The Reality of Virtual Reality Games

I have been playing games my entire life for mainly two reasons. To make up for my entirely lackluster social life and to experience worlds, characters, and stories you just can’t experience anywhere else. Video Games have a unique way of sucking you into their worlds in a way a movie or book simply can’t. Some would say it’s magical…God this is sounding like a Disney movie.

Anyway, recently after all my years of extensive gaming, I discovered a whole new world of Video Games. A realm had never delved into until now. As you can, of course, tell from the title I am talking about the world of Virtual Reality. Now, thanks to a collaboration with Kim from Later Levels you can sit back and relax whilst I tell you all just why I’ve come to love VR so much over these past few months. 

My First Taste of VR…

The topic of VR is an interesting one, but personally, I believe Virtual Reality is the future of this industry. However, before I can fully explain my love for the wild world of VR we have to wind the clocks back…

All the way back to August when a friend of mine told me about a new VR game he was interested in playing. He asked If I had ever tried VR  to which I said no and he invited me round to his place to give it a go. 

Standing there with my jaw dropped for a solid 20 minutes and knocking into literally everything in his room like a prat surprisingly didn’t even matter. I was totally drawn into PlayStations VR Worlds hub world. I wasn’t even playing yet and already I was blown away.

One diamond heist later, a quick internship at a car mechanics and a fight with a fire breathing dragon and I was walking home slightly nauseous but totally addicted.

3 Months later and £400 out of pocket I bought my own PSVR and I can’t say I’ve ever looked back since. VR is hard to describe to those who haven’t had the pleasure of trying it, espcially for someone like me who is barely literate without a good gallon of coffee down him. I suppose the easiest way to describe it is that feeling we all get when we play a really good game. I mean a REALLY good game. When we just feel like we’re part of this world, and it feels real and immersive. Well, up to now thats how EVERY VR game I’ve played feels. Even the games without a narrative or story, from the intricate to the basic, they all have some strange way of sucking you into their worlds. 

Rather than try and discuss the intricate workings of VR itself, instead, I want to talk about 5 VR games. The reason for forking out all that hard-earned cash. Completely different from one another, aside from their VR nature but all similar in the way they draw me in. I should point out these ARE NOT my top 5 PSVR Games, mainly because I haven’t played enough VR games to properly make that list. These are simply 5 examples of VR games that are all completely different and yet all succeed at what they set out to do through the VR platform. So from outer space to the gritty back alleys of London strap in because this is going to be a wild ride. 

Blood and Truth – The Life Of Crime

Blood and Truth. A first-person shooter developed by SIE London Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Brought into existence after the amazing fan reception to the “London Heist Demo” featured in VR Worlds. The closest way I’ll probably ever get to feeling like Jason Statham. Blood and Truth puts you IN your very own Hollywood blockbuster action film. The game does a great job of perfectly mixing amazing VR gameplay with a genuinely good story. Its narrative isn’t mind-blowing, and it certainly isn’t a lengthy experience, which you can look at as either a good or bad thing.

However its incredible set pieces, its smooth gunplay, as well as overall movement, combined with a cast of well-acted likable characters, genuine humor, and gritty real action. I absolutely adored my time in London through Blood and Truth. You feel like a genuine badass and even though some of the set pieces are a little OTT the game still feels grounded in realism.

In terms of gameplay is a little heavy for newcomers. What I mean by that is, some moments can be jarring if you aren’t well versed in VR games. Jumping off buildings, car chases, and parachuting can be a bit much for your first time. So, probably not the best game to start off with, but after getting a good couple of hours in, Blood and Truth is a VR experience you simply can not miss out on.

No Mans Sky – Explore The Stars

No Mans Sky is probably the biggest turn around story in recent gaming history. A game that many of us were told lies about at launch, which had next to no content has done a complete 180. Free update after Free update has filled No Mans Sky with life, so much so that now Hello Games have developed a free VR update for PSVR owners. The ultimate space adventure, immersing you in not just one world but an entire universe. Harsh dry rocks, frozen wastelands, gas giants, black holes, space stations and dangers around every corner. Nothing comes close to that feeling of closing your cockpit, slowly grabbing the throttle, and blasting off the surface of a planet into the stars.

No Mans Sky VR offers a sense of scale and adventure I am yet to feel in any over VR game. It’s by no means an easy space ride, with the flight, controls particularly being tricky to get to grips with. However, for seasoned VR owners, No Mans Sky VR feels like the ultimate space adventure which you simply have to try.

Driveclub VR – The Fast And The Ridiculous

Despite being an avid lover of cars, and an even bigger fan of Top Gear, racing games themselves have never really appealed to me. Completely a personal preference but I’d rather spend my time someplace else. Driveclub VR however, whilst still not being my personal VR game of choice, has done a fantastic job of truly bringing to life the motoring experience through VR.

A petrol heads dream, Driveclub VR pays beautiful homage to infamous and downright gorgeous cars, all whilst once again filling you with that feeling of immersion whilst you’re in the driver’s seat. Intense, high speed, competitive fun which can be played by all thanks to its incredibly easy to use controls using a DualShock 4. You even get to sit down whilst playing this one.

If like me you’re an avid VR fan but aren’t totally sold on a racing game you can always try the free demo through the PSVR demos pack. It’s a game that caught me off guard but seriously surprised me.

Astro Bot – Platforming Through Space One World At A Time

Astro Bot is normally a game I would never play. Not because it’s bad, or because it even looks bad because it doesn’t. I wouldn’t play Astro Bot because It’s A.) not my thing and B.) without even picking it up I know exactly what to expect. Now whilst both of those statements are true, after putting some hours into Astro Bot I can’t deny the game is addictingly fun.

The game which many said was PlayStation’s answer to Nintendo’s Super Mario, Astro Bot is a simple 3D platformer which is controlled through the standard old Dualshock 4. A game that simultaneously harkens back to Platformers of old whilst also adding its own modern twists, I really enjoyed Astro Bot. A fantastic game for newcomers to VR to try out. It’s easy to pick up and incredibly fun to play with its own charming style. Its unspoken narrative only add to its simple but likable nature and its unique worlds which are full of collectibles make coming back to Astro Bot a joy. Well worth picking up if you have younger kids trying on your VR or even if you’re just a simple fan of Platformers.

Beat Saber – A Game That Hits All The Notes…

The final VR game I want to talk about is both the most infamous VR title and the source of that God awful pun above. Beat Saber. Certainly the most simple game I’m highlighting today and arguably the most addictive. Its a surprisingly simple use of VR technolgy espcially compared to the likes of Blood and Truth. It, like Astro Bot, is a perfect game to help introduce VR to new players.

Beat Saber’s success widely depends on both your music taste and how competitive you are. If you enjoy the music and are desperate to get the highest rank Beat Saber may be one of the only games you play. It’s certainly not for everybody but it is a VR game I absolutely knew I had to buy.

Like every game on this list, it too sucks you into its world but in its own special way. It doesn’t boast realism and it doesn’t transport you to a whole new world exactly but it does fully immerse you. Beat Saber is best played rather than explained and it is a perfect game to play against friends at a party or gathering, espcially with friendly leaderboards which allow you to compare scores.

Every single game I’ve mentioned today is completely different from one another and yet they are all exactly the same. They are VR experiences that fully suck you into their respective worlds and allow them to be experienced in a way that simply isn’t possible anywhere else. I suppose thats why I love VR so much. Its a form of gaming I never expected to experience and one I never felt would feel so incredible.

Now you’ve heard me waffle on and fanboy over VR for long enough but Kim from Later Levels doesn’t share my enthusiasm. She’s written her own perspective on The Reality of Virtual Reality Games. Whilst you’re over there why not stop by, say hello and give some of her other work a read. Go on, you may just enjoy yourself. Also, be sure to let us know where you stand on Virtual Reality either down below or over on Twitter.

 

The Next Generation of Console Wars: An Uphill Battle for Xbox? (Charming and Open)

It’s a bitter yet sweet truth that this generation of consoles will be slowly winding down to a close throughout next year. Making way for a new generation of consoles for the 2020 holidays. Don’t worry it’s okay to cry.

In anticipation of a new era of console gaming, I’m taking part in Adventure Rules’ Open and Charming collaboration event for the very first time. Robert over at Adventure Rules has posed me an interesting question: Which of the main three consoles do I think will have the toughest fight on their hands in the next-generation console war and, how do I think they could turn things around?

Certainly, an intriguing question and one that will require the slightest bit of guesswork considering all 3 companies are keeping their next big reveal’s hush, hush for the time being. That being said here’s why I think Xbox is going to have the toughest time of things in the console wars to come.

Please excuse the incredibly basic photoshop skills. Cheers.  

You see whilst all 3 companies and consoles have had their ups and downs, both PlayStation and Nintendo boast some incredibly impressive stats in terms of sales numbers, exclusives and, overall fan response to new announces and releases. Xbox simply hasn’t been able to drum up the same level of buzz for most of these topics with its Xbox One. 

Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t me having a bash at Xbox. In fact this year more than any I am eternally grateful to Xbox because when my PS4 Pro outright died on me and it was being repaired my younger brothers Xbox One was my only source of gaming relief. After using an Xbox One, intensively for around 2 months I have to say the console itself is superb when it comes to using it, but so are the PS4 and Nintendo Switch, and they have a lot more going for them.

Exclusives

Let’s start off with, what is in my opinion, the most important category. You can play Call of Duty, or Battlefield or even Tomb Raider on an Xbox or PS4 and have a fairly similar experience, but where I believe Consoles begin to edge each other out are their exclusive experiences. (I promise I’m only a little bit biased towards PlayStation…)

It’s worth noting that PC will not be apart of this discussion because A.) PC is the master race and there really isn’t a debate to be had there, and thats coming from a self-proclaimed PS4 fan. And, B.) because if we get talking about PC exclusives we’ll be here all day.

Now putting all personal tastes aside I genuinely believe that PS4 has the best exclusive games of this generation. Sure some of them have made their way onto PC in some form or another, (God of War I’m looking at you) which is a good thing by the way, but most of them still remain PlayStation exclusives and are some of the best games of this generation. Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy, God of war, last years Game of the Year winner, Horizon Zero dawn, Next years Last of Us Part 2 and so many more.

Gaming Consoles are for one thing first and foremost. Playing Video Games. Anything else is simply extra goodies and in terms of the best video games to play, I personally don’t think you can compete with PlayStation. Before the pitchforks come out I do believe A very strong case can be made for Nintendo who has a huge range of exclusive licenses, characters and gaming franchises at their disposal and who has also produced some of the best games of this generation. Super Mario Odyssey, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wilda and, Super Mario Maker 2 to name but a few. Even to someone like me who doesn’t own a Nintendo Switch and hasn’t played these games in-depth, their greatness is widely known.

Xbox’s exclusives simply aren’t that impressive, they have those core franchises such as Halo, Gears of War or Forza but those seem to be either for a very niche market or aren’t having the greatest fan reception at the minute. Those were the only 3 Xbox exclusive franchises I could name off the top of my head along with some other titles like Sea of Thieves and, after researching a list of best Xbox exclusives unsurprisingly they made up the majority of the list.

Xbox did have EA access going for it but after its recent release on PS4 that is no longer an Xbox exclusive service. Even games available on both platforms like Destiny 2 or Red Dead 2 boast PlayStation exclusive bonuses.

Of course what games we all love is purely subjective but personally, I think that  PlayStation and Nintendo have the far superior games as exclusives and as someone who buys a ‘GAMES CONSOLE’ to play games, Xbox simply doesn’t pull me in like the other two.

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers!

I usually don’t enjoy looking at numbers or statistics to argue which console is better than another, however, what you can’t argue is that numbers represent cold hard facts. Sony has sold 102.8 million units of the PS4 making it the second-most popular video game console of all time, behind its older brother the PlayStation 2. Double win for PlayStation. Nintendo Switch and Xbox One are both tied at this post with 41 million units each. Now that is neither a win nor a loss for either console but personally, I’d expect the Xbox to be slightly more “mainstream” so to speak espcially with access to mainstream franchises like COD, which the Nintendo Switch doesn’t.

No matter which way you look at it, PlayStation’s sales numbers far out way their opponents and whilst more doesn’t always mean better, there are reasons why more people are buying and more importantly sticking with PlayStation.

How can Xbox’s Next Generation Compete?

So, how does Xbox not repeat the same mistakes it made this generation come the 2020 holidays? Well, there are a few things the console itself will have to do and something which will have to happen outside of the hardware.

Early rumors and reports state that the PS5 will be a very powerful machine (Not as powerful as say the Terminator, or Robocop, or the Powerloader from Alines but you get what I mean.) Crushing the current specs of the PS4 Pro. Xbox will simply have to match or better yet beat these stats to compete. Faster loading times, better graphics and storage, the whole lot. I think Microsft is more than capable of this, but the Xbox One’s frankly terrible launch is a mistake that Xbox can not afford to repeat.

Aside from the consoles obvious hardware upgrades, I think Xbox seriously needs to up their exclusive games. Exclusives are THE reason above all others to buy into a PS4 or Nintendo switch. Xbox currently cannot stand up against its competitors when it comes to exclusive games. Better Xbox Exclusives are hopefully on the horizon, espcially after Microsft purchased a boatload of third-party companies to make games exclusively for them. Until Xbox starts producing these exclusives, however, we really won’t know if they can match up to the likes of Sony and Nintendos offerings.

Microsoft has also officially announced they will NOT be working on any “VR” related projects in the future. VR, in particular, is a really tricky topic to discuss. On the one hand, mainstream audiences don’t care because they can’t afford it and so don’t mind missing out anyway. On the other hand, that means Virtual Reality games will stay locked on either PC or PS4, with both having fantastic exclusives to try and persuade you to buy their VR headset.

PlayStation and Nintendo have a wider range of exterior additions to their consoles too whether it be VR and its accessories, various DualShock 4 reskins or even the infamous Classic PS1 they released last year. Nintendo Switch offers stuff like the Ring Fit controller, joy-con reskins or pro controllers. Xbox offers its own accessories in the form of controllers, racing wheels, and their own custom headsets but nothing on the same scale as either Nintendo or Playstation.

Obviously, their main efforts should be focused on the console but in terms of growing the Brand. PlayStation is more than just the PS4. Nintendo is WAY more than just the Switch. Xbox feels like a smaller division of Microsoft and something they need to grow larger than.

It’s also worth noting that Xbox should really try and improve their subscription services. Xbox Games with Gold does not compete with PlayStation’s PS Plus, espcially in terms of free monthly games and extra goodies. Xbox’s ultimate Games Pass is what they want you to buy and based on the selection of games up for grabs, that really is just personal preference.

Based purely off of this console generation’s performance, Xbox is in the roughest position. Both PlayStation and Nintendo have gone from strength to strength this generation whereas Xbox really hasn’t. A strong launch with competitive hardware upgrades to match Sony’s PS5 and more impressive exclusive games could be exactly what Xbox needs in the coming console war.

Huge thanks again go to Robert from Adventure Rules for asking me this question. If you want to see his answer to a question I posed him head over to his page. Like me he talks about video games, only way better so if you like the stuff here you’re bound to enjoy his work.

Let us know you’re thoughts on the upcoming Console war come 2020 either down below or over on my Twitter.

Nioh 2 Release Date Confirmed, Open Beta Live Right Now

Team Ninja have officially announced Nioh 2’s release date as March 13, 2020. If you can’t wait till then, players can get a taste of Nioh 2 in its open beta which is currently live right now.

Nioh 2’s open beta is available right now on the PlayStation Store and will run through to November 10, sitting at 12.51GB. You can either brave the beta solo or party up with friends in two or three-player co-op. Of course, online features will require a PS Plus Subscription.

The Open Beta will give players the chance to experience the game’s new and improved combat system, as well as new weapons like the Switchglaive and an extensive character creator system.

What to Expect

As the beta starts, players get to enter a place called the Interim. The Interim acts as a safe zone where you will be able to choose your weapons and test out the basic moves to get you ready for the real heart of the demo. Players will have two levels and two bosses to defeat (both of which are said to be fairly tough battles). Completing the beta will reward players with The Mark of the Demon Slayer, a reward which unlocks the Kamaitachi Helmet for players to equip when the full game launches.

Team Ninja producer Fumihiko Yasuda stated on the Official PlayStation Blog “I know many of you have been waiting and we thank you for your patience while we worked to set an official date. One of the primary reasons for not rushing to set a launch date was to ensure that we can achieve a “genuine evolution” from Nioh, which to us meant that we needed to bring in fresh new elements while retaining the things that we felt were right from the first game. Although there weren’t enough significant changes in the Alpha, we now feel that we have come much closer to reaching our goals.”

Pre-orders Available Now

For those of you interested in picking up Nioh 2, pre-orders for the game on PS4 are available right now. There’s been no mention of the game coming to PC as of yet but based off the first game I think we can expect Nioh 2 to be making its way over there at some point in the future.

If you’re a newcomer to the franchise you can also catch up in time for Nioh 2 as the original game is free as part of November’s PS Plus lineup. Be sure to stay tuned to GeekVibesNation as we’ll be breaking down the open beta with our first hands-on impressions.

PS Plus Games and Best Deals For September 2019

Sony has officially released the upcoming PS Plus games for September, so it’s about that time again where we sit down and dissect the offerings and, wow, have we got some good freebies coming up. As always there are two titles up for grabs both of which are free to players with an active PS Plus subscription. They can be downloaded as usual on the first Tuesday of the month, September 3rd. Right, with all that out of the way lets dive into this.

Batman: Arkham Knight 

First up this month, we’re joining the caped crusader in his final outing with Batman: Arkham Knight. Initially releasing back in 2015, Arkham Knight was the fourth (and up to now final) installment in Rocksteady’s Arkham franchise. Players of the Arkham series now just how good this game is. Intense beat em up style action makes up the core of the game’s combat but its more than simple button mashing, with quick reflexes and excellent timing needed as well as a whole roster of bat-gadgets at your disposal. There’s also the incredibly cool stealth mechanics Batman makes use of to scare the scum of Gotham’s underbelly and plenty of detective work to be done. This game also allowed players to control the Batmobile, which is basically a full-on bat-tank in this game, but it makes for some really fun moments.

Story-wise, Scarecrow has all but taken over Gotham city after spreading a new and improved fear toxin and whilst Batman is trying to once again save his city, he has his own inner demons to fight. Aside from the main story, there’s plenty of side missions which include many of Batman’s infamous rogue’s gallery, as well as challenge maps, batmobile tracks and of course new game plus so you can play it all over again. Batman Arkham Knight is a must-play for fans of the caped crusader, espcially if you played some of the older Arkham games back in the day.

Batman: Arkham Knight has a Metacritic score of  87 with a user score of 7.8. Heres the trailer for you to check out:

Darksiders III

Our second game this month is Darksiders III a fairly newer game which only released in late 2018. We’re swapping the beat em up mechanics of Arkham Knight for some good old hack and lash action. You play as Fury, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. After a war between the angels and demons, you are sent on a quest to reclaim the 7 deadly sins. The game has some incredibly intricate lore, something fans of the series will know all too well, and combines hack and slash combat with some RPG elements allowing you to upgrade your character’s weapons and gear to help you progress.

Add a couple of boss battles and puzzles into the mix and Darksiders III is definitely a game worth checking out. Darksiders III has a Metacritic score of 64 and a user score of 7.5. Check out the trailer below:

Deal of the Week 

The deal of the week on the PlayStation Store right now is Rainbow Six Siege deluxe edition for only £7.39 at 70% off. An absolute must-buy for people who haven’t picked this one up already.

Some of the deals on PlayStation right now which caught my eye include The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for only £7.39 at 70% off, Batman Return to Arkham is sitting at £12.99 with 62% off, perfect for fans who want to get caught up before playing Arkham knight next month. Bioshock The Collection is only £9.79 which is a fantastic purchase as well as Just Cause 4 which has 67% off and is only £18.14. 

Unfortunately, there aren’t too many games up for sale at the moment which are must-buys but be sure to keep your eye on the store for new deals coming soon.

So that about wraps it up for September’s PS Plus offerings. Will you be suiting up in Batman: Arkham Knight either as a new player or a returning fan? Or does the biblical mythology of Darksider III intrigue you more? let us know down below or over on Twitter.

PS Plus Games and Best Deals For July 2019

Well, here we are again. July is bringing along with it some new PS Plus titles and what a month it is! After what was looking like another lackluster month a last-minute suprise substitution makes July 2019 one of PS plus’ best months so far. Whilst you’ll only see two games on your PS Store there’s actually three titles up for grabs this month as well as plenty of deals and discounts which we’ll be taking a look at! Let’s get into this.

Detroit Become Human: Digital Deluxe Edition 

If you’d have looked at the PS Plus offerings for July last week you may have been a little disappointed to see Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 as the months main game, unless of course, you’re a sports fan. We’ll it appears PlayStation has had a change of heart, as right at the last second the game was replaced with not one, but two games which I think we can all agree are far better offerings. Detroit Become Human: Digital Deluxe Edition which also comes with Heavy Rain.

Detroit Become Human is a futuristic story-driven game which could be described as an interactive movie. Set in the not too distant future you play as three different androids in a world where they want to be treated by humans as equals but society isn’t exactly prepared for that. Its controls are incredibly easy with point and click elements, a light dashing of quick-time events thrown in and plenty of branching dialogue options which fundamentally change how your game is experienced. Detroit has huge replayability, with the game basically begging you to go back and replay certain areas with different choices and it has some genuinely incredible storytelling which is not to be undermined.

Detroit is currently a PlayStation exclusive although it won’t stay that way and received glowing reviews back when it released not even a year ago. It received 78 on Metacritic, with a user score of 8.7 and IGN gave the game an 8 which seems to be the average for its review scores.

Check out the trailer below and let us know if you’re going to be giving it a try.

 

Heavy Rain

We’re not done just yet with Detroit however, with the digital deluxe edition of the game up for grabs PS Plus subscribers also get to play Heavy Rain, another title from Detroit developers Quantic Dream. Heavy Rain is very similar to Detroit Become Human this time however you’re tasked with tracking down a serial killer. Once again your decisions matter and can even result in the permanent death of certain characters. With multiple endings and plenty of replayability, Heavy Rain is definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already. 

Heavy Rain also received 78 on Metacritic with a user score of 8.0, with IGN awarding the game 7.5. Check the trailer out below.

 

Horizon Chase Turbo

Our second game for July is quite a  bit different from our headline title, with Horizon Chase Turbo. A little history lesson for you now, Horizon Chase Turbo seems to be a modern-day recreation of an old arcade classic named Outrun with some retro-style graphics and soundtrack to boot. The game boasts 4-player split-screen as well as a tour mode which takes players all around the world. Honestly, this is an acquired taste. If you’re a fan of racing games and like the cartoonish style then definitely give Horizon Chase Turbo a try.

The game sits at a pretty 77 score on Metacritic with a 7.8 user score and from what I can see player feedback is fairly positive. Check out the trailer below and see what you think.

That wraps it up for this month’s PS Plus games. What are your thoughts on the month’s offerings? Detriot Become Human is a fantastic treat in my opinion espcially paired with Heavy Rain and Horizon Turbo Chase is a nice little extra if your into that sort of thing.

Freebies For Free Games

The PS Plus offerings aren’t quite finished there, however, with a couple of extra goodies for some free-to-play games. There is a Fortnite trails and gilder pack, the same Apex Legends pack as last month and an exclusive free starter pack for Crossout. All worth checking out if you’re a subscriber.

Deal of the Week

This weeks deal of the week is Day Z the Zombie apocalypse survival game which is currently £29.99 with 25% off. 

Mega Discounts

Some of the biggest deals availbe right now for PlayStation players include The Witcher 3 for £7.49 at 70% off, Rage 2 is £31.99 at 36% off. The Doom and Wolfenstein II bundle is only £19.99 with 62% off and Middle Earth: Shadow of War is only £12.49 with a saving of 64%. 

Games Under £13

Some pretty sweet deals in the Games Under £13 deal right now. Rise of the Tomb Raider is only £9.49 with 78% off, Need for Speed and Need for Speed Rivals are both on sale being £4.99 and £6.49 respectively. Unravel is also only £6.49 with 56% off and Unravel 2 is £7.99 at half price. 

What could have been disappointing summer for PS Plus, has actually turned out to be surprisingly decent. What are your thoughts on this month’s offerings? Will you be playing Detroit Become Human over the weekend or are you looking forward to some laid back racing in Horizon Turbo Chase? let us know down below or over on Twitter.

 

Rumor: Death Stranding Release Date Leaked? PS Store Pre-Order Page Revealed

Anticipated Death Stranding fans are eagerly awaiting the games official release but it appears they won’t have to wait as long as they thought with the games release date being leaked slightly early.

Many have been speculating and sharing rumors regarding the game release for a while now with some saying it would release late this year and others suggesting it would be pushed back to 2020. Well, it appears the former were correct with the game looking to release November 8 according to various sources including an official regional PlayStation page which shared the date before quickly removing the post.

The reveal came in the form of a post by the official Taiwanese PlayStation page on Facebook and was screenshotted by Twitter user NanoGuidingStar who later shared it.

@Nibellion @Wario64 @shinobi602 Death Stranding release date just got leaked by official PlayStation Taiwan Facebook account, will launch on Nov 8th, 2019. pic.twitter.com/9psIRPvz90

— NanoGuidingStar (@NanoGuidingStar) May 29, 2019

This has apparently been reaffirmed by an Italian journalist who Tweeted out the same release date only a day prior.

The games unexpected release date seems even more likely with the strange behavings of both Sony and Kojima Productions these last couple of days. Various PS4 players have reported seeing a promotional pre-order page for the game appear in their PlayStation Store. The promotional page, seen below, shows off all the extra goodies you get for pre-ordering the title including a PS4 Dynamic Theme and Avatar, Gold Sam Sunglasses, Gold Armor Plate, Gold Hat and, a Gold Speed skeleton. Certainly, a good way to add some bling to your Death Stranding playthrough.

There has also been an ongoing live stream which started yesterday on PlayStation’s official Twitch. The screen appears to be covered by the ominous black sludge seen in the game’s trailer which is slowly disappearing revealing the same looped video playing in the background. Many believe this will end with a new trailer for the game being shown.

Are you excited for a possible reveal for death Stranding and will it be a game you pick up or even pre-order? Let us know down below or over on Twitter.

 

 

Travis Strikes Again is Making It’s Way to PS4 and PC

The No More Heroe’s hack and slash spin-off, Travis strikes Again will be making its way over to new platforms in the form of PS4 and PC thanks to an announcement by Game Director Suda51 this weekend at the Momocon 2019 event.

We still don’t have an exact date for when Travis Strikes Again will launch on PS4 and PC and its unsure if there will be any changes from the switch version. There is also no news regarding the game coming to the Xbox One. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long for details however with developers Grasshopper Manufacture promising more details to be announced soon.

We just announced that Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes will be coming to PS4 and Steam! Stay tuned for more information!#Momocon2019 pic.twitter.com/6mlDiTOrv8

— SUDA51/須田剛一 (@suda_51) May 25, 2019

If you aren’t a switch player and don’t know much about Travis Strikes Again allow me to fill you in. It takes place seven years after the events of the last No More Heroes game No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle and follows Travis Touchdown who unfortunately finds himself trapped inside a haunted video game console called the Death Drive Mk-II. He must fight his way out of the console hacking and slashing through countless different enemies and through various levels.

The game received fairly mixed reviews at launch with many praising the games artistic style and its standout moments but also saying the game’s combat felt repetitive fast and lacked a real challenge. The game does also feature local co-operative play.

Suda51 has already stated that there be some new No More heroes news coming at this years E3, saying “I hope around E3 time I’ll have something cool to announce”. Maybe some new details regarding Travis Strikes Again moving to new platforms or maybe even an announcement for the next game in the series? Only time will tell.

If you play on PS4 or PC and have never tried Travis Strikes Again does it sound like something you’d be into? Give us your thoughts down below or over on Twitter.

EA Access Is Making Its Way To PS4

EA has officially confirmed that it’s subscription service, EA Access will be making its way to PS4 in July ending it’s Xbox exclusivity.

No exact date has been announced as of yet, but it has been confirmed to be hitting PS4 sometime in July finally allowing PlayStation players to try out the service.  EA executive VP of strategic growth Matt Bilbey stated in a press release; “As we continue to invest in digital and subscription services, bringing our games to even more people across both consoles is an exciting opportunity for everyone. Our goal is to give players more choice to try and play our games wherever and however they choose and we’re happy to bring the service to PlayStation 4.”

In regards to the cost of EA Access on PS4, there will be a monthly charge of $5 / £4 or a much cheaper annual charge of $30 / £20. Half the price of a current PS Plus annual subscription. Being subscribed to the service gives you access, no pun intended, to a vault of EA titles for free including the likes of Star Wars: Battlefront 2, Fifa 18 and many Battlefield titles. Whilst the latest installment Battlefield V isn’t currently available through EA Access it will be later this year.

You are also given a 10% discount on any and all digital EA games, as well as any DLC or in-game purchases. One of EA Access’ most notable features is its 10-hour “Play First Trials” which give players early access to a game before its official launch.

Currently, only one title is set to arrive via the Play First Trials, that being  Madden NFL 20 but you can expect many upcoming EA titles to be on there, most likely Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order and the rumored Titanfall projects that are still being worked on.

This seems like a pretty great decision on EA’s part. Xbox has had EA Access for years and PC has Origin Access so it’s about time PS4 got a little bit of love. £20 a year seems pretty reasonable to me but I want to hear your thoughts. Are you excited for EA Access to hit PS4 in July, and if so will you be subscribing to it? Let us know down below or over on Twitter.

New Details for the Future of Next-Gen PlayStation

Recently Mark Cerny, lead architect, and producer of Sony’s PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita sat down with the guys over at WIRED to talk about Sony’s upcoming next-gen console. Whilst we won’t see it for a while longer the upgrades he talks about are seriously astounding and should have not just PlayStation fans but all gamers excited for the future.

Thanks to the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S this generations cycle has been extended considerably and its set to continue as Sony’s next-gen system won’t be arriving in 2019. When talking with WIRED about the future of Sony’s upcoming console Mark Cerny stated: “The key question, is whether the console adds another layer to the sorts of experiences you already have access to, or if it allows for fundamental changes in what a game can be.” It appears he’s focusing on the latter.

Cerny, similar to the PS4 will be the consoles lead architect and it will have some pretty beefy upgrades from its predecessor. Mainly coming in the form of a more powerful CPU and GPU. This will make previously unreachable graphics a reality and will increase system memory in both size and speed.

Warning technical jargon ahead.

It has an AMD chip at its core, more specifically the third generation of AMD’s Ryzen line which contains eight cores of the company’s new 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture. As for the GPU, it’s a custom variant of Radeon’s Navi family and will support a technique called “ray tracing”. It models the travel of light to replicate extremely complex interactions between light and objects in 3D environments and has been a staple of Hollywood visual effects for years. It is beginning to worm its way into high-end processors, (which are anywhere up to $10,000) but it is unheard of in game consoles. Until now. Ray tracing’s immediate benefits are largely visual. They way it mimics light bouncing from object to object in a scene as well as reflective surfaces and refractions through glass or liquid means it can achieve a level of realism which simply isn’t available on consoles. Not yet anyway.

Cerny stated when asked by possible audio improvements coming with the next console; “As a gamer, it’s been a little bit of a frustration that audio did not change too much between PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. With the next console, the dream is to show how dramatically different the audio experience can be when we apply significant amounts of hardware horsepower to it.”  This will make players feel more immersed than ever and whilst it will not require external hardware it is best experienced through headphones. Obviously.

So whilst all that talk of graphics upgrades and audio improvements is all well and good,  a huge talking point about the new console and one of the PS4 Pro’s best features is increased storage. The question on everyone’s lips is…are SSD’s an option?

Both PlayStation and Xbox offer external SSD’s for better load times but including one in the console is tricky because their so different. Cerny himself told WIRED “I have an SSD in my laptop, and when I want to change from Excel to Word I can wait 15 seconds.”. Sony’s next-gen console is hoping to be more specialized.

This point was proved in a demonstration by Cerny who booted up Marvels Spider-Man on a PS4 Pro and fast traveled across the map. The load time took 15 seconds. He then did the exact same thing on another TV using a dev-kit, (an early low-speed version of the next-gen console). That which took 15 seconds on the PS4 Pro was completed in exactly 0.8 seconds on the early dev-kit. Extremely impressive. As well as impressive loading speeds an SSD can also increase the speed at which a world could be rendered. The next-gen console will also support 8K graphics although many TV’s only support 4K.

The future of gaming is extremely interesting. We have the Google Stadia launching this year, Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox will most likely have cloud gaming, and Sony’s recent announcements for the currently unnamed next-gen PlayStation all sound extremely cool.

It will still be a while until we actually get to see this new console but until then we can sit back and embrace PlayStation in its fourth generation whilst dreaming about what the fifth could bring.