Fallout 4 Automatron DLC Impressions: All Brains And Brawn

From Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's meaty Shivering Isles expansion to Fallout 3's numerous (and exceptional) add-ons, Bethesda Game Studios has a long history of making meaningful downloadable content for its games. Fallout 4's first DLC offering follows suit. Automatron features a wonderfully penned quest line that, while short, ends up affecting the entire Commonwealth, and adds a nice layer of depth to an already deep experience.

Once downloaded, Automatron integrates into your existing Fallout 4 playthrough, but requires the player be at least level 15 to access the first mission. As soon as a save file is loaded, your character is alerted of the impending robot war. Bethesda wastes no time throwing players into harm's way. Before you even know anything about the war, you are pulled into a battle against a powerful legion of robots. This new crop of enemies challenge you in different ways. Some robots are all about fire power, while others use an octopus-like smoke-screen ability to mask their movements. The new enemy types are in great abundance, and they all drop unique loot.

After the first skirmish, your character runs into a friendly robot named Ada, who becomes a customizable companion. In this moment, she serves the purpose of a story data dump, quickly bringing you up to speed on a new adversary named the Mechanist. She doesn't say too much about him, but does enough to establish him as a threat that must be taken down immediately – if that wasn't already apparent from the everything-must-die directive of his mechanical creations. 

What comes next is a series of fairly straightforward fetch missions to uncover beacons that lead to the Mechanist's location. These missions introduce a new raider faction, even more robot adversaries, three great boss fights, and a satisfying story that dives deep into the role artificial life plays in a world run by organics. It's a heady story, but one chock-full of humor and interesting new characters. One enemy wears unique Tesla Power Armor that you can add to your collection after defeating it.

While Automatron's story stands on its own nicely, it has a lasting effect on Fallout 4's world, giving players the ability to build their own robot companions through a new workbench. Crafting a war machine is as easy as assembling a new suit of Power Armor, but has more of an immediate allure. as most robot adversaries drop new parts for you to add to your collection. The thought of "I want to add that to my robot now" runs through the entire new quest line. And yes, you are given some outrageous parts, ranging from saw blades to a wide variety of chassis.

The DLC can run longer in time if you haven't been harvesting the world of supplies. Building robots requires plenty of rubber, adhesives, ceramic, circuit boards, and more. I ended up having to create vegetable paste for adhesives, which meant scouring the world for corn and fruit. The idea of questing for corn to make a robot doesn't seem right, but that's part of this experience if you aren't loaded up on components.

Automatron is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC for $9.99. I enjoyed the hell out of this new quest (which is one my favorites next to any relating to Nick Valentine), and it gives the player a companion that can truly be built from the ground up.

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10 Modern Games That Are Challenging Yet Rewarding

The release of Dark Souls III is only a few weeks away, and with it comes an uptick in the discussion about challenge and difficulty in games. When most people talk about these factors in modern video games, they seem to equate everything to the Souls series. This can marginalize the Souls games in a way (especially when they aren’t really that punishing), but more importantly, it neglects the many other titles that still provide a good challenge in an industry that often favors mass-appeal experiences.

With that in mind, we've created a list of modern games that rival Dark Souls in terms of challenge, but also maintain a similar sense of reward and accomplishment. It's important to note that these titles are in no particular order. 

The Banner Saga
Developer: Stoic Studio
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android

There's a whole lot to deal with in The Banner Saga at any given time. You need to maneuver your units in a calculated, deliberate way or face the unchangeable consequences, but that's only the first layer of this tactical RPG. The game is split between dangerous, methodical turn-based grid battles and travelling the countryside with your caravan of soldiers while making significant choices to keep them healthy and hopeful. Proper management is the key to everything, from character stats and resources to gear availability and morale. Add to that the fact that your actions and decisions affect the story in drastic ways, and you may even end up losing an important character due to a poor dialogue choice. The high-risk, high-reward mind games of The Banner Saga are always gratifying for those that take the journey.

Galak-Z
Developer: 17-Bit
Platform(s): PS4, PC

There are no second chances in Galak-Z. When you die, you die. All of your upgrades, currency and bonuses are lost and you’re sent back to the beginning of whichever five-part chapter you’re on. At first, this might sound too daunting to be any fun – but the spacefaring combat of this 2.5D shooter is what will keep you coming back. Galak-Z’s controls allow you to boost, strafe, shoot and dodge all at the same time, assuming you’re quick enough to do so. The tense dogfights between your highly maneuverable transforming ship and the smart, powerful AI make each victory a thrill. As your piloting skills improve, you’ll be able to accumulate more and more enhancements in order to carry yourself to the game’s growing challenges.

Darkest Dungeon
Developer: Red Hook Studios
Platform(s): PC

Just as it preys on the minds of its characters, Darkest Dungeon tests the willpower of the player more than anything else. With its oppressive atmosphere, daunting narration, bleak visuals and threat of permadeath, it almost seems as if this roguelike RPG wants you to give up. You’ll be doing a lot of dungeon crawling as you handle mechanics like selecting your individual party members, coping with their stress levels, and accumulating loot to enhance them and the hub town they live in. But those who persevere through the decrepit, procedurally generated depths of each dungeon will find dangers and prizes in equal measure. Managing the dwindling sanity of your party members, outwitting the increasingly deadly opponents, and bringing your wealth back to fuel your town’s growing economy soon becomes a deeply fulfilling loop.

Rogue Legacy
Developer: Cellar Door Games
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Vita, PC

While it looks and feels somewhat similar to the older Castlevania games, Rogue Legacy is a great example of the roguelike genre moving forward. It doesn't relent on the genre's naturally punishing design, but it does provide a very good reason to continue playing after you die (dozens of times). The cash you've accumulated during your last run through a randomly-generated castle is kept to buy upgrades for your next hero. It's not as easy as hoarding money over time, though, since all of it needs to be spent on that new hero before they can enter the castle. Each successor is different, and each one contributes to the game's variety as you fight through nknowable castles full of enemies and traps.

Bayonetta 2
Developer: Platinum Games
Platform(s): Wii U

As the sublime sequel to one of the best action games ever made, Bayonetta 2 carries on the original's dedication to difficulty. Playing as the sultry witch is even more fun this time thanks to the game’s rock-solid controls and performance. Understanding how and when your angelic enemies will telegraph their attacks is crucial to avoiding defeat, but having the reaction time to dodge and punish with a beautifully flashy combo is what sets good players apart. The game rewards skillful execution with its tantalizing medal rankings and halo bonuses after each encounter, driving you to not only progress but to actively get better.

Five more games await on the next page, ready to test your reflexes, your wits, and your micromanagement skills.

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Exclusive Interview Dives Deep On Destiny Spring Update

Bungie is rolling out info about its Destiny April Update through a series of three live streams, the first of which just concluded. Ahead of the stream, we were able to ask some questions of Ryan Paradis, the live events lead designer who has been in charge of preparing the update, and he provided additional detail about what’s on the way. If you missed the live stream, or you want to learn a little more about what you can expect, dive on in.

This week’s content reveals zero in on new activities, so we’ve focused on those in our questions. Specific details about gear, Crucible updates, and other facets of the Destiny experience won’t be explored until later. Read ahead to learn more about the April Update’s story, what you’ll be doing as you aim to hit the new light cap of 335, changes to King’s Fall, a major update to Prison of Elders, and more. 

After you read the interview, don't forget to check out our dedicated media gallery for the April Update, which includes over 100 screens that show off the new activities. 

What is the goal for the April Update? When you began development on this new content, what were the most important objectives for your team?

Our goal with the April update was to hit a few different fronts. We have a lot of fans who fell in love with exploration on the Dreadnaught, with our Strikes, and with the Prison of Elders, but they’ve moved past them. We wanted to revitalize some of these favorites, and at the same time provide new challenges and rewards. As the Live team has done in the past, we wanted to provide awesome new vanity items for players to both express themselves better, and to look like the badasses they truly are. 

Another thing that was really important for us to accomplish with this update was to provide players more choices in how to become more powerful. The raid is a great endgame option, because it’s challenging, requires tons of coordination, and features our most complex mechanics, but for players who aren’t routinely raiding, we wanted to provide viable endgame gear upgrade options in Prison of Elders, Strikes, the Court of Oryx, and Crucible activities.

What’s the top-level story idea for the April Update? How does the new story content dovetail from the events of The Taken King release?

The focus for the April update is on the Reef and what’s going on there after the devastation. While they’re beaten, they’re not down for the count, and Variks will be guiding you through the update. Although Oryx is dead, the Taken are still as strong as ever, and Variks is tasking you to stop them from resurging. The new story is intended to provide a small continuation of the Taken King storyline, and dovetail into our new Strike and Prison of Elders content.

Will there be new Grimoire cards to acquire? 

With everything we’ve added in this update, there are of course new Grimoire Cards to further expound on the deeper lore of Destiny. I don’t want to spoil any of the new lore, but there are new grimoire cards for some of the new activities, some of the gear you’ll encounter, and even some bosses you’ll be fighting. We know how passionate the fans are about the lore we put in the Grimoire, and wanted to make sure to scratch that itch with this update, too.

What’s the concept behind the Blighted Chalice strike? 

Variks is going to leverage your particular set of skills to track down a new Taken threat. The Blighted Chalice Strike is the conclusion of that questline.

King’s Fall is being updated with gear that goes up to light value 330. Are these the same pieces that were previously available in the raid, but at a higher level? Or are there new gear pieces/weapons? Have the King’s Fall fights themselves changed at all? Will this version of King’s Fall (with 330 gear) be a third difficulty?

With the increase in overall light, both current difficulties will be adjusted to provide additional challenge and commensurate rewards. The Challenge Modes will still be available, but we aren’t adding a third difficulty tier, or any new encounters. 

How will Court of Oryx change? Can you tell us anything about any of the new bosses or fights that Guardians might encounter there? Is the highest level fight still triggered with an Antiquated Rune?

With Court of Oryx, Guardians will continue summoning enemies with existing runes. No changes there. We have boosted the drops coming out of the Court to better prepare Guardians for the other challenges we’ve setup in this update, though.  

Next Page: Learn about the big changes coming to Prison of Elders.

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The New Direction For Gears Of War 4's Story

We've touched on how Gears of War 4 is tweaking the gameplay to the beloved series, but with this feature we want to focus on the game's story and The Coalition's approach to storytelling for the new generation of Gears of War. While visiting the studio for our Gears of War 4 cover story, we spoke to Gears of War 4's creative director Chuck Osieja and studio head Rod Fergusson about updating the series' tone, avoiding character archetypes, and the goal of launching a larger Gears of War universe.

Watch the video interview below to learn more about The Coalition's ambitions and the story fans will experience in Gears of War 4.

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Playing The Opening Hours Of Hyper Light Drifter's Mysterious World

Developer Heart Machine announced the release date this morning for its upcoming Hyper Light Drifter. The game will be available next week, so we've decided to post our extended feature on the game that appeared in our March 2016 issue of the magazine. You will find the fill feature below.

Hyper Light Drifter has no spoken dialogue or written sto ry. A few lines of text appear during the opening moments to discuss small mechanics, but that’s the last time you see any words. The way currency works is not immediately apparent, because there are no numbers. You have to test your weapons and upgrades because no tutorial explains their function.

“The main motivation is we want to be subtle and implicit,” Hyper Light Drifter’s creator Alex Preston says, “Being explicit can ruin the mystery, or you can’t make the story quite your own.” Everything in Hyper Light Drifter is explained through animation and imagery, and everything is learned through player intuition and experimentation. The result is a narrative led by emotion rather than transparent facts, and gameplay built on discovery instead of tutorial.

From the beginning, Hyper Light Drifter presents a world of mystery and intrigue. The Drifter, the player character, is seen standing amid a collection of dead bodies.  A shadowy creature attacks and the scene shifts as he finds himself in front of gigantic humanoid, possibly robotic titans who shatter before him. It’s unclear if this sequence is a peek at the history or future of this world, or if it’s a dream. When I finally get control of the Drifter, I only take a few steps before he hunches over in pain, coughing as the screen fills with red pixels. Thankfully a health pack is nearby, and one of the few tutorials instructs me how to pick it up and use it. The Drifter is suffering from some kind of sickness, but it does little to debilitate his movement and combat abilities.

The Drifter can blink from one position to another. I zip around the combat field as I encounter my first enemy – a small goblin-like creature who takes exactly three hits to dispatch. Combat is fluid, and though I have the mobility advantage, the goblin can dole out damage quickly if I don’t stay on my toes. Battles are thoughtful and fast, without getting overwhelming and even the smallest enemy poses a threat.

The blink ability quickly proves to be much more than a combat mechanic, as I use it to move across chasms and between platforms. Blink has no limit to how much I can use it, and it quickly becomes my main mode of movement, even when there are no obstacles requiring its use.

The Drifter makes his way outside, but the mysterious plague grips him again. As the screen fills with red pixels, a shadowy creature, perhaps the same one seen in the aforementioned opening, attacks and everything goes black before he wakes in a house surrounded by computer equipment.

Leaving the home reveals a town, and a device that heals and serves as a platform for fast-travel. Anthropomorphic animals and alien creatures mill about, and a few have stands set up to sell items, but I don’t have any money. Guards stand by the town’s exits, but do nothing to prevent my departure, so I point the Drifter east.

For more from our time with Hyper Light Drifter, as well as interviews with its creators, head to page two.

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The 10 Greatest Versus Rivalries In Video Games

The upcoming release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has us thinking about some of the memorable confrontations in gaming. We’ve chosen these one-on-one contests not just because they made for great fights, but because the conflict between the two individuals in each case defines our memory of the game. Sometimes a powerful rivalry is as potent and engaging as the most romantic of love stories or enduring of friendships. Here are our picks for the greatest video game match-ups in history.

NOTE: Most of the games on this list are older classics, but they do discuss SPOILERS about the major conflicts and characters of those games. You have been warned.

10.   Little Mac vs. Mike Tyson (Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!)

Little Mac has fought his way up through one boxer after another, learning their moves and mastering different offensive strategies. At long last, the Dream Fight beckons, and the diminutive Mac steps out into the ring opposite the greatest fighter of his generation: Mike Tyson. Dynamite punches begin to fly, and the David vs. Goliath battle is on. Mac’s confrontation with Mike Tyson was the definitive video game battle for a whole generation, and the dynamic between the two boxers is a classic underdog tale, presuming you can ever land that final punch.

9. Mario vs. Bowser (Super Mario Bros.)

It’s a conflict born out of the very roots of the console gaming scene, and even in this first game, the battle comes back again and again. It’s hard to count how many times Bowser has kidnapped the hapless Princess Peach, and Mario has leapt up in pursuit, and that all started in the original Super Mario Bros. Bowser’s need to stop Mario extends out through every moment of the game – whether it’s his minion Koopas that threaten progression, or Bowser’s fireballs flung across entire stages to keep Mario at bay. The overall-wearing plumber jumps and sprints past it all, and flings Bowser down into the lava time and again. But the giant dragon-turtle king always finds a way to come back and disrupt the Mushroom Kingdom yet again. 

8. Kratos vs. Zeus (God of War III)

Don’t mess with Kratos. That seems to be the point driven home as we see the one-time god of war clamber over the murdered bodies of gods in pursuit of vengeance against his father, Zeus. The king of the gods feared that his son would usurp his throne just as he once did to his father, so he struck down the blade-wielding warrior to preemptively halt the inevitable succession. Big mistake. Kratos besieges Olympus with the angry Titans at his side, and eventually goes head-to-head with Zeus in a truly godlike confrontation. Father/son relationships turn out to be much more complicated when you’re an immensely powerful mythological figure – a lesson Zeus learns all too well as one bloody punch after another settles the matter once and for all.

7. Alucard vs. Dracula (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)

Video game characters must have rough relationships with their fathers; this time, it’s the complicated dynamic between the lord of vampires, Dracula, and his prodigal son. Alucard’s identity as Dracula’s progeny goes a long way to establishing his awesome powers, and he needs all the help he can get to survive the many dangers in his adventure. The fortress of Castlevania is a living edifice and representation of Dracula’s evil and power, so Alucard is effectively fighting against his father in every battle he tackles within the cursed castle. In the final conflict, Alucard is forced to confront a decision between his human nature and his cursed heritage, making for one of the most epic head-to-head exchanges in games.

6. Link vs. Ganon (The Legend of Zelda series)

Most of the entries on our list are focused on a confrontation that unfolds in a single entry of a series, but Link and Ganon make the list for the timeless nature of their confrontation, echoing through the Zelda timeline in a seemingly endless series of interactions.  Every time Ganon rises to threaten the world, a hero named Link arrives to save the day. The origins and backgrounds of Link and Zelda vary in minor ways between entries, but taken together, the story often comes down to the triumph of courage over power – a theme that helps this versus contest stand the test of time.

Next Page: Check out our picks for the five greatest versus contests in video games. 

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Submit Your Questions For Our Gears Of War 4 Podcast

This month we've been rolling out content based on our trip to The Coalition to see Gears of War 4, and now  we want to give our readers a chance to ask their own questions to the developers. Do you have a question about Gears of War 4's tweaked gameplay, narrative, or even the history of the series? Now is your chance to ask studio head Rod Fergusson! We'll be pulling questions from the comments section, but we should give you a heads up that The Coalition doesn't want to share too many new details on multiplayer just yet.

Post your questions in the comments section below. We'll be talking to studio head Rod Fergusson for a special edition podcast in the near future, and we'll use the best reader-submitted questions during our conversation.

To learn more about Gears of War 4, click on the banner below to enter our hub of exclusive content, including a video interview where we ask Rod Fergusson 105 questions.

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Test Chamber – Comparing The Ratchet & Clank Reboot With The Original

The Ratchet & Clank series has been around for quite a while, with new games coming out almost every year since its inception. This year, however, the dynamic duo are getting rebooted with a movie and game both releasing this spring.

Watch Ben Reeves, Kyle Hilliard and intern Connor Trinske as they reminisce about the history of Ratchet & Clank while taking a look at its new incarnation. After taking a look at the remake's opening, we pull up 2002 original and play the games side by side starting at the 11:00 mark to show off the similarities and the differences between then and now. You might be surprised by how the two games compare.

Ratchet & Clank is coming exclusively to PlayStation 4 on April 12. You can get the deeper details about the reboot in our written preview.

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The 10 Best Gameboy Advance Games Of All Time

Today marks the 15-year anniversary of The Gameboy Advance's release in Japan, so we're going to look back and determine what games were the cream of the crop for Nintendo's handheld powerhouse. From new, quality entries in established series to the birth of exciting franchises, here are the 10 best games made for the Gameboy Advance.

10.  Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
The popular Mario & Luigi series, itself a successor to Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG, began with this entry way back in 2003. Four entries later, Superstar Saga is still one of the best games in the series thanks to its timeless humor and innovative, fun RPG mechanics. For those who missed out on the game when it was originally released, you can grab it for the Wii U's Virtual Console.

9. Golden Sun
Golden Sun is a quality title with a gorgeous aesthetic that serves as a fantastic homage to the best RPGS for the Super Nintendo. Golden Sun ends up being one of the more memorable RPGs on the system thanks to its fantastic technical presentation as well as its hours upon hours of content. 

8. Metroid: Zero Mission
Zero Mission is an enhanced remake of the original Metroid. Beyond adding a lovely shade of color to the game, new items, mini-bosses, and areas were added in as well, making this more than just your run-of-the-mill remake. Zero Mission does right by its source material. Another bonus? One of the greatest games ever made is even better for a new generation.

7. Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem has a confusing history. Though this Gameboy Advance game was the first in the series to hit North America, it was actually the seventh game in the main series to be released. While it would take a bit for Fire Emblem's focus on tactics and permadeath to catch on in the U.S. with the likes of Awakening and Fates, this entry was a great introduction to the series and one of the more enjoyable strategy games on the device.

6. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Minish Cap, the third game in The Four Swords spin-off series, is a delightful adventure and easily one of the best Zelda games made for handhelds, standing comfortably alongside the likes of Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. The Minish Cap smartly cribs from Windwaker's colorful aesthetic and its shrinking mechanic makes for an entertaining time.

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Gears Of War 4 Character Breakdown: Meet The New Gears

As we've written before in our coverage, Gears Of War 4 is looking to change things up in the series a bit. One of the biggest changes is that this will be the first Gears game where you're not playing as at least one of Delta squad's lovable meatheads. Instead, a new generation of Gears is rising up to the task. We've got some more information on our new leads (as well as art of them in their COG armor) and two new characters to talk about.

JD Fenix
If you couldn't guess it from his name, JD is the son of Marcus Fenix, the protagonist of the original Gears Of War trilogy. The Coalition described JD to us as "an idealist who wants to live his life with purpose." He ran away from home when he was young and joined up with the new COG (Coalition of Ordered Governments). He did well enough to reach the rank of lieutenant. By the time Gears of War 4 starts, he's gone AWOL with his squadmate and best friend, Del after an "incident" and is living among a village of Outsiders on Sera. JD's a bit goofy and in the demos we saw he had a lighter disposition than his father. We asked The Coalition about his relationship with his father and the identity of JD's mother, but they kept their lips sealed. He has blond hair though, Gears fans, so feel free to speculate.

JD is voiced by Liam McIntyre, who played the lead role in the later seasons of Spartacus and Weather Wizard on The Flash.

Kait Diaz
Unlike JD and Del, Kait did not run away from home. She's been an Outsider all her life and has extensive knowledge about how to live off the land. She's a headstrong survivalist who has a strong connection to JD in spite of her mother Reyna's disapproval. During Gears of War 4, Reyna and the rest of Kait's village is abducted by the Swarm, leaving Kait, JD, and Del to pursue them. During a co-op campaign, Kait will be a selectable character for the second player.

Kait is voiced by Laura Bailey, who has brought to life a large number of characters in video games and animated shows over the years. These roles include Spartan Olympia Vale in Halo 5: Guardians, The Boss in Saints Row III and Saints Row IV,  Fiona in Tales From The Borderlands, and Jaina Proudmoore in World of Warcraft.

Delmont "Del" Walker
Del is JD's best friend and became a Gear alongside him, also going AWOL after the unspecified incident that caused JD to leave. During our demos, Del and JD would share amusing banter as they blasted enemies to bloody pieces. During a co-op campaign, Del will be a selectable character for Player 2.

Del is played by Eugene Byrd, who's appeared on Bones and Arrow and voiced Marcus "Boomer" Boone in Battlefield Hardline.

Oscar Diaz
Oscar Diaz is Kait's uncle and Reyna's brother-in-law. He's a boisterous, opinionated warrior who loves wine and women and resents both JD and Del for their smugness and the fact that they abandoned the COG. He often calls them "runaways" for walking away from their duty as Gears. Our three heroes recruit Oscar to help them find the villagers the Swarm has taken, but he's kidnapped shortly after by a mysterious creature, leaving JD, Del, and Kait to fend for themselves.

The Coalition did not reveal Oscar's voice actor.

Reyna Diaz
Reyna is Kait's mother and the leader of the Outsider village. She's a fierce warrior who took over her husband's role as leader after he died, and she relies on Oscar to train and protect the villagers. She allowed JD and Del to stay on at the village after they warned her of a COG retaliation to the Outsider's raids on COG bases. Along with the majority of villagers, she's kidnapped by the Swarm early on in the game, and it's up to our heroes to find her.

The Coalition did not reveal Reyna's voice actor.

Be sure to return to our Gears Of War 4 hub throughout the month for the history of The Coalition and a roundtable with the game’s voice actors. You can access the hub by clicking on the banner below.

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