Author: Trafficblast

Square Enix has pulled back the curtain on Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, revealing tons of new information on Final Fantasy’s first foray into battle royale in a livestream presentation.

The stream highlighted many of The First Soldier’s unique takes on the format, mainly its hybrid focus on ranged and melee combat. 75 players will drop into each match, with the standard looting of weapons and supplies fully intact. The standard battle royale item rarity scale–grey as common all the way to orange being legendary–is here as well, but firearms, handheld weapons, and even magic Materia can be found scattered across the map.

Speaking of the map, The First Soldier’s full arena was revealed highlighting many of the different Final Fantasy VII Remake locales that will feature during battle. Familiar locations include Wall Market, complete with Corneo’s mansion, the Verdant House (aka Aerith’s house), the Sector 5 and Sector 7 Slums, and the Church…but don’t step on the flowers.

Vehicles can be found throughout the arena for easy traversal, with the speed bike being shown off in the live matches. Chocobo stops can summon chocobo mounts as well, with the giant birds able to hover and glide short distances when jumping. No other vehicles were shown during the stream but more are said to be included in the game.

One unique feature of The First Soldier are the monsters roaming around the different areas, adding a PvE element to each match. Standard enemies like Bombs can be defeated for experience, while a few areas have FFVII’s bosses like the Guard Scorpion. Defeating monsters and farming their EXP will eventually level up the character, increasing HP/MP and enhancing their abilities.

Each player can choose one of four different “styles,” each with its own focus and unique abilities. The warrior specializes in melee combat–with one of its abilities being a charging slash protected by a shield–while the sorcerer can boost their magic casting power. The most notable ability revealed in the livestream belongs to the ranger, who can temporarily show the location of all enemies within a certain distance.

The First Soldier’s most impactful addition, however, is its materia. Materia can be found scattered all through the map, giving players magical abilities to use throughout the match. Duplicate Materia can power up the spells being used, for example a Fire Materia can become Fira and Firaga with multiple Fire Materia.

Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier is the first of two FFVII-themed mobile games coming soon, the other being the story-based RPG Ever Crisis. Both were announced in February alongside Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, which launches exclusively on PlayStation 5 June 10. A beta test for The First Soldier was announced to begin in June.

Ninja Theory is the latest gaming company to join TikTok, and the Hellblade studio began its career on the social media platform with a video of a new Senua costume.

Set to the Bruno Mars song “Talking to the Moon,” the video shows Senua actress and video editor Melina Juergens singing along as she models the costume. You can watch the video below and follow Ninja Theory on TikTok at @ninjatheoryofficial.

Senua returns in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, which uses Fortnite developer Epic’s Unreal Engine 5, the latest version of the game-making toolsuite that promises incredible graphics and more. Microsoft said the use of this new engine will “bring the Hellblade franchise to levels never before seen.”

Hellblade II is set in Iceland, which represents a shift from the first game, and the game is making some story changes, too.

“While Hellblade gave us a very personal insight into psychosis, this sequel builds on that to show how madness and suffering shapes myths, gods, and religion,” Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades said. “Our goal is to make an experience comparable to the epic myths and sagas of old.”

The original Hellblade was developed by a team of around 20 people, and Ninja Theory has said it’s doubling the team size for the sequel after Microsoft acquired the studio.

There is no word yet on a release date for Hellblade II, but the game is coming to Xbox Series X|S, and presumably PC. It will be available to Game Pass subscribers at no extra cost.

Developer Blizzard has ideas for how to make Diablo II: Resurrected better than the original game, but wants to avoid changing what made Diablo II special to so many players. It hopes to make the game easier to play as opposed to just easier.

“The game is still a work in progress–this was a tech alpha–so even from the design side we have a lot of thoughts about [additional] quality of life updates and ways we can make them better,” Diablo II: Resurrected principal designer Rob Gallerani told IGN.

Lead artist Chris Amaral added that the team can’t promise that they’ll actually change everything that players have told them via feedback following the tech alpha. “But when there are things we agree with, we can push them a little further,” he said.

“The line is simple in that we don’t want to make the game easier,” Gallerani said. “We want to remain faithful, so there’s a difference between making the game easier and making the game easier to play.”

As examples, Gallerani said that the team wouldn’t allow players to carry infinite arrows or have a larger inventory, as both examples fundamentally change what Diablo II is. “Stuff like that removes important choices; do I pick this item up or do I leave it behind? Do I go back to town now?” he said.

Diablo II: Resurrected is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Switch this year. The remaster is basically the same as the original game, only enhancing it with modern day graphics and quality of life improvements.

Resident Evil Village is a bit involved even by most survival horror game standards, with its fair share of inventory management, exploration, a merchant you should regularly return to in order to help arm and upgrade yourself with the equipment you need to survive, and even hunting.

If you’re new to the series, or even survival horror in general, these tips will help you find your footing rather than tremble as you round every corner in fear. Below, we break down our essential tips into three sections: combat, exploration, and the Duke, with helpful insight in each category.

COMBAT

Like it or not, you’re inevitably going to face some horrific baddies on your quest to find Ethan’s daughter, Rose. Fortunately, the essentials of combat aren’t too tricky to master.

Go For The Knees

We know you want to be a hotshot with your headshots, but going for the dome isn’t always the best option in Resident Evil Village. The game’s werewolf-like enemies, Lycans, are unruly, somewhat unpredictable foes that scour the village. They’ll go from gaining on you real quick to slowly stalking you as they get closer and closer. But don’t be fooled, aim for the head, and they’ll duck and juke out of the way, leading to some wasted rounds. It’s annoying.

Instead of wasting your time trying to go directly for their noggins, a few well-placed shots to the knees is a far better way to bring them down, allowing for ample opportunity to land that powerful headshot you crave. The hitbox on their legs is also much more forgiving, making it easier to aim down and fire without getting too precise about it.

The same strategy applies to the cave-dwelling ghouls known as the Moroaica. These terrifying scoundrels wield sharp weapons and will often lumber their way toward you as a group. If you absolutely must engage with them, you can easily create some distance between you and them to take some shots at their kneecaps to give you the opening you need.

Keep in mind that there are various enemies in Village, some of which are more bullet spongy, while others wear armor–so this tip isn’t entirely universal. However, you’ll be fighting Lycans and ghouls the most, so this strategy will be your go-to in most encounters. It’s also good for controlling a crowd, as you can bring multiple enemies to their knees in a row and switch to your shotgun for a quick spray attack. However, when it comes to those other enemy types we mentioned, just be observant, and their weak spots should be pretty apparent. We’d rather not spoil what other surprises lie ahead, so we’ll leave it at that.

Time Your Counters

If you block an attack (by holding the top left shoulder button if you’re playing on a controller), you have a small window of time to press block again and trigger a counter that’ll kick your enemy back, which will also disarm them and have a knockback effect on any baddies around you.

In some cases, when you’re surrounded and overwhelmed, deliberately taking a hit from an enemy, blocking it, and then countering it can really pay off, giving you a solid opening to punish them with some shots to their knees.

Sometimes, It’s Okay To Run

Sometimes, fighting just isn’t worth your resources. The Moroaica, in particular, are slow and don’t prance around like Lycans, so sometimes it’s better to save your resources and simply go around them to get where you’re going. In some scenarios, you’ll confront groups of enemies, so turning and running to create some distance between you and them is typically a good idea. However, in classic survival-horror risk/reward fashion, sticking around and killing them can reward you Lei, Village’s in-game currency. Basically, just consider your resources and the environment before getting in an altercation.

While it’s okay to run, it’s also smart to set a mine down before doing so, especially when you’re dealing with overwhelming numbers; your guns and knife aren’t your only answers to a fight, after all. If you set down a mine, be sure to bait your enemies to it accordingly. Get their attention well enough, and those wobbling dummies won’t know what they’re walking into. Of course, if all else fails, tossing a Pipe Bomb can be a great way to create an opening. Just be sure to push through quickly before any surviving enemies get up.

Though, as mentioned, there are other bigger, more challenging enemies to content against, and while we won’t say much about them, we will note that the best way to dodge their attacks is often to turn ever so slightly by 45 degrees, and then sprint. Movement in Resident Evil Village can be oddly sluggish at times in hectic encounters, but luckily, the game does tune the AI of these enemies to help make evasion manageable with your limited capability.

EXPLORATION

When it comes to exploration in Resident Evil Village, you’ll always want to be as thorough as possible, as it’s vital to take the time to gather as many resources as you can. With useful stuff like ammunition, crafting materials, and valuable sellable treasure all ripe for the taking, you can never go wrong scouring the environment high and low for any handy supplies you can take with you.

Always Check Your Map Before Leaving a Room

Like recent games in the series, Resident Evil Village has a nifty feature that indicates whether you’ve collected everything in a room. When a room you’re in is marked blue, that means you’ve collected everything. Otherwise, if there’s still stuff to find, it’ll appear red.

So if you’re having trouble clearing a room, it might be because you missed a hidden treasure. Before leaving an area, make sure to look up at the ceiling for anything that sparkles. If you see it, shoot it. These are typically crystals that can be sold to The Duke, the game’s merchant.

On the other hand, some rooms will have containers that require a lockpick to unlock or a sealed door to open with a key, which you’ll have to open before they’ll turn blue. ut thankfully your map marks hotspots like that once you’ve been in the vicinity of them, so it’s easy to go back and clear them out at a later point–which is very, very nice.

Lastly, keep in mind that there are some areas you won’t be able to return to, so again, it pays to be thorough along your journey, as opposed to leaving your map filled with uncleared rooms packed with supplies you could’ve used to more easily survive.

Backtrack. It’s Worth it.

While a few areas won’t be available later, the actual village is an area you’ll be returning to many, many times. The village is a connecting hub between each major area of the game. One way or another, you’ll be returning there, and each time, you’ll return with something that can likely unlock something new, whether it’s a wheel for a well, a crank to lower a bridge, lockpicks, or straight-up keys. So before trudging into the next new area, make sure to take a moment and circle back around with your newly found items to see what you can open up, even if it’s just a simple small chest.

But, like anything relative to Resident Evil, be wary of the risk/reward, as sometimes being a thorough player will reward you with a big ol’ treasure or new special gun, but it also likely means you may have to deal with an onslaught of baddies ready to drain you of your resources.

Go Hunting

It doesn’t feel great killing pigs, fish, and goats, who are just minding their own business in an already dreadful village infested with werewolves and other nightmarish creatures. But as it turns out, their true enemy is, in fact, actually Ethan Winters. Still, killing animals and taking their parts to The Duke has some significant benefits, as he’ll make meals for you that permanently increase your health, block resistance, and movement speed.

Also, be on the lookout for pictures of animals hidden around the village, which are needed for finding ingredients for creating special cooking recipes. And while you’re on a killing spree, make sure to shoot the crows, too, as they drop extra Lei to spend!

Craft Only When You Need To

A useful point to consider is that you can actually hold off on crafting items until you absolutely need them since the game lets you pause the action to craft–something that’s particularly handy when in combat or any other sticky situation. Crafting materials don’t take up inventory space; crafted items do. As such, it’s often best to craft only when the need arises, so you can ensure you’ve got enough slots open to pick up resources.

THE DUKE

As mentioned, The Duke is Resident Evil Village’s merchant. He’s an intriguing fellow who has all sorts of valuable wares you can purchase to aid you on your journey, whether that’s ammunition, weapon parts, or health items. He also offers you the ability to buy weapon upgrades, further maximizing the effectiveness of your loadout.

Check Your Treasure Before You Sell It

Selling treasure is a vital part of Village’s gameplay loop, giving you a bump in the funds needed to acquire valuable resources and upgrades. If you’re a Resident Evil 4 veteran, this is a near copy/paste version of how it works in that game.

Like Resident Evil 4, it’s important to check that another piece of treasure can’t combine with the one you’re looking to sell. This is, thankfully, indicated in the treasure’s description listed next to its value. Combining a piece of treasure with another increases the overall value, earning you far more than what you’d get if you sold each separately. So if you have any treasure that’s still incomplete, consider holding off selling it until you find a part that can combine with it.

Know Your Strengths, and Upgrade Accordingly

There’s quite a selection of weapons to choose from in Resident Evil Village, with each having distinct benefits and utilities. They generally all have use in a combat situation, but it’s important to prioritize upgrading the ones you like the most to suit your preferred playstyle. Are you a pistol slinger who likes to go for a few consistent shots one enemy at a time? Or do you prefer using the shotgun for that much-needed crowd control when things get too hairy? Or maybe you just prefer to dispatch things with a sniper rifle from a distance. Self-awareness and knowing your strengths isn’t just vital in life; it’s crucial in this game as well, because it’ll help guide the path of your weapon upgrades.

After using a weapon enough times in combat, be sure to upgrade its categories accordingly when you’re at the Duke’s shop. The best practice is to lean into what you know you want. The categories are as follows: Power, Rate of Fire, Reload Speed, and Ammo Capacity. Do you like going all-in on damage, then maybe Power and Rate of Fire are where you want to invest. If you’d rather not waste time reloading, then you should increase your Reload Speed and max Ammo Capacity–you might want to consider these factors for the shotgun especially.

It’s important to note that not all upgrade levels for individual categories are available at first, as subsequent levels only unlock after you progress the game past certain points. Take that into consideration when you’re contemplating where to pour your hard-earned Lei.

Sell Your Guns

As the game progresses, you’ll naturally find better versions of your arsenal along the way. While you may have grown a sentimental attachment to your starting pistol and have upgraded it all the way, it takes up inventory space, and as the game goes on, that space will become more and more scarce. And even upgraded, old guns are usually just not as powerful as the new guns you’ll find. You’re better off just selling the old ones and using that Lei to upgrade your new guns.

While you’re at it, sell ammo for weapons you don’t use as often, and use that money to replenish the weapons you use a lot. Keep in mind that the Duke’s inventory is also limited, though it does replenish with every new area you enter.

For more about Resident Evil Village, be sure to read our review. And if you need help getting through the game, we recommend having our full spoiler-free walkthrough handy to get you through the game’s tougher sections.

Not long into your adventure into Resident Evil Village, you meet the Duke, a traveling merchant. The friendly salesman soon provides you with a map of special treasure chests scattered throughout the area that take a little extra effort to unlock. These chests have some of the most valuable items in the game: Some contain weapons, others have key upgrade items for your guns, and some contain a few of the most valuable treasures in the game, which you can sell to the Duke for cash.

Unlocking all the treasure chests in the game takes a little extra effort as you explore, but they’re worth grabbing to make yourself as powerful as you can be as you search for protagonist Ethan Winters’ missing child, Rose. Here’s where (and when) you can get to each of the chests, what they contain, and how to nab them.

We’ve got lots more Resident Evil Village coverage, so check out our full spoiler-free walkthrough, our full slate of guides, and our Resident Evil Village review.

Maestro’s Collection

This treasure becomes available only after you’ve completed the Beneviento section of the game. After leaving the Beneviento house, explore the area just out front of it. Look for a section of the map marked “Garden” and check out the house there. Inside you’ll find the Beneviento ball maze toy near the door and a typewriter in the next room. To the right of the typewriter is Luthier’s Key, which has a cello keychain on it. That’s a hint about where to take it.

Return to the village and head to the Maestro’s House on the south side of the middle section. You might have seen this house earlier when you were investigating the house with the red chimney; it has what looks like a violin on the door. Use Luthier’s Key on the door to open it. In the back of the house, you’ll find an armoire with a combination padlock on it. Scour the house to discover the combination on your own, or just enter 27-09-17 to open it.

Inside is the Maestro’s Collection treasure, which consists of the F2 Sniper Rifle’s High-Capacity Magazine–a significant upgrade to the gun–and the Steel Hraesvelgr statue, which you can sell to the Duke for a significant sum of Lei.

Beneviento’s Treasure

This treasure is also in the area just outside the Beneviento house, but only accessible after you’ve been inside. On the path to the house but just before it is a grave covered in dolls. If you inspect it, you’ll see that part of the headstone is missing, cutting off part of the name of the person interred there. You’ll need to find the other chunk of the headstone to get to the treasure.

Head back to the village proper and go to the graveyard near the gate to Castle Dimitrescu. You should find that a small crypt that was previously locked is now open. Look inside to find the Broken Slab item; the other half of the name from the Beneviento grave.

Return to the grave near the Beneviento house, but note that you won’t be alone when you arrive. Use the Broken Slab on it and it’ll open, revealing Berengario’s Chalice, a treasure you can sell to the Duke.

Luiza’s Heirloom

You can also get this item after the Beneviento house. Back in the village, head up to Luiza’s through the Fallow Field. The house has burned down, but on the steps out front is a small box you can open to reveal Luiza’s Necklace. Snag it, but you’re not done yet.

Examine the necklace to reveal a crystal set into the little skull that you can remove (and, later, sell). Beneath that is another surprise you can find while examining–Luiza’s Key. Grab it and then head back to the Altar location where you found the Duke. Head west toward the ceremony site. Along the way on the left and right sides of the path are caves with frescoes painted inside.

Check the one on the left for a small box and use Luiza’s Key to open it. Inside is Cesare’s Goblet, another treasure you can unload with the Duke.

Waterwheel Weapon

This weapon actually isn’t too tough to come by. You’ll find it pretty naturally on your way to Moreau’s Reservoir, although it’s possible to miss it altogether. Head to the Altar and unlock the door that leads to East Old Town to head toward Moreau’s.

As you’re making your way through this area, you’ll see the creek running through this section of the town. You’ll need to make your way down to it and head left, following the water north toward the building with the water wheel. It’s locked, but you can open it with the Iron Insignia Key you got inside Castle Dimitrescu. You should have found it by completing the piano puzzle.

The tough part about reaching this treasure isn’t figuring out a puzzle, but dealing with the creature that guards it. Try to sneak past it using stealth and get to the waterwheel house. Inside, you’ll find the Grenade Launcher–perfect for dispatching a large, nigh-unstoppable wolf.

Moreau’s Hidden Weapon

Once you’ve been through Moreau’s Reservoir, you’ll exit where you started, coming out of an elevator to a small courtyard. On one side is a gate marked “Moreau’s Lab,” which you can only open with the crank you got in the reservoir. Once you’re through the gate, you’ll enter a small side section with a few buildings and various enemies.

Follow the path to the end and you’ll find the most intact building in the area up a small hill. It’s locked, but you can slip through a small hole in the back to get inside. Kill the lycan you find there and open up the treasure chest to find one of the best weapons in the game, the M1851 Wolfsbane Magnum.

Good news: You’ll have occasion to try it out as soon as you find it.

Riverbank Treasure House

With the crank from Moreau’s Reservoir, you can also finally access this treasure. Return to the Altar in the village and go west toward the Ceremony Site, but hang a right at the river and go down to the raised drawbridge you find there. Use the crank to lower the bridge so you can cross the river and get to the boat jetty on the bank.

Take the river north. You’ll hit another dock before long, which puts you in front of a big door that leads back under Castle Dimitrescu. Follow the path until you’re in a room with another of those lantern puzzles, where you have to swing a brazier to light two other torches. Use your gun to make the swings pretty easy, opening first the left door and then the right to plunder everything. You’ll see one more torch in the next room, however, that you can’t reach by swinging brazier.

Luckily, an endless supply of ghouls will crawl into the area from the room on the right. Lure one out into the main area and nail it with the brazier to light it on fire. Then goad it into following you into the next room and trick it into running into the torch there. That’ll light the torch and open the door beyond, which lets you snag the Golden Lady Statue treasure, which you can then sell to the Duke.

Cannibal’s Plunder

On your return from Moreau’s Reservoir, you’ll start to see signs directing you through the village to your next objective. Follow them until you see one that says “Good luck!” while directing you into a tunnel. Instead, turn left and follow the path up to a stream and a structure called Otto’s Mill.

Cross the stream, break open the lock on the gate, and continue inside. You’ll have a fight on your hands in the mill proper, but once you’ve completed it, you can ransack the place. Shoot the three locks off the big red door and you’ll find a room filled with a huge amount of spare meat, which you can cart off to the Duke for a decent price if you don’t need it for cooking.

Keep following the path through the building and you’ll eventually come across a small atlar with a treasure chest on it, which contains the Father Nichola’s Angel treasure for you to sell to the Duke.

Treasure Under The Stronghold

The final treasure is actually the easiest to get, in a sense. Follow the big signs after Moreau’s Reservoir and they’ll lead you to the Stronghold, which is where all the lycans in town live. This big fight is part of the story, so work your way through the Stronghold and down to its lowest levels. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you hit a mine shaft filled with crystals.

Just beyond the crystals is the final treasure, Guglielmo’s Plate–another one to sell to the Duke for a hefty profit.

Resident Evil Village is a terrifying game, and if you’re just starting out, you’ll know from its opening hours how overwhelming it can get. Unfortunately, it only gets worse as it goes on, pitting you against all sorts of horrifying monstrosities as you explore haunting locales. To help you survive, we’ve compiled below our full walkthrough and guides detailing essential tips and directions to beating the game.

For more about Resident Evil Village, be sure to read our full review. Otherwise, check out our feature discussing why you should play the game on Hardcore difficulty.

Essential Beginner’s Tips & Tricks

If you’re new to Resident Evil or just would like to know how to best play it, we’ve got a beginner’s guide that covers some of the fundamentals of survival. We include notable tips like aiming for an enemy’s knees rather than their head, checking the map screen to check item completion before leaving a room, upgrading to your weapons to suit your strengths (and weaknesses), and much more.

Resident Evil Village Spoiler-Free Walkthrough

Nothing is more stressful than playing a survival horror game without knowing what’s up ahead. If you’re the type who needs a helping hand to guide you as you slowly but steadily make your way through an experience like this, then look no further. We’ve got a full walkthrough covering the first fourth of the game, which we’ll be steadily updating to full completion in the coming days.

Rare Animals Cooking Guide

There’s a lot of local wildlife in Resident Evil Village, and they’re not just around as window dressing to the game’s haunting setting; they actually serve a purpose to you. As much as we hate to tell you to do this, but if you kill them, they’ll provide you with ingredients you can give to The Duke, who can use them for cooking you special meals that permanently increase your health, block resistance, and movement speed. The game doesn’t quite tell you this until a certain point, and by then, you’ll have probably missed out on hunting the game’s most noteworthy and rare animal breeds that are needed for the game’s most powerful upgrades. So here’s a guide highlighting the rarest animals you can hunt for cooking these special performance-enhancing meals.

Treasure Chest Guide: How To Unlock Every Marked Treasure On The Map

You can find various treasures throughout your time spent in the spooky village you’re stuck at–some of which are more valuable than others. You’ll see these particular treasures marked on your map as little treasure chest icons. The game’s merchant, The Duke, will buy these treasures off your hands at a high price. It’s not only treasures that you can find in these marked chests; you can also net some powerful weapons and upgrades from them too. It’s easy to miss out on these special treasure chests or forget to come back for them, so here’s our guide detailing how to unlock them.

More Guides Coming Soon

We’ve plenty more Resident Evil Village guides coming in the days ahead, each focused on hidden collectibles that should help you get the most out of your experience. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back frequently, as we’ll be updating this feature with all our latest guides.