Author: Trafficblast

Riding on horseback is the primary of getting around in Red Dead Redemption 2‘s massive world. Before long, you’ll find yourself rearing up a multitude of horses in search of the one that’ll get you around the quickest. With not much in the way of fast travel, having a horse that’s not only fast but can withstand the burdens of exploration is essential.

While the question of which horse is the best comes down to preference, there are a few breeds that can be classified as some of the top candidates. Below we discuss these breeds and highlight their locations. If you’re looking for a more in-depth guide on horse care and how to boost your trusty steed’s performance while making bank along the way, we’ve got one in the hopper coming soon, so be sure to check back often to get all the information on how to be a proper horse trainer.

Be mindful that there are some light location spoilers below given how most of these horses can only be acquired later in the game. You should be good for the White-Maned Arabian breed, but be careful when looking at the details below if you want to steer clear of potential story bits.

For more guides, you should check out our features highlighting all the tips you should know before playing and things the game doesn’t tell you. Though, we also have guides on more specific subjects, like gun customization and money making. Be sure to read our Red Dead 2 review if you haven’t already. And if you want to have some extra fun, be sure to read our feature detailing the game’s cheat codes.

What Are The Best Breeds?

As stated, there is no singular “best horse” in the game. There are only strong breeds that fair much better than the standard breeds you encounter early on. Speaking on the different types: the Arabian, Turkoman, and Missouri Fox Trotter breeds stand out as the most well-rounded and top-tier. Keep in mind that the stats below reflect the horse when you find it and not at its top condition.

Arabian

Arabian breed horses have some of the best stats overall. There are three coat types in total, each with their own unique statistics: White, Black, and Rose Grey Bay.

White-Maned Arabian

The White-Maned Arabian can only be found in the wild, which makes it possible to find relatively early on. This snow-white beauty wanders around the edges of Lake Isabella. It’s quite difficult to tame, so you’re going to need to be persistent in following it around and calming it down enough before you can approach it.

Compared to other Arabian horses, it has the lowest base Health and Stamina stats–though, it’s still much higher than any of the more standard horse breeds. A worthy compromise for a fantastic horse you can catch and tame so early in the game. Just watch out for the wolves who hang out nearby.

Speed	Acceleration	Handling	Type
6	6	Elite	Superior

Black Arabian

The Black-Maned Arabian horse can be purchased at the Saint Denis Stable during Chapter 4. It has most the well-rounded stats of the Arabian Horses with decent Health and Stamina.

Speed	Acceleration	Handling	Type
6	6	Elite	Superior

Rose Grey Bay-Maned Arabian

The Rose Grey Bay-Maned Arabian can only be bought at the Blackwater Stable during the Epilogue section of the game. It has the highest Health and Stamina of the three Arabian horses.

Speed	Acceleration	Handling	Type
6	6	Elite	Superior

Turkoman

Turkoman breed horses make up their lacking acceleration with solid speed, average handling, and a high Health pool. As a cross between War and Racing breeds, they’re well worth owning for riders who want a trusty steed who can withstand damage without sacrificing speed. All three Turkoman breeds have the same exact stats, which are reflected below along with a brief breakdown of where you can purchase them and when.

Speed	Acceleration	Handling	Type
6	5	Standard	Race / War

• Gold Turkoman: Sold at the Saint Denis Stable during Chapter 4.
• Dark Bay Turkoman: Sold at the Blackwater Stable during the Epilogue.
• Silver Turkoman: Sold at the Tumbleweed Stable during the Epilogue.

Missouri Fox Trotter

The Missouri Fox Trotter balances the best base speed of all the horse breeds with solid Health and high Stamina. As a mix between the Race and Work breeds, the Missouri Fox Trotter comes highly recommended for those who want all of the perks and benefits of a fast riding horse with resilient Stamina. Like the Turkoman breed, all of the Missouri Fox Trotter coats have the same exact stats, which are reflected below along with a brief breakdown of where you can purchase them and when.

Speed	Acceleration	Handling	Type
7	5	Standard	Race / Work

• Amber Champagne: Sold at Scarlett Meadows Stable during Chapter 4.
• Silver Dapple Pinto: Sold at Blackwater Stable during the Epilogue.

Following this earlier promotion, Battlefield 1’s Premium Pass has been free again on all platforms during October. This offer is set to expire at the end of the month, but Microsoft has just revealed that November’s Games With Gold include Battlefield 1. That means you should grab the Premium Pass now, as it’ll ensure you get the full suite of content available for the game once it’s available through Games With Gold on November 1.

EA has announced it is making the Premium Pass for Battlefield 1 available for free for a limited time. From September 11 to September 18, Battlefield 1 players will be able to get the premium pass at no cost, giving them access to all the additional content released after the game’s initial launch.

The Battlefield 1 premium pass includes a total of four expansions: They Shall Not Pass, In the Name of the Tsar, Turning Tides, and Apocalypse, all of which encompass new multiplayer maps, Operations, and Elite classes, among other things.

“Battlefield 1 Premium Pass is a great way for Battlefield 1 base game owners to play all the great post-launch content and whet your appetite as we enter mankind’s greatest conflict in Battlefield V, come November,” EA said on its website.

By playing Battlefield 1 (and Battlefield 4), players will also unlock content such as weapon skins and special tags for Battlefield V as part of the Road to Battlefield program. These items will play into Battlefield V’s customization options, which allow characters to be outfitted with “soldier sets” that include camo patterns, head gear, face paint, and weapon skins. Although six of these soldier sets are included in Battlefield V’s Deluxe Edition, two of them can only be unlocked through Road to Battlefield V.

Battlefield V’s open beta will be available to everyone on September 6. However, those that have early access through pre-orders or by being an EA Access/Origin subscriber will be able to play from September 4. PS4, Xbox One, and PC owners can now pre-load the beta client on any of these platforms. All you have to do is add the Battlefield V open beta to your download queue by selecting it here for Xbox One or here on PlayStation 4. PC Origin users can head to Battlefield V’s store page and click the “Try it First” button and then add the beta client to their library.

Battlefield V was originally set to release on October 19, however it was delayed to November 20 to give developer DICE extra time to fine-tune the game. “We’re going to take the time to continue to make some final adjustments to core gameplay, and to ensure we really deliver on the potential of [new Battlefield live service] Tides of War,” DICE General Manager Oskar Gabrielson previously explained. “We know moving the launch date means that we all have to wait a little longer. But we’re going to take our time to make sure we get it right.”

Red Dead Redemption 2 has an interesting feature where Arthur Morgan needs to take care of himself to maintain his appearance. If he forgets to bathe, for example, he’ll grow dirtier and stinkier with every passing day. NPCs will take notice of Arthur’s deteriorating appearance too, and comment on it if things get out of control.

Intrigued by the mechanics tied to this feature, video producers Rob Handlery and Jake Dekker have decided to start a new Red Dead Redemption 2 series called Dirty Arty. In the video above, you can watch part one. Rob and Jake start a new game in RDR2 and see just how far they can get without Arthur bathing, getting his hair cut, or losing weight. Join them on their quest across the Wild West with the smelliest, hairiest, fattest cowboy to have ever lived. It’s going to be a disgustingly good time.

In our Red Dead Redemption 2 review, Kallie Plagge gave the game a 9/10, writing, “While Red Dead Redemption was mostly focused on John Marston’s story, Red Dead 2 is about the entire Van der Linde gang–as a community, as an idea, and as the death rattle of the Wild West. It is about Arthur, too, but as the lens through which you view the gang, his very personal, very messy story supports a larger tale. Some frustrating systems and a predictable mission structure end up serving that story well, though it does take patience to get through them and understand why.”

Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on Xbox One and PS4, with a PC version rumored to be on the way. If you’re starting your own journey with Arthur Morgan in RDR2, we have a few guides to help you out. You can find them listed below.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Guides

Fishing Guide: Legendaries, How To Fish, And More

Core Guide: How The Health, Stamina, And Dead Eye System Works

Hunting Guide: Animals, Pelts, And Where To Find Them

Weapons Guide: How Gun Customization Works

Perks Guide: Trinkets, Talismans, And The Crafting Components You Need

Honors System Guide: How Morality And Honor Work

Fast Travel Guide: How To Get Around Quickly

Money Guide: How To Make Money Easily

More than anything, Diablo 3: Eternal Collection proves just how well Blizzard’s action-RPG has aged. Six years after its original release, the dungeon crawler remains as rewarding as ever, and despite a few technical concessions, it has found yet another welcoming home on Nintendo’s portable console.

For those unfamiliar with Blizzard’s 2012 loot fest, Diablo 3 places you in the shoes of a superpowered demon-slayer in a hellish, gothic world. You explore five disparate regions from a top-down view, upgrading your character and earning new loot as you battle the lords of the underworld and their monstrous swarms.

With the Eternal Collection, Diablo 3 includes every expansion, every character, every quality-of-life improvement the RPG has ever added. One of the more notable options is the ability to play Adventure Mode right from the start, eliminating the need to slog through the slower-paced story out of necessity.

Of course, in coming to Nintendo Switch, Diablo 3 has also become a portable game. And it works. It works incredibly well.

In fact, I can think of few games better suited for a handheld port. So much of Diablo 3 plays best in short bursts, from the 10-minute chase for that next legendary item, to the satisfying flow of a challenge rift. I completed bounties on my way to work and organized my inventory on the way back. Of the 50 hours I spent with Diablo 3 on Switch, about half of them played out in handheld mode. It’s another testament to the novelty of Nintendo’s console, yes, but also the elegance of Diablo 3’s design.

Movement still feels natural on the analog sticks–whether you’re playing with the Joy-Cons or Pro controller–and custom controls make it easy to maximize your character build at any time. As was the case with Diablo 3’s previous jump to PS4 and Xbox One, the mechanical leap to Switch is painless and fluid. It’s just as easy to rely on muscle memory while you focus on the kaleidoscopic display of magic and fire. To paraphrase the designer Don Norman: good design is invisible.

When it comes to visual fidelity, Blizzard ensured that Diablo 3 on Switch runs at 60 frames across the board–aside from rare occasions when elemental effects didn’t animate, the Eternal Collection is remarkably clean. Even during high-level challenge rifts, with hundreds of demons covering the screen, the dungeon crawler maintained a smooth and steady pace. The framerate is equally stable in handheld mode, and crunching those mobs is just as satisfying as it’s ever been.

The Eternal Collection’s resolution, on the other hand, is a bit more muddled. In the Switch’s docked mode, Diablo 3 looks aggressively fine, or at least, as good as any other isometric game released in 2012. In handheld mode’s 720p resolution, however, things get cloudier. I mean that both literally and metaphorically. In Diablo 3’s darker areas–of which there are many–I have to crank my console’s brightness all the way in order to really see what is going on. Even then, there’s a slight haze over everything, making character models look more like mirages than actual figures. Handheld mode’s jagged edges and foggy panoramas aren’t massive flaws by any means, but after playing for long periods in docked mode, they tend to stand out.

What they don’t do, however, is detract from Diablo’s thrilling combat. And of course, in true series tradition, that combat is often more thrilling with a friend or two.

Few cooperative experiences compare to a Monk, Demon Hunter, Barbarian, and Wizard working in concert to whittle down mobs down little by little, one demon at a time. It’s a special thrill to see my character build factor into a larger group, and an even better one to see how that group dynamic changes how I play. I’m still mainly focused on killing every enemy possible, but I’m also thinking about tanking with my Crusader, or healing with my Monk, or littering the screen with corpses to give my Necromancer ally more ammunition.

As with previous console iterations of Diablo 3, The Eternal Collection allows for up to four players on one console at a time. Item management is less satisfying in this scenario, as you’re either quick-equipping new loot without appreciating its subtleties, or pausing the game for the entire party just so you can boost your damage by 100 points. The radial menus are also still as imprecise as ever, but I’m hard-pressed to think of a better solution without a mouse and keyboard.

I came into the Eternal Edition expecting a eulogy for one of my favorite games. Instead, I stumbled upon a celebration.

And although Diablo 3 on Switch gives you the option to use Joy-Cons as individual controllers, be warned: It’s counterintuitive and cumbersome, with poor button-mapping and an overreliance on motion controls. Blizzard did the best it could with what the Joy-Con offers, but when in doubt, stick to the Pro controller or the dual Joy-Con rig.

The Eternal Collection brings the additional ease of playing via LAN connection on each player’s respective Switch. It’s helpful to have the camera focused solely on your character, especially in Diablo 3’s more hectic moments. But I still couldn’t help preferring local co-op. There’s something novel–even nostalgic–about playing on the same screen, watching the same chaos unfold as the person next to you. Diablo 3 on Switch allows for several methods of playing with friends, and whatever your preference, the experience still holds up.

Like the best games, Diablo 3 has gotten better with time. And despite a few setbacks, the Switch is now my preferred home for the extraordinary RPG. It includes every major improvement Blizzard made to the formula, with the added handheld versatility every Switch port offers.

Diablo 3 is a game about long term goals accomplished in short, thrilling bursts. It’s rewarding and subtle. It’s flashy and boisterous. I have spent six years enjoying it, and will likely spend six years more. As far as video games go, that’s a long time–I came into the Eternal Collection expecting a eulogy for one of my favorite games. Instead, I stumbled upon a celebration.

Editor’s note: Transistor remains an absolute joy to play on Nintendo Switch. The system’s screen has no issues with readability, though the game is best enjoyed in docked mode, where its visuals–which remain striking nearly five years after its original release–have room to flourish on a big screen. Its turn-based combat and relatively brief encounters are well-suited to short bursts of gameplay in handheld mode, though the strong writing and pacing are likely to pull you through extended sessions. The loss of the PS4 version’s DualShock gimmicks, such as your sword’s voice coming through the controller’s speaker, are missed, but this port nonetheless represents a fine way to play what is still a gorgeous, terrific game. — Chris Pereira, October 30, 2018

A dead man. A weapon. A dress, torn and discarded on the ground. A voice says, “What a night. You’re still in one piece; that’s all that matters.”

Transistor begins with remarkable confidence, throwing you right into the life of nightclub singer Red at what might be her lowest point. There’s no immediate explanation for who she is, or what this world is, or what happened the night before, and all this mystery only makes your journey more captivating. Transistor asks you to trust in it, to come along on the journey even though you have no idea where you’re going. And it rewards your trust, weaving a beautiful and unconventional sci-fi tale with a human heart, and empowering you with a wonderfully flexible combat system that fuses real-time and turn-based action to create something that feels unique.

As you move through Cloudbank, the world of Transistor, you encounter manifestations of the process, a force that’s seemingly running rampant, annihilating Cloudbank as it goes. With the help of the transistor–the strange weapon you pull from a dead man’s body when the game begins, a weapon Red drags along behind her as if it’s a sword that’s too heavy for her to wield properly–you fight the process. You can run around fighting your enemies in real time, but you’re outnumbered, and you’re just not quick enough or strong enough to overcome them this way. Thankfully, you have a trick up your sleeve called turn, which enables you to freeze time, plot out your upcoming movements and attacks, and then carry them out in rapid succession.

As you progress, you collect more and more techniques, called functions, each one the essence of a fallen resident of Cloudbank. There are 16 functions in all, including straightforward attacks, movement abilities, a function that spawns a doglike helper, a function that temporarily turns enemies into allies, and others. Each one can be slotted as an active ability, or to upgrade another function, or to give you a passive benefit. There are a remarkable variety of ways in which these techniques can be combined, and hitting on particularly effective combinations and putting them to use in battle is immensely satisfying.

You can upgrade any function with any other function, making your skill set extremely customizable.

Transistor’s combat makes you feel powerful by giving you an edge on the process, but it also encourages you to think carefully about what you’re doing, because the process is no pushover. It has tricks of its own, sometimes obscuring your vision, sometimes pulling you out of your turning phase without warning. It’s a clever foe, which makes matching wits with it all the more enjoyable. And, much like the idols of Supergiant Games’ earlier game Bastion, Transistor has limiters, optional modifiers that make your life more difficult but reward you with more experience, so if you want a more challenging experience, you can have it.

But what is the process, really? And what has happened to all the residents of Cloudbank? Red is driven to get to the bottom of it, and she’s not alone. From inside the transistor speaks a man’s voice, bringing life to your quest as it responds to your actions and slowly helps you piece together the story of Cloudbank. The always-present voice also puts a relationship at the heart of Transistor. Red can’t speak–the events of the night before have stripped her of her voice–but her wordless actions reveal her fierce determination, and as the voice speaks from the transistor, and Red finds ways of responding to it, a connection between the two becomes clear.

There’s a touch of magic, even of spirituality, to Transistor’s story, a sense that there are things within the world of Cloudbank that transcend our understanding of what’s possible.

Also shedding light on the world and its people are the files accompanying each function. To reveal more about these people whose essence has been trapped in the transistor, you have to use their functions in different ways, putting them in active slots, upgrade slots, and passive slots, which gives you an incentive to tweak your build and try different techniques. The files are so well written and paint such vivid pictures of Cloudbank’s fallen residents that you naturally want to uncover all the details they contain.

Red has a good set of pipes. Or she did, before last night.

What slowly emerges in Transistor is the story of a clandestine organization called the Camerata, working behind the scenes in Cloudbank for its own purposes. And while the answers to the plot’s questions about who the Camerata are and what the transistor does are interesting, they’re not what makes Transistor’s story special. Cloudbank is a technological world, but not a cold one. It’s not a place of pure ones and zeroes. There’s a touch of magic, even of spirituality, to Transistor’s story, a sense that there are things within the world of Cloudbank that transcend our understanding of what’s possible.

And Transistor’s artful presentation has some magic of its own. There are a few astounding moments in Transistor, like the moment when you step up to a microphone and press a button to sing, and Red’s haunting voice comes in and carries you back to what had happened the night before, the visuals communicating in shorthand what words would take too much time to say. Or the moment when Red, silhouetted against the city, speeds across Cloudbank on a motorcycle, hunting the people who are responsible for everything that has happened.

Transistor is always a good-looking game, but in these instances, it demonstrates a rare knack for combining its visuals and music to powerfully convey both narrative information and tone, driving the story forward with Red’s own unwavering resolve. So in the end, yes, Transistor is a fun action role-playing game with a neat combat system, but beautiful moments like these make it more than that. They make it a game with a soul.