After much back and forth between Social Media warriors and little to no confirmation coming from Sony, we finally have something to go on. Ok, it’s still a leak, but a decidedly credible one. So let’s take this information with the usual grain of salt. While the PS5 does ship with an 825GB SSD, according to a screenshot and videos shared by user Okami13, we are only going to see roughly 650GB of that space.
In case you needed any more confirmation – the #PS5 review kits have 667 GB of storage.
This puts the PS5’s storage space at an estimated 152GB below the Series X’s available 802GB. That’s a whole Call of Duty install (pre-update!) right there. It’s not necessarily a deal breaker or ‘game changing’ revelation, but it’s another notch in the belt of specific details that Sony has remained mum on, especially so close to launch. The upside is that Sony is giving its customers the option to use off-the-shelf NVMe SSDs to expand PS5 storage. These SSDs will need to be approved by Sony beforehand, and-as expected-there is still no official list of compatible drives.
This is in stark contrast to Microsoft’s partnership with Seagate to produce their plug n’ play, 1TB portable SSD. Both companies have taken very different approaches to their storage solutions and it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the long term. It is worth noting that Microsoft has confirmed that we will see more 3rd-party solutions for external storage in the future. The Series X|S are only 5 DAYS away from launch with the PS5 tagging along soon after in 7. Whichever you plan to go with first, it’s going to be an interesting and exciting New Generation!
We are merely 8 days away from the highly anticipated launch of the Xbox Series X|S and just 10 for the titular Playstation 5. New consoles also mean new games and there is a mountain’s worth of new content coming to sink your teeth into. Let’s start breaking down some of the standout games (-and even electronics!) coming in November:
There are even MORE games than this coming, but these are the standouts and what are sure to be the big hitters. How about you? Anything you’re super excited for that isn’t on the list? Let me know in the comments!
AMD’s Radeon RX 6000 Series of RDNA 2 GPUs have been revealed today, and following the presentation, Microsoft released an statement of their own. Simply put, the Xbox Series X/S will be the only next-generation consoles “with full hardware support for all the RDNA 2 capabilities AMD showcased today.” This flies directly into the face of those that have been disputing the implementation for months now, and puts the narrative to bed.
The following are some excerpts from the announcement that go into further detail regarding the technology:
“AMD’s latest RDNA 2 architecture delivers a significant increase in performance and efficiency over previous architectures, as well as adding new hardware acceleration capabilities including hardware accelerated DirectX Raytracing, Mesh Shaders, Sampler Feedback and Variable Rate Shading. Hardware accelerated DirectX Raytracing, showcased at launch by titles such as Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs: Legion, enables developers to deliver a new level of visual fidelity and immersion through techniques such as realistic lighting, shadows, reflections and acoustics.
Mesh Shaders can manipulate geometry in real time to provide a high level of fidelity and flexibility that developers have never had before. Sampler Feedback greatly improves memory efficiency by allowing games to load into memory, with fine granularity, only the portions of textures that the GPU needs for a scene, as it needs it, providing an effective 2.5x memory and bandwidth multiplier beyond the raw hardware capabilities. Sampler Feedback also enables efficient creation and shading of textures on-demand.
Finally, Variable Rate Shading (VRS) delivers much finer grain control on how developers can leverage the full power of the Xbox Series X|S by enabling developers to focus their GPU resources on the areas of a frame that most benefit without reducing the overall image quality.
By leveraging techniques like VRS, games such as Gears 5 can see performance increases up to 15% and beyond resulting in higher, more consistent frame rates and resolution at the exact same image quality. All of these next-generation capabilities are available via hardware in both the Xbox Series X and Series S and we are excited for them to also come to PC, providing a common set of features that developers can rely on when developing their games across console and PC.”
With just 15 days left before the Global launch of both the XBOX SERIES X & S on Nov. 10th, Microsoft has released an official and comprehensive breakdown of to expect and how to prepare for, what is arguably, one of the Xbox brand’s biggest console launches ever.
Right away we’re treated to a speedy boot sequence that brings to like the latest UI, as well as the dynamic backgrounds. Via Quick Resume, we jump right into Gears of War 5 which has become a showcase for the how the visual fidelity and overall performance of games can be improved thanks to the Series X’s beefy hardware and software architecture. After a few minutes our hosts snap over to Dirt 5 in literal seconds. If I’m being honest, Quick Resume is probably one of the biggest game changers coming to consoles in this new generation. The feature is akin to using ‘Save State’ when running emulators on PC, or PC games in general.
After some more gameplay we get into the new Share Button on the controller and just how convenient and quick it is to not only save, but also share your captures. Quite literally, a tap or two of the button is all it takes to being building and sharing your content with friends and the community.
Watching just how smooth and snappy the UI and Storefront are is definitely encouraging and impressive. What’s more; Navigating “My Games & Apps” is quicker than ever. For someone like myself that has literally hundreds of games installed on my internal and external drives, this is truly a Godsend.
The mini-presentation is just over 14 minutes long and goes over the primaries of what to expect when booting up your new console. While it is disappointing that there wasn’t a quick clip or two of some new gameplay, it wasn’t expected from this video anyway. Microsoft is committed to providing content every week leading up to launch, a strategy that will keep consumers/fans engaged and excited. They’ve also confirmed that there WILL exclusive Series X gameplay footage before launch, so keep it locked here for future updates!
With the official launch of the Xbox Series X|S looming in the distance, Microsoft has officially opened Pre-Orders for their new line of controllers. The new accessories are coming in three distinct flavors: Robot White (Comes with Series S), Carbon Black (Tried & True Classic that comes with the Series X), and the infamous Shock Blue which looks very nice and will probably end up in a lot of owner’s homes before the year’s end.
Aside from numerous performance tweaks, both Hardware & Software based, and the new Share Button, anyone familiar with current Xbox Controllers will feel right at home with the new designs. Better yet, each controller will retail for $59.99-MSRP. That’s right; No arbitrary price hike. You get premium, improved products for the same price you’d pay right now. Win-Win. What’s more, if you don’t want/need an extra controller right away, you can still use ALL of your existing accessories with your shiny new Series X|S.
Check the image below for the official landing page!
Originally announced back in 2018, Scorn always draws attention whenever it rears its disfigured head from the murky depths of obscurity. With its H.R. Giger inspired aesthetics, grotesque creature and weapon designs, disturbing environmental puzzles, and Bioshock esque thematic design; Scorn is much an enigma as it is one of the most arresting and anticipated games coming in early 2021.
We now have nearly 14 minutes of raw gameplay footage courtesy of Gamespot, running on-wait for it-The Xbox Series X. This is VERY important because this has been a point of contention for consumers wanting to see those golden letters “Captured on Series X” during previous Xbox events. Thankfully, we have been getting plenty of it by way of games like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Dirt 5, The Falconeer, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon just to name a few.
What we have on offer here with Scorn is nothing short of stunning. The attention to detail in nearly every aspect of the game’s design is absurd. The pulsating walls of the labyrinthine corridors look alive, to the point where you feel compelled to reach out and satisfy your morbid curiosity with a quick touch. Idle animations of the player’s weapons are suggestive and elaborate. This not only impacts gameplay as it makes you conscious of choosing when to reload, but it’s a constant reminder that everything around you is potentially alive.
I, for one, am truly excited to finally discover (hopefully) the nature of Scorn’s world and why things are. I won’t bore you with anymore banter. Check the video and enjoy!
If you told me two weeks ago that Genshin Impact would become my new, favorite leisurely grind, I would’ve raised an eyebrow and go “Are you sure about that?”. Fast forward to the present and I’ve already sunk more time and effort into this Free to Play adventure than most $60 paid titles. Genshin also marks the first time I’ve EVER given a single dime to a Gacha based IP. Now, fully invested in the end-game grind, I have yet to feel any sort of burnout or that I have hit the expected paywall normally associated with F2P games.
I look forward to completing my daily Commissions, running weekly and daily objectives for the Battle Pass, and hunting down the last bits of Geoculus I need to complete the damn ‘Nine Pillars’ World Quest. Now, we’re on the eve of another update that changes the Pools of characters and weapons we can pull from the Wishing system. The Epitome Invocation gives us the chance to snag new, devastating weapons such as Wolf’s Gravestone and the Sacrificial Greatsword. The real meat n’ potatoes here is the change in potential Heroes. Kleeis the headlining star here. With her bombastic combat attributes and unique Talents that are designed to keep Klee at max power as often as possible.
Dear Travelers:
The new event wish "Sparkling Steps" is about to begin!
The increased chance to pull Alchemist Sucroseis sure to please fans as she’s become something of a cult favorite. Xingqui and Noelle round out the list of possible improved pulls from the event banner (Don’t sleep on Noelle. She’s actually really good with a solid DPS+Tank build!). Whatever you may be gunning for, there’s something for everyone to look forward to here.
Dear Travelers:
The new event wish "Epitome Invocation" is about to begin! Time to stock up on weapons and characters to increase your combat readiness!
Originally only available in Japan, Onee Chanbara Origin has finally released in here in the West. If you’re unfamiliar with the franchise, you assume the role(s) of either the titular sisters or other accompanying characters as you hack and slash your way through hordes of undead, demons, and super villains; all while making it rain buckets of blood. Oh, and it’s fairly…Um…Suggestive with its assets. Nothing like some eye candy while lopping off some limbs, ay?
The combat system is actually quite fun as each character has access to their own set of skills, abilities, and transformation/Rage modes when things get really hairy! You can snag the game on PS4 or Steam today!
Bungie has finally raised the curtain on a showcase of the Exotic Weapons and gear that will be coming with the Beyond Lightupdate on Nov. 10th. There’s no solid information on how, where, when these armaments will be acquired, so we can only speculate until the update goes live. I’m sure there will be one or a few tied to a specific quest line and/or the a Raid. It’s nice to see No Time to Explain back in action and the Icefall Mantle looks like a fun utility to throw into the mix. Here’s a list of everything shown in the video:
No Time to Explain Pulse Rifle
Perk: “Personal Protection Portal”
Cloudstrike Sniper Rifle
Perk: “Lightning on Precision Hits”
The Lament Sword
Perk: “Shred Barrier Shields”
Salvation’s Grip Grenade Launcher
Perk: “Launch Stasis Projectiles”
Icefall Mantle Titan Gauntlets
Perk: “Replaces Barricade With Overshield”
Precious Scars Titan Helmet
Perk: “Revive Creates Shielding Aura”
Mask of Bakris Hunter Helmet
Perk: “Shift Replaces Dodge”
Athrys’s Embrace Hunter Gauntlets
Perk: “Superior Weighted Knife”
Dawn Chorus Warlock Helmet
Perk: “Improved Burns and Daybreak Damage”
Necrotic Grip Warlock Gauntlets
Perk: “Melee Spreads Poison”
For an even more in-depth breakdown, check out Bungie’s own Official Page for more details.
When miHoYo revealed Genshin Impact back in June last year I was mildly interested. Considering their previous work in the forms of Collapse Academy , Undecided Book Event, & the more recent Honkai Impact, I suspected Genshin would be more of the same but with an improved level of visual fidelity. As more details began to emerge along with gameplay footage and various story elements I started to realize that while I was right on the surface level, I was wholly unprepared for what the final product actually would be.
Synopsis
The main story revolves around your choice of one of two siblings who have been separated from one another and cast into different worlds by an all powerful and seemingly malicious Deity. Along your quest you begin to unravel the mysteries of this new world, become involved in a political tug of war, learn the nature of your powers and why they resonate so differently here, and fight. A lot. There’s more to it than that of course, but giving any extra details would spoil the plot pretty quickly.
Visuals + Presentation
From the moment you gain full control of your character, start running around, get into some combat, and familiarize yourself with the UI there is an immediate sense of fluidity. Basic attacks, skills, and ambient effects are bright, colorful, detailed, and bring nearly every interaction you have with the world to life. The brunt of my time playing the game has been on PC, where I get to enjoy a consistent 60fps, high res textures, AA effects, and more. The art style is reminiscent of many popular JRPGs with its vibrant color palette, sharp and clean looking models, and flamboyant animations.
The world itself is huge and densely packed. Thanks to an impressive Depth of Field you can stand atop the highest point you can find, pan the camera, and discern any number of interesting locales that might be worth visiting in the distance. Rolling hills are filled with fanning blades of grass, wisps of dancing wind, dozens of varieties of flora and fauna (The majority of which you can collect and hunt), a beautiful sky box with a lovely day and night cycle, and unique structures that-more often than not-house worthwhile secrets and adventures.
captured in game
Your exploration and questing is accompanied by a surprisingly beautiful soundtrack. Orchestrated strings and woodwind pieces energize your forays during the day time, while white key piano notes create a somber, but comforting ambiance while the hush of night descends upon the world. I was genuinely surprised as the score changed in intensity depending on the type of opposition before you. Weaker mobs are accompanied by an almost whimsical and amusing jingle, while bosses and elite encounters feature thundering percussions, rapid strings, blaring horns, and epic choirs to that really ramp up the excitement.
If you’re playing on mobile it’s worth noting that-depending on your device-you have access to many of the same fidelity features that you do PC. On the iPhone Xs Max I tested the game out on I was able to push the A12 Bionic Hexacore processor to get 60fps while turning down/off Blur and lowering some settings to medium. All the while the game’s aesthetic shone through vibrantly on the 1125p OLED screen. The PS4 version is unfortunately not as optimized (yet) and tends to stutter while trying to maintain 30fps while also lacking any real options to adjust visual fidelity. It’s far from bad, but if you have a mid-grade PC or better, I would suggest going that route for the cleanest and most enjoyable presentation.
captured in game
I cannot tell you often I’ve ventured off the beaten path and just ‘absorbed’ the world around me while listening to the whispers of the wind and comforting melodies of the wonderful soundtrack. The design team has crafted environments that continue to draw you in with the promise of rewards and discoveries, and always manage to make good on those promises. Even long after you’ve searched in countless nooks and crannies.
Gameplay + Combat
Now we get into the nitty gritty of this whole piece. I’m going to address the immediate and ginormous elephant in the room. Yes, this game looks like and has a lot of inspiration taken from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In fact, miHoYo has gone on record stating as much. Everything from the ‘If you see it, you can climb it’ mechanic, to the use of gliders, cooking, resource gathering, the hand painted psuedo cell shaded art style, and even some of the basic enemy designs (looking at you Hilichurls) seem like they were lifted directly from BOTW. However, the similarities end right where they begin.
Combat and progression is at the heart of Genshin Impact. This is very much an Action/JRPG so the genre staples of leveling characters, acquiring skills and abilities, stat crunching, and rounding out your party members are all here. While questing gives you large chunks of experience and resources, you will undoubtedly find yourself scouring the world for chests bursting with loot, diving into instanced dungeons to acquire coveted artifacts and leveling resources, taking down huge Elite enemies, and generally unearthing as many secrets as you can stand.
Battles are fast paced, chaotic, and generally a lot of fun. Depending on your character archetype you have access to Swords, Spears, Spell books, Bows, Blunt weapons, and Giant Claymores. You can pull off combos, charged attacks, unique flourishes based on the timing of your input, and exploit the game’s unique spin on its elemental system. Combining elemental attacks can have devastating effects and really turn the tide of battle. Fire + Water causes Vaporize, Ground + Ice cause Crystallize, Hydro + Shock afflicts the enemy with an electrified debuff that causes damage over time, so on and so forth.
PushSquare
It didn’t take long before I was reflexively swapping characters in and out mid-combo to take advantage of an elemental buff, dodging dangerous attacks, and simply being doing cool things just to see if I could. Boss battles are equally exciting as they come with pre-rendered and in-game cutscenes, unique theme music, and a fair spike in challenge. Without being specific, Boreal is still one of my favorite encounters in the game so far, and when you get there, you’ll know why.
Each time you discover a new mechanic, item, or enemy the game gives you a prompt with an explanation of what it is and how it all works. The immediacy of this method is tried and true as it allows you to apply that knowledge as soon as you get back to the action. Experimentation is rewarded and very much recommended. It all serves to keep you engaged in the grind.
You see, Genshin Impact’s world is incredibly large and incredibly dense. The latter part is very important. While there is certainly a fare bit of traveling on foot, in the 30+ or so hours I’ve played I never went very long without running into or spotting a guarded chest, environmental puzzle waiting to be solved, an NPC bearing a side-quest, hidden secret location(s) with their own sub-quests, and any number unique of locales to explore. There is always something to see, do, and collect. This is a hallmark of Genshin’s gameplay loop where everything you do and pickup has a purpose.
Every chest you open, every resource/piece of gear you collect, and every quest you complete contributes to your party’s base Exp. as well as your Adventure Rank. Your Adventure Rank is very important as it acts as a sort of buffer to how quickly the game opens up its more advanced elements to you. In fact, unless you read the information prior you would never know there was a Battle Pass that can only be accessed once you acquire Adventure Rank 20 (More on that in a bit). Now, you might be thinking “Well, that doesn’t sound good. The game is restricting me and forcing me to grind!”. Normally, I would agree were it not for quickly your rank grows simply by virtue of just playing the game.
Genshin’s progression can also be a bit of a doozy if you aren’t accustomed to stat crunching and resource managing in RPGs. Aside from general Exp, you can level up your characters via Writs with three forms of rarity (Traveler, Adventurer, and Hero). Once you achieve the predetermined level cap, you can then Ascend your character to unlock the next set of levels. Each Ascension requires rarer items and more Exp. the higher you go, but comes with a substantial boost to strength while opening the door for more abilities and skills. Hang on though, now you have to level up your weapons and artifacts! That’s right, even individual weapons can grow and Ascend.
This is done by feeding them Ore you acquire throughout your adventure as well as duplicate and lower grade weapons you have no need of. What’s more is that weapons can be Refined with duplicates of its type for a max rank of 5 where you unlock an extra ability and/or stat boost for said weapon. Artifacts are a little different in that they can only be enhanced using other artifacts, but the benefits of doing so are worthwhile. You can equip a total of five artifacts to each character, all with their own individual buffs and stat bonuses. Better yet, there set bonuses for each type that give you an even greater stat boost for equipping between 2-4 pieces from the set.
We haven’t even touched on character Talents, Constellations, Friendship levels, etc. and if it all feels overwhelming to read, rest assured that the game does a solid job of onboarding the player to all of its mechanics. It doesn’t take long before you find your favorite weapons, artifacts sets, and start power leveling them to crush the opposition. It’s all purposeful and entertaining. Everything in your inventory is useful, and that’s rare.
captured in game
Oh, did I mention there’s Drop in/Drop out Co-Op? Yep. Once you unlock the feature you can go enjoy adventures and merriment with friends and/or strangers. Tackle dungeons, chill in the city and enjoy some drinks, or run through the hills murdering everything in your path. One of my more memorable moments was joining some strangers for a bit of dungeon diving, then heading back to Mondstadt (The first major city you visit) and sitting at the cafe’ just enjoying the experience.
Enter The Gacha
Here we go. This is where the game falls apart. This is where the cash grab- Wait, did miHoYo completely subvert expectations and find a way to implement a Gacha system in the least obtrusive way possible? For the most part, yes. I will go on record admitting that I am the last person to seek out a game with a Gacha system at the core of its gameplay. I find that the Gacha usually guides the game design rather than the other way around and inevitably slams the player into a dubious paywall long before they’ve truly started enjoying the game. This…Is not the case with Genshin Impact.
Yes, the majority of the playable characters (24 currently) are locked away in the Gacha and being able to play them temporarily during certain missions or special events is a clever way to entice you to reach for your wallet. However, through the use of the in-game Primogem currency, you never have to spend a single dime to take advantage of any of the paid systems. You obtain Primogems via questing, finding loot, and completing tasks throughout the world. From there you can convert these gems into Wishing Stars that fuel the Gacha roulette system, purchase rare materials, or even use them to bypass tiers in the Battle Pass. That’s right, not only does the Battle Pass feature a Free and Paid tier, but you can boost your progress, again, without spending any real money.
Is the system perfect? No. The best and coolest characters are unfortunately blocked by an RNG mechanic which can prove frustrating if you have your eyes set on a specific one. That said, it doesn’t mean you NEED any of the extra characters as the game provides you with a well rounded party through quest progress and even offers some freebies via special events. There are plenty of offers and tantalizing packs to spend your money on, and for the most part, they all seem priced fairly or at least at the average cost you would expect from such a monetary system. I must reiterate that this is all considering that the entire game is Free and you have access to all of its systems regardless of whether you wish to spend any money.
Roundup
If I’m being honest, I was very tempted to make this a comparison article between Genshin Impact and LOZ: Breath of the Wild. Ultimately, I decided it was a disservice to just how good Genshin is to do so. In the 30+ hours I’ve sunk into the game since launch I’ve experienced nearly every single element that I so desperately wanted from BOTW, but never got. I’ll save a deep dive of the comparisons for another time. For now, if I were to give Genshin Impact a proper rating I would gladly give it a solid 9/10. There is a lot of content and a very addictive gameplay loop on offer for the astounding price of $0.
Genshin Impact has hit the ground running and taken communities by storm. Streamers are pushing record numbers, YouTube creators are posting consistent videos, and the player base is already skyrocketing well into the millions. I can say that every accolade is well earned. It’s actually criminal that the game is completely free and I wholly recommend that everyone try it at least once. You can download it on PC, iOS, Android, and PS4 today!
