In many ways, Sea of Stars feels like a return to what put role-playing games on the map decades ago, thanks to its gorgeous 16-bit visuals and turn-based combat encounters that really capture one of gaming’s most memorable eras. However, that doesn’t mean it offers no modern conveniences, as it’s actually a very accessible game with plenty of creative design choices that make it feel like it fits right into our current times, too. One of the ways in which it adds modern flair is via its unique difficulty system, which eschews the usual Easy/Medium/Hard selections for something more customizable. Here’s how it works.
Similar to the ring system from Final Fantasy XVI, Sea of Stars allows you to customize the game’s difficulty to your liking via various Relics with individual perks and boons that can be toggled on and off at any time. These can be found in the status menu by scrolling down to “Relics,” and the game will give you two very early on, though it’s important to keep an eye out for others you can pick up.
Those looking for an easier experience are likely to appreciate The Amulet of Storytelling, which you’ll have access to at the beginning of the journey. This Relic doubles your overall HP and heals you automatically after combat, making many of the game’s areas significantly easier. However, you’ll also be able to pick up the Artful Gambit a little ways into your quest, which will reduce your HP by 95% and add additional bonuses for timing blocks and attacks properly, making the game much more difficult.
As you play through Sea of Stars, you’ll also be able to pick up Relics that can be toggled on to change the difficulty in less direct ways by offering things like increased sailing speed or shop discounts. Be sure to thoroughly explore and speak to every merchant to be sure you don’t miss some of these important gameplay modifiers, which you can then toggle on or off whenever you feel like you want a more or less challenging gameplay experience.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.