GamersHeroes Tuesday, February 18, 2025 3:35 PM Unleashing an array of new features and gameplay enhancements, the team at Torn Banner Studios has released the Nightmare Update for their eight-player, co-op horror shooter No More Room in Hell 2. The post No More Room in Hell 2 Nightmare Update Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:21 PM Independent video game developer Sandfall Interactive, together with games publisher Kepler Interactive, have released a new featurette that documents the creation of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's original soundtrack. The post Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Behind the Music Featurette Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:59 PM The debut title from Big Blue Sky Games, players will be able to manage their own shop, craft artisan goods, hire Companions, and unravel a city mystery with the release of Merchants of Rosewall March 4. The post Visual Novel-Shopkeeper Sim Merchants of Rosewall Launching March 4 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:16 PM Promising jolly good cooperation, endless scaling replayability, and complex boss mechanics, Gamers Heroes recently joined Chief Rebel to learn how players can persevere, overcome, and ascend in this truly unique experience. The post Fellowship Preview – Persevere, Overcome, Ascend appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:02 PM Set in a world where chaos meets creativity, Brain Seal's physics-based destruction game Blow It Up is now available. The post Physics-Based Destruction Game Blow It Up Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:45 AM See how players can let their passions and creativity fly in the crafty town of Nordhaven with the latest deep dive video for The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack. The post The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack Gameplay Deep Dive Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Tuesday, February 18, 2025 4:10 PM  NetEase has been pretty tame with its Marvel Rivals balance updates thus far. It gave troublesome heroes like Hela a slap on the wrist and has released patches entirely dedicated to bug fixes. However, it sounds like the next patch, which will add the Human Torch and the Thing to the roster, will finally be targeting… |
Kotaku Tuesday, February 18, 2025 3:50 PM  In case you didn't notice, the console wars—the decades-long battle between mulitple companies and their plastic game boxes—ended a few years ago. And while Sony continues to fight on with its PlayStation despite the war being over, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer recently confirmed that, yeah, it's all over, and the company is… |
Kotaku Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:30 PM  Marvel Rivals' game director and others from the development team behind the hit hero shooter have been laid off. The dismissals have caught many by surprise as NetEase's comic book blockbuster continues to dominate the charts on Steam and consoles months after its well-received launch. |
Kotaku Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:40 PM  Donkey Kong doesn't wear shoes. This is a defining trait of Nintendo's famous barrel-tossin' ape. But that hasn't stopped Nike from creating a new pair of sneakers that seem to be directly inspired by Donkey Kong and his popular platformers. |
Kotaku Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:30 PM  I've finished the first half of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, Don't Nod's latest supernatural teen drama, and it speaks to how well the game handles its dueling past and present storylines that even though I still don't really know what the game is about, I'm nonetheless desperate to see what comes next. Don't Nod hasn't… |
Kotaku Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:30 PM  I've got some good news for all you fans of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and its various video game spin-offs, sequels, and remasters. A skateboarder recently claimed that he will be included in a yet-be-announced remaster of a Tony Hawk skateboarding video game. It's yet one more piece of evidence that a new Tony Hawk game… |
Kotaku Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:30 AM  For decades, politically minded action movies often involve the President of the United States (fictional ones, usually). While most POTUSes need to be rescued from evil terrorists or rivals, there are times when the Big Cheese takes matters into their own hands. You don't get to win the Electoral College without… |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 5:20 PM  Drawing on management games like Stardew Valley and Potion Craft, Ale Abbey lets you run your own medieval brewery. Draped in pixel aesthetics and dark age flourish, you'll use Ale Abbey's cutesy UI to craft your own ale recipe. But the management doesn't cease when it comes to alcohol, you'll also need to preserve your monks' goodwill and fend off external threats. A full release is still upcoming, but Ale Abbey is now in early access. Continue reading Medieval brewery management game Ale Abbey launches in early access MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best building games, Best games like Stardew Valley, Best management games |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 4:23 PM  February 18, 2025: We've checked for the latest Monopoly Go dice links for free dice rolls and tokens. How can I get Monopoly Go free dice links? The household favorite board game has been reimagined as a free-to-play app on smartphones, allowing everyone to experience the thrills of Monopoly on practically any device. Everything that makes the board game special is here in Monopoly Go, so you'll be collecting properties and building hotels as you go around the board, and there are a variety of multiplayer minigames to get through along the way. You're going to need to get your hands on Monopoly dice rolls, but they are difficult to come by no matter how far you are into the board game. There are ways to earn additional dice rolls, including logging into the game every day to collect daily bonuses, progressing further in the game, and inviting friends to try Monopoly Go. While you can also spend real money to unlock more dice rolls, you may want to give our list of Monopoly Go dice links a try instead, especially if you're waiting for the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event. Take a look at all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today. Continue reading Free Monopoly Go dice links February 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 4:23 PM  When is the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz? This special, limited-time event allows players to trade the usually locked golden stickers up to five times a day. This is an ideal solution for grabbing elusive missing stickers and completing albums quickly. While you can trade these up to five times a day, each event is limited to two specific stickers, set by Scopely. There's no official schedule for Monopoly Go's Golden Blitz event, so a lot of sites that confirm dates are actually speculating based on the current Monopoly Go events. While you're waiting for the next Golden Blitz, make sure to keep on top of other freebies with our free Monopoly Go dice links guide, which is updated several times a day with the newest links. Continue reading When is the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event? MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 4:09 PM  I'm ashamed to say that I've become pretty numb to the world of videogame layoffs now - it doesn't mean that I don't care and feel deep sympathy for every dev that loses their job, it just fails to surprise me anymore. However, when I saw that NetEase has laid off developers working on Marvel Rivals - the scorching hot hero shooter that is one of the most popular live service titles around right now despite being less than three months old - my jaw hit the floor. While NetEase is yet to confirm this news, LinkedIn posts from two developers - including Marvel Rivals' game director - suggest that those at its Seattle studio are being let go. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Marvel Rivals codes, Marvel Rivals characters, Marvel Rivals tier list |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 3:19 PM  A cross between early GTA and the 1950s Americana satire in Fallout, Deliver At All Costs is a chaotic romp through a seaside resort town. The year is 1959 and you are Winston Green, a downtrodden courier with a shady past and a bad case of road rage. Tasked with delivering absurd items like a ticking bomb or a giant marlin almost as big as his truck, Winston finds himself in an ever-spiraling descent through the criminal underworld of St Monique. If you've ever wanted to wreak havoc in a town straight out of American Graffiti or Grease, you can check out the Deliver At All Costs demo right now. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best single-player games, Best racing games, Best PC games |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 3:02 PM  What are the best weapons in Avowed? If you're constantly changing out your weapons or finding new gear and you're not sure which direction to take your build in, we've put together a list of the best early-game weapons to get you started. The best Avowed builds largely depend on which weapon you've invested in. With four upgrade tiers available for each normal weapon and further upgrades within that, it can be a little overwhelming to know where to put those hard-earned upgrade materials. We recommend seeking out unique weapons, which boast powerful stats and enchantments that can be upgraded five times to legendary tier. As upgrade materials are also quite scarce at the beginning of the game, and combat becomes increasingly unforgiving, we've put together a list of Avowed weapons to give you the best start. Continue reading The best Avowed weapons MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Avowed review, Avowed map, Avowed builds |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:34 PM  Sure, we've got an all-new Skate game in the works that should be in our hands within the next couple of years, but how good would a fresh Tony Hawk game be? From the Underground series to the timeless Pro Skater games, the most iconic skateboarder of all time has lent his name and expertise to several remarkable titles. The last dose of Tony Hawk goodness we got was the brilliant remaster of Pro Skater 1 + 2 back in 2020, and according to an actual pro skater that appeared in that game, a new Tony Hawk game remaster is on the way. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:27 PM  What's in the Fisch Mariana's Veil update? Here's the low-down. From the fresh rods to a quick way to complete the new bestiaries, we'll walk you through the major February Fisch expansion as it drops, including guiding the game's now traditionally tricky puzzles. Here a little early? Stick around to learn the latest Mariana's Veil leaks, teases, and new content hints. While you wait, check out our list of the best Roblox games. That way you can find something new to play to pass the time. Or check out our guide on the Fisch Volcano guide to complete the Ashfall event before it's too late. Continue reading Fisch Mariana's Veil update release time and expected location MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:25 PM  A new expansion to Headquarters World War 2 brings its brand of realistic turn-based strategy to the harsh winter conditions of the Battle of the Bulge. Like the winter campaign for which it is named, Headquarters World War 2: Ardennes is harsh and blistering. Across two campaigns and sixteen new scenarios, players can recreate iconic battles such as the Siege of Bastogne, the St. Vith Assault, and the Push for Celles. The best part? It's out right now. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:18 PM  What are the best KCD2 dice? It isn't all murder and mud in KCD2; sometimes you get a chance to take it easy, have a bit of a sit-down, and play a game of dice. Easily one of the most popular pastimes in Bohemia, you'll find this activity in most drinking establishments across the land. Earning KCD2 money is fairly easy if you know how: find a target, play dice, and win. Easy, right? Dice, or Farkle as it's also known, may appear to be a game of chance at first glance, but once you have a few specific dice in your possession, winning becomes an inevitability, rather than a possibility. Here is every Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 dice, and our picks for the best combination. Continue reading All Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 dice MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 review, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 mods, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 map |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:43 PM  Last year's Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth was a monumental RPG that effectively closed the series-spanning arc of legacy protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and stepped into the next chapter of Ichiban Kasuga's. It wasn't immediately clear where Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio could go next, and the reveal of a pirate-themed spinoff likely wasn't anyone's first guess. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a direct sequel to Infinite Wealth that sends longtime series favorite Goro Majima on the series' wackiest adventure yet, taking him across the high seas, back to his action-brawler roots, and ending up as the best in the studio's brawler lineup. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best crime games, Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth review, Best RPG games |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:25 PM  PC gaming handhelds come in all shapes and sizes now, but this N97 Elite from Sugar Cubes might be one of the smallest that actually works. Taking inspiration from the classic Nokia N97 sliding cell phone, this clever device drops the full keyboard for simple gaming controls, and while it won't be challenging the Steam Deck for power, it's a fun novelty item that has me very curious. Many of the best handheld gaming PCs have to balance power, practicality, and compatibility. This is where the Steam Deck excels, as it's far from the most powerful handheld on the market, but it makes up for it elsewhere. The N97 Elite, as intriguing as the concept is, would ultimately fall short on all three fronts, but it's a nice trip down memory lane for someone who once bought a very similar phone only to discover how woefully impractical it was. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:14 PM  We're mere weeks away from the launch of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, with the card set to be officially unveiled in all its glory at an event on February 28, 2025. However, one potentially lucky buyer could be getting the new graphics card early, thanks to an apparent slip up by Amazon Canada. With the RX 9070 XT set to be AMD's most performant best graphics card option out of its upcoming RDNA 4 gaming GPUs, there's every chance it will be in huge demand when it arrives. For one Canadian buyer, though, the scramble for stock come launch day could be of no concern at all. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 7800 XT review |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:09 PM  Steam is filled with excellent strategy games, but there aren't many like Against the Storm. It's beloved by almost everyone who's played it, with a stunning fantasy world, gripping gameplay, and incredibly well-designed UI all coming together to make it unmissable. If you've never played it, or stepped away some time ago and are eager for a reason to return, the new 1.7 update is the perfect time. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best roguelike games, The best city-building games, Against the Storm review |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:48 AM  What are the best Civilization 7 guides? For over 30 years, the Civilization series has captivated PC gamers with its intricate strategy, forcing players to think about more than just conquering their neighbors. Sometimes, the best victory is by being diplomatically savvy while secretly building massive cultural wonders and hoping nobody notices - especially the nuke-hungry Gandhi. We had early confirmation from Firaxis that Civilization 7 was officially in development back in early 2023, but we didn't get word of an official Civilization 7 release date until Gamescom 2024. Despite a few complaints, including those in our own Civ 7 review, the Civ 7 release date came and went, but with improvements and DLCs to come from the 4X game, here are all the Civ 7 guides and walkthroughs you need. Continue reading Civilization 7 guides MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Civilization 7 review, Civilization 7 leaders, Civilization 7 Ages |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:46 AM  NetEase Games has started to reveal what we can expect with Marvel Rivals Season 1.5, and the way you buy cosmetics is about to change for the better. Not only that, but the dreaded triple Strategist meta is getting a nerf, alongside plenty of other hero changes across the board. We can also expect the arrival of The Thing and Human Torch, alongside a brand new map. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Marvel Rivals codes, Marvel Rivals characters, Marvel Rivals tier list |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:27 AM  What are the best Minecraft house ideas? Here, you'll find some of the best Minecraft houses to inspire your next creation. There are many themes and materials at your disposal in 1.21, so we've dug deep into the Minecraft house designs available to set you on your way to creating your dream home. As you play one of the best PC games of the decade, whether you're an adventurer, builder, or Redstone engineer, you still want a nice, cozy home to go back to at the end of a busy day. While constructing your perfect Minecraft house is a time-consuming venture, nothing beats that feeling of returning to the safety of your home in the survival game, pockets full of treasures from a day of exploring. Whether or not you boost the look of your builds with Minecraft shaders or texture packs, these Minecraft houses will look stylish in any world. Continue reading The 66 best Minecraft houses for 1.21.4 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:21 AM  The Company of Heroes series. Warhammer 40k Dawn of War. The beloved Anniversary Edition of Age of Empires 4. Relic Entertainment certainly has a solid pedigree when it comes to strategy and turn-based tactics games -while CoH 3 faced a cool reception, alongside the likes of Paradox, Firaxis, and Haemimont, Relic is still one of genre's heaviest hitters. And now it's back with an entirely new game. Seemingly inspired by the superlative Advance Wars, and maybe a little XCOM, this is Earth Vs. Mars. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:13 AM  What are the Two Point Museum system requirements? None of the Two Point games so far have carried demanding PC requirements so it's great to see that Two Point Museum is no different. However, notes on the Steam store page suggest aiming for minimum specs will only see you get decent performance at 720p on the lowest graphical preset. Unlike some recent triple-A releases, there's no way you'll need the best graphics card to play Two Point Museum, even at its highest settings. In fact, the minimum specs are practically ancient, which is fitting as the Nvidia GeForce GT will soon be old enough to be on display at a museum! MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:12 AM  Is Two Point Museum Steam Deck compatible? While there is no official rating available prior to release, history suggests that Two Point Museum is in great shape to earn a positive Steam Deck rating. The Two Point Museum system requirements paint the picture of a game that will run on just about any gaming PC, which bodes well for the best handheld gaming PC. Two Point Studio has a strong history with Valve's handheld, with Two Point Hospital considered 'Playable' and Two Point Campus earning full Steam Deck Verification. Continue reading Is Two Point Museum Steam Deck compatible? MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:06 AM  What are the best Civ 7 mods? One of the most important questions around a game release is whether it has mod support. Given the extensive mod community around previous entries in the Civilization series, we hope the same can be said for Civ 7. Civilization 7 is out now, and despite some harsh reviews in the first few days, the future of Civ 7 looks bright thanks to a sturdy roadmap from Firaxis. That said, negative reviews are usually a good sign that disappointed modders will work hard to fix the issues first. We've got the latest info on whether there is official Civ 7 mod support, what mods are available in the strategy game so far, and our wishlist for future Civ 7 mods. Continue reading Civilization 7 mods explained MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Civilization 7 review, Civilization 7 leaders, Civilization 7 Ages |
PCGamesN Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:01 PM  Who are the Deadlock characters? Blending the lane-dominating, creep-farming gameplay of a MOBA with pew-pew hero shooter action, Deadlock is quite the chimera. Currently in its fledgling state, Deadlock's slowly adding new characters to the game as developer Valve looks to expand its already-diverse roster to include even more options. Below, we'll give you the full rundown of what each of the Deadlock characters does in-game. While there's a lot to get to grips with in Valve's new MOBA game, our accompanying Deadlock tier list, found at the bottom of this guide, will help you out when deciding which heroes are worth investing your time into. We've also highlighted the new characters currently being tested in our Deadlock release date guide. Continue reading All Deadlock characters, abilities, and hero tier list MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Deadlock release date , Deadlock crosshair, Deadlock characters |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:59 PM  Monster Hunter Wilds adds various new tinctures of wyvern, toad monster and arachnid to the fantasy creature chopper's vaunted eco-stew, but that additional variety isn't quite apparent from the weapon types. They're fancier-looking with tweaked or expanded movesets, but it's a familiar line-up beneath the extra layers of flesh and metal. I recognise most from my ancient PSP copy of Monster Hunter Freedom 2, released in 2007. Capcom have thrown in a few novelties such as Monster Hunter 4's Insect Glaive over the intervening years, but according to Wilds director Yuya Tokuda, the developers currently feel it's more important to trick out and rebalance the existing wargear than give you entire new ways to play. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:36 AM  It was only last week that newly Sega-less Company Of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment announced plans for various smaller strategy game projects. Now, here we are with Earth Vs Mars, a boldly-coloured B-movie homage to Advance Wars in which you can splice units with animals to create tactical monstrosities such as "Squirrel-Cows" and "Cheetah-Flies". Advance Wars aside, the new game harkens back to Relic's 2003 RTS oddity Impossible Creatures. The trailer below doesn't contain any Chihuahua Whales, but it's hopefully just a matter of time. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 5:30 PM
The next FFVII Rebirth character to receive a deeper look at his CG render and in-game model is Sephiroth. Square Enix offered some details about the direction the development team took when choosing how to portray the popular villain in the second part of the FFVII Remake trilogy.
The post that appeared on the FFVII Remake X (formerly Twitter) official account shared a look at Sephiroth's full body render and a render from the bust up. For the bust CG render, the developers tried to find the right balance between the perceived threatening look in Sephiroth's eyes and the direction of his face and his sidelong glance.
The developers also intended to represent his position extending a handshake towards the camera as transitioning to a pose inviting the viewer to join a "reunion." You can check out the Sephiroth CG models used in FFVII Rebirth on the post below.
Square Enix previously shared the CG renders for Cloud in the latest entry of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, and it is likely that more character models and details will follow soon on the company's social media account.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is readily available for the PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. FFVII Remake is out on the PS4, PS5, and PC.
The post Square Enix Discussed FFVII Rebirth Sephiroth Model and Pose appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 5:00 PM
Good Smile Company has opened pre-orders for another run of the NieR Reincarnation Girl of Light Nendoroid. Pre-orders will remain open until April 2, 2025, with the second run of this Nendoroid expected to ship sometime in August 2025. It will cost 6,600 yen or $43.
You can take a look at the NieR Reincarnation The Girl of Light Nendoroid below:
The NieR Reincarnation The Girl of Light Nendoroid will come with several accessories, which include a series of faceplates and arms. Other optional parts include accessories for Mama, the ghostly figure shown in the images.
NieR Reincarnation was a mobile game set in the NieR universe. The Girl of Light, and her companion, Mama, were one of several protagonists in the series. The narrative of the game was told through multiple perspectives in short vignettes, with a handful of storylines melding together in the finale. Alongside this, the game featured a handful of collaboration, bringing in characters from NieR: Automata and the Drakengard series into the fold. NieR Reincarnation was available for Android and iOS devices until April 2024. It did not receive an offline version.
NieR Reincarnation was available for Android and iOS devices. Service for the mobile game ended in April 2024. No offline version is available.
The post NieR Reincarnation Girl of Light Nendoroid Returns appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 4:30 PM
Ahead of the release of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, several Yakuza games will be leaving Xbox Game Pass. Thankfully, neither of the titles that will be leaving the service aren't integral to enjoying the spin-off game. As of February 28, 2025 Yakuza 3 Remastered and Yakuza 4 Remastered will be leaving Xbox Game Pass on console, cloud, and PC.
The Yakuza 3 and 4 Remaster won't be the only games that will be removed from Game Pass. Microsoft shared a list of what will no longer be accessible once February 28, 2025 rolls around. This includes the following:
That said, Microsoft has added a handful of games to the Xbox Game Pass service, which includes Avowed and Eiyuden Chronicle.
However, those looking for another taste of the Like a Dragon, or Yakuza series, will be able to get their hands on a Dave the Diver crossover DLC. This DLC will see the addition of Like a Dragon series protagonist Kasuga Ichiban to the game sometime in April 2025.
Yakuza 3 Remastered and Yakuza 4 Remastered will be available on Xbox Game Pass until February 28, 2025, after that date it will be leaving the service.
The post Yakuza Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 4:00 PM
Square Enix announced a NieR: Automata music livestream in the form of the NieR: Automata Music Special Live Stream and a Piano Journeys concert. For a limited time viewers will be able to tune into these streams to listen to music from NieR: Automata. Square Enix has no plans to archive or distribute the streams. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]
The NieR: Automata Music Special Live Stream livestream will begin on February 21 and will remain active until February 25, 2025. The dates are unsurprisingly close to when NieR: Automata originally released on February 23, 2017.
Additionally, a series of NieR: Automata concerts will take place in Europe throughout 2025. This comes in the form of the Piano Journeys concerts. The schedule includes the following:
Pre-sales for tickets will begin on February 19, 2025. Composer Keiichii Okabe will also be present during the Piano Journeys tour, with Benyamin Nuss appearing on stage.
NieR: Automata is available worldwide on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. As of December 2024, the title has sold 9 million copies worldwide.
The post NieR: Automata Music Special Live Stream and Piano Journeys Announced appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 3:30 PM
Kotobukiya opened pre-orders for its new figure featuring Elaine Auclair from Nihon Falcom's The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak. It will release the figure in September 2025 with a tax-inclusive MSRP of 22,000 yen (~$145.05).
The company will depict the Calvard bracer with her knight sword unsheathed. The figure will have an overall height of around 22 cm (~8.66 inches) with a scale of 1/8. The package will also include a circular base pedestal with a design that fits the character.
Here are some of the sample images for the upcoming figure:
Kotobukiya will also offer an alternate head part that shows Elaine smiling as an exclusive bonus for orders made on its Kotobukiya Online Shop, although it can only deliver the products inside Japan. People residing outside the country can alternatively place orders on Amiami. But while the latter also offers a discounted price tag of 20,900 yen (~$137.80), it does not include the aforementioned bonus part.
Elaine will not be the only character from Trails Through Daybreak to have a figure, as Kotobukiya is also working on another figure modeled after Shizuna Rem Misurugi. The same company has also produced figures of characters from other Trails series entries, such as Estelle Bright, Tio Plato, and Crow Armbrust.
Kotobukiya's 1/8 scale figure of Elaine Auclair from The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak will be available in September 2025.
The post Trails Through Daybreak Elaine Auclair Figure Pre-Orders Open appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 3:00 PM
Capcom took to social media to share art and gameplay footage of returning Monster Hunter Wilds monster Blangonga. The Fanged Beast, which sort of resembles a Mandrill Baboon, will be a part of the base game. However, the company played coy when it came to sharing when we might get to see the creature again in that campaign.
The image shows the updated character model for Blangonga as of Monster Hunter Wilds. The brief video shows a hunter with a great sword going up against the beast. The two face off, with the person pushing back against the monster's attack. The environment in the area seems to be a cold sort of cavern, with icicles hanging off of edges.
Here's the full video clip:
Blangonga is one of the early Monster Hunter series creatures. It debuted back in the second game in 2006. It's known for fighting alongside Blangos, just like how Congalala will be accompanied by Conga.
Capcom confirmed another monster will be back again in Monster Hunter Wilds during the February 2025 State of Play. Mizutsune will reappear. However, it won't be in the game at launch. We need to wait for the Spring 2025 free update to fight it.
Monster Hunter Wilds will come to the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on February 28, 2025, the Benchmark Tool is available now for PCs via Steam.
The post Fight Blangonga Again in Monster Hunter Wilds appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:30 PM
Konami has been gradually adding content based on Hololive Vtubers to its arcade rhythm game Sound Voltex, and one of the group's most famous Vtubers is set to join the lineup. The company has announced that it will add new content based on Usada Pekora in Sound Voltex Exceed Gear on February 20, 2025.
Four songs performed by Usada Pekora—all of which also appeared in the Usagi the Megami album—will permanently appear as playable tracks in both the arcade and PC versions of Sound Voltex. The songs in question will be "Alibi Bunny," "Zenjinrui Usagika Keikaku," "RaRaRa Rabbit," and "Saikyo Megami Usa Pekora."
In addition, Konami will temporarily add more obtainable content themed after Usada Pekora in the Premium Generator. Other than voiced appeal stamps and touch panel background movies, players can also get Pekora herself as a Nemesis Crew navigator.
The company had previously added content based on Shirakami Fubuki, Nekomata Okayu, Tsunomaki Watame, and Houshou Marine. This time around, it will hold a rerun banner where players who missed content from those Vtubers can get another chance to collect them all. This banner will be available for the same duration as the new event.
The Hololive Vtuber crossover content will be available to obtain in the Japanese arcade game Sound Voltex Exceed Gear from February 20, 2025, until March 23, 2025. The Vtubers' songs will remain selectable and playable on both the game's arcade and PC versions for the foreseeable future.
The post Usada Pekora Will Join Sound Voltex Exceed Gear Lineup appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:00 PM
As pointed out by Wario64 online, Best Buy briefly put up product pages for the Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy decks and booster packs of cards. However, all of the listings are now gone, with only the $19.99 Starter Kit with Cloud and Sephiroth from FFVII showing up in search at the store. This set will roll out on June 13, 2025. While the listings are gone, this does mean we know what the product images for the items look like. [Thanks, Wario64!]
The four Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy Commander Decks we already knew about involve Cloud from FFVII, Y'shtola from FFXIV, Tidus from FFX, and Terra from FFVI. The boxes from those each show how one card looks on the front, confirms there will be legendary traditional foils inside, and notes a Collector Booster Sample Pack will be in the box. So with the Terra one, you get Terra, Herald of Hope, a Legendary Creature Human Wizard Warrior. Tidus, Yuna's Guardian, a Legendary Creature Human Warrior is in the FFX box. The Legendary Creature Human Soldier Mercenary Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER card is in the FFVII deck. Meanwhile, Legendary Creature Cat Warlock Y'shtola, Night's Blessed is in the FFXIV one.
Two of the more expensive items will be the Collector Booster and Collector Boosters box. The boosters packs will feature Terra from FFVI on them and may have a serialized card. The Collector Booster has Kefka from FFVI on it may also include a serialized card, but is guaranteed to come with 15 foil and rare cards. People can buy a booster box of 30 standard packs at launch, as well as the aforementioned starter kit with Cloud and Sephiroth decks.
Here are the official product images for all of the items confirmed so far:
The last time we got to see some art for the cards was back in October 2024.
Wizards of the Coast also confirmed that Yoshitaka Amano, who is known for his Final Fantasy art, worked on some of the cards in this set.
The Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy cards will debut on June 13, 2025.
The post Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy Decks and Cards Briefly Appeared at Best Buy appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:30 PM
Toei Animation announced there will be yet another One Piece Night held in 2025, and it will again involve a Red Sox baseball game in Boston. It will take place on May 3, 2025, when the Red Sox face the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. That game starts at 4:10pm ET, and tickets are on sale now.
The official site for the One Piece Night showed off some of the Red Sox merchandise people can get if they turn out for the game. There are regular and VIP theme ticket options. Each one includes different bonuses. The standard one starts at $46.25 for a seat in the upper bleachers, which is $39 plus a $7.25 fee. According to the site, that also gets you the themed jersey that includes "Straw Hat Crew" on the back and the "Jolly Roger" design from the series. That is a unisex adult shirt in sizes small through extra large.
If someone gets the VIP theme ticket, that gives you the jersey and a matching hat. That starts at $72.75 for an upper bleacher seat, which is $64 plus the $8.75 fee. Only people who get that type of ticket can also get in early. There will be "pregame entertainment" based on the anime for those who do.
Here's how the official announcement looks, as well as the hat and jersey.
As a reminder, the 2024 game involved a Monkey D. Luffy bobblehead. Tickets for that event sold out not long after the event was announced.
The Boston Red Sox One Piece Night will begin at Fenway Park 4:10pm ET on May 3, 2025, and the baseball game will involve the Minnesota Twins. You can find the anime on Crunchyroll and Netflix, and Viz Media handles the manga outside of Japan.
The post Next One Piece Night Baseball Event Is a Red Sox Game in Boston appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:00 PM
Whenever one update drops for Genshin Impact, HoYoVerse teases what we can expect from the next, and that's how we know Varesa and Iansan will be new characters in 5.5. Now that 5.4 arrived, the official social media account shared art and profiles for upcoming Natlan units.
Both Iansan and Varesa will be Electro characters in Genshin Impact, and each one is from the Natlan Collective of Plenty tribe. The announcement didn't note what rank each one is, so it is possible both are five-stars or there is one five-star and one four-star.
Iansan is known as a coach for Pilgrimage Victors Academy, and she actually trained Varesa. Her Constellation is called Carnotaurus, and she has the title "Tempered in Molten Stone." Varesa even provided the "description" for her online.
Meanwhile, Varesa is one of Iansan's students. She has the Mascara Luctatori constellation and her title is "Strength in Serenity." Iansan described her for the social media post and referred to her as relaxed. However, she's also a legendary "Masked Hero" whose demeanor changes when she focuses and puts on her mask to fight.
Here's the official art for both characters:
As for 5.4, Yumemizuki Mizuki is now available in Genshin Impact. She's a five-star Catalyst users from Inazuma. Her banner is live alongside a rerun banner for Sigewinne until March 4, 2025. Then on March 4, 2025, we'll see a Furina and Wriothesley rerun.
Genshin Impact is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices, and Varesa and Iansan will become playable characters in 5.5.
The post Next Genshin Impact Characters Are Varesa and Iansan appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:30 PM
Bandai Namco announced that it will close down Gundam Tribe on May 27, 2025. The long-running Gundam browser game will have its plug pulled just shortly before it reaches its 10th anniversary.
The browser strategy game originally appeared in June 2015. Its operations team had a lengthy debate that concluded with the end of the game's services just before it could actually reach its 10th anniversary. But despite the closure announcement, the team will continue adding new units and events until the server shutdown date.
Premium gacha purchases will be available until March 18, 2025. Bandai Namco will then close the game's overall microtransaction system on March 31, 2025. The last event for Gundam Tribe will take place on May 12, 2025, and it will feature the "Beyond the Time" SP stage inspired by events from Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack.
On a related note, Gundam Tribe is being developed and managed by Bandai Namco Online. The subsidiary company that also worked on Gundam Evolution and Blue Protocol will be absorbed into Bandai Namco Entertainment at the start of the new fiscal year on April 1, 2025. While Bandai Namco Entertainment will seamlessly continue managing Gundam Tribe for the remainder of its lifespan, its end-of-service announcement marks a closure for another game developed by Bandai Namco Online.
Gundam Tribe is available on PC and mobile browsers in Japan until May 27, 2025, at 6 PM JST.
The post Gundam Tribe Browser Game Will Close Before 10th Anniversary appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:00 PM
Sega announced it will offer a number of Vocaloid Sanrio character plush toys in March 2025, with some of the featured mascots being Hatsune Miku, Megurine Luka, Cinnamoroll, and My Melody. There will be three "volumes" in this collection, with each one featuring two Piapro singers and two Sanrio icons. All of them will appear in Japanese arcades starting on March 14, 2025.
12 characters total appear in these three collections. While Hello Kitty is Sanrio's most famous icon, she doesn't appear in any of them. Volume 1 features Hatsune Miku, Cinnamoroll, Megurine Luka, and My Melody. Volume 2 includes the twins Kagamine Rin and Len, Pompompurin, and Badtz Maru. The third volume stars Meiko, Kaito, Pochacco, and Tuxedo Sam. Each plush is about four inches tall. They all also are designed to match. So the Miku plush has Cinnamoroll's coffee cup, while Cinnamoroll has her twintail hair accessories. Both Kaito and Tuxedo Sam are wearing the same sailor hat and blue scarf. Len and Badtz Maru feature matching expressions, neckties, and X and O accessories.
Here's how all 12 of the items will look, divided up by the three collections.
There have been a ton of Hatsune Miku and Sanrio character items and plush appearing lately. Some of them paired her up with Cinnamoroll and his friends. However, we also know that there'll be a figure of her with Kuromi eventually too. There's no word on if there'll be a Hatsune Miku My Melody figure too.
The Piapro x Sanrio Characters plush toys that pair up Vocaloids like Hatsune Miku with characters like Cinnamoroll will appear in Japanese arcades starting on March 14, 2025. There's no word yet on if Sega will eventually make them available outside of Japan via other stores or sites.
The post Hatsune Miku and Vocaloid Sanrio Character Plush Heading to Arcades appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:30 AM
Bandai Spirits launched an online Ichiban Kuji lottery featuring merchandise from Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX in Japan. People in the country can now start purchasing lottery tickets that will reward prizes featuring merchandise from the new Gundam anime show without any chance of empty failures.
A ticket for this Kuji lottery costs 700 yen. The primary highlighted prize will be a 22 cm (~8.66 inches) tall Masterlise figure of the show's protagonist, Amate "Machu" Yuzuriha. The prize lineup also includes many acrylic stands based on the characters and Mobile Suits appearing in the new show.
Here is the complete lineup of prizes in this lottery:
Here is a closer look at comparisons between the regular A Prize and the pearlescent Last Prize versions of Machu's figure. The first figure will also be available via a Double Chance Campaign that runs until the end of May 2025.
The Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Online Ichiban Kuji is now available in Japan. Bandai Spirits has also indicated that it may launch the lottery in other countries as well. Prizes in this lottery are based on the upcoming TV anime show, with the Beginning prologue movie available earlier in Japanese theaters and following suit in North America on February 28, 2025, and elsewhere worldwide subsequently.
The post Gundam GQuuuuuuX Online Ichiban Kuji Launched appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 4:00 PM
When it comes to gothic fiction, there is perhaps no more instantly recognized name than Edgar Allan Poe. He endured a lot during his short and tumultuous 40-year life and used his experiences to create dark tales and lyrical poetry that secured his place in literary history.
Boston-born Poe has a host of "firsts" to his name, among which is the remarkable claim that he was the first well-known American author to have made his entire living solely from writing. He made early contributions to both the science fiction and detective fiction genres but is most well known for his macabre short stories and poems.
Poe has quite an extensive bibliography. Most of his short stories and poems were published in periodicals and journals during his lifetime. If you're new to the world of Poe, or just want to revisit the classics here are five of each to dive into.
Best short stories by Edgar Allan Poe
5. Loss of Breath
Originally published in the Edinburgh-based Blackwood Magazine, which was well known for its sensational tales, Loss of Breath was originally published under the pseudonym Littleton Barry in 1846.
There's something truly epic about this satirical short story of a man called Mr. Lackobreath who has, quite literally, lost his breath. During a quest to find his misplaced breath, he is repeatedly dismembered, assumed to be dead, buried alive, hanged, imprisoned, and otherwise abused in a variety of bizarre and exaggerated ways.
4. The Murders in the Rue Morgue
Considered to be the first modern fictional detective, C. Auguste Dupin was the brainchild of Poe in a trilogy of stories. He first appears in The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), and then later in The Mystery of Marie Rogêt (1842), and The Purloined Letter (1844). Many elements of Poe's tale became conventions for later detectives, such as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue is a classic murder mystery tale, wherein Dupin investigates the bloody murders of two women that many overheard, though none can agree on what language was used. Dupin discovers a hair at one of the crime scenes that he knows is not human, and things just get weirder and darker from there.
3. The Pit and the Pendulum
The Pit and the Pendulum was first published in 1842 as part of The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843, and it's genuinely unsettling in a way that will remain with you long after you've finished reading it. Unlike most of Poe's work, which uses supernatural elements to add horror, The Pit and the Pendulum focuses on human senses and very real fears to instill terror in you.
After being condemned to die by judges during the (not historically accurate) Spanish Inquisition, the unnamed narrator of The Pit and the Pendulum discovers that he is perilously close to falling down a pit in the middle of his cell while a razor-sharp pendulum slowly swings lower and lower above his head. As the pendulum endlessly swings and descends, the story, too, seems to swing between hope and despair.
2. The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher was first published in the September 1839 edition of Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and revised for the 1840 collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. The Netflix series of the same name is heavily inspired by this, one of Poe's most well-known short stories, although it does not follow the plot as closely as you may imagine, adding details that were not in the original tale.
The house in The Fall of the House of Usher is used as a metaphor for the slow decay of the human body over the years, gradually falling apart as the tale progresses, and is described as a character in its own right. There's a lot of madness in The Fall of the House of Usher, and it is often hailed as a masterpiece of gothic literature, so if you're looking for an entry point into Poe tales, then I'd recommend this one.
1. The Tell-Tale Heart
The first publication of The Tell-Tale Heart was as part of a periodical called The Pioneer in 1843, and the tale has since gone on to become one of Poe's best-known and beloved short stories. Even if you've never read it, you know the premise: a murder, guilt, and the sound of a beating heart under the floorboard that threatens to drive the guilty party insane with its insistence.
The Tell-Tale Heart is an excellent example of an 'unreliable narrator', which is to say that it is impossible to trust what they are depicting within the story thanks to their obvious madness and paranoia. There is a focus on rationalizing the irrational, and as you read, you'll be pulled into the guilt that the narrator almost places upon you for being a witness to their failed perfect crime.
Best poems by Edgar Allan Poe
5. A Dream Within a Dream
A Dream Within a Dream is a 24-line poem about the inevitable loss of everything, including time. It was published in The Flag of Our Union in 1849, and while it might not be among Poe's most well-known poems, it's one of my favorites because it plays on a much more realistic type of fear than his more fantastical horror tales and prose.
The narrator talks of golden sands that slip between his fingers, and many who have analyzed the poem consider this golden sand to be a reference to time itself, slipping through the fingers of the narrator regardless of how desperately he tries to cling to it. I think this is a fear everyone can relate to as they age.
4. Lenore
Many have speculated that Lenore was written as a way to cope with his wife Virginia's illness and his brother William Henry Leonard Poe's recent death. It began as an entirely different poem called A Paean, which was published in 1831. A much different iteration of the poem was published in The Pioneer in 1843 under the title of Lenore.
Lenore, like many of Poe's other poems, focuses on the untimely death of a beautiful woman and the proper decorum that should be maintained following it. There's something much lighter about Lenore than the macabre content of his other works, with Lenore's fiancé Guy de Vere deciding not to mourn her death but instead celebrate her ascension to paradise until he can meet her there.
3. The City in the Sea
Another of Poe's works that underwent many changes over the years was The City in the Sea, which was previously known as both The Doomed City and The City of the Sun before eventually being published under its now well-known title in 1845. It has been featured in many publications, including the Southern Literary Messenger, The American Review, and the Broadway Journal.
The City in the Sea is the tale of a city ruled over by Death and deals with the concept as a whole unconventionally, as Poe was wont to do. The city is to the west, appropriately where the sun sets, and the poem eludes that it is worse than Hell, while Death is worse than the Devil himself. The City in the Sea is filled with a huge amount of darkness but is considered one of Poe's best early works.
2. Annabel Lee
If there is any Poe poem that I can recite by heart, it is Annabel Lee. First published as part of Sartain's Union Magazine in 1849, Annabel Lee is thought to be inspired by the repeated loss of the influential women in Poe's life, and it describes the refusal to let go of a beloved companion.
There is no supernatural horror in Annabel Lee, but the horror of heartbreak is perhaps a much more relatable one that most people experience at least once in their lives. The poem is short and filled with such deep reverence and love from the narrator to his deceased love that it is almost bittersweet to read but endlessly worth it.
1. The Raven
"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…" This universally famous opener is the beginning of Poe's most well-known and potentially most beloved poem, The Raven. First published in 1845 in the New York Evening Mirror, it's filled with lyrical language and features a common name in Poe's works — Lenore.
In The Raven, the narrator is trying to get over the death of his love, Lenore, when a raven enters his home and perches on a bust. The raven can only say one word – "Nevermore" – and the narrator swings between anger and contemplation as he regards the bird inside his house.
There is a theme of conflict over whether to remember or whether to forget, and there's a sense that the narrator carefully chooses his questions so that the bird's single spoken word will relate, compounding his misery.
The Balloon-Hoax
This astounding historical moment is neither a short story nor a poem, but it was written by Edgar Allan Poe all the same, and it is perhaps one of my favorite bizarre moments in history. If anything stands as a testament to Poe's skill as an author, it's this article that was published in The Sun newspaper in New York in 1844.
In short, this article told the story of a man called Monck Mason who had crossed the Atlantic in a gas-powered balloon in just three days. It was presented as a true news story, and it was fully believed by readers until it was officially retracted two days later.
The fictional tale was based on the real-life exploits of balloonist Thomas Monck Mason, who did indeed manage to travel through the air in a balloon. Sadly, his crowning journey was only 500 miles in 1836, but it did inspire Poe to write the false article eight years later.
The story itself is considered to be an early form of science fiction, with Poe adding various believable scientific elements and diagrams that grabbed readers' attention. The success of the story is likely down to the obsession with progress that was taking over the world at the time, and even in the official retraction, The Sun stated that they "by no means think such a project impossible."
The post Best Edgar Allen Poe Poems and Short Stories, Ranked appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 3:50 PM
The iconic Ninja Turtles have emerged from their underground lair and ventured into the Black Ops 6 universe. For those who've longed to be part of this legendary squad, here's how to get TMNT Operator skins in BO6.
How to unlock TMNT Operators in BO6
You can get TMNT Operator skins through the BO6 Event Pass or Store Bundles, which will launch around Feb. 20 at 9 a.m. PST/ 12 p.m. EST/5 p.m. UTC. Bundles will include characters like Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael Tracer Packs. If it's anything like the Squid Game event, packs will launch sporadically while Season 2 is active.
The TMNT packs are expected to be priced at 2,400 CP each, roughly $17.99. However, there's an exciting opportunity to snag some skins for free through the Call of Duty x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collaboration event, kicking off on Feb. 27. The Free Track offers two ninja foot clans, among other TMNT-inspired rewards. While the Ninja Turtle Operators aren't part of these gifts, you can still unlock a Splinter Operator through the Premium Track.
Based on past events, you must earn a large amount of XP to reach the final tiers in the Event Pass. That means you'll have to grind through modes in BO6 Multiplayer, Zombies, or Warzone. If you have them, it's the perfect time to use Double XP Tokens.
There will also be a new limited-time mode, the TMNT Moshpit, which gives you robust Turtle powers. Anyone who equips the Splinter or Turtle Operators unlocks distinct skills through Scorestreaks. Raphael, for instance, harnesses the ability to have unlimited Shuriken, while Donatello can see enemies through the wall temporarily.
In addition to the Multiplayer mode, Zombies has a TMNT feature of its own in Cowabunga Cranked. All maps, including Liberty Falls and The Tomb, will showcase a Cranked Timer where you'll need to defeat enemies before the timer runs out. It'll be challenging to achieve, but you can extend your duration through the Pizza Box and Slice-O-Pie perks.
All Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Operator bundles in Black Ops 6
If you want a sneak peek into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Store Bundles, we'll break each of them down.
Leonardo Tracer Pack
Donatello Tracer Pack
Michelangelo Tracer Pack
Raphael Tracer Pack
Be sure to use the Operators in BO6 Multiplayer or Zombies mode to unlock the unique Turtle Powers. Plus, Zombies grants a 50 percent damage reduction with Turtle Operators and more chances of Slice-O-Pie perks with Splinter.
The post How to get Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Operator skins in Black Ops 6 appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 3:42 PM
Wizards Of The Coast's official Twitter account just revealed Summons will work as Enchantment Creature Sagas on the upcoming MTG x Final Fantasy crossover set.
One of the biggest questions regarding the upcoming set was the workings of summons, which could've appeared as various things, such as creatures or sorcery spells, but it turns out they're another thing entirely.
They're Enchantment Creature Sagas, a specific type of pre-existing MTG enchantment that's not permanent but holds immense power. Saga cards tend to feature three effects that will trigger effects in each of the three turns after their summoning and then vanish.
The Final Fantasy X version of Shiva, the one that'll feature on this collab, will tap an enemy creature of your choice for the first two turns, then unleash Diamond Dust, her famous Overdrive that will have her owner draw a card for each tapped creature their opponents control. Being an Enchantment Creature Saga means that on top of her saga abilities, Shiva also behaves as a regular creature for three turns before automatically going to the graveyard.
So, instead of working like Sorceries or Instant Magics, akin to how they behave in most of the games in the Final Fantasy series, the Summons from the MTG Final Fantasy set will behave more similarly to the Summons from Final Fantasy X. They'll stay in the game for a while, and not just show up for an attack before vanishing.
Popular trading card game Magic: The Gathering has been experimenting with several fantasy-themed collaborations via its Universes Beyond endeavor over the past few years. We've previously seen Dungeons & Dragons and Lord Of The Rings-inspired crossovers, and while those were pretty cool, I doubt hardly anything could ever beat the upcoming Final Fantasy x MTG crossover in terms of gamer hype.
Magic The Gathering X Final Fantasy releases on June 13.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:54 PM
Marvel Rivals game director Thaddeus Sasser and his team were laid off by NetEase Games on Feb. 18, he announced on LinkedIn. This move comes despite the game's successful launch in December 2024 and an estimated $130 million in first-month revenue, according to Chinese outlet Game Look.
"My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games," Sasser wrote. "And were just laid off!" It remains unclear how many employees were affected, the size of Sasser's team, or how many developers are still working on Marvel Rivals. Destructoid has reached out to Sasser and NetEase Games for comment.
The Marvel Rivals layoffs come just two months after NetEase Games relocated staff from its mobile title Operation Apocalypse to other departments. Liquid Swords Studio, which is backed by NetEase, recently announced it is also reducing its workforce.
There are no indications that Marvel Rivals staff members outside the U.S. were affected by the layoffs. However, at least two level designers and the game director were let go, confirming that those impacted were directly involved in the game's development.
Marvel Rivals' success was already putting pressure on Overwatch
The timing of the layoffs contradicts the game's strong momentum. Marvel Rivals has maintained 200,000+ concurrent players on PC, according to Steam Charts, and was already being acknowledged by Blizzard as a serious competitor to Overwatch, which had previously dominated the hero shooter genre.
"We're obviously in a new competitive landscape that I think, for Overwatch, we've never really been in before," Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller told GamesRadar. "There is pressure on the Overwatch team, and a lot of it is internal," he admitted, referring to how Marvel Rivals is making his team ask if they're making the "best possible game" they can make.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:45 PM
The third week of Episode: Heresy continues to build more intrigue in Destiny 2, adding a trio of Quests centered around the Hive on the Moon. All Guardians must do is eliminate three Wizards, but the foes can be trickier to encounter than you might initially imagine.
Episode: Heresy acts as the finale to The Final Shape expansion for Destiny 2, and it hasn't pulled punches in regards to content. Three weeks in, and players already have a new Dungeon, the Derealize Exotic mission, and a new player-favorite activity, The Nether. Week three continues the story in Heresy, but a hurdle presents itself as three MacGuffins from Wizards scattered around the Moon. These foes aren't immediately apparent, and it'll require a bit of work from players before they make themselves known.
Mission Dossier: Hive Hacking
When Guardians reach Step 17 of the "Act I: Echoed Warnings" Quest, they'll be prompted to complete three objectives before additional progress can be made. The Quests are available from a second page on the Shaping Slab in Eris' Flat in The Last City, and each takes players to the Moon. The three variations are Lightsinger's Limb, Blade Navigator's Head, and Cultist's Limb.
Blade Navigator's Head
The easiest to accomplish is the Blade Navigator's Head Quest, as Guardians can find the objective marker only a short distance away from the landing zone in Sorrow's Harbor. Players will notice a Hive ritual circle by the stairs leading up into The Scarlet Keep. Initially, the circle may not yield any foes. However, some should appear after Guardians partake in a bit of the Altars of Sorrow public event.
It's unclear if Altars of Sorrow progress is required to make the target appear, but the Wizard spawned shortly after I completed a round myself. When Sarûk ur-Omni appears, it won't take much effort to beat the foe. Afterward, players will automatically collect the Head of Sarûk ur-Omni.
Cultist's Limb
Next up, players can start to move towards the Catacombs in search of the Wizard Iyx ur-Anûkru. If Guardians are having trouble locating the Catacombs, they can make their way through the relatively linear path to the Circle of Bones in the Hellmouth. From there, the Catacombs can be accessed from the final passage on the right side.
Descending down the dark stairway, players will actually see Iyx ur-Anûkru, but a shield initially protects the Wizard. To make the foe damageable, Guardians must locate and shoot three Hive runes scattered around the area. One is on the right side of the room, immediately visible after walking down a set of stairs. Another is on the left side of the room, a bit further towards the back. The last Rune is stuck on the middle door at the rear of the chamber.
Once all three Runes are activated, the shield protecting Iyx ur-Anûkru will dissipate. Players can make short work of the Wizard, and they'll automatically collect the Hand of Iyx ur-Anûkru.
Lightsinger's Limb
Heading back into the Hive's turf, Guardians can make their way towards the Summoning Pits to search for the next Wizard, Yor ur-Halaku. After arriving at the door leading into the Summoning Pits proper, players will be prompted to unlock the chamber. Inside, a brawl is breaking out between an Overload Champion Vex Minotaur and a sizable Hive force.
After working through the Hive foot troops and air-bound Shriekers, Guardians can take care of the Minotaur and any lingering enemies. Once enough Hive go down, Yor ur-Halaku will appear at the ritual circle. Much like the other Wizards, this one shouldn't prove much of an issue. The Hand of Yor ur-Halaku is collected automatically when the enemy is defeated.
With all three Wizard parts, Guardians can head back to the Shaping Slab for rewards and Quest progress. Each Hive Hacking Quest rewards two Essence of Desire and a reprised weapon. In addition to the tangible rewards, players will also progress the Act I Quest, opening up the Kludge mission.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:27 PM
Update: Aaand it's back. Hollow Knight: Silksong has returned to the US Nintendo eShop with a TBD release date.
I'm not a doomsayer, and I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation, but it appears as though the listing for Hollow Knight: Silksong on the US Nintendo eShop has been removed. Instead of displaying information about the upcoming game, there's simply an image of Wario along with the message "Whoops! The info you're looking for can't be found!"
Thankfully, it's only the US Nintendo eShop listing that has been removed. Hollow Knight: Silksong still has a listing on the EU eShop, as well as other platforms like Xbox Live, Steam, and the PlayStation Store. For further assurance, the Hollow Knight: SilkSong website still has the Nintendo Switch logo listed for platforms.
As I said, I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. Maybe something to do with the Nintendo Switch 2, right? Maybe becoming a launch title? Maybe someone just accidentally moved the listing to the wrong castle. Or, maybe the scope of Silksong has grown too much to where it's going to be rebranded as Hollow Knight 2? All speculation at this point and the actual importance of it disappearing from the eShop could be nothing or everything. Only time will tell.
I've personally forced myself to move Hollow Knight: Silksong to the back of my brain, at least until we get something new. There are a ton of great games coming out this year, I can't keep telling myself at every conference or event that surely this is when we're going to get an update on Silksong. I just can't keep doing it, it's not healthy.
Anyway, at this point, Hollow Knight: Silksong as we know it is expected to release some day on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:26 PM
The Grassroot Growth Evolution is now live in EA FC 25, and you can complete it to upgrade one of your lower-rated promo cards.
This evolution allows you to upgrade Grassroot Greats items with overall ratings of 88 or lower. The selected card will get stat boosts and a new playstyle+. Let's take a look at the requirements, followed by the best possible cards to use.
EA FC 25 Grassroot Growth Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements of the Grassroot Growth Evolution in EA FC 25.
EA FC 25 Grassroot Growth Evolution upgrades
There are three levels of upgrades, and here are the required conditions.
Upgrade level 1
Upgrade level 2
Upgrade level 3
Upgrade level 1 requirements
Upgrade level 2 requirements
Upgrade level 3 requirements
Best players to use in EA FC 25 Grassroot Growth Evolution
There are total of 10 cards that can be currently used in the evolution. Here are my top 3 choices.
These are some of the best items for this evolution, considering the upgrades, but you can include plenty of other great cards as well.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:20 PM
The Nighthawk potion stands out as one of the most advantageous items in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, illuminating the path for players in the heart of darkness. But, despite its perks, it does come with a downside that practically hinders your vision in the heat of the day.
Many players have noted that when the Nighthawk potion is still activated in the daytime, it casts a blinding white-colored light that covers the entire screen. You can't see anything, making it almost impossible to move around. I tried it myself, and boy, is it bright. It looks as if Henry is staring straight into the sun, no matter where you go.
Even though it seems like common knowledge not to use Nighthawk during the day, this occurrence can actually happen more times than you think. Sometimes, its duration can last a lot longer than anticipated, or specific quests change it to a sunny day without a moment's notice. What's more, going ahead in time doesn't seem to negate the effects, forcing you to live with it temporarily. It's made me a little hesitant to use it, so now I always check what time it is before consuming it.
The widespread issue of the Nighthawk potion's daytime misuse has led to the creation of a mod that completely eliminates its blinding effects. The mod works like any other potion, allowing you to consume it and save your eyes from burning in the sun. It even uses basic ingredients from the Chamomile Decoction healing potion, including oil base and chamomile.
So, if you have made the unfortunate mistake of using the potion as a PC player, you may want to give this mod a try. Unfortunately, there's not really a quick solution for console users (I learned that the hard way), but there may be something available later down the line.
A potion that negates specific effects could be a fascinating addition to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. With more players voicing their concerns about the Nighthawk potion's blinding effect, the developers might address this issue in the upcoming bonus quest update.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:02 PM
If you want to spend some quality time with your loved one, there are plenty of different options, and picking the best ones can be tricky.
While plenty of board games for couples are available on the market in 2025, not all of them are suitable. Many board games are playable with just two players, but most are best played with more. Others might be too simple or too complex for you and your partner. I have included ten board games for couples of all types in this list. Whether you're feeling romantic or in the mood to challenge a good friend, the following ten options are for you.
Best Board Games For Couples (Quick List)
Chess, Checkers, and Tic-Tac-Toe
Right off the top, this is something simple that offers plenty of hours of entertainment. Chess, Checkers, and Tic-Tac-Toe offer three classics packaged into one unit, saving money and space. I have had one such unit at my home for a really long time. The compact package also makes it ideal to play with your partner when you're traveling. The availability of three games also ensures that the two of you won't get bored playing the same thing time and again.
Lacuna
Lacuna is an adorable and romantic game perfect for a date night without being overtly romantic. The idea is to collect flowers of different colors from a pond (don't worry, it's not a literal water body). The board represents a pond where the flowers have fallen. You and your partner then take turns placing pawns between the flowers.
But there's a twist - there are way more flowers than pawns. Phase two begins when you place the pawns and collect the uncontested flowers. The player collects the flowers closest to one's pawn. Don't worry if you're confused about who's closer to a flower - there's a ruler included. Ultimately, the person with the most flowers of four different colors wins.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Arkham Horror: The Card Game is my go-to pick for Halloween night, purely on vibes. While you and your partner work as investigators to unravel the mysteries, each scenario requires putting the puzzle pieces together to proceed. As the two of you travel (again, not literally) to different locations, you encounter the dangers surrounding the places. Note that this game requires a lot of concentration, and completing a campaign can take a while.
Scrabble
I may be biased, but Scrabble is one of the first board games I ever played with my partner, and it's an enjoyable activity where you learn something almost every round. The goal of Scrabble is simple - try to make words with the letters at your disposal and score as many points as possible. The board is key; not all letters and words fetch the same points. Try and keep a dictionary with you in case the two of you get stuck. Scrabble is a perfect board game for couples who don't mind having a nerdy date evening.
Carcassonne
One of the easiest board games to learn, Carcassonne provides wholesome goodness with its gameplay. The idea is to use your given titles to create a map and generate your land. But there are only so many tiles, so add life to your map to score points. Once the tiles run out, the player with the most points wins. It's simple, but it's a great way to spend time with that special someone if you're both too tired for something more intense.
Dorfromantik: The Board Game
Based on the video game of the same name, the board game is an excellent box of co-op fun for couples. It's like Carcassonne in that you create your utopia with hex-shaped titles. A significant difference, however, is the campaign mode, which has some reveals that are unlocked gradually by completing tasks. Unlocking each revelation helps you and your partner score more points. This is a perfect board game for couples who want to play together rather than against each other.
Fog of Love
A list of board games for couples requires something romantic, and Fog of Love is a perfect fit. The two of you get to play the story of a couple and tinker with it in every way possible. Brew different traits and destinies to live out the scenarios that decide what happens next. This game doesn't have a winner or a loser, as you and your loved one discover the nuances of life by living in the shoes of two fictional characters. It's about closure, not victory. While it's a wholesome game, completing Fog of Love can take a while, so don't sit down for a game if you or the other player has other plans.
Splendor: Duel
This modified version of the classic Splendor is perfect for spending time with your better half. The core gameplay remains the same, as you have to create beautiful jewelry for your clients. In Splendor: Duel, the raw gems are available on the board, and you have to pick them based on specific rules. There are three victory conditions, and your strategies are based on unique special effects. The Duel version is better, and the matches are quicker.
Sea Salt & Paper
Another excellent game for date night, Sea Salt & Paper is a great game for couples to play in 2025. The idea is to build different hands of cards to score more points. You can choose cards randomly from the main deck or abandon uncertainty and peel one off the discard pile. You can also irritate your loved one by stealing a card from them or picking an extra one for yourself, albeit with some trade-offs. The fast-paced nature of Sea Salt & Paper makes it perfect for quick sessions, and the origami-based artwork is a big hit in my book.
Codenames Duet
Codenames is one of my favorite board games, so when I heard a Duet version was launching, I picked it up instantly. The regular Codenames game supports up to eight players, but the Duet version only needs two, thus emphasizing cooperation over competition. The core gameplay is the same, but you and your partner will take turns to provide the clues. This version is much quicker: you only have to find fifteen clues before the time runs out. It's short, fun, and a fantastic way to spend a rainy evening in doors with friends, family, and that special someone in your life.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 2:00 PM
Sandwiches can grant you some incredible buffs in Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet, but you must ready your roll carefully to reap the best rewards. The base game rated the best sandwiches with three stars, but The Indigo Disk DLC introduced the coveted new four-star rank to challenge aspiring chiefs.
Preparing a four-star sandwich isn't easy, but they're worth the hassle, especially if you're trying to complete all the Blueberry Group Quests. Here are all the four-star sandwich recipes in Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet.
Making Four-Star Sandwiches in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet comes down to the synergy of your ingredients
To whip up a four-star sandwich in Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet, you need to follow a recipe that uses ingredients worth one hundred points in each of the game's five flavor types: Bitter, Salty, Sour, Spicy, and Sweet. Since there are several ways to reach this number, dozens of recipes can net you a four-star sandwich.
You'll also want to ensure you're playing with at least one other player. As far as I know, it's impossible to make a four-star sandwich alone. Collaborating with other players can keep the time you'll spend grinding/amount of money you'll pay for rare ingredients to a minimum. One of you will probably have the ingredients you need for the recipe you're using, and you can work together to get any ingredient you might be missing.
Herba Mystica are a four-star sandwich recipe's best friends
One of the most reliable ways to make a four-star sandwich is to follow a recipe that uses Herba Mystica as an ingredient. All five Herba Mystica variants are the best ingredients of their respective flavor, so you're almost guaranteed to get a four-star sandwich if you use one.
Unfortunately, Herba Mystica is also the hardest ingredient to get in Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet. The only way to get them is to partake in five-to-six-star Tera Raid Battles, which pit you against powerful and even Legendary Pokémon. We've got some great tips on how to beat top-tier raids, but each Herba Mystica is a rare drop, so you won't always get one if you beat the raid.
Here are all the four-star sandwich recipes that use Herba Mystica in Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet.
How to make four-star sandwiches without Herba Mystica in Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet
You can still make four-star sandwiches even if you don't grind out Tera Raid Battles for Herba Mystica. There are a few four-star sandwich recipes that don't use them. Unfortunately, they require more than a few ingredients.
With four-star sandwich recipes, quality and quantity are equally important. You and your friend/friends will have to add a few of each ingredient to get one hundred flavor points. There's no limit on how many ingredients you can put on your sandwich, but putting on too many will hurt your final ranking. You'll need to hit that sweet spot of not too much but not too little.
Here's every four-star sandwich recipe that doesn't use Herba Mystica in Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet. There may be some variation in the specific type and number of ingredients you need, but these combinations worked more times than they didn't.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:58 PM
So, you like media such as Twin Peaks, the Remedyverse games, and the movie Annihilation but having a hard time quantifying what coherently connects them together? Turns out you're a fan of New Weird, and so am I! To that end, I'll help you learn more about it.
First things first, New Weird is a niche or subgenre of modern science fiction that very much rhymes with the works of David Lynch. It is partially derived from old pulp fiction horror writing, which means it shares a whole lot with cosmic horror as well. Broadly, New Weird is "a type of urban, secondary-world fiction that subverts the romanticized ideas about place found in traditional fantasy, largely by choosing realistic, complex real-world models as the jumping-off point for creation of settings that may combine elements of both science fiction and fantasy," as proponents of the niche Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, explain.
New Weird was shunted into the mainstream by China Miéville's Perdido Street Station and Vandermeer's own Ambergris. These novels, in turn, kickstarted a renaissance of "weird" media that we're now seeing proliferate: from Scavengers' Reign to Control, there's a whole hecking lot of Weird out there nowadays, which is great. Less great is that New Weird started its life more-or-less as a marketing ploy. Thankfully, the weirdness has gone far beyond what any marketer might've anticipated in the early aughts, so it lives on as its own thing.
Now, with context out of the way, it's time to talk about book recommendations, because this is how you experience Weird at its most potent. Obviously, the choices I made for this list riff on video-gamey stuff, which means you'll get a deeper exploration of the topics explored in games such as Alan Wake 2 and Control, just to mention a few.
New Weird: 10 of the best novels to read in this (sub)genre
#10: There Is No Antimemetics Division by Sam Hughes
I've long since held the belief that SCP (Secure, Contain, Protect) is effectively past its prime, having devolved into an exercise on which writer could best set up a self-insert to defeat the Big Bad of the week and save the world- nay, the universe. Enter Sam Hughes' There Is No Antimemetics Division: possibly the finest piece of secondary writing to ever grace this open-source franchise. A genuinely compelling and engaging SF/Weird novel, TINAD is SCP as you may remember it from back in the day and then some. It's also entirely free, so you can start reading it right this instant.
#9: The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again by M. J. Harrison
If you're chasing that Shadow Over Innsmouth high but just can't find a modern take on the concept, here it is. Harrison's The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again is a uniquely compelling piece of work that actually has a comment to make on the current state of the world. It is also a tale of true cosmic horror and the way a genuinely paradigm-changing world event could snake its way into absolute normalcy from a layperson's point of view. Spooky stuff, this.
#8: Borne by Jeff Vandermeer
Though Vandermeer riffs on subjects of ecological horror quite often, his Borne novel is pure biopunk at its core. Borne and all of its related stories (i.e. The Strange Bird, Dead Astronauts) are firmly entrenched in biological post-apocalypse. It's kind of what Fallout would be if it was about bio-tech, rather than nuclear warfare. Add the ominous Company into the mix, a giant flying grizzly bear, and Vandermeer's penchant not to explain what's actually going on in the background, and you've got a killer combo.
#7: The Vorrh by B. Catling
Having sadly passed in 2022, Catling delivered a wide variety of remarkable art over this life, and The Vorrh novels are arguably some of his finest work ever. The titular entity is a sentient African forest that's being set upon by the town of Essenwald. A town that has quite literally been torn down brick-by-brick only to be put back together at the edge of the Vorrh. The Vorrh reminds me quite a lot of The Roadside Picnic, except with a more colonialist slant. It's good stuff, though thoroughly uninterested in explaining itself to the reader. It's all about the vibes.
#6: The New Weird Anthology by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
I know, I know, Vandermeer again. This one is notable because it's specifically not been penned by the Vandermeers, however. Instead, it's a remarkably comprehensive collection of New Weird stories that is, in practice, a new reader's best possible introduction to the concept. The later Weird Anthology is more comprehensive than this one, but I recommend starting with this one, instead. You get stories from Clive Barker, China Miéville, and Thomas Ligotti, just to list a few, and you're either going to love or hate the niche from that point onwards.
#5: The Year of Our War by Steph Swainston
Swainston's work teeters on the edge of being fantasy proper, though The Year of Our War and its sequels slip into New Weird proper as you go through them. The main protagonist? An addict immortal who can fly. The main antagonist? A hive of unimaginably alien insects who may or may not want to build a... something into the stratosphere. Everything in-between? Expect an 80-20 split between regular fantasy fare and an insidiously creepy Planescape-tier Weirdness. If you're looking for an awesome new series to read, this may be the ticket.
#4: City of Saints and Madmen: The Book of Ambergris by Jeff Vandermeer
Commonly shortened to just Ambergris for obvious reasons, this seminal Vandermeer novel effectively spearheaded New Weird as a concept, and it remains a high mark for the niche. Ambergris has got it all: a race of ominous mushroom people that plot underground, a historical account that rivals some of the stuff Lovecraft himself had come up with, and the occasional breaking of the fourth wall. It's rather hard to read at times, however, thanks to early Vandermeer's choice of prose. This makes it a fair bit more challenging to get into than most other novels on this list, but it's a very rewarding piece of writing, regardless.
#3: The City and The City by China Miéville
A Miéville book had to make its way into the top 3 of this list, and I feel that The City and The City is the author's finest work to date. It is also possibly the clearest example of what New Weird is all about. This novel is a semi-police procedural following an inspector of the Extreme Crime Squad, Tyador Borlú.
The setting? A fictional East European city-state that occupies the same physical space as an entirely different East European city-state, but whose denizens perceive them as different places altogether. Plus, there may or may not be a third city-state somewhere in there, too. With The City and the City, Miéville explores an idea that might feel downright unthinkable at first but becomes perfectly sensible as you leaf through the pages. The best New Weird novels normalize their weirdness for the reader to enjoy, and this book here is a prime example of how this is done.
#2: House of Leaves by M. Z. Danielewski
House of Leaves keeps popping up in lit discussions over and over again, and I'm quite unsure why its Weird elements don't get put into the context of the niche it slots into. Because yes, Danielewski's House of Leaves definitely is a Weird book: both with how it presents itself and when it comes to its subject matter.
In the simplest possible terms, House of Leaves is a novel about a transcript of a documentary about a house that may or may not exist. It's a whole thing. Obviously, I recommend reading through the whole thing, but the Navidson Record sub-novel is phenomenally creepy in its own right, and basically the meat of the experience. Do try to get a physical copy of this one, if possible.
#1: The Southern Reach by Jeff Vandermeer
I know I've got a bunch of Vandermeer featured in this article, but his body of work practically oozes Weird: both New, from the early aughts, and not. The pinnacle of Vandermeer's body of Weird works, however, and possibly the best possible way to get a sense of the niche is The Southern Reach.
Originally a trilogy and now a quadrilogy, as of late 2024, with the release of Absolution, the novels Annihilation (yes, the very same that inspired Garland's 2018 silver screen adaptation), Authority, and Acceptance are a veritable celebration of the genre. Each novel is wildly different than the last, from Annihilation's exploration of a hostile, anomalous exclusion zone to Authority's spy-thriller-esque office politics. Yet, they all fit neatly into a grander whole. Most importantly, they're designed to be re-read over and over again, each time revealing more elements of the timeline at hand.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:46 PM
The Grassroot Greats Challenge 3 SBC is now live in EA FC 25, and you can complete the challenge to earn a free pack for your Ultimate Team inventory.
The cost of completing this challenge is pretty low, and you should have most of the fodder required in your club. Using them will reduce the completion costs and increase your rewards' valuation. Let's take a look at how you can complete the challenge and whether doing so will be worthy of your resources.
EA FC 25 Grassroot Greats Challenge 3 SBC tasks
The Grassroot Greats Challenge 3 SBC has one task, and here are its requirements.
Task - Grassroot Greats Challenge 3 SBC
EA FC 25 Grassroot Greats Challenge 3 SBC solutions
While the idea is to use cards you already have at your club, there's a chance for you to get stuck. If that's the case, the following solution will help you to quickly unlock all the rewards.
Task - Grassroot Greats Challenge 3 SBC
This is one of the best fodder challenges to complete, as you get a Rare Players Pack. This pack has 12 Rare Gold Player items, with one guaranteed to be rated 83 or higher. The chances for the pack to contain a walkout/promo item are pretty high. At worst, the fodder you get from it can be used to complete recent releases like Athenea Grassroot Greats SBC.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:43 PM
Every now and then, games as big as Roblox may go down for whatever reason. It'll be disruptive to your current session, so if you want to know what's going on regarding the servers or if it is on your end, here's how to check if Roblox is down.
How to check Roblox server status
If you suspect Roblox may be having server issues, you can visit their official status page on status.roblox.com. Here, it'll break down the server's current status based on each platform. If everything says Operational, things should be fine.
The most important part is at the top, where it tells you if there's an "Active Incident". There will also be a breakdown of the incident and which platforms are currently affected.
As of February 18, 2025, 1 p.m. ET, the game is operational with no major concerns. A brief incident on February 10 caused some log-in issues for about an hour, but they've since been fixed. A similar issue appeared a week prior, but these have yet to reappear. Nonetheless, if you start to experience any Roblox-related errors in the future, you can use the official status page to learn more.
Additionally, you can check social media to see if other players are experiencing the same issues as you. They may use hashtags like #Roblox and #RobloxDown. However, this mainly helps if it's a widespread issue others are experiencing rather than individual ones, like internet connection problems or frame drops from an older device.
How to fix Roblox server issues
If the problems you're experiencing are server-side errors, you'll have to wait for the game's developers to resolve the issue. This usually doesn't take longer than an hour, but you can check the Roblox status page for detailed updates as they investigate and resolve the problem. When the Roblox servers are fixed on their end, you may want to restart your game, check for any updates, and make sure you have a steady internet connection.
Should problems persist and everything is fine on your end, all you can do is wait until the server-side issues on Roblox are fully resolved. In rare cases, issues like error code 769 or error 277 can reappear if they're not fully patched out, especially if it's a tricky bug to fix. This is ultimately up to the developers to resolve, so sit tight and watch the status page for more info.
What if you're having connection issues despite the status page showing everything is operational? In that case, you can try out the following methods for fixing this:
In some cases, stepping away from Roblox and playing other games or engaging in other activities can help, especially if the servers recently went down and need some extra time to reboot.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:32 PM
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 launches on Feb. 21 in the morning, and Epic Games is ramping up the hype with new teasers and trailers.
On Feb. 18, Epic released the cinematic gameplay trailer for the new Fortnite season, Lawless, just a day after teasing what appears to be a Mammoth Pistol variant themed after Midas. You can watch the full trailer below—you might even catch some exciting new gameplay spoilers.
The return of the Sticky Grenade Launcher
At the 0:19 mark in the trailer, we get a clear look at a new character holding the Sticky Grenade Launcher. Players first saw this weapon in Chapter 4 Season 4 (August 2023), where it wreaked havoc due to its insane ability to demolish structures. It was nerfed in late September 2023, and if it's making a comeback in Chapter 6, players will be hoping it's the balanced version that returns.
Dual-wield shotguns could debut in Fortnite
At 0:49, we see the player character holding two shotguns—one in each hand. This could be the first-ever dual-wield shotgun in Fortnite, finally making the double pump dream a reality in a single weapon.
That said, it would be fair to expect lower firepower per shot to compensate for a faster firing rate—assuming it makes it into the final game.
An actual laser beam weapon?
At 0:53, a character inside a building fires a continuous laser beam during combat. While the player is taken down by the dual-wield shotguns, we can briefly see the beam hitting a ramp and destroying it.
This suggests it's not just a laser sight but an actual damage-dealing laser beam weapon, which would be a first for Fortnite.
Is Thermite coming to Fortnite?
At 0:55, Midas appears to blow up a wooden wall using thermite. A bit excessive for such a weak structure? Maybe. But if thermite is coming to Fortnite, it could add even more explosive power to a season that's already bringing back the Sticky Grenade Launcher.
A deadlier train with turrets
The train is already a great feature, but at 1:05, we see turrets mounted on top. These stationary weapons could make train fights more intense than ever, adding mounted turret gameplay to moving combat.
While Epic rarely showcases features in a trailer without adding them to the game, these gameplay elements remain unconfirmed and could be subject to change. We'll know for sure when Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 officially launches on Feb. 21.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:20 PM
The Athenea Grassroot Greats SBC is now live in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team, and you can complete the challenge to unlock a special card.
This is the first time Athenea has received a promo item this year. To play with the card, you must complete the full SBC before it expires from Ultimate Team.
EA FC 25 Athenea Grassroot Greats SBC tasks
The Athenea Grassroot Greats SBC has three tasks, and here are the conditions.
Task 1 - Real Madrid
Task 2 - Liga F
Task 3 - Spain
EA FC 25 Athenea Grassroot Greats SBC solutions
Here's a set of solutions you can use to complete the latest promo challenge in Ultimate Team.
Task 1 - Real Madrid
Task 2 - Liga F
Task 3 - Spain
This Athenea SBC offers a lot of value, as you get an 89-rated item for less than 100,000 coins worth of fodder. She can play in three different positions and offers three roles++. While Whipped Cross+ might not be dominant in the current meta, the same can't be said about Rapid+. She also offers 5* Weak Foot, Finesse Shot, Incisive Pass, Technical, and Quick Step.
All things considered, the card offers a lot of value, and the SBC is extremely well-priced. You should be able to evolve her pretty soon as well, allowing you to improve the card shortly. If you want a well-valued defensive unit for cheap, complete the Moise Bombito Grassroot Greats SBC.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 1:01 PM
It's been over four years since RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition first launched, and now more platforms are finally on the horizon. Atari is bringing the sim to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on March 20, 2025.
The Complete Edition previously made its way to PC and Nintendo Switch in September 2020. Turning back the clock even further, the original Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. That certainly lands it firmly in the "nostalgic" camp for some at this point, and you can stoke those rose-tinted fires with the announcement trailer below.
As its title suggests, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition includes the third entry in full HD along with the content from the expansion packs. The Soaked! expansion is all about water parks and the Wild! expansion has you throwing animal habitats into the mix. The full package here seems right in line with previous versions, so don't go into the PlayStation and Xbox ports looking for anything new.
The rest is more or less just how we all remember it. You'll be tasked with managing everything from staff to shops as you attempt to grow your theme park. Or, if you just feel like going wild, you can hit up sandbox mode and build the park of your dreams without worrying about a ballooning budget.
When Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition launches on PlayStation and Xbox next month, you can strap in for a one-time entry fee of $29.99. There's also a 20 percent discount in place for those who preorder.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:54 PM
Throughout Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, you'll sometimes have to get your hands dirty while keeping to the shadows, which is where stealth killing comes into play. Here is how to perform a Stealth Kill in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
How to Stealth Kill successfully
In order to perform a Stealth Kill in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, you need to have a Dagger equipped. You can find them scattered throughout Bohemia, or you can craft one at the Blacksmith or purchase one from a merchant. Unlike most other weapons in KCD2, you can't actually engage in combat with a Dagger. Instead, it simply gives you the option to perform a Stealth Kill.
Once you have a Dagger equipped, you then want to enter your crouched/stealth mode by hitting 'C' key by default on PC. When hiding, you are harder to see by enemies and this allows you to sneak up on your target to perform a Stealth Kill.
Next, walk close behind your target, and when you get close enough, you will see the prompts in the bottom right corner of the screen to execute a Stealth Kill. By default on PC, you need to hold the 'F' key to carry out the Stealth Kill. Simply tapping the 'F' key instead of holding it will perform a Knock Out, which won't kill your target but rather disable them quietly for a short duration.
Sometimes when executing a Stealth Kill, your target will attempt to fight back. When this happens you will see indicators in the middle of your screen, similar to the counterattack and block indicators when engaged in Melee Combat. If you see the green Block indicator, you must right click, whereas if it's the blue counter-attack indicator, you must left-click. If you fail either of these checks the enemy will stop you from executing the Stealth Kill as well as alert others in the area to come and help them.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:39 PM
BitLife's golden item catalog keeps growing, with the Golden Wrench focused on keeping your vehicles in perfect condition. While it only looks like a car maintenance tool on its surface, it's more helpful than you'd initially expect. You can even turn it into a money-making method with time and dedication.
Where to get the Golden Wrench in BitLife
Getting the Golden Wrench requires buying it from BitLife's marketplace. There, you'll find every Golden item released alongside features like Bitizenship and expansion packs. The Golden Wrench's full price is $13.99 with it being on sale for $6.99 during its initial launch week.
In short, you have to pay to use the Golden Wrench, much like you do with other items in the marketplace. In exchange for paying real money to unlock it, you'll have the wrench forever and gain access to tons of useful perks for building a car collection and even making money if you use it right.
How to use the Golden Wrench in BitLife
Once you purchase the Golden Wrench from BitLife's marketplace, it'll automatically activate until you deactivate it, fixing any car, boat, or plane you currently own and buy in the future. You can turn the wrench off at any point by heading into your main menu, scrolling down to Items, and tapping the checkbox for Golden Wrench.
While the Golden Wrench is active, you'll automatically repair any vehicles your characters already own, alongside those you purchase in the future. They'll also stay at 100 percent condition forever, so you won't have to worry about unexpected repair fees or scrapping any of your vehicles. It also applies to cars, boats, and aircraft, letting you build any collection you wish.
It's also a solid money-making tool, depending on how you use it. Imagine going into one of the car shop menus and seeing a mostly broken luxury vehicle at a reduced cost. If you buy it as-is without the wrench, it'll continue to go down in value and likely become unusable after a few years, especially if its condition is in the red zone. With the wrench, it'll convert to mint condition, significantly raising its value.
The downside? The car will drop in value the following year, much like a car typically would. To put this into perspective, my character was able to buy an Aston Martin Vanquish for $160,000, only to sell it the same year for $190,000. However, aging up instead brings it back to around $160,000, even though its condition is much higher than when I first bought it. Nonetheless, the Golden Wrench is a fun option if you need quick cash or want to experiment with a new feature.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:35 PM
One of the reasons why many cheat in online video games is that there's usually little repercussion. You get one account banned, sure, but you can just come up with another one. Morgan "RepulseGod" Bamford wasn't so lucky.
Back in 2023, Morgan shared his account with another player, nicknamed Forbes, who'd go on to earn a pretty neat cash prize. Unfortunately for him, however, he was caught and disqualified, but that was still not enough to quench Epic Games' thirst for justice.
As spotted by Kotaku, Epic's retaliation for his attempt to qualify for the Fortnite Championship Series Grand Finals in 2023 ended with a lawsuit that forced Bamford to post a video admission of guilt on his own YouTube channel. Though the video is only 20 seconds long — perhaps the minimum length permitted by the lawsuit — it remains incredibly painful to watch.
Bamford wrote, "Cheating in tournaments ruins the fun for the players who earned their spot in tournaments, and I apologize to the Fortnite community for my actions," which reads like something Epic PR had written for him.
Bamford concluded by saying he'd never cheat in Fortnite again, to which one user responded with, "No sh*t bruh you banned lmfao," with others voicing similar sentiments (and the same level of eloquence).
On top of the public humiliation, Bamford had to pay a monetary settlement, which included the prize money he'd won through his twisted alliance with Forbes. Epic will donate the money to the Child's Play charity. We don't know the exact amount Bamford had to pay for the settlement, but his Fortnite series placement had earned him $10,000.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:05 PM
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is the tale of four teenagers and one summer filled with secrets, spooky goings on, and an eventual pact to never talk again. What could be more fitting for such a summer than a good old game of truth or dare?
If you're achievement hunting in Bloom & Rage Tape 1, you'll have seen "Here's Mary!", which requires you to get through a game of Bloody Mary. It's an old urban legend that says if you repeat "Bloody Mary" in the mirror three times, then the ghost of Bloody Mary herself will be summoned. It's all very 90s, and therefore the perfect fit for Bloom & Rage.
How to play Bloody Mary in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Playing a game of Bloody Mary comes pretty close to the end of Tape 1, in scene 20 "Double Dare". This comes after you've made your way inside the cabin in the woods and set it up as your secret hideout for the summer.
Once you've done that, and Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat are all hanging out for the night, you'll be asked to light a fire in the fireplace. This will spark a cutscene, during which the girls will start a game of truth or dare. Things go as you'd expect, and after Autumn is forced to chug down a suspicious "Mystery Drink", attention will turn to Swann and she'll be asked whether she wants to choose truth or dare.
To unlock the Bloody Mary scene, you'll need to select "Dare", which will end up with Swann entering the outhouse behind the cabin, armed with only a candle, chanting "Bloody Mary" into the mirror.
Chanting three times isn't enough to make anything happen, but the girls outside suggest saying it 13 times just to see what happens. Swann obliges, and something does happen that's a little out of the ordinary, but it isn't immediately explained.
Once you've experienced the weirdness, Swann will exit the outhouse, and the girls will return inside. Only time will tell if anything comes of this strange bathroom-based experience, but weird things are definitely afoot in 1995.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:00 PM
In FPS games like Call of Duty and Counter-Strike, cheating is usually condemned. However, Cheaters Cheetah flips that idea, encouraging players to break the rules and play a little dirty.
You'll have complete freedom with cheats in this first-person shooter, including the typically frowned upon wallhacks and aimbots. There's practically no chance of enemies sneaking up on you here, as the mechanic pinpoints everyone on the map. There's also a spinbot feature that lets you spin around with your gun, almost like you're a tornado bullet machine.
What makes it even more interesting is the fact that a former cheat developer designed each of these tools. So, if you were ever curious about what it looks and feels like, it should definitely give you an authentic cheating experience.
As someone who likes playing by the rules, especially with FPS games, I feel pretty guilty just thinking of using those mechanics. It'll probably take some getting used to, but it's not too bad when everyone else can cheat, too. Plus, anyone who wins gets to play on the good side by banning cheaters (aka the losers) with the BAN Hammer. I'm curious to see what classifies you as a winner, whether you need a specific amount of eliminations or to be the last one standing.
While there isn't too much information regarding the rules of Cheaters Cheetah, we do have some insight into modes and configurations. In particular, you can play as a Legit Cheat for wallhack-only gameplay or activate the Rage Cheat to gain access to all cheats. There's also a unique Team Deathmatch that pits Legit Cheaters against one Rage Cheater, bringing out the ultimate battle of the hacks. Last but not least is its Single Player mode, in which you'll go against bots as a Rage Cheater.
Currently, Cheaters Cheetah doesn't have an official release date, but its Steam page indicates that it will be 'Coming Soon.' Wishlists are also available if you want to keep track of any updates. I'm already gunning to pick up this bad boy when it drops. Let's just hope it'll feel less sweaty than those intense Call of Duty lobbies.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:00 PM
As someone who's spent thousands of hours in dozens of different MMORPGs over the year, I've often heard the phrase, "It's not about getting to end-game, it's about the journey to get there." While that may be true for the MMORPG genre as a whole, I'd argue that in a lot of cases the leveling process simply serves as way too long tutorial.
Developer Chief Rebel and publisher Arc Games has dubbed Fellowship the first-ever "MODA", or Multiplayer Online Dungeon Adventure. Players skip the long arduous task of leveling and instead jump into a party of four and right into the fun of end-game MMORPG-style dungeon running.
Fellowship is the debut title of Chief Rebel, a brand-new studio comprised of industry veterans who have worked on major titles such as World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Helldivers 2, and more. The team hopes to take everything they've learned from working on popular titles across a variety of genres and taking the best parts to create an original experience with elements of MMOs, MOBAs, and ARPGs.
I recently had the opportunity to get a glimpse of Fellowship by diving into one of its dungeons alongside Chief Rebel CEO and Game Director Axel Lindberg and Fellowship Art Director André Boström, as well as another member of games media. Instead of creating a character and picking a class, you choose from a selection of heroes to play as. Rather than leveling up you characters, you'll gain unique gear and loot to increase the power of each character. After asking my experience with dungeon running in MMORPGs, Lindberg recommended I try out Helena, one of Fellowships two tank heroes at the moment.
I have experience tanking in MMORPGs, so I was up to the challenge, and I'm glad I took Lindberg's advice. Fellowship features a tab-target action combat system, similar to MMORPGs like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV. Each character has unique skills that make them uniquely strong at one of three things: tanking, dealing damage, or healing. In MMO language, this is called the "holy trinity". While MMORPGs typically use the party composition of one tank, one healer, and three damage deals (DPS) for dungeon running, Fellowship instead trims the number of DPS down to two to fit its four player party size.
As Helena, my skills were wholly based around mitigating damage and increasing my threat generation, AKA ensuring I can keep the attention of enemies while DPS players in my party beat them up. Helena is your traditional tank wielding the ole sword and board (shield). In the middle of my HUD was a blue shield icon, as well as five small circles above it. Helena features a combo point system, similar to Rogues in World of Warcraft. One of my skills generated a combo point while dealing a bit of damage, while another did more damage and generated two combo points at the expense of having a few seconds long cooldown.
Next, I had a skill called Shield Slam that would deal damage in a cone in front of me while also making that blue shield icon grow bigger. The blue shield actually represents Helena's Toughness, which increases the amount of damage she mitigates when hit by an enemy. The rest of her skill toolkit includes a Taunt, to immediately gain the aggro of a single enemy, a charge that also stunned briefly on hit,, an interrupt skill (more on this later), a shield toss that bounces between enemies and generates threat, and a "cooldown" skill that greatly boosts my Toughness.
It didn't take long for me to grasp the playstyle of Helena; if you've played MMORPGs before, Fellowship will feel right at home. I'd often charge into a group of enemies, cycling through my threat/combo generating skills on the enemies, being cognizant of losing threat on specific enemies in case I need to taunt the aggro back.
In the dungeon we ran, we fought three unique bosses which is honestly where Fellowship really shines. For a game like Fellowship where everything is about running dungeons, it's important for the bosses to have unique and interesting mechanics, which I'm happy to report Chief Rebel has pulled off. One boss had a mechanic where one of the four players had to use their skills to smack a ball around the area to increase its size Katamari-style. In another, a boss slammed his anchor into the ground before spawning at tidal wave that swept players away, killing them. Players have to right click on the anchor to tether a chain to it, which also chains them to other players. While the wave is washing over the area, players need to be aware of their proximity to others as to not break the chain while continuing the fight.
While I was impressed from the overall dungeon design and boss mechanics Fellowship had to offer, what really sold me was all the quality-of-life features the game had that titan MMORPGs like World of Warcraft don't even have after all these years. Even in my roughly one hour long playtest I encountered a handful of these features that proved two things to me. First, that the team at Rebel Chief knows this genre. Its clear they've done their share of dungeon running in MMORPGs, probably at a high level. Second, they want to innovate the genre and make it better.
One such QOL feature gives all players the ability to to simply hit a key (I believe it was 'R', by default) which will place their heroes icon next to the health bar of the targeted enemy. This server as a notification to the rest of your team that you intend on interrupting that enemy. When a player uses their interrupt skill, the icon is replaced by a countdown showing when the interrupt will be off cooldown. Another feature for tanks makes it so that the health bar of enemies change to a completely different color when they lose threat of that enemy, making it much easier to keep track of aggro when fighting big groups of enemies.
My only problem with my hands-on preview of Fellowship is that it only lasted an hour. I wanted to see more dungeons, and try out some of the other heroes. Thankfully, I'll be able to do so soon, as will anyone else interested in checking out Fellowship. As part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest, Fellowship will have a open public playtest. This test starts on February 24 at 1pm EST and ends on March 3 at 1pm EST, and will have playable servers in North America, Europe, and Asia. After my brief hands-on, it's easily the game I'm most excited about playing during the upcoming Steam Next Fest. If you're a fan of dungeon running MMORPGs, especially the Mythic + loop from World of Warcraft, do yourself a favor and check out Fellowship during its open playtest. I know I'll be there!
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:58 AM
Looking for a list of The Sims 2 cheats? Whether you're looking to max out a relationship, motherlode your way to riches or instantly fill your Sim's needs, we have all the most important Sims 2 cheats below as well as an explainer on how to use cheats in-game.
All Sims 2 cheats
Money cheats
The main reason we're all here – let's face it. Although a rags-to-riches playthrough is enticing at first, sometimes you just need a little extra moolah in your wallet. Here are the main Sims 2 cheat codes for more money in the game:
Relationship cheats
Building relationships in The Sims 2 is much harder than in successive titles. Sims have two relationship bars in the relationship panel. The top one is their relationship score for the day and the lower bar represents their entire historic relationship with the other Sim. If you want to become instant BFFs with your Sim neighbors or pave the way for romance, follow these steps:
Crucially, you must increase the friendship score for both Sims. This is because friendships can be one-sided in The Sims 2 and the other Sim will still treat you as an acquaintance.
Alternatively, you can use the tombstone method which will increase your friendship with any Sims in the same room as you. To do so, hold 'Shift' and click on your Sim. Select 'Spawn…', then 'Tombstone of L and D' and finally 'Make Me Friendly To Everyone Here'.
Gameplay cheats
The following cheats are the most important to consider for small life improvements like instantly filling your Sim's need bars.
You can also perform several actions with the tombstone method. Hold 'Shift' and select your Sim. Choose 'Spawn…', then 'Tombstone of L and D' to summon a tombstone next to your sim. You can now click on the tombstone and perform a number of actions. This includes summoning randomly generated Sims of all life cycles, adding Sims from the neighborhood to your family, aging up Sims, making them have an alien pregnancy, summoning special objects like the Genie's Lamp, Wishing Well, and more.
Build mode cheats
The following build mode cheats will make things easier for you when designing your next home. If you're looking to move objects freely, instead of being beholden to in-game mapping, see below.
How to use cheats in The Sims 2
To use any of the cheats featured above in The Sims 2, you must first summon the cheat box (a white bar that will appear at the top of your screen where you need to input the cheat codes). To do so, carry out the following actions depending on your platform:
Next, you'll need to enter the following within the white bar that appears at the top of your screen:
boolprop testingcheatsenabled true
Now you should be all set to enter your cheats. To close the cheat box simply press ESC or type 'Exit'.
That rounds off the most important Sims 2 cheats and console commands. If you're looking to spice up your game further, see our guide to the best Sims 2 mods or see our list of all WooHoo locations you can try in-game.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:37 AM
There is nothing better than relaxing with a nice book in your ears, even better if there are some thrills to be had. If you are looking for some of the best psychological thriller audiobooks on the market, we have some recommendations for you.
What are the best psychological thriller audiobooks?
On this list, we have curated a selection of all kinds of psychological thrillers. From those focused on detective work and investigation to those that offer a bit more gore and shock-value, plus everything in between. There is something for all tastes.
The Good Daughter
Part of the series of thrillers by Karin Slaughter, this book weaves a compelling narrative that spans a thirty-year arc from a tragic family event and the return of that very same nightmare that haunted Charlie Quinn's life.
This is a thrilling and shocking ride that gets ever darker as Charlie battles with the memories of a tragic event she has long been trying to escape. She will have to face the shocking truth about the crime that destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago and is now threatening to come back into her life.
An intense ride, filled with many traumatic events (trigger warning), brought perfectly to life by narrator Kathleen Early.
Intensity
The young Chyna Shepard has been having a restless night at her friends' house, for no apparent reason at all. In reality, the reason is just outside her window, as a killer has just entered the house. This is a man who cares only about his own lust for killing and the family is his new objective.
Chyna manages to survive the attack while finding out the identity of the next victim. What happens next will send listeners into an orbit of strange and incredible events. Read with the intense voice of Frankie Corzo, it is an intense thriller that never goes too extreme with its depiction of violence, with a strong pace that will make it a great listen while you are working.
Gone Girl
What happens if you go missing on the morning of your fifth wedding anniversary? The police have no doubts about what happened to Ann. The husband is the culprit. Nick Dunne seems almost willing to go to jail for this, but what secret is he covering up, and what really happened to Ann? If you have any kind of preconceived notions about thrillers and the role of the characters in the genre, Gone Girl will surely make you think twice. In just under 450 pages, the narrative woven by Gillian Flynn made this book one of the best sellers in the genre, and for good reason.
With two narrators in this audiobook, the twists and turns of the narrative will come to life and surprise you while keeping you on the edge of your seat. Also, I can't forget to recommend the beautiful movie by David Fincher.
Worst Case Scenario
It all started in Waketa, Minnesota. One huge national catastrophe that is bound to have global implications: a plane just plummeted through a nuclear power planet. In this global-scale thriller, we see the events from the eyes of ordinary people called in to try and contain the consequences of the accident, from firefighters to teachers.
It will take all of the courage, ingenuity, and determination that these brave people can muster up to save not only their community and loved ones, but also the fate of humanity at large. Narrated with the right kind of intensity by Joe Morton, this book takes us on a heart-wrenching and terrifying adventure.
With all the intensity of a classic such as Steven King's The Stand, Worst Case Scenario will haunt your thoughts long after it is finished. The book also takes a look at the vulnerability of the planet in the case of a large-scale nuclear accident.
His & Hers
The sleepy small town of Blackdown is shaken to the core when a young woman is murdered for no apparent reason. No one seems interested in covering the case for the media, especially not local reporter Anna Andrews.
But her reluctance does not go unnoticed, as Detective Harper becomes suspicious of her and starts investigating the connection between the two people. But all is not what it seems, as the detective himself seems to have a few secrets of his own.
As more bodies pile up and mysteries abound, narrators Richard Armitage and Stephanie Racine manage to keep up the pace while building tension in this smart psychological thriller. This one might be a little more gruesome than others on this list. It's for you if you like that more horrific vibe to your psychological thrillers
Then she was gone
No one seemed to represent the perfect child more than Ellie Mack. Beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers, she also made the perfect couple with her teenage boyfriend. Suddenly, just a few days away from her summer vacation, she disappears without a trace.
Her mother, Laurel, spends the next ten years trying to build her life back up. All seemed well, especially with the arrival of a new boyfriend, but a strange encounter suddenly brings the memories of her daughter back in full force. Did her daughter really run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is this supposedly perfect boyfriend who appeared out of the blue?
Read by veteran thriller narrator Helen Duff, this is a thrilling story, light on the gory details but high on the mysterious twists and shocking turns, that you won't be able to put down until you arrive at the last page.
The Golden Couple
If you have a psychological problem, then Avery Chambers is the doctor for you. At least, she definitely seemed like the perfect solution for former golden couple Marissa and Mathew Bishop, who were all flowers and rainbows, until Marissa cheated on her husband.
But, as it turns out, infidelity is just one of the many things that the Bishops are hiding and that Dr. Chambers is going to uncover in this mysterious journey into the life of a married couple that seemed perfectly normal. It won't just be their marriage that is in danger, either, as Chambers finds out even more shocking truths.
Written by acclaimed authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, and brought to life by the great combo of narrators Marin Ireland and Karissa Vacker, this is a dazzling descent into an everyday domestic thriller that will captivate readers from the first few words.
The Secrets She Keeps
A riveting suspense novel about the unlikely friendship between two pregnant women that asks: How far would you go to create the perfect family? Agatha is pregnant and works part-time stocking shelves while she vicariously spies on the life of Meghan, the effortlessly chic customer due on the same date as Agatha.
The two, thus, get to know each other a little better, but this apparently innocent exchange leads them down a path of thrills and mystery. Agatha is revealed to have different objectives in mind. Can this pregnancy-friendship actually be a cover-up for something else?
Read by the soothing, but still intense, tones of Lucy Price-Lewis, this thriller glues you to your earbuds until the last word, as it strikes a perfect balance between psychological and harrowing.
The Good Lie
If you are looking for an expert on serial killers, Dr. Gwen Moore is the woman for you. She has followed the lives of many serial killers, such as the Bloody Heart killer, who has just been identified as high school teacher Randall Thompson.
As the media and Dr. Moore mount the case against Thompson, his lawyer, Robert Kavin, is convinced of his innocence. He wants Moore to interview him, prod his psyche, and discover ththe truth beneath what the media and the police think.
This is a disturbing thriller recommended to listeners who won't mind a bit of gore and shocking scenes here and there. This intense thriller is read by expert Susan Dalian.
We Solve Murders
Retired life is the best time for former detective Steve Wheeler. But a new and mysterious case brings back his old life, while his former partner Amy Wheeler gets tangled into something much bigger than her.
She's currently on a remote island protecting mega-bestselling author Rosie D'Antonio until a dead body and a bag of money mean trouble in paradise. Can Steve still go back to his own life to protect his friend? And will he be able to survive this ordeal while catching a killer?
Read in the beautiful voice of Richard Armitage, this is perfect for readers seeking a thriller light on gore and scares, and more about the investigation. Listeners can even look forward to some humor here and there.
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Destructoid Tuesday, February 18, 2025 11:05 AM
Much like the real world, BitLife's jobs vary in complexity, requirements, and pay ranges. Some jobs pay hundreds of thousands of dollars but require nearly a decade of post-secondary schooling, while others are accessible as soon as your character turns 18.
There are many reasons for picking up a specific job, from wanting to make a lot of money to completing particular weekly challenges. Becoming a baker in BitLife for achievements and challenges may seem difficult initially, but it's surprisingly easy once you know what to look for.
How to become a baker in BitLife
Unlike advanced jobs in BitLife that require special career packs or university degrees, the baker job only requires a clean criminal record. You don't even need to finish high school, but having a secondary school diploma will help if you pursue other jobs later. You'll find the baker role under Occupation and Jobs.
However, you're not guaranteed to see it immediately, especially if your character graduated from university. Completing a university program causes BitLife to filter through jobs related to your degree to make it easier to pursue particular career types. If your character starts right from high school, you'll have more varied job options, raising your odds of seeing a baker position open.
You'll know you've found a baker job when you scroll near the bottom of the list and see "Baker" with a croissant emoji next to its name. From here, you just need to apply for the position and pass the interview to officially land the job and knock out any related achievements, scavenger hunts, or challenge objectives. In particular, you can knock out the Master Baker candy heart of BitLife's 2025 Valentine's Day scavenger hunt or wait for future challenges that require this job.
The post How to become a baker in BitLife appeared first on Destructoid. |
WGB Tuesday, February 18, 2025 5:11 PM Tyshawn Jones hinted at a possible remaster of Tony Hawk 3+4 during a podcast, referencing discussions by Tony Hawk with Activision, suggesting excitement for the series' future. |