The memory of playing Silent Hill 2 is more nebulous than any other horror remake to emerge in recent years. The eponymous town mysteriously abandoned, as we know, but cloaked in dense, morose fog, conceals its secrets, tasking our imaginations with bringing life to the terror lurking out of sight, much like every protagonist we control and NPC resident we encounter. The town is a cracked mirror reflecting our collective torment; our anxieties as the player, and our interpretation of the trauma suffered by the digital sprites lost within Silent Hill’s uninhabited streets and claustrophobic corridors.

Polish developer Bloober Team have the unenviable task of coaxing this communal dread out of the fog, reinterpreting a million interpretations, reconfiguring memories into something freshly profound. In basic terms: paying homage to the dreamlike original whilst putting their own stamp on it. Dampening their prospects further, there’re aspects Bloober Team cannot possibly replicate, namely Silent Hill 2’s influence. Felt in Taiwanese ghost story Detention to last year’s exceptional Alan Wake 2, plus Bloober’s own The Medium, Silent Hill 2’s remake is being born into a world where Silent Hill 2 already exists. Modernised graphics, more user-friendly controls, expanded mechanics, eschewing fixed cameras and tank controls for over-the-shoulder perspectives, elements such as these are staple expectations of any remake, but a strict, singular adherence to technological advances will only devolve Silent Hill 2’s remake into genericism. A AAA game, like any other, just set within a foggy town.

What Bloober Team must encapsulate is the ways in which its original source material enraptured legions of horror fans; its noxious atmosphere, its pervasive dread, its bravery to confront and earnestly portray subjects of taboo. Encapsulation isn’t replication; as aforesaid, that’s impossible, but if this remake is to succeed, it must strive to evoke similar feelings and emotions, to provoke our imaginations just like the original did, instead, perhaps, by utilising contemporary technology to foster fresh perspectives and newfound memories beyond solely relying on things looking and playing better. It’s no easy task, yet despite the colossal uphill struggle, and the widespread disappointment in Silent Hill 2’s initial trailers, this remake looks set to be fantastic.      

One such action Bloober Team have taken to harness contemporary game making tech is in its use of motion capture and facial animation. In tandem with a refined, more understandable script, characters now won’t always say what they’re thinking. Instead, they’ll display their emotions on their face; wistful hopelessness, anguish, anger, you’ll be able to read and interpret for yourself what the characters are saying through the lines on their faces. Bloober Team have been sure to maintain existing character arcs, reveals, and important plot points, but in reducing a character’s word count they’re aiming to deepen a player’s relationship with protagonist James and the plethora of lost souls he encounters throughout his efforts to locate his dead wife. 

Bloober Team’s focus on showing, not telling, extends to optionally disabling the entirety of the game’s on-screen UI. Remove the HUD and visual and auditory clues will reveal themselves to you, subtly indicating the direction James should be heading given the direction his face is pointing. Losing your bearings was part of Silent Hill 2’s foreboding charm, and with the ability to disable all on-screen waypoints the task of trekking through the labyrinthine miasma of the Wood Side Apartments or Toluca Prison in 2024’s remake finds new ways to maintain the immersive qualities established all those years ago.

Sound has always been integral to Silent Hill 2 too, and whilst its well documented by now that long-time series composer and sound designer Akira Yamaoka is back at the helm to soundtrack this remake with new music, his goal to has also been to reinterpret his memories of the original soundtrack, to craft something fresh out of the carcass of his original iconic soundtrack. To re-envision Silent Hill 2’s music he attempted to transport himself back over two decades, to recall his mindset in hope of pulling something out of the haze. As it happens, Akira-san couldn’t recall anything noteworthy. The remake’s soundtrack, it seems, is being pulled from a misty interpretation of the past, much like the rest of the remake.

The fruits of his labour aren’t without promise, though. Listen to the reprise of standout Silent Hill 2 track ‘The Day of Night’ for a prime example; familiar motifs now lay buried in layers of reverb and static, smudged but still within recognition. The fog hasn’t lifted, but what’s lurking out there has been reimagined.

Yamaoka has always strived to achieve something unique with each of his soundtracks. Scraping, angular hum during exploration, utter silence at the sight of Silent Hill 2’s marquee monsters. Akira cannot precisely replicate the impact his original soundtrack possesses, but he can still create something unexpected based on his reimagining of what was already there.

Encapsulating this premise in more tangible terms is Silent Hill 2’s expanded exploration zones; it is confirmed new areas with fresh puzzles will exist in the remake. Now, this trick was deployed to great effect in Dead Space’s recent remake. New corridors connecting familiar areas rendered the USG Ishimura with a perplexing aura. Creeping from one place to the next felt more like threading your way through a maze, and for veterans of the original it re-established an intoxicating feeling which would have been left in the memory were the mining ship’s zone-connecting train redeployed. New areas to tiptoe through in Silent Hill 2 makes the looming thread waiting in the fog prescient again. Bloober Team haven’t just done this because they can; these new explorable areas are tapping into memories, and they’re another great example of injecting newfound malevolence that would have been lost were this remake a like-for-like copy of the original.

We haven’t really discussed in detail Silent Hill 2’s 4K graphical overhaul, its quality-of-life improvements, or new camera perspectives, as aforesaid these elements are expected – and they’ve been talked about at length in other features. What is worthy of a mention though is the remake’s combat. Now, there’s still an element of clunk in James’ fighting efforts, and combat – now with dodge mechanics and targeting reticules – bears a weight of scrutiny given the new over-the-shoulder perspective. In short, given preview player testimony, combat is a feeble, possibly underbaked affair, but think of it this way: James is not Resident Evil 2’s Leon Kennedy. He’s an ordinary man who stumbles upon weapons he has little experience with. His wayward aiming and sluggish responses are by design. Bloober Team have been clear to point out that Silent Hill 2 is not a combat-focused game, so James’ ineptitude instead is deployed to foster dread and desperation, much like the other innovations discussed in this feature – the new areas, optional lack of UI, the soundtrack.

Whilst the game isn’t out yet, Bloober Team deserve recognition for the way in which they’ve handled this remake’s development. They’ve treated the memories we have of playing the original with respect, and shoe-horned in just enough innovation to keep us on our toes. Silent Hill 2 has potential to reset the blueprint for how remakes should be made. Reinterpreting the past to craft another future.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Before going over the additions and differences between the cult classic original and this PS5/PC remake, let’s briefly reminisce on what made Until Dawn so enticing. If you like horror flicks like Cabin in the Woods, you’ll feel right at home with Until Dawn’s premise and setting. The story follows eight teenagers who become ensnared in a web of horrific circumstances while staying in a cabin resort in the scenic Blackwood Mountains. Your goal is to keep as many characters alive by the end as possible, but It’s likely that you’ll end up killing all eight characters if your decision-making is poor. Quick-time events and narrative choices make up the gameplay, as well as good old atmospheric exploration. As we’ll see, the remake makes exploration even better by replacing the old static camera with an over-the-shoulder one you can fully control. And with that, let’s discuss the host of new additions this PC/PS5 remake is bringing us on October 4^th.

The team at Ballistic Moon ensured this wasn’t just a lazy 1-to-1 PC port, and that effort is made immediately clear upon seeing the game’s prologue. There’s entirely new sequences here that didn’t exist in the original’s prologue, most of them providing additional context for the Washington family while filling in small details that expand the original’s narrative. The team assures us that they didn’t alter the story in any significant way, but there’s also some surprising twists in the way some scenes are shot and framed throughout that make this a more fleshed out narrative than the original.

Speaking of framing, the entire camera has been re-worked. You can now finally move the camera around the character in an over-the-shoulder perspective. Lest we forget, the original Until Dawn featured a fixed camera reminiscent of old PS2 horror games. It’ll be fun to explore the spooky environments of Blackwood Mountain and its cabin with full camera control now.

Facilitating the new controllable camera are a host of new collectibles sequestered throughout the environments. Hunger Totems are brand new collectibles which give the player new visions, either of future character deaths or something entirely unexpected. All the old Totem collectibles also return but are scattered in completely new locations. Being able to finally move the camera in any direction opens up a world of perspective, so it’s understandable why the team re-arranged all the collectibles from the ground up to accommodate it. I for one am looking forward to this new scavenger hunt that the controllable camera brings with it and seeing nooks and crannies within the Blackwood Mountains that weren’t visible with the old game’s static camera.

Until Dawn didn’t look shabby back on the PS4. The 2015 cult horror title originally utilized Guerrilla Games’ versatile Decima engine. Until Dawn marked a sort of graphical revolution in the genre of branching narrative horror games back in the day, and the remake looks to evolve all of that from the ground up. Yes, that’s right, Until Dawn’s 2024 remake ditches the tried and true Decima engine for Unreal Engine 5, and the results are about what you’d expect. As seen from the trailers, shadows project more realistically from surfaces and illumination from the moon and characters’ flashlights create a far more atmospheric mood than its PS4 version.

But the game hasn’t just been re-lit, the cast of characters are newly rendered as well as the environments themselves. There’s simply more detail this time around, with pores and beads of sweet easily discernable on characters’ faces and rich foliage looking three times as full. I’m especially glad that they kept the characters faithful to the original. We all know how companies these days just can’t help themselves with altering a beloved character design in ground-up remakes, but everybody in Until Dawn looks exactly as they did in the original, just enhanced with improved textures and emotional nuances.

What really brings these characters to life is the animations, and they too have been retooled and improved here. The PlayStation Blog post says that pre-rendering simulation techniques are being used to make the death animations as brutally realistic as possible. This remake won’t disappoint in the gore department; thanks for grossing us out even more, Unreal Engine 5! Even before the naive cast of characters meet an untimely end, they’ll be covered in cuts and bruises that progress with the story thanks to the updated injury mask system employed in the remake.

Another aspect that brings the experience to life is the newly configured DualSense functionality. You’ll be able to feel the tension of Until Dawn’s spooky moments through the controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Being able to feel the rapid heartbeat of the characters through the controller’s weighted vibrations will surely make the experience that much more immersive. Likewise, I can already imagine scenarios where you’re slowly propping open a door to get a lay of the land while the triggers resist your push with weighted feedback. Jump scares are sure to be that much more impactful due to the heightened rumble featured in the DuelSense controller, so get ready to jump out of your seat if you’re playing in the dark.

If you don’t want to deal with the extra stress involved with quick time events and sections requiring you to halt all controller movement, this remake adds plenty of accessibility settings to accommodate. Of particular interest is the new Don’t Panic! feature which serves as an alternative to those Don’t Move! moments in the game. It’s specially made for peripherals without a gyroscope, but also can be turned on just to experience something more relaxed.

The final big change with this remake is the newly scored soundtrack. The original composer, Jason Graves, is replaced by composer Mark Korven. Graves’ original soundtrack set the Cabin in the Woods tone perfectly, so it’ll be interesting to hear how Korven’s new score adds extra ambiance and tension to the enhanced experience. Obviously, this choice to replace the soundtrack wholesale might be disappointing to a lot of fans. I’m hoping there’s an option to play the original soundtrack somewhere in the game and it’s not a paid DLC later down the line. If the original soundtrack is just ditched completely, the new score better be darn good to replace Graves’ great work.

But there is one positive that the re-scored soundtrack assures us of; Ballistic Moon’s work here is a true ground-up remake and not a half-hearted effort. Scoring a whole new soundtrack is no light addition, and the controllable over-the-shoulder camera changes up the gameplay and perspective in entirely new ways. Players returning to the horrors of Blackwood Mountain have quite a lot of new content to discover. And new players who don’t have access to PlayStation consoles now get to experience the cult classic with a fresh coat of Unreal Engine 5 paint, filled to the brim with new accessibility features and modern upgrades. Until Dawn may be a nine year old game at this point, and Supermassive’s choice-driven narrative formula has been tried and tested for nigh-on a decade, but Until Dawn still stands as a magnum opus worthy of an entirely new audience.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

However, one of the most back-and-forth discussions is actually something that was debated for months before the PS5 Pro’s official reveal: Will Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 6 run at 60 frames per second on the console?

Why GTA 6? Not only is it the most anticipated game of next year among fans, but perhaps the industry as a whole. Speaking to GamesIndustry, Circana’s Mat Piscatella said there’s “probably never been a more important thing to ever release in the industry.” Ignore that Grand Theft Auto 5 shipped about 200 million units – the reveal trailer for GTA 6 has a whopping 209 million views in about nine months. To say that the hype is palpable would be an understatement.

However, as with hype, there will also be rampant speculation, good and bad, over how it will look, whether the current generation of consoles can handle it, etc. CNET’s preview of how the Pro’s CPU is the same Ryzen Zen 2 as the base console further feeds into reports that the only difference is a “High CPU Frequency Mode” to boost the clock speed up to 3.85 GHz from 3.5 GHz. A somewhat disappointing 10 percent increase, if true. Sony hasn’t officially confirmed or denied this, even if other aspects of the leaks have been true.

The CPU is a major factor because open-world titles like, say, Grand Theft Auto 5, leverage it in different ways, like its population density and variety. Reducing these, among other things, can help improve PC performance. As such, if the PS5 Pro’s CPU isn’t a tremendous upgrade over the base version, then Grand Theft Auto 6 clearly won’t run at 60 FPS on the console.

Cue comments about how arrogant Sony is back and the PS5 Pro is dead on arrival. Now, the Pro has some issues, like the absurd pricing and demanding additional money for a disc drive and vertical stand. Don’t even get me started on how much Europe and Australia must pay.

The problem with the whole argument about GTA 6 not running at 60 FPS is that it doesn’t make much sense for several reasons.

Firstly, there’s an absolute lack of information for the title. You could argue that the reveal trailer is all real-time and in-game (and it very well may be, given how Rockstar does things), but we haven’t seen how it plays. What improvements have been made to driving? Are the dashboards of the various vehicles realistic enough? How does the movement look? Are the shooting mechanics different? How extensive is the world design? Can we enter all the buildings we’ve seen thus far? What new activities can we look forward to?

Rockstar has been tight-lipped about everything, forget performance. We don’t even know how it’s going to run on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, forget diving into options on the PS5 Pro.

If you want to assume anything, Grand Theft Auto 5 is a good place to start. It has three graphical modes on PS5: Fidelity, Performance and Performance RT. There is a precedent for the developer implementing different modes on more powerful hardware. However, remember that it was originally released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 before coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC, and then the current-gen consoles.

It’s had time to optimize and improve performance for the latest hardware, and while you could argue about how much of that work will translate to GTA 6, it’s the precedent more than anything. Rockstar knows that fans want to experience their games in 60 FPS. How much priority is it over ensuring the game runs well on current-gen hardware? Probably less so, but your guess is as good as mine.

Of course, this isn’t just the developer’s precedent. Console lead architect Mark Cerny talked about how 75 percent of PS5 players opted for Performance mode when playing games. He then outlined how the PS5 Pro would close the divide between Performance and Fidelity modes.

The goal is for the player to have the best of both worlds – image quality and details alongside a higher frame rate. However, he didn’t rule out titles having different graphical modes on PS5 Pro. In fact, CNET’s preview confirmed there will be, with Gran Turismo 7 having an 8K resolution mode and 4K/60 FPS mode with advanced ray tracing.

Whether other open-world titles will follow suit and attempt to hit the coveted 4K/60 FPS standard is unknown because it varies between developers. It ultimately depends on how they optimise their titles for the Pro. The same goes for Grand Theft Auto 6, which uses the PS5 as a base. Regardless, if there’s an opportunity to add a 60 FPS mode, even if it means dialling down some details, then the development team is probably looking into it.

For all we know, Rockstar has been aware for months that the PS5 Pro has been in the works. After all, the initially leaked specs originated from Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Developer Network, which only licensed developers, publishers, and middleware companies can view. Even if it’s not among those companies, you can bet that they’re in the know and have been considering what to do with the hardware, even if there aren’t concrete plans at this stage.

The real question is whether it can have it ready by the game’s launch. Grand Theft Auto 6 is slated for 2025 – over a year off. While this leaves plenty of time for optimization, there are several other aspects it needs to polish and get ready. Once again, we’ve seen nothing beyond the initial reveal trailer. A delay is always possible, but it remains to be seen if the developer or parent company Take-Two Interactive would go to that extent, especially if its main install base is on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Of course, when it eventually does release, there may likely be other arguments, especially if it doesn’t run at 4K/60 FPS with ray tracing enabled at full Ultra details on the Pro. Thus begins another cycle of discussion as to whether it can achieve that on the PS6 or, failing that, the PS6 Pro. Round and round and round we go.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s a worthwhile discussion to have, and fans should know all of this before dropping $700 minimum on new hardware. However, until we possess all of the facts, like the PS5 Pro’s specs and Rockstar’s plans for the hardware, if any, we can only speculate.

Thankfully, we can all agree on two things: Grand Theft Auto 6 looks amazing even if we need to see more, and the PS5 Pro’s pricing, regardless of specifications, is terrible. And for now, at least in terms of tangible facts, that’s enough.

To bring those unperturbed up to speed, Dead Rising plunges players straight into the thick of a zombie apocalypse. In command of once-loutish-now-grizzled photojournalist Frank West we enter Colorado’s Willamette Parkview Mall on the hunt for clues to crack the mystery behind a clandestine military quarantine, coming face-to-face with hordes of lurching zombies. A hundred-plus-strong bounty of weapons – some impactful, some comically useless – can be plucked on a whim to wield, anything from baseball bats and chainsaws to fish and cacti can be unleashed in varying degrees of brutality. Dead Rising has always relied on its gore factor to score points amongst its bloodthirsty player-ship, and this Deluxe Remaster certainly doesn’t disappoint in this regard. There’s enough blood and viscera here – delivered in vibrant 4K detail – to enrapture hardcore horror junkies. Of course, thwacking the undead with TVs and handbags ensures any potential queasiness is allayed in slapstick fashion.

A combined interpretation of comedy and horror could be that there’s a thin line dividing the two. Dead Rising encapsulates this sometimes-paper-thin relationship more brilliantly than most. Its subject matter is macabre for sure, but the sheer absurdity of the situation Frank finds himself in – elevated further by players opting to don a Mega Man helmet whilst pummelling brain-dead meat sacks – ensures there are plenty of laughs throughout.

Choosing whether to pummel grittily via sledgehammers as your principal weapons of choice or as an oaf with a showerhead is supported by Dead Rising’s rogue-like structure. See, Frank has seventy-two in-game hours (read, two real world hours per day) to survive Willamette Mall’s blood-splattered shopping complexes before he’s rescued, the game ends and resets for another run. As Frank is there on official journo business, you’ll likely opt to discover the origin behind this crawling mass of zombies. Alternatively, you might decide to rescue a handful of freaked-out survivors hiding within the mall’s depths, or you could spend your time mowing down as many undead as the clock allows; choice really is in your hands beyond deciding how you’re going to kill things.  

Sure, the mall’s a veritable playground if you want it to be, but with endless new game plus’s available come each run’s end, with each offering to carry over Frank’s experience and abilities, you’d be missing out if you didn’t try a few different approaches.  

Quality of life improvements – of which there are plenty – further cement Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster’s intention as a multi-playthrough experience. Some events such as the multitude of in-game boss battles, for instance, only occur at certain times, so it’s a relief that the developer has decided to implement a time-skip feature via Frank’s wristwatch. An ever-present complaint with Dead Rising’s prior versions is the restrictive game saving; now, autosaves are plentiful, usually before marquee story moments to boot. Mid-run saves also spill into the game’s Overtime and Infinity Modes, the latter of which tasked Frank with continually munching food to maintain a healthy status, but with food a scarce resource in this mode the prior inability to save hindered what was arguably the most enjoyable way to play Dead Rising.   

Player time isn’t the only thing the developers are respecting in this remaster, but the tendencies for frustration prevalent in past versions have been homed in on too. Simple things, things that are a given in modern day gaming, such as simultaneously shooting and moving are finally a part of Frank’s skillset. Similarly, the gameplay disrupting annoyances surrounding the ever-reliant transceiver, whereby Frank would receive updates from Otis the janitor, have been eradicated.

NPC survivor AI has been overhauled too. Now, they behave much more realistically, can overcome obstacles unattended, and are generally much more observant of Frank’s directions to sanctuary, alleviating a common frustration in Dead Rising’s prior guises when survivors are lost through no fault of the player. Frank, for his part, can signpost to safety more effectively thanks to a dynamic UI which presents directions in a more readable format to the player. NPCs are liable to attack Frank too; accidentally smash a plant pot on their head and see what happens. No, it isn’t just the zombie hordes and psychotic bosses that pose a threat to Frank’s survival, NPCs can deal a swift, deadly blow too if they feel threatened. Also, on-screen weapon durability means you can get on with a pummelling rather than worrying if your baseball bat is about to snap.

Frank being a photojournalist with an ever-present camera hanging around his neck, photography is still the primary way to level up Frank’s stats – and there are plenty of opportunities to earn Prestige Points all over the mall by snapping a range of photos – with access to skills and abilities incoming with every perfect shot across a variety of genres; gory mess for Brutality points, story-specific scenes for Drama, Horror points when lots of zombies are present in an image and so on. The Deluxe Remaster expands Frank’s camera controls allowing him to capture an even wider array of pictures too. Plus, there’s a suite of Instagram style filters to superimpose on your captures.

Graphically, the game looks the best it ever has, with smooth performance no matter the over-numerousness of scuttling zombies on-screen. Some shaky facial animations aside, character models are rich in detail, and the mall itself has received a crisp, clean overhaul with some areas undoing wholesale renovations for this remastered version. Lighting is integral in Willamette Mall’s newfound visual aplomb, simultaneously adorning shop-adjacent plazas and food courts in vivid sunlight with dimly lit corners consumed by barely a gloomy glow. It’s refreshing too that the developers have reworked the game’s audio, converting the sound to 3D, remastering sound effects, translating dialogue into multiple languages, and, oh, recording voice parts for every character – an immersion boosting feature sorely missed previously.

Dead Rising’s original, oddball appeal has been maintained throughout the Deluxe Remaster, but with the extensive list of quality-of-life improvements, bolstered playability, sleek, modern graphics, and audio, plus a careful consideration towards modern ideals, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster’s contemporary, user-friendly reworking makes the previous two incarnations feel positively ancient. This will be the definitive way to experience the game, and there’s no doubt it’ll end the year as one of the year’s hottest properties. Dead Rising proves there’s still ample room for zombie survival horror leaning towards a schlocky, B-movie aesthetic. Dead Rising Deluxe Edition is coming out on September 19^th, with current gen consoles and PC the platforms announced.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

However, Sony has arguably had the most bizarre adventure out of all the companies. It admitted last February that it didn’t have “any new major existing franchise titles” until post-March 31st, 2025, which dashed hopes for fans of many a beloved IP.

Its infamous May State of Play included Fairgame$ and Concord front and center – both live service, made all the more baffling after it laid off 900 employees several months prior. It also shut down Sony London, working on a live service title, and this was only a couple of months after Naughty Dog cancelled its standalone multiplayer title for The Last of Us.

Of course, we all know what happened – Concord flopped miserably, reportedly selling only 25,000 units. Firewalk Studios pulled it from sale, and servers went offline as it investigated options. It’s a disaster, plain and simple, and we still have no clue what Sony’s plans are for the future. The live service agenda hasn’t transitioned into a total moratorium since Fairgame$ is still coming, but it’s nowhere near the initial ambition.

Yet in the same week as one of its biggest live service failures, whose player base at launch (at least on Steam) was so bad it puts the likes of Redfall and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League to shame, Sony released Astro Bot. And suddenly, something very important was reinforced for long-time fans and perhaps company higher-ups: Sony is very good at making single-player games. Shocking, I know.

Developed by Team Asobi, formed after Sony scuttled its first-party Japan Studio, Astro Bot retails for $59.99. It has no multiplayer or micro-transactions, as stated well before its launch. There are no live-service elements; the only post-launch support confirmed thus far is free challenge stages and speedrun levels (at least ten of the former and five of the latter) coming later this year. No dailies. No XP boosters. No premium currency, no store for buying cosmetics, no Battle Pass or tier skips or Prisms or any of that, and no always online requirement.

There is gacha, courtesy of the Gatcha Lab, but it’s a sink for all the Coins collected throughout the game. They have no gameplay implications outside of unlocking new animations and cosmetics for the VIP Bots. No word yet on whether the drop rates are competitive with other games, but there’s no risk of crippling debt at least.

While sales are unknown, Astro Bot is currently the highest-rated game on Metacritic for the year, scoring a 94 based on 115 critical reviews. Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree is technically above it, but that’s an expansion. It’s currently rated above Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Animal Well, Tekken 8, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Helldivers 2, and more.

Perhaps the craziest thing about it is that compared to many of those titles and several of Sony’s biggest exclusives, Astro Bot isn’t a triple-A production. Team Asobi consists of 60 developers who created it in three years, clearly aiming to expand on the gameplay of Astro’s Playroom. While the budget is unknown, it likely pales to The Last of Us Part 2, which cost $220 million to develop, or Horizon Forbidden West and its $212 million cost.

Of course, it’s not a massive experience – studio president and creative director Nicolas Doucet talked about how it takes about 12 to 15 hours to finish. Even if you spend time collecting the +300 Bots in the game, you’re still looking at an average of 14.5 hours per HowLongToBeat.com, but that’s fully intended.

As Doucet noted in an interview with Julien Chièze, “We want to really make a game in which the tempo is constant throughout and that each level is the same quality rather than having moments that are actually a little long.” The team even told Edge magazine that it stuck with a level-based structure despite considering an open-world approach since that would allow for the “most control over the game’s variety.”

One question that comes to mind is: Why doesn’t Sony make more 3D platformers in the same vein? It does have a wealth of IPs like Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper, and of course, LittleBigPlanet. But the plan over the years has always been to budget towards triple-A productions with cinematic campaigns, massive worlds (semi-open and open), gorgeous visuals, and dozens of hours of gameplay. Those have historically been some of the biggest money-makers, and while there’s a case for scaling down and focusing on shorter titles, Sony’s biggest strength is single-player titles.

Yes, the live-service revenue is appealing. Just ask EA, Nexon, 2K, Rockstar, Warner Bros. and Microsoft. It’s not just that video games are expensive to develop, often stated to justify the sheer amount of monetization. It’s the appeal of having a constant revenue stream for years.

Problems arise when you consider that the market is over-saturated, with too many options. Then there’s the fact that several of these titles either don’t have the infrastructure to support years of updates or aren’t very good out of the gate. Say what you will about the backlash against Concord’s initial reveal, but it didn’t review well either. Everyone loves a good redemption story, but you can only take the plunge so many times before demanding a good experience out of the gate.

Maybe Astro Bot won’t be that big of a success for Sony. Perhaps it won’t move tens of millions of copies to compete with the publisher’s best, like, unfortunately, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, which sold “only” four million copies as of June 2023. Maybe, as Sony’s marketing keeps telling us, it’s just meant to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary while offering an excellent, one-and-done 3D platformer before it moves on to the real big-budget games.

Regardless of its budget and resources – and for the record, it’s still a gorgeous game with immaculate production values – Astro reinforces that Sony’s greatest success lies in single-player projects. It reminds us that video games don’t need to last for years and years or have extensive roadmaps that are subject to change or outright cancellation based on market forces.

You can have a campaign, a linear one at that, with enjoyable gameplay, and it will resonate with your player base. It may even get Xbox and Nintendo players to see what the fuss is about. You know, like every other generation of PlayStation console.

Whatever the basis for its original live-service plan, the fact that it doesn’t work for Sony is clear. Hopefully, the extensive acclaim for Astro Bot reminds the company of its strengths. Celebrating 30 years of PlayStation is great – more people need to be aware of the franchises that made the brand what it is today and why so many feel nostalgic for the good ol’ days. However, delivering games that cater to both audiences while existing as excellent single-player experiences in their own right would be even better.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

When the PS5 Pro launches on November 7, Sony will sell it for a price of $699.99, a price that you’d be shocked at if Sony hadn’t consistently spent the entire PS5 generation making the worst possible pricing decisions. The base PS5 itself is still an arguably overpriced console, a fact that’s exacerbated by the many price increases Sony has implemented for the console itself and its accessories in different regions (and often multiple times, like in Japan)- not to mention switching to $70 games, having significantly higher PlayStation Plus subscription prices, selling the PS VR2 for a higher price than the console that it launched as an accessory for, or what have you. But even though the ridiculous pricing for the PS5 Pro is depressingly on-band for modern-day PlayStation, it’s still hard not to be shocked at the audacity of it. 

Let’s start with the fact that for a great many people, the PS5 Pro is already hugely unnecessary to begin with. Close to four years into the PS5’s lifecycle, we’re only barely just getting started with this console generation. Cross-gen releases ruled the roost for what seemed like an eternity, and it’s only now that we’re starting to see developers making games specifically for current-gen hardware on a more widespread basis. We’re past the halfway point into this console generation, and the PS5 is still struggling to justify its own high price. To introduce a console that’s supposedly a more powerful version of the hardware that is only just beginning to come into its own doesn’t seem like a great idea to begin with. 

But when that mid-gen console refresh is being sold for $700? At that point, to say the very least, it becomes crucial for Sony to have a really convincing first showing for the console. When we first saw the PS5 Pro, it needed to be with a sort of presentation that would effectively and abundantly convey its vast benefits over the base console, because at an asking price of $700, that’s the standard that the console is going to have to reach. And did the PS5 Pro reveal manage to do that? Let’s just be extremely polite about it say hell no. 

A significant portion of the 9-minute presentation that saw Mark Cerny unveiling the PS5 Pro was dedicated to showing gameplay footage of titles running on the console, while also offering side-by-side comparisons with those same games running on a base PS5. Sadly, much of it was underwhelming. Sure, Gran Turismo 7 looks quite impressive with ray tracing enabled, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart boasts a greater level of detail in the backgrounds, and the prospect of playing The Last of Us Part 2 at 60 FPS with the best possible visual fidelity is an exciting one- but ultimately, what we have seen so far are little more than marginal upgrades in the grand scheme of things, which, to say the very least, is a massively underwhelming way to debut a console that is going to be sold for $700. 

The fact that Sony hasn’t revealed the PS5 Pro with gameplay footage for any major upcoming title (like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, for instance) hasn’t exactly helped matters, especially because many of the games that we did see – from Control and Horizon Forbidden West to Gran Turismo 7 and The Last of Us Part 2 – are cross-gen titles, and maybe not the most exciting picks to show off a hardware upgrade with. These were games that were nowhere close to getting the most out of the base PS5, so to use them to demonstrate what a more powerful version of the console is capable of just seems like yet another in a lost list of poor decisions by Sony where the PS5 Pro is concerned.

Oh, and here’s something that’s really annoying, even if it doesn’t really matter too much in the larger picture. Sony, you’re selling a mid-gen console refresh for $700, a decision that in and of itself reeks of either unbelievable hubris, and that $700 doesn’t even include a disc drive, by the way (which, incidentally, is yet another way to send people deeper down the digital rabbit hole, where there are no guarantees of permanent ownership even for games that you’ve bought and paid for). Is it too much to ask that you do not sell the console’s vertical stand separately? Because boy oh boy, talk about nickel and diming.  

There is, of course, a very obvious argument to be made that the PS5 Pro is not meant as a mass appeal device at all, but that it is instead being made for the enthusiasts. There’s little doubt that within that specific demographic, the PS5 Pro is obviously going to do well, regardless of its price. But it’s hard not to look at the console and think of it as a waste- a waste because the base PS5 is only just beginning to get its engines warm, which makes it unlikely that anyone is going to do too much with the PS5 Pro that’s going to be too impressive. And if that’s the console that Sony is releasing, the prospect of spending $700 on it also seems like an exorbitant waste.

It’s honestly hard to figure out why Sony is even making the PS5 Pro. Unlike the PS4, which was already an outdated piece of kit even when it released, the PS5 still has a great deal of juice left in it that developers haven’t come anywhere close to fully squeezing out, on account of the incredibly slow start this console generation has suffered, so it’s not like there was any need for a more powerful console. On paper, one could argue that the release of a mid-gen console refresh would help revitalize hardware sales for Sony, which is an area where the PS5 has been declining over half year- but at $700, you have to wonder whether the PS5 Pro is going to have enough mass appeal to be able to do that. 

It’s next to impossible to imagine anything the console could do that could ever justifying that price- but if nothing else, one would hope that we get to see upcoming games like Death Stranding 2, Grand Theft Auto 6, and others running on a PS5 Pro sooner rather than later, and that they actually look significantly and meaningfully better than they will on the base PS5. Because that’s the level that the PS5 Pro needs to be hitting to come anywhere close to maybe sort of justifying its price tag. 

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Critics have also showered praise on the third-person shooter for many reasons, whether it’s the presentation and gorgeous visuals or the attention to detail. There are some nitpicks here and there, but everyone can universally agree on one thing: The combat is amazing.

It’s no shock to those who played the original Space Marine. Despite inviting comparisons to Gears of War, thanks in no small part to similarities between the Space Marines and Gears, it established a unique loop of brutally entertaining action. The rhythm of the melee combat and third-person shooting felt just right, but Space Marine 2 goes even further beyond. Heck, it may even surpass the likes of Gears of War.

The campaign wastes no time getting straight to the action, with Demetrian Titus and his Deathwatch squad landing on Kadaku to deploy a Virus Bomb and eradicate the Tyranids. Things quickly go awry as the Tyranids assail their dropships, separating them. You gain control of a solitary Titus shortly after, and the movement immediately makes an impression.

While the Gears of War series has had some chunky movement, Space Marine 2’s protagonist appropriately feels like a hulking tank. It’s more than just the weight or size of the armor – the sheer amount of power that’s pushing it forward, allowing some mobility, is also noteworthy. Titus breaking out in a sprint thus feels natural.

Like a perfect union of speed and power. Nailing it wouldn’t have been easy, but it was even more challenging for the developer to animate it. As CCO Tim Willits told PC Gamer, the team focused on “the walking and the running and stopping” of the Space Marines, with tons of iteration throughout.

Of course, the result is an overwhelming unit that shouldn’t move like it does. And when it does, you can’t take your eyes off it. It becomes even more apparent when cutting through enemies. Watching Hormagaunts erupt into blood splatters with the Chainsword’s Light attacks is satisfying, right down to hearing the weapon revving up.

The Power Sword gives it some competition, especially when tearing through enemies quickly or opting for wider swings against Tyranid Warriors. But you also have the Thunder Hammer, swinging slowly but decisively before slamming down with a powerful concussive attack (with the thunder strike sound at the end accentuating its destructiveness).

Of course, it’s not just the melee weapons. The firearms are equally responsive and hefty. Take the Heavy Bolter. It slightly slows you down while firing, but the feedback is immensely satisfying, thanks to the large-caliber ammunition. Staring down an impending horde and unleashing a terrifying hail as it quickly spins up is one of the most satisfying feelings. Then you have the Melta Rifle, a more close-range weapon which fires a powerful burst that rips through almost anything (if not leaving it significantly weakened).

Each weapon has the same effect as controlling a Space Marine – of overwhelming power, yet still grounded in reality. It’s believable, and yet still out of this world. The weapons in Gears also have a unique feeling, but instead of outright aggression and leaping into the fray, buoyed by the ever-mounting death count, they’re built for tactics; for navigating through cover and out-flanking enemies, which is intense in its own right.

Excellent combat is usually enough to satisfy most action game fans, but Space Marine 2 features two more things to really make it sing: Enemy variety and overwhelming scenarios. Thus far, we’ve seen multiple imposing challengers, like Tyranid Warriors, who wield different weapons and necessitate more decisive maneuvers – like parrying – to take down. Such encounters only add to the harrowing nature of combat.

When you finally stun one and execute it with a finisher, it feels satisfying and earned (especially since you regenerate some armor). Of course, this also feeds back into the satisfaction of the firearms – annihilating a tougher Tyranid with a Heavy Bolter or stunning it with a Plasma Incinerator feels much better when you know how melee encounters play out.

The melee combat is a stark contrast to Gears of War. The Lancer’s Chainsaw in Gears of War feels cathartic when scoring kills, even on the lowly Wretches, but presents considerable risk against Drones and Grenadiers. The latter could gun you down if you’re not careful, and you may even enter tense stand-offs with dueling chainsaws, each side pressing for the advantage. By comparison, Space Marine 2’s CQC fights can range from graceful dances to the death to frenetic clusters where you’re swinging for dear life and slowly yet surely overcoming the odds.

The Rubric Marines are also worth noting for the sheer terror of facing foes with the same tools as the Ultramarines. I won’t delve too much into spoilers, but suffice it to say that some of the threats you’ll encounter through the campaign are awe-inspiring.

The same goes for the combat scenarios. You venture through the enormous reaches of Avarax, facing hordes of Tyranids in close-quarters scenarios, ripping, tearing, and smashing each one even as they seemingly multiply. You’re placed in scenarios where entire swarms descend upon your group, scurrying about by the hundreds as you desperately try to fight back.

Willits has talked about the game’s AI Director to WCCF Tech and how, despite being the “ultimate killing machine,” “You start to feel overwhelmed, and you’re fighting and fighting, and then you just finally make it through with barely enough armor left to survive. But you’ve done it, and that is all due to this very advanced AI director, which helps kind of orchestrate those battles.”

Even if the objectives and level layouts seem straightforward on the surface, these moments lend tension and make them feel like more than just simple skirmishes. It feels like you’re part of an all-out war against an overwhelming enemy. Powerful, yet grounded. The scale of several missions also helps in this regard, whether you’re seeing the Tyranids swarming through the skies in the distance or watching a certain combat walker tearing through the ranks like it’s nothing.

Before Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 launched, I was skeptical when Willits proclaimed it would be the best action game of the year. Yet here we are. There are still so many things to dissect about the game, from its Operations and replay value to Eternal War PvP and its overall feel and balancing. As Saber Interactive adds more content, those discussions will probably re-emerge over time.

However, right out of the gate, it’s hard to see any other action title this year topping it. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is simply phenomenal, and having a campaign that makes you feel like a Space Marine seeking redemption while relentlessly stomping hordes of enemies with its combat is just the icing on top.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Ragnarök’s debut on PC isn’t just another lazy port. Several welcome additions make Kratos’ journey look and feel better than it ever did on the PS5. Sony Santa Monica enlisted the help of Jetpack Interactive to incorporate a host of PC-centric bells and whistles; and just like their previous work on the 2022 version of the reboot, Ragnarök is going to harness your PC’s full potential in some pretty neat ways.

The PC port of Ragnarök will support unlimited framerate, 4K resolution, and a suite of upscale technology (Nvidia DLSS 3.7, AMD FSR 3.1, Intel XESS 1.3). And if you have a particularly large monitor, you can finally put it to good use with 21:9 ultra-widescreen and 32:9 super ultra-widescreen support for Ragnarök.

What’s curious is the Steam page for Ragnarök lists ‘increased geometric detail’ and enhanced lighting and shadows as PC-exclusive additions. Did Santa Monica and Jetpack clean up the textures on the back end and add even more detail? Or, is this just marketing lingo to say that the crisp resolution helps you see things better? Regardless, it’s not entirely misplaced to call Ragnarök PC a full-blown remaster if you have the high-end PC capabilities needed to harness its true potential. For those who’ve played the game, you can imagine how epic certain boss fights are going to be on a PC running on all cylinders. And it’ll need to run on all cylinders as Ragnarök takes a whopping 190 GB of storage on PC.

And lest we forget, you can bring Ragnarök with you on the go via Steam Deck. Yes, that’s right, Ragnarök has full Steam Deck compatibility. It’s a rather ideal Steam Deck game too, considering how much more expansive the zones are than the first game. As a personal anecdote, when the Dwarf homeland of Svartalfheim opened its seas to my boat and me to explore freely, I pined for the ability to do the numerous side activities on the go. You have Odin’s Ravens to locate, lore artifacts to collect, Kvisir’s Poems to find, numerous chests housing important gear, and Yggdrasil’s Dew scattered across the waters. Collecting the copious amounts of stuff in Ragnarök will be made easier when you can play it anywhere on your Steam Deck.

It’s not total freedom for Steam users, though, since Ragnarök PC requires an external PlayStation Network login to play. This is an unfortunate trend that has followed other PlayStation-exclusive ports like Ghost of Tsushima. At least fans of the Ghost of Tsushima PC port can look forward to the nifty PlayStation overlay and trophy compatibility that will inevitably function with Ragnarök. While the PlayStation overlay isn’t confirmed for Ragnarök yet, it’s highly likely based on previous PS-exclusive ports.

As expected, the PC port of Ragnarök includes the free Valhalla DLC. This is the perfect opportunity to try this DLC out if you haven’t yet. Sure, it isn’t heavy on plot or character development like the main story, but the new Greek enemies and equipment reference Kratos’ other games in fun ways. Oh, and fans of roguelikes will enjoy the randomly generated levels and newly integrated reset system in that Valhalla introduces too.

If you haven’t played Ragnarök at all yet, well, you’re in for a treat and couldn’t have asked for a better jumping-on-point. The thing that I always admire about the 2018 reboot and Ragnarök in particular is its one-shot cinematic camera which omits loading and cutscenes. It’s a seamless journey from beginning to end with no cuts or jumps in perspective. I can only count the games that do this kind of no-cut camera on one hand, with Half-Life 2 being the next best example outside the two recent titles. There’s an immersive quality to this fixed perspective that draws one into the world with greater intimacy and attachment.

Intimacy is just one of the many ways the reboot, as well as Ragnarök, differentiate themselves from the older titles. And Ragnarök goes above and beyond the reboot in several ways. As noted earlier, there’s a ton of content with side quests and collectibles oozing out of every corner of the world. The world itself features all nine realms, rather than the limited six from the prequel. And these areas are BIG, almost getting the open-world treatment. Ragnarök gives you multiple modes of transit, from bobsleds hoisted by Midgardian wolves of legend, to the boats of Svartalfheim. Equally as impressive as the size and variety of areas is the detail ingrained in every ledge and building. The game uses authentic Norse script engravings across runes and sculpted monuments throughout the game. It’ll be a treat to see the finer details that a powerful PC running 4K visuals can show.

A far cry from Kratos’ Greek days, Ragnarök sees him settled down with his son Atreus as they hide away in a hut to survive through the frigid Fimbulwinter. The story is much more down to earth and intimate than the Greek titles, with Atreus and the snarky talking head companion Mimir helping to balance Kratos’ dominant personality. You’re constantly hearing new lines of dialogue between these three companions as you journey through the nine realms in the quest to stop the apocalyptic Ragnarok.

Among the many highlights of Ragnarök are the big climactic boss confrontations. You’d think Kratos was the one initiating the fights, but they come to him; and trust me, they pack quite a punch, forcing you to use your full arsenal of abilities and skill to overcome. It’s hard to imagine that the prequel didn’t show Thor at all throughout the entire game; you’re mostly focused on fending off the usual enemies as well as Freya in the prequel. Thor’s omission from the first game works in Ragnarök’s favor, especially since the main characters are so well-developed and creatively presented here.

Ragnarök serves as a great send-off for the series. The plot follows the climactic apocalyptic events of Ragnarök and sees Atreus and Kratos’ maturation. If you haven’t experienced Ragnarök yet, the PC port has a great chance of being your game of the year. If you already beat it on PlayStation, well, the upscaled resolution and uncapped framerate offer up a good enough excuse to go through it again. And if you don’t have a high-end PC, some portable Ragnarök sessions on Steam Deck sound like a blast.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

It quickly became known as “This took how many years to develop?” and “It had how many peak concurrent players on Steam?”. There were expectations that it would chug along with its roadmap and add that promised cosmetic store with microtransactions, oblivious to plummeting player counts. However, in a recent PlayStation Blog post, Firewalk announced the unexpected – Concord is being pulled from storefronts on September 6th.

Not only will all customers on PC and PS5 receive refunds, but the competitive shooter will also go offline. If you purchased a physical copy, that box has become costlier than the average paperweight or a collector’s item. Either way, its roadmap is out the window, and the future is uncertain.

What spurred this decision, aside from, well, reality being what it is? As game director Ryan Ellis noted, “While many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended.” After Concord goes offline, Firewalk will “explore options,” which includes those that will “better reach our players.”

We’ve seen a lot of disasters over the past handful of years in video games. Cyberpunk 2077’s launch and being pulled from the PlayStation Store on top of full refunds for players. Anthem’s launch and broken post-launch promises, to say nothing of the devastating impact on BioWare’s already tarnished reputation.

Marvel’s Avengers and its failures, including excessive losses for Square Enix, followed by its delisting from all storefronts last year. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (especially following recent layoffs at Rocksteady due to its underperformance). Skull and Bones. The list goes on.

However, there’s probably never been a big-budget live-service multiplayer title from a major publisher taken offline and refunded in just two weeks. Concord is officially Sony’s biggest failure in years. It’s yet another indictment of the live service model in a year with no shortage of the same.

While this situation may be as temporary, it’s worth noting that there’s no ETA for the game’s return. Exploring “options” could mean anything from completely revamping the core mechanics to transforming it into an entirely different title like, say, a co-op PvE shooter. It could also mean shuttering the entire endeavor and cutting losses. As much as this measure could be seen as saving face, you could also view it as Sony not wanting to burn any more money on maintaining servers, especially with such low player counts.

Even if server costs weren’t the reason, there’s still the issue of selling a product whose main purpose – competitive multiplayer – wouldn’t have enough players to ensure a steady stream of matches. Why would the publisher invest in its post-launch support when new seasons, maps and characters clearly won’t move the needle? Imagine how low current numbers must have been if Sony didn’t even pretend it could bounce back.

You could argue that Concord’s fate was decided back in May. The discount Guardians of the Galaxy aura from the cinematic trailer did little to ignite interest. Once the gameplay debuted, you could feel the near-universal rejection. It wasn’t even a one-off phenomenon – interest levels were worryingly low during the beta, even when it became available to all players on PC and PS5.

Then again, you could go back two years to when PlayStation announced it would ship ten live-service titles by March 2026. How the acquisition of Bungie aids in their development and “considerably accelerates” plans, per former CEO Jim Ryan (emphasis on “former”).

Considering the number of live service failures by that point, there was plenty of skepticism, especially when PlayStation had garnered universal acclaim for its single-player efforts. In a world where most developers and publishers couldn’t take the hint about games as a service, efforts like Horizon Forbidden West, God of War Ragnarok, Returnal, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and more were viewed as beacons of hope.

There was some hope that these titles would follow in the footsteps of Ghost of Tsushima’s excellent Legends mode. The standalone multiplayer title spun off from Factions in The Last of Us also held some promise despite little information about its gameplay. Unfortunately, layoffs occurred, projects were cancelled, and the rest was history. Arrowhead Studios’ Helldivers 2 continues to stand out as Sony’s lone success in its live-service endeavor despite having a horrific launch due to server issues.

It’s all the more frustrating when it still has Fairgame$ from Haven Studios in the works. There’s some hope it could stand out, especially since there aren’t many competent heist titles, but time will tell. The less said about Bungie’s Marathon, reportedly facing issues behind the scenes, the better, even if that’s a multi-platform release.

As for Concord, plenty of reasons were cited for its failure. Charging $40 for a competitive shooter when the market already has superior free options like Overwatch 2 and Valorant – heck, even Valve’s Deadlock, if you got invited – was already viewed as ludicrous. Character designs and kits were uninspired. The Crew Bonuses and persistent deployables were gimmicky and little else. The weekly vignettes fulfilled little purpose despite looking graphically pretty.

However, perhaps worst of all, it’s the lack of a compelling gameplay hook – a reason to play and get invested. Heck, look at Marvel Rivals. Despite being a hero shooter and taking several cues from Overwatch, with many of the same modes we’ve seen countless times, the closed playtest in July peaked at 52,671 concurrent players on Steam.

Even with that enthusiasm, which far exceeded Concord’s beta numbers on PC, NetEase isn’t deviating from its free-to-play model for launch. Why? Because on top of knowing how the competition works, it wants to – surprise, surprise – make it accessible to as many people as possible. No price tag. No locking heroes. No PSN account linking.

I could go on about other live-service efforts which have shown that the genre isn’t as horrendous as efforts like Skull and Bones, Suicide Squad, and now Concord make it out to be, but that’s beside the point. Perhaps Sony knew that Concord would underperform and launched it anyway to try and recoup whatever investments were made. Maybe it thought that word-of-mouth could lead to it picking up over time. At the very worst, you could argue that it was sent to die, though I have a hard time believing Sony would invest in any marketing if that were the case.

It’s saying something when Concord finding a worthwhile direction is the least likely outcome. Maybe it could happen, but for all those comeback stories in the industry, there are plenty that don’t pan out. Sony will keep chugging on at the end of the day, perhaps focusing more on the single-player titles and blockbusters that made it such a big deal.

Concord will fade into memory, probably sooner rather than later. What will become of Firewalk Studios, especially given the number of layoffs in recent times, is anyone’s guess. However, nothing will change just how unprecedented this whole situation is, even after everything we’ve seen in the live service space to date.

Even when reviews went live and different issues, be it bugs or the lack of an in-game map, were discovered, the action RPG received extensive praise for everything else. The rest was history, as it sold a whopping 10 million copies in just four days of launching. Not only is it one of the fastest-selling video games of all time, but it’s also the second-most played title in Steam’s history with a peak concurrent player total of over 2.4 million.

There’s a lot to like about Wukong, like the story and how it provides for a compelling plot while implementing its various elements to fit the combat. Or the content and how it offers so much for its $60 price tag (that too in an age where other titles charge more for significantly less quality). There are so many Transformations, Spirit Skills, armor sets, weapon upgrades, and other upgrades to discover, and that doesn’t account for the Stances and how you can mix up different techniques.

Exploration is occasionally annoying due to invisible walls, and the environmental design only really opens up past the first chapter. However, the world as a whole is fun to explore. Secrets abound, including entirely new areas, optional boss fights, new items and Transformations, additional side quests, etc. In terms of a complete experience, Black Myth: Wukong is a stunning effort from a development team that’s relatively smaller than your average triple-A production.

However, there’s one thing about the game that stood out the most, especially as more players got their hands on it: Its accessibility.

For a long time, Wukong was assumed to be a Souls-like title, which automatically led to assumptions of difficulty. As more details were revealed in hands-on impressions, we learned about how players would respawn akin to Dark Souls. However, while it utilized other elements like stamina management and dodging, Black Myth: Wukong’s other gameplay systems helped to differentiate it further from the genre.

Game Science also smartly clarified the game’s nature – that it isn’t open world and instead highly linear, with a traditional narrative propelling it forward. Its success likely wouldn’t have been impacted by adopting a more Souls-like structure, but the current gameplay loop helps distinguish it from the pack. On top of catering to those who want more character-focused action titles, as opposed to Souls-likes, it provides a palate cleanser for those worn out from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and its massive scope.

However, there’s more to that accessibility than meets the eye. Black Myth: Wukong is still a challenging game – make no mistake – but its gameplay loop eases you in from the outset. Think back to Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, or even Elden Ring. You’re either locked in a duel to the death with Iudex Gundyr (which is required to progress), dying miserably to a werewolf, or getting stomped by a Grafted Scion. In two of those cases, death isn’t the end and if anything, they teach that their worlds are brutal and unrelenting, where survival of the fittest reigns supreme.

By comparison, Black Myth: Wukong’s opening establishes immediately that the protagonist is a badass who laughs in the face of armies and other threats. Sure, it’s a trait that often gets him in trouble (and rightfully so), but the opening gambit isn’t one where you feel like someone who is completely out of their element. It also helps familiarize you with the controls and basic mechanics while starting the game with a bang.

From then on, you’re introduced to the spells and Skills that make up the protagonist’s move set. You learn more about Stances and fight low-stakes enemies, and the beginning bosses aren’t all that overwhelming (but aren’t necessarily push-overs either). Progressing further opens up more systems and mechanics, from leveraging Transformations to imbuing your Gourd with different soaks for unique effects. You also discover Mortal Medicines, offering buffs from cleansing harmful statuses to increasing your damage, either moderately or by a massive amount, for a period.

Armor is also gradually introduced, with much of it unlocked naturally through the story instead of requiring you to go out of your way. Plenty of powerful rewards still await those who venture off the beaten path. However, if you want to, say, focus on a particular Stance, certain Transformations, and Spirit Skills, you can still find success. Even if its crafting won’t give Dark Souls a run for its money, Black Myth: Wukong provides numerous avenues for success.

This approach to the difficulty goes back to what Game Science told Eurogamer in its preview from June. “A lot of people find action games very frustrating due to the difficulty. It’s not because they don’t know how to play, it’s because they can’t keep up with the rhythm of the game. So, we are trying to ease that problem for the players who want to experience the story and who want to experience the battles by providing them with the different kinds of spells and Transformations and also to make the game less punishing, to help them enjoy the game,” said a spokesperson.

It sounds somewhat akin to how FromSoftware approached Elden Ring, where exploring the world and utilizing mechanics like Spirit Summons could make the game easier. The same applied to Shadow of the Erdtree, where Scadutree Fragments can feel mandatory in the early going. Comparatively, Black Myth: Wukong focuses more on its story. It still allows players to return to previous areas and take on optional challenges to become stronger. If you want to play through and experience the narrative, that’s perfectly acceptable, even encouraged. You can also pause at any time.

While this approach sounds pretty modest, it does help cater to a wider audience and captivate those who usually stay away from Souls-like titles. Someone who doesn’t enjoy the likes of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Elden Ring may like Wukong and its approach to action.

None of this is to downplay the appeal of Souls-like titles – after all, millions of players can’t put them down, even those who don’t typically like “difficult games.” Black Myth: Wukong also offers its share of frustrating encounters as you delve deeper into it. However, this returns to why I feel it’s so successful.

Yes, it’s an action RPG, and the gameplay appeals to hack-and-slash fans, but everything is in service to the original vision and adapting to it as best as possible. Nothing feels extraneous or out of place, and at the end of the day, feeling powerful and handily disposing of threats is part of your character’s identity (though there’s more to it than that).

While this does open up concerns about difficulty options for the hardcore, the fact that Wukong has achieved this level of success shows that there’s some merit to making a challenging experience accessible to a wider audience.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.