Tips and Hints – Golden Age Gamers

Tips and Hints for God of War (PS4)

Here are some tips and hints for God of War that I wish I had known earlier and some that have helped me enjoy the game even more as I continue my journey to the top of the summit (of gaming and Midgard).

Author: Nathan Doverspike

Almost 20 hours into this game, and I can honestly say this is one of my favorite games EVER. Not in the last decade, not favorite RPG or action game, quite literally top 3 games I have ever had the pleasure of playing. Here are some tips and hints for God of War that I wish I had known earlier, and some that have helped me enjoy the game even more as I continue my journey to the top of the summit (of gaming and Midgard).

God of War_20180422182418 — Not all realms are created equal.

Explore, Explore, and Explore Some More

As most RGP and open-area games go, it pays off to return to areas you’ve been. This holds especially true for the new God of War. Kratos and Atreus will receive ways to explore even more of the worlds as you progress through the story, so if you see something that looks important but you can’t access it the first time, make a mental note or real one on paper to return to that area. While some areas pay off more than others, I never felt cheated when I chose to spend some extra time exploring with “Boy”.

Mix It Up in Combat

While the axe is an adequate weapon, your fists can be just as deadly. Mixing it up in combat will help you overcome the myriad of enemies the game like to throw your way. At the beginning of the game, I found myself barely using my fists to pummel enemies. Now, I go all out, using the axe and fists, combined with the separate abilities that correspond with each style, to thoroughly obliterate my foes.

God of War_20180423044627 — The different environments are all beautiful in their own way.

Spread Out Your Upgrades

This goes for both your armor and skills. I foolishly upgraded an early armor a few times, then regretted it an hour later when I found a much more improved armor that I could have improved even further if I didn’t spend all my resources on the one armor set. You get a ton of loot in this game, and most of it is markedly improved over previous iterations. Keep that in mind when you are deciding what to spend those precious resources on.

God of War_20180422234048 — Stunningly gorgeous and equally dangerous.

Play It For the Story

A great story in a God of War game? Yup, and even though I haven’t quite finished it yet, I have seen more character development than many other RPG’s that have come out in recent years. It is obvious how much time and effort was put into making the story not just coherent, but engaging and moving. The characters are interesting, the setting spectacular, and the twists and turns the plot take are sharp and unexpected.

God of War_20180422234348 — To the summit!

Play With Headphones or a Nice Stereo If Possible

This one might not apply to everyone reading, and that’s understandable. However, if you have the ability to play this game with good headphones on or a nice stereo system, I highly recommend doing so. This game makes sounds I’ve never heard from my speakers before, and the World Serpent made my house literally shake from it’s voice. It’s something to behold that I never experienced in another video game before.

What do you think of the game so far? Are you enjoying the new camera and increased focus on story as well? Let me know in the comments!

Tips and Hints for Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Here are some spoiler free tips and hints as you begin your journey with this spectacular and breathtaking new JRPG from Level 5.

Author: Nathan Doverspike

I have learned a lot with during my time with Ni No Kuni 2: Higgledies are like adorable Pikmin but better, I am pretty sure I would love the Tales games if the combat is anything like Ni No Kuni 2, and open world JRPG’s still bring out that wonder you normally only feel as a kid. Here are some spoiler free tips and hints as you begin your journey with this spectacular and breathtaking new JRPG from Level 5.

Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom_20180323115245 — Exploring the world is an absolute delight!

Play the Game Your Way

This might sound obvious, but it’s especially true with Ni No Kuni 2. After the somewhat brief (compared to other JRPG’s like Xenoblade Chronicles 2) tutorial, it becomes abundantly clear that there are many more moving pieces going on here that you can interact with and enjoy. Or not. That’s your choice! Do you want to focus on upgrading and nurturing new Hiddledies? Would you rather build up your city into a glorious and magical new kingdom? Or do you want to hunt down all the tainted enemies that inhabit the world to truly make it a peaceful world? You can do all that and more, or choose to just play through the story with minimal to no interaction with the numerous systems available. That’s just one of the great things about this game that I hope people don’t overlook.

Don’t Rush To Sell All Your Items

I made this mistake about half way through the game. I though that I needed all the gold possible (trust me, you don’t), so I decide to sell all the extra armor, weapons, and miscellaneous items I had in my inventory. Turns out, I definitely needed those to complete side quests a couple hours later and had to spend a lot more gold than what I received for selling it to get similar items for those quests. Word of advise, don’t sell all your items unless you have plenty extra or are more focused on completing the main story and not the majority of side quests.

Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom_20180323115401 — The combat is very different from the original, and that’s not a bad thing.

Upgrading Your Spells Will Make Combat a Piece of Cake

The Spellworks building in game allows you to upgrade your skills/spells for each character. If you want a challenge, don’t upgrade them to the max or unlock the upgraded version of them. However, if you want to feel really powerful by the end and exert your power as King Evan by demolishing anyone who stands in your way (i.e. tainted monsters), then upgrading these will definitely help you accomplish that goal. By leveling up the building, having the right personnel assigned to it, and completing research you are ultimately working towards building an unstoppable team of charming adventurers.

Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom_20180323122718 — Did I mention they are really cute yet?

Higgledies Aren’t Just Cute, They’re Useful Too

Going into this game, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the combat. I loved the first game, and really enjoyed the familiar catching and evolving that reminded me of an open world Pokemon game. Still, I went into this one with an open mind about the combat and, like everything else in this game, it doesn’t disappoint! Each Higgledie has an elemental affinity, like normal, fire, nature, just like the familiars in the original game. Unlike the orginal game though, you don’t take direct control over them. They are still important since they can boost your stats, or even awaken and use special abilities like transforming into a cannon or raising your resistances to certain elements. Having the right combination of Higgledies in your party can sometimes mean the difference between defeating a tainted enemy, or having to retry the battle from the start. By upgrading the Higgledie Hut and nurturing new ones, you can make sure you’re prepared for any enemy you want to take down. Plus, they are really, really cute.

What do you think of Ni No Kuni 2? Has it lived up to your expectations? Are you enjoying the change in combat more or less? Let me know in the comments and feel free to post any other hints or tips I may have missed.

Tips and Hints for Battle Chasers: Nightwar

Over twelve hours into Battle Chasers: Nightwar, and I can honestly say this is the most fun I have had with a dungeon crawler RPG since Diablo 3. If you have just picked it up, or are interested in what this game is all about, keep on ready for some tips and hints.

Author: Nathan Doverspike

EDIT: After searching the internet for recent patch notes, it appears the corrupted save file bug I ran into while playing the game has been fixed. That doesn’t guarantee that the game won’t crash, as it did for me and THEN I experienced the save corruption after 12 hours of gameplay, resulting in having to restart the game. I highly recommend this game, even if there is a chance the game can crash occasionally. The combat, art style, and exploration alone were worth another go at it, even if it means I’ll have my fingers crossed that I won’t have my save corrupted again. Also, the game hasn’t crashed for me since I restarted my save in March of 2018, which hopefully means the game is fixed and does appear to be a more stable build. Oh, and this game is just as good the second time around too!

Over twelve hours into Battle Chasers: Nightwar, and I can honestly say this is the most fun I have had with a dungeon crawler RPG since Diablo 3. This game isn’t just gorgeous (I love the art style and effects during battles); it is also challenging without being too frustrating. If you have just picked it up, or are interested in what this game is all about, keep on ready for some tips and hints.

Grinding Is a Necessary Evil

Like a lot of RPGs in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, grinding is a part of Battle Chasers. I don’t despise it since it lets me work on different strategies and leveling up characters I may not use as much as someone like Garrison (who has a great name and awesome abilities). Some may not be as thrilled about the possibility of grinding to see all the content, and I understand if it isn’t for everyone. For me, it hasn’t bothered me. I put too many hours in the original Neverwinter Nights as a kid and this is nowhere near as grind-fest heavy as that classic.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar_20171005194131 — Exploration and dungeon crawler are two areas this game nearly perfects.

Explore, Explore, Explore

This game is set up to let you explore the world, a chunk at a time. As you progress through the story, you open up new distinct areas with their own enemies and dungeon to discover. Not all areas are crucial to forwarding the plot, and I highly recommend visiting them. You may get whooped at first, but you can always come back or talk to other NPC’s to see if they have a side quest for you to undertake as well. Who knows, maybe clearing out those spiders in the sewers gets you some much needed gear and a level or two that you need before returning to a challenging dungeon.

Plan your Attacks Wisely

The action bar on the left side of the screen shows you what order your characters and enemies will take their turn. Use this to your advantage. Each attach has an indication of how long it will take for the character to use that ability. Some are instant, while others take a turn or two before they act. Using a very fast attack to finish off a weakened enemy might just be the edge you need to defeat a boss that summons more enemies during battle. Time these wisely, as they can be the difference between defeating a tough boss in a Legendary dungeon and getting your RPG-loving rear handed to you.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar Victory — Just looking at that Mimic is giving me Dark Souls PTSD.

Don’t Forget to Equip Perks

Yup, that’s right, I forgot to equip perks for the first four hours I played this game. Every time you level up you gain points that you can spend towards equipping perks for each character. For example, Gulley might have 4 perk points but the perks you want to equip cost 3 and 2 points, so either you grind a little until you level up, or you make a choice on which one you want to equip. All of these are passive stat boosts or enact certain conditions based on other abilities in battle. You can increase attack power, get more health from healing abilities, or even get a permanent boost to your overall defense as long as the perk is active. These can dramatically change how your characters perform in battle, so experimentation is highly encouraged.

Hopefully these few tips and hints are enough to help you glide your way through an incredibly beautiful and interesting world. While the story isn’t as integral to the game as I might want it to be, I am still really enjoying my time with it and look forward to pouring more time into it this weekend. For a small studio and a game half the price of other AAA games coming out recently, this has been a pleasant surprise of an RPG.

Did I miss anything? Did you pick up the game? If so, how are you enjoying it so far? Let me know in the comments!

Tips and Hints For Evil Within 2

To help you out on your journey back into STEM, here are my tips and hints for Evil Within 2.

Author: Nathan Doverspike

The Evil Within 2 would have been my biggest surprise in 2017, had I played it in 2017. I arrived a little late but nonetheless enjoyed the hell out of the game. From the twisted and horrifically grotesque enemy designs, to the crazy finale and gut wrenching plot, I was hooked the whole way through. To help you out on your journey back into STEM, here are my tips and hints for Evil Within 2.

New Game + is Great, But There’s a Catch

This is one I wish I knew before I started the game. I finished the game in casual mode, and if you would like an explanation of the different difficulties you can check out this article. You can reduce the difficulty while playing, but you cannot increase the difficulty once you start a save slot. Also keep in mind that beating NG+ gets you additional weapons and resources, so it’s definitely worth playing through a second time just to experience the new arsenal.

Explore, Explore, and Explore Some More

On my first run through the game, I thought I explored the open world pretty thoroughly, but I managed to miss a couple weapons and opportunities to upgrade my skill tree even further. Also, there are keys scattered throughout the game that allow you to open up one of the nurse’s lockers. Finding these keys can really help if you manage to get more ammo or health that stay there until you retrieve them.

Play on a Lower Difficulty For Run And Gun Gameplay

I played Evil Within 2 like I played Resident Evil 4 when it came out back in the day. I did a terrible job conserving ammo, was louder than a rhino in a china shop, and shot every enemy in sight. Playing on casual allowed me that freedom, so don’t expect to brute force your way on the more challenging difficulties. If you want a more casual experience like I did my first time around, I strongly suggest playing on casual or normal.

Don’t Kill the Flame Thrower Enemies Before Chapter 13

Without providing any spoilers, DO NOT kill the flame thrower enemies roaming the world before chapter 13. I did, and therefore I couldn’t get the parts needed to repair the flame thrower which is needed for an achievement. Plus it’s one of the most powerful weapons in the game, so that alone makes getting it worth it.

Hopefully you find these tips and hints helpful, because I know they would have helped me decide the difficulty I wanted to choose as well as getting the flame thrower on my first play through. I am currently playing it a second time and experiencing as much if not more enjoyment this run through the standout horror title. What were some tips you found playing through? What did you think of the game overall? Let me know in the comments!

6 Tips For Getting Started in Xenoblade Chronicles 2

While the story isn’t as engaging as I anticipated, I can’t help but praise the art style, wonderful world, satisfying and sometimes challenging combat, and intricate systems. So without further ado, I present five tips and hints for starting your journey through Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Author: Nathan Doverspike

After almost a dozen hours in the breathtakingly beautiful world of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I feel it is safe to say I’m definitely enjoying my time with it. The JRPG, which is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, caps of a brilliant first year for the versatile new console. While the story isn’t as engaging as I anticipated, I can’t help but praise the art style, wonderful world, satisfying and sometimes challenging combat, and intricate systems. So without further ado, I present six tips and hints for starting your journey through Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

1. The Map is Your Best Friend

This one seems obvious, and it should be. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a massive world, with countless side quests which combined together can understandably be overwhelming at first. I found it best to consult the map if I ever had trouble finding where certain side quests wanted me to go (indicated by blue diamond with white question mark inside). The main quest has been fairly simple to track, since it is denoted by magenta diamonds with white exclamations marks inside, but even then I have gotten turned around once or twice. Just keep in mind that you CAN navigate over large roots to trees in the left part of the map where the gold person is found on the image above. I found that out after an hour of wandering around and then getting slaughtered by a level 75 King Kong-looking monster.

2. Spend Time Exploring the Menus

Like many JRPG’s, this game has A LOT of systems working simultaneously during battles. Whether it is upgrading your Arts, Affinity grid, or unlocking new Blades, there is always something that can be improved in your party if you know where to look. The Affinity Chart above is a great example of all the upgrades available for completing certain tasks explained for each bubble. One might require you to revive a companion a single time in order to receive 20% extra health from potions dropped from enemies, while another may require you to enter 10 battles in order to get a permanent boost to physical defense. These may not seem like much, but you will appreciate that extra defense and health from potions when the battle lasts 10+ minutes and you have a skill that specifically drops health from enemies.

3. Don’t Expect Too Much From the Story

This one comes off as negative, but it isn’t meant to be. Setting your expectations appropriately for this game will help you enjoy it much more. After the great story from the original, I had high hopes for this one to continue that trait. It might fall flat on its face at times, and the lip syncing during cut-scenes might be laughably bad at times, but the game play and intricate systems make up for it. It won’t win any awards for the story it appears to be telling, but if you can get past that it will reward you with everything else it has to offer.

4. Grinding Isn’t Just Necessary, It’s Also Fun

Games like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 usually feature some form a grinding, whether it’s White Knight Chronicles, FFXV, games from the Tales series. Grinding is something that is expected and can even be relaxing if you do what I do and throw on a podcast to listen to while you go through the motions for an hour or so each night, chipping away bit by bit at your slowing increasing experience bar. I haven’t found the grind to be too cumbersome at this point, and hope it doesn’t become frustrating come late game content. The enemies have interesting designs, and rounding a couple up can result in fantastically engaging battles that leave you nearly out of breath and HP by the end. A dozen hours in, and I look forward to spending some more time fighting the denizens of Alrest.

5. Timing is Everything

Whether you are scavenging the clouds for treasure or fighting a plethora of monsters all at once, timing is everything. Whenever you choose to scavenge for treasure, you will be presented with button prompts. Hitting the corresponding button on screen while it is inside the inner circle in every prompt will result in better rewards from the dive, and can get interesting once you progress farther into the game and encounter enemies that are over 20 levels above you when you arrive on land.

Button prompts are also a key element of battles. While using your special attacks, depending on which ones you use with different weapons, you’ll have the opportunity to hit the correct buttons to do exponentially more damage. Timing your abilities just after landing a hit (auto-attack or Art) will increase the damage even further, so it is entirely possible to turn the tide of a lopsided battle in seconds once you begin to master the system.

6. Tackle Named Monsters of Equal Level

During my time, I encountered a few named enemies that may look like normal enemies, but are denoted by a special symbol and are much more difficult to bring down. I attempted to bring a level 12 beast down when I was level 15, and after 10 minutes of intense button pressing and frantically running to pick up dropped potions, I felled the beast and received numerous rewards for their defeat. I highly recommend trying to tackle some of these once you gain three characters simultaneously in your party. The monster I took down wasn’t overwhelmingly challenging, and I felt great afterwards! They even have a little gravestone where they were that allows you to fight them again should that be something you wish to do.

Overall, I’ve had a great experience with Xenoblade Chronicles 2, despite a few frame rate stutters and the occasional annoying character. It is a JRPG after all, and I can’t stop looking ahead and getting excited about what awesome Blades I will be able to unlock or wonder how this connects to the original game.

Have you picked it up yet? If you have, are you enjoying it so far? Let me know in the comments!

Tips and Hints for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Author: Nathan Doverspike

I can’t believe how entertaining and polished Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle turned out to be! Not only is it polished to the high standard of most first party Nintendo games, but it’s just as enjoyable as well. Here are some tips and hints for beginners and people looking to play the game to completion (I’m going to go play some more of this gem now).

Don’t Worry About Missing Areas

This one might sound silly, but it’s true for this game. You will frequently come across areas that are inaccessible early on in the game due to your lack of abilities. That’s ok. Make a mental note and simply move on. This game is meant to have some replay value with all of the treasure chests hidden about and challenges that unlock after you complete that area. You’ll gain another ability after you defeat the main boss for that area, which will let you unlock a lot of those areas with ease as you run through them again without having to do any of the battles.

Don’t Be Afraid to Switch Up Your Team

No, that wasn’t supposed to be a pun, but I guess it works. You most likely won’t be able to use Luigi in every battle, no matter how awesome his vacuum/sniper is. There will be battles later in the game that will force you to think differently about the best way to approach situations. For instance, Rabbid Mario is more tanky than some of the other characters, and his shotgun can lay waste to multiple enemies unlucky enough to find themselves caught in its range. Using him instead of a character like Luigi would give you that short-range blast for groups of enemies that Luigi just can’t match. Keep in mind that you will have to use Mario in every battle (no idea why) and at least one Rabbid is also required. While annoying to think about, these don’t hinder the game due to amount of joy that comes from bouncing an enemy in the air and then sniping him out of the air with Mario’s “hero sight” ability.

mrkb_sc_combat_01_chomp — Use your environment to your advantage to quickly dispatch of those pesky Rabbids.

Restarting a Battle Doesn’t Penalize You

This is huge in my opinion. This game isn’t a cakewalk the whole time (it really ramps up after the second world), so being able to restart a battle at any time is awesome. Not only that, but the game doesn’t penalize you in any way for doing it, so there’s no risk in restarting if you brought a Rabbid Mario to a mission that requires Luigi. I’m not ashamed to say I started a few battles over when I quickly realized the odds were definitely not in my favor.

Play the Coop Missions

Something this game has that I had no idea until I looked on the back of the case is coop missions. These unlock after you finish a world, and are surprisingly fun. There are a handful of missions for each world, and range in difficulty and length. Some might take five minutes to beat, while others might take 15-20 minutes. If you have a friend or family member that is even remotely interested, give this mode a shot. My wife doesn’t play games very often and we had a blast playing through the tutorial and first set of missions after that.

Overall, I highly recommend this game. If you aren’t much of a gamer, don’t sweat it. This game even has an Easy mode for young, disabled, or people who would just like to enjoy the game without a steep learning curve. This game has a little bit of everything for anyone: humor, a fun story, beautiful worlds to explore, engaging game-play, the ability to upgrade characters and their skills, and lots of different weapons to play around with. If you own a Switch, this is one to definitely check out.