Switch – Page 4 – Sick Gaming

Posted on September 5, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Ooblets how to eat – fancy a froob?

The incredible and adorable farming sim with a creative creature twist, Ooblets, is now live in its 1.0 incarnation and causing a veritable vegetable storm on the Switch. Well with a game that balances so many different systems, it can actually be a little bit tough to learn how to do the essentials. One thing, in particular, was so tricky that even this writer had to look it up.

With our Ooblets how to eat guide, we explain how to grab your caroot, get a crunch on and regain the energy you so desperately need to get back to farming. With so many different Ooblets to discover, seeds to grow, and a selection of exciting areas to explore, this is one gameplay element you want to master early on before you start really poking around the different nooks and crannies of the land known as Oob.

If you love munching on wheat in a straw hat, or consider a scarecrow one of your mates, you might enjoy many of our other guides on great farming games like Stardew Valley. Check out our guides to Stardew Valley Abigail, Stardew Valley silo, Stardew Valley co-op, and our enormous and incredible Stardew Valley fishing guide.

Get stuck in, here’s our Ooblets how to eat guide

Ooblets how to eat

We know, it sounds like it should be simple, but a lot of people have had troubled. A lot of Ooblets is about planting seeds and growing food which sits in your inventory, or if you have some gleamies burning a hole in your pocket you could maybe buy a bunglebee bun in town. Well if you have some food in your pocket that you’re desperate to eat, here is how to get your munch on.

Press X to open your pockets
When hovering over any consumable food press Y to open up the options dropdown menu.
The option to ‘consume’ should be visible
Press consume to snack on any food you have in your pockets.

Ooblets how to cook food

Once you have progressed so far in Ooblets you will unlock your first farm, and inside is a piece of equipment called the old hot plate. Here you can put together a few basic recipes from ingredients you have either foraged from Badgetown or seeds you have planted and grown.

For instance, to make the delicious hop dob, you will need a caroot and some muz flour. To find more recipes you can find glowing gold items all around the world, which are randomly assigned forageable items that can occasionally be a recipe piece. If you gather four recipe pieces in your inventory, you are given the option to combine them and create one random recipe.

Other than that, you can use the wishies you collect from regular gameplay and collecting badges, and spend them on select recipes at the wishing well in the middle of Badgetown.

We hope this guide helped, or at the very least perhaps it made you hungry. If you’re done here and want to find another great way to relax, then be sure to click the link and check out our guide to the best Switch casual games next.

Posted on August 26, 2022 by — Leave a comment

How Xenoblade sidesteps open-world fatigue

When a new Assassin’s Creed comes out, a lot of people use the phrase ‘open-world fatigue’ to express their exhaustion at what they feel is an endless stream of dull and massive spaces with very little to do other than the same old chores they’ve been doing for years.

I get this. The special open worlds we’ve been given recently require a certain level of dedication in the first place, and the boring ones are just brain wallpaper. For the former, Red Dead Redemption 2 or Breath of the Wild are good examples of open worlds that seem to reinvigorate the genre in their own unique ways. For the brain wallpaper, I put forward anything formulaic by Ubisoft.

Side-note time: I love formulaic Ubisoft games. Assassin’s Creed is great fun (I’ve literally hundred-percented four games in the series for some reason). But we’ve been playing similar enough variations on their formula since at least 2011, if not earlier. Brain wallpaper is good sometimes! Sometimes you just need to chill out and do some virtual murder and y’know what? That’s okay.

Red Dead Redemption 2 goes about open worlds in an incredibly luxurious, almost romantic way, while Breath of the Wild goes about it in a mathematical way, like an abacus-laden desk-haver, like it pushes its glasses up with the bottom of its pen while writing out formulas to do with triangles.

The romance of RDR2 comes from its beauty and simplicity. This space has to feel very real, so there are two main things Rockstar has to do. First up is the obvious bit: graphics. The graphics in RDR2 will still be impressive in a decade, because there’s wonderful attention to detail in everything, making this space feel ripe to homestead in. (There’s also a side-thought about how characters’ feet interact with surfaces that I could get into, but probably best I don’t).

Second is making living things feel real. Animals may not have to talk, but animating them and making them interact with the player and the world properly probably takes unholy amounts of time. Then humans have the issue of facial expressions and dialogue lines that properly match up to the player’s actions in the world. How do you make an NPC react properly when the player blows themself up with dynamite, falls off a train bridge, and loses their hat in a waterfall? I’d probably make them say “oh lordy”, but that’s just me.

Well whatever, making a world like RDR2’s takes a long time. Same for Breath of the Wild. When I was talking about triangles earlier I wasn’t just being annoying. As summarised by Robert Yang, when people first played BotW they weren’t enjoying it, either feeling over-guided to their destination or too lost when exploring. Crafting this open-world took trial and error on Nintendo’s part.

They started implementing triangles. If you see a triangle it blocks your view. You can either go around it or get on top of it to see what’s next. What if when you went around it there were enemies to fight, or when you got to the top there was a little collectable? Oh, and by the time you get a better look at what’s behind it, what if there were seven new things to look at, whether it’s a glowing shrine, a strangely-shaped mountain, or just a cool-looking patch of snow? Read that summary above as it’s better than I can do, but either way, doing that stuff takes time.

But you know what clearly takes less time? Making Xenoblade games. We have had two new Xenoblade games since BotW came out and zero new Zelda games. Xenoblade has also offered two chunky bits of DLC that feel like standalone games and suck up around 30 hours each. So, is Monolith Soft’s dev cycle just as slick and formulaic as Ubisoft’s?

Well, by the looks of it, yeah. These spaces don’t really do much in terms of interacting with the player or convincing them that they’re real spaces. They have icons and destinations. They have objects littered on the ground to collect. They don’t go for the luxuriousness of a Red Dead or the fine-tuned magic of a Breath of the Wild. They’re kinda just big spaces to hang out in.

So, why am I not tired of them? Well, I do like their bonkers stories, but that can’t be all there is, right? Otherwise, I’d prefer 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim for letting me just experience a bonkers story (or I’d just watch the tele). Well, the combat’s pretty good too, but that’s true of a lot of games that suffer from dull open worlds. I know a lot of people don’t like it, but shooting a gun in Cyberpunk 2077 feels good.

Nope, I think the true magic trick of Xenoblade is that everything is just bloody massive. You look one way and there’s a big gorilla, another way and there’s a giant grassy plain that takes a decade to cross, another and there’s some tall thing that you want to be on top of. This isn’t the same as BotW–most treats are telegraphed rather than suggested. Instead, it’s just pretty darn cool.

I wasn’t cool enough to boot up the original Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii. I only played it after I played Xenoblade Chronicles 2. But I imagine the main hook for people getting into that game was the scale of it all (as well as the excellent music but let’s ignore that for now because it doesn’t help me make my point).

Just the feeling of insignificance that a giant creature a million levels higher than you gives to the player is something uniquely old-fashioned. When Xenoblade Chronicles 2 came out, people complained that you could get ruined by a level 81 Territorial Rotbart in the opening area, which I understand, but the fact that the game did it at all is weird and exciting.

This sense of scale has been utilised elsewhere, most notably by Team Ico. Shadow of the Colossus is an excellent example of scale offering a feeling of insignificance, making the player feel like they’re fighting against unbelievable odds. I think Monster Hunter does this really well too; when you first get trampled by a Rathalos and the big beast just stumbles to the ground, that’s pretty terrifying, hilarious, and magical.

Xenoblade’s art direction, particularly in the second mainline game, helps the loud bigness of everything come across. Colours are big and bright, monsters are uniquely shaped, and everything has a general sense of wonder. Just the conceits of these spaces–the backs of giant titans, the body of a massive mech–are enough to spark the imagination.

Side-note round two: I think this is why some Assassin’s Creed games can get their hooks in me more than others. Renaissance Italy is objectively cooler than the American Revolution. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is cool because I want to go to Greece. Digital historical tourism is the key here, but it only works if you’re actually interested in the place.

One thing this helps with is making Xenoblade’s interiors feel even more special than they already are. The spaces they construct for these games are just so excellently big and detailed, offering winding paths up and down and in and out. Everything leads back to where it ought to. Everything is as big as it should be when looked at from the outside. It’s beautiful.

The beauty of the music helps too, of course, but it also lines up with the series’ philosophy of bigness. How often does Assassin’s Creed just have a spiky guitar solo come in the middle of grand choral chants or driving strings? They should do it. It just makes everything more fun, especially when you’re going to be stuck there for dozens of hours.

Yasunori Mitsuda’s work on the Chrono series is legendary, and it brings a similarly hefty stamp to mark all the Xeno games, too. There isn’t any shyness in the loudness that Xenoblade brings, whether it’s aural or visual, which helps everything feel special. It may be some sort of style-over-substance mind trick, but it works on me.

So, how does Xenoblade sidestep open-world fatigue? By being big, loud, and confident to create a world that makes the player feel insignificant and special at the same time. It doesn’t have the beauty of a Red Dead, nor the mathematical mind of a Breath of the Wild, but it has my heart in spite of that.

To see our thoughts on the latest entry, check out our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 review. For more, take a look at our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 characters, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 heroes, and Xenoblade Chronicles timeline guide for more.

Posted on August 24, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Sonic Frontiers pre-orders – get hyped for more blue blur

Sonic Frontiers pre-orders are now available from a number of different online retailers, and following the release of the latest trailer, fans are now starting to get pretty excited about the game. It looks as though it has the potential to be the next big Sonic game.

So what else do we know about the game, before you get your Sonic Frontiers pre-orders? Well, it’s going to be the first in the Sonic series to have a large open world for Sonic to explore as he pleases. At the same time though, the game will include levels set within “Cyber Space” which offer a similar type of gameplay to that seen in previous 3D Sonic games, with the locations drawing from Sonic’s memories.

Additionally, we’ve also seen that this game features a mysterious new villain, who appears to resemble a feminine human. On top of that, we know that Amy Rose is going to appear in the game, because a trailer showed her trapped within some kind of device. We don’t know who else is going to show up in the game, but we bet that at least Tails will be in it, and we’ll probably find out that Eggman is somehow involved with this new villain too.

Unlike a lot of modern games, there’s only going to be one physical edition of Sonic Frontiers. On top of that, there’ll also be a Digital Deluxe edition, and if you shop in GameStop, you’ll also be able to get a Steelbook editon. Either way, here’s a break down of what you’ll get.

Sonic Frontiers pre-order bonuses

If you do decide to dive in and pre-order Sonic Frontiers, you’ll be treated to the Adventurer’s Treasure Box, which contains a selection of nifty in-game bonuses:

Blue Seeds of Defence
Skill Points
Red Seeds of Power

These don’t appear to be exclusive items, but rather things that you can use to make Sonic a little more super (without actually turning him into Super Sonic, of course). In this broad, open world style of game, items that let you enhance your character can be very handy, because they can make those difficult early days in the game a lot easier.

Sonic Frontiers Digital Deluxe Edition

If you’re not fussed about getting the game physically, and you want the most comprehensive package possible, then you may be drawn to the Digital Deluxe Edition, which comes with both the Adventurer’s Treasure Box (detailed above) and the Explorer’s Treasure Box, which contains:

Amy’s Memory Tokens
A Portal Gear
Chaos Emerald Vault Keys
Additional gloves and shoes for Sonic

Which is a tasty selection of extra bonuses. You also get a digital art book which will give you an insight into the creative process that went into the game.

What to play before Sonic Frontiers

The Sonic Frontiers release date is November 8 2022, and if that’s too long for you to wait, you might want to grab one of Sonic’s earlier games and take that for a spin in the interim. We recommend Sonic Forces, the previous main instalment in the series, which is good fun, usually pretty cheap these days, and short enough that you’ll easily complete it before Frontiers comes out. Any one of the follow games would be a good choice though:

Check out our guide on the best Sonic games for some Sonic-related recommendations. You can also check out our Sonic Speed Simulator codes guide, if you fancy trying out Sonic’s free Roblox game.

Posted on August 22, 2022 by — Leave a comment

The best starter Pokémon – which will you pick?

It’s an age-old question for Pokémon fans, which are the best starter Pokémon? I’ve got a few standout memories from my childhood; riding a bike, holidays to Spain, pogs, and so much more, but few things stick in my mind as much as that difficult first decision that Pokémon forces you to make. Should it be Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle? And over the years, the question of which starter Pokémon to choose has only gotten harder.

In the never-ending quest to find the best starter Pokémon, additional generations only confuse matters further with even more adorable ‘mons to pick, though a few duds alleviate the anxiety somewhat. We’re on the brink of a new gen with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and ready to decide all over again, so let’s settle this once and for all. Also, this is a guide to the first evolutions, so while we will touch on the final evolutions, it’s mostly about those cute starters you choose from right at the beginning of your journey.

We love all Pokémon here at Pocket tactics towers, so be sure to check out some of our other great guides to help you find some new virtual pets with our articles covering the best fish Pokémon, the best monkey Pokémon, the best cat Pokémon, the best dog Pokémon, and get ahead of the pack with our Pokémon Scarlet and Violet mystery gift codes.

Here’s our guide to the best starter Pokémon. In it, pick the best starter Pokémon from each gen with the odd nod to our runners-up.

Starter Pokémon

Squirtle

You heard me. Look, the first gen is really tough to choose from. I love Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle almost equally, as they each have a huge amount of charm and the full weight of 90s nostalgia behind them. As a kid, I picked Charmander, but when the time came to pick again in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen in 2004, I decided to choose my favourite little blue boy because, over the years, I’ve become endeared to the little turtle for so many reasons.

First up, Charmander and Charizard get way too much love. Yes, they’re awesome, but the games keep giving them so many different forms that you could be mistaken for assuming that they’re the franchise mascot (I mean, in a way, they are). But ever since the Squirtle squad invaded our screens in the anime, I’ve been convinced that Squirtle just has the most charm, and ultimately I think the better evolution. Nobody is a loser in this gen, but if I had to pick all over again, it’s gonna be Squirtle every time.

Cyndaquil

Just look at him. I have to say, I really struggled to pick between Totodile and Cyndaquil here, but the fire hedgehog…thing… just about pips the post as they’re just immeasurably adorable, and Typhlosion is by far the best evolution of the starters from Gold and Silver as well and is somehow made even better with the great new Hisuain form from Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Also, full disclosure, I think if I hadn’t picked Cyndaquil here, it may have cost me my job, as my editor Ruby loves to bully me about my love of Totodile.

Learn more of our favourites with our guide to the best fire Pokémon in Pokémon Go.

Torchic

Sometimes Pokémon can be overdesigned, with too many appendages, stripes, or jarring additions that take away from the simplistic, animalistic designs of those original Ken Sugimori illustrations. Torchic is just a little chick that can shoot fire. What else do you need? Plus, fire-types are hard to come by in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, so at the very least, it provides somewhat of a tactical advantage in the early hours of the game.

Another great thing about Torchic is that it evolves into the awesome karate-chopping bird known as Blaziken, who somehow turns this tiny chick into a brick chick-house of a monster. It does begin a trend that I will come back to, that being bipedal and human-like final evolutions of starters that I think have mixed results. Blaziken gets away with it for being one of the first and still looking like an animal instead of a human in a fur suit.

Piplup

Another really tough gen to choose from, Diamond and Pearl probably have the strongest line-up of starters outside of the original gen. Turtwig is the rare grass-type with something of a personality. Chimchar is just a joyous little bundle of fun, and Infernape is undoubtedly rad, but Piplup is the sassy penguin that holds my heart and it’s only grown in my estimations over the years. It’s a really solid design that conveys the arrogant and confident nature of the whole line, while still managing to be adorable.

Importantly, Empoleon also absolutely rules. Adding the steel-type to a starter Pokémon was a really neat touch at the time, and the look marries the Emperor Napoleon vibe it gets its name from, while also having a trident on its head and those awesome wing-swords for arms. Just an all-around fantastic line of water Pokémon, and one of the main reasons I keep going back to Pokken Tournament DX is just so I can slice up foes as my favourite sassy bird.

While we’re sending love to water types, be sure to read our guide to the best water Pokémon in Pokémon Go.

Snivy

I’ve got a real soft spot for Pokémon Black and White, and especially Pokémon Black and White 2. Coming in at the tail end of an incredible run of Pokémon games on the Nintendo DS, Black and White took some big swings, not only offering the best-looking Pokémon games on the DS but also changing up the formula significantly. However, this gen drops the ball with starter Pokémon, other than my darling Snivy. Tepig and Oshawatt aren’t bad Pokémon, but I just don’t think they’re particularly interesting either, and the same goes for their evolutions.

Snivy stands out from the pack for one reason that I think is very important for starter Pokémon. Its design conveys its attitude and tells you everything you need to know. There was a brief period before the launch of Black and White where we knew the designs of the starters but not the names, and the community affectionately decided to give Snivy the inspired name Smugleaf. It stuck so much that I named my actual Snivy that on my first playthrough, and it’s always been one of my favourites ever since.

For even more grassy pals, read our guide to the best grass Pokémon in Pokémon Go.

Froakie

Sadly another mediocre generation in my opinion, Pokémon X and Y seemed poised to actually shake up the Pokémon series with the addition of Mega Evolutions and the move to a true 3D graphical style, but the actual games are sadly bland and derivative, with a woeful post-game offering to boot. Another reason they’re so forgettable is because of the lacklustre offerings of starter Pokémon, though I can say that Froakie is the clear standout here.

We already have a fair few frog Pokémon, but Froakie is well designed and immediately loveable, thanks in large part to those massive adorable eyes. I often like to go into new Pokémon games as blind as I can to new Pokémon, including the starters evolutions, and let me tell you, I felt like I’d won the lottery when my cute froggy boy evolved into the fearsome Greninja, especially when I saw the dull design of Delphox and the bizarre Chesnaught. A generation I’m not eager to revisit anytime soon, but at least it gave me my beloved Froakie.

Rowlet

Here we go, now we’re back on form. Sun and Moon are a far cry from the offerings of X and Y, not least because the shift to a region based on Hawaii gives us a good bit of distance from the last games and a chance to flex the creative muscles of Game Freak with the new regional forms of Pokémon. This line-up of starters is also absolutely stellar, with Litten being a very near second in this list, with Popplio not far behind that (sorry Popplio, but you’re just not cute enough, and I really don’t like Primarina either).

The clear winner though is everyone’s favourite owl and the mon’ that sold a million plushies, Rowlet. It’s a simple design and yet one that conveys a lot of charm. It even has a little bowtie made out of leaves. Let’s not forget the awesome Decidueye as well, the archer-owl Pokémon who gains the ghost-type, in a very interesting twist to the starter Pokémon meta. Rowlet just fits in perfectly with the vibes of Pokémon Sun and Moon, and stands out in a generation with a lot of great monsters.

Scorbunny

Oh no, we’ve gone back down again. After such a solid generation, while Pokémon Sword and Shield offers some absolutely outstanding new monsters to catch, the starters aren’t among that crowd. When I picked up Sword and Shield back in the halcyon days of 2019, I went straight for Sobble, the adorable little anxious lizard with that face of earnest wonder and worry that I just adore. But not since the cancellation of The Santa Clarita Diet have I felt so betrayed, as Sobble grows up into the gangly and unsightly Intellion. While clearly meant to be based on the spies from British culture, it just looks so thin and weirdly human, leaving me devastated with my choice.

Luckily, there is another Pokémon here to pick up the slack. Not you Grookey. You’re also awful (and Rillaboom, just a sad state of affairs that one). Scorbunny is an energetic homage to the football-loving youth of Britain, and the idea of a little rabbit who can kick fireballs is actually pretty great. And while, for some reason, every single starter Pokémon from Sword and Shield becomes bipedal and anthropomorphic (please, Game Freak, I’m begging you to make Pokémon animals again), Cinderace is the best of the bunch and keeps a lot of the charm that made Scorbunyn so appealing to begin with.

Fuecoco

Now, this is a tough choice. First up, I absolutely adore Sprigatito. Even its name is fun to say! The gorgeous little grass cat has got a cosy place deep in my heart, but I’m very nervous about what it’s going to evolve into. For some reason, I can just see another Inceneroar, where a cat previously on all fours starts walking around like a 40-year-old man at a My Little Pony convention. But I have hope for Fuecoco, and I still think he’s the best of the bunch.

A hungry little crocodile crossed with a chilli pepper, the fire-type Fuecoco also manages to look like the dragons from Bubble Bobble, and gets an extra couple of points just for that. Time will tell if I regret my pick in a few months when I evolve him into some bipedal monstrosity of a man-crocodile with human features, but for now, I live in hope that this cute lizard stays somewhat of a quadruped, or at least keep the animal characteristics that I love in a good starter Pokémon. You might notice I haven’t mentioned Quaxly, and that’s because other than looking startlingly like Josuke Higashikata (one of the best Jojo protagonists), I just don’t have a lot of good things to say about it.

The worst starter Pokémon

Every Pokémon is beautiful in the eyes of Arceus, but we have to admit that some of them are just a tad more beautiful than others. Some starter Pokémon suffer from the worst crime of all, just being a bit boring. I’m not going to dig into a load of them here, but I’m going to pick out some of the worst offenders and explain why I think they belong in the starter Pokémon bin.

Chikorita, what are you? A blob with a leaf on your head? I’ve seen more life in a bean bag, and your evolutions do little to resolve this issue either. Chespin, you just look stupid. What’s with the little hat? You look ridiculous, and I can’t believe you somehow look even more stupid when you evolve into Chesnaught. Fennekin is also just a solid “meh” from me. Very little interesting about you, and I can’t stand your evolutions for the many bipedal reasons I mention above. Finally, Grookey. Oh, Grookey. The idea of a little monkey banging a stick like a drum should be adorable, but Grookey doesn’t do the work in terms of actually being cute, and the less said about Rillaboom, the better.

Well, that’s it Pokémon trainers! I’m sure you’ve got very strong feelings about our list, so if you disagree please be sure to email any of the other staff at Pocket Tactics to make a new list because I don’t care and won’t be changing my list. If you’re somehow not frothing with hatred at my picks, why not check out even more of our writing by reading our guide to the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet new Pokémon, as we get ready to be enamoured by a whole new generation of monsters.

Posted on July 30, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Ouroboros guide

What are Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Ouroboros? Well, the latest entry in the JRPG franchise brings together different races, weapons, and features from every entry and mashes them together – it’s all pretty exciting for longtime fans. We talk about it a bit in our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 review, but for a more detailed analysis keep reading.

The main thing you need to know about Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Ouroboros is that it’s the combination of two characters, who join together to create a large new form that resembles a robot, piloted by both of the characters at once. It’s a little bit Neon Genesis Evangelion in design, a bit like Pacific Rim in function, and is completely badass.

We’ve got a nice, lengthy explanation of the XC3 Ouroboros system below, but that’s not all. For more info, check out our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 classes, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 characters, or Xenoblade Chronicles 3 pre-orders guide to make sure you’re good to go on the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 release date.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Ouroboros

When in battle, two characters from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 can fuse together in a system called interlinking. Noah and Mio can combine together, as can other members of the core party, Lanz & Sena, or Eunie & Taion. Fusing to create an Ouroboros makes them considerably more powerful, and grants them special abilities. You must be mindful though, as using this ability too much can cause the XC3 Ouroboros to overheat.

Noah and Mio have fused together! The giant form they combine to create is called Ouroboros. Lanz & Sena or Eunie & Taion can also pair up and transform into Ouroboros. #XenobladeChronicles3 pic.twitter.com/2JR5tN8Of8

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 20, 2022

different Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Ouroboros forms

Noah and Mio XC3 Ouroboros

When Noah and Mio combine, they wield a huge sword during battle.

Lanz and Sena XC3 Ouroboros

Lanz and Sena combine to make a huge Ouroboros. This combination is great for protecting teammates from powerful attacks.

Eunie and Taion XC3 Ouroboros

The combination of Eunie and Taion makes this striking Ouroboros. Like this, they even have the ability to revive fallen allies.

We also got a look at alternate Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Ouroboros forms, which you can check out below.

That’s all the XC3 Ouroboros nonsense we’ve got for now. Why not also check out our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Noah and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Mio guides to get to know your new leaders?

Posted on July 26, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Digimon Survive karma – the good, the bad, and the neutral

Unlike the Digimon games of old, Digimon Survive has a karma system as part of its branching narrative paths, with the decisions you make affecting how your journey pans out. Not only is the system related to how your Digimon evolve, but it also affects the ending you experience, and your chances of making friends along the way.

So, we’ve put together a Digimon Survive karma guide, making it easier to avoid putting a foot wrong as you set out to find your way home from the digital world. With three main options to choose from at each junction, and multiple branching paths standing between you and explaining the mysteries of the dilapidated lanscape, it’s pivotal you know where to go from the outset, so of course, we’ve got you covered.

To get even more of a head start on your dangerous quest through a monster-ridden post-apocalyptic world, be sure to check out our guides for Digimon Survive digivolution, Digimon Survive characters, and Digimon Survive endings. Or, if you were in the market for an old-school monster-taming RPG, check out our picks for the best games like Pokémon on Switch and mobile.

What is Digimon Survive karma?

There are three different kinds of karma in Digimon Survive, known as Moral, Harmony, and Wrathful. These karma types are pretty self explanatory, but if you want to make sure you know what you’re getting into, we’ve gone into more detail on each of them further down the page.

Each dialogue or story option has three options to choose from, moral on the top right, harmony on the bottom right, and wrathful on the left. With all the consequential options in Digimon Survive, you can’t redo without starting a new save, so be sure to think things through before selecting a response.

There’s also an attribute associated with each karma type, making it easier for you to convince monsters of a specific attribute based on your karma points. We’ve detailed the preferred attribute for each karma typing further down the page, so you can adjust your playstyle to make a couple of new Digimon pals.

The other big difference that karma makes on your adventure in the digital world is in how Agumon evolves, as well as several other specific digimon. With Agumon, there are three different evolutionary paths to follow – Greymon along the moral line, Tyrannomon on the harmony line, and an as of yet unknown Digimon down the wrathful line.

Digimon Survive karma types

Moral karma

Preferred attribute: Vaccine

All of the decisions that create moral karma are based on selflessness, justice, and leading with your heart on your sleeve. Unlike the peaceful passivity of harmony options or the unbridled aggression of wrathful decisions, moral decisions make a difference in the name of good. If you have more moral karma than any of the other types, it’s easier to convince Vaccine attribute Digimon to join the gang.

Harmony karma

Preferred attribute: Data

The neutral ground of the Digimon Survive karma types, harmony karma is about cooperation, understanding, and supporting your teammates emotionally in their new environment. A lot of the harmony decisions are more pacifistic, opting for words over action compared to moral and wrathful karma, but wild Data type Digimon will find this impressive enough to want to join your ranks.

Wrathful karma

Preferred attribute: Virus

As you can probably assume, wrathful karma is from brazen, single-minded, and potentially selfish decisions that put Takuma and the rest of the team in danger. Still, if you want to convince as many Virus attribute Digimon to join your roster, the best way is to go all out wrathful and form a team of melancholy monsters to take down Garururmon.

Where can I find my Digimon Survive karma rating?

You can find your Digimon Survive karma rating by going to the profile menu, and looking in the bottom right corner. The karma-analysis meter gives you the exact number of points you have for each of the three variations, as well as a visual analysis of how the three relate to each other. If you want to try and change your karma, you can keep an eye on it from this visualisation anytime you need.

With that, you’re ready to pursue the Digimon Survive karma that takes you on the path you most want to walk down, whether it be nice, nasty, or somewhere in between. Once you’ve experienced all three, why not stick around in the world of digital monsters with our picks for the best Digimon games.

Posted on July 22, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Minecraft Ender Dragon – don’t respect this ender

Minecraft is full of horrifying beasts ready to strip you of your diamonds and much-needed resources, but with this Minecraft Ender dragon guide, we’ll help you take down the most powerful enemy of all. It might not seem like Minecraft has much of a goal or an end boss, but the Ender Dragon is the one waiting for you once you finally make your way through the end portal.

If you’re having trouble defeating this behemoth of a beast, this Minecraft Ender Dragon guide is here to give you tips on exactly what you need to defeat it, as well as the gear you should equip. No prizes for guessing, you’re gonna need to mine some diamond, folks. Get your pickaxe at the ready, and let’s slay this beast.
For all you Minecraft maniacs out there, we have plenty of great guides to help you explore this barren-blocky wasteland. We’ve covered guides to the best Minecraft games, Minecraft diamonds, the best Minecraft Bedrock mods, how to play Minecraft mobile on PC, and the best games like Minecraft on Switch and mobile.

Here’s our guide to the Minecraft Ender Dragon

What is a Minecraft Ender Dragon?

The Minecraft Ender Dragon is one of the toughest enemies in the game, and you will need to prepare properly to defeat it. You can find out how to reach the Ender Dragon with our Minecraft end portal guide, but be wary, once you enter the area known as The End, you can only defeat the Ender Dragon, or die. There’s no running away, so this is a fight to the bitter death. Get ready.

How do I prepare for the Ender Dragon?

This is a big old fight, and a difficult one, so we recommend attempting this when you have really amassed some resources and can build high-level armour and enchantments. Here are the items we recommend

Diamond armour (complete set) – to deal with the massive damage the Ender Dragon causes
Diamond sword – you need to deal as much damage as possible at close range
Bow or crossbow – the Ender Dragon is mostly airborne, so this is essential
Arrows – All of them. Hundreds. Or if you can, enchant your bow with infinite arrows.
Diamond pickaxe – the quickest way to destroy blocks and make your way around the arena
Food – preferably golden apples, bring the best food you can make
Blocks – as soon as you arrive, mine as much end stone as possible, as this is resistant to the Ender dragons attacks

How do I defeat the Ender Dragon?

When entering The End, there are two things you need to take care of first. You’re surrounded by Ender Men, and you’ll notice healing crystals on tall towers, ready to heal the Ender Dragon. An easy way to deal with the Ender Men is to equip a carved pumpkin, then they won’t connect eye contact with you, and you can take them out. Alternatively, place blocks directly above your head, and then the tall Ender men won’t be able to reach you. This is an easy way to mow them down.

Secondly, take out the healing crystals as soon as you can. Arrows will do it, as long as you arc your shot a little, but even snowballs will do. If you don’t want to waste the arrows, bring some snowballs and lob them to take out every single crystal. You can also use blocks or water to climb the towers, but be careful, the crystals cause damage when they are destroyed.

When it comes to beating the Ender Dragon, the best tactic is simply keeping your distance as it flies and setting off as many arrows as possible, and then attacking the head when it swoops in and hovers just above the ground. It’s slow progress, but it’ll do it.

Another great tactic is to use beds. Placing a bed just below the head, put a block between the bed and yourself (this is to avoid damage) and then attempt to sleep in the bed. This will cause the bed to explode, and if you’ve avoided getting killed yourself, this will seriously wound the Ender Dragon. After some persistence, success! You’ve slain the biggest enemy in Minecraft, enjoy your spoils.

That’s everything we have for now, but if you have another tactic, please let us know over at the Pocket Tactics Twitter account. If you’re done with Minecraft now, why not check out our guide to the best Switch games to find another grand adventure today.

Posted on July 18, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Cuphead characters – time to spill the tea

Do you want to get to know the Cuphead characters? Well lucky for you mugs, our cup runneth over with information on these porcelain personalities. Cuphead, Mugman, Ms. Chalice, and the rest of the cups in the cupboard make up most of the friendly cast of Cuphead, and are often the characters you’ll play on your journey. So read on to get a handle on this motley crew.

Who are the Cuphead characters? Well, in this guide we are going to break down the friendly characters you meet along the way, and the main cast. Cuphead bosses would be a slightly bigger guide, so we can’t squeeze that right in here today. The exuberant and earnestly joyful main cast of Cuphead is plenty for one day, so let’s keep a cup-half-full attitude?

When you’re done here, why not check out some of our other great guides covering upcoming titles for 2022. We’ve got guides on Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Nopon, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 heroes, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 amiibo, and plenty more. Or, treat the Cuphead fan in your life with our guides to Cuphead Funko Pop and Cuphead Plush.

Here’s our guide to Cuphead characters

Cuphead characters

Cuphead

A joyous cartoon character based on the Fleischer characters in older animations from the 30s and 40s, Cuphead has a big cup for a head which also includes a straw he can drink from. Try not to think about it. He’s the default character in Cuphead and so most of you will pick him up first, and he has a distinctive red colour, compared to their twin brother Mugman.

Mugman

The Luigi to Cuphead’s Mario, Mugman is Cuphead’s twin brother and shares many of the same cup-flavoured features, including one massive mug for a head. He’s a bit goofy and slightly more cowardly than his brother, and even encouraged Cuphead not to make a deal with the devil. that obviously didn’t work, so instead Mugman joins Cuphead on his adventure.

Ms Chalice

Originally known as The Legendary Chalice, Ms Chalice was previously an NPC that the cup brothers had to save to unlock new abilities in the original Cuphead. In Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course, Ms Chalice is upgraded to a playable character, controlling very differently from her male mug pals. With a dash that counts as a counter and a double-jump, Ms Chalice is very agile and changes how players interact with the rest of the game.

Elder Kettle

The mentor and father figure to Cuphead and Mugman, Elder Kettle is a large teapot with a cane, glasses, and slippers. While Elder Kettle constantly warned the brothers not to head into the casino, they eventually ignore his advice and become indebted to the devil. The kindly teapot helps them anyway (I would have said “I told you so”), and even helps Cuphead and Mugman through the early tutorials.

Porkrind

A vendor who has set up shop on Inkwell Isle, Porkrind is a mixture of a man and a pig, and seems to be friendly towards Cuphead and the other main characters. Porkrind sells many different things to Cuphead for coins, mainly new weapons and abilities, that unlock new ways to blast enemies. He’s also one of the very few characters to talk, letting out a gruff “welcome!” when players enter the shop.

That’s it for today folks but check back for regular updates to this guide with even more of your favourite animated mugs. If you haven’t tried it out yet, be sure to check out our Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course review to find out exactly how much we loved the slew of new levels and bosses. Let’s just say, they were a chip off the ol’ mug.

Posted on July 8, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 heroes – I need a hero

To say you already have a big party in the new Xenoblade is an understatement, but the fearsome forces of the Moebius are a real threat, so you may need our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 heroes guide. While the main six party members are your active companions that you can control and can combine to create the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Ouroboros, heroes are another wrinkle to the battle system.

So, what are Xenoblade Chronicles 3 heroes? A seventh wheel, or another pillar of combat, heroes in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are people you meet along your journey who decide to lend their aid to your party. They take part in battles and upon joining, unlock a new class for your party members. You can only use one hero at a time in battle, but you can swap them out as you see fit, make sure you use the right one for each battle.

We’re absolutely drowning in great games this year, swimming in the choppy seas of RPGs, and the only life ring actually turns out only to be another RPG. What I mean to say is, that RPG fans are eating good this year, so be sure to keep up with all our guides covering great games like Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royal, and Nier Automata: End of Yorha Edition.

Here’s our guide to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 heroes.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 heroes

Zeon – guardian commander

“Turn the tables with boosted abilities when things look dire.”
A tall male warrior who looks to be a member of the High Entia race, Zeon wields a sword and seems to give other players buffs when HP is low.

Alexandria – incursor

“Unleash more critical hits for higher attack power”
A female humanoid who wields a broadsword, Alexandria boosts the party by increasing the likelihood of critical hits appearing. Sure to add some extra punch to your biggest attacks.

Valdi – war medic

“Heal team members and bolster them with various buffs.”
A mechanic, child soldier, and seemingly a member of the Machina race, Valdi helps from afar with their healing rifle and an attack called bullet hail.

Riku & Manana – class unknown

Two Nopon that work together in combat, we don’t know much about how they fight, but they’re completely adorable.

Ashera – class unknown

A tall humanoid female, Ashera reminds us a little of Elma from Xenoblade Chronicles X. With her suit of armour and tough demeanour, she truly means business.

Fiona – class unknown

A seemingly slightly more shy and reserved female character, Fiona has bright purple hair and an outfit that looks like it’s stripped right out of Sailor Moon. We don’t know enough about her yet, but she looks cool if nothing else.

Gray – class unknown

Dual-wielding pistols and with a gruff demeanour only further exaggerated by a mask over his face, Gray is a tall, dark, and mysterious character that looks like trouble.

Unknown characters

As we get closer to the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and get our hands on the game properly, we will update this guide with more characters, classes, and much more information.

That’s it for today Xenoblade fans, but there isn’t too long to wait now until we’re finally exploring the land of Aionios. If you need another RPG adventure to look forward to though, be sure to keep your eye on our Persona 3 Switch release date guide, and Persona 4 Switch release date guide, and find out when you can dive into your next RPG obsessions.

Posted on July 4, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Persona 3 characters – students, an android, a dog, oh my!

With the fantastic news that Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 3 Portable are all heading to Nintendo Switch, well, gamers have some catching up to do. These fantastical JRPGs mostly take place in high school, and over the course of a year. Each team has its own distinct flair and style though, so let us help you get to know the colourful cast of characters.

The Persona 3 characters are (predictably) caught up in some otherworldly shenanigans that are the reason the team have access to their personas, but could also spell trouble for Japan and the world at large. Persona 3 Portable also shows the consequence of the player’s actions, so you’ll want to get to know your team thoroughly before you do something you can’t take back.

After waiting for so long for one game, it now feels like the floodgates are open! So if you’re brushing up on your Atlus RPGs like many of us, be sure to check out our other great guides covering Persona 4 characters, Persona 5 characters, Persona 5 Futaba, Persona 5 Morgana, and Persona 5 Yusuke.

Here’s our guide to Persona 3 characters

Persona 3 characters

Protagonist (male/female)

A silent protagonist, the player character in Persona 3 Portable lost their parents in a car crash many years ago. Eventually, they transfer to Gekkoukan High School where the events of the game start to occur. Known as a quiet and calm figure, ultimately the character’s personality is inferred from your choices throughout your journey through the game.

They often wear their school uniform, have blue mid-length hair, and are often seen wearing headphones as well. Persona 3 Portable also introduces a female protagonist, who has the opposite colour to the male protagonist in both their hair, and their starting Persona. Outside of this, they’re mostly very similar, remaining a silent protagonist throughout the events of the game.

Yukari Takeba

A girl who often likes to wear pink, cute outfits, Yukari Takeba is known in Gekkoukan High School for her cheery demeanour and is popular because of this. She does have a slightly short temper though, and occasionally lashes out with sarcasm when she’s annoyed. Although she’s seen as popular, Yukari often feels quite lonely, keeping people at bay so they don’t find out about her past. You’ll have to play the full game to find out more about Yukari’s history.

Junpei Iori

Another student at Gekkoukan High School, Junpei is an average-looking male student who often wears a hat and sports a goatee. His friends see him as a bit of a joker, verging on inappropriate with some girls, but he generally tries to be optimistic and raise other people’s spirits. Always trying it out with the ladies, Junpei is on the search for love but is probably going about it in the worst way possible.

Known more for playing video games or reading manga than studying, people often underestimate Junpei as being stupid, but he does have some street smarts and a knack for finding things. He’s also fairly brave, though most of the time this means he’s just reckless and ready to fight anyone to protect his friends.

Mitsuru Kirijo

With her beautiful long flowing red hair, there’s no mistaking Mitsuru. Often seen as mature, calm, and collected, Mitsuru adheres to the rules and speaks to people formally where she can. Though, she has been known to drop the formality when she becomes very close with people such as Akihiko. Because of her stuffy upbringing, other characters often make fun of Mitsuru because she hasn’t tried common foods like burgers and ramen. It’s ok Mitsuru, we won’t tease you!

Akihiko Sanada

Another student of Gekkoukan High School and member of the SEES group, Akihiko Sanada is known for his distinctive short grey hair and signature red vest. Many other students see Akihiko as the cool type, staying calm but often making sarcastic jokes to make the others laugh. However, he does have a strong and somewhat angry side, which comes out in battles with shadows. He’s incredibly determined, and is a huge asset to the SEES team.

Fuuka Yamagishi

A very kind, soft, and somewhat timid girl, Fuuka has short blue-teal coloured hair and distinctive large brown eyes. When in school, her shy personality makes her a target for bullies, and she even gets locked in the school gym at one point. Despite this, Fuuka is a very forgiving person and goes out of her way to accommodate other people. Basically, she’s a sweet angel who we want to protect. Fuuka also loves computers and is fiercely intelligent, and if she could would likely never leave her room.

Aigis

An android who transfers and attends Gekkoukan High School, Aigis initially doesn’t seem to have much of a personality. But her lack of understanding of human emotions and social cues gives her a quirky vibe, and the other students warm to her eventually. Her intelligence and android abilities are essential to the SEES team and help them out of some real predicaments. She is also able to understand the dog Koromaru and translate her to the group, and that’s pretty incredible stuff, to be honest.

Koromaru

The best boy, a beautiful white dog with a gorgeous coat, Koromaru is just absolutely adorable and instantly makes Persona 3 Portable a top-tier JRPG. Even though he’s a dog, Koromaru is weirdly smart and helps the SEES crew many times on their journey. He’s very kind and shows extreme loyalty to the group, but also fiercely protects the shrine in Persona 3, as he thinks it’s a holy place.

That’s it for now, we’ll add more characters down the line as the release of Persona 3 Portable on Nintendo Switch grows ever nearer.
We hope you enjoyed this peek into Persona 3 Portable, and you’ve got yourself ready for the Persona 3 Switch release date somewhere down the line. Be sure to keep an eye on the Persona 5 release date as well, as we’ll be playing with Joker and pals on the Nintendo Switch later this year.