By Chris Pereira on Dec 13, 2017 11:50 pm
Destiny 2's new 1.1.1.1 update makes a variety of changes and additions. Undoubtedly the most significant piece of content is the arsenal of Masterworks weapons. These can be obtained in a variety of ways, but they're now among the most desirable weapons in the game. Masterworks are variants of Legendary weapons. They differ in a number of ways; for instance, they track either Crucible or PvE kills and provide Orbs whenever you pull off a multi-kill. But their most important distinctions are the weapon stat bonuses they provide, which include things like enhanced stability or reload speed. Aside from their usefulness, these stats can be re-rolled, meaning two Masterworks won't necessarily be identical to each other. The process of re-rolling stats is called "Reworking" a weapon, and doing so costs both Legendary Shards and Masterwork Cores, the latter of which can only be obtained by breaking down unwanted Masterworks. Masterwork Cores are also used to turn a standard Legendary into a Masterworks version. Alternatively, Masterworks weapons will begin to drop once you reach Power level 250. Drops in the Raid and Trials of the Nine have a "very high chance" of being Masterworks, so those will be your best way to farm both weapons and Cores. Bungie plans to expand Masterworks to other types of gear, not just weapons. The developer also intends to highlight the kill tracking in more ways, such as displaying it on the Crucible kill screen. In the gallery above, you can check out a selection of Masterworks we've acquired so far. This includes screenshots of the new UI elements you'll find when inspecting a weapon, which is where you'll Rework a Masterwork or upgrade a Legendary into one. For more on what's new, check out the Destiny 2's 1.1.1.1 update's patch notes.
By GameSpot Staff on Dec 13, 2017 10:30 pm
Best Gaming Deals Under $50
Paid Content. Continuing our list of Holiday Gift Guides we've compiled a list for the deal-minded gamer. We've got you covered with everything from console games to collectibles. With such a wide range of gifts, you're bound to find something for that special someone on your list.
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Gold Edition
Immerse yourself in the world of survival horror with one of 2017's scariest and most celebrated games. Ethan Winters arrives at the dilapidated Baker mansion on a quest to find his missing wife. The terrors he discovers within require him to scavenge for supplies and weapons to fight against the unpredictable and deadly Baker family, along with other threats. The Gold Edition contains the full game plus DLC: Banned Footage Vol. 1 and 2, and the End of Zoe epilogue, making it a huge value. Retail price: $49.99 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
SteelSeries Stratus XL Wireless Controller
While the Stratus XL may look like just a slick, responsive new wireless controller, under the chassis is a gaming platform chameleon. At only $40, the Stratus XL is a versatile bluetooth beast that connects up seamlessly not just to PCs and to Steam, but to the Samsung Gear VR, the Google Daydream VR, and Android as well. Retail price: $39.00
Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package
Zombie-slaying icon Frank West returns to center stage in this sprawling, open-world epic to take out thousands of undead foes. Frank's Big Package includes all previously released add-on content, along with the all-new Capcom Hero's Mode. Frank can tap into the power and appearance of Capcom legends like Mega Man X, Dante from the Devil May Cry series, and many more to devastate the walking corpses infesting Willamette, Colorado. Retail price: $49.99 (PlayStation 4)
Pac-Man Connect and Play
One of the best Plug & Play classic game consoles out there, not only does this $20 Pac-Man shaped system deliver arcade perfect renditions of 12 of Namco's best classic titles—including Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, and others--but gives players the special pleasure of playing the infamous 255th and 256th levels of Pac-Man without, well, having to play the other 254. Retail price: $19.77
Okami HD
The beloved story of lupine deity Amaterasu arrives on modern platforms. Known for its innovate art style, Okami brings ancient Japan to life with a breathtaking traditional Japanese ukiyoe aesthetic. Amaterasu does more than look good on her quest to defeat the evil Orochi and free the land from his corruption – she can also wield the powerful Celestial Brush. Players command the artistic might of the Celestial Brush to not only strike down impish enemies, but return color and life to the lands blighted by Orochi. Retail price: $19.99 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
PowerA DualShock 4 Dual Charger
Tired of that message telling you the DualShock 4 is low on battery coming up at a critical moment? Well, this $25 Dual Charger solves that problem by allowing two DualShocks to be charged on the same inobtrusive little stand over an AC Adapter, ensuring you have access to another fully charged weapon of choice at all times. Retail Price: $24.99
Resident Evil Revelations Collection
Resident Evil finally arrives on Nintendo Switch! Resident Evil Revelations and Resident Evil Revelations 2 are two hit entries in the celebrated horror franchise, and they're playable at home or on the go. Resident Evil Revelations stars fan-favorite characters Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as they explore abandoned cruise ships and an arctic tundra to battle bio-engineered abominations. Resident Evil Revelations 2 stars Claire Redfield and Barry Burton as they fight to uncover the mystery of a deadly prison island and the evil mind behind it. Both games take advantage of the Switch's Joy-Con motion controls for increased aiming and other immersive motion-based action. Retail price: $39.99 (Nintendo Switch)
Xbox One Play & Charge Kit
A must-have for Xbox owners for over ten years, this $25 little miracle pays for itself with what you save in batteries. With one little rechargeable pack, players can expect 30 hours out of a single four hour charge, and keep on playing while said charge is in progress. Retail Price: $24.95
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
Rookie attorney Apollo Justice makes his debut in the fourth entry of the exciting Ace Attorney series. The hot-blooded, spikey-haired lawyer is joined by a quirky, lovable cast of characters including his magician assistant and a fellow attorney who moonlights as a famous rock star. Use Apollo's insightful instincts to sense witnesses' tics, spot dishonesty and fight for justice. The Nintendo 3DS touchscreen also comes in handy when getting down and dirty with interactive forensics to investigate crime scenes. Retail price: $19.99 (Nintendo 3DS)
Tetris Stackable LED Desk Lamp
We've seen Tetris ported to everything from the PS4 to graphing calculators, so, maybe it's not a surprise at all to see Tetris in our lighting options. Priced at $17, this set comes with one of each of the seven Tetriminos, which light up when they're stacked against each other, which they will do in virtually any configuration. And no, they don't disappear if you create a perfect line. Retail Price: $16.99
The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts
With 10 million sold since March, there's a lot of Nintendo Switches out there, which likely means a lot of copies of the brilliant Breath of the Wild. This dense $23 art book is a perfect companion piece to all those new Hyrule explorers, with 400+ pages of everything from concept art, to instruction manuals, to just gorgeously rendered portraits from the entirety of the series, punctuated by behind the scenes stories and interviews from Zelda's creators. Retail Price: $22.99
Mega Man Nenodroid figure
Between Mega Man 11's surprise announcement, and his surprise appearance in Monster Hunter World, it's a good time to be a fan of the Blue Bomber. This $40 figure is a good way to celebrate. With interchangeable expressions, optional prop parts, and dozens of articulation options, the Nenodroid Mega Man deserves a home on any collector's shelf. Retail Price: $41.26
Super Mario Chess Collector's Edition Tin
For any "git gud" folks who thought Mario Odyssey or Mario + Rabbids was too easy, here's your chance to take those sweet Mario skills to the master's game. With all the typical pieces swapped out for Mario appropriate figures, for $35, this Collector's Edition board puts Mario and his friends up against Bowser and his crew. For the record, no, there are no invicibility stars, and even if there were, it wouldn't let you knock over all your opponent's pieces at once. Retail Price: $34.97
HyperX Cloud Stinger Gaming Headset
With Destiny 2, PUBG, and Call of Duty WWII out there, it's more important than ever for players to come in loud and clear to their teammates and vice versa. Doing it without breaking the bank can sometimes get tricky, though. For $50, though, HyperX's Cloud Stinger delivers everything competitive players need on multiple platforms: from memory foam cushions for comfortable extended play sessions, to its noise cancelling microphone, which mutes on a swivel. Retail Price: $49.99
By Aaron Pruner on Dec 13, 2017 10:30 pm
From Cronos to The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro has been making movies for over 20 years. As much as the director has grown in his craft, each outing feels like an invitation to his audience to be involved in a fantastical game of make believe. Through the grit and the gore, there's an enthusiastic compassion that seems to always light the way Since 1993, del Toro has disrupted the world of genre movie making. His new film, The Shape of Water, is in theaters now, making it the perfect time to revisit the auteur's nuanced career. Here's each Guillermo Del Toro movie ranked, from worst to best.
10. Mimic (1997)
Mimic follows the story of a giant cockroach monster that threatens New York's sewers. What's unfortunate about del Toro's first studio film is the version that hit the big screen wasn't his. 1997's Mimic buckled under the weight of Miramax's heavy demands--Harvey Weinstein notoriously wanted del Toro removed from the project--resulting in a cookie cutter creature feature that looks stunning but lacks any real human element for the audience to connect with.
9. Blade II (2002)
You could say del Toro began coming into his own with Blade II. The sequel gave Wesley Snipes' fanged hero more to work with, teaming him up with the enemy to take down the vampire-killing Reapers. The director brought a refreshing sense of humor to the film, which was missing in the first outing. It didn't delve as deeply into the story as other films in del Toro's roster. But the character dynamic, fun action sequences, and gruesome vampire effects--which are revisited in FX's vampire series The Strain--are on full display here.
8. Cronos (1993)
Cronos tells the story of an elderly man who finds immortality through a robotic parasite. The gift of eternal life comes at a cost: A vampiric need for human blood. It's Guillermo del Toro's first movie, which makes it feel a bit dated. There's an uneven balance of horror and humor here, which is unfortunate. The movie's cinematic influences can be a bit distracting, as well--there are bits of David Cronenberg and Sam Raimi sprinkled throughout. But Cronos gives the audience a glimpse at the storyteller Guillermo del Toro would eventually become. And for a debut movie, the end product is still an intriguing one.
7. Crimson Peak (2015)
If Crimson Peak was marketed as a gothic romance, the film may have fared better in the box office. But when the studio presented it as a horror film, viewers left the theater disappointed at the story's lack of scares. That said, the troubled love story between Edith (Mia Wasikowska) and Thomas (Tom Hiddleston) adds an emotional center to the tortured, incestuous, and violent tale. Taking a step back, it's easy to see the heartbreaking ghost story del Toro is telling here. With lavish backdrops and elegant costumes, Crimson Peak is a feast for the eyes.
6. Pacific Rim (2013)
Pacific Rim is the anti-Transformers. Michael Bay's film franchise is rife with one-dimensional characters, a distracting orange and teal color palate, and eye-numbing CGI'd fight scenes. Guillermo del Toro's take on the mech vs. monster genre doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel, but it picks up the slack where Bay's movies fail by maintaining the focus on humanity's survival. Sure, Charlie Hunnam's performance was a bit forgettable. At the end of the day, watching the epic battles between jaegers and kaiju was a spectacle to behold. Add a Top Gun-style resistance into the mix and the end result becomes well worth the price of admission.
5. Hellboy (2004)
Before Marvel reignited the superhero genre, del Toro brought a different sort of comic book hero to life with 2004's Hellboy. Just like Blade, this protagonist is an outcast--OK, fine, he's the son of the devil--who fights against his genetic code to defend humanity from supernatural threats. Not only was del Toro able to stay true to Mike Mignola's comic, the casting of Ron Perlman as the big red guy was perfect. He brought the character's inner conflict and working class bravado to life, instantly cementing Hellboy as a genre icon. It's not a perfect film, but the layered anti-hero quality planted a seed for an epic sequel.
4. The Devil's Backbone (2001)
When Guillermo del Toro commits to going dark, he really goes dark. With The Devil's Backbone, he heads right for the jugular. The story takes place during the Spanish Civil War, following a young orphan as he makes contact with the ghost of another child. Here, del Toro's balance of heart and horror come together perfectly. There's an emotional throughline that binds the audience to each character--no matter how villainous they may be--because, at the end of the day, this is a story about accountability and repercussions during a time of war. To say that The Devil's Backbone is a heart-wrenching film would definitely be an understatement.
3. The Shape of Water (2017)
On its surface, The Shape of Water is a supernatural love story. But the adult fairy tale works on many layers, exploring an era of American fortitude and the cracked facade of the 1960s American dream. Through a backdrop of class warfare and government corruption, the love story between the mute woman and fish man breeds an element of joyful hope that permeates the entire film. It becomes a tactile thing worth clinging to. Guillermo del Toro is at the top of his game with this one.
2. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Hellboy II picked up the slack where the first movie failed: It put the big red guy in the spotlight. This time around, our hero led the pack and did so with a supporting gang of misfit heroes. It's got everything you'd expect from a Guillermo del Toro film: huge monsters, romance, religious conflict, and a fair share of laughs. Aside from working on a superhero level, the film explores the place for a supernatural hero in the modern human world. If the movie didn't come out the same year as Iron Man and The Dark Knight, it's possible it would've taken the world by storm.
1. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Pan's Labyrinth is the masterpiece del Toro was born to make. It exists in the same realm as The Devil's Backbone: It's dark and brooding, heartbreaking, but hopeful. The horror fairy tale follows Ophelia, a girl displaced during the Spanish Civil War who finds salvation through a supernatural creature named Fauno (Doug Jones). He assigns her three tasks to complete, and if she succeeds, she'll be brought back as a princess. Pan's Labyrinth is a heavy film that questions authority, addresses sacrifice, and finds its heart through the wondrous imagination of a hopeful young girl.
By Chris Pereira on Dec 13, 2017 05:42 pm
We're well into December and the holiday season, and Blizzard has marked the occasion by kicking off Overwatch's latest seasonal event. Winter Wonderland has made a return from last year, but it includes a bunch of new content--including new skins. When Blizzard first teased Winter Wonderland 2017, it only shared three characters who would be getting Legendary skins: Junkrat, Roadhog, and Hanzo, the latter of whom would be getting a "long-awaited skin from the comics." None of these were actually revealed, leaving us to wait for the event to begin to get a look. Now, with Wonder Wonderland live, we've gotten to see each and every one of the new skins. In the gallery above, you can check out all of the new looks (starting with the Legendary skins), as well as other new cosmetics and event content in this update. In addition to the aforementioned characters, there are new skins for Bastion, Ana, Sombra, and Soldier 76. There is also a new winterized version of the Black Forest map and a 5 vs. 1 Brawl mode called Yeti Hunt, as well as returning holiday-themed content from last year. Winter Wonderland is available for free on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. As is typical for these events, a seasonal loot box containing these items has replaced the standard one. You'll get a free loot box just for logging in during the event, which runs from now until January 1.
Ana - Snow Owl (Legendary)
Ana - Snow Owl (Legendary)
Bastion - Avalanche (Legendary)
Bastion - Avalanche (Legendary)
Hanzo - Casual (Legendary)
Hanzo - Casual (Legendary)
Junkrat - Beachrat (Legendary)
Junkrat - Beachrat (Legendary)
Roadhog - Ice Fisherman (Legendary)
Roadhog - Ice Fisherman (Legendary)
Soldier 76 - Alpine 76 (Legendary)
Soldier 76 - Alpine 76 (Legendary)
Sombra - Rime (Legendary)
Sombra - Rime (Legendary)
By GameSpot Staff on Dec 13, 2017 07:39 am
Battlegrounds Ready
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds can be an intense multiplayer experience, but the only way to really learn how to play it is to actually jump in. The battle royale-style game pits up to 100 players against each other, with the single goal of being the last player standing. With no tutorial, single-player mode, or other traditional ways to pick up how the game works, most players just have to spend lots of time getting killed in Battlegrounds in order to learn the ropes. But with a little information about the essentials, you can cut the learning curve significantly. Here are 12 essential tips to get you started in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds that'll help you hit the island running.
Speed And Smarts
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds starts with up to 100 players parachuting onto a giant island. The goal is to fight and survive to be the only person left, and in practice, that means you'll need to mix stealth, combat, and situational awareness to take out other players and avoid getting dropped yourself. Right from the beginning of the match, you'll have control in the air as you descend onto the game world. During this time, you can see other players and move your character to avoid them. Part of what makes Battlegrounds so interesting is its scope. The island is huge, allowing you to explore a big chunk of it for weapons, and features varied environments from power plants to houses to forests make for a lot of surprising encounters. But to win, you'll need to be both quick and intelligent. When moving around, sometimes it's best to holster your weapon to pick up speed. Though you will be more vulnerable, sometimes it's more important to move quickly. Pay attention to your surroundings, both indoors and out, and try to anticipate where other players might be waiting for you, especially when you check buildings--even the bathtubs, as they're a common hiding spot. Stay out of the open as much as possible and outsmart players by being patient and, to some degree, cautious. Your only goal is to stay alive, so sometimes, avoiding a fight is better than picking one. You can often get further in a match by letting other players do your dirty work for you and then picking them off when they're vulnerable. Just know that players who do more killing often end up with better gear, which can stack the deck against you as you get into Battlegrounds' later moments.
Learn (And Adjust) The Controls
The first thing you should do out of the gate is spend some time familiarizing yourself with the game's controls, and making any adjustments you desire. There are a lot of inputs to remember, and you'll need all your skills to play effectively. Among the most important is the ability to turn your head by holding down the Alt key (on PC) or the left stick (Xbox One). In third-person view mode, holding Alt or RB allows you to swivel the camera so you can see all the way around you without moving. This is essential, since the island is a huge place, and you constantly need to be on the lookout for other players. Everyone is gunning for you, and only by being more aware of your surroundings than your opponents will you emerge victorious. You'll also want to familiarize yourself with crouching and going prone, which minimize how visible you are and dictate how much sound your character makes while moving. Also, holding the Alt key can reduce the speed of your character, making them more quiet. Other handy controls include the B key or left on the D-pad, which lets you switch your weapons' firing modes, and Tab or Option, which opens your inventory screen and lets you quickly loot nearby bodies within a short distance. Managing your inventory quickly and efficiently is a key part of PUBG, so more on that later. For Xbox users, keep in mind that tapping, not holding, the left trigger will aim down sights. The back button opens the map, and LB boosts when you're driving. To switch from third- to first-person perspective, hit RB.
Be Aware Of The Circle
In PUBG, you can't just wander the island for as long as you want, wherever you want. Eventually, the play area constricts; if you check the in-game map with the M key, you'll see a white circle designating the new play field, with a timer in the bottom-right corner of your display. When the timer runs out, a larger blue circle will begin to close in around the white one. If you're caught outside the white circle when the blue one arrives, you'll start to take damage--and the longer the game goes on, the more quickly the blue forcefield will kill you. So in addition to hunting down and fighting other players (or avoiding them), you need to continually make your way into the white circle to avoid dying. And each smaller circle means there's a better and better chance you'll run into other players. In fact, a big part of every PUBG match is knowing where the circle is and how it'll affect you. Smart players use the circle as part of their strategy, using it to predict other players' movements and to ambush them as they flee its deadly contractions. You'll often see people waiting on bridges and at other choke points where they know other players are forced to pass to keep inside the circle. Thinking about where the circle will force players to go, and anticipating bad situations when you're forced to move, will help you survive.
What To Know About Your Gear
When you first drop onto the island in PUBG, you'll have only the clothes on your back. If you happen to encounter a player immediately, you can punch them, but every drop is a race for the nearest buildings, and with them, guns. You'll find guns and other equipment almost exclusively inside buildings, so most of the time, you'll want to move from structure to structure. Your primary concern at the outset of the game is to get armed, but you also will need more than guns. Gear in PUBG includes body armor, backpacks to lug your stuff, and health items. In every game, you immediately want to seek out a vest and helmet for protection. However, higher tiered gear can protect against the more vulnerable areas of your body, such as tier 3 helmet offering a facemask to protect against head damage. These won't make you invincible, but they allow you to take a lot more damage and use up fewer healing items before dying. Armor items and backpacks come in three tiers, with the third being the rarest and most effective. Most of the game is about checking buildings for better stuff, and you can expect other players to be doing the same. By the later stages of any match, expect your opponents to be pretty well decked out. Always keep an eye out for better gear, whether it's in the buildings you stop by or on the players you kill.
Manage Your Inventory
Even with the biggest backpacks and best gear in Battlegrounds, your ability to carry equipment is limited. You can only cram so many first aid kits, energy drinks, and ammo boxes into your pockets. A lot of PUBG is about knowing what to take and what to leave behind, and setting up your weapons with useful attachments as quickly as possible. You can open your character's inventory screen with the Tab key or Option button, but know that you're vulnerable while you're messing with the menus. On the Inventory screen, you'll see three weapon slots for two rifles or SMGs, a pistol, a melee weapon, and grenades, along with spaces for equippable armor. When you stand near gear you want to pick up, you'll see it arrayed in the top-left corner of the screen, and you can pick items up from there instead of looking at them individually and hitting F or X. From there, you can drag items directly to where they go on your character, which cancels the "pick-up" animation that leaves your character vulnerable for a second or two. Once you get familiar with what gear goes where, this seemingly small consideration might save your life as you grab a gun or ammo in a clutch moment. Knowing how to prioritize stuff in your inventory is extremely important. For instance, you only want to carry ammo for the guns you've got with you. While it's tempting to pick up tons of bandages, they can only heal up to 75% health, and you may be better off keeping only a few on hand and saving space for boosts (which we'll get to later) and medkits or first aid kits. Grenades can be effective, but their uses are pretty limited. As for attachments for weapons you don't have, unless they're very rare and potentially useful if you find the right gun (like suppressors), they're just just dead weight and will clog up inventory space--especially for lower tiered backpacks that hold fewer items. If you do have a Tier 2 or 3 backpack, taking ammo or attachments for coveted weapons, space providing, can help prevent the opposition from getting ahold of important resources. While you want to find as much good gear as quickly as possible in PUBG, you also want to throw away anything you're not getting much use out of. Ammo for your assault rifle is much more important than ammo for your pistol, for instance. And even though your Tier 3 body armor might be damaged, it's still more effective at stopping bullets than a Tier 1 vest.
It's All About Sound
Situational awareness is essential in PUBG. The island is so big that it's possible to go for long periods without seeing any other players, but catching sight of people before they see you is essential to making it all the way to the end. Even more important than sight, though, is sound. Sound carries quite a long way in PUBG. Fire a gun and you'll be heard for a huge distance around you, often drawing more players to your location. Driving a vehicle creates even more sound, announcing your position to everyone in the area. But even at a local level, footsteps make a good amount of noise. You'll often hear players before you see them, and being able to gauge the locations of noisy players and ambush them is an important skill--as is knowing where players might be waiting to do the same to you. It's highly recommended that you play Battlegrounds with a solid pair of headphones, preferably the wrap-around kind that support stereo sound. Your best assets in the game aren't your guns but your ears. Most of the times you'll encounter other players, you'll hear them long before you see them.
Loot And Scoot
In PUBG, it's important to keep moving and to constantly seek out better equipment. Hiding out in a good spot in the middle of the circle might seem like a great idea, but often you'll handicap yourself--you might make it to the Top 10 in a game where you hide out in an attic for 20 minutes, but you'll often be underpowered compared to the players who have been battling it out for the entire match. It's important to balance caution with taking risks, and to learn which situations call for which approach. In general, though, you'll want to check a building as quickly as you can, get everything you need from it, and move on. But be aware of your surroundings. For players just starting out, a good thing to watch for are open doors. All the doors in PUBG are closed by default, so doors standing open were definitely opened by players. But you can also close doors behind you, which is a great way to throw someone off your trail or set up an ambush by making a building look untouched when you're actually hiding inside. If you suspect an enemy might be nearby but the exterior doors on a building are closed, one good strategy is to check the windows. Interior doors are also closed by default, so if you can look into a building from the outside to see open doors on the inside, you might avoid walking into a trap. It's also worth noting that the biggest, most interesting buildings--apartments, the power plant, the military base, the school, and so on--often house the best gear. However, they also attract the most players who have the same idea to trek into large spaces for more valuable gear.
Learn The Good Weapons
There are a ton of guns in PUBG, and they're not all equal. Some are good for different situations--a shotgun can be devastating in close-quarters interior combat but next to useless out in the field. Most guns can also support a number of attachments, from suppressors to better stocks, that change how they handle and can make middling weapons into powerhouses. Your general approach should be to try to find assault rifles like the M16A and the AKM. These guns are reliable in a variety of situations and are great up close or at range, especially when you find scopes for them. Sniper rifles are rare and also worth snagging when you can find them, especially if you have a 4x or 8x scope. As you get better at PUBG, you'll find getting the right guns and the optics to go with them is a big part of outfitting yourself to make it to the late stages of the game. But if you can spend time messing with each gun, preferably in combat, figuring out what weapons you personally like and do well with is better than any generalized advice. Learning the weapons of the game and getting comfortable with them will also make you more adaptive. Know where your strengths lie and play to them, while increasing your skills in areas they don't. A big part of the Battlegrounds experience is learning the ins and outs of the guns so that you can do well, whether you have your favorite weapons or something you found in an emergency.
Healing And Boosting Are Essential
Other key items you'll find in Battlegrounds are first-aid kits, medkits, bandages, painkillers, and energy drinks. These are all healing items, but they don't all work in the same way. Bandages, for instance, will restore 10 percent of your health, but only up to 75 percent of your maximum. First aid kits are the same way; they'll heal you any amount up to the 75 percent threshold. Only rarer medkits and boosting items--painkillers and energy drinks--can fully restore you to 100 percent health. Boosters work differently from straight-up health items. Using an energy drink or a painkiller fills a small bar located above your health bar, which indicates your boost level. At the first level, your character will gradually heal, which means you can use boosters to restore yourself to 100 percent from 75 percent health, but gradually, over several seconds. Using more boosters will give you other benefits, like a slightly increased run speed and quicker gun handling, that can be essential in the late game. But it's important to note that all healing items don't work immediately. You'll have to stay still for several seconds as you deploy them. That means in order to use a first aid kit or drink an energy drink, you'll be vulnerable. Plan accordingly.
Watch Out For The Red Zone
Occasionally, you'll see a bright red circle appear on the map, combined with an on-screen announcement that a Red Zone has started. This is a warning to get to cover if you're in the affected area. After a few seconds, bombs will start to fall and explode randomly across the area for a short period, adding another way you can meet your death in PUBG. Red zones are by no means an instant death sentence, however. If you're running through a red zone and you've got no shelter, you should keep running and hope for the best. If you're in a car, you can often successfully drive through. If you can, get in a house, and stay away from doors and windows to be safe--since bombs can break glass and damage you if you're too close. If you're traveling and see a red zone pop up, avoid it, as it can be deadly at worst and noisy and distracting at best.
Use Cover
When you do eventually get into a fight with another player, knowing where to stand and how to protect yourself is extremely helpful. Bullets never penetrate through trees, making them great cover, but bushes only make you hard to see, not hard to kill. Doors won't stop incoming fire, but walls will. You can also use the Q and E keys to lean left and right, allowing you to peek out from behind cover or around a corner to take shots without exposing your entire body. When you get killed in a fight, try to pay attention to where you were and what you did wrong. Were you standing right in front of a door when an enemy decided to blow it out with their shotgun? Did you strafe the wrong way around a tree? Learn where you're safe and where you aren't, and then use that knowledge to limit the situations in which you're less safe than the enemy.
Play Smarter Than The Competition
All the best guns and gear in PUBG don't hold a candle to your most important weapon: Your brain. PUBG is a game about assessing situations quickly and dealing with them accordingly. That means that just because you hear gunfire in the distance doesn't mean you go charging toward it, and just because you see an enemy 100 yards off doesn't mean you start unloading in their direction in the hope you might rack up a kill. Discretion is the name of the game in PUBG. Knowing when you are an effective fighter and when you're not, and turning the situation to your advantage, is what the game is really about. In practice, that means you usually should avoid firing your gun. Unless you're confident you can take out the other player, opening fire is like unfurling a giant "come kill me" sign above your head. Shooting at someone and failing to kill them risks providing them with the knowledge of your location, giving them a better chance to kill you. And that's to say nothing of the other curious players who might come to investigate the noise. Being smart doesn't necessarily mean being meek, though. For a lot of new players, it's easy to give into the tension of Battlegrounds and to find a place to hole up to wait for the end of the match. Not only is that boring, but it won't teach you anything. It can be useful to drop into some of the busiest locations in PUBG, like the centers of towns or the military bases, and get into some fights. The game currently doesn't include a killcam or any other way of seeing who kills you and from where--so if you hide in an attic all game before being forced to make a run for the circle as it contracts, only to get sniped by some player you never see, you won't learn anything. And learning is how you become better. So don't be afraid to try and fail. The odds are 99 to one that you'll die in a PUBG match. Don't fear death or get frustrated by it; embrace it and let those experiences make you better. PUBG is a game about outsmarting other players, and it takes a lot of losing to learn how best to do that.
By Dan Auty on Dec 13, 2017 03:08 am
Star Wars created modern movie merchandising. Before the original 1977 blockbuster was released, the idea of selling film tie-in merchandise was largely limited to books and magazines--certainly not toys, let alone food or clothes. But the legacy of George Lucas's classic is such that much of a movie's success can be directly tied into the number of toys, books, burgers, soda, and assorted plastic trinkets that can be shifted alongside theater tickets. No other film franchise since has produced a wider range of branded merchandise, and inevitably, some of what has been available over the decades has been somewhat unusual, to say the least. So let's take a look at some of the strangest items ever to carry a Star Wars logo….
Wampa Rug
The Wampa might be a fearsome Tauntaun-slaughtering ice beast, but he also makes for a comfy rug. After a long day patrolling the snow plains of Hoth, you can kick back and relax on the "high-quality synthetic fur, plush pillow head and fearsome claws." Just don't tell Mark Hamill, who doesn't approve of mistreating Wampas.
R2-D2 Aquarium
R2-D2 can do many things--he's a maintenance droid, co-pilot, waiter, and Death Star plan smuggler. It turns out he's also a great fishtank. Yes, you can buy an R2 aquarium. It holds 6.6 liters of water and comes with waterproof foliage that will provide your fish with a suitably relaxing aquatic environment. And if that wasn't enough, R2's eye is in fact a reverse-periscope that allows you to keep a close watch on your fish!
Star Wars Fishing Equipment
For those Star Wars fans who prefer to eat fish rather than watch them, there is also this handy fishing kit. The contents include a tackle box, lightsaber rod, and a Darth Vader "fun net." Because if there's one thing you associate with Vader, it's fun, right?
C-3PO Tape Dispenser
Let's face it, C-3PO is probably the most sensible, well-organized character in the franchise, so if you're going to sell Star Wars stationary, he's the droid to help you do it. But the design of this sticky tape dispenser, which was released back in 1981, is something else. At best, it looks like ol' golden pants is riding the dispenser like a speeder bike. At worst… well, let's not go there. Still, it might be worth checking to see if you have one hidden in a cupboard somewhere, as the 3PO tape dispenser has been known to reach up to $200 on eBay.
Jar Jar Binks Candy Tongue
Jar Jar Binks might be the most reviled character in the entire Star Wars franchise, but it was clearly hoped at one stage that he would capture the imagination of a generation of kids and help sell a lot of merchandise. The candy tongue dispenser is surely the most disturbing item on this list; it's a piece of tongue-shaped candy that protrudes from the Gungan's gaping mouth. This nightmarish creation is something you'd expect to find in a David Cronenberg movie, not on the shelves in your local sweet shop.
Slave Leia Perfume
Just because you're being held prisoner by a disgusting slug-like space gangster doesn't mean you can't smell nice, right? Slave Leia perfume was sold at Star Wars Celebration in 2010, and promised a "warm sultry mix of cashmere woods, musk and night-blooming jasmine."
Empty Star Wars Box
Such was the insane success of the original Star Wars movie that fans were very happy to spend good money on what was, essentially, an empty box. While the franchise created the rules of movie merchandising, toy manufacturer Kenner was initially caught by surprise by the demand for its upcoming line of action figures. The solution was to sell what they termed an "early bird certificate package" with the promise that the toys themselves would be sent once they rolled off the production line six months later.
Kylo Ren Adult Suitcase
While it's true that the universal appeal of Star Wars stretches across the generations, there are some pieces of tie-in merch that's it hard to imagine a sane adult would want to be seen with. The Kylo Ren suitcase is a one such item. This is a full-size adult suitcase that costs around $200, with Kylo's face on the front, starfield interior, and a pull-up lightsaber handle.
Yoda Magic 8-Ball
On the face of it, this Magic 8-Ball designed like everyone's favourite Jedi master seems innocuous enough. Who better to deliver predictions and advice than Yoda? Unfortunately, in order to see what wisdom he had to share with them, kids of the 1980s had to turn Yoda upside down and stare straight up his robes. Like this I do not!
Revenge Of The Sith Air Sickness Bag
A cross promotion between Virgin Atlantic and LucasArts to promote the Revenge of the Sith video game resulted in this essential piece of in-flight paraphernalia. As well as providing a handy receptacle for aeronautical vomit, the bags also presented useful instructions about lightsaber operation and how to battle Sith Lords.
Revenge Of The Sith Toilet Paper
The third prequel's link to bodily expulsion didn't stop with sick bags. 2005 also saw the release of Revenge of the Sith branded toilet paper. A brave decision we think, given the feelings that many fans have about the prequel trilogy.
Star Wars Angry Birds Costume
Here at GameSpot, we love video games, Star Wars, and Star Wars video games. What we do not love are these costumes, which allows the game-playing Star Wars fan to dress up as their favourite character from Angry Birds Star Wars. Just no.
Star Wars Bantha Pet Dog Costume
Why should the fun stop at dressing yourself up? Thanks to this canine accessory, your beloved pet can pretend to be a Bantha, carrying Sand People across the deserts of Tatooine from the one Jawa massacre to the next.
Darth Vader Mood Light
We're not quite sure what mood this Vader-themed light is supposed to get you in. The mood for galactic dominance? To obliterate entire planets? To turn your son to the side of evil perhaps? In any case, this soothing light will get you suitably relaxed and ready to fully embrace the Dark Side.
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