Narrative adventure Open Roads has promise, but a demo leaves us unconvinced

Let’s hope it’s got a change of gear. What was she hiding from them, and why? Great; I’m all in. There was no sense of mystery and no real sense of story. Given the game is out next month, it was a very strange chunk of game to show. I’m not sure about some of the things I did manage to see, either. To me, these kinds of games run on their performances; they are the engine driving them....

January 17, 2024 · 2 min · 321 words · Kenneth Davis

Switch 2: Everything we know about Nintendo's next console

Though that’s not to say we didn’t learn an awful lot from that presentation. (Especially when it came to thepartner game line-up.) We’ve outlined theSwitch 2 specs, taken a look at theconsole’s featuresandevery game currently announcedfor the console. First though, take the time to see what we learned at ourSwitch 2 hands-on session. More importantly we got our Switch 2 release date! Just bear in mind to attend one of the Switch 2 hands-on events you will need a Nintendo Account....

January 17, 2024 · 8 min · 1588 words · Holly Todd

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered director doesn't "understand some of the consternation" around its release

“Its the best way to play.” After all, the original game came out less than four years ago. The developer said the PS5 hardware will give users the “best” gameplay experience. “The biggest one was cinematic descriptions. So we now have those audio-described cinematics that we didn’t have in the original game. Gallant said the team spoke about this a lot during development. He added the main game is always grounded....

January 17, 2024 · 1 min · 117 words · Monique Ayala

Consumers must be "comfortable" not owning games, Ubisoft subscription boss says

New Classics tier introduced. Ubisoft+ will now feature two revised tiers. That’s the consumer shift that needs to happen," he said. “They got comfortable not owning their CD collection or DVD collection. That’s a transformation that’s been a bit slower to happen [in games]. As gamers grow comfortable in that aspect… you don’t lose your progress. If you resume your game at another time, your progress file is still there....

January 16, 2024 · 1 min · 191 words · Patrick Thompson

Foamstars debuts on PlayStation Plus next month, season pass detailed

Listen up, squirt. Foamstars,Square Enix’s four-on-four foam-party shooter, will release next month on PlayStation Plus. Check out the new trailer below. Now a third mode has been detailed: Rubber Duck Party. As with all modes, there are three maps specific to that mode on a rotational basis. If this all seems a bit familiar, then yes, this is Square Enix’s take on Nintendo’sSplatoonseries. This was born from wanting to create a game that everyone can enjoy, even just by watching....

January 16, 2024 · 1 min · 120 words · Anthony Browning Jr.

No Return may not live up to Factions, but The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered offers enough reason for a revisit

Ellie excuse, really. I don’t replay games as much as I used to. I don’t replay games as much as I’dliketo. Replays let you embrace the chaos. This time, I sank back and enjoyed the ride. Many of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered’s new features are gated this way, actually. The other Making Of offerings are disappointing, though. The Making Of section onlytellsyou about an upcoming documentary rather than embedding it right there....

January 16, 2024 · 1 min · 177 words · Anna Thomas

Persona 3 Reload builds on fine foundations, but may fall just short of definitive

Persona 3remains a genre-defining RPG, but the lack of a “definitive” edition has always hurt it. I felt pleasantly nostalgic as I explored Gekkoukan High School and Tatsumi Port Island. Reload recreates the original setting with precise attention to detail. For the unfamiliar, think of Mementos inPersona 5without the additional “palaces.” I was concerned that Tartarus would feel lacking by comparison. Tartarus began demonstrating Reload’s minor changes, often taking welcome cues from the sequels....

January 16, 2024 · 1 min · 201 words · Christopher Grant

Psychological thriller Martha is Dead latest video game to get film adaptation treatment

Twin it to win it. It is currently in “active development”. Martha is Dead writer and designer Luca Dalco called the forthcoming adaptation a “dream come true”. “Every element of Martha Is Dead was created with extraordinary precision and care. Andre Hedetoft and Andreas Troedsson from the Swedish production company will act as Martha is Dead’s co-directors. Hedetoft will also write the film’s script, while Troedsson will serve as the cinematographer....

January 16, 2024 · 1 min · 81 words · Scott Parker

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered delivers an accomplished upgrade for PlayStation 5

The best way to play a genuine classic. The basic visual setup in the Remastered version is very familiar, at least by default. By far the largest prefs difference between the two titles lies in their handling of foliage. Similarly, in a bar scene, the patrons seem to have proper capsule shadows along their feet. In other flashback sequences though, the Ellie model looks identical across the two versions. Overall, the two versions of The Last of Us Part 2 look fairly similar....

January 16, 2024 · 2 min · 325 words · Matthew Burton

The original Prince of Persia is a reminder that this series has always been lost inside time

For years, I was aware of Prince of Persia without playing it. I loved platform games, but Prince of Persia didn’t feel like it was just a platform game. (More on this later.) It was the sense that I was looking at something very new and - somehow - also very old. The difference - and it’s over thirty years' difference - is that I now love this feeling. It’s nostalgia, but with something stranger mixed in there too....

January 14, 2024 · 2 min · 332 words · April Hopkins

DoDonPachi Blissful Death Re:Incarnation review

It absolutely feels that M2’s ShotTriggers series has been building up to this moment. And yet one thing has been missing from an imprint that so often emphasises bullet hell shooters. That thing is a DoDonPachi title. And yet now, finally, we have it. A good number will even tell you it is the best shooter there is. Switch owners seem to have to endure three-frame lag, but that is still a trivial deviation....

January 13, 2024 · 2 min · 347 words · James Green

Pokémon Go Dazzling Dream Collection Challenge, field research tasks and rewards

Everything you oughta know about the Dazzling Dream event. TheDazzling Dreamevent celebrates Fairy-pop in Pokemon inPokemon Go. Dazzling Dream also marks the release ofshinyCutiefly and Ribombee in Pokemon Go! Remember - you must obtain all of the Pokemon for this Collection Challenge by hatching eggs. TheMight and Mastery Seasonand itsseasonal questhas arrived. you might now catchDynamax PokemonthroughMax Battles. First, however, you should probably visitPower Spots to collect Max Particlesand complete theTo the Max!...

January 13, 2024 · 1 min · 133 words · Roger Quinn

The Finals: next-gen physics destruction on PS5 and Series X/S at 60fps

Digital Foundry’s console tech analysis. The game’s central premise certainly survives the transition to PS5 and Series X/S unscathed. With all of that in mind, how do the PS5, Series X and S compare? That makes for a blurrier, less defined image on the smaller console. That means all of the usual drawbacks with regards to disocclusion artefacts apply. Still, as far as Series S is concerned, SSR quality is matched to Series X at least....

January 13, 2024 · 2 min · 278 words · Robin Morgan