Kotaku Saturday, February 28, 2026 4:21 PM  Fans can reasonably disagree but here's my advice |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, February 28, 2026 5:55 PM  I've had my eye on Mightreya since long before it had its name, when it was just clips of a somewhat generic anime girl doing sick tricks and beatdowns in levels without assets. But now it looks like a genuine (the -uine pronounced like wine, so you've got the right intonation) action video game, with a slightly less generic looking anime girl continuing to do sick tricks and beatdowns, albeit with a bit more context. And you can even try it out for yourself now with a new demo! Which I did and will tell you about thusly. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, February 28, 2026 4:57 PM  When I first wrote about Hypnos upon its announcement last month, I noted how I don't really know what you do in it. The trailer was entirely about The Vibes, but that was enough for my mechanically minimalist loving heart. I've now had a go at the demo, and to tell you the truth, I'm still not entirely sure what you do, and I couldn't give a monkeys because oh me oh my, what a pretty world it does contain. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, February 28, 2026 4:11 PM  A few years ago, it's entirely possible that Highguard isn't the current talk of a town called Didn't Work. But now, when everyone wants a piece of the live service pie, it's not so easy to come in and claim some for yourself. We could spend an eternity figuring out what went wrong, but perhaps the words of former senior level designer on the shooter Alex Graner will provide a particular insight that the comment section of an annoying YouTuber won't. |
Destructoid Saturday, February 28, 2026 6:43 PM
The Equitable Distribution 1 contract is a priority quest for the Traxus faction in Marathon, and the main task revolves around finding a self-erasing Data Drive from the second floor of Hauler.
This contract takes place on the Perimeter map, and there are two tasks to complete. This guide will help you to complete both tasks as quickly as possible. If you don't want to take additional risk, I recommend using a sponsored loadout.
Marathon Equitable Distribution 1 walkthrough
The Equitable Distribution 1 contract can be broken down into the following tasks.
The harder part of this contract is to complete the first task. The game doesn't explicitly tell you where you need to go. The Hauler is both a named location and a gigantic rig that can't move. The location can be slightly confusing (where the data drive is located), so I have marked it on the image above.
The data drive can be found inside the server room, which is on the second floor of the Hauler. Once you locate the rig, enter through one of the entrances and take the stairs upstairs. There are different entrances, but the stairs appear to be the same.
Once you're on the second floor of the Hauler, a quest marker will pop up. Follow the marker, and you'll reach the server room where you can then find the data drive. Interact with the servers to pick up the self-erasing data drive.
The next part of the contract is to deliver the same drive to a DCON within five minutes. If you fail the countdown, the contract will fail, and you'll need to complete it on a fresh run. The exact location of the DCON will differ, but I have marked multiple ones on the image below.
Finding a DCON is relatively easy since they're marked by an icon that looks like a chest (don't mix it up with treasure). Go to the one that's closest to the Hauler (and pops up for you), and add the data drive to the DCON's inventory. If you're unsure about how to use the DCON, here's a detailed guide.
Once the second task is done, you'll complete Equitable Distribution 1 and proceed to the next one. You'll find some really hard tasks along this series, which includes finding the details of a UESC Commander to take him down.
The post How to complete Equitable Distribution 1 in Marathon – Self-erasing Data Drive location appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Saturday, February 28, 2026 5:39 PM
The Equitable Distribution 3/4 contract in Marathon is a slightly trick quest to complete, and the second task involves delivering Unstable Gunmetal resources to DCON.
This task combines some of the basics that you'll need to master in Marathon. Unstable Gunmetal is a random resource that you can find on your run. However, the DCON is located at specific locations. Let's look at how you can complete this task and complete the Equitable Distribution 3/4 contract.
Table of contents
How to find Unstable Gunmetal in Marathon
As I said earlier, the Unstable Gunmetal is a relatively common item, but it doesn't have a fixed location. You can typically find it within containers and boxes while searching different locations on your run. You'll need seven of them (keep note if you're getting more than one at a specific spot).
Once you find them, add the items to your backpack and keep repeating the method until you have seven. You can then proceed towards finding the DCON on the Perimeter map to deliver the Unstable Gunmetal.
How to deliver Unstable Gunmetal in Marathon
The first task is to locate the DCON. Typically, I prefer going east from the Station POI, where the DCON is located on the roof of a building. I have marked the spot in the image below to help you find the spot.
Once you arrive, take a ladder to reach the DCON, which appears like a box. Open the box, and add seven Unstable Gunmetal to its inventory. Then interact with the DCON once again to complete the task and finish the contract.
Doing so gets you extra Rep to rank up the Traxus faction, and you can unlock more rewards and upgrades for your builds.
The post How to complete deliver Unstable Gunmetal to DCON in Perimeter in Marathon appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Saturday, February 28, 2026 4:20 PM
Marathon's map and environment are more than just a battlefield for you and other players to duke it out. They are reactive, hostile, and filled with various activities that could help you get better loot, raise your awareness, give you vital information, or speed up your experience gain.
One such interactive point of interest is the Target Acquisition Device, better known as TAD, a beacon that can provide invaluable info about your surroundings.
They are also tied to several contracts across the different Marathon factions, so here is how you can find and use them.
TAD locations in Marathon
TADs are antenna-like beacons that spawn randomly on top of several buildings across Marathon's maps. There are at least three of them on Perimeter, the first map you'll have unlocked in the game.
Perimeter is our go-to map for finding these beacons, as the map itself is much less hostile than Dire Marsh, and the TAD spawns are much more consistent.
So far, we have been able to discover them at the following locations:
There could be more on Perimeter, and naturally more on Dire Marsh. However, it would appear that TAD spawns are random and not guaranteed, meaning they could appear at various locations, making exact pinpoints tremendously more challenging to pull off. As we come across more of these antennas, we'll update the list above.
Target Acquisition Devices (TADs) can be interacted with by approaching them and holding the relevant "Use" button on your device. Once the animation completes, the TAD will start pulsating, revealing enemies in your vicinity, including both AI and actual players. This can be of immense value, especially if a TAD is used in a particularly hostile area, such as the South Relay, where robots tend to spawn and call in reinforcements.
Players also tend to frequent that area due to its loot, so the TAD can come in clutch and help you spot enemies before they are even aware of your presence.
TADs are also necessary for several contracts in the game, and the Traxus faction offers an upgrade to make TADs spot enemies from farther away.
The post How to find and use Target Acquisition Devices (TADs) in Marathon appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Saturday, February 28, 2026 3:51 PM
Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline entry in the series, significantly expanding its lore and finally giving us a chance to take control of Leon Kennedy more than a decade after his last appearance as a protagonist.
It is a wild ride, going from haunted hotels to disturbing asylums to the return to Raccoon City, now ruined and desolate. It's also not that long, which is completely fine for a game of this type.
So, if you were wondering how much of a time investment RE9 would be, here's everything you need to know.
Everything you need to know about Resident Evil Requiem's length
Resident Evil Requiem is a game that takes about 10 hours to beat on average, but this depends on several factors, chiefly the mode you choose to play.
If you are someone who does not want to be challenged much and just wishes to experience the incredible (and very, very strange) story of RE9, then the Casual Mode will see you sinking some eight hours into the game, if not less.
A lot of my hours went on challenging every single enemy to fight me, and with every zombie needing several bullets to the head (which quickly run dry), that took up quite some time.
For regular players, the Standard (Modern) Mode will see you spending the 10 hours mentioned above. This includes the campaign and some bonus content, which you run into here and there, such as collectibles and files and so on.
Those who go for Standard (Classic) Mode will see that increased by about a couple of hours, bringing the campaign length to about 11-12 hours on average. This is because you need Ink Ribbons to save, making each death or mistake potentially very costly. Things have to be taken much more slowly, much like they would be in older RE titles.
As our Scott Duwe indicates, completionists might be looking at 20 hours or more to clear every single part of the game. This could also require multiple playthroughs, bringing your total playtime well over a couple dozen.
At the end of the day, the average player could be looking at some nine or 10 hours on average to beat the game's main story, without much heed paid to additional content. RE9 is yet to receive a DLC, which will certainly increase the completion times.
The post How long is Resident Evil Requiem? RE9 story length, explained appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Saturday, February 28, 2026 3:51 PM
Resident Evil Requiem's progression is strange and much different from most games out there. Some early progression beats, including those that unlock various crucial crafting recipes for you, are hidden behind collectible items called Blood Specimens that come in several variants.
Blood Specimen (Converged) gives you the recipe to craft Requiem ammo, i.e., bullets for that massive revolver that Leon hands to Grace during the initial moments of the Care Center level.
So, here's how you can find and analyze it to get access to that vital recipe.
Blood Specimen (Converged) location and analyzer puzzle solution
The Blood Specimen (Converged) is located in a closet, accessed by opening the ID-locked door in the Waiting Room. You'll have to go up the stairs and get the Level One ID wristband from a corpse on the floor to the right of the Lead Researcher's Office.
The massive Chunk enemy will spawn once you approach the corpse, so you will have to run down the stairs and into the Waiting Room itself to bait it into walking down the hallway and then sprint back up to get the wristband. Chunk won't come back up, but will start patrolling the hallways and areas around the Waiting Room itself.
Once you have the ID, you can open the door and get to the closet to find the Blood Specimen. Keep in mind that several enemies spawn in the Waiting Room, with one particularly quick one scratching the floor just in front of the room you want to go into. Killing enemies in this area makes them not spawn anymore, and since you'll have to walk through it several times more down the line, I'd advise you do so.
With the Blood Specimen in hand, go back through the Waiting Room into the East Wing Lobby to unlock the shortcut, then through the Treatment and Examination Rooms, and again down the hallway into the Blood Lab.
There, you can insert the Blood Specimen into the Laser Microscope. To solve the puzzle, click the middle box on the far left first and then the second box from the right.
Once you've done so, you will have unlocked Requiem bullets.
Other puzzles, such as safe code combinations or story-crucial combinations, can pose a significant barrier to some players, but our guides should have you covered.
The post How to find and analyze Blood Specimen (Converged) in Resident Evil Requiem appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Saturday, February 28, 2026 3:47 PM
The Pokémon Go Tour: Kalos Global event is now available across all regions of the world, and the next two days will be exciting times for all. The special event is the global version of the tours that have been taking place throughout February, allowing everyone to join the fun.
With the event already underway, let's quickly look at all the event bonuses, spawns, and everything you need to know to make the most out of the tour.
Table of contents
All Pokémon Go Tour: Kalos Global event bonuses
As part of the special, several bonuses are now active.
If you choose to shell out $9.99 for the ticket, you get the following advantages as well.
All Pokémon Go Tour: Kalos Global rotations
The latest Pokémon Go Tour will have three rotations. Each rotation will have two windows of an hour each, but that won't be applicable between 1-2pm and 5-6pm. During this hour, Pokémon from all three habitats (rotations) will spawn. All timings are according to local time zones.
Central Village (10-11am, 2-3pm)
Coastal Laboratory (12-1pm, 4-5pm)
Mountain Manor (11am-12pm, 3-4pm)
All Pokémon Go Tour: Kalos Global Raids
There will be plenty of Mega Raids and Super Mega Raids taking place over the course of the weekend.
Once the clock goes past 6pm, legendaries from the Road to Kalos event will reappear as Raids.
All Pokémon Go Tour: Kalos Global egg hatches
Eggs hatched during the Go Tour will feature one of the Pokémon listed in the table below. If you manage to hatch a 10km egg, it will feature a guaranteed Regional, allowing you to collect something rare.
From all the Pokémon available as hatches from 10km eggs, Kangaskhan and Heracross have a chance to spawn as Mega Raids.
The post Pokémon Go Tour: Kalos global event habitats, spawns, bonuses, and more appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Saturday, February 28, 2026 3:46 PM
Marathon's server slam has captivated me more than I would want to admit. Since I was one of its main critics, I have to admit that it could genuinely become a great game. With an art style like this, it's surely earned its place among the greats, but one crucial problem persists and is sure to alienate a good chunk of players: the lack of clarity.
When I first booted up Marathon a couple of days ago to participate in the server slam, I had no idea what to expect. I had criticized the game in the past, was wary of its corporate spiels, and was well aware of its turbulent development cycle, during which multiple directors and other executives either left or were let go from Bungie. None of that told a good story or signaled to me that Bungie did, in fact, make something worth my while.
And that turned out to be dead wrong.
Marathon is an exceptionally good-looking game. In fact, I would go on record to say that it's probably one of the most stylish games out there. I know I recently said that about Deadlock as well, but please be aware that I am super weak for any sort of metaphysical sci-fi or cyberpunk world, and the one Bungie has crafted here is certainly among the most pleasing to the eye. I mean, just look at this image below of the ARACHNE corporation and tell me it isn't pure aura.
Each of the factions in the game has these ads that play from time to time, and they're simply amazing through and through. The companies are also recognizable, with unique styles and logos, as well as representatives who are all weird enough in their own way to be set apart from all the others. In short, the worldbuilding and art direction side of things is as good as it gets.
However, though every aspect of Marathon's setting and backdrop is fleshed out, unique, and recognizable, the actual gameplay suffers from a debilitating lack of clarity, muddying each and every match because you never know what is happening on your screen.
As soon as the server slam launched, people (our staff included) started criticizing the game's confusing and rather overwhelming UI. And sure, this side can be quite nebulous. The overloaded colors, abstract shapes, and icons packed within a poorly navigable HUD can produce significant levels of disorientation, causing players to spend much more time looking for things than they'd otherwise want to.
Compare this to ARC Raiders, where each item can easily be identified, and all UI elements are clear and concise.
And that is only the beginning of Marathon's unclear nature.
Once you do get past the UI and start actually learning what is what and where it can be found, you end up with an entirely new problem: enemies. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've run into AI robots or other players and didn't know which was which.
My friends would be yelling "Players! Players!" into the microphone because they just got ambushed by a robot that can turn invisible in the same way one of the heroes can, leading us to invest many more resources and care into fighting a PVE battle, thinking we were just beset by another crew.
And the inverse is true: I'd attack a group of runners thinking they were AI, only to see them get downed and realize they're in fact actual human beings.
This sort of character design makes the entire match feel unclear, and you never know who it is that you're trying to fight. Only a handful of smaller, weaker enemies stand out enough to immediately signal to you that they're not actual people, while most of the other enemies and characters in the game are just too generic (or rather, too similar to each other).
On top of that, playing the game and completing contracts can sometimes lead to more confusion. Your assignments and missions, when not clearly labeled, can easily blend into the environment. Everything looks sort of the same and similar, and it becomes hard to identify unique locations by their looks, leading to your referring to the map almost all the time.
In ARC Raiders, one visit to any sublocation on any of the maps immediately ingrains that place into my mind. I don't have to look at my map to know where it is and what it looks like.
Power Generation Complex is in stark contrast to Water Treatment, which, in turn, is strikingly different from the Red Lakes.
In Marathon, at least on its Perimeter map, the Southern Relay doesn't really mean much to me, as contrasting it to Station or most of the other above-ground locations is rather challenging to do.
At the end of the day, these issues can be fixed. UI comes last in development more often than not and is never "final" prior to full release. Color-coding and touching up certain areas could help them stand out more, and characters can also be refreshed with minor changes that let them easily stick out, especially when it comes to AI and actual player models.
March 5 is rather soon, though, so let's hope Bungie manages to give the game that extra care it needs to truly become something to remember.
The post Marathon has a clarity issue—and it's not just the UI appeared first on Destructoid. |
