GamersHeroes Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:57 PM Inspired by China's ancient heritage with a cutting-edge twist, Season 9 of Embark Studios' The Finals is set to provide an exciting map, a high-intensity new 8v8 mode, a new unified progression system, and other improvements directly shaped by player feedback. The post The Finals Season 9: Dragon Rising Revealed appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:10 PM There's no better time to check out Super Evil Megacorp's radical roguelike Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, with a number of limited-time discounts available across multiple platforms. The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate Limited-Time Discounts Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:51 AM EA SPORTS FC 26 has revealed 10 Classic XI squads, marking the return of some of football's most iconic heroes. The post All-New EA SPORTS FC 26 Classic XI Teams Revealed appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:09 AM Set to release in just a few short days, be sure to check out the new Undertaker with the latest trailer for FromSoftware and Bandai Namco's Elden Ring Nightreign The Forsaken Hollows DLC. The post Elden Ring Nightreign The Forsaken Hollows Undertaker Character Trailer Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:25 AM The Fighting God Reborn Miary Zo has made her way to Bandai Namco's TEKKEN 8. The post Miary Zo Now Available in TEKKEN 8 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:30 AM The team behind The First Descendant has unveiled the roadmap for the first half of 2026, focusing on expanding combat content, improving balance, and enhancing the overall farming loop to reinvent the core fun of the title. The post The First Descendant First-Half 2026 Roadmap Revealed appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:30 AM Looking to get up to speed on NEXON's The First Descendant's Ultimate Yujin? From unlocking Ultimate Yujin to key details revolving around the Ultimate version differs from the standard Yujin character, get up to speed with our guide. The post The First Descendant Ultimate Yujin Guide Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 1:47 PM
The Trump Administration continues to use memes to try to recruit people to ICE The post Sabrina Carpenter Just Showed <em>Halo</em> And <em>Pokémon</em> How Easy It Is To Stand Up To Fascists appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 1:46 PM
Also: Megabonk is so back (in the running for the 2025 TGAs) The post Goldfish That Took Down One Of <i>Elden Ring</i>'s Toughest Bosses Has Died appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 1:05 PM
Not so jumpy anymore, are you? The post This Is The 'Easiest' Way To Kill A Leaper In <i>Arc Raiders </i> appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:26 PM
PC players had been annoyed about the massive amount of room the game took up since launch The post Wow, <i>Helldivers 2</i>'s Install Size On PC Is Now 130GB Smaller appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:10 PM
The fans who have spoken out about this have faced waves of harassment The post <em>Pokémon Go</em> Fans Accused Niantic Of Secretly Helping Cheaters, Then All Hell Broke Loose appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:50 AM
Nintendo's long awaited Metroid Prime sequel ain't bad, but many critics weren't overly impressed either The post After An 8 Year Wait, <i>Metroid Prime 4: Beyond</i> Reviews Say It's Fine appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:10 AM
The AMC hit is back in 4K and without some important post-production edits The post HBO Rolls Out The 4K Red Carpet For <i>Mad Men</i> By Leaving The Barf Machine In appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:05 AM
Save $70 on the 2024 model of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ with 64GB for a limited time. The post Samsung Doesn't Care About Profit on Galaxy Tab A9+ Plus, Priced Like Budget Android Tablet appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:35 AM
Stay on top of your health and fitness without breaking the bank. The post Garmin Breaks Its Own Pricing Rule, Forerunner 165 Smartwatch Still at Cyber Monday Low as Leftover Stock Remains appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:21 AM
Blink and you'll miss it The post Fans Think They've Spotted A <i>Black Flag</i> Remake Tease In The Latest <i>Assassin's Creed</i> Update appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:05 AM
Save as much as $101 on the Samsung T9 Portable SSD, available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB models. The post Samsung Extends Cyber Monday as the T9 Portable SSD Holds $0.09 Per GB Across All Capacities appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:45 AM
The legendary psychic is available for free ahead of the RPG's big expansion next week The post You Can Finally Get Mewtwo In <em>Pokémon Legends: Z-A</em> For Free appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:38 AM
Power Packs are the meme stock company's secret slot machines The post GameStop's Pokémon Card Loot Box Program Just Led To A Record-Breaking $30,000 Trade-In appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:35 AM
Plug it in, or use it wirelessly when on the road. The post JBL's No-Margin Play Isn't Over Yet, the PartyBox Speaker Stays at a Record Low Until Cyber Monday Stock Finally Clears appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:16 AM
The Mega Dimension DLC is adding a few new Mega Evolutions for monsters who already had one, including Lucario The post <em>Pokémon Legends: Z-A</em> Is Giving An Old Favorite A Second Mega Evolution appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:05 AM
Game better this holiday season. The post Forget Meta Quest, Sony Clears Out the PlayStation VR2 Bundle at Its Lowest Price Even After Cyber Monday appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:00 AM
Announced in 2012, Routine is a disturbingly detailed and creepy experience marred by some annoying puzzles The post <i>Alien Isolation</i> Fans, You're Going To Love <i>Routine</i>, A Very Scary Sci-Fi Horror Game appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 8:42 AM
The Metal Gear creator will voice Paul the mole in the film's Japanese dub The post Hideo Kojima Is Making His Disney Debut In <em>Zootopia 2</em> appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 8:35 AM
Save $110 on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro ANC-enabled earbuds in either silver or white. The post Galaxy Buds 3 Pro Gets an Extra Price Cut to 44% Off as Samsung Goes Even Lower Than Black Friday and Cyber Monday appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Tuesday, December 2, 2025 8:05 AM
Save 15% on a renewed version of the Nintendo Switch OLED Model wit white Joy-Con controllers. The post Nintendo Switch OLED With Joy-Con Falls to a Clearance-Level Low as Amazon Has Only Limited Grade-A Renewed Units Left appeared first on Kotaku. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 1:44 PM If you found yourself failing missions with high clear rates concerningly often during Dispatch's final shift, I've got news for you. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:58 PM Starbreeze's quest to revitalize Payday 3 continues with its latest update, which adds new skill trees to the struggling heist game. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:45 PM The Wayward Realms, an open-world RPG from Bethesda veterans, is leaving Unreal Engine 5 behind, and claims it's already seeing improvements. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:04 PM If you thought your Ball x Pit builds were already pretty wild, get ready for even more options thanks to a trio of free updates next year. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:40 AM The brutal, beautiful Lies of P is a top-tier soulslike, and now, thanks to a brand new mod, you can play it with a friend by your side. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:30 AM According to new rumors, AMD has increased the price of several of its Ryzen CPUs, adding another recent cost hike to the mix for PC gamers. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:18 AM Grab some free gems and rubies from the latest Roblox Raise Animals codes to grow your zoo and attract more guests. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:51 AM Battlestate Games let you actually Escape from Tarkov with its 1.0 update, and now a Twitch streamer has finally managed to do it. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:01 AM Where Winds Meet is still enrapturing hundreds of thousands of players, but they're all scared of one winged enemy: the humble goose. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:00 AM Lunar Software curbs its ambitions to deliver a compact yet deliciously tactile sci-fi horror game that's more than worth the wait. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, December 2, 2025 8:04 AM The First Descendant's huge Steam launch now feels like a distant memory, so Nexon is getting radical and overhauling its gameplay in 2026. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:14 PM  Arc Raiders developers Embark have shed a bit of light on how their looter-shooter changed after shifting away from the free-to-play business model back in 2024. Apparently, it made Arc "drastically easier" to design, in the sense that the Swedish studio felt less pressure to turn players into whales. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:58 AM  Seems it's a good day to be a Helldivers 2 player: in addition to the buff-happy Into the Unjust 5.0.0 patch that launched earlier, developers Arrowhead have shared an update on their efforts to shave down the co-op shooter's mammoth install size. And it's not so much a shaving as a fully fuelled chainsawing, high vis vests be damned. As the Steam post explains, there's now a beta build, available to try, that cuts the 154GB game down to 23GB – a 131GB (!!!) reduction. That's like surgically removing an entire Black Myth: Wukong that was growing out of its back. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:58 AM  One of the first "moving pictures" ever created is a moving picture of a horse. In the late 1870s, the photographer Eadweard Muybridge produced a series of "chronophotographs" of horses and riders, including the famous 12-frame sequence Sallie Gardner at a Gallop. I know about Muybridge's work thanks to Jordan Peele's film Nope, which considers the historical erasure of Sallie Gardner's Black jockey, whose identity is disputed. Another thing that easily gets overlooked when considering these images is their contribution to the practice of horse-breeding. Muybridge - who, incidentally, murdered his wife's lover, which doesn't seem wholly irrelevant here - captured the images after many years of tinkering with shutters, triggers and emulsions, but they were commissioned by the industrialist Leland Stanford, founder of the university of the same name. Stanford kept racehorses, and wanted a more precise understanding of their movements, with the obvious wider motive of being able to raise more champions; nowadays, gait analysis by means of video capture is commonplace among breeders. Muybridge's breakthrough in terms of photographic reproduction is thus an important development in control of equine reproduction. To stretch that point a little, you could argue that the moving picture has always been a way of disciplining sex - and one animal may seem much like another, once reduced to a quantity of frames. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:00 AM  'If you want to torture somebody, first show them your tools' is one of the better horror game design lessons taught by Amnesia: The Dark Descent. I thought of Amnesia's cistern chapter while playing through a later area in Lunar Software's excellent first-person spookathon Routine, announced 13 long years ago, though only in active development for around five. The area centres on a curious underground tree, with water dripping from a hydroponic ceiling and sealed doors on all sides. You can imagine Amnesia's Shadow manifesting here, clogging the roots with acid rot as it homes in on your comically loud footfalls. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 2, 2025 8:10 AM  In case you missed it, Hitman's latest celebrity elusive target mission is all about Eminem. The rapper has Agent 47 take down his blonde alter-ego Slim Shady, it's all very meta and a tad less appealing to me than the cameos previously made by the likes of Bruce Lee and Mads Mikkelsen as Bond villain Le Chiffre. That said, a new interview some IO Interactive folks have given to Variety, in which boss Hakan Abrak makes clear there will be a new Hitman coming once the studio have gotten some stuff off their plate, has caught my attention by contrasting Mr Nem with murderbald handler Diana. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 2, 2025 7:14 AM  Hey, Helldivers 2's just gotten a patch with some noteworthy balancing tweaks and fixes ahead of its latest warbond - Python Commandos - dropping. In short, a fair few guns now do more damage, some enemies have been made a tad less potent, and the drawback which usually comes with attachinga magnifying scope to your favourite bug blaster has been scaled back. |
Siliconera Tuesday, December 2, 2025 2:00 PM
The Stage 2 Dragon Ball the One worldwide character popularity poll results are in, and the top 40 still includes characters like Bulma's Family Cat and Farmer with a Power Level of 5. The revival battle to pick the single character who will be "saved" and also move on to the top 41 in Stage 3 of the poll was held on social media until 11:59pm JST on December 3, 2025. Stage 3 runs on the official site between December 4-8, 2025, and that will narrow things down to the top 20.
The known top 40 Dragon Ball the One worldwide character popularity poll currently includes expected characters, unexpected ones, and a handful of wildcards like Bulma's Family Cat, Farmer with a Power Level of 5, and Dolphin. (All three of those have risen higher up the rankings since the original Stage 1 poll.)
Here are the top 20 characters as of the end of Stage 2. I placed their previous range as of Stage 1 in parentheses after their name.)
Here are the official infographics for the top 40
Dragon Ball the One is live now, and we'll see the results of the worldwide character popularity poll on January 24, 2026. Stage 3 will take place between December 4-8, 2025, and Final Stage runs December 17-20, 2025.
The post Dragon Ball Popularity Poll Still Includes Bulma's Family Cat appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, December 2, 2025 1:00 PM
Hideo Kojima will make his voice acting debut as Paul Moldebrandt in the Japanese dub version of Zootopia 2. The Japanese version of the newest Disney movie will debut in theaters in Japan on December 5, 2025. [Thanks, Famitsu!]
Jared Bush—who worked on Zootopia 2 as the writer, producer, director, and in other roles—was the one who offered the role to Kojima. While Kojima has made cameo appearances in live-action movies and games, this is his first time voicing a character in an animated film. In a comment, he expresses his surprise and delight at appearing in a Disney movie and in the sequel to Zootopia, which he likes very much.
Paul Molebrandt, whom Kojima voices, is a minor character with only a few lines. He works for the Zootopia Police Department as the IT guy. Josh Gad (Olaf in Frozen) voices him in the original English version. Other voice actors joining the Japanese cast in Zootopia 2 include: Hiro Shimono (Zenitsu in Demon Slayer), Nana Mizuki (Hinata in Naruto), and Wataru Takagi (Okuyasu in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable).
Hideo Kojima is a famous video game designer, writer, director, and producer. He's best known for his work on the Metal Gear franchise, as well as on Death Stranding. He worked at Konami from 1986 to 2015. While at Konami, he founded Kojima Productions, and after he left Konami, he re-established Kojima Productions as an independent studio and released Death Stranding four years later.
The Japanese version of Zootopia 2 will come out on December 5, 2025. With a $556 million global opening, the movie has already broken box office records.
The post Hideo Kojima Gets a Cameo in Zootopia 2 Japanese Dub appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:00 PM
Ahead of the Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC debut next week, Nintendo confirmed we'll be able to get Mewtwo and its Mewtwonite X and Y Mega Stones and revealed Mega Lucario Z. The new Z form is part of a whole new type of Mega Evolution, and ones like that will act faster but also only be in that state for a shorter period of time. Meanwhile, Mewtwo and its items can be acquired now, as long as you own the game, but require someone to progress to a certain point to get and use it.
First, here's the new Pokemon Legends: Z-A trailer. It starts by showing the standard Mega Evolution for Lucario, then shows the new Z form at the 30 second mark. The character's appearance changes dramatically, and we get to see the difference in timing when it unleashes its attacks and moves. It will still be a fighting and steel type after it transforms.
The Mewtwo reveal comes up at about the 1:18 mark of the video. It confirms we need to use Mystery Gift to first acquire the stones and mission. Then, after completing the campaign, we can take on a quest to get the character.
There's a dedicated trailer for it too that shares more insight.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is available for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and the Mega Dimension DLC release date is December 10, 2025.
The post Mega Lucario Z and Mewtwo Confirmed for Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:00 AM
Cover announced that the Amane Kanata, a Hololive Vtuber from the Japanese branch, will graduate. Her last day with the company will be December 27, 2025. In addition to the official statement, the performer herself released one in Japanese and English on social media. In it, she cited the degree of work associated with her role and desire to maintain her own health, and also stated she will not conduct any graduation stream or activities or "reincarnate" as an indie after her departure. Announcements about merchandise sales will come later.
Here is the full statement in English from her account. She established that the work ended up being "beyond the originally expected scope," which affected her health and got in the way of activities. She said discussed the issue with Cover to remedy the situation, and decided to graduate. She noted that she decided to graduate "several months ago," but it was kept confidential and staff and fellow Vtubers only also found out today to prevent leaks. She also noted, "I devoted everything to Hololive. It is a place that changed my life, and in truth, I still had so many things I wanted to challenge and achieve here." She closed things out by thanking people, apologizing, and confirmed there will be a stream on December 3, 2025.
We can see her graduation announcement stream below. In the background of it, she also reiterated her message that stated, " In order to limit the number of people who knew about this in advance, there are no graduation related videos, no special Hololive animations (Holologra)" and shared part of the announcement in English and Japanese.
Amane Kanata joined Hololive back in December 2019. She is part of the same generation as the currently active members Himemori Luna, Tokoyami Towa, and Tsunomaki Watame. (Kiryu Coco was also part of the fourth generation and graduated in July 2021.) She's been with the company for six years, though there were times when she took breaks for the sake of her health, and 2025 was a busy one for her. She released a new album called Trigger, held a 3D birthday live, held her first "Lock On" solo live concert, and even introduced her "sister" Amane Konata for April Fools' Day 2025. This was all while still streaming things like games as usual.
You can see the concert teaser below:
Amane Kanata will graduate from Hololive on December 27, 2025, with fan letters accepted until that date, and the YouTube membership for the Vtuber and content associated with it will close on March 27, 2026.
The post Hololive Vtuber Amane Kanata Graduates in December appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:01 AM
Nintendo and Retro Studios officially announced Metroid Prime 4 back in June 2017. Then, it sort of slipped into the background following development restarting in 2019. Now Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally here as a Switch and Switch 2 game. And yes, to assuage any fears, it's absolutely entertaining. Even the Metroidvania-style psychic upgrades feel like a perfect fit. However, even with the variety of biomes, psychic abilities, helpfulness of the Vi-O-La motorcycle, and new world of Viewros, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond often didn't feel as new or exciting as I expected and it takes quite some time to ramp things up. I don't think this new entry hits the heights of the original Metroid Prime trilogy, but it is still a good time.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond begins with a crisis. The Galactic Federation UTO Research Center is being assaulted by Sylux and his space pirates for an unknown reason, and Samus Aran is called in as support. After defeating Aberax and seeing Sylux appear, an artifact at the station is hit. Samus awakes on unknown planet named Viewros, which is filled with ruins of the Lamorn situation. She's told she's a chosen one they waited for and will need to collect keys from locations like Fury Green, Volt Forge, Flare Pool, and Ice Belt to leave. However, while the Lamorn are gone, the planet is far from uninhabited. There are hostile native lifeforms, such as animals and beings known as Grievers, left behind robots that won't hesitate to attack, and even others teleported by the artifact.
While there is a point to Samus' latest adventure, story isn't the most in-your-face element of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. It is there. But some of the narrative comes from incidental elements. Overheard conversations from Galactic Federation officers at Tanamaar's UTO Research Center help shape things. Insights from Lamorn priests' messages we encounter and scanned remnants of their civilization on Viewros can be pulled together to figure out their history. Commentary from folks like Galactic Federation members Myles MacKenzie, Nora Armstrong, and Ezra Duke sometimes makes him feel like both sidekicks and narrators, with Myles especially coming up a bit. However, I felt that input and "conversations" with characters makes the fact that Samus is such a silent sort of protagonist stand out in a negative way. I don't think these additional characters are a bad addition, and I even appreciated their insights and intel. The fact they will often say things that would merit some sort of response, and Samus says nothing, feels awkward.
I'm also glad we finally got more insight into what's going on with Sylux. He's been a looming, mysterious figure in the Metroid series since 2006! However, maybe because it did take almost 20 years, I also felt a bit of a "well, that happened" reaction. Others may feel differently! I almost wished the pacing had been adjusted a bit to somehow feature more of him, though he is featured prominently. I think in my case, there was all this build-up to him being properly featured as an antagonist, so it was difficult for the final result to meet the hype and theories I had over the years and as I played.
As for gameplay, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond follows in the footsteps of the previous entries, with players inside Samus' suit for an FPS with occasional platforming elements. There's no hiding behind cover here. You dodge, jump, turn into a Morph Ball, and hope for the best. The default essentially involves her locking on to an enemy with the press of a trigger, but it is possible to use mouse mode, the joystick, or the gyroscope for free aiming. As with every entry, she'll also acquire new technologies that enable different sorts of attacks or profession methods, in this case in the form of psychic abilities. These aren't limited to being used in boss fights, with some standard enemies and foes I sort of considered "minibosses" making good use of them. There are also ample opportunities to use the Morph Ball outside of a means of "ducking" in battle, as it is used for getting to certain areas, dropping bombs, and triggering certain switches. Platforming is also an element, with Samus dodging elements like electrical currents or fire and scaling platforms to reach higher locations.
Speaking of which, the psychic abilities in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are often exceptional and my favorite part of the game. Almost immediately after getting to Viewros, Samus starts gaining access to these new abilities. Some are as simple as a visor scanning augment and a psychic glove for manipulating the energies and specific environmental objects. However, another early example is a Control Beam that lets you fire a charged psychic shot and then direct it to reach a certain place. Time is "paused" while this happens, allowing you to solve puzzles that involve hitting multiple triggers at once or bosses with multiple nodes that need to be hit. Another eventually makes use of the Morph Ball Psychic Bomb, as you can charge up when you lay one, then use the glove to grab it and throw it at a particular target. Some of these elements can involve traversal, such as only being able to use certain platforms if Samus' armor is properly augmented with the boots to stand on them. While I sometimes didn't feel like some locations offered a lot of excuses to go back with psychic abilities acquired later, I could see spots in locales like Fury Green or Volt Forge that hinted at what abilities would come up next. The only downside to it is the time and precision sometimes needed to use them and energy limitations associated with them. An example is that the Control Beam "charge" can take some time to use, and there are a few opponents who need that type of attack to become prone, but strike swift enough to keep me from building it up.
As for those early areas, they're honestly quite straightforward and even simple. I never felt like any of the puzzles in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond were exceptionally challenging, but those two locations especially feel like they lacked any real thought when it comes to the tasks that involve using your brain to figure out how to use psychic skills to keep moving forward. Certain types of triggers are pretty obvious after their initial introduction, and I never found myself wondering what I needed to do next to keep making meaningful progress. It almost feels like there's a bit of a pacing issue in general, with the early areas feeling a little simple and, while I don't want to say too much for sake of spoilers, later plot beats also feel like they don't move at a steady, natural clip.
Said early areas also aren't all that dangerous, though things do start to ramp up once you hit the second part of Volt Forge. The only emotion these, and a handful of later spots, inspired in me were curiosity. While there are a few altercations, both the forest and the factory feel more like they're about establishing ambiance and showcasing different elements of Viewros than making it feel like Samus is ever in any actual danger. Sure, in Volt Forge I did get ganged up on occasionally, but I felt like it takes time for real threats and a sense of pressure to build up. Both spots look and sound great, as do many others that Nintendo mentioned before or that would be spoilers. I especially loved the use of the Morph Ball and how it starts to feel even more meaningful in Volt Forge and beyond. The insights that came from scanning everything in that factory and Ice Belt are interesting too, though I did sort of feel like I did more scanning and lore acquisition in the original trilogy. Likewise, Sol Forge can feel more like a means of connecting locations than a fascinating overworld space. Maybe this will sound silly, but it almost reminded me of running around Gran Pulse toward the end of Final Fantasy XIII? It looks interesting and sometimes there will be an enemy encounter or thing to get, but there's really not much to do there compared to the main biomes.
The introduction of the Vi-O-La motorcycle ends up feeling practical, and I loved the way in which Retro introduced it in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Once we gain access to it, there are times when we use it to explore the planet or sometimes briefly in locations. It can even be summoned The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom style with a press of a button, though Samus isn't really "whistling" like Link does to make it show up. It helps emphasize the idea of exploring and traveling across a planet, and I found it did make it easier to reach outcroppings of the green crystals I'd need to collect when going between locations. The counter-attacking feels much more natural than I expected too, which I appreciated! But again, it feels like a means of getting to certain places faster and to establish ambiance.
While some spots early in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond can make it feel like I'm supposed to take in the scenery, explore, and appreciate what I'm learning about the location more than thinking or fighting, I will say the boss fights all feel really fantastic. While Aberax feels a tutorial fight for her different types of attacks, charges, Morph Ball dodges, and jumps, it also is well-designed and makes you think about her movements. Ones that come up later can incorporate different psychic abilities, building on what we've done in our journey to gain access to areas and flip switches. This is on top of them often looking visually impressive. They can combine platforming, using psychic abilities like the Control Beam, and pattern recognition to successfully understand what the foes are doing and how you can use your techniques effectively. I found the fights after Volt Forge most interesting mechanically and challenging, with difficulty scaling in a satisfactory way. In fact, there's one fight in the second tower there that really made me think about how clever it was and what order in which to take steps to defeat it.
I played Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on the Switch 2, and I felt like the extra features were most impressive when playing the game docked and dealing with either large numbers of enemies or bosses. Performance Mode is perfect for that, as it absolutely hit 120fps and felt so smooth. It was almost jarring how seamless it all looked. (It was so sharp and responsive that in certain locations with certain types of enemies, like two situations in Volt Forge, Performance Mode strained my eyes a bit. But I do have a minor vision impairment in one eye that can occasionally exacerbate that in FPS games and third-person shooters.) Pair that with using mouse mode for boss fights or situations when the Control Beam could be best approach, and it feels so fantastic. I will say to be careful about your finger slipping over the mouse sensor if you change positions though, as sometimes mine could get in the way of the sensor. Quality Mode is is also great, and I found I appreciated it most while in places where there were a lot of different colors or environmental details to take in like Fury Green, Sol Valley, or Flare Pool. I think I'd say I preferred playing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in Quality Mode in Handheld mode on the Switch 2 for exploration, then dropping it into the dock for boss fights with mouse controls.
I love how Metroid Prime 4: Beyond looks and plays, but it sometimes doesn't feel as narratively satisfying or mentally stimulating as the original trilogy. Psychic abilities feel fantastic. The Switch 2 mouse controls are a great option for fights. Finally, my curiosity about Sylux isn't eating away at me. I'm glad Retro Studios and Nintendo finally finished it! But its story didn't hit in the same way the Metroid Prime trilogy did and I didn't feel tested by its puzzles.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will come to the Switch and Switch 2 on December 4, 2025.
The post Review: Metroid Prime 4 Feels Exactly How I Expected appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:00 AM
Pixelity has announced that it will hold a Focus Group Test for its upcoming XR (Extended Reality) game, Evangelion: Δ (Delta) Cross Reflections. The company will hold the early test not only in Japan but also in the US.
Applications for the Japanese test have also opened on Mogura VR for a whole week until December 9, 2025. People who pass the screening will be able to attend the event at an unspecified location in Tokyo between December 19 and 21, 2025.
A test session will run for 2 hours in total. It will start with control instructions in the first 30 minutes, followed by the actual game demo experience in the next 30 minutes. The last hour will have a group interview where the staff members gather feedback from the testers.
As for the US test, Pixelity only noted that it will take place on a single day on December 19, 2025. While the Japanese press release does not mention the game's English X account, we have spotted it with the account name @EVANGELIONXR_GL, with the latter term usually meaning "Global."
The full release of Evangelion: Δ Cross Reflections will cover the first 11 episodes of the 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion anime. It will also be the first of three episodic XR games that will collectively cover the entire show.
The Focus Group Test for Evangelion: Δ Cross Reflections will take place in Japan on December 19-21, 2025, and in the US on December 19, 2025. Pixelity will release a more elaborate demo version of the XR game within the first half of 2026.
The post Evangelion: Cross Reflections Test Will Appear in Japan and US appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:01 PM
Destiny 2's space wizards were in a good state in the Edge of Fate sandbox, and some Warlock builds will remain on top now that Renegades landed. A series of gradual tuning passes gave this class powerful options for every element.
Not all Warlock builds are created equal, however, and some of them easily rise to the top of the meta (yes, I am talking about Getaway Artist on Prismatic, how did you guess?). Here are the builds we're running in Destiny 2's Renegades expansion.
Table of contents
Why are these our best builds in Renegades?
The builds in this list don't account for any artifact mods and rarely rely on specific weapons. A lot of it is up to personal preference as well, so the entries on our list can certainly be more optimized, but should be enough to get you through the campaign, either on Legend or Normal.
Contraverse Hold + Grenades (Void)
Warlocks got a much-needed, high-powered buff to their Void grenades with Contraverse Hold. This Exotic was already good, but a new built-in Weaken effect and an extra grenade charge made it even deadlier, and that's why it's easily among the top builds in Destiny 2 going into Renegades.
Contraverse works with a slew of different grenade options, depending on your playstyle, but Axion Bolt is our favorite. This grenade unleashes a series of tracking projectiles with a somewhat long range, giving you a relatively safe way to take down foes.
You can also go for Scatter Grenades, Vortex Grenades, or Handheld Supernova to spice it up. Handheld Supernova in particular deals a devastating short-range blast when using a Magnetic Grenade (and others). That said, Axion Bolt is usually good enough as long as your projectiles don't go rogue and blow you up. It happens.
Getaway Artist + Storm Grenade (Prismatic)
Getaway Artist with Prismatic continues to be a force of nature, especially given the buffs to Arc Soul (and buddies in general). The Final Shape's most effortless Warlock build now works with Facet of Dominance to jolt enemies and interacts better with grenades, with Hellion's damage increasing with that stat.
As far as your Aspects go, Feed the Void is almost a must-have to keep your grenade energy topped up. The second fragment slot is usually Bleak Watcher, though Hellion makes for a good substitute to spice up the formula. Plunderthabooty runs a version of a buddy build with Hellion, Weaver's Call, and Facet of Mending, which grants you surprisingly great sustain without resorting to Feed the Void.
Consume your grenade, get ability kills to get Devour, then continue mowing down enemies until your grenade is full. Rinse, repeat, and try not to trip on all the orbs of power you make with Firepower.
Mataiodoxía + Needlestorm (Strand or Prismatic)
Mataiodoxía is also in the running for the most juiced-up Warlock Exotic in Renegades, and its odds are looking pretty good. In addition to its base effect of giving you Suspend with Arcane Needle, as of the new expansion, it also improves the power of your Needlestorm—like Cuirass of the Falling Star does for Thundercrash.
You can run this build with Strand or Prismatic. Strand gets more firepower on Needlestorm through Thread of Evolution (increased damage from Threadlings), but Prismatic has a more versatile kit with better survivability, grenade spam due to Devour, and Transcendence.
Lightning Surge + Winter's Guile or Solipsism (Prismatic)
Winter's Guile may make for a devastating new take on the old Lightning Surge Prismatic builds. This Exotic got some new life, working close to a Warlock version of Wormgod's Caress with a Transcendence-like effect built in. With the Exotic's new effect, melee and finisher kills grant a stacking damage bonus to that ability. When at max stacks, you can enter a "berserk" mode with even more melee damage and regen.
Your second aspect is up to your preference, but the sustain from Feed the Void makes this a given for us. To fall back on a classic, though, this build also works marvelously with Solipsism, especially if you have an Inmost Light/Synthoceps roll. You can even run Mataiodoxía if you're looking for a little oomph in your Needlestorm.
Starfire Protocol + Fusion Grenades (Solar)
Gone are the days when Starfire was an unending missile barrage, but the stat rework made this already-strong build even better, and the fact that it finally works with Radiant is just icing on the cake. Hellion is a natural pairing for this since you get your Rift back on grenade kills, and you can use it to trigger your Solar synergies through Scorch. Bring Ember of Torches and Ember of Empyrean for Radiant uptime, giving you extra grenade regen from Starfire. Ember of Resolve works if you need more sustain.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 12:00 PM
Titans are usually Destiny 2's steadfast defenders, but this heavy-hitting class brings a ton of offense. They've been in a really good spot in the meta since before the expansion, and the best Titan builds in Renegades pack quite a punch.
It's no surprise the strongest Titan builds are usually melee-based, considering how many extremely deadly abilities are in the class' punching repertoire. We've picked some of our favorites to use in the new expansion, already taking into account the new sandbox in the expansion. We'll update this list when we find other suitable builds.
Table of contents
Hammer Titan with Synthoceps or Wormgod (Solar)
A true classic, Hammer Titans got a huge buff with Solar 3.0 and became even better with The Edge of Fate's stat rework. The goal of the so-called "bonk build" is to stack as many buffs to your melee as you can, and there are few sources as good for this as Synthoceps or Wormgod's Caress.
Roaring Flames and Sol Invictus are the play here, combining both for good sustain, ability regen, and damage. Bonk your enemies with the throwing hammer, grab it, and continue the mauling. It's always handy to have a Healing Grenade in your back pocket when the situation gets dicey, but offensive grenades are fair play.
For alternative takes on the formula, Melas Panoplia also works if you can time its special hammer pull, but it's not as good as the other two based on our testing. It is more fun, though. Heart of Inmost Light is never off the menu either, but other melee-specialized armor pieces are generally more powerful.
Consecration + Frenzied Blade (Prismatic)
Consecration is lethal on its own, but a Prismatic build makes it even better. The iridescent subclass brings Frenzied Blade, which has three charges—and you can use all of them to blow up your foes. Stoicism can be king here thanks to the Inmost Light/Synthoceps combination, but other exotics such as Synthoceps and Wormgod's are also at the top.
While there are a few different ways to build this, we went with the Aspects and Fragments Esoterickk used in his solo run of Kell's Fall on Ultimate.
Wishful Ignorance + Flechette Storm (Strand)
Another breakout in The Edge of Fate, the Wishful Ignorance Exotic briefly became the most overpowered build in the entire game thanks to a bug that gave it infinite charges. Even after a bugfix and a nerf, Wishful Ignorance with Flechette and Banner of War is pretty strong.
We go with Grapple Grenades for traversal and to hit free Grapple melees when generating a Tangle, which happens often. Go for melee kills (powered or not) to build up Banner of War stacks, then take advantage of the damage bonus and healing. Thread of Isolation also works for sever, increasing your survivability.
Howl of the Storm + Icefall Mantle (Stasis)
A recent buff to Howl of the Storm turned Stasis Titans into actual behemoths, leaning into the glacial subclass' strengths and bringing it closer in power to the rest of the elements. As of Update 9.1.5, the Aspect has two melee charges and makes more crystals, and Tectonic Harvest no longer has a cooldown on generating Stasis Shards, making this devastating build possible.
Use Howl of the Storm to freeze or shatter enemies, then grab the Stasis Shards to refill your melee ability and stack Frost Armor. You can also use Howl of the Storm during Glacial Quake, though Renegades increased the energy cost of doing so.
For your Exotic armor, we run Icefall Mantle for incredible sustain, and the variety of running something new also helps. That said, you can slot any of the usual suspects with melee builds: Synthoceps, Wormgod's Caress, or even Heart of Inmost Light.
An Insurmountable Skullfort + Thunderclap (Arc or Prismatic)
Thunderclap was a highlight of Arc 3.0, and it opened up strong build options with An Insurmountable Skullfort. The helmet refunds your melee energy on a powered melee kill, which comes in handy with how powerful Thunderclap is when your melee stat is high enough.
We run this with Thunderclap and Storm's Keep because of how useful Bolt Charge is, but you can easily run it with Knockout as well. As long as you're destroying your targets, you should get a full melee back—and if they don't die, you still get some energy for trying.
This build works with Prismatic since it also has access to Thunderclap, making other Aspects available. We recommend Arc, though, especially because of the free Bolt Charge.
Crest of Alpha Lupi + Bolt Charge (Arc)
After a well-needed tuning pass and the Edge of Fate stat rework, Crest of Alpha Lupi became a surprisingly effective tool in a Titan's arsenal. It works fine in solo play, but it's a simple and reliable way to support your team.
The main part of Alpha Lupi is, it heals you and allies when casting the barricade, plus when dealing damage or getting kills behind your cover. Bolt Charge is a perfect pairing, and that's what makes this build so effective.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:36 AM
Christmas has arrived early for Pokémon Legends Z-A players as everyone can obtain a Mewtwo for free.
Mewtwo becomes the latest legendary in the pool of playable Pokémon. However, obtaining it can be slightly different from how you usually build your team and collection in Z-A. This guide will state all the essential steps required to unlock Mewtwo and the bonus stones that will let you mega-evolve it during a battle.
How to obtain Mewtwo in Pokémon Legends Z-A
To obtain Mewtwo, you'll have to complete the main story, which will take a fair amount of time. If you have already completed the main campaign, you'll have access to Mewtwo's side mission.
Titled Project M, the side mission requires you to travel to Lysandre Cafe, located to the northeast of Wild Zone 8. Before completing the mission, make sure to claim your Mewtwonite X and Mewtwonite Y stones from the mystery gift feature. The stones are available to all for free and allow you to mega-evolve your Mewtwo once you obtain it.
Take the elevator down to B3, and follow the corridor until you reach the end. A cutscene will follow, and then a prompt will appear whether you want to release the locks of Project M. Select yes, and Mewtwo will appear. Approach Mewtwo to start the fight, which will then allow you to capture it.
If you have caught other legendary Pokémon, you'll know how hard the fight will be. Mewtwo is a Level 70 Psychic type, so use Dark and Ghost Pokémon to increase the effectiveness of your attacks. You'll also want to use rarer Poke Balls to raise the capture success rate.
Once you catch it, speak with Mable. She will explain why Mewtwo was kept as a captive, and reward you with 10,000 Poke Dollars and one XL Exp Candy.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 11:31 AM
If you think you've mastered the art of ghost hunting in Phasmophobia, you may be ready to put your skills to the test. Weekly challenge modes are a great way to see just how good you are.
These special trials modify how the game works, usually with rules that make the experience a lot harder. Successfully finishing the challenge gets you plenty of XP and cash, so it's well worth the effort. Here's the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia and everything you need to know to beat it.
Table of contents
Phasmophobia weekly challenge mode (Nov. 30-Dec. 7)
From Nov. 30 to Dec. 7, the weekly challenge is Hide and Seek: Extreme in Phasmophobia. In this challenge, the ghost is ready to hunt you almost as soon as you step through the door. The odds are stacked against you right from the start, so you have to hide and investigate diligently to successfully win this trial.
How to complete the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia
To finish the weekly challenge mode in Phasmophobia, you need to correctly identify the ghost present on the featured map three times. The specific changes present in each trial mode vary, but your goal is always the same.
All Hide and Seek: Extreme weekly challenge modifiers in Phasmophobia
This challenge mode has several specific rules that modify the way the contract functions. Here are all the key details you need to know about this trial.
Phasmophobia Hide and Seek: Extreme weekly challenge mode tips
The Hide and Seek: Extreme challenge is one of the trickier ones you can attempt in Phasmophobia, so here are some of the best tips to help you get it done.
When does the challenge mode change in Phasmophobia?
The challenge mode changes every Monday at 12am UTC, which translates to 6pm CT every Sunday. You have a full week to tackle each challenge mode when it's available. All challenge modes return regularly since they're on a rotating schedule, so if you don't get to finish one, you can always try it again in the future.
Next weekly challenge mode in Phasmophobia
The next weekly challenge mode, which will run for a full week from Dec. 7 to 14, will be Glow in the Dark. This challenge mode will begin as soon as this week's featured one, Hide and Seek: Extreme, ends.
All weekly challenge modes in Phasmophobia
There are 26 challenge modes in Phasmophobia. A different one is available to complete each week, and the challenge order stays exactly the same, so it's easy to know which one is coming next. Here are all of the challenges you may face in Phasmophobia.
Special challenge modes
In addition to the regular challenge modes that rotate in and out on a consistent basis, there are also sometimes special challenge modes that have only ever appeared once and left the rotation afterward. These trials are generally designed for testing out features that are new at the time, like fresh equipment and maps.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:51 AM
Spotify Wrapped started a trend that has now come to one of the biggest apps and websites in the world, used by basically every human being on Earth. Say hello to YouTube Recap!
Similar to Wrapped, YouTube Recap shows off how you used the app throughout 2025, highlighting your trends, top channels, favorite musicians, and more, showcasing just what you were into whether it was scrolling Shorts or sitting down for lengthy deep dives.
Here's how to find your YouTube Recap for 2025.
How to see your 2025 YouTube Recap
To view your YouTube Recap, visit the YouTube Recap page while logged in to the app. YouTube says that it will be available starting on Dec. 2 and is rolling out "to the rest of the world this week."
To navigate to the YouTube Recap page, select the "You" tab on mobile devices or desktop. Once it's ready, it will be readily viewable and you can experience the first-ever Recap by YouTube in all of its glory. If the Recap is not there yet, it's likely still rolling out to you or your region.
"YouTube Recap uniquely highlights interests, deep dives, and moments you explored this year, based on your watch history," the company said. "You'll get a set of up to 12 different cards that spotlight your top channels, interests, and even the evolution of your viewing habits, or which personality type you fall into based on the videos you loved to watch!"
While the wait for a YouTube Recap may have been long, the company says that it's been a labor of love that's taken a lot of time and work to get just right, so the hope is that users will find it fun to navigate and reflect with.
"Recap was made for you, by you," YouTube said. "This is reflected throughout the creation of this feature, with nine rounds of feedback and over 50 different concept testings before we landing on what you see today. After digging into how we all watch YouTube, we didn't just see data — we saw personalities, from the Adventurer or Skill Builder, to the Creative Spirit, and so many more. And here's a fun discovery: the most common personalities were the Sunshiner, the Wonder Seeker, and the Connector, with the Philosopher and the Dreamer ending up as the more elusive and rare personas."
YouTube warned that the feature will not be available in all regions or languages, and that it also isn't available for children or supervised accounts.
If Twitch is more your thing, make sure to check out how to find your 2025 Twitch Recap here.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:29 AM
December is here, which means it's recap season. Spotify Wrapped started the trend years ago, and now basically every app and website does it, too, including Twitch.
If you're a Twitch addict who tunes in to streamers multiple hours per day, you'll likely want to see your Twitch Recap to share your stats and let your favorite broadcasters know that you're one of their top fans. Casual viewers can, of course, also get theirs.
Here's what you need to do to get your Twitch Recap stats for 2025.
How to see your 2025 Twitch Recap
To get your Twitch Recap, head to the official Twitch Recap link here. In it, you will find a slew of information about what you've watched, how you've interacted, and who your top channels are, assuming that you are logged in on the site or app.
At the top of the page, you can toggle between Viewer and Community stats. Viewer stats are your specific numbers, while Community reveals what Twitch viewers as a whole accomplished throughout the year, including popular clips and more.
Individual stats include the number of hours watched (this was a scary one for me, but I had to remind myself I often have Twitch on in the background while I work), distinct days visited (I only took time away for seven days, wow), and your most-watched games/categories. It's a good insight into how you Twitch'd this year, and shows some fun information that's also quite nostalgic for some streamers you may have strayed away from through the long months.
At the bottom of the page, there's a Share button where you can then share your results automatically to social media apps like X/Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit, or you can simply download it to your device. It's totally up to you to share it or not, though, especially considering how comfortable or uncomfortable you may be with letting the world know just how much (and who) you watched in 2025.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:04 AM
The Forsaken Hollows is coming soon to Elden Ring Nightreign, and you will be able to enjoy the new content in the first week of December.
We have known about the content and release date of the DLC for quite some time. This guide will help you keep track of the upcoming launch and when the DLC could potentially go live.
Elden Ring Nightreign The Forsaken Hollows release countdown
The Forsaken Hollows is releasing globally on Dec. 4 across PC and console. Chances of delays are slim, with approximately 48 hours left for launch at the time of writing. The following countdown will expire when the DLC goes live.
The countdown is based on the following timings.
As of writing, the devs haven't announced the hour of the DLC release. The times here are based on when Elden Ring Nightreign was initially released back in May. Back then, there were two launch schedules. While the game followed a regional midnight launch on consoles, the PC release happened at 5pm CST on May 29. I believe that they'll follow the same schedule once again, unless stated otherwise.
If the developers update the exact times ahead of launch, we will update our article. Here's a quick look at what to expect from the upcoming DLC.
There are plenty of smaller items as well that will be part of the DLC. If you own the Digital Deluxe Edition of Elden Ring Nightreign, you'll be automatically entitled to all the contents of the DLC. Otherwise, you can also purchase the DLC separately if you already own the base copy of the game in your library.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:01 AM
Guardian, are you struggling with a lost connection? Here's how to check if the Destiny 2 servers are down or if you're just working with a faulty internet connection.
Destiny 2 periodically gets taken offline for server maintenance so that Bungie can update the game and fix issues. The developer usually communicates well in advance when this is going to happen, but sometimes, there's just a problem with the game.
Here's what you need to know and do to figure out the status of Destiny 2's servers so you can find out when you can get back to grinding for better loot.
How to check the Destiny 2 servers' status
There are three ways to check the server status for Destiny 2. First, you'll want to check the official Bungie website. This will tell you when any new updates will come to the game, along with when the game may be down for maintenance before the servers return. There's a table that gives the exact timing.
If the Destiny 2 outage is unexpected, you'll want to head over to Bungie's official social media accounts, especially @BNGServerStatus on Twitter/X. It details current issues and when they are supposed to be addressed.
For example, in the launch week of Renegades and on the day of its release, the game's servers will be down for approximately seven hours before the new DLC becomes available at 11am CT on Dec. 2.
However, Bungie might not even know that the servers are down sometimes. The last place to check is Down Detector. It's a trusted site where users report server outages. If it says that there are no problems, the issue might be your internet connection.
Possible fixes for connection issues
If the above resources indicate that Destiny 2's servers are fine, there may be an issue with your internet. First, make sure you have your firewalls off. Next, try to reset your router. To do this, take the power cable out for 10 seconds and then reconnect it. You'll need to wait a few minutes for your connection to return.
If you're still having trouble, check to see if you have the latest update installed. If you're on the PS5, click the options button on the main menu's Destiny 2 square. Then, select "Check for Update." If one is available, it should begin to download. Xbox players can use a similar process.
As a rule of thumb, you'll always want the most recent patch for Destiny 2 installed to play the game. The game may be a storage hog, but saving a few gigabytes won't matter if you can't play the game at all.
The post Are Destiny 2 servers down? Destiny 2 server status and how to check it appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:00 AM
Just over seven years since it was first revealed as a Nintendo Switch game, Samus Aran's latest adventure is finally here, with a suped-up Switch 2 version to boot. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the bounty hunter's latest first-person adventure, and it sets a new benchmark for visuals on the new console.
While the experience is pretty enjoyable from beginning to end, it's far from the best Metroid title, and it's not even the best Metroid Prime sub-series game, either. It's still worth your time and attention, however, and is a worthy new entry in the decades-old series.
A new frontier
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels like a fresh start for the franchise, which makes sense since the last title Metroid Prime 3: Corruption launched for the Wii way back in 2007. The gameplay is immediately familiar, which is both a good and bad thing because it remains true to the series, but feels like it lacks the punch that FPS gamers in 2025 are accustomed to.
In Samus's adventure on the mysterious planet Viewros, where she and some Galactic Federation troopers got stranded in a weird teleportation disaster, the game remains true to the franchise's formula. Samus loses her abilities and must work to gain them back, often having to backtrack and return to previous areas to access places she couldn't prior to getting a new ability. It's Metroid, but in first-person.
Unfortunately, the combat gameplay itself feels lackluster in comparison to its other segments. Samus's arm cannon feels like it lacks any sort of impact (some more audio or visual feedback would help), making it feel like you're shooting marshmallows at the variety of flora and fauna across Viewros. The shooting itself feels floaty and unimpactful, and nowhere near how it should feel for a high-powered bounty hunter with a massive blaster on her arm.
The bulk of the game also lacks any real challenge on its base normal difficulty (only Normal and Easy are available from the start), making the standard enemies and battles you do come across feel uneventful and unimportant.
Boss fights, however, are where Metroid Prime 4 shines. Using Samus's powered-up abilities like missiles, a psychic grapple, elemental salvo blasts, and figuring out which skill to use to take big bads down so you can continue on your journey is the best part of the game's FPS combat. These moments are few and far between, though, as you're mostly tasked with dispatching smaller and very non-threatening enemies while traveling between areas and figuring out what to do next.
Thankfully, the combat portions are split up with some trademark light puzzle-solving and a new feature—the open-world exploration in the motorcycle-like VI-O-LA vehicle, which is integral to navigation of Viewros. The large Sol Valley desert acts as a hub when traveling to and from the game's varied locations, and while it doesn't have much to do in it outside of gathering resources or fighting minor enemies while traveling between areas, riding around on the bike is a blast.
Samus also uses her newfound psychic abilities in combination with her combat visor to scan anything and everything in the environment to learn more about her surroundings, use telekinesis-like abilities, and unlock new skills that the bounty hunter normally wouldn't be able to utilize.
In spite of its myriad faults, the game is still very fun to play, and I enjoyed my 11.5 hours with it on my first playthrough. It's a gorgeous Switch 2 title, and it runs flawlessly in docked (4K/60 FPS or 1080p/120 FPS) or handheld (1080p/60 FPS or 720p/120 FPS) modes, making it feel like joyous eye candy throughout.
Exploration and discovery, puzzle elements, and boss battles save the day from the monotonous gameplay moments in-between, where there's nary a challenge to be had until Hard Mode is unlocked upon first completion. Before the final boss battle, I died just two or three times in my playthrough, which is likely meant to be an accessibility thing more than anything else, but it still left me feeling wanting when it comes to keeping the shooter gameplay engaging, especially since you can't increase the difficulty until you finish the game once.
In that same vein, there are multiple control schemes to play with, including JoyCon mouse controls and Wii-like gyroscopic aiming. Both are decent options that provide unique opportunities in play style, but I still found the classic Pro Controller to be my favorite method.
Mystery vs. history
In Beyond, the story events have very little connection to previous games in the series, which makes it accessible to newcomers and also feels like an entirely new arc. Samus plays the silent protagonist yet again, and the villainous Sylux (returning from the spin-off game Metroid Prime: Hunters on the Nintendo DS) shows up with Metroids in tow, but he's a vastly underutilized presence throughout the game's story after being the catalyst of its events.
The bulk of Metroid Prime 4 feels like a setup for a new trilogy, with the focus taken off Samus and Sylux and put instead on the mysterious ancient Lamorn alien race and Galactic Federation troopers Samus meets along the way. This makes the narrative quite hit-or-miss.
Unraveling the mystery of the Lamorn and what happened on Viewros is the story's main pull. Samus has been designated as their "Chosen One" to help spread their knowledge and history throughout the cosmos, and reading lore entries found throughout the world helps unravel the backstory of what happened to the Lamorn. The last remaining members of the race have gifted Samus with their psychic abilities so that she can carry out their will, and she does so with little resistance.
Several Galactic Federation troopers are spread around Viewros, and Samus meets up with them on her adventure. They begin to gather at a central base of sorts as they figure out how to get back home. The characters are pretty stereotypical soldier types—the nerdy engineer, the grizzled veteran, the wide-eyed rookie, etc.—but they each bring some levity and humanity to Samus's stoic silence. They help out with upgrading Samus's suit and abilities and eventually form a team to save the day together, and I found them to be a nice addition to the game overall.
They do, however, have a nasty habit of backseat gaming and spelling things out for you before you even have time to figure things out on your own. This was a worry of some after a preview event in early November that I also attended, and it ended up being justified. Whether you're in combat missions with them or they're chiming in with support over radio comms (thankfully, a rare occurrence), they can't help but spell things out for you if you take too long trying to discern it for yourself.
When the game's events come to an abrupt end, you're left with the choice of starting New Game Plus and resetting all of your Scan and Item progress, which is unfortunate because unlocking a major flashback cutscene in the gallery requires 100 percent completion (or a $30 Amiibo). The point of no return is quite obvious, though, so if you want to get everything the game has to offer, make sure to scan every single thing you come across and gather every power-up item it before heading to the end mission.
There's a memorable part in the game where Samus first meets one of her NPC cohorts, who asks her to identify herself. She then steps into the light, and they know immediately who she is. She's a legend. Her reputation precedes her. She is that girl. That's kind of how Metroid Prime 4 feels, in a way. Samus shows up and does badass stuff without saying a word, and that's enough to make the experience worth it.
But sadly, I can't help but feel like it could have been so much more, even if the game is meant to be a bit of a cliffhanger experience and jumping-off point for whatever comes next.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:35 AM
Joga Bonito promo is coming to FC 26 after confirmation from EA Sports, and we should be able to enjoy the new set of cards pretty soon.
Unlike the ongoing Thunderstruck campaign, Joga Bonito is a fresh addition. So far, EA Sports has only teased the promo, but a few leaks have already surfaced. The upcoming promo could be a fantastic addition for those who are looking for something fresh in Ultimate Team.
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FC 26 Joga Bonito players (leaks)
With a name like Joga Bonito, the promo will be heavily influenced by "The Beautiful Game" adage. The promo is unlikely to stick exclusively to Brazilian cards. Instead, expect to find footballers who were renowned for their skill and flair on the pitch.
Here's a list of all the players that have either been leaked on social media or teased by EA Sports.
The Joga Bonito promo will have two types of special cards - active footballers and Heroes. I am sure that we will have more leaks closer to the release date. Some of the new cards will be available via objectives and SBCs, and you can obtain them without having to rely on your luck.
FC 26 Joga Bonito release countdown
The Joga Bonito promo will directly replace the ongoing Thunderstruck promo, and it will go live on Friday, Dec. 5. With Joga Bonito, EA Sports will be going back to the usual release timings of 12pm CT. The following countdown will expire once the promo goes live.
The countdown is based on the following timings.
Expect to find new objectives and SBCs on launch night, which will allow you to get more promo cards outside of packs.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:22 AM
Renegades is here, and guardians all over Sol will look for the best builds to use in the campaign, especially on Legendary difficulty. There's no shortage of choices, given how powerful the Guardian has become.
Whether you're a Hunter, Warlock, or Titan, we've listed six of the best builds to use during the Legendary version of the story—two for each class—so you can enter the Lawless Frontier and take on Dredgen Bael. These builds can work well either solo or as a team, but they don't necessarily rely on supporting allies.
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Warlock: Getaway Artist + Hellion or Bleak Watcher (Prismatic)
The combination of Getaway Artist with Prismatic has trivialized a lot of content since The Final Shape, and the Renegades campaign is bound to feature in that list as well. It may not be the most exciting gameplay, but it's certainly effective. It's no wonder it's one of the best Warlock builds in Destiny 2's Renegades expansion.
With Getaway Artist, consuming your Arc grenade summons an Arc Soul to aid you in battle. The classic version of this build runs Bleak Watcher to generate a Stasis turret whenever you eat your grenade, creating the little icy construct at your feet.
For a change of pace, go with Hellion, granting you two auto-aiming buddies at once. Hellion doesn't consume your grenade but scales off grenade damage, so you can use your class ability to trigger Devour if your other abilities aren't charged. Plunderthabooty's build ditches Feed the Void in favor of Weaver's Call and Facet of Mending, which also works surprisingly well (and that's the version we're bringing into Renegades).
Runner-up: Contraverse Hold + Grenades (Void)
Contraverse Hold got an important buff at the tail end of The Edge of Fate's life cycle, just in time to make waves in the Renegades campaign. This is another excellent build with a lot of sustain, but it's not entirely the most thrilling gameplay.
Contraverse works with any of the Void grenades, so pick whichever you prefer. In our experience, Scatter and Axion Bolt had better results, though you can do well with any of the rest—including Handheld Supernova with Magnetic grenades, which grants you a point-blank pellet spread but limits your effective engagement range.
The Exotic returns energy on hits, which is handy on abilities like Axion or Scatter, so you don't always need a kill. Devour does a lot of the heavy lifting, though, especially regarding sustain.
Titan: Hammer Throw + Synthoceps or Wormgod's Caress (Solar)
It's no wonder Solar Titan is an institution in Destiny 2, and it's only gotten better after Solar 3.0. A Titan with Hammer Throw is our favorite build to run in Renegades because of how simple and effective it is. It has a ton of built-in sustain, especially if you take a Healing Grenade, and few things come close to bonking an enemy to death. Sol Invictus and Roaring Flames will take care of your needs.
Like most melee builds for Titan, the most common options are Synthoceps or Wormgod Caress, but Melas Panoplia and even Heart of Inmost Light can work. If you're still struggling to stay alive, Loreley Splendor is worth a try—especially now that fashion is no longer an excuse.
Runner-up: Consecration + Stoicism (Prismatic)
Consecration was Titans' deadliest weapon in The Final Shape, and the promise of pure explosion spam can be hard to resist. This staple of Prismatic uses Frenzied Blade to gain three charges of the Solar aspect, plus Transcendence to overdrive your offensive and defensive capabilities. It was the meta before Renegades, and it will be among the best builds for this expansion.
There isn't much to change with your build: Prismatic Titan's kit lacks cohesion, so the only aspect that benefits Consecration and provides sustain is Knockout. Diamond Lance might work, though it's hardly our favorite pick. The goal is to spam Consecration until you build Transcendence, then unleash it to spam Consecration even harder. That's why Esoterickk uses Glacier Grenades in his Kell's Fall run, where we borrowed this build.
Hunter: Gifted Conviction + Ascension and Tempest Strike ("The Gardener")
This build by Guardian Caydeson1 appeared in an Aztecross video, showcasing one of the most hectic Hunter builds going into Renegades. It uses Tempest Strike to deal damage, Ascension as a combo option, and Gambler's Dodge to wrap up the entire loop.
This means you use one Tempest Strike to recharge your class ability thanks to Combination Blow, then use Ascension near enemies to trigger Gambler's Dodge and get your melee back while spawning jolting submunitions above them. It's simple, it's fast, and it's certainly effective. Caydeson1 recommends getting Melee to 130, Class to 150, and slotting the rest in Health.
Runner-up: Shadowshot + Exotics (Void)
Hunters went under the knife for a balancing pass in Renegades and came back with a cornucopia of buffs. Void in particular emerged with huge tweaks to Shadowshot. With Moebius Quiver, dealing damage vastly increases your Super's power. Not only that, it also boosts the attack power of bows while active, and it's probably not a coincidence that Leviathan's Breath—an Exotic heavy Void bow that packs a punch—fits right into that interaction.
There are a myriad of Exotics you can use with Void Hunter. Content creator Llama has a build with Graviton Forfeit (the helmet, not the weapons), while Plunderthabooty and YouTuber RestAssured brought Khepri's Sting to the mix. Omnioculus is also viable if you plan to play a supporting role in the campaign. We recommend Khepri, however, especially with Plunder's build.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 8:34 AM
The Caspian Explorer update is now live across all platforms in Elite Dangerous, and it introduces the brand new exploration ship from Zorgon Peterson, along with a host of gameplay update features.
The highlight of this quest is the brand new Caspian Explorer that you can get using Arx. There are three variants available for you to choose from, based on your budget. There are also plenty of gameplay changes to explore.
Complete Elite Dangerous Caspian Explorer update patch notes
The Caspian Explorer is a massive ship from Zorgon Peterson that comes in three pre-built variants.
Here are some of the impressive features that you'll find on the sheep.
Further adjustments have been made to the movement and speed of NPCs.
Suits and weapons have also been tweaked to make their gameplay feel more balanced under all situations.
The Caspian Explorer update also introduces markers that will be placed on the galaxy map over rival systems.
There are plenty of additional changes and bug fixes that you can read from the full patch notes.
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 2, 2025 8:03 AM
Unsurprisingly, Amazon is now streaming anime with AI dubs. I feared AI voice acting could prove catastrophic, for it can more sneakily replace human performances than, say, a dead-eyed humanoid screen actor straight out of uncanny valley. Luckily, my fears were unfounded.
The first anime streaming on Amazon to get caught using AI voice acting was Banana Fish, a popular series among the LGBTQ+ community that features beautiful animation, and that, at some point, featured some actual great voice acting made by humans. Nowadays, however, it sounds like this:
If you've been to LinkedIn once, you certainly have already been assaulted by some post claiming that making a short animated film will cost you $100,000, whereas making AI animation via Sora will only cost you 4 dollars and the brain mass that'll rot out when you witness the final result. If the claim is true, Amazon's decision to overdub an already good dub has set them back an inexplicable $100,004. That should sound beautiful to anyone, but especially for gamers who grew up in the '00s, as they'll likely see the bar scene above and immediately reminisce about the beautiful scene from Shenmue below, where protagonist Ryo Hazuki goes around asking bartenders about some sailors in the most monotone tone you've ever witnessed, prompting the bartenders to reply in the most awkward tones imaginable.
In case you're new, you might be wondering why I'm showing you a video from a game seemingly so low-budget its production couldn't even afford actual actors. But they did hire "actors" and pay for voice work; it's just that Shenmue came out when people were starting to pay attention to voice acting in games, so it sticks out in comparison to the remainder of the game. If you want some truly terrifying voice acting, something so bad it'll remind you of Amazon's AI dubs even when both properties share no themes or aesthetics, then what you want is House of the Dead 2.
Shenmue was actually the most expensive game of all time back when it released, and it paid extreme attention to all manner of non-voice-related details. Shenmue was so costly that for it to turn a profit, every Dreamcast owner would have had to buy two copies. I wonder if that's yet another parallel Amazon definitely wouldn't want us to draw with their beautiful emerging tech.
The Amazon AI dubs are such a blessing that they even made me miss bad acting in anime, and sent me down a rabbit hole of re-searching for all the worst anime dubs I could remember.
... and they're still better than what Amazon just pulled off. In fact, most crappy low-end YouTube channels featuring AI narration do a better job than Amazon, so Bezos, please step up your game.
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