His cargo holding backpack has been hung up for good as the courier Sam Porter (Norman Reedus) as he lives a reclusive existence with baby Lou.

But this peaceful existence isn’t to last. His courier services are required once more.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the United Cities of America are connected via a Chiral network and the prior governing body known as BRIDGES has been decommissioned in favour of AI.

Although unrecognisable gameplay is within two countries, Mexico and Australia.

Eleven months after the first game, Sam is visited by an old ally Fragile. Thinking he was well hidden, for the protection of Lou, Fragile tracks him down and requests he aides her to expand the Chiral network.

He agrees, but only for the safety and wellbeing of Lou.

This new AI, called APAS uses automated vehicles, and this is where Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has some real differences to the first.

No longer can it be labelled a walking simulator, Sam has access to vehicles for faster travel, and trust me, you need fast travel. Your environments are sparse and wide. While you can opt to walk it, and doing so you may meet a few NPCs, friend, foe or in need, as well as a few pick ups, you’re far better to get a ride.

Vehicles offer some customisation too. Being electric their batteries will die out. Need to go longer, faster? Upgrade with a better battery, if you have it. Need some firepower? Add a gun turret.

Sam must face with some very challenging environmental issues too.

At any moment, both procedurally and sporadically weather changes can go wild, with deadly sandstorms that can immerse from seemingly nowhere, earthquakes can disrupt your path ahead. This is an unforgiving and difficult world for a mild mannered delivery guy.

If you played the first Death Stranding you will notice, soon in to play, a much more amped up level of combat. Here you can choose differing ways to take down a foe via stealth, direct, or simply run a different, at times, more difficult path.

Asides from quick thinking in combat choices you also need employ real world logistics and strategy. Consider the path ahead. The terrain, is Sam’s backpack going to slow him down, can he navigate across perilious rocky outcrops without losing balance and falling to his death.

From delivering supplies to encampments and outworld survivors, to rebuilding infrastructures and more, this is one cinematic masterpiece that graphically out does any other current gen title on any platform.

You can lose yourselves for hours, days even, just exploring the higely vast open world.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sees Hideo Kojima once again writing and directing the game. Bringing in present day, real world events, as epic as it is, it could also be seen as a warning to humankind.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a game you need to play and likely the only game I’ll give a full 5 / 5 score this year.

The post Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Review) PlayStation 5 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

With games like Final Fantasy radically shifting their gameplay from the turn based awesomeness it used to have I have been itching for something a bit more old school.

There are plenty of urned based JRPG’s, but the epicness that Final Fantasy consistently achieves with some of that gameplay isn’t something easy to replicate. Well, Kepler Interactive has decided to make their version of a classic JRPG with turned-based battles, a story worthy of the awesomeness of Final Fantasy, and some nice inspiration from Persona.  And it’s excellent.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 kicks off on a dark day. The people on the island of Lumiere spend a day celebrating people of a certain age. That’s because for the last 67 years a strange being on an island in the distance shows a number go down one by one. When that happens, all the people of that age suddenly disappear into a bunch of flower petals. This year all of the people who are 33 die. That’s where the expedition comes in.

Our hero Gustav is 32, and he has to watch his ex die to this strange deity the Paintress. He joins the annual expedition where they send a bunch of people off to this mysterious island to try to stop the Paintress. People have rarely survived, but it’s worth a crack right?  This expedition goes off to the island where they see a mysterious man walk out. Excitement at seeing what appears to be a survivor soon changes as they get massacred by a bunch of magical beings.

What is really surprising is just how good the story is.

The whole premise is dark as hell, but the journey is punctuated with a cast that can be as oddball as they are perfect for each other. Very Final Fantasy, but a bit darker than even that series got.  I knew nothing about the game before jumping into it, and immediately felt that inspiration.  So I wasn’t shocked when I found out the creators were shooting for it.

The gameplay has you running around and exploring areas, with heaps of collectables, and venturing from location to location to further the story. You see enemies out in the open, but when you touch them it cuts away to a classic JRPG battle screen.

Here you have abilities you can use, attacks, items, you know, classic JRPG. One nice kicker though is that when you attack, you have little QTE prompts at times to do more damage which makes it super engaging. Added to this is that when enemies attack you can dodge or counter their attacks if you get your timing wrong. You will quickly find yourself underpowered if you take the hits in the face, but if you get your counters right you can smash the guts out of enemies a lot more powerful than you. Dodging has a nicer hit window, and it takes a lot of practice to start getting counters down, but it is well worth trying to figure out enemy patterns so you can nail those.

There is plenty of depth, from the simple to the complicated. For instance flying enemies can be hit by less attacks, but there is a cool mechanic where you can use your ability points to shoot an enemy. This doesn’t use your turn, but it does burn through your AP. This can be essential to knocking off those flying enemies, but using your AP on other enemies can be much more beneficial.  The more characters you unlock, the more battle styles that open up to you.

If you are getting smoked in battles, grinding is relatively easy. When you use a healing location, enemies regenerate. This means you can heal up, and go smash one of them over and over again. I also love that there is a difficulty setting you change throughout the game. The easier it is, the bigger dodge and counter window you have.  This means early game you can start with it easier, and scale it up as you get better at the timing.

It isn’t all perfect though. One minor, okay, major annoyance, is a lack of quest markers and maps in each location. It is very early Final Fantasy in that way, but man I was getting sick of running around in circles looking for where I was meant to go. The game can also drop the frame rate and jitter a bit at times, even on a PS5 Pro.  Super minor, but a thing nonetheless.

Another quirk that I both love and hate, is that the battle menus are super stylised. This results in it looking cool as hell as it pops up on the screen, but it’s difficult to read from a distance. This meant as I was playing on the couch, I regularly had to get up and read the screen closer, at least until I remembered which abilities were on the menu. It’s a little bit annoying, but it looks so gorgeous.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a fantastic game that is everything I didn’t know I wanted right now. With Final Fantasy on my mind at the moment for reasons outside of video games, it really hit at the exact right time for me to appreciate it as much as it deserves to be. This is a damn fine game that should appeal to classic JRPG fans and make for an interesting potential entry for new fans.

The post Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

We are very much in the market of remasters.

Recently The Last of Us Part 2 released, the epic RPG Oblivion, and here we have a rework of Days Gone, a game that released six years back on PlayStation 4.

Playing out like a Hollywood blockbuster, or a TV series that you never want to miss an episode of, Days Gone places you in the role of Deacon, a biker, member of the ‘Mongrels’, who himself has had a very checkered and colourful path leading up to the outbreak that wiped out humans, turning them in to what is known as ‘Freakers’. An insanely feral zombie like humanoid that will do anything to get to living flesh.

Your play starts out after all of the drama and chaos ensued when the outbreak occurred. Before you is an open world in the back roads of Pacific North West America. Yourself, as Deacon and his best friend Boozer are embarking on many a deadly road trip as mercenaries for hire, taking bounty’s and slowly making their way North.

Of course, nothing really goes to plan. Asides from hordes of ‘Freakers’, Deacon must look out for other humans aswell. A ravaged nation gives birth to sects, groups, small and large camps, survivors ruthlessly doing what they must to continue their existence. Some friendly, some definitely not.

The back story opens up throughout play, and you eventually find out that maybe, just maybe there’s more to the outbreak that spread across the Globe. You also learn more about Deacon. The good, the bad and his lost love.

Resources are scarce, including medical supplies, ammunition and fuel.

Deacon traverses the ‘Freaker’ infected countryside and towns on his bike. The relationship between man and machine is paramount in this game.

You must also continually look for fuel (syphon from abandoned vehicles, steal from camps or find fuel cans by exploring environments), and keep up maintenance on your bike.

Almost like a character of its own, Deacon’s bike can be a needy beast. It will wear down with use and depending on your driving skills, or lack off, and may need more or less maintenance as you forge ahead.

The storyline will update to your play style – and while there is a main story, there is so much to be done on the side.

Days Gone is a game that adheres to how you play and will work the main story in with your in-game activities.

Whatsmore, unlike previous zombie titles, in Days Gone, it’s not only the human population that was afflicted.

Hiding in the wilderness does not mean that you are safe. Infected bears and dogs are also hungry for non-infected humans.

Then there’s the hordes. This is where the chaotic energy of this game comes in as literally hundreds upon hundreds of ‘Freakers’ surge towards you. Each individually animated – pushing eachother, tripping over eachother… in Days Gone, it is okay to run away if you can.

Asides from the rabid dogs and bears there are differing levels to ‘Freakers’ aswell. The most unique are Newts, which appear to be infected children. There’s also a sect known as Rippers. Somewhat transformed, most definitely insane from the apocalyptic-like events that took place.

Days Gone is not a run and gun title. A lot of stealth and strategy will come in to play. More often than not, you will either have no ammo, or be extremely limited – down to your last bullet. Making use of cover, stealth and your environment will get you through. Maybe.

The infected are tuned to listen out for noise. One sound at any given time, could attract a giant horde. Your one bullet that you have in your chamber is not going to go far.

You need to be super resourceful where you can. It’s almost as if the devs at Bend Studio give you just enough, but no more.

Scout around, explore. It’s a large landscape and a lot of goodies to be found. Scrap which can be used for trade or to craft items. Bike parts as and when you need them. Med kits are a necessary. ‘Freaker’ and Newt ears are taken as trophy’s, these too can be used for trade with other NPC’s and in friendly camps.

Days Gone has a very robust RPG element. Your skill points, earned throughout gameplay with varying objectives achieved or completed are used for Deacon upgrades; health, stamina and more. Your bike can and will also take on necessary upgrades aswell.

Crafting weapons and enhancements is super rewarding and will of course give you more of an advantage in-game.

Days Gone shouldn’t be coined as ‘just another zombie’ game. It is a fully engaging story mixed with compelling and challenging survivalist gameplay. It’s original release, and now this remaster I feel is easily overshadowed by the likes of The Last of Us, another zombie-esque game, but Days Gone is unique enough to be in its own class.

This new redo features new modes of play, Horde Assault, Permadeath and Speedrun.

If you never picked up the PlayStation 4 version, now’s the best time to join the biker gang and fight for survival.

The post Days Gone Remastered (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The age of darkness has descended upon the world of DOOM with id Software’s latest chapter in the decades long first person shooter franchise.

With a focus more on combat than the hectic fast paced slaughter we have seen in prior games, DOOM: The Dark Ages is a slower jaunt through hellish planets.

Storywise this is a prequel to 2016’s DOOM and furthers the story of the rise of the Doom Slayer, being the Kingdom’s last hope.

Still retaining the first person play and gore fest that we know and love in this mech-tech / horror crossover you are eqipped with the Gauntlet for some up and close melee, an array of automatic weapons and a few new editions such as the bone firing Skull Crusher and Shield Saw for blocking and long range.

Take downs of larger enemies, especially the ‘Leaders’ offer the opportunity to enact a brutal finisher and the environments (Planets) you find yourself in are mostly free roam.

Kill a ‘Leader’ and reap their essence for vitality upgrades and more.

There’s pick ups everywhere, but to find the real good stuff you need to look out for hidden spots, and most are not easily discovered. But there are secrets everywhere, but nowhere. From Codex, gold, chests through to DOOM collectables and more to be located.

Gold can also be gained from completing Mission Challenges.

Finding Sentinel shrines enable upgrades of armor and weapons. You need gold, rubies or wraithstones to spend

Life sigils are another hidden goodie. These if needed will ressurect you on the spot, without, you’ll restart at the last checkpoint if you’re taken down.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is a solid play, if you don’t spend the time to look around for hidden treasures it can also be a quick playthrough to with 22 chapters in total.

The game also has unlockable cosmetics include unlockable or secret skins for your character and weapons and there’s a Milestones from the main menu where you can track your play.

At the end of each chapter you are given a summary on your exploits. Something Milestones does not do is allow you to warp back to a Planet you have previously finished, to do this, you need to go to Chapter Select so us completists can revisit an area to find hidden secrets that were missed.

In all DOOM: The Dark Ages gives us the demon filled, blood-lust that we love from the DOOM games, but it paces itself without the chaos and plays out like a satisfying mech, tech, hellish gore fest.

The post Doom: The Dark Ages (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Indie has swung back in to the realm of video gaming in one epic adventure from Bethesda.

The once exclusive to Xbox and PC, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has now released on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.

The first person action see’s a classic (and young Harrison Ford) taking moments from the classic trilogy of films, intertwining these with a new storyline.

It’s 1937 and Indiana Jones is on a mission to prevent the power of the ‘Great Circle’ from falling into the hands of those that would use it for no good.

From China to Egypt, Vatican City and Thailand the sites in these nations combined result in the ‘perfect circle’ when viewed on a map.

The Professor and Archaeologist, Indiana (or Indie) must leave the classroom and keep these powers safe from evil.

Graphically Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is stunningly detailed. Gameplay, while first person breaks off into third person moments as FMV sequences kick in. Depending on the moment, especially if it is a high adrenaline action play, this can be a bit jarring at times.

Your environment is mostly linear, that said, in moments where you have more free roam, it definitely pays to explore. Being the astute archaeologist, there’s many items to be discovered such as Adventure Books which serve as a boost.

These give you Adventure Points which can be earned via differing objectives.

Combat sees you having a punch out, using your signature whip both as a weapon and a tool, and where applicable make use of stealth take downs. There is usually environmental objects to be found. These can be used as a weapon, but they aren’t the sturdiest and will usually break after a short time.

You also have a revolver, but finding ammo is a challenge in itself.

But you can’t pummel an enemy for hours, Indie has a stamina bar. So, if you find yourself in a heated fisticuff, pace yourself. Indie’s signature hat serves as a lifeline.

NPC’s that you come across have their own side gigs that they will need your help with.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is near-to another chapter in the cinematic trilogy of films while you snap photo’s, solve ancient puzzles and take down enemies who want to wield the power of the ‘Great Circle’ for nefarious reasons.

A blockbuster sized play-through and for the sheer adventure, I recommend, and for the players who tend to stray away for first person titles – there’s some serious adventure and action to be had.

The post Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

You are a Blader, called Arrisa.

Before you is the last city, Havenswell, in ruins and overrun by the Necros.

The story picks up after the collapse of an artificial ecosystem. Soon after this occured natural disasters and wars raged and any civilization was wiped out. As the centuries passed a strange substance known as the Mud spread everywhere as terrifying monstrosities emerged and took over the now volatile and destroyed world.

Not only must you save this last city and uncover the mystery that caused the collapse, you will also discover the truth about yourself, the Bladers’ origin.

With AI Limit, likely the first thing you will notice is that the controls are unconventional. Don’t expect to be button mashing here. as R1 and R2 are light and heavy attack for melee.

Graphically SenseGames has done a beautiful anime character style in a gritty, dark dystopian world.

There are a lot of pick ups to be found,  some items can be traded with merchants, others are consumable and can be assigned to hotkeys. Mud balls tend to be the most commonly found and you definitely need them, these are energy and a life-line during a tricky moment.

Combat is based around energy. You need power to do powerful damage. The less energy you have the less deadly you can be.

Low energy doesn’t stop you from taking down an enemy but it may take longer to do so, and if you’re up against a particularly hard to kill foe, you’ll be in trouble for sure.

From monsters to mech, it’s okay to avoid an enemy that is going to take a lot to take down and come back once your weapon skill is higher.

Upping your weapon skill does cost Mud, your energy which is also defined in-game as your sync rate.
Sync rate fluctuates wildly during play but it’s super important as this determines survival and combat strength, and in a way your defense too.

Basically it goes like this, there’s multiple levels of sync rate, this is tied into your Mud energy. The lower your energy the weaker you are and if your sync rate goes down to zero, you’re in trouble.

Try and take on an enemy without the necessary skill level and you’ll feel as though AI Limit is a souls-like game.

Fusing melee combat with magic, weapons and spells can be found in the Equipment menu. You can also add a secondary weapon and like any good RPG swap out your wardrobe for better defense attire. And all items have stats.

AI Limit can be punishing if you just try to hack and slash. Be strategic with your fighting, run, evade and avoid a confrontation if you have to.

A challenging game that gives satisfaction in play, especially when you’re able to take down larger enemies that caused you grief earlier AI Limit is an indie game with Triple AAA gameplay and visuals and definitely a must play for those that love a challenging RPG.

The post AI Limit (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

2K’s WWE franchise returns in its usual bombastic style with WWE 2K25.

But beneath the showmanship of the “sports entertainment” branding, beats the heart of a very real and very polished fighting game.

I am about as far away from the usual demographic that WWE caters for. The set-ups, the cheeky taps the smashed tables and chairs all make my eyes roll back into my head. But WWE was reality TV before there was reality TV, offering fans excitement, drama and massive personalities in its superstar rivalries.

It’s been a couple of years since I last played a WWE 2K game. Even then I noticed the graphic advances being able to better showcase the look and feel of WWE, beyond the TV clips and videos. WWE 2K25 brings the contests to life.

The game has a ridiculous number of modes. Pretty much everything you see in real-world WWE has been shoehorned into the game. Be it Smackdown or Raw, or the up-and-coming superstars of NXT, you’ll find all the competitions in the game.

The game casts aside any notion that the WWE is choreographed theatre. Via a seemingly unending series of events and fight types, players enter the wrestling ring to engage in combat that doesn’t appear to have any rules whatsoever. The third-person bouts seem simplistic at first, but under the hood, WWE 2K25 is a full-on fighting game.

The game is easy to pick up, but surprisingly hard to master. With many of the moves requiring chained combos, there are loads of button combinations to remember. The four main moves are light and heavy attacks, grab and counter. Once an opponent connects, the only way to escape a potential barrage of attacks is to initiate a perfectly timed counter.

Light attacks will stun an opponent, whilst heavy attacks will deal damage. Each attack has four combinations matching the left stick direction, whilst running attacks can be used to clothesline your opponent.  Grabs can be chained for an Irish whip sending opponents into the ropes or start lifts that you can use to throw your opponent to the ground.

There are hundreds of combinations that enable players to duplicate some brutal moves on their opponents. Thankfully there is a tutorial section (the performance centre) that explains how to get the most out of your superstars. Whilst the tutorials are a lot of fun (and enable you to beat the crap out of your opponents) some of the more complex moves are not that well explained.

In playing the fights straight and with ever increasingly realistic graphics, WWE 2K25 is starting to stray into a bit of a grey area. Whereas family-friending WWE shows are as much about storylines, drama and showmanship, the game comes across as pretty bloody brutal at times. Superstars pummel each other without any hint that it is choreographed. It looks real.

This is exacerbated by the inclusion of intergender fights. Whilst female WWE superstars can hold their own against their male counterparts, watching The Rock pound Rhea Ripley’s face with a chair, doesn’t quite sit well with me.

As well as being a bona fide fighting game in its own right, WWE 2K25 is a full WWE show simulator. Players can set up their own shows, with their own fight lineups, rules and venues. The level of customisation is incredible you can make new superstars, and customise their fight attire, entrance attire, their branding, stats, animations and attitude.

The shows themselves, from the lighting, the screens, the arena, the crowd, and even the signs can be fine-tuned. The game comes with a comprehensive toolkit for creators to make a unique experience. And all of this duplicates the polish and glamour of the real live WWE. It really is something special.

The whole presentation is absolutely stunning. The graphics are the best ever in a WWE game, but these are now complemented by such fluid animations that make the game come alive. The action looks like a real WWE fight with moves and combo flowing seamlessly into one another.

Aside from the individual fights, the MyRise story campaign, 2K Showcase: The Bloodline Dynasty, MyGM, the EA ultimate team-styled MyFaction, WWE Universe and The Island all offer different ways to play. And, of course, there are local and online multiplayer modes as well.

If you are into the drama of WWE, MyRise puts players at the heart of the story as you work your way up through the WWE ranks. The Bloodline Dynasty follows the dominance of the extended Anoa’i family through WWE as told by “The Wiseman” Paul Heyman. You can complete challenges that follow the legendary real-life battles featuring the likes of Hulk Hogan and The Rock (as Rocky Maivia) or create your version of events.

MyFaction is the game’s microtransaction pay-to-play mode. It IS fun, but that’s the intent- to get you to buy booster card packs to power up your factions to progress the game. Building your team and playing shows places players right in the drama, in a customisable experience were anything goes (as long as you have the booster cards).

WWE Universe replicates the WWE show experience in the game. Players can play through a whole calendar of shows from Monday night RAW to special weekend tournaments.

The Island is an online social space where players can meet and fight or matchmake with others. There are opportunities and challenges as well as merch shops to buy accessories for your superstar.

For a franchise that is perhaps aided at a more younger audience than other fighting games (it is an M in Australia, compared to UFC 5’s MA 15+), WWE 2K25, is pushing it a bit. The violence, the microtransactions and the high cost of the top-end versions of the game mean it walks a fine line. On the other hand, it gives the game an appeal that is wider than its main fan base.

Whilst I’ve enjoyed playing WWE games in the past, this is the first one that really hooked me. The realistic animations, the gritty brawling and the outlandish moves absolutely captivated me. The opportunities to customise and make my own superstars only engrossed me more. It was such a hard game to put down.

WWE 2K25 is a breakout entry in the long-running franchise that sees an almost pixel-perfect representation of the sport in a game. Masses of content, a stunning attention to detail that draws on the history and legacy of WWE should appeal to old fans, new fans and anyone who enjoys a great fighting game.

The post WWE 2K25 (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

We have spent four glorious years with the current gen of consoles, and with some games starting to creak around the edges a bit, an upgrade was inevitable.

And the console that needs that upgrade the most is the Nintendo Switch, but that isn’t the machine I am talking about. Instead what we have is the shiny new PS5, aptly called the PlayStation 5 Pro.

So what’s in the box?

The box is loaded with the shiny new PS5 Pro, a Dual Sense controller, and all the cables. What it doesn’t come with is a vertical stand, or any stand for that matter, or a disc drive. Initially with the high price I was expecting these which is unfortunate.

The good news is while there isn’t a model with the disc drive, you can add a disc drive yourself. The disc drive is the same model that was used for the PS5 Digital. It sells out fast so keep your eye out, but don’t pay the gouging prices on online auction websites, they will come back into stock.

When you compare the original PS5 prices, the digital edition was the lowest of course with the disc version being the more expensive, until now, so this is at least consistent. The big benefit with Sony doing it this way is you don’t have to worry about only one console version being available and having to buy a disc version you don’t want, or buy a digital version and wanting that disc drive. You can buy this, then get the disc drive when you’re ready. The challenge, especially when comparing to those original prices, is the PlayStation 5 Pro price tag is very steep.

What about style?

The console certainly has a look. I have always thought the PS5 was an ugly console, but the PS5 Slim made it way tidier by reducing the collars that were sticking out the top. The PS5 Pro has a similar style to the PS5 Slim, but with slightly bigger fins on the side.

When it comes to physical size it is bigger than the Slim, but smaller than the original PS5. So it is pretty dang sleek for a PS5. I still wouldn’t say I love the design, but it’s way tidier than the original.

So, what are you getting for the price?

Obviously the price point here is quite steep. So, what are you getting here?

The first thing is it is rocking a similar SSD to the original but it’s 2TB which is a decent step up. The real money is in the GPU though. The GPU has a way bigger 16.7 teraflops which is a huge jump over the 10.3 teraflops in the original. This and some other on board improvements allows for the big change which is PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution).

PSSR is essentially an AI system that upscales images being broadcast onto the TV. This is expected to get the images up to 4K without putting all the strain on the hardware. It should be able to hit higher eventually, apparently 8k with a lower FPS. Given the power of most TV’s, this is unlikely to be an issue any time soon.

So in essence, all the money has gone into the graphics. This may sound like a bad thing, but given how well games perform on the PS5, the main issue will be graphics related. If your game is jittering, or bouncing around, it’s more than likely to be the power of the graphics card. With the new upgrade, a bunch of games offer performance, graphics, or balanced options. In many situations performance gets the games to a consistent 60 FPS and the games look better than the graphics modes on the PS5. Each of these potential options come down to how they have been set up in the game, but generally you get at least a couple of options.

How do the games look?

Naturally I had to take these for a spin. The first game I took for a spin was Spiderman 2.

That game looked amazing and performed well before, so I wasn’t expecting a change. The biggest change is scenery in the background. Buildings and stuff look way more detailed at distance. This isn’t exactly a game changer, but it looks nice.

Gran Turismo 7 on the other hand looks bloody stunning. For some real perspective I played it for a few hours and then went back to my OG PS5 and the detail and quality looks almost night and day. Again, GT7 looks amazing on PS5, so you aren’t missing that much, but it looks just that little more gorgeous on PS5 Pro.

The real challenge to test are games that were struggling on PS5, and there aren’t many of those. Metaphor: ReFantazio for example supposedly had real frame rate issues on the OG PS5, which from anecdotes I have heard from others are sorted on the Pro. Baldur’s Gate 3 on the other hand ran perfectly decent on PS5, but I booted that up and there is a clear improvement on PS5 Pro. It looks and runs so much smoother.

There are some games that are reported to have some issues. I have heard issues with the Dragon Age, Dragon’s Dogma, and more where they can have some graphical or performance issues. I don’t have any of these so couldn’t test myself, but imagine they should be patched and fixed quickly.

Should you get one?

This is a tough one. There is a noticeable bump in the smoothness and graphics of games, and that extra storage is really sweet. The issue is that it is very expensive and the bump isn’t massive. If money isn’t an issue for you, then yea it’s great.

If you are looking to buy your first PS5, or your old PS5 is broken, then I would absolutely recommend buying it. But is there enough to justify it if funds are tighter to upgrade a working PS5 or Slim? For me, probably not when I could grab 12 brand new games to run on the excellent OG PS5.

While not an essential buy, the PlayStation 5 Pro is an amazing console, and well worth the cash if you have it.

The post PlayStation 5 Pro Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The post-apocalyptic Horizon Zero Dawn, first released back in 2017 gets its second PC edition, this time remastered to the same level as the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West.

It seems all I’ve been playing lately is remastered and revamped games: Silent Hill 2, Until Dawn, and most recently, Red Dead Redemption on PC. All the games look stunning on current-gen equipment, but so did their last “upgrade.”

Every one of these titles, including the nearly fifteen-year-old Red Dead Redemption, has had some sort of polish-up in the years since their initial release. But to be fair, it is a testament to modern games that they have reached a point whereby the quality has become almost timeless, like movies. They may need some tweaks to sort out technical limitations and the expectations of a modern audience, but the hearts of these games are so strong that to a newcomer these ARE new games.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered takes the original game, previously polished up as the “Complete” edition and gives it a further shine. But this is not just a simple texture and lighting upgrade.  Character models and animations have been updated, as well as new dialogue. The comparatively wooden performances during cut scenes have been replaced with more natural head movements and hand gestures. The lead character, Aloy, even has peach fuzz hair on her face. These additions, for the most part, bring the game in line with Horizon Forbidden West. This new edition also includes the original’s DLC, Frozen Wilds.

If you’ve never played Horizon Zero Dawn before, you are in for a treat as this is the definitive version of a truly remarkable game. PC players probably get the best deal with DLSS, uncompromising 4K visuals and ultra widescreen monitor support. PlayStation 5 Pro owners are not far behind with performance pro and resolution pro modes. The resolution pro mode delivers PS5 Pro visuals that look more like a Hollywood animated movie than a video game.

The developer, Guerilla Games, previously renowned for its Killzone games, has referred to Horizon as being post-post-apocalyptic. The game world is set long after the fall of technologically advanced civilisation. Cities have crumbled, ancient objects have been repurposed, and their original use has long been forgotten. The old ones’ technology and knowledge have been lost to the mists of time.

The game places players in control of Aloy, a Nora brave. Cast out by the tribe as a baby, she was brought up by another outcast, the warrior Rost. As a young girl, Aloy finds an ancient device, a focus, which projects an augmented reality display that only Aloy can see. Her focus device aids her after a sequence of events sets her on a path to find out the truth behind her origin and secure the fate of the world.

Horizon Zero Dawn does a great job of world-building, layering mysteries that draw you into the game. Aloy’s world is breathtakingly beautiful and extremely dangerous. It feels alive, with a scattering of tribes, who use only basic tools, contrasted with the variety of robotic animals, some hostile, others skittish roaming the landscape.

The game errs towards that of a third-person action role-playing game with crafting, climbing and combat being the important parts of the game. None of this is too complex, giving the game a lighter, more accessible feel that may put off the more hard-core but opens it up to those who would sooner not be overwhelmed.

It is a narrative game, the story driving the player via a series of missions across a huge map. Side missions offer distractions that further flesh out the Aloys world. There’s also fun to be had hunting, either the natural fauna or the mechanical beasts.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered plays every bit as well as it did when it first came out. The upgrades put it on par with a freshly minted title, with a slick presentation every bit as good as any new AAA game.

Whilst I think there are still good reasons to play the game if you’ve played the 2017 original and/or the 2020 PC Complete Edition, your mileage will vary. It depends on how much you liked the game the first time around. Everyone else, you owe it to yourself to play this great game.

The post Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (PC / PS5 Pro) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Where did the time go? Almost 10 years back a Triple AAA PlayStation exclusive released that fused a cinematic-like horror with player decisions.

That game was Until Dawn.

If you survived the first round on PlayStation 4, you can jump back in this remaster, now on PlayStation 5.

The story begins with a cliche but still entertaining horror trope, a group of friends staying at a Blackwood Pine lodge on Mount Washington, British Columbia for their annual winter vacation. The lodge is owned by the parents of Josh and his sisters Hannah and Beth. A spiteful joke goes wrong and an upset and embarrassed Hannah runs into the dark wood, with her sister chasing after her. They are never seen again.

After one year the group meet up at the isolated lodge once more to remember their missing friends. It’s not long before they find themselves hunted by a twisted psycho and fighting for their lives. But there seems to be more at play, and a mystery going back over fifty years.

At time specific times you take control of all eight of the main characters, which is set over one night.

Gameplay is fluid but it’s a slow pace as each character has their own individual thing going on and their own select horror experience.

As Until Dawn plays like a horror film you can expect a lot of cut-scenes throughout, there are a lot of cut-scenes broken up with decisions that you need to make, which ultimately result in the fate of that character, and the entire narrative.

Every decision you make has consequences. This keeps Until Dawn near-to fresh on every play-through.

This remastered version has been graphically retooled from the ground up, making your on-screen visual experience all that more real, surreal and for some, horrific.

The facial animation is on point, the very stiff and clunky character movement we saw in the original version is now more natural.

From the dark and foreboding environments through to in-play to cut-scene transitions, this is the Until Dawn version you should play, providing you can survive the night.

The post Until Dawn Remaster (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.