Closed beta in October.

The First Berserker: Khazan has always looked pretty great, and it continues to do so in this latest gameplay trailer. Nexon's action RPG, set within the DNF franchise, also now has a rough release window of early 2025, when it'll release on PS5.

The game sports a cel-shaded look, which allows for all kinds of flashy effects to go off while you hack your way through enemies and bosses. It has a lot of style, and the combat itself looks as though it'll be very tight. We also get to hear the unmistakable tones of Ben Starr voicing the lead character.

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Most wanted.

Activision has shown off a decent chunk of gameplay from its upcoming FPS, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Focusing solely on the campaign in this year's entry, the six-minute video takes us through the highlights of a single mission, 'Most Wanted', and it looks like a raucous good time.

It all goes a bit Hitman to start with; playing as an operative known as Case, you infiltrate a political fundraiser in Washington, DC, and must make your way inside a secret black site to rescue a member of your team, Sadler. Before that, though, you go undercover as a member of the press, rubbing shoulders with the crowd and tracking down targets with a camera. It certainly has some of the feel of IO Interactive's series.

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Uncapped framerate, 4K, Nvidia DLSS 3.7, oh my.

With Concord dropping simultaneously on Friday on PS5 and PC, Sony is now detailing the PC version, which comes with all kinds of additional bells and whistles. You'll need a rig capable of taking advantage of those extras, obviously, but it's hard not to see the list of PC-exclusive extras and feel a small pang of jealousy.

The bountiful PC version will enjoy uncapped framerates, 4K visuals, Ultrawide support, futuristic Nvidia DLSS 3.7 and AMD FSR 3.1 tech, mouse and keyboard support, and full DualSense controller integration. It certainly looks nice, and we won't have much longer to wait to find out if Firewalk has managed to stick the landing. We'll provide our full thoughts on the game once the larger PlayStation community, which now extends to players on PC, has had a chance to dive in properly.

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Points to unavoidable "lumpiness".

Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors has always had a way with words and graced us with some choice ones during the company's latest investor Q&A. Wingefors said that the "volatile" PC / Console segment of the company was "the bad guy" and that the "lumpiness" of the video game industry makes the future hard to predict (the delay of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II was pointed to as an example of "lumpiness").

Game Developer sifted through the transcript and came up with some other gems. Wingefors had plenty of praise for board game maker Asmodee, as well as the more predictable mobile market, lamenting the unpredictability of core gamers: "Asmodee is a fantastic business to own from the perspective of you're always very stable in the deliverance of your numbers. The mobile business is the same. The PC / Console guy is the 'bad guy' because it's a bit volatile. But I'm very confident and excited about the future outlook of that business as well–especially now post-restructuring."

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All the PS5, PS4 news from Gamescom ONL.

Geoff Keighley is going back underground for another few months, as he wraps up his latest video game showcase. Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 is over, and of course, it brought us all sorts of new trailers, announcements, and games to get excited about. If you're looking for all the PS5 and PS4 news from the show, look no further, as we've compiled all our coverage in one place right here.

All PS5, PS4 Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 Announcements

• Borderlands 4 Announced, Coming to PS5 in 2025
• Cult Hit Bleat-'Em-Up Goat Simulator Gets Remastered on PS5 Later This Year
• Reanimal Is the Next Horror Adventure from the Creators of Little Nightmares
• Fashion Fantasy RPG Infinity Nikki Nabs a Musical PS5, PS4 Trailer
• Civilization 7 Confirmed for February on PS5, PS4 with First Look at Gameplay
• Monster Hunter Wilds Continues to Look Incredible Ahead of PS5 Release in 2025
• Xbox's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Comes to PS5 in Spring 2025
• Mafia: The Old Country Takes Gangster Series Back to Its Roots on PS5
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Confirms 17 Characters, April 2025 Release on PS5, PS4
• Unknown 9: Awakening's Release Date Now Known to Be October on PS5, PS4
• Marvel Rivals Will Make All Future Superheroes Free on PS5
• PS5 RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Stuns in Short Gameplay Trailer
• Sniper Elite: Resistance Delves into Occupied France on PS5, PS4 Next Year
• Terry Bogard Looks Both Rad and Mad in Street Fighter 6 PS5, PS4 Gameplay Reveal
• Diablo 4 Unveils Its CPU Companions as Vessel of Hatred's PS5, PS4 Release Creeps Closer
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Charms with First Gameplay Trailer, Release Split into Two Parts
• Standalone Spin-Off Dying Light: The Beast Stars Kyle Crane on PS5
• They Finally Made an Animal Crossing Clone for PS5
• PlayStation, Concord to Feature in Amazon Prime's Secret Level
• Directive 8020 Is the Next Dark Pictures Horror from Supermassive Games, Coming to PS5
• Survival MMO Dune: Awakening Almost Too Good to Be True in Immersive Gameplay
• Space Marine 2 Hype Trailer Arrives, Heed the Call of War on PS5
• ARC Raiders Will Compete for Your PS5 Eyeballs in 2025
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Goes Hitman in Glitzy Campaign Gameplay on PS5, PS4
  
• The First Berserker: Khazan Hits PS5 Early 2025, Shows Real Promise in New Gameplay Trailer
  

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Live and kicking.

Another Gamescom Opening Night Live has come and gone. Geoff Keighley's two-hour event gave us plenty of updates on existing titles — alongside a handful of surprises — but as always, we want to know what you thought of this year's presentation.

Admittedly, though, the Push Square community hasn't been hot on Geoff's recent shows. More often than not, you lot have been panning the events, bombing them with low ratings in polls just like this one. It's time to find out whether Gamescom suffers the same fate...

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Extraction shooters are the new meta.

ARC Raiders, an upcoming multiplayer extraction shooter from The Finals dev, Embark, will attempt to get out with the goods on PS5 in 2025. Of course, it will need to compete in an increasingly competitive space, and has opted for the premium route, after first flirting with being a free-to-play title.

As Raiders, players fight for survival in an underground colony, venturing to the surface to scavenge for scant resources. They must contend with the mysterious, deadly ARC machines that populate the planet and the other players seeking to do the same. This loot can be traded for valuables, and players can undertake quests, using these rewards to grow their character and expand their chambers.

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"Absolutely rules".

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is just under three weeks from launch, available on 9th September on PS5, and it's safe to say we are feeling the hype. With glowing preview coverage, it could be another surprise multiplayer hit ala Helldivers 2, in addition to the embodiment of our wildest childhood imagination in its cooperative narrative campaign. We got a short trailer at Gamescom's Opening Night Live to tide us over in the meantime.

In recent times, we've been eating quite well in terms of Space Marine trailers, getting a look at the Tactical and Sniper character classes and a rather meaty bit of multiplayer. If you need us, we'll be feverishly studying the Codex Astartes for any and all gameplay advantages, as is traditional for Ultramarines.

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Lisan al-Gaib!

Funcom has given us our best glimpse yet at the incredible-looking Dune: Awakening during Gamescom's Opening Night Live. A survival MMO set on the most dangerous planet in the galaxy, it launches on PC in early 2025, cautiously sandwalking to PS5 sometime afterwards.

In the reveal, we see some low-level gameplay, showing the various ways players can approach an outpost. Your choice of weaponry and abilities will determine your particular playstyle, and we see a Swordmaster engage in melee while deflecting ranged attacks with a personal shield. Hunter-seeker drones and jetpacks are on display, and it all honestly looks a little too good to be true, potentially somewhere for disaffected Destiny fans to land.

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Sci-fi so good.

The Dark Pictures Anthology continues with Directive 8020 from Supermassive Games. Taking the studio's penchant for horror into the realm of sci-fi, the game's announcement trailer can be viewed above.

The trailer introduces us to an optimistic young cosmonaut ready for adventure (played by Lashana Lynch), before hard cutting to a future where she's facing down a creepy alien doppelganger. It looks like her whole crew will be at risk of falling victim to these mimics too, which should play rather nicely into situations where you have to make tough choices.

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An episode dedicated to beloved PS Studios titles.

Secret Level, the upcoming Amazon Prime anthology show executive produced by Deadpool’s Tim Miller, will feature episodes dedicated to PlayStation and hero shooter Concord. There’ll be 15 episodes in all, each inspired by a different game. Other recognised properties include Pac-Man, Spelunky, Dungeons & Dragons, and Mega Man.

Here’s the full list of franchises represented, in alphabetical order:

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Well, kinda.

Disney Dreamlight Valley is about as close as you can get to Animal Crossing on PS5 right now, but Floatopia looks even closer. The game, announced by NetEase during Gamescom Opening Night Live, promises all of the “beloved” elements of life simulation games: farming, fishing, logging, and decorating your dream home. It’s got a kind of Pop Mart aesthetic, which you’ll already know whether you like or not.

“Imagine a world where superpowers are just a phone call away,” the press release reads. “In this fantastical realm, the most sought-after superpowers are quickly reserved, leaving only the seemingly ‘useless’ powers behind. You play a character who, by a twist of fate, joins forces with others possessing these overlooked superpowers. Together, you embark on a whimsical and joyous adventure.”

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Beastly.

Dying Light protagonist Kyle Crane is back for a new standalone spin-off game named Dying Light: The Beast, developed by series creator Techland. The title, set between the original and its sequel Dying Light 2: Stay Human, will feature its very own compact open world – and new stories within it.

The return of the release’s original hero is pertinent, as Crane could face one of two grisly fates at the end of the first game: detonate a giant bomb or sacrifice himself to science. Either way, things didn’t really end well for the protagonist.

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Two sides to the story.

Don't Nod has given us a fresh look at its upcoming narrative adventure, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Channeling some real Life Is Strange energy, the game looks like it has real promise with its charming group of characters.

The game follows a group of friends who form a band — Bloom & Rage — in the 90s, spending a formative summer together, albeit one with a mysterious, unknown incident. Gameplay looks to include dialogue choices, recording footage on old video cameras, and exploring picturesque locations with the group of four. It looks really neat, though the jury's still out on how everything shakes out when you're actually playing.

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Stronger together.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, the game's first expansion, is out on the 8th October — and so it's no surprise to see Blizzard bring some news to Gamescom Opening Night Live. In case you haven't heard, a selection of 'Mercenaries' are being added via the DLC — CPU-controlled companion characters who'll fight by your side.

The new trailer introduces four allies, each of them with their own fighting styles and skills. They'll apparently level up alongside you, and you'll even be able to customise their behaviour so that their abilities dovetail with your own.

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Okay.

King of Fighters star Terry Bogard is joining Street Fighter 6’s roster on 24th September, and here’s an extended look at him in action. In addition to a short clip from World Tour mode, we also get to see his combat style, which seems largely reminiscent of the character’s source material. There are a lot of familiar moves here for fans to latch onto.

We also get a glimpse of his alternative outfit, which features his brown bomber jacket from Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Cool stuff.

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Boom.

Rebellion has announced the next entry in its long-running Sniper Elite series. Sniper Elite: Resistance is its name, and it's coming to PS5 and PS4 sometime in 2025.

Interestingly, Resistance has a story that runs parallel to the events of Sniper Elite 5. Set in occupied France during WWII, you play as special operations executive Harry Hawkins as he aims to uncover a powerful new weapon that could see the Nazis win the war. The action looks to be similar to previous games; with a bent towards sniping, you'll use stealth and tactical third-person combat to complete objectives in each stage.

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Awright, Henry?

Sometimes a game's trailer hits just right — and we'd argue that the latest gameplay glimpse from Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a great example. The tone, the visuals, the music, the dialogue... it's exactly what you want if you're already looking forward to this action RPG sequel.

Just recently, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was delayed into next year. It's set to release for PS5 on the 11th February, with developer Warhorse Studios confident that it'll deliver.

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Captain America and the Winter Soldier arrive.

Look, let’s not beat around the bush: Marvel Rivals is going to be huge. Unfathomably huge. Let’s consider the facts: it’s free-to-play, it features some of the most recognisable characters on the planet, and it’s pretty fun. The closed beta test was already massive, but once this opens up to the public, it’s just going to explode. So, what’s the date you need to mark in your calendar? 6th December.

During a trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live, two new characters were announced for the game: Captain America and the Winter Soldier. You can catch them in action above.

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Unknown not unknown anymore.

Bandai Namco has announced a release date for its upcoming action adventure, Unknown 9: Awakening. This game, a big part of an ambitious cross-media series, will come to PS5 and PS4 on 18th October, 2024.

Alongside the release date news comes the above new trailer, which starts live action (featuring the lead character's actress Anya Chalotra) and leads into gameplay. We get to see a mix of exploration and combat, which makes use of Haroona's mysterious connection to the Fold.

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Feel the fury.

Fatal Fury: City of Wolves now has a confirmed release date on PS5 and PS4. SNK's classic franchise returns next year, on the 24th April, 2025. You can catch this anticipated fighter in action via its new trailer, which we've embedded above.

We've also got confirmation that the base game will feature 17 playable characters at launch. However, an additional five fighters will launch as part of the title's first season pass, which is going to be bundled into the Special Edition, priced at $59.99. A bit cheeky, if you ask us.

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1900s Sicily awaits.

The Mafia games are fantastic. While they’ve always been unfairly compared to Grand Theft Auto, it’s the franchise’s thick atmosphere that makes it memorable. The latest instalment, Mafia: The Old Country, may just be the most moody yet, as it promises a “gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily”. Where do we sign up?

Unfortunately, developer Hangar 13’s not showing much yet, but a full reveal is planned for December. For now, there’s just the teaser trailer embedded above and this summary: “Fight to survive in this dangerous and unforgiving era, with action brought to life by the authentic realism and rich storytelling that the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for.”

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Whip-smart.

It was rumoured shortly before Gamescom Opening Night Live, and now it's official: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to PS5.

The news was confirmed just after the airing of the above new trailer for the game, which gives us a brief look at the gameplay of this first-person action adventure. While the Xbox version of MachineGames' upcoming game releases on 9th December, PS5 users will have to wait a few more months for Indy to swing onto Sony's console.

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Still no date, though.

Capcom's dropped another impressive trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds, and we think it's probably the most excitement-inducing preview yet. The video covers new locations, and a couple of new, surprisingly threatening monsters. It's also clear that the company's pumping a lot of resources into this one — the sheer quality of the project is obvious even at this stage.

Monster Hunter Wilds still doesn't have a confirmed release date, though — just a vague '2025' window. Recent speculation has maybe narrowed things down to early 2025, but it looks like we'll have to wait until next month's Tokyo Game Show or some kind of Capcom showcase for a defined date.

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Tale as old as time.

As leaked earlier today, it's now been confirmed that Sid Meier's Civilization 7 will be available on 11th February, 2025. It's coming to both PS5 and PS4, and along with the release date, we have this first look at the game in action.

While the footage shown in the above trailer is from PC, it's a fair representation of what it'll look like on console, though we're sure there will be some control/UI differences. Anyway, to be honest, it looks exactly how we expected it to look — hexagons, political disputes, and multiple time periods. It's Civilization!

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August 2024 selection live on PS Store.

The latest PS Plus Essential monthly refresh is now live, making a further three PS5, PS4 games available for all active members. The titles can be redeemed between now and Tuesday, 3rd September 2024, but will remain playable until your subscription runs out. The three games are as follows:

• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (PS5, PS4) | Review
• Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach (PS5, PS4)
• Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights (PS4)

As this article is published, the titles are live and redeemable now in the UK and Europe. They'll become available in the USA later in the day. As is customary, we conducted a Push Square Poll to get your thoughts on the new selection for August 2024. And, as what also basically feels customary at this point, most of you voted to say "it's a crap selection" — the option received 41 per cent of votes. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the one game getting most of you excited.

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Now out for PS5 on 12th September.

Dragami Games has made the welcome announcement it's bringing forward the PS5 release date for Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP in the West by two weeks. It's now launching on 12th September 2024, and will cost $44.99.

In terms of the upcoming spree of PS3 remasters, this now means Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP releases first, followed by Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster one week later. We then have Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered on Halloween, or 31st October 2024, to round out the return of some old fan favourites. More of a remake than a remaster, the RePOP version introduces a spree of quality-of-life improvements as well as new content.

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Wouldn't really be fair, anyway.

Legendary, beloved Like a Dragon / Yakuza characters such as Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima are unlikely to appear as guest fighters in series like Tekken or Street Fighter. That's despite developer RGG Studios getting plenty of offers for such combative crossovers, which would much prefer the path of transmedia adaptations to guest collaborations.

Polygon asked Like a Dragon series producer and writer Masayoshi Yokoyama how he'd feel about characters like Kiryu, Majima, or even Ichiban appearing in a fighter like Tekken 8, to which he replied: "I think it's better to say that going across mediums like how we did with series is better, rather than just going to another game."

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Fancy that.

Sony's previously announced PC adapter for PSVR2 is available imminently, launching on 7th August. In a fortuitous coincidence, Half-Life: Alyx, widely regarded as the finest VR game on the market (and exclusive to Steam), is steeply discounted, and so if you plan on adapting like Sony, the two together should make for an incredible pairing.

Released in 2020 and enjoying a ludicrous number of Overwhelmingly Positive reviews from happy customers, Half-Life: Alyx is currently 66% off, slashed from USD 59.99 to 20.39 (or your local equivalent). The offer lasts until 20th August, so if you find yourself in this precise situation, don't say you weren't warned about this wonderful confluence of consumer goods.

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Moo Moo Farm forever.

The cow level is a recurring secret that Blizzard first included in Diablo 2. This addition had a surprisingly large impact, being referenced in pop culture and subsequent releases from the developer. Requiring some esoteric action to unlock, Diablo 3 had its own pony level and boss encounter with The Cow King. Naturally, fans have come to expect something similar from Diablo 4, but despite a full year of searching, the community has yet to solve this bovine conundrum.

GamesRadar+ has been keeping a keen eye on the cow situation, which may or may not be entirely imagined. Blizzard claimed to IGN that it doesn't exist in Diablo 4, that the idea of a cow level was faintly ludicrous, and that including one would be at odds with the game's more grounded setting, but then they would, wouldn't they?

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Size matters.

Elden Ring is a monstrous beast by most video game metrics, but according to developer FromSoftware, the size and scale on display are about the limit of what the studio can manage without compromise. We should all probably keep this in mind whenever the title that has to follow the Elden Ring act is inevitably revealed.

That's according to studio director and Elden Lord, Hidetaka Miyazaki, who explained in an interview with The Guardian (thanks, PSU) that FromSoftware is more likely to work on multiple smaller projects than to create ever more expansive game worlds:

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We want to believe.

Cult of the Lamb is getting a big, free update next week in the form of Unholy Alliance, which, among other things, adds couch co-op to the game. But if you're the sort of deviant who craves even more of the dark arts, then perhaps The Pilgrim's Pack's enticing brand of comic book-style interactive fiction is for you.

This paid DLC will launch alongside the Unholy Alliance update on 12th August, allowing players a new perspective on the twisted world in which The Lamb lives. The Pilgrim story will follow new friends Jalala and Rinor as they embark on a perilous journey across the Lands of the Old Faith, contending with cultists and horrifying beasts, all the while making portentous decisions at each narrative fork in the road.

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Depends if people want it.

A follow-up to PS3 fan-favourite Shadows Of The Damned is something Suda51 would consider making if the upcoming PS5, PS4 remaster of the original sells well enough, the creator has said. If "enough people really want it" and sales are high, then a sequel is "something we would at least consider working on in the future," he said to Gematsu. When asked what another entry might look like, Suda51 points out a "sort-of sequel" found in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, claiming it "could be something like Eight Hearts going on a quest to help Garcia, as a continuation of the Travis Strikes Again storyline".

When discussing the remaster, Suda51 mentions the PS5, PS4 version runs at a 4K resolution in 60 frames-per-second, a New Game+ mode, and the four previously revealed bonus costumes. Nothing has been cut; it's the exact same content as the original game with more modes and extras. "Gameplay is exactly the same as in the original, so it should feel exactly the same, but prettier," he said.

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Catching the wind.

The Cat Quest series has long impressed us with its all-ages take on the action RPG formula, and with Cat Quest 3 fast approaching, we wanted to check in with developer The Gentlebros. Luckily for us, studio CEO, artist, and designer Desmond Wong was willing to answer our questions, telling us all about the new game's additions, improvements, and lessons learned from previous projects. We even got some insight into The Gentlebros itself, and what's next for the team.

Push Square: To start with, can you give us an overview of what's new in Cat Quest 3?

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Blazing squad.

Konami’s history is steeped in shoot-‘em-ups, from the 1985 arcade classic Gradius to so-called cute-‘em-ups like TwinBee. As the Japanese publisher slowly begins to embrace its past again, it’s picked CYGNI: All Guns Blazing, a nostalgic nod to the blasters of the past – albeit one developed by KeelWorks, a studio based in the unlikely city of Edinburgh.

While this vertical bullet hell affair clearly has an affinity with the 90s shooters of old, its glitzy visuals remind us more of a contemporary Housemarque release; the nebulous “game feel” is exquisite, with the screen shaking each time you lay waste to one of the title’s many alien invaders. Despite the promise of a deeper plot, its bookending cutscenes and in-game lore library doesn’t add much value, but that won’t stop you from enjoying the moment-to-moment action.

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Wild Card and A Pirate's Fortune.

Ubisoft has today shared more details surrounding the two post-launch expansions planned for Star Wars Outlaws, with the first being Wild Card (out in Fall 2024) and the second A Pirate's Fortune (Spring 2025). Both extend the base game with new stories, areas, and items, available either as part of the season pass or available separately on PS5. Each will feature a familiar character, with Wild Card starring Lando Calrissian and A Pirate's Fortune using Hondo Ohnaka.

The description Ubisoft has provided for Wild Card is as follows:

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War ever changes.

We've known for a good chunk of time that God of War developer Sony Santa Monica Studio is working across multiple projects. One is supposedly another God of War game — no surprises there — and then there's a completely new IP, seemingly spearheaded by studio veteran Cory Barlog. It's the latter effort that's currently making headlines, as a developer's LinkedIn profile has highlighted the project's existence once again.

"Santa Monica Studios presented the opportunity of coming back as character supervisor, looking after the entire Character Development pipeline, on their new IP, so here I am, thrilled to be back, working again with the crew and pushing characters in video games together," the profile reads, as per Eurogamer.

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Expect a PS5 release date too.

The next PS5 title confirmed to be appearing during Gamescom Opening Night Live later this month is the RPG follow-up Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Geoff Keighley has revealed Warhorse Studios will be bringing fresh gameplay to the German stage on 20th August 2024, starting at 7pm BST / 11am PT / 2pm ET. Given the fact the game is still supposed to release this year, there's a good chance the latest look will be accompanied by a release date.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is the second game confirmed for the show, with Civilization VII also getting a gameplay reveal as part of the proceedings. It's known that other media outlets visited the Czech Republic for a wave of previews, presumably embargoed for the Gamescom announcement. As such, there's likely to be more information to digest for the RPG.

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(Star)Dusting off retro titles.

Housemarque's best known for its twin-stick shooters, with Resogun being a notable recent example. However, its space shooting series, Stardust, shouldn’t be forgotten. Originating back on the Amiga in 1993, it's been a huge inspiration for the modern twin-stick shooters we see today.

Super Stardust Portable deployed following the success of Super Stardust HD on PS3. Launching back in 2008, it was the first time the series ventured onto a handheld device, the PSP. So it’s a somewhat welcome surprise to see it return via PS Plus Premium, enhanced for PS4 and PS5 with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, Trophies (including a Platinum), and custom video filters.

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Tao or never.

Nine Sols is an especially stylish (and shockingly mature) action platformer that's been around on PC for a while. Its demo caused quite a stir a couple of years back because of how well made and engaging it was, and the full game released to gushing praise on Steam this May. It currently sits at an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' user rating.

Anyway, it looks like Nine Sols is heading to PS5 and PS4. As spotted by Gematsu, the title's been rated for consoles in Taiwan, which is usually a solid indication that an announcement is in the works. Hopefully we get some confirmation soon, because as alluded, we've heard nothing but good things about this one.

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The ghost with the most.

What a difference a twenty years makes. When Ghosthunter released in 2004 for PS2 it was met with poor sales and mixed reviews from the critics of the time. Generally, reviewers thought it looked great, but it was too linear and at a mere ten hours or so in length it was far too brief. Today, Ghosthunter looks like a bag of hammers, but we really appreciate how the game just gets to the damn point, doesn't throw 100 meaningless side-quests at us, and isn't 40 hours long.

Ghosthunter tells the story of the ludicrously named Lazarus Jones, a detective on his first day on the job who is investigating an abandoned high school and discovers that there's something supernatural afoot. Within 20 minutes we're introduced to Lazarus and his partner, ghosts escape a confinement facility within the school, and a big bad ghoul voiced by Michael 'Dumbledore' Gambon starts throwing his weight around.

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Phantom pain.

Upcoming action game Phantom Blade Zero has once again found itself in a bit of an Xbox-related kerfuffle. Previously, fans of Microsoft's machine had bemoaned developer S-GAME's decision to launch Phantom Blade Zero as a PS5 console exclusive, despite having said that there was no exclusivity deal in place with Sony.

And now, the Chinese studio is having to deny a rather pointed quote, which was picked up by numerous gaming outlets over the weekend. Said quote originated on Brazilian website Gameplayscassi, who had interviewed an unnamed S-GAME employee at ChinaJoy 2024. When asked about Phantom Blade Zero's exclusivity, this supposed representative replied: "Nobody needs ."

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Focus.

Capcom seems to be gearing up for a blowout on Monster Hunter Wilds. The highly anticipated action RPG is currently targeting a vague '2025' release window, but we wouldn't be at all surprised to see it land in the first few months of the year, so that the publisher can have a potential juggernaut on its fiscal year reports.

With that kind of timeframe in mind, it makes sense for Wilds to start pumping out some new gameplay footage. Capcom's kicking things off with three rather informative videos that cover basic mechanics, the brand new Focus Mode, and the slightly revamped Great Sword weapon type.

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Fate no more.

Fate/Extra Record, a remake of the PSP classic Fate/Extra, was announced eons ago – in 2020, to be precise. However, we’ve not heard a peep out of the project since – well, not until this weekend at least. During the Fate Grand Order Festival this weekend, developer Type-Moon released a new trailer, confirming the title for a 2025 release in Japan. It’ll be published by Bandai Namco on PS5 and PS4, which makes a Western release likely.

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SEGA registers the trademark.

RGG Studio is ready to announce a new instalment in the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series at the Tokyo Game Show next month, with the entry's genre supposedly being a surprise for fans. Ahead of the reveal, a new trademark has surfaced for something titled Yakuza Wars, which may be the new title. Fans are speculating this could be some sort of strategy experience like XCOM or even a Musou game, given the name.

Last month at Anime Expo, fans in attendance reported members of the RGG Studio said "what kind of game" the next entry is will come as a surprise, suggesting a change in genre or style of gameplay at least. It's also worth noting the use of the Yakuza branding once again, despite the switch to Like a Dragon for more recent games involving Ichiban Kasuga.

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"The machine was meant to make large games".

Developer Larian Studios set the new benchmark for ludicrously detailed RPGs with its revolutionary Baldur's Gate 3, which was developed in a somewhat unique situation (given the time and resources to achieve the developer's vision, with input from the community). It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that the studio (or "the machine", as we've come to prefer) is currently working on two games simultaneously, and both are shaping up to be behemoths.

BG3 is approaching its first anniversary, and Larian CEO and founder Swen Vincke sat down with PC Gamer to discuss the studio's predictably ambitious next projects in a refreshingly frank fashion: "The machine is meant to make large games. We were made for making large, ambitious RPGs and to try new stuff."

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Draw.

The fiendishly addictive collectable card game Queen's Blood, largely responsible for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's incredible runtime (probably), will return in expanded form in the as-yet-unnamed sequel and conclusion to the Remake trilogy.

That confirmation comes from the producer, Naoki Hamaguchi, who revealed the happy news at Otakon 2024, which was attended by streamer Neo Aoshi (thanks, Genki): "Right now, we are preparing a revamped, even better version of Queen's Blood for the next title."

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Joel = J.O.E.L.

Helldivers 2 players have long wondered what the extent of game master Joel's powers to influence the game's ongoing meta-narrative truly is. In a horrifying piece of found footage that has emerged from developer Arrowhead Game Studios, it seems we've been underestimating this shadowy being all along.

In the brief clip, it is revealed that "Joel" is actually an acronym, although what it stands for remains a mystery. The ominous, otherworldly creature is seen manipulating an in-progress Helldivers mission, spawning in adversaries, and even assuming direct control of an Automaton dreadnought. Elsewhere, J.O.E.L. ejects an unsuspecting player into the cold, hard vacuum of space, seemingly for no reason at all.

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Bear Sex 2: Ursine Boogaloo.

Can you believe it's almost been a year since the release of Baldur's Gate 3? On PC, that is, the PS5 version's anniversary is next month. In some ways, we just never recovered, and are incredibly excited to learn what comes next for developer Larian Studios. The plucky independent studio has just unveiled a new YouTube channel, fittingly enough called the Channel from Hell, and anticipation is already rising for its first upload.

Spotted by PC Gamer, The Channel from Hell is obviously a play on the developer's infamously raucous Panels from Hell. As you will all no doubt recall, it was at the last such event before the release of BG3 that we got the legendary ursine sex scene that earned Larian a TikTok ban. The purpose of this "community-focused" channel is to "feature regular and never-seen-before videos that will arrive this summer".

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"I saved her".

HBO has posted the first official glimpse at its second season of The Last of Us, which looks to adapt a portion of PS5, PS4 exclusive The Last of Us: Part II. Across just 24 seconds of footage — which first appeared in a video documenting what HBO Max has to offer between now and 2025 — we see the memorable dancing scene in Jackson, the Seraphites, Dina, Joel, Ellie, and potentially a very, very short clip of Abby. Check it out below:

The second season of the TV series is set to release at some point in 2025. It concludes an HBO video looking at what the service has coming in the future, with other TV shows featured being Dune: Prophecy, It: Welcome to Derry, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and more.

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