Horizon 3 may have had a major role for the late Lance Reddick

With Smets now taking a leading position at PlayStation Studios, Guerrilla Games has a new leadership structure. In a statement released earlier today, the developer expressed confidence that its new leads will “steer Guerrilla towards a bright future, expanding the world of Horizon with Aloy’s next adventure and our exciting online project.”

That the message separates Aloy’s next adventure and the Horizon online project suggests that there’s more than one Horizon game in the works, possibly Horizon 3.

As we previously reported, Horizon Forbidden West‘s Burning Shores expansion strongly hints at a third entry in the series. What’s more is that the DLC’s main missions suggest that Guerrilla Games planned a major role for Sylens, who was played by the late Lance Reddick.

With Reddick’s untimely passing, it’s unclear how Guerrilla Games will take the series forward.

We’ll update our readers when we have more information.

The post Horizon 3 Seemingly Teased by Guerrilla Games appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

This month has a bunch of highly anticipated PS5 games releasing, including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Dead Island 2, and Minecraft Legends. But what upcoming game in the PlayStation library are you most excited about? Let us know and, as always, we’ll feature our favorite reply in the next Readers’ Opinion.

Our opinion

2023 isn’t exactly a stacked year for the PS5, and it’s a little concerning that we’re in this stage of its life cycle and yet the proper blockbuster hits are spread as thin as they are. In terms of upcoming games with a confirmed release date, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a clear highlight for the year, while Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the main highlight looming in the distance.

Personally, though, I’m most interested in Everywhere, the incredibly strange-sounding “multi-world” game that has such lofty ambitions it’s difficult to not be drawn in by it. Developer Build a Rocket Boy is trying to build a platform more than it is a video game, and it suitably contains a bit of everything, from a sprawling social hub to tools on which to release fully-fledged, triple-A games. It’s either going to be a massive hit or a brutal failure, and it’s that risk which makes it so interesting.

You said…

In the last Readers’ Opinion, we asked if you would buy the long-rumored PS5 Pro, if it was to become a reality.

Your replies were mixed, with many saying that its price would be a sticking point, as would the features it offered.

“I just bought a PS5 a few weeks ago so the answer would be no to a PS5 Pro if it was released in 2024/2025,” ArturoOlivoJr replied. “I never upgraded to a Pro system before and can’t image a Pro costing $550 even $600.”

Others, meanwhile, questioned the existence of the console altogether:

“I simply do not believe a PS5 Pro is happening, and definitely not by next year’s end.

How many PS5 game are there so far? Three? Four? How many are slated to release before 2024? Maybe another two or three?

And so many people are just now being able to even find one, if they can afford it.

It was bad enough to have to release a console during the pandemic with all the restrictions and shortages, releasing another so soon after you sorted that out is actually pretty insulting.

And what would it even do? Don’t think it’ll do 4K/60 because it probably won’t and would be “up to developers” anyway.”

— yowzagabowza

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New games coming to PlayStation Plus Game Catalog in April 2023

• Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS4, PS5)
• Doom Eternal (PS4, PS5)
• Riders Republic (PS4, PS5)
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (PS4)
• Slay the Spire (PS4)
• Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PS4, PS5)
• The Evil Within (PS4)
• Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PS4)
• Bassmaster Fishing (PS4, PS5)
• Paradise Killer (PS4, PS5)
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS4, PS5)
• Doom (PS4) – Requires Premium
• Doom II (PS4) – Requires Premium
• Doom 64 (PS4) – Requires Premium
• Doom 3 (PS4) – Requires Premium
• Dishonored: Definitive Edition (PS4) – Requires Premium

April has been a pretty stacked month, but what about May? Here are the games we’re expecting to see featured next month.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is deserving of an extra shout-out, apparently, with PS Plus subscribers saying that the game is underrated.

The post PlayStation Plus Game Catalog April 2023 List Goes Big With Bethesda appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Get the 1TB Teamgroup PS5 SSD for $80.99

The PS5 SSD from Teamgroup can be purchased for $80.99 right here.

An internal SSD is a huge boon to any PlayStation gamer as it not only offers a rather substantial size increase, allowing you to put all of your games in one place without having to constantly delete games that you one day might want to go back to but also offers absolutely incredible speeds that take full advantage of next-generation hardware in games such as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

It’s super easy to install an SSD into your console too, with PlayStation making it incredibly intuitive to swap pieces in and out to create the best possible version of the console.

To go along with your SSD, get yourself a new 75-Inch 4K Sony TV, or pick up a soundbar to really amplify your overall experience.

The post Get a New 1TB PS5 SSD For Only $80 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Both of the studio’s previous releases, Pixel Ripped 1989 and Pixel Ripped 1995, were loosely based on games from their relative time era, but couldn’t specifically name names due to licensing issues. Thanks to a partnership with Atari, this next addition to the series won’t be so vague.

Atari x Arvore

Atari first approached Arvore at the DICE Awards in 2022, the studio’s CEO Ricardo Justus tells me, with the veteran publisher outlining the possibility of collaborating on the next Pixel Ripped adventure. At this point, Pixel Ripped 1978 was already deep in the development process and almost ready to be announced, but this partnership opened the door to a world of possibilities.

Atari’s collaboration meant that Arvore was now allowed to incorporate almost anything from the Atari-owned library. The development team had to go back to the drawing board and start adding actual Atari references, rewriting the story so as to get as much Atari goodness in there as possible.

Putting on nostalgia goggles

This official licensing allows Pixel Ripped 1978 to really lean in on the nostalgia factor. Playing as Bug, the game developer that created the first Pixel Ripped game, you begin sitting in your work cubicle playing on the Atari 2600. In VR, I was transported back to nine-year-old me playing the same console at Christmas — only this time, I could jump straight into the games I was playing.

Thanks to the technical capabilities of the PSVR 2, the transition from a game developer sitting at a desk to a hero solving puzzles and shooting baddies is seamless and smooth. When you’re in a game, you’re controlling Dot, who’s tasked with repairing the Atari games that Bug is developing from the inside and restoring them to their full pixelated glory. For those that have played the previous Pixel Ripped titles, you’ll be reunited with familiar characters and meet colorful new ones in this VR game-within-a-game adventure.

The power of PSVR 2

Pixel Ripped 1978 is built for the next generation of VR systems, and that means the PSVR won’t be getting it, and even the Meta Quest 2 has to be tethered to a gaming PC to play it. The resolution that the PSVR 2 brings with it, as well as the processing power of the PS5, makes this VR game super smooth. The new controllers helped with immersion for the experience, and made grabbing things pretty easy.

When it comes to moving from point A to point B in the FPS part of the game, the developer uses a directed focus effect, which basically eliminates your peripheral vision while moving by sliding blinders on you, and eliminates any chance for motion sickness. That’s something that almost all VR developers are doing now with current-gen VR systems, and it’s a game changer.

Conclusion

I was allowed to play through the first chapter of the game for the demo, and the story is intriguing and entertaining, with some colorful character. The graphics were impressive in VR, with smooth transitions and smooth movements, showcasing the power of the PSVR 2 well. Its newfound partnership also makes this a nostalgic celebration of Atari-era games, something that those who — like me — grew up with old-school systems like the 2600 will greatly appreciate.

Pixel Ripped 1978 is releasing sometime this summer for the PSVR 2, PC VR, and the Meta Quest 2 while tethered.

The post Pixel Ripped 1978 PSVR 2 Preview: ‘A Nostalgic Celebration of Atari’ appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The Last of Us PC Joel isn’t looking so hot

An image of a low-resolution Joel was shared by @Levit0 on Twitter with the caption “Joel Last of Us on Steam Deck is SENDING me.”

Buy The Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2 on Amazon

It’s again worth noting that this is reportedly how Joel looks with the game running on Steam Deck hardware, a portable system with relatively limited power. This is the case for many games when their settings are cranked to the lowest available options. Players should expect the game to look much better on more powerful hardware.

An ugly-looking Joel isn’t the only issue with the PC port, as players are reportedly being hit with crashing issues which are likely inspiring the “Mostly Negative” rating on Steam.

For those looking to run the PC version at 4K 60 FPS with maximum settings, a $1,199 graphics card is required.

The post The Last of Us PC Version Does Joel Dirty on Low Settings appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Both Conquest and Breakthrough were present in previous iterations of the series, with Conquest first introduced in Battlefield 1942 back in 2002, and Breakthrough more recently in Battlefield 1 and V. Due to the upcoming game’s large map sizes, Conquest will be split into smaller areas called “Sectors”, with each sector containing multiple control points. Breakthrough, on the other hand, will pit an attacking team against a defending team with the task of pushing the front to try to reach and capture the enemy’s base area.

Additionally, Battlefield 2042 will provide players with “expanded vehicle and traversal options” to make traveling through all of these areas easier. One of the newer additions is a call-in system, where players will be able to airdrop vehicles to any part of the map instead of spawning into them. DICE also mentions that it will be “going back to Battlefield‘s roots” by allowing players to find vehicles on the battlefield as well.

Finally, DICE is adding three options for the above multiplayer game modes. While it states that Battlefield 2042 is a “multiplayer-only experience” the game still technically offers a way to play alone, even if it’s not a traditional campaign. Below is a list of the planned options and their descriptions:

• Multiplayer: Play with other players. Regardless, the game will utilize AI controlled soldiers to make sure that matches remain full.
• Co-Op: Play with friends against enemy AI soldiers.
• Solo: Play alone against enemy AI soldiers.

DICE and EA have also confirmed that, while two new game modes will be revealed at a later date, a Battle Royale mode will not be one of them. In addition to the Battlefield 2042 single player option, other gameplay mechanics such as changing loadouts, soldier classes, gadgets, maps, and more are explained in DICE’s latest Battlefield 2042 briefing. You can also check out the 50-minute briefing video featuring two of the game’s developers below:

Battlefield 2042 launches for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on October 22, 2021. It will cost $59.99 for last-gen and PC versions, while new-gen versions will cost $69.99.

[Source: EA Official Website, YouTube]

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Announced by developer Dotemu via their YouTube channel, the new trailer shows a striking contrast between the newer style found in Streets of Rage 4 and the pixel-perfect skin recreations of past character looks. The trailer also confirms that past brawlers will make their return to the streets, though only available in their old-school skin form. Twelve additional characters show up in the trailer, including favorites like Skate and Blaze.

The big news for many fans, however, will be the inclusion of the Streets of Rage 1 and 2 soundtracks as selectable audio playlists. For many the musical compositions of Japanese creators Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima are the definitive sound of the Sega Genesis era, not to mention that the original music just slaps.

For those out of the loop, the Streets of Rage 4 store listing says,

The all-time classic Streets of Rage, known as Bare Knuckle (ベア・ナックル Bea Nakkuru) in Japan, is a trilogy of beat ‘em up known for this timeless gameplay and electronic dance influenced music. Streets of Rage 4 builds upon the classic trilogy’s gameplay with new mechanics, beautiful hand drawn visuals and a God tier soundtrack. An iconic series like Streets of Rage got its iconic characters: Axel, Blaze, Adam and other veterans reunited to clean up the streets. With some brand-new moves and kickass tracks to take a listen, our heroes are ready to dish out beatdowns to a fledgling group of ill-advised criminals in full force.

Streets of Rage 4 is available soon on PlayStation 4, with a physical release coming from Limited Run Games and it includes an amazing Sega Genesis-style clamshell box.

The post Streets of Rage 4 Goes Retro, Shows Off New Skins And Old Tunes in New Gameplay Trailer appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

After the success of Untitled Goose Game on Switch and PC, it was only a matter of time before it wound up on other platforms. The idea for the game started as an offhand joke in a Slack channel, as House House director Michael McMaster points out on the PlayStation Blog. He notes, “It’s been a busy three years for us as we turned an offhand joke in our internal Slack channel into a real videogame, but we’re glad we did.”

Luckily, the studio saved the proof:

Untitled Goose Game has a mix of stealth elements and puzzles for you to solve, with an overwhelming sense of humor. The brilliance is that, yes, you’re tasked with terrorizing a village, but all the “harm” you cause can be chalked up as minor inconveniences. For example, you must steal a gardener’s rake and throw it in a lake. Or in another instance, you must switch a boy’s glasses with ones that don’t match his prescription.

Untitled Goose Game has trophies on PS4, of course, and it also has a platinum. The list tasks you with completing each area’s to-do-list, which can be done with the use of a handy YouTube video. Other miscellaneous trophies will have you performing specific tasks within each area, as well as the goal of beating each of the game’s levels within a certain time limit.

Many missed out on Untitled Goose Game this year due to its limited release on Switch and PC, and now more players will have a chance to experience one of 2019’s funniest and most charming games when it hits PS4s next week.

[Source: PlayStation Blog]

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Dead Secret originally released back in 2015. It was in development as a mobile title before the studio decided to switch it over to virtual reality development. Launched for the mobile VR platforms first, it was eventually ported to PC VR headsets Oculus and Vive before finally releasing on PSVR this week. In the year and a half since PSVR hit the market, we’ve seen myriad advancements in the games and tech that are making their way to the system. I was skeptical that an old mobile-VR port could keep up.

There are a lot of great ideas stowed away in Dead Secret’s lonely little farmhouse. Instead of a horror game, Dead Secret builds suspense throughout. It generates the same feeling one might have when going into a dark basement alone, letting the mystery of the unknown and what might be just around the corner carry the player’s fear. Occasional moments of true terror keep the suspense engaged just when it starts to falter. A glimpse of a figure standing behind you in a mirror, someone slowly creeping up the stairs towards, or having limited vision in a dark cellar maintain the intense feelings that something could be lurking around every corner. Clearly, somebody or something doesn’t want you investigating Harris Bullard’s murder.

Virtual reality has the added benefit of immersing players. Even when the graphics aren’t all that great, poking your head into a doorway or glancing at a mirror as you walk past can create feelings of anxiety. Remove the virtual reality aspect, and a game has to rely on other factors to keep players engaged. Dead Secret can be played on a flat screen TV, but as an experience designed for VR (and mobile VR at that), it’s a rather unimpressive performance. Gone are the moments of tension as you open doors and trawl for secrets from room to room. If you have the option to play on VR, do so. If you don’t, Dead Secret’s not worth getting as a standard PS4 game.

Limited Player Control

As a point-and-click mystery, controls are quite limited. You cannot freely walk from place to place. Movement is handled by looking at a specific location in the room that you want to walk to, and if the feet icon appears, you can click X to slowly walk there. It takes much of the mystery out of exploring and solving puzzles, as many of the solutions can be found through trial and error, simply walking where the game will allow and clicking on all of the nearby interactable objects. This control scheme feels like a relic of its mobile birthplace, with no real updates or optimizations in the nearly three years since it first launched, for either VR or TV screens.

Given the sequel, Dead Secret Circle, that is currently in development appears to have full mobility, I’m rather surprised the feature was not patched into the original game for the ports. Perhaps there are certain scares that rely on the programming of limited places you can actually navigate to. There’s certainly a tension in entering a room or rounding a corner at a pace that you can’t control on your own.

Classic horror game fans will be familiar with Dead Secret‘s puzzle design, clearly a callback to Resident Evil and similar titles. The first room  alone is full of objects to be interacted with that open up secret compartments which contain clues towards solving other puzzles. The ever present threat of knowing that a killer is stalking your movements makes puzzle solving a rather tense affair, even if the puzzles are ultimately easy to figure out.

An Intriguing Whodunnit

The true driving factor to Dead Secret is the mystery that surrounds Harris Bullard’s murder. As a journalist, you enter the empty farmhouse alone looking for a story. You’ll find a lot more than you bargained for, including Bullard’s own dark secrets, and the haunted pasts of those around him. You’ll be stalked by a creepy figure, but is the killer human, or something else entirely? Coming in at two to three hours for the main campaign (plus five total endings that aren’t all that complicated or intensive to get), the pacing never felt off. I was always satisfied by the next reveal or the next story beat. The only time the game went on too long was a part where I failed to get everything I needed to solve a puzzle and wandered around aimlessly looking for what ended up being right in front of my face.

Reading each and every document the game procures is just as exciting as the tension that staying in the house brings (and often increases that tension as the mystery deepens), but horrible voice acting brings the story down. The only voice in the game is from your main character at a few narration points, and at first I honestly thought it was computer generated. My Google Home responds with more emotion and intent in her voice than Dead Secret’s journalist does. It was yet another reminder of where the game originally came from, periodically highlighting some of the lower production values that the game first had. In terms of graphics and interface, I can understand the limitations of the original mobile hardware, but quality voice acting doesn’t get that same waiver.

Dead Secret works as a mobile VR game, but its simplistic roots are painfully obvious on the PlayStation. The ability to play the game on a TV without a headset feels like a tacked on addition that wasn’t optimized. Using PSVR, Dead Secret certainly has its frightful moments, and the story is intriguing enough to drive a player through to the end, but with all the great PSVR games out now, Dead Secret feels like a dud on the platform. It takes more than an intriguing story to make a great VR experience. While I had a fun rifling through Dead Secret’s mysteries and more than once found myself spooked, it’s not an experience I have a desire to play again or showcase on my headset.

Dead Secret PSVR review code provided by the developer. Version 1.01 reviewed on a standard PS4. For more information on scoring, please read our Review Policy.

The post Dead Secret Review – Mobile Tension (PS4/PSVR) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.