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PS5 Pro rumoured to be in development with a possible launch in late 2024.
Exciting Rumours.
There is a PS4 Pro. So, it wouldn’t it make logical sense for there to be a PS5 Pro?
The rumour of a PS5 Pro launching in late 2024 comes from insider Tom Henderson. He is the same person behind the PS5 detachable disc drive rumour and has a good track record overall when it comes to leaks.
I can say that even though the current PS5 is very powerful, there definitely is room for improvement. The current PS5 has to rely on upscaling techniques and dynamic resolution to actually get close to 4K at 60 FPS in numerous modern titles. Sometimes, the console is just way off 4K, 60 FPS. Many of the most demanding titles run closer to 2K at 60 FPS, or even 1080p at 60 FPS and this without is Ray-Tracing.
Dead Space Remake and Wild Hearts both target 1080p at 60 FPS on PS5. That is only 25% of 4K. That isn’t ideal when many people have 4K TV’s these days and the PS5 Pro could help to rectify this somewhat with even more processing power.
The PS5 Pro would be yet another big step up. It would make it FAR easier to get modern games to run at native 4K 60FPS. In addition, Ray-Tracing at 60 FPS would become far more viable than it currently is.
Realistically, I would expect the PS5 Pro to be at least twice as powerful as the base PS5 if it were to launch in 2024. Maybe 2.5 times more powerful when looking at the power difference between the base PS4 and PS4 Pro.
Would I consider getting a PS5 Pro? Maybe, but also maybe not. If the base PS5 was starting to have difficulties running the latest games at 60 FPS and was dropping to 1080p 30 FPS, then probably. Otherwise, if it was still able to run most games in at least 1080p 60 FPS, I would likely stick with the base system.
Should YOU consider getting a PS5 Pro? If you can afford it and you want the best experience possible, than I don’t see why not. Otherwise, the previously rumoured PS5 with a detachable disc seems like a very viable alternative.
Regardless, the PS5 Pro would allow for ray-tracing to be better implemented and for RT enabled games to run at much higher framerates and resolutions. It would also allow consoles to better keep up with the latest gaming PC’s.
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Full Review of ‘Defend The Rook’ for PS4
“It’s game mechanics are complex and there is plenty of depth to them.”
Defend The Rook is roguelike strategy game with tower defence elements. It was first released in 2021 and is already available on both the Switch and PC. The game is out on PlayStation and Xbox this month. In this review, I am covering the PS4 version of this title.
Gameplay
Defend the Rook has 5 main stages. These levels are composed are multiple stages and waves of enemies. It is necessary to defeat all of them by using, not only your heroes, but also towers, traps and other assets that the game gives you all while defending the rook. I was impressed with the overall complexity of the battle system. There are many ways defeat your foes and advance through the game. After the end of each wave, you also get powerups for your main heroes, further adding to the complexity of the game’s mechanics. I did have a lot of fun planning what moves to take next and it was rewarding when I managed to progress. As you get further into the game, the enemies increase in power but you have the opportunity to enhance your towers and traps as you progress in between the stages. I really appreciated the added element of towers and traps as it makes the title stand out more from classic roguelike, turned based games. It is also worth mentioning that the game also has a very in-depth tutorial. It progressively introduces you to all the towers, traps and spells and is something I welcomed very much when playing for the first time.
Premise
The main premise of the game is that you (The Magister) have been hired by the gold clad-queen Jezebel to stop some kind of awful event that she fears may come to be. The plot is quite basic and I would have enjoyed there being more story elements throughout the game. Nevertheless, I feel that what this game lacks in story, it makes up for with the entertaining gameplay.
Graphics
The visual style of the game is appealing overall. It seems to run flawlessly and the graphics look crisp and pleasing to the eye. I had no real complaints concerning this aspect of the game.
Verdict
Defend the Rook is a entertaining title and I would definitely recommend it to fans of roguelike, strategy games. It’s game mechanics are complex and there is plenty of depth to them. This makes for a rewarding experience overall, and one that remains worth checking out despite the fairly basic story and the, at times, unnatural controls on console. Lastly, the addition of tower defence elements really helped it to stand out from the crowd. This along with the the gameplay in general left me with a largely positive impression.
Final Score = 8.0/10
Thanks go to Klabater for providing me with a review copy of this game.
The Video Review can be found below
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Steam Hardware Survey Results for February 2023.
Another month means another new set of statistics and percentages to examine in the Steam Hardware Survey. In this post, I will outline the most common computer components as well as those that have seen the biggest gains in popularity since the month before.
System RAM
Most Popular = 16 GB at 52.71% of users (+0.97%).
Biggest Gain = 32 GB at 15.20% of users (+1.36%)
Physical CPUs
Most Popular and Biggest Gain = 6 at 33.24% of users (+1.34%)
GPU
Most Popular = GTX 1650 at 5.92% of users (-0.12%)
Biggest Gain = RTX 3060 at 4.21% of users (+0.67%)
VRAM
Most Popular = 8 GB at 28.04% of users (+0.97%)
Biggest Gain = 12 GB at 10.05% of users (+1.37%)
Primary Desktop Resolution
Most Popular = 1920 x 1080 at 64.60% of users (-0.23%)
Biggest Gain = 2560 x 1440 at 12.33% of users (+1.27%)
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Full Review of Iris and The Giant (PS4/PS5)
The Iris and the Giant is a roguelike role-playing strategy game developed by Louis Rigaud. It was originally released for the Switch and PC in 2020 and has now made its way to all the current and last gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles. My time with this title has been very positive overall. It has a deep and meaningful story perfectly complimented by it’s engaging and addictive card-based gameplay that keeps you coming back for more.
Story and Presentation
The story revolves around a girl named Iris who has to fight her way through an imaginary world representing her inner demons. Throughout the game, you will gradually unlock more and more cutscenes showing the issues that Iris is experiencing in the real-world. Serious themes such as bullying are depicted and the game does well to bring attention to them during the plot. In terms of the presentation, the menus were easy to navigate and I really appreciated the overall visual style of the game.
Gameplay Mechanics
Fundamentally, this is a card-based strategy RPG. You have a limited number of cards and it is game over if you run out. These cards give you a variety of different abilities and you will gain many new ones as you progress. At first, I struggled to get far in the game and I kept finding myself short of cards. However, it soon became much easier to accumulate a larger number of them once I started to develop more of a strategy. Strategy is one of key strong points of this game as a whole. There are multiple different ways you can go about defeating enemies and progressing through the levels and once you reach the later floors the game shakes things up yet again with many new types of foe. Once you die, you have to start from the beginning BUT you are able to unlock new abilities yourself by finding memory tokens and by collecting stars during your runs. As a result, you will find that your battle options expand as you progress through the game, better equipping you to take on the harder adversaries. Overall, I found the gameplay fun, rewarding and addictive. I constantly found myself wanting to do another playthrough from the beginning with the new skills I have unlocked in the hope of getting further than before. The only small gripe I had was the potential for it to get too repetitive at times. However, this was soon offset once I started to unlock more powers and get progress further through the levels.
Graphics and Performance
The game has a very appealing visual style. The graphics were pleasing to the eye throughout. The game goes for an isometric 3D layout during battle along with 2D sprites. Overall, it looked great in motion and animations for the sprites were fluid. In terms of performance, there were no issues to report on the platform I played for which is the PS5. It seems well optimised for console overall.
Verdict
Iris of the Giant is a true gem and I am happy to have had the opportunity to play and review this title. It is a visually pleasing game with a deep and meaningful story that keeps you coming back for more until you reach the end. At the same time, the combat mechanics provided much room for strategy and planning giving this game an impressive amount of depth. Although at times, it can seem repetitive and difficult, above all at the start, the gameplay experience is truly rewarding and addictive once you get a bit further into it.
This is an title that undeniably deserved more attention than it initially received upon release and I would definitely recommend it.
Score = 9.0 out of 10
Massive Thanks go to Klabater for the free review copy of this game.
My video review of the game can be found below
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Major Video Game Releases for March 2023
In this post, I will summarise some of the main releases to look forwards to as February comes to an end.
03/03/23 – Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, PC) developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo. This is an upcoming action-role playing game made by the same company behind the popular Nioh franchise. You play as a soldier fighting in a fantasy version of the Three Kingdoms Period. The demo for this title was recently released and I highly recommend you to check it out if this title peaks your interest.
09/03/23 – Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (NS, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX, PC) developed by Tecmo, Nintendo SPD and Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Koei Tecmo. This is a survival horror game and serves as a remaster of the original 2008 game on the Wii. This is the first time that the game will be released in the West. The main story involves exploring a variety of different locations with multiple characters all while defeating spirits with an item called the Camera obscura.
21/03/23 – Tchia (PS4, PS5, PC) developed by Awaceb and published by Awaceb and Kepler Interactive. This is an upcoming action adventure title involving a girl called Tchia who must explore an island heavily based on New Caledonia in search of her missing father. This game looks very pretty and will be available for *free* on release for those with a PS Plus Extra subscription.
24/03/23 – Resident Evil 4 (PS4, PS5, XBX/S, PC) developed and published by Capcom. This is an upcoming survival horror game and serves as a remake of the 2005 game of the same name. You play as government special agent Leon. S. Kennedy who is tasked with saving the president’s daughter Ashley. This is one of the most influential games of all time and received critical acclaim upon it’s original release. As a result, the remake is very highly anticipated and is a title certainly not to miss for fans of Survival horror>
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Full Review of Lost Judgment
Lost Judgment is one of the latest titles by the studio Ryu Ga Gotoku and is a spin-off of the Yakuza video game series. It also serves as a sequel to 2019’s Judgment. This is a game that attempts to tackle a lot of sensitive topics including bullying, sexual assault and suicide. Overall, it could have done better in the way it addresses these topics, but despite this, I still have a lot of fun with the game thanks to it’s strong cast of characters and great battle mechanics.
Story
As eluded to above, the story centres around the theme of school bullying. The game has many twists and turns and it was unique among Ryu Ga Gotoku games in that part of it included infiltrating and doing detective work at a school. On the side mission, you could also join lots of different school clubs. It was overall an engaging experience. The only complaints I had were the way in which it tackled some of the more sensitive themes. In addition, I felt that it could have done better to tie up loose ends once it came to its conclusion. Nevertheless, the story was still enjoyable for the most part and some of it’s themes really resonated with me, making it a game I probably won’t forget in a rush.
Gameplay
The gameplay is varied and was one of the strong points, in my opinion. The action battle system felt sleek and intuitive and I appreciated the multiple battle styles as has also been seen in previous Yakuza games. I became mostly used to the Tiger and Crane battle styles. It was satisfying and rewarding until the end to defeat enemies with them. The ability to pick up and use weapons and to perform EX commands was also a highlight to the battle experience. This is then topped off with the skill system allowing you to learn new abilities and upgrade your health and attack amongst other things. Overall, I have few complaints and, if anything, this was one of the best action battle systems I have experienced from a Ryu Ga Gotoku title.
Performance and Visuals
I have nothing bad to say concerning the performance. I was playing on PS5 in the 60 FPS performance mode. There were few frame rate drops and it runs at a locked 1440p. The visuals were also quite impressive. It runs on the Dragon Engine and the game was very much on par with recent titles in the series from a visual standpoint.
Verdict
Lost Judgment was a unique and engaging experience from start to finish. The story was meaningful and kept me interested throughout the entirety of the game. Having said that, certain themes and certain loose ends could have been better addressed, but overall, I still found Lost Judgment to be another entertaining title from Ryu Ga Gotoku with a plot that mostly hit the mark. From the battle system, to the side content, to the visuals, there was a lot to love outside of the story, and as a result, my final judgment is that of a largely positive one. I would happily recommend this game to any fans of JRPG’s/Action Games.
8.5/10
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First Impressions on the Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Demo
The final demo for the highly anticipated title Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty launched demo and my time with the game has been overall positive as far.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an action role-playing title developed by Team Ninja. This is the same company behind the popular Nioh franchise, a series of games with which this title has much in common.
In terms of the gameplay, I was impressed by the depth and complexity of the battle system. It had everything I expected from a Team Ninja game. The controls felt fluid and intuitive. In addition, it was easy to grasp and pick up the basics without being too overwhelming. Before long, I had already become more used to blocking, parrying and dodging in order to maximise my chances of survival. Every time I put what I had learned to use in order to defeat the enemies, it was a very rewarding and fun experience overall.
The performance was another strong part to the game. I played on the PS5 on performance mode. It seemed to stick to a solid 60 FPS and so I have no real complaints in this department. It was a smooth experience from start to finish in the demo.
Next, I was also impressed with the overall presentation and cinematic introduction to the game. It set up the basic story well and had me wanting to see what was going to happen next.
The only real drawback I have to this game is that it’s overall could be intimidating for some. I found the final boss of this demo alone quite challenging, especially once the second form showed itself. Nevertheless, the demo was impressive and left me wanting to experience more of what this game has to offer. I very much look forward to the full release of this title.
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Review of Hogwarts Legacy
“A captivating adventure in the world of Hogwarts that it absolutely worth your time and attention.”
Hogwarts Legacy is out and after having played through the majority of it’s 25 hour or so long campaign, I can say that it is a captivating and immersive adventure. It gets a lot of things right and the positives overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives. From the strong combat system, to the ability to craft potions and learn a variety of spells to the multitude of side missions to be found, the game offers an impressive amount of depth that should keep you entertaining and engaged in this world for quite some time.
Story and Quests
The story of Hogwarts Legacy takes place in the late 19th century and revolves around a Goblin rebellion. The overall setting of the game is intriguing and the main missions generally do well in telling a unique plot that really comes together towards the end of the game. The game did just enough to keep me engaged all the way through while wondering what was going to happen next. Outside of the main missions, there are plenty of other activities to fill your time with. Numerous side missions can be found all around the map. They vary quite a bit in content and were, for the most part, fun to play through rather than feeling tedious or repetitive. There are also relationship quests and these are worth playing in that they include substories of their own allowing you to get to know some of the other students better and to even learn new spells. I feel like the main story had some pacing issues at certain points, but it was still more than engaging enough to keep me motivated to finish it.
Combat
The combat is one of my favourite parts of Hogwarts Legacy. Throughout the adventure you will learn numerous different spells including one’s designed to be used in battle. You can assign spells to different input buttons, and you will gain a fairly large variety at your disposal as you progress through the story and side missions. In addition, you have a basic attack that you have use at any time. This system never felt overwhelming or complicated and there are multiple difficulty modes allowing you to tailor the combat to your liking. For example, on easy mode, the game will give you a prompt and an input window when about to be attacked allowing you to block more easily. I played through most of the game on Normal mode, and found combat to be tense, action-packed and exciting and it never felt boring, especially as I progressed through the story thanks to all the different means available to help me dispatch the enemies.
Exploration
The exploration was another one of the my favourite parts to the game. Not long after attending flying lessons, it becomes possible to traverse the map on a broomstick. You can customise it and use it to reach explore the areas outside of Hogwarts with relative ease. It addition, you can easily fast travel after reaching points of the map with a floo flame. The experience of flying on a broomstick felt unique and the world of Hogwarts was a marvel to glance upon. It was another highlight of my time with this game and it truly felt like a magical experience.
Performance
The technical performance of the game was mostly fine across the board in my time. I played it on PS5 with the 60 FPS performance mode enabled. Throughout most of my adventure, the frame rate seemed very consistent aside from a few late game encounters with a particularly large amount of enemies. However, there were instances of a type of ghosting effect in open world areas when I quickly panned the camera. I can only assume that this was due to FSR implementation. It was a little distracting at times, but not a major issue. Apart from that, there were occasional stutters and loading times when running quickly between areas of Hogwarts, but nothing that I deemed too substantial or worrisome.
Verdict
Hogwarts Legacy is everything I hoped it would be. The attention to detail and the setting really captured my imagination. In addition, the story and side quests kept me engaged all the way through and provided enough variety to keep me coming back wondering what I was going to be doing next. The combat was also a pleasant surprise. It provided much depth and variety without ever seeming complicated or inaccessible. Overall, this is a fantastic adventure that I would recommended to not only Harry Potter fans, but to anyone who likes open-world RPG’s. The pacing and performance issues do little to detract from the brilliant world of Hogwarts depicted in this game. The game remains a magical experience from start to finish.
Final Score = 9.0 out of 10.
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Hogwarts Legacy Review Roundup.
The reviews have finally dropped for the highly anticipated title, Hogwarts Legacy and they are looking overwhelmingly positive.
The game is currently sitting at a very respectable score of 85 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 43 professional reviews and on OpenCritic, things are looking similar with an average score of 86 out of 100 based from 61 reviews. Such a score places it in the 95th percentile of games on the site.
IGN gave this game a 9 out 10 with particular praise directed towards the general setting and the combat mechanics.
Nevertheless, some of the criticisms keeping the game from an even higher score were directed towards the repetitiveness of some of the side quests to in addition to some performance issues on the PS5 version in particular. The main story has also been cited by some major reviewers as a possible area for improvement.
The general consensus is still a largely positive one though. With a score of 85/100, Hogwarts Legacy is a great game. Maybe not perfect, but still magical and delightfully immersive and entertaining nonetheless!
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February 2023 in Video Gaming
February 2023 is set to be another eventful month for the Video Game industry. From Hogwarts Legacy to the launch of PS VR 2, below are some of the biggest things to look forwards to as January comes to a close.
Firstly, a significant piece of video game related news is that the The Last of Us HBO is set to continue throughout next month. If you haven’t already watched the first two episodes, I highly recommend you to check it out whether you have played the game or not. During February, we will see the release of episodes 4 up to 7 out of a total of 9 this first season.
The next thing to look out for next month is none other than the highly anticipated release of the PS VR 2 headset for the PS5 along with, notably, Horizon: Call of the Mountain. The PS VR2 is set to be a huge upgrade over the original with a higher resolution of 2000 x 2040 per eye, a 110 degree field of view and a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. It launches on 22nd February at a price of $549.99 Dollars in the U.S and £529.99 here in the U.K.
Lastly, next month also marks the grand opening of Super Nintendo World in at Universal Studios Hollywood. This is slated for 17th February just in time for the release of the Super Mario Bros Movie at the start of April!
Now, onto the big Video Game releases scheduled for February.
First off is the highly anticipated title, Hogwarts Legacy slated for 10th by Avalanche Software and Warner Bros. Interactive. This is an Action-Role Playing game with a huge amount of potential. It lets you live out your own wizarding adventures, giving you the freedom to explore the world of Hogwarts on foot or on broomstick.
Next up, Wild Hearts by Omega Force and Electronic Arts is out on 17th. This game immediately peaked my interest when I first read about it. You are, in brief, tasked to hunt down enormous monsters called Kemono in the world of Azuma in this Action Role-Playing title that will reportedly take about 30 hours to complete.
On 21st February, we will firstly see the release of Atomic Heart by developer Mundfish. This is an Action RPG/FPS title taking place in an alternate Soviet Union in 1955.
The other big release on this day is Yakuza: Like a Dragon Ishin! by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios and Sega. This is a spin-off of the popular Yakuza video game series and serves as a remake of the original 2014 version of this game that only ever saw the light of day in Japan. You play as a Japanase Samurai called Sakamoto Ryoma. It is set in the 1860’s at the end of the Edo Period and you are tasked with finding the murderer who assassinated your mentor.
Next up is notably Horizon: Call of the Mountain developed by Guerilla Games in collaboration with Firesprite. In this game, you play as Ryas, a former shadow Carja Rebel from a first person perspective. It will feature many new and also returning characters from the previous games including Aloy herself. This is out on 22nd February
Last, but not least, is Octopath Traveller II by Square Enix and Acquire. This is the third entry in the Octopath series and is a more traditional Japenese Role-Playing game complete with a 2D-HD art style and a turn based battle system.
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