All the bosses of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are pretty tough, but Lady Butterfly represents a significant change of pace when you encounter her in Hirata Estate. She’s a brutally fast boss who deploys ranged attacks against you, and who has some illusion-based tricks up her sleeve that are tough to deal with.

You’ll find Lady Butterfly at the end of the Hirata Estates level. The fight is broken into two parts, so note that while you might pull off a deathblow on her, she’s not down for the count. The second part of the fight sees Lady Butterfly up the ante significantly with new moves and faster attacks, so you’ll need to be on your game with your deflections to survive. But the most effective way to take her down is with consistent attacks that get under her guard.

Read on to find everything you need to know to defeat Lady Butterfly below and in the video above, including where to find some items that’ll give you an edge against her and her illusions. We’ve got lots more Sekiro guides for your perusal as well, including ones on where to find key early-game prosthetics, and how to beat Juzou the Drunkard, the Chained Ogre, and the Blazing Bull.

Whittle Down Her Vitality

Lady Butterfly is made of heartier stuff than the enemies you’ve faced before her. You can’t break her Posture just by outfighting her–at least, not at first. You’ll need to damage her Vitality some or she’ll keep quickly recovering Posture, and you’ll never be able to break her guard. To do that, you need to get some attacks through her defenses. The best way is to parry some of her close-range attacks, then follow up with a quick counter of your own. You can also watch for her to jump into the air on her wires and come down with a Perilous attack. You should be able to easily retreat from the attack or dodge backward to get clear of it, and it leaves her open to a few blows before she goes back on the offensive.

Pack Your Shuriken

When Lady Butterfly hops up into the air, she’ll usually come at you with some deadly kicks or knife-throws. This is actually a solid opportunity to deal some damage to her Vitality and Posture and get in close for a few quick blows as well. Throwing a Shuriken while Lady Butterfly is jumping through the air (and not standing on a wire, specifically) can knock her back to the ground, leaving her very vulnerable to a follow-up attack. You might want to let her try to pull her Perilous air attack, since you can generally dodge it easily and get some strikes in afterward, but knocking her out of the air with Shuriken is highly effective. We’ve got all the prosthetics and where to find them in our guide.

Block Her Ranged Attacks

Lady Butterfly is different from most other bosses you’ve seen so far, in that she’ll stand back and throw blades at you from time to time. These can be blocked and deflected, but only if you see them coming, so keep your guard up. She’ll often throw blades before coming in for a close-range attack, too, so keep an eye out for deadly patterns that start with incoming knives.

Dodge Close And Strike

You’ll find that Lady Butterfly is sometimes a bit slow on realigning to catch you if you dodge to the sides of some of her attacks, especially her kicks. That means you can stay close and get in extra attacks, especially in the first phase of her fight. Be careful not to overextend yourself in attacks, but if you can get in a few deft slices, dodge again, and slice a few more times, you can do a lot of damage very quickly and make the fight a lot easier on yourself.

Fight The Apparitions

Once you’ve dealt a deathblow to Lady Butterfly, you’ll enter the second phase of the fight, in which she brings ghostly apparitions out to battle you. These guys aren’t especially deadly, but there are a lot of them, and they can be very distracting as Lady Butterfly goes running around, attempting to hit you. The good news is, you can drop ghosts immediately with Shuriken at range or with one hit from your sword, and they’ll usually drop Spirit Emblems if you need some.

The trouble is, eventually Lady Butterfly will turn the apparitions into spectral butterflies, which can track you and deal damage even through your block. The more apparitions on the screen when she summons the butterflies, the more you’ll have to deal with. You have a few options for dealing with these. The first is to let the butterflies come, and stand close behind a wooden beam to let them slam into that, instead of you. You can also sprint, since the butterflies have a harder time tracking you if you run around the room.

You can also clear the apparitions with Snapseeds. You’ll get one of these from a samurai just outside of Lady Butterfly’s room; more can be found in Underbridge Valley (our guide can show you where). Stand close to the apparitions and use the Snapseeds to make them disappear, without forming any butterflies. Note that you’ll need to be close, since the Snapseeds produce a wave around your body, and it won’t be effective when you’re farther away.

Learn The Butterfly Attacks

In the second half of the fight, Lady Butterfly will sometimes summon spectral butterflies to attack you in the middle of her own attacks. You’ll want to incorporate more dodging into your repertoire to avoid them. If you see her summon four butterflies–first a group of two, then two more–know that she’s about to come at you hard with a series of attacks that ends with an unblockable Perilous onslaught. It’s not too tough to deal with once you’ve seen it once or twice, but the best way to handle this is to dodge back away from Lady Butterfly early to avoid the butterflies, then get your guard up for the rest of the blows. Finish by jumping over the Perilous attack and bouncing off Lady Butterfly’s head to do some Posture damage.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sekiro-lady-butterfly-boss-guide-how-to-beat-the-i/1100-6465864/

If you’re excited about the new upcoming games and updates announced yesterday during Sony’s State of Play livestream, we feel you; luckily, the PlayStation Store has a ton of great deals available to keep you busy in the meantime. The Great Indoors Sale went live on March 15 and features huge discounts on critically acclaimed games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Bloodborne, Red Dead Redemption 2, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, as well as literally hundreds of other titles. And if you’re a PS Plus member, the discounts will be even greater. The Great Indoors Sale comes to an end this Friday, March 29 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, so be sure to pick up anything you’ve been eyeing before then.

It’s also a special week for Elder Scrolls fans–the series is celebrating its 25th anniversary since the release of its first title, Arena, in 1994. Bethesda is honoring the date with major discounts on Elder Scrolls games this week, and both the Xbox Store and PlayStation Store are participating. In PSN, the offerings include The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Special Edition ($24) and its VR version ($39), along with The Elder Scrolls Online ($10) and two DLC options: the Summerset Upgrade ($12) and Summerset Collector’s Edition Upgrade ($21). And FYI, you can also download The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind for free on PC this week through Sunday, March 31.

Aside from these two particular sales, there are plenty of other worthwhile game deals in PSN right now, including Battlefield V, which is 50% off to celebrate the release of its battle royale mode, Firestorm. Its standard edition is selling for just $30 until April 3 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is marked down 85%; instead of $30, you’ll pay just $4.49. Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20-Year Celebration, which has been enhanced for the PS4 Pro and includes VR content, is 80% off; you can get it for $12. These regular weekly deals will end April 2 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.

Shop PSN’s weekly game deals (ends Tuesday, April 2) »

See more of our picks below.

• Battlefield V — $30 (ends April 3)
• Children of Zodiarcs — $9
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided — $4.49
• Distrust — $9.74
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition — $24
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR — $39
• The Elder Scrolls Online — $10
• The Elder Scrolls Online – Summerset Upgrade — $12
• The Elder Scrolls Online – Summerset Collector’s Edition Upgrade — $21
• Forgotton Anne — $12
• Life Is Strange: Before the Storm – Deluxe Edition — $7.49
• Life Is Strange – Complete First Season — $4
• The Mummy Demastered — $13
• Octahedron — $6.49
• Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20-Year Celebration — $12
• Sleeping Dogs – Definitive Edition — $4.49

Great Indoors Sale (ends Friday, March 29) »

• Amnesia: The Collection — $15
• Batman: Arkham Knight — $10
• Batman: Arkham VR — $14
• BioShock: The Collection — $21
• Bloodborne: The Old Hunters DLC — $15
• Borderlands 2 — $5
• Borderlands: The Handsome Collection — $25.79
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate HD — $7.49
• Child of Light — $6
• Destiny 2: Forsaken: Complete Edition — $70
• Dishonored: Definitive Edition — $12
• Don’t Starve Mega Pack — $12.14
• Dying Light — $16
• The Evil Within 2 — $30
• Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition — $36
• Grand Theft Auto V — $18
• Hitman: Game of the Year Edition — $24
• Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition — $17
• Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds DLC — $8
• The Last Guardian — $14
• Layers of Fear — $8
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps DLC — $18.74
• Metal Gear Solid 5: The Definitive Experience — $14
• Metal Gear Solid HD Collection — $14
• Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor: Game of the Year Edition — $12
• Overcooked — $7.47
• Overcooked 2 — $20
• Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight — $42
• Red Dead Redemption — $12.89
• Red Dead Redemption 2: Special Edition — $60
• Slime Rancher — $12
• Soma — $15
• Trine 2: Complete Story — $5
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Complete Edition — $20
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus — $36
• Wolfenstein II: The New Order — $12

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-of-the-best-ps4-game-deals-available-on-psn-th/1100-6465853/

Six months ago, developers Guard Crush Games (Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap) and Lizardcube (Streets of Fury) announced the latest instalment in Sega’s classic arcade beat-em-up series, Streets of Rage 4. Information about the title has been scarce since the reveal trailer, however.Though no release date has been confirmed as of yet, the developers have released a new trailer showing off some intense, visually stunning gameplay.

The trailer, which you can watch below, features some very 80s style drums and synth patterns, accompanied by hand-drawn visuals as Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding walk up and down city streets beating up whoever’s in their way. The game looks smooth and distinct, with richly saturated colors and smooth animations. Throughout the trailer, both Axel and Blaze juggle opponents in the air and to each other like tennis players, showcasing just how cooperative SOR4 will be. It’s short, lasting only 40-seconds long, but it’s a tantalizing look at the game.

Our own Alessandro Fillari came away impressed during his hands-on time with the game back at PAX West 2018. In his write-up, he said that “the game reflects its predecessors’ history and legacy.” He went on to state that the gameplay feels familiar, with the developers citing Streets of Rage II and Streets of Rage 3 as being starting points.

Fillari also explained the new modified super move system, which, like SOR2, will “deplete some of your health.” However, to keep the game in line with its contemporaries, SOR4 will allow you to recover the depleted health with regular attacks, something he likens to Bloodborne‘s health regen system.

Along with gameplay and mechanics, Fillari also touched on the new visual art style, calling it “a much more dynamic look compared to its predecessor’s vivid, yet still static cityscape.” Instead of the 2D sprite work found in the original titles, SOR4 features hand-drawn visuals similar to Lizardcube’s 2017 title, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap–a remake of the 1989 game Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap. In addition to gameplay changes and a revamp in art aesthetics, SOR4 will have “its own unique score and effects to help make it stand out from the original game.” Unfortunately, the developers are hush-hush about the rest of the game, including whether the series’ original composer, Yuzo Koshiro, will return to score SOR4.

Street of Rage 4 is currently in development. A definitive release date is unknown and there’s no word on what platforms it’ll appear on.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/streets-of-rage-4-gets-flashy-new-gameplay-trailer/1100-6465852/

Like From Software’s Dark Souls series and Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is already a pretty difficult game. Unlike From’s previous titles, though, there are particular ways to make the experience even tougher. It’s not quite as easy as going into a menu and switching the game from Normal difficulty to Hard, but if you know where to find it, there is a Hard mode–and even tougher challenges beyond that, once you’ve finished the game.

The Hard mode of Sekiro is actually an inventory item you can find in a very specific place along your journey. You’ll find it on the road to Senpou Temple, near the Sculptor’s Idol for the Shugendo region on Mount Kongo.

As you climb the mountain and reach the wooden bridge at the top, you should see a shrine with an iron bell off to the left. From here, head toward the rocky outcropping beside the bridge, and look along the left side for a spot where you can drop down, near a tree stump grapple point. Drop as far down as you can go and look along the cliff’s edge for a wooden walkway you can jump over to. Follow the walkway around until you reach its end and look across and down at the cliff wall ahead. You should see a portion of the wall you can catch and ledge-hang from, but you’ll need to leap across the gap to reach it. Catch the ledge and climb up to reach the bell shrine above.

There’s another, possibly easier path to reach the location, and you can do it even earlier than Shugendo. In the Ashina Outskirts, fight your way to the Underbridge Valley Sculptor’s Idol. From here, climb back up to the broken bridge and go left along the outer wall of the fortress. You should see another wooden walkway with a note warning about the deadly Headless up ahead. Follow the path until you hit a dead end and look at the cliff wall for a place you can jump and catch a ledge. Keep following the ledge until you can jump down to a cave below. Inside you’ll find the Headless; run past it and look for a hole in the wall behind it. That’ll leave you to a Shinobi escape path door you can open by hugging the wall, which will take you directly to the bell shrine on Mount Kongo.

To activate Hard mode, just ring the bell. You’ll be afflicted with something called Sinister Burden, and in your inventory, you’ll have a Bell Demon item. This marks that you’re being possessed by the Bell Demon, who will make combat harder against all enemies, but especially bosses. The trade-off is that you get better rewards for winning fights, which can help you grind out upgrades against weaker foes in the early parts of the game.

You can also switch off the Bell Demon Hard mode at any time. Just open your inventory and find the Bell Demon item, and then activate it like you would any other consumable. That makes the possession disappear, which is useful when you’re about to encounter a boss that’s tough enough as it is. There’s a Sculptor’s Idol for the Bell Demon’s Temple as well, so you can quickly travel back and reacquire the demon if you need to get rid of it for a while.

A second Hard mode offering becomes available if you complete the game and start a New Game + run. This inherently increases difficulty, with enemies hitting harder along the way. But you can make things even tougher on yourself, however, if you decline to take the charm Kuro offers you early on. Without the charm, you’ll take even more damage, and you won’t be able to rely as much on blocking without parrying–enemies will now be able to deal you some damage even if you block.

We’ve got plenty more guides for Sekiro, including a rundown of where to find every Shinobi Prosthetic tool. You might also want to read our Sekiro review while you’re at it.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sekiro-how-to-turn-on-hard-mode/1100-6465860/

Rockstar has rolled out another new batch of content for Red Dead Redemption 2‘s multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online. Ahead of the major update that’s coming later this spring, the developer has added an assortment of new clothing options to the game, along with a new competitive mode: Target Races.

Rockstar describes Target Races as “a fast-paced mix of marksmanship, strategy, and horse-riding skills.” Players begin each race equipped with a bow and arrow, with the object being to shoot targets as you dash through the track. Along the way, you’ll also be able to pick up guns with limited ammo and other power-ups, which you can use to shoot the targets or other players.

In addition to standard Target Races, PS4 players now have early access to Open Target Races. This variation has you racing about an open environment shooting targets. These can be picked off in any order, and once you’ve hit all of them, you’ll race against the other players in a mad dash to the finish. Thanks to Rockstar’s timed exclusivity agreement with Sony, Open Target Races are only available on PS4 right now, but they’ll come to the Xbox One version next month.

On top of the new modes, Rockstar is giving players 20% more XP in all activities this week, while all horse care items are 25% off. The developer has also added a new selection of clothes to purchase. The full list includes:

• Morning Tail Coat
• Strickland Boots
• Bowyer Boots (Female only)
• Furred Gloves

Rockstar has more new content in the pipeline for Red Dead Online this year, including two more Showdown modes called Up in Smoke and Plunder. On top of that, the developer will add a hostility system to help combat griefing this spring, as well as new Land of Opportunities missions, more Free Roam missions, dynamic events such as ambushes and rescues, and more

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/red-dead-redemption-2-online-update-adds-target-ra/1100-6465851/