Borderlands 3 Message Hidden in Gearbox's Battleborn

One of the most exciting developments of this year’s Game Developers Conference was when Gearbox Software unveiled a tech demo for Borderlands 3. Beyond showing what the game may look like once it finishes development, official details remain scarce on Borderlands 3, but a message hidden in MOBA/shooter hybrid Battleborn may offer more clues as to what to expect from the long-awaited game.

With the latest content update for Battleborn, Gearbox added new side missions that led players to Varseli Portal anomalies. These anomalies emitted beeps that have turned out to be morse code, decoded by Reddit user whatsmynameagain, and offer a message that is clearly a reference to Borderlands 3.

Those unfamiliar with the Borderlands franchise may be scratching their heads at this strange message, but fans can learn a lot about Borderlands 3, or whatever its name ends up being, from this easter egg hidden in Battleborn. Right off the bat, the message points to players leaving the planet of Pandora, which has been the setting for the first two games in the series, and visiting a new planet named Prometea.

Another interesting tidbit from the message is about Patricia Tannis, a character that has appeared in all of the Borderlands games so far. Tannis was central to the story in the first Borderlands game, and appeared in a reduced role in the sequel and pre-sequel. If this hidden message in Battleborn is any indication, it seems that Tannis is actually a villain of some sort, and that by opening the vaults in the other games, vault hunters have played right into her hands.

The Borderlands 3 message hidden in Battleborn reveals a lot more about the upcoming game than fans may have expected, and it could be a sign that an official announcement is set to come soon. After all, Borderlands 3 has been in development for at least two years, and Gearbox has already shown off a tech demo for it. Perhaps the tech demo and this hidden message in Battleborn are setting the stage for a pre-E3 reveal for the co-op shooter.

And if Borderlands 3 doesn’t show up between now and E3, an announcement at E3 2017 itself is likely in the cards. Until then, Gearbox Software fans may want to return to Battleborn to hunt for more clues about Borderlands 3.

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Zelda: Breath of the Wild - How to Climb Faster

In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Link has a number of new abilities at his disposal. One new ability that he uses quite a bit over the course of the adventure is wall climbing, which helps him reach the top of mountains, towers, and other structures. Since players will be climbing so much in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, they may want to invest the time necessary to make Link climb faster.

To make Link climb faster in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, players need to visit the Ree Dahee shrine, located on the northern side of the Dueling Peaks cliff. Reaching the shrine will be a matter of doing a lot of climbing, but otherwise the journey there should be relatively easygoing outside of potential enemy encounters.

Upon entering the Ree Dahee shrine, Link will be met with a puzzle to solve. In the distance, there is a platform that can be manipulated by standing on the floor switch. Standing on the switch will tilt the platform, causing a ball roll into an orange hole. When this happens, a square platform will make its way over to Link, which he can ride to the next part of the puzzle.

The next part of the puzzle is the same concept as before, except slightly trickier. Step on the switch to make the ball roll to the right, but then get off the switch so that it starts rolling to the left. If timed properly, the ball will fall into another orange hole, in turn activating yet another moving platform.

Ride this platform across to the third and final switch. For this puzzle, stand on the switch until the ball is nearing the end of the platform. Then right before it is about to fall off, move off the switch to send it flying over the gap and into the orange hole. This may take a couple of tries, but once done correctly, another moving platform will be activated and Link can ride it to the end of the shrine.

Before collecting the spirit orb and completing the shrine, players will want to collect the treasure chest that is in plain view. To do this, wait until the moving platform returns, and then wait a couple of seconds on the switch. Right before the platform is about to leave, use the Stasis rune to freeze the switch in place, then hop on the moving platform and ride it across. If timed right, Link should have just enough time to run up the slope and get to the treasure chest.

Inside the treasure chest, players will find the Climber’s Bandana. While perhaps not as memorable as Link’s classic green tunic, the Climber’s Bandana has 13 defense and boosts Link’s climbing speed, making it one of the most valuable pieces of armor players can collect, at least in the early stages of the game. With it in tow, perhaps along with some warm clothes to avoid dying in colder regions, Link should be sufficiently equipped to better explore the vast land of Hyrule.

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Zelda: Breath of the Wild - How To Get Warm Clothes

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has launched to almost unanimous critical acclaim and Nintendo fans have been spending all weekend on the Wii U or Switch exploring Link’s latest adventure. It doesn’t take many hours to realize that some zones are a little cold for Link’s starting attire though. Breath of the Wild Players can continuously eat warm meals or carry around a torch to fight off the cold weather, but acquiring warmer clothes is the most convenient way to explore the snowy regions.

One of the best parts of Breath of the Wild is that the game doesn’t talk down to players or over explain itself. That strength can also lead to some confusion if players are expecting directions that are a little more clear (like how to unlock Epona). Finding warm clothes is definitely hidden behind a bit of a puzzle, so if players don’t feel like aimlessly exploring until they figure it out, this guide will break down everything needed to unlock the warm doublet.

Spoiler Warning: There are no major plot points that will be spoiled in this guide, but we will reveal a cooking recipe that players are encourage to find through trial and error…

Visit The Old Man’s House

In Breath of the Wild’s starting zone, there is a mysterious old man who helps Link learn the basics of the game. Players will need to visit his house, which is located south of the Temple of Time in the Great Plateau.

Read The Diary

Inside the house, players will find a diary that they can read. The diary contain a partial recipe for Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry. Completing this dish and helping the old man remember the missing ingredient will unlock the warm doublet.

Collect The Three Ingredients

• Spicy Peppers – Find these in the southern region of the Great Plateau. Look near the Old Man’s house or on the path up to the River of the Dead.
• Raw Meat – This drops from wild boars in the Forest of Spirits. It should be the easiest ingredient to gather as long as you use some stealth.
• Hyrule Bass – These fish can be found in the body of water between the Great Plateau Tower and the Oman Au Shrine. Kill them with the bow and arrow or throw a bomb at them for some extra destruction.

Cook At A Pot

Go to inventory and hold each of the three ingredients. Drop all three into the pot and listen to the happy cooking music until the dish is prepared.

Talk To The Old Man

Once the dish is finished, there will be a new dialogue option with talking to the old man. He will be thankful for the recipe and reward Link with a warm doublet. Equip the armor and you will no longer take damage from the low temperatures near the starting zone.

That’s all there is to it. The other alternative is to cook a lot of warm meals and keep a buff live, but if players are doing all of that cooking anyway, they might as well unlock the warm doublet while they are at it.

Check back for other Breath of the Wild news and guides!

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Mass Effect: Andromeda Multiplayer Will Have Loot Boxes

Even though the multiplayer tech test for Mass Effect: Andromeda was cancelled, it hasn’t stopped BioWare from continuing to reveal more about the game’s online multiplayer mode. Producer Fernando Melo recently took to Twitter to post an image showing the “Missions” feature in the multiplayer, said to link the multiplayer with the single player experience, but his photo reveals a bit more than he may have intended, as it confirms that loot boxes are in the game.

Based on the image posted by Melo, Mass Effect: Andromeda will have loot boxes of varying tiers. We can see that there are Gold Item and Research Data loot boxes, but it’s anyone’s guess as to what other loot boxes may be in the game. Since Melo primarily posted the image as a way to tease fans with the multiplayer’s Missions feature, it’s not likely that he will elaborate on the different kinds of loot boxes players can unlock in Mass Effect: Andromeda.

In the image, loot boxes are labeled as “Pathfinder Rewards,” so it’s possible that they are rewards players earn for multiplayer by playing through the single player story. After all, Commander Ryder is one of the four “Pathfinders” in Mass Effect: Andromeda, so it would make sense that one’s adventures as Ryder unlock Pathfinder Rewards like loot boxes in the multiplayer.

Another possibility is that these loot boxes are simply earned by winning multiplayer matches or leveling up. Alternatively, they could also be featured as one of the game’s microtransactions, which we already know will include things like card packs.

Perhaps certain loot boxes can only be earned through gameplay, while others will be microtransaction exclusives. For example, special loot boxes that contain rarer loot could be behind a paywall, whereas lesser tier items could be unlocked through playing the game. However, a move like this could upset BioWare’s community, and after the Mass Effect 3 ending controversy, the studio may want to take every precaution necessary to keep its fans happy.

This is all just speculation at this time, though, and unless Melo or someone else working on Mass Effect: Andromeda decides to share more, all fans can do is continue to speculate until the game launches in a couple of weeks. For the sake of those curious about how loot boxes will work in Mass Effect: Andromeda, hopefully someone at BioWare offers an explanation ahead of launch.

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Mass Effect: Andromeda EA Access Trial Detailed

Having access to free games through the vault is a nice perk of being an EA Access subscriber, but one of the biggest reasons to sign up for the service is the chance to play new games a week before everyone else through its early access trials. Like EA’s other blockbuster releases, Mass Effect: Andromeda will have an EA Access trial as well, and we now know that it will include both single player and multiplayer options.

The trial for Mass Effect: Andromeda will last 10 hours, and will allow players to progress indefinitely in the multiplayer, as well as progress to a certain point in the single player story, according to producer Fernando Melo. Melo didn’t reveal how far players could get in the story, but confirmed that they can restart the story from scratch once they reach the end of the trial to earn bonus XP ahead of the game’s launch the following week.

Since EA Access is not available on PS4, one has to imagine that EA will keep players from progressing very far at all in the single player story. After all, letting PC and Xbox One EA Access/Origins Access subscribers advance too far in the single player story would leave PS4 owners unfairly susceptible to spoilers, which could upset the game’s community.

While the single player portion of the EA Access trial may not be substantial, players will have a chance to play the multiplayer as much as they want during their 10 hour trial. For some players, this trial could take the place of the multiplayer tech test that was planned for the game only to be cancelled by BioWare at the last minute. It could help indecisive players determine if Mass Effect: Andromeda‘s multiplayer is going to be worth the time investment, and whether or not it will be worth it to sink some cash into the game’s microtransactions.

And speaking of the game’s microtransactions, the EA Access trial could actually benefit PS4 players since it will presumably reveal all there is to know about the multiplayer. After the cancellation of the multiplayer tech test, BioWare has been revealing new details about the mode on a frequent basis, but there are still some unknown quantities, like the recently discovered loot boxes, for example. Thanks to the EA Access trial, PC and Xbox One players can test the waters for potential PS4 adopters of the game and see what the deal is with loot boxes and other mysterious multiplayer features.

Mass Effect: Andromeda will be available on March 21st for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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Outlast 2 Gets Release Date and Price

Outlast 2 was originally supposed to be released last year, only to get hit with a delay to 2017. Now developer Red Barrels studio has taken to Twitter to reveal the game’s new release date, and as it turns out, horror gaming fans will get their hands on Outlast 2 on April 25th.

Red Barrels also revealed that Outlast 2 will be priced at $29.99. However, for $39.99, fans can get a physical copy of the game, along with the original Outlast and the Whistleblower expansion. Red Barrels is billing this bundle as Outlast Trinity, and it will be available the same day as Outlast 2, both as a digital download and as a physical release.

Unfortunately, Red Barrels didn’t have a new trailer or gameplay demo to share with fans to coincide with Outlast 2‘s release date announcement. While some may have been hoping for another chance to try the game ahead of its release date in April, at least the wait for the full game’s release won’t be much longer. Plus, some fans may prefer Red Barrels keep much of the game a secret, so that Outlast 2 is as surprising and scary as possible come launch day.

While fans wait for the release of Outlast 2 and the Outlast Trinity bundle, they can refresh themselves on what to expect from the experience by replaying its creepy demo or familiarizing themselves with its characters, like the intimidating cult leader Sullivan Knoth. Another way fans can prepare for Outlast 2 is by looking into buying some Underscares, the official Outlast 2 diaper that was funded on Kickstarter by Red Barrels.

We can’t say at this point if Outlast 2 will be scary enough to require diapers, but the game does look promising. Its religious horror themes are somewhat unique for video games, which should give it plenty of fresh material with which to scare players, and the demo seemed like a step up from its predecessor in most categories.

Whether or not Outlast 2 outdoes the original game remains to be seen, but it’s one of the most anticipated horror games of this year for a reason. If Red Barrels is able to live up to the hype and deliver a genuinely scary horror gaming experience that surpasses the first game in the series, then horror fans should be in for a treat next month.

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Zelda: Breath of the Wild - How to Get the Master Sword

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is, without a shadow of a doubt, an early contender for 2017’s Game of the Year. Breath of the Wild has reinvigorated the Nintendo console gaming experience for the first time in what feels like years, and fans have taken notice – Breath of the Wild has received critical acclaim nearly everywhere, and some have even begun circulating the idea that it could be the best Legend of Zelda game ever made.

Part of that growing sentiment has emerged out of the sense that Breath of the Wild is a fundamentally different Legend of Zelda experience. While past entries have featured puzzles, dungeons, and exploration, Breath of the Wild amps all of these elements up, often eschewing giving gamers any help or sense of direction while doing so. Breath of the Wild doesn’t even make it easy for gamers to find Epona, and the result is that accomplishing something within Breath of the Wild almost always feels rewarding.

To that end, perhaps there is no bigger accomplishment in any Legend of Zelda game than when a player finally unlocks the Master Sword. Breath of the Wild is no different, and this guide will break down where the Master Sword is and how to get it.

Spoiler Warning: This guide details a few hidden locations in the game. Proceed with caution.

Prepare for the Master Sword

Before doing anything else, gamers will need to make sure they are ready for the Master Sword. While it is possible that players can reach the Master Sword immediately after leaving Hyrule Plateau, it’s actually impossible to obtain the legendary weapon without sinking some serious time into the game first. That’s because players will need 13 hearts just to survive pulling the Master Sword out from its resting place.

Players will need to collect 10 Heart Containers to survive pulling out the sword, which means they’ll need to complete 40 shrines before being able to do so. While this may seem time consuming, shrines in Breath of the Wild are much shorter than the dungeons of Legend of Zelda games past, which should lessen the grind to 13 hearts significantly.

Head to the Lost Woods

To get to the Lost Woods, players must follow the path through Mishi Woods located northeast of Hyrule castle. That’s just before the Death Mountain region, for those still becoming acclimatized to the world of Breath of the Wild. Once players pass the Woodland Stables, they’re on the right path to the Master Sword.

Navigating the Lost Woods

Figuring out the trick to the Lost Woods is easy, but running in blind and simply attempting to sprint through it in the hopes Link is heading in the right direction will inevitably lead players back to the beginning of the zone.

To make sure Link is following the correct path, all players need to do is follow the flow of the orbs of light that are present in the Lost Woods. They move in the direction Link is supposed to go, and will change direction fairly frequently, so keep a close eye on them to avoid being consumed by fog and spat back out at the beginning.

The Korok Forest and the Master Sword

Making it out of the Lost Woods lands players in the Korok Forest, which features a very distinct clearing that the Master Sword is in the middle of. It is impossible to miss, so don’t worry about accidentally running past the location.

Heading up to the Master Sword will trigger a cutscene, and once that finishes, gamers can simply press A to attempt to pull the Master Sword out of its resting place. It will drain players of health to do so, but as long as they have 13 hearts or more, they’ll be successful and Link will recover Breath of the Wild‘s most powerful weapon.

How to Use the Master Sword

The Master Sword is far and away the best weapon available to Link in Breath of the Wild, and is crucial for gamers to recover if they wish to best Calamity Ganon with relative ease. The sword can also be used on the random assortment of normal enemies players encounter during a playthrough of Breath of the Wild, but using the weapon too much causes it to gradually lose its attack power for a brief duration of time, so be careful to not use it too often and have it weakened at a key moment.

That’s where to find the Master Sword and how to survive acquiring the legendary blade. Let’s be honest – it’s one of the coolest weapons in gaming history, and finding it should be at the top of the list of things to do in Breath of the Wild for any fan of the series.

Check back for other Breath of the Wild news and guides!

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now on Switch and Wii U.

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