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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild only ever dwelled on the past in the form of bittersweet flashbacks. Moments in time where the Champions of Hyrule enjoyed time together, forming friendships before Calamity Canon plunged their homeland into oblivion. After a hundred years, Link awoke and ventured on a quest to defeat him. 

Koei Tecmo’s Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity expands upon Breath of the Wild’s past world and characters, acting as a canonical sequel taking place one hundred years before the masterful adventure. It isn’t the nuanced exploration of lore I was hoping for, but it remains an entertaining adventure with plenty of depth for hardcore fans. 

Being able to spend more time with the greatest iterations of Link, Zelda and company was an absolute joy, even if their jovial tales of gallantry were part of a wider narrative that didn’t have the profound impact I wanted. If you’re after a solid action game for the Nintendo Switch, oozing with Breath of the Wild fanservice, this is the perfect game to round out a year of fantastic releases. 

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Age of Calamity begins with Link acting as little more than a regular knight of Hyrule, having yet to earn the companionship of Princess Zelda. He earns her attention upon dispatching several hundred Bokoblins in the opening mission, proving that this androgynous blonde hero is far above the capabilities of his peers. Once the first round of battles conclude, it becomes clear that a greater threat awaits on the horizon. 

Together, Link and Princess embark on a pilgrimage to recruit the Champions of Hyrule. These four individuals are capable of piloting the Divine Beasts, four ancient structures that can fight back the darkness with an array of devastating weaponry. But bringing them onto your side isn’t easy, with each respective kingdom having their own problems to solve before they can help you. So, it’s time to get your hands dirty. 

If you aren’t familiar with Koei Tecmo’s work, it’s responsible for the Dynasty Warriors franchise and the plethora of licensed spin-offs. The studio is no stranger to huge, epic battles, and this expertise is reflected in the brilliance of Hyrule Warriors. This is a fast and satisfying combat experience with many playable characters, all of which sport their own distinct skills and abilities that are perfect for wiping out armies of baddies. 

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Your roster starts simple with Link, Zelda and a younger version of Impa taking the reins through the first handful of missions. They all play wonderfully, with move-sets differing just enough that switching between them feels like a necessity. Link is a swift and agile warrior, capable of dishing out plentiful sword strikes in a matter of moments. You can perform some epic combos with just a few commands, making you feel badass with little effort at all. 

Wielding the Sheikah Slate, Zelda is a somewhat more timid hero, but not one you should trifle with. The princess can hurl out a selection of different elements, combining them to stun enemies in a vulnerable state before unleashing a lethal sequence of special attacks. All characters are capable of achieving such maneuvers, but Zelda’s base abilities make them far easier to pull off. She’s also adorable as heck, and easily my favourite iteration of the character. 

You’ll come to unlock all Champions of Hyrule alongside a handful of other characters throughout the campaign, which is ripe with exhilarating set pieces across the Kingdom of Hyrule. The treacherous Yiga Clan is a mainstay throughout the campaign, having been instructed to disrupt the flow of time and end Zelda’s life before she has a chance to save Hyrule. 

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Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Age of Calamity is also home to a fair share of timey-wimey nonsense. The plot begins with an adorable miniature guardian travelling back in time, having witnessed the events that lead to the downfall of Hyrule. Since Breath of the Wild exists, it’s safe to assume that the poor thing isn’t successful in its mission. 

Despite this, the narrative is an enjoyable caper through Nintendo’s world, even if it’s never quite the expansive prequel for which I was hoping. Character interactions are all delightful, with cutscenes splicing the melancholic loneliness of Breath of the Wild with a welcome aura of playfulness. The Champions of Hyrule have always been viewed through splintered flashbacks, but now we can see them banter and befriend one another while trying to save the world. 

What you don’t receive is a more dramatic glimpse at the land of Hyrule prior to Calamity Ganon’s takeover, at least not until the campaign’s later stages. When the stakes become apparent, it’s a thrilling and suspenseful turn of events that I was smitten to see unfold, even if my heart was well and truly broken to see their characters succumb to their fate. Hardcore fans of the series will want to see all Age of Calamity has to offer, and for good reason. 

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Missions are very similar to those in Dynasty Warriors. You’ll sprint across a large map filled with different enemy outposts, which can be infiltrated and claimed by wiping out a selection of powerful enemies. Once taken, foes will become less common across the battlefield, making it easier to tackle the main objectives, which often involve wiping out major opponents or protecting allies as they carry out their own tasks that are also key to victory. 

Combat is inherently repetitive, a flaw that fans of the Musou genre have come to accept in the decades since its inception. The variety comes from willingly changing characters and adopting weapons outside of your vanilla loadout. I did this constantly, which made slicing through endless swarms of repetitive foes far easier to swallow. Side missions also offer more diverse objectives, acting as short bursts of action and a perfect way to level up your characters. 

A vast map of Hyrule acts as your central hub area, with the landmass becoming littered with an endless array of icons ranging from unlockable shopkeepers to optional quests. As a rampant completionist, I wanted to accomplish all of them before embarking on each new chapter of the story. Some are simple skirmishes, while others require you to gather an assortment of ingredients to unlock NPC merchants or new combos and health upgrades. 

It’s a fun way to expand the Hyrule Warriors experience, adding light RPG elements to a battle system that doesn’t really offer many surprises. They balance one another out, providing the campaign with a welcome sense of pacing that makes each new story quest a warm blanket to wrap yourself in. 

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Customisation of your characters is rather extensive, but the fashionasta in me would have loved more optional outfits for all of the characters, which is sadly absent. You’ll spend most your time toying with weapon upgrades and combo systems, although it’s certainly possible that such aesthetic additions will come in the form of downloadable content. The original Hyrule Warriors was awash with such options and so, so many playable characters. Age of Calamity feels somewhat tame by comparison, likely a consequence of it existing within a singular game’s world.

Verdict

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an enjoyable action romp and a worthwhile expansion of the Breath of the Wild universe. Those hoping for a deep narrative expansion of the universe will be underwhelmed, but being able to spend more time with these wonderful characters is more than enough to leave you satisfied.

The repetitious combat is remedied by a vast roster of characters and generous upgrade system, which helps each battle feel more rewarding and satisfying than the last. Breath of the Wild 2 is likely still years away, so this is a welcome distraction until then.

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Editor’s Note: Our full verdict of Destiny 2: Beyond Light will be coming once we have tested the new raid upon its arrival in the coming days. For now, read on for our review-in-progress. 

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is the latest major expansion for Bungie’s acclaimed loot shooter. It aims to bring the story forward and take the franchise into a bold new narrative with warring factions that could give even the greatest sci-fi franchises a run for their money. 

Beyond Light reworks rather than rethinks the core Destiny experience. You’ll once again experience a loot shooter with a vast selection of open planets to explore. Upon them you’ll participate in a variety of standard missions, strikes and patrols either on your lonesome or with a fireteam of other Guardians. In the process you’ll earn gear for enhancing your character’s overall power and light level.

So far so familiar? Generally I’d agree. But after a week with Beyond Light I am pleased to confirm it appears to be fixing one of the franchise’s biggest flaws: its lacklustre and oftentimes nonsensical approach to narrative. Since the first Destiny rolled out, one common criticism has always been its nonsense story. To help newbies to the franchise, the cliff notes of the story so far is that you take the role of a Guardian – ancient warriors who protect the last remnants of humanity after a cataclysmic event that nearly rendered it extinct.

Guardians can blast through enemies with an arsenal of futuristic weapons, while also using special powers granted to them by a mysterious entity known as The Traveller. This strange being sacrificed itself during the great battle to save what was left of the human race. Beyond this initial foundation and a few standalone stories with each new expansion, the core narrative crux of Destiny remains featherlight.

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Narrative highlights have included dropping hints about the Guardian’s not being as good as first thought and expertly tugging at our heartstrings with one of the series most beloved characters biting the dust in spectacular fashion.

Beyond this, the story has remained enraptured by its own mythology, sacrificing cohesion as a consequence. Each new expansion follows the same tired cycle. A new big bad appears and threatens to destroy the galaxy, and it’s your job to take him down before restoring Destiny’s world to the status quo.

What’s kept it going instead has been its satisfying shooting and looting mechanics which offer a true incentive to keep playing on a regular basis, and fans have certainly stuck around. Beyond Light aims to fix these shortcomings by offering a narrative that expands on the overall lore and has a tangible impact on its world. It seems Destiny is finally going to start taking its universe more seriously.

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Beyond Light begins following the Season of Arrival’s conclusion. We’ll be light on spoilers where possible, but it hinted at the arrival of a new hostile force known as The Darkness. Details are still hazy, but it seems to be an evil form of The Traveller, capable of imbuing Guardians with powers that are far more sinister than anything we’ve seen before.

The campaign missions see a number of returning faces take the stage and revolves around how the Guardians and various other factions react to the new player on the scene. Specifically, it sees you team up with Variks, an alien villain from earlier in the story as he tries to stop Eris from “destroying his people” in her attempts to harness the darkness. This means the majority of Beyond Light pans out on Europa, one of Jupiter’s frozen moons.

Upon first glance the story follows the same format as past expansions, but throughout the missions it feels like there’s more weight to the proceedings. Each story interaction you have with the characters offers significantly more backstory than past campaigns and every character is better rounded, featuring a moral compass that is refreshingly ambiguous.

Even Eris, the main villain, feels partially justified given the events of her past. This depth means that for the first time since I reviewed the original Destiny, I felt a tinge of emotional connection with the main story. Segments with The Darkness, where the first game’s mysterious Exo Stranger, Eris Morn and The Drifter help teach you how to harness its power are particularly entertaining, especially as the final abilities you unlock are so much fun to use during the campaign.

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Beyond Light introduces Destiny’s first Darkness subclasses. Specifically it unlocks new “Stasis” abilities. These are new ice themed special attacks that focus on freezing and breaking enemies. On a Warlock, for example, it lets you summon a Stasis staff that shoots orbs of frozen energy at enemies and then enact attacks to crack them, causing huge damage in the process. The grenade ability is also awesome, letting you throw a snowball to freeze enemies or create wall barriers.

The impact of the story isn’t just reflected in the main campaign, it also trickles through to the endgame and multiplayer elements, with Destiny having cut access to several previous locations and quests from other seasons. This makes it the first new chapter to feel like the start of something epic and a new foundation for Destiny to build upon.

Sadly, there are some serious issues to contend with in the campaign. The biggest is the sheer amount of content Bungie has cut. Numerous raids, strikes, bits of kit, missions and exotics have all disappeared from the sandbox. Other key hubs and stores are also gone, including the Black Armory Forges.

The culling would be fine if there was enough new content to replace them, but as it stands, this feels very much like a reset that’ll be built on with the next two content drops in Beyond Light’s roadmap.

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This makes the endgame grind all the more difficult. Gear and weapons on offer have been diminished to the point that the selection feels incredibly limited. Crucible has enough maps to keep you entertained, but the new Stasis abilities feel overpowered, as do some of the new exotics and general gear, making it a lot less fun to play.

A lack of any significant new modes also feels a little harsh. You’ll be stuck with Rumble, Control, Clash and Elimination options, just like the last season. Gambit, my previous favourite mode has also been left untouched, making it feel like an afterthought. Such changes makes unlocking “legacy” gear and new modifiers for the Stasis classes, two of a select few endgame objectives worth pursuing, feel like a chore as well.

Legacy exotics from previous seasons can still be forged at a terminal in the Tower hub, if you have the necessary parts which unfortunately need to be collected by grinding the few missions and strikes still on offer repeatedly. Hopefully the Deep Stone Crypt raid, which is set to launch on November 21 will go some way towards fixing this, but until then the Beyond Light campaign feels a little too empty for my liking, even though it has set some amazing new foundations for the franchise.

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Destiny 2: Beyond Light early verdict

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is a pivotal release for the franchise that aims to take the narrative and universe in a bold, darker direction.

Beyond Light oozes potential and I can’t wait to see how Bungie develops the narrative it has started. But, by cutting so much legacy content and failing to replace it, the endgame feels shallow and is already starting to feel a little too repetitive for my liking. Bungie also has brought some balancing issues into the game’s PVP modes with the new Stasis subclasses which need addressing sooner rather than later.

Hopefully these two key issues will be addressed with fresh content drops and patches in the near future. If not, then Beyond Light’s long-term appeal will be severely diminished.

The post Destiny 2: Beyond Light review in-progress appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

The path forward is seemingly insurmountable. Crimson-eyed gargoyles leap off ancient statues and wave their swords towards me, while the bloody swamps below are home to horrific abominations who can only cry out in agony, begging for a wayward adventurer to end their misery. Demon’s Souls is an exercise in morbid attrition, but the rewards that await those who persevere are unparalleled. 

First released in 2009, FromSoftware’s action RPG was infinitely ahead of its time, the core mechanics going on to inspire an entire generation of imitators, alongside a slew of classics from the studio that spawned Demon’s Souls. Now, a remake has surfaced courtesy of Bluepoint Games, as a marque launch title for the PS5. It’s a strikingly authentic retread of the beloved classic, and cements it further as a confident masterpiece. 

Given the impact it’s had on the medium, it’s fitting that Demon’s Souls would return to usher in a new era of gaming, showcasing a beautiful combination of unforgiving combat and engrossing exploration that morphs every passing second into a curious journey into another world. It’s hauntingly inviting, pulling you further into its masochistic cycle of defeat with each passing battle. Bluepoint Games has outdone itself here, setting a new standard for remakes and much, much more. 

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Demon’s Souls follows an untimely soul as they venture through the Kingdom of Boletaria. Plunged into darkness by an ancient demon known as The Old One, this is a world where the embers of hope have long been snuffed out. Darkness and pestilence are bursting from the seams, as deadly monsters prowl every corner, waiting to eliminate those who don’t dare convene to their own twisted ways. You never feel safe, eternally cautious of what awaits around every corner. 

Upon making a character, the player is thrust into this world and left to fend for themselves. You’re weak, soulless and initially incapable of survival. This is a game where you will die, and die often – but it’s this constant failure that pushes you onward. Before exploring the variety of realms amidst Boletaria, you’ll find brief comfort in The Nexus. Acting as your hub area, this is a melancholic bastion of solitude, where anxious souls band together to ride out the apocalypse. 

The characters all have conflicting ideologies and views of the world, their personal stories intertwining with one another, as they dish out subtle lines of dialogue that tease exactly what brought such an illustrious kingdom to its knees. Nothing is ever stated explicitly, leaving you to linger on the periphery to analyse every minute detail. Stockpile Thomas left his wife and daughter to die at the hands of demons, while The Maiden of Fate sits idly worshipping a god whose own falsehoods are yet to be unveiled. 

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Such micro-narratives reinforce the overall tone of Demon’s Souls; both that and the atmosphere remain untouched when compared to the original. If anything it feels stronger, a greater level of visual fidelity allowing Boleteria to shine like never before. Despite its grotesque nature, Boleteria is a bleak, beautiful locale brimming with imagination. Hidetaka Miyazaki’s interpretation of fantasy remains unmatched, and his original vision is respected and expanded upon here in myriad ways. 

New faces will join The Nexus as you rescue them out in the world. Priests, knights and thieves will linger in the gospel halls, offering their wares to you in exchange for a few souls. Proceed with caution, since allowing the wrong individuals to mingle could result in an untimely demise for some. It feels like these people exist without your presence, dealing with their inner demons as you seek to relinquish Boleteria from its own monstrous clutches. Before you’ve even swung a sword, Demon’s Souls is downright enrapturing. 

The Nexus features a selection of Archstones, which teleport you to Demon’s Souls’ variety of levels. Ancient castles, poisonous swamps and claustrophobic mines are just a few of the locations you’ll attempt to conquer throughout the lengthy campaign, all of which present their own demented conveyor belt of challenges. I welcomed this journey, even if my hesitance was obvious through sweaty palms and a racing heartbeat in my chest. 

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Combat in Demon’s Souls is a matter of deliberacy. It’s challenging, but never unfair. It’s simply strict, expecting you to memorise the movesets of each enemy and take them on one by one. Each encounter is a perilous duel, with even the lowliest dregs of Boletaria capable of striking you down if carelessness happens to surface. 

This meant I was always on my guard, shield risen in areas I had conquered again and again in fear that my resolve would slip. Growing from a terrifying newcomer to a bold warrior upon mastering a stage brings with it an unparalleled sense of satisfaction. You feel genuinely triumphant, like you’ve ascended a mountain and claimed the peak as your own. 

However, each such achievement comes with the realisation that a higher summit awaits, watching over you with a hostile, unwavering gaze. So, I returned to spend my souls at The Nexus and prepared for yet another ruthless breach into the unknown. Much like Dark Souls, each fallen foe rewards you with souls that can be used to level up, purchase items and upgrade equipment. 

Fall in battle and you’ll drop your souls. Fail to receive them and die again, and they’re gone forever. This balance of risk and reward has been translated into countless games since the debut of Demon’s Souls, but nobody does it quite like the original. Here, it’s a wondrous mechanic that reinforces the need to explore and push beyond your own boundaries. 

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I lost 25,000 souls in the Swamp of Sorrows and felt they were lost forever – but perseverance allowed me to march forward and claim them once again. The elated feeling that accompanied such a feat was immeasurable, even if it was little more than a small piece of the wider puzzles I had spent dozens of hours solving. 

Demon’s Souls is filled with such moments, instances where your own personal story of triumph and loss is formed before your very eyes. The freedom given to your character and the range of disciplines you can adopt simply by speccing in a certain way only adds to this idea of building your own legacy. You’ll select a starting class in the opening moments, but this is merely a vague blueprint. 

I began as a knight, but by the end I was a light-footed rogue with a selection of shortswords and spells at my disposal. I could hold my own in battle against daunting adversaries, but I could also roll away in defeat if things proved too overwhelming. Even though its fights are brutal gauntlets of aggression, the ability to adapt to each new situation means you never feel hopeless, even if the world around you is drenched in sorrowful apathy. 

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Bluepoint Games has crafted a visual treat in Demon’s Souls. It’s one of the finest-looking games I’ve ever seen, with each creature, surface and character awash with untold detail. You can feel the anguished emotion of the faces of friends in The Nexus as they reveal their tales of plight, or the sneers of contempt from shopkeepers as you walk away without buying a thing. 

You can enjoy Demon’s Souls in modes that prioritise either graphical fidelity or performance. The former is stunning and runs at a decent frame rate, but I spent 99% of my time with the performance mode purely because it felt so much smoother to play. Combat encounters require razor-sharp reflexes, and it’s far harder to perform parries with fewer frames on-screen. It’s a small sacrifice to make – because Boleteria is enchanting, regardless of which you opt for. 

Those hoping for the RPG to make creative use of the DualSense might feel somewhat disappointed, as the act of swinging axes and deflecting blows with your shield is seldom reflected in the haptic feedback or adaptive triggers. Contextual moments such as the soaring of dragons overhead or the pouring of lava into an abandoned mineshaft are conveyed with more than enough impact, but it isn’t the show-stealer I expected going in. 

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Verdict

Demon’s Souls is a triumphant remake from Bluepoint Games, introducing the original masterpiece to a whole new generation of players with astonishing results. It’s an unparalleled showcase for the PS5, and easily one of the finest launch games the medium has ever seen. 

This uncompromising pilgrimage into the Kingdom of Boletaria won’t be for everyone. It’s incredibly harsh, unforgiving at every turn as you stumble into otherworldly monstrosities who want nothing more than to witness your demise. 

But such barriers are worth overcoming, since beyond them is one of the finest RPGs I’ve played in years – and one you need to experience. It more than lives up to the lofty legacy of its progenitor, proudly taking its place alongside the likes of Dark Souls and Bloodborne as one of the genre’s all-time greats. 

The post Demon's Souls Review: A masterful remake of an RPG classic appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Dirt 5 has found itself to be the sole racer in the next-gen lineup for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, with the genre renowned for showcasing the graphical horsepower of new consoles.

From Ridge Racer on the PS1 to Forza Motorsport 5 on Xbox One, racers have historically taken advantage of new hardware by introduce jaw-dropping features such as 3D graphics and photorealistic visuals. 

In a similar vein, Dirt 5 has become the first racer to introduce variable refresh rates to consoles, allowing you to whack the frame rate up to a dizzying 120fps if you own the compatible hardware. This means visuals appear significantly smoother when speeding around a tight bend or racing with several other vehicles on one screen.

However, with Codemasters opting for a cartoonish visual aesthetic over the realistic graphics typically found with racers, it may not be the spectacular showcase that prospective PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S fans were hoping for. 

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I was able to play through Dirt 5 in its entirety on Xbox Series S, using the Xbox One S as a comparison for the generational leap. I can confirm there’s a substantial improvement between the two consoles, with the Series S seeing brightly coloured environments afforded more vibrancy and the muddy roads displaying finer detail. But do these improvements boast the wow factor as Forza Motorsport 5 did when debuting on the Xbox One? Not really. 

That’s not to say that Dirt 5 looks bad. In fact, on both consoles I was impressed by the finer details. Mud will flick up off the road as you spin your wheels through the jungle tracks, while the neon lights are reflected back into the glassy white ice road of the New York track, both resulting in stunning visual effects. 

Codemasters has also done some stunning work on the background scenery, with Nepal giving you the towering Himalayas to ogle, while driving through the Norway tracks at night can see the gorgeous Aurora Borealis illuminate the road. Such sights are such good eye candy that I’ve often been distracted for a second too long and ended up crashing into the back of rivals.

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But it’s the unnaturally colourful style of Dirt 5 that makes such sights stand out rather than the realistic graphical fidelity. Nobody will be walking into the living room and mistaking Dirt 5 as a real-life Motorsport Rally. This arguably emphasises the game’s playful nature, as Codemasters focuses on providing accessible fun rather than simulating a realistic rally experience. 

The one area that next-gen hardware has done wonders for Dirt 5 is the performance. On Xbox One S, the majority of races began with jittery visuals as the console struggled to maintain a stable frame rate. The performance soon evens out, but taking a corner too quickly or filling the screen with one too many cars will quickly see jarring performance issues rear their head. 

Codemasters fortunately offers an optional ‘Performance Mode’ which resolves this issue, but consequently reduces the graphical quality and removes the likes of crowds for a less immersive experience. 

On the Xbox Series S, I was able to maintain a stable 60fps performance, while retaining all of the lovely visual features that immersed me in the action. What’s more, Dirt 5 offers a 120hz mode on next-gen consoles that pushes the frame rate performance even higher, provided you have a compatible display. I personally didn’t notice much of a difference from the standard modes, and so preferred to prioritise visuals over performance, but it’s still a very welcome feature for racing purists who simply refuse to compete at 60Hz. 

Focus solely on the next-gen upgrades though, and you’ll likely come away disappointed by Dirt 5 – this isn’t the graphics showcase you were hoping for. It can’t be faulted for its exhilarating off-road racing though. 

While hardcore racing simulators focus ardently on perfecting corners and memorising race courses, Dirt 5 is all about tackling off-road terrains. Mud will reduce the traction of your wheels, ice will cause you to skid wayward and snow will slow you down significantly. Learning how to deal with each terrain is a fun challenge in itself, and helps each track to feel memorably unique. 

Codemasters has even been able to tweak the Xbox controller’s vibration so each terrain type feels recognisably different, with rocky roads causing a continuous rumble and muddy slopes triggering a low-key judder. The fantastic sound effects contribute even further to this immersion, from the loud roar of engines to the high-pitched whoops from the crowd.

And then we have the dynamic weather effects, which not only look impressive but also act as their own obstacles. The sandstorms in Morocco will reduce visibility drastically, while a sudden rainstorm can turn dirt tracks to muddy streams, forcing you to adapt between laps. Some courses also feature a day and night cycle, making it gradually darker until you’re engulfed in darkness with only infrequent lightning flashes providing a good look at the upcoming bends.

Starter courses will generally only test you with one type of terrain, but as you progress you’ll soon face a mixture of sand, mud and gravel on a single stretch of road, with dynamic weather adding an additional spin. Dirt 5 does an excellent job of easing newcomers into the world of rally racing, with the Career mode seeing a very gentle difficulty curve. 

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I do however feel the career mode does a lacklustre job of giving you an incentive to win, as you only need to cross the finishing line in order to unlock the next course. You do at least need to earn stamps in order to progress past certain roadblocks – with a first-place finish earning you three stamps, and second-place finishes rewarding you with two etc – but I managed to see the credits roll after acquiring just 133 stamps out of a possible 375. This makes completing the game a fairly easy task on forgiving difficulties, although it still provides a suitable challenge for completionists. 

Dirt 5 also features an overarching story that’s supposed to act as the driving force of the Career mode, with voice actor Nolan North taking on the role as rival driver Bruno Durand. Unfortunately, I encountered an audio glitch early on that muted all of the voice overs and music in the main menu, and so I was limited to pop-up subtitles for the entirety of the narrative. I didn’t miss much judging by these subtitles, as the dialogue was riddled with even more clichés and cringey taunts than what you’d find in a Fast & Furious movie. 

The technical hiccup is still a major concern, as the only way I could remedy it was to start a new game, with console restarts doing nothing to resolve the issue. The actual races themselves usually loaded the audio and sound effects without a hitch, and so didn’t adversely impact the interactive segments, but the absence of music meant navigating the menus in silence was a rather awkward experience.

Dirt 5 features many other modes outside of Career, including Arcade where you get to pick out any of the preset tracks for your own custom races, and a Time Travel mode where you can compete with your own records. Split-screen multiplayer also allows you to play all of these single-player offerings with a friend, including the career mode. There’s so much replayability here that I really doubt anymore will grow bored of Dirt 5 quickly. 

You can also race against players online if you want to really test your skills, but my favourite online feature was Playgrounds, which allows you to build new race courses from scratch, or play courses designed from other players around the world. So far I’ve been able to race through a variety of wacky courses, including one that’s essentially the Rally Driver equivalent to Alton Towers. If enough players are willing to show off their creativity, I believe it’s here where Dirt 5 will offer the best long-term value. 

Verdict

Dirt 5 isn’t the next-gen technical showcase you were probably hoping for, but its excellent off-road tracks are an absolute delight to race on while superb modes such as Arcade, Playgrounds and Online/Offline multiplayer should provide enough gas in the tank for numerous revisits. 

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Bugsnax is certainly a surreal way to christen the arrival of PS5, whisking players away to a strange yet whimsical world where your favourite snacks have been transformed into adorable bugs complete with googly eyes and an attitude. 

You play as a reporter who finds themselves travelling to Snaktooth Island in search of disgraced explorer Elizabert Megafig. Upon arriving at the unusual landmass you lose control of your boat and find no way to return home. So, the only option is to start exploring and begin piecing together mystery that surrounds this mysterious land. 

After taking a few curious steps, I stumbled upon a fuzzy creature in the throes of unconsciousness, mumbling that he needs to munch on a Bugsnax if he has any hopes of survival. He handed me a trap and sent me on the way, and within a matter of moments I had set the contraption up to catch my very first Bugsnax. 

With an anthropomorphic strawberry in tow, I hurried over to Filbo (that’s the unconscious fellow) and stuffed it right into his awaiting maw. To my horror, seconds after ingesting the Bugsnax a fruit sprouts from his arm, the organic material of the alien creature replacing his very own. 

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He sounds delighted, craving more before handing over another gadget I can use to gather the unusual animals. In over my head, I simply agreed and went about gathering even more Bugsnax. But now I had a camera, and with the press of a button I could scan the environment to learn about the weaknesses of each creature, learning exactly how I could go about catching them. 

After completing another handful of tasks, Filbo is up on his feet and we’re on our way to the town of Snaxburg. Previously a hub for Grumpuses and Bugsnax alike, this adorable little town has been left to rot following the aftermath of a horrible disaster. Filbo is predictably tight-lipped about everything, so it’s my job to find the missing inhabitants and bring them back into the fold. 

This is where the true Bugsnax experience begins, and you’re given free reign to explore Snaktooth Island in search of new friends, new bugs and new clues as to what happened with Elizabert Megafig. The island is split into multiple different areas, each of which houses its own climate and selection of Bugsnax to be caught and befriended. 

Related: Miles Morales Review 

Each new stage also has characters you can interact with, each with their own playful personalities that are on full display as you complete objectives that will slowly tempt them back into the arms of Snaxburg. Beffica Winklesnoot is a bossy girl who immediately labels you as “her bestie” while trying to conjure up gossip on fellow townspeople. 

Gramble Gigglefunny refuses to eat Bugsnax, instead choosing to adopt them and keep them in the town’s makeshift barn. This inevitably leads to some messy confrontations. You will also help mend broken relationships, with the absurd names and appearances of Snaxburg giving way to some genuinely human stories of connection. 

You will occasionally gather around the campfire alongside all of the fellow townspeople in sequences that push the core narrative forward, offering ample opportunities for them to interact, showcasing equal measures of conflict and resolution. Something awful drove these people apart, and slowly but surely helping them come back together is genuinely heart warming. 

But Bugsnax also makes it clear that relationships are never perfect, and you’ll sometimes have to live with the consequences of your actions. Outside of the great story and evolving hub area, Young Horses has created an engaging experience that feels like an unorthodox mixture of Ape Escape and Animal Crossing. 

Related: DualSense Review

The core premise of each area is to discover its selection of Bugsnax and the way in which they exist within the established ecosystem. Many creatures will interact with one another, either in fear or curiosity while stumbling around making a mixture of charming noises. I’ll never get over how awesome the Borgar is, bounding around like an excitable puppy – except he’s a burger. 

You’ll often need to force different Bugsnax to interact in order to catch them, such as forcing a Jalapeno Scorpion to light Popcorn Bugs on fire, causing them to explode into corn and right into my grasp. Angrier Bugsnax can be lured into more timid ones, knocking them unconscious for a few precious seconds, which is just long enough to scoop them up with a net. 

Once you’ve figured out the routine of each Bugsnax, catching them is rather trivial. You’ll often need to discover their favourite sauce from a selection of ketchup, chocolate, hot sauce or peanut butter and spread it throughout the environment, hoping they’ll walk into your trap without noticing a thing. 

Some capture techniques are far more complicated, requiring you to combine several different skills and gadgets alongside a keen sense of timing. Speaking of gadgets, each new stage will introduce a number of trinkets which are perfect for capturing Bugsnax. It’s a shame that the trial-and-error nature of capturing certain bugs can prove frustrating, since it’s often a matter of physics system playing nice instead of relying on your own skills. 

Related: Cyberpunk 2077 

A launchpad allows traps to be fired into the air, allowing for some aerial captures which are exhilarating to pull off. Hookshots and Suction cup launchers are a few other examples of tools which will join your arsenal across the campaign, all of which gel wonderfully with the basic fundamentals of capturing Bugsnax. My personal favourite is a strawberry housed in a hamster ball, who can be encouraged through obstacles with the help of a laser pointer. 

Given you’re a journalist, back in Snaxburg you can interview each new occupant about who they are, what they do and whether or not they know anything about the disappearance of our intrepid explorer. These will often lead to valuable clues and additional side missions, which help flesh out the engaging narrative.

You’re also provided with an excuse to revisit old areas with new gadgets, opening gateways to plentiful secret areas. While the core campaign isn’t especially long, it provided more than enough standout moments to leave me feeling satisfied. Filling out my journey will all the Bugsnax facts was also a joy, something I felt compelled to do despite the minimal rewards.

Related: Astro’s Playroom Review 

Bugsnax has a sweet queer relationship at its core, which is treated as normality even in the absurd world it exists within. This is the sort of representation I love to see, instead of it being parading around like a rare exception, it’s simply how things are. Interacting with its characters is where Bugsnax truly shines, even if the act of capturing its obscene cast of creatures is beautifully enjoyable in itself, this is game with surprising amounts of heart.

Young Horses also makes creative yet minimal use of the DualSense controller on PS5. The haptic feedback vibration reacts each time you break into a sprint, while the act of snapping pictures with your camera is relayed through a sudden sense of pressure in the adaptive triggers. It’s small implementations that make the overall journey far more immersive, which I hope becomes commonplace as we move into the new generation.

Verdict

Bugsnax is a strange, satisfying and utterly engrossing journey into another world – one that is never afraid to embrace its stranger side even if it means leaving your mouth agape in amazed confusion.

While the act of capturing and eating Bugsnax is a frequent delight, the finer qualities of Young Horses’ latest outing comes in its story and characters. Underneath the otherworldly designs sits a beating heart of close-knit relationships and relatable issues I found myself growing immeasurably fond of.

The post Bugsnax Review appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

The PlayStation 5 is almost here, and the DualSense controller is what truly sets it apart from the competition.

It’s a peripheral that feels like a meaningful step forward, that adds a whole new level of immersion to gaming sessions. Here’s how.

DualSense builds upon the fundamental design ethos of the DualShock 4, while expanding upon it with some unorthodox changes to the colour scheme and enhancements to its overall feature set. This means the touchpad, speaker and share functions have become more established elements of the blueprint, instead of existing as hesitant outsiders. 

The combined package makes the DualSense feel like a key release that pushes the medium forward, and a huge differentiator for the console, compared the relatively familiar new Xbox controller.

Related: Best PS5 Games 

Design – An unexpected departure that remains drenched in familiar elements

Picking up the new controller, I was taken aback by its weight. The majority of console controllers developed by Sony have been on the slim side, a consequence of the plastic materials used to put them together. PS5 bucks this trend with a peripheral that feels impactful in your palms, proving before you’ve even pressed a button that it will be capable of incredible things. 

Its colour scheme follows the same two-tone approach as the console, with the body consisting of two plastics with varying thickness. Black can be found towards the bottom, stretching across the thumbsticks, home and mute buttons. It’s softer to touch, giving way to the raised white which dominates most of the controller’s body. 

The remaining plastic is much smoother, with the controller’s back supporting a texture which makes for a comfortable grip in the hands. Unfortunately such whiteness means the DualSense is easily susceptible to visible scuffs and marks which were previously disguised by the black paint job of old models.

I had to be careful when placing it on tables and other flat surfaces, knowing that letting it slide across virtually anything would result in some unsightly scars. This feels like a weird mistake for Sony to make, and will likely make the inevitable controller variants and limited editions a worthwhile investment.

Related: PS5 vs Xbox Series X 

The DualSense features a headphone jack alongside a USB-C port for charging the controller, which is far faster than previous methods used by the DualShock 4. In terms of buttons and inputs, things remain largely unchanged, although the iconography of the share and option buttons have been changed to a selection of lines, but it’s still simple enough to tell them apart thanks to how they’re positioned. 

Performance – A solid improvement over the DualShock 4 with plenty of surprises

I will admit it is downright bizarre to see the square, circle, triangle and cross buttons now adorned in grey instead of the quartet of colours that have defined them for over 25 years. Once I managed to escape my own nostalgic misgivings, I was quickly smitten with the new aesthetic. The buttons are raised high above the plastic body, meaning each push feels satisfying and responsive, though they still use membrane switches. 

Travelling between them is also excellent, which should make the DualSense ideal for precise platformers and fighting games. The thumbsticks are also textured with a much higher quality of rubber. The outer rings sporting a texture which prevents your fingers from slipping throughout more hectic gaming sessions. It feels like it will wear away far slower than previous controllers, which was a regular issue for consumers with the DualShock 4. 

DualSense really comes into its own once you experiment with the triggers. Sporting the same concave design as its predecessor, they are hiding some revolutionary technology that transforms how you approach contextual actions in a variety of different games. Sony has implemented haptic feedback into rumble alongside adaptive triggers which can realistically reflect the performance of actions in reality. 

Related: Best Gaming Controller 

In Astro’s Playroom, you will need to hold down the trigger to activate a spring, or pull an object and feel the pressure mount up in your fingers before an explosion of relief hits you. Controlling a robot monkey, you must tilt the controller while holding the triggers to cling onto precarious cliffs, with the feeling in the adaptive triggers changing as you move closer and closer to your goal. Rockets of a miniature ship will blast against your digits as they’re ignited, or a toy minigun’s constant rotation can deliver a similar level of impact.

A similar sense of magic can be felt in the DualSense’s vastly improved vibration motors, which can be engineered to once again mimic the actions on screen right into the palm of your hands. Gusts of wind pushing back against Astro Bot are reflected in the controller’s vibrations, as are individual drops of rain as they gently hit against your cutesy umbrella. It’s nothing like I’ve ever felt in gaming before, and there’s so many possibilities to be explored. 

Astro’s Playroom is undoubtedly the most complete showcase of the DualSense’s potential, but it’s also briefly explored in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition. While swinging through Manhattan as the web-head, you only need to apply a light touch to the triggers to unleash a strand of web, or press down harder to enhance the momentum being placed into each individual movement. Nero’s sword in Devil May Cry can be revved up like a motorcycle, emulating the feeling of a miniature engine at your fingertips. It’s rad as heck. 

Related: Demon’s Souls Remake 

DualSense also has a microphone which can be activated with the touch of a button if you don’t fancy Sony hearing everything you have to say. It seems to be limited at a system level right now, but should come in handy when partaking in online multiplayer or using the voice search function on certain applications. It’s used in Astro’s Playroom as a nifty platforming mechanic, where you are asked to blow into the microphone to mimic the blowing of wind. This is used a handful of times to excellent effect as you avoid obstacles and activate an assortment of wild contraptions.

Battery life for the DualSense is a profound improvement, with my testing resulting in a total time of 13 hours and 11 minutes before it switched off and required a charge. Your own personal mileage will likely vary depending on the games and applications being used, but it’s hard to deny how much better this is when compared to the DualShock 4.

Verdict – Should you buy the DualSense Controller?

It’s rare that the most enthralling aspect of a new console is its controller, but that’s exactly the case with PS5 and the DualSense. It’s a stunning peripheral, and one which introduces features we’ve simply never seen executed like this before.

Adaptive triggers and haptic feedback introduce a newfound level of immersion, and while I’ve only seen it in a few games, it has the potential to be something really special. One of the only downsides is the white colour scheme, which is simply begging to be adorned with all sorts of irritating marks.

Such a grievance is easy to forgive, and one that will likely be addressed in future models anyway. Beyond this the build quality, battery life and general selection of capabilities is far beyond any PlayStation controller before it, and a solid step forward for the medium in its own right.

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