Endless Space 2’s races are a fascinating bunch who wouldn’t seem out of place in a Mos Eisley cantina, but maybe you’ve had enough of them. Or perhaps you want your next galaxy to be full of new aliens to pal around with. Good news, then, because buried in the game setup menu is an option to create new factions. In an effort to get to grips with the editor and put together this guide, I’ve been working on my own: the Oak Blokes. Read the rest of this entry »

If fighting Orks, Space Marines and Eldar was easy, then the universe of the 41st millennium wouldn’t be embroiled in a never-ending, brutal war, and all those poor Nobz, Terminators and Wraithknights would be on the dole. But it doesn’t need to be a slog, either. Allow me to give you a leg up in Dawn of War 3’s [official site] savage multiplayer battles with this guide to its myriad complexities. By the end, you’ll be smashing your enemies’ frail bodies and crushing their dreams. Read the rest of this entry »

It has been an odyssey. My most recent Skyrim save is three years old. I cannot in good conscience pretend to recall what my motivations were the last time I played it – what quests I cared about, what guild or weapon or house I was pursuing. But, for reasons that are part bloody-mindedness and part wincing at the prospect of having to redo so much armour crafting from the start, I have been absolutely determined to get my old saves and characters working in last week’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition [official site].

It has been a long and tiresome job, but I have achieved it. Here’s how you can do it too.
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To many, Dark Souls III [official site] can be summarised as a boss stamping on a human face forever. We’re here to help. This is a guide to killing all of the bosses in Dark Souls 3 but it’s not simply a how-to-murder manual. It also takes a look at some of the sumptuous design and the patchwork lore surrounding many of the bosses, explaining who they are, what they leave behind when they perish, and why it’s necessary to steal all of their souls. As such it’s absolutely riddled with spoilers, as well as strategies and a sprinkling of silliness.

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We play Souls games for numerous reasons – the uncompromising challenge that feeds beautifully into themes of the series, the wonderful boss design and the world building that sees a gigantic Gothic labyrinth created for us to explore and die in. But we also play them because they allow us to look fabulous. Dark Souls 3 [official site] sees returning favourite armour sets with texture overhauls and new classics making their debut, while changes to the upgrade system means you’re freer than ever to swap between sets and pieces.

This guide will take you on a tour of some of the weird and wonderful armour sets to be found in Dark Souls III, with advice on where to find them. Whether you want to be the mad invader dressed like a Mushroom, or the terrifying samurai who took down a host with signature style, above all you want to leave other players asking – Who was that? And who do I have to kill to look like them?

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In case I haven’t said this enough, Black Desert Online ain’t your average MMO. And one of the places that is more apparent is when gearing your character. It can be a confusing process thanks to BDO’s not-so-great localization and how different it is from typical MMORPGs. I’m going to spell it all out for you in this guide, showing you how to upgrade equipment while demystifying some of the more obtuse concepts—like what the hell a ‘fail stack’ is.

As well as explaining how all of this works, this article should demonstrate, to those who aren’t convinced, that BDO is worth a look even if you’re burnt out on traditional entries in the genre.

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The Dark Zone of Ubisoft’s new apocalypse, The Division, is a mish-mash of fresh ideas and unassailable tradition. On the one hand, you have to be slightly wary of other players at all times. On the other, you basically run around killing things and collecting loot as if you were playing Diablo. But it feels like a good direction for any game about the chaotic aftermath of civilisation’s downfall. Here’s how to make a killing living behind the walls.

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In our review of The Division I wrote that I was happy enough at level 26 and that reaching the level cap of 30 did not matter much to me. Well, I have been conscripted back in to pass on my wisdom. I had to clamber up the XP tree after all and see the endgame for myself. It seems a little bare when compared to the mostly-fun climb up but there is some good stuff to focus on. Here are some of the things you could be doing while waiting for the next campaign expansion to come along.

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We are enjoying The Division [official site] and some of us are not even sure why. But it looks like half the world is doing the same. If you have yet to begin your tour of duty in New York’s unfolding Armageddon or if you are currently taking your first steps, we have some tips and advice to get you started. Here, we tell you how to get yourself leveled as quickly as you can.

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Black Desert Online is an MMO that combines a few aspects of EVE Online with a gorgeous fantasy world. It features plenty of fluid action combat, but you’d be missing out if you don’t invest in its expansive and robust crafting and production systems. This guide will help you get started, teaching you how to use ‘contribution points’ to build your own business brewing beer.

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XCOM 2‘s soldier classes are one of the best examples of how Firaxis have carefully overhauled the systems introduced in Enemy Unknown. Rather than simply adding further classes to the established roster, XCOM 2 performs an intricate restructuring of Enemy Unknown’s archetypes. It remixes the abilities of the original classes, while also adding new skills that radically change how these soldiers are best used. Classes that were enormously powerful in Enemy Unknown now only function well with appropriate support, while others that were tactically difficult to use are now a vital component of any team of alien hunters.

So we’ve taken a more detailed look at XCOM 2’s class system, and ranked them in order of their importance in the field. We’ll examine how each class functions, what their best and worst abilities are, who looks down on who, the works.

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So, you’ve just woken up on the shores of a deadly dinosaur-infested island; everyone is trying to kill you (or randomly offer you berries), and you don’t know what to do next. Don’t worry! We’re here to help! This small collection of internet pages will guide you from the preliminary stages of your prehistoric survival adventure in ARK: Survival Evolved right through to the, well, point where most of your deaths won’t usually be your own fault.

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ARK: Survival Evolved has a lot of great things going for it but, let’s be honest, all you probably really want is a dinosaur of your own. And yes, stomping around, terrorising people on a T. rex is brilliant fun – but, crucially, every creature on the island serves a multitude of practical purposes.

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One of the most productive things you can do early on in ARK: Survival Evolved is familiarise yourself with your surroundings. By learning the lay of the land, you’ll dramatically reduce your chances of getting lost (which can be one of the most frustrating occurrences early on in the game) and be far less likely to stumble unprepared into one of the island’s distinct biomes, each of which has its own weather quirks, environmental features, resources and wildlife.

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Once you’ve made it through your first few minutes on the island without dying (congrats!), you’ll want to consider building a base. A well-designed base will protect you from the elements, keep your gathered resources and supplies secure, provide a place to keep your crafting, cooking and farming equipment, and – most importantly – protect you and your creatures from the island’s hostile forces.

Whenever you log out of ARK: Survival Evolved’s servers, your body remains exactly where you left it, susceptible to attack from predators and, if you’re on a PvP server, other players. As such, a secure base is an absolute must if you don’t want to log back on to discover that you’ve become a glum-faced corpse, stripped of your hard-earned spoils.

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If you plan to make a go of it on ARK: Survival Evolved’s island, and hope to stay alive for more than a few minutes at a time, you’ll need to get your hands dirty. Specifically, you’ll want to delve into ARK’s crafting and cooking systems, gathering resources and combining them to assemble essential tools, weapons, clothing, shelter and, of course, delicious, nourishing food. There’s a lot to take on board when it comes to cooking and crafting, however, so here are the basics to get you moving in the right direction.

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