Author: Trafficblast

We all know Double Fine for its rich history of adventure games with an unmistakable, funky charm. Founder Tim Schafer is a household name at this point, especially because of games like Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, and Psychonauts, but there’s a lot more to the independent development studio than Schafer’s legacy. I’d say Double Fine’s collection of games is already rad, and it’s about to be even more so with Rad. The game is being led by Lee Petty, who has had a prominent role at Double Fine as art director for both Brutal Legend and Broken Age, and project lead for Headlander. And I was able to catch up with him and see Rad in action.

At its foundation, Rad is a roguelite isometric action game set in a deranged, yet colorful non-linear wasteland, which may sound familiar. Rad has its own twists, though. Mutations act as randomized power-ups that add a necessary (and unpredictable) diversity to your moveset. One such mutation can be a cute, monster-like turret attached to your back that shoots enemies behind you or thrown down in a stationary position. Or you can grow irradiated feet that makes you immune to poisonous terrain and leaves a hazardous trail to trap enemies in pursuit. Variation is key to the roguelite genre, and appears that Rad gives that to you in spades.

You start as a human character, but the world of Rad will transform you.

Run-based action games have no doubt grown in number and popularity since Spelunky‘s debut more than 10 years ago, so I asked Petty about how he and the team plan to make Rad stand out in an increasingly crowded genre.

“I still wanted to find a way to create a memorable world in that space. For me, that was a simple choice, why would you want to basically be in a series of locked rooms? Because it’s easier to balance combat because you’re stuck in a room and have to clear it. But it’s never felt like a world to me. We’re going to have some dungeons, but you’re going to be able to walk around this world. We’re going to make exploration more interesting with stuff to find, and more opportunities for environmental storytelling.”

That shone through a bit in my short time with the game. Fundamentally, however, I had to find a number of certain objects in the world to advance as the game funneled me through encounters with unique enemies and a challenging boss fight. Everything flowed smoothly thanks to tight controls and a few effective abilities. But being a roguelite isn’t the only area that’s challenging for a game to stand out in, Rad’s also playing on a familiar setting: a post-apocalypse. Even in 2019 alone, it’s a frequent backdrop, so I asked Petty how he and the team are distinguishing Rad’s version.

“One of the big things is we really wanted to make a game of a post-apocalypse that wasn’t about killing other people for resources. This is really about having this surreal world that’s undergone two apocalypses with little bits of like 80s culture. I was a teenager in the late 80s, as a lot of this stuff was happening. It wasn’t the shocking post-apocalyptic movies that I found interest in. It was the weird stuff like Solarbabies or Miracle Mile, or even crazy stuff like Hell Comes to Frogtown. It’s almost like they paved the way for an alternate fantasy role-playing game genre, but it was way more surreal and creative. It was science fiction, mutants, and weird off-shoots of human civilization.”

Petty’s perspective is apparent from the start with Rad’s lively presentation and visual quirks that build onto your character with each mutation. Naturally, I wanted to know more about the youthful character you play and how their story gets woven into the roguelite loop. Petty mentioned that you’ll perpetually go to a hub world where you speak to folks who react to your progress and changes in the world. But playing in the post-apocalypse evokes certain worldviews that drive an overarching narrative. Petty had something to say about that.

“There is this arc of, ‘Well, what town or elder is fine with just throwing their teens to the grinder to solve this problem?’ You start to wonder, well, are these good people? Why are we doing this? Is there really a threat out there?

“You have the sense that, and you see this in a lot of those 80s movies, the protagonists are the underdogs. Even back then, there was a sense that, like, the baby boomers fucked us all over. We all agree on it now, but even back then we were thinking, ‘What the hell? We’re going to fix this I guess.’ I think that’s the relevant point and why it’s been on my mind lately. Like okay, we’re going through stuff with climate change, right? Usually there are themes of transformation and bringing the world back, but there’s some sense of hope underneath all of the mutation and mutants.”

It’s refreshing to hear where Rad draws inspiration and see it in action. And it channels that quirky Double Fine personality in a genre and theme that can seem worn which certainly helps Rad stand out. Needless to say I’ll be curious to see how the gameplay loop, increasing challenge, and narrative all coalesce in the full game. We’ll see just how rad Rad will be when it launches in Summer 2019 for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

The Mortal Kombat 11 closed beta starts on Wednesday, March 27 at 8 AM PT in North America till Sunday, March 31 at 11:59 PM PT. Players who pre-order Mortal Kombat 11 on Playstation and Xbox will receive access to the Beta. During the beta, you’ll be able to participate in Online multiplayer matches and a single player mode called Towers of Time. Just recently, Kotal Kahn was announced as a playable character. Mortal Kombat 11 arrives April 23 for PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is full of tough enemies, like all of From Software’s titles. Fighting them requires quick reflexes as you block and deflect attacks while looking for an opening to strike back. But some enemies can be dealt with in more creative ways than just hacking away at them with your sword. As you work your way through Sekiro, you’ll also find additional weapons that often give you quick access to various baddies’ weaknesses.

These weapons get added to the Shinobi Prosthetic, the special prosthetic left arm that allows you to do all kinds of things in Sekiro, including grapple up onto buildings and trees. But in order to use the tools for the Shinobi Prosthetic, you’ll have to find them. There are a bunch, and they’re usually scattered throughout the game world. Some you can buy, some you’ll earn from boss fights, and some you’ll have to locate by exploring as you go.

There are three prosthetics early in Sekiro that are extremely easy to miss, but if you have them, they can make the game’s first few hours a whole lot easier. The Firecrackers, Shinobi Axe, and Flame Vent can give you the edge against a variety of different enemies, including a few tough early bosses. If you don’t know where to look for them, you can walk right past them, though–and that can make your first few hours in Sekiro a lot more trying.

Here’s where you need to go to find each of these three key prosthetics within the first few areas of the game, and what they’re useful for. Don’t sleep on these Shinobi Prosthetics, or you’re going to make the beginnings of Sekiro much tougher.

While you’re learning Sekiro’s early game, you’ll wan to read up on how death works. You may also want to check out our Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice review as well.

Shinobi Firecracker

The Firecracker prosthetic is pretty handy in a lot of cases, most specifically against animals. You can use it to distract enemies and knock them out of attack animations, while also opening them up to attack while they’re momentarily stunned. Try firecrackers against the Blazing Bull and Gyoubu, the horseback general. You’ll need 500 Sen to snag the Firecracker, so you’ll want to save those coin purses you find in the first area of the game so you can snag it.

You’ll need to find a specific merchant to snag the Firecracker. He’s located in the Outskirts Wall — Gate Path area, near the stairs that lead to the Idol for the Outskirts Wall — Stairway area. Just past where you meet the woman who thinks you’re her son, you’ll see a gate and a stairway just beyond. At the top of the stairs is a guy who will spot you from a distance and shoot cannonballs at you. Instead of heading toward him, look to your left for a place where you can grapple up.

You’re now at the base of a stone tower. Look for more grapple points above you until you reach the top. There you’ll find a Merchant Mob tent and a guy inside. He’ll sell you Robert’s Firecrackers, which can be fitted into your prosthetic by the Sculptor back at the Dilapidated Temple.

Flame Vent

The Flame Vent is really easy to miss, but pretty essential against certain enemy types. You’ll occasionally run across red-eyed berserker enemies that’ll come hard for you and who won’t be staggered by your attacks or deflections. The red-eyed enemies are afraid of fire, though–it doesn’t do extra damage, but it will cause them to recoil and break some of their attack animations, giving you some breathing room. Fire attacks also can inflict burn damage on enemies over time.

The Flame Vent is located in the Hirata Estate area that’s accessible from the Dilapidated Temple. You’ll first need to talk with the woman in the destroyed house in Ashina Outskirts. Let her think you’re her son and she’ll give you a bell as an offering to Buddha. Take that back to the Sculptor in the Dilapidated Temple and he’ll tell you to offer it to the Buddha sculpture beside him. When you do that, it’ll take you back in time to Hirata Estate as it’s being attacked and burned by bandits.

Once you’re in the past, continue forward until you hit the Estate Path area. From the Idol Statue, you’ll see a road ahead of you that terminates in a closed gate. To get around it, you’ll need to jump the wall to the right and enter an area of small huts. You’ll first pass a courtyard with three enemies in it, then hop another wall into an area with a row of huts where enemies are patrolling. There’s also an archer on one of the rooftops ahead and to the left when you first enter this section.

If you push to the back end of this area, you’ll find several enemies standing around a small campfire near one of the huts. Take them out, then check the campfire itself to discover the prosthetic hidden among the flames.

Shinobi Axe

One of the more powerful, harder-hitting prosthetics is the axe, and you’ll want it for dealing with those annoying guys carrying wooden shields and the small assassins with the big hats. Swinging the axe at those guys smashes their defenses instantly, allowing you to go in for deathblows. You can also use it to send enemies reeling with it, which makes it handy in a lot of fights.

The axe is easy to miss, but it’s right after you find the Flame Vent. Again, head into the past using the bell you get from the woman in Ashina Outskirts and head to the Estate Path area. From the Idol Statue, head over the wall to the right and through the area with the rows of huts and the patrolling enemies. Past the campfire where several enemies sit and you found the Flame Vent, you’ll find a path that leads up some stairs. This road takes you behind the closed gate you saw previously, and you’ll find a hurt Samurai who will tell you to find the Shinobi Axe in a nearby shrine.

When you get back on the main path, you’ll see two enemies to your right standing in front of a closed gate. Instead, turn the other way, so you’re headed back toward the closed gate. Hop up on the wall to your left and you should see two men standing in front of a small building. You can eavesdrop on them to hear them talking about deciding not to burn the shrine. Kill them and open it up to find the Shinobi Axe inside.