In the wake of its dramatic split with developer Colossal Order, Cities Skylines 2 has launched new DLC made by the community. 'Creator packs' have long been a part of Cities Skylines, with dozens of additions available for the original that offer plenty of ways to further expand on one of the PC's best city-building games. As we enter uncharted territory for the sequel, the Skyscrapers and Supply Chains packs offer a bit more of that familiar stability to proceedings, with the long-awaited CS2 asset editor finally due to arrive in beta right afterwards. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Cities Skylines 2 dev announces split from Paradox, new studio will take over development The best games like The Sims in 2025 If you're quick, you can now try Cities Skylines 2 for free and see how far it's come in the two years since its disappointing launch View the full article
At the PlayStation Partner Awards 2025 Japan Asia held in Tokyo on December 3, Monster Hunter Wilds won the Grand Award and the User's Choice Award. In an interview held before the award ceremony, Ryozo Tsujimoto, the producer of this work, and Yuya Tokuda, the director, answered questions from local media. IGN Japan was in attendance. When Monster Hunter Wilds was first released on February 28, some players left harsh feedback, but Tokuda said the team worked to improve the game by taking advantage of that feedback. "Immediately after the release, we apologized for the inconvenience caused by the volume of content and the difficulty level. Despite this, we were delighted to receive various awards, including Users' Choice awards. We would like to thank all the players who have given their opinions and spoken warm words even in this situation. The development team was able to turn everyone's feedback into an asset and work on the update with all our strength, and I think the result was also the reason why players voted for us," said Tokuda. "Monster Hunter has the characteristics of a title that gets regular updates, but player opinions were very helpful during the update process, and in order to make Monster Hunter Wilds better, the fans’ voices gave us power. There are still updates left to come, so we will continue to do our best," added Tsujimoto. The Monster Hunter series celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. The franchise was a hit in Japan, and after the release of Monster Hunter: World in 2018, it grew into a literal monster title overseas. According to Tokuda, the Monster Hunter Wilds team were more aware than ever of being accepted by newcomers or those who had trouble beating the games. "We analyzed what kind of places beginners were stuck in, including Monster Hunter: World. We have worked on these points in turn to make it easier for new users to clear hurdles such as being able to reach certain monsters or to craft certain types of armor. In addition, we have tried to adopt as many new elements as possible that are beneficial for both beginners and existing users, such as Focus Mode. This time, as a result of making the game easy to beat even for new players and players who could not clear it before, I think the difficulty curve was a little lacking for existing users,” said Tokuda. Tokuda said the team has focused on creating more difficult content with each update. "If you beat the game immediately after its release and stopped playing, I would appreciate it if you could pick it up again," said Tokuda. Monster Hunter Wilds still has updates to come, but Tsujimoto also talked a little about the future of the series. "Of course, we don’t intend to stop the series here. We plan to continue, and we want to let more people play. In addition, I would like to think about things beyond the games so that we can further expand the potential of the Monster Hunter IP," said Tsujimoto. From Tsujimoto's remarks, it seems we can continue to look forward to new games and more in the Monster Hunter series. Tsujimoto was also asked where Monster Hunter stands within the overall catalog of Capcom IP, which he answered diplomatically. "Capcom is a company with various IPs, and every IP is very important. I'm in charge of Monster Hunter now, that’s all I can comment on, but as Capcom, we want to expand all our IPs,” he said. Capcom is scheduled to release Resident Evil Requiem, Onimusha Way of the Sword, and Pragmata in 2026. Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article
Brace yourself: someone has finally actually Escape(d) from Tarkov. As posted on Escape From Tarkov's Instagram feed, streamer Tigz has somehow actually managed to… well, escape, making them the first player to do so in the eight years the game has been live. "Congratulations to Tigz on being the first to Escape From Tarkov," the post reads. "You survived. But at what cost." Nikita Buyanov, director of the ultra hardcore extraction shooter, also celebrated the achievement, albeit confirming poor Tigz secured the "worst ending though… not cool." Congratulations to @RealTigz on being the first to Escape from Tarkov. You survived. But at what cost. [Hidden Content] — Escape from Tarkov (@tarkov) December 1, 2025 To be fair to other players, escape was only possible since the 1.0 version of the game went live last month, ushering in the crucial final map, Terminal. Nonetheless, it's an incredible accomplishment that took over two weeks to conquer. For those wanting proof (or just want to see a master at work), you can watch Tigz escape in real-time on his YouTube channel (skip to around 43 minutes). "Thanks for all the love guys and much love to all the haters as well," Tigaz posted to X/Twitter, appending a love heart emoji. AlexPerch — the first one to complete "Didn't Escape" storyline ending. He escaped from Tarkov but did not escape from himself.#EscapefromTarkov [Hidden Content] — Escape from Tarkov (@tarkov) December 3, 2025 He's not the only MVP getting noticed by developer Battlestate Games, though. Earlier today, December 3, Escape from Tarkov's socials also revealed AlexPerch as the first to complete the Didn't Escape storyline ending, although the developer stressed: "He escaped from Tarkov but did not escape from himself." XinChongg has similarly been immortalized as "one of the first to escape from Tarkov in PvP," and Tsukinogi has just been announced as "the first who escaped with best ending in PvE." #EscapefromTarkov @nikgeneburn One of the first to escape from Tarkov in PvP. The grind was fun! Thank you, @bstategames, for the awesome game! [Hidden Content] — ViiReX (@ViiReX2) December 2, 2025 The first who escaped with best ending in PvE - Tsukinogi [Hidden Content] — Nikita Buyanov (@nikgeneburn) December 3, 2025 Escape from Tarkov finally launched on Steam in 1.0 form last month, but with it came a 'mixed' user review rating. Buyanov later apologized to players for what he called a "rough" release, saying the team was "willing to continue fighting" to "finally crack the performance problems." Multiple patches have been released, the latest of which arrived on Monday. Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky. View the full article
The best units in Anime Story depend on what role you need and what game mode you're playing. I'll show you the best single-target, AOE, Tank and Support units to bring to all game modes, even for farming. Here's my Anime Story tier list and unit guide. Table of contentsBest Anime Story Unit Tier ListMeta DPSS-Tier DPSA-Tier DPSB-Tier DPSC-Tier DPSS-Tier TanksA-Tier TanksS-Tier SupportsA-Tier SupportsBest Team in Anime StoryBest Traits & Relics in Anime StoryAnime Story FAQBest Anime Story Unit Tier List Image by Destructoid I've split the tier list into three sections for the best DPS units in Anime Story like single-target and AOE as well as best Tanks and Supports. I'll provide individual ranking reasons for all of them below. Afterwards, I'll talk about the best teams in the game for Raids, Progression/Tower and Farming as well as best Traits and Relics to use. For now, here are the tier breakdowns: Meta: Must-have units that transcend roles due to incredible DPS and utility.S-Tier: There are three tiers like this for DPS/Tanks/Supports which include the best units within their role.A-Tier: Either situationally powerful or build-specific units that are excellent alternatives if you don't have the S-Tiers. There are three tiers like this for DPS/Tanks/Supports.B-Tier: Underpowered DPS Mythics that are good early but struggle in late-game content.C-Tier: Beginner units that you shouldn't use in the later stages of the game. Evolutions: I have ranked all units according to their EVO stats taking into account their highest potential. You can consider that the Non-EVO equivalents are either on the bottom of the same tier or one tier below. For example, base non-EVO Pride is still an S-/A+ Tier tank. Meta DPSMeta DPSRanking ReasonAbility Vogita (Purple)SecretSingle-Target• One of the strongest units for raids and extended late-game fights due to infinite scaling • Theoretically, the best unit in the game if given enough time • That said, not the best for quick farm comps where you want to clear some levels in seconds • Evolve Vogita (Blue) using Scantron drops from World 1Every round gain 75% more Damage Roku (Ultra)SecretSingle-Target• Weaker than Vogita in extended fights but better for quick fights due to massive single-target damage • Plus you get to go first which is amazing for bursting down single enemies and eliminating their turn before they get to act • Evolve Roku (Blue) with materials from the Dragon Ball Raid Act 6Allows all allies to start battle first Mazara (Susanoo)Mythic5-Target• The best AOE damage unit in the entire game with some of the highest DPS in the game multi-hit-wiseIf enemy is stronger, deal 150% more DMG Kaizen (Kido)Exclusive/LimitedSingle-Target• Some of the highest single-target DPS you can reach in Anime Story • Outdamages Roku Ultra in single-target but Roku is still incredibly useful for the first-strike, especially in later fightsEvery 2nd attack, deal 100% more DMG Reaper (Bankai)MythicSingle-Target• Has high base damage due to being a single-target unit but can then do AOE damage on 4 units every third attack on average • Excellent DPS and can drastically increase if you get lucky and trigger the effect more often35% chance to target 3 more unitsS-Tier DPSS DPSRanking ReasonAbility Ant KingSecretSingle-Target• Similar to Raven (Red) in terms of incredibly high single-target damage, especially in later fights due to % damage50% chance to Poison a target for 15% of their Max HP Roku (Blue)SecretSingle-Target• Same as Roku Ultra but weaker • I would still bring him due to the incredibly useful ability that allows you to take out an enemy before they start a turnAllows all allies to start battle first Ant KingSecretSingle-Target• Only S-Tier because the EVO is incredibly strong • Only good in extended fights but you definitely want to rush EVO ASAP since the base version is much slower scaling • Personally I'd rather go with Raven EVO or Ant King over Vogita (Blue),Every round gain 50% more Damage Raven (Red)MythicSingle-Target• Like Ant King Raven Red is one of the strongest single-target DPS Mythics in the game50% chance to Burn a target for 100% DMG DestructionMythic3-Target• Amazing beginner Mythic and one of the best farm Mythics in the game • Deals impressive AOE DPS • That said, what makes him good is the farm potential due to the opening burst • Clears lower World stages in seconds for farming EVO materials • Also marks targets to boost your overall team damageUpon enter, deal 100% DMG to all enemies. Each attack has a 30% chance to apply MarkA-Tier DPSA DPSRanking ReasonAbility Dark AssassinMythicSingle-Target• One of the best units in the game for Raids where he can execute low HP enemies • This gets you a ton of value since enemies have incredibly high HPs here • Otherwise, he has A-Tier DPS or lower outside of Raids and end-game contentExecutes the target if it has 25% or less HP remaining Gray (Ultimate)Mythic5-Target• Really good AOE DPS but the ability is slightly awkward if Gray doesn't take hits or you don't get lucky with crits • That's why he's lower in the A-TierEach Crit you land, heal for 1.5% Max HP Wrath (Fury)MythicSingle-Target• Situationally good healing units like Roku (Rose), Orihime or Sakura and with Gluttony/Merlin to buff him • In these builds Wrath can deal both great AOE and single-target damage • Otherwise you don't get much value from the ability so Wrath is very situational35% chance to return 150% DMG to the attacker Time AngelMythic3-Target• A decent filler DPS, especially if you proc the ability on a high damage enemy • That said, Time Angel doesn't have a lot of synergy with other units so there's no OP combo potential and he doesn't scale well with buffs • He's A-Tier for raw stats aloneEvery round start, 30% chance to make an enemy attack its alliesB-Tier DPSB DPSRanking ReasonAbility Gear LupyMythicSingle-Target• Everyone's favorite beginner Mythic that you'll use once you start and almost never again • He's unreliable for late game due to the randomness of his abilityAttacks randomly deal between 85% and 235% Damage ****** One MythicSingle-Target• Basically a weaker Raven when you EVO Raven100% chance to Burn a target on hit for 30% DMG Ethereal ArcherMythic2-Target• Can deal quite impressive AOE DPS but is more of a beginner unit since there are better DPS carries for your teamIncrease Critical Chance by +35% Super RokuMythicSingle-Target• Just a decent beginner unit with slower-to-ramp but okay DPS, nothing wrong here • That said there are many better unitsEvery round gain +20% more Damage BooMythicSingle-Target• While the damage is really good and the Mark is OP, Boo is very unreliable • In later story fights and Raids there are so many enemies where you won't even get a chance to constantly proc the mark • That's why it's awkward to use Boo and I wouldn't recommend himHas 40% chance to apply Majin Power After 3 Majin Power stacks, the target is Marked and receives 200% DMGC-Tier DPS Sosuke, Youji and Agony are the worst Mythics in the game just in terms of being underpowered. They might get much better once they receive their EVOs. As for the Legendaries the best one is Levan in terms of DPS but decent options also include Acu, Xoro and Shibue for beginner comps. S-Tier TanksS TankRanking ReasonAbility Shadow KnightSecret Single-Target• Incredibly good tank in quick fights that don't drag on since he's unkillable for a short ******* of timeGain a Damage Immunity Shield for 2 turns after the first time this unit takes a Fatal Hit Pride (Sun)MythicSingle-Target• The counterpart of Shadow Knight that deals more damage after death and is slightly better in longer fightsIncrease DMG by 50% and after death, revive with 250% HP and 250% ATK Greed (Fox)Exclusive/LimitedSingle-Target• Very high-risk high-reward Tank that can last a long time if he deals good damage and is supported by a healer • That said if you don't have a healer like Roku Rose or Orihime to keep him from getting killed, he's much worse than Pride and SK if he dies • This is because Greed doesn't have a revive mechanicConvert 75% of your DMG to HP TitanMythic2-Target• Titan is the weakest revive Tank but is still quite reliable as your starter tank until you get Pride or SKRevives to 50% Max HP and gains a 50% DMG Boost after the first time this unit takes a Fatal HitA-Tier TanksA TankRanking ReasonAbility Ultimate WarriorMythicSingle-Target• A DPS tank hybrid that's less reliable Defense wise but deals more damage than the average tank unitWhen stunned, deal 200% DMG on the next attack Ruki LegendarySingle-Target• Your starter tank before you get Titan or the higher-tier onesReduce incoming Damage by 30%S-Tier SupportsS SupportRanking ReasonAbility Silent Bloom (Kageyoshi)Mythic3-Target• One of the best supports in the entire game, massively boosting your team's damage • Works great with high base damage units in the S and A-Tiers • Also deals impressive AOE damage himselfUpon entry, buff all allies’ Critical Chance by +30% LustMythicSingle-Target• A quick little damage boost for all your units due to the Mark • Deals decent single-target damage • Works better with high single-target base damage units to make the most of the mark boostUpon enter, Mark all enemiess to deal 30% more DMG on them Roku (Rose)Limited/Exclusive5-Target• The best healer in the game if you have him • Works amazing for all modes to heal tanks and especially good with units who love heals like Wrath or GreedAt the start of the round, heal all allies for 25% Max HP GojinMythicSingle-Target• A great alternative support option to keep your tanks and primary DPS alive for longerUpon enter, debuff all enemies to deal -25% less DamageA-Tier SupportsA TankRanking ReasonAbility GluttonyExclusive/LimitedSingle-Target• Can be quite powerful in a full Sin team but this is incredibly situational • That said, even in a full Sin team, while Pride is good, Wrath isn't the best main DPS without a healing support • Greed also requires a healer to be good • Gluttony can carry you in story but I would much rather have Silent Bloom as support instead of Sloth for Raids and late-game contentBuff all Seven Deadly Sins units Wrath, Lust, Envy, Sloth, Pride, Greed White Lotus (Haze)MythicSingle-Target• A decent support but the ability is a bit unreliable since you can't do it at will and must get this unit killed to benefit from it • Quite situationalUpon death Freeze 4 random enemies Soul GuardianLegendarySingle-Target• A decent heal option if you don't have Roku Rose • That said, the healing is unreliable so this unit isn't the best to bring20% to heal all teammates by 10% SlothMythic2-Target• Similar to Soul Guardian where Sloth can be really strong but the proc chance is so low that you might not get value as often • Still a stun is one of the most powerful debuffs in the game once you activate it10% to stun and apply a Mark on each attackBest Team in Anime Story In the table below you'll see some of the best teams in Anime Story and unit combos for various game modes. I'll include the best unit (Core/must-have) for that mode and a few units you can use to support the main one. Feel free to fill out the rest of the slots with your favorite Secrets and Mythics. Progression Tower ChallengesRaidFarmingBeginner Tank Core (Pick One) AOE Core Healer Core Going first is really good Use Blue/Still worth Core AOE Core Support Core Healer Core Single-target Fill Filler (For Execute) Farm Core Support Core Helps with DPS Fill the rest Best Early Tank Best Early DPS Best Traits & Relics in Anime Story Here are the best traits and relics in Anime Story for the various roles: Best TraitsFor All Units: Monarch (If you can get it)For DPS: Deadeye (Best), Ethereal (Second-best)For Tank: SolarFor Support: Deadeye/Ethereal Best RelicsFor DPS: Grapple HookFor Tank: StrawhatFor Farming: Use Katana on allAnime Story FAQWhat is the best DPS unit in Anime Story? The best single-target units are Vegito (Purple), Kaizen (Kido), Ant King and Raven (Red) while the best for AOE damage are Mazara (Susannoo) and Reaper (Bankai). What is the best Tank in Anime Story? Shadow Knight and Pride (Sun) are the best tanks where SK is more tanky but Pride deals more damage once revived. What is the best Support in Anime Story? The best supports for raw damage are Lust and Silent Bloom while Roku (Ultra) has one of the best secondary-support abilities making you go first. What is the best unit for farming resources in Anime Story? The best farm unit is Destruction because he can burst down enemy teams on-start really fast and mark them for your AOE DPS like Mazara for a quick finish. What is the best beginner unit in Anime Story? Destruction is amazing to get ASAP for everything but Levan is one of the best DPS Legendaries early while Ruki is the best early game tank. Honorable mention to Silent Bloom who just makes your team better in any team composition. How to farm Trait Rerolls in Anime Story? The best farming method is to farm Raid Towers with Destruction and Mazara but Quests are also a great way to get rerolls. Don't forget to claim all AS codes as well via the link below. That's it for my Anime Story tier list and guide. Check out our Anime Story codes for more. The post Anime Story Tier List – Best Units [UPD 4] appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Fanatical is currently hosting a 'Build your own Tabletop and Deckbuilder' bundle, and some of our favorite cozy board games are up for grabs in the *****. Aviary engine-builder Wingspan and cozy cat tile placement game Calico are both included, as well as a combined bundle of strategy games like Raiders of the North Sea, Yellow & Yangtze, Sagrada, and Wings of Glory. That's almost $100 of digital board games, but Fanatical will send you their Steam codes for just $9.99. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: This deliciously leftwing Christmas board game is all about unionizing against Santa Claus This urban fantasy TTRPG lets you live out every 80s high school movie, and it's less than $5 You can still nab up to a 36% ****** Friday discount on these top rated board games View the full article
You can unlock Tressa in Octopath Traveler 0, since the playable character from the original entry in the series is making a comeback within the most recent installment. The newest game in the franchise offers a different take on the formula, with some changes to gameplay, story, and much more. The release of Octopath Traveler 0 represents a new era for Square Enix’s franchise, should the company decide to implement these changes in future titles. View the full article
Fallout 76 Burning Springs has finally stepped into a new territory for Bethesda's online, open-world adventure, but not without an early stumble. What started out with a rather messy launch back in 2018 has now grown into one of my most-played RPGs of all time, a game that's genuinely fulfilled its promise of opening the post-apocalypse up into a full multiplayer experience. The new Fallout 76 update takes us to Ohio, and ties neatly into the Amazon Prime series with the inclusion of Walton Goggins as The Ghoul - but it hasn't all gone to plan, with failed logins and error codes stopping players at the border. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Bethesda sets a date for Fallout 76 Burning Springs, its "biggest update ever," and I'm packing my bags for Ohio already New Fallout 76 update goes to Ohio, "in total tonal tandem" with the Amazon show New Fallout 76 update lets you build the sky-high condo you've always dreamed of View the full article
Half-Life Legacy is an enhanced fan mod of Valve's original shooter and it's releasing December 12th. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article
On Tuesday, Creative Assembly dropped a teeny tiny teaser video hinting at what Total War: Warhammer 3 fans can expect from the firm's 25th Anniversary showcase, along with the message "He's back! Do you dare to face him?" We're willing to bet folding money that the trailer foretells that the next Total War: Warhammer 3 DLC will focus on the return of Nagash, Supreme Lord of Undeath, the biggest and baddest Necromancer ever to stalk the Warhammer world - and if Nagash is back, the End Times can't be far behind. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Grab the biggest Warhammer PC game ever at less than half price - if you're fast Two days left to grab up to 75% off the Total War Warhammer series Every Total War: Warhammer game is on ***** for at least 50% View the full article
NTSYNC has been available in the Linux kernel for a while, but it's taking distributions a while to actually use it - Fedora Linux 44 will make it easier. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article
Get ready for a new adventure, Octopath Traveler fans. Octopath Traveler 0, the third installment in the JRPG franchise, has arrived with the confidence only a series this established can have, and it's welcoming back players who’ve been hungry for another epic HD-2D journey. We're travelling back to the continent of Orsterra this time around, but the franchise doesn’t just return to its old ways and slap a new number on it. Octopath Traveler 0 is full of new features, companions, and collectibles to find, making for a gameplay experience that truly pushes the series in a new and exciting direction. In 0, you create your very own character instead of taking on the role of one of eight premade characters—a franchise first. Customization options are limited, but you can select your hair, voice, victory pose, class, and a few items to start your journey with. You play as a resident of the small village of Wishvale, which is tragically burned to the ground. That’s when the real story begins, and it’s one of vengeance and rebirth as you hunt for the villains responsible for the destruction of your hometown. You get to choose one of eight classes. Screenshot by Destructoid Set prior to the events of the original Octopath, the game is split into two main narratives: one to get revenge, and one to rebuild Wishvale. The first evolves into something much larger than you originally imagined, circling themes of greed, self-sacrifice, and companionship as you take on the role of the Ringbearer Chosen. You’re bestowed a powerful ring from Aelferic, one of Orsterra’s many gods, and you must hunt down and seal away other rings that have fallen into the wrong hands. Though the story’s pacing can be odd at times and some key players are introduced without much buildup later in the game, there’s plenty of twists and turns, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t audibly gasp at certain reveals or shocking moments. The narrative line to rebuild Wishvale involves gathering residents, erecting homes and shops, and decorating the town. It’s not a free-for-all, though; you have to progress through the questline to unlock various structures, decorations, and building areas. Certain residents won’t appear until later on in the questline, but their return transforms what was scorched earth and piles of rubble into a bustling town full of life. This slow build makes the storyline successful; it really does feel as though you’re rebuilding the town one house at a time. Your version of Wishvale evolves in front of your eyes, and it’s a heartwarming story of perseverance that you play an active role in. You can decorate your town to make it your own. Screenshot by Destructoid Rebuilding Wishvale makes for a wholesome and satisfying experience. Screenshot by Destructoid Octopath games are known for their companions, but in 0, the teammates just don’t seem to end. With over 20 companions, you’re not just assembling a team—you’re building a small army. Just when I thought I was done enlisting characters to my cause, another one would pop up on the map, and by the 15th, I started to feel a little fatigued from my recruiting efforts. There are about two to three companions for each archetype, with a few new classes thrown into the mix (though these new classes are more like a combination of older ones). You don’t have to recruit all of the companions—or any of them, really. But if you’re like me and want to experience everything the game has to offer, you’ll be parading around Orsterra with what feels like, at times, a literal parade of people. With so many teammates, you’re sure to have an A and B team, and likely even a C team. On one hand, this leads to experimentation with tons of different playstyles and party compositions. On the other hand, keeping up with equipment and distributing attribute nuts becomes a hassle. There’s also always going to be a character who’s under-leveled and ends up sitting in your reserve as your A team sweeps up. The Training Ground, a structure at Wishvale that trains up allies while you battle from afar, helps alleviate this issue slightly, but it didn’t prevent the constant need to juggle your companions if you want to make use of all of them. Unlike other Octopath Traveler titles, very little of the main story involves your teammates outside of the core cast. Sure, they’re there to accompany you on your own travels. But most don’t have their own questlines, or the ones they do have when you first recruit them are very short. It doesn’t defeat the purpose of an Octopath game, but it deviates from the norm and could frustrate franchise fans who enjoyed the emphasis on companions. At times, it feels as though the only part of the game that retains the “Octo” is the fact you fight with a maximum of eight party members at a time. For the combat experience, you’ve got the same turn-based system, backline and frontline mechanics, weak points, and stats that influence your power or speed in battle. 0 spices up the formula by introducing a new weapon type and allowing you to mix and match attacks with the use of Masteries, equippable skills you can find around the world or by spending JP to purchase them from your teammates. The game also adds Ultimate Techniques, powerful attacks that generate slowly the longer a character spends in battle. If you enjoy the gameplay loop from the previous games, you’re sure to appreciate it in 0 since the core mechanics have remained the same outside of these few new additions. Alexia's Ultimate Technique, Ancient Magic. Image via Square Enix What’s hard to appreciate, however, is the lack of difficulty, especially in the earlier stages of the game. I had battles where one character would singlehandedly mollywhop an entire group of monsters with just one attack while my other companions looked on. Roads connecting the first few towns where a third of the story takes place all housed extremely low-level beasts, and I found myself fast-traveling more often than not to avoid the repetitive and often annoying random encounters. But when I hit the later stages of the game? Oh, how the turn tables. Suddenly, I was the one receiving a beating, as all my teammates were one-shot. Perhaps it was my inability to properly distribute stronger armor across my company of companions, or perhaps it’s just an issue with the game's balancing. Either way, it was a jarring transition from earlier in the game, and suddenly I was grinding encounters and spending all my hard-earned Leaves at local shops to outfit my teammates in the best gear—gear that I had, up until that point, almost completely ignored. What 0 loses in the series’ companion-first narrative focus, it gains in customization options. From building your team to altering your character’s look, 0 gives you the reins and lets you tailor your experience to your own desires. Now, don’t get me wrong, the options aren’t endless. I could spend hours decorating my town, meticulously landscaping and readjusting buildings to get them to look just right. But with each town level, you’re capped to a specific number of decoration items and structures you can have at one time, meaning you can’t just decorate to your heart’s desire. Limiting the number or types of buildings you can have? Fine, I get that. We have to play along with the story, after all. Preventing me from planting the flower garden of my dreams? C’mon, devs! While it encourages progressing through the game’s storyline and completing challenges to raise your town’s level and up the number of decorations, it’s still a head-scratching limitation. Town-decorating isn’t the only place where the developers pull back on the leash. On multiple occasions, the game gives you dialogue options in a quest. An NPC will ask you to assist them in fixing their problem, and you’ll have the option of telling them to kick rocks. But don’t be fooled—you don’t actually have a choice. If you reject them, you get stuck in a dialogue loop until you agree to help. Why game developers waste resources on adding this illusion of choice is baffling. It adds nothing to my experience if I choose to help someone when I know I’m going to have to if I want to progress the storyline. And if I reject them, skipping through the same lines of dialogue to get back to the original choice is no fun either. Despite all this, I found myself hooked on this game for the several weeks I spent with it. With the first Octopath Traveler, the experience dragged on. But with 0, there was always something to do. Want to take a break from the story? Go hunt for some lumber to build your next house. Done tweaking your town to your liking? Stop by a neighboring town to pick up your next companion. You can cook, recruit NPCs to live at Wishvale, hunt mega beasts to fill the Monster Arena, or search for collectibles to fill your museum. There's plenty to do, and I never found myself bored while exploring Orsterra, even when my time with the game ticked past the 60-hour mark. Your companions and fellow Wishvale residents are there to see your journey to the very end. Screenshot by Destructoid Whatever you choose to do, it's done against an incredibly gorgeous backdrop. If you’ve played an Octopath Traveler game, you’re more than familiar with how far Square Enix has pushed the boundaries of what it can do with pixelated, 2D graphics. The scenery is truly breathtaking, and there were plenty of moments where I stopped just to take in the visuals. How the development team gets that water looking so crispy or those snowflakes so beautiful is an enigma to us all, but boy, is it striking. All in all, Octopath Traveler 0 is a delightful experience that offers something new to the franchise. Though it deviates from the franchise’s narrative formula, it’s worth picking up if you want a solid, turn-based JRPG experience. And if you’re already a fan of the series? Start packing your bags, friend, we’re heading back to Orsterra. The post Octopath Traveler 0 review – A triumphant return to Orsterra that feels fresh, personal, and unforgettable appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
The $55 billion leveraged buyout which will see Saudi Arabia, Silver Lake and Jared Kushner become the new owners of EA will reportedly lead to the Saudi Public Investment Fund owning a whopping 93.4 percent of the game publishers. That's assuming the deal goes through as planned. Read more View the full article
Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"View the full article
Fern "Antireal" Hook, the artist who found her own designs and graphics in Bungie's Marathon, has confirmed she has "resolved" the issue with the studio and its parent company Sony. In a brief update posted to X/Twitter, Hook wrote: "The Marathon art issue has been resolved with Bungie and Sony Interactive Entertainment to my satisfaction." She did not provide details of any settlement. Destiny 2 developer Bungie found itself battling accusations of plagiarism back in May after Hook accused the studio of lifting aspects of her artwork for its upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon. In screenshots taken from Marathon's alpha playtest accompanying the tweet, Hook alleged she could see distinct icons and graphics she designed, some of which were originally shared on social media years ago in 2017. bungie is of course not obligated to hire me when making a game that draws overwhelmingly from the same design language i have refined for the last decade, but clearly my work was good enough to pillage for ideas and plaster all over their game without pay or attribution. [Hidden Content] — N² (@4nt1r34l) May 15, 2025 Shortly afterwards, Marathon game director Joe Ziegler and art director Joe Cross apologized on a painfully uncomfortable livestream that featured no Marathon art or footage at all, as the team was "still scrubbing all of our assets to make sure that we are being respectful of the situation." The studio commenced an "immediate investigation," eventually acknowledging that a "former Bungie artist" had indeed used Fern Hook's work without compensation or credit. And then, of course, Marathon was delayed into 2026 as Bungie worked to respond to feedback from playtests. Things went very quiet until Marathon reemerged in October, when Bungie announced the extraction shooter was ready for a limited, invite-only playtest for players in North America and Europe across PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and Steam. The art issue continues to cast a shadow, though. Last month, the director of the Marathon reveal cinematic short expressed his disbelief that he felt forced to come out and defend the work as "not AI." Marathon has certainly endured a troubled development and has suffered multiple delays. The pressure is on for Marathon to succeed amid Destiny 2’s high-profile struggles. Earlier this month, parent company Sony said Bungie had failed to meet its sales and user engagement targets, resulting in a $200 million impairment charge. Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky. View the full article
Lengthy RPGs are one of the great joys in my life, but it can sometimes feel a bit daunting to pack one into just a few weeks for the review process. As of writing this, I have played just over 70 hours of Octopath Traveler 0 and am nearing the final few chapters in its main questline – and having played these kinds of RPGs most of my life, I already know those "final few chapters" will be anything but short. However, I'm eager to wrap them up in the coming days because it's been a worthwhile journey so far. Between the new wrinkles in its dynamic combat system and some fantastic music that uplift its big battles, Octopath Traveler 0 is hitting the right notes and delivering the things I seek from RPGs. The tales told within its various quest branches have been hit and miss, though, and I'm still waiting to see if the story will come together and hit its stride in this last stretch before I settle with a final, scored review. With Octopath Traveler 0, Square Enix has adapted the 2022 mobile game Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent into a more traditional package, serving as both a prequel to the original and a reconfiguration of what's already available on phones. Regardless of where I land in my final review, I'm glad it exists in this form at all since it ditches the gacha/microtransaction elements that were used to build your party and instead has you recruiting team members through sidequests. Thus, the better parts of the mobile game come to the forefront and highlight that the foundation of the series held up then and still holds up now. Story is where most of my reservations are since it hits some pretty high highs and fairly low lows. While I'm not expecting it to be the most beautifully written script or deepest character study, I've found several plot beats to fall quite flat due to some shallow storytelling, rudimentary dialogue, or things that happen just because. Comically evil villains make for bosses I get fired up to absolutely destroy, but when their cruelty and thirst for power is the main hook, I'm not coming away with a sense of satisfaction I've felt elsewhere (namely, Octopath Traveler 2). Like the rest of the series, godly powers linger in the background and slowly reveal themselves as you uncover the real purpose behind the eight divine rings, one of which is assigned to "the chosen one" who is your created protagonist. Despite the inconsistent quality of its storytelling across this long runtime, Octopath Traveler 0 runs at a decent pace and propels you forward without sitting on any one story thread for too long. A big part of this is in how the main questline is structured; after a tragic prologue where your hometown is burned to the ground, you're given three story branches to pursue the trio of villains responsible. Themed around power, fame, and wealth, respectively, those three paths then converge into a conclusion for what is roughly the first half of the overall story (at about 40 hours). It then splits into three new questlines that pick up those themes once again, and although they retread similar territory, the stakes get higher as more of Octopath's world gets involved. That's a lot to chew on, but it's able to keep momentum rather than trying to build eight separate stories that have to run in parallel. Octopath Traveler 2 was very successful in this regard and made for some of the most memorable RPG stories in recent memory, but this is a smart direction considering that this (and the mobile game) centers around recruiting a lot of characters to swap in and out of your party. Unfortunately this means most party members feel rather disposable, so the disonance it creates is just the trade-off that gets made. So far the story has hit some pretty high highs and fairly low lows. While I haven't experienced the same compelling, emotionally resonant character arcs I saw in the second game, specific moments remind me that there's still some heartfelt stuff tucked within. Whether it's a character wielding their pain from tragedy to summon a new power mid-battle or a quiet, reflective cutscene back at town to remind you what "home" really means, Octopath Traveler 0 has brief moments of greatness. The big picture is solid, too – the alliances and betrayals of various kingdoms don't get bogged down in exposition and deliver good old fashioned drama. The stories around Octopath's world religion get a bit unwieldy when it comes to the greater lore, but it's not incomprehensible and makes the mechanism of the church quite clear. Like the previous game, class warfare and going from nothing to something remains a prominent motif, and even though it fumbles the messaging at times here, it's willing to talk about those topics with enough clarity. Whether or not all these threads pay off, well, that's what's left for me to determine as I finish the main story. Now, that's the A-plot. There's a B-plot that revolves around rebuilding your hometown through an independent but related questline that's tied to the town-building system. In the process of bringing your hometown back to life narratively, you actually rebuild it in a similar vein to Fallout 4 or even Ni no Kuni 2. You collect crafting materials naturally throughout which then allow you to build housing, shops, and decor wherever you like within certain parameters. It’s an enjoyable side activity, with tangible benefits that come from constructing new buildings and recruiting new residents you invite from across the map. You get perks such as discounted shop prices, a self-sufficient flow of materials, and a training ground for inactive party members to continue leveling up, among other things. Town building may seem optional at first, but it becomes almost essential the deeper you get, especially when you consider the story's broader message about what home means to you and the people you care for. It's a bit cheesy at times, but its heart is in the right place as it gets sentimental about what it takes to rebuild after losing everything. You get a ton of sidequests thrown at you as you progress in the main game, many of which are a short series' of objectives to unlock new party members – some of which are cast members from the original game. It's super cool to see, but don't expect them to have any particular depth as the main story is largely focused on specific, non-optional characters. One thing I do enjoy about Octopath games and RPGs like them is the sense of discovery and stumbling upon secrets or locations you wouldn't visit otherwise, and the sidequests, if anything, have been a good way to pull you in those directions. I've been on record saying Octopath Traveler 2 has one of my favorite turn-based combat systems ever; it shines here as well and for slightly different reasons. The Boost and Break systems give the typical dynamic of hitting elemental affinities extra depth. Playing the guessing game of discovering what enemies are weak against gets a little tiresome, but once that part is solved, scheming for your plan of attack based on turn order to Break enemies and tee up the big hits is oh so satisfying. Building each party members' Boost points to add extra hits or increase spell potency gives you something to plan around for turns well in advance. And lining up all these variables while juggling the threat of hard-hitting bosses who impose some impactful status ailments have me feeling like a genius tactician. Octopath might be playing on our nostalgia with its HD-2D retro-style visuals, but I honestly believe it has continually set a higher bar for turn-based combat systems in modern gaming. This series has continually set a higher bar for turn-based combat systems. Party composition is quite different this time around since you have eight active party members at all times – four in the front row and four in the back who you can swap between mid-turn. With 30-something characters in my current roster, it's an overwhelming amount to process and manage. But while the fundamentals of Octopath's combat system are familiar, pairing characters as duos for the column they occupy is a unique strategic layer that allows for a lot of flexibility in combat. And because they build Boost points individually, you can dole out the big hits more frequently and keep up a brisk pace in battle. You sacrifice individual character depth, however, as each party member has just one Job to progress through (aside from your protagonist), but you can at least master specific Job skills to then equip on other characters to diversify their moveset. I'm not quite ready to say whether I like this combat more or less than Octopath Traveler 2 since I found its character growth more meaningful, but it’s still been a welcome change of pace that hits the turn-based highs that've made the series special. The slow-motion cinematic camera cuts for Max Boost attacks and tide-turning limit breaks still get me hyped up, giving combat the visual flair that truly makes the HD-2D style stand out when the action picks up. The confluence of thoughtful gameplay, fantastic graphics, and a ******** soundtrack that contends with some of the RPG greats, showcases why the genre is still in good hands. Octopath Traveler 0 has so much firing off in parallel with its separate story branches, overarching themes, and complex-but-satisfying RPG combat system, and I'm excited to see how it all concludes as I inch closer to the end. Great RPGs live or die by how their final acts play out – with the expectation of wild boss battles, story revelations, and resolution to an 80-hour-plus journey, a lot is riding on it. And I'm just as eager to finalize my thoughts and feelings on Octopath Traveler 0 soon after. View the full article
Picking a first job for your protagonist in Octopath Traveler 0 can be tough, as there are several options to pick from, and they all offer different pros and cons to your party composition. The new entry in Square Enix’s RPG series is about to be released and will offer a new take on the franchise while retaining the central aspects of its gameplay. There are new features in Octopath Traveler 0 that aren’t present in the previous core games. View the full article
Using the best party combinations in Octopath Traveler 0 can be what determines if you beat enemies or are defeated in battle. The new installment in Square Enix’s RPG franchise has a different take from previous entries. In addition to the life-sim gameplay module, in which you’ll rebuild your hometown, you’ll also craft a custom protagonist in Octopath Traveler 0, and have the Ringbearer unlock various jobs as you progress through the campaign. View the full article
Octopath Traveler 0 is the newest entry in Square Enix’s series of RPGs, and it comes with significant differences in comparison to the two core games that preceded it. The latest installment is Square Enix's AAA take on the free mobile gacha game, Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, and it has some special features that didn’t appear in 1 and 2. View the full article
s much as I love Disney Dreamlight Valley, getting around by foot can be tedious. You don't really think about it when you've only got the valley to explore, as each of the biomes feel so close you don't need to make a massive journey to get where you need to go. However, the sheer size of the game now it has received three expansions, alongside all the unlockable biomes in the Dream Castle, means there's a lot more ground to cover. And frankly, running around on foot doesn't cut it. Of course, you can glide, but I don't keep on top of my stamina enough to constantly do that... Read more.View the full article
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We're on our kneesView the full article