Sifu just received its final update, one that adds a whole host of new combat arenas, modifiers, outfits, and more. Developer Sloclap not only released a trailer commemorating the patch, but also spoke about the game’s journey since its launch in February 2022.

The Sifu update contains 10 to 15 hours of free content, according to Sloclap

Head of marketing and publishing at Sloclap Felix Garczynski echoed what the team has already said elsewhere by noting that these new challenges are the toughest in the entire game. Players will have to take on multiple bosses at the same time, fight invisible enemies, and brawl through mazes to reach the end in some of these new arenas.

These 75 challenges will add about 10 to 15 hours of content and 10 new trophies, and it’s just part of Sloclap’s extensive post-launch strategy with Sifu. It has patched in 12 outfits, 70 modifiers, more difficulty options, a new scoring system, Chinese voice acting, a more involved training mode, a replay editor, and combat challenges.

Some of these features were initially meant to launch with the game, while others were in response to fan feedback. The custom Arenas mode in this update is one example of Sloclap listening to the players, as some felt it was too strict to always abide by the preset modifiers in the first batch of trials. Garczynski explained how it the team wanted to “feel that it was fully completed” after all this support, but had to move on at some point to its next mystery project.

“We gave ourselves some time and dedicated part of the team to work on these updates,” said Garczynski. “But as we chose to do only free updates and no [paid] DLC, we couldn’t maintain updates forever. So progressively, as parts of the team switched to new projects, we’ve concluded our update plan. We feel that as free updates go, it’s quite extensive. But at the same time, we also wanted to start working on the next project. We’re a small studio so it’s complicated to do both at the same time.”

Sloclap also extended that roadmap a little longer than it had expected. The studio initially announced one Arenas update only to reveal in December 2022 that there would be yet another one later in 2023. Garczynski chalked that up to the team becoming more ambitious as the months rolled on.

“The problem is that I believe we were less ambitious initially,” said Garczynski. “We wanted to add more content for players so they could keep experimenting with the combat in different situations. We planned originally to finish all updates by March of this year, but as the team started working on it with the original creative director from Sifu, they had lots of ideas and wanted to try lots of things, so we had to actually cut the Arenas update in two separate updates.”

With Sifu’s slimmer scope, it was clear that Sloclap had learned a lot while developing Absolver, its 2017 multiplayer brawler that was criticized for being unfocused. Garczynski explained how much the developer stepped up its craft making Sifu and explained how it strives to make “quality and creativity” at the team’s core even when it balloons in size.

“I feel the team is really satisfied with all we’ve done on Sifu,” said Garczynski. “It was a really ambitious project for the studio on the previous game [Absolver]. We always had less than 30 people. On Sifu, it was more than twice that number, so we had to organize ourselves in a new way and we had to spend a lot of energy and time in making sure everyone was involved.

“We had regular meetings where the team members would show their work, so we could have everyone always in the loop and playing the game. It was quite a challenge as the studio was growing in size. But it ended up working really well, so I think we’ve kept that for the next project. As a studio, we’ve learned to do bigger games and manage larger teams while keeping quality and creativity we have at the core.”

It’s unclear what that next game will be. However, it seems like it’ll benefit from what Sloclap has learned from making and supporting Sifu for so long. The developer has mirrored the journey of its protagonist in a way by spending quite some time honing its skills and trying to improve for the next fight.

The post Sifu Dev Reflects on Game’s Success Amidst Final Update, Is Moving to New Project appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Firewall Ultra and Crossfire: Sierra Squad both staked their claim in late August. While different in a few ways, the proximity of two military-focused first-person VR shooters meant they were going to naturally have to compete with one another. But with the general unfinished nature of Firewall Ultra and Crossfire’s unrelenting jankiness, there’s no clear winner. Instead, the losers here are PSVR2 owners since they deserve much better than this.

Their failures don’t have much overlap, either. Crossfire has a brief three-hour campaign that makes a terrible first impression. The immediate comfortability options are ludicrously aggressive — it doesn’t let players turn with the analog stick and the movement vignette takes up about 80% of the screen — and the gunplay immediately feels off. Its pause menu bewilderingly doesn’t actually pause the game or have any options submenu, but the comfortability settings in the main menu let players find at least some nuance not offered by the binary options presented at the very beginning.

The controls, however, are fundamentally flawed in a way that no setting can change. Its lack of sprinting doesn’t give players many ways to quickly avoid danger. Reloading is at an awkward halfway point between manual and automatic, meaning players just have to hit a button and slide the fresh magazine in. It doesn’t even require that the old magazine be ejected first. And despite the numerous opportunities where it encourages players to do so, this also makes dual-wielding not worth the effort because of the laborious process of having to set each gun down to reload them.

The inventory is also a mess. Even with an impressively large arsenal players can slowly upgrade, mission loadouts are predetermined and enemy weapons dissolve alongside their owner. Both oversights artificially limit player choice. The magnetic pull is also unwieldy and makes anything from grabbing a gun on the ground to selecting the healing syringe on your wrist an annoying chore. Being so restrained and having to constantly fight the controls while under fire shatters the immersion a VR shooter is supposed to have.

With such braindead, spongey enemies, it’s clearly supposed to be a more arcadey experience, too, but it can’t even commit to the level of cheese it begs for. The overly serious story is full of gruff, faceless clichés that rarely shut up. The protagonist is a microcosm of its misguided tone, as he is a bad Jason Statham parody who is unceremoniously named Terry.

Crossfire’s empty co-op lobbies leave players waiting endlessly, which is also an issue Firewall Ultra has. While First Contact Entertainment has cut down on some of the downtime since launch, it’s not uncommon to sit in lobbies and blast away endlessly in the shooting range waiting for a match to start. Lobbies just seem to have trouble filling up and staying full; an unfortunate reality for a niche multiplayer shooter exclusive to one VR headset.

However, bizarre controls are not something VR shooters are destined to have. Firewall Ultra depends on button presses in a way that makes it feel like someone modded VR support into a PS3 game. Reloading, opening doors, interacting with objects, and switching weapons are all tied to button presses for some reason. Even throwing grenades is automatic since there are no arm movements required; it just awkwardly flies where the player is looking.

These straightforward interactions lose what makes VR shooters special and minimize its overall potential. First Contact is working on manual reloads, but the lack of VR-specific interactivity seems too fundamental to Firewall Ultra to be completely patched out.

Despite these unforced errors, Firewall Ultra, unlike Crossfire, has a decent base to work with. But its chances to capitalize on its tactical, more intimate gunplay have been diminished right out of the gate because of its many weird quirks that could have been ironed out with a beta. This is evident in how hastily First Contact has issued updates during the game’s first week in response to player feedback, something it could have gotten out of the way much earlier.

All of the obvious issues with the sluggish player progression and long wait times have unnecessarily clouded its launch. The studio has said this is the “beginning of an exciting journey,” but it put itself behind the starting line by not implementing player feedback earlier.

With Firewall Ultra shooting itself in the foot and Crossfire: Sierra Squad shooting itself in the head, PSVR2 has gotten two shoddy shooters in quick succession. It’s not apocalyptically damning for a pair of misfires to come out so quickly, yet it is disappointing for a headset that tends to get more late ports over original experiences. Synapse showed how new titles can flourish on PSVR2, and hopefully that won’t be an outlier going forward.

Disclaimer: This Firewall Ultra and Crossfire: Sierra Squad feature is based on PS5 copies provided by the publishers. Played on versions 1.000.005 and 1.002.000, respectively.

The post PSVR2 Deserves Better Than Firewall Ultra & Crossfire: Sierra Squad appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The PS Plus price increase is quite a gut punch. Spiking annual subscriptions at least 33% for all three tiers is a big ask. It’s hard to justify, but not impossible, so here’s what Sony can do to help ease the sticker shock and make every tier more valuable. 

PS Plus Essential

Give players more choice

There used to be a system that let players choose the next PlayStation Plus game. And for some reason, it only happened twice.

It’s strange because the democratic approach is a great way to give players more of a say in what they get. While this has the opportunity to only spotlight less interesting blockbusters in favor of more unknown gems, bringing back Vote to Play might result in games that more people would enjoy. This is even more prescient given Essential’s September 2023 lineup full of poorly received games.

PS Plus Extra

Add DLC to the library

Extra has a solid selection of games, many of which have DLC most subscribers won’t ever get to play. Paying for DLC for a game you don’t own is a hard sell, so offering some expansions on Extra is a worthy compromise. It’ll give players a more complete experience and be a more efficient way to stretch Extra’s existing library. 

Launch more games on PS Plus

Getting Sea of Stars and Moving Out 2 at launch was fantastic, but something that’s way too rare on Extra. Getting a new game once every few months just isn’t the most alluring proposition, especially when compared to Game Pass’ many day-one games. Checking out at least a new title or two a month would be one of the best ways to boost Extra’s value. 

Launching old ports on Extra would also significantly increase its appeal. Extra subscribers are likely more invested in PlayStation, and paying full price for an old game on your preferred system is not a worthy proposition. And while Somerville and High on Life are fitting candidates that missed their chances, Scorn and Immortality are two examples of ports that should launch on Extra. Coincidentally, all four launched on Game Pass, further showing how much Xbox understands the value of getting day-one releases.

Support PS Stars more thoroughly

It’s possible to sustain a Game Pass subscription by using Microsoft Rewards, a points system that mainly revolves around casually using the Bing search engine and doing simple tasks on the Rewards website (or app). Game Pass subscribers can even complete extra quests for more Microsoft Reward points. PlayStation Stars is lacking in general but doubly so when compared to Microsoft’s comprehensive system.

Stars has some quests involving games on PlayStation Plus, but it needs a bigger selection with deeper objectives. It should have more overall quests and ones that give players coins that can be redeemed for PSN cards; those useless digital collectibles just don’t cut it. Players should get coins for unlocking Platinums during specific time frames or finishing a certain amount of games a month. It’s only natural to make this system more gamey and doing so would help flesh out PlayStation Plus as a whole.

Introduce consistent VR games

PSVR2 is going to need all the help it can get, so it would be worth it for Sony to tie it to PlayStation Plus in some way. A consistent offering of PSVR2 games would benefit existing owners and possibly encourage those without a headset to pick one up. Having instant access to an array of VR games would soften the blow of the expensive hardware and further widen Extra’s offerings.

PS Plus Premium

Implement trophies for all PS1 and PSP games

Earning trophies in PS1 and PSP games is a treat that gives new life to old games and makes them more than a temporary distraction. But trophies are so inequitably doled out among Premium’s selection of classics. Most first-party games support trophies, but third-party games don’t and, as a result, seem less valuable. Resident Evil and Tekken 2 deserve trophies just as much as Ape Escape and Wild Arms and Sony should realize that.

Make PS3 games playable locally

Streaming PS3 games might have been the best way to make them playable on modern systems, yet it was never ideal and is an even more unattractive proposal considering Premium’s new price. Being able to play PS3 games natively should just be part of the PS5’s base functionality without a subscription, but it would benefit Premium members more since at least some of those PS3 titles would be part of that tier. There are many fantastic and historically relevant PS3 games that deserve more than a shaky 720p stream that’s wholly dependent on your internet connection.

Add new PS2 games

The PS2 games on Premium are just the games that were part of the PS2 on PS4 program, and Sony has refused to expand beyond that. This is unacceptable and a shortcut that highlights Premium’s general haphazardness.

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There are so many PS2 games that Sony hasn’t put on the service, ones that are decaying in the ether and deserve to be accessible on modern systems. It shouldn’t be too much to ask for Sony to actually put different PS2 games on the service since that should be a given. While many of the standouts have been ported or remastered, the PS2’s library is still legendary, and there are so many classics to re-release.

Embrace the Vita

Every other major Sony platform and handheld is represented on PlayStation Plus except the Vita. Granted, it has the smallest library once the PS4 and PS3 ports are taken out, but the Vita still deserves to have a spot on Premium.

The underrated handheld has a decent selection of exclusive games like Killzone: Mercenary and Freedom Wars that deserve life on another system. Sony may have to come up with workarounds for the rear touchpad and camera — games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss would pose a challenge — but that shouldn’t be a reason to keep PlayStation Plus from having a more complete history of Sony’s hardware.

Give subscribers priority access

Disney gave Disney+ subscribers special access to its shop before everyone else in November 2022. Sony could do something similar with Premium and give subscribers access to certain deals or items on PlayStation Direct. It could make sure a certain number of Premium subscribers get pre-orders on the latest PS5 cover or give them access to the first wave of new merch. These shouldn’t be totally exclusive clubs, as everyone deserves a spot in line, but giving priority to those in the highest tier makes Premium more valuable to the most hardcore players.

The post How Sony Can Make PS Plus a Better Value appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Even with the alleged ban, there are so many ways for trophy hunters to waste money on the PlayStation Store. So many Platinums are given to games that are hardly more than interactive screensavers engineered to suck cash out of those who crave the endorphin rush of popping a digital reward. Platlov’s dogs see ZJ the Ball on the PlayStation Store and can’t help but salivate.

Not only does this shovelware crowd the marketplace, it also has highlighted how odd it is when “actual” games don’t get a Platinum. Somerville is one of those games, and despite being a relatively tight and memorable four-hour experience, it’s stuck without that shiny ultimate reward.

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Somerville is filled with missable trophies, but unlike other recent titles like Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals and Immortals of Aveum, it’s got an amazing chapter select that’s broken down into individual checkpoints that makes jumping around supremely easy. Wrapping up those last few trophies is painless, and the game itself, despite a bizarre final act, is paced well with some incredible, awe-striking moments. It’s solid enough to warrant a Platinum as some sort of endcap.

A Platinum doesn’t make a game great, and the lack of one doesn’t make it bad. However, it points out how strange the trophy rules on PlayStation are that cause these kinds of disparities to exist. It’s hard to imagine how games that dole out a Platinum after a minute of mindless button mashing are deserving, whereas a title like Somerville that took around five years of development and has four highly curated hours of actual gameplay is banished to the lower trophy tier. There’s almost no consistency for games beneath the highest price echelon, and it’s still the Wild West for free-to-play games.

It doesn’t even look like Sony makes this easy, either. Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller has consistently claimed that developers can add a Platinum even after the slightest pushback from Sony by just asking. These rules don’t seem set in stone, which appears to have paved the way for notable games like Somerville to not have a Platinum. Xbox has done away with games with 200 Gamerscore, and that equity is much more appealing since there are no annoying surprises.

A Platinum wouldn’t fix Somerville’s weak finale, but it would complement the interesting journey it takes players on. There’s just an unmistakable authority that comes with a Platinum that pairs nicely with a well-made game. But there shouldn’t be a hierarchy at all because Platinums should be more of an expected thing that most games just have. Somerville is just the latest solid title to make that point.

The post Trophy Talk: Somerville Points Out the Inequity of Platinum Distribution appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Red Dead Redemption is one of the PS3 era’s best games. But it has been more or less thrown in the county jail and the key has been buried somewhere in the plains of Gaptooth Ridge thanks to the lack of a PC port and Sony’s bumpy backward compatibility support. The recent Red Dead Redemption PS4 port finally frees it from its last-last-gen prison, but there are too many factors that keep it from being the unmitigated success it should be.

This port at least clears the abysmally low bar set by Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition in 2021. Instead of being a convenient way to relive classics, that janky bundle tarnished Rockstar Games’ reputation with its downgraded visuals and appalling amount of bugs (many of which are still there even after a few patches). Those three games were so pivotal to the entire medium and they were treated like shovelware that had to be ported to keep up a licensing deal. 

Red Dead Redemption on PS4 is decidedly not that. It runs smoothly and looks better than the original without sacrificing any of what made the PS3 version special in 2010. This is a faithful port through and through.

However, that’s also part of the problem; it’s essentially a premium upscaling with the absolute bare minimum of features. It does run at 4K on PS4 Pro and PS5, but the texture quality is essentially the exact same and often doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Noticing the slightly stronger shadows requires zooming in on side-by-side comparisons. 

The frame rate is the most egregious example of its technical stagnation because, despite it only outputting at a higher resolution, it still runs at 30 frames per second. Playing a hardly remastered PS3 game from 2010 on PS5 at 30 frames per second is ridiculous and a large factor why it doesn’t feel like a true upgrade. 

Rockstar also refused to comment when asked about the possibility of an update that would enable a higher frame rate, too, so there’s no indication this oversight will change. It’s hard to see how this happened because, while not quite the same thing, Digital Foundry was able to run an emulated version of the Xbox 360 port on PC at 60 frames per second without causing too much trouble. Rockstar games often have a heft to them and this bump would undeniably help Red Dead Redemption feel more responsive. 

The gameplay and systems are also unchanged. While its mechanics haven’t withered too much since its first release, there are no additional features or accessibility settings to streamline the experience. Getting into and out of the map takes too many button presses. Looking up challenges remains tedious. Being limited to just three save slots and having vestigial options in the menu like enabling autosaves just further show how little this port was adapted for modern systems and sensibilities. There’s not even a half-assed Photo Mode.

Rockstar treating this negligible upgrade as a premium release is staggeringly arrogant, especially since Xbox owners got most of these improvements for free through backward compatibility. And yet, despite all these miniscule tweaks, this port still has value because Red Dead Redemption remains a classic that should be more widely accessible. And this goes a little beyond yanking it from the PS3’s grasp since there are so many aspects of this game that are timeless. 

Its atmosphere is nearly unparalleled and outclasses many contemporary titles. A lot of its map is empty plains and mountains, but, unlike many modern open-world games, there’s a deliberate touch to it all. Its ambient soundtrack full of Spaghetti Western-esque music evokes the right mood that beautifully complements strolling through its desolate spaces where encounters are more special because of their relative rarity. The lack of Ubisoft-style icons also cuts down on the noise and makes it all easier to soak in. It’s not a checklist, but a world meant to be lived in, one that doesn’t hit the simulation and animation-heavy extremes of its follow-up.

Red Dead Redemption also has some of Rockstar’s most elegant writing and is full of well-realized characters with silver tongues. Protagonist John Marston, being a quick-witted man try to reform his life who beautifully balances his capacity for compassion and strength, is the clearest example of this. And while fade-to-black transitions are dated, cutscenes are remarkably constructed with lively characters and excellent cinematography that bring each scene to life. Animation technology has progressed greatly in the time since, but the numerous detailed mannerisms in Red Dead Redemption’s animations still outclass many modern games despite utilizing lesser horsepower.

The presentation does wonders for its story, but the narrative itself has also held strong in the ensuing 13 years. It overcomes its handful of slow spots to tell a tale with something to say and with themes that haven’t lost their impact. All of this culminates in a beautifully orchestrated ending that the open-world genre hasn’t been able to top. The cowboy’s reign may be over, as the narrative makes clear, but the impact of the finale still stands tall in the medium.

Seeing Red Dead Redemption’s locations essentially get remastered for Red Dead Redemption 2 compounds how much this PS4 re-release underachieves. If this port is the absolute bare minimum, then those sections of Red Dead Redemption 2 demonstrate the other end of the spectrum of what could have been if it got the scope it deserved. The game thrives on its thick atmosphere and having a more modern presentation would likely only boost its best feature. Rockstar instead settled for a bare-bones port knowing it would be good enough, and, while technically and frustratingly true, Red Dead Redemption deserves more than “good enough.”

Disclaimer: This Red Dead Redemption feature is based on a PS4 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.02.

The post The Red Dead Redemption PS4 Port is Unnecessarily Complicated appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Editor’s Note: Today marks National Dog Day, so we’re republishing a feature on the very best PlayStation dogs. Original article, as published on May 2, 2019, is below.

Unless you’re a monster (or allergic or something), chances are you’re pretty okay with dogs. Man’s best friend and all that. Now, we live in an era in which the world of video games is really beginning to understand the appeal of a big ol’ floofer showing up to hang out with players. While today’s big question is whether or not the player can pet the dogs, we figured it would be fun to look back through the pages of PlayStation history at all the dogs with a bit more substance to their presence. From trusty sidekick to full-on starring roles, here are our (the Royal “our,” meaning me, my, and mine) favorite canine characters on PlayStation platforms.

Sant’ Angelo di Roma (Final Fantasy VIII)

Final Fantasy VIII has come to be one of the more controversial entries in the series lately, due in part to the apparent disappearance of its master source code. While we may never see a re-release on the level of its PlayStation peers, you can still get the PSOne Classics version. Anyway, Angelo belongs to Rinoa, the game’s leading lady. With the exception of a few plot moments, Angelo can be summoned as one of Rinoa’s Limit Break options, and reading pet magazines can expand her list of abilities. The most famous one, of course, is Angelo Cannon, which sees Rinoa fire the brave pupper off her arm like some fuzzy ordinance.

PaRappa the Rapper (Uh, PaRappa the Rapper)

While there are only so many PlayStation exclusive dog characters, my boy PaRappa is a tremendous one. One of the defining games of the early PlayStation identity, PaRappa the Rapper combined music rhythm mechanics with the strange, but wholesome vibe emanating from artist Rodney Alan Greenblat’s cartoon style. PaRappa is generally a Good Boy, learning life lessons through the power of hip hop such as saving money, exercise, cooking, and patiently waiting in line for the bathroom.

Jake (Dog’s Life)

From Frontier Developments, best known today for Elite: Dangerous and Jurassic World Evolution, Dog’s Life was a surprisingly cute PlayStation 2 game all about the inherent strangeness of being a dog. Jake, the protagonist, is on a journey to rescue a lady dog from the local dogcatchers (video games gonna video game) and along the way he barks, smells things, and farts a lot. It truly is a dog’s life.

Amaterasu (Okami)

A long time ago, a studio called Clover existed under Capcom. This studio produced a number of incredible games that were underappreciated at their time, leading to Clover being shut down and the eventual creation of Platinum Games in its wake. One game that has survived beyond Clover is Okami, a Zelda-like game starring the sun goddess Amaterasu. Taking the form of a wolf, she uses paint-based powers to solve puzzles, defeat bosses, so on and so forth. She’s also one of the best characters in Marvel vs Capcom 3, which is a totally objective statement and not just based on my regular team.

Dogmeat (Fallout series)

Dogmeat doesn’t exactly originate on PlayStation or hang out exclusively on PlayStation, but he’s great so he gets to be on the list anyway. Part of Fallout‘s whole deal is incorporating other post-apocalyptic media such as Mad Max and A Boy and His Dog, both of which feature awesome supporting dog characters. Dogmeat is a sort of tribute to those works, and totally helps the player out in various ways across games. In Fallout 4, you can even dress him up with unique equipment.

Koromaru (Persona 3)

The Persona series involves a ton of character drama, especially when the series took its current form starting with Persona 3. These games explore internal conflict manifested as demons from literal Christian Hell (and other religions, because why not throw ’em all together), and exploring the “social links” between people is a huge part of progression. So naturally, Persona 3‘s playable cast includes a dog who just barks and stuff. Koromaru is great though, and plays into the game’s mechanics in fun and creative ways.

Annoying Dog (Undertale)

Bark!

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The post Man’s Best Friends – The Very Best PlayStation Dogs appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Sifting through a trophy list for the first time provides a solid preview of what’s to come, but there’s always one big question: Which ones are missable? Going past one door or skipping over a single side mission can be the most frustrating way to end (or artificially elongate) a Platinum run. And that’s exactly what’s likely going to happen to many of those trying to complete Immortals of Aveum.

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Immortals of Aveum’s list has a bunch of standard trophies that are tied to filling out skill trees, grabbing collectibles, clearing story chapters, and killing enemies, just to name a few. Many of them even utilize the system’s trackers, which is something more games need to do. It appears like (and mostly is) a decent sampling platter that gets players to experience what it has to offer, from its suite of abilities to its optional endgame boss fights.

However, there’s also a select few that seem innocuous yet are very easily missable, especially since a handful of them are hidden. One trophy asks players to, for whatever reason, turn around and go back to the base in the middle of a mission. Another unlocks after finding a hidden bird in an area that becomes inaccessible after a certain point. There’s also a whole batch of trophies where players have to exhaust all the dialogue options for some characters that don’t stick around in perpetuity. Lacking the ability to make manual saves and the absence of a chapter select makes these simple trophies a lot more complicated.

These are strangely punitive in an age where that sort of practice has fallen out of style. Most action games like this don’t have missable trophies like that and games like Immortals of Aveum prove how annoying it is see again. Difficulty trophies have also been more or less squeezed out of many big games, too, and Immortals of Aveum has one trophy for each of the three settings. However, that’s not nearly as egregious of a throwback since it’s clear in the trophy menu what is being asked of the player. Players know from the outset what a difficulty trophy means but not that talking to certain characters is a time-limited affair.

9

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An Electronic Arts representative has stated that a New Game Plus mode is being explored, and while a decent compromise, it doesn’t fully make up for missable trophies like this. Replaying a game to make different choices or explore a new mode makes for understandable missable trophies that add to its overall replayability. But hiding them in a title like this doesn’t work with its overall design. Immortals of Aveum is a linear shooter where a great trophy list comes from beating optional quests or challenges, acquiring upgrades, and maybe snatching a few collectibles, as shown by games like Doom and Metal: Hellsinger. It would maybe be worth playing again on a hardcore setting, but not for the opportunity to find a measly bird.

The post Trophy Talk: Immortals of Aveum Has an Annoying Amount of Missable Trophies appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

As shown by the recent Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals, trophies in the narrative adventure genre are often either one of two extremes: extremely easy or convoluted and tedious. Telltale Games’ earlier output represents the former, while Supermassive Games represents the latter. Kentucky Route Zero doesn’t fall into either category, though, and has a refreshing approach more of its genre peers should borrow.

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Kentucky Route Zero’s trophy list might initially appear tedious, as they all seem highly specific. The descriptions themselves are also short and don’t always exactly hint at when they might be achievable. Vague trophies in this genre can be annoying because it sometimes just takes one missed line of dialogue to force a reload or, at worse, new run altogether. 

Kentucky Route Zero does have some specific trophies and some that seem impossible without a guide, but the chapter select and fairly condensed runtime for most episodes makes jumping back in rather simple. This is what many games in the genre miss since some either have big, chunky chapters that can take hours like New Tales From the Borderlands, while others like Afterparty can lack chapter select altogether.

Kentucky Route Zero also has a way to speed through dialogue, which is an oversight that very few of its peers in the genre have and makes trophy runs much more tolerable. In essence, Kentucky Route Zero has trophies that could be bothersome, but it has safeguards in place to ward off the worst parts of trophy hunting in narrative adventure games. Even the one trophy in Act 1 that has a rippling effect in a later chapter doesn’t require players to play the whole game again. This is vastly different from games like Disco Elysium or The Quarry.

This approach doesn’t mean Kentucky Route Zero has a boring list, either. Many of the trophies encourage players to explore and dig into its odd world and are better for it. This surrealistic universe has many strange interactions that are completely optional and, without any sort of incentive, many players wouldn’t think to do anything but run along the critical path.

For example, the two trophies in the bureau in Act 2 get players to experience a decent joke and, well, witness a random organ performance in a big office. It’s out of place, but that fits with Kentucky Route Zero’s whole aesthetic. The “Happy Tuesday” trophy even requires that players play a lot of Act 4 on a real Tuesday (if players don’t trick the game by messing with the system’s clock). 

These silly trophies show that games in the narrative adventure space can have goofy trophy lists that aren’t too laborious or too easy. Many of these types of games have Platinums that often require multiple runs with slow dialogue or are too straightforward to be anything interesting. There has to be a middle ground, and it looks like it’s right there on the Zero.

Disclaimer: This Kentucky Route Zero feature is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 1.000.100.

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PS Plus Extra and Premium members in August 2023 get not one, but two new day-one releases with Moving Out 2 and Sea of Stars. However, Sea of Stars is not slated to come out until August 29. Regardless, subscribers still have a lot to sift through, so here’s what’s worth playing for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members for August 2023.

Moving Out 2

Moving Out 2 takes the cooperative gameplay from the original and iterates on it. Juggling furniture with a few friends and figuring out how not to overstuff the van is a simple and occasionally chaotic loop that is familiar, but still welcome.

While it starts out rather safely, it ventures into some unknown territory by quickly introducing a host of different dimensions (like one made of candy and another that’s full of wizards). These new settings allow for new mechanics that make this sequel more than an outright retread. Having to move objects into places is also a clever twist on the core premise that calls for precision and changes up the gameplay rhythm, even if it isn’t as intuitive as moving items out of a building.

Level gating is restrictive choice, but it’s generally smoother than the original, thanks to its deeper character customization and wealth of new accessibility options. It’s not a massive upgrade when compared to the original and not as varied as Overcooked, the genre’s pinnacle, but it’s still a solid casual co-op experience.

Cursed to Golf 

Cursed to Golf isn’t a traditional roguelite, as it’s not a melee action title or a shooter, but a 2D golf game instead. Golfing through 18 randomly compiled holes is a true test of skill since the journey requires precision and thoughtful use of the game’s power-up cards and array of clubs. 

It can be downright brutal at times since picking the wrong route or goofing up one drive can send players back to the first hole rather quickly. However, overcoming that adversity (legitimately or through save scumming) and learning its intricacies is quite gratifying. Developer Chuhai Labs has mitigated some of the difficulty since launch by adding better camera options and doling out more rewards, but it’s still far from easy. And while the gameplay is the main attraction, it’s got an incredibly catchy soundtrack full of mesmerizing retro tunes.

Dreams 

Media Molecule is shutting down ongoing support for Dreams, but that doesn’t keep it from being a must-play title. While its spectacle can be overwhelming, there are so many games and experiences to choose from, making it one impressive (if sometimes disposable) sampling platter. Even casually scrolling through some of the trending or highlighted tabs can be a trip because of the stunning variety that is on display. It’s unlike anything else on the platform and worth diving into, especially since Media Molecule has spent years updating and improving it.

Lost Judgment

Lost Judgment is more evidence that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio doesn’t miss. This follow-up has the same bones as its great predecessor with its superb writing and sense of place, but it’s also better in a few ways. Side missions are a bit more focused, and the skateboard makes for a fluid way to get around. Its narrative is still the star with its cast of memorable characters and engaging plot that serves as a damning indictment of Japan’s justice system. Lost Judgment has something to say on top of being another hit from Ryu Ga Gotoku.

Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice

The first Pursuit Force was a welcome addition to the Premium catalog since its unique qualities kept it from aging poorly. The sequel, Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice, has similarly been spared and is even more polished. Zooming around tracks and completing all sorts of wild, over-the-top actions is silly, mechanically sound, and only better in this follow-up. The Justice meter, for example, is more flexible and the streamlined upgrade system lends the game a sense of progression. It’s got a cleaner user interface and stronger production values, too, all of which enhance the ridiculous bite-sized, action movie-esque gameplay.

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PlayStation Plus Essential’s August 2023 games have come out, and each one has something different to offer. One is a sports game, the second is a Zelda-like dungeon crawler, and the last game is, well, almost every kind of game. Here’s what players can expect from PGA Tour 2K23, Death’s Door, and Dreams.

Is PGA Tour 2K23 worth it for non-golf fans?

PGA Tour 2K23 is the only title of the three where the name gives all of it away. It’s a golf game in 2K’s line of sports games where players hit a little white ball with a metal club. Its course designer and character customization are two aspects it has over EA’s golf game, but 2K23 is an iterative sequel that lacks that special extra sauce for those who don’t already love golf. It also received an average score of 77 on OpenCritic and likely won’t break out of its niche, but it should serve that niche relatively well.

The Platinum trophy also doesn’t appear to be too difficult, as long as player are willing to put in around 20 hours.

What is Death’s Door?

Death’s Door is like a mix of the older The Legend of Zelda games with a touch of Dark Souls. It was beloved when it launched and garnered an average score of 88. This title doesn’t break ground in any one area, but was applauded for its general cute yet grim vibe and presentation that stars a crow reaping souls as a part of its nine-to-five job. There aren’t many puzzles and combat is rather simplistic (and occasionally sticky), so that lack of depth might turn some off. However, despite having clear influences, its atmosphere is still unique enough to somewhat make up for its mechanical shortcomings.

Snatching the Platinum is a different tale since it will take two runs for most. One run will require that players find everything and unlock all of it secrets, while the second one keeps the player from using any melee weapon aside from a measly umbrella. It will take some patience, but this Platinum will take most around 15 to 20 hours.

Is Dreams still worth redeeming?

Media Molecule is pulling support for Dreams, but its servers will stay on for the foreseeable future, so it is absolutely still worth redeeming. Dreams was almost universally praised when it launched, which helped it achieve an average score of 90. Players and critics adored the open canvas it gave creators and the sheer amount of games it let players partake in. Media Molecule has only made it better since launch, as it has added PSVR support, numerous quality-of-life changes, and many creation tools.

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While some may find the spectacle overwhelming, there are so many games and experiences to choose from, making it one impressive (if sometimes disposable) sampling platter. Even lightly sifting through some of the trending or highlight tabs can be a trip because of the staggering variety there is on display. Seeing the creativity of the community after a few years with the tools makes it easy to wonder why Sony waited so long to put it on PlayStation Plus and open it up to a wider audience. As noted by PushSquare, the launch on Plus brought many into the game, which is a little strange since it won’t get additional updates from Media Molecule. Regardless, it’s unique and anything else on the system.

The Platinum is going to take people some time to get, though. There are multiple quests to go through, tutorials to complete, and experience bars to fill, which might take around 50 or so hours, if not more given the grind needed to hit level 30.

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