Hello Vikings! Tribes of Midgard Community Manager Sydnee here once again to welcome you to Tribes of Midgard Season 2: the Serpent Saga. The Serpent Saga is the next chapter in our adventure in Midgard, and adds another level of exploration and excitement for players to sink their fangs into.

Oceans and boating and swimming – Oh my!

At launch, many people found out the uncomfortable truth about Vikings in Tribes of Midgard –  they weren’t exactly strong swimmers. Whether it was a misaimed dodge roll or a jump off a ledge…Tribes of Midgard’s Vikings couldn’t swim… until now! We heard your drowning cries loud and clear, and have worked hard to implement aquatic exploration for Season 2. 

At the launch of Season 2, we’re introducing swimming, boating, and an ocean biome full of danger and opportunity. How’s it work? Good question! Let’s get into the details:

• Swimming: You can now explore our ocean biomes, but I wouldn’t get overconfident with your swimming ability, as it is limited by your Viking’s stamina bar. Make sure you’re back on a boat or on the shore (or do like we all do and use a last-ditch teleport to your Village) when your stamina runs out or it’s a trip straight to Rán’s watery halls. So now your fate is in your hands.
• Shipyard: First, you’ll have to rebuild your Shipyard, just like you would for the Quarry, Farm, Lumberyard, etc. From there, you’ll gain access to boat kits, and be faced with a decision. As you upgrade the Shipyard, you’ll gain access to new and sturdier boat kits, all of which will allow you to use your construction screen to build your boat.
• Boating: Do you go with Drakkars that will require more materials, but hold more players, have a higher HP, and move faster when every moment is a race against Ragnarök? Or smaller, more nimble Færings… that are flimsier and carry fewer Tribe-mates? The choice is yours!.
• Streams are for Streamers, Not For Boating: Not all water is equal in Tribes of Midgard – so take note so that you can only build boats in the ocean, not rivers or ponds (not sure where you’d really go anyway). 

However, being on a boat doesn’t mean you are invincible either (don’t let your Viking pride fool you)! 

• Beachside Enemies & Combat: The shores of Midgard are full of hazards and creatures that can churn your sturdy ship to splinters before you even make landfall! You can explore the oceans free of fear, but be wary of which shore you wash up on, because not all inhabitants will be waiting with a warm welcome. 
• Seafarers: If sea exploration doesn’t seem like your thing, then you better have someone in your Tribe who can, as the world of Midgard will now be split into the Main Continent and a swath of smaller islands

You know what time it is.

Hit the polls below to cast your vote for November 2021’s best new game! Will it be a blockbuster first-person shooter like Call of Duty: Vanguard or Battlefield 2042? Or will it be an indie hit Death’s Door or A Short Hike? Maybe you got hooked on First Class Trouble after downloading it as part of your PS Plus subscription, or perhaps you’ve spent the month within the gates of Jurassic Park Evolution 2?

Whatever your pick, make sure you cast your vote before we close the polls Sunday night at 11:59pm Pacific. And, as always, cheer on your pick in the comments!

How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year.

What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Demon’s Souls and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will.

How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted.

Following the acclaimed Fire & Darkness expansion and free Lightbringer update in August, we’re happy to announce Godfall: Challenger Edition, which allows new players to experience the game’s trio of endgame modes, minus the story content of the base game and Fire & Darkness expansions, and grants existing players new exciting features and rewards to enjoy.. As you already may have heard , Godfall: Challenger Edition will be available on PlayStation Plus from December 7 through January 3.*

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Let’s jump right into what players can expect in Godfall: Challenger Edition –   

Instantly boost your player level to max level

All players have the option to immediately jump to Player Level 50, which comes with a plethora of skill points and a spread of deadly weapons for your Valorplates. 

Dive straight into the endgame

Use your max level Valorplate to challenge Godfall’s three endgame modes:

• Lightbringer, a battle against an all-consuming darkness that threatens to snuff out all light from the realms of Aperion. Players willing to persevere through selected banes will receive increasingly greater rewards – and face ever more challenging hordes until the blighted Heart of Darkness is banished in an epic final battle.
• Dreamstones, engage in randomized encounters by reliving the memories of Orin and gain unique rewards each time you play. The curses bestowed on the aptly named Cursed Loot tier can be lifted by completing challenges in Dreamstones.
• Ascended Tower of Trials, put your skills to the test in an ever more challenging climb to the top of the tower gaining boons and facing fierce bosses along the way in the pursuit of juicy loot drops.

New Boss rewards 

All existing Godfall players will receive The Challenger update for free, which adds new cosmetics for defeating the campaign bosses, as well as the ability to replay story missions.

Quest system introduces new Challenges and Legendary rewards 

The adventure doesn’t stop once you’ve faced Macros! All players will have access to the new Quests; an endless array of unique challenges that reward dedicated Valorians with legendary loot. 

All Chall

December’s PlayStation Plus lineup sees you battling through bright fantasy universes and grim worlds shattered by zealous foes. It asks you to play the hero or see yourself become the villain. You haven’t long to wait in deciding to lose yourself to the looter-slasher hybrid of Godfall, the careful combat of Mortal Shell, or play bad in Lego DC Super Villains: all games will be available on Tuesday, December 7 until Monday, January 3.

PlayStation Plus members will have until Monday, January 3 to add those titles, plus three bonus PS VR games to their game library.

Let’s take a closer look at each game.

Godfall: Challenger Edition | PS5 & PS4

Godfall is a looter-slasher set in a bright fantasy universe filled with heroic knights and arcane magic. Embark on adventure in a fantasy action RPG that utilizes high-impact third-person melee combat to engage players as they hunt for loot, don legendary armor sets and defeat vicious enemies. The Challenger Edition focuses on three unique modes: Lightbringer, Dreamstones, and the Ascended Tower of Trials. All three are endgame-level content, but you’ll be immediately equipped with a spread of deadly weapons and skill points, letting you team up with up to two other players* in co-op. Perfect your build and smash your enemies. Challenger Edition’s endgame co-op is compatible with all upgraded editions of Godfall & supports cross-gen play. Godfall: Challenger Edition players can upgrade at any time to the Deluxe Edition gaining access to both Godfall and Fire & Darkness campaigns.

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Lego DC Super-Villains | PS4

It’s good to be bad… Embark on an all-new DC Lego adventure by becoming the best villain the universe has seen. Players will create and play as an all-new super-villain throughout the game, unleashing mischievous antics and wreaking havoc in an action-packed story. Set in an open world experience within the DC universe, the Justice League has disappeared, leaving Earth’s protection to their counterparts, who have proclaimed themselves as the ‘Justice Syndicate’. It’s up to you and a crazy group of misfits to uncover the intentions of Earth’s new, strange, wannabe superheroes. Joined by renowned DC Super-Villains: The Joker, Harley Quinn, and countless others from the Injustice League, players will set out on an epic adventure.

For newcomers, Final Fantasy XIV can seem daunting. Not only does the MMO boast a rich world of adventure, sidequests, captivating characters and more, but it comes packaged with extensive control options to help you to interact with it all. 

The game’s development team has found an elegant solution for controller-favouring players, one that matches the versatility of the keyboard and mouse scheme. Yes, you can use that pairing for FFXIV on PlayStation, but you’d be missing out on one of the most satisfyingly polished controller setups created.

With a few button combos, you can take down world-ending leviathans, race across the vast plains of Thanalan or break out an elaborate dance sequence for the entertainment of others. Read on for a step-by-step guide to tailor your controller – DualSense or DualShock 4 – to best suit your needs. This is written from experience: these beneficial shortcuts have been learnt from nearly a decade of playing FFXIV with a controller. 

The basics: navigating the menus and controller setup 

Navigating the menus

FFXIV’s menu system comes in two styles: one tailored for a controller, the other suited to mouse and keyboard. The first (above) will be familiar to long term PlayStation owners: it’s similar to the PS3’s XMB (Cross Media Bar) main menu. You’re free to choose which one you prefer. Everything – from character gear to system customisation – can be accessed from here. (You’ll find this setting in Character Configuration > UI Settings > General)

To navigate through whichever menu format you chose, you’ll want to press Options to first open it, then the D-pad to navigate through the menu options. 

Key information will by default appear on your UI overlay while playing. This includes your mini-map, quest lines, chat window and more. You can move between these with a press of the Touchpad. You can customise their layout, size, position and whether they appear on the screen. (You’ll find this setting in the main System > HUD)

Setting up your controller

First of all you’ll want to get comfortable with your basic controller setup. If you’re the kind to enjoy custom button configuration, you’ll be able to change button mapping to your liking. By default, Triangle will have you jump, Square will open the mini-map, Cross will be used to target things around you and otherwise confirm, and Circle will be used to cancel. You can decide to swap these to your liking. (You’ll find this setting in System Configuration > Gamepad Settings > Button Configuration)

There is also an option to reverse X or Y axes for those who prefer to play with inverted controls. (You’ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > General > Camera Controls > Gamepad) 

Once you’ve made sure the controller responds however you prefer,