And I believe it

According to Remnant 2 Principal Designer Ben Cureton, no one has seen or obtained 100% of everything the Souls-like has to offer. My 30-some hours in the game are casual numbers to some, but even still I believe this claim.

"For those that love secrets and exploring, no one has seen or obtained 100% of everything #Remnant2 has to offer," Cureton tweeted. "I'm talking about hardcore players with over 400+ hours, reviewers that had early access, even our own internal developers. No one. Remnant 2 has secrets within secrets within secrets. We made sure obtaining 100% Achievements is very player-friendly and then went far beyond that to keep the game rewarding long after you've hit that goal."

https://twitter.com/verytragic/status/1682061381141446657

Randomization probably plays a bit of a role in this

Almost everything in Remnant 2 is random. Even at the beginning of the game, the first world you adventure to is not linear. Therefore, some of the secrets in the game probably require specific parameters to be met under the right conditions. Honestly, it's one of the things that makes Remnant 2 so great. Every run is different, creating the opportunity for infinite replayability. Some of the maps also have their own unique side-zones that may hold some clues on discovering these unseen secrets.

Even though no one has seen everything just yet, I wonder how long this will hold up once the game releases. As of now, there's still a pretty small pool of players that have played.  I'm sure there will be some explorers and completionists that team up to try and hunt down everything there is to find.

Remnant 2 launches on July 25 on PC, PlayStation  5, and Xbox Series X|S. Those that pre-order the Ultimate Edition get early access and jump into the game on July 21.

The post No one has seen 100% of everything in Remnant 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Empty your pockets

Check your watches, it’s summer! And now it’s time for the PlayStation Summer Sale. It’s your chance to pick up those games that you kind of wanted, but definitely not at full price. The sale ends on August 16th.

Or maybe you just overlooked a title that wound up being a sleeper hit. Now’s a good time to circle back to it and check it out. Like, maybe you’d like to try Destructoid’s 2021 Game of the Year, Chicory: A Colorful Tale. It’s the game that Destructoid’s own Zoey “FIO!” Handley said is “going to make you breakfast and leave you to clean up the mess.” Whatever that means.

Or perhaps you somehow missed out on Destructoid’s 2022 Game of the Year, Elden Ring. This is the game that Destructoid’s own Chris “MARCO!” Carter said was “possibly my favorite From Software game yet.” High praise from our Player 1. I think the sale price is worth it just to check out the hunky Blaidd the Half Wolf.

I’ve got bad news for you, though. None of the Metal Slug games are on sale. Not one. As a way of drying your tears, here’s a handful of games I found while skimming through the sales.

Tactics Ogre: Reborn $29.99
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition $15.99
LEGO CITY Undercover $5.99
Like a Dragon: Ishin! $38.99
Guilty Gear Strive $29.99
Overcooked! All You Can Eat $17.99
Mafia: Definitive Edition $13.99
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart $29.39
Resident Evil Village $19.99
Red Dead Redemption 2 $19.79
Chicory: A Colorful Tale $13.99
Wanted: Dead $29.99
FATAL FRAME: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse $37.49
Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection $14.99
Elden Ring $41.99
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Bundle $19.99

Hopefully, that will keep you from going outside. There are people out there. If that’s not enough, you can check out the full list over here on the PlayStation Store.

The post The PlayStation Summer Sale heats up starting today appeared first on Destructoid.

New Uniques, Legendary Aspects, and more

Diablo 4's season 1, Season of the Malignant, is just around the corner. We already knew the first season planned to bring some pretty big changes, but with the Diablo 4 version 1.1.0 patch notes releasing on July 18 we can now see the full scope of the update. Alongside the release of the patch notes, you can also now download Patch 1.1.0 on all platforms. The update is 9GB on PC and 11GB on consoles.

First and foremost, six new Unique items—including one Uber Unique—and seven new Legendary Aspects are in the update. Each class will receive its own new Unique alongside the Ahavarion Spear of Lycander, a super rare drop Uber Unique Staff from World Tier 4. The staff grants you a random shrine effect for 10-20 seconds after killing an Elite enemy. This effect can only occur once every 30 seconds.

Furthermore, there are a ton of bug fixes and overall gameplay updates. There are some pretty big quality-of-life updates here including Altar of Lilith unlocks and Map discoveries being account wide. Support has been added to the PC version for the PS5 Dual Sense controller. Experience gains, gold drops, and item drops have been increased across the board.

Finally, all of the classes have had a balance check resulting in some nerfs and buffs. Most of this stuff will have to be playtested to get a full idea how the changes will play out, but at a glance it looks like a rough day to be a Rogue and a disappointing day to be a Sorcerer.

[caption id="attachment_392308" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Diablo 4 1.1.0 patch notes for July 18th update

This is a big update with a ton of patch notes. You can view the full list of patch notes here. If you want to see the exact changes, we've included them below.

New Unique Items and Legendary Aspects

New Unique items and Legendary Aspects have been discovered in Sanctuary. Use them to enhance your characters in the Eternal or Seasonal Realm. These Unique items can be obtained from World Tier IV and the Legendary Aspects can be obtained from any World Tier.

6 Unique Items

General

• Ahavarion Spear of Lycander (Uber Unique Staff – World Tier 4): Gain a random Shrine effect for 10-20 seconds after killing an Elite enemy. Can only occur once every 30 seconds.

Barbarian

• Azurewrath (Unique Sword): Lucky Hit - Your Core Skills have up to a 20% chance to Freeze enemies for 3 seconds and deal 0.75-1.5 Cold damage to them.

Druid

• Fleshrender (Unique One-Hand Mace): Debilitating Roar and Blood Howl deal 0.5-1.0 damage to Nearby Poisoned enemies.

Necromancer

• Lidless Wall (Unique Shield): Lucky Hit - While you have an active Bone Storm, hitting an enemy outside of a Bone Storm has up to a 5-25% chance to spawn an additional Bone Storm at their location. Each of your active Sacrifice bonuses increases the chance by 25% and the total number of additional Bone Storms you can have by +1.

Rogue

• Eaglehorn (Unique Bow): Penetrating Shot has a 30-80% chance to fire an arrow that bounces off walls and scenery. Hitting enemies from behind with Penetrating Shot will make them Vulnerable for 3 seconds.

Sorcerer

• The Oculus (Unique Wand): Gain the effect of the Teleport Enchantment for free. When you Evade using Teleport Enchantment, you are taken to a random location.

7 New Legendary Aspects

General

• Audacity (Utility Aspect): When there are at least 5 Close enemies, Stun them for 2-4 seconds. This can only occur once every 20 seconds.
• Craven (Mobility Aspect): You gain 20-40% increased Movement Speed when moving away from Slowed or Chilled enemies.

Barbarian

• Ancestral Charge (Offensive Aspect): Charge calls forth 4 Ancients who also Charge, dealing 50-100% of normal damage.

Druid

• Subterranean (Offensive Aspect): Poison Creeper’s active also casts Landslide in a circle around you. Earth Skills deal 10-20% increased damage to Poisoned enemies.

Necromancer

• Gore Quills (Offensive Aspect): Blood Lance will consume Blood Orbs to also conjure lances from them. Each additional Blood Lance deals 20-50% of normal damage and prioritizes targeting un-lanced enemies.

Rogue

• Pestilent Points (Offensive Aspect): Every third cast of Puncture is Poison Imbued with 100-150% of normal potency.

Sorcerer

• Searing Wards (Offensive Aspect): After spending 200-100 Mana your next Firewall is free to cast and will destroy incoming Small Missiles.

Bug Fixes

Accessibility

• Made various improvements from an accessibility perspective—primarily, many fixes to the Screen Reader where it failed to read specific elements.

Challenges

• Fixed multiple issues where specific Challenges wouldn’t provide the proper rewards or could not be completed.
• Fixed multiple issues where certain Challenges could be progressed through unintended means.
• Fixed multiple issues where players could gain progress for certain Challenges through the actions of other nearby players.
• Fixed multiple instances where activities that should count towards the criteria for some Challenges were not counted.
• Fixed an issue where players would not receive notifications for when one of their friends completed a Challenge.
• Fixed an issue where Feats of Strength were not accounted for when calculating Challenge completion percentage.
• The Feat of Strength, Final Slayer of the First Mother, now requires you to slay the Level 100 Pinnacle boss solo. The Silence is Hellish challenge remains unchanged.
• Fixed an issue where The Feats of Strength, One of the First and Earliest Experience, did not display all the titles they rewarded.

Cooperative Play

• Fixed an issue where the camera wasn’t functioning properly when players were far apart in Local Co-Op.
• Fixed an issue where NPC conversation boxes would overlap if multiple Local Co-Op players talked to the same NPC at the same time.
• Fixed an issue where the Rogue's Inner Sight would only fill up for one of the players in a Co-Op session.
• Fixed an issue where the Dark Potential challenge would be granted to both players when either player completed it, regardless of the other player's progress.
• Fixed multiple instances where quest progress would not properly synchronize, or quest progression could be blocked for Local Co-Op players.
• Fixed multiple issues that occurred during cutscenes for Co-Op players.

Dungeons

• Fixed an issue where the player would not be able to receive enough animus to progress through the Hallowed Ossuary dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Stone carving in the Fallen Temple capstone dungeon would duplicate.
• Fixed an issue where the Monster Regen affix in a Nightmare Dungeon would also affect structures in that dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Goatman and Shambling Corpse enemies would continuously respawn in the Forsaken Quarry dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Sentinel enemies would not have weapons in the Bastion of Faith dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Bastion of Faith dungeon could sometimes not be completed.
• Fixed an issue where the player could respawn behind a barrier in the Fallen Temple capstone dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the map for the Crusader's Cathedral dungeon was incomplete.
• Fixed an issue where the Curse of Indolence and the Curse of the Weak would stack even while the player was dead in the Fallen Temple capstone dungeon.
• Fixed multiple instances where the Fog Door could not be progressed through in some dungeons.
• Fixed an issue where the Monster Thorns affix in Nightmare Dungeons was reflecting Physical damage, it will now properly reflect non-physical damage.
• Fixed an issue where Blood Boils would not properly spawn in the Kor Dragan Barracks dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where Traps would deal more damage than intended.
• Fixed an issue where level scaling in the Level 100 Pinnacle dungeon was inconsistent.
• Fixed an issue where the Awakened Glyphstone wouldn’t spawn if the party leader left the dungeon before the dungeon was completed.

Gameplay

Barbarian

• Fixed an issue where the number of enemies to defeat for the Barbarian Class quest Masters of Battle was not displayed.
• Fixed an issue where Iron Maelstrom could be cast more than 3 times rapidly casting War Cry.
• Fixed an issue where stacking the Berserk Ripping, Skullbreaker, and Anemia aspects would allow the player to deal extreme amounts of damage.
• Fixed an issue where the outer edge of the quakes granted to Hammer of the Ancients via The Aspect of Ancestral Echoes was dealing far more damage than intended.

Druid

• Fixed an issue where Earth skills and the Pulverize skill would consume two Overpower buffs simultaneously.
• Fixed an issue where the bonus effect on Blood Howl from Nighthowler's Aspect would apply twice to Wolf companions but not at all for Ravens.
• Fixed an issue where Provocation passive stacks wouldn't update properly after adding more points to it.
• Fixed an issue where the automatic transformation from Insatiable Fury would cause the Ursine Strength key passive to not proc consistently.
• Fixed an issue where the Enhanced Pulverize buff would not remove itself while in town.
• Fixed an issue where seeking Tornados produced by Stormchaser's Aspect would not deal damage.
• Fixed an issue where Ravens' passive damage did not improve after the skill was upgraded.
• Fixed an issue where Rabies would deal no damage while standing very close to an enemy.
• Fixed an issue where Stormclaw's Aspect allowed Shred to do extreme amounts of damage.

Necromancer

• Fixed an issue where Necromancers could not obtain daggers from the Purveyor of Curiosities.
• Fixed an issue where the Necromancer’s Minions would have their life bonuses deactivated while in town.
• Fixed an issue where Bone Spear cast through Chilling Wind from an Elite enemy would increase the number of generated Echoes for that cast.
• Fixed an issue where Enhanced Bone Spear could cause erratic movement.
• Fixed an issue where cancelling Blood Mist when it's already off Cooldown would immediately recast it.

Rogue

• Fixed an issue where Shadow Step wouldn’t trigger the Aspect of Uncanny Treachery if the target was killed.
• Fixed an issue where Advanced Penetrating shot would not knock down other players in PvP play.
• Fixed an issue where Twisting Blades would not come back when the ability killed a Bloated Corpsefiend enemy.
• Fixed an issue where the Dash skill would not move the full distance if targeting an enemy while using a controller.
• Fixed an issue where the Eldritch Bounty Paragon node granted bonus resistances incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where Rapid Fire had an extra arrow VFX that behaved erratically.
• Fixed an issue where the Awakened Glyphstone wouldn't spawn for Rogue players using Improved Barrage.

Sorcerer

• Fixed an issue where the Firebolt Enchantment effect did not contribute to the Combustion key passive.
• Fixed an issue where the passive stacks generated by Align the Elements could partially reset in an unexpected way.
• Fixed an issue where casting Deep Freeze would prevent the Ice Shard Enchantment effect from triggering.
• Fixed an issue where Aspect of Control was applying its damage bonus 3 times for Staggered bosses.
• Fixed an issue where the Gravitational Aspect was appearing weaker on two-handed weapons or amulets.
• Fixed an issue where the Enchantment effect for Chain Lightning had no visual tracking bonus and could also unexpectedly drop off.
• Fixed an issue where Incinerate would immediately cost 30 mana when cast in addition to the consistent channeling mana cost. Incinerate now properly only costs mana as it is being channeled.

General

• Fixed multiple instances where players could unnaturally teleport during boss encounters.
• Fixed an issue where a chest in the Western Ways could be interacted with infinitely.
• Fixed an issue where the Eriman NPC couldn’t be interacted with in certain situations.
• Fixed an issue where otherwise breakable objects in the world would not be broken when evading through them.
• Fixed multiple instances where the player could avoid damage from bosses if they positioned themselves in a specific location.
• Fixed an issue where Forged Relics could not be interacted with.
• Fixed an issue where monsters with a Cold, Bleeding, Burning, or Corruption affix would freeze players in 1 hit in Nightmare Dungeons with the Cold Enchanted affix.
• Fixed an issue where Cold Enchanted monsters froze players more often than intended in higher World Tiers.
• Fixed an issue where a chest could spawn that would provide infinite loot.

Helltide and the Fields of Hatred

• Fixed an issue where the player could be damaged by the Helltide firestorm while standing in Jirandai.
• Fixed an issue where enemies resurrected by Shamans would continuously drop Aberrant Cinders in Helltide.
• Fixed an issue where Chain Lightning could bounce infinitely between the caster and other player characters standing in a Fields of Hatred town.
• Fixed an issue where Crackling Energy could hit other players in a Fields of Hatred town. (We know, shocking!)
• Fixed an issue where players could not see other players that they should when re-entering the Alzuuda Fields of Hatred Zone.
• Fixed an issue where certain areas in the Fields of Hatred would be incorrectly flagged as a Town, rendering players unable to cast Skills while still being able to be damaged.

Items and Aspects

• Fixed an issue where the Cost reduction bonus from the Ring of Starless Skies could unexpectedly drop off.
• Fixed an issue where the Aspect of the Protector would trigger its barrier effect after destroying a breakable object.
• Fixed an issue where the Ring of Misfortune had incorrect stats.
• Fixed an issue where the Ember Staff weapon didn’t apply the bonus damage to Crowd Controlled enemies, which is inherent for all Stave-type weapons.
• Fixed an issue where any character menu interaction would reset the bonus granted by the Inner Calm aspect.
• Fixed an issue where the Maximum Life affix on the Mark of the Conclave quest item was scaling improperly.
• Fixed an issue where Aspect power would also increase when upgrading an item at the Blacksmith.
• The level requirement for Sacred Items will now cap at level 60.
• The level requirement for Ancestral Items will now cap at level 80.
• Fixed an issue where the Mother's Embrace Unique Ring did not trigger properly with several abilities.

Monsters

• Fixed an issue where items of higher power than intended were dropping from rare monsters.
• Fixed an issue where the Warg's jumping attack dealt no damage when passing through the player.
• Fixed an issue where the Pitiless Gur monster would endlessly run around in circles.
• Fixed an issue where the lightning-enhanced Champion Goatman would fail to deal damage to the player.
• Fixed an issue where monsters with the Suppressor Affix would be immune to damage from abilities that started initially outside the immunity circle (Ex: when a Barbarian started a Whirlwind cast before getting within proper range of the Suppressor monster).
• Fixed an issue where clones of a monster with the Suppressor affix could also have the Suppressor affix.
• Fixed an issue where Treasure Goblins would behave erratically if initially engaged from a long distance.
• Fixed multiple other issues where monster behavior could not perform properly and could be exploited in some cases.

Quests and Events

• Fixed an issue where the progress bar could not fill during the Caravan Under Siege event.
• Fixed an issue where the Putrid Remains enemies could remain idle during the Defiled Ground event.
• Fixed an issue where Champion enemies could not spawn during the Ancient Obelisk event.
• Fixed multiple issues where using Traversals could cause Elite and Boss monsters to disappear during multiple events.
• Fixed an issue where Radiant and Greater Radiant chests would not spawn when completing the Fearful Bones event.
• Fixed an issue where the Cursed Chest event could not be completed.
• Fixed an issue where the Defiled Ground even in Hawezar would have a respawn point much further away than intended.
• Fixed an issue where unique drowned enemies spawned during events in the Forgotten Coastline could be invulnerable to damage.
• Fixed an issue where the Suppressor Monster Affix's effects would be active on containers and furniture inside the dungeon during the Remnants quest.
• Fixed an issue where the player could teleport through the Ancient Gate and block progression during the Storming the Gates quest.
• Fixed an issue where progression could be blocked during the Flesh and Blood quest.
• Fixed an issue where quest dungeons did not reset if the associated quest was abandoned.
• Fixed an issue where the quest tracker would be missing if the player re-entered the game during the Picking Through the Bones quest.
• Fixed an issue where not enough monsters would spawn to fulfill the requirements for completing the Hungering Necrolyte's Cache quest.
• Fixed an issue where an enemy was missing when progressing through the Lost Archives dungeon during the Legacy of the Magi quest.
• Fixed an issue where the Immemorial Inscription could not be read during the Augury of Bones quest.
• Fixed an issue where the player character couldn’t face to speak to an NPC when initiating dialogue for multiple quests.
• Fixed an issue where the ghost body of Bakira could remain visible after being defeated during the True Potential Rogue class quest.
• Fixed an issue where outside party members could influence the progression of the Bad Blood quest.
• Fixed an issue where the player could be blocked from reentering the boss’ area after dying during the fight against Elias in the Piercing the Veil quest.
• Fixed various other issues where quest progression could be blocked.

User interface and User Experience

• Fixed an issue where the mini-map didn’t accurately depict the game world during the The Blind Eye quest.
• Fixed an issue where the map was incomplete for the Loch Raeth region in Scosglen.
• Fixed an issue where a portion of the map was invisible in the Exalter Terrace dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Mad Bomber title would not display for enemies encountered through the Whisper of the same name.
• Fixed an issue where articles in the News Feed could not be opened using Mouse & Keyboard.
• Fixed an issue where the You have cross network play enabled message was being sent to chat each time a campaign quest objective was completed.
• The Cult Leader Paragon passive no longer appears above hostile Minions in PvP.
• Fixed an issue where the bonus from the Ballistic Aspect displayed +0 to skills instead of +2 on the bonus bar.
• Fixed an issue where Sigil sorting was inconsistent between Inventory and the Stash.
• Fixed an issue where the Social tab on the Action Wheel editing window would be skipped when navigating on Controller.
• Fixed an issue where the amount of gold would not properly display when trading gold in large quantities.
• Fixed an issue where item comparison numbers would be inaccurate if the item in question had a Gem socketed that granted a stat that was also present on the base of the item.
• Fixed an issue where images would not properly load in the News Feed on the main menu.
• Fixed multiple issues with Map Pin functionality.
• Fixed multiple issues where Quest and Whisper markers weren't displaying properly.
• Various improvements to the consistency and clarity of Messaging, Skill description, and Tooltips.
• Various other UI and UX Improvements.

Miscellaneous

• Fixed an issue where the Completion music for defeating Avarice could start playing before the boss was defeated. (Always confirm your kills before celebrating, wanderers)
• Fixed an issue where players couldn't send Battle.net friend requests to friends playing on console.
• Fixed an issue where players could confirm if Hardcore mode was enabled after logging in with a new character.
• Fixed an issue where players that haven't unlocked a higher World Tier could be invited into a higher World Tier party.
• Fixed an issue where players couldn't transfer leadership of a Clan.
• Fixed an issue where the sender of the party invite would not be informed that the invite failed due to incompatibility with campaign prologue progress.
• Fixed an issue where Nafain's spear would duplicate in the cutscene where the player picks it up.
• Fixed an issue where Meshif's camel made no noises.
• Fixed an issue where there was no sound when Lorath kicks Meshif awake.
• Various other Improvements.

Loading Screen Updates

We've added more dynamic loading screens with the release of Season of the Malignant. This includes adding more assets to the loading screen, such as your player character.

Gameplay Updates

General

• Altar of Lilith Unlocks are now account wide.
• Map discovery is now account wide.
• Whispers will no longer reward Sigil Dust.
• Overall loot quality has been significantly improved for Silent Chests.
• The channel time for the Leave Dungeon ability has been increased from 3 to 5 seconds.
• We have generally reduced the tendency for many monsters to move around in combat, so that melee characters don't have to chase down their enemies as much.
• Added PS5 Dual Sense Edge Wireless controller support for PC.

World Tier

• World Tier II has had the following bonuses added:
  • Bonus Gold: Increased from 15% to 20%.
  • Monsters now drop 15% more items.
• Level scaling inside dungeons and most overworld territories has been adjusted in World Tiers III and IV. Monsters will begin to trail behind the player in Level after a certain point (up to a maximum of 5 Levels behind). This change does not affect World Bosses, Legion Events, Fields of Hatred, Helltide, or Nightmare Dungeons.

World Tier III Example:

• If the the player's Level is below 55, the monster's Level is 55.
• If the player’s Level is 56-60, the monster’s Level is 55.
• If the player’s Level is 61, the monster’s Level is 56.
• If the player’s Level is 62, the monster’s Level is 57, etc. (from this point the monsters will always be -5 until World Tier III's max monster Level of 70).

World Tier IV Example:

• If the player’s Level is below 75, the monster’s Level is 75.
• If the player’s Level is 76-80, the monster Level is 75.
• If the player’s Level is 81, the monster’s Level is 76.
• If the player’s Level is 82, the monster’s Level is 77, etc. (from this point the monsters will always be -5).

Experience

• Reward experience for completing Whispers in World Tiers III and IV has been significantly increased.
• We are adjusting bonus experience rewards for killing monsters that are a higher Level than the player.
  • Pre-Season of the Malignant bonuses:
    • 1 Level higher: +15%.
    • 2 Levels higher: +20%.
    • 3+ Levels higher: +25%.
  • Post-Season of the Malignant:
    • 1.5% bonus per Level up to 10 Levels.
      • Ex:
        • +1 level: +1.5%.
        • +2 levels: +3%.
        • +10 levels: +15%.
• We are also adjusting experience rewards for monster Level offsets for higher World Tiers.
  • Current World Tier Level offsets
    • World Tier II: Up to +3.
    • World Tier III: Up to +10.
    • World Tier IV: Up to +100.
  • We are changing this to
    • World Tier II: Up to +3 (Unchanged).
    • World Tier III: Up to +6.
    • World Tier IV: Up to +10.
  • For Example:
    • You are Level 1. Your friends bring you to World Tier IV and leave you at the entrance of a dungeon. They start killing Level 100 monsters.
      • Prior to Season of the Malignant, you get:
        • (Level 100 Monster XP) * (1 + 25%)
      • After Season of the Malignant, you get:
        • (Level 11 Monster XP) * (1 + 15%)

Helltide

• Helltide monsters are now 3 Levels higher than the player instead of 2.
• The Tortured Gift of Mysteries chest has had its cost increased to 250 Aberrant Cinders from 175.
• All interactable objects in Helltide zones now have a small chance of dropping Aberrant Cinders.

The post Diablo 4 1.1.0 patch notes are live ahead of Season 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

PlayStation's accessibility answer

The PS5 Access Controller has finally gotten a release date. The circular controller launches on December 6, 2023. Pre-orders will become available for the controller starting on July 21.

[caption id="attachment_391877" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Sony[/caption]

PS5's New Access Controller to Launch on December 6

The controller is going for a price of $89.99 and features 8 onboard buttons for its disc-shaped design. The control stick, which can be replaced with a joystick design, sits on the side. The controller allows for up to 30 control profiles, as well as toggleable commands. The controller also supports four 3.5mm expansion ports that allow for external devices to issue commands as well.

The Access controller is also able to adjust its control stick length, as well as including attachments for an AMPS Pattern mount. The Access controller can also be used in conjunction with the DualSense, to allow for more customization options. Up to two access controllers can be used in conjunction with a single DualSense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KUmHFU51NU

Each cap on the controller can also be switched out, changing their form factor, and the icon on the cap. This allows for buttons to match the on-screen display without a need for marking the device or purchasing third-party replacements. Each cap has multiple textures as well, as described on the controller's page.

This is a massive jump in accessibility for PlayStation. Combining this with the accessibility options in their first-party titles, Sony opens the door for more players to experience games on its platforms. Xbox has a similar device in its adaptive controller, which has received awards for its design. These tools make it easier for everyone to engage with games, removing barriers and making this hobby more accessible in the process.

The post PS5’s Access controller launches on December 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

Call of Duty fans can continue fragging on PlayStation

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer revealed on Twitter that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms. The agreement will take effect following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard which could happen at any time following recent court rulings.

"We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games," Spencer tweeted.

No further details on the agreement have been released, so we're not sure if this is similar to the decade-long deal between Microsoft and Nintendo earlier this year.

Microsoft President Brad Smith also chimed in about the new agreement. "From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before," Smith tweeted.

Microsoft has said before that financially it didn't make sense to pull the game from Sony platforms. Even Phil Spencer reiterated under oath that Call of Duty would remain on PlayStation 5.

[caption id="attachment_360501" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard Entertainment[/caption]

What about all the other Activision Blizzard games?

Despite the good news for CoD fans, there's still no word on what will happen with other Activision Blizzard titles. As referenced above, it doesn't make sense for Microsoft to pull games like Overwatch 2 from other platforms.

Still, uncertainty surrounding the whole ordeal is very frustrating for gamers who prefer non-Xbox platforms.

For now, the focus has shifted to the UK. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority vetoed the acquisition back in April. The CMA claimed, "the deal would alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market".

The timing of everything is quite interesting. Legally Microsoft has to pay a $3 billion breakup fee if the deal is not completed by July 18. This also opens the deal up to new renegotiations.

The post Microsoft agrees to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation appeared first on Destructoid.

Though Game Pass may pick up the slack

Both Starfield and MachineGames' Indiana Jones are going to be exclusives for the Xbox. As such, not only will a lot of PlayStation owners be pissed off they won't get to play either of these games, but some may question whether Microsoft has considered that this move will likely mean less sales.

However, the Xbox company has anticipated this, it seems. Screenshots from court documents used in the Microsoft vs. FTC case (as uploaded by games journalist Stephen Totilo) reveal that Tim Stuart, chief financial officer for the tech giant, believes exclusivity won't be a problem.

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1679307950706372611

In fact, Microsoft is confident both Starfield and Indiana Jones would sell "more than 10 million units" if they were going to be released on PlayStation. Testifying in court, Stuart said that the company had "evaluated exclusivity of ZeniMax [parent company of Bethesda] games in December 2020".

Ten million is a huge potential loss

Having said that, Microsoft is certain it can offset such a potential loss through Game Pass. By making Starfield and Indiana Jones available on the Xbox cloud service, the company hopes to make up for not selling 10 million units via its biggest competitor.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't seem like Stuart or Microsoft are concerned about not being able to shift millions more on the PlayStation. Given the immense hype surrounding Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi RPG, there's no question about it being able to make a significant profit.

Starfield is due for release on September 6 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. If you want something to do until then, may we suggest this 1,000-page compendium?

The post Starfield and Indiana Jones would shift 10 million copies on PlayStation, says Microsoft appeared first on Destructoid.

A surprising whoopsie in the ongoing court case

Currently, Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are embroiled in court hearings, over the former's attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard. Xbox competitor Sony has also been part of the proceedings. And Sony has accidentally let some budgets info slip about Horizon Forbidden West and The Last of Us Part 2.

As spotted by outlets like The Verge, Sony submitted a document with redactions. This is a common practice; companies will redact important financial data on these findings. However, it looks like the redaction didn't hold so well. After scanning the document, numbers appeared visible.

These numbers aren't quite shots in the dark (rather shots taken through Sharpie) but other outlets' and our own best guesses at the numbers behind the marks are that Horizon Forbidden West clocked in at $212 million to develop, with a staff of over 300. The Last of Us Part 2, meanwhile, came in at roughly $220 million to make, with roughly 200 employees at peak headcount. It also seems to reveal that, according to Sony, 1 million PlayStation players only play Call of Duty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxDWGW7Z67I

The cost of making games

This came from a section of Sony's documents, emphasizing the availability of high-quality games on their first-choice console. The argument is that if Sony doesn't have access to the best games, as they're all on Xbox, then most people will choose Xbox.

Hearing about these data points on budgets from Sony is fascinating, as it de-mystifies the numbers around making some of the biggest games in the industry. Though, I do think Sony would've preferred the data didn't get out.

We'll likely get more info as more people take the stand in this hearing, and possibly get closer to a decision on whether Activision Blizzard will become a new arm of Xbox or not. Much like the Apple-Epic court case, though, it could prove to be quite an illuminating period of discovery.

The post Sony accidentally reveals budgets for Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us Part 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Of course, you realize this means war...

Publisher Warner Bros Games and developer Player First Games have officially called time on both Wabbit Season and Duck Season — The extended "beta" for platform fighter MultiVersus has been officially taken offline, bringing brings an end to one of the most questionable fighting game debuts in recent history. MultiVersus is currently expected to relaunch in "early 2024".

The free-to-play scrapper's servers are closed, ending a bizarre "test" phase that simultaneously had multiple seasons and additional paid DLC characters, skins, and stages. While MultiVersus players still have access to local Vs. matches and the fighter’s training mode, (known as “The Lab”), the community is now unable to play online in any capacity. Additionally, the studio has already noted that no refunds will be offered for any items purchased during the beta test, or the paid "Founder's Edition" of the title.

https://twitter.com/multiversus/status/1671966638000709645?s=20

Until the game's eventual relaunch, Player First Games is unlocking every character of the MultiVersus roster. While this could be seen as a form of damage control for the bizarre handling of the title, it no doubt leaves players who had invested their money in the title wondering why they even bothered. These players cannot enjoy the fighter online anymore, and now the characters/skins/content they purchased with real money are now readily available to everybody for the foreseeable future.

The MultiVersus story is morbidly curious. Launching its open beta in July 2022, the title saw incredible success out of the gate, and still holds the Steam record for the most concurrent players of a fighting game in history, as well a reported 20 million total downloads. This was mostly deserved, as MultiVersus is a fun and enjoyable fighter with plenty of character and charisma. Dataminers would also discover solid evidence of some big plans, which included some interesting DLC characters, alternate commentators, and placeholders for franchises such as The Goonies and The Wizard of Oz.

But, as the weeks and months passed, the beta's playercount fell off in staggering fashion, as the more dedicated members of the community were left frustrated by a lack of both content and communication, both of which became sparse by the end of 2022. When 2023 rolled around, the success of the previous summer seemed a distant memory. And, come spring, Player First Games announced that it would close the servers ahead of the title's still-undesignated launch. This left the MultiVersus community with myriad questions. Why was DLC even sold? Why were additional skins, stages, and modes developed? Why even launch a beta in seasons, with paid content if it was, in essence, just a testing phase?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvborgKG7fw

But the big questions, hanging over the situation like a fucking vulture, are When is it coming back, Is it coming back, and Who is it coming back for? If MultiVersus ended its testing phase as, essentially, a "dead game", then why would Warner Bros. have any interest in committing time, money, and marketing into a relaunch? We don't live in an era where publishers release games simply because "They owe it to the community" or just because "They said they would". We arguably never have.

The whole scenario reeks, and only time will tell how this MultiVersus scenario plays out. Either the fun fighter returns, in which case it has to essentially reignite the interest of a market that has already left it in the dust, or it gets quietly canned, in which case it disappears like a thief in the night, holding the cash of those players that showed passion and support in the project and its future.

At this point, MultiVersus essentially has no choice but to continue on its road to release. But, when that release comes, the franchise is essentially starting from scratch all over again. The casual audience has long moved on from the excitement of that record-breaking summer, while the brand's dedicated, money-paying audience understandably feels somewhat abandoned at best and ripped off at worst.

That's all, folks?

The post MultiVersus beta now offline, to return ‘Early 2024’ – but for whom? appeared first on Destructoid.

Knight after Knight after Knight...

Cellar Door Games has finally announced a release date for the PlayStation port of epic medieval roguelike Rogue Legacy 2 — Our brave army of knights will attempt to surmount an ever-changing kingdom of monsters on June 20, just under a week from today.

Originally released on PC and Nintendo Switch in the spring of 2022, Rogue Legacy 2 once again sees players guide a plucky knight through dungeon after dungeon, battling ghosts, ghouls, and monsters, and picking their way toward an array of dangerous boss characters. As with its predecessor, death is only beginning, and each fallen knight will be replaced by the next in their bloodline, many of whom carry their own unique quirks and abilities, known in-game as "Traits".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiHeilA8k4U&ab_channel=CellarDoorGames

Added to the sequel are several new features, including the Metroidvania-type "Heirlooms", allowing access to certain out-of-reach areas, and an expanded narrative that runs beyond the original run and into several New Game+ efforts. While the sequel is obviously over a year old, it's a truly golden title, and well worth checking out by all adventure fans, regardless of your experience with the roguelike genre or the Rogue Legacy franchise. Lead on, adventurer!

Rogue Legacy 2 launches on PlayStation June 20. It is available now on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

The post Rogue Legacy 2 will venture forth on PlayStation next week appeared first on Destructoid.

FES Up

We now have confirmation that Atlus' upcoming remake Persona 3 Reload will be coming to PlayStation and Steam platforms alongside its previously announced Xbox and Windows editions. The new ports appeared on the official site in a CERO ratings listing, which was then followed by an updated trailer.

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

While this will hardly come as a surprise to most, there were still many only panicking that perhaps the black-and-blue brand would not be making the return journey to Tartarus. Frankly, this wasn't going to happen, not when there is so much cash to be made, but at least those who were concerned can rest easy that they will be revisiting The Dark Hour with Messrs Makoto, Junpei, Mitsuru, and company.

First leaked during Summer Game Fest, before being officially announced during Sunday's Xbox Game Showcase, Persona 3 Reload is a full remake of the 2006 PS2 classic. While fans have been craving this title for some title, the hype has been somewhat quashed by the revelation that Reload will not feature any of the content from expanded edition Persona 3 FES, nor the Persona 3 Portable release, which included the much-loved female protagonist, known to the community as "FemC".

Persona 3 Reload will launch in early 2024 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. Additionally, Persona 5 Tactica will launch on the aforementioned platforms and Nintendo Switch.

The post Persona 3 Reload finally confirmed for PlayStation and Steam PC appeared first on Destructoid.

So many potential builds, but only a few being played

Over the years, "Action RPG" games have evolved quite a bit, adding more and more player customization with each new entry into the genre. Diablo 3 released in 2012 with over a billion unique build possibilities across all of its classes. Hit ARPG Path of Exile has been constantly adding new abilities via its unique skill gem system for almost ten years.

As we began to learn more about Diablo 4 leading up to its release, just one week ago, it quickly became apparent we'd once again get a massive amount of potential builds. With five classes each with their own unique skill trees full of active and passive skills, the possibilities seemed endless. But now less than two weeks since the early access release of the game, it's starting to look like Diablo 4 may have a bit of a skill diversity issue. Let's take a bit of an analytics look at the situation and try to determine if things are as bad as they seem, or if this is just an early exaggeration.

Examining Diablo 4 skill diversity

https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/comments/145l33t/skill_diversity_or_lack_thereof_top_sc_skill/

Thanks to a nifty spreadsheet compiled on the /r/diablo4 subreddit, we can see what skills players are using.  This sheet shows us what percentage of skills the highest level players in non-hardcore Diablo 4.

We obviously can't draw conclusions based on this limited sample size of the top players. But this information at least gives us a glimpse at what may be some pretty lacking skill diversity. For leveling, some skills are better than others but most are viable enough. This data is based on the highest-level players, so these builds are intended for the all-important endgame.

[caption id="attachment_383879" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The boring life of an elemental master

Let me start by saying my main class is a Sorcerer. Even though I'm not at max level, I'm over Level 50 and participating in endgame content. While I'm still enjoying the class, I've considered rolling as another primarily for the issues apparent by looking at the above spreadsheet. Once you've reached the endgame as a Sorc, you take all four defensive skills.

Teleport is arguably the best mobility skill in the game, so it's understandable that over 99% of Sorcs are using it. Ice Armor and Flame Shield both give extreme tankiness to an otherwise squishy class. Frost Nova is not only great for crowd control, but also for applying Vulnerability, which is extremely important.

Even still, it's very telling that about 97% of Sorcerers are using at least 3 defensive skills.

From there, we have two slots for offensive skills. As you can see, the choice really comes down to Ice Shards paired with Deep Freeze or Arc Lash paired with Unstable Currents. About 10% of players are attracted to the slower but high-burst damage Meteor build. This class has six potential core skills, and five basic skills. Despite this, only two or three of those are actually being used. Furthermore, Sorcerers have three unique Conjuration skills, but 95% of players aren't using any of them.

Overall, we can see that despite the class having many possibilities, only a couple of those are practical.

[caption id="attachment_384205" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Spinning and winning

Barbarians have been through a series of nerfs and balance changes in the short time since Diablo 4 released. They've also had several of their most effective Aspects get completely disabled, leading to less build variety until their full arsenal is available to them. Despite the nerfs, however, one thing is certain: shouts are strong. Nearly every Barbarian is using all three shouts; Rallying Cry, War Cry, and Challenging Shout. Similar to the mass use of Teleport, most Barb players use their Lunging Strike mobility skill.

Whirlwind has been a staple Barb skill since Diablo 2. The popularity of the skill continues in Diablo 4, with 84% using it as their primary skill. Almost all Whirlwind Barbs are using the Wrath of Berserker Ultimate. If not running this build, most other players are using Hammer of the Ancients with the Call of the Ancients Ultimate.

Unfortunately, that is pretty much the current variety for Barbarians in Diablo 4.

[caption id="attachment_383863" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Rogues prefer melee over ranged

For the Rogue class, most players seem to be leaning towards melee play. Twisting Blades is the most popular build by far, followed by Death Trap. These two are very similar to each other, and focus on the melee-style gameplay of the class. Even though the ranged Penetrating Shot skill has viability, only about 10% of the top players are running it.

Understandably, a large portion of Rogues are using the two mobility skills Dash and Shadow Step regardless of their build. The mobility of the class paired with their high damage is what makes them so strong, as they don't have much in the way of defensives.

[caption id="attachment_386186" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Bone Necromancers

A last-minute nerf to Necromancer Minions during the Server Slam beta has led to Bone being the favorite skills for Necro. Nearly 70% of Necros favor the high-damage Bone Spear build. The tight AoE-focused Bone Spirit is also seeing quite a bit of play. Minions were extremely popular in the first two beta weekends, which makes me wonder if they'd be as popular as the two Bone-focused builds if Minions weren't nerfed.

[caption id="attachment_386412" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Druids are perhaps in the best spot

As we look at the final class, we can see that Druids may have the most viable end-game builds right now. Most Druid players are using Earthen Bulwark, Debilitating Roar, and Grizzly Rage, because all three skills are beneficial regardless of damage skills. From there, we see Trample getting a lot of use. Trample is part of the strong AoE Pulverize build as well as Trampleslide. Another increasingly popular AoE skill is Tornado, which is being used with Grizzly Rage to eventually achieve permanent werewolf form.

What does this all mean?

So does Diablo 4 have a skill diversity issue? It's obviously way too early to claim the sky is falling. With nearly three million players, this ~2,500 sample size is definitely too small to consider anything as proven fact. Furthermore, we have to remember this data is based on the top player pool. Some players play whatever they want, regardless of what is meta or optimal.

But the fact that these players are essentially choosing between the same two or three builds for each class when they are hundreds of possibilities is a bit alarming. Is it a balancing issue? Do these popular builds do too much damage and simply need to be balanced to encourage others to pick whatever skills are most fun to them? There's plenty of room for improvement, and I'm not exactly sure what ideal diversity would look like in Diablo 4. I think an optimistic, (although unrealistic), scenario would include every Core Skill having a viable build. As of now, less than half of them seem to.

The developers have made it clear they plan to balance things. On top of the nearly daily hotfixes and balance changes, they are intentionally waiting to add competitive leaderboards. Hopefully, by then, we will see even more diversity in skills across Sanctuary.

The post Does Diablo 4 have a skill diversity issue? appeared first on Destructoid.

Sony brand not booking its flight to Cologne

As we reach the tail-end of Summer Game Fest 2023, already developers and publishers are preparing their itineraries for the next major show of the summer, Gamescom 2023, which will take place in Cologne, Germany later this summer — But it sees that one of the biggest publishers on the block, PlayStation, will not be in attendance at Koelnmesse come August.

According to a report by German news outlet GamesMarkt, (and spotted by VGC), Sony Interactive Entertainment has confirmed that it will not be showing up in either a digital or physical capacity for the show, which will be the first in-person Gamescom event since 2019, before the continuing COVID-19 brought the curtain down on the whole industry. Preparing for these shows is a hugely expensive endeavor, but it's still surprising to see Sony may not be on deck this year.

Of course, the publisher did just roll out over an hours' worth of trailers in a recent State of Play, and there is still Paris Games Week and the Tokyo Game Show to go before the year is out, so PlayStation is sure to put in a new appearance come fall, even if it is taking time out for the remainder of the summer.

Gamescom 2023 — with or without PlayStation — takes place at Koelnmesse, Germany between August 23-27. The event will kick off with Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live showcase on August 22.

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The magnetism of a giant lady in a big ol' hat

Two years on from its initial release, (yep, two years), Capcom's gothic-horror title Resident Evil Village is still selling copies and scaring players worldwide — This morning, the publisher announced that the latest, (well, chronologically latest), entry in the survival horror series has surpassed eight million sales.

Resident Evil Village sees returning protagonist Ethan Winters journey into a grim European village, searching for answers following a violent attack on his home and family. There, he will encounter creatures and citizens beyond his darkest nightmare, coming face-to-face with a menagerie of monsters and demons, as well as the four lords of the land — namely Karl Heisenberg, Salvatore Moreau, Donna Beneviento & Angie, and the iconic Lady Dimitrescu, whose impact on the title's marketing, and therefore sales, cannot be overstated.

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

Following the game's initial release in May 2021, an expansion pack, Winters' Expansion, was released in October of last year, which added new features and an additional campaign, Shadows of Rose. While the switch from "classic" Resi to the modern, first-person Resi has not been to everybody's taste, it cannot be denied that the evolution of the series has been incredibly impressive, borne out in both the critical and praise heaped upon the titles, as well as the titles' respective sales figures — A VR edition of Resident Evil Village was also developed to launch alongside the PlayStation VR2 hardware.

Resident Evil Village is available now on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch (via cloud)

The post Resident Evil Village hits 8 million sales milestone appeared first on Destructoid.

Book of the Dead

Ysbryd Games has announced that critically acclaimed creeper World of Horror is finally preparing to leave Early Access and unleash its brand of skin-crawling cosmic terror onto PC and console platforms. Originally expected to launch this summer, World of Horror will now arrive on October 19.

Opening its creaking doors in the winter of 2020, Panstasz' indie hit is an apocalyptic tale of demons, ghouls, and other ungodly abominations, slowly emerging throughout Japan's Shiokawa region. Utilizing a distinct visual style reminiscent of early Mac adventure titles, World of Horror tasks players with guide a party of characters through over 10 nightmarish mysteries, inspired by the works of authors H.P. Lovecraft and Junji Ito.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R1kw_VGigY

Since its arrival on Early Access, World of Horror has been praised by fans for its utterly unnerving atmosphere, simplistic but bizarrely frightening aesthetic, and moody chiptune soundtrack. Like many horror titles of the home computer age, World of Horror feels particularly unholy, with a sense of evil that permeates through the screen with effectiveness not even afford franchises such as Resident Evil. If you have a taste for the macabre, and are yet to check this dirty ditty out, then ensure that this release is sitting on your radar, ready for those long, dark, fall evenings.

World of Horror launches October 19 on PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It is available on PC via Early Access now.

The post The grisly World of Horror will make its console debut in October appeared first on Destructoid.

How many arms do you recognize?

Capcom has proudly announced that recent release Street Fighter 6 has hit the one million sales mark.

The scrapper sequel, which launched on PC and console platforms on June 2, had an enormously successful weekend, with over one million players passing through its Fighting Ground, Battle Hub, and World Tour modes. SF6 received positive reviews across the board for its great visuals, exciting new mechanics, and magnetic roster of new and familiar World Warriors. The response to three previous betas helped pave the way for the title's launch day success.

Capcom released a new image that sees series veteran Ryu fist-bumping with many recognizable roster stars, including Ken, Blanka, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, Elena, R. Mika, Cammy, and others.

https://twitter.com/StreetFighter/status/1665795932917575682?s=20

With these new figures, the Street Fighter franchise now boasts a mighty 50 million lifetime sales, a deserved number for a series that, ultimately, wrote the blueprint for the fighting game genre. While the success of 1991's Street Fighter II can be considered the de facto release in the franchise's storied history, later games such as Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, and Ultra Street Fighter IV are similarly important in keeping the lifeblood of the series pumping from generation to generation.

Street Fighter 6 is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. Be sure to check out our guide hub for the title, as well as my thoughts on which characters should arrive via the DLC train.

The post Massive fistbump signals one million Street Fighter 6 sales appeared first on Destructoid.

New sequel is the fastest-selling Blizzard game ever

While Diablo IV has technically only been on the market a single day, (the majority of the player base having joined Early Access last week), Activision Blizzard's latest foray into the underworld is already chewing up the nights and days of its fanbase, amassing over 10,000 years of playtime in less than a week.

The developer says that over 93 million hours of Diablo IV have been played across its PC and console releases in just four days — A figure that frankly makes my head spin. While Blizzard is yet to reveal specific sales figures for the dungeon crawler, it has declared the sequel its fastest-selling release ever, beating out premium titles such as Starcraft II, Overwatch, and, of course, series predecessor Diablo III.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ6M39OmYMA

"This is a moment years in the making for the Diablo IV team," said Diablo GM said Rod Fergusson. "We’re extremely proud to offer players the richest story ever told in a Diablo game. Players have a range of choices, including personal character customization, equipping personalized skills for battling horrific demons, or collecting Legendary loot to support your playstyle while discovering new ones. Since the game was first announced in 2019, the support from millions of players around the world drove us toward this release of our dark vision of Sanctuary. Hail Lilith, Blessed Mother."

Diablo IV sees players build a custom character from a variety of engaging fantasy classes, before venturing into Sanctuary in a seemingly hopeless venture against the Queen of the Succubi, Lillith. The bloodthirsty and seductive demon has returned to wreak havoc on the townspeople and wage war against her former lover, archangel asshole Inarius. Diablo IV has received high praise from critics and fans, and is clearly performing its dutiful task of swallowing up its community's free time.

Diablo IV is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. Blizzard has already stated that two expansion packs are currently in the works, to be released over the coming years.

The post Diablo 4 players have already racked up ‘10,000 years’ of playtime appeared first on Destructoid.

Never Enough Lillith

Activision Blizzard's latest jaunt into the underworld might have only just launched in an official capacity, but the development team is already at work on campaign expansions and other extended content — To be released on PC and console platforms over the coming years.

The two expansions were referenced by Diablo IV general manager Rod Fergusson in an interview with Kinda Funny Games that took place late last week. According to Fergusson, the team is currently concentrating on both its seasonal output for the remainder of the year, as well as two full expansions, which one would assume are similar in scope to Diablo III's 2014 expansion, Reaper of Souls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ6M39OmYMA

"As I sit here we're about to launch the main game, we're finishing up season one, we're working on season two, we're working on expansion one, we're kicking off expansion two," explained Fergusson. "All that's happening right now and we haven't even launched the game yet [...] We're going to be supporting Diablo IV for years to come [with] very rich seasons, much richer than we had in Diablo III."

Diablo IV launched in an Early Access capacity for Ultimate Edition owners last week, but officially hits the market today for all other players. While this new tale of demons and the people who love them has seen its fair share of launch issues, the new sequel has been positively received by many critics and fans, who have been quick to sink into Diablo's typical evening-eating action, exploring Sanctuary in pursuit of the Queen of the Succubi, Lillith.

Diablo IV is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

The post Two expansion packs are currently in the works for Diablo 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

I always wanted 20 of these...

In Capcom's Street Fighter 6, World Tour allows the custom player protagonist to befriend all 18 members of the latest World Warrior roster. In addition, players can unlock artwork, emotes, camera mode poses, titles, and backstories for each of these nose-breaking chummers. Ultimately, fully "deepening your bond" with a character will unlock their alt attire, along with 10 color variants, for other modes.

Deepening your bond with Ryu, Kimberly, Marisa, and Co. ultimately comes down to leveling up, talking to them, utilizing their styles in World Tour mode, and performing bizarre, non-sequitur missions. But the quickest way to Dee Jay's heart, much like anybody, is through expenditure. Buy gifts for the characters, and they'll open up their hearts in no time.

Except Juri, but she's a bit sad and we need to look after her.

[caption id="attachment_384184" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

What should I buy the Masters in Street Fighter 6?

So, if you're looking to offer a little retail therapy to your favorite characters, here is a guide to the best items to buy each fighter, along with where to purchase the item. As I noted in my review, World Tour is a bit shabby in places, feeling a little "Statement of Intent" rather than fully featured. For example, each character only wants one specific gift, which means you basically have to buy it for them 20+ times. Yes, the exact same gift.

I cannot help but feel there were probably bigger plans for adding more gifts, but development time ran out. Oh, and you'll need this guide, as while some of the gifts make sense, others are just baffling.

• Luke - Red Elevator 8 Game (Jamaica Merchant)
• Jamie - Bao Bao Bro Sticker (Jamaica Merchant)
• Manon - Beaujolais (Jamaica Merchant)
• Kimberly - Heart of Love DVD (Jamaica Merchant)
• Marisa - Cold Tomato Soup (France Merchant)
• Lily - Celery Chips (Jamaica Merchant)
• JP - Antique Playing Cards (Jamaica Merchant) 
• Dee Jay - Lukewarm Beer (Brazil Merchant)
• Juri - Wrench (India Merchant)
• Cammy - Jellied Eel (Jamaica Merchant)
• Ryu - Instant Soba (Udon Shop, Metro City)
• Ken - Cook book. COOK BOOK. (Mexico Merchant)
• Blanka - Knock-off Blanka Chan (Jamaica Merchant)
• Zangief - Wooden Bear (Russia Merchant)
• Chun-Li - Canned Herring (Dora Shop, Nayshall)
• Dhalsim - Mild Curry (Tsanpa Shop, Nayshall
• E. Honda - Rubber Duckies (Italy Merchant)
• Guile - Natto (Japan Merchant)

Each of the above items will increase the Master's respective bond by 5 points, whereas most items only increase it by 2 or 3 points. Further points are earned by winning sparring matches, completing character missions, and giving appreciative answers in conversations. Additionally, generic items such as Double KO Gum, Fighter's Magazine, and Prepaid Cards increase bonds by between 1-3 points.

[caption id="attachment_384185" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

Finally, there are special "Ultra" gifts which are unlocked by completing quests for the Masters, these items are one-offs and can only be given to their intended recipient. They add a huge 30-40 points, and are a little more obvious as to their intended owner. (This section is work-in-progress)

• Luke -  Strawberry Fighter 6 (Get from Ken)
• Jamie - 
• Manon - Medal (get from Zangief)
• Kimberly -
• Marisa - 
• Lily - 
• JP - 
• Dee Jay - HeartBB CD (Get from Luke)
• Juri - Pricey Check (Get from Manon)
• Cammy - Neco Keychain (Get from Chun-Li)
• Ryu - Japanese Confectionary (Get from E. Honda)
• Ken - 
• Blanka - Locket (Get from Lily)
• Zangief - Weight Set (Get from Marisa)
• Chun-Li - Citrus Perfume (Get from Juri)
• Dhalsim - 
• E. Honda - Tirimasu Boba (Get from Cammy)
• Guile - 

You'll obviously need top dollar to pay for this stuff, so quick out our guide for quickly earning Zenny in game. Once the respective Master's bond reaches 100, you have essentially exhausted the unlocks for that character and will also earn their alt costume. There are plans to add further characters to World Tour as the roster expands over the game's lifetime. But, for now, go and make some friends. And ignore the fact that some of the characters are weirdly aggressive about receiving your gifts.

Except Juri, because she's a bit sad and we need to look after her...

Street Fighter 6 is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox. Visit our guide hub right here.

The post Street Fighter 6 World Tour: What to gift the World Warriors appeared first on Destructoid.

The path to victory begins here

If you picked up Street Fighter 6 today, then chances are that you're feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the characters, modes, mechanics, control systems, and more. It's understandable, fighting games are not easy. In fact, they're one of the hardest and most skillful genres in the whole of gaming. Always have been.

Victory isn't a matter of learning the biggest combo and performing it over and over again. It's a long road of building upon yourself, learning the intricacies of the characters, learning what to do, and — equally as important — when, where, and why to do it. But while I will never claim to be a fighting game expert, I can at least help you to start finding your feet, and the rest is up to you and your patience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_3cIvwbo98

Below are several individual guides written for Destructoid, but collated here for your reading pleasure. They focus on the new mechanics of Street Fighter 6, specifically the Drive Meter, while also taking a look at instances such as Burnout, and offering advice on characters that you should check out. None of these guides explain How to Win Online, no guide can tell you that, regardless of its "shocked face" thumbnail.

Winning comes as a result of playing better moment-to-moment. Learn to do that, and winning follows automatically. Wishing you luck on your journey with Street Fighter 6. This article will be updated over the coming weeks as more guides are added. Don't get disheartened, go at your own pace, and understand that losing is part of improving.

But do accept the hardest pill to swallow in fighting games: You have to put in the practice.

Street Fighter 6 Mechanics Guides

• Five characters beginners should check out
• Drive Impact, explained
• Drive Reversal, explained
• Drive Rush, explained
• Drive Rush Shortcut, explained
• Drive Parry, explained
• Burnout, explained
• How to Taunt
• How to perform Screw Piledriver consistently
• How to change your controls in Battle Hub

World Tour & Other Guides

• How to Change Your Appearance
• How to Deepen Masters Bond/Gift Guide
• How to Earn More Zenny
• Voice Actors & Cast List
• Fighter Coins Explained

The post Here’s are our guides to mechanics and more in Street Fighter 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

Retrofashionistio

While nobody would deny that the 18-strong roster of Street Fighter 6 is pretty damn slick-looking, everyone loves a bit of variety in the wardrobe — As such Capcom has released a new trailer showing shown off each of the World Warrior's alternate costumes.

As you can see, returning characters receive their classic skins, from Ryu & Ken's legendary karate Gis to Chun-Li extravagant... erm... Interpol Uniform. Cammy is sure to turn heads in her borderline obscene battle suit, while Juri gets her biker gear back, albeit missing the black undershirt. Damn, Capcom were feeling particularly thirsty with this release.

For the newcomers, Marisa has an incredible cream suit reminiscent of Like a Dragon's Kazuma Kiryu, while Manon simply stuns in an haute couture deal fresh from the streets of Paris. "Drip", or something. Of all the characters, Dee Jay Maximum perhaps pulls the biggest switcheroo, as his classic Super Street Fighter II gear makes him look like an entirely different character! All in, everyone looks pretty rad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNKO77QDCN4

How to unlock the Street Fighter 6 alt costumes

So, how do you bag these skins? Well, they can be purchased from the in-game store for 50 Fighter Coins each to 2500 Drive Tickets (this includes all color variants). They can be unlocked by playing through World Tour and maxing out your personal bond with the respective characters. Once the bond hits 100, then the character's outfit (complete with the color variants) unlocks for use in Arcade, Vs., and other one-on-one modes.

No doubt, as Capcom is wont to do, the cast will receive a huge array of additional DLC costumes as SF6 passes through its lifespan, to be purchased via Fighter Coins and/or Drive Tickets.

Street Fighter 6 is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

The post Street Fighter 6 shows off its launch roster’s alt costumes appeared first on Destructoid.

Choose Your Fighter

Capcom's Street Fighter 6 has been unleashed on the public, bringing with it a roster of new and familiar faces with which to begin your journey to the top of the world... Or at least the top of your street. Every new Street Fighter brings in a squad of new and returning players, ready to lock horns in offline and online competition, and hoping to get a few good rounds under the belt in the early going.

Street Fighter 6 has launched with 18 World Warriors, all of which are, at least from first impressions, fully viable characters. But whoever you fancy taking into battle, there are, as always, several faces that will be particularly good at getting you up and running in the early going. Now, it is important that you play as a character that you vibe with. After all, you wanna roll with someone that you dig.

But whether is the rapid-fire excitement of Kimberly, the dangerous complexities of JP, or the stance-based combat of Chun-Li that appeals to you — You would do well to spend some time with the following five characters, especially if you're starting out your Street Fighter journey. The road to victory begins at the Character Select screen, so consider taking a look at these Fab Five Fighters.

Here are five good characters for beginners to explore, presented in no particular order.

[caption id="attachment_382259" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

Luke

The final fighter of Street Fighter V, and the poster boy for Street Fighter 6, Luke is considered the all-rounder of the new generation, and is extremely capable at long distance and up-close-and-personal. Luke mixes speed, ability, and technique to provide dangerous tools in all situations.

Luke's Sand Blast projectiles are easily executed and cover a lot of ground, while his Flash Knuckle attacks will help teach you combo and juggle skills. Luke also has reliable air attacks, while his Avenger sequences allow you to close the gap quickly without having to master the Drive Rush mechanic just yet.

He's also a PMC asshole, but let's try not to hold that against him.

[caption id="attachment_382251" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

Guile

The original Family Man is an extremely powerful character in the right hands. For the beginner, however, the Street Fighter veteran is key in teaching charge mechanics. Guile's Specials are relatively uncomplicated, while his solid defense keeps his game plan fairly basic. Boom 'n' Kick, Boom 'n' Kick.

Playing Guile not only starts you off with an easy-to-understand, but rock-solid moveset — as well as an education in Charge timing — but if you choose to stick with Mr. USA, you will soon see how his initial simplicity evolves into brick wall defense and hugely damaging and reliable offense. Keep your distance, toss out Sonic Booms, and Flash Kick leaping opponents. It's a technique as timeless as the series itself, and will help you learn solid defense and anti-air abilities.

[caption id="attachment_382261" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

Lily

Newcomer Lily is definitely a little different from your average Street Fighter all-rounder. The young Thunderfoot Tribe warrior does not have any projectiles, but teaches an excellent crash course in aerial maneuvers and long-range pokes. Spending some time with Lily will help you understand the all-important game of footsies, and being able to understand how important gauging reach is by eye.

Use Lily to explore attacking your opponent while staying just out of reach. Then progress to learning how to cancel long-range pokes into her fast-activating special moves. Lily also has a range of command throws, so you can practice both jumping and dashing into grabs, then learn how to retreat to arm's length for continued prodding and poking of your prey.

[caption id="attachment_382252" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

Zangief

In Street Fighter 6, Zangief is perhaps more powerful and dangerous than he has ever been — Able to cause unfathomable amounts of damage from his range of throws, while also afforded new moves to help him close the distance on fireball-tossing opponents, playing with Zangief will teach you patience in defense, and how to build a smothering offense. His Screw Piledriver and Russian Bear Grab will also train you in the ways of half-turns and 360 inputs.

With Zangief, stay calm at long distances, and learn how to use Block and Parry to fend off projectiles. When the time is right, utilize his leaping dropkick (Hold HK in air) and Rolling Wheel Kick (Forward + HK) to approach your opponent, before bringing a fast end to the fight with his staggering catalog of pro-wrestling maneuvers. Zangief will teach you patience and execution, while making every hit count.

[caption id="attachment_382253" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

Ryu

As solid as he has ever been, Ryu remains the core of Street Fighter, as much as he is the core of fighting game genre itself. Ryu's toolkit is great, dealing offensive and defensive capabilities at long distance, close-up, in the air, and against airborne opponents. There is a reason he is The Icon of Street Fighter, and age has only fine-tuned his timeless skills.

Use Hadoken, (along with its Denjin powerup), at long distances, while training your anti-air skills with both Shoryuken and his standard Down + HP strike. Practice canceling low attacks into Tastu in order to gain ground and corner the opponent, while mastering canceling his command normal, such as Forward + HP, into Shoryuken. Ryu's Supers are also snugly related to his Specials, making him the best character for practicing Supers, either raw or in the middle of combos.

Ryu makes for a perfect training buddy when it comes to learning every aspect of Street Fighter. From footsies to anti-airs, low attacks into Specials, Specials into Supers. Whichever character you choose to walk the path of the warrior with, learn Ryu — either as your main character or on the side. Playing Ryu will teach you universal skills that will be vital to evolving your game.

The post Five characters Street Fighter 6 beginners should check out appeared first on Destructoid.

We're gonna need a bigger hub

Capcom's Street Fighter 6 might have only just launched this morning, but it is already breaking Steam records, instantly setting the bar for the most consecutive players in a premium fighting game on the PC platform.

As noted by Steamdb, Street Fighter 6, within the early hours of the morning, hit a high of 65,873 concurrent players. While this doesn't beat out the early-day success of free-to-play fighter MultiVersus, it does beat all full-price fighting games releases to date, toppling the previous king, Warner Bros.' bloodlust scrapper Mortal Kombat 11, by just over 30,000 players.

Street Fighter 6, which officially launches today after a year of build-up, has received high accolades across the board, becoming one of the highest-rated fighting games of all time on review aggregate sites such as Metacritic. Capcom has achieved this level of praise by producing a feature-packed, great-looking, and rock-solid sequel, which has been delivered to PlayStation, PC, and Xbox players, and looks set to lead the charge into a bold new era of fighting titles currently set to ignite the scene.

Street Fighter 6 is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. You can check out our review right here, as well as our opinion on which World Warriors should be heading to the roster in the future.

The post Street Fighter 6 breaking Steam records on launch day appeared first on Destructoid.

Turnaround is fair play

[Update: This is a previously published guide tweaked for launch day. Get this tech down.]

The Street Fighter 6 demo might have be fairly limited in terms of its characters and modes, but that didn't stop the highly dedicated Fighting Game Community from already delving into its secrets and mechanics — Case in point: This Drive Parry shortcut, that could prove vital in Versus play.

Street Fighter 6's Parry mechanic allows players to perform essentially Perfect Defense against any incoming attacks, by holding MP + MK together. However, once in Parry state, the player can then instigate a dash cancel ("Drive Rush") by tapping forward twice. This allows for a fast turnaround and advance after blocking long-distance moves such as projectiles and supers.

However, some players have discovered an alternate way to activate Drive Rush, that actually reduces inputs from three (Parry, Forward, Forward) to just two. While several players have discovered this new trick, it has been mostly popularized by fighting game content creator Maximillian Dood, who demonstrated the technique live after discovering it seemingly by accident during a stream.

Here's how it works: Instead of inputting Parry (MP + MK) and then dashing (Forward, Forward) whilst holding the buttons, players can instead input Forward, and then input Forward and Parry together — This will result in an instant Drive Rush, coming out on frame one, while also reducing the inputs necessary from three (Parry, Forward, Forward) to two (Forward, Forward + Parry).

I have tried this trick myself and find it works consistently.

It should be noted that this technique is best used for gaining ground when not defending. If there are attacks headed your way, then you'll want to Parry them first before instigating the dash. But if you're simply looking to suddenly gain ground — Either at the start of a round or for a surprise attack — then this new method is definitely quicker off of the mark.

Street Fighter 6 is now available on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. You can check out our review right here.

The post Players discovered a neat Drive Rush shortcut in Street Fighter 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

Mech mayhem comes a'clankin' onto new platforms

If you fancy jumping into a giant robot and causing some heavy metal madness, then Forever Entertainment has some news for you — Front Mission 1st: Remake will launch on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms June 30, following on from its November 2022 Nintendo Switch release.

Front Mission 1st: Remake is a revamped edition of the Japan-only PS1 release, Front Mission 1st, which was itself a remake of the 1995 Super Famicom release, Front Mission. Set in the year 2090, the narrative concerns a brutal conflict between the Oceania Cooperative Union (O.C.U.) and the Unified Continental States (U.C.S.) — a conflict fought with devastating mech units known as "Wanzers". Lol.

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

Players engage in strategic combat across an increasingly desolate wasteland, battling it out with their comrades in a dramatic, story-driven tale that encourages the player to approach the conflict from both sides of the curtain. The two plots intertwine in order to ask and answer each other's questions. The new remake includes a new localization, a reorchestrated soundtrack, and various tweaks and rebalances to the game's modes and mechanics. You can check out Zoey Handley's review of the Switch release here.

Front Mission 1st: Remake launches on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms on June 30, priced at around $35 USD. A 10% discount is available until July 12, and a demo is available now on PC.

The post Front Mission 1st: Remake hits PlayStation, PC, and Xbox this month appeared first on Destructoid.

I didn't hear no bell...

Every fighting game franchise owes an unpayable debt to Street Fighter.

Oh, sure, Street Fighter wasn't the first slugger on the block, and we can tip our hats to forerunners such as Technos' Karate Champ and Irem's Yie Are Kung Fu for pioneering the genre itself. But, inarguably, it was the 1991 arrival of Capcom's Street Fighter II that truly popularised the one-on-one fighter on a global basis, reinventing competitive gaming, garnering millions of sales in the arcade and home market, and galvanizing itself as one of the premier franchises in history.

Street Fighter II wrote the blueprint that would be followed by every franchise eager to raise fists and feet in its wake. And while a handful of these excellent fighters would go on to achieve amazing success in their own right — building communities, breaking pop culture, and raking in beaucoup bucks — ultimately, they all pay homage to the king. When Street Fighter has the throne, you can't usurp it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_3cIvwbo98&ab_channel=Destructoid

In 2016, however, something went very wrong. That year, Capcom released Street Fighter V, bringing about one of the worst launches in the company's history. As a fighter, SFV was solid, but the launch was a disaster. Capcom delivered an uninspiring, threadbare title, lacking rudimentary features, missing trademark facets, and sporting a miserable U.I. and abominable netcode. Worse still, the title was devoid of charm and personality. It wasn't that Street Fighter V was terrible, it was... empty. Bland. An avatar bearing a familiar name but infused with an apathy that left its world cold and its characters hollow.

In the aftermath of this maligned release, Capcom reevaluated itself. Beginning with 2017's Monster Hunter World, the studio proceeded to knock out a string of hugely successful releases, leading to what is currently the most prosperous period in company history. And this week, seven years on from SFV's notorious debut, the prodigal son returns, determined to showcase improvement, win back its audience, and deliver a top-notch sequel that not only aims to surpass its predecessor, but also stake a claim as one of the greatest entries in the series' decades-long history.

[caption id="attachment_382452" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

Street Fighter 6 (PlayStation [PS5 reviewed], PC, Xbox, Arcade)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: June 2, 2023
MSRP: $69.99

Capcom has openly expressed its intent to conceive Street Fighter 6 as something of a "Make Good" for the misgivings of Street Fighter V, while simultaneously presenting a new era of evolution for the legendary series. SF6 bears the hallmarks of this evolution not only in its core fighting systems, but across every element of its presentation. This revitalized approach includes a ground-up redesign of the audio/visual aesthetic, as well as the implementation of the celebrated RE Engine, in a bold effort to present the most feature-filled launch of a Street Fighter title to date.

While "Evolution" might have been the intended term, "Polished" is a far better word to describe the precision with which Capcom has addressed its sequel. The team has not only ensured that the key elements of the fight itself are to the highest standard of player expectation, but also that all of the smaller, equally important details are also addressed. SF6 sports a better ranking system, more attractive menus, fun side activities, slicker online capabilities, battle damage, cooler Vs. screens, sportsmanship rewards, segmented downloads, improved player profiles, and new training tools.

This is not to mention the inventive "Modern" and "Dynamic" control schemes, as well as the sequel's fantastic range of overdue accessibility features. And we're still only scratching the surface of the quality on display here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EnsDg6DCTE

Welcome to the Punch Party

For the majority of fighting game fans, "Fighting Ground" & "Battle Hub" are where it's at, packed out with an array of familiar modes including Online & Offline Vs., Team Battle, Combo Trials, Training Mode, and Character Guides. Also on deck are individual Arcade Stories for our World Warriors, as well as the comical Extreme Battle, which allows for chaotic throwdowns disrupted by a variety of modifiers.

It is in Fighting Ground that players will become best acquainted with Street Fighter 6's 18-strong roster, which features familiar faces such as Ken, Blanka, and Ryu from Streets, mixed in with fan favorites such as a (particularly foul-mouthed) Cammy and my own main squeeze, Juri. While some have balked at the concept of launching with "only" 18 characters, it should be noted that SF6 hosts some of the best iterations of these characters to date. Equally of note are seven newcomers — all of whom are extremely inviting, and many of whom boast mechanics that are wholly new to the franchise.

It is testament to the SF6 roster that these new fighters have already been warmly welcomed by the fanbase. Marisa, Manon, Jamie, and co. have created perhaps the biggest buzz newcomers have ever received in SF history. For the first time in a very long time, there is not only a desire to master multiple characters, but almost a stalemate of choice when it comes to experimenting with the debutantes.

Hope you like JP. You'll be seeing a lot of that prick online.

[caption id="attachment_382451" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

Street Fighter 6 cast of skull-smackin' reprobates is given life through the sequel's trump card: it's vibrant aesthetic and full-throated personality. Boasting an "underground" vibe, SF6 feels electric, bursting with character and charisma, and awash in lurid color and bass-heavy beats. While the graffiti-inspired visuals and hip-hop flavor of the piece might not be to everyone's taste, there's no denying that SF6 has been jolted with the identity defibrillator that SFV sorely needed — Just try to ignore some of those bars in the background raps. Woof.

Our World Warriors have genuine presence and character, emboldened with fantastic models, series-best animation, and charismatic voice work. Street Fighter 6 is dripping with personality and bubbling with dynamism. Its exciting presentation style, superbly designed roster, myriad special effects, great character themes, and selection of colorful and lively arenas are the pulsating heart of the entire title.

It feels whole. It feels vigorous. It feels alive.

[caption id="attachment_382233" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

Driving Miss Crazy

Ironically, it's redundant to spend too much of your precious time describing Street Fighter 6's actual gameplay, given Capcom's confidence in having dropped three betas and a demo to the player base. (You can also read my thoughts in previous articles). But it goes without saying that, once the bell rings, Street Fighter 6 offers spirited, breathless combat, substituting a modicum of speed from its predecessors for increased impact. The RE Engine is a surprisingly great fit for 2.5D fighting, (whether by design or by accident), and allows for stellar animation, smooth movement and dazzling effects.

The backbone of Street Fighter 6 is the Drive System, which allows for the armored Drive Impact, the dramatic Drive Parry, and the sneaky Drive Rush abilities, as well as an array of Overdrive moves. It is through management of this meter that the player dictates the flow of the fight, ensuring that they have the resources to stay in an advantageous position while being readily open to overspending when victory is in sight.

The key boon provided by Drive is that it provides opportunity for creativity. While SFV suffered from a prison of optimal combos — which essentially saw 90% of players fight in the exact same way — Street Fighter 6 forces moment-to-moment adaptation, based entirely on the given resources of the two combatants at any one time. It is through the Drive skills that we will see more varied combo routes, distinct playstyles, and character evolution in the coming years. This in itself places Street Fighter 6 over other iterations in regard to its meta-changing potential.

And yes, I know that Drive Impact seems too powerful right now... Give it time. We'll adapt.

[caption id="attachment_382456" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

The Ballad of Bosch

Essentially a hybrid of Street Fighter and Sega's Like a Dragon, "World Tour" sees the player create a custom avatar, (a feature that has already resulted in an abomination of ungodly creatures populating the lobbies), before dallying around cityscapes and completing subquests, all while getting into a series of random rumbles on a loosely defined "Search for Strength". As you progress through this mode, your character hooks up with each of the World Warriors, learning new techniques with which to build a bespoke moveset. Ever wanted to have Hadoken, Flash Kick, Yoga Teleport, AND Screw Piledriver? Well, have I got the character for you, kiddo.

While World Tour does a great job at helping players get to grips with the basics of Street Fighter, it is, ultimately, a lackluster experience. The problem lies in the narrative and its relation to the mode itself. To be clear, World Tour is not a NetherRealm-esque "Cinematic Story Mode". In fact, upon meeting each World Warrior, the player is treated to a splendid introductory cutscene, before said character chooses to basically stand in one spot and dole out text messages for the remainder of the story. None of the World Warriors interact with each other over the course of the story, generally existing only to offer up new moves, kick your ass in sparring sessions, and passive-aggressively accept your gifts.

Cammy did not want the rom-com DVD.

[caption id="attachment_382457" align="alignnone" width="640"] BUONO!! BUONO!! BUONO!![/caption]

Always the Son (Son)

World Tour focuses on the adventures of your voiceless protagonist and Everyone's Favorite New Character, Bosch — a tale of stolen bus stops, a neutered Mad Gear Gang, and the sort of narrative high-stakes that see Bosch kidnapped and Luke telling you to "Go to Jamaica and bring me back a memento" in response. Remember in SFV when Alex thought Dhalsim — DHALSIM — was a carjacker? Well, similarly non-sequitur writing applies here. Only the delightfully heinous JP shines through, easily donning the mantle of the series' most despicable villain since M. Bison.

Also... Juri seems really fucking depressed. If she wants coffee and a foot rub I'm here for her.

While World Tour isn't the "Street Fighter RPG" some might have hoped, it's not without its charm, and represents only one element of the package of great extra-curricular activities. The Arcade Mode unlocks lovely artwork and fun bonus stages; the combo trials are challenging; the avatar builder is hilarious in its Frankensteinian potential, and the Game Center is packed out with rotating Capcom classics, including gems Magic Sword, Final Fight, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Son Son, and others.

Hey, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo is here. That's worth the price of admission alone.

[caption id="attachment_382459" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

As those who have played the beta can attest, load times are lightning fast and the rollback netcode is superb, offering the tightest online in Street Fighter history. For review (PS5), I can report that SF6 sports a steady, reliable frame rate when in Performance Mode, though this is at the cost of some crispness on the character models. It should be noted that I experienced some screen tearing on my display when I activated the "Input Delay Reduction" feature, but this may vary with monitors.

Battle Hub represents the more social nature of SF6's multiplayer portion, offered as an optional gateway to online matches. Personally, I love it, with its hilariously broken Avatar Battles, awkward emoting, and terrifying rogues' gallery of custom monstrosities. It makes for a neat hangout if you have no pals like me... (except for my girlfriend Juri, of course.)

You'd probably like me to address the inevitable elephant of monetization, so let's do it.

Street Fighter 6 follows a seasonal DLC pattern, with the first season of post-release characters already announced. In addition, Capcom will be adopting a "Battle Pass" format for SF6, ("Fighter's Pass") with free and premium tracks offering rewards for players. Costumes, colors, avatar gear, and other items will be purchasable via "Fighter Coins" (real currency) and "Drive Tickets" (earned in-game). Each character currently has one alternate costume that can be unlocked through playing World Tour.

The specifics regarding all of the above are expected to roll out in the near future.

[caption id="attachment_382453" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

You've got a lot to learn before you beat me...

While the disappointment of World Tour, and the concerning nature of monetization weighs on the title, it cannot be emphasized enough that Street Fighter 6 is a magnificent fighter. From its wide array of modes and features, through its exciting cast, new mechanics, solid performance, and impressive visuals, Street Fighter 6 is a title that radiates excellence. There was a clear commitment by the team to deliver a thoroughly engaging fighter for both the dedicated SF community as well as curious onlookers, and this commitment has been fulfilled, resulting in a year-best release and a legitimate GOTY contender.

Fighting games are always a tough review. Every player has their own expectations on how any given example should look, control, and flow, with distinct designs speaking to distinct players. This is why we have such a vibrant and energetic competitive scene, populated with such passionate individuals. Regardless, in Street Fighter 6, Capcom has made a declaration to redraw FGC focus onto its flagship fighting title... perhaps the flagship fighting title... and has successfully delivered an outstanding contender for this coming generation of fighting games. Street Fighter is back on the throne.

And when you come at the king, you best not miss.

While not all of the design decisions and ambitious new modes hit their mark, Capcom's commitment to producing a polished and superlative fighter is readily apparent throughout this stellar release. A compelling roster, exciting visuals, crisp performance, and thrilling mechanics ensure that this prestige sequel is set to champion local, online, and competitive scenes for years to come.

Simply put, Street Fighter 6 is one of the very best entries in series history.

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

The post Review: Street Fighter 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

Spellbound

While Guilty Gear has always been known for its complex and powerful characters, especially when compared to many other fighting games, somebody at Arc System Works may actually be taking this piss with the release of "That Man" Asuka R#, whose new Starter Guide reveals an arcane nightmare.

The progenitor of peace is certainly not living up to his reputation, stepping into the ring armed with an ancient tome of spells that provide myriad aggressive and defensive abilities, as well as keeping the opponent locked down in what is borderline abject terror, awaiting the next screen-filling mythic melee.

Where do you even fucking start?

Mana forms the backbone of most of Asuka R#'s attacks, and provides fuel for a range of spells that can be "bookmarked" and then released. In addition, Mana provides defense for Asuka R#'s health, and he suffers increased damage without it. Mana can be restored by activating certain attacks, or by activating a dedicated Restore Mana special.

In addition, Mana is expelled in various forms of "Bookmarked" attacks — essentially a massive variety special spells which are stored to be launched at a later date. Bookmarked spells can be canceled into one another, or have their individual properties changed via the direction/button pressed in execution.

https://youtu.be/d5hHDLCNZLI

We've not even scratched the surface... Asuka various spells are grouped into "Test Cases", which can be alternated during battle to provide Asuka with a new range of spells. Think of it as switching out a character's entire special set — say via a stance — except that there are numerous stances, and the stances themselves all have their own individual cancellation properties, as well as EX variants, and the opportunity to apply randomized boosts. And they all need to be managed via a depleting source.

So, in a summary that really isn't a summary, Asuka R# is equipped with multiple, entirely different movesets, all of which can be switched out at a whim, and all containing their own unique specials, which can then be Bookmarked for quick activation/cancellation purposes. Additionally, all of the Bookmarked Spells within each Test Case can be boosted in various forms, to reduce Mana cost, increase the number of hits, or automatically bookmark new spells once activated or any other manner of mechanics.

https://youtu.be/zpxOjoBDJBY

In addition to the Mana mechanic. Asuka is also able to place a magical staff onscreen, which causes a vacuum effect on all of his projectiles (including Supers) to keep them floating in the player's orbit. Oh, and here's a shocker: He can also teleport. Because of course he can. Ultimately, Asuka R# has been designed as one of the most complicated characters in fighting game history — a true knowledge check for both his player and the opponent. In clumsy hands, he will be a mess of random and frustrating projectiles. In good hands, he might simply be unstoppable.

Asuka R# is available to purchase now in Guilty Gear Strive as part of the Season 2 pass. As a quick refresher, here are the links to previous starter guides for May & Axl Low, Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske, Chip Zanuff & Potemkin, Faust, Millia Rage, Zato-1, Ramlethal, Leo Whitefang, Nagoriyuki, Giovanna, Anji Mito, I-no, Goldlewis Dickinson, Jack-O Valentine, Happy Chaos, Testament, Bridget, Sin Kiske, and Bedman?

The post Somebody is taking the piss with Asuka R#’s Guilty Gear Strive Starter Guide appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm still in a dream

Sony hosted its 2023 PlayStation Showcase today, spotlighting what's to come for the platform in the future. Both first and third-party games were shown off, some set for the near future, and others still a ways off.

It was an interesting showcase, all things considered. The third-party developers were pretty varied and interesting; seeing labels like Finji up alongside the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a treat, and there were a few surprises, like the next project from the Gris team.

Still, some of the heavy hitters were known quantities, like Street Fighter 6 or Final Fantasy XVI, or reveals that seem fairly far-off, like Bungie's revival of Marathon. Even though the Spidey gameplay reveal was admittedly rad, it was strange to not see a date at the end.

So that's my main takeaway: Sony has some neat stuff, in the hopefully-near future. There was a lot of multiplayer games too, and what felt like a reminder of Bungie's status as a Sony studio with two big reveals in one show. Here's the full rundown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4EKydVVvHk

Everything shown at the PlayStation Showcase 2023

• The show kicks off with Fairgame$, or I think that's how you stylize it. It's a new game from Haven, Jade Raymond's studio that was picked up by Sony last year. It was mostly a tone-setting trailer, but the tone seems to be techno cyber-heist.
• Helldivers 2 gets an appropriately themed reveal for this third-person shooter follow-up. The shift in perspective is interesting, but dang, this new entry does look gorgeous. That's headed to PC and PS5 this year.
• Magic-shooter Immortals of Aveum shows off some more spell-flinging action. You know, the magical military thing is kind of goofy, in a fun way. That's set for July 20.
• 505 and One More Level show off Ghostrunner 2, which just looks real neat. Nothing else much to say there. Felt like Ghostrunner was a bit underrated, and this new entry looks fast, gorgeous, and enjoyable. That arrives sometime in 2023.
• Going into this showcase, I didn't know what Phantom Blade Zero is, or even if there is another Phantom Blade I don't know about, but this looks fantastic. Sekiro fans should be writing this one down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXUmt8SPfJk

• From Giant Squid, which you may know from The Pathless or Abzu, comes another astonishingly good-looking game: Sword of the Sea. The sand-surfing on top of a sword is exquisite.
• Puzzle fans get another entry in the Talos series, as The Talos Principle II has been announced. The first had some really neat puzzles, so I'm curious what the team has in store for its release in 2023.
• Ready to cry in the middle of a showcase? Because Gris developer Nomada Studio is here with Neva, and this looks just as gorgeous and heartbreaking in just its trailer. It's arriving sometime in 2024.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7qpQuCNgQo

• Cats! Quests! Pirates? Fans of all three and more will probably find something to like in Cat Quest: Pirates of the Purribean. Its arriving sometime in 2024.
• Square Enix shows up for something a little different: a party shooter called Foamstars, that's all about spraying foam and making your own terrain with it. No date, but it's coming to both PS4 and PS5.
• The Plucky Squire's storybook aesthetic is still adorable as ever. It's still aiming for a 2023 launch.
• The heist sim with mind-boggling terrain manipulation is coming to PlayStation 5. Teardown is a really fascinating game, and PlayStation 5 owners will get to stage their own voxel-robberies this year.
• Kept ya waiting, huh? After many rumors and reports, there is indeed a new version of Snake Eater on the way. Not sure what the triangle entails. Delta? Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Sure. That's in development.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNX8QCeymFM

• We also got confirmation that Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 1 will bring the first three Solid games (MGS, Sons of Liberty, and Snake Eater) to PS5 this autumn.
• Dreamlit showed off some footage of Towers of Aghasba, which looks like a giant open-world fantasy adventure. It's arriving with some big animal pals sometime in 2024.
• Square Enix is back, this time with the launch trailer for Final Fantasy XVI. It's not far off now from its June 22 release date, either.
• Alan Wake 2 will make it just in time for Halloween, as the writer's journey picks up a new playable character and locks in an October 17 release date. It's also going digital only.
• Another October release follows right after, as Assassin's Creed Mirage sets a date for October 12. It looks like a return to the roots for the series.
• Night in the Woods fans have something to look forward to in Revenant Hill, the new game from Finji. It looks gorgeous!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTv9jjf3zI

• Granblue Fantasy: Relink shows off some more characters and confirms its winter 2023 global release window.
• Street Fighter 6 shows off more of its story and cutscenes, which do seem to be a big bullet point for this entry. After the recent open beta, I'm just eager to get some more matches in. That's arriving soon, on June 2.
• Ultros keeps the "new game with a fascinating look" streak going, as its a side-scrolling action game with some incredible colors and designs.
• A trailer for Tower of Fantasy is here, and I'm not quite sure what's happening. It looks gorgeous, but I also know very little about Tower of Fantasy. The robot-plant-lady boss looks kinda sick, though.
• Sound the horns and rejoice in the streets: here is your reminder that yes, Dragon's Dogma II is real and happening. We get some gameplay, some cutscenes, and some really exciting teases for what's in store here. No date or anything, but a nice surprise to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOCCI53JYBA

• Five Nights at Freddy's Help Wanted 2 is here, for those who would like more scary animatronics. That's arriving sometime in late 2023.
• Here comes the PS VR2 block, starting with a banger: Resident Evil 4 is getting a VR mode. To be clear, this looks like the RE 4 remake, and in PS VR2, so it's RE4 Remake VR2. A little confusing, but still neat. No date, as it's just confirmed to be in development.
• Here's Arizona Sunshine II, if you want irreverent zombie shooting in VR. I mostly just had a bizarre moment of neurons firing, remembering the first Arizona Sunshine. That arrives sometime this year.
• Crossfire is keeping on, with a VR game called Sierra Squad on the way. No date for that yet.
• Synapse is a dreamlike shooter that feels like Inception and Superhot crossed the streams. It's fun to watch the trailer player flip boxes and barrels around, though. That's out July 4.
• Beat Saber is out now on PS VR2, as is a pack of Queen's music that includes some Queen visuals. Please, don't stop me now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y-e2krA3uE

• We exit the VR block into Bungie's reveal of a Marathon revival. The studio is launching its first new game in some time, a sci-fi extraction shooter that has its roots in a classic franchise for the company. I'm already very intrigued by the look of this game, if nothing else.
• Bungie also makes a big reveal: Nathan Fillion is returning to Destiny 2 for The Final Shape. A showcase is set for August 22 to share more.
• Sony studio Firesprite reveals Concord with a space-y trailer. That's headed to PS5 and PC in 2024.
• And now for something completely different: a trailer for the Gran Turismo movie. It's called Gran Turismo, and it hits theaters in August.
• Jim Ryan pops back on to close the showcase out with a few announcements ahead of the final reveal. Project Q is a dedicated handheld device for streaming remote play from your PlayStation 5 console, and Sony's also rolling out some PlayStation ear buds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrPZSq5YXqc

• Lastly, we close things out with Marvel's Spider-Man 2. It's still set for a fall 2023 window, and today we got to see a lot of gameplay, ranging from Spidey-swapping and Web Wing gliding to Peter's new Symbiote skills, which seem to be giving him a bit of an attitude problem.

That's it for the PlayStation Showcase 2023. Let us know what you thought of the show down below!

The post Everything shown at the PlayStation Showcase 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Prepare to do whatever a spider can?

This afternoon will see Sony Computer Entertainment take to the airwaves for its May 2023 PlayStation Showcase stream. Kicking off in about 30 minutes from now, PlayStation fans can expect news and updates on a jackload of releases, currently in development for PS4, PS5, and/or PSVR 2 platforms.

While we don't quite know exactly what will be shown on this afternoon's stream, it seems very likely that Insomniac will have some new footage, (and probably a launch date), for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which is one of the few PlayStation exclusives still planned for 2023. It's likely that Square Enix will also drop in for some Final Fantasy XVI updates, ahead of the RPGs late-June launch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4EKydVVvHk

In regards to third-party titles, it's getting a little late for Street Fighter 6 updates, but perhaps we'll see another trailer or gameplay footage for NetherRealm Studios' recently announced Mortal Kombat 1. There are also some Hail Mary possibilities, such as Kojima Productions' Death Stranding 2, and an update on Marvel's Wolverine — But one would obviously expect Insomniac to focus on its current Marvel Comics game before it starts talking about the next one.

Whatever The Blue Brand has to show us, we hope that you'll grab a drink and settle in with us. Feel free to leap into the comments with your thoughts, reactions, and opinions to the news as it rolls out in front of us. Given another time-out from E3, these streams remain the best way for us to enjoy the summer of gaming (as opposed to The Summer of Gaming) together. So... let's tune in to the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase stream and see what releases will be forcing Suicide Squad to backpedal once again.

The post Join us right here for the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase stream! appeared first on Destructoid.

Over 600,000 people falling into their TVs worldwide

Sony has released its latest financial earnings report, which shows that its newest Virtual Reality technology, PlayStation VR2 had a pretty impressive launch, garnering over 600,000 unit sales in its first six weeks of release.

While VR tech has been, and perhaps always will be, something of a niche market, this number eclipses the launch numbers of the original PlayStation VR hardware, which first launched back in the fall of 2016. Even more notably, the PSVR 2 unit has been lambasted for its staggeringly high price range, with the PS5-only unit retailing for around $550 USD, essentially the price of a disc-based PS5 itself.

But these numbers show that PSVR 2 has still seen a successful 8% increase over its predecessor, in part thanks to a litany of recognizable brands among its first run of software. VR games and experiences — either on the shelves now, or coming in the near future — include titles based on series such as Horizon, Resident Evil, Ghostbusters, Until Dawn, Tetris, and Gran Turismo. While undoubtedly expensive, PlayStation VR2 is highly impressive technology, with almost bewildering levels of immersion and a much slicker and more efficient cabling system.

Interestingly, however, the report fails to declare how many PSVR 2 units have been sold in total since the hardware's release. Sony is quick to note the success for those six launch weeks, but remain quiet on sales for several months since. Initial reports from Bloomberg said that Sony had hoped to shift two million units in PSVR 2 launch year, but halved those expectations due to disappointing pre-orders. This is a report Sony was quick to deny. But it remains to be seen whether these impressive launch figures represent the lion's share of all PSVR 2 sales, for this year and those years still to come.

The post Despite high price, PlayStation VR2 still beat predecessor’s launch sales appeared first on Destructoid.

It's in the cards.

We're back with a few more PlayStation Showcase 2023 predictions today. Five community questions were answered yesterday, and today, I'll knock out the remaining three. The presentation is tomorrow, May 24th, at 1 pm PST.

I've picked out a few decks, so let's get going!

Occams asks if more Silent Hill footage or news will be shown.

I pulled from The Horror Tarot by Abigail Larson for this one. There seems to be some movement toward Silent Hill from the cards.

Usually, the Fool is so absorbed in sniffing a flower that they might fall off a cliff. Lady Konami unleashed the hounds on this poor fool, so she's gotta run to the studio and cut a new trailer fast. The reversed Hemit also says there's been too much quiet and Silent Hill must show its creepy hot nurses again.

Lady Konami—The Queen of Wands—is a woman of passion, but she only has so much patience. She waits for her servants to tend to her, draw her bath, and lay out her gown so she may go to the vampire ball tonight.

Last night was bloody, the thrashing of a Metal Gear Survive designer barely contented her. She craves more blood. Her carriage—or Chariot—arrives soon so she can hunt down that Fool girl and get that Silent Hill 2 trailer on the way to the ball. It's inevitable.

EdgyDude asks if there is any chance of Insomniac's Wolverine game getting a release date.

This is one of those "crunchy" questions. I have a crunchy answer from a fortune cookie:

"He that climbs the tall tree has a right to the fruit."

Well, okay then. Anyone with adamantium claws would certainly get that fruit first. Let's try cards again, this time from the This Might Hurt Tarot by Isabella Rotman!

Looks like a "no," bub.

There’s lots of restraint and planning here, but not a lot of movement. The Two of Wands is a planner. They make plans. If the plan doesn't work out, they make new plans. They're charting the course for Wolverine. And while the Seven of Cups offers both wonder and opportunity, Insomniac has chosen to let Spider-Man 2 enjoy the spotlight for now.

The reverse King of Wands—the boss—decided now isn't the time to talk. He'd love to show us Logan's new adventure but decided to let it simmer for a bit. Insomniac is the best at what they do, so if we leave them to it, what Wolvie does won't be very nice.

Razieluigi asks what the cards have to say about a PS5 Slim.

My Fyodor Pavlov Tarot is showing its full potential here. Initiative and passion in the Ace of Wands, earthly gains in the Ace of Coins, and a hot clown. A non-murdery kind of hot clown in The Fool.

I would date this Fool, just saying. She's very stylish. I'd catch her from that fall. No bloodthirsty hounds are chasing this one, just a cat. She's ready to take that leap and tell us the PS5 Slim is coming this Fall!

And then we'd go out for dinner at Genghis Grill.

That's all the remaining PlayStation community predictions! I'll have more for Nintendo and PC/Xbox down the road!

The post PlayStation Showcase 2023 predictions for the Destructoid community Part 2 appeared first on Destructoid.