GSC Game Worlds S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has continued to provide some of the most authentic post-apocalyptic survival experiences over the years, and the team has been working really hard for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl for quite some time now. After a turbulent development cycle filled with delays and setbacks, the game has finally arrived on Xbox Series X/S and PC.Built using Unreal Engine 5, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 flaunts some of the best visuals in its class ever since it was unveiled quite some time ago. And now that we have the final product in our hands, we cant wait to unearth the game and break down individual aspects to understand how GSC achieves this image quality on consoles, and how that implementation differs from what we get on PC along with performance profiling and more.Engine detailsAs mentioned previously, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was one of the first games to switch to an Unreal Engine 5-based rendering pipeline. Of course, the many delays did stop the game from being one of the first Unreal Engine 5 games to have come out on the market but it makes good use of the engines toolset to create visually compelling vistas that can easily go neck to neck with some of the best games in its class.S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 flaunts some great use of Unreal Engine 5 features like Lumen for lighting, Nanite for geometry, and much more. Using a third-party engine like Unreal Engine 5 is great for reducing strains related to optimization and the perils of cross-platform development, but GSC Game World has definitely left a few rough edges when it comes to performance optimization on PC which we will be discussing in detail later.Test PC specs and PC Graphical SettingsS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 recommends players have at least a Ryzen 7 5800X or equivalent CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and RTX 3070 Ti. For our testing purposes, we tested the game on a system comprising an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, and 32 GB RAM which is quite a bit over what the game recommends for itself. We also installed the game on a PCI e 4.0 NvME SSD to get a more apples-to-apples comparison between the PC and Xbox Series X versions.Starting things off with a quick look at the settings menu, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 presents us with a wide range of sliders that can be used to find the perfect balance between performance and graphical fidelity. That being said, its a rather barebones settings menu at its core and it doesnt really show variables like VRAM usage or helpful screenshots to better understand the difference between the many settings on offer.The game does offer options for upscaling with support for both AMDs FSR 3, Nvidias DLSS, and Intels XeSS alongside frame generation options. For our tests, we knocked the settings all the way to Epic at a resolution of native 4K. DLSS upscaling was turned to Quality, which puts the internal rendering scale to 66 percent.PC PerformanceLoading the game on PC first involves compiling shaders which can take up around a minute or so. Loading times similarly can take around 20 to 30 seconds which is pretty long for a current-gen only game.As for the moment-to-moment gameplay, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 does impress in terms of graphics quality which we will be discussing in detail in further sections. Everything from the foliage to the character models and post-processing pipeline looks great, but that high level of fidelity also brings performance observations to the table.The recommended hardware specifications allow the game to target 1440p at 60 frames per seconds. But our test build was able to max out everything at Ultra at 4K with DLSS in Quality mode. We observed frame rates around 40 to 60fps depending on how taxing the effects were. Having VSync and frame generation options may make things a lot smoother, but as far as our build was concerned, we are okay with the performance and given there is an option to lock the frame rate to 30, lower end hardware might be able to run the game at a stable frame rate.Xbox Series X PerformanceOver on the Xbox side of things, we get to choose between two distinct modes Graphics and Performance. The graphics mode turns all the bells and whistles with a resolution of 4K, and it looks really gorgeous. Everything from the textures to the post-processing effects looks fabulous, but the performance isnt the best. The frame rate is capped at 30fps, but there is an element of inconsistency to the entire affair that can sour the experience for some.Then theres the Performance mode where the resolution and effects are knocked down, but the frame rate is bumped to 60fps. Having extra frames helps a lot with fluidity, especially in combat sequences, and generally, this is the best way to experience what S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has to offer on console. There are certain issues with texture pop-in and level of detail swapping which is honestly surprisingly considering the game uses UE5s inbuilt Nanite for world streaming but the game works well enough in broad strokes.However, a recurring issue in the case of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the loading times. Despite being built for current-gen consoles and PCs with Windows DirectStorage API, GSC Game World hasnt optimized the game for SSDs, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2s load times can easily take anywhere between 30 to 60 seconds which is not a good showing at a time when most AAA releases on the market generally load under 10 seconds.A Graphical BehemothStarting off with the character models, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 features a really robust set of rendering techniques that are used to create lifelike character models with realistic animations. Models exhibit high polycounts and carefully drawn skin meshes, and elements like hair have fine strand textures with minimal artifacts along the edges. Clothing materials are created out of physically based materials, and animations also look realistic with what looks to be full-body motion capture most likely created through the aid of UE5s MetaHuman creator.Then theres the lighting. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 uses a Lumen-based lighting solution for its direct and indirect lighting needs and it works to great effect in the games case. Global lighting and indirect lighting work in tandem to create breathtaking vistas with accurate bounce lighting powered by ray tracing. Reflections are also equally accurate with high resolutions which obviously update with the change in perspective, and you can see generous instances with plenty of puddles scattered across the ground and glass panes lined across makeshift houses.GSC Game World also uses Nanite to produce great-looking terrain with a high amount of geometric complexity to boot. Environments in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 are generally composed of different props like stones, structures, and foliage which are made of high-quality materials. Using Nanite also handles issues with LOD swapping and world streaming, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 generally works great in that regard.Then theres the post-processing pipeline which comprises a suite of high-quality effects that help in creating a pleasing image to the eyes. We get to see extensive use of volumetric smoke fog and smoke volumes, alongside high-quality motion blur and depth of field effects. Alpha particles are also generously used in tandem with flames and weapon effects which rounds out this robust post processing pipeline.Xbox Series X vs PCLooking at the Xbox Series X and PC version side by side, there isnt much of a difference in terms of the rendering techniques used in the presentation of both versions. Both feature the same implementations when it comes to textures, Lumen for lighting, and Nanite for world generation among others. The only difference between the two versions comes in the quality of those effects.Unsurprisingly, Xboxs quality mode resembles the closest to our PC version though the latter inches further with marginally crisper image quality. Textures are a bit sharper; world streaming works a little better as compared to the console release while reflections and post-processing effects remain quite similar across both versions.The resolution cutback on the Performance mode does lower down the image quality, and while the anti-aliasing does a fine enough job of upscaling it obviously pales in comparison to the PC release. Textures can look a bit muddy as a result, and alpha effects such as fire and other particle effects also suffer from similar cutbacks in quality.ConclusionGSC Game Worlds S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a graphical powerhouse, and it makes good use of Unreal Engine 5s suite of features to create a realistic rendition of a post-apocalyptic world. Its implementation of Lumen and Nanite have a couple of rough edges with texture pop-in, but it all comes beautifully together to create a convincing image through and through. Performance issues exist across both versions, and there is certainly room for improvement in terms of loading time optimizations and reducing the shader compilation time on the PC release.

Sega has had a cavalcade of major releases in 2024, each enjoying its fair share of critical and commercial success.Sonic X Shadow Generations, one of the last to arrive, can continue making similar claims, having recently crossed another sales milestone.Announced by Segas official Southeast Asia Facebook page,Sonic X Shadow Generationshas now sold 1.5 million units worldwide. Upon its launch late last month, the game sold a million units on the day of its release, which means it has sold an additional half a million units in the time since then.The expanded remaster is also set to receive DLC in December that will add a new level forShadow Generationsbased on the upcoming movieSonic the Hedgehog 3, and, just like the movie, will also star Keanu Reeves as Shadow.In our review ofSonic X Shadow Generations, we awarded it a score of 8/10, saying, With an enhanced version of one of the series best 3D outings to date, as well as a legitimately great brand-new adventure starring a returning fan-favourite, Sonic X Shadow Generations is well worth a look for fans of Segas platforming franchise. Read the full review through here.Sonic X Shadow Generationsis available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthwas a game of excess (in the best possible way). Square Enix proudly filled its massive world full of things to do, and that included a large and varied collection of minigames, and though those minigames were a highlight of the experience for many, the game also did receive criticism from some for having maybe a fewtoomany minigames. Thats something that the development team is looking to remedy with theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogys final instalment.The same was confirmed byFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdirector Naoki Hamaguchi in a recent interview with Daily Star. When asked if there was anything fromRebirththat he would change for its sequel, Hamaguchi stated that though he wouldnt make too many changes to the overall structure, following feedback from players, the roster of minigames in the next game will be a bit more manageable size.I think that what we did with Rebirth, the structure of the game, the balance of everything in it, was very good and it was received very well by the fans, he said. So I dont think theres any need for major changes there really.One thing perhaps that maybe needs looking at, is that there was a certain number of people who said there were too many minigames in Rebirth, and ultimately I can see their point of view but I do think we made the right decision in terms of the breadth and the volume of content for the minigames in Rebirth.Obviously, the more different types of content, the more minigames you put into a title, the more likely it is that people will like some and not others.Obviously, it comes down to personal taste in a lot of ways. Everyones going to have some of the minigames that they really liked and really enjoyed, and maybe some they didnt get on with so much, and that will depend on the player, and itll be different for different players.So I dont think we failed at all in that decision of having such a broad amount of content there. It was what was needed for the game, but certainly looking forward to the third game and to other games, if you asked me would I do the same number of minigames, I dont think I would.Well work out how maybe we can cut it down to maybe a bit more manageable size for the group of players who quite rightly said that maybe there was too much there for them.Though it looks like the remake trilogys final instalment will be going relatively easier on the minigames, Hamaguchi has previously stated that the game as a whole will be even bigger thanRebirth. Meanwhile, specifically where minigames are concerned, we also know that the fan-favourite card game Queens Blood will be returning with a revamped and better version, as per Hamaguchi.Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 or whatever Square Enix ends up calling it is currently in development, and recently exited the pre-production stage. Its development team is targeting a 2027 release.

Dragon Age: The Veilguardisnt going to get any expansions, but BioWare is continuing to roll out patches for the game, with another one now available. The third patch for the action RPG since its release, it brings several bug fixes and quality-of-life changes, including the addition of new Photo Mode filters.Other than tweaks related to the Photo Mode, other quality-of-life improvements include being able to cmpare new rings with both equipped ring slots, new weapon icons, and more. A decent number of bug fixes are also included in the patch notes, from bugs related to specific quests to glitches related to character animations, facial animations, cutscenes, visual issues, and more. You can view the full patch notes below.BioWare says its currently working on another patch for the game that it intends to talk more about soon, though theres little word yet on what to expect. Stay tuned for more details in the coming days.Dragon Age: The Veilguardis available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Read our review of the game through here, where we awarded it a score of 7/10, praising the combat and visuals while reserving criticism for the story, writing, quest design, and more.PATCH NOTES:Quality of Life Changes:Arrow keys can now be bound to input mappings.Filters added to Photo Mode.Screenshot file names from Photo Mode have been simplified, showing the date the photo was taken.The File Path where screenshots are saved is now shown in game when a screenshot is taken through Photo Mode.It is now easier to identify where an Enchantment has been applied to a companions equipment.Adjusted the Glint option description in Settings.New rings can now be compared against both equipped ring slots.A notification now appears when the Crossroads Spirit Merchant is available.Added new icons for some weapons.Bug Fixes:Eliminated the causes of a small number of crashes.Rooks body shape no longer changes unexpectedly after a cutscene with Emmrich.Adjusted an odd facial expression when Rook first meets Emmrich.Fixed a rare issue where some of an existing Rooks settings got unintentionally reset after making and saving a new Rook. This fix is now also on consoles and retroactively affects saves on all platforms.Adjusted the volume level of Spites voice in some scenes.Fixed some instances where music would incorrectly stop playing.Fixed some instances where unintended music or sound effects would play.Antaam Champions now correctly do slightly more damage.Mage Rooks no longer shift to the right awkwardly after performing an extended dodge.The Rogue Skill Underdogs Bite now correctly lists Enhanced Damage instead of Empowered Damage.Fixed some instances where enemies could get stuck or were unreachable in some areas.Fixed some instances where companions could get stuck on balance beams.Bellara can no longer endlessly charge Rooks Ultimate outside of combat.Emmrichs attack stat is now displayed correctly at the start of the Where the Dead Must Go quest.Fixed a bug where Emmrich was sometimes not available on the ability wheel during the Where the Dead Must Go quest.Companions revives are now correctly refilled at the start of The Last Gambit quest.The Kataranda now has its correct unique coloring.Fixed an issue with the critical hit and penetration modifiers on the Twin Edged Pick Warrior weapon.Taashs cape on the Rivains Legacy armor no longer stretches in cutscenes.The Grey Warden Recruits Simple Tunic appearance no longer clips uncomfortably through Rooks neck.The Mythals Light Mage weapon now does the intended amount of physical base damage (0).The Mythals Light Mage weapon now does physical damage to enemy health if a physical damage enchantment is applied.Fixed instances where stat bonuses from some Treviso valuables were applied incorrectly.Fixed instances where valuables with stat increases were not all visible in merchant stores.Improved textures on various characters and environment objects.Fixed an issue where VFX could become extremely bright.Fixed several distance pop-in issues.Fixed an issue that caused the camera to stutter when closing the eluvian interface.Fixes several instances where quest objectives would not update correctly during some quests.The On Deadly Wings quest can now be completed even if the A Slow Poison quest has not been fully completed.The Mayor of DMetas Crossing no longer appears in two places at once during the Lives Spared quest.One of the Revenants will no longer fail to appear in the Crossroads.Fixed an issue where a door would not open during the Heights of Athim memory in the Regrets of the Dreadwolf quest.The intended 2D cinematic scene now plays after the Shadows Crossing quest.Fixed an issue where the path forward could become blocked in the A Murder of Crows quest.Fixed a blocking issue during the In Entropys Grasp quest.Companions are now present when loading the first autosave made in the Isle of the Gods quest.The HDR Calibration setting is now saved correctly between game sessions.Prevented multiple instances where Rook could get stuck while exploring Thedas.One of the Watchers Robe appearance variations is now correctly granted after completing the Disrupt and Conquer memory.Fixed a place in Arlathan Forest where Rook could get stuck in a drowning loop.Fixed instances where Rook forgot they already had the lyrium dagger and could not interact with treasure chests and altars.Codex entries that were already read will no longer be re-marked as unread.Fixed an issue where the scrollbar could get stuck in the Codex screen.Enchantments on abilities are now reset correctly when Skill Tree nodes are reset.The Crossroads Spirit Merchant now shows the intended faction reputation gained for whichever city was blighted when selling valuables.Fixed a rare issue where some Skill Tree nodes were sometimes unable to be unlocked.Some adjustments to the game credits.

2024 has been a year of many indie hits, and one of the best ones is going to become available to an even larger audience soon.Lorelei and the Laser Eyeslaunched earlier this year for PC and Switch, but publisher Annapurna Interactive has announced that it will also be coming to PS5 and PS4 not long from now- on December 3, specifically. Check out the announcement trailer below.Developed by Simogo ofSayonara Wild Heartsfame,Lorelei and the Laser Eyesis a mystery puzzle adventure game that touts a non-linear structure. Players play as a woman who explores a mansion as she solves increasingly more dangerous and bizarre mysteries.In our review ofLorelei and the Laser Eyes,we awarded it a score of 8/10, saying, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a unique, distinct, and memorable experience that leverages the strengths of video games as a storytelling medium. It is recommended for anyone who is interested in mystery stories or adventure games. Read the full review through here.Whether we can also expectLorelei and the Laser Eyesto release for Xbox consoles at some point in the not-too-distant future remains to be seen, but thats the only major platform that the game isnt on at this point, so hopefully Annapurna Interactive and Simogo will remedy that sooner rather than later.

Excitement surroundingS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobylwas high understandably so, not just because of the stature of the release, but also how long the wait for the series comeback has been. Though the open world shooter has proven divisive among critics, with criticism being directed at the rough technical state it has launched in in particular, unsurprisingly, players are flocking to GSC Game Worlds newly released game in droves.As per SteamDB, today, the day of its launch,S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobylhit a peak of 113,587 concurrent players on Steam, an impressive start by any metric, but even more so when you consider that the game is also available via Game Pass. Its also worth considering that were in the middle of the week right now, which meansS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2splayer numbers will likely continue climbing over the coming days, especially as we hit the weekend.Its current Steam concurrent users peak also puts it ahead of a number of notable, large-scale titles, including the likes of Far Cry 5(92,445 concurrent players),Fallout 76(73,368),Red Dead Redemption 2(77,655),DOOM Eternal(105,891), andResident Evil Village(106,631), to name a few.In our review ofS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl masterfully combines multiple genres to deliver an unmissable and entirely unique open world horror experience. Touting unparalleled emergent gameplay, stellar atmosphere, a captivating story, and gorgeous visuals, this is easily one of the best games available on Xbox Series X/S, even with the technical issues that hamper it. Read the full review through here.S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chronobylis available on Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Microsoft has made cloud streaming a pivotal part of its gaming business, so its no surprise to see the company continuing to roll out new features to keep improving on the Xbox Cloud Gaming experience. Another major feature has been rolled out, in fact, with players now finally being allowed to stream games that they own.While until now Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) has only allowed users to stream games available via the Game Pass catalog, Microsoft has announced that Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will now be able to stream games that they own through TV screens and browsers on smartphones, tablets, and PCs, with support for the same also coming to the Xbox app on PC as well as Xbox consoles sometime in 2025.This feature has been rolled out in all 28 countries where Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently available in beta. For now, 50 games support this feature, but more will become cloud-playable with time, according to Microsoft. You can view the full current list of games below.Animal WellAssassins Creed MirageAvatar: Frontiers of PandoraBalatroBaldurs Gate 3Banishers: Ghosts of New EdenCall of Duty: Modern Warfare II(2022)The Casting of Frank StoneCyberpunk 2077Dragon Quest III HD-2D RemakeDredgeDying Light 2 Stay HumanFarming Simulator 25Fear the SpotlightFinal Fantasy XIV OnlineFinal FantasyFinal FantasyIIFinal FantasyIIIFinal FantasyIVFinal FantasyVFinal FantasyVIHadesHarry Potter: Quidditch ChampionsHigh On LifeHitman World of AssassinationHogwarts LegacyHouse Flipper 2Kena: Bridge of SpiritsLego Harry Potter CollectionLife is Strange: Double ExposureMetro ExodusMortal Kombat 1NBA 2K25PGA Tour 2K23PhasmophobiaPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownRust Console Edition7 Days to DieStar Wars OutlawsStrayThe Crew MotorfestThe Outlast TrialsThe Plucky SquireThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntTom Clancys The Division 2TopSpin 2K25UndertaleVisions of ManaWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2WWE 2K24

Few genres are more crowded than the multiplayer, but Double ElevensBlindfirecertainly made an impression with its announcement and shadow drop last month. Available in early access, it sees players trying to be the last ones standing in matches that take place in complete darkness, and soon, itll open the gates for more players to hop in.Having been available for Xbox and PC for a little over a month, Double Eleven has announced thatBlindifreis also releasing in early access for PS5 imminently, on November 21. You can also purchase it at a 10 percent discount until December 9 as long as you are subscribed to PlayStation Plus.As mentioned, matches in Blindfire take place in pitch blackness, with players being tasked with finding and eliminating opponents while remaining hidden themselves. Alongside your weapons, youll also be relying on high-tech gadgetry and, of course, sound. Check out the announcement trailer below for a look at what the game has in store.

The long-awaited Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is now available for Xbox Series X/S and PC alongside Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Unfortunately, it seems to have run into a snag at launch with complaints of long initial loading times. Some users also report loading past 90 percent without any further progress.Microsoft and Asobo Studio are aware of the issues, per the official MSFS Support account on Twitter. With so many users initializing the sim concurrently, we have a large number of server requests. We are working to help resolve the issues as soon as possible. The account also recommends rebooting if the initial load doesnt go beyond 90 percent. The only other solution is to wait for the game to load normally.The issues are widespread enough to warrant an Overwhelmingly Negative response on Steam, with only 18 percent of the 968 user reviews (and rising) giving it the thumbs-up. Other notable issues include no mouse control in the user interface, though pressing Alt + Enter seemingly brings up the cursor. Stay tuned for more updates and possible solutions in the meantime.We are aware of user reports of long initial loading times into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.With so many users initializing the sim concurrently, we have a large number of server requests. We are working to help resolve the issues as soon as possible.For users whose MSFS Support (@MSFS_Support) November 19, 2024

Pokemon Trading Card Game Pockethas attracted players in large numbers since its recent launch, and seen revenues to match. In fact, less than a month on from release, the app is only continuing to gather increasing momentum, as per a report published by Pocketgamer.biz.Citing AppMagic estimates, the report claimsPokemon Trading Card Game Pocketstotal earnings since release stand at $120.8 million as of November 17. It raked in $35.8 million in its first week and $48.5 million the next, and crossed the $100 million total revenue mark on November 15, less than three weeks from release. As per a prior report, in its first four days,Pokemon TCG Pocketbrought in $12.1 million in revenue.November 15 was also the day that the app saw its highest daily earnings so far at $8.4 million. On average, its daily earnings stand at $6.4 million, which is significantly higher than what even the evergreenPokemon GO currently sees. Its total revenue 19 days in, however, is a little under $20 million lower than whatPokemon GObrought in in the same period after its release in 2016.As per the report,Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocketslargest audience is in Japan, accounting for $50.6 million of its revenue so far, which is a 42 percent share. The United States follows in second place, having spent over $33 million on the app so far.Within 48 hours ofPokemon Trading Card Game Pocketslaunch for iOS and Android, The Pokemon Company announced that it had surpassed 10 million downloads. Less than a week later, it was announced it had topped 30 million downloads.

Multiple reports and leaks in recent weeks have claimed that Square Enix is collaborating with Tencent on a mobile version of its successful MMORPGFinal Fantasy 14, and that has now been officially announced.Final Fantasy 14 Mobile, developed by Tencents Lightspeed Studios, is a separate version of the game developed from the ground-up for iOS and Android devices.The game will recreate the mainFinal Fantasy 14sstory, while also retaining similar social systems and gameplay mechanics (including, of course, the Job system). Things such as fishing, Triple Triad, chocobo racing, weather and time of day systems, and more will also be retained.It has been 11 years sinceFF14 2.0: A Realm Reborn launched, and this new mobile game will be a sister to FF14, aiming to recreate the grandeur of the originals story and combat mechanics on mobile devices, says Final Fantasy 14s director and producer Naoki Yoshida. Non-combat features, such as Disciples of the Land and Hand, will also be faithfully implemented and we look forward to growing alongside the passionate FF14 community.Final Fantasy 14 Mobilewill launch first in China, beginning with multiple demos and play tests, followed shortly afterwards by a global launch. Currently, however, no specific release dates have been announced. Check out the games announce trailer below.Final Fantasy 14is currently available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. According to Yoshida, Square Enix is also working towards, having discussions about, and making progress with Final Fantasy 14on Nintendos consoles. Read more on that through here.

What should have been a momentous launch for Asobo and Xbox Game Studios for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 quickly turned rough. Players faced long initial loading times, and those who could get in found their aircraft missing. The development team investigated the issues and has since provided an update, explaining that one of its services handling Career Mode and other missions was affected.The sheer number of requests resulted in an overload, leading to delays and errors. Its since resolved the issues and brought players online at a steady pace while apologizing to fans. Unfortunately, this has all resulted in an Overwhelmingly Negative rating on Steam. There are currently 2,662 user reviews at the time of writing, and only 16 percent are positive.Stay tuned for further updates on the title in the coming days. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Its also available via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. You can check out our feature for additional information.

The PlayStation Portal has been a big success for Sony since its launch roughly a year ago certainly a bigger success than even Sony itself was expecting but the device has, nonetheless, also been on the receiving end of some rather fair criticism. One factor in particular that has invited backlash is its lack of cloud streaming capabilities, something you would assume would be a staple in a device such as this. It turns out, however, that Sony is finally in the process of rolling out that feature- bit by bit.The company has announced that it has pushed a new system update for the PlayStation Portal that, along with making adjustments related to PlayStation Link and speaker audio volume, also finally adds cloud streaming capabilities, which means players can stream games on the device online (as long as you have a suitable internet connection) without the need of a PS5. There are some caveats in place, however.For now, cloud streaming is only available on PlayStation Portal in beta, and as such, accessible only to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers. Specifically, currently, a library of over 120 PS5 games from the PlayStaton Plus Game Catalog (including Dave the Diver, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvels Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Monster Hunter Rise, and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart) is available to stream.Players will be able to stream at up to 1080p and 60 FPS, and all DualSense features and cloud saves will be supported. Some features, however, wont be available during this beta period, include 3D audio, game trials, streaming purchased games, Party voice chat, anything to do with the Create button, and in-game commerce (which means no microtransactions yet).

The PS5 Pro launched earlier this month with a long list of games touting enhancements for the console right off the bat, and that list has continued to grow in the days that have followed. Another name has joined it in the form ofThe Callisto Protocol,with developer Striking Distance Studios sprucing up its horror title for Sonys new mid-gen hardware refresh.The Callisto Protocolnow features two modes on PS5 Pro- a Performance mode that runs at 4K and 60 FPS, and a Quality Mode that runs at 8K and 30 FPS. Both modes also feature full ray tracing, which, on a base PS5, is only available in Quality Mode.The Callisto Protocolcan be a rough experience, to say the very least, and there are certainly far better horror titles out there that are easier to recommend. It does, however, look undeniably impressive, so the prospect of improvements to both graphics and performance on PS5 Pro is an enticing one. If nothing else, players might be tempted to dive back into the game and get a taste of its offerings.

The demand forsurvival horrorAliengames never really goes away, and though many are going to have their eyes keenly fixed onAlien: Isolation 2for some years to come, the IP has another game in the genre to deliver much sooner than that.Alien: Rogue Incursionwill bring its horrors to VR headsets next month, and ahead of its release, developer Survios has showcased a new trailer.With this trailer, the focus is squarely on the games story, which will see players stepping into the shoes of protagonist ex-Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks, who flies to the remote planet of LV-354, also known as Purdan, to investigate a distress call from a former squadmate.Things go wrong, as they often do in theAlienuniverse, and as you may have guessed, Zula eventually finds herself in the middle of a smattering of crises, from a terrifying Xenomorph outbreak to corporate corruption and intrigue, and more. Check out the trailer below for more glimpses of what the game will have in store.Alien: Rogue Incursionlaunches on December 19 for PS VR2, Meta Quest 3, and SteamVR.

Rainbow Six Siegecontinues to be a flagship title for Ubisoft close to a decade on from launch, and Ubisoft, as such, keeps updating the first-person shooter. On December 3, the company will release its Year 9 Season 4 update, dubbed Operation Collision Point, which, along with the expect additions thatSiegesseasonal updates tend to bring, will also be adding a major, long-requested feature in the form of full cross-play.Rainbow Six Siegeoriginally enabled cross-play between PC, Amazon Luna, and Stadia back in 2021, with PlayStation and Xbox cross-play following the next year. With its upcoming update, however, the multiplayer shooter will finally allow players on PlayStation and Xbox and players on PC to play with and against each other.As for the mechanics of how cross-play will work, Ubisoft says squads with PC players will always join the PC matchmaking pool. Meanwhile, if youre a console player playing Ranked, your PC progress rank and console rank will be maintained separately.Rainbow Six Siegeis available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Assassins Creed Syndicatemight be nearly a decade old, but Ubisoft has announced that it is releasing a new update for the game imminently, which is likely to get a fair amount of players diving back into the action-adventure title.Following the upcoming update, which releases tomorrow, November 19,Assassins Creed Syndicatewill finally get a 60 FPS boost on current-gen consoles. Additionally, Ubisoft says the game will target a 4K resolution on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X, while on Xbox Series S, it will run at 1080p. That said, the upcoming patch is going to be much larger on Xbox Series X/S than it will be on PS5, weighing in at about 31.8 GB on the former and 0.75 GB on the latter.Coming out in the immediate aftermath of the widespread backlash againstAssassins Creed Unity, Assassins Creed Syndicatedefinitely saw muted reception when it launched in 2015, though make no mistake- the action-adventure title ranks as one of the series best games. A 60 FPS update is something that many have been hoping for, so this should bring a decent number of players back into the fold.The streets of London are calling#AssassinsCreedSyndicate free 60 FPS update available tomorrow on PS5, PS5 pro & Xbox Series X|S pic.twitter.com/o2T5NdVXtk Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) November 18, 2024

The Farm 51 and Untold Tales announced last month that the formers 2021 survival action RPGChernobylitewas headed to the Nintendo Switch, and now the pair have confirmed when exactly the game will be releasing for the platform.Chernobylitewill launch for the Nintendo Switch under a month from now, on December. It will release in the form of a Complete Edition, which means it will include the base game and all of its post-launch content, including two expansions, new modes, locations, and more. Check out the trailer below for a look at what the game will look like in action on the Switch.Meanwhile, a Premium Edition will also be available, which, on top of the Complete Editions full contents, will also include digital codes for the games official soundtrack and artbook, as well as two bonus in-game cosmetics.Chernobyliteis currently available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Horror games are dime a dozen these days, but there are not a lot of games of this ilk that use elements of stealth in their gameplay. When used correctly, these mechanics can induce another level of fear and tension to the whole affair as you slowly tiptoe through haunted places; constantly on the lookout for any monsters lurking in the dark. With this feature, we will be taking a look at 15 of the best horror games with stealth elements.Alien IsolationDeveloper Creative Assembly knocked it out of the park with Alien: Isolation, which is undoubtedly one of the best games to have come out of the Alien label in quite some time. It puts you in the shoes of Amanda Ripley who must do everything and anything in her might to outsmart the Xenomorph, and because of the fact that you cant really kill him the best bet is to hide under tables and behind closets and hope that the alien doesnt notice that. Of course, thats easier said than done because the Xenomorph AI learns from your past runs and adapts itself based on those inputs which ensures that players are always on their toes.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Capcoms newest IP launched last July for consoles and PC, has under-performed in sales. The publisher revealed to shareholders in a Q&A session per GameBiz (translation via Automaton-Media) that despite positive reviews, it ultimately failed to meet sales targets.Insufficient marketing and failure to generate buzz leading up to the launch contributed to its under-performance. The action strategy title crossed 500,000 players less than a month after release, though its available on Game Pass and sales figures are unknown.Sales are on track for other titles released this year, including Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, and Ace Attorney Investigations Collection. Capcom is still confident in its annual targets, with Monster Hunter Wilds launching on February 28th, 2025.Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here. The company clarified before launch that there are no plans for DLC, which looks even less likely given its sales.

Gust revealed some new details over the weekend for Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land, including a new trailer. The next iteration in the Atelier series focuses on newcomer Yumia Liessfeldt, who explores the ruins of the Aladissian Empire. Though various allies join her, theyre opposed by a mysterious group.Weve already seen the werewolf-like individual with a monocle, who remains as boisterous as ever and the dragon-like creature. However, theres also a hooded, seemingly human figure with a snake-shaped staff and a sheep-like witch who manipulates lightning and seems resentful towards alchemists.Perhaps theyre homunculus, created by the disaster leading to the empires downfall and the outlawing of Alchemy. Whether theyre targeting Yumia for her alchemical abilities or her past (especially regarding her mother) remains to be seen. Either way, shell stop at nothing to uncover the truth.Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and The Envisioned Land is available on March 21st, 2025, for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

CelebratingHalf-Life 2s20th anniversary, Valve recently released a documentary detailing the legendary first-person shooters development (in addition to giving the game away for free for a limited period). During that documentary, the company also showcases glimpses of a project that was highly anticipated, but never saw the light of day- that, of course, beingHalf-Life 2: Episode 3.In the documentary, Valve has also revealed completely new and previously unseen footage of the cancelled project. It showcases a new enemy blob-shaped shapeshifting enemy type that could move through grates or split up into smaller versions of itself. Also shown off as a new weapon called the Ice Gun, which did exactly what its name suggested.In the documentary, members ofEpisode 3sdevelopment team reveal that Valve had developed multiple levels of the game, before the project was put on hold so that the development team could help wrap upLeft 4 Deadsdevelopment. By the time that was done, however, it was decided by Valve leadership (including Gabe Newell) that it was too late to return toHalf-Life 2: Episode 3.You can view the full documentary below.

Payday 3has been nothing short of a disaster fordeveloper Starbreeze Studios. As big of a success as its predecessor was, since its launch last year, the multiplayer shooter has consistently been on the receiving end of criticism from its ever-dwindling player base. Starbreeze itself has stated repeatedly thatPayday 3has been performing below the companys internal expectations and that continued underperformance is now yielding predictable consequences.In its recently published quarterly fiscal report, the developer has announced its plans to significantly decrease investment inPayday 3and its post-launch plans, which doesnt inspire a lot of confidence in the games future.The level of investment duringPayday 3s first year on the market, both through launched DLCs and Operation Medic Bag, has been at an elevated level, Starbreeze says. Ahead of year two, we are confident in being able to continue delivering amounts of value to our players with a significantly lower level of investment.Payday 3has failed to maintain a healthy player base since its release, so Starbreezes decision to pull back support for the shooter doesnt come as a complete surprise, though it should be interesting to see what this means for the studios long-term plans for the game, and for thePaydayfranchise in general.Payday 3is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

WithStarfield: Shattered SpaceandDiablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, weve seen a couple of major first-party Microsoft games getting expansions this year, so clearly, adding to its games with sizeable post-release expansions is something the company isnt against. But is it something that we can expect to see on a regular basis?In an interview with Game File, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer touched on the topic, stating that developing post-launch expansions is by no means a top-down mandate for all first-party studios, and that above all, he doesnt want expansions for games that feel manipulative, and instead add actual value to the larger experience.Its really left to the creators [regarding] what plan they have for their stories, he said. I think its a great way for us to reengage players who may be lapsed.I dont like expansions that are manipulative. I want it to have a unique point of view. I dont want it to be, like, the third level that you cut before you launched.Spencer went on to add that every release continues to be a learning experience even now- like the aforementionedShattered Space, which released earlier this year to divisive responses, with criticism being directed at its lack of new features. Interestingly, as per Spencer, those criticisms led director Todd Howard to wonder whether pairing the expansion with the release of buggies (which were added to the game for free earlier in the year) would have made it seem more substantial.But were always learning, he said. Todd and I were talking about Shattered Space. Starfield is a game I put a ton of hours into and really love, but theyve had this thing where theyve added features throughout the year and then they had an expansion.I think some of the feedback on the expansion is: We wanted more features. And hes like, Well, should we have waited to put buggies out?'Ultimately, however, Spencer says that not every first-party Xbox title is necessarily going to do expansions.I think youre trying to tune both development effort and the impact of the expansion. And I think there will always be a balance to managing the game month to month. But not every game will do expansions.

Its the 20th anniversary of Valves Half-Life 2, and to celebrate, the development team has released a meaty update. Furthermore, the base game and both Episodes are free to claim on Steam until November 18th. Suffice it to say that this is the perfect opportunity to play one of the best games of all time.For those who already own (and likely cleared) it, the anniversary update is well worth checking out. It adds 3.5 hours of developer commentary from the original team and Steam Workshop support to replace weapons, enemies, the UI, and even experience full campaigns. Lightmaps have also seen improvements, with bicubic filtering resulting in better shadows, while radial fog results in cleaner, smoother horizon lines.UI-scaling now supports higher resolutions, while every map (and Deathmatch map) now supports full HDR lighting and tone mapping. Players can also use blood and fire effects from the Episodes or those from the original launch. This is all on top of dozens of bug fixes and improvements. Check it all out below.Half-Life 2 20th Anniversary UpdateBug Fixes and Change NotesContentAdded 3.5 hours of Developer Commentary by members of the Half-Life 2 team.Half-Life 2: Episode One and Episode Two are now playable from the Half-Life 2 main menu.Half-Life 2: Lost Coast has been added to the Extras menu.Added Steam Workshop support. Play entire campaigns or replace weapons, enemies, UI, and more with content created by the community.Added custom Steam Game Recording gameplay events and phases throughout the game.Rendering and GraphicsFixed issues causing props or entire maps to be fully bright or fully dark depending on settings.Added bicubic filtering for lightmaps to produce smoother shadows. It can be enabled by setting Shader Detail to Very High.Fixed missing grass detail sprites in many maps.Added settings to enable Classic Effects that were originally in Half-Life 2. These effects can also be enabled using r_classic_blood or r_classic_fire.Added support for radial fog.Specular reflectivity has been adjusted throughout Half-Life 2 to better match the original release.Updated models for the Crossbow and RPG weapons to support ultrawide displays.Fixed camera clipping into vehicles at high FOV settings.Fixed lambda cache indicators and other decals vanishing when backtracking through map transitions.Setting Model Detail to High will now always display the highest detail version of a model and never swap for a lower level-of-detail.Set Antialiasing to 4x MSAA by default.Fixed teeth shader rendering fully white on some GPUs.UI and OptionsThe UI now scales to support higher resolutions.Launching the game in Steam Big Picture mode will now use the gamepad-friendly UI previously available on Steam Deck. You can also launch this mode with the -gamepadui launch option.The High Dynamic Range setting has been moved to the main Video settings page.Commentary mode can now be enabled on the New Game screen.Fixed display of greyscale art for locked achievement icons to match their behavior in steam.Improved legibility of gamepad button icons.Button hints will now prefer to display standard face buttons and trigger icons only. This behavior can be disabled with the sc_prefer_basic_origin_hints convar.Replaced instances of system fonts like Verdana throughout the UI with a new font, GorDIN.Added a new font renderer that provides more consistent rendering between platforms.Fixed edges of certain font characters being cut off with antialiasing enabled.Fixed scrollbars and button animations using inverted colors.Removed the non-functional Use bloom effect when available setting.Added Rich Presence info while playing Half-Life 2.InputUpdated the default Steam Input configuration.Added a Gamepad settings menu.Added the ability to select a weapon selection UI style while using a gamepad.Added settings for separate Aim-Assist modes for mouse/keyboard and gamepad. The new Aim-Assist Enhanced mode now attempts to track enemies and snap-to-target while driving vehicles.If using toggle crouch, pressing sprint will now make the player stand.Legacy joystick settings have been removed from the Mouse settings menu.GameplayReduced chances of birds getting stuck in the world.Fixed Combine crouching behavior during door assault scene.Fixed Combine not firing in some cases during the finale.Game sounds and music now pause while the game is paused.Fix crash that can occur if the player gets too far ahead of the helicopter in canals.Fixed Dr. Breen not looking at the camera in certain broadcasts.Fixed smooth friction sounds not playing.General Map UpdatesFull HDR lighting and tonemapping pass across every map in Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch.Increased lightmap resolution in most maps.Adjusted rendering distances across the game so details and objects remain visible much further away.Removed Far-Z clip plane from most maps.Increased window and door fade distances.Improved lighting and world detail inconsistencies during many map transitions.Tuned fog and skyboxes for every map with water on the horizon for better horizon blending.Replaced instances of simple reflective water with fully reflective water in nearly every map.Fixed many instances of floating props across the game.Sewed up holes, aligned textures, and fixed seams on many displacements throughout the game.Swapped some distant trees out for higher detail models.Enabled shadows on many static props that were missing them.Added glow sprites to all lights that were missing them.Fixed lightmapping for many large static prop structures.Added simple rooftop geometry to background buildings that were missing them.Added background displacement geometry to areas which are now exposed by removed the clipping plane.Specific Map UpdatesThe introduction sequence has been adjusted to closely match the original sequence, including fixing specular highlights on the G-Mans eyes.Fixed various texture seams on train station wallAll fences now properly cast shadows.Fixed issues with level transitions setting fog values improperly.Removed emissive value from base of lighting prop which was glowing in strange places.Fixed a bug with Elis idle animations during the teleport sequence.Fixed lightmapping of train cars in Red Letter Day and Route Kanal.Fixed a rendering bug in Route Kanal where world geometry would pop in and out of view when looking down the tracks.Aligned pipe and canal wall textures in a few areas to reduce seams and misalignment in Route Kanal.Added and adjusted canal wall brushes where level geometry was conspicuously missing.Adjusted brightness and falloff of ambient lights in darker sections of the canals.Added small grates as dim light sources of ambient light in a few places in the canals.Fixed an issue where the splash for Manhack Matts jump into the water would be out of sync.Fixed a bug where the large brick smokestacks were popping in and out depending on the players position in Water Hazard.Added missing cables to utility poles in various canal maps.Fixed lighting and shadows on the dock and electric tower outside of Black Mesa East.Added displacements and water plane to 3D skybox near the dam entrance to replace simple brush cliff face.Fixed the lighting on the rocks and props in and around the Ravenholm graveyard.Fixed players being able to trap themselves in the graveyard by closing the gate after Gregori would open it.Added radial fog to all coast maps in the Highway 17 chapter.Removed area portals from many of the smaller structures along Highway 17.Fixed a crash that would occur if you parked the buggy in certain areas before entering the bridge level.Fixed a bug where Vortigaunts could fall through the world.Added simple 3D skybox representation of the next map visible from the top of the lighthouse in Sandtraps.Fixed lighting issues during the basement flare sequence in Nova Prospekt.Added additional geometry to various windows throughout the levels to cast more detailed shadows in Nova Prospekt.Fixed a bug in teleport sequence in Entanglement ending too early leaving Gordon and Alyx standing around while the teleporter reached its destination.Fixed the catwalk explosion detonating at the wrong time in Anticitizen One.Fixed the building dome having no polygons on the outstide in Follow Freeman.Fixed the ship visibly flying through the building dome in Follow Freeman.Fixed Barney being left behind during a level transition or nagging the player too early to roll a grenade in Follow Freeman.Improved resolution of portal render texture during finale.Added soundscape to all menu background mapsDarkened parts of the skyboxes that fall behind Half-Life 2 logo to help with text legibility.Added geometry to menu background maps for Ultrawide support.Added smoke to the Ravenholm and Follow Freeman background maps.Fixed a bug where you could hear the players bones break in the Citadel menu background map.Half-Life 2: Deathmatch FixesFixed player model selection in the options menu.Fixed slam not being able to be detonated if you were too close to a wallFixed view bob with the SMG equipped.Fixed using the Gravity Gun to yo-yo grenades, sometimes causing the server to disconnect or crash.Fixed missing sound effects for the Gravity Gun.Fixed characters playing a missing animation when switching weapons while jumping and moving.Fix weapons being invisible when being given another weapon of the same class.Half-Life 2: Deathmatch MapsIncreased player spawn point count in many maps.Fixed prop placement in maps that would allow players to escape the world.Fixed floating props in dm_runoff.Fixed the area portal on the blast door in dm_runoff causing the world to no longer render when the door was shut.Added geometry to many maps where the player could see outside of bounds.Fixed several areas where the player could see out of the world.Moved the blue barrels in dm_resistance that you could pick up with the Gravity Gun through the chainlink doors.Improved quality of the Valve intro movie when launching the game.Fixed playback of the the post-credits movie at the end of Episode One and the intro movie at the start of Episode Two.The achievements for Episode One and Two have been added to Half-Life 2. When launching the game it will attempt to read data from installed standalone Episodes to re-grant those duplicated achievements.Hammer: Show detail sprite preview on non-displacement surfaces.Hammer: Fixed bug where orphaned entities added additional data on each map load.Hammer: Fixed the ability to render cubemaps.Hammer: Increased many limits for BSP data. Models 1024 -> 2048, Brushes 8192 -> 16384, TexInfo 12288 -> 16384, TexData 2048 -> 8096, DispInfo 2048 -> 8096.Added save_transition_music convar that allows streaming music to continue to play in between level transitions.Localization files updated.Miscellaneous security fixes.OtherThe previous version of the game has been archived to a publicly visible Beta branch named steam_legacy, with the description Pre-20th Anniversary Build. If a mod or feature is behaving in an unexpected way, you may need to run this archived build until the issue is resolved in the default build.With the Episodes and Lost Coast now contained within Half-Life 2 itself, well be reducing the visibility of the standalone versions on the Steam Store. The old standalone applications will remain available to ensure community projects that rely on them still function properly but they will now appear within the Tools menu on your Steam Library.

The promise of a new and authentic Indiana Jonesadventure has been made a few times over the years, and at least with the last couple of movies, that promise hasnt been fulfilled. WhetherIndiana Jones and the Great Circleis going to be able to step in and fill that void is anyones guess, but based on everything that weve seen so far, it certainly seems like the game is taking great shape, and that fans of the IP may finally have something to be excited about without caveats. We certainly are, which is why were going to go over a few of the things that we cant wait to experience ourselves whenIndiana Jones and the Great Circlelaunches a month from now.PUNCH NAZIS IN THE FACEIf theres one thing MachineGames games never fail to miss the mark with, its having a blast killing Nazis, so anIndiana Jonesgame is sort of the perfect match for the studio, because boy does Indy love getting into it with Nazi scum. Whats particularly interesting about The Great Circleis that MachineGames has designed it to very muchnotbe a shooter, which means first-person melee combat is going to be central to the experience. That, in turn, means were going to be socking plenty of Nazis right in their faces, which we can get on board with any day of the week.MESS AROUND WITH INDYS WHIPIndiana Jones never goes anywhere without his iconic whip, and sure enough, its looking like itll be a crucial part of his toolset inThe Great Circle. MachineGames has confirmed that the game features a fully simulated physics, so naturally, were excited to get our hands on it and mess around with its physics. The idea of using it in combat to slash at foes or even grab them from a distance is an intriguing one, and one that, if implemented correctly, can meaningfully help elevate the gameplay, while using the whip for traversal and platforming purposes also soundspotentiallyfun, at the very least.CHECK OUT INDYS JOURNALWhats been revealed ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circleso far has suggested that the game is going to place heavy emphasis on puzzles and exploration, an area where Indys journal will also play an important role. True to the movies, the famous archaeologist will frequently be pulling out his journal to jot down things of importance or help navigate a variety of different environmental puzzles as he makes his way through one historical mystery after another. From the looks of it, the game is doing a great job capturing theIndiana Jones, and the journal is looking like an important part of that- so were definitely curious to dive deeper into it.EXPLORE THOROUGHLYThe Great Circleis going to have plenty of linear sections where players will be moving through prescribed, narrative-driven sequences, but MachineGames has also confirmed that the game will also have plenty of larger, much more open-ended areas as well, where players will have the freedom to explore at their own pace. With the game promising a variety of different locations to explore across its globe-trotting journey, and promising to cram each of those locations with plenty of side content, were definitely going to be taking our time as we comb through each area.BE EXPERIMENTAL WITH THE STEALTHWhere theWolfensteingames were pretty focused in how they allowed players to approach adversarial scenarios,withIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, MachineGames is placing much great emphasis on player agency and freedom. Stealth was, of course, an important part of theWolfensteingames as well, but this approach means its going to be even more prominent in The Great Circle. Whats caught our interest, however, is the promise of a web of mechanics that allows players to improvise and approach situations in a variety of different ways, something that were excited to experiment with and push the limits of as much as we can.CHECK OUT THE SOCIAL STEALTH MECHANICSSpeaking of different stealth options, while conventional stealth will obviously be a viable way to go in many situations, certain circumstances will call for different methods, which is whereThe Great Circlessocial stealth mechanics will come into play. No, were not expecting the game to give us anything too extensive on this front certainly not on the level of something like, say, Hitman but wearecurious to find out how it leverages those mechanics nonetheless. Fans of theIndiana Jonesmovies will know that the Professor is no stranger to sneaking into enemy territories while dressed as one of their own, so yes, were absolutely down for some of that in gameplay form.EXPERIMENT WITH THE IMMERSIVE SIM SYSTEMSWe were certainly taken by surprise when we found out that MachineGames had injected a healthy dosage of immersive sim elements intoIndiana Jones and the Great Circle,especially since most were probably just expecting anUncharted-style linear swashbuckling adventure. Now that we know that thats going to be an important part of the gameplay experience, however, it only makes us more excited for the game. Exploring those aforementioned semi-open world areas,The Great Circlewill afford players the freedom to tackle situations in a variety of different ways, and you can be sure well be pushing against the boundaries of those systems every chance we get to see just how much the game lets us get away with.EXPERIENCE THE SET PIECESOf course, this being anIndiana Jonesgame, the linear, cinematic, scripted action we alluded to earlier is obviously going to be a crucial part of the experience, so yes, while weareexcited to play around with the games immersive sim elements, were just as excited to get a tase of its scripted, cinematic offerings. Big, bombastic set piece sequences have been a mainstay ofIndiana Jonesfilms for as long as they have been a thing, and now were excited to be able to experience that in a game. Of course, theUnchartedseries has obviously delivered that in spades over the years, but now, we get to play as Henry Jones Jr. in that style of explosive sequences, and we couldnt be more thrilled.ENJOY TROY BAKERS PERFORMANCEThere is no Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford, though funnily enough, The Great Circleis only going to abide by that tosomedegree. Fords likeness is obviously being used, which means Indy will look the way he should, but the actor isnt playing the role himself, with Troy Baker stepping in with his best Harrison Ford impersonation. That specifically is a part of the game that has piqued our interest. Its difficult to imagine anyone being able to play the role of Indiana Jones better, but by all accounts, Baker does seem to be doing a great job of emulating Harrison Ford. Whether that remains true for the entirety of the game remains to be seen though.EXPERIENCE A (HOPEFULLY) AUTHENTIC INDIANA JONES STORY AT LONG LASTIts been three and a halfdecadessince we got the last unequivocally goodIndiana Jonesfilms. Sure,Kingdom of the Crystal SkullandDial of Destinymay have some fans out there, but the overwhelming consensus is that we havent had a legitimately greatIndiana Jonesfilm in a very, very,verylong time.The Great Circleis obviously not a movie, but everything that we have seen of it so far seems to be suggesting that its shaping up to deliver that authenticIndy experience so many have been desperate for for so long. Thats admittedly a tough ask, but were optimistic based on everything weve seen so far.

For the majority ofMetal Gearfans,the upcomingMetal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eateris taking up most of our attention, but but Konami is continuing to update and improveMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1with patches as well. Another one of those has now released in the form of update 2.0, and it adds some notable features for players on all platforms- other than the Switch.For starters, players on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PS4 Pro can now play Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyandMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eaterat an upscaled 4K resolution, courtesy of a new Adjusted Mode, which uses an internal upscales to allow for improved visual quality. On Xbox Series S and PS4, meanwhile, the game is upscaled to 1080p.Multiple different custom settings for internal resolution and upscaling have also been added in on all of the aforementioned platforms. Though update 2.0 has launched for the games Switch version as well, it doesnt include any of the aforementioned improvements, instead just bringing new controller settings and fixes for other minor issues.Konami has kept up a decent cadence of updates forMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, which, after its somewhat rough launch, is worth noting, at the very least, especially with the company having confirmed that aMaster Collection Vol. 2is also in the works.

Gran Turismo 7snear-monthly cadence of updates will continue in November, as expected, and though the racing sims next update has taken slightly longer than expected, producer and series creator Kazunori Yamauchi has confirmed that its not too far away now.Taking to Twitter, Yamauchi confirmed thatGran Turismo 7snext update is arriving sometime next week, and also shared an image showing the silhouettes of the vehicles that the update will be adding, as he does before every update releases. The image confirms the upcoming addition of five new cars, though we can, of course, expect other new content as well, which well be learning more about next week.Its likely that PS5 Pro enhancements will be added with this incoming patch. Previously, it was confirmed that on the mid-gen console, Polyphony Digitals racing sim will feature both an 8K mode and a 4K mode with enhanced ray tracing effects.Gran Turismo 7is available on PS5 and PS4.Sorry to keep you waiting. The update will be coming next week.#GT7 #GranTurismo #7 pic.twitter.com/VFjpisD1Vh / Kaz Yamauchi (@Kaz_Yamauchi) November 15, 2024

There arent a lot of studios out there who have the kind of track record with building and management simulation games that Frontier Developments does. 2016s Planet Coastersaw the developer returning to the fan-favourite genre with great success, and now, eight years later, Frontier has returned with a sequel. From water parks and more expansive coaster customization and various other iterative improvements, Planet Coaster 2attempts to build on its predecessors formula in a number of ways. In a recent interview, we were able to speak with the games developers about some of its biggest changes and improvements. Below, you can read our interview with principal lead designer Dave Bamber and tech lead Simon Jordan.NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the games launch."We had great enthusiasm from the community of the original Planet Coaster for making waterparks and we were excited to add it as part of the sequel."Going into the development of this game, what was the primary guiding principle for the development team, especially coming off of the success of the first Planet Coaster?Dave Bamber (Principal Lead Designer): As a returning developer from Planet Coaster, there was so much to consider during pre-production, with literal years of suggestions and ideas from inside the company and the community beyond. The guiding principle at this early stage was to enhance and expand upon as many features as we could to re-examine what players enjoy about the game, and double down on that feeling. We had great enthusiasm from the community of the original Planet Coaster for making waterparks and we were excited to add it as part of the sequel.For Design as a discipline, we used that principle to break down the gameplay into Coasters, Guests, Economy, Staff, Beauty, Story, and Online Interaction. Looking at the concepts of Simplicity, Guidance, Depth, Effort, Breadth, Charm, Community and Immersion as they applied to the gameplay allowed us prioritise features and ideas we want to pursue.The addition of water parks is among the biggest highlights in Planet Coaster 2, but much variety can players expect in the options available for rides and attractions?Bamber: Weve worked hard to give players a wide variety of things to build for standalone theme parks. There are over 60 coaster and tracked ride types to build, and over 50 amazing coaster blueprints ready to use right away. A brand-new feature is the ability to customise the coasters cars with scenery items, expanding creativity in a whole new creative direction providing players with incredible potential for customisation. Its a great example of doubling down on the gameplay players love, and were so excited to see what players do with it next, weve seen such wonderful (and weird!) examples in the office.Flat Rides are making a return in a huge way. Players loved the heavily themed flat rides in the original Planet Coaster but wanted more flexibility and controls over that theming to allow them to have more versatility on where they could be placed in their parks. Weve revolutionised the flexicolour options by introducing pattern choices, too. There are over 30 flat rides, some of which were remade from ones from the original game to a more stripped-back feel ready for players to customise with scenery items that animate with the rides.Our community will also now be able to tinker and share Flat Ride Blueprints to their hearts content via the Frontier Workshop, and weve included 25 Flat Ride Blueprints for launch. From a coaster Blueprints point of view, were excited for players to discover that paths and queues are included now.What are some of the biggest improvements and changes that Planet Coaster 2 is making in terms of coaster customization options?Bamber: Aside from an unparalleled level of customisation for the overall look of the coaster as weve touched upon, the headline feature has to be the animated coaster pieces, these complex track pieces are a high point of modern rollercoaster design.Less flashy, but just as important is how coasters are made. Weve overhauled how the twist value is stored for coasters, the results are the smoothest coaster rolls weve seen, before the player even opens the smoothing tools. Speaking of smoothing tools, weve made quality of life enhancements to adjust the strength and direction of the smoothing, to allow for more power and precision.Dedicated players will also notice that selecting, moving and banking sections of built track is easier and more flexible than before, applying to swathes of track with smooth ins and outs (check out the Setting tab for move Track settings!)."Aside from an unparalleled level of customisation for the overall look of the coaster as weve touched upon, the headline feature has to be the animated coaster pieces, these complex track pieces are a high point of modern rollercoaster design."Diving into the weeds with guest management is a big part of the experience for many genre fans. The first Planet Coaster already had plenty going on that front, but what are some of the most interesting improvements players can expect here?Bamber: We saw that players wanted more detail in the guest simulation, and more understanding of how guests acted, leading to a range of enhancements.Weve overhauled guest happiness into Guest Moods, which feeds into the overall Guest Experience. Moods allow guests to build up a bigger picture of the things which make them happy and sad over their whole park stay, beyond a simple happiness meter.Guests now arrive in the park in organised waves, giving you peaks and troughs of behaviour for guests en masse with an ebb and flow as guests move around your parks. This also gives us tighter control of guests and the economy if a guest leaves the park early, they take their dollars with them until the next wave.Weve made a Luxury guest need which controls buying souvenirs from the gift shop, an Entertainment need for going on rides, and a Panic need for high fear rides.Weve given guests Dietary Restrictions, so you need to think more about the variety of shops you are placing.Additionally, weve given guests new Ride Tolerances for height, speed and g-forces that benefit from a wider selection of ride types.This means players will have some interesting new challenges and decisions to make as they build and expand their park with all the incredible enhancements weve added in the game.With simulation and builder games like these, a lot of the experience lives in the details, the smaller things like the menus and the building and pathing interfaces. What kinds of improvements can players expect to those areas in the sequel?Bamber: Weve made feature and tool access easier, for example, double clicking or holding A on controller will open the editing tools for that feature, and the radial menus from Planet Coaster Console addition have been expanded and are even available to players on keyboard as well.Alongside the tutorials on teaching you how to run a theme park, weve also made the game easier to pick-up for newcomers by making sure that useful keyboard shortcuts in the original Planet Coaster are visible in the UI too, to make it more intuitive to learn as they play.Being heavily involved in the path system, I can tell you it wasnt a simple interface to make! A lot of work went into the system itself to let the player be able to build more often without being obstructed. But from the players point of view, the path and pool interfaces are organised into useful tools that can be used immediately building a plaza is as simple as placing a single stamp of path! For players that want more, the path tool options let you customise to an amazing degree, and we really do expect some players to use them!From a feature point of view, being able to scale scenery is also a game changing improvement. As a result, the scenery menu is cleaner with fewer duplicates for sizes, and the player can adapt scenery on the fly to multiple situations.What can you tell us about the event sequencer tool? What kinds of things can players pull off with this?Bamber: The Event Sequencer is a timeline with a visual interface for organising animated scenery, visual effects, audio effects and lighting changes. It can be standalone, or can link with flat rides, coasters or tracked rides, and the visual interface makes it easy to trigger elements in sequence or in parallel. This visual way of understanding how your effects, scenery and speakers are working in tandem makes it incredibly powerful to construct amazing sequences of events to delight your guests.On the simple side of examples, players can trigger a flamethrower effect when a coaster goes over a track section, or when a flat ride begins a movement. A common example of something more detailed is to build a Dark ride, where a richly decorated tracked ride progresses through an indoor series of animated scenes that make up a whole story, such as an undersea adventure constructed using our Aquatic theme, complete with sea monsters and water jets!Collaborative cross platform saves for the sandbox mode sound like a great addition. Will there be any limitations to the feature, in terms of save file sizes, the use of mods or platform specific features, and so on?Simon Jordan (Tech Lead): Cross-platform play in the new Franchise mode, as well as collaborative Sandbox saves, presented an interesting technical opportunity, with the need to ensure a seamless experience between console and PC as players jump one at a time into a shared save or compete in a Franchise challenge together.If you played Planet Coaster 1 on console, you may remember the Oswald Eugene Counter. Similarly, Planet Coaster 2 features a helpful Complexity Meter on consoles, which ensures a smooth experience regardless of platform. When sharing across platforms, PC players will also be able to see how their park stacks up against the Complexity Meter, to ensure their friends can open and build/manage the park seamlessly on their consoles.Are there any plans to make the game PS5 Pro enhanced?Jordan: Planet Coaster 2 will be PS5 Pro enhanced on launch. We are using the enhancements to push more pixels at a native 4k resolution for even more incredible visuals."Players will have some interesting new challenges and decisions to make as they build and expand their park with all the incredible enhancements weve added in the game."As a developer, what are your thoughts on the PS5 Pro? How does boost in GPU help in developing your game compared to the base PS5?Jordan: It is great to see advancements in hardware, as it gives developers unique opportunities to push the envelope of what is possible in games. We are always keeping a close eye on developments in both console and PC technology, and with the PS5 Pro, well be researching this technology as it rolls out.What are your thoughts on PSSR? What kind of opportunities will this open for the game?Jordan: Sony have achieved a console first with AI-enabled upscaling and itll be interesting to see how this evolves. In the past weve seen advancements in the core set of hardware technologies pushing the envelope of what is possible, now were seeing AI being driven by custom hardware changing this landscape. Its an exciting time to be making games; I think were about to start seeing a new era of console innovation.What resolution and frame rates will the game target on the Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PS5 Pro?Jordan: We run at a stable 30 fps across all consoles to ensure a smooth and consistent gameplay experience. The base PS5 and Xbox Series S runs at 1440p upscaled to 4k. On Series S its 960p scaled up to 1440p and PS5 pro it is native 4k.

A single-player narrative-driven action-adventureIndiana Jonesgame made by MachineGames sounds like a match so perfect on paper, its almost surprising it took this long for it to happen. Regardless, here we are, less than a month away from the launch ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, with MachineGames, Bethesda, and Microsoft continuing to reveal more of the game, the game continuing to look promising, and the excitement surrounding it continuing to build. To prepare for its approaching release, then, here, well talk about crucial details that you should know aboutIndiana Jones and the Great Circle.ORIGINAL STORY BY TODD HOWARDWeve always associated Todd Howard with all things Bethesda Game Studios, from Elder Scrolls toFallouttoStarfield, but this is him taking up an important role in a non-BGS Bethesda-owned studio.Wolfensteindeveloper MachineGames is, of course, the team responsible for crafting this adventure, but Howard has served as an executive producer, and more importantly, also conceptualized the original story that will be told in the game. And what exactly is that story?STORY DETAILSIndiana Jones and the Great Circleis set in the year 1937and begins with the theft of a valuable artifact from Marshall College, Professor Jones place of work. An investigation of the theft leads Indy on the trail of the Great Circle, a circle perfectly aligned around the globe along the locations of a number of different locations of spiritual and historical significance. On his adventure, Indy will be joined by Italian journalist Gina Lombardi, and as always, will be locking horns with plenty of Nazis and fascists, led by the enigmatic psychological mastermind, Emmerich Voss.LOCATIONSThe globetrotting nature ofIndiana Jonesstories is always one of their most crucial components, and sure enough,The Great Circlewont disappoint on that front. The games very premise will obviously demand as much, as Indy travels to different locations across the world as he investigates the titular Great Circle. Included among the many locations that players will visit in the game are the Vatican City, the Sukhothai temples in Thailand, the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas.NOT A SHOOTERMachineGames has made its name as an accomplished developer of first-person shooters on the back of theWolfensteinfranchise, butIndiana Jonesis taking a different approach. It is first-person, and it will allow for gunfights, but the focus is instead going to be either on improvising to the best of your abilities amidst deliberately chaotic hand-to-hand combat, something that should ideally capture the spirit ofIndiana Jones.COMBATCombat is going to allow players to tackle situations in a variety of ways. Indy will, of course, have access to his revolver, but players arent going to be encouraged to shoot, unless absolutely necessary. You can, however, use pretty much anything else you can get your hands on for melee combat purposes. Indy can pick up all manner of objects to whack enemies with, and can even use the butt of his gun pistol-whip foes. And of course, his whip will also have a crucial role to play, as youd expect from an Indiana Jonesgame. Other than that, there will be plenty of regular fisticuffs to go around, where players will be required to pay careful attention to blocks, parries, and attacks of their own.STEALTHOutside of out-and-out combat, stealth will often be the way to go. You can, of course, expect the basic mechanics, whether thats distracting enemies by throwing objects, silencing them with stealth takedowns, and what have you. More interestingly, however, the game will also feature social stealth sections that will see Indy heading into the heart of enemy territory while disguised as one of them and having to blend in in order to avoid attention.ADVENTURE POINTSIndiana Jones and the Great Circleclearly isnt going to be the sort of game that lets players heavily customize their builds, and for good reason, though you obviously expect light progression mechanics nonetheless. These will come in the form of Adventure Points, which you will earn throughout your journey to then spend on unlocking a variety of different upgrades that will allow you to customize Indys abilities. Oh, and speaking of abilitiesABILITIESAs the famous fedora-wearing archaeologist, players will be able to use a number of different abilities throughout the course of the experience, and the ones that have been revealed certainly sound interesting. Theres Lucky Hat, which will allow players a second shot at life after a fatal blow if they are able to crawl to Indys hat and put it back on within a limited window. Then theres Bear Hands, which will appeal to those who wish to prioritize melee combat, thanks to the harder hitting blows it will enable.OPEN AREASAmidst the games steady stream of scripted linear sections and cinematic set piece sequences, players will also be able to explore a variety of different open areas. No,The Great Circleis not an open world game, but there will be a number of these scattered throughout the game, where players will be encouraged to explore at their own pace. Interestingly enough, MachineGames has also said the game will implement immersive sim elements in these areas, with players being encouraged to experiment and approach situations in a variety of different ways.SIDE CONTENTThe aforementioned open areas are going to feature plenty of optional content for players to dive into, from enemy camps to infiltrate and hidden puzzles and secrets to find and more. Of particular interest to many will likely be underground fight clubs, where players will be able to enter illegal fighting tournaments to get into brawls with Nazis (and other kinds of scum) for monetary rewards.INDYS JOURNALExploration and puzzles will be heavily emphasized inIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, and you can expect Indys journal to be at the forefront with both. Not only are you going to be looking at your journal to keep track of puzzles and clues, its pages will also be continuously filled throughout your journey with new details and tidbits. The journal will contain maps, images, letters, sketches, and much more for players to peruse, serving not only as an archive of past events, but also as a tool to set up potential future story threads.INDYS CAMERAAnother tool that Indy will be making plenty of use of in the game will be his camera. Taking pictures of objects, landmarks, or points of interest in your surroundings will reveal important clues and historical details, while during puzzles, you can also use the camera to get hints about how to proceed. Seemingly, the camera isnt going to be as important of a part of Indys toolkit as something like, say, his whip, but clearly, there will be times where players will be encouraged to make use of it.CINEMATICSMachineGames has always prided itself on crafting heavily story-focused games, which is exactly whatIndiana Jones and the Great Circleis expected to be as well. For instance, the studio has confirmed that the game has over three hours of cinematics- which is par for the course for a MachineGames joint. In fact, 2017sWolfenstein 2: The New Colossusalso had over three hours of cutscenes, which means we should be expecting something in that same range.PERFORMANCEFull details onIndiana Jones and the Great Circlesperformance and resolution targets across platforms havent yet been revealed, but some pertinent things have nonetheless been confirmed. For instance, speaking withWindows Central, creative director Axel Torvenius confirmed that the game is expected to target 60 FPS on both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. It might be that we will release even more details in terms of specifics, technical details, as we get closer to launch, once we see all the telemetry on performance, he said. But what I can tell you is that the ambition is that the game runs at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and that, you know, it shouldnt be compromised in the visuals or the experience of the product. It should feel cohesive, running smoothly at 60 on both.Presumably, we can expect the same from the PS5 version when it launches next Spring.MINIMUM PC REQUIREMENTSMachineGames hasnt yet revealed the full recommended specs forThe Great CirclesPC version, but its minimum requirements are known, at the very least- and theyre pretty demanding. To play the game on PC, youre going to need either an i7 processor at 3.3GHz or better or a Ryzen 5 processor at 3.1Ghz or better, along with either GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER or a Radeon RX 6600 (with 8 GB of VRAM), an SSD, and 16 GB of RAM.

When Sony finally unveiled the PlayStation 5 on June 11th, it was following a showcase of several new titles. Ratchet and Clank returned in Rift Apart; Miles Morales would star in his own Spider-Man title. Polyphony Digital was finally delivering a new mainline Gran Turismo. Returnal represented a stunning new direction for Housemarque, Astros Playroom saw the beloved platforming mascot transitioning to non-VR, and Destruction AllStars waswell, present.Perhaps the two biggest takeaways were Horizon Forbidden West, the follow-up to the successful Zero Dawn, and a remake of Demons Souls by Bluepoint Games. There was also something called Project Athia and surely it would become successful down the line.However, the main attraction was the consoles reveal. The response wasinteresting. Many likened it to an oversized router, pondering how different it looked from previous console designs while lamenting how difficult it would be to clean dust. Others were intrigued by the all-digital model without a disc drive. Though Sony didnt reveal price points, there was still anticipation and hype.That would further build in September when the company showcased several other big-name games, including Final Fantasy 16 (confirmed as a timed exclusive for the console), Deathloop, Resident Evil Village, and the long-awaited sequel to 2018s reboot. We even got a release date and prices for both versions of the PS5 November 12th, with the base version costing $499.99 and the digital version retailing for $399.99.Nothing too unexpected, but what followed after was sheer pandemonium as pre-orders were announced to have gone live. Occurring earlier than many retailers expected, it led to them suddenly opening up across the world, resulting in a massive rush (and ensuing failures given the same). It was even more hilarious because Sony previously announced a pre-registration program for pre-orders while promising it wouldnt happen within a minutes notice. Sony would apologize for the mess, releasing more consoles for pre-order and promising even more through the end of the year.Despite this mess, there was no doubt that the PS5 would become a massive success. Its hardware proved a sizable leap over the PS4, backed by a custom AMD Zen 2 CPU, an RDNA-based GPU, and 16 GB GDDR6 RAM. An extra 512 MB DDR4 RAM was implemented as a controller cache for the brand-spanking new SSD, which promised lightning-fast load times. The only downside of the latter is that it was only 825 GB, with 667 GB usable for installing games and other media. Nevertheless, alongside the Xbox Series X, it would become a rallying point for 4K and 60 FPS and ray tracing for console games.The era of premium gaming was finally upon usthough some titles would eventually have to opt for separate Quality and Performance modes to emphasize native 4K resolution or smooth performance. Then there was the DualSense, which offered brand-new features like adaptive triggers, haptic feedback and a built-in microphone. It promised never-before-seen immersion for titles that supported it, and annoying drift issues aside it succeeded.The PS4 was coming off a very successful run, crossing 106 million units sold as of December 2019. While Sony aggressively pushed for the PS5 to sell even more within the same period, the pandemic would result in chip shortages worldwide. Stock was thus limited but the PS5 still managed to ship 4.5 million units in the fiscal quarter ending December 31st, 2020. That success would only continue into the new year, as it sold ten million consoles by July 18th, 2021, becoming the fastest-selling console to date.While the initial range of launch exclusives wasnt too crazy, especially with titles like Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Marvels Spider-Man: Miles Morales available on the PS4, the Demons Souls remake was already hailed as a Game of the Year contender. Astros Playroom was also a great free addition, showcasing the power of the PS5 and DualSense while offering a fun platforming experience. Sony saw some backlash from making Marvels Spider-Man Remastered exclusive to the PS5 as a bonus for those who purchased Marvels Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition.The rate of releases picked up after the launch of Destruction AllStars in February 2021 (though sadly it didnt garner much enthusiasm, even when offered for free on PlayStation Plus). Remastered versions of Nioh 1 and 2 would arrive in February 2021, followed by Returnal in April. The latter received critical acclaim for its story-telling, gameplay and the usage of the PS5s hardware for seamless load times.Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade was next, adding new content like the INTERmission DLC focusing on Yuffie and multiple improvements to environmental textures that stuck out on PS4. If that wasnt enough, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart also debuted in June, serving up an incredible 3D platforming adventure.Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut marked another fumble for Sonys approach to re-releasing enhanced versions of its PS4 titles, with original owners having to pay for features like DualSense support, full lip sync for Japanese (which the base game was criticized for lacking), dynamic 4K, and more. Regardless, Sonys dominance continued with 13.4 million PS5 consoles shipped as of September 30th, 2021. It would end the year with notable titles like Deathloop, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Death Stranding Directors Cut, and Solar Ash, but the subsequent years were a whos who of big-name titles and exclusives.Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, GhostWire: Tokyo (which was a one-year console exclusive along with Deathloop), andRagnarok all defined 2022. Several of them would become major successes Ragnarok sold 5.1 million copies in its launch week. Forbidden West was revealed to have sold over 8.4 million copies as of April 2023. Even titles like The Last of Us Part 1, which many saw as unnecessary given that a remastered version was already available, did well for itself and benefitted from the HBO TV series debuting in January 2023.The year also marked a major shift in PlayStation Plus, with Sony revamping the service into three tiers Essential, Extra and Premium. As an answer of sorts to Game Pass, Extra and Premium subscribers would gain access to the Game Catalog, consisting of hundreds of titles to play with more added each month. Premium subscribers could even stream classic PS One, PS2, PS3 and PlayStation Portable titles, with options like up-rendering, quick save, video filters, and quick save for certain titles. Though it was far from competing with Game Pass due to the lack of day one first-party titles, it still evolved as a worthwhile option.2023 offered some of the biggest PS5 titles to date but started on an awkward note with the failure of Luminous Productions Forspoken. Things would improve with Final Fantasy 16 in June, and Baldurs Gate 3 in September, with the Xbox version of the latter delayed due to issues with local split-screen on the Series S. Marvels Spider-Man 2 debuted in October 2023 and subsequently smashed previous records for first-party titles, selling 2.5 million in its first 24 hours. Ragnarok fans were also catered to with the launch of Valhalla, a free expansion and rogue-lite mode with a new story.The PS5 ended the year with 50 million sales and even saw the introduction of a Slim model with a larger SSD and a Digital Edition that lacked a Blu-ray disc drive (which could be purchased separately). It also saw a bizarre shift in strategy. Known for its single-player focused titles, it announced plans to release 12 live service games by April 2026.Of course, several of those, including Naughty Dogs multiplayer title based on The Last of Us, would be cancelled. Sony still committed to the live service approach by showcasing games like Concord and Fairgame$ in 2024, but with the announcement of no new titles in major franchises before April 2025, there was some worry.However, 2024 still saw a slew of first-party releases, from Rise of the Ronin (which sold well for Koei Tecmo despite not being critically acclaimed) and Helldivers 2 to Astro Bot and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. Concord arrived and failed within two weeks, with Sony subsequently shuttering the studio, adding to layoffs announced earlier in the year (including the closure of Sony London).The PS5 was supported by an extraordinary line-up of third-party titles, including Stellar Blade, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Black Myth: Wukong and Silent Hill 2 remake. It also benefited from Microsoft shifting strategies for its titles and making games like Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves available for PlayStation.Even in a relatively slower year, the PS5 still stands as a must-own console, especially for first-party exclusives. The PS5 Pro caused more than its share of backlash with the $699.99 price but has emerged post-launch as a decent alternative for even more visual fidelity and performance. Hardware like PlayStation VR2 has underwhelmed, but PlayStation Portal has emerged as a surprising success. Sony revealed that the PS5 Slim would get a price drop for the holidays, retailing at $379.99 until December 24th. However, its since pulled the ad and removed any mention of the deal.The future of the brand is looking pretty bright with Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punchs sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, out next year and marking the beginning of major single-player titles yearly from Sony. Theres also the likes of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach to look forward to, and weve yet to see what developers like Bend Studio have in store. With 65.5 million units shipped worldwide, the PS5 is only just getting started.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 PlayStation 5 Pro has certainly transformed public perception leading up to its launch. The price point of $699.99 isnt the most appealing, especially with the vertical stand and Blu-ray disc drive sold separately (and good luck getting the latter thanks to scalpers). However, more and more titles have showcased the tangible benefits that the console provides, whether its brute-forcing improved performance on certain titles or utilizing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution to deliver 4K at 60 FPS, that too with ray tracing.What are some of the best PS5 titles you can play while leveraging the consoles benefits and why? Check out our ten top picks here.No Mans SkyHello Games No Mans Sky was already looking pretty good on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S but its a completely different beast on PS5 Pro. Not only does it offer 4K/60 FPS courtesy of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, but it also supports 8K at 30 FPS. Regardless of which modes you go for, ambient occlusion, reflections and lighting are much higher quality. And though its probably not something that most would go for, given how much work went into the update, seeing all these improvements on PlayStation VR2 is also pretty great.Marvels Spider-Man 2Many developers leveraged the PS5 in different ways, but Insomniac Games has been a cut above, offering a multitude of options for customizing frame rate, resolution and ray tracing quality in its games. It goes even further in Marvels Spider-Man 2, introducing Performance Pro and Fidelity Pro modes. While the former delivers 60 frames per second with ray tracing and the same image quality as Fidelity, the latter goes even further with its details.More traffic and pedestrian density, customizable ray-traced reflections, ambient occlusion, and key light shadows it showcases the world in a much better light. The freedom to fine tune these options to leverage Variable Refresh Rate displays is also appreciated, making this one of the best PS5 Pro titles in the market.Ratchet and Clank: Rift ApartOf course, it would make sense that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart looks just as stunning. As noted before, Insomniac Games did an incredible job with the PS5 version and bumped the quality even further on PS5 Pro. Though it lacks ray-traced key light shadows like Marvels Spider-Man 2, you get all of the same benefits, from Performance Pro and Fidelity Pro to setting the quality of ray-traced reflections and ambient occlusion. Best of all? You can go with Fidelity Pro and still average about 60 FPS (especially with VRR enabled), as tested by Digital Foundry, and its truly the best of both worlds.Horizon Forbidden WestHorizon Forbidden West already looked phenomenal on the PS5, even if 60 frames per second was the clear winner for many players. On PS5 Pro, Guerrilla Games went with a new upsampling solution independent of PSSR, resulting in higher image quality in Performance Mode. Quality Mode is even better, as it offers improved hair and skin, lighting volumetrics, and shadow filtering while rendering at native 4K. The results really speak for themselves and showcase just how much higher the console can take even some of the best-looking games.Final Fantasy 7 RebirthAs a recent PS5 exclusive, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth received some flak for its performance and image quality at launch. On PS5 Pro, it receives Versatility Mode, combining the best of both worlds to offer 60 frames per second at dynamic 4K courtesy of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. How dynamic? According to ElAnalistaDeBits, the internal resolution ranges from 1080p to 1440p, which is then upscaled using PSSR. While that may seem disappointing, the performance and image quality are better than their respective options on PS5.Alan Wake 2As one of the more aesthetically amazing survival horrors in years, Alan Wake 2 is all the more unique for how it runs on PS5 Pro. Quality Mode delivers 30 FPS with ray-traced reflections, rendering at 21761224 and outputting at native 4K. Meanwhile, Performance Mode runs at 60 frames per second, with a rendering resolution of 1536864 and outputting at 4K while offering the same fidelity as Quality Mode on the PS5. The results are pretty impressive, whether youre seeking better quality 60 FPS or more stunning visuals at 4K.F1 24While theres significant hype for Gran Turismo 7 and its 8K mode, perhaps the most surprising racing title to run on PS5 Pro is F1 24. Ray tracing applies to Quality Mode while racing and not just replays, and combined with PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, it also allows for 4K at 60 FPS. You can see all the reflections on the car chassis, distant reflections on building windows in the distance, and reflections from puddles, which look stunning. But thats not all as it also allows for 120 Hz Performance Mode and 8K/60 Hz. Though the latter still feels experimental, its still very sharp looking, if Codemasters delivers on PSSR for the latter, F1 24 could very well be the standard for 8K racing on the console.Baldurs Gate 3As amazing as Baldurs Gate 3 was when it launched last year, PS5 players can attest to severe performance issues (especially in Act 3). Its gotten much better following multiple updates, but the PS5 Pro version is worth noting, especially because it delivers visual quality thats the equivalent of the PC versions Ultra settings. While Performance Mode benefits from PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution to upscale 1440p to 4K at 60 FPS, it does still have some stutters in some of the games busier locations. Nevertheless, its still a solid update and one that will hopefully see more improvements over time.The Last of Us Part 2 RemasteredAs much of a meme as The Last of Us and its remasters have been, theres no denying that somehow, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered manages to look even better on PS5 Pro. Though rendering at 1440p, Pro Mode upscales and outputs it to 4K while targeting 60 frames per second, the latter remaining fairly locked throughout. All of its details (and there are a lot to behold) look even more stunning than ever, with breathtaking clarity.Gran Turismo 7Gran Turismo 7 already set expectations before the PS5 Pros launch with its experimental 8K/60 FPS mode. While the update leverages PSSR to deliver some impressive image quality at 60 FPS, the image quality is noted by Digital Foundry to be less sharp than PS5. On the bright side, it is leveraging higher-quality ray tracing reflections and cube maps. If all that doesnt sound good enough, you could leave the game unpatched and run it at 4K/120 FPS on the console.

Gamers have quickly realized that a fun open-world game isnt just about size and scope but rather how you interact with it. Theres a reason the Ubisoft-ification of games has caused many to roll their eyes with an emphatic next! when seeing a checklist of towers to clear. Many of us want surprise and depth, not a checklist of repetitive tasks to complete. One of the best ways to engage players with a world is letting them control various aspects of its mechanisms. Thankfully, theres plenty of great games that achieve a fun and dynamic open-world. Here are 10 open world games that let you control almost everything.10. SatisfactoryYou may not find the prospect of factory-building initially appealing, but Satisfactory makes the process addictive and wildly open-ended. Part of that open-endedness is the resource-rich open world you, as a settler, are tasked with exploring and mining for resources. Unlike a lot of management building games, everything in Satisfactory is accomplished from a first-person perspective, adding an extra ounce of immersion to your production chain empire. While the main route through the game starts off with limited technology tiers, progress grants you access to a vast toolbox to create anything imaginable.

The Xbox Series X/S has amassed a pretty impressive range of titles since launching in 2020. And say what you will about its exclusives (or lack thereof) compared to Sony and Nintendo, there are plenty of fun titles. Check out the top 30 best Xbox Series X/S games as of 2024.30. Life is Strange: Double ExposureThe Life is Strange series has seemingly come full circle with Double Exposure, as Max Caulfield returns as the protagonist. However, things are significantly different this time aroundbetween managing her stay at Caledon University and trying to fit in, Max also has to deal with the sudden murder of her new friend Safi. What follows is a dimension-hopping adventure with plenty of mystery, engaging characters, and consequences, even if the ending leaves something to be desired.

Weve been hearing aboutAssassins Creedsin-development central hub platform,Assassins Creed Infinity,for a while now, and though Ubisoft hasnt revealed too many details in an official capacity yet, the company has issued some clarifications following recent leaks and rumours regarding what players can expected.In a Reddit post, theAssassins Creeddevelopment team has stated that the upcoming Animus Hub which is what its official name is seemingly going to be isnt going to have any paid subscriptions or any paid battle passes (contrary to prior reports), and that all rewards earned in the hub will be completely free. All regular content and missions will also be accessible to players at no additional cost.Several questions are obviously still left unanswered, from how the Animus Hub will tie into the series mainline entries to how it will be monetized, but Ubisoft says more information will be shared closer to the launch of Assassins Creed Shadows.Assassins Creed Shadowslaunches on February 14 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

PS5 Pro launched earlier this month, and though the console sparked widespread backlash in the weeks preceding its release over its price (and whether it even needs to exist), but it seems like that hasnt impacted its initial sales.Thats as per Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, who recently took to BlueSky and shared that the PS5 Pro has got off to a solid start in the United States. Finer details will arrive later, but Piscatella says that the console has sold roughly as much in the region at launch as the PS4 Pro did when it launched in 2016.That does line up with what Sony has said about the consoles performance. The company recently revealed that the PS5 Pros pre-orders were slightly stronger that PS4 Pros pre-orders were. Interestingly, Sony president, CFO, and COO Hiroki Totoki also said the controversy surrounding PS5 Pros pricing has not had a negative impact on its sales. Read more on that through here.(PS5 Pro also had a solid start, with units in the same ballpark as PS4 Pro's launch, but I'll break that down in more detail in a few weeks). Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2024-11-15T21:42:21.727Z

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakelaunched today for PC and consoles, and based on its early Steam concurrent user numbers so far, it seems like the retro RPG has got off to a fairly decent (if unspectacular) start.As per SteamDB, the game saw a peak of 14,282 concurrent players on Steam today. Thats the highest concurrent users peak ever for aDragon Questgame- though the game was always likely to accomplish that, given that it is the first majorDragon Questtitle to be getting a day and date Steam release.Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakesconcurrent users peak on Steam is slightly under (but roughly in the same region) as the last HD-2D release by Square Enix,Octopath Traveler 2, which peaked at over 17,000 players on Steam upon its launch last year. Meanwhile,Star Ocean: The Second Story R, another retro RPG remake by Square Enix, had a peak of over 8,000 players upon its release last November.How wellDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakedoes on Steam over the coming days remains to be seen, especially with the weekend coming up.Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Read our review of the game through here.

The announcements, world premiers, and trailers are obviously a big part of The Game Awards every year, but itisan awards show at the end of the day, and watching games be recognized and honoured with nominations and wins is also always a significant part of the ceremony. With The Game Awards 2024, set for December 12, now less than a month away, well soon be learning which games have been nominated across all categories.Its been announced that the full list of nominees across all 30-plus categories at The Game Awards 2024 (voted by a global jury of journalists and critics) will be unveiled on Monday, November 18. Specifically, the nominees will be announced in a livestream that will go live at 9 AM Pacific / 12 PM Eastern / 5 PM GMT.2024 has seen a number of notable releases that have garnered widespread acclaim, including the likes ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Helldivers 2, Balatro, Astro Bot,and many others, so it should be interesting to see which games end up getting nominated across all of the categories- but especially the big one, that being Game of the Year, of course.Stay tuned for all the updates in the coming days.

WhenMortal Kombat 1sexpansion,Khaos Reigns, launched in September, in addition to a new story campaign, it also brought three new characters, along with the promise of three more guest DLC fighters to arrive in the coming weeks. The first of that group, Ghostface fromScream, is set to launch later this month, ahead of which WB Games has released a new gameplay trailer showcasing what the knife-wielding killer will bring to the table.As youd expect, Ghostfaces moveset is heavily reliant on his deadly knife and his vicious slashing skills, combined with his ability to call in other Ghostfaces to his aid. His Fatality, meanwhile, is suitably horrific, as he sneaks up on Johnny Cage as hes playingMortal Kombat 1and brutally stabs him in the back (while Ghostface executes a Fatality on-screen in Johnnys game as well). Check out the trailer below.Mortal Kombat 1is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Ghostface will join the games roster on November 26, but early access will kick off on November 19 for owners of the expansion, its bundle, or the Kollection.

After its pre-order bundle listing emerged on the PlayStation Store, Papergames has confirmed that Infinity Nikki will launch on December 5th. It will be available for PC via a separate download and the Epic Games Store, iOS, Android, and PS5. Check out the announcement trailer below.Infinity Nikki, the latest title in the long-running dress-up series, is free-to-play and takes place in a new open world, Miraland. As Nikki, players explore the world and take on various challenges, exploring the Curio Domain and unlocking outfits with new abilities. Like previous entries, there are gacha mechanics and similar progression systems, with the $9.99 pre-order bundle granting growth, crafting, and pulling materials. Head here for more details.Stay tuned for more details, and check out the latest overview trailer. You can also read the statement from producer Runhao Yao below, who revealed that the launch date for Infinity Nikki coincides with the launch of the series first game, Nikki Up2U: Dressing Story. They also revealed that the team consists of over 1,000 people and that bringing the project to life required far more complexity in development and management than we ever anticipated.A letter to stylists from the producer of the Nikki series.#InfinityNikki #InfinityNikkiOfficialRelease pic.twitter.com/4NCsahHUjh Infinity Nikki (@InfinityNikkiEN) November 14, 2024