Category: Games

With each new season, Destiny 2 introduces new activities that have you teaming up with other Guardians to advance the story and fend off humanity’s enemies. The Season of the Lost introduces the new Astral Alignment activity, in which you fight to protect the Dreaming City’s Blind Well and use it to search through the Ascendant Plane for Mara Sov‘s missing Awoken allies.

The activity has a lot of parts and potential objectives, not all of which will appear in each run. It also is likely to change over time, so knowing how to handle it will help you excel–and earn new rewards. Here’s everything we know so far about the Astral Alignment activity and how to complete it.

Mara has more for you to do this season, as well. Check out our Tracing the Stars quest guide for more info on finding her Atlas Skews each week.

Join Astral Alignment From The Dreaming City Map

While the Override activity from the Season of the Splicer was accessed from the HELM in the Tower, you’ll jump into Astral Alignment activities from a new node located on the Dreaming City’s Director screen. Look for the icon on the right side. It’s a six-player activity you can take on with a fireteam, or jump into alone–matchmaking will find you a team to help you complete it, just like Override and other past seasonal activities.

Defend The Blind Well

Your first task is to fight the enemies who flood the Blind Well in the Dreaming City. To start the activity, drop off your Wayfinder’s Compass at the center of the Blind Well.This is a pretty easy section, and you won’t have to kill many enemies to advance through it. Once you’ve knocked out enough invaders, you’ll be transported to one of several potential additional areas, where you’ll need to activate a nearby beacon and then stop the enemies there from disrupting the Ley Lines. We’ll run down how each objective works below.

Note that from here on out, you’ll also be dealing with champions, so make sure to bring the right mods to handle them.

Disrupt The Taken Rifts

In your next battle, you’ll find yourself in an arena with several whirlwind-looking rifts of energy scattered around the arena. Your goal is to score points by “dunking” balls of energy in those rifts, thereby dispelling the Taken’s energy that’s bleeding into the Blind Well. To get those energy balls, you need to destroy specific Taken–the ones with the name “Eye of Xivu Arath.” Expect to be flooded with other enemies, so you won’t always want to sprint off toward the nearest Eye to kill it; it’s likely your team will benefit more from having most people mopping up enemies while only one or two people pursue the Eyes, in order to help keep everyone alive as much as possible.

The Eye of Xivu Arath enemies are Taken majors who aren’t too tough to bring down, but are usually flanked by a few minion enemies acting as bodyguards, and defended by snipers. Look for them on platforms on the outer edges of the arena. Kill an Eye and it’ll drop Taken Essence, a ball of energy you can pick up and carry to one of the rifts to dispel it. Keep repeating the process of clearing enemies, killing Eyes of Xivu Arath, dispelling rifts, and killing champions until you’ve earned enough progress to complete the arena and move on.

Stop The Dark Ether Harvest

This Scorn-centric objective has you stopping the undead Eliksni from poisoning the Blind Well with Dark Ether. To do that, you have to protect a few big Ether Harvesters scattered around the arena, stopping floating purple globs of ether from reaching them. You only have to defend one at a time, and it’ll be marked with a waypoint, so you should get an indication quickly of where you need to be. Note, however, that which harvester needs defending will constantly change, so you’ll have to reposition around the map.

Also scattered around the arena are dead Servitors, and every so often, you’ll see one blink and glow. This is an indication of where the Dark Ether will becoming from–after a few seconds, a bunch of purple Dark Ether will erupt from the blinking Servitor and float toward the harvester. By identifying which Servitor is about to spew ether, you can get ahead on your defensive efforts.

When the ether starts flying through the air, your job is to shoot it down before it reaches the Harvester. Each glob of ether you destroy gives your team a small amount of points, so you’ll just need to keep shooting ether down until you hit enough points to reach your objective. Note, of course, that a huge number of enemies will populate the area, so you’ll also need to defend yourself, clear out a bunch of Scorn, and defeat champions while you’re also keeping an eye on the Harvesters.

Charge The Batteries

Another Taken activity, this one sees you in a big arena with a couple of invulnerable Lost Knights that can hit you very hard. Your job in this one is to pick up three batteries and carry them across the arena to spots near where you spawn in, where you’ll “dunk” the batteries in order to break the Lost Knights’ shields. You’ll need three batteries per round.

The upshot of carrying the batteries is that you’ll get the buff Blessing of Sky, which will charge your abilities and Super very quickly. The downfall is that you’ll get the Encumbered debuff, which slows you down significantly. Encumbered is on a timer, and once that timer runs out, you’ll get a new debuff called Exhausted. This causes you to drop your battery–which is round and can roll away, potentially back down the hill you’re climbing–and prevents you from picking it or another one up until the timer runs out.

Thus, this one becomes a relay race, with three members of the team carrying batteries while the other three defend them. When each of the first three Guardians is Exhausted, the defenders should grab the batteries while the original battery carriers should start playing defense. Once you manage to get all three batteries to the dunk spots, the Lost Knights’ shields go down, giving you a chance to blast them to earn points. You should clear this objective after killing roughly two sets of Lost Knights.

Take Down The Boss

Once you’ve cleared two objectives beyond your first bout in the Blind Well, you’ll return to it for one last big boss fight. In this first week, you’ll face Kholks, a giant Taken Ogre. He’ll be flanked by a bunch of Taken enemies, including champions, so make sure you’re prepared for a fight.

After you deal some initial damage to Kholks, he’ll gain a new shield that makes him invulnerable. You’ll then need to dispel it with a special Taken weapon. Watch your screen for the words “A Taken Pylon has appeared” to pop up in the middle. When that happens, look around for a Taken Blight bubble. Head there and destroy the Blight, and a Taken elite enemy, like a Taken Captain, as well as a few smaller minions will appear where the Blight just was. Destroy the elite and it’ll drop another ball of Taken Essence.

Snag the Taken Essence and use it like a gun on Kholks. You’ll have a countdown of about 20 seconds dictating how much damage you can do with the Taken Essence weapon, so lay into the boss as fast as you can and as much as you can. This should knock down his shield, although you likely won’t be able to break it in one attack before your timer runs out.

Repeat the process to quickly identify a new Taken Pylon, destroy it, and gain another batch of Taken Essence. If you wait too long, Kholks’s shield will regenerate, so move fast or coordinate with your team so you can be ready to take down pylons as soon as they appear. When Kholks’s shield is broken, you can damage him as usual. Keep blasting the boss until it’s destroyed to earn two chests, just like in Override last season.

Parallax Trajectory – Season Of The Lost Currency

One chest in Astral Alignment is free, but the second, the Trove chest, requires a 150 Parallax Trajectory to open. You’ll earn this new currency in a variety of ways, specifically by fighting enemies in the Dreaming City, taking part in Astral Alignment and Shattered Realm activities, and completing Tracing the Stars missions. You can also get Parallax Trajectory from Gambit and Crucible missions, Strikes, and public events–essentially, just by playing the game.

There are also special objects you can locate in specific places each week, and in the Shattered Realm. These are Ascendant Anchors, and picking them up gives you a bit of a horde of Parallax Trajectory–30 in one shot, as opposed to the three you earn on occasion for killing enemies.

Parallax Trajectory is also what you’ll use to unlock new upgrades to the Wayfinder’s Compass in the HELM, so don’t go too wild spending it.

We’ll continue to update this guide as we learn more about Astral Alignment, take on new bosses, and uncover all there is to know about the new seasonal activity.

Along with a new story and new seasonal activities to explore, Destiny 2‘s Season of the Lost also includes some new missions that have you chasing some mythical gear. The main one right now is the Tracing the Stars quest, given by the Awoken queen, Mara Sov. After telling a story of a mythical family of kestrels and the powerful artifacts they created, Mara sends you out to attempt to retrieve those artifacts, but it seems as though this quest is going to span quite at least a few weeks of searching.

The first step in Tracing the Stars, however, you can complete right now. It requires you to find six “Atlas Skews,” or special artifacts, that are scattered around the Dreaming City. The first batch isn’t too tough to find if you know the lay of the land, but the skews are often in out-of-the-way places that are easy to miss. Here’s where to find each of the Atlas Skews for Tracing the Stars I to advance the mission in its first week.

Divalian-Rheasilvia Path, Lower Cliffside

Find your first Astral Skew on the west side of Divalian Mists, where you first spawn into the Dreaming City. Head toward the mountain pathway that leads to Rheasilvia, but don’t go into the tunnel to pass through. Instead, look off the cliff to the left for a spot where you can drop down far below. Follow the cliffs to the south to find the Atlas Skew on one of the jagged rock platforms.

Divalian-Cimmerian Path, Central Cave

This one’s a bit more confusing because the Cimmerian Garrison is not a location marked on your map. The cave it’s referring to is easy to find, though. From the Divalian transmat zone, head forward toward the big doorway that leads to the Blind Well. Stay on the east side, near the water stretching out into the mists, and stop at the base of the stairs before climbing into the raised center area. Look for a cave here–Hive enemies usually spawn from it. Your Atlas Skew is inside.

Drowned Bay Alcove

The third Atlas Skew is in the Bay of Drowned Wishes Lost Sector, located right behind the transmat point you start at when you enter the Divalian Mists. Head into the cave there and you’ll find yourself on a dried-out seashore populated by Scorn enemies. Clean them out and hug the wall to your right; the Atlas Skew is just around the corner from the entrance. If you hit the door blocked by the forcefield (and waves of Scorn enemies), you’ve gone too far.

Spine Oracle Orrery

Head to the Spine of Kerres for the next Atlas Skew. You can reach it by going through the big crystal archway across from the doorway that leads to the Blind Well. Follow the path until you round a corner and see the Oracle Orrery ahead of you–it’s a huge building, and if you’ve played through the Forsaken expansion, you’ll remember contacting Mara Sov here. Cross the crystal courtyard outside, where you’ll fight through some enemies, and enter the building. Take the stairs on your right that loop all the way around the outside of the building until you hit the top. The Atlas Skew is against the wall when you reach a dead end.

Distant Spine Island Tree

Your last Skew is also in the Spine of Kerres, and from the fourth one, it’s easy to get to. Head back into the Orrery and leave by the door to the right as you first enter. You’ll cross a bridge that leads to some rocky islands reaching up out of the mists. Continue across them, past the sniper that spawns along the way, until you’re nearly at the end. You’ll know you’re running out of path as you start to see islands cropping up on your right and enemies standing on the beach nearby. Look for a big, gnarled tree on just about the last island on this path, before you turn to your right to head toward those enemies. The Atlas Skew is nestled beneath the tree on the island here.

Return To The HELM

Once you’ve got all five Atlas Skews, return to the HELM screen of the Director and look for a mission node called “A Hollow Coronation.” Select it and Mara will tell you a little more about the story of the kestrels and your overall mission. We’ll have to wait until next week to advance the mission further, however.

When Apex Legends first launched in February 2019, folks were initially surprised that developer Respawn’s battle royale didn’t include Titanfall and Titanfall 2‘s satisfying wallrunning mechanics. Now, thanks to Apex Legends mods, we can see they were right to make that choice.

Recently, several YouTuber creators have begun using an unofficial, moddable build of Apex Legends to post fun pieces of content. If you jump onto YouTube, you can find plenty of videos of what it might be like to dual wield weapons or have Pathfinder’s tactical ability instantly recharge so that he can swing around World’s Edge like Spider-Man.

However, the video that has been getting traction most recently is from creator Mok3ysnip3r, in which they showcase what it would be like if Titanfall 2’s double jump and wallrunning were in Apex Legends.

The video is only 40 seconds long but that is more than enough time to realize that Respawn is 100% correct in their assessment. There is no way to implement wallrunning into this game and deliver anything resembling a balanced experience. Characters travel too quickly via Titanfall’s wallrunning for it to work in a battle royale setting, especially in Apex Legends where body armor makes each target far more durable than Titanfall 2’s Pilots.

Wallrunning has technically been in Apex Legends already, though only for a limited time–you gained wallrunning abilities when killed and brought back as a Shadow in Shadow Royale, a mode that was a part of October 2020’s Fight or Fright event.

During that event, the topic of including wallrunning in the base Apex Legends reared its head again. Daniel Klein, Apex Legends lead game designer at the time, reiterated that wallrunning would likely never come to the battle royale in a permanent capacity.

“I’d say it’s very unlikely we’d ever put wall running and double jumping on a full Legend,” Klein wrote on Reddit. “We had a lot more leeway with Shadows because they don’t have guns and it’s not important to chase them down (because they respawn when you kill them anyway).”

“When you’re chasing an enemy and lose line of sight on them, you have a mental calculation to make: Given the time since you’ve last seen them, where could they possibly be? There’s a blob shaped possibility space that grows with time. So when you round the same corner two seconds later, you know there isn’t a long list of places they could have gone to; you can quickly check one or two and get a good idea where they must have gone. This allows you to understand the front lines of combat and where danger is likely to come from.”

Gotta agree with all of that. After seeing an Octane double jumping and wallrunning his way through World’s Edge in a matter of seconds, I don’t want that permanently in Apex Legends either.

THE MAGIC: THE GATHERING SERIES IS ON THE WAY. COMING 2022.

— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) August 24, 2021

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is the type of game that’ll likely overwhelm you after a few hours of play. As a cooperative class-based third-person shooter, you’ll race to accomplish key objectives while gunning down near-endless hordes of terrifying, bloodthirsty aliens. It demands the best out of everyone involved, whether you’re playing with others or by yourself, so you’ll need to make sure you’re ready. To help you better your skills against the alien menace, we’ve compiled all of our guides below for your reference.

For more about the game, be sure to read our Aliens: Fireteam Elite review. Otherwise, continue reading to check out all our in-depth guides. Be sure to check back frequently, as we’ll be updating this roundup with even more guides in the coming days.

Beginner’s Guide – Essential Tips And Tricks

For a basic rundown of what you need to know before diving into Aliens: Fireteam Elite, you’ll find no better starting point than our beginner’s guide. We’ve compiled useful insight around best practices to follow and other important habits to build as you exterminate the alien threat.

How Combat Rating Works

If there’s one thing that’ll confuse you early on, it’s what the game calls your combat rating. To help you better understand how this mechanic works, we’ve put together an explainer to shine a light on the matter.

Class Guides (Doc, Technician, Gunner, Demolisher, Recon)

As mentioned, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a cooperative class-based third-person shooter. It gives you the option to choose between four distinct classes (five, once you beat the game). Each has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, so there’s a lot you’ll need to know and understand about their playstyles properly use them. Fortunately, we’ve made in-depth class guides to help ensure you’re going into every campaign prepared.

• Doc Class Guide – A support class that’s ideal for those who like to heal and increase the power of their teammates.
• Technician Class Guide – Armed with a handy turret, this class helps keep smaller aliens at bay so their teammates can focus on other deadlier threats.
• Gunner Class Guide – If you’re a beginner, the Gunner is a straightforward and balanced class that’s great to start with.
• Demolisher Class Guide – This no-frills class is all about dishing out damage with all manner of heavy weaponry and explosives.
• Recon Class Guide [Unlocked after beating the campaign] – This class excels at providing reliable intel to their teammates and taking out enemies from a distance with their marksmanship skills.

New footage from The Batman was revealed by Warner Bros. during CinemaCon and it promises a dark and brooding Gotham for Robert Pattinson’s Batman to tame.

The Wrap, a publication that was in attendance during Warner Bros’. CinemaCon showing, writes that the new look at Matt Reeves’ Batman movie begins with a Gotham seemingly in chaos. Bruce Wayne is seen walking through the city’s streets before “he rises.”

It’s unclear if that means Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne quickly flies up, perhaps by zipline, or if the scene transitions to a Batman rising up into the Gotham sky. The Wrap writes that Zoe Kravitz’ Catwoman and Jeffrey Wright’s Commissioner Gordon also made appearances in the sizzle reel.

Aaron Couch, an editor for The Hollywood Reporter who was also in attendance at the showing, wrote on Twitter that Warner Bros. revealed a sizzle reel of The Batman before playing the trailer first shown at DC FanDome last year. Couch says the trailer “looked amazing on the big screen.”

ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis also saw the new footage, describing it as a “long, dark, epic behind-the-scenes featurette” on Twitter. Davis also called the new footage of The Batman “amazing,” noting that director Reeves spoke more about the Year One aspect of the movie’s story. The Wrap’s report says Reeves promised an “emotional Batman movie” unlike anything seen before.

While waiting and hoping that Warner Bros. soon gives the rest of the world another look at The Batman, read about how Colin Farrell says his Penguin is only in “five or six scenes” in the movie and then check out this story about how The Batman utilized The Mandalorian’s virtual production method.

For more about CinemaCon, read what people are saying about the first footage of Tom Holland’s Uncharted movie and then check out the official title for The Matrix 4 revealed during the con.

Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Warner Bros. unveiled the first official footage of the fourth entry in The Matrix series during its CinemaCon presentation on Tuesday. The studio also officially confirmed that the title of the long-awaited sequel is The Matrix Resurrections.

While the footage isn’t currently available to the public, attendees at CinemaCon report that the reveal featured the return of both Keanu Reeves as Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity.

According to Deadline, the trailer begins with Keanu Reeves’ Neo talking to a therapist played by Neil Patrick Harris in a futuristic San Francisco. Much like in the first Matrix film, Neo seems to have a sense of unease about the world surrounding him.

“Am I crazy?” Reeves asks. “We don’t use that word in here,” replies Harris.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Aaron Couch, Neo is seen taking “two blue pills a day, prescribed by his doctor.”

Neo then encounters Carrie Anne Moss’ Trinity in a coffee shop, though the pair don’t recognize one another. It seems that neither has any memories of the events of the previous Matrix films. “Have we met?” Trinity asks.

Later on, a character that seems to be a younger version of Morpheus tells Neo that it’s “time to fly” while handing him a red pill. Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit scores some of the footage. The trailer culminates in some acrobatics and martial arts that fit the Matrix mold, along with a moment involving Neo controlling a missile through telekinesis.

The fourth Matrix movie was rumored to be titled The Matrix Resurrections back in January. While Laurence Fishburne has stated that he won’t return as Morpheus in the upcoming sequel, the ensemble does include returning franchise cast members Jada Pinkett-Smith, Daniel Bernhardt, and Lambert Wilson. Harris is joined by other series newcomers like Christina Ricci, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Priyanka Chopra, and Jonathan Groff.

The Matrix Resurrections will hit theaters and HBO Max (for 31 days) on December 22.

J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

enter