What the hell is Timefall? When you first boot up Death Stranding, you may ask yourself this very question–among many, many others. However, Timefall and weather play a huge role in Death Stranding’s story and gameplay. If you aren’t careful, one bad Timefall storm can ruin an otherwise flawless delivery.

Below we detail everything you need to know about this unique weather condition and how you can avoid these dangerous storms. For more Death Stranding features, check out our in-depth beginner’s guide and our gallery highlighting all the most significant celebrity cameos we’ve found so far.

Timefall: How To Survive These Dangerous Storms

Timefall is essentially rain if rain eroded and deteriorated objects at a much quicker pace. Anything the rain touches, other than raincoats for some reason, will degrade over time. This rule applies to packages you are carrying, vehicles left out in the rain, equipment attached to your suit, and structures objects placed you’ve left in the world.

Early on, the best way to avoid Timefall is to find shelter in the form of caves, outposts, and cities, and wait out the storm. When you rest in a safe house or private room, you will automatically pass the time by thirty minutes. Unfortunately, if you plan to wait out the storm in a shelter or a cave, you have to wait. Most of the time, this is less than ideal, especially if you are doing a timed delivery.

However, there are moments when Timefall is unavoidable. One thing to consider in these scenarios is how you load up your cargo. Packages and boxes attached to the suit or stacked above the backpack are more exposed to Timefall should there be a storm on your journey. A good rule of thumb is to put your essential packages deep in your backpack. That way, Timefall can’t get to them as quickly. If you notice that one of your containers is in bad shape, you can always repair it with Repair Spray. It will fix up the container, but not its contents. If the cargo itself has been damaged, there’s no way to repair it.

Fortunately, during Episode 3, Sam will gain access to some new tech that will make his life a lot easier. First is a weather forecast built into his cufflinks. If you open the map and click the right stick twice, you can see the forecast for the next 30 minutes. Once you’ve unlocked this, avoiding Timefall storms becomes easier.

In Episode 3, you will also unlock a Timefall shelter. Using a PCC level 2, you can create a giant umbrella that protects Sam and his vehicle from precipitation. Better yet, you can also advance time by 10 minutes. If you find yourself in a storm that should end soon, you can always craft a Timefall shelter and wait it out. Keep in mind though that some storms can last a very long time, and the more you advance time, the sooner your other constructions will deteriorate. Near the end of Episode 3, there’s also a character called the Veteran Porter that gives Sam a rain cover for his backpack that will provide your cargo with an extra layer of protection.

Cargo degradation isn’t the only thing to worry about during a storm. When the rain turns black, it means that BTs are about to visit you. In most cases, especially early on, the best thing to do is to sneak by them. It does mean that your cargo will be exposed to rain longer, but that’s better than it getting scattered or destroyed.

Another great way to avoid or minimize your time exposed to Timefall is to use vehicles. Trucks may not be able to protect your cargo from reckless driving, but they will protect it from rain. Meanwhile, bikes may not offer as much protection, but you can speed right through storms. However, if you try to rush through black rain, BTs will stop you in your tracks.

Keep in mind that vehicles, like everything else, deteriorate over time due to Timefall. The last thing you want is for your Truck to break down in the middle of nowhere with tons of cargo in the back. Make sure to leave your vehicles in a garage now and then to repair them.

Finally, if you’ve made it to Episode 3 and decided to explore the frigid mountains to the north, you may have encountered snow. Snow is a worse version of rain. It forces you to move slower, and it degrades cargo even quicker. I’dI’d recommend avoiding the snow until you have better equipment to deal with it.

Everything we’ve detailed above is just a basic rundown of how weather works early on in Death Stranding and how you can avoid it. Keep in mind that this guide only covers Episodes 1-3. These strategies may not work as well during late game, so try to keep that in mind. We’llWe’ll be sure to update this guide with more advanced strategies in the coming days.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/death-stranding-timefall-guide-how-weather-works-a/1100-6471005/

As you explore the world of Death Stranding, you’ll encounter Beached Things–otherwise known as BTs. These BTs are ghostly apparitions that will try to cling tightly to any living thing that approaches them. They typically accompany Timefall, but you’ll specifically know they’re around when the game shifts into slow-motion briefly to focus on your Odradek shrieking at their presence.

BTs are a common threat in Death Stranding, so you’re going to need to get used to dealing with them. Below you can find tips detailing how to sneak past and fight BTs and what to consider before you cross into their territory. For more Death Stranding features, check out our in-depth beginner’s guide and our gallery highlighting all the most significant celebrity cameos we’ve found so far.

How To Sneak Past BTs

As you travel across the world, a key piece of wisdom you can lean on is to observe the sky above when plotting your course. There are various, multicolored stands jutting downward, and they all signify different objects and areas of note. Black strands, in particular, clue you in on the presence of BTs. When you reach BT territory, it’s best to sneak past BTs and use your BB’s senses to approximate their location. To keep an eye on nearby BTs, pay attention to which direction your Odradek is pointing when it starts to flap and flash. When you stand still and use the Odradek scanner, you’ll be able to use echolocation to ping nearby BTs for a short time. Once you’ve tagged them, stand still at any time to see where they’re floating. As you push further, make sure to keep sending a scan with your Odradek to ping BTs ahead of you.

By crouching and holding your breath with R1, you should be able to avoid them stealthily but get too close, and they’ll quickly pick up your trail. Early on, EX Grenades are a handy tool to distract BTs, as each has unusual effects on them. By using the bathroom in Sam’s private room–whether it’s taking a shower to wash off chiral fragments, urinating, or defecating–the lavatory will churn out three different grenade types made from different substances from his body. These various EX Grenades work as irritants on the BTs, which can be used to force them away without them noticing you. It can come in handy when Sam encounters a cluster of BTs blockings his path. With the EX Grenade No. 2, for instance, a sizeable brownish cloud will send the apparitions running.

If a BT manages to see you, things start to get crazy. Tar will cover the ground’s surface, and a group of BTs will try to pull you under. To avoid getting caught in their clutches, mash the square button to resist and hold the shoulder buttons to stabilize your balance when prompted. If the BTs successfully pull you under, you’ll be dragged across the ground and left to fight a much larger and more dangerous BT. All the while, a sea of tar will flood the vicinity while buildings and debris emerge from the ground.

The best option upon being detected is to escape the tar-covered area as soon as possible. Should you fail either by getting pulled under or your health is depleted, you’ll lose all your cargo and will have to respawn. And in the process, you might trigger a Voidout, which leaves behind a massive crater.

It’s worth noting that if you see a baby BT, it’s best to avoid them. Their presence often attracts more BTs, which is the last thing you want to be around. Regardless, take your time when navigating past BTs. Assess their placement in the area, find openings to sneak through, hold your breath when you get too close, and use EX Grenades to distract them when there’s no way forward.

How To Fight BTs

During the opening hours, there’s not much you can do to defend yourself against BTs aside from EX Grenades. Though you’ll often have to sneak past them, you’ll eventually acquire some weapons, like Hematic Grenades and the Anti-BT Handgun, that’ll help you fight BTs.

Hematic Grenades are explosives that spurt clouds of Sam’s blood and are lethal to BTs. When several BTs are bunched together, a well-aimed toss of this blood grenade can potentially take out an entire group. On the other hand, the Anti-BT Handgun can dispatch BTs through slightly less volatile means. Keep in mind that it takes several shots to defeat a standard BT, so be sure you’ve got a steady aim and an itchy trigger finger. Given its damage output, the Anti-BT Handgun is recommended for use alongside Hematic Grenades. To unlock the Anti-BT Handgun for fabrication, complete the delivery to the Chiral Artist’s Mother in Chapter 3.

Aside from the Hematic Grenades and the Anti-BT Handgun, the most useful weapon you can use against BTs is the Bola Gun (LV. 2), which unlocks for fabrication after ranking five stars with The Craftsman. It takes a while to max your rank, but as long as you keep making deliveries, he’ll eventually hand it over. Regardless, the Bola Gun (LV. 2) can temporarily tie up BTs, which can be a lifesaver in a pinch.

Directly fighting BTs should be a last resort during the opening three chapters. If you want to truly be prepared for the moment you inevitably ignite a BT’s rage, we recommend going into BT territory with no essential cargo and getting caught to get a feel for how encounters with them play out.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/death-stranding-bt-survival-guide-early-tips-for-o/1100-6471058/

A lot is going on during the first few hours of Death Stranding. Your first mission out in the world may seem bizarre, and the subsequent starting deliveries that throw you into the heart of BT territory might feel overwhelming. As such, you may feel an impulse to take your time with the opening two chapters, opting to do as many deliveries as possible in the Eastern region to best acquaint yourself with mechanics and the flow of missions.

While we don’t blame you for wanting to wrap your head around Death Stranding’s mechanics, the tools available for deliveries during this section of the game are incredibly limited. It may feel like this is where the game opens up–the delivery loop in Episode 2 is more than enough to keep you busy–but you shouldn’t ignore the gadgets and ability unlocks just right around the corner.

If you’re still in Episode 2, we recommend making the trek to Port Knot City and progressing into Episode 3. Not only does the story get more interesting at this point, but it’s when the game’s world truly opens up. Think of it as traveling from White Orchard to Velen in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. There are tons more deliveries to complete in Episode 3, and as mentioned, you get some invaluable gadgets and abilities. One of the preppers in the area allows you to fabricate Power Armor, which increases your speed and total carrying weight; another gives you a Bola Gun that can tie up enemies from a distance; you even get an Anti-BT Handgun. Tools like this help ease the burden of deliveries while giving you handy tools to help you deal with the world’s most dangerous threats.

Another godsend to reaching Episode 3 is unlocking the ability to fabricate vehicles. So you know that one Reverse Trike you’ve been riding in Episode 2 that you’ve frequently had to leave behind and risk retrieving because of those pesky BTs? Well, you can fabricate as many as you want in Episode 3 at any of the major stations. You can even fabricate trucks further along, which can carry a bunch more cargo than a Reverse Trike.

If you’re a completionist and no amount of talk around cool unlocks can stave off the misery you feel leaving unfinished deliveries in the Eastern region, then you can breathe easy knowing that you get fast travel not far into Episode 3. So you can warp back to previous areas finish leftover jobs at any time with all the handy new tools and abilities you’ve unlocked.

For more Death Stranding features, check out our in-depth beginner’s guide and our gallery highlighting all the most significant celebrity cameos we’ve found so far.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/death-stranding-psa-dont-spend-too-long-in-episode/1100-6471100/

It’s going to be a big week for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Community manager Ashton Williams confirmed on Twitter that the military shooter’s next big update should release sometime before the week is out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

This is the big update that developer Infinity Ward has been talking about for some time already. The update will include general stability improvements and bug fixes, as well as bigger-ticket items like weapon tuning and adjustments to footstep audio. There will also be changes to how claymores work “and more,” Williams said.

Modern Warfare’s co-director of multiplayer, Joe Cecot, added that there will be even more updates and improvements to the game in the upcoming update, though he did not offer any details on what they might be.

The update will be release “over the next few days,” Williams said in a tweet sent on November 6. That means it should be released any time now, though as Williams mentioned, specific release timing could change. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

Since launch, one of the biggest complaints players have put to Infinity Ward is that two weapons in particular–the M4 rifle and the 725 shotgun–are overpowered. Williams said in a follow-up tweet that the 725 should be among the weapons that gets addressed in the update. Players have also reported that claymores are generally over-used and too effective, so it will be interesting to see what changes are in store. There should also be fixes for the Spec Ops mode, Williams said in another tweet.

Modern Warfare launched on October 25, and it needed just three days to bring in more than $600 million in sales. Its sales over its first three days were better than every other Call of Duty released during this generation of consoles.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-update-coming-this-wee/1100-6471248/

Rocket League will change how upgrades and rewards work next month when Crates are replaced by Blueprints. Paid Crates are on their way out, and Blueprints will use a new premium currency, Credits (which are replacing Keys). Blueprints will let you see exactly what they’re going to build, so it’s always clear what you’re getting for your money. This will take some of the randomness out of the loot game in Rocket League.

Developer Psyonix has further detailed how Blueprints will work in a new post on the official Rocket League website. Once the update hits, online matches will begin to reward players with “revealed” Blueprints. You can build the items on these Blueprints by spending Credits, hold onto them for a while, or trade them with another player. Any existing Crates that you have in your inventory when this update occurs will change to “unrevealed” Blueprints, which you can then change to revealed Blueprints at no extra cost.

Players will be able to trade Blueprints with one another, just as they’re currently able to trade items (which will remain the case going forward). You’ll be able to trade revealed Blueprints, as well as items that have been built from Blueprints, as well as Credits (although you cannot trade Credits for other Credits or give them away, only for items and Blueprints). You will not be able to trade Unrevealed Blueprints.

Any Decryptors you have in your inventory will be turned into “Bonus Gifts” after the update. These will contain items from the Vindicator Crate series and the first Blueprint Series, which is called the Revival Series. The Revival Series will “bring back some fan-favorite items throughout Rocket League’s history.”

2019 has been a big year for Rocket League, despite the game being over four years old now. Earlier this year, Psyonix was bought by Epic Games, which saw Rocket League moving over to the Epic Games Store (although it’s also still available on Steam). Paid Crates were also removed from the game in both Belgium and the Netherlands; soon the rest of the world will follow.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rocket-league-heres-how-blueprints-will-work-and-h/1100-6471242/