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With the ghosts and ghouls gone after Halloween, November is bringing plenty of new video games to play this autumn. A perennial chart-topper will see its latest iteration in Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7, which is going toe-to-toe with distinguished October game releasesBattlefield 6 and, to a lesser degree, ARC Raiders. View the full article

Battlefield 6 has been a real triumph so far; a return to bombastic brilliance for a series that has brought us some of the best FPS games of all time. To supplement this, its developer has deployed its contender to Call of Duty Warzone. Battlefield Redsec is a free-to-play companion to BF6 that includes a battle royale and a gauntlet mode where teams race to complete challenges, and it's largely a good twist on the formula, even if its Steam reviews might tell you otherwise. But it's not for everyone, and Battlefield Studios has just responded to complaints that challenges were pushing the mode on them with a very welcome change. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Grab a free Battlefield 6 GeForce RTX 5090 FE worth $2,000, thanks to Nvidia All Battlefield 6 battle pass rewards Best Battlefield 6 settings for optimized PC performance View the full article

Stray Children is basically everything I wanted from a successor to Moon, and the people at Onion Games are some of the brightest creative voices in the business. View the full article

Following the remaster's announcement last year, the new DX version is hopefully not too far away. View the full article

ARC Raiders has plenty of items for you to loot, and Rusted Tools can easily fly below the radar if you don't know where to look. Rusted Tools' biggest use is to unlock the Gunsmith 2 upgrade for your Workshop, but they also have other uses inside the game. This guide will help you find the item and pinpoint strategies for efficient farming. Table of contentsHow to find Rusted Tools in ARC RaidersHow to use Rusted Tools in ARC RaidersHow to find Rusted Tools in ARC Raiders As of writing, I have yet to find a spot that feels like an efficient farming spot for Rusted Tool. However, you can find them on every map in ARC Raiders from the mechanical loot pools. In case you're unaware, every map has one of the four themes, and it will be displayed across your HUD. You'll want to be in an area that's tagged as Mechanical. Screenshot and Remix by Destructoid I have marked locations on the Blue Gate map in the screenshot above. Precisely, you'll want to be looking for the buildings and areas marked with the Mechanical tag. Once you're at the right spot, start opening the containers you see around. Obtaining Rusted Pools eventually depends on luck, and its spawn rate is lower (since it's a Rare loot). You'll also want to be careful if you're playing solo, since opening the containers will create noise and can attract enemy attention. How to use Rusted Tools in ARC Raiders The primary use of Rusted Tools is to get the Gunsmith 2 upgrade from your Workshop. Here's the complete list of items you'll need for the upgrade. 3 Rusted Tools5 Mechanical Components8 Wasp Driver You can also sell Rusted Tools for 1000 coins apiece. You can also salvage or recycle Rusted Tools to get the following items. 8 Metal Parts and 1 Steel Spring (from recycling)7 Metal Parts (from Salvage) Do note that Rusted Tools is typically a heavy item, so you'll need to pay attention to its weight if your inventory is about to reach its maximum capacity. The post How to find and use Rusted Tools in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 came out a short while ago, and the reception has been a little underwhelming. That's a disappointing result for one of this year's biggest Halloween titles, but it gives us an excuse to unearth many vampire-themed titles worthy of your time. Vampyr Image via Dontnod The original Bloodlines suffered a lot at release because it came out unfinished. Though the game was definitely a diamond because of its fantastic writing and setting, few even got to learn about its qualities as most players quit upon encountering one too many bugs scarier than any undead entity in that game. Bloodlines 2, on the other hand, is very playable from the start, but its plot and progression have garnered criticism for feeling like a much washed-down version of the original. Vampyr provides players with an experience closer to the dark and cool vampire-themed action of the original Bloodlines. Vampyr didn't receive amazing scores because of a few gameplay hiccups, but nothing that'll scare anyone who experienced the original Bloodlines, so if you're looking for a gripping and biting vampire tale, this is the one to go for. Soul Reaver Remastered Image via Aspyr Wheres Vampire: The Masquerade games go for the "vampires living among us" type of narrative, the Legacy Of Kain series, and the Soul Reaver series, especially, takes the exact opposite approach. This is a story about a world where vampires have long crawled out of the shadows to take over the world, and how that's not great news even for them. This is not an RPG, more of a gothic Tomb Raider-like, but anyone who enjoys vampire-themed stories is sure to enjoy this well-crafted, very well-written narrative and its beautiful exploration of dungeons and philosophical themes. V Rising Image by Stunlock Studios Because not all Vampire games have to be about gripping narratives. V Rising is surely deserving of your love for providing what seems like a much more realistic vampire life simulator. Here, players don't have to worry about grand plots and schemes, but rather about surviving from the moment they become a lowly vampire till they become a Dracula-level menace that everyone in their world will fear. Players will have to face off against varied enemies here in tense RPG battles, but the biggest threats are not having enough blood to feed on and the sun. V Rising isn't a simple game by any means, but the feeling of a back-to-basics approach hits just great for a change. Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption Image via Activision The most obvious answer is often the best, though many simply don't even know about this answer. Whenever people talk about Vampire RPGs, they always think of Bloodlines first, but that's not even the first great Vampire: The Masquerade video game. Redemption plays a little more like Diablo than the mix between Half-Life 2 and Deus Ex of Bloodlines, but it has a lot of unique strengths of its own. For one, this is one of the few games of its kind where players will get to experience both medieval times, plagued by the vampire scourge, then the modern day, also plagued by vampires. Even today, Redemption is incredibly immersive, and anyone who enjoys grim medieval tales is sure to get a dark kick out of this one. The post Think Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 sucks in the wrong way? Try these great, fun, sexy vampire games instead appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

While it's fun to see watch your R.E.P.O. teammates clutch a level or crumble under the pressure, there's no reason why you can't get involved from beyond the grave. A revive should be inevitable—so long as your teammate doesn't send you straight to the Disposal Arena. But who wants to wait that long? Haunting survivors with the Death Head Possession can not only help pass the time, but also create opportunity for those alive to get to the next level. How does this Monster Update mechanic work, though, and what does the Death Head Battery upgrade do? Here's what you need to know so you're prepared the next time you're stuck spectating. How to use the Death Head Possession in R.E.P.O. Screenshot by Destructoid The Death Head Possession is a mechanic that allows any dead semibot to communicate to their alive teammate(s) via the voice channel. Rather than typing away in the chat to send an ominous message from your semibot's severed head, the possession gives you a direct line to any passers-by. The possession works just like ordinary voice chat, using the same proximity feature, meaning it's not always guaranteed a screaming semibot head will be heard. You can help semibots get to the nearest Extraction Point if it hasn't been activated yet, warn others what killed them, or move into a more open position so your head is easier to grab. The Death Head Possession has a limited charge which drains fast and takes even longer to charge up. This mechanic has proved useful at luring monster away from my alive teammates, specifically when dealing with the Huntsman without any weapons. Monsters like the Huntsman can be drawn to a Fallen One if they're making enough noise, especially if this monster is patrolling close by. You can also warn teammates within voice chat proximity if monsters are nearby so they don't have to talk. Screenshot by Destructoid You can jump during the possession with spacebar. Holding this down lets you fling yourself upwards, but it's a difficult feat if you're already inside the C.A.R.T. It's slow (and painful at times), but you can reposition yourself so you're easier to find and so you can get a better sense of your surroundings to help guide your semibot away from monsters. What does Death Head Battery upgrade do? Screenshot by Destructoid But the Death Head Possession cannot last forever. While it charges as the Fallen One's eyes slowly open until wide—indicating the battery is full—its default battery is incredibly small. You need multiple Death Head Battery upgrades if you want to speak for longer or move more freely during possession. This extends how long you can talk and move around for, but the charging time remains as slow as ever. The battery is essential for double-digit levels, especially if you find yourself dying a lot. This is so you don't need to invest in the Map Player Count upgrade seeing as the Death Head Possession is more entertaining to use while you wait for a revive. As the possession is the perfect distraction to keep monsters away from your friends, there's nothing to lose by extending your Death Head Battery. Just don't get anyone killed by yapping too much. The post How does Death Head Battery work in R.E.P.O.? appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Performance issues in 2025 are a fact of life, especially when a game is crafted using highly demanding tech like the Unreal Engine 5. ARC Raiders is one such title, but unlike its peers is so well-optimized that I cannot criticize it for anything, except for maybe ghosting and blurry AA, but that's a small gripe at most. Some players are experiencing a bit of a turbulence, though, having their game ****** on them during heated moments or just browsing the menus. So if you're one of that bunch, here's what you could do to fix that. ARC Raiders PC crashing - Potential fixes and causes Combat can get heated easily in ARC Raiders, and with so many players around, CPUs can suffer badly. Image via Embark Studios ARC Raiders is a super well-optimized game, but not one that all PCs will be able to handle. Specifically, this title appears to be quite demanding in the CPU and RAM departments, throwing a complete tantrum if it doesn't have enough resources to use during active engagements. As such, its crashes tend to be connected to your CPU and RAM, and these are the potential fixes: Shut down any and all background programs: Anything that you can turn off, you should, and especially your browser. If you have 16GB of RAM or less, having background processes hog your memory will inevitably cause freezes, stutters, and eventually, crashes. I have noticed a significant improvement in performance and stability by minimizing background apps. You can do so by debloating Windows or leaving only bare necessities in your Task Manager's startup section. Install latest chipset drivers for your CPU: Having the latest and greatest software solutions for any hardware installed could result in marginal and noticeable performance improvements, particularly when it comes to overall system stability. Turn down all CPU-related settings: Post-processing effects, shadows, ray-tracing, and particles are super dependent on your CPU, which can cause spikes in CPU usage that lead to freezes and, in some cases, crashes. This is most noticeable in heated shootouts, which are frequent in ARC Raiders, as your PC needs to render dynamic effects in real time. We have a guide for optimal settings on PC, so do make sure you check it out. The above should result in an overall improved and more stable experience, but you should also try running the game in dedicated full screen to further minimize the amount of resources set aside for background processes. ARC Raiders is a beautiful game, but also needs a strong-enough machine to run. Image via Embark Studios Unreal Engine 5 games also tend to suffer from GPU-related issues, though these are most commonly associated with the drivers and other software solutions. If you're experiencing Direct X-related crashes or if your whole PC freezes up when ARC is about to ******, you're probably witnessing driver failure. This is what you can do to fix that: Use DDU to completely remove GPU drivers from your PC, and then reinstall them: DDU is an open-source program that allows you to wipe your driver slate clean and ensure no trace of your previous GPU driver remains on the machine, ensuring no compatibility issues arise. Then, you can download a fresh driver from your manufacturer's website, which should come with a set of game-specific improvements that'll enable ARC Raiders to perform better. All of the above should be done in safe mode, so as to avoid conflicts with other programs. Reset all overclocking and tuning you may have done: Unstable overclocks can destroy PC performance, causing graphical glitches, artifacts, freezing, and complete PC crashes. A good, healthy, and balanced OC can improve performance, but overdoing it tends to do the opposite. Simply reset your GPU settings to default and play with its out-of-the-box performances, at least until you can deduce that they're not causing the crashes. Reinstall Windows if drivers keep bricking: Sometimes your drivers can get conflicted with other software on your PC, causing friction and issues in performance. Identifying the specific program can be tedious at times, so reinstalling Windows completely and then debloating it is the way to go. Be sure to back-up any potential important data you have beforehand. If the above doesn't help whatsoever, then you might want to reinstall the game, verify game files, try to tweak the settings, or contact ARC Raiders support to see if you can't work something out. UE5 is a strange engine, but Embark did all it could to make it as optimized and performative as possible, with any issues arising usually related to individuals' machines than the game itself. The post How to fix ARC Raiders crashing on PC appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Французская студия Don’t Nod продолжает находиться в кризисном состоянии. Согласно свежему финансовому отчёту, вышедшая в этом году Lost Records: Bloom & Rage не оправдала ожиданий руководства по продажам. Хотя выручка студии выросла до семи миллионов евро, ей пришлось частично списать активы на 13,1 миллиона евро. View the full article

Экстракшен-шутер Escape from Tarkov ушёл «на золото». Об этом сообщил его автор Никита Буянов. Он поблагодарил поклонников за поддержку, отметив, что критика сообщества помогла вдохнуть в игру жизнь и глубину. View the full article

На этой неделе состоялся глобальный релиз ролевой игры The Outer Worlds 2 от студии Obsidian Entertainment. Игра доступна как на ПК, Xbox Series X|S и PlayStation 5, так и в подписочном сервисе Game Pass. View the full article

Организация Entertainment Software Rating Board, основным направлением деятельности которой является принятие и определение рейтингов для компьютерных и видеоигр в США и Канаде, выдала возрастной рейтинг ремейку Silent Hill 2 для Xbox Series X|S. View the full article

На этой неделе компания EA выпустила королевскую битву Battlefield REDSEC. Однако далеко не все оценили игру положительно. View the full article

During the newest Devstream, Digital Eclipse detailed the next major update and showcased the Switch 2 build for Warframe running in handheld mode with DLSS. View the full article

Square Enix shares new Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2 screenshots. View the full article

Hades II's first post-launch patch brings in true ending enhancements, a Cauldron incantation to return to an earlier point in the story, and more. View the full article

Dang, no mercyView the full article

I thought I was only going to play five or six hours of ARC Raiders on launch day before sitting down to write this initial review-in-progress, but after just a handful of matches, I suddenly couldn’t pull myself away – and before I realized it, I’d been playing for 10 hours. This is without question the most hooked I’ve found myself on an extraction shooter (and I’ve played a lot of them), with clean and tense gunplay, a progression system that’s been incredibly satisfying so far, and a loot game that has me sweating over what to put in my backpack and what to leave behind. I’ve still got loads more to do and see before I can draw any final conclusions, but what I have played has made an incredibly good first impression. ARC Raiders follows the usual extraction shooter formula of dropping you into a zone to take down NPC enemies and scramble for loot, all while looking over your shoulder for rival crews who would love nothing more than to crack you open like a meat pinata and take everything you’ve collected. From what I’ve seen so far, ARC Raiders hasn’t done much to iterate on those fundamentals, but it does absolutely nail them, and that’s harder to do than it might sound – for example, a big budget attempt like Battlefield 2042’s Hazard Zone mostly fell flat, and the alpha for Bungie's Marathon landed with such a thud it was delayed indefinitely. One of the main ways it succeeds is in its stressful gunplay, where weapons only have a few rounds in each magazine, take a good deal of time to reload, and the robotic NPCs are either much faster than you or can rain down missiles to take you out in a single blast. This means I’m usually feeling like a rodent sneaking around to scavenge food and supplies from the world before slinking back to base – but when combat does break out, it’s charged with delightful anxiety thanks to the high-risk, high-reward situation of knowing you’re either about to lose everything you’ve fought for or grab some awesome gear off the corpses of those you’ve bested. This includes both AI-controlled and human players, as both can be found and fought out in the world, though it’s best to avoid either of them unless you know you’ve brought the gear and skills required for a fight. That’s because firing a shot has a good chance of drawing all robot enemies and loot-hungry players to your position, taking advantage of your vulnerability to do as much damage as possible. All four of the maps I’ve seen so far have very cool and distinct vibes to them, from the ruined husk of a waterlogged dam to a city buried in red sand. It’s a good thing that they’re so great to look at, too, because you’ll spend a whole lot of time trekking back and forth across them in search of loot. I still feel like I haven’t seen most of the nooks and crannies of these areas, despite having played on them for dozens of matches already, but they are starting to feel a little familiar to me. Here’s hoping they’ve still got secrets to uncover that expand the amount of time I’m willing to spend on each. As I work toward exploring every last zone, one thing I’m still looking for is an enemy combatant I haven’t faced yet (aside from the massive tanks, which I’m just steering clear of at this early stage). Most of my NPC combat encounters have been against the small roly poly bots and flying drones that are fairly easy to destroy, with my fellow players being the only proper challenge so far. I’m looking forward to the point where I’m powerful enough to actually engage with some of the chonkier enemies more seriously, but it still would have been nice to have a wider variety of low level AI combatants to shake up the early game a bit. Thankfully, even as maps and enemies have begun to feel familiar, that hasn’t dampened my desire to play just because of how good the loot and progressions systems are. Every run, win or lose, has me excited to return to the cozy sanctuary of Speranza, where I can chat with vendors, turn in and accept new quests, upgrade my facilities that allow me to craft items and gain access to new upgrades, customize my character’s appearance, and spend skill points that make me slightly better at things like keeping quiet while rifling through loot during matches. There’s so much to do and unlock that I truly feel I’ve only scratched the surface in this regard, and that’s kept me glued to my controller and eager to dive into new matches. Anyway, there’s still lots to do and robots to slay, so I’ll be headed back out to the wastes for more just as soon as I’m finished typing. You can expect a full, scored review early next week! View the full article

"IllFonic remains committed to delivering a compelling and authentic Halloween singleplayer offering that matches the meticulous cadence of the original film"View the full article

Mechanical Components are one of the many resources you can find in ARC Raiders, and farming them will be immensely helpful for different reasons. Mechanical Components, like other items in the game, are found in different locations. However, you can also get them from recycling stuff that you don't need from your inventory. Additionally, you can also craft them from the correct raw materials. This guide will explain both methods, along with shedding light on how to use them. How to get Mechanical Components in ARC Raiders The easiest way to get Mechanical Components is by crafting them from the Refinery. You can use the Refinery at your Workshop to create Mechanical Components, and these are the items that you'll require: 7 Metal Parts3 Rubber Parts Both Metal Parts and Rubber Parts are common items that you can find all over the map. They're among the most common loot to get, so finding them won't be a problem. If you upgrade Scrappy, he will also help you find the two items that we are discussing. You can also get Metal Parts and Rubber Parts by salvaging scrap. The quantity you get from the process will be random, but you should have enough. Incidentally, you can also get Mechanical Components directly from recycling your weapons. However, you'll have to recycle Uncommon weapons or Uncommon mods. You can also recycle upgraded versions of certain weapons to gain Mechanical Components. In general, recycling weapons to get Mechanical Components is an inefficient way. Given how common Metal Parts and Rubber Parts are, it's better to use your Refinery. How to use Mechanical Components in ARC Raiders Mechanical Components are beneficial when it comes to upgrading and tuning your weapon parts. You can craft various weapon parts with it first, and then use Mechanical Components with other items to upgrade them. However, Mechanical Components are also required to upgrade to Gunsmith 2, which is exceptionally crucial when you're starting in ARC Raiders. Hence, always salvage as many Metal Parts and Rubber Parts as you can, but make sure to extract successfully to bring them to your Workshop. The post How to find and use Mechanical Components in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Embark Studios has shared a preliminary ARC Raiders content roadmap for the remainder of 2025. The near-future agenda includes new weapons, events, and quests, as well as another ARC Raiders map, among multiple other novelties. View the full article

Bandai Namco's newest Tales of remaster launches in the West a day after Japan in the form of Tales of Xillia Remastered. View the full article

ARC Raiders' world is a living one with other players, menacing robot enemies, and even special events you can find and participate in. One of these events happens near the Launch Towers on the Spaceport map, and properly executing what you need to do means high tier loot for you and your friends (or just you), and it involves finding Fuel Cells to power up a door so you can climb all the way up top. Here's what you need to do to get it done. ARC Raiders Fuel Cells Spaceport Launch Towers location The image below showcases where the Fuel Cells spawn as part of the Launch Towers looting event on Spaceport. Screenshot and remix by Destructoid The Fuel Cells can be found around several of these entrances that lead to the underground area, as shown in the green circles on the map image above. They sometimes spawn along the outer concrete edges of the doorways themselves. Screenshot by Destructoid Once you grab a Fuel Cell, you can then carry the Fuel Cell to the Launch Towers zipline and place them into a generator to power up the locked doors so you can ascend to the very top of the tower. Once you're in the tower, you can loot whatever is inside. If you keep going higher to the rooftop, you will find a button that you can press that will begin the event and spawn a number of flying ARC enemies. Defeat the bots and then loot the high-tier chest next to the button you pressed to begin the event to find high quality gear and blueprints. This YouTube video shows what the encounter looks like. There's a chest on both towers, so use the zipline to loot both of them before heading back to Speranza with your quality gear. Good luck out there, Raider. The post Where to find the Launch Towers Fuel Cells on Spaceport in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Fortnite's new Simpsons-themed mini season is launching tomorrow after a playable event, and early looks released today tease an experience that looks absolutely awesome. YouTuber NickEh30 posted a video today featuring early gameplay of the new map and season from a visit to Epic Games' headquarters, and the island itself is absolutely glorious. It genuinely kind of looks like Springfield ripped straight out of the cartoon with a cel-shaded aesthetic and points of interest from the show. Screenshot by Destructoid via NickEh30 You can find Ned Flanders hanging out in his own house, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant where Homer works, Kamp Krusty, and even Mr. Burns' Manor. It's all there, and for a fan of The Simpsons (who among us hasn't at least seen the show or played one of the games over the years?) it's a delight. I haven't watched The Simpsons in many years, but I remember growing up watching it (the controversy around who shot Mr. Burns was the talk of my elementary school) and playing Simpsons video games. This is really awesome, but it's just par for the course for this game. Fortnite does awesome stuff like this so often that it feels like we as gamers take it for granted, when it is still just pretty mindblowing to think about. The Simpsons is just the latest IP that has made its way into Fortnite, alongside just about anything else you can think about. Star Wars? Yep. Spider-Man? Yes. Batman? Of course. Lady Gaga? Well, yes! At this point, if you can think of it, you can find it in Fortnite or at the very least imagine it coming to the game eventually. Years ago when big tech was discussing the metaverse that never quite came to fruition...well, I think it did in Fortnite. It's about as Ready Player One as we've gotten so far, and collabs like this one only make that feel more real. I mean, even the YouTuber in the video has his own skin in the game. It's wild to sit and think about just how big this game is when it comes to random collaborations, which has become a bit of a meme in and of itself, but I feel like we should appreciate how cool this all is a bit more. [Hidden Content] The Simpsons-themed battle pass has skins for Marge Simpson, Homer Simpson, Ned Flanders, and more, and it'll be available when the mini-season goes live tomorrow after the special live event at 10am CT. The post Fortnite’s Simpsons season looks like Springfield sprung to life, and I think we take this kind of stuff for granted appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

The Reduced to Rubble is the first task you get in the Blue Gate region in ARC Raiders, and it can feel quite confusing. The mission at first feels simple, but there's no exact guidance on where you have to be. You get the quest from Shani after you complete the First Foothold quest. The Reduced to Rubble quest involves searching for a highway and finding out why it collapsed in the first place. This guide will help you to locate the Collapsed Highway and complete the quest without any hassle. Table of contentsWhere is the Collapsed Highway in ARC Raiders?How to complete the Reduced to Rubble quest in ARC RaidersWhere is the Collapsed Highway in ARC Raiders? Once you have gained access to the Blue Gate Area, head towards the southern part of the map. As you can see in the screenshot below, there's an area marked as Highway Collapse. This is where you have to be to spot and photograph the Collapsed Highway. Screenshot and remix by Destructoid The quest marker will directly take you to a section of broken roadway. Once you reach the position, you'll get a prompt to take a photo. You can use the binoculars to zoom in and find the location (provided by the quest). Make sure to reach the exact location to get the prompt for the photograph. How to complete the Reduced to Rubble quest in ARC Raiders Screenshot and remix by Destructoid The next part of the mission is to travel to Broken Earth to find the remains of a gigantic ARC. The quest asks you to "follow the trail", but the actual job is to find the salvage. Approach the ARC, and the quest automatically updates. Complete the investigation to unlock the storyline objectives available at the Blue Gate location, which allows you to access more exploration-based quests in the area. The post ARC Raiders Reduced to Rubble quest walkthrough – Collapsed Highway photography location appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article