During the One Six Indie Showcase 2024, we were treated to a trailer for a brand new DLC for Rain World. This DLC, The Watcher, looks to take players to unfamiliar territory for a new Slugcat adventure, and fans want it to go as far as possible.

Eagle-eyed fans spotted several key details in the trailer for Rain World's The Watcher DLC, including a lack of Iterators, walking snails, and some fresh-looking animated backgrounds that hint at new environments. The franchise is known for an incredibly complex ecosystem that interlinks as you explore, with every environment impacting the other in some way. But fans want something that cuts deep from the DLC. A region or regions cut off from what we've seen before.

Where are the Iterators?

Long before the DLC's trailer was released, Rain World fans on the game's subreddit had been discussing what they wanted from it. User ANBpokeball sums up what a lot of other fans want. "Exploring new regions, seeing new creatures, meeting Slugcats other than the protagonist, and getting to meet one of the iterators other than Five Pebbles or Looks To The Moon."

This would be brilliant. Iterators are massive entities that house entire ecosystems. They're also said to create the rain that gives Rain World its name. In the base game and other DLC, you can see other Iterators in the distance when you reach the top of one, as high as you can go.

The featured image for this article shows a Slugcat at that point, and there's a shocking lack of Iterators. This hints that The Watcher DLC could be set at a different time, in a different dimension, or in a region separate from the rest of the franchise.

We can actually look to the Akupara Games page for the DLC for some clarity here. "Journey beyond to something, somewhere only ever glimpsed. When the world beneath your feet cracks and crumbles, will you hold on to all you once knew? Or dive into the unknown?"

It suggests we'll be somewhere in the Rain World series we've never actually been able to visit. Part of what makes the franchise so intriguing and gripping is its complex ecosystem that you sneak, run from, and fight your way through across many playthroughs.

From the sounds of it, I'd say we're heading to a dry location, somewhere the ground cracks and crumbles away from an Iterator. It could reveal the planet's past below the crust of dirt and away from the fairly familiar territories we've known around these large machines. Having played Animal Well earlier this year, I'm excited to play as another creature delving into the depths.

Fans want something new, and the trailer and description certainly make it look like that's what we're getting. We'll have to wait until March 28, 2025, to know for sure, and if you're new to the series, that should be just enough time to get caught up on everything you need to know before The Watcher DLC drops.

The post Rain World fans want new ecosystems and regions in The Watcher DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

In Counter-Strike 2, the UMP-45 is perhaps one of the most underappreciated weapons. For $1200, players have access to a powerful close-range SMG that's perfect for tucking away on tight angles.

In the right hand, the UMP-45 can deal tons of damage and can be bought on both the T and CT sides. Despite this, it's not exactly the most popular weapon in the game, with most players opting for the MAC-10 and MP9 as budget SMG options. It still has 41 weapon skins to use - let's rank them!

Counter-Strike 2 UMP-45 Skins Tier List

There's only one factor we're considering when ranking these UMP-45 CS2 skins into a Tier List: aesthetics. If you're adding a new Counter-Strike 2 skin to your loadout, you won't (or shouldn't, at least) buy one you don't like. That's why our Tier List focuses on how cool a skin looks. The S Tier and A Tier skins are the ones you need in your inventory, while the B and C Tier ones you can probably skip unless you massively disagree with our rankings.

Just because a skin is expensive doesn't mean it's good. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean bad, either, with some of the best UMP-45 skins in Counter-Strike 2 being among the most affordable to pick up. Because of this, price isn't a factor in this Tier List. However, we've still included a guide price based on Steam transactions for the Factory New versions of each skin. It's useful information, even if it doesn't determine which skin is the "best."

S Tier

• Momentum ($10)
• Primal Saber ($14)
• Wild Child ($13)

A Tier

• Arctic Wolf ($1.50)
• Blaze ($20)
• Carbon Fiber ($0.14)
• Crime Scene ($110)
• Exposure ($1.75)
• Fade ($500)
• Labyrinth ($0.30)
• Minotaur's Labyrinth ($140)
• Scaffold ($4)

B Tier

• Caramel ($55)
• Delusion ($3)
• Fallout Warning ($80)
• Full Stop ($2)
• Grand Prix ($0.50)
• Gunsmoke ($0.18)
• Indigo ($15)
• Moonrise ($1.35)
• Motorized ($0.35)
• Plastique ($2)
• Urban DDPAT ($0.10)

C Tier

• Bone Pile ($17)
• Briefing ($0.40)
• Corporal ($1)
• Day Lily ($130)
• Default ($0)
• Facility Dark ($0.03)
• Gold Bismuth ($7)
• Houndstooth ($4.50)
• Mechanism ($5)
• Metal Flowers ($4.50)
• Mudder ($0.08)
• Oscillator ($0.50)
• Riot ($0.45)
• Roadblock ($0.30)
• Scorched ($12)

You may notice that some of these skins cross the $100 mark in price. It's worth remembering that these prices reflect the cost of the Factory New versions of these skins, which are by far the most expensive.

There are four other wear ratings in Counter-Strike 2: Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, and Battle-Scarred. Each wear rating sees each skin become more worn, which, in most cases, reduces the cost dramatically. Consider this if you reckon a skin costs more than you're willing to spend.

The post Counter-Strike 2 UMP-45 skins Tier List: All CS2 UMP-45 skins, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

The Five-SeveN is one of the most powerful sidearms in Counter-Strike 2. Besides the Desert Eagle, this CT side pistol has arguably the highest skill ceiling of any secondary weapon in the game. Kind of useless when used by a new player but incredibly dangerous in the hands of a CS veteran.

Like all weapons in CS2, the Five-SeveN features 36 unique weapon skins you can purchase to jazz up the appearance of your sidearm. Let's put them into a Tier List, shall we?

Counter-Strike 2 Five-SeveN Skins Tier List

Our rankings for this Tier List are based purely on the appearance of each skin. You're spoiled for choice with Five-SeveN skins, with plenty of awesome options that don't cost an arm and a leg to pick up. The S and A Tier skins are the ones we think you should be looking at, but the subjective nature of this means you may find your favorite tucked away in the B and C Tiers, too.

For many players, the price will also be important. That's why we've included an approximate price you can expect to pay when buying the Factory New versions of these Five-SeveN skins. A note, though. Prices in the Counter-Strike 2 skins market are always changing, so you may find that some of these are cheaper or more expensive at the time of reading. Still, it's good to get an idea of which ones are in your price range.

S Tier

• Angry Mob ($13.50)
• Berries And Cherries ($110)
• Boost Protocol ($4.50)
• Fairy Tale ($60)
• Hyper Beast ($115)

A Tier

• Candy Apple ($100)
• Capillary ($0.50)
• Copper Galaxy ($8)
• Fall Hazard ($300)
• Fowl Play ($10)
• Hybrid ($3)
• Monkey Business ($14)
• Retrobution ($3.50)
• Scrawl ($0.30)
• Triumvirate ($5)
• Urban Hazard ($2)

B Tier

• Buddy ($2)
• Case Hardened ($22)
• Coolant ($0.03)
• Crimson Blossom ($140)
• Flame Test ($0.25)
• Neon Kimono ($350)
• Nitro ($40)
• Silver Quartz ($0.60)
• Violent Daimyo ($0.80)

C Tier

• Anodized Gunmetal ($12)
• Contractor ($20)
• Default ($0)
• Forest Night ($0.15)
• Hot Shot ($17)
• Jungle ($30)
• Kami ($2.30)
• Nightshade ($3)
• Orange Peel ($0.30)
• Scumbria ($0.45)
• Withered Vine ($6.50)

As you can see, Five-SeveN skins in Counter-Strike 2 range from a few cents to hundreds of dollars. You don't always have to go big to get the skins you want, however. Our prices reflect the Factory New versions of the above skins, but you can opt for Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, or Battle-Scarred options instead to bring the price down considerably.

The Five-SeveN Hyper Beast is an excellent example of this. You can expect to pay around $115 to pick this up in Factory New, while the Battle-Scarred variant comes in at approximately $25 at the moment. A steep discount, to say the least.

The post Counter-Strike 2 Five-SeveN skins Tier List: All CS2 Five-SeveN skins, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

When Space Goblin Studio's Astrobotanica was first revealed, I and many others were incredibly intrigued by how this new cozy sandbox survival game would work. You play as an alien who crashlands on Earth in its ancient past, and you must somehow use plants to save your species while surviving a primordial version of our planet.

It's a recipe for disaster but also a gripping premise for your next foray into a game that blends farming, research, base building, and even establishing a relationship with a Neanderthal tribe. There's so much going on in Astrobotanica, yet we know from massive cozy games like Stardew Valley and Subnautica that these many elements can coexist in harmony.

I spoke with Arek Wozniak, Space Goblin Studio's Studio Lead, about the game well ahead of its early access release. What I wanted to get out of this conversation was an understanding of the main gameplay loop, what the developer is aiming to deliver, and what inspired it.

Destructoid: Could you tell me about which games inspired you while making Astrobotanica? For example, it looks and sounds to me as if Subnautica was a big inspiration, even though the games are clearly very different when you get into the details.

Arek Wozniak: The studio is obviously composed of survival lovers, with each member having their own favorites. Subnautica is definitely one of them, and I totally get that the teaser trailer suggests a close cousin due to featuring plant scanning. But Astrobotanica drifts much further, which I’m sure will be obvious when we reveal more of the gameplay in the near future. One of the key focuses is exploration and problem-solving via scientific research. This is, of course, centered on plants, which are the real protagonists of the game.

Coming back to inspirations, I can confess that we’re great fans of Stardew Valley and Potion Craft. I also couldn’t not mention Sea of Thieves, as we’re absolutely in love with vibrant and stylized graphics. Finally, some gamers may also find the vibes of Slime Rancher once they know Astrobotanica better.

Destructoid: Can you explain the initial gameplay loop in Astrobotanica?

Arek Wozniak: CO2 is something you’ll have to replenish constantly but at a low pace. There’s not too much pressure, as ‘cozy’ is our master vibe to stay true to. You’ll be able to come back to your ship where some generators are still running. There will be plants to help you recover your CO2 levels. You’ll also be able to figure out other ways - whether via trial and error in the game or, perhaps, via your own research in abundant literature on greenery.

I wanted to point out really strongly that the lack of CO2 will not be the biggest challenge but something to keep in mind from time to time. Aside from this part, the core gameplay loop is built on the cycle of explore-survive-cultivate-repeat. A great part, and I mean the crucial part for survival in the long term, will require plant research, farming, and processing of the produce. This will become apparent step by step, without imposing, while other aspects, such as potion crafting and interaction with the environment and inhabitants, will also play their part as the game progresses.

Destructoid: How deep do the base-building/farming mechanics go in Astrobotanica?

Arek Wozniak: The base-building and farming mechanics are designed to be quite engaging and functional but without overwhelming complexity. For example, construction is based on blueprints, which helps you focus on gathering resources. Furthermore, structures have functional roles, and once completed and put to work, they will unload your burden so you can focus on exploration and research.

We’re also planning to implement progressing automation, so once you advance in the game, some manual tasks will become automated, such as watering or composting, so you’ll advance to more strategic planning. However, the key feature is potion-making or mixture-crafting. We’re still figuring out how to shape the nomenclature for drinks made of plants, perhaps tonics? Views and ideas are very welcome!

Destructoid: How much of Astrobotanica will we be able to play when it's released in early access?

Arek Wozniak: The plan is to set out at least three islands, each with its custom biomes, beautiful views, abundance of wildlife and foliage, and of course, native inhabitants. They will occupy a minimum area of 1.5 km² each. The islands will also feature cave networks and original mysteries to uncover and puzzles to solve. Players will have access to most options for the character development system P.R.I.M.A.L.

Destructoid: What is your plan for the game's early access development? Do you have a roadmap that you intend to stick to, is it open, or will you do a mix and incorporate requests from the player base?

Arek Wozniak: We’re yet to announce a specific roadmap, but I can reveal at this point that scaling is planned in two dimensions: First, by adding new islands to the map, and second, by developing advanced mechanics such as AI-driven animals. This is at least where we start, but once player reactions, suggestions, and criticism start coming, this plan may evolve a lot.

Destructoid: Astrobotanica looks like it leans heavily into the cozy genre while keeping a foot in the open-world survival crafting space. How does the game bridge these genres, and is it something both cozy fans and open-world survival crafting fans can enjoy together?

Arek Wozniak: It’s exactly right; we wanted to stand on the relaxation side of ambitious games and deliver a contradiction to hardcore survival. Isn’t it great that such games have started to appear in the first place to offer a “safe escape” by immersing into a pleasant and relaxing world? But it couldn’t be further from a shortcut, rather, it's a challenge to remove any obstacles in UX and gameplay to make the experience enjoyable and intuitive. To let it flow. This starts with, for example, the save-game feature, which can be done at any time and at any point. All the way to controlling a large base with abundant farms, which will still be easy and pleasant to manage. I won't comment on co-op play at this point, as this is planned for a slightly later stage.

Destructoid: Farming is an element that often comes to games like Astrobotanica during early access as a fan-requested feature. Why did you choose/need to have it in on day one?

Arek Wozniak: I appreciate you pointing this out. As said earlier, plants, whether you call them flora, vegetation, flowers, or anything else, are the real protagonists in the game. Their life cycles set the tone and tempo, as well as their needs for fertilized soil and water. We just could not start anywhere else than from what gamers call “farming,” but others just call it “nature.”

Destructoid: Has anything outside of the games industry inspired you while making Astrobotanica?

Arek Wozniak: We always appreciated how great a source of accidental knowledge games can be, from learning about the basics of architectural planning via Minecraft to getting to know some carpentry via The Forest, to familiarizing ourselves with aquatic life via Dave the Diver - to name only a few.

So we thought, why not plants? They are older than us on this planet, exist in an abundance of species, and have been, for ages, providing for humans. They are at our fingertips every day for nutrition, healing, helping to express affection, decorating the house, you name it. The rest was practical creativity without imposing. Astrobotanica doesn’t require you to know any plant or reach for an atlas. But if you at some point start distinguishing chamomile from thistle or recognize sage during your weekend walks, it will mean we have done a good job.

Destructoid: What do you want players to get out of the game outside of having a great time playing it?

Arek Wozniak: I’m very humble in this regard, as I totally get it that different people may want different things from gaming. With respect to the variety of views, I hope a common denominator is spending quality, fun, and engaging time.

But let me share my big ambition to plant a seed in gamers' thinking. If just one person will look at their environment differently, let it be appreciation of vegetation around them, some interest in natural medicine, or just getting a potted plant to take care of where they live - I’ll be a happy man.

The post Interview: Understanding Astrobotanica’s cozy gameplay loop & inspirations appeared first on Destructoid.

Helldivers 2 fans are pretty happy with the game following the release of its 60-day update. Every buff and change feels solid. However, the massive improvement in gameplay has meant that frustrations with one item from the latest Warbond feel bigger than they actually are.

The Chemical Agents Warbond was released in Helldivers 2 a few days after the game's 60-day update. It brought with it a slew of chemical warfare-themed items like armor that looks like a hazmat suit, toxic gas-based Stratagems, and a healing sidearm called the Stim Pistol. But this last item, one that should help players out in a pinch, has become a slight source of frustration within the community. What should be a life-saver is definitely a meme at this point.

Stims only work if they hit

The Stim Pistol will provide a Helldiver with enough of a healing boost to survive their next hit. Provided the next hit isn't a Charger running them down or a misplaced Eagle 500KG Bomb. However, the healing a Helldiver is trying to provide their teammates won't work at all if they can't land the shot, and that's the toughest thing to do with this sidearm.

The problem is that it feels impossible to land a shot with the Stim Pistol. You can be in first person, aiming down sights, and have a Helldiver running right at you, but you'll still miss. It's definitely possible to land shots because I've seen players in the post-mission screens peppered with darts, but I have no idea how those darts found their mark.

If you've picked up the Warbond and are trying it out for yourself, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. If you're waiting to pick it up later, all you need to do is take one look at the Helldivers 2 subreddit to understand what's going on.

The Helldivers 2 community isn't worried about the issues with Stim Pistols, though. If this had happened before the 60-day update was released, it might have been the straw that broke the camel's back. With such a slew of buffs making the game as enjoyable as it was upon release, the Stim Pistol's inaccuracy fades into the background.

I have no doubt that developer Arrowhead Game Studios will fix the Stim Pistol in a future update. But nobody is that bothered about it right now. We've been spoiled with impeccable gameplay, a new Warbond, and even fantastic Superstore items. The game is in a great place at the time of writing, and you can see that in the community's reaction to weapon inaccuracy now compared to what it would have been just a week or so ago.

The post Helldivers 2’s most helpful weapon has created a frustrating problem appeared first on Destructoid.

Minecraft developer Mojang and MOD Entertainment revealed the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue in early 2024. The one-hour-long real-world activity had to be delayed, but now it's coming up for its Dallas launch on October 18, 2024, and all attendees can get their hands on an exclusive reward.

Anyone who buys a ticket and plays the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue will receive an exclusive in-game cape for Minecraft that's half-villager, half-zombie. It looks pretty great and acts as a nice bonus that'll help the event last even longer in your mind when you see it each time you log in. You don't even need to visit Dallas just to get the cape because the entire thing is going on tour, meaning there's a good chance it'll turn up near you in the future.

Now that's a nice cape

In the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue, iconic locations and creatures from the game are brought to life. You start in the forest, where you'll learn the ropes of how mechanics in this experience function. From there, you'll enter the village, where you'll pick up your quest and team up with other real players to complete your task. I'm going to go ahead and guess, given the experience's name, that you'll be rescuing a Villager.

There will be multiple biomes to explore and creatures to meet along the way. While you can gush over the dolphins, sheep, and pigs, the skeletons and spiders aren't so friendly. Luckily, the experience has everything you'll be used to from the game, so you'll be able to fend off any mobs.

The most interesting thing about the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue is the Orb of Interaction. This is an object you hold and take with you throughout the story to interact with objects, enemies, and every biome as you would in the game. It's got some sort of haptic feedback built in, so I imagine it vibrates in specific ways for each type of interaction, but it should also change color depending on what you're doing.

Considering you can build an entire universe in Minecraft if you work hard enough, a 1-hour experience sounds a little small. However, you do get to chill out in the Trading Post with a memento afterward, so you might be able to make an entire morning or afternoon out of it if you want.

Of course, the long-lasting reward from the experience is going to be that in-game cape. Given that you can only get it from this touring physical event, I can see it being pretty rare and desirable. Between this and the fact that you can keep the whole experience to an hour if you don't want to spend an entire day on it, I think the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue could be pretty popular, especially with fans who aren't excited for the movie.

The post Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue is a real-life touring adventure with an exclusive in-game reward appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite developer Saber Interactive being hard at work making Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 as good as it possibly can be, it's managed to cook up a ferocious new game mode for World War Z: Aftermath. The new mode sounds like a tonne of fun, but only for those players ready to take on an impossible challenge.

Saber Interactive has been pretty busy over the last couple of months with the final prep and then the launch of Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. On September 24, 2024, it's releasing a new game mode, Extinction Challenge Mode, for World War Z: Aftermath. This is the ultimate challenge for players, requiring skill, determination, and knowledge of every system just to have a chance at making it through a few checkpoints.

This new mode isn't built to be fun, it's made to push you

Extinction Challenge Mode for World War Z: Aftermath makes all zombies more aggressive and harder to kill as a baseline. There's usually a group of pretty docile or dormant zombies in each stage, regardless of difficulty. I imagine those are now gone, and needing to reload is going to be a bigger problem than it normally is with tougher and crazier hordes of undead throwing themselves your way.

The real run killer of this mode is that you're now dead after just one incapacitation. Usually, you can be revived at a few points throughout a level, but now it's only possible to respawn at checkpoints. Death is going to be more frequent because the mode also makes it harder to distinguish allies from enemies among the throng of bodies that's always around you.

I adore World War Z: Aftermath. I love the progression systems it has, and every mission on every difficulty feels just right. Seeing Saber Interactive continue to support it because of its players gives me hope that I'll be playing both it and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 for years to come since the developer's latest game has a similar progression path for you to follow.

Saber Interactive initially released World War Z in 2019 before launching a current-gen version, World War Z: Aftermath, in 2021. It's been supporting the game ever since with a regular flow of content updates for both in-game skins, Twitch Drops, and much more. It's had a pretty stable fan base since launch thanks to receiving new features that feel as good as Helldivers 2's 60-day update but without the low points.

The Extinction Challenge Mode is just the latest example of what this developer is capable of when it's allowed to listen to a community and act on the feedback it provides. I can't say I'm excited about the prospect of dying over and over in this game mode, but I'm so happy that there are still fresh experiences to be had in one of my favorite games.

The post World War Z: Aftermath’s new Extinction Challenge Mode wants you to die appeared first on Destructoid.

Half-Life was initially released in November 1998 and has shaped the games industry as we know it in many ways. While it's been extensively remastered by fans and has dozens of mods or side stories to play, there was still a version no one could access. That is, until now.

LambdaGeneration, one of the largest Valve game communities, recently announced that a pre-gold build of Half-Life is finally available for anyone to download and play. The build is from October 1998, which is just a month before the full game's actual launch. Fans are incredibly excited about the release because, while it's likely very close to the final build everyone got on release day, there could be subtle, hidden changes that are always fun discoveries when looking back at older titles like this.

The flying scientist is back

You can download this pre-gold version of Half-Life from the official Archive.org page and try it out for yourself. The page has many useful tips for getting the game to run, which will definitely be needed if you're trying to play on a modern PC.

This build is technically what you'd call a beta build. It's from a point in development before the game went gold, which is when the developer is happy with the code and can have it printed onto discs and shipped.

As such, it might contain bugs, glitches, and a few features that you can't find in the final game, including that one that took Valve 25 years to fix. This could include different skins for enemies, entire rooms, or items that have been left in place for testing before being removed for the final build.

Some elements of game development were very different in 1998. For example, it wasn't uncommon for a game's final code to have to be hand-delivered to manufacturers or publishers. Despite there only being a month between this build and the final version of Half-Life, many changes could lie in the code, and it'll be exciting to see what hardcore fans dig up.

There are also many versions of Half-Life and the other games in the series that you've likely never heard of. One of the rarest is Half-Life: Uplink, which was a demo distributed with magazines ahead of the game's release. I think this just goes to show that no matter how many versions of a game you own and how much you research it, there's always something new to discover.

At a time when Half-Life: Alyx is the latest game in the series, and we're all gagging for Half-Life 3, this is a welcome new release. Even if it's yet another version of the first game. I first played Half-Life on PS2, but I remember the game's PC launch and the various big box releases you could get. Given their price now, I wish I'd bought them.

The post A new pre-gold build of Half-Life has just been released appeared first on Destructoid.

For the delight of all who love to put on a show, NBA 2K25 allows players to thoroughly customize their MP's skills, which includes the ability to pick from a wide array of dunk animation packs.

But as you might expect, which animations you can access will depend on your stats and height. To emulate your heroes on the court, here are all the dunk animation requirements in NBA 2K25.

• Table of Contents:

  • All Signature Dunk requirements
  • All NBA Dunk requirements
  • All City Dunk requirements
  • All Contact Dunk requirements
  • All Alley-Oop Dunk requirements

All Signature Dunk animation requirements in NBA 2K25

To start, players can choose from a series of 42 unique signature dunk animations in NBA 2K25, going from those of legends like Shaq and Kobe to those of future hall of famers like Giannis Antetokounmpo. Unfortunately, and don't ask me why, Michael Jordan's is not on the list. You can check out the requirements for each of the animations below.

All NBA Dunk animation requirements in NBA 2K25

2K25 allows you to pick from a selection of 63 different NBA Dunk animation styles. As you can see below, they will be divided into three types —Two Foot Moving Dunks, One Foot Moving Dunks, and Standing Dunks.

All City Dunk requirements in NBA 2K25

Made for those looking to show their style to the community, NBA 2K25 features 11 City Dunk animations. Most of them will demand at least 70 Driving Dunk and 50 Vertical, with the only exceptions being the ones based on the professional dunkers Jordan Kilganon and Jordan Southerland.

All Contact Dunk requirements

In a bit of a letdown for those looking for something more, NBA 2K25 allows you to choose between eight different contact dunk animations. As you can see below, three of them are variations made for players with higher stats, while two are made for those below 6'5".

All Alley-Oop Dunk requirements

Just like with the regular dunks, 2K25 allows players to pick among a good deal of alley-oop-focused finishers, all of which you can see below. You can check out how to perform alley-oops in our How to perform a Alley-Oop in NBA 2K25 guide.

Now that you know how to unlock your favorite dunks in NBA 2K25, don't forget to also check out how to scan your face so that you can make your MyPlayer more like you in the game.

The post All Dunk Animation requirements in NBA 2K25 appeared first on Destructoid.

Training skills in Old School RuneScape can be a delicate balance. Often, the game rewards players for investing a ton of GP into skills, in turn allowing them to train with faster XP rates.

Some skills are guilty of this more than others. The eight most expensive skills in Old School RuneScape might all have profitable training methods, but if you want to hit 99, you'll need to dish out some cash to speed things up.

Construction

Construction might be one of the easiest skills to 99 in Old School RuneScape, but it's certainly not the cheapest. Training this skill to max level can cost you upwards of 200 million GP if you're looking for a fast method. Even then, choosing lower XP rates won't exactly save you money.

Construction is unavoidably one of Old School RuneScape's biggest money sinks, but at least you get to build a cool house along the way.

Crafting

There are many ways to make money training Crafting in Old School RuneScape. Sadly, none of them are fast XP. If you want to level up your Crafting skill to 99 within a reasonable timeframe, you'll need to cough up a ton of GP to do so. The fastest XP is making Black Dragonhide Bodies, which only becomes available at Level 84. But what's the cost to get 99 from that point? You're looking at around 80 million GP.

Alternative methods include cutting gems and making battlestaves, but even those won't come cheap. If you can spare the GP, save your sanity by training Crafting the fastest way, as it can be a tedious one to max out despite burning a huge hole in your wallet.

Farming

Interestingly, Farming is among both the most expensive and profitable skills to train in Old School RuneScape. This is entirely down to your choice of method. Planting herbs will make you money, but planting trees will yield much more XP at a cost. Farming tree runs earn you upwards of 200,000 XP each time, but reaching 99 will likely cost you 120 million GP in total. This also factors in the cost of protecting your trees to ensure they grow each time.

My advice? Pay the money. Farming is a skill you can max out in just over two months, if you're consistent with two tree runs a day. Cheap out, and you can expect to spend triple that amount of time waiting to hit 99, and that's assuming you're consistent!

Fletching

If you want to reach 99 Fletching, you'll likely be making the best Darts possible. On the plus side, it's very AFK. There's one big caveat, though - the price. Fletching Rune Darts from 81, Amethyst Darts from 90, and Dragon Darts from 95 will cost north of 200 million GP, a truly miserable price to pay for one of the fastest 99s in the game.

Most players who max out Fletching probably do so in a more long-winded way, saving themselves a ton of GP in the process. That said, it remains one of the most expensive skills in Old School RuneScape when using the best method.

Herblore

If you're doing it fast, at no point is Herblore a cheap skill to train in Old School RuneScape. But at Level 81, when you gain the ability to make Saradomin Brews, it becomes farcically expensive. Most will likely do this method all the way to 99, spending an eye-watering 150 million GP along the way. That's around 60,000 Saradomin Brews in total.

As with any skill, Herblore has profitable options at the cost of XP per hour. Only you can decide how much the time is worth to you.

Prayer

Anyone remotely familiar with the skills in Old School RuneScape won't be surprised to see Prayer make this list. It's a skill you just don't get anything back from, making every action you take a money sink. Worse still, it massively rewards you for using more expensive materials. You want to use lit Gilded Altars in a player-owned home here, offering a full inventory of Dragon Bones or Superior Dragon Bones each time.

Using Superior Dragon Bones, you can spend upwards of 50 million GP per hour. Yes, the XP is absurdly fast, but you'll be left in dire financial straits afterward.

Ranged

Ranged is one of the most useful 99s to have in Old School RuneScape. The fastest way to get there is by using Black Chinchompas on Maniacal Monkeys (after starting Monkey Madness II). This can earn you about 900,000 XP per hour, making it a ludicrously quick training method.

However, throwing those Black Chinchompas will see you spend around 30 million GP when all is said and done. That doesn't include the cost of buying solid Ranged gear either, which is an investment that you can at least recoup.

Smithing

20 million GP is the approximate cost to reach Level 99 Smithing by smelting Gold Bars at the Blast Furnace. It's not the fastest skill in Old School RuneScape, but that's the price if you want to speed it up a little.

Unfortunately, anything other than this method takes a painfully long time to hit 99, so it's probably best to swallow the cost in this instance.

The post 8 most expensive skills in Old School RuneScape appeared first on Destructoid.

In August 2024, Bethesda addressed one of Starfield's biggest criticisms with the release of the REV-8. This land vehicle made it faster for players to traverse the planets in Starfield. It was a surprising exclusion from the game's launch, but better late than never.

Predictably, Starfield's REV-8 was quickly modded by the community, resulting in tons of great fan creations modifying and converting the vehicle and its mechanics in different ways. Here are 10 of the best so far.

M12B FAV (Warthog) (Standalone)

M12B FAV (Warthog) (Standalone) sees Halo's most iconic vehicle come to Starfield. It's a crossover that makes sense, and frankly, it hardly looks out of place. If you didn't know the vehicle from the Halo games, you wouldn't second-guess its appearance here, which is why it's one of the best REV-8 Starfield mods on the Nexus.

You can find the Warthog at any ship technician in the game, and don't worry - you can still use the original REV-8 if you find it's not for you.

Galactic Highway Network

The REV-8 is awesome, but its addition to Starfield almost a year after release shows it was very much an afterthought for Bethesda. Galactic Highway Network goes a long way to making the REV-8 feel like a more integrated part of the game, by introducing roads to most major cities in Starfield.

We're buying in early with this mod. It's already a great addition, but the potential here for more content in the future is enormous.

X-34 Landspeeder

Starfield and Star Wars are a great combo, and the modding community is making the most of it. It didn't take long after the release of the REV-8 for modder radicalclownfriend to release the X-34 Landspeeder, bringing Luke's vehicle from A New Hope to life in Starfield.

Sadly, Han, Chewie, and Threepio aren't included in this mod, but you can make your own adventures using the X-34 Landspeeder in place of the REV-8.

NASA Lunar Rover

NASA Lunar Rover from Bub200 might just be the most lore-friendly mod on this list. As the mod's title suggests, it adds the NASA Lunar Rover to Starfield, converting a static mesh already in the game's files into a usable vehicle.

It's important to note that this mod is a complete REV-8 replacer, so with this installed, you won't be able to use the original vehicle.

Shades Vehicle Tuner

Shades Vehicle Tuner is by far the most extensive mod on this list. It adds a ton of new features to Starfield's vehicle gameplay, expanding it far beyond Bethesda's initial intentions.

With Shades Vehicle Tuner, you can set up a camp around your REV-8, harvest minerals as you drive, use new vehicle weapons, and more. This is a true quality-of-life vehicle mod, and even if you're only using the vanilla REV-8, it's one you need to add to your Starfield load order.

Old Earth ATV (Standalone)

Old Earth ATV (Standalone) is a small mod that brings, you guessed it, an ATV into Starfield. NotSiouxsie has kept it simple with this one, but it's a fun addition that doesn't replace the base-game REV-8.

The Old Earth ATV is purchased from any ship technician, and can then be used to get from point A to point B on any of Starfield's planets.

D-Stroy (Standalone)

D-Stroy (Standalone) is yet another mod from NotSiouxsie. They're the modder to beat when it comes to REV-8 mods, and this might be their best work yet. It adds a UFO to Starfield, allowing you to take to the skies without actually having to hop into your ship.

It's a little clunky, but above all else, it's FUN, and that's what truly matters.

1969 Dodge Charger

You know what I think Starfield is really missing? A 1969 Dodge Charger, that's what. With this mod from NotSiouxsie, that's precisely what you get, allowing you to cruise around in the coolest car in the galaxy. Is it lore-friendly? Not in the slightest. Is it awesome? Too right it is.

Like all of NotSiouxsie's mods, this isn't a replacer for the REV-8. You can obtain the 1969 Dodge Charger from any ship technician in Starfield.

UAZ-452

UAZ-452 is the final mod from NotSiouxsie on this list, adding what they describe as a "Classic Soviet Workhorse" into Starfield. It certainly has a striking aesthetic, even if it looks slightly out of place among the stars.

Don't let that put you off, though. There's something inherently charming about seeing Vasco sitting on the back of the UAZ-452 while you traverse a planet's landscape, making this a worthwhile mod to add to your load order.

RevT - Thomas - Standalone

Thomas the Tank Engine mods have been a meme in the gaming community for some time now. I remember the first time I saw the iconic blue train replace Skyrim's dragons, and life was never the same again. History repeats itself now with RevT - Thomas - Standalone from Nexus Mods user BlahBlahDEEBlahBlah.

Yes, you can drive Thomas the Tank Engine like the REV-8. And yes, seeing Thomas' blank-faced glare among the blackness and silence of space is truly eerie. But it's gaming tradition, so it was always going to happen at some point.

The post 10 best Starfield REV-8 mods appeared first on Destructoid.

WoW: The War Within's campaign is rather lengthy and is split into a few parts, which makes it a bit difficult to track the full list of quests involved. Thankfully, I've completed all parts of it and can enlighten you.

The Full Campaign Quest List for WoW: The War Within

As just mentioned, the campaign for The War Within is comprised of three complete parts: The Visions of Azeroth Campaign, the Khaz Algar Leveling Campaign, and the Max-Level Campaign. All three parts make up the entirety of The War Within's campaign, and each requires conditions to be met to begin.

Visions of Azeroth Introduction Campaign for The War Within

To start the Visions of Azeroth, you need to be level 68 before it will appear for you in-game. These are the list of quests involved:

• The War Within
• A Poor Reception
• Azeroth's Voice
• Painful Lessons
• The Bronzebeard Family
• A Mysterious Warning
• Citizens of Dalaran
• Meet the Team
• Strength the Wards
• To Khaz Algar!
• Breach
• Rupture
• Departure
• Adventuring in Khaz Algar

Khaz Algar Leveling Campaign for The War Within

Completion of Adventuring in Khaz Algar, the final quest in the Visions of Azeroth Campaign, will allow you to begin the Khaz Algar Leveling Campaign in its place. This campaign isn't comprised of specific missions to follow, instead directing you to focus on taking quests throughout all four zones of Khaz Algar: Isle of Dorn, The Ringing Deeps, Hallowfall, and Azj-Kahet. Its purpose is to help you reach the maximum level in The War Within: Level 80.

Max-Level Campaign for The War Within

Upon reaching Level 80 and reaching Renown Level 4 with all four major factions, you'll be able to begin the final portion of The War Within Campaign, which sees you confronting Xal'atath while also unlocking the Earthen Allied Race. This portion is broken up into five main chapters.

Against the Current

• The Fleet Arrives
• Embassies and Envoys
• There's Always Another Secret
• What's Hidden Beneath Dornogal
• Preparing for the Unknown
• Urban Odyssey

Ties that Bind

• After the Storm
• Dhar Oztan
• Conduit of the Southern Storm
• Charging Up That Hill
• Heeding the Call
• Rook Rally
• Ground Pounders
• Goldbricking
• Metal and Stone
• Home to Roost
• Strays
• Flight Training 101
• Flight Training 102
• Flight Training 103
• Paying Respects
• The Edicts
• Titanic Failsafe

News from Below

• Gathering Intel
• A Spider's-Eye View
• Creeping THrough Corridors
• Lab Access
• Making of a Monster
• The Queen's Chains
• Rogue Agent
• Go Loud
• Manufactured Mutiny
• News from Below

The Machines March to War

• A Mysterious Signal
• Small Friend, Big Plans
• Factory Recon
• Back to Base
• A Plan Comes Together
• To the Waterworks
• Putting the Works in Waterworks
• Elemental Trepidation
• Shadowvein Extraction
• We Require More Minerals
• The Motherlode
• Back to Where it Began
• It's Sabotage
• The Voice of the Speakers

A Light in the Dark

• A Tide Needing Turned
• The Might of Khaz Algar
• Steel and Flames
• Cutting Off the Legs
• A Light in the Dark
• Return to Dornogal

Completing the Max-Level Campaign will earn you the 'The War Within' achievement and the right to make an Earthen character via unlock, as rewards.

The post WoW The War Within: Full campaign quest list appeared first on Destructoid.

In WoW: The War Within, players solely looking to experience the overarching storyline of the Nerub-ar Palace raid have the option to run the raid in Story Mode. This mode is not enabled by default, so here's how you can turn it on.

How to enable Story Mode Raids in WoW The War Within

If you don't have time to experience the raid, or you simply don't care enough to do so, Story Mode raids are the perfect way for you to find out what happens next in WoW's overarching storyline. As a new feature added to WoW with The War Within, currently, only the Nerub-ar Palace raid has access to this mode. To turn it on, all you need to do is find Kriz the 'Loyal' near the entrance to Nerub-ar Palace (/way 32, 64).

Talk with him and request to "Enter Nerubar-ar Palace in Story Mode." It should be the only dialogue option he gives you, so you can't miss it. Once enabled, simply enter the raid using the following pop-up, and you'll be directly teleported to the final boss, Queen Ansurek herself.

Even in Story Mode, you must face off against Queen Ansurek and slay her to see the end-of-raid cutscene, which moves the story forward. You won't be alone, though, as a number of capable NPCs will be by your side, allowing you to slay the queen with relative ease. All of the fight's standard mechanics can be completely ignored, making this mode even easier than LFR (Looking for Raid).

As mentioned, this mode is currently only for the Nerub-ar Palace raid, but is meant to be a longstanding feature going forward. You can expect it to be available for every following raid, therefore.

Can you get loot from Story Mode Raids?

Story Mode is designed to allow players to stay current with WoW's ongoing storyline without the pressures of dealing with other people. It is not designed as an alternative to completing the raid, thus you will earn no loot in Story Mode. If you want to complete the raid on an easier difficulty and still get loot, then you need to run LFR, as you can earn gear from completing each wing of it.

How hard are Story Mode Raids in WoW The War Within?

Story Mode raids are designed to be accessible for all players, allowing you to focus on the narrative without being overwhelmed by challenging mechanics. While there are mechanics in place, they are generally forgiving, ensuring that you can progress without the threat of failure. This mode emphasizes the story over difficulty, so you can engage with the story without worrying about being held back by complex encounters.

The post How to start Story Mode Raids in WoW The War Within appeared first on Destructoid.

Have you ever played a game that delivers on its core concept so thoroughly that you don’t think it could possibly be improved? It doesn’t necessarily have to be the most compelling concept; it could be quite mundane, but it convinces you that no matter how much budget could get thrown at the idea, there’s no way to top it. That’s Parking Garage Rally Circuit.

I’m not trying to tell you that this is the best racing game of all time. I rarely speak in such enthusiastic hyperbole. However, I will say, with some confidence, that Parking Garage Rally Circuit is the absolute best Sega Saturn-style parking garage drift racing game ever released.

Parking Garage Rally Circuit (PC [Reviewed])
Developer: Walaber Entertainment LLC
Publisher: Walaber Entertainment LLC
Released: September 20, 2024
MSRP: TBA

Parking Garage Rally Circuit is what I’d describe if you asked me to guess the synopsis of The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift based on what I remember from the trailer I saw back in high school. The only image I have of that movie is cars drifting up a ramp in a parking garage. I’m not even sure if I’m remembering that correctly.

I love drifting. Or, at least, I love arcade-style drifting. I mostly judge racing games entirely by how well the drifting in them feels. But as much as I love drifting, I love retro hardware more. More specifically, I’m passionate about people’s passion for older hardware. I love to hear people talk enthusiastically about old consoles and computers, even the crappiest ones imaginable. I love it more when people try to represent it as authentically as possible.

One of the first things that greet you upon starting up Parking Garage Rally Circuit is a number of graphical preset options presented like different versions of the game, such as the original hardware or PC port. While this essentially just changes options like scanlines, aspect ratio, and draw distance, it puts those things in the context of the time period. If you don’t care for authenticity and want to be boring, you can individually tweak settings to your liking.

However, even if you widen your screen, you’re not going to fully lose the aesthetic of chunky polygons, fake transparency, pixelated textures, and a selection of ridiculous ska tunes. Parking Garage Rally Circuit is really committed to mid-‘90s racing games. It’s not Sega Rally Championship – it’s not trying to be – but it looks the part.

But looking the part is one thing. Racing games need to play well. It’s not really the sort of genre that can get by on artistic intent. Unless it’s Road Trip on PS2. Thankfully, Parking Garage Rally Circuit is like butter.

As I mentioned, I’m a bit of a drift queen. In video games, anyway. I don’t even have my license in reality. However, I was able to get a feel for Parking Garage Rally Circuit very quickly and was drifting up parking garage ramps like that Tokyo Drift trailer in no time at all.

As the name implies, each of its 8 tracks are set inside parking garages. Sort of. I think the last level is technically a ferry, but I digress. You might wonder how much variety you could possibly get from that theme. As it turns out, it’s a lot. Each parking garage is in a different city and range from simple two-story structures to sprawling complexes. Hazards like snowplows and falling boulders mix up the tight cornering, and hazardous jumps across towering structures keep you concentrated on your steering.

You don’t race against live competitors, just their ghosts. That is to say, it’s a time trial, with your goal being to reach the top time. As much as I like running people off the road, I’m not sure a grid would really work in such tight environments. The challenge of carefully drifting through extremely narrow turns is enough to keep you focused. If you’re feeling competitive, there is multiplayer, but, again, it’s all ghosts.

The only real downside I can point to in Parking Garage Rally Circuit is its brevity. There are eight tracks, and after you get a medal on each one of them in a class, you are provided with a new car with different performance and pushed through the tracks again with slight variations. It’s decent on paper, but it only took me a little under two hours to clear. I had a healthy pile of gold under my belt, but still more to clear. Your mileage will vary.

On the other hand, there are also secret cheat codes buried in the game. I’m told there are 10 of them, but I was only provided with two. I was not able to guess any others, but they’re supposed to be discovered and proliferated by the community. These unlock “secret cars, tracks, or gameplay modifiers.”

Despite its brevity, Parking Garage Rally Circuit packs a huge punch. It’s not just its perfectly emulated retro aesthetic or its near-flawless execution of its central concept, either. It’s just so damned happy to be here. You can feel the passion behind it, and that energy is felt in all its facets. It knows what it is, and it’s laser-focused on presenting it in the most finely-tuned way possible. I cannot fathom any game topping it in the niche of racing games contained entirely within parking garages. I’m not really sure what the best way to wrap up this review is, so let’s try this: Parking Garage Rally Circuit is miles more fun than parallel parking.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Parking Garage Rally Circuit appeared first on Destructoid.

When you're done with the campaign in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, there's still a lot of work for you to do. Every class has a skill tree to unlock perks at every level using experience gained from PvE and PVP activities. But you can speed the process up.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things you need to level up in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. Not only do you need to level up classes to unlock new perks and customization options, but you've got to grind their weapons too, so you can open up stronger ones with more interesting skins. However, it doesn't need to feel like a marathon because there are a few ways you can optimize your levels and experience gained.

How to level up fast in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

Below, I've listed the best ways I've come across that will help you level up quickly in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. The most important thing is to have fun. So, if any of these options don't feel fun to you, try something different because there's no point having a terrible time in a game like this.

10. Follow the advised level progression in Operations mode

This is the most important tip in the entire article. Operations mode has an advisory level range for every difficulty. While you gain more currencies from higher-difficulty missions, you'll have a terrible time doing them if you're under-leveled. The difficulty level ranges are as follows.

• Minimal: Level 1-5
• Average: Level 5-10
• Substantial: Level 10-15
• Ruthless: Level 15+

Note that this is the level your class must be at for the missions. I had the worst time pushing into a mission on a difficulty that I wasn't ready for, and it took forever just to lose it in the end. Hitting missions within your level range will ensure you always finish the missions and get the XP you're after.

9. Change classes regularly

Changing classes between missions will ensure you're always trying something fresh. I often find that I need to change my class when I jump into a mission anyway because one of the other players in the squad is already running it.

While yes, it's nice to grind out one class after the other, and you can definitely do that if you want to, this practice will make leveling up easier overall. A helpful team player is a better team player, and you don't want to be the Heavy hog.

8. Use the weapons you're comfortable with until they're maxed out

Don't stress yourself out by grinding multiple weapons and reaching each level cap simultaneously. Weapons change per class, and you can alter yours as you select a new class on the go. It's easier to roll with the default weapons first, level them up to their maximum, and then start tweaking builds so you're still making meaningful progress. You need time to learn each weapon, so make things straightforward, and don't worry too much about changing up your guns every single time.

7. Opt for Quick Match Operations missions

Quick Match is a godsend for grinding out experience. Just select your difficulty level and matchmake into someone else's mission. You'll get all the XP from a successful completion, and you won't need to set up everything every time you want to play. This helps out other players, too, so it's a win-win.

6. Jump into one PvP match every two Operations missions completed

PvP in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is an acquired taste. It's not easy by any stretch, but it's a different mode that will break up the monotony of Operations mission after mission. Hit a PvP match every now and then so you don't get bored by repeating missions, and you'll give yourself another way to earn some additional XP.

If you end up enjoying PvP more than Operations, you could even shift your grind over to this mode entirely. There's definitely something to be said for getting good at PvP because prestige levels are on the way at some point over the game's first year of updates.

5. Keep an eye out for Gene-Seeds in Operations mode

Gene-Seeds are additional items you or anyone else in your team can pick up in Operations mode. The goal is to hold it and take it to the end of the mission without dying. If someone drops it, someone else needs to pick it up. These provide extra XP for mission completion, so they're well worth keeping an eye out for.

4. Play the objective and don't go for every execution

It's easy to want to go in for every execution you can get in Operations mode. However, this won't net you as much XP for your weapons because you're just not using them as often. Unless you're running a class like Vanguard or Assault, stick back and do what your class does best.

Snipers are best at killing from afar, Heavy is great for laying down and suppressing fire, and every other class has its strengths that utilize weapons over melee as well. If your goal is to gain more XP, stay back and blast those Xenos.

3. Equip perks and upgrade weapons with every level you gain

Give yourself a break from playing missions and head to the Armory to equip yourself with the perks you've unlocked every time you gain a level. It's only a small thing, but it'll make each class you level up stronger as you grind, and the stronger you are, the easier it is to play more missions and grab all that XP you're after.

2. Stick with a team for as long as you can

Once an Operations mission ends, you don't need to head off and matchmake again. You'll stick with the same team for as long as they don't quit or kick you. I find that it's better to try to keep with the same team for as long as possible because you'll find that you gel well together after understanding how everyone plays.

Of course, the best team to play in is one with your friends, but I've had the best time playing with randoms too. As long as everyone is doing their part and you're having fun flying through missions, there's no need to quit and matchmake again.

1. Pick a Chapter cosmetic to unlock, then pick another, and then another

This last tip is one that's incredibly important for your mindset. It's so easy to get bogged down in the numbers for your weapons and how many perks you've unlocked for your favorite class. However, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 has pre-set Chapter customization options for every class that you can purchase once you've earned enough Armory Data.

Open these options and pick one that you like because of the colors or because of that Chapter's values in the wider lore. Then, once you know which Chapter you want to pick up first, play until you've unlocked it for every class. Then repeat this process until you've got every Chapter unlocked.

It's such a small thing in the great scheme of the game, but it'll help you pull back from the numbers and focus on something that's a lot more fun to grind for. If you're focused on earning just a little more Armory Data instead of a set amount of XP, you're more likely to hit your goal. It just so happens that this goal will also net you a tonne of XP.

The post 10 tips to level up fast in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

A Bump in the Road is the quest in Fallout 76 that sees you join a business partner and start your own caravan company. This is an intrinsic part of the Fallout universe, and now you get to engage with it every time you log in.

You'll need to seek out the A Bump in the Road quest in Fallout 76 by heading to Skyline Valley on the map. It should be automatically added to your quest log as a side quest once you're in the area. Check your Pip-Boy for details and track it so you don't lose sight of what you should be doing. As for tackling the quest, you're going to need to get a little violent and learn the ropes of what it takes to be a caravan guard in the Appalachian Wasteland.

How to complete A Bump in the Road in Fallout 76

Below, I've explained how to complete A Bump in the Road in Fallout 76 in easy-to-follow steps. It's not a hugely complex quest, but there are points that can trip you up if you don't know what to do, as well as some tough enemy encounters that will throw you off.

Step 1: Investigate the flare

The first part of this quest sends you to a lookout tower to investigate a flare. It's pretty straightforward in theory. Just head to the location marked on your map and have a look around. That is until you reach this location and realize that you're in for a tough fight.

The area is filled with high-level Super Mutants, and they're out for blood. One has a minigun up in the tower, a few have grenades, and the others just want to rip you apart with blunt objects. Bring your most powerful weapons to this fight because they won't let up. I ended up ripping them apart with a powerful axe because I couldn't land a shot.

Once you've cleared out all the Super Mutants, and make sure you really have cleared them all out, you need to search the cage underneath the lookout tower. There's a body in here with an item called Luke's Holotape that you must pick up and listen to.

The Holotape has a harrowing final note on it from Luke, a man working as a caravanner who took a risk he shouldn't have. He asks you to pick up the cargo from the Brahmin he was using and take it to Milepost Zero. You'll find the Brahmin next to the cages of flesh at the top of the camp.

Step 2: Visit Milepost Zero

Your next objective is to visit Milepost Zero, a new location right at the bottom of the map. I fast traveled to a nearby camp and walked along to it, but make sure you watch out for Feral Ghouls in the area because they are no joke.

Here, you'll meet Marley. She's trying to start her own caravan company and needs a little help. If you want to help her, you're going to need to buy into the company to get it off the ground. This costs 500 Caps, which isn't cheap, but it also won't take you long to earn that many if you play well.

Step 3: Complete a Caravan: Skyline Drive World Event

Once you've paid your way in, you'll need to head out and complete a Caravan: Skyline Drive World Event. This is pretty simple to do either by speaking to Marley and asking to run a caravan or by joining a World Event that's already in progress. The symbol you want to pick to join this World Event on the map looks like a Brahmin head and will transport you directly to it.

These World Events aren't the easiest to complete. The Brahmin, your caravan, will head to its destination, and you've got to defend it from everything under the sun that tries to kill it. I encountered some incredibly high-level enemies doing this, including a Blue Devil, which wasn't fun at all.

There will also be sections of trees on the road that slow your Brahmin down. You'll need to cut through them with your weapons and rush the Brahmin on to get the mission done within the time limit. However, once you reach that destination, you'll receive a big package of Supplies and other useful items.

Step 4: Return to Marley

Head back to Marley at Milepost Zero and talk with her. Since you're now part of the caravan company, you get a say in who you hire. This will cost you Supplies, which you can earn more of by completing more Caravan World Events.

The employees you hire will add new elements to the caravan company's HQ. For example, I hired a Brahmin Tamer, which allows you to have easy access to Brahmin Milk. There are several employees to hire, and you'll eventually want to invest in them all by completing more World Events and spending those supplies. Over time, you'll create an incredibly profitable business.

After making your first hire, you'll complete the quest. This leaves you all set up for more caravan runs and the prospects of building a booming business in the post-apocalypse.

The post How to complete A Bump in the Road in Fallout 76 appeared first on Destructoid.

God of War Ragnarok has finally been released on PC. If you're about to jump into the game for the first time, take a look at these settings for maximum frames per second and quality.

Before tweaking the graphics settings, be sure to check the minimum and recommended PC system requirements to run God of War Ragnarok at different resolutions, including 1440p and 4K.

God of War Ragnarok best PC settings for high FPS

For getting higher frames, you have to tone down the settings a bit, but the ones we have suggested below should strike a balance without too much loss of quality.

Here are the best graphics and camera settings you can use for high FPS in God of War Ragnarok on PC:

Display

• Display Mode: Fullscreen
• VSync: Off
• Aspect Ratio: Auto
• Frame Rate Limit: Off
• Latency Reduction: Reflex Boost (for Nvidia GPUs)
• Frame Generation: Off

Scaling

• Method: DLSS
• Quality: DLAA

Quality

• Preset: Custom
• Textures: High
• Models: High
• Anisotropic Filter: Medium
• Lighting: Medium
• Shadows: Medium
• Reflections: Low
• Atmospherics: Medium
• Ambient Occlusion: Medium
• Tessellation: High

Graphics

• Screen Calibration: Personal preference
• Film Grain: 0
• Motion Blur: 0
• Reduced Flashing: On

Camera

• Invert Vertical Control: Off
• Invert Horizontal Control: Off
• Horizontal Rotation Speed: Personal Preference
• Vertical Rotation Speed: Personal Preference
• Aim Horizontal Sensitivity: Personal Preference
• Aim Vertical Sensitivity: Personal Preference
• Mouse HorizontalSpeed: Personal Preference
• Mouse Vertical Speed: Personal Preference
• Mouse Aim HorizontalSpeed: Personal Preference
• Mouse Aim VerticalSpeed: Personal Preference

Motion Reduction

• Ambient Camera Sway: 0
• Camera Shake: 0

God of War Ragnarok best PC settings for maximum quality

To get the maximum quality, you simply have to play the game at Ultra settings. On the contrary, you can keep V-Sync or mouse rotation and aim speeds according to your liking.

Display

• Display Mode: Fullscreen
• VSync: Off
• Aspect Ratio: Auto
• Frame Rate Limit: Off
• Latency Reduction: Reflex
• Frame Generation: Off

Scaling

• Method: DLSS
• Quality: Quality

Quality

• Preset: Custom
• Textures: Ultra
• Models: Ultra
• Anisotropic Filter: Ultra
• Lighting: Ultra
• Shadows: Ultra
• Reflections: Ultra
• Atmospherics: Ultra
• Ambient Occlusion: Ultra
• Tessellation: Ultra

Graphics

• Screen Calibration: Personal preference
• Film Grain: 0
• Motion Blur: 5
• Reduced Flashing: On

Camera

• Invert Vertical Control: Off
• Invert Horizontal Control: Off
• Horizontal Rotation Speed: Personal Preference
• Vertical Rotation Speed: Personal Preference
• Aim Horizontal Sensitivity: Personal Preference
• Aim Vertical Sensitivity: Personal Preference
• Mouse HorizontalSpeed: Personal Preference
• Mouse Vertical Speed: Personal Preference
• Mouse Aim HorizontalSpeed: Personal Preference
• Mouse Aim VerticalSpeed: Personal Preference

Motion Reduction

• Ambient Camera Sway: 0
• Camera Shake: 0

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Party for Introverts has announced that their narrative vampire adventure, Cabernet, will arrive on October 24. It will be released on Steam.

In Cabernet, you play as a newly turned vampire who has to incorporate themselves into a bunch of aristocrats. They call it a narrative RPG, but I think they mean it’s more of a social RPG in the sense that you get to put points into four categories of snobbery and can leverage them in conversation. There are also transformations, and you can eat the rich. It’s pretty rad.

I previewed Cabernet over a year ago, and I dug it. It nails the worldbuilding, and the conversation system is pretty boss. My biggest concern was that this sort of game is deceptively ambitious. It takes a lot of planning to make a “choices matter” of this complexity. When you show a slice of the first hour-or-so of a game like this, it hasn’t even left the runway. After that, it becomes more sprawling and entangled, and it can be difficult to manage.

That doesn’t mean that it can’t be done, and Cabernet hasn’t actually given me a reason to believe it won’t. I’ve been surprised by a few games recently that have similarly taken on difficult formulas with success, so I’m hoping this will be another case of that.

We’ll all find out when Cabernet launches on PC October 24, 2024.

The post Vampire social RPG Cabernet uncorks the bottle this October appeared first on Destructoid.

Developer Digital Extremes has revealed some of the quality-of-life improvements coming to Warframe with its Koumei & the Five Fates update. Interestingly, there's a huge focus on streamlining the game for newcomers, something Warframe has seen a lot of over the last couple of months.

The Koumei & the Five Fates update for Warframe launches in late 2024 and brings with it a new Warframe for players to master, as well as additional story content to dig into. However, in a recent blog post, Digital Extremes showcased how this update will also make the game more approachable as a newcomer. The game has seen loads of people join after leaving Destiny 2 following Bungie's layoffs, so this update couldn't come at a better time.

Demystifying the basics

There are loads of quality-of-life changes in this update that I wish I had when I was first getting into Warframe, but it's good to know they'll be there for new players. For example, stats have been shifted from your starter Warframe to make things a bit less overwhelming when jumping into the experience as a fresh player. A few other things, such as opening hacking puzzles and the time to intubate your first Kubrow have had time reductions to get you into the game and help you understand it much faster.

There's also going to be much more guidance in the game. A good example of this is when you come to sell unmastered items. You'll soon be greeted by a popup that tells you it's better to hit Rank 30 with it before selling it so your Mastery Rank benefits as much as possible from your time played.

New abilities that you unlock will now have their input shown alongside their information on-screen when you first unlock them. I can't tell you how many times I've thought that it's great I have a new ability for a Warframe that I have no clue how to trigger.

What might be the best improvement, though, is Relic breakdowns. This is a small tab that'll appear when you hover over a Relic, displaying the owned and crafted status of their rewards. Relics are an abuse mechanic in Warframe, but they're essential to unlocking Prime Warframes without spending real-world cash, so they're a necessary evil. Soon, they'll just be a little less evil to work with.

It won't end with Koumei & the Five Fates either. Digital Extremes has explained that future updates will tackle other systems such as the Star Chart and understanding the order of main and side quests. Once you're into Warframe, these don't pose much of an issue at all, but they're definitely a barrier to entry that would be hard to push past without the game's incredibly helpful community on hand.

The post Warframe’s Koumei & the Five Fates will bring essential QOL improvements for newcomers appeared first on Destructoid.

Mount collecting is a timeless tradition in World of Warcraft. The War Within has no shortage of cool and rare ones. But Beledar's Spawn is my favorite so far. Because I love it so much, I'll share the secret to finding your very own Beledar's Spawn mount!

If you don't know why that name is familiar, The Beledar is that big crystal sun that hangs in the far background of Hallowfall. Every so often, it has a nasty habit of "going out." When it does, all sorts of void unpleasantness happens throughout the zone. This mount is perhaps the most special one, though it can be hard to track down.

Where is Beledar's Spawn in WoW: The War Within?

The creature you get the mount from is also named Beledar's Spawn. It basically looks like the mount, except for the hovering disc your character surfs while using it.

The only time you'll find the mount is when The Beledar flips to its dark side. You'll have 30 minutes to search Hallowfall for the spawn. This impromptu nightfall happens about every 3 hours, so you'll have to act fast! It's not hard to miss standing around as you fly by. Here's a map of all its known possible locations:

Once you find the spawn, all you have to do is take it down. It's a toughie, so you'll need at least a small group to do so. Out of kindness to others, try to kill it as slowly as possible. If you can, just hit it once to tag it, and then let everyone else in the zone pile up to tag it as well. Be cool, and let folks in public channels know where it is.

How to farm the monster to get the mount

There's only a chance it'll drop, so you may need to do this multiple times. The best way to do this is with the Group Finder. By default, hitting I on your keyboard should pull up the Finder menu. Select Premade Groups and search for Beledar. If it's dark, you'll likely find a group to join the hunt with. With some server communication, you should be able to find it fast!

If it doesn't drop after beating the spawn, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to try again. Alternatively, hop on an alternate character and use their one try per day. If you don't find him in the dark, or he's already been killed before you arrived, you'll have to wait until the next darkness period in three hours.

The post How to find the Beledar’s Spawn mount in WoW: The War Within appeared first on Destructoid.

Publisher Focus Entertainment has responded to dozens of the questions that Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 fans have been asking since the game's release. Chief among the answers are details of changes coming to Veteran difficulty and PvP spawn camping, though many more are listed.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is an incredibly solid title that blew fans away when it was initially released. Over 2 million players jumped in within the first week, and it doesn't feel like things have slowed down since. Focus Entertainment has been welcoming questions from fans when it comes to requesting features and feedback, and the publisher has now answered a lot of these in a massive Q&A session on Steam.

Soon, Chaos won't be able to track our spawns

The most impactful responses from Focus Entertainment that I've noted are for difficulty and PvP. Veteran difficulty for the game's campaign is going to be adjusted in the future because it's just too challenging when playing solo. Part of the problem is that the AI bots aren't as useful as they could be, but this is by design because developer Saber Interactive doesn't want the bots to take all the glory and focus from the real players.

This is something Focus Entertainment goes into great detail on because a fair few players have called out the bots for not being as good as them in each mission. The same goes for certain weapons, or every weapon that isn't the Melta Gun, that feel as though they're underpowered. This is being looked at and changes are on the way, but there's no date on when.

The fix that I think is the most important is a fix for spawn camping in PvP. You can walk around to the enemy team's spawn point with a Heavy class and annihilate them for more than a minute before the spawn resets to the opposite side of the map. Thankfully, spawn protection is coming in a future update, after which I think PvP will be in a much better state.

There are loads of other tiny fixes on the way that'll make Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 feel even better as we play it for dozens more hours while unlocking every perk and cosmetic. While we won't be getting Chaos Space Marine armor, it does look like XP sharing for kicked players, new classes, and more melee weapons are definitely on the cards.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 really delivers the Warhammer 40K fantasy in video game form. There's so much to do in it already, and with features like PvP prestiging and more Operations missions on the way, there's never been a better time to dedicate your life to the Emperor and join in.

The post Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Q&A highlights PvP spawn camping and veteran difficulty tweaks for future update appeared first on Destructoid.

Katsuhisa Minami's The Fable is a story of hitmen and yakuza, but it's not getting the type of game one might expect. Instead, developer Mono Entertainment's The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike has you constructing the perfect manga page for each battle. 

It's not often that every facet of a game's genre is right there in the title, but here we are. The Fable was announced as a roguelike deckbuilder in which panels from Minami's manga are the cards (via Gematsu). When it's time to battle, these scenes will be dealt out randomly, giving you a shot to make the perfect page for each showdown. 

It's not just about the story the panels convey. Each panel has a specific effect, from attacking to moving and defending. The order the manga is read dictates when each panel and its respective effect activates, making thoughtful placement the key to defeating enemies. You can see how it looks in action in the announcement trailer.

The Fable follows notorious hitman Akira Sato, known in the underground as The Fable. It turns out he was a little too good at his job, so the series follows him as he's forced to lay low and live a normal life. The main rule during his yearlong hiatus: He can't kill anybody. He doesn't mind it — he even gets a pet parrot and a normal job — but the yakuza aren't keen to make it easy on him. 

While its style and subject matter are practically tailor-made for live-action — it has two films so far — an anime series from Tezuka Productions also told the tale back in April of this year. The manga is available from Kodansha, the movies are on Netflix, and the anime is on Hulu.

If The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike is anywhere near as fun to play as its source material is to read, we may have something special on our hands. We'll find out when it hits Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam—with English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese options—sometime in 2025. 

The post This new deckbuilder, based on The Fable, has you crafting manga pages for each battle appeared first on Destructoid.

Lost Isles has brought to LEGO Fortnite a wide array of new items, going from novel structures and resources to pirate-themed weapons like the Flintlock (or Flint-Knock) Pistol, the Pirate Musket, and the Cannon.

But how can you craft each of the above? So that you can complete the first quest part of the Pirates Arrgh Life! series and increase your arsenal, here's how to unlock the recipes for and craft the Musket, Flintlock Pistol, and Cannon in LEGO Fortnite.

• Table of Contents:

  • How to craft a Musket and a Flintlock Pistol
  • How to build a Cannon

How to craft a Musket and a Flintlock Pistol in LEGO Fortnite

After diving into the Lost Isles map by either creating a new world or taking a Battle Bus, you will be able to craft a Musket and a Flintlock Pistol in LEGO Fortnite by heading to your Crafting Bench and using the resources showcased in the table below. You will unlock the recipes for both items after gathering any of their base materials, with Mahogany being the easiest to acquire.

If you are curious, you can also check out the recipes for the Uncommon, Rare, and Epic versions of both weapons below:

• Flint-Knock Pistol

  • Uncommon: 3x Red Rock, 1x Mahogany Rod, 1x Cord, and 1x Blast Powder
  • Rare: 3x Sandstone, 2x Gold Bar, 1x Drawstring, and 1x Blast Powder
  • Epic: 2x Cut Emerald, 2x Iron Bar, 1x Drawstring, and 1x Blast Powder

• Pirate Musket

  • Uncommon: 5x Red Rock, 2x Mahogany Rod, 1x Drawstring, and 1x Blast Powder
  • Rare: 5x Sandstone, 3x Gold Bar, 1x Bear Pelt, and 1x Blast Powder
  • Epic: 3x Cut Emerald, 3x Iron Bar, 1x Frost Bear Pelt, and 1x Blast Powder

How to build a Cannon in LEGO Fortnite

You can build a Cannon in LEGO Fortnite by opening your Build Menu, heading to Toys, selecting the weapon, and then expending 12 Planks and three Copper Bars. We could unlock the Cannon recipe after acquiring our first Cooper Bar.

How to get Copper Bars

You can get Copper Bars in LEGO Fortnite by opening treasure chests, defeating set enemies, and inserting Copper into a Metal Smelter. You can primarily get Copper by mining it from the lava caves in dry or hot biomes. Copper can only be mined with a Rare or Epic Pickaxe.

Now that you know how to craft the Musket, a Flint-Lock Pistol, and a Cannon in LEGO Fortnite, don't forget to also check out where to find the NaNa Village.

The post How to craft a Musket, a Flintlock Pistol, and a Cannon in LEGO Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

Deadlock, Valve's new MOBA Shooter has taken the gaming world by storm with its unique twist on the familiar genre. Access to the Deadlock Beta test is 'limited', but there is a surefire way to jump into it, which I am about to share with you right now.

How to get into the Deadlock Beta

If you are interested in playing Deadlock, know that you can't just go sign up or download the game without a proper invitation. The ongoing beta test is limited for this reason, but this is only due to how Valve has decided to distribute invites. So, to get into the beta, you'll need an invite from anyone who already has access to the game. Valve may be sending out their own invites on occasion, but the best way to join the beta is to get an invite from someone you know.

If you're in luck, and know someone in the beta, have them invite you through Deadlock's referral system, which can be found right on the game's main menu.

Simply have them click the 'Invite your Friends' button on the bottom right, and then click on your name. Doing so will automatically submit their name to Valve as a suggested invite. Valve has to give the green light for you to receive the invitation, so it may take a few days to get it. When you do, however, it will appear in your Steam Notifications tab, letting you know you now have access. Also, in case isn't obvious, you do need a verified Steam Account to play the Deadlock Beta (and likely the full release as well).

Once you have access to the Deadlock Beta, you will also be able to invite others to it using the method I described above. There are no secondary qualifications, so practically anyone can join in and play so long as they receive an invite from another player. I have heard of no situations where Valve has refused to invite someone.

How long will the Deadlock Beta be active?

Valve has not released information on the Beta's duration, implying it will last indefinitely. This is further supported by the fact that Deadlock remains in active development while online and that Dota 2, Valve's previous MOBA, had a similar beta schedule until its official release. This is fantastic news for myself, and those who adore Deadlock, as it means we can play and enjoy the game whenever we like.

The post How to get Deadlock Beta Access appeared first on Destructoid.

The Lost Isles update brought to LEGO Fortnite a new world filled with a myriad of surprises, going from the debut of new craftable items to that of the Klombo, a not-always-friendly creature that you must tame to complete the Best Friend Klombo quest series.

But doing the above can be a little tricky if you go unprepared. To help with that, here's how to tame a Klombo in LEGO Fortnite, as well as a few places where you can find the creature if you are having trouble spotting it.

How to tame a Klombo in LEGO Fortnite

To tame a Klombo in LEGO Fortnite, simply throw a Klomberry in front of it and wait for the creature to eat it. Once it does, get close and select Ride to mount it. You can find Klomberries in bushes all over the Lost Isles map, and you can also grow the resource by using Garden Plots.

After taming it, you can ride your Klombo until it gets wild once more by either losing a set amount of HP or becoming hungry. To avoid the latter, don't forget to periodically go back to the ground and feed your new friend.

Where to find a Klombo in LEGO Fortnite

Although the formation of your Lost Isles map will be selected at random after you either create a new world or take a Battle Bus to it, those who don't wish to visit specific World Seeds can find Klombos by heading to both the Jungle and Beach biomes. In my case, I was able to find my first one in the spot marked on the map below.

If you are having trouble finding the creature, keeping an eye on the indicators on your screen will also help, as the one below will appear once you get close to one and pinpoint its location.

Now that you know how to tame and where to find Klombos in LEGO Fortnite, don't forget to also check out How to find a Llama Island Head so that you can quickly get another quest done.

The post Where to find and how to tame a Klombo in LEGO Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

When it comes to raw power, Acheron is often compared to Firefly, and now Feixiao, as they rank among the top-tier characters in Honkai: Star Rail. With Feixiao being the newest addition to the roster, and both characters requiring a significant investment of currency (whether real or in-game), the question arises: Who truly stands out between her and Acheron?

Is Feixiao stronger than Acheron in Honkai: Star Rail?

If you're looking for a quick and dirty answer, she is not stronger than Acheron overall. However, there are nuances you should know about so you understand exactly why that is. The first I want to note is that Feixiao is largely superior to Acheron in pure single-target scenarios. This means that in any endgame mode that places Feixiao and Acheron against a single target, Feixiao will dish out more damage and allow you to kill the enemy faster. This makes sense with the roles of each character. Feixiao is a Hunt character while Acheron is Nihility. Hunt characters should be superior in a single target, as that is where their niche in a team lies.

However, Acheron is no slouch in single-target DPS. In fact, in most cases, you won't need the type of damage output that Feixiao is capable of, because Acheron can dish out more than enough to end fights just as fast. For added measure, the moment more than one target is on the screen, Acheron completely outdoes Feixiao in terms of raw damage output. Acheron can consistently attack every enemy on the field with no sacrifices necessary. While Feixiao does have some light cleave, in this type of encounter Acheron is just better on all fronts. Feixiao is more restrictive than Acheron because she is almost entirely single-target-focused.

To counter this, Feixiao's team composition is less limiting than Acheron's because she has more options to run with. Thanks to Feixiao's flexible kit, she only needs to play with strong follow-up attackers to gain the most out of running her. Acheron, however, requires two Nihility units on her team for her to be at maximum effectiveness, which is a point for Feixiao. However, once Acheron does have those two units, she can face anything in the game without any problems, something Feixiao can never say due to her lack of AoE (Area of Effect).

So, all in all, Acheron is the strongest of the two characters because she is more versatile, adaptable, and consistent. She is extremely strong in all scenarios when her team composition is sound. While Acheron does deal less single-target damage, this hardly matters when she still deals massive single-target damage, while also doing that damage to all enemies on the field. Hopefully, this makes sense and helps you decide which one to pull for.

The post Honkai: Star Rail – Feixiao vs Acheron, Who is better? appeared first on Destructoid.

The Chemical Agents Warbond has just dropped in Helldivers 2, but players are gushing over the new Sueprstore armor. Its design fits the Warbond really well, and as a lovely added bonus, it looks like something you'd see enemies wearing in a Wolfenstein or Warhammer 40K game.

The Chemical Agents Warbond adds all sorts of chemical warfare-based weaponry and cosmetics to Helldivers 2. It's a premium Warbond, meaning players must spend some premium currency to pick it up, but they see to be gravitating more towards the other new premium item that's been added to the game. A set of armor with a terrifying sci-fi gas mask and latex material that looks incredibly flammable but very good at keeping out lethal toxins.

The ultimate crossover

As a huge Helldivers 2 fan, this armor, the AF-91 Field Chemist set, is now my favorite in the game to date. The other options in the Chemical Agents Warbond are great, but this one, as has been pointed out by pretty much every player on the game's subreddit, feels like we're finally getting the crossovers with other universes that we've been after.

The gas mask looks like it would fit really nicely in Wolfenstein 2009 among the occult soldiers you battle. Of course, it could easily be inspired by the newer entries in the series. A gas mask on a soldier is part of the DNA of the Wolfenstein games, and I'll happily rock something that reminds me of them while spreading freedom for Super Earth any day.

The other type of soldier that this armor set reminds players and Warhammer 40K fans of is the Death Corps of Krieg. I've included an image of one of these soldiers above so you can see the similarities. To be clear, nobody is accusing Arrowhead Game Studios of copying here. The developer has just released the 60-day update for Helldivers 2 and has clearly been working on armor sets that lean into the other franchises fans like to reference in the game while keeping them in line with the Super Earth universe's visual aesthetic.

The flavor text on this armor set reads as follows. "This armor, together with its friendly-faced helmet, is instantly recognizable from the beloved children's show 'Jen Shriver the Science Diver'."

It deepens the Helldivers 2 lore and makes the set even better because it's obviously absolutely terrifying. But I can imagine Helldivers looking at each other and pointing because they're instantly reminded of a children's TV presenter and not a spooky monster from Doctor Who or some other bringer of death.

The post Helldivers 2’s new Superstore armor brings Wolfenstein & Warhammer to the Second Galactic War appeared first on Destructoid.

Developer FuturLab has announced that the Shrek Special Pack for PowerWash Simulator will be released on October 10, 2024. The DLC adds a selection of new levels from the Shrek cinematic universe alongside a fancy new costume to wear while cleaning.

PowerWash Simulator's Shrek Special Pack was revealed during a Nintendo Direct earlier in 2024, but no release date was given for it at the time, outside of a fall release window. Now we know exactly when we'll be able to return to these fantastical lands and experience the messier side of it all. FuturLab has also confirmed the locations we'll be able to clean up, including one that I'm particularly excited about because it's definitely going to be the most covered in colorful spills and thrills.

I need a hero

The levels that the Shrek Special Pack takes PowerWash Simulator players to in October are as follows.

• Shrek's Swamp: The big green ogre's home turf has been coated in a thick layer of colorful grime that has the audacity to make it look more fun. Clean it all up and admire the easter eggs and attention to detail in every inch of the location that's been painstakingly pulled together from the movies.
• Duloc: Duloc castle is usually dull and grey, but a few artistic knights took it upon themselves to spruce the place up. Clean up all their hard work and get the castle back to being as efficient and oppressive as can be.
• Fairy Godmother's Potion Factory: This is the location I'm most excited about. It gets colorful and messy in the movies, and everything is just as disorganized and unsightly as you'd expect from the aftermath of Shrek 2. There are even working machines to clean up as you go, which is no easy feat by yourself.
• Dragon's Lair: Dragon's treasure is as dirty as can be, so you need to return it to its shining glory. There are tasty treats to uncover in the grime, though I'm not sure I'd eat them after seeing what was on top of them.
• Hansel's Honeymoon Hideaway: Shrek and Fiona really pulled a number on this place. Sort it out, and try not to let your imagination get too carried away while you do.

Every level can be played in co-op or solo, so you can clean and clean until you're completely cleaned out. As with most levels in PowerWash Simulator, there are easter eggs and audio tidbits to unlock as you clean up each section of every level. This means it's well worth cleaning everything to 100%, just in case you miss an iconic callback to any of these fabulous films.

The post PowerWash Simulator’s Shrek Special Pack release is out this October, not too far, far away appeared first on Destructoid.

During your quest through the Lost Isles in LEGO Fortnite, having a good stack of consumables is an absolute must, as above all else, your priority needs to be staying alive.

But did you know that it's possible to grow trees, and thus get a seemingly infinite source of food in the mode? Here's how to grow trees in LEGO Fortnite Lost Isles.

How to grow trees in LEGO Fortnite Lost Isles

As revealed by Reddit user iamthelittleguy on the mode's subreddit, you can grow trees in LEGO Fortnite by building a Garden Plot and then planting either one Coconut or one Banana on it. After planting both types of trees, we were able to harvest both within seven minutes. They will then continue to produce fruits periodically for as long as they are still standing.

As pointed out by iamthelittleguy on their post, you can also use the method above to grow pineapples. Unlike the banana and coconut trees, only one pineapple can be acquired from its plant per harvesting cycle.

How to unlock and build Garden Plots

After crafting a Shovel and unlocking its recipe, you can build a Garden Plot in LEGO Fortnite Lost Isles by heading to your Build Menu, selecting it within the Utilities tab, and then expending 2x Soil and 3x Fertilizer. While you can get Soil by simply excavating with a shovel, you can farm Fertilizer by heading to any assigned Barn, depositing any type of animal food there, and then returning after a while to collect it.

How to build a Barn and get farm animals in LEGO Fortnite

Once you reach Village Level 2 and get its building recipe, you will be able to build a Barn in LEGO Fortnite in exchange for 10x Planks. Once you build the structure, you will be able to get a farm animal by searching for any non-aggressive wild one (such as cows or sheep) before following the steps below:

• Feed your chosen animal with Animal Treats (You can make the treats with the Grill in exchange for 5x Vines and 3x Corn)
• Guide them toward the newly built Barn
• Once close to it, interact with the Barn to assign your new friend as its owner

Apart from the Fertilizer, different types of animals will also produce unique resources, with sheep producing Wool, chickens producing Feathers, cows producing Milk, and pigs producing Mushrooms. Like with wild ones, you can also get extra resources by petting your farm animals.

The post How to grow trees in LEGO Fortnite Lost Isles appeared first on Destructoid.

The Electric Trilogy challenge in Hitman World of Assassination is one you must complete on the Haven Island location, and it requires you to electrify all three main targets to death. This is no easy feat unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Haven Island is a dense location in Hitman World of Assassination. It's got three main targets to kill and several core areas that they'll move through. You can even kite one of the targets across the entire map if you want. But we won't be doing any of that to tackle the Electric Trilogy challenge. Instead, we're going to make every target come to us so we can take them all out simultaneously. It feels appropriate that this challenge was added with The Drop DLC pack for the game because it's just as complex in theory but relatively simple in practice as that Elusive Target mission.

How to complete the Electric Trilogy challenge in Hitman World of Assassination

Below, I've outlined the best path for completing the Electric Trilogy challenge in Hitman World of Assassination. Use the Resort Pier starting location and bring a silenced pistol and a coin, at the very least. It would pay to bring an Emetic Poison Vial with you, but you can pick up a substitute later if you don't have one.

Step 1: Grab a disguise

The first thing you need to do is head along the pier and to the left from your starting location. Keep going until the pier leads onto the beach. You can pick up an Emetic Flower at the location shown in the map reference above. Note that you don't need this if you've brought an Emetic Poison Vial.

Keep running along the left-hand side of the island until you reach the villa. This location is shown in the map reference above. There's a camera above the main doorway that's worth shooting out. However, you can climb over the wall if you follow the left-hand wall up the island until you spot the gap at the top.

Vault over the wall and duck into the grass. This is where you need to use your coin to lure a guard down to you, subdue him, and take his disguise. If you've unlocked the lab hatch here, take that downstairs. Otherwise, you'll need another route.

Step 2: Get into the lab

Next, make your way to the location shown on the map reference above. The entrance to the lab is next to the bar on the beach, underneath the staircase to the villa. You've got to wait for a lab tech to exit the lab, get a drink, and then follow him through the door when he heads back inside.

You'll have no trouble sneaking into the lab if you're wearing the guard disguise. From there, head downstairs and into the glass room above the servers. This is where things start to get tricky.

Step 3: The setup

Head left out of the glass room, careful to avoid the camera, and up onto the walkway. You can shoot the camera behind you out as well as the one looking over the servers. Your main target is actually a plug in the central podium on the lower floor. You can see it in the image above as the tiny yellow item on the left, out of the three yellow icons in the middle of the room.

Shoot the plug and take the time to ensure it's broken. This will save you precious time later on. Now, you need to get back into the glass room you entered when you first came down here.

The ventilation system is on the right-hand side of this room, but one of the lab techs will stand close to it, shredding paper without moving unless you make him. To do this, flick a coin onto the same raised floor as him but close to the steps leading up to it.

This will distract the tech, at which point you must get up to the ventilation system and use your Emetic Poison, whichever you've brought, to poison the entire system. After a few seconds, everyone in the server room will get sick and begin to leave.

Now you can turn off the ventilation system to clear the gas. Run down into the server room and pull out all four servers from the stacks around it. These are pretty obvious, but you'll need to be fast because lab techs will come down to investigate the distractions. You need to pull all four at once to trigger the alert and draw in your targets.

Step 4: Wait for the kill

Once you've pulled all four servers and triggered the alert, your targets will make their way down to the central podium. If a camera has caught you, it's worth heading there first to sabotage the data, but it's not essential.

From here, head back up to the walkway where you shot the plug. Either side will do. You've got to wait for all three targets to be on the podium. Then, shoot the water cooler next to them. This pours water all over the floor and onto the plug, electrocuting all three and completing the Electric Trilogy challenge.

Exit the mission however you want. My preference is the plane on the beach because you can access it via the ladder just off of this walkway. For completing this challenge, you'll unlock the ICA Proximity Micro Taser, which is an incredibly useful tool for future kills in Hitman World of Assassination.

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