The moment I first saw Soul Reaver is crystallized in my mind. I was leaving a cousin’s house and, as I said my goodbyes, he turned on his PlayStation. A few moments later a narration over an intro sequence began, “Kain is deified,” a booming voice said. “The clans tell tales of him, few know the truth. He was mortal once, as were we all. However, his contempt for humanity drove him to create me and my brethren…”
In strolled Raziel, a visually striking character; pale white of skin with obsidian hair curtaining his chiseled David Bowie-like face. A distinctive red sash was draped over his right arm, and a confident swagger carried him across an arcane throne room. Raziel was the first-born of his vampire clan and kneeled before his creator, Kain. I was transfixed by him and the world that Soul Reaver had established in mere seconds.
I continued to watch as Raziel was branded a traitor and cast out by his sire, thrown into a lake to burn, but born again after an eternity as an otherworldly wraith. “Raziel, you are worthy…” a mysterious voice from beyond said. By the time the intro was over I was completely invested, I needed to see what happened next.
Soul Reaver had an impressive shifting gimmick that allowed Raziel to move been the material and spectral realms, which shapeshifted the environment and provided different puzzle, platforming, and combat opportunities. But story was the star of Soul Reaver for me. Co-written by Amy Hennig, who would go on to write Uncharted games at Naughty Dog, Soul Reaver was built on the foundation of the Legacy of Kain series, which it referenced frequently. This history, how it shaped Kain as a villain and Raziel as a hero, was absolutely fascinating. The world of vampires had changed considerably since Raziel was condemned, so learning about what it was like from him and seeing what it had become alongside him, was incredibly compelling.
It’s a cliche at this point to call games with a strong sense of place “Souls-likes,” referencing From Software’s Dark Souls and Bloodborne titles. However, to me, that DNA stretches back farther to The Legacy of Kain. To me, those kinds of games are Reaver-likes | Tamoor Hussain
Sony has announced and released the first trailer for the upcoming video game Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son. The VR game is a sequel to the 1993 Groundhog Day movie, taking place many years after the events of the film.
According to Sony, you play “as the charming but arrogant Phil Connors Jr., who grew up in the shadow of his father–a man who spent a lifetime repeating a single day until he had made it perfect.” Just like his dad, Phil Jr. finds himself stuck living the same day over and over, one where he’s still trapped in “the small town he thought he’d escaped, where he can’t even get a decent cappuccino–and he’s going to have to repeat the day over and over, until he learns the true value of friends and family.”
Like Father Like Son is a story told entirely in VR, and has you exploring a branching narrative within the same looping period of time. You’ll interact with different characters–some of which you’ll recognize from the 1993 movie, like Ned Ryerson–and have to figure out how to get Phil Jr. his perfect day so that he too can break his vicious cycle.
Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son is scheduled to release for PSVR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive, and is coming sometime in 2019. Seeing a game like this coming out is just what VR needs to become a more worthy investment for people who are on the fence about buying a headset, as 2018 saw the release of some good titles–like Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and Tetris Effect–but not many.
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Heads up, boxing fans: this weekend’s title bout between World Boxing Organization titleholder Eleider Alvarez and 32-3-1 Sergey Kovalev happens tonight, February 2 at 12 midnight, Eastern time. You can watch the fight for free if you sign up for an ESPN+ trial right now and cancel before the 7-day trial period is up.
If you want to fill your entire Saturday night with pugilism, there’s also a UFC Fight Night happening, beginning at 8 pm Eastern time. You get the main event and all the other fights on the main card, too, streaming on ESPN+.
When Supernatural first premiered on The WB back in 2005–the same year YouTube came into existence–it was introduced as the story of two brothers, reunited and fighting the evil forces their family had been chasing for years. Now, 300 episodes later, Supernatural is still exactly that. While secondary characters have come and gone, it always comes back to the tale of Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) and his brother Dead (Jensen Ackles), traveling from town-to-town and vanquishing whatever otherworldly forces seem to be wreaking havoc.
There’s a third piece of the Winchester puzzle that’s been with the brothers since the very beginning, though, and it’s as integral to the formula as anyone or anything else on the show. When Dean rolled back into his brother’s life in the show’s pilot, he did it in his trusty 1967 Chevrolet Impala, nicknamed “Baby” and passed down to him by his dad.
Baby, in many ways, is the heart and soul of Supernatural. For the brothers, it is the armory of weapons they use to fight against any number of demonic entities, their home on long nights with no motel room in sight, and the vessel that takes them to a new locale each week. The car has even had its own episode of the series in Season 11’s “Baby,” which told a story from the Impala’s point of view.
What’s more, Baby is the one piece of the Winchesters’ past that they’ve been able to hold onto. The one thing that’s always there for them, regardless of circumstances, ever since it was passed to Dean from their father. “I think if Dean were a child Baby would be his blanket,” Ackles explained to GameSpot at Supernatural’s 300th episode celebration. “That’s his safe place. [It’s] kind of the touchstone of who he is. It represents a lot, and I think it represents a lot to the show. It’s the one constant in his life other than his brother.”
A constant isn’t exactly something Dean–of his brother, for that matter–has the luxury of, given the life of a hunter of supernatural entities. While it may be the “Family business,” as Dean has reminded viewers of several times over the years, it’s a truly lonely existence, even with your brother at your side.
After all, the character is nearly 40 years old, and his entire life is wrapped up in his work, his brother, and his car. He’s not the kind of person that you truly believe will ever be willing to settle down and live peacefully because he thrives on the chase and having no specific place he considers home other than the driver’s seat of his Impala. It’s something that’s simply his.
“For somebody who lives kind of a vagabond life and a nomad existence, to have a constant like that, to have something that is his and that is his domain is, I think is really important to the character,” Ackles continued. “You’ll see a scene in an episode that we’re filming, we just finished filming, where Dean says, ‘I need to go clear my head. I need to go for a ride in Baby,” and Sam says, ‘Well, let me go with you.” He says, ‘No, no, no, I just need me and Baby and a long stretch of highway.'”
While to outsiders who haven’t taken the ride with Supernatural over the last 300 episodes, it may seem like Baby is just a car, fans know better. With total respect to Misha Collins, who plays the angel Castiel and has become one of the show’s most beloved characters, Baby is the third lead of the series. What would have been three tons of steel on most shows is a fully fleshed out character on Supernatural.
And according to executive producer Robert Singer, who also directed the 300th episode of the series, she’s one of the reasons why, all of these years later, Supernatural is still speeding down the highway and has already been renewed for an impressive 15th season. “It’s as much of a character as anyone else in the show,” he said. “And yeah, [we] keep waiting for it to break down, but it’s still humming.”
The 300th episode of Supernatural airs Thursday, February 7 at 8 PM ET/PT on The CW.
February is officially here, which means PlayStation Plus subscribers will soon have a new selection of free games to download across PS4, PS3, and Vita. That also means this is your last opportunity to grab January’s free PS Plus titles before they return to their regular prices on February 5.
You’ll be able to grab all six titles at no charge until February 5, when they’ll be cycled out with the next batch of freebies. If you’ve yet to download them, you can simply head to the PS Plus page and add them to your library. As usual, all six games will remain free to play for as long as you have an active PS Plus subscription.
Once February 5 rolls around, another six titles will be up for grabs. PS4 owners will be able to get the full first season of Hitman as well as Ubisoft’s swordfighting game For Honor. Divekick and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be available for free on PS3, and Gunhouse and Rogue Aces make up Vita’s freebies.
Like previous games, Kingdom Hearts III has the Ultima Weapon, one of the most powerful Keyblades Sora can obtain. Synthesizing it requires a laundry list of rare materials, but the most difficult of these components to find is Orichalcum+. This rare commodity can be found in seven specific ways. Below we detail all seven methods through which you can get Orichalcum, as well as how to start synthesizing the Ultima Weapon in general.
If you’re vying to get the Ultima Weapon, you’re going to need to unlock its Synthesis recipe first. To do this, you need to obtain 58 different Synthesis Materials. You generally earn Synthesis Materials from defeating bosses or other strong enemies; they’re also obtained from treasure chests across the different worlds.
The Recipe
When you first get the recipe, you’ll likely notice you’re short of an incredibly rare Synthesis Material called Orichalcum+.
There’s a high chance that you’ve naturally accumulated many of the Ultima Weapon’s various Synthesis Materials throughout your journey. But for reference, the recipe is as follows:
Orichalcum+ x 7
Wellspring Crystal x 2
Lucid Crystal x 2
Pulsing Crystal x 2
Make sure you equip the Lucky Sheriff to up your chances of getting Wellspring Crystals from the enemies in Battlegate 12.
Before we jump into where to find some Orichalcum+, let’s cover the other materials first. Both the Lucid Crystal and Pulsing Crystal can be crafted via the Synthesis menu (unlocked upon collecting 32 and 30 Synthesis Materials respectively). On the other hand, the Wellspring Crystal must be earned by defeating enemies out in the field.
There are a couple methods to get Wellspring Crystals, but a great way to gather some is by completing Battlegate 12 in San Fransokyo. If you haven’t unlocked Battlegates yet, we suggest progressing the story until you do. The enemies in this optional challenge drop Wellspring Crystals. Just make sure to equip the Favorite Deputy Keyblade, as its Lucky Strike ability increases how often enemies drop items.
The Seven Ways To Get Orichalcum+:
As stated above, Orichalcum+ is an incredibly rare material. There are seven in total throughout the entire game, which is precisely the amount you need to craft the Ultima Weapon. Below we detail how to get each one.
Turn in a Moogle Raffle Ticket
It takes a while, but keep reloading your game until you net an Orichalcum+ from the mailbox.
Getting this Orichalcum+ is more up to chance than anything else. When you get your hands on a Moogle Raffle Ticket–typically rewarded after purchasing items at the shop–go ahead and create a save slot. Then take that ticket to the mailbox in Twilight Town and send it out. If you don’t get an Orichalcum+, reload your game and repeat the sending process. If luck is on your side, you’ll get your hands on one before you know it.
Collect all the Treasures in the Arendelle Sled Mini-Game
When you talk to Elsa after completing the story sections of Arendelle, you can play a fun sledding mini-game. As you go through the track, you’ll spot several numerically marked treasures. It’ll take a few runs across its myriad pathways to find them, but once you’ve collected them all, you’ll earn an Orichalcum+.
A Chest in The Caribbean World
There are several islands across the massive Caribbean world. An Orichulum+ can be found in a treasure chest on Exile Island, which is southwest from the center of the map. You’ll see it hidden in a small grove.
Collect All the Lucky Emblems
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You discover early on a special type of collectible called Lucky Emblems, which are Mickey Mouse symbols that you “collect” by taking a snapshot of it with your Gummiphone. On normal difficulty, photographing a majority of them nets you the secret ending, but if you’re committed enough to collect all 90, you’re rewarded with an Orichalcum+. If you need help finding all the Lucky Emblems, watch the video above or check out our in-depth location guide.
A Chest in the Keyblade Graveyard
This Orichalcum+ is located in a treasure chest at the End of the World section of the Keyblade Graveyard–an area you can only access during the final portions of the game. Simply approach the red transport orb in the open field after crossing the narrow pathway by the save point. This will take you to the End of the World section where the treasure chest is located.
Defeat the Eclipse Galaxy Bosses
This is yet another Orichalcum+ that can only be accessed near the end of the game. When the Eclipse Galaxy opens up after you reach the Keyblade Graveyard, fly your Gummiship around until you find the Colossus Pyramid boss. Defeating it unlocks four additional bosses on the map, which you need to defeat in order to take on the powerful Omega Machina boss. Once you’ve overcome all of these foes, you’ll be rewarded with an Orichalcum+. Be wary; defeating these bosses is no easy feat. Make sure you’ve extensively upgraded your Gummiship’s stats before taking them on.
Achieving the Highest Score in the Flantastic Mini-Games
You might’ve noticed odd-looking desserts protruding from the ground throughout your journey. If you’ve met these unique Heartless–known collectively as the Flantastic Seven–you’ll know that interacting with them allows you to play fun mini-games. There are seven different mini-games in total and are found in the following worlds: Olympus, Kingdom of Coronoa, Toy Box, Monstrolpolis, Arendelle, the Caribbean, and San Fransokyo. If you obtain the high-score for each mini-game, you’re rewarded with an Orichalcum+.
Members of the Flantastic Seven are typically tucked away in unexpected corners of the world, usually appearing as unsuspecting desserts sprouting from the ground–which makes them pretty hard to miss. Below are details on where to find each.
Olympus: Teleport to the Overlook save point and head upstairs until you reach a dead end.
Toy Box: Teleport to the Rest Area save point and you’ll find it behind the couches near the vending machines.
Kingdom of Corona: This one is outside the hidden entrance of Rapunzel’s castle. Turn left to see it near the foot of a tree.
Montropolis: Teleport to the Basement save point and go through the white door ahead of the save point. Then proceed forward until you reach a wall with rows of colored doors. Step through the yellow door at the far left end of the wall. After arriving to the next area, turn around immediately to see the Flan.
Arendelle: Teleport to the Mountain Ridge save point and jump down the hill to the left. You’ll see the Flan just off in the distance.
The Caribbean: Teleport to Port Royal Fort save point and you’ll see the Flan right in the center of the clearing.
San Fransokyo: Teleport to the South District save point at night and turn around. Run up the building ahead and glide towards the nearest rooftop to the right of the San Fransokyo Tower.
