The musical Hamilton swept through the country years ago, reimagining the life of Alexander Hamilton during the American Revolution and establishment of the United States. So when Hamilton came to Roblox, a gacha game was the only format that made sense.

Hamilton Simulator is a new Roblox experience from Super League and Small World Games, in an adaptation that AP reports has the blessing of Hamilton writer-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda. To roughly approximate how to describe it, it's like an idle gacha game. And if you've never seen a Roblox game before, well, you're in for something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbRuyz5STsY

For those unfamiliar, Roblox is less of an individual "game" and more of a forum for games and content to be shared. If you ever played custom games in StarCraft or jumped on a modded Unreal Tournament server, you're in the ballpark. And this particular Roblox game, Hamilton Simulator, fuses elements of gacha, idle, and RPG together with a musical twist. Also, to clarify, no Robux—in-game currency that can be purchased with real-world cash—is required to play.

Now, I could stop there and simply point out from a distance how odd this combination is. But I needed to hit the pavement. I had to see, for myself, on my own personal computer, what this was. So I made a Roblox account and dove in.

I did not throw away my shot

Booting up the experience, I was met with a short cutscene of my Roblox avatar in their default configuration sailing into the harbor. A few arrows directed me to a nearby chest with a coin marker on it, with enough coin in my pocket for a single spin of the wheel. One gacha roll later, I had myself John Laurens, a Rare pull. It's worth noting that while I've heard the music, I have not seen Hamilton. And though my U.S. History grades don't give me much in the way of credentials, this does seem like a loose adaptation of true events.

[caption id="attachment_396252" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

I took my newfound companion, equipped him in my menu (which also displays his DPS output), and went over to where all the British soldiers were. I clicked, and John Laurens sang at them until they exploded into coins.

This, it seems, is the loop of Hamilton Simulator. Sing at the British until they drop pocket change, and feed it into the gacha machine to fill your blocky choir. As I serenaded the King's men to their demise, I saw a player run by me with a Mythical King George in their party. All the while, a MIDI-like instrumental version of a Hamilton tune looped over and over. When I finally worked up enough cash to open the next area, the Public House, I got a new track and some new guys to sing at.

[caption id="attachment_396253" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A basic description of Hamilton Simulator is absolutely bizarre, and even in the act of playing it, I found it extremely strange. But I have to admit, even though I went in as much, it's also pretty benign. Hamilton Simulator is a mountain of HP bars that don't fight back. They simply stand there, waiting to be crooned out of their cash by inaudible tunes. All while my cold, emotionless default Roblox avatar watches, waiting for the coins to drop.

It's fascinating, in the way that Fortnite hosting both huge musical concerts and educational memorials is fascinating. No actual money is changing hands. And it doesn't really seem to pivot in any way. Sing, gather, gacha, repeat.

Yes, I am really curious about the thought process that steered a Hamilton x Roblox crossover in the idle gacha genre. It isn't surprising that the novelty of that statement, and a few minutes spent experiencing it myself, were about as far as the idea went. But this is the norm these days, too. Wrap an IP people like around a familiar experience, and go.

Sometimes, the results are memorable. Or they live in infamy. Or they're just bad. I'm not sure Hamilton Simulator gives me enough to merit a true qualitative assessment. It's there, it exists, and it's just strange enough that it's worth a short tour if any of this sounded funny.

The post Hamilton Simulator imagines the musical as a gacha game inside Roblox appeared first on Destructoid.

Baldur's Gate 3 is a massive role-playing game, rife with decisions and choices that can come to a die roll. Consequences of a failed roll in Baldur's Gate 3 can ripple out across the game, ranging from small changes to big shifts in the story. And even though you've got modifiers and tools, you're still always beholden to the die.

To that end, I get why we are now rehashing the age-old save-scum debate. In some ways, it's a little silly; it's your game, so you should play it how you want.

What I would like to do, though, is encourage a few of you file perfectionists out there to embrace the failed roll. I come to you as a documented save-scummer myself—my XCOM Enemy Unknown and Fire Emblem files more than verify as much—saying that failure isn't just entertaining in Baldur's Gate 3. It's actually led to some really interesting, clever moments of role-playing that make me appreciate all the more what Larian Studios has made.

Settle in for story time

So let's lay out an example. Skip ahead to the next header section if you'd like to stay scot-free on spoilers; I'll keep out of anything major, but I know some folks are avoiding any info about BG3 in general.

While adventuring in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, I came across a distillery where a grotesque bartender had taken up shop for a ghoulish clientele. I could tell, just from his general stature and aura, that this dude could easily become a boss encounter if I did not play it right.

As my companions pointed out to my main character, our big guy seemed about ready to burst from all the dangerous-looking elixir he was downing. So if I could keep him talking and drinking, I could get some info and skip the fight altogether. The problem was, he wasn't easily impressed. To keep the good times rolling, I need to weave some good tales from my own adventures. How did I do? Well...

[caption id="attachment_395966" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Yeah, I rolled a natural 1. What I really love about the die system is that, by having these extremes, it encourages a little risk taking now and again. No matter what the stat check is, you have a 1-in-20 shot at passing it with a natural 20. You also have a 1-in-20 shot of blowing it, no matter what. Nothing is truly guaranteed, so you can have your hopes lifted or crushed at any time.

With a DC of 21 and only two Inspiration, which you can expend to re-roll, I could either save-scum it or take it on the chin. I did the latter, expecting a boss fight. Except, it didn't happen. The bartender just made fun of my story. He mocked me bragging about touring through the Hells, when he was basically already living in a hellscape. So then I had to roll a Deception check to tell an even taller tale that would impress him, and keep him drinking.

The entire encounter was this: me trying to weave in stories and failing to impress, but stringing him along just enough with my charm (and sleight of hand in feigning my own drinks) to keep the conversation going. I got my information, and the boss burst, without a single Eldritch Blast fired. The whole time, I was dancing a careful edge, trying to keep a crocodile smile while narrowly skating through check after check.

Playing out losses

Making failure feel good is an incredibly tricky thing in role-playing game. I feel like I always go back to Mass Effect when I think about this topic. It's amazing that you can "fail" a dialogue in Mass Effect 1 and lose Wrex, a party member that can otherwise become a Krogan leader and central figure for major quests in ME2 and ME3. It's something I really like, but also something I've never really wanted to play out myself, if I'm being honest.

And for the sake of transparency, it's not like I'm letting every die roll play out. I've absolutely save-scummed a few sequences. Here are Eric's Golden Rules to when it's okay, in my eyes, to roll back a save:

• Combat. Come on, that one's easy. Party member goes down? Fight goes awry? Roll it on back.
• Romance. I'm not playing a Charisma-based character just to fail all my Rizz checks.
• Animals. I will gladly save scum any roll to ensure that no animals were harmed in my journey. (Sadly, some animals were harmed. Can't save 'em all.)

Even still, I'll sometimes make a bold choice just to see what happens. Seeing the permutations is actually what put me onto this new appreciation for failure in the first place.

I was talking to Raphael, the devilish deal-maker, who was asking me to do him a favor and take care of a lingering thread he'd left behind, in a dungeon I was about to walk into. Naturally, I wanted to know more. So I took the roll option to see if I could eke just a little more info out of him about what I was walking into. I failed, and I really just need to show you the face he made when I deigned to ask him for something:

[caption id="attachment_395968" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Suffice to say, I did not get what I wanted in that scenario. But I didn't roll it back. I liked that my protagonist, who I endearingly refer to as "Half-Elf Anderson Cooper", tried and failed in that moment. I felt rewarded because it felt like Larian wanted that failure to be rewarding, in its own way.

The churn of Baldur's Gate 3

A dice roll in a game like Dungeons & Dragons isn't just about screwing the player over. It's a system built to encourage a little bit of chaos. Because, as it turns out, failures are narratively exciting. If stories were written about people who always made the right choices, they'd be pretty boring.

In the same way, Baldur's Gate 3 lets me fail, but makes those failings feel like compelling pieces of my story. Rolling a natural 20 feels incredible because I have rolled so many close failures before it. Systems like the Karmic Dice are supposed to off-set this a little, but still, it's engaging to have things go wrong. Yes, you can specialize in Deception, and bump up those modifiers, and have Shadowheart keep Guidance on you 24/7. That doesn't mean a 1 can't roll. Heck, Baldur's Gate 3 even gives you some tools for forcing a pass, sometimes with consequences. The interaction of all these systems can lead to some dramatic moments, and you can feel every bit of that tension as you watch the virtual die tumble on-screen.

I wrote something similar about Disco Elysium a couple years ago, and that's a similar game that felt like it embraced the narrative power of failure. These little parts where your character is not as strong as they think they are, or as perceptive as they claim to be, or maybe just let their mind wander during an important conversation, all feel like part of the story. There's nothing quite like seeing four Perception: Failed rolls as you're walking along a seemingly normal road.

[caption id="attachment_395965" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Even the successes tell their own stories. In one area, I needed to pass an Athletics check to roll a gondola back up towards me. My Warlock certainly didn't pass the first one. But then the incredibly strong duo of Shadowheart and Lae'zel couldn't move it either. You know who got that hunk of wood up, fighting gravity itself to guarantee us safe travel? Gale. The bookworm Wizard Gale. I like to imagine he felt more like Octopath Traveler 2's bear of a mage Osvald in that moment.

So yes, save-scum the things you want to save-scum. If you're really dying to see that Karlach romance scene, don't accept anything less than success on those rolls. But maybe let some of those less critical die roll low. Watch and see what happens. I think Larian's put an impressive amount of work into making failures carry story scenes, and even open up compelling branches within them, and it's worth seeing. It won't just make you appreciate the breadth and scope of Baldur's Gate 3. It'll also make for a pretty good story someday, if you ever need to keep a ghoulish one occupied.

The post It’s worth embracing a few failed rolls in Baldur’s Gate 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

The first DLC excursion of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have a release date. Part 1, The Teal Mask, arrives on September 13, and its follow-up The Indigo Disk arrives in winter 2023.

A trailer shown during today's Pokémon Presents dove into what we can expect from Scarlet and Violet's two-part DLC, both set to arrive this year. The Teal Mask follows two trainers, Carmine and her younger brother Kieran, as we get wrapped up in a festival and local folklore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QiLe4pTHAE

Of course, there are new Pokémon to catch. Dipplin is a dipped version of Applin. It looks like some special Pokémon are also tied into the folk tale surrounding the Festival of Masks we can attend.

Perrin, a Pokémon photographer, will also be around to give players missions to snap shots. A racing minigame will also garner Mochi, which lets you train Pokemon as you want. A Roto Stick upgrade also gives players  some new photo mode options. All of that is part of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's The Teal Mask DLC, arriving on September 13.

The BB League awaits

For The Indigo Disk, the second part of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC, the player heads to the Blueberry Academy as an exchange student. Here, you basically get wrapped up in a battle anime plot, as the students seem to like battling in their own BB League.

[caption id="attachment_395423" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via The Pokémon Company/YouTube[/caption]

There's also a new open area with different biomes, new classes to take, and a special trial that will let your Koraidon or Miraidon fly instead of glide. A few other neat features await in The Indigo Disk, including new Pokéball throwing styles and a way to hang out with trainers from Paldea.

All of the DLC adventures lead back to where Pokémon Scarlet and Violet concluded in the base game: Area Zero. As the entire DLC pack is called The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, it looks like there will be more mysteries to uncover in that deep crater.

Though the base game arrived a bit rough, I'm still interested to see where Game Freak takes the story from here. Area Zero was one of the most interesting parts of Scarlet and Violet, and these two DLC packs seem to be leaning into some strong areas. It'll be interesting to see how these additions come together.

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Last night in Las Vegas, many eyes were on Street Fighter 6. The newly launched entry in Capcom's fighting game series held the final slot of Grand Finals day at Evo 2023. With record entrants and an already warm reception, it's easy to say expectations were high. Still, I don't think we could have expected the stellar grand finals Street Fighter 6 got.

Let's set the stage a bit, first. The Evolution Championship Series, or Evo, is one of the most storied and respected fighting game tournaments around. Alongside its massive attendance, Evo is also an open tournament, so anyone can put up the entrance money and fight. To win Evo is to, by extrapolation, beat everyone at Evo. And with Street Fighter 6 garnering an all-time record in entrants, there was no shortage of talent on display.

Going into Sunday's Top 6, many giants had already fallen along the roadside. Former Evo and Capcom Cup champions littered the path to Sunday's stage in Mandalay Bay, with names like SonicFox, Dogura, Daigo, NuckleDu, GO1, Fuudo, and many more all eliminated.

The storylines for Sunday were all beautifully laid out. At the top stood Punk, an established competitor from Street Fighter V who was reportedly on a perfect streak through the bracket. Haitani bore the standard for Modern controls, utilizing the simplified control scheme to execute some brutal reactions with Chun-Li. AngryBird and Kakeru were also imposing threats, and even more heat lay down below in the loser's side of the double-elimination bracket. On one side, there was the legendary Tokido; the other, MenaRD, who took the top spot at CEO 2023 in Street Fighter 6. Essentially, by this point, there were no easy rounds.

Drive to win

The tone was set early with a nail-biter finish between AngryBird and Kakeru, as the former's Ken pressed to get in against the 'shmup-like projectiles of newcomer JP. This close battle led to a dominating first fight for Punk, taking a Winners Final berth 3-0 over Haitani. The Modern controls would soon fall to incredible play from MenaRD on Luke, and Tokido delivered a second Ken win over JP to advance forward.

At this point, the finals were already solid. But something shifted in the air, the moment MenaRD and Tokido took the stage. The pair decided to face off, seemingly recreating the Street Fighter Alpha 2 art, ahead of their Losers Semifinal bout.

https://twitter.com/EVO/status/1688406396772261889

The atmosphere was electric from here on out. MenaRD unleashed Blanka, a sometimes-oddball pick he'd found success with, while Tokido fought back with an aggressive and impressive Ken. Blanka-chan would win out, advancing MenaRD ahead to await the loser of AngryBird vs. Punk.

Punk's incredible run finally met two obstacles; first in AngryBird's still-impressive Ken, and again in a narrow loss to MenaRD's Blanka. At this point, MenaRD was on an incredible run through the losers' side of the bracket, while AngryBird stood ready to face this challenger. Both had outlasted some of the tournament's heaviest hitters, and the trophy was within reach.

Grand Finals played out beautifully, highlighting the strengths that bore each player there. MenaRD showed not just skill, but versatility, swapping between Blanka and Luke. AngryBird stayed nimble and adaptive while finding narrow openings in the space. The heightened drama played up all through a reset of the bracket and, ultimately, a win for AngryBird.

https://twitter.com/EVO/status/1688428324597686273

Two players, whose highest Evo placements prior to Sunday were just outside the hallowed Top 8, put on an incredible competition. AngryBird seized the win in stirring fashion. And it was hard not to take notice that this was only the first year of Street Fighter 6.

On to the next challenger

In most years, Evo Grand Finals are usually a treat. But I really don't think Street Fighter 6 could've asked for a better first showing on the biggest stage in fighting games.

As I was watching the event unfold last night, our watch party kept remarking how different this felt from Street Fighter V. Its troubled launch put SFV off to a bad start, and though it would see support and updates, it never felt like it truly recovered, much less reach the heights of its predecessor. While we saw many great stories told on Street Fighter V's canvas, I don't feel like the game matched up to its real-life narrative highs.

Last night, if anything, showed that Capcom might finally have a vehicle on its hands that can match its driver. The calculating decisions around Drive Gauge usage, the freedom for adaptation and reaction mid-series, and even some solid character variety—Ken as the only repeat main amongst the Top 6—all show Street Fighter 6 has sincere promise.

There's still a long road ahead. Every scene waxes and wanes, as countless other top-shelf games in the competitive space have shown. But it was really nice to close out Evo 2023 with some good-ass Street Fighter, full stop. And there looks to be many more battles ahead, on the path to Street Fighter 6's next top bracket at Evo.

You can catch the full VOD for Evo 2023's Grand Finals Sunday, including some fantastic Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and more, here.

The post Street Fighter 6 couldn’t have asked for a better Evo debut appeared first on Destructoid.

Twitch streamer Kai Cenat has been taken into custody after a giveaway event held in New York city took a turn.

Cenat and another streamer/social media influencer, Fanum, were set to host a giveaway in Union Square, as archived by The Verge. The day arrived, and a massive crowd reportedly showed up today for the event.

Cenat broadcast a video on Twitch, advertising PlayStation 5s and gift cards to give away, before leaving his bus and heading out. Things took a turn though, into what could be described as a "bit of a commotion." It's unclear what sparked this turn at this time.

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

The New York Police Department mobilized with an estimated 1,000 officers, per NBC New York. Several videos caught glimpses of the chaos, ranging from what looks like people spraying fire extinguishers to Cenat apparently being taken into custody.

NYPD later confirmed during a press conference that when the crowd grew too large, they declared it an "unlawful assembly" and began to clear the area. The NYPD chief of police Jeffrey Maddrey said officers filled a bus with arrestees, but did not confirm how many were in custody following the New York giveaway event-gone-south.

A spokesperson confirmed to NBC New York that Cenat and "numerous" other people were in custody. It's not clear yet if any charges will be filed, though Maddrey did suggest that "inciting a riot" could be considered.

https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/1687584007230468096

Cenat is a popular streamer who garnered headlines earlier this year for a record of most active subscribers on Twitch, previously held by others like Tyler "Ninja" Blevins and Ludwig Ahgren.

_{Lead image via CBS News}

The post Streamer taken into custody after New York giveaway event gets chaotic appeared first on Destructoid.

Developer French-Bread has officially announced its next entry in the Under Night series. French-Bread and Arc System Works will launch Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes in 2024 for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

Set as the sequel to the first Under Night In-Birth, UNIB II will feature the "final chapter" of the Hollow Night storyline that started over a decade ago with the original release. Under Night mixes light novel story with fighting game action.

https://youtu.be/m55Ju_OmSvU

As far as fighting games go, Under Night is squarely in the anime fighter subgenre and is a pretty enjoyable one, too. For Under Night In-Birth II, there will be an expanded move list, new character abilities, and updates to the battle system. There's also an EXS button, which sounds like a beginner-friendly control scheme similar to auto-combos.

For fighting game players, the big news is that yes, Under Night In-Birth II will have rollback netcode. It's always nice to have, as it lets players meet up and fight online with a solid connection. It's quickly becoming the gold standard, but it's nice to see French-Bread and Arc System Works emphasize its inclusion.

Into the Under Night

Those at Evo 2023 this weekend will get to play some Under Night In-Birth II, as Arc System Works' booth is hosting gameplay demos. It's not the only brand-new fighting game in town, either. Mortal Kombat 1, Tekken 8 and Riot Games' Project L are all in Las Vegas this weekend too. That's not even counting all the currently released fighting games at Evo, hosting tournaments.

It's going to be an exciting weekend for fighting game aficionados, for sure. I'm also pretty happy to see Under Night get a sequel like this. It's a fighter I frequently enjoy going back to, and I'm interested in seeing what French-Bread's got in the oven.

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes will head to PlayStation, Switch, and PC sometime in 2024.

The post Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes arrives next year appeared first on Destructoid.

The path through Baldur's Gate 3 is fraught with adventure, romance, peril, and plunder. It can seem a bit daunting, at first blush. Plus, for those who haven't played Dungeons & Dragons or even a CRPG like this in a while, there's a lot to familiarize yourself with. You might need some tips.

While I wouldn't call myself a D&D 5E expert, I've followed the Early Access of Baldur's Gate 3 for a while and, at the time of this writing, put a solid chunk of hours into the launch state of BG3. It's a massive, complex game with a lot of interlocking systems and little quality-of-life tips that, even if you are told them once, you might forget ten hours down the road. Well, that's why I'm here.

This is my bundle of tips for newcomers, and a handy reference for seasoned players. Whether it's a keyboard shortcut or an inconspicuous toggle, these are some tips I've kept noted and on-hand throughout my playtime in Baldur's Gate 3.

Highlight interactable items

My biggest quality-of-life tip for Baldur's Gate 3 is to simply hit Left-Alt more often. Pressing this key down highlights all the interactable objects in an area. It's pretty handy, whether you're outdoors in a busy environment or in the deep, deep depths of the Underdark.

More than that, though, it helps you get an idea of where to go next. If a gate is blocking your path, Left-Alt might highlight the lever you're overlooking. Or maybe there's an important note on a table you didn't notice. (To be fair, there are a lot of notes, and a lot of tables.) Any point at which you feel you haven't exhausted all options, hit that highlight button and poke around again.

Stealth-walk together

Sneaking around can be effective in Baldur's Gate 3, if you manage to execute it. Stealth attacks can get the drop on enemies, taking them unaware and giving you some advantage in a difficult encounter. That said, you'll want to make sure the whole party is on board with your plan.

While Larian implemented an auto-jump feature, that has companions automatically jump after your lead character if it's a safe leap, you'll need a special key for group stealth. Hitting Shift-C on the keyboard will put the whole party into sneaking-around mode. Keep in mind that this works with groups, too; so if you've stealthed one character after splitting the party and want to rejoin the group without raising the alarm, you can Shift-C before sending the main contingent over to link up.

Use turn-based mode to handle sticky situations

We've all stumbled into something unexpected once, twice, even four times before in Dungeons & Dragons. So when the traps and explosions start flying in this game, my tip to you is to use Baldur's Gate 3's Turn-Based Mode to simplify the decision-making process.

[caption id="attachment_394987" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

While you explore Baldur's Gate 3 in real time, there is always the option to hit the big, round button on the right-hand side of your RPG taskbar to swap into Turn-Based Mode. This institutes a turn-based structure on time, having the world and your own party act in roughly six-second increments or so. It might seem strange at first, but it's actually incredibly useful for precisely skirting around traps or obstacles, as well as sneaking around certain foes.

Hide helmets in the inventory screen

Whether you're a fan or detractor of funny hats, sometimes a scene gets a little intimate and you want the wizard hat to stop harshing the vibe. Whether the pointy cap stays on or not, there are options for those who want unobscured views of their Baldur's Gate 3 party.

While you have the party equipment screen open (TAB by default), you can hover the helmet slot in each members' equipment. You'll see a tiny icon appear above the box, which you can toggle. The settings are either On, Hide During Dialogue, or Hide. With this, you'll never have to endure a wizard hat ruining the mood again. Unless, of course, that is the sort of vibe you're looking for.

You can swap difficulty at any time

Baldur's Gate 3 can be pretty tough at times, and I wouldn't be surprised to see those less familiar with CRPGs hit some early walls in this game. There are three difficulty settings in Baldur's Gate 3, ranging from the story-driven Explorer to the combat Aggro Crag of Tactician.

The nice part is, you're not locked in to any of them. At any point during your campaign, you can open your Options menu and swap the difficulty to another level. This makes it very easy to throttle your Baldur's Gate 3 difficulty experience to your own particular taste. Bosses may have imposing spells and powerful equipment, but they don't have what you have: an Options menu.

Camp when you can

For those who haven't played much Dungeons & Dragons, you might not get why camping is so important. That's cool. I'm here to tell you: use the camp, and use it often.

First and foremost, it's your source for a Long Rest. These Long Rests will, if you have adequate supplies, restore your health and resources to full, and many spellcasting classes need to rest to restore spell slots for more spell-slinging. Long Resting also restores your Short Rest counter; you can do two small, immediate Short Rests between each Long Rest, like daytime naps. For some classes, this even refreshes a few (though not all) of your resources.

Secondly, the camp is where a lot of interpersonal story happens. Nighttime events often advance party members' plot lines forward. And if you see someone with an exclamation point over their head, that means they have something new and/or important to say to you. These are the companion moments that are very worthwhile, so make time to set up camp every so often to keep the story moving at a decent pace.

[caption id="attachment_394992" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

On top of all that, you will eventually have an NPC named Withers join your camp. Aside from being one of my absolute favorite NPCs in the game on personality alone, Withers also gives you some crucial boons. You can speak to him to recruit hireling (custom characters you can class out to fill party spots), bring fallen party members back from the dead, and reclass and respec your own characters. There's a lot of good back at camp.

Check the items in your inventory

While the previous Baldur's Gate 3 tip was for the D&D novices, this one's for the CRPG novices: check your inventory. Seriously. Pay attention to items you get. See if you can interact with them. Move them around, examine them, see what makes them tick.

[caption id="attachment_394990" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It might sound mundane or silly, but the number of times I've picked up something useful, like a tip for my current predicament, and not realized it was there until much later is slightly embarrassing. Reading notes, interacting with objects, and even opening those pouches and backpacks you pick up is extremely useful. Larian's tucked a decent amount of information away behind those interactions.

Save those Inspiration rolls

Every now and then, you'll do something really neat or interesting, and be rewarded an Inspiration die. In tabletop, this is how DMs can reward clever players. In Baldur's Gate 3, it feels like a mixture of that and discovering an easter egg.

[caption id="attachment_394832" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It's extra helpful because Inspiration can give you a second chance at missed rolls. Let's say you hit a Dexterity check that needs a 10 to clear, and your final tally is a 9. Using an Inspiration roll will give you a do-over. That's pretty valuable, even if you're just saving and reloading on failed rolls anyways. We all know each other does that.

ABS (Always be saving/shoving)

This is a two-fold Baldur's Gate 3 tip: ABS. For one part, that stands for Always Be Saving. Save often, especially after you win a tough roll or finish a fight. You don't want to botch a roll, get slammed off a cliffside, reload and be forced to win an arduous battle all over again. Yes, I am speaking from experience. You have tons of save slots and a quicksave option, so make use of them, especially since the autosave isn't so lenient.

But you also want to ABS: Always Be Shoving. More specifically, always use your bonus actions. Each turn, you can move and act. But you can also undertake a bonus action, which can range from chugging a potion or using your class proficiency to take an extra swing, to just plain shoving someone. If you've got an option, use it. Worst-case scenario is you gain nothing, and best case is knocking someone prone or down a chasm. Which leads me to my last tip...

Use the environment, control the crowd

The Divinity: Original Sin lineage is alive and well in Baldur's Gate 3 combat, which puts a similar emphasis on interactions. This means environments can become rapidly dangerous, to your advantage or disadvantage. Characters can be shoved into bottomless pits, grease can be set ablaze, and ice can knock you on your butt like you're in a fail compilation.

With an angry enemy barging down your door, you might want to just start blastin' at them. But frequently, the environment can provide an advantage, putting up obstacles and disadvantageous ground to impede their offensive. Seriously, Grease can get you through a lot of early encounters. And spells like Entangle can make hazardous areas for foes.

The post 10 useful tips for venturing forth in Baldur’s Gate 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Well, the time has arrived. As you're reading this, Baldur's Gate 3 is live, after years of Early Access held only a select slice of its first act. And I'm here to tell you that, especially if you're a returning Early Access player, you shouldn't just blitz through the whole starting area right away.

I've had a little bit of time, roughly a few days, to play the launch version of Baldur's Gate 3. It's nowhere near enough to write a full review—that will arrive much later, after I've sunk the requisite dozens of hours into seeing this journey through. For the most part, I've largely been retreading similar paths to what I played in the Early Access, dealing with the simmering tension around the Druid grove, tiefling refugees, and nearby goblin camp.

So what I'm here to give you today is a tip, a piece of advice, from one Early Access player to some of the others who might be reading this: don't just speed your way through to Act 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TmGocqpY0Y

Acting up

Even from the very beginning, Baldur's Gate 3 is noticeably different between its Early Access and launch state. Those who might want to avoid some surprises or light spoilers may want to skip down to the next header section; I won't go deep into story specifics, but there was one particular difference that caught my eye almost immediately.

And that was the role of your other created character. In the Early Access, the creation screen would task you with choosing and designing your avatar (which can also be one of the Origin characters now, in full release). Then, it would bring you to another character creation screen and ask, "Who do you dream of?" Larian Studios essentially asks you to tell on yourself, and then uses that avatar to tempt you later on.

Well, that entire set-up is gone. In its place, there is the dream guardian. At first, I didn't see much of them after I designed them; but over time, they began to reveal themselves, and with it a greater threat to both the party and Faerûn. Or so they say.

The more you talk with this guardian, the more it seems like Larian has built out this plot. In fact, the most intriguing part of the early goings for me has been the illithid powers and how they tie in. Before, it felt like a gamble. Do you want to use the tadpole in your brain to force a skill check? Do you listen to the temptations living in your dreams?

With the guardian, and the framing of the tadpole that's shifted since Early Access, that relationship feels like a greyer area, full of more unknowns and mysteries, and it's much more interesting to explore. This aspect really feels most interesting to Early Access players because they're so familiar with the prior version. Why did this change? How does it shift the story, and your relationship with your newfound illithid powers? I'm really, really curious to see how.

Either way, it's an early twist that made me realize I wasn't just playing back through a section I'd seen a few times over in Early Access. And the changes continued.

Crash into me

The entire introductory section aboard the nautiloid ship has also been reworked and redone. Many of the beats remain the same, including who you work with, and who you can assist or not. But the actual sequence itself feels trimmed down to its core pieces and faster, almost like Larian knew that players had seen this part many times already.

Then, of course, the ship crashes and we're into the journey proper. Baldur's Gate 3 from here feels very familiar. It's a CRPG running on Larian's homebrew of the Dungeons & Dragons 5E ruleset. There are Wizards and Warlocks, Monks and Barbarians. Fights are turn-based, using a looser range system rather than grid tiles, and filled with interlinking systems of actions and reactions.

Igniting barrels to cause explosions, combining spells for devastating effects, or just kicking a goblin into a chasm, it's all here. At one point, I struggled with a particularly hard encounter, until I lured my foes onto a rickety bridge and took out the supports. I might not be able to loot them for valuables, but it was an efficient way of solving the problem.

All of that is the same as it's been in Early Access, with some enhancements. If you've been away a while, you might be surprised by some of the neat touches Larian has made over the years. The reaction system for abilities like Hellish Rebuke and Reckless Attack is straightforward and easy to use. Menus and interfaces have seen revamps, making most of them pretty clean and easy to get through. There's a lot of info and cursor hovers to help explain basics as you go.

I do think there's a bit of assumption that Larian makes, that the player will buy in and either arrive pre-knowledgeable about how D&D works or willing to seek the information out. There are tutorials, but they're brief. Once the adventure starts, you're in it.

Gather your party

The adventure feels pretty good, though. As I said before, the first area surrounding the grove and goblin camp will feel familiar at first. But a combination of new interactions, new scenes, and new characters makes everything feel a bit different.

Karlach, the final addition to the Origin roster (alongside the Dark Urge), is a big piece of this. She's got a great storyline, and it ties closely into the rewritten plot beats for Wyll. Having a cheerful, optimistic Barbarian with a heart of gold and fire is a great addition to the camp.

But all the little details keep pulling me in different directions. I had thought, going into Act 1, that I'd be speedrunning through it. Instead, I'm replaying old quests to see how my new members react to them. I'm testing out my updated powers, exploring areas that feel a bit tuned and tweaked. Certain items are just where I remember them being in Early Access, but getting back there still feels fresh. It's not all sunshine and roses; I found times where Baldur's Gate 3 hitches on itself a bit, hit a few glitches and bugs, and I've especially noticed some pre-release lighting oddities that I hope Larian patches out soon.

This is good news for those who want to replay Baldur's Gate 3, at the least. Even the thought of that seems so far off, though. I'm still on my own run, with my own created Tav, exploring the things I want to explore. What's reassuring about Baldur's Gate 3 today is that, even after years of this Early Access being available and players digging into its available content, it's still fun to roll a new character.

The post Don’t breeze through Baldur’s Gate 3’s first act right away appeared first on Destructoid.

Baldur's Gate 3 is out of Early Access. Larian Studios' take on the classic Dungeons & Dragons series sees two role-playing giants collide, with all the entwined legacy and carryover you might expect. But in its early hours, what's impressing me most is how Larian keeps the party moving towards goals, both grandiose and small.

I've only had a few days with the launch version of Baldur's Gate 3, so this isn't comprehensive by any means. I'm writing this after just having retread Act 1, the same area that was in the Early Access but feels noticeably different in launch. I've got more on that in a write-up here, that's also angled a bit more towards returning players.

For these day-one impressions, I wanted to speak a bit more to newcomers. Not the folks who have been poring over community updates, or posting anxious forum memes counting down days to launch, or who have hundreds of hours in the EA already. If you feel intrigued by the allure of a big, high-production RPG with several legacies behind it—or maybe you just saw the bear scene and said "I'm in"—this one's for you.

[caption id="attachment_394833" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Bringing the table to the computer

Baldur's Gate 3 marks the continuation of a classic RPG series that has lain dormant for years, Baldur's Gate. It was one of the most notable BioWare games in the pre-Mass Effect days, and its second entry still garners acclaim.

Larian, meanwhile, has made a name on continuing the CRPG (computer role-playing game) legacy through its Divinity games. Divinity: Original Sin 2 was a superb entry, and now, with Baldur's Gate 3, Larian has been given the keys to a beloved classic.

It opens like most role-playing games do; make a character (or choose a pre-made Origin character), customize them, and set off on a journey. One thing I've always really liked about Baldur's Gate 3 is that it starts with immediate tension. You have been kidnapped by mind flayers and infected with a tadpole. This parasite will, sooner or later, kill your character and turn them into a mind flayer. You want to avoid that, if at all possible.

So after an intense escape sequence, you crash land on a beach and start to get a bearing on your surroundings. You can gather up a party of likewise infected adventurers and team up, forming a ragtag crew of tadpole-infested heroes. Well, maybe not so heroic.

Ain't no Long Rest for the wicked

The initial set-up works great for giving you a personal motivation to venture forth, and to bring a party together. What keeps it compelling are the interpersonal interactions within your party. These aren't happy adventurers, brought together by a love of the sport. In fact, you're reminded fairly often that your reason for banding together is fairly singular: the tadpoles you've all got in your heads.

But this occassional dissent and tension really keeps the party atmosphere alive. Everyone has their own goals, ideas, and motivations that conflict with each others'. The Githyanki warrior Lae'zel is one of your earliest companions, and wants to seek out her creche, where she says they can cleanse away the tadpoles. The cleric Shadowheart, however, doesn't approve of this idea, or maybe just disapproves of Lae'zel's methods. Others want to seek a healer, one skilled enough to remove the parasites.

[caption id="attachment_394830" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Sometimes, these conflicts come to a head, and result in real, tangible consequences. Baldur's Gate 3 likes to leave scars and reminders of big moments, and I appreciate that. To be clear, there are plenty of funny, engaging, endearing, even intimate moments you can experience between your avatar and these party members. But it's the dynamics that make it all work so well.

No time to die

Outside of dialogue and cutscenes (though sometimes in them too), Baldur's Gate 3 feels like playing a virtual tabletop campaign. You venture through a large area in the first act, encompassing a druid's grove, a vicious goblin camp, temple ruins, and more. There is, frankly, a lot to see and do. It can feel overwhelming, even, but in a good way. There's something around every corner, and NPCs are frequently worth talking to and gleaning information from.

A lot hinges on die rolls, as you are playing what is essentially Larian's house rules for Dungeons & Dragons 5E. Modifications have been made to accommodate a solid virtual experience, but you will be rolling for attack hits, damage, resistance, saving throws, and dialogue checks. Heck, sometimes you'll be walking around and you'll get a check over your character's head. Nothing instills fear like a sudden failed Perception check.

These can feel good and bad in equal measure, usually through whether you succeed or fail. Much like Disco Elysium, though, I think Larian does a great job in making failures feel important. Yes, I absolutely restart battles if a teammate goes down. But if I fail a roll that puts me into combat, or miss a persuasion attempt, I'll often play it out just to see the result. Rather than feeling like a win-or-lose, Baldur's Gate 3 does a pretty decent job at making the act of rolling and playing out the consequences feel worthwhile, in and of itself.

[caption id="attachment_394832" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Critical hit

Combat is turn-based, closer to Original Sin than previous Baldur's Gate games. Though the lack of real-time with pause might frustrate some, I think it works really well, mostly because it's how tabletop works, and what a lot of those fans are familiar with seeing.

What gets more complex is how intricate combat can become, and quickly Baldur's Gate 3 will punish a misstep. It's here where I think some familiarity with D&D helps. I'll freely admit, when I started Early Access, I took what I call the Pokémon Red/Blue approach. When I first played Pokémon, I would only learn offensive moves, foregoing any defensive or utility options. It wasn't until later in life that I learned oh, hey, those moves are actually worthwhile.

Same goes for Baldur's Gate 3, where things like gaining Advantage (roll two die and take the highest outcome) or inflicting Disadvantage (roll two die and take the lowest) can make a difference. When an angry paladin is bearing down on your feeble Wizard Gale with pockets full of Divine Smite to unleash, you'll be thankful for any crowd-control or enfeebling spells you might have on deck. Reading spells, doing research, and maybe pausing to consider your approach and concocting a better one are all crucial to surviving some of Baldur's Gate 3's harder fights.

[caption id="attachment_394831" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Something ends, something begins

All of this is to say, I think Baldur's Gate 3 is pretty great so far, if you're able to invest in it. It's filling a pretty massive craving I've had; for a good CRPG, for something with BioWare-adjacent companions and interactions, and for something with a clear love for the role-playing craft at its heart. If Final Fantasy XVI was a vision of what role-playing games could be through embracing new genres and ideas, Baldur's Gate 3 shows what a CRPG can still do with the right team behind it.

Of course, that's all still early. This is only a slice of what Larian has said is an absolutely massive game. And I've certainly seen teases of what's on the road ahead that intrigue me, from a shadowy cabal of servants to the mysterious Absolute, to a stranger in my dreams, to stories shared with companions by the campfire. By all accounts, Baldur's Gate 3 certainly feels massive. There are some issues too, to be clear. I've seen some odd bugs and glitches, strange lighting situations, and a few other noticeable technical issues.

But whether you just want to experience what a high-production CRPG might have to offer, or romance some companions, or play some virtual D&D, I do think Baldur's Gate 3 brings something for every one of those interests to the table. Embrace the successes and failures, talk to party members, read the spell text, and you'll be surprised how quickly you're taken in. It's a great start, and I'm hopeful that Larian can keep up the pace moving into the later areas of Baldur's Gate 3.

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 launch impressions: a compelling journey thus far appeared first on Destructoid.

Square Enix hosted its Fan Fest for Final Fantasy XIV today, spotlighting all the updates coming to its massive MMORPG. Among the announcements of an expansion and new platform being in the mix, one of the biggest rounds of applause came for something that seems a little less grandiose, at least to less XIV-familiar folks: two dyes per gear piece.

It sounds plain, but it's a notable piece of what's looking like a big update for the fashion fans of Final Fantasy XIV. Which, really, is everyone. The big non-secret of Final Fantasy XIV is that the endgame is not Ultimate raids, or hardcore Crystalline Conflict, or even necessarily maxing out all the jobs. Those are all things you do in service of the true Final Fantasy XIV endgame: fashion. And boy howdy, did the feral fashion aficionados get some good content today.

For the unfamiliar, Final Fantasy XIV has a transmog system—a tool that lets you put the appearance of one cosmetic item on another—called Glamour, or glam for short. Think of it like putting a pullover on top of a shirt. While your actual stats are determined by the "shirt" below, your outward appearance is the "pullover." These glams can be used on armor pieces and set on specific presets, letting players have a closet full of fashion at their fingertips, and those glam pieces can also be dyed to change the color, and sometimes material look, of the cosmetic piece.

[caption id="attachment_358040" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Eyes go wide for two dyes

Two dyes per gear piece means that instead of having a single point of color customization, would-be look-book creators can have two channels of color to dye. If you've visited the Eorzean Collection, you already know what a talented designer can do with the tools available. Adding another? I cannot wait.

That wasn't the only update, though. Also included was the news that glasses are getting fully separated from headgear, so you can don a cap and glasses at the same time. All of this arrives through the graphics update that's due alongside Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, the newly announced expansion.

But even the graphical update itself is a big win for fashion fans. Old clothes will get a natural spruce-up from the improved textures and graphics. Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida said today that the team is steadily going back through content for the update, stretching back to 2.0.

[caption id="attachment_337316" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Come on, vogue

And for the GPose fans, who love to snap shots of their Warrior of Light using the in-game group pose (a.k.a. GPose) tool, get some great benefits from the graphics update too. More lush scenery and backgrounds for snapping pics is always a bonus.

It's charming to outsiders, it seems, seeing Final Fantasy XIV fans get so excited over simply being able to use more dyes. But it really is part of the appeal. It's that way for most RPGs, not just XIV; games like Elden Ring and Destiny 2 often see players pore over their fashion in the same way Final Fantasy XIV fans do.

Having more options, with so many different choices for color customization and glasses getting much more malleable? It's fantastic for the players that love to design their characters and put cool clothes on them. So yes, new jobs, dungeons, raids, and more are always exciting. But two dyes? That's a big win for the Final Fantasy XIV fashion fanatics.

The post Final Fantasy XIV fashion fanatics are winning in its next big update appeared first on Destructoid.

A new expansion, platform, collaboration and more were all announced for Final Fantasy XIV. This year's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest really seemed to roll a ton out.

The big news is, of course, the reveal of 7.0 and the new expansion, Dawntrail. It'll see the Warrior of Light (that's you, player) set off for the New World that's been mentioned in content like the Blue Mage quests, now officially named as Tural.

And the Scions will be getting deeply involved with the local politics again, it seems. A competition for the throne is heating up, which draws the WoL and friends in, and may even see the Scions face off on opposite sides. It's intriguing, for sure. Though it's some testy potential subject matter to handle, the tropical setting does make for a great showcase of all the graphical updates Square Enix is rolling out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onGE1-I2T6Y

Normally, the expansion would be the big headline. But today's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote also had a surprise guest: Xbox head Phil Spencer. Taking the stage alongside XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida, and later the new Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu, they officially announced that Final Fantasy XIV is coming to Xbox.

Xbox Series X|S consoles will be able to join in the MMO, starting with an open beta set for sometime next year. Spencer and Kiryu both intimated that this was the start of a greater collaboration between Xbox and the Final Fantasy team, which will surely set speculation ablaze for a little while.

All of that, plus some 6.5X news and teases, a Fall Guys collaboration in the works, and of course, Hildibrand. Final Fantasy XIV has a ton in store for 2024, it seems. Here's all that lies ahead.

All of the headlines from the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote

• Final Fantasy XIV’s next expansion Dawntrail charts a course for summer 2024
• Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail will introduce two new DPS jobs
• Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is getting a massive graphical update
• Final Fantasy XIV is coming to Xbox
• Final Fantasy XIV is expanding its free trial to include Stormblood

The post Everything shown at today’s Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote appeared first on Destructoid.

A big MMORPG is making its way to Xbox consoles. Final Fantasy XIV is heading to Xbox Series X|S.

Xbox head Phil Spencer took the stage at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest today alongside XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida to announce the news. It will have 4K support on Xbox Series X, and have "faster loading" too. An open beta is scheduled for 2024, during the 6.5X patch cycle. It will also be a digital-only release.

No mention was made of Xbox One, so it looks like that platform won't be getting access to Square Enix's MMORPG.

Spencer says he sees this as a "seminal moment" with the Final Fantasy team, and hopes to collaborate more with them in the future, which is sure to set speculation ablaze. Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu took the stage too, reaffirming a desire to collaborate more with Xbox. This could be interesting to see pan out, with the historically PlayStation-focused Final Fantasy series.

A new world

The Xbox news arrived during an information-filled Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest presentation. Yoshida and the XIV team unveiled its plans for 7.0, the Dawntrail expansion, which heads to the New World of Tural. A bunch of new content is coming, including two new DPS jobs.

And for those incoming Xbox players, the amount of XIV content immediately available is expanding too. The famous free trial of Final Fantasy XIV is expanding to include its Stormblood expansion. That's a ton of extra content for incoming Xbox players to dig into, or any aspiring Warriors of Light to check out on PC or PlayStation.

The post Final Fantasy XIV is coming to Xbox appeared first on Destructoid.

Square Enix is setting out for new horizons in its next expansion. Final Fantasy XIV will get its next expansion Dawntrail in summer 2024.

Revealed at today's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest, the trailer spotlights the new locales that the Warrior of Light and (former) Scions will be visiting in the next expansion. Dubbed Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, the journey takes the crew into the New World. If you've been keeping up with Blue Mage content, you might already know a bit about this landmass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onGE1-I2T6Y

Director and producer Naoki Yoshida describes this new expansion as the "very best summer vacation" a hero can have. The Warrior of Light heads to the New World, a.k.a. Tural, to aid someone in a rite of succession, which takes them out across the Indigo Deep. And this adventure will also apparently see the Scions "divided" into opposing groups.

On an exciting note, we do see Endwalker favorite Erenville playing a big role, it seems. We also caught glimpses of the rest of the Scions adventuring around, eating some incredible-looking food, and taking in the sights.

[caption id="attachment_394144" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

A new arc

Since Endwalker brought an end to the major arc starting with A Realm Reborn, Square Enix is framing the Dawntrail expansion of Final Fantasy XIV as the start of a new journey. The general theme is a "journey of discovery." Personally, I'm curious to see how this pans out.

What's also really neat is to see the world map expand with this expansion. The new hub city is in Tuliyollal, the seat of the federal nation-state governing Tural. It's ruled by a two-headed Mamool Ja named Gulool Ja Ja, who's hosting the competition to see who will succeed him.

[caption id="attachment_394158" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

We got a good look at the new areas players will be visiting. It's got a lush tropical vibe, which all looks very good with the graphics update. "We’ve never been able to create such dense foliage in a forest before," Yoshida mentioned as the XIV head took the audience through different snapshots of both the hub and outlying areas.

The Pelupelu are a new tribe, and familiar to those who have played some Final Fantasy X-2. They're a smaller race and dig coffee, which is relatable.

Upping the cap

Of course, the level cap will tick up, from Level 90 to Level 100. Final Fantasy XIV will finally hit triple-digits, and new skills will arrive for all Jobs. Crafter and Gatherer will go up in cap, too.

And with a new expansion comes new jobs, too. Two new DPS jobs will arrive, one melee and one ranged magical attacker. Yoshida gave a hint, in the form of a TMNT: Mutant Mayhem shirt. No clue.

New dungeons, threats, and content will arrive too, with Normal and Hard versions. We got some artwork of one of the bosses, the legendary Valigarmanda.

[caption id="attachment_394173" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Duty Support will also get an update, as well as new Gear and Recipes for Crafters and Gatherers. There will also be new Variant Dungeons, and new Raid content for Alliance, 8-player, and the Ultimate players out there. PvPers will get an update too, including new maps for Frontline.

Somehow, impossibly, inconceivably, even further adventures

Even more ongoing content is on the way, including new updates for Blue Mage, new plans for Deep Dungeons, and Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures. And a Gold Saucer update is on the way, too. (It's not Blitzball.)

We also got a big look at all the graphical updates coming as part of the 7.0 update, a.k.a. the Dawntrail expansion. They look pretty solid, and Yoshida says the team is working to go back and update content all the way back to 2.0, or A Realm Reborn. Auto-generated environments will also roll out, and it really looks like it's filling out some of the areas in earlier content.

Some big systemic updates are hitting too, including one very exciting one for glam fans: two dyes per gear piece! Eyeglasses are also being added as a separate piece, which can be equipped independently of headgear. The furnishing limit is getting increased at some point in the 7.X cycle, too. Raid players can also rejoice: a strategy board function is on the way, with editable strategy layouts.

Requirements shift

With all the new graphical updates, the system requirements are also going up for PC Final Fantasy XIV players.

[caption id="attachment_394193" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

The PlayStation 4 will still be supported for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, so no jump to PS5 just yet. Though, as Yoshida mentions, there is another Final Fantasy on PS5 that you could check out too.

That's all for 7.0 today at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest, but there's plenty of other news for crossovers and upcoming pre-7.0 patchs. Looks like there's quite a lot on the way for the critically acclaimed MMORPG.

The post Final Fantasy XIV’s next expansion Dawntrail charts a course for summer 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

The Suikoden successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is pushing back its launch date. Developer Rabbit & Bear Studios announced today that it won't be launching this year, as the studio aims for a Q2 2024 window instead.

Originally set to launch in 2023, Rabbit & Bear is opting for some more time to deliver the RPG they want. Here's an excerpt from the Kickstarter backer update:

"In order to deliver a game that so many fans have supported, we announce a revised release date of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, with the game now due during Calendar Year Q2 of 2024. The decision was made in order to ensure the best possible story, and to reward the legion of backers with the best game experience possible."

On the upside, there's some new gameplay to view today. There's also a dev update from Yoshitaka Murayama, the director. Murayama says he has already completed the story, including the DLC, and is now working on setting material and supervising the "detailed text."

Character illustrator Junko Kawano also shared some art updates, including a look at the three protagonists of the prequel action-RPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising in their Hundred Heroes looks. And CJ, Isha, and Garoo all look great.

[caption id="attachment_394116" align="alignnone" width="640"] Edit by Destructoid via Rabbit & Bear Studios[/caption]

We also get a look at some other voice reveals, and a tease of more information to come. Kawano says the team hopes to have new information around the time of Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2023.

Gathering the Hundred Heroes

While it's a bummer of a delay, 2023 is already pretty stacked with huge games. Two big RPGs are set to arrive in the next month or so, with both Baldur's Gate 3 and Starfield. So getting a little extra space for Eiyuden is probably a good thing, for both the dev team and eager RPG fans.

Given how surprisingly well Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising turned out, I'm hopeful for Hundred Heroes. Hopefully, we can see some more of it in action soon, and we'll get a clearer idea of what the whole game looks like as we approach that new window in 2024.

The post Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has been pushed back to Q2 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Update [July 27, 10:16 a.m.]: The new trailer is live, and features a whole lot of vampire slaying. Richter's journey takes place amidst the French Revolution, as he teams up with some new allies to take on a "Vampire Messiah." Already love the vibe and setting of all this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYvJZ3Itw8A

Our original story follows.

A new Belmont takes up the whip and mantle for the animated Castlevania series soon. Powerhouse Animation Studios has announced that Castlevania: Nocturne will have its Netflix premiere on September 28.

A teaser image was posted from the Castlevania Twitter account earlier today, with the confirmed date. There's another news beat on the way too, as a trailer for Castlevania: Nocturne will arrive on July 27.

Nocturne will follow Richter Belmont, the lead in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood who also appears in several other games. We don't know too much more at this point, but the forthcoming trailer will probably illuminate what's at stake. (Hold for applause.)

The original Castlevania run from Powerhouse followed Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades, and Alucard in a loose adaptation of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. It soon veered off into its own story, tying in plot beats from Castlevania history ranging all the way to 2005's Curse of Darkness. And it was, in my humble opinion, a pretty damn good series. The castle entrance fight in Season 2 is still an all-timer for me.

Streaming at large

Of course, this series arrives during a tumultuous time for streaming in general. Both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) are currently on strike over, among other complaints, disputes with streaming companies. Animated work is part of this issue too, as late night host Stephen Colbert recently noted at a WGA animation rally.

Neither the WGA nor SAG-AFTRA have called for a boycott at this time, so it doesn't seem to affect Castlevania: Nocturne. But it's an issue worth looking into and learning about. A lot of creative talent goes into making shows like these. It's frankly amazing we get adaptations like Castlevania these days.

The post Castlevania: Nocturne passes the whip to Richter in September appeared first on Destructoid.

If you've thought that playing fighting games with friends gets a bit too contentious, Riot Games is working on an answer. The League of Legends company showed off more footage of its in-development fighting game Project L today with the reveal of Duo Play, a co-op option for the tag-team fighting game.

Project L is a two-on-two tag fighter, similar to games like BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. This means each side fields two characters, picked out of the League of Legends universe of Runeterra, for its matches.

While you'd normally pilot these teams solo, Project L is also offering Duos, which lets two players team up and each handle an individual fighter. It basically turns Project L into a co-op tag fighter, where you can combo off each other, throw out assists, and tag in and out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KalbPq3Ic4

This Duo Play is something that other tag fighters have done before, but does seem particularly well-suited to Project L. Aside from the fun tie to duo queuing in League, it could make the arena feel a bit approachable for newcomers. Alongside the breakdown video above, Riot also published a showmatch, where its developers showed off the Duo Play mode in Project L.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4a7UzySL9o

If this seems like it's up your alley and you also happen to be in Las Vegas for Evo 2023, then you're in luck. Riot will be hosting show floor demos of Project L at the big fighting game event, with four playable characters: Darius, Ahri, Ekko, and one to-be-revealed character.

Squaring off

That's not the only Project L content that hit today, either. A bunch of fighting game players and community members apparently got a hands-on session with Project L recently, and were able to talk a bit about it today.

From the sounds of it, there are still some restrictions around how much they can say about the roster and characters available. But still, we can get a pretty good sense of how all the systems are coming together. Alongside Duo Play, there are some other neat concepts for the fighter, like a Capcom Vs. SNK 2-alike Groove system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn0NSqDLyMs

Project L has been in the works for quite some time now, and the team's been taking its time crafting this game. But I have to say, it looks like it's paying off. Everything here seems ready to entice a lot of players who don't often pick up fighting games, while still having some really nasty options for long-time competitors. The roster could be the cherry on top too, as League of Legends certainly doesn't have a shortage of champions to pick from. (I also secretly hope Riot pulls in a Valorant cameo or two.)

With the demo headed to Las Vegas and a super-secret surprise developer reveal scheduled for Evo 2023's Friday Showcase, I imagine we'll be hearing more from Riot soon. But it's nice to know that I won't necessarily have to always PvP my friends in Project L.

The post Project L showcases Duo Play, its co-op tag mode appeared first on Destructoid.

The studio behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk video game series is parting ways with a chunk of its staff. CD Projekt Red is laying off around 100 workers, which it estimates is roughly 9% of the entire team.

As announced in a letter shared on CD Projekt's site from CEO Adam Kiciński, the layoffs will run up through Q1 2024. Its announced the layoffs now in the "spirit of transparency" and to give team members a chance to process. Additionally, CD Projekt assures that those affected have been offered a "comprehensive" severance package.

The reasoning behind these layoffs is CD Projekt Red's new direction, it seems. Kiciński writes that CDPR has reshaped its development process and incorporated Agile methodologies, and is now turning its eye towards staff.

"We’ve carefully assessed all teams in the company in terms of their expected contribution to the delivery of our strategy," said Kiciński. "There’s no easy way to say this, but today we are overstaffed. We have talented people on board who are finishing their tasks and—based on current and expected project needs—we already know we don’t have other opportunities for them in the next year."

The future of CD Projekt Red

CD Projekt has quite a few projects in development, as the letter notes. There are new Cyberpunk and Witcher games in the works. Plus, CD Projekt is also working on a new franchise, under the codename Hadar. All that, plus the impending release of Cyberpunk 2077's first and only big DLC expansion, Phantom Liberty, in September.

With all these games in the works, it's a little strange to see a cut like this. Especially since CD Projekt also made fairly recent cuts on other projects, like Gwent and Molasses Flood's Witcher spin-off. Hopefully, those affected can land on their feet.

The post CD Projekt Red is laying off roughly nine percent of its staff appeared first on Destructoid.

Starfield isn't that far off now, with a release date of September 6, 2023. But that's still a ways off, and at least one eager fan is spending the time by trying to sleuth out of all of the Starfield skill system.

In a post on the r/Starfield subreddit (as spotted by GamesRadar), user u/asd8dhd has posted their deductions from "around 200 hours" of reverse engineering. Alongside a 44-page Google Doc, they also shared a massive library of suspected skill images, collected from all the information and footage the public has seen so far.

It is, to put it frankly, exhaustive. Even though u/asd8dhd acknowledges there are some misses—and asks for readers to point out anything provably incorrect—it's an impressively in-depth investigation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMOPoAq5vIA

Given the amount of publicly available footage to trawl through and identify, it's commendable. And now I'm certainly invested in seeing whether u/asd8dhd's educated assessments pan out. They include not only skill names and descriptions, but a short explanation of how the actual leveling and skill system works.

The skills they surmise are in the game range all over the place, from boosts for yourself or companions to special skills, like instigating an NPC to attack their allies or slowing down time. It's largely theoretical, to be clear. Still, it's a lot of info to trawl through, and Starfield fans still have time between now and launch to do just that.

Skill check

It'll be a good few weeks before we know whether this Starfield sleuth hit it on the head or not. In the meantime, though, August looks to be starting off a stacked fall season with a bang.

In fact, Starfield seems to have led to a bit of a summer launch shuffle. Baldur's Gate 3 bumped up the launch date of its PC version, and role-playing musical Stray Gods was delayed a week later in additional response. Those two, plus Armored Core VI and several other intriguing games, could make for a stacked start to the second half of the year.

The post Starfield fan spends around 200 hours trying to piece together its skill system appeared first on Destructoid.

The Steam Deck has only been out for a year at this point, but already, it's becoming a popular topic of conversation. And with even games like Elden Ring seeing big popularity on the portable PC platform, it's an obvious question as to whether FromSoftware's next title Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon will also be Steam Deck compliant.

We got the chance to play Armored Core VI in a recent hands-on preview and chat with two of the team's leads, director Masaru Yamamura and producer Yasunori Ogura. During the roundtable interview, the pair were asked about the prospects of Armored Core VI on the Steam Deck.

"Obviously, seeing how Elden Ring performed on Steam Deck, we're very happy, and we wanted to at least create that as a baseline going forward for this handheld," said Ogura. "So it is fully supported for Steam Deck. Nothing in particular this time we've done differently, just want to reassure players that it will be fully supported."

AC on PC

Notably, this is the first Armored Core game to get an official PC launch. Armored Core VI is due to hit PC alongside PlayStation and Xbox on August 25.

"We do all of our development on PC, first and foremost. So of course, we wanted to optimize it to that experience," said Ogura. "And just being a modern FromSoftware game on modern hardware, we wanted to try and at least meet that bar, and deliver a good experience to our PC players. So we tried to incorporate our knowledge over the last several years of game dev, and try to correct, and try to optimize as best we can for the PC audience."

The PC specs for Armored Core VI will be coming soon, the team says, and it will be interesting seeing what hardware the mech game will require. Still, for those hoping to take their mechs on the go much like they took Elden Ring around, this could be promising. We'll learn more as we approach Armored Core VI's release date on August 25.

_{Travel for this media preview was provided by the publisher.}

The post Armored Core 6 will be fully supported on Steam Deck, devs say appeared first on Destructoid.

Every mission in Armored Core VI  Fires of Rubicon throws something new at you. Whether it be a special scenario, challenging objective, strong enemy pilots, or a gigantic colossus, evolving and adapting is key.

We recently got some hands-on time with Armored Core VI ahead of its August release, along with the chance to speak to the developers behind it. And as director Masaru Yamamura puts it, building the Armored Core (or AC) you pilot is a key place FromSoftware built upon.

"This has always been a staple of the series, and it’s always been a part of Armored Core’s identity," said Yamamura in a roundtable interview. "So we wanted to see what that would look like in a modern-day AC. We felt like that was an element that could translate very well, even in a modern day game and a modern day mech game. So we kind of used that as the impetus for this project."

[caption id="attachment_393344" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

Players can observe this in many places. While Yamamura notes that different parts have usually denoted different stats or parameters, the team wanted choices in the garage to be felt in the game. "For instance, if you change up the leg types, you get a very different feeling mech or mobility system," Yamamura explains.

In my own experience, I saw how different loadouts could deal with different challenges. Where some missions with swarms of smaller enemies meant dual-guns were effective, I gravitated towards the sword in one-on-one duels with other ACs. It's all about the right tool for the right job.

Hitting the garage

Customization isn't just about guns and parts, though. Past Armored Core games have let the player customize to a degree. But there are some bells and whistles FromSoftware included for Armored Core VI that get pretty interesting: texturing, weathering, even the reflection of a particular piece.

While I spent some time blowing up enemy ACs, I also fooled around a bit with the custom mech creator. I made an EVA Unit-01 mock-up, as well as an Optimus Prime and Gundam-inspired look. (I sadly didn't have capture on hand, but trust me when I say: they looked great.) It was really fun to see just how in-depth and creative these tools were, for making a mech of my own.

[caption id="attachment_393345" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

"So in this sense, we hope that players will be able to depict their ideal AC," said Yamamura. The director hoped players would be able to "bring their mech fantasy into the game" and showcase it.

Corporate backing

When it comes to the parts in Armored Core VI, I did ask whether there were any outside inspirations on the new designs. Of course, series like Gundam got mentioned. But more importantly, FromSoftware looked toward its own world for inspiration.

The world of Armored Core VI is embroiled in a corporate war for control of Rubicon. Those companies develop weapons and field their own forces, and when thinking of what new parts might be in play, Yamamura says the team looked at the corporations' backgrounds.

[caption id="attachment_393342" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

"We wanted to study the backgrounds of those corporations and factions and figure out what they prioritize, and what they develop," said Yamamura. "Maybe like, where they originated, in their sort of company development. And then what that would look like in terms of parts, and how you identify each corporation based on its parts."

Idiosyncrasies

Of course, I did ask Yamamura and producer Yasunori Ogura what their own mech loadouts would be, were they to duel at that very moment. Yamamura opted for a double Gatling gun approach, with a missile launcher and cannon. Ogura went for a rapid-fire ballistic weapon in one hand, high-impact bazooka in another, with a couple of plasma rifles for good measure.

"This is part of the fun of AC," said Ogura. "Is sharing your own idiosyncrasies with other players."

Armored Core VI  Fires of Rubicon arrives on August 2, 2023.

_{Travel for this event was provided by the publisher.}

The post Armored Core 6 devs share how assembly lies at the core of the mech action appeared first on Destructoid.

There came a point, in playing Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, that I determined I simply wasn’t going fast enough. By this point in my hands-on time, I had overcome plenty of enemy mechs, from simple cannon-fodder to named adversaries with callsigns. I was already a heavy-metal death machine. But I could be faster; not just in raw speed, but turning, target acquisition, and elimination. I could push this steel body faster than I currently was, faster than I probably should.

So I went into the garage and fine-tuned my machine. In battle, I practiced using my minimap and scan functions to see things my eyes, with one focal point, couldn’t. Heck, I cranked my camera sensitivity to the highest sensitivity it would go so I could pivot faster. If any of that sounds appealing to you, then Armored Core VI is right up your alley.

I got a chance to go hands-on with roughly the first chapter of Armored Core VI at a preview event, seeing the story unfold as the player character—a “dog” under the command of Handler Walter—gets embroiled in the conflict over the planet Rubicon 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcDjyestr4Y

Climbing the wall

It is what you’d expect story-wise from an Armored Core, in a good way. You pick up callsigns and handles, as you bounce between mercenary gigs for different factions in the ongoing battle for Rubicon. Some are fairly straightforward; go to a location, take out the target. They all, in some way, demand combat. And frequently, the odds are heavily stacked against you.

This is the first wall that I can see for some fans of developer FromSoftware’s more recent work. Though FromSoft has made a huge impact with its Souls series and spin-offs, the studio is unabashedly returning to the formula of an Armored Core game with its sixth numbered entry. Where other games might offer some alternative paths, Armored Core VI is a mission-based game. You can complete additional objectives and side content for more resources, but you have to proceed on the set path.

[caption id="attachment_393347" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

Personally, I dig this. A big part of the early first chapter is about getting the opportunity to “climb the wall.” What that means in-universe is just a looming mission objective. But for the gameplay demo, it was an obstacle I knew was coming. I would, eventually, have to scale a wall the developers had created. And it wasn’t going to be without obstacles.

Challenge is a well-known draw of FromSoftware’s games too, and Armored Core VI certainly has that. While smaller enemies can be easily dispensed with, a swarm of them may quickly become dangerous. Larger foes will bring more powerful weapons to bear, forcing you to adapt. Enemy mechs pose a massive risk once they start to have names and callsigns, posing an equal challenge to your own war machine. And bosses? Well, I think a lot of the footage and gameplay shown off speaks for how dangerous the bosses are.

[caption id="attachment_393349" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

By comparison, you are one mech; sometimes you’ll be accompanied by some allies, but for the most part, assume you’re alone. You certainly have a solid machine, with plenty of weapons and tools at your disposal. But you can also push your machine to its limits to see how far you can take the weapons platform you’re piloting.

My personal preference was the sword and rifle, a very Gundam RX-78-2 loadout. Twin missile pods sat on my shoulders, and I was able to carefully dance around enemies, picking away at them with ballistics before finding my opening and swooping in for a devastating strike. The whole time, I was carefully managing my resources. Missiles and guns have ammo counts, and a sword dash could leave me vulnerable if I missed my swing.

Boosters engaged

The boost meter was a constant concern, and probably the most important mechanic for any pilot to master. FromSoftware has found a really good balance of speed and control in Armored Core VI; in an interview with the game’s leads, they said they set the speed back a notch from Armored Core: For Answer. But while you’re not topping out at the same speeds, there’s still certainly a sense of rapid movement.

A standard boost keeps you moving at a good pace, while an extra blast can add a quick burst of speed to dodge incoming attacks. Meanwhile, the Assault Boost feels like a way to immediately traverse great distance. Its massive spike of velocity can carry you far, but the start-up and slow-down could leave you vulnerable. Managing all of these options is crucial, alongside tracking your weapons, ammo, and terrain.

[caption id="attachment_393341" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

This can, at times, make Armored Core VI feel overwhelming. Early on, I felt myself hit a wall with a certain boss. It was heavily armored in the front, meaning I had to focus on striking its back. And while the fight started off easy enough, I was soon left to fend for myself against an enraged behemoth, launching tons of firepower at me and littering the arena with explosives.

Hitting that wall, though, pushed me even further. I carefully watched the boss’ motions. Over time, I gauged the ranges he preferred to use certain attacks from, and when. I’d find ways to position myself perfectly, so that when I leapt over and stabbed him in the back, I could safely escape before he did a damaging spin-out.

Going back to the garage and retooling my mech helped a ton with this, and to FromSoftware’s credit, this is where some leniency comes in. The checkpoint system feels generous, and lets players hit the garage mid-stage or after a wipeout to retool and re-enter. Customization is a big factor in Armored Core VI, where bringing certain weapons or tools can give you the exact edge you need in a given situation. Some missions were well-suited to my “Heavyarms” loadout, dual-wielding automatic guns. Others, like the boss above, were much easier with a sword and rifle.

Still, I was left with one big question, after playing hours of Armored Core VI. This is a game that is, unabashedly, a new Armored Core. I don’t personally feel like it’s trying to make a bid for newcomers’ hearts through any concessions; rather, FromSoft is trying to create a modern Armored Core, potentially bringing in new players while retaining the pieces that made this series what it was. I wondered if that would land with anyone who never tried Armored Core, or bounced off of it years ago.

Armored Core VI is a game that appeals to me, personally. I like mechs. I dig customization. Constant improvement and challenge have steadily become a go-to beat for me. There really wasn’t a question of whether I would be into this game. But for less mech-inclined, challenge-seeking players, I wondered what they would think of Armored Core VI.

[caption id="attachment_393348" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

Within mission parameters

If anything makes a bid for those players’ hearts in Armored Core VI, it’s the missions themselves. Rather than exploring some steadily expanding world with hubs and spokes of exploration to uncover, you’re sent on specific sorties. But those confines let individual missions sing. They can narrowly focus on a specific, interesting objective, like taking out certain targets or hunting down a unique mech. Even through narrative, they can resonate. One mission pit me against a clear novice in a prototype, and his frightened radio chatter as he found himself in a duel with an ace pilot left a haunting note on all the action.

These missions can also expand into massive, exciting battles, like one against a giant walker with a devastating laser turret. I had to fly through the desert, taking cover in sandstorms and behind dunes as a terrifying laser tried to swat me like a fly. Then, I had to take down a leg and climb the walker, taking out defense subsystems on the way, and eventually knock out its main cannon. The whole experience feels thrilling, and it’s easily replayable thanks to the mission structure. No need to rekindle a flame or anything; just head to the missions tab and re-run it.

Those incredible moments, alongside the customization that I suspect is a bit more interesting for FromSoft players than they’ll expect, seem like enough to draw newcomers in. I do hope they give this game a genuine try, too, and discover what I enjoyed about it.

[caption id="attachment_393351" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

As much as I dug the garage, and the giant fights, and all the morally gray ethics of my mercenary work on Rubicon on the battlefields of corporations and resistances, it was the speed that stuck with me. Handling a mech in Armored Core VI just feels good. It’s almost violently fast at times. There’s a sense of friction, as you try to manage four different weapon slots and a boost meter, while eyeing the terrain, dodging incoming attacks, and plan your next strike.

It felt, early on, like potentially too much data for the brain to manage. But that overwhelming feeling gives way to a flow state. As I internalized it more and more, shoved more pieces of Armored Core VI into parallel processing, where ammo management felt like checking my side mirrors on the highway, I could feel how I could push further. And the arena matches, which are essentially Gran Turismo license test-style duels against opponents in their own mechs, saw me tackling increasingly intimidating opponents, pushing even further, until I emerged victorious.

So if all of that sounds good, then Armored Core VI is really something you should be watching for. There are many ways to make a mech game, but few in recent memory have had me teetering on that edge, of either glory or ruin, quite like the fast and furious mechs of Armored Core have.

_{Travel for this media preview was provided by the publisher.}

The post Armored Core 6 hands-on: A devastating steel ballet appeared first on Destructoid.

Think you can beat the ads?

Have you ever been absent-mindedly scrolling, or maybe watching YouTube, and been pulled in by the sudden and absurd interjection of a mobile game ad? Maybe even thought to yourself, 'hey, I can solve that.' Well, Yeah! You Want "Those Games," Right? So Here You Go! Now, Let's See You Clear Them! might be for you.

This collection is a video game that I'm going to shorthand down to Those Games, and it is indeed centered on 'those games': the kind of absurd logic problems that you see pop up over and over again in dime-a-dozen mobile game ads. Well, rather than download something that might be filled with extra transactions and bizarre stories, Those Games lets you have at it right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixmG35AhgFI

Climb the towers! Mix the solutions! Escape parking lots! Do...  I'm really not sure what you're doing in some of these, but you can certainly slide and tap your way through them. Those Games is on both PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch, for a fairly reasonable $9.99 at that.

Clear Those Games off

Interestingly enough, the developer behind this isn't just anybody. Studio Monkeycraft Co. Ltd. worked on the Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series and Katamari Damacy HD updates. Seems like they did a pretty alright job, too.

Is this what we expected from the folks working on Klonoa and Katamari to move onto? Maybe not quite, but it's certainly whimsical and interesting. And now, I can finally see if I can pull all those slider bars right, to keep the puppy safe. Or clear the parking lot, or safely travel across a long walkway using only a giant stack of wooden beams. There's even a little gacha-style machine in there, for collecting titles. Guess you can't avoid every segment of mobile games, but at least there doesn't seem to be an energy meter in sight.

The post Those Games lets you play all ‘those games’ you’ve seen in ads appeared first on Destructoid.

Hiiiigh definition Riiiidge Racer

The video game documentarians at NoClip have been steadily preserving and archiving a wealth of old industry footage, ranging from tech demos and presentations to classic commercials. Importantly, the team is also getting higher definition captures of certain events than we've ever seen before, like a 1080p HD recording of the infamous Sony E3 2006 presentation.

For those who weren't around or closely watching the industry at the time, 2006 was an important year for Sony. Notably, the console maker was soaring on the success of the PlayStation 2. Kaz Hirai, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America at the time, took the stage to lay out the future ahead for both the PlayStation Portable and the impending launch of the PlayStation 3.

Sony's ensuing showcase would result in many long-running memes stemming out from the showcase, including historically based crab battles and Riiiiiidge Racer. And of course, the price tag. The reveal of the $600 ($599, to be exact) price point for the 60 GB PS3 was the stunning conclusion to the show.

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

Massive damage

This was streamed at the time, but due to restrictions of the time, was only ever available in lower resolution. With NoClip's restoration work, we can see the whole show at glorious 1080p.

Besides marking the start of a very rough generation for Sony, there's a lot of historical value in this recording. There are trailers for some eventual big PS3 games, like Metal Gear Solid 4. But there's also the canceled Eight Days, the AR game Eye of Judgment getting a live demo, and early looks at games like Final Fantasy XIII, in a now obvious mock-up of its eventual battle system.

This was an era where conferences had big showcase presentations while maintaining the slide presentation and industry side forward facing. Nowadays, E3—or whatever we're calling the summer of games news now—is a very consumer-focused show. You don't really see CEOs standing in front of fiscal projections these days. Not on a big stage, at least.

So enjoy this trip down memory lane with the Sony E3 2006 press conference, and a huge thanks to the folks at NoClip doing all this preservation work. Because of this, the giant enemy crabs can reach their true resolution potential.

The post Sony’s infamous E3 2006 press conference is now in glorious 1080p appeared first on Destructoid.

Gather your party

I've taken only a few steps into the darkened hallways of Demon Lord Reincarnation, and already, I know I'm in trouble. My first battle is tense and brutal; I knew it would be. But as my party members start to drop like flies against the horrors of only the first floor of this godforsaken land, I start to get it. This is going to be difficult, punishing even. I shouldn't get attached to anything. Because it's going to take a lot to make it down to the Demon Lord.

Demon Lord Reincarnation is the latest RPG from Graverobber Foundation, a team that's made a number of throwback role-playing experiences. This one in particular conjures up memories of Wizardry, in particular. It's a first-person dungeon crawler where you command a party of adventurers, heading down into the final resting place of the Demon Lord Leinad. Long ago, a group of heroes defeated Leinad and sealed him underground, and a maze was built up over it. Now, the seal is broken, monsters are swarming, and it looks like the Demon Lord is intent on resurrecting.

So, upon starting Demon Lord Reincarnation, you're given a selection of adventurers to pick from, building up a party of four to venture down. It's only five floors. How hard could it be?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UCfkewb6Kw

Time for some hubris

Well, after losing two party members in the first fight, I got my answer pretty quick.

The first thing to know about Demon Lord Reincarnation is that it's not exactly a cheerful adventure. You can, and will, lose party members. That happy Valkyrie joining you, cheerfully believing they can help stop the great evil? Yeah, she's dead now. In fact, I had to fight her reanimated corpse on a later run. Yes, the Graverobber Foundation exhumed my dead party member and threw the reanimated corpse back at me in a random battle, with all their powers and skills still intact. It was both a wonderful and terrifying surprise.

[caption id="attachment_392651" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Every party member hails from a different class, with various weapon and magic types that can have different effects in battle. At first, you might not notice this; but after your three swordfighters fail to put a dent in one beefy enemy, you'll want to consider diversifying your damage pool.

Every turn, you can commit a fighter to defend themselves or use an action, which costs varying amounts of skill points. Everyone has a basic skill that costs nothing, but during battle, they can have a spark of inspiration and learn a new move.

[caption id="attachment_392653" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

These abilities are crucial. They're often not only useful for damage, but add much needed utility for surviving against the brutal waves of enemies in Demon Lord Reincarnation. Stunning, tripping, and even gouging a skeleton's eye out—yes that works, don't ask me about the logistics—will stop those swarms of nasty monsters from turning your optimistic party into gruesome maze décor.

Knowledge is power

It's at this point that I'll stress the same thing the developer stresses: read the manual. Every copy of Demon Lord Reincarnation comes with access to a little PDF manual, and it is filled with useful, borderline essential information. How do I know this? I played for an hour without realizing you can rest in the maze. Learn from my mistakes.

Either way, it's not all doom-and-gloom. Over time, you'll build up power. Characters get noticeably stronger the more they survive. They don't really level up in a conventional sense, but gain extra stat points as they overcome battles. Worse odds mean greater rewards. So maybe leading your party into battle against a swarm of butchers and imps isn't a terrible idea. Anyone who survives the meat grinder will be stronger for it, right? And the replacements you can recruit at the campfire gradually scale to be within your range, too.

[caption id="attachment_392654" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Graverobber Foundation[/caption]

A real appeal of Demon Lord Reincarnation is its adherence to the classic first-person dungeon crawling, though. And by that, I mean there is no auto-mapping. Unlike more modern entries, you'll need to manually track your location and create your own map of the dungeon if you want to remember where you are. Or, you can just let yourself get blissfully lost. Either way, the dark, gloomy vibes of the corridors create a delightfully dreary ambiance.

[caption id="attachment_392652" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Graverobber Foundation[/caption]

Surviving the dungeon

I've only played a little bit of Demon Lord Reincarnation, but I can't really seem to get it out of my head. There's the incredible art, making use of an eerie dithered style much like another indie RPG favorite of mine, World of Horror. (It actually uses art from Toriotto, through an archive the artist has approved for other commercial projects.) It's punishing, but in the right amount, like a particularly good hot sauce. The way it looks back on first-person dungeon crawling and adds a bit of its own flair is really compelling.

But Demon Lord Reincarnation also feels focused, laser-set on what it's trying to do. There is a task at hand, and you'll need to slowly understand and learn its systems to overcome it. Sure, the descent to the Demon Lord is not going to be easy. But it's the challenge that makes it feel rewarding. Demon Lord Reincarnation's maze may seem simple at first, but those tiles and doors hold a world of adventure and challenge ahead. I'm pretty eager to head back down them.

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The Endless Waltz comes to a close

Bandai Namco has announced it's sunsetting its team-based first-person shooter Gundam Evolution. The giant mech battles come to a close on November 29, 2023, when service will end.

As announced in a blog post, there will still be some updates leading up to the closure of Gundam Evolution. Season 6 will still roll out more content on August 23, with two maps and a new unit. A final season will also go live on October 25, adding a new unit and map.

"We wanted to create a title that brought FPS fans and Gundam fans together. We challenged ourselves to create an authentic Gundam FPS game that could be played globally," reads the statement on Gundam Evolution's closure. "Unfortunately, we have determined that it is no longer possible for us to provide a service that satisfies our players."

Starting on July 26, sales of various currencies like EVO Coins and EC Pod Limited will cease, and updates to EC Pods, CAP Pods, and Ticket Pods will end. Refunds won't be offered for any previously purchased EVO Coins or other paid services. Bandai Namco says it will create "more opportunities" for players to earn Capital Points, so they can have a chance to unlock and play the new units.

Seasons 6 and 7 will roll out, as mentioned above. And then, on November 29 at 5 p.m. PST, the service will come to an end; the game will no longer be playable and items no longer usable.

Live Gundam service

I know this has become the trend for most multiplayer live service games, but it hurts a little bit extra to see the Grim Reaper (Gundam Deathscythe?) come for Gundam Evolution. Its back-of-the-box description could have very well been Overwatch-meets-Gundam, but it was a genuinely enjoyable shooter that I found more appealing than most of its competitors.

Seeing it close all the way down, shuttering its servers on the way out, is a significant bummer. A final season will launch, and fans will have roughly a month to try it out before the doors close for good. Hopefully the Gundam fans can still get some good times out of Evolution before it's gone.

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The veil between launchers thins

Blizzard is bridging the gap and bringing some of its PC games over to Steam. The publisher announced that select games will appear on Valve's launcher, starting with Overwatch 2 hitting Steam on August 10.

The free-to-play team shooter will launch with a few Steam tie-ins. Namely, there will be some Steam Achievements and the ability to invite Steam friends into matches. Players on Steam can also match and play against Battle.net users too, in case you were worried about that. You will, however, still need a Battle.net account to play Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2's Steam launch also coincides with the release of Invasion, the seasonal update that will add Blizzard's pared-down and reduced PvE plans.

While Overwatch 2 is the start, more games from Blizzard are headed to Valve's storefront. "As far as what’s next for Blizzard on Steam, we’ll be sharing more about potential other games coming to the platform when the time is right," reads a blog post from the company. Obvious hopes would lie in big games like Diablo IV, though I'd love to see some classics come over too.

Watch over me

The news comes at a tumultuous time for Overwatch 2 in general. Alongside the aforementioned scaled-back PvE plans, the hero shooter is declining. Activision Blizzard's Q2 2023 earnings report says engagement and player investment in Overwatch 2 has declined "sequentially" in the quarter. Its hopes seem to be that the Invasion update will bolster the game.

But on the esports side, the Overwatch League is also headed for a crossroads; teams are set to vote on an updated operating agreement, putting the fate of the league in the team owners' hands. League commissioner told The Verge that Overwatch will remain committed to a "competitive ecosystem in 2024 and beyond." But Activision Blizzard is also laying off workers in its esports department, per The Verge. We'll see if a seasonal update and Steam launcher appearance can right the ship.

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A little extra time to ensure it goes through

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are pushing back a notable deadline in the ongoing merger talks. Originally set for July 18, the merger agreement deadline for the companies has now been pushed out to October 18.

This extension is to allow for "additional time to resolve remaining regulatory concerns," according to a statement from Microsoft president Brad Smith.

"We will honor all commitments agreed upon with the EC and other regulators and continue to work with the CMA on the issues raised in the UK," said Smith. "We are confident about our prospects for getting this deal across the finish line."

Microsoft recently won over the FTC in a court case, denying a preliminary injunction on the deal. Not long after the decision was rendered, Microsoft and the UK's CMA seem to have gone back to the table, after the latter blocked the deal earlier this year.

"Given global regulatory approvals and the companies’ confidence that CMA now recognizes there are remedies available to meet their concerns in the UK, the Activision Blizzard and Microsoft boards of directors have authorized the companies not to terminate the deal until after October 18," said Activision Blizzard CCO Lulu Cheng Meservey in a statement. "We’re confident in our next steps and that our deal will quickly close."

Xbox head Phil Spencer also stated the company is "optimistic" about getting the deal done. Though it's worth noting that with these exceptions, the termination fees also go up. Microsoft's payable fee if the agreement doesn't go through bumps up to $3.5 billion on August 29, and higher to $4.5 billion on September 15.

The future of Xbox

Even with that billion-dollar pressure, the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal seems to be full-steam ahead. After the FTC ruling, it seems much more likely that Activision-Blizzard will fall under the Xbox umbrella by year's end.

The next big calendar day to watch for August 29, which is the CMA's updated final order date.

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How to find new life in space again

Citizen Sleeper was one of the biggest surprises of last year for me. It was a stellar combination of virtual and tabletop mechanics in a gorgeous, distant space setting that drew me in and quickly became a favorite. So when Citizen Sleeper 2 appeared out of the blue, you can imagine how eager I was to hear more about it.

The first game follows a rogue, copied consciousness on the run, trying to avoid the hunters of their corporate overlords while attending to a steadily deteriorating body. It's a battle against planned obsolescence, in a cold station on the fringes of space. A place where a "Sleeper" like you could find a home, or at least a crossroads towards a new one. But following a series of DLC updates, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector heads in a new direction. We talked to creator Gareth Damian Martin, of Jump Over The Age, to see just what that direction looks like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFOYaEQP9ks

Pushing your luck

To start, you're still a Sleeper. The corporate-owned android body is still your home. But, as seen in the trailer above, your relationship with a critical chemical compound called "Stabilizer," necessary for survival in the first game, has changed. In Citizen Sleeper 2, an attempt to free yourself from dependence on Stabilizer has left your body malfunctioning. So you steal a ship and head on the run, with a body on the fritz and a price on your head.

As Martin puts it, you no longer have a declining body, but a malfunctioning one. "The distinction being that it's no longer predictable," they said. "It's no longer like, 'Well I know tomorrow, I'm going to be a little worse off.' It's much more of a push-your-luck situation, where the more that you push your body, the more likely it is that you're going to suffer a malfunction, but it's not a guarantee."

[caption id="attachment_392347" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Jump Over The Age[/caption]

This idea of pushing luck is an interesting one. It's something you can see in tabletop games like Blades in the Dark—an influence behind the first Citizen Sleeper. These gambits can pay off, and the resources can be both bountiful and crucial to survival. However, they may come with a cost. Martin points towards a feeling of being "on the edge" of being overwhelmed, and the stories that can come from that.

"That’s always my kind of endpoint, is just thinking about, what’s the narrative like," said Martin. "I don’t really care about the mechanics on their own. I’m interested in how they will serve and drive interesting narrative outcomes, where there’s not really a kind of pure success on offer. There’s instead just a series of compromises and variations."

A stressed-out Sleeper

If you map out a typical Citizen Sleeper run as a line graph, you'd see continuous dips and sudden spikes back to full. That rocky, alpine road of upkeep is what keeps the dice flowing in, and dice are how you get things done every day.

Citizen Sleeper 2 will maintain a good chunk of those systems. There's still a three-level system of risk, depending on what kinds of dice you have to place down. There are still, right now, a number of dice every cycle that can decline based on your current status. But stress is a new factor. For a game where you're already on the run, that's a powerful motivating factor to keep moving forward—and to take the risks you might normally avoid.

“When the game is kind of about crisis, and about entropy, about fighting against things falling apart and what that takes, then something like stress is a really valuable concept and mechanic simultaneously,” Martin explained to me. “So that's kind of like, the big thing that unites Citizen Sleeper 2’s changes, really.”

[caption id="attachment_392348" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Jump Over The Age[/caption]

As you move through the system on your ship, you can pick up contracts. These can give you the resources you need to keep going. But you'll need to ensure they succeed, too. Having a crew, then, helps a lot. While you're talented, you can't be perfect at everything in Citizen Sleeper 2. Selecting a crew for your jobs can play a big role in them succeeding. Martin points to Into the Breach as a "guiding intent."

“I often think about Into the Breach as the apex of the game where you spend more time looking at the problem in front of you than you do actually clicking buttons,” said Martin. “And while I’m not making Into the Breach, and Citizen Sleeper wouldn’t kind of ever be able to reach that level just by design, that is still something that I take as a kind of guiding intent. I very much like to have the idea of players sat there, scrolling around, looking at what’s in front of them and being like, ‘Okay, how am I going to solve this cycle in the best possible way?’”

Squats in space

With that crew-involved story, Citizen Sleeper 2's influences may not be a tremendous surprise. Martin names series like Cowboy Bebop, Firefly, and Deep Space Nine. Particularly, Martin calls attention to the episodes of DS9 where the "plot engine" turns off, and we get to zoom in a bit more on the crew. Stories about the crew, and their interpersonal drama, can often stand out in ways we don't see often in games.

At least, not in the scrappy crew manner we do in Citizen Sleeper 2. Compared to Commander Shepard's "flying office building", as Martin puts it, the ship of CS2 is more like a "squat in space." All the NPCs have their own agency, too. They're people, who have their own drivers that are not always aligning with yours.

Making personnel choices—who you take with you on jobs, who you get along with, and who you let on the ship in the first place—seems like it could be a big differentiator for Citizen Sleeper 2. It certainly adds a unique twist to the interactions and relationships of the game, compared to its predecessor.

[caption id="attachment_392346" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Jump Over The Age[/caption]

But that's all in the future. Citizen Sleeper 2 doesn't have a release date at the moment; for now, it sounds like Martin wanted to let fans know it's in the works. That's alongside a lot of other CitSleep content too, like a solo tabletop game and Design Works book.

When it comes to the finished sequel, Martin looks forward to getting the players into trouble, it seems. That mix of narrow successes, of making it through but not without a mark, looks to carry forward. And now, you'll have a crew of characters to add into the mix.

“I’m hoping it will feel quite different to the kind of space games that people are used to playing,” said Martin. “But at the same time, will feel like a continuation of Citizen Sleeper’s ideas about freedom, ‘freedom’, in story, and meaning, and characters. Getting to be part of their story, whatever that means, even if that’s not necessarily even helping them, or enduring them, specifically. [laughs]”

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I'm BLU, da-ba-dee

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.45 arrives today, as an interstitial content patch adding a plethora of side content. The big draw for 6.45 across all players is probably the new Variant Dungeon, but Final Fantasy XIV is also adding some more to do if you're feeling Blue.

The Blue Mage crew of Final Fantasy XIV gets a sizeable content drop today. The specialized class, built around learning magic from monsters and undertaking full-Blue challenges separate from the usual Duty structure, gets a level cap bump up to 80. Alongside that, Blue Mages have a new series of spells to discover and learn, and new quests to undertake. And thanks to the heightened level cap, the content will run all the way to the end of Shadowbringers, and then some.

I've been poking around the new spells as other Blues discover them, and it looks like you'll definitely want to be through all of base Shadowbringers and into the post-launch patches. The Eden raid series also looks to have some spells to pick up, so unlocking those through normal means first will help.

A new Variant

But if you're not a Blue Mage fan, there's still some content to play today. The Mount Rokkon Variant Dungeon has been added, with new encounters to take on and loot to plunder. Those cosmetics are slowly being discovered by players as well.

Surprisingly, we also got a new hairstyle in 6.45. Reports seem to indicate it works for all the player races, too.

And of course, for those working on the Manderville weapons, the Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures quest line continues. It will probably continue to escalate and get stranger, as those quests do. (I'm still fairly early on in the quest line, but enjoying it a lot.)

You can find the full Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.45 notes here.

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How to beat down the dinos better

Capcom's new team-based competitive shooter Exoprimal is out, and well, it's a bit of an oddball. It's got guns, mechs, and it's all about whittling down the dino horde. And while it's still early on in this game's lifespan, we have a few tips for making life in Exoprimal easier.

Keep in mind, Exoprimal is a relatively full price ($59.99)  game, with additional progression and add-ons for extra cash. I don't personally recommend dumping that kind of cash unless you just want to fast-track through the suits. Some of the early suits you get will tide you over well to the later ones, and most of Exoprimal is about efficiency in PvE, though you will have to fight a player from time to time. (It's worth noting that Exoprimal is on Game Pass too, which makes a difference if you're looking to save some cash while testing the waters.)

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

With that in mind, we're keeping our tips oriented towards the basics: what little tips and bits of advice we'd give to a brand-new player, in order to get an edge over the other rookies.

Make sure to set your favorite suit

I've seen many players spawn into a match as Deadeye, the default Exosuit, and then start swapping around to others. Not only does this create confusion, as everyone tries to orient the team composition around the sudden swarm of Deadeyes, but it gets awkward when everyone swaps off, and then back, and then back again... It's a hassle.

Head to the hangar and you can hit a special button (Square on PlayStation) to "favorite" a suit, making it the one you always spawn into a match as. Bam! No more awkward Deadeye conventions.

Check out your rig options

While you're digging around in the Exosuit options, take a look at the rig options too. Rigs are a special piece of equipment, mounted on your shoulder, that can persist across suits. (Default button is Triangle on PlayStation.) You start out with a cannon, which is great for knocking Pteranodons out of the sky.

But, if you need some different options, there are some good ones you'll unlock as you level up. The small healing field can be great for tanks that like to hunker down, like Krieger. Or the catapult option can help a melee-focused Exosuit like Zephyr get into the air, away from danger, or into the face of an enemy.

[caption id="attachment_391870" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Equip some modules

One last thing to look at in the hangar is modules, and these are surprisingly important. Modules are pieces of equipment that you level up with BikCoin, the awkwardly named currency you accrue through matches and levelling up. After you open a module up in the hanger, you'll need to spend BikCoin to enable it, and more to level it up.

These bonuses are worth it in a lot of ways. The universal ones offer some great buffs, like extra movement speed when your health is low. These little bits of help can make a tangible difference in the field. And that goes doubly-so for Exosuit-specific modules.

Main some suits to unlock specific modules

Some modules are designated just for their respective Exosuits, powering up their abilities. These range from helpful utility to extremely useful, amping up the skills and abilities of Exosuits to make them take down dinos even better.

You get these Exosuit-specific modules by levelling up the individual suit, which you can do by playing matches as said suit. Play the Exosuit you like, get things to make it better. Simple, right? If you want some direction, I particularly like Deadeye's module that upgrades consecutive Ravager damage, as it helps the Soldier 76-esque character chew through larger, tougher enemies.

[caption id="attachment_391871" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Don't be afraid to switch it up

You might want to create a team composition and stick to it, but in my experience, it's worth swapping out Exosuits if you feel a specific one just isn't working. Exoprimal is surprisingly lenient in this regard, letting you get out of one Exosuit and into another in the middle of a match rather than waiting for a respawn or sticking it out.

Of course, this does mean playing as your lone pilot for a short moment, which can feel like an eternity if a wave of Raptors is bearing down on you. I recommend doing your swaps while waiting for some dinosaur portals to open at a Watcher's waypoint. A helpful note: in my experience at least, it seems like you don't lose charge on your ultimate ability when you swap suits. So feel free to mix it up!

Create chokepoints

If you've played any horde defense games before, you know all about good chokepoints. They're a way to funnel the overwhelming numbers of the enemy down to a manageable size, and Exoprimal gives you some good methods for doing so. Walls, tank shields, and even the terrain itself all lend well to make concentrated areas of attack.

Clumping up enemies also helps you pull off some good combos, so if you notice your Roadblock is taunting and gathering up dinos, get ready with some AOE attacks. Working together is how you clear dinosaurs faster, and that's one step closer to the next phase, and beating the enemy team.

[caption id="attachment_391818" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It's all about the data

If you wind up in the data cube PvP final mission, which involves escorting a data cube from one end of the map to the other, I'll repeat what hundreds of Overwatch players have been screaming into their microphones since 2016: push the payload.

But seriously, the payload (data cube) of Exoprimal is pretty crucial. In addition to being your win condition, this payload is a bit more fragile than most; damage, from dinosaurs or enemy players, can temporarily halt its advance, forcing the team to hunker down and revive the data cube to progress forward.

There are other objective-based modes in Exoprimal too, some we've played and some we've only heard about from others digging into the game on day one. But the saying remains the same, whether Exoprimal, Overwatch, Battlefield, or anything else: play the objective. And if you're an invading dinosaur, taking out the enemy payload can be a surprisingly helpful use of your limited Dominator time.

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