed off some monster hunting today, focusing on an especially creepy fight with a giant spider boss. I cannot wait to see what kind of armor and equipment we'll craft from this thing. Wilds is looking fantastic, and like an easy contender for one of 2025's biggest early hits.

• Lara Croft is coming to Naraka Bladepoint. That's all I really have to say on the matter. Congratulations to Naraka Bladepoint.
• In a great throwback trailer, SNK confirms one of its most recognizable fighters Mai Shiranui will appear in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, due out on April 24 ,2025.
• Monument Valley 3 looks absolutely pleasant to puzzle through, and it's coming to Netflix very soon - on December 10, 2024. Sadly, it's a Netflix exclusive. But if you check out the app, the other two Monument Valley games are also making their way there, too.
• Civilization 7 seems poised to take one more turn from you, over and over again. Firaxis has locked in a release date of February 11, 2025, and it's hard to imagine any PC owner not excited for this one.
• Holy crap, Starfield is finally getting a freaking car. The REV-8 is your very own Mass Effect Mako, carting you and your companion around the vast, open terrains of planets, and it's out today. Plus, the Shattered Space DLC is set to arrive on September 30, 2024.

• Marvel Rivals seems well-poised to make a dent in the packed hero shooter genre, and its latest trailer reaffirms it. Captain America and the Winter Soldier are both due up for the Rivals roster, with Bucky looking like a fast, mobile assassin and Cap bringing some potent shielding power to teams. NetEase's answer to Overwatch arrives on December 6, and promises to have all heroes unlocked and free-to-play, at launch and beyond.
• A sizzle reel for Amazon's anthology adaptation series Secret Level plans to bring many different franchises to the streaming side, and- wait, is that Mega Man?! You know what, I'd get a little emotional too if I was bringing the Blue Bomber back. The show premieres on December 10.
• Stoic's Towerborne, a side-scrolling action game that gives me faint Castle Crashers vibes, is set to hit Steam Early Access on September 10. Looks neat!
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 seems sharp, surprising, and definitely taking its period piece framing seriously. I love all the roaming around the countryside, though I'm maybe a little less keen on first-person swordplay. We'll have to see how it pans out when the sequel arrives on February 11, 2025. A gameplay premiere is set for August 21, 2024.

• Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai Star Rail both have new characters and content on the way. I'm not caught up enough on either to know the specifics, but the final teaser for Star Rail says a Fate/Stay Night crossover is due for Q3 2025, and that I cannot wait for. I hope it somehow leads to Geoff Keighley talking about Saber and Shirou Emiya on the Game Awards stage.
• "Da bat" is here, with the Meta Quest-exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow, arriving in October. I wish it looked a bit weightier, but some of the character models and story scenes look pretty cool.
• Oh hey, it's Little Nightmares 3. It 's got that two-player horror adventure set-up that will look familiar to fans of the first two. Supermassive is heading this one up, as Tarsier works on Reanimal, so I'm curious to see how both turn out and where this burgeoning genre of "Nightmare-alikes" goes from here.
• Herdlings looks like a pleasant game from the makers of FAR: Lone Sails, tasking you with herding mystical animals. Seems neat!
• Good lord, that's Peter Molyneux. He's on the stage, talking about Masters of Albion, a new game that he frames as a homecoming to PC and console development. I'm assuming there won't be any cubes in this one. In fact, it seems like a god game in a style we haven't seen in a while. We'll see how it turns out?
• Meanwhile, the latest Squid Game spin-off to completely miss the point has arrived. Squid Game: Unleashed looks like a comical, Fall Guys-esque interpretation of the death-game bloodsport shown in Netflix's series. I'm normally down for a little bit of dark comedy in adaptations, but when you start doing the Terminator thumbs-up from a lava pit, you've entered brand-trying-to-meme territory. If none of that backs you away, it's out soon on the Netflix app.
• Blizzard's Johanna Faries takes the stage to show off a Sylvanas skin for Widowmaker and promote the upcoming launch of World of Warcraft: The War Within, as well as the upcoming Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred. The latter showed off some mercenary companions, which seems neat. WoW's next expansion hits on August 22 in early access, and Vessel of Hatred is due out on October 8.

• You know, The First Berserker: Khazan is looking kinda sick? It's set for an early 2025 debut, and I dig the action and raw fury we're seeing here. It's very, well, Berserk, even though it's drawing from the Dungeon & Fighter universe. It's on my radar now, though.
• Floatopia is a new chill life sim from NetEase, and looks like an Animal Crossing competitor. Not much in the way of news, but keep an eye out for that one.
• We get a confirmed date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, hitting Xbox Series consoles and PC on December 9, 2024. Plus, we got immediate confirmation that Indy will head to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025. Interesting to see, considering Xbox's move to put more games on other consoles.

• One last thing: It's Mafia. Yes, a new Mafia is on the way, in the form of Mafia: The Old Country. Hangar 13 is taking it all back to the roots, in a very Godfather Part 2 trailer. Not much more in the way of news here, but you know what? I'm very, very intrigued.

The post Every trailer, release date, and more from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

While Black Myth: Wukong may not be a traditional Souls-like, it shares enough challenging elements—such as its demanding difficulty level—that choosing your early stats and talents wisely is crucial for a smoother experience.

If you need a little guidance on which stats to take starting out, here's everything you need to know about early game stats and talents in Black Myth Wukong.

Best Early Game Talents in Black Myth: Wukong

There are many interesting abilities and talents you can invest in early in Black Myth: Wukong, and you might be interested in doing so because of that. However, Black Myth: Wukong is a fairly difficult game and it really doesn't pull its punches the further you progress. To that end, the most important stats you should take are the ones that boost your survivability and ability to evade enemy attacks. Health, stamina, and evasion are what your early points should be focused upon, not damage.

With your first six points, I highly recommend investing in the Robust Constitution talent under the Foundation-Survivial tree. That talent boosts your health by a decent margin and will allow you more room for error. More room for error means more options to adapt.

After that, I recommend going for Deft Evasion in the Foundation-Stamina tree. This talent considerably improves your ability to avoid enemy attacks, allowing you to cancel your early Light attack combo into a seamless dodge. This is important because, later on, you won't be able to just sit there and Light attack enemies to death.

Under the same tree, you should invest at least one point into Simian Agility, Endurance, and Everlasting Vigor. These talents enhance your mobility, but the primary reason to invest in them is that they are prerequisites for unlocking Composure. This talent allows you to continue your Light attack combo string even if you dodge during it. You can be far more aggressive when attacking because you no longer need to be concerned about breaking your attack chain.

The last early-game Talent you should consider taking is Exhilaration, under the Staff Stances tree. This talent improves your Health recovery when consuming a Focus Point, which makes it a great way to heal without using a charge of your Gourd. This doubles as a benefit, as taking at least three points in this tree earns you a second Focus Point.

While many of these Talents are not the most interesting and are largely passive, it's important to get the survivability concerns out of the way so that you can actively take the more 'fun' Talents and stats without concern of dying all the time. Hopefully, this helps your adventure in Black Myth: Wukong.

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My love for Don't Nod games began just like most other's probably did: when the glorious phenomenon known as Life Is Strange came in to tug at all our heartstrings.

Since then, there's always been some chatter about the franchise's spiritual successor, carrying on Don't Nod's monumental storytelling while also blending in something entirely new. And, after spending a few hours with its upcoming title, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, it looks like we're finally getting that successor, if not even more.

Instead of controlling time like Max Caulfield, Lost Records has you direct moments with a video recorder as Swann, a young film enthusiast who completely embodies teenage awkwardness. She's a clumsy girl who's quick to trip over everything and often throws a few words of classic teenage self-deprivation any time she messes up. And, of course, she always wants to keep it hip with the cool kids, even when she mentions movies no one's ever heard of.

But regardless of my wanting to curl up in a ball of embarrassment for her, the game truly encapsulates the naivety of teenage-hood with its rollercoaster of feelings. It touches upon a very emotional part of all our lives, making it all the more relatable.

Getting lost in Velvet Cove

As a mystery narrative adventure set in 1995, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage follows Swann's journey with her eccentric group of friends. In cozy Velvet Cove, you'll meet the rebellious rockstar Nora and her fellow bandmate, Autumn, who's got a kind-hearted spirit. Last but not least is Kat, the most logical teen out of the ensemble.

Their amusing camaraderie makes it seem like we're getting a classic summer female-led narrative about friendship. Then, the story shifts into a more I Know What You Did Last Summer vibe when something goes bump in the night. Flash forward to 27 years later, we learn that the quirky ensemble hasn't spoken to each other since, and now their past is finally catching up to them — all to expose what happened that fateful night.

The scenes play out in a back-and-forth manner, switching between Swann's teenage years and adulthood. I mostly got to experience the past timeline, but their future selves sometimes put in their two cents by narrating various moments. It's subtle for the most part, where Swann will chime in to say, "Wait, why did I say that? That's so embarrassing!"

Despite the present timeline being brief, it did remind me a lot of the show Yellowjackets' past-and-present style, especially with the whole "don't tell anyone what happened" thing it's got going on. However, rather than watching how it plays out, you'll be in control through the game's impactful choice-based mechanics.

Choices truly shape your journey throughout Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, no matter how small or monumental they may appear. It can be as basic as not moving a piece of wire out of the way, leading to Swann tripping and falling flat in front of her friends. I know it's just a video game, but seeing those judging eyes makes me feel like I'm a clumsy teenager all over again.

There are also some bits where you have to attempt to impress Nora, Kat, and Autumn, which brought on a challenge for me. I guess I never really mastered the art of being cool since I seemed to pick the choices that regard Swann's parents, specifically mentioning her father's rock music taste. I forgot that liking your parents at that age isn't that "cool."

On the bright side, the group is pretty lenient on these choices and is nice enough to look past any of the "wrong" options. But since it's a preview version, I only got a taste of the decision gameplay. The current build primarily focuses on a day in Swann's life leading up to the night that changes everything. I won't give away too much, but it seems to be linked to their discovery of a dark place that alters their lives forever. I highly suspect the full version will bring out the more significant choices that could be a matter of life and death.

Be the director of a classic '90s teen movie

While choices are the main focus of almost every Don't Nod entry, the camera feature is what makes the game exceptionally unique. The preview begins with you playing around with a recorder at her house, and then ends with the grand finale of making a music video for Autumn and Nora's band. You can pull out Swann's camera almost everywhere you go and create short films to capture your summer memories. I thought my recording skills sucked when I first tried it out, but fortunately, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage makes you feel like you were born to be a director.

The recordings are completely edited in a retro style, featuring a classic glitch-filled VHS filter. It's almost as if you uncovered a video from the '90s in a time capsule. Plus, Swann narrates each piece, giving it much more meaning with her curiously innocent nature. It's more fun to do when you have the gang with you, getting to know them a little more with each scene. Key moments can be captured here to bring more pizazz to the piece, from Autumn's dynamic cartwheeling to Nora's cigarette smoke rings, to Kat's stoic look. That, to me, just sounds like the perfect encapsulation of teenage angst, and it's nice to see it all come together in its final production.

Even when I recently recorded a piece, I always wanted to see what it looked like immediately afterward. There's just something more personal about watching your creations come to life, which will undoubtedly make everyone's playthrough unique. There are also a few opportunities to capture the wildlife around you, offering more points for you to shoot as a collection challenge.

Apart from the gameplay, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage's visuals are just plain stunning. Every scene looks like it could be hung as a painting, with its vibrant scenery and finely crafted environment. But even with its painting-esque artwork, it still somehow looks realistic with its lifelike characters.

The '90s are making a comeback

As a '90s baby, I enjoyed all the little details of this era throughout the scenes. Although I was goo-goo-gaga'ing around that time, I recognized the small tidbits, from a Blockbuster-inspired video tape to the fashionable fanny packs. The chic outfits add to the '90s era more, and you have the power to choose what Swann wears.

Having that control of outfits and choices makes the entire experience utterly meaningful. By the end of it, I was engrossed in the character's lives and the mystery behind their secrets. It also left off with a cliffhanger, giving me the same impatient feeling I get whenever a TV show ends with "Find out what happens next in the upcoming episode!" Only the wait is a little more agonizing since the game won't be coming out until next year.

If you're looking for something like Life Is Strange, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will be right up your alley. It has that same strong female-led element, with mystery and teenage angst. The title also offers incredibly fresh concepts through its group ensemble and camera recording feature, making it stand out from the LiS series. I already know I'm picking it up the minute the game launches, based on my demo's cliffhanger alone. And you can, too, when it releases Tape 1 on Feb. 18, 2025, and Tape 2 on March 18, 2025, on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

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Devotid has announced that they have partnered with publisher Kwalee to put more resources behind The Coin Game, a strange coin-op simulator that is currently in Early Access.

I wrote an Early Access review of The Coin Game just slightly over a year ago. I can’t possibly stress how bizarre the game is. It started as an attempt of emulating the sort of quarter-chomping prize games that you find in bowling alleys and shopping malls, and then bloomed into an open-world game set on an island of mid-western robot people. You take up side jobs in order to scrape together a bit of cash to spend at the arcades and win tickets. It’s an incredibly atmospheric game that draws you into summer directionlessness.

However, it’s largely been developed by a single person. In a post on Steam, they confess, “As a stubborn do-it-ALL-yourself kind of person that was very hard to face but the game is so much bigger than me now and it had to be done.”

There has been some frustration over the slow development of the game. While the updates that get released always feel meaningful, they don’t come very often. It has felt like Devotid’s personal project that they pluck away at on their own time, and in that way it’s very charming. However, I am interested to see what happens when there’s a bit more horsepower pulling the cart.

There are no announcements beyond the partnership with Kwalee, so it’s uncertain how long it will be to see the fruits of this arrangement. For now, The Coin Game is available on Steam Early Access.

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The Metaphor: ReFantazio English voice cast will sweep you off your feet as these actors have featured in grand adventures like Honkai: Star Rail, the Like a Dragon series, and Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker. Atlus usually doesn't miss when it comes to its casting decisions.

Who's included in the Metaphor: ReFantazio English voice cast?

Metaphor: ReFantazio features the voices of acclaimed actors inside the voice-over industry. They include the following:

• The Protagonist - Caleb Yen
• Strohl - Stewart Clarke
• Hulkenberg - Kristin Atherton
• Gallica - Alejandra Reynoso
• Heismay - Phillipe Spall
• Eupha - Emily Burnett
• Junah - Emma Ballantine
• Louis - Joseph Tweedale
• Neuras - David Monteith
• More - Greg Chun
• Grius - Gordon Cooper

What have some of these voice actors worked on before?

Caleb Yen, the voice behind the lead character, is no stranger to the protagonist role. He voiced The Trailblazer in Honkai: Star Rail. He's also voiced Taichi in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Genshin Impact's Gaming, and Karaku in the Demon Slayer anime series.

Stewart Clarke, who voices Strohl, was Final Fantasy XVI's Dion, Horizon: Forbidden West's Ethan Reed, and Eygon in Valkyrie Elysium. He also has experience as an actor on the West End theatre scene, with one example being Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof.

Alejandra Reynoso plays Gallica in Metaphor: ReFantazio. Reynoso has voiced Liko in the Pokemon Horizons: The Series, Neon in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and Saryu in Nier: Re[in]carnation.

Lastly, Philippe Spall, who portrays Heismay, performed as Monsieur Courbet in Downton Abbey, Amnesia: The Bunker's Toussaint Beaufoy, and Hernet in the Netflix The Witcher series.

The post Metaphor: ReFantazio English voice cast, listed appeared first on Destructoid.

Netflix's hit show Squid Game continues with its upcoming mobile game, Squid Game: Unleashed. In it, you'll experience the horrors (and maybe wonders?) of the deathly games once the entry arrives to Netflix Games.

Participate in a 32-player battle royale-style mode featuring the infamous red light, green light game. If you're a fan of the series, you'll undoubtedly recognize Squid Game: Unleashed's many obstacle courses. Put your agility to the test and survive as long as possible to claim the ultimate prize. Currently, there's no release date set, but the Netflix page indicates that it will be "Coming Soon."

The Squid Game: Unleashed Gamescom 2024 trailer features plenty of deathly scenarios, including getting by bus, rolling ball, and scorching lava. This is not all that surprising, especially since the show has a knack for some gnarly killings. But it'll certainly be more brutal as an actual player of the games.

The Netflix show also got the green light for the highly anticipated Squid Game Season 2. The new season begins in December, which could be the perfect time for the Unleashed release. Even more so, the finale is already in the works for 2025, ending the battle royale series

If you want to experience the games for yourself, get ready for Squid Game: Unleashed on Netflix Games. It'll be available to play on iOS and Android, which will likely have pre-orders in the near future.

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The limited release of the inZOI Character Studio is just hours away and will run from August 21 to August 25. You’ll have the chance to make as many characters as you like, get to grips with the incredibly in-depth customization features, and share your creations through Canvas. 

Before you can dive into the Character Studio, though, you’re going to need to set up a Krafton ID in order to log in to Inzoi. This is a relatively straightforward process, and if you’ve ever played any other Krafton games (PUBG or Subnautica, for instance), you’ll likely already have one. 

If you haven’t got a Krafton ID already, you’ll need to follow these steps:

• Head over to the Krafton Accounts site and set up a Krafton ID using your email, Google account, Facebook account, or one of the many other options
• Once signed up, go to Linked Accounts and link your Steam account to your Krafton ID

When you’ve downloaded the Inzoi Character Studio through Steam, you’ll be able to immediately log in with your Krafton ID and dive straight into making your ideas a reality. 

If you’re hoping to upload your realized creations through Inzoi's built-in sharing platform, Canvas, you’ll need to select a separate nickname for the platform. This nickname will be unique to you, and you’ll be able to continue using it upon the full release of Inzoi later this year. 

Inzoi will also hold an event during the time in which the Character Studio is available to play. To be in the running to win unspecified ‘special gifts’, you need to upload your customized Zois to social media using the following three hashtags:

• #inZOI 
• #CAZ 
• #CreateAZoi

Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to fill out this google form, including a link to your social media post, to be entered with a chance to win.

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The “one last thing” at Gamescom Opening Night Live was a reveal for a new game in the Mafia series: Mafia: The Old Country.

Unfortunately, it didn’t tell us much aside from the fact that the game is going set in the early 1900s in Sicily. It’s going to give a look at the birth of the Mafia, so I suppose it could be considered a prequel to the entire series.

Aside from that, there was no gameplay shown. However, I got a press release afterward that says that it will involve “action brought to life by the authentic realism and rich storytelling that the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for. It promises a “deep, linear narrative with that classic mob movie feeling.”

Honestly, I love Mafia. I got deeply into the first game back in 2002. I enjoyed the second game. I haven’t played the third, but I should since my expectations are set appropriately low. Then Mafia: Definitive Edition is maybe not quite as definitive as the name sounds, but it was a cool revisit to the first game. On a planet where every big budget game seems to be an open-world affair crammed full of side distractions, the more linear narrative of the (first two) Mafia games, where the open world is more of a backdrop, sounds very refreshing.

I'm weirdly hyped over a nothing trailer.

We’re promised that we’ll hear more about Mafia: The Old Country in December 2024. It will be coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Wait. That’s it? Mafia: The Old Country gets brief teaser appeared first on Destructoid.

Back-to-school season is approaching quickly, and Monopoly GO is celebrating (or lessening the pain) by introducing some academic-themed events. The first in the bunch is Tycoon Academy, where you'll learn all about gathering dice and making a lot of money. At least, that's what we wish it'd be.

Let's check out the list of Tycoon Academy event rewards.

All Tycoon Academy event rewards in Monopoly GO

Monopoly GO's Tycoon Academy event has 50 rewards to win from now until August 23. You can win 17,755 dice and an exclusive board token at level 17 during the next three days, but you'll need to land on three specific tile types. Below is the complete reward list.

Although the Rocket Partners event recently ended, there's a chance another limited-time event will appear. If this happens, some of the cash rewards in this list will be replaced with point tokens. However, there's no confirmation of this happening yet, so we can safely assume most milestone prizes have cash instead.

How to score points during the Tycoon Academy event

You'll obtain points during Tycoon Academy by landing on Chance, Utility, and Tax tiles around your Monopoly board. Below are the points for each

• Chance: Two points
• Utility: Two points
• Tax: Three points

These points increase with your dice multiplier, allowing you to get extra points from your partner event winnings if you won the grand prize. Outside of this, the strategy for maximizing your points is watching how close you are to the next tile on this list and adjusting your multiplier accordingly, alongside using resources like tournaments and free dice links to maintain your dice supply.

The post Monopoly GO: All Tycoon Academy rewards and milestones appeared first on Destructoid.

Peter Molyneux, perhaps best known for his work on Fable, Black & White, Dungeon Keeper, and Godus, stepped back into the spotlight during Gamescom 2024's Opening Night Live to reveal his studio's new game, Masters of Albion.

The game is an homage to everything Molyneux has ever worked on. With the quirky fantasy-meets-history feel of the Fable series crossed with the top-down view and god-like powers bestowed on players from the Dungeon Keeper games. In it, you're tasked with building up a town during the day, deciding everything from where the citizens work and live, to exactly what kind of sandwich they eat. At night, though, you must protect the town from the horrors of Albion, and that's where things get interesting.

Control it all from the top to the bottom

As you can see in the very first trailer for Masters of Albion, it's very much a strategy simulation game for the most part. The day is spent moving people around to where you think they'll fit best in the town, creating food, weapons, armor, and allegedly literally anything you want. That level of control could keep you busy for endless hours, but night will interfere.

At night, all sorts of monsters emerge from the wilderness of Albion to attack your town. This is when your hero steps up to defend the buildings and people you've been working hard with all day. The trailer shows how you'll be able to directly control this hero and any NPC you desire, so you can fight for your town and presumably become a citizen to more efficiently aid it in other ways.

The level of depth Molyneux promises in Master of Albion is pretty impressive. He says you'll even be able to define the types of food everyone eats on a daily basis and make silly weapons such as bread swords if that's what you want to spend your time doing.

However, Molyneux has made big promises before with games like Godus and then failed to follow through on them. He says he's got many of the old crew who worked with him on games such as Dungeon Keeper back in the day together for 22cans on this project. This should instill confidence in Masters of Albion, but I think it's healthy to take everything shown here with a big pinch of salt until we've seen some more gameplay further down the line.

The post Peter Molyneux reveals Masters of Albion, a new town management strategy title that makes some big promises appeared first on Destructoid.

If you've been part of a school varsity team, you'll know how much you must practice to be the best. Monopoly GO has a similar vibe in the Varsity Victors tournament, especially with leaderboard rankings being as fierce as ever. Let's check out the list of Varsity Victors tournament rewards.

All Varsity Victors tournament rewards in Monopoly GO

Monopoly GO's Varsity Victors tournament has 30 rewards milestones lasting one day, ending on August 21, 2024. The prize list is heftier than usual, with 6,365 dice and six sticker packs up for grabs. Here's the complete Varsity Victors reward list.

How to score points during the Varsity Victors tournament

You'll gain points during Monopoly GO's Varsity Victors tournament by landing on railroad tiles. Every railroad spot initiates a Landmark Shutdown or Bank Heist minigame with all kinds of different outcomes, with each point value listed below:

• Shutdown - Blocked: Two points
• Shutdown - Success: Four points
• Bank Heist - Small: Four points
• Bank Heist - Large: Six points
• Bank Heist - Bankrupt: Eight points

Compared to the thousands of points you need to finish every reward milestone, two to eight points doesn't sound like much. The secret to completing the tournament in 24 hours is increasing your dice multiplier, allowing you to gain more points while spending extra dice per roll. You can also use power-ups like Mega Heist to unlock new outcome options that reward more points.

The post Monopoly GO: All Varsity Victors rewards and milestones appeared first on Destructoid.

This Square Enix RPG is one of the best-lookers of this generation, so brace yourself for the Final Fantasy 16 PC system requirements. Even the minimum specs need 16GB of memory and an SSD.

The minimum Final Fantasy 16 PC system requirements you need

In order to play this epic adventure with Clive and crew, you'll need some beefy PC system requirements just to run the game at 720p with 30 frames per second. The Steam page lists the following:

• OS: Windows 10 / 11 64-bit
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 / Intel Core™ i5-8400
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700 / Intel Arc A580 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 170 GB available space

Final Fantasy 16 is a huge game, so it will require 170GB of available space on an SSD, no less. That is far bigger than another Square Enix game Kingdom Hearts 3, which only requires 75GB. Another action RPG from this generation Wild Hearts also only needed 80GB.

Final Fantasy 16 recommended specs, listed

To play Final Fantasy 16 with 60 frames per second at a 1080p resolution, you'll need the following specs in your PC:

• OS: Windows® 10 / 11 64-bit
• Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 7 5700X / Intel® Core™ i7-10700
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD Radeon™ RX 6700 XT / NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2080
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 170 GB available space

If you need to test your rig and see if the game will work on your PC, there's thankfully a free demo available on Steam. It contains the first few hours of the experience, and you can carry on your save progress into the full game. Neat! Hopefully, your PC won't need a Phoenix Down after running (or attempting to run) Final Fantasy 16.

The post All Final Fantasy 16 PC system requirements, minimum and recommended appeared first on Destructoid.

When Indiana Jones and the Great Circle releases later this year, one thing is for sure: The Great Circle will certainly encompass a genuine rendition of Indiana Jones. During today's Gamescom Opening Night Live, developer MachineGames and publisher Bethesda Softworks showed off various elements of gameplay and confirmed the action adventure title will release on Xbox Series X|S and PC on December 9, 2024 as a timed console exclusive before coming to PS5 in Spring 2025.

For the first time, we got an extensive look at the gameplay that will take place in the all-new handcraft Indiana Jones story coming in The Great Circle. At its core, the name of the game in The Great Circle will be stealth. Often times it looks as though there will be plenty of enemies between Indy and his destination, making the quiet unseen route the safest and most reliable option. But when things get hairy, Indy will have options.

Using his signature trusty whip, players will be able to smack around, disoriented, crowd control, and subdue enemies. Every location will also have a variety of objects that the player can interact with and use to assist them in combat as well, ranging from actual weapons including firearms to random knick-knacks to throw at the enemy.

Based on the trailer, it looks as though we'll be exploring a variety of detailed environments and solving interesting puzzles to crack the code of The Great Circle.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to release on December 9, 2024 on Xbox Series X|S and PC. It will later release on PS5 in Spring 2025.

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The folks behind the FAR games have announced Herdling, where you herd a group of strange beasts across various biomes as you make for a distant mountaintop. Developer Okomotive showcased the game today during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 with a trailer and a 2025 release window.

Okomotive has a penchant for chill, atmospheric games set in a suggested post-apocalyptic landscape. The studio tasked you with maintaining lumbering machines as you ventured to parts unknown in FAR: Lone Sails and FAR: Changing Tides. Okomotive plans to continue the theme with Herdling, but with lovable creatures instead of a loveable, fuel-guzzling vehicle.

“With Herdling we wanted to start a new kind of adventure, not only for the players, but also for us,”
said co-founders Don Schmocker and Goran Saric. “To create the herd of beasts and their mountainous
world was an ambitious challenge for us and we enjoyed every step of that journey.”

No longer a solo adventure

Herdling looks to embrace the contemplative, atmospheric journey of a person traveling to a destination of some importance. There are some differences, of course. Herdling is a third-person adventure, placing you in the shoes and red hoodie of a herder guiding strange but gentle creatures called Calicorns to the top of a far-flung mountain. The FAR games were famous for their oppressive feeling of isolation and loneliness. Herdling may still emphasize the former, but at least you won't be alone.

The trip still won't be an easy one. In FAR, Okomotive sprinkled light puzzle challenges and occasional threats throughout, and that won't change here. Herdling takes you through forests and valleys, tasking you to keep your herd safe while weathering fog and chilling snow.

“This idea of moving as part of a herd of large, lovable, mystical creatures was at the center of our design
process and we can’t wait to see players immerse themselves in the experience we have created,” said
Fabio Baumgartner, game designer, programmer, and sound designer of Herdling.

Herdling doesn't have a release date yet, but it is slated for a launch in 2025. More about the game will be revealed during the Panic Games Showcase, held by the game's publisher Panic, on August 27.

The post The FAR: Lone Sails studio returns with Herdling, a game where you herd a group of ‘mystical’ animals appeared first on Destructoid.

In what will likely be the most memorable moment of Gamescom Opening Night Live, a very emotional Tim Miller, co-founder of Blur Studios and director of Deadpool, has shown of footage of the upcoming Amazon Prime video game anthology series, Secret Level. This is coming so fast, but I definitely saw Mega Man in there.

Secret Level is supposedly a series of original short narratives set around various video games. It’s an incredibly eclectic mix including Armored Core, Sifu, and Spelunky alongside more mainstream stuff like Concord and God of War. Maybe also Pac-Man.

There's also Mega Man, but he's doing that really cliche gear-up sequence. Like, it's so ubiquitous that Doom Eternal even opened with it.

I am entirely unable to process what’s going on. I’m not sure if there’s some sort of metanarrative here. As I mentioned, it’s reportedly going to be a series of short narratives (via Deadline), but the sizzle reel doesn’t exactly clarify that.

The introduction by Tim Miller was especially interesting. I mentioned to my colleagues that he sounded like he was on the verge of tears before he seemed to break further and admit his emotions. Some sounded cynical about the sincerity, but as a prolific crier, it seemed genuine. Listen, it’s sometimes easy to get emotional about stuff. I can cry pretty easily on some days. Dude might just really love showing off his team’s efforts.

Secret Level airs December 10, 2024 on Amazon Prime.

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Starfield made its grand return during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, with new information about its Shattered Space expansion and a surprising free car update arriving today. While Shattered Space isn't quite here yet, you won't have to wait long for its release, as it's coming out at the end of September this year.

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 revealed that Starfield will receive a free content update tonight that introduces the REV-8 space vehicle, allowing you to drive around the universe in style. It's completely separate from the expansion, so anyone who owns Starfield will get access to it. The REV-8 also features flying capabilities, a mounted turret, and armor to make combat easier. You can even drive around with companions to make space travel a little less lonely.

Bethesda also revealed during Gamescom that the Shattered Space expansion will launch on September 30, 2024. While it was known that it'd be released sometime in Fall 2024, this is the first time the exact launch date was revealed. Considering Starfield was released in September 2023, Shattered Space launching shortly after the game's one-year anniversary sounds fitting. Anyone who purchased Starfield's Premium or Constellation Editions will have access to the expansion, with premium upgrades available for anyone who wants to experience it.

As of now, details on other future Starfield expansions and free content updates are unknown. While we know more expansions are coming beyond Shattered Space, information about their content, prices, and release dates remains to be discovered.

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Tarsier Studios, the developer behind the critically-acclaimed Little Nightmares series, announced its new title during Gamecom 2024's Opening Night Live, Reanimal. The title looks similar to the Little Nightmares games but has a distinctly new and much more terrifying series of monsters to avoid.

While we were only shown a brief glimpse of Reanimal, it was enough to demonstrate exactly what the gameplay looks and feels like. Players take on the role of two tiny characters a brother and sister duo, and find themselves lost in a world where creatures much bigger than them lurk. They must constantly run, hide, duck, cover, sneak, crawl, and evade colossal, strangely altered animals in order to find some sort of small sense of safety while being constantly hunted.

Don't stop running

As you can see in the trailer above, the animals in Reanimal aren't quite what you expect them to be. There's an anthropomorphic pig sitting at a table, seemingly waiting to eat the protagonists, something with too many arms for me to sit comfortable while look at it riding a giant trike, and a sheep with a body and way too long a neck.

Every monster is wrong in a way only Tarsier Studios knows how to make them, and that's what's most terrifying about Reanimal so far. The place where these creatures reside is where the protagonists used to live. They've returned because their friends have gone missing there, and they need to find them and rescue them before it's too late.

The gameplay looks very similar to the Little Nightmares series, and is about as close as we're likely to get to a Little Nightmares 3 anytime soon - or at least until slightly later in the ONL show, when Little Nightmares 3 did actually make an appearance. As you might expect, the game features a full co-op campaign for anyone who can't bear to go into this spooky world alone.

What makes Reanimal so striking to me is the fact that Tarsier Studios has retained that sense of shocking body horror from its previous games, but moved into a new realm to keep the horror fresh. Making yet another game with Misshapen humans would still be scary, but we've seen it a few times already now.

Grotesque animals are unfamiliar, and that's what makes even the mere trailer for this game so horrifying in the best way possible. While we don't have a release date at the time of writing, this is a survival horror game worth wishlisting and waiting for.

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During today's Gamescom Opening Night Live, developer and publisher NetEase confirmed that upcoming Free to Play Hero Shooter Marvel Rivals officially has a release date. Marvel Rivals will release on December 6, 2024 on Steam, Epic Game Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The Overwatch-inspired superhero team-based PvP shooter allows players to choose from a roster of Marvel Heroes and jump into 6v6 combat across a handful of landmark battlefields from the Marvel cinematic universe.

Marvel Rivals recently had a rather successful playtest, creating a lot of buzz around the fact that there is finally a potential competitor to Overwatch. Our very own Eric Van Allen got some playtime with the hero shooter and felt that while it wasn't necessarily revolutionary, it could put some pressure on Overwatch.

All heroes will be unlocked and free-to-play "at launch and beyond" which is certainly great news for fans looking forward to dabbling in some Marvel madness.

Those interested in Marvel Rivals can jump in when it launches on December 6, 2024 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Marvel Rivals release date confirmed for December appeared first on Destructoid.

Since its initial release date nearly four years ago, Genshin Impact has developed a massive following on PC, mobile, and PlayStation, with no signs of slowing down. If you know about this famous gacha game but never got the chance to play it, you'll now have another opportunity to with its release on Xbox consoles on November 20. For those on other platforms, you'll get to dive into the new region of Natlan soon, too.

During the Gamescom Opening Night Live stream on August 20, MiHoYo revealed that Genshin Impact will launch on Xbox series X/S and Xbox One on November 20, 2024. You'll have three months to decide whether to swap platforms or try it for the first time.

Even sooner than that, Genshin Impact's sixth nation, Natlan, will become available on August 28, giving everyone on PlayStation, PC, and mobile a chance to dive deep into a new region in just over one week. Like previous region updates, it'll come with its own set of resources, bosses, and quests to complete. During the trailer, we also get a chance to meet Mualani, Kachina, and Kinich, who'll all be future playable characters during and after the update.

Xbox players won't quite have a chance to access this new area on launch, but at least it'll be available for the November release.

Genshin Impact's Natlan region will be available on August 28, 2024, and the game will launch on November 20 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

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During today's Gamescom Opening Night Live, developer Firaxis Games and publisher 2K Games revealed the release date for the upcoming grand strategy title Sid Meier's Civilization VII as February 11, 2025. That means that it will be just over eight years between Civilization 6 and the upcoming entry into the series, Civilization 7.

Visually, Civilization 7 certainly looks improved while still keeping its classic semi-cartoony aesthetic. The city development weaved around the terrain looks better than ever, as do the various units and combat seen in the trailer.

The Standard Edition will cost $69.99 while a Deluxe Edition is available for $99.99 that grants five days of Early Access to Civilization 7, allowing players to get into the game on February 6. The Switch version for each edition will run $10 cheaper.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII will be released on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on February 11, 2025.

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Techland is unleashing the beast with its next game. Dying Light: The Beast is a new standalone game set in the Dying Light universe, starring the original Dying Light protagonist Kyle Crane.

Revealed during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, The Beast sees Crane is finally out of captivity after thirteen years, following the events of Dying Light. While things might have changed after a decade, Crane will be using his skills to survive and help save more innocent lives.

While Dying Light: The Beast began its journey as DLC for Dying Light 2, Techland decided to change direction and make it a full standalone game. All Dying Light 2 Stay Human players who own the Ultimate Edition will get a free copy of the upcoming adventure. This will be excellent news for those who have waited patiently for the DLC's development.

Set after the events of the first game, Dying Light: The Beast will offer 18+ hours of gameplay. Playing as Crane, players will seek revenge on those who subjected him to brutal experiments while in captivity. The action will be set in Castor Woods, which has been completely transformed from a popular tourist destination to a post-apocalyptic dead zone.

The experiments also mean that Crane will be superior to ordinary humans. Aside from zombies, players will encounter different people and factions, and not all will be friendly. In Dying Light: The Beast, Crane can use vehicles, aside from relying on his parkour skills to survive. You'll also still be able to play solo or in co-op sessions.

Dying Light: The Beast is now up for wishlist on all available platforms. Techland has yet to announce a launch date.

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Unlike some farming sims, Fields of Mistria doesn't immediately give you all the required equipment. Some items will be provided later in the story, while others can only be found in the shop. To get the entire package, here's how to unlock all tools in Fields of Mistria.

All Fields of Mistria tools and how to unlock them

You can unlock the following tools through these specific tasks in Fields of Mistria:

The sword is among the first tools given to you, allowing you to slice up enemies and grass. Shortly after one of the first cutscenes concludes, you'll then earn the hoe and watering can for farming.

If you want other free tools, you'll need to wait a short while for specific days and missions. Begin Spring 2 to commence a cutscene with Eiland, who will teach you how to swing the axe for wood. Next, go to the Request Board to pick up the Pickaxe from the character Olric.

Earn enough Tessarae from these missions to purchase the shovel and the fishing rod. As you may expect, the fishing rod can be used whenever there are fish shadows are in the water. You can also expand your farming plot with the shovel, providing more seed locations.

The Bug Net is one of the last tools you can earn in Fields of Mistria, specifically from Luc. It won't be available until the fourth day of Spring. Speak to Luc at the Inn, and he'll give it to you to start your bug-collecting journey.

To obtain valuable resources, you can upgrade each tool with various ore. Go to the blacksmith to forge some new equipment, including ingots of copper, iron, and silver.

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If you've just begun a new game of Fields of Mistria, you're going to have a lot of quests to complete in the coming in-game days. There's definitely no shortage of things for you to do, but first and foremost, the bridge needs to be fixed. 

After Balor guides you over the broken bridge and into town as you first arrive, you'll have a few days to settle into your new farm home before the residents of Mistria arrive with their first big request. They need to repair the bridge in order to enable travel in and out of Mistria, and as a perk of this, the Saturday Market can begin being held again. 

How to get a Pickaxe and repair the bridge in Fields of Mistria

At some point in the first week of your new life in Mistria, you'll receive a letter in the mail from Adeline, asking you to aid in repairing the bridge. After receiving this letter, head east to the bridge in order to trigger a cutscene. 

After this cutscene, a donation box will appear next to the bridge, and you'll need to donate the following resources: 

• 60 Wood
• 60 Stone

You should already have an Axe to gather the needed Wood, thanks to an early morning meeting with Eiland, when you discovered the statue of Caldarus behind a tree on your farm. He'll give you the Worn Axe as a reward, and you can then use it to gather the 60 required Wood.

To get a Pickaxe, you'll need to pick up a quest from the Request Board in town. The quest you need is called ‘Do a Bro a Favor’, and simply requires you to head to the Blacksmiths and talk to Olric. When you speak to him, he’ll give you an Worn Pickaxe which you can then use to mine any small rock and get between one and two Stone. 

Once you've got 60 wood and 60 Stone, you can head back to the bridge and place the resources into the box. Then all that's left to do is head back to Adeline to hand in the quest, triggering another cutscene and successfully repairing the bridge. 

The post How to repair the bridge in Fields of Mistria appeared first on Destructoid.

The life of a farmer can get pretty lonely, especially if you've got a big ole' plot of land with no one to share it with. Fortunately, thanks to the lineup of Mistria's eligible bachelorettes and bachelors, you don't have to go at it alone. So, if you're ready to put yourself out there, here are all the romance options in Fields of Mistria.

Romance characters and gift preferences in Fields of Mistria, explained

Step into the dating world of Mistria with the various single and ready-to-mingle characters. Currently, 10 bachelors and bachelorettes are available upon start, with two more who have yet to make their mark.

Although the two characters haven't been revealed, it could have something to do with Caldarus, the Guardian of Mistria. This character, in particular, has a heart symbol in its dialogue, which typically links to a romanceable option. I'm still working my way through the story, but I'll be sure to update this guide once I've gotten deeper into the narrative. However, the two mystery dates could also be a part of a later patch, given that Fields of Mistria is still in Early Access.

We'll break down each romanceable character in Fields of Mistria, including their gift preferences.

Adeline

Meet Mistria's first bachelorette, Adeline, one of the first romanceable characters you'll come across. As the town leader, she'll handle a lot of your quests, giving you ample time to win her over.

• Love Gifts
  • Tea with Lemon
  • Coffee
  • Gazpacho
  • Lemon Pie
  • Middlemist
  • Peaches and Cream
  • Perfect Pink Diamond
  • Plum Blossom
  • Pumpkin Pie

• Liked Gifts:
  • Tulip
  • Candied Lemon Peel
  • Heather
  • Lemon
  • Lemon Cake
  • Lemonade
  • Paper
  • Peach
  • Pink Diamond
  • Pineshrom Toast
  • Pumpkin Stew
  • Red Wine
  • Snapdragon
  • Spicy Cheddar Biscuit
  • Tulip
  • Smoken Trout Soup
  • White Wine
  • Wild Berry Pie
  • Wild Berry Scone

Balor

The traveling merchant Balor is the next marriage candidate in Fields of Mistria. He'll always stop by to pick up your goods, providing you with some much-needed gold.

• Loved Gifts
  • Alda Gem Bracelet
  • Apple Honey Curry
  • Chili Coconut Curry
  • Deluxe Curry
  • Family Crest Pendant
  • Perfect Diamond
  • Perfect Emerald
  • Perfect Pink Diamond
  • Perfect Ruby
  • Perfect Sapphire

• Liked Gifts:
  • Cauliflower Curry
  • Chickpea Curry
  • Crystal Rose
  • Diamond
  • Emerald
  • Fog Orchid
  • Frost Lily
  • Gold Ingot
  • Gold Ore
  • Golden Cookies
  • Jasmine
  • Perfect Gold Ore
  • Pink Diamond
  • Rose
  • Ruby
  • Rusted Treasure Chest
  • Sapphire
  • Sapphire Betta
  • Snowdrop Anemone

Celine

Looking for some neighborly love? Romance Celine, the part-time gardener who's always there to lend a hand in Fields of Mistria.

• Loved Gifts:
  • Crystal Rose
  • Frost Lily
  • Hydrangea
  • Middlemist
  • Plum Blossom
  • Rose
  • Snowdrop Anemone
  • Spring Galette

• Liked Gifts:
  • Catmint
  • Celosia
  • Chrysanthemum
  • Cosmos
  • Daffodil
  • Daisy
  • Dandelion
  • Heather
  • Iris
  • Jasmine
  • Lilac
  • Marigold
  • Poinsettia
  • Rose Tea
  • Snapdragon
  • Spring Salad
  • Sunflower
  • Tulip
  • Viola

Eiland

Eiland plays the dual roles of the head of the Historical Society and Mistria's Archaeologist. He's perfect for those who want to learn more about the village's past, uncovering its secrets through mining.

• Loved Gifts
  • Coconut Cream Pie
  • Glowberry Cookies
  • Golden Cookies
  • Ice Cream Sundae
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Spell Fruit Parfait
  • Strawberry Shortcake

• Liked Gifts:
  • Apple Pie
  • Berries and Cream
  • Candied Lemon Peel
  • Candied Strawberries
  • Carmalized Moon Fruit
  • Caramel Candy
  • Cherry Cobbler
  • Cherry Tart
  • Chocolate
  • Crystal Berry Pie
  • Lemon Pie
  • Lemon Cake
  • Peaches and Cream
  • Pudding
  • Pomegranate Sorbet
  • Roasted Rich Tea
  • Strawberries and Cream
  • Wild Berry Pie
  • Sweet Sesame Balls
  • Wintergreen Ice Cream

Hayden

Apart from Adeline, Hayden is another character you'll meet during the Field of Mistria's beginning stages. He'll sweep you off your feet with his majestic horse, where you'll often find him at Sweetwater Farm.

• Loved Gifts
  • Golden Duck Egg
  • Golden Milk
  • Stone Horse
  • Vegetable Quiche

• Liked Gifts:
  • Apple Pie
  • Cheese
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Coconut Cream Pie
  • Coffee
  • Butter
  • Crystal Berry Pie
  • Duck
  • Duck Egg
  • Duck Mayonnaise
  • Chicken Egg
  • Lemon Pie
  • Loaded Baked Potato
  • Mayonnaise
  • Milk
  • Mushroom Steak Dinner
  • Pumpkin Stew
  • Sweet Potato Pie
  • Tea with Lemon
  • Vegetable Pot Pie
  • Wild Berry Pie

Juniper

Take a dip into love with Mistria's Bathhouse employee, Juniper. Those who enjoy the mystical arts should shoot their shot at this sorceress, who can unlock new spells and potions.

• Loved Gifts
  • Ancient Royal Scepter
  • Black Tablet
  • Crystal Rose
  • Fish Tacos
  • Golden Cookies
  • Hardened Essence
  • Moon Fruit Cake
  • Pizza
  • Spell Fruit Parfait

• Liked Gifts:
  • Crunchy Chickpeas
  • Crystal
  • Fog Orchid
  • Frog
  • Latte
  • Middlemist
  • Morel Mushroom
  • Nettle
  • Newt
  • Night Queen
  • Poinsettia
  • Red Toadstool
  • Red Wine
  • Shadow Flower
  • Toasted Sunflower Seeds
  • Water Chestnut Fritters
  • White Wine

March

If you are interested in local bad boys, the Blacksmith March is your man. Although he'll give you the cold shoulder initially, you can make like the forge and warm your way to his heart.

• Loved Gifts
  • Dragon-Forged Bracelet
  • Meteorite
  • Perfect Copper Ore
  • Perfect Golden Ore
  • Perfect Iron Ore
  • Perfect Mistril Ore
  • Perfect Silver Ore
  • Sushi Platter
  • Gold Ingot

• Liked Gifts:
  • Beer
  • Chocolate Cake
  • Coffee
  • Copper Ingot
  • Copper Ore
  • Gold Ore
  • Grilled Eel Rice Bowl
  • Hot Chocolate
  • Iron Ingot
  • Mistril Ore
  • Mocha
  • Perch Risotto
  • Sesame Tuna Bowl
  • Silver Ingot
  • Silver Ore
  • Spicy Crab Sushi

Reina

Food lovers can win the heart of Reina, the Head Cook at the Sleeping Dragon Inn. Her gift preferences are also in line with a ton of meal recipes and valuable ingredients.

• Loved Gifts
  • Apple Honey Curry
  • Breaded Catfish
  • Cabbage Stew
  • Ice Cream Sundae
  • Incredibly Hot Pot
  • Rosemary Garlic Noodles
  • Seafood Boil
  • Seafood Snow Pea Noodles
  • Spell Fruit Parfait
  • Sushi Platter

• Liked Gifts:
  • Cauliflower Curry
  • Cheese
  • Cod with Thyme
  • Coffee
  • Iced Coffee
  • Crystal Berry Pie
  • Daffodil
  • Flour
  • Garlic
  • Garlic Bread
  • Pizza
  • Rice
  • Spicy Cheddar Biscuit
  • Sugar
  • Turnip and Potato Gratin
  • Upper Mines Mushroom
  • Wild Berry Pie

Ryis

Ryis is Mistria's friendly carpenter who can help you with crafting recipes. Build up your relationship with him from the ground-up to romance this eligible bachelor.

• Loved Gifts:
  • Hardwood
  • Lobster Roll
  • Golden Bristle
  • Golden Cheesecake
  • Veggie Sub Sandwich
  • Golden Cookies
  • Golden Duck Feather
  • Golden Rooster Feather
  • Golden Horse Hair

• Liked Gifts:
  • Bear
  • Wood
  • Bread
  • Bull Horn
  • Clay
  • Cranberry Orange Scone
  • Crystal
  • Duck Feather
  • Rooster Feather
  • Garlic Bread
  • Glass
  • Glowberry Cookies
  • Horse Hair
  • Iced Coffee
  • Lilac
  • Strawberry Shortcake
  • Paper
  • Stone

Valen

Have a case of the lovebug? Get a check-up with Mistria's town doctor, Valen. She'll be there to help you with anything from additional buffs to fainting in the mines.

• Loved Gifts
  • Beet
  • Beet Salad
  • Beet Soup
  • Dragon Scale
  • Harvest Plate
  • Rosemary Garlic Noodles
  • Summer Salad
  • Sushi Platter
  • Vegetable Soup

• Liked Gifts:
  • Coffee
  • Cucumber
  • Cucumber Salad
  • Dandelion
  • Garlic
  • Green Tea
  • Herb Salad
  • Nettle
  • Pan-Fried Salmon
  • Red Wine
  • Rose Hip
  • Rose Hip Jam
  • Rosemary
  • Seaweed
  • Seaweed Salad
  • Sweetroot
  • Underseaweed
  • White Wine

There are sure to be more romance options and gift preferences in Fields of Mistria, so I'll update this guide the more I play through the game.  

The post All romance options and their gift preferences in Fields of Mistria appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the best ways to streamline your gameplay in Fields of Mistria is by unlocking new skills and perks. However, doing this requires you to earn an almost-currency outside of Tesserae — Essence. 

Once you’ve removed the tree from in front of Caldarus’ statue and replaced his head, he’ll come to you in a dream and tell you about Essence and how to get it, but it may be a little unclear from his description, so I’ve got you covered. 

How to get Essence in Fields of Mistria

Once you’ve unlocked the ability to get it, Essence can appear randomly from many daily activities, including:

• Farming
• Mining
• Fishing

You’ll automatically absorb these Essences, so they’re easy to miss, but to see how many you have, simply check the UI. Essence appears just under your Tesserae, displayed in the top right corner of the screen. 

How to spend Essence in Fields of Mistria

Once you’ve stacked up some Essence, you can spend it by approaching Caldarus’ statue and pressing Q. After doing this, you’ll be able to select one of the disciplines with skills and perks to unlock:

Select an area in which you’d like to improve, and you’ll be given a list of available skills and perks. Clicking on each of them will tell you what it does, and the amount of Essence it costs is shown underneath. 

As you increase your level in each skill, you'll be able to unlock more useful perks and better skills to use.

The post How to unlock new Skills and Perks in Fields of Mistria appeared first on Destructoid.

The fifth season for ARPG Diablo 4, The Season of the Infernal Hordes, once again changes up a lot of the build varieties for all classes while also adding the new seasonal Infernal Hordes mechanic. With all-new Legendary Items, some builds are looking better than ever. These are the best Leveling Builds for all Classes in Diablo 4 Season 5.

Best Leveling Builds for all Classes in Diablo 4 Season 5

The overall markers for the best leveling builds in Diablo 4 Season 5 are those that can quickly clear out a large number of enemies in a short period of time while also surviving the onslaught of enemies in the meantime. While being able to quickly burst down bosses is also important, it's not as important as being able to mass clear enemies. Here are the best leveling builds for each class in Diablo 4 Season 5:

Barbarian

One of the best overall builds for leveling in all of Diablo 4 Season 5 is the Hammer of the Ancients (HotA) Barbarian. The build uses Hammer of the Ancients to quickly AoE down enemies via the powerful hammer slam. The addition of Charge and Lunging Strike allows you to quickly traverse the map while War Cry, Rallying Cry, and Wrath of the Berserker give you added utility in the form of damage and survivability.

Build Guide: Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian Leveling Build by Mathris

Druid

For Druid, Lightning Storm is the best leveling build due to the ability to zap down a ton of enemies quickly via Lightning Storm. Trample gives the Druid some extra mobility while Wolves, Ravens, and Poisoner Creeper add some tanky high-damage companions to the Druid's arsenal in between spamming Lightning Storm. Once you have Shepherd's Aspect, Lightning Storm is one of the highest damage burst abilities for leveling.

Build Guide: Lightning Storm Druid Leveling Build by IBoilerUp

Necromancer

The best Necromancer Leveling Build in Diablo 4 Season 5 is Minion Necro. Perhaps the easiest build in all of Diablo 4, Minion Necro allows you to essentially run around while your horde of minions quickly exterminate everything nearby. At its core, this build relies on Skeletal Warriors, Skeletal Mages, and Golems to swarm your opponents. For survivability, you'll make use of Blood Mist, and Corpse Tendrils and Iron Maiden will give you a lot more crowd control and utility.

Build Guide: Summoner Necromancer Leveling Build by GhazzyTV

Rogue

Rogues actually have several strong leveling build options, but Twisting Blades is probably the best. Dash and Shadow Step gives the Rogue tons of mobility to quickly dart around the map, while Puncture, Twisting Blades, Shadow Imbuement, and Shadow Clone gives the Rogue plenty of high damage options to burst down large groups of enemies quickly. While most Leveling Builds focus purely on AoE damage, Twisting Blades Rogue actually gets some added single-target boss damage via Inner Sight.

Build Guide: Twisting Blades Rogue Leveling Build by Paryah

Sorcerer

The best Leveling Build for Sorcerer for Diablo 4 Season 5 is CHain Lightning. For several seasons this has been one of the best leveling builds in the entire ARPG, and Season 5 looks to follow suit. Using the massive AoE explosions from the Fireball Enchantment mixed with Arc Lash and Chain Lightning, this is one of the fastest AoE clear builds out there. Frost Nova adds some insane Crowd Control and added damage burst via the easily Vulnerability, while Teleport and Ice Armor give you more mobility and utility than most of the classes, especially when leveling.

Build Guide: Chain Lightning Sorcerer Leveling Build by DarkHumility

The post Diablo 4 Season 5 Best Leveling Builds for all Classes appeared first on Destructoid.

Valve dataminer Tyler McVicker has discovered hints that some Half-Life may be in active development at Valve. While we're not quite at the "Half-Life 3 confirmed!" stage of proceedings, things are looking bright for a new non-VR game in the series, for the first time in a while.

Back in 2021, we saw the release of Half-Life: Alyx. Despite launching to critical acclaim, it was a VR exclusive, meaning those without headsets were left unable to experience the latest iteration in Valve's long-running series. Still, it was a positive sign that Valve is willing to revisit its iconic franchise, offering hope that a Half-Life 3 could finally be on the way. 2007's Half-Life 2: Episode Two is the last time we saw a non-VR Half-Life, so it's a wait that could realistically span two decades before anything is released by the studio.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, McVicker confirmed numerous reasons he believes Half-Life 3 is likely in development at Valve. Datamining has led him to find strings in updates for Source 2 titles Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2, hinting at a game codenamed HLX, where the playable character wears a HEV suit. Sound familiar? This protagonist goes to a location named "Offworld," with references to "Xengorrilla" and "Xenjellyfish" NPCs. It couldn't sound any more Half-Life.

According to McVicker, these strings have come from different updates to the previously mentioned titles. He has compiled evidence over time to confirm his suspicions that development on this project is ongoing. His speculation continues further, connecting the dots here to the resume of actress Natasha Chandel. She recently revealed the existence of a Valve project codenamed Project White Sands via her resume, before it was swiftly taken down.

So, it seems like Valve could be working on a single-player Half-Life game featuring an HEV suit-wearing protagonist. But is it actually Half-Life 3? Answering the question about his belief based on current findings, McVicker said, "I gotta be very careful when answering that question... But yes."

Although it's impossible to confirm whether this is the case, it offers a glimmer of hope to those who have waited almost two decades for something new. In the meantime, keep replaying Black Mesa and dreaming of what could be.

The post Several leaks are re-igniting hopes for a Half-Life 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

City Racers is now over in Monopoly GO, which means we're onto the next set of themed events. This time, we're introduced to a feline-themed week, with Nine Lives Luxuries beginning the series. This banner event is special, though, as the way rewards are laid out differs slightly from usual. Let's check out the complete Nine Lives Luxuries event reward list.

All Nine Lives Luxuries event rewards in Monopoly GO

Monopoly GO's Nine Lives Luxuries event has 46 reward tiers you can grab until August 8, 2024. However, unlike previous events, several gift boxes throughout the event have their own set of prizes to claim. With that in mind, you can get up to 16,215 dice, ten sticker packs, and numerous power-ups. Here's the reward list for the Nine Lives Luxuries event.

How to score points during the Nine Lives Luxuries event

During Monopoly GO's Nine Lives Luxuries event, scoring points requires landing on Chance, Community Chest, and Railroad. Below are the points for each:

• Chance: One point
• Community Chest: One point
• Railroad: Two points

Yep, there's the caveat. Although this is a chance, community chest, and railroad event, each point value is much lower than usual. In other words, even if you roll a lot of dice, you might initially struggle to reach later milestone tiers. Nonetheless, raising your dice multiplier and carefully changing it as you travel around your Monopoly board is the key to completing the Nine Lives Luxuries event. Similarly, you can use rewards from the recent City Racers event and resources like free dice roll links to help you keep your supply high.

The post Monopoly GO: All Nine Lives Luxuries rewards and milestones appeared first on Destructoid.

With Valorant being in open beta now, console players can get in on the fun that PC players have been experiencing for years. That being said, is Valorant crossplay compatible between PC and PS5? Here’s what we know.

Is Valorant crossplay compatible between PC and PS5?

Unfortunately, Valorant does not support crossplay between PC and PS5, nor does PC have that option with Xbox consoles. Due to the nature of the game, PC players do have a massive advantage over console players. This isn’t a game like Overwatch or recent Call of Duty games where the TTK (Time to Kill) is high enough so that those playing on a controller can have a fair gunfight. 

The good news is that if you have a friend who plays on PC and you wish to play with them, cross-progression is an option. Whether you want to bring your console account to PC or they bring their PC account to an Xbox Series X/S or PS5, it’s possible.

Is Valorant crossplay between PS5 and Xbox?

Luckily, PS5 and Xbox players can match up and squad up together on Valorant. Since players on both consoles are on the same playing field, there are no advantages or disadvantages over the other. 

Just make sure you actually have the feature enabled so you can broaden your search pool when matchmaking.

How to enable crossplay on Valorant (PS5 and Xbox only)

By default, you should have crossplay enabled on Valorant if you’re playing the open beta on PS5 or Xbox. However, just to double-check that it’s on, press your menu or options button on your controller to bring up the Options menu.

From here, select Settings. In the General tab, find the Privacy section and see that “Allow Crossplay” is set to on. You can also set other important options like limiting friend requests and hiding names.

So, unfortunately, you can’t match or link with PC players if you’re on PS5 or Xbox, but you can with other console players.

The post Is Valorant crossplay compatible between PC and PS5? Explained appeared first on Destructoid.

With the release of Honkai: Star Rail version 2.4, March 7th's transition into her new path gives players a brand new Hunt character to mess around with. It's an extraordinarily unique kit for the path, and perhaps worth checking out even if she's not your usual cup of tea.

If you're eager to build March 7th in Honkai's 2.4 update, here's everything you need to know to put together the best build for March 7th's Hunt path.

Strongest March 7th Hunt Build in Honkai: Star Rail

March 7th's Hunt path has many typical characteristics of your typical Hunt character, but, thanks to her kit, she can also play similarly to a Harmony character, though admittedly not quite as strong. The strange mesh lands her squarely in the Main DPS Support role, thanks to how her Basic Attack, Skill, Talent, and Ultimate function. Compared to five-star limited characters, March 7th is a little complex, so I need to talk more about her kit in detail for clarity.

The core of March 7th's Hunt gameplay revolves around using her skill, Master, It's Tea Time! This turns one of the members of her team into her 'Shifu' and rewards them with a decent speed buff. More importantly, depending on the typing of the character March makes her Shifu, she gains one of two potential extra effects:

• If Shifu is Erudition, Destruction, or The Hunt - March deals additional damage that matches the character's element.
• If Shifu is Harmony, Nihility, Preservation, or Abundance - March deals 100% more Toughness Reduction.

On top of these effects, when March 7th makes a target her Shifu, she gains their Element on top of her own, making March 7th a universal unit. If the Shifu is Topaz, March 7th becomes Imaginary and Fire simultaneously.

When her Shifu launches an attack, March gains one charge out of seven. At seven charges (her Talent), she immediately takes action regardless of turn order and can launch an Enhanced Basic Attack. March 7th damage budget is entirely in this Enhanced Basic Attack, and it also rewards her Shifu with 60% CRIT DMG, after it is activated.

March 7th Hunt gains all of her Eidolons for free just by playing her event. Her second Eidolon has a considerable effect on her gameplay, allowing her to launch a Follow-up attack after her Shifu launches an attack. This Follow-up does not deal much damage, but it does provide her with an additional charge for her talent. This is extremely important to be aware of when talking about team composition with March 7th. More on that later.

Finally, March 7th's Ultimate deals moderate damage to one target, but greatly improves the effectiveness of her next Enhanced Basic Attack. Generally, you want to ensure she uses her Ultimate before every Enhanced Basic Attack.

Best Relics for March 7th Hunt

March 7th focuses on Basic Attacks for damage, so she only has a few select options in terms of Relics. Her best-in-slot (BiS) is an old favorite, the Musketeer of Wild Wheat set. This set provides additional ATK%, SPD, and, most importantly, Basic ATK damage — the best stats for March 7th in all situations.

If you don't have that set ready to go, March 7th cares a lot about ATK% in general due to the nature of her kit, so any two sets that provide ATK% for their two-piece bonus are worth considering. You can also use two-piece Wasterlander of Banditry Desert for the additional Imaginary damage bonus.

For her Sphere and Rope set, I highly recommend you run with Rutilant Arena, as it provides March with additional CRIT RATE and a large 20% damage boost to her Basic Attacks as long as she is above 70% CRIT RATE. If you can't get a 70% CRIT RATE, then the universal Inert Salsotto set is always a competitive choice.

Best Team Comp March 7th Hunt

March 7th's Hunt kit is extremely versatile, and it allows her to be run with practically any team comp and be somewhat successful. However, thanks to her second Eidolon, March 7th gets a considerable amount of leverage out of supporting a DPS that can attack very often. With that in mind, the best targets for her Shifu are Topaz, Clara, Yunli, Robin, and Aventurine, all thanks to the frequency of their attacks. Any combination of these characters will make up the Follow-up team comp, her best team.

Topaz is likely March 7th's best teammate because of how her Follow-up attack interacts with Numby. Every time Topaz OR Numby attacks, March 7th gains a Talent charge. March also gains a charge every time she launches a Follow-up attack following Topaz's attack. All of this results in many Enhanced Basic Attacks for March, and a massive 60% CRIT DMG buff for Topaz and Numby.

Clara is also an extremely potent teammate for March thanks to the infinite number of attacks Clara can make, limited only by the number of attacks the enemy can land on her. Every single time Clara uses her Follow-up, March gains a charge.

Yunli is in the same boat as Clara for March, providing the same rewards and limitations on attacks.

Robin is a universal support, but buffs Follow-up attack comps more than others thanks to their attack frequencies. With Robin's Ultimate active, all of March 7th's attacks become threatening to the enemy, allowing her (and everyone else on her team) to dish out considerably more damage than normal. Also, 100% Advance Forward is a godsent for March.

Aventurine is highly versatile and can be included in any team composition, thanks to his powerful shielding, which significantly benefits March 7th. In teams that don't focus on Follow-up attacks, Aventurine becomes the optimal target for March's Shifu. Since Aventurine frequently uses Basic and Follow-up attacks, March continues to benefit from her Talent's Follow-up effect, while Aventurine gains a charge from her Follow-up attack. This synergy pairs March and Aventurine in virtually any team without sacrificing their effectiveness

Best Lightcone for March 7th Hunt in Honkai: Star Rail

March 7th has a few strong options in terms of Lightcone choice. Her best Lightcone is In the Night, which is Seele's signature. It provides her with a massive boost to CRIT Rate, and further provides DMG scaling for her Basic Attacks via SPD (Speed).

Another solid option for March 7th is Worrisome, Blissful, which is Topaz's signature cone. It provides March with an equally large boost to CRIT Rate, while also considerably boosting the DMG of her Follow-up attack. Most importantly, when March uses her Follow-up with this Lightcone equip, she will apply the Tame debuff on targets hit, allowing her allies to deal more CRIT DMG to targets afflicted.

The post Best March 7th Hunt build in Honkai: Star Rail appeared first on Destructoid.

Zelda's solo adventure in Echoes of Wisdom looks ever more exciting as a new trailer showcases the areas she'll explore. Like Link, it has been confirmed she'll be exploring the world by horse travel as well.

Multiple towns and biomes have been featured in a new The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom trailer uploaded Monday. It shows the castle town of Hyrule, the hot Gerudo Desert, the scenic Jabul Waters, the green Faron Wetlands, as well as Kakariko Village near Eldin Volcano.

The Echoes of Wisdom trailer also teases the conflict between the Sea Zora and the RIver Zora, which Zelda will likely help resolve during her journey.

Zelda rides a horse in Echoes of Wisdom

In addition to showing off the stunning world that Echoes of Wisdom offers, the trailer also confirms horse travel and side quests. While not as epic as Epona, this creature will help Zelda travel across Hyrule at a much faster pace. You'll be able to gallop over weaker enemies and jump over small obstacles like small hills and gates. To summon your horse, you'll need to make an echo (copy) of a carrot. The carrot will then fetch the horse over.

If you don't know already, one of the main mechanics of Echoes of Wisdom is that Zelda can make a copy of almost anything in the game to help her.

The ingredients you collect throughout Hyrule can also be created into smoothies. Nintendo didn't go into detail about this feature in the trailer but said, "Smoothies have different effects based on the ingredients you choose." Outfits and accessories will enhance your abilities as well like an increased swimming speed with Zora's flippers. Zelda's outfit will change in-game according to what you have equipped too.

Another new mechanic was showcased in the trailer called the Bind ability. With bigger objects like boulders, you can use the bind ability to move them out of the way as Zelda walks around. Bind will also help you get buried treasure. Reverse bond is also introduced in the trailer, letting you move with a currently shifting platform or creature like a flying bird. This Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom trailer has certainly intrigued this casual fan of the series.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launches for the Nintendo Switch on September 26, 2024. It's certainly going to be the most unique Zelda game on Switch.

The post New Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom trailer shows off its Hyrule, and an adorable horse appeared first on Destructoid.

Once Human has a built-in survival guide to clarify many of its varied, and sometimes confusing, mechanics. But even after reading the entry on fishing, new players might still feel unenlightened. It seems simple enough, but once you get your hands on a fishing pole, you might find that the question remains: how do you actually fish in Once Human?

Fishing in Once Human

Get yourself a fishing pole

This is the simplest step, as you’ll probably already have the mats required. Go to the Supplies Workbench, where you can craft your own fishing rod almost right away. You just need 20 Logs and 10 Copper Ingots.

Make or buy fishing bait

Hopefully, as you’ve run around Once Human's post-apocalyptic, Stardust-polluted world, you’ve picked every bit of corn you came across. At the Supplies Workbench, you can make 1 Dough Fish Bait using 1 Corn.

If you’ve made it to Meyer’s Market, the second zone in Once Human, you can also buy bait. There are docks on the south side of the settlement, where a lady named Margerie sells Bait for 50 Energy Links, as well as Formula: Bait so you can learn how to make your own at the Supplies Workbench for 3 Rubber.

During fishing events, Margerie also sells other types of bait, and you’ll find vendors with different stock as you progress further into the world. Upgrading your Cradle will also unlock better bait recipes and fishing poles.

How to catch fish

Drag your newly crafted fishing pole to the hotbar, then find yourself a body of water big enough to house fish. Hit the hotkey to equip your fishing pole and press R to open the bait menu. Every fish you hook, whether it’s successfully caught or escapes, uses one Bait, so make sure you have plenty.

Bait selected, hold down the left mouse button. Just clicking the mouse button will give you an error message that you “cannot fish here.” Some players (not me) will believe the message and run around to different water holes, trying to fish and growing increasingly frustrated. So, hold down LMB.

A green circle indicates where you’ll cast your line; it turns red if you’re over a non-fishable area. Move the circle to an ideal location and release LMB to start fishing.

Once you cast your line, two new indicators appear on the screen. The one in the bottom center represents the fishhook’s location on the water’s surface. Once it bobs downward and the icon turns blue, click and hold LMB to begin reeling in your fish. You only have five seconds to click, or the fish will get away.

The indicator on the right side of the screen shows two gauges: Escaped vs. Hooked and Break vs. Slack. You want the Escaped/Hooked bar to fill up; the Break/Slack bar will ideally remain in the middle. If this second bar empties, the fish escapes.

To successfully reel in a fish, rotate the camera in the direction opposite to the way the fish is swimming. Then hit F to take it off the line.

What to do with caught fish

Fish decays over time, like other perishable foods in Once Human. At the beginning of the game, you’ll have a basic recipe to grill it up on the Stove, but it will still go bad in 24 hours. To preserve it, you can dry it out with Salt on the Meat Drier or keep it cool in the Refrigerator once you’ve unlocked those facilities.

Other uses for fish include:

• Put one in a Fish Tank (Cradle > Building > Display Facilities)
• Use special catches as currency at certain vendors like Margerie
• Make melee weapons with certain species

Now that you know how to fish, you have a readily available food supply as you combat the Stardust pollution in Once Human and work to heal the land.

The post How to fish in Once Human appeared first on Destructoid.

For a franchise based mostly on mobile devices, Plants vs Zombies has been running strong for the better part of the last two decades.

Since appearing first in 2009, the PvZ series has been a staple for lovers of tower defense games. With the emergence of more powerful hardware, EA has experimented more with the main franchise. While Plants vs Zombies 3 is yet to go live globally, let's look at how the rest of the fully-released titles hold amongst each other.

Disclaimer: This only includes full releases and games that are available worldwide.

7. Plants vs Zombies: Adventures

This is possibly the only game in the series I don't miss playing. First, you had to log into social media, as the game was a Facebook exclusive. Like the plethora of browser-based games that were popular on Facebook, Adventures did alright.

The main objective was to raise and grow your plants and then use them to defend the vehicles. There was even a bit of PvP in the Brainball mode. However, Plants vs Zombies Adventures never had the depth and complexity of the main franchise and was shut down in 2014.

6. Plans vs Zombies: Garden Warfare

Garden Warfare was the franchise's first big ticket spin-off, and the decision to branch out from the old formula bore dividends. The game switched away from being a typical tower defense title, and fans instead had a third-person shooter on their hands. Players could choose different classes from both Plants and Zombies, and each had its own set of strengths and weaknesses.

With Garden Warfare, PopCap aimed to appeal to a larger audience, especially to those who love shooters. The shift away from tower defense to squad-based shooting action across PvP and co-op modes showcased the developers' intentions. The core gameplay was simple—a team-based shooter where you control classes from either faction and level them up. After completing the levels, you could unlock different customization items to personalize the characters.

While there are few complaints you could have about Garden Warfare's gameplay, both Battle for Neighborville and Garden Warfare 2 have more content to offer.

5. Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville

While Battle for Neighborville has plenty of similarities with Garden Warfare, I loved the subtle differences offered by the gameplay. Yes, it's another third-person shooter with the same core formula as Garden Warfare.

However, this entry has more classes than both Garden Warfare 1 and 2 and offers more game modes as well.
In fact, the classes were classified into four sub-groups, offering more specialization during matchmaking. While there's a strong emphasis on PvE modes, Battle for Neighborville has certain PvE zones as well (where you can find different rewards). There's also local split-screen support if you and your friend want to play on the same system.

Battle for Neighborville is visually more appealing than Garden Warfare 2. However, it has to cover some more miles if it wants to outdo Garden Warfare 2's legacy.

4. Plants vs Zombies: Heroes

The positions of Heroes and Garden Warfare 2 could be altered because the former is one of the most unique PvZ games of all time. With Heroes, EA attempted to develop a CCG, and the game has plenty of fans despite being available exclusively on mobiles. You get to pick cards from both factions and new special items are released routinely to keep the decks fresh. The presence of single-player and multiplayer allows you to play the game at your own pace.

Heroes isn't a revolutionary CCG - it does what you expect a digital card collector to do. But it's not just a mere Hearthstone meets PvZ, as the different game modes and general content add their personalities. It's a very different product than anything else that has been released as part of the franchise.

3. Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2

Garden Warfare 2 is a notable upgrade over its predecessor, and introducing new classes is a world of good for those who loved Garden Warfare. Once again, you can pick characters from both factions, but with more choices. The same can be said about the modes, and you can play co-op or PvP. The broader categories can be further subdivided into many modes, including new ones like Graveyard Ops, Herbal Assault, and more.

The sequel feels more up-to-date in terms of presentation, and the new classes and maps help keep interest high. While the core gameplay is still focused on squad-based action, the new modes make everything much more engaging. It's a definite upgrade over Garden Warfare visually and gameplay-wise, and there are still hours of fun to have from it in 2024.

2. Plants vs Zombies

The OG of the entire franchise, Plants vs Zombies is where it all started in 2009. PvZ's introduction as a great tower defense title on mobile devices was remarkable back then. Its premise is simple: plant some plants that can gather sun and shoot bullets, to gradually hold out against the oncoming zombie horde. The game's success led to launches on other platforms like PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. While the core gameplay was simple, a wide variety of plants and deep reliance on real-time strategizing captivated many.

While some would rate it on top, I just feel that the sequel has better content (as long as you can look past microtransactions).

1. Plants vs Zombies 2

The PvZ franchise knows how to make sequels, and Plants vs Zombies 2 is the biggest testament to that. The second game received new additions to both factions, and it's available on multiple platforms (I have always preferred playing on my phone). While the core gameplay remained the same, adding Plant Food to charge up the plants felt innovative.

While both mainline titles are good, the second game will feel better regarding gameplay and presentation to someone playing in 2024. But do note that the second title, unlike the one released in 2009, does offer microtransactions.

The post Best Plants vs Zombies games, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

August 5 was EA FC 25's big deep dive into the Ultimate Team mode, but the presentation focused mostly on a new game mode coming this year.

It's no secret that EA Sports is optimistic about the Rush game mode, which will be implemented in Ultimate Team (along with FC Clubs and Career Mode). While Ultimate Team has plenty of finer elements that the developers could have showcased, the audience mostly got an explanation of how Rush will work. It's pretty obvious that Rush, being an upcoming addition to Ultimate Team, got so much attention. But that meant not seeing other pieces of the mode, some of which have been core parts of Ultimate Team over the years.

EA FC 25 Ultimate Team deep dive could have had more details

Tonight was the shortest presentation in terms of length. EA Sports opened the deep dive with a detailed explanation of the Rush mode—things that the public already knows. The new mode does look fun, and it is a welcome change from the competitiveness that surrounds Division Rivals and Champions Finals. However, almost all the information about Rush has been explained previously.

The Rush mode will also have rewards, and as per the developers, it will have more objectives related to it. It's understandable that the developers are excited about it, but Ultimate Team requires a lot of changes. In fact, Evolutions will undergo a big change, yet EA Sports managed to push it under the radar.

We have also seen such announcements about Moments in the past. Two games later, nobody bothers grinding Moments, and the lack of fresh content makes things worse. Hopefully, Rush won't meet the same fate in Ultimate Team, especially when players will invest time in Division Rivals, Friendlies, Champions Finals, and other modes.

There was zero information about modes like Squad Battles and Champions Finals. Both modes could do with improvements in some areas, but EA Sports had no mention of them in today's deep dive (despite Champions Finals being the most popular mode in Ultimate Team).

EA FC 25 Ultimate Team will get improvements

Ultimate Team will undergo some major improvements. For starters, relegation in Division Rivals will help players drop down to a level that matches their skills. You can also get weekly rewards based on total points instead of solely relying on wins.

Evolutions will be much more accessible, which is a big win for the community. The change of matchmaking in Friendlies from the existing system in EA FC 24 would also make them more interesting (although, the community might end up exploiting it).

Hopefully, EA Sports won't forget about the other modes after launch in favor of Rush. Putting all the eggs in one basket has seldom worked for any video game, and when it comes to Ultimate Team, improvements are definitely required in several departments.

The post EA FC 25’s Ultimate Team Deep Dive makes it clear that Rush is the push this year appeared first on Destructoid.

With the launch of the Beta Playtest for the mech-centric PvPvE title Mecha BREAK, we're quickly realizing just how much of a difference there is between the 13 different mechs. We've put together this Mecha BREAK Tier List to order the raw power potential of each of the Mechs available in the Beta Playtest.

Mecha BREAK Mech Tier List

While every Mech in Mecha Break has its uses, some are certainly overall more stronger than others. However, as this is an early Beta Playtest, it's very likely that the mechs will continue to receive balancing tuning ahead of release. As such, this Mech Tier List for Mecha Break is based purely off of the state of the beta playtest.

All mechs in the S Tier category are very strong and versatile, and always a solid option for any battle on any map in any mode in Mecha Break. Those in the A Tier are overall strong as well and should be able to hold up in every scenario, but may be weaker than an S Tier counterpart. The mechs in the B Tier have specific uses that make them advantageous in certain scenarios, but overall not as versatile as those in the S or A Tier. Finally, the lone mech in the C Tier, Falcon, is a bit under tuned at the moment and needs a little bit of lover to be considered a competitive option compared to the other mechs.

Using this Tier List, you can choose which Mechs you want to focus on farming currency for in order to unlock them. Of course, be sure to pick a mech that fits with your playstyle so make sure you're having fun! Here is our Mech Tier List:

S Tier

• Aquila
• Hurricane
• Panther
• Stego

A Tier

• Luminae
• Pinaka
• Skyraider
• Welkin

B Tier

• Alysnes
• Inferno
• Narukami
• Tricera

C Tier

• Falcon

The post Mecha BREAK Tier List for all Mechs in Beta Playtest appeared first on Destructoid.

The Ever Banega FUTTIES SBC is now live in EA FC 24 Ultimate Team, and you can complete the challenge to add a new promo card to your squad.

Banega becomes the latest entrant to the FUTTIES promo. Since he's part of an SBC, all players have an equal chance to get the card. Let's take a look at how you can unlock the item, and if you should complete the challenge at all.

EA FC 24 Ever Banega FUTTIES SBC tasks

The Ever Banega FUTTIES SBC is a beginner-friendly challenge in EA FC 24. There's just one task to complete in order to unlock the card. There are certain conditions that have to be met during squad submission.

Task - Ever Banega FUTTIES

• Min. 1 Players from: Argentina
• Min. Team Rating: 86

EA FC 24 Ever Banega FUTTIES SBC solutions

Here's the solution to complete the Ever Banega FUTTIES SBC in EA FC 24.

Task - Ever Banega FUTTIES

• Fabinho 84
• Gabriel Megalhaes 84
• Dani Parejo 86
• Gregor Kobel 87
• Niklas Sule 84
• Ewa Pajor 87
• Thomas Muller 84
• Luka Modric 87
• Romelu Lukaku 84
• Leroy Sane 84
• Lautaro Martinez 87

The Banega FUTTIES version has one shortcoming - the lack of pace. 85 Pace is decent, but it's the endgame now, and you need midfielders with at least 90 Speed. The item has four excellent playstyles+, including Incisive Pass and Pinged Pass. The 5* Weak Foot is a bonus, while Anticipate+ allows the card to be used in a defensive role to an extent.

Don't expect god-like things from the FUTTIES version of Banega - it's a good card meant for beginners.

The post EA FC 24: How to complete Ever Banega FUTTIES SBC appeared first on Destructoid.

We're just a few weeks away from the launch of developer Massive Entertainment and publisher Ubisoft's open-world action-adventure game Star Wars Outlaws. In a post on the official Ubisoft blog, the publisher outlined the post-release content roadmap for Outlaws, detailing what is to come in the Season Pass which includes two Story Packs, two Cosmetic Bundles, and a launch day exclusive mission and character pack.

Not so Far Far Away

Players who purchase the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition of Star Wars Outlaws will automatically get the Season Pass, which includes the Kessel Runner character pack featuring outfits for Kay Vess and her companion Nix, as well as an exclusive mission called Jabba's Gambit. The mission gives access to an additional quest from the notorious Jabba Hutt and his Hutt Cartel. Both of these are available when Star Wars Outlaws is released.

The first Story Pack, Wild Card, is set to release in Fall 2024. Players will infiltrate a high-stakes Sabacc tournament as Kay before encountering notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, before evolving into a bigger game at play. The Hunter's Legacy and Cartel Ronin cosmetic bundles will launch alongside this story pack, including additional outfits for Kay and Nix as well as cosmetics for Kay's speeder and ship.

In Spring 2025 the second Story Pack, A Pirate's Fortune, will follow Kay as he runs into veteran pirate Hondo Ohnaka, who is attempting to settle old scores with a ruthless gang of pirates.

Both of the Story Packs sound promising in terms of story, so hopefully the core gameplay of Star Wars Outlaws is enough to make the DLC feel worth exploring. We'll know for sure soon as Star Wars Outlaws is set to release on all platforms later this month on August 30.

The post Start Wars Outlaws Post-Launch Roadmap includes two Story Packs appeared first on Destructoid.

We've known for some time now that things are going to meaningfully change for Destiny 2 in Year 11, with the start of what is currently known as Frontiers. A recent leak, however, alleges some hugely unpopular changes for Destiny 2's content model, and players are already skeptical of it.

These leaks about Destiny 2 came about very recently, alleging that Bungie is moving the game away from the current model (one yearly DLC with 3-4 seasons/episodes) to something lighter and easier to maintain. It would purportedly consist of two smaller DLCs and two seasons per year, with a lessened focus on narrative progression in lieu of activities, loot, and pure gameplay. This is too little information to go on - even if it is true - but the players are already a fair bit worried about what it might mean about Destiny's future.

If the leaked plans for Destiny 2 are true, players won't be happy about it

The biggest source of concern for the community is the leaker's claim that there will be no more "week-to-week story beats or story released all at once." Instead, we'd be getting only "one intro mission explaining the 'why' of the Season. That's it," they claim. "Only thing other than that is traditional character banter throughout the [seasonal] activity." A non-insignificant number of players are extremely unhappy about this potentially being true.

Some players, specifically, believe that Bungie is attempting to turn Destiny 2 into a "lobby simulator" such as Fortnite and/or Apex Legends. This, presumably, refers to the fact that these games don't put any meaningful emphasis on their lore and story development, opting instead to go all-in on gameplay. It's not a decision without practical merit, to be sure, as keeping the Destiny story going is no mean feat. Yet, the story was a crucial reason as to why some players kept coming back to the game in the first place. I, myself, find the leaks worrying, if they're true.

It is, perhaps, surprising just how many Destiny 2 players have chimed in on this thread saying that they're still playing the game almost exclusively due to the story. Then again, Bungie's had a serious knack for out-there narrative developments for decades now, from Pathways Into Darkness onwards, and there's potential here for the studio to alienate its oldest fans if Destiny 2 does end up turning into a "lobby simulator" in the end.

Now, to be perfectly fair, it wouldn't be the first time that we've seen a wildly popular Destiny 2 leak end up being a total wash in the end. Moreover, even if these leaks are all true, Bungie could end up injecting enough Grimoire-style content every season that the narrative ends up trucking along at a reasonable pace.

Personally, I feel the bigger problem is that Bungie has lost a full third of its staff very recently, including some key veteran staff such as Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy. The studio claims that this won't affect Destiny 2 in the slightest, but I find that very hard to believe. The fact of the matter is that Bungie hasn't told us virtually anything about Frontiers yet, and so it's not hard to see why the community might be worried about it, given what's been happening as of late. It's an uncertain time to be a Destiny fan, that's for sure.

The post The Destiny 2 community is worried over leaked plans for its future appeared first on Destructoid.

Destiny 2's Echoes episode is packed with new weapons, and a ton of them are worth the work to obtain them. The Aberrant Action, for example, has quickly become my favorite sidearm thanks to its Rocket Frame and great perk selection.

Alongside all the new weapons being added, some weapons have been reprised and are obtainable after a lengthy slumber. Here's how to get the Perfect Paradox shotgun in Destiny 2.

Where to get the Perfect Paradox in Destiny 2

The Perfect Paradox is available among the loot drops from Episode: Echoes activities. Upon completing things like Battlegrounds (which are also going to be the most consistent), you'll receive an array of rewards including a weapon or two from the new Episode. As of the end of Act 2, the Perfect Paradox is among these possible drops.

Alongside random drops, completing the available research quests along with the story of the current acts will unlock Engram Focusing. Among the available weapons is the Perfect Paradox, which becomes focusable upon completing all Act 2 story content. This will set you back four Echo Engrams, but with enough playtime, you should have more than enough to spare.

Perfect Paradox god roll

Since you'll be farming for the Perfect Paradox anyway, you may be wondering what the best rolls are for the weapon. The following perks should do you nicely:

• Barrel: Smallbore
• Magazine: Appended Mag
• Perk 1: Pugilist
• Perk 2: One-Two Punch

Smallbore provides the Perfect Paradox with some better range and stability, not that range is a colossal help for a shotgun. Appended Mag is merely nice for that extra bullet, especially since other mags tend not to give the same benefits. Finally, we have Pugilist and One-Two Punch, which is a god-tier combo for melee builds. The improvements toward melee energy regen and handling are too hard to pass up, only heightened with increased melee damage when hitting an enemy with the full blast. As you may have guessed already, this is a shotgun designed for Titan players and their melee-focused builds.

The post How to get the Perfect Paradox shotgun in Destiny 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Farming some of the newest weapons in Destiny 2 tends to be the main focus for most players. For those who haven't been around for ages though, getting older weapons can be nice as a way to play catch up. This is especially true for exotics earned from activities like dungeons and raids since many are among the best.

One such weapon is obtained from a specific raid that becomes easier to farm occasionally. Here's how to get the Eyes of Tomorrow rocket launcher in Destiny 2.

Where to get the Eyes of Tomorrow in Destiny 2

The Eyes of Tomorrow is a potential reward from the final encounter of the Deep Stone Crypt raid, acquired upon defeating Taniks, the Abomination. Each raid completion has a 5% chance to gift the Eyes of Tomorrow along with whatever reward you would have earned otherwise, and you earn a reward from a raid encounter completion once per character per week. In essence, you have three shots at a 5% drop per week.

However, there are ways to increase your odds substantially. During select weeks, the Deep Stone Crypt will become the rotated raid of the week, offering a Pinnacle Reward upon completing it. This makes the rewards from all encounters farmable, meaning you can spam the Deep Stone Crypt final checkpoint as many times as you want for chances at the Eyes of Tomorrow. You could do 100 clears of it if you really wanted to. On top of this, certain triumphs related to the raid will grant an increased drop chance for the Eyes of Tomorrow. You can find these under the Journey tab of your inventory.

Otherwise, it's simply a matter of continuing to complete the raid. Each completion where you don't get the Eyes of Tomorrow will increase your chances slightly, so you just need to keep at it.

Is the Eyes of Tomorrow worth using?

The Eyes of Tomorrow comes with the exotic perk Eyes on All, which causes it to fire at multiple targets at once while tracking them. Alongside this, the trait Adaptive Ordnance grants you rocket ammo back and increases the damage of the next rocket volley when killing four enemies in a single volley. While this all sounds great, heavy weapons in the current meta are meant for dealing with larger, healthier enemies like bosses. Having it focus on dealing with smaller enemies would severely hurt your DPS, but may still have its uses in certain scenarios.

The post How to get the Eyes of Tomorrow rocket launcher in Destiny 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

With the Creation Kit and Year 2 DLC already in tow, it's obvious that Starfield isn't going anywhere anytime soon. However, if you've been keeping track of its Nexus page, you may have noticed that it's not that impressive. As it turns out, Bethesda's own Creations interface might be responsible.

Historically, mainline Bethesda games have proliferated on the Nexus Mods website, where the vast majority of their respective mods were hosted and freely accessible for anyone to install. Skyrim and Fallout 4's Bethesda modding platform, Creations, were often overlooked in lieu of Nexus to the point of effective irrelevance on PC. With Starfield, however, the situation appears to be quite the opposite, as modders themselves chimed in on this Reddit thread explaining how the tides have turned.

Modders confirm: Starfield Creations is way more popular than Nexus

According to modders Nosism123, tjacayne, and Cole-train99, Creations is absolutely the place to be if you're a Starfield modder. They all responded to KrabbitNL's Reddit thread explaining that, while Nexus downloads are surprisingly low for Starfield, they're all getting way more downloads from Bethesda's official Creations platform.

The differences between Nexus and Creations are remarkable, though they do make way more sense when you consider that Creations is also available on Xbox, while Nexus is a dedicated PC platform through-and-through.

It's not that it doesn't make sense that there'd be such a stark difference between Creations and Nexus, either. It's just that it's historically unprecedented, and this is the first time that a first-party in-game modding platform has beaten Nexus proper when it comes to mainline Bethesda game mod downloads.

Now, to be perfectly fair, even though Creations is a powerful modding platform in its own right, Nexus remains the go-to spot for the modding community on PC. Notably, Creations does not have a proper forum or even a way to discuss specific mods with other users, and the Creations' implementation of Script Extender mods can be quite iffy.

To that end, PC players interested in modding Starfield will want to step out of Creations every so often, at the very least. For example, even though powerful mods such as "Ship Vendor Framework" did make their way onto Creations, the arguably more important POI randomizer "Bedlam" isn't there just yet, and there's no telling if it'll drop in anytime soon.

So, ideally, you'll be using both of these platforms anyhow, but keep in mind that Creations is the more mainstream solution for the time being. Funny, how these things sometimes work out!

The post Starfield mods may be more popular on Creations than Nexus appeared first on Destructoid.