AEW has teamed up with former WWE 2K developer Yuke’s, which slowly drove that series into mediocrity and showed few interesting ideas after making yearly wrestling games for nearly two decades. Switching brands and losing its framework hasn’t helped things any, as Fight Forever makes a rough first impression as the game is rough in nearly every area. Almost every character looks wonky, the presentation is lacking, and the gameplay is rough right off the bat, especially since characters are invincible anytime they initiate an attack animation.

AEW: Fight Forever only starts getting slightly better once its limitations are clear and after it becomes more evident that it is trying to conjure up memories of WWF: No Mercy and other wrestling games of yesteryear. While the action is quite limited, there’s actually a surprising amount of small details in its wrestler skill system that allows for certain characters to perform springboard attacks and bounce off ring ropes. Sometimes, the quick action clicks and matches start becoming entertaining.

However, these moments are pretty few and far between, as they can only take place in one-on-one battles. Any match with three or more participants in it is a total drag. Tag matches are constantly interrupted after every tag since all four men enter the ring and can last entirely too long since it’s difficult to get a pinfall. The Casino Battle Royale mode is a joke that can’t replicate its real-life counterpart because the game caps off at four people and just turns into a Royal Rumble rip-off. Rather than being engaged with these matches, you have to play in specific ways to get wins, which is limiting. Some of these win conditions include going for a pinfall right as an opponent locks in a lengthy move that stops them from breaking up a pin attempt and using weapons to quickly knock out every person in a four-way match.

So much of the game is dated, and that’s by design, as nearly every poor element can be explained by the phrase, “That’s how No Mercy did it.” But it’s not the year 2000 anymore, and wrestling fans should expect better from a game than to hold up a 20-year-old release as the pinnacle of the genre. All that’s really new to the genre is a collection of mindless minigames that would be the low point of the worst Mario Party game.

Rather than trying to innovate, AEW: Fight Forever is content with playing a cheap nostalgia card. That’s not even an effective card to play, either, as No Mercy didn’t feel like a poor product when it was released. AEW: Fight Forever should’ve attempted to recapture the feeling of first playing No Mercy rather than basing so many decisions off a dated framework.

The only mode with any meat to it is its main single-player offering called Road to Elite. It’s a quick take on a career mode that only takes place over a year and can be finished in around three or four hours. The idea itself isn’t terrible: pick an existing wrestler — or create your own one via its severely limited creation suite — and then see how their first year goes.

However, there are only 12 story possibilities that are mixed in during each playthrough, and most of them rely on terrible multi-man matches (including one that was a miserable one-on-three match that I only was able to win via count out). It’s relatively neat seeing stories like The Inner Circle’s alliance with MJF and the first AEW Championship match play out inside the game, but there’s little in terms of replay value here.

With the only real mode being a total miss, players are left playing exhibition matches or facing off against others online. It’s severely lacking content and giving players a reason to play. Everything can easily be unlocked in the shop after just a few hours of play, so there’s no reason to grind out matches. It’s a shame since, even though the limited female roster mostly relegates them to intergender matches, the male roster is pretty solid, and there aren’t many ways to utilize them outside of repeatedly playing meaningless matches.

AEW: Fight Forever Review: The final verdict

AEW: Fight Forever tries its best to invoke one of the most beloved wrestling games, but it’s a pale imitation that doesn’t live up to that legacy. The occasionally entertaining match doesn’t make up for most of the game feeling like an annoying chore to complete, and this doesn’t even seem like a particularly strong core to build off for a sequel. Wrestling fans deserve better, and developer Yuke’s continues to deliver middling games within the genre regardless of the brand it is associated with.

Disclaimer: This AEW: Fight Forever review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 1.001.000.

The post AEW: Fight Forever Review (PS5): Empty Nostalgia appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Players start Ghost Trick just as confused as Sissel, who has lost his memories after waking up dead. Thanks to another spirit in the form of a helpful and mysterious lamp, players are soon on the path to learning about their own death by using a variety of “ghost tricks.” It’s a unique system that has Sissel possessing objects to move the plot forward and get through scenarios without seeing innocent people die. Each chapter presents different objects and scenarios that stretch the mechanics, so the game always feels fresh while new layers of the plot are slowly peeled back and start to connect together.

Ghost Trick has a lot in common with adventure games of old, but its puzzles are laid out much differently. While classics like Day of the Tentacle still hold up, many of the solutions were nonsensical at best, and players resorted to trial and error to figure out how to move the game forward. That isn’t the case here, as the logic throughout is sound, and there are no huge surprises in how two things might interact despite the results still being as equally humorous at times.

Much of the game revolves around changing fate, as Sissel can go back four minutes before a person’s recent death. By watching closely how scenes play out and then noting what can be possessed, players can save lives — although the new situations that arise often become just as dire in a true “out of the frying pan into the fire” scenario. Figuring out the right combination of tricks and, more importantly, the timing of them as the situations play out again in real-time, is extremely satisfying even all these years later.

Every aspect of Phantom Detective gels together as players become quickly attached to its cast of eccentric characters. There’s an inherent connection built after seeing someone meet their grisly demise because of the humbling humanity death brings to us all, and the writing excels because it is from an era of Capcom that was putting its best foot forward with fantastic localizations. It is filled with memorable characters such as Missile, an always-barking Pomeranian that wants nothing more than to say, “Welcome!” and save his owner, that are just as fun as its cast of silly assassins with names like Near-Sighted Jeego and One-Step-Ahead Tengo. The cast and plot continually build off each other and ensure that Ghost Trick’s narrative is as consistent as it is strong.

Every story beat and character interaction is brought to life via some truly spectacular animation. Ghost Trick is dripping with personality, and while it’s hard to not miss the pixelated look of the original DS game, it all looks smoother than ever with the HD art — which has origins from the iOS port. This PS4 port also includes a series of bonus panel puzzles from the iOS version called Ghost Puzzles, which are a nice bonus for those who only played the DS version but aren’t much of a selling point otherwise, as they’re just a recreation of game scenes.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Review: The final verdict

Ghost Trick’s cohesion is why it is so special. The gameplay connects cleanly into its story, which ties together neatly and wraps up so well with an unforgettable, heartstring-pulling twist. I vividly recall beating the game and tearing up while in a parking lot a decade ago, and it’s nice to re-experience these emotions on the big screen. This is a lovely port of a timeless classic that deserves to be played by all, so change your own fate by picking it up since it’s a special game from start to finish.

Disclaimer: This Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective review is based on a PS4 copy provided by the publisher.

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Rumble has a solid tutorial that lays out the basics: you collect Wumpa Fruit around the map then take it to your home base to bank it. It’s simple, but there is a team of four other players attempting to do the same thing and get in your way. Its depth comes from collecting relics to exchange for power-ups and activating (and defending) gem platforms for added bonuses, which gives games some level of basic strategy. However, the core accessibility remains the Rumble’s largest strength, as it is easy to rope a friend in and have fun quickly rather than having to explain a convoluted system of checks and balances.

The levels are mostly rather colorful, taking inspiration from familiar locales seen in the platformer entries. From canyons to beaches to evil lairs, there’s a nice variety that pulls from the series’ strong art style. What makes each map interesting, though, is that each has a different set of power-ups. From being able to summon buffs that make your characters larger to bringing in enemies that attack the opposite team’s base, there’s a nice balance of offensive and defensive skills that give each map more of their own personality. It’s easy to focus purely on collecting fruit, so teams that have a balanced plan of attack that also cash in their relics will be at an advantage.

It’s largely the on-the-field strategy that decides matches, although team construction can also make or break a bout. For example, a team of four Crash Bandicoots is going to get destroyed by a more well-balanced team since the titular mascot lacks attack power and is better at platforming. It’s important to also have a character like Dingodile because he lives up to his class type of being a blocker and is able to go to play defense at the enemy’s base. A great team going against a poorly prepared one can make a huge difference and even lead to a perfect game, which happened to me during the game’s beta.

Crash Team Rumble truly shines during close, competitive matches when all of these factors are in play and both teams are utilizing their abilities effectively. Banking a game-winning score at the last second or getting revenge on an annoying rival N. Brio is where the game comes alive and is at its best. It’s obviously ideal to play with a group of four people that you actually know, but there’s still charm in playing with randoms — even if it is frustrating when those randoms play selfishly or silently switch to a different role at the last moment.

The biggest question mark for Crash Team Rumble is whether or not it will have staying power. There’s not a ridiculous amount of content here, after all. It only has a handful of characters for each class (most have to be unlocked, too), and there aren’t a ton of maps, either. The progression system isn’t even that great of a hook since most of the alternate skins are ugly and worse than the default designs.

But the game is mechanically sound, so hopefully servers will stay active while it receives its planned post-launch support of two (and possibly more) seasons. That’s certainly the hope, but more multiplayer games die than survive, so it remains to be seen what Crash Team Rumble’s fate will be.

Crash Team Rumble Review: The final verdict

Regardless of its question-mark-filled future, Crash Team Rumble is an uncomplicated, yet entertaining multiplayer experience. Crash and the other characters all control well and the core systems are solid, meaning there’s enough here even if you’re not a bandicoot-obsessed fan that knows the difference between Aku Aku and Uka Uka. The appeal doesn’t go far beyond that, though. It’s hard to imagine wanting to sink hundreds of hours into it since the simplicity that makes it approachable keeps it from true greatness. Yet not every game has to become a new obsession, and Crash Team Rumble is content to be just another, if comparatively brief, addition to you and your friend’s game night routine.

Disclaimer: This Crash Team Rumble review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 1.000.102.

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The patent has since been taken out of context, with many equating the Diablo 4 developer to using AI to generate art entirely from the ground up. Complaints have even come from former Blizzard employees. However, that isn’t truly the case, as Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Ybarra explained.

“Blizzard will always strive to maintain Blizzard quality. You’re trying to associate recent AI advances (generative AI) to something completely unrelated,” said Ybarra, addressing AI art complaints from former Blizzard Entertainment associate game designer Eric Covington, who worked for the company in various roles from May 2014 to March 2023. “Our approach at Blizzard is to use machine learning and AI in ways that are additive, empathic, and allow our talented teams to spend more time on the highest quality creative thinking and tasks.”

Is Blizzard using AI art in its games?

Hearthstone Design Manager Brendan Sewell would also clarify what the AI is being used for, while criticizing the article for not linking to the actual patent by Blizzard. As the patent shows, it is using AI to apply the style of an image and create variant textures rather than creating art itself. This is quite different than the AI art seen created by prompts. So the overall concern seems misguided in this case.

“I suspect a lot of this would be cleared up had the patent the article was about actually been linked in the article. This isn’t AI art,” said Seqell. “The ethics considerations of this are about the same as the ethics of a Photoshop filter. It’s a tool to save time creating variant textures.”

The post Blizzard President Issues Statement, Debunks Diablo 4 Dev Using ‘AI Art’ appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

How long is the Gollum video game?

A single playthrough of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will take around 20 hours according to producer Harald Riegler. This game length estimate is for a “relaxed playthrough,” though, and is said to be for players that are looking to explore its environments. That means it will likely be shorter for those that don’t take their time and are just looking to see it to the end.

“A relaxed playthrough of the game with exploration of the beautifully crafted environments and listening to dialogues will take around 20 hours,” Riegler told GamingBolt of the Gollum game length. “Avid adventure players will be able to finish the game faster, but we advise everyone to take their time and breathe the air of Middle-earth.”

Our sister site ComingSoon recently went hands-on with the Gollum game and didn’t come away impressed.

“Even in a limited demo, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum‘s simple stealth and traversal gameplay systems weren’t promising,” said the preview. “But they might not have to hold up the entire experience if the intriguing premise is able to come through and provide a look into this mostly unexplored part of the fiction. It’s a lot to ask, but a game set in The Lord of the Rings‘ world deserves at least that if the gameplay doesn’t hold up.”

The post The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Game Length Revealed appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

As the birthday celebration notes, Toro’s favorite food is chūtoro, which is medium fatty tuna that is served in sushi restaurants. As a result, Sony asked fans to fill their replies with sushi and fish emojis to celebrate Toro Inoue’s special day.

Check out Sony’s celebration of PlayStation mascot Toro Inoue’s birthday below:

Who is Toro Inoue, the PlayStation mascot?

One of Sony’s early mascots, Toro Inoue is a white cat with an oversized head and a chibi design style. The Sony Computer Entertainment Japan mascot originally appeared as the main character of 1999’s Doko Demo Issyo. He’d later star in the 2006 PlayStation 3 talk show game Mainichi Issho alongside Kuro. It’d receive a sequel in Weekly Toro Station in 2009. Since then, he’s been seen in a pair of free downloadable games: PlayStation Vita’s Toro’s Friend Network and the mobile puzzler Toro Puzzle.

As seen in the artwork above, Toro often appears alongside Kuro, who is his black cat neighbor. Both Toro and Kuro made playable guest appearances in Street Fighter X Tekken, which saw Toro mimic Ryu while Kuro opted to fight like Kazuya. The duo would also make appearances in PlayStation All-Star Battle Royale, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F, White Knight Chronicles 2, the PlayStation version of Phantasy Star Online 2, and as DLC in Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational. Most recently, the characters have been seen in Destiny of Spirits, Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, and Super Bomberman R.

The post PlayStation Japan Mascot Toro Inoue Celebrates Birthday, Needs Fish appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Developed by WolfEye Studios, Weird West was praised by critics and players alike for its replayability and the options it gave players. It arrives soon as the publisher revealed that it will come out May 8 on both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Weird West PS5 version will also run at 60 frames per second at a 4K resolution.

Check out the Weird West PS5 announcement below:

What is Weird West about?

“Discover a dark fantasy reimagining of the Wild West where lawmen and gunslingers share the frontier with fantastical creatures. Journey through the story of a group of atypical heroes, written into legend by the decisions you make in an unforgiving land. Each journey is unique and tailored to the actions taken – a series of high stakes adventures where everything counts and the world reacts to the choices you make. Form a posse or venture forth alone into an otherworldly confines of the Weird West and make each legend your own,” says the official description.

“Weird West: Dark Fantasy reimagining of the Wild West where lawmen and gunslingers share the frontier with fantastical creatures, each playing with their own rules and their own peculiar motives.”

The post Weird West PS5 Port Given Release Date, Impressive Tech Specs appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The Kao the Kangaroo Bend the Rooles DLC will feature five new levels for the platformer. In total, the DLC adds 11 trophies: 9 bronze and two silvers. There’s a bronze for beating each level on both easy and hard mode, plus one for collecting all of the diamonds. Additionally, there are silver trophies for defeating the Crab King boss and finding the frozen pirate, which is a reference to Kao 2.

Check out the trophies below (via PSNProfiles):

• Island Runner — Bronze
  • Complete Waterfall Islands (Easy Mode)
• Island Sprinter — Bronze
  • Complete Waterfall Islands (Hard Mode)
• Floor is Lava — Bronze
  • Complete Volcano Peaks (Easy Mode)
• Volcano Rush — Bronze
  • Complete Volcano Peaks (Hard Mode)
• Night Vision — Bronze
  • Complete Forsaken Monastery (Easy Mode)
• Knock-to-vision — Bronze
  • Complete Forsaken Monastery (Hard Mode)
• A new perspective — Bronze
  • Complete Twisted Hideout (Easy Mode)
• Perspective Shift — Bronze
  • Complete Twisted Hideout (Hard Mode)
• Royal Nap — Silver
  • Defeat the Crab King
• Diamond fever — Bronze
  • Collect all diamonds in the Bend The Roo’les
• Familiar Face — Silver
  • Find frozen pirate from Kao 2

Full Bend the Rooles DLC information

“Rules are meant to be broken, but rooles are meant to be played. Turning Kao the Kangaroo upside down, ‘Bend the Roo’les’ is a whole new way to experience the neck-stretching, snoot-booping furry icon. It’s the only way you can bend all the rules without doing something illegal! You’ve never seen Kao like this before!” reads the official description for the Kao the Kangaroo Bend the Rooles DLC.

“The Eternal Warrior may have been defeated, but the influence of the Eternal World remains! The largest—and grumpiest—of crabs has become infused with the power of the Eternal World. He seeks to use it to rid the island of all kangaroos and thus be able to indulge in his favorite hobby… sleeping. This power bestowed in the giant crab has granted him physical abilities that he uses to control all the crabs and small creatures around him to become… THE CRAB KING.

“Only Kao has what it takes to stand up to the click-clacking menace! Will Kao be able defeat the Crab King?! Will the Enteral World ever be truly banished!?! Find it out in Kao the Kangaroo: Bend the Roo’les!”

The post Kao the Kangaroo Bend the Rooles Trophies Reveal DLC Details appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Releasing in July 2023 after the release of Street Fighter 6, the book is in full color and will span 32 pages. The cheapest versions are $4.99, although the online exclusive Roxy bikini variant costs $50, and several other variants clock in at $20. The issue is available to pre-order now on Udon Entertainment’s website.

Check out the different Street Fighter Swimsuit Special covers below:

Who appears in the Street Fighter bikini issue?

“The World Warriors return for another fun-filled summer swimwear spectacular!” reads the synopsis for the Street Fighter Swimsuit Special. “Fan favorites like Chun-Li, Cammy, and Juri are joined by Street Fighter 6 newcomers including supermodel judoka Manon, graffiti ninja Kimberly, and wrestling behemoth Marisa! Featuring pin-up artwork from UDON artists and friends of the studio such as Genzoman, Andrea Cofrancesco, Chamba, Conto, Panzer, Keenbiscuit, Edwin Huang, and many more!”

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Check out the full list of Killing Floor: Incursion trophies below:

Platinum

• A through Zed
  Earn all other Trophies including hidden trophies.

Gold

• You Got Anything Harder?
  Beat game on Hardcore (Hard mode).
• Everyone Trusts their Corporate Overlords
  Give the data to Emma/Patriarch
• Everyone Trusts People in Gas Masks
  Give the data to Foster
• No Choice is Still a Choice
  Get the “Do Nothing” Ending
• Holdout Gold
  Get 7000 points in Holdout.
• Holdout Diamond
  Get 10000 points in Holdout.

Silver

• Holdout Silver
  Get 5000 points in Holdout.
• Both Ways, Through Ten Feet of Snow
  Kill a Fleshpound with only knives and pistols.
• I Think I’m a Clone Now
  Beat Biotics in Co-op.
• Paris is for Lovers… of Carnage
  Beat Paris in Co-op.
• Never Go Caving Alone
  Beat Catacombs in Co-op.
• More Hands Make Light Slaughter
  Beat Farmhouse in Co-op.
• Up Close and Personal
  Beat a map with only melee attacks.

Bronze

• Bullets-For-Everyone Time
  Get 5 kills while in Zed Time.
• Alone in the Dark
  Beat Catacombs in Solo.
• Better Living Through Mad Science
  Beat Biotics in Solo.
• Fashion Kills
  Beat Paris in Solo.
• Gunplay is the Best Play
  Beat a map with only guns.
• Blood Harvest
  Beat Farmhouse in Solo.
• Cheap Shot
  Kill a boss in Holdout in 1 shot.
• Holdout Bronze
  Get 2000 points in Holdout.
• Just a Flesh Wound
  Completely dismember a Zed.
• Throw the Grenade, Not the Pin
  Blow yourself up with a grenade.
• Stop Hitting Yourself
  Dual-wield Zed limbs.
• Not That Kind of Simulation
  Stroke the axe “5” number of times consecutively
• It Slices, it Dices, it Flies!
  Kill a Zed at long range with a thrown knife.
• Big Trouble in Little Zedville
  Kill a Husk with a thrown knife.
• Bringing a Knife to a Chainsaw Fight
  Kill a Scrake with only knives.
• You Ain’t Got Time to Bleed
  Revive your partner in co-op.

Killing Floor: Incursion is set to release May 1, 2018 for PlayStation VR.

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