Journalist Jeff Grubb has claimed multiple times in recent days that Sony has a State of Play presentation scheduled for sometime in September, and has now reiterated the same, even offering a specific date for when the alleged event will take place.Speaking on a recent episode of his Giant Bomb podcast Game Mess Mornings, Grubb claimed that the aforementioned State of Play presentation is almost certainly happening on September 24, which is next Tuesday. Its likely that this is where the rumouredHorizon Zero Dawnremaster is likely to be announced.Later on during the podcast, Grubb also claimed that its also possible that during the showcase, Sony also announces another remaster that, in his words, is going to be even less exciting than aHorizon Zero Dawnremaster, and is definitely notBloodborne. He did not, however, elaborate further.Earlier this month, Sony held a technical presentation during which it unveiled the PS5 Pro, which is due out in November for $699.99. If a State of Play presentation happens soon, its likely well see more PS5 Pro gameplay footage at the showcase.

Upcoming horror titleA Quiet Place: The Road Aheadwill see players trying to navigate a post-apocalyptic Earth while trying to avoid the attention of blind yet deadly aliens who hunt through their keen hearing. That, of course, will mean an emphasis on stealth gameplay, which developer Stormind Games and publisher Saber Interactive have offered fresh details on with a new developer diary.The video sees lead game designer Manuel Moavero starting off with briefly discussing some of A Quiet Place: The Road Aheadsmore conventional stealth mechanics, like being able to hide in bushes or even in cardboard boxes, before turning attention to what will form the backbone of the experience- doing your best to remain as silent as possible, so you dont attract the attention of the terrifying extraterrestrial monstrosities.The game will hand players several tools for those purposes, like a flashlight, which will enable you to better spot and identify objects that could prove a threat to you, from glass that you could step on to a trap just waiting to be sprung.Youll also have a phonometer, which will not only measure how much ambient sound is being made around you, but also how much sound youre making. So if, for instance, youre in a place where theres loud ambient sound of, say, rushing water, you can safely make noise yourself, without fear of attracting unwanted attention.The Road Aheadwill challenge players to find objects in the environment and use it to their advantage, like throwing a glass bottle to create distractions, or pouring sand in front of yourself as you walk so your footsteps are less noisy, and more. Check out the video below for more details.A Quiet Place: The Road Aheadis due out on October 17 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Following the success of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Saber Interactive has provided a new Q&A session, addressing several ongoing issues and answering fan questions. It first discussed connectivity issues, acknowledging ongoing server problems, inability to connect with friends, and save file loss.The team is currently prioritizing ramping server capacity while working day and night on the current issues. A bigger patch will delve further into all this, which will include new content (likely referring to the Battle Barges upcoming PvP Sparring Arena).Another issue is the AI bots, which players consider ineffective, especially with objectives. The developer said their passivity is to push the player into the spotlight but admitted that some changes are in order. In the next patch, we have a few improvements in their behavior against boss fights in the campaign. We are also considering improving their involvement during specific objectives in the campaign for a later patch.As for Veteran difficulty, currently too challenging solo due to said ineffective bots, Saber will adjust it in a future patch. The challenge will remain, but AI aggressiveness is getting some tweaks to even things out. There wont be changes for the other difficulties, though.Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Check out our review and the roadmap for details on what to expect in the coming months.

Until Dawn is the latest PlayStation title to break Sonys exclusivity barrier with a PS5/PC remake. And what a better time to drop this particular horror title than the month of October. Branching narrative games are a known quantity at this point, but when Until Dawn released back in 2015, it showed what high production values and meaningful decision making could add to the genre. Upon seeing the announcement that Until Dawn would be getting a remake, I admittedly thought, Why update what was already fine to begin with? But as well see, the new additions substantially add to the original experience in exciting ways. Until Dawn isnt just receiving a pretty graphical upgrade; the inclusion of a dynamic third-person camera along with new collectables and reframed cinematics make this a title worthy of being classified as a wholesale remake.Before going over the additions and differences between the cult classic original and this PS5/PC remake, lets briefly reminisce on what made Until Dawn so enticing. If you like horror flicks like Cabin in the Woods, youll feel right at home with Until Dawns premise and setting. The story follows eight teenagers who become ensnared in a web of horrific circumstances while staying in a cabin resort in the scenic Blackwood Mountains. Your goal is to keep as many characters alive by the end as possible, but Its likely that youll end up killing all eight characters if your decision-making is poor. Quick-time events and narrative choices make up the gameplay, as well as good old atmospheric exploration. As well see, the remake makes exploration even better by replacing the old static camera with an over-the-shoulder one you can fully control. And with that, lets discuss the host of new additions this PC/PS5 remake is bringing us on October 4th.The team at Ballistic Moon ensured this wasnt just a lazy 1-to-1 PC port, and that effort is made immediately clear upon seeing the games prologue. Theres entirely new sequences here that didnt exist in the originals prologue, most of them providing additional context for the Washington family while filling in small details that expand the originals narrative. The team assures us that they didnt alter the story in any significant way, but theres also some surprising twists in the way some scenes are shot and framed throughout that make this a more fleshed out narrative than the original.Speaking of framing, the entire camera has been re-worked. You can now finally move the camera around the character in an over-the-shoulder perspective. Lest we forget, the original Until Dawn featured a fixed camera reminiscent of old PS2 horror games. Itll be fun to explore the spooky environments of Blackwood Mountain and its cabin with full camera control now.Facilitating the new controllable camera are a host of new collectibles sequestered throughout the environments. Hunger Totems are brand new collectibles which give the player new visions, either of future character deaths or something entirely unexpected. All the old Totem collectibles also return but are scattered in completely new locations. Being able to finally move the camera in any direction opens up a world of perspective, so its understandable why the team re-arranged all the collectibles from the ground up to accommodate it. I for one am looking forward to this new scavenger hunt that the controllable camera brings with it and seeing nooks and crannies within the Blackwood Mountains that werent visible with the old games static camera.Until Dawn didnt look shabby back on the PS4. The 2015 cult horror title originally utilized Guerrilla Games versatile Decima engine. Until Dawn marked a sort of graphical revolution in the genre of branching narrative horror games back in the day, and the remake looks to evolve all of that from the ground up. Yes, thats right, Until Dawns 2024 remake ditches the tried and true Decima engine for Unreal Engine 5, and the results are about what youd expect. As seen from the trailers, shadows project more realistically from surfaces and illumination from the moon and characters flashlights create a far more atmospheric mood than its PS4 version.But the game hasnt just been re-lit, the cast of characters are newly rendered as well as the environments themselves. Theres simply more detail this time around, with pores and beads of sweet easily discernable on characters faces and rich foliage looking three times as full. Im especially glad that they kept the characters faithful to the original. We all know how companies these days just cant help themselves with altering a beloved character design in ground-up remakes, but everybody in Until Dawn looks exactly as they did in the original, just enhanced with improved textures and emotional nuances.What really brings these characters to life is the animations, and they too have been retooled and improved here. The PlayStation Blog post says that pre-rendering simulation techniques are being used to make the death animations as brutally realistic as possible. This remake wont disappoint in the gore department; thanks for grossing us out even more, Unreal Engine 5! Even before the naive cast of characters meet an untimely end, theyll be covered in cuts and bruises that progress with the story thanks to the updated injury mask system employed in the remake.Another aspect that brings the experience to life is the newly configured DualSense functionality. Youll be able to feel the tension of Until Dawns spooky moments through the controllers haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Being able to feel the rapid heartbeat of the characters through the controllers weighted vibrations will surely make the experience that much more immersive. Likewise, I can already imagine scenarios where youre slowly propping open a door to get a lay of the land while the triggers resist your push with weighted feedback. Jump scares are sure to be that much more impactful due to the heightened rumble featured in the DuelSense controller, so get ready to jump out of your seat if youre playing in the dark.If you dont want to deal with the extra stress involved with quick time events and sections requiring you to halt all controller movement, this remake adds plenty of accessibility settings to accommodate. Of particular interest is the new Dont Panic! feature which serves as an alternative to those Dont Move! moments in the game. Its specially made for peripherals without a gyroscope, but also can be turned on just to experience something more relaxed.The final big change with this remake is the newly scored soundtrack. The original composer, Jason Graves, is replaced bycomposer Mark Korven. Graves original soundtrack set the Cabin in the Woods tone perfectly, so itll be interesting to hear how Korvens new score adds extra ambiance and tension to the enhanced experience. Obviously, this choice to replace the soundtrack wholesale might be disappointing to a lot of fans. Im hoping theres an option to play the original soundtrack somewhere in the game and its not a paid DLC later down the line. If the original soundtrack is just ditched completely, the new score better be darn good to replace Graves great work.But there is one positive that the re-scored soundtrack assures us of; Ballistic Moons work here is a true ground-up remake and not a half-hearted effort. Scoring a whole new soundtrack is no light addition, and the controllable over-the-shoulder camera changes up the gameplay and perspective in entirely new ways. Players returning to the horrors of Blackwood Mountain have quite a lot of new content to discover. And new players who dont have access to PlayStation consoles now get to experience the cult classic with a fresh coat of Unreal Engine 5 paint, filled to the brim with new accessibility features and modern upgrades. Until Dawn may be a nine year old game at this point, and Supermassives choice-driven narrative formula has been tried and tested for nigh-on a decade, but Until Dawn still stands as a magnum opus worthy of an entirely new audience.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The Dead by Daylightuniverse recently dipped its toes in the single-player waters with the Supermassive-developedThe Casting of Frank Stone, but it seems like its plans to have another multiplayer outing have ended prematurely.In May last year, developer Behaviour Interactive announced that it Midwinter Entertainment a studio that it had previously acquired was working on a new PvE co-op shooter spinoff set in theDead by Daylightuniverse, before announcing the game asProject Tearlier this year and kicking off an insiders playtest program.Mere months later, however, the developer has announced that based on the feedback it received from said playtests and a thorough internal risk assessment from a commercial and product perspective, it has decided to cancel the project.When we conceptualizedProject T,we wanted to have players involved in it as early as possible, which led to the creation of the Insiders Program, the developer wrote in an announcement published on Twitter. This approach has allowed us to get very early validation on the projects core design and gameplay, which is something that often comes much further into the production of a game. Following the playtest in July, we ran a thorough internal risk assessment from a product and commercial perspective. While a number of players expressed appreciation for what they played, unfortuantely, the outcome of this deep analysis yielded unsatisfactory overall results.Its with a heavy heart that we announce thatProject Thas been cancelled. We want to thank you for your support throughout this journey.pic.twitter.com/TfIpAk06Mm Behaviour Interactive (@Behaviour) September 17, 2024

Shortly beforeStar Wars Jedi: Survivorlaunched last year, director Stig Asmussen suggested that he had always envisioned the series as a trilogy from the outset. Now, publisher Electronic Arts has confirmed that the nextStar Wars Jedi title will indeed cap off the trilogy.Speaking recently at the companys Investors Day 2024 presentation, EAs president of entertainment and technology Laura Miele confirmed that developer Respawn Entertainment is at work on the follow-up toStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, which she described as the final chapter of the saga.Respawn is working hard to bring the final chapter of this thrilling story to players, she said.Shortly afterJedi: Survivorsrelease last year, job listing revealed that development on its sequel was already underway at Respawn Entertainment, which was later confirmed by actor Cameron Monaghan, who portrays protagonist Cal Kestis.The next game in the series will not be directed by Stig Asmussen, who directed bothFallen OrderandSurvivor. Asmussen left Respawn Entertainment in September last year, and has since formed a new independent AAA studio.EA has also confirmed that theStar Wars Jediseries has surpassed 40 million players to date.

The Star Wars Jediseries has been a massive success for both developer Respawn Entertainment and publisher Electronic Arts, and the action-adventure titles continue to attract players in large numbers, as per newly revealed figures by EA.Speaking during the companys recent Investors Day 2024 presentation, EAs president of entertainment and technology Laura Miele revealed thatStar Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderandStar Wars Jedi: Survivorhave collectively seen over 40 million players to date.Individual figures werent provided for the two titles.Fallen Orderstood at 20 million players as of June 2021, while player numbers havent been provided for its sequel to date. Following its launch last year, however, EA did confirm that it was selling better than expected. Meanwhile, with a PS4 and Xbox One release coming up,Jedi: Survivoris likely to keep seeing increasing player numbers.EA has also confirmed that the next and final instalment in theStar Wars Jediseries is also in development.

Until not too long ago, few could have predicted that Dead Risingwould ever see the light of day again. The slapstick zombie-slaying franchise was nothing short of a juggernaut in its early years, but a steady decline in quality with later instalments led to a shelving of the series by Capcom that felt so thorough, so final, it was hard to imagine a future where the company would ever return to it. And yet, here we are-Dead Rising Deluxe Remasterbrings the series legendary debut back to the limelight in enhanced and upgraded form, and it does so with blessedly impeccable results, grabbing hold of theDead Risingfranchises corpse and dragging it out from under the ground for a new chance at life.Capcom has established itself as the premier developer in the industry when it comes to remakes, and thoughDead Rising Deluxe Remasterisnt technically a remake, its not a simple, straightforward remaster either. Though not the sort of comprehensive reimagining that recentResident Evilremakes have been,Dead Rising Deluxe Remasterbrings over the original as is, while completely overhauling its visuals, adding a bevy of quality-of-life improvements, applying about a dozen layers of polish, and introducing a number of gameplay tweaks. The end result is an incredibly faithful recreation of the originalDead Rising, but made more gorgeous and accessible than ever before."Dead Rising Deluxe Remasterbrings the series legendary debut back to the limelight in enhanced and upgraded form, and it does so with blessedly impeccable results, grabbing hold of theDead Risingfranchises corpse and dragging it out from under the ground for a new chance at life."The core action remaining as compelling as it has ever been is obviously a huge point in the games favour. You play as Frank West, a freelance photojournalist who heads to a small town in Colorado chasing a hot tip on a story, and quickly finding himself trapped in a large shopping mall thats teeming with what looks like an ocean of zombies. Franks task is to find a way to survive 72 hours, which is when his chopper out of the town will be arriving on the malls rooftop, while also using that three-day window to uncover the mysteries surrounding this abrupt zombie outbreak.Even close to two decades on from its release, the sandbox structure that this sets up forDead Risingis an utterly engaging one. Putting player freedom front and center, the game puts you in an open world zombie-slaying sandbox and lets you engage with it however you see fit, whether that entails sticking to the story missions, heading out and seeking out survivors to bring back, or simply running around the Willamette Parkview Mall and slaughtering zombies with whatever weapon you can lay your hands on.Thanks to the sheer variety of the weapons that you can find and use and how riotously fun the vast majority of them are to use, the moment-to-moment action also never loses its charm. Sledgehammers, knives, baseball bats, lead pipes, benches, potted plants, parasols, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, cash registers, and even a small amount of firearms- theres a ridiculous amount of different kinds of weapons scattered everywhere for players to find and let loose with.Each weapon feels meaningfully different to use, and comes with unique benefits- like the baseball bat being effective if you want to attack multiple enemies at once, or the baton being a better choice if youre fighting in close quarters. And of course, this is also where the bulk of Dead Risingsclassic slapstick humour shines through as well; as such, finding and experimenting with different objects and weapons always remains a hugely enjoyable part of the experience.Dead Risingsapproach to the undead has always been decidedly more humorous and slapstick thanResident Evil, Capcoms primary zombie franchise, and that shines through better than ever when youre chopping down enemies in the dozens with an actual lawn mower. The variety of weapons on offer, the72-hour clock, sandbox gameplay elements that encourage players to play around with its systems- all of it comes together to concoct an incredibly addictive loop that has lost none of its charm with age."Thanks to the sheer variety of the weapons that you can find and use and how riotously fun the vast majority of them are to use, the moment-to-moment action never loses its charm."That core gameplay loop andDead Risingsinherently strong design are, in fact, able to shine brighter in theDeluxe Remasterthanks to its many gameplay tweaks and quality-of-life improvements. From weapons having plainly visible durability meters to being able to move while aiming and shooting, from having the ability to fast forward time to introducing autosaves, from dodging being much easier and snappier to the UI being much more informative and readable, from survivor AI being significantly less braindead and frustrating than it used to be to even having new photography options, Dead Rising Deluxe Remasteris brimming with abundant tweaks and improvements that successfully sand off a lot of the originals undeniable rough edges.At the same time, in its bid to modernize the original experience with its many QoL upgrades, theres perhaps an argument to be made that the game has also lost some of its edge. The originalDead Rising could be quite a punishing game in its own way, but a lot of that friction has been removed in the remasters. Weapons are more durable, firearms are stronger, companion AI is more competent, autosaves make death less punishing, and progression has been noticeably sped up- all of that, combined with the many other similar changes, add up to the extent where the game feels like a much more breezy experience than veteran fans might perhaps want it to.Nonetheless, even if the noticeably lower level of difficulty does makeDead Rising Deluxe Remaster a relatively less challenging experience, its still the sort of game where its hard not to have a blast just running around and mowing down waves upon waves of zombies. What also helps is the massive visual and technical upgrade on display here.Dead Rising Deluxe Remasterrebuilds the entirety of the game in Capcoms RE Engine, and does so with impressive results. Parkview Mall and its many locations have never looked as vibrant and full of detail, while there are noticeable enhancements elsewhere as well, from the characters and their more expressive faces and the improved animations to the gorgeous lighting, how delightfully disgusting the abundant gore looks, and more."Parkview Mall and its many locations have never looked as vibrant and full of detail, while there are noticeable enhancements elsewhere as well, from the characters and their more expressive faces and the improved animations to the gorgeous lighting, how delightfully disgusting the abundant gore looks, and more."On top of the visual enhancements, the remaster also features new voice overs for virtually the entire cast, and though there will understandably be many who will prefer the original, the new cast does an undeniably good job, including Jas Patrick as the new voice of Frank West, who does an admirable job of filling the boots of the fan-favourite Terence J. Rotolo. It is, all in all, a comprehensive upgrade that goes far beyond what weve come to expect from the vast majority of remasters, to the extent that calling this a remaster almost feels like it isnt quite doing it justice.Capcom has put an incredible amount of effort intoDead Rising Deluxe Remaster, and that, combined with the impressive results, does make you wonder if theres hope for this franchise after all. If nothing else, this remaster proves that there absolutely should be a future forDead Rising, because when it is at its best, its unbelievably good. The 2006 originals core gameplay remains as strong and compelling as it has ever been, with a laundry list of quality-of-life changes polishing and improving it further, even if that does come at the cost of some of the originals sense of challenge. In the end,Dead Risingsunexpected comeback is as much of a blast as anyone could have hoped for.This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Square Enixs Final Fantasy 16 finally arrives on PC today via Steam and the Epic Games Store for $49.99 ($69.99 for the Complete Edition). While the jury is out on how it will perform, especially following the demos problematic launch, the PS5 version faces its own unique share of issues.Following the latest system firmware update for the PS5, the action RPG has received reports of crashes and graphics-related issues, which Square Enix acknowledged. Its checking with Sony Interactive Entertainment for more details and urges fans to wait for more updates.What kind of graphics issues? As seen on the Final Fantasy 16 subreddit, they range from a glowing Tarja to broken green pixels on the floors and walls. How long itll take to fix the issue remains to be seen, so stay tuned.For more details on Final Fantasy 16, check out our review. You can also read more about the PC requirements and the overall release here. PlayStation5 FF16 PlayStation5PlayStation5XVISIE FINAL FANTASY XVI (@FF16_JP) September 17, 2024

Starfields Shattered Space expansion received new details regarding its story and Dazra in a new deep dive video. However, it also outlined what players can expect from the enemies and Varuunkais hand-crafted locations. Check it out below.While Dazra is in a rough state, its the one location on Varuunkai that was previously safe for its residents. The rest of the planet is extremely dangerous, and players will discover abandoned buildings occupied by Zealots, Spacers, and the Crimson Fleet. Due to the grav drive experiment gone wrong, creatures from the Vortex will also appear.These include Vortex Horrors, who will sense when the barrier between worlds is breached and teleport to ambush you. Players can also discover gravity anomalies in certain sections, which they can float through to reach various locations.In terms of weaponry, Bethesda is emphasizing more mid-to-close-range weapons, with a new gatling gun and sword showcased. Theres a grenade that creates a field, damaging enemies within it. As you progress through the story and solve mysteries, they can decide the fate of House Varuun (which could potentially affect the Settled Systems).Starfield: Shattered Space launches for Xbox Series X/S and PC on September 30th.

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.