During last year’s Game Awards, 505 Games announced Crime Boss: Rockay City. Nobody knew what the game was really about, as the trailer promised celebrities such as Michael Madsen, Kim Basinger, Danny Trejo, and Danny Glover. After that trailer, we didn’t really hear anything about the game until its recent release. And now we might know why.

On March 28, Crime Boss: Rockay City essentially stealth released on the Epic Games store, with the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 versions to follow shortly this June. Reviews dropped around the same time, and most, if not all, say the same thing: Crime Boss: Rockay City plays a lot like PayDay 2 but much worse. Controls are floaty, missions are more or less the same, and enemies tend to be unfair bullet sponges. Even when a job seemingly calls for stealth, one way or another, it always ends in shootouts. Unlike PayDay 2, Crime Boss: Rockay City includes a single-player campaign and several Left 4 Dead-like co-op campaigns, but they all recycle the same heists and missions as the base multiplayer component. 

Crime Boss: Rockay City’s presentation doesn’t fare that much better. Many critics and reviews state that writing ranges from bad to cringy, and subtitles are rife with grammatical errors that have led some to speculate that they were quite possibly generated by an A.I. program. Even worse, the game has clearly squandered its “star-studded” cast. It’s odd that there’s a fairly major game banking off of Chuck Norris jokes in 2023, but you would at least expect to see Chuck Norris portray some kind of sheriff who storms into nightclubs on horseback as the dictionary definition of “badass.” Instead, he’s just kind of…there. Any actual entertainment value these celebrities could have delivered is also ruined by what gamers are calling wooden (or worse) performances. In fact, it’s kind of a stretch to call the celebrity appearances in this game “performances” at all.

While the game’s truly terrible dialog is enough to deprive any actor of their will to work, there are times when it almost feels like the dialog was delivered via Cameo requests rather than studio sessions. Some of the lines don’t even sound like they were spoken into a proper microphone. The only apparent exception is Damion Pointier, whose audio quality is reportedly suspiciously better than the rest of the cast. Who would have thought that Vanilla Ice would (possibly literally) phone it in?

However, the most notable thing about the game at this time is how weird the whole thing is and how the game is filled with content that is nearly inexplicable and often pretty shocking.

For instance, it seems that there is a glitch in the game that causes a topless version of Kim Basinger’s character model to load instead of the seemingly intended clothed version of the character. What’s particularly strange about this glitch is that an unusual number of people seem to be encountering it, to the point where many wondered if it was supposed to be part of the game. It certainly doesn’t seem like it should be, though a “feature” like that comes depressingly close to matching this game’s general maturity level.

Various other glitches seemingly raise questions regarding the line between bad design and technical problems. The same few character models are repeated throughout, certain enemies feel nearly unkillable, AI companions play by their own rules (of physics), and the game is filled with bizarre side missions and cutaways to seemingly random activities that feel largely disconnected from the rest of the experience. Glitches are one thing, but there are times when you’re genuinely not sure if everyone was on the same page regarding what game they were working on.

It’s worth noting that reviews of Crime Boss: Rockay City are not all doom and gloom. Many critics state the game at least offers a unique blend of different mechanics, including roguelike progression. But even that mechanic finds a way to mess up the finished product. On one hand, roguelike progression offers plenty of perks to give players an edge and make each run easier, but everything soon starts running together, which turns the roguelike mechanics from a blessing into a curse.

The general consensus regarding Crime Boss: Rockay City is the game lacks an identity. It plays too much like other titles — specifically PayDay 2 and Left 4 Dead — to stand out, and when it tries to do something unusual for the genre, such as roguelike mechanics, these ideas end up ruining the flow and pacing. As some have pointed out, even the name “Crime Boss: Rockay City” sounds generic and akin to those mobile games with intentionally deceptive advertising. The identity Crime Boss: Rockay City rests with its celebrity cast, but thanks to lackluster performances, their presence is unwarranted. Many gamers are convinced most people will forget about the game in a few months, and, given current reviews, that seems like a very likely outcome. If you find the time to do so, though, try to catch a few clips of what will almost certainly be the year’s strangest gaming disaster before it becomes little more than a memory.

24. Dungeon Hack

Dungeon Hack, we need to talk. Yes, you refined the gameplay of your predecessors to a razor’s edge. Yes, you’re easy to pick up and play. And yes, your pixel art holds up. But like Tom Cruise’s smile, there’s something off about you. You’re pleasant at first, but there’s just nothing behind those pretty pixels. Dungeon Hack’s randomly generated labyrinths get very old very fast, and its “story” feels as if someone managed to make a Dungeon Master-flavored Lacroix.

The game was licensed by D&D’s creators and uses D&D‘s rules, but aside from the numbers and the wanton violence against certain iconic monsters like Beholders and Mimics, very little about this game really feels like D&D. So If you want to kill both goblins and time, this is a strong choice, but there’s very little else to get excited about here. 

23. Eye of the Beholder 3: Assault On Myth Drannor

The Eye of the Beholder series brought a host of innovations to dungeon-crawling RPGs by blending first-person exploration with an intriguing combination of real-time and turn-based combat mechanics that emphasized timing and cooldowns in ways that are still being used today.

While Eye of the Beholder 3 is certainly solid, it’s also the weakest overall entry in the series with less exploration and a less engaging story than its predecessors. Don’t worry, though. We’ll have plenty more to say about those games in just a bit.

22. D&D Online

Surprisingly, this isn’t the first Dungeons and Dragons MMORPG. In fact, it’s not even the second. But D&D Online certainly has some staying power.

Set in the D&D realm of Eberron (which takes its inspiration from pulp action stories like Indiana Jones and Alan Quatermaine), D&D Online is a solid, fun MMORPG that’s still going strong today. However, like many older MMORPGs, it’s begun to develop a terminal case of “Free-to-play syndrome:” a devastating illness that claims MMORPGs all over the world. Symptoms include content droughts and predatory monetization. A pity we couldn’t have caught it in time. 

21. Neverwinter (MMORPG)

Neverwinter is D&D Online’s over-acheiving younger brother. The one who’s taking extracurriculars and trying to get into a good college while D&D Online has been out of the house and still keeps asking mom and dad for money.

However, unlike D&D Online, which used a version of the tabletop game’s rules that were widely adored by fans, Neverwinter used a more recent (and decidedly less popular) ruleset as its base. So, it pulled out all the stops to prove itself and eventually grew into something distinct and interesting. Unlike D&D Online, which allowed its Free-To-Play monetization to morph into a horrific money hole, Neverwinter has put in the work to manage its condition with plentiful updates and slightly less predatory monetization plans. However, it loses points for paywalling certain classes and lineages. 

20. Eye of the Beholder

All these first-person grid-based dungeon crawlers with timing-based combat have to have come from somewhere, right? Well, behold the grandaddy of the modern dungeon crawler: Eye of the Beholder.

This title’s revolutionary gameplay went on to inspire franchises like Might & Magic and The Elder Scrolls. Innovations aside, the game provides a solid D&D experience, complete with a fully customizable party of four adventurers who must delve into sewers, caverns, ruins, and various other subterranean locales. Eventually, parties must confront Xanathar: a multi-eyed eldritch horror with plans to overtake the city of Waterdeep with the help of his own private army.

Intriguing set-up aside, there’s actually very little to the game in terms of story, which is why it’s not as high on the list.   

19. Menzoberranzan

I hope you like first-person dungeon crawlers, kids. Because the D&D franchise is practically drowning in them.

As fun to play as it is hard to pronounce. Menzoberranzan (Menn-Zow-Bahrr-Ehn-Zann) sends players on a journey to explore a mysterious subterranean world called The Underdark. In the tabletop game, this dark realm beneath the earth is home to eldritch horrors, mad cults, and a tyrannical empire of dark elves known as the Drow. However, if you’re a D&D veteran, you likely rolled your eyes at the mention of the Drow, and I don’t blame you. Their lore ranges from goofy to just plain gross, and it’s all aged like milk. Worse yet is the game’s inevitable appearance of D&D’s poster-elf, Drizzt Do’Urden, who has saved the world so many times at this point in the canon that you’re left wondering why he isn’t doing anything to help out. Then again, that’s something of a common issue in D&D’s Forgotten Realms setting (I’m looking at you, Elminster).

Still, despite the weaknesses in the story, there’s some solid gameplay here. You build a party of two adventurers and go on a quest to explore the Underdark. Even though almost all of the game takes place underground, the game does offer a few novelties here and there in terms of set design. Granted, it’s nowhere near the variations of later titles, but it’s still worth picking up. Especially if you love the gameplay of a certain vampire-filled entry on this list.

18. Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace

D&D has a multitude of different universes to play in. From standard fantasy fare like the Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk to stranger shores like the brutal Dark Sun and magically steampunk Eberron. Not to mention the multitude of homebrewed worlds conjured by the Red-Bull-fueled imaginations of dungeon masters the world over. Enter Spelljammer: a D&D universe that sought to unite all those disparate worlds by having them be literally planets in a galaxy that one could travel via magical starships (the titular spelljammers.) 

 The game makes the most of the setting, taking hints from the Sid Meiers game Pirates! You pick a class and race, hop aboard a magical spaceship, and travel the worlds, trading goods and boarding ships to get at the delicious loot inside. While you can battle ship-to-ship with cannons and magical spells, it’s way more fun to just crash into your enemy, board their vessel, and slaughter everyone inside like a true buccaneer. The game’s graphics and UI have certainly aged poorly, but once you get used to things, it’s a solid title with a lot to offer. 

Pirates of Realmspace is one of the only games set within this magical sci-fi mashup universe so far, which is a real shame. After all, any Deep Rock Galactic player can tell you that nothing is cooler than dwarves in space!

17. Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom

With no character creation and side-scrolling combat that eschews the turn-based tactics the tabletop game is known for, it’s easy to think this is just some cynical attempt to cash in on the D&D property during the era of Arcade beat-em-ups. However, Tower of Doom is more than a cynical tie-in. The game goes to great lengths to capture the spirit of a D&D campaign. 

Taking hints from some of the older editions of the tabletop rules, a team of up to four players chooses between a fighter, cleric, elf, or dwarf (back when that race was the class) to take on enemies across the world of Mystara. Like a real D&D adventure, players could choose their path through the game, taking branching roads to different levels. And the presence of one class or another could even open up new paths or unlock treasures you might otherwise have missed! Add in the furious fun of a golden-age-era Capcom beat-em-up, and you’ve got a recipe for a great time. 

16. Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone

Demon Stone and Dark Alliance offer two different answers to the same question. After all, they’re both PS2-era action RPGs with pre-set characters and a linear story. But while Dark Alliance was content to simply cling to the trappings of D&D, Demon Stone tries to use the game’s oft-overused Forgotten Realms setting to tell a compelling story.

Penned by D&D writer R.A. Salvatore, Demon Stone follows the travels of a band of adventurers united in an alliance of necessity after a battle between orcish armies imperils their homeland. It’s an engaging story with tight dialogue and an endearing dynamic between the game’s pre-written heroes.

Expanded narrative aside, Demon Stone deviates from its ARPG cousin by allowing players to access all three party members and freely switch between a warrior, rogue, and mage at the drop of a hat (and all the unique abilities that come with those classes).

15. Ravenloft: Strahd’s Possession

Pulling away from the wizards and whimsy of the Forgotten Realms, we venture past the mists and into the gothic-horror world of Barovia.

Ravenloft: Strahd’s Possession is yet another addition to the conga line of first-person dungeon crawlers on this list. However, the game stands apart by attempting an honest-to-goodness horror experience in the D&D world. Sure, the vampires, werewolves, and zombies may seem a bit trite compared to modern horror titles, but the game’s brilliant art direction does a fantastic job of delivering a chilling experience right out of a Hammer Horror movie.

It’s also one of the first D&D games to include voice acting, which it employs to great effect. Tormented wraiths wail in agony, fearful villagers mutter in anxious tones and the titular Strahd himself speaks with a cold, imperious contempt that can send chills down your spine (even with the dated audio compression). If you like some fear with your fantasy, Strahd’s Possession will hold you firmly in its grip for hours on end. 

14. The Pool Of Radiance Series

This isn’t just one of the earliest D&D video games; it’s one of the earliest video game RPGs as we know them. That alone would be enough to earn it a spot inthe top 15, but add the fact that these early titles actually capture the spirit and gameplay of the original tabletop game and you’ve got something truly special.

The Pool of Radiance series is commonly known as the “Goldbox” series, as they more or less all used the same engine and had identical gameplay and graphics. Hence their shared place on this list. However, that doesn’t detract from the fact that the series does an excellent job of taking players and their custom party across the lands of the Forgotten Realms (With nary a Drizzt in sight!). While their gameplay and UI have admittedly aged poorly, I would still easily recommend these games, especially now that you can purchase the entire four-game series for relatively cheap. Now if only we could get a full remaster!

13. The Krynn Series

Like the Pool of Radiance series, the Krynn series is a collection of three games available in a single package. Set in the world of Krynn from the Dragonlance setting, this series takes the strengths of the original Goldbox collection and amplifies them with better graphics, tighter gameplay, and a relatively more in-depth story.

Just know that the early entries in the series suffer from dated graphics, even by the standards of their time. Furthermore, the first game loves to throw enemies at you that have special abilities designed specifically to screw with you after they die. So be sure to keep your heroes well-supplied for the perils ahead. 

12. Shadow Over Mystara

The second result of D&D and Capcom’s torrid love affair, Shadows Over Mystara takes all the things that made Tower of Doom good and doubles down on them. There are more characters to choose from, more monsters to face, more treasure, more spells, more equipment, and even better animation! Even the controls feel tighter, with plenty of spells and special moves to experiment with as you fight your way across Mystara to battle the ferocious dragon, Synn.

Sure, the story is effectively nonexistent, but that comes with the territory for most arcade games. Like the Goldbox series, you can usually pick up both Tower of Doom and Shadows Over Mystara together, and they’re absolutely worth it.

11. Temple of Elemental Evil 

Created by Troika Software, Temple of Elemental Evil strives to provide a truly complete D&D experience by translating one of the game’s older campaign books into a fully realized video game. I may be a bit biased putting it this far up on the list, but I absolutely love any D&D game that allows players to make a completely custom party.

On top of that, there are plenty of moments for great roleplaying spread throughout this game, especially in the cities and villages outside the titular temple. Temple of Elemental Evil even lets you select what your party’s collective alignment is, which can dramatically change how your campaign starts. The gameplay is even incredibly faithful to the third edition rules in a way that few games since have matched. 

However, Troika games tend to be great in terms of gameplay and story, but less than stellar on a technical level. The game has more bugs than a flea circus, some of which can even soft-lock your game. The 3d models are also a bit dated, though they still have a lot of charm and the animations hold up. I recommend downloading the Circle Of Eight modpack to get the best experience. That fan-made patch not only stabilizes the game but adds plenty of cut content!

10. Neverwinter Nights

Not to be mistaken with the similarly named MMORPG, Neverwinter Nights is a BioWare RPG that attempts to create a multiplayer-friendly D&D experience where players roll their characters and explore a pre-made story. It’s an idea that a number of notable RPGs that followed would gleefully borrow.

However, unlike games that would later refine this concept (most notably, Divinity: Original Sin 2) Neverwinter Nights only lets you control one character at a time. Any non-player characters on your side will come pre-made and be directed by the game’s AI. While I’m not the biggest fan of that particular choice, the thing that places this game so high on this list is its community. Neverwinter Nights features a robust modding system that’s always been surprisingly friendly. In the decades since its release, fans have created some truly fantastic custom campaigns that you can enjoy alone or with friends. 

9. Dark Sun: Shattered Lands

Your earliest memories are the smell of death and the feeling of cold chains around your neck. The air is alive with the roar of bloodthirsty spectators. Through the bars of your cell, you have just witnessed a terrifying beast rip a gladiator in half. And as the doors to your cage open, you know that you must fight or share his fate.

Dark Sun: Shattered Lands is unique in every sense of the word. Set in the brutal desert world of Athas (where the gods are dead and powerful sorcerer-kings have scoured the earth of greenery in the mad pursuit of power), you play as rebellious slaves, runaway gladiators, and nomadic outcasts looking to find freedom in the desert. 

The game even offers an early version of open-world gameplay that allows you to solve various problems in numerous ways. For example, when you start the game off as a prisoner in the gladiator pits of Tyr, you can either work with your fellow prisoners to hatch an escape plan or gain favor and gold with the crowd to buy your freedom. The game is full of choices, and few of them are presented via the binary of a dialogue box. You’re instead encouraged to engage with the story through gameplay. Plus, the game’s pixel art does a fantastic job of capturing the perils and wonders of the burnt world of Athas. I can’t recommend this game enough. 

8. Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon

Simply put, Eye of the Beholder 2 is the over-achiever of this series in the best ways possible.

The original Eye of the Beholder was fun and all, but it suffered from a common problem among dungeon crawlers at that time: “Dungeon Fatigue.” This condition tragically plagued many early dungeon crawlers, where your choice of scenery was too often “dungeon with gray walls,” “dungeon with brown walls,” or, if the game was feeling really frisky, “hedge maze with green walls.”

However, Eye of the Beholder 2 does away with that issue by opening up its world and diversifying its environment. While there are still plenty of tombs and temples to plunder, there are also unique areas such as haunted forests and a wizard’s tower made entirely of gleaming silver. Meanwhile, the game’s pixel art and moments of dialogue do a lot to elevate the story and create a memorable, if by the numbers, fantasy adventure. 

7. Ravenloft: Stone Prophet

I have to imagine the pitch meeting for this game was just some underpaid intern crossing out the word “Vampire” and writing in “Mummies???” to the uproarious applause of the executives. Mind you, Stone Prophet is still the best part of the Ravenloft duology.

Trading dark forests and vampires for scorching deserts and mummies, Stone Prophet does a great job of making players feel like they’re trapped in a hostile world as they ration water and food across a vast and unforgiving open world. Combat encounters are fast, furious, and fun. Stone Prophet’s companion choices are also some of the most unique I’ve seen in a D&D game. You can even recruit a troll to join your little desert caravan. 

Like the previous entry, this title is rife with grisly, disturbing imagery and excellent audio design. The first few minutes of the game have you talking with a dying nomad whose very body is shriveling and turning to dust before your very eyes. Remarkably, it only gets worse from there. A hidden gem half-buried in desert sands, the only curse you’ll find in this game is the kind you’ll give yourself for not playing it sooner.   

6. Neverwinter Nights 2

Neverwinter Nights 2 does what any good sequel should do: improve the strengths of its predecessor while shoring up its weaknesses.

Thanks to a more dynamic approach to dialogue the likes of which you’ll also find in later BioWare titles like Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect, this sequel offers greater control over your party members and a more faithful recreation of D&D‘s mechanics. Meanwhile, the game remains as mod-friendly as ever, with a strong system for multiplayer and homebrewed story campaigns.

That said, the game’s default campaign does lose some points for having characters that range from milquetoast to just flat-out annoying. That being said, expanded campaigns (like Obsidians’ Mask Of The Betrayer) more than make up for that shortcoming by delivering one of the most impactful and engaging stories in the franchise. 

5. Icewind Dale

I mentioned in previous entries that I love a game with a fully customized party, and Icewind Dale is where that love really began.

The ability to choose things such as your character’s class and ancestry certainly isn’t novel (it’s been around as far back as the Pool of Radiance games), but Icewind Dale goes a step further by also letting you write your character’s biography. A blank textbox waiting to be filled in probably doesn’t seem like much, but it’s fertile ground for a bit of creative exploration. I used it to write my character’s backstories, personality, and even their relationships with other members of their party. I even ended up ‘shipping’ two party members: the dour paladin Konrad The Pale and the laid-back dwarf fighter, Brecka Stonehammer. It’s a great way to get more involved in the lives of your party and make their potentially permanent deaths all the more impactful.

Icewind Dale also makes the most of its isometric perspective thanks to varied environments that are creative and beautifully handcrafted. Alongside standard dungeons deep and caverns old, you’ll also explore a foundry staffed by fire giants, the tomb of a rotting dragon, and even an aquarium that has been frozen over by ice magic, its specimens trapped in frigid stillness for all time. 

4. Baldur’s Gate

When it comes to delivering the D&D Experience, few video games can match Baldur’s Gate.

While previous D&D games offered choices in dialogue, Baldur’s Gate was one of the first to lean hard into the idea of using dialogue to determine your character’s moral and practical stances. Of course, the game was developed by Bioware, and it shows for better or worse. Most of your choices range from “Mother Teresa” to “Skeletor” in terms of binary extremes, but the game more than makes up for that with companions who are a genuine blast to have around.

Just know that this game is also prone to moments of flat-out brutality in terms of its gameplay. That’s especially true during its latter half where it will toss entire swarms of “Save-or-die” monsters at you like Basilisks who will turn party members to stone in an instant. But with some time, preparation, and a bit of meta-knowledge, you’ll come out with a fun fantasy adventure that’s well worth your time.  

3. Icewind Dale 2

In case you haven’t noticed, most D&D games can be split into two houses: The Dungeon Crawlers and the Storytellers.

Storyteller games, like Baldur’s Gate, focus on weaving a compelling narrative with lots and lots of dialogue and choices to get you involved in the story. Dungeon Crawlers, meanwhile, focus more on gameplay, emulating the feeling of mastering combat moreso than classic roleplaying. Some may pay lip-service to the idea of a story, but more often than not their plots boil down to “A magic man did a bad thing, do violence about it.” Even Icewind Dale suffered from that problem. Its story, while engaging, was still fairly bare-bones.

But Icewind Dale 2 doesn’t just tell a good story; it pushes the game’s engine to its absolute limits. Sure, you’ll be fighting mazes full of monsters, but sometimes you’ll be fighting an advancing skirmish to keep a group of ogres from collapsing a bridge, or racing through a gauntlet of biological horrors to stop a mad flesh-shaping wizard’s plans to create the ultimate life form. The game is chock full of these interesting, detailed combat encounters that use the thrill of battle to tell an inventive and thrilling story of revenge, loss, and how ambitions can turn poisonous. 

2. Baldur’s Gate 2

Larian’s upcoming Baldur’s Gate 3 seems to be promising a lot in terms of story and character. It’s an ambitious title that looks to offer an ultimate role-playing experience. So why am I talking about it when I should be talking about its predecessor? Well, even with their budget and modern gaming advantages, Larian is going to find that Baldur’s Gate 2 is a historically tough act to follow.

Every single complaint about Baldur’s Gate isn’t just improved upon in this sequel; it’s mastered. The writing is superlative, as moments of loss will leave you gutted and your characters’ personal triumphs feel monumental. The environments are varied, fantastical, and jaw-dropping even by modern standards. The game is even fully voiced by a litany of ’90s cartoon veterans who, despite their Saturday morning pedigrees, bring heart-wrenching sorrow and overwhelming joy to their performances. Baldur’s Gate 2 is more than a great D&D game; it’s a great game, period. 

1. Planescape: Torment

What changes the nature of a man? It’s the kind of question that seems easy to answer at first, but gets more and more complex the longer you think about it. You can pore over the question like a fractal, picking apart the things that define you like unspooling a sweater. Therein lies the power of Planescape Torment: an adventure that feels less like a video game and more like interactive literature in the best possible way. 

You are an amnesiac undead known only as The Nameless One: an entity who can neither remember its past nor be fully taken by death. Both seem like a bog-standard case of RPG Protagonist Syndrome, but the game uses these two key elements with surgical precision to tell a brilliant story about change, selfdom, and the nature of our place in reality. Each time we play the game we discover something new both in the game and ourselves. And really, exploring an aspect of yourself you may not be familiar with and shaking hands with your shadow to ask it why you are the way you are is the essence of role-playing. Or you can just enjoy the story and beat up some demons. That works, too. 

Nintendo finally released a proper gameplay preview for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and it looks…really good, actually.

The preview was only ten minutes long, but it showcased a few key gameplay additions that will seemingly help define the much-anticipated title. Link’s versatile (and hilarious) ability to “fuse” items together was the obvious highlight of the preview, though Link’s ability to “ascend” throughout the game to reach new heights will undoubtedly play a major role in this game’s apparently very vertical world. Elsewhere, we saw much more of how players can forge some surprisingly elaborate vehicles out of common objects. I wasn’t expecting the next Zelda game to double as a dream K’nex Toys adventure, but here we are.

For as much as there is to say about what is in Tears of the Kingdom, though, it seems telling that this preview immediately sparked quite a few conversations about what we haven’t seen of the game. While there is almost certainly quite a bit of TotK that has yet to be revealed, it’s clear that some fans seem to be setting themselves up to be disappointed by what this game probably is.

For instance, one of the most popular theories about Tears of the Kingdom at the moment is the idea that the game secretly contains updated versions of those classic Zelda dungeons that were notably missing from Breath of the Wild. Mind you, nobody from the TotK team has even hinted at the return of traditional Zelda dungeons, but there is a surprisingly large section of the fanbase that seems to think a lack of information is all the information they need in this instance.

Running alongside that idea is the equally popular suggestion that Tears of the Kingdom‘s new overworld is not only much larger than Breath of the Wild‘s overworld but is filled with incredible narrative and gameplay secrets. Those who subscribe to that theory suggest that those secrets are the reason why Nintendo hasn’t showcased much of TotK‘s world so far. Clearly, they’re trying to hide some incredible spoilers that would ruin the game if we saw them ahead of TotK‘s May 12 release date.

Of course, there are also those theories that suggest Tears of the Kingdom will completely shake up significant aspects of the Zelda lore/timeline and deliver the kind of Zelda narrative that will leave devoted franchise fans talking for years. We’ve covered some of those theories in the past, but there are many of them out there, and most of them are strengthened by how little Nintendo has said about the game’s story so far.

That’s the point we keep coming back to, isn’t it? So many of these fan theories about what Tears of the Kingdom really is are based on the idea that Nintendo is intentionally not telling us about what would seemingly be some pretty major parts of the game. While it’s true that there is still so much about TotK we simply don’t know, the idea that everything that hasn’t been said is a tip-off to some incredible secret feature yet to be revealed seems like dangerously wishful thinking at this point.

Based on what we do know about the game, Tears of the Kingdom seems to pick up pretty much where Breath of the Wild left off in terms of its gameplay design, world, and narrative. Both are open-world Zelda adventures that emphasize survival, crafting, exploration, and experimentation while downplaying (or removing) some of the elements that have defined more “traditional” Zelda games.

Honestly, that seems to be the problem. For as successful as Breath of the Wild was, there were quite a few fans who simply did not like it. They didn’t like its open-world design, they didn’t like the crafting and weapon durability mechanics, and they didn’t like its lack of hallmark franchise features. It’s not a coincidence that so many of these supposedly “hidden” features in Tears of the Kingdom match the wishlists of those who were underwhelmed by BotW. Those underwhelmed fans are seemingly leading this charge by suggesting that TotK is actually this kind of ultimate dream Zelda title that combines BotW mechanics with missing Zelda tropes. Nintendo is clearly just withholding the latter aspects to ensure fans are properly blown away when they appear in the final game.

Yet, everything we have seen of Tears of the Kingdom so far suggests that the game is actually doubling-down on many of the elements that defined Breath of the Wild. For instance, those creative solutions to complex problems that players loved to discover and share in BotW are clearly being catered to via TotK‘s Fuse system and vehicle crafting. Pretty much everything we’ve seen of TotK so far has been designed to highlight the ways it will expand the core BotW experience. It seems to be designed to appeal to those who did love BotW, which, again, does seem to be the heart of the problem for other franchise fans.

Mind you, this isn’t just a case of hopelessly optimistic fans feeling left out of the fun. Tears of the Kingdom does look good, but it also looks strangely similar to Breath of the Wild in many ways. Large parts of the world look similar, the core gameplay is all there, and even the graphics look largely familiar. For a game that may very well be the last major Switch exclusive (as well as a game that Nintendo says will be worth its controversial $70 price tag), TotK does feel a bit closer to an elaborate expansion of BotW than even fans of the latter game may have expected. It looks like the kind of direct Zelda sequel we honestly haven’t seen a lot of throughout this franchise’s history. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but expectations being what they are, it’s easy enough to understand much of the speculation that’s going around.

We don’t know what the final version of Tears of the Kingdom has in store for us, but everything we’ve seen so far suggests that the only thing we can safely expect from the game is a bigger (and likely better) version of BotW. While the game may end up being more than that, anyone expecting significantly more from TotK this late in the game may be setting themselves up for some kind of disappointment.

The Resident Evil 4 remake is nearly here, though don’t be surprised if you’ve been struggling to find its exact release time. For some reason, Capcom has been unusually shy about sharing that information. It turns out that the game’s release time depends on your platform and region.

For instance, Resident Evil 4 Remake will be released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 at midnight on March 24th. That means it will release at midnight for whatever time zone you’re currently in, so some will get to play the game before others. While it’s technically possible to change your local timezone on PlayStation consoles, the process is somewhat convoluted. Many will find it easier just to wait the extra few hours.

However, while the Xbox version of Resident Evil 4 Remake is also scheduled to be released at midnight on March 24th in your local time zone, Xbox gamers can easily change their console’s time zone. That means that the classic New Zealand trick will allow Xbox gamers to play Resident Evil 4 Remake several hours before they are supposed to.

PC gamers are in roughly the same boat as PlayStation fans. The Steam version of Resident Evil 4 Remake is also scheduled to be released at midnight on March 24th in your local time zone, and there isn’t a great way to use the New Zealand trick (or similar methods) to beat the clock on that platform. There are some methods out there that people have had success with in the past, but many of them involve outdated VPN tricks.

You should be able to preload Resident Evil 4 on all consoles as of the time of this writing, but there’s been no confirmation regarding Steam’s pre-load status. Recent Resident Evil releases couldn’t be pre-loaded on Steam (at least not until the final hours), and there’s been no confirmation if that will be the case this time around as well. You’ll want to keep an eye on that as we draw closer to release. At the moment, though, it’s looking like PC gamers will need to wait until release.

That’s a shame considering that Resident Evil 4 Remake is much larger than the previous Resident Evil remakes. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game clock in at around 60-67 GB, so you can expect the PC version of the game to be about the same size.

While we’ll have much more to say about Resident Evil 4 in the coming days, you can rest assured that the wait has been worth it. Capcom set a pretty high bar with the Resident Evil 2 Remake, but they arguably raised it with this incredible update of an already all-time great game. While it’s certainly not the most complete remake of a game that we’ve seen in recent years (much of the game is as it was before), it’s a real treat for Resident Evil 4 fans as well as anyone who has somehow not had the chance to play this revolutionary game.

By now, you probably know some version of the story. The first trailer for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was revealed during the SpaceWorld 2001 show and immediately drew widespread backlash, much of which was directed at the game’s cel-shaded art style. It’s a controversy that has arguably become as big of a part of the Wind Waker’s legacy as the game itself. 

However, to fully appreciate that controversy, you have to look at some of what people actually said about the game at that time. Thankfully (relatively speaking) you can do that by checking out this preserved IGN forum thread titled “Official Zelda Bitch Thread.” Yes, it turns out IGN comments have always been the way they are. Here are some of the highlights (presented without grammatical corrections):

“I can’t beleive what they di dto that Zelda game, just when I was saying that nintendo caters to old school gamers, they go and make zelda look like a frigging puppet show for 5 year olds. Mario SUNSHINE?”

“why why why. what have they done i fell so sad now thats not the joy i was wanting why why why. where is the game that i think is a real world where is my mature zelda this just at right *craws under a rock and dies*”

“OMG!!!! WTF HAPPENED?!?!?!?! Zelda looks like a little weak sissy bitch!! I just saw the movie/pics like 2 mins ago and what a pile of stinking crap!”

While there were positive (or optimistic) reactions to the reveal, comments like those certainly captured the mood at the time. Even Shigeru Miyamoto initially wasn’t a fan of the game’s looks. Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma said Miyamoto “literally cringed” when he saw Wind Waker for the first time. 

Don’t be too hard on those fans, though. If you were old enough at the time, you may have very well been one of the fans who cried for a darker and more mature Zelda game that looked more like this famous GameCube tech demo. Hell, fans today still complain when they think something is an insult to their dark and “mature” palates. It’s why Batman isn’t allowed to have fun and Superman has to destroy buildings rather than rescue kittens from trees. Nintendo said that they even received some letters from fans complaining that the new Link wasn’t sexy enough for their fan fiction desires, which…well, some things don’t change. The fan culture that spawned the reactions to Wind Waker’s looks hasn’t gone away; it’s evolved and spread. 

However, the Wind Waker eventually rose above all that. 20 years after its U.S. release, The Wind Waker is now considered to be one of the absolute best Legend of Zelda games as well as arguably the last great “traditional” 3D Zelda game. While there is a timeless nature to many great Zelda games that makes them easy to return to, Wind Waker’s unique status as a Zelda game that feels fresher than ever can easily be traced back to what its controversial graphics achieved and represented. 

Aonuma and the Wind Waker team dared to disagree with Miyamoto himself because they felt passionate about what they were doing. They had a vision that brought them joy and excitement because it was a vision that they believed in. They were willing to be wrong for the chance to share that joy and that vision with others. Besides, the team also knew that caving into the demands to change the game’s art style would cost an astonishing amount of money and delay the game for years to come. 

Aspects of that story feel downright mythical when you look at them through the lens of modern gaming. Delays can certainly be a good thing, but the modern game production cycle makes it nearly impossible for a team to deliver a project in a reasonable amount of time. The budgets are too big, the production schedules are too unwieldy, and trends that a game was greenlit to chase often change by the time that game is actually released. The Wind Waker team wanted to get a new Zelda game in fans’ hands, even as many of those fans were treating them like traitors.

As simple as it may sound, there’s also something special about the team’s desire to commit to an idea and fight for it. At a time when the infuriating rise of AI-generated art is being fuelled by both a lack of appreciation for what artists actually do and the idea that creativity is just an expensive line item, the Wind Waker team’s passion for something they believed in was the driving force that brought this game to life in spite of the protests and internal concerns. 

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the Wind Waker team was right.

20 years ago, Wind Waker’s graphics felt like an insult to many gamers. It was the age of gritty games and emerging photorealism. Some notably vocal people felt that gaming needed to shed its “for kids” reputation and push for grimy realism in order to get the industry where it needed to be. Whether that reputation was real, or if it even mattered, was less relevant than the popular idea that some were tired of being treated like children for playing games and even making games.

20 years later, Wind Waker’s bright colors, creative designs, and expressive characters feel practically revolutionary compared to the browns, greys, and “photorealistic” joyless designs that have come to dominate the gaming industry. Many trends become tiresome if they stick around for long enough, but that trend is a bit different. Many games that strive for revolutionary looks often feel outdated by the time they’re actually released. They too often let the technical capabilities of hardware or the latest engine be the start rather than showcasing how that technology can bring incredible artistic ambitions to life.

Wind Waker, meanwhile, looks better than ever thanks not just to its art direction but the way all those colors pop on advanced modern TVs usually burdened with rendering the latest filtered piece of post-production CGI or some interactive tour through the uncanny valley. 

Wind Waker’s timelessness isn’t just limited to the beauty of its visuals, though. The Wind Waker team says much of the game was largely inspired by the anime they grew up on, and those visuals are only a small reflection of that inspiration. It can also be found in the ways that Wind Waker offers a kind of classic high-seas adventure filled with exploration, treasures, dangers, and a childish avatar at the center of it all. Actually, the Wind Waker team has said that they almost considered the title to be less of a Zelda game and more of a classic adventure that has Link stand in for the person playing the game. 

I get what they’re saying, but I would argue that Wind Waker is actually a fantastic Zelda game that captures the very things that really make the franchise work despite shedding many of its conventions up until that point. 

Yes, the Wind Waker is quite different from nearly every Zelda game that came before or after. No, not all of those changes were for the best. Many found the constant sailing to be tedious, some of the game’s quests and dungeons felt incomplete, elements of the experience easily became repetitious (especially playing and replaying songs), and some of the game’s 3D controls remind us that it was released in the relatively early days of true 3D gaming. The game’s excellent HD upgrade fixed some of those problems, but Wind Waker remains a game that fans of previous and future Zelda titles are not guaranteed to love. 

When it comes to consistently replicating the feeling of playing your first Zelda game, though, Wind Waker is arguably unrivaled. After all, Zelda games practically exist to not only open a new generation of gamers’ eyes to incredible possibilities but remind previous generations of gamers how great adventure games can invoke something inside of them they thought wasn’t there anymore. 

When you’re young, you’d do anything to be treated like an adult and be allowed to enjoy the things you believe adults are allowed to enjoy. When you’re an adult, you’d give anything to feel the way you did when the world felt as Zelda‘s worlds often do: full of infinite exciting possibilities just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. There is real value in the things that can awaken that feeling, if only for a few hours.

Yes, Wind Waker’s visuals and characters are childlike, but so are we. Those visuals encourage us to embrace our own childlike spirit rather than run from it out of fear that others will see it and think less of us. Anyone who allows themselves to embrace that spirit will find that it’s the perfect companion to Wind Waker’s vast world and the many adventures it holds. The best Zelda games often feel uncharted, and Wind Waker excels at allowing you to believe that there is always something incredible just over the horizon just waiting for you to find it. Not since the days when you pretended a tree house was your ship’s nest has a dangerous journey like that felt so pure. 

20 years later, Wind Waker’s redemption is mostly complete. Selfishly, I even want a proper Wind Waker sequel (due respect to Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass) more than I want the next Breath of the Wild game, though there are obviously many who don’t feel quite the same way. At the very least, though, there is a general consensus that the controversy that preceded the game was at least a bit ridiculous and that Wind Waker is a more than worthy entry into one of gaming’s greatest franchises. 

Wind Waker never needed redemption, though. Not really. It was always great, it was always magical, and if you were one of those who left cynical comments about the game rather than taking the time to experience it yourself…well, that’s really not a problem. It turns out that Wind Waker feels even more special today than ever before. 

The Diablo 4 Early Access beta gave some fans a taste of the long-awaited sequel, but it’s the game’s Open beta that most players are truly excited for. After all, that beta will not only give everyone the chance to try the game (regardless of whether they pre-ordered the retail version or not), but it will finally let us play with all five of Diablo 4‘s starting classes.

Before we dive into a few of the best early builds for all of those classes, here are a few things to keep in mind:

– As before, these builds are based on what we currently know about the game thanks to the Early Access beta, earlier previews, and datamined information. This article will be updated for the retail release of the game.

– This article primarily focuses on the best solo builds since that’s how many people may have to experience the beta until things open up a bit. For co-op players, be sure to always synergize with your partners. If they offer massive single-target damage, you might need to bring more AoE to the party. If you can turn a flexible skill slot into a party buff ability, it might be a good idea to pick that ability up.

– Due to the limited nature of the beta, this guide will primarily focus on Skills and Stats rather than recommended gear and other high-level upgrades that are not currently available. Future versions of this article will feature much more information regarding those aspects of the game.

– Finally, the massive size of Diablo 4‘s skill trees makes it difficult to simply include a picture of the final build. Instead, we’ll be sharing links to a build calculator that showcases the Level 25 versions of each build. Hopefully, more resources will become available in the future that will make it easier to share all of this information.

With that out of the way, here are some of the best builds for every class you’ll find in the Diablo 4 open beta.

Diablo 4 Beta – Best Barbarian Build: Tank of Thorns

Barbarian Build Full Skill Tree

Primary Skills: Flay, Rend, Challenging Shout, Death Blow, Call of the Ancients

A good Flay and Whirlwind “Bleed” build can actually get you through a lot of content as the Barbarian, but I’m opting for a slight variation of that concept that focuses more on the class’ powerful Thorns abilities. 

Thorns are defensive tools that automatically damage any enemy that attacks you. This build is designed to not only maximize your Thorn uptime (and the damage they deal) but your defensive capabilities as well. It’s certainly a tank build, though it’s not as passive as you might think. 

Flay is the obvious basic attack choice for this build as its Combat Flay upgrade allows us to easily generate your first Thorns. Rend is our Core ability choice due to its Bleed synergy with Flay. Those Bleeds will be a big help during boss fights and Elite encounters. 

The Defensive tree is where this build gets really interesting. Outburst not only generates additional Thorns based on our max life, but the upgraded version of that ability grants our Thorns additional bleed damage. Meanwhile, the upgraded version of Challenging Shout increases our life, decreases the damage we take, and generates additional Thorns equal to half of our maximum life. You’ll want to grab all of these upgrades before moving on, as they are the heart of this build. 

We’re skipping the Brawling tree for now and heading straight to the Weapon Mastery section so that we can pick up Death Blow and Enhanced Death Blow. These are the Barbarian’s best friends in boss fights, and they’re also pretty useful against the mobs of weakened enemies we’ll be facing. 

Finally, we’re going for the Call of the Ancients Ultimate, which is basically a screen-clearing smart bomb. It’s one of the best reasons to play as a Barbarian, and it’s incredibly powerful here despite its lack of obvious synergies. 

Just keep in mind that this build can be a little more gear dependent than other beta builds will be. You’re looking for items that increase your maximum health, offer additional defensive capabilities, and, best of all, synergize with your Thorn damage. This build certainly works without the perfect gear, but it certainly shines when you get better equipment. 

Diablo 4 Beta – Best Rogue Build: Shadow Flurry

Rogue Build Full Skill Tree

Primary Skills: Invigorating Strike, Flurry, Shadow Step, Dark Shroud, Shadow Imbument, Shadow Clone

Since I still love the Barrage/Poison ranged Rogue build I previously shared, let’s take a look at a melee version of the Rogue class that is already proving to be incredibly powerful. 

The cores of this build are Flurry and Shadow Imbument. Flurry is a powerful AoE melee ability that unleashes a barrage of strikes on nearby enemies. Shadow Imbument imbues your weapons with Shadow damage that can (among other things) make corpses explode and damage other nearby enemies. Combined, those abilities allow you to unleash a flurry of strikes that turn recently slain enemies into bombs. It’s an incredibly fun and undeniably effective way to deal with larger groups of foes.

The rest of this build is designed to support that core combo. Invigorating Strike helps us keep our Energy levels high (though Puncture is an interesting alternative), while Shadow Step and Dark Shroud offer some much-needed defensive and evasion abilities. Exploit and Malice make our Flurry combo even more powerful (as does the always-valuable Shadow Clone Ultimate). 

Boss fights can be a little tricky with this build, especially if that boss doesn’t summon creatures that you can use your Shadow combo on. I put a couple of points in Precision Imbument (which increases the Critical Strike chance of our Imbued attacks) to help you out a bit against single targets, but you definitely have a couple of flex points in this build that can go towards whatever fits your playstyle. Twisting Blades, for instance, could be a big help during certain fights.

Finally, be sure to increase your enemy Vulnerability uptime through gear upgrades whenever possible. Vulnerability makes this build even better, and while you will gain some natural Vulnerability output via your other abilities, that status effect makes everything this build is already doing that much better. 

Diablo 4 Beta – Best Sorcerer Build: Chained Lightning

Sorcerer Build Full Skill Tree

While there are a few viable Sorcerer builds out there that emphasize Fire, Ice, and Lightning (or a combination of those core abilities), the power of that class’ Chain Lightning ability is pretty hard to deny at the moment.

As it does in many other games that feature similar abilities, Diablo 4’s version of the Chain Lightning spell summons a powerful lightning attack that that then spreads to other enemies. It’s an expensive ability, but it’s pretty hard to beat in terms of pure AoE damage. It also works really well with our basic lightning attack, Arc Lash, which also unleashes AoE lightning damage and can even eventually stun affected enemies. 

With those two abilities handling most of your AoE needs, the rest of this build is designed to offer some additional protection and much-needed single-target damage. For instance, Teleport not only offers additional lightning damage but is one of the best evasive abilities in the game regardless of class. Ice Armor, meanwhile, offers additional protection uptime when you deal damage, which is quite nice given how much damage we’ll be dealing with this AoE build. It even offers a little extra mana regen, which is also nice considering that this build is certainly a resource hog.

Ice Blades and Hydra are two interesting additions to the basic Chain Lightning build. Ice Blades is fantastic against bosses (and helps reduce our cooldown timers), while Hydra is just a generally useful attack that deals a respectable amount of safe damage during most fights. Ice Blades is the more essential of those two abilities, so if you’d rather not put so many points into two Conjuration spells, feel free to swap Hydra out for Blizzard, Ball Lightning, or even just some additional points into enhancements or Arc Lash. 

Glass Canon and Elemental Attunement are two enhancement abilities that just work well with everything else this build is trying to do, though you can swap those out for other enhancements or separate attacks if you just want to experiment with additional possibilities. I like leaning heavily into Glass Cannon given how well it synergizes with Ice Armor, but I’ve seen other versions of this concept work well that don’t take that high-risk, high-reward approach. 

Unstable Currents is our obvious Ultimate choice, and it really does take this build to the next level. Simply spam Arc Lash while that Ultimate is active, and you’ll unleash a barrage of various Lightning abilities that will leave you feeling like you somehow just unlocked a cheat code. 

Diablo 4 Beta – Best Necromancer Build: Blood Mage

Necromancer Build Full Skill Tree

Primary Skills: Hemorrhage, Blood Surge, Blood Lance, Blood Mist, Iron Maiden, Bone Spirit, Blood Wave

Rather than focus on summoning, this Necromancer build leans heavily into the Necromancer’s powerful Blood magic abilities. Those abilities are generally used to offer the Necromancer some extra defensive and healing options, but when you invest all of your points into them, you end up with a surprisingly tanky caster that can deal tons of AoE and single-target damage. 

Hemorrhage is an incredibly powerful basic attack that contributes to the two things this build is most often trying to do: gain life and fortify your caster. It just perfectly synergizes with every other ability we’re picking up in ways that most other basic attacks simply don’t. 

Blood Surge is basically an AoE version of Hemorrhage (in the best ways possible), while Blood Lance is an ideal single-target damage spell that even grants an attack speed buff during boss fights. You could put a few more points into Blood Surge if needed, though this version of the build sacrifices two of those points for some powerful Blood Lance enhancements. 

Blood Mist and Iron Maiden are where this build gets really interesting. Both of those spells essentially create an area around you that not only damages nearby enemies but buffs and heals your character while it’s dealing damage. Honestly, these may be two of the best “tank” abilities that you’ll find outside of the Barbarian class. 

We’re mostly using the Summoning tree to pick up some incredible Blood enhancements, though Bone Spirit looks to be one of those abilities that you can justify running regardless of your build. Hey, who doesn’t want to summon a giant spirit that runs into packs of enemies and detonates itself for massive damage? It’s ultimately a flex ability, though, so if you’d rather stick to the blood theme, consider spending the three Bone Spirit points on upgrading existing enhancements or even acquiring the Spiked Armor skill from the Macabre tree. 

Finally, there’s the Blood Wave Ultimate. It’s the obvious choice from the Ultimate tree, though I could see a higher-level version of this build that incorporates a few more summoning abilities eventually opting for the Army of the Dead Ultimate instead. For the beta, though, Blood Wave is basically an overpowered version of Blood Surge that makes quick work of larger groups of enemies. 

Diablo 4 Beta – Best Druid Build: Werewolf

Druid Build Full Skill Tree

Primary Skills: Claw, Shred, Rabies, Wolves, Blood Howl, Lacerate

To be honest, Druid is the toughest Diablo 4 class to properly build (or even theorycraft) at the moment. Not only are Druids an inherently complicated class, but they’re currently the class we know the least about based on the game’s early previews and datamined information. However, this Wolf build certainly looks like one of the most promising Druid archetypes in the very early stages of the game. 

This is a very aggressive version of the Druid class that leans almost entirely into the Druid’s “Wolf form” abilities. To be more specific, this build focuses on the Wolf form’s intriguing ability to deal poison damage through both powerful single-target attacks and AoE abilities.

It all starts with the Claw ability, which can easily be upgraded with the Fierce Claw enhancement that deals a respectable amount of early poison damage to a single target. That ability also synergizes with Shred: a devastating trio of quick attacks that can also be upgraded to inflict poison damage. With the skills alone, you should be able to deal the kind of single-target damage that many other early-game classes can only dream of. 

Where things really get interesting, though, is when you’re finally able to acquire the Rabies skill from the Wrath tree. That ability not only allows you to quickly poison individual targets but then spread that single-target poison to all nearby enemies. With the right upgrades, Rabies should allow you to convert quite a bit of this build’s incredible single-target damage into equally effective AoE damage. As you can see, we’re also grabbing several enhancement abilities that either increase the damage we do to poisoned targets or grant us some other additional benefit when fighting poisoned enemies. After all, we’ll be fighting a lot of them. 

The rest of this build is designed to offer some much-needed defensive and AoE abilities. Blood Howl is an especially useful self-healing shout that can easily be spammed thanks to an enhancement that reduces its cooldown time whenever you kill an enemy. It certainly gives this build some much-needed sustainability. 

The Wolves skill, meanwhile, not only offers valuable multi-target damage while we’re waiting to acquire Rabies but eventually makes Rabies even more powerful thanks to the other upgrades found in this tree. Again, it turns out that easily poisoning enemies and then summoning a pack of wolves that deal extra damage to those poisoned enemies is pretty good. 

Finally, we’re going with Lacerate as the obvious Ultimate ability for this Wolf build. It doesn’t appear to be the game-changing ultimate that some other classes have access to, but nobody is going to complain about becoming invulnerable and dashing around the area while you deal 400+% damage to anything that gets in your way. 

Just know that the optimized version of this build may eventually incorporate a few Werebear abilities in order to take advantage of that form’s enhanced defenses (something this build currently lacks despite the power of Blood Howl). For that matter, you might be better off going with a Werebear build before level 15 (when you still respec for free) and then pivoting to the Wolf build once you’re able to unlock the Wolves summoning skill.

From there, take the Blue Dial to the altar at the center of the church. Interact with the altar, and you’ll be able to properly start this tricky puzzle.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: How to Solve the Church Window Puzzle

Once you interact with the altar, you’ll notice that you’re now able to “slide” the stained glass window pieces around by manipulating one color at a time. So the Green Dial lets you move the green window pieces, and so on for the blue and red pieces. You’re basically trying to slide all the window pieces into their proper places so that there are no white gaps in the display. What makes this puzzle so tricky is the fact that the colors are initially all mixed up, which makes it hard to see when one color is in the right place.

The easiest thing to do is to pick a color and try to get that color into the proper place. The Green Dial is easiest to start with since the green pieces of glass line up cleanly with the figure at the center of the display. You just need to fit the green pieces near the empty spaces around the figure’s head and upper torso. It should look like this when you’ve got it:

Next, try to move the red pieces into their proper places. One of the primary red pieces runs perfectly alongside the right side of the figure’s torso, which makes it pretty easy to spot. This is what it should look like when the red and green pieces are in the right places:

From there, it’s a simple matter of fitting all of the blue pieces into the remaining white slots. When it’s all said and done, this is what the window should look like:

With the puzzle complete, you can now enter the recently opened door and proceed through the rest of this incredible game.

The Diablo 4 Open Beta is a sampling of the upcoming game’s experience. The limited-time trial will let audiences create ten characters, play through the opening areas, and progress up to level 25. While all player characters will be wiped after the beta, players are still encouraged to max out their adventurers because special awards await anyone who hits specific leveling and progress milestones.

However unless you participated in the Early Access beta, you will only have three days to reach max level and earn a special Beta Wolf Pack cosmetic. Is that enough time? Probably, but you’ll have to work fast and farm a little extra XP.

Diablo 4 Beta: How Long Does It Take to Reach Level 25?

In many level-based games, character levels accrue quickly in the beginning, but that rate slows down exponentially the further you get in the journey. The same is true in Diablo 4. While you can expect to reach Level 5 an hour into the Diablo 4 beta, don’t expect to continue leveling at a similar rate afterward.

Each player who hit the level cap during the Diablo 4 Early Access beta has told a different story, but it will take most players between five to nine hours to reach level 25. Before the beta started, some players estimated beta participants would require anywhere between five and eight hours to reach Level 25, and those estimates have proven to be fairly accurate. However, there are outliers on both ends. Several players reached Level 25 in as little as six hours, while others stated it took around nine hours to hit the cap. Of course, if you are only interested in the Beta Wolf Pack cosmetic and not hitting the beta’s max level, you just need to reach Level 20, which should noticeably take less time.

Classes and builds are two of the more interesting “x-factors” in terms of those estimates, though. Based on the Early Access beta, a powerful AoE Sorcerer build will probably be the fastest leveling combo for those looking to speed through the game. Sorcerers’ weak defenses and steep mana requirements may put off newer players, but their ability to deal absurd amounts of damage to large groups of enemies is nearly unrivaled. Rogues are also quite powerful (though certainly more complicated to learn), while Barbarians were the slowest levelers (though they will be popular among new players thanks to their durability). Necromancers and Druids weren’t available during the Early Access beta, though the former will likely be a much faster leveler than the latter.

Admittedly, dungeon-crawler ARPGs like Diablo 4 are the epitome of “your mileage may vary.” Groups of enemies can ambush you and can provide an extra influx of EXP, and if the RNG gods are in your favor, a random minion or boss can drop a powerful item that makes leveling even easier. But if one troupe of enemies spawns a powerful mini-boss monster resistant to your current build, you can find yourself in trouble. To make a long story short, we cannot guarantee you will hit Level 25 as quickly as others have. For what it’s worth, though, average leveling time reports have proven to be fairly consistent.

Diablo 4 Beta: How to Farm XP Quickly

Thanks to Diablo 4’s level scaling, XP grinding doesn’t work in the same way it did before. Every area you visit automatically adjusts its difficulty to match your character. On the bright side, you will never have to worry about out-leveling a location to the point where enemies dish out less XP. On the flip side of that coin, you can’t visit lands meant for higher levels and farm enemies there either. Still, Diablo 4 offers plenty of ways to power level.

For instance, before you even start playing, set the world difficulty to Veteran. Enemies are tougher on that setting, but they also provide more XP and loot. Setting the difficulty any lower will slow you down. Once you actually start, just play the game as normal. Complete every side mission you come across because they generally provide a ton of XP. Also, don’t forget to fight random mobs you bump into. You don’t necessarily have to go out of your way to grind enemies, but you should kill any monsters you encounter while running from quest to quest. Also, try to adventure in a party of friends or with randos since group members automatically receive buffs that increase you XP gains. You also receive an XP boost if you kill mobs while near other players, but the party XP buff is significantly stronger.

If you really want to speed up your leveling while slaughtering the minions of hell and helping random townspeople, then always take some time to clear dungeons and participate in events. While quests are finite in Diablo 4, you can repeat dungeons and events ad infinitum for both loot and XP. Refreshing and re-running dungeons is a great source of XP for those who aren’t necessarily looking to see every piece of the beta’s Act One narrative as quickly as possible.

However, of all the side activities in Diablo 4, none provide as much XP as Strongholds. Areas such as Malnok, Ostrava, and Kor Dragan are veritable XP farms since you have to wade through tidal waves of monsters to reclaim these areas. Strongholds are challenging, but the rewards are worth the struggle since Malnok and Ostrava turn into towns for NPCs (and since clearing Strongholds adds to your region progress, which provides extra XP rewards). But what happens when you clear Kor Dragan? Then you unlock the hardest (and most rewarding) event in Diablo 4’s first act: The Gathering Legions.

That event doles out a metric ton of XP, partially due to the overwhelming number of enemies you have to face. So you should search for Kor Dragan and free it as soon as you finish the main story. Plus, you can push The Gathering Legions’ XP rewards even further by resting at a nearby campfire beforehand. Doing so provides a stackable buff that increases XP gain. If you can also join a group during that event for another XP boost, and will never want for XP farming locations again.

Unless Blizzard hamstrings the amount of XP you acquire from events, Strongholds, and quests, you can follow the above advice to power level your way to a Beta Wolf Pack cosmetic during the upcoming Open Beta.

Most survival horror games, Resident Evil included, reward players who stick around for more than one playthrough. The strongest weapons and upgrades usually hide behind stringent completion requirements, and the Resident Evil 4 Remake is no different.

Resident Evil 4 Remake updates the classic RE4 experience while also keeping much of what made it beloved, including the ability to unlock unlimited ammo. Well, that’s only a half-truth since the term “unlimited ammo” implies you can turn any gun in the RE4 Remake into a Ganados-gutting machine with bottomless clips. In truth, only three weapons in the game have infinite ammo: the Infinite Rocket Launcher, Infinite Handcannon, and Infinite Chicago Typewriter. Here’s how you can acquire them.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: How to Unlock the Unlimited Ammo Rocket Launcher

Comparatively speaking, the Infinite Rocket Launcher is the easiest infinite weapon to obtain. All you have to do is just complete Resident Evil 4 Remake on any difficulty, start New Game Plus, and then buy it from the Merchant for 2 million pesetas. Aside from the infinite ammo, this weapon is otherwise identical to the standard issue Rocket Launcher. Just squeeze the trigger and watch the Las Plagas bits fly.

In the original Resident Evil 4, the Infinite Rocket Launcher only costs 1 million pesetas. You still need to play New Game Plus to acquire it, though.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: How to Unlock the Unlimited Ammo Handcannon

Unlike the Infinite Rocket Launcher, the Infinite Handcannon isn’t a separate weapon but rather a unique upgrade for the Handcannon. The Handcannon itself is locked behind the challenging Professional difficulty, and you can only unlock that mode by finishing Resident Evil 4 Remake once. Complete Professional difficulty without using any bonus weapons (e.g., the Primal Knife or Chicago Sweeper), and you can purchase the Handcannon in the Extra Content Shop for 1,000 CP. Congratulations, you’re halfway done.

To transform the Handcannon into an Infinite Handcannon, you have to unlock the weapon’s exclusive upgrade at the Merchant. To do that, you first have to purchase all of the Handcannon’s standard power, ammo, reload speed, and fire rate upgrades. All of the mods, including infinite ammo, will run you 540,000 pesetas in total, but you can skip straight to the infinite ammo by purchasing an upgrade ticket for 30 spinels. Once finished, you basically have a handheld bazooka that can stop even a rampaging El Gigante.

While this process sounds daunting, it is actually easier than obtaining the Infinite Handcannon in the original Resident Evil 4. In that game, you had to master the The Mercenaries mode and beat all four stages with all five characters (all with five-star ratings). However, that only nets you the Handcannon. You still have to upgrade the weapon to max out its ammo capacity, but doing so runs you 790,000 pesetas instead of 540,000 pesetas.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: How to Unlock the Unlimited Ammo Chicago Sweeper

Out of all the weapons in the Resident Evil 4 Remake, the Infinite Chicago Sweeper is arguably the hardest to acquire.

Like the Infinite Handcannon, the Infinite Chicago Sweeper isn’t a weapon so much as it is a fully-modded firearm. However, if you thought the path to the Handcannon was difficult, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

This time around, you need to complete Resident Evil 4 Remake on Professional difficulty with an A Rank (i.e., in under 7 hours). If you succeed, you can purchase the base Chicago Sweeper for 1,000 more CP. As with the Handcannon, though, you need to kit the weapon out before its ammo magazine can start defying physics.

As before, you need to unlock all of the Chicago Sweeper’s upgrades at the Merchant before you can purchase its ultimate enhancement (i.e., the infinite ammo cheat). This process will run you 660,000 pesetas, but as with the Handcannon, you can buy an upgrade ticket for 30 spinels, which lets you unlock infinite ammo without the other upgrades. Not only does infinite ammo exchange the Chicago Sweeper’s magazine for a drum, but it also lets you blow away all the mooks you see without ever taking your finger off the trigger. Capiche?

In the original Resident Evil 4, the Chicago Sweeper goes by the name Chicago Typewriter. However, the two weapons are functionally identical; they even sport unique “reload” animations if you pair them with the special Pinstripe outfit. Unlike the Chicago Sweeper, the Chicago Typewriter is much easier to acquire since you only have to beat Assignment Ada in the GameCube version or Separate Ways in subsequent versions. Then you can just buy the weapon for 1 million pesetas. Furthermore, unlike the Chicago Sweeper, infinite ammo comes standard with the Chicago Typewriter (no upgrades necessary).

Resident Evil 4 Remake: How To Unlock Unlimited Ammo With the Cat Ears

Finally, you can unlock Unlimited Ammo for most weapons in the game by purchasing the Cat Ears accessory. While the Cat Ears sadly don’t work for the RPG, you’ll gain unlimited ammo for every other weapon while you’re wearing them.

To unlock the Cat Ears, you’ll first need to beat the game on Professional Mode with an S+ rank. Do that, and you’ll be able to purchase this wearable cheat code for 2000 CP from the Extra Content shop.

Optional costumes are nothing new in video games. Unlockable outfits have been a part of the gaming experience for almost as long as the concept of unlockables. So far, the Resident Evil remakes have been killing it with their special outfits, and Resident Evil 4 Remake continues this trend.

As you play through the game, Leon S. Kennedy and Ashley Graham go through several costume changes. You can make these alternate outfits permanent if you want, but you have to purchase their requisite skins first. Resident Evil 4 Remake also includes some more special costumes players can switch out for Leon’s and Ashley’s normal duds, in addition to accessories that change things up (and we don’t just mean in terms of Leon’s style).

Here are all of the costumes you can obtain in Resident Evil 4 Remake.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: How to Unlock Every Leon Costume

Jacket

Leon starts his adventure wearing a jacket, but he loses it partway through the game. If you want him to keep his jacket for the entire journey, you can purchase this costume in the Extra Content Shop for 500CP after finishing the main story.

Jacketless

The flipside of Leon’s Jacket costume, Jacketless is just Leon without said jacket. As previously stated, Leon eventually loses his jacket during the campaign, but if you’d rather start the story without one, you can purchase this outfit in the Extra Content Shop for 500CP after finishing the main story.

Pinstripe

It’s not easy pulling off the 1920s gangster look, but Leon does so with style. And if you pair this costume with the Chicago Sweeper weapon after unlocking its infinite ammo drum, Leon will pull off his best Michael Jackson impression when trying to reload it. This costume will run you 2,000CP in the Extra Content Shop, but you have to finish the main story before you can buy it.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: How to Unlock Every Ashley Costume

Jacket

As with Leon, Ashley first appears with a jacket, but she eventually loses it. If you want her to keep the jacket throughout the game, you can purchase this costume for 500CP after finishing the main story.

Jacketless

Ashley eventually loses her jacket (like bodyguard, like damsel in distress). If you would rather she never wear one in the first place, you should buy this outfit for 500CP after completing the main story.

Suit of Armor

While most outfits in Resident Evil 4 Remake are merely cosmetic, the Suit of Armor is fashionable and functional. Well, it might not be the height of fashion, but it still makes Ahley immune to all attacks and impossible to kidnap, which makes the escort missions infinitely easier. To acquire this Easy Mode cheat, you have to complete the game on Hardcore with an A rank, then buy the armor in the Extra Content Shop for 2,000CP.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: How to Unlock Every Cosmetic Accessory

As you progress through Resident Evil 4 Remake, you can purchase different accessories that stack on top of character costumes. You can find these items in the Extra Content Shop for 500CP each, but you first have to meet certain requirements:

Complete the Main Story

– Lexington Glasses

– Frameless Sunglasses

– Cat Eye Sunglasses

– Face Guard

– Skull Mask

– Eye Patch

– Round Sunglass

– Foam Mask

– Flight Cap

Complete the Game on Standard or Higher with an A Rank

– Square Glasses

– Iron Helmet

– Knitted Hat

Complete the Game on Hardcore or Higher

– Round Glasses

– Flight Helmet

– Surgical Mask

Resident Evil 4 Remake: How to Unlock Every Non-Cosmetic Accessories

While most accessories are cosmetic, a few provide some tangible bonuses that make Resident Evil Remake easier. Each item costs a whopping 2,000CP, and you have to overcome some pretty stringent challenges to earn the right to purchase them as well. Here is what each item does and how to unlock them:

Wolf Tail

This accessory increases your melee attack damage. Finish the game on Assisted with an S Rank to unlock it.

Deer Antlers

This accessory increases your knife’s attack power. Finish the game on Standard with an S rank to unlock it.

Chicken Hat

This accessory decreases the amount of damage you receive. Finish the game on Hardcore with an S rank to unlock.

Gas Mask

This accessory turns on aim assist. Finish the game on Professional to unlock it.

Cat Ears 

This accessory unlocks infinite ammo for non-RPG weapons. Finish the game on Professional with an S+ rank to unlock.

Every Resident Evil 4 Remake DLC Outfit

The vast majority of costumes and accessories are freely available in Resident Evil 4 Remake if you have the patience and skill, but Capcom is also offering a few special items in a DLC pack. These include the Casual and Romantic couple costumes for Leon and Ashley, the Hero and Villain outfits for Leon (which include special filters), and a pair of Sporty Sunglasses.