The PlayStation Plus games have gone live for April 2019, which means subscribers can grab Conan Exiles and The Surge for free.
Conan Exiles is one of the more intriguing games to join PS Plus in quite some time, providing an open-world survival experience not dissimilar to Ark Survival Evolved.
You’ll start your journey in a savage world based on the lands found in the Conan the Barbarian books and films.
The game can be enjoyed as a solo experience offline, or you can play in a persistent multiplayer world where every decision matters.
To help you survive in this daunting and dangerous world, Express Online has put together some tips and tricks to get started in Conan Exiles on PS4.
1. Spend some time learning the basics…
Conan Exiles is an uncompromising experience originally designed with complex PC controls in mind. More than any other game, figuring out what every button does, where every menu can be found and what shortcuts you can use is vital for survival.
Take some time at the beginning of the game to get to grips with the crafting and item menus, and make sure you know how to attack and run away from danger – because you’re going to be doing this a lot when the game begins.
I know it seems obvious, but knowing where everything can be found and what every button does will be the difference between a long life or a quick death. The same goes for the symbols and bars on your HUD. You don’t want to run out of stamina when you’re swimming, after all.
2. Live off the land…
Conquering lands and building vast structures should be the last thing on your mind when your journey begins in Conan Exiles. The opening hours of the game should be spent scavenging any and every item you can find.
Plants, rocks, bugs and eggs will serve you well in those opening moments, providing you with the basic tools and food you need to stay alive.
Stick close to the water and you’ll have an easy escape route should you stumble upon some danger.
3. Get to bed…
Anybody who’s ever played Minecraft will understand the importance of making that first home and laying down on a nice comfy bed. The same is true in Conan Exiles, where beds serve a very useful purpose.
Beds – which requires some leather, wood, and twine – serve as spawn points in the world of Conan Exiles, making them invaluable when you set off on more dangerous quests for better loot.
You can also use them as fast travel points around the map, which is ideal if you need to quickly revisit an area rich in a specific type of loot.
4. Make your enemies do all the hard work…
Once you’ve scavenged enough to make a bed and some basic tools and weapons, you’ll want to set your sights a little higher. To get the best rewards you’ll need to face greater danger, whether it’s groups of enemies, fierce animals or giant monsters.
One way to overcome these odds is to make your enemies fight it out amongst themselves. As OnlyMultiplayer points out on YouTube, you can draw groups of enemies into the path of monsters and get them to battle it out as you escape into the water.
When the battle is over and a victor is crowned, just head back to the bodies and grab all the loot. Simple.