GAMERS DECIDE - apocalypse

[Top 5] Marvel Snap Best Apocalypse Decks That Are Excellent

James Speedy — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 20:53:06 +0000

In the right hands, and with the right deck, Apocalypse can be a wildly powerful card. Marvel Snap is full of fantastic 6-cost options, but there is just something about that 16 ft. mutant. First of all, he is the key card in nearly all Discard decks. Secondly, he becomes more and more powerful as you acquire more synergistic Discard cards.

That is the benefit and the drawback to Apocalypse and the Discard archetype in general. It is a challenging deck to play and its power potential can be somewhat limited by the size of your collection.

That said, Discard decks are viable in all tiers of play and worth a try. This list of 5 Apocalypse-centered decks are ranked both by their power potential and, therefore, by the amount of Discard tech cards you need to collect.

5. Pool 2 Swarm Discard Aggro

Pool 3 Cards: None

This is a great starting point if you have not quite completed your Pool 2 collection of cards or have just entered Pool 3.

It is also a fantastic way to learn this archetype. Discard does not work like any of the other Marvel Snap decks. Instead of being buffed by cards entering your deck, or being destroyed, Discard decks are buffed by card skills that remove cards from your hand.

So, when you play Lady Sif, and you have Apocalypse in your hand, she will discard Apocalypse. It feels counterintuitive, but he will only be lost for a second and he will re-enter your deck with 4 more power. The key to pushing Apocalypse to maximum power is finding ways to discard him multiple times.

If you can keep your hand small, you might be able to discard Apocalypse with Lady Sif, Blade and Sword Master. This nets you a 20 power Apocalypse for the last round of play.

What rules about this deck:

You have three safe discard targets in Swarm, Wolverine and Apocalypse
You are more likely to get Apocalypse in your hand early because of America Chavez
If you don’t pull Apocalypse, America Chavez is a good turn 6 alternative
You can use Angela and Bishop to build a nice secondary location just by playing cards there
There are three cards that can discard Apocalypse, Swarm or Wolverine (though only one is targeted)

Cards in this deck:

Blade
Iceman
Nightcrawler
Ant-Man
Angela
Swarm
Wolverine
Bishop
Lady Sif
Sword Master
America Chavez
Apocalypse

4. Hela Discard

Pool 3 Cards: Dracula, Hela

When you start collecting Pool 3 cards and you are in the seemingly infinite Collection Level climb, it can be handy to note any synergies in your new cards. If you are lucky enough to draw Dracula and Hela in your first few, you should go out and buy a lottery ticket.

My first 3 pulls were Maximus, Giganto and Doctor Octopus. Not bad cards per se but they really didn’t mesh with any deck I was playing.

Regardless, if you are favored by the Snap gods and get those two Discard archetype legends, this deck is a great way to feature them.

Sunspot is either a nice distraction or will confuse your opponent and as a bonus, can soak up any extra energy that goes unused. Which is especially nice since you will have so many 6-cost cards you cannot play. Then use Blade, Lady Sif and Sword Master to slice up literally any of your 6-cost monsters and play Hela turn 6 to bring them back from the dead.

What rules about this deck:

Morbius and Sunspot can accrue some secondary power while you prep for your last turn
Dracula is a nice add because, when he consumes a card, it will count as another discard
You can use Blade and Sword Master with impunity since it doesn’t really matter who gets discarded
If all else fails, try your luck with Jubilee

Cards in this deck:

Blade
Sunspot
Morbius
Lady Sif
Sword Master
Dracula
Jubilee
Apocalypse
Hela
Hulk
Odin
Infinaut

3. Bane Juan Discard Collector

Pool 3 Cards: Dracula, Hell Cow, Colleen Wing

If your collection includes Dracula but you haven’t got Hela, check to see if you have Hell Cow and Colleen Wing. They’re not as sought after but synergize extremely well with Dracula in this deck.

The ideal way for this deck to function is to keep your hand extremely small and with Apocalypse in it. You could even use Moon Girl to make a copy of Apocalypse and then slice them each up with Hell Cow.

Your win condition should still center around Dracula discarding Apocalypse one last time and assuming his power value. But if you pick up some power on The Collector (with Moon Girl, Swarm and Apocalypse) or Morbius (with every discard) you can shore up the other locations. If you manage to dupe Apocalypse, you can play a buffed Apocalypse on turn 6 and leave your other Apocalypse for Dracula.

What rules about this deck:

Having a synergy that doesn’t rely on discarding with The Collector and Moon Girl
Two cards that gain power before turn 6 in The Collector and Morbius
Hell Cow can potentially buff Morbius, The Collector, Dracula and Apocalypse in one play

Cards in this deck:

Blade
Colleen Wing
Morbius
Okoye
Swarm
The Collector
Lady Sif
Nakia
Dracula
Hell Cow
Moon Girl
Apocalypse

2. Hell of a Lockula

Pool 3 Cards: Colleen Wing, Gambit, Lockjaw, Dracula, Hell Cow

Hell of a Lockula is, essentially, a minor improvement on the previous deck. That said, the introduction of Gambit and Lockjaw creates some wild power potential.

While it doesn’t always work, if you set up your hand correctly, Lockjaw can cycle through your cards with Discard skills (he swaps cards that are played in his location). This will potentially buff your Apocalypse over and over, depending on what’s in your hand.

Gambit is also a critical card. While he picks his ammo indiscriminately, if you manage to toss Apocalypse or Swarm you will be increasing the value of your cards while destroying one of your opponents’.

What rules about this deck:

Lockjaw shenanigans can be a wild power build if you keep your hand small and especially if it’s only Swarm and Apocalypse
Morbius is a good side power generator, especially if Lockjaw starts cycling discards
America Chavez makes an appearance to increase the likelihood of Apocalypse showing up before turn 6

Cards in this deck:

Blade
Colleen Wing
Morbius
Swarm
Gambit
Lady Sif
Lockjaw
Sword Master
Dracula
Hell Cow
America Chavez
Apocalypse

1. Discard Lockjaw

Pool 3 Cards: Colleen Wing, Gambit, Lockjaw, Moon Knight, Dracula, Wong

Season Pass card: Silver Surfer

This was the highest ranked Discard deck in the most recent Marvel Snap Zone Meta Tier List. As of December 11th 2022, this should be the best Apocalypse deck you can play in Marvel Snap and is also the first one on this list that includes Silver Surfer. So, if you’ve been chomping at the bit to include your shiny new Season Pass card in a Discard deck, now’s your chance!

It does, however, use 5 Pool 3 cards and the pass card and you really can’t make substitutions.

The neat part of this deck is the Silver Surfer package hidden amongst the usual Discard tech. This gives you a completely separate buff from Dracula and Morbius.

What rules about this deck:

Having the Lockjaw package that can be buffed by Silver Surfer is clutch
America Chavez is present to make your draws more predictable
Moon Knight can be a welcome addition if you know you only have good discard targets and you can potentially discard an opponent’s win condition

Cards in this deck:

Colleen Wing
Morbius
Swarm
Gambit
Lady Sif
Lockjaw
Moon Knight
Silver Surfer
Sword Master
Dracula
Wong
Apocalypse

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Finding your Snap deck can take effort but Apocalypse might be the key

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The Last of Us Part 2 Review – Is it worth it?

KuyaWill620 — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 11:04:25 +0000

Over time, gaming has evolved into its own artform. From the 1980’s 2D platforming era to the vibrant and captivating worlds that now dominate the gaming industry. The most gripping tales that can’t be ordinarily told in a 90-minute film are now being told in video games. This precise idea is embodied in The Last of Us Part II, which is both polarizing and beautiful in its own macabre and human way.

With minimal spoilers included, this review will concentrate on the game as played on the PS4 Slim. It will be treated fairly in the review, without reference to the opinions of players or other journalists, and it will be described in terms of how I personally played it throughout the five times I've completed the game.

About The Last of us Part 2

The Last of Us Part 2 is an action adventure, survival horror game that takes players to a post-apocalyptic United States where it has been ravaged by a mutated strain of the cordyceps fungus. The game specifically takes place in Seattle, where most of the story is set, and in Wyoming, where the first game left off. Ellie from the original game and a brand-new character named Abby are controlled by the player.

It was developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released on June 19, 2020. It was met with universal praise from game journalists and critics but was met with mixed to negative reviews by fans of the series. It has sold 10 million copies globally since its debut, with 2.8 million in its first month, making it the highest-selling PS4 game of all time and the most popular game of 2020. . After the Left Behind DLC for The Last of Us Part 1 was released in 2014, the game's development got underway. The production value of Part 2 was a staggering $100 million.

Story

The Last of Us Part 2 - Official Story Trailer

Ellie looks on at a firefly insignia calling them liars. This is already a pretty depressing game but this just puts the cherry on top

The Last of Us Part 2 focuses on two different stories with Ellie and Abby, the two playable characters of the game. The story picks up where the previous game ended where Joel and Ellie moved into Jackson, Wyoming after Joel saves Ellie from the Fireflies, a militia formed after the cordyceps outbreak. Abby's story focuses more on her complicated connection with her own group and a warring party that is opposed to her own, while Ellie's story centers on her search for vengeance.It’s not just the stories of Ellie and Abby that are intriguing.

Joel, who was the main playable character of the first game, is featured also in this game with his story focusing on how he has dealt with the guilt of lying to Ellie about the fireflies and how his relationship with Ellie has evolved since then. Returning characters like Tommy and Maria, and new ones like Jessie and Dina all coalesce to make the story engaging and makes you want to know more about who they are and why they do what they do.

Gameplay

The Last of Us Part 2 Gameplay Trailer (4K) - E3 2018

The gameplay is a fairly straightforward and linear story where you take control of Ellie or Abby depending on which part of the story you’re in. There are RPG and progression elements in the gun and skill upgrades for both characters.

Scrap is the mode of currency in-game where it's looted from the different explorable areas found when you either down an enemy or in the drawers of the rooms you’ll be scavenging, and trust me, there’ll be a lot of scavenging in this game. Scrap is used for the gun skill trees and supplements are a different kind of upgrade requirement for the ability skill trees.

Supplements can be looted like scrap but it's more commonly found in safes which is a new mechanic in this game. The safe codes can be found around the vicinity where the safes are located with the code written down either on a piece of paper or on a wall which in real life feels very convenient like imagine coming across a bank vault and you can just randomly see the vault combination written on a piece of paper.

There’s minimal puzzle solving in the game where the puzzles boil down to finding a crate or a trolley and pushing it as a platform to the next playable area. Players can also craft their own bombs and reinforce melee weapons found throughout the world

Ellie fights off a Clicker while a runner waits its turn to try and kill you

The enemies you’ll be faced with are the infected, the WLF, and the Seraphites. The infected are humans ravaged by a mutated strain of the real life cordyceps fungus (yes, this thing is real and makes literal zombie ants. No kidding) and as the years go by, so is the severity of the infection. Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters are the 4 main infected types with two new special infected introduced.

First are the Bloaters that look like a walking trypophobic nightmare and explode like a bomb when you get near them and The Rat King, a hulking mass of infected connected skin to skin by the fungus which is as disgusting as it sounds.

The non-infected enemies you’ll be fighting are the WLF and the Seraphites. WLF or the Washington Liberation Front are another militia group that took down the military’s control of Seattle. They’re a shoot first, ask questions later kind of group. Second are the seraphites. They’re an insane cult that follows the teachings of a doomsday prepper turned prophet.

The events of the game happen in different areas. First part happens in the snow-covered mountain forests of Wyoming and the bulk of the game happens in the gloomy and war-torn city of post-apocalyptic Seattle where buildings have been bombed and most of the city has been reclaimed by the forest and the ocean.

Seattle's playable zones are extensive and transport you to a variety of structures, including homes, moist forests, hospitals plagued with clickers, and amusement parks.

Combat

The Last of Us Part 2 - Brutal & Epic Combat Compilation

Combat in the game is the highlight of the whole play experience. In simple terms it is one of the most fluid and stunning combat systems in any game for the PS4 or PS5. The HUD is only minimal with small icons representing health, weapons, or throwables.

Health is shown on the lower right corner of the screen with a meter showing how much HP you have left. Status effects are introduced in this game as when hit with an arrow it’ll cause a bleeding effect that will last until you manually pull the arrow out.

The combat feels visceral with every knife slash or weapon hit registering with a vibration on your controller and where you can mortally wound the last enemy in a firefight and make them beg for mercy, which is 1. Utterly horrifying, with your companion reacting strongly to your ruthless display of violence with them saying “Jesus” or “Oh my God”, and 2.

Immersed in a way where you don’t feel for the enemy’s suffering but only the satisfaction you get after smashing them in the head with an ax or stabbing them in the heart with your knife. I swear this game does not promote the nurturing of homicidal thoughts.

Melee weapons break after a certain amount of hits on an enemy but can be reinforced with crafting materials making them deadlier and sturdier. One of the most responsive and realistic-feeling ranged weapons in any game can be found in this one. Shooting an enemy in the arm can dismember them where you can hear them scream in agony until they eventually die of blood loss. Shooting one in the throat with an arrow makes them gurgle their own blood and aiming for their mouths makes them lose their jaw in the process.

The dismemberment feature in the game is one of the most satisfying and morbid things you can see. Enemies caught in the radius of a bomb makes them lose their legs and the surrounding area splattered in blood and when a Molotov burns an enemy they turn black and their skin all melted.

Ellie and Abby level up when they have sufficient supplements scavenged to upgrade their crafting speed, hearing distance, and damage output. The guns you’ll carry are fully upgradable on a workbench found throughout the different areas in Seattle. The Last of Us Part 2 does not have a multiplayer function unlike its predecessor which had its Factions feature which served as the game’s multiplayer.

There are currently no plans for a multiplayer function to be added to the game but a multiplayer Last of Us game has been confirmed but not as part of the story of the main game but a standalone game altogether.

Mission System

The Last of Us Part 2 is a linear story with no side quests. Only the main story where we follow Ellie and Abby throughout their different adventures. It doesn’t offer anything in terms of dialogue options as the story and dialogue is fixed but what it lacks in choice, it makes up for in immersion and tension. Around the corner could be a sniper taking aim at your head, the next area could be infested with Clickers or Runners or a boss fight with a Bloater.

Some sections are focused on scavenging for resources so the player will have ample ammo or crafting materials for the next firefight and some sections will be more focused on stealth with multiple hiding spots in the encounter area.

Graphics

Ellie looks on at Joel. Trust me you will want to listen to everything she says in this scene

Tech Analysis - Is the Last of Us Part 2 The Best Looking Game Of All Time?

The graphics for The Last of Us Part 2 is one of the best-looking games ever on the PS4 and can even rival the graphics there are on the PS5 even when the game is running on a PS4 Slim. There are no latency issues and the 60-fps frame rate is smooth and uninterrupted with the textures at 1080p and 4k enhanced for the PS4 Pro.

The game, even on the native PS4, is absolutely stunning. Draw distance even from afar is crisp and beautiful with some sections letting you ride through forests with the sunlight breaking through the canopy to letting you oversee the mountains and wilderness of Wyoming to the desolate and destroyed city of Seattle with collapsed buildings and broken bridges and rivers running through the streets looking how they would look if it was bombed by the military and run down by cannibalistic mushroom people.

Combat animations are fluid with every damage from your hits being gory and bloody with detached limbs, exploded heads, or burnt bodies. Everything looks as real as it could get for a PlayStation game.

Development and Price

The Last of Us Part 2 was developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Naughty Dog previously developed the first The Last of Us and also the Uncharted series. While playing through the game there have been zero instances of any kind of glitch or bug happening and I’ve played and finished the game 5 times.

Some updates of the game have been developed but mostly for fixes and bug issues reported by some players but nothing too significant to make it game breaking or unplayable. It is a smooth and seamless game and deservedly so.

The Last of Us Part 2 is currently available at $39.99 dollars.. It can be played on the PS4 and on the PS5. The game is sold as is with no in game purchases, however there are special editions of it that come with steelbook versions of the physical copies of the game and a PS4 Pro that is themed after the game and has a custom controller.

FINAL VERDICT

Pros:

• Absolutely stunning graphics that look like they belong on a PS5

• One of the most fluid combat systems of any game.

• Different enemy types follow each other in any given location, creating a shift in tactics at any given time that keeps you on your toes. Enemy variety is wonderfully balanced.

• One of the best stories ever put into video games.

Cons:

• Absolutely NONE. This is, in my opinion, the PERFECT sequel to any game and imitates exactly what life is. Unexpected and brutal but beautiful if you decide to let it be beautiful. You will not be the same person after finishing this game.

SCORE: 10/10

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[Top 5] The Last of Us Best Weapon Upgrades (And How To Get Them)

milkpaper — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 15:02:20 +0000

Although The Last of Us is known for its tear-jerking storytelling and immersive gameplay, it’s also a game that challenges even the most proficient of gamers, especially at higher levels such as Grounded and Survivor modes.

Weapon upgrades are an important part of TLOU’s gameplay and can be acquired through finding weapon parts and toolboxes throughout the game at workbenches dotted along Joel and Ellie’s route:

Source: IGN

To help you out in your battles against the infected, we’ve put together a guide to the weapon upgrades you should prioritise in your playthrough of The Last of Us.

5. 9mm Pistol - Reload Speed

Joel’s trusty 9mm pistol, acquired right at the beginning of the game in Boston, whilst simple, proves to be one of the most effective weapons in the game. Besides having some of the most easily available ammunition in the game, even in harder modes, the 9mm becomes one of the more powerful weapons in Joel’s arsenal - with the right upgrades. Here’s why you should start out with reload speed:

With more plentiful ammo, the 9mm is useful in firefights where speed and frequency are key.
Faster reloading means more damage in a shorter amount of time, vital in a weapon with one of the lowest damage ratings.
Reload speed often comes in clutch when caught off guard by a rogue clicker, and the 9mm can easily take these suckers out with an accurate headshot.

4. Pump Shotgun - Recoil

Given to the player by Bill during the fourth chapter of the game, the shotgun is a powerful weapon that is sure to cause some pretty gnarly damage to anyone unlucky enough to find themselves at the end of it.

However, the shotgun suffers from its poor range and reload speed, making it less effective during some of the more intense encounters you can find yourself in as you play against infected and hunters alike. The recoil upgrade proves to be one of the most effective for this killer weapon for these reasons:

Recoil kills two birds with one stone - not only can you reload faster, but Joel maintains more of his stance allowing better shot accuracy between reloads.
Improved reloading speed is key in a weapon with only 2 base capacity.
Maximised control over the shotgun allows for more accuracy in where your shotgun spread lands and can allow for more coverage in attacks on multiple enemies.

3. Melee Weapons - Sharps Upgrade

Whilst not technically a weapons upgrade in the traditional sense of the game (melee upgrades can be crafted at any time with a binding and sharps item and have limited durability), these upgrades can prove incredibly important even for players who prefer the reliability of a gun - not to mention the infamous ‘shiv glitch’ that can be achieved with the availability of an upgraded and base melee weapon.

There are a variety of melee weapons available throughout the game, with the higher durability weapons (such as the baseball bat or, a personal favourite, the pipe) being the most worthwhile to upgrade. Here are a few reasons it’s worth choosing that melee upgrade over the shiv I see you hovering over:

An upgraded melee weapon can take out at least one or two enemies in one hit, useful when you don’t have a machete to hand (an example of a sharp melee weapon, a rarer variant of melees).
Melee weapon upgrades are one of the more useful uses of sharps items in the games, with nail bombs as a close second.
Let’s face it - taking out a runner with a nail-covered baseball bat looks pretty badass.

2. Hunting Rifle - Scope

Found by Joel after the first majorly tear-jerking loss of the game (no spoilers here, I’ve got you), the rifle is the most powerful weapon found in The Last of Us - at least at the beginning of the game.

There’s not much point upgrading the power or armour piercing properties of this OP weapon, and whilst the clip capacity and reload speed upgrades are nice to have, there’s one upgrade that makes this weapon the perfect sidekick for anyone wanting to take full advantage of the range of this weapon: the scope. Here’s why this nifty little attachment is the most important upgrade you can get for your rifle:

Increased accuracy in headshots ensures that you don’t waste a single bullet in killing your enemies with this weapon that promises to get the job done in one shot.
The scope is one of the cheaper upgrades for this weapon, making it a no-brainer.

1. Weapon Holster

And, finally, the most valuable upgrade you can get in The Last of Us: the weapon holster. Again, whilst technically not a specific weapon upgrade (although it is purchased in much the same way), the weapon holster is invaluable in its importance to Joel’s fighting capabilities.

Not only does it help all play styles, allowing you to configure your hot-key layout in whatever is most efficient for you and your weapon preferences, it makes battles that much more accessible, allowing you to switch between your weapons of choice with ease. The weapon holster is an underrated hero in your battles against your foes in The Last of Us, and by far the most utilisable upgrade of them all.

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What upgrades are most helpful for Joel and Ellie in their battles against the infected and hunters alike?

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[Top 15] The Last of Us Best Quotes That Are Legendary

milkpaper — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:57:00 +0000

If there’s one thing no one’s debating about The Last of Us, it’s that writer Neil Druckmann is phenomenal at what he does. Time and time again, this game has been praised for its writing prowess, and it’s a well-deserved compliment - but what lines exactly show just how excellently written this game is? I’m here to count down the top 15 legendary The Last of Us quotes that left a resounding impact on players, and made the game the one we know and praise today. (MAJOR SPOILERS IMMINENT - you have been warned!)

Note: it is recommended that you watch each YouTube link for the quote named. Each link takes you to the exact moment of the quote, and I recommend you watch them to jog your memory. Time-coded links have been pasted below embedded videos. Enjoy!

15. “That’s alright. I believe him.”

https://youtu.be/ACwss-xAieU?t=84

Starting with a smaller line that most look over, this moment from the Winter chapter of the game comes at a point of high tension - arguably the highest, before the end of the game itself - when Joel is interrogating a pair of hunters for the location of their base.

This is the first time in the game where we focus directly on the acts of violence Joel is willing to carry out for Ellie, and they are brutal. This is not a kill for survival, but a kill for protection - he is cruel and unnecessary in his actions, and yet the passion in them is somewhat admirable.

We flinch as the blow comes towards the screen, echoing the perspective of the victim, but we know why Joel does what he does. This line shows just how far he is willing to go.

14. “And just so we’re clear about back there… it was either him or me.”

https://youtu.be/hZhoT_ZQceI?t=88

Following a life or death situation wherein Ellie directly saves Joel’s life for the first time, Joel says this. Throughout the game, we watch Ellie and Joel bicker over many things, but this is the first time they seem to concede to each other. After scolding Ellie for not following his instructions and following him through a hotel, allowing her to save his life, there is a steely section of underlying tension between the two as they find a way through the abandoned building.

But when Ellie is finally entrusted with a gun by Joel, a sign of respect and maturity, he finally acknowledges Ellie’s importance. This is the base that allows their relationship to grow - that he finally allows her to know that she is important in her own right, and that this isn’t a one-sided deal. It’s not smooth-sailing from here - the pair still have much to learn from each other - but we finally have some tenderness between our deuteragonists.

13. “You have no idea what loss is.”

https://youtu.be/1gsn8jRvkQ4?t=82

Of course, for all of the progress the previous quote showed, there are many lapses. One of my favourite sections of the game, taking place in Jackson, Mississippi, involves Joel attempting to bestow his task in escorting Ellie onto his estranged brother, Tommy.

There are a few reasons that might explain this decision, with the most likely being that Joel feels himself becoming attached to Ellie in the same way he was to his daughter Sarah, and cannot face what he sees as an inevitable loss again. When Ellie finds out that this is Joel’s plan, she attempts to run away, causing Tommy and Joel to pursue her and find her in an abandoned house in the countryside where this conversation takes place.

Ellie, ultimately, is a child. She is trying to understand Joel, mostly through her own lens of loss and trauma, but she cannot, and Joel is not afraid to tell her this. “You have no idea what loss is,” whilst on the surface level may feel like an invalidating statement, is so much more complex in this world than it would be in ours.

Ultimately, Ellie doesn’t have any idea what loss is, at least not in Joel’s context - Joel, who lost not only his daughter, but his entire world and way of life. But some of the most beautiful character development in his regard takes place in the next quote on this list…

12. “I’m sorry, Joel.” “That’s okay, Ellie.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEnaeOCqcKw

In the penultimate section of the game, where Ellie and Joel travel across the city looking for the final destination of the Fireflies, they share many touching and insightful conversations - a lull in the fast-paced action of The Last of Us before the final push. One of them is recorded in its entirety in the video above, and I highly recommend watching all 53 seconds of it.

Ellie has come to understand what Joel meant when he told her she had no idea what loss was - it wasn’t that he didn’t empathise with her, with her own losses, but that he had experienced such a different variety and extent of loss that she could never understand. And, by the end of the game, she knows this.

I’m glad this interaction isn’t a cut scene. I think it’s unusual that it isn’t - it seems like for the gravity of this conversation, it should be - but I’m glad it isn’t. By now, Joel and Ellie have become comfortable with each other, and with the weight of the world they live in, the weight of that which they are doing. It makes sense that this conversation is so casually brought up.

11. “Ellie, get off your horse, give it on back to Tommy… Go on, don’t make me repeat myself.”

https://youtu.be/g-qHkvR6yzI?t=8917

I’m not sure anyone else shares the same experience, but this was the first line in The Last of Us that made me sob. There is something about the silence of Joel’s decision, the gap between his cruel “we are both going our separate ways” and the quiet acceptance of his love for Ellie that solidifies the paternal relationship they have forged in the fire of their pain and loss.

So although this quote may not be jaw-dropping on its own, it is a line that changes the course of the game, and the relationship between our deuteragonists, forever.

10. “This everything you were hoping for?”

https://youtu.be/pMjdl_uYXgE?t=118

It’s a simple question, and it almost leaves you wanting more. But in this quiet moment before the main tension of this gorgeous game about humanity, connection, and love, it is all Joel needs to ask of Ellie as she looks out upon the world she never got to experience truly. The moment with the giraffes is one of the most iconic from the game, where, as they travel through the city, Joel and Ellie encounter a tower of giraffes moving through the naturally reclaimed city centre. So this simple question asked earnestly and hopefully, articulates so much about their relationship and futures.

9. “Once upon a time, I had somebody that I cared about. It was a… partner. Somebody I had to look after. And in this world that sort of shit’s good for one thing. Gettin’ ya killed.”

https://youtu.be/Dva39_9v5bw?t=1201

Now, for our first quote that doesn’t come from either Joel or Ellie, we have one from Bill - the friend that owes Joel a favour whom we encounter in the first location outside of Boston. Throughout this chapter, the story of Bill and his previous partner is uncovered, revealing the first of a few queer stories in The Last of Us franchise.

The heartbreaking retrospective Bill gives here of this person, from a reasonably and understandably jaded perspective of post-apocalyptic relationships, reflects upon the general themes at the beginning of the game about the danger of attachment in this world. For all that Bill was a hardened and crass character, it’s impossible not to empathise with him in this moment, and as the rest of his tragic story is told.

8. “You make every shot count.”

https://youtu.be/bKIGP2vjwo8?t=56

Hailing back to the conversation that takes place when Joel first entrusts Ellie with a weapon, as she covers him from the scaffolding outside of a hotel in Pittsburgh that they narrowly escaped through Ellie’s inability to follow orders, Joel utters this iconic line as he bids farewell to Ellie - possibly for the last time.

Of course, we know that Joel survives (provided you make it through the battle unscathed) but the gravity of this line reflects upon the seriousness of the world they live in. The fact that this line feels like a routine piece of advice, despite its implications, is another indicator of this. You’d best believe that any The Last of Us player is making every shot count - we don’t have the spare ammo not to.

7. “You’d just come after her.”

https://youtu.be/f1r00mtMQp8?t=3814

Following the final battle of the game, as Joel escapes a hospital filled with armed guards, an unconscious Ellie in his arms, he is confronted by the leader of the Fireflies: Marlene.

As Marlene barters with Joel, trying to convince him of the impact saving Ellie will have on the world, it becomes clear that Joel’s love for the girl he holds, and the protective instinct he has for her, far outweighs anything this woman could say or do to stop him. So when faced with the choice to spare her, or eliminate the threat she poses to Ellie’s future, he hardly hesitates, explaining himself with this stark and simple sentence. We all know Joel is right, even if we think Joel’s decision might be wrong.

6. “Oh, baby girl. It’s okay.”

https://youtu.be/fN3IleNM1fc?t=13

Not everyone may have caught this (although I suspect, by this point, everyone who has played The Last of Us more than once has), but in the aftermath of Ellie’s standoff with David - the creepy man who kidnaps her during Winter - as she collapses in Joel’s arms, he utters this.

The only other time we hear Joel use this pet name is during the prologue when he refers to his late daughter Sarah lovingly as he puts her to bed. So in this moment, where Joel is finally given the chance to protect someone he loves in a way he couldn’t with his daughter, we hear him use the nickname again.

5. “Guilt didn’t make me cross a city full of soldiers, Ellie.”

https://youtu.be/8DPWSKR7p-M?t=2393

Whilst this quote isn’t from The Last of Us, it is from its fantastic DLC, The Last of Us: Left Behind. The DLC explores the backstory of Ellie and her friend Riley in the events leading up to them both being bitten by the infected, with a dual narrative filling in the gap of time when Ellie is taking care of Joel after he is injured at the university.

What is most touching about this stunning addition to the game is the way it explores the importance of both Ellie’s relationship with Joel and with Riley, and the similarities and differences between the two. From conversations with Riley, we are informed that at some point the pair had a falling out before Riley left for an indeterminate amount of time to join the Fireflies, cutting off contact with Ellie. Although they slowly repair this gap across the events of the story, it is an underlying tension that explores many of the intricacies of teenage friendships in this unique context in a way we don’t get to witness in the main game.

At one point, Riley retorts to Ellie’s accusation of guilt with the quote above, putting into perspective the dedication and love in their relationship with each other.

4.“No matter how hard you try, I guess you can’t escape your past. Thank you.”

https://youtu.be/mmwhpEPdpzY?t=31

It pains me that this is an optional conversation. The possibility that people choose not to pursue Ellie’s offer of the photo of Joel and Sarah is a painful possibility because this interaction between the two characters proves to be one of the most tender and revealing of the entire game.

Although Joel refuses the photo earlier in the game when offered it by Tommy, it is revealed when playing as Ellie (if you check the contents of her backpack) that she had picked the picture up. If you choose to speak to Ellie at this moment, she will return the picture to you, and Joel will say this, seemingly accepting the duality of his past and present.

A touching detail in The Last of Us: Part II when exploring Joel’s house is that this picture is framed and placed on a dresser in his home, right alongside a picture of him with Ellie.

3. “I’m still waiting for my turn.”

https://youtu.be/IOdNSgJEra0?t=502

In the final conversation between Ellie and Joel, closing out the game with a tear-jerking and memorable final cutscene, Ellie says this, describing the losses she has sustained both throughout the game’s events and before. It is this line that reveals her survivor’s guilt, and the lasting impact of her trauma on the way she feels about her life.

Besides highlighting the pain that comes with Ellie’s realisation that her immunity, supposedly, means nothing, this line epitomises the nature of existence in this world, where ‘the last of us’ live in a perpetual state of waiting for their turn.

2. “I struggled for a long time with surviving. And you- no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.”

https://youtu.be/IOdNSgJEra0?t=520

And, following almost directly on from the quote above, Joel responds with this: his own experience of survivor’s guilt. Through so much loss from the very first day of the pandemic, Joel has felt like no one else in our world, but like so many in theirs, what it means to survive when those you love do not. Through this line, so succinctly and characteristically written, he simultaneously tells Ellie that she is what he fights for now, and that, one day, she will find something to survive for as well.

1. “There are a million ways we should’ve died before today and a million ways we can die before tomorrow. But we fight, for every second we get to spend with each other. Whether it’s two minutes, or two days - we don’t give that up.”

https://youtu.be/8DPWSKR7p-M?t=3202

This quote isn’t technically from the main game, but it is from the DLC, Left Behind, which I would argue is as important as the game itself. If you haven’t played it, I cannot recommend it enough - it is a vital addition to the game.

At the end of Left Behind, Ellie’s best friend Riley says this, over a cut to Ellie dragging Joel out of a shopping mall on a makeshift sledge-stretcher, as they both struggle with the acceptance of their fate now they have been bitten. At this point, they both believe they will die - this is before Ellie knows that she is immune - and the gravitas of this quotation over the implicit comparison with Ellie’s future relationship with Joel, shaped entirely by the loss of this friend and the events of this loss, encapsulates all that The Last of Us is about.

Because Riley is right - in this world, and in ours, we fight for the moments we spend with each other. If living through our own pandemic has proven anything, it is this. And as Ellie and Riley attempt to defy the odds of their fate (and it is not lost on me that one of them actually does), Ellie carries forward this philosophy, fighting through things no teenager should have to in order to protect those who she loves, and learns to love.

She doesn’t give that up, and in saving Joel, in fighting for humanity’s second chance, she does so in Riley’s name.

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Joel and Ellie's relationship develops across The Last of Us with many picture-perfect scenes.

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[Top 5] The Last of Us 2 Best Skills To Get First (Abby and Ellie)

milkpaper — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:13:38 +0000

When playing the second instalment of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, a game that almost dwarfs the previous game in its size alone, there are many more skill tree decisions to make than we ever have before - especially given our time is split between 2 protagonists.

So, it’s time to get chugging those Flinstones gummy vitamins you found in that abandoned pharmacy again (in-game, of course - do NOT try this at home, I promise you it won’t give you the ability to make bullets). Here are the best 5 skills to get in The Last of Us 2 - for both Ellie and Abby - and the ones you should prioritise when making choices in your skill tree.

Ellie

5. Listen Mode Movement Speed I & II [Survival tree, cost 30/40]

Ellie sneaks through a section in the new prone position.

Okay, okay, the first one is obvious - it’s the first skill upgrade you can unlock in the game. But that’s why I’ve paired it with part II of this skill - in a game where stealth is even more important than it was in its predecessor, listen mode is a crucial game function that any grounded player will berate you for not taking advantage of. With part II of this skill, the days of slowly creeping around trying to get the best angle on those crucial white noise patterns are gone, allowing you to move swiftly as you navigate the city for threats. There’s a reason this skill is the first you unlock, and this is it.

4. Craft Silencers [Stealth tree, cost 20]

Ellie sneaks, prone, holding a gun with a makeshift silencer attached.

In my first playthrough of TLOU2, I doubted the efficacy of silencers. I was disenchanted with the notion of the things after being ripped off in Red Dead Redemption 2, where the small devices always seemed to do very little for me.

But somehow, these rolled-up t-shirts shoved inside a cut-up water bottle manage to completely silence your shots in The Last of Us. Crafting them may just save your life when stuck in a stealth situation with just a few too many wary enemies, and not enough arrows.

Note: I would recommend against the ‘improved silencers’ upgrade for Ellie unless you are buying it to access further upgrades - there aren’t many situations in which Ellie can get away with that many stealth kills with that much ammo, and you’re better off finding other ways of stealth killing if the need comes and you’re out of silencers.

3. Faster Stealth Kills [Stealth tree, cost 60]

Ellie performs a brutal stealth kill in the Seattle suburbs.

Linked to the above skill upgrade, faster stealth kills come in handy when trapped in those situations with just a few too many enemies and not enough cover to covertly take them out under the radar. This is where speed becomes key, and having faster stealth kills also means you can save crucial arrows (or ammo for your silenced weapon) you may have wasted trying to get those sneaky kills in quick.

2. Aim Stability Increase [Precision tree, cost 30]

Ellie takes aim at one of the more horrific TLOU enemies - stalkers.

Of course, it doesn’t matter if you have silencers or arrows if your aim is off. The Last of Us has always been a hard game, and Part II is no exception - the higher your game difficulty, the more scarce resources such as ammunition will be, and as Joel says in Part I, you have to “make every shot count.”

Aim stability increase calms those shaky hands Ellie seems to have (she’s been through a lot, to be fair) and allows more clarity and confidence in your shot taking. You got this, kid.

1. Listen Mode Range [Precision tree, cost 40]

And lastly, what I would argue is the best upgrade in both games: listen mode range. What most people (myself included) seem to struggle with most when playing Grounded mode is the fact that listen mode is turned off. So, if you’re playing a non-grounded run, you better take advantage of that skill - you’ll miss it later!

In a game where stealth is ultimately the most important skill to hone, being a master of your spatial awareness is key, so the larger your listen mode range is, the better. Don’t underestimate the power of knowing every move of your enemies.

Abby

5. Momentum [Close Quarters tree, cost 40]

Playing as Abby, you’ll find yourself in considerably more gritty hand-to-hand battles than with Ellie, making melee upgrades a priority. One of the first and most important of these is momentum, giving you the ability to perform a second ‘strike’ action in a short period of time following a strike kill. Although these attacks can only be performed against stunned enemies, they are incredibly powerful, making the ability to perform two consecutively invaluable.

4. Crafting Hunting Pistol Ammo [Firearms tree, cost 20]

Somehow, Abby's homebrew bullets work just as well as army issued ones...

Don’t ask me how Abby manages to craft literal bullets out of scrap metal and her hands, but if Ellie’s water-bottle silencers work, I don’t see why these bullets can’t (video game logic, eh, Naughty Dog?)

Although some might find the incendiary bullets a more appealing skill upgrade (because who doesn’t love fire?) I’d argue that the hunting pistol is an all-around more powerful and efficient weapon, and the more ammo you can get for it, the more critical shots you can get in on your enemies with this powerful, nifty weapon.

3. Faster Health Kits [Close Quarters tree, cost 50]

The value of any health upgrade can't be underestimated in The Last of Us, including Abby's first unlockable upgrade pictured above.

Distinct from improved health kits, faster health kits become increasingly important in the later stages of the game, as you become increasingly inundated with enemies from all sides. The ability to heal quickly is important both in stealthy and overt operations - every second counts.

2. Faster Prone Movement [Covert Ops tree, cost 40]

Stealth is an important aspect of The Last of Us, especially when you don't know your enemy...

Depending on how fond you are of the prone function in The Last of Us 2 (something I personally hope is added in the new The Last of Us: Part I), this skill may or may not be worthwhile.

But, again, in those later stages of the game where stealth becomes increasingly vital, and you have many more opportunities to utilise that tall grass as cover, prone movement may just become your best buddy, and it’s nicer to be able to go a little faster than the initial crawl Abby is equipped with.

1. Improved Silencers [Ordiance tree, cost 40]

Abby comes pre-equipped with the ability to create silencers, so you might as well skip ahead to the increased durability skill upgrade. Although this skill upgrade feels a little wasted on Ellie, Abby’s ability to use these DIY silencers is incredibly useful in areas where stealth is needed, and there are a few too many to leave to hand-to-hand. Just make sure you use your shots well - I’ve wasted a few too many silencers in my time.

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What skills can Ellie and Abby develop across their journeys?

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The Last of Us Remastered vs Original [Top 5 Differences]

milkpaper — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 19:38:31 +0000

Now that the long-rumoured The Last of Us remake has been announced by Naughty Dog, with a stunning preview trailer to boot and a Playstation 5 release date set for September 2nd, I think it’s time we revisit the original overhaul of this genre-shaping game.

Although The Last of Us came out on Playstation 3 in 2013 a remaster was developed just 13 months later, following the autumn release of the Playstation 4 in 2013. Whilst the differences between these two games are on a much smaller scale than what we can expect from The Last of Us: Part I, it’s important to check back on the things that went such a long way in updating The Last of Us for PS4.

Here are the key differences between the 2013 and 2014 editions of The Last of Us.

5. Gameplay improvements

Players can experience gameplay as smooth as Joel's stealth skills in the remaster of the game.

Surprisingly, gameplay improvements are not the most important difference between these two versions of the game, although many were implemented as a part of the remaster of The Last of Us, much to the game’s benefit. Besides improved loading times during cutscenes, creating a much smoother and seamless gaming experience, other advancements such as an upgrade from 30 fps to 60 fps gave The Last of Us: Remastered an edge over the original version of the game.

However, due to the limited extent of gameplay improvements, and the common criticism of the framerate increase as “jarring” - including criticisms from reporters at IGN and The Telegraph - these differences only place in fifth.

4. Improved graphics

Although we might find The Last of Us: Remastered's graphics stunning, Joel might not appreciate them as much...

Whilst the timeframe between the two releases was relatively short, the differences in graphical quality are still noticeable and impressive enough that they are more impactful than gameplay improvements. With many textures being improved, shadow silhouettes specified, and a step up from 720p to 1080p, The Last of Us: Remastered truly looks and feels like a different and more refined game.

Improved lighting systems and a higher draw distance also go very far in improving the atmosphere and realism of the game, making improved graphics a significant difference between the two game versions, and these improved graphics have served this game well in the years since its release.

3. Audio commentary

Experience the behind the scenes of the cinematic portions of the game, only in the remaster.

Not many players may seek out the audio commentaries of their favourite games - in fact, they’re not a very common inclusion in video games, but one that seems to fit perfectly with The Last of Us’ cinematic nature. With the Remastered version of The Last of Us, players can choose to unlock a commentary featuring Neil Druckmann (writer and creative director), Troy Baker (Joel Miller) and Ashley Johnson (Ellie) who provide creative insights into the cinematics that take place throughout the game.

Whilst The Last of Us already does so much to push the genre of video games in the artistic spaces they hold, this audio commentary solidifies the position of this game as artwork and is worth a playthrough from any TLOU fan looking to find out more about the inner workings of the game.

2. DLC inclusion

Riley and Ellie look down in contemplation at the end of The Last of Us: Left Behind.

Originally an optional downloadable add-on, The Last of Us: Left Behind (alongside expansions for the online multiplayer mode) is included by default in The Last of Us: Remastered.

Whilst most video game DLCs unlock additional content, such as skins, weapons, textures and the like, The Last of Us (as ever) utilises its DLC to provide us with a new adventure into the backstory of Ellie, taking us through the emotionally tumultuous situation that landed her with Joel in the first place, as well as filling in some of the time gap between Autumn and Winter in the main game.

Making it an automatic inclusion in the remastered edition of the game feels like a natural step, and makes a beloved, but sometimes overlooked, part of the game much more accessible to those playing for the first time. If you haven’t played Left Behind yet, I highly recommend that you do, and I cannot wait to see it overhauled in September.

1. DualShock 4 feature integration

Although our most important tool is the controller, it's clear what Joel's is.

Lastly, my favourite difference between The Last of Us and its remastered counterpart: the DualShock 4 controller. Of course, the DualShock controller is already known for the importance it has held in demonstrating the key role of gaming peripherals in improving experience and immersion for players, and the DualShock 4 proves this point more than ever.

The small details added to The Last of Us: Remastered with the integration of the DualShock 4 enhances a game that already felt so touchingly real into an experience that assures you everything has been accounted for. Light indicators on the controller reflect the level of damage you have sustained in-game - red for low health, green for high, rather intuitively - but that’s not all.

Artefact recordings found in-game on tape recorders and similar are played through the speaker on the controller, adding a sense of realism that, despite being somewhat gimmicky, really does feel like a neat touch added with care. Even the flashlight sounds come from the controller, making you feel like you’re holding the tool in your own hands.

Whilst these small details are small, they are important, and show just how dedicated the folks at Naughty Dog are to crafting the experiences we have as players. I have every confidence we’ll find the same attention to detail in The Last of Us: Part I, and can’t wait to see what Easter eggs we have in store for us in September…

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What more can players scavenge from the remastered version of The Last of Us?

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Top 10 Most Fun Sims 4 Challenges (How Many Have You Done?)

ClareTurner — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 01:36:28 +0000

Top 10 Most Fun Sims 4 Challenges (How Many Have You Done?)

The Sims 4 is such a popular game on YouTube that there are various “Simmers” who have various series’ such as speed builds, let’s plays of new packs and expansions, and storytelling through the Sims’ lives. However, the one thing that Simmers do that are the most fun to play even for those who do not stream their plays is the challenges. It is so easy to play Sims with the numerous cheats and perks that are included in all the extra packs that you can buy. However, challenges bring a new light into gameplay. It forces the player to play in a special way with certain rules according to which challenge is being played.

The best part about these challenges is that if you finish them up, the fact that you had finished by following all the rules is rewarding. You will feel accomplished after trying these very complicated, yet fun challenges. Since there are so many rules that change or are altered by added content, only the base game will be mentioned here.

10. 100 Baby Challenge

Follow Hannah as she tries to have a family of 100 babies!

The goal of this challenge sounds easy; have a total of 100 babies from one sim. The hard part is the fact that each child has to have a different “doner.” It only ends once the 100th child is born or you are disqualified by breaking the rules. The first sim is called the “matriarch.” They must be a young adult (with the ability to have children) and they are able to have any traits, perks, and appearance the challenger wants. The easiest way to get through the challenge is to make sure that the sim is always pregnant. After having one child, they will have another “doner” lined up to impregnate them.

This is a fun challenge for anyone who wants to challenge their ability to manage many sims at once. Especially toddlers and children who are some of the hardest sims to manage. The Matriarch must take care of all of them themselves, and afford the bills and whatnot by skills rather than a job. If you enjoy taking care of sim children than this is the perfect challenge for you!

9. Big Brother House Challenge

Enjoy the entertaining sight of famous YouTubers playing in the Big Brother House!

Just like the hit TV reality show, The Big Brother house is where you have a full house of houseguests and one is evicted each week. Each week there is a “Head of Household” who will be the one to nominate two houseguests for elimination by the end of the week. Each one is chosen by winning a challenge that the simmer gives them. At the end of the week, those marked for elimination are chosen by the social stats and friendship percentages of the HoH, and then later on the two are chosen by the percentage of the rest of the household. One guest must be evicted at the end of that week. The simmer is not allowed to control any of the sims except for certain challenges or claiming beds.

This is a fun and challenging challenge. The best part of it is you do not have to worry about the needs of the sims at all and you get to watch hilarious or tragic things unravel right in front of your eyes. Entertain yourself with the drama, romance, and comedy that is Big Brother right in your own sims game.

8. The Apocalypse Challenge

Can these sims survive the apocalypse?

In this challenge, tragedy has befallen the sim community. Your job is to do your part to restore the town. You start with a house, either prebuilt or built on your own. They all have certain restrictions, such as not being able to shower, and they can only be lifted after reaching level 10 or 11 of the career they are in. Everything in the house has to be at the lowest quality and price from electronics to furniture. Electronics can only be used for work purposes only.

This challenge is a very complicated one with a lot of rules. However, what makes it fun is simply the lore of it. Who doesn’t like apocalyptic stories? Makeup stories to go with the drama and challenging things that come with this challenge. Just make sure that you keep reproducing in order to keep the community thriving!

7. The Four Immortal Sisters Challenge

Four sisters who vow to live forever together.

You start out in a household of four young adult sisters. Each sister is represented by a different element (fire, earth, air, water.) Each sister has a different role. Fire is the only one able to leave the lot and develop relationships enough to bear children. Water is the caretaker for the children, and the housewife pretty much for the entire house. Air is the one who is knowledgeable and teaches the children and tutors them when they are old enough for school. Finally, Earth is the gardener and fitness master who is able to be the hunter and gatherer who is allowed to leave the lot for fishing in places where she can find a cowplant berry. The cowplant is important because their job is to lure people to them so that they can produce the “essence of life” which allows them to maintain immortality. You win the challenge once most of the town has been eaten by the cowplant and replaced by the children of the fire sister.

This is always a fun challenge. Immortality is a concept all of us wish for. It is difficult to keep track of who does what, but color coding is always a good way to remember who does what. If you enjoy the idea of your sim living forever, this is the perfect one for you!

6. The Decades Challenge

A new spin on the “Legacy,” this Let’s Play shows how to live through decades.

The Decades challenge is interesting because you need to stay in one “decade” per generation. This means that once the children have all become adults (or teenagers if you prefer.) In the 1890s, sims can only marry the same ethnicity and only to the opposite sex. There is no electricity and sex can only be for childbearing. In the 1910s, there is war so male children have to go to “war” once they reach adulthood, which means you roll a dice. Even means they survive while odd means they die by being fed to the cowplant or some other way the simmer suggests. The 1920s bring jobs to women, but 1930s force the jobs to be lost due to the great depression. Each decade can be found online for a more in-depth look.

This is perfect for history buffs. It lets you force the sims to live in a simulated life that is similar to an actual decade of American history. It’s fun to see how each sim reacts to each situation and how the next generation deals with the new rules and regulations.

5. The Amazon Challenge

Watch as these women create their own Amazon tribe!

For the buffs of Greek Mythology, this challenge is for you. You can let your female young adult sim live as a brave Amazon woman. Force men to be slaves and breeding while the women rule the “tribe” Start out with one young adult woman who becomes the Creator. They need to be beautiful, athletic, and genius. Start with a large, empty lot and begin your journey. There are various rankings that can be given. The heiress is just below the creator and is the first girl born from the Creator. Next is the Warrior, Gatherer, Scholars, Providers, Newcomers and Tribe Family, and elders. Males are only given sons of the tribe and slaves.

This game is so fun for the lovers of Greek Mythology and ancient history lovers. You get to learn a lot about how the Amazons could have lived and if you want to get back at an ex-boyfriend or something you can always make them a sim that you enslave.

4. Rags to Riches

This woman starts from nothing and works to make a living for herself!

In this challenge, the object is to literally have a sim start from nothing and work your way up to becoming a millionaire. You bring your young adult sim to an empty lot in any of the neighborhoods. Use the money cheat to bring the household funds to 0. As you play, you can go around town to fish, dig through patches and stones to get collectibles, get frogs, and harvest from wild plants. Once you gather these materials, you can sell them in your inventory in order to gain Simoleans. You can also go to community lots such as the gym to take care of the sim’s needs such as showering and going to the toilet. Going to the library, the sim can use the computer for writing or programming and to museums for painting. Once you have enough, you can either build a small home or move them into an already done lot. The challenge is over once you have a full house (living space, kitchen, bathroom) and a happy family.

The idea of coming out from nothing is a great thing. Everyone hears so many stories of people coming from nothing and becoming successful. This is why this challenge is so fun to do. It brings out that ideal through the sims. It’s a lot of work without the use of any cheats. The fact you cannot have a job until you have a legit job makes it even harder to do. The end result is refreshing when the challenge is finished successfully.

3.13 Souls Challenge

Watch as Paige kills 13 souls in order to make a pact with the Reaper!

The goal of this challenge is simple. KILL 13 SOULS! You start with a young adult or adult for “easy as cheese” mode but Elder if you want “hard as a rock.” They can have any trait, with aspirations of the creative bestselling author. No other aspirations are allowed. The sim lifespan must be on short with auto-age on. The first thing you have to do is complete the bestselling author aspiration. The sim must purchase and consume potions of youth, or essence of life from cowplants. Once the sim has completed this, they must master the essence of the soul; heart, mind, and body. The three aspirations are joke star, nerd brain, and bodybuilder to do this. The next part is the main challenge. You have to hunt down 13 souls with certain traits in order to finish the challenge. In the end, you will need to take a screenshot of all 13 ghosts in one spot.

This is fun for any simmer who enjoys torturing and killing their sims. For so long it has been the most fun part of Simming. Killing off sims in various ways of entrapment is the best part of the game to most people and this game just gives you the excuse to do it (at least) 13 times!

2. The Asylum Challenge

Watch as Destiny finds a way to survive the Asylum.

You need a large “asylum” to do this challenge. 8 “insane” sims live under one roof and you only control one. You must complete five aspirations in order to have your sim leave the Asylum. If they travel, they can only travel with the entire group. If someone dies, they must be replaced by another sim. Each sim is given the previously called “insane” trait which is now “erratic.”

This is a fun challenge because you only control one while you watch the crazy things that happen in the Asylum. You are not allowed to put out fires or save sims. You are only responsible for one and only one. Relationships are allowed, but you cannot have any children or get married. You can only make money from the limited skills around the place so it’s going to be time-consuming to keep up with without cheats, but that’s the fun of it!

1. Runaway Teen Challenge

Let’s see how Poppy can survive after running away from home!

Finally, this challenge is similar to the rags to riches challenge with added twists and turns. You play as a teenager who has “run away” from home. They are not allowed to socialize with anyone but other teens and children. They are not allowed to go to school, and the goal is to raise enough funds to build your own home (living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom.) As with the Rags to Riches, they can earn Simoleans by foraging, fishing, and skills that sell. However, they cannot directly sell things because that would mean that adults might come by and “turn them in.” An additional consequence is that 10 Simoleans must be taken off each time the sim travels away from their home lot.

This is a fun one for someone who loves homeless challenges with an added twist. The idea of a teenager living on their own in the wilderness is fun, but with certain expansions like seasons, it can create added difficulty. As with the Rags to Riches, it is always rewarding when the sims successfully win this challenge with no cheats to help them out.

The Sims 4 has so many wonderful perks to each expansion making all of these challenges more and more fun or difficult as they go along. Which ones have you played or want to play now? There are so many wonderful ones its hard to choose just one.

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Runaway Teen is one of the most difficult and fun challenges!

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10 Scary Things That Can Turn Earth Post-Apocalyptic

JerryH — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 00:27:22 +0000

10 things that could leave the world post-apocalyptic

Numerous people hear of the desolation and aftermath that a post-apocalyptic situation can bring upon humanity. However, very few people even hear about the many ways that that these post-apocalyptic scenarios can come to be, or the graphic nature of these apocalypses that craft the new world.

Those who choose to read this article should be freed of this dilemma as I portray ten horrifying events that could destructively create a post-apocalyptic world.

10) Alien Invasion

Though several people would prefer to write off the imminent possibility of an alien invasion, our universe is immeasurably vast and supports a high possibility of life beyond our own existence. Our world is rich in minerals and resources, providing ample reasons for an invasion from technologically advanced beings like aliens.

You wake up expecting another dull day on your way to work until the ground begins shaking. You panic, thinking that an earthquake is occurring, but you then you hear it; you cover your ears as though this would somehow muffle the almost deafening sound of wind whipped metal carnage. As the sound settles and the ringing in your ears has come to a calm you hear something less foreign; the sound of hundreds of people screaming torturously.

If beings capable of inner galactic travel decide to attack earth it won’t mean war, it will mean death

Upon looking up to the absurd chaos of people trampling over one another, you find your vision drifting in the direction of what they were running from. As your eyes come to rest on an object only describable as some form of airship, you realize beyond this transport lies beings with an intelligence greater than your own. Having the carnal urge to flee you rush to the nearest vehicle and crawl underneath, using it as means of shelter.

The car works effectively as a means of hiding, but it does not relieve you from hearing the blood curdling screams of the unlucky inhabitants, the undeniable scent of freshly unearthed soil, and some noises that are inexplicably foreign. Thoughts fly through your mind as you try not to conjure up images that meet with the horrid sounds and smells you collect as you dare not look at what truly lies outside of your metal confines. But after what feels like an eternity inside the worlds darkest dreams the noises ceased. The smells remained but the noises all but faded away into the distance.

The humans that survive must scavenge through earth’s remains in search of any viable materials

Finally gathering the mental strength to look out at what remains of the world, pausing only for a moment to imagine what you hope is still left of the world, and then without any more hesitation you open your eyes to a baron, canyon filled world that almost mocks the very existence of what this world used to be. The world had been ransacked as though it was a level of Xcom. However, this situation is nothing like a game. There are no game overs, restarts, or rage quitting over loosing. There is only death and fear of such a fate worse than death.

9) Zombie Outbreak

With the hundreds of viruses that exist in the world and several zombie sightings, it is highly discussed in the zombie community not so much how the zombie outbreak will begin, but when in fact the zombie outbreak will occur. Among these repetitive conversations is all the different ways they will epically survive the devastating outbreak.

Surviving an experience like a zombie outbreak is nothing compared to the traumatic aftermath of it. Surviving in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies is not exciting like Resident Evil, but instead is quite a dark and seemingly hopeless end like Dawn of the Dead.

Believing that you can undoubtedly kill zombies is simple until you have to kill your friends or family

Living in such a world would leave even the strongest minds on the brink of insanity, as the courageous survivors lose timeless amounts of sleep over the things they have done to survive. People having to kill humans and human like creatures, and looting buildings for food, water, and medicine all while never truly feeling safe or alone. Surviving means constantly being aware of the mindless monsters that plague the world and hoping that an encounter with one does not leave you with so much as a scratch as battle damage.

Once the world is overrun by the undead there is no hope for things to ever be the way they were before

Zombies hold a special place in the post-apocalyptic worlds as the earth is left with many living things inhabiting it, and yet it could not be more dead and decrepit. This world leaves you to not only scavenge the supplies that exist but be aware of the undead people who remain there alongside of them.

8) Pandemic

Whether it is biological warfare, a scientific study gone wrong, or a destructive product of nature, a pandemic is a very real possibility. We have adapted to fight strenuous numbers of foreign diseases thanks to the vast and ever continuous work of scientist and medical researchers alike, but even having all the advanced resources that are currently available to humanity there are still new cases of diseases across the world.

Contingencies are put in place to prevent pandemic level diseases from spreading across the world but, both undocumented, and mutated strains of pre-documented diseases have proven to be very resistant to these contingencies and have left humanity rushing to find a way to combat this new microbial foe.

It can be hard to believe that something so insignificant in size could bring humanity to its knees

Pandemics may come in numerous forms, but they always share a single horrifying detail. Pandemics leave masses of tortured corpses in their passing with no sense of remorse for the destruction chaos and sorrow they cause. The diseases that make up pandemics harness no feelings, only an innate need to reproduce and spread from host to host at the greatest rate possible.

The more humanity fights diseases the more we learn about them. Alternatively, the more we fight these deadly diseases the more they seem to mutate and create newer more deadly diseases that we have a much harder time fighting. There may come a time when a single disease could cripple our very understanding of what is necessary to combat a pandemic, leaving us struggling to combat a disease that quickly turns most humanity into a massive crumpled pile of dead.

With the rapid speed of a pandemic disease those who once cared for the infected will soon join them

Those lucky enough to hold some form of immunity must stand upon the downfall of humanity. Hoping that among them is a single being with an intellectual understanding great enough to design some way of rebuilding the world they have now lost. One can only hope if this ever occurs that there are enough survivors to see this become a reality.

7) Asteroid Impact

Asteroids constantly come in contact with earth, but most of them burn up into nothing within the atmosphere causing very few to ever directly contact the earth’s surface. Only a fraction of those asteroids are able to create a noticeable amount of damage and cause any kind of real impact to the earth’s inhabitants. That being said, there have been multiple asteroid collisions in the past that have caused horrific levels of destruction. The most notable of these would be the asteroid that forced the dinosaurs into extinction.

The inability to prevent the impact of an asteroid makes the thought of a colossal asteroid horrifying

An asteroid estimated to be six miles in diameter upon impact, created a massive dust cloud that blocked the sun’s rays from reaching the earth’s surface, causing temperatures to drop to a point that plants and in turn animals began to die. After the dust settled greenhouse gases then caused the temperature to fluctuate and rise to unbearable levels.

The entire event caused the dinosaurs and seventy percent of all other life on earth to die from impact based shock-wave, freezing cold temperatures, starvation, or incredibly high temperatures. No matter what way they happened to die each method poses its own horrific ending in which the world is left in absolute turmoil.

A large enough impact from an asteroid can through the entire earth into an ecological imbalance

The asteroid that killed the dinosaur is one of infinitely numerous individual asteroids that exist in the known universe and though the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs hit earth sixty-five million years ago; scientist believe that an asteroid very much like the one that ended the dinosaurs may be due to hit earth within humanities lifetime. Let’s just hope we have technology like the ship from asteroids to destroy them with when that time comes.

6) Nuclear War

A very realistic fear that has plagued the darkest depths of mankind since the Cold War is the thought of a nuclear war. As of today, most major powers possess nuclear arms capable of eradicating several thousands of human lives at the press of a button, but doing so would consequentially lead to revenge spun retaliation and the beginning of a nuclear holocaust.

Being able to cover a mushroom cloud with your thumb indicates a safe distance from the impact zone

While the possibility of a nuclear war is very real the aspect of one occurring is slim as there is not a need for such exceedingly powerful weapons is not required in this day and time. This is not to say that something could not occur to set offer a nuclear war as this does seem to grow more and more possible as bonds between nations dwindle and the desire for power among countries grow.

Despite the reasoning for a nation to rely on nuclear warfare as a means of assaulting another nation it would more than likely be met with counter strike that would lead to WWIII and a post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland that very few people would be able to survive. Such a premise has been imagined in the Fallout Series, however, I feel as though the sickening reality of a nuclear based apocalypse would be much grimmer then the bottle cap currency style gameplay of fallout.

The radioactive aftermath of a nuclear bomb will leave the entire area incapable of supporting life

Barron nuclear waste lined soil too corroded to ever be used for growing food or living on for generations to come. Black smudged stained shadows left as a reference to what had been standing there sheer moments before the war. Those who managed to survive would be less than human, but not quite animal either. They would just be some form of humanoid beings who managed not to die from the third world war.

5) Cataclysmic Event

With earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and more in its arsenal it goes without saying that cataclysmic events make their way onto this list. Cataclysmic events set to take place millions-billions of years from now are bent on wiping out most if not all life on earth. It isn’t certain whether these events will completely annihilate the human race, but the chances are rather high.

Several weather based catastrophes occurring simultaneously will leave the world in complete disarray

However, those who manage to beat the odds, whether it is due to luck or resilience will be forced to suffer through earth’s most brutal sate of decay and suffering. Those who manage to survive will have to adapt to the changes and chaos that occurs on earth. From the destructive creation of super continents to the solar burned remains of a dehydrated planet, humanity may never know what diversity and lushness once lived on this now post-apocalyptic husk of a planet.

As oceans, rivers, and lakes become nothing more than dust, all things living will begin to die

What is left of mankind must adapt in order to find sources of food and hydration upon newly created ecosystems that fight to redevelop the fragile balance of today’s ecosystems. This goes beyond being a challenge as stability is not yet met and finding a place among the rest of the animals could prove to be either the survival or extinction of mankind among the ever-growing scarceness of nature provided rations.

4) Kaiju

Finding a Kaiju moving into the local area will defiantly cause property values to drop

Fighting against a massive monster bent on destruction while having zero previous encounters and no information on its strength or weaknesses poses an imminent threat to the chances of success in defeating the creature.

But when you know absolutely nothing about a creature such as a kaiju, the only thing you can do in the sense of strategy is to call the military to bring in the big guns. Using military grade weaponry is the best possible chance at keeping a kaiju at bay while scientist attempt to decipher the weaknesses behind this previously undiscovered being.

If I saw that creature from the street I would be signaling for the first taxi to take me away

In a real-life scenario, any kaiju that could survive military assault would leave all hope lost to killing it, with the last possible option being a nuclear strike. But finding a safe enough area, or predicting the kaiju’s direction with enough time to evacuate the target area so that a nuclear strike can occur without mass casualties is very unlikely. This leaves one to consider thousands of casualties through a nuclear strike, or continuing military assault in hopes of finding a weak point. Either one of these options can cause a firm standing government to crumble.

3) Artificial Intelligence

The advancement in technology has driven mankind to attempt to develop artificial intelligence with hopes of pursuing many different achievements like AI based assistance, or work replacement. Some worry that this is an unwise move and that the more intelligence we try to give these artificial beings the bigger gamble we take in creating beings so self-aware that they may one day revolt and take over our world.

In present day we ask AI questions, it is when they begin asking questions that we should be worried

We have yet to create anything close to being hyper-aware of its own existence and for that reason have no reason to believe that the real Terminator will be coming to our homes on a peaceful Sunday afternoon. But the future is constantly showing us that the things we once thought were impossible or simply non-existent were being built in a basement or secret research lab all while discussing the absurd possibility of their existence.

If a human creates the being that exceeds their own intelligence, has the human not exceeded intelligence?

If a day does arise when self- aware AI come to a consensus that humans have had their turn and that it is now time for the roles to change I would truly fear for the post-apocalyptic life that would be sure to occur. The AI would either be successful in taking over and continuing the hunt for humans as we all ran fleetingly in hopes that we may survive this mass human genocide, or humanity would construct some form of massive EMP disabling the AI but counter productively disabling all of the electrical machinery and hardware of the world knocking those who remain into a post-apocalyptic dark age.

2) Vampire Apocalypse

A post-apocalyptic world filled with vampires is a bit like getting the short straw when deciding what post-apocalyptic world you will inhabit. Finding the necessary survival tools and supplies are much harder when you are the survival food of something else. Constantly having the human population dwindle as the blood thirsty threat against humanity constantly grows doesn’t really do much for some one’s morale either.

The teeth on this vampire suggest that there is no intention of spreading vampirism

While there are many different interpretations of vampires and their origins I feel as though a real-world version of these creatures would stem from a viral or disease driven source much like the vampires from Stake Land. These vampires are more savagely driven as opposed to being cool and calculated. This makes these vampires difficult to kill due to their erratic and unpredictable nature.

She looks like she is contemplating who to eat first

Every snap of a brittle twig and rustle of a dried leaf will have any survivor on edge in a vampiric apocalypse as these ever so faint noises could be outliers to the seconds you have before a vampire is upon you. The shear anxiety a single person would feel knowing they are forever being hunted by the beings that threaten humanities very existence would leave only the most hardened psyches capable of taking on such a feat in this post-apocalyptic world.

1) Armageddon

If you could take every post-apocalyptic scenario and roll them up into one chaotic mass of tortured insanity, then you would have the Armageddon. The term usually referencing any apocalyptic end of days, this one is held a bit more to the biblical interpretation.

The four horseman of the apocalypse are a personification of four events that plague humanity

By which it acts as a meeting place where angelic and demonic meet in a single location, known as Armageddon and wage war while the earth is ravaged by pestilence, war, famine, and death. Depending on whether you choose to interpret it as metaphorical, or literal will decide just how much more insanity and chaos is truly apparent.

Hell, has no war like that planned in revelations

The overall scenario, despite choice of interpretation, is absolutely monstrous as a war between the heavenly and demonic deities wage war among one another with armies of angels, demons and those who choose to follow them meet in a chaotic mass battlefield of absolute carnage and sorrow. A post-apocalyptic survival based on a single mass war with an end goal of surviving the creation of a new world as opposed to surviving in a dead one with no chance of ever seeing any form of re-creation.

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5 Great Apocalypse Movies You Should See

Nick_J — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 19:21:50 +0000

Before you start building your doomsday bunker, check out these thrilling flicks about the end of the world

If I had a dollar for every time some bogus prophecy, or the right alignment of stars and planets had someone convinced that the world is going to end, I’d be a very rich man. Naturally, filmmakers have attempted to cash in on this idea, resulting in some pretty great adrenaline packed movies that paint a nice picture of what it’d be like if things really started to fall apart.

1. The Road (2009)

The Road is an adaptation of the 2006 novel by the same name by the author Cormac McCarthy, and follows a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) as they trek through the wild and dangerous wastes of post-apocalyptic America in order to find sanctuary.

Father and son, alone in a wasteland.

What The Road does best is its dark and chilling cinematography, creating a distinct sense of helplessness and dread when the two are in danger. Along the way the father and son run into other people – but who is out to hurt them and who will aid them along their path? The most powerful scenes in the movie are definitely the loving father-son exchanges, which offer a breather from the suspense and bleak flow of the movie.

2. 2012 (2009)

The Mayan prophecy of 2012 was probably the biggest end of the world scare the world has ever seen, all because of a calendar someone never bothered to finish. The premise is simple: a solar flare has been heating the Earth’s core and the world is about to suffer a giant catastrophe – only much sooner than anyone could have anticipated.

Los Angeles collapses underneath itself.

The movie is a big-budget Hollywood project, and as such is full of breathtaking visual effects and action packed scenes, such as the escape from a sinking Los Angeles via airplane or the construction of great ark ships mean to save humanity. A TV spin-off, 2013, was in the works but later had to be scrapped due to budgetary reasons.

3. Children of Men (2006)

Children of Men is a work of art, a timeless classic which was on every critics top ten list back in 2006. After almost two decades of global human infertility the human race is about to go extinct. The United Kingdom has the world’s last functioning government, and thousands of immigrants are flooding to its borders seeking refuge from the terrors of the rest of the world.

The refugee camps in Children of Men.

The country soon turns into a police state, rounding up refugees like animals and treating them with no dignity. In Children of Men, there is no imminent, looming doom threatening the world, instead there is a depressing decay which is felt in every single shot of the film. Concepts such as religion and hope are also explored in a very tasteful and original way.

4. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

In this adaptation of the 1999 novel “The Coming Global Superstorm”, Professor Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) tries to warn the United Nations that a new ice age is coming, and of course, nobody listens.

New York under solid ice.

Soon the entire northern hemisphere is torn by violent storms that freeze anything in their path and a global catastrophe occurs. Being a Hollywood blockbuster, the movie really went all in on the special effects that hold up even when compared to today’s CGI shows – the tornadoes tearing up LA are very believable, New York under several stories of water is quite frightening, but my favorite shot has to be the one with the astronauts on the ISS asking themselves just what the hell is going on down on their planet.

5. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max is one of the most iconic post-apocalyptic film series to ever grace the big screen, and its latest addition, Fury Road keeps true to the spirit of the originals. It is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where water and fuel are in short supply and are treated as luxuries.

Max strapped as a War Boy’s hood ornament.

Max (Tom Hardy) teams up with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) as they attempt to escape Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and his soldiers and save the five women Joe was keeping captive. The movie is a rollercoaster of gritty, motor oil infused fighting and chase scenes that take place in barren, destroyed landscapes, and is a real thrill to watch.

Eventually, an apocalypse is going to have to happen in some capacity, but it’ll certainly come after we’re long gone. To experience the real deal right now, you’re just gonna have to settle for grabbing one of our recommended movies.

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10 Best Skyrim Mods in 2015

JKrupitzer — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 02:44:22 +0000

The best mods to breathe new life into Skyrim.

Whether you’re like us and you’ve logged several hundred hours in Skyrim or you’re a newbie just looking to enhance your experience, this is the definitive list of the ten greatest Skyrim mods available. You can find them all on the Skyrim Nexus or through Steam Workshop. Starting off at the tenth spot is:

10. Apocalypse – Magic of Skyrim (EnaiSiaion)

'Bandit, meet Mr. Tornado.'

After a few playthroughs, you’ve seen practically everything there is to see about Skyrim’s magic. Not anymore. Apocalypse – Magic of Skyrim adds 155 new spells to the game that add depth and variety to the combat. You use to Bolide spell to launch a flaming rock that increases in damage the farther it travels or Poet’s Whim which instantly kills a target if its health is doubled within 10 seconds.

These spells are fun and unique and a ton of fun. Installing the mod ties the spells directly into the game, allowing them to be purchased from vendors and spawning staves and scrolls in treasure chests. Install this mod and use the magic that Skyrim always should have had.

9. T3nd0s Skyrim Redone (T3nd0)

‘Redone? That’s the same Skyrim logo as before!’

Skyrim Redone was created to ‘enhance the depth of character development by giving options to you’, and it succeeds marvelously. Disguise yourself, collect bones for necromancy, and level speech by using shouts. This game features tons of interesting and well thought out improvements to the game that will only serve to enhance your experience.

8. Interesting NPCs (kristakahashi)

‘Finally, NPCs that don’t call me milk drinker all the time.’

After only a few dozen hours, the NPCs in Skyrim can begin to become annoying with their repetitive dialogue and bland appearances. This mod fixes that by adding over 250 voiced NPCs, over 50 quests, over 25 new followers, and over 15 marriage NPCs. That’s a lot of new content!

Add this mod and you’ll get a fresh feeling of excitement whenever you travel. You never know when you’ll bump into a cool new follower or get a fun new quest!

7. Frostfall (Chesko)

‘I like how there’s a dead bandit just lying there.’

Ever wish that Skyrim felt a bit more realistic or, well, as realistic as a game with dragons and werewolves can get at any rate? Then Frostfall is the mod for you. Frostfall adds depth to the game by implementing a hypothermia system, a cold water survival system, and a camping equipment system. The mod tracks the player’s location, the clothing being worn, the time of day, and the weather to determine your character’s current condition.

With Frostfall installed, when players venture into cold, icy environments, they better be sure to bring warm clothing and firewood else risk dying of exposure. Building tents is also an option to keep warm. If you’re getting set to venture into a cold area, you’ll want a hide tent not a leather tent, which are waterproof but not as good in the cold.

6. Falskaar (AlexanderJVelicky)

‘One guy made all that. I feel lazy now.’

Falskaar is a mod that can only be described as ambitious. The mod adds an entire new worldspace to the game which is about the size of 2-3 Skyrim holds as well as 20+ hours of gameplay, 26 quests, and 40 minutes of new music. Oh, and it’s fully voiced.

This mod is huge, the music is good, and the voice acting is believable. The game doesn’t feature many new armors, weapons, or spells, but there are plenty of other mods that add those. If you’re tired of tromping around the same old Skyrim and need a change of pace, or if you’re just looking for an awesome new land to explore, then Falskaar is for you.

5. Unofficial Skyrim Patch (Arthmoor)

‘Dovahkiin hate bugs.’

The Unofficial Skyrim Patch is, well, an unofficial Skyrim patch. The mod fixes literally hundreds of bugs relating to things like quests, NPCs, items, text, and gameplay bugs. This mod is all about the details and fixes things as varied as bad character meshes, the infamously buggy Archmage Robes, and the ugly water in forge troughs, as well as just giving the game a general sprucing up.

‘Those were banners this whole time?’

It’s a must have for modders and is intentionally designed to be compatible with as many mods as possible, so you can go crazy with the mods without sacrificing fixing all of Skyrim’s little flaws.

4. Immersive Weapons (hothtrooper44)

‘These are the weapons Skyrim should have had.’

Immersive Weapons adds a bunch of new weapon classes to the game along with 224 new weapons and 6 new types of arrows to the game! All of which are craftable, enchantable, and upgradable. Players are no longer stuck using the same old boring weapons. Use a spear, a double-bladed axe, a halberd, a claymore, a club, or even a scythe – and those are just a few of the new options available!

‘Did we mention scimitars? There’s scimitars, too.’

The mod breathes new life into the game, giving players back that little tingle of excitement every time they open a chest again. The mod is designed to spawn power-appropriate weapons for players beginning from level one to level 50 and beyond. What cool new weapon will you find?

3. Immersive Armors (hothtrooper44)

‘Having to giant, razor sharp fangs on each side of your face seems like it would defeat the point of the armor if you ask me.’

This mod is great because it adds another layer of depth to the game by adding some beautiful and lore-friendly armor to Skyrim, including shields. You have complete control over the distribution of these armors, too through an intuitive, in-game interface which allows you to set which armors will appear in workbench menus or which armors you would like to appear on enemies and NPC’s.

‘Sweet.’

Tired of looking at the same guards over and over again? You can set the mod vary the kinds of helmets worn by guards. Always been annoyed that you couldn’t break down that set of ebony armor into ingots? Now you can.

The game even allows the player to decide what armors from the mod will appear in vendors’ inventories for sale.

2. Alternate Start – Live another Life (Arthmoor)

‘Why can’t there be any nice options like starting in a candy store?’

In Alternate Start, players are finally given the option to skip that long, boring introduction and start fresh. The Dragonborn starts locked in a cell in the Abandoned Prison all alone. The Dragonborn can speak to a statue of Mara, who asks some questions that, depending on your answers, will decide how your adventure is to begin.

How you answer the statue even has unique options available to each of the game’s races such as starting the game in an Orcish stronghold for Orcs or as a member of a Khajiit caravan for Khajiit. You can even choose to begin the game after having been captured attempting to cross the border illegally, beginning the game almost as if the mod hadn’t been installed at all (though we don’t know why anyone would do such a thing).

1. SkyUI (Schlangster)

‘Now those are some nice menus.’

This mod may not be as grandiose and sexy as the other mods on this list, but there is no doubt that SkyUI is one of the most popular mods ever created for Skyrim. SkyUI has been downloaded by millions of players and it is easy to see why. SkyUI boasts that it is an ‘elegant, PC-friendly UI mod for Skyrim,’ and it is.

SkyUI takes Skyrim’s tedious and clunky menu design and gives it a full makeover. Every menu in the game is streamlined and improved by this mod. Every menu.

With SkyUI, active effects like poison or diseases are displayed prominently, but unobtrusively, in the player’s HUD, removing the need for the player to open up the magic menu and scroll through a bunch of effects. You’ll never know how you played without this mod after installing it which is why it made it to the top of our list.

Let us hear from you! Tell us your favorite Skyrim mods in the comments below!

Fan of MMOs? Check out 5 Rule-Breaking Reasons Tree Savior is Getting Our Attention.

Do you love Sid Meier’s Civilization games? Check out Civilization: Beyond Earth Takes a Trip to the Sea with Its Latest DLC.

Is Fallout more your style? Our new articles, Fallout 4, Modders Paradise: 5 Reasons Modders Will Keep Us Playing for Ages and 5 Things We Learned about Fallout 4 at QuakeCon 2015 will interest you.

Or continue reading about The Elder Scrolls by checking out our list of All Elder Scrolls Games, Ranked Best to Worst.

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