Gaming
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Survival Tips

When my father asked me why I was so excited to play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I told him it was the new Skyrim. After watching me spend hour upon hour in that game, he understood. Well, he understood as well as any non-gamer parent can. And my comparison of the two games was fairly accurate. Both contain huge, open worlds based (loosely) on European mythology. Both contain a multitude of quests, dangerous creatures, magic, and so on. You get it. But it doesn’t take a lot of time in the world of The Witcher 3 to realise that it differs from Skyrim in one very clear aspect – its difficulty. Skyrim was a walk in the dragon-infested park compared to The Witcher 3.
Of course, that difficulty is also one of the best things about The Witcher 3 – and the entire Witcher series. But if you’re going to play this game (and you really should) you’ll need to know how to survive. Here are some tips on not dying.
1. Learn how to fight
This might seem obvious, but if you’re new to The Witcher, you might struggle to pick up the combat system right away. So practice fighting whenever you can. After the tutorial, the first thing you’ll have to do is fight some ghouls and then follow your buddy Vesemir on horseback. From here on out, take every opportunity to fight anything you come across (except innocent peasants, of course). Don’t worry too much about following Vessemir. If you stop to take care of some Drowners, he’ll patiently wait for you. Remember, practicing fighting is the whole reason for White Orchid’s existence. It’s full of lower-level monsters for you to use to get the hang of combat.
2. Use the bestiary
Every time you kill a new monster, it will get an entry in Geralt’s bestiary. It will show you the monster’s weaknesses. Now, you might be wondering how that’s any use to you if you’ve already killed one. It’s actually useful in two ways. First, you’ll likely have to face more of those monsters in the near future, so knowing the best way to kill them will obviously help with that, and second, it can help you infer the weaknesses of other, similar monsters. For instance, you might be able to work out from the fact that Drowners are weak to the Igni sign that you should also use that sign on water hags.
3. Loot everything
And I mean everything. If you can get it without it counting as stealing, take it. Take it all. Trust me, you’re going to need it.
Above all, be sure to have food in your bag at all times. Snacking on a ham sandwich in the middle of combat may be what saves your life.
4. Quen. Always Quen.
Quen is a magical shield. Cast it before every battle. It will absorb damage whenever you’re hit. How much it can absorb depends on how you’ve upgraded it. This sign is useful against pretty much every opponent because it will always take at least one hit for you. Enemies can’t get to your health bar until they break it, so you can see why it’d be useful. But don’t rely on it too heavily. Its effectiveness depends on how quickly you can keep on recasting it, and that might be difficult against an enemy that can break it with one hit.
5. Don’t let your guard down
Even if things are starting to feel a little easy, don’t let your guard down. The minute you start to feel like you can relax and that Geralt can just have a pleasant stroll through the meadows is the minute The Witcher 3 will turn around and bite you in the backside. Treat every fight like you’re on the verge of dying, because you probably are.
6. Don’t get hit
That might be easier said than done, so it won’t hurt to get yourself accustomed to Geralt’s dodges. He can dart quickly out of the way, or he can roll away like a ninja. Both are good, but rolling will use up some of your stamina, which may make casting signs difficult. Don’t get into the habit of button mashing your way to victory, because it won’t last. Blocking is good in some cases, but remember that the best way to avoid being stabbed, bitten, or clawed is to simply not be there. It’s tempting to run Geralt into combat swinging his sword like a madman, but that’s probably only going to get you killed. As I mentioned before, always stay on your toes. If you see your enemy about to attack, get out of their way.
When you’re playing as Ciri, it’s a little harder because you won’t have access to items or signs. Ciri’s main advantage is that she’ll heal after each battle automatically and, my favourite, her magic teleport thing. Where Geralt rolls out of the way, Ciri does this quick dash-teleport thing. It’s ridiculously fast and will get you out of a lot of tight situations. I wish Geralt could do it.
Gaming
Battle Pass for Crash Team Rumble is not necessary to unlock new characters; the upcoming closed beta

The competitive multiplayer spinoff of Crash Team Rumble, which will be available on both the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, will debut on June 20. A closed beta for the game will be held in the coming weeks, and the good news that character unlocks won’t be dependent on Battle Pass progress was just revealed.
Publisher Activision made its intentions very clear in a lengthy blog post, writing, “New heroes and powers will be unlocked through in-game challenges rather than being connected to the Battle Pass because we want every player to have a balanced experience while enjoying the N. Sane fun that Crash Team Rumble has to offer.” “For those who wish to get a WUMP on the season’s newest looks, Battle Passes will solely reward cosmetic goods; however, cosmetics will still be earnable through participation in seasonal events.”
Those who preorder the platformer/battle royale mix can take part in a limited beta between April 20 and 24. For those who want to jump right in, online matches against other players and practice matches versus AI bots will be offered.
How does Crash Team Rumble strike you? Will you participate in the closed beta test?
Gaming
Indie Not on PlayStation Wins BAFTA Game of the Year, Beating PS5, PS4’s Greatest Hits

God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring were both beaten out for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award for Best Game by a tiny little independent title called Vampire Survivors, which isn’t even accessible on PlayStation systems. Do you really believe that?
Putting all lightheartedness aside, Vampire Survivors was something of a phenomenon in 2022, and you would have to be living under a rock (or live offline) to have missed it. It burst into prominence and eventually became a favorite among industry insiders. A fiendishly addictive fundamental gameplay loop hides beneath a deceptively simple exterior, earning developer Luca Galante, aka Poncle, this year’s BAFTA for Game Design as well as another honor.
Last up it’s the award for Best Game. Huge congratulations go to… Vampire Survivors! 🌟🦇🌟#BAFTAGamesAwards pic.twitter.com/nnH9xRQkn1
— BAFTA Games (@BAFTAGames) March 30, 2023
There hasn’t been any news of the mega-hit coming to PlayStation as of yet, so there’s probably some sort of exclusivity agreement in place or anything else blocking it. Perhaps one day we will be granted access to it, but until then, console yourself with one of the numerous high-end games on our preferred platform, such as The Last of Us, which won Best Game back in 2014.
In slightly related news, Shuhei Yoshida, a PlayStation legend, received a BAFTA Fellowship, the highest honor bestowed by the organization.
What do you think about the Vampire Survivors’ victory—do you believe it was well-deserved or totally absurd?
Gaming
On May 17, Crusader Kings 3: Royal Court Expansion will be available on consoles

While we felt Crusader Kings 3: Console Edition was fantastic when it was launched on the PS5 last year, we were only able to play the base game. We are incredibly grateful that the great Royal Court extension will be coming to consoles. This is a regal proclamation that we could not be more delighted to make.
It’s pretty difficult to switch back after you’ve experienced the conveniences and enhancements that Royal Court offers to the well-stocked table, as anyone who has played Crusader Kings 3 on PC knows. It’s not just for show; players will be able to use trophies and priceless pieces of art to adorn their throne room, which adds a minor RPG system to an already magnificently complex adventure.
If you haven’t already and like the basic Crusader King’s experience, we highly encourage you to give Royal Court a try. This expansion is the ideal reason to jump back in for another round of backroom maneuvering. Are you going to create your own royal court?
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