But is the newly-minted EA FC 24 more than just a name change and roster update? Well, having laid our hands on the pre-beta build of EA FC 24 and later, the closed beta build of the same game, it is. Thanks to the good folks at EA Sports, we were recently in Sydney for the franchise’s special showcase which allowed us access to EA FC 24 and FC Mobile producers.

If you’ve seen many of EAFC’s promotional materials, you would instantly realize the theme of triangles. According to EAFC24 Senior Producer Samuel Rivera, the three key elements which separate EA FC 24 from its predecessors are the Volumetric Capture, Opta Analytics which influences individual players’ playstyle and the enhanced Frostbite Engine.

Enough with the big words. What do these bombastic terms mean for players, then?

As a package, each of these elements work together to present a distinct EA FC 24 experience for those who have grown accustomed to FIFA23.  In EA FC 24, each of the eleven players under your control feels unique from one another which will drastically change how you approach the game. Sure, in the past some superstar players feel a little overpowered but now with a wider variety when it comes to the in-game player’s traits, 1v1s on the field feel less lopsided compared to the past.

“We started testing this (Volumetric Capture) in 2018 but the technology, console and of course artificial intelligence weren’t ready,” said Rivera.

Those coming straight from FIFA23 would instantly feel the game pace in EA FC 24 to be slightly slower and more methodical than the game it is replacing. While it isn’t intentional according to Rivera, he suggests that the game now feels more authentic as each player’s characteristics reflect real life.

It’s In The Game?

Based on the closed event as well as the Closed Beta build which we have gotten our hands-on, the varying styles of player gait make a whole lot of difference when executed properly. For example with Liverpool, Luis Diaz’s smaller strides make him brilliant in changing directions on the fly in the wing while with Cody Gakpo, you can easily leave the defenders in the dust with a quick change of pace.

Opta Anaytics now plays a larger role too on how certain players can impact the game on the fly. With player traits based on their real-life statistics from the most recently completed season, one can expect to make a defence-splitting through ball with Kevin de Bruyne which is otherwise impossible to pull off with Fred, for example.

With sliding tackles, defenders now have a higher chance of retaining the ball instead of seeing it roll away as frequently experienced in FIFA23. As a result, the controversial auto-tackling feature has somewhat benefited from the Volumetric Capture too. Larger but slower defenders now have a fighting chance against smaller yet nimbler wingers who have always tormented them in previous games. Dribbling past defenders now require a more precise run and one of the most effective approaches to capitalize on these new mechanics introduced in EA FC 24 would be to bait defenders into making the first tackle.

We also spoke to Producer on FC Mobile, Timo Mueller who promised a new approach in shooting the ball when using touchscreen controls. By quickly flicking their finger across the screen, players are able to execute the Power Shot feature which is synonymous with the console and PC versions. A risk vs reward feature, all the benefits and setbacks from trying to pull off the Power Shot are also brought to mobile giving players a closer playing experience to that of their console peers.

Clearly aware of the unique nature of mobile gaming where players have differing device specs, Mueller said “We are pushing the visuals in the gameplay to higher heights than ever before but at the same time we have to make sure it applies to any user regardless if they have the iPhone 14 Pro Max or a lower-spec Android phone. We always think about how we can optimize the features in FC Mobile no matter what device the player is using”.

“We actually made specific changes for FC Mobile to actually raise the lower graphic quality to (allow them) to enjoy these new features” he added.

Ultimate Team Upgrades

One major feature which will totally set apart the EA FC brand from the FIFA franchise it is replacing would be the inclusion of female professional players in the Football Ultimate Team (FUT) mode. Having tried it via the closed beta build, female players tend to be zippier on the field but can be neutralized by overtly physical counterplays. Imagine how you would neutralize the opponent’s Raheem Sterling and you should have a rough picture of how female pros such as Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler handle in-game.

Another interesting feature would be “Player Evolutions” which allow FUT players to give players in their squad unique stats growth characteristics. That way, even though you and I have identical teams with identical players, our squads’ actual qualities differ due to differing principles in how we “grow” and nurture players in our respective squads.

However, we definitely require more hands-on time with these new modes and changes so we can’t reveal much about EA FC 24 until we’ve had a thorough experience with the final build. But from our initial experience, EA FC 24 feels distinct from FIFA23 on gameplay and in-game experience.

There’s definitely a lot to unpack as we move closer to the game’s release but what we can say for now, is that EA FC 24 is much, much more than merely a rebrand or a roster update. EA FC 24 will be out for consoles and PC on 29 September.

The best way is to overwork it and overwork it we did. Timely enough, we were invited to a special showcase of an upcoming game in Sydney, Australia so what better way to put the phone through its paces during a hectic four-day trip to Down Under. But before that, let’s talk about what comes out of the box.

Pricey, But…

We are sad to report that for a device that starts from RM6,799.00 for its base model, the package Z Fold 5 is shipped out with left a lot to be desired. Along with the device, you only get the USB-C charge cable, SIM ejector tool and instructions manual. That’s about it. Sure the phone is an engineering marvel and you instantly forget the underwhelming package once you experience the Z Fold 5’s first clap. But to us, the lack of accessories right out of the box is akin to purchasing a luxury car but not even given a complementary window tint, floormats and a carwash.

The fact that users would have to shell out an extra RM399.00 for a phone case which comes with the compatible S-Pen makes it sting even more. Trust us, Samsung. Your customers who commit over a month’s salary’s worth for their Z Fold 5 won’t mind spending a few hundreds more if a phone cases comes packaged with the phone. It softens the blow and allows them to utilize the device to its full potential from day-1.

Sure, by pre-ordering the device now at Samsung’s store nets you an offer to double-up the storage space and a RM600 voucher which can be used for accessories. But our point is this; Samsung owes its loyal consumers a full-fledged experience right out of the box.

Apart from that underwhelming unboxing experience rant, the Z Fold 5 is a gem of a device. We were initially hesitant to commit to it as our main travel device; moreover moving from the brilliant S23 Ultra (which we reviewed here) which has been our daily driver up to that point. However, as a travel companion, the sleeker and easier to grasp build of the Z Fold 5 instantly won us over. It fits perfectly whether in our hands, inside our winter jacket’s breast pocket or any other zippered slots. Since the foldable screens now fold flushed to one another, we find less pocket lint getting trapped in between the screens as well.

The gimmick of the Z Fold line has always been for users to carry ‘two devices’ for the real estate and quite literally, the price of one. A phone and a tablet nicely tucked in your jeans pocket. This solution is perfect for those constantly on the go and indirectly lessens the chance of you misplacing and losing items while in transit. The outer screen is of the Gorilla Glass Victus 2; the same on the S23 Ultra. We would go as far as claiming that operating the Z Fold 5 via its cover screen alone is akin to operating a slimmer yet chunkier S23 Ultra.

The compact cover screen makes one-handed operation much easier compared to the S23 Ultra and when there is an itch to catch up on your favourite show, flip the Z Fold 5 open and voila. Your favourite MCU movie or show is right in your fingertips. However, having experienced peeling of the screen protectors on both the Z Flip 3 and Z Flip 4, we anticipate the same with the Z Fold 5 considering Samsung openly offered a one-off screen protector replacement program. To delay this from happening, we instinctively operate the Z Fold 5 with its screen closed most of the time.

Whether we will fully shift from the S23 Ultra to the Z Fold 5 once our review period ends remains to be seen. But for those constantly travelling and have the need for multiple devices of varying sizes; DO NOT sleep on the Z Fold 5 as it answers several issues at once.

Hold ‘Em, Fold ‘Em

Being a flagship device, it is a given that the Z Fold 5 performs as expected. While its camera offering is relatively ‘less stellar’ than that of the S23 Ultra, they are not in any way incapable. On paper, they are identical to last year’s Z Fold 4 but with the 5 coming equipped with better computational power, a nuanced improvement is expected. Samples of photos taken in Sydney are shared below:

However, those who are keen to know how the Z Fold 5 performs against the S23 Ultra, let us leave you with this: The S23 Ultra captures better photos in all possible lighting conditions and scenarios. If you are a photography enthusiast who puts greater emphasis on quality of photos over everything else, the S23 Ultra would be the right device for you.

Since we never reviewed any of the previous Fold devices in the past, our closest comparison would be the Z Fold 5’s older and slimmer uncle, the Z Flip 4 which we loved. Thanks to its folding screen and strong hinge which keeps the screens stable at almost every angle when unfolded, we’ve found a new favorite mode on the Z Fold 5. Hyperlapse. No longer relying on a tripod or precariously balancing our devices with whatever item we can find, you too will soon be taking Hyperlapse videos whenever presented the opportunity.

Check out a few of our favorite Hyperlapse videos taken during our most recent trip to Sydney.

As for battery life, Z Fold 5’s performance may vary according to your usage habits. 90% of our time on the Z Fold 5 was spent with its outer screen and that alone contributed a ton to its rather impressive battery life. While the 4400mAh battery appears small on print, coupled with the optimization and users’ tendency to use the smaller cover screen, the Z Fold 5 can easily last you over a day.

So that’s it for our first impression of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 after a week’s worth of usage. Of course, a full-on review is coming soon which should also touch on the phone’s multi-tasking capabilities, the S-Pen and its viability to replace your current device and whether it is worth the upgrade. Until then, catch you on the flip … err we mean fold side (that does not make sense).

Let’s start with the one I enjoyed the most.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is an arcade racing game featuring Mattel’s most famous miniature car toy line; your cars are fast, can boost, and control like they do in arcade-style racing games not unlike your Daytona USAs, Ridge Racer, and Mario Kart. The first game was fun, but definitely felt more like a preview of a bigger and potentially better game. HWU 2 is clearly aiming for that.

Right from the get-go, you have a ton of modes to play with: Single Race, Time Trial, Drift, Elimination, and checkpoint mode. Single Race is standard – 3 laps across the course, while time trial has you repeatedly getting the best times per lap while running the course solo. Drift is structured like Time Trial, but you run through the course multiple times to get the most points out of drifting as much as possible. Checkpoint Mode puts your Hot Wheels car in the middle of the map, following the objective arrow to hit checkpoints that appear randomly in the open area.

Elimination is my favourite among the modes so far: all players keep racing, with the last player being eliminated after 15 seconds or so have passed. The clock will always be counting down repeatedly to kill off players at the bottom, so you need to be at pole position to win Elimination mode. It’s less a race and more an endurance contest, as you can still hang around the middle position, and then catch up. These five new game modes will have a strong focus on online, so expect to play these frequently when playing competitively against others.

The game also features two new movement mechanics: strafe and jump. The first Hot Wheels Unleashed already has great controls and driving overall, so adding in these two features are just lovely icing on the cake. While I didn’t use strafing much while racing in the usual 3-lap bout and in Elimination mode, I abused the heck out of the Jump button. Suddenly, shortcuts are now open and far-away ramps and ledges seem a lot more reachable upon getting big air from a jump. You can even do a single jump while mid-air; no double-jumping though. The new areas are also a hoot to drive on, featuring mini golf areas, new obstacles like barriers you need to boost through, and even a bedroom with a T-Rex miniature in the background.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is essentially adding a lot more to an otherwise solid base title. The game promises more than 130 vehicles, a new skill system to differentiate between car types, improved tracks and livery editors to enhance customization, and an enhanced campaign mode with strong storytelling. No word yet on whether past HWU tracks and liveries will be transferrable to part 2, or if the game will feature some sort of non-in-game microtransaction policies (save for new DLC featuring more cars). But so far, what I’ve played is incredibly promising and sequel-worthy. No harm in further tuning up an already-excellent ride, right?

Ride 5

Ride 5 is a bike sim that aims to be the Gran Turismo of motorcycles and speedbikes, right down to the controls and difficulty curve. After coming out of Hot Wheels Unleashed 2, I was definitely in for a rude awakening.

My performance was beyond subpar, with my cool bike-riding avatar crashing -flailing like a ragdoll- and not knowing how to take turns in a too-serious-for-its-own-good driving simulation. But I’m clearly not the audience for these types of game. Bike fans and gearheads(?) will take a shine at Ride 5’s new additions in the racing sim genre of its ilk, like a new Career Mode with its own sets of challenges and recreations of real-life tracks and its plethora of customization options.

The graphics and ambience are definitely the selling point, and even if it’s in a preview state, the detail of the tracks, bikes, and riders are definitely worth the price of admission. Even with my multiple attempts and eventual crash-and-burning, it all looks splendid especially when on replay. Assuming you’re the kind of die-hard race fanatic who get their jollies from digital versions of realistic sports with a ton of motor noises running.

Me? I’m a fan of colourful arcade racers, so between the two Milestone games, I’m clearly set on Hot Wheels Unleashed 2. You can look forward to that game which is coming out for PC and consoles -Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch- on 19th October. For the other folks who prefer the serious biking fare, Ride 5 is coming out in 25 August.

The newly-announced third game of the series plans to add more mechanics to a game that wasn’t really broken and lacking to begin with. A significant improvement in Payday 3 is the refined stealth mechanics. Stealth has always been a key aspect of the Payday series, and the third installment takes it to new heights. Somehow or other, these new additions seem to work and gel with our writer and resident co-op shooter fan Xandria Morden, since there’s a new stealth system, negotiation bit for hostages, and art heists.

This system allows players to make choices that can influence the outcome of the situation. Negotiations require careful consideration, as the choices made can have consequences. Players must assess the risk versus reward of their decisions. The negotiation system adds a layer of tension and strategic thinking to the heists; you can get equipment by trading hostages. Or you can use them as human shields; your choice really.

The stealth system is also a lot deeper, with smarter AI and guards who are relentless and are a far cry from Payday and Payday 2. You can even blend in as a civilian, you have a lesser risk of getting caught though your infilitration options are limited. Though it’s best if you just watch it all in motion; here’s her hands-on impression of the game, customization and all.

Payday 3 will be out for PC and consoles this 21st September.

According to the game’s lead producer Yasunori Ogura and producer Atsuo Yoshimura, Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon is still going to make its player base work for its wins: instilling the satisfaction of overcoming challenging situations and earning hard-won victories. Players are given a great deal of freedom in choosing their approach to each situation using their Armored Core of choice, be it against a mid-boss or a giant-as-heck centipede-like mecha.

At the very least, you can still customize your AC like in past games, and the controls still are as “impactful” as they should be for any game that lets you pilot a heavy death-dealing giant machine.

Build-A-Mech

Which is why Assembly mode in the game is important: it allows you to create your own death-dealing machine and make it as jacked-up as possible. You have to factor in health, defense, Attitude Stability (more on that later), Boost Speed, and Current Load; you cannot load up your Core with too many weapons and also consider whether it has faster boost speed for maneuvering on the battlefield. The leg parts of the Core vary greatly depending on the type and changes the action in the game dramatically; for example, reverse-jointed legs let you move faster than usual. Each hand and shoulder can equip up to four weapons, depending on the limit of the Current Load.

After tinkering around with Assembly, we then check out the presentation’s first mission: liberating a place called Grid 086 which features outside and indoors combat against arms dealers called RaD. The stage has lots of corridors and deathtraps, but luckily your Core has the ability to scan areas ahead to see what enemies are lurking. Since they’re unaware you’re plodding around in the corner, our AC just boosted forth and surprise attack and quickly dispatched the enemies in one fell swoop.

At the tail end of the mission, we also fought a 4-legged Armored Core and giant heavy robot called the Smart Cleaner. The former shrugs off machine gun fire and can only be effectively damaged with melee attacks. The latter is a beast to fight; you need to dodge, fly, and get close to hurt it while avoiding its heavily-telegraphed big swing attacks with its “cleaning” grinders. In boss situations like these, the Impact and Stagger element mechanics are useful, especially since you’ll most likely die in one or two hits from the giant.

The Impact element of an attack can compromise the mech’s Attitude Stability system (its stability in the AC universe), causing the Core to stall temporarily. Any attack received while an enemy is in Stagger is treated as a direct hit, resulting in heavy damage. You generally want to equip weapons that deal decent Impact status, which will then leave them in a Stagger state, enabling you to deal more direct damage. This is similar to filling up the Posture bar in Sekiro, or even depleting an enemy’s defense in a modern Final Fantasy game, resulting in them being Staggered.

We’ve also noticed how aggressive our AC is when dealing with the game’s many, many enemies and “dungeon crawling” levels. It’s now “easier” to close in the gap between enemies as AC6 requires you to be more aggressive than in past games. Yes, you still can die if you’re overconfident as enemies still deal massive damage to you, but your boosting and vertical-movement capabilities are a lot more flexible and varied now.

Remember how cool it is to deal death from above onto enemies below as a giant walking tank in titles like MechWarrior? Armored Core 6 will let you do this 80% of the time, especially with the fact that the Impact and Stagger mechanics complement well with future hit-and-run tactics you can pull off with your AC.

Core Values

If you wonder why the game feels like old-school Armored Core but with beefed-up 2023 graphics, that’s because Armored Core 6 is a soft reboot for the franchise. With that mindset, From Software hopes to bring back the series from obscurity since 2012, introducing a new generation of mecha fans to the joys of customizing your personal Armored Core to the fullest, getting their asses kicked in the first bout, then customizing it again and getting better at the game.

At the same time, Armored Core 6 will promise better and tighter mecha controls, expansive and dynamic maps that give a huge sense of progression, and challenging action battle designs. The developer’s past fantasy titles -Dark Souls trilogy, Elden Ring- already established the latter design mandate for the past decade, so bringing it up yet again in a dystopian sci-fi giant robot-filled setting is only natural.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon will be out for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5 this 25th August.

The premise is simple: there’s a steampunk robot named Copernicus who grants generations of chosen ones with “unicorn magic” powers to combat an eternal evil, whether they want it or not. The titular Warriors Eternal group consists of a mystic monk, an elven warrior knight, and a woman with shade powers & flight, joined by said robot. After many generations of evil-staving, the show’s tale focuses in London 1890, where a soon-to-be-wed lady named Emma gets unwillingly zapped with “unicorn magic” powers that give her the shade powers.

Without spoiling much, the show delves in topics regarding identity, family, and destiny. The heroes chosen here aren’t doing it out of goodwill, because they were seemingly forced with these powers by Copernicus, while also bringing up the topic of whether the greater good is all that cracked up to be. Heck, you’re getting lot of depth and pathos from a robot who remains silent and can only express itself with gestures and pantomimes; none of this would come across as charming were it not for Tartaokovsky and his team’s sublime animation work and talent.

To say the show is beautiful is an understatement. The team combines so many elements while also feeling unique and distinct on its own. I see literal shades of Mike Mignola, Kevin O’Neil’s  League of Extraordinary Gentlemen trappings, 1930s Disney-slash-Osamu-Tezuka, French artist Moebius, and Herge’s Tintin in this show. And yet it’s anything but a ripoff. It is its own gorgeous beast and visual treat that just reminds you faintly of those influences while hammering home the 1890s alternate timeline and frame.

If the first few episodes of Unicorn: Warriors Eternal are just as good as the rest of its season, we are in for an animated treat that’s part astounding, part imaginative, and part immersive; all of it culminating in a potential best series of 2023 nomination. The first episode’s available right now, so you can judge it for yourself and see if it has the potential to stand side-by-side with the likes of Samurai Jack and Primal.

This is why I’m thankful that there’s a studio hard at work for 5 years on a new single-player shooter experience that’s solely focused on nothing but the single-player experience. It’s called Immortals of Aveum, and it’s published by EA and its EA Originals sub-brand, clearly trying to stand out with another risky venture similar to this year’s Wild Hearts.

Spellbinder

In Immortals of Aveum, you play an up-and-coming battlemage named Jak (Darren Barnet), a normal human who got his powers through a previous trauma in the story. That makes him a Magnus in the elite battlemage group called the Immortals, which is an uncommon precedent given that the rest of his squad knows magic since birth. He will be doing a ton of missions involving fighting enemy mages, dragons, golems, and all sorts of fantastical creatures and machines of war in his 25+ hour journey of saving his world from the forces of the Rashard. That evil group of armoured battlemages plan to use magic to win the Everwar. Luckily, you have a gauntlet-like attachment for your arm called a Sigil to help you amplify your spell powers and give you control over them throughout the story’s course. You also have your squad members to help you out, like General Kirkan (Gina Torres), Devyn the wisecracking green mage (Antonia Aakeel), and Zendara the tough red mage lady (Lily Cowles).

Even with all these in-world terms thrown around, Immortals of Aveum clearly has Call of Duty DNA in its controls, but only a bit. The gameplay deep dive we’ve seen in the EA-sanctioned preview event showed off Jak’s magic types: Blue, Red, and Green. Blue is long-ranged spells that can penetrate through targets, while Red is up-close attacks akin to shotgun blasts & shockwave pulses. Green is auto-fire mid-ranged spells with homing properties; think AK47s in a CoD game and you’re golden.

Unlike that pop-and-stop shooter from Activision’s maw, you will not be slinging spells behind cover. Jak will pull out a shield to absorb damage, meaning you’ll be out of the open 90% of the time and firing barrages of blue homing bolts, green mines, and red fireblasts. The other 10% will have you jumping around and looking for barriers and cover that can help guard you against bigger blasts from bigger foes, because Immortals plans to toss a lot at you to deal with.

Our preview session had us dealing with dragons and golems straight out of a Go Nagai anime -retrofitted to be in the world of Aveum of course. In later parts of the game, you’ll be fighting elite battlemages who can summon shadow clones and lay out traps to get you. At least you have a ton of new spells to work with like green mines and powerful red scatter shots; your sigil can also be upgraded in terms of looks and power, bestowing passives to help you on your magic-flinging journey.

Heck, some of your spells don’t directly deal damage but can help in combat and in puzzle scenarios: the Blue Lash is the game’s grappling hook that pulls targets to you, and grapple onto high ground and faraway levers/objects. The Green Limpet are blobs that slow down enemies when you attach a couple onto them; they can even slow down closing doors and contraptions. You also have super spells called Furies; they drain your mana bar but deals a ton of damage and have AoE properties; smart bombs in the Aveum world, apparently.

Immortals will have a good balance of action and exploration, as the levels in the game from the Aveum outskirts to the dungeons, caverns, and ruins, will all be laid out in a semi-open world fashion; think Borderlands 2’s level design and you’re not too far off. The stages are replayable, and will feature ample opportunity for combat and platforming. With the way how combat is smooth, fast, and snappy, you’d really want to head into the thick of it spells at the ready, complete with high frame rate for that fast-paced fighting in the first-person. So far, every aspect of the game is looking spiffy and goshdarn flashy, which is what Ascendant Studios intends to instill.

Spellfire

Speaking of which, Immortals of Aveum is Ascendant Studios’ first title? Which begs the question: why should we put our trust in a seemingly-new game studio that has yet to release a new game? How’s this for an answer: Ascendant’s CEO and game director Bret Robbins has experience working on EA and Activision’s best titles from a game design and production standpoint: these include EA’s Lord of The Rings games, 007: From Russia With Love, the first Dead Space, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, and Call of Duty Advance Warfare.

In fact, Ascendant was quick to get on board ex-Telltale Games leads like Dave Bogan after that company closed down back in 2018, giving the ex-devs a new lease on game dev life working on a big title. And Immortals is indeed an ambitious title; by 2020, the company already has more than 100 people working on the upcoming magic shooter.

How did this idea for Immortals of Aveum come about? According to Robbins, this all stemmed during a level review for a Call of Duty stage.

“It was a big battle scene, with a helicopter right above and RPG shells flying ahead and blowing up around you. Gunfire everywhere, typical chaos. I was stopping and thinking: instead of a helicopter, what about a dragon? Instead of RPG shells hitting a wall, what about fireballs?

This image just formed at me in a flash. And I was thinking to myself. “Where’s THAT game? I want to play THAT game!” Fast forward a bit, I was like “I want to make that game.” “

The three core pillars of Immortals of Aveum are: give players the feeling of being a battlemage, have them master the magic, and also make them save a world on the edge of abyss. That latter part stems from the lore and how the world of Aveum looks; as a battlemage you can look at the world’s leylines and see how they flow and connect in the continent. They also lead you to where you need to go in the game.

The beauty of it all? While the game doesn’t have an existing template to lean back to, they have magic to work around with. The team has to make rules around it for the world to feel believable and make sense, but generally the world is their oyster when crafting Aveum according to Robbins.

“We’re not Harry Potter; we’re something else. We’re a battlemage, and wielding magic here is visceral. We want the player to feel powerful.”

Witching Hour

While Immortals of Aveum has the aforementioned “modern shooter” DNA, the game will not have multiplayer out of the gate. Nor will it have microtransactions. Robbins has said that Ascendant Studios is 100% focused on making Immortals a single-player experience from start to finish, though they might create future DLC touching on PvP or anything newfangled shooters have.

Personally, they’re all the better for it. I’m surprised that EA has yet to pressure the team to make multiplayer modes out of the title, though with previous EA Originals efforts like Wild Hearts, the company’s hands-off approach is truly appreciated. I do hope that the game’s 20+ hours of combat and exploration isn’t filled with copy-pasta moments of reused fights, bosses, and puzzles; padding’s the worst sin for these kinds of search action-style games with FPS antics.

What is in the cards feature-wise is that the game might get a Photo mode; given how colourful and rich the gameplay and world of Aveum is, this is a requirement that will make or break the title. I’m clearly kidding, but the opportunity to show off your awesome spell kills in still-pictured glory is worth fussing over, especially in a promising action-packed shooter with magic, dragons, and all sorts of unique takes on the fantasy trope. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint and a brand new world with some new rules is needed to make a genre fresh again: in this case, it’s trading guns and tanks for badass spells and giant golems. And dragons.

Immortals of Aveum will be out for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5 on 20th July.

My two hours with publisher Mojang, and developers Xbox Game Studios and Blackbird Interactive’s upcoming title Minecraft Legends prove that there is hope that the curse can be lifted. As mentioned by Mojang executive producer Dennis Ries, the one way to do this is to dub the game as an action strategy game, staying away from the real-time strategy moniker.

Voxel Vindication

Yes, you still create units from spawn points, build things from scratch and gather resources with the power of singing and cutely playing your musical instrument (which also makes the Brutal Legend comparison kind of apt). However, your Minecraft Legends hero you control in a third-person perspective can defend themselves. And also explore a world with quests and missions in a procedurally-generated biome, following a cinematic story according to Ries.

“[Calling it an RTS] just doesn’t feel the same. Part of that is that you really feel like you’re in there with your troops. And you matter.”

This is a friendlier approach to the whole genre when it comes to making it work on a console and controller setup. Yes, you can still play it with a keyboard and mouse setup, but the theme around Minecraft Legends’ design is approachability. Much like Double Fine’s efforts and aspects of Halo Wars, you have a point character to use and build things with Minecraft style from walls to gateways, to even archery towers and “pushback” towers for defense; standard for an RTS title. At the same time, you need to explore the land for major resources to build basic fortifications and spawning pools, as well as fend off Piglins and other enemies by yourself at times.

Starting from the lower “building tier”, you start with wood and stone for base-level units. You can then move on with diamonds, iron, and other rare resources by building Improvement Hubs, which then require “attachment” structures around them to get more upgrades for yourself and your building prowess.

All this (along with other-needed Improvements) to create bigger and better armies, which is part and parcel of any strategy title involving tons of mass army conflicts. These include Warriors (with the trademark Minecraft villagers with axes) and Creepers who act as suicide bombers that work well against structures and barricades.

You’ll also end up mining for redstone which leads to you being able to build redstone catapults that can throw ballistics from afar to enemy bases. This seems like a go-to tactic for some of us, especially in PvP mode which we’ll talk about in a bit, but that requires a lot of pre-planning and hoping your enemies aren’t quick on the uptake. Fighting against the Piglin horde in the game’s Campaign, which involves saving villagers and destroying Piglin strongholds with your golem army and elite tower defense planning skills, is fun. But it isn’t the same as fighting human opponents.

Face Off

As with any action strategy title, PvP might be a crowd favourite. Mojang’s Minecraft games haven’t been a completely head-to-head affair, but Minecraft Legends might fill in that long-empty void. In the PvP mode we played, the objective is to destroy the enemy’s main base. It’s three players against three players, with each team sharing resources and also planning to divvy up duties. From our team’s end during the play session, we split and switch up duties from gathering resources to building fortifications, to even harassing the enemy team with a makeshift army until the three of us went for the kill. At times, we even had to shift gathering duties around as some resources weren’t available in certain spots on the map.

Unlike campaign mode, Ries said the PvP mode’s procedurally generated map had to be smaller due to balance and time issues; there would be too much distance between players if the campaign map was used. He also encouraged everyone to play through the Campaign since it’s meant to train people to eventually get to PvP mode.

“The core structure is in the campaign mode, and the way it teaches you like with how destroying Piglin structures generate Prisaline for upgrades is deliberate.”

While both modes play pretty well, with spot-on controls for movement and commanding your army on the fly, there are some wrinkles to bring up. For one, it can be tough to properly place certain structures like extended walls until you get the hang of the analog stick movement and placement. Also, some hotkeys in your default building/gathering/spawn point menu at the bottom centre do not display everything despite some empty spaces.

You need to manually click the right stick to open up your Book of Song, then quickly add in the extra build options. Doing this on the fly isn’t the most convenient way, but we’re guessing you can set this up before an actual PvP match.

These minor gripes do not sour the fact that Minecraft Legends might be the one console strategy title that really makes use of its perspective shift to give new life to the classic real-time strategy genre; loads of potential in other words. It remains to be seen if the full game might warm the cold hearts of stout RTS enthusiasts, but Minecraft is meant to be a franchise that breaks down gatekeeping and barriers for all to play.

As to how the game will extend its lifespan post-launch, Ries said that there will be a marketplace like in other Minecraft games powered by its in-house engine Bedrock. There will also be a Lost Legends mode involving a multitude of challenges. One of them is Portal Pile, where it’s a team of three players against a horde of Piglins and other enemies trying to destroy a village you’re protecting. If you are successful against a certain number of waves, since it seems like an endless mode, you’ll win exclusive hero skins.

“We’re happy to support the game post-launch, as it’s always been our plan. While we have don’t have crossovers to talk about for now, we do have more in store.”

Minecraft Legends will be out for PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation consoles on 18th of April. It’ll also be out on Xbox and PC Game Pass on Day One.

Within the 10 years since Diablo 3, the action RPG genre has seen its fair share of takers to the throne. Notable ones born out of Diablo’s gaming DNA include Path of Exile (which is still going strong) and Grim Dawn (the Titan Quest successor). Other entries that literally changed perspectives and beat-to-beat gameplay and level structures include the Borderlands series (the latest being part 3 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands) and both Destiny entries (which hammered home the online-only and games-as-service tropes).

This means Blizzard needs to up its game in standing out among its action RPG peers beyond just brand name: the Diablo franchise has been a genre-definer since 1997 and 2000, but that was a long time ago. Can the title be usurped by the original action RPG franchise with Diablo 4?

After two weekends of trying out the Early Access and Open Beta, I’d say that Blizzard’s next take on the action RPG is a pretty solid effort so far. Let’s break down what we loved (and hated) about the game and its open beta weekend sessions.

Loved: The Action & Feel

This is probably one of 2023’s most solid action RPG efforts in terms of controls (click things and move around; easy stuff) and the feedback whenever you attack or receiving a pounding. Given the big team working on the game, it’s expected. But it’s a helluva sight to see and hear, as well as play with a keyboard-and-mouse setup. The game is going for its dark and moody vibe ala Diablo 2 but with a richer palette while maintaining its dread. Yet the game’s trademark loot sounds, potion bubbles, and the plethora of confirmed attacks and the following death throes/flesh rip are all prevalent and amplified.

Part of the action RPG’s fun is the sound design akin to how slot machines reward players; Diablo 4 has no problems with that bit with the sound of loot dropping, enemies dying, and even the ambience when wandering all around one of Sanctuary’s snowy/foresty areas. Or in the hellish dungeons filled with “cockroach legs” and flailing tendrils as described eloquently by my colleague Xandria. In any case, the core gameplay loop just feels good to control and experience from the get-go up until the beta’s level cap of 25.

Loved: The Dark Storyline

If there’s one thing to comment on Diablo, is that its story isn’t all that fleshed out unless you keep digging up its lore with the Book of Cain or Book of Tyrael in bookstores. Even Diablo 3’s attempt at telling a story fell flat since it’s all done with talking heads and the same isometric perspective that just takes you out of the moment to feel invested.

Diablo 4 changed all that with in-game cutscenes. Throughout the game, you’ll come across Lilith’s insignias that you can activate to see what happened moments before you arrived at the proverbial scene of the crime. At one point early in the game, your character was drugged and was about to be dragged and slaughtered for a ritual just to prove that Diablo’s story will take you to dark places.

The whole game’s objective boils down to “find Lilith and stop her plans”, but the game does its best to share Lilith’s motives, hints of familial issues between Lilith, her ex-lover, and her son, and also how Horadrim survivor Lorath Nair enters the fray to help you somewhat. Kudos to the voicework portrayed in the key scenes and how they’re framed and presented: I suspect that stars like Ralph Ineson (who probably voiced Lorath) and Marina Sirtis (notable Star Trek actress who probably voiced Lilith) are involved; it’s not like Activision Blizzard doesn’t have the money.

Loved: The Necromancer, Rogue, and Sorcerer

It’s no secret that I love to blow stuff up in action games. So when Diablo 4 presented me with options to use a Rogue who can chain shadow explosions with her dash slashes, a Sorcerer who summon Hydras with ample firepower to go with her large AoE fireballs, and a Necromancer who has a Contra spreadgun-style Bone Shard with a ton of minions at his disposal, I’m spoilt for choice.

These three classes showcase the fun to be had during the game’s two difficulty tiers, and a peek at how powerful they can get when at level 25 and with their Class Specialization skills sorted (after doing a class-specific quest in the Act 1 region). The Necromancer starts out with the Book of the Dead where he can customize his skeleton army. The Sorcerer can use Enchantments to power up their attacks passively via using one of their unlocked spells; for example, using Meteor as an Enchantment means there’s a 3% chance a Meteor will fly down if I hit something.

The Rogue has three different fighting styles; two of them for now in the open beta are Combo Points and Sightless Eye. Combo points are gathered with your basic skill, in which you can use points to buff up your core skills; a Barrage with max combo points means more damage and arrow spread, for example. Sightless Eye allows you to gain “Sightless” energy by killing randomly-marked foes; when your energy gauge is full, you gain unlimited energy for a limited time. This means you get rewarded for being quick with your metaphoric trigger finger, killing things on sight and getting unlimited Barrage opportunities.

No matter which of the three you pick, they’re all great to play as and they all showcase how fun the loot grind can get, especially with friends.

Loved: The Customizable Skill Tree

You can respec from the get-go, provided you have a bit of money. And you’ll get more than enough to change up your build on the fly to your heart’s content. Want to go melee Druid with the Werewolf/Werebear shout and groundpound melee combo? Go ahead. Want to change to a Storm and Hurricane/Tornado ranged build because too many enemies have keepaway options? Just find a safe spot and respec everything from scratch.

I suspect the game will get more interesting with its builds once players hit level 70 and go through a couple of Paragon levels (extra levels with perks for non-Diablo fans), especially with the game’s Imprint system (find a Legendary skill or Aspect, imprint it onto your gear of choice). Still, the first 25 levels prove that you can come up with effective playstyles, provided some proper balancing is done.

Loved: The Surprises Along The Way

When the Butcher greeted me during an Aspect Dungeon quest, I was scared s***less because I was not prepared to deal with him. For a big guy, he is really quick. Obviously he took me down, but it did teach me not to take your questing lightly.

Ditto the Treasure Goblin chase-down; yes, they rarely appear, but hunting them down while dealing with an ever-present mob is one of the most dangerous yet exhilarating things I’ve done. While the random World quests are fun and all (the ones with the orange radar), it’s these random moments with elite bosses and literal loot goblins that remind us why action RPGs can still thrill us.

Oh, and the World Boss are fun to take down, though this isn’t without its issues.

Hated: Melee & Overall Balance Seems Underwhelming

We will have to address the elephants in the room: the Barbarian and Druid’s melee options. They suck, and the game’s first Act seem to feature a lot of ranged enemies and keepaway foes who have evasion skills. The aforementioned Necromancer, Sorcerer, and Rogue have no issues since they have projectiles and minions -hydras, skeletons- to deal with mobs and said evaders. For those who want the Werewolf Druid or Whirlwind Barbarian? I had a rough time going through Tier 2 difficulty just because the zoning deck is stacked against me.

On the flip side, I feel that the Necromancer is pretty overpowered. To put things in context, the Barbarian and Druid’s class specialization quests are locked away in the beta. The Necromancer already has his class specialization perks at the start of the game; he only has to unlock his Golem-summoning skills at level 25, and even then I’m not sure if he even needs it in the short run.

Hated: Level-Scaling Nonsense

This ties in with the first time I played the game with a Barbarian. The enemies feel like they have more hitpoints and are more sponge-y when compared to past Diablo titles. Perhaps the reason why is because it makes scoring a powerful legendary all the more rewarding, mowing down foes once you have a good number of high-tier gear. This may be fixed and would feel a lot more apparent when the loot drop rates are balanced (they are increased just for the beta), but it feels like the developer want to have us experience a slightly tougher time with the game just like how players felt when playing the first two Diablo titles.

Hated: Several Quality-Of-Life Downgrades

There’s a huge number of quirks to address here. Let’s go through them in bullet point form:

• Why do we need to scrap items just to get transmog skins? The last game let us get transmog by just getting the item via random drops. Why go through that extra step?
• Why isn’t there a map overlay for everything beyond the linear dungeons?
• Why can’t we zoom out further to see the whole class skill tree in one screen?
• Why can low-level players enter the World Boss arena? There should be a stricter cap for players who can fight World Bosses because low level players who hang around and do nothing while everyone else does the heavy lifting is a griefing tactic.
• Why can’t we see all possible rolls at the Occultist? I would like to know what my ability chances are without wasting so much gold on a crapshoot. Blind picks for these sort of mechanics aren’t fun.
• Why can’t I ping my friends to go to a specific location? Diablo 3 had the banner system to ping other players; why can’t you just bring that to Diablo 4?
• Why should gems take up as many slots as gear and items? Why not have a separate tab for gems, especially when you’re going to get a s***ton of them in Tier 3/Tier 4 post-level 70 grinding?
• Why isn’t there a loot filter option? It’s 2023 and past action RPGs have this already.
• Why is it hard to spot Elites from regular enemies in this Diablo title? Give them an aura or something to make them stand out.

Hated: The MMO-ness Of It All

So we have our non-staple for a Diablo game: a World boss that pops up at specific intervals of the day. While the boss itself is fun with a dedicated party, it does make Diablo as a whole feel like it’s trying to match the MMORPG ecosystem that’s already laid out by World of WarCraft.

This is a bizarre decision if that’s the case, considering that Diablo and World of WarCraft are two different types of RPGs and shouldn’t be cross-streaming with one another. The open-world approach to Diablo is great and all, but just keep the action RPG flavours preserved and don’t turn it into a mess of a hybrid like Lost Ark or some other South Korean MMO garbage.

For the most part, Diablo 4 is a fun action RPG and its new-yet-kinda-old mechanics feel like a good and fresh step forward. Even with the usual beta kerfuffles -lag spikes, disconnects, what-have-you- the experience so far seems promising and is leaning towards the positive. However, there are a good number of quirks and amateur-level nonsense still plaguing this version of the game. Let’s hope that they’re all ironed out in its launch month, because this might be Blizzard’s last stand if its early reception turns sour.

Diablo 4 will be out for PC and consoles on 6th June.

Developer Intercept Games and publisher Private Division’s Kerbal Space Program 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Kerbal Space Program, released in 2015. This sequel is completely redesigned to meet the demands of modern and next-gen space exploration while retaining the monumental foundation of the original game. From an expansive parts catalogue to a variety of new tools, space exploration has never been more exciting than ever.

WELCOME ABOARD

Players start with creating a campaign and selecting their desired default colours and flag before being thrust into a short introduction scene, which is the orientation to the Kerbal Space Program. You will be assigned to run the Kerbal Space Program – advancing their technology, building rockets, assisting in flying, and many more. P.A.I.G.E, a female Kerbal that will guide you throughout your interstellar space rocketry journey, is available at the Training Center.

Whether you’re new or a returning player, the Training Center is the most crucial location you will have to visit in order to grasp the whole gameplay mechanism. Four modules are available for players to learn, starting from basic rocketry concepts to mastering interplanetary manoeuvring. In addition, you’ll encounter new parts, including new procedural wings, new wheels, new command pods, various cargo parts, and upgraded engines to unleash your creativity. The modules are shown as short interactive tutorials and the interesting part is the lesson recap at the end of each tutorial, making it easy to grasp for players of all ages.

As highlights, you will encounter all the new systems to be launched online such as interstellar travel technologies, colonies, and a new star system, providing endless gameplay with each encounter. I’m talking about a whole new level of space-flight technologies like a new generation of engines, parts, fuel, improved variants, procedural parts systems, and new part colouring which allows customizing rockets like never before. Exploring new environments from the ground to celestial space will definitely take your breath away with the game’s stunning graphics and visuals. Advanced exploration tools like the time warp and manoeuvre planner to ease orbiting from one planet to another, beyond the Kerbolar System.

With all the newly upgraded tools, the possibilities are endless; from building a rocket to completing your first mission; landing on the Mun. Once you reach out of the orbit system, hints and guides will be given to keep you on track with your mission in hand. The Kerbal Space Program’s first mission is very similar to NASA’s decision to send Apollo 8 to the moon on the first manned flight of the massive Saturn V rocket, in this case, you’re experiencing it all on your gaming screen.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

As with any other Early Access title, there will be bugs and problems during the launch of the Early Access version, which I did encounter occasional crashes when playing several tutorials in a row. Nevertheless, the developer has done an amazing job with the overall gameplay performance. Intercept Games has been very open about the difficulties that players of KSP2 will be facing. The development team are actively working to fix the following issues:

• Infrequent bugs that can cause highly-complex vehicles to collapse in VAB.
• Trip planner occasionally displays incorrect delta-v numbers for some destinations.
• Re-entry heating and thermal systems are currently disabled. These are work in-progress and are planned to be enabled in an upcoming update soon after launch.
• No collision on trees or rocks due to necessary optimization that is taking place. Buildings do have collision, but destruction is not enabled at this time.
• Experience various performance issues depending on location and craft complexity.
• Some UI elements can have bugs causing them to be temporarily non-interactable.
• This may also occur with some parts while using the part manager. Several changes are being made to the current UI, and this should improve over time.
• We are investigating an occasional crash when playing several tutorials in a row.

BEFORE LIFTOFF

Before you start downloading Kerbal Space Program 2, Intercept Games recently announced the latest PC spec recommendation. The game is undergoing continuous optimization, therefore, performance will improve over the course of Early Access.

It may be a little early to make a firm call on whether or not the game deserves a place in the current crop of space exploration sandbox games. But overall, the game made its justification by offering players endless possibilities in gameplay in a way that mirrors the infinite possibilities found in outer space. I sure did learn a lot about space travel and the failures that entail if you don’t build your rocket right.

Kerbal Space Program 2 is out now on PC via Steam Early Access.