In the past year or so, Battle Royale games have dominated the gaming industry. Fortnite has become a cultural phenomenon and AAA developers are taking note. Both EA and Activision are incorporating Battle Royale modes in the newest Battlefield and Call of Duty titles.
With Battle Royale, every match is different. Even if you are repeating similar steps when entering into mid-game and end-game. It’s a rinse and repeat process, with tactics being refined during and after every match. There’s nothing more exhilarating than being caught in a firefight and shouting at or with your friends.
All of the games on this list have the same core gameplay mechanics. You spawn at a random point on the map, plummet to the ground to scrounge for supplies, and survive 99 other people trying to kill you as a deadly circle shrinks your map. It’s this new frantic and time-sensitive gameplay that propelled Battle Royale into the public spotlight. Let’s get down to business and talk about the Top Five Battle Royale games available right now.
H1Z1
Riding the wave of Battle Royale modes, H1Z1 has taken the PlayStation 4 by storm. Created by PlayerUnknown and Sony Online Entertainment, H1Z1 was originally released before the massively successful PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds). It hid in the shadows of Steam catalogs as an early access title. H1Z1 is much different than the current flurry of Battle Royale games. While most developers tend to use their art style as a gimmick, H1Z1 graphics are slightly above run-of-the-mill. The lighting can be great at points and the atmospheric effects, such as fog, make for very interesting and heart-racing endgame. But, you’re not coming to H1Z1 for the graphics. You’re joining the community and staying for a long time because of the streamlined gameplay mechanics.
The one that started it all. Well, technically Arma kicked off the Battle Royale movement, but PUBG brought it to fame. Launching early 2017, PUBG has reigned supreme over free-to-play titles on Steam, and most recently, mobile phones. In the hierarchy of realistic gameplay, PUBG sits near the top of the pyramid. There are no frills to this game. It plays much like H1Z1, but without the weapon upgrades, poisonous gas, and massive vehicle mayhem during end-game. If you’re looking for a bare-bones Battle Royale, look no further, PUBG delivers in all facets.
ARMA 3 is the grandfather of all Battle Royale games. The first iteration developed by PlayerUnknown in 2013, Arma 3 is a realistic military simulation set in a fictional warzone where players vie for territorial dominance. Its claim to fame came from community mods and an open-code platform, where players had free reign to alter gameplay as they saw fit. What came from the incessant modding is a game that, on the surface, looks like a standard military simulator. However, take a look under the hood and it is deeply complex, with a different control scheme for all types of vehicles and an adaptive, intelligent player-base. There is a steep learning curve to ARMA, but the reward is countless hours of fresh gameplay.
First things first; this is not Minecraft, as the graphic would have you believe. Survival Games takes a different approach to Battle Royale, which is refreshing, to say the least. Its standout feature is the procedurally generated map. Meaning, at the start of each match, the arena will be generated randomly, having few, if any, similarities. If you’re a fan of Minecraft and BR modes, do yourself a favor, and give this game a go. You might be surprised.
Fortnite
Last, but certainly not least, Fortnite. The cultural juggernaut that spawned dance crazes, televised news stories about video-game addiction, and propelled professional streamers to celebrity status. This is the game that all other BR games wish they could hold a candle to. With a massive following of near 3 million players each month, Fortnite is easily the King of Battle Royale. What separates Fortnite from its competitors is its art style key building gameplay mechanic. If you haven’t heard about Fortnite by now, jump in and play a few rounds. But, keep in mind, you might be behind the 8-ball a bit. What was supposed to be a fort building end-game and devolved into a spastic build-off to see who can construct the tallest tower. In more ways than one, it’s lonely at the top.
Fortnite players were treated to a spectacular series of events this past Saturday when the sky over the Battle Royale map literally split in half.
At 1:30 PM ET, a missile launched from the silo near Snobby Shores before seemingly disappearing into a portal, splitting in half, and exploding in awe-inspiring fashion. The detonation left a massive, glowing rift spider-webbing across the sky above the Battle Royale map.
The event was a sight to behold, but unfortunately, if you weren’t in the game at 1:30 ET on Saturday, you’re out of luck. The launch was Fortnite’s first real-time event, meaning that it only happens once.
So, what exactly did you miss if you weren’t in-game for the launch? Though the above video gives a pretty good view of what happened, things start to get a little muddled after the first few seconds. At first, the rocket slowly climbs skyward, then a secondary booster ignites, propelling the rocket off on an angle at a much faster speed. The missile then seems to enter orbit. For a few seconds, a mysterious voice echoes across the map. It seems to be setting a series of coordinates.
Then, all at once, the warhead begins its descent, with a series of laser guidance systems sending it straight for Tilted Towers. Just when it seems like the city is about to be obliterated, a blue glowing portal opens and the rocket simply disappears. Seconds later, another portal opens on the other side of the map. The missile ricochets back and forth between these rifts before finally detonating midair with an epic, ear-shattering boom, leaving the final giant rift that continues to loom over the map.
So… what the heck happened? And what does it mean for Season 5? It seems likely that the missile launch silo was part of Season 4’s superheroes and supervillains theme. If true, we can conclude that the supervillains were going to use the missile to destroy the city of Tilted Towers as part of their evil plan. However, at the last minute, it seems that someone – or something – intervened, causing the missile the ricochet off course.
Whether the rift was opened by the missile’s detonation or by some other force remains to be seen. However, it seems likely that whatever the cause, these portals will be playing a key role in Season 5. A few perceptive Reddit users have also caught onto the fact that the portal seems to be getting larger. Smaller rifts have also been appearing and disappearing all across the map, such as this one at Lonely Lodge.
— Fortnite News • FortniteINTEL.com (@FortniteBR) June 30, 2018
This all begs the question: what is on the other side of these mysterious rifts? We know from what happened to the rocket that these portals seem to lead to some kind of alternate dimension, but what if the rifts are actually portals through time? A few Fortnite data miners have discovered some interesting new assets in the game files:
* LEAK * The Time Travelers will bring us back in time! I present to you "WILD WEST" (I can't show every item since there is more than 200) pic.twitter.com/LoCsZXAzpV
— Cross – Fortnite Leaks ボ (@GameCentral_FBR) June 28, 2018
All of these props seem to point to some kind of Wild West setting. New film noir-style Detective skins have also recently been added to the game. Perhaps this is another hint that these portals have some kind of time-traveling abilities.
With almost a week to go until Season 5, we won’t have long to wait before we find out what exactly these mysterious portals have in store.
Playing Fortnite with friends takes the experience from great to fantastic. There’s something special about finding, communicating, and connecting with old friends in a challenging and fun environment, or discovering new allies on Fortnite’s ever-changing battlefield.
Still, with Epic games’s cross-platform play, figuring out how to connect with other people can become difficult. Especially if you’re new to the system.
We have a few suggestions on how to connect with teammates and work through bugs, to make your experience as smooth as possible.
Connecting with Friends
Although consoles like the Xbox One allow players to meet friends through their own system, the best way to find other Fortnite enthusiasts comes from Epic Games itself.
Open Fortnite on your device (if you’ve just begun playing, you’ll need to create an Epic games account to log in). At the top right of the screen, there should be a small “person” icon:
(The number indicates how many friends are online. In this case, one.)
Click on the icon, which will open a new panel with three sections:
(The “world” on the left indicates you are online, and shows which friends are as well. The “settings” tab on the right allows you to change attributes specifically focused on co-op play. We’ll reference settings again in the troubleshooting section.)
Click the middle “Add Friends” icon. The following screen will appear:
Here, you can connect to other Epic Games accounts in four different ways:
A username search. Know your friend’s username? Enter it in this bar, search, and you’ll be able to send them a request in no time.
Account connections. Are your friends on Facebook or Steam? This option allows you to log in and connect through those sites.
Recent players. Find those you’ve already fought alongside and invite them to be your friend. This becomes especially helpful after playing a squad match with folks you’d like to meet again.
Requests received. When others send you a request, it’ll end up here if you miss the initial notification.
Once your Epic accounts are linked, bringing everyone together becomes as simple as selecting their username in the friends list and clicking either “invite to party” or “join party”.
Keep in mind, you may do this from ANY DEVICE, with one notable exception: PS4 players cannot join up with any other console. Will PC and Mobile work with PS4? Yes. Will Xbox or Nintendo Switch’s connect? No. Your friends may appear online, but joining their party will not work.
None of your friends play Fortnite? Looking to meet interesting people? There’s a secret: the best way to meet new players is by playing!
Join any game that’s no Solos: Duos, Squads, 50v50, whatever. The game will ask you to choose “Fill” or “No Fill”. Choose “Fill”: this populates your team with three random players.
Once you’re in the game, you can decide whether or not to play with those teammates again. What you want in a teammate is up to you, but consider asking these questions: do they land with the team? Do they share loot, heals, and building material? Did Han Solo shoot first? Do they have a headset? Are they fun to talk to? Finally, most important of all, do they dance?
If you decide to play with any members of your team again, go back to the “Add Friend” tab, and select “Recent Players”. If you ever want to remove a friend, it’s as easy as selecting their profile and clicking “Remove Friend”.
Where to find all the vending machines in Fortnite
Connection issues can happen for a number of reasons. We’ll discuss two broad areas: joining other players in a party and engaging in voice chat.
If you or someone else is having trouble joining the party:
What devices are in use? Remember, PS4 players are not allowed to join squads with other consoles and vice versa.
Is cross-device play allowed? Go into your “settings” tab and check that this is allowed on both devices.
Are they actually online? If not, no worries, it’s an easy mistake to make.
If someone is having problems joining the voice chat:
Are they already talking to someone else? Xbox and other consoles have party systems in place for users of the same type of device. Being connected in this fashion could be blocking the Epic Games chat.
What chat settings are in effect? Go to the party settings and the audio settings to make sure everything is in order.
Are other people muted? Muting in Fortnite can easily happen by accident: hitting the menu button and selecting a player’s banner will mute them. Select their banner once more to unmute.
Have fun joining the community, we hope these suggestions improve your experience!
Whether it’s your first time playing Fortnite or you’re simply looking for a few pointers to finally get to the top of the leaderboard, this article will outline five easy tips to help you snag the elusive Victory Royale.
Even if you’ve never played a video game in your life, you’ve probably heard of Fortnite. The smash hit from Epic Games is known for its Battle Royale mode, a game that drops 100 players into a massive map to fight to the death. The last player standing wins, and there are no respawns and no second chances.
These odds may seem impossible, especially for new gamers or those unfamiliar with Battle Royale games. Whether it’s your first time playing Fortnite or you’re simply looking for a few pointers to finally get to the top of the leaderboard, this article will outline five easy tips to help you snag the elusive Victory Royale.
1. Plan Your Drop
Every round of Battle Royale begins with all 100 players crammed into the Battle Bus. After a timer counts down, players can choose when and where to drop into the map, either skydiving or using a glider to control their descent. Though it may be tempting to drop into one of the many towns or settlements on Fortnite’s map, most other players will have the same idea. Though more developed areas contain more supplies, this means that they are a magnet for enemies, and should be avoided until you are properly equipped. Dropping into an isolated patch of wilderness and then searching for chests or exploring through areas after the first few chaotic minutes of a round is a smart way to stay alive.
2. Be a Better Builder
New players may be tempted to think of Fortnite as a shooter, but mastering the game’s building mechanic is an essential part of climbing to the top of the leaderboard. The general rule of thumb in Fortnite is to build first and shoot second. This means spending time stockpiling supplies, learning building controls, and being ready to throw up a quick defensive wall should the bullets start flying. You can check out this article for more in-depth and detailed strategies to help you become a master builder.
3. Use Your Inventory Wisely
Inventory space in Fortnite is limited, and with so many different items it can be difficult to decide what to keep and what to discard. So, what should you have in your five inventory slots? The first three slots should be reserved for weapons. Usually, this means an assault rifle, a shotgun, and either an explosive weapon or sniper rifle, depending on your play style. Which weapons should you pick? Check out this article for the best three weapons that will give you the best bang for your buck (pardon the pun). The final two slots should be reserved for shields and healing items, should you find yourself in a sticky situation. It pays to keep your inventory well rounded, rather than hoarding more weapons or more healing items. Having a balance of both means you’ll be prepared for whatever a battle might throw at you.
4. Keep Moving
Staying alive means staying on the move. The quickest way to die is standing out in the open with no cover. From the second the game starts, the storm begins closing in. What is the storm, you might ask? It’s essentially a wall of death that shrinks the map, forcing players into combat. This means hunkering down and waiting for other players to kill each other isn’t a viable strategy. Sure, you can do it for a while, but eventually, you’ll have to move. When you do, make sure your shields are full, and make sure you keep an eye on the storm timers andmini map. These will keep you updated as to how long you have left until the storm closes in, and where the new safe area is.
5. Pick Your Battles
Though it may be tempting, you don’t have to fight every player you see. For example, if you see a player running along a hillside in the distance, taking potshots at them with a shotgun might not be the smartest idea. Sometimes avoiding a fight can be a better option than picking one. If you’ve got the drop on another player, think strategically. Before starting a fight, ask yourself if what advantages you might have. Do you have the high ground? Better weapons? Better cover? If the answer to these questions is yes, then start shooting. If you aren’t feeling confident, then avoid the encounter if you can and live to fight another day.
Though all this information may seem a little overwhelming for first timers, fear not. Fortnite is incredibly fun once you get the hang of it, and with these tips, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your very first Victory Royale.
One of the keys to creating quick builds like this is having a good pool of supplies on hand. Your pickaxe is your best friend. The second you land, in addition to looking for chests and weapons, your first order of business should be to equip your pickaxe and start breaking down anything in arm’s reach. The last thing you want is to be caught in the middle of a battle with no supplies to create defenses.
If you’re coming over from first-person shooters like Call of Duty or Battlefield, it may be tempting to play Fortnite as just another shooter. It’s certainly possible to achieve Victory Royale by blasting your way to the top, but skilled Fortnite players know that mastering the game’s building mechanic is the key to getting consistent wins.
The first and most important strategy is to know and master your building controls. PC players do have a slight leg up here; having the keyboard allows players to bind each individual structure to a specific key. This allows for quick, rapid-fire building. On console, switching to and learning the Builder Pro control scheme early is a must. Similar to PC, this binds each type of construction to a specific button press, allowing for building on the fly.
So, why is fast building so important? When you run into another player and the bullets start flying, your first instinct might be to start shooting back. Returning fire might seem like a no-brainer, but if you train yourself to build first and shoot later, you’ll be cultivating a habit that will get you much further in the game than relying on firepower alone. Throwing up a quick wall when the bullets start flying puts an extra layer of defense between you and your enemies, allowing you time to regroup and equip your best weapons for a counterattack, or giving you the opportunity to flee to safety if needed.
You can even take this strategy one step further by throwing up a ramp on top of the wall that you just built. Like Obi-Wan Kenobi, using ramps this way will give you the high ground, allowing you to fire down on your enemies before retreating back behind the defenses of your wall.
One of the keys to creating quick builds like this is having a good pool of supplies on hand. Your pickaxe is your best friend. The second you land, in addition to looking for chests and weapons, your first order of business should be to equip your pickaxe and start breaking down anything in arm’s reach. The last thing you want is to be caught in the middle of a battle with no supplies to create defenses.
Building supplies themselves also have their own advantages and disadvantages. Wood is weaker than other materials like metal, but allows for faster building. When it comes to those unexpected encounters where fast building is the difference between life and death, wood is the material you want on hand to throw up those quick defensive walls. Steel and brick can take more hits than wood, but they’re slower to build. Though they are useful for a wall in a pinch, they really excel when it comes to building forts.
Forts will start to spring up late in the game, when the storm closes in and the field has been narrowed down to a handful of players. It might be tempting to build your defenses early in the game and hunker down to wait out the battle, but unless you get lucky, chances are you’ll be pouring time and materials into a bunker that you’ll have to abandon as the map gets smaller. You may have the best fort in the game, but it isn’t going to be of any use on the other side of the storm wall. A more prudent strategy is to stockpile materials and wait until the map closes in before starting to do any serious building.
When that time comes, good defenses are key to making it through the last chaotic moments of a battle. In those final moments, building a fort can prevent enemies from sneaking up behind you and allow you to attack enemies from the safety of your own defenses. This is when you want to start building metal or brick walls, traps, and ramps to create your last line of defense. As stated before, making sure you stockpile enough materials throughout the game is essential to making sure you aren’t caught without supplies in this essential stage. Good fortifications at the end of the game can mean the difference between Victory Royale and a frustrating third place finish.
Someone once said that the best defense is a good offense, but in Fortnite, the opposite tends to be true. Players who learn the art of defensive building and master the techniques outlined above will also become masters of the battlefield.
If you ever hope to achieve that elusive Victory Royale in Fortnite, simply running and hiding isn’t going to cut it. Sooner or later, when that storm wall closes in, you’re going to end up fighting someone. When that happens, you want to make sure you have the right tools for the job, and that means grabbing some guns. However, inventory space is limited, and the arsenal of weapons in Fortnite can make choosing what weapons to keep and what to leave behind seem daunting. Fret not; we’ve put together a list of the top three best weapons to have on hand so you can be confident when the bullets start flying.
Yes, that’s right. Not the SCAR, the normal, average Assault Rifle. So, why the humble assault rifle and not the venerable SCAR? The SCAR is good, yes, but also hard to find. Unless you’re doing some serious chest hunting or happen to stumble upon one on the body of a dead enemy, you’re far more likely to come across the Assault Rifle. Mastering this classic will put you at a clear advantage over those who bank on the SCAR’s superior stats to win. The Assault Rifle combines fully automatic fire with solid damage and accuracy. In a tight spot, you can hold down the trigger and loose a spray of bullets at your enemies, or take advantage of the gun’s accuracy to pick off enemies at range. The Assault Rifle is a solid all-around choice to keep on hand for a variety of combat scenarios, and should be a cornerstone of every player’s arsenal.
2. Tactical Shotgun
When things get up close and personal, nothing beats a shotgun, and when it comes to shotguns, the Tactical Shotgun reigns supreme. The debate surrounding Fortnite’s shotguns is contentious. The Pump Shotgun certainly has its own strengths, such as high damage and a longer range. However, when you have a split second to react after you turn the corner and run smack into an enemy, the Tactical Shotgun has a clear advantage. Range may be a good thing in some situations, but most scenarios which call for breaking out a shotgun will be in close quarters. The Tactical Shotgun’s high rate of fire allows for quick follow-up shots that will give you an edge in cramped spaces. A rapid fire barrage from the Tactical Shotgun at close range will cut through shields and drop an opponent in seconds.
3. Grenade Launcher
Though it does come with something of a learning curve, the Grenade Launcher offers clear advantages for those who can master this explosive addition to their arsenal. Rather than detonating on contact, grenades fired from this weapon will bounce off surfaces before detonating. Though this may seem like a drawback, a skilled player can use this feature to their advantage. Bouncing a grenade into an opponent’s fort can be the perfect way to deal with those pesky, dug-in players. Unlike its rival, the Rocket Launcher, the Grenade Launcher also offers a six-round magazine. Rather than having to worry about one carefully placed shot, you can inundate your enemy with grenades and watch the fireworks. Players that take the time to master this weapon’s quirks will find themselves with an indispensable addition to their arsenal.
Between gathering supplies, keeping an eye out for enemies, and staying ahead of the storm, the battlefield of Fortnite can be a chaotic place. Mastering the weapons on this list means you’ll have one less thing to worry about, and will make achieving your next Victory Royale that much easier.
When a game suffers fumble after fumble, it’s easy to overlook any good qualities that may have graced it. Two Worlds II is one such game, and it’s a real shame. While its prequel is the butt of many a joke (namely for its game-breaking bugs, lackluster plot, shoddy voicework, and uninspired quests), Two Worlds II, while leaps and bounds more sophisticated a title, sadly did not fare much better under the public’s scrutiny.
This is such an unfortunate outcome because, while there are certainly flaws to this game, there’s also kernels of something really special if you sift through it with a wide enough net.
For every success, there’s a failure immediately following. The most obvious example of this is the game’s overall aesthetic. Character models are surprisingly polished for a game that came out in 2011 (the same year as Bethesda’s similarly-themed Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim), and in some ways perhaps are even better looking. Environment art and lighting are gorgeous, ranging from the wilds of the Savannah to islands, to bustling cities, to the nightmarish Swallows of act two. It all looks great until you start trying to make your way through it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pSJoriX6ZU
To call the animations ‘clunky’ would be charitable. Sprinting is difficult to control and looks awkward, melee swings are jittery and unwieldy, and archery seems to lack any real punch on impact. On top of all that, the rendering of it all is slow, especially with a character’s hair and armor. For all the immersion that comes with a game that looks this good, poor rendering will pull the player right back out again.
The few people who did like the original Two Worlds are quick to point out the game’s outstanding sense of wanderlust. While there was a (loosely) story-driven narrative, the distance spanning from plot point to plot point was immense and rife with powerful enemies. Players relied on the sparse and expensive teleport platforms to travel distances quickly, or maybe stumble upon the rare horse if they were lucky. The result was that going from point A to point B really wasn’t an option, and it all created a very special sense of long trekking and exploring every bend and gully.
Needless to say, these fans who did move to Two Worlds II were sorely disappointed to find that the wanderlust element was far reduced. Not to say that the game is a corridor – far from it – but there are definitely distinct areas that you won’t be able to reach until certain plot points are fulfilled. The map doesn’t make that very intuitive, either, crammed with markers and quests that are difficult to navigate or distinguish between.
Plot
The plot of Two Worlds II starts off strong, with a good old-fashioned prison break. The player character is rescued with little explanation by a team of orcs. The abundance of dialogue in the prologue is deceptive, misleading us into believing we are in for a game with rich recurring characters or perhaps even NPC followers. The prologue alone introduces a rogue, a mage, a ranger, a blacksmith, a fighter, and a prophet – all of whom feel like they’d be tied pretty tightly to the story. This is not the case.
After the prologue is complete, there’s hardly any reason to speak with these characters again, which is sad since they were well-written and well voice-acted. It’s almost like the lead writer finished the first act and then wiped his hands of it and handed it off to someone with a vastly different idea. On top of all that, the story is based around you saving your sister, Kyra, even though the entirety of the first game revolved around the same thing. But maybe that isn’t fair to complain about, judging by popularity of rescue-the-princess titles like Legend of Zelda or Mario …
So for all of these complaints, what are this game’s uniquely good qualities?
Why play solo when you can be a fellowship?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JQWT6OWHzc
While not the only game of this niche to attempt multiplayer, this one does a surprisingly good job of it. There’s a PvP mode, a village building simulator, a Crystal Capture game, and best of all a team-oriented dungeon crawl called Adventure Mode. Here up to eight players can work together fighting through seven different (albeit linear) maps. When you have a handful of low-level players all spelunking through the same cave, you’re in for a good time. Because the game features such a variety of builds, it can actually be quite conducive to strong teamwork and strategy. Mages can buff other players, turning the party invisible with an AoE spell, or even resurrecting players that die nearby. Rogues can use distraction arrows or ice arrows to thin the herd. Warriors can use powerful flurries and counterattacks to make short work of even the mightiest of monsters. If you let yourself get immersed in the team roleplay, the game will make it worth your while.
Spells are only limited by your imagination … and your character’s wallet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibn5-tnw0Vs
Perhaps the greatest feature of this game, the magic system is where Two Worlds II really shines. While most games will let you spend perks to unlock new spells and powers, this game takes a different approach. Rather than give players the recipe for each spell, Two Worlds II instead merely gives the players the ingredients. Spells are divided into water, air, fire, earth, and necromancy, then further subdivided (ie fire yields fire, power, and force). A carrier is then added to your spell to determine how it manifests, be it a missile, a summon, monolith or trap. Lastly, you can tag on a modifier to include things like homing, ricochet, spray, damage over time, or protection. In this game, if you can think it, you can probably craft a spell to do it. Magic serves as your back door to solving really every puzzle, provided you’re talented and creative enough to make the spell, and that’s a really cool feeling. Magic that is used to wipe out hordes of zombies and rain meteors can just as easily be used to open locks, walk on water, or levitate. If you want to see just how crazy this can get, check out these videos:
Invest in any skills you want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oqdeEwPxIQ
When you level up in Two Worlds II, you are never constrained to any one avenue of gameplay. Players who’ve been allocating perks for warrior can just as easily start spending those points on magic or ranger abilities if they want to branch out. While this isn’t a wholly unique concept (you can just as easily find this is a game like Skyrim or Path of Exile, or even the first Two Worlds), we were grateful that it was included here as well. For a hefty price, Soulpatchers can also allow you to redistribute your skills if you decide you made a mistake. The end result is that there’s plenty of room for error, or on the flip side you may intentionally put those points into mage skills once you’ve collected enough cards to make it worth the shift. It’s up to player choice, and that’s always a good thing.
You can be a bard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGvuOBo5rQU
Anybody who has played Witcher 3 can tell you how addicting a good mini-game can be. There’s a reason Gwent became a standalone game! Two Worlds II has a dice high-low simulator, a dice-based poker game, a clever pickpocketing mechanic, and – best of all – a full-fledged busking system. Players who find a flute or a harp can take advantage of a mini-game reminiscent of Guitar Hero. Get good enough at it, find yourself a busy throng of people in a marketplace, and suddenly you’re earning auras (the game’s currency) enough to purchase that heavy plate mail you had your eye on. You can collect or purchase new music for different instruments, and – surprise of all surprises – if you and another player in multiplayer time it just right you can actually play the full song!
In the end, Two Worlds II is undeniably a flawed game. It pushed the envelope in many avenues where the first game laughably failed, but still doesn’t really compare with the wildly successful Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, or Witcher. But that’s the beauty here – it isn’t those games. Two Worlds II succeeds in other areas, and frankly, we wonder what a game like Skyrim would be like if it did try to emulate the magic system of Two Worlds II, or what Witcher would be like if it incorporated a pickpocketing mechanic. If you’re willing to look past the game’s faults, you might be surprised to find you wish more fantasy RPGs did share these elements from Two Worlds II.
https://guides.gamepressure.com/twoworldsii/
We’re looking forward to Two Worlds III, and hope that they can get the core mechanics ironed out enough that all the uniquely special aspects that this franchise possesses can really shine through next round.
After a series of cryptic hints and teasers, Overwatch has finally revealed the identity of the game’s newest playable hero. Hammond, also known as Wrecking Ball, is the 28th hero added to the game, and he’s a hamster. Yes, that’s right, a hamster.
In a short reveal clip and origin story video released on June 28th, Hammond literally rolls into the game in a giant, gun-toting mech reminiscent of a hamster ball. So, what else do we know about this mysterious but well-armed rodent?
We know that Hammond was a test subject at the Horizon Lunar Colony, the same scientific program that endowed Winston with his advanced intelligence. However, the experiment came to an end when the intelligent gorillas rebelled, killing the scientists in charge. Winston and another test subject, presumably Hammond, escaped to Earth. Hammond’s role in the uprising remains unclear. Up to this point, no indication was given that Horizon used anything but gorillas as subjects, leading many to conclude that Hammond would be a gorilla, like Winston.
Hammond’s origin story trailer reveals that he built the mech suit, which he used to escape the Lunar Colony uprising. He crash-landed in Junkertown in the Australian Outback, where it seems that he used his mech suit to fight in arena battles of some kind. This led him to fame and fortune, and is also how he acquired the “Wrecking Ball” nickname.
In this developer update video, Game Director Jeff Kaplan reveals more details about Hammond’s class and play style.
Hammond is a Tank, with his most notable ability being the ball mode showcased in the trailer. A grappling hook will allow him to swing around the map rapidly and slam down onto enemies from above. Like other tanks, Wrecking Ball has a unique shield ability that increases according to the number of enemies surrounding him, encouraging players to charge into clustered enemies and play more offensively. Finally, his ultimate is a barrage of mines that can be launched in a surrounding area, with predictably explosive results.
All these details indicate a new Tank aimed at more aggressive players, and Wrecking Ball’s inclusion in the Overwatch roster should lead to some interesting changes to how the game is played.
Since Todd Howard’s big announcement at this year’s E3, Bethesda fans have been buzzing about the official announcement of an Elder Scrolls 6. The nature of Bethesda Softworks (and really any triple-A game company) is to be very hush-hush. As such, the information available to the general public about Elder Scrolls 6 is scant, consisting largely of guesswork and speculation. So we’ll give you the facts first, then dive into the most popular theories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_yG2hBZMl0
So exactly how much do we know for certain? At this juncture, not a whole lot. In 2016, Bethesda outright claimed that they were not even working on the game. That much has been the company’s stance on the subject the past few years. “I could sit here and explain the game to you,” said Howard in a 2016 interview, “and you would say, ‘That sounds like you don’t even have the technology — how long is that going to take?’ And so it’s something that’s going to take a lot of time, what we have in mind for that game.”
At E3, Todd Howard explained that both of their newest projects, Fallout 76 and Starfield, were currently playable, while the new Elder Scrolls game was still in pre-production. Considering that Fallout 76 is scheduled to be released November 2018 and that Starfield’s release date has not yet been announced, we’re likely not going to be getting Elder Scrolls 6 until late 2019 at the very earliest. We’re disappointed, too.
While Bethesda continues to remain tight-lipped regarding where the game will take place, excited fans have already begun voraciously dissecting all they can from the announcement trailer. While nothing has been confirmed, there are several clues we can glean here.
First and foremost, the broad sweeping landscape shots pretty much confirm the expectation that this title will be another sprawling open world sandbox of a game, the genre that Bethesda Softworks is known for, particularly when it comes to the Elder Scrolls. The topography of the trailer has also lent some insight as to where the next installment might take place: The more stalwart fans excitedly point out the coastline in the distance and the crater that may be Azura’s Crossing, both of which hint that we may be in the High Rock or Hammerfell regions.
As little as is known about the game’s location, less still is known about the story, core gameplay or the RPG elements, but given how little time has passed since E3, we can only anticipate that more information will be made public as the year goes on and Bethesda draws closer to their release for the new Fallout and Starfield.
Considering Todd Howard’s deep appreciation for the growing community of actively modding fans, as well as the deliberate inclusion of modded content readily accessible for Skyrim: Special Edition on both the PC and Xbox 1, it seems safe to say that the game will certainly see plenty of modded content. Bethesda has even said the yet-to-be-released Fallout 76 will be moddable as well.
We, for one, are looking forward to a great many playthroughs of Elder Scrolls 6 with or without the addition of community mods (but mostly with them)!
Steam summer sale 2018: Our top 10 picks for under $10
If you’re looking for a fun, comedic multiplayer experience with a huge amount of gameplay variation and creative spell combinations, this is the game for you. Less than three dollars, now is a great time to give this game a chance. Since it was released back in 2011, there’s a ton of content and reviews readily available online if you want to check it out beforehand.
Immensely popular and extremely addicting, see what the hype is all about! Easy to pick up yet difficult to master, join up with a group of friends either online or via splitscreen and try your hand at this fast and furious propane-fueled take on soccer.
Practically every title in this franchise is on sale right now for under ten dollars. For veterans, this is a great time to snag any titles in this series that you haven’t gotten the chance to experience yet. For novices, there’s no time like the present to grab one or two of these games to see if it’s your cup of tea.
If you’re a fan of the Tomb Raider license (or even if you’re not), for under three dollars, this is an unforgettable experience. Play as Lara Croft as she goes on her first adventure to a mysterious island rife with danger and intrigue. Released in 2013, this game holds up surprisingly well in the gameplay and graphics departments, and features a great mix of combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving.
While EA’s Battlefront 2 had an infamously mixed response, the original Battlefront 2 from 2005 remains a gem of a shooter game. We should know. We’ve sunk well over 300 hours into this game. With its online capability recently restored, highly intuitive gameplay, multiple game modes, and full campaign, it’s a fantastic $4 investment. Did we mention it has mod support too?
With last year’s release of Shadow of War, anybody looking to get their feet wet before grabbing the game might consider buying Shadow of Mordor first. Though Shadow of War boasts many notable improvements to the formula, Shadow of Mordor introduces the nemesis system and open world gameplay that its sequel improves upon. For the price, this sale is a very economical way to test the waters of this popular series.
With Netherrealm and WB Games releasing their most recent additions to its Injustice 2 roster a few months back, players who are unfamiliar with the series might consider grabbing the prequel while it’s on sale. For less than the cost of lunch at McDonald’s, the Ultimate Edition of Injustice is a highly replayable game featuring a solid story, a large number of playable characters, and all the DLC costumes and characters. A must-have for any fan of Mortal Kombat and/or the DC universe.
Sid Meier’s Civ series is known for two things: addicting “one more turn” gameplay, and long matches. Those two elements combine to make Civ 5 one of the most engaging and in-depth real-time strategy games on the market, and it’s a title we keep coming back to when we want to really sink our teeth into a game. While the most recent Civ 6 is not priced quite so low yet, for under $8, Civ 5 should sate you and then some if you’re on a budget.
If you’re looking for hours of an excellent narrative story, solid stealth gameplay, tactical espionage, and player freedom that’s through the roof, it’s all here for less than ten dollars. Even if you are unfamiliar with the Metal Gear license, Hideo Kojima’s farewell to the franchise features some of his best work to date. Grab it now while it’s on sale!
It’s summer of 2018 and none of these games are fresh out of the oven by this point. But we can’t overstate the replayability or the charm of ANY title in this bundle. Featuring some of Valve’s best work, grabbing this while it’s a mere $2 is a STEAL, particularly if you haven’t experienced Portal’s excellent puzzles or Half-life’s superb level design and story-telling. Even if you have played them before, the Team Fortress 2 community is still going quite strong, and we guarantee hours of highly entertaining online competitive play. Just boot it up. We promise you’ll have fun.
