In Affected Zone Tactics players step into the role of a hired mercenary tasked with searching out the Tesla Zone for a powerful resource, accessed through a teleporter this new world not found on any map has been a battleground between corporations, mercs, natural inhabitants and early settlers. Customize and equip your mercenary, fight in […]
Our selection of the best ten free to play action shooters of March 2016. Feel fre to share your thoughts with a comment below. Armored Warfare wins the top position with the release of the Replay feature, Warframe takes the second place and Robocraft reaches top 3 with the Maximum Loadout expansion. 10 – World […]
Wargaming is excited to announce that World of Tanks Blitz is getting set to mobilize on Mac platforms, joining a 40-million-strong army of tankers. Now, more players than ever before will be able to experience quick-fire, 7-vs-7 tank combat, making World of Tanks Blitz a true multiplatform title with cross-platform functionality. While World of Tanks […]
IDC/Games opened signup for the MMOG Action Shooter Metal Assault Open Beta. Metal Assault is already in Open Beta in other regions such as Japan, Thailand or the United States and is enjoying a great success. Metal Assault is an Anime-Style 2D Shooter in which players embody a R.O.C Operative that has a wide arsenal […]
People are keen on calling out Nintendo for anything they view as censorship when it comes to localization these days, but what about the games of old? Where is the outrage over what very well may be the first case of Nintendo denying fans what they seemingly all want, nipples?
In the original Donkey Kong, the leader of the bunch and title character has nipples. Big ol' gorilla nipples. Just look at them. Delicious. Lickable. Suckable even.
My initial reaction to Divide was, "All right! An isometric action-adventure sci-fi game!" Then I saw a flash of combat that looked like it was ripped straight out of a twin-stick shooter. "Ooooh."
Divide is in development at Exploding Tuba Studios for release this year on PlayStation 4 and PC.
According to game director and composer Chris Tilton (Fringe, Zoo, Assassin's Creed Unity) the main goal was to "tell a compelling story about an ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances," one with mega-corporations, conspiracies, propaganda, hacking, and robots.
It's essentially a "science fiction dungeon crawl" and, worth noting, gunplay is not required of the player. "Overrun areas can be cleared by blasting enemies with a powerful E-Laser (a high-tech standard sidearm), but they can also be circumvented with stealth and subterfuge."
I think this one has the potential to make a lot of people happy.
We're ready to do another podcast for ya'll today, but you know what would help out a bunch? S'more of them questions! We like 'em, love 'em, and want more of 'em. I have a question: why the fuck did I get a street cleaning parking ticket today? I mean, I know why, but it's bullshit. Please donate to my GoFundMe.
Midway through this new "Free Game Updates" trailer for Star Wars Battlefront, there is a snippet of Jabba the Hutt holding a weapon hologram and the text "Coming Soon: Hutt Contracts."
From the way it's presented here, it seems like this will be a way to unlock some new gear (bounties?), which could either be neat or fall completely flat depending on how much energy DICE is investing for folks without a season pass. I'll be keeping my expectations in check until we hear more.
Aside from the tease, this video also serves as a quick recap of the game's recent free content, some of which went live just this week: a fiery multiplayer map called Survivors of Endor and a wave-based survival mission named Rebel Depot. The former is worth logging in for (it's playable in the bigger modes like Supremacy and Walker Assault), but you can probably pass on the latter.
If they keep this up, Battlefront might be able to work its way back into my multiplayer rotation.
It's been a matter of weeks since Ninja Senki DX dropped and Tribute Games is already back with a teaser for its next project, Flinthook. It's unclear what type of game this is, exactly, but it has a grappling hook (always an attention-grabber) and what looks to be a pirate ship in space.
Given my fondness of the studio's recent output, I'm eager to see more.
The game was painstakingly unveiled piece by piece this week during a day-long Twitch stream. Even if you don't care to go through that experience, it's worth visiting the archive and skipping to the end to hear the sweet little jam on repeat. Through the magic of Chat Replay, I'm pretty sure I saw Capybara's Nathan Vella react to the reveal with a fitting "dope dope dope."
If all those clips online convinced you to give Rocket League a try, this week would be a good time to buy on PC, as the game and its DLC are in a big sale over at Green Man Gaming. In fact, everything is basically slightly more than half-off list price, making this the first time Rocket League drops below the $10 price point.
We're 99% sure all those clips are staged and/or fake, given we've got a good five hours into the game (that's like veteran level, right?) and have come nowhere close to performing aerial feats. So you know, by the laws of gaming, if you can't do it then everyone else must be hackers and cheaters.
Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.
CCP is giving EVE Online players a chance to take off their space pilot hats and put on their space scientist hats. The Iceland-based developer has introduced a new mini-game to EVE Online that both rewards players and takes a crack at making the world a better place.
Announced last year but just launched today, Project Discovery is now a part of the EVE universe. CCP teamed up with Massively Multiplayer Online Science and Reykjavik University to form a vast collection of cell images that need categorization. The idea is to crowdsource protein patterns in cells so that scientists can better understand protein functions.
The way it works is that players are given a high-resolution picture of a human cell along with a smattering of samples at the nucleus, cytoplasm, and periphery levels. It's up to them to choose which layer and look their image most resembles. (The pictures at the bottom of the post offer a good example as to how the process works.) Since that's an imperfect technique, the scientists will compare answers against other players to ensure they're getting the most accurate results.
The players also get some in-game rewards for taking time out of their space lives to do some pattern recognition. Completing the Project Discovery images nets them XP, ISK, and "Analysis Kredits." They also get the warm fuzzies of helping out the scientific and medical communities -- a feeling you can't buy with all the PLEX in the world.
Furi looks like a medley of action-game concepts with a heavy emphasis placed on prolonged boss battles and some bullet-hell-style projectile patterns thrown in for good measure. Similar to Chris, I'm hopeful the idea is crazy enough to work. It's looking cool as ever in this latest trailer.
Can't place that song? I got you! The track is by Carpenter Brut, who you'll hopefully recognize from Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. I knew you had a good taste in music. Handsome, too.
Writing on the PlayStation Blog, creative director Emeric Thoa describes the challenges in Furi as "mostly based on a simple formula: be warned, react, punish."
Your arsenal includes a sword, gun, and dodge and parry abilities, the first three of which can be charged for greater effect. "It's like a guitar: it has six strings, but you need practice to play it correctly," said Thoa. "And there's no limit to how much you can improve. It's simple and deep."
Then there's this exciting and also somewhat worrying bit: "Some bosses, or 'guardians,' will focus more on shooting. Others will challenge mostly your sword fighting. Some opponents are deadly and will knock you down in two or three hits. Some fights will require a lot of focus over a long time. A fight can last 10 minutes or 90 minutes depending on how you play."
I wonder what the checkpointing will be like (if there really is any at all).
After that last delay, I had kind of forgotten about Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, and that has allowed it to totally sneak up on me. It's nearly here! Friday is release day on Xbox One (while the Steam and Windows 10 versions have been pushed back and are now releasing sometime later).
This expanded version of the platform-adventure game adds two areas (Black Root Burrows and Lost Grove), a pair of skills (Dash and Light Burst), easier and harder difficulty options (including a one-life setting for maniacs), and other much-appreciated refinements like fast travel.
I hadn't heard the exact pricing details until today and thought some of you might be in a similar situation. Existing players can upgrade for $4.99, which seems reasonable, while the full game plus the Definitive Edition content will cost $19.99. As a reminder, Chris gave the original release a 9.5.
I'm planning on starting a fresh run for Definitive Edition because I've all but forgotten how to play and despite the charming aesthetic, this is not an especially easy game. But if you'd like to pick up where you left off, the fast-travel feature available at Spirit Wells is going to be super helpful.
The new areas can apparently be accessed "early on." Prepare to cry.
We've kept up with Thumper for some time now and this is it -- this is the year it's bringing "rhythm hell" to Steam, PlayStation 4 and, as announced today, PlayStation VR.
The game is about you, a shiny space beetle, hurtling down a psychedelic track, and there's also this demonic head at some point, and, uh, you had probably better just watch today's trailer to get a basic sense of what they're going for here. The atmosphere is unlike anything I've seen in a rhythm game.
Thumper is a collaboration between two former Harmonix developers, Marc Flury and Brian Gibson.
"We've spent the past few years making Thumper the most intense two-dimensional experience possible," said Flury. "Wouldn't a VR version just be too intense? Well, we can confirm that not only is it intense, it's completely overwhelming!"
One of my favorite things about XCOM 2 is the level of customization that's been added to soldiers. The ability to mix-and-match armor pieces, colors, and accessories really helps me individualize my troops, and alongside the many mods that have emerged, the number of options available is increasing exponentially.
Firaxis has opted to push that number up even further with the game's first DLC pack, Anarchy's Children. Slated for release on March 17, the pack will add "over 100 new exotic customization options for your soldiers, including new hairstyles, face paints, armor, lower face props, decals, helmets, masks and more." Folks who bought the game's "Reinforcement Pack" bundle will receive Anarchy's Children for free, as the Reinforcement Pack covers it and the next two planned DLC releases.
Based on the teaser shots they've released (and the name), the theme seems to be "comic book punk," so if you've ever wanted your own squad of elite War Boys, or tried to imagine putting Lord Humungus, Tank Girl, or the types of people Judge Dredd likes to shoot on the front line against the alien menace, you'll be well covered.
Firaxis also noted that it's preparing a patch to address performance issues and fix bugs, with more details due soon.
Super Mario Maker is getting a rather hefty update today in the form of version 1.40. Not only are keys and key doors added to the game, but Pink Coins are arriving as well. This essentially allows you to gate portions behind a boss requirement, which will make for some awesome levels.
The Super Expert Mode is also another huge addition, as part of the 100 Mario Challenge. It will allow players to unlock 12 new 8-bit costumes. So yeah, time to dive back in!
Ubisoft Presents Steven Hansen's Tom Clancy's The Division is an MMO-lite a la Destiny, but that doesn't mean it can't bring in some moral choice flavor dialogue. Eats rats or starve!
Square Enix has launched a snazzy new trailer for Hitman, set to debut on March 11 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It's during a posh fashion show, set to the tune of 4K quality with the option to spin around 360 degrees. The building reminds me of that room with the big table in Spectre, which wasn't as bad as people said it was (but not good, either).
Expect our review of the base launch package very soon, and coverage of each additional episode as they arrive. Paris is the inaugural episode, followed by Sapienza, Marrakesh, Thailand, the US, and Japan.
I'll admit: I found Blackguards to be more frustrating than fun. Maybe I've grown soft in my old age. There still must be an audience out there for extra difficult tactical role-playing games, and for those people, there is Blackguards. Soon enough, it'll be making the jump from PC to consoles with a scheduled summer release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Blackguards - Definitive Edition comes with the base campaign as well as the Untold Legends downloadable content, which usually goes for about six bucks on Steam. No pricing information for the Definitive Edition was given, nor do we have a release date more specific than the summer window.
Yesterday, Blizzard announced that there would be a massive balance patch launching today that would alter a number of characters. The list consisted of both underpowered, balanced, and overpowered heroes, so theorycrafters were hard at work figuring out what they could possibly change. Now, we have that info.
First up is Falstad, who was slightly buffed, which is good news since most players generally consider him to be already balanced. Potentially seeing more of them in the wild makes me happy since he's such a unique hero that's fun to fight against. Predictably, Greymane's "Q" (cocktail) build has been nerfed a bit, though his basic damage has been slightly increased to facilitate a wide array of builds. I like this change, and feel like Blizzard has done a good job with Greymane so far.
Li-Ming, as expected, is getting another nerf. She's sitting in the higher spectrum right now in Hero League, but isn't quite as dominate as she was at launch. She'll be even less so soon, as her Magic Missile siege damage has been decreased by 50%, and her Temporal Flux level 20 talent now only slows enemies by 40%. The siege change needed to happen, as she could outrange towers and blow them up in seconds, but I'm not so sure about the slow -- I'm afraid that she'll drop even lower in terms of winrate which feels a tad excessive.
Yesterday, Jordan, Brett, and I came to a stunning conclusion in our daily office chatroom, in between images of cute animals and Hitler playing Xbox 360: we are all top-flight taste makers in the cereal world. You see, we all rightly agreed that Honey Bunches of Oats (with Almond) is the best cereal.
Then Darren "The Maw" Nakamura burst onto the scene trying to steer us towards some bougie ass shit.
We knew that Fable Legends was canceled, and that studio Lionhead would likely be closed down, but now the team has detailed what to expect if you're currently in the beta session.
Come April 13, 2016 at 15:00 GMT, the beta will close down for good -- so if you have access, that's the last possible time you'll have to play the game. Microtransactions have been disabled as of this week, and no new players will be admitted. Also, refunds will be issued if you spent any money.
Seems like a rather open and shut case, and among some apologies, refunds are always a good thing.
Mario Kart 8 is still alive and well in some circles (it would probably be even more prevalent if it had a good battle mode!), but online support for the TV element is winding down. On April 5, Mario Kart TV will cease its online operations entirely, and will close down at 2AM ET.
Thankfully Nintendo isn't nixing the functionality entirely, as it will still be available within Mario Kart 8 itself. Go peruse the site now before it's gone!
If you haven't taken a gander at the in-game guide in Super Mario Maker, you should probably change that at some point. The mascot within, Mashiko, has become a sort of mini celebrity of sorts, much like Swapnote's Nikki before her.
And at some point in the near future, you'll be able to play as her. You can get a look at her character model in the video below.
Riot just launched Jhinn recently, but its work with League of Legends is seemingly never finished. Aurelion Sol is coming next, and his kit seems very cool indeed. For starters, his description notes that his passive deals the "lion's share" of his damage -- three stars that orbit the character will apply effects and deal damage.
He also has a stun, an area-of-effect power (a toggle, seemingly good for wave clearing), he moves faster when going in a straight line (you can also activate this ability to fly over terrain), and a generic skillshot ultimate. I like the concept of his passive, and it will likely require pinpoint positioning.
Bethesda just sent over more information for Doom, and it's relatively good news. Starting on March 31 and running until April 3, players will be able to partake in the next beta phase on every available platform. If you pre-ordered Wolfenstein: The New Order and redeemed the code within, you'll have access to it. The FAQ is available here for your perusal.
Oh, and there's also a new multiplayer trailer -- the mode that you likely will never play. Doom is still set for a May 13 release date. I'm cautiously optimistic, but mostly for the campaign.
Blizzard's Overwatchis all set for a May release date, but we'll be getting a crossover event well before that. According to Game Informer, the hero Tracer will be invading Heroes of the Storm in April. We knew she was coming, just not that soon.
In other new info, we've learned that her kit will be pretty versatile, and will mirror her abilities from Overwatch. She can blink (teleport), throw her pulse bombs, attack while moving (!) and even has a reloading mechanic instead of a mana pool to work with. She will also be the first hero in the game that can use her heroic (ultimate) ability at level 1. At higher levels you will merely refine the ability.
I'm really looking forward to trying her out, but I hope Blizzard gets to announcing more heroes at some point. A lot of people are speculating that we'll see Kel'Thuzad and Mephisto this year. Also related to Heroes -- Tychus and Gazlowe are getting a rework in the near future, and a number of characters will be tweaked later today.
PlayStation VR should not be used by children under 12, according to a recent update to the PlayStation 4’s health and safety notices.
Redditer KGizzly (via Engadget) spotted the notice had been added as part of the 3.5 fireware update.
Vive, while not carrying an explicit age restriction, suggests the product is “not designed to be used by children” and requests that owners “do not leave the product within the reach of young children or allow them to use of play with it” because “they can hurt themselves or others.”
The Oculus Rift also restricts use by children under 13 and recommends adult supervision for children aged 13+. It also warns that the product may “negatively impact hand-eye coordination, balance, and multi-tasking ability” so remember that the next time sometimes accuses you of being drunk.
Here’s what a Hitman assassination would look like in real-life.
IO Interactive teamed up with Realm Pictures - the company behind that kick-ass Chatroulette FPS last year - to create a real-life mission for everyone’s favourite brooding baldy, Agent 47.
The participants were able to control Agent 47’s actions by way of an ear-piece. As you’ll see, there were a variety of ways and means for 47 to infiltrate the premises and take out the target. Realm Pictures did a fantastic job of prepping the real-life set and actors for pretty much any eventuality.
Hitman voice actor David Bateson was available to respond to the participants, while actor Liam Brennan - who said “it took a lot of convincing for me to go bald” - took the role of Agent 47.
For more details and a peek behind-the-scenes, check out this video, too:
Director David M. Reynolds states at the end of that video he “cannot wait” to show us what they have in store for us next… So what game do you wanna see next transformed by Realm’s real-life treatment? I want Silent Hill, please (well, it's gotta be better than that second movie...)
Bonus points if you spot our very own Hollie Bennett in there! <3
Have you never played a Dark Souls game? Worried about being left behind when everyone gets their hands on Dark Souls III next month? Well, fear no more because the Golden Joysticks have got you covered.
If you’re in the UK or the wider EU, you can get a free copy of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition on PC. Just go to the site, fill out the form, and then go ahead and get dying. Just remember to install DSFix first, because the PC port is awful otherwise.
I have to admit I hated Dark Souls until earlier this year when I forced myself to power on through it. I’m so glad I did because I have since devoured Dark Souls II, am on a second run of Bloodborne,and am a bit too excited for Dark Souls III.
I hope everyone who grabs it from this has a good time with it!
We’re just over a week into March, and we already have confirmation of the first PS+ game for April: Dead Star.
Twitter user BLAMdrew discovered his pre-order for Dead Star has been refunded, and the reason given was because the game is going to be part of the April line-up of games:
Dead Star’s inclusion was then confirmed to GameSpot by a PlayStation rep:
Yes, Dead Star will be added to the April free games lineup for PlayStation Plus members. Stay tuned for our announcement on the full April free games lineup for Plus members later this month.
Dead Star is a multiplayer top-down twin-stick shooter developed by ReCore collaborator Armature Studios. From the trailer up top it looks like it'll be fun, so it’s good to know we can grab it for free next month!
BakermanBrad explores the side of a mountain and a couple of face plants to the snowy ground in a new free to play skiing simulator from Poppermost Productions called Snow. Snow is an open world filled with detailed environments packed with unique features. Customize your character and ski, snowboard, ride a snowmobile, or even fly a drone around the mountain for new spots.
This game is designed to be the most authentic winter sports game to date offering crazy customization and a real sense of freedom in a simulator. Stand out among other players by equipping the latest clothing and gear from over a dozen of the biggest brands in the world. Beyond that you can create the ultimate playground! Change the face of the mountain and adapt the terrain to your style. Add jumps, rails and other features dynamically anywhere on the mountain.
Mirage is a skill-based FPS game created by Torn Banner Inc, the creators behind Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. Players can tear their enemies limb from limb with destructive magic and melee combat, while wielding complete control over every slash and spell.
Features:
Fantasy setting: Warriors armed with steel and magic bring violence and death as they do battle across a fantastical Arabian and Persian-inspired setting of desert sands, market bazaars and grand palaces.
Skill-based action: Tear your enemies limb from limb with destructive magic and melee combat.
Class system: Experiment and find your perfect playstyle between six diverse classes including stealthy assassins, hulking brutes, powerful mages and more.
This afternoon, Smite revealed the patch notes for update 3.4, continuing changes in Season 3 and revealing the next God coming to Smite: Skadi.
The Season 3 Ticket has been unveiled and will be available for 600 gems. This season ticket frame can be mixed with any other previously unlocked frames. There’s also a new announcer pack, featuring none other than Hinduman – watch out for the “MOM, GET THE CAMERA! I GOT A PENTAKILL!” shout if you’re lucky enough to score one.
New achievements have been added for Hades, Hel, and Ullr, some of which should be easy to obtain and some . . . not so much.
The Store now has an “Undo” button which will allow players to fix purchasing mistakes.
A boar has been removed from the Fire Giant (solo lane) side of the jungle, in order to tone down solo experience that was being gained too quickly.
Item wise, the Glowing Emerald has had its price reduced by 50 for the whole tree; Hydra’s Lament will have no cooldown on procs; Masamune gets a physical power buff from 30 to 50 and a 200 Rage cost reduction; Rod of Asclepius’s aura gets buffed to 20% (up from 16%) and gets slightly cheaper; and the Rod of Healing will be 30 gold cheaper.
A few minor tweaks for the gods in Season balance includes a few buffs: Hercules, raising his movement speed by 5 and base damage by 4; Chaac, lowering his Ultimate cooldown from 90s to 75s; and Kulkulkan, scaling up Zephyr magic by 15% and reducing whirlwind’s mana cost. Other god changes includes Ra’s passive granting a longer movement speed duration, Raijin’s double-stacking Percussive Storm being fixed; Rama’s Astral Arrow regeneration speed up and mana cost down; and Anhur’s Feeble buffed to 20 (from 15) and Impale given a lower mana cost.
Finally, the big news of the patch: Skadi. Skadi is a hunter capable of pushing with plenty of damage and disruption, while in turn sacrificing movement. Skadi comes with a pet wolf, Kaldr, who can be controlled and utilized on the battlefield to increase her damage. Her kit makes her excel in 1v1 fights, especially against melee and assassin types.
Her Passive is Kaldr, The Winter Wolf, which grants her this pet as an ally.
Skadi’s 1 ability, Piercing Cold, hurls a spear forward which pierces enemies and slows. Kaldr does double damage to enemies affected by this ability.
2, Rune of the Hunt, Calls or recalls Kaldr on enemies, and can be used as early as level 0. As it is leveled, Kaldr gains more damage and new abilities, including a dash attack, self heal, and Skadi movement buff.
3, Permafrost, is a new form of crowd control. It places a large patch of ice on the ground which causes any enemies in it to slide in the direction they were moving at the time. If they collide with someone in the ice, they will bounce back in the opposite direction (like a game of hockey). Enemies cannot control their movements in the ice but can jump out with abilities. Skadi also gains a movement buff while in the permafrost.
Skadi’s ultimate, Winter’s Grasp, casts a storm around both Skadi and Kaldr. It roots enemies within the area of effect, causing damage over time during its duration, fully healing Kaldr and making him temporarily invincible. These storms can stack, making a venn diagram of death.
MMOHuts has partnered with IME Online to celebrate the arrival of early access testing for Trinium Wars with a code pack that no only will get you into beta for free, but unlocks a gas mask and 5000 cash currency as well!
Developed by Jang Wook Lee, Lead Artist of Diablo 3, Trinium Wars is a post-apocalyptic Sci Fi MMORPG set in the remains of Planet Earth after World War III that is now controlled by mutants. Join the fight for the rarest substance in the universe: Trinium. Support the Human forces to reconquer their home planet, which they had to leave after the devastating consequences of World War III, or join forces with the Narc, who were forced to leave their planet after depleting all its resources. Exciting and varied quests will lead you through the story of Trinium Wars. Special instance missions let you Tanks, Mechs or even Monsters. As high level content up to 1000 players can simultaneously fight in the "Resource War" mode, build up camps and mine precious Trinium. For fast PvP fun Trinium Wars offers an additional MOBA style Arena mode while the base-building mode will allow for more tactical choices and the chance to craft new equipment, potions and even skills. The big run for Trinium has started – be part of it!
To Use Your Key In-Game:
Launch the Steam client software and log into your Steam account.
Click the Games Menu.
Choose Activate a Product on Steam…
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process.
Last week I ascended. No not because I bought a new computer and the holy lord Gaben rewarded me with new playable games. Rather a new patch for Path of Exile arrived that changes well… not everything. But close to it! Before, reaching the end in Path of Exile was a bit lackluster, since the game keeps receiving updates, but never actually had something special to do when you get to the higher levels. It was clear to players and devs alike that the game needed a bit of a fresh challenge, and with Ascendancy, the Path of Exile fans are finally getting the end-game content they’ve wished for.
The monsters are rough.
Its been a good several months since I last played the game, and just like me there are a lot of other players that come back with each update trying out the different challenges. But there is always a reason why most don’t stick around. Akin to Warcraft, most people hang up their boots after a few weeks of testing out the latest expansion. Ascendancy is a game changer though; there are finally a lot more things you can do and challenges you have to face to get decked out in the end. And the first major content update I want to talk about is the Labyrinth.
Unlike previous major updates focused on expanding the story with new arcs to explore, Ascendancy is more of a side tale focused around answering the challenge of the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth offers some truly unique challenges not seen before in Path of Exile. Players need to go in with a plan as the penalty for dying now is sending you back to start, do not pass go, do not collect nifty enhancements to your character. In the Labyrinth you will face a lot of challenges, including new monsters and traps that will test your reflexes, timing, and ability to utilize your movement skills on short notice. We’re not talking about a few sparse traps hidden here or there either. Depending on how much RNGesus is against you, you may run into giant areas on each level of the Labyrinth that will make you scratch your head pondering how anyone could possibly run through unscathed.
The traps are worse.
Without spoiling too much about the Labyrinth, let me explain to you how exactly you can clear the whole place and earn new enhancements for your current equipment. You start out entering the dungeon just like most of the levels you are used to in Path of Exile. The first floor will quickly get you accustomed to the traps you will face as you hunt for the randomly generated key locations to unlock the next zones. Rinse repeat as the traps start to overlap more and more, and the monsters get tougher and rougher until you’re at the last level of the Labyrinth. The random generation shines here more so than anyone else in the game as sometimes the trap combinations are a mega headache, and just what you’d expect for end-game. Every new level you unlock, at the start of the entrance you can see your progress and what exactly you will need to get through that zone. If you are fortunate you will find everything by luck while dodging the traps. Most of the time though you will reach a dead-end and realize you need to backtrack through the death trap to find the key you missed.
As I said earlier, dying is not an option (duh) unless you enjoy throwing your keyboard through the window. If you die, your progression in the Labyrinth will get reset and you will have to start over again. Since we were given alpha access and a character to clear the new content with, we were given some really good equipment to help our progression. But even with the right and perhaps even best equipment available for our classes, the Labyrinth still proved to be anything but a cakewalk. I spent my whole Saturday trying to clear the levels only to still come up short by the end of the day from underestimating traps or misclicking. But slowly and surely I managed to learn from my mistakes to get my groove back, getting further and further in with each subsequent attempt. When you clear the whole Labyrinth, you get to battle a truly epic boss that makes even the traps of the dungeon seem dull in comparison. Past this battle awaits the chance to enhance your equipment with new effects and benefits, or even enhance your skills with new powerful unlocks that no single character can fully acquire. This is the heart and soul of the expansion: The Ascendancy Classes.
But its when the two combine that things get really ugly.
In total there are 19 new Ascendancy classes, each containing their own skill tree. Each core class in Path of Exile has three Ascendancy classes (except for the Scion class which at present has only one). And each Ascendancy class changes the principles of the class drastically to make your character and class feel completely different from not only your pre-ascended character, but from the other two Ascendancy classes. And since making your character, leveling it up and using the right skills is of such a high important to the hardcore fans of Path of Exile, a lot of the die hard fans couldn’t wait to get to theorycrafting and balance testing just what this means for the competitive Leagues Path of Exile has become so renowned for.
Conclusion: Excellent (5/5)
As a fan of the game I must say I’m once again absolutely hooked to the game. The game isn’t only about rushing through the content while making your character as powerful as possible anymore. With regular competitive Leagues, and now a new engaging end-game that pushes their industry leading customization to even higher peaks, Path of Exile has never felt more perfect. Teaming up with friends to work together (or laugh at each other’s failure) to beat the Labyrinth is a delight. And the challenge is rough enough that anyone busting out Ascendancy skills feels truly accomplished in the community. Big props to Grinding Gear Games for still caring to innovate and push their game to the limits when most MMO teams seem content to dwell in the status quo.
GAMEVIL's action RPG, Kritika: The White Knights has surpassed its 600th day of service, a significant milestone for the publisher as well as the mobile gaming community.
In recognition of its 600th day milestone, the Kritika team will send out in-game bonus rewards such as Gems, Equipment Tickets, and Gold that will be concluding on March 10. Additionally, the Kritika Facebook page will reward players with 3 Gold Gem Keys for every 1000 new 'likes' the page receives between February 29 through March 14.
Launching June 15, 2014, Kritika: The White Knights accumulated 1 million downloads in its first week of global service. Kritika's live service team provides monthly updates which include over 100 single player levels, 8 playable classes, weekly guild battles, Ethereal Items, and a pet system.
Kritika's developers, Funflow and All-M, continue to provide monthly content and gameplay updates to maintain the game's commitment to excellence.
Over its life span, Kritika: The White Knights developed a global self-sustaining community. The game's dedicated fan base resulted in an overwhelming amount of fan-created art, player guides, videos and community events. Kritka's community also created its own eSports tournament, held in South East Asia, featuring the best players in the world competing in a Monster Wave competition.
On its one year anniversary, the Kritika team created limited edition White Knight figures to be rewarded to the best players in the game.
Through continued development support, high-quality updates and a stellar community, Kritika: The White Knights accumulated over 20 million downloads.
