merritt k

merritt k Nov 22, 2019. 2 minute read

Where’s Xur in Destiny 2? – November 22, 2019

This week, you’ll find Xur on the EDZ once again. Drop in the Winding Cove then head to the northmost end of the area. Hop up the rocks and you’ll find the Agent of the Nine at a little camp overlooking the cove. What’s he selling? This week, you can…

merritt k Nov 20, 2019. 4 minute read

I Did a Bunch of Nitrous and Tried to Play MOLEK-SYNTEZ

Let it be known that I am of the smooth-brained. When I encounter a Tower of Hanoi puzzle in a game, I panic and start throwing disks everywhere. Ask me to ferry a chicken, fox, and grain across a river and I will arrive on the opposite bank on an…

merritt k Nov 20, 2019. 2 minute read

One Odd Design Choice Undermines the Climax of Pokemon Sword and Shield

Pokemon Sword and Shield are fine. They’re not terrible, as some would have you believe, but neither are they outstanding. Game Freak has made a lot of quality of life improvements to the Pokemon formula, though none of these add up to an experience that’s as charming or clever as many…

merritt k Nov 19, 2019. 2 minute read

The Vainguard, a Destiny Fashion Column: Xur’s Exotics Edition

Welcome back to The Vainguard, a column where you dress up your Destiny 2 characters in fun outfits because you can only kill the Undying Mind so many times before you need a break. This week, I asked you to put together looks using one of the Exotics Xur had…

merritt k Nov 17, 2019. 5 minute read

A Tale of Two Trainers, Chapter Two: Gym Fever

Welcome to A Tale of Two Trainers, a series where Features & Trending Editor merritt k and Fanbyte Contributor Eric Thurm play through Pokemon Sword and Shield as very different trainers with very different priorities. Previously, our heroes set off on their adventures. In this installment, they begin their Gym…

merritt k Nov 16, 2019. Less than a minute

Galarian Stunfisk: A Review

merritt k Nov 16, 2019. 2 minute read

Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Catch Rates Are Too Damn Low

I’ve been playing Pokemon Sword and Shield for a couple of days now, and it’s been an enjoyable experience thus far. But one thing in particular is marring my Galarian adventure. It’s not that the game is missing some of my favorite Pokemon, or that there are weird limits on which Pokemon…

merritt k Nov 15, 2019. 5 minute read

A Tale of Two Trainers, Chapter One: Galarian Psycho

Welcome to A Tale of Two Trainers, a series where Features & Trending Editor merritt k and Fanbyte Contributor Eric Thurm play through Pokemon Sword and Shield as very different trainers with very different priorities. In this installment, our two trainers — Hunter and Eric — kick off their adventures…

merritt k Nov 15, 2019. 3 minute read

Where’s Xur in Destiny 2? – November 15, 2019

Want some Destiny 2 Exotics from our good friend Xur? Head to the Giant’s Scar on Io, where you’ll find him hanging out in a cave in the northwest edge of the area. This week, you can grab the following from him: Riskrunner: 29 Legendary Shards Ophidia Spathe: 23 Legendary Shards…

merritt k Nov 15, 2019. 2 minute read

PSA: Don’t Try to Catch ‘Strong Looking’ Pokemon in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Early on in Pokemon Sword & Shield, you’ll encounter “strong-looking” Pokemon. These creatures will be several levels above your team and are some of the toughest battles you’ll face in the beginning of your adventure. In my game, for instance, I ran into a strong-looking Onix and spent the next 15…

merritt k Nov 15, 2019. 3 minute read

7 Pokemon to Snag in the First Few Hours of Pokemon Sword and Shield

Pokemon Sword and Shield are here, and I’ve been making my way through the Galar region on my quest to be the very best there ever was. One thing that’s surprised me with this installment of the series is the sheer number of Pokemon available to catch early on in the…

merritt k Nov 14, 2019. 2 minute read

Squidgies Takeover is a Cute Puzzle Game With an Upsetting Name

Let’s get this out of the way right up front: Squidgies Takeover is a deeply, existentially upsetting name for a video game. I’m not the kind of person who’s disturbed by words like “moist,” but “squidgie” is bad. It looks like a transliteration of the sound Gooigi makes when he squelches through…

merritt k Nov 13, 2019. 1 minute read

You Can Finally Complete the Secret Festival of the Lost Triumph in Destiny 2

Ever since the Festival of the Lost started in Destiny 2 a few weeks back, players have been blocked from completing one particular triumph. That’s because the item required to unlock it wasn’t actually released until this week. As of yesterday’s update, Eva Levante is now selling a Festival Charm for 100…

merritt k Nov 12, 2019. 6 minute read

5 Classic Video Game Hazards, Psychoanalyzed

Editor’s Note: This piece originally appeared at Dorkly.com in January 2018. As long as there have been video games, there have been protagonists. And yet, these heroes cannot stand alone: without the obstacles which define them, they are little more than collections of pixels, imbued with neither bravery nor resolve.…

merritt k Nov 11, 2019. 2 minute read

The Vainguard, a Destiny Fashion Column: Gotta Go Fast Edition

Welcome back to The Vainguard, a column where you dress up your Destiny 2 characters according to my whims. This week, I provided you with a challenge: I wanted to see you make a Guardian that looked as much as possible like our speedy blue friend Sonic the Hedgehog. Why?…

merritt k Nov 11, 2019. 2 minute read

5 Genuinely Good Ideas in Garfield Kart Furious Racing

Last night, in a move I can only describe as “fueled by a deep and all-encompassing self loathing,” I streamed Garfield Kart: Furious Racing. As you might expect, the game is a third-rate Mario Kart clone peopled by Garfield and a number of his friends, and featuring items and levels vaguely referencing Garfield’s…

merritt k Nov 8, 2019. 2 minute read

Where’s Xur in Destiny 2? – November 8, 2019

This week, you’ll find Xur on the EDZ in the Winding Cove. He’s up on a ledge in the northernmost end of the area. Just keep climbing and you’ll hit a little encampment where he’s hiding out. What’s he selling? This week, you can grab the following from him: Riskrunner:…

merritt k Nov 6, 2019. 3 minute read

7 Tips for Nightfall: The Ordeal Master Difficulty in Destiny 2

I finally finished a run of the Nightfall: The Ordeal on Master difficulty in Destiny 2 the other day. (Quick aside — Nightfall: The Ordeal is just a mess of a title.) It’s one of the game’s few Pinnacle challenges, meaning it’s a source of gear drops above the 950 Power…

merritt k Nov 4, 2019. 3 minute read

The Vainguard, a Destiny Fashion Column: Back 2 Basics Edition

Welcome back to The Vainguard, a Destiny 2 fashion column where I ask for pics and you send them to me. There was no theme this week — I just wanted to check in on your Guardians in the wake of Festival of the Lost. As the old rhyme goes, remember, remember,…

merritt k Nov 4, 2019. 3 minute read

I Feel Just Awful About Sucking Up Ghosts in Luigi’s Mansion 3

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a lovely game. From the care put into the visual design to the satisfaction of finding secrets, everything about it is charming. Well, almost everything. See, I have a problem. I feel worse about sucking up ghosts in Luigi’s Mansion 3 than I do about gunning down enemy soldiers…