An Absence

I am not one to bring the personal life into the foreground, but for the last five months or so I have had chronic tooth difficulties Two days ago i had the offending wisdom tooth removed and work done. 

As you can see by my posting I rarely miss days, so I do apologise for the recent inconsistency. From now on it should be back to a post a day at the minimum.

With the Covid-19 pandemic still a reality, we have many virtual conventions to look forward to. The first being Tenno Con tomorrow.

I have also lined up a few showcases and some interviews.

Plat Runner 07: Days Gone

For my 60th Platinum I was going to get Uncharted 3 or maybe Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, instead I set my sights on finishing a larger task and finished those two before hand. 

Days Gone wasn't received too well by a lot of critics on release. The quote I recall reading was this: "Days Gone is a game that tries to do many things and does none of them well..."

This put me off of buying the game when I got my PS4 and it could not have been further from the truth. Days Gone is easily one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time. The world is so rich and well considered, the story emotive, yet not gruellingly depressing like most releases I have played of late. The games story is a solid 40-45 hours and the platinum you're looking at 60-70 depending on your play style.  

At the start of the game you are faced with the task of surviving the post apocalyptic state of Oregon. To begin with you are under-equipped and your bike is poor. The fights are a struggle and even small skirmishes are a very real mortal threat. As the game progresses your skills and firepower scales with the environment. When you get to the final regions you are dealing with hordes of undead in the 200+ bracket, bringing a different level of intensity to the experience. 

While many have said there are better games and other games do certain aspects better, there is nothing quite like Days Gone. The social drama is better than The Walking Dead, more believable and grounded in our reality. It isn't a soap opera, the characters feel real and the narrative touches on a whole host of world issues. None of this is shoved down your throat either, it is subtle world building. Small glimmers in conversations and found collectables really reveal the greater world. While it is possible to plough through the game, you would be missing most of what makes the game special. 

Days Gone brings content in spades and keeps both the sandbox gaming and horror genre fresh and enticing. Once the game is over there is still a rather large amount of side missions to be carried out that tie up all of the loose ends nicely. While there is more than enough room for a sequel, if one never came I would still feel fulfilled and content. 

I would recommend this to any plat hunter that hasn't played it yet, who has the time to dedicate to the game. 

Hints and Tips

• There are no missable trophies, so play the game and enjoy it.

• If you are finding fighting hordes hard just avoid them until the end game.

• If you are skilled enough to wipe out hordes early the weapon rewards make the entire game much easier. 

• There is no difficulty requirement. You can play on easy all the way.

• If at the end of the game you are getting worn down hunting collectables Iron Butte has 13 RIP Sermons that are all very close to one another (They are speakers that broadcast religious sermons).

• There are two points of no return, but do not fear as by the end of the game everything opens up again, allowing you to tie up any loose ends.

• You've Got Red on You, requires you to loot 541 corpses, which you cant do if your inventory is full. Make sure to craft and use items often or this may be a real grind at the end of the game. Even actively looting corpses I only got this towards the end of the game. The undead don't count here.

• For the more intense trophy hunters the DLC trophies require you to play on harder difficulties and also a New Game +, as well as gold ranking the challenge mode, which is hard!

PS Plus: August

August is going to be a great month for PS Plus members. For the first time since getting a PS4 I am hyped for both games. The first is Devolver Digital's new game: Fall Guys, which releases on PlayStation 4 on 4th of August. It will be available on to download and keep for free for all PS Plus members on launch.  Fall Guys was previewed at the Devolver Expo and is a blend of Its a Knockout and Takeshi's Castle of an online battle royale genre. As it is a launch title everyone will be on a level playing field which is nice.

If this isn't your kind of game then perhaps the remastered Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's campaign is your thing. Arguably the best instalment in the series the remaster not only looks beautiful but has been made easier and more accessible. The checkpoints are more generous and the harder sections of the game have been toned down a little. And the best news is that this is available to download today!

I cannot wait. In three days Xbox users will also get news on the Games with Gold, so stay tuned. 

The Frontier Pursuit: Red Dead Online

I recently turned my back on Red Dead Redemption Online. It was a big decision and it hurt to discard it. The instability of the online world and the lack of content for so long made the game, for me at least, unplayable.

Now we see an update that will land on Tuesday, July 28. The Frontier Pursuit has yet to be detailed, but Rockstar promises that it’s an all-new role focused on naturalism. In addition, the update adds a new Outlaw Pass. It also boasts to add a host of features and bug fixes that fans have been asking for. Hopefully this time they will be true to their word.

PS4 Exclusive Top 5 Bestsellers

In just a few mere months, both The Last of Us Part 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake have ranked among the best-selling PS4 exclusives in the US. It is no surprise when you see the astounding feedback of both from critics worldwide.

 

Rocket league is Soon Free to Play

The developer of Rocket League, Psyonix has announced the news today that the Rocket League will be free-to-play. This will not only mean major changes to Tournaments and Challenge systems, but will also add cross-platform progression for players' item inventory, Rocket Pass progress, Competitive Rank, all by linking to an Epic Games Account. 

Rocket League will make its debut on the Epic Games Store when it officially goes free-to-play. Following the move to free-to-play, Rocket League will no longer be available to download on Steam for new players. Existing players on Steam, and every existing platform for that matter, will still get full support for future updates and features.

If you already have Rocket League never fear as you will gain Legacy Status. 

Legacy Players will gain:

All Rocket League-branded DLC released before free-to-play
"Est. 20XX" title that displays the year when the player first started playing Rocket League
200+ Common items upgraded to "Legacy" quality
Golden Cosmos Boost
Dieci-Oro Wheels
Huntress Player Ban

Microsoft's New Flight Sim Comes on Ten Discs

Microsoft's new flight sim is set to be released in Europe on not one but ten discs! The boxed version will also be close in price to the online download, so perhaps its just worth getting the physical copy instead.

"Our DVDs contains ‘all’ of part 2, apart from the updates Microsoft and Asobo do between the moment the the DVDs are pressed and release. When you install, the sim will updates all files immediately form the servers and you will get the very latest code for the simulator itself and all content is updated. This is very much a simulator that depends on the cloud if you want to use it to its full potential. So the boxed version makes it possible for people on a slower internet connection to get the sim installed without downloading the ‘content’. So the simulator is in every way, 100% the same. 

The boxed retail version just gets you a nice box, printed manual and about 90 Gb you do not have to download. There is no difference between boxed retail and the version MS sells directly." - says Areosoft

Ghost of Tsushima - VP Vibrancy

Ghost of Tsushima was released on Friday and what a game it is. Not being able to afford games on release at the moment, I was lucky enough to have Enthusiast Gamer let me share play his for an hour on the games release. I watched him immerse for a while before having a turn myself and then I watched him conquer some Mongol outposts and progress in the story. 

The game achieves all it sets out to do. Visually stunning it through me straight into the world of a Kurosawa movie, stoic, violent and beautiful. It took my breath away.  

While the photo mode is astounding and very well developed and the games visuals are pretty much perfect, what sold me even more was the combat. Fluid, cinematic and rewarding you have to play it to really get a feel for it. Just in a mere three hours experience, I could not recommend the game highly enough.

The Old Guard - Win Netflix for Life... almost

Netflix released The Old Guard last week an action movie about a squad of immortal mercenaries. The Netflix Original is based on the comic book series of the same name. 

This weekend the company is running a tournament based on its The Old Guard browser-based game. It is top-down beat em up where players take on the role of the films protagonist and chop apart your assailants. 

The top place of the leader board will win 1000 months of Netflix subscription, not quite a lifetime for some, but pretty damn close.

Find the game here!

The Last of Us Part 2: Lunargames

The Last of Us Part 2 has moved many. Most seem to adore it, some hate it but I think anything creative that causes a mix of opinion is good. It means boundaries are being pushed and perhaps expectations changed. 

The beauty of art and creativity is it is a different experience for everyone. Despite seeing many showcases of The Last of Us, here Lunargames shows us the game through her own eyes. 

Lunar's use of colour and setting is consistent across all of her virtual photography. Bold and beautiful, her work pops and is pleasing to the eye.She has a wonderful range of games across her profile and will try her hand shooting any game with or without a photo mode. Like all true creatives this challenge promotes growth in her skill set and she is flourishing.

For more of Lunargames' work check out her profile here.

The Last of Us: Captured Games

Rounding up the end of The Last of Us showcase, we have the work of Captured Games.  

As these shots show, they are well adapted to portrait photography. Across their profile you can see portraits of the protagonists from a variety of photo mode games. 

Well shot, emotive and dramatic, each shot tells a story and often reveals a lot about a character just at a glance. While a lot of virtual photographers shoot exclusively portraits, Captured Games keeps it varied and fresh, mixing up the game, angle and setting of each shot.

Captured Games is well worth a follow, especially if you are into the beauty of PS4 exclusives. Check out their page here.

No Man's Sky Desolation

Today is the release of another enticing No Man's Sky Update. Desolation allows players to dive into the remains of derelict freighters that have been left spread across the star systems since the exo-mech update.

“Being a small dot amongst the stars can bring a sense of awe and wonder, but we’ve always wanted to explore a little more those feelings of fear and dread that come from being alone in the depths of space,” said No Man’s Sky developer Hello Games in a press release.

Each freighter has now become a far less chilled out experience than the rest of the game. These horror filled dungeons are Packed with lore, scrap, and  technology. Each of these derelicts comes with its own risks and challenges. The procedurally generated explorations contain a whole host of hazards and horrors lying in wait for the explorers.

Thankfully No Man’s Sky is also scheduled to receive an update to its combat mechanics alongside Desolation. It is said to bring a faster and more dynamic combat experience by way of several tweaks and balance adjustments to the game’s weaponry. 

Lego x Nintendo

Lego has revealed a surprise on its official Twitter account. Thankfully over at VJGamer they revealed a leak that shows it's a NES console and a retro TV to made brick by brick. The set even comes with a mechanical Mario.

The set contains 2,646 pieces and the European retail price is around €230. 

Battlefield V: p0nsy_gc

p0nsy may only have been active on Instagram in his VP account since April but within that short space of time he has shown that he is as diverse as he is enthusiastic. 

His ability to capture wonderful shots even from games without a photo mode such as Battlefield V, immediately perked my interest. Not only does p0nsy do this well, but is proof that you do not need a solid photo mode to be creative and take pictures within a game you love and adore. 

The mood, energy and colour captured are brilliant and I implore you to give him a follow. If like me perhaps you wear thin of the constant barrage of certain photo mode games eating up your feed, p0nsy's work makes for a welcome and beautiful change of pace.

To see more of his work, check out his page here.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete

Boasting to be four times larger than its predecessor, Superhot: Mind Control Delete is coming to all platforms (the Switch sadly a little later) on the 16th of July. 

Superhot really captured me when it finally hit my radar. There is no other FPS quite like it. Imagine John Wick, meets the Matrix with fleshed out stick men. It's fluid, faced-paced and addictive. 

Once completed you can do it all again under a variety of different modes, that each come with their new rules and constraints. If you have not played the original I highly recommend it.

The good news is that Superhot owners on GoG, Steam, the Epic Game Store, or PlayStation 4 will see Superhot: Mind Control Delete automatically appear in their game libraries within days of July 16. Xbox One players will get a message with a code to download the new game for free.

Note that players who obtained Superhot free through promotions (Epic Game Store or Xbox Games with Gold) will not be eligible for a free copy.

For those lucky PC Users you can purchase Superhot for under £3 on many CD key sites, netting you the sequel for free!

Last of Us Part 2: Visualcam9

This weeks showcase series starts off with the last features of the Last of Us Showcase. Today we have the work of Visualcam9. 

Their ability to create breathtaking set pieces across all of the games they play is simply amazing. The combination of environment and protagonist combines to create dramatic and captivating photography.

These The Last of Us Part 2 shots are no different. Each of the four present very different emotions from each other, and capture a completely different perspective of Ellie.

To see more of their wonderful work check out their page here.

The Sims Spark’d

A reality show themed around The Sims is happening.

The Sims Spark’d is set to premiere on the 17th of July. The show challenges its contestants with building “the most unique characters, worlds and stories” in The Sims 4. 

With a prize of $100,000 at stake, the show is bound to be as tense as it sounds crazy. For more information watch the trailer below.

Black PS5?

Originally posted over on ResetEra, a Sony marketing pamphlet shows what seems like a black and red PS5 console and controller.

Whether or not this is legitimate remains to be seen, but the black and red PS5 as well as the pamphlet look believable. Of course we will see special variants as time goes on, but this is the first glimpse at a possible alternate scheme for the next gen console.

PS5 Backwards Compatibility

Backwards compatibility is one of the most sought after features for the PS5. Sony has revealed that the console will be backwards compatible with a host of PS4 games but could not confirm any further details..

There is still hope! According to a new Sony patent discovered by Twitter user Renka_schedule, there might still be some hope in playing PS1, PS2 and PS3 games on the PS5.

This patent suggests that Sony can use a virtual machine to emulate these consoles through the cloud. Specifically, it talks about how:

 "a large number of game titles across PS1/PS2/PS3 and various generations of game consoles can be stored and used via the cloud gaming library." "these games can be run on a virtual machine that mimics the operating system associated with each game console."

While this may just be a patent, it could be promising news.

Far Cry 6 Leaked

Far Cry 6 has been revealed a little earlier than planned via a PlayStation Store leak, which has listed it for launch on 18th February 2021.

In the teaser we see that Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian star Giancarlo Esposito will play a major role as the dictator of Yara, a fictional country which looks heavily-inspired by Cuba.

As with all the games in the series you will be playing as a person aiming to take down a dictator's rule. Ubisoft boast that it will be the largest Far Cry to date and that we will see the return of much loved elements, such as companions and fangs for hire.

PlayStation 4 copies of the game will upgrade for free if you play on PlayStation 5, which I can only imagine will be the same for be the same for Xbox One and Xbox Series X.

Ubisoft's event is this Sunday at 8pm BST time where hopefully we shall see more.

Spider-Man Box Art

Today was the reveal of the Spider-Man Miles Morales box art. Many PS fans in the VP community are hyped for this release more than any other. Hopefully this slow drip feed will keep everyone excited until the biog day comes.