The last few months have seen some pretty great releases. Along with last year's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and the recent Avowed, Rebellion's new survival first-person shooter, Atomfall, also looks like one to watch.

Taking place in 1957 in an alternative timeline, you'll get to explore, fight, craft, and scavenge your way through the British countryside. With the game officially coming out on March 27, we're just a couple of days away from setting our sights on the Sniper Elite studio's take on Northern England.

Of course, it is possible to play it early if you don't mind forking over a bit more cash. For you see, Atomfall comes in two flavors: Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition. Can you guess which one affords you the privilege of early access?

What's in the Deluxe Edition of Atomfall?

Of course, two days to wait is nothing, but if you simply can't wait to jump into things, you can opt for the more expensive version of the game. According to the Atomfall website, the Deluxe Edition will get you the following:

• The game itself (natch).
• A basic supply bundle, which comes with an exclusive melee weapon and a loot cache.
• An enhanced bundle supply, which nets you a pistol variant, a skill manual, and a new skin for your metal detector.
• The option to play the game three days early (so, now, basically).
• Access to the story expansion Wicked Isle, though that's not yet available.

Obviously, this will set you back a bit more than the vanilla version. On my end (being from the UK and everything), I see the Deluxe Edition is currently going for £64.99 (about $84). You can still get the basic supply bundle with the Standard Edition, but that’s only if you pre-order it.

Those who have paid the extra to play the game a couple of days early seem to be having a good time so far. The Steam page is currently showing a review score of "Very Positive." Of course, we can't make hasty judgments just yet. The game's not properly out yet. Oh, and if you have an Xbox, Atomfall is coming to Game Pass on day one. Only the Standard Edition, though.

The post Atomfall: the difference between the Standard and Deluxe Edition appeared first on Destructoid.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is not just a great game, but a fantastic love letter to the iconic movie franchise. Troy Baker's take on the whip-wielding adventurer goes the extra mile to make it feel like an authentic "Indy" experience.

It's a bit of a shame, therefore, that the game was exclusive to Microsoft (Xbox and PC). However, we'd already heard on the grapevine that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was coming to PS5, and now we have a release date.

As mentioned in the above trailer, you can expect Great Circle to hit the Sony console on April 17, with an option to pre-order it now. There's also a Collector's Bundle, as well as some additional bonus content available, such as the Temple of Doom outfit and a digital art book.

"What is an adventure without going somewhere new?"

I think we ought to give a little shout-out to the PlayStation 5 trailer. We get to see Nolan North and Troy Baker – titans of video game voice acting – opposite each other, as the former quizzes the latter on what it means to be an adventurer.

Levity ensues, with the Unchartered actor welcoming Baker to the Sony system, with comical nods to Nathan Drake in a way that's self-aware enough to acknowledge the similarities between Naughty Dog's mascot and Indiana Jones. The trailer ends with both actors opening a secret box that bathes them in a bright, PS5-esque blue glow.

We're witness to an interesting shift towards non-exclusivity in gaming, lately. Now, it could be argued that games don't need to be tied to one console in the first place and that developers and publishers that do this are simply trying to get a stranglehold on a particular market. But let's not allow that to spoil the trailer. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PlayStation 5? Yes, please.

The post Indiana Jones and the Great Circle PS5 release date announced appeared first on Destructoid.

The ability to fire Chaser Rounds is a new mechanic added for Light Bowguns in Monster Hunter Wilds, and they pack a punch. If you're not sure how to use them, here's what you need to know.

How to fire Chaser Shots in Monster Hunter Wilds

Chaser Rounds is a mechanic that allows you to fire off an additional salvo of ammo following any other method of firing your Light Bowgun. Chaser Shots deal considerably more damage to the target at the cost of being a 'finalizing' move in your shooting combo. This does not mean you can't use them after every shot, however.

Sometimes, raw damage is more important than DPS (Damage Per Second), and it is in these times, you'd want to consider using a Chaser Round after every shot, instead of at the end of your ammo capacity.

Every offensive ammo type can utilize a follow-up Chaser Round after firing. This is done by simply pressing the Interact/Speak/Gather/Carve button on your respective control scheme. If done fast enough, you'll perform a Chaser Shot. If you're too slow, you'll accidentally switch between firing modes. In this case, you'll need to fire off another round to attempt to perform it again.

In most cases, you'll perform Chaser Shots with Normal, Piercing, and/or Spread ammo, thanks to these types being unlimited. Each one does something slightly different when using a Chaser Round when in Standard Mode and Rapid Fire modes of your Light Bowgun

Standard Mode Chaser Rounds

As a norm, firing off Chaser Rounds in Standard Mode is slower than simply firing off a second salvo in Monster Hunter Wilds. However, the damage increase makes the slow fire rate worthwhile. Firing off Chaser Rounds in Standard Mode is always faster than firing them off in Rapid Fire Mode.

• Normal Ammo - Fires off two additional Normal rounds that deal much more damage.
• Piercing Ammo - Fires off two additional Piercing rounds that bore through the monster, dealing increasing damage the longer they pierce. This is considerably more damage than a normal piercing Round. Recovery time from firing is also slower than normal.
• Spread Ammo - Fires two additional Spread rounds that do massively more damage at the cost of an extremely slow recovery time following it. Positioning is very important when using these Chasers.

Rapid Fire Mode Chaser Rounds

Firing off Chaser Rounds in Rapid Fire is considerably slower than firing them off in Standard or simply firing another salvo. The equal exchange is that Rapid Fire Chaser Shots offer up some of the highest damage you can deal with a single salvo, regardless of ammo type.

• Normal Ammo - Fires off five additional Normal rounds that deal lower damage than normal, but the final shot does massively more damage.
• Piercing Ammo - Fires off two additional Piercing rounds that deal massively more damage than normal. Recovery Time is quite poor, so careful positioning is required for safe usage.
• Spread Ammo - Fires off three additional Spread rounds that deal considerably more damage than normal. However, recovery time is the slowest out of all ammo types, and it requires extreme care to be used safely against aggressive monsters.

The post How to use Chaser Rounds in Monster Hunter Wilds appeared first on Destructoid.

From blowing up mako reactors to saving Disney princesses from the heartless, the Japanese RPG genre has a lot in store for anyone who decides to dive into it. 2025 Japanese RPGs include creating your very own weaponry with alchemy in the Atelier series and marrying your favorite villager in Rune Factory.

Here is a look at the diverse lineup in store for fans of the genre in 2025 and perhaps beyond, including remasters of long-beloved treasures. As more games get announced this year, we will update the list.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land

• Publisher: Koei Tecmo
• Release Date: March 21
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC (via Steam)

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land, from developer Gust and publisher Koei Tecmo, explores a stunning anime-inspired world that sees alchemy as an omen rather than a blessing. As Yumia, you'll likely change the minds of many of this land as she tries to figure out what happened to a fallen society that saw its downfall due to alchemy. This RPG revolves around the alchemy mechanic, letting you create bases, battle items, and exploration equipment. For those who don't like the turn-based mechanics in past entries, this takes more of a real-time element to its combat. Atelier Yumia is one of the most anticipated March 2025 releases.

Lunar Remastered Collection

• Publisher: GungHo Online Entertainment America
• Release Date: April 18
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC (via Steam)

Two beloved JRPG classics are finally coming back to modern consoles and PC on April 18 with the Lunar Remastered Collection. It includes the first game, Silver Star Story, and the sequel, Eternal Blue. Similar to Square Enix's Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, the Lunar Remastered Collection improves the visuals and audio, in addition to quality-of-life improvements.

According to a PlayStation Blog interview with the game's producer, Matthias Pergams, the new collection includes an adjustable Battle Speed-Up option and a toggleable option for a unified inventory system in the first Lunar game. You can also customize each character's AI during battle. These improvements should help modernize the classic JRPG. The game also supports both English and Japanese voice acting to suit your preference.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time - May 21

• Publisher: Level-5
• Release Date: May 21
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC (via Steam)

Famed developer Level-5 is back with a new entry in the Fantasy Life series, The Girl Who Steals Time. This game takes a more relaxing approach to the JRPG genre, as you fish, cook, and shape your island to how you see fit. It's like Animal Crossing and an RPG had a baby. You'll be able to switch between 14 different jobs as you play through this game. If you want to experience this action RPG with friends, you can certainly do that through online multiplayer with up to four people. Get ready, as you'll be exploring an open world teeming with monsters.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3

• Publisher: CyberConnect2
• Release Date: May 29
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Steam)

CyberConnect2 is delivering the final chapter in the Fuga: Melodies of Steel trilogy on May 29. The children are on a journey to save their friend Malt as they board a tank called the Taranis that was once thought to be lost. The developer says on the game's Steam page that the battle system has "undergone substantial changes." You can now exploit enemy weaknesses and "deal escalating damage with every hit" when you utilize a weakness combo. You can also utilize assist attacks on your quest for victory.

Those new to the series might be able to try the third entry without playing the last two. The Steam page says, "It's not necessary to play Fuga: Melodies of Steel or Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 to enjoy Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3." Hopefully, that is true.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma

• Publisher: XSEED Games, Marvelous, and Marvelous Europe
• Release Date: May 30
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam).

On the very next day, you'll be able to play the 2025 Japanese RPG Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma on Nintendo Switch and PC. In this entry, you'll be exploring a new Japanese-inspired country called Azuma. You'll be practicing Earth Dancer powers and taking down evil throughout the land to hopefully bring back hope to its residents. In what the publishers XSEED Games and Marvelous call a reimagined experience on the game's Steam page, we'll be rebuilding an entire village and farm to our hearts' content in between action-RPG battles outside.

As you fight monsters and start up a new society, you'll be able to romance the various characters that reside in your village. You may even marry one of them. The Steam page says the scenes between these characters and your protagonist will be voiced. They can also go to battle with you.

Digimon Story Time Stranger

• Publisher: Bandai Namco
• Release Date: 2025
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (via Steam)

After almost a decade, a new entry of the Digimon Story is nearly upon us, as it currently has a vague 2025 release date. Like past entries of the series, you'll be battling other Digimon in the turn-based affair as you try to collect all of the digital monsters. The game takes place between the Digital World and the real world as you try to figure out the reason behind the planet's collapse.

An even wackier twist is that we'll be venturing through time and parallel worlds in an effort to change fate itself. The Steam page says there will be "an incredible variety of Digimon" and "deep customization options" that "provide limitless ways to approach the challenges of battle."

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian

• Publisher: Koei Tecmo
• Release Date: 2025
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC (via Steam)

Not much is known about the secondary Atelier adventure coming out in 2025. The trailer showcases an open world with multiple biomes, like a cave of diamonds and an open field. It has all new protagonists and features a narrative set in the canon of Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator. Damn, what is with these long names, Koei Tecmo!? Regardless, unlike Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator, this entry will be an offline title.

Edge of Memories could be considered a 2025 Japanese RPG

• Publisher: Nacon
• Release Date: Q4 2025
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (via Steam)

While this game is technically from a French developer called Midgar Studio, we're still counting Edge of Memories as a JRPG as it has hired some significant talent from Japan. It includes the likes of character designer Raita Kazama (Xenoblade Chronicles X), writer Swako Natori (NieR), and Mitsuru Yokoyama, the combat designer of Final Fantasy XV. The majority of the soundtrack is from Cédric Menendez. However, the final theme is by Yasunori Mitsuda, who has been a composer on JRPG classics like Chrono Trigger and Xenoblade Chronicles.

Edge of Memories is an action RPG that has you stringing fast-paced combos and customizing your companions to "inflict more damage at crucial moments" by "[using] their skills wisely." There is also a rage system involved in the combat. Additionally, Edge of Memories supports Unreal Engine 5 anime-inspired visuals.

The post All notable upcoming Japanese RPGs (JRPGs) in 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

The early game in Zenless Zone Zero doesn't ask much of your teams, nor should it. The endgame, however, all but requires you to use the best teams available. Knowing what those are ahead of time ensures you know who to pull for and when.

How teams work in Zenless Zone Zero

Teams in Zenless Zone Zero are made up of three Agents plus a cuddly robot rabbit thing called a Bangboo. Each Agent plays one of the archetypal roles: Main DPS, Sub DPS, or Support. The difference is in how they play those roles. As of update 1.6, there are five built-in Agent types in ZZZ:

• Attack Agents, who are more traditional damage dealers. There are a few additional gimmicks with more recent options, but the basic rule is that if you hit an attack button, the Attack Agent will do some amount of damage.
• Anomaly Agents, who only deal a modest amount of damage with their attacks, instead get the majority of their output via Attribute Anomaly elemental damage effects. Most anomaly Agents also focus at least partly on causing Disorder damage, which occurs when two different Anomaly types interact when an enemy's Anomaly gauge fills. This causes the Anomaly effect and a Disorder, potentially doubling the damage received.
• Stun Agents, whose primary purpose is to build an enemy's Daze gauge until it reaches the Stun window, where the enemy cannot move and receives double damage. The best Stun Agents also apply debuffs and enable their damage dealers to, well, do more damage.
• Support Agents are party-wide buffers, healers, and general enablers. The best of them make an already great team composition better by giving it new tools or additional modifiers to its damage or combat style.
• Defense Agents focus on protecting their other party members via shields and buffing allies while that shield is active. The best of them play a hybrid role, protecting their party and giving top-tier damage and anti-interruption buffs.
• Bangboo are AI-controlled supportive units capable of applying different effects designed to synergize with specific team compositions.

The teams listed here are mostly made up of limited S-Rank characters, but we're not expecting you to have spent additional resources on their Cinema Mindscapes. All of them are, therefore, M0 and E0, meaning you've also not put any stock into their signature W-Engine, which can be the other resource sink.

One final note: almost all of these teams ask for Astra Yao as their Support, but Caesar is an excellent substitute, as are Lucy and Nicole.

Best premium team: Miyabi, Yanagi, Astra Yao

If you absolutely, positively must defeat every enemy in your current zipcode, accept no substitute from the meta Miyabi team. Miyabi's damage multipliers and the range and speed of her attacks are such that she can and has soloed the hardest content in the game. With teammates all but designed to improve her sky-high power ceiling, it's hard to think of what could be better.

Miyabi is the team's main DPS. She's an Anomaly Agent by designation, but her damage output outside of Attribute Anomaly effects is also absurd. If any member of Miyabi's team applies an Anomaly effect, she gains a stack of Fallen Frost. At six stacks, she can charge a huge attack that can disintegrate boss health bars. She also gains two stacks via her EX Special and three from her Ultimate. Most importantly, she gains Fallen Frost whenever an enemy is affected by Disorder.

Yanagi was already a powerful Anomaly DPS. However, her role in Miyabi's team is to ensure the captain of Section 6 has as many free Disorder activations as possible. Miyabi's EX Special can cause Disorders not once but twice, as the attack can cause a unique Polarity Disorder that activates separately from standard Disorders. More Disorder means more Fallen Frost for Miyabi and more heavy bursts of damage.

Astra Yao was immediately crowned the best Support unit in the game when she was released. Not only does she grant a massive attack boost to the entire team, but she also allows them to quick swap for free. In this team, that means Miyabi can get more attacks on target without having to spend resources, and both she and Yanagi can get a bit of extra EX Special energy without needing to be on-field for too long.

Agent Gulliver is the ideal Bangboo for this team, as having two Section 6 members on a team boosts its personal Anomaly buildup and increases Electric Anomaly buildup.

Best alternative premium team: Evelyn, Lighter, Astra Yao

Evelyn is one of the most technical characters in Zenless Zone Zero, requiring a lot of coordination within her team and her kit to function at her highest level. However, you don't need to optimize too much with her best team online.

Evelyn is the main DPS of the team, and even though she's an Attack Agent without the enormous area of effect attacks Miyabi can boast, she is a more functionally active character. Her attack mainly focuses on a single target by binding them to her with the Lunalux Garotte, but those attacks also have a large enough effect radius that any grouped enemies will take the pain.

Lighter is the premiere Stun Agent as of update 1.6, thanks to his top-tier Daze and his ability to reduce an enemy's Ice and Fire resistance while buffing his teammates' Fire and Ice damage. He can also extend the length of Stun windows. That his personal damage isn't terrible only adds to his appeal.

Astra Yao is one we've already talked about, but she deserves mention again for her Faction bonus with Evelyn, which allows Astra to activate her to attack and apply her ATK stat damage bonus more often. Additionally, because Evelyn's team has fewer invulnerability windows and counter options, Astra's Ultimate is even more valuable for the healing it provides.

Snap is the go-to Bangboo for this team, as it increases the damage team members can do to enemies while also providing some small but significant healing.

Best new premium team: Silver Soldier Anby, Pulchra or Trigger, Astra Yao

Silver Soldier Anby is a fantastic Attack main DPS who's simple to play and does top-tier damage without too many gimmicks or execution requirements. She's also the first DPS that uses the Aftershock mechanic, making her best Stun teammates units that can buff that damage type, hence the selections here.

Silver Soldier Anby is about as straightforward as DPS characters get among more recent Zenles Zone Zero characters. Hit enemies to apply the Silver Star mark, keep hitting them to charge it, and use your EX Special to spend that charge to do more damage. This mechanic makes S-Anby a bit more of a single-target specialist than Evelyn, but not enough to separate their capabilities for most players.

Pulchra and Trigger are both Aftershock-centric Stun units. Pulchra relies on her EX Special to apply a buff to Aftershock damage, and Trigger builds a gauge using a held Basic Attack that enables additional Aftershock effects. As an A-Rank, Pulchra is a bit less effective than Trigger at applying Daze, but she's also strong enough that if you're saving for another character down the line, you don't strictly need to pull for Trigger. If you do get Trigger, you'll provide Silver Soldier Anby with her best-in-slot partner.

Astra Yao is on Silver Soldier Anby's team for the same reason she's on any team: the damage buffs, Ultimate healing, and free quick swap attacks. In this case, the Quick Swaps are a good way to build additional Energy for both S-Anby and Pulchra. You are, however, probably better off keeping S-Anby on-field as much as possible to ensure she's charging her abilities as much as possible.

Plugboo is your S-Rank Bangboo of choice for the Silver Soldier Anby team, as you'll activate not only its passive Anomaly buildup ability but also its Chain Attack passive. S-Anby and her teammates aren't Anomaly units, of course, but having the additional Shock Anomaly damage is a nice bonus.

Best free-to-play team: Piper, Anby, Lucy

If you don't have any S-Ranks to build the above teams, a Piper-centric Anomaly team is a fine substitute until you do.

Piper has been the preeminent A-Rank DPS since the release of Zenless Zone Zero, outpacing many of the launch S-Rank characters. She's straightforward and satisfying to play, with most of her damage coming from her held EX Special spin-to-win attack. That same attack builds up a surprising amount of Physical Anomaly for an A-Rank and combined with the rest of her team, Piper can be a real menace.

Anby Demara, the A-Rank version, has also kept a relatively good pace with the other Stun units, though she's starting to feel the effects of powercreep. That's especially true with Pulchra in the lineup now. However, A-Rank Anby is a completely free unit that, like Piper, is easy to play. Her main Daze damage comes from her EX Special and the few combos she can build around it.

Lucy remains one of the most versatile Support units in the game alongside Nicole, and her A-Rank hasn't held her back much at all. Between the Fire Anomaly buildup, free quick swap with an attached Attack buff, and solid damage of her own, using Lucy as a substitute for Astra is a no-brainer. Of course, Astra has more to offer, as does Caesar, but if you don't have them, Lucy can elevate any team's capabilities handsomely.

Those are my picks for the best teams currently available in Zenless Zone Zero. The meta constantly changes, so expect these designations to change with it.

The post Best Team Comps in Zenless Zone Zero appeared first on Destructoid.

A niche game on Steam seems to have figured out exactly how to do early access right, and players are loving it.

In an era when many games linger in early access for years, often using it as an excuse to slowly add features or deliver constant updates, it's refreshing to see a game spend only a short time there, handle player feedback well, and nearly double its player count upon full release.

Realistic snowmobile simulator Sledders released after 15 months in early access

Sledders is a realistic snowmobile simulator game, about as niche as it gets. It first released on December 5, 2023 in early access on Steam and is now a full game as of March 20.

Players get to experience what I'll believe to be authentic snowmobile driving—I'll probably never know for sure—complete with realistic physics and actual snowmobile sounds.

Despite its very specific theme, Sledders hit over 1,800 peak players on Steam after its release on March 20—almost double its early access peak—and earned an impressive average of 91% positive reviews in the last 30 days, with 97% positive reviews on launch day. It even became SteamDB's best-rated release this week.

Even though snowmobiles aren't exactly common worldwide—many countries don’t even have snow, let alone people who ride snowmobiles—Sledders might have found the same sweet spot as Eurotruck Simulator. Just as Euro Truck Simulator attracts many players who aren't truck drivers in real life, Sledders could appeal to enthusiasts who enjoy realistic experiences.

Early reviews suggest the game is a bit hard to start but fun to play, which is the sweet spot for simulators. If it's too easy, it doesn't feel real. If it's too hard, it becomes frustrating.

Snowmobile enthusiasts helped make Sledders

A developer shared on the snowmobiling Reddit community why Sledders has connected so well with players. It turns out one of the developers is a real snowmobile expert who previously ran a snowmobile shop and even recorded real engine sounds to ensure maximum realism.

Sledders is also available on Xbox and PS5 for $34.99.

The post Steam’s highest-rated new game does early access right, launches with 97% positive reviews appeared first on Destructoid.

Remember Concord? Despite it not even being a year old, Firewalk Studios' hero shooter has already been largely forgotten about. Well, unless you count it as something that will go down as one of the biggest flops of the current generation.

However, if you happen to have a PlayStation 5 copy of the game, you might want to chuck it on eBay. As noted in a recent report from Metro (which references a forum post on ResetEra), several people are trying to sell Concord on the auction site, with some of the asking prices being surprisingly steep.

As of right now, there are more than 80 listings on the UK version of eBay, with prices ranging from about £30 ($38) to over £360 (approximately $465). That's just for the game itself, though admittedly, some of them are off-the-shelf and sealed, which might be of some interest to very particular (read: affluent) collectors.

Is anyone going to buy one?

If you're not interested in the game itself, you could also pay hundreds for a Concord limited edition DualSense controller. While it's still very pricey, it at least would make a bit more sense, because at last that way, you'd have a usable accessory.

For those who don't remember, Concord was a live-service multiplayer shooter, essentially released to rub elbows with other popular titles in the genre, such as Overwatch, Valorant, and – perhaps to a lesser extent – Battleborn.

Sony released the game on August 23, 2024, for Steam and PS5. Sadly, it was an unmitigated failure, and the publisher pulled the plug on the servers (effectively killing the game) on September 6, 2024. So that's what? Two weeks? That has to be some sort of record.

Given that you can't actually play Concord anymore, it would be a rather odd decision for someone to pay over £300 for a PS5 copy. I mean, even if you do want it just to say you have it, there's no need to pay that much anyway, even on eBay.

The post Got a copy of Concord on PS5? You might be able to sell it on eBay for a few hundred appeared first on Destructoid.

2024 is already looking to be an interesting year for gaming, with several remakes and remasters arriving in early January and brand-new releases making the waves later on. 2023 was an exciting time, gaming in 2024 was slightly underwhelming, and it's only a matter of time before we learn what 2025 entails.

It is very easy to forget the sheer volume of games that launch throughout an entire year. One month alone can have dozens of releases, let alone the rest as game development teams announce their plans.

If you’re looking to plan ahead or tell others about an upcoming release, we have an ongoing list of games confirmed to launch in 2025. We’ll also continue updating this list as we learn about new releases and delays.

Updated March 20, 2025: Updated with new titles, both within the indie and AAA space, announced throughout March.

January 2025 game releases

• Beyond Citadel (PC) - January 2
• Wuthering Waves (PS5) - January 2
• Click Mage (PC) - January 6
• Chocolate Factory Simulator (PC) - January 7
• Desktop Mate (PC) - January 7
• Sea Fantasy (PC) - January 7
• Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana (PC4, PS5, Switch) - January 7
• My Summer Car (PC) - January 8
• The Last Flame (PC) - January 9
• Freedom Wars Remastered (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - January 10
• Airborne Empire (PC, Early Access) - January 13
• Dreaming Isles (PC) - January 13
• Heroes of Hammerwatch II (PC) January 14
• Hyper Light Breaker (PC) - January 14
• Turnip Boy Robs a Bank (iOS, Android) - January 14
• Aloft (PC) - January 15
• Age of Darkness: Final Stand (PC) - January 15
• The Roottrees are Dead (PC) - January 15
• Age of Water (PC) - January 16
• Assetto Corsa EVO (PC, Early Access) - January 16
• Blade Chimera (PC, Switch) - January 16
• Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Switch) - January 16
• DreadOut Remastered Collection (PC, PS4, Switch) - January 16
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 16
• Football Coach: College Dynasty (PC) - January 16
• Morkull Ragast's Rage (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - January 16
• Cyclopean: The Great Abyss (PC, Early Access) - January 17
• Skystead Ranch (PC) - January 17
• Tales of Graces f Remastered (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 17
• Helskate (PC) - January 20
• Into the Emberlands (PC) - January 20
• Needy Streamer Overload (PS4, PS5) - January 21
• Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 22
• Gravelord (PC, Early Access) - January 22
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PC) - January 23
• Guilty Gear Strive (Switch) - January 23
• Ninja Gaiden 2 Black (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 23
• Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - January 23
• Synduality: Echo of Ada (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 23
• Space Engineers 2 (PC, Early Access) - January 27
• Cuisineer (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 28
• Eternal Strands (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 28
• Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos (PS4, PS5, Switch) - January 28
• Tails of Iron II: Whiskers of Winter (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 28
• The Stone of Madness (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 28
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. (PC) - January 28
• Warside (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch) - January 28
• Ropuka's Idle Island (PC) - January 29
• Cardfight!! Vanguard Dear Days 2 (PC, Switch) - January 30
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure (PC, Switch) - January 30
• Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - January 30
• Sniper Elite: Resistance (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - January 30
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PC) - January 30
• The Headliners (PC) - January 30
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 31
• FlyKnight (PC) - January 31
• Foundation 1.0 (PC) - January 31
• The Sims Legacy Collection (PC) - January 31

February 2025 game releases

• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 4
• Rift of the NecroDancer (PC) - February 5
• While Waiting (PC, Switch) - February 5
• Border Pioneer (PC) - February 6
• Keep Driving (PC) - February 6
• Stray Path (PC) - February 6
• Momodora: Moonlit Farewell (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 6
• A Game About Digging a Hole (PC) - February 7
• Astral Throne (PC) - February 7
• Civilization VII (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 11
• Mind Over Magic (PC) - February 12
• Urban Myth Dissolution Center (PC, PS5, Switch) - February 12
• Warriors: Abyss (PC, PS4, PS5) - February 12
• Amber Isle (Switch) - February 13
• Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart (Switch) - February 13
• Warriors: Abyss (Switch) - February 13
• Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 14
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II (PC, Switch) - February 14
• Avowed (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - February 18
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - Tape one (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 18
• Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - February 20
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - February 21
• R.E.P.O. (PC) - February 26
• Crystar (PS5) - February 27
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection (PC, Switch) - February 27
• Monster Hunter Wilds (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 28

March 2025 game releases

• Age of Mythology: Retold (PS5) - March 4
• Everhood 2 (PC, Switch) - March 4
• Grimoire Groves (PC) - March 4
• Two Point Museum (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 4
• Bao Bao's Cozy Laundromat (PC) - March 6
• Desktop Cat Cafe (PC) - March 6
• Dragonkin: The Banished (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 6
• Fragpunk (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 6
• Grimoire Groves (PC) - March 6
• Sorry We're Closed (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 6
• Split Fiction (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 6
• Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - March 6
• The Sims 4: Businesses and Hobbies (PC, PS4, Xbox One) - March 6
• Rogue: Genesia (PC) - March 7
• Sugardew Island (PC) - March 7
• Rise of the Ronin (PC) - March 10
• MeMic (PC) - March 11
• Wanderstop (PC, PS5) - March 11
• Metal Bringer (PC, PS5) - March 12
• Beyond the Ice Palace 2 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 13
• Bionic Bay (PC, PS5) - March 13
• Dungeons of Hinterberg (PS4, PS5) - March 13
• Matcho (PC, PS5) - March 13
• Midnight Murder Club (PC, PS5, Early Access) - March 13
• On Your Tail (Switch) - March 13
• WWE 2K25 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - March 14
• MLB The Show 25 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 18
• Assassin's Creed Shadows (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 20
• Rendering Ranger: R² [Rewind] (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - March 20
• Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Switch) - March 20
• Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 21
• BLEACH Rebirth of Souls (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 21
• Breakout Beyond (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 25
• Steel Paws (Android, iOS) - March 25
• JDM: Japanese Drift Master (PC) - March 26
• Spilled! (PC) - March 26
• AI Limit (PC, PS5) - March 27
• Atomfall (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - March 27
• Bubble Ghost Remake (PC, Switch) - March 27
• The First Berserker: Khazan (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 27
• inZOI (PC) - March 28
• PolyPine (PC) - March 31
• Post Trauma (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 31
• Psycho Patrol R (PC, Early Access) - March 31
• The Chef's Shift (PC) - March 31
• TinyCraft Town (PC) - March

April 2025 game releases

• Koira (PC, PS5) - April 1
• The Last of Us Part II (PC) - April 3
• South of Midnight (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - April 8
• Tiny Garden (PC) - April 8
• Commandos: Origins (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 9
• Descenders Next (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - April 9
• Gedonia 2 (PC) - April 9
• Blue Prince (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 10
• All in Abyss: Judge the Fake (PC, PS5, Switch) - April 10
• Crashlands 2 (PC, Android, iOS) - April 10
• Star Overdrive (Switch) - April 10
• The Talos Principle: Reawakened (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S)- April 10
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - Tape two (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 15
• Bionic Bay (PC, PS5) - April 17
• Koira (PC, PS5) - April 17
• Mandragora (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 17
• Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 17
• Rusty Rabbit (PC, PS5, Switch) - April 17
• Bokura (PS4, PS5) - April 18
• Lunar Remastered Collection (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - April 18
• Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 23
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 24
• FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 24
• Super Technos World: River City & Arcade Classics (PC, PS5, Switch) - April 24
• Tempest Rising (PC) - April 24
• The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- (PC, Switch) - April 24
• Days Gone Remastered (PS5) - April 25
• Forza Horizon 5 (PS5) - April 29
• Faun Town (PC) - April 30
• Dave the Diver: Ichiban's Holiday (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - April
• Haunted House Renovator (PC) - April
• Magic Inn (PC) - April
• Ratatan (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April
• Super Mini Mart (PC) - April

May 2025 game releases

• Freeride (PC, Switch) - May 1
• Captain Blood (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 6
• Metal Eden (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 6
• Revenge of the Savage Planet (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 8
• The Midnight Walk (PC, PS5) - May 8
• Doom: The Dark Ages (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 15
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - May 16
• Dune: Awakening (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 20
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (Switch) - May 21
• Blades of Fire (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 22
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown (PC) - May 22
• Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - May 23
• to a T (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 28
• Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 29
• Elden Ring: Nightreign (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - May 30
• Lost Soul Aside (PC, PS5) - May 30
• Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (PC, Switch) - May 30

June 2025 game releases

• Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic (PC, PS5) - June 13
• Tron: Catalyst (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - June 17
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (PS5) - June 26
• Date Everything! (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - June
• Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road (PC, PS4, PS5, iOS, Android, Switch) - June
• Stellar Blade (PC) - June

July 2025 game releases

• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - July 11
• Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition (PC) - July 15
• HUNTER×HUNTER NEN×IMPACT (PC, PS5, Switch) - July 17
• Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - July 29
• Last Spartan: Glory Over Madness (PC) - July

August 2025 game releases

• Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - August 28
• Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 29

September 2025 game releases

• Hell Is Us (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - September 4
• Borderlands 4 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - September 23

October 2025 game releases

• Directive 8020 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - October 2
• Double Dragon Revive (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - October 23

Games with unknown release dates (2025)

• Absolum
• A.I.L.A
• Another Farm Roguelike: Rebirth
• ARC Raiders
• Astrobotanica
• Big Walk
• Biped 2
• Bits & Bops
• Bugtopia
• Candy Shop Simulator
• Cauldron
• Coffee Talk Tokyo
• Crimson Desert
• Crown Gambit
• Darwin's Paradox
• Dave the Diver: In the Jungle
• Demonschool
• Discounty
• Digimon Story Time Stranger
• Dispatch
• Doom (SNES)
• Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (PC)
• Dreams of Another
• Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping
• Dying Light: The Beast
• EDENS ZERO
• Fantastic Haven
• FBC: Firebreak
• Flappy Bird
• Floatopia
• Game of Thrones: Kingsroad
• Goblin Cleanup
• Grand Theft Auto 6
• Grimshire
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure (PS, PS5)
• Herdling
• Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era
• Hotel Barcelona
• inZOI (PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
• Jump Ship
• Killing Floor 3
• Lies of P: Overture
• Little Nightmares 3
• Mafia: The Old Country
• Mecha Break
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
• MindsEye
• Mio: Memories in Orbit
• Mistfall Hunter
• Monaco 2
• Morsels
• Moth Kubit
• MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
• Nanuka: Secret of the Shattering Mood
• Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
• Ninja Gaiden 4
• Nivalis
• One Move Away
• Paralives
• Perfect Dark
• Pixelshire
• Pokémon Champions
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A
• PowerWash Simulator 2
• Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale HD Edition
• Rematch
• Ritual of Raven
• Rooster
• Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker
• Shadow Labyrinth (Pac-Man)
• Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX
• Showa American Story
• Slay the Spire II (Early Access)
• Solasta II (Early Access)
• Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
• Sonic Rumble
• Splitgate 2
• Stalcraft: X Operations
• Sleight of Hand
• Solarpunk
• SOPA - Tale of the Stolen Potato
• Star Overdrive (PC, PS5)
• StarRupture
• State of Decay 3
• Stick it to the Stickman
• Streets of Rogue 2
• Subnautica 2 (Early Access)
• Squeakross: Home Squeak Home
• Terminator: Survivors
• Tinkerlands
• Tiny Bookshop
• Townseek
• Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
• Trident’s Tale
• The Legend of Baboo
• The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu
• The Outer Worlds 2
• Time Flies
• Vampires: Bloodlord Rising
• Wheel World
• World's Worst Handyman
• Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
• Youtubers Life 3: Stream Together

Games with unknown release dates (2026)

• Blackfrost the Long Dark 2 (Early Access)
• Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss
• Fable
• Rootbound
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword
• Saros
• Screamer
• The Witcher 4
• Tides of Annihilation

The post 2025 Video Game release date calendar appeared first on Destructoid.

WWE 2K25 is the "Ultimate Warrior" of wrestling video games with an expansive suite of modes and characters to choose from. Unfortunately, one of its most promising additions for this year, The Island, feels a bit like a money grab.

That's because there's a low amount of currency being offered for playing the game and completing missions/objectives. But you can always buy some currency, right? Despite this, it's still a great game, and here's my review.

Can you smell what 2K is cooking?

WWE 2K25 offers so many modes that it may feel overwhelming, and for a yearly product, it's pretty impressive. There's the Showcase that represents the Samoan dynasty throughout multiple generations from The Rock's grandfather Peter Maivia to this current era's Naomi and Roman Reigns.

Paul Heyman alongside members of the current Bloodline like Roman Reigns gives a great description of each wrestler featured in the showcase. You get to know these wrestlers' history, the impact they've made on the industry, and knowledge of the growing hype for each match featured in the Showcase.

Each match seems to be more streamlined with fewer objectives, and the in-battle cutscenes are all seamless. There's no jarring transition between live-action and battle anymore, which is a huge plus. Except for the intro, we finally won't see the referees' faces or WWF logo getting blurred out during live-action sequences in the matches themselves.

WWE 2K25 does a great job of explaining each objective in the Showcase mode, but something I find annoying is the limited-time challenges. If you don't complete them, you'll miss out on the majority of the unlockables like Rikishi as a playable character. At points, it feels like you're not given enough time, especially if your enemy is able to counter your strikes or you get stuck in a punching animation (more on that later).

The Island is marred with microtransactions

The Island is WWE 2K25's biggest new offering. The overall concept is sound. You're exploring a well-designed theme park-like area, in which you challenge foes to be the very best and get yourself a WWE contract from Roman Reigns.

It makes you want a WWE theme park to explore in real life. You'll get all manner of quests to complete, such as defeating Gunther in a badass mech suit (I'm not kidding). These can be fun scenarios to finish as your custom character, even though the storytelling is made through a cheap PowerPoint-like production with static images and text.

Unfortunately, the in-game microtransaction system will leave your wallet just as empty as going to Disneyland or Universal Studios. The currency VC is given to players slowly and is required to upgrade custom wrestlers in the Training menu. You'll get 150 VC per match you win and 75 VC if you lose. Each stat point increase varies around 80-200, depending on the level. Despite this game being multiplayer-focused, you can pay-to-win as you can purchase VC for $99.99 which gets you 400,000 VC, and can drastically change your character, while $9.99 gets you 32,500 VC.

As you explore The Island, there are many cosmetics to purchase in various shops. In Becky & Seth's Driporium, you can get Rollins' ridiculous gnome-like red boots for 18,000 VC. To get this from in-game progression only, you'll need to complete 120 matches. That's a bit rough, and encourages players to purchase VC in my humble opinion. You can get VC from leveling up your rank, finishing challenges, and completing quests, but it's still a slow affair.

Free players will just have to ignore the cosmetics for now. Upgrading your wrestler is arguably more important than looking cool.

The Island is a genuinely fun mode, but the microtransactions do get to me a bit. Additionally, it isn't available offline, which is a shame. Another annoying factor is that you can't play The Island on PC, PS4, or Xbox One systems; it's only available for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players.

MyRise is fantastic

My two favorite modes MyRise and MyGM return in WWE 2K25 and show significant improvements. The storyline with MyRise is gripping as it tells the narrative of current and former NXT stars trying to take over WWE and end Raw and Smackdown. This time, you get assigned male and female superstars to represent the two main shows.

It does a great job of encouraging multiple playthroughs as the personality type you choose for your character (brash and bold or comedic) offers different story missions. The relationship between the male and female characters also changes depending on your choice, and it's constantly referenced.

The cool thing about MyRise (which makes it better than The Island) is that everyone is voiced. You'll be led by CM Punk during the beginning of the campaign and run into Jade Cargill if you choose that your character comes from a rival promotion. The voice acting from the wrestlers themselves is actually not that bad, and you'll get pulled into the backstage drama of WWE. There are some unexpected moments within MyRise, and it's entertaining to see a new story that differentiates from the Bloodline-obsessed WWE creative team of the last four or five years.

An improved MyGM

Next, MyGM has received some major improvements. First, you can play this mode with your friends online for the first time. However, it comes with some caveats. You can't use Custom GMs or rosters, in addition to losing the ability to play and spectate matches.

Second, MyGM now lets you use up to $4 million for the drafting process. The number of wrestlers you can pick up has greatly increased, letting you pick the superstars you want on your roster more easily. Third, the AI has been improved, especially during the draft. For example, if the AI picks Angelo Dawkins, it is more likely to complete the team by selecting Montez Ford, his teammate, next.

Fourth, MyGM has an expanded list of GMs from last year, increasing the number to 19. They each have their own perks at your disposal. Nick Aldis can add 10 weeks to a contract's duration, and Ava can prevent your superstars from getting injured during two separate shows. The mode's really been expanded. Lastly, there's an all-new approach to PLEs. Your wrestlers are fighting stars from other brands to get special perks for your brand. While it would have been nice to have the option to have normal PLEs like the last few years, it's a neat addition. You'll resolve rivalries on Week 4 and Week 5 now as you have one slot for a match on PLEs.

Despite missing the option to have regular PLEs, which should be added by the way, there are far more options for MyGM players. Likely inspired by YouTubers such as partsFUNknown, you can now place a timer on each player in-game. If someone goes over the time limit, they'll lose fans. Additionally, you can choose between the Hall of Fame trophies and the number of fans as the pre-requisite to win, adding more freedom to the player.

MyFACTION and Universe additions

MyFACTION and Universe have also returned in WWE 2K25. I have less experience with these mods as I usually touched Showcase, MyGM, and MyRISE in previous years. MyFACTION seems to be a fun experience as you collect cards and complete quests in the World Tour to proceed. It is annoying, however, that the game forces you to pick weaker cards in your line-up rather than giving you the freedom to pick the cards you unlock via VC or in-game progression from the get-go. The microtransaction system seems to be just as wild as The Island as you can use VC to get new card packs. There's a reason why I avoid MyFACTION like the Plague.

Universe has been improved in multiple ways. While the WWE superstars aren't talking during these segments, you can finally have them work on a promo in front of the crowd. The announcers weirdly explain what your wrestler is saying to their rival. It's certainly an improvement, however, as it gives you more customization on your booking experience. Plus, you'll be able to customize where each battle takes place. You can have a multi-day PLE, change the dates of specific shows, or simulate the Monday Night Wars once again and have two brands slugging it out on the same day.

WWE 2K25 plays well for the most part

But after all this, how does WWE 2K25 play? It's a mostly thrilling experience. Each move feels powerful and you'll likely wince at the punches, kicks, and suplexes these men and women dish out on each other. It's fantastic that you can finally have intergender matches and have a man and woman like Drew McEntire and Bianca Belair fight in the ring against each other. This is so long overdue.

Most attacks register perfectly in the game, but some eccentricities need to be worked out. Some attacks, when you feel like they're about to land, somehow miss the enemy, especially if there's an object blocking their path. The hitbox of some attacks is also quite strange as some wrestlers zoom from one side of the squared circle to the other in a flash. Sometimes strikes from a weapon that should hit your foe don't register, leading to an awkward few seconds of animation. Most of the time, it's fine, but you may be scratching your head at times.

Mostly stellar production value

The graphics of WWE 2K25 are stellar. You can really tell if a battle is getting to your rival. The blood and the sweat mix together in a natural way and look impressive on each model. You can see the scars on their body, showing the damage you've dealt to each other in the ring. Lighting seems to be improved across the board, and some of the facial animations when opponents get struck look impressive. The likenesses of most of the WWE superstars are spot on as well, and their entrances are simulated perfectly.

However, it has been said that Jey Uso's entrance from within the crowd is regrettable as members of the public do the YEET motion in the most robotic, unnatural way. Speaking of the crowd, they can be genuinely creepy to look at with their blank faces. You'll also notice your ringside managers performing actions at exactly the same time, taking you out of the game. It's genuinely creepy at points. There was also one point when my custom character's face was blackened and had a weird white shine during an entrance as well.

Something else of note is the sheer amount of commentary added to the game for different scenarios over multiple different modes. It's impressive.

WWE 2K25 improves upon the formula

WWE 2K25 is one of the biggest leaps in the series so far. While the Island is disappointing, the sheer amount of content in this game is unmatched. You have over 300 wrestlers with more DLC on the way, plenty of fun modes like the highly improved MyGM and the story-focused MyRise, and gameplay that still feels satisfying to pull off, even if the animations can be weird at points. It's just the microtransactions that really pull this game down.

The post Review: WWE 2K25 appeared first on Destructoid.

Since Ubisoft released the original Assassin's Creed, there has been a plethora of special editions of every entry. As a fan who adores the franchise, I find it pretty expensive to pick up all the editions, and Assassin's Creed Shadows is no exception.

When Ubisoft revealed Assassin's Creed Shadows, it was ready to go with the game's special editions. Within minutes, you could find every digital edition and start seeking out the physical ones if you knew where to look. Unfortunately, Ubisoft has a habit of making exclusive deals with specific retailers, meaning you need to buy a few copies of the game to collect every edition.

All Assassin's Creed Shadows editions and preorder bonuses

Below is a complete, updated list of every Assassin's Creed Shadows edition, including preorder bonuses and where to get them. Note that all editions are available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, except the Collector's Edition, which has no Xbox version.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Standard Edition (physical and digital)

The Standard Edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows is the base game and nothing more. Below is its complete list of features, including preorder bonuses:

• Assassin's Creed Shadows base game
• Claws of Awaji expansion pack (releases late 2025)
• Thrown to the Dogs bonus quest

While Assassin's Creed Shadows' preorder bonuses were originally unknown, they've since surfaced upon the game officially landing on digital storefronts. Purchasing its Standard Edition will give you the base game, the Claws of Awaji expansion once it releases, and the Thrown to the Dogs bonus quest.

This is the edition to get if you're indifferent toward extra cosmetics or don't want extra mastery points. The issue is that you'll be spending as much on this version of the game as on one that comes with a free steelbook. However, if you have a digital-only console, it's the cheapest version available at $69.99/£69.99 on all digital storefronts.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Standard Edition with Free Steelbook (physical-only)

One of the best physical editions of Assassin's Creed Shadows' Standard Edition is available with a free steelbook case. It costs about the same as the digital-only Standard Edition once you take shipping into account, but you get a shiny steelbook to add to your collection. Normally, you'd only be able to get this with Collector's Edition, but this is a solid exception.

This isn't something I'd usually check out because of the steelbook, despite it being a retailer exclusive. If you're interested in getting something you'd normally get with Collector's Edition but don't want to spend too much extra, it will cost you £56.95 from The Game Collection in the UK. If you're in the US, you can use storefronts like Target and Walmart to get it for $69.99.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Special Edition (physical-only)

The Special Edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows is the same price as the Standard Edition if you exclude shipping costs. However, unlike Standard Edition, you'll receive a physical boxed copy alongside its preorder bonus quest, Thrown to the Dogs, and the Yasuke Sekiryu Character Pack. This pack contains an exclusive gear set, mount, trinket, and weapon.

This edition is exclusive to GAME in the UK and costs £64.99. If you're in the US, you've got Walmart to help you out. You can also get these bonuses in the Ultimate and Collector's Editions.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Limited Edition (physical-only)

The Limited Edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows is Amazon's exclusive version of the game. It contains everything the Special Edition does, except its Sekiryu Character Pack is for Naoe, not Yasuke. As with the Special Edition, this character pack is also available in the Ultimate and Collector's Editions.

The Limited Edition costs $69.99/£64.99 and is widely available on your regional version of Amazon. It is probably the best value-for-money pick on the list.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Gold Edition (physical and digital)

The Gold Edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows is where things start to get interesting. It packs in the base game, the preorder bonus quest, three days of early access, and the game's season pass. That season pass entitles you to two upcoming expansions and another exclusive mission.

It isn't available on any storefronts anymore, however. While it was originally exclusive to digital storefronts like Amazon, you'll have a hard time finding it now. This unavailability originated from a series of delays Assassin's Creed Shadows experienced, causing Ubisoft to tweak some of these editions, their pricing, and features. If you previously preordered Assassin's Creed Shadows' Gold Edition, Ubisoft cancelled the order, letting you choose another version instead.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Deluxe Edition (digital-only)

Next up is Assassin's Creed Shadows' Digital Deluxe Edition, available for $89.99 or $19.99 a month through a Ubisoft+ subscription. Below is every item included in Assassin's Creed Shadows' Ultimate Edition:

• Assassin's Creed Shadows base game
• Claws of Awaji expansion pack (releases late 2025)
• Thrown to the Dogs bonus quest
• Sekiryu Dual Pack and Sekiryu Hideout Pack
• Mastery points

Previously, the closest thing to Assassin's Creed Shadows' Digital Deluxe Edition was Ultimate Edition, a slightly more expensive version containing a season pass, three days of early access, and a few of the features listed above. However, it has since changed to Digital Deluxe, reducing its price and replacing these features with guaranteed expansion pack access, the Sekiryu packs, and some mastery points.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Collector's Edition (physical-only)

The Collector's Edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows is a thing of beauty. It includes everything in the Digital Deluxe Edition and more. It's also the only way to get a boxed version of that edition and a host of physical goodies. These are as follows.

• Everything included in Assassin's Creed Shadows' Digital Deluxe Edition
• Assassin's Creed Shadows Ultimate Edition physical case
• Collector's Edition steelbook case
• Collector's art book
• Naoe's Katana Tsuba
• Collector's World Map
• Creed Wall Scroll
• Two Sumi Lithographs
• Naoe & Yasuke Statue

This edition is the most expensive, costing £239.99 from UK retailer GAME and $229.99 from GameStop in the US. You can also view it in more detail through Ubisoft's storefront for more information.

The post All Assassin’s Creed Shadows editions and preorder bonuses appeared first on Destructoid.

The content for Genshin Impact’s next major update has been announced, and it’s so much more than we were expecting. Here’s a rundown of everything that was revealed during Genshin’s 5.5 special program, including those juicy Primogem codes.

Genshin Impact Version 5.5, titled Day of the Flame’s Return, is scheduled for release on March 26, 2025.

Genshin Impact 5.5 Trailer

5.5 special program Primogem codes

GI55Teteocan
GoGoVaresa0326
CoachIansan0326

Each code gets you 100 Primogems and some assorted level-up materials. Redeem them on Genshin Impact’s official redemption website or enter them in-game. They will expire within a couple of days of the special program premiere, so act fast!

Genshin Impact 5.5 Banners

Banners are confirmed to feature Varesa (5-star Electro Catalyst) and Xianyun (5-star Anemo Catalyst) in the first half. They will be accompanied by Iansan (4-star Electro Polearm). The weapon banner should contain Vivid Notions – Varesa’s 5-star signature weapon – as well as Crane’s Echoing Call.

The second half’s banners will feature reruns of Xilonen (5-star Geo Sword) and Venti (5-star Anemo Bow). The weapon banner will consist of their respective signatures: Peak Patrol Song and Elegy for the End.

No Chronicled Wish banner has been announced for 5.5, and the 4-stars for each banner are yet to be determined.

New characters: Varesa and Iansan

Two new characters make their debut in Genshin Impact as playable characters. Varesa is a 5-star Electro Catalyst user who excels as an on-field Plunging Attack DPS. Her playstyle consists of spamming short dashes, jumps, and Plunging Attacks for a fast-paced, hyper-mobile experience. Her sweet, cutesy appearance belies a monstrous strength and appetite. 

Iansan is a 4-star Electro Polearm user who fills an off-field support role. Like Bennett, Iansan is an ATK buffer, making her useful in a variety of teams. Unlike Bennett, Iansan’s buff isn’t limited to a circle, offering a way out of Circle Impact. In fact, Iansan’s buffs increase with how far your active character moves. Iansan also has the benefit of being a Natlan character, giving her access to the Cinder City artifact set. As Varesa’s personal trainer, it looks like Iansan will be a great support for Varesa and other mobile carries like Mavuika, Mualani, Kinich, and Xiao.

Both characters have a dashing ability that can be used outside of combat for speedy exploration and puzzle-solving. They can traverse long distances in an instant or use their momentum to smash through obstacles. I expect this ability to come in handy for certain puzzles in Natlan.

New area: The Collective of Plenty

With the 5.5 update, we can now visit Natlan’s sixth and final tribe: The Collective of Plenty. This tribe lives at the base of an active volcano – a fitting location for a tribe of thrill-seekers. You’ve probably seen the volcano erupt a few times while exploring Natlan, and now, you can go there to get in on the action! Not only can you scale the volcano’s exterior, but you can also explore the floating islands above it and the sacred city of Tollan hidden inside.

The volcano is also where your little Tepetlisaurus buddy needs to go as part of his questline, so we can expect to see the final chapter of his quest, too. Completing this quest, as well as other exploration objectives, will net you up to 400 Primogems.

With the new tribe comes a new species of Saurian: the Tatankasaurus. Large, bulky, and powerful, these beasts look like something between a Triceratops and a rhinoceros. Their signature ability is a high-speed dash that they can use to break through or push objects in their path. 

The new zone will also have a new artifact domain featuring two new artifact sets: Long Night’s Oath and Finale of the Deep Galleries. Though artifact effect details are still under wraps, lore enthusiasts can look forward to new information about the history of Nod-Krai.

New boss: Lava Dragon Statue

A new world boss will offer Varesa’s Ascension materials. The Lava Dragon Statue is a larger version of the Avatars of Lava found around Natlan. Like its smaller counterparts, it looks like the strategy to beat it will be to fight fire with fire. Bring a Pyro character to counteract this boss’ mechanics and make it change form.

Events

Genshin Impact Version 5.5’s flagship event is called the Tournament of Glory in Bloom. There’s a capture-the-flag mode as well as a Saurian-themed puzzle game. Rewards include Primogems, level-up materials, and a free 4-star character, Ororon.

Other casual events include Quirky Quaking Arena, which reminds me of Mario Kart minigames. Use your character’s unique traversal mechanics to gather as many coins as possible while blocking other players. There’s also Rhythm Ball Meztli, which is another version of the Breakout-style minigame.

Unlimited Fighting Championship is a high-difficulty combat event to deal as much damage to a boss as possible. Stack as many buffs as you can and fight bosses with massively inflated health bars. Combat enthusiasts can use this event to test their builds and flex their strongest characters.

Toward the end of the patch, Overflowing Favor will provide a week-long period with double artifact drops. Up to three domain challenges per day will yield twice the normal number of artifacts. A great time to grind for your favorite characters.

As for updates to existing systems, Dehya and Venti will receive Envisaged Echo effects. Dehya’s looks like red chains, while Venti’s has a cute feather trail. Genius Invokation TCG and the built-in rhythm game will also receive new cards and tracks, respectively. There are lots of other quality-of-life updates, too, which we covered separately.

Once again, there's a lot to look forward to in the upcoming version of Genshin Impact. I'm excited to explore the new area, and I wish everyone good luck with their Varesa pulls!

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Knowing which are the best gacha games to dive into is a must before choosing what to play, as picking the wrong title can translate to investing your time and hard-earned money on a journey that might either underwhelm or only last a couple of years.

In case you are currently facing that decision and need a guiding light, don't worry. Here are the 10 best Gacha games to play in 2025 and what each of them brings to the table.

The best Gacha games to play in 2025

Zenless Zone Zero

• Developer: HoYoverse (miHoYo)
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC, and Mobile
• Pity System Explained: S-Rank Agent (or W-Engine) guaranteed within 90 pulls / Featured guaranteed after a loss in pity if on a limited banner. Pull count carries over.

To start our top gacha games list, we have HoYoverse's newest success, Zenless Zone Zero. Pairing a way more streamlined approach to character progression and a Persona-like feel when off the field, the game puts players in the role of a Legenrady Proxy, specialized in guiding groups within the danger-filled hollows surrounding the city of New Eridu.

ZZZ's fast-paced combat is also an absolute highlight, as it makes full use of its high production value —which can be seen in spades in the quality of its cutscenes and overall presentation— to offer a visual spectacle that, unlike those of its developer's earlier works, favors execution and mobility. The way both of its best A-Rank supports are given for free is also a huge plus here, although you will still need dupes to awaken their full potential.

Wuthering Waves

• Developer: Kuro Games
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC, and Mobile
• Pity System Explained: 5-star Resonator (or weapon) guaranteed within 80 pulls / Featured unit/weapon guaranteed after a loss in pity. Pull count carries over.

A game that sees players take on the role of the mysterious Rover as they explore the world of Solaris-3 in the hopes of finding their lost memories and the secrets that led to their fall, Wuthering Waves brings to the table a mix of the open world/core gameplay seen in Genshin Impact and the signature action-packed combat system and phenimenal sound design featured in Kuro Games's own Punishing Geey Raven. But the latter are not the only things Wuwa takes from its older sibling, as the game's FP2-friendly approach is also present here via a high amount of early freebies and the debut of constant events providing large amounts of resources.

Like ZZZ, the game's high production value is also a huge differential here, as it won't be an overstatement to call it the most highly detailed open-world Gacha available in the market right now, courtesy of the attention to detail paid to both its environments and characters.

Reverse: 1999

• Developer: Bluepoch
• Platforms: PC and Mobile
• Pity System Explained: 6-star guaranteed within 70 pulls (1.5% chance per pull) / Your pull count does carry over between banners.

A sleeping hit for many, Reverse: 1999 puts players in the role of Vertin, a Timekeeper fighting to stop the catastrophes caused by the Storm. During the story, she will then travel through multiple time periods, with each stop presenting players with additions to the main cast and distinct playstyles.

The game's combat system also deserves a mention by bringing forward a mix of card and turn-based mechanics, all while showcasing a unique presentation and intricate character models. Another of the title's biggest strengths lies in its art direction, which pairs nicely with its visual novel approach, noir feel, and sober narrative, the latter of which does not hold your hand or shy away from heavy moments.

For F2P enthusiasts, R1999 can also be considered a fairly friendly pick. On that same note, however, many might argue that the game shares the power-creeping issues seen in most current gacha.

Goddess of Victory: Nikke

• Developer: Shift Up
• Platforms: PC and Mobile
• Pity System Explained: Instead of a regular pity system, each pull will reward players with a ticket. Upon hitting 200, you will then be able to purchase the featured character. Your tickets do not expire between banners.

A game that mixes tactical RPG and third-person shooting elements, Goddess of Victory: Nikke takes players into a post-apocalyptic world facing an unforgiving war, where they must take on the role of a Commander leading an elite squad of Nikkes —female super soldiers and humanity's last hope. Much like Reverse 1999, Nikke's story is, in my view, what sets itself apart, as it features both a strong cast and a narrative known for tackling heavy themes.

Its above-average SSR pull rates —4% chance of per pull (2% if on the Friendship Banner)— and generous rewards in the early/mid-game also help the game be one of the most approachable Gacha for fully F2P players, while being a shooter at its core helps it be a welcome change of pace for those looking for something different. Nikke is also widely known for its novel crossovers with anime, such as EVA, and other highly successful IPs like NieR. To put it simply and echo what its community has been saying for years, if you accept the game for what it is aesthetic-wise, Goddess of Victory: Nikke will not let you down.

Arknights

• Developer: Hypergryph
• Platforms: PC and Mobile
• Pity System Explained: 6-star Operator guaranteed within 100 pulls. Players have a 2% chance of getting a 6-star in the first 50 pulls of a banner. Once that limit is reached, each following pull will boost the rate by another 2%. Your pull count does not carry between limited banners.

Arknights puts players in the shoes of the Doctor, a specialist tasked with commanding operators as they fight to stop the spreading of the Oripathy disease and treat its infection. Unlike most on our list, the game is not a classic or action RPG. Instead, you will find a highly technical tower defense system here, where character placement and an understanding of the terrain can make or break you. That is further potentialized by the way Arknights allows players to apply a multitude of different strategies by picking among its hundreds of Operators, each featuring unique kits.

Like Nikke, Arknights can be considered F2P-friendly. That can be seen in how select 4-star Operators, aka Myrtle, can perform on par with premium and featured units. If you're looking for a change of pace, the game also has in its base system a great extra dose of content, as customizing it and unlocking all of its functions does add a lot ot the experience.

Punishing: Gray Raven

• Developer: Kuro Games
• Platforms: PC and Mobile
• Pity System Explained: 6-Star Constructs are guaranteed in 60 pulls. Count is not shared between limited banners, but the featured construct (or weapon) will be the only SSR among it's banner's selection.

Punishing: Gray Raven puts players in the shoes of the Commandant of the Gray Raven squad as they and the constructs under their command fight in the war against the Corrupted. The game is considered a standard, given its polished visuals and soundtrack, memorable boss fights, and fast-paced combat style. The latter which revolves around non-stop combos and perfectly timed dodges.

Although it took a considerable amount of time for the game to debut in the West, its overall style and the quality of its narrative also causes Punishing: Gray Raven to be constantly compared to Nier: Automata. So if you are a fan of PlatinumGames’ epic and are looking for an engaging narrative and similar feel, you will be right at home here. Just don't expect the same presentation seen in Wuthering Waves, as even if both games share the same developer, we can say that PGR walked so that WuWa could run.

Fate/Grand Order

• Developer: Lasengle
• Platforms: Mobile
• Pity System Explained: Guaranteed featured SSR in 330 pulls. Pulling for the servant before the milestone will reset the count. The latter will also reset at the end of each limited banner.

Royalty in the genre, Fate/Grand Order continues to be a solid pick almost a decade after its release. Featuring a signature turn-based RPG style where you must select all of your team's actions in set orders to give birth to chains and combos, FGO puts players in the shoes of a master candidate as they go about their daily lives and embark on missions across time to prevent humanity's extinction.

As a branch of the Fate series, the game also allows players to recruit and control more than 450 Servants, each capable of fulfilling different roles. Following the visual novel format the franchise is known for, you are also given the ability to deepen your connection with each servant to unlock special interactions, quests, and, more importantly, their stories. As you can expect, however, diving into FGO right now will demand a lot of catching up. Fortunately, the game’s community is known for being extremely receptive and it’s sure to offer a home to all, newcomers or seasoned masters alike.

Limbus Company

• Developer: Project Moon
• Platforms: PC and Mobile
• Pity System Explained: The game does not have a true-to-form Pity System.

A nicher title that has experienced a sponential growth in the last year, Limbus Company sees players take on the role of Dante, the Executive Manager a platoon composed of other 12 sinners —each based on the protagonists of classic literary works, such as von Goethe's Faust— as they venture into certain death. Keep in mind that although you do not need to have prior knowledge of the franchise to play it, the game is the third in Project Moon's trilogy and a direct follow-up to 2021's Library of Ruina.

That unique setting and feel is then paired with a turn-based combat system that, although similar to Fate Grand Order's at first via its chain mechanic, brings forth an even more action-packed and tactics-based approach via its Clash system and other unique mechanics.

Unlike all of the other games in our list, Limbus Company's approach to Gacha also helps it set itself apart as one of 2025's best. Here, you do not pull for new characters and weapons and instead can acquire both distinct versions (or Identities) of the 12 sinners and unique Special Skills, known as E.G.O.s. The game also does not feature a pity system. But don't worry, Limbus Company makes it up for it via its high pull rates and the way its Battle Pass and Shard systems allow you to get most of each season's additions withould the need to pull, if you put in the time, that is.

Genshin Impact

• Developer: HoYoverse (miHoYo)
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and mobile
• Pity System Explained: 5-star character guaranteed in 90 pulls. The count is shared between featured banners. If you manage to get a non-featured 5-star character or weapon in a featured banner, your next 5-star will be a guaranteed featured.

If FGO was the game responsible for spearheading the Gacha revolution, Genshin Impact is the one who shook up the genre and now sits at the top, even if many see its Natlan storyline as a downgrade when compared to the heights brought forth by Fontaine.

Although bringing to the table a simpler approach to combat when compared to the likes of Zenless Zone Zero and Wuthering Waves, Genshin still offers the full package to fans by providing an experience rivaling that of most current-gen AAA titles in both visuals and performance. Its open-world style and the vast number of regions your Traveler meets while exploring Teyvat also set it apart as one of the most fun Gacha games around for newcomers, even if its exploration-focused approach can make it one of the most time-consuming picks on our list.

Honkai: Star Rail

• Developer: MiHoYo (HoYoverse)
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile
• Pity System Explained: 5-star character guaranteed in 90 pulls. The count is shared between featured banners. If you manage to get a non-featured 5-star in a limited banner, your next 5-star will be guaranteed featured.

A spin-off/sequel of Honkai Impact 3rd, but by all means its own game, Honkai: Star Rail takes players on a journey across the universe as they join the Astral Express crew in a storyline that successfully raises the stakes while keeping the quality of its prequel intact.

It's biggest differential when compared to other HoYoverse titles, however, lies in the way the game mixes the character and ascension mechanics that made Genshin Impact such a hit with an unbelievably polished turn-based combat system. If you are a Persona fan, both the latter and the game's approach ot exploration are sure to please you, as it adds it's own signature to the known formula. Star Rail also features a roster of more than 50 unique characters, all of which can make an impact if properly built. Just be sure to plan your pulls accordingly, as the game's balancing has become a hot topic in recent months.

How to find the best Gacha game for you

Unfortunately for all looking for a quick answer here, finding your ideal Gacha is something you can only do through trial and error. Although I guarantee going with any of the above is a safe bet. On that note, and if even after going through our list you are still not sure as to which title to try out, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• What are the best Gacha games for F2P players?

Given the game's novel approach to the gacha system, I believe Limbus Company to be the most F2P pick on our list, with both Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Arknights not faring too far behind. Just be ready to grind.

• What are the most beginner-friendly Gacha games? -

I believe Zenless Zone Zero and Wuthering Waves are the best currently available Gacha games for those looking to dive int the genre for the first time in 2025. Apart from the strengths mentioned in their entries, the reason for that lies in how they will not demand much catching up and will provide a smooth transition for those used to both RPGs and AAA gaming in general.

• Which Gacha games have the best pull rates?

As you can see above, Reverse 1999, Arknights, and Nikke: Goddess of Victory have the highest pull rates among those on our list. The three also provide highly distinct styles of gameplay.

Now that you know which are the best Gachas to play in 2025 or if instead of a solid title already in the market, you prefer to wait a little bit and dive into titles together with the first wave of players, I highly recommend that you take a look at all of the upcoming Gacha Games releasing in 2025 and later.

The post 10 best Gacha games to play in 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

Genshin Impact’s new limited-time event tests your video editing skills by asking you to create advertisements. Luckily, the footage is pre-recorded, so all you need to do is string the clips together in the correct order. Here are the solutions for each stage to efficiently claim your Primogems.

First, start the event by talking to Xavier outside the Café Lutece in the Court of Fontaine. After a few lines of dialogue, you can access the event activity through the events menu. Drag and drop the clips into the timeline at the top in the order you want them to play. The numbers in the images below correspond to the order of each clip in the timeline.

Stage 1: A Vital Choice

Start with Sucrose and Noelle discussing the purple potion when a hilichurl suddenly appears. Noelle fails to defeat the hilichurl. Timaeus then speaks to the camera with a greyed-out background. Finish with Sucrose and Noelle trying the orange potion, then the one where Noelle successfully defeats the hilichurl.

Stage 2: Wanmin: Where Life Tastes Better!

Start with Guoba waving, then the three scenes with Chef Mao. Follow up with the three scenes with Shenhe, then another three featuring Xiangling. Finish with the group shot in front of the restaurant, Guoba eating at the table, then getting scolded by Xiangling.

Stage 3: Invoke the Path to Victory

Start with the three Arataki Gang members, who receive their allowance from Itto. They individually muse on how to spend their allowance before Itto gets annoyed. After they seemingly settle on how to spend their money, Itto gets angrier, and the members finally notice. Itto reminds them that their allowance is for spending on Genius Invokation TCG cards and proclaims himself a champion. Kuki Shinobu then reminds them who the real champion is.

Stage 4: Focus on Your Future

Start with Faruzan sitting at her desk when an Akademiya colleague arrives with letters for her. She reads two letters and then comments on the word "focus" before reading Collei's letter. She gets irritated that everyone has rejected her, but in a wide shot, she accepts that it's good for students to have a focus at all. The ad ends with Cyno making his classic puns.

Stage 5: Boundless Adventure, Unbound Joy

Start with the wider shot of the group at a table. Then, Navia points at a Fontaine NPC, and a crab enemy appears. After gesturing towards the crab, a Cryo Regisvine appears. Navia stands in front of the Regisvine, but Furina interrupts her. There's another shot of the group at the table, and then Navia unearths the treasure chest. Lyney recites a slogan to the camera, followed by a group shot including Lynette.

Those are the solutions for every stage of the Reel Ad-Venture event in Genshin Impact 5.4. Whether you just needed a hint or breezed through for the rewards, I hope this guide was helpful. If you haven't done the Invasive Fish Wrangler event yet, check out our guide for that, too!

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Genshin Impact is introducing another round of system updates, and this time, they include an improvement to the custom artifact crafting system. Here’s a detailed look at the many changes coming to Genshin in Version 5.5.

Better enhancement of crafted artifacts

The most exciting change in the list comes to the artifact crafting system. Starting in Version 5.5, after creating and leveling up a custom artifact using Sanctifying Elixirs, you are guaranteed at least two rolls across your selected substats. It’s unclear if this means each selected substat will receive at least one roll or if it’s possible for both guaranteed rolls to go to the same substat.

Custom artifacts created with Sanctifying Elixirs will also be marked in your inventory. This way, you can filter for that type of artifact and be extra disappointed when they still roll terribly.

Controller support for Android

Finally, Genshin Impact is adding controller support for Android devices. Both PlayStation and Xbox wireless controllers will be supported, though you’ll need to double-check your device’s version of Android OS.

Map improvements

You may have noticed that if you’re in a separate map like the Serenitea Pot, you need to teleport to the main map of Teyvat to start tracking quests. Soon, you’ll be able to track quest locations from anywhere, no matter what map they’re on. A small change, but appreciated nonetheless.

In addition, if you haven’t unlocked a particular world boss, the Adventurer’s Handbook will guide you to the boss’s nearest teleporter. This is useful for underground bosses like the Hydro Tulpa or Millennium Pearl Seahorse with underground lairs. Not all bosses will have this function in 5.5, but more will be added in coming patches.

Serenitea Pot shopping cart

When purchasing from Tubby’s Realm Depot, you can now add multiple items to a shopping cart and check out all at once. Useful for teapot mains who are looking to redecorate an area.

Gift mail search box

When you receive birthday mail from Genshin characters, their letters get stored in a separate gift mail box. This box will now be searchable for specific senders or title keywords. You can now search for every birthday letter you’ve gotten from Xiao if you want to take a trip down memory lane.

Those are all the system updates that have been announced so far. The 5.5 special program is coming up later this week, though, so we might learn more during the livestream. We can expect a lot more information on new characters, events, and more, so stay tuned!

The post Better artifact crafting and other quality of life updates coming to Genshin Impact 5.5, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

Nihom Falcom remake Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter has gained an excellent English voice cast as announced on Tuesday. It includes the likes of Matt Mercer (Overwatch, Critical Role), Cristina Vee (Hunter x Hunter), and Stephanie Sheh (Your Name), among others.

Your Name star is in Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter voice cast

The publisher of the JRPG reimagining GungHo Online Entertainment published a trailer for Trails in the Sky 1st revealing both the Japanese and English voice actors. This seemingly confirms dual-audio support. The full cast so far includes the following:

• Estelle Bright - Stephanie Sheh
• Joshua Bright - Johnny Yong Bosch
• Scherazard Harvey - Michelle Ruff
• Olivier Lenheim - Matthew Mercer
• Kloe Rinz - Cristina Vee
• Agate Croner - Ben Pronsky
• Tita Russell - Brianna Knickerbocker
• Zin Vathek - Vic Chao

Stephanie Sheh is a long-time voice actor, who has worked on the award-winning Your Name, in addition to Sonic x Shadow Generations, and the Sailor Moon series. Johnny Yong Bosch, who plays the protagonist's brother, was once a Power Ranger but has since transitioned to voice acting in the likes of Demon Slayer, Devil May Cry 5, and the Dragon Ball series.

Cristina Vee and Matthew Mercer are also standout members of the English voice cast for Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. Vee has performed as Killua in the magnificent Hunter x Hunter series, in addition to the adorable Tulin from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Mercer, meanwhile, has entertained many with his voices for Leon Kennedy in the Resident Evil series, Overwatch's Cassidy, and Like a Dragon's Goro Majima.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a full reimagining of the first tale with new visuals and now voice acting. It tells the tale of Estelle and Joshua Bright, who are trying to get higher up on the totem pole in the peacemaking guild. However, they take more than they can handle with one mission, which spirals out of control. Interestingly, once you're out battling threats in this RPG, you can choose between turn-based and real-time action combat to suit your tastes.

Whatever your gameplay style, you'll be able to pick up Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter sometime this fall for PS5, Switch, and PC (via Steam).

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Split Fiction has bested Capcom's mighty Monster Hunter Wilds as it takes the top spot in the physical UK sales charts. Astonishingly, 89% of those sales are for the PS5, despite it also launching for the Xbox Series X|S.

After Monster Hunter Wilds conquered the UK sales charts seven or so days ago, Split Fiction has rained on its parade as it takes number one in the week ending March 8 (via Push Square). Suikoden I&II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars and Two Point Museum debut in fourth and ninth place respectively. The list includes the following:

1. Split Fiction
2. Monster Hunter Wilds
3. The Sims 4: Businesses & Hobbies
4. Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
6. Minecraft (Switch)
7. PGA Tour 2K25
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
9. Two Point Museum
10. Super Mario Party Jamboree

It's no wonder that Split Fiction sales seem to be strong as the developer behind it, Hazelight Studios, also created Game of the Year winner It Takes Two. It's fairly easy for people to get into the co-op experience because if one person buys the game, their friend can play it for free. The game also has a unique concept as it blends fantasy and sci-fi elements into the narrative and gameplay.

Split Fiction has received critical acclaim across the board due to its inspiring level design and innovative co-op gameplay, with a 90 OpenCritic score. "I wish I could go on about each level and its intricacies since I could easily ramble on numerous incredible moments," said our 9.5/10 review. "This is one of those games that thrives on surprising you at every corner, and hearing my friend’s reactions was just as fulfilling as experiencing my own."

There seem to be three certainties we can rely on in the gaming industry. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe selling gangbusters after many years, Minecraft still hitting the Top 10 best sellers list, and the "F the Oscars" guy Josef Fares' developer killing it with each release.

The post Split Fiction slays Monster Hunter Wilds for top spot in UK sales charts appeared first on Destructoid.

The Nightflower Pollen farm was a lifeline for Monster Hunter Wilds' grueling endgame grind, giving players a better shot at Gold Relic Ticket trades for Decorations and Relics. It made the grind a little less tedious — until the latest patch wiped out this once-reliable exploit.

Ever since the Hotfix Patch Ver.1.000.05.00 went out, players have noticed that the Nightflower Pollens aren't showing up as much despite using missions with the Full Moon requirement. I tried it out myself with quests like the Balahara's 'A Leviathan's Rage,' and the Nightflower Pollen never showed up.

Although the new update's patch notes don't explicitly indicate a pollen farm nerf, one fix may hint at its implementation. In the addressed issues section, you'll see the statement: "Some items/rewards can be obtained repeatedly under certain conditions," indicating that the team got rid of this exploit.

Gathering Nightflower Pollen during its elusive Full Moon phase just got a whole lot tougher. While some players mourn the farm's loss on Twitter/X, others argue it's a blessing in disguise. After all, it'll restore the endgame to its true nature — a brutal, relentless grind. However, there may still be a way to access the Nightflower Pollen exploit, including with the SOS Flare Quest's The Desert Knows Not the Sea. Things can be a bit finicky, though, so it still may not work for some.

Other than the pollen farm nerf, Monster Hunter Wilds' March 10th patch addresses different issues, from a Chapter 5-2 progression solution to an unlock for Azuz and Sild Meal Invitations. There are also a few more updates on the way for known problems with side missions, Palicos, and Hunter Profiles.

We still await the two primary fixes regarding the game's performance and corrupted saves. Hopefully, it'll come before Title Update 1, which is set for an early April release. Maybe by then, there will be another exploit for the Nightflower Pollen farming unless it, of course, gets patched again.

The post Latest Monster Hunter Wilds patch seemingly nerfs reliable Nightflower Pollen farm, raising the endgame stakes appeared first on Destructoid.

Even as someone who's not the most ardent fan of the film franchise, I was very impressed with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Its action-adventure storytelling, interesting puzzles, and Troy Baker's take on the titular explorer made it a standout game.

If there's one downside to it, it's that it's currently an Xbox exclusive. While it has been confirmed that The Great Circle will be coming to PlayStation 5, we haven't yet had a release date. However, that date could arrive any day now, as the Entertainment Software Rating Board has now rated the game for the Sony console.

This was spotted by known leaker Wario64 (thanks, Insider Gaming), which points to the entry on the ESRB website. While there's still no confirmation on when it actually drops for PS5, we can assume that MachineGames or Bethesda will announce it soon.

Contains blood and gore

The ratings board describes it as "an action-adventure game in which players assume the role of Indiana Jones on an adventure to uncover a mystery while defeating villains." It classes it as Teen for its depiction of blood and gore, drug references, mild language, and, of course, violence.

This also represents what Microsoft has been promising; that games exclusive to the Xbox console and Windows PCs would be making their way to more rival systems, in this case, the PS5. Other Xbox exclusives being ported to PlayStation include Doom: The Dark Ages, while many will also hope that Avowed will eventually make its way to the console.

Although the hype has died down now, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle received a lot of praise since its release in December 2024. Our own Steven Mills gave it a solid 8 out of 10, calling it an "authentic Indiana Jones experience" with a "high level of polish."

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Grand Escunites are rare nautilus-like creatures in Monster Hunter Wilds. Whether you’re filling out your field guide or completing a side quest, here’s where to find this elusive cephalopod.

Grand Escunite location in Monster Hunter Wilds

The best place to find a Grand Escunite in Monster Hunter Wilds is near the Underground Lake Pop-up Camp in Area 8 of the Scarlet Forest region. If you don’t have this campsite yet, it’s at the north end of Area 8 behind a waterfall.

Once you’re at the camp, rest until evening in the Season of Plenty. You can do this by entering your tent and tabbing over to the BBQ menu. Grand Escunites only spawn during the evening, nighttime, and morning. The Season of Plenty increases the number of fish in general, increasing your chances of seeing a rare Grand Escunite.

After setting your season and time of day, step out of the tent, and there should be several fish in the pool directly in front of you. Look for a nautilus-like creature with a pale blue sheen. The Grand Escunites have a pale blue color, while regular Escunites are a duller tan color. If in doubt, just catch them all.

There’s a second fishing spot toward the back of the cave, too. From the campsite, drop down into the shallow water in front of it and walk forward until you see a prompt to dive in. Dive and swim to the rocky islet ahead. There should be a few fish in the water below.

If you don’t see a Grand Escunite right away, return to your tent and rest until evening, nighttime, or morning in the Season of Plenty. This resets the environment and refreshes the fish in the lake. Keep resting until you find what you want, though it shouldn’t take too many resets.

As a side note, this location is also a great place for farming zenny. Keep resting until any time of day in the Season of Plenty, and the pools should be full of Goldenfish and Platinumfish. Catch them with a rod or net, then sell their scales for profit. It costs some guild points to rest each time, but you should be able to make them back just by catching fish.

Catching a Grand Escunite for the Razzle Dazzle side quest

If you’re catching Grand Escunites for the Razzle Dazzle side quest, use the fishing rod and not the net. Only fish caught with the fishing rod count toward side quest completion. Use the Tentacle Jig to lure Grand Escunites to your hook.

The Razzle Dazzle quest isn’t required for Escunites to spawn, but it’s the only objective in Monster Hunter Wilds that specifically asks for one. You can start this side quest by visiting Kanya toward the back of the Scarlet Forest Base Camp. She gives you bait and a series of fishing side quests, with Razzle Dazzle being the fourth and final quest.

The post Where to find Grand Escunite in Monster Hunter Wilds appeared first on Destructoid.

It's no secret that gaming in this modern era is expensive. The likes of a PS5, Xbox Series X|S or PC hardware can set you back a pretty penny. So what if you rented your console instead? Well, if you're a Sony fan living in the UK, you can do just that.

Over on the PlayStation website, you can now choose to rent a PS5 on a monthly basis rather than buying the system outright. There are several options to choose from, whether you want to lease a Pro console for 36 months or the Digital Edition for one year.

The cheapest I can see is a PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Slim, which starts at £10.99 a month (for comparison, Spotify Premium is £11.99, while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is £14.99). This assumes a 36-month rental, and the price per month will be more if you choose a shorter lease, or if you just want it on a rolling basis (£21.95).

Is it cheaper than just buying a PS5?

It's not just consoles, either. PlayStation will also let you rent accessories, such as a DuelSense Edge controller and the VR2 headset. You can even lease out a PlayStation Portal. But is it all worth it?

Let's say you opt for the cheapest option in terms of a full console. At £10.99 a month over a 36-month period, you'd be paying a total of £395.64. To buy a PS5 Digital Edition Slim direct from Sony would set you back £389, so renting isn't really that much more expensive than just purchasing one. It's just a question of whether you can commit to the monthly payments for the next three years.

But even then, it's possible to cancel your order/lease, though there are some provisos, naturally. According to the FAQ, it's free to cancel your PS5 so long as you do it within the first 14 days. After that, you can still back out of the agreement, but "an early cancellation charge may apply if you cancel before 18 months," so that's something to take into account. Do read through the Raylo terms and conditions (as well as the rest of the FAQ) if you decide to rent a console or accessory.

The post In the UK and can’t afford a PS5? Sony will now let you rent one appeared first on Destructoid.

Brant is the newest five-star Resonator added to Wuthering Waves, and he offers a unique gameplay style not yet seen in the game. If you're pulling or are planning to pull Brant, here's a guide to get you started.

Best Brantbuild in Wuthering Waves

Brant is a Fusion Sub-DPS character and a Sword user in Wuthering Waves. Unique to his gameplay style, Brant focuses heavily on Mid-Air attacks, allowing him to avoid much of what an enemy is doing due to being constantly airborne. He also has supporting capabilities, able to heal and shield teammates while dishing out his damage.

Though he is considered a Sub-DPS, Brant has access to some of the highest personal damage of any other Sub-DPS. It is so high that a team built around Brant allows him to succeed as even a Main DPS fill-in.

Brant's ability to fill many roles makes him an extraordinary third pick on most teams in Wuthering Waves. With only slots available on any given team, his multi-role versatility allows for you to consolidate roles for other teammates, opening up new team possibilities with Brant's availability.

Brant's game plan

Brant's main goal is to fill up his Forte Meter as quickly as possible and deliver his powerful enhanced Resonance Skill, Returned from Ashes. This enables Brant to heal, shield, and dish out damage, all with the same mechanic. This enhanced Skill is reached by filling up his Forte.

Forte Circuit

Brant's Forte is Ocean Odyssey, which allows him to gain a unique Forte resource called Bravo. He can hold a total of 100 Bravo at any given time, which plays into the rest of his Forte's mechanics. Every time Brant reaches a 25 Bravo breakpoint, he applies healing to his entire party. Bravo is gained in a few different ways you'll want to make note of:

• From Basic Attacks
• From Intro Skill
• When using Resonance Skill

Of these methods, the most viable way of gaining Bravo is through using Basic Attacks on enemies that connect. Brant is a Basic ATK scaling character, so this works out for his playstyle.

Upon reaching 100 Bravo, Brant can use Returned from Ashes, which sees Brant sending a massive anchor crashing from the air to the ground, dealing massive damage to all that are hit by it. While damage is this mechanic's most important aspect, Returned from Ashes shields all of Brant's allies when cast.

Brant's final portion of his Forte another unique mechanic called Theatrical Moment. This allows Brant to gain ATK based on his Energy Regen stat. For every 1% of Energy Regen over 150%, Brant will gain an additional 12 ATK, up to a maximum of 1560.

Resonance Skill

Due to the mechanics of Brant's Forte, he has access to two different Resonance Skills.

The first is called Anchors Aweigh!, which launches him into the air with a backflip. It does minor damage and is generally not very useful. Brant can follow this Skill up by pressing the Skill button a second time to launch a special Plunging attack. If it hits, he can press Normal ATK to launch himself back into the air.

The second is one I've mentioned earlier. When Brant reaches 100 Bravo, his Anchors Aweigh! is replaced with Returned from Ashes, the most powerful ability in his arsenal. It does enormous damage and fills Brant's Concerto by half. It should be used as soon as possible if DPS is your concern with Brant.

Resonance Liberation

Brant's Liberation is called To the Horizon, and it plays a significant role in how you make use of Brant's Forte. When used, Brant will call upon an anchor to crash into the area, dealing decent damage and applying two unique but reminsant mechanics to him as buffs: Aflame and "My" Moment.

Aflame improves the rate at which Brant is able to gain Bravo, doubling its efficiency. You should always strive to have this active as much as possible, which is why Brant wants so much Energy Regen in the first place.

"My" Moment replaces Brant's Forte mechanic Theatrical Moment, rewarding Energy Regen stacking with much more ATK per 1%, as before. With "My" Moment active, the conversion becomes for every 1% Energy Regen over 150%, gain 20 ATK up to 2600.

As you can see, you need to make active use of Brant's Resonance Liberation for him to be viable for DPS.

Outro Buff

As Brant is a Sub-DPS by default, he comes with a powerful Outro buff that shouldn't be ignored for the rest of his kit. Brant's Outro Skill is called The Course is Set! and it buffs the incoming Resonator's Fusion DMG by 20% while simultaneously buffing the incoming Resonator's Skill DMG by 25%. Both effects last for 14 seconds or until the affected Resonator is switched out.

Best Echoes for Brant in Wuthering Waves

Because Brant requires such a significant amount of Energy Regen to function, he only has one Echo set option you should use. However, I will offer you a second option if the Energy Regen thresholds he needs cannot be met.

• 4-p Tidebreaker's Courage - This set provides Brant with an extra 10% Energy Regen and 15% ATK. If Brant has at least 250% total Energy Regen, he also gains a massive 30% Attribute DMG. This set is by far his best, only if you can reach 250% Energy Regen. Without it, you should use the second option on this list.
• 4-Piece Molten Rift - Provides Brant with unconditional Fusion damage buffs, which can all be activated with a single use of his Skill. This set is the next best option if you cannot get 250% Regen to activate Tidebreaker's Courage.

Best weapons for Brant in Wuthering Waves

Brant's incredibly steep Energy Regen requirements offer him only two real options you can consider, with one being several steps down from the other.

• Unflickering Valor - Brant's signature weapon, Unflickering Valor, gives him several powerful DPS buffs to most of his kit, but most importantly, its exceptionally high Energy Regen substat makes reaching Energy Regen requirements infinitely easier. This is, by far, his best option.
• Overtune - Brant's only four-star option, Overtune is the only weapon outside of his Signature that he has to help him reach his Energy Regen requirements.

Without using either one of the two weapons, Brant will struggle massively to reach Energy Regen breakpoints. So, with that in mind, if you cannot get one of these weapons, I strongly urge you to reconsider pulling Brant, as he is heavily reliant on Energy Regen to function.

Best team compositions for Brant in Wuthering Waves

Brant's Outro buff supports buffing Fusion and Skill damage, so characters that match one or both of those make solid teammates for him.

• Brant, Changli, Verina - This is Brant's strongest team composition, and it rewards and players a Dual DPS team. You'll be consistently swapping to and from Brant and Changli, performing their gameplans in unison for maximum effect. Verina is on the team to apply her massive ATK% buff and offer healing as necessary. Verina is interchangeable with Shorekeeper, depending on stat spread.
• Brant, Encore, Shorekeeper - This team functions similarly to the abovementioned, only using Encore instead of Changli. As Encore wants a bit more field time, you'll be doing less quickswapping and more hypercarrying using Encore as the team's main DPS. Shorekeeper is interchangeable with Verina.
• Brant, Sanhau, Verina - This team uses Brant as the hypercarry on his team, utilizing Sanhau's Basic ATK% Outro buff and lightning-fast Concerto to quickly generate Brant's Forte. As with before, Verina is interchangeable with Shorekeeper.

Best Sequences of Brant in Wuthering Waves

Brant is a largely complete character at S0. However, his Sequences grant him significantly increased power to his moment-to-moment gameplan. His best stopping point is, without a doubt, S3, and if you're interested in learning what all of his Sequences do, then here's a summary of each one and their values.

• By Currents and Winds (S1) - This Sequence makes Brant's Returned from Ashes apply a stagnation field when it is being cast, giving the ability potent CC (Crowd Control). Additionally, Brant gains up to 60% DMG when performing his Intro Skill or any attacks with flips associated with it. Overall, this is a strong Sequence that gives Brant additional utility and a lot of extra damage.
• For Smiles and Cheers (S2) - When Brant casts Returned from Ashes or does a mid-air attack, he gains a free 30% Crit Rate. This is already incredible, and I highly recommend you use a CRIT DMG 4-cost Echo if you obtain this Sequence. Additionally, Brant's Outro Skill causes the incoming Resonator to deal 440% of Brant's ATK as Basic Attack damage whenever they use their Resonance Skill. This can happen up to twice. This is a very strong Sequence, and you should get this if you can, as it is simply a lot of free team damage.
• Through Storms I sail (S3) - This is a simple one. It increases Returned from Ashes damage by 42%. This is a buff to Brant's most powerful ability in his kit. As far as Sequences go, this is the ideal stopping point.
• To Freedom I Sing (S4) - This Sequence focuses entirely on providing support to Brant's team. When Returned from Ashes is cast, the shield it applies is 20% stronger, and it provides healing to his teammates based on his Energy Regen stat. This Sequence is alright but far from necessary due to the lack of a damage boost.
• All the World's an Actor's Stage (S5) - When Brant deals Basic ATK DMG, he gains 15% Basic Damage for 15 seconds. Not bad, but it's very 'meh' if you stop here.
• All the World's a Captain's Carnevale (S6) - Brant's S6 is very simple but extremely powerful if you can obtain it. It boosts the DMG Multiplier of his mid-air attacks by 30%. More importantly, however, is that it makes Returned from Ashes explode twice, with the second explosion dealing 30% of the damage of the first.

The post Best Brant build in Wuthering Waves – weapons, echoes, team compositions, and sequences appeared first on Destructoid.

Phoebe, the latest 5-star character in Wuthering Waves Version 2.1, relies heavily on the Spectro Frazzle debuff, making her unviable without it. This design flaw limits teambuilding options, threatening the game's long-term character design philosophy, and it must be addressed before it’s too late.

The Spectro Frazzle dilemma

Phoebe's kit revolves entirely around Spectro Frazzle, to the point of absurdity. It is a debuff that must be applied to enemies for her to function effectively. Only Spectro Rover, one specific character, can apply this debuff consistently. Without it, Phoebe becomes dramatically weaker, bordering on useless. This rigid dependency forces players into a narrow, restrictive team composition.

But let's break this down even further. Most characters in Wuthering Waves have a level of flexibility built into their kits. They can function decently on their own but shine when placed in the right team composition or with the proper set of buffs. Phoebe, however, is an entirely different story. If the enemy does not have Spectro Frazzle applied, her abilities may as well not exist. She can't deal damage, she can't contribute meaningfully, and she becomes dead weight in a fight. This is the kind of design that kills excitement for a new character. No one wants to pull for a five-star unit only to realize they need to have another very specific character to make them work at all.

Creating the problem, selling the solution

This feeds into a troubling monetization strategy often seen in live service and gacha games: "Create the problem, sell the solution."

By introducing a character almost entirely dependent on a single mechanic, developers create artificial demand for future units that will "fix" the issue. If a future 5-star character is released with Spectro Frazzle application built into their kit, it would be easy to see how this was a deliberate move rather than an accidental oversight.

This is a slippery slope. If every future limited-time character is shackled to a single mechanic or unit, it will stifle the game's diversity and alienate players who enjoy flexibility in their gameplay experience. The beauty of Wuthering Waves has always been its mix-and-match potential. Phoebe's design works directly against that. To be clear, all players get Spectro Rover for free, and they apply Spectro Frazzle for Phoebe, but this isn't about that fact. This is about what this sort of design represents.

How to fix Phoebe (because she needs it)

Two clear solutions can fix Phoebe's overreliance on Specto Frazzle:

• Reduce her stance switch cooldown

If Phoebe could switch between her Absolution and Confession stances much faster than the 24-second cooldown she currently has built into her kit, this issue would practically disappear. By letting her apply her own Spectro Frazzle more frequently, she would no longer be forced to rely on specific teammates just to function, while maintaining the team aspect of having a teammate apply it for her if desired (reducing her need to stance swap). Instead, she could generate her own opportunities and actually feel like a self-sufficient character. This would make her gameplay loop far more enjoyable while preserving the unique mechanics of her kit.

Right now, her long cooldown locks her into a frustrating and clunky playstyle where she spends more time waiting than actually doing anything meaningful. Lowering that cooldown would allow her to shine without breaking the game, keeping her fun while avoiding the pitfall of restrictive team compositions.

• Reduce her reliance on Spectro Frazzle

If adjusting her cooldown isn't an option, another way to fix Phoebe is by making her entirely less reliant on Spectro Frazzle. Right now, the damage difference between hitting a target with or without it being applied is astronomical. Without it, she deals negligible damage, effectively making her unplayable without Spectro Rover.

She should still gain a bonus against Spectro Frazzled enemies, but not to the extent that she is completely worthless without it. By shrinking this damage spectrum, Phoebe could remain functional even when Spectro Frazzle is not present, allowing her to work in more team compositions without being utterly dependent on a single debuff.

Why this cannot become the norm

Phoebe's release represents a dangerous shift in character design philosophy that should not be allowed to continue. If future characters are designed with such rigid, singular dependencies, Wuthering Waves will suffer long-term. Players will feel boxed in and forced into specific, restrictive team compositions to make a character viable. That kind of game design is the opposite of fun.

Fortunately, Kuro Games has a reputation for listening to its player base. By raising awareness of this issue now, the community can voice concerns before this becomes an accepted norm.

A hard no to future Phoebes

Phoebe is fun, but her design philosophy is flawed. This isn’t about minor balancing issues; it is about maintaining the integrity of Wuthering Waves and ensuring that future characters are built on a foundation of strong, independent design. Kuro Games listens, but only if we, the players, make ourselves heard.

This absolutely cannot become the standard. If you care about team-building flexibility, character versatility, and fair design, now is the time to make your voice heard. When future surveys come out, take the time to fill them out and decry this design flaw. Make it crystal clear that this type of deliberately negative character-balancing is unacceptable. If you stay silent, you risk letting this issue fester and spread into future banners. This is the time to push back before the problem infests and infects.

Kuro Games can do better. And we should expect better. Speak up, take the surveys, and make sure this problem starts and stops with Phoebe.

The post The last thing Wuthering Waves needs is another Phoebe appeared first on Destructoid.

Genshin Impact has a new combat event in Version 5.4 that challenges even the most hardened veterans. And this time, there’s an exclusive event namecard on the line. Here’s an overview of all stages in the Realm of Tempered Valor event so you can snag that namecard for yourself!

Realm of Tempered Valor rules explained

First, a brief overview of the event overall. There are a total of five combat stages. Each stage consists of a gauntlet of 25 floors. Starting on floor 1, your goal is to fight your way up the floors as far as you can. The higher you go, the tankier the enemies. 

There’s a 30-second time limit for each floor. Failing to clear a floor in 30 seconds ends your challenge right there. On the other hand, clearing a floor with time to spare lets you skip a few floors ahead, streamlining your progress. You'll need to reach floor 20 to earn the platinum medal and all event rewards.

You will earn some buffs during your challenge. If someone on your friend list has cleared floor 20 of a stage, you will obtain an ATK buff. Just walk through the red orb before you start your challenge. At certain floor milestones, you will also see a green orb and a blue orb. The green and blue buffs are single-use only. The green buff restores some of your team’s HP, while the blue buff restores some Energy or Fighting Spirit. Use them wisely; they’ll disappear once you pick them up.

Food buffs are also allowed. Try cooking up some Adeptus' Temptations (+ATK/CRIT Rate), Gilded Tajine (+Max HP), and some potions. You can stack the effects of one offensive buff, one defensive buff, and one potion.

You can also cast certain character abilities before actually starting the challenge. Once you're in the arena, set up support skills like Bennett's buff and Xiangling's Pyronado before you interact with the key to summon the enemies. This shaves off a precious few seconds of setup so you can start dealing damage the moment your enemies load in.

Stage 1: Nightsoul Blessing

The first stage demands on-field DPS characters from Natlan. If your character deals damage while in the Nightsoul Blessing state, they will gain a massive DMG buff and deal a bit of additional Pyro damage. Some team suggestions include:

• Mavuika - Citlali/Kazuha - Xilonen - Bennett
• Mualani - Xilonen - Bennett - Xiangling
• Chasca - Furina - Ororon/Fischl - Bennett
• Kinich - Emilie - Bennett - Zhongli

The Mavuika team in particular is incredibly effective. The fastest clears for this stage all feature Mavuika as an on-field DPS. If you don’t have Mavuika, bring any other on-field DPS with Nightsoul mechanics. Brute-forcing this stage without using the Nightsoul buffs will be extremely difficult.

Another tip – when facing the Avatars of Lava (ball-shaped rock/lava monsters), focus on applying as much Pyro as possible. When the red circle by their health bar fills up, they will be instantly defeated. C6 Bennett is great for this since his Burst infuses melee attacks with Pyro. Kazuha is recommended, too, since his Burst can absorb Pyro for some additional application.

Stage 2: Melt, Vaporize, Frozen

The second stage encourages Melt or Vaporize teams. Melt and Vaporize reactions deal increased damage, and triggering Melt, Vaporize, or Frozen grants an ATK buff. My suggested team is:

• Arlecchino/Mavuika - Citlali - Xilonen - Bennett

This is the only team I see represented in my leaderboards. If you don’t have Citlali, try Furina instead. Otherwise, bring your most powerful Pyro DPS and hope for the best. Hydro DPS will not work, since some enemies are immune to Hydro. 

Stage 3: Swirl

The third stage encourages the use of Swirl, but it’s better to use your strongest DPS character rather than focus on Swirl damage. Consider the Swirl buffs a nice bonus. Some suggested teams include:

• Mavuika - Xilonen - Bennett - Kazuha
• Neuvillette - Xilonen - Furina - Kazuha
• Arlecchino - Kazuha/Xilonen - Citlali - Bennett/Furina
• Wanderer - Faruzan - Furina - Bennett

If you don’t have either Mavuika or Neuvillette, just bring your strongest team. None of the enemies are immune to any particular element, so this stage really is just a DPS check.

Stage 4: Healing

The fourth stage grants players an ATK buff when they receive healing. This is another stage where it's best to use your strongest team, as long as there's a healer in there somewhere. Some teams that I've seen do well include:

• Mavuika - Xilonen - Citlali/Furina - Bennett/Venti
• Arlecchino - Kazuha/Xilonen - Citlali - Bennett/Furina

It's worth noting that HP-scaling DPS units like Mualani and Neuvillette don't benefit from this stage's buffs. You need both healing and an ATK-scaling main DPS.

Stage 5: Nightsoul Burst

The fifth stage is another Nightsoul stage. This time, though, you can also use off-field Natlan characters to trigger the buff. This lets you run a non-Natlan on-field DPS together with Xilonen or Ororon. Team suggestions include:

• Neuvillette - Xilonen - Furina - Kazuha
• Arlecchino - Xilonen/Kazuha - Citlali - Bennett/Furina
• Mavuika - Xilonen - Citlali/Furina - Bennett
• Mualani - Xilonen/Kazuha - Bennett - Xiangling

There's more flexibility for this stage than the others. As long as you have a Natlan character of any element in your party, you'll be able to take advantage of the buff. Bring the strongest team you have — or you can just bring Mavuika like every other stage.

How to get the namecard in Realm of Tempered Valor

For the first time since 2022, you can earn a free event namecard through the Realm of Tempered Valor event. It’s called Celebration: Scorch, and it depicts a little Tepetlisaurus punching an Abyss Mage in the face. Adorable.

To earn the Realm of Tempered Valor namecard, you need to clear a total of 100 floors across all stages of the event. This means shooting for at least 20 floors on each stage. If you can’t quite make it to 20 on certain stages, you can try to make it up on other stages. You might have a strong team that’s better suited for the latter stages, so don’t worry if you fall a bit short early on.

The post Genshin Impact: Realm of Tempered Valor event platinum guide appeared first on Destructoid.

The March 2025 games lineup is going to feel like a Pheonix Down for RPG lovers with standout games like Atelier Yumia and The First Berserker: Khazan to look forward to. There's also a collection of remasters for beloved RPGs from Konami that may finally see the light of day on modern platforms.

Missed out on releases from last month? Check them out here.

Assassin's Creed Shadows (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, iOS)

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Quebec and others
Price: $69.99
Release Date: March 20
Trailer

To start us off, the epic open-world RPG Assassin's Creed Shadows takes us to feudal Japan on March 20. Many have requested this location in the series for decades and they're finally getting it. We'll explore gorgeous scenery and enjoy a dynamic world along the way as Ubisoft says that there will be "unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments" on the Steam page.

There are two main protagonists in the game, including the more aggressive up-front warrior Yasuke and the more tactical, stealthy Naoe. Both may provide entertainment for those who want one or the other in the Assassin's Creed series. The storyline seems to matter as well. "Something I noticed throughout my preview that I wholeheartedly didn’t expect, is that your choices seem to actually matter, even if Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t immediately highlight that," said our preview, which explains more.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC)

Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Developer: Gust
Price: $69.99
Release Date: March 21
Trailer

Despite the overly long name, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land features an exciting open-world RPG to explore on March 21. You'll craft items to help you on your journey through alchemy, breaking down objects in the environment to proceed, and fighting enemies in turn-based action. An interesting mechanic thrown into the mix is that your synthesized items can be turned into different shapes like swords and spears that can give you the upper hand in battle. Atelier Yumia is a big deal for Xbox fans as this will be the first game in the series to arrive on Microsoft's platform.

The First Berserker: Khazan (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: NEXON
Developer: Neople
Price: $59.99
Release Date: March 27
Trailer

The First Berserker: Khazan is another RPG in March, which seems to be catering towards the Souls-like crowd with vicious combat, difficult bosses, and a neat cel-shaded art style. This also seems to be for Dungeon Fighter Online fans as this game takes place 800 years before that particular game. You'll have all manner of weapons at your character's disposal as you carry on through the difficult action title, such as dual-wield swords, spears, and greatswords, which all seem engaging to use. There's currently a demo on Steam you can play to get a sneak peek of what's in store.

Split Fiction (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: EA
Developer: Hazelight Studios
Price: $49.99
Release Date: March 6
Trailer

It Takes Two and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons developer Hazelight Studios is back at it with its co-op formula in Split Fiction and this time, it will be crossplay between all platforms. That means if someone buys the PS5 version, their pal can then try out the game as a partner for free on Xbox Series X|S, PC, or another PS5. InSplit Fiction, Hazelight Studios is treating us to a platformer filled with levels inspired by a mix of sci-fi and fantasy-themed worlds.

Two writers get stuck in a virtual reality universe created by their narratives and must find a way to escape. While strangers at first, the two grow a friendship that will likely be tested. Hopefully, the game lives up to its predecessor and The Game Awards GOTY winner, It Takes Two. Maybe this is one of the March 2025 games that will be nominated for Game of the Year this winter.

Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC)

Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Price: $49.99
Release Date: March 6
Trailer

After many years of waiting and paying extortionate prices for the original games to resellers, Suikoden fans and those interested in trying this series can finally pick up these two classics on modern hardware. Despite being decades old, the second game's story sounds current to this day. "Its characters pursue their causes — often fighting for their homeland in an extension of a war that’s touched generations — with vigor and grim nobility," said a prior Destructoid article by Ray Porreca in 2018. "More than any other role-playing game of its era, Suikoden II acknowledges and builds upon the underlying humanity of its cast."

These classic RPGs will gain a bunch of modern enhancements to improve your experience. It will have HD background illustrations, updated effects that "breathe new life into the pixel art animation," according to the Steam listing, and new environmental sound effects. There's also an auto-save feature and battle fast forward functionality. It's probably the highlight out of the many March 2025 games for those who like retro.

Honorable Mentions

An indie game that should be everyone's radars is Wanderstop. It is a "cosy" game by the creator of The Stanley Parable, that comes with a twist. You play a warfighter who finds work at a tea shop, creating cool drinks by obtaining resources around the area. However, she doesn't want to be there, and the story seems to grow from that premise.

Also, those birds in the screenshot above look quite angry, wouldn't you say?

Other March 2025 games you should look into include:

• Two Point Museum (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - March 4
• Carmen Sandiego (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - March 4
• Everhood 2 (Switch, PC) - March 4
• Sugardew Island (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - March 7
• Wanderstop (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - March 11
• WWE 2K25 (PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - March 14
• MLB The Show 25 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch) - March 18
• Bleach Rebirth of Souls (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - March 21
• Killing Floor 3 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - March 25
• Atomfall (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Onne, PC) - March 27

The post March 2025 is a joyous month for RPG lovers, here’s why appeared first on Destructoid.

Whimpering Wastes is a brand-new endgame mode introduced with Wuthering Waves version 2.1, and it is quite difficult if you're not using the best Resonators for the job. Here's a list of the best ones for you to use.

Best Characters for Whimpering Waste in Wuthering Waves

Many players in the Wuthering Waves community are finding Whimpering Wastes to be rather hard to complete, even if they could completely clear Tower of Adversity without much issue. This is because Whimpering Wastes prioritizes and tests your ability to handle large groups of enemies in a wave-based format, which contrasts Tower of Adversity's single-target focus.

Some characters that can clear ToA might have trouble dealing with the hardest stages of Whimpering Wastes. Still, if you bring the right characters for the job, you'll be able to clear no problem.

Camellya

Camellya has one of the easiest-to-access nukes in the game, allowing her to wipe out waves with minimal setup instantly. Even after her nuke, Camellya boasts considerable and constant AoE DPS, meaning she has virtually no downtime, which is something most Resonators on this list cannot claim. Her ability to sustain high damage output throughout an entire battle makes her an invaluable asset in Whimpering Wastes, ensuring that each wave of enemies is efficiently cleared before they can overwhelm the player.

Jiyan

Jiyan has high AoE DPS when using his Liberation, which also gives him incredible grouping power, making him a perfect fit for Whimpering Wastes. His Liberation ability allows him to pull enemies together, creating ideal conditions for devastating AoE attacks. His fast and fluid attack patterns make him one of the best choices for those looking to deal consistent and overwhelming AoE damage to waves of enemies without much downtime.

Roccia

Roccia has the best grouping ability in the game, making her an incredible asset for Whimpering Wastes. She excels at pulling enemies together, allowing AoE-focused characters to maximize their damage potential. In addition to her unparalleled grouping mechanics, Roccia also boasts significant AoE damage output, ensuring that enemies are not only gathered but also swiftly eliminated. Her utility makes her an indispensable choice for crowd control and battlefield management in Whimpering Wastes.

Verina

Verina is here due to her lightning-fast Concerto rotation, which allows her to enable Intro-based characters with ease. This makes her an essential support unit in Whimpering Wastes, where constant enemy waves require frequent rotations and quick access to high-damage skills. Verina’s support capabilities ensure that DPS characters can shine, while also providing sustain and buffs to the team. Her presence in a team significantly enhances its overall efficiency, making fights much smoother and reducing unnecessary downtime.

Yinlin

Yinlin does massive AoE damage consistently and is one of the few characters who gains more power the more enemies are on the field. Unlike many other characters whose damage remains static, Yinlin thrives in high-enemy-count situations, making her a natural fit for Whimpering Wastes' wave-based combat structure. Her off-field, mark-based attack patterns and unique scaling mechanics ensure that no enemy escapes unscathed, making her one of the top damage dealers for large-scale encounters.

Carlotta

Carlotta offers excellent crowd control, making it easier to keep enemies in check while maximizing damage output. While she doesn’t have the best standalone AoE, when paired with other strong DPS AoE characters like Changli, she becomes a valuable asset to any team tackling this mode. Her synergy with AoE-heavy teammates ensures that no enemy stands a chance, as she helps create openings for high-damage bursts while maintaining control over enemy positioning.

Yangyang

Yangyang has great AoE and grouping capabilities, making her a powerful choice for Whimpering Wastes. Her ability to manipulate enemy positions while dealing strong area damage ensures that waves of enemies are efficiently managed and eliminated. Additionally, she provides excellent battery support for other DPS characters, allowing them to use their Liberations more often. Yangyang also has a fast Concerto rotation, enabling Intro-based mechanics to activate much easier, making her an incredibly versatile pick for Whimpering Wastes.

Jianxin

Jianxin has great AoE and grouping capabilities, allowing her to control the battlefield while dealing consistent damage. Her ability to group enemies together makes it easier for other DPS characters to capitalize on their area attacks, making her an invaluable member of any team composition. Additionally, Jianxin provides some sustain with shields and healing, offering an extra layer of survivability that can help keep the team going through prolonged battles.

Xiangli Yao

Xiangli Yao pairs best with another DPS character to help him AoE down hordes of enemies via Quickswap rotations. He is at his best in this setup, despite being capable enough on his own. His ability to switch between attacks rapidly ensures that enemies are constantly pressured and defeated efficiently. When played optimally, he can chain devastating attacks with other characters, making him a highly flexible and reliable option for wave-based encounters.

Changli

Changli is one of the strongest AoE DPS Resonators in Whimpering Wastes, making her a must-have for clearing large groups of enemies quickly. She has multiple high-burst damage nukes that allow her to excel incredibly in this mode. Her high burst damage and strong synergy with characters like Carlotta make her an invaluable addition to any team composition focused on efficiency and damage output. With Changli in the lineup, you can expect some of the most consistent AoE damage in the game, allowing for rapid clears and smooth transitions between waves.

By using the right combination of these Resonators, you’ll have a much easier time clearing Whimpering Wastes in Wuthering Waves. Make sure to build your team strategically and take advantage of each character’s strengths to dominate this challenging mode.

The post Best Resonators for Whimpering Wastes in Wuthering Waves appeared first on Destructoid.

The Baked Carp is a simple two-star dish in Disney Dreamlight Valley that will keep your character going throughout the day when consumed. However, you can also sell it for quite a few Star Coins and get some Dreamlight tasks completed while doing so.

Where to find Baked Carp Disney Dreamlight Valley ingredients

To create Baked Carp in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you'll need to collect the following ingredients:

• Carp
• Butter

Both are relatively easy to find within the original valley of the game. Thankfully, you won't need any DLC like The Storybook Vale to access them. Carp can be fished from the waters of the Forest of Valor and Sunlit Plateau. It may take a while to find this fish as Salmon (which can be used to make Apple Cider Glazed Salmon) and Perch end up on the other side of the line more often than not. You'll need to fish within white water ripples in these biomes.

Make sure to take a friend with you who has the fishing specialty. It was only natural for Goofy to be great at fishing due to his summer trip with his son Max in The Goofy Movie. With this fishing specialty, you have a chance to double your catch, and it increases your friendship level with valley residents.

Butter can be easily bought from Remy at his restaurant Chez Remy. From behind the stove, you can purchase the ingredient for 190 Star Coins on a stand.

How much does Baked Carp sell for?

Once you have both ingredients, head to any cooking station at your house or Chez Remy, for example, and throw them into the pot. You'll magically have Baked Carp ready to serve. You can sell it for 767 Star Coins or eat it for 1,894 Energy.

The post How to make Baked Carp in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Sibling rivalries aren't usually settled with ordnance, but most siblings aren't world-renowned assassins.

Anna Williams is officially returning to the franchise in Tekken 8, and Bandai Namco heralded her re-entry with a new gameplay trailer.

Anna retains her Chaos Judgement stance and mixups out of crouch from previous games and sports new wrinkles. Along with Tekken 8's universal heat mechanics, she has new moves centered around the rocket launcher she carries into battle.

Anna uses the RPG judiciously in her moveset for its projectiles and as a melee weapon. She even has a new stance using the firearm that can be cancelled into Chaos Judgement, creating some nasty mixup opportunities and combo routes. Hitting an opponent with an RPG move leaves a purple aura on them, which could be a debuff or damage over time mechanic. However, the rocket launcher isn't just a tool for combat, and Anna holds it so dearly it has a name: Lovely Tom. This name stems from Anna's love for the slapstick comedy cartoon Tom and Jerry.

Anna continues her 30-year-long rivalry with her sister, Nina, and forms a new one with season 1 DLC character Lidia Sobieska. Anna's rivalry with Lidia is due to their mutual interest in fine dining, which might threaten the assassin's standing as the best chef in Tekken or allow her to cement it.

A mid-March Tekken Talk will go over Anna's movelist and mechanics in greater detail before she is available for early access on March 31 and fully released on April 3.

The post Anna Williams Brought a Rocket Launcher to a Fist Fight appeared first on Destructoid.

We've grown accustomed to the idea of a Photo Mode to play around with in gaming. They're standard in many titles nowadays. But it's always a bonus feature. With the upcoming Lushfoil Photography Sim, photo mode is the game.

At a recent showcase, publisher Annapurna Interactive made a few announcements, such as Sayonara Wild Hearts coming to PS5 and a new game from Katamari Damacy creator, Keita Takahashi, called To a T. But the one that stuck out for me was the aforementioned photography simulator.

For a chance to tap into your inner David Bailey, Lushfoil Photography Sim will offer the chance to "explore diverse landscapes, play with camera settings, and capture the perfect shot." Having just recently played Firewatch for the first time – which does give your player a camera to take a few pictures here and there – it feels like this is taking things to the next level.

Coming this April

Developed by keen shutterbug Matt Newell, Lushfoil Photography Sim is described on Steam thus:

Experience detailed, true-to-life recreations of beautiful and diverse locations around the world. Trek through and explore environments to capture stunning vistas and landscapes with your fully-featured in-game camera. Each environment is filled with objectives to reward players that have a good eye for angles and perspectives, and hidden secrets for those who are patient and observant.

It is, as you can glean from this, a walking simulator, but with an emphasis on capturing the surrounding beauty. Walking sims have been around for several years now and although not always popular due to their stripping away of typical gameplay elements, they're often noteworthy for their storytelling capabilities.

It's hard to know how to define LPS (as I've taken to call it, just now) outside it being an opportunity to take digital photos of digital – albeit beautifully crafted – worlds. Personally, I think it will offer something of a much-needed break from some of the more fast-paced and stress-inducing games out there.

If you want to check it out, Lushfoil Photography Sim is scheduled to release on April 15 (according to the PlayStation blog post above) and will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Lushfoil Photography Sim takes Photo Modes/Walking Simulators to their logical conclusion appeared first on Destructoid.

Because Avowed has been published by Xbox Game Studios, it's currently not available to play on PS5. There's hope the game will roll out for Sony's system eventually, but, for now, at least, it'll remain an Xbox exclusive.

But if you really, really want to experience Obsidian's latest RPG on your PlayStation, the best way you can achieve this is through mods on PC. Take, for example, this one from Nexus Mods user Chachinito, which replaces the Avowed splash screen with the one for PlayStation Studios.

If that's not enough, you can go with this one from user Alurik instead, which gives you button prompts that are more akin to the PS4, so you'll be told to press Square instead of X, etc. Or why not combine them both?

How far are you willing to go?

Okay, it's only a small thing, but it's a sort of amusing way for people to make a point about how Avowed has been made exclusive to the Xbox Series X|S. Maybe it's even a parody about the state of console exclusivity in general. Or maybe I'm reading way too much into it.

At the time of writing, we still can't be certain whether Avowed will come to PS5. Anything that is attached to the Microsoft brand is always going to be put on Xbox and Windows-based PC systems ahead of anything else.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be coming to PlayStation at some point this year. Given that this game was published by Bethesda Softworks (which is owned by Zenimax Media, whose parent company is Microsoft), it's not beyond the realm of possibility that Avowed will be freed from its Xbox bond and make its way to other consoles. In the meantime, the above mods are the best we have so far.

The post Pretend you’re playing Avowed on PlayStation with these mods appeared first on Destructoid.

At the end of October, after PC fans had been enjoying the game for several years, Phasmophobia finally came to console. Now, you could get your ghost-hunting fright on via Xbox Series X|S or PS5, but there was one vital piece of the puzzle missing: voice recognition.

Part of the game's immersive appeal is being able to elicit a ghost response by talking to it over a microphone directly or through the Spirit Box item. This was not the case if you were playing on console. Fortunately, developer Kinetic Games has finally added voice recognition to the PlayStation and Xbox ports of Phasmophobia.

As noted in the most recent patch notes, v.0.11.1.2 implements the much-needed VOSK system on console. It also adds it to the PS VR2 version of the game. Now, you'll be able to do the following:

• Utilize the Spirit Box by speaking phrases such as "Are you friendly?" and "Give us a sign" to communicate with the ghost.
• Use Curse Possessions such as the Ouija Board to interact with the ghost and the Monkey Paw.
• Say the ghost’s name or other recognizable phrases near the ghost to be provided with a chance to increase the ghost’s activity for a short time.

More on the way

The update says a multitude of languages are now supported on PS5 and Xbox Series (with more on the way), including:

• English
• French
• Italian
• German
• Spanish
• Brazilian Portuguese
• Japanese

While we're at it, Kinetic also recently revealed the update roadmap for Phasmophobia. Long-time fans have been looking forward to new content and the developer's ongoing commitment to the game.

There are a bunch of exciting things coming our way, such as a complete rework of the Bleasdale and Grafton farmhouse locations, an overhaul of the playable characters, new ways to capture and gain bonuses for evidence in the upcoming Chronicle update, and a brand-new map.

That last one is particularly noteworthy, seeing as Phasmo recently had a new map in the form of the Point Hope lighthouse. Typical, isn't it? We wait all this time for new levels, and then two come along at once.

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