Author: Trafficblast

With Cyberpunk 2077‘s advance review codes being sent exclusively for PC, fans have thus far had no insight into how the game plays on consoles. Now, Video Games Chronicle has booted up the PS4 version of the game on a PS5 with backwards compatibility, in order to compare its performance to the PC version we currently know much more about.

In comparison to a PC version of the game running max visual settings and medium ray-tracing, Cyberpunk 2077 on the PS5 seems to stack up surprisingly well, despite running a version of the game designed for the PS4. Street scenes on the console version aren’t as populated with either people or vehicles when compared to the same scenes on PC. VGC has also reported that the PS5 version of the game doesn’t appear to have a “Performance Mode” at launch, unlike the Xbox Series X.

Despite loading in the day one patch that CD Projekt Red has pointed to as the solution to many of the game’s most criticized bug and performance issues, VGC still ran into visual bugs in the opening sections of the game, as well as a full crash.

You can see a number of comparison screenshots in VGC’s article showing just how well the console version of the game stacks up. While there hasn’t been enough time for a comprehensive comparison, it looks like console players will enjoy a similar experience to gamers running expensive PC rigs.

GameSpot’s review of Cyberpunk 2077 scored it 7/10, praising its characters and intriguing sidequests, though those were let down by a buggy performance and overall lack of purpose. “So much of [Cyberpunk 2077] is superficial set dressing, and there’s so much happening all around you–ads going off at all times, gunfights breaking out in the streets, texts coming in about cars you’ll never buy–that a lot of the game feels superfluous,” reviewer Kallie Plagge said. “The side quests and the characters they showcase are the shining beacon through the neon-soaked bleakness of Night City, and they give you room to explore the best the core RPG mechanics have to offer.”

Announced earlier this year, Dustborn is an upcoming game by Dreamfall Chapters developer Red Thread Games that’s said to be “about hope, love, friendship, robots–and the power of words.” Now, Red Thread has announced that Detroit: Become Human developer Quantic Dream will be publishing the dystopian road trip game.

As reported by Gematsu, the studio said it was important to find a publisher that would share its vision for narrative-driven games. “Quantic Dream shares our passion and love for great narratives and interactive storytelling,” Red Thread Games creative director Ragnar Tornquist said. “It was vitally important for us to only work with someone who truly understood and appreciated our vision for this game, and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner to help us bring Dustborn to players around the world.”

“From the very beginning, we were captivated by Dustborn‘s ambition, its visual and gameplay originality, its colorful characters and the themes it addresses,” Quantic Dreams’ CEO Guillaume de Fondaumiere added. “Our goal as a publisher is to enable Red Thread Games to express their vision in the best way and then share it with as many people as possible. Quantic Dream will provide Red Thread Games with its own technical and editorial resources.”

Quantic Dream went independent earlier this year, announcing its goal to self-fund its own games, as well as providing investment to smaller studios.

Dustborn is due to be published for consoles and PC in 2021, with a more exact release window still to be announced. With a colorful visual style inspired by graphic novels, Dustborn sees the protagonist Pax road tripping across the “divided states of America” in a dystopian “post-infodemic” world.

Red Thread Games has previously released narrative-focused adventure Dreamfall Chapters and last year’s Nordic noir mystery Draugen.

Temtem, a Pokemon-like RPG that released in early access on Steam earlier this year, has made its way to PS5. The game, which will eventually come to other consoles too, has not hit version 1.0 yet, but it arrives on Sony’s new console in fairly robust form.

This version of Temtem comes with a story campaign, complete with MMO elements. You’ll be able to travel between six islands, training and taming Temtem creatures and fighting against enemies in turn-based battles. You’ll encounter other players as you go, which should make the world feel alive.

A new launch trailer for the game has been released, too, which you can view below.

How extensive the game’s online options are on PS5–and how well battling and trading works–remains to be seen. If you want to make the leap, you can grab the standard version for $40 or the Deluxe Edition for $60.

Right now, the bonuses offered by the Deluxe Edition are a bit slim, although additional cosmetic packs will be added when the game goes live. Right now, it contains:

• Camo Short Hair Bandana
• Camo Long Hair Bandana
• Camo Fatigues
• Camo Rucksack

It’s rare for PlayStation games to release in early access, with no formal program for them in place. MediaMolecule’s Dreams received an early access paid release, and Fortnite was technically in early access until June 2020. The PC version has received some big updates since launch, and was a bit of a sensation when it launched, selling big numbers.

The game is targeting a spring 2021 release on other systems, including the Switch, PS4, and Xbox family of consoles.

Halo Infinite‘s first multiplayer map has been revealed. In a new Halo Waypoint update, two interior images of a multiplayer map have been shown off for the first time.

The map, which is not officially named in the update, is the very first thing we have seen from the game’s multiplayer. The first screenshot, below, shows a very familiar Halo scene: two Spartans squaring off on a map with an emphasis on verticality.

The final game will contain a mix of interior and exterior levels, by the sound of it. As you can see in these shots, the level contains plenty of detail–and looks to be using the power of the Xbox Series X for some nice lighting effects.

Design director Ryan Paradis explains in the update that while there will be “limited-time events” in the game’s multiplayer, they don’t want players to feel like they need to jump in at specific times or miss out. “Think of all the games we’ve all played that have random rewards, ask people to play a way they hate just for a new shiny, or weaponize FOMO against the player,” he says. ”There will be limited-time events, but we don’t want to turn free time into a chore. We’re not all about that.”

Multiplayer for Halo Infinite will be free-to-play, and will run at 120fps. For more, check out GameSpot’s editorial on why going free-to-play is a smart move.

This update also reveals that Halo Infinite will arrive in Fall 2021.

Halo Infinite is now expected to release in Fall 2021, developer 343 Industries confirmed in a blog post. As part of the developer’s year-end update, 343 confirmed the new release date and also provided some new insight on the game’s graphics, art, and customization features.

Halo Infinite was originally expected to release as a launch title for the Xbox Series X|S in November, but due to complications related to COVID-19, and other factors, Microsoft delayed the game to an unspecified point in 2021. The new Fall 2021 date might be later than some expected, as it’s a full year beyond what was originally announced.

343 also published images of the first Halo Infinite multiplayer map. As announced previously, the multiplayer element of Halo Infinite will be free-to-play, which is a big change for the series.

Joseph Staten, a longtime Microsoft veteran who recently returned to Halo to work on Halo Infinite, said he’s impressed by what he’s seen from the development team.

“Folks here don’t just understand Halo, they love the core gameplay and characters and community–everything that makes Halo, Halo–just as much as I do. And, like me, they also feel a deep responsibility to serve,” he said. “

“We aren’t making this game for us. We’re making it for you. My first week on the job, I played the entire Infinite campaign. Twice. I was, in a word, stunned—in the best possible way—by what the team had done. Infinite is, by far, the most expansive and vertical Halo world, ever. Why did the team do this? Because they understand that wonder and freedom are key to the Halo experience.”

When Halo Infinite releases, it will be available on Xbox Series X|S, as well as Xbox One and PC. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play it at no extra cost.

The new Halo Infinite blog post also included new details on multiplayer, while the developer also acknowledged concerns about the game’s graphics. Additionally, 343 shed some light on how Halo Infinite will use microtransactions, but not loot boxes.

Gears 5 is receiving a new mini-campaign as DLC on December 16, and it’ll be available as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The campaign, Hivebusters, follows the heroes of the game’s Escape mode as they go on a “suicide mission” to take down a Swarm hive.

The campaign will be playable in three player co-op, with Lahni, Keegan, and Mac featuring. You’ll be able to use and upgrade their Ultimate Abilities, which was not the case in the regular campaign. The game will come with 16 achievements, totaling 210 Gamerscore, too.

This DLC is written by Kurtis Wiebe, who also wrote the Hivebusters comic series, published across 2019. This DLC is based on those comics.

Gears 5 is releasing a Game of the Year edition alongside this DLC, which includes Hivebusters and earlier updates. The DLC also benefits from Xbox Series X/S optimizations, including 4K graphics, shorter loads, and quick resume.

If you don’t have Game Pass, you can buy the DLC separately for $20.

Gears 5 recently added WWE stars The New Day as DLC, and in a stranger twist, introduced an update to let you replace Marcus with the wrestler Batista throughout the campaign. Gears 5 is also available on Steam, making it the first game in the series to appear on the storefront.

Apex Legends fans who want to dig deeper into the game’s lore are in luck, thanks to a new artbook releasing next year that will delve into a character’s past. Apex Legends: Pathfinder’s Quest is a 208-page hardcover book from Dark Horse Books, but it’s not yet clear whether it’s a traditional artbook or a comic.

The book is due to release on February 2, 2021, both physically and on Kindle. The book’s Amazon page currently lists the book as sold out, but it’s possible that more stock will be secured ahead of release.

Manny Hagopian, the lead writer of Apex Legends, is credited as the book’s author. There’s no preview of the pages inside the book yet.

The game is currently running a Holo-Day Bash event, which will run throughout December. The battle royale title will also come to the Nintendo Switch in 2021.

Pokemon Go developer Niantic’s Harry Potter mobile game, Wizards Unite, is introducing a series of villains and evil creatures in the new Adversaries update.

This update, which is the “biggest feature release of the year,” adds new evil characters to fight against. These include the bad boy Draco Malfoy and the nefarious Bellatrix Lestrange. The werewolf Fenrir Greyback is also included with the update, along with the Basilisk.

These villains will come to Wizards Unite as part of the game’s new monthly patches. Players can earn rewards like Wizarding and Challenge XP, among other bonuses, for defeating the villains.

The Adversaries update also adds a new Adversaries Registry, which is a compendium of more than 75 collectibles that players can collect. There are more combat lessons also available in this registry.

Head to the Wizards Unite website to see a full and detailed breakdown of the Adversaries update.

Another Harry Potter game, Hogwarts Legacy, is in development for release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2021. As controversy swirls around author J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. has confirmed that she is not directly involved with the game’s development.