Trouble finds Cal, yet again

The portion of the game we went hands-on with began about an hour into the campaign, no doubt to avoid spoiling exactly how things all start. Cal Kestis has been on the move for around five years since the conclusion of Fallen Order, and he and his reliable and inquisitive droid companion BD-1 have crash-landed on a backwoods planet known as Koboh while attempting to visit Cal’s old friend Greez Dritus.

It doesn’t take long before the local drama finds Cal, of course – a local gang known as the Bedlam Raiders is terrorizing locals, including prospectors who go to great lengths to try and harvest the planet’s natural minerals and ancient ruins. Cal, being a Jedi, naturally wants to help, and quickly crosses paths with the gang’s leader, an imposing Gen’Dai named Rayvis. This sets up what will no doubt be a lengthy sequence of encounters and battles between the two.

While we can’t go too deep into the story here, some things have changed while others have stayed the same. Cal’s repertoire of moves has been expanded upon, as he now has five different stances. The Dual Wield stance seen in the first game has been fully realized, while he also has access to a crossguard stance as seen used by Kylo Ren. Finally, one stance even allows the use of a blaster, which, while perhaps a bit uncivilized compared to a lightsaber, does have its uses.

From Story Mode to Grandmaster

There are five levels of difficulty to choose from, which can be freely switched at any time. A new Jedi Padawan mode sits between the absolute non-challenge that is Story Mode and the more average Jedi Knight level, to give players an occasional challenge without throwing insurmountable foes at them. Certain boss fights can be particularly tough, so being able to change the difficulty on the fly will no doubt help some players who don’t want to spend the extra time repeating a fight over and over. The Souls-like meditation circles are back in Jedi: Survivor, which allow you to manage skills, change stance loadouts, fast travel to other meditation circles, and heal. That last option does completely fill up Cal’s health and force bars, along with restoring BD-1’s stimpaks for healing in the field, but it also respawns all enemies.

Combat in Jedi: Survivor is melee-focused. While Cal is a Jedi and can wield the Force with ease, ultimately his use of those powers is limited by a Force meter and is used as an assist to get the upper hand against his enemies as he slices them up with his trusty lightsaber. After our hands-on time with the game, we were treated to a live demonstration by a member of the combat design team of just what was possible with mastery of the various mechanics available to the player. Think taking out groups of Stormtroopers in one fell swoop, or juggling enemies with a combination of Force moves, and even an occasional hit from a blaster. It’ll probably take several hours for any player to rise to that level of competence, but it all looked so smoothly animated you couldn’t help but be impressed with the options on display.

Like your own personal Star Wars movie

The production values in Jedi: Survivor are world-class. Whether it’s the incredibly detailed world, characters, weapons, or ships, the whole game plays, feels, and sounds like you’ve been transported into the world of Star Wars. Cinematics are fully rendered in-engine, and feature classic wipes between cuts, and plenty of tension between enemies in true sci-fi Western form. The world feels lived-in with other beings busy doing their own thing, and of course natural predators to either avoid or fight for potential experience.

In an interview with the team, Jason Harris, Design Director for Gameplay and Combat mentioned that Disney and Lucasfilm continued giving Respawn Entertainment essentially free license to create whatever they wanted to in order to flesh out their vision. Not to say they didn’t check in, of course, just that at this point their track record has earned a certain amount of trust with the intellectual property holders. He gave special mention to the teams involved in turning concept art into fully-realized, digital versions that perfectly reflected the intentions of the designers. The careful attention given to even background objects is easy to see throughout the experience.

As for performance, while the build we played was on a beefy PC, it should roughly represent what we will see when the game launches on the PS5. Respawn is leaving the previous generation of consoles behind, something we will no doubt see more of now that supplies of the current generation are more stable. This has many benefits, chief among them being quick loading times. There is a seamless transition between the game world and entering training areas, or respawning after a death. We did notice some stuttering in some of the game’s wider areas, but perhaps this will be buffed out by the time the game launches on April 28, or at least with a patch on or around launch.

Previous experience not necessary

From what we could tell, while it’s not necessary to have played The Fallen Order before you start up Survivor, it will help because there are a lot of references to the earlier game mentioned in passing between Cal and other characters. Otherwise, though, Cal is simply trying to fix his ship, the Mantis, and along the way discovers ancient Jedi ruins and an anomalous planet called Tanalorr that seems to be the key to Cal’s journey. So, it seems the story will be able to stand on its own, while offering plenty of callbacks and hidden references to the first game, and perhaps the novel that followed, for those who enjoy that sort of thing.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor appears to continue telling Cal Kestis’s story in a most exciting fashion. Two additional fully-fleshed-out fighting stances ensure more variety in combat, and the fact that Cal retains his powers from the previous adventure means combat gets intense pretty early on. There is plenty of challenge to be found, and if this hands-on is any indication, Respawn Entertainment hasn’t fixed what isn’t broken and is seemingly giving us an improved version of what made The Fallen Order so appealing in the first place. Get ready to continue Cal Kestis’ journey when it launches on the PS5, Xbox Series, and PC platforms on April 28, 2023.

The post Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Preview: ‘A Worthy Sequel’ 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.

While a playable teaser demo released following an announcement during last week’s The Game Awards, we managed to sneak off to Square Enix’s LAX-adjacent offices ahead of the awards show to take a deeper dive into the game with a four-hour hands-on session. Time to see what developer Luminous Productions has been up to as they leap into the tail end of development.

Please take me home

For those unfamiliar, Forspoken stars Frey Holland, a typical young woman in New York, who is seemingly tired of her current life and plans to get away from everything. Little does she know that her plan is about to succeed in the most absurd way possible.

When she stumbles upon a magical, sentient bracelet (he prefers the term vambrace), Frey is transported into a whole different world entirely, called Athia. New York City and the United States of America at large may have their own share of problems like any country, but they’re nothing like what Athia is facing.

An ominous miasma that Frey calls the Break has infected the land, turning every living thing it touches into either dust or a much more ferocious, bloodthirsty version of its former self. The land has been ruled by four women known as Tantas, and Athia was a peaceful place to live before the Break.

Now, however, each Tanta rules with an iron fist, as all have been corrupted by the Break. For some reason, Frey and her unwanted bracelet partner whom she derisively calls Cuff are unaffected by the Break, as they have seemingly been purposely summoned into Athia in order to help the few remaining people who have managed to escape to a city on top of the mountains.

At first, Frey is reluctant to want to help anyone, even after one of the citizens helps to get her out of prison. Her main focus is on getting back home. Why, exactly, she is so eager to get back to the life that just a few hours ago she was ready to leave behind is a mystery. Perhaps it’s simply the familiarity of her old life is still something she’d rather have than being thrust into the problems of strangers in a strange land? Whatever the case, I know that personally I’d probably want to stay in Athia with the magical powers she quickly unlocks.

After befriending some of the locals, Frey finds herself caring for their fates, and thus decides that some of them are worth fighting for. She’s not exactly a noble warrior at the outset, and that comes across as believably endearing as you see her cold façade gradually chip away as she warms up to a select few people in need.

Joined at the wrist

One “person,” if they could indeed be called that, whom Frey is especially cold to at the start of her adventure is Cuff. Again, he is a sentient, or at least possessed, metal bracelet that Frey put on shortly before she was teleported to the land of Athia. He is permanently attached to her right arm, and can help block attacks as well as channel the magical essence that now flows through Frey.

He also talks, a lot. Think Mimir from God of War levels of talking, and you’ll have some idea of what I mean. Though in this case, only Frey can hear what he is saying, which results in some comical moments where other characters hear Frey talking to what sounds like herself. Her initial dismissive attitude towards him is due in no small part to their seemingly permanent arrangement, as up until now it seems Frey had no one she could depend on in her regular life. Growing up like that will naturally make anyone distrust others.

Forspoken boasts at least two signature gameplay features: magical parkour, and over 100 magic combat options. The magical parkour system is one that Luminous Productions said they had very early on in their work, before perhaps even the name of the game was decided upon. Once they had this more or less working, the world was built with it in mind. This means that there are usually a lot of obstacles between any two given points on a map, but it’s nothing a little parkour can’t get you through.

It basically works like this: while you move, you simply hold down the circle button, and Frey will effortlessly increase her speed while deftly jumping up and over almost anything in her path. The skill is not unlimited, however, though the stamina that this uses is quite plentiful even in the early stages of the adventure. Naturally, this stamina can be upgraded as the player progresses.

Like regular parkour, but MAGIC

The magical parkour serves as a basis for getting Frey into the “Flow,” the name for Forspoken’s combo system. By holding down circle during combat, Frey can kind of go on autopilot and automatically dodge most incoming attacks.

Since we didn’t have a ton of time during our hands-on demo, this part of the tutorial was quickly gone over, and I didn’t feel too confident holding Circle down as Frey would often move around a bit too quickly for my liking. Instead, I watched for the star-like icon that appeared as enemies prepared to attack me, and simply held circle whenever I saw them to dodge.

This worked well enough that I didn’t take damage too often, even allowing me to get through one of the early bosses without much hassle. This Flow mechanic is going to take a lot of practice to get through, but from what I’ve seen the payoff will be worth it.

Outside of combat, the magical parkour serves as a great exploration tool. Pressing up on the D-pad makes Cuff scan the nearby area, which will highlight chests and enemies that Frey should be aware of. Often times, the chests and other goodies are up and out of reach, but holding the circle button allows Frey to easily scale most buildings, and learned abilities allow her to kick and jump off walls in order to get a little bit higher. Not every area will be easily reachable at the start of the game, though, so some areas will probably need to be re-visited as the player progresses. This method of traversal will also take some getting used to, as it is incredibly quick and requires you to react quickly to whatever comes your way.

There are four different magic colors, each with their own style and uses. During our session, we mostly utilized the purple magic, which is the type that Frey has from the outset of her adventure. These attacks are ranged and earth-based, more akin to a third-person shooting mechanic. It’s something that’s easy to grasp. Pressing R2 fires off some projectiles, while holding the button allows for three different attacks, selectable by holding the R1 button: options include launching a larger projectile to deal more damage, firing off a burst of controlled shots, or creating a shield of rocks that protect Frey until she lets go, at which point the shield’s contents are fired straight ahead, damaging anything unlucky enough to be in her path.

A combo for every style

Frey also has an assortment of assist magics, which can be equipped separately by holding the L1 button. While we only saw a small sampling of these, the L2 button fires off these moves and varies from summoning a plant-based turret that fires at enemies for a time, to binding enemies in vines and leaving them wide open to attacks, and even leeching life force from enemies in order to heal Frey.

There are thousands of combinations between main and support magic attacks, and surely players of all types will find their own combinations that work well for them. For instance, towards the end of our session we were able to check out the red magic, which is melee focused and summons weapons made of magic which can be used to punish enemies who dare to invade Frey’s personal space. Switching magic can be done by holding L1 and R1, pressing left or right on the D-Pad, or even swiping on the DualSense’s touchpad. Again, there are plenty of options, and whichever one feels right in the moment will be right for you.

Speaking of options, the land of Athia is awash with them. In fact, at the start of our session we were cautioned to try and avoid going too far off the path that leads us to our next objective, because much like other open-world games, the entire world is available for the player to explore and interact with from the second chapter onwards.

Of course, some areas are going to be inhabited by formidable enemies that will take down early-game players in one hit, which serve as a natural deterrent to heading off in any old which way, but the freedom to figure this out on your own is great for those who love to just explore a vast new landscape. Athia was designed with magical parkour in mind, after all, so it is a huge playground in which players can hone their skills before going about Frey’s actual business of saving this cursed land. I will admit that I nearly didn’t make it to the end of our prescribed content, likely because I was able to roam about wherever I wanted.

There are also numerous style options for Frey, and all of them are functional. She can equip and upgrade various apparel such as masks, necklaces, and cloaks at workbenches tucked away within safehouses found throughout the land of Athia. Resources for these upgrades can be found on fallen enemies, in chests, or perhaps given as quest rewards.

Frey can also paint her nails in a unique upgrade option that I don’t remember in other games before. Each hand can be painted in a separate style if desired, for different effects such as extra damage, or easier recovery. Though, you could always just go with your favorite look instead. The choice, as ever, is yours.

Forspoken has a ton of potential, and is now a game that I am excited to get my hands on again as the release nears. The flow mechanic is going to take some getting used to – there is no getting around this. But I believe investing the time in it will allow players to reap the rewards and master the game in whatever way they so choose. The mixture of a large world, interesting cast of characters, and a vast array of magical combat options seems like a great combination, and soon we’ll find out if all these ideas meld together well when Forspoken launches on the PS5 and PC platforms on January 24, 2023.

The post Forspoken Hands-on Gameplay Preview (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Scrappy startup vibes

Nestled away in a busy industrial area in Vancouver Canada, the scrappy startup Brass Token describes their team as “a lean studio with a mighty vision to be a premiere boutique developer of story-driven action games for PC and console.” With a total permanent staff size of 19, you’d be hard-pressed to find a tighter-knit group of people aiming so high when it comes to a debut title.

Indeed, we were given a brief tour of the studio, and there wasn’t a whole lot to see – the company has taken a hybrid approach to work with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such only a few developers were in the office, with their computers stationed along the windows at the back wall, and one room with a door featured whiteboarding and early concept art for The Chant.

Behind another door, Brass Token has taken the more traditional development cost-saving route of building out their own motion-capture and recording booth within their studio. The room featured large chunks of sound padding adorning the walls, and a couple of stations where players could isolate themselves as they test out the game. It was at one of these stations that I was able to get my first sampling of The Chant.

Fight, flee, GO CrAzY?!

The demo started me out at Chapter 3 of the story, and as such, we weren’t shown the full setup of the story’s premise. In The Chant, you play as Jess Briars, a woman with an established career in biomedicine. She had some sort of traumatic event which drove her apart from her best friend, Kim, who has now invited her to come out to Glory Island for a spiritual retreat.

At this point in the story, the main ritual has been completed, and it has opened everyone’s “third eye” to the horrors known as The Gloom, a psychedelic dimension that feeds off of negative energy. Fellow retreat member Sonny has been severely affected by the ritual, and has fled the area and run towards the local mines.

Since the demo took place after what would normally have been The Chant’s tutorial, I was thrust into spiritual warfare without much preparation. This was an odd choice, but perhaps the story is so tightly woven that it will make more sense once the full game is released. Most enemies appear to be some sort of sentient plant life, though there were also giant venomous toads to contend with towards the end of the demo. Also, although Jess is seemingly an average woman, she does have some tools at her disposal. She can use sage sticks and craft other weapons to attack her enemies in various ways, though some cannot be defeated and are best avoided.

As The Chant is at least in part a psychological thriller, one enemy in particular appeared to manifest some of Jess’ fears – it was made entirely of flies, which she hates, and shouted insecurities she seemed to hold, thus messing with her mind as opposed to her body. This enemy sauntered along towards Jess, and could be temporarily stunned with a smudge stick, but ultimately had to be run away from, at least for now. Surprisingly, this enemy could even open doors, only finally being warded off once a certain marker was reached.

Balance in all things

Jess has three health bars, each relating to her current overall well-being. Mind, Body, and Spirit each get their own status level, and while healing can be performed on each by using a crystal with a press of the directional pad, holding a button can also trade some Spirit health for Mind. If Mind ever dips to zero, then Jess will suffer a panic attack, which affects how she can perform in combat. If Body ever hits zero, then she’s dead and the game must be reloaded from a checkpoint. We didn’t see what happens if Spirit hit zero, but this also has its own consequences.

On the surface, the enigmatic leader of Prismic Science Tyler Anton invites people to his island in order to become the best, most awakened version of themselves. He speaks in a soft, considered manner, with some obvious influence from real-life cult leader Charles Manson. There are a lot of vague messages of expanding your consciousness, peering into the unknown, and coming out a changed person. But there is something curious about The Chant which may signal the truth behind Tyler: the number six can be seen throughout the game.

There are six main characters, six different crystals to utilize, six locations to explore, six things to craft in a radial menu, and six chapters to the story. Even Jess’ three health bars can be healed, but she can only hold two healing items per bar – three bars times two items gives us six again. There are probably more things within The Chant that relate to this spiritually cursed number, but if so this will reveal itself upon the game’s release.

From a technical standpoint, Brass Token is aiming incredibly high for a small studio. Unreal Engine 4 is being used for The Chant, and they are targeting current-generation consoles only, in addition to PC. We played on the sole PS5 unit available for testing, with a QA tester by our side taking notes of our session that they could perhaps use as feedback to fix a few remaining issues before launch.

There seemed to be a heavy focus on high production values, as is evident in character modeling. A lot of work seems to have gone into skin textures, for instance. I noticed that one character’s physical stress was accentuated by him being drenched with sweat, beads of which collected at various spots on his face in a convincing manner. Main character Jess became dirty as our demo progressed on, something her skin acutely showed with various patches of dirt and other substances caked on the various crevices that lined her face. With a tightly-controlled environment such as an island and mines, perhaps such a high production value can be carried throughout the adventure.

Showing promise

As mentioned, Brass Token has its own custom-built motion capture room, and while we didn’t see anyone suit up to be recorded while we were at their studio, we did take a look at the head camera rigs the company seemed pretty proud of – bicycle or skateboarding helmets rigged up with metal casing, with a spot to mount a smartphone with which facial data can be recorded, plus copious amounts of gaffer tape.

There’s a contagious sense of a do-it-yourself attitude within the walls of Brass Token, and everyone there seemed to genuinely want to help make the best product they possibly could. CEO Mike Skupa formerly of United Front Games and Rockstar Games seems to have assembled an accomplished group of people all eagerly working towards a collective goal.

The Chant has a lot riding on its success. As Brass Token’s debut title, some would say it has to succeed in order to help the studio establish itself. Releasing just after Halloween, this story-driven survival horror game seems to check all the boxes to make for a fun, scary game you can play or watch others play through in a sitting or two over the weekend. Turn the lights off and the volume up to give yourself a few supernatural scares when The Chant launches on November 3, 2022 for the PS5, Xbox Series, and PC platforms.

The post The Chant Hands-on Preview: Spiritual Warfare appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Still a savage

While Kratos might be past his prime, he can still dish out damage against the expanded range of enemies he and Atreus face in combat. Equipped with a new ability that allows both his Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos to be charged with elemental power, Kratos can chain together devastating combos, while commanding Atreus to help juggle enemies in the air and stun them with arrows. Runic Attacks also make a return, granting Kratos devastating special abilities tailored to the weapon he is currently using.

Takedowns are, once again, the main highlight of combat, with the “R3” prompt appearing over dazed enemies that are ready to be finished. Kratos wastes no time in brutally ending them. Spartan Rage is also back, briefly turning Kratos into an unstoppable force.

Performance king

God of War Ragnarok can be made to run at either 30 FPS or 60 FPS on PS5 hardware. The former gives the resolution a bump, while the latter cuts the resolution to allow for smoother performance. I’ve opted for the 60 FPS mode as it makes for a much smoother presentation in addition to more responsive gameplay. Don’t worry, the game still looks fantastic in this mode, with the image looking crisp on my 65″ 4K TV.

Ragnarok is just as seamless an experience as 2018’s release, with cutscenes avoiding camera cuts and gameplay uninterrupted by loading screens. The Realm Between Realms does return as a way to presumably mask loading times, but the moments spent there are incredibly brief on PS5.

Characters both look and sound great, too. Christopher Judge (Kratos) and Sunny Suljic (Atreus) both deliver compelling performances no doubt aided by the terrific mocap tech. Judge, as Kratos, has already delivered some killer lines that fans will no doubt affectionately turn into memes.

The next journey begins

Without diving too deep into the story, I will say that there’s a helpful recap that gets players old and new up to speed before starting this sequel. Also, if you thought God of War (2018) started with a bang, Ragnarok aims to trump it in a big, big way!

Following the rollercoaster ride of a prologue, Kratos and Atreus set off on their next adventure. This sees them traverse realms that were left unexplored in the first game. The first of these new realms has a semi-open world region that invites completionists to explore the area, fighting monsters and solving simple yet satisfying puzzles to uncover useful resources and new abilities. However, for those aiming to make a beeline for the main story missions, that route is clearly laid out and the game won’t stop you.

Pick your poison

For those who just want to blast through the story to see what happens next, opting for the easiest of God of War Ragnarok’s five difficulties is recommended. However, for those looking for a challenge, this game can be made to be very tough, even in the early stages. Engage an enemy without considering its strengths and weaknesses, and Kratos’ health bar can quickly vanish.

Those wondering about accessibility options will be happy to find a comprehensive list of settings that allow for customization of the visuals, audio, and gameplay. Sony-published games do seem to be ahead of the competition when it comes to offering more accessibility options, and God of War Ragnarok continues that trend.

Two down, seven to go

During this preview period, I have only experienced two of the nine realms on offer in Ragnarok. I only scratched the surface of what’s available and I am, of course, nowhere close to reaching a verdict.

My initial impressions have been very positive, with Sony Santa Monica improving many elements in substantial ways, without losing any of what made the 2018 reboot so great. Kratos’ expanded arsenal, the wider variety of enemies, 60 FPS performance with little compromise, the incredible cast, well-paced story, satisfying exploration, and generous accessibility settings have all made for an impressive introduction to one of the most hotly-anticipated games of the year. For now, it’s living up to my lofty expectations.

God of War Ragnarok was previewed on PS5 with code provided by the publisher. 

The post God of War Ragnarok Preview: Spoilers-free Impressions After Four Hours appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and nowhere is that more true than in the video game industry. The important aspect to examine is how it interprets its inspiration — what twists does it bring to the table? What does it do better or worse?

Building a monster

The premise is extremely similar to the past few Monster Hunter games. Monsters, called Kemono in-game, are threatening the local ecology. These giant beasts invade territory and terraform it to meet their needs, destroying the existing environment and pushing native species out. The threat is apparently so severe that human settlements are threatened, and Kemono Hunters roam Azuma, a province in a fantasy feudal Japan, taking down monsters for honor, glory, and personal gain.

Unfortunately, the unique aspects of Wild Hearts hinder the monster hunter formula more than help it. The big feature that sets it apart is the Karakuri. These are pieces of tech you can slam down whenever to assist you in battle, set up base camps, make crafting stations, or traverse the environment.

Using Karakuri in battle is where I felt most frustrated. You can stack these spectral boxes on top of each other and use them to jump and attack your foes. Alternatively, they can be used to construct barricades (once you unlock the ability) or to stumble charging monsters. However, I felt they disrupted the flow of combat.

In Monster Hunter, there’s a definite flow to each fight. You have to stay mobile, continually keep aware of a monster’s position and learn when to make a move. You also have to consider the moveset of your weapon, how to activate its mechanics, and which parts of the monster are most vulnerable. Combat in Wild Hearts’ alpha felt like it lacked the same amount of nuance. Most of the time, you’ll just be trying to build three boxes so you can jump off them and do the most damage.

A world apart

The environment in Wild Hearts feels more akin to Monster Hunter World than Monster Hunter Rise. It’s wide open and contains plenty of verticality and underground locations. However, it doesn’t feel alive in the same way World does.

Take the way you track monsters, for example. In Wild Hearts, you build a Karakuri tower to scan for them. In contrast, tracking in Monster Hunter World has you following scratch marks, dung, footprints, and other clues to find a beast. It’s little things like that which make the game come to life, and Wild Hearts feels more functional than imaginative when it comes to how you begin your hunt.

Wild Hearts Preview: Final thoughts

I only got to scratch the surface of what Wild Hearts has to offer, and I hope there’s more the game does to set itself apart from Monster Hunter. It’s obvious that you’re intended to play this game at a faster pace, which isn’t necessarily a great direction for a game like this. However, if it leans into getting you into the action quicker, it might be a winner for those who think the hunts in Monster Hunter are long-winded at times.

Despite my misgivings about the game, I do remain optimistic that it’ll be fun. Maybe it’s time that monster hunting does become a genre. There are only six months until its February 17, 2023 release, and I hope Omega Force can get it right in the time it has left.

The post Wild Hearts Preview: Hands-on With EA and Koei Tecmo’s Monster Hunting Game appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Saints Row is nearly upon us, after a seven-year absence since 2015’s Gat out of Hell (and five years since the Agents of Mayhem spinoff). Publisher Deep Silver/Koch Media invited us to the scorching-hot city of sin, Las Vegas, last week to get our grubby mitts on the latest entry in this long-running franchise. We beat the heat (and a freakish, monsoon-like storm on the way in) and managed to not die IRL despite the sun’s best attempts, and have our fresh impressions ready for you below.

Saints Row Preview: Viva Las Vegas

This event took place in a suitably seedy hotel off the famous “Strip” Vegas is known for. At a mere three stories tall, it was really not a big step up from a motel. However, the hotel was adorned with a complete makeover, with the front of it stating proudly “Welcome to Santo Ileso,” the new city in which the game takes place. There were muscle cars parked outside, some famous streamer in a bikini, sex toys dropped into the pool…yeah, I could see a criminal empire getting its start here, as the motel across the street stated it featured daily and even weekly rates. After a night of debauchery which included themed drinks in a saloon, a live Blackjack table (no real bets allowed), a DJ dropping beats to a mostly empty crowd (lots of delayed flights!), and some surprisingly great quesadillas and street tacos from a food truck dressed up as the Chalupacabra as seen in the new Saints Row, the actual hands-on portion of our event took place the next afternoon.

After a very short presentation, we were given free reign over the city for four hours. Co-op was enabled at some stations, and I played with GameRevolution’s Nick Tan for the duration. We played from the very beginning of the campaign, beginning with making a character. As the Boss Factory has been out for over a month, nothing here was too surprising, though in co-op whoever is done first with running through a sequence of screens must simply wait for the other player to finish. In fact, if one player pauses the game, the other is notified and can either sit and wait or access their own pause menu.

Co-op Shenanigans

Naturally, only your created character shows up in the cutscenes, but once the action gets going both characters appear. Strangely, there are no screen name or health indicators on the other player, and although an indicator does show up when someone’s health runs out, communication is key to ensure your teammate revives you within a certain amount of time. Furthermore, while waypoints show up whenever either player sets them, once one player reaches the spot, it disappears from both maps. Thus, you then have to head in the general direction of where you last saw the blip and pay attention to the minimap to find your way to the objective. Overall, co-op feels perhaps a little tacked-on, but it does generally run smoothly and is drop-in/drop-out. After all, it’s better to have co-op as an option at all as opposed to Saints Row being a strictly solo affair. Co-op will be cross-gen compatible, though not crossplay as of launch.

Saints Row is coming back down (or is it up, ya know, from hell) to Earth this time around, and is mostly grounded in reality. There’s still outlandish shit going on, to be sure – we saw a car wall-running, for example – but this is serving as a origins story of the Saints gang. You take on the role of “The Boss,” whom we join just as they are getting started working for a private military corporation (PMC). Long story short, things don’t go so well and before you know it, you and your three best friends are setting off to create a bangin’ criminal organization.

We managed to play through all eleven missions on offer during our demo, with each taking perhaps 10-15 minutes. All characters are excellently voiced, and there are witty one-liners and innuendos aplenty. Once a headquarters is established, Saints Row really opens up, as the gang is now free to start illegitimate businesses with legitimate storefronts. While we didn’t get to check out many of these side hustles and jobs, it did remind me of Saints Row: The Third when the money started to roll in. Sure, at the start $250,000 seems like a huge amount to drop on a character perk, but eventually it’ll feel like a drop in the bucket.

Roll Your Own

Customization has been a big part of Saints Row in the past, and here things are no different. The aforementioned Boss Factory allows you to create anyone you might like to, whether it looks like yourself, someone you know, or someone with ridiculous proportions running naked in the street with glistening golden skin. Meanwhile, every car can be have its parts customized in some way, and most also even allow you to mess with the way they sound. So, you could have a small, European subcompact car (think Mini Cooper) that sounds and honks like a big rig, which is as hilarious as you think. Weapons can also be customized, with skins, colors, upgrades, and more to ensure your arsenal is the baddest around.

Saints Row certainly feels like it’s coming back in a big way. Johnny Gat and crew may no longer be in the picture, but that just means what we have here is an open canvas with which Volition hopes to paint the Saints in a new light. The four hours flew by, and I laughed along with my co-op partner as we painted the town red, hauling ass with a nearly-indestructible meth lab on wheels through the desert, with gang members not far behind. The co-op may occasionally be glitchy or unintuitive, but you’ll hardly notice while you’re having fun.

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Any water section in an FPS (and most games, for that matter) is typically excruciating. I can’t say that the thought of having to repeatedly listen to poor Soap MacTavish or whomever gurgling as the screen throbs an oxygen-deprived vignette across the screen got me pumped to track down Al-Asad, but I appreciated the passion behind it. Luckily, that passion extends far beyond the game’s greater emphasis on the aquatic realm.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II sets a solid foundation for the next two years

The campaign is a continuation of the story started in Modern Warfare (2019), and it’ll follow Price, Gaz, Soap, Ghost, and a few new characters across the world as they try and take down arms dealer Khaled Al-Asad and his army. Al-Qatala.

I’m a big fan of Call of Duty campaigns, and one of the darkest moments for the series for me was when Black Ops 4 released without a story mode. So, it was great seeing that Modern Warfare 2 was bringing back the same bombastic, action-packed, solo gameplay that we’ve come to expect. Of course, there are some new components, like vehicle sections and rappelling. Still, Infinity Ward isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, this campaign seems to be more about polishing the essentials like AI, graphics, and gunplay and providing the best and most immersive Call of Duty story to date.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to play multiplayer, but the brief gave me a good picture of what to expect. Again, aside from a few new modes, this seems like a refinement of Modern Warfare’s multiplayer as opposed to an evolution. With the series moving to a two-year release cycle (at least for now), it’s probably a good thing that we’re getting meat and potatoes Call of Duty rather than something revolutionary that could end up backfiring.

I’m excited to sit down and invest some time in a Call of Duty game again. I spent quite a bit of time with Modern Warfare (2019), but Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard just didn’t hit the same way. I also feel like the two-year cycle will make grinding out challenges, and even microtransactions feel less tedious. However, my one fear is that Activision will try and stretch a year’s worth of content over two years by doubling the time it takes to unlock everything. If that isn’t the case, though, Modern Warfare 2 has the potential to win back some of the more jaded Call of Duty fans.

More info about Modern Warfare 2 will be revealed during Summer Game Fest, and we’ll all get a chance to play it when it releases on October 28, 2022.

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The game is being created by developer Dramatic Labs, an independent collaboration of 20+ former Telltale writers, developers, designers, artists, and producers, so we should all have high hopes for the overall storytelling. The game’s timeline is set in the era immediately following the Star Trek: The Next Generation feature films and before the recent string of Star Trek feature films starring Chris Pine. It is a narrative-driven game, with your dialogue choices determining your overall path, and with this team of writers, it shouldn’t disappoint.

The tale of two characters

The game will have two playable characters and I was able to briefly play as both of them. The first character is Jara: the First Officer on the USS Resolute. Coming from the top of her class at the Academy, she had already been battle-tested in the Dominion War, so she’s no rookie in the fleet. Since one of the playable characters is the First Officer, this will open up quite a few opportunities for away missions, but for now, I was just introduced to gameplay on the USS Resolute itself.

There were several dialogues to play through and each one had several multiple-choice responses which may impact decisions down the road. The interactions with each character was pretty smooth and the animations were spot on. As someone that reads lips due to hearing loss, the speech animations were pretty damn close.

The second playable character is Carter Diaz. He’s an engineer that skipped the Academy in order to get out and see the Galaxy quicker. While I didn’t get to solve any engineering puzzles, the team did say that we can expect quite a few tasks ahead for this guy and they will test our brainpower and puzzle-solving abilities. His interactions with other characters will also help to develop the overall narrative of the story, and I did have several conversations with other characters below deck with him. Just like Jara, the conversations were branching, and which branch you took was determined by your responses. I’m really curious to see what puzzles Carter is presented with once the game is released.

To not use Spock would be illogical

The main story found us on a peace mission to a warring planet. Ambassador Spock has been asked to join due to his many years of experience and it will be up to our First Officer (unofficially of course) to go behind the negotiating scenes and find out the root cause of the animosities between the warring factions. We may have to choose sides at some point, but the development team played very coy when asked about it. While Spock isn’t a playable character, we will have many opportunities to interact with him.

The graphics looked really polished in 4K, with smooth animations and a very detailed environment. Character design and details were also impressive, with Ambassador Spock looking every bit his age of 150 years old. Each character is unique, each with their own personality that ranges from adoring to egotistic. Confidence in your Helmsman is important, but can they be overconfident? I hope not. For the record, that isn’t Sully as the Captain of the ship, but it could sure pass as a future clone. The Federation is made up of many different and diverse people from alien planets all over the galaxy, and the USS Resolute’s crew reflects this nicely. The team did say we will be visiting many different planets throughout our voyage, so we have that to look forward to as well.

Who lives? Who dies? Who knows.

The story for Star Trek: Resurgence will be full of twists and turns with a bunch of characters to interact with. Some of these characters may not make it to the end of our voyage, and the color of their shirt won’t be the deciding factor. The team says that our choices and actions will have outcomes we may not like, which may lead to multiple endings to encounter. While the overall story may stay the same, our voyage may take us to places we aren’t comfortable being and force us to make choices we aren’t comfortable making. As a First Officer on an away mission, the buck may stop with you.

There is no set release date for Star Trek: Resurgence, just a Spring 2022 release window. Spring has sprung so hopefully, it’s just a matter of time before we find out when we can start our epic journey to the stars.

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What is Chenso Club?

Chenso Club is a love letter to the arcade-style, side-scrolling brawler. When aliens started invading their world, the group of girls-turned-fighters known as the Chenso Club decided to fight back, using the aliens’ life force to beat them at their own game! Think of it as a cross between the classic Mega Man series, Super Mario Brothers, and a little bit of Smash Brothers. It’s a fast-paced, unforgiving game that requires controller skills that get harder as you play along.

The game really is a throwback to games like Mega Man, but with some new elements that take the gameplay up a notch or three. The game is a 2D, side-scrolling platformer that mixes fighting and puzzle-solving fluidly. Once you clear a level, you are presented with a chance to spend your HP, your very life force, for upgrades. Now HP can be earned back once you start the next level, but if you trade fourteen of your twenty or so HP for two attack upgrades, you better be careful when you start fighting again.

There are no checkpoints in the game, and as a throwback to long-lost level design, you have to start all over again if your HP runs out and you die. I was playing on an easier difficulty simply because of time restraints, but still, I was reluctant to gamble with my life, knowing that permadeath was possible. Those of us that can remember playing games in the arcades of the 80s know how heartbreaking it can be to lose a couple of hours of hard work and have to start all over again.

Chenso Club: Alice Reveal

Currently, Chenso Club has revealed five characters, with Molly being the last one. Blue is an android who “woke up” when the aliens swarmed her lab and their life force seeped into her power core. She wields a mean chainsaw. Carmine is a royal guard who was armed with a hammer when the aliens stormed the castle. They’ve taken the king hostage, and she’s not happy about it. Plum is a witch with a powerful broom as a weapon. Molly is the World’s greatest firefighter, and her ranged attacks set her apart from all the rest. Alice is a mountain climber armed with dual climbing axes and is the fastest damage dealer in the game. The aliens probably shouldn’t have pissed her off.

Single-player and couch co-op gameplay

Chenso Club offers several types of gameplay, including single-player and couch co-op. The levels are procedurally generated, meaning you’ll get a new level every time you play. You can play in Endless mode to see how far you can get, or fight against your friends in Versus mode. Each character has their own specific weapon type and attacks. At the end of a set of levels, you’ll get a bonus round to collect power-ups. The difficulty levels range from not too bad to downright impossible, so make sure you know your limits with this unforgiving game. The music really gives the game that Mega Man feel, with the rising scores and crashing crescendos, filled with techno-pop synthesizers. Knasibas is the composer, and the anime feel is owed to that addictive soundtrack and the ’90s style of artwork.

There is no set release date, but the team told me that they are aiming for a Summer release of Chenso Club. The game is shaping up to be fast-paced and a lot of fun, in both single-player and couch co-op.

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