As you might recall, World started off strong right out the gate. It brought players of all experience levels into a vast, immersive world, teeming with large creatures to confront and overcome. It truly felt like Capcom finally mastered the formula that it took nearly 15 years to perfect, and its current status as the developer’s best-selling game of all time only serves to make such beliefs more valid.

It wasn’t perfect though.

Though understandable, the variety of monster offered in World was less than in previous titles. Similarly, there wasn’t any meaningful endgame content for players to occupy themselves with. Admittedly, future updates did address both of these issues, but not to the degree that most would have hoped — the variety of monsters was still a bit lacking, and the “endgame content” had an inconsistent effect on the monsters featured within it.

Thankfully, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne addressees those concerns and more.

Difficulty? Meet Master Rank. Monster variety? The New World is like a zoo now. Equipment? Tons. Depth? I think you get the gist. The longer I played, the more inaccurate it felt to call Iceborne an expansion, as it added so much to the base game that it came off more like a standalone title.

Features such as the ever-useful Clutch Claw, which allows the player to latch on to a monster’s body from afar, and Slinger Burst, which fires enhanced versions of slinger ammo like a shotgun, are available the moment Iceborne installs, but the bulk of those aforementioned additions are unlocked through the game’s story mode. 

Taking place following the conclusion of World, Iceborne’s story has you play detective once again — this time, to figure out what’s throwing the ecosystem of the New World out of whack. Migrating Legiana. The emergence of this title’s flagship monster, Velkhana. A host of returning monsters and new subspecies coming out of the woodwork. You’ll quickly come to realize as you progress that the more you think you know, the less you actually do. If anything, the only thing you know for certain is that you’ll need to hunt a lot of monsters to find out what’s what.

And to meet that end, we now have a new hub to use as our base of operations — Seliana.

Located in the northern reaches of the New World, Seliana is a hub surrounded by ice and blanketed in snow. The story will occasionally require you to move between Seliana and Astera, but it would be prudent to remain in the former whenever given the chance. Why? Because it’s no longer a slog to move between facilities. Everything is located within close proximity of one another, so it’s no longer a hassle when you want to perform multiple tasks. It’s a much-appreciated improvement over Astera and helps to reduce downtime between hunts.

But if you do want to linger around at base, then there’s something for you: the Steamworks. All you have to do is correctly guess which order of buttons to press and you’ll get rewards ranging from Mega Potions to Celestial Wyverian Prints. And the best part of all? It’s impossible to fail. So long as you have ore to fuel the engine, there’s no reason not to do this minigame.

And if that isn’t your cup of tea, then perhaps you can sip some of your own at your new house which has a hot spring connected at the back. Per usual, your room doesn’t add much in terms of gameplay, but it’s large and highly customizable, so it’s nice to take a break and relax there every so often. 

Of course, this mystery isn’t going to solve itself, so you’ll need to leave eventually. And you’ll be required to take on Iceborne’s new difficulty level, Master Rank, when you do.

Comparable to the G Rank of previous titles, Master Rank needs no introduction for veterans. Newcomers on the other hand? Here’s the rundown: Master Rank takes everything you thought you knew about monsters up to this point and tosses your knowledge out the door. Fights aren’t going to feel wholly new, but monsters do have some new tricks up their sleeves which are supplemented by enhanced damage output, durability and health.

Were you among the many clamoring for harder content? If so, Master Rank has you covered.

For instance, you know how Rathalos only really started to fly around once it was enraged? Well, not only does Rathalos now spend most of its time in the air, but it now has a triple fireball attack to give you even more to worry about. Meanwhile, Kulu-Ya-Ku can dig up different varieties of rocks, such as a molten one that causes explosions whenever it’s slammed on the ground. And then there’s Odogaron who is permanently frenzied, meaning that it can attack up to four times before pausing. Not only that, but it often ends its assault with a pounce+backstep combo to make it harder for hunters to capitalize on any moment of vulnerability.

This extends to new and returning monsters too. Banbaro shows up in basically every area and the properties of its attacks change accordingly, while the differences between subspecies such as Coral Pukei-Pukei or Ebony Odogaron and their normal counterparts are like night and day. Even returning monsters, such as Glavenus and Brachydios, have one or two new tricks that will throw veterans for a loop. And if you think you’ve seen everything Iceborne has to offer thanks to all those trailers, then think again — there’s more.

But before I make it sound like surviving in Master Rank is some Herculean task, I should mention that you have plenty of ways to rise to the occasion.

As you might have expected, the coming of a new rank means there’s plenty of new armor and weapons to collect. Unfortunately, they’ll be more like sidegrades early on due to them lacking some of the enhancements endgame High Rank gear were privy to. New weapons might be statistically stronger, but they’ll be missing augmentations, such as Health Regen or Affinity Increase. Similarly, certain traits on armor, such as the Two Piece Rathalos Set Bonus, Critical Element, are gone altogether.

Mind you, this won’t be an issue for those who farmed World’s endgame content extensively; but those who don’t have a “Kjarr” bow, for instance, will likely find it hard to part with their Rathalos helm and chest.

Fortunately, decorations have received various buffs to make the loss of such gear less painful. First, Specialized Tools can now be upgraded to have slots, meaning there’s now more customization options than ever. Second, decorations now have a fourth tier which can either combine two different skills into a single slot or increase one skill by multiple levels. And as an added bonus, Master Rank armor is teeming with the relevant slots to place them in.

And while on the subject of skills, I should mention that several of them have been adjusted or buffed. For instance, many skills, such as Maximum Might, Bombardier and Slugger, can be increased past their usual cap if you have the right armor. Meanwhile, the elemental cap on weapons have increased, making elemental builds — and thus the use of elemental attack gems — a far more appealing option.

However, it turns out the greatest addition to your arsenal aren’t your weapons, armor or even the decorations — it’s the nifty new gadget that’s been added to your slinger: the Clutch Claw.

I don’t mean to make light of the new techniques each weapon has received, because though some of them can be a bit cumbersome to use, they’re really fun to use overall. For example, the Gunlance can combine slinger ammo and the Wyrmstake Cannon to create a small warhead that detonates whenever it’s hit by shells, while the Long Sword has a new move that essentially functions as both a normal and counterattack.

It’s just that the Clutch Claw is so good that it will revolutionize the way you hunt once you’re used to it.

As mentioned earlier, the Clutch Claw allows players to latch onto monsters from afar. And once you do, you have the option of either doing an attack that will soften up the affected body part, opening it up for more damage, or targeting the head with a Flinch Shot by using your remaining slinger ammo to send the monster barreling in whatever direction it was facing. The former option is pretty straightforward, but the latter can be used to knock monsters out of the sky or into a wall for large amounts of damage if you’ve got some finesse.

Remember when I mentioned how Rathalos spends most of its time in the air? Flash Pods aren’t as effective in Master Rank, so Flinch Shot is your only means of reliably grounding it. Meanwhile, nothing tells an Odogaron to calm down like sending it face first into a wall. In either case, you’ll get a chance to deal some free damage (on top of the damage from the impact) and crafting material to sweeten the deal.

Of course, there are a few things to keep in mind here: it has a relatively short range, you’ll usually get knocked off and take damage if a monster is in the middle of an attack, and it loses effectiveness when the target is enraged.

Beyond that though? Top notch. In a game filled with new monsters, weapons and armor, it turns out my favorite addition was an unassuming grappling hook on my wrist.

In the end, Iceborne is exactly what fans should expect out of a modern Monster Hunter. 

There might be fewer monsters compared to older titles, but never before have you been able to witness them in a world that this game presents. And thanks to this “expansion,” there are now more ways for you to interact with them, as well as they with each other. Trust me, you haven’t seen chaos until you watch three apex predators go at it with one another.

And, yes, the gameplay loop technically remains unchanged, but the amount of possible setups available thanks to the added number of weapons, armor and decorations will easily give the devoted at least an extra 100 hours of playing time.

Admittedly, some will find it annoying that they have to “start over” if they didn’t farm High Rank enough, but it won’t take too long to get up to speed. Honestly, even the basic gear is serviceable. You won’t have the clear times you’re used to, but even those will start to even out over time.

Really, what else can I say here? Any reasonable complaint I’ve had in the months following World’s launch has been addressed.

Oh, except for transmogrification and/or more layered sets — Capcom doesn’t seem too interested in those quite yet. Hopefully, I just missed those.

The Verdict

Back when I reviewed Monster Hunter: World, I called it a revelation due to my thoroughly debunked assumption that a Monster Hunter title couldn’t possibly appeal to a more casual audience without giving something up in return. With Iceborne, however, there was no such assumption. If anything, the only thing I’m surprised about is just how much this improves upon the base game. I figured it would be good, but not this good.

More monsters, more gear, more content. Iceborne remedies most complaints players raised with World and then some. I’m still not sure if this can be considered definitive Monster Hunter title, but if it wasn’t in the running before, it certainly is now.

What Are The Steamworks?

As mentioned before, the Steamworks is a minigame located in Seliana that players can check out in between hunts.

In order to participate, all you need is to use fuel generated by either completing quests or by converting fuel items or unwanted ore into usable fuel. Once you have enough, you’re good to go.

You don’t have to use the Steamworks if you don’t want to, but you’d honestly be a fool to ignore it. Not only do only do you get free consumable items, but you also get rare items such as King Armor Spheres and Celestial Wyverian Prints.

Really, there’s no reason not to play if you have the time.

Well, I Don’t Want To Be A Fool. How Do I Play?

Once you have enough fuel, all you need to do is press a random sequence of three buttons in order to generate steam power for the settlement. Does the order matter? Yes, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

There are some things you need to consider:

• The closer your guesses are to the correct order, the better items you’ll receive.
• You’ll occasionally be told the correct order.
• Top-Quality items are reserved for multiple correct sequence guesses in a row.
• Even if you choose incorrectly, you’ll get items and build steam — just not as much.

As you can see, you’ll be rewarded if you perform better, but you’re never actually punished for doing poorly. You can’t really fail.

That said, performing well is the only way you’ll gain access to bonus events. 

You’ll know these are coming up because of the notice at the top of the screen, and once activated, Felynes will appear to tell you which buttons for a limited period of time. It’s during these times that you’re most likely to get the best rewards, so it’s in your best interest to pay attention.

Lastly, though I said it’s technically impossible to fail, you can miss out on the overdrive bonus (filling the steam gauge to red) if you don’t have an ample amount of fuel saved up and you make too many incorrect guesses. You’ll still get rewards though, and the best one isn’t tied to the aforementioned bonus at all.

That’s it for the Steamworks in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. It’s easy to access and you’re rewarded simply for playing. If you were looking for something to do while not hunting, then this is the minigame for you.

Who Are The Boaboa?

As mentioned before, the Boaboa are a tribe of Grimalkyne that are native to the Hoarfrost Reach. Like the Troopers and Gajalaka of Coral Highland and Elder’s Recess, respectively, the Boaboa are initially hostile, so you’ll want to befriend them if you hope to make your hunts in the region as smooth as possible.

How Do I Befriend Them?

Befriending the Boaboa is a three step process that starts soon after you start Iceborne’s content. You’ll be told the locals in the region only respect those who can prove themselves in a hunt. Fortunately, they think you fit the ticket so why not prove yourself and forge some diplomatic ties?

Step 1: Hunt Any Large Monster In The During An Expedition

The first part in befriending the Boaboa requires you to hunt any monster in the Hoarfrost Reach during an expedition. You get this quest so early, so your safest bet is to target a Banbaro or Beotodus (for reasons made apparent later, you should go with the latter).

Upon starting the expedition, you’ll find some Boaboa residing at your base camp, and they’ll follow you when you leave. They won’t help you, however, they’re just there to observe. From there, it’s a simple matter of finding and defeating the monster of your choice.

Simple.

Step 2: Go To The Boaboa’s Lair And Attend Their Council Meeting

After a successful hunt, return to base camp to receive praise from the Boaboa, as well as the next part in this quest chain. You’ll be told that they want you to head their hideout and attend their council meeting.

To do so, head to Area 2 and hitch a ride on a wingdrake who will take you Area 17. Once there, attend the meeting and you’ll be told your reason for your invitation: to hunt a Tempered Beotodus. This counts as a formal quest, so head back to Seliana and pick it up.

Step 3: By Our Powers Combined

This quest works a little differently than most hunts because it requires you to lure a Popo to a specified location before the mark will reveal itself. Fortunately, the Boaboa will tell you exactly what to do: shoot the designated Popo with rocks until it moves to Area 6. Once it does, the Beotodus will reveal itself and the hunt will begin in earnest.

As mentioned before, this Beotodus is tempered, and will likely be among the first tempered monster you face off against in Master Rank, so it wouldn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with its moveset and behavioral patterns (hence why I recommended hunting a regular Beotodus to start this quest chain). Luckily, you won’t be doing this quest alone: a horde of Boaboa will be there to aid you, so simply proceed as usual and you’ll have your foe down in no time.

Once successful, you’ll be sent to the Boaboa’s hideout where their leader will thank you for your assistance and give you two rewards: their friendship and the ability to summon Tailraider monsters to ride on.

That’s it for the Boaboa in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. They’re by no means essential, but they do help a little and it’s nice to fight without fear of getting a harpoon thrown at your back.

Now introducing: the Clutch Claw.

What Is The Clutch Claw?

The Clutch Claw is an attachment for your slinger that allows you to mount a monster from any position.

Here are the key controls:

• Circle or B to use the Clutch Claw after bring out your Slinger
• Control Stick to move
• Triangle or Y to do a Weapon Attack
• Circle or B to use a Claw Attack
• R2 or RT to do a Flinch Shot
• X or A to Drop Down

Needless to say, you have a good number of options at your disposal once you’ve latched onto a monster. However, you need to keep in mind that your stamina will deplete rapidly while mounted, you’ll take damage if you’re on the wrong body part when a monster attacks, and the claw itself has reduced effectiveness on enraged monsters.

Beyond that, you’re free to use the Clutch Claw whenever you have the opportunity. And while it’s fun to repeatedly hop onto monsters at any given moment, there are ways to make each mount as effective as they are fun.

Mastering The Clutch Claw

Though you do have the option of using any action you want while using the Clutch Claw to mount, each one has a specific use and an optimal time to use it.

Weapon Attack

Simply using your weapon attack can be surprisingly damaging depending on which weapon you’re using, but there are two main reasons why you should consider using the Weapon Attack:

1. Successful attacks weaken the body part you were attached to, making it more susceptible to damage.
2. Slinger Ammo drops regardless of which body is hit

As you can see, Weapon Attack is great for when you need Slinger Ammo for whatever reason, or if you really want to break a vital body part. In my case, I often used it on the head as a monster was recovering from a knock down. In doing so, I was able to maintain DPS while the monster was immobilized, while also ensuring that I was doing increased DPS while it was moving around.

Claw Attack

There isn’t much to say about the Claw Attack since all it does is a minimal amount of damage and force the monster to change direction. However, it becomes quite potent when used with another certain action…

Flinch Shot

Some may disagree, but I firmly believe that Flinch Shot is the single greatest addition in Iceborne. All you have to do is latch on to a monster’s face, unload all your remaining slinger ammo, and watch as it goes careening in the direction it was facing. Just the mere sight of this is great as is, but the potential benefits it has are even greater:

• If a monster who was affected by Flinch Shot falls off a ledge, hits a wall or another monster, it will receive a sizable amount of damage and be momentarily stunned. This isn’t random either, as you can use the Claw Attack to force it to face whatever direction you want it to go in.
• When a monster is flying, Flinch Shot can be used to ground it. This is particularly useful in Master Rank since many monsters who have the capacity to fly will rarely stay on the ground, and Flash Pods quickly lose effectiveness.
• Regardless of how it happens, when a monster receives damage after a successful Flinch Shot, you’ll be rewarded with an account item or crafting material.

I’m basically shilling for it at this point, but I really can’t stress enough how satisfying it feels when Flinch Shot is used correctly. For instance, I used it in conjunction with a hammer and the poor Pink Rathian I was fighting barely had a chance to respond since I kept stunning it. Really, the only limitation is the availability of slinger ammo.

That’s it for the Clutch Claw in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. It doesn’t seem like much at first glance, but it will revolutionize the way you hunt once you get the hang of it.

What Is Raider Ride?

Raider Ride is exactly what it sounds like: Tailraider monsters that you can summon, mount and ride yourself.

They can’t be controlled manually, but you can mark a large monster or location on your map and the Tailraider monster will automatically follow it while you prepare, mine, gather, etc. They can also sniff out monster tracks to help with your research, but only if you decline to select a destination.

Two important things to note though, is that they’ll steadily become fatigued if you ride them too much, making them unavailable for the remainder of the quest or expedition until they recover, and that there are times when they’ll be unavailable, such as when you’re in certain areas or if they’re busy.

Beyond that, they’re a nice way to expedite the tracking/hunting process. There’s even unique ones based on the region you’re in!

Nice. How Do I Unlock It?

Raider Ride is unlocked as a reward for befriending the Boaboa in Hoarfrost Reach. There’s a guide that goes into greater detail, but here’s a quick rundown of what you have to do:

*Note: All of these can be found at the Resource Center

1. Hunt Any Large Monster In Hoarfrost Reach
2. Go To The Boaboa’s Lair and Attend Their Council Meeting
3. Complete The Quest, “By Our Powers Combined”

Once you finish this questline, on top of befriending the Boaboa, you’ll receive the Raider Ride Call item that can be permanently found in your item bar.

That’s it for the Raider Ride in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. They’re fun to use and great for finding large monsters who don’t like staying in one place for too long. Consider using your new Tailraider monster friends whenever you get the chance.

Unlocking Iceborne Content And Master Rank

The path to reaching the new content can really be broken down into two steps:

Step 1: Defeat Xeno’jiiva

Xeno’jiiva is the final boss of World’s story mode and you won’t be able to even consider accessing Icebonre’s content without defeating it first.

Despite being the final boss, there isn’t much you have to do to defeat Xeno’jiiva, honestly. It’s vulnerable to poison and all elements are equally effective against it. Don’t let its size fool you: just avoid its laser and stomp attacks when it enrages and you’ll be set.

Optional: High Rank Postgame

By no means is this necessary, but it wouldn’t hurt to check out some of World’s endgame content after Xeno’jiiva is defeated.

You’ll be able to get some augmentations and useful gear (namely, AT Kulve Taroth gear) that can make the transition from High Rank to Master Rank a bit smoother. Do note, however, that much of that gear will soon get outclassed in Master Rank, and getting it might not even be an option since most players will likely be focusing on Iceborne content.

Step 2: Investigate The Ancient Forest

Regardless of whether you follow that optional step, your next goal will be to take up a new quest which will require you to investigate the Ancient Forest.

Legiana have been spotted in the region for whatever reason, so it’s up to you to examine the area during an expedition to figure out why. Simply follow the tracks before checking out the scenes and dialogue that follows.

From there, you’ll head to the region that will later be dubbed Hoarfrost Reach and you’ll be treated to an introduction to Master Rank and all the content that follows.

Welcome to Monster Hunter World: Iceborne!

Capcom has announced that Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will be getting another beta later this week — and this time, Xbox One players will be able to get in on the action.

There will be two separate sessions, one on the PlayStation 4 and another on Xbox One. Both will last the same period of time, but will not occur concurrently, with the Xbox One beta starting soon after that on the PlayStation 4 ends.

Here is the full schedule:

PlayStation 4:  Aug. 30 at 12:00 a.m. PST/ 3:00 a.m. EST/ 8:00 p.m. BST to  Sept. 1 at 12:00 p.m. PST/ 3:00 EST/ 8:00 BST

Xbox One: Sept. 2 at 12:00 a.m. PST/ 3:00 a.m. EST/ 8:00 p.m. BST to  Sept. 5 at 12:00 p.m. PST/ 3:00 EST/ 8:00 BST

There will be four missions this time around, allowing players to take on Iceborne’s flagship elder dragon, Velkhana, for an all-new master difficulty hunt. Aside from that, the other three missions are the same as the previous beta: the beginner mission has the Great Jagras as its target, the intermediate mission features the Banbaro, while expert difficulty has players go head-to-head with a Tigrex.

As always, players will have full access to all 14 weapon types, along with new Iceborne features such as the Clutch Claw.

Those who complete these missions will receive commendations packs (up to a maximum of four) containing a variety of consumable items that can be used once Iceborne arrives in full on Sept. 6.

If interested, be sure to download the beta client which will be available a few days ahead of each beta starting Aug. 28. The Monster Hunter: World base game is not required to participate.

Check out a brief trailer detailing the beta below:

Nintendo has announced that the first expansion for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, “Curse of the Vampire,” is set to arrive  on Sept.30.

The expansion will add four new characters hailing from “Marvel Knights” — Blade, Moon Knight, Punisher and Morbius — as well as an “intense” series of co-op missions in the new Gauntlet Mode. It was initially assumed there would be story DLC on top of this, but there was no mention of it in the announcement, so anything beyond what was officially confirmed would be a welcome surprise.

This will be the first of three (as far as we know) major post-launch updates coming to Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order in the near future.

As detailed at San Diego Comic Con, there are plans to release an X-Men-themed expansion (not to be confused with the Cyclops and Colossus free update coming Aug.30), later followed by a Fantastic Four-themed one in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Both will reportedly feature similar extra content on top of the expected new characters.

In the meantime, Curse of the Vampire, along with all future expansion packs, are available as part of an expansion pass that will cost $20. They can’t be purchased separately, so it’s either all or nothing.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is available now for the Nintendo Switch. If you want to know what we thought of it, check out our review here.

Capcom has released another trailer and developer diary for the upcoming Monster Hunter World: Iceborne confirming the inclusion of three new regular monsters, including a brand-new Elder Dragon, as well as a bunch of other info.

For what it’s worth, all three of the aforementioned monsters — Brachydios, Barioth and Acidic Glavenus — were already known to anyone who’s been following Iceborne in recent months, but it’s still good to see them formally revealed and officially in action.

As with all returning monsters, Brachydios (Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate) and Barioth (Monster Hunter Tri) have been adapted and retooled to make them better suited to the New World.

On Brachydios’ part, the brute wyvern still retains its signature ability to inflict slime status on the player, but said slime now has the capacity to explode at different time intervals depending on which attack was used to inflict the status effect with. Similarly, players will really need to watch out for the slime pools Brachydios leaves on the ground since they can now momentarily trap anyone who touches it.

Meanwhile, Barioth is just as agile as before, but can use the surrounding environment to greater effect. For instance, the developer diary notes the flying wyvern can cling to walls and use them as a vantage point to either fire blasts of ice or tackle its foes from above.

On the other end of the spectrum, Acidic Glavenus was designed to offer a different take on the Glavenus fight.

Envisioned as a Long Sword, rather than a Great Sword, this subspecies has two “forms” depending on whether its tail is sharpened. While in its “sheathed” stated (indicated by the crystals covering the tail), this brute wyvern does less damage, but is capable of inflicting defense down on anyone who it hits. And though it does lose this property once the tail is sharpened, it does far more damage (even more if the player’s defense is lowered), so players will need to be aware of which state the monster is in and react accordingly.

For the final new monster reveal, though we didn’t get to see it in action, we were offered our first glimpse at a brand-new Elder Dragon coming to Monster Hunter World: Iceborne — Namielle. Details about it are basically non-existent, but we know it’s water-based, so players finally have a reason to actually care about water resistance.

Lastly, Capcom announced a few new features and updates that players can look forward to in the future, such as an upgradable Guardian Armor set that will be provided via a free update on Sept. 4; Hunter Helper, which rewards Master and High Rank players for assisting lower rank players; along with a slew of weapon/balance adjustments.

Check out the new trailer and developer diary below:

It’s been nearly 15 years since we saw a genuine release within the TimeSplitters series, and while there has been plenty of speculation about a new entry since then, none of that has amounted to anything. However, a recent development is making that coveted update look more likely.

Namely, THQ Nordic revealed in its Q1 Financial Report that one of the original developers for TimeSplitters, Steve Ellis, had joined the company in order to help “plot the future course” of the franchise.

Unfortunately, what it’s hard to know what to make of this.

As you might recall, THQ Nordic acquired the rights to the TimeSplitters IP nearly a year ago, and while the event was cause for excitement among fans, nothing of note happened afterwards.

Furthermore, assuming the publisher does have any intention of revisiting the series, such an event would be quite a ways off, as Deep Silver Dambuster (originally Free Radical Design, the studio which developed the original TimeSplitters) is currently working on Dead Island 2 which has bounced between a number of different studios since its announcement back in 2014.

In any event, it’s great to see THQ Nordic actually acknowledge the series and seemingly make some steps towards revisiting it. And if it does, it will be interesting to see what will happen. Will it be a sequel? Remaster? Reboot?

Only time can tell.

Are you among the many hoping to play SNES titles on the Nintendo Switch? If so, then you’ll be happy to know that a recent FCC filing may prove to be the precursor of such desires.

Spotted by forum members of Resetera, an FCC filing shows what appears to be a wireless SNES controller. Though most of the documentation is confidential (and will remain so until next year), what we can see thus far suggests it will include Bluetooth support for the wireless connection to the Switch, along with the capacity to slide into Joy-Con rails just the previously-released NES controllers.

The filing shows a controller that looks very similar to the Super Nintendo

And speaking of NES controllers, their existence is why the possibility of SNES titles coming to the Switch is even being considered at all.

Nothing has been made official about the SNES controller or SNES game library

As you might recall, Nintendo released the aforementioned NES controllers roughly 12 months ago around the time games from the respective platform started appearing for subscribers to Nintendo Online. As such, it makes sense that it’s doing something similar here by releasing a controller that could be used to play some of the greats from that era such as Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country and F-Zero for a more authentic experience.

Of course, Nintendo has yet to say anything official about SNES controllers (or games), so any speculation will remain just that until further notice. Hopefully, that moment comes sooner rather than later.

As promised, the latest batch of information for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield was released today, and it revealed the return of one of the series’ latest and coolest features: region-specific forms.

Introduced in Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, certain Pokemon, such as Exeggutor and Vulpix, would have unique forms in order to better suit its environment in the Alolan Region.

Things are no different in the Galar region, with another set of Pokemon similarly adapting differently to better suit their needs.

Here are the three Pokemon to receive such treatment, along with their known data and descriptions:

Galarian Weezing

• Category: Poison Gas Pokemon
• Type: Poison/Fairy
• Height: 9’10”
• Weight: 35.3 lbs.
• Ability: Levitate/???

Galarian Weezing consumes polluted air and poisonous gases for sustenance. The by-product of this consumption is purified air, which is spewed out from the tops of its heads. The toxins accumulated within Weezing’s body form into concentrated poison gas clouds that leak out and drift around it. This gas is so potent that even a whiff is enough to stun and immobilize an opponent, making it Weezing’s best weapon during battles.

Galarian Zigzagoon

• Category: Rushing Pokemon
• Type: Dark/Normal
• Height: 1’8″
• Weight: 71.7 lbs.
• Ability: Pickup/Gluttony

The Zigzagoon of Galar never settle down and are known to inhabit all areas of the region, including fields, forests, and towns. There is some speculation that the zigzag movements of the Zigzagoon in other regions stem from the restless nature of Galarian Zigzagoon, considered to be the oldest branch of the species. Galarian Zigzagoon enjoy battles and will charge at people and other Pokemon in an attempt to provoke a fight. This behavior usually succeeds in starting a battle with other Pokemon, but humans tend to think Galarian Zigzagoon is just playing or showing affection.

Galarian Linoone

• Category: Rushing Pokemon
• Type: Dark/Normal
• Height: 1’8″
• Weight: 71.7 lbs.
• Ability: Pickup/Gluttony

Galarian Linoone can reach speeds of over 60 miles per hour and can deliver devastating Tackles and Headbutts. With enough destructive force to knock away a car, these attacks can also throw Linoone off-balance if they miss. Galarian Linoone are rash and fearless and will recklessly pick fights even with opponents stronger than themselves. Their boldness and their tendency to attack opponents head on make Galarian Linoone very popular among the disaffected youth of the Galar region.

On top of these alternate forms, it turns out that Linoone in the Galar region even have a new evolution.

Obstagoon

• Category: Blocking Pokemon
• Type: Dark/Normal
• Height: 5’3″
• Weight: 101.4 lbs.
• Ability: Reckless/Guts

The Linoone of the Galar region live in harsh conditions and engage in fierce competition with others of their species. As a result, their survival instincts have been honed, leading to their Evolution into Obstagoon. Though Obstagoon is extremely combative, it often does not launch the first attack. It will taunt an opponent, goading it into attacking. When it does, Obstagoon will cross its arms and meet the oncoming attack with its Obstruct move. Obstagoon is especially skilled at throwing its opponents off guard and counterattacking with its sharp claws.

Seeing alternate takes on classic Pokemon is always exciting, so it will be interesting to see what The Pokemon Company does next. Obstagoon, in particular, is noteworthy because it’s the first Pokemon to exist as an evolution unique to a region-specific form. Who knows? Maybe if things keep up, fans can finally get that fictitious alternate form of Arcanine and Alakazam that they used to clamor about before Sun and Moon came out.

Check out the new forms and everything else revealed by The Pokemon Company today below:

What Is Recruiting?

A staple in the series, recruiting is the act of convincing neutral or enemy characters to join your party. You’d usually have to approach the character in question with the correct unit, but Three Houses changes things up by having this process occur at the academy instead.

As you might expect, this means that recruiting is no longer a matter of talking to someone with the right character — you’ll need the appropriate stats and proficiencies in order to convince your desired character to join your house.

Each character has a different set of requirements (usually stats) before they’ll join, which are as follows (Spoilers Ahead!):

Black Eagles

• Edelgard – N/A
• Hubert – N/A
• Ferdinand – DEX & Heavy Armor
• Linhardt – MAG & Reason
• Caspar – STR & Brawling
• Bernadetta – STR & Bow
• Dorothea – CHA & Authority
• Petra – DEX & Riding

Blue Lions

• Dimitri – N/A
• Dedue – N/A
• Felix – SPD & Sword
• Sylvain – CHA & Reason (Instantly if F!Byleth)
• Ingrid – DEX & Flying
• Mercedes – MAG & Bow
• Annette – MAG & Faith
• Ashe – CHA & Lance

Golden Deer

• Claude – N/A
• Hilda – CHA & Axe (Not immediately available during BL Route, completely unavailable during BE Route)
• Leonie – STR & Lance
• Raphael – STR & Heavy Armor
• Lorenz – CHA & Reason
• Ignatz – DEX & Authority
• Marianne – MAG & Riding
• Lysithea – MAG & Faith

Church of Seiros

• Cyril – Available starting Chapter 6 (Unavailable during BE Route)
• Flayn – Automatic after completing Chapter 6 (Unavailable during BE Route)
• Manuela – Available starting Chapter 8, Byleth needs to be at least Level 15
• Hanneman – Available starting Chapter 8, Byleth needs to be at least Level 15

Knights of Seiros

• Catherine – Available starting Chapter 4, Byleth needs to be at least Level 15 (Unavailable during BE Route)
• Shamir – Available starting Chapter 7, Byleth needs to be at least Level 15
• Alois – Available starting Chapter 11
• Seteth – Automatic during Chapter 12 (Unavailable during BE Route)
• Gilbert – Automatic during Chapter 13 (Blue Lions exclusive)

How Do I Recruit? Part I

I should mention before continuing that it’s entirely possible to recruit every character available in any given route. Granted, it’s harder in some than in others.

With that out of the way, there is one way to make recruiting easier: Support Ranks.

Starting at C and ending at A or S, increasing Byleth’s support rank with other characters will relax the stat and proficiency requirements needed to recruit them. The exact numbers are unknown, but I’ve found the following values to generally hold true:

• Default – Stat 20 & Skill C
• C Rank Support – Stat 15 & Skill D+
• B Rank Support – Stat 10 & skill D

More often than not, it’s easiest to just get B Rank Support and simply use the various activities available to Byleth to fill in the gaps (mostly Faculty Training), but be aware that this may prove to be a challenge for the following characters since their B Rank supports are story-locked:

• Ferdinand
• Caspar
• Leonie

It’s also worth mentioning that these estimated values are just cut-off points, as there’s still some RNG involved (as is customary in Fire Emblem). There’s still a chance the student in question might accept your invitation even if Byleth doesn’t meet the requirements, and they may still decline even when Byleth does. For example, despite having a B Rank Support with Ingrid and Ashe, both declined to join my class since their required proficiencies were at E+ and E, respectively. However, they later asked to join my class during the following week.

In other words, don’t fret if a student declines to join at first — they may approach you later of their own volition.

How Do I Recruit? Part II

Faculty Training will be mandatory if you want the appropriate proficiency ranks, but that’s pretty obvious, right? Really, it’s the accumulation of support boosts that’s the hard part. You can meander around and get B Rank for one student in two months, or achieve the same result with several within the same time span.

Here are some simple guidelines to help make the process easier:

• Increase Your Professor Level: As your Professor Level rises, the amount of activities that you can do each day will increase in kind. These activities are integral in building support rank and increasing your parameters, so having a high Professor Level is paramount to recruiting quickly and efficiently. 
• Talk With Every Student At Least Once A Month: Everyone’s dialogue changes at the start of each new chapter and you typically gain support boosts when giving appropriate responses.
• Check The Advice Box In The Church: Once available, you can visit the church and answer a random set of questions from various students. It doesn’t take up any time, and you gain support boosts if you give favorable answers.
• Choir Practice: While on the subject of churches, you should try to make time for Choir Practice when possible. On top of the Professor Level EXP and support boosts, Byleth also gets Faith and Authority EXP whenever he does this activity. This is especially important when trying to recruit Hilda since this is her preferred activity.
• Always Use The Greenhouse: Gardening is surprisingly one of the most useful features in Three Houses. Not only does it grant Professor Level EXP, but you can also get crops that can be used as gifts or for stat boosts, and all of this comes at zero time investment for the player.
• Invite Students To Lunch: This activity takes time, but it yields large support boosts depending on the meal the invitees eat. It also has the advantage of providing Professor Level EXP and can be done multiple times with different students.
• Return Lost Items: You know those random items you find strewn about all over the academy? Those are lost items that can be returned to their owner for large support boosts.
• Give Gifts: Just like with lost items, you can give these to your students in exchange for a support boost. Every character has a set of preferred items, resulting in a larger support boost when given. You can even start buying them yourself once a month once you complete a specific quest in Chapter 5 and special merchants start visiting the monastery.
• Owl Feathers: Everyone loves Owl Feathers.
• Mission Assistance: Unless you wait for Flayn to join your house, your group will always be one short when doing missions. In order to fill in this gap, you can temporarily recruit another character and have them participate in any battles that occur during the current month. They won’t gain any experience, but they do gain support boosts. There’s no reason not to use this feature.
• Host Birthday Tea Parties: I wasn’t entirely consistent in doing this, but hosting a tea party to celebrate someone’s birthday can be an effective way to increase support levels. Not only does striking up the correct conversations yield support boosts, but you can shower the guest with gifts afterward if you got a “Perfect Tea Time.” Not to mention there’s the nice +1 CHA bonus that comes with it all.

Oh, here’s one thing NOT to do:

• Seminars: The only time attending a Seminar is worthwhile is that one time early in the game when you can either do that or Rest. Otherwise, your time is better spent doing literally anything else; whether that be Faculty Training, grinding out Professor Level EXP or leaving the academy to battle.

Okay, Got It. Who Do You Recommend To Recruit?

There’s no reason not to try and recruit everyone in a single playthrough, but there are definitely some characters from each house who you can prioritize and get quickly:

*I won’t list any Archers (Bernadetta, Ashe and Ignatz), since they’re all good and somewhat interchangeable. Increased bow range with T2+ Bow-focused classes and Close Counter for melee counterattacks was a mistake. I also won’t mention Ferdinand or Leonie since you’ll more than likely unlock other characters with less effort.

Black Eagles

• Petra: With high growths in SPD and DEX, along with decent growths in HP and STR Petra is a character who can excel in any physical-oriented class. For instance, you can easily train her in Lances so she gets a stat bonus in RES when completing the exam for Pegasus Knight before moving on to Wyvern Rider (and later Wyvern Lord) to dominate the skies. Of course, you can also go down the default route and let her become an incredible Assassin.
• Dorothea: Every house has a character who is geared towards becoming a Dancer, but Dorothea is the Dancer’s Dancer. Decent magic growth, high charm and access to Meteor? It’s like she was designed for the class…or maybe the class was designed for her?

Blue Lions

• Felix: Boasting a healthy mix of HP, STR, SPD and DEX, Felix is your quintessential Swordmaster-in-training. His Personal Skill falls off in value once you gain access to Battalions that add to ATK, but his crest procs frequently, allowing him to do more damage than what the Combat Forecast displays. In addition, saving all the citizens in his Paralogue nets him a unique shield that occasionally halves any damage he receives.
• Sylvain: If you’re F!Byleth then you get this great Cavalier with no effort whatsoever! He doesn’t have the same offensive output as Felix, but is sturdier and has the added benefit of being a mounted unit. He also has a decent spell repertoire and a budding talent in Reason, so making him a Dark Knight — instead of a Paladin — wouldn’t be the worst thing you could do.
• Ingrid: Basically a Petra who traded in some of her offensive stats in favor of defensive ones — RES, in particular. You can train her in axes and make her a Brigand to get Death Blow and extra STR before having her go back down the Pegasus Knight line or doubling down on Axes to make her a Wyvern Master/Lord with unusually high RES.
• Mercedes: If you’re looking for an exceptional healer, then Mercedes will be the cure for what ails you. Between her high MAG growth and great spell repertoire, she’s well suited for staying in the backlines and supporting everyone from afar. She also has the Live to Serve Personal Skill, allowing her to simultaneously heal herself and an ally.

Golden Deer

• Lorenz: Well-rounded, perhaps to a fault, Lorenz is the type of character whose success will depend entirely on which way the winds of fortune blow. If you’re fortunate, he’ll become a solid mounted unit or caster (maybe even both by becoming a Dark Knight!). If you’re unlucky, on the other hand, he’ll become a middling character with no redeeming qualities beyond his Paralogue where you get the busted Thyrsus relic which adds +2 range to magic attacks, in addition to granting the Aegis and Pavise skills.
• Lysithea: Whoever said big things come in small packages must have been talking about Lysithea because she’s an absolute monster. Most of her growths are poor, but she has it where it counts: MAG, SPD and DEX. Her high SPD not only allows her to dodge often, but it also does wonders for her AS (Attack Speed), allowing her to launch plenty of double attacks. She’s great enough as is, but if you want to see her at her best, then pick up the aforementioned Thysrus relic to turn her into a tiny nuke with an extra blanket of defense. Also, her B Rank Reason spell, Dark Spikes T, gets an honorable mention for being highly effective against the Death Knight. (Note: Her spells are classified as Dark Magic, rather than Black Magic, so the Warlock class does nothing for her)
• Raphael: You don’t necessarily need a tank, but Raphael will be a great one if you do. Between his high growths in HP, STR and DEF, it’s unlikely that any physical attack without an advantage will damage much, if at all. Do keep him away from mages, though. Between his low SPD and RES, they’ll likely kill him the moment they set eyes upon him.

That’s it for recruiting in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It seems like a daunting process at first, but it shouldn’t be too long before you have the entire student body (the recruitable ones, at least) under one banner once you know the tricks involved.

Despite being delayed to Feb. 6, 2020, the prospects for Granblue Fantasy: Versus have never looked higher thanks to a new mode that is designed for a casual audience.

As you might recall, Cygames initially billed this game as one that would appeal to such an audience, but as anyone with experience with the genre will tell you, a fighting game needs more than just simplistic controls and a slower pace to reach that end.

Fortunately, the new mode — which is functionally its story — looks to be exactly what Versus needs, playing like an action RPG with all the trappings of the game’s source material.

Just a cursory view at Versus’ website reveals a few features that players can expect to find as they try to figure out why Gran has to fight his former allies. The weapon grid system makes a return, allowing Gran to change his element and Charge Attack, as does the support skill system, allowing Gran to change the various skills he’s able to use in battle.

Using these mechanics, players can participate in quest battles where they can do anything from fighting waves of lesser enemies to taking on larger foes, like Colossus, in special boss battles. These come in multiple difficulty modes, so players have the option of going online in case things become too challenging.

And when all is said and done, players can look forward to the Journal which houses a wealth of information about the Sky Realm, as well as other content like art and music.

To be clear, it’s still unknown how expansive this mode will be, but it’s better than what we had before — a seemingly simplistic, somewhat slow fighter with a frightfully small roster of only 11 (+5 DLC) characters.

The word is still out on whether the actual competitive aspect of Granblue Fantasy: Versus will really take off, but at least the promise of extra content will ensure more people have something to do in case it doesn’t.

Everyone agrees that the game looks gorgeous, but looks alone won’t save this game if nothing else appeals to anyone.

Check out the latest trailer below:

What Are Dancers?

Introduced in Mystery of the Emblem, Dancers are unique thanks to their ability to grant an adjacent ally an extra turn by performing a special dance. In exchange for this talent, though, they have low combat potential and have to rely on a combination of Speed, Resistance and Luck to survive.

These properties mostly remain the same in Three Houses, but are more capable offensively due to their ability to use magic, as well as their proficiency in Swords and Authority. This doesn’t mean you should go out of your way to attack with them, but it does mean you won’t be sweating bullets whenever an enemy manages to target them.

Groovy. How I Can Get Them?

Unlike those of Fire Emblems past, the Dancer class in Three Houses is missable. Not only can the related event be missed if you aren’t paying attention, but the event in question can end in failure if you don’t meet the requirements.

Here’s how to get it done:

Step 1: The White Heron Cup

Every year during the Ethereal Moon (Month 12/Chapter 10), there will be a competition between the three houses to determine who has the best dancer amongst them. 

To start, accept the quest from Rhea and take note of the time constraints: the competition will be held on the third week of the month, and you need to find a representative for your house by the end of the second.

Step 2: Find A Representative

Your house can’t compete in the competition if they don’t have a representative, so that’s your second order of business.

Any student who has joined your house can be chosen as a representative and ultimately become a Dancer. The only caveat, as Manuela explains, is that the chosen student needs to have a Charm stat of about 13 to win. This isn’t a lofty goal and if you choose someone who’s well suited to the task, such as Dorothea, they’re basically guaranteed to win. Of course, if you want to further tilt the odds in your favor, then you can give them +5 Charm for free by helping them practice.

Step 3: The White Heron Cup Part II

If you chose your representative ahead of time, then you’ll get to see the competition unfold. It’s possible that there might be some RNG involved if the student’s charm is too close to 13, so I would suggest saving in advance in case something goes awry.

At any rate, you’ll quickly be informed of the winner and they will be given access to the elusive Dancer class should that person be the one you chose.

Who Should I Choose To Make A Dancer?

As I said before, anyone can become a Dancer so long as they participate in the competition and win, but you should choose someone who has high Charm and parameters geared for the role, and Dorothea fulfills those requirements perfectly.

First of all, Dorothea’s stats are geared more toward support than raw offense and each house has students who would be better suited at whatever role you’d want her to fill. In addition, she’ll retain her competence with magic, allowing her to use the powerful Meteor spell, as well as heal when needed. Lastly, the Dancer’s unique combat art scales well with her high Charm and she still has access to Hexblade, which scales off of Magic.

In other words, she was already geared towards support, so why not give her a class that excels at the role?

Regardless of who you chose, however, just be sure to actually switch to Dancer when you’re ready. It’s under the Reclass option in the menu and is considered a unique class, like Commoner and Noble.

That’s it on how to unlock the Dancer class in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It isn’t necessarily a mandatory class, but it can definitely serve you well if you know how to use it.

What Are Tea Parties

Unlocked in Chapter 2 after giving Lorenz the Elegant Tea Set you receive as part of a quest from Ferdinand, Tea Parties allow you to have some one-on-one time with a student or fellow teacher in order to get to know them better.

So long as it’s their birthday or your relationship with them is at least C-Rank and they have time, you can invite anyone to the garden and have a quiet chat while sipping on tea. During this time, you can ask them an assortment of questions and depending on how engaged they are in the conversation, you’ll receive some rewards.

• Normal – Support Level Increase
• Nice – Support Level and Motivation Increase
• Perfect – Support Level and Motivation Increase; Potential +1 Charm for Participating Characters

Do note, however, that failing two conversation prompts in a row will result in a failure.

Okay, So How Do I Host The Best Tea Parties?

The easiest part about hosting tea parties is choosing the tea leaves you wish to use. You’ll typically find them lying around the school, but they can later be purchased from special merchants unlocked in Chapter 5. There are no wrong choices when picking which tea to brew for your guest, but picking the right one will reduce the amount of correct dialogue options needed to achieve a Perfect Tea Time by one, making the special fourth conversation prompt easier to unlock.

And this leads to the hard aspect of hosting tea parties: the dialogue options.

The dialogue options are vague, requiring you to give prompts for topics of conversation, instead of saying anything concrete. Therefore, you’ll need to consider the guest’s personality (along with any quirks you might have learned about them during the course of the story) to ensure the party goes off with a hitch.

As an example:

• Dorothea enjoys talking about romance and teachers she finds interesting, but won’t talk much about herself or her future aspirations.
• Contrary to Dorothea, Ingrid only cares about knightly matters and her future aspirations, completely ignoring anything related to romance.

Here’s a complete list of potential guests, as well as their likes and dislikes (I’ll list their favorite tea too if I happened to find it):

• Alois (Bergamot)
  • Likes: Telling jokes, family, the knights, sweet, large flowers
  • Dislikes: Spicy foods,  ghosts, sea travel
• Annette (Almond)
  • Likes: Dressing up, early morning walks, dancing, washing clothes
  • Dislikes: Dirtiness, places that are hard to clean, coffee, laziness, dark places
• Ashe (Angelica)
  • Likes: Taking care of children, stories about chivalry, sweets, travel, violets
  • Dislikes: Confined spaces, deceit, violence, ghosts
• Bernadetta (Berry Blend)
  • Likes: Being alone, drawing, embroidery, music, reading, stuffed animals
  • Dislikes: Imposing people, overbearing fathers, talking to people
• Caspar (Ginger)
  • Likes: Defeating evil, fighting
  • Dislikes: Inequity, liars, rain, time wasting
• Claude (Chamomile)
  • Likes: Archery, feasts, curious topics, horse riding
  • DIslikes: Blind faith in the gods, leaving things to chance, being bound by common sense
• Cyril
  • Likes: Helping Lady Rhea, practicing archery, small flowers
  • Dislikes: Rhea’s enemies, anyone who does his work for him
• Dedue (Ginger)
  • Likes: Arts, Gardening, Flowers, Embroidery
  • Dislikes: Bothering Dimitri
• Dorothea
  • Likes: Acting, singing, decorations, music, animals
  • Dislikes: Herself, conceited nobles
• Dimitri (Chamomile)
  • Likes: Battle training, weapons, riding, physical training
  • Dislikes: Weak objects, selfishness, heat
• Edelgard (Bergamot)
  • Likes: Debate, history, talented people
  • Dislikes: Old-fashioned values,c rests, chains, swimming, lsoing control, rats
• Felix (Almyran Pine Needles)
  • Likes: Combat, hunting, high quality weapons, meat, spicy food
  • Dislikes: Chivalry, light-heartedness, sweets, his father
• Ferdinand
  • Likes: Tea, justice, nobility, horse riding
  • Dislikes: Laziness, ignoble nobles
• Flayn (Apple)
  • Likes:  Learning new things, making friends, forget-me-nots, talking about love
  • Dislikes: Sleeping too much, Setheth’s over-protection
• Gilbert (Almond)
• Hanneman (Bergamot)
  • Likes: Neat & tidy workplaces, handkerchiefs, food cooked by others
  • Dislikes: Politics, cooking himself, corruption, untidiness
• Hilda (Rose Petal)
  • Likes: Dancing, fashion, singing, flowers
  • Dislikes: Putting in effort, responsibilities, being tired, extreme weather
• Hubert
  • Likes: Tactics & strategy, protecting Edelgard, intelligence
  • Dislikes: the Church of Seiros, people who bother Edelgard, gambling, clumsiness, heights
• Ignatz
  • Likes: Art, the Goddess, the Four Saints, flowers, faraway lands, peace, landscapes
  • Dislikes: Stressful situations, lightning, those who dislike art
• Ingrid (Mint)
  • Likes: Chivalry, food, meat, horses, knights
  • Dislikes: Hunger, lavishness, people from Duscur
• Leonie (Angelica)
  • Likes: Competition, hunting, gardening, reusing old things, military arts, Jeralt
  • Dislikes: Decadence, debt, poisonous creatures, defeat
• Linhardt
  • Likes: Freedom, fishing, naps, sleeping, sweets, reading
  • Dislikes: Blood, duty, politics, fighting, weapons
• Lorenz (Rose Petal)
  • Likes: Art, nobility, red roses, tea
  • Dislikes: Coffeee, filth, injustice, bad smells, vulgarity
• Lysithea (Sweet Apple Tea)
  • Likes: Cute things, lilies, sweets
  • Dislikes: Being perceived as a child, hard work, ghosts, bitter food
• Manuela (Mint)
  • Likes: Cooking, dancing, needlework, refreshing drinks, singing
  • Dislikes: Bullies, cleaning & tidying
• Marianne (Lavender)
  • Likes: Birds, flowers, reading, the Goddess
  • Dislikes: Cleaning up, crests, herself
• Mercedes (Crescent Moon)
  • Likes: Baking, praying
  • Dislikes: Exercising, spicy food
• Petra (Spice)
  • Likes: The Brigid Islands, family, ocean swimming, sunshine, climbing trees
  • Dislikes: Discrimination, idling, math
• Raphael (Ginger)
  • Likes: Training, muscles, protein, his younger sister
  • Dislikes: Books, studying, leftover food
• Shamir (Chamomile)
  • Likes: Archery, gambling, paychecks, thrown weapons
  • Dislikes: Centipedes, spiders, smooth-talking people
• Setheth (Angelica)
  • Likes: Flayn, fishing, diligence, the Church
  • Dislikes: Those who dislike the church or Flayn
• Sylvain
  • Likes: Board games, lively places, women
  • Dislikes: Jealousy, messy places, excessive heat

That’s it for hosting tea parties in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s not necessarily something you’ll spend a lot of time doing, but if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right.

What Are Stat Boosting Items?

As mentioned previously, stat boosting items exist solely to increase the parameters of your characters. They come in all different sorts and flavors, ranging from items that boost Health to Dexterity (formerly known as Skill). The usual ones such as Secret Books and Goddess Icons are still here, but there’s now a new assortment of items that are of “infinite” supply.

Of course, with them being of “infinite” supply, they only increase a relevant stat by one. Despite that, being able to control which of these items you get makes up for that downside. If you have a plan, all you need to do is consistently use the right seeds and you’ll be able to make up for any poor RNG a character might have suffered as they leveled up.

How Do I Make Them?

To make these items, all you need to do is go to the Greenhouse and give the right seeds to the woman there. Afterwards, it’s a simple matter of using the right cultivation method to maximize the predicted yield and waiting until the following week to harvesting your rewards.

In other words, it’s the same process as before but with flower seeds.

Here is the list of potential items and the seeds needed to make them (these can be purchased after completing a quest in Chapter 5):

• Red Flower Seeds: White Verona (Resistance)
• White Flower Seeds: Golden Apple (Charm)
• Blue Flower Seeds: Fruit of Life (HP)
• Purple Flower Seeds: Rocky Burdock (Strength)
• Yellow Flower Seeds: Premium Magic Herb (Magic)
• Green Flower Seeds: Ailell Pomegranate (Dexterity)
• Pale-Blue Flower Seeds: Speed Carrot (Speed)

To make things easier, it’s recommended to use seeds of the same color. Otherwise, the resulting item will be chosen at random. Also, as with most things in the series, there’s some RNG involved so you might not get a stat-boosting item at all. If this occurs, restart the week and try your luck again.

Personally, I’d recommend making Speed Carrots (preferably) and Rocky Burdock because they increase a character’s Attack Speed (Speed – (Total Weight – (Strength/5)), allowing them to double or even quadruple attack an enemy while preventing them from doing the same to you.

Lastly, as you might have noticed, there doesn’t seem to be a crop that increases Defense.

That’s it for Fire Emblem: Three Houses stat boost items. If you know how the process and start early enough, you can use them to mitigate the weaknesses of your roster or double down on their strengths.

What Are Lecture Questions?

As the name implies, lecture questions are when your students will ask you a question during your lecture. These occur during the first week of classes each month and will allow you to prove that Byleth is just as comfortable behind the desk as he is on the battlefield.

Of course, answering these questions serve a practical purpose too, as answering them question will yield both Professor Level Experience and increased motivation for the student involved.

Here are the potential rewards:

• Best – bonus Professor Level EXP, +50 Motivation
• Normal – base Professor Level EXP, +25 Motivation
• Worst – base Professor Level EXP, no Motivation

As you can see, even providing the worst answer will still yield Professor Level EXP, but the student who asked won’t feel motivated afterward.

Great, So What Are The Right Answers?

This isn’t an exhaustive list because not only is the student who asks the question chosen at random, but they aren’t locked in advance at the start each week like with Promotion Exam results.

At any rate, here’s a list of potential questions:

Pre-Timeskip

• Um. Sorry, but you should probably just skip me. I don’t have a question to ask. How would I even think of one?
  • You just did.

• I’m not very good at sharing my opinion. Usually, I just go along with what everybody else thinks. I don’t want to bother anyone. Um..
  • They’ll appreciate your opinion. Let yourself be heard.
• The ladies have been giving me the cold shoulder, of late, I believe it is because they are intimidated by my noble presence. How can I be more…accessible?
  • Sounds like it’s their problem, not yours.

• I just wanna eat meat and fish, but everyone in the dining hall says I gotta eat vegetables too! I’m never gonna get full on stupid leaves!
  • Eating vegetables will help your muscles grow.

• That was a fascinating lecture, but now my brain is fried. I feel like I need a change of pace to reinvigorate me. What do you recommend?
  • Try going for a stroll around the monastery.

• There’s so much to do and never enough time in which to do it. Sleep is a nuisance, but my body forces me to slow down, even though my mind doesn’t want to. Do you have any tips for shaking tired feelings away?
  • Sleeping when you’re tired is best for you.

• I don’t care about being pretty or anything, but it bothers me that some people don’t even realize I’m a girl.
  • They’re wrong, pay them no mind

• I hate cleaning my room. It’s so boring, and to be honest, I’m kinda lazy. But I don’t want my room to get messy. Who do you think I should get to tidy up for me?

• • Ask somebody who’s good at cleaning.

• Lectures about strategy or reason require so much focus, I end up absolutely famished! But if I go to class after a big meal, I can’t help getting sleepy…
  • Bring along a snack, just in case.

• You know how sometimes an ordinary girl can be more popular than an exceptional beauty? Or how, with aristocrats, some prefer a viscount when they could have a duke instead? Why do you think that is?
  • Fancy meals are boring if you eat them every day.

• I enjoy a good ghost story, but I’ve never seen a ghost in real life. I would love to have that experience for myself, even just once!
  • Maybe you need a ritual to summon one.

• When one professor lectures many students, some will inevitably have trouble keeping up, while others will get too far ahead in their studies. I wonder how this problem might be solved…
  • Perhaps we should make lectures optional

• Such interesting ideas you seem to have, Professor, but tell me this: what would you do if you were given the task of teaching a subject than you yourself did not understand?
  • I’d take the time to study the subject before teaching it.

• Pretty soon I’ll have eaten everything they have to offer in the dining hall. Then what am I supposed to do? Keep eating the same boring meals over and over again?
  • You should just enjoy` what you’ve got

• I want to be able to talk to males and make friends with them, but my brother always causes such a fuss when I do. Do you have any advice for me?
  • Do it when he’s not looking.

• Magic is not my forte. Being a gifted swordsman, I think my time is best served practicing swordplay technique. Why should I waste my time attending lectures, just to improve my magic skills from mediocre to average?
  • Knowing magic will make you a stronger swordsman.

• I am an avid arms collector. Since coming to live here, however, I have had much more trouble finding new items for my collection. Any ideas as to where I might find some uncommon weapons?
  • Ask a blacksmith to teach you how to craft your own.

• When I take a lecture I’m not interested in, I get so…sleepy. I just can’t fight it. I should just give up, don’t you think? Close my eyes and enjoy a peaceful slumber?
  • No need to fight it. You can’t help it.

• I am having a question. I wish for improvement of my lance skills. But I am having uncertainty about how to be training effectively. What should I be doing?
  • Try studying the movements of others for improvement.

• I’m…kind of terrified to walk the monastery grounds at night. It’s unnerving how dark and quiet the place gets! How can I conquer my fear?
  • Think of it as training for night marches.

• Art has never been my forte. Even when I apply myself and sketch a ton, I don’t seem to improve much. I can envision an image so perfectly in head, but turning it into something physical that I feel good about eludes me…
  • Don’t worry about the end result. Just keep practicing.

• Though I have served His Highness for four years, he has eluded my every attempt to learn his favorite foods.
  • Maybe he just likes everything.

• No matter the weapon, it cannot be wielded properly without ample strength and stamina, regardless of the skills one may possess. I’ve been using various training techniques, but lately I feel like they all are lacking…
  • Try focusing on one skill at a time, at least for a while.

• Um, excuse me… Can you help me? I always get the feeling that I’m being watched. I get so nervous that I can’t sleep at night…
  • You might be right. You should be careful.

• When I ask them to take part in my experiments, even the most industrious students run away from me. No matter how sincerely I plead! Do you have any suggestions?
  • Make the “Experiment” a “job” and pay them handsomely.

• Some people hate spiders or centipedes, but they have no strong feelings towards flies or crickets. Why is that?
  • They may all be bugs, but they’re such different species.

• Hey. Maybe you can answer a question I’ve had for a while now… Why is it that men don’t like women who are messy?
  • Men have unrealistic expectations

• One of your students keeps challenging me to fight him, but he has no idea how to wield a sword. It’s a waste of time for both of us. What am I supposed to do?
  • Drop a hint that he needs a new training partner.

• I’m real happy here, but there’s somebody who has up and decided to take pity on me. Without asking! It’s real darn irritating, and I want them to know it. I just don’t know how I can make myself understood.
  • Show them how happy you are working here.

• I’ve been trying to win the heart of this girl, but none of the fancy gifts or weet things I tell her have worked. Do you know any secret dating tricks I can use to win her heart?
  • Stay away for a while so she starts to miss you.

Post-Timeskip (Spoilers Ahead!)

• People call Captain Jeralt the Blade Breaker. I figure, if I want to be a top-tier mercenary like him, I’m going to need a tough-sounding title of my own. Help me out?
  • The Executioner

• Whenever I visit home, my brother yammers on and on about all the things I’m doing wrong. It’s SO exhausting, I wish he’d back off and let me live my life. What do you think I should do?
  • Yammer back at him! See how he likes it!

• I prefer to use stealth tactics to assassinate my foes on the battlefield, but you take a different approach. Why is that?
  • Those tactics don’t give the enemy a chance to surrender.

• The anniversary of Jeralt’s death is coming up. I’d like to put something on his grave, so that he knows we’re all thinking of him. What item would make him happiest?
  • The best bottle of booze you can find.

• As I am fighting more, my arrows are decreasing in quality. They are not flying as far and have less accuracy. What can I be doing differently?
  • New bowstrings could help you shoot with more force.

• I don’t think there’s much difference between Almyra and Fodlan. But everyone else seems to think Almyra is so completely different. Why’s that?
  • It’s prejudice towards unknown places, nothing more.

• Those from northern Faerghus are used to the frigid cold. Although Garreg Mach is located atop a mountain, the summer heat can be quite unbearable for soldiers from the north. What can I do to boost their morale?
  • Cooling off in a nearby river is always a good option.

• Songs are so powerless, Professor. No matter how much one sings, there’s no soldier on the battlefield who will listen. It’s horrible that one can only sing of peace in times of peace.
  • If we can achieve peace, those songs won’t be powerless.

• I sometimes find books written in languages I’ve never seen before. I’d love to read them somehow, but I don’t even know where to start… Do you have any ideas?
  • Piece things together using linguistic clues.

• I want to knit an animal doll for someone, but I’m not sure what kind to make. They love eagles, lions, and deer equally! I don’t know what to do…
  • Why not make one of each?

• I have a tactical question, Professor. Let’s say you’re leading an army and the enemy, whose forces greatly outnumber your own, has you surrounded. What would you do in that situation?
  • Push forward. Punch a hold in their formation.

• Just thinking about how, even now, someone out there is fighting for something, I just can’t seem to sit still, even during my breaks. What should I do at times like that?
  • You could assist with my daily tasks, if you’d like.

• The weak-willed care little for how they are governed, but lady Edelgard wishes to open their eyes. How would you achieve this, in her position?
  • The only way to help them is to educate them. 

• Hey, Professor! I think I’m ready… I think it’s time you finally gave me a nickname! What’s a guy gotta do to earn one?
  • You actually have one, but it’s too scary to say out loud. 

• Death is an inevitable result of military conflict. Not only soldiers, but also warhorses, who have no say in their line of work, lay down their lives on the battlefield. What steps can a commander take to minimize this loss of life?
  • Adopt new tactics that increase survivability.

• I heard rumors about ghosts roaming the monastery…. I’m certainly not scared, nor do I have time to worry about it, but…uh… You should probably do something about it, for the sake of the others!
  • Let’s bring more candles to the halls to brighten things up.

• Some of the children were admiring a painting of mine. I’d like to paint a new piece. Something just for them, to make them happy. What do you think I ought to paint?
  • Woodland creatures.

• I haven’t been able to see my brother and sister lately, so I’m sending them gifts instead. My brother’s not one to ask for anything, though. I don’t know what to give him?
  • Maybe you should send him some books.

• When I do nothing but fight, my spirits falter and I lose the will to keep things tidy. This is when my room falls into disorder, and my spirits falter even more Is there no way to break this cycle?
  • Take a short break to do something that raises your spirits.

• I’ve had this sword for a long time. It is as much a part of me as the hand that holds it. But a good swordsmith could craft a weapon that’s more effective and durable. Should I stick with my old, familiar sword, or acquire a better one?
  • Get the new weapon. Give yourself time to train with it.

•  All this savagery, day after day, is depressing. Do you have any ideas for fun things I could do to feel better, Professor?

• • Why don’t you ask a girl out?

• Seeing the cathedral in such a run-down state makes me feel so sorry for the goddess… As soon as this war is finally over, I’m going to devote myself to making this place more beautiful than ever!
  • Let’s plant flowers…

• I know this is highly unlikely, but on the off chance that Rhea surrenders to my terms, what should I do? I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter…
  • Strip her of her power so she can’t interfere in politics.

That’s it for lecture questions and answers in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. If you know how to answer everything, you’ll have more time during exploration for increasing skill levels while still keeping motivation relatively high. 

It’s been 25 years since we first fought the legions of hell on Mars in Doom, and Bethesda is celebrating the occasion by digitally releasing the original trilogy on all modern consoles.

Doom first graced our homes in 1993 and quickly became a standout among the crowd thanks to its gory, fast-paced, demon-slaying action. It’s cited as being one of the catalysts that popularized the first person shooter genre, and its through that popularity that has allowed it stand the test of time — despite the all the controversy it’s been faced with.

Thanks to its enduring popularity, it has seen a variety of sequels, spin-offs and even a movie (with another in production).

This collection will allow players to relive (or check out) those glory days, featuring the original trilogy with all the extra bells and whistles packaged right in.

Here’s what comes with each game:

Doom (1993):

• The expansion, Episode IV: Thy Flesh Consumed, with nine additional action-packed levels
• Local four-player deathmatch
• Local four-player co-op

Doom II (1994):

• The Master Levels, 20 additional levels made by the community and supervised by the developers
• Local four-player multiplayer
• Local four-player co-op

Doom 3 (2004):

• Resurrection of Evil and The Lost Missions expansion packs

The first two games will cost $4.99, while the third will cost $9.99.

This isn’t all the Doom action that Bethesda had to share today either. On top of this announcement, new gameplay footage of the upcoming Doom Eternal was also revealed.

Check out the announcement trailer below:

With Monster Hunter World: Iceborne a little over a month away, Capcom is giving new players a chance to hit the ground running and old players a chance to wrap up any unfinished business with an Astera Fest marathon starting today.

For those unfamiliar, Astera Fests are seasonal events in World, where players can get a wide variety of special bonuses and access to limited content as they play. For example, players can get special Layered Armor sets (cosmetic armor to wear over your actual armor), access collaboration quests (Horizon Zero Dawn, Street Fighter, Devil May Cry) and fight Arch-Tempered Elder Dragons (enhanced versions of the game’s end-game monsters, such as Kirin).

There have been five different types of Astera Fests since the game debuted in Jan. 2018, and now players will be able to enjoy them all back-to-back over the next five weeks instead of waiting the usual couple months.

Here is the full schedule:

• Spring Blossom: July 26 – Aug. 2
• Summer Twilight: Aug. 2 – Aug. 9
• Autumn Harvest: Aug. 9 – Aug. 16
• Winter Start: Aug. 16 – Aug. 23
• Appreciation: Aug. 23 – Aug. 29

If there was any time to start playing Monster Hunter: World (or come back to it), then now would be the time. Between all the limited content and login bonuses, there is something that will be worth playing for during this five-week period.

It’s also worth remembering that Capcom is giving away a variety of special items — including the equally useful and elusive Attack Jewel — during this period for recently surpassing 13 million in terms of shipments and digital downloads, so be sure to login at least once.

Every single reward and bonus will go a long way towards making Iceborne a warmer experience when it arrives in early September. Between the new monsters, subspecies and difficulty rank, you’ll need every advantage you can get.

Ahead of its annual summer stream, Cygames has announced that the next character to join Granblue Fantasy Versus’ roster is Percival.

For those unfamiliar, Percival is one of the four ever-popular Dragon Knights from the Kingdom of Feendrache alongside Lancelot (who is also in this game), Vane and Siegfried. The group has been featured in a variety of events since 2017, with the most recent one being a lighthearted spin-off in late 2018 where the four are tasked with managing a failing bistro.

Nicknamed the Lord of Flames, he initially served as the deputy commander of the Order of the Black Dragons but left his post due to certain circumstances. Since then, spurred on by an incident from his childhood, he’s traveled far and wide in order to learn how to build his ideal nation — one where the impoverished can live peacefully. It’s during this time that he meets Gran (or Djeeta) and becomes a member of the Grancypher crew.

As you might have guessed from the trailer, Percival has inherited his talent for fire, utilizing a combination of his blazing long sword and flames to burn his enemy to a crisp. Judging from what we’ve seen, Percival might be on the slower side, making him the polar opposite of Lancelot who relies on a combination of speed and ice-based techniques to overwhelm his opponent.

Interestingly, the trailer says “all will be petrified,” which is likely a reference to his signature technique X-Seele, a petrifying technique. In the source material, Petrify prevents the afflicted target from gaining Charge Diamonds, preventing it from using the special attack it would otherwise unleash had they filled. It’s not entirely clear whether this technique made it into the game (it might be what he uses at 0:30), but it will be interesting to see what it will do if it has.

With this addition, Granblue Fantasy Versus is now up to eight characters. Cygames recently said it’s focusing on more traditional character archetypes for now, so we’ll likely see another character in this vein next.

As for when that occurs, the most likely candidates are EVO 2019 and its summer stream. Both are on the horizon, so luckily the wait won’t be too long.

Granblue Fantasy Versus is due out for the PlayStation 4 in 2019.

Check out the reveal trailer below:

For years now, Monster Rancher (or Monster Farm in Japan) fans have been begging Koei Tecmo to revisit the series, and now it looks like their prayers have been answered, with the publisher/developer announcing that the original is getting a digital re-release.

The announcement doesn’t offer much in concrete information, unfortunately, only suggesting that it will be a digital release through the usage of the word “haishin” and that its due out in 2019 in Japan.

Regardless, the fact that Koei Tecmo — seemingly out of the blue — decided to revisit the beloved series will be more than welcome by fans.

Initially released on the PlayStation in 1997, Monster Rancher is an animal breeding series where players are tasked with raising various monsters before taking them out to battle others in tournaments. It never was a widely popular game, but it amassed enough of a following to encourage the development of multiple sequels, as well as an animated series.

In particular, the leading method for acquiring new monsters from 1–EVO (2006) received exceptional amounts of praise. Players could use various types of discs compatible with their console and then have the game read them to receive a monster based on the disc that was used. Some of these were generic, but others were rare and others were themed (e.g. Dead or Alive yielding a Pixie named Kasumi). Because of the sheer amount of monsters available in these games (especially when subspecies come into play), it isn’t unusual to hear fans reminisce about how they spent hours combing through every applicable disc in their home as they searched for new monsters to unlock.

In the meantime, it’s unclear what this sudden decision could mean for the series. Is this release just a one-off event or could this signal a full-blown revival for the series?

Only time will tell.

The Pokémon Company has been teaming up with an assortment of developers as of late, and the newest one on the list is Tencent, who has announced the two have struck up a deal in order to make a new Pokémon game.

Though Tencent didn’t offer any specifics about the newly-announced game, it’s safe to assume it will either be a mobile or PC title — with the former being more likely.

Tencent is the go-to for mobile and PC games in China. In terms of its exploits on PC, it owns League of Legends after buying Riot Games back in 2015, and it has holdings in games like Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.

Meanwhile, on the mobile side of things, it is responsible for the immensely popular mobile MOBA, Honor of Kings (the international version, Arena of Valor, wasn’t as successful since mobile gaming isn’t as popular in non-Asiatic countries)  and is in the middle of developing the upcoming Call of Duty: Mobile.

With this partnership, it looks like Tencent is looking at Pokémon Company’s partnerships with DeNa (Pokémon Masters) and Niantic (Pokémon GO), and trying to get in on the action.

Needless to say, this also helps Nintendo, who has only just recently started bringing the Nintendo Switch to China.

Side Stories have been touted one of the leading ways Dragon Quest XI S will separate itself from the original, and Square Enix has finally detailed what will make this new content so special: they’ll bridge the gap between the game’s first two arcs.

***Potential Spoilers***

Dragon Quest XI is split up into three separate arcs, with the first one ending after your party’s defeat at the hands of Mordegon at Yggdrasil. Following their defeat, the tree collapses and brings forth a worldwide cataclysm, forcing the party to split up now that the Luminary has lost his power.

These side stories will reveal what happened to each character during that time prior to reuniting with the Luminary. For example, Erik’s story will explain why he lost memory, Jade’s will detail her journey to Octogonia and how she wound up being mind controlled by Booga, while Sylvando’s will reveal how he became the leader of a performance troupe.

***End Spoilers***

But even though the other party members will be the stars during these moments, the game will play identically as when the Luminary is the one behind the wheel — they’ll talk to NPCs, find treasure and come across challenging foes to overcome.

One interesting aspect is that certain characters will even have new allies to team up with during their story, such as Erik pairing with a healslime or Sylvando with the crew of his ship.

All in all, this new content will certainly help to flesh out the more murky parts in the game’s plot that seemed random or poorly-handled, all while adequately leading in to when the Luminary joins up with his allies again.

At this point, the only question is whether the PlayStation 4 and PC versions will get this content at a later date.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition is due out for Switch worldwide on September 27.

With Iceborne a little under two months away, Capcom has announced that Monster Hunter: World has reached yet another milestone, this time surpassing 13 million in terms of shipments and digital downloads.

To celebrate the occasion, Capcom is giving away a special item pack between July 25 and Aug. 29 consisting of the following:

• x1 Attack Jewel
• x13 Appreciation Ticket
• x13 Silver Egg
• x3 Gold Wyverian Print
• x3 Heavy Armor Sphere

All of these are welcome gifts, especially the Attack Jewel. They are as useful as they are rare, with many spending well over 100 hours trying to get even one. Being able to get one for free, especially for new players when Iceborne is on the horizon, is huge.

In any event, this is just the latest in a long series of milestones for a game that has completely defied expectations.

Initially viewed as niche game in western regions, Capcom managed to create a genuine Monster Hunter experience that appealed to a new audience while still keeping the core of the series intact for longtime fans. And since its release, World has consistently proven that it is made of the right stuff, regularly reaching milestones and record sales, becoming the biggest launch on Steam in 2018, and earning the distinction of becoming the developer’s highest-selling title in history.

Monster Hunter: World not showing any signs of slowing down, and if Iceborne receives similar updates to that of the base version — on top of the new stuff we’ve already seen — it probably won’t anytime soon.

In a development that might not be too surprising to those in the know, NIS America has announced The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel III has been delayed.

The third entry in the Trails of Cold Steel saga was initially set to arrive on Sept. 24 and 27 in North America and Europe, but will now see a simultaneous release nearly a month later on Oct.22.

Here’s what NIS America had to say about this recent development:

“NIS America sincerely apologizes to everyone who was greatly looking forward to its release, and would like to thank fans for their understanding and patience as the team is working hard to deliver the best possible experience.”

This development might remind Falcom fans of what happened back in 2017 with the PC version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.

It was initially supposed to release in Sept. 2017, but NIS America announced one day before release that it was delayed to an unannounced date. Time moved on, and each release date announcement was followed by one which revealed that the game would be delayed yet again — eventually moving it back into 2018. In fact, it wasn’t until April 2018 that it actually arrived, during which time a Switch version (which had some issues of its own) was announced.

Fortunately, NIS America already confirmed an actual release date, so chances are things won’t devolve into a similar situation. In either event, the extra time should mean we won’t get that disaster of a localization that the PS4 version of Ys VIII got on release.

In the meantime, Trails of Cold Steel III will also receive a demo whose details will be revealed at a later date.

The latest trailer for Monster Hunter World: Iceborne has arrived, and it offered a double whammy, confirming the return of Glavenus, as well as the inclusion of subspecies for some of the new monsters.

Just like with Tigrex, foreseeing Glavenus’ inclusion in Iceborne wasn’t too difficult: not only did we see part of its body, but the sequence at the end of the previous trailer was a clear callback to the cutscene where it’s introduced in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate.

First introduced in Generations, Glavenus is classified as a brute wyvern and shares a few of the ramming and charging attacks that others of its ilk often use. However, its preferred method of attack is to swing its sword-like tail at its targets, dealing a considerable amount of damage when it connects. And in the off-chance it wants to heat things up, it can sharpen its tail by sliding it on the ground, granting it fiery effects and even greater damage potential.

In addition to the Glavenus reveal, we also saw the presence of subspecies for two monsters: Anjanath and Odogaron.

Subspecies have long been a part of the Monster Hunter series, granting vanilla monsters an interesting take on their movesets and movement patterns. To be clear, they were present in Monster Hunter World, but the only ones who had them were Rathian and Rathalos — both of whom are returning monsters.

Finally, some new monsters have received similar treatment, and it’s made them even more deadly. For instance, Fulgur Anjanath now has the potential to produce electricity instead of fire, while Ebony Odogaron can do a new double tail swipe attack and fire off projectiles.

Lastly, we see that the new Seliana home base is more streamlined than it’s original counterpart, placing all the necessary shops and features in close proximity of one another for quicker prep times pre-hunt. On top of that the “My Room” feature has new personalization options such as furniture, décor, and colors, with a post-launch update planned to allow other players to visit each other’s spaces.

Check out the new trailer (can you guess who’s being teased near the end?) and a developer diary below:

After months of rumors and speculation, Nintendo has finally revealed the Nintendo Switch Lite, a new version of the Switch designed to play games in handheld mode.

Due out on Sept. 20, the Nintendo Switch Lite will cost $199 and be available in three different colors: yellow, gray and turquoise.

“Adding Nintendo Switch Lite to the lineup gives gamers more color and price point options,” said Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser in a press release. “Now consumers can choose the system that best suits how they like to play their favorite Nintendo Switch games.”

As the name suggests, the Switch Lite is smaller than the original iteration, featuring a 5.5-inch touch display, compared to the 6.2-inch one of its predecessor. In addition, it has a genuine D-Pad and marginally improved battery life.

However, these advantages come at a price: the hardware is designed exclusively for handheld play.

For example, it doesn’t have detachable Joy-Cons, so you can’t instantaneously play local multiplayer. Furthermore, it lacks HD rumble and IR sensors, causing compatibility issues with games like Pokémon Let’s Go and 1-2 Switch. And most importantly (and probably most obvious), it can’t connect to your television.

Beyond that, though, both systems are functionally the same, featuring the same 720p resolution,  ability to use the same accessories, as well as support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC, and built-in gyro controls.

To reiterate, the Nintendo Switch Lite is due out on Sept. 20 — the same day as Link’s Awakening. There will also be special versions released in celebration of Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.

Check out the announcement trailer below:

https://youtu.be/jZOPC6J4fAA

NIS America has announced that Langrisser I & II will be coming to North America and Europe for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam in early 2020.

For those unfamiliar, Langrisser is a tactical RPG series whose first entry was on the Sega Genesis back in 1991. It has received a variety of sequels and compilations since then, with the most recent one (not counting this one or the mobile title) coming out for the Nintendo DS in 2016.

In terms of gameplay, at least as far as the older titles are concerned, everything plays out similar to what you would expect out of a title of its sort: you pick commanders, hire units and have them duke it out with the opposition. Players had to be smart with choosing which units to engage enemies with, proper positioning to gain stat bonuses, as well as ensuring everyone remains healthy.

Again, what you would expect out of a tactical RPG title.

As for Langrisser I & II, they’re designed to be revamped versions of the original, with NISA explicitly stating the game will feature new art, music and presentation, while the gameplay itself will be “perfectly re-tuned for a modern SRPG feel.”

In the meantime, those interested can pre-order from the NIS America Online Store (PS4, Switch). Those who do have the option of getting a limited edition which include a copy of the game, the two-disc original soundtrack, the three-disc “Songs of War” soundtrack, a visual book, set of art cards, and collector’s box.

Check out the announcement trailer below:

Needless to say, it’s been a crazy eight years — a period marked by tremendous highs and lows. And now in 2019, I’ve borne witness to the craziest thing to happen to Neptune yet: she’s had a game developed by a western studio.  Meet Super Neptunia RPG, the first commercial release by Canadian developer Artisan Studios.

Admittedly, I had my reservations when Super Neptunia RPG, or the infinitely superior Brave Neptune: World & Universe! Pay Attention!! Ultimate RPG Declaration!, was first announced back in 2018.  As any fan will tell you, Neptunia is a JRPG series unlike any other. The jokes, as well as the idiom, are distinctly Japanese and often don’t translate well into other languages. And considering the track record of similar games (DmC: Devil May Cry and Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City), there was a genuine fear that what made the series so special would be lost in translation.  So how did Artisan Studios do? It did indeed capture the spirit of Neptunia — for better or worse.

On the surface, Super Neptunia RPG is everything a fan would want out of Neptunia title. It’s funny, there’s plenty of references to other games, and Neptune is as dumb and quirky as ever.  Perhaps the only thing to be disappointed with at the start was the game’s premise, which relies on the cast’s inability to grasp their current situation to move everything forward.  Yes, Neptune has amnesia again.  This plot device can be effective in making certain revelations and discoveries more meaningful, but that significance hinges heavily on the audience’s knowledge. Who are Neptune and her friends? Not humans, but goddesses. Why do they have amnesia? Because they got beat in a fight. What’s the secret behind the mysterious tome, Histoire? The tome’s true form is that of a cute, but incredibly stern fairy.

The game spends ample amounts of time working towards these reveals, but they lack impact because we already know all of that.  Meanwhile, the aspects of the plot that are genuine mysteries, such as the motivations of the oppressive regime, Bombyx Mori, or how the new character, Chrome, ties into everything, are so far and few in between that they’re almost inconsequential. As a result, it almost feels like the story Super Neptunia RPG is playing catch up, as even a casual fan would know more than the characters themselves.  Fortunately, while the story itself is lackluster, the world it takes place in is anything but.

The world of Gamindustri has undergone various changes over the years, but never has it looked so beautiful.  Masterfully handcrafted, from the characters to the environments, if there is one aspect of Super Neptunia RPG that stands out above all else, then it would be the captivating artwork. It’s not quite on the level of Vanillaware, but what Artisan Studios managed to do here is still very impressive.  And what I appreciated the most about this art direction, is that it gave the developers leeway to take a new approach to exploration, which is now more interactive and immersive than ever.

For instance, not only are there now actual towns, but you’re free to explore them.  That’s right, towns now serve as genuine hubs where Neptune can wander around to find hidden treasure, enter buildings to shop for items or new equipment, and chat up NPCs to receive various sidequests.  This mantra further extends to the game’s areas which resemble something out of a Rayman game. To put it simply, you’re basically playing a platformer whilst out in the field. There are a variety of coins that can be collected and later exchanged at a hidden shop for special equipment, as well as several hidden rooms that can be discovered by those whose platforming skills are up to par.

This departure from established Neptunia norms was deeply appreciated, not just because it worked, but because it was actually fun. The world’s layout kept me engaged even when I wasn’t in combat, and you’ll never get any complaints out of me when you have some areas inspired by Super Mario Bros.  And if only the rest of the game mirrored the exploration, then I’d have little to complain about.

Back when I reviewed Dragon Star Varnir, I mentioned that one of the biggest weaknesses of Compile Heart-developed titles is they’re tendency to be so deeply flawed in one or two areas that the whole products gets marred as a result. More often than not, this is the result of developers trying to do too much at once, so poorly-tested ideas end up making the cut.  And amusingly enough, this Canadian-developed Neptunia, continues that trend in the form of an uneven battle system.

Up to four characters participate in Super Neptunia RPG’s battles, with each being bound to one of the four face buttons. You press the right button, and the appropriate character will use an ability unlocked via the AP earned at the end of a battle, a la Final Fantasy IX.  At this point, you’re probably thinking this design sounds similar to Valkyrie Profile, and the comparison is apt until Formations come into play.

There are five formations focusing on different roles, and your party’s capabilities and active technique will change depending on which one you’re in. For example, Neptune’s formation is Strike, which focuses on physical attacks and increases their efficacy, while Blanc’s formation is Heal, which focuses on recovery skills, and steadily restores the party’s health as time passes.  On paper, this design should allow for strategic play, requiring the player to constantly switch formations based on the situation. In reality, however, this only applies until you get Lonely Heart Noire.

Noire’s formation is Magic, and magic abilities are pretty busted. Not only are they more effective than their physical counterparts, but higher tier ones are more readily available. In addition, due to the way attack animations work, you can easily keep enemies locked down before they get a chance to pose any real threat. To top it off, it’s so strong there’s no impetus to transform — which might be a good thing because it takes so long to unlock those, anyway.

All this results in a battle system that is so far removed from balance that I’ve probably insulted the term just by mentioning it here. You’re free to spam, especially if you’re using an enemy’s weakness due to 1:1 AP refunds, and you’re actually rewarded for doing so. The Neptunia series has never been known for its difficulty, but Super Neptunia RPG takes the cake and then some. However, despite this flaw, the battle system still at least works — something that can’t be said about the quest system.

Imagine someone sending you out an errand without telling you where to go or how to do it — that’s Super Neptunia RPG’s quest system.  Whether it’s a hunt or fetch quest, the NPCs are never consistent in the information they give you. They’ll tell you your objective, but rarely do they provide the additional information required to actually meet that end.  For instance, one NPC wanted me to collect a Sun Stone from an Ogre, but he never told me where I could find one to begin with. Neither he nor the Quest Log offered any additional info, so I had to resort to mindlessly fighting until I ran into one. In the end, the only reason I ended up finding one (they’re on Poly Island), was because I figured it would be weird for a late-game quest to not have you go a late-game area.

Meanwhile, another NPC needed me to get her a wrench. The problem, however, is that she never actually told me where to go. I spent an hour or so killing enemies in both the quest giver’s room, adjacent ones and entire continent looking for one, only to find it by pure coincidence in a treasure chest when continuing the story.  At this point, you’ve probably reached the same conclusion I did at the time: I could really use a Bestiary.  But guess what Super Neptunia RPG doesn’t have? A Bestiary.  The capacity to see which monsters you defeated and what they drop would have been a huge boon here. Not only would it help determine the classification of a requested item, but it would help track down specific enemies you might have come across earlier in the game.  In its absence, we end up spending far too long on tasks that should only take a fraction of the time.

Yet among this game’s many quests, it turns out Elite Hunt Quests are the most egregious.  As the name implies, the goal is to hunt down “high-difficulty” monsters lurking around the game’s many zones in exchange for special rewards.  But what if I were to tell you the hardest part about these monsters is actually finding them?  What the developers actually did was hide each of these monsters in hard-to-reach, often hidden, rooms strewn throughout each area. As a result, you’ll often need to hug the wall of every room in the specified area, as you search for an entry point that may not even exist. And more often than not, your inability to find the room might just come down to not realizing a branch or ledge isn’t part of the scenery.

I wish I could say such occurrences aren’t commonplace, but they are.  An inconspicuous door. Missing ceilings. A “pitfall.” These are just some of the many ways Super Neptunia RPG hides these monsters from you. I could have accepted this design if there were some type of hint provided, but you’re forced to guess every single time.  None of this is insurmountable, mind you, it’s just…tedious. I don’t know which dimension this game takes place in, but I’m confident that in none of them is it a good idea to feature quests with so much guesswork involved.  And really, this speaks to a larger issue Super Neptunia RPG suffers from: a lack of QoL features.

I spent the early parts of this review gushing over how much I love Neptunia, but it’s clear this game doesn’t love me even half as much.  Very little in this game is designed for the purpose of making things any easier for the player. In fact, the only thing I can think of that is wholly beneficial is the Fast Travel feature that’s unlocked from the get-go.  Beyond that, though? Virtually nothing.  Not only is there no proper mini-map, you’re not even taught how to use the actual map until you’ve traversed a significant portion of the first area. Why not tell me before I leave town?

Meanwhile, navigating through your inventory is a total nightmare because you lack the means to filter or look for a specific piece of equipment. With the sheer number of equipment, you’d think there would be some way to parse through it all.  It’s already been mentioned, but this game needed a Bestiary something fierce. And if not a Bestiary, then at least a Quest Log that thoroughly details the important details of a quest would be appreciated.

Lastly, the AP cost of any given technique isn’t listed anywhere. I can’t count how many times I gave one character a new move, only to realize in the very next battle that she was effectively useless as a result.  There’s supposed to be a patch that addresses at least some of these problems, but the word’s still out on when it will arrive. And before closing out, I should discuss another thing that the patch was designed to address: the bugs.

In its present state, Super Neptunia RPG is riddled with bugs.  So much so, that I delayed writing this review in anticipation of the promised patch that I assumed would drastically change my perception of this game. But as I previously mentioned, that patch has yet to arrive. Cutscenes being played in the wrong order, the occasional inability to cancel the use of items, inconsistent animations and a handful of textual errors are just some of the many bugs this game currently suffers from.

I remember back when the Japanese version came out that it received a good amount of criticism, and I assumed it was partially due to xenophobia. After playing through the game myself, however, I now understand those complaints are entirely justified.  Put simply: The game might look beautiful, but it runs terribly. Unless you’re absolutely in love with Neptunia, then I’d suggest waiting. Hell, wait anyway — it could make a world of difference.

The Verdict

Super Neptunia RPG is what untapped potential looks like. It has the capacity to be the best Neptunia spin-off to date, but is marred by so many gameplay-related issues and bugs that they often overshadow everything that the game does successfully.  Like a lustrous Share Crystal, it’s beauty will shine through if all the dirt and grime is wiped off first. The only question is whether the polish Compile Heart and Artisan Studios applies will be enough.

Publisher Koei Tecmo and developer Gust have announced that yet another entry in the long-running Atelier series, Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, will be headed this westward this year.

Specifically, it’s slated to release for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC on Oct. 29 and Nov. 1 in North America and Europe, respectively.

Needless to say, this is an exciting moment for Atelier fans. Not just because of the release in of itself, but because this will be the third such release within a single year.

As you might recall, Nelke & The Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World came out in March, followed by Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland in May. And if you count things by proximity, instead of by year, then this number would go up by 1 (or 3) thanks to the Arland DX compilation series that released in December.

Fortunately for those who might be burnt out, Atelier Ryza is switching things up to stand ahead of its predecessors.

Namely, the game will feature a new aesthetic utilizing “more realistic shadows; giving birth to a world that feels more expansive and filled with life,” as well as a revamped synthesis system which allows players to actually create various gathering points via alchemy. On top of that, the system was designed so that players would be able to “better understand of the effects of synthesis.”

Seeing as the game comes out only one month after the Japanese release, we still don’t know how any of these promised changes will pan out. For now, the only things we know is the premise: After learning alchemy from a mysterious man on an island, Reisalin “Ryza” Stout, along with her “band of mischievous friends,” will go on an adventure that will ultimately lead her on a quest to save her hometown, and that Ryza has some very noticeable thighs — an intentional design choice by artist Toridamono, and a veritable gold mine to many fan artists.

Though by that same token, this release window pretty much confirms there will be no English dub.

To reiterate, Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout is due out for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC on Oct. 29 in North America and Nov. 1 in Europe.

Check out the teaser trailer below:

Publisher Athlon Games and developer SNK has announced the full lineup of DLC characters coming to Samurai Shodown via the game’s Season Pass.

Here is the full list, along with their estimated time of arrival:

• Rimururu (August 2019)
• Basara (October 2019)
• Kazuki Kazama (December 2019)
• Wan-Fu (February 2020)

Rimururu was already announced two weeks ago, but learning the identities of the remaining three characters this early on comes as a nice surprise. We’ve become so used to being asked to put forward money on a Season Pass that we don’t know the contents of, that we forgot companies should really let us know such details in advance.

Though this might apply to many in this instance, since those who purchase Samurai Shodown before June 30 will get the Season Pass for free.

Overall, it’s a quality selection, with Rimururu and Basara likely to be the stand-outs among them. It’s a shame that characters like Iroha, Cham Cham or Mina didn’t make the cut this time around, but there’s always the chance they will be included in future DLC.

Samurai Shodown is out now for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while the Switch and PC versions are due out in Q4 2019.

Check out the launch trailer below:

What do you do? Naturally, you hit them with Samurai Shodown’s most sinister technique: the Lighting Blade.

What Is The Lighting Blade?

Comeback mechanics have become ubiquitous in fighting games as of late, and Lighting Blade is the closest thing Samurai Shodown has to one.

Easy to activate and dealing an incredible amount of damage in a single stroke, the Lighting Blade is something that players will always have to be mindful of if their opponent still has the option of pulling it out.

I’m not exaggerating here — it can easily end a round faster than you can blink.

Sounds Awesome, How Do I Use It?

Before using the Lighting Blade, you’ll first need to have activated Rage Explosion. I detailed how to go about doing so in another guide, but to recap, the input is 5A+B+C (Light Slash+Medium Slash+Heavy Slash).

Once that small hurdle is cleared, all you need to do is hit the same input and your character will lunge forward as the screen fades to black. If the move connected, then you’ll have successfully shaved off roughly 45 percent of the opponent’s life (the damage scales based on how much time Rage Explosion has remaining) in seconds.

Anything Else I Need To Know About?

Yes.

Though Lighting Blade is incredibly powerful, it’s equally risky.

Assuming you land the blow, you now have to contend with the fact that not only did your Rage Explosion end after one attack, but that you won’t get access to anything related to Rage for the remainder of the match.

And as you might expect, this is situation would be considerably worse if Lighting Blade misses. In this scenario, not only do you have to contend with everything listed above, but you’re also stuck with the realization that you put yourself at a disadvantage with nothing to even show for it.

Therefore, Lighting Blade should be used as an ever-present threat, rather than something you unleash at the start of a match. Players have to be cognizant and respect the fact that the other player has the means to end the round almost instantaneously.

If not, well, indulge them and make them pay for their foolishness.

That’s it on using the Lighting Blade in Samurai Shodown. At first, it will be mind-boggling why any fighting game developer would include a feature like this, but you’ll soon come to love it — and fear it.

What is Rage?

Rage, as previously mentioned, is a meter that, among other things, helps fuel special techniques.

It’s empty when the match begins, but steadily increases as damage is received, with said increase proportional to the amount of damage taken (weak attacks provide small boosts, while stronger ones provide larger boosts).

This is where things get interesting though: though the typical option is for players to wait for their Rage Gauge to fill, enjoying all the benefits that come when doing so, there’s also the option to expend it all to activate Rage Explosion, a one-time powered-up state that provides several boons to the player.

Both have their own distinct benefits, so they’re worth discussing.

Max Rage v.s. Rage Explosion

Like I said before, both Max Rage and Rage Explosion have their benefits, so you’d be better served thinking about in terms of opportunity cost instead of one being flat-out better than the other.

Max Rage

Once the Rage Gauge fills up completely, it will be in a state known as Max Rage which provides the receiving player with the following:

• Increased Attack Power
• Enhanced damage for certain attacks
• Access to Weapon Flipping techniques (236A+B/Quarter Circle Forward + Light Slash and Medium Slash)

One thing of note though, is that Max Rage isn’t permanent — it will dissipate after a certain period of time, so it will need to be built back up from scratch.

Rage Explosion

On the other hand, Rage Explosion (5A+B+C/Light Slash+Medium Slash+Heavy Slash) can be activated at any time, but lasts longer when the Rage Gauge is filled more, meaning the activating player has longer access to the following:

• Greatly Increased Attack Power
• Access to Weapon Flipping Techniques and Lightning Blade (5A+B+C/Light Slash+Medium Slash+Heavy Slash)
• Time (the timer) stands still

Needless to say, your power is unparalleled in this state. However, it comes with one major caveat: it can be activated only once per match, and you’ll lose access to any Rage-related technique afterwards.

So, like I said before, neither of these is necessarily better than the other, but you do have to make some considerations when deciding which one to take advantage of. Rage Explosion might allow you to quickly end a round, but you have to be sure you’ll be capable of winning another round without any Rage to speak of.

Per usual, the choice is yours. Just be sure to weigh your options carefully.

That’s it for the applications of Rage in Samurai Shodown. You might be inclined to use one over the other when starting off, but true mastery only comes when you utilize both.

Don’t worry though: you can pick it back up.

Picking Up Your Weapon

In the chance your opponent forces you to drop your weapon, all you need to do is press A (Light Slash) while standing over it.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.

Any opponent worth their salt will try their damnedest to prevent you from picking up your weapon, and you’ll have little means to protect yourself. Your three slash buttons will be replaced by punches, successful guards no longer cause the opponent to recoil, and you lose access to the overwhelming majority of your special techniques.

However, within that moment of vulnerability lies a chance for victory.

While unarmed, you’ll have access to a technique called Blade Catch, which not only allows you to disarm the opponent when timed right, but also sends them flying across the screen.

If there were any chance to pick up your weapon, then that would be the time. So do it and get your licks in while the tables are turned.

That’s it on picking up your weapon in Samurai Shodown. Getting disarmed is always a scary situation, but just keep calm, play smart and you should be able to get out of your predicament without too many injuries.

What’s So Different?

Well, it’s the same general concept, but the maneuver is called Guard Break.

Okay, So What Are Guard Breaks?

Much like throwing in other fighting games, Guard Breaks are best used on opponents who play overly defensive.

Unlike other fighting games however, Guard Breaks don’t deal any damage whatsoever. There are command throws for that sort of thing, of course, but Guard Breaks are purely tactical.

Here’s how to do them:

• Forward: 6C+D (Forward + Heavy Slash and Kick)
• Backward: 4C+D (Backward + Heavy Slash and Kick)

It’s also worth noting that while Guard Breaks are useful for punishing guard-happy players, you can also follow them up with attacks. Though keep in mind that the timing is rather tight.

That’s it for throws, a.k.a. Guard Breaks, in Samurai Shodown. Make use of them when needed to throw a wrench in your opponent’s game plan.

What Is Disarming?

Disarming is exactly what it sounds like: you disarm the opponent, and leave them with nothing else to fight with but their hands and feet. Such an event wouldn’t be so bad were this a game like Tekken, but it’s practically a death sentence in a game like this where much of a character’s capabilities are tied to their weapon.

Needless to say, you’ll want to try and disarm your opponent if possible.

Sold. How Do I Do It?

There are four ways to disarm your opponent:

Weapon Flipping Technique

Though not as strong Super Secret Moves, Weapon Flipping Techniques have the benefit of being usable multiple times per match and, obviously, knocking an opponent’s weapon out of their hand when it connects.

Here’s what you need to know:

• 236B+C (Quarter Circle Forward + Medium Slash and Heavy Slash)
• Only usable during Max Rage/Rage Explosion
• Max Rage and Rage Explosion instantly expires upon use

Sword Clash

As the name suggests, Sword Clashes occur when both players swing at each other and their weapons collide. From there all you have to do is mash any attack button and whoever is slower loses their weapon.

Notably, this method has the distinction of only being able to occur once per round, and requiring several conditions to be fulfilled before it can occur:

• At least 16 seconds remaining
• Both opponents have at least 160 Life remaining

Counter

Compared to the other means to disarm opponents, counters are the most readily available. Simply time the maneuver when someone swings at you, knocking the weapon clean out of their hands when successful.

All you need to know is:

• 236A+B (Quarter Circle Forward + Light Slash and Medium Slash)
• Doesn’t work on aerial attacks

Blade Catch

This is similar in function to counters, with the only difference being that your character needs to have been disarmed first.

The details are the same as before:

• 236A+B (Quarter Circle Forward + Light Slash and Medium Slash)
• Doesn’t work on aerial attacks

That’s it for disarming in Samurai Shodown. Be sure to learn each method, so you can whip them out when the situation requires it. In a game like this, you’ll need every advantage you can get.

Tensions mount as I try to get a read on my opponent, while they try to do the same to me. I just need one clean hit, but I still have to be cautious since every wrong move is a chance for the opponent to turn things around. And thus I bide my time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and secure victory.

Welcome to Samurai Shodown, the fighting game where both victory and death are just one button press away.

Within an ever-growing sea of fighting games, the latest in SNK’s series of weapon-based fighters occupies a unique space. One that eschews the typical combo-oriented format of most fighters in favor of a focus on the neutral game, while paradoxically being both inviting and repelling towards newcomers.

It’s an odd duck among its peers, but it has one hell of a quack.

If you come into Samurai Shodown expecting it to play like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat or other conventional fighters, then you’re going to have a bad time. In fact, it might be a flat-out nightmare.

Why? Because Samurai Shodown is highly cerebral.

This isn’t a game where you string together lengthy combos in order to deal damage. In fact, more often than not, the most effective way to harm your opponent is to simply press one button to land a single, decisive hit.

Like a showdown between samurai in movies, Samurai Shodown is less about being active, and more about being patient as you wait for a chance to strike. You need to constantly assess your position relative to your opponent’s, understand what options and tools are most readily available to you, and know how best to react in a specific situation.

Of course, this concept is part and parcel for the genre, but Samurai Shodown takes it and ramps everything up to 11.

And coincidentally, it’s that very dedication to the neutral game that makes it so inviting to newcomers.

One of the biggest mistakes inexperienced players make when picking up a new fighting game is that they focus on learning combos while forsaking everything else.

Obviously, it’s important to know how to do them, but what good does knowing how to chain flashy attacks into even flashier attacks do you if you can’t position yourself properly? Forget getting a proper offense started — you won’t even be able to appropriately respond when an opponent is trying to do the same to you.

That’s why Samurai Shodown’s design is so refreshing: new players can still deal high damage without high execution, so the impetus is to grasp pure fundamentals.

Positioning; Pokes; Punishes; Patience. It’s surprising how quickly someone can pick up on these when they’re the focus of the game.

Additionally, the methodical, slower pace of combat means an experienced player can’t leave a confused, defeated newcomer in their wake within the span of a few seconds. Actually, defeat may come quickly regardless, but at least the losing player can recognize and follow what was going on during the previous match.

This is particularly important because there’s just so much to follow.

Samurai Shodown is not the fastest fighting game, but by no means is it simple — there’s a lot going on underneath the hood.

Let’s assume you’ve amassed a basic understanding of the neutral game. You know how to maintain an optimal distance from your opponent, no blocked heavy attack goes unpunished, and you’re familiar with what buttons are safe to press at any given moment.

Is that all? No, you’ve just scratched the surface.

Are you aware that you can disarm opponents, forcing them to fight at a disadvantage until they pick up their weapon? What about spot dodging (dodging in place) in order to avoid an exploitable attack? You can even use special techniques to cancel the recoil from blocked attacks if your timing’s right.

And things only get more interesting when you factor in the Rage Gauge, a meter that increases as you take damage. Based on the situation, players can wait for it to fill, gaining boosted attack power and enhancing the strength of certain special techniques, or activating Rage Explosion, which sacrifices access to the Rage Gauge for the remainder of the match, but grants access to the powerful Lighting Flash technique that can easily shave off 40 percent of an opponent’s health in a single stroke.

All of these mechanics make for a fighting game that has far more depth than what its pace would entail, coalescing into an entity of near-unparalleled excellence.

Or put in more simplistic terms: battles are awesome.

You know the tension that usually occurs in fighting games when both characters have little to no health remaining and one (missed) attack can settle the round?

This feeling is the natural state of Samurai Shodown.

When even a single regular attack can shred 20-25 percent of your life bar in an instant, there’s a genuine fear of pressing any buttons. Sure, you can easily use a heavy slash to do the damage, but not only would most opponents expect this, but such attacks come out so slowly that you’ll likely be punished for even trying. A single button press can mean the difference between victory and defeat, so the best option often times is not to press anything at all.

And obviously, the raw potency of many attacks means the tenor of the round can change at the drop of a hat.

Did someone just land a heavy attack? The impetus is now on the victim to even the score — something the aggressor is keenly aware of. Is one of you at about 60 percent health? Know that every character has the means to cut clean through that in a single stroke. Are both of you at that same health? Be still, your heart.

I’m not kidding when I say this unrelenting tension is Samurai Shodown’s most-defining feature, and when combined with an absolutely gorgeous art style evocative of classical Japanese paintings, battles become just as fun to look at as they are to play.

Unfortunately, reaching the point where both the necessary movement and actions become second nature is challenging because the tutorials are inconsistent.

Samurai Shodown has a host of tutorials designed to introduce players to mechanics such as Parry, Stance Break and different standard attacks, and though not on the level of Dead or Alive 6 or UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late[st] you can leave knowing you have a solid grasp on most of them.

Character tutorials on the other hand? They’re non-existent.

Needless to say, this is a problem.

Samurai Shodown boasts a solid launch roster of 16 characters, and the cast is incredibly diverse.

For instance, with a balanced mix of speed, power and range on his normal attacks, those who seek simple, yet effective characters should look no further than Haohmaru. Meanwhile, Nakoruru, with a combination of quick kodachi strikes and her companion, Petshop Mamahaha, is the perfect character for those who prefer speed and finesse. Lastly, if you just want to brute force your way to victory, then Earthquake is your man.

Each character is unique, possessing their own moveset and distinctive qualities, which make them extremely fun to play as. More than that though, they’re so expressive in their movements and actions, you’re instantly captivated and almost want to be them.

Going back to Earthquake as an example, he is an obese Texan, but happens to be deceptively fast due to his training as a ninja and present occupation as a thief. He wields a kusarigama, breathes fire, and can teleport to body slam his opponent all while slapping his stomach with glee. Between his attacks and general mannerisms in battle, you’re not just playing as him — you feel like you are Earthquake.

And it’s for that reason that the absence of genuine character tutorials are so keenly felt.

With the level of care SNK put into designing the roster, you would think it would include some kind of guide or tutorial to help players understand how to use them. By no means was I expecting some thorough rundown of each character’s moveset, but even SoulCalibur 6 detailed each character’s more notable attacks, noting their properties and/or the ideal times to use them.

The cast of Samurai Shodown could have really used them, too.

I would have loved to see some in-game advice on how to effectively use Poppy while playing as Galford, how to combine Wu-Ruixiang’s various specials to exercise more control over the screen, or what the hell I’m supposed to do with Tam Tam.

Instead, the only option I had was to constantly check the stock move list while messing around in the admittedly highly-adjustable training mode.

Overall, I would say the inconsistent tutorials are the worst part of Samurai Shodown, though the single player content might compete for that position depending on what you want out of the game.

If your goal is to improve and continually play this game online or in some competitive setting, then Samurai Shodown has everything that you desire.

Dojo Mode will take time before it’s working in full since it relies on taking data from the online leaderboards to create ghosts for you to spar with, while the online itself, though not functional as of writing this review (there will be a future update of some capacity detailing the state of online), has both ranked and casual matches, with the latter supporting lobbies of up to 10 players.

But if you’re looking for that genuine single-player Samurai Shodown experience, then you best look elsewhere because you sure as hell won’t find it here.

The story mode was obviously not going to be on the same level of something from NetherRealm Studios in terms of format or presentation, but it even loses out to the likes of Dead or Alive 6 — even with all of its faults taken into account.

The gist of it is that it’s 1787 and there’s some great evil that’s arisen which is threatening a newfound era of peace, with your goal always being to set things right. And though I don’t know what I was expecting out of it, I certainly didn’t foresee it being a glorified Arcade Mode with a prologue, epilogue and sparse dialogue that’s dependent on the character you’re playing as.

If there is one favorable thing I will say, though, it’s that the final boss isn’t a cheater. She can teleport to mix you up with projectiles, and starts the second round by instantly doing a super attack, but she’s not bad at all.

And if you’re not interested in the Story Mode, then you can do Time Trial, Gauntlet or Survival, all of which are enjoyable if they’re treated as filler, but aren’t likely to hold up on their own as a prime source of content.

Aside from that though? A true marvel.

Really, I just want to express how thankful I am towards SNK for even deciding to make another Samurai Shodown title. Not just for the game in of itself, but what it represents.

It’s been 11 years since the most recent title released, and though it would’ve been easy to simply fall back on overused franchises — much like many other developers are wont to do — I appreciate that it decided to step out of its comfort zone and add a few brushstrokes of originality to an increasingly homogenized genre.

Bandai Namco did this recently with SoulCalibur 6, and now SNK has done the same with Samurai Shodown. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll see The Last Blade in the future.

In the meantime though, hopefully this serves as the bellwether for other developers (read: Capcom) to revisit some old, but unforgotten fighting game titles of their own.

The Verdict

Samurai Shodown does not disappoint. Despite the inconsistent tutorials and generic single player content, this is a game that can appeal to players of any experience level. Newcomers will relish the opportunity to jump in and feel like they’re button presses actually have an impact, while experienced players will appreciate its tone and commitment to the neutral game.

Its slow pace belies a depth that rivals any fighting game, while still providing an experience unlike almost any other. If the stunning visuals don’t leave you breathless, then the unrelenting tension felt during combat certainly will.

Capcom has announced that players on the PlayStation 4 will be able to check out some of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne’s content via an upcoming beta.

There will be two beta periods based on whether participants are PS Plus members or not. They’ll last the same period of time, but PS Plus members have the benefit of seeing everything a week in advance.

Here is the full schedule:

• PS Plus: June 21 at 3:00 a.m. PST / 6:00 a.m. EST / 11:00 a.m. BST to June 24 at 3:00 a.m. PST / 6:00 a.m. EST / 11:00 a.m. BST
• Everyone: June 28 at 3:00 a.m. PT / 6:00 a.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. BST to July 1 at 3:00 a.m. PT / 6:00 a.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. BST

If you participated in Monster Hunter World’s initial beta, then the format this one will take will come as little surprise to you. There will be three missions, each with an assigned difficulty based on their objective. The first one, for beginners, will allow players to take on the game’s first large monster — the Great Jagras. Moving on up, the intermediate difficulty mission will have players square off against one of Iceborne’s new monsters, the Banbaro; while the hardest mission will require players to take down the returning Tigrex.

Per usual, all 14 weapons will be available, and completing each mission will reward players with item packs containing helpful consumable items that will be available to use once the game launches in full.

If interested, simply download the beta client which will be available a few of days in advance before each beta. The Monster Hunter: World base game is not required to participate.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is due out for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Sept. 6, while the PC version will arrive this winter.

Check out a new trailer below:

One of the ways Capcom is capitalizing on the newfound popularity of Monster Hunter is turning it into a movie, and a newly-leaked trailer suggests it might not be as bad as initially feared.

Revealed at the Shanghai International Film Festival, the 3o-second trailer depicts Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa in the desert facing off against a fairly authentic rendition of the Diablos as it emerges from the sand. Afterwards, it pans to shots of the Handler and Admiral, before finishing with what appears to be the Rathalos flying towards the screen through a wall of fire.

Though brief, the trailer does allow the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed film to leave a better impression this time around.

As you might recall, the official description and initial photos showed that Jovovich (as Lt. Artemis), along with her military troop, would be transported to another world where the creatures of Monster Hunter roam. However, there was barely anything resembling classic monster hunting paraphernalia in the shots, with them mostly featuring soldiers with big guns.

Needless to say, none of this inspired any confidence in the film.

Fortunately, this new trailer succeeded in the one thing it had to do: actually look like Monster Hunter.

Hopefully, the movie proves to live up to the Monster Hunter name when it arrives on Sep. 4, 2020.

Check out the trailer below:

https://youtu.be/fOReNhyl4fc