By Paul Lilly on Nov 29, 2017 09:30 pm
How To Fix Your PC
Picture this—you're playing a game and about to pull off a headshot when all of a sudden—BAM!—it crashes to the desktop without warning. Fine, maybe it's sloppy code on the part of the developer, but then it happens again, and in a different game this time. Uh oh, something's wrong. You decide it's a sign that you should be finishing that PowerPoint presentation you've been working on instead of playing games, so you ignore the issue. But as you load up the program, your PC restarts itself. What is going on? Do you have a bad stick of RAM? Possibly, or maybe your graphics card is dying. All you know is that something is ailing your PC, you just don't know what. Well, we are here to help. Just as a doctor can run an X-ray to see a broken bone or an MRI to determine ligament damage, there are ways of determining if a component is toast. Here's how.
RAM
Symptoms: Random restarts; crashing to the desktop; blue screen of death errors; system won't boot; corrupted files; full amount of RAM is not being recognized. Diagnostic Testing: Microsoft includes a free memory testing tool in Windows, which saves you the hassle of burning a third-party utility to a bootable CD or USB drive. In Windows 7, click Start and type mdsched.exe, and in Windows 10 type Windows Memory Diagnostic in the search bar. Windows 7 gives you the option of running it now or the next time you restart your PC; choose the latter for best results. Depending on your PC and amount of RAM, this should only take a few minutes. Your system will reboot when it finishes. To view the results, load up the Event Viewer (Start > Run > eventvwr.exe), expand the Windows Logs folder, right-click System and select Find, and type MemoryDiagnostics-Results. If the report indicates any errors, rerun the test with just one stick of RAM installed, if that's an option. This way you can isolate exactly which memory module is bad.
Hard Drive
Symptoms: Makes a grinding or clicking noise; blue screen of death errors; error messages when moving files; scrambled file names; long wait when opening a folder or file; random crashes. Diagnostic Testing: If you hear grinding or clicking noises coming from your hard drive, further diagnosis is not needed—backup your data immediately and replace the drive, it's on its last legs. Otherwise, a little bit of testing can let you know if you have a problem. Every hard drive maker has their own utility, and that is where you should start. Here are some links: Western Digital: Data Lifeguard Diagnostics for WindowsSeagate: SeaToolsHGST: Windows Drive Fitness Test (WinDFT)Samsung: HUTIL (or SHDIAG and SUTIL for older drives)Toshiba: Storage Diagnostic Tool In Windows, there is also a built-in tool called Chkdsk that scans disks for corrupt files and bad sectors, the latter of which can be software based or represent actual physical damage. The easiest way to run it is to right-click on your drive, select Properties, click on the Tools tab, and press the Check button. Another way is to open up a command prompt and type chkdsk x: /f, where "X" is the letter of the drive you want to check. Adding the "/f" command instructs the utility to try and repair any errors it finds.
Solid State Drive
Symptoms: Slower than usual file transfers; blue screen of death errors; error messages when moving files; scrambled file names; long wait when opening a folder or file; random crashes. Diagnostic Testing: Unlike mechanical hard drives, there are no moving parts on a solid state drive. That means you will never hear a grinding or clicking noise from your SSD. That said, some of the same testing methods apply. There are way too many SSD manufacturers to list them all out, but check your SSD maker's website for a diagnostic utility. Intel, for example, offers a Solid State Drive Toolbox that can report the health of your SSD and even estimate the remaining drive life. We also recommending running CrystalDiskMark, a free benchmarking program that also examines the drive health of your SSD.
Graphics Card
Symptoms: Crashing out of games; artifacting in games or on the desktop; black screens; slower than expected framerates. Diagnostic Testing: A bad graphics card or one that is overheating will usually make itself known rather quickly, typically by presenting screen abnormalities. You might see flashing colors, textures could start stretching in extremely weird ways, or the screen may even go blank at times. The best way to determine if your graphics card is defective (either the GPU or graphics card memory) or overheating is by running a stress test or a graphically demanding benchmark, such as 3DMark. The free version (Basic Edition) will suffice. Run the Time Spy test, which is a DirectX 12 benchmark, and any others that are appropriate for your system (as outlined by each test's description). You can also stress test your card with FurMark, though don't run it for more than a few minutes. FurMark is designed to overheat your GPU, and heat is not good for components. In short spurts, however, FurMark is a useful tool for exposing a bad graphic chip or memory.
CPU
Symptoms: Computer won't boot to Windows; PC powers on and turns off almost immediately; Windows freezes; blue screen of death errors. Diagnostic Testing: It's pretty rare that a CPU is actually defective, but it does happen. In most cases, a bad CPU will prevent your system from booting. That makes troubleshooting a little tricky, because there are a million and one things that can stop your PC dead in its tracks. If you can't get your system to post, carefully reinstall the CPU, checking for bent pins in the process. This will also give you an opportunity to reseat the heatsink, which can be another culprit. If you're able to boot into Windows but still suspect your processor is faulty, you have two options. One is to swap out the processor for a known good one and see if the symptoms disappear, but you might not have a spare chip laying around. The other way is to stress test. A popular program for that is Prime95. It was primarily created to find new Mersenne prime numbers, but it is widely used to stress test CPUs, mostly to see if an overclock is stable. Run either the Small FFTs or In-place large FFTs test. If you're not overclocking and it crashes, you might have a bad CPU. You can also run OCCT. It was designed to test for overclocks, but like Prime95, it can help identify potentially faulty silicon.
Power Supply
Symptoms: System won't boot; random crashes and reboots; frequent freezing/lockups; makes a grinding noise (PSU fan). Diagnostic Testing: A bad power supply can cause all sorts of problem, everything from instability to actually frying your components. We have seen PSUs go up in smoke (literally), and it's not a pretty sight. If you happen to have a spare PSU, swapping it out is one way to determine if you have a defective unit. It's also possible that your components are trying to draw more wattage than your PSU is capable of providing. To get an idea of what size PSU you should be running, use an online PSU calculator. There are several out there, many of which are powered by OuterVision. Assuming your PSU is beefy enough for your setup, you can purchase a power supply tester to see if there's a problem with the unit itself. The cheapest options cost less than $10 and have a series of diagnostic LEDs, while $15 will get you a fancier version with a built-in LCD.
Motherboard
Symptoms: System won't boot; peripherals are not recognized; blue screen of death errors; instability. Diagnostic Testing: Since the motherboard is the command center for your entire PC, practically every symptom imaginable can potentially point to a bad board, though the most common symptom is a failure to boot. Keep things simple when troubleshooting. Start with a visual inspection. Look for obvious signs of trouble, such as cracks, scratches, and leaking or bulging capacitors. If everything checks out, make sure your display cable is securely fastened to both your monitor and PC's output. You can also try connecting your display cable to your motherboard's video output instead of your graphics card. Sometimes a BIOS can be configured to only output through a PC's onboard graphics. Once you're receiving a video signal, you can go into the BIOS and change that setting so that you can use your graphics card instead. Barring a video issue, the only other thing you can do at this point is rule out your other hardware by checking them with another system, if you have one handy. For example, if your graphics card works in a spare PC but not the one you're troubleshooting, then you can assume the GPU is not the issue. The same goes for your RAM, CPU, and power supply. It's a pain in the backside, but less of a headache than RMA'ing components at random.
By Tamoor Hussain on Nov 29, 2017 08:50 pm
Marvel has dropped the first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War, and it's pretty spectacular. Disney and Marvel have been building towards this blockbuster event from the very beginning, laying the foundation for the Earth's mightiest heroes to come together against a threat of unprecedented power: Thanos. The trailer, unlike the one shown previously at Comic-Con, is very heavy in tone. Marvel have been teasing that this movie will shakeup the MCU in a big way, and if the trailer is any indication, it's sticking to its guns. Thanos arrives on Earth, and it seems Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, and the gang are no match. But there's more than meets the eye going on in the new Avengers: Infinity War trailer, so we've grabbed a few key moments have put together a breakdown of noteworthy things to consider. Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4, 2018. It's directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, who previous helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. It's the first of two upcoming Avengers movies that the Russo brothers have directed, with the currently untitled Avengers 4 due in May 2019. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Marvel boss Kevin Feige addressed the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which he has stated will come to a "climax" with Avengers 4.
The first thing we see is Tony Stark, looking very defeated. In the background you can see evidence of the whatever has happened, though it's not completely clear. Presumably this is the aftermath of one of Thanos' attacks. Note that Tony's hands are bloodied but he's not wearing his suit. Perhaps this happened outside of a normal mission, and this is him at the scene of an attack on the city and its civilians. Nick Fury can be heard saying, "There was an idea."
Tony Star picks up the narration with, "To bring together a group of remarkable people." One of those people is Bruce Banner, better known as the Hulk. Banner can be seen in the bottom of a hole, looking a bit out of sorts. It could be that this is the end of a Hulk rampage, as we've seen this Banner expression a lot after he changes unexpectedly. However, it could also be shock at how handily he was defeated by Thanos, which would undoubtedly come as a surprise to Hulk, a superhuman very few can stand up to.
The next shot shows Doctor Strange and Wong looking down. Based on the holes above them and the lighting, it's likely they're staring at Banner. This could be the first time they've encountered the Hulk, which would explain Strange's dumbfounded expression and Wong's combative pose.
Vision continues the narration, saying, "To see if we could become something more." In this scene we have Wanda "Scarlett Witch" Maximoff and Vision in a rather nice-looking bedroom. Wanda is in the bed drinking tea while Vision opens the curtains. This is noteworthy because it looks like they're comfortable around each other, which shows that their relationship has developed since we saw them in Civil War.
Then we get confirmation that they are likely romantically involved. No doubt Vision was there for Wanda after the traumatic loss she suffered in Civil War. And it seems he's adopted a human facade as part of their relationship.
"So when they needed us," narrates Thor, "We could fight the battle..." Thor is staring out into space and the ship he's on looks stylistically like the one featured in the end of Thor: Ragnarok.
The next shot is of Bruce Banner and a character off-screen. Based on the armor, we're guessing that's Black Widow, and the way Banner is acting makes sense since he pulled a vanishing act on her during Civil War. The Hulkbuster arm next to him, we're not so sure about. It doesn't look to have sustained battle damage, so it may be that Tony is testing it out or tinkering with it in Wakanda.
"...That they never could," Black Widow adds to the previous line of narration. Her armor matches that one seen in the previous shot of Bruce Banner. Note that Black Widow is now sporting a blonde look, instead of her traditional red hair. She looks at something off-screen and smiles, so this could be the moment she sees Banner again, following his vanishing act.
We get a shot of Manhattan and in the background you can see the iconic Avengers Tower. This is probably ground zero for all the destruction that happens in Avengers: Infinity War.
Inside Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, Strange, Wong, Banner, and Stark turn away from the destruction inside the house to investigate something outside. As Tony opens the door you can see people running by in a panic and police sirens. Over it all is the voice of Thanos. "In time, you will know what it's like to lose ... to feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail all the same," he says menacingly.
In a moving school bus the hairs on Peter Parker's arm raise; his Spider-Sense is warning him something is wrong. And when he peers out of the window...
... A strange circular structure is floating in the sky. What could it be? Perhaps a portal of some sort, or a destructive energy weapon.
"Dread it," continues Thanos, as Tony, Strange, Banner, and Wong stand among the rubble of buildings. Tony moves towards the camera, removing his glasses to look at the device.
"Run from it," says Thanos. Here, Loki raises the Tesseract, which he reacquired recently. A dark portal opens and from within it emerges...
Thanos. "Destiny still arrives," says his narration. Thanos is travelling light and not wearing the elaborate armor and helmet we've seen him in previously. He looks around, surveying the place, and then smirks ever so slightly. Is Loki responsible for bringing Thanos to Earth? Given his troublemaking track record, it makes sense, but this could also be a misdirection.
In the next shot we get to see Spidey's new costume, which looks to have had some big upgrades courtesy of Tony Stark. It's not quite the Iron Spider outfit from the comics, but that's still an apt name as it looks more metallic, similar to Iron Man's suit. This new costume looks very similar to the one Tony showed to Peter at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming. That armor will certainly be put to the test in this battle--let's hope it's got some tricks up up those tight sleeves.
Thor is shown in the middle of a contraption made up of a series of rings. It looks to be in space, but the question is what he's doing there. Is he trying to pull it closed? Hold it open? Or maybe he's serving as a power conduit, which would tie-in nicely to Thor: Ragnarok. "Evacuate the city," says Black Panther. "Engage all defences."
In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot, a character can be seen throwing a spear into the darkness. This is Proxima Midnight, who is a child of Thanos and a member of his Black Order. The person in the shadows effortlessly grabs the spear out of the air.
"And get this man a shield," says Black Panther. Who is he talking about? Well there's only one person that uses a shield...
It's Captain America! Steve Rogers is looking much more grizzled than we're used to. He's also no longer in his iconic costume, going for a darker, covert-ops style number that is very reminiscent of something his pal Winter Soldier would wear.
Scarlett Witch, clearly caught off guard, lets out a smile that's also a sigh of relief. Clearly she hasn't seen Captain America in quite some time and he's popped up in a moment of need. Classic Cap.
The next shot is the Hulkbuster armor landing in an open field. It looks to be in Wakanda and likely connects to the earlier shot of Banner standing next to a Hulkbuster arm. Perhaps this is shortly before that? Although Tony traditionally uses this suit in fights against Hulk, Banner looked fairly casual in the previous image, so we're thinking he probably isn't trading blows with his green buddy here.
Among the quick cuts between battle shots, this strange obelisk falls from the sky and plunges itself into the ground. This could be something Thanos is using to take over the Earth, perhaps even terraform it.
Cap takes a break from cracking skulls to look at something that worries him. It's very likely to be the aforementioned obelisk.
Black Panther delivers a crushing blow to an alien enemy, which looks like it's a Chitauri.
Spidey is clearly outmatched against Thanos, even with the Iron Spider armor.
Vision isn't faring any better. We see him being subdued by his enemy and on the verge of having the Mind Stone removed from his head. This stone is essentially his soul and the source of his power, so without it he could die. "Fun isn't something considers when balancing the universe," says Thanos, probably as a retort to a quip from a member of the Avengers.
Here we get a clear shot of the giant gauntlet Thanos wears and uses to house the Infinity Stones. Currently in it are the Reality Stone (Aether) and the Space Stone (Tesseract). With those in his possession, Thanos is more powerful than ever.
"But this, does put a smile on my face," says Thanos. Apparently his idea of fun is to destroy cities and bring the Avengers to their knees.
A second later a single, ferocious punch knocks Iron Man out for the count. This doesn't look good for the Avengers.
Assault rifle in hand, Winter Soldier fights alongside Wakandans. With Cap now back in action, it makes sense that Bucky would also join the battle.
Black Panther, ever the fearless leader, prepares for battle while surrounded by his people.
And Falcon is there to support them.
We get a good shot of Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Captain America, Okoye, and Black Panther charging into battle. Behind them are War Machine, Hulk, and Falcon, along with a considerable number of Wakandans. The inclusion of War Machine suggests that he's recovered fully from the injuries he sustained during Civil War.
Finally, we get the one comedic beat in this trailer, with Thor saying, "Who the hell are you guys?" to the Guardians of the Galaxy. Of course they'd be involved, given that Thanos is technically from their corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Notable absences from this trailer are Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Wasp, and Nebula, who are confirmed to be in the film, but just not featured here.
By Matt Espineli on Nov 29, 2017 01:27 am
Important Details To Keep In Mind
Assassin's Creed Origins is a dense action-RPG with no shortage of mechanics to master and interesting details within its world that don't make themselves readily apparent. After spending numerous hours with the game, we've learned a fair number of tips that we wish we knew before starting the game. Click ahead to find out what we discovered. If you want a more general look at how to better play the game, check out our beginner's guide covering essential tips and tricks. You can also read our guide highlighting the 12 best abilities. For even more guides, check out our Assassin's Creed Origins guide roundup containing all our tips and walkthroughs. Out now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, Assassin's Creed Origins is the latest entry in the long-running Assassin's Creed franchise. Unlike past games, which continually pushed the ancestor timeline forward, this entry is a prequel. Set in Egypt, you play as Bayek, a warrior whose struggle against the corrupt forces of the time leads him towards becoming the first Assassin. Check out our Assassin's Creed Origins review, and for more about Assassin's Creed Origins, check out our feature detailing everything you need to know about the game. And if you're looking to get caught up on the series' narrative, read our Assassin's Creed story recap.
You Can Sell Your Junk Instantly
Throughout your journey, you accumulate a ton of loot that actually serves no functional purpose aside from being sold. To quickly offload this junk, simply go to the sell screen of a vendor and hold down on the D-pad to automatically sell everything. No sorting required.
Smash Statues of Ptolemy
You'll often run into statues of the corrupt King Ptolemy XIII throughout Egypt. If you see one, enact Bayek's rage against Ptolemy's reign and smash it. Doing so nets you a quick and easy 150 XP, a fine reward for expressing one's disfavor of the King.
Don't Forget To Upgrade Your Weapons
While it might seem tempting to sell a Legendary weapon once it becomes obsolete, don't. In Assassin's Creed Origins, you can visit a blacksmith to upgrade your weapons, and since Legendary weapons carry valuable perks, it's best to hold onto these in case you need them later on.
Reload Your Quest Objective
While playing, have you ever screwed up in a mission and wanted desperately to restart at the last checkpoint? It's not readily apparent at first, but you can actually do this in AC Origins through what's called the "Reload Quest Objective" option. To access this, press pause, highlight the Quests tab, and then press the triangle/Y button. This comes in handy, especially for all the perfectionists out there who want to do a perfect stealth assassination on a mission's primary target.
Get Dawn & Dusk
Dawn & Dusk is an incredibly useful ability that allows you quickly pass the time of day. It's handy when you want to attack camps at night but don't want to wait for time to pass. In addition, some quests even require you to meet a certain character at a particular time of day, so it's in your best interest to unlock the ability, as it spares you the burden of having to wait around.
Exit The Animus
Similar to earlier AC games, you're free to exit the Animus at any time to play as modern-day protagonist, Layla. To do so, enter the pause screen and simply hold up on the D-Pad. There's not much to explore in the tomb where she has set up shop, but there's a wealth of emails and documents you can read on her laptop. It's worth noting that you don't actually need to approach her computer to access them; simply press pause and read away! This is a must for hardcore fans of the series, as there's plenty of tidbits included in these documents that allude to past games.
Visit The Nomad Bazaar
In your journey, you'll inevitably run into Reda, a young nomadic merchant offering rare items for sale. He's signified on the map as a turquoise camel. Keep in mind, these items aren't cheap, so make sure to have enough money before stopping by. If you have free time to spare, Reda also gives out special real-world daily event quests you can take on that'll reward you with a mystery item upon completion. While the worth of these endeavors is completely up to chance, they're well worth doing just to see what you might get.
Search Camps
Every camp you invade has a specific number of treasures to collect and captains to kill. While fulfilling these tasks might seem superfluous, completing them actually nets you a nice XP bonus. If you're struggling to find a camp's treasure chests, hold up on the D-pad to highlight lootable objects in your vicinity
Unlock Weapon Bearer and Bow Bearer
Both Weapon Bearer and Bow Bearer are abilities that let you swap between two weapons on the fly. This might not seem useful at first, but the ability to cycle between secondary weapons becomes indispensible during unexpected encounters. For example, if a stealthy attempt at killing a guard with your hunter bow suddenly goes south, you can instantly switch to a light bow to quickly murder the now alarmed foe. These abilities also eliminate the need to have to keep going into the menu to switch out weapons.
Auto-Riding Mount
Are you too lazy to ride your mount to your current mission objective? No problem! AC Origins lets you set your mount to automatically follow a path to the next destination. Simply hold the X/A button and relax as your mount does all the work for you.
There's A Photo Mode
It's easy to miss the fact that AC Origins actually has a photo mode. To activate it, simply click both thumb sticks. The mode comes complete with a wealth of filters and adjustable sliders for your photo- editing pleasure. Make sure you take a good photo though, as it actually gets uploaded onto the 'net for other players to see and enjoy when they view the map screen.
By Matt Espineli on Nov 29, 2017 01:27 am
Rise of the Assassin
Assassin's Creed Origins is an immense game packed with an abundance of quests to complete and new systems to experiment with. From the get-go, the game quickly pushes you forward, lightly familiarizing you with its mechanics and expansive skill trees, while putting you on a path towards the numerous regions of its vast world. With so much to do all at once, you're likely to get overwhelmed--or even worse--you're likely to neglect essential information that could be of great help to you. That's why we've put together a beginner's guide focused on helping you through the game's early hours. Put these handy tips into practice and you'll be a master Assassin in no time. If you want a look at some of the cool things you can do in the game, check out our guide detailing tips we wish we knew before starting. You can also read our guide highlighting the 12 best abilities. For even more guides, check out our Assassin's Creed Origins guide roundup containing all our tips and walkthroughs. Assassin's Creed Origins is out now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It's the latest entry in the long-running Assassin's Creed franchise. Unlike past games, which continually pushed the ancestor timeline forward, this entry is a prequel. Set in Egypt, you play as Bayek, a warrior whose struggle against the corrupt forces of the time leads him towards becoming the first Assassin. Check out our Assassin's Creed Origins review, and for more about Assassin's Creed Origins, check out our feature detailing everything you need to know about the game. And if you're looking to get caught up on the series' narrative, read our Assassin's Creed story recap.
Approach Enemies Cautiously
AC Origins isn't like past games where you can charge through a fort and easily kill an enemy battalion. Levels determine enemy power and ability now. If you get surrounded, you can be easily killed if you're not properly leveled or equipped with the right weapons and armor. When exploring the world, pay attention to enemy levels. Consider how you can dispatch foes efficiently. Whether it's by stealth killing them one by one or fighting them in a controlled environment, try to be more meticulous in your approach.
Sidequests Are Essential To Progression
As you play, there's often an inclination to keep progressing the story. While you're free to do so, know that story missions recommend you be at a particular level to survive, as they often have enemies and targets that can make short work of you. To prepare yourself for these missions, complete as many side quests as you can for hefty boosts to your XP, and then invest any earned points towards new skills. This may all seem like a given, but the need to keep earning XP to upgrade Bayek's strength is pivotal to your success against the tougher foes you'll find in the game's main missions.
Attack Camps At Night
If you're having a tough time infiltrating camps, try hitting them at night. Most of the guards will be asleep, making for reduced sentry counts and easy assassinations. To make this easier, be sure to acquire the Dawn & Dusk skill to advance time at will--which spares you the trouble of standing around all day while waiting for the game's world to turn to night.
Overpower Is Your Friend
While you might feel inclined to tough out a combat encounter with nothing but the strength of your skill and reflexes, know that every attack you make builds up your adrenaline bar. Once you've got enough stored, you have access to the Overpower ability that--depending on the weapon you're using--can unleash a devastating attack or strength buff that helps turn tough battles in your favor. Be judicious with how you use Overpower. Instead of unleashing it on any unsuspecting foe, try saving it for the highest-level enemy in a group. If you want to upgrade its effectiveness, look into unlocking the other Overpower skills to enhance its strength even further. Overpower Chain Throw is a favorite of ours, as its "two bird with one stone" kill chain is invaluable.
Pay Attention To Guaranteed Damage
When you point your bow at an enemy's head or approach an enemy for a stealth takedown, you'll notice a red indicator fill up their health bar. This represents the amount of damage you're guaranteed to inflict upon them. Keep track of the red indicator, as there will be times when a particular attack won't kill a foe. Always pay attention to this to ensure that you take the best course of action.
Senu: Reconnaissance And Combat Expert
Senu is a valuable tool for infiltration, combat, and objective hunting. She can tag guards for your reference, and if you obtain the Eagle Harass ability, she can distract enemies and even assist you in combat. Use Senu to get a read of what's ahead, as well as to pick up on any important points of interest in the world.
Be A God Of Crafting
The components you obtain from hunting and exploring the world are paramount towards upgrading your gear. Whenever you enter a new region, take control of Senu to find and track whatever animals and components are out in the world. To find out what you need to improve your equipment, simply highlight the piece you wish to upgrade in the crafting section at the bottom of the Gear screen. It's important to take time to gather the necessary materials to upgrade your gear, as you always want to be equipped with best armor possible. If you're really struggling to get what you need, you can resort to dismantling weapons to gain additional materials. Never neglect crafting--lest you purposefully want to be underpowered against stronger foes. If that's a challenge you seek, then you're better off changing the difficulty to Hard.
Loot All Things
New to AC Origins is the introduction of a loot system, which ensures that there's always gold, weapons, armor, and crafting materials to pick up from just about anything you can investigate, from the dead bodies of elite Greek guards to shiny ceramic pots. We cannot overstate this enough: do not forget to loot. It can be easy to get caught up killing guards, thinking you'll get around to it once everyone's dead. But more often than not, the flow of a mission pushes you forward, making it easy to forget about all that loot. If this task is a tough habit for you to build up, try investing in the Assassination Loot or Kill Loot skills, which allow you to automatically pick up loot after dispatching a foe. It helps to alleviate the pain of having to grab everything manually.
Unlock Fast Travel Points
Whenever you enter a new area, make it a goal to unlock all of its fast travel viewpoints. Not only does it make getting across long distances easier, it also grants you 100+ XP and an increase to Senu's perception skills.
By GameSpot Staff on Nov 29, 2017 01:26 am
The Spoils Of War
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus does a great job of explaining its game mechanics thanks to a simple tutorial system. While these introductions explain basics like movement, stealth and combat, there are still some things that would be good to know when starting a new game. What difficulty should you choose? Is it worth searching every inch of every level to find all of the game's collectables? And how does that early story choice affect your game going forward? The answers to these questions and more can all be found in this list of 10 things we wish we knew before starting Wolfenstein 2. Be sure to check out our full review of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, along with our beginner's guide on everything you need to know when diving into the Nazi-killing campaign. For more info on the sequel, head over to our guide on everything you need to know about the game, and along with our video on the History of Wolfenstein.
For more tips and guides on Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, head on over to our dedicated hub for all things treasure hunting and Nazi-slaying.
Choosing A Difficulty
Don't take the choice of difficulty lightly. Wolfenstein II can get difficult even on the medium settings. If things get too intense, you can change the setting up on the fly at any time without penalty. The difficulty only affects the gameplay and doesn't have an impact on the story. There are six difficulty choices with one extra hard option that's added after you complete the game. The "Can I play, Daddy?" is the easiest difficulty and is as easy as it sounds. On this difficulty, you can easily go toe-to-toe with any mechanized Nazi in the game and soak up nearly all the bullets that are sent flying your way. The hardest difficulty, "Mein Leben," is just like the original hardest difficulty, but you only get one life to live. Dying means game over. Choose the best difficulty for you. If you're looking for a challenge that can even be a little frustrating at times, try one of the harder difficulties. If you're more into experiencing the story, go for an easier one. The game doesn't punish or reward you either way other than the trophies or achievements you earn from completing the game.
How The Story Changes Based On Who You Sacrifice In The Beginning
Wolfenstein II doesn't load a previous save from decisions made in Wolfenstein: The New Order, but it does replay a segment from that game. At the beginning, Blazkowicz has the choice to sacrifice Fergus or Wyatt. This will not only change your companions aboard the Evas Hammer between missions, it also changes your weaponry. Wyatt is a zany character who enjoys listening to his music and studying the metaphysical aspects of the world. Fergus is a wisecracking englishman who is in a constant battle with his robotic arm. Both characters add a little something different to Wolfenstein II's narrative. Fergus and his arm are definitely worth conversing with. The big thing to consider is the gun you'll get depending on who you choose. Choosing Fergus gives you the Laserkraftwerk and Wyatt gives you the Dieselkraftwerk. Both of these guns can be recharged throughout most levels with electricity plugs or gas pumps that are located on walls. The Laserkraftwerk is the more practical weapon in most combat situations. It shoots a powerful blast of electricity that vaporizes human targets in a single shot. The Diselkraftwerk works as a grenade launcher. It fires projectiles that can stick to surfaces and be detonated later. The projectiles can also be stuck to patrolling enemies without them knowing, which makes for some interesting strategies.
How The Perks Work
Wolfenstein II has a detailed perk system that rewards the specific way you play. You can check out the perk page from the character screen. There are six perks in each of the three different categories: Stealth, Mayhem, and Tactical. Nearly every kill you perform throughout the game will increase your level for a specific perk. For example, every stealth takedown will increase your mastery of that perk. Performing more of them will increase your speed while crouching. Racking up kills while dual-wielding weapons will increase the amount of ammunition you can carry. No matter your play style, you'll increase your perks making you a stronger, faster Blazkowicz. Stealth and Mayhem are the best categories to strengthen first. You should start every area with a few stealthy kills until you're spotted. Once that happens, it's best to switch to dual-wield weapons for maximum firepower. Being able to carry more ammunition is always a good thing.
What Weapon Should You Upgrade First?
Weapon upgrade kits are scattered around the game world and are for one-time use. There are a couple things to consider when upgrading your weapons. Each gun has three possible upgrades to unlock. Those upgrades can be equipped and unequipped at will from the weapon menu, and can all be equipped at the same time. Weapon upgrade kits cannot be reused, so choose wisely. The pistol suppressor is the best upgrade to choose first. It completely silences all gunfire from this weapon, giving you silent ranged attacks for when you're trying to be stealthy. The Sturmgewehr, or assault rifle, has the Marksman scope upgrade, which is also a good candidate for an early upgrade. This adds a scope and turns the weapon into a single-shot rifle instead of fully automatic. There isn't an upgrade to manage the gun's recoil, so changing it to single shot helps make the Sturmgewehr easier to manage especially when dual-wielding two of them. The best part: you can remove the scope while the weapon is equipped to turn it back to a fully automatic gun if you wish. If you're thorough enough, you'll have more than one upgrade for your favorite weapons by the end of the game. Endgame content also allows you to find more upgrades to further strengthen your arsenal.
Does Being Stealthy Pay Off?
The short answer: yes, being stealthy pays off. As soon as the "signal detected" icon appears at the top of the screen, that means a commander is nearby. That's usually a good indication that you should stay quiet. It's not always easy, or even possible, to stealthily eliminate these threats, but it will make your life much easier if you can. If you're spotted by anyone before eliminating an enemy commander, the commander will trigger an alarm and Nazis will storm your position. If you're able to take out the commander before that happens, you'll have to deal with far fewer enemies. Early on, you'll have a lot of stealthy attacks that you can use to kill Nazis while being hidden in the shadows. You achieve stealth takedowns by sneaking behind your enemies. There's the hatchet throw that counts as an automatic kill if you land it. The Pistole and Maschinenpistole can both be outfitted with silencers that make them completely silent. Be sure to lean around corners to see if an enemy has his back turned. This ensures that you stay hidden without revealing yourself.
Choosing Contraptions
Later in the game, Blazkowicz will be able to choose one of three contraptions without being given much information on them. The stress of choosing just one of these devices may be too much to bear, but fear not, you'll be able to find the other two through side missions later in the game. Set allows you to choose between three contraptions, which include: the Constrictor Harness which allows Blazkowicz to stealthily squeeze into very tight quarters, the Ram Shackles which provide the ability to crash through certain walls, and the Battle Walker that extends his legs like stilts to reach high platforms. What the game doesn't tell you is that these contraptions give you specific perks that aid your playstyle. The Constrictor Harness helps with stealth by making your footsteps completely silent, the Ram Shackles prevent you from being knocked over from explosions, and the Battle Walker grants the Quick Draw and Adrenaline perks--while also slowing time when viewing the weapon wheel, also stopping the loss of overcharged health. These perks are active immediately after equipping one of these contraptions, making them extremely valuable. Choose the contraption that best fits your playstyle.
Are the Collectables Worth Getting?
Like many single-player games, Wolfenstein II is littered with collectables. There are 366 in all, which includes Gold, Starcards, Concepts, Max's Toys, Deathcards and Records. None of them will give you any enjoyable perks, or beef up your arsenal. They're more or less to give you a few nice items to search for so you can say you found the whole collection. To answer the question simply, no, these objects aren't really worth putting in the time it takes to find them. Deathcards are the only ones that can be considered worthy of your time, as they are essentially rewards for killing commanders thus completing smaller side missions after you've completed the game. These missions revisit past events from the story, but have slight changes in the environments and enemies you encounter. Deathcards missions are the majority of the endgame content. Other than that, pick up the items you come across, but don't feel obligated to find everything. Keep in mind that the map in the mission menu shows where to find different collectables. There's no big secret to where everything is, which makes it even more like busy work.
Are The Deathcards Worth Collecting?
The Deathcard missions are fun, small missions toward the end of the game. They take place in areas that you've already visited, but each mission has slight changes to the area that change the gameplay. If you didn't get your fill of killing Nazis during the story, definitely check out the Deathcard missions and kill all the high-ranking captains. Each commander that you kill throughout the game drops an enigma card. These cards can be used at the enigma machine on the Hammer. If this hasn't been introduced to you yet, don't worry. It'll be introduced later in the game. These simple puzzles unlock the location of high ranking Nazi commanders. You can then set a course to their location and take them out. Each of these officials carries a Deathcard that you can collect to cross their name off the list. Be careful. These officials carry powerful grenade launchers that can drop you in one or two shots, so don't take them lightly. Take them out from a distance if you can. Each Deathcard mission has collectables to find, including weapon upgrades. So, if you're looking for stages to strengthen your weapons, check out the Deathcard missions.
Is There a New Game Plus?
There isn't a New Game Plus mode. Do not try to start a new game after completing a game. If you do try to start a new game on the profile with the completed game, it will erase all of your game saves and start a brand new game. Nothing will carry over and statistics will be erased. While there is no way to replay exact missions from the story, you can hunt down remaining Kommandants in the Deathcard missions. Deathcard missions take place in areas from the main storyline, but with new twists. Environments and the enemies encountered are slightly different, making each area feel new again. After the credits, you are transported back to the U-boat where you can set courses for these missions.
By Matt Espineli on Nov 29, 2017 01:26 am
Skills of the Assassin
There are a lot of abilities to choose from in Assassin's Creed Origins, and you obviously want to choose wisely. While you can eventually get every abilities, doing so takes a lot of time, so you want to take care with what you pick first. Abilities are divided across three major categories: Warrior, Hunter, and Seet. Each accommodates different play styles ranging from stealth to full offensive. Whether you want to be a master of combat or a skilled wielder of tools, there's a wealth of abilities that'll benefit your experience. To help you get the most out of your adventure, we've gathered our recommendations of the most useful abilities in the game. If you want a more general look at how to better play the game, check out our beginner's guide covering essential tips and tricks. You can also read our guide detailing tips we wish we knew before starting. For even more guides, check out our Assassin's Creed Origins guide roundup containing all our tips and walkthroughs. Out now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, Assassin's Creed Origins is the latest entry in the long-running Assassin's Creed franchise. Unlike past games, which continually pushed the ancestor timeline forward, this entry is a prequel. Set in Egypt, you play as Bayek, a warrior whose struggle against the corrupt forces of the time leads him towards becoming the first Assassin. Check out our Assassin's Creed Origins review, and for more about Assassin's Creed Origins, check out our feature detailing everything you need to know about the game. And if you're looking to get caught up on the series' narrative, read our Assassin's Creed story recap.
Seer Ability: Dawn & Dusk (Requires 1 Ability Point)
Dawn & Dusk should be one of the first abilities your purchase. It allows you pass the time of day at will, which is handy when you want to attack camps at night. In addition, some quests even require you to meet a certain character at a particular time of day, so it's in your best interest to unlock Dawn & Dusk, as it spares you the burden of having to wait around (in-game days take forever).
Warrior Ability: Parry (Requires 1 Ability Point)
A gold standard of Souls-like games, Parry allows you to deflect an enemy blow. It takes some quick reflexes to perform, but doing so leaves your enemy open for consecutive blows. It's an ability well worth having for the tactical advantage it can give you, especially once you learn to master the timing required.
Warrior Ability: Air Attack (Requires 1 Ability Point)
During an infiltration, an Air Assassination is a flashy, yet rewarding way to off an enemy. But when your unsuspecting prey sees you, it's rendered useless. That's why the Air Attack ability is a great contingency plan for these sticky situations; it can be used execute a devastating attack on a foe from above even if they're alerted by your presence. It can also be a great way to get the jump on a group of enemies (literally), allowing you to instantly slaughter one and then be ready to battle the rest with your sword and shield already out.
Hunter Ability: Chain Assassination (Requires 3 Points)
The Chain Assassination ability is essentially about killing two birds with one stone. It allows you to automatically kill a nearby guard with a throwing knife after performing an assassination. If you've played any of the recent Far Cry games, then this offensive stealth ability will be familiar to you.
Warrior and Hunter Ability: Weapon Bearer/Bow Bearer (Each Requires 1 Ability Point)
Both Weapon Bearer and Bow Bearer are abilities that are essential to nab. Each lets you swap between two weapons on the fly. This might not seem useful at first, but the ability to cycle between secondary weapons becomes indispensible during unexpected encounters. These abilities also eliminate the need to have to keep going into the menu to switch out weapons.
Seer Ability: Buy Materials (Requires 2 Ability Points)
Having trouble gathering materials to craft an upgraded piece of armor? If you're lacking the time and patience required to gather all the essential components, then unlock the Buy Materials ability. It allows you to purchase crafting components from Blacksmith and Weaver shops, making it easier to nab those much-needed materials you're struggling to find. The convenience factor definitely outweighs the time it takes to gather the materials on your own.
Hunter Ability: Eagle Harass (Requires 2 Ability Points)
While Senu is a valuable tool for infiltration and objective hunting, she can also be an effective offensive tool. With the Eagle Harass ability, she can distract enemies and even assist you in combat.
Seer Ability: Sleep Dart (Requires 1 Ability Point)
When you're sneaking around, it helps to have a ranged weapon that causes less commotion than an arrow into somebody's head. Sleep Darts are the perfect alternative that can incapacitate an enemy, while putting nearby guards in a search phase to get them moving away from their stations. It's great for creating openings to sneak through or setting up a multi-kill surprise attack on small enemy groups. But be careful: whoever you sink a dart into will only remain asleep for a short while, so make every second count.
Seer Ability: Backstore (Requires 2 Ability Points)
It's tough finding rare quality gear out in the wild. Luckily, the Backstore ability lets you purchase rarer quality gear from shops, thus sparing you of the inconvenience of having to rely on probability to get some of the better gear the game has to offer.
Hunter Ability: Elite Ranger (Requires 3 Ability Points)
If you've recently played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Horizon: Zero Dawn, you'll be happy to know that AC Origins also lets you do the slow-motion mid-air bow shot. The Elite Ranger ability is a little further down the Hunter tree, but it comes highly recommended for setting up ambushes or making quick headshots during fast-paced stealth runs.
Warrior Ability: Attack & Push (Requires 1 Ability Point)
Attack & Push is an effective way to hit an enemy and force them to the ground, giving you an opportunity to unleash a flurry of attacks upon them while vulnerable. It can also be used strategically near cliffsides or pits to push enemies off to their deaths. Be sure to pull out this attack in the game's gladiatorial combat sequences for some gruesome environmental deaths.
By GameSpot Staff on Nov 29, 2017 01:17 am
How To Be A Nazi-Killing Machine
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a no-nonsense narrative-driven first-person shooter focusing on mowing down as many Nazis as possible. Between stealth, perks, dual wielding, and ax throwing, there's a lot to think about when entering a hostile environment. There's also plenty of collectables and activities to accomplish between missions aboard the Evas Hammer Resistance, the main base of the Resistance. To help you better your chances of survival in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, we've compiled 10 essential beginner's tips to follow. Be sure to check out our full review of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, along with our 10 Things We Wished We Knew guide before starting your Nazi-killing campaign. For more info on the sequel, head over to our guide on everything you need to know about the game, and along with our video on the History of Wolfenstein.
For more tips and guides on Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, head on over to our dedicated hub for all things treasure hunting and Nazi-slaying.
How Do Health And Armor Work?
The Health and Armor pickups that Blazkowicz finds in the heat of battle are the only things keeping him from death's door. After an intense battle, you'll pretty much want to spam the pickup button when clearing through the aftermath of the carnage. Armor protects you from enemy fire and will tick down as you take damage. Armored enemies will always drop pieces of armor and scrap, which add to your counter. So be sure to loot them after defeating them. Along with restoring your base health, restoration items also have an "Overcharge" mechanic. Any health pickups that put Blazkowicz's health above 50 puts him in an Overcharged state. His health can eventually get to 200, but will continuously tick down until it reaches 50. The best strategy to use is to pick up health and get in the action and put that extra health to good use before it's gone.
How To Remain Stealthy
It's always a good idea to start an area with stealth, especially in an area with a commander. You can always tell if there's a commander nearby with an icon that appears at the top of the screen, indicating your distance from a commander. If that icon turns red, get ready for a fight because you've been spotted. There are different ways to stay out of sight. You can sneak up behind enemies and execute a stealth takedown, silence your Pistole with a weapon upgrade and get a few quiet shots in, you can throw hatchets to take down enemies with a well aimed throw. If you choose the latter, be sure to go retrieve your ax if you can while staying hidden. Be sure to take advantage of the lean maneuver to keep yourself hidden. If you want to see what is waiting around a corner, lean instead of walking out and exposing yourself. Don't worry about the dead bodies you find along the way. Other enemies will notice them, but they won't sound the alarm. A good strategy to use is to silently take down an enemy with a stealth takedown or a silenced weapon, and then sit back and silently snipe the other enemies who approach the dead body to investigate.
Using The Map
If you're obsessed with collecting stuff, Wolfenstein II has you covered. There are nearly 400 different items to collect throughout the game from the different levels and the main hub aboard the Evas Hamer. Fortunately, you don't have to check every nook and cranny to find them all. The handy map in the mission menu reveals where everything is hidden. This makes finding the game's many collectables much easier for completionists. Additional maps are also scattered around the levels, offering additional intel on item locations. While these items can still be found without the maps, it's always best to stay up on item locations, especially if you think you may have left one behind.
Choosing Weapons To Dual Wield
Taking cues from Wolfenstein II, B.J. can dual-wield almost every weapon he gets his hands on. That means you can hold two of the same weapon type or mix and match them--such as holding a shotgun and machine gun at once. There are a couple good strategies to use when dual wielding your weapons. It's never a bad idea to choose one ranged weapon and a second weapon for close quarters. That way, you can eliminate enemies who are right in your face, and others who are charging in. There really isn't a "one size fits all" approach to dual wielding, and you'll have to assess the situation and plan accordingly. For instance, if you're up against a Panzerhund, you're going to want range. The shotgun, as powerful as it is, isn't going to do much for you. Equip two Sturmgewehrs and start pelting it from long range. You can still dual-wield if you're trying to be stealthy. Equip dual silenced Pistoles to quickly and silently eliminate Nazis without making a sound. However, there is a tradeoff to using two weapons at once. Keep in mind that dual-wielding isn't as accurate as just holding one weapon and aiming down sight.
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon upgrade kits are scattered around the game world and are for one-time use. While you may be eager to put these kits to use and boost your gear, there are a couple things to consider before committing.. Each gun has three possible upgrades to unlock. Those upgrades can be turned off at will from the weapon menu, and can all be equipped at the same time. Once you apply an upgrade, it cannot be undone. Take careful consideration in how you use these kits, as they're put to better use matching your particular playstyle. If you want to stick with a stealthy approach to battles, unlock that silencer for the Pistole first. Since there isn't a sniper rifle in the game, unlocking the ranged scope for the Sturmgewehr isn't a bad choice. Each of the weapon upgrades have their uses, so there is never really a bad choice.
Getting The Most Out Of Your Perks
After spending some time taking out the Nazi hordes, be sure to take a look at your progress on the perks page. While in action, you'll occasionally see prompts about various milestones, such as the number of heavy weapon kills and headshots you've landed. Head into the perks page to view your current progress across the Stealth, Mayhem, and Tactical trees. Once you accomplish a milestone, you can take advantage of the new boost to B.J's performance. If you see a perk you like, switch up your playstyle to make some progress towards unlocking it. Always keep an eye on the perk page, and put in the work to unlock the best skills that fit your Nazi-killing playstyle.
Juggling Heavy Weapons
As you're mowing down Nazis en masse, you'll eventually encounter tougher variants that need extra effort to put down, but the heavy weapons they drop. These guns come in either the Lasergewehr or Dieselgewehr. While they pack a serious punch, they can slow you down significantly. Plus, the heavy weapons need to warm-up before letting loose with their power. It's best to assess the situation and see if it's a good time to use one of these power weapons. If you're surrounded by a bunch of Nazi foot soldiers who have you pinned down, then it may be better to hold off on using them. The heavy weapons, while powerful, can turn you into an easy target, which is undeniably true on harder difficulties. If you're up against a huge enemy tank, then definitely pick up a heavy weapon and use it. That's when these weapons work best. These heavy weapons are also a good way to conserve energy. Like the Laserkraftwerk and Dieselkraftwerk smaller arms, these heavy weapons run on electricity or fuel, which can be found in dispensers scattered around most levels. If you're low on ammo for the guns in your inventory, heavy weapons can bail you out in a pinch.
Navigating The Evas Hammer
The enormous U-boat known as the Evas Hammer is the base of the American Resistance, and can be daunting to explore when finding your way around it between missions. The ship has long hallways, and dozens of different rooms where the crew holds meetings and just hangs out. As the story progresses, the ship's crew will expand, opening more areas to explore. It's a good idea to explore the ship early and then check out the new areas once the crew expands. If collectables are your thing, the Hammer is littered with them, but don't go crazy trying to collect them all from the beginning. Many of these collectables are behind locked doors and can only be found later in the game when those areas unlock. The hammer isn't only reserved for getting to know your crew. It can also be used for getting to know your weapons. Set put together a shooting range in the lower levels of the ship. You can check out any guns you've unlocked and take them for a spin. There's even a leaderboard so you can see who's the best marksman on the crew. Don't get your hopes up though. There's no reward for coming in first.
What To Do With Enigma Codes
While searching the bodies of fallen commanders, you'll collect an Enigma Code. While they don't seem useful initially, collecting these code will increase the perk that extends the length of time between when B.J. is spotted and the commander alarm sounds. Later in the game, you'll use these codes to unlock the location of other commanders scattered across the country. You'll then be able to charter a course to find and eliminate them in Deathcard missions. The Enigma Codes themselves come up while exploring the Evas Hammer, which will lead to cutscenes with members of the crew.
Save Often
Wolfenstein II has a pretty good checkpoint system that autosaves your progress whenever you complete a task, kill a target or enter a new area, but you can also save and load your game whenever you wish. If you don't trust the autosave system, be sure to take advantage of the game's manual saves. Manual saves can especially be useful during Deathcard missions. There aren't any checkpoints in the Deathcard missions. So, if you die in the middle of one and didn't save your game, you're headed all the way back to the beginning of the mission. Some of these missions can be lengthy with a bunch of enemies, so be sure to save your progress before you go charging into an area with a Panzerhund and other armored Nazis.
Recent Articles:
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment