Reviews - PlayStation LifeStyle https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/reviews/ PS5, PS4, PS Plus, and PSN News, Guides, Trophies, Reviews, and More! Wed, 26 Apr 2023 04:41:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/cropped-favicon.png?w=32 Reviews - PlayStation LifeStyle https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/reviews/ 32 32 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/881640-star-wars-jedi-survivor-review-ps5/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/881640-star-wars-jedi-survivor-review-ps5/#respond Wed, 26 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?post_type=review&p=881640 A tour de Force.

The post Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
After a lackluster reboot of the Star Wars Battlefront and a widely-panned sequel (which ended up being a great game after a few years of updates), fans were fed up with EA’s handling of the Star Wars game license. However, Respawn’s Metroidvania, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a huge success and showed that a big-budget single-player title set in the franchise could still sell millions. So, it was no surprise when Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, a sequel set five years after the original, was announced.

A losing fight

Star Wars Jedi Survivor Review Greez and Cal

At this point, it’s obvious this is the second game in a trilogy, and it’s very much the Empire Strikes Back to Fallen Order’s A New Hope. The five years since we last saw Jedi Knight Cal Kestis have been hard on him, and he’s had to face facts that, despite his efforts to curtail its expansion, the Empire is growing ever stronger.

We join Cal in Coruscant on a mission to obtain crucial information from a senator’s yacht. With him is a new crew. Cere, Greez, and Merrin have all left to follow their own paths, leaving only BD-1 as a familiar face.

Like in The Empire Strikes Back, the galactic stakes are lower in Survivor. There’s no Death Star or holocron that could dox force-sensitive children throughout the galaxy here. Instead, the story primarily focuses on Cal’s dilemma and the fate of two worlds, Koboh and Jedha.

Jedivania

Star Wars Jedi Survivor Review Cal and Zee

Koboh is a forested frontier world, largely still wild. However, it harbors a hundred-year-old secret left behind by the High Republic, which might mean peace for the remaining Jedi in the galaxy. It’s the largest map and where you’ll spend much of your time during the game.

You’ll also explore Jedha, a desert planet where the esoteric Anchorite monks tend the last vestiges of Jedi knowledge. They’ve built a cult that seeks to attain enlightenment by academically studying the Force and are wholeheartedly dedicated to helping the survivors of the Purge.

You’ll visit several other locations during Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, but this journey is more intimate than we saw in Fallen Order. In contrast, Cal isn’t just scouring lonely, forgotten worlds for Zeffo ruins. These worlds are inhabited, and you’ll meet characters who you’ll grow to love and want to protect.

Even though most of the action takes place on two planets, that doesn’t mean this is a smaller game. On the contrary, these two maps are expansive, dwarfing Zeffo, the original game’s largest location. If anything, concentrating on Koboh and Jedha led to tighter environmental design and an even bigger emphasis on Metroidvania elements.

It’s incredibly satisfying to slowly uncover more and more of each map throughout the game. You’re unequipped to fully explore most areas you encounter your first time through, and you’ll take note of impassible forcefields or doors that won’t open. Once you finally get the ability to get past these, you’ll discover new branches leading to more areas that require further abilities.

Each map is like a spiderweb, with paths flowing into one another, and it’s only at the end of the game that you realize how interconnected the whole thing is. However, this isn’t for everyone. It requires a lot of backtracking and patience. You’ll revisit some places three or more times before you finally have everything it takes to explore them fully.

Some players might also find traversal frustrating in general. I consider myself an excellent navigator, but this is one of the few games I’ve played that had me scratching my head about how to move past certain points. Survivor features more verticality than Fallen Order, which can sometimes make things even more frustrating. Fortunately, the game is pretty forgiving if you take a tumble. However, unlike with the combat, there’s no easy mode for exploration.

Use the Force

Star Wars Jedi Survivor Lightsaber and Blaster

Surprisingly, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor doesn’t strip Cal of all his powers at the beginning of the game. He starts off with the skills and equipment he had after Fallen Order and grows from there.

One of the big changes coming from the previous game is that there are now five lightsaber stances, two of which you can have equipped at a time. Carrying over from Fallen Order are the standard single-saber stance and the flashy Double-Bladed form made famous by Darth Maul.

The three new stances are more technical forms. First, there’s the fast and powerful Dual-Wield stance, which existed as a single move in the previous game. Cal also gains access to the Blaster Stance, which, as the name suggests, pairs a lightsaber and a blaster for long-range combat. Finally, the Crossguard Stance allows Cal to wield a lightsaber (more like a lightclaymore) that allows for slow but devastating hits.

The catch with the new stance system is that you can only equip two of them at a time. At first, I thought this was kind of dumb, but I found it forced me to stick with stances that complement my playstyle. I usually go with strength builds in Souls games, so choosing the Crossguard was a no-brainer for me. However, I’m also a sneaky little bow spammer, so I reserved the Blaster stance for when I felt cheeky.

Fortunately, you’re free to switch these out stances at every meditation circle, so you can stick with your two favorites for the whole game or constantly switch them out. However, since each stance has its own skill tree, which takes quite a few points to max out, I feel most players will go with the former.

A Jedi craves not this swag

Star Wars Jedi Survivor Review Dirtbag Cal

One facet of the game that’s been majorly expanded in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the cosmetics. In Fallen Order, you could swap Cal’s poncho to another color and cut, change BD-1 and the Mantis’s colors, and choose from a limited selection of lightsaber parts and finishes. It was okay, but there was room for improvement.

Starting with Cal, in Survivor, you can change his hair and facial hair style and pick between jackets, shirts, and pants, all with different color options. Your lightsaber and blaster are also highly customizable, with many color palettes and parts available for you to discover. Also, this time around, you can choose your weapon’s condition, so it can either look pristine or like you found it in some ancient ruins.

BD-1 also gets a lot more customization options this time around. You don’t have to go with a premade color scheme for him, and he’s just as modifiable as Cal’s weaponry. You can change out his eyes, head, legs, body, and audio sensors, and he gets the same vast array of palette options.

Strangely, you can no longer change the color of the Mantis. It’s stuck with its default paint scheme throughout the game. That’s not a huge deal since you’ll be boarding it significantly less in Survivor than you did in Fallen Order. However, it struck me as odd that this option was removed when the other cosmetic choices were expanded.

Even though Cal’s performance doesn’t change with the cosmetics you pick, the wide variety allows you to fill in some of the five years between games with some headcanon. For a big chunk of the game, I played as “Dirtbag Cal” and rocked a mullet, goatee, muscle shirt, vest, and beat-up denim-looking pants with boots. I gave him a rusty, ramshackle lightsaber and pistol and imagined he’d turned a bit space redneck.

However, I will warn you that during a first playthrough, you might want to go with a more serious look for Cal. Your outfit carries over into cutscenes, and some poignant scenes came off a bit flat because I could only imagine Cal sighing out a “whatever” and putting a dip in.

A disturbance in the Force

Star Wars Jedi Survivor Senator

Unfortunately, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is just as buggy as Fallen Order. In my playthrough, I experienced issues with collision, enemies vanishing from existence while I was fighting them, misfiring triggers, and a handful of crashes. I have to dock it a bit for all that, but none of the glitches really bothered me that much.

It’s a big game that gives you a lot of freedom of movement, which inevitably means you will find somewhere in the level collision you can fall through. I’d much rather be able to jump around and feel like a Jedi and risk losing 30 seconds or so of progress than it being like God of War, where a knee-high wall can defeat your powerful hero.

However, there is one new mechanic that caused me some frustration. In Fallen Order, you can rarely die from fall damage. Instead, if you fall into a bottomless pit or off a cliff, you pass through a kill zone and die no matter how high up you were.

Since Survivor has more verticality to its level design, the devs added deaths from falling. When you drop a certain distance, the screen will start to vignette, and you’ll die if you go too far. Double jumping and air dashing can somewhat negate this effect, but it’s inconsistent. Sometimes you’ll end up dying from a seemingly small fall and survive lengthy tumbles. The inconsistency can make it tough to navigate at times, especially when it seems like a jump is the right way to get through an area.

There were also graphical issues on the PS5. Pop-in and Level of Detail issues abounded. I will assume these problems can be patched because we saw similar behavior in Fallen Order on last-gen consoles.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor review: The final verdict

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a game that, despite a few launch bugs and inconsistent jumps, genuinely delivers an engaging experience for fans. The level design and personalization options for both combat and character appearances are definite highlights. It’s an adventure that lets you explore new corners of the Star Wars universe while building on the foundations laid by Fallen Order and tells another excellent tale of a galaxy far, far away.

  • Levels are even more expansive and cleverly designed than in Fallen Order.
  • New stance options are a great way to personalize your combat experience.
  • Vastly expanded cosmetic options are a welcome way to add your unique take on Cal and BD-1.
  • It's buggy, much like its predecessor was at launch.
  • Jumps can feel inconsistant at times.

9

The post Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/881640-star-wars-jedi-survivor-review-ps5/feed/ 0
Dead Island 2 Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/881528-dead-island-2-review-ps5-ps-plus-worth-buying-playing-2023/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/881528-dead-island-2-review-ps5-ps-plus-worth-buying-playing-2023/#respond Mon, 24 Apr 2023 18:04:15 +0000 https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?post_type=review&p=881528 Hits hard where it matters.

The post Dead Island 2 Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
Dead Island 2 has been a long time coming. The game has been through development hell and back again, which is ironic given this game’s zombie population and their refusal to die and stay dead. In my preview, I wrote that I was impressed by the opening couple of hours, noting that it was surprisingly polished. But how do I feel after beating the game’s 14-16 hour-long campaign? Here’s my final verdict.

Tools of the trade

Dead Island 2 Review

Dead Island 2 keeps things simple. Zombies are infesting Los Angeles and it’s up to the resistant player to go around killing them, all the while helping locals with their own survival efforts. The story does enough to move things forward and justify traversing to and from the 10 districts, but I didn’t find myself invested in the characters or caring much about their survival.

This horror game leans more on comedy than on exploring the bonds of remaining humans. Think more Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland, than 28 Days Later or The Last of Us. Dead Island 2’s characters are funny, but pretty stupid, as are the errands they task players with.

Dead Island 2 Review

Missions are fairly basic in structure and players get to do a bunch of fetching. Thankfully, the foundation of the gameplay, an extremely satisfying combat system, helps give Dead Island 2 a huge boost.

Powered by the “FLESH” system, combat is easily the best thing about Dead Island 2. Weapons hit hard, with blunt instruments slamming into zombies and sending them flying. Sharpened blades cut through enemies just as brilliantly, causing blood to gush out. And these are just the standard weapons, as the action only gets more entertaining when elemental damage is introduced.

Pick a card, any card

Dead Island 2 Review

There are six characters to choose from, all of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. While there are differences between them, it quickly became clear to me that there are only two things you really need to worry about when making your selection. First, whether they Dodge or Block, as each character can only do one of these actions. Second, how they sound, as some characters are voiced better than others. I landed on Jacob as my favorite, both for his dodging and British accent.

Dead Island 2 Review

Dead Island 2’s skill tree takes the form of cards that players choose from. There’s no deck-building or anything like that, it’s just a U.I. shift that functions in much the same way as traditional perk and ability trees.

Some skill cards are better than others, though my favorites enhance the player’s dodge/block abilities. As Jacob, I can weave and dodge a series of incoming attacks, recovering some health, before going on the counter-attack and enjoying increased damage with each subsequent hit I land.

Looks to die for

Dead Island 2 Review

Visually, Dead Island 2 looks remarkable. The LA environments are beautifully rendered and the devs have clearly worked hard to add subtle details to each space. It’s hard not to explore each new room, as handcrafted scenarios hide in wait. An influencer’s bedroom, for example, features a whiteboard with a script for a not-so-sincere apology video, which I found especially hilarious.

The game runs well, too, with PS5 hitting the 60 FPS mark with very few hiccups. Perhaps the smaller levels help keep gameplay smooth? Whatever magic is going on here, Dead Island 2 achieves 60 FPS and looks good doing it, which really helps to sell those brutal melee swings.

Dead Island 2 Review

What works well as a single-player game works even better in co-op. Up to two other players can be brought in to assist with the zombie slaying. Finding other players or having them join has worked flawlessly in my experience. It’s just unfortunate that you need to get through an hour or so of gameplay before you can invite your buddies in, which is always annoying.

Dead Island 2 Review: The final verdict

The odds were stacked against Dead Island 2, and yet here stands a solid zombie game with a compelling combat system that delivers exactly what I’m looking for when it comes to hitting the undead with a big stick. It’s gory, gruesome, and a ton of fun with friends.

Aside from the winning combat formula, however, Dead Island 2 doesn’t push the envelope in any other noteworthy ways. It’s a very safe game, which was perhaps the wisest decision made by Dambuster Studios and Deep Silver, given the development hell that the game has been through since its 2014 reveal. I’d count that a win, all things considered!

  • Satisfying combat system.
  • Works great in co-op with up to three friends.
  • Looks fantastic and runs well.
  • Story is functionality yet little more.
  • Funny characters, if you're in the mood for them.
  • Skill tree works fine but it's nothing revolutionary.
  • Basic missions leave the heavy lifting to the combat.
  • Plays it very safe.

7

The post Dead Island 2 Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/881528-dead-island-2-review-ps5-ps-plus-worth-buying-playing-2023/feed/ 0
Tchia Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/879460-tchia-review-ps5-ps4-ps-plus-worth-buying-playing-2023/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/879460-tchia-review-ps5-ps4-ps-plus-worth-buying-playing-2023/#respond Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:03:13 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=879460 Trying to stay afloat.

The post Tchia Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
Tchia has a lot of potential as a unique coming-of-age story set in a world inspired by New Caledonia. Toss in the magical “Soul Jumping” ability that gives Tchia the power to embody animals and objects, as well as an impressively satisfying sailing mechanic, and you have the recipe for a great story and gameplay combo. Unfortunately, Tchia fails to go long-distance and performance issues hamper it from the very start.

Welcome to the world

Tchia Review

Inspired by their homeland of New Caledonia, developer Awaceb has crafted a vibrant open world that is surprisingly large. Tchia’s story starts out on a small island, though tragic events soon force her to leave and explore nearby villages and cities.

Tchia navigates the archipelago by boat, which has a simple yet charming mechanic where players must raise and lower the sails to control speed, in addition to Soul Jumping, a less conventional method of travel that sees Tchia taking control of nearby animals and objects. She can take control of a bird to fly (and poop) high above the ground, for example, or manipulate a dolphin to speedily glide through the water.

Trouble in paradise

Tchia Review

Soul Jumping isn’t just a great way to travel, but it’s also handy for combat. Bouncing Tchia between lanterns and explosive canisters as she catapults them into enemies — magical beings crafted from wood and fabric — can be very satisfying. Time slows down while you take aim, so it’s easy enough to keep the flow going and create fiery chaos.

When she isn’t sailing across the ocean or jumping between souls, Tchia is either hunting for the generous amount of collectibles and cosmetic unlocks, enjoying one of the many mini-games and diversions, or playing her ukulele.

Though the ukulele plays a relatively small part in the game, the amount of effort the devs have clearly put into Tchia’s musical instrument must be acknowledged. It’s on par, if not better, than Ellie’s guitar playing in The Last of Us 2. It also has magical properties, changing the time of day, causing it to start or stop raining, drawing animals towards Tchia, and more.

Hide your kids

Tchia Review

Another element of Tchia that deserves special mention is the story. With a very evil villain who commits some unexpectedly harrowing atrocities, I was taken aback by how dark the game can be. Without going into spoilers, let’s just say that this isn’t a Disney movie and leave it at that. Thankfully, a “Family Friendly” toggle is available in the menus which I’d recommend for younger audiences.

Tchia is not only darker than expected, but it’s also quite funny. Tchia herself often reacts in a hilarious way when she doesn’t understand something or is frustrated. She might be from a secluded island where only her dad and the rare visitor offer company, but she can still deliver some sass.

All good things must come to an end

Tchia Review

Unfortunately, Tchia’s lack of depth in combat and exploration led to my loss of interest about halfway through the 12-14 hour experience. From the beginning until the end, combat is approached in much the same way, while exploration is made monotonous by the mostly empty world. The map might be big, but there’s a hollowness that is eventually tough to ignore.

It’s good that there is an endgame state where players can keep fighting enemies and collect items to earn 100%, but I felt no urge to continue.

Not so next-gen

Tchia Review

Performance issues make Tchia even harder to love on PS5. Though the game appears to target 30 FPS, it often drops below it, and there’s a minor stutter whose consistency quickly leads to frustration. (EDIT: Awaceb has added the ability to toggle between “Fidelity” and “Performance” modes, the latter of which targets 60 FPS.)

Tchia Review: The final verdict

During the course of Tchia’s tropical adventure, players will experience many great, carefully-implemented ideas. The open world influenced by New Caledonia remains sensitive to its cultural inspirations, the unique soul-jumping mechanic is a joy to use and explore, the boat controls and fully-functional ukulele are overkill in the best kind of way, and the story has both unexpected darkness and humor. Unfortunately, a handful of good ideas can’t save Tchia from running out of steam before the finale and crumbling beneath a wave of performance issues.

  • Soul-jumping is fantastic.
  • Vibrant open world.
  • Navigating the ocean and rivers by boat is a delight.
  • Huge amount of customization and regular cosmetic rewards.
  • Fantastic ukulele.
  • Combat gets stale.
  • Exploration dulls.
  • Performance issues.

6

The post Tchia Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/879460-tchia-review-ps5-ps4-ps-plus-worth-buying-playing-2023/feed/ 0
Resident Evil 4 Remake Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/879442-resident-evil-4-remake-review-ps5/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/879442-resident-evil-4-remake-review-ps5/#respond Fri, 17 Mar 2023 07:01:18 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=879442 I approached my review of the Resident Evil 4 remake with caution. I thought the remake of RE2 was an excellent modern translation of the original. However, the Resident Evil 3 remake was lacking in content and showed little regard for the original. So I was wondering which direction the remake of RE4 would take. […]

The post Resident Evil 4 Remake Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
I approached my review of the Resident Evil 4 remake with caution. I thought the remake of RE2 was an excellent modern translation of the original. However, the Resident Evil 3 remake was lacking in content and showed little regard for the original. So I was wondering which direction the remake of RE4 would take.

Fortunately, this is Capcom’s crowning achievement. It raises the bar for remakes in the same way that the original Resident Evil 4 did for the action-horror genre. Most importantly, it mends the rift that the original created between survival horror and action.

Finding the Balance

Resident Evil 4 Remake Village

The original Resident Evil 4 and the remake share most of the same story beats. You won’t find any major omissions, though there are tweaks throughout. The biggest change, more so than anything else, is the tone.

When Resident Evil 4 released in 2005 it caused a schism in the fanbase. It pushed the series away from its survival horror roots and toward more action-based gameplay. While RE4, 5, and 6 were some of the best-selling games in the series, this direction also alienated many of the fans that stuck by the series since its inception.

Starting with Resident Evil 7, Capcom has tried to find that magic ratio of horror and action that would win both sides of the franchise’s fanbase over. Resident Evil 4 remake is the studio’s biggest challenge since it started this new approach since a lot of what has made it endearing is the campiness and over-the-top action.

Fortunately, the remake manages to navigate the issue with finesse. It retains many of the campy and humorous moments, but unlike the original, it features some truly horrific scenes. A great example of this is in the opening scenes (which can be played through in the demo). The first building you enter, the hunting lodge, is a quick in and out in the original, but it’s been expanded in the remake to showcase the revamped horror elements. Blood, decay, and detritus cake the building, and you face a surprise Ganado attack that sends you scrambling toward the village. Of course, that environment is even more hostile than the one you left.

Recharacterization

But, just because the remake puts more emphasis on horror, that doesn’t mean Leon isn’t still the sardonic wise-cracker he was in the original. When the bell finally tolls and the village empties, he’s still quick to ask, “Where’s everyone going? Bingo?” However, it’s counterbalanced with a bit more character depth for the cast. Leon is more forthcoming with his PTSD and Raccoon City, and Luis shows a more vulnerable side, though he’s still a flirt and a rascal.

Even Ashley, who was the quintessential helpless escort character in the original, is a lot more likable here. I remember people criticizing Luis commenting on Ashley’s ballistics in the original (that line, unsurprisingly, didn’t make it to the remake) because they thought she was underage from how she acted. Here, she’s more mature, which makes it a lot easier to get invested in the mission to rescue her.

The parts where you have to escort Ashley are also much improved. There are some select areas where you’ll have to defend her against an onslaught of foes, and she’s still vulnerable to capture. However, she seems a lot better at dodging attempts to grab her during regular gameplay. As a result, I found myself looking forward to the sections where she and Leon traveled together instead of dreading them.

A chilling reimagining

Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Man

Thankfully, Capcom took the same approach with the Resident Evil 4 remake that they did with RE2. So the answer to “what’s the same and what’s different” is “everything.”

Almost the entirety of the original made the cut, and many areas were expanded to include new puzzles. However, unlike the RE2 remake, which cut the factory and made significant modifications to the lab, the original game is very much the core experience, and any additions or changes branch out from there. There are many new locations to explore, and the map has been remixed a bit to throw even seasoned RE4 veterans off. As a result, the game is around 1.5 to 2 times longer.

While the map will be familiar to those who played the original RE4, the environments are much more detailed and lean heavily into the series’ horror roots. You’ll find evidence of the Ganado’s depravity everywhere, with bones, blood, and gore showing proof of their descent into madness.

There’s a lot more interplay between light and darkness in the remake as well. Several areas which were bright in the original are dark and foreboding, and Leon will only have his flashlight to guide the way. I noticed locations that I blazed through in the past caused me to creep through cautiously in their new form.

The rest of the story

Resident Evil 4 Remake Ada

Of course, replayability is a big concern here. While the game has quite a few unlockables, including some that require you to beat the game on the highest difficulty with an S+ rank, it’s missing a few things at launch that I hoped to see.

Mercenaries Mode, the fan-favorite minigame, will be added as DLC at some point in the future. However, its presence at launch is sorely missed as it’s a great way to take all the skills you accrued in the main game and push them to the limit. Part of me is glad Capcom didn’t delay the game, but given how much value Mercenaries adds, it might have been better to wait until it could launch alongside the main game.

Unfortunately, Separate Ways and Assignment: Ada aren’t available either. Capcom hasn’t commented about whether either DLC will be remade, but I was hoping that the former would be available at launch or integrated into the main game. Unfortunately, however, neither is the case, so we miss out on a considerable chunk of Ada’s story and what she was doing behind the scenes.

I can’t really dock RE4 remake for “missing” content since Capcom didn’t promise it. I just hope we’ll get Ada’s side of the story remade when the game sells well. That would make this version truly definitive.

Resident Evil 4 Remake Review: The final verdict

The Resident Evil 4 remake is a remarkable achievement that walks the fine line between action and horror, appealing to both old and new fans of the series. Capcom has kept the original’s essence and expanded on it with beautiful and detailed environments, expanded gameplay, and deeper character development. While the absence of Mercenaries Mode and Ada’s storylines at launch is disappointing, the overall experience of the main game more than compensates for this. Resident Evil 4 remake is an exceptional example of how to reimagine a beloved classic properly, and it is undeniably a must-play for both horror and action fans alike.

The post Resident Evil 4 Remake Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/879442-resident-evil-4-remake-review-ps5/feed/ 0
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/878537-wo-long-fallen-dynasty-review-ps5/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/878537-wo-long-fallen-dynasty-review-ps5/#respond Thu, 02 Mar 2023 11:21:54 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=878537 I’m always down for a good Souls-like and was thrilled to hear that Team Ninja was developing Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. I recently replayed Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2, and I was ready to get back into action. Fortunately, though this game has some flaws and peculiarities, most fans of the genre will find […]

The post Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
I’m always down for a good Souls-like and was thrilled to hear that Team Ninja was developing Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. I recently replayed Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2, and I was ready to get back into action. Fortunately, though this game has some flaws and peculiarities, most fans of the genre will find it satisfying.

Big trouble in Three Kingdoms China

Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Review 4

Wo Long takes place in Three Kingdoms era China. The Yellow Turban Rebellion is in full force, and you take the role of a simple militiaman defending a village against a horde of raiding bandits. Unfortunately, this version of China has big (evil) Dynasty Warriors energy, so you’re quickly killed.

Luckily, you’re quickly revived through the power of a Divine Beast and sent on your way. You soon find that a forbidden medicine called Elixir has unleashed dark forces across China and caused man and beast alike to mutate into monstrosities. Of course, this is all set against the background of the fall of the Han dynasty, so you’ll meet historical figures like Zhao Yun, Zhang Liang, Lu Bu, and others.

Unlike many Souls-like games, there are no vagarities to the lore here. So if you’re someone who never cared to read item descriptions or chase down vague sidequests, this game is for you.

Han-to-Han combat

Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Review 2

Combat in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty feels like a blend of Sekiro and Nioh. Though you have a guard, there’s a lot of emphasis on deflecting and counterattacks, especially in boss battles. Since there’s no stamina gauge, it pays to be aggressive in this game. Almost every foe has some form of unblockable attack, so staying in their face and ensuring they don’t get the chance to unleash their best attacks is a viable strategy.

The game has 17 types of weapons, ranging from one-handed swords to dual-wielded halberds and giant hammers. Each type has a unique move set and Martial Arts, but weapons within a type behave very similarly to one another. For example, two hammers will have the same move set but may have different Martial Arts. Some Souls-like fans might find this disappointing since games like Elden Ring differentiate every single weapon from each other.

There’s also ranged combat, but it’s not great. Something about it feels off, and you never have enough ammo for it to make a difference. Unlike the Souls games, where archery is an incredibly useful alternative to melee fighting, it’s very tacked on in Wo Long. For the most part, I feel the same way about the magic system, but I admittedly didn’t dive into it super deep. There may be a way to optimize your build to make magic more useful.

By the numbers

Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Review 1

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty threw everything but the kitchen sink in regarding gameplay systems. You’ve got a traditional leveling system where you spend Genuine Qi (Souls) to raise stats. There are upgradable weapons, armor, and accessories, and each of these pieces of gear has randomized Special Effects and Martial Arts attacks. There’s also a magic system, Divine Beast special attacks, and an NPC recruitment system. So, if you’re into min/maxing, your work is cut out for you. The game’s premier system, though, is the Morale Rank.

Completely different from your character level is your Morale Rank. This number is constantly in flux, restarts at zero on each map, and helps determine your character’s strength and which spells you can cast. Each time you defeat an enemy or plant a Battle Flag (bonfire) or Marking Flag (checkpoint), your Morale Rank increases. You lose all your Morale Points (and half your Genuine Qi) each time you die, but you can get them back. Defeating the enemy that killed you will satisfy your Revenge (capital R gameplay mechanic), and you’ll take back what’s yours.

Morale Rank rewards you for going out of your way to explore each level thoroughly. The extra strength you get from having a high Morale Rank can make bosses easier, and the game tends to be balanced toward you keeping your Morale Points fairly high. Your best spells also require you to have a high Morale Rank to cast, which provides another incentive for reaching for the stars.

Who’s the boss?

Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Review 3

Souls-likes are known for their bombastic bosses, and Wo Long has plenty of gigantic and powerful enemies to fight. For the most part, though, I wasn’t a huge fan of the boss battles in this game. When you break down combat in most Souls-likes, it comes down to pattern recognition. Every enemy, bosses included, has a set amount of moves they can draw from, and they’re all choreographed. So, you can study a foe, learn their tells, and use that to avoid or guard against their attacks while hitting them with your own.

The best Souls-likes make the above process invisible to the player. Bosses can switch things up or have access to fringe case moves that can throw you off. However, in Wo Long, most bosses are so rigid in their patterns that there’s only one way to fight them. Each of these foes is intimidating at first glance, but most of the time, it comes down to avoiding their attacks until they charge up a Critical Blow so you can deflect it to drain their Spirit Gauge (stamina) and execute a Fatal Strike.

Not every boss encounter is paint-by-numbers, and there are ones the game hyped up beforehand that had me white-knuckling the controller. FromSoftware’s games certainly have their share of mediocre boss encounters, so Wo Long isn’t setting a precedent here. I would have liked to have seen less quantity and more quality out of these encounters as a whole.

It’s no Lordran

Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Review 5

Exploration is my favorite aspect of Souls-likes, and Wo Long disappoints in that regard. The game is split into dozens of levels, each of which takes place on a small map. So, instead of adventuring across a sprawling, interconnected world, each location is roughly the size of a Monster Hunter map.

That’s not to say that there weren’t secrets to find in them. There are hidden areas to discover, with fantastic treasures and powerful foes waiting within. But none of the environments pack the punch of Lordran, Drangleic, Lothric, Ashina, or the Lands Between.

The advantage to this is that you can have bite-sized Souls-like morsels. Each level only takes around 30 minutes to an hour to complete on average, which is excellent for players who want to get into the action quickly.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty review: The final verdict

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a challenging romp through a dark fantasy version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and works well as a Soulslite. Each level is a bite-sized Souls experience to be conquered and moved past. The tight, challenging combat will thrill fans of the genre, but the lack of an interconnected world might turn off those that love the thrill of exploration.

The post Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/878537-wo-long-fallen-dynasty-review-ps5/feed/ 0
Pinball FX Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/878101-pinball-fx-review-ps5/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/878101-pinball-fx-review-ps5/#respond Tue, 21 Feb 2023 16:09:47 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=878101 Perhaps the best virtual pinball game yet?

The post Pinball FX Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
Zen Studios has been developing pinball games since essentially the developer’s inception in 2007. Their latest free-to-start game, Pinball FX, has released on all current and last-gen consoles. We’ve knocked some virtual balls around for a bit, and have arrived with our Pinball FX PS5 review to see if there’s anything new and noteworthy this time around.

Shiny coats of paint

Pinball FX represents a reboot of the series which originally began life on the Xbox 360 in 2007. This pinball simulator has been rebuilt using the Unreal Engine 4, which means 4K support and more realistic physics than ever before. At this point, though, the physics involved in pinball games have been all but perfected, because consoles have had more than enough power to calculate accurate-enough physics involved for at least the last generation or so. Still, utilizing this engine does mean that ray tracing is available on the PS5, which is turned off by default. A simple visit to the settings menu allows the player to choose between a performance or quality graphics mode, though in practice it’ll be difficult to tell the difference between the two modes. Regardless as to which mode is chosen, the game runs very smoothly, with no stuttering to note no matter how busy a particular table gets.

Naturally, the PS5’s zippy SSD means each table loads in just a few seconds. In fact, the longest load time is encountered when first booting up the game, as the game seems to check in to Zen Studios’ servers or otherwise appears to wait on some process before letting you get on with playing your tables. The DualSense controller is used for vibration, and that’s about the extent of console-specific use.

Controls for Pinball FX are dead simple. The right stick controls the table’s plunger, and you can vary how hard the ball is launched by tiling the stick back slightly as opposed to completely downwards. The cross button can also be used on tables that have a single launch speed, or to make choices when on an in-game mission as most tables include. Any shoulder button or trigger can be used to use the flippers, with no use of the adaptive triggers (it really wouldn’t make sense here as you need the flipper to react as soon as you press it). The left analog stick can be used to nudge the table, though of course doing this too frequently will cause most tables to lock up. Triangle toggles between eight built-in views, plus a special manual camera option which allows the player to set the camera’s height to whatever level they deem is most useful.

A mode for every mood

For each table, there are multiple modes to choose from. There is classic, which grants you three balls to start with, as you try to score as many points as possible before you run out of attempts. An arcade mode lets you use power-ups, including slowing down time or certain actions granting more points. One active power can be used with the square button, while two passive abilities factor in to how the tables behave, such as extending the amount of time before a combo opportunity expires. Hotseat allows for up to four players to compete against each other, while a practice mode grants you a whole hour of free play time to hone your skills as much as you can. Four other modes limit your play in ways such as number of flips, time, distance, or ball count.

There are also a couple of online options, such as tournaments which are real-time competitive matches where everyone tries to score the most points over a limited amount of time, number of tries, or some combination thereof. You can easily create your own tournament using a table that you own in just a few steps. There is also an Events tab, which features seasonal challenges across free and premium tables. Each day, you are given a certain amount of tries to complete some objective on a table. Complete it, and you’ll be rewarded one or more coins, which are used to track progress and earn time-limited unlocks such as collectibles or items to customize your player banner.

Tables are selected from a basic main menu, inside a special customizable room. Each table features various collectibles which can be earned by reaching various milestones in that table’s objectives list. These are usually little figurines related to the game, such as a sheriff’s star badge or a model stagecoach from the included freebie table, Wild West Rampage, or a Mysterio figure from the Spider-Man table. These are surprisingly well-detailed miniatures, and whenever the game is left running at the main menu it cycles through a couple of different camera angles so that you can see some of the things that you have placed down.

Questionable Monetization

One point of contention that long-time Zen Pinball fans may have lies in the game’s inability to import previously purchased tables. It is simply not an option in Pinball FX, with Zen Studios saying “For the new Pinball FX, every single table in our library has been remastered, updated, and optimized in Unreal Engine to deliver the best pinball experience going forward.” On the one hand, it’s understandable that porting these tables over may have come at considerable cost to the company. But it’s never a good look to charge a customer twice for the same thing, and this decision will likely anger some players.

Another issue that may irritate some can be found in Pinball FX’s monetization scheme. There is a premium currency called Pinball Coins which are priced at about ten cents per each, naturally selling in bundles beginning with 100 for $9.99 and scaling up all the way to 1200 for $99.99. Those two amounts conveniently match the price of the Pinball Pass’ one-month and 12-month subscriptions respectively. This is a season pass by another name, and grants the player unlimited plays of almost every table – the Indiana Jones and Marvel tables are not included, and must be purchased separately. The good news here is that these coins can only be redeemed for the Pinball Pass, as each table or pack of tables can be purchased for regular, fiat money and you won’t have to worry about having some leftover currency in an amount that isn’t quite enough to buy anything else.

Pinball FX is a top-tier pinball game with some growing pains inherent in switching development platforms. Having to re-buy your favorite tables is a pain, but considering these represent the best versions of dozens of tables, it is a good value overall. The Pinball Pass is Zen Studios’ first attempt at something approaching a season pass, but thankfully it is not required and you can simply purchase the tables that you prefer using regular money. The core game remains solid, and hopefully Pinball FX is supported by Zen Studios into the next generation of consoles.

The post Pinball FX Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/878101-pinball-fx-review-ps5/feed/ 0
Deliver Us Mars Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/877601-deliver-us-mars-review-ps5/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/877601-deliver-us-mars-review-ps5/#respond Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:47:35 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=877601 Deliver Us Mars is an unexpected sequel. When its predecessor, Deliver Us the Moon, was released back in 2018, it was received lukewarmly, and was seen as a decent-if-unessential game. Yet here we are with another sci-fi adventure, this time set on the red planet 10 years after the events of the original. But is this […]

The post Deliver Us Mars Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
Deliver Us Mars is an unexpected sequel. When its predecessor, Deliver Us the Moon, was released back in 2018, it was received lukewarmly, and was seen as a decent-if-unessential game. Yet here we are with another sci-fi adventure, this time set on the red planet 10 years after the events of the original. But is this new journey to space a must-play this time around?

Mediocrity on Mars

Mars’ terrain is foreboding — a hostile-looking planet with a fitting sense of scale as you traverse through it. You’re traveling across an unexplored planet, one that is new to you, and the way the game presents your travels makes the player feel like they’ve got a huge monolith to climb in their quest. It’s just that the monolith in this scenario happens to be a whole planet.

But while Mars is impressive-looking, its characters ruin proceedings. Weird animations see their mouths contort in uncomfortable ways, and the lack of detail in their faces reminded me of the classic discussion about how faces in Oblivion look like porridge. The voice acting is pretty bad, too, with its characters struggling to convey different emotions, leading to repetitive dialogue.

Climb on through

Climbing in Deliver Us Mars
Climbing in Deliver Us Mars

Gameplay for Deliver Us Mars boils down to platforming and puzzle-solving. There’s no combat to be found here, just like in Deliver Us The Moon, marking a refreshing change of pace from the bombastic action game we’re often treated to.  Instead, it’s all about solving puzzles that are presented to you, some being object-based and some being traversal-based.

For the object-based puzzles you use a laser to cut away elements of scenery and fix things, or you use various already pre-existing elements to figure out exactly where you need to go next.  The traversal-based puzzles require you to use equipment at your disposal such as pickaxes to climb and make your way to the next objective.

It’s incredibly fun to climb around using the pickaxes. You use alternate trigger buttons to maneuver your left and right hands, and you aim where you’re hitting the pickaxes with the sticks. It’s always satisfying to climb something in Deliver Us Mars, and the noise that the pickaxes make when colliding with surfaces is satisfyingly impactful.

Unfortunately, puzzling becomes less interesting after a couple of hours. After pulling out my laser and cutting away debris for the umpteenth time, I grew bored of the very loop that makes up the vast majority of the game.

Things pick up with its story, which is predictable but moving, as you assume the role of player-character Kathy as she explores the abandoned Mars colony while also searching for her missing dad. It doesn’t break away from expectations as it moves along, but it does enough to pull on the heartstrings. 

Deliver Us Mars: The Final Verdict

Deliver Us Mars is engaging enough, and flinging yourself around Mars with a pickaxe is a great deal of fun. However, its puzzle-solving becomes dull far too quickly, while its serviceable story is hurt by jarringly animated and voiced characters. This isn’t a game I’ll go back to in a hurry, but as a six-hour distraction, there are worse ways to spend a day.

The post Deliver Us Mars Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/877601-deliver-us-mars-review-ps5/feed/ 0
Atomic Heart Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/878070-atomic-heart-review-ps5/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/878070-atomic-heart-review-ps5/#respond Mon, 20 Feb 2023 16:45:33 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=878070 Atomic Heart is advertised as developer Mundfish’s first game, but that isn’t quite true. The studio’s first venture into gaming, Soviet Lunapark VR, didn’t go too well; the Early Access game was removed from sale abruptly and support was discontinued mere months after its release. This new action RPG infused with a hefty dose of […]

The post Atomic Heart Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
Atomic Heart is advertised as developer Mundfish’s first game, but that isn’t quite true. The studio’s first venture into gaming, Soviet Lunapark VR, didn’t go too well; the Early Access game was removed from sale abruptly and support was discontinued mere months after its release. This new action RPG infused with a hefty dose of first-person shooter takes the remnants of Soviet Lunapark and expands the world, throws in a new story, and brings it to PS5 consoles for a second attempt at success. The problem is that it doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Russia is definitely not the place to be

At first glance, the alternate 1950s Soviet world seems picturesque and its citizens are in a jubilant mood with the launch of new technology being the cause for celebration. This is despite the presence of many creepy robots and a plethora of pro-Russia propaganda that celebrates the achievement of its scientists. The game has drawn plenty of criticism in recent months for the latter because of opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. Despite these complaints, the setting is fitting for the story the game portrays and it’s also worth bearing in mind this world originated in a game released four years before that war.

This peace also doesn’t last long. Major P-3 arrives at Facility 3826 to find robots going haywire and its human workforce almost completely eliminated. The outside world is dangerous and the decimated wreck of the Vavilov research station is at direct odds with the festivities at the start. This is no longer an advert for scientific advancement and more of a warning for science gone awry, but the exact point it’s trying to make gets obscured by confusing dialog that can be difficult to follow, especially if it occurs in the middle of a frantic fight.

Some of the dialogs seem to be the result of poor localization rather than actual intent. The English conversation routinely doesn’t feel natural, as if some subtleties have been lost in translation. This isn’t helped by the subtitles either racing ahead or dragging behind. Mundfish recommends players experience the game in Russian with native language subtitles, but this is difficult to do in the middle of the action.

The main characters just make matters worse. Major P-3 has his issues. He’s begrudgingly at Facility 3826 at the request of the doctor in charge, for whom P-3 feels like he has a debt to repay. With constant complaining and obvious disdain for his talking glove companion, whose only crime is to try to help, he doesn’t make for a pleasant protagonist.

Robots also have their issues. The male robots are there to work or kill you if you get too close. They don’t have a lot to say. The female robots have an altogether… different purpose. Within the first hour, there is a questionable dance performed between two robots during the opening cutscene and a vending machine that would put a callgirl out of a job. At best it’s cringeworthy. At worst it paints a completely misogynistic view that will only appeal to a certain type of audience.

At least the combat is satisfying

Vavilov is just one of several “dungeon”-like research stations across Facility 3826, with its linear layout focusing the game’s story. This is where Atomic Heart is at its best; while there are simple puzzles to solve, combat is the main focus. There’s an impressive arsenal of weapons to locate and construct using resources looted from the world around you. These can also be upgraded from blueprints scattered around the world. P-3 has augments and a glove that gives him a range of magical abilities, too. Finding the right combination of weapons and abilities for each enemy can be extremely satisfying, especially against the tougher boss characters.

Combat can be challenging even on normal difficulty, but this is made worse by the game’s inability to explain its control scheme. The instructions for what you have to do give all the information that is needed, but the game often forgets to tell you how to do it. For example, players are instructed to use stealth to get past a camera or enemies, but the methods for doing this are only vaguely displayed in a brief text box. Your abilities are also poorly described, so no small amount of trial and error is required to get the most out of enemy encounters — something that better tutorials would have rectified.

Away from the research stations, the open world is disappointingly empty. Most open-world games will fill the map with things to do, but not Atomic Heart. There are a few enemies and collectibles sporadically dotted around the area, but the only real gameplay feature to deviate from the story is the Training Grounds. Their name suggests combat arenas where players can test their mettle, but that isn’t further from the truth. Instead, they take the form of short puzzle dungeons that offer blueprints as players progress. The Training Grounds seem like a token addition padding the game out and you can’t help but feel the game would have been better getting rid of the open-world areas to focus on the much stronger linear sections.

The game autosaves at important places throughout the story, although players can also manually save their game at stations. In the facilities, manual save points are frequently distributed and death won’t result in a lot of lost progress. In the open world, it’s another situation altogether with players often having to rely solely on those autosaves.

There are 10 save slots in total, but players can’t choose which slot to use and the game will automatically overwrite the oldest save. While this seems like plenty, there was a game-breaking bug involving a locked door that would have been impassable upon return a couple of hours later, and frequent savers will long ago have overwritten the save that occurred before that bug.

There are bugs everywhere, and not the robotic kind

There are plenty of other bugs, too — the locked door wasn’t the only surface I got thrown through only to get stuck behind. Enemies would flash in and out of scenes, while some would inexplicably t-pose during combat. The alarm level indicator refused to work in some situations, as did the in-game map. The scanner also had issues, from refusing to scan enemies to not removing searched locations from its radar. Finally, there were several instances of resources and collectibles that couldn’t be picked up. The latter will make one of the game’s trophies unobtainable at the time of writing, while other trophies don’t track properly.

These are just some of the many signs that suggest the game was rushed past the finish line (including a reference to game crunch), but its problems run deeper than something that can be fixed with a couple of patches. The story isn’t explained well, the dialog is over the top, the tutorials don’t do their job, and the open world is just a boring place to be. While the combat and the linear facilities go some way to redeeming Atomic Heart, it’s not a game that I can faithfully recommend right now.

The post Atomic Heart Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/878070-atomic-heart-review-ps5/feed/ 0
Wild Hearts Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/877955-wild-hearts-review-ps5/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/877955-wild-hearts-review-ps5/#respond Fri, 17 Feb 2023 11:59:16 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=877955 The nascent monster-hunting genre doesn’t have many entries outside of Monster Hunter itself, but developer Omega Force aims to change this with its new IP, Wild Hearts. Omega Force is perhaps best known for its Dynasty Warriors set of accessible, if repetitive, action games, and some hope has emerged not only for a competitor in this […]

The post Wild Hearts Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
The nascent monster-hunting genre doesn’t have many entries outside of Monster Hunter itself, but developer Omega Force aims to change this with its new IP, Wild Hearts. Omega Force is perhaps best known for its Dynasty Warriors set of accessible, if repetitive, action games, and some hope has emerged not only for a competitor in this almost-exclusive space, but one that attempts something outside the tried-and-true formula of Capcom’s venerable franchise.

Where is a Kemono wearing a kimono?

The monsters in Wild Hearts are called Kemono, wildlife you are tasked with taking out using the various weapons and tools at your disposal. They’re not so much fantastical beasts as they are oversized animals combined with the ability to alter their local environment. So, while you won’t see any dragons or dinosaurs, what you will see is the scariest chicken to grace your screen since those ornery hens in the Legend of Zelda series. Each of these beasts has a dedicated entry in the game’s encyclopedia, which can reveal what elements each Kemono is strong or weak against.

Combat in Wild Hearts is faster-paced than Monster Hunters players will be accustomed to. Your character has unlimited stamina, so sprinting around an entire map is an option. Attacks also don’t consume any stamina, so provided you can keep an enemy stunned or otherwise off your back, then you could keep hitting them until they either flee or are defeated. There is a version of energy that is utilized when the player rolls or climbs a surface or monster Shadow of the Colossus style, only with enemies that are a bit smaller than those infamous colossi.

Melee combat is fast and furious, but what really sets Wild Hearts apart is its Karakuri — ancient technology wielded by your hunter. Using magic thread, various wood-based structures can be built or fused into larger units. Provided the player has enough thread, these can be built at any time and almost anywhere.

Basic Karakuri start simply, with things such as crates and springs to help the player get to higher ground or jump quickly out of danger. But stacking these items can result in a fusion, where the parts combine to produce something much larger or more useful than the constituent parts on their own.

For instance, stacking six crates will cause a large wall to be built in just a second or so, which can act as a shield from any incoming attacks, and one which all but guarantees a stunned Kemono if they should charge into it. Meanwhile, stacking three costlier springs will result in a large hammer being created, which immediately slams down on the ground, dealing large damage to any unlucky enemy caught underneath, while destroying itself in the process.

Leave your friends some Karakuri

Outside of combat, there’s also Dragon Karakuri, which are utility structures such as a tent to rest in, campfire to plan your next hunt, a forge to craft and upgrade equipment, a tower to ping and find target Kemono, and even some decorative units such as lights.

Each of these Dragon Karakuri cost a certain amount of resources to craft, and the total number of these resources is determined by the number of Dragon Pits the player has awakened and/or upgraded. Of course, materials must be handed over in order to upgrade these pits, but thankfully awakening them is usually not too costly, so upon your arrival in a new location you should at minimum be able to establish one camp and a tent. These tents are crucial as they also serve as fast travel spots.

In the case of non-offensive Karakuri, their addition to the world is permanent, unless a Kemono destroys it. This applies to other players’ worlds that you visit as well, meaning you can leave helpful Karakuri such as a zipline where you think your companion might benefit. You can also unlock a placeable message. Leaving behind helpful items gives off Death Stranding vibes, and it’s neat to see other players leave their marks on your own world.

As has been implied, online play is available in Wild Hearts. It supports cross-platform play as well, so hopefully, this means that finding or giving assistance remains a quick affair. Whenever you begin a hunt against a large Kemono, a quick hold of down on the d-pad is all it takes to send out a request for online assistance. Then, any player who visits a Hunter’s gate found throughout the world will be able to answer your call. It’s seamless and easy to use, and once a hunt is completed players go their separate ways, with all loot given to each player regardless of damage output or some other metric.

Eight core weapons to utilize

There are eight different types of weapons available to earn or craft, which is far fewer than in other hunting games. However, Omega Force opted to bake in over 200 variants of these eight weapons, and each owned weapon can be upgraded. This is performed at any forge, and each armament has a tree of unlocks that can be chosen from. Some are only available to craft once certain hidden conditions are met, thus encouraging actually using what you’ve built in order to become more familiar with it. Some of these unlocks lower the weapon’s stats, in order to reach another unlock below it that increases those same stats by a much larger amount.

While Monster Hunter gives the player companion cats (and now dogs), Wild Hearts has Tsukumo. These are little Karakuri-powered autonomous balls that kind of behave like robots, but whatever they are, they assist the player in battle by attacking Kemono, pulling aggro to lure attacks away from the player, healing, and other supportive actions. You can befriend dozens of them to collect cogs, which can be used at any campfire to upgrade your main companion Tsukumo. They’re sort of cute in a small companion sense, even if they don’t really have a face that you can see.

Not the prettiest monster hunt

Wild Hearts is built for utility and isn’t the prettiest game out there. On the PS5, there are two graphics modes as usual, with the player able to decide if they want to prioritize resolution or frame rate.  The result is a fairly smooth experience, with only occasional slowdowns.

Load times are quick here on the PS5 – its SSD has of course been a huge boon to this generation’s games just by being so quick at shuttling electrons. Yet, while things are zippy for the most part, occasionally heading back to Minato (the player’s main city they unlock early on) takes much longer than usual. Compared to the nearly instantaneous fast travel option when not switching maps, this odd lengthier loading screen indicates some room for improvement still exists. The DualSense controller is also utilized a little bit beyond vibrations, as the adaptive triggers are used lightly with some weapons, and a slightly sluggish feeling to the L2 button is applied when dealing a finishing blow to target/boss Kemono.

Wild Hearts: The Final Verdict

Wild Hearts has essentially checked every box when it comes to monster-hunting games. It is perhaps a little too similar to Monster Hunter to stand out on its own, and this issue lies in its presentation. Omega Force has a stable of action games with a far more stylish look and feel, such as Samurai Warriors, and borrowing from that may help to elevate this new franchise to even greater heights.

Wild Hearts seems to have the right ideas about what a modern monster-hunting game needs. If it could inject some of the flashier bits from their other games, then Omega Force would definitely have a fierce competitor on its hands in the monster hunting genre of games. Right now, it does of course stand in Capcom’s shadow, but suddenly this subgenre has started heating up. Competition breeds innovation, and it’s exciting to wonder what we’ll see next.

The post Wild Hearts Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/877955-wild-hearts-review-ps5/feed/ 0
Wanted: Dead Review (PS5) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/877790-wanted-dead-review-ps5/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/877790-wanted-dead-review-ps5/#respond Tue, 14 Feb 2023 14:00:53 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=877790 This ain't a walk in the park.

The post Wanted: Dead Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
From the creators of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive comes Wanted: Dead — a throwback to the PS2-era of tough-as-nails melee-heavy single-player action games, but with a mixture of gunplay thrown in for good measure. The time has come to see if this hybrid of genres has done something fresh and exciting, or if it carries too much of that era’s faults to be worth your time and money.

Karaoke, ramen, and lots of cats

wanted dead review ps5 2

Wanted: Dead takes place in a slightly futuristic Hong Kong, and players take control of Lieutenant Hannah Stone, a hard-boiled cop/former war criminal. She is a member of the so-called Zombie Unit of the Hong Kong police force, headed by Captain Albert Simmons.

Despite seemingly taking place in the near future, Wanted: Dead features a ton of callbacks to the ‘80s, particularly in its police station hub area. There’s a jukebox that plays licensed songs ripped straight from the era, a claw machine to earn collectibles, and even a fully-working arcade machine that includes a seven-level 16-bit style shoot-em-up/bullet hell game called Space Runaway. There are also mini-games for eating ramen and singing karaoke, with plenty of options for cooling off after a particularly tough battle. The station is also littered with cats due to the gunsmith’s obsession with felines, adding to the game’s Yakuza-like wackiness.

Crushingly hard at times

Soleil previous work on hard-as-nails games translates to Wanted: Dead, which is similarly tough. There are only two difficulty levels available at first, Normal and Hard, with a third “Japanese Hard” difficulty unlockable once the game is cleared.

Wanted: Dead relies on quick reflexes, and even on the Normal difficulty level it is quick to punish poor performance, leaving little room for error. Even the game’s checkpoints are excruciatingly spaced out, resulting in frustrating repeats of sections if you are killed.

To be brutally honest, some will not be able to finish Wanted: Dead without either cheesing some glitch or simply having someone else play. While such a difficulty level is refreshing to see, at the same time this can render the game inaccessible to anyone who isn’t as good at this type of game. When even Elden Ring offers crutches in the form of spirits that can be summoned, it’s too bad some players will be unable to fully experience Wanted: Dead’s delightfully entertaining story.

While Wanted: Dead calls itself a slasher-shooter, it’s mostly a slasher. Ammunition is quite limited, and most enemies take several hits to defeat. At the same time, gun-toting enemies are typically weak to melee attacks, thus encouraging using that style of combat more frequently than emptying clips.

There’s a good reason for this, though: swordplay is thoroughly satisfying. Slicing and dicing enemies into pieces is visceral, and also unexpectedly gratuitous – though, perhaps not so much when you consider the game comes from the creators of Ninja Gaiden. Timeframes for blocking are pretty tight at the start, though an unlockable ability does increase the reaction window a bit.

Upgrades help a little

wanted dead review ps5

There are a number of unlockable abilities spread across three different branches – offensive, defensive, and utility. Each enemy defeated and checkpoint reached awards skill points (SP) which can be spent at any time. Whether it’s adding an extra move to a sword combo, unlocking the ability to throw grenades, or being able to carry more stimpaks to recover health, each ability is much-needed.

Initial unlocks are cheap, but the lowest-tier upgrades are quite expensive and careful thought must be given as to which ability will most benefit the player, or in other words whatever aspect of the game is currently giving the most grief.

Visually, Wanted: Dead is fine, but not a powerhouse by any means. Unreal Engine 4 is used here, which helps to keep the frame rate high most of the time. There are brief moments of slowdown in seemingly random areas, but overall things are consistently smooth to allow you to focus on combat.

As the game is linear, load times are quick, with a funny loading screen that shows the crew re-enacting a popular GIF. One amusing aspect of Wanted: Dead’s cutscenes involves seamless transitions from in-game scenery to full-motion anime cutscenes. It’s a great effect that I for one would’ve loved to see even more use of throughout the story.

Wanted: Dead Review: The final verdict

wanted dead review ps5

Wanted: Dead is a completely offline experience. There are no microtransactions or multiplayer modes to be found. Due to the difficulty level, it may take some players 20 hours to complete, while others might struggle more and take twice that amount of time if they can ever indeed finish it. The disconnected nature of Wanted: Dead is a welcome feature in this age of always-connected games, that’s for sure.

Wanted: Dead is going to annoy a lot of players. It’s also going to please plenty more. Soleil has made a game that leans heavily into its PS2-era inspirations, and that includes an unforgiving difficulty level. Without any real way to make things easier, some players may never see the ending of an otherwise enjoyable campaign, outside of watching a streamer perhaps. For those who can manage to hone their skills, however, the time put into Wanted: Dead will be worth it because this slasher-shooter offers so much visceral joy when things go your way that it makes all the painful death worth it.

The post Wanted: Dead Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

]]>
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/877790-wanted-dead-review-ps5/feed/ 0