Jul 30, 22:00


Kotaku Wednesday, July 30, 2025 4:25 PM
    

A surprise Mario Kart World update has breathed new life into the Switch 2 exclusive, but it's one of the changes that goes unmentioned by Nintendo which could have the biggest impact on the game's competitive scene.

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, July 30, 2025 4:16 PM
    

Update 7/30/2025 4:16 p.m. ET: It didn't take players long to wonder if Nintendo was trolling them. Its patch note increasing the rate of three-lap races notably states "'VS Race' and wireless races" but not "wireless 'VS Race,'" which is how Nintendo referred to Mario Kart World's online mode in the previous update.…

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:55 PM
    

The original Switch was a trailblazing device that proved you could take console-quality games on the go, but it was demonstrably less powerful than its PlayStation and Xbox competitors. In the years since the handheld hit the shelves, that gap has only grown with the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Making up…

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:50 PM
    

Showrunner is a new video content platform that will specialize in user-generated AI slop. The idea is people will pay to use generative AI tools to produce their own TV, starting with short animated sketches. Who asked for this? Amazon for starters, which is investing an undisclosed amount in the company behind…

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:41 PM
    

Turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has already proved a phenomenally good time for fans of old-school JRPGs and those who appreciate solid storytelling and rewarding battle systems. But with today's 1.4.0 patch, the game has received some much-needed improvements in key areas. If you're like me and the final…

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, July 30, 2025 2:36 PM
    

To me and millions of other people who grew up listening to alternative rock in the early 2000s, Chester Bennington was a generation-defining voice of rock music. This month marks the eighth anniversary of his passing, and I still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. I had never been truly affected by a…

Read more...


PCGamesN Wednesday, July 30, 2025 5:21 PM
    

Last month, Saber Interactive confirmed that Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2 would be getting a second year of post-launch support - hardly surprising, given it's remained hugely popular and that Space Marine 3 is a long way off. Still, it was reassuring to hear that more content was on the way, and from what Saber initially revealed, it sounds pretty epic. When Year 2 and Patch 10 arrive in September, Space Marine 2's delayed PvP mode, Helbrute Onslaught, will also hit the co-op shooter, and now we know how its mech-infused gameplay loop will work.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best co-op games, Best Warhammer games, Best Warhammer 40k games

PCGamesN Wednesday, July 30, 2025 4:01 PM
    

It's almost time for the Marvel Rivals 3.5 update, which brings a wealth of new content to players midway through its third season. The free-to-play shooter's roster is about to expand with the addition of Blade, and so too will its offering of game modes. However, the existing hero meta is also set to receive a shakeup - not only are some balance changes coming, but Team-Ups are getting a big refresh, with new additions, reworks, and removals.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Marvel Rivals codes, Marvel Rivals characters, Marvel Rivals tier list

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, July 30, 2025 9:30 PM
    

While the Nintendo Switch 2 may have done away with microSD cards in favour of the faster (and pricier) Express variants, the standard cards have been pretty affordable for a while now in smaller sizes, which makes them ideal for Steam Deck usage.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, July 30, 2025 9:00 PM
    

We're always on the lookout for the best gaming monitors, and while the catchily-titled Alienware AW3225QF might not be on that list, it's certainly rated very highly if you look around.

Read more


Siliconera Wednesday, July 30, 2025 5:00 PM
    

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution Release Date Set

WayForward confirmed the release date for Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, the missing game in the series. It will launch on August 19, 2025. We'll be able to find it on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The standard version will be $24.99, while a Digital Deluxe one will cost $34.99.

The "advance" is in the name of Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution because this originally started as a GBA game. Following its cancellation, WayForward and Limited Run Games worked to bring it back in a finished state and to more platforms. It once again involves Shantae facing Risky Boots the pirate, only this time Scuttle Town isn't the only one in danger. She'll need to work with the Relic Hunter's Guild to find a way to help multiple towns and Sequin Land as a whole. 

To go along with the reveal is a new trailer that explains what happens if someone gets the Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution Digital Deluxe Edition. That comes with three extra costumes for Shantae to wear. When equipped, they will increase the power of one of the attacks she can use in-game. So if you wear the High Voltage Costume, her StormPuffs do more damage. The Relic Hunter increases the attack of her Pike Ball. If she puts on Sizzle Armor, her Fireballs apparently get even hotter. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Drtyfhdf0

Here are some screenshots showing each of the Digital Deluxe Edition costumes we'll see in-game. There's also official WayForward art of each design.

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is in the works for the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the release date is August 19, 2025. 

The post Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution Release Date Set appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 30, 2025 4:00 PM
    

Atelier Yumia Heads to PSO2 New Genesis Touhou Project Crossover Detailed

Sega announced that an Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land crossover will appear in the MMORPG PSO2 New Genesis, and it also detailed the promised Touhou Project event. The Touhou Project Scratch Ticket with costumes, login bonus, "Bad Apple" Music Disc, and other cosmetics all start appearing on August 6, 2025. 

Pretty much every Touhou Project cosmetic appeared ahead of its debut next week. The login campaign involves seven BP character acrylic stand displays of characters like Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame, Flandre Scarlet, Remilia Scarlet, Cirno, and Sakuya Izayoi. The AC Scratch Ticket: Touhou Project Style features Reimu, Marisa, an Flandre costumes, Bullet Pattern Build Parts, weapon camp, accessories, and the Music Disc: "Bad Apple."

Much of the Touhou Project PSO2 New Genesis items appeared in the August 2025 Update Information 1 video. It is prefaced by a referece to the "Bad Apple" music video.

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

Details about the Atelier Yumia PSO2 New Genesis crossover are more vague. We know the Scratch Ticket for it will involve costumes inspired by Yumia, Isla, Nina, and Rutger. There will be a Flammi Mag Device. The announcement also teased ARKS IDs, emotes, idle poses, and Vital Gauges inspired by the JRPG.

Here are the images for all the announcements.

PSO2 New Genesis is available for the PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.  

The post Atelier Yumia Heads to PSO2 New Genesis  appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:00 PM
    

Palworld Patch Adds Moon Lord Master

Back when the Tides of Terraria crossoverupdate arrived for Palworld, a Moon Lord Raid Boss appeared, and now a Master version of that opponent is available in the game. It's essentially the only new addition in patch 0.6.4. The rest of the Pocketpair changes involve adjustments or bug fixes.

The Moon Lord Master is a level 65 fight, and the original Palworld Raid Boss appeared at level 50. You will need to craft the new Celestial Sigil Master Pal Slab and use it at a Summoning Alter to fight it, as usual for these types of Pals. Some of the rarest drops from it this time include different types of large lotus, and schematics for Nightglow, Terra Blade, Terraprisma, and Vortex Beater. 

Here are the full patch notes for Palworld update 0.6.4.

▼New Content

・Added a more powerful version of Moon Lord! Moon Lord [Master]! Gather new Celestial Sigil [Master] to face this terrifying foe!

▼Mechanic Adjustments

・Summoned Pals no longer deal damage when bumping into neutral, non-hostile Pals.

・Sending an overpowered Pal team on an expedition no longer reduces the expedition time, but instead increases the quantity of rewards.

・Summoned Pals are returned to the player's party upon player death.

・Enemies will no longer respawn when their bases are cleared (Enemy-built bases – Not static camps).

・Death markers on the map will now be displayed above base icons.

・The amount of fish shadows at a fishing spot will now persist even if the player leaves.

・Additional fishing spots have been added around the world.

・Adjusted the UI messaging for when the player can't afford to buy Pals from NPCs.

・Adjusted the interaction logic for opening and closing cages in enemy bases, which was sometimes unresponsive depending on the camera angle.

・Adjusted the building restriction radius around the expedition station.

・Items bought from the Flea Market can no longer exceed one stack per purchase.

・Fixed the behavior of the Homing Sphere Launcher.

▼Balance Adjustments

・Fixed an issue where the partner skill "Trigger Happy" had unintendedly high power.

・Increased the drop rate of legendary blueprints from the chests at the end of the Terraria dungeon.

・Adjusted the selling price of the Terraria monsters.

・Added Heat Resistance Lv1 / Cold Resistance Lv1 to Hallowed Plate Mail.

・Adjusted the breeding results when using Eye of Cthulhu.

・Changed the raid boss reward logic so that players can receive rewards even if they didn't deal direct damage to the boss.

・Increased the drop quantity of "Ancient Civilization Parts" from certain Alpha Pals.

・Increased the amount of Overheat Rifle ammo crafted from 5 to 10.

・Increased swimming speed for some Pals.

・Adjusted the map placement of certain mission NPCs so that they can be accessed by players at more appropriate levels.

▼Major Bug Fixes

・Fixed an issue where mission progress was lost or would not progress.

・Fixed an issue where Pals in dimensional storage would disappear.

・Upon dying inside the Terraria Dungeon, the player's items and Pals are now dropped in front of the dungeon entrance.

▼Bug Fixes

・Fixed an issue in the Moon Lord raid where Pals would continue to attack already-destroyed body parts.

・Fixed a bug where defeating Moon Lord would unlock the wrong achievements.

・Fixed a bug where using Herbil's partner skill during a tower boss battle could cause the player to get trapped inside.

・Fixed a bug where Herbil's partner skill in combination with certain enemy skills could cause the game to soft lock.

・Fixed a crash that occurred when switching input methods while using the chat.

・Fixed a bug that prevented players from handing over Pals in missions when using a controller.

・Fixed a bug that caused missions to duplicate when logging in to dedicated servers.

・Fixed inconsistencies in NPC dialogue and mission dialogue.

・Fixed a bug where capturing a target during a mission would incorrectly count it as two kills.

・Fixed a bug where detailed info for owned Pals was not being displayed in the Pal delivery mission UI.

・Fixed a bug where descriptions for some missions were not being displayed correctly in the mission list.

・Fixed a bug where some missions continued to be displayed as in progress even after completion.

・Fixed a localization bug where some text was appearing in Japanese even when the game was set to another language.

・Fixed a bug that was causing sound effects to play over and over after finishing a mission.

・Fixed a bug where the cursor would not appear or scroll when opening the mission menu with a controller.

・Fixed a bug where some skills used while mounted would unintentionally go through walls.

・Fixed a bug where some skills would target players from the same guild.

・Fixed a bug where the fishing minigame would start with a smaller capture gauge under certain conditions.

・Fixed a bug where the fishing guide would sometimes stop being displayed.

・Fixed a bug where players could fish through walls or floors.

・Fixed a bug where fishing and salvaging sound effects could be heard from far away in multiplayer.

・Fixed a bug with the fishing pond that was not correctly reducing the fishing time with certain work suitability items etc.

・Fixed a bug that prevented Jelliette and Jellroy partner skills from activating.

・Fixed a bug where items dropped underwater wouldn't float to the surface.

・Fixed an exploit where certain NPC visitors to the base could be captured repeatedly for infinite rewards.

・Adjusted Frostplume's behavior so that their partner skill doesn't activate in the arena if they aren't the primary opponent.

・"Mercy" will no longer apply inside the arena.

・Fixed spawn location discrepancies for certain Pals.

・Fixed missing partner skill icons.

・Fixed the sorting order for some food items.

・Various other minor bug fixes.

Palworld is in early access on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Palworld Patch Adds Moon Lord Master appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 30, 2025 5:33 PM
    

Playing with your friends in Mage Arena

Mage Arena is the perfect co-op spell-casting action title you can play with your friends, and you can set up different types of matches.

The new indie title is quickly getting popular in the gaming community, and it's a different type of PVP shooter. Instead of guns, you use spells, and instead of buttons, you use your voice. Every spell inside the game activates on a particular voice command, and 10 options are available at launch.

Ultimately, wins will matter in the game, and playing with your friends should improve your chances of success. Let's look at how to invite your friends to the game and play together in the same lobby.

How to invite your friends to Mage Arena

Inviting your friends to a match in Mage Arena is simple. You don't even have to be friends on Steam.

  • Start the game, and let it load.
  • Go to Create a Lobby from the home screen.
  • You can create two types of lobbies: Private and Public. Choose the first option.
  • At the bottom left corner of your screen, reveal the lobby ID.
  • Copy the ID and share it with your buddies.

Once your friends have the ID, they must do the following steps.

  • Launch their game.
  • Select Join a lobby.
  • Paste the code that you have sent them.
  • This will put them in the same lobby as you.

The lobby in Mage Arena
Screenshot by Destructoid

As of now, you can opt for two types of co-op experience with your friends. You can create a team of a maximum of four players (yourself included) and take on other squads in a team-based battle. Alternatively, the Colosseum lets you juke out with another player in a deathmatch.

Inviting your friend to a deathmatch is the same as the abovementioned steps. In case of a deathmatch, only two players can be part of the same lobby.

Whether you're playing solo or in a squad, memorize all the voice commands required to trigger the different spells available in the Mage Arena.

The post How to play Mage Arena with friends – Multiplayer guide appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:58 PM
    

The Phoneutria Fera hand cannon, inspired by the Season of the Haunted armor set. It has a unique, galactic glow.

Destiny 2's Arms Week events celebrate one specific weapon category each time, turbocharging them through the powerful, time-limited Volatile weapon mods. They can be applied to several weapons from the archetype of the week, giving them a few extra effects.

Volatile weapon mods appear at the top of your weapon mod list when browsing the designated weapon category. You can apply them to any gun of that type as long as it has a mod slot, even if it's old enough not to have an origin trait (shoutout to the OG Palindrome).

Due to their power, they have a few limitations. The biggest is, they're only active during a given Arms Week, so enjoy them while they last. They won't function in the Desert Perpetual raid or in all Crucible playlists outside of Hardware, either, but you can place them in some of the best hand cannons to grab during the event.

All Volatile weapon mods in Destiny 2's Hand Cannon Arms Week

A Phoneutria Fera equipped with the Chaotic Munitions mod in Collections.
The most fun one by far. Screenshot by Destructoid

The hand cannon Arms Week has three weapon mods:

  • Fragmentation Rounds: "Precision final blows create explosive submunitions."
  • Cowboy Grip: "Supremely improves hipfire performance."
  • Chaotic Munitions: "Precision final blows produce randomized effects."

Fragmentation Rounds creates small grenades upon precision final blows, causing a couple of secondary explosions. Cowboy Grip gives the weapon more accurate hipfire and seems to improve its fire rate while not aiming down sights.

Chaotic Munitions is by far the most fun one thanks to its long list of effects. We've encountered Lorentz Driver-style Void explosions, Stasis crystals like if a weapon had Headstone, Ruinous Effigy orbs, the Scythe from Season of the Haunted, and Exotic Engrams à la Counterfeit, complete with sound effects.

How to get Volatile weapon mods in Destiny 2's Arms Week

We got Volatile weapon mods as regular drops from killing enemies in Portal activities. They dropped as Engrams on the ground, and picking them up added them to our collection.

The Arms Week title, Sharpshooter, requires you to unlock and use the Volatile weapon mods to defeat enemies. They're indicated by an orange clock icon on the top left, showing you they're only available for a limited time.

The post Destiny 2 Volatile Weapon mods, explained appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:55 PM
    

Lava field in Mage Arena

Mage Arena takes spell casting to the next level, where you'll have to use your vocal chords to outlast your opponents, and there are different options to pick from.

All players begin the game with a base set of five different spells. These spells are available to all by default, and you can use them strategically to gain an edge over your opponents. However, there are more spells to unlock from the Arena, which have pretty strong in-game effects.

All core spells in Mage Arena

As mentioned earlier, the spell book offers five different spells by default.

Spell Name How to Perform Best use
Fireball Use the voice command Fireball This is the best damage-dealing spell for beginners, but don't keep spamming the same term on your mic. Try to use it when your opponent is hiding under low cover (there are cooldowns for all spells).
Freeze Use the voice command Freeze This spell should be used whenever your enemy has created a wormhole, and you can trap them by destroying the exit.
Wormhole Use the voice command Worm at the location where you want to place the entrance
Use the voice command Hole at the location where you want to place the exit
It's your best way to escape or cover different areas of the map quickly. Place it strategically, and this spell has an approximate cooldown of 45 seconds. If you waste it once, you might not survive to use it again inside a match.
Magic Missile Use the voice command Magic Missile While the Magic Missile might not do a lot of damage, it can force your opponent to change their positions and give away their hiding spot.
Fire Wall Use the voice command Fire Wall The best starter AoE spell, a line of fire that will damage any enemy foolish enough to step on it. Like Magic Missile, you can use it to box an enemy and force them to make mistakes.

All Spell Page spells in Mage Arena

In the current Mage Arena build, there are five spells for you to discover using Spell Pages. They're found all around the Arena, so make sure to check out your surroundings.

Spell Name How to Perform Best use
Thunderbolt Use the voice command Thunderbolt Point the cursor at a target, and rain down lightning strikes at that position. Can be used to strike down multiple enemies.
Blink Use the voice command Blink An amazing mobility spell that allows you to instantly teleport over shorter distances. Will require a bit of practice to master, but a great spell nevertheless.
Dark Blast Use the voice command Dark Blast Shoots a powerful laser that can go through any kind of terrain and walls.
Divine Light Use the voice command Divine Light Support spell that will heal all your nearby allies. Like Wormhole, use it sparingly since there's a pretty long cooldown.
Wisp Use the voice command Wisp Calls upon a white flame that will instantly lock onto the nearest enemy and do more damage than Magic Missile.

It's more than likely that Mage Arena will have more spells being added to the game soon, and they will be duly updated on this guide.

The post All Spells List Mage Arena appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:54 PM
    

Wobbledogs image

If you're a cozy game enthusiast, odds are, you'll think of farming, life sim, or lighthearted, story-driven adventures. Today, I'm diving right into a wholesome yet peculiar sandbox game where you raise and care for a bunch of dogs. Let's check out Wobbledogs.

These aren't your average dogs, though. Wobbledogs is all about raising colorful, oddly geometric, mutated dogs through feeding, breeding, and caring. As you provide them with various foods and breed them, they'll develop unique traits and appearances, depending on their environment. Oh, and they can also pupate, which raises some questions as to whether these are even dogs at all.

Wobbledogs food
Image via Animal Uprising

To put it into perspective, one dog might have a blue head and a pink, rectangular body, while another might have a smaller body and slightly shorter legs because it had eaten some French fries a few minutes ago. This'll happen through pupation combined with breeding, letting you create some wacky combinations as you continue your playthrough.

Having all of this happen within an adorable, colorful, and cartoonish game makes for a bizarre experience that I didn't know I could have. It takes a while to get there, but over time, you'll start noticing your dogs change, even by a one percent increase (or decrease) in size, an ever-so-slight shift in color, or randomly growing wings because they ate some cake.

Wobbledogs gut flora
Screenshot by Destructoid

Although Wobbledogs' concept sounds simple, it's surprisingly complex, particularly with its gut flora mechanics. Every food has specific microorganisms, from bacteria to fungi, that influence your dogs in one way or another. As your dogs eat different foods, their gut flora will change, letting you combine effects for potentially bizarre outcomes. You'll also learn the effects of each food and its organisms, letting you decide if you want to go all-in on feeding your dogs a specific item to achieve a particular effect or experiment to see what random perks you unlock.

What is the most bizarre game you've played? Do you tend to stick to the same genre, or do you like to experiment with different titles? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Cozy Corner – We're wobblin' and tumblin' all day long appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:35 PM
    

Hela Knull Marvel Rivals promo art for Season 3.5

Season 3.5 has yet to go live in Marvel Rivals, but the Dev Vision Vol. 8 has given us early glimpses of what will arrive in the mid-season refresh.

The latest video, over seven minutes long, was chaired by Creative Director Guangguang, who shared information about new heroes, Team-Ups, and more. Let's quickly look at what we can expect after the patch for Season 3.5 goes live.

All Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 patch note highlights

In short, once Season 3.5 goes live, we will get new heroes, maps, and more.

https://twitter.com/marvelrivals/status/1950572100806222020

Hero

  • Blade has been officially confirmed to join the roster of existing characters during the mid-season. Daywalker will join as a duelist, yielding his Ancestral Sword and signature gun. His ultimate will is to use the legendary Sword of Dracula to dash through foes and leave a trail of defeated enemies.

Team-Ups

There are some significant changes to Team-Ups. Four existing teams will undergo changes, and there are a couple of new additions and deductions.

  • Guardian Revival (Adam Warlock with Star-Lord/Mantis) and Atlas Bond (Iron Fist- Luna Snow) will be removed.
  • Loki will leave the Ragnarok Rebirth (Hela - Thor/Loki) team-up.
  • Duality Dance (Adam Warlock - Luna Snow) and Vibrant Vitality (Mantis - Groot/Loki) will be two new additions.
  • Iron Fist will be joining Chilling Assault (Luna Snow - Hawkeye).
  • Star-Lord connects to the Rocket Network (Rocket Raccoon - Peni Parker).
  • Blade will drop into Lunar Force (Cloak & Dagger - Moon Knight).

Game Mode

The August 22 update will introduce a new game mode called Resource Rumble, which will have its own new map, Throne of Knull. It will be available in Quick Match first and further fine-tuned before being added to competitive play.

Quality of Life changes and improvements

A lot of strong moves are being made to improve the player experience and prevent cases of cyber-bullying.

  • A manual system will be introduced to track and check voice chat to ensure wrongdoers get severely penalized.
  • The list of muted words will be regularly updated to filter and catch more profanities.
  • Better penalty systems for players leaving their team in Ranked mode, and manual review for applicable penalties to ensure fair treatment.

Finally, there will be no more waiting for the shaders to compile, as that process will happen automatically in the background. This will save players much time moving forward to the mid-season update.

The post Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 early patch notes appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:23 PM
    

A castle rising above lava pits and flames with a strange figure standing in the middle in Mage Arena.

Mage Arena is an indie hit utilizing voice-activated commands for spell casting, making it one of the most unique games on the market today.

With spells being at the center of its gameplay loop, finding more of them is the top priority in any given match. However, doing so isn't all too straightforward and can often lead to your missing out on a lot of power. So, here's how and where you can find more spells in Mage Arena.

Where to find more spells in Mage Arena?

A sorcerer standing amid a group of gnomes in a forest in Mage Arena.
Gnomes are a great source of items and spells. Image via jrsjams

Outside your regular spells, which are made available to you via your starting book, spells are scattered all around the map, particularly in dangerous zones that favor the bold.

One such place is the Lava Castle, often located in the middle of the map. You'll recognize it by its lava pits and flames. At the very top of its towers, you can find chests, which can contain powerful abilities that you can then use to wreak havoc upon the enemy team. Keep in mind, though, that Fire Castle contains respawning enemies that can and will kill you if you aren't careful enough.

Another place to look for spells is the Crypt, particularly its vases. Breaking vases can drop various loot, including spells and items, so make sure you break everything you see. Other enemies will probably be gunning for these locations, so be careful.

Dungeons scattered across the map are additional locations to look for spells as well as items like Excalibur and Dark Blast, so you'll want to prioritize quick and effective looting runs at the very start of the match.

Trading with gnomes in their villages can also lead to their granting you spells, though be mindful not to give them your original spell tome, as it will render those abilities unavailable for most of the match.

You can trade basically any item you hold in your hands, and you probably should, so long as it's not a Crystal, which you can give to the Soup Man at spawn to buff your spell damage and resistance.

The post How to get more spells in Mage Arena appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:04 PM
    

It was late 2024 when I grabbed my Nintendo Switch to play some old games. I had never really gotten into retro gaming deeply, and I'm not a walking encyclopedia on obscure Mega Drive and Super Nintendo titles—though I secretly admire those who are.

So I went the most mainstream route and used Nintendo Switch Online to play some SNES. I had this console in my childhood, but I never owned many cartridges. Why not enjoy some of the games I never got to play?

I started with Pilotwings. In this game, you take part in lessons on aerial activities like skydiving and piloting a light aircraft. You're in the Flight Club trying to earn licenses while being judged by multiple instructors on your skills.

I thought I had played Pilotwings Resort on the 3DS. That should be enough, right?

A light plane crashed after a failed attempt in Pilotwings (SNES)
Turns out I can't fly a plane. Screenshot by Destructoid.

Well... I actually think my memory tricked me and I had never played the 3DS game. I started the SNES game with the plane, collecting small green orbs through the straight flight path before landing. I moved up and down, but I couldn't brake properly and crashed a lot. It took me several attempts to finally beat the first stage. When it came to skydiving, I didn't understand how to move my character. He would always go too far forward or backward, not doing what I expected based on my instinct and feel.

I had the "What the hell is going on?" feeling when I tried to play Super Punch-Out, which was a bit more instinctive despite the lack of control instructions in the intro. It's a boxing match, so I quickly figured out I could move sideways to dodge punches. But it took me a while to realize I couldn't block by holding backward or pressing L or R like in modern games. After taking a lot of punches to the face from the game's first character, Gabby Jay, I accidentally learned I had to not press anything to block low punches.

But at that point in both games, I was ready to give up and say what most of us probably repeat about old games we suck at them:

"This game is too hard. The controls aren't responsive. Everything's outdated."

A Pilotwings screen showing controls for the light plane.
This is your only in-game tutorial in Pilotwings. Screenshot by Destructoid.

But then I remembered the most basic thing about retro games. Something we forget now that they're all digital (unless you're a physical collector). They came with manuals.

Actual booklets. Instructions. Just like when you buy furniture that you need to assemble. The game manual just tells you what to do, which buttons to press, and what does what. And beyond basic controls, these manuals often had great tips: how to angle your plane when landing, use a Knock Out Punch, and land a paraglider.

Before reading these manuals, I was basically playing a nerfed version of Super Punch-Out. I got stuck in the second fight against the Bear Hugger because he's mostly immune to body punches, and I didn't know I could throw uppercuts.

And most of these older games, especially from the '90s or earlier, didn't have tutorial stages. There's no practice dummy to teach you or pop-ups telling you what buttons to press. While Pilotwings shows you the basic controls, it doesn't show the better tips from the manual. So yeah, you have to read it.

That might sound obvious to some of you seasoned retro gamers, or those who grew up playing these games. But for me, going back to them now, it wasn't obvious at all. There's this ego part of it: "I've been playing games for years. There's no way I need a manual! I know how games work."

Turns out I did need it.

And while reading a manual written mostly for '90s children first felt like a blow to my ego, it unlocked the fun because now I had the tools and knew how to play.

Not saying that Pilotwings or Super Punch-Out suddenly became easy, because they absolutely didn't. Even after learning how to paraglide, it still took me an hour or two in later licenses just to land without dying. The game was plain difficult, but the manual at least gave me a fighting chance.

In the case of poorly designed games, reading the manual will let you spot just that. If the developers gave you all the information you need and the game still feels wonky and unfair, it probably is. If manuals were the holy grail, The Angry Video Game Nerd wouldn't have become famous reviewing trash retro games.

If you look at retro consoles as a goldmine, full of great games that are just old, but you had weird or frustrating experiences with them in the past, I recommend you just read their manual. You don't need to own the cartridge or buy the game. Nintendo has many original game manuals uploaded on their website, and there are plenty of scanned versions are floating around too.

So just let go of your gamer ego. Then, you'll actually be playing the game with the intended difficulty, just like a kid (or adult!) would've played it when it first released.

I'm happy to say I beat Pilotwings and Super Punch-Out, and it was much more fun than before I read the manuals.

The post Retro games made me feel stupid until I remembered the most basic thing appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 30, 2025 2:29 PM
    

Wesker being corrupted by a strange orange growth on the side of his body in Dead by Daylight.

Dead by Daylight, having a rich presence on Discord, often opens up quests for players to earn small rewards as a token of gratitude from the devs for being a member of the community.

The current quest, tied to the new Dead by Daylight: The Walking Dead Chapter, is now available and will remain so until Aug. 6. So, here's how you can complete this DBD Discord quest and earn yourself an avatar decoration stylized after the Entity.

DBD Discord quest guide

Discord's Quests tab showing various challenges related to different games and servers.
DBD isn't the only game that has Discord quests. While in the tab, ensure you browse through and pick up some other exciting rewards. Screenshot by Destructoid

Completing the DBD Discord quest is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is boot up Discord, join the official DBD server, and then proceed to the Discover tab in your platform's Discord app. The quest requires Discord to be open while you play DBD and have the correct platform selected; otherwise, it doesn't count.

The Discover tab is located at the very bottom of your Discord server list, with the Quest section at the bottom of the Discover list, beneath Apps and Servers.

Open the Quest tab, navigate to DBD's quest, and accept it. Select the platform you'll be playing on and leave Discord open and active.

Then, proceed to play DBD for 15 minutes while Discord is open, and you'll have completed the quest. Simply navigate back to the Quests tab and claim your reward. DBD's Discord quests change up every now and again, so be sure to pay attention to the Quests tab if you want to keep up to date.

The post How to complete Dead By Daylight Discord quest appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 30, 2025 2:05 PM
    

Grounded 2 buggy that you can control and ride

Grounded 2's Early Access period is off to a strong start on PC and consoles, and there's plenty of content coming soon.

Developer Obsidian Entertainment has already revealed an official roadmap for the next major updates. The existing roadmap has content planned for four major updates: Fall, Winter, Summer (2026), and Future (beyond Summer 2026).

Let's look at all the major features coming to the game soon.

Grounded 2 early access Fall update contents

The Fall update will be the first significant content drop in the game.

  • AXL Recipes
  • AXL's Arena
  • Building Grid
  • Various Quality of Life improvements
  • Hotpouch on Buggies
  • AXL: Park Boss
  • AXL Armor
  • AXL Weapons
  • AXL Furniture
  • Text support for the Japanese and Brazilian languages.

Grounded 2 early access Winter update contents

The Winter update is expected to be the last major content update this year.

  • Steam Deck verified and support for ROG Ally
  • PlayGrounds
  • Sour 2.0
  • PEEP.R on Buggy
  • Quality of Life and Interaction Improvements
  • Cricket, Earwig, and new variants of other insects
  • New tier III equipment
  • Tier III Omni-Tool unlocks
  • Mushroom set 2.0
  • New furniture
  • New base defenses

Grounded 2 early access Summer update contents

The Summer update is expected to arrive in the early parts of the second quarter of next year.

  • Smoothies 2.0
  • Swimming 2.0
  • Ziplines
  • Watery Buggies
  • Watery creatures
  • New tier IV equipment
  • Tier IV Omni-Tool unlocks
  • Watery Equipment
  • Watery bases

https://twitter.com/GroundedTheGame/status/1950266882868601055

Plenty more content is planned for Grounded 2 and will be added during Early Access. As of this writing, we don't have expected timelines for these upcoming features.

  • Passive Mutations
  • Active Mutations 2.0
  • More new Buggies
  • Buggy mutations, customizations, and progression.
  • New creatures, bosses, and Colossi
  • New weapons, armor, archetypes, and Omni-Tool upgrades
  • Text support for Korean, Arabic, Thai, Polish, Traditional Chinese, Russian, and Turkish

These features should take more time for Obsidian to develop and implement. I am really looking forward to the Winter update, which should allow me to enjoy the game on my ROG Ally. If you're already enjoying the early access, check out our recommended settings to reduce lag and frame drops.

The post Grounded 2 Early Access roadmap – features, platforms, content, and more appeared first on Destructoid.


WGB Wednesday, July 30, 2025 5:03 PM
     The Monster Hunter Wilds endgame content expansion will release early on August 13, 2025, addressing player complaints. This move comes amid declining sales and ongoing performance issues affecting the game's reviews.

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 30, 2025 5:37 PM
    

The event will be viewable on YouTube and Nintendo.com. 

The post Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 30, 2025 5:04 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 30, 2025 4:13 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:55 PM