The wait forSilent Hill 2sremake has been long, not only because its been a couple of years since it was announced, but also because of how long its been sinceSilent Hillwas active (and even longer since it was thriving). Finally, however, Konami and Bloober Team are preparing to bring the franchise back from the dead with a ground-upResident Evil 2-style remake of what the vast majority consider to be not only the greaterSilent Hillgame ever, not only one of the greatest survival horror games ever made, but one of the greatest games of all time, period.Excitement surrounding the remake is naturally high, then (while theres also a hint of trepidation among some), and as we count the days down to its release, here, were going to go over a few key details that you should know aboutSilent Hill 2supcoming remake.A FAITHFUL REMAKEIn many ways,Silent Hill 2will be taking cues from CapcomsResident Evilreimaginings, but in one key way, it will chart its own path. Something that Konami and Bloober Team have both consistently insisted on is that the upcomingSilent Hill 2remake is going to be a very faithful recreation of the legendary 2001 title. It will, of course, be expanded and changed in several different ways (which well get to shortly), but as far as the main story is concerned, you can expect the remake to stick close to originals script.RETURNING FORMER LEADSBloober Team has taken on a massive undertaking as it looks to do justice toSilent Hill 2slegacy with its remake, but though there are obviously many working on the remake who had no involvement in the original, a few couple of key members of the original games development team have had a role to play in the remakes development as well. Specifically, veteran art director and creature designer Masahiro Ito and composer Akira Yamaoka have both been actively involved. Interestingly, lead series producer Motoi Okamoto revealed in a Famitsu interview that the original creators were actually pushing for more radical changes in the remake, with Bloober Team being the ones to keep things more restrained on that front.REVAMPED INTROThe larger details of the main story will remain mostly unchanged in the upcoming remake, but zooming into the finer details, you can expect a fair amount of alterations and changes. The opening, for instance, has seen various tweaks, as we have seen in the hefty amount of gameplay footage that has been showcased thus far- from item placement and enemy encounters being remixed, to the layout of some areas having been tweaked, to new optional rooms and paths having been added in some areas for added exploration. Speaking of whichMORE EXPLORABLE BUILDINGSBloober Team is delivering an expanded gameplay experience with its take onSilent Hill 2, which will include greater room for exploration. As revealed in a preview on the PlayStation Blog, Players will, for instance, find entirely new buildings that you can enter and explore that werent present in the original game, with rewards including ammo pickups and other resources- though of course, some of these new interiors will have threats and challenges of their own.CHANGED LAYOUTSIn addition to some new areas being added in, though we can probably expect a good number ofSilent Hill 2sreturning locations to be very familiar in their design in the remake, a fair few are going to be completely revamped as well. For instance, the aforementioned PlayStation Blog preview revealed that both the Wood Side and Blue Creek apartment buildings have seen their layouts changed almost entirely in the remake, which means even veteran fans of the original can expect unfamiliar content.COMBAT CHANGESThis is the area whereSilent Hill 2sremake is going to be most different from the original, because of course, unlike the original, its going to be an over-the-shoulder third-person game, playing and controlling much like theRE2remake. That will go hand-in-hand with other changes, such as James now being able to dodge attacks, melee combat being much more brutal, and even enemies having new attacks and animations in order to make them more threatening and unpredictable.ENEMY ENCOUNTERSBeyond the core mechanics themselves, combat will also see some other key changes, such as all enemy encounters in the game being either replaced or remapped, in the words of lead series producer Motoi Okamoto. Talking about how the remake changes the combat in an interview with PLAY magazine, he said, We have also replaced and remapped all the enemies from where they were placed in the original so everyone can have a fresh take on combat.PUZZLESSimilar to the combat, the puzzles are another area where theSilent Hill 2remake will take some liberties. Though there obviously are some puzzles that Bloober Team has brought over as is, a fair number of them have also been changed, while several are entirely new. Speaking to the PlayStation Blog about the remakes approach to puzzles, creative director Mateusz Lenart had the following to say: Weve taken great care to build upon the memory of the originalSilent Hill 2 by sometimes twisting and confounding players expectations with regards to certain puzzle solutions, in a kind of a tribute to the inventiveness and playfulness of the original game. We believe that this approach, alongside the numerous and often surprising references to the original present in the game, will bring joy to fans of the classicSilent Hill 2, while at the same time offering them something new and interesting to solve.Meanwhile, similar to the original game, the remake will also let you select the difficulty for combat and puzzles separately.UI CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONSOne thing that Bloober Team has always been good at is crafting games that look extremely cinematic, which, of course, is exactly what a modern version ofSilent Hill 2would need. To that end, if youre looking for the most cinematic and immersive experience possible, you will have the option to turn off every single on-screen UI element as well, as confirmed by Bloober Team recently on Twitter.90s FILTERSomething else that Bloober confirmed at the same time was the presence of a 90s filter in theSilent Hill 2remake (never mind the fact thatSilent Hill 2came out in 2001- well just ignore that factoid, I suppose). As per the studio, the filter will add a grain effect, color correction, and screen adjustments, bringing the games look closer to what you might remember of the original.ALTERED DIALOGUEThoughSilent Hill 2is going to be a largely faithful remake, its not going to recreate the originals story word for word. As per creative director Mateusz Lenart, the remake features slightly altered dialog in some instances, which in turn is driven by the fact that it uses performance capture. The central characters from the original story, James and Maria, are at the heart of our remake as well. Their emotional arcs have been preserved, with great care being given to showcasing their emotions with motion capture technology, Lenart said. This allows us to employ show, dont tell techniques more often, which is why some of the dialogue has been slightly altered to add an extra layer of nuance to the character dynamics.OST DETAILSAs mentioned previously, veteranSilent Hillcomposer Akira Yamaoka has returned in the same capacity for the upcoming remake, but what exactly can we expect from its soundtrack? Well, quite a bit, it seems. Not only has the entire original soundtrack been brought over and remade from scratch, entirely new tracks are also going to be included. Speaking on Twitter about his work on the remake, Yamaoka wrote, After 25 years, my approach to music has evolved. This work reflects that change, blending past passion with todays sound, challenging me like never before.LENGTHThe originalSilent Hill 2isnt a terribly long game, but it looks like the remake is set to be a much beefier experience. As per the aforementioned Mateusz Lenart, an average first playthrough of theSilent Hill 2remake will be about 16-18 hours long, though players who really take their time with the game can apparently push that up to over 20 hours. The original 2001 titles main story was about 7-8 hours in length, with a completionist playthrough being about twice as long, as were looking at a noticeably expanded experience with the remake.PS5 TECH DETAILSSilent Hill 2is releasing as a PS5 console exclusive, which, of course, means we can expect it to leverage the consoles hardware a fair bit. That will mean support for the DualSenses adaptive triggers and haptice feedback, as well as the consoles 3D audio capabilities. Meanwhile, its also confirmed that the game will feature no loading screens whatsoever.PC REQUIREMENTSMeanwhile, if youre planning on playingSilent Hill 2on PC, you are, as you might imagine, going to need a decent rig to be able to play it. On minimum requirements, youll need either an i7-6700K or a Ryzen 5 3600, along with either a GeForce GTX 1070 Ti or a Radeon RX 5700. Meanwhile, on recommended settings, youll need either an i7-8700K or a Ryzen 5 3600X, along with either a GeForce 2080RTX or a Radeon 6800XT. On either setting, youll also need a 16 GB RAM and 50 GB of free storage, while an SSD is also recommended.

Whenthe PS5 Pro launches in November, there will be a good number of games that will have enhancements for the mid-gen upgrade in place on day one, and of the ones that have been officially confirmed to be in that group so far, Alan Wake 2is undoubtedly one of the more prominent ones.Recently, a recent Digital Foundry analysis found that, based on the footage that was shown by Sony last week, on the PS5 Pro, the survival horror title is running at an internal resolution of 864p at 60 FPS, or 1260p at 30 FPS, with PSSR being used to upsample to higher resolutions- same as the games base PS5 version, which uses AMDs FSR 2 instead of PSSR.That, as you might imagine, has sparked some backlash from those questioning whether the upgrade in question is enough to warrant any attention at all, though Remedy Entertainments head of communications Thomas Puha has moved to provide some assurances.In a message on ResetEra, he stated thatAlan Wake 2sPS5 Pro version will be a pleasant surprise, adding that image quality will be a more important factor that what resolution the game is being rendered at. He also confirmed that additional details and footage will be shared in the coming weeks.Image quality matters more than resolution, not that Im confirming anything, Puha wrote. Well drop some details on the PS5 Pro version of Alan Wake 2 in the coming weeks with some assets too. I think the version will be a pleasant surprise, but hard to tell these days.The PS5 Pro is set to launch on November 7, and will retail for $699. At launch, it will have 40-50 games with dedicated enhancements. To learn more about the console, head on over here.

Astro Bothas got off to a solid start in the UK, with launch week sales exceeding what Sonys last major platformer Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart enjoyed upon its release in 2021 by 21 percent. GamesIndustrys Christopher Dring has provided further details on how the widely acclaimed title is doing in comparison to other major recent platformers, based on data provided by the GSD.After reiterating that Astro Botslaunch sales are good and that, based on the sort of game that it is, it will likely continue to sell over time, Dring offered further tidbits to illustrate how well the game is doing. Apparently,Astro Botslaunch week sales in the UK are higher than what other major platformers likeSonic FrontiersandCrash Bandicoot 4: Its About Timemanaged when they released. Both of those, unlike the PS5-exclusiveAstro Bot, were multiplatform titles.How wellAstro Botwill end up selling worldwide in the long run remains to be seen, but based on the start that it has got off to, the critical reception that it has enjoyed, and the strong word of mouth, one would assume that the game will do well enough for itself on the commercial front.Astro Botis available on PS5. Read our review of the game through here.To clarify, Astro Bot's UK sales are good. This isn't the sort-of game that would ever do mega week 1 figures. These games often sell over time.To offer some comparison. Astro Bot's week 1 in the UK is bigger than Sonic Frontiers' and Crash 4's debut, and they're multiplatform Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) September 13, 2024

With the PS5 Pro now having been officially revealed, theres plenty of discussion to be had about whether the console is powerful enough to be worth the $700 that Sony is asking for, but at the same time, there will be no shortage of enthusiasts whore going to be more than a little excited about the prospect of the many games that will be receiving visual and technical upgrades upon being enhanced for the PS5 Pro. Here, thats exactly what well be talking about, as we go over a few games were hoping to see PS5 Pro upgrades for.BLACK MYTH: WUKONGBlack Myth: Wukongis one of the most visually impressive games weve seen in recent times, but that it does come with some technical rough edges especially on PS5 is undeniable. Of course, the base PS5 is very much capable of running a much smoother version of Game Sciences action RPG, and hopefully, with patches, in the not-too-distant future, it will. That said, wed also be curious to see what the studio can do with the PS5 Pros hardware, because the prospect of a game that already looks so gorgeous looking even better is an intriguing one.SILENT HILL 2If theres one area where Bloober Team never fails to knock it out of the park, its the visuals, and with the upcomingSilent Hill 2remake, the developer looks to be hitting similarly high standards where production values are concerned. WithSilent Hill 2launching not long before the PS5 Pro and serving as a tentpole console exclusive for PlayStation, wed be surprised if Sony doesnt work with Konami and Bloober to use this visual showpiece to highlight the PS5 Pros capabilities.RISE OF THE RONINRise of the Roninslaunch earlier this year was a mixed one, and though the open world action RPG certainly drew praise from many for its action and combat loop, in other ways, it was more than a little rough. Visually, for instance,Rise of the Ronin can be an inconsistent experience, especially if youre playing in Performance Mode, which, from a gameplay perspective, is the best mode to play. The PS5 Pro is, of course, being sold on the promise of not having to compromise and have to choose between fidelity and performance any longer, andRise of the Roninseems like a perfect game to illustrate how well the console can do that.REMNANT 2Gunfire Games delivered one of the most underrated games of the year last year in Soulslike RPG shooterRemnant 2, so of course, its still very much on our minds. So much so, in fact, that wed love to see it properly enhanced for the PS5 Pro. From the gorgeous and morbid environments that it has you explore to the incredibly action it throws you into,Remnant 2is a deceptively impressive game from a technical perspective, and it could flourish even more with more powerful hardware.TEKKEN 8Tekken 8is one of the finest examples weve seen so far of what a current-gen only game built on Unreal Engine 5 can look like- becauseboydoes it look good, and somehow even better in action. Of course, being a fighting game, performance is king inTekken 8,and though wed want to see it keep its priorities the same, wed also love to see what an even better looking version of the game that runs just as well (if not even better) would like like. Thankfully, the PS5 Pro can make that possible (on paper, at least).UNTIL DAWNUntil Dawnis getting a remake soon, so it wont be long before we see a significantly better looking version of the classic PS4 horror adventure title, and given the fact that its one of PlayStations major upcoming first-party releases, wed be surprised if it didnt tie into PS5 Pros release as well. The console will launch not long after the remake, so were definitely expecting a PS5 Pro patch for the game within a few weeks of its release, at most.ELDEN RINGElden Ringis no technical stunner, but its also one of the best examples of how a game can still look drop dead gorgeous even without the most cutting edge tech. It does, however, have some rough spots here and there, especially in the performance arena, so a PS5 Pro patch would go down pretty nicely. FromSoftwares open world masterpiece is, after all, one of the most popular and successful PS5 games, so we wouldnt be surprised if it was one of the first titles to be upgraded for the upcoming Pro.DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARDIt was honestly a little surprising thatDragon Age: The Veilguardwasnt already included in the first batch of titles officially confirmed to be getting PS5 Pro enhancements, given the fact that its a major upcoming release, but wed still expect to see it upgraded for the console in the very neat future. Hopefully, with the consoles advanced ray tracing and PSSR tech, the action RPG can come close to matching its PC versions fidelity.NO MANS SKYDespite the fact thatNo Mans Skyis close to a decade old at this point, it still looks incredible, thanks not only to its gorgeous art design, but the technical upgrade that Hello Games has consistently kept applying to the game behind-the-scenes. In fact, the latter is exactly why well be surprised ifNo Mans Skydoesnt receive a PS5 Pro patch at some point in the near future. From being able to stream worlds much faster to rendering everything with much higher fidelity and possibly even ray tracing, No Mans Sky can benefit from the PS5 Pro in plenty of obvious ways.LORDS OF THE FALLENIn a vast sea of Soulslikes,Lords of the Fallenmanaged to stand out last year, in spite of the many obvious gameplay and design issues that it had, and a large part of that was down to how drop-dead gorgeous it looked. That, of course, has been a running theme in this feature, but the dark fantasy world ofLords of the Fallenin particular is one that we would love to see enhanced with advanced ray tracing implementation, without having to sacrifice performance.DYING LIGHT 2 STAY HUMANTechland will soon be releasing anotherDying Lightgame withDying Light: The Beast, and were sure it will be PS5 Pro Enhanced at least to some degree, but before that, wed also like to seeDying Light 2 Staying Human receive a facelift of its own. Though a solid looking game in its own right,Dying Light 2is something of a diamond in the rough, and with the PS5 Pro being billed as a console that can help developers sand out the technical rough edges in their games (at the very least), we feel like it would be a waste if Techland didnt take this opportunity to polish up its zombie-slaying action RPG.CYBERPUNK 2077Cyberpunk 2077had an awful start to life on consoles, and on a PS4, we still wouldnt want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. On PS5, however, CDPRs action RPG is an absolute stunner, bringing Night City to life with some of the most gorgeous, breathtaking visual design in a game this side ofRed Dead Redemption 2.CyberpunksPC version has done wonders with its ray tracing implementation, so wed love to see what the game can do in that arena on the PS5 Pro.STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVORStar Wars Jedi: Survivorwas, unfortunately enough, a prime example of an spectacularly designed game being let down by significant technical issues upon release, especially on consoles, and though it is now a better experience, its still notfullyfixed. It only makes sense, then, that Respawn Entertainment leverages the PS5 Pros greater horsepower to bring the game to the level it was always supposed to be at, right? One where it can look spectacular, boast incredible fidelity and ray tracing, and still have a solid frame rate? Wed be surprised if this doesnt happen sooner rather than later.BALDURS GATE 3Baldurs Gate 3is a mighty impressive game in more ways than one, but even its most ardent defenders will agree that it can chug a little but on the technical side of things, whether thats during particularly hectic battles, or when youre in a dense city environment. Its issues are obviously understandable theres a ridiculous amount constantly going on behind-the-scenes in this game so were not sure if even on a PS5 Pro all of that would be totally fixed- but wed sure like to see Larian Studios take a shot at it.WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2Lets end with the one of the more recent entries in this feature.Space Marine 2is already one of the most technically impressive games weve played all year, because the way it can have payers fighting against literally hundreds upon hundreds of real-time enemies at once without missing a beat with its performance while also looking as great as it does is nothing short of wizardry. It almost feels greedy to ask for more, but dammit, we cant help but daydream about how much more impressiveSpace Marine 2would look when rendered with the greater fidelity and ray tracing that the PS5 Pro promises. Hopefully, we wont have to wait too long before we actually get to see that.

When it was announced earlier in the year that Saber Interactive was leaving Embracer Group in a deal worth $247 million with the deal also seeing the former taking ownership of the likes of Slipgate Ironworks, 3D Realms, New World Interactive, and others from the latter it was also confirmed at the time that though Metrodeveloper 4A Games andZen Pinballdeveloper Zen Studios would both remain under Embracer Groups ownership, as part of the deal, Saber Interactive would be able to exercise the option to acquire both. It has now been announced by Embracer that that option will not be exercised.In a release published on its website, Embracer announced that 4A Games and Zen Studios will remain under its ownership, and also confirmed that the former currently has two unannounced AAA titles in development. One of these is confirmed to be the next mainline instalment in theMetrofranchise.We are satisfied with the conclusion of this transactionand very glad to see the great teams and assets of 4A Games and Zen Studios remain within Embracer, said Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors. They will be important building blocks in our continued journey. 4A Games has currently two AAA titles under development that we eagerly await to announce.Wingefors also went on to congratulate Saber Interactive on the recent successful launch ofWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2,which surpassed 2 million players on all platforms shortly after its global release.I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Matthew Karch for his contributions over the years, and at the same time congratulate the Saber team on the successful release of the iconic Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, that will make a great start in their new structure, he said.As for 4A Games nextMetrotitle or its second unannounced AAA project, it remains to be seen when either will be announced. Earlier this year, publisher Deep Silver provided a brief update on the former, confirming that development on the game was continuing at 4A Games.

With the PS5 Pro now having been officially revealed, theres plenty of discussion to be had about whether the console is powerful enough to be worth the $700 that Sony is asking for, but at the same time, there will be no shortage of enthusiasts whore going to be more than a little excited about the prospect of the many games that will be receiving visual and technical upgrades upon being enhanced for the PS5 Pro. Here, thats exactly what well be talking about, as we go over a few games were hoping to see PS5 Pro upgrades for.BLACK MYTH: WUKONGBlack Myth: Wukongis one of the most visually impressive games weve seen in recent times, but that it does come with some technical rough edges especially on PS5 is undeniable. Of course, the base PS5 is very much capable of running a much smoother version of Game Sciences action RPG, and hopefully, with patches, in the not-too-distant future, it will. That said, wed also be curious to see what the studio can do with the PS5 Pros hardware, because the prospect of a game that already looks so gorgeous looking even better is an intriguing one.SILENT HILL 2If theres one area where Bloober Team never fails to knock it out of the park, its the visuals, and with the upcomingSilent Hill 2remake, the developer looks to be hitting similarly high standards where production values are concerned. WithSilent Hill 2launching not long before the PS5 Pro and serving as a tentpole console exclusive for PlayStation, wed be surprised if Sony doesnt work with Konami and Bloober to use this visual showpiece to highlight the PS5 Pros capabilities.RISE OF THE RONINRise of the Roninslaunch earlier this year was a mixed one, and though the open world action RPG certainly drew praise from many for its action and combat loop, in other ways, it was more than a little rough. Visually, for instance,Rise of the Ronin can be an inconsistent experience, especially if youre playing in Performance Mode, which, from a gameplay perspective, is the best mode to play. The PS5 Pro is, of course, being sold on the promise of not having to compromise and have to choose between fidelity and performance any longer, andRise of the Roninseems like a perfect game to illustrate how well the console can do that.REMNANT 2Gunfire Games delivered one of the most underrated games of the year last year in Soulslike RPG shooterRemnant 2, so of course, its still very much on our minds. So much so, in fact, that wed love to see it properly enhanced for the PS5 Pro. From the gorgeous and morbid environments that it has you explore to the incredibly action it throws you into,Remnant 2is a deceptively impressive game from a technical perspective, and it could flourish even more with more powerful hardware.TEKKEN 8Tekken 8is one of the finest examples weve seen so far of what a current-gen only game built on Unreal Engine 5 can look like- becauseboydoes it look good, and somehow even better in action. Of course, being a fighting game, performance is king inTekken 8,and though wed want to see it keep its priorities the same, wed also love to see what an even better looking version of the game that runs just as well (if not even better) would like like. Thankfully, the PS5 Pro can make that possible (on paper, at least).UNTIL DAWNUntil Dawnis getting a remake soon, so it wont be long before we see a significantly better looking version of the classic PS4 horror adventure title, and given the fact that its one of PlayStations major upcoming first-party releases, wed be surprised if it didnt tie into PS5 Pros release as well. The console will launch not long after the remake, so were definitely expecting a PS5 Pro patch for the game within a few weeks of its release, at most.ELDEN RINGElden Ringis no technical stunner, but its also one of the best examples of how a game can still look drop dead gorgeous even without the most cutting edge tech. It does, however, have some rough spots here and there, especially in the performance arena, so a PS5 Pro patch would go down pretty nicely. FromSoftwares open world masterpiece is, after all, one of the most popular and successful PS5 games, so we wouldnt be surprised if it was one of the first titles to be upgraded for the upcoming Pro.DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARDIt was honestly a little surprising thatDragon Age: The Veilguardwasnt already included in the first batch of titles officially confirmed to be getting PS5 Pro enhancements, given the fact that its a major upcoming release, but wed still expect to see it upgraded for the console in the very neat future. Hopefully, with the consoles advanced ray tracing and PSSR tech, the action RPG can come close to matching its PC versions fidelity.NO MANS SKYDespite the fact thatNo Mans Skyis close to a decade old at this point, it still looks incredible, thanks not only to its gorgeous art design, but the technical upgrade that Hello Games has consistently kept applying to the game behind-the-scenes. In fact, the latter is exactly why well be surprised ifNo Mans Skydoesnt receive a PS5 Pro patch at some point in the near future. From being able to stream worlds much faster to rendering everything with much higher fidelity and possibly even ray tracing, No Mans Sky can benefit from the PS5 Pro in plenty of obvious ways.LORDS OF THE FALLENIn a vast sea of Soulslikes,Lords of the Fallenmanaged to stand out last year, in spite of the many obvious gameplay and design issues that it had, and a large part of that was down to how drop-dead gorgeous it looked. That, of course, has been a running theme in this feature, but the dark fantasy world ofLords of the Fallenin particular is one that we would love to see enhanced with advanced ray tracing implementation, without having to sacrifice performance.DYING LIGHT 2 STAY HUMANTechland will soon be releasing anotherDying Lightgame withDying Light: The Beast, and were sure it will be PS5 Pro Enhanced at least to some degree, but before that, wed also like to seeDying Light 2 Staying Human receive a facelift of its own. Though a solid looking game in its own right,Dying Light 2is something of a diamond in the rough, and with the PS5 Pro being billed as a console that can help developers sand out the technical rough edges in their games (at the very least), we feel like it would be a waste if Techland didnt take this opportunity to polish up its zombie-slaying action RPG.CYBERPUNK 2077Cyberpunk 2077had an awful start to life on consoles, and on a PS4, we still wouldnt want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. On PS5, however, CDPRs action RPG is an absolute stunner, bringing Night City to life with some of the most gorgeous, breathtaking visual design in a game this side ofRed Dead Redemption 2.CyberpunksPC version has done wonders with its ray tracing implementation, so wed love to see what the game can do in that arena on the PS5 Pro.STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVORStar Wars Jedi: Survivorwas, unfortunately enough, a prime example of an spectacularly designed game being let down by significant technical issues upon release, especially on consoles, and though it is now a better experience, its still notfullyfixed. It only makes sense, then, that Respawn Entertainment leverages the PS5 Pros greater horsepower to bring the game to the level it was always supposed to be at, right? One where it can look spectacular, boast incredible fidelity and ray tracing, and still have a solid frame rate? Wed be surprised if this doesnt happen sooner rather than later.BALDURS GATE 3Baldurs Gate 3is a mighty impressive game in more ways than one, but even its most ardent defenders will agree that it can chug a little but on the technical side of things, whether thats during particularly hectic battles, or when youre in a dense city environment. Its issues are obviously understandable theres a ridiculous amount constantly going on behind-the-scenes in this game so were not sure if even on a PS5 Pro all of that would be totally fixed- but wed sure like to see Larian Studios take a shot at it.WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2Lets end with the one of the more recent entries in this feature.Space Marine 2is already one of the most technically impressive games weve played all year, because the way it can have payers fighting against literally hundreds upon hundreds of real-time enemies at once without missing a beat with its performance while also looking as great as it does is nothing short of wizardry. It almost feels greedy to ask for more, but dammit, we cant help but daydream about how much more impressiveSpace Marine 2would look when rendered with the greater fidelity and ray tracing that the PS5 Pro promises. Hopefully, we wont have to wait too long before we actually get to see that.

Progress on theWatch Dogsmovie has consistently been faster than most would have expected, especially given the state of the franchise where games are concerned. Ubisoft and New Regency confirmed in March that development had officially begun on a live action adaptation ofWatch Dogs, while filming began not long afterward, in July.Now, filming has wrapped as well, as confirmed by Ubisoft on Twitter. Filming on the movie lasted a little over two months. As previously confirmed, it stars Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me) and Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), with Christie LeBlanc (Oxygen) having written its original screenplay, and Mathieu Turi serving as its director. Turi is also set to direct a film based on Asobo StudiosA Plague Tale: Innocence.It remains to be seen when theWatch Dogsmovie will release. Meanwhile, the future of the franchise in the gaming space looks much murkier, with reports claiming earlier in the year that the series was dead and buried after the underperformance of Watch Dogs: Legion. Read more on that through here.run film_wrapped.exe(#watchdogsmovie.mp4)>Filming complete! pic.twitter.com/R1kAG8Oxaa Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) September 13, 2024

Player First Games and WB Games have announced another upcoming addition toMultiVersusroster of playable characters. The superpowered trio of The Powerpuff Girls will be coming to the game next week, on September 17, which is when the game will kick off its third season.A new trailer showcases the trio in action, offering glimpses of how they will function in battles together, some of the attacks and special abilities they will have at their disposal, and more. Players can also look forward to Townsville making its way into the game, not to mention different variants for The Powerpuff Girls, some of which can be spotted in the trailer. Check it out below.Later in Season 3,MultiVersuswill also add the DC character Nubia, Queen of the Amazons. Previously,MultiVersusadding Beetlejuice in August, and prior to that, Samurai Jack and Agent Smith in July.MultiVersusis available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Publisher WB Games acquired developer Player First Games not long after release.

Palworldhas enjoyed large-scale success on PC and Xbox consoles since its release earlier in the year, and on no few occasions, many have wondered just when the survival title will be coming to other platforms as well. Though there have been some indications that the game could launch for PS5 soon, that hasnt led to anything concrete so far- though that might change later this month.Spotted by Gematsu on Twitter, a PS5 version ofPalworldcan be spotted on the list of games that will be present at Tokyo Game Show, which is scheduled for September 26-29. The list was published by Japans Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association (CESA).As noted by Gematsu, the list is not necessarily a definitive one, and theres the possibility that the game was listed for PS5 in error, but if not, it points to Pocketpair making an announcement regarding the game coming to Sonys console soon.Palworldis currently available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. In July,Palworlddeveloper Pocketpair announced that it had established Palworld Entertainment, a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) and Aniplex, to develop the reach of the IP, with a focus on global licensing and merchandising activities. Read more on that through here.Palworld is coming to PS5, according to the list of games at Tokyo Game Show 2024 released by the CESA today (also should be noted that this list is never by any means definitive): https://t.co/X0XnPvu7fa pic.twitter.com/PuYYu9y1fb Gematsu (@gematsu) September 11, 2024

miHoYo Games has announced that the next update for Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.2, Tour de Inferno will go live on September 25th. It will see players venturing to the Outer Ring and meeting up with other members of the Sons of Calydon, namely Caesar and Burnice. Check out the announcement trailer below.Located outside New Eridu, the Outer Ring is a wasteland of sorts with various factions fighting over fuel. Phaethon will work with the Sons to take on Overlord Pompey and The Vanquishers, though a new Ethereal boss on a sick motorcycle also waits. Caesar is the first new character an S-Rank Physical Agent specializing in Defense followed by Burnice an S-Rank Fire Agent who can build Fire Anomaly damageA new S-Rank Bangboo, Red Moccus, will also become available. Other new content includes Bizarre Brigade, a new roguelike shooter at the Godfinger arcade, and Investigator Training Course, where you can try out Agents from other Factions for free. Stay tuned for more details when the update goes live and check out our review for the base game.

Square Enixs Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has gone gold. The series official Twitter announced the same, with an image of producer Masaaki Hayasaka and series creator Yuji Horii celebrating. Of course, the development teams at Team Asano and Artdink are likely working on further optimizations for a day-one patch.Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is based on the 1988 RPG Dragon Quest 3: The Seeds of Salvation. It sees the player, Erdrick, embarking on a quest to defeat Baramos, the archfiend. The remake offers a gorgeous new art style akin to Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy, UI changes, choice of appearance for the protagonist, and the new Monster Wrangler Vocation, which can use monster abilities.Launching on November 14th, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Check out some more extensive gameplay here. You can also learn more about the different graphical modes and difficulty settings here.#DragonQuest III HD-2D Remake has gone gold! Time for a snap of Yuji Horii, father of Dragon Quest, and Masaaki Hayasaka, producer of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, to commemorate the moment Just 2 months until the worldwide release on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series pic.twitter.com/yHvaoswF2y DRAGON QUEST (@DragonQuest) September 14, 2024

WithThe Plucky Squireset to launch in less than a weeks time, finer details on the action-adventure title continue to emerge courtesy of developer All Possible Futures and publisher Devolver Digital.The latter has now also confirmed that on the Nintendo Switch,The Plucky Squirewill run at 30 FPS. When asked on Twitter if the game will run at 60 FPS on Nintendos console, Devolver Digital confirmed that it wont, stating that the Switch cant maintain that, unfortunately.The games performance targets havent previously been confirmed for any system, but presumably, it will target 60 FPS on PlayStation and Xbox, as opposed to the Switch.Previously, developer All Possible Futures revealed thatThe Plucky Squiresmain story will be roughly 8-10 hours long, before confirming that the game will be Steam Deck Verified. A recent trailer also showcased its accessibility options.The Plucky Squirelaunches on September 17 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. On PS5, it will also release for PlayStation Game Catalog day one.No, it cant maintain that unfortunately. Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) September 11, 2024

Astro Bothas turned out to be an absolute revelation, and even though many would have predicted that a full-fledged console entry for the platforming franchise would be well-received, not many would have predicted that it would have received the universal acclaim that it has enjoyed. To highlight some of that acclaim, Sony has released an accolades trailer for the title. Check it out below.Astro Botis currently the best-reviewed game of the year, with an aggregate score of 94 on Metacritic, and 95 on OpenCritic, putting it ahead of the likes ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Tekken 8,andLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.Where sales are concerned, the game sold over 12,000 physical units in Japan on debut, while also selling out on Amazon Japan. In the UK, its launch sales have exceeded the likes of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Crash Bandicoot 4: Its About Time, and Sonic Frontiers.In our review ofAstro Bot,we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, Astro Bot is a wonderful love letter to all things PlayStation, and an exceptional platformer in its own right. If you own a PS5, you need to play this game. Read the full review through here.Developer Team Asobi has also confirmed that it will release free DLC for the platformer. The DLC will include several speedrun levels, as well as new VIP bots and leaderboards. Where VIP bots are concerned, the base games credits suggest we could see representation for franchises such asAssassins Creed, Rayman, Stellar Blade, and more.

After Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1 +2 developer Vicarious Visions joined Blizzard Entertainment and became Blizzard Albany, any hope for future remakes in the series more or less dissipated. However, it seems something could be happening in the future.On Mythical Kitchens latest episode of Last Meal, pro skater Tony Hawk revealed that he had spoken to Activision recently. Regarding the franchises future, he said, I wish I could tell you more, but I can tell you that Ive been talking to Activision again. Were working on something. It will be something the fans will truly appreciate.Of course, what that something could be is anyones guess. Remakes of Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 and 4 (reportedly pitched and rejected in favor of having the developer support Call of Duty)? Remasters of the other title? A brand new mainline title? Time will tell, but an announcement may well be a ways off.In the meantime, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1 + 2 is still a great way to experience the franchise, whether recreating the best levels from the first two titles or introducing mechanics from the latter titles. Its available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review here.

Annapurna Interactive recently underwent a major shift with president Nathan Gary and his staff resigning after negotiations with its parent company to spin off as independent fell through. While Annapurna Pictures owner Megan Ellison said it would continue supporting developers and publishing partners, video game studios are reportedly still scrambling.Remedy Entertainment, who entered a strategic cooperation agreement with Annapurna to co-finance Control 2, isnt one of them. Communications director Thomas Puha clarified on Twitter that its deal is with Annapurna Pictures.Many of you are reaching out about the news around Annapurna (sorry to see what is going on to all involved ) Interactive. Thank you for your care! Remedys deal for Control 2, including Alan Wake and Control AV rights, is with Annapurna Pictures, and we are self-publishing Control 2 (I hope I made sense; it is 5 AM in Finland and Im jet lagged).Of course, that still leaves several other developers and projects, including No Codes Silent Hill: Townfall, Niddhog developer Messhofs Ghost Bike, Dinogods Bounty Star, Alcon Interactive Groups Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, Beethoven and Dinosaurs Mixtape, and more.Current Annapurna Interactive president Hector Sanchez said the publishers staff will be replaced and current agreements honored, but time will tell how the departures affect the developer in the long run. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.Many of you are reaching out about the news around Annapurna (sorry to see what is going on to all involved ) Interactive. Thank you for your care! Remedys deal for Control 2, including Alan Wake and Control AV rights, is with Annapurna Pictures, and we are self-publishing Thomas Puha (@RiotRMD) September 13, 2024

Weta Workshop has announced that Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game has faced a delay. Instead of launching this year for Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, it will arrive in early 2025.The developer recently said on Twitter, All of us here at Weta Workshop are excited to have you join us in the Shire, a peaceful corner of J.R.R. Tolkiens world. When a new Hobbit steps into Bywater for the first time, we want that moment to be everything youre hoping for.To deliver that vision, the team will require some extra time. Fortunately, fans wont have to wait too long for a new release date as A Hobbit Day Showcase has been announced for September 22nd, 10:30 AM PT. Weta Workshop will provide new details on the title alongside its new release date.The gameplay loop of Tales from the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game will look familiar to Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon fans. It sees players as Hobbits in Bywater, customizing their appearance and decorating their homes with various items.They can fish, farm, cook, host parties, invite others, trade, and learn new skills. Story missions and daily activities are also available with popular characters also appearing. Stay tuned for more updates next week.An important update for all Hobbits. pic.twitter.com/NuhOrdmvWX Tales of the Shire (@talesoftheshire) September 12, 2024

The massive roster for Bandai Namcos Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO continues to grow, with the latest trailer introducing 15 additional characters. The focus is on Dragon Ball GT, the post-DBZ arc which marked the debut of Super Saiyan 4. Check it out below.As expected, Vegeta and Goku have their Super Saiyan 4 forms alongside their fusion, Gogeta, and its Super Saiyan 4 form. Syn Shenron and Omega Shenron are also present alongside Baby Vegeta, Super Baby 1 and 2, and Great Ape Baby. Players can also control GT versions of Goku and his Super Saiyan 1 and 3 forms, Uub (the good reincarnation of Majin Buu) and Majuub.Of course, Pan the daughter of Gohan and Videl is also playable. Based on the end of the trailer, there are more reveals to come, potentially from the films. If youre looking for Vegito Blue or the Dragon Ball Super version of Broly, perhaps theyll be revealed soon enough.Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO launches on October 11th for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Check out the previous trailer, highlighting fighters from the Majin Buu saga.

2024 has been a year of heavy cuts for Microsofts gaming division (as it has been for much of the rest of the industry), but it seems like more cuts are coming. As reported by Game File, Microsoft is cutting another 650 jobs in its gaming division, as confirmed by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer in an email sent out to company employees earlier today.In his email, Spencer explained that the job cuts will largely be limited to corporate and supporting teams, and that the layoffs will not entail any studio closures or cancellations of games, devices, or features. This round of cuts is also tied to Microsoft adjusting its framework following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.For the past year, our goal has been to minimize disruption while welcoming new teams and enabling them to do their best work, the email reads. As part of aligning our post-acquisition team structure and managing our business, we have made the decision to eliminate approximately 650 roles across Microsoft Gamingmostly corporate and supporting functionsto organize our business for long term success.With these changes, our corporate and supporting teams and resources are aligned for sustainable future growth, and can better support our studio teams and business units with programs and resources that can scale to meet their needs, Spencer later adds. Separately, as part of running the business, there are some impacts to other teams as they adapt to shifting priorities and manage the lifecycle and performance of games. No games, devices or experiences are being cancelled and no studios are being closed as part of these adjustments today.Reported by Game File and not mentioned in Spencers email, this newest round of job cuts has also affected the development teams working on Activision mobile duoWarcraft RumbleandCall of Duty: Warzone Mobile, though allegedly, both games will remain live and continue to receive support.In January this year, Microsoft announced that it was eliminating 1,900 jobs from across its entire gaming division, affecting Microsoft Gaming, Activision Blizzard, and ZeniMax Media, with the company looking to align on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure. Later, in May, Microsoft closed four studios under ZeniMax, includingRedfallandPreydeveloper Arkane Austin andThe Evil WithinandHi-Fi Rushstudio Tango Gameworks. The latter, however, was recently acquired and revived by Krafton.

Annapurna Interactive the indie publishing label known for titles such asWhat Remains of Edith Finch, Outer Wilds, Stray, Cocoon,and many others has lost its entire staff in a surprising turn of events. As reported by Bloomberg, the companys staff had been in discussions with parent company Annapurna Pictures about the possibility of spinning off the former as its own, independent entity, but after company co-founder and owner Megan Ellison pulled out of the negotiations, Annapurna Interactive president and co-founder Nathan Gary resigned.Gary was joined in resigning by other Annapurna Interactives, with the rest of the companys staff following shortly afterward. As per Bloombergs report, independent game development studios who had partnered with Annapurna Interactive for publishing deals of their titles have been scrambling to establish new points of contact within the company since then, and currently lack clarity whether their agreements with the company will be honoured.A spokesperson of Annapurna has, however, said that the company will continue working on all the partnered titles and projects that its currently tied to.The aforementioned Ellison, meanwhile, said in a statement, Our top priority is continuing to support our developer and publishing partners during this transition. Were committed to not only our existing slate of games but also expanding our presence in the interactive space as we continue to look for opportunities to take a more integrated approach to linear and interactive storytelling across film and TV, gaming, and theater.Hector Sanchez another co-founder who recently returned to Annapurna Interactive and is now serving as the companys new president has told partner studios that the entirety of the publishers staff will be replaced, and that it will honour all existing deals and contracts.Annapurna Interactive has multiple major upcoming titles that it is currently tied to, such asSilent Hill: Townfall, which is being developed by No Code. Recently, it was also announced that Annapurna would be co-financing the development of Remedy EntertainmentsControl 2, and that it would also work with the Finnish studio to expand theControlandAlan Wakeproperties into film, TV, and beyond.

A new system software update is now available for PS5, revamping the Explore tab of the Dashboard into the Welcome Hub. Available for select players in the United States, it will go live for Japan, some countries and Europe, and eventually worldwide.The new space allows for customizing ones background on the Home screen alongside widgets for console storage, accessory battery levels, Trophies, and more. You can resize and shift these as necessary. Party Share will also become available for all users over the coming weeks, allowing one to share links to join party voice chat on the console through messaging apps and social media.As for beta participants, they can currently test out personalized 3D audio profiles for headphones and earbuds, Remote Play settings for individual users access, and adaptive charging for DualSense (and other accessories) on the PS5 Slim and upcoming PS5 Pro will be available. Stay tuned for more details on when these will hit live servers in the coming months.

BioWares Dragon Age: The Veilguard has received some new details for the RPG, specifically its locations. While weve seen various environments across Thedas before, the latest videos showcase some new ones, like the Arlathan Forest and Hossberg Wetlands. Check them out below.The Arlathan Forest is where ancient magic and powerful artifacts re-awaken, disrupting reality as the Veil Jumpers (of which Bellara Lutare is a member) attempt to fix things. The Hossberg Wetlands are full of Darkspawn thanks to the Blight, with the Grey Wardens fighting against it from Lavendel.Of course, we also see new looks for previously showcased areas, whether its the Grey Warden fortress on the Rivain Coast, the markets of Minrathous, or the mysterious beauty of Treviso.Dragon Age: The Veilguard launches on October 31st for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out the latest gameplay here, highlighting The Lighthouse and The Crossroads alongside a mission with companion Davrin and Mage gameplay. You can also learn more about Rooks companions here.

Star Wars Outlawshasnt got off to the start that Ubisoft would have hoped for, both in terms of critical reception and initial sales, but developer Massive Entertainment is still very much at work continuing to polish up the experience. Creative director Julian Gerighty recently confirmed that an upcoming patch would make much-needed adjustments to some of the games more frustrating insta-fail stealth sections, and that patch has now arrived.Title update 1.1.2 has made tweaks to various stealth sections and general mechanics, such as AI detection. Additionally, it also adds support for cross-progression, so players can no carry their saves across platforms through Ubisoft Connect. Various other improvements and tweaks are also included, such as performance improvements on PC, crash fixes on all platforms, fixing a bug that prevented a Trophy from being unlocked on PS5, and more. You can check out the full patch notes below.Star Wars Outlawsis available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.TITLE UPDATE 1.1.2 NOTES:New FeatureCross-progression and saving is now available between all platforms through Ubisoft Connect.Performance & StabilityVarious crash fixes and stability improvements across all platforms.PC performance improvements and optimization across the game.Improvement for FPS drops during some scenes.VRAM Improvement.Higher graphic fidelity when using ray reconstruction and frame generation technologies.UI, HUD and SettingsGame version will now be visible from the settings.Quality mode will be set as default on console.Corrected default settings for motion blur on quality mode for consoles.HDR Brightness values have been modified.GraphicsVarious graphics and lighting fixes.All cinematics now supported on ultra-wide screens.AudioFix for potential music loss when fast-travelling in Toshara.Worlds, Fauna and FloraMany additional idle animations for NPC have been added across all planets.Fixed an issue where the Imperial Speeder Bike 74-z would be missing a part.General GameplayIt is now less likely to be detected while rolling.Level of detection adjusted depending on location.MAIN & SIDE QUESTS__ (beware of spoilers)__TosharaFixed the issue where the energy barrier in Kerros Speakeasy would not be disabled after successfully slicing the terminal.The Underworld NPC numbers have been adjusted and environmental guidance markers added to better facilitate infiltration.The Mechanics-Fixed the issue where Kay would spawn outside the quest area if she died inside the wind turbine.The Wreck AI detection has been adjusted.Hyperspace Fixed the issue where no prompt was shown to take off.TatooinePartners Fixed the issue where Kay would not gain wanted levels on other planets when reaching the objective Meet with Hoss in the cantina.AkivaThe Veteran Fixed the issue where reporting to the droid objective would not update after reporting back to MT-7.MiscellaneousOld School Cool trophy can now be unlocked for PlayStation 5 players.Inverting one axis in the controls menu will no longer invert the other one in Photo mode.Nix accessories and treats can now be checked in the loadout menu while Kay Vess is piloting the Trailblazer.

Sony has unveiled the lineup of games coming to PlayStation Plus Game Catalog later this month, and theres quite a bit for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers to look forward.For starters,The Plucky Squire, which is due out next week, will also be available via PlayStation Plus Game Catalog day and date, as previously announced. It will be joined by a handful of acclaimed narrative-driven adventure games in the form of Night in the Woods, Road 96, andUnder the Waves, The Farm 51s survival horror action RPGChernobylite, 7v7 arcade football gameWild Card Football, Ubisofts open world first-person shooterFar Cry 5, colourful action-adventure titleBen 10, and voxel-based sci-fi sandbox gameSpace Engineers.Additionally, PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers will also get access to a PS VR2 title in the form ofPistol Whip, and some returning legacy titles with Secret Agent Clank, Sky Gunner,andMister Mosquito. All aforementioned titles will become available starting September 17.

The wildly ambitiousCrimson Deserthas looked increasingly promising each time developer Pearl Abyss has shown it off, and hot on the heels of having showcased abundant new gameplay footage of boss fights at Gamescom last month, the developer has now offered another extended look at its upcoming open world action-adventure game, courtesy of a video uploaded by IGN.The video shows off over 52 minutes of gameplay footage, encompassing a number of quests, a fair bit of combat, open world exploration, and several different locations, from forests and quaint villages to dense towns and more. If youre looking to get a better sense of the scale ofCrimson Desertsworld, its style of storytelling, and the sort of world that it is crafting, this video does a good job of illustrating all of that. You can view it in full below.Crimson Desertis in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It doesnt yet have a release date, but previous leaks have claimed that the game is targeting a Q1 2025 launch.

Game sharing features have been available on Steam for quite some time now, but theyve now leveled up. Valve has announced that the Steam Families feature has now gone live, replacing both Steam Family Sharing and Steam Family View as single, unified feature where Steam users can manage which games your family can access and when they can play.A Steam Family will allow up to five users to play sharable games from each others libraries. Players will be able to access the games in another members library even if they are online, though multiple people will be able to play a single game simultaneously only if your family library has multiple copies of the game.Developers can opt out of having Steam Families enabled in their games, so dont expect it to be available for every single game on the platform. Meanwhile, as you would expect, the feature will also come with its suite of parental control options, allowing access to games, restricting access to the store, setting playtime limits, and more.Check out the trailer below or head on over here for more details.

The multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 wrapped earlier this week, and its been a huge success for the development team. Treyarch revealed on Twitter that it was the biggest-ever beta for the series.Based on data from the early access and open betas, it saw the most players and playtime for each player. It even surpassed previous titles in the number of hours and matches played. While its not new for Call of Duty multiplayer betas to do big numbers, this showcases the immense hype for the next Black Ops.Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches on October 25th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Game Pass subscribers can also play it on day one. Unlike previous entries, pre-orders wont receive early access to the single-player campaign.You can check out some extensive gameplay from Most Wanted, a campaign mission, and the Liberty Falls map from Zombies, highlighting new threats and areas in the round-based map.Thank you, Call of Duty Community The dev team at @Treyarch is going through all the data and feedback to make launch even better. Theres so much more to come on October 25th! #BlackOps6 pic.twitter.com/33mt65cudh Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) September 10, 2024

In June, in addition to raising Game Pass prices again, Microsoft announced that it was also discontinuing the base console tier of the subscription service for new members, and that the tier would be replaced with the new Xbox Game Pass Standard down the road. That new base tier has now released.Microsoft has announced that Xbox Game Pass Standard is now available for subscribers on consoles, and is priced at $14.99 per month. Standard will include all the benefits of Game Pass Core (i.e. online multiplayer access), in addition to Game Pass library of hundreds of titles, both first- and third-party.As previously announced, however, Xbox Game Pass Standard will not include day one releases, so if thats something youre looking for as a new subscriber on consoles, youll have to go with Game Pass Ultimate, which costs $19.99 per month.Earlier this year, reports claimed that Microsoft was working on another, cheaper tier for Game Pass that would be cloud-based. Read more on that through here.

Konami has been showing an increasing amount ofMetal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eaterin recent weeks, and the company has now offered another look at the remake. In a recently released Production Hotline video, the company showcased the upcoming remake again, revealing more details and also showcasing a little bit of the opening.Metal Gear Solid 3sopening is, of course, an incredibly iconic one, and this being the faithful recreation of the original classic that it is, here, the opening will be more than a little familiar to returning fans- except it looks significantly better, of course. We dont get to see the actual HALO jump itself in the snippet that Konami has shown off, but we do get to see the opening couple of minutes, with Naked Snake in the plane, gearing up for Virtuous Mission. Check it out in the video below, which has been timestamped to the relevant part for your convenience.Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It doesnt yet have a release date, but the Konami has confirmed it is fully playable behind-the-scenes from start to finish, so hopefully that means its in the later stages of development. The remake will also be playable at Tokyo Game Show later this month.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eaterhas looking increasingly promising each time Konami has shown off, and one of the things that has given fans confidence in how its shaping up is how closely it is sticking to the original game. But while its faithfulness to the source material is obviously a positive for many, especially for a franchise that is returning after such a long hiatus, others have wondered whether maybe the game is playing thingstoosafe.For instance, it was recently confirmed that just like in the original, the upcoming remake will see all of its areas separated by loading screens, rather than the entire experience being seamlessly stitched together, surprising many. Whether or not that sort of design is dated for a modern stealth experience is something some have asked since, but the people working on the remake have shed some light on what Konami decided to take this direction.In a recently released Production Hotline episode by Konami, series producer Noriaku Okamura spoke aboutMetal Gear Solid Deltareceiving criticism from some for being too faithful, explaining that though there were intense internal discussions early on during the games development about whether or not to keep the originals design completely unchanged, the team ultimately decided that it was important to stick to the original games vision so as not to change the gameplay experience too much.I would just mention a few things about this being too faithful and the thought process behind that, he said. When people ask, couldnt they have improved on this? or wouldnt it have been better as a more modern stealth game with much more freedom to it?. I do understand where theyre coming from, and in the early stages of development, that was actually our most hotly debated issue.But at the end of the day, well We saw discussion of how it feels outdated to go to an area and nothing you do there affects other areas. But thats just how the game was designed. The rhythm and the shifting pace of gameplay flows from that choice. If we had done anything to change that overarching design, it would have changed the game entirely. And given what we were setting out to do, we questioned whether that really fit with the vision for this project. So we decided that wed rather come down on the side of being too faithful and maintain the original design o Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater instead of trying to rework everything.Okamura went on to add that though theres certainly been criticism over the remakes faithfulness, there has also been plenty of coverage where that level of faithfulness was pointed at as a good thing.So I think players might just need to see the game and try it for themselves to decide if this approach works, he said.ThoughMetal Gear Solid Deltawont be making too many drastic changes with its story and game design, it will still be introducing plenty of quality-of-life improvements, from a compass to quick dial for the codec, in addition to Quality and Performance modes.Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eateris in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Konami has confirmed it will be playable at TGS later this month.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2generated plenty of excitement in the lead-up to its release, and thats being reflected in the size of the audience that its attracting.Taking to Twitter, publisher Focus Entertainment announced thatSpace Marine 2has been played by 2 million players across all platformers since releasing in full on Monday, September 9.Upon its early access release for Gold and Ultimate Edition owners last week,Space Marine 2saw a peak of over 134,000 concurrent players on Steam. When the game launched in full earlier this week, that number grew to over 225,000 concurrent Steam players, the highest ever for anyWarhammergame or for any game developed by Saber Interactive.In our review ofSpace Marine 2, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, Brutal action, mind-boggling scale, spectacular set-pieces, and a bevy of content come together in what is one of the best action games in recent memory. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is unmissable. Read the full review through here.Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.TWO MILLION Space Marines have joined the fight to protect the Imperium in #SpaceMarine2. We're so grateful!! pic.twitter.com/ptHVxRKhWQ Focus Entertainment (@Focus_entmt) September 10, 2024