Wildermyth is an incredible procedurally generated RPG that leads players through a series of narrative quests. As you build bases, battle foes, and learn more about the world, you’re able to build up your cast with new decisions and sacrifices. A hero might die, marry another party member and have children, or turn into an increasingly feral beast. It’s a tremendously cozy, satisfying RPG experience.
Wildermyth has a core campaign, and additional adventurers that introduce new stories and new enemy factions. The game’s first DLC pack was focused around new cosmetic skins and armors for heroes, whereas the upcoming Omenroad expansion includes a roguelike-style challenge mode and a new story campaign called Walk in the Unlight. While Omenroad brings lots of new bosses and challenging fights, it also represents an end to development for Wildermyth. Worldwalker Games announced the conclusion on May 29 on the game’s official X account.
“We will continue to support the game and fix critical bugs, but don’t expect new content going forward,” co-owner Nate Austin wrote. “We will be saying farewell to many of our team members. Worldwalker Games is going into hibernation for now.”
Austin clarifies that the team still intends to port Wildermyth to other platforms, and the hibernation does not affect that “in any way.” He also commits to continuing a Kickstarter that will record the game’s music live and integrate it into the game, French and Spanish translations for Omenroad, and to maintain the game’s Discord, wiki, support email, merch store, and social media.
“Wildermyth has been wonderful, but nothing goes on forever,” wrote Austin. “We wanted to ship Omenroad, and having done that, we’re ready to move on. This was the plan, and it doesn’t have anything to do with how well Omenroad is doing. (It’s doing well! We’re extremely proud of it.)”
He added, “I’m pretty sure we’ll eventually find something else to pour our passion into, and we’ll let you know about it when the time comes.”
It’s sad to see an end to Wildermyth, which has become one of my staples when I want to play a narrative RPG adventure. But it’s also a tremendous game, and it’s good to see the studio end on a high note and walk away from the project of their own choice. While we may never see another title from the Worldwalker team, I’ll treasure Wildermyth and the stories it effortlessly spins for years to come.
Archie returns to Destiny 2 with a trip to the Neomuna following the May 28, 2024, weekly reset.
This is the final step in a series of “Where in the System is Archie” quests in the wake of the Into the Light update — which have been staggered out week-by-week in the lead up to The Final Shape.
Note this quest expires on the June 3weekly reset — a full day before The Final Shape launches on June 4. This is because Bungie will take Destiny 2 down for 24 hours ahead of the expansion.
Remember, provided you complete any Archie quest before the arrival of The Final Shape, you’ll get your hands on the Blue Steel shader, while the lore for all Archie quests will be available from June 4 on.
How to start ‘Where in Neomuna is Archie?’ in Destiny 2
To start the final “Where is Archie” quest, head to the Tower’s Annex and find the paw prints.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
You can reach this location by using the southwest-most fast travel point, then traveling straight ahead down the corridor. The paw prints will appear on the ledge to your right.
Investigate the prints and go talk to Ada-1 (found in the Annex proper opposite) to start the latest quest.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Now, head to Neomuna, and speak to Nimbus at Strider’s Gate. Once done, the search begins.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
All Archie Neomuna locations
Here is where to find Archie in Neomuna, clue-by-clue.
‘Archie stopped by Nimbus’ post hoping to snap an action figure’ location
Image: Bungie via Polygon
This clue refers to Nimbus’s gym room, which is also where you place all the action figure collectibles on Neomuna.
From Nimbus, jump directly down and to the right, off the platform. The building will be right in front of you. Go inside and you’ll find Archie’s footprints between the coffee tables.
Now you’re in for quite a journey to visit the Veil.
‘Archie wanted to get caught up on everything we know about the Veil’ location
This clue refers to the Veil Containment and Irkalla Complex areas, which are the two southeastern-most points on the Neomuna map.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
To reach this place, you can’t just launch Veil Containment, as you’ll need to be outside. Instead, you need to go through the Zephyr Concourse and then the ESI Terminal. Keep left the entire way there and you’ll eventually find a portal, which will take you to the Veil Containment area.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Continue up to the door, where you’ll be attacked by a bunch of Cabal and a Tormentor. Kill everything, including the Tormentor, and return to the door. You’ll find Archie’s footprints just outside of the door to the Veil.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Now you’ll need to go on another long walk near Liming Harbor.
‘Archie wanted to check out the views from where Guardians mastered Strand’ location
This clue refers to Maya’s Rest, which is the sandy area to the east of Liming Harbor.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Land at Liming Harbor and take the path east through the rocks. This is basically a straight shot to Maya’s Retreat, but it takes a bit to get there. Continue on until you reach the sandy area.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
You’ll have to kill a lot of Cabal here, including a Colossus boss. Once you kill the boss, all of the other enemies will disappear and you’ll be able to collect the footprints, which are overlooking the city.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Mercifully, Archie’s final stop is a much shorter run.
‘Archie’s last stop. Archie wanted to try and win a prize for you’ location
This final clue refers to the Thrilladrome Lost Sector in Liming Harbor.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Land in Liming and make your way north to the Lost Sector entrance. Walk inside and just do the normal version — as-in don’t launch the Legend or Master version if they’re available — and eventually you’ll find Archie waiting by a claw machine. Do not go through the Vex portal at the end. If you do, you’ll miss Archie, who is to the right of the portal.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Go give him some pets and you’ll finish the exploration portion of the quest. Now it’s time to head back to Ada-1 in the Tower. She’ll give you an Archie Plush Toy and 10 Trophy of Bravery tokens — useful for getting more Brave weapons. Whether you keep the plush is up to you. Archie will be sad if you don’t!
Image: Bungie via Polygon
The Archie quests will disappear entirely with the weekly reset of June 3, so this is your final chance to find Archie.
You’ll find hidden stone faces scattered throughout Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Finding these collectibles — and focusing on them — will open a new path leading to a tree containing a bit of lore.
Our Hellblade 2 guide will show you where to find all 17 hidden faces in Senua’s Saga. We’ll break them down by chapter below. When you open the Chapters screen, you’ll be able to select a subsection of each chapter. We’ll also note which subsection the hidden stone faces appear in if you want to go back and find any you missed.
Hidden faces rewards in Hellblade 2
Each hidden face you find will reveal a secret path when you focus on it. Down that path, you’ll find a small tree — a version of Yggdrasil. Focusing on the tree will give you a snippet of lore.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
Finding all 17 hidden stone faces will earn you the “Glimpses of the Gods” achievement. It’ll also unlock a new section in the Extras menu — Landdisasteinar Stories — where you can listen to the stories again.
Chapter 1: Reykjanesta hidden faces
There are no stone faces in chapter 1, “Reykjanesta.”
Chapter 2: Freyslaug hidden faces
There are two stone faces to find in chapter 2, “Freyslaug.” There is one during “Return Home” and one during “Meeting the Stranger.”
Return Home stone face location
After you solve the first rune puzzle, the “Return Home” section starts with Senua’s memory of home. After you find her mirror and learn to fight with it, you come back to the real(er) world.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
You’ll cross a gruesomely decorated bridge to more of the village and have to pass through a house with a man hanging from a hook inside.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
When you get back outside, continue along the path until you reach the torch you see ahead of you.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The first stone face is impossible to miss — you have to focus on it to open the path.
Meeting the Stranger stone face location
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
After you rescue Fargrimr from the draugar, he’ll lead you away from the village. Not far into your walk, you’ll come to a broken bridge.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
When you reach it, look to the left. You’ll spot the next hidden face along an outcropping of rock there.
Chapter 3: Raudholar hidden faces
There are five stone faces to find in chapter 3, “Raudholar.” There are two during “Red Hills” and three during “On the Hill.”
Red Hills stone face location 1
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
Not long into your walk with both Fargrimr and Thorgestr, you’ll walk down a hill while Fargrimr starts to tell you about his village. You’ll come to the ruins of a few scattered buildings.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
Take a right as soon as you enter the clearing. There’s a path there that will lead back and to the right.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
It will bring you to a small, circular clearing. Look to the left to find the next stone face.
Red Hills stone face location 2
In the same area, go back to the main path. This time, head to the left.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
Walk away from the main path again, and you’ll pass what’s left of a house. Keep walking straight back from that house to find the next hidden face.
On the Hill stone face location 1
After your trip through the dark and horror-filled forest, you’ll have another conversation with Fargrimr. He’ll set you on your trip to finding the hiddenfolk.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The path with lead you through a shallow puddle. Just past that, watch for the path to split.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
Take the left fork, and you’ll be looking directly at the next hidden face.
On the Hill stone face location 2
After you complete the first of the hiddenfolk’s puzzles, head through the gate you just opened.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
On your way up the hill, just a little past the first puzzle, you’ll spot the next stone face in the stones on your right.
On the Hill stone face location 3
After the second hiddenfolk puzzle, pass through the gate. The path will lead you up and then down a hill, and you’ll have to drop off a pair of ledges.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
In the next clearing, the main path goes off to the left and past another shallow puddle. Over on the right side, look for another pair of ledges to climb.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
At the top, the next stone face will be immediately next to you on the right.
Chapter 4: Huldufolk hidden faces
There are four stone faces to find in chapter 4, “Huldufolk.” There are three during “Enter the Caves” and one during “Act of Sacrifice.”
Enter the Caves stone face location 1
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
When you enter the caves at the beginning of “Enter the Caves,” you’ll squeeze through a narrow passage and then drop off a ledge. Just past that, you’ll have to crouch through a small doorway.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
As you pass through, keep an eye on your left to find the next stone face in the wall.
Enter the Caves stone face location 2
Continue along and you’ll find the first brazier. Lighting that one reveals a ramp up to the main path. Keep following it through the tunnels until you reach the second, already-lit brazier.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
When you loop around to the right to reach the brazier and extinguish it, it’ll reveal the doorway to the next section. Instead of dropping down, turn around. The next hidden face was, well, hidden behind a section of rock that you passed on your way.
Enter the Caves stone face location 3
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
Just past that second brazier, you’ll come to a hole in the floor that you have to drop through. When you land, you’ll be in waist-deep water.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
As soon you land, turn around. The tunnel extends behind you, and that’s where you’ll find the next hidden face.
Act of Sacrifice stone face location
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
After a long and tense trip through the dark while being led by the hiddenfolk’s lights, you’ll eventually come to a naturally lit cave with floating boulders. There’s a hole with floating rocks to the right — the way out — and another to the left. The left one is where you’re heading.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
As you approach the edge of the hole, look to your left to find the next hidden face.
Chapter 5: Bardarvik hidden faces
There are six stone faces to find in chapter 5, “Bardarvik.” There is one during “To the Sea,” two during “Sjavarrisi,” and three during “Another Question.”
To the Sea stone face location
At the start of “To the Sea,” you’ll be walking with Fargrimr and Thorgestr along some cliffs. The hiddenfolk will start talking to Senua and the men will disappear so she can reflect on the beauty of the place.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
Keep following the path until you cross a small stream. To the right, there’s a tiny waterfall. The next hidden face is just to the right of it.
Sjavarrisi stone face location 1
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
A short time later, you’ll run into Astridr and her people. Once the tension is diffused, you’ll begin walking with her. Not long into the walk, Astridr will squeeze through a narrow gap in the rock.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
Before you follow her through, look to the right to find the next hidden face.
Just a little way farther along, the path will go right up to the cliff edge and you might be able to spot Astridr in the distance. Look to the right to find the next stone face.
Another Question stone face location 1
The next hidden face can actually be found during the second rune puzzle here. Go through to puzzle until you find the middle rune — the curved or ψ-shaped one.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
After you find it, you’ll head to a second cove. Before you start flipping stones around on your way to the third rune, drop down to the beach. Behind the shipwreck directly ahead of you, there’s a narrow gap that leads into a tunnel.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
Follow the tunnel to the end — there’s a lorestangir down at the beach. Just as you exit the tunnel, turn around. You would’ve run right past the hidden face on your way through.
Another Question stone face location 2
Once you solve the second rune puzzle and head into the beach cave, you’ll go into a dreamy underwater sequence where the hiddenfolk share Sjavarrisi’s story.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
When that’s done, Senua will find herself back on the (a?) beach. Head up the hill into the town. You’ll pass by a lit torch and then turn to walk downhill. At the second torch you pass, there will be a pole with cowbells hanging from it. Just past that, take a right to head behind the house.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
You’ll find the next hidden face between the fence and the house’s roof.
Another Question stone face location 3
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
From that stone face, turn around and head back to the main path. Take a right to start following it again, and then take the first left off of it.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The dimly lit path will go path a house and snake through some low walls before leading you past another lorestangir. Keep following it to the end where you’ll find a house. Walk around to the right side and to the torch at the back. Turn to the left to find the final hidden face.
Chapter 6: Borgarvirki hidden faces
There are no stone faces in chapter 6, “Borgarvirki.”
“Zero Hour” is the second secret mission to ever come to Destiny 2, and it’s finally back in the game as part of the Into the Light update and the May 14 reset. Much like the reprised “The Whisper” mission and its Whisper of the Worm reward, the updated version of “Zero Hour” rewards a fully craftable version of the Exotic pulse rifle Outbreak Perfected.
In this Destiny 2 guide, I’ll walk you through how to complete “Zero Hour” and get the pattern for Outbreak Perfected. Whether this is your first time experiencing “Zero Hour” or it’s just been too many years for you to remember the path, I’ve got you covered.
How to start ‘Zero Hour’ in Destiny 2
Image: Bungie via Polygon
To start “Zero Hour,” all you need to do now is talk to Ada-1.
Head to the Tower Annex — the landing point over by the Drifter — and head up to Ada-1, the vendor who normally just handles transmog. She’ll give you the “Asset Protection” quest. With the quest in hand, all you need to do is open up the “Into the Light” submenu in the Director and select “Zero Hour.”
Completing the Exotic mission and finishing the quest at Ada-1 will reward you with the pattern for Outbreak Perfected.
‘Zero Hour’ walkthrough in Destiny 2
You have 40 minutes to beat this mission on the Normal difficulty.
Navigating the Destiny 1 Tower in ‘Zero Hour’
“Zero Hour” starts out with a lot of combat as you first adventure through the Destiny 1 Tower. You’ll be dealing with some powerful Fallen here, so make sure to put on your best gear and an assortment of ad-clearing weapons. As with all dense Fallen encounters, the Riskrunner Exotic submachine gun will serve you well if you’re having trouble.
Bungie via Polygon
Make your way through the bazaar and into the small vent. On the other side, you’ll be where the Speaker’s chambers once were. Clear the enemies, and move through the sweeper bot hallway.
You’ll find yourself in the courtyard, which is filled with enemies of varying type and power. There’s even a Brig here now, an enemy type that didn’t exist when the original mission came out. Take them all down to unlock the rest of the path.
Bungie via Polygon
Continue through the old tower until you reach the flaming scaffolding where the original opening mission of Destiny 2 takes place. Slide under the big door next to the M and drop down the elevator shaft. Climb in the vent and follow it.
Bungie via Polygon
You’ll emerge in a giant shipyard. Turn immediately left, and you’ll see a ship sitting below you. Run up to it and crouch under its nose. Follow the path and take a right into the vent. Follow the hallway you drop into and take the other vent above you. Take a left and enter another vent behind the toolbox.
Bungie via Polygon
Follow the vent and take your first right. There are a few doorways below, but you only need to take the one directly under you. If you’re the first player to arrive, you’ll have a handy metal lip to stand on. If you’re following a teammate, it’ll have broken off by now. Step off the ledge, turn around, and push forward against the wall as you fall. Climb into the ledge and follow the vent.
Bungie via Polygon
Jump onto the first piece of yellow scaffolding and then onto the next. Look toward the tower. There are two drain openings and a platform to your left. Depending on your class, you can either jump straight to the landing or hop your way to the landing through the drain openings.
Bungie via Polygon
On the landing, look off and down toward the tower. You’ll see a small protrusion. This is your target. Jump off the landing and move toward the wall. Land on the antenna.
Bungie via Polygon
Look out toward where the city and turn left. Jump on the pipes until you reach the next landing. You can pull a switch here to help your friends catch up.
Bungie via Polygon
Jump onto the scaffolding above you and run up to the open vent. Jump in and follow the path. You’ll be in a big elevator shaft. Start climbing up a few flights until you’re at the second from the top. Shoot open the vent on the right and climb through.
Bungie via Polygon
Now you’ll be surrounded by spinning fans, each of which have an Explosive Shank in the middle. Look for the red lights and jump into them. If you hold against the wall, you’ll save yourself from the fans. When you land, be careful — don’t hit the ground too hard and skid off into another fan. Repeat this process, carefully taking out or maneuvering around the Shanks, until you’re at the bottom of the shaft. Climb in another vent.
Bungie via Polygon
You’ll now find yourself in a long hallway that looks completely blank. Jump off the ledge and onto the silver vents hanging off the wall. These are tricky to stand on, so limit your movement. Jump to the next one and finally into the open door on the far side. Once again, there is a switch here to help your friends through the puzzle if they’re lagging behind.
How to navigate the ‘Zero Hour’ maze
Bungie via Polygon
Follow the vents until you get to Ventilation. Walk forward and take a look at the map, which you can see clearly in the image above.
This is the maze section of “Zero Hour,” and it looks much scarier than it actually is. The white lines represent hallways you can walk through, with the red arrows denoting switches you need to hit. You start the map in the center of the bottom-most rectangle’s southern white line. When you’ve had a good look at the map, turn around and drop down two floors of vents.
You’re in the maze now, just like in the picture. We recommend sending one player right and another left, just to speed the process up. The instructions below are for the right-side player, so left-side players should just mirror my instructions.
Bungie via Polygon
Run forward and take a left. Keep running until you find a split in the hall.
Turn right and into another rectangle.
Follow the path and hit the first switch.
Keep running until you reach the original hallway.
Bungie via Polygon
Here, you’ll likely have to wait for a wall of electricity to pass. If the electricity is just starting to arc, you can run through. Otherwise, you’ll have to sit and brood — Darth Maul style.
Bungie via Polygon
When the electricity drops, take a right turn. You should start hearing an unsettling sound about now. An electric shredder is also running the maze with you, named TR3-VR by Bungie and the Destiny community. There are some alcoves to hide in so it can pass, but just to your left you should see a giant cavern with pipes in it.
Jump on the pipes and wait for the machine to pass. You can tell if the shredder is chasing you by its sound or giant red light.
Bungie via Polygon
With the machine gone, jump back over to your hallway and take a left. Follow the path until a hallway opens on the right. Go hit the switch like last time and return to your normal hallway.
Bungie via Polygon
Take a right and follow the path until you can take another right. This is the exit. If you’ve hit all four switches, the doors will be open.
Run into the new room and hop on one of the elevators to your right or left. Hit the button and wait for them to slowly lift you into the rafters.
Bungie via Polygon
Jump onto the platform and shoot out the vent. Head down the chute and stay in the center of the slide. Jump to slow your momentum, or risk death by splattering against a wall. When you come out of the chute, turn left and then immediately right. Crawl through the vent on the floor.
How to navigate the vault maze in ‘Zero Hour’
Bungie via Polygon
You’ll be in the old Cryptarch Vault now, and the mission is nearly done.
On the opposite side of the Vault’s door, you’ll see some pipes on the wall. Next to the pipe, you’ll see the Cryptarch symbol. Go stand by it and the secret door will open. Run forward until you reach the section with white floor panels. You’ll need to step on these in the correct order or you’ll get incinerated.
There are six rows of panels, each are five panels across. We’ve numbered the panels below in order, so R1 – 1 is the farthest left panel on the first row, R1 – 2 is the farthest left panel in the second row, R3 – 5 is the farthest right of the third row, and so on.
You’ll start on the second tile from the right on the first row. From there, here’s the order you should follow, with the direction you need to head in in parentheses:
R1 – 4 (Start)
R2 – 4 (Forward)
R2 – 3 (Left)
R2 – 2 (Left)
R2 – 1 (Left)
R3 – 1 (Forward)
R4 – 1 (Forward)
R5 – 1 (Forward)
R5 – 2 (Right)
R5 – 3 (Right)
R4 – 3 (Back)
R4 – 4 (Right)
R4 – 5 (Right)
R5 – 5 (Forward)
R6 – 5 (Forward)
Once you’re through the panels, head to the end of the vault.
Bungie via Polygon
At the broken case, take a right and you’ll see a burned hole in the ground. Drop through it. Run forward and hop into another vent. It’s time to fight.
How to defeat Siriks in ‘Zero Hour’
Bungie via Polygon
When you drop down, you’ll find a Fallen Captain wielding a Scorch Cannon: Siriks. They’re surrounded by an army of Fallen.
Take out Siriks’ Fallen allies. They’ll summon turrets, big Servitors that grant immune shields to everything (these are very annoying, so kill them first) and a ton of Shanks. Just keep killing everything until Siriks’ health is about one-third full. You’ll get a message on your screen that says “Siriks retreats… for now” and the boss will disappear.
Two Fallen Walker tanks will appear on the raised platforms on your left and right, along with some additional Fallen. Take everything out and you’ll get another ominous message: “Siriks returns… heavily armed.”
Siriks will drop back into the area in a massive Brig mech. This thing has full health, so it’s going to take some time and work to take it out. Once you manage to blast off theshield on the Brig, the boss will start lobbing massive tank and constant airstrikes. Just keep moving to dodge these attacks and you’ll eventually take it down.
With Siriks dead, head up to the chest that spawns, say hi to Mithrax, and grab the Outbreak Perfected schematic. Head back to the Tower and talk to Ada-1. She’ll give you the Outbreak Perfected, complete with the pattern attached. Ada-1 will also give you the “Outbreak Refined 1” quest, which you can complete for some additional crafted perk options on your new Outbreak Perfected.
If you already have the Catalyst for Outbreak Perfected from the original version of “Zero Hour,” you’ll instantly be able to place it on your newly crafted gun. However, if this is your first time running the mission, you’ll need to hop back in on Heroic mode in order to pick up the Catalyst and improve your Outbreak Perfected.
A new developer stream for Star Wars: The Old Republic showed a surprising feature on the way in Game Update 7.5. Players will be able to earn their own farmstead on the planet of Dantooine after completing a quest chain. The cozy feature will come with a Spring Abundance festival, which includes the surprisingly comfortable activities of “seed collecting, dancing, pie-baking, animal rehabilitation, and a galactic egg hunt,” according to a press release.
Broadsword is taking the game in an intriguing direction. Patch 7.4.1 included Date Night companion missions, which are exactly what you’d expect from the name. These missions become available if the companion has been romanced, and is available in a player’s story — some circumstances can cause your partner of choice to leave the party. Date Night missions will be released in batches, and they grant a unique title and decoration.
Update 7.5 also includes a new main story chapter where players wrangle with a Hutt, and new single-player Ventures that are meant to provide a challenging experience. Players train up their very own Basilisk Prototype B3-S1 (or Bessie) and prepare them for combat. Eventually, Bessie joins your team as a permanent companion. The release date for Update 7.5 will be announced soon.
Escape from Tarkov has been upset many of its players with recent developmental decisions as of late, introducing a $250 version of the game. Games like Arena Breakout Infinite—a direct extraction shooter competitor—are looking to provide a haven for Tarkov defectors.
Arena Breakout Infinite is actually a PC port of a pretty popular mobile game called Arena Breakout. Going to its page on the Google Play Store reveals a 4.5 rating from 500k reviews, and over 10 million downloads. It also has the “Editors Choice” highlight. I would argue one of the biggest reasons for its popularity is how it plays a lot like Tarkov. It even has the little details of opening a can of sardines and visually scooping out a spoonful to replenish your food meter.
Arena Breakout is already in its fourth season and has a lot of content, so it stands to reason that its eventual full launch after its May 8th closed beta release will have some meats on its bones. Fans of extraction shooters on mobile already resonate with it, which is half the reason it has been driving so much hype in the face of Battlestate Game’s almost hostile monetization decisions.
Decisions like locking an online-only coop PvE mode behind a $250 purchase or $100 upgrade for Escape from Tarkov, while also greatly increasing stash space, PMC pocket size, and vendor reputation from the get-go. A recent tweet from BSG went so far as to call Arena Breakout Infinite a “blatant plagiarization” of Escape from Tarkov. Needless to say, this upset many Tarkov fans and was the straw that broke the camel’s back
It is even more clear now that the want and need for viable PC Tarkov alternatives has reached an all-time high. Where Arena Breakout on PC aims to provide an experience like Tarkov and everything that the game does right while avoiding some of Tarkov’s weaknesses, such as rampant cheaters that plague and ruin the game for many.
Image Source: Morefun Studios
Cheaters in an extraction shooter ruin the gameplay far more than, say, a cheater in a looter shooter like Destiny 2. Sure, it sucks to be killed by a cheater in those games, but you can respawn and try again and maybe kill the cheater. However, in an extraction shooter, everything you are, your weapons, armor, ammo, loot, and currency are stolen from you, and taken.
When facing a cheater with only one life to live, and that end comes far too quickly, it feels much worse to be cheated in that way. On its Steam page, Arena Breakout Infinite claims that its “vigilantly enforced, anti-cheat measures, in-game reports and more” are going to be what stops cheaters in their tracks. That is something that I and many others desperately want.
Arena Breakout on PC is going to launch as a free-to-play title at some point. and while their plans and experience are promising, I do worry Arena Breakout Infinite could fail much in the same way that The Cycle did—another extraction shooter that was ruined by cheaters. Time will tell, and many are hoping Arena Breakout can overcome the challenges it will surely face. That said, it will be free at least, so if it can launch with a PvE component—or very strong anti-cheat—then it would already have one foot in the door of success.
Infection Free Zone, now in Steam Early Access, has a basic premise: Zombies have taken over the world, driving humanity into underground bunkers to wait the plague out. Eventually, the radio fires up, and a message goes out that the disease is fading. While the surface is still dangerous, it’s time to step up and make an attempt to build a new society.
This isn’t my first rodeo with a game like this, where you have to build a post-apocalyptic society that’s constantly under attack by hordes of zombies. However, this is the first time I’ve done so from the comfort and safety of my own real-world block. Instead of a fictional setting or a careful diorama based on an actual city, Infection Free Zone pulls from map data to create a one-to-one re-creation of cities and towns, using that information to create places for looting and building up a base of operations.
An Infection Free Zone run starts with the player choosing where to begin. The game offers my own region as a starting location, and I even found my own apartment. The map also draws on real-world data to categorize each building. For instance, the walk-in clinic across from my apartment is recognized as a hospital, which made it an ideal starting HQ. My apartment building lacked medical supplies, and its size meant it would be difficult to defend. Meanwhile, I could lock down the clinic easily, and help myself to all that free medicine left behind.
Image: Jutsu Games/Games Operators
The real-world function of each building factors into how it’s interpreted in Infection Free Zone. Learning about the perks — and downsides — of each building in my area would be necessary if I wanted to survive. From there, I started organizing my population into small squads for scavenging the homes in the area for canned food. We found other survivors and started planting food and building infrastructure.
Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out yet how to escape one of two inevitable fates: turtling until I starve to death, or attracting so many infected to my fledgling settlement that we’re overwhelmed. Perhaps it’s because I live in a humble Canadian neighborhood where guns wouldn’t spawn frequently, but I couldn’t find enough firearms to fend off the endless hordes. You can play anywhere in theory, but in practice you’re going to need to pick a major city for more resources.
There are also other little early access issues that are all individually annoying, but build up to make challenges feel insurmountable. Do you want to renovate a building? You’ll need to clear everyone out first. Want to dedicate time to research? The advancement tree has disappointingly few options, so that doesn’t feel very satisfying. I managed to plant lots of crops in the park near my place, but they stopped producing food. By the time I realized they needed fertilizer, my colony was already on the brink of starvation. Many of these problems aren’t broadcast or explained by the game in any way; I figured them out as I went, and usually died for the trouble. These annoyances go beyond the typical faults of zombie games or base builders; they seem much more related to the game’s early access state.
Plus, seemingly everything requires an endless amount of wood to build, upgrade, or advance. At first, I thought that the easiest way to get wood would be to chop down trees, but found it’s actually more productive to break down buildings in order to also get other materials, such as bricks. However, that turns what seems like an impossible barrier into merely a deeply boring and irritating grind. All those extra materials also fill up my storage, requiring lots of micromanagement. It’s all very awkward, and the threat of the roving undead means I didn’t have much time to focus on solving these issues. Add in constant transmissions and radio chatter, and I walked away from Infection Free Zone irritated.
Image: Jutsu Games/Games Operators
Instead of fighting against the zombies and feeling them emerge as a natural threat, I felt like the real enemy was the game itself. A base builder zombie survival game like State of Decay 2 can be difficult and terrifying, but I always felt as though my fate was in my own hands. I’d like more agency as an overseer, and more ways for the game to evolve. Right now, my settlement seems doomed to perish from hunger or get overrun by the inevitable hordes.
There’s a lot to iron out, but this is an early access release, and Infection Free Zone has a lot of potential. The ability to choose a real-world neighborhood or rebuild society literally from the comfort of your own home is very cool. I’m intrigued to see if Jutsu Games can turn things around and clean up all the UI issues, early access bugs, and janky systems. There’s something special about surviving the post-apocalypse in my own neighborhood and using my local knowledge to benefit my community of survivors. Alternatively, it’s neat to start a game at the base of a famous landmark and enjoy a little post-apocalyptic tourism. It’s just a shame the rest of the ride is currently so rough.
In the hours leading up to several gaming news events — like an indie event or a Nintendo Direct — you can see the rumblings of people online discussing a game called Hollow Knight: Silksong. Some share digital summoning circles constructed with emojis and dedicate them to the game in the hopes it will make an appearance at a showcase; others simply express their excitement by sharing memes prior to the event. During a digital event itself, you’ll see viewers spam the live chat with messages like “SKONG [with four airhorn emojis],” or “WHERE SILKSONG????!!??” Sometimes, the phrase “Silksong” will even trend online before one of these events because so many people are sharing their excitement.
All of this ruckus, just because fans just really want to hear a sliver of news about Hollow Knight: Silksong. The game — which fans shorten to Silksong — is the planned sequel to a game called Hollow Knight. Developer Team Cherry first announced the follow-up to its beloved Metroidvania in 2019; since then, it got a splashy trailer in 2022, but no concrete release date. And by now, its dedicated fan base has turned waiting for the game into one giant viral meme.
What is Hollow Knight: Silksong?
To understand the lasting popularity of Silksong, we need to look back at the game that preceded it: Hollow Knight. Developer Team Cherry first released the popular Metroidvania in 2017. At the time, the game stunned fans with its fantastical insectoid world and precise combat. Those elements, paired with its rich method of environmental storytelling, resulted in a gem of a game. Polygon hailed it as “unquestionably the finest Metroidvania ever made.”
Image: Team Cherry
Hollow Knight has racked up more than its fair share of devoted fans, so when Team Cherry surprised players with the announcement of a full-on sequel called Silksong, it drummed up plenty of buzz. The developers promised an original story, new bugs to meet, and new worlds to explore. What’s more is that fans would get to play as Hornet, a mysterious but beloved side character from the main game.
Fans excitedly awaited more news about the upcoming game, but none came. Years passed, and Team Cherry didn’t release any more trailers or news. With each passing gaming news event, it seemed all the more inevitable that players would get a release date, or a new trailer, or at least another peek at the project.
Finally, in 2022, the developer shared a new look at the game at an Xbox Showcase, but even then, the game had no stated release date. According to Xbox, however, the games in that showcase were going to be released in the next 12 months — meaning Silksong should have come out in 2023. But it didn’t. On May 9, 2023, Matthew Griffin from Team Cherry broke the news on X (formerly Twitter) that the game was not yet ready to be released and that fans should “expect more details from [Team Cherry] once we get closer to release.”
That was the last major update from the team, and since then, fans have been left in limbo — while still repeatedly expressing their hearts’ desires for the game online.
Why do fans shout about Silksong online?
In the years since its initial announcement, expressing a desire to see Silksong has become a viral bit online. At this point, you can’t watch a gaming news stream without people mentioning Silksong. People on social media will share fan art, memes, and reaction posts all in anticipation of the game, or making fun of the fact that there might not be more news about it. The avid fandom can spark the ire of other viewers in chats, and Silksong fans have inadvertently psyched up others excited for the game because they so regularly cause the game’s title to trend on X. All because people just want to express a desire to see this game.
Polygon reached out to Team Cherry to ask about what it’s been like to see fans talk about the game. We will update this article if we hear back.
Hollow Knight did sell in the millions, but that isn’t necessarily what seems to be causing this reaction to Silksong. It’s just that this game — which is genuinely a fantastic game to play — has inspired a super-dedicated cult following. The people who love the game just really adore it, and they want to see the next game released.
In this sense, Silksong does just come across as the next generation’s version of the entire “localize Mother 3” movement. Nintendo has never released an official English localization of Mother 3 in North America, but people have been asking for it for years. To this day, fans still beg Nintendo on social media to release the game, and several fans have regularly pulled IRL stunts to bring attention to the game. Being a Mother 3 fan is almost as much about wanting Mother 3 to come out officially in the U.S. as it is actually playing or enjoying the content of the game.
That all being said, Silksong has a much better chance of being released than the official English version of Mother 3. Team Cherry has assured fans that while the team might not have revealed too much, development is progressing. So I guess fans will have to rely on their summoning circles until then.
Fallout: New Vegas has endured in the cultural zeitgeist in a way that few other games have. Even within the Fallout fandom, it’s earned a prized position as a true classic of the RPG genre. That love is still reflected today, in goofy memes and fan art and enduring debates over which endgame is the right one. Even though the game has aged terribly in some respects — characters look rough, and not just from living in the apocalypse — it still persists as one of the high points of the Fallout franchise. The new Fallout TV series is set to premiere on Amazon, so there’s seldom been a better time to revisit New Vegas or play it for the first time.
Fallout: New Vegas opens with an exploration of the Mojave Wasteland, setting up some of the factions vying for control of this region of post-apocalyptic America. This game builds off the lore of the first two isometric RPGs, returning to the West Coast. The New California Republic, a democratic attempt at building back an old America, has expanded too far. Here, at the Hoover Dam, they struggle to hold on to territory. Caesar’s Legion, an army emulating the empire of old Rome, has met the NCR here in a clash of ideologies. New Vegas, a sparkling city of progress run by the mysterious Mr. House, dominates the skyline with its neon towers.
Unfortunately, the player character will need to work up to confronting these forces. The game begins with the Courier being waylaid by a smooth-talking group of goons. You awake in a friendly local doctor’s home, having miraculously survived being shot in the head and left in a shallow grave. You sort out matters in the small town of Goodsprings and then begin your trek into the Mojave.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Bethesda Softworks
New Vegas is built on the bones of Fallout 3, and the gameplay is honestly so-so. But the game is elevated by its fantastic writing. There are four possible paths the Courier can choose from: joining the NCR, allying with Mr. House, enlisting in Caesar’s Legion, or pursuing an independent Mojave. There’s a similar structure to Fallout 4, but I failed to connect with the various ideologies of the Commonwealth. They were a little too simplistic and flat. Fallout: New Vegas is anything but that.
The questions posed in New Vegas are much more interesting to me as a player. At first, the NCR appears to be the default good guy faction. But one companion, Cass, openly expresses skepticism of the government. She critiques their expansion with the memorable line: “Nobody’s dick is that long, not even Long Dick Johnson. And he had a fucking long dick, hence the name.” Hanging out with Boone, a stoic and surly sniper I meet in the mouth of a giant dinosaur tower, complicates things further. After enough time working together, he shares the trauma incurred by his time with the NCR.
Every companion in this game has opinions, and they’re interesting. New Vegas has a bunch of wildly interesting ideas, and it’s not shy about running with them. Lily Bowen is a giant nightkin super mutant who wears a giant sun hat and shades. Raul is a ghoul gunslinger who’s been press-ganged into service as a mechanic for a hostile state of super mutants. Arcade Gannon is a doctor and scientist who automatically joins your party if you have an intelligence of 3 or less, because he feels like someone needs to take care of you.
The NCR may be complicated, but Caesar’s Legion poses a serious threat — or opportunity, depending on your decisions — to the denizens of the Mojave. The player is introduced to the faction through Nipton, a sinful town sentenced to a gruesome ritual known as the Lottery. The encounter starts with a guy running at you, hysterically laughing and screaming that he won, he won! You quickly realize that his joy is closer to a wild hysteria, and something truly terrible has happened in Nipton.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Bethesda Softworks
Mr. House offers a potential third path, but as I quest around the Strip, I can’t help but realize how many impoverished communities have sprung up in its shadow. I can’t even get in — under penalty of being shot by a giant murder robot — unless I meet specific qualifications. Can I trust the reclusive master of the Strip and its casinos? Or is it worth forging a new path for the Mojave, with no masters or kings?
Each of these factions have interesting characters. Caesar is definitely a bad guy, and I have journeyed through his camp to blow him up in new and satisfying ways many times over the years. But it’s also worth talking philosophy with him, and learning more about the Legion and the sort of civilization they would establish. He’s not a mustache-twirling villain, but a satisfying antagonist to face and defeat.
This is all skimming the surface of what New Vegas has to offer. The cherry on top of this great RPG is a radio station that’s full of bangers, with a particular shoutout to Big Iron. But the game takes big swings, and the overall vision is able to balance both serious themes and some intense goofiness.
Similar open-world RPGs have quickly faded from conversation after their launch. Even a recent big RPG epic like Starfield has fallen off most of our radars. But Fallout: New Vegas fans are still making memes, arguing about the endgame variables, and sharing build tips to this day. It’s a clunky game in many respects, the characters don’t look great, and there’s the occasional glitch. I don’t care. Fallout: New Vegas is still the apple of my eye, and showcases how brilliant the setting can be.
Fallout: New Vegas is available to play on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, and Windows PC via Steam and GOG.
This console generation has been pretty short of “next-gen moments” — those dazzling, techy epiphanies when you see a game do things that were inconceivable on earlier hardware. You can make a case for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’s lightning-fast loading or Starfield’s potato physics, but there have been relatively few instances where you can watch the future arrive in real time.
There are a few reasons for this. One is that console supply issues and pandemic-driven development delays led to an unusually long cross-generational phase. Until last year, most games were still being released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well as their successors. Another is that Unreal Engine 5, the latest iteration of Epic Games’ ubiquitous graphics engine, lagged a little behind the new console generation, and large-scale UE5 productions have been slow to appear, with a couple of exceptions.
All of this is why I wasn’t expecting to experience a next-gen moment when I traveled to Cambridge, U.K., to visit the Ninja Theory studio and play Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. But I got one. It’s an astonishingly lifelike narrative action game that applies UE5’s tech, Microsoft’s resources (the company owns Ninja Theory), and the unique processes of a smallish team of technical artists to create something at once grounded and vividly hyperreal. There’s nothing else quite like it.
This won’t come as a total surprise if you played 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Both Hellblade games blend horrific, quasi-mythological action with a realistic approach to the psychology of their heroine, Senua, an eighth-century Celtic warrior with psychosis. Both games have a photoreal visual style with heavy emphasis on performance capture — an area Ninja Theory has specialized in since collaborating with Andy Serkis on its 2007 action game Heavenly Sword.
Quite a lot has changed for Ninja Theory since 2017, however. In 2018, the studio was acquired by Microsoft. It hasn’t grown much since — with 100 people, around 80 of whom are working on Hellblade 2, this remains a modestly sized team — but Microsoft’s investment is evident in beautiful new offices with a large, dedicated motion capture studio (and, at the insistence of some extremely British local planning regulations, an in-house pub). On my visit, there was no sign or mention of Ninja Theory’s flamboyant founder and Hellblade writer-director Tameem Antoniades. An Xbox spokesperson later confirmed to Polygon that he is no longer with the studio. Antoniades was involved in Hellblade 2 in the early stages, but the game now has a trio of creative leads: environment art director Dan Attwell, visual effects director Mark Slater-Tunstill, and audio director David Garcia.
You would expect a dedication to craft in any game led by three technical artists, but that still wouldn’t prepare you for the extraordinary lengths Ninja Theory is going to in its pursuit of realism. In Hellblade 2, Senua journeys to Iceland on the hunt for Norse slavers who are decimating her community in the northern British Isles. As press toured the studio, Attwell explained that the route of her adventure had been plotted in the real world, and locations were captured using a mixture of satellite imaging, drone footage, procedural generation, and photogrammetry. The team spent weeks on location in Iceland, studying the landscape, photographing rocks, and piloting drones. They also studied building techniques of the time and virtually constructed doors out of 3D-scanned planks of wood, rather than modeling them. They even made their own rough wood carvings and scanned them in.
Character art director Dan Crossland showed us real costumes that had been made to fit the actors by a London-based costume designer using period-appropriate techniques, and then scanned in by the studio. Behind Crossland’s desk there was a mannequin plastered in mesh, putty, feathers, and deconstructed scraps of fabric — a spooky, hand-sculpted prototype enemy design.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios
Over in the combat team’s section, principal action designer Benoit Macon, a very tall and ebullient Frenchman, explained that the game’s fight sequences weren’t traditionally animated, but 100% mo-capped. I watched stunt professionals act out finishing moves on the performance capture stage while animation director Guy Midgley shot them in a close, roving handheld style, using a phone in a lightweight rig.
The playable results of this fully mo-capped fighting system are quite unique. Combat in Hellblade 2 is one on one only, slow-paced, and very brutal. In the fight scenes of the demo I played — which also featured pattern-spotting puzzles and some atmospheric, grueling traversal — there’s a heightened sense of threat as Senua faces hulking and aggressive opponents, and the characters loom large in the unusually tight camera angles. This might not be the over-the-top combat of DmC: Devil May Cry, but it’s still very effective.
In a small, soundproofed studio on the top floor, Garcia worked with the two voice actors playing the Furies, which is how Senua thinks of the voices in her head who keep up a constant commentary on the action and her state of mind. (As with the first game, scriptwriter Lara Derham has worked with psychology professor Paul Fletcher and with people who have experienced psychosis on the portrayal of the condition’s effects.) The actors prowled around a binaural microphone — essentially a mannequin head with microphones for ears — hissing and murmuring their lines as if at Senua herself. Garcia, a Spaniard with an infectious sense of wonder, is called a “genius” by his co-workers. His growling, chattering soundscapes are players’ principal point of access into Senua’s state of mind, and they’re as overwhelming now as they were in 2017.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios
The lengths to which Ninja Theory is going to ground this digital video gamein physical reality might seem quixotic — even contradictory — but the proof is in the playing. The game, which I played on Xbox Series X, looks stunning, whether it’s rendering the black, smoking slopes of an Icelandic volcano or the pale, haunted eyes of Senua performer Melina Juergens. But beyond that, Hellblade 2 has a tactile immediacy that seems to operate at an almost subconscious level. Ninja Theory’s artists are seeking an emotional connection with the player that, they believe, can only form if the player thinks that what they are seeing is real.
“I think that the human mind does [a thing where] you think you know what something looks like, but then actually, when you look at what that thing is, in reality there’s way more chaos in it. It’s not quite the same as what you picture in your head,” Slater-Tunstill said. “If you were just sculpting off the top of your head, the environments or the characters or whatever, it just is going to lose some of that nature, some of that chaos.”
Attwell said that Unreal Engine 5 has made this realist approach more more achievable, both because of the level of fidelity available in the engine’s Nanite geometry system, and because “the turnaround between scanning the thing and putting it in the level is drastically cut, and you can spend that time finessing.”
“You can think more about the composition,” Slater-Tunstill agreed. “And with the kind of lighting volumetrics we can now do, everything just beds in much better. It’s more believable.”
Overall, the sense from the Ninja Theory team is that UE5 has removed a lot of barriers for video game artists, and that players are only just starting to see the results. “It feels like the graphical leap that we’ve managed with this is like… We’re on the trajectory we wanted,” Attwell said.
Image: Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios
You only need to lay eyes on Hellblade 2 briefly to understand that you’re seeing the next evolution of game technology. It’s not just the engine, though — there are a bunch of factors aligning to make Hellblade 2 a tech showcase. For one, the game design is extremely focused. This isn’t some wild open-world simulation; it’s a linear, narrative-first action game. As an Xbox first-party studio, Ninja Theory has the luxury of building for fewer formats. Also, it’s been given the time to experiment. Touring the studio, Microsoft’s investment in Ninja Theory starts to make a lot of sense. The tech giant hasn’t just acquired a boutique developer, but also an R&D unit that explores the technical and artistic frontiers of a specific game-making process.
The result is a game made with an unusual degree of focus. Hellblade 2 won’t necessarily be to everyone’s taste with its slow pace, deliberate inputs, and highly scripted, cinematic presentation. It struck me as a modern successor to something like the 1983 interactive animation Dragon’s Lair. As intense and dramatic as the section I played was, it remains to be seen whether the game’s story — a more outward journey for a more mentally balanced Senua — can connect as deeply as Hellblade’s trip into her darkest fears. But there’s no doubting the craft on display, or the immersive sense of presence this game has. It may be a sequel, but it feels like the start of something — like a true next-gen experience should.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 will be released May 21 on Windows PC and Xbox Series X.
“Readvent of Calamity” is a quest you’ll pick up in Dragon’s Dogma 2the first time you return to Melve. It involves driving off a diseased drake (which is a dragon as opposed to the Dragon), helping out Ulrika, the leader of Melve, and then finding her when she has to leave town.
Our Dragon’s Dogma 2 will show you how to start “Readvent of Calamity,” the steps you’ll have to follow to complete it, and where to find Ulrika.
How to start ‘Readvent of Calamity’ in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Image: Capcom via Polygon
Once you complete at least one of Captain Brant’s quests (but before you complete “Feast of Deception”) and then head back to Melve (like for the “Oxcart Courier” quest), you’ll find the town under attack by a diseased dragon (or drake — the game is inconsistent on the name). After you deal a bit of damage by attacking the blisters on Puss the Magic Dragon, you’ll drive it off.
When to visit Melve ‘from time to time’ in Dragon’s Dogma 2
After the fight, you’ll get a quick cutscene where you talk to Ulrika, Lennart, and Sigurd. And then you’ll get an unhelpfully vague objective to “visit Melve from time to time.”
You need to wait a day or three before you can continue the quest. Head out of town and take care of other quests for a bit. You can always fast travel to Melve quickly from Vernworth by using the oxcart.
Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin/Polygon | Sources: Capcom via Polygon
On your subsequent visit, check in with Ulrika at the large house in Melve. Inside, you’ll witness Ulrika and a government goon named Martin having an argument. The next day, you’ll learn that Ulrika has chosen to flee the village instead of cause problems for everyone.
Where to find Ulrika in ‘Readvent of Calamity’
Your next objective will be to figure out where Ulrika fled to. And you won’t have any clues. The short answer here is that Ulrika has fled to Havre Village.
Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin/Polygon | Sources: Capcom via Polygon
The longer answer is that she won’t (might not?) actually appear there until you complete a couple other quests.
First, you’ll have to have completed “Monster Culling” for Captain Brant (which you probably already have). After that, you should poke around Harve Village to take on and complete “Scaly Invaders” which ultimately just has you driving out some saurians a few days in a row.
Image: Capcom via Polygon
After that, Ulrika will appear right at the town’s main crossroad. Talk to her, and she’ll send you back to Lennart in Melve. Report back to him in Melve’s big house, and you’ll get a reward of 4,500 gold and a Ring of Grit.
Capcom has released a list of fixes and updates it will make to Dragon’s Dogma 2 “in the near future” — including the much-requested option to start a new game when save data already exists.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 only offers a single save slot, and presently, players who want to start the game again — perhaps to try a different specialization — can only do so by manually deleting their save file at the system level first. This can be a fiddly process involving disabling cloud saving and, for Steam players, actually locating their game save on the hard drive.
Capcom said it would add “the option to start a new game when save data already exists” as part of the first wave of updates to Dragon’s Dogma 2. This doesn’t mean it will actually add a second save slot for a new character; the update will simply make it easy to overwrite your save from within the game itself.
To all Dragon’s Dogma 2 players!
We’re planning to release patches including the following updates and fixes in the near future, and will release them as soon as they are ready for distribution on each platform.
Capcom also said it would add a frame rate cap of 30 frames per second to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game. As it is, the game runs with an uncapped frame rate, meaning it can sometimes run faster than 30 fps, but this can result in inconsistent and juddery performance (especially for players without variable refresh rate displays). A 30 fps cap should ensure a more consistent and stable feel to the game.
Capcom also said it would add options to switch off the motion blur and ray tracing graphical effects to console versions of Dragon’s Dogma 2, but it warned that doing so “will not affect the frame rate significantly.” Frame rate improvements will come in “future updates,” it said. PC players will now get better-quality results from the DLSS.
Another target for an early fix is the Art of Metamorphosis item that allows you to change the appearance of your character. Previously in very limited supply, the stock of this item is being increased to 99 at Pawn Guilds. This change appears to be targeted at criticism of the game’s microtransactions, which include the sale of Art of Metamorphosis at $1.99. With this change, it will only be inability to afford the in-game price that would push players toward paying real money to change the looks of their character or Main Pawn. (No changes were announced for other rare items available to buy as microtransactions, such as Wakestones or Portcrystals.)
Other changes coming soon will make it possible to acquire your own dwelling earlier in the game, as well as various text display and bug fixes.
Capcom said it would release the updates “as soon as they are ready for distribution on each platform.”
“The Caged Magistrate” is one of several quests you receive from Captain Brant in the early stages of Dragon’s Dogma 2. Brant tells you about one Magistrate Waldahr, someone who has stood his ground against Disa and refused to change the Code of Vermund to her benefit when asked, leading to him now sitting in a cell in Vernworth jail — ahem, gaol.
So Captain Brant has one very simple request of you: set Magistrate Waldahr free. He’ll give you a gaol key so you can let yourself into his cell, but you’ll find that Waldahr needs some convincing first.
In this Dragon’s Dogma 2 guide, we’ll walk through the entire “Caged Magistrate” quest, including where to find Magistrate Waldahr and how to set him free.
Where to find the Magistrate in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Image: Capcom via Polygon
Enter the palace grounds and head to the objective marked on your map. This is the entrance to Vernworth Castle Gaol Tower. Otto will greet you and allow you through, so make your way downstairs and aside from a couple of rooms to explore and loot, the main area here is the long corridor with pillars in the middle and cells on each side, for a grand total of eight.
Magistrate Waldahr is in the first cell on the right-hand side, as soon as you enter. Wait until the two guards are facing away from you then use the Gaol Key given to you by Captain Brant to unlock the cell.
Head in and talk to Waldahr, then when the option arises, urge him to escape. He explains that he’s perfectly happy in the cell because he can spend his days “perusing the Code and deciphering old texts.” However, if you can find “a place with a mountain of tomes,” Waldahr will reconsider escaping. Leave the gaol and return to Captain Brant.
Where to find ‘a place with a mountain of tomes’ in ‘The Caged Magistrate’
Image: Capcom via Polygon
Brant suggests talking to a chap named Kendrick, found by The Gracious Hand in the slums. He’s a balding chap wearing a blue robe, wandering around the tents and dilapidated houses on the outskirts of Vernworth. He’ll ask you for a charitable donation of gold, so pay up and he’ll explain a local boy named Malcolm has gone missing.
This starts an entirely separate quest named “The Heel of History,” where you must find Malcolm by speaking to the children of the slums. Look for a girl called Aimee who will be somewhere nearby and she’ll tell you Malcolm went into the vaults underneath the slums. Return to Kendrick and the pair of you will enter the vaults to find the runaway kid.
Image: Capcom via Polygon
Explore the vaults in their entirety and you’ll find Malcolm, followed by a huge underground library. Kendrick makes Malcolm promise to keep his mouth shut about the discovery, but you can return to Waldahr in the gaol and tell him about this wonderful place where he can study in peace. Escort Waldahr out of his cell and to the slums, then return to Captain Brant for your reward: 7,000 gold and a ferrystone.
Make sure you also return to Waldahr in the vaults a few days later, as he’ll have another quest for you: “A Magisterial Amenity,” which involves finding his confiscated spectacles.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is one of the biggest games to come out in 2024, but it’s not the only open world RPG of its kind. Today, we’re looking at the best games like Dragon’s Dogma 2.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Image Source: CD Projekt Red
Following the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher 3 is a large and living world in some of the same ways that Dragon’s Dogma 2 is. You play as a Witcher, an enhanced human that hunts monsters and creatures with swords and magic at your disposal. The combat is fast, fluid, and responsive as you dodge enemy attacks, follow up with some of your own, and then blast them with a wave of fire.
Additionally, The Witcher 3’s world is truly massive, maybe even more so than Dragon’s Dogma 2’s, and it’s full of interesting side quests with spectacular storytelling.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Image Source: Warhorse Studios, Prime Matter
Unlike the other games on this list, Kingdom Come takes place in the realistic middle ages without any sort of magic. Instead, the game tries to nail that feeling of realism. The complex directional attack system meshes well with stamina management in a way that makes combat challenging and rewarding. In Kingdom Come, winning battles is more about placement and knowing what to do at the right time as opposed to how high your stats are.
The world is big too, clocking in at roughly 16 kilometers squared. While that’s not the biggest, that fact won’t matter as you travel around on foot and horseback.
GreedFall
Image Source: Focus Entertainment
You’ve got magic, swordplay, and guns while fighting humans and monsters alike in GreedFall. While you do get to fight alongside a couple NPC allies like in Dragon’s Dogma 2, GreedFall is far from a normal open-world action RPG. Case in point, instead of a giant open world to enjoy, the world is broken up into smaller zones.
What GreedFall lacks in an enormous world, it excels in telling stories with characters that are far from black and white. Moral ambiguity amidst fantasy politics is the name of each quest with characters that will challenge your sense of justice in ways you may not be ready for. And while GreedFall has some bugs, the RPG systems, skill checks, and passive skill trees are a treat to play around with.
Elden Ring
Image Source: FromSoftware Inc, Bandai Namco
Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s take on an open-world action RPG with a Dark-Souls twist. If Dragon’s Dogma 2 doesn’t hold your hand, then it is accurate to say that Elden Ring doesn’t either. So you beat Elden Ring? Then it is likely there are quests you missed or ended before you reached their true end through your actions or inaction. Even if you’re a veteran of the developer’s previous titles, Elden Ring will truly test your abilities as one of the hardest games in their catalog.
In the same vein as Dragon’s Dogma, Elden Ring’s vast world is smartly designed in a way to constantly reward your curiosity as you comb through every nook and cranny. The classes, weapons, spells, enemy design and variety, and bosses all deserve to be experienced. This is especially true of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion coming soon.
Outward Definitive Edition
Image Source: Prime Matter
Outward is one of the more eccentric open-world games on this list. The game’s story isn’t the focus, nor are the quests. However, the open-ended nature of the role-playing mechanics and systems are the reason you’ll be exploring the game’s four large zones. There is a survival hook to Outward that makes eating and drinking vital to survival and combat success.
Still, combat is tactical and measured since you have to deal with stamina management. Thankfully, if you’re the kind that likes to prepare, then you will find preparing traps with magic and technology very effective. Through the jank, Outward exists as a compelling action RPG alternative that doesn’t hold your hand or appeal to the more casual gamer. Finally, what this RPG has that others on this list doesn’t is split-screen co-op. Issues aside, this one is worth trying.
Arguably the biggest addition, though, is Diablo 4 on March 28, the first new Activision Blizzard title to hit Game Pass since Microsoft’s acquisition of the company was completed last year. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said that players shouldn’t expect all Activision Blizzard games to drop onto Game Pass the moment the deal was finalized, but this signals the start of more additions to come. New Diablo 4 players will also have plenty of time to play this RPG for dozens of hours before the paid DLC Vessel of Hatred releases later this year.
There’s also Supermassive Games’ The Quarry, a previous PS5 console exclusive and spiritual successor to Until Dawn. This time, a group of teenage counselors have to survive a night at an abandoned camp while being stalked by violent creatures and mysterious locals. As the player, you have to make a series of choices on behalf of all the characters to try and ensure everybody makes it out alive. (Spoiler alert: It’s very unlikely you will succeed.)
If none of those games are for you, this is still a very packed list of new titles for the rest of March into April. Here’s the full list:
Lightyear Frontier (Game Preview) (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) — March 19
MLB The Show 24 (Cloud and Console) — March 19
The Quarry (Cloud and Console) — March 20
Evil West (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 21
Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC) – March 26
Diablo IV (Console and PC) – March 28
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 28
Open Roads (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 28
Ark: Survival Ascended (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S) – April 1
F1 23 (Cloud) EA Play – April 2
Superhot: Mind Control Delete (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 2
As you can imagine, with the release of MLB The Show 24, last year’s MLB The Show 23 will be leaving Xbox Game Pass at the end of the month, along with two other games:
Hot Wheels Unleashed (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Infinite Guitars (Cloud, Console, and PC)
MLB The Show 23 (Cloud and Console)
Xbox Game Pass costs $10.99 a month, while PC Game Pass costs $9.99 a month. PC Game Pass includes EA Play access, which offers another 70 games on PC. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, at $16.99 per month, gives subscribers access to everything — the PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass libraries, EA Play on both console and PC — as well as access to online multiplayer. Xbox Game Pass Core (formerly called Xbox Live Gold) costs $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
Honkai: Star Rail just closed out its version 2.1 livestream, teasing what’s to come in the next update, which launches the evening of March 26 EDT. Alongside new characters and events, Hoyoverse uses the stream to distribute codes that reward free Stellar Jade and other upgrade materials.
This update brings three new playable characters that Penacony enjoyers will already know from the game’s story: Acheron, Aventurine, and Gallagher. For the five-star characters, Acheron is Lightning Nihility and Aventurine is Imaginary Preservation. Gallagher, the sole four-star character making his playable debut in 2.1, is a Fire Abundance character. In addition to these playable characters, version 2.1 will have a bartending minigame event and a new world in Simulated Universe.
These codes are only active until the day ends, so you’ll want to make sure to use them quickly.
The Honkai: Star Rail reward codes from the version 2.1 livestream are:
These codes will expire on March 17 at 11:59 a.m. EDT / 8:59 a.m. PDT, so use them quickly or you’ll miss out on the free loot. For more codes that don’t expire in just a few hours, you can check out our constantly-updated list of active Honkai: Star Rail codes.
How to redeem codes in Honkai: Star Rail
You can redeem the codes in game by opening the menu and tapping on the ellipses in the top right corner. A “redemption code” option will come up that you can select.
Image: Hoyoverse via Polygon
You can also redeem them online through the Honkai: Star Rail code redeem website. You’ll need to select your correct server and login through the website in order to get rewards. You will also need to have a working UID for Honkai: Star Rail. If you’ve never logged into Honkai: Star Rail in any form using your Hoyoverse account, it will not work.
Persona 3 Reload is a long game with an emotional ending — made more emotional by the sheer amount of time you’ve spent in this world and with these characters. If you got the game’s true ending, you may still find yourself watching the credits and asking: Wait, is there anything I could’ve done differently?
In this Persona 3 Reload guide, we’ll walk you through the ending of the game, the fate of the game’s protagonist (Makoto Yuki), what influence you have over its outcome (if any), and how it all connects to Episode Aigis — the upcoming epilogue expansion.
[Spoiler Warning: This post contains major spoilers for the true ending of Persona 3 Reload and some minor spoilers for “The Answer”epilogue from Persona 3 FES, which is being remade into the upcoming Episode Aigis DLC for Persona 3 Reload. If you want to stay as spoiler-free as possible, bookmark this guide and return to it once you see the credits roll. In the meantime, check out our guides for classroom answers and social link requirements.]
Graphic: Polygon | Source images: Atlus/Sega
Is the protagonist dead at the end of Persona 3 Reload?
Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon
Yes. When the protagonist falls asleep in Aigis’ lap, as all his friends are rushing up to the rooftop of the school, he passes away. This happens regardless of whether you choose the “……” option or the “Close them” option when the game tells you your eyes feel heavy. The blue butterfly fluttering away is meant to symbolize the character’s death in that moment.
OK, but how do we know for sure? Well, that answer — funnily enough — comes from the game’s epilogue expansion called “The Answer,” which is a part of Persona 3 FES. That expansion is not part of Persona 3 Reload, but it’s coming in September of 2024 as the Episode Aigis DLC.
In “The Answer” — and presumably Episode Aigis, based on how faithful Reload is to Persona 3 FES — you play as Aigis a few weeks after graduation and the death of the Leader character (which the game explicitly calls out). If you look back at the final battle against Nyx, the protagonist uses the Universe Persona to perform the Great Seal ability. The cost for casting Great Seal is equal to the Leader’s max health, suggesting that he gave everything to stop Nyx.
The death is a little bit more complex than that, but we’ll leave you to discover those answers in Episode Aigis. Just trust for now that — unless Atlus makes an absolutely massive change to the story — the Leader is dead.
Can you save the Leader in Persona 3 Reload?
Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon
No, technically. While you can choose to get the bad ending for Persona 3 Reload and kill Ryoji back in December, it’s understood that everyone on Earth will eventually die in that reality — even if you never see it. In order for everyone else to survive in Persona 3 Reload, the Leader must give up their own life to stop Nyx.
Sacrifice is part of the main story thrust of Persona 3 Reload, with many players losing loved ones to heroic moments of sacrifice. Yukari and Mitsuru’s fathers are both great examples of this theming at work. By dying for his friends and the world, the protagonist’s death completes the sacrificial theme.
Enjoy the game’s beautiful final moments knowing that you did nothing wrong here. You got the game’s good — albeit bittersweet — ending.
The Skimmer is a new kind of vehicle type in Destiny 2 that you can use in place of your trusty Sparrow. It’s essentially a hoverboard that you can ride all over the galaxy. There is a catch, however: the first Skimmer, the Allstar Vector, is exclusive to the Guardian Games 2024 event, which runs March 5-26. Luckily, there’s a way to unlock the Allstar Vector permanently, so you can continue to hoverboard around once The Final Shape expansion drops in June.
In this Destiny 2 guide, we’ll teach you how to unlock the Exotic version of the Allstar Vector, which you’ll be able to use forever.
How to pick up the Allstar Vector Skimmer in Destiny 2
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Before you can receive the permanent, Exotic version of the Allstar Vector, you’ll first need to unlock the Common one. To do that, complete the “Best in Class” tutorial quest for Guardian Games. You can pick it up from Eva in the Tower and it’ll ask you to don your special class item, do a quick Guardian Games activity, and talk to some people.
Once you finish “Best in Class,” pick up Eva’s new quest, “Drop In.” As soon as you get “Drop In,” you’ll get the Common version of the Allstar Vector Skimmer. The big difference between the Common Allstar Vector and the Exotic is that the Common one warns it expires at the end of Guardian Games.
Now that you have the non-Exotic Skimmer, the clock is ticking for you to complete “Drop In” and unlock the permanent version.
How to permanently unlock the Allstar Vector in Destiny 2
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Once you get the “Drop In” quest from Eva, it’s time to get to work. This quest rewards the Exotic Skimmer and it only has one step. Just know that your time spent on this quest is going vary heavily depending on your skill level and your ability to play the game during certain times.
There are three objectives to complete for “Drop In,” but you only need to complete one of them to finish the quest. Here are your options:
Earn 1,200 Medallion Score
Earn a top 10% score in Nightfall challenges
Open 3 Focus Activity winners packages
However you end up finishing “Drop In,” the Skimmer will automatically appear in your inventory once it’s done. And that’s it. Once you get the Exotic, you have the Allstar Vector for life.
Medallion Score
Let’s start with the simplest and longest one: Medallion Score. Getting 1,200 Medallion Score is time consuming in Guardian Games, as you’ll need to spend a lot of time earning and dumping medals into the podium. Bronze medals are worth one point, Silver medals are wroth two points, Gold medals are worth five points, and Platinum medals are worth 15 points.
If you’re earning a lot of Platinum medals, you’ll get done with this pretty quickly, but if you’re a more casual player who mostly dumps in bronze and silver medals, it’s going to be a bit of a grind. But this is a guaranteed way for everyone to get the Skimmer — as long as you’re willing to put in the time.
Top 10% Nightfall score
The fastest way to get the Skimmer by far is earning a top 10% score in Nightfall challenges. (I was able to unlock the Skimmer on my first Nightfall run of the week using this method.) But in order to do this, you’ll need two things: endgame PvE skills and endgame PvE friends to fill out your Fireteam. If you have both of those, this is a very fast way to get the Skimmer.
If you keep banging your head against the Nightfall and can’t get the score you need, then it might be best to try one of the other two methods. One quick tip for this one is that if you can complete the Nightfall as close to the weekly reset (Tuesdays at noon ET) as possible, you’ll stand a much better chance of getting a high score.
Open Focus Activity chests
Finally, there are the new Focus Activity packages. Basically, every few hours a new Guardian Games playlist will become the “Focus Activity” for two hours during the week and three hours over the weekend. As you compete in the Focus Activity, you’ll earn bonus chests based on how you do, from bronze to gold. You can get these chests by just spending time in the Focused Activity, so this is a great way to get the Skimmer. However, you do have to be online at the right time to make it happen, so depending on your schedule, this might be a tough sell.
Are there any other Skimmers in Destiny 2?
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Yes! Bungie launched two Skimmers on March 5, alongside Guardian Games 2024. However, only one of them (the Allstar Vector) is free. The other Skimmer is exclusive to the Eververse store, and it’s called the Winged Wolf.
The Winged Wolf is part of a gear set called the Gjallarheart Gear based on the iconic Gjallarhorn rocket launcher. There’s a new armor set for each of the three classes, which runs 1,500 Silver each. Then there’s a Gjallarhorn-like Ornament for the Thunderlord Exotic that runs 700 Silver. And finally there’s the Gjallarheart Gear Bundle, which is 2,500 Silver and appears to be the only way to get the Winged Wolf. In addition to the Eververse-exclusive Skimmer, it also comes with a Ghost, ship, and Shader, all based around Gjallarhorn.
Extra unfortunately, you cannot just buy 2,500 Silver, so you’ll need to purchase 3,000 Silver instead. This will run you $29.99 and it comes with 300 bonus Silver for a total of 3,300.
It’s unclear how long this Gjallarhorn bundle will be in the shop or if the Winged Wolf will be available for purchase after Guardian Games 2024 ends.
Helldivers 2 was compared to Starship Troopers when it was first released, but since then, the squad-based third-person shooter has become closer to the post-Judgment Day future in Terminator. While the first mission order, to retake territory from bugs called Terminids, was a success, things went downhill once the game introduced the Automatons, the much harder-to-kill robots that attack Super Earth planets.
Just this week, players lost the planet Malevelon Creek to the Automatons while just barely liberating Mort after around 10 million Helldiver deaths, according to a post in the official Helldivers 2 Discord (via Gamesradar). Despite some gains, the Automatons have pushed back Super Earth’s forces for now. Starting Thursday, players will see a message stating the major order to liberate planets under Automaton control has been a failure, and players should change course:
Despite the valorous efforts of the Helldivers, Automaton marauders have invaded Super Earth territory. Patriotic citizens mourn as their sufficiently-sized homes burn to the ground. Super Earth citizens demand justice, and they will receive it. But for now, the Terminid Control System is ready for activation.
While players can still fight on Automaton worlds, most will likely shift their priorities to Terminid territory, starting with Veld, which features a hive that “eluded detection and has been gestating un-Democratic vermin for weeks.”
Helldivers 2 launched with the Terminids, and while they proved to be a challenge, players banded together and were able to complete the first major order and reap the rewards. That was not the case with the Automatons, which proved to be way tougher than their organic bug brethren. Besides the fact that even the smallest units are covered in tough-to-pierce armor, the game introduced missions that required way more strategy and teamwork than previous ones. Along with some surprise real-time work from Arrowhead Game Studios devs, the failure was inevitable.
Image: Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon
The mission type that specifically threw players for a loop was escort missions, which required Helldivers to help researchers and other citizens trapped on planets being invaded by Automaton fleets escape into an extraction point. Sounds easy enough on its face: Follow some unarmed civilians as they run from one side of a relatively small area to another. It was a common objective with the Terminids as well. However, anybody who’s played one of these Automaton missions through will tell you that after the first 10 or so get rescued, you’ll get bombarded with Automatons of all kinds. And because these missions take place in one small space with a lot of chokepoints, and the NPCs aren’t the best at self-preservation, it’s easy for players and civilians to die over and over… and over.
Players on the Helldivers subreddit have been trying to plan out strategies for this specific mission type since the campaign started. The consensus has been to have a full four-person team, with three people luring enemies into the outskirts of the mission area and one person focusing on stealth tactics to escort civilians (that means using smoke stratagems or specialty scouting armor sets). However, this only works if people are willing to constantly communicate in voice chat. Depending on your difficulty level, you still might run into some extremely heavy spawn rates that will decimate your team regardless of how coordinated you are. And with its 40-minute clock, there is a lot of time for things to go horribly wrong. Plus, players have reported bugs, like NPCs standing in front of the extraction point without entering.
I spoke with a player who identified himself to Polygon as Alessio, aka Zarrusso on Reddit, who posted a clear, comprehensive visual guide on how to tackle these missions this week, basically putting all the disparate Reddit threads and YouTube videos on the topic together. The guide suggests landing as far away from the objective as possible, along with a set of stratagems to equip.
Image: Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment
“On difficulty 6 [Extreme] and all of the above, the difficulty spikes greatly and we couldn’t kill the enemies fast enough and the civilians kept dying after taking one step outside,” he wrote. “So after getting some advice from YouTube and Reddit and just playing the missions, I put together that little strategy. And now I play those missions on difficulty 7, 8, and 9, and I have completed like 90 percent of my escort missions.”
These escort missions require way more strategy than others. Some Automaton objectives are nearly identical to Terminid ones (kill a certain number of enemies; launch an ICBM), so they didn’t have a large barrier to entry and therefore didn’t need nearly as much coordination between players, especially on lower difficulties. “The other missions don’t require this much strategy. On lower difficulties, you can pretty much do them without thinking but still need to bring the right weapons,” Zarrusso explained.
The Automaton escort missions, though, have been a completely different challenge for players, despite being similar to previous ones. This led to many people spamming easier 15-minute objectives instead. With this many failures on the board, it’s no wonder the community didn’t succeed in their collective fight.
But also, failure might’ve been the point all along. In a pre-release video, deputy game director Sagar Beroshi revealed Helldivers 2 would have a game master who would introduce twists and story moments, watching players as they complete missions and responding in real time. Players still have a degree of control over how mission orders go, but like in a tabletop RPG, the GM will move players in a specific direction, sometimes with a little improv. This might include something small like giving players an extra stratagem mid-round, or something much more globally impactful.
“The enemies have goals, right? They will look at what you’ve done, respond to the ways in which you have — you as the community, that is — has behaved, and react in a way that changes the face of the galaxy thereafter,” Beroshi said.
A recent PC Gamer article features a quick interview with CEO Johan Pilestedt, who explained this dev’s name is Joel and he apparently “takes his job very seriously.”
“Joel, in his infinite wisdom decided, ‘What happens when a faction wins a portion of a war? Well, they mine everything.’ That’s where the incendiary mine segment came from,” Pilestedt gave as an example, referring to the period where players got access to the incendiary mine stratagem for free.
Helldivers 2 will continue to surprise players with these tactics. “We have a lot of systems built into the game where the Game Master has a lot of control over the play experience. It’s something that we’re continuously evolving based on what’s happening in the game,” Pilestedt said. “And as part of the roadmap, there are things that we want to keep secret because we want to surprise and delight.” This will likely be with mechs, which have been teased and have been the subject of leaks, along with other new enemies and stories. It’s all a good reminder that your best efforts might be in vain, but you can turn the tides of war, and that makes for a more complex play experience.
Nightingale has been one of the most highly anticipated survival crafting games of this year. Unfortunately, its early access launch has highlighted the game’s shortcomings that need to be highlighted. Here are five things Nightingale needs to improve before its 1.0 launch.
Offline Mode
This has been something players immediately clamored for. Because of Nightingale’s always-online framework of dedicated servers hosting realms, it’s clear the developers underestimated players’ desire to play offline and host realms on their own. This is especially true when not long after Nightingale’s launch, Inflexion games clarified that an offline mode was coming very soon.
It’s likely offline mode will arrive much sooner than Nightingale’s 1.0 launch, so that’s certainly a good thing. Part of the problem with a game like this always being online is people playing from outside the U.S. are experiencing high ping just playing by themselves. That just doesn’t cut it for a survival crafting game.
Optimization
Image Source: Inflexion Games via Twinfinite
Nightingale uses Unreal Engine 5 alongside a lot of the engine’s powerful visual technology. Technology like Lumen, a powerful global illumination where sun and moonlight bathe the world in light and color that bounces realistically. While a performance hit would be expected using these technologies, the frame rate dips far too often.
My gaming laptop struggles to keep the game running at a consistent 60fps at 1440p on settings that are far below max. Even worse is when enemies are spawning in and fighting because it’s in those moments that the frame rate tanks far below 60.
For example, it looks poor when you climb the Fae towers fight enemies as you do so. In those moments, the performance is even lower than in the lush outside world, and that need to be improved come launch. Ultimately, Nightingale should be able to run well for everyone, not just those who have the hardware to run DLSS 3.0’s frame generation. Especially after Inflexion Games dropped support for FSR3’s more accessible frame generation.
Crafting Quality of Life
In Nightingale, you’re going to be doing a lot of crafting and that’s all well and good. The problem arises when you discover that the materials needed to craft anything have to come from your own inventory. Miraculously, crafting doesn’t take into account what you have stored in storage. Which is a quality-of-life feature that Palworld and Enshrouded had from day one.
Thankfully, it seems like Inflexion Games already knows that players want this feature. It doesn’t help that the crafting systems in Nightingale are some of the more complex in the survival crafting genre. It doesn’t help that there are multiple tiers of the same crafting bench. That’s on top of later game recipes needing crafted items from a previous crafting bench’s crafting bench’s crafting bench.
So, the easier crafting can be made for the sake of the player, I think is a good call on Inflexion Games part.
Revamped Points of Interest
Image Source: Inflexion Games
One of Nightingale’s biggest selling points is its exploration. With how each realm is randomly generated, there are plenty of interesting places to see. At least, that’s how it should be. Unfortunately, the various realms and their points of interest aren’t as interactive as they should be. For exploration, it’s important that the things you find have some kind of impact.
It’s a shame then that Nightingale’s points of interest largely lack that impact. The best Nightingale produces are the few puzzles that are engaging, but it is everything around them that lacks interaction. All the crates and urns and other Fae-looking objects do little beyond letting you break them down into basic materials. Breaking them open to find random rarer resources, items, essences, and gear of varying quality with enchants and charms would make exploration much more exciting.
It all hinges on two ideas that need fulfilling for rewarding exploration: not knowing what to expect and find, and what you eventually find being helpful and fun in one way or another.
Combat & Enemy Overhaul
The last building block for a better Nightingale involves better moment to moment combat. A lot of the game’s current combat woes are derived from enemies and how they move. Simply put, there’s very little buildup to their movements from an animation perspective. That fact is also hurt by how enemies always bum rush you straight on and rarely use tactics or attacks that aren’t jumping at you and clawing at you in a very stilted way.
I say stilted because their movement after the attack animation always makes them immediately stop on a dime. That makes the fight feel overly gamey and is not satisfying because of that. It also makes ranged combat more difficult than it needs to be because of how jerky their movements are. So, in my mind, the solution stems from slower, more gradual animations that I know Unreal Engine 5 can produce. On top of that, AI tactics and attacks that are more varied and unpredictable would certainly improve how combat feels.
Additionally, added heavy attacks that take more stamina and pierce through enemies (that should also be able to block and dodge) would be excellent changes too.
It’s these additions, along with bug fixes, that would definitely make Nightingale a much better survival crafting game for its 1.0 launch. Here’s hoping Inflexion Games looks into some of these.
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