The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Spotted for Cheap at Costco

 

HIGHLIGHTS

•  The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a highly acclaimed game of 2023, can now be found at Costco at a significantly discounted price of $29.97, making it a steal.
•  Nintendo rarely lowers prices on its new releases, making this discount at Costco a rare exception and an opportunity for gamers to save big.
•  Speculations suggest that Costco may discontinue the game or that the availability of this deal may vary among physical Costco stores.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been spotted at Costco, offering gamers a surprise with its remarkably affordable price. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which earned widespread acclaim and dominated gaming discussions throughout the summer of 2023, can now be found on Costco's shelves at a fraction of its original price.

As autumn ushers in a new lineup of highly-rated games such as Starfield, Lies of P, and Baldur's Gate 3, Tears of the Kingdom has temporarily stepped out of the spotlight. However, there is little doubt that Tears of the Kingdom is and will be one of the most important titles of 2023, thanks to some impressive innovations that Nintendo managed to introduce into the game. While it maintains a strong resemblance to its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, it managed to push the boundaries of in-game physics to date, offering players incredible freedom of possibilities and decisions.

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Discounts on Nintendo games are rare, and when they do occur, they are typically part of strategically planned sales events. However, this seems to be an exception. Costco is offering The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for an astonishing $29.97, a significant markdown from its usual $70 price tag. For those unable to find it in-store, the game is still a steal at $35.06 on Costco's website.

While it's conceivable that the game may see a modest discount during the holiday season, Nintendo is not accustomed to lowering the prices of its new releases or most popular titles to such an extent. This can be seen, for example, with Breath of the Wild, which, even after six years since its release, still maintains almost the same price it had at launch. One thing is certain: it's unlikely to match the significant savings currently available at Costco.

However, it's important to note that according to some users, this could be because Costco is planning to discontinue the game, meaning it will no longer be available in those particular facilities. This doesn't make much sense given Tears of the Kingdom's success, but it would align with the surprising price drop. Other users speculate that this may be due to the availability of the game in each store, as not all physical Costco stores are selling it at this price.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom continues to be one of the most highly regarded games of 2023. Even as it gracefully steps aside to make room for new gaming experiences this fall, it remains a testament to the enduring allure of the Zelda franchise. Nintendo enthusiasts and bargain hunters alike will find this Costco deal an irresistible opportunity to embark on a grand adventure at a fraction of the usual cost.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.

Starfield Player Discovers Extremely Powerful Godroll Sniper Rifle

 

HIGHLIGHTS

•  Starfield's loot system can yield extremely powerful weapons, as demonstrated by a lucky player who found a legendary sniper rifle boasting high base damage and three random effects.
•  The combination of an aiming buff, the Instigating perk, and potential critical hits allows this sniper rifle to deal massive amounts of damage, making it highly effective in taking down enemies.
•  Although not ideal for stealth, the player can easily modify the weapon to their preference, and the sniper rifle's potential for high DPS makes it a formidable choice.

One lucky Starfield player stumbled upon a legendary sniper rifle that's so good it dissuaded them from ever doing another New Game Plus run. Their lucky find subsequently made the rounds on social media, illustrating how Starfield's loot system can yield some extremely powerful weapons.

Bethesda's galaxy-spanning RPG largely inherited the random loot mechanics from Fallout 76 and Fallout 4. So, while Starfield isn't lacking in great unique weapons and armor pieces that are found in the same locations on every run, the absolute best equipment that can be discovered will always be randomly generated, assuming the player is lucky enough.

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Reddit user PlsSendMonies4EV most certainly fulfilled that requirement, having recently stumbled on an amazing Magsniper boasting 1,765 points of base damage per hit. Thanks to the fact that they rolled a legendary, their find also ended up being infused with three random effects, all of which happen to be a great fit for a sniper rifle. Namely, this Shattering Professional's Advanced Magsniper also benefits from a 15% damage boost while aiming down the sights—which is pretty much the only effective way to use a single-shot Starfield rifle anyway—and boasts the Shattering effect that allows it to break through any armor.

While immensely useful, even those effects pale in comparison to the Instigating perk that makes the weapon deal double damage to targets at full health. Combined with the aiming buff, a single hit from this deadly rifle will hence deliver around 4,000 points of physical damage at a minimum. And while that's already enough to one-shot the vast majority of enemies even on Starfield's highest difficulty level, the final damage count could easily be much larger in case the player scores a critical hit. Unlocking the third rank of the Sniper Certification skill boosts one's headshot critical hit chance with scoped weapons by 25%, which would make a potent sniper rifle of this sort even more devastating.

That's without accounting for the sneak damage multiplier that the wielder of this newly discovered weapon could take advantage of. Granted, this specific Magsniper isn't particularly conducive to stealth because it didn't arrive with a suppressor, but that's an easy enough fix for any character who brought their Weapon Engineering skill up to level two and has access to a weapon workbench. Sneak damage bonus or no, this Starfield weapon promises some ridiculous DPS in pretty much every scenario.

Reflecting on their incredible find, the lucky player said they intend to equip the sniper with a Recon Scope in order to be able to tag enemies through walls. They also revealed that they are "100% not doing another run" after this discovery, as Starfield's New Game Plus mode doesn't allow players to carry over their possessions from past playthroughs.

Starfield is available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

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Demon’s Souls’ Remake Still Has a Lesson to Teach Aspiring Soulslikes

 

Demon’s Souls’ Visceral Riposte Attack Animations are Unmatched

Demon’s Souls was a wonderful visual treat for the PS5’s launch and continues to depict how terrific games can look on the current-gen Sony console. However, the technical feature that stood out the most, at least in its initial trailers and gameplay reveals, was the fact that different weapons offered different animations for when players performed a riposte.

These parry follow-ups or backstabs allow for riposte attacks, otherwise called visceral attacks, that give players a free and devastating strike on an enemy who has been staggered or whose back has been compromised. Demon’s Souls’ remake gave a masterclass in character motion-capture here as well, where the character might plunge their sword into the back of a strafed enemy before kicking their body off the blade and balancing themselves realistically afterward.

This is also the case with a weapon that players two-hand and so forth. It might be a relatively small feature overall and many fans might not even see a great number of these animations throughout a playthrough if they don’t care to experiment with new weapons, but it’s still an attention to detail that should be appreciated on current-gen technology and would help to make weapon animations in future Soulslikes more distinct as a result.

Demon’s Souls is available now for PS5.

Armored Core 6 Releases Update 1.03

 

HIGHLIGHTS

•  Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon players can download patch 1.03 now, which fixes over 20 bugs and improves the overall experience.
•  The update also adds new features, including an option for spectators to quit watching matches early and a new parameter called Scan Standby Time.
•  The patch is necessary for online play, and players who don't update their games will no longer be able to participate in multiplayer.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon players can download patch 1.03 right now. FromSoftware released the previous Armored Core 6 patch just a couple of weeks ago, fixing a few bugs and changing the balance of some bosses and weapons, and the new update continues to improve the experience.

Armored Core 6 has proven to be quite popular so far. Armored Core 6 received glowing reviews from most critics, but the experience is not without issues. Post-launch updates have been released to address bugs and fan feedback.

RELATED:Someone Modded Armored Core 6'S Maps Into Elden Ring

The new Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon 1.03 update changes the game in small but important ways, and it’s currently available for all platforms. Over 20 bugs are fixed by the patch, such as one that caused some enemies to get stuck into terrain during Armored Core 6’s “Intercept the Redguns” mission. Other targets of the update include a bug that caused enemies to stop appearing in the “Escort the Weaponized Mining Ship” mission, a glitch that prevented damage caused by status effects from appearing on the screen, and others. Also, three specific issues related to the Steam version were fixed, including one that caused Armored Core 6 to crash when changing the game’s graphics while in a multiplayer room.

Aside from bug-fixing, the new update also adds a few features to Armored Core 6, such as creating an option for spectators of online matches to quit watching before the fight’s end via a button or adding a new parameter called Scan Standby Time to head part specs. It’s important to note that the 1.03 patch is necessary for online play, therefore players who don’t update their games will no longer be able to participate in any multiplayer capacity.

While the patch will likely make Armored Core 6 even better, not all updates have been unanimously liked by the community. For instance, Armored Core 6 players had mixed opinions on Balteus’s nerf. Balteus is the final boss of Chapter 1 and is considered a very difficult fight by most people. The 1.02 patch gave Balteus a small nerf by making it easier for gamers to avoid his missile waves. However, the community has been fairly divided on the matter, with some people welcoming the change, while others believe it erodes the hardcore spirit of the game.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon Update 1.02

Additions

• When spectating an online match, the “QUIT SPECTATE” option has been added to the menu, allowing spectators to return to the multiplayer room.
• Added “Chg. Ammo Consumption” parameter to the “IB-C03W3: NGI 006” coral missile part specs shown via “Toggle Display”.
• Added “Scan Standby Time” parameter to head part specs shown via “Toggle Display”.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused certain enemies or enemy actions to get stuck on terrain during the mission “Intercept the Redguns”.
• Fixed a bug that caused enemies to stop appearing when the player stands in a certain spot during the mission “Escort the Weaponized Mining Ship”.
• Fixed a bug that caused defeated enemies to remain visible on radar during the mission “Breach the Karman Line”.
• Fixed a bug that caused the second shot of certain burst fire weapons to veer heavily off target when fired while performing a drift turn on Tank legs.
• Fixed a bug that caused boost to disable under certain conditions with Tetrapod legs equipped.
• Fixed a bug that occurred with the “VP-66LS” laser shotgun equipped to the left hand, which caused a longer delay than intended between firing a charge shot and being able to fire a normal shot again.
• Fixed a bug with the “VP-60LT” laser turret, where it would not respond to the sub-generators during the mission “Destroy the Weaponized Mining Ship”.
• Fixed a bug that occurred while reloading the “Vvc-700LD” laser drone, which caused player AC orientation to lock to a target, even with Target Assist disabled.
• Fixed a bug that caused incorrect icons to be displayed for intended damage type or reload type in the part specs for certain weapon parts.
• Adjusted the timing window of being able to use repair kits while firing certain weapons.
• Fixed a bug with certain melee weapons that caused the “Chg. Attack Power” parameter to display an unintended value in the part specs shown via “Toggle Display”.
• Fixed a bug that occurred after firing a charge shot during assault boost, which caused a consecutive normal shot to fire unintentionally.
• Fixed a bug that prevented damage caused by status effects from being displayed on the HUD.
• Fixed a bug that caused the game to crash from the “AC Data” menu in certain situations.
• Due to behavioral issues in photo mode, removed the “Motion Blur” option and added the “Camera Blur” option.
  • *NB: We plan to restore the Motion Blur option in a future update.

• Fixed a bug that prevented Trophies/Achievements from unlocking under certain circumstances if unlock requirements involved acquiring parts.
  • *NB: If any of the following Trophies/Achievements fails to unlock, go to the Shop menu and sell any part from the relevant category. Buying the part back again will trigger the unlock.
    • “Weapon Collector”
    • “External Parts Collector”
    • “Internal Parts Collector”

• Changed behavior in online match rooms, so that players are informed when the match is starting even while they have another menu open (e.g. Assembly).
• Fixed a bug that caused screen transitions to behave incorrectly when launching the game by accepting an online match invite.
• Other performance improvements and minor bug fixes.

Steam

• Fixed a bug that occurred when changing screen mode, which caused the HUD to render incorrectly.
• Fixed a bug that caused the game to crash when changing graphics settings from the System menu while in a multiplayer room.
• Share IDs are now recognized when entered either upper or lower case.

Other Changes

• Updated “Data Usage Agreement” text for the Japanese version.
  • *NB: After applying the update, the confirmation screen will appear once more for all players.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.