As travelers, we often follow maps to see where we should be headed. There have also been times we forget the map and follow the road to see where it leads. Sometimes exploring is rewarding in its own right. That’s how we feel with the upcoming game Biomutant. Yes, the story will undoubtedly be fascinating and grand but exploring its open world seems just as exciting.
THQ Nordic and Experiment 101 have been releasing a number of videos showcasing the game. Among the many videos is what they’ve called the Biomutant – World Trailer. It’s an RPG fantasy sci-fi blend featuring a large open world to experience. Imagine Kung Fu Panda but as an entire game including different tribes each with its own sifu dedicated to mastering kung fu.
BIOMUTANT is an open-world, post-apocalyptic Kung-Fu fable RPG, with unique martial art styled combat system allowing you to mix melee, shooting, and mutant ability action.
You can customize your anthropomorphic character to look like an adorable rat, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’s Splinter, or just about any fluffy rodent you can think of. From there players are free to craft their own weapons that range from futuristic guns to classic swords and not no classic flaming axes. It’s a game that is designed for anyone who likes the creativity of Dungeons & Dragons and the freedom of traveling throughout a massive world.
It’s basically a game built for travelers like us. Game footage shows characters riding around on motorized bikes, vehicles, and horses. Exploration is one of the key factors the developers focused on. Which, by the way, only 20 people worked on the game. It invokes this sense of adventure by focusing on the aspect of exploration. We’re stoked to check it out.
In case you’re wondering the entire map is about 64 kilometers which is around 24 square miles. That’s nearly twice as large as Skyrim and just shy of The Witcher 3’s 27 square miles. To put it into perspective in the real world, Hawaii’s smallest island of Kaho‘olawe measures 44.59 square miles.
Biomutant releases on May 25 for PC, PlayStation®4, and Xbox One.
We’re not ones for horror games but everything we saw from Resident Evil Village captured our attention like Lady Dimitrescu and the internet. We built up the courage we found when we camped outside a dark wooded forest in our campervan and decided to give it a bite and it turned out being a delicious meal fit for a lycan, vampire, or shuffling zombie. Right away it throws you to the wolves, quite literally, and the action doesn’t slow, it’s absolutely feral and fun.
You play Ethan Winters, the protagonist from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Thankfully you don’t have to have any prior knowledge of the previous game as Capcom has a recap option at the beginning of the game. Mr. Winters, as he’s referred to by just about every key villain in the game, is on a mission to rescue his infant daughter from the clutches of a cult and its mutated monsters. While Lady Dimitrescu may not lead the pack she certainly was a fan favorite even before the game released. She’s backed up by the crazed dollmaker Donna Beneviento and her demon possessed doll, Salvatore Moreau, the mutated biologist, and Karl Heisenberg the super Magneto fanboy with a penchant for controlling metal and a temper to boot.
Setting
Resident Evil Village is set in a remote village, hence the name, in the Romanian countryside. Although, the majority of it takes place outside of the village proper. Ethan’s search will see him explore a massive Gothic castle, an abandoned church, a genuinely creepy old house, a graveyard, dilapidated homes, and a sprawling factory maze. It’s all weaved together so stunningly well that venturing between each makes them feel they’re own specific game. One zone is set in the Medieval era with candlelit houses, while another is pulled straight from a science fiction film.
Village knows what type of game it wants to be and shifts from action horror to horror in an instant. One second Ethan is safe inside his new Romanian home and the next he’s fending off endless waves of lycan attacks in the village center. The action never runs dry or becomes stale which can be a mood killer. Constantly running around without much time to smell the roses on Lady Dimitrescu’s dress is exhausting. Moving from zone to zone is full of suspense and mystery as you never quite know what’s going to be around the next corner or inside the wooden outhouse – it’s always ammo.
When it comes to the terror scale, we’d say Village is on the higher end of the spectrum. It shifts from dense forests with a thick layer of fog to a deserted house that contains a possessed doll and the walking corpse of an infant child. Add on its wailing cries and moans of ‘dada’ and it’s clear Resident Evil Village knows how to turn up the fright level.
This is the Way
As with previous Resident Evil games, the world map is your best tool to finding your way around. Rooms are highlighted in red or blue to let you know if Ethan has explored them yet. Blue means all items have been discovered and to help ensure you get enough money or find extra items, lighting up the map blue is vital. Though, it can be time consuming and aggravating to search a place multiple times only to not find what it is your missing. Sometimes it could be staring you in the face while other times it’s hidden behind a locked cabinet and you’ll need a lockpick to open it. The map can also be confusing to read in general. Layouts of multi-leveled buildings can be hard to track as it can be hard to follow one from the next.
Village’s guns are hit or miss – no pun intended, really. The pistol is good for mid-range combat but lining up shots with any gun isn’t necessarily the friendliest of mechanics. We aren’t the best at first-person shooters, but auto aim certainly helped during our playthru. Playing on Mercenaries mode will help increase gun action as there are waves of enemies to unload on.
In the early hours of the game, knowing when to use or conserve ammunition and items is key. Ethan has his trusty pistol and can eventually upgrade it and find a shotgun, sniper rifle, machine gun, grenade launcher, and bombs. Each one is handy for different enemies and it isn’t too difficult to figure out which works best. Eventually, ammo becomes plentiful but near the endgame, it can dwindle to near nothing if you’re not careful about managing it. But friendly merchant Duke is always right where you need him if you’re looking to buy more gear.
Sound and Sights
As a horror game, sound should be used as a way to build tension and terror and Village doesn’t disappoint. Ethan’s breathing helps drive the anxiety he feels as he dodges sword wielding zombies – yeah, they carry weapons – runs through six foot tall wheat fields, and snipes gargoyle sized vampire bats. The creatures each have their own unique growls, hisses, and screams that carry through reverberating cellars and eventually you can tell just what’s coming to take a bit out of Ethan.
The voice acting, too, is superb. The cast is impressive and each one does a fantastic job at making each character feel real and alive. Even the dead ones. There are a few lines that feel out of place and may be a bit campy but they feel more or less like lines catered to reduce tension. Running from Lady Dimitrescu is tense. her shoes are near silent even for her 9’6″ figure and she always has a quippy response to seeing you slide past her. Whereas Heisenberg is a smooth talking suave figure that you can never quite tell what he’s thinking but he’s always got something on his mind.
There isn’t really much to say about Village’s views other than they are absolutely stunning. It is a beautiful looking game from its Gothic architecture to its rundown sci-fi factory. It’s simply breathtaking.
Character Design
Aside from the internet losing their minds at Lady Dimitrescu, her design is a major reason she won’t soon be forgotten. Unlike characters such as Mr. X or Nemesis, Lady Dimitrescu has a genuine reason to chase down Ethan Winters. She has a vendetta against Mr. Winters and she haunts him throughout her castle because he is in her home.
In a similar fashion, each one of the four lords as they are referred to, has their own reason for attacking or toying with Ethan. Each one has a stake in the story and at no point does it feel like you’re running from simple zombies or a walking metal man with a hat. The villains have their own backstory and discovering what each one is makes for a satisfying narrative. They aren’t cogs in the machine, they’re people – or were once – that feel, have families, and histories. We love that each has their own personal motivation. It makes for a much better story.
Standard enemies also feature their own interesting looks, sounds, and attacks. Lycans are fast and feral, zombies are slow and dumb, full fledged wolves are terrifying and unpredictable, and Lady Dimitrescu’s daughters are engaging and astoundingly interesting. We just wish we got to spend more time with the Dimitrescu family. They don’t stick around all that long.
Puzzles
Resident Eviljust wouldn’t be Resident Evil without its puzzle mechanics and Village is full of them. They aren’t overly difficult and each features some sort of guide to help you complete it. There’s opening locked doors with key items to moving around statues to flush out a bathtub of blood. The one issue we found is that not all of the clues are easy to locate. We did end up missing one but figured out the puzzle anyway.
And while not necessarily a puzzle, there are many areas on the map Ethan won’t visit as part of the main quest. Figuring out how to reach each of these locations is exciting and always ends with a reward. Whether it’s in the form of a new weapon, collectible item, money, or mini boss, exploring has its benefits.
Third Person Motion Sickness
When it comes to viewing the world of Resident Evil Village, it is only possible in First Person. While we understand the reasoning is because it’s more frightening, it definitely has its downsides. We both get motion sick and it can be difficult to play hours on end while focusing on Ethan’s hands – though the villains seem to care about them more than he does. The endless swaying back and forth motions can be overwhelming and we had to put down the game for a day and pick it back up the next. Opting for a Third Person view would be appreciated.
Verdict: Resident Evil Village is a great blend of action and horror. It features just the right amount of terror and action and has a powerful story as well. The views are epicly gorgeous, the sound drives suspense, voice acting is great, and it offers numerous hours of replayability. Aside from a few minor things like its First Person view and its nonstop action, it’s definitely worth picking up.
Resident Evil Village is here and the memes keep coming. Lady Dimitrescu blew up all across the internet and doesn’t appear that she will ever stop being relevant. The “tall vampire lady” is certainly a popular character and meme but she’s also a terrifying force to face in the game. There have been cosplays, character art, and posts galore showcasing the lady of the house and we were inspired to create her outfit in Animal Crossing.
The Nintendo game allows for plenty of creativity through outfit design, customized clothes, and furniture. Players have recreated amazing scenes from movies and games with the amount of customization the game offers. Creating Lady Dimitrescu’s look may take a bit of work and some luck when it comes to finding clothes, but it can totally be done. We did. So let’s show you how.
Lady of the House
Lady Dimitrescu has a unique look that is instantly recognizable at a glance. There are two main qualities that make up her outfit: her hat and her regal dress. However, finding the specific items that match her aesthetic can be difficult if you haven’t worked with Labelle.
The Large Elegant Hat
The hat is going to be the piece de resistance, the Holy Grail, the needle in the haystack for her entire wardrobe. It’s large and opulent and would fit in nicely at the Kentucky Derby. There is only one such hat in Animal Crossing that fits the bill (no pun intended), the Labelle Hat.
In order to get the head topper, you will have to work with Labelle when she visits your island.
Dressed to Impress
As for the dress, there are a few routes you could go but really only one is a near perfect match. The Noble Dress is regal looking and has the ruffles to match her dress. You will want it in white as well.
Some good backup choices would be the Frugal Dress, Floral Lace Dress, Mage’s Dress, or Ruffled Dress. But the best option is to be to create the dress yourself like we did.
One other minor, but still important detail, is her shoes. While you may not be able to see them under the dress, they will help you feel more like the meme lady. We recommend the Labelle Pumps to complete the look.
Dinner is Served Mr. Winters
Once the outfit is complete you may want to act the part as well. Harv’s Island is the perfect place to ensure you feel like the queen of the castle. Get yourself a few prison bars, wine barrels, and plenty of purple flowers and set the scene and mood.
When it comes to video games our favorite will always be action adventure and fantasy. We both fell in love with The Legend of Zeldaseries at a young age and it has only grown our passion forDungeons & Dragons. We’re always on the lookout for new fantasy games and believe Earthblade will be right up our alley.
Developer and publisher Extremely OK Games revealed the game with what they’re calling a ‘Vibe Reveal.’ Which is honestly a pretty chill way to announce a game. Earthblade will be a 2D explor-action game and from the looks of the teaser poster, it has Zelda vibes all over it.
“A2D explor-action game in a seamless pixel art world. The next release from the Celeste team, coming 20XX.”
Along with the art by Pedro Medeiros, EXOK also released a short music track by Lena Raine who composed the soundtrack for EXOK’s previous game Celeste.
Other than that, there aren’t much details on what the game will be. No plot, characters, or trailer unlike the studio did with Celeste. But they say there is a good reason for changing things up for Earthblade. “We didn’t want to reveal much about the game or its story yet, but we think that this well establishes the world and the feeling of being in it. We also just wanted to let everyone know the name of the game now that we’ve settled on one, so that we can all stop calling it EXOK4.But an air of mystery lends itself particularly well to this project, so we’ve opted to save it all up for a big reveal that will hopefully blow your socks off.”
Earthblade 🌷 Vibe reveal! (🔊sound on!) A 2D explor-action game in a seamless pixel art world. The next release from the Celeste team, coming 20XX. pic.twitter.com/ceAM80PEaG
However, they went on to say that Earthblade may not be released for quite some time. There was a five year gap between Celeste and the studios first game Towerfall. So, we may not see Earthblade until 2023 at the latest.
While we wait for whenever it releases, we can sit back and enjoy the music and stare at the poster searching for clues.
When it comes to traveling, we’re still learning a few tricks to enhance our overall experience. Driving for hours on end is quite a challenge but a welcome one. However, we can’t help but think about all of the video game travels we’ve played that make it much more simple. Games like Zelda or the Elder Scrollsseries where hopping from one side of the world map to the other is done without running across plains, over mountains, and through forests. It’s these times we wish fast travel could be used in the real world.
Open world games provide the player with endless amounts of exploration. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt presents one of the largest and broadest maps to explore. Its main story is quite good and we’re always up for playing it again but it found its beauty in its quests and exploration. It’s the same with the real world, minus the side quests, although life does tend to through a few if you’re looking and even when you’re not.
Hitting the open road cues up plenty of opportunities to see new sites and experience new places. It’s what makes exploring worthwhile. But there can be times when becomes tedious and you just want to skip ahead to the next destination (we’re looking at your Kansas plains). Being able to fast forward through uncomfortable roads or dull views would make adventuring a bit less boring. That’s why we’ve listed a few games we believe have the best fast travel options.
Five Games with the Most Immersive Fast Travel
Elder Scrolls Morrowind – Silt Striders
The Elder Scrolls series is one great big adventure across multiple provinces. Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim all feature epic landscapes to explore but reaching them can be a bit of a chore. No matter if you’ve played through multiple times or it’s your first, walking from one end of the map to the other just to complete a side quest can be tedious, but Morrowind makes fast travel fun.
We’re always a fan of games that provide a unique way to get from point A to point B that makes sense. Simply clicking on a point on the map you’ve been to before and instantly teleporting there isn’t really all that immersive, and oftentimes it can even break immersion. Instead, Morrowind features creatures called silt striders – giant beasts of burden that float just off of the ground. They are effectively ferry boats but instead of water, they ride over land. If characters have enough coin they can take a ride on a silt strider and reach a new town within seconds.
While there isn’t a cutscene involved, it does make reaching new places much more simple. The game even puts a silt strider in the starting town of Seyda Neen allowing players access to larger cities that can take time to reach on foot.
Pokémon – Flying
Flying is one of the quickest ways to get around in the real world and Pokémon utilizes it as well. The mechanic was introduced during the first generation – Red, Blue, Yellow – and allowed trainers to teach it to some Pokémon able to fly. However, the catch was the player had to have visited a location beforehand. This means there was still exploration involved in the games.
Once a Pokémonlearned to fly, the trainer hopped on them like a horse and flew to their destination. Early games didn’t have the technical capacity to make a full cutscene, but later games let players control their mount and let them see the world below.
Skyrim – Carriages
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim does include one Silt Strider but it isn’t available to hire. Instead, the fifth game in the series uses one of the most unique forms of travel of any game on our list: carriages or wagons. It’s a form of transport any player of Skyrim will be familiar with as the game begins with the protagonist riding in one.
Each major city has a carriage and rider the player can hire to take them across the province. It’s like renting a car or taking a bus but instead of dealing with people, you get to smell horses throughout the journey. If only carriages provided some way to see the scenery as you went along. While the opening cinematic is gorgeous, especially on PC, the entire world of Skyrim is stunningly epic to look at.
The best part is the carriages can be taken to other cities you haven’t visited yet.
Legend of Zelda – Music
The Legend of Zelda series uses music as a way to quickly traverse the world. While Breath of the Wild may be one exception to the franchise; utilizing Shrines to get from point to point, the others include music of some sort.
Ocarina of Time features the ocarina and lets Link traverse Hyrule through songs. Each song is connected to a different location on the world map and allows the Hero of Time to instantly teleport there. Whereas Wind Waker gives Link a magical baton to compose songs. No matter which game in the series you play, there is a link to music somewhere in it. Even Breath of the Wild’s shrines are powered by music. Activating them cues a single track that ends with the final note turning on the device.
A Link to the Past even allows Link to summon a flying rooster to reach new areas. When put into perspective in the real world, music can make travel seem quicker. Lengthy car rides can appear shorter or faster even if you listen to a great travel-themed playlist.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Signposts
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is another beautiful game to experience. From its striking overlooks to its bustling towns cawing seagulls and ringing ship bells the world is alive. The game is a fountain of locations with new ones spewing up every few seconds it seems. Reaching all of the new landmarks of the Witcher could take hours, if not hundreds of them, but thankfully there’s a fast travel system in place to help.
To travel between various points on the map, Geralt needs only to stand near a signpost and select another on the map. It is certainly a time-saving way to get around and immersively speaking, it is a world full of magic and sorcery so simply teleporting between signposts doesn’t seem too farfetched. The Continent is vast and there is so much to see and do that completing the game and every side quest could take upwards of 100 hours.
However, if zapping between places in an instant isn’t your thing, you could always saddle up your horse Roach and hit the open road. There is a handy mechanic that lets horses follow paths on their own. All you have to do is hold a button and sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds.
While fast travel may be good for speeding up the plot or reducing game time, it does defeat the purpose of exploring a vast world. After all, that is what traveling is, experiencing boundless opportunities and views not otherwise seen.
It’s been ten years since the launch of Dragon Age 2and we’re getting a look at some cut content for what could have been. Dragon Age 2 may have had a rough release with development being rushed but many fans still hold it dearly in their hearts. Kirkwall is a city with many secrets and rotating plots and while we may never get to experience its full splendor again, we can take comfort in learning about some unused narrative.
Bioware writer Mary Kirby tweeted a few details about a potential plotline involving the Qunari, pirates, and a zombie plague. Evidently at some point during the many terrible moments in Kirkwall, Hawke was going to take part in another battle with the Qunari. The idea apparently would have focused heavily on Isabela the pirate and a possible fight aboard a burning dreadnought ship.
Wow, it's the tenth anniversary of DA2's launch? I don't have an impossibly-broken flowchart for this one. But I will celebrate by raising a glass for the Pirates-versus-Qunari-versus-Zombie-plague plot I never got to write for the expansion.
Somewhere along the way, Hawke and crew mayhaps have been able to procure an entire fleet of ships, possibly including Isabela’s ship the Siren’s Call. This all would have even lead to Isabela gaining access to ‘an EXTREMELY fancy hat.’ A hat as amazing as that could only be presumed to be a legendary item.
Plus, while we didn't need a plot to acquire a fleet in DAI, maybe we will in the future? I ALREADY HAVE MY PLOT DOCS WRITTEN so… someday, I will get my burning dreadnought fight. I hope. ❤️
As for how, where, why, and when zombies came into play? Well, there is no way of knowing unless it comes to light in a future remake or remaster one day. However, we have a possible theory as to how it could have happened.
I mean, its primary feature was going to be giving Isabela an EXTREMELY fancy hat. Also, I guess a fleet of some kind.
The Act 1 quest The First Sacrifice sees Hawke investigating what happened to a missing women. This leads to Act 2 of the game where it turns out young women have been reported missing and later found dead. The questline eventually leads to a quest called All that Remains. In it, Hawke learns his mother Leandra has been meeting with someone who has been sending her white lilies. Events lead Hawke and company to a necromancer named Quentin who killed Leandra and brought her back as an undead creature; aka a zombie.
This could potentially be what Kirby had in mind with the Qunari, pirate, and zombie plague plotline. The young women murdered by Quentin and his apprentice could all be the zombies referenced in the cut content. While dealing with the Qunari problem which Isabela had a hand in, the zombies could have attacked Kirkwall at the same time leading to an even bigger problem with mages, blood magic, Qunari, and templars.
Of course this is all just speculation and until it’s all confirmed by Bioware, we will just have to keep hoping. Speaking of hope, maybe one day there will be a Dragon Age Legendary Edition too.
Solasta is still in Early Access but it’s turning out to be one of the best RPGs of the year. The development team is constantly releasing new updates and dev diaries and their latest is about adding a dungeon builder to the full release. The concept will give players the freedom to design their own dungeons in the game and it’s quite a unique feature to the Fifth Edition based CRPG.
What to expert from the Dungeon Maker. Solasta’s builder will let designers create a 2D map first before seeing it as as fully developed 3D world. It will include everything from adding crypts, walls, lighting effects, monsters, and interactable items. The map can be named, given a description, and setup so text automatically appears when characters trigger it. And several maps can be combined together to create a massive dungeon.
In a short video posted by the dev team, the upcoming Dungeon Maker will launch when Solasta: Crown of the Magister releases fully sometime this year. While there is no official announcement date yet, simply knowing what is coming to the game is exciting not only for players but also dungeon masters for the tabletop game. Neverwinter Nights did something similar. We’ve listed five reasons why the Dungeon Maker matters more than you think.
Art of the Dungeon. One facet about being a dungeon master for the physical Dungeons & Dragons game is building a dungeon for the characters to explore. This can be daunting especially to newer DMs behind the screen or even storytellers who have been creating campaigns for years. Not everyone is going to be an expert artist. Outlining a dungeon sounds great in theory but putting the idea to paper can be another tale.
There are many map making programs available but they aren’t as detailed as the builder for Solasta looks like it is going to be. Inkarnate may be great for 2D mapmaking but you’re still going to have to rely on theater of the mind when it comes to the finer details. The Dungeon Maker for Solasta will transition from a 2D builder to a fully explorable 3D map to test before letting the players have a go at it.
Real-Time Exploration. With the tabletop game dungeon masters aren’t able to explore their creation in real-time. Through Solasta, builders will be able to design an area and then explore it as characters with weapons and items. This will allow the DM to get a better feel for how it flows before throwing the real characters into the fire at the table.
Collaborations. If you’re feeling stuck on how to design a specific build for you campaign, you will be able to work with friends. An idea as big as this will build a community of dungeon designers that can bounce ideas off of one another. Having access to other maps creates a sort of sandbox puzzle that creators can pull from and mix and match ideas.
No more Random Rolls. The Dungeon Master’s Guide has simple rules for building a dungeon on the fly but it can be awkward and time-consuming (believe me I have tried). While it isn’t all that difficult to do, it can leave tabletop dungeons looking odd or incomplete. Having the Dungeon Maker will definitely smooth out and speed up the design process for dungeon building. (This by no means makes random rolling tables a negative).
Multiplayer. Hear us out on this one. While multiplayer is not in Solasta at the moment – and may not be coming to it – the Dungeon Maker makes it somewhat possible. Solasta is a fully single player game but if you have a party of four at your table, it can be used to playout the dungeon digitally if everyone is up for it. By taking turns around the keyboard, each player can build their character – or get as close as possible – with Solasta’s character builder. From there, you start up the dungeon and get exploring.
While adventuring, players can say they move their specific character to a certain spot and investigate. Initiative works a bit easier by assigning characters their turn. When it’s their go, just move around the keyboard and away they go.
Solasta is shaping up to be a fantastic CRPG and we’re excited for the future of it. Between it and Baldur’s Gate 3, there is a lot to expect this year for tabletop games turned video game.
Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King isn’t the sort of video game we thought we would find ourselves playing. It’s a Souls-like (Dark Souls) RPG full of dynamic combat, unexplained lore, and an item system that is rather confusing to understand. However, it’s all of these concepts combined that lead to us actually really enjoying it. Shattered – as it will be called for the remainder of the review – is rewarding, engaging, and just a blast to play.
Published and Developed by Redlock Studio, Shattered spent one year and some change in Early Access. It’s full release still carries over some of the feel of “early.” It isn’t so much that it ruins the experience in any way, just that there were a couple bugs and crashes we had to work around. Small things aside, the team behind it can certainly stand proud knowing thei ndie game could dance with the big AAA releases. It’s also largely based on tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons.
While it may not have the huge backing of a full Dark Souls game, Shattered is epic and feels just as good, if not better, than FromSoftware. Sekirowas among our favorite games of 2019 but this feels grander, larger, more fluid. We loved running Japan and its non-fictional setting blended with the supernatural, but Shattered feels set in firmly in a fantasy space. There are doses of sci-fi thrown in but at it’s roots, it’s a tale of adventure surrounding a lone wanderer searching for identity.
It’s by no means a new idea when it comes to storytelling but it’s no less powerful a tale. The entire story is wrapped in mystery and both the protagonist and the player figure out the backstory together. The king of the world known as Hypnos is missing. As the Wanderer, you find yourself trying to find out who you are and what happened to the land.
This idea is the driving force behind Shattered. There is no text explaining outright what you do or what became of the king. Everything is learned in real-time, either from NPCs, items discovered, or locations and none of it is in order. Piecing together the story is sort of like building a complex LEGO set except there are no instructions. There is a basic picture to work with but no outline of how to build it. You don’t have to understand the story in order to enjoy Shattered, however, there’s still plenty to do and see.
Story aside, Shattered’s combat is compelling and engaging. The Wanderer has access to an array of weapons and magic attacks. Swords are used in one of three ways: light attacks for quick and repeated hits, heavy attacks for massive damage and shield bashing, and blocking to protect from enemy swings. Standard enemies aren’t difficult to dispatch on their own but groups can make for a frustrating experience. Close quarters fights are fast and aggressive and attacks will reduce stamina, which is a vital mechanic to keep track of.
Along with a stamina bar are magic and vitality. Magic is drained through the use of magical abilities such as ranged spells or shields. While vitality translates to health or hit points. Managing these three stats is a challenge while in the midst of combat but finding a rhythm between the trio is part of what makes Shattered so thrilling.
Keeping track of them during boss fights is an entirely different story. Bosses are imposing and require patience and thought to get through. It’s like Gandalf said in the Fellowship of the Ring ‘this foe is beyond any of you.’ While bosses are certainly assertive and powerful, they can be taken down with time and strategy.
Defeating enemies rewards the Wanderer with essence. This acts as the currency for the game and allows you to buy weapon upgrades and gear to restore vitality, magic, and stamina. Upgrading to new levels is also done through collecting essence. You keep all of the essence you gain throughout the game expect upon when you die. When you this happens, the enemy who killed you holds onto it all until they are slain again. Dying is something that will happen quite a lot but you are able to respawn and it’s something you’ll be doing time and time again.
Along your journey you will come across Limbo Wells. These act as campfires and allow you to start over again with essential gear. There are a few items that will reset once you respawn such as vitality restoration equipment and anything you didn’t use in your previous life. Limbo Wells are found throughout the open world and are a lifesaver if you’ve traveled far and defeated many enemies. However, resting at one will restore all slain creatures as well, so it’s all about managing and planning your routes well.
Exploration is another great feature of Shattered. The world is huge and includes several unique landscapes from snowy tundras, urban streets, and crumbling ruins. There are several ways to get around each area and part of the fun is searching for hidden doorways or finding new ways to get around difficult encounters. There isn’t a set path to follow and new surprises wait around each corner it seems. We often found ourselves standing on a rooftop overlooking a massive citadel or open expanse just to take in all of the stunning imagery.
One of the most interesting aspect of Shattered is how you go about exploring the world. There are times when the camera will shift from third person to a 2D side-scroller view. There is no way to control just when this will happen so it can be jarring at first. The mechanic allows you to experience the game as a platformer while still having access to all of your weapons and gear.
Item management is simple if not a bit clunky. Many things such as healing items can be equipped to the hotbar for quick and easy access. While others don’t offer much more than a short explanation of what they are but that may not necessarily explain what they do. Others are complete mysteries and may be revealed through conversation with certain characters. Even still, others will allow you to upgrade weapons, stats, and gear to become more powerful and capable when fighting enemies. It all feels so epic and just plain good.
Still, Shattered doesn’t feel completely polished but it is still excellent. Combat can be sluggish and can grow tiring after a while. It’s repetitive and there aren’t a lot of ways to go about killing things. Oftentimes attacks didn’t connect either and this left you open to take multiple hits. There were also issues with teleporting between locations. After using a system built to send you from one part of the map to another, there is a slight waiting period. In this time, enemies are able to freely attack as you wait to appear on screen. There were also numerous times the game crashed and we had to relaunch.
Nevertheless, none of Shattered’s downfalls make it any less fun to play. It’s a grand adventure full of mystery, breathtaking locations, and captivating encounters. You don’t have to dive into all of its lore to enjoy it, and while the combat can be repetitive, it is smooth, fast, and exciting. It’s definitely Souls adjacent but is much more friendly when it comes to dealing with enemies and puzzles.
The Legend of Zelda is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Since 1986, there have been more than two dozen games in the series. Nintendo even developed Zelda Clue, chess, and Monopoly, but have yet to make any official tabletop role-playing game of the franchise. Fear not heroes, for if you ever wanted to explore Hyrule in a nonlinear fashion, there is The Legend of Zelda: Reclaim the Wild.
The fan-made TTRPG Reclaim the Wild is made by Elemental Knight and is as detailed as Zelda lore. It’s a 279 page book chock-full of information on how to build a character, craft equipment, and build a world for players to explore. It’s based off of Breath of the Wild and features many aspects carried over directly from the Switch game. It’s a way for fans and newcomers to mold their own stories in a familiar setting.
Tabletop RPGS provide so much freedom for both dungeon masters and players. It also takes inspiration from Dungeons & Dragonsalthough instead of using the standard d20 system D&D players may be used to, Reclaim the Wild uses a unique 2d6 system to determine attacks and ability checks.
Players can choose to create a Gerudo, Goron, Hylian, Rito, Sheikah, and Zora and even some more obscure races such as a Deku, Demon, Fairy, Subrosian, Talking Animal, and Twili. Everything is presented in a nice and neat document making it easy to find. Even magic spells and effects are simple to understand. There isn’t as much confusion when determining the difference between D&Ds 15th level wizard having only eighth level spells. Characters use magic and, depending on the spell, can get the magic back during a fight or immediately after.
Reclaim the Wild has a rest system similar to D&D as well. Many effects, magical or otherwise, are restored after a short rest or extended rest. One such aspect is also songs, a mechanic featured heavily in the Legend of Zelda series. Characters can learn songs to help them solve puzzles or create a magical effect. For instance, Epona’s Song summons Epona in the games but it has been amplified to summon companions in the tabletop version. If a character has bonded with a companion they can play the song and call them to their location instantly.
Reclaim the Wild is a passionate project dedicated to the Zelda franchise. It’s a stunning example of the power of storytelling. The Zelda series has always inspired us to travel and adventure in our campervan. If you want to check out more of the free tabletop game and can be downloaded on the game’s website.
Neverwinter is one of Dungeons & Dragons multiplayer online role-playing game. Along with Dungeons & Dragons Online, it’s a great way to explore Faerun with friends if you can’t get together around a physical or digital table. The game launched in 2013 for PC and later in 2016 on consoles. We’ve devoted several hundred hours to the game and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon and neither does Perfect World or Cryptic Studios.
The latest release of Sharandar shows the game isn’t slowing down when it comes to content. The new module revitalizes an older area of Neverwinter adding enemies and an entirely new questline. That goes us thinking on what additional future content should developers adapt next. D&D has been around for decades and Neverwinter has always been good at creating modules of campaign guides and 5E books in the past. But there is so much more to see.
We’ve put together five future campaign settings we’d like to see next in Neverwinter.
Future Neverwinter Expansions
1. Critical Role: Wildemount
Critical Role has done so much for Dungeons & Dragons in the past five or six years. The lovable cast of nerdy ass voice actors are among the many reasons the tabletop game is growing in popularity. Since streaming their first game on Twitch in 2015, Critical Role has gone on to publish official content for Wizards of the Coast.
The recent release of Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount would be a great addition to Neverwinter. It focuses on the war between the Dwendalian Empire – a society of arcane scholars and nobles – and the Kryn Dynasty – drow who now live on the surface. The book changed how drow are depicted in D&D and shows them in a new light after leaving the cult of Lolth.
The module could introduce a new school of magic as well. Matt Mercer created a ninth school of magic called Dunamancy that deals in manipulating time. Or as the book states,
“primal magical energy of potentiality and actuality, an anticipatory arcane force that helps shape the multiverse and might very well be what holds its elements together, like an infinite web of unseen tethers.”
Campaign
The overarching campaign could revolve around locating arcane artifacts such as Luxon Beacons and more. The beacons are religious devices of the Kryn that harness and transfer souls from one being to another. Characters would work for the Dynasty or Empire searching tombs or dungeons while fighting creatures or enemies from the opposing side.
It’s difficult to give a more concrete description of the outcome as the second campaign of Critical Role is still ongoing. But taking cues from the guidebook, it would be insanely fun to travel throughout Wildemount.
2. Critical Role: Tal’dorei
Critical Role is the gift that keeps on giving. While the Mighty Nein run around Wildemount, Vox Machina bumbled their way across Tal’dorei. A campaign set during the time of any one of the arcs of the first series would be great but which one exactly?
The fight with Vecna was absolutely amazing but it is heavily driven by Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III’s backstory. We believe focusing on The Chroma Conclave would make for one of the most impactful module’s in Neverwinter.
Yes, Vox Machina may have defeated the dragons who destroyed Emon but the story can be embellished for the MMO.
Campaign
Characters could get a message from arcanist Allura Vysoren to visit her outside of Emon. She wishes to speak to them about Vox Machina and magical disturbances throughout Tal’dorei. With the adventuring group dealing with the aftermath of the Chroma Conclave, she requires assistance with closing rifts. The portals opened after the green dragon, Raishan, released Thordak from his prison in the plane of fire.
Players could interact with Vox Machina as well, all voiced by the cast. When it comes to magical items, there could be vestiges of divergence and even weapons owned by the famous party. Spoilers ahead for campaign one.
When Thordak was killed by Vox Machina, there were strange magical eggs left in his lair. It was hinted that there could be more in the world. A side quest in the Neverwinter version could be to find and destroy them so spawn of the Cinder King won’t spread.
3. Honorable Mention: Duergar
This one may not be based on any official lore but it’s something that is missing from Neverwinter. There has yet to be any update which focuses on the dark dwarves of the Underdark. They aren’t playable as a race and it’s about time that’s fixed. While the game is missing an alarming number of classes and races, duergar should be up there alongside drow.
Campaign
Yes, Neverwinter features a huge questline where characters fight duergar but not once is there ever a moment with a kind dark dwarf. The campaign could involve a clan of duergar wishing to return to the surface. They are unfairly mistreated and falsely represented in the lore of D&D and Neverwinter could remedy that.
The history of duergar labels them as heretics who abandoned their mountain homes. Once they reached the Underdark, they were captured by mind flayers and forced into slavery. After gaining their freedom, they returned home and were seen as outcasts by their original god Moradin and all surface dwarfs.
“When Laduguer and his people returned to the dwarves of the upper world, they were shocked by the hostility they faced. As Laduguer quickly learned, the priests of Moradin had long ago labeled the lost clan as heretics, spoken of now only as an object lesson concerning the fate of dwarves who stray from Moradin’s teachings.”
“Laduguer, in response, tried to explain that his people had been lured into a trap by the mind flayers, but his assertions fell on deaf ears. Thus, with no other apparent choice, the lost clan fled back to the Underdark. Laduguer focused his fury on Moradin.”
The campaign could focus on this aspect and have characters free the duergar and join in fighting against the illithids. It’s a great way to also introduce the race to Neverwinter.
4. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden is one of the newest campaign books for Fifth Edition. It is set in a landscape of frost and ice. The main area for characters to explore is Ten-Towns and it and the surrounding area finds itself in a permanent winter. The cause of the torrential storm is a lesser god named Auril who seeks to cover everything in ice for her amusement.
Campaign
The campaign would be a three part plan that aligns with the book. The town and surrounding mines are being ransacked of a priceless material called chardalyn. A duergar named Xardorok Sunblight is using shards of the stone to craft a gargantuan dragon to destroy the town and rule over the region.
Meanwhile, four wizards are searching the frigid wasteland for a lost Netherese city. The wizards seek knowledge left behind after the city fell and will stop the characters if they get in their way.
While a third questline could focus on the lesser god herself. They will search for a magical item that opens the way to the Netherese city the wizards are looking for. The final confrontation would be with Auril.
The region is already familiar to Neverwinter players as it was heavily featured in a previous module. Quests could be a follow up to the skirmish Kessell’s Retreat which saw players fight Akar Kessell, a powerful wizard with the artifact Crenshinibon.
5. Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Mythic Odysseys of Theros is based on Greek mythology and isn expansion for Magic: the Gathering. So, technically this would be an expansion of an expansion. And seeing as both are published by Perfect World, it shouldn’t be an issue. Choosing an overarching campaign from this setting can be difficult. But by focusing on the gods, we can get a better idea of what a module might entail.
Campaign
Gods are the forefront of Theros and characters could be called upon one or multiple to stop an oncoming threat. Nylea, god of the hunt, could summon the characters to the Feywild and have them stop corruption of nature. Or the souls of the dead aren’t going to the afterlife so Erebos, god of death, seeks the aid of the characters. Better yet, Purphoros, god of the forge, is unable to create new life and believes Erebos is the reason.
Both call on the characters to discover the truth and along the way they uncover Ephara is behind it all. As the god of polis or civilization, she believes she should govern all matters including life and death. The characters could fight minions from all three sides and in the end fight an avatar of either one god.
Those are the top five module’s we’d like to see in the future of Neverwinter. Will they happen? There is no way to know but they would certainly be cool to run around in.
