According to a Larian Studios press release, in Fallen Heroes, you'll delve "deeper into the world of Rivellon as you command your troops aboard the Lady Vengeance. Explore new lands and wield new weapons and skills. Build your squad and vanquish never-before seen corners of Rivellon." The game will feature both single player and two-player coop.
Divinity: Fallen Heroes is a new tactical game oozing with RPG elements, developed as a co-production between @larianstudios and @logicartists. Faced with a new evil, we're calling on YOU to command The Lady Vengeance and continue the story of Divinity: Original Sin 2. pic.twitter.com/POOvvACeXe
Several characters from Original Sin II return to help you fight on your quest, including Malady, Fane, Ifan, Lohse, Sebille, Red Emperor, and Beast. Combat is tactical, forcing you to make calculated decisions on the battlefield and challenging you to strategize prior to every encounter. The hub you'll return to between missions is a flying battleship called Lady Vengeance. It's there you'll manage your crew, influencing their relationships in how you interact with them.
Fallen Heroes introduces gun powder into the world of Divinity, allowing characters to wield firearms for the first time in the franchise. A new surface, called Sulfurium, has been introduced as well. Read more about the game from Larian Studios' synopsis below.
Play with mysterious hero character Malady for the first time in a Divinity game, as well as an all-new character. Or take control of the famous Godwoken.
Select from 30+ different unit types to create the perfect squad and equip them with over 200 skills
Decide which technology to research and what artifacts to obtain to give your troops that extra oomph
Unlock devastating source powers for your flying battleship, The Lady Vengeance, that will turn the tide of battle
Recruit unique veteran troops but be careful: if you lose them in battle, they are gone for good!
Divinity: Fallen Heroes is scheduled to release on "multiple platforms" later this year. If you haven't played it yet, consider picking up Divinity: Original Sin II. In our review, we gave the game a 10/10, and the title went on to be one of our favorites of 2017. It's definitive edition is also one of our best reissued games of 2018.
We're in the final days of March, which means two things for PlayStation Plus members: March's free PS4 games will soon disappear, and another two free games will be available to download in April. Unfortunately, PS3 and Vita games are no longer part of the monthly package, and the latest free pair of games aren't quite on the same level as March's fantastic offerings. April's PS Plus games are The Surge and Conan Exiles, and they'll be available to download starting April 2.
The Surge is a science-fiction RPG heavily inspired by the Dark Souls series and takes place in a grim, dystopian future where the world has been ravaged by war and environmental diseases. Robots and clones make up a majority of the workforce, so the humans who are left must fight to survive while wearing exoskeleton implants intended to boost speed and strength. Critic Daniel Starkey gave the game a 7/10 in GameSpot's The Surge review.
"Not everything hits, but The Surge works far more often than it doesn't, and what it does change is mostly better executed here than in its forebears," Starkey wrote. "Deck 13 has crafted a satisfying adventure that breathes new life into a flooded sub-genre."
Then there's Conan Exiles, an open-world survival adventure set in the universe of Conan the Barbarian. You play a customizable character who has been rescued by Conan and must now explore the harsh world known as The Exiled Lands. Resource gathering, item crafting, and shelter building all play a role in your quest for survival. However, the game received a 3/10 in GameSpot's Conan Exiles review--critic James Swinbanks took issue with the game's multiple bugs, confusing AI, and unexciting combat.
"Ultimately, Conan Exiles is one of the most unsatisfying games I've ever played," he wrote. "Its crafting and resource systems may be dense enough that the ultra-patient could find something to enjoy here, but anyone else would likely walk away with their hands thrown up in defeat."
That said, both of these games are totally free, so if they sound interesting to you, be sure to download and try them out while they're available next month. In the meantime, you can still download March's free PS Plus games until April 2 at 8 AM PST / 11 AM EST / 3 PM GMT (and 2 AM AET on April 3). The two freebies are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, the 2016 revamp of Activision's critically acclaimed shooter, and The Witness, a gorgeous puzzle game set on a mysterious island. Both titles have been enhanced for the PS4 Pro.
Most of the tough bosses in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are sword-wielding warriors, forcing you to fight through their blows and take them down when their guard is broken. Occasionally, though, you'll face some huge, mythic beasts, like the Blazing Bull or the Great Serpent. The Guardian Ape is another such ridiculous monster, and its wide variety of moves and effective ranges make it a difficult beast to best.
You'll find the Guardian Ape on your road through the poisonous swamps of the Sunken Valley. The boss guards a flower you need to advance Sekiro's story, so you'll have to deal with it sooner or later--although if you can bulk up with Prayer Beads or by finishing off other bosses first, you might want to do so. Amping your attack power against the Guardian Ape is very useful, since you'll have to do a lot of damage to it during the fight.
We've got everything you'll need to know to deal with the Guardian Ape, from its poop-throwing antics to its sword-swinging mayhem. For more Sekiro guides, check out our giant (and growing) knowledge center about the game.
Slash Away To Do Damage
The Guardian Ape isn't a boss you're going to parry away at to knock down his posture. Instead, you need to deal damage to lower its Vitality, which means looking for openings to wail away at it with your sword. A lot of those openings are tough to find, and you won't be able to do much damage. You'll want to balance between being close to the Guardian Ape, so you can get in and do damage, and staying clear of some of its tougher moves. Stay at mid-range, and use the whole arena to get away from moves you can't handle, while staying away from the walls so you don't get hemmed in.
Be Sure To Parry
Just because the Guardian Ape isn't using a blade doesn't mean you can't parry its attacks. In fact, the Guardian Ape is too quick and its arms too long for you to avoid most of its strikes; parrying is the only real way to stay in the fight and to keep close enough to do damage. The best time to attack is after the Ape's big four-move combo--it starts with a swing from each arm, followed by an attack that'll push you pretty far away, and ending with the Ape leaping in from above. Parry all of them, but especially the last two, and you'll open up the Ape for a counterattack. This is one of your best opportunities to deal damage. Another is after the vertical swing the Ape does, in which it follows through to land on its back and flail around like it's throwing a tantrum. Sprint around toward its head and get in a few attacks as it finishes rolling around, then get clear.
Grapple In And Go For The Face
One of the best opportunities for damaging the Guardian Ape comes from using your grappling hook. When the Ape stops to roar, it'll expose the sword in its neck that lets you grab it to swing in. If you have it unlocked, use the Ashina skill that lets you attack after a grapple and you can come in and get two good swings at the boss's face before you even hit the ground. You can also sometimes grapple in when the Ape is walking around the battlefield. You'll need to stay relatively close, though, so you don't miss the grapple opportunities, which are basically free damage.
Stay Away From The Back And Dodge That Poop!
One set of moves will have the Guardian Ape swinging away at you, then coming around into a sitting position with its back to you. That makes a tempting target, but keep your distance, because the Ape has two ways of responding to your presence. The first way is to quickly spin around, pound the ground, and open up with a big swinging attack, all of which you'll need to block or parry to stay alive. The second is to stand up more slowly and rip off a huge fart that drops green gas all over the area, which is poisonous. It's better just to stay away.
The fart move is almost always followed by the Ape's dangerous ranged attack, in which it poops in its hand, leaps into the air, and throws the giant turd in your direction. This is a tough attack because it'll do quite a bit of damage, as well as potentially hit you with poison. If your poison meter is low, the most reliable way to handle the attack is to block it and take the poison hit. But if you're risking poison affliction, try sprinting away and hitting the dodge button just as the turd would hit you to avoid it. Be aware that if you stay too far away from the Ape, you're likely to trigger this attack as well, so it's better to stay relatively close.
Use The Firecrackers
Most enemies are distracted by the Firecrackers prosthetic, and it's very effective against animals like the Guardian Ape. That doesn't mean it's foolproof, but you can often interrupt the Guardian Ape's attacks with Firecrackers, giving you a chance to get in close and knock out a few slashes. Like any boss, be careful not to use the Firecrackers when you're already vulnerable, as they won't always stop an attack animation that's already started. They're great for getting in a few good hits or for getting a little breathing room to heal.
Watch That Head
Once you lop off the Guardian Ape's head, you're actually not done fighting it--you'll face it in a second round as a headless, sword-wielding monster thanks to its status as an Infested. The head is still dangerous, though. If you stay too close to the Guardian Ape, it'll smash its head back against its neck and start screaming. The scream is a visible shimmer around the ape and if you're too close, you'll take damage--and you'll experience Terror. If the Terror bar fills up, it'll kill you, so make sure you get away from the Ape as fast as you can when you see the Perilous symbol appear. The best way is to just sprint directly away; look for the start of the move, which is the Ape starting to bring the head up toward its neck.
The Vertical Slash Gives You An Opening
A few moves are worth parrying to protect yourself or to get an opening, but there's one key attack that you absolutely want to parry every single time you see it. That's the vertical smash strike the boss does with its sword. You'll know it because it's a bit of a dancerly move, with the Guardian Ape raising the sword into the air and sort of wavering back and forth. It's a bit of a delayed attack and takes a try or two to get the timing right, but parrying it is essential. A perfect parry on that move will cause the Guardian Ape to pitch forward and fall, lying on the ground for a few seconds so you can slash away at it. If you don't go for any other attack opportunities, make sure you go for this one. The massive damage you can do will make the fight go pretty quickly.
(Spoilers!) Guardian Ape Redux
Once you've beaten the Guardian Ape, you can continue through the Sunken Valley to the poisonous Ashina Depths, where you'll eventually find a giant cave. Inside is your old pal Guardian Ape, now seemingly forlorn because he has to carry his head around with him everywhere, and yet cannot die. You can fight the ape one last time to get another Memory to increase your attack power.
The fight is broken into two phases. The first proceeds the same as your last fight with the headless version of the Guardian Ape did, and is generally pretty easy--especially if you remember to block the vertical attacks that stagger the boss and let you get in a bunch of free hits.
The second half of the fight is the tough one. Once you land a deathblow on the Guardian Ape, it'll roar and call in its mate, a smaller brown ape that fights with many of the same moves the original, headed version of the Guardian Ape did. You're now fighting two enemies at once, but it's not as bad as it sounds. Target the brown ape, which is much weaker than the Guardian Ape, but try to keep both on your screen as much as you can. Focus on killing the brown ape as fast as possible. You should be able to do it pretty quickly, since the brown ape's Posture doesn't recover as fast as the Guardian Ape's did, and it has much less health. Just do your best to keep the Guardian Ape in your peripheral vision so it doesn't hack you up while your back is turned.
Once the brown ape is down, it's a simple matter to finish off the Guardian Ape and land that final deathblow to sever its immortality.
First revealed at The Game Awards 2018, Journey to the Savage Planet takes a decidedly more strange and self-aware approach to the premise of the lone space adventurer exploring a distant world. Instead of seeking knowledge and charting new areas of the universe for the betterment of humanity, it's your job as an interstellar adventurer to make way for the inevitable push of capitalism by prepping the planet for your employer--a mid-tier corporation that has an endless flow of products to sell.
We spent some time with Journey to the Savage Planet during GDC 2019 and spoke with Typhoon Studios co-founder and creative director Alex Hutchinson about the developer's approach to the familiar premise, why he's proud the game features no procedurally generated content, and how players will always be within reach of consumerist tendencies, even in the furthest reaches of space.
Playing as an unnamed planetary settler for Kindred Aerospace--the fourth-best interstellar corporation in the universe--you'll explore a distant planet housing strange wildlife and plentiful resources. With the intent on making the planet ready for colonization, you'll quickly find that the creatures of the planet are more than capable of defending their territory from invaders. To make things more complicated, the planet possesses signs of intelligent life, and prominently features some ominous ancient ruins hinting at something hidden deep within the planet. In order to complete your lonely mission, you'll need to collect as much data as you can and uncover the secrets of the ruins, and this is all while enduring constant advertisements for Kindred products.
In a similar vein to the adventurous jaunts found in No Man's Sky, the key to accomplishing your goals in Savage Planet is to explore as much as you can, scan everything in sight, and collect resources. But in contrast to the scale and breadth of procedurally generated content found in the former game, Typhoon Studios' self-aware take on the space-adventure is set entirely on one planet, allowing you to get acquainted with all the bizarre sights found within. Your only safe haven on the planet is your makeshift base. If you die, a 3D-printed copy of yourself will respawn here, allowing you to continue your mission.
Typhoon Studio worked to present a setting that shows personality and nuance, Hutchinson said, setting Savage Planet apart from other games that rely heavily on tech that creates content on the fly.
"It's kind of like we're a hipster game, we made all of the content in-game by hand," said Hutchinson while explaining Typhoon's approach to world design. "Personally, I don't think anything made by an algorithm is worth looking at. The meaning of anything creative for me is why you did it and how you did it. If no one did, then I don't really find it that meaningful. It's like you're missing the point by relying on that technology too much. Also, we made a very funny game, and there really aren't a lot of games like that out there. I remember growing up with games like the Super Nintendo and the Amiga 500, and playing these new games you'd see these bright blue skies, and it had an optimistic outlook in them where you would actually like to be in those cool worlds. That was really attractive to me, and it's something that's somewhat absent now."
In keeping with those retro roots, Savage Planet has a lot in common with games like Metroid and Castlevania, focusing on the exploration of an interconnected environment. Over the course of your expedition, you'll gradually find some rare materials to upgrade your suit and weaponry. With the planet divided into four distinct biomes, each area requires certain gadgets to traverse. For instance, the grappling hook upgrade can open up new shortcuts and sections of the planet, and is surprisingly useful when trying to evade certain enemies.
Just when you think you've gotten used to the strange wildlife, such as non-hostile creatures that howl with an ear-piercing screech if provoked, you'll encounter some of the more dangerous critters. During the demo, we came across a larger beast that could fire out mortar strikes from its back.
Personally, I don't think anything made by an algorithm is worth looking at. The meaning of anything creative for me is why you did it and how you did it.
One of the more interesting twists on the larger plot is that your character is an extension of the larger corporation that's come to colonize the planet. Though the game doesn't outright refer to you as a colonizer or an invader, it's not hard to see that you're clearly encroaching upon territory that isn't yours, especially when it's your job to disrupt the environment for a company that can just as easily clone you as it tries to sell you on more of its products. With no means of two-way communication, your only link back to civilization is with constant live-action advertisements that mimic late-night '90s infomercials. These ads all praise the corporation's mid-tier achievements while hawking bizarre goods that are mostly useless for your mission--even more so in the grander scheme of trying to find ancient life on the planet.
"We often joke that you're basically coming to this alien world to ruin it," said Hutchinson. "But everything we've placed in this game has a point. When a game says 'you're on an adventure!' it's usually not for no reason, there is a broader point to be made, a payoff. You have your goal and your core missions to find and accomplish, and you can accomplish those goals at any time in your own way. But also, we're going to bombard you with weird advertisements along the way."
What I found most interesting about Journey to the Savage Planet is how it managed to blend satire with the experience of an isolating exploration game, which felt surprisingly more intimate than expected. That feeling of isolation is often punctuated with the obnoxious live-action advertisements, which are the closest connection you have to civilization and a friendly face. Though it's still a ways out from launch, planned for a Q1 2020 release, Typhoon's new game seems to be striking a particular tone that aims to be more thoughtful with the pulpy premise than it initially lets on.
If you've been keeping your eyes peeled for deals on gaming computers and accessories, today's a great time to stock up on whatever you need: Best Buy is running a flash sale for today only on some great hardware, including laptops, desktops, TVs, tablets, headphones, keyboards, and way more. Plus, some Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One games are included as part of the sale, as well as Xbox One bundles. The sale ends tonight at 9:59 PM PT / 12:59 AM ET, so these deals will be gone by tomorrow.
PC gamers should definitely check out the discounts on PC accessories, like this Corsair mechanical gaming keyboard with back lighting--it's built with an aircraft-grade aluminum frame to last you for years. It's also $60 off, selling for only $110 now. This Corsair laser gaming mouse has 4.7 stars and over 1,000 reviews--and it's marked down 50% at only $30. Need a new headset you can wear comfortably for hours? The Razer Kraken Pro V2 headset is marked down to $60 and has great sound quality at an affordable price. A couple of Gamdias Talos mid-tower PC cases on on sale too--one with three dual-ring RGB fans that's discounted at $140, and another with two fans you can get for only $75. There are also some gaming chairs available, like this Gamdias Achilles gaming chair that comes in multiple colors--it's $30 off, so you can get it for $240 instead of $270.
There are also some console deals--if you buy one of these Xbox One bundles, you'll get a $50 e-gift card for free from Best Buy. The bundles eligible for the free gift card include the The Division 2, Fortnite, NBA 2K19, Battlefield V, Anthem, and the Metro Saga. Even better: choose among these select consoles (many of them overlap with the aforementioned bundles), and you'll also get $20 off a controller and $10 off a 3-month or 6-month Xbox Live Gold card in addition to the $50 gift card. Not bad!
The diorama-like design of Yoshi's Crafted World falls somewhere between capturing how a child might imagine a world and being a joyful expression of imagination in its own right, with washi tape snails, cardboard cows, and fish made from paper planes set among carefully laid-out stages. Each set of two or three levels introduces a new theme and its own quirks to discover, from the various ways everyday objects are recycled into art to how those crafts might be concealing the collectible you're after. While the best ideas mostly stay in their own levels and don't really build upon themselves or each other, each area is a delight to explore on its own.
Crafted World plays largely like other Yoshi games. You gobble up enemies to get eggs, throw the eggs at stuff, and maybe find some friends and secrets along the way, all with unlimited lives and very little to pressure you. The big change in Crafted World is the addition of a dimension--while you still mostly move left or right in 2D, some paths allow you to move forward or backward onto a separate left-right pathway, and you can throw eggs forward and backward, too. Aiming into the foreground or background shifts the depth of field so you can better see what's around you, with the added effect of making the levels seem even more like 3D, handmade dioramas.
Because coins, collectibles, and other points of interest are scattered throughout the foreground and background as well as your immediate path, you're encouraged to engage with the environment in every direction throughout a level. Finding a secret can mean spotting a suspiciously empty space and hoping an invisible winged cloud is there like in previous games, but it also means keeping an eye on the horizon for collectibles poking out from behind background decorations or moving Yoshi forward a bit to get a better look through a cardboard building's window. It's hard not to wonder what might be behind a bush or off in the distance, and Yoshi's Crafted World fosters that inherent curiosity with small, endearing details.
Each set of levels has its own theme, from the jungle to ninjas to a haunted house. The 16 different themes comprise a wide variety of cute and creative takes on the craft aesthetic; the jungle's frog platforms jump using folded-paper springs, the ninja Shy Guys throw origami shuriken, and the haunted house features a large cardboard puppet Shy Guy that wields a cardboard scythe and chases you through a graveyard. Inanimate crafts are frequently juxtaposed with a moving or puppeted version--childlike bird cutouts in the background with 3D bird enemies in your immediate vicinity, for example--which only enhances the feeling that the levels are imagination brought to life.
Some levels have not-crafty additions to round out their themes, many of which provide interesting wrinkles to the standard Yoshi mechanics. One jungle level is an on-rails shooter that tasks you with throwing eggs at animal-shaped targets to score points; one of the ninja levels is set behind a moving shoji screen so that much of your platforming and collecting is done in silhouette, forcing you act quickly when the path to a collectible is revealed. Nearly every area has at least one non-standard level, and the variety helps break up the slower, more deliberate pace of the typical Yoshi levels.
Some ideas, like the shoji screen, make sense as one-offs, but most of the areas exist disparately from one another, and the most interesting ideas are never developed beyond their original incarnations. The ninja area (a clear highlight) has rotating doors that turn 180 degrees when you shoot them, revealing platforms you might need to progress or moving Yoshi to the other side of a wall where treasure awaits. They aren't tricky puzzles, but the front-to-back movement of the doors plays off the 3D and visual depth effects especially well, and it's disappointing that they aren't used more and to greater effect as the levels progress.
The levels are designed to be replayed, though. After completing certain levels, you'll unlock the "flip side" version, which gives you the simple task of finding three Poochy Pups (as opposed to dozens of collectible items). The flip side gives you a closer look at the construction, from the tape holding things together to a pair of scissors left among the crafts in the background. While totally optional, the flip side has a different layer of detail that is charming in its own way--especially when you realize that the hard-to-reach tower that housed a collectible you're proud of getting is actually a milk carton.
The Yoshi games' usual relaxed approach suits this well. Breezy platforming allows you to put all your focus on taking in the scenery and keeping an eye out for hidden collectibles, and by extension, you can replay levels with a purpose--like seeking out an item you missed, which you know is somewhere in the middle--without having to slog through a frustrating or tedious beginning. By the same token, finding collectibles is a matter of being curious rather than completing difficult maneuvers. It's certainly not a cakewalk to find everything, but if you know what you're looking for and you're patient, it's satisfying and never so challenging as to disrupt the atmosphere of the game.
Breezy platforming allows you to put all your focus on taking in the scenery and keeping an eye out for hidden collectibles, and by extension, you can replay levels without having to slog through a frustrating or tedious beginning.
There are a number of ways to make the game a bit easier or more laid-back. The returning Mellow Mode, which gives Yoshi longer air time and more damage resistance, and two-player co-op are basic options, but I found myself gravitating toward Yoshi's costumes, which you can unlock using the coins you collect normally. The crafted costumes--favorites include a trash bin and a dinosaur skeleton--function as armor, giving you a few extra hits before you start taking damage. In addition to being adorable and fitting the overall vibe nicely, they're a good middle ground for those who still want normal jump distances but the freedom to walk into a few Shy Guys on accident.
Yoshi's Crafted World is at its best when it's relaxing and pleasant. The 2D-to-3D level design keeps you curious while the go-at-your-own-pace approach keeps the pressure off and leaves you to appreciate the small, imaginative details. Its most interesting ideas never evolve past their first introductions and are frequently confined to one or two levels, but individually, those levels both reward your curiosity and your willingness to slow down and look at what's around you--and it's those simple pleasures that provide the most joy.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood was unveiled at E3 2018, promising a co-op trip through Paris, set in the 1980s. Now, publisher Bethesda has announced the game's release date of July 26.
In addition, the company has revealed more details about its cooperative play. Specifically, it stated those who purchase the deluxe edition can invite one friend at a time to play with them online for no extra cost using the game's Buddy Pass. The chosen friend can download and play as much as they like, for free, as long as they play with the deluxe edition owner. They can then upgrade to the full game to play whenever they like and with friends of their own. Alternatively, if you don't like the thought of playing online with a friend, you can utilise the help of an AI teammate.
The deluxe edition also comes with an array of cosmetic items as part of the Cyborg Skin Pack, while players who pre-order any version of the game will receive a different selection of cosmetics called the Legacy Pack. Pricing for either edition has yet to be announced.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is coming to PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It stars sisters Jess and Soph, who are searching for their lost father and series stalwart, BJ Blazkowicz.
Bethesda recently confirmed Youngblood--as well as Rage 2, Doom Eternal, and more titles from the publisher--will still release on Steam, despite the recent trend of PC games skipping Valve's store for Epic's equivalent.
By Anonymous on Mar 27, 2019 06:30 pm Does each season of American Horror Story represent a different circle of Hell? We think so! Find out why as we examine the long-speculated Dante's Inferno AHS Theory.
After numerous teases, Gearbox Software has seemingly announced a new Borderlands game and released a short teaser trailer for it. While the video, which you can watch above, doesn't outright state it is for Borderlands 3 specifically, it certainly looks to be an entirely new entry in the loot-based shooter series. The teaser, which is titled "Mask of Mayhem," takes the viewer through a kind of diorama in which characters and familiar looking enemies are posed in a way that builds intrigue around what the game could be about. It also teases some of the high jinks players will get into.
It opens with a shot of Psychos prostrating before a very large gun-wielding character, who himself is flanked by a statue of an angelic figure holding an upside down version of Borderlands' iconic Vault symbol. As the camera moves seamlessly through and around other scenarios we get to see a dragon, a character shooting from a buggy, a bunch of figures giving each other jumping high-fives, a robot ninja, and plenty undercut swept-over hairstyles.
As the teaser reaches its conclusion, it pulls out from the madness to reveal that it was all the tapestry on the iconic mask the Psycho enemies wear. Although there's no gameplay, Gearbox is expected to show more of this new Borderlands at its PAX East panel on March 28. The panel is set to be streamed at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 6 PM GMT (5 AM AET on March 29), and of course GameSpot will be at hand to bring you the news from the panel.
In the past, Gearbox has confirmed that a new Borderlands is in development, but added that it may not necessarily be called Borderlands 3. "Obviously, there is going to be another Borderlands," CEO Randy Pitchford said in 2016. "We don't even know if we're going to call it that." Since then, Gearbox has been very open about a new Borderlands existing. On Twitter, Pitchford shared this new teaser with the message, "It's happening."
Over the past few weeks, Gearbox has been tweeting teases for a new Borderlands announcement, one of which was a pixelated photo of a character staring at a structure in the distance. Prior to that, there was an image of some kind of robotic creature on an operating table. Gearbox has promised "never-before-seen reveals, exclusives, and surprises" at the panel, so we'll have more information on what the developer has cooking soon. But it was pretty clear in teasing a game with a "3" in the title.
In terms of a release date, Take Two has been teasing "a highly anticipated new title from one of 2K's biggest franchises" during its investors calls for quite some time. That game has widely been presumed to be the next Borderlands; if that's the case, we can expect it to launch by the end of March 2020.
The weekly rollout of new content in Fortnite: Battle Royale continues today with the release of content update v8.20. This new patch is out now and introduces a new limited-time mode centered around avoiding lava that is constantly rising. It also adds a new type of trap and makes numerous adjustments to other areas of the game, including weapons and the recently added Baller vehicle. Read on for a full breakdown of what's new, as well as a look at the patch notes.
As you can probably guess, The Floor Is Lava LTM involves players avoiding lava while gathering loot and taking on enemies. The lava starts out covering the low areas of the map and starts to rise a few minutes into the match. Once that begins, it will gradually rise and cover the entire map, forcing players to scramble for weapons and then seek the safety of the high ground. If you touch the lava, your health will be directly damaged and you'll be bounced up into the air, so avoiding it is essential. However, you can build on the lava, and you'll actually receive a "small number" of building materials throughout the match without having to scavenge for them.
Epic has also introduced the Poison Dart Trap, which can be placed on floors, walls, ceilings. It can be triggered from three grid cells away and, when activated, will fire darts horizontally. Anyone hit by a dart will get damaged over time. The damage is applied directly to health, as poison bypasses shields.
Also added are several new foraged items: bananas, coconuts, and peppers. These provide a combination of health, shields (in some cases), and a speed boost, depending on the item. You'll find them in specific biomes, as outlined in the patch notes below.
The patch also makes changes to the way the Baller vehicle works and introduces new foraged items, among other tweaks and changes. The Baller no longer damages players when they collide, although they will still be knocked back. There's also a notable adjustment to the Infantry Rifle, which now functions as a hitscan weapon. Coinciding with that, its damage has been reduced slightly.
Take a look at the full patch notes for Battle Royale below. You can head to the official Fortnite website to see how the update changes the Creative mode and Save the World.
Fortnite Update 8.20 Patch Notes
Limited Time Mode: The Floor Is Lava
Summary
Lava gradually rises from the lowest parts of the map, and it's hot! Drop in and quickly loot and gather materials so you can be the first to reach the high ground.
Mode Details
A few minutes into the match, the lava will begin to rise.
The lava moves at a steady speed until the entire map is covered.
Touching the lava will apply damage directly to your health and bounce you up in the air.
You can build on the lava.
Players will be given a small number of materials every second, to help out in those "entire map is on fire" situations.
Weapons + Items
The Baller no longer applies damage to players on collision.
The knockback/bounce effect will remain unchanged.
Future Baller Iterations
We've noticed a lot of discussion around the Baller, so here's an update!
We're not satisfied with the current use of Ballers, specifically in the late game. With the v8.30 update, we will release a change that will allow players to shoot through the glass of The Baller.
Non-glass parts will still have collision and block damage from bullets.
Siphon/Material Changes
In v7.40 we implemented a few Pop-up Cup settings as a test in core modes. After monitoring a combination of gameplay, data, and feedback, we've gathered necessary info to conclude this initial test. We feel it has resulted in an unhealthy level of aggressive play, diminishing other viable strategies. The following changes have been reverted in all core modes:
50 Health (or Shield) based on your health when the Elimination occurs.
50/50/50 materials dropped on Elimination.
500/500/500 Cap on materials.
Harvest rate increased by 40%
That said, these mechanics have proven to be positive in our competitive playlists. All changes above remain enabled in the new Arena Game Mode.
Infantry Rifle
Converted to hitscan, meaning this weapon no longer fires projectiles (snipers) and now fires the same as other Assault Rifles.
Base damage reduced from 45/42 to 42/40.
Uses the same damage fall off profile as existing assault rifles.
Poison Dart Trap
Available in Uncommon Rarity.
Can be placed on walls, floors, and ceilings.
Found from Floor Loot.
Can be triggered up to three grid cells away.
Fires Poison Dart projectiles a distance of three horizontal grid cells (four vertical grid cells).
Targets hit by darts will receive a damage-over-time effect that applies damage directly to health, bypassing any shields.
10 health damage per tick.
8 total ticks over 7 seconds for a total damage of 80.
Subsequent hits will refresh the duration of the effect, but the amount of damage per tick does not change.
New Foraged Items
Bananas
Instantly grant 5 health when consumed.
Can be found in the tropical biome.
Coconuts
Foraged by damaging palm trees.
When consumed, Coconuts grant 5 points of effective health over a short time. That means it will replenish shields if the player is at max health.
Can be found in tropical and desert biomes.
Peppers
When consumed, peppers instantly grant 5 health and also increase the player's movement speed by 20% for 10 seconds.
Can be found in the desert biome.
The Buried Treasure directional indicator is now attached to the player and emanates from the area of the treasure map in order to improve visibility, especially while moving.
The indicator will continue to pulse every 3 seconds while the item is equipped.
Pirate Cannon adjustments
Adjusted the collision of the Pirate Cannon to ensure the driver's seat is always enterable without needing to nudge the cannon.
Moved the seat prompt locations for easier entry into the cannon.
Increased the radius of cannonballs and player land explosions from 200 units to 250 units.
Reduced cannon impulse/knockback when firing a cannonball while driving or when launching a player. This is unchanged when coasting.
Adjusted the equip time of the Epic / Legendary Pump Shotgun to match the Uncommon / Rare versions.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where Clingers were damaging players through walls when stuck to another player.
Fixed an issue preventing Glider item pickups from displaying their stack count.
Smoothed out the motion of grenade projectile trajectories, which were lagging behind by a tick.
Balloon Fixes
Entering a vehicle no longer plays the release sound of balloons if you have no balloons.
The balloon rope will no longer remain on your back when you run out of balloons.
Pirate Cannon Fixes
Fixed an issue where players were flying out of a Pirate Cannon in a different direction than expected.
Fixed an issue preventing the ability to enter a Pirate Cannon when close to other geometry.
Fixed the ability for players to finely tune Pirate Cannon's ability to aim side to side.
Fixed an issue causing Buried Treasure to spawn loot on the Starting Island.
Gameplay
Marker pings are now allowed while DBNO.
Added a unique elimination message when eliminated by a Lava surface.
Increased relevancy distance for players being able to see explosions.
That's not all! Increased infinite dab from 13 hours to 14 hours in the lobby.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue with the icy feet effect remaining on indefinitely while emoting.
Traps now do damage directly to The Baller vehicle instead of dealing damage to the driver.
Fixed issue causing some traps to be inside thicker structures, making them hard to see.
Fixed a rare occurrence of a player being invulnerable while DBNO.
Fixed the camera sometimes traveling too far when cycling to another player.
Events
New Feature: Arena Game Mode (Solo & Duos)
Compete any time and gain 'Hype' to advance to higher leagues and unlock exclusive tournaments, such as the Fortnite World Cup Online Opens.
Each League is broken up into several Divisions, with players working their way from Open League to Contender League to Champion League.
Scoring will update from division to division, with an increasing amount of Bus Fare lost with each match at higher divisions.
Note: Matchmaking in Arena is based on players with similar Hype. As a result, players in higher divisions may experience longer than normal wait times before a match is found.
New Tournament: Luxe Cup (March 30th & 31st) [$100,000 in Cash Prizes!]
Duos Game Mode
Participation in this event requires players to have reached Contender League in Arena play prior to the start of the event.
The prize pool will be distributed across all server regions, with official rules and details released later this week.
Format:
March 30th - Round One: All Eligible Players
March 31st - Round Two: Top 3000 Players from Round One
Performance
Fixed an issue where poor server performance could cause undesired effects on clients such as unnecessary movement corrections.
Added a fix for a rare server crash.
Made a small server performance improvement related to the Baller vehicle.
Updated animation budgets to be more performant on higher scalability settings.
Improved file I/O performance on PS4, this reduces the occurrence of late streaming buildings.
Improved file I/O performance when skydiving on all platforms by changing what data we prioritize loading first.
Art + Animation
Adjusted lighting in Battle Royale.
Increased lighting contrast in areas with shadows.
Increased vibrancy in colors.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug where the destruction effects were not playing on the Baller when it's destroyed.
Audio
Re-scaled audio volume settings to avoid clipping artifacts.
What used to be the 0.5 setting is now mapped to 1 (maximum loudness)
If your volume was previously above 0.5 you will need to adjust the volume on your television or whichever device you're playing on to achieve the same level of loudness.
Footsteps from spectated players' teammates are now played at a reduced volume.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where some items didn't have proper audio when dropping them from inventory.
UI
Changes to the ping graph for the net debug HUD.
Red vertical lines added that indicate packets were reported lost that frame.
There's now a setting to control if pinging while ADS/Targeting places a danger marker.
On the Battle Pass page, scrolling down on the mouse wheel moves the contents right and scrolling up on the mouse wheel moves the images left.
Bug Fixes
Fixed issue with Main Menu icons becoming off-center.
Fixed a bug that was causing a player's Squad Fill preference to reset to "Fill".
Fixed an issue where scopes would be missing reticle lines on low settings.
Spectating
Bug Fixes
Fixed an occasional awkward camera movement that would occur when switching to different view targets while spectating.
Mobile
Dedicated use buttons now support hold to swap.
Voice Chat has been reactivated on iOS.
Emote button now supports hold to replay last emote.
Updated the Baller button icons.
Updated the battery icon to indicate the device is charging. Refreshes visibility every 2 seconds.
Cycle left button added to the HUD layout tool.
Added loot pickup stream UI.
This is the part of the UI that tracks how many resources and ammo you're picking up.
Net Debug Stats is now movable in the HUD Layout Tool.
Enabled Squad Communication and Emote buttons while DBNO.
Bug Fixes
Fixed field of view on 21:9 devices.
Fixed an issue with quickbar and extra buttons that made it possible to cause fire state to be stuck on a continuous loop.
Fixed an issue causing the camera to jump on initial touch input.
This will also fix the issue where HUD control buttons are missing when starting a match on some Android devices.
Fixed an issue causing incorrect building pieces to gain focus when editing.
Fixed missing outline effect for squad members.
Fixed minimap remaining on screen during Victory Royale sequence.
Fixed not being able to select building material while being a passenger in a vehicle.
If you're still working on completing any of this season's previous challenges, make sure to check out the tips and guides in our full Season 8 challenges roundup. The Battle Pass is full of cool unlocks, but to get them you'll need plenty of Battle Stars. Our guides will help you get the trickier challenges done very quickly.
For many years, PAX has been a popular destination for fans and developers alike to share their passion for gaming. It's also an excellent place to put your finger on the pulse of what's new and exciting. With PAX East 2019 quickly approaching, taking place in Boston from March 28-31, GameSpot will be on location exploring the show floor to check out the latest games and share our thoughts for those who can't make it to the show this year.
To give you an idea of what to expect from PAX East 2019, we've put together a quick rundown of games that will make an appearance at the show. In addition to some new titles from Yacht Club Games and Devolver Digital, we're also seeing more gameplay from Streets of Rage 4 and the newest DLC for the roguelike Dead Cells. Over the course of the show, we'll be updating this gallery to include our thoughts on what we've played, and when you expect can play them. So with that, here are several games for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch that will be at PAX East 2019.
If you want to see more of GameSpot's coverage of PAX East 2019, including updates, videos, and the latest news, be sure to visit our hub page rounding up the best of the show.
Alt-Frequencies | PC, Mobile | Accidental Queens | Release: TBD
As something of a radio-mystery, Alt-Frequencies tasks you solving a particularly strange case where the flow of time is continually repeating in a loop. Alt-Frequencies is uniquely designed to allow for players who are visually impaired to experience the game, which opens it up to a greater audience. Alt-Frequencies is developed by Accidental Queens, who've previously produced other games using a minimalist format to tell a complex narrative.
Barotrauma | PC | Undertow Games & Fakefish | Release: Spring 2019 (Early Access)
In Barotrauma, you'll have to use whatever resources and skills your crew has in order to survive. As a 2D survival-sim set in the incredibly hostile environment of Jupiter's moon Europa, you'll manage the resources of your crew trying to stay alive in the crumbling habitats below the surface. With your supplies dwindling, and more threats to your crew revealing themselves, you'll have to make some tough decisions for the sake of your group, some of which include choosing to utilize lost alien relics that may increase your chances of survival.
Bloodroots | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Paper Cult | Release: TBD 2019
Bloodroots is set in a chaotic world where might is right, and you'll take on the role of Mr. Wolf, a lone warrior seeking revenge against those who betrayed him. Essentially Hotline Miami by way of a Jackie Chan action-film, you'll be able to use every object you can get your hands on as a weapon, including barrels, lumber, and other inanimate objects. Coming from developer Paper Cult, Bloodroots keeps its action moving and at a fast pace, allowing you to chain a series of brutal, over-the-top kills together in quick succession.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | ArtPlay | Release: TBD 2019
Coming from Koji Igarashi, one of the key developers behind Konami's Castlevania series, Bloodstained is often seen as a return to form for the classic Metroidvania sub-genre. Taking direct inspiration from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, the game that ushered in a big change for the series, Bloodstained places a great focus on exploring its large interconnected world while gradually collecting new weapons and abilities for your character. Funded on Kickstarter and now being published by 505 Games, the Metroidvania-style action-RPG is heading towards its release later this year.
Dangerous Driving | PC, PS4, Xbox One | Three Fields Entertainment | Release: April 9, 2019
It's been a very long time since the last Burnout game from developer Criterion Software, who've long since moved on to the Need For Speed series and other projects at EA. However, former Criterion developer Alex Ward and his new studio, Three Fields Entertainment, have made their own spiritual successor to the action-racer with Dangerous Driving. Focusing on the classic fast-paced action and brutal wrecks shown off in slow-motion, the new racing game places a lot of emphasis on putting the pedal to the metal and coming away unscathed.
Dauntless | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Phoenix Labs | Release: April 2019
Though Dauntless has been in beta since 2018, it's now ready for its full launch this Summer --with the PC version coming exclusively to the Epic Store. Essentially a free-to-play take on the familiar Monster Hunter set-up, you'll be able to craft and utilize a set of powerful weapons to take out larger-than-life creatures that roam the wilderness.
Dead Cells: Rise of the Giant | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | MotionTwin | Release: March 28, 2019
The developers at MotionTwin have shown off a new expansion for Dead Cells that plans to add an even greater challenge to the already difficult action game. With the Rise of the Giant DLC, you'll take the undead warrior to a new dungeon where you'll find new monsters, uncover lost treasure, and ultimately face off against the strongest enemy in the entire game.
Falcon Age | PS4 | OuterLoop | Release: April 9, 2019
Falcon Age puts you in the role of a wandering hero who must use his pet falcon to find and procure items for their journey. Over the course of their adventure, the pair will learn more about the land and their culture, all the while fighting off robotic invaders looking to colonize their home. Playable in or out of VR and with standard controls and motion-controls--allowing you to further interact with your bird--Falcon Age features an interesting approach to the first-person adventure that will get you to bond with your feathered ally.
Layers of Fear 2 | PC | Bloober Team | Release: TBD 2019
As the sequel to the 2016 psychological-horror game, Layers of Fear 2 turns things up with a new story that aims to push the scares even further. Like in the original game, you'll play as a tortured artist who's sanity is gradually slipping, resulting in some horrifying apparitions appearing before his eyes. Layers of Fear 2 appears to channel that same unnerving tone, where reality slowly falls apart, giving way to some genuine moments of terror.
Liberated | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Atomic Wolf | Release: TBD 2019
With an art style reminiscent of some of the more mature graphic-novels of the '80s, Liberated is set within a bleak, dystopian society where all citizens are under constant watch. Taking place within the frames of comic-book panels, progression through the story flows similarly to reading a book, with the proceeding levels following into the next pages of the larger story. Over the course of the game, you'll use stealth to evade enemies and overcome some complex puzzles to in order to escape to the outside world.
Indivisible | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Lab Zero | Release: TBD 2019
Developed by Lab Zero, the creators of the fan-favorite fighting game Skullgirls, Indivisible is the team's first crack at making an action-RPG. Paying homage to cult JRPG games like Valkyrie Profile, Indivisible focuses heavily on controlling your party of characters simultaneously, letting you pull off some exciting combos with well-timed spells and attacks.
Iratus: Lord of the Dead | PC | Unfrozen | Release: TBD 2019
Taking on the role of a resurrected necromancer, you'll command a squad of demons and undead creatures as you make your way across the frozen Norse landscape. In a similar vein to Darkest Dungeon, you'll manage and improve your squad of minions in the face of increasingly more challenges threats. However, the twist in Iratus: Lord of the Dead is that your army is made up of fallen warriors resurrected from previous battles. By pooling together resources and the spools of war, you'll be able to conjure up increasingly powerful demons to further plans to take control of the land.
Katana Zero | PC, Switch | Askiisoft | Release: April 18, 2019
In Askiisoft and Devolver Digital's Katana Zero, you'll play as a wandering katana-wielding mercenary who possesses the ability to control time, allowing him to cut through hordes of enemies with ease. Katana Zero blends the action and pacing from a retro-action game with the time-bending antics from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. With the central character able to die in one hit, you'll have to rewind time to just prior to your death and do things slightly different to clear the stage.
Kunai | PC, Switch | TurtleBlaze | Release: TBD
In Kunai, you'll play as an ancient warrior who's possessed the body of a computer tablet, appropriately named "Tabby.". It's an incredibly odd premise, but it's one that the game unapologetically embraces. Going by the name Tabby, you'll explore the post-apocalyptic setting fighting many foes with a variety of melee and long-ranged attacks. Just when you think it can't get any stranger, Kunai goes even further by showing off a series increasingly challenging and bizarre bosses that will put your reflexes to the test.
Following the success of the original game, the developers of The Messenger are gearing up the main character's next adventure--which will be made as a free update for all owners. Picnic Panic brings you to a new land where you'll need to defend the local villagers from monsters planning to take over both the 8-Bit and 16-bit realms. Releasing later this year as a free update, The Messenger: Picnic Panic will deliver a set of new worlds to explore, and will undoubtedly maintain the same fourth-wall breaking humor that made the original such a joy to play.
Shovel Knight: King of Cards | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Yacht Club Games | Release: April 2019
Since its release in 2014, Shovel Knight developers Yacht Club Games have continually added new expansions for the renowned retro action game. In King of Cards, the final expansion for Shovel Knight, you'll play as King Knight as he explores four new worlds to prove that he has what it takes to become the ruler of the land.
Shovel Knight: Showdown | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Yacht Club Games | Release: April 9, 2019
Along with King of Cards, Yacht Club Games is prepping another game set in the Shovel Knight universe--and this one centers around competitive brawler gameplay. In Showdown, you'll select one of the many Knight characters, including Shovel Knight, King Knight, and Plague Knight, and fight it out against the other brawlers to see who's the best one of them all. Similar to Super Smash Bros., you can compete in four-player fights with a variety of different stages, conditions, and items to use.
Streets of Rage 4 | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | GuardCrush Games & DotEmu | Release: TBD
The sudden revival of the Streets of Rage series last year was a welcome surprise. As one of Sega's most celebrated series from the Genesis era, its' return has many long-time fans excited for what's to come. Developed by DotEmu and Guard Crush Games, the fourth entry introduces some interesting innovations for its core combat, which will reinvigorate returning characters Axel and Blaze. Though there's no release date set, we got to play an early build of the game last year, and even then it delivered the same sense of style and pacing that defined the original 16-bit classics.
Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble | PC, Switch | Area 35 | Release: Spring 2019
As a stand-alone sequel to 2017's turn-based strategy game Tiny Metal, Full Metal Rumble increases the stakes by adding a game-changer for the warring factions--giant mechs. Intended as a spiritual successor to Nintendo's Advance Wars series, Tiny Metal puts you in control of a variety of different units to secure your place on the battlefield. Continuing on from the original game, you'll follow your squad of soldiers and pilots as they attempt to stay alive during the brutal conflict.
Warsaw | PC | Pixelated Milk | Release: TBD 2019
Set during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, Poland in 1944, you'll play a squad of soldiers and survivors trying to stay alive in the war-torn city. Warsaw puts great emphasis on managing your crew of heroes as they struggle to fight back against the invaders. With your squad engaging enemies through turn-based combat, and with each attack leaving a lasting impact, you'll need to carefully decide your character's actions and moves during combat.
After encountering and killing your first Headless in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, you'll likely have felt a wave of exhilaration. But like all great threats, it doesn't stop at once. That's right, there's actually multiple Headless in the game. And if you've taken it upon yourself to eliminate every single one, you're likely going to need help finding them all.
This is probably the first Headless you'll meet; there are two ways to get to it. The Ashina Outskirts Stairway Sculptor's Idol will take you down one of these paths, past the Chained Ogre, and into the Pit area where you can normally press onward towards the Underbridge Valley. Instead of going this direction, take a right where you'll notice the cryptic sign pinned to a wall. Grapple ahead onto a few tree branches overlooking the cliff and you'll see an area with markings indicating there is a ledge you can grip onto. Jump down from your branch and land on the ledge and shimmy your way over to solid ground. You'll find a tunnel that you need to crouch through, and the tunnel will grow suspiciously dark where a lone light can be seen that upon closer inspection is the blade of the Headless.
The other route to the same exact Headless starts from the Shugendo Sculptor's Idol near the Demon Bell in Senpou Temple, which will have you journey past a small tunnel into a building with a burnt outline of a person against the wall. This is actually a secret trap door that you can access by hugging the wall and fitting your character into the outline which will grant you passage into a dark tunnel into the Ashina Outskirts. If you have this idol unlocked, this path may be the quicker option if you need to attempt the mini-boss multiple times.
Reward: Ako's Spiritfall - "Fallen headless spirit of Ako that increases Vitality and Posture Damage for a time, Consume Spirit Emblems to use repeatedly. Headless are the ruined form of corrupted heroes who once fought for their country. Seize the power of an inhuman spirit by laying it to rest, but risk going quite mad unless something is offered in return."
Ashina Depths
This Headless is located in the Ashina Depths and is hidden by the mist. We suggest taking this one on after you've defeated the Mist Noble boss, which clears the area of any spirits and mist, allowing you to focus solely on the Headless. To get to it, simply grapple from the buddha statue and drop below to the Hidden Forest.
Reward: Gachiin's Spiritfall - "Fallen, headless spirit of Gachiin. Suppresses sound and presence, making the user harder to detect, Consume Spirit Emblems for use repeatedly. Headless are ruined form of corrupted heroes who once fought for their country. "I'm falling to pieces," said the man to himself, drifting deep into the forest."
Ashina Castle Tower Lookout
First and foremost, this Headless requires the Mibu Breathing Technique Latent Skill to reach. You can find this one by going near a pool of water close to a bridge by the Old Grave Idol. Dive underwater and you'll be lead right to it.
Reward: Ungo's Spiritfall - "Fallen headless spirit of Ungo that reduces Vitality damage taken from physical attacks. Consume Spirit Emblems for use repeatedly. Headless are ruined form of corrupted heroes who once fought for their country. This warrior lost his mind in defense of the state. His attempted mutiny was met with a swift beheading, and the lifeless body sunk to the bottom of the moat."
Sunken Valley
From the Under-Shrine Valley Sculptor's Idol you will want to grapple across a chasm that you will see, and continue through some platforming before needing to hug a wall and gradually make your way across the corresponding ledge. Next to that you'll find a small pool of water that you can dive into that'll lead you to a cave to a Headless. It should be noted that to fight this particular Headless also requires the Mibu Breathing Technique Latent Skill.
Reward: Gokan's Spiritfall - "Fallen, headless spirit of Gokan. Reduces posture damage taken for a time. Consume Spirit Emblems for use repeatedly. Headless are ruined form of corrupted heroes who once fought for their country. Dedicated burial mounds quietly appease the spirits with several heads, though none call upon them for long."
Fountainhead Palace
This last Headless location is in the Fountainhead Palace, and there's actually two. You can find them them near the big pool of water past the Flowerhead Sculptor's Idol. One may even appear to be a bit more non ethereal, and in our experience, killing the non-ethereal Headless first caused the second to disappear, so we suggest prioritizing that one.
Reward: Yashariku's Spirtfall - "Fallen Headless spirit of Yashariku. Briefly sacrifice max Vitality and Posture while gaining a large Attack Power Boost. Consume Spirit Emblems to use repeatedly. Headless are ruined form of corrupted heroes who once fought for their country. This brave soul's twin was lost in utero. He may not have fallen to the palace nobles had his sibling been at his side..."
To those who did not heed the cryptic warning near the Underbridge Valley of the Ashina Outskirts in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, you probably found yourself in for quite the surprise. The notorious and enigmatic mini-boss known as the Headless makes its home in a nearby cave and the first time you clash swords with him might have left you feeling dejected and possibly outright confused.
If you're eager to test your mettle against this mini-boss, we've got all the tips you need in this handy guide. We also run down the purpose of Divine Confetti, an item that can greatly increase your odds of success. If you haven't yet run into one and want to try your hand, we also have a guide to Headless locations and the rewards available if you emerged victorious.
How To Beat A Headless
The hardest yet most satisfying way to defeat a Headless is to parry all his attacks. However, he's a bit more tricky because some of his moves are slower than most enemies, and it's difficult to dodge or maneuver to run around with the fog that manifests around him.
The best way to defeat a Headless is to use Divine Confetti, which greatly stacks their posture. It can even break the fog spell if you hit him enough times; though, it will recast fog after a time. Of course, Divine Confetti is somewhat of a limited commodity, so make sure to use them wisely. We recommend taking out the Headless' first life bar normally and then using Divine Confetti to easily destroy their second life bar.
Understanding a Headless' various attacks is key to dispatching them, but its surprise attack after performing a big sweeping attack can be a nuisance. The best advice we can give is to try not to get trapped in a corner after the Headless performs a sweep or it'll be tough to escape its devastating rear attack; as long as you're facing in the direction it's coming from, it won't be able to grab you. Another method to deal with this is jumping away after its sweep in order to give yourself some distance and time to reorient and prepare.
One final tip would be to have Pacifying Agents on hand or to make sure to buy the Mottled Purple Gourd, which helps reduce terror build up and also helps remove terror--a status ailment that likely killed you the first time you tried doing this all by yourself. These items can be purchased from the merchant near the Mibu Village Sculptor's Idol.
How To Defeat Underwater Headless
This might sound ridiculous, but there are Headless you can fight underwater too. Don't be intimidated by them, as they're actually quite easy to defeat compared to their landlocked brethren. Simply watch out for its two ranged attacks--one being a wave projectile and the other homing missile-like projectiles. When you see these coming at you, sprint swim to get in close to do some damage. Again, Mottled Purple Gourd or Pacifying Agents are helpful in preventing Terror.
Watch out for the one big sweeping attack it does, which is followed up by a big vacuum vortex it charges up that can wreck you pretty bad. But won't worry, this attack is pretty easy to avoid and it's actually a great opening for you to inflict a good three to four swings. With only one life bar to deplete, the underwater Headless should be no problem for you, especially if you've already mastered defeating normal Headless.
By Anonymous on Mar 27, 2019 07:06 am Niantic is hosting its second annual Earth Day campaign that will reward Pokemon Go players with Shiny Diglett if they participate.
It's been 20 years since The Matrix arrived in theater and proceeded to tear our brains apart, forever making us wonder if we're living in some kind of computer simulation. Honestly, we've all tried bending a spoon with our mind at some point. The Matrix was a revolutionary film, loaded with interesting sci-fi concepts, incredible special effects, and some truly memorable performances from the likes of Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie Anne Moss.
More than revolutionary, though, it's simply great. The Matrix is a practically perfect film, even when you sit down and watch it 20 years later. So much about it feels iconic, and it's all played so well, from the incredibly understated opening moments to the final showdown between Neo and Agent Smith in a dirty hallway. Unfortunately, everything that worked so well in the first movie completely fell away from the sequels that followed.
The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions might look like the first movie and the same characters may appear, but all of the soul The Matrix has is simply gone by the time the third movie rolls around. Instead of the restraint the first film showed, which helped drive the narrative forward, Reloaded and Revolutions instead relied on heavy use of the visual trickery introduced in The Matrix and a convoluted story that lifted up Neo to be something of a computer Jesus and the only hope for all of human- and robot-kind.
These are movies that weren't regarded as good in the first place and have only gotten worse with age. They are the albatross hanging around the neck of the original. The Matrix is an achievement on practically every level. However, the films that followed have done nothing but drag it down.
Does it sound like I'm being a bit too hard on Reloaded and Revolutions? I assure you I'm not. I actually went back and watched the entire trilogy, from start to finish, and couldn't help but note every mistake I felt the sequels made. From the sillier moments like the orgy in Zion to bigger problems like what the movies chose to do with Smith, there's plenty to take issue with.
So come along as we look back at the 34 biggest sins The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions made. Then, go ahead and watch the first Matrix again and realize just how wonderful that movie is.
The Matrix Reloaded
1. Unlike the first, this movie has no chill
The Matrix is a true study in restraint. The first half hour of the movie feels like a low-budget thriller that hooks you in with story and character. Reloaded, however, goes a different route. The opening moments of the sequel set the incredibly loud and often obnoxious tone of what's to come with explosions, an overabundance of "bullet time" shots, and so much of everything that makes these movies inferior to the original.
2. Why do they all meet up to discuss the Matrix in the Matrix?
If everyone needs to get together to chat about destroying the Matrix, is the best place to do it really inside of the Matrix? A Matrix filled with Agents, a rogue Agent Smith, and all kinds of things designed to stop them. They do have CB radios in their ships. Maybe they'd be better off talking over those.
3. Neo doesn't stop flying
Listen, I get it. Neo learned to fly at the end of the first movie and, if I were in his place, I'd make use of the superpower too. So much of this movie is just Neo taking off or flying around, though. It's, honestly, pretty ridiculous.
4. Why is some of Zion's security force plugged in?
Visually, this moment looks super cool. But why is some of the security team guarding Zion's gates plugged into a Matrix-like program, while others aren't? What purpose does it possibly serve?
5. The Zion orgy rave still makes no sense
We all know this scene. We've all been confused by this scene. When Zion parties, things get wildly erotic--and I'm not talking about the Neo and Trinity sex scene, which is mostly awkward since the two don't have a ton of chemistry.
6. Smith leaving the Matrix is not how computer programs work
Smith is code. He's a computer program that has essentially evolved to become a computer virus. So how, exactly, does he somehow leave the Matrix and take over a human brain, assuming the identity of an actual person? The first Matrix movie used tech in a way that at least made sense. Once the tech infiltrates actual human biology in the sequels, though, that's a thing of the past.
7. "You do not truly know someone until you fight them."
This is a cool-sounding line of dialogue. Ultimately, though, it's a terrible one. Even within the parameters of this franchise, is he saying Neo and Trinity don't truly know each other? Because I would beg to differ. The Oracle seems to truly know practically everyone, and she doesn't fight anybody.
8. The twins are weird and bad
Thank God these two were confined to Reloaded, rather than both sequels. The twins were a bizarre and not very exciting addition to the franchise. What's more, they were played by a couple of actual twins who decided to set whatever charisma they had aside and play these two as plain and boring as possible.
9. Using Matrix code to show a woman having an orgasm is a choice
A lot of choices are made in Reloaded but none is as puzzling as the scene where the Merovingian explains how he coded a piece of cheesecake to give a woman an orgasm. The film even briefly switches to Matrix code as the camera goes up her dress. Who thought this was a good idea?
10. Trinity threatens to murder someone for just asking to kiss Neo
There's being jealous and there's Trinity pulling a gun on Persephone because she asks Neo for a kiss. It's such an extreme reaction that seems very out of character.
11. For Neo, real kissing means taking off your sunglasses
This entire moment is so awkward. Then again, his girlfriend just threatened to murder the woman he's barely kissing. Who can blame him for leaving his shades on?
12. Persephone immediately sells Neo and company out to get back at her husband
If Persephone hasn't immediately sent a henchman to tell her husband she was betraying him, this movie would have been roughly 45 minutes shorter. Everything that comes after this moment is simply because she wants to one-up her husband--something that is completely forgotten by Revolutions.
13. Why do agents bleed?
Agents are code, right? They can take over any person in the Matrix and they are clearly not human. So why do they bleed? Why would the machines, who created the agent code, make it so they can bleed?
14. Neo reached inside Trinity to remove a bullet
That computer Jesus can not only reach inside Trinity's body to remove a bullet but also massage her heart back to life is astounding. The key to these movies is that Neo can do anything at any time. Unfortunately, that leads to moments like this.
15. Now Neo can control things outside of the Matrix?
If Smith can leave the Matrix, so can Neo's computer superpowers, right? It's these sort of things that got worked into the mythology of the sequels that make them dumb. Instead of sound reasoning for choices made, strange twists are seemingly thrown in because they look cool--even if that means Neo is now a superhuman in the real world. Or maybe he's not and the real world is also a Matrix. Is the Matrix a Matrix-within-a-Matrix? We'll never know. And, honestly, it's not worth a fourth movie, which would undoubtedly be called The Matrix Remixed or some such thing.
The Matrix Revolutions
16. Simply unnecessary gymnastics
Much like Reloaded, Revolutions starts with no chill whatsoever. From the jump, everything is over-the-top ridiculous, including Trinity's jumping a subway gate by doing a very fluid forward flip while everyone else just hopped over it like normal people.
17. Even for the Matrix, ceiling walkers are a stretch
Remember the first Matrix movie when it was incredibly impressive to see the likes of Neo and Trinity running up a wall to get a new angle on their foes? This is an extreme version of that, where the villains just live their lives running around on the ceiling for some reason because it's impossible for this movie to leave well enough alone.
18. The nightclub scene is just nuts
Is this a bondage nightclub? What was the pleather budget for this movie? Who designed these looks? How out of place did everyone feel on set this day? Why are Persephone and the Merovingian still together after that whole betrayal thing? That's just a small sampling of the questions I had during this baffling scene.
19. Smith is somehow more over-the-top
What made Smith so scary in the first film was how calm and collected he was. That started to crumble when he was interrogating Morpheus. However, any sense of Smith being scary is out the window now.
20. No seriously, Smith is beyond zany
The Smith we all feared is long gone, replaced with this giggling maniac.
21. This Agent Smith impersonation is equally ridiculous
But don't worry, since Smith also somehow escaped into the real world, another actor can do their take on the character.
22. Neo realizing Smith left the Matrix in real time
Neo can control the machines, seemingly knows everything about everything, and is best friends with the Oracle. The amount of time it takes him to realize Bane is being controlled by Smith, though, is shocking. Thankfully, the Wachowskis choose to show that realization in real time.
23. This strobe light brawl is just bad
This is another instance of style over substance. Neo and Smith/Bane didn't need to fight lit only by strobe lighting. But they thought it looked cool, so that's what we got. Unfortunately, it makes the entire thing difficult to watch and understand. Of course, it's not the worst fight of the movie, which we'll get to.
24. If Neo can see while blind, what's the point of blinding him?
If a blind Neo can still see the machines and their essences--because machines have essences, I guess--why blind him in the first place? He navigates his way to machine city, can still see Smith, and doesn't seem all that hindered.
25. Why is this what blind Neo sees?
And why is this what Bane looks like to him? If Smith became Bane in the real world, would his essence still look like Smith, glasses and all? Because that doesn't make a ton of sense.
26. The entire Kid subplot
I can't believe it took me this long to talk about Kid, the young Zion citizen introduced in Reloaded that, I think, wants to be Neo when he grows up? Clearly, the Wachowskis thought he was a major figure in the franchise, as he appears throughout the sequel movies. Unfortunately, he's just not a good fit. With so much going on, it's hard to care about this teenager who just wants to be part of the team. At least he gets a hero moment, though.
27. So little of this movie is in the Matrix
His hero moment highlighted a major problem for me, though. So little of Revolutions actually happens inside of the Matrix. You'd think a Matrix movie would make ample use of the computerized world. However, by the third movie perhaps they'd run out of ways to make it interesting? Whatever the case, we spend an incredible amount of time watching robots attack Zion and kill humans, rather than Neo dodging bullets or Trinity jumping motorcycles over exploding buildings.
28. I don't even know where to start
Speaking of things not happening in the Matrix, what the heck is this? A blinded Neo can feel the machines but is this the ghost of one flowing through him? The movie doesn't really explain what's happening here, though. Instead, it just happened and he and Trinity move on in their quest to reach the machine city. Whatever is happening here, though, needed to be explained in the moment. It's just another instance of something that looks cool for no reason.
29. Trinity's very long death
Much like Neo realizing Bane was Smith, Trinity's death happens incredibly slowly. I would say the scene of her dying is, conservatively, 45 minutes long. It's also fairly anti-climatic as she essentially dies in a car accident on the way to save the universe. You deserved better, Trinity.
30. The giant machine face
I'd forgotten this happens. The machines turn into a giant face to talk to Neo. There is absolutely no reason for this to happen but I'm so glad it does. Why? It highlights how ridiculous and silly these movies became, compared to how great the original was. It's like the giant machine face is laughing at us all.
31. The final Neo vs. Smith fight is awful
Remember when I mentioned a fight much worse than Neo vs. Bane earlier? This is it. The final battle between Neo and Smith is essentially Superman v. Superman, except it's at night, in the rain, and practically impossible to see. The setting allowed the Wachowskis to do some interesting things with the water but the scene, as a whole, is unbearable.
32. No, this isn't religious at all
Get it? Computer Jesus is actual Jesus. In case the religious undertones of this franchise weren't hitting you over the head hard enough, a literal cross of light burst out of Neo's chest.
33. The rules for the real world make no sense
And then, somehow, this happened. I don't understand the rules of the real world within the framework of these movies. They're more confusing than those inside of the Matrix. How light explodes from Neo's eyes and mouth while he's still a living being is senseless, but then again that's par for the course with this movie. And again, it makes me wonder if the real world is another Matrix.
34. Neo is antivirus software
And thus we get to the moral of the story. Neo is antivirus software. In the end, he saves the day by deleting the infection (Smith) and returning the program (the Matrix) to the status quo. It took three movies to just run a McAfee antivirus scan on this system and only thousands of people had to die.
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