‘Astro’s Playroom,’ an incredible love letter to the history of PlayStation

     Alongside the release of the PlayStation 5, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Japan Studio, “Asobi Team” developed a pre-installed free game available for all owners of the PlayStation 5, “Astro’s Playroom.” A sequel to the 2018 PlayStation VR title, “Astro Bot Rescue Mission,” this smaller title serves more as a technical demonstration of the capabilities of PlayStation’s new “DualSense” controller. Taking advantage of the controller’s enhanced rumble, more precise touchpad, bulti in microphone, and adaptive triggers. 

     Immediately when booting the game up, it gives the player a short introduction on how the controller works and how each feature has been improved since the last console generation. On-screen players will see a bunch of little robots being thrown into the controller and allows them to hear them through the built-in speaker and feel them running around with the new controller rumble. Players will test the new touchpad by drawing a few pictures that appear on the screen, blowing into the microphone to switch on a fan, and with the adaptive triggers, players will feel the tension while pressing down when trying to press down on them. 

      It’s a very unique experience and the feel of the controller truly makes the console feel next-gen and the game does not let go of that magic and hangs on to it throughout the whole game. Astro’s Playroom is a 3D Platformer, Astro can jump, glide, spin, and punch, and that’s about it, the game relies more on its charm and it delivers on that charm without question.     Players launch Astro out of their controller by swiping on their touchpad and are greeted with four worlds to explore. 

     The game world is entirely modeled after the inside of the PS5, the hub you start in “CPU Plaza” grants you four entrances to the games unique worlds. “GPU Jungle,” “Cooling Springs,” “SSD Speedway” and “Memory Meadow” are the four worlds you are able to explore, all with four levels each, dozens of collectibles and hundreds of easter eggs and references to the history and legacy of PlayStation. Each world has two levels focused on regular platforming and two levels utilizing a gimmick that focuses on the features of the “DualSense” controller. 

     In some sections, players will equip a frog suit, where players utilize the controller’s motion controls to tilt and the triggers to jump. A monkey suit that uses the triggers to grab on to ledges and climb cliffs while using motion controllers, or even a ball suit where players swipe on the touchpad to control where the ball rolls. It’s a fun and short experience and each level does not overstay its welcome and some might even say that’s a downside. 

    Since the game is pretty much just a tech demo for the controller, the game can be completed in around 5-6 hours, however, the experience is so enjoyable the whole way through and finding each and every collectible that are pieces of PlayStation consoles and peripherals and puzzle pieces that make this beautiful mural of PlayStation history. This game is truly for a PlayStation fan and grants so much nostalgia for those that have stuck with the console for years no matter which iteration was their first.  

    The number of references and easter eggs players will find whether it’s a small nod to an old forgotten piece of PlayStation, little Astrobots reenacting scenes from past PlayStation titles like “God of War,” “The Last of Us” or “Crash Bandicoot. ” All while platforming on controllers and old memory cards, this game is filled to the brim with nostalgia and it could not be recommended enough. It’s free and already installed onto the player’s brand new PS5s so there’s no way that this should be missed out or skipped.

Microsoft purchases ZeniMax Media for $7.5B for Xbox exclusivity

 

For the past couple of years, Microsoft has been purchasing game development studios for their Xbox Game Studios brand in order to deliver high-quality games exclusive to the Xbox. Some of these studios include 343 Industries, responsible for the “Halo” franchise, Mojang Studios, developers of the popular game “Minecraft,” and Turn 10, founding developers for the “Forza” racing franchise. Recently, Microsoft made one of the biggest purchases in the gaming industry, purchasing ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion, parent company to some of the industry’s most successful game developers, Bethesda Softworks and Id Software. 

For comparison, Disney purchased Marvel for $4 billion in 2009, and Pixar for $7.6 billion in 2006. The highest purchase gaming industry acquisition was Chinese studio Tencent, purchasing mobile game developers, Supercell, creators of “Clash of Clans” for $8.6 billion in 2016. The ZeniMax acquisition for Microsoft now grows Xbox Game Studios line up to 23 game studios in partnership and exclusive to Xbox. 

"Content is just the incredible ingredient to our platform that we continue to invest in," Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, said in an interview with CNET regarding the studio acquisition. "This doubles the size of our creative organization."

The parent company, ZeniMax Media, is comprised of nearly eight game studios including, Arkane, creators of “Dishonored” and the rebooted “Prey,” Machine Games, developers of the most recent “Wolfenstein” series, Id Software creators of the famous “Doom” franchise and the biggest of them all, Bethesda Game Studios creators and developers of “Fallout” and “The Elder Scrolls” franchise. 

"As a proven game developer and publisher, Bethesda has seen success across every category of games,” said Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, in a statement regarding the studio purchase. “Together, we will further our ambition to empower the more than three billion gamers worldwide." 

Not only does this provide Microsoft with game exclusivity with ZeniMax, especially at the eve of the release of the new Xbox Series X/S, this also gives them the opportunity to release games at launch on their Xbox Game Pass service, a monthly subscription that provides users with hundreds of games and Xbox exclusives at launch, which could now apply to all games under ZeniMax Media. 

The main concern for Microsoft during this transition to next-generation hardware was the lack of software and games, however, this new acquisition might be what it takes to give them the edge over Sony and their PlayStation.

How ‘Marvel’s Avenger’s’ showcases the most important hero of the year

This year, Marvel Entertainment and game publisher Square Enix launch their latest and most highly anticipated game of the year, "Marvel's Avengers." Developed by Crystal Dynamics, the game is expected to be one of the biggest releases of the year. Placing players in the shoes of the famous comic book superhero team in this action role-playing brawler, the game tells a brand new original story about how the heroes people know and love are blamed for a deadly explosion in the West Coast. Players will work to reunite the Avengers after a five-year hiatus through the lesser-known character of Ms. Marvel, who is also known as Kamala Khan.

The teenage Pakistani American superhero first debuted in a “Captain Marvel” comic book series in 2013 and is later given her own series in 2014. She is introduced as the first Muslim character to have her own series about her embracing her “Inhuman” shapeshifting abilities for the greater good. Perhaps the most important part of this release is that out of all of the familiar and popular characters in the series, the spotlight is handed to a Muslim woman of color

However, even with her debut comic book series, “Ms. Marvel,” she has remained one of the lesser-known characters in the massive world of Marvel Comics and was not given too much attention. Just recently, she has become more of a notable character with the children’s cartoon series “Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors” in 2018, the announcement of her own Disney Plus series that is connected with the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, her character is the main focus of the story in the “Marvel’s Avengers” video game. 

“She has her own internal struggles,” Crystal Dynamics Head of Studio Scott Amos said on the decision to have Kamala Khan as the game's main protagonist in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “She’s a fan of superheroes, particularly a fan of the Avengers. She’s trying to figure out who she is. We were like ‘That sounds a lot like a gamer.’ Somebody who’s now in a world of change where they’re becoming a superhero, they are looking for mentors. She really did meet her heroes.”

The story opens with Kamala Khan and her father going to an Avenger’s event called “A-Day” and it is here where the event is under attack and a bomb is set off, destroying most of San Francisco and causing Khan to obtain her powers. Throughout the introduction, players learn of how much of a fan she is of the Avengers as she awes at a museum of all the team’s history and accomplishments. Players go through the game as a unique, yet relatable character that wants to change the world by being the hero they'd always wanted to be.

“I didn’t think about [defining who this character is] when I first took the role,” said voice actress for Kamala Khan in “Marvel’s Avenger’s,” Sandra Saad during an interview with Kinda Funny. “The fact that I never thought I would be playing a lead like this, I never audition for leads, people like me don’t audition for leads, young women of color, because I’ve been told that that’s not for me.” 

Despite the critical reception it may receive, "Marvel's Avengers" will be one of the most popular games of the year because of Marvel's millions of fans. Having Khan be the focus of a story packed with fan-favorite characters is a welcomed change. Whether a fan of the films, but unfamiliar with Khan, or a new fan growing up with this new game, the story illustrates that anybody can be a hero, going beyond the Avengers saving the world.

In recent years, providing fans diverse representation through these new heroes is an achievement for Marvel. Great examples of Marvel films that impacted communities of color include "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse" and "Black Panther". Representation for people of color these stories is incredibly important and inspires many to want to be the heroes that look just like them.

A new video game console generation is here

This year marks the beginning of a new generation for console gaming, both Sony and Microsoft will be releasing their brand new consoles this November with their own individual game exclusives, features and specifications. Sony will be releasing the PlayStation 5 alongside with an All-Digital Edition and Microsoft will be releasing the Xbox Series X and Series S. With every generational leap there will be some confusion on how games from the last generation will be able to transfer over, differences in hardware and even which console might be best for each consumer. 

Sony’s Playstation 5 offers both a standard version at $499 and an All-Digital Edition at $399 which won’t take discs. This means that all games and media will have to be purchased digitally via the PlayStation Store. Both will be released on Nov. 12 in the US and on Nov. 19 worldwide. The only difference between both versions is whether players prefer their media physically or digitally, both versions have the same specifications and are able to play the same games. 

Features and specs include a 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive (excluding the All-Digital Edition),  Custom AMD Radeon GPU that supports graphical Ray-Tracing, 3D Audio, 4K video output with 120hz refresh rate which will require a 4K TV for the full resolution, 8K support, backwards compatibility with PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR games and 825GB SSD Storage Drive. While it might be confusing to some, to put it simply, PlayStation is focusing on providing players with not only graphical fidelity but faster load times in games and more immersion with their games. 

Faster load times are achieved due to their implementation of a new SSD in the consoles, memory storage and the immersion that PlayStation grants to the players are from their brand new controller: the PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller. The controller features Haptic Feedback from the controller’s vibration, allowing players to feel the rumble from a racing game or recoil from a first-person shooter. The controller also features adaptive triggers that will react differently from game to game. For example, when shooting a bow you will be able to feel the tension when pulling the bow back or have the triggers be blocked when a weapon is jammed. 

While features and specs do stand out, the games also have a significant role in attention-grabbing, the games. Some games exclusive to the PlayStation 5 include “Astro’s Playroom,” a free preinstalled short platformer that showcases all of the new features of the DualSense controller, “Destruction All-Stars,” a vehicular combat multiplayer game, “Sackboy: A Big Adventure,” a cooperative 3D platformer and “Just Dance 2021,” a family rhythm dance party game. 

More titles include “Godfall,” an online hack and slash game, “Demon’s Souls,” a complete remake of the 2009 original action role-playing game and “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales,” the action-adventure follow-up to 2018’s “Marvel’s Spider-Man” on PlayStation 4. 

In addition to these, players will also have access to “Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart,” “Final Fantasy 16,” “God of War: Ragnarok,” “Gran Turismo 7” and “Horizon Forbidden West.” 

Moving on to the Xbox Series X and Series S, unlike PlayStation, these two versions have some more substantial differences. Launching on Nov. 10th, the Series X is priced at $499 while the Series S at $299, the big difference between the two is that the Series S is an all-digital streaming-based console. All games are digital and streamed straight to your console. The Series S is the cheaper alternative for those that don’t want to make the full leap to the next generation of gaming and just want a console that will allow them to play next-gen games. 

Starting off with the specs of the Series X, it includes a 4K UHD Blu-Ray drive, 16GB of RAM, Custom AMD Radeon GPU, Native 4K video output with 120hz refresh rate, 8K support, 1TB NVMe SSD Storage and backwards compatibility with Original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One and all Xbox One accessories and controllers. The Series S has similar specs just slightly downgraded in order to achieve a mainly focused streaming box with 10GB of Ram, 1440p video output with 4K upscaling through playback and 512GB SSD storage. 

In conclusion, for those that are interested in taking that full leap and playing games the best way possible, Series X is definitely the way to go. However, for more casual consumers that still want to experience the next-gen offerings but don’t want to spend too much money, the Series S is a much more affordable option. 

While Xbox won’t be launching with any big exclusives they will still have some big games on offer that will also be available on PlayStation 5 and PC like “Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla,” “Watch Dogs: Legion,” “Tetris Effect: Connected” and “Gears Tactics.” 

Rockstar’s ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ multiplayer is going standalone… but will this save it?

      Today, developers of 2018’s “Red Dead Redemption 2,” Rockstar Games is going to be releasing the multiplayer component of the game as a standalone release. “Red Dead Online” will be launching on Dec. 1 on PC, PS4/PS5 and Xbox One/Series X/S for $19.99, however, it will be on sale from its release till Feb 15. 2021 for only $4.99. Notably, Rockstar Games will also be releasing a standalone version of the “Grand Theft Auto V” multiplayer, “Grand Theft Auto Online” in early 2021 with enhancements and yet to be revealed expansions. 

     While Red Dead Online hasn’t been as successful as Rockstar’s giant Grand Theft Auto Online, players are curious as to why Rockstart is starting to offer these experiences separate from their games. Grand Theft Auto Online’s virtual currency was their main source of revenue and made over $1 billion in 2017 and has most likely multiplied since then. While Red Dead Online has only made about a fraction of that due to low player counts and lack of updates since it’s release. 

     Red Dead Online’s content updates have been sparse and shallow, and while they will be adding a new Bounty Hunter update for this standalone release, fans of the multiplayer game have been starving for content and even started protesting for it. Earlier this year in July, players grouped, dressing up in clown costumes in-game in protest for more updates and features added to the game. The question is, will this drip-feed of content, justify the standalone release, and satisfy players enough even for $5. 

     Rockstar has already started to reveal the expansions coming to Grand Theft Auto Online this December with their “Cayo Perico Heist” which adds a new heist and teases a whole new island to explore in the now seven-year-old game. This content update is seemingly bigger than anything Red Dead Online has gotten since it’s release. Players are worried that Rockstart might just abandon not just Red Dead Online but a sequel to Grand Theft Auto due to how much money they make with its online component. 

Possible ‘Playstation Game Pass’ teased by Sony CEO

    Earlier this week during an interview with TASS, Sony CEO, Jim Ryan spoke about possible plans for PlayStations’ response to Microsoft’s subscription service, “Xbox Game Pass.” For the past few years, Mircosoft’s service has offed a collection of games for users for a monthly price, some even calling it the “Netflix of games” because of how extensive and impressive its catalog has to offer. Sony’s closest option for their users is their “PlayStation Now” service, which offers games the same way as Mircosoft’s service however it’s a much smaller catalog and half have to be streamed directed from the cloud rather than being a download to the player’s console. 

    “There is actually news to come,” said Jim Ryan during his interview with TASS about developing a new console generation during a pandemic. “We have PlayStation Now which is our subscription, and that is available in a number of markets.” 

     While their service is more focused on streaming games to the console compared to “Xbox Game Pass’” downloading directly to the console, this does give hope to PlayStation users. Streaming requires a more than decent internet connection which can be difficult for the majority of their audiences, which is why the direct download for games is a much better option. Player’s are able to download some games, however, the number of games that are available for download aren’t as grand or great as the selection “Xbox Game Pass” provides. 

     Currently, “Xbox Game Pass” is available for $9.99/monthly which grants access to the 100+ games library, with new games being added and removed constantly and exclusive discounts. They also offer and Game Pass Ultimate subscription for $14.99 a month which includes everything previously mentioned, cloud gaming from Android phones, tablets and PCs, “Xbox Live Gold” which includes exclusive deals, monthly free games and access to multiplayer. The Ultimate subscription also includes “EA Play” another subscription service on top of it which includes a collection of 80+ games from developer EA. 

     It’s an incredible and extremely popular deal that has pushed Xbox further for consumers that “PlayStation Now” hardly shows up on most players radar making it feel hardly worth the $9.99 subscription when Xbox has so much more to offer. Even after PlayStation dropped the price of their service in half in 2019, users are still fairly low compared to Game Pass, with PS Now at an estimated 2.2 million users and Game Pass having an estimated 15 million users. Players are now curious about how PlayStation intends to respond to the massive success of Xbox Game Pass and what the news Ryan mentions could be, how it might emulate or iterate on how these services might work in the now new console generation. 

‘Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ sparks with heart and style

      Sony Entertainment released their latest console, the PlayStation 5, on Nov. 12, alongside various incredible launch games, including “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.” The follow up to the developer, Insomniac Games’ 2018 title “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” acts as more of a spin-off story set a few months after the conclusion of the last game. Taking control of a brand new character, with his own story, powers and style that shines brightly throughout the entire game. 

     Miles Morales is a smaller game compared to its predecessor and honestly benefits from that, still set in Manhattan with a now snow-filled coat of paint and a bigger emphasis on Harlem. The game revolves around this neighborhood, even implementing a gameplay feature called the “Friendly Neighborhood” app that keeps track of crimes, activities and side missions. The side missions are more focused on Harlem, as previously mentioned, small stories from the neighborhood for players to get to know and get more connected with the city. 

     There’s the owner of a corner bodega, Teo, that asks for the player’s help rescuing his stolen cat that he names Spider-Man. A deaf street artist Hailee is investigating a criminal organization that wants to take over Harlem. These kinds of characters are the ones that make the player feel a lot closer to this one neighborhood compared to the 2018 title. 

     In the game, the street artist Hailee puts it best when she signs, “There’s been a Spider-Man protecting New York since I was a kid, but to have one here, whole cares about me, my home… it means everything,” Miles then responds in sign language, “It’s my home too.” Miles Morales is a relatively new character in the world of comic book superheroes, an Afro-Latino Spider-Man from Brooklyn was a big shift from the familiar Peter Parker. Only recently being spotlighted in the 2018 film “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse,” Miles brings so much heart to the table, having so many great moments of banter between all of the characters, messages of self-belief and positivity among a community, and pure style. 

     While at its core, it’s pretty much the game as it’s predecessor, the slight changes in not only gameplay or the world but in the animations and dialogue make this title stand strong on its own. The way Miles looks back at the camera as he dives off a building, his much looser movements while swinging around the city have a sense of swagger and style. Even his combat animations and new powers grant him his own unique feel and make him more distinct than Peter did in the original. 

     Being set a few months after the original, all of these characteristics about Miles make sense since he’s still learning how to be Spider-Man and it’s a theme throughout the game, about him trying to separate himself from Peter Parker and becoming his own hero. He’s given the responsibility to protect New York while Peter goes off to vacation, and it’s up to Miles to try to uncover a conspiracy with a corrupt energy company and a high-tech gang of criminals that are going to war with each other. 

     It’s a shorter and simpler story that doesn’t break much ground but does serve as an excellent ride for the player to do the classic Spider-Man fighting and sneaking around now with newer abilities. Miles is now equipped with “Venom Strike” powers, electric-based powers that players can use in combat that are made to deal with larger groups of enemies, which are a great addition and adds more flair to the combat. Miles also has camouflage, allowing him to become completely invisible under a timer that makes stealth sections much faster and more forgiving. 

      Another great addition to the game is much more accessibility options, allowing the player to change the game and tailor it into making the experience for everyone as enjoyable as possible. Small changes like simplifying combat and web-swinging, along with even bigger changes like mapping abilities to a one-button press, highlights certain characters and enemies for players who have trouble seeing and reduces camera motion during gameplay. 

     “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales” serves as not only an incredible sequel to the 2018 original title but as an impressive launch title for the PlayStation 5. It’s a game that shines so bright on its own and its much shorter length makes for a more enjoyable experience than the first game. Streaming many of its features and mechanics, the story adds up to an overall much more condensed and better gaming experience. 

     It’s one of the most positive experiences in video games this year so far, it’s a heartwarming game all throughout, it’s nearly impossible not to recommend as a player’s first game on the PlayStation 5 and is even available on the PlayStation 4. It’s the smaller details that can really make the game unique, the different and more stylish animations, the hip hop trap drums added to the theme of the game that intensifies as you swing through the city and the characters and friends players make in Harlem that calls Miles “our Spider-Man.”