We Played A Half Hour Of Shadow Of The Colossus PS4, And It’s Still Wonderful

When Sony first announced a PS4 version of Shadow of the Colossus at E3 2017, it came as a surprise. The game wasn’t a re-release of the remaster that developer Bluepoint Games made for PS3. Instead, it was a new version with completely re-worked assets. But is a remake of designer Fumito Ueda’s cult classic worth revisiting even after it was already remastered in 2011? After playing a recent demo, I’ve discovered the answer to be a resounding yes.

The major highlight of the PS4 version is its new visuals. Shadow of the Colossus’ world has been given a major facelift and it’s stunning. You need only look at the lush forest in the footage from the Sony’s Paris Games Week press conference to see just how much of a step forward this remake is visually from its previous remaster. As someone who has played the original several times throughout the years, exploring the world feels familiar. But with the new assets and graphical touches, it also feels strange and foreign. Added technical enhancements, like reactive foliage, realistic water physics, and dynamic lighting, did not exist in the original or its remaster. Yet their implementation greatly enhances Shadow of Colossus’ sense of scale in ways that I had never imagined.

As a result, the Forbidden Land feels more ominous and otherworldly. I often asked myself the same questions I did when I first charted its biomes 12 years ago: “Who paved these roads? How did these desert ruins collapse?” The higher graphical fidelity facilitates nostalgic musings, but it also inspires a desire to explore the world; a feeling I rarely had playing the original. Shadow of the Colossus was widely criticized over the years for how little there was to do in its world. While this criticism may remain true for the PS4 remake, the new level of beauty present in its visuals compels me to explore the Forbidden Land and make meaning of its secrets–even if I know there’s nothing out there to find but white-tailed lizards.

While the upgraded presentation of the PS4 version is impressive, it very much plays identically to the original–for better or worse. I managed to kill two major colossi, and in that brief time, it was apparent that many of original game’s problems remain: Your horse Agro is a pain to control (even with the updated control scheme) and the camera is oftentimes unwieldy during inopportune moments. But in the face of these familiar issues, it’s difficult not to be impressed by the scope of the game’s colossus encounters, especially with the improved visuals and performance. My battle against the airborne Phalanx Colossus was riveting. The familiar tactic of jumping off Agro and onto its wings is still as tense and demanding, and the finality of taking it down yields the same rewarding sensation. The game seems to maintain the excitement of its set piece moments, even if it’s at times couched in PS2-era deficiencies.

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Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 stands in an odd middle ground between remaster and remake. The game plays exactly as you remember it, but its visuals are nearly up to par with some of this console generation’s latest games. From the two colossi I defeated, I’m eager to play this new version: the game’s renewed beauty makes it instantly compelling to explore and the remembrances I have for it as I fell colossi pull me in even more.

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Dragon Ball Super Episode 113 Review

Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the episode.

It’s all about the Super Saiyans this week as Goku is forced into battle with the ladies from Universe 6. The action was delightful, with the golden warriors throwing fast punches and intense Ki blasts. Unfortunately awesome fights can’t make up for the fact the action made little sense as we watch a warrior with decades of experience barely hold back two brand new warriors.

Flashy is one thing Dragon Ball has always done well, and this episode is no different. Caulifla and Goku both looked awesome as they battled in Super Saiyan 2, although I was particularly impressed with Caulifla. The attention to detail on her during the fights was wonderful, and her strange red Ki blasts are a wonderful counter to the sharp golden ones that Goku throws. Kale stepped in later, and although her time in this episode didn’t hit the same peaks as Caulifla’s, the attention to detail was no less. The way her and Caulifla fight together is great, bouncing Goku between their attacks and splitting his attention so he can’t focus on one person at a time. Their teamwork reminded me of Goku and Vegeta, making me wish we could see our two primary heroes someday work together in the same way.

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Eve: Valkyrie on Hold as CCP Takes Break from VR Market

The team behind Eve Online has put the development of its VR space combat game Eve: Valkyrie on hold.

In an interview with the Iceland Monitor (via Polygon) CEO of CCP Hilmar Veigar Pétursson explains that Eve: Valkyrie will be put “on the shelf” while the company steps out of the VR market for two or three years.

Pétursson indicated this was a direct response to how VR has been received commercially, but also said, “We have been front and center in the second wave of VR,” adding, “Our belief in the long-term transformative power of the technology remains strong.”

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The Best Overwatch Skins We Want Brought Over From Heroes Of The Storm

Heroes of the Storm brings together characters from all of Blizzard’s major franchises (Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Overwatch) and some lesser-known ones (The Lost Vikings, from Blizzard’s early days operating as Silicon & Synapse). Each of these characters has a variety of cosmetic skin options, but not all of them come from the games that the characters themselves are pulled from.

Most notable are those for the Overwatch characters who have been added over the last 18 months. They have a wide variety of looks that you can’t use in the shooter–and many of them are better than the options in Overwatch itself.

As such, there’s no shortage of skins we’d love to see brought to Overwatch from Heroes of the Storm. Seven characters have made the transition from Overwatch to HotS, and almost all of them have at least one exclusive skin that’s worthwhile. (All Ana has going for her are colorful versions of the Shrike skin available in Overwatch.) Even Junkrat, who was just added to the game recently, already has a skin that’s arguably better than anything you’ll find in Overwatch. Tracer, Zarya, D.Va, Lucio, and Genji are also represented.

In the gallery above, we’re taking a look at the best Overwatch skins in HotS that we want to see come over to the shooter (as well as their various color configurations). Let us know your favorites in the comments below.

D.Va the Destroyer

 

D.Va the Destroyer

 

D.Va the Dreamer

 

D.Va the Life-Binder

 

D.Va the Destroyerlisk

 

D.Va the Spellweaver

 

Goliath D.Va

 

Goliath D.Va

 

Spectre Goliath D.Va

 

Devil Dogs Goliath D.Va

 

Hazard Goliath D.Va

 

Sharkmouth Goliath D.Va

 

First Dragon Genji

 

First Dragon Genji

 

Iron Dragon Genji

 

Steel Dragon Genji

 

Master Dragon Genji

 

Neon Dragon Genji

 

Fallen Junkrat

 

Fallen Junkrat

 

Devilish Fallen Junkrat

 

Hellish Fallen Junkrat

 

Orcish Fallen Junkrat

 

Warped Fallen Junkrat

 

Cyberdemon Zarya

 

Indigo Cyberdemon Zarya

 

Cyborgdemon Zarya

 

Golden Cyberdemon Zarya

 

Restored Cyberdemon Zarya

High Gravity Zarya

 

Quartz High Gravity Zarya

 

Cobalt High Gravity Zarya

 

Crimson High Gravity Zarya

 

Thunder Guard Zarya

 

Spectre Thunder Guard Zarya

 

Emerald Thunder Guard Zarya

 

Ghost Tracer

 

Amber Ghost Tracer

 

Heatwave Slip ‘N Stream Tracer

 

Heatwave Slip ‘N Stream Tracer

 

Spectre Tracer

 

Spectre Tracer

 

Neon Spectre Tracer

 

Amber Spectre Tracer

 

Cryo Spectre Tracer

 

Turbo Tracer

 

Turbo Tracer

 

Slipstream Turbo Tracer

 

Hyper Turbo Tracer

 

Hot Rod Turbo Tracer

 

Soundblast Lucio

 

Crimson Soundblast Lucio

 

Amber Soundblast Lucio

 

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New Justice League Movie Teaser Trailer Shows Batman’s Evolution Since Dawn Of Justice

With Justice League, a new chapter in the story of Batman will be revealed on the big screen. In a new teaser featurette from the film, stars Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot discuss the Dark Knight shedding his role as the sole protector of Gotham, thanks to a much bigger threat than he can handle alone.

“Batman, for the first time, understands he can’t do this for himself,” Gadot, who reprises her role as Wonder Woman, says. While that may be a hard pill for the Caped Crusader to swallow, it’s a necessary one. The movie’s villain, Steppenwolf, has his sights set on destroying the entire world. A threat of that magnitude is going to cause a very important change in Batman.

“We see the evolution of a new Batman,” Affleck says. “He’s moved on from lone vigilante to recruiter and leader.” This character rising to the role of leader of the Justice League, after the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice saw him not playing well with other heroes, is a solid arc for the character.

However, recruiter is the most important part Batman–of his alter ego Bruce Wayne–could take on in the film, though. While Wonder Woman has already joined the cause, bringing Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and The Flash (Ezra Miller) onto the team could be a bit difficult. After all, all three look to be fairly new in their superhero careers.

Still, the question of Superman (Henry Cavill) looms large over both the team and the movie as a whole. What will happen to the makeup of the Justice League once the Man of Steel makes his eventual return? While he and Batman may have settled their differences once the dust was settled in Dawn of Justice, Superman doesn’t seem like the type who would be willingly led by anyone.

Whatever the case, as the characters of Justice League continue to be revealed in these featurettes–previously, Aquaman, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman have all gotten their own teasers–the team becomes more defined heading into their fight. Justice League is in theaters on November 17.

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PlayStation 4 Worldwide Shipments Reach 67.5 Million

Sony has revealed that 67.5 million PlayStation 4 consoles have been shipped as of September 30 this year.

Financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2017 reveal that Sony Interactive Entertainment sent 4.2 million units to retailers this quarter bringing up the lifetime total to 67.5 million units shipped.

These numbers result in the company raising its predictions to meet 79 million units shipped by March 2018.

Sony’s game and network services which encompass PlayStation and PlayStation Network have also seen an increase in revenue and operating income across the board.

Sony recently held its media showcase at Paris Games week. You can find all the news and trailers from the event in our wrap up and check out 14 new PS4 and PSVR announcements Sony made over the course of Paris Games week.

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Persona Series Tops 8.5 Million Units Sold

The Persona series has reached a new sales milestone. According to SEGA’s 2017 annual report, the franchise has now topped 8.5 million units sold (packaged and digital total) across 13 total editions. The series first launched back in 1996.

Meanwhile, the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, which first launched in 1987 (and which the Persona series spun off from), sits at approximately 7.2 million units sold across 28 total editions. The Yakuza games have sold  10.5 million units across 75 total editions. The first game was released back in 2005.

For more on Persona, be sure to read IGN’s glowing review of Persona 5, which we scored a 9.7. Also check out what might be next for Persona 5 developer Atlus and read about the upcoming Persona 5 anime TV series.

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