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Alan Wake 2 Review (PS5): Lost in the Dark Place

Michael Leri — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 12:25:28 +0000

Alan Wake has been tirelessly tapping away at his typewriter for over a decade in an effort to pump out the perfect follow-up to his hit Alex Casey series. A sophomore slump would do more than sink his career since it, thanks to the Dark Place, would also doom everyone he holds dear.

Following up on success is a tough responsibility and something that developer Remedy Entertainment knows all too well with Alan Wake 2. Alan Wake has been trying to develop his new series for as long as the studio has been trying to make Alan Wake 2, creating a fairly obvious and meta-parallel between creator and creation. But 13 years was not enough time to polish off a fitting sequel, as Alan Wake 2 is a buggy and frustrating title that falls well short of what Remedy is capable of.

Remedy’s experience making action games has unexpectedly not translated well to Alan Wake 2 in its descent into the action horror genre. Alan and Saga, the other protagonist, move and shoot like they are in a Resident Evil game but without the nuance and fluidity that make those Capcom-developed titles adept shooters. Dodging is not reliable and often fails to effectively weave through shovel swipes and flying sickles (the latter of which can fly through solid objects and can’t be shot out of the air). Readying items and switching between them is a sluggish process that seems even more sluggish when trying to frantically heal in the midst of combat, a futile task that often ends with being pounced on by a blade-wielding cult member.

Its gunplay may look like Resident Evil 4’s, but it absolutely is not that smooth.

Aiming at these enemies is also a chore because of how often they fly off-screen or warp forward to get in a cheap slash or three. It’s doubly frustrating in the game’s many pitch-black areas where darkness and its many effects obscure the action and twist tension into tedium. Burning away a foe’s outer layer of darkness is also meant to build tension as it tacks on one more step to worry about in the middle of combat. However, it’s just another repetitive aspect that never grows or changes and only demonstrates how shallow it all is.

Alan Wake 2 fumbles the “action” part of its status as an “action horror” game, yet its failures in the horror department are far grander. Its penchant for darkness spotlights how incredible Alan Wake 2’s lighting is — it’s a stunning mix of moody neon signs, reflective surfaces, and natural sun rays — but it doesn’t utilize that tech to ratchet up the terror. The horror is only implied through the narrative and doesn’t show up in the gameplay since it doesn’t use the environment or enemy spawns to frighten players. Instead, almost all of its scares are hacky live-action clips that sharply blare the audio and take up the whole screen in a desperate attempt to catch the player off guard.

Alan Wake 2 prioritizes these embarrassing, Bloober Team-esque jump scares instead of creating an atmosphere where unpredictability naturally evokes dread. The ghosts that show up in Alan’s half of the campaign that have players second guessing which ones are harmless and which ones are hostiles seem like a decent realization of this notion but are overused and never change, thus dulling their impact. Not even its infrequent checkpoints can sow fear in the player since losing 15 minutes of progress is only infuriating when bugs or unfair deaths are the cause.

The bizarre live-action scenes are usually the best parts.

Remedy has almost always been able to use its storytelling abilities as a shield against lackluster gameplay, but Alan Wake 2’s narrative can’t bear that load. The studio’s affinity for absurdity and mystery shines in the early stages, though, as off-kilter talk show segments and a constant barrage of new questions leave a breadcrumb trail that’s impossible not to follow. Its use of live-action scenes not only accentuates the team’s style but also helps reinforce how silly it all is and ties into the meta layers of the story. Writer and director Sam Lake’s roles in the game strengthen its metaphors for the ups and downs of the creative process and how art is both a struggle and a healing power, all of which is beamed through a twisted Lynchian lens.

Alan Wake 2, however, lacks follow-through. It uses Dark Place magical bullshit to explain away more than a few of its mysteries instead of properly building up convincing justifications. Not everything in Alan Wake 2 needs to make perfect sense; that’s not what Remedy’s brand of weirdness is about. Control — the team’s magnum opus — and Alan Wake gave players incomplete pictures and were not always chained to logic.

Alan Wake 2’s Sam Lake on the Importance of Sticking Out, Remedy’s Growth

Alan Wake 2 is shaping up to be something special, and, according to creative director Sam Lake, that’s exactly the…

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The main difference here is quantity. Alan Wake 2 presents all these enigmas and then is unconcerned with giving satisfying answers to most of them. It loses its bearings as it ventures deeper into the depths of its riddles and sinks when it becomes clear in the last act that it isn’t concerned with anything but vibes and setting up a future game. Its finale is emblematic of these shortcomings since it offers no cathartic release and only raises more questions, a bold move for a sequel that took 13 years to come out.

Alan Wake 2 Review: Final Verdict

Those 13 years should have led to something better, and it’s surprising that they haven’t. Alan Wake’s gunplay has gone from dull to frustrating in the sequel, while its venture into true survival horror has been plagued by predictability and amateurish jump scares. Its narrative has a few memorable moments and is able to periodically use its outlandish antics to its advantage, yet it is still dragged down by its refusal to provide enough rewarding resolutions to its litany of riddles. Alan Wake 2 doesn’t improve on what made the original such a cult hit and is instead an uncharacteristically rough draft that needed more edits. It’s not a lake or an ocean. It’s a disappointment.

Beautiful visuals with some stunning lighting
A unique blend of well-acted live-action scenes and traditional video game cutscenes
Awful checkpoints
Clunky combat and cheap jump scares make gameplay a chore
The story lacks a rewarding ending and is often weird just for the sake of it
Buggy

Disclaimer: This Alan Wake 2 review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.000.005.

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Ghostrunner 2 Review (PS5): Running in Place

Michael Leri — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Ghostrunner captured the fantasy of being a cyborg ninja better than any other game before it. Its trial-and-error nature could be taxing, but it trained players to perform its many acrobatics in one smooth motion like a “real” cyborg ninja. Momentum defined that cyberpunk parkour game. However, that momentum hasn’t fully transferred to its sequel, Ghostrunner 2. Instead of fully darting forward, it opts to slow down both literally and metaphorically, which keeps this follow-up from reaching a new top speed.

Ghostrunner 2 is able to keep some sort of pace with its predecessor by having many of the same moves. Outside of a few rare and understandable quirks, its smooth controls ensure that it’s always possible to slow-mo dodge, wall run, dash, slash, slide, and grapple around its elaborate urban jungle gyms. Chaining these together perfectly to get through a tough section by mere inches is a rush that often only comes after failing a few times. Generous checkpoints, instant restarts, and the tight controls mean that it is never frustrating and, as was previously stated, allows players to feel more like an adept cyborg ninja.

This also applies to the arenas with enemies that are more akin to puzzle challenges than combat ones. Figuring out how to most efficiently slash everything to ribbons without taking a single bullet is tricky but often open enough to allow for some player expression. Whereas platforming usually depends on nailing one route, these more violent sections are less linear and thus more liberating. Both halves require skill and reflexes to conquer but intelligently contextualize that thesis in their own ways. It’s one cohesive experience brought together by its fast-paced electronic soundtrack that often perfectly fits the action and cyberpunk aesthetic.

Ghostrunner 2 needed more tough cyber world tracks like this.

However, not many of these sections are as challenging as they were in the first game or its incredible expansion, Project Hel. Ghostrunner 2 is not an outright easy game, and most of its sections only require a handful of retries to get through. It lacks the tough gauntlets a sequel like this should have, ones that push skilled players and fully stress what its fluid controls can handle. Some of this challenge is relegated to its fantastic roguelike challenge mode, but the base game deserves more complicated sections that force players to improve.

Some of its relatively easiness stems from how many tools and scenarios it borrows from the first game; wall running across billboards and grappling to a platform isn’t tricky after spending a full game repeatedly doing that. The motorcycle and wingsuit seem like they are the tools to do just that, but aren’t properly utilized.

Traversing the wasteland is unexciting and has the game’s blandest visuals and music.

This isn’t clear during the first section with the motorcycle since it’s a stunning set piece that has players speeding through a narrow hazard-filled tube and then down the side of the massive tower where both games take place. Narrowly avoiding lasers, ejecting from and then grappling back to the bike, and blasting obstructions make it an adrenaline-pumping exercise that takes the core values of the parkour and gloriously applies them to a completely different setting.

But instead of only using the bike for explosive scenes like this, it mostly devolves into a means of traversing a boring wasteland. Its utility as a faster parkour machine is tossed aside in favor of being a normal bike. The wingsuit is similarly stunted. It’s the centerpiece in a handful of segments that add a whole new dimension to the platforming and show what’s possible, but Ghostrunner 2 simply doesn’t have enough sections like this. It’s also only introduced in the final hour or two, meaning it barely has any time to stretch its wings.

The story, to its detriment, isn’t just told through the radio this time.

Both shortcomings also feed into how much Ghostrunner 2 slows itself down to a crawl. A lot of its more intense sections are padded out with out-of-place puzzles or sequences that don’t have much else going on. The action is constantly interrupted with cutscenes and brief trips back to base where players are expected to talk to the two-dimensional side characters about the superfluous story.

Ghostrunner does movement better than most games, so it’s puzzling why it insists on branching out into areas it doesn’t specialize in. It doesn’t need an open wasteland full of mindless traversal, repeated treks back to headquarters, lengthy dialogue exchanges, or puzzles. Going into new territory is not a bad idea in theory, but it is questionable when those fresh ideas directly oppose the series’ core tenets. The fast platforming and action are excellent in Ghostrunner and almost everything that doesn’t support that actively impedes it.

Ghostrunner 2 Review: Final Verdict

Ghostrunner 2 goes against its programming by repeatedly slowing down, but it’s still made up of enough of its classic parts. Sprinting and dashing around the neon-lit city while cutting down its many cybernetic forces can be an empowering trip that’s only bolstered by its thumping electronic soundtrack. A strong core like this deserves to be expanded upon more robustly through its new and existing mechanics, which just isn’t the case here. Ghostrunner 2 has taken a few steps forward and a few steps back, but even though it is running in place, it’s still faster than most of its competition.

Fast-paced parkour is still a thrilling trial-and-error exercise that rewards execution
New additions like the motorcycle and wingsuit further expand the core set of tools
Electronic music thumps and matches the tempo of the action
Far too many story sequences slow down the flow
The motorcycle and wingsuit are underutilized
Too many sections are about puzzle solving or filler traversal and not fast parkour, especially the misguided parts outside of the tower

Disclaimer: This Ghostrunner 2 review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.000.001.

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Ghostrunner 2 Release Date Revealed With Pre-Orders and Special Editions

Michael Leri — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:50:30 +0000

October continues to get more and more crowded. One More Level contributed to this by announcing the Ghostrunner 2 release date. The cyberpunk action game is coming out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 26, as shown by its new trailer.

The Ghostrunner 2 release date is just after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

The trailer has some gameplay and sets up the general story, demonstrating a bit of how players will be able to slash and parkour around in the final game. And while not detailed in the footage, the studio also went into other editions players can order. All pre-orders will come with a skin pack that contains two sword skins and two hand skins.

Buy a $50 PlayStationStore Card

The standard edition is going to be available digitally and physically for $39.99, while the $49.99 Deluxe Edition is only on digital storefronts. This more expensive version has four hand skins, four sword skins, and a hand hologram that displays the player’s online ID.

The $69.99 Brutal Edition has all that stuff, as well as early access to the game on October 24, some animated sword and hand skins, a motorcycle skin, and the $19.99 season pass. This season pass will have a new game mode and four packs of cosmetics. The first game did not have a season pass, but did eventually get multiple cosmetic packs and one story-based expansion called Project_Hel that let players control another acrobatic cyborg ninja.

This release date puts Ghostrunner 2 right in the middle of a crowded season. While now a little further from Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Ghostrunner 2 is now less than a week after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, as well as a day before Alan Wake 2. It’s also quite close to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, which is slated for November 10 (and early access to the campaign is around a week earlier).

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Ghostrunner 2 Trailer Has Fast Parkour & Swordplay in a New Setting

Michael Leri — Wed, 24 May 2023 22:01:09 +0000

Ghostrunner 2 was a known quantity, but now One More Level has shown off more of the title at the PlayStation Showcase. This cyber parkour title is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC sometime in 2023.

The Ghostrunner 2 release date window is close

The sequel takes places only a year after the last one and lets runners venture into the “wasteland beyond.” It’ll also still have the “fast-paced-push-forward combat and its signature challenging gameplay,” but will, according to One More Level, be amped up in “every conceivable way.” This includes new vehicular combat, which can be seen in the trailer.

Buy X for $X

Bucking a common industry trend, One More Level had confirmed that Ghostrunner 2 was in production just a few months after the first one came out.

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Control 2 in Development for PS5; Will Be ‘Bigger Budget’

Mack Ashworth — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 12:33:26 +0000

Remedy Entertainment has revealed that it has signed a co-development and co-publishing agreement with 505 Games for Control 2, a “full-blown sequel” to the original release. Control 2 had previously been known as “Codename Heron.” It is to be a “bigger-budget Control game.”

Control 2 confirmed to be in development with 505 Games as co-publisher

The deal between Remedy Entertainment and 505 Games was confirmed in a press release. The piece explains how Control 2’s initial development budget is €50 million and that it will be built using Remedy’s proprietary Northlight engine and tools.

Control 2 will be targeting current-gen hardware including PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. 505 Games will publish Control 2 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, while Remedy will publish the game on PC.

Neither PS4 nor Xbox One are mentioned in the press release, which likely means that the game is being developed exclusively for current-gen systems. There is also no mention of a Nintendo Switch cloud version, despite the first game being available in that way.

Remedy Entertainment is also working on Alan Wake 2, though the developer canceled plans to show it off during the summer.

Get PSLS’ thoughts on Control in the review. Spoilers: Our reviewer wasn’t quite so impressed with the game when compared to our peers.

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Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising Release Date and Data Transfer Details Revealed

Jason Faulkner — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 19:58:38 +0000

The Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes prequel, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, is on its way sooner than expected. Today, the release date was announced alongside new information on how Rising will interact with Hundred Heroes. While we still have a while to wait until the main title is released, this NatsumeAtari developed game seems like it’ll be a good appetizer.

What’s the release date for Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising’s release date is May 10, 2022. It’ll launch worldwide on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Switch for $14.99. Unlike Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, which will be a JRPG in the vein of Suikoden, Rising is a side-scrolling action RPG. It centers around three characters, CJ, Isha, and Garoo, and their efforts to rebuild a town after an earthquake. They’ll also explore the newly uncovered Runebarrows, which contains both treasure and dangers that might threaten the town’s future. The story will also tie into the larger world as indicated by this PR quote:

“Within the Runebarrows hides a deep-rooted conspiracy with shocking ramifications for the Eiyuden Chronicle universe. Prepare for Hundred Heroes’ intricate plot and globe-spanning adventure by playing through the inciting events in Rising.”

Those who play Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising will reap some exclusive rewards when Hundred Heroes launches next year. You’ll receive special cosmetic items, trade goods, and equipment, but the coolest part is the effect you can have on the world. You can name certain weapons and food items in Rising and rediscover them while playing Hundred Heroes.

It’s been 16 years since the last Suikoden game was released, and nothing has come close to scratching the itch of recruiting a huge cast of characters. We’re pumped to play Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising and get a taste of what the creative minds behind Suikoden have in store for us.

In other news, it’s going to be a while before we hear more about Kingdom Hearts 4, and Sega says no to NFTs for now.

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Ghostrunner Project_Hel Expansion Delayed to March

Andrew Kiya — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 18:00:41 +0000

The release date for the upcoming Ghostrunner Project_Hel DLC expansion has been delayed. Originally set for January 27, 2022, the expansion will now release on March 3, 2022. The game is currently available on PS4 and PS5, as well as Xbox consoles, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Ghostrunner DLC expansion delayed for the “safety” of the team

Publisher 505 Games and developers 3D Realms, All in! Games, and One More Level, decided to delay the expansion a week ahead of its original announced release date. The companies announced the delay via the official Ghostrunner Twitter account. According to the official post, the team will use the extra time to further improve the game. Additionally, the delay is to ensure the continued health and safety of the development team and partners in the ongoing pandemic.

The global release of the Project_Hel DLC will be delayed to March 3rd. We appreciate your understanding and want all our fans to know that we will use this bonus time to make even more worthwhile improvements while ensuring the health & safety of our team and global partners. pic.twitter.com/NAf4Zvbo6K

— Ghostrunner (@GhostrunnerGame) January 19, 2022

Project_Hel originally started as a smaller add-on for Ghostrunner, which released in 2020. The expansion later became its own “full-blown Ghostrunner experience”. The player will control Hel, one of the antagonists of the main story, as she goes through Dharma Tower defeating enemies and bosses. Unlike the original Ghostrunner, Hel will be able to withstand an extra attack. Furthermore, developer One More Level is currently developing the sequel title Ghostrunner 2.

In other news, Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone Pacific Season 2 has also been delayed. Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard has also caused Sony’s stock to tank almost $20 Billion in value.

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Leak: Death Stranding Director’s Cut Heading to PC, Will Look Better Than Ever

Andrew Kiya — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 13:02:58 +0000

Death Stranding Director’s Cut will reportedly head to PC sometime in the near future. Alongside various other video game companies such as PUBG Studios and Ubisoft, 505 Games is apparently going to utilize Intel’s new AI-driven upscaling technology with the new PC release.

Death Stranding PC release confirmed?

The information comes from Intel’s leaked press release. If true, the press release should be publicly revealed tomorrow as part of the annual CES 2022 tech conference. The press release primarily revolves around Intel implementing new Arc GPUs in desktop PCs and mobile devices.

Notably, it also mentions that Intel is partnering with several companies in the video game industry. These partnerships will see the implementation of Intel’s XeSS (Xe Super Sampling) technology in various upcoming titles. The new technology is considered a competitor to NVidia’s DLSS, which similarly uses a neural network to upscale images in video games. A notable difference is that XeSS will apparently be open-source.

Technobabble aside, developers at 505 Games will be exclusively implementing the new XeSS tech into Death Stranding Director’s Cut on PC. This confirms the massive NVidia GeForce Now leak from last year, in which the game appeared alongside other now-confirmed PC ports like God of War.

In addition to 505 Games, Intel is also reportedly partnering with Kojima Productions, as well as other studios such as DiRT series creators Codemasters, Illfonic, PUBG Studios, Dying Light‘s Techland, and Ubisoft. If anything, these new partnerships will likely see even greater graphical fidelity and perfomance on PCs, and possibly consoles in the future.

In other news, the PSVR 2 is allegedly set to enter into mass production soon. It was also recently revealed that BioShock creator Ken Levine’s game has been delayed for another two years.

[Source: Videocardz]

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Ghostrunner Project_Hel Expansion Introduces New Campaign and Playable Character in January

Rebecca Smith — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 23:07:33 +0000

First-person cyberpunk action platformer Ghostrunner will be getting a new expansion called Project_Hel. The DLC will add a new campaign with a new playable character and players will be able to get their hands on the expansion at the end of January 2022.

Developed in partnership between 505 Games, One More Level, All In! Games, 3D Realms, and Slipgate Ironworks, the new expansion was originally planned to be a smaller DLC but is now a “full-blown Ghostrunner experience”. One of the game’s original bosses, Hel, is the focus of the DLC (as you may have guessed with its name). Across six new levels, she’ll be descending Dharma Tower while taking on new enemies and bosses. Hel is intended to be more combat oriented and will have her own ability progression system. To help with this, she also has the capability to survive an extra attack compared to the original Ghostrunner Jack.

The expansion will be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna, and PC on January 27, 2022. Before then, the expansion will have a private beta test on unspecified platforms. Those wanting to sign up for the beta can fill out a form but be aware you will need to be a member of the official Ghostrunner Discord and official Ghostrunner subreddit to be considered for selection. The beta will also be under NDA so can not be streamed or shared.

In just a few days time, all players can make use of the free cosmetic Holiday pack that includes festive swords and gloves. Players will get the gift-wrapping inspired Rudolph’s Run and Boon swords, as well as the frosty Solstice katana and the Nini Wonderland blade. Each will have their own matching glove accessory. The DLC pack will be arriving on all platforms in just five days’ time on December 7.

[Source: 505 Games]

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505 Games Signs Publishing Agreement with MercurySteam for Next Game, Currently Titled Project Iron

Rebecca Smith — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:58:13 +0000

505 Games parent company Digital Bros Group has reached an agreement with MercurySteam Entertainment to co-publish and develop the studio’s next title, currently titled Project Iron. The game is aiming to come to multiple platforms worldwide with an as-yet-unrevealed launch date.

Project Iron will be a “third person action RPG set in a dark fantasy world” and will have a €27 million ($30.6 million) budget. No other details on Project Iron are available currently, but this is likely to be the unannounced collaboration revealed during Digital Bros financial report at the end of May. MercurySteam’s last project was Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch, which has garnered plenty of positive reviews. The developer has also developed three titles in the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow franchise.

Raffi and Rami Galante, CEOs of Digital Bros Group, said:

We are thrilled to work with the team at MercurySteam, a proven studio that over the years has created numerous phenomenal IPs – including the recent hit release Metroid Dread in partnership with Nintendo. With MercurySteam’s creative vision and talent and 505 Games extensive experience, gamers can expect a high-quality, captivating and engaging videogame.

Before Metroid Dread, MercurySteam had less success with Spacelords, the free-to-play action title previously known as Raiders of the Broken Planet. The multiplayer online asymmetric adventure pitted a team of four Raiders against Invaders in a battle over an ability enhancing substance called Aleph. Spacelords launched in September 2017 with a free prologue and a premium campaign, with three more campaigns releasing over the following months. When this model “didn’t work as planned,” the team realized the only way they would manage to attract millions of gamers was to change to a free-to-play model. Unfortunately Spacelords never reached those heights, although it still has a small but dedicated player base.

[Source: Digital Bros Digital Entertainment]

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