The power of PC gaming means you can experience the eye-melting crispness of some of the most advanced graphics around. If you have the juice for it, natch. With something like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, you don't necessarily need a monster rig, but you may still want an enhanced performance.

Say you want to run Warhorse Studios' new game through Steam, but you're not confident in your PC's hardware capabilities, well this is where modding comes to the rescue. Thanks to Nexus Mods user Jindra1403, you can reduce the visuals in Deliverance 2 beyond what the vanilla release ideally wants.

This comes in two flavors: Very Low and Ultra Low, both of which do exactly what you'd expect. The former will allow you to "run the game at acceptable frame rates on systems with much lower specifications than those minimal required by the game."

Who needs textures, anyway?

If, however, you need to be doubly sure Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will run smoothly, the latter reduces graphical fidelity even more. The images show what can only be described as a "smooth" character, one devoid of any detail. But, crucially, it will allow you to run the game on lower-spec systems.

Also, the overall resolution for both mods has been "brute forced to HD (1280x720)," with V-Sync turned off for Ultra Low settings. You can change this in Notepad if you wish. It's also worth noting that neither of these mods will "interfere with or change DLSS/FSR settings," though Jindra1403 suggests leaving them off. You may also encounter a couple of issues, given that these settings take the game below expectations in terms of visuals.

According to Steam, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 doesn't require anything too beastly if you just want to run it at minimum requirements. It's only once you're aiming for recommended settings that we start to see words like "RTX 4070" crop up.

The post PC can’t quite match Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s needs? Try these low graphics mods appeared first on Destructoid.

Yumemizuki Mizuki (say that five times fast) is a 5-star Anemo Catalyst user in Genshin Impact. As an on-field Swirl DPS, Mizuki’s build requirements are quite unique. Here’s how to build Mizuki to blow away your competition!

What Talents to level on Mizuki

The Swirl reaction on its own doesn’t rely on Talent levels to deal damage. The top priority for Mizuki is to reach level 90 with as much Elemental Mastery as possible. Then, you can work on her Talents.

As for her Talents, prioritize Mizuki’s Skill, then Burst. Her Skill levels will increase the bonus damage dealt by her Swirls. Mizuki’s Burst levels increase her healing. You can ignore Mizuki’s Normal Attacks since they aren’t used in combat at all.

Best artifacts for Mizuki

Mizuki should equip the 4pc Viridescent Venerer (4VV) set. This is hands-down the best artifact set for Mizuki’s damage. If you don’t have a full 4VV set, equip whatever you have that provides the most Elemental Mastery and use it to farm a full set.

As for artifact stats, Mizuki only cares about two: Elemental Mastery (EM) and Energy Recharge (ER). EM main stats across the board will result in the highest damage, and you should be able to get enough Energy Recharge through substats. An Energy Recharge Sands can be a comfortable option, though, if you prefer more reliable Burst uptime at the expense of a bit of damage.

How much Energy Recharge does Mizuki need?

Mizuki’s ER requirements will depend heavily on her team but generally aren’t that high. Instead of aiming for a specific number, I recommend just focusing on obtaining artifacts with EM main stats and ER substats. As a ballpark estimate, 160% should be fine for most teams.

Best weapons for Mizuki

Mizuki’s best weapon is Sunny Morning Sleep-In, her signature 5-star Catalyst. It grants a significant amount of EM, making it the highest-damage option for Mizuki. Before you go gambling on the weapon banner, though, see if you already have any of the other weapons that can work on Mizuki.

A Thousand Floating Dreams or Starcaller’s Watch are strong contenders for second place. While their passives aren’t ideal for Mizuki, they still provide a good amount of EM through their secondary stat. Both weapons are limited 5-star Catalysts, though, so I only recommend using these if you already happen to have them.

Mizuki’s best 4-star weapon

As for 4-star weapons, Sacrificial Fragments is Mizuki’s strongest option for personal damage. It has the highest EM secondary stat of all 4-star Catalysts and can potentially allow for shorter rotations through its passive. You don’t even need a high-Refinement Sacrificial Fragments since its passive isn’t actually necessary.

Wandering Evenstar results in less personal damage but provides an ATK buff to Mizuki’s teammates based on her EM stat. If you’re okay with sacrificing some of Mizuki’s damage in exchange for more team damage, Wandering Evenstar is a great option. Refinements are welcome, but they might be hard to obtain due to Wandering Evenstar’s status as a limited weapon.

Best free-to-play weapon for Mizuki

Fruit of Fulfillment is Mizuki’s best weapon for free-to-play players who might not have the other options above. Its ER secondary stat means you can safely opt for EM sands, and it provides Mizuki with a decent EM buff. Fruit of Fulfillment can be crafted at any blacksmith using billets. If you decide to equip Mizuki with Fruit of Fulfillment, I recommend Refining it as much as you can.

The post Yumemizuki Mizuki’s best builds in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

Marvel Rivals' new update gave Captain America and Luna Snow some fantastic new costumes, but it also snuck in some bug fixes that ironed out a few hero-specific glitches. Among these was a fix to a pair of crippling issues plaguing everyone's goopy alien antihero, Venom.

Marvel Rivals' new patch fixes crippling glitches affecting Venom

Since launch, Venom has sat comfortably at or near the top of Marvel Rivals' meta, and as a Venom main, I agree with the consensus on this one. Recently, though, I and other Venom players have had issues with Spider-Man's perennial rivals' signature abilities.

The first of these glitches affects Venom's... well, Venom Swing, one of the essential tools in the Symbiote-suited warrior's move set. If you use this in tandem with his wall-climbing ability and his Frenzied Arrival attack, Venom stops being a pretty standard Vanguard and becomes a terrifying ambush hunter. Trust me; dropping on an unsuspecting enemy team like a Xenomorph fresh off a hunger strike is one of Marvel Rivals' greatest pleasures.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Marvel Rivals players to notice that Venom Swing doesn't always work how it should. Sometimes, Venom's wing doesn't stop when he hits a wall, which is supposed to end the swing and give him a chance to cling to the wall. This can lead to catastrophic physics failures like the one you see below.

Venom Swing wasn't the only trick in Venom's arsenal that came out of the oven undercooked. Venom's ultimate ability, Feast of the Abyss, can be one of the most devastating in the game. By diving below the earth and re-emerging with a mouth the size of an elephant, Venom can deal massive damage to a group of enemy players AND punch them into the air, leaving them stunned. But if you used the ability as soon as you submerged, you wouldn't inflict any damage or knock anyone off their feet. Which can turn what could have been a glorious group kill into an embarrassing death.

Luckily for Venom lovers, Marvel Rivals' newest patch has fixed both issues. Now that we know he won't end up like Wile E. Coyote after a nasty Acme shopping spree, we can put any fears that Venom might lose his throne at the summit of Marvel Rivals' tier list to bed.

The post Marvel Rivals’ February patch cures Venom glitches appeared first on Destructoid.

Who doesn't love a good roadmap? Rabbit & Bear Studios, the folks behind Suikoden spiritual successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, just laid out one of their own with dates for three upcoming story expansions.

Players won't have to wait too long for the updates, each focusing on one of three main characters. It all starts on February 27 with The Chapter of Marisa, a Marisa-centric expansion that spins a yarn about the character's encounter with an enchanted girl. What happens when the pair set out to dig through the secrets of the "Child of the Rune," and what sinister forces are at work behind the scenes?

After that, we have The Chapter of Seign to look forward to on March 13, tasking Seign with handling an issue within the Galdean empire. The Chapter of Markus closes things out on April 3, as Markus, Carrie, and Nowa investigate the strange realm beyond a newly unlocked teleportation gateway.

All three chapters will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. If you fancy continuing your adventure over the next few months, the story expansions will be priced at $7.99 each.

It's also worth noting that, according to the latest Kickstarter update, these scenarios are the last parts of the game that Suikoden and Eiyuden Chronicles creator Yoshitaka Murayama worked on directly. The industry veteran passed away on February 6, 2024, after dealing with "complications with an ongoing illness." Maruyama was very enthusiastic about the project, so it will no doubt be worth seeing how his final pieces of input shaped the DLC to come. 

The post Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes sets dates for trio of story expansions appeared first on Destructoid.

Some of World of Warcraft's seasonal events have been going on for most, if not all, of its 20-year reign. Most years, nothing changes. This year's "Love is in the Air" event has some fancy new items to grab!

The majority of the content is found in the Gala of Gifts. It's located outside Orgrimmar and Stormwind, depending on your faction. If you're in Dornogal, there's a portal directly to the Gala near the bank.

Sweep them off their feet with a new mount

Most collectors will be happy to see a new mount available: the Love Witch's Sweeper. It's a stylish little getup that combines the speed and sleekness of a motorcycle with the sophistication of a witch's broom. Getting a handle on this sweet ride requires a bit of luck, as it's only available from the Heart-Shaped Box dropped by Apothecary Hummel.

To take a swing for the mount, use Group Finder to queue up for the Crown Chemical Co. mini-dungeon. By default, you can hit Ctrl+I to pull up that menu, and find the dungeon in the drop-down. It's just the one fight inside with three different enemies. Beat them, claim your loot, and open the box that's put into your inventory. Best of luck to you!

Give 'em the gold shoulder

The next new item is purchasable from a holiday vendor in the Gala of Gifts. It's an ensemble featuring the Truly Heartfelt Spaulders and Truly Heartfelt Shoulder Cape. They're perfect accents for anyone with a lovely pink and gold outfit in need of some accompanying shoulders.

The ensemble sells for 40 Love Tokens. These are special event currency that can be collected by doing the Chemical Crown Co. story questline, Gala dailies, and beating Apothecary Hummel in the mini-dungeon.

A rose by any other name

The final new item is for all the pet collectors out there. The Living Rose is an elemental type pet that looks like it crawled straight out of the Emerald Dream. It's only 40 Love Tokens, so you won't be breaking the bank or your heart to collect it.

The post What’s new in the Love is in the Air event in World of Warcraft 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

In Genshin Impact, the multi-element Traveler usually obtains Constellations by progressing quests and exploration in the many nations of Teyvat. Pyro Traveler breaks this pattern, though, and their Constellations are harder to obtain. Here’s what you need to unlock all of Pyro Traveler’s Constellations in Genshin Impact.

SPOILER WARNING: The content below contains heavy spoilers for the end of Natlan’s Archon Quests. Pyro Traveler Constellations are only obtainable after completing Chapter V Act V: Incandescent Ode of Resurrection, so come back here after you’ve experienced it!

Pyro Traveler Constellations explained

When you first obtain Pyro Traveler, you’ll see an animation where all six of your Constellations are unlocked at once. While this is exciting at first, the Constellations you unlock during the Archon Quest only take effect in specific scenarios.

These special Constellation effects start with the text, “When opposing the Lord of Eroded Primal Fire incarnated by Gosoythoth…” meaning they only take effect against this particular boss. This makes Pyro Traveler one of the most overpowered characters for the Lord of Eroded Primal Fire weekly boss challenge, but their Constellations lose their effects as soon as you leave the domain. Their true Constellations must be unlocked separately.

How to get Blazing Flint Ore

Instead of the typical Stella Fortuna, Pyro Traveler requires Blazing Flint Ore to unlock Constellations. Blazing Flint Ore is earned by reaching Reputation Level 4 with each of Natlan’s tribes. There are six tribes in total, so there are six Blazing Flint Ores to collect – one for each Constellation. (Only five tribes are available as of Version 5.4, but the last tribe should be released soon.)

To reach Reputation Rank 4 with each tribe, visit the obsidian totem at their tribal base, denoted by a triangular icon on your map. Complete bounties, fulfill supply requests, explore the area, and do world quests to fill in the Reputation meter. Tribal Chronicles quests are also a great source of Reputation EXP. Bounties and supply requests refresh every Monday, so it may take a few weeks to earn enough Reputation EXP. Once you’ve reached Rank 4, claim your Blazing Flint Ore from the rewards menu.

How to use Blazing Flint Ore

Once you have Blazing Flint Ore, head to the Throne of Primal Fire in Ochkanatlan. After witnessing The Captain take the throne, you should be able to teleport directly there. Make sure Pyro Traveler is in your party and interact with the throne to exchange your Blazing Flint Ores for Constellations.

The Constellations you unlock here act like normal Constellations and will be active for Pyro Traveler no matter where they are. You can view both the boss-specific effects and normal effects in your Traveler’s Constellation menu.

The post How to unlock Pyro Traveler’s Constellations in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

Your wallet will be taking a critical hit by the end of the February 2025 games lineup as it includes epic RPGs like Avowed and the highly anticipated multiplayer title Monster Hunter Wilds, which is likely to be a mega-hit on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. Monster Hunter Wilds will be the first game in the series to include crossplay, likely adding to its value for fans.

Avowed (Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Price: $69.99 (on Xbox Game Pass from day one)
Release Date: February 18
Trailer

Famous RPG developer Obsidian is launching its next fantasy roleplaying game, Avowed, into the wild on February 18. This game is a new action RPG that takes place in the acclaimed Pillars of Eternity universe but doesn't necessarily require you to play those games to get into this experience. You'll be investigating a plague that has afflicted the Living Lands, and it is up to you to thwart it with your melee and magical skills. Back in November, our preview called the game a "masterpiece in the making."

"Its accessible mechanics make it a welcoming experience for newcomers to the genre, while its diverse combat tactics provide a satisfying challenge," said the article by Kristina Ebanez. "In just a few hours, I found myself lost in its expansive world, filled with a variety of activities." Hopefully, it can deliver, despite its limitation to 30 frames per second on Xbox Series X|S. It's one of those February 2025 games to be excited for, regardless.

Civilization VII (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch)

Publisher: 2K
Developer: Firaxis Games
Price: $69.99
Release Date: February 11
Trailer

The next entry in the legendary strategy series Civilization VII is heading to PC and consoles simultaneously on February 11. Starting with any leader, you can start your own civilization, build its cities, and create new technologies to make your civilization competitive against others. You'll have to deal with each Age as time progresses, adding new gameplay mechanics to learn and adapt to. The leader you choose, like Benjamin Franklin or Lafayette, has a unique ability, and according to the Steam page, "can further be improved with customizable attributes earned through gameplay." They are no longer tied to a specific society.

"Firaxis probably could have gotten away with a safer approach with this installment, opting for just better graphics," said our 9/10 review. "Instead, it boldly revamped a lot of the core systems to make the entire game more streamlined for both newcomers and veterans alike."

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Warhorse Studios
Price: $69.99
Release Date: February 4
Trailer

Gamers can live out their medieval fantasy in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, the sequel to the crowdfunded hit. You'll be playing as Henry in this 15th Century Europe-inspired land, forming choices and clashing blades with thy enemies with steel. This open world game is advertised to feature "bustling cities" and "lush forests" as you explore the historic-themed areas.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 seems to be the first big critical hit of 2025. It currently has an 88 Metacritic score from 53 different outlets for its PC version. "Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is one I often dreamed of existing when I was growing up watching a ton of medieval-time movies and TV shows," said our review. "One where you get to actually make decisions, and have complete control over your choices, right or wrong." It also says that the game has "such a satisfying and rewarding combat system," despite some bugs along the way.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Sega
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Price: $59.99
Release Date: February 21
Trailer

The wacky adventures of Goro Majima continues in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii as he forgets who he is and becomes a captain of the sea. After getting shipwrecked and saved by a kid named Noah, he finds himself on the high seas taking on modern-day pirates and criminals along the way in an eccentric adventure that features dual-blade action and a customizable ship. It may put the extremely dull Skull and Bones to shame as it also features naval combat.

As this is a spinoff, fans are expecting the game to be shorter than the mainline Like a Dragon/Yakuza titles. Thankfully, it will be around 1.3-1.5x longer than Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, according to a Famitsu interview (via GameRant) with Ryu Ga Gotoku boss Masayoshi Yokoyama, so there will be quite a lot of content to scour through.

Monster Hunter Wilds (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Price: $69.99
Release Date: February 28
Trailer

You can mark your "Proof of a Hero" when Monster Hunter Wilds finally launches on February 28 for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC with crossplay support. As you'd expect from past titles, we'll be taking on terrifying beasts, using their body parts and fur for new armor, and protecting the world from foes beyond our comprehension. This time, it all takes place in the Forbidden Lands, which has drastically changing weather than can dynamically alter our gameplay experience. "Not only will hunters have a multitude of weapons and armor to choose from, but the art of the hunt itself has evolved as hunters learn to anticipate monsters’ behavior and familiarize themselves with their environment," explains the Steam page.

You'll be able to get a sneak peek of the action when the second open beta begins on February 6 and ends on February 9. Another starts a week later on February 13 and runs until February 16. When the game fully launches, it's likely going to be one of the most popular February 2025 games.

Honorable mentions from February 2025 games lineup

As you can see, there are many games to look forward to in February 2025, and your wallet's probably cowering in fear. Unfortunately, other notable releases are coming this month. They include:

• Rift of the Necrodancer (PC) - February 5
• Ailuri (Switch, PC) - February 7
• Jump King Quest (PC) - February 12
• Afterlove EP (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - February 14
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC) - February 14
• Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - February 14
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - February 18
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection (Switch, PC) - February 27
• PGA Tour 2K25 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - February 28

The post February 2025 is a packed month for video games, here’s why appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite what you may have heard, Roccia is an undeniably strong character in Wuthering Waves, but strength alone isn’t the only deciding factor when it comes to spending your hard-earned currency. The real question is: does she bring enough value to your account to justify the investment?

Is Roccia Worth Pulling in Wuthering Waves?

Roccia enters Wuthering Waves at an intriguing point in the meta. She is the best-in-slot (BiS) sub-DPS for two of the game’s most powerful damage dealers, Camellya and Havoc Rover. Her Concerto rotation is incredibly fast, and she boasts the best grouping abilities in the game by a significant margin. With all these strengths, why are some players hesitant to pull for her?

The answer is simple: competition.

The Sanhau Factor

Roccia’s biggest drawback isn’t her own kit but the existence of Sanhua, a highly accessible and extremely effective alternative. Sanhua, a 4-star character available for free by completing a specific Tower of Adversity stage, provides similar benefits to Roccia with some key advantages that make pulling Roccia seem like a bit of a gamble:

• Insane Concerto Speed – Sanhua arguably has the fastest Concerto rotation in the entire game, which benefits all teams, especially those reliant on Intro Skills for burst damage or applying self-buffs.
• Powerful Basic Attack Buffs – Like Roccia, Sanhua boosts Basic Attack damage, but thanks to the Moonlit Echo set and her innate strengths, her buffs are both strong and widely applicable. In fact, Sanhau's Bastic Attack buff is actually larger than Roccia's.
• Greater Team Versatility – Roccia’s buffs are specifically tailored for Havoc Basic Attack DPS units, which, at the moment, only include Camellya. Meanwhile, Sanhua's buffs work on a wider range of characters, making her a more flexible choice in many team compositions that may consider slotting Roccia in.

The Grouping Debate

Roccia’s unparalleled grouping ability is one of her major selling points and is certainly a significant factor to consider before pulling her. However, does the current endgame content of Wuthering Waves demand it? Honestly, no. Not really. The most difficult content in Wuthering Waves, the Tower of Adversity and Tactical Holograms, primarily feature single-target boss fights where grouping isn’t particularly useful. While her ability to gather enemies is impressive at first, its relevance to the meta remains questionable because of the current focus of the endgame. So then, what about her future?

Is Roccia Futureproof?

While this may all sound pretty iffy for Roccia, none of this is to say she isn’t a strong pull. She does far more damage than Sanhau and has access to far superior AoE. She absolutely is account-valuable, but meta relevance shifts over time, and right now, her role is somewhat niche. There is often another character that will fit better in her place on her team compositions. Five-star characters are expensive to acquire and even more expensive to build because of the intense RNG of Echo farming and limitations on Weekly materials. If you’re considering pulling for Roccia, ask yourself: Do I need Roccia right now for my current account?

If you have to pause before answering, it might be best to save your Asterite for a different character that better fits your long-term goals. That said, if you love her playstyle or enjoy her character like I do, there’s nothing wrong with pulling for favorites. Just ensure she aligns well with what your account needs, as there are future characters coming out that will likely be more valuable in the short term (Phoebe).

At the end of the day, Roccia is a strong character. But is she must-pull strong? Well, maybe in the future, when content involves AoE encounters and grouping, but certainly not right now. She is super fun to play, though.

The post Should you pull for Roccia in Wuthering Waves 2.0? appeared first on Destructoid.

Most 5-star characters in Genshin Impact are limited, meaning they’re only obtainable during specific event banners. However, a select few are relegated to the standard pool, giving players a chance to pull the character even when they’re not featured. Is Yumemizuki Mizuki fated to be limited or standard?

Mizuki will be a standard 5-star character

HoYoverse confirmed during a version preview that Yumemizuki Mizuki will be added to the standard 5-star character pool. This means her upcoming banner in the first half of Version 5.4 will likely be the only dedicated event banner for Mizuki. After her banner comes to an end, you’ll have a small chance to obtain her on other limited character banners, on the standard banner, or on Chronicled Wish banners.

Does this mean Mizuki will be bad?

Those who were around during the Dehya debacle might be anxious at this news. Standard 5-star characters range from fairly decent (Tighnari, Jean) to outright terrible (Dehya, Qiqi). Being added to the standard pool is a portent of mediocrity. Dehya, the most recent character to make her way to the standard banner, is notorious for being particularly weak.

Mizuki will likely never reach the power level of Mavuika or Neuvillette, but she doesn’t seem to be bad either. From what we’ve seen so far, Mizuki will have a unique kit, be easy to build, and work with many teammates. If you like Mizuki and want to play a Swirl DPS, then Mizuki will be a perfectly fine pull.

That being said, unless you really like Mizuki, I recommend holding off on her limited event banner. Save your precious Primogems for a character you love, and you might accidentally get Mizuki along the way. Emphasis on “might.” It took me more than two years of playing Genshin Impact to get my first Mona.

The post Is Yumemizuki Mizuki coming to the standard banner in Genshin Impact? appeared first on Destructoid.

Having a torch at hand is an absolute must when exploring the world in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, as even if we ignore how dark nighttime is, Henry must use it to avoid trouble while passing by settlements and towns after sundown.

But how exactly can you equip and use your torch? Here's how to easily get, equip, and use a torch in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and if there are any alternatives to it.

How to equip and use a torch in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

After getting a torch by either looting corpses or from pretty much any merchant in the game, you can equip it in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 by heading to your inventory screen and selecting it. Once the torch is equipped, you will be able to use it by holding down on your D-pad (consoles) or R (mouse + keyboard) until the torch gauge at the bottom of your screen fills up. No matter how much you use it, your torch will not go off.

As the torch will occupy one of your hands, it is not recommended to use it when in do-or-die situations. To go around that and get a higher boost in visibility at no drawback, use either a Weak Nighthawk or a Nighthawk potion. As we mentioned early on, make sure to also remember that to avoid getting into the guard's bad side, you must have your torch equipped at all times while passing through cities at night.

How to get the recipes for the Nighthawk and Weak Nighthawk potions

The quickest way to get the Nighthawk recipe in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 can be done by purchasing it from Aranka at the Nomad's camp. The camp will be located in the westmost portion of the Trosky region and cost 164 Groschen. She will also sell the Nighthawk potions for 36.9G if you are short on cash. After getting the recipe, you will be able to make each potion by gathering 2x Eyebright, 1x Belladonna, and 1x Chamomile. If you want to pay a little more for the same product, the Apothecary will also sell the recipe.

Now that you know how to equip and use a torch in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, I also highly recommend that you check out How to play Dice in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 for a consistent and handy amount of gold early on.

The post How to equip and use a torch in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

For many their first, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 players can get their hands on the Drowner's treasure map after discovering the tragic fate of two hired hands at Rocktower Pond.

But as expected, the makeshift map will be lacking a lot and instead, will offer only a cryptic look at the treasure's location. Here's where to find the Drowner's Map treasure in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. If you have yet to get the map, you can also check out its exact location by heading further down.

• Table of Contents:

  • Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Drowner's Map treasure location
  • Where to find the Drowner's Map

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Drowner's Map treasure location

You can find the Drowner's Map treasure —also known as the Water Goblin's treasure— in KCD 2 by heading to a shore northeast of Nomads' Camp and parallel with the Water Goblin's Hut. To unlock the pin for the latter, just talk with Innkeeper Lawrence at Zhelejov Wagoners' Inn and ask about the news within the area.

To reach the treasure quickly, head to Nomads' Camp and follow the path leading west before crossing the forest toward the trail north of it. You can also easily reach the path by heading west from Bozhena's Meadow. Once at the shore, simply follow it until you spot the vase below, which will house the treasure. Don't worry, as unlike what it's hinted to have happened to the farm hands, I don't believe the Water Goblin will come after you for getting it.

Where to find and how to get the Drowner's Map

You can get the Drowner's Map in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 by looting a black sack on the Bathing Spot's pier, located in the spot marked below. The sack will also house 3x Fine Wine bottles, 1x Roast Duck, and 138 Groschen. Although you can easily reach the area by fast traveling to Rocktower Pond and then following the path on the right, those who have yet to discover the area can reach it by heading east from Nomads' Camp. You can check out the Bathing Spot's exact location below:

If you are not opposed to the idea, looting the body of the hired hand left from the pier can also net you 6.9 Groschen, as well as one Shrinking die and one Carpenter's badge of advantage, the latter which can help make up for the treasure's lack of items. Keep in mind that doing so will be considered a crime.

The post How to find the Drowner’s Map treasure in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

In Path of Exile 2, damage conversion is a crucial mechanic that allows players to modify their skills' damage types, enhancing their effectiveness in different builds. With multiple damage types in the game, understanding how to convert one into another can lead to powerful build optimizations, which you may find quite useful.

How Path of Exile 2 Damage Conversion Works

Whether you're using passive skill nodes, unique items, or support gems, knowing how to manipulate damage types can drastically change how your skills function. Most Skills in Path of Exile 2 deal multiple of them at once, influenced by numerous in-game mechanics. Most abilities do not deal a single damage type; instead, they often convert a large percentage of Physical damage into an elemental type while retaining some of their original Physical damage. This is inherently tied to the skills.

For example, Freezing Salvo converts a portion of its Physical damage into Cold damage, with the remainder staying Physical. Because of this, the skill benefits most from Cold and Physical damage modifiers while still interacting with other elemental damage bonuses. If you have a ring that gives you added Fire damage, Freezing Salvo will deal a small portion of Fire Damage because it is not a pure element. The gains from this will be small, however, because the skill mostly does Cold damage, and any +DMG type that doesn't match it will not benefit or improve the DMG type.

Thanks to the unique mechanics of the Widowhail Unique bow, you can forcefully convert a majority of a damage type into a different one based on the most significant damage on your equipped quiver. This allowed me to turn Freezing Salvo into a skill that does mostly Fire Damage, and this is just one type of Damage Conversation available to you in Path of Exile 2.

Damage types can be converted into others using specific items, passive nodes, and support gems. Using Freezing Salvo as the example again, the Cold damage it deals can be converted into purely Fire damage using the Avatar of Fire capstone node in the passive skill tree. With Avatar of Fire, Freezing Salvo no longer deals any Cold damage or applies Freeze/Chill effects. Instead, it only deals Fire damage and gains the ability to apply Burn.

Avatar of Fire prevents you from dealing any type of damage that isn't Fire, thus, the above-mentioned methods of boosting damage or converting damage will not functionally work with the node active. The only way to increase your damage would be to purely focus on boosting Fire Damage. Using +Cold Damage items or skill nodes would have no benefit despite Freezing Salvo being tagged a Cold damage skill.

This is also the case with purely elemental skills, such as Flame Blast. These do not benefit from any damage type other than their default element. However, if you convert Flame Blast's Fire damage to another type, such as Cold, by using a unique item, it will no longer receive any benefits from Fire damage bonuses. This is even though Flame Blast was originally a Fire damage skill.

All Damage Conversion Methods in Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 is a massively complex game even without throwing Damage Conversion into the mix. With it there, though, you must actively consider when and how you want to convert damage into another type without suffering the potential penalties involved. Here are all the ways you can accomplish this goal.

• Using Unique Items - Unique items like Painter's Servant gloves convert all elemental damage into all three elemental damage types at the cost of potentially lowering the effectiveness of nearly pure elemental skills.
• Using Support Gems - While not a direct conversion, Support Gems like Chaos Infusion, reduce the amount of damage non-Chaos damage skills do to gain extra damage as Chaos damage. Depending on how your build works, this can be a huge benefit or a massive curse.
• Passive Tree Nodes - The capstone node, Avatar of Fire, converts all of your damage into Fire at the cost of some overall damage.

Damage Conversion Takeaways

Ultimately, Damage Conversion is an optional but powerful tool for your build. Some builds may not require it at all, so ensure it aligns with your playstyle and overall build strategy before committing. The key takeaways you must understand are the following:

• Damage conversion allows skills to change their base damage type, altering their effects and interactions with other mechanics and allowing for some truly unique setups.
• Most abilities are not purely one damage type, meaning they can benefit from multiple types of damage bonuses.
• Pure Elemental skills only benefit from their respective elemental damage type unless converted.
• Path of Exile 2 features a different approach to damage conversion compared to Path of Exile 1, making it a key mechanic to understand for optimizing builds that intend to use it.

The post Path of Exile 2 Damage Conversion, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

Balachko is a special Pyro Fatui Agent in the Natlan region of Genshin Impact. As a Local Legend, Balachko is a miniboss with greatly increased health and damage compared to most overworld enemies. Three achievements are associated with defeating this shady figure, so let’s get to work.

Where to find Local Legend Balachko

Balachko can be found near the People of the Springs, in the cave to the left of the Sanctum of Rainbow Spirits domain. There are a few tribal enemies in a camp. Defeat all the enemies to clear the way and unlock a Precious Chest. Balachko is behind a locked gate that requires two Keys to Somewhere to open.

Where to find the Keys to Somewhere

The first Key to Somewhere can be found in a cage at the far end of the cave. The second Key is at the end of a rope dangling from the ceiling above the Precious Chest. You can climb on the chest or some nearby boxes to reach it or jump up with a tall character. Once you have both keys, activate the switch to open the gate. Balachko awaits in a small arena behind the gate.

Beating Local Legend Balachko: which clone is the real one?

Prepare to fight Balachko by bringing at least one Hydro character. You may also want to cook some food to grant yourself buffs. Local Legends are no joke; Balachko can down you in one hit if you’re not careful, and he has a massive health pool. Shielders like Zhongli and Diona can help prevent you from being one-shot. If you’re having trouble beating Balachko in your world, see if you can join someone else at a lower World Level. Since overworld enemies scale to the host’s World Level, you might have an easier time in co-op.

As a Pyro Fatui Agent, Balachko has a nasty habit of going invisible and summoning shadowlike clones of himself. Periodically, he will uncloak himself and attack you in tandem with his clones. Deal damage when you can, and wait for him to summon a ring of clones around himself. These clones will throw blades at you. Only the real Balachko throws a red Pyro blade. The clones throw white Physical blades. Look for the clone that launches a Pyro blade and hit it with Hydro attacks to break through Balachko’s disguise.

Once you’ve broken Balachko’s shield, he’ll be stunned for a while and take increased damage. Take this opportunity to deal as much damage as possible. You’ll only have a few seconds – enough for one team rotation. After he recovers, repeat the previous steps to stun him again.

How to get all achievements for Local Legend Balachko

Genshin Impact features three achievements associated with Balachko. They must be done one at a time; you can’t do multiple in one fight. Once defeated, Balachko respawns daily, so these achievements will take a minimum of three days to complete. If you don’t want to wait for him to respawn, see if you can tackle him in another player’s world.

Balachko Achievement 1

Balachko Achievement 1 is simply to defeat him. Refer to the steps above and do whatever you need to do to win the fight.

Balachko Achievement 2

Balachko Achievement 2 requires you to destroy only the real Balachko during the ring-of-clones phase. Look for the clone that throws a Pyro-infused blade and hit it with Hydro attacks. Single-target Hydro appliers like Yelan or Xingqiu are helpful, since AoE attacks risk hitting other clones in the area. Hitting a clone once or twice is fine as long as they are not destroyed. After meeting this requirement, defeat Balachko to get the achievement.

Balachko Achievement 3

Balachko Achievement 3 requires you to destroy three fake clones during one phase. I recommend bringing multiple Hydro characters to apply as much Hydro as fast as you can. I got this achievement using Xingqiu and Kokomi. Look for the clones throwing white Physical blades and hit them with Hydro attacks as quickly as possible. You need to take down three clones during a single phase. After taking down three clones, focus on the real Balachko. You might need to wait for the next ring-of-clones phase, where you can just target the actual boss. Defeat him to get the achievement.

The post How to beat Balachko in Genshin Impact: all achievements guide appeared first on Destructoid.

Atari is digging into its catalog of classics for another revival. This time it's the 1976 arcade game Breakout, which is coming back in style to spare thanks to the folks behind the BIT.TRIP series.

Developer Choice Provisions' take on the arcade block-buster is titled Breakout Beyond, and at a glance, it's reminiscent of a few revivals that have opted for similarly explosive aesthetics. The gameplay itself is built upon the same core concept, but Beyond fires from its unassuming paddle with ricocheting lightning bolts and dynamic bursts of fireworks.

Oh yeah, and Breakout now plays horizontally, so there's that, too. Here's a look at how the colorful means of progression looks in action: 

Movement and destruction looks suitably chaotic despite the simplistic underpinnings, and it's all set to the rhythm of procedural audio and visual effects. As players move across the screen, they'll be tasked with building up combos to break through barriers so they can clear a path to the final goal. Special blocks are scattered throughout the arena, too, providing bonuses like brick-clearing explosions, protective barriers, and a laser cannon. 

Breakout Beyond boasts 72 levels in total, all of which are available to challenge solo or cooperatively with another player. From the short burst we get to see in the above trailer, co-op looks to make the proceedings even more chaotic, with the second player positioned to ricochet side-by-side or strategically placed behind or in front of their partner. 

There's no concrete release date at this time other than being due out "later this year." When Breakout Beyond launches, it'll be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Atari VCS.

The post Arcade classic Breakout returns in new game from BIT.TRIP studio appeared first on Destructoid.

We typically only get to hear the main cast of the original Metal Gear Solid games in one place when we're replaying the classics. Three of the key voice actors are having a bit of a reunion soon, however, thanks to a new Metroidvania called SteamDolls: Order of Chaos.

Appropriately enough, this one is billed as a stealth-action platformer, so we're still technically on a stealth mission. This particular mission is now set to enter Early Access on February 11. The main cast in the latest from French-Belgian studio The Shady Gentleman includes David Hayter as The Whisper alongside Christopher Randolph and Jennifer Hale. Anyone nostalgic for the staccato burst of a patrolling exclamation point will recognize those names as the respective voices behind Solid Snake, Otacon, and Naomi Hunter.

You can hear how their voices sound in the context of the gritty, shadowed world of SteamDolls in the new release date trailer below.

The Shady Gentleman first cooked SteamDolls up with inspiration from a comic book before taking the title to Kickstarter. Its campaign ended back in July 2020 with €94,828 pledged of a €30,000 goal, and the team originally had a projected delivery of May 2021. That didn't happen, but hopefully, the wait will have been worth it once it drops in a matter of days.

According to the announcement, players who dive into Early Access can expect to play through six chapters of the game. That adds up to around five to seven hours of content, and the devs are hoping to use the feedback from this period to further refine everything for the eventual 1.0 launch. A free demo is still available, too, so you can hop in and hear that gravelly Hayter tone you know and love right now.   

The post New Metroidvania reunites original Metal Gear Solid voice actors appeared first on Destructoid.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is all about interacting with lovable Sanrio characters and turning them from acquaintances to your best friends. What better way to befriend them than to invite their friends and family to join the party?

One character you can invite is Cappuccino, Cinnamoroll's best friend who enjoys napping and snacking. As long as you have a cabin full of food prepared for him, he'll visit throughout the year to liven up the island. Here's how to get Cappuccino to visit your island in Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

How to invite Cappuccino as an Island Visitor in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

The two requirements for inviting Cappuccino to your island are waiting until he begins traveling and building a cabin that meets his requirements. Currently, Cappuccino will arrive in Hello Kitty Island Adventure on February 6, 2025, giving you only a few days after My Melody's reminder to prepare a cabin for him.

Before Cappuccino visits your island, you'll need to prepare a cabin with the following requirements:

• Must have two Bakery items.
• Must have two Coffee items.
• Must have two Pizza items.
• Must have two Soda items.

You're good to go as long as you meet these four requirements. You can use any cabin available in Hello Kitty Island Adventure, but I'd recommend spots like Spooky Swamp, Mount Hothead, or Cloud Island if you have it unlocked. You can also upgrade a cabin or two if you want Cappuccino and other visitors in more populated areas like Seaside Resort.

How to meet Cappuccino's Cabin requirements in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Unlike other visitors who want specific furniture types or food, Cappuccino is all about food. That said, you'll need to unlock the oven, espresso machine, pizza oven, and soda machine. The oven is available early on in your playthrough, but the others require exploring each region and befriending Hangyodon, Retsuko, and Pompompurin.

Once you unlock each machine, you'll be ready to create two of each dish. Although any that have these four tags are solid additions to your cabin, here are some easy early-game ones I recommend:

Although these are a few recommendations for easy recipes, you can use any oversupplied items. For example, if you have a ton of Sugarkelp from befriending Keroppi, you can turn it into Sugarkelp Cakes, Dessert Pizza, or Sweet Soda. Even if a recipe fails, the default options work for Cappuccino's cabin requirements, allowing you to experiment and discover new recipes.

Once you have every item, unlock any cabin you wish using some spare Strawberry Crates before placing everything down. After satisfying his cabin requirements, you'll have to wait a day for Cappuccino to visit, so don't worry if he doesn't appear right away.

The post How to get Cappuccino to visit in Hello Kitty Island Adventure appeared first on Destructoid.

Raiding, Mythic Dungeons, and PVP may be the way to get the best gear in World of Warcraft, but there's only one place to get the best-looking gear. The Trading Post is celebrating two years of giving you horrific choice paralysis.

This month's reward for completing your Adventure Journal

For completing your Traveler's Log in February, you'll receive the Ornate Pink Lunar Festival Attire ensemble. It's a flashy new outfit to celebrate Lunar New Year in-game. It feels a little too specialized towards certain audiences, though. While my Pandaren Mage would love to rock the Lunar Festival attire, it doesn't look quite as spiffy on my orc hunter. The weapons, however, are top-notch.

As an added bonus, it's the two-two year anniversary of the Trading Post! You can earn an additional 500 Trader's Tender by completing another 1,000 points worth of Traveler's Log activities. Not only that, but an additional vendor is available with several returning items at discounted prices! We'll have a chart for all those items available at the end of the article.

Mercifully, the general Tender shop is fairly light on costs, so long as you're not doubling down on pets. But that sale of previous items is going to be difficult to resist. You might be better off getting anything from the sale first, as most of the seasonal items in the main shop will likely return next year.

Our Top 5 Trading Post picks for February 2025

The rest of the February 2025 Trading Post items

Returning items for the February 2025 Trading Post

The Quickest Way to complete your Adventure Journal this month

Most of the time, you'll get a lot of points towards your goal of 1000 just by playing the game normally. But if you're looking to tear through them as fast as possible to get those shiny new rewards, we understand. That's why we have this list of the best ways to get those points.

Timewalking offers quick and easy points every time it's available. With the Turbulent Timeways event going on right now, there's a different Timewalking event every week for the rest of the month. It shouldn't be a problem to knock these out every week for easy points. Replace Classic with Burning Crusade for next week, and so on. Plus, Lunar Festival and Love is in the Air events are going on now, making things even easier!

• Complete 10 Quests - 100 points - As long as they give experience, or are max level, any 10 quests will do. It's highly recommended you mix this with Timewalking. You get another 100 for doing 25 and 50 total quests each.
• Defeat 25 Dungeon Bosses - 100 - If you keep on your Timewalking, you should have this by the end of the week.
• Lunar Festival: Collect an Elder's Moonstone - 50 points - If you're already doing this for the event, you'll get 50 easy points. Collect 10 for an extra 150 points. It's not related to the journal, but if you opt to collect 75 of them, you'll be able to earn a new Lunar Launcher rocket mount.
• Love is in the Air: Complete All 6 Daily Quests - 100 points - Not only is this doable very quickly, but several other event missions give 100 points. You can earn them by completing the Crown Chemical Co. Storyline, Defeating Apothecary Hummel in the dungeon, and completing "The Gift of Self-Care" in 3 different ways, among others. Check your journal for the full list.
• Defeat the Bosses on the Siren Isles - 50 points - Defeating 1 Elite or Rare monster on Siren Isle will net you 50 points, and downing 5 of them gives you another 100. If you're working on catching up your characters or grinding for Siren Isle appearances, make sure to hunt some baddies down.
• Open 5 Runed Storm Caches - 70 points - Similarly, these are super easy to find on the small island. You'll see a golden trail lead you to one while you're wandering around. You'll get 30 points for finding one, and the other 70 for finding 4 more.
• Defeat a Khaz Algar World Boss - 100 points - Find the world boss for the week and join a group to take them out. You'll probably be doing this every week anyway.
• Timewalking: Complete 15 Quests in Outlands - 100 points - Until February 11, you can complete easy quests in Pandaria, or Pandaria Dungeons, to earn an easy 100 points.
• Timewalking: Defeat 5 Outlands Raid Bosses- 100 points - From 2/4 until 2/11, go to Outlands and solo some low-level raids to get cheap points. Next week, do the same for Lich King, and then Cataclysm after.
• Timewalking: Gather Herbs, Ore, Skins, or Fish in Outlands - 100 points - Until February 11, collecting resources in Outlands can grant a quick stack of points. Level up some old professions while you're at it!
• Timewalking: Complete 1 Burning Crusade Timewalking Dungeon - 25 points - Doing any Timewalking dungeons is super easy. Additionally, do another 4 of them to get 100 points.
• Darkmoon Faire: /cheer while Riding the Carousel or a Sandbox Tiger - 50 points - Find a way to the Darkmoon Faire in Mulgore or Goldshire and pop by for a quick 50 points.
• Plunderstorm - 20-50 points - Killing 10 enemies gets you 50 points, and another 50 points at 20 and 40 enemies. This is cumulative and can be NPCs as well as players. You can also get 40 for looting 2 chests, with another 40 at 10 chests. Finally, killing Pieces of Hate gets you 20 points.

The Trading Post is World of Warcraft's Battle Pass, kind of

For those of you who might just be coming back for The War Within, The Trading Post is a monthly activity that's very similar to a Battle Pass, but it's free. It's accessible via the Adventure Journal (CTRL+J). Complete different objectives within it and earn points. Fill the progress bar by the end of the month, and you'll earn a unique reward along with Traders Tender.

You'll find The Trading Post and a treasure chest in your capital city, as well as Dornogal. You get 500 Trader's Tender each month, and the opportunity to earn another 500 through the Adventure Journal. There's sometimes an extra way to earn more Tender, like pre-ordering the Epic Edition of The War Within. As a new month starts, these items rotate out for a new list. You have the opportunity to freeze one item you can't afford and hold it for months. But if you miss out on something else you wanted, don't stress! Most items return at some point.

What's returning for the Trading Post Anniversary special vendors?

In Dornogal, a short distance from the normal Trading Post vendors are some new ones. These special vendors offer selections of previously available items, most at discounted rates. We have a full list of those items for you below.

Previous Monthly Rewards

Every month, completing 1000 points on your Adventurer's Journal gets you a special reward. Several of them have never been made available again until now. These aren't offered at any sort of discount, and the cost is quite steep. Make sure you REALLY want this item if you missed out on it earlier.

Supplier Offa's Appearance Sale

Various transmog items are available at some decent discounts. Whether it's a single item or an ensemble, check out what he has for sale.

Supplier Toffa's Weapon Sale

Whether bright and flashy or low and dirty, there's a weapon for everyone in Toffa's gallery.

Supplier Mizix's Mounts, Pets and Toys Sale

The final collection leaves you choosing between fun toys, cool mounts, and adorable pets. Good luck!

The post Best World of Warcraft Trading Post items for February 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

If there’s one thing that every Fallout game has taught us, it’s that humans never learn their lesson. As if Earth needed to endure any more nuclear explosions, Fallout 76 allows players to launch nukes of their own and even encourages them to do so. 

While obtaining pre-war nuclear launch codes was a privilege only a few in the world had, the post-apocalyptic wasteland hands out codes as if they were phone numbers. If you're looking to leave a radioactive scar upon Earth yourself, you're gonna need to know what Nuke Codes are currently active.

Currently active Fallout 76 Nuke Codes:

Nuke Codes reset every Sunday at 5pm PT / 8pm ET / Monday 12am UTC

What are Nukes Codes used for in Fallout 76?

In Fallout 76, Nuke Codes are weekly codes for launching nukes across the Appalachian Wasteland. When the codes reset every Sunday night, any codes held within player inventories will be deleted. Each code consists of eight digits corresponding to one of the three nuclear launch sites within the game: Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. Since each code can be used by any player while they are active, the community comes together to decipher the codes each week so that individuals don't have to.

Besides nuking other players’ camps for fun, nuclear launches play a vital role in the endgame of Fallout 76. After an area is nuked, some of the highest-level enemies, loot, and mutated flowers spawn within the newly created blast zone. Some bosses such as the Scorchbeast Queen only spawn when particular areas are nuked. 

How to use Nuke Codes in Fallout 76

Every player is capable of taking advantage of the regions nuked by other players but to launch nukes of your own, there are some prerequisites. 

Here’s what needs to be done in order to use Nuke Codes to launch nuclear missiles:

1. Complete the Main Quest
2. Become a member of the Enclave faction
3. Complete the Enclave quest, I am Become Death (This acts as a tutorial for the launch process)

   1. Alternatively, having a team member launch a nuke will automatically complete the quest for you.

4. Obtain a Nuclear Keycard - By using the tracking terminal located within the Whitespring Congressional Bunker, you can trigger a repeatable quest to track a cargobot convey which carries a Nuclear Keycard.
5. Travel to any of the three nuclear launch sites: Alpha, Bravo, or Charlie
6. Fight high-level enemy hordes within the launch site. (Prepare for level 50+ robots)
7. Input the weekly Nuke Codes found at the top of this page that correspond to the nuclear launch site you’re at. (Ex. the Alpha code only works for Launch Site Alpha.)
8. Select your target and launch your nuclear missile

Where are the nuclear launch sites in Fallout 76?

There are three nuclear launch sites in Fallout 76, each located within the Savage Divide region. There aren't many differences between them, but if a player has recently used a site to launch a nuke, the interior will be on lockdown (effectively a cooldown state).

Where to find Launch Site Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie

Launch Site Alpha

Site Alpha is located North of West Tek Research Center.

Launch Site Bravo

Site Bravo is found directly South of the Palace of the Winding Path, or Northeast of the Grafton Dam.

Launch Site Charlie

Site Charlie is Southwest of Foundation within a warehouse facility.

The post Fallout 76 Nuke Codes this week, including launch site locations appeared first on Destructoid.

Not all DPS characters are made equal in Genshin Impact, and we have a pretty comprehensive list of who’s strong and who isn’t. But one strange interaction between an ability and a consumable item has elevated a certain Traveler from the bottom of the rankings to the top.

Hydro Traveler’s lantern bomb

Genshin Impact is currently celebrating the lunar new year with its annual Lantern Rite event. As part of the event, players can purchase items called Xiao Lanterns from an NPC in Liyue. Older players might even have some Xiao Lanterns stockpiled from the very first Lantern Rite event in 2021. Xiao Lanterns are consumable items that, when used from the inventory, summon pretty paper lanterns that float gently into the sky. You can summon as many Xiao Lanterns as you like, filling the sky with a cloud of lanterns until they despawn a few seconds later.

Well, if you create several Xiao Lanterns on top of an enemy and then use Hydro Traveler’s Burst, you can deal many instances of Hydro damage in quick succession. The damage is enough to decimate the toughest enemies and possibly crash your game. The sheer number of lanterns can cause massive amounts of lag, too.

How does the Hydro Traveler bug work?

There are two theories for how the Hydro Traveler/Xiao Lantern interaction works. Hydro Traveler’s Burst is usually pretty mediocre. It creates a moving ball of water that, while decently powerful, passes through enemies too quickly to deal meaningful damage. When the ball of water first hits an entity, it triggers one tick of AoE damage. Additional damage is dealt at a fixed rate if the enemy remains within the water bubble as it moves forward.

The first theory is that Xiao Lanterns are coded as unique entities, so when the ball of water hits a lantern, it triggers an instance of damage. Multiply this by several dozen lanterns, and you get lots of damage ticks at once. This explains the rapid rate of damage that outpaces the ability’s normal tick rate.

The second theory is that Xiao Lanterns are physically stopping the ball of water from passing through the enemy. The lanterns have collision, so a wall of lanterns can prevent Hydro Traveler’s Burst from moving forward, forcing the enemy to take repeated ticks of damage. While this interaction may be happening, it doesn’t explain how so much damage happens at once, well beyond the typical tick rate for a Hydro Traveler Burst.

Will Hydro Traveler be patched?

As of writing, Genshin Impact’s developer HoYoverse has not acknowledged any issues with Hydro Traveler or Xiao Lanterns. It’s unclear if this interaction will be patched, since Xiao Lanterns are only available for purchase for a limited time. Items like Xiao Lanterns can’t be used in the Spiral Abyss, either, limiting where this strategy can be used.

I don’t recommend trying to trigger this bug yourself. It’s clearly unintended behavior, and HoYoverse has a history of cracking down on players who exploit bugs to gain an advantage. Your account may face a temporary or permanent ban. In the meantime, let’s just wait and see if we get apologems in the mail.

The post Genshin Impact bug turns the weakest character into the strongest DPS in the game appeared first on Destructoid.

Iron and ingots are two of the most important resources you'll find in Hello Kitty Island Adventure. You'll use it in numerous crafting recipes, including ones for quest items and valuable gifts for villagers. Fortunately, there are two easy ways to farm iron early in your playthrough.

Best ways to get Iron in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Typically, the main way to get iron in Hello Kitty Island Adventure is to travel around Mount Hothead and pick it up off the ground. However, there are two better methods to obtain iron quickly and consistently:

1. Use the Nul Collection Box to get 14 Iron every 24 hours.
2. Play the Gemstone Match House minigame in Gemstone Mountain.

The best strategy for maximizing your iron farming is to activate the Nul Collection Box in Seaside Resort as soon as you log into Hello Kitty Island Adventure. Once you do, you'll have 24 hours to play in the Gemstone Match House or roam around Mount Hothead for extras.

Nul Collection Box

The Nul Collection Box is one of the best ways to get resources around Friendship Island if you don't want to go around and grab them yourself. After progressing through the main story enough to complete Meet the Island Beings and Terra Nul, you'll equip one of the island's Nuls with a Collector Hat, allowing you to use the Collection Box to get various materials. You'll obtain the resources — in this case, 14 iron — after 24 real-world hours.

Overall, if you want to prepare for the following day or don't have enough time to play Hello Kitty Island Adventure, the Collection Box is one of the best ways to get any resource with little effort. However, the Gemstone Match House is a great alternative if you prefer active gameplay and item-collecting.

Gemstone Match House

The Gemstone Match House is located in Gemstone Mountain, north of Spooky Swamp. You'll find it above the Gemstone Town mailbox in a building with a yellow roof.

The main purpose of the Gemstone Match House is farming resources like iron, Shiny, and a few miscellaneous collectibles using Game Tickets. In exchange for one Game Ticket, you'll swap up to two pairs of grayed-out crystals, lighting them up in hopes of matching two of the same type. A successful match gives you another chance to match, letting you chain them if you find several.

Each successful match gives you either two irons, Shiny, or other rewards like furniture and music. Iron is by far the most common prize you'll get from this, letting you get upward of eight to ten with one Game Ticket if you get lucky with your matches. Even if you don't find any matches right away, the puzzle won't reset, letting you memorize their locations and create some chains.

The Gemstone Match House is a fantastic way to get iron quickly if you have enough Game Tickets to play a few rounds. Game Tickets also spawn on the ground daily, so you can grab more the next day if you run out.

How to make Iron Ingots in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Before you can craft ingots using your newly acquired iron, you'll need to find its crafting recipe blueprint in Gemstone Mountain. The ingot crafting blueprint appears on a small barrel near the Gemstone Match House.

Once you collect this ingot blueprint, head to Chococat's crafting table to find the recipe. You'll need three iron for every ingot you create, so be prepared to farm the Gemstone Match House and ask the Nuls to collect some iron for you occasionally.

The post How to farm Iron and Ingots in Hello Kitty Island Adventure appeared first on Destructoid.

The Seafood Salad Disney Dreamlight Valley recipe is a fantastic healthy option for your friends like Donald and Mulan. You'll only need two ingredients to create this dish, thankfully.

Seafood Salad Disney Dreamlight Valley ingredients

To create the two-star meal Seafood Salad, you'll need two ingredients. They include:

• Any Seafood (Squid, Lobster, etc)
• Lettuce

Lettuce is easy to find. You can buy the seeds for 3 Star Coins from Goofy's Stall in the Peaceful Meadow. You may also be lucky and be able to purchase the actual ingredient itself. Thankfully, the seeds don't take long to grow after being planted and watered. The growing process takes just three minutes.

You can use any seafood for this dish. One important thing to note, however, is that fish don't count towards the Seafood Salad. You'll need to catch lobsters, squid, basically anything without fins. Clams, Oysters, and Scallops are the easiest to find as they can be picked up from the sand at Dazzle Beach.

If you want the dish to be more valuable, however, you may want to find Lobsters instead. You can find the crustacean in the Glade of Trust within orange ripples. Use your fishing rod and try to catch the lobster.

By the way, you should hang out with a valley friend who has the fishing specialty on them. Not only will their friendship level progress, but they have a chance to double your catch, so you can get two lobsters with one cast.

Create the dish

Head to any cooking station within Chez Remy or your house and chuck both ingredients in the pot. You'll then have the Seafood Salad ready to eat. If you have Lobster in your dish, you can sell it at Goofy's Stall for 1,245 Star Coins or eat it for 2,865 Energy.

Have spare lobsters in your bag? You can make an awesome Lobster Roll. It probably won't beat the one I had in Boston though!

The post How to make Seafood Salad in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

To the delight of all looking to fast travel early on, Minecraft allows players to boost their minecart speed from the known value of eight blocks per second to a striking and honestly game-breaking 1,000.

But contrary to what you might think, doing that won't demand the use of outlandish rail compositions. Instead, it's possible by completing a series of requirements before utilizing a very specific command. Here's how to change the speed of your minecarts in Minecraft, no matter if you are playing alone or on a server with friends.

How to change your minecart speed in Minecraft

You can change the speed of your minecarts in Minecraft by heading to Edit Game Rules while creating your world and toggling on Allow Commands. Make sure to also head to Experiments and enable Minecart Improvements. After doing the above and creating your world, you will be able to change the maximum speed of your minecarts to any value up to 1,000 blocks per second by doing the following:

• Open the in-game chat
• Type /minecartMaxSpeed plus your desired speed or [<value>] (ex: /minecartMaxSpeed 1000)

If playing in a multiplayer server you did not create, you will only be able to activate the commands after attaining a high enough permission level (in this case Operator). To do that, the server's administrators must click on the icon next to your profile (which showcases your rank) and then enable the use of Operator Commands.

At the time of writing, the code can only be used when playing the Java version of the game, which means that those playing on Bedrock will have to either wait a little longer or try to get the most out of their carts in the usual way.

How to make minecarts faster on Minecraft Bedrock

Although their speed will still pale in comparison to that of the Ice Boats, you can boost the speed of your minecarts while playing Minecraft Bedrock by using both the environment and the right types of rails. More specifically, I recommend adding Powered Rails at key spots throughout your tracks, all while relying on drops for a natural boost in momentum. Ideally, you want to have a few Powered Rails within every 25 to 30 blocks or after each descent.

You can make sets of six Powered Rails in Minecraft by gathering 6x Gold Ingots, 1x Stick, and 1x Redstone Dust before placing them in a 3-2-3 formation on your crafting grid. The Stick must then be placed above the stone, in the middle of the grid.

The post How to change minecart speed in Minecraft appeared first on Destructoid.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure features a massive map full of treasures, villagers to befriend, and mysteries to solve. Some areas require having several stamina wheels to access. The only way to permanently increase your stamina is to eat Stamina Apples after collecting their slices.

Here's how to find all the Stamina Apple Slices in Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

How to make Stamina Apples in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Making a Stamina Apple in Hello Kitty Island Adventure requires collecting five Stamina Apple slices and using them at Chococat's crafting table. When you obtain your first five slices, Chococat will automatically assign you a quest, Fantastic Fruit, letting you unlock the apple's crafting recipe. Without talking to Chococat first, you won't be able to make a Stamina Apple even if you have enough slices.

There are two ways to get Stamina Apple slices in Hello Kitty Island Adventure:

1. Open Golden Chests around the map.
2. Befriend villagers around Friendship Island.

Early on in your playthrough, the easiest way to get Stamina Apple slices is to befriend a few characters. After eating your first apple, you'll have enough stamina to explore most of the map, giving you access to most locations outside of ones that require more stamina or are locked behind certain quests.

You can find 25 Stamina Apple slices during your Hello Kitty Island Adventure, giving you up to five extra stamina wheels. Let's take a look at every Stamina Apple Slice friendship level requirement and map location.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure Stamina Apple Slice friendship levels

You can also obtain up to 15 Stamina Apple slices by befriending villagers in Hello Kitty Island Adventure. While some are available as early as friendship level three for some characters, others require reaching late-game levels of 20 or higher. Here's the complete list of villagers who give you Stamina Apple slices and their level requirements.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure Stamina Apple Slice map locations

The remaining 10 Stamina Apple slices in Hello Kitty Island Adventure are tucked away in golden treasure chests around Friendship Island. Some are accessible early on, while others require a few stamina upgrades. Here are all 10 Stamina Apple slice chest locations:

Seaside Resort

The first Stamina Apple slice location in Seaside Resort requires completing the main story quest Power Up the Gate and entering the Beginners Bridge puzzle chamber. After befriending Chococat, you'll craft a Power Crystal Sensor that leads you to several puzzle rooms, including one directly west of his crafting station. This chamber houses the first golden chest and Stamina Apple slice.

The second location within Seaside Resort requires traveling to Hopscotch Islands. These islands are directly northwest of the main Seaside Resort area, with the golden chest on top of its highest point. Although you can get here without flippers, having them available makes this trip much easier.

With these two locations out of the way, it's time to travel to Spooky Swamp.

Spooky Swamp

Spooky Swamp has one golden chest location directly south of the Ghost Tour Ride's mailbox. If it's your first time in the swamp, you'll have to travel to the northernmost section until you start seeing railway tracks before heading west onto a raised cliffside. The chest containing the next Stamina Apple slice is nestled next to a tree and some peculiar blue-gray rocks.

Rainbow Reef

Rainbow Reef has two Stamina Apple slice chests, with the first chest only being accessible if you have flippers. The second requires the snorkel and either the Mermaid Outfit or extra stamina from apples.

Starting with the easier of the two, teleport to either the Moon Island or Cozy Islands mailbox and start swimming toward their middle point. If you zoom into your map, you'll find a tiny gray circle, indicating the stone platform housing your next golden chest. Head to this spot to find another Stamina Apple slice.

The second chest is a little trickier, requiring at least three stamina wheels or the Mermaid Outfit. Directly north of Kelp Maze and south of Gemstone Mountain is a massive trench with a blue Power Crystal and a golden Stamina Apple chest at the bottom. Using your snorkel, descend to the very bottom to find the next chest.

Gemstone Mountain

Next is Gemstone Mountain, a region north of Spooky Swamp with three Stamina Apple slice chests. The first is the easiest of the three, located on a cliff south of the Oasis Mailbox and Pompompurin's Dessert Boat. Although you don't need an extra stamina wheel for this location, having one from now on will help you in the next few locations.

Our next destination is tricky to navigate, as it requires traveling to the entrance of Icy Peak in Gemstone Mountain. Icy Peak is the mountain and cave system in the area's northeast corner. Fortunately, we won't have to enter this dangerous area, as the next stamina apple chest is east of the entrance's Mailbox along the cliff's edges.

I'd recommend having an extra stamina wheel or two for this climb, as it's very easy to run out even if you take the long route along the main path. With enough parkour skills, though, you can get away with doing this without extra stamina.

Our final Stamina Apple slice location in Gemstone Mountain requires venturing directly into Crystal Caves. You can find this cave system below the Icy Peak Entrance mailbox, with its entrance surrounded by purple crystals.

Before entering the cave, make sure you've unlocked the snorkel and either the Mermaid Outfit or some extra stamina. You only need one extra wheel, but having a second will make swimming much easier. Once you head inside, jump into the water directly south of you and swim all the way down until you spot the golden chest next to a puzzle chamber.

Mount Hothead

Last on the list is Mount Hothead, which holds two more Stamina Apple slices. If you haven't completed story quests like Enraging Ruins and Fire Up the Volcano, you'll need at least two extra stamina wheels to access these chests. In most cases, these will be the last two slices you collect outside of friendship-level ones.

Once you've acquired some stamina upgrades, climb up the mountain past Retsuko, the pizza oven, and the Mount Hothead mailbox until you reach the levels below the Upper Ruins entrance. You may have to get a little creative with climbing up, but a good rule of thumb is to look for ledges to rest on if your stamina gets low.

If you already have the Upper Ruins entrance mailbox unlocked, jump down to the right-most platform directly below it to save time. Either way, head up (or down) Mount Hothead until you find the golden chest next to a rope fence in front of one of the ruins' entrances.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure's final Stamina Apple slice location is deep within Mount Hothead's caves. More specifically, you'll need access to the Lava Caves, which you can access either through the Caldera mailbox if you've visited before or by climbing up the mountain. Completing Enraging Ruins and Fire Up the Volcano will make this much easier, but you can get through here without the quest if you haven't met Retsuko's friendship requirements.

Regardless of your strategy, you'll initially find the Lava Caves entrance directly east of the Caldera mailbox. Much like the rest of Mount Hothead, you'll encounter several ledges that make traversing this area possible, albeit tricky if you accidentally fly or step on lava. Hug the walls, land on as many safe ledges as possible, and conserve some stamina to fly around the molten rock spots for the best chance at getting past these rooms.

After the first room, you'll have a break from moving along a minecart track and running around safe paths. Shortly after the minecart ride, you'll encounter an area in the top-left corner of the map, requiring you to travel north across the lava river and enter a small cave entrance to access the final golden chest.

The post All Stamina Apple Slice locations in Hello Kitty Island Adventure appeared first on Destructoid.

The Apple Cider Glazed Salmon Disney Dreamlight Valley recipe is a tantalizing meal for any of your Disney friends like Minnie or Goofy. This three-star dish can be created from ingredients you can find in the original valley, no DLC is needed.

Apple Cider Glazed Salmon Disney Dreamlight Valley ingredients

To create Apple Cider Glazed Salmon, you'll need the following ingredients:

• Salmon
• Apple
• Sugarcane

You can fish for Salmon in the Sunlit Plateau or the Frosted Heights. If you have some of the DLC, you can also catch it from The Grasslands or The Promenade. They are caught from white ripples in the water as they are a common fish to obtain. Bring a friend from the valley who has the fishing specialty attached to them. For example, I had Mirabel with me. Catching fish with a person with this specialty increases their friendship level and gives you a chance to double your catch.

Apples can be picked from trees in the Plaza. There is one tree that's right next to my house in the game, making this fruit easy to grab.

Lastly, Sugarcane seeds can be bought from Goofy in Dazzle Beach. He sells them for 5 Star Coins each. They'll take seven minutes to grow once you've planted and watered them.

Let's bring this dish together

Now you have all of the ingredients, you can now bring them together in any cooking station. Head to your home or Chez Remy (Remy's restaurant, which also sells Butter, Eggs, and more). Throw all three ingredients into the pot, and you'll have the Apple Cider Glazed Salmon ready to serve. C'est magnifique!

You can sell the Apple Cider Glazed Salmon for 271 Star Coins or eat it for 1,572 Energy. It may also be a dish that a villager requests at Chez Remy. If you give it to them, their friendship level rises significantly. If you keep cooking three-star dishes, this will contribute to your Dreamlight tasks.

The post How to make Apple Cider Glazed Salmon in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

I’ve put over 70 hours into the Arknights: Endfield beta, and overall, it’s been a pretty good time. Sure, there are a few bumps here and there; some stuff could use a little polish, and things can slow down at times, but nothing that’s really snuffed out the fun. It’s a unique game with a ton of potential, and with a few tweaks, I think it could be really something special, something that stands outs out in a genre full of repetition.

The Narrative Soup: Hit or Miss

The narrative started with a bang and had me hooked, and then it kind of just... fizzled out over time. The initial world-building was intriguing, and there were some solid mysteries at play. Even by the time the story wraps up in the beta, there were still things to be ponderous about, as it's obvious there will be more to follow up. However, as things went on, the pacing started to really drag, and the narrative suffered as a result.

Eventually, I found myself simply skipping through the dialogue because it just couldn't keep me hooked anymore. The main cast? Honestly, they felt pretty forgettable. There was potential for some interesting dynamics, but something about the writing just didn’t bring them to life for me. They felt as if they knew they were just characters in a video game story. Odd as that sounds, it made them less engaging, turning what should have been memorable characters into ones I struggled to care about.

The story itself started off with some intriguing ideas, but soon fell into the trap of feeling pretty generic. It’s like Hypergryph was checking off all the standard boxes without ever really adding something new or engaging to keep me hyped for the next scene. Even the main antagonist was so forgettable that I can't even remember her name now, and I was still actively following the story when she came around. That’s a real issue, especially in a game where the narrative should be one of its driving forces since there is plenty of story to follow. For me, it felt like a missed opportunity.

One standout character, though, was Perlica. She's easily the most interesting of the whole cast. She’s the steadfast rule-follower type of character, which makes it all the more compelling when the group forces her out of her comfort zone, usually through comical moments. Her reactions add depth to her character, and even as everything else is dragging along, she remains the story’s relatable anchor.

The Combat Flow: Strategic Battles and Button Mashing?

Combat was another mixed bag for me. It starts slow. Very slow. Like, "Why am I just basic attacking all the time?" slow. At first, it feels like you’re just swinging away without much strategy, but as you unlock new abilities and mechanics, it starts to come together as a package.

The whole system revolves around the Skill Meter. You get three Skill charges, and once you’re out, you’re stuck with basic attacks until it regenerates (which is also quite slow). Final Attacks, attacks that end a character's combo, help refill it, but even then, there are points where combat just lingers because of the inability to do anything but basic attack while you wait.

I see what the developers were going for here, but honestly, I think Skill Meter does more harm than good to the overall combat experience. You end up using most of your Skill Meter right at the start of fights to get as many early advantages as possible. This works for shorter encounters, but longer ones really highlight the pacing problem caused by this system.

That said, the combo skills between your four-man team and the resulting status effects keep things from being completely dull. Timing and positioning matter more as you progress, and some enemies force you to actually think about what you're doing, which is more than what can be said about most games in this genre.

Overall, I wouldn’t say the combat is bad. It’s actually quite good when the flow gets going, but I can’t shake the feeling that it could be so much better. It’s trying to be a tactical action RPG, but the tactical part feels half-baked most of the time because of all the basic attacking. Still, I think it's far from beyond redemption. It’s fun/serviceable enough, and I do think feedback will result in improvements in the future.

The Factory Chain: Crafting the Perfect Machine

This is where Arknights: Endfield really shines. The Factory system is deep, complex, and absurdly rewarding if you love production lines and efficiency puzzles. Setting up automated workflows, optimizing material chains, and making sure everything runs smoothly is chef’s kiss. It’s the kind of system where you start thinking, just five more minutes, and suddenly, hours have passed. I spent hours figuring out the best ways to optimize my base, and it just never got old. If you enjoy games like Factorio or Satisfactory, you’ll feel right at home here.

The level of detail and customization in factory management is impressive. You need to balance power distribution, automate resource chains, and ensure you're producing the right materials at the right time. There are even bottlenecks you have to troubleshoot, and the satisfaction of fixing an inefficient production loop is immensely rewarding. You’re not just plopping down buildings and calling it a day; you’re constantly fine-tuning and adapting to make sure your factory runs at peak efficiency.

But if you're not into base-building, this game might not be for you. Progressing the story requires you to upgrade your factory, and there’s no skipping it. You'll spend as much time, if not more, managing your factory as you will exploring the overworld. It’s not just a side activity; it’s part of the core game experience. And honestly, I love that. Every upgrade and efficiency tweak feels meaningful, and if you’re the type who loves min-maxing systems, you’ll be in heaven.

The Character Progression: Grind or Glory?

Character Progression is honestly standard gacha stuff. You grind for time-gated resources with your limited stamina pool to level up your characters, skills, and weapons. Nothing revolutionary, but it gets the job done. If you’ve played any other gacha RPG, you know exactly what to expect here. There are some neat upgrade paths, and the customization options for builds through gear are decent, but I wouldn’t call it groundbreaking. It’s fine. Serviceable. More of the same. Let's move on.

The User Interface: Navigating the Game Without the Headache

For a game with so much going on, like tactical combat, gacha pulls, and factory management, you’d think the UI would be a mess, right? Surprisingly, it’s actually really intuitive and easy to navigate. It’s not every day you come across a gacha game with such a clean, well-designed interface. Switching between combat, base-building, and character management feels seamless, with no confusing menus to get lost in. Everything is laid out intuitively, so you can spend less time fussing around with the controls and more time actually playing the game.

The tutorials are smooth and to the point, with zero unnecessary fluff. The menus are super thoughtful and easy to use, making everything feel effortless. It’s one of those things that could’ve easily gone wrong but is actually a joy to interact with. Most importantly, it respects your time, something every game should do, honestly.

My Closing Thoughts

When I first jumped into Arknights: Endfield, I had no idea what to expect. The trailers made the game look cool, but I never fully grasped what the game was really about fully from them. Well, turns out it’s genuinely awesome. It’s like if Xenoblade Chronicles and Factorio had a love child, with a dash of gacha thrown in for good measure. It’s already a solid game, and I think it’s only going to get better from here. If Hypergryph can tighten up the combat and make the story more gripping in the long haul, this game could really become something special.

The game strikes that sweet spot between strategy, management, and RPG elements, and I’m totally here for it. I’m excited to see where it goes, especially once the official release hits and beyond.

The post Arknights: Endfield beta impressions: A surprisingly clean game with a surprisingly dull story appeared first on Destructoid.

Unlocking important tools in Hello Kitty Island Adventure requires collecting specific resources and crafting them. One material you need for zip lines and the snorkel during Kuromi's Deep Diving quest is Spark, an item that's surprisingly easy to make once you learn its recipe.

How to unlock Spark crafting recipe in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Before crafting Spark, you'll need to unlock its recipe by completing Pochacco's level four friendship quest, A Zipline Adventure. The two of you will ask Chococat for help fixing broken ziplines around Friendship Island, revealing that you need Spark to power them up. Chococat will then give you a Spark crafting recipe blueprint, unlocking access to this material for the rest of your playthrough.

How to craft Spark in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Now that you can access Spark's crafting recipe, you'll need three Light Stones for one you craft. Light Stone is Kuromi's bonus material from gifts. The better the gift, the more stones she'll give you.

Here are some of the best gifts to give Kuromi if you're looking to stockpile some Light Stones:

• Spicy Pumpkin Latte
• Pumpkin Spice Soda
• Jack-O-Lantern
• Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin

The best choice depends on how far you are in the game. If you're still early in the game, giving Kuromi pumpkin pie is your best bet. Later, Spicy Pumpkin Latte and Pumpkin Spice Soda will become your go-to as you get more resources and unlock the Espresso and Soda machines.

Once you give Kuromi a few gifts and receive some Light Stone, bring it to Chococat's crafting bench to make some Spark.

How to use Spark in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

One of the most important uses of Spark is crafting a Snorkel to dive underwater. Alongside this, any crafting recipe for cooking stations you unlock through friendships also requires Spark, among other items, to create. Generally speaking, any item you'd expect to use electricity, like Holograms, will use Spark in their recipes.

You'll also need Spark to repair ziplines around Friendship Island. While the zipline in Seaside Resort is the first you'll encounter, you can also find some connecting Spooky Swamp to Gemstone Mountain and the mountain to Mount Hothead. Keep a few Spark on hand if you run into any of these during your travels.

The post How to find Spark in Hello Kitty Island Adventure appeared first on Destructoid.

To the delight of all who already uncovered everything within Citadelle des Morts, Black Ops 6 Season 2 brought to the game a new Zombies map in The Tomb, which did not disappoint regarding both its difficulty and amount of easter eggs.

That of course, makes knowing where to find all of its items a must. Here's where to find all Perk-a-Cola machines and traps, as well as the locations of all armor and weapon wall buy stations in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 The Tomb.

• Table of Contents:

  • All armor locations in The Tomb
  • All weapon locations in The Tomb
  • All Perk-a-Cola locations in BO6 Zombies The Tomb
  • All trap locations

All armor wall buy locations in The Tomb

From the get-go, you will be able to find the wall buy station for the Rare armor vest by heading north from The Tomb's spawning point. As you can see below, the wall buy will be easy to spot and be located on a makeshift mural facing the center of the site.

The Epic (Purple) Wall Buy station can then be found by heading to the map's eastmost portion, more specifically to the Subterranean Temple area. Once there, the wall buy can be found on a pillar close to the center. To make the most of your money, I recommend that you purchase the rare vest before heading here and only commit to the purple one after Pack-a-Punching your weapon.

If you feel you need extra protection, you can unlock the Golden Vest Wall Buy as a reward by completing all Blood Sacrifice challenges after acquiring the two statue heads. Once unlocked, the Wall Buy station will be located close to the map's Exfil Point and be available for free. You can check out where to find the statue heads and how to complete all challenges in our How to unlock the Golden Armor Plates Egg in BO6 Zombies guide.

All weapon locations in The Tomb

You can find six weapon wall buy stations in The Tomb, with the first one (housing the Marine SP Shotgun) being found at the highest point of the Dig Site, more specifically by right of both bull monument and the map's eventual Exfill Point.

From the area above, you will be able to find the stations for the Tanto .22 and Kompakt 92 in the Tombs and Neolithic Catacombs areas respectively. Once in either area, you will be able to spot their set wall buy station by staying close to its center.

The map's remaining three weapon stations —featuring the AK-74, XM4, and the GPMG-7— can then be found in the Shrine of Hierophants, Ossuary, and Subterranean Temple areas respectively. While the LMG can be easily spotted facing the main portal to the Dark Aether Rift, the ones housing the assault rifles will be placed on walls outside of your main path.

All Perk machine locations in Black Ops 6 The Tomb

You can find vending machines for the Death Perception, Stamin-Up, PhD-Flopper, Deadshot Daiquiri, Speed Cola, Quick Revive, and Jugger-Nog Perk-a-Colas while exploring The Tomb. Once you reach the upper rounds, a Der Wunderfizz machine will also become available. You can check out where to find each of them below:

PhD-Flopper location

The first Perk-a-Cola you will get access to, you can find the PhD-Flopper machine right by the Neolithic Catacombs gate, located on the south portion of the Dig Site (the spawn area). If you want to use Mustang and Sally, make sure to grab this perk eventually for its ability to nullify explosive damage.

Deadshot Daiquiri and Speed Cola locations

One of the easiest to spot among the map's selection, you can find the Deadshot Daiquiri machine at the entrance of the Neolithic Catacombs area. There's no secret here, as the machine will be pretty much facing the area's main entrance.

The third Perk you can come across if you choose to follow the pathway south, you can spot the Speed Cola machine by a broken wall on the southmost portion of the Ossuary. The machine will be hard to miss given it's proximity to the gate connecting the area to the Subterranean Temple.

Death Perception and Stamin-Up locations

If you choose to follow the northern path, you will be able to spot the Stamin-Up machine by the entrance of the Tombs area. The machine will be located close to both the Tanto .22 weapon wall buy and an Ammo Cache.

The Stamin-Up machine can be found within the Shrine of Hierophants. Once in the area, you will be able to spot it in the spot highlighted below, facing a Gooblegum Machine. This perk is also a must-have, as it will boost your movement speed.

Quick Revive location

A game-changing pick when in a team, you can find the Quick Revive Perk-a-Cola machine on the opposing end of The Tomb's map, more specifically behind the altar in the Subterranean Temple area.

Jugger Nog and Der Wunderfizz locations

The Tomb's final two, you can find both the Jugger-Nog and the Der Wunderfizz machines in the Dark Aether Nexus. Once inside, you will be able to find the former atop a rock formation in the map's westmost portion, close to the yellow portal leading to the Shrine of Hierophants.

The Der Wunderfizz machine, on the other hand, can be found on the eastmost portion of the nexus, facing the green portal leading to the Ossuary. As always, the vending machine will only become available after you reach the 25th round. The price of the Perks within it will increase per purchase.

All trap locations in Black Ops 6 The Tomb

You can find four series of arrow traps while exploring The Tomb, with two of them being located on the Ossuary and the reaming being found in the pathways connecting the Tomb to the Shrine of Hierophants and the Shrine of Hierophants to the Subterranean Temple respectively. You can check out the exact locations of each of them below.

Now that you know where to find all purchasable items within the map, I also highly recommend checking out how to unlock all Easter Eggs and secrets in Black Ops 6 The Tomb.

The post All weapon, perk, armor, and trap locations in Black Ops 6 The Tomb appeared first on Destructoid.

With the release of the Free PC Modding Update for Hogwarts Legacy, the Dungeon of Doom opened its doors to all who dare venture near. The real challenge, however, lies in finding the entrance to this cursed dungeon, as its location isn’t exactly easy to spot.

How to enter the Dungeon of Doom in Hogwarts Legacy

The Dungeon of Doom is an officially sanctioned Mod that you must first enable through the Modding Catalogue available on Hogwarts Legacy's main menu. Making sure the Dungeon of Doom mod is enabled is a crucial step to finding its location, so make sure you've flipped the switch.

Once you have, load up your newly created modding save, and apparate over to South Hogsmeade using the world map.

You're next going to want to exit Hogsmeade using the southern entrance to the village, ensuring you cross over the bridge leading outward.

Follow the cobblestone road down the hill and take a left at the mishmash of Hogwarts signs. This direction leads you down a large set of cobblestone stairs specifically, so make sure you take the leftmost path, as taking any other will lead you completely astray at this junction.

Continue down the winding cobblestone stairs. If you stay on course, the stairs will eventually veer off onto a different path, but you don't need to go that far. Keep descending until you reach a point where, on your right, you’ll see a massive stone wall that is detached from the path itself. You should first see it looking down on it from uphill.

From your uphill position, jump over the stone wall onto the cobblestone road beside it. Follow the road North until you reach a strange cavern formation that appears to have no entrance. There will be a lamp post right in front of it.

This perplexing cavern entrance is actually the entrance to the Dungeon of Doom, and while there appears to be no way inside, turns out magic is the key. Simply walk up to the entrance and Interact with it.

The moment you do, you'll begin your perilous journey traversing the dreaded Dungeon of Doom. Have fun and good luck.

What is the Dungeon of Doom in Hogwarts Legacy?

The Dungeon of Doom is, for all intents and purposes, an endless dungeon that you can explore at any time by entering it. Inside, you'll find numerous enemies from throughout Hogwarts Legacy, thrown at you at you in groups, typically at random. Cave Trolls, Spiders, Goblins... you name it; it's in there. Some of these encounters can be tough, so make sure your spellcasting is sharp and you're fully geared up for the challenges ahead.

As you progress through the dungeon, you'll also encounter plenty of familiar puzzles presented before you in unique and interesting ways. These are solved using the tools and spells you've gathered throughout the game's campaign, though you'll still need to think about the best ways to manipulate the blocks making up these puzzles.

For your explorative, dungeoneering efforts, you'll be periodically rewarded with chests that have random amounts of valuable loot inside. Many of these chests are splayed right in front of you. Many more are hidden way off the beaten pay, however. Make sure to search each area carefully if you don't want to miss out on the extra loot.

The post Where to find the Dungeon of Doom in Hogwarts Legacy appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a lot of hype surrounding Doom: The Dark Ages, especially since the release date was announced, and we were treated to more footage recently. Evidently, id Software continues to move forward with the franchise. Though, where's the harm in holding onto the past?

As I've proven time and time again, Doom will never cease to be relevant so long as people keep modding it. This time, we're looking at a blend of old and new, as ModDB user duskredy brings us Darkfall, a mod for Doom 2 that adds in the weapons from The Dark Ages.

Currently in Early Access, it aims to seamlessly marry the two together. We still get the overall visuals of classic Doom, but the modder has incorporated the weapons from the upcoming game in an attempt to "match the official gameplay closely."

Yes, the Shield Saw appears to be present

Obviously, Darkfall can only do so much to match the energy and spirit of Doom: The Dark Ages, seeing as the actual game isn't out yet. As such, the mod is probably relying heavily on the trailers we've been getting, which is still something.

It's nice to see the Shield Saw has made it into Doom 2, as well. This was one of the stand-out items (for me, at least) when we first got a glimpse. It must have made something of an impact, because another modder added the shield to Doom back in June of last year.

If you haven't been keeping up, The Dark Ages is due to release on May 15 and will be coming to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. And yes, if you are wondering, it will be available on Game Pass from day one. It's also going to be a prequel. Whether it will equal (or surpass) the success of the 2016 reboot and 2020's Eternal remains to be seen at this stage.

The post Of course a modder has blended classic Doom with Doom: The Dark Ages appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a ton of content in Hello Kitty Island Adventure that takes place underwater. You can find an entire city in the water, with one character, Hangyodon, residing within it. You'll need a snorkel to reach this region, but making one requires traveling around the map for various resources.

How to unlock Deep Diving in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Crafting a snorkel and unlocking diving underwater requires completing Kuromi's friendship level six quest, Deep Diving. During the mission, she'll let you borrow her snorkel to dive underwater in the swamp and grab her locket. Although she won't let you keep it, she'll give you a crafting recipe that allows you to make your own.

Below is the snorkel's crafting recipe:

• Rubber (10)
• Spark (2)
• Ingot (2)

Once you have all three items, head to Chococat's crafting table to create a snorkel, completing the Deep Diving quest and allowing you to dive underwater anywhere on Hello Kitty Island Adventure's map.

How to find Rubber

Rubber is an abundant resource all around Seaside Resort. You'll find Rubber on the ground as you explore this area, appearing as dark purple balls along pathways and hills. They also respawn regularly, giving you tons of opportunities to pick some up as you play.

How to craft Spark

Spark is trickier, requiring you to complete Pochacco's level four friendship quest, A Zipline Adventure. Pochacco discovers a broken zipline during this quest and asks for your help repairing it. You'll both ask Chococat for assistance, giving you a Spark crafting recipe.

Creating one Spark requires three Light Stone, a resource Kuromi gives you whenever you give her a gift. Since you need level six friendship to unlock the snorkel, you'll likely have plenty of these already. If not, find Kuromi and give her some gifts before heading back to your crafting station and making two Spark.

How to find and craft Iron Ingots

Next up are ingots, which you can craft using three Iron. It is found in Mount Hothead, a region northwest of Seaside Resort. The easiest way to get here early on is to go to Moon Island and swim to the southernmost dock connected to Mount Hothead.

Iron spawns regularly along rocks in Mount Hothead rather than grass or sand. Although it isn't as common as rubber or sticks, you can still find several around rocky areas that appear as small ore-like stones. If you have a couple of stamina upgrades, you can also climb the mountain for more spawns.

You will also need an ingot crafting recipe, which you'll find next to a cabin in Gemstone Mountain. You can access this area using bridges connected to Spooky Swamp and Mount Hothead. Spooky Swamp's ziplines also act as a quick and easy way to reach this area. If you finished the zipline quest from earlier, you can visit one northwest of the Ghost Cart Ride and use it to access Gemstone Mountain directly. From here, you'll find the recipe on a barrel north of the Gemstone Town mailbox.

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