Author: Trafficblast

Cyberpunk 2077’s tiered loot system can be confusing at first glance. Like most RPGs, it offers weapons of various rarity, from common to legendary, but separate from its rarity is whether or not the weapon is iconic.

While you can find epic and even legendary weapons scattered around the place throughout your journey through Night City, iconic weapons are much harder to come by and require a little more effort to use effectively. In the above video, we explain the benefit of using iconic weapons, the best places to find iconic weapons, and how to upgrade them.

Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Stadia.

Over the next week, we will be posting features for what we’ve nominated to be the best games of 2020. Then, on December 17, we will crown one of the nominees as GameSpot’s Best Game of 2020, so join us as we celebrate these 10 games on the road to the big announcement. Be sure to check out our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best Games of 2020 hub.

Your first trip through Hades, like most, will end in death. But that first run is an exciting one, revealing an evolution of the isometric action-RPG combat that Supergiant has been mastering since 2011’s Bastion. You’ll see how you can utilize your dash to avoid danger or press the attack; discover how positioning matters due to dangerous traps littered throughout levels and the bonus damage you can deal to enemies from behind or by knocking them into walls; and get a taste of the upgrades that you’ll be able to encounter and equip to ensure each run feels distinct.

It all makes for an immediately satisfying combat system. Then you die, maybe after encountering a boss or, more likely in those early runs, by falling prey to a seemingly innocuous foe or a trap you set off. Whatever the case, you head back to the House of Hades, chat up some of the residents–including your father, Hades–and set out again. You’ll die once again, maybe after making it a bit further, or perhaps even sooner due to overconfidence or sheer bad luck. However you earn your trip back to home, you’ll again speak with Hades and others, and the true core of the game will begin to reveal itself.

The brilliance of Hades lies in not just offering a very fun action-based roguelike, but in how Supergiant did what arguably no game in the genre has ever managed: to tell a compelling story. It does this in a way that is perfectly suited for the context of a roguelike, where the gameplay loop involves attempting to escape from Hell, dying, and then starting all over again. Your failure is inherent to the story, and by building that into the basic concept and allowing for an ever-evolving narrative and sense of discovery with each character you interact with, Hades delivers something truly special.

For instance, your repeated fights with the game’s first boss, Megaera, and conversations with her back in the House of Hades, allow you to develop a rivalry, learn of her vulnerabilities, and develop empathy for her. This gives each subsequent fight an added layer of character development and meaning, along with opportunities for humor, rather than simply being a chance to show off how much your mastery of the game’s combat and understanding of Magaera’s attack patterns have grown.

What elevates Hades to another level is that the strong writing stands on top of what is an excellent game in every facet.

Your relationship with Megaera, and indeed, every character, is bolstered by the strong voice acting. Despite only appearing as static images on screen, the performances are able to forge a real connection with you and to infuse the diverse cast of characters with distinct personalities. Whether it’s the endearingly nervous energy of Dusa, the dismissive, distant-father energy of Hades, or even the harsh yet dulcet tones of the narrator, the performances are first-rate across the board (although the unsung star of the show is the chef at the House of Hades, ever silent, chopping away at ingredients).

But it all comes back to the writing. Whether it’s imbuing those characters (who, with good reason, have had people talking all year about how hot they are) with distinct personalities or reinforcing the experience you just went through in your last run, it’s an absolute master class in how a genre that seems to stand at odds with telling a good story can actually do so. When Zagreus returns to the House of Hades after a death, he’ll often comment on what killed him. Other characters will also comment on the specific nature of his demise, while conversations with the other inhabitants also help to advance your understanding of the world bit by bit in a very natural way. But it’s specifically the highly reactive nature of the script–some examples of which almost sound too good to be true–that stands as such an achievement.

But what elevates Hades to another level is that the strong writing stands on top of what is an excellent game in every facet. Each aspect of the game is top notch. Visuals? Stunning, with gorgeous vistas (those panning shots when you take the time to admire a new area are truly impressive) and easy-to-read environments and enemy types that let you keep up with the action. Music? Arguably the best of the year, or even recent years, particularly the intense rock music during boss fights that will get your blood pumping. Combat? It feels rock-solid, with an added layer of strategy that you might not expect at first glance. Replayability? There are so many layers of upgrades and different ways to approach a run, including wildly varied weapon types, that diving back into Tartarus feels like an exciting proposition, never a chore.

Hades not only redefines what a roguelike can be, it simply stands as an exemplary experience across the board. That makes it an easy case for being one of 2020’s best games.

Hades is available digitally on the Nintendo Eshop and Steam.

The holiday season has officially begun in Northern Hemisphere islands in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Special holiday decorations and holiday lights start popping up around town on December 15. That means new seasonal items, too.

Outside snowflake and snowboy recipes, players can also get festive recipes. Things like ornament wreaths, reindeer lights, and trees can make your town into a little festive village. This guide will show you the best way to collect and craft them.

How Do I Get Festive Recipes?

Festive recipes are collected the same way as some snowflake recipes and other seasonal DIYs: by shooting down present balloons. Balloons are predictable, but the items they dole out are not. You’ll need to spend some time farming them if you want all the festive items.

Position yourself at whichever beach the balloons spawn at and wait. Balloons will spawn at either the fourth or ninth minute within every ten minute period. They’ll take a minute to reach land but you’ll be able to hear or see them by running up and down your beach. Shoot them down until you get your desired recipe. It’s a frustrating process but it’s the best way to collect these recipes.

What Do I Need For Festive Recipes?

You’ll need to collect gold, red, and blue ornaments in order to craft various festive recipes. These can be found in trees, just like acorns, after shaking them relentlessly. Make sure to shake as many trees as possible as ornaments come out randomly. Sometimes one tree will give you five different ornaments.

What Are The Festive Recipes?

The ornament wreath will be given to players by Isabelle.

Other festive DIYs include:

• Big festive tree
• Festive tree
• Festive top set
• Illuminated tree
• Tabletop festive tree
• Illuminated snowflakes
• Illuminated present

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Over the past months, console resellers have made a fortune due to the ongoing PS5 and Xbox Series X / Series S shortages caused in part due to the Covid-19 epidemic. Now, according to VGC, six lawmakers in the UK are calling for legislation that would prohibit the sale of gaming consoles and computer components at prices that are “greatly above” the MSRP.

Six MPs from the Scottish National Party tabled a motion to call for this move, meaning that it’s very much early days for any possible legislation. The motion also says that the resale of goods purchased using automated bots should be made illegal. The MPs compare this potential legislation to already-introduced bills that control the activity of ticket resellers, who must divulge their identity and the exact details of the seat being sold.

Though it’s difficult to know how many PS5s and Xboxes have been resold this holiday season, every indication points towards a large volume. An analysis from a data engineer concluded that scalpers made $82 million in sales and $39 million in profit since September from next-gen consoles and high-end computer components, with services like eBay and PayPal taking a cut of around $6.6 million and $2.4 million, respectively. However, the analysis only included US listings, and did not take into account other marketplace sites like Facebook, meaning that the true market is much larger.

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GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

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It’s your lucky day: Even if you missed out on the next-gen console restocks earlier today, you’ll have another opportunity to buy them in just under an hour. Walmart has announced it will have the PS5, PS5 Digital edition, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S available for sale at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET today, December 15.

There’s no telling how many units will be available, but it’ll be a safe bet that–once again–all of these consoles will sell out very quickly. This is an online restock; there’s no word on physical Walmart stores having any consoles in stock, so you should try the links above (or the Walmart mobile app) and hope for the best.

These are the standalone versions of the consoles that will go up for sale–no bundles here. That’s a more ideal setup than when bundles are forced upon people, but it also increases the pool of potential buyers, as bundles might cause some people to bow out.

Best Buy restocked these consoles earlier today and suffered from some site issues, as is a common trend for a retailer restocking PS5 or Xbox Series X|S. That may happen here–the common “oh deer” error message during Walmart restocks has become a joke among next-gen console hunters–but nonetheless, with no specific word on any other restocks coming up, you’ll definitely want to give this a shot if you’re eager to get your hands on one of the new systems. If you don’t manage to snag one, keep your eyes on our PS5 restock guide and Xbox Series X|S restock guide for the up-to-date word on when these consoles will be available again.

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