Trion’s Defiance is a relatively straightforward game that’s slightly more involved than most shooters, but far less complex than the standard MMO. Still, I think there are a few good tips we can offer to help new players being pulled in by the solid Syfy TV tie-in, or for those who (smartly) had waited for the inevitable launch hiccups to get straightened out. As always, this Kickstart Guide is intended to provide general tips, not an advanced take on a small section of the game.

Wait, How Do I Log Out?

I’m thankful Defiance has relatively few gameplay systems, because the interface leaves a lot to be desired. It may seem trite to begin a guide about getting into a game with how to get out of it, but it took me five minutes to figure out how to log out of the client on PC. To save you the unnecessary frustration, hit Esc (or pull up any of the main menus), hold space bar to bring up the extra radial menu, and Log Out will be at the top right of your screen.

Designing a Character

Everyone starts in the same zone and experiences the same story. Defiance is not, strictly-speaking, a class-based MMO, but you are presented with a choice of 4 different powers at the end of the tutorial level. Decoy does exactly what you think it does. So does Cloak. Blur increases movement speed and boosts melee damage. Overcharge is the most immediately useful skill, giving a temporary boost to damage that’s quite useful in taking down elite and boss-level enemies.

Surrounding each of the 4 starting powers is an EGO Grid full of passive perks which modify your character’s stats in very specific ways (e.g. recharge shields if you do damage type X). As you gain levels, you receive EGO points which allow you to unlock and level up those perks. The number of perks you can equip increases as you level up, and you can mix perks from all of the 4 parts of the grid once you (slowly) gain access to them.

Defiance has a very flat level progression compared to most MMOs. With one notable roadblock that requires progressing the main story, a level 1 character can scoot around (and survive) pretty much anywhere but there is still an appreciable power gain as you progress through the game. Don’t come in expecting a power fantasy and you’ll be happy. Instead, it’s a rare open world game that’s truly open and not level-gated.

Progressing Weapon Skills

In addition to the EGO Grid, you also slowly increase stats based on the weapon types you use. The more damage you do with assault rifles, the better you’ll get – but there’s a catch. XP on an individual weapon has a cap. If you have a gun that you love, but the XP has maxed out, you’re not helping level that weapon type anymore. This incentivizes experimenting with new weapons, even within a preferred type.

This Isn’t Gears

If, like me, you’re playing the majority of the game solo (co-op being a function of serendipity) Defiance can be brutal at times. Disabuse yourself of the notion that you’re playing just another current-gen third-person shooter. Gears of War this is not. There is no cover mechanic. There’s rarely even a good reason to crouch behind chest-high walls. Instead, learn to run away, kite, or circle strafe when your shield drops. Roll-dodging is your best friend, even if the default button map takes some getting used to.

The game really started to click when I realized that you should almost never be standing still. For all of the awkward character animation in the game, staying alive is about being fluid, running and gunning – but doing it smartly. Twitch reflexes aren’t required, but getting into the correct position is a must. Flanking attacks can be devastating to bandits and enemy teams alike.

Enemies are Bullet Sponges, but Always Go For the Weak Spot

Nearly every enemy in the game can absorb a freakish amount of damage, especially if you only attack center mass. The game is all about finding the weak points of each enemy type and getting into position to exploit them. For humanoid enemies, that’s (almost) always the head, but other enemy types will have a literal glowing spot to indicate the best place to hit them. For certain ones, that requires having someone shooting from behind.

The Loot Tables Are Dumb, Deal With it

Don’t spend a lot of time analyzing loot. In my opinion, the system in Defiance needs a lot of work. Perhaps I got lucky, or maybe it just really clicks with my particular play style, but I’ve spent well over 50% of my time with the game with the same gun as my primary weapon. This isn’t a game where you’re constantly shedding equipment as you get better loot. In fact, inventory management is cumbersome enough I rarely pick up any loot at all unless it’s colored rare – and even then it’s still almost always worse than my current items.

Your active loadout is limited to two weapons. I tote the FRC Saw light machine gun as my primary weapon, which deals heavy damage, and has a massive magazine to limit reload time during Arkfalls and boss encounters. Alongside that, I typically carry either a shotgun for close-range or a burst-fire assault rifle to gain extra distance. I have yet to encounter a situation where I really needed a sniper rifle, and the alien weapons I’ve found have been universally disappointing though quite imaginative in their mechanics. YMMV.

What’s the Gear Chase?

Getting better loot from drops is relatively rare, as I just noted. It pays to check the generic “Supplies” Vendor for their constantly rotating specials. You also slowly accrue keycodes which can be used to buy a lockbox – essentially a random chance to gain loot. The higher tier the box, the better the loot is supposed to be.

About 10 hours in you’ll gain the ability to do Contracts, accessible in the Goals part of the radial menu. By working on tasks for the various factions, you’ll increase your reputation with them, allowing you access to their special weapons, some of which offer significant stat bumps compared to what you’ll get as quest rewards or drops.

Pay Attention to the Map, But Don’t Live By It

The main map is your guide to the various quests and activities. Main story quests are pinpointed quite well on the minimap but the game currently doesn’t support setting a custom waypoint for side quests, frequently making navigation frustrating. I’ve found that toggling off “rotate map with camera” makes navigation much easier. In fact, I wish all games would just stick to a fixed north minimap, or at least make that an option.

It’s tempting to turn your Defiance experience into a checklist. Quest over here. Complete. Quest over there. Complete. Now there’s a quest back there? Okay, complete. As you drive through areas, however, you’ll discover all sorts of incidental encounters not marked on the map at all. I really hope future title updates expand on this, because the world as it is can be sparse. I also like to keep my eye out for players working on quests I’ve completed, in case they need a hand. The quests are all built around easy repetition, the only downside being that hardly anyone bothers to communicate over public chat (whether voice or text) on PC currently.

An Arkfall a Night

Arkfalls are Defiance’s analogue to Rift’s eponymous Rifts, and offer crazy spectacle in an otherwise understated shooter. Do too many in a row, however, and even the most exciting part of the game gets tedious, since there’s not much diversity in the encounters. Strike a balance between questing and chasing Arkfalls. They’re fun, but don’t represent a persistent threat like Rift, nor offer a unique currency reward like the public Events in Guild Wars 2.

At this point, many of Defiance’s technical flaws have been ironed out and patches to add content are on their way. It’s not a perfect game by any stretch, but with these tips you can have a lot of fun being an Arkhunter. As Jim Hunter and I have both observed, it’s far more addicting than it has a right to be on its surface.

“Ahh, Dwarf Tiger. They sent… you. I’ll have to have words with Corpse Defiler when I see him next. But… Thank you.”

“Yes. Yes. YES!!” He continued. “Death and blood and feces and ….”

“Yes Dwarf Tiger, I’m glad you had fun,” I quickly interrupted. “We have some nice bridges in the area for you to collect tolls. Feel free to choose any of them.”

“Thank you master!”

Not everything was good news. Dick now considered us a huge threat and his goons started showing up demanding bribes.

I told him to fuck off, and he invaded prefecture 6. Luckily my forces there were competent and they repelled the assault.

In other news, Swine Flu had started to spread in the west. Flying God was concerned.
“As a wizard, I have some healing magic,” Flying God said meekly, while averting his gaze. “We’ll have to keep our eyes on this.”

“So long as we don’t have to stop eating bacon,” I began, “you can worry about whatever you want,” I replied.

AGAIN!? Another demand! I had ordered soldiers from 8 to move into 6 to fortify our positions. I again told Strong Winged to fuck off.

Another invasion. Another Victory.

I travelled downtown to take a look at the local talent. With so much strife I needed some more bandits to help me out. I was intimidated by a Lady named “Ten Foot Snake.” She had refused to join and I was glad, with a name like that I feel we might be getting more than we could handle.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fast-paced fighter where every battle is larger than life. If you’re ready to throw down with Superman and the gang, this Kickstart Guide might be the Kryptonite you need to pound your adversaries into submission.

Understand Your Surroundings

Every stage in the game features a number of environmental objects to interact with, from throwable bombs, to motorcycles you can ride to run people over. At first, the temptation is high to simply mash on the Interact button when the icon appears by your health bar. However, this tactic falls apart quickly when a lack of familiarity can cause button mashers to blindly whiff a kick or attack in the wrong direction.

To get the most out of these weapons, you really should take the time to learn the properties of every object and understand how each character interacts with them. For instance, a Power class character such as Doomsday may throw a car, while a Gadget character like Batman may attach explosives to that same car instead.

Also, think about specific scenarios where interacting with a specific object will be more beneficial at a certain point in the match. As an example, all of the objects that you kick people into work much better as a combo extender rather than as a reckless initial attack. The former is guaranteed additional damage while the latter is a risk that your opponent can punish. Spend some time in training mode to determine the best use for each.

While you’re learning how to dish out the pain, remember that your opponent can also use these objects against you. These attacks are unblockable, but they’re all avoidable or preventable too. When you see your opponent close to one, be ready to employ some sort of countermeasure, such as jumping out of the way, so that you don’t take a car to the face.

String Theory

Combos don’t begin and end with the predefined combo strings on the moves list. When used in tandem with other strings, special moves, normal moves and interactive object attacks, short strings can extend into brutal ballets of offensive destruction. The trick is to determine how to piece all of these tools together.

In general, strings that knock someone into the air, bounce them off a wall, or bounce them off the ground are best used at the beginning or middle of a combo. These leave your opponent in a state where you can continue the flurry. Special moves and normal moves can oftentimes be used to bridge the gap between strings. Conversely, strings, special moves, or super moves that knock foes to the ground or out of reach work best as finishers.

With this basic understanding of combo construction in mind, get creative and piece together as many different sequences as you can in training mode. Once you’ve mastered a few against the training dummy, try them out on a live opponent!

The Clash

The Clash System is one of the game’s more confusing gameplay mechanics. How does it work? When your opponent is hitting you with a combo and you’re down to your red health bar, you can use a clash by hitting forward and the meter burn button. This acts as a combo breaker and as opportunity to gain life back if you have more EX meter than they do. Each player can use a clash once per match.

When is it a good time to use it and when should you leave it alone? Though it’s still early in the game’s life to ultimately determine the best uses for it, here are a few safe bets.

If you find yourself in a situation where your opponent’s combo will cost you the match, use it. At worst, you lose some meter, while resetting character positioning and saving yourself from imminent defeat. An opponent cannot win through a clash, so using it at this point will give you at least one more shot at redemption.

If you’ve still got most of your second health bar and your opponent has started a combo, save it for later. You can actually run into a situation where you won’t gain all the health you should have earned upon winning the clash because the second health bar can’t go higher than 100%. In general, wait until you’re really down on your luck to use it.

Also keep an eye out on your opponent’s EX meter. If you have the EX meter advantage, consider clashing while you’re ahead to easily regain upwards of 33% of your health back. In particular, they’re most vulnerable to losing a clash right after they execute their super move. Using one at this point can essentially negate the damage that their super just dealt.

Totally Crossed Out

Unlike Mortal Kombat before it, Injustice uses Street Fighter-style directional blocking. This opens the door for cross-up attacks, which are a powerful tactic in almost every fighting game. Understanding how they work will be key to laying the smackdown on your foes.

Cross-up attacks occur when an opponent hits you from behind. The most common scenario for this maneuver happens when someone executes a jump-in attack that hits from behind during the downward arc of their jump. In the image below, Batman is crossing-up The Flash with his jumping medium kick.

These attacks are effective because blocking cross-ups can be confusing. Referring back to the image, Batman was jumping from left to right, which would normally mean that The Flash would hold right on the d-pad or joystick to block the ensuing attack. However, as illustrated in the image, Batman actually makes contact when he is to the right of his opponent. In this scenario, The Flash would have to hold the d-pad or joystick to the left in order to block it. It may take some time to grasp the concept, though doing so will make your defence considerably stronger.

Not every move can act as a cross-up, and the ones that do require strict timing and spacing to execute. It’s highly recommended that you spend some time in training mode to determine which moves have this property. If you want to get fancy, you can even turn on the hitbox view to visually see whether an attack’s hitbox intersects the back side of your opponent’s hurtbox. Using a mix of straightforward and cross-up attacks will greatly increase your chances of landing a successful opening hit.

Justice For All

The path towards Injustice: Gods Among Us dominance is rife with evildoers chomping at the bit to take you down. This Kickstart Guide isn’t a substitute for super powers, though they could make a valuable addition to your utility belt. Next time you enter the fray, have these pro-tips handy, because this knowledge may be the difference between victory and defeat.

I stopped downtown and a feeble old man was pick pocketing some children. After watching him successfully steal some sticky coins and a half torn edition of Mad Magazine, I knew that this was someone who I needed in my bandit camp.

He went by the name White Tiger, presumably because he was old. Really old. I mean, he remembers even more ancient China old. “Hey friend,” I began, “You seem like the type of scumbag rogue that I could use in my struggle against government oppression!”

“Oppression eh? Ever since Evil Gao Qiu cut medicare and social security I can’t make ends meet! I’d be happy to lend my special blend of talents: Telling kids to get off my lawn, if I had one, reminiscing about the good ol’ days, and walking uphill in the snow,” He stated in a raspy voice.

“Great! Let’s head over to the swamp where the rest of my criminal gang lives!”

After a few months went by I held a meeting with my top level subordinates. Corpse Defiler and Split Spear even came in from prefecture 6 to join in.

“Greetings Gentlemen and Dwarf Tiger, thank you for joining me today to discuss our plans to conquer the north. Last time we made a fatal error; we left ourselves exposed on two fronts and we did not have the resources to survive. This time I have a different plan. We have great military might in prefecture 6, we need to send that force into 5 and finishing conquering the lands of the Bandit King Leopard Headed. This task I am leaving up to Corpse Defiler.”

Corpse Defiler was surprised at the promotion and the faith that I had in him. “Thank you Blue Faced Beast,” He said. “Please disregard what I’ve said about you in the past. I will send my best and whoever else is sober enough to make the journey against Leopard Headed.”

“Thank you Corpse Defiler,” I replied, glad that he was up to task. “Once we have captured Leopard Headed and secured prefecture 5, I will send our main forces into prefecture 4 and meet Dick head on! Helmet to Helmet! Shaft to shaft!”

Those present erupted in cheers. Morale was high, and I believed my plan would succeed. Corpse Defiler and Split Spear left the next day to begin preparations. I awaited word of their success…

From the journal of Corpse Defiler, Commander and Chief of the First Northern Bandit Force:

July 23rd, 1114

We arrived back home and the bandits were excited about the news. War! We were entrusted to start this thing and we were ready. I informed those who would be going and those who would be staying to watch over things. White Tiger was upset at not being selected. That crazy old man rambled on and on about how 70 years ago he murdered 10 trolls with his bare hands – I mean, we didn’t take him seriously but Dwarf Tiger looked like he shit his pants! I need to keep those two separated. White Tiger can stay here and count the migratory birds and yell at the Sun for staying out so late and preventing him from getting to bed on time.

August 1st, 1114

We made our preparations and we left for prefecture 5. Tomorrow the fighting will begin.

Another swamp! Bandits love making their home in swamps. Leopard Headed is no different in that respect.

Our forces approached from the south. ‘Chicken’ Headed did not show himself at this time. Only a meek force of 300 defending the swamp castles.

Platform | Release Date
PC | October 23, 2012
Developed by Dennaton Games
Published by Devolver Digital

The Pitch:

Hotline Miami is a high-octane action game overflowing with raw brutality, hard-boiled gunplay and skull crushing close combat. Set in an alternative 1989 Miami, you will assume the role of a mysterious antihero on a murderous rampage against the shady underworld at the behest of voices on your answering machine. Soon you’ll find yourself struggling to get a grip of what is going on and why you are prone to these acts of violence.

“Question One: Do you like hurting other people?”

This query resonates as a central thread through the exquisitely bloody tapestry of Dennaton’s Hotline Miami. After working its way to the top of my backlog queue, it was time to find out why so much praise had been lavished on it through media and word of mouth. After a playthrough, I can honestly say that every compliment this game has received is completely justified.

Hotline Miami is dark, 1980’s noir as a video game. Compared repeatedly to Nicholas Refn’s provocative thriller “Drive”, Hotline tells the story of a nameless “protagonist” who is tasked with performing seemingly random acts of violence doled out by anonymous callers on his answering machine. He is also occasionally harassed by strangers in animal masks who probe him with vague questions.

The game’s narrative comes together in bits and pieces floating amidst a sea of red. Each mission in Hotline Miami is an exercise in precision violence. Playing like a classic top-down shooter in fast forward, or a microcosm of the original Grand Theft Auto, you must navigate each stage as quickly as possible while gruesomely dispatching your enemies and avoiding imminent death. You’ll don various masks which render an “identity” to your character for the current mission, and also bestow a particular bonus such as extra speed, starting with a weapon, or granting extra ammo. You are always outnumbered and outgunned at the start of a mission, so these bonuses can be a boon when the odds are stacked against you. Plus, killing Russian mobsters in a rubber horse mask is pretty sweet.

As you take on the criminal organizations of Hotline Miami you’ll quickly learn the ropes of its brutal combat system. Smashing, stabbing, dismembering, scalding, and crushing are all fair play, and that is before you even pick up a gun! By the time you finish a level, it will look like a 16-bit Jackson Pollack painting made of corpses. Much of that blood spilled could be your own, however, as the game has a pretty hefty difficulty curve. Similar to titles like Super Meat Boy, you’ll experience numerous deaths by trial and error until you’ve choreographed the perfect crime scene. Luckily Dennaton has captured the “instant respawn” rhythm and things never feel tiresome or frustrating.

On the subject of rhythm, this game has one of the single best soundtracks I’ve heard in years. If you’ve ever loved a keyboard solo, you owe it to yourself to listen to the OST. The music perfectly sets the mood in between missions with grungy bass lines and odd effects, and delivers pulsing beats and hypnotic loops during missions while you complete your grim tasks. It adds an extra layer of grimy audio and reinforces just how filthy and dark the game world feels.

I can’t say enough good things about Hotline Miami in this short write up. It’s a simply a great game. It manages to perfectly capture an old school vibe in the dark and unsettling world Dennaton has created to encapsulate the story they tell. Anyone with a PC (gamepad highly recommended), PS3, or Vita that appreciates modern games rooted in classic sensibilities should download this game as soon as possible and give it a try, even if it’s only to hear one of the best video game soundtracks of the past five years.

Platform | Release Date
360, PS3, PC | April 16, 2013
Developed by Southend
Published by Deepsilver

The Pitch:

Sharpen your axe, string your bow, brew your potions! Ancaria needs heroes like you. Grab your friends to join the resistance!

The once peaceful land of Ancaria is in grave danger. The evil Ashen empire has enslaved its population and is using the orc-like Grimmoc to wipe out the Seraphim, who swore to protect it. In order to defeat the empire you will have to prove yourself as a warrior by riding terrifying mounts, acquiring earth shattering skills and looting powerful weapons and valuable treasures. Grab your friends and join the resistance!

Platform | Release Date
PS3, Vita | June 26, 2013
Developed by Drinkbox Studios
Published by Drinkbox Studios

The Pitch:

Carlos Calaca has kidnapped El Presidente’s Daughter, and he plans to sacrifice her in order to merge the World of the Living with the World of the Dead.

Juan Aguacate, an agave farmer who stumbles upon a Legendary Luchador mask, must find the strength and courage to become the Hero he’s always dreamed of being and put a stop to this. Not for you, not for Calaca, but for El Presidente’s Daughter, the most beautiful girl in the entire world.

Platform | Release Date
360, PS3, Wii U | April 16, 2013
Developed by NetherRealm Studios
Published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

The Pitch:

Injustice: Gods Among Us debuts as a bold new fighting game franchise that introduces a deep, original story featuring more than 20 fan favorite, and other less well-known, DC Comics icons such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Harley Quinn, Solomon Grundy, Nightwing, Cyborg and others. Set in a world where the lines between good and evil are are blurred, players will experience heroes and villains engaging in epic battles on a massive scale.

For your collecting pleasure, here is Episode 02 of Game Hunter, focusing on Greatest Hits games. Episode 02 deals with Green Label and Black Label games, how to spot the differences on game discs, and some tips for buying online. Enjoy!

Look for new episodes, more gaming videos, and written reviews and articles on my blog.

Here’s the letter I sent him:

Dear Five Hued Loser,

I see that you’ve been going from town to town begging for food. That doesn’t seem like much of a life does it? Remember when I spared your loser ass? You know, after I beat you? Remember me beating you in battle? It was kind of funny! I’ve decided to extend you an offer: Come join me and help unify all the bandits. You’ll get to eat!

Love,
Blue Faced Beast

Turns out, my diplomacy skills worked!

With Five Hued Tiger assimilated, it was time to turn north to Leopard Headed. Leopard Headed was known to be exceptionally badass. I expected him to be a worthy opponent.

I decided first to attack prefecture 4, which was lightly defended.

I didn’t send a huge force, but I had confidence in my generals. I also had confidence in the AI, I mean Leopard Headed’s commanders to be exceptionally stupid and give me the advantage. I was right on both counts.

After an uneventful siege, I captured the territory.

“Look at the majesty of my empire!”

Earth is broken. The use of Ark technology has twisted it beyond the point of recognizability. Though the intro to Defiance explicitly sets the game in the ruins of the Bay Area, it might as well take place on “Sci-Fi Planet 2256”. You don’t care about that. Earth, schmearth, let me blow things up and get sweet, sweet lewt.

You are an Ark Hunter, a sort of freelancing treasure hunter-cum-mercenary. Your boss is Karl Von Bach, designer of weapons so extraordinary he’s filled a few planets’ worth of graveyards. Not satisfied, he’s brought a host of you back to Earth in search of Arktech remnants, ostensibly to remake the Earth with the very power that destroyed it. I kinda believe him, even if he is a douchebag, and I’m curious to see where the moderately entertaining story goes.

In between main story missions, there are a lot of things to do in Defiance. It is an open, frequently too vast world. While the game guides you to key missions directly on the HUD, the vast majority of quest objectives are placed directly on the map giving you the choice to accept them or simply drive past on your mount vehicle. Once initially completed, you can replay all non-story missions to your heart’s content whether to grind or to help a player doing it for the first time.

Questing reminds me a lot of Guild Wars 2 but with less variety. Like traditional MMOs, you have to manually accept quests, but they’re scattered all over the map and not stuck in obvious hub locations. On completion, quests rarely require being turned in to get credit. All combat is shared. Any player driving by can stop and help you out, and occasionally I’ve run with players for nearly an hour from quest to quest by happenstance. Some quests use phased objects which you have to trigger but for the most part anyone can chip in and advance progression.

From time to time, you’ll see “Arkfalls” on the map. If you’re close enough to one, they will display on your HUD. These crazy combat scenarios are well worth pursuing for the loot rewards alone, but I enjoy the absolute insanity they provide during peak population. The PC version can support hundreds of players in the vicinity and never slow down or begin to lag, impressive for an MMO in its infancy.

None of this matters if the core gameplay sucks, and Defiance bridges the gap between shooter and MMO very carefully. You have precisely 1 activatable power at a time, from 4 possible choices built around damage, support, and stealth paradigms. Alongside that are equippable and upgradable perks purchased as you gain levels. I’m getting hints of roles players could specialize in, but everyone’s still going to do a lot of shooting.

As a shooter, it occupies a weird space, being a third-person but not based around the all-too-familiar Gears-style cover mechanic. Cover can save your life, but don’t forget you’re playing an MMO. Kiting and dodge-roll evasion are far more important skills to master. Resist the temptation to run-and-gun, because tougher encounters make positioning and tactical flanking critical. My only wish is that characters could automatically sprint, because the default movement speed is abysmally slow and beyond useless.

Complaints aside the shooting feels solid, and the encounters are quite varied despite a limited stock of enemy types in the early hours of the game. I laughed my head off every time my Scattergun shot a mutant back thirty feet, practically shouted when I took down a particularly tough boss, and my eyes gleamed when I got my first elemental weapon. Yes, fighting bullet sponges becomes a numbers game, but I find myself frequently repeating the most mundane quests just because I like the combat. If I’m helping out a stranger, even better.

Randomly exploring the world offers little gameplay benefit but I’ve occasionally driven off in a random direction just to see what I could find. While the textures aren’t much to look at compared to current PC titles, the art direction is a pleasingly different take on post-apocalyptica, with the most colorful things being the most mutated. I’ve begun discovering a number of random missions which aren’t marked on the map that you simply come across as you drive by, giving the world a much-need boost in liveliness.

Outside of an enjoyable romp in a co-op dungeon with a seamless matchmaking system, I’ve spent my time in Defiance alone. Finding a friend, even if you know their name initially appears to be impossible until I was told both players have to be logged in for the search to work. The text and voice chat systems are completely broken. From an experienced company like Trion, that’s disappointing, though PC gamers are used to resorting to third-party VOIP clients. It’s a broken, yet lovable game, but player bases are only so patient. Unless Trion fixes the chat system soon, players hoping to build a clan and meet people through the game are screwed and may give up entirely. The interface is confusing enough it took me 5 minutes to figure out how to log out.

As an effectively anonymous co-operative open-world shooter, it’s a ton of fun. I plan sticking with it for the long haul, and hope that the chat features get fixed before players jump ship. It’s hard to recommend at $60 given the social problems but the vast open-world shoot, loot, and quest loop may appeal to players who want a less frenetic version of Borderlands. The game is paced like an MMO but even single-player shooter fans can find something to like. For those unsure, wait for future updates.

In Fire Emblem: Awakening, the consequences of mismanagement have a way of catching up to you. At first, mistakes such as wasted weapons or sloppy movements can be overcome in the short-term. However, enough poor decisions will eventually drive your warriors to the point where they’re literally too weak to overcome the next mission. Even though I’m a grizzled veteran of the franchise, I almost suffered this very fate on my first playthrough.

Being a tactician in Nintendo’s strategy RPG franchise has never been easy, but it doesn’t have to be impossible, either. This Kickstart Guide will focus on some key areas to help you steer clear of unavoidable doom.

Classic vs. Casual

Before the game starts, you’re asked to choose between Classic or Casual mode. You cannot switch between modes once the campaign starts, so choose wisely. In Classic mode, characters that fall in battle are gone forever. In Casual, allies that lose all of their health will leave the battlefield, but live to fight another day. It’s worth noting that neither option ultimately impacts the difficulty of the game, as the computer on the hardest setting will still dismantle you with no remorse.

Purists will vehemently state that Classic is the only way to go, though I strongly disagree. I believe that the choice is dependant on what matters most to you. For me, I have the most fun acquiring characters and developing them to their full potential. By playing on Casual, I don’t have to worry about perma-death taking that away. However, if you take great pride in leading your troops to victory with as few deaths as possible, then go with Classic.

Frederick and the ugly ducklings

Not all characters grow at the same rate. Frederick is the poster boy for this phenomenon. Every Fire Emblem game features a character like him that is an unstoppable killing machine early on, but becomes a liability when the enemies get stronger and he doesn’t. You’ll probably need him at the beginning to get out of a jam, though you should drop him from your rotation as soon as possible.

Instead, focus your efforts on developing the rest of your team. While everyone seems useless in comparison, most of them have the potential to surpass Frederick by leaps and bounds if they get the right experience. The short-term pain of trying to fight without your best warrior early on will pay dividends down the road when you have an entire team that is more capable than he’ll ever be.

You set him up, I’ll knock them down

Most of your characters at first will have a hard taking down an enemy on their own. This will oftentimes put them in a situation where they’re open to attack on the following turn, which could lead to their untimely demise. However, the ally who lands the last hit gets the lion’s share of XP. Instead of having these weaker characters make the first strike, use your stronger allies to chip away an enemy’s health, then have your weak character make the final blow.

Make love and war

Awakening is far from a dating simulator, though nurturing relationships is critical to your long-term success. Whenever a unit completes an action while standing directly beside an ally, their relationship improves. In the short-term, fighting in this manner will result in two-on-one battles and temporary stat boosts for both allies. With enough time to bond, many allies can achieve an S-rank relationship, which leads to them getting married and having a child. This baby will become your most valuable asset, as their adult selves will travel back from the future to fight alongside their parents. These offspring are a massive asset to your team, as they quickly grow to outpace their parents on the battlefield.

Just like love in real life, the odds of it just happening without making an effort are slim-to-none. Instead, you should actively plan your relationships as soon as possible and then coordinate your units’ movements so that partners are together often. The easiest way to do this is by pairing two units into the same square, though the support unit in this case will get the short end of the XP gain when engaged in battle. Instead, try and plan out your movements so that your duos are standing beside each other when completing actions.

Seal the deal

Master Seals and Second Seals are critical to character development. However, using them at the wrong time can stunt their growth and potentially ruin them for the rest of the game. To avoid this, only use these seals when a character has reached the level cap. By doing so, you’ll take advantage of all the possible levels your character can gain.

Be extra careful with Second Seals, because changing classes can break a character if you do it wrong. There are short-term stat nerfs that your character will receive upon use, though they can be easy to recover from. However, if you switch your character to a class that they have no weapon proficiency in, they’ll have to learn all new weapons from scratch. What this means is, if you convert the strongest mage into a knight, they’ll hit like a child because they have no experience using a knight’s weapons. Pay attention to a character’s weapon proficiency rating before making the switch to ensure that you avoid this situation altogether.

Everyday I’m hustling

There are no shortage of side quests and randomly-generated challenges to experience. I strongly suggest completing all of them as they arise. By sticking to the narrow path, your enemies will outpace you by the time you reach the later parts of the game. Instead, use the side quests and challenges as a means of keeping your team sharp.

If there are no challenges available and you’re in need of XP, purchase a Reeking Box and summon one to the world map. It’s worth noting that the difficulty of a Reeking Box challenge directly correlates with the level you’re standing on when you use it. Using one on later levels will result in stronger baddies, so plan accordingly.

The art of war

While there’s still much to learn to become a master tactician, these tips should help you optimize your approach. Now go forth and save the world of Ylisse before it’s too late!

Hurray! Victory!

The men were excited, their morale was through the roof. They were going to need that enthusiasm to get through what was inevitably coming. We were greatly weakened in the defense of my swamp capital. We had to be very careful about an attack from anywhere at all. At least I was on good terms with the bandits in the area.

There was some very good news though. Our new generals would eventually put us in a position to expand – so long as I could secure their loyalties, hire soldiers for them, train the soldiers, and outfit them in expensive weapons. We had a huge task in front of us. I was counting on my governors to rule wisely while I was busy with the reconstruction.

One of the downsides to controlling more than one territory is that you have to delegate control to your underlings. If those underlings happen to be sworn brothers, you can issue commands directly to them. Otherwise, they will do whatever the fuck they want. Even if it doesn’t fit into you overall strategy. Even if it’s really stupid. Like making enemies when your empire is crippled.

“Oh great” I thought. We attacked Leopard Headed. Or should I say Curly Haired decided to attack him. Leopard is a bandit known for his proficiency in murdering people in creative ways. I had a good idea of how this fight would turn out:

So while we were weakened my moron underlings got themselves killed in an unapproved war. We made some new enemies.

Things weren’t all dog shit though:

Looks like the Emperor heard about me! Maybe it was due to murdering a few thousand of his loyal soldiers.

So, the Emperor is upset at Dick usurping all his power. The usurping is never fully explained but from some research I did on the time period, it’s basically something along the lines of Dick being mildly corrupt. Blue Faced Beast was the victim of this corruption by being put in charge of bringing some noble birthday gifts which were stolen from the common people. When bandits stole the gifts back from the government, Blue Faced Beast was sentenced to death for losing them and decided that rather than have the sentence carried out honorable, he would rather become a bandit.

Speaking of demanding bribes:

Platform | Release Date
360, PS3, Wii, PC | June 26, 2013
Developed by The Behemoth
Published by Microsoft Studios

The Pitch:

Shipwrecked. Captured. Betrayed. Forced to perform for an audience of cats? Wait, what?? You’ve just unlocked the door to BattleBlock Theater! There’s no turning back once you’ve started on your quest to free your imprisoned friends from evil technological cats! Immerse yourself in this mind bending tale of treachery as you battle your way through hundreds of levels in order to discover the puzzling truth behind BattleBlock Theater.

Platform | Release Date
360, PS3, PC | April 2, 2013
Developed by Trion Worlds
Published by Trion Worlds

The Pitch:

Join a futuristic online open-world shooter where thousands of players scour a transformed Earth competing for alien technology.

Create a unique character and level up with diverse customization options. Hunt alone or with others as you improve your skills and unlock powerful modern and alien weapons that will help you survive the massive battles that await in this constantly evolving online world. Explore vast landscapes on a variety of vehicles and lead the charge in huge co-op battles and fierce multiplayer conflicts. Immerse yourself in the world of Defiance as the game impacts, and is impacted by, the Defiance TV series.