Some surprise news came out of Blizzcon 2021’s online with the annoucement of a remastered Diablo II coming to PS5 in 2021! As someone who grew up playing the original on PC, this is huge, and I knew immediately that I had to seek out more information. While details are here, some things like the release date are still vague (some time in 2021). Even so, let’s talk about what we do know and find out what the new Diablo II Ressurected has in store for fans of the original! Diablo II, fully remastered, coming to PS5 in 2021 When I think of classic dungeon crawlers, I think of Diablo II. Growing up with a PC that couldn’t handle some of the more cutting-edge stuff, the 2D approach this game had made it easy to play on a potato, but the rich art and satisfying gameplay loop kept me coming back for more. Oh, and let’s not forget about those cinematics. The originals may not have aged as well as I remembered, but we have news about everything straight from Blizzard themselves. For starters, let’s look at the announcement trailer: It’s clear from the trailer that the updated 3D graphics are a big step without sacrificing the style of the original. One thing Blizzard has already confirmed though, is that you can toggle between the new and old graphics if you prefer the original look. The bonus, of course, is that you can run it more seamlessly on modern machines either way. With PC and consoles confirmed, one thing that I immediately thought about were those old cinematics. It’s not uncommon for remasteres to have this gorgeous gameplay but then use these old, low-res cutscenes. Thankfully, Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo Ressurected will actually feature new cinematics with the latest CGI technology. These are made to be shot-by-shot remasters of the original, so they should have that same level of shock and awe we all remember, but look much better than the originals. Interestingly, Blizzard also confirmed that cross-progression is in, and that this remaster includes the Lord of Destruction expansion. My experience with cross-progression is limited to Hades on PC and Switch, but I will say that being able to move your save between each platform is going to be great for people who want to have the option. Stay Tuned for More Details! Whether you’re a fan of the original Diablo II, or you’re joining the craze now, I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed. If you haven’t played Diablo III, you can start there to get a taste of what’s coming, but Diablo II was the pinnacle of the genre and arguably stil is to this day. Are you an old school fan like me? Let us know what you think about Diablo II Resurrected in the comments! Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date – 2/19/2020
Metro Exodus PS5 Preview – Polishing up The Apocalypse
The Metro series has seen three titles release on PS4, with Metro Exodus being the latest entry. In february of 2021, an announcement regarding a PS5 upgrade hit the web, with plenty of details on how it will take advantage of the new hardware! Let’s dive into this acclaimed series and find out what’s in store for Metro Exodus PS5 players in 2021! Bringing Metro to The Next Generation The Metro series, based on a series of books by Dmitry Glukhovsky, has always been a unique first-person shooter that focuses on gritty environments, unforgiving conditions, and excellent graphics for their respective time. Having played all three games in the series, one of my first thoughts after playing Metro Exodus is how the game would look on a next-gen system. It was already impressive on PS4 Pro, but it’s clear there are ways to further enhance the experience. Specifically, the third game in the series opened things up, allowing players to explore large maps and take on optional activities. It still has some of the claustrophobic metro tunnel gameplay we’re all used to, but with the larger environments, the art direction and graphics really had a chance to shine. It’s also worth noting that the original release of Metro Exodus was one of the first games in 2019 to utilize ray tracing on capable PCs. A post on the Metro website revealed some of the plans on how this free upgrade to next-gen consoles will work and when we can expect it. For starters the post confirms that 4A Games have taken steps to overhaul their proprietary engine and create a fully ray-traced experience for both next-gen consoles and PC. Their new Fully Ray Traced Lighting Pipeline includes optimizations, upgrades, and features that contribute to the global illumination and emissive lighting that were introduced in the original release. The new engine enhancements also include an upgraded version of their Temporal Reconstruction technology, which boosts resolution, visuals, and performance. In terms of the console versions, 4A Games is promising 4K and 60FPS performance with full Ray Traced lighting throughout on both PS5 and Xbox Series X. The base game and DLCs will include these improvements as well. SSD optimizations also mean that load times will be drastically reduced, while the games will also utilize 4K quality textures for much more detail across the environments. They’ve also confirmed support for the DualSense! One example is capturing the pressure of pumping up your air rifle during a heated fight. I can most certainly see myself sweating while mashing those triggers. Other enhancements include an adjustable FOV (Field of View) for the first time ever in the Metro series. Finally, the developers also confirmed that this will be a free upgrade for all existing owners. No solid release date for the upgrade, but they did say “later this year,” so sometime in 2021. Stay tuned for more information! For those who have played Metro Exodus, what do you think of these enhancements? If you’re someone … Read More
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Review: A Full Moon of Potential
The World of Darkness tabletop RPG, like many others, is packed full of lore and interesting mechanics that are ripe for a video game adaptation. With Werewolves and vampires abound, among other things that go bump in the night, it’s surprising we haven’t seen more games in this universe. While Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines is a classic finally getting a sequel, in Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, the wolves are finally getting some of the limelight. Developed by Cyanide Studios, the developer has a history of being faithful to their source material, but have they managed to reach the ambitious goals set forth by this title, or does this wolf’s teeth feel more dull than they should. Let’s find out. A Game Full of Interesting Ideas That Falls Short of its True Potential Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood makes a very strong first impression. The opening CGI cutscene and introduction to the game’s world has a big budget feel with some truly excellent art direction. In this world, Gaia (Mother Earth) is dying. There are three primal forces that have been influencing the world since the dawn of time: the Wyld, the Weaver, and the Wyrm. As you can imagine, the Wyld encompasses natural things, while the Weaver encompasses humanity’s technologies, science, and industry. The Wyrm is the one you need to be worried about. In Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, it is the Wyrm that has infiltrated and corrupted a corporation called Endron that is one of the greatest threats against Gaia and nature itself. The story quickly brings things down to Earth (pun intended), choosing to focus on a Garou (werewolf) named Cahal and his Fianna tribe in the pacific northwest. The game wastes no time setting up Cahal’s exile, which is a result of him losing control in the opening mission. As a result, he distances himself from his daughter and only returns five years later when he gets word that Endron is planning to attack his old tribe. With this setup, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood walks the line between what is clearly a global threat, and the more focused story of Cahal trying to reconnect with his daughter and save his tribe. It’s a good setup, and one that had me interested from the very beginning. As time goes on, however, the story keeps hinting at greater things on the horizon, only to let you down again and again. For example, you spend a vast majority of the game in the Fianna Tribe’s territory, which acts as a decently sized hub world protected by a forest spirit that guides the tribe. You do eventually get to interact with another tribe, and while things do get interesting, it’s over far too soon, and other tribes are left off the table entirely. Similarly, Endron as a corporation receives very little development beyond them being the obvious bad guys. The company CEO is especially an underdeveloped villain. Another villain of the early game who wreaks havoc in her … Read More
The Pedestrian Review – Not Your Average Walk in The Park
There are no shortage of puzzle games out there, but the PS5 in particular has yet to receive a lot of games in general, so that market is very much ripe for new experiences. I’ve played plenty of games with portals, with color changing mechanics, with lasers, and even one that involved changing your perspective. The Pedestrian comes along for PS5 with yet another innovation in the crowded world of puzzle games, one that I’ve never personally seen. What if you were the person portrayed on traffic signs, bathroom doors, and other simple illustrations? What if you could move between them. What if they were all a unique puzzle? It’s an intriguing premise, but does this game strike out and present a fun and challenging new puzzle experience for PS5 owners, or is the writing on the wall from the beginning? Let’s find out. Sharp Design and Superb Mechanics Combine For a Breakout Puzzle Hit on PS5 When it comes to game design, I don’t think anyone can fault the genius minds at Nintendo. Listen, I’m a huge PlayStation fan, but there’s just a sort of “magic” that goes into first party games for Nintendo platforms. For me, it’s that constant sense of wonder. Sony has managed to capture that magic before of course, with titles like the excellent Astro’s Playroom included on all PS5 consoles. The same goes for the prior title in that series for PSVR: Astrobot Rescue Mission. So, why am I bringing this all up? Well, those games keep the magic alive by offering a polished, interesting, and beautiful world to explore. More than that, though, they are always introducing new and exciting mechanics or ways to interact with the world. The pacing is perfect, and the cadence of new ideas is enough to keep you glued to it all the way to end, with new ideas appearing even then. The Pedestrian, from Skookum Arts, captures this kind of magic from the moment you set foot into its world. The premise is deceptively simple, but the execution is superb. You begin by choosing your character’s appearance with both the male and female outlines you see in street signs and such. From there, you soon find yourself walking across various signs and flat surfaces throughout a bustling city. As you move from one sign (puzzle) to the next, the game seamlessly pans across beautifully rendered environments, guiding you to your next challenge without any loading whatsoever. It’s seamless in the way that games like Half Life 2 are, never breaking the immersion for a second, and treating the entire experience as one linear level. While there’s not a lot of story or explanation in the beginning, it’s also worth noting that The Pedestrian does have a plot, but I will saying nothing more on the matter. It’s excellent, and while you may not notice it from puzzle-to-puzzle, something I would have loved to see more of, it’s worth seeing through to the conclusion. So, you’re running through … Read More
It’s War on Wall Street, and GameStop is Caught in The Crossfire!
It’s not often that we cover the stock market here on PS5 Gamers, but when it’s this big, and of all companies, GameStop is involved, I just have to throw in my two cents. I mean, I did work at GameStop for almost a decade, so it’s only fair that I report on yet another news story that somehow manages to include them. Reddit’s r/wallstreetbets subreddit has been at war with Wall Street over what began as a self-proclaimed “meme stock,” which let’s be honest, is all the value a share of GameStop had a few weeks ago. Well, now the battle has gotten way bigger than I think anyone anticipated. Not only that, but we’re bringing other dying stocks like AMC into the fold to join in on the fun. There’s a lot of money at stake here (won’t someone please think of the hedge funds!), but what’s really going on? I took a course in stock market jargon so you don’t have to, so let’s find out! An Overview of the GameStop Stock Bonanza Among the explanations about shorts and squeezes, and other terms you wouldn’t expect to be associated with the stock market, I came across this surprisingly easy to follow explanation, courtesy of @notasdfghjklx (trying saying that five times fast): My simple explanation $GME $AMC pic.twitter.com/FLQ1LSyH7g — notasdfghjklx (@notasdfghjklx) January 28, 2021 The stock market has always been a playground for the rich, so there’s something vindicating about average people coming together to drive up the stock prices and hopefully make some money for themselves. Where people cry foul here is that the hedge funds who shorted the trades are now forced to buy back all the stock they bet on, and lose ludicrous amounts of money because never in a million years did they expect it to go this high. If things had gone in the hedge funds’ favor, the stock would have gone down in price, and they would have bough back the stocks at a savings, keeping the profits for themselves. Shorting stocks is risky though, because if, for some unforeseen reason the stock goes up in price, you can lose a lot of money. In this case, billions. The term “squeeze” that we’re hearing a lot has to do with people driving up the price of the stock, knowing that there’s timeline for the investors to pay back the short. These types of cat and mouse games usually just happen between billionaires, but in the case of GameStop, a bunch of online redditors who trade for various reasons decided to rally together for this cause. Access to apps like Robinhood and E-Trade make getting into the stock market easier than ever. Don’t worry, we’ll get to Robinhood’s fiasco in a moment. While some people are just buying share on their own, the true rub here are the people who are placing their own options, betting on the opposite side of the shorts. This creates a need for brokers to secure shares in … Read More
Resident Evil Village Review in Progress
The Resident Evil series has always had a special place in my gamer heart, but with the way the series went back to horror in RE 7, I truly fell in love all over again, even if Ethan Winters wasn’t the most compelling protagonist. His struggle, and the struggle of the Bakers was incredibly easy to relate to and sympathize with once the answers were revealed. With Ethan, Chris, and Mia all returning in Resident Evil Village, along with the lovely tall lady vampire Lady Dimitrescu, I have been incredibly excited to jump into this next entry. At this point, I’m about 75% finished, and while I want to see everything before I assign a score, there’s plenty to talk about now, so let’s dive in and talk about it! Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies, Oh My! I remember when the rumors first emerged about this Resident Evil title. They said that it would, quote, “piss off fans” because it was going to include things like werewolves. Well, I’m a fan, and I’m not pissed off at all. On the contrary, I think the fresh new enemies and the lore that comes with them are a refreshing change of pace for the series. Another thing that’s interesting about Resident Evil Village from a story perspective is the fact that the developers sought to create a “horror amusement park” based on interviews, and that’s a bit different than RE 7 which was more focused on the Bakers. Here we have a sprawling Eastern European village and five distinct villains, including the focus of the internet’s collective attention, Lady Dimitrescu. The game doesn’t lose its identity by packing in so many villains, and I actually like the variety it offers, but it does feel like the game is whisking you from one setpiece to the next at times. For example, the portion of the game with Lady D and her vampire daughters feels pretty fleshed out, but the next two areas aren’t quite as long, though one of them is utterly terrifying. While this is noticeable, it does make for great pacing and very little downtime. Even exploring the village between major areas to search for hidden treasure and new routes via items you’ve found is peppered with fights that range from a couple enemies to minibosses that guard some of the game’s more valuable treasures. There’s a wonderful sense of place throughout every environment though. Part of that is thanks to the incredible details and lavishly crafted environments, but part of it is also the superb sound design and tension that permeates almost every moment. The game also relishes in making you feel overwhelmed, but does so sparingly. When it does happen though, holy moly do things get intense. I feel like the game does a great job of employing different types of horror, ranging from psychological to the fight for survival against overwhelming odds. The boss fights are also excellent, with unique mechanics and some truly ghastly transformations. As I mentioned in … Read More
Sony Reveals New PS5 Game Release Dates at CES 2021
While the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is virtual this year, that didn’t stop Sony from dropping some PS5 news! At the end of their presentation, a sizzle reel showed some familiar titles and confirmed release windows for more than a few! Not a bad way to close out their stream. Let’s see what they confirmed! PS5 Release Windows Confirmed for Major Titles! Sony put all the sizzle and pop you would expect from one of their marketing efforts into the final sizzle reel. The part that we’re interested in comes from a disclaimer slide and its fine print: Here we can see targeted dates for more than few upcoming titles, which I’ve listed below: Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is still slated for 2021 Horizon Forbidden West is still targeting 2021 as well Returnal is confirmed for 3/19/21 Pragmata has been moved from 2022 to 2023 Solar Ash is on track for June 2021 Kena: Bridge of Spirits is confirmed for March 2021 Stray is set for October 2021 Ghostwire Tokyo is coming October 2021 Little Devil Inside is set for July 2021 Project Athia is set for January 2022 Hitman III comes out next week (January 20th, 2021) First off, this is a stacked list for 2021, and while it’s not mentioned, God of War Ragnarok is also supposedly coming this year. Any other year, and I would have a lot of faith in these windows, but after the events of 2020, I expect more than a few of these to get pushed back. Nothing against the developers, but we all heard that 2021 would feel the impact of the ongoing lockdowns from the prior year. Even so, if Sony can manage to get all of these out this year, it will be strong showing for PS5. Stay tuned for our previews and impressions on these upcoming titles! In the meantime, if you’re still looking for a PS5 of your own, keep your eyes glued to our Order Page for the latest updates! Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date – 1/12/2020
Maneater PS5 Review – Becoming The Sharknado
Maneater made a splash when it hit the PS4, offering a quirky, but surprisingly in-depth shark RPG experience that took me back to the days of games like Ecco the Dolphin, only with more blood. For those who owned the game on PS4, a PS5 upgrade is free, and for those who have a PS5, Maneater’s next-gen version is free on PS+ for January 2021. Of course, hard drive space is precious on the PS5, so is Maneater something you should download if you’re a subscriber? Better yet, if you read this after January 2021, should you grab a copy on the new system? Time to bite into this unique experience and find out if it’s the Jaws simulator we all want it to be. An Experience with Personality and Teeth, but Last-Gen Problems Remain I played a chunk of Maneater on PS4 and enjoyed it for the most part. It does what’s advertised by placing you in the role of a young shark who lost its mother to a fisherman and took his arm in the process. The entire story is structured like a TV series, complete with a cheeky narrator and film-style cutscenes. The humor is quirky and varied enough that it should appeal to most people. The narration is cynical and tongue-in-cheek, which I enjoyed. The jokes even permeate into the gameplay as you find hidden caches of nutrients, notable landmarks, and other collectibles like license plates. An early landmark find that had me laughing was a Cthulhu statue in the swamp zone that came with hilarious commentary from the narrator. The story is more than you would expect from a game about playing as a shark, and the humor works well, but it’s not going to be the main draw of something like Maneater. The fantasy of being an apex predator, that’s the true draw here. Now, there are apex predators in Maneater, but when you finish the prologue, you won’t be one of them. Beginning as a young shark, you’ll need to avoid things like alligators and munch on things like turtles and small fish. The progression in Maneater feels good, and skills become increasingly ridiculous as you go on, making you some sort of super shark. Bioelectricity and bone armor are just a couple examples of the upgrades you can expect. While the progression and power ups are creative, the gameplay lacks the same level of excitement as you go on. Missions are often identical and involve killing a certain number of fish, predators, or people in a specific area. Encounters with fishers that come after you like mercenaries offer some unique battles, as do the encounters with apex predators, but the mission structure never really varies throughout the experience. Even so, the sheer thrill of exploring the open world zones, finding collectibles, and getting into tense encounters with things like barracuda, alligators, and other sharks, is compelling. Hunting people can be especially satisfying if you’re a Jaws fan. You can throw yourself onto … Read More
Haven Review – All in The Name of Love
As someone who knew they wanted to be a writer at a very young age, I grew up on stories in all of their forms. Books, movies, TV shows, and especially video games. It’s why I’ll dabble in some multiplayer from time-to-time, but you’ll always find me hunting down that next great story. Haven, out now on PS5, is a game that immediately grabbed my attention. Two lovers, on the run from their past life, find themselves crash-landed on an alien planet with nothing but themselves to keep each other company.] Love is an easy emotion to replicate, but capturing it is something else entirely. Let’s find out how these literal star-crossed lovers navigate the perils of both survival and a budding relationship. A Captivating Tale That Keeps You Engaged Throughout The Ups and Downs Haven takes place on an alien planet called Source, where two lovers by the names of Yu and Kay have managed to escape and survive a crash landing in their ship. Instead of focusing on how their relationship began, the game begins after they’ve been together for some time. Thanks to excellent writing, the player doesn’t feel like a third wheel in this relationship. Their struggle is relatable, and even if their relationship begins in a classic “honeymoon phase,” it’s believable and endearing from the beginning. They joke, they argue, they laugh, they cry. It’s a science fiction world, but the struggles Yu and Kay face feel all too real. As someone in a relationship for the long haul, I found bits of myself and my partner in both of them, which helped me become attached to these characters early on in the adventure. Speaking of real-life relationships, you can play Haven single player, controlling both Yu and Kay, or you can have someone join in local co-op. Given the romantic nature of the story, I imagine it would be awkward playing with a friend, but if you have a Player 2 in your life, it’s easily the best way to experience this game. Story developments happen around the world, but the most intimate moments occur in the Nest, which is your ship and home base. Here you’ll talk, sleep, cook, shower, and heal yourself between excursions into the world. While the game is never explicit in its more romantic moments, it’s not afraid to let its characters express their love. Again, maybe not the best experience for a group of friends, but the authenticity of the relationship comes through in these very human moments. Yu and Kay’s relationship isn’t wholly passive either. You’ll need to choose dialogue options for each of them, or have the other player decide their responses. You can choose to play them however you like, but certain choices will boost their confidence and improve the relationship dynamic, but like any relationship, there are going to be arguments, which can be interesting to navigate in both single player and co-op. Not only will you need to decided the dialogue choices for … Read More
Spirit of the North Enhanced Edition Review – Taking The Scenic Route
The last generation of consoles brought two major characteristics of gaming to the surface: the inclusion of smaller indie studios, and games as a form of art. With so many titles made by small teams, leveraging unique art styles and storytelling, games became an even more diverse type of art than ever before. When I reviewed Spirit of the North on PS4, I found it to be a gorgeous looking game, with a presentation that goes beyond what you would expect from a smaller studio, but ultimately it didn’t have the emotional impact or depth that I would have liked to see from it’s unique storytelling approach. Now that Spirit of the North Enhanced Edition has come to PS5, how has that experience improved? Let’s find out! A Beautiful, if Similiar Experience Spirit of the North, for those who haven’t played it, is an action adventure title with a focus on a story told without words. You play as a fox who, with the help of the land’s guiding spirit, sets out to rid the world of a mysterious corruption that has taken hold through the various regions. There are hints are something greater, and a history displayed through the use of murals that you can find. Optional skeletons of what seem to be mages from a lost civilization can be activated as well by bringing nearby staffs to the bodies, at which point the spirit seems to thank you before passing on. Visually, it’s a stunning game with plenty of mystery in its various ruins and and the aforementioned murals that you come across, but it’s all hints at something greater and never quite becomes something more than that. I appreciate the approach of a wordless story, and I’ve seen it work in other titles like the excellent Virginia on PS4, but here I feel like the story could have conveyed more detail about the origins of the corruption, or the role of the titular spirit and their struggle against it. Missed story opportunities aside, the world in Spirit of the North is compelling to explore, with plenty of variety across icy vistas, water-logged ruins, and harrowing encounters with the corruption that has taken hold in later areas. Gameplay is a mixture of light puzzle solving, exploration, and utilizing new abilities you unlock to progress forward. There’s a nice sense of progression as new gameplay mechanics unlock and change how you traverse or interact with the world. I will refrain from specific examples as these abilities represent some of the few surprises you’ll encounter on your journey. Speaking of surprises, the environments also have a good sense of flow, conveying the feeling that you’re truly moving through a connected world. While the story doesn’t quite utilize them to the fullest, that sense of mystery and intrigue never quite goes away. Despite being linear, the environments are quite open, and while exploration can reward you with staffs to reunite with mage skeletons, there isn’t much else to motivate you, making … Read More