Month: November 2019

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Win A Limited Edition Death Stranding PS4 Pro*

Calling all Death Stranding fans! This is your chance to take home a free PlayStation 4 Pro and set out on an adventure to put America back together again.

Hideo Kojima’s latest game launched on November 8 and we have a full Death Stranding review. We’ve also got very handy guides to help you throughout your adventure, which you can check out in our in-depth complete Death Stranding coverage hub.

The grand prize package includes a custom 1TB PS4 Pro system and a custom DualShock wireless controller inspired by the game, as well as a copy of the Death Stranding on Blu-ray disc. But that’s not all, we’ll also award a first prize winner a Death Stranding collector’s edition bundle that comes with the full game, a steelbook case, a full-sized BB pod statue, a Ludens keychain, and a Bridges cargo case.

To enter the giveaway read the official rules found in the form below, accept the terms and conditions, and then proceed to fill out the form. You also have the option of increasing your chances of winning by doing extra actions like following us across social media.

Remember to check your email and junk mail on November 21 because we will be emailing the winners after 12 pm PT. Head over to the comment section and tell us what was the first thing that got you excited about Death Stranding. Good luck, everyone!

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Diablo 3 Patch Starts Season 19, Adds New Sets

Diablo IV might have been announced at BlizzCon 2019, but Blizzard is far from done with Diablo III. Seven and a half years after release, the latest patch for Diablo III has launched season 19, which will give returning players a new way to play. Major changes have also come in this update for the Crusader and Monk classes, as new class sets are now available for the game’s two holiest classes. These changes, which we’ve got the patch notes for, have arrived on the PC, Switch, PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game.

The notes for Patch 2.6.7. explain the new season in full. As they point out, Season 18‘s buff displeased some players, as the Triune bonus didn’t stick with their adventuring characters. Blizzard is doing things a little differently for the 19th season with the new Pandemonium buff, which introduces “new mechanics to add an element of both chaos and power to the battlefield”. This buff focuses on kill streaks, giving you different rewards as your consecutive kill count rises higher and higher.

Here are the notes for Pandemonium:

  • For the duration of the Season, all players will have a stacking buff that that persists as long as you have hit or killed a monster within the last 5 seconds
  • Each stack gives .005 movement speed and .001% bonus damage. This bonus caps at 50% movement and 100% damage (1000 stacks)
  • In addition, after reaching a certain number of kills in a row, a power is unleashed, dealing an amount of scaling damage based on player level and difficulty or Greater Rift level:
    • 15 Kills: Exploding Chickens seek and destroy
    • 30 Kills: A wide Frost Nova freezes enemies
    • 50 Kills: Corpses rain from the sky
    • 100 Kills: Five massive energy twisters are unleashed
    • 150 Kills: Dark Geysers form beneath enemies
    • 200 Kills: Treasure chests fall from the sky
    • 300 Kills: A ring of fire engulfs everything
    • 400 Kills: Meteors hail from above
    • 500 Kills: Angels descend upon the battlefield to fight for your cause (Angels should no longer one-shot Rift Guardians).
    • 1000 Kills: ?????

Because powers are being tracked at a group level, only one can be active at a time, regardless of how many players you’re rolling with, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens when a player manages to stack 1000 kills. Two new rewards are available to players who complete the season, too: the Valor Portrait Frame and the Angelic Treasure Goblin pet.

This patch also sees some new class sets roll out for the Crusader and Monk, including some new and returning Legendary powers. The new Crusader set, Aegis of Valor, brings in Heaven’s Fury as the development team believes that it “matches the theme and adds more gameplay complexity.” Here are the notes for the Crusader set:

  • 2-Piece Bonus: Attacking with Fist of the Heavens empowers you, allowing Heaven’s Fury to deal 100% increased damage for 5 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times (multiplicative).
  • 4-Piece Bonus: Hitting with Fist of the Heavens generates 5 Wrath and reduces damage taken by 1% for 5 seconds. Stacks up to 50 times
  • 6-Piece Bonus: Increase the damage of Fist of the Heavens and Heaven’s Fury by 20,000%

The new Monk Set, Patterns of Justice, seeks to incorporate extra damage reduction and better integration of the Temple Rush skill.

  • 2-Piece Bonus: Sweeping Wind gains the effect of every rune and movement speed is increased by 5% for each stack of Sweeping Wind.
  • 4-Piece Bonus: Attacking with Tempest Rush reduces your damage taken by 50% and increases Spirit Regeneration by 50.
  • 6-Piece Bonus: Hitting with Tempest Rush while Sweeping Wind is active will temporarily increase the size of Sweeping Wind after hitting over 30 times within a short period. Sweeping Wind damage is increased by 15,000%

Further changes and bug fixes have been made in this patch, and they’re detailed in the full notes. It’s been promised that the other classes will receive similar treatment in future updates, with new sets being planned for all of them. Blizzard has also promised more themed seasons in the game’s future, and Diablo IV is still a long way away, so expect plenty more seasons and updates for Diablo III.

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Xbox Live Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale For November 12-18–Here Are This Week’s Bargains

This week’s Xbox Live Deals with Gold and Spotlight Sale discounts are now live for Xbox One and Xbox 360, serving up plenty of savings on digital titles. The Xbox One list contains a lot of indies this week, with the big headliner being Cities: Skylines, which is currently discounted by 75%. There are certainly some other interesting titles in here though, including The Count Lucanor and Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles.

The list of discounted Xbox 360 titles is shorter, but no less interesting. Curio RPG Resonance of Fate is half off, as are several Sonic the Hedgehog titles, just in time to celebrate the blue blur’s new movie trailer. If you want to finally pick up Sonic CD, now’s the time.

Prices will vary between regions, but below are the discounts and store links for this week’s titles.

Xbox One

Xbox 360

These deals will remain up until November 18, so you’ve got a week to take advantage. If you’re after more bargains, check out our Black Friday hub for all the best savings on games out there right now.

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Death Stranding Walkthrough: Episode 7 – Clifford

After the hard yards of Episode 6 in Death Stranding, Episode 7 brings another break of sorts. While it’s quite straightforward and exposition heavy (a trend that will continue), it does introduce a few new wrinkles that you might need to watch out for. That’s what this guide is for! If you’re not quite at Episode 7 yet, you might want to go back to one of our existing walkthroughs for a previous chapter:

SPOILER WARNING! We’re trying to make sure these walkthroughs are as spoiler-free as possible when it comes to the main story beats. However, if you’re looking at this guide and you’re not actually up to Episode 7 yet, then it goes without saying that you’re going to be at least a little bit spoiled scrolling through here. TURN AWAY NOW IF YOU’RE NOT UP TO EPISODE 4.

Now the thing to keep in mind is that a big part of Death Stranding is the flexibility of the environment and the creativity of how you want to forge a path forward. There are a whole heap of different ways to tackle each mission, and on top of that, the map you encounter might also be different to the one you see in this guide–that’s thanks to the multiplayer aspect of the game, where members of the community will clear different paths and place helpful structures in different ways depending on your personal game.

That said, this walkthrough will give you a good idea about what you need to do. It can offer one viable path to success if you’re at a bit of a loss, or if you just want some inspiration to get you started.

Before you start, definitely check out the broader tips in our Death Stranding guide hub to get your head around some must-have tips to always keep in mind, as well as get your head around what you can expect a little later down the line. Things will definitely get a little less tough over time with the right preparation!

Have a question or a great alternative route we didn’t think of? Leave a comment and we’ll do our best to address it!

Episode 7 – Fighting In The Streets

Whoa! At the end of the last episode, we were just about to meet up with Guillermo Del Toro at his cabin and have a nice night in together, and now we’re… here? What happened?

Well, no time to sit around and soak in the atmosphere, time to go to the sewers!

You’ll notice that all the cargo you were carrying will be scattered across the street ahead (and potentially behind you). Move briskly from cover to cover and grab your stuff.

If you still have access to the armor plates you got from the Photographer last episode, equip them. If you need to leave some stuff behind, choose stuff that isn’t useful for combat because, surprise, you’re in a warzone.

Episode 7 – Tanks For The Memories

The street will open up a larger avenue where you’ll see some tanks rolling by. Wait for them to pass before crossing the street and into the opening you see up ahead.

Episode 7 – Cover To Cover

The next significant street you have to make your way through has a gunner’s nest firing down on it. Make use of the cover and corners available to you, and wait for an opening to sprint down.

Episode 7 – Let’s Get Stinky

Once you’re past the previous street, you’ll end up in an open area with a canal running through it. On the far end, on the right hand side, you’ll see a set of stairs leading down to it.

The entrance to the sewer, where you need to be, is just on the opposite side of the canal (you can just see it in this screenshot in the top-left)

Episode 7 – Shine A Light

Once you’re down in the sewers, your odradek will turn into a spotlight. If you’re scared, don’t worry. Nothing is going to jump out at you during this section. Make your way through with confidence.

Episode 7 – Stock Up

Have you been noticing the blood bags and grenades strewn around down here? Make sure to pick them up! You’re going to need them soon.

The blood bag pictured in this screenshot is on a ledge, and just past that you’ll find a set of stairs that will lead straight to your next objective and a cutscene.

Episode 7 – Reunited At Last

Hey, look at that! You finally got BB back. What a happy and not at all bittersweet reunion.

Climb up the ladder to continue.

Episode 7 – Time To Go To Church

You’ll end up in an open church area, with a Level 2 Assault Rifle just up ahead. You know what that means?

Episode 7 – Soldiers From Hell

Heeeeell yeah it means you’re about to shoot the video game demon soldiers with flames coming out of their bodies!

There’s plenty of cover in this area, so crouch behind some sandbags, equip your assault rifle, and shoot these hell soldiers.

PSA: Make sure you switch your ammo type (Triangle button in the weapons menu or while aiming) so you’re not accidentally using hematic rounds. Hematic rounds will drain your blood, meaning you’ll have less health in reserve. Regular rounds are fine for this section.

Episode 7 – Don’t Make Me Do This, Mads!

Mads Mikkelsen will be amongst those soldiers, but he’s far more aggressive. So play it safe, stay behind cover so you can take a breather if you need to, and take him down (remember, the game will go into slow motion to confirm your kills)

At the end of this fight, you might notice that you’re running out of ammunition. Thankfully, there are additional guns and grenades strewn across the arena, and I definitely recommend you make it a priority to pick them up and make sure you always have a spare weapon on hand–punching these enemies isn’t exactly an effective tactic.

Follow your odradek in order to track down where your next fight will be. Mads will also leave red footprints, which can be tracked after an odradek scan.

Episode 7 – Mad Mikkelsen

Now, be aware that Mads has a couple of new tricks up his sleeve from the last time you saw him in Episode 7. He now has a kind of flame projectile he can send your way to damage you (pictured) and he can quickly create new soldiers to hassle you with if you leave him alone for long enough.

My strategy here was to keep moving, for one, and to try and close the distance quickly and take advantage of the shotgun’s fast firing rate and reload–he’ll stagger for half a second and it’s easy to keep him in this loop if your shots are mostly on-target.

Episode 7 – Grenade Me, Maybe

If you manage to track Mads’ footprints and have a good idea of where the next cluster of soldiers will be, using a grenade can make quick work of them.

You’ll need to take him and his soldiers down a total of three times, so make sure you’re stocking up on spare weapons and blood packs around the arena.

Episode 7 – Another Shower

Once you’re done taking care of Mads, you’ll be treated to a few cutscenes and find yourself back in the private room. Take a shower to continue. This game is all about showering now.

Leave your room when the game lets you stop showering.

Episode 7 – Time To Find The Heart

But wait! This episode isn’t over yet, we still have one more big mountain hike to do!

We’re going to visit our pal Heartman in the flesh, and guess where he lives? Oh, do you think it might be next to the ridiculously enormous lake shaped like a freaking heart just south of Mountain Knot City?

Yeah. Yeah, I think that’s right.

Episode 7 – Corpse Party Ain’t Over

Oh look, and Heartman wants you to deliver a corpse to him. That’s just swell.

Climbing up mountains with a corpse on your back will be extra troublesome because of their tendency to throw you off balance more easily, but thankfully, we still have that intricate system of zip lines we established all around the mountains from last episode to help us out. Right? Am I right?

Before you head out, make sure you’re wearing your all-terrain legs and power gloves. Stock up on Level 2 PCCs just in case you need to continue to expand the intricate series of zip lines you established in the last chapter.

If you don’t have many zip lines set up, and you’ll be climbing up in a more manual fashion, note that you’ll have to stash your climbing gear in a floating carrier–the corpse must be carried on your back.

Episode 7 – Zip Line Friends!

You can either head directly south of Mountain Knot City up the steep, snowy mountain to get a head start, or head over to the Doctor’s place for a roundabout, but more gradual route up (you’ll likey need to use quite a few ladders and climbing anchors to safely tackle the ups and downs.)

If you do take this slightly longer route, rest assured that once you hit the snow, it’s an easier (albeit steep) route.

OR you can be a cool person and ride that sweet zip line over to the Doctor’s place and up the mountain!

Episode 7 – Wheeeee!

Do you think the corpse is enjoying this rush as much as Norman Reedus is?

Episode 7 – Reedus Express, Coming Through!

Almost there!

Episode 7 – And Here We Are!

So easy, am I right? If you had to trek up here manually, good on you for making it! I hope you have learned the value of zip lines from seeing all the fun I am having in this walkthrough.

Marvel at Heartman’s architectural wonder of a mountain cabin, head up the stairs, turn in the corpse, and get comfy for some seriously long cutscenes.

That’s all for Episode 7! That was pretty short, wasn’t it? Our Episode 8 walkthrough will be coming in shortly, so stay tuned for that!

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Mario Kart Tour Microtransactions “Off To A Good Start,” Nintendo Says

Nintendo expects big things from the newly released mobile racing game, Mario Kart Tour. President Shuntaro Furukawa said in a recent earnings Q&A that the Japanese gaming giant expects the mobile game to have great results. It has big shoes to fill, as Super Mario Run has been downloaded more than 300 million times, but things are going well already.

Mario Kart Tour released at the end of September, and Furukawa said the game got off to a “very good start” compared to Nintendo’s previous mobile games. “Continuing on from Super Mario Run, which more than 300 million consumers are enjoying, I think we can expect remarkable results with Mario Kart Tour,” Furukawa said.

Despite the millions of downloads, Nintendo went on record to say that Super Mario Run was a disappointment as it relates to revenue. That game is free-to-start, and players need to spend $10 to unlock the full game.

That’s a different payment model than Mario Kart Tour, and the shift seems to be paying off. Mario Kart Tour is a free-to-play title supported by microtransactions. Furukawa said of the game’s profitability so far that “earnings are also off to a good start.”

The microtransactions in Mario Kart Tour come in the form of random items and the Gold Pass subscription package. “By including these mechanics and multiplayer functionality, we want to make it an attractive application that will be enjoyed by consumers in the long-term,” Furukawa said.

Also during the Q&A, Furukawa was asked if Nintendo would release Mario Kart Tour in China, but the executive declined to say. He said only, “I cannot say anything at this time about the mobile business in China.”

According to SensorTower, Mario Kart Tour had more than 120 million downloads in its first month, with players collectively spending more than $37 million.

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Overwatch Reveals Mercy’s Past In Valkyrie, A New Short Story–Here Are The Lore Highlights

A new official, canon Overwatch short story has been released. Valkyrie, written by the game’s senior lore and story designer Michael Chu, is a first-person story about Mercy coming to terms with the role she performed in the Overwatch organization after it has disbanded. The short story appears to be set shortly before the beginning of the game, and ties in to an in-game story event that can net you a new Mercy costume.

We’ve gone through the story and summed up the lore highlights from it below–stop now if you’d like to read it yourself without spoilers.

The story begins with Mercy remembering her parents, who were volunteering at a hospital in Switzerland during the Omnic Crisis, and were killed by an airstrike one day when she was still young. The story jumps forward to Mercy as an adult, working at an aid camp just outside Cairo. She’s been there for two years removed, having ended her tenure as head of medical research for Overwatch when the organization collapsed sometime earlier. Her reputation was in tatters when Overwatch was disbanded, and she headed to Egypt to help out because Overwatch was “responsible for much of the country’s suffering.”

The story then cuts to Mercy being reunited with Soldier 76 and Ana, who have tracked her down as 76 badly needs healing. Mercy and 76 have a heated discussion about the state of things–76 is out for revenge, especially against Reaper, and the two don’t see eye to eye.

The story flashes back to Mercy and 76’s first meeting, sparked by Mercy’s research into nanobiotic healing (which is, the story assures us, not related to nanobot technology). We’re given some insights into Mercy’s research background, and how she was brought on bought with the promise of letting her develop healing technologies for use off the battlefield–which is, of course, not exactly what happened.

Back in the present, the trio is jolted by an explosion at the nearby Anubis facility, and a reluctant Mercy straps into her Valkyrie suit alongside the other two to go help fend off Talon forces. In the heat of battle, Mercy finds Hanan, a young girl trapped by rubble, who recognizes her as Mercy when she uses her healing staff. She soon finds herself having to rescue Hanan’s brother, too, who is trapped in a collapsing building.

A mortar hits the building during the rescue attempt, and Mercy’s suit is badly damaged. She manages to save both children as the building collapses, getting trapped as the building collapses around her. But 76 comes back for her, and ultimately everyone survives. In the aftermath, 76 and Ana tell Mercy that they’re leaving to continue hunting Reaper, who was responsible for what happened that day. Mercy does not go with them, but as she continues her work, and as she reflects on saving the two children and how excited they were to meet Mercy, she starts to reassess the value of her work with Overwatch.

If you’re hungry for more Overwatch lore, the recently announced Overwatch 2 promises to deliver much more.

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American Horror Story: The Best of Frances Conroy

From Moira O’Hara to Myrtle Snow, Frances Conroy has been a staple on American Horror Story starring in seven seasons. Ryan spotlights her entire career on the show which includes Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Roanoke, Cult and Apocalypse.