Lee DAmato

Despite being back-to-back entries in the series, and offer wildly different experiences. Especially with the advent of the streaming series, many first-time players may weigh the pros and cons of these two entries. Each one has its positives and negatives, and both provide a quality gameplay experience that will leave new players wanting more. Either is a great way to start the series, so choosing which one to play first may boil down to personal preference and what players are looking for in an RPG.

Creature taming has always been a complicated part of , but it's even harder — and more rewarding — since the recent update. Most hostile monsters in can be tamed with the right kind of habitat, plentiful food, and lots of patience. With the introduction of the update, players were finally able to use their animal companions to the fullest, taming and riding the peaceful Lox in to get around the map more quickly.

Due to the nature of its lore, has a somewhat confusing tier system. All of its playable characters are monster hunters who operate within the confines of an official, ranked system, so each of them is assigned to a particular strata in the popular anime and manhwa the game is based on. These rankings are usually fixed, but in at least one case, characters are known to be able to move up in levels as they gain power.

A recent update makes dangerous changes to its most feared enemies. Stalkers, members of the Terminid faction, are some of the most dangerous bugs in . Their unique ability allows them to disguise themselves, allowing them to get the jump on players. Stalkers will often appear out of the blue when they're least expected, and if the players don't respond quickly, can wipe out an entire party in a manner of seconds. They're especially difficult to see through thick fog and fire tornadoes, making them even more of a threat during inclement weather.

's latest and greatest patch, version 1.11.33, represents the biggest update to the game since launch. Containing several pages worth of changes, bug fixes, and new features, it addresses many players' greatest frustrations. It also provides big hints about the upcoming DLC.

's 1.11.33 update is now live, and it brings one of the most highly requested features to the game. This is the biggest update to the game since launch. That's drawn some criticism, as updates have been slow to come. However, announcements this week suggest that Bethesda hasn't forgotten about: the DLC finally has a release window, and for the first time since release, it seems like there's a concrete roadmap for moving forward.

The third and final part of the trilogy could have a different final boss than the first two. and make sweeping changes to the original story, making them collectively more of an alternate retelling than a one-for-one remake. That can be both positive and negative. On one hand, it's nice to be able to explore different facets of the universe, tying in characters added to the compilation since the original game's release. On the other hand, things can get a little repetitive, especially when it comes to 's side quests.

The Xbox Games Showcase is Microsoft's premier annual vehicle for the announcement of new first-party games, and according to Xbox Wire, it'll be streaming live on June 9th, 2024. As such, it often includes many of the year's biggest reveals, and this year is expected to be no different. The Xbox Games Showcase will probably include a lot of surprises, be they first looks at entirely new titles or updates on DLC.

There's a secret way to kill the most hated character, despite their technical immortality. Most characters, even some of the deadliest bosses, are mortal in . But there's one particular villain who, despite the player's best efforts to get rid of them, keeps popping back up to ruin their life. They greatly overstay their welcome, and then some. There's even a mechanic that technically prevents them from taking damage, even if it doesn't specifically preclude them from dying.

seems like the perfect candidate for multiplayer. For one thing, it's a survival game with a special focus on crafting, base upgrading, and resource gathering. Those types of games typically play well with friends, mostly because it's possible to divide labor efficiently. Sending one player after 's Cave Sulfur while the other stays back at base crafting consumables can greatly speed along the process. Plus, it can be delightful to share in the joy — and occasional horror — of discovering 's vast, unexplored depths.

Sometimes, going down a lore rabbit hole can only make things more confusing. That's the case for one late-game encounter that V may or may not experience, depending on their decision in a much earlier mission. Random attacks by heavily-armed gonks aren't unheard of in ; the mystery usually relates to where they came from. They'll usually have some sort of Datashard on them, which may reveal who they are and who they're working for, or at least confirm whether they were hired to take out V specifically.

's greatest strength is its cast of characters, especially its romance options. Charming, memorable, and fun, ’s characters are a diverse bunch, ranging from intrepid reporters to synthetic detectives to murderous bare-knuckle boxers. Interestingly, allows for an actual romance this time around, unlike ' variety of fade-to-black one-night-stands. Still, spending the night with any romance option will reward players with the Lover's Embrace perk in , which grants a temporary experience boost.

Cards for the have been printed in both English and Japanese since 1998, but not all cards are created equal. The card flipping market has always existed to some extent. But it's taken off in recent years, catapulting some of the rarest cards to astronomical prices. As a result, many collectors have looked into buying Japanese cards, which, much like their English counterparts, can become precious collectibles in their own right.

Forget the best weapons, armor, and Stratagems — the best thing players can doin is much simpler than all that. Although the core gameplay is all about dishing out damage to Bugs and Bots, there's also a tactical element to , mostly centered on Stratagems. Having the right tools for the job can make all the difference, and many players strive to bring their builds as close to the meta as possible.

Choosing one strange course of action near the end of reveals a treasure trove of hidden lore, but doesn't explain it to the fullest extent. Taking place in the Forgotten Realms setting for, incorporates 40 years of lore. For the most part, it's a complete story in and of itself — most central concepts in the story are well explained through dialogue. However, it still exists in the context of millennia of Faerûnian history, and occasionally touches on a more arcane piece of background.

A long-standing mystery finally has a satisfactory solution — but it wasn't answered by. 's massive, game-changing DLC resolved many secrets, answering a number of lingering questions about people, places, and things otherwise unexplained. But it couldn't turn over every stone. The setting still retains a lot of mystique. Whether someone at CD Projekt Red is saving these secrets for the sequel to , or no one's come up with a good answer yet, varies from case to case.

is at least partially open-world, but the question of its map size is a little more complicated. 's director and developers are clearly drawing on a long tradition of action RPGs like. That means freely roamable open worlds, twisty-turny dungeons, and lots of secrets and side quests to be discovered in between. borrows genre conventions, like a perfect parry system, combo-based combat, and a meter that unlocks special attacks.

Wētā Workshop and Private Division have officially announced a new title, , coming later this year. This is the first collaboration by developer Wētā Workshop, known for its work on the special effects in film series, and Private Division, the prolific publisher of indie games ranging from and to and.

An inside joke contained within 's random NPC chatter suggests a fascinating gameplay feature. 's NPCs have a lot of dialogue, which can help the game feel more alive. This is especially apparent when traveling through one of the major cities. While walking through New Atlantis, players will hear dialogue in a wide variety of languages — Arabic, Swedish, Korean, et cetera — reflecting the diversity of the space age and the cosmopolitan nature of the United Colonies' capital.

's second DLC,, adds a whole new region to its map — but in terms of size, that could mean many different things. Although it has a pretty sizable world map, is not an open-world game. Each region varies in size, and is connected to the next one only in limited, specified areas, and players can't travel to most of them until they unlock new areas through the story. Despite this linearity, most map regions open up completely as soon as they're unlocked, providing plenty of opportunity for exploration.

is known for having a plethora of secrets, and the 1.6 update adds several new ones to the game. Secrets range from the often-unlocked, but rarely-solved Secret Notes in , to more obscure, multistep hidden quests that most players would never think to try on their own. These can prove fun surprises for curious new players, or long-term goals for those who have maxed out all their skills and are looking for something new to try.

may have its issues, but it's moving in the right direction. 's refreshing take on the live service model, along with its delightful gameplay and tight-knit community, have made it a surprise hit. It already had a small, but devoted fan base due to the popularity of the original, but it's since expanded well beyond its original audience. It's safe to say has found its foothold, and maintains a powerful grip on Super Earth troopers everywhere.

One quest is actually a lot easier than it seems. Most quests in are relatively simple Special Orders, in which an NPC will post a note to the bulletin board asking for a specific item. The item can be an everyday object the player is liable to have thousands of, or some rare, hidden artifact that may take hours to find. But overall, it's as simple as finding the item and bringing it back, at which point the player will receive a reward and a friendship or romance increase with the relevant character.

The latest Ship Module adds another buff to what's already one of its most powerful Stratagems. Together, Ship Modules and Stratagems make up the build customization options in . Stratagems refer to any number of special abilities players can call in during a mission. They range from powerful weapons to defensive fortifications to orbital strikes, and can turn the tide of battle in a wide variety of ways. However, Stratagems usually have lengthy cooldowns, and some of them only have a limited number of uses. It's important to know when and where to call them in.

A subtle detail opens a rabbit hole of violence, stretching back centuries into the Lands Between's past. As is usually the case with From Software games, 's lore is deliberately mysterious and obtuse. Rarely do characters offer comprehensive explanations directly to the player, and even when they do, they almost always do so with ulterior motives. For the most part, it's up to the player to piece together stories by looking closely at certain details. Recurring trends, out-of-place objects, and item flavor text can reveal a wealth of information about the world of.

A fan-created take on Whiterun demonstrates what could look like. First announced in what feels like a bygone era — at E3 of 2018 — has been in development for at least six years with nary a whisper of what it is. No one knows where it'll be set, what it'll be subtitled, what kind of quests it'll send players on, or truthfully, anything about it. In the meantime, it's fallen to fan-made projects to provide new -related content, be they game-changing mods or works of fan art.

The latest mystery revolves around the identity of a mysterious figure known only as Karl. Thanks to its developers' penchant for shadow dropping new content, then denying its existence on social media, is full of mysteries. It's all part of a massive roleplaying metagame: players pretend they're actually soldiers of Super Earth, and its developers their commanding officers, with the former eating up the propaganda the latter spreads.

borrows a lot of things from the first game, but skips out on multiple enemy factions — not just the Illuminate. At launch and up until the time of writing, Helldivers 2 has had two enemy factions: the Terminids (Bugs) and the Automatons (Bots). However, with the recent total success of the Major Order "", it appears the Automatons have finally been eradicated once and for all. Of course, there's always a chance they'll return, but for the time being, players are left to wonder what comes next.

's relocation teams give players the opportunity to rearrange the landscape of American football. Relocation teams are a major feature in 's Franchise Mode, allowing players to move any franchise they manage or own to an entirely new city. There may be a variety of reasons a player chooses to do so: moving to a new city can provide a larger, more loyal fan base, or simply give a struggling team a new start. Packing up and moving a team to uncharted territory can also provide a challenge for an experienced player.

One of the hardest Shrine Quests in is "." Unlike most shrines, quest shrines require a fair bit of outside adventuring. Players must complete a quest or solve an overworld puzzle in order to open the way. These puzzles are typically pretty difficult, requiring extensive knowledge of the map or some very specific timing. That, along with some shrine quests' vague wording, make them some of the hardest shrines in .

After a long wait, is finally coming soon. A turn-based RPG by legendary director Yoshitaka Murayama, has been in development since 2020 — although it's arguably been decades in the making. With gorgeous 2.5D graphics, a lush score, and a cast of characters as diverse as its title implies, looks to be a total throwback to the golden age of turn-based RPGs, a rarity in the modern era.

The final story decision players will make in involves whether to kill or to spare their custom character's Blade Twin. While there are several choices that may affect the story, like choosing to be pro- or anti-shogunate in , the choice at the end of the Blade Twin boss fight is perhaps the most impactful in the game. As a result, players may want to know what's involved in this choice, and what implications it has for the ending they'll inevitably get.

Hackers are wreaking havoc on , but could be setting a great precedent for the game's future updates. Hacking hasn't been too great a problem for Super Earth for very long, with the game's sometimes overactive anti-cheat features even prompting some players to skip on PC. But in recent days, a small group of rogue hackers have found a way around its anti-cheat. And they've been making use of exploits to give other players an unfair advantage.

One of the earliest choices to make in involves whether to skip the Nibelheim flashback that makes up the majority of the game's first chapter. The Nibelheim chapter was part of the game's playable demo, alongside a longer section that allowed players to openly explore the Junon region of . But where the Junon half of the demo is separate, and taken out of context, the Nibelheim half effectively grants players early access to the opening hours of the game.

has two options for general progression through the game: the Community Center and JojaMart. While the game’s story is mostly dependent on the player’s choice of activity and their romance options in , both the Community Center and JojaMart have thematic connections to the overall plot and the background lore.

Xbox Game Pass grants access to a wide variety of titles, including a selection of excellent multiplayer games. When it comes to multiplayer gaming, tastes vary: some prefer to team up with friends and work together to take down enemies, while others prefer a more cutthroat, competitive scene. Whatever the case, Game Pass has got players covered. From player-versus-enemy RPGs to player-versus-player shooters to survival games that seamlessly blend the two,

The quest "" is far more complicated than it seems on the surface. It begins when the Arisen encounters a girl named Trysha in an isolated cabin, standing alone on a hill northwest of Melve. Trysha lives with her grandmother, Eini, who spends most of her day providing for the two of them. This leaves Trysha alone and bored out of her mind. To kill time, Trysha's recently decided to study magic. If they speak with her while grandma's out, Trysha asks the Arisen to find the grimoires she'll need to learn her first few spells.

Players need to spend their money wisely in . Gold isn’t exactly scarce — players find it on a wide variety of enemies, pick it up from chests, and receive it in return for successful missions in . The problem is that most in-game items are surprisingly expensive. This isn't necessarily a failure of balance, or even an attempt to get players to spring for microtransactions in , but rather a provision for players to count their coins carefully.

A dataminer has revealed some surprising cut content around one of its most tragic characters. Time and time again, it's become apparent that the devil is in the details of . From major spoilers hidden in unassuming plain sight, to huge lore drops in unassuming flavor text, to backups upon backups that most players were never supposed to see, the attention to detail in goes impossibly deep. And hidden within the game's code, one player has revealed something groundbreaking, if not unprecedented.

The final major decision in requires every player to choose between sacrificing their best friend or fighting the titular Dragon. The game requires many choices, from the simple selection of classes in to its pivotal story decisions. While every decision has its consequences, the ending a player sees is entirely determined by their choices around the confrontation with the Dragon. The right answer may seem obvious, but even the most minor decision in these final scenes can have devastating consequences.

There are two primary romance options in : Wilhelmina and Ulrika. Players can technically raise their relationship levels with almost any non-Pawn character in the kingdoms of Vermund and Battahl, but only Ulrika and Wilhelmina have fully fleshed-out romances. These romances both begin with a mission in (or a series thereof), in which the romantic prospect plays a major role. After gaining their attention by helping them with a task, the Arisen can start bringing them gifts to further raise their favor.

's latest hotfix resolves a major issue, but players still aren't totally satisfied. It's no secret that has its fair share of issues, whether they're related to bugs, boredom, or baffling design choices. It finally got its first major patch, update 1.10.31, earlier this March — but that didn't solve all its problems. Between questionable new features and a whole host of unresolved issues, the update didn't quite meet expectations.

Finishing the wrong quest too early in can put an end to an entire playthrough. Although has a large map and its fair share of side quests, its main story is relatively short. It also has an abrupt ending, after which there's not much left to do but start over on New Game Plus.

A hidden mechanic in can save tons of time when it comes to completing quests. As an open-world RPG, has many optional side quests for players to complete. However, not every quest has a clear marker, and it’s not always clear where they're located. Since it's possible to miss some of them, or even to fail certain time-sensitive quests in , players will need to use every tool at their disposal to find and finish as many quests as possible.

has an even greater legacy to live up to since the addition of a new feature to . Expectations and rumors around have run rampant since well before it was even announced. With a first view of the game now available, and the possibility of a release date for coming soon, things have only gotten more complicated.

's second and most expansive DLC release,, finally has an official release date. This DLC, which is more story-focused than, aims to tackle one of 's biggest mysteries. Set sometime during the base game's story, it'll take 's protagonists to a new region of Valisthea, where they'll hunt down the lost Eikon Leviathan and likely uncover some ancient secrets along the way. The DLC will color in some gaps in the base game's lore, and meaningfully expand on Clive, Jill, and Joshua's story.

Closely examining the tiniest details can reveal the biggest story spoilers in . Though a partially open-world game, with certain sets of quests that can be completed in any order, is surprisingly linear. The main plot points of its three acts are deliberately paced, with certain information designed only to be revealed during pivotal dialogue scenes. While there's plenty of foreshadowing, and minor hints scattered throughout each area, it can sometimes be hard to put the pieces together before the big reveal.

's side quests vary greatly in terms of story relevance. For the most part, they're largely unrelated: things like regional intel and Protorelic quests in mostly just exist to fill in the map, and give players a chance to power up their characters. These quests have storylines of their own that usually share common characters or themes with the central plot. They're necessary, and usually entertaining, but in the scheme of things, they're pretty inconsequential.

Pawns are great for a little extra storage space in , but it's not immediately clear what happens to the items they're given. Via the Pawn system in , players are able both to create a permanent Main Pawn, and to hire two additional Pawns from an extensive menu of community creations. Pawns have many uses — their primary purposes are to aid the player character in combat and offer situational advice, but they can also hang onto any spare items beyond the Arisen's carrying capacity.

During the 2024 Game Developers Conference, developer Larian officially announced that it won't be developing any DLC, expansions, or sequels to , as reported by . Whatever Larian's next game will be, according to studio founder and director of Swen Vincke, it won't have anything to do with .

has some limited online multiplayer features, but the way they work isn't immediately clear. Although it's primarily a single-player RPG, the world of can be explored by a party of up to four. These may include the player character (the Arisen), friends' characters, and/or anything players can dream up in the robust character creator included with .

Of 's four game modes, Hard is the most difficult, and provides a distinct experience from the base game. After completing a single game on one of the base modes (Easy, Normal, or 's new Dynamic Difficulty), Hard Mode becomes available on the difficulty select screen. It provides a far greater challenge than any of the other modes, and comes with some significant rule changes to keep the experience interesting.

There are 14 summons in , and all of them vary in terms of both strength and cool factor. Throughout the series, summons (or Eikons, as they're occasionally called) encompass some of the most powerful offensive options. Most summons recur from game to game, with iconic Eikons like Titan, Ifrit, Bahamut, Shiva, and Odin featuring in almost every single mainline entry. In, summons are unlocked by many different means.

could see a much-needed endgame improvement soon. Unlike most open-world survival games, is surprisingly linear. Sure, players can go wherever they want, whenever they want, but the map is always the same, aside from its procedurally generated dungeons. Players will always find the same landmarks, Pal habitats, and skill trees in the same places in . There's something to be said for a bespoke map design, but the linear nature of means that there's a clear-cut endgame. At a certain point, a player has done everything there is to do on the Palpagos Islands.

There's a conspiracy deep at the heart of , and the recent update only complicates the matter. announces in-game events via Major Orders, transmissions from the development team that direct players to complete certain types of missions on certain planets. Major Orders track the progress of players worldwide, allowing Helldivers everywhere to share a common goal, and promoting further unity among the people of Super Earth.

There's an easy way to get advance access to new content, but it's only available for a limited time. Still technically in early access, has already gotten a few updates. However, these are mostly minor, usually consisting of bug fixes or other small-scale changes. Every single one of these is necessary for quality-of-life, but as a whole, they're not terribly exciting.

Rumors of a release date for have existed for years, but new rumors suggest an update could be coming soon. The as-yet-unannounced installment in the spinoff series, would technically be the seventh mainline game. However, it'd only be the fourth since the series established its own identity, a process that began with the incorporation of social simulation elements into .

In , Fort Condor’s Hard Mode is optional — but that doesn't mean completing it will go unrewarded. Fort Condor is a recurring (if greatly expanded) mini-game from the original . It's a real-time strategy tower defense game in which a variety of units are placed on a two-laned battlefield. The end goal is to destroy the enemy's headquarters, or to run out the clock with more towers remaining. Finer points of strategy come from calculated unit placement, and a rock-paper-scissors system of strengths and weaknesses.

Johnny's Treasure Trove is one of the most expansive side activities in — considering the laundry list of tasks it involves, a good reward seems almost inevitable. Unlike most side quests and mini-games in , Johnny's Treasure Trove isn't focused on a single activity. Instead, it's more of a dressed-up completion list akin to 's Curiosities. In order to complete Johnny's Treasure Trove, players will have to complete chocobo races, win Queen's Blood Tournaments, and find all the buried PLAY ARTS figures in .

's map isn't truly open-world; it's divided into regions, and further areas are unlocked as the player progresses through the story. The regions themselves are pretty wide open, though. Each one comprises a significant bit of real estate on ’s larger Gaia map, and they’re all interconnected, even if players can only travel between them after reaching certain milestones in the story.

Fans of the series should pay special attention to 's Protorelic quests. Technically labeled as Phenomenon Intel on the map, these quests are better known by the names of the mysterious artifacts they're centered around: the so-called Protorelics. These technological antiques are highly sought after, especially by resident expert Chadley, who can reverse engineer them into useful items. Completing Protorelic quests also contributes to the gang's overall Party Level in FF7 Rebirth.

A strange scene in has Aerith speaking to someone with an unfamiliar voice through a half-closed door in the Junon Inn. The party first visits the seaside village of Junon in Chapter Four, having trekked through the Grasslands outside Kalm and the monster-infested Mythril Mine in pursuit of Sephiroth. It's there that they initially meet Yuffie in , but, exhausted after rescuing her from a hungry sea monster, they decide to take a break.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the ending of FF7 Rebirth.]

The biggest threat to democracy in isn't bugs or Automatons — sometimes, it's other players. Despite being a relatively new game, has already developed a devoted community. That largely stems from its co-op gameplay, which encourages, if not requires, concentrated teamwork. It's not always perfect — selfishness isn't unheard of in . Still, players soldier on, working to get more players invested in the effort to spread democracy through the universe.

doesn't explain all its systems perfectly. It leaves many things open for players to explore and discover on their own. Sometimes, these things are fun to experiment with, like 's Skill Cores and the new Folio system of progression. Other times, they seem like unintended omissions.

's biggest change to Red XIII might seem jarring, but there's a perfectly good reason for it. The second chapter in the remake trilogy makes a lot of changes to the original 's story, not least of which are the changes to its characters. Although Red XIII debuted near the end of, he's playable for the first time in . The sequel also delves more deeply into the Shinra lab rat-dog's backstory, just as the equivalent section of the original does.

boasts the largest playable party in the remake trilogy to date, but it's not complete from the start — characters like Yuffie and Cait Sith take time to join. With nine playable characters, adds depth and variety to the mix of real-time combat and Active Time Battle pioneered by. Each character has their own unique playstyle, from Cloud's up-close, fast-paced sword swipes to Aerith's potent spells and positioning-dependent buffs. Experimenting with different party compositions is half the fun. The other half is mixing and matching Materia with 's Skill Core system.

's official roster is now available in full. Including 250 superstars, a slight increase over 's roster of 246, is one of the biggest video games in recent years. While the bulk of its wrestlers and managers will be available at launch, several others will be released as DLC on a rough monthly schedule. Announced just before the 2024 Royal Rumble, arrives in plenty of time for Wrestlemania XL.

It's no secret that is closely based on. was first a 1959 novel written by Robert Heinlein, which was later adapted into a 1997 movie (albeit with a completely different set of morals). Since then, two sequels, two TV series, various animated films, tabletop and video games have followed, with the most recent being the licensed game .

might just have the most minigames of any entry in the series, but they're most concentrated at the Gold Saucer. A veritable minigame paradise, the Gold Saucer is a returning location from the original. It's a glittering palace of entertainment on 's map, a monument to delight and debauchery, and the best place to take a break from endless combat encounters.

Rumors about a remake have existed for a while, but do those still hold water in 2024? First released in 2010 (2011 in the United States), were the flagship games of Gen 5. Featuring the New York-based Unova region, new ways to bond and battle, and 156 new Pokémon — at the time, the most ever introduced in a single generation — was a huge hit, a generational game-changer. It was later followed by a pair of sequels, and .

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the endings of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Crisis Core.]

There's an easy way to get an unraidable base in . Playable in open online multiplayer exclusively on Steam (for now), has as much of a raiding problem as any other survival game. doesn't have an official PvP mode yet, but that hasn't stopped players from taking advantage of their neighbors. players can walk up on each other's bases, help themselves to resources in unlocked chests, and break just about anything — although they can't capture other players' Pals just yet.

It can be hard to know how Cloud's companions really feel about him, but one hidden feature makes it very clear. has always been known for its rich, memorable cast of characters, and the remake trilogy follows suit. includes more playable characters than, even taking the time to flesh out some of those party members the original game overlooked.

Players may come across a wealth of Moogle Medals as they explore the world of , but the game doesn't make it immediately clear what they're for. Moogle Medals can be found in a wide variety of places. They most commonly appear inside the breakable Shinra Boxes that seem to line every wall in Gaia. However, Moogle Medals can also pop up in chests, or even be rewarded for completing certain mini-games.

Many classes in sound as though they would be much more powerful than a bard would be, in theory. Bards are the singers, comedians, and storytellers of the Forgotten Realms, and can use their acting skills to effectively charm their way out of situations and influence people. This doesn't typically carry over to being a good class for combat, and they do not start with many weapon or armor proficiencies, nor do they get a high Armor Class or Strength. That said, in, a bard can be extremely effective with the right build.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.]

There's an easy way to skip right past one of the hardest dungeons in , and it's not even technically cheating. The gameis full of challenges, from 's toughest bosses to its most obfuscating puzzles. However many roadblocks it might throw in the party's way, it seems like there are always alternate ways to solve them. Talking one's way out of a dicey situation, pushing a powerful enemy into a chasm, or casting to get past a platforming challenge — all are valid approaches, and can help avoid frustration.

The PlayStation 5 Pro could be out before anyone expected. PS5 Pro rumors have existed around the as-yet-unannounced console since the initial release of the PS5 in 2020. It's been a common strategy for Sony since the PS2 generation: come out with a console, and then, halfway through its shelf life, come out with a bigger, better, more powerful version and make everyone buy it all over again. However, as the base PS5 enters the "" of its life, the expected time frame for a PS5 Pro release is fast approaching.

's Hudson Construction sign puzzles are a great way to rack up a few Rupees in the early game, and they provide moderately helpful items throughout, but whether they have any long-term rewards isn't immediately clear. While adventuring, players will often come across the zealous, helmet-haired Hudson Construction employee Addison, clinging to a wooden sign for dear life and needing help keeping it standing. Players are welcome to solve 's Hudson sign puzzles however they wish, but there are usually some building materials nearby to aid in the effort. The idea is to use Ultrahand to cobble together a structure stable enough to keep the sign standing until Addison can secure it.