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If I’ve learned one thing since the console’s launch almost three years ago, it’s never to underestimate the Nintendo Switch.

It has proven time and time again that it can surmount obstacles far larger than than we ever expected. Franchise giants such as Overwatch, Doom and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt have found comfortable second homes on the hybrid system, albeit with a few noticeable compromises. 

Now, 4A Games is set to join this esteemed club with the release of Metro Redux, bringing a duo of post apocalyptic shooters to the platform with frankly stunning results, especially when the context of their original release is taken into account. Proving a testing bed for modern hardware upon their original launch, both Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light have been brought to Nintendo Switch with an astounding splash. 

Like most porting efforts, this isn’t the ideal way to experience these games. If you’re in possession of a more powerful console or gaming PC, we’d opt for improved performance and visual features over the convenience of portability. However, there’s no denying what has been achieved here. Aside from a few visual blemishes, Metro Redux shines on the Nintendo Switch. Now let’s dive in and discover why. 

Related: Upcoming Nintendo Switch games

The Metro franchise is based on the novels by Dmitry Glukhovsky, following a character called Artyom in a world ravaged by nuclear winter. After the bombs dropped on Russia, the environment becomes awash with unstoppable snow, deadly mutants and lethal radiation. So, humanity finds shelter in underground subway tunnels, parts of human infrastructure that are miraculously untouched from apocalyptic devastation.  

Remnants of the human race spend decades underground, forming a new society with their own political ideologies and methods of survival, learning to adapt with horrific creatures who also call these dim, dark caverns their home. Travelling between settlements should be an easy task, but here it’s a matter of life and death. So, you remain isolated, with rangers such as Artyom being one of the brave few who dares rise to the surface. 

It’s a compelling premise, and one that makes for a horrendously tense survival horror experience. But Metro isn’t like traditional shooters. The guns and equipment you carry are heavy and unwieldy, damaged after years of ageing in a society that doesn’t have the resources to maintain them. Firearms are prone to jamming, while precious items such as medkits and gas masks are few and far between. 

This makes each new section a beautifully tense experience, whether you’re navigating claustrophobic tunnels in the company of radioactive tarantulas or braving the surface where winged beasts lay, waiting to swoop down and carry you away. You rarely feel safe, which makes the moments of quiet oddly whimsical. There’s still beauty to be found in this world, you just need to work unbelievably hard to uncover it. 

Related: Animal Crossing – New Horizons

4A Games has done a brilliant job bringing Metro 2033 and Last Light to Nintendo Switch, ensuring both titles run at a relatively solid 30 frames per second with a stable resolution in both portable and docked mode. They look excellent – without directly comparing them, they honestly stand up against their console counterparts. Obviously, specific graphical features such as enhanced lightning and improved textures are lacking, and certain things look undeniably blurry from a distance. 

However, in the grand scheme of things, such instances aren’t so easy to notice when playing on the small screen. On such a size the world and characters look exceptionally sharp, with performance drops and potential latency issues falling to the wayside on both the launch console and Lite model – each of which I used for this review. When docked the occasional blemishes were noticeable, an evident blur seen across certain environments while turning the camera. It’s far from unplayable. 

One qualm I have with portable play is that both games are overwhelmingly dark, given the majority of your time will be spent underground with little more than a torch lighting your way. This can make parsing exactly what’s in front of you a little difficult unless the brightness is pumped all the way up, both in the game and on the system itself. 

This feels like a weird oversight, since I literally couldn’t see where I was going when playing on the Switch Lite in the office, straining my eyes to decipher where enemies were; or if I was just walking blindly into a nearby wall. Knowing this, Metro Redux could be something for playing in the comfort of your own home, perhaps fitting in a few spooky sessions before bed instead of grinding through it on the morning commute. 

Related: Bayonetta 3 

Lighting issues aside, 4A Games has produced two excellent ports here, and the attractive gameplay loop of exploration, stealth and visceral gunplay remains intact. Metro doesn’t have the satisfying twitch shooting from Call of Duty; in a way it almost feels frustrating as you deal with unwieldy weapons prone to breaking under your command. But the mechanics breed paranoia, making the world feel more threatening and alive as a result. It’s a delight to play, and feels like a small miracle on the Switch. 

Verdict

Metro Redux is yet another triumphant port for the Nintendo Switch, presenting a duo of brilliant survival horror shooters to an audience who might have never experienced them before. While they’re certainly burdened with noticeable visual compromises, they still look and perform competently enough that you’ll hardly notice the difference.

Like many porting jobs, this isn’t the ideal way to experience these games. However, they primarily exist to serve a new audience, while offering hardcore fans another avenue to experience them.

Metro Redux for the Nintendo Switch isn’t without issue then, but it’s hard not to be taken aback by what’s been accomplished here.

The post Metro Redux (Nintendo Switch) Review appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

I remember watching my older brothers play Resident Evil 3 as a child, running downstairs crying to my parents the second Nemesis appeared.

The way Nemesis chased Jill Valentine relentlessly across Raccoon City with the bloodcurdling bellowing of “Stars!” sent chills down my spine, scarring me so much that I wouldn’t return to Capcom’s classic for years.

In hindsight, it feels supremely silly, with the original being drenched in cheesy dialogue and harsh polygonal graphics that sadly don’t stand the test of time. But now, the Japanese publisher is bringing a range of iconic titles back into the limelight with fully-fledged remakes, ready and willing to terrify a whole new generation. I promise I won’t go crying to my parents this time. 

After the rampant success of last year’s Resident Evil 2, it’s being succeeded by the original trilogy’s final chapter. Capcom has once again hit the ball out of the park, coming out swinging with a brave gorgeous reimagining of Nemesis that builds on its inspiration in some fascinating ways. Having spent a few hours with it at a recent event, it’s time to dive into what’s really going down in Raccoon City.

My time with Resident Evil 3 began in a subway station. The zombie outbreak had crippled power across the city, meaning trains weren’t running and the only light on the streets was from rusted neon lights lining the nearby storefronts. It’s a fractured vision of America stamped out by the horrors of pharmaceutical capitalism, an ethos which is punctuated throughout the campaign with campy yet grounded brilliance.

To escape the narrow, zombie-infested streets she finds herself in, Jill Valentine must venture to the surface and reach the nearby substation. Unfortunately, the journey there isn’t easy. With a handful of herbs and sparse collection of bullets in my inventory I left the station where the city’s horrors are finally unveiled. Citizens sprinted past me, some bitten and some not as the undead menace lurched towards them. 

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Crashed cars and raging fires littered the streets, flanked by living corpses who stop at nothing to eat everything in their wake. It was a striking image, and one that stuck with me for the coming hours. Once the public had fled, silence took over.

Carrying a fairly flimsy pistol, I peered down an alley where my first adversary awaited me. Resident Evil 2 did the impossible and made zombies scary again. Unless you land a bullet squarely in their brains, they keep walking. You can blow off their limbs and it does nothing, only slowing the inevitable.

Related: Persona 5 Royal Preview

The weight of each creature felt significant, so letting them get within lunging distance was a recipe for disaster. It’s often best to fire a round into a zombie’s head, staggering them briefly so you’ve a chance to get away. This was made easier with the inclusion of a new dodge move, allowing Jill to dart away from or underneath enemies with a timely button press. It’s a brilliant idea, and one that occasionally removes the frustration of being surrounded by infected. 

A large chunk of my time was spent exploring a number of shops throughout Raccoon City. They’re all ransacked, depleted of supplies or secured in fear of the outbreak. Many of them are filled with corpses, some alive and some dead, although you’ll need to approach them to find out. I made a habit of firing a bullet at ones that appeared deceased, saving me the trouble of them suddenly springing to life. Resident Evil 3 is all about being prepared, always having a strategy ready to enact. 

The gunplay is identical to Resident Evil 2, once against relying on slow, melodic shooting and a keen sense of accuracy to survive. Panicking in a firefight only gives foes a few precious seconds to inch closer, while faster creatures – such as Nemesis – will be on you in seconds regardless. Each weapon has a distinctive weight, especially the shotgun, capable of blowing zombies into gruesome giblets with a single buckshot. 

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Upgrades including laser sights and satchels that increase your inventory space, can be found throughout the city and offer a reason to explore beyond the relatively linear narrative confines – if you’re brave enough, at least. I entered most buildings with a justified feeling of trepidation, weapon drawn and ready to fire. The payoff is normally worth it, and the masochistic side of me loves the thrill of a good jump scare. 

After prowling the streets I stumbled into a nearby substation. A twisted colony of spiders soon crawled out from nests in the walls to impregnate Jill with a horrendous virus that can only be cured by noshing on a green herb. This led to a tense puzzle sequence where I had to navigate a maze switch on generators with spiders hot on my tail. It was a tense encounter, which hearkened back to classic Resident Evil design – both a blessing and a curse. 

Once the bugs were out of the equation, it was back to the streets for our first encounter with Nemesis beyond a few passing glances. To put things simply, he’s terrifying. Capcom has evolved upon the omnipresent nature of Mr. X and twisted them into something truly nightmarish. Sprinting away isn’t a guaranteed solution now, since Nemesis can yank you backwards with his otherworldly tentacles, bringing you to the ground in seconds. 

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This makes the utilisation of Jill’s new skills essential for survival, and dodging past Nemesis with the utmost precision is absurdly satisfying. Capcom has said Nemesis cannot be killed (well, until the plot demands it) and will chase relentlessly throughout Raccoon City. We imagine they will make an exception for set pieces, with one I played seeing him follow you up a burning building, setting it alight with his own personal flamethrower. 

Watching Raccoon City grow smaller and smaller as you ascend into flaming oblivion is an anxiety-inducing delight, reaching a crescendo as you have no choice but to do battle with Nemesis at the structure’s apex. This is where one of Resident Evil’s shortcomings becomes evident, with the boss battles not really having evolved at all. Beating him took a matter of minutes as I strafed around in circles, avoiding attacks and shooting nearby generators to shock him in place. 

Despite its mechanical simplicity, showdowns like this are undeniably thrilling, and I imagine the campaign will be filled with them. Even after a mere couple of hours, Resident Evil 3 is a rattling barrel of paranoia, making the player jump whenever possible with a looming sense of dread. As I temporarily escaped Nemesis’ clutches, a developer places his hand on my shoulder and tells me to stop playing. Jill Valentine’s escape from Raccoon City will have to wait. 

Related: Dreams Review 

The upcoming remake also comes bundled with Resident Evil Resistance; an asynchronous multiplayer experience following a selection of characters seeking to escape the clutches of an omnipresent mastermind, who is also controlled by a player. The mastermind is capable of spawning all manner of traps, enemies and other obstacles from the gaze of a security camera, watching as the survivors try desperately to solve the mystery that blocks their progress.

It’s a hugely compelling premise, but the execution is tremendously lacking. At the time of writing, it feels woefully unbalanced in favour of the mastermind. After taking direct control of an armoured zombie in the opening moments, I won the match in under 40 seconds by simply spamming attacks towards the survivors. It’s easy to stun-lock them, pinning them to the ground so they’re powerless as the time limit dictating the round whittles down.

Aside from the excellent co-operative play of Resident Evil 5, the franchises’ multiplayer efforts have always been lacking, and this is sadly no different. The melodic gunplay and scrappy melee combat are chaotic and mindless in this setting, lacking the impactful satisfaction of the solo campaign. Instead, tight environments feel clumsy with several players packed into them, equipped with skills that are constantly interrupted by hostile attacks thanks to overlong animations.

Related: Animal Crossing – New Horizons 

That being said, Resistance still has a lot going for it. Characters feel varied enough, distinguished in their roles as healers, tanks or combat experts. I opted for Valerie, a young girl who can lay down a healing spray which replenishes the health of all nearby players. It’s excellent when a zombie gets the jump on you, or if you’re desperately trying to clear a room of creatures camping near an exit. Moments like these are exhilarating, but they’re too often crammed between bouts of tedious frustration.

If Resistance does tickle your fancy, and I’m keen to dive in further on release, there’s an extensive progression system that will see you unlock new abilities, cosmetics and emotes for each character. If you’re a fan of Dead by Daylight or Friday the 13th, there’s definitely fun to be found here.

Resident Evil 3 – First Impressions

Resident Evil 3 is poised to be yet another home run for Capcom, albeit with the ambitious gamble of Project Resistance, which itself still has enough competent ingredients to be a fun addition to the stellar single-player campaign. Jill Valentine’s fight for survival has been recreated for modern platforms with truly stunning production values, ready to terrify a whole new generation of players alongside hardened veterans.

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Preview: It's time to get seriously creative

You may know Media Molecule for its previous creation, Little Big Planet, the cutesy platformer that partly relies on user-generated content. The developers have long been invested in bringing game-building tools to the masses – including all of us who are too impatient to learn Unity. Now, the team has really put that philosophy into action by delivering Dreams.

Dreams is a game engine and social network, which is sort of like the offspring of YouTube and Unity. Inside the game, content is divided into Dream Surfing and Dream Shaping. The first category lets you peruse other people’s creations and the latter allows you to go crazy and build your own stuff.

In the wrong hands, this title could have been a messy and confusing concept, but Media Molecule has nailed both the intro and the UI in Dreams. Bright scribbles and friendly characters guide you through your initial forays into the Dreamiverse before handing over the creative reins. There’s very little chance of getting lost.

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Once you’re past the vibrant intro, you’re given a nudge towards Dream Shaping. This is the game-engine part of Dreams that draws some of its genes from Unity. It’s a lot simpler than that software, but you’ll still need to watch a few tutorials before you begin making the next Stardew Valley.

Luckily, Media Molecule has provided a bountiful amount of lessons in the workshop section. The concept of tutorials might sound like a snore-fest, but these snappily narrated videos and follow-along sessions are genuinely entertaining – and that’s a real achievement.

By comparison, there’s a sea of Unity tutorials online but it can still be difficult to find one that’s both easy to follow and works well with the latest version of the software.

Once you’re rolling in Dreams it’s amazing how quickly you can pull something together. After only a few hours you can create a simple platformer, inputting your own design, characters and music. You’re also not limited to games, as you can create animation or even build a lushly detailed scene with the paint tools just for other Dreamers to oogle at. You can even borrow creations such as models and music from other Dreamers, giving them credit in your own levels so the philosphy of sharing this space with others is never lost.

Related: Ghosts of Tsushima 

All of these tools allow you to be as lazy or as detailed as you like. Take the music-building option – you can create your own instruments and compose a new tune if you’re so inclined. But for those of us with the musical talent of a rusty spoon, there are plenty of ready-made sound effects and complementary melodies that you can use to build up a soundscape. Similarly, there are ready-built landscapes and characters for you to plonk into your own game.

Having all these tools in one place also means that features play nicely together. Because everything is built within the same engine there’s less chance that a rogue piece of code is going to break your physics.

The only significant downside to creating anything in Dreams is the size limitations, as there are restrictions on how much you can put into a scene – but this can be managed by building linked scenes in most cases.

All of this is just one half of Dreams. The other half is the social side, and it’s a bit of a jungle out there.

Related: The Last of Us 2 

Dream Surfing gives you access to other people’s creations, which range from assets like music tracks and props to full-blown games. Media Molecule has actually created a playable Dream of its own to show off the versatility of its game-building engine. Called “Art’s Dream,” the two-hour adventure follows a down-on-his-luck musician working through some personal issues. It’s a sweet little tale that transforms from platformer into point-and-click adventure, and later an arcade-style shooter.

Of course, not everything is of the same standard. If you switch on “Auto-Surfing” and trawl through random creations, you’ll probably stumble across a lot of rough-around-the-edges first-attempts. It’s also worth pointing out that the comments section here feels like a hot mess – because of the string-shaped layout it’s not always clear who’s replying to who or what they’re even talking about.

But there is some joy to be had in stumbling across things completely randomly in the world of Dream Surfing. It harks back to the much messier days of the internet, where everything felt less tidy and curated. Besides, anyone who wants to walk a more conventional path can browse popular games via tags, suggestions and top-rated creations.

Media Molecule is banking on this social side taking off – after all, if no-one creates games there’s going to be a big gaping content hole in the package. Thanks to the six-month early access period there are currently loads of creations to enjoy, but it’s too early to say whether or not good-quality user content will explode or dwindle in the coming months.

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Regardless, you can bet that the algorithm and interface will change over time, as Media Molecule continues to tweak and finesse this section. The developers have also committed to developing the Dream Shaping platform, promising to deliver game-building options for VR and multiplayer online modes.

There’s one criticism that has repeatedly reared its head in discussion about Dreams, which is related to the controls. You navigate the world via your Imp, a googly-eyed cursor that can manipulate objects and possess characters – but this little dude is controlled via motion sensors in your DualShock, which can be hard to get to grips with. There is an option to turn this off, but that makes it much more laborious to navigate everything.

I’m torn on whether or not this is a good thing – Media Molecule has managed to cram in lots of handy shortcuts thanks to the reliance on motion sensors, but it seems a shame that movement is optimised in such a way that people with motor difficulties might struggle. Although I will say I got over the quirks of motion control after a few hours.

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It’s kind of nuts that Sony decided to give Dreams the thumbs-up. If the title is a big hit then it could become an influential portal to other games and an easy creative outlet for individuals who don’t want to master Unity or Blender.

There’s even talk of monetisation and the possibility that user-made games could one day earn creators a little pocket money.

Should you buy Dreams?

The game-building element of Dreams is brilliant – you’ll have to trawl through a few tutorials but they’re all really fun and it’s so satisfying when you finally build something of your own. The social side feels less developed, but it may grow quickly in the coming months.

As such, anyone who’s buying it for access to other users’ games might want to wait until the collection has expanded even further – but if you’re looking to dive into some fun and basic game building, then grabbing it now will let you meet other creatives and allow you to learn alongside them as the platform (hopefully) blossoms.

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PlatinumGames has become an iconic staple of action games in the past decade, releasing myriad classics that began with Bayonetta and Vanquish – two titles which have returned in this bundle to celebrate their tenth anniversary. 

Yes, it really has been that long since Bayonetta and Vanquish backflipped into our lives, and they honestly haven’t aged a day. SEGA has brought these two beloved gems onto modern platforms with a bang, ensuring they look and run better than ever. 

Offered at an appealing price with enough new bells and whistles to warrant a revisit, the Bayonetta and Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle is an easy sell for action newcomers and veterans alike, especially if you didn’t have a chance to experience these classics back in the day. While a few extra bonuses would have been lovely, it’s hard to complain about what’s on offer here. 

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First released in 2009, Bayonetta has since cemented itself as a modern classic. It takes the acrobatic combat and electric pace of Devil May Cry and enhances it with some truly unique twists. It’s faster, more ambitious, more daring and overblown in the best possible way. Even after 11 years, it still plays beautifully, although it doesn’t reach the heights of its equally fantastic sequel. 

Hideki Kamiya’s wondrous adventure of excess has you playing as the titular character of Bayonetta, an unstoppable woman capable of transforming her hair into everything from skimpy clothing to otherworldly beasts the size of skyscrapers that eat enemies alive. Instantly iconic upon her debut, this stylish witch backs an even bigger punch many years later. 

Bayonetta introduces Witch Time, a mechanic which has become a common mechanic across Platinum’s library. By dodging at the exact moment you’re struck, Bayonetta can slow down time for a few short moments. This means you take no damage, and have a precious couple of seconds to build up a combo and dish out some massive punishment. After all this time it still feels wonderful, applying a sense of distinct rhythm to each encounter. 

Levels are short and sweet, often only featuring a handful of battles before you’re rewarded a grade and thrust into a cutscene and/or storefront to restock or sit down to some exposition. This stop and start pacing won’t be for everyone, especially since at times it can feel like you don’t have enough time to sink into combat before immediately being pulled away. 

On the flipside, this also amounts to massive amounts of replay value as you slowly but surely nail each facet of Bayonetta’s arsenal. 

Related: Project xCloud

I could spend hours nailing down why Bayonetta is so brilliant. It’s fantastical architecture tinged with European influences echoes the thematic elements of angels fighting against demons perfectly, while Bayonetta is a fierce sex symbol who screams female empowerment, owning her sexuality and using it to put idiots in their place.

It’s badass, and it’s criminal we’ve been waiting so long for the third game. We might not have realised it at the time, but Vanquish was one of the finest follow-ups a studio has ever made, establishing a killer streak that wouldn’t falter until the underwhelming Legend of Korra in 2014. Shinji Mikami’s absurdly manic cover-based shooter takes the formula established by Gears of War and other noughties blockbusters and promptly leaves them in the dust. 

Vanquish is short and sweet, with the solo campaign coming in at only 6 hours or so depending on the difficulty. While its length has been rightfully criticised, every passing second is an adrenaline-fueled moment of brilliance. You are Sam Gideon, a DARPA agent armed with the Augmented Reaction Suit. This highly advanced piece of technology allows you to burst across the environment with rocket thrusters, sliding across the floor and leaving hostile Russian androids in the dust.

Related: Resident Evil 3 

It supersedes the need for cover, confidently thrusting a middle finger up towards its contemporaries at the time. It showed that Japanese developers weren’t afraid to compete with western giants, arguably beating them at their own game. The plot is stupid yet simple. A rogue military force known as The Order of the Russian Star has commandeered a solar energy transmitter aboard a intergalactic colony to wipe San Fransisco off the map, and it’s your job to venture into space and stop him.

Characters spew forth corny lines pulled straight from Aliens and Starship Troopers, fully aware of the overall narrative’s rampant absurdity. It’s brilliant, executed with such a style that it’s surprisingly easy to take seriously. If you’re like me, you’ll be punching the air with pompous glee as Gideon kicks the head off a giant robot before punching a hole in his chest. Blink and you’ll miss them quick-time events that result in death can be irritating, one of the few signs of age Vanquish happens to show.

Otherwise, the combat is exquisite. Every firefight offers rampant room for experimentation, with weapons ranging from standard assault rifles to futuristic lasers that lock onto multiple baddies from afar. You’ll see Sam’s entire arsenal in the opening hour or so, meaning the rest of the game is spent mastering it. Darting from cover, sliding towards a robot and launching them across the stage with a swift uppercut is always satisfying, although death can come quickly if you’re careless.

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Vanquish is bittersweet, leaving me desperate for more as the credits rolled, but the journey is so, so worth it. It’s a bombastic rollercoaster that rarely gives you a moment to breathe, holding you with grip of a futuristic mech and never letting go. Aside from the campaign you can partake in some optional challenges to earn trophies, but these are fun distractions rather than essential. Much like Bayonetta, there’s a lot of replay value in the flexibility of combat encounter alone.

One of my only major qualms with this collection is the lack of worthwhile extras. It’s fairly barebones, presenting both games as individual applications without much in between. Unlockable concept art, trailers or even a soundtrack player would have gone a long way in praising the legacy of Platinum’s finest, but it sadly wasn’t meant to be.

Verdict

For a reasonable price you can own Bayonetta and Vanquish – two of the greatest action games ever made, and they’ve aged like a fine Japanese wine, proving exactly why PlatinumGames is the best in the business when it comes to character-driven action experiences.

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Persona 5 is a positively massive game, with an average playthrough clocking in at roughly 80 hours – and that’s without diving into ample helpings of side content. Atlus’ colossal JRPG is a stylish behemoth, drawing players in with its ambitious story and charming cast of characters. But for the series faithful, will an enhanced re-release be enough to tempt them for another ride?

Royal is an enhanced version of the modern classic, bringing with it plentiful amounts of new content, refined mechanics and a built-in audience of fans ready and waiting to devour everything it has to offer. This isn’t the first time this franchise has made such a move, following in the footsteps of Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden, both being the definitive way to play each one.

After spending a few hours with Persona 5 Royal, it has all the ingredients to build upon its progenitor in some fantastic ways. Many improvements are minimal, but they combine to form a cohesive whole so solid that even The Phantom Thieves would have trouble cracking it. I regret not spending enough time with the original, so now is the perfect opportunity to correct a glaring sin in my gaming portfolio. 

Related: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Preview

If you’re unfamiliar with Persona 5, let me break things down. You play as Joker, a high-school student who transferred to a new school after being arrested for defending himself against a drunken idiot. Under probation and shunned by adults around him, he’s sucked into a mysterious group known as The Phantom Thieves. 

They’re capable of travelling to a mysterious dimension known as Mementos to steal the hearts of evildoers, transforming their emotions in reality to stop villains ranging from a perverted gym teacher to a corrupted art dealer. It’s a wonderfully compelling concept that leads to some absurd dungeon designs, showcasing Atlus’ industry leading talent for all things bizarre. Everything in Persona 5 Royal oozes style, from its weapons to the user interface. 

Persona 5 Royal takes us to a realistic rendition of modern day Tokyo, albeit dusted with an excessive helping of anime stylings. Popular districts such as Shibuya and Harajuku are recreated with the utmost accuracy, although they don’t quite match the virtual tourism presented by Yakuza. That being said, exploring each new area is a delight, and you’ll come to memorise every character, storefront and landmark after a handful of hours. This isn’t just the hero’s home, it’s yours. 

Related: Upcoming PS4 Games

You’ll balance your time in Persona 5 Royal between school, your social life and The Phantom Thieves, all of which intertwine in some fascinating ways throughout the story. Relationships with fellow characters grow thanks to social links, a mechanic which rewards you for spending time with relatives, schoolmates and other folks to learn what makes them tick or pull them out of a jam. Each piece feels genuinely meaningful, building towards emotional crescendos you’ll experience over and over again. 

Royal will see the introduction of a few new characters, the headliner being Kasumi Yoshizawa. At first glance she’s a gifted young gymnast, but she’s clearly hiding something more sinister behind the curtain. I only saw a handful of scenes with her, but it hints at a fascinating story I’m keen to uncover. She’ll also join your party, changing the dynamics of battle with acrobatic moves and new tools to tear shadows apart. It’s unfortunate that Atlus hasn’t introduced a gender-swapped protagonist for Royal, but this is the next best thing. 

Exploring dungeons is rooted in traditional JRPG conventions, although the personality of Persona 5 Royal shines through and bathes in creativity. A grappling hook has been added which removes the vanilla releases’ mundanity of trudging through corridors fighting cookie-cutter enemies. It’s far easier to reach your objective, although streamlined exploration also incentivises you to search out secrets like never before.

Related: Project xCloud

Stealth is incorporated into combat. Getting the drop and unmasking foes before they notice you gives Joker and company the upper hand to dish out a plethora moves before monsters have a chance to react. Attacking with a foe’s weakness and following it up can result in a devastating ‘All Out Attack’ which, more often than not, leaves adversaries in the dust. It all feels great, and Royal sands down a few rough edges to boot.

I admire how Persona 5 Royal never leaves behind the turn-based roots that helped define this genre, yet does everything in its power to modernise them. A slow, archaic system now feels swiftly dynamic, gelling with myriad other systems to create something quite magical. I still feel the pacing is a little inconsistent at times, as you’re forced to jump between dialogue, high school lessons and dungeons in a way that doesn’t always work.

However, once Atlus hits a stride, it swings for the fences and never looks back. Even though I’ve spent a few hours with Persona 5 Royal, it’s evident the surface has barely been scratched. Relationships you don’t prioritise can be focused upon in repeat playthroughs, through either a platonic or romantic lens. There’s additional dungeons, ample sidequests and a whole world to uncover and you only have a certain amount of time in each day to see them. Like a real teenager, life moves a million miles a minute.

Related: Ghosts of Tsushima

Persona 5 will introduce The Thieves’ Den, a new area which is accessed directly from the main menu. It’s basically a hangout spot for Joker and his companions outside of the campaign, filled with endless amenities for players to experiment with. You can view previously unlocked cutscenes and use a special currency to purchase trailers, clips and other pieces of memorabilia that are well worth diving into. There’s even a bespoke card game to play alongside a music player and other goodies that provide a solid reason for double-dipping.

First Impressions

If you loved Persona 5, Royal expands upon Atlus’ monolithic JRPG in all the right ways, building on its foundations with warranted refinements that simply make it feel better in every conceivable way. If you’re a first-timer, I can’t recommend it enough for fans of the genre, with this stylishly beautiful adventure offering so much across its massive campaign that it’s almost absurd. It’s a big commitment, but one you won’t regret undertaking.

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Loot shooters are a dime a dozen nowadays, with the genre packed with titles that grow and expand over time with new content. It’s become impossible to keep up. Outriders seeks to override that notion.

It pitches itself as an experience with none of the live-service trappings to which we’ve become so accustomed. It will have a beginning, middle and end at launch, refusing to hold back content. Despite this, it’s frighteningly similar to its contemporaries on the surface. 

It has the loot system of Destiny, luscious planet of Anthem and colourful, rebellious colour palette of Rage 2. The comparisons are hard to ignore, and aside from its excellent combat, Outriders doesn’t do a huge amount to stand out beyond the pack.

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Outriders follows humanity’s search for a new home on the planet of Enoch. The Earth is too far gone, depleted of resources and a natural environment capable of sustaining life. So the human race abandons it, constructing a ship in orbit, forcing themselves to find a new planet to colonise. As expected, this new venture doesn’t go exactly to plan. 

The opening moments of Outriders feel surprisingly rushed, failing to convey a sense of attachment to its world before you’re thrown into a wild conspiracy of paranormal abilities and warring factions that you really aren’t given a reason to care for. Your wise-cracking avatar walks through a small encampment talking to fellow settlers, all of which feel laughably positive about the situation. 

After deciding to expand, you’re immediately attacked by a hostile storm known as “The Anomaly”, which either absorbs people into nothing or curses them with dangerous, unusual powers. It’s basically weather that eats people, with random storms emerging across the landscape that humanity must learn to tackle. If I’m being brutally honest, it’s a striking yet achingly predictable opening. 

In a state of panic, you’re hurled back into cryosleep, remaining there for 15 years. The world you emerge to is drastically different, having transformed into a dark, hostile place where different factions of humanity fight for survival. Seconds after emerging it’s straight into the fight, as hidden powers surface, as does the hugely impressive combat system. 

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Outriders feels like a novel combination of People Can Fly’s previous efforts, Bulletstorm and Gears of War: Judgment. The cover-based, third-person shooting of Gears is combined with Bulletstorm’s fast, gory and satisfying focus towards aggressive tactics. Despite convenient cover locations being plastered across every battlefield, I seldom found myself using them. 

It’s far more enjoyable to incapacitate enemies before rushing out from cover and blowing them into nothing with your myriad powers. Outriders will launch with four distinct classes, three of which have been revealed in the form of Pyromancer, Trickster and Devastator. I spent some time with all three, finding my personal favourite with the Trickster’s absurdly satisfying use of time manipulation. 

By pressing both shoulder buttons you can expel a spherical field that slows down anyone and anything trapped within it. Bullets whizz hypnotically through the air, while severed limbs float towards the sky before crashing down the second your field disappears. The Trickster can also zip through the world to ambush enemies and slice them with a long, ethereal sword – it’s brilliant for taking out multiple foes. 

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Pyromancy is similar, albeit with a focus on flames with a bunch of ranged and localised effects. You can light enemies ablaze, zapping health from them as they burn alive. It looks incredibly cool, albeit a bit grim. Devastator is the final class, placing a focus on the earth’s physical properties to craft elemental armour and slam those around you into the ground with a pulp. 

Each occupation has a vast, uncompromising skill tree filled with unlockable skills and abilities, only a slither of which I saw during my playthrough. I imagine this is where the true depth of Outriders will rear its head, since firefights veer into the realm of repetition far quicker than I’d like. You follow the same rhythmic sequence of attacks to get the job done, filling rival mercenaries with bullets until they crumble.

It’s working alongside other players that brings each firefight to life. Watching as the abilities from each class combine to create a flurry of bloody fireworks is borderline euphoric, presenting a sense of dynamism you rarely see in the genre. Gone is the necessity for cowering behind cover, waiting to take potshots.

Firearms almost feel like an afterthought, but are varied enough that picking up new ones is a meaningful part of progression. Outrider’s loot system is solid, rewarding you with more armour components and equipment after each major conflict – although collecting them could be refined, since it’s currently difficult to determine the difference between ammunition and valuable drops on the field. 

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People Can Fly was quick to stress Outriders isn’t open-world; it will split missions across a variety of large, distinct areas. You’ll find checkpoints scattered throughout into which you can slam a flag, claiming the territory as a fast travel point for future adventures. I played through the same handful of missions with each class, having learned the opening area like the back of my hand.

In the full game you’ll likely do the same, recycling levels in the hope of landing better gear. This cycle has defined live-service games this generation, with each scenario being designed in a way that remains enthralling over multiple playthroughs. You’ll find yourself ploughing through them again and again in search of experience, loot and class upgrades. But remember, this isn’t a live service. 

Between missions you’ll return to a hub area, but during the opening hours it feels lifeless. There aren’t many characters with whom you can converse, and shopkeepers are devoid of personality, feeling little more than lifeless husks hurling upgrades at you in exchange for spare parts. It doesn’t feel like The Tower in Destiny or Anthem’s Fort Tarsis. While they aren’t without flaws, its inhabitants reacted to your existence, engaging in conversations and pushing the narrative forward in unexpected ways. 

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From my experience, Outriders has none of this. Ensuring its world and personality can capture the attention of players in a matter of minutes will be key to its success. The medium is packed with novel, engrossing shooters in which it’s well worth investing, and penetrating that arena shouldn’t be taken lightly.

LawBreakers and Battleborn are just a few casualties of such ambition, glancing up at giants and biting desperately at their knees. It takes something special to enter this fight and stay standing, and time will tell whether Outriders has what it takes. 

Outriders – First impressions

Outriders has an excellent grasp on what makes combat satisfying, giving players an endless array of tools to play with across increasingly chaotic firefights. It feels wonderful in motion, and bodes well for a rewarding shooter experience. Sadly, everything outside of it is underbaked and lacking in creativity. 

Its world, characters and overall tone have been done elsewhere multiple times, and from what I’ve seen so far, People Can Fly has failed to imbue the game with anything new. I zoned out of cutscenes, dismissed dialogue and waited impatiently before I was hurled into the next battle, since that’s all that really matters here. But this mindset shouldn’t be the case, and I hope that changes with the full game. 

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What is the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero?

For years, Turtle Beach has struck an excellent balance between churning out affordable gaming headsets and peripherals that cater to more demanding, high-end users across both PC and console. Considering this, the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero gaming headset is a commendable middle child for the iconic brand.

It offers plenty of appeal for both hardcore and casual players alike. Boasting a bunch of fascinating features, the only drawbacks for this gaming headset are its bulky build and unattractive design compared to rivals around a similar price. These qualms aside, I came away pretty impressed.

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Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero design – Head hugger

When I first unboxed the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero and held it in my hands, I was taken aback by its weight. Obviously, you won’t struggle to lift it, and nor does its weight impact overall comfort, but compared to other gaming headsets it possesses an unexpected heft. There’s plenty of excellent audio hardware packed into these cans, which might explain the reason it’s significantly heavier than most other peripherals in this space. 

The design itself is angular, with the headband extending with two lengths of magnetic plastic along the side of each ear cup. I found it unwieldy, having painfully pinched my fingers on the side while opening and closing the headset. It’s a bit of a nuisance you’ll learn to avoid after a few short sessions, but it’s worth mentioning. 

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Memory foam ear cups – which are removable for easy cleaning – and a superbly snug fit ensure the Elite Atlas Aero remains comfortable to wear for prolonged gaming. If you wear glasses then it will irritably dig into the sides of your head overtime, but there’s an adjustable strap here to amend this. 

Turtle Beach has even given this feature a fancy name in the form of the “ProSpecs Glasses Relief system.” It has the unnecessary bombass you’d expect from the brand, yet we can’t say no to extra comfort.  

Like most gaming headsets, you’ll find a variety of different wheels, buttons and inputs on the left cup with the purpose of adjusting volume, enabling Bluetooth connectivity and changing your audio preset on the fly. One button activates the “Superhuman Hearing” feature, although this is just fancy speak for enhancing the amplification of footsteps, gunfire and other audio elements.

If you take the right ear cup off you’ll find a small compartment for storing the USB dongle, making the act of taking this headset on the move a trivial affair, and leaving little chance of losing a small plug-in device in the process. 

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Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero audio – 3D audio and plenty of presets

While it manages to impress when it comes to comfort and overall design, how does the Elite Atlas Aero perform where it really matters? The answer is incredibly well; it nails audio quality, even at the high price. While playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, everything felt audibly distinct, increasing a sense of tension while distant explosions and deploying of UAVs painted a brilliant picture of the battlefield.

It sounds excellent without any additional bells and whistles, but Turtle Beach has a few tricks up its sleeve to help the Elite Atlas Aero stand out from the crowd. The first and most significant is Wave NX 3D Audio. While it’s presented as a headset for multiplayer gaming, those who prefer a solo campaign have this mode for more immersive, three-dimensional audio.

It aims to recreate real-world sounds in a virtual space, striving to make the audio profile of each game you play more realistic. It isn’t a world-changing marvel, but it’s a convincing effect that effectively enhances the brutality of certain sound effects. This can be used on any and all games; it’s all about finding a sweet spot that suites you.

Superhuman Hearing is another big feature for the Elite Atlas Aero. As its titile suggests, it allows you to focus in on certain sound effects so you can hear them from a large distance. Being able to hear heavy footsteps of oncoming soldiers gave me a huge advantage. It almost felt like cheating. This feature has been touted as something primarily for competitive shooters and other eSports adjacent titles such as DOTA 2 and Overwatch.

I found it to be a cool yet unusual feature, but as someone who spends most of her time playing single-player games, it isn’t something I’ll use often. When playing Catherine: Full Body and DOOM, it washes out the soundtrack and dialogue in some instances, diminishing the impact of scenes instead of adding to them. Superhuman Hearing isn’t the paradigm shift Turtle Beach claims it to be, but it’s welcome nonetheless.

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Should you buy the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero?

The asking price of £130 is steep for a gaming headset, but I feel the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero strikes an impressive middle-ground between mid- and high-range headsets on the market right now. It offers great audio, a solid design and plenty of features that help it stand out in some exciting ways.

The audio software presented by Turtle Beach is a little cumbersome, but it manages to get the job done and provide users with a few additional features to hone their audio experience. The Superhuman Hearing is particularly a big draw if you’re looking for an advantage in competitive multiplayer shooters.

Being usable on a number of different platforms is the cherry on top for a headset we’d happily recommend.

Verdict

The Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero is a top quality gaming headset, offering superb audio quality and a robust design. Its audio enhancement features are easily the biggest draw, especially for those playing competitive online multiplayer games who crave an advantage.

The high price and unattractive design will be sticking points for most, but this still remains one of the best gaming headset options currently available.

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