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Mass Effect Goes Gold

Microsoft Game Studios and Bioware have announced that their new RPG game Mass Effect has gone gold for the Xbox 360, and will soon be landing at North American retailers. In the meantime, gamers who absolutely must be the first to get their hands on the totle can pre-order the title at participating retailers, and in doing so they’ll get their hands on an exclusive bonus disc collectible content.

Mass Effect is rated M for Mature by the ESRB, and will be available in $59.99 standard edition and a a $69.99 collector’s edition, which will include the fiction book Galactic Codex: Essentials, a 36-page game guide, an art book titled A Future Imagined, making-of documentaries, gamer pics, dashboard games, game trailers, and design galleries.

The bonus disc available to pre-order customers will including a short documentary introducing the game, 12 gamer pics, eight dashboard themes, three songs from the Mass Effect soundtrack, four game trailers (apparently the same ones which will be included in the collector’s edition), a demo for the upcoming game Blue Dragon, and videos for Lost Odyssey,Halo 3, and Halo Wars.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
All charm locations and effects in Alan Wake 2
Saga walks through Coffee World in Alan Wake 2.

Alan Wake 2 features an abundance of collectibles to find if you'd like to see and learn about everything the game has to offer, and some of them can actually come in handy for combat, too. While playing as Saga, you're going to want to keep your eyes open for charms to find and equip, most of which can be obtained by completing nursery rhymes around each of the game's three main maps. Below, we've listed all of the charms in the game, what effects they provide, and where you can find them.
All charm locations and effects
Logan's Charm
Effect: Increases your maximum health.

Location: Obtained automatically at the beginning of the game.
Coffee Mug Charm
Effect: Saves you from dying when your health is depleted, but it breaks immediately after.

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Super Mario Bros. Wonder's defining gimmick is its series of Wonder Effects. A Wonder Flower is hidden somewhere on almost every level and, once found, radically switches up what is going on within that stage. Some expand on ideas the stage was already exploring, while others are wildly unpredictable, giving players something they were not expecting at all.

There are over 69 stages with Wonder Effects that players can see while playing through the story of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, but 10 of those Wonder Effects effects stood out the most during my playthrough. By order of appearance, these are my 10 favorite Wonder Effects in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which showcase just how inventive and unpredictable the platformer is.
Piranha Plants on Parade
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Pinocchio in Lies of P.

Lies of P is a challenging role-playing game that will test your mettle at every turn with deadly enemies and dastardly environmental traps. But to make things even a bit more difficult, you'll have to contend with a collection of status effects that can majorly affect your character and make things much harder for you in battle. We've compiled a list of all status effects in Lies of P, as well as a list of ways to cure them.
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There are a total of seven status effects, with each either dealing damage or having a noticeable impact on your ability to perform in battle. Here are all of them and how they work.
Overheat
Overheat is caused by taking too much fire damage too quickly. When the Overheat bar fills entirely, you'll begin to burn and lose health until it is cured or wears off naturally. During this time, your Guard Regain recovery amount will also be reduced, which can drastically impact your survivability in fast-paced encounters.
Shock
When Shock is applied, your character's stamina recovery will be reduced significantly, which can have devastating consequences. Until this effect is cured or wears of naturally, you'll be stuck with very limited movement and attack opportunities due to your decreased stamina.
Electric Shock
Not to be confused with standard Shock, Electric Shock is caused by taking too much Electric Blitz damage in a short period of time. When this happens, you'll take increased Electric Blitz and physical damage for the duration of the effect, and your Fable meter will drain continuously, which can reduce your attack options in combat.
Decay
Decay is caused by taking too much Acid damage within a small time window. This will cause constant weapon and acid damage, both of which can make life difficult for you in battle since letting it go on for too long can result in needing to repair your weapon while also dodging your foes' attacks.
Corruption
Corruption is caused by a buildup of, well, Corruption. When this happens, you'll be afflicted with what is essentially your textbook poison effect, meaning your HP will drain continuously until it wears off or is healed with an item. This can be especially challenging to cope with when also fighting enemies, so avoiding sources of Corruption is highly advised when possible.
Break
Break is an annoying status effect to contend with, as letting its bar build up entirely will temporarily decrease how much health your Pulse Cells heal. This can be especially frustrating when you already find yourself at low health and don't have many Pulse Cells left, but it's usually best to wait until the effect wears off before healing so you can ensure you get the maximum amount of health possible.
Disruption
Disruption is perhaps the most concerning of all status effects in the game, as you'll be instantly killed when the Disruption bar fills up entirely. If you find yourself in a situation where a lot of Disruption damage is being doled out, it's best to back off until the bar depletes some or you'll soon be seeing a Game Over screen.
How to cure status effects
There are multiple items in the game designed to help you cure specific ailments, as well as items that can increase your resistance to them so that you can reduce your chance of becoming infected to begin with. You can find these cure and resistance items in various places while exploring throughout the game, or you can buy them with Ergo from Polendia at Hotel Krat.

Attribute Purification Ampoule - Cures Overheat, Electric Shock, Decay, and Corruption
Special Purification Ampoule - Cures Shock, Break, and Disruption
Attribute Resistance Ampoule - Enhances resistance to Overheat, Electric Shock, Decay, and Corruption
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