Game Features News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

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.

The 5e ruleset has an abundance of playable races for players to choose from, many of which are based on real-world animals. It's not difficult for characters to transform into animals, as this is the point of the druid's Wild Shape ability in , and there are different spells that allow the player to shift form. But there are also plenty of options for playing an animal the whole time. It just depends on whether a player wants to spend the entire game playing as a rabbit or a cat with a sword.

There are many mods available for ConcernedApe's popular indie title, and one of them — - comes with brand new NPCs that can interact with the player, even some that are romanceable. Aiming to stay true to the original title, strives to evoke the same feeling players first had when they picked up the original game. adds countless hours of additional content with maps, locations, new events for every NPC, and over 20 new and expanded characters, all updated to work with Patch 1.6 of.

has a reputation as one of the most interesting sourcebooks for 5e, and some of its most interesting additions come in the form of wondrous tomes. These books feature a variety of spells and unique abilities, granting their bearers access to more power that tends to fall within specific themes. These can make for great treasure for a party wizard to find, and the unique flavor of each as a physical object is a nice bonus that helps give the books some personality.

One of the endearing features of is the fun and sometimes quirky conversations that players can have with villagers in the game. Once a player becomes good friends with a villager, they could be given a chance to have the villager ask them about changing their catchphrase. These catchphrases in are different from greetings and nicknames, and it can be somewhat tricky to get a phrase that works for all conversations but can help to personalize an island and game and create fun exchanges for the player.

The immense and immersive world of has evolved and grown over the years, particularly with each new iteration of the core rule books. In the current fifth edition (5e) system for the tabletop roleplaying game, the common universe of the Forgotten Realms has many deities, each with their own background of iconography and lore attached to them. Under the discretion of their DM, groups might also flex their creativity to introduce new ideas for Gods or Goddesses into a homebrew for their private games.

From to to, the FPS genre has defined a wide array of video games. id Software, the developer behind,, and is regularly credited with creating the first-person shooter, as those games are seen as the granddaddies of the genre. The history of FPS games doesn't begin with id Software's most successful titles, however, and diving into the games that actually created the genre reveals a much longer path to market domination.

[Warning: This article contains major spoilers for RDR2.]

offers players a chance to add a little romance to V's life, with several NPCs available for a relationship. Just like in real life, the quality of these relationships can vary, with some being much more serious than others, but each has something unique to bring to the story. Over the course of the game, V can call their romantic partner to hang out – a newer change from the 2.1 update – or even come over to one of the apartments to have a little private time.

Cloud's headaches in aren't just random: there's a very specific reason for these sudden bursts of pain. Cloud is a very conflicted character, and throughout the game, he suffers from splitting headaches at various moments. The original game had Cloud experiencing the same thing, but it's even more drastic and dramatic in the. Cloud sees random visions, hears painful scratching noises, and clutches his head whenever a headache comes on.

A well-known feature of, and any other game, is the fun of trading with friends. This can be one of the best ways to engage with friends and family members, or even meet new people while enjoying a shared hobby. Whether at community events, discussing on social media, or just happening upon another trainer out in the world, being able to share a Pokémon with someone can help form a connection. Some Pokémon can only be found in certain locations, so trading with friends who have traveled to other areas can also help complete a Pokédex.

The PS5 and PC release ofhad DLC content that can't be played on PS4, but it's actually a surprisingly necessary add-on, as it includes important story information that's relevant to . The DLC stars the impetuous ninja Yuffie Kisaragi, following her on a covert mission to infiltrate Midgar during the events of. Yuffie is the only playable character in her DLC, though there is a guest party member called Sonon, who fights alongside her throughout her story.

First appearing in the Unearthed Arcana playtests, magic tattoos became an official part of the world with the release of the sourcebook in 2020. Like just about everything else in, magic tattoos are unique character features with an emphasis on the supernatural. They can be used to both customize a character's appearance, and to give them a new set of powers at once. They're ideal for a wide variety of character types, since they don't require spell slots to use. With the right preparation, anyone can have a magic tattoo.

As a story-driven RPG, has no shortage of quests in which the player character must make choices that impact its main story, and the side job "" is one such example. In it, V has to decide whether to side with Denny or Henry, a decision that determines who plays in a Samurai reunion show. Although the quest doesn't have any major repercussions on 's multiple endings, this can still feel like a difficult choice to make. Denny and Henry both have unique character traits, and their own reasons for why they deserve to be at the reunion.

«X To Doubt» is one of the most famous gaming memes, but for those unfamiliar with its origins, it can lack the context necessary to make connect it to the title that made it famous, . Video game memes have steadily risen in popularity over the years, including Speech 100 meme or unforgettable «X To Jason.» It isn't uncommon for memes to arise from conversational options in games, and the plethora of content using interactions as a basis shows that the spirit that's sustained this tendency is still very much alive.

is a massive open-world action RPG where players can make many of their own choices that lead them through their time as a fifth-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although many small decisions such as how to respond in a conversation with someone won't change very much, others can lead to serious consequences. It isn't always very obvious which of these points will have the power to have a lasting effect on the characters and ending of the game, so knowing which choices matter is crucial.

Becoming a vampire in is a bit different from what players might expect. Rather than simply being bitten by a vampire and consequently transforming through supernatural forces, players become one of the undead creatures by contracting and failing to treat a disease. Players can contract Sanguinare Vampiris by taking damage from any vampire or creature. In these early days of transformation, vampirism can be cured like any other disease: by taking any blessing from any god's shrine. But if the Dragonborn isn't cured within three in-game days, they will become a vampire themselves.

's attention to detail in every saloon and mountain range has made it one of the most stunning open world releases of all time, with a main story that can take around 50 hours to complete, and countless challenges that take protagonist Arthur Morgan on myriad misadventures. One of these milestones is the Best in the West trophy, which requires players to achieve 100% completion of. So, what do players need to complete to earn the achievement, and what rewards come with it?

is undeniably similar to , but whether it's a total rip-off is another question entirely. Like, it's a title that revolves around catching cute and dangerous creatures, and using them to achieve various goals. While this kind of gameplay wasn't necessarily invented by, and isn't even unique to, the iconic series is the first thing that comes to mind on hearing "." That was only worsened by early previews of, which showed off Pal-catching devices and animations that strongly resemble Poké Balls.

Raising Bennett’s Constellation level to C6 in can be a bit controversial. The game by HoYoverse offers a wide roster of characters that can be made stronger through Constellation upgrades – these can be obtained when players get the same character from gacha banners or events after they have already unlocked the playable hero. Despite being a free-to-play character, the Mondstadtian is versatile and can be used as a healer, an elemental enabler, and even a sub-DPS for some. His set of skills is very particular, and no other characters match him. Bennett's usefulness even tends to surpass many of his 5-star counterparts.

has impressively realized its setting of Night City, right down to the slang used by its denizens, including the often repeated «choom.» The term of endearment is heard throughout the game, and the protagonist, V, is referred to as such frequently. Night City and 's slang, however, were not created by developer CD Projekt Red. Both predate the video game by some time, and have their roots in the wider franchise, so understanding the meaning and prevalence of the slang term choom requires a bit of background.

When looking to do a second playthrough of Rockstar's cowboy classic , the honor system should be on players' minds as they determine whether Arthur Morgan will be good or bad. Deciding on a morally upstanding outlaw who does bad for good reasons or a heartless killer who revels in the crimes he commits is the key choice here. Each has its benefits (though one side vastly outweighs the other), and must be considered when starting up the game and journeying into Colter for the second time around.

[Warning: The following story contains major spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 2.]

When , sequel to 2014's was announced at Summer Game Fest 2022, audiences were left puzzled about whether a existed. The series appears to have skipped over which is a confusing move for players both new and old.

There are over 20 Shiny-locked monsters in . While Shiny hunting is easier in than in other entries, there's no way to get some of the game's most powerful Pokémon in Shiny form. Shiny-locked Pokémon must be hacked to acquire, but players really shouldn't pursue this route as it can often lead to bans from Nintendo's online services. Thankfully, most species in ' Pokédex appear in Shiny forms, meaning players are likely to catch one or two favorites with unique colors.

is one of the RPG genre's best-loved titles, and developer Bethesda Game Studios has capitalized on this popularity by publishing versions of the game across separate console generations. Bethesda's unique approach to filling out the decade-long wait for has been subject to plenty of jokes and wry commentary, but there's no denying it's yielded positive results for the company. It's also been rewarding for fans willing to reinvest in the title on different consoles, as more content has been added to it with each update.

Larian Studios, the developer behind , is quite fond of hiding secret encounters, loot, and locations within its games, and its latest project is no exception. Following up on the prior games developed by Bioware, the newest entry delivers the fluidity and variety of choices that make a role-playing game stand out. encourages thorough exploration and multiple playthroughs in order to discover everything hidden throughout its world.

Making an interesting character is all part of the fun of playing, but devising a good concept can sometimes be one of the most challenging aspects. Ideally, a character should feel like a natural part of the world, but creating a stock fantasy trope isn't the most interesting path. It’s far too easy to fall into the trap of using the same clichés when rolling a new character, resulting in a party that feels more like a template than an interesting group of adventurers. Any character can be roleplayed in an interesting way, but having a unique spin up front makes this task a lot easier.

Paladins have some of the most interesting class features in thanks to the oaths that play a central role in defining them. Although the idea of upholding oaths comes from the implementation of paladins in the tabletop experience, developer Larian Studios has tweaked the rules for the paladin to fit better with video game mechanics. These changes are focused in particular on creating fun consequences for keeping or breaking the sacred oaths of a paladin.

There are several endings available in CD Projekt Red's open-ended action RPG , influenced by both main story dialogue choices, side quests, and character romances, and they range from devastating to bittersweet. In the end, protagonist V's fate is determined by the player, with the caveat that for all but one of the endings, if V survives, they only have six months to live due to the Relic. Despite the difficulties they face, V can manage to secure a happy ending — or at least the closest thing to a happy ending that exists in the dark universe.

During the course of 's main story, V must decide what to do with Finn «Fingers» Gerstatt, a ripperdoc operating out of an abandoned flophouse in Jig-Jig Street. During the main campaign, players interact with Fingers while hunting for Evelyn Parker, the woman who commissioned the disastrous heist on Konpeki Plaza that serves as the climax of the game's first act. Once Fingers is found, V finds out not only the next clue to Evelyn's location, but also what type of doctor Fingers really is.

Arthur Morgan contracts TB fairly early in , but much can still be done before his fateful encounter with Thomas Downes. Throughout the game, Arthur's TB progresses in a way that starts to have a significant narrative impact. However, the mission where Arthur contracts the deadly disease has a very specific trigger, meaning that avoiding it can open up other avenues. While this would effectively stop the story and lock out a large portion of the game, it is a viable option for those wishing for Arthur Morgan to live on without succumbing to his seemingly inevitable fate.

Today, EA Sports revealed its latest deep dive video for the upcoming EA SPORTS WRC. The game is slated as a current generation title with a release on PC that will launch on November 3. The official game of the FIA World Rally Championship will offer a way to create a modern rally racer while embracing the history of the sport. The Builder mode allows players to follow the same path as the legendary Colin McRae, who’s sponsored rally games are continued by the DiRT Rally series and into the new EA SPORTS WRC. Players can also expect a Rally School to begin their journey and learn the craft of the sport, and Regularity Rally, which is an alternate form of competition that will be present in several modes across the game.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage launches next month, but Ubisoft has a lot more stabby fun in the works. As they’ve announced, in addition to the more stripped-down Mirage, there are two other major AC titles currently in production – Assassin’s Creed Codename Red (an open-world RPG-style game set in Feudal Japan from Ubisoft Quebec) and Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe (a darker take on the series focused on European witch hunts during the Renaissance from Ubisoft Montreal). Rumor has it that Assassin’s Creed Red may be arriving as soon as next year, and reliable Ubisoft insider Tom Henderson has provided a few interesting fresh details about the game.