My history with Armored Core started with the very first game on PlayStation. I was enamored by the cover the enticing giant mech on it; and kept it close while I experienced a whole slate of robot-based oddities like G-Nome, and Heavy Gear. From then on, I sought out every subsequent entry, until I finally put it together that From Software – who had also provided me with hours of entertainment with the King's Field series – was responsible for it all. By the time Demon's Souls came out the studio was a worldwide household name, but they were killing it before Souls changed the industry.

With a pedigree like that, you can see why so many people hold Armored Core in such high regard; so I'm happy to report that Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon keeps that legacy going.

[caption id="attachment_398039" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Released: August 25, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

Just so that you're current, let's take a deep dive into the Fires of Rubicon lore: Coral is a substance that leads to unprecedented technological advancements. Until it doesn't, and there's a massive fire that destroys everything. Following that, there's a recovery period populated with corps and mercs (that's you!), which is where you come in.

You're caught up! No literally, you're caught up.

That's pretty much all the background you need on Armored Core 6, as the crux of the experience lies with earning money, and buying/mixing/matching parts to form your custom-curated machine of destruction. The narrative goes in circles sometimes (especially with some of the listless pre-mission banter), but it's enough to propel you forward into more mech-based combat and keep you guessing. But really, the world of Rubicon 3 is a fascinating character in its own right. All of the biomes you'll adventure through (whether it's a product of artifice or natural beauty) are fascinating to witness, to the point where I'd definitely be interested in seeing more of this specific universe at some point.

Mission variety generally errs on the side of killing, but there are a few forked paths (in-mission) to follow on occasion, and the environments are varied enough to help funnel you into constant action. While some sandboxes are a little too corralled for my tastes, the illusion of freedom is enough, because of how dang good everything looks. On the flip side, the game's invisible barriers do help prevent mission locations from becoming pointlessly big and barren.

It really helps that Armored Core 6 is absolutely gorgeous. From Software's art department has been putting in work worthy of art books for decades, but they really outdid themselves here. One of the very first missions looked like something I haven't seen in any game this year, and helped cement the fact that this is an unforgiving universe that will crush you on a moment's notice, even if you are piloting a huge killing machine that looks like it came straight out of an anime.

[caption id="attachment_398049" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

What I like most about Armored Core 6 is how everything feels like a puzzle: from mech construction in the hangar to moment-to-moment combat in the thick of it, when you're managing your boost meter every so slightly to ensure you have enough to dodge a massive blast coming your way. The quick aerial boost system ties everything together. By pressing a button (Square on PlayStation), you can sacrifice a quick bar of boost to instantly dodge. This can be chained in numerous ways (including weaving it together through a boost dash, even in the air), but all of this finesse is governed by a boost meter.

It really is like a ballet, and you're in control of both the precise movements and the overarching song. If you like tanky builds, you can craft a giant literal tank tread mech that sacrifices maneuverability for staying power. Glass cannon builds are a cinch to create, as are speedsters who zip around and manually dodge everything the game can throw at them. Once you're done tinkering, you need to actually put your creation to the test and figure out the ins and outs of that particular build.

Boss battles are where everything really shines. The variety on offer is frankly overwhelming, from tiny little Kitfox-like creations that zoom about, to foes who can employ active camo, to gigantic monstrosities that can deal a ton of damage in a single shot. I found myself constantly on my toes, having to learn and relearn how I thought my mech worked and push it to the limit. That's exactly the kind of feeling you want in a game like this, where you get to see the fruits of your labor up close and personal.

If you're worried that Armored Core 6 will be insurmountable because you've never played an AC game before (or any mech games, for that matter), don't be. There are a number of levels that From Software has pulled to ensure that you won't be completely locked out, including a full checkpoint system. While you can go for an S-Rank and finesse missions all you want, dying right before a boss, in nearly every instance, will allow you to restart from a closeby checkpoint.

[caption id="attachment_398050" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Going a step further, you can even reconfigure your build from the garage in this checkpoint menu, which feels like a pretty big lifeline for a From Software project. For folks who have limited time to play games, this will be a Godsend, but it's also nice that you're able to repeat missions for cash or have a go at the arena (quick CPU battles). There is a PVP system (co-op is not present at all in any form), but I wasn't able to test it.

From Software also accounted for this with the timed unlock of specific mechanics. You won't be able to fully customize your mech from the start. Rather, you'll need to finish a few basic missions before you can purchase parts, customize them, and spec into specific builds (like kinetic or energy-based damage). You'll also unlock fully-constructed blueprints of mechs that you can use for testing, without fear of "screwing up a build" or overspending.

I was a bit skeptical that From Software would find a way to make Armored Core relevant again after a lengthy hiatus, but they figured it out. The spark of the series is still very much alive without giving up its soul and making it something else entirely, and a new generation will be able to appreciate why these games were so venerated. Just be ready to tinker a bit, and take some Ls.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher, and deals with the single player portion of the game.]}

The post Review: Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon appeared first on Destructoid.

Shhh. I'm trying to listen.

Namco Bandai has dropped a story trailer for From Software’s upcoming Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. Let’s watch, shall we?

https://youtu.be/Vs2piSWfofQ

Was that really super quiet to you? I had to crank all my volume levers to actually make out what the grim, passionless voice was saying.

In any case, I suppose robots fighting a big tank is a type of story. I’m not sure what it tells me about the overarching narrative of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. I suppose it conveys all the important information: big robots, skate jets, lots of guns. Then there was a person under a tarp, with a big robot creepily watching them.

While I got my start with Armored Core on PS1, I fell off the series with Armored Core 4 on PS3. I played that game a long time ago, but I vividly remember getting screamed at constantly for leaving the combat area. It’s not like there were laser walls or some kind of marker to inform me where the combat area was. I’d just strafe off to the side, and suddenly someone was threatening to cut all my systems.

Still, I'm interested in playing Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon to make up for the fact that I haven’t played the series since. Hopefully, no one shouts at me in this one. Or, at the very least, I hope someone puts up a sign to tell me where the combat area ends.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is out on August 25, 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The post Take a peek at Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon’s narrative in this new trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Everyone's favorite overseer

Good Smile Company has added another iconic video game character to its classy Figma figurine range — This time, it's the turn of the charming if unnerving overseer of The Nexus, Demon's Souls' esteemed and much-loved overseer: The Maiden in Black.

The sweet demon stands a little over six inches in height, and is sporting the trademark poseability that is a key feature of all Figma models. This allows the Maiden in Black to be posed in a variety of demure and evocative stances, bringing a sense of morose disquiet to anybody's bookshelf or work desk. The maiden comes packaged with a selection of alternate hands, as well as her huge, path-lighting torch. Three variants of her skirt are included, in order to facilitate both sitting and standing poses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThazDMOKDyY&ab_channel=MAXFACTORYCHANNEL

A rarity for the Figma format, Good Smile Co. has released a video of our girl, perhaps aware of the maiden's mammoth fan base and the likelihood that she will be one of the more popular Figmas.

If you would like to invite The Maiden in Black Figma into the warmth of your home, then you can pre-order her right now over at the official Good Smile Co. store and other import retailers. The Maiden retails for ¥12,800 (or roughly $93 USD) not including shipping or any potential custom charges. Unfortunately, it will take her a long time to make her way from The Nexus to your house, as global shipping is not expected until January 2024. Still, what a wonderful guest to ring in the new year.

Demon's Souls is available now on PS5.

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Namely, Endure, and Inescapable Frenzy

You know how the saying goes: you fix one thing, you break two more. From Software games are pretty huge, and as a result, tweaks in one patch may have rippling effects on some small part of their games. Elden Ring is one of the biggest projects they've undertaken, so another minor Elden Ring patch is a given.

Released this morning, the 1.07.1 patch chiefly deals with Endure (an Ash of War), and nerfs it, following a "greater impact on game balance than expected." Reading between the lines, the team overbuffed Endure, and allowed it to become one of the most formidable abilities in the game, tanking damage without a sweat (you can see how this played out in the video below). It also addresses Inescapable Frenzy (and an FP consumption bug).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuURHjyMy4E

As a bit of housekeeping, a few things that were brought up in the prior patch notes (1.07 - the incantation Flame of the Fell God and Gurranq's Beast Claw) aren't actually meant to be charged), so the notes themselves were edited to correctly portray the item's limitations. The incantation Black Blade will also be getting a follow-up attack when used with a left-handed loadout "in the future."

The patch is live today on all platforms.

The post Today’s Elden Ring patch fixes a few lingering problems appeared first on Destructoid.

GinoMachino managed to do it, though

The Godskin Duo can be a huge barrier for first-time Elden Ring players, but months after launch, GinoMachino (as spotted by Gamerant) managed to beat them with their bare fists.

Described as a grueling "5.5 hour fight," they do wield a shield to parry (and use abilities), but damage is being done by way of raw punches. The fortitude required to pull off a run like this is frankly insane, as they rarely lose their cool during the run. If you want to check out the whole process, GinoMachino has a Twitch channel, and has titled the run "100 Punch Man."

The Godskin Duo are a tricky boss encounter, especially going in completely blind. While there are zones you can use in the arena to your advantage, and plenty of tricks/builds you can adapt to, the sheer chaos of the fight is tough to navigate your first time through. The gist is that both enemies are coming at you

Initially, I assumed that if you defeated both of them at the same time, the encounter would end. In my first blind pre-release review playthrough, I attempted to methodically bring both of them down to roughly 10% health, then defeat both of them simultaneously. Imagine my surprise when they both revived! Oops! Once I refocused and started to figure out when to take them down (and when their second phase was advantageous to trigger), everything clicked. But to be clear, I used weapons, not fists!

Elden Ring player beats Godskin Duo with their fists:

https://twitter.com/GinoMachino/status/1578171373297754113

The post Beating Elden Ring’s Godskin Duo with just fists is as crazy as it sounds appeared first on Destructoid.

New printings of the Dark Souls: Design Works trilogy are now available from Udon

It's been a good long time since we've had a reason to bring up Dark Souls: Design Works — and it's amusing to go back and read Chris' thoughts about the art book from 2014. If you're in the mood to look at some badass dark-fantasy imagery, it's never too late. Udon Entertainment has issued reprints of the Design Works books for the whole trilogy.

The main difference with these reprints is that they sport new cover art. I'm sure some readers will prefer the original tome-like cover design, which is classy, but I'll admit that I'm a sucker for the crazed Gwyn concept art — that fiery backdrop really pops.

These hardcover books focus on concept art, key visuals, and character and monster designs, but there are interviews with From Software developers, including big boss Hidetaka Miyazaki. So if you want to see the Capra Demon up close, this is your chance.

[caption id="attachment_335188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The new covers use "production artwork."}[/caption]

Where to buy 'em

• Dark Souls: Design Works on Amazon for $33.08
• Dark Souls II: Design Works on Amazon for $44.99
• Dark Souls III: Design Works on Amazon for $44.99

At 128 pages, Dark Souls: Design Works is the lightest of the group; the scattershot Dark Souls II has 240 pages, while Dark Souls III comes out on top with 336 pages.

Remember the first time you gazed out on Irithyll of the Boreal Valley? An unforgettable sight, for sure. (Followed by an equally unforgettable gotcha moment.)

According to Udon, the three Dark Souls: Design Works books are now back in stock "while supplies last." The original printings "may still be available at some retail outlets."

If you've already been there and done that with the Dark Souls trilogy, it's worth reminding everyone that Elden Ring will be getting a pair of official guide books — the Books of Knowledge — from Future Press later this year. I'm imagining some future grandkids unearthing a whole shelf full of From Software art books in a cluttered storage unit.

The post Dark Souls: Design Works art books are back with new covers appeared first on Destructoid.

Sekiro has had a second wind lately and I'm loving it

Look, this was an easy sell for me. I'm a simple man: I see Sekiro news in 2022, even by way of fan-created content, and I get excited. That includes this Elden Ring Sekiro mod (with a bit of Bloodborne), which addresses one crucial mechanical aspect: rolling/dodging.

Created by nmsl2018, the mod's concept is very easy to grasp, but it has a whopper of a name: "replace light roll animation with Sekiro step and medium roll with Bloodborne step." The title says it all! It literally removes the light roll from the game and replaces it with the Sekiro quickstep, and the medium roll (which most players are likely working with) is now a Bloodborne sidestep. In other words, combat is going to flow a lot differently with a different dodge animation/mechanic.

So Bloodborne always gets a ton of praise, but you gotta love seeing anything mention Sekiro in 2022. Anecdotally, I've heard of a lot of people getting either back into Sekiro or playing it for the first time after folks have finished Elden Ring, which is fantastic. It never really got the same amount of coverage or any significant post-launch content, but it'll go down in history as an action classic.

Consider this an extra positive review, on top of our review! While it might not be the ideal candidate for a "first From Software game," it forges its own path and differentiates itself from the rest of the pack in a big way.

The post This light Elden Ring mod replaces rolling with Sekiro and Bloodborne sidesteps appeared first on Destructoid.

Patch 1.05 is live

There's some new Elden Ring quality of life features afoot, courtesy of patch 1.05, which just dropped this week.

One big change? Bell Bearings (items that let you buy new items from shops after being turned in) will carry over to New Game+ runs. It sounds small, but it's a really nice change that streamlines multiple playthroughs. In short, you only need to find those items one time and they'll augment all future playthroughs: rather than go through the tediousness of doing them over and over.

The team also shored up information via in-game menus, and added sound effects when other summon signs pop up. On PC, several Elden Ring quality of life features have been added, including a "return to desktop" option that was inexplicably missing day one. Mouse and keyboard detection is also smoother overall in several respects. As someone who played through their first run on PC, these are appreciated, and keep going!

You can find the "general" and PC-centric bits of the changelog below. For all the granular info on bugs and the like that may or may not be impacting you; make sure you read the whole thing on Bandai Namco's site. It's live on all platforms (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X) now.

Additional Elden Ring quality of life elements in patch 1.05

• In transactions with the NPC "Twin Maiden Husk", the following Bell Bearing items have been changed so that their liberated status will be carried over to the NG+ play.
• Bone Peddler's Bell Bearing/Meat Peddler's Bell Bearing/Medicine Peddler's Bell Bearing/Gravity Stone Peddler's Bell Bearing/Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing/Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing/Glovewort Picker's Bell Bearing/Ghost-Glovewort Picker's Bell Bearing
• Added emphasis to the choice of the Sacred Flask and several other options that can be strengthened in the grace menu
• Added sound effects when other players' summon signs appear

Additions and modifications for PC version only

• Added keyboard/mouse operations that can be input in "PRESS ANY BUTTON" on the title screen.
• Added "Return to Desktop" to the system item on the main menu for exiting the game.
• Changed so that mouse click input is not reflected when switching windows to active.
• Fixed a bug that slowed performance when changing "Screen Mode" and "Resolution" in a special procedure.

The post The new Elden Ring patch adds some key quality of life features appeared first on Destructoid.

Visual spoilers

If you haven't seen this Elden Ring boss size comparison video yet, it's definitely worth a watch. After you've finished the game, of course!

If you've been avoiding spoilers, here's a text shield! Also I made sure the header image just featured what basically amount to regular enemies, and not major bosses. In any case, the video just walks by lifeless models of the bosses, and no fights are shown until the very end.

Crafted by the Garden of Eyes YouTube channel, this one came across my desk thanks to a reader, and despite the fact that it came out in May, it still holds up as an evergreen testament to just how ridiculously large some of the bosses in Elden Ring are. Clocking in at just over eight minutes long, the video takes a player character across a boss plane, with every major enemy model on display in a line.

It starts at what amounts to minibosses (beefed-up regular enemies that double as crypt encounters), then quickly escalates from there. What's fascinating is that I distinctly remember each and every one of these battles, but I had no idea that, say, a Godskin enemy was taller than a lot of other bosses in the game. The big shocker though? Seeing how big Elder Dragon Greyoll (that thing you don't really fight so much as kill as it lays on the ground) really is.

Like all Elden Ring videos, this just makes me want to play it again — but having played once more even after getting the platinum, I think I'll focus on other games for a while!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33qNxr24DIg

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I'm still in spoiler mode for now

Even though tons of people have played Elden Ring, I'm still in spoiler mode. So consider this a warning, as famed From Software director Hidetaka Miyazaki just shared his favorite Elden Ring boss with everyone today, and we're going to talk about it!

Thanks to an interview from Xbox Wire, straight from Miyazaki's mouth, we know that his favorite boss is Starscourge Radahn, or just "Radahn." I can see why!

Radahn made a huge impact on me when I was playing, to the point where, once the game was fully out, I told our own Jordan Devore "there's a boss in the game that is unlike any other from the SekiSoulsBornes, you'll know it when you see it." Miyazaki says that he loves the whole vibe with Radahn, that it's centered around a festival, and the juxtaposition of the loneliness of the character and the upbeat nature of the festival itself. The concept of a melancholy celebration sounds like an extremely Miyazaki thing.

He says that if he had to pick a runner-up, it would be Godrick the Grafted (one of the first bosses you can fight) or Rykard Lord of Blasphemy (the snake). Both great choices! I mean, if you ask any 100 people what their favorite EldenSekiSoulsBorne boss is, you're going to get an array of answers. Well, possibly zero votes for the Fire Giant, but an array nonetheless!

The post Miyazaki shares his favorite Elden Ring boss appeared first on Destructoid.

A useful Elden Ring summon mod

Another Elden Ring summon mod is ready to go, but this one is fairly comprehensive in that it allows an array of characters to do your bidding.

Created by satoshi98, this wildly successful mod has roughly 17,000 downloads at the time of publication, and allows you to summon a wide array of characters to do your bidding. That includes story NPCs, as well as straight-up bosses: like late-game bosses, a few of which are the toughest Elden Ring has to offer.

Obviously balance isn't really a concern here, it's more of a fun little thing you can do on a subsequent run for fluff/lore reasons. Suffice to say I won't put the gallery below for spoiler-related reasons, but a few of these match-ups would actually make sense from a story perspective. There's a few alterations that were made to get some of the non-combat characters working, but the bosses are fairly close to what you'd see normally.

The creation of this mod came about when the modder decided that they "wanted to travel with a follower in tow," a la Skyrim, so they crafted the ability to do so for themselves. In order to utilize the mod's summoning capabilities, you'll basically just purchase the ability to summon each character.

Note that there might be issues with the mod (which is not exclusive to this particular package) if you have a version 1.03.3 save file. The full instructions for how to prevent and fix this are in the Q&A section at the bottom of the landing page.

The post This Elden Ring mod lets you summon the very bosses that gave you a hard time appeared first on Destructoid.

Oh, and without a horse, or running even

Beating Elden Ring without rolling is impressive. Beating it without jumping is impressive too. And same for running. Or using a horse. How about we add all that together into one run? That's just what Iron Pineapple did.

Assisted by the "max equipment load" mechanic, they were thankfully able to curb any accidental rolls, jumps, or runs. So as most players know, there's three "weight states" in most Souls games. But you can actually go beyond that with "overloaded," which prevents running, dodging, and jumping: on top of a stamina penalty. I'm got massive Dark Souls III without walking vibes from this run.

I'll break down this particular challenge below, but note some minor spoilers (mainly names):

Here's how the Elden Ring without rolling run went:

• They chose the Vagabond class as they had a great starting stat spread for the run.
• To instantly push themselves past the equipment load (which isn't possible immediately), they edited two heavy weapons into their save, but didn't use them.
• Iron Pineapple decided early to not use the horse at all as an extra challenge (unless it was "necessary to progress"), despite it "not breaking the rules" of the original intent of the run.
• It took them five tries to clear the first boss, mainly due to a stage two snag.
• They took the side entrance around the castle, then found out they needed to jump to use it, so they ended up using the tough main entrance.
• After downing the second boss, they got the Green Turtle Talisman to help with the stamina issue.
• They picked up both sides of this medallion to sleaze into the Caelid castle, which had a ton of enemy fire at the front gate that was hard to avoid without running or rolling.
• Then they grabbed the gold needle and finished that questline by cheesing the sideboss with poison arrows.
• To beat the main Caelid region boss, they used the "quickstep" ability from a dagger, then cheesed the boss.
• The Greatshield Talisman helped their run greatly, which they picked up by walking up the back of a carriage on the side of it.
• They walked up the dragon wing and were able to reach the next set of bosses in the capital without issue (and without having to jump), surprisingly: then used scarlet rot arrows to seal the deal.
• Afterward, they went beneath the capital to try and secure the Fingerprint Stone Shield, but weren't able to get it without jumping; and needed to use the horse one time to briefly jump to enter the next zone (both of which were later neutralized by using the ground slam ability, more on that in a moment).
• To beat the big snow boss (of which phase two was "pure pain"), they went on a detour to get the Bull-Goat armor, and used scarlet rot arrows to assist in the kill, as well as summoning Alexander when phase two started.
• Taking on the dual boss fight, they used the classic sleep arrow strategy.
• Following that, they used to used the ground slam ability to slightly jump off the ground to reach a required critical path ledge [and went back to get the Fingerprint Stone Shield].
• From there, the Fingerprint shield made the run much easier, given how powerful it is: they beat the next boss with warming stones to counteract the blood health drain.
• The last four bosses were finished in quick succession, using the Fingerprint shield, the Great Stars great hammer, and the Prayerful Strike ash of war [Quickstep was used on the final boss].
• To show off, they cleared the infamous optional boss.

As usual, Iron Pineapple's commentary adds a new layer to the challenge itself. They point out that there's actually a soft "recovery roll" when you're knocked down (by tapping dodge), which isn't technically a roll roll. Blocking is absolutely key in this run. Note that without those sweet dodge roll iFrames you literally cannot avoid some attacks, and in many cases, you can't even backtrack/retreat to drink a potion: so you have to chug-tank and basically pray. Using a bow to pick off enemies was also crucial in swarm situations.

If you want to check out the entire video below, it's only 35 minutes: most of the fluff/walking is edited out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LjwkTx--O8&t=702s

The post Iron Pineapple beat Elden Ring without rolling or jumping, here’s how they did it appeared first on Destructoid.

Spoiler names below, but no story specifics

So I'm still erring on the side of caution here with Elden Ring. Odds are you've seen the "Let Me Solo Her" story floating around the community, but maybe you don't know some of the specifics and intend to play the game completely blind. If you're still doing that, avoid the below story on the new Elden Ring boss update!

Straight from Bandai Namco's website, there are some new patch notes to acclimate to, which the publisher is calling version "1.04.1" at the moment:

• Fixed a bug in which the effect duration of the Cerulean Hidden Tear was revised downward.
• Fixed a bug with Malenia, Blade of Miquella in which her HP was not healed correctly in the online multiplayer environment.
• Fixed a bug that caused some bosses to die at unintended times.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the boss "Elden Beast" from working properly under certain circumstances.
• Fixed some texts.

The first one is relatively minor but needed fixing anyway. The Cerulean Hidden Tear getting "revised downward" was actually a nerf. The effect of the item is "eliminates all FP consumption [for 15 seconds]," and it was "revised downward" to seven seconds. It's reverted now, in theory.

The "big two" and the Elden Ring boss update portions are Malenia and Elden Beast. For the former, a recent patch actually made this infamous boss tougher, as she could heal even if she didn't hit you with her attacks (this is what "HP was not healed correctly" means) — but only when playing with other players. The latter has been bugged in some conditions for many players, including freezing bouts: which should also be fixed.

Hopefully future patches will sidestep having to fix bugs from prior patches going forward. Take your time.

The post The new Elden Ring update tweaks several bosses appeared first on Destructoid.

I'd mod a lot more summons than this

The Elden Ring spirit ashes summon system is fantastic, and now you can add another one to the pile with a Let Me Solo Her mod.

As a reminder, "Let Me Solo Her" is a player who recently went down in Elden Ring history for helping players with one of the toughest optional bosses in the game, which you can read about in full spoilery fashion here. Apparently they attempted the boss over 200 times (with summons), and after succeeding, they decided to pay it forward and help everyone else clear it: with a memorable getup and loadout to boot.

They are now immortalized in mod form, which was created by the Garden of Eyes Patreon, and shared below in video form (note the spoilers in the video for several endgame bosses!). True to form, the Let Me Solo Her mod NPC summon uses dual katanas (rivers of blood +9 is the key in the player build), and can take on bosses on their own.

Again, the spirit ash summon system in Elden Ring is fantastic, and the fact that this framework is even here for a mod like this to exist is stunning. I love how you can play the game completely solo as usual, and summon the occasional helper if you want — and customize/level them up to your liking. It adds a whole new level of build adaptation to the From Software formula.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS2NwcL0tkQ

The post Elden Ring legend Let Me Solo Her is now a summon mod appeared first on Destructoid.

I'd legit play a mod of this

If you haven't checked out the YouTube channel Flurdeh yet, you probably should. Described as a "love letter to video games," the channel explores "interesting and beautiful game worlds and scenery," showcasing the best of the best. That includes this Elden Ring tilt shift perspective video below (via ResetEra).

Straight from the creator, Tiny Game Worlds is "all about seeing the scenery and worlds of video games from a completely different perspective, using techniques like and similar to Tilt Shift in video games to make the world appear smaller." But in this particular case they thought it would be interesting to use a tilt shift perspective to show a bird's eye view of the action, focusing on a few key areas of the game.

It's incredible how different it all looks, despite knowing these zones like the back of my hand at this point following three playthroughs and a Platinum. The framerate and how it looks in motion is arguably the most interesting part, and really brings me back to my days playing tons of old school isometric ARPGs and CRPGs.

Straight up, it wouldn't take a whole lot to just transform this game into an isometric adventure: the world and the lore are already there.

Elden Ring tilt shift:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ9RU7pznTs

If you haven't played Elden Ring yet, the below video (which contains minor location spoilers) showcases the actual game off, sans tilt shift.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArtrsISZNLE

The post Man, Elden Ring would make a great CRPG based off of this tilt shift appeared first on Destructoid.

The dreambrew concept looks like fun

Datamining can uncover all sorts of secrets, including this Elden Ring cut mechanic that deals entirely with booze and NPC relationships.

This past weekend, YouTuber Lance McDonald (with some help from Sekiro Dubi) put out an incredibly brief and palatable video explaining a very interesting Elden Ring cut mechanic. It mostly deals with the concept of sleep, sleeping enemies, a "dreambrew" drink item, and NPC interactions.

In short, animals used to be in a deeper state of sleep, even as late as the network test edition of the game. This deeper sleep was entwined heavily with "sleep mist," a substance that let you craft a dreambrew to give to NPCs. You could then use it to instill confidence in said NPCs with a hearty draft, and learn more information about themselves and the overall lore.

The Elden Ring cut mechanic St. Trina's Crystal Ball questline:

The whole miniature questline kicks off at what became the Stormhill Shack, where a fellow Tarnished character (Monk Jiko — fully voiced with dialogue) speaks of "dreambrew, the nectar of the demigods, once forbidden to mortals." At this point you can refuse to acquiesce, but you can turn right back around and talk to him again to accept and start the questline.

He tasks you with collecting dreams via "dream mist," through the St. Trina's Crystal Ball item. After obtaining it you can see "mist" surrounding characters and enemies that are in a "deep sleep" state. Said state is much harder to break than the current version of sleep, as even running into character models might not rouse them. After collecting two doses of dream mist [slumber fog], you can pick up one dreambrew: which you can offer to NPCs through the "talk" function.  Not only does this produce unique dialogue for even offering them a drink, it also leads to new subsequent conversations.

While I understand why any given piece of content is cut, this is a really cool discovery that would have added yet another thing to do to this giant game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IT-DPhIxX8

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Summons, do your thing

Legendary Souls-like player Iron Pineapple is at it again, this time with an Elden Ring pacifist run, with receipts. Note that this video is a truncated run-through of the entire game, which includes boss spoilers! Other than item and summon names, our recap below is spoiler-free.

Here's how they completed an Elden Ring pacifist run:

• For starters, the pacifist run includes all enemies in the game, not just boss fights. Now if enemies walked to their death of their own accord, that doesn't count, as Iron Pineapple was just not complicit in killing them. Toward the end of the run they skirt close to the line of pacifism with pushing enemies via Rejection, of their own admission.
• They used summons (specifically the fanged-imps, then the rotten stray, then the Radahn Soldiers, then the Greatshield Soldiers and a spoiler summon (which was the MVP of later bosses even after a nerf), the Ancestral Follower, and this spoilery summon, then Lhutel the Headless, then the Demi-Humans) to deal all the damage, and played a faith-based build that buffed said summons.
• They picked up the Commander's Standard from a miniboss (spoilers), which is a banner that buffs minions even further.
• To farm runes to level up, they used a clever method in this location (spoilers).
• From there, they used great heal to support their minions and party members, acquired from the same path/questline as the above rune farming, and picked up the Radagon Icon, which shortens the casting time of their incantations.
• Further upgrades include the Deathbed Dress, Blessing's Boon, and Blessing of the Erdtree.
• Iron Pineapple also openly shows/states that at least one boss was cheesed by knocking them off a cliff (a second boss that could have met this same fate was patched), and another was cheese-attempted using a very strange bug (spoiler), followed by another warp skip bug. St. Trina's Torch was used on one boss fight, which can put enemies to sleep and does zero damage.

Essentially, they served as a bard/cheerleader for their "party," who did the dirty work for them.

It was easy enough to get started with the first few bosses, as they have special NPC summons that assist you on top of the fanged-imps Iron Pineapple was using. When they swapped to the rotten stray, their aim was to proc scarlet rot: a damage over time debuff that slowly kills its prey. In the words of Iron Pineapple, all they needed to do is "sit back and watch scarlet rot finish the job." They use this method on several mid-bosses/bosses.

By the time they finished that second boss, the path to victory was even clearer. Summons get exponentially stronger in the mid-game, and with buffs, they can last a long while. While this sounds unbelievable at first glance, when looking at the raw numbers and the items they're using, it all makes sense.

They didn't get to use this extra little tip in the run, but explain in the video that the Cursed Blood Pot can be utilized to get summons to target specific enemies. The reason why they opted to avoid it is because the pot itself actually does one damage (thus voiding the pacifist run) if thrown directly at an enemy: but you can avoid that damage if you toss it at the ground and it explodes around them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKoJQhB1JAk

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No spoilers in the article, but the video is final boss footage

In What I have dubbed the "Elden Ring Soulsborne mod," content creator Garden of Eyes has managed to accrue quite the selection of heroes.

Modding in the box art avatars/armor for Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls II, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls III, they assemble a dream team to take down the final boss of Elden Ring. To quote ham-fisted publisher hype, it's like "the culmination of 13 years of lore" since the 2009 release of Demon's Souls. In mod form.

Given the sheer scope of Elden Ring, it's no wonder that folks have been creating and discovering all sorts of weird things in it for over a month now (feel old yet?). I think our own commenter Lieutenant_Scrotes (this is Destructoid!) said it best recently: "One of the things I've always appreciated about the Souls games is that depending on our build and playstyle we all tend to struggle with different bosses, it makes the whole experience more personal."

That it does!

Note again, this video contains final boss footage, and the thumbnail thankfully doesn't spoil anything. It's been a month, but we're still being pretty cautious here.

The Elden Ring Soulsborne box art hero mod:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLuHI7yBqj4

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It'll run through April 7, 2022

The 2022 Return to Yharnam annual Bloodborne community event is now underway, and will run through April 7. Hosted by the community Discord, the open-ended community-centric activity is a way to get people playing and talking about Bloodborne again for a few weeks, and as a participant: it's usually a blast.

The event is completely "play your way," in the sense that you can just boot up the game, enjoy it at your pace (for the first time, or a repeat run), and sign off. But as usual, there's a few extra things you can do to spice things up that the event runners encourage others to partake in:

• Create a brand new character and co-op and PVP whenever able
• Change your matchmaking to worldwide to interact with as many people as possible
• Leave the message "you're in the know, right?" next to the bath messengers in the hub area and upvote when possible

While Bloodborne is a fantastic game, I wish it was on more platforms. It just goes to show you the indomitable spirit of the community and the staying power of the PlayStation platform that this many people turn out for it year after year. Whatever the equivalent for Elden Ring will be: it's going to sing! That thing sold incredibly well and is on basically everything.

And can I just say: perfect timing for Return to Yharnam, right after a chunk of people have had time to play through Elden Ring. If you want more details on the Bloodborne 2022 Return to Yharnam, they're available on the community Discord.

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Give it a shot

Ever tried hitting a hidden Elden Ring wall 50 times? Well community member teristam has! It just looked so suspicious that they couldn't resist.

The wall is located in the Volcano Manor, which is roughly halfway into the game (depending on your progress, it might be earlier or later). What's particularly funny about this wall is that you can actually access the room completely normally, by walking into it via its front entrance from the main hall. There's nothing hidden about the room itself; only the tertiary hidden Elden Ring wall. And the kicker? It takes 50 swings to actually open the wall up.

This sort of discovery is enough to drive a lot of Souls-like community members mad for a week. What other walls are "50 swings deep?" And are there actual rewards behind those theoretical walls? Someone out there is going to find out, and I would count on an "all walls hit, banana controller run" by the end of the week. It's the Souls way.

Look, I've been there. There are illusory walls that look so obvious that I've slashed them every which way to Sunday to try and uncover a hidden path. Sometimes I end up finding a nearby wall! Sometimes I go on my way: because otherwise, I'd be there all day trying to force a square peg through a round hole.

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Hello hello! Exciting things are happening in the Elden Ring community this week. There was a recent patch to adjust some NPC quality of life and balance changes, but it mostly affected speedrunners (I think) so we're still on track. Today I intend to beat that dreadful snow area. Everything in the game now two-shots me, even at 40 vigor, so we have to be pretty careful and learn movesets quickly. I don't know if I can beat ER tonight, but I think I'll get close and have many learning experiences exploring the late-game area.

Are you already on NG+? Come by the stream and let me know how your run is going!

Drop by Destructoid’s Twitch channel every Friday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern to hang out.

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Look to the skies

In Elden Ring, there are a ton of little dungeons to discover and explore, and one type of those dungeons is designated as "graves." A few of them are among the most taxing zones in the game, especially if you happen upon the FringeFolk Hero's Grave early on in the game. But this little Elden Ring graves trick, discovered by the community, might make a few of those visits easier.

Although I had heard of this happening before from various streams and Reddit posts (and YouTube playthroughs), redditor Psykaitic also helped bring it into the collective consciousness this week with a little video. Although any spoilers are light and gameplay-related, this is where the "going into the game blind" party ends!

So the action takes place in the FringeFolk Hero's Grave, which is very early in the game. Like, literally right after the tutorial, you can go up some stairs, turn right, and use two Stonesword Keys to enter it (the little dragon statues). Although it can be cleared at the start, this is technically a mid-ish game grave in terms of challenge/stats, and is best tackled later on. Or you can use this trick to make it a little easier, and pick up some items along the way (even if you can't finish off the grave's boss encounter).

As you progress through the dungeon you'll find a chariot enemy chasing you down and uphill basically the entire time. Chariots one-shot most heroes with lower life pools, and are otherwise invulnerable. Except...

To take them out, just look up at these little pots in the screenshot above. Shoot them with a bow while the chariot is below them. And boom! It'll explode and you can explore to your heart's content without being under duress.

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In case you're curious how much work it entails

So this is one of the least-spoilery articles we can write about Elden Ring, and it involves a simple anecdote on the cruel nature of time itself. It took me roughly 85 hours to "platinum Elden Ring," and I'm using quotes because it's on PC. But by God it's the same thing and everyone knows what I'm talking about if I say "platinum!"

Note that 95% of this platinum was spoiler-free, guide-free, and pre-launch: so your mileage may vary, and you might be able to do it faster if you're consulting guides constantly. I was able to locate every hidden achievement encounter except for one in the solitary pre-review period, which our own Jordan Devore helped me dig up. In fact that last 5% push to platinum was due to  Jordan, and we've been sharing our findings with each other like a secret treasure hunter's club.

Amazingly, the vast majority of the weapon/spell/item achievements aren't nearly as bad to gather as past games in the series (with the right moves, you can get them all in one run). Most of them are not missable, but there are a few ones that are. You can find instructions for one of the weapons here (spoiler warning shield), and another one that was missable in my game here (spoiler warning shield); but some people are claiming the latter can still be found under certain conditions. In those two instances, I was able to get both of them in about 45 minutes of a New Game+ run (breezing through). I'm leaving out any specifics on the endings here just in case.

So all in all, if you want to platinum Elden Ring, it's more painless than a few other From Software games. Again, with very little in the way of missable content, and the ability to use save techniques to get all three endings, it's totally doable. Just set aside around 80 hours depending on your pace and be aware of the above two items.

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Graphics card problems and bugs were at the forefront

A new Elden Ring patch is out (1.02.2) for both the PC and PS5 platforms, and it addresses several bugs and major complaints.

Over on Twitter, the game's official account shared the news, and PC seems to be the bigger focus here. Patch 1.02.2 addresses "an issue where the graphics card was not being used, resulting in slow performance," which seems kind of important for a lot of builds! There's also a problem with a specific boss (I'm not naming it here, but it is named in the official patch notes below). It also fixed "other bugs," which of course is the kind of phrasing you want to see in patch notes in 2022.

On the PS5 front, the new Elden Ring patch seems to address the save game bug that folks have been talking about since launch in some form, noting: "Changes to save game progression even when the game is not terminated."

Once these issues are all fixed up, it'll be hard to find anything to complain about with Elden Ring. And as-is, they impacted some people more than others.

New Elden Ring Patch notes (1.02.2) for PC and PS5:

PC

• Fixed an issue where the graphics card was not being used, resulting in slow performance.
• Fixed a bug that caused the game to quit under certain conditions during a battle with the Fire Giant.
• Fixed other bugs.

PS5

• Changes to save game progression even when the game is not terminated.

The post The new Elden Ring patch fixes several issues on PC and PS5 appeared first on Destructoid.

Elden Ring Fit

Elden Ring, by many counts, is another successful launch for From Software. The game has been making headlines since it came out, and naturally, we're onto the "people playing a Souls-like with wacky controllers" phase. That includes a display that I am dubbing "Elden Ring Fit." You love to see it.

This particular instance is from SuperLouis_64 (who has changed their moniker to "Tarnished" in honor of the descriptor of Elden Ring's hero avatar), who is using the Ring Fit Adventure controller to navigate the game. In the below video Louis_64 is fighting the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil: one of the first "Evergoal" minibosses, who was also found in the game's beta. They kill it!

"I would greed but it's not worth it" is so relatable. Louis_64 is talking about going for the greedy "last hit" in a Souls-like, where you can finish off the boss, but nine times out of ten, it'll hit you with a combo or heavy hit and take you out instead.

You might recall that Louis_64 has been doing Ring Fit controller videos for a while, including a series on Dark Souls III.

How long until we see a "no-hit Elden Ring final boss run with a banana?"

https://twitter.com/SuperLouis_64/status/1498158662082347009

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Or, uh, just keep your controller *really still*

This is a pretty straightforward pointer for Elden Ring players on PS4/PS5, but it's one I kept pushing off for way too long. Before you forget, you may want to turn off motion controls; otherwise, you could end up accidentally performing a gesture while you're in the middle of an open-world skirmish or, worse yet, during a fully locked-in boss fight.

Much like Bloodborne before it, I have definitely died from a motion-triggered gesture gone wrong in Elden Ring. And if I can save anyone else from that fate, I'll be happy.

First off, how does this even happen?

[caption id="attachment_310158" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{On the right-hand side: the various motion-based inputs used for gesturing.}
[/caption]

In Elden Ring, you can perform motion-based gestures by holding the Triangle button while also tilting your controller in a specific direction. In theory, that's fine!

But there are times when you might hold Triangle in conjunction with the d-pad — that's how the handy Pouch shortcuts work — and this can inevitably lead to situations where you may perform a gesture when you don't mean to at the worst possible moment.

Personally, I've got my various spirit ashes (the purple AI summons) assigned to these Pouch shortcuts, so I'm holding down Triangle somewhat regularly in battles.

And, to be honest, sometimes I just like to physically move a bit when I'm in a tense fight. Somehow, gestures just happen. Picture how some people subconsciously "steer" with a gamepad in Mario Kart when they're really focused, and you get the idea.

Where to turn off motion controls in Elden Ring

[caption id="attachment_310159" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{How to turn off Motion Sensor Functions.}[/caption]

No matter your loadout or playstyle, if you want to err on the side of caution, it's probably worth disabling motion controls in Elden Ring sooner than later to be safe.

You can flip them off in the System menu — straight away in the Game Options tab, there's a toggle for Motion Sensor Functions. You don't have to be on the main menu to do this, either; the option is accessible using the Options button and it's instantaneous.

Gestures are fun in multiplayer, and they occasionally serve a gameplay purpose in Elden Ring as well, but there's a time and a place for 'em. Activate them on your terms.

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Patches are on the way to help fix some early Elden Ring woes

Elden Ring is out, and it's already become the most popular game in town. Players have been noting some issues though, especially with performance on PC. Publisher Bandai Namco has apologized for those, and is outlining the fixes on the way.

In a new update, Bandai Namco addresses the performance issues players are seeing in Elden Ring. There's already been a launch patch, addressing a few concerns. But Bandai Namco says that it's "currently experiencing some issues that are preventing the game from playing properly under some conditions." The publisher apologizes and asks for patience as it works on several items.

Those items include several PC fixes, like mouse sensitivity and issues with Easy Anti-Cheat on Steam. As far as performance on PC goes, Bandai Namco addresses performance-related issues and says it is "constantly working" to improve the game so it can be played on different PCs. The publisher also recommends updating your graphics card drivers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqiC88f9ogU

A PlayStation 5 problem is also preventing saves from being made correctly if the console unexpectedly turns off. While the PS5 save issue is being worked on, Bandai Namco suggests that until it's addressed, you should regularly exit the game.

The Elden Ring publisher is also working on "a few other" bug fixes and performance improvements.

Technical and performance issues aside, Elden Ring has had a glowing reception from players. Our own review and others have lauded its open-world approach to the Souls formula. Anecdotally, I've experienced some of these stutters and performance issues myself on PC, even with updated drivers. That hasn't really stopped me from venturing across The Lands Between to find glory, fame, adventure, and new ways to shoot fire out of my hands.

Bandai Namco's working on it, though no window's been specified for when these fixes will arrive.

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I spent forever trying to figure this out

With launch day upon us, folks are going to have some questions about Elden Ring, so we figured it was time for some very early game stuff. Note that the Elden Ring Walking Mausoleums are found as quickly as the first area, but if you want to go in fresh. Skip away!

Here's a buffer for you:

Okay, ready?

To get into the Elden Ring Walking Mausoleums, you'll need to bring them down to your level.

So for many hours (like, 30), I thought you had to run up on some mountain somewhere then jump down on them. While I'm sure we'll see plenty of videos of that as soon as today, the proper way to bring them down is to hit their feet.

You see the debris in the above image? Aim for that.

Run around the Walking Mausoleums like an AT-AT on horseback, and slash the grey rocks off. At this point enemies might be attacking you, or the monstrosity itself could be stomping down, so just be on your toes and ready to dash gallop when it raises a leg.

If you can't quite aim and hit a piece of debris, try using the other attack button (R2), or getting off your horse momentarily to knock off hard to reach areas.

Once you've cleaned off enough, the Walking Mausoleums will lower themselves to the ground and can be accessed like a normal building.

Walk around to the front, with the door, and simply go in.

Once you're there, the Elden Ring Walking Mausoleums can be used to duplicate remembrances.

If you've played the Souls series before, you'll be very familiar with this concept: they're boss souls. In Elden Ring, they can be used to "squash" into raw runes (souls) for leveling up for buying items, or you can transmute them into one of two items at the hub area (usually a weapon, or a spell).

Good luck! The Walking Mausoleums are super easy to spot, and now that you know the trick, you can bring them down.

The post How to get into the Elden Ring Walking Mausoleums (turtle towers) appeared first on Destructoid.

It's easily one of the most fun solo mechanics in a From Software game in years

Elden Ring spirit ashes are like solo co-op AI partners: it's as simple as that. But there's a few nuances as to how they actually work.

Getting Elden Ring spirit ashes:

So at the start, you can get them in one of two ways.

• From Renna the Witch. After you get the horse near one of the first rites (bonfires), go back to the Church of Elleh (the rite/checkpoint very close to the start of the game, as soon as you exit the tutorial crypt). Renna should be there and will give you the Spirit Calling Bellitem required to summon NPCs.
• If you don't find Renna (this happened to me on my first playthrough!), progress through the game and speak to the maiden at rites until you're granted access to the Roundtable Hold hub zone. From there, if you're facing the balcony, go left, then right down the hallway. Speak to the inanimate statue and get NPC summoning that way.

How Elden Ring spirit ashes work:

So you can only summon spirit ash companions in specific areas. Generally, these are around world bosses or in boss arenas (with exceptions, typically world boss arenas like gaols).

The rule is that if you're in an area with a named enemy to fight, your spirit ash item (which you have equipped to a quick slot or a d-pad slot) will "light up." This indicates that you can use it. Diving deeper, you can use them when in the proximity of a rebirth monument (a statue in the open world).

Once you do use them and they're successfully summoned, you cannot re-summon them until you rest at a site of grace (bonfire). So you can't spam NPC ally summons, even if you have the FP (MP) to do it. This is important, because some spirit ashes cost so much FP to summon that they'll actually gate you from using them if you don't have enough maximum FP to support the actual use of them.

You can buff or heal them, though, so remember that if you have a build that can cast AOE buffs.

How to upgrade Elden Ring spirit ashes:

You need to pick up Glovewort items, which are generally found in crypts.

If you find yourself heavily using NPC spirit ash summon builds, or relying on them a lot, make a point to visit crypts, and pick up everything in them, including the flowers on the ground (they usually light up).

With these crafting materials in hand, you'll be able to upgrade your summons with Roderika, the Spirit Tuner, back at the Roundtable Hold hub. She'll set up shop next to the blacksmith, Smithing Master Hewg, but first, you'll need to talk with her and Hewg several times. Look for a unique dialogue option, and keep running back and forth.

The post Here’s how Elden Ring spirit ashes (NPC summons) work appeared first on Destructoid.

Also known as 'stamps'

There are Elden Ring map markers. Enough said!

Make sure you use them to keep track of this gigantic open world.

So this is going to sound so silly, but I actually went through a full run of Elden Ring, like I'm talking 50+ hours, not realizing they existed. That's because they're tucked away and require an extra button push to bring up (X on Xbox, Square on PS5). I was so preoccupied with exploration and my build that I never noticed. On my second run, pre-review, I noticed them!

In Elden Ring, map makers are extremely useful. This can be a difficult adventure, and you're going to come across areas that are really tough that you'll want to come back to. In my first run, I was manually writing all this stuff down. It probably makes for a better story to tell (I got this one out of it!), but it's definitely not efficient.

Here are some of the ways you can use the above Elden Ring map markers creatively:

• Use the skull icon to denote a big boss enemy that possibly one-shot you, so you can go back to them later after you power up.
• Stamp areas that have high cliffs with the horse symbol, so you can return to them and try and figure out how to platform up and reach a new area.
• Use the herb symbol to denote zones with plants you may want to gather for crafting.
• Mark mines with the crystal stamp. Even if you feel like you cleared it all out for weapon materials, you can try and return to squeeze out the last few you may have missed when you just need one more to upgrade your equipment.
• Use the tree marker to showcase which trees have points of interest. While trees show up on the map, it does not show you which ones you have cleared.
• The tower/keep icon at the end can be useful to mark dungeons you haven't done yet, but have seen/entered and left.

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