Horizon: Burning Shores Metacritic review bombing continues

At the time of writing, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores currently has a User Score of 3.2 based on 1,374 ratings.

Many of the negative reviews target Aloy’s “sexual orientation” and a “political agenda.” One comment claims that the game has been “ruined by the gay agenda.” Another comment states that “the love storyline is there just to push LGTB agenda in your face.”

Very few of the outright “0” scores talk about anything other than the small moment shared by Aloy and Seyka. There’s no mention of any performance, visual presentation, or gameplay.

In contrast to the User Scores, the expansion’s actual Metacritic score (based on verified critics) sits at a very healthy 82.

Hopefully the war being raged between review bombers and Metacritic will end sooner rather than later. For now, though, it seems that naysayers are determined to continue the barrage of zeroes. In the 15 minutes spent writing this post, 14 more ratings have been added.

The post Horizon: Burning Shores Review Bomb Rages On, Metacritic Score Lowered to 3.2 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Tools of the trade

Dead Island 2 keeps things simple. Zombies are infesting Los Angeles and it’s up to the resistant player to go around killing them, all the while helping locals with their own survival efforts. The story does enough to move things forward and justify traversing to and from the 10 districts, but I didn’t find myself invested in the characters or caring much about their survival.

This horror game leans more on comedy than on exploring the bonds of remaining humans. Think more Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland, than 28 Days Later or The Last of Us. Dead Island 2’s characters are funny, but pretty stupid, as are the errands they task players with.

Missions are fairly basic in structure and players get to do a bunch of fetching. Thankfully, the foundation of the gameplay, an extremely satisfying combat system, helps give Dead Island 2 a huge boost.

Powered by the “FLESH” system, combat is easily the best thing about Dead Island 2. Weapons hit hard, with blunt instruments slamming into zombies and sending them flying. Sharpened blades cut through enemies just as brilliantly, causing blood to gush out. And these are just the standard weapons, as the action only gets more entertaining when elemental damage is introduced.

Pick a card, any card

There are six characters to choose from, all of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. While there are differences between them, it quickly became clear to me that there are only two things you really need to worry about when making your selection. First, whether they Dodge or Block, as each character can only do one of these actions. Second, how they sound, as some characters are voiced better than others. I landed on Jacob as my favorite, both for his dodging and British accent.

Dead Island 2’s skill tree takes the form of cards that players choose from. There’s no deck-building or anything like that, it’s just a U.I. shift that functions in much the same way as traditional perk and ability trees.

Some skill cards are better than others, though my favorites enhance the player’s dodge/block abilities. As Jacob, I can weave and dodge a series of incoming attacks, recovering some health, before going on the counter-attack and enjoying increased damage with each subsequent hit I land.

Looks to die for

Visually, Dead Island 2 looks remarkable. The LA environments are beautifully rendered and the devs have clearly worked hard to add subtle details to each space. It’s hard not to explore each new room, as handcrafted scenarios hide in wait. An influencer’s bedroom, for example, features a whiteboard with a script for a not-so-sincere apology video, which I found especially hilarious.

The game runs well, too, with PS5 hitting the 60 FPS mark with very few hiccups. Perhaps the smaller levels help keep gameplay smooth? Whatever magic is going on here, Dead Island 2 achieves 60 FPS and looks good doing it, which really helps to sell those brutal melee swings.

What works well as a single-player game works even better in co-op. Up to two other players can be brought in to assist with the zombie slaying. Finding other players or having them join has worked flawlessly in my experience. It’s just unfortunate that you need to get through an hour or so of gameplay before you can invite your buddies in, which is always annoying.

Dead Island 2 Review: The final verdict

The odds were stacked against Dead Island 2, and yet here stands a solid zombie game with a compelling combat system that delivers exactly what I’m looking for when it comes to hitting the undead with a big stick. It’s gory, gruesome, and a ton of fun with friends.

Aside from the winning combat formula, however, Dead Island 2 doesn’t push the envelope in any other noteworthy ways. It’s a very safe game, which was perhaps the wisest decision made by Dambuster Studios and Deep Silver, given the development hell that the game has been through since its 2014 reveal. I’d count that a win, all things considered!

The post Dead Island 2 Review (PS5) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Call of Duty: The Board Game announced with trailer

The video teaser embedded above offers a taste of the characters and time periods that will be explored. We can see the fan-favorite Ghost character, in addition to what seems like a WWII soldier.

Though very little information is given away in the trailer, the video’s description does offer some more details:

Get ready for the ultimate Call of Duty tabletop experience! We’re excited to announce the upcoming release of “Call of Duty: The Board Game”, a thrilling new strategy game based on the popular video game franchise. With intense combat, tactical planning, and stunning artwork featuring miniatures of iconic soldiers and weapons from the series, this game is sure to satisfy any Call of Duty fan. Keep an eye out for the Kickstarter launch in late summer 2023 and be among the first to experience this epic board game!

Call of Duty: The Board Game will first be seen on Kickstarter during summer 2023. Those interested in it can sign up here to get more information as and when it becomes available.

While waiting for the board game to launch, why not read up on the latest pay-to-win antics going on in Warzone 2? And here’s what the latest Modern Warfare update fixed and improved.

The post Official Call of Duty Board Game Revealed, Launching on Kickstarter appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Horizon: Burning Shores Toy Bow Easter egg

The Horizon: Burning Shores Toy Bow Easter egg seems to have first been discovered by Reddit user AlbusDumbldor, who shared images of Aloy wielding the pink and purple bow, as well as helpful screenshots of the map displaying the location.

For those that have played through The Last of Us 2, the Toy Bow will be recognized from a fun downtime sequence taking place at the aquarium. It stands out with its garish colorway in both TLOU2 and Burning Shores.

While the Toy Bow isn’t very powerful, I imagine some players will be trying to use it to take down some of Horizon’s most vicious enemies. Hopefully we’ll see some gameplay videos of that over the next week or so!

As for what’s next for Horizon, the future isn’t yet clear. The biggest question revolves around Sylens, as the actor who portrayed him, Lance Reddick, has sadly passed away. It’s clear that Horizon 3 had big plans for the character, so it will be interesting to see what happens there.

The post Horizon: Burning Shores The Last of Us 2 Bow Easter Egg Discovered appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Crash Team Rumble tips and tricks

• Boosts are stackable depending on what map you’re on
  • Gem pads boost your score, but there is huge boost potential by capturing all of the gem pad clusters on one map. 
  • Pro Tip: Be sure you and your team collects and banks as much Wumpa as possible while the boost is active, to fully benefit from the boost. 
• Fighting is only a means to an end: scoring is what counts
  • The name of the game is scoring – so defense is just as important as offense.
  • Victory is a much harder task without a blocker. The blocker’s main goal is to prevent the other team from scoring at their Wumpa bank. How can a team win if they can’t bank their Wumpa?!
  • Pro Tip: The Gasmoxian Guard is a blocker’s best friend. Blocker’s should have their Gasmoxian Guard set up camp at the other team’s Wumpa bank, making it extremely difficult for the other team to score. 
• Relic Stations can swing the match
  • If a game is close, the Relic Station can make all the difference – rolling over enemies, catapulting around a map, and more. 
  • Pro Tip: Collect as many relics as possible early to use on epic stations for game changing results later in the match when it becomes more crucial.
• Use the whole map
  • Don’t be afraid to explore and see what’s available in all of the corners of the map.
  • Pro Tip: Don’t forget to explore the map vertically. Check out the views from a higher point, you never know, you may find a new way to help your team from a bird’s eye perspective.
• Your hero’s powers matter
  • Specific powers can take roles to the next level, choose wisely. Some powers are meant to compliment a hero – ie. golden Wumpa for a scorer, Gasmoxian Guard for a blocker, etc.
  • Pro Tip: Placement of a power can make all the difference, be strategic.

Following its reveal during The Game Awards four months ago, passionate Crash Bandicoot fans have no doubt been wondering what exactly Team Rumble is all about. Well, with a beta soon to be available, they will shortly be able to find out.

Wondering if Crash Team Rumble is any good and not interested in playing the closed beta to find out? Well, you can read our early hands-on impressions here.

The post Crash Team Rumble Tips Shared by Developer Ahead of Beta Release appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Humanity confirmed for PS Plus Game Catalog

Announced with a quirky trailer, Humanity’s May 16 PlayStation release date has been confirmed. (This is the day after Marvel’s Spider-Man is scheduled to be removed.)

As noted in the trailer’s description, the trailer is intended to recreate the “wild – and brilliant – Japanese PlayStation ad campaigns of the PS1 and PS2 era.”

Humanity will be available for PS5 and PS4, with optional features available to those with a PSVR 2 or PSVR headset.

As for what else will be coming to the Game Catalog in May, that still remains a mystery. New games should be announced soon, which PlayStation LifeStyle will no doubt be quick to report on.

It’s not all good news when it comes to the PS Plus Game Catalog, however, as four more games have been confirmed to be leaving the service in May.

The post Humanity Is a PS Plus May 2023 Day One Game Catalog Release appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Horizon’s Aloy confirmed as queer

Sharing a kiss with Seyka, the new female companion introduced in the Burning Shores DLC, Aloy confirms that she is queer.

You can watch the kissing scene in the video embedded below (via Gaming with Abyss):

Seyka says that she has feelings for Aloy, to which Aloy can say that she feels the same way, isn’t ready for a relationship, or that it “is too much for me.”

Horizon fans may recall the interactions between Aloy and Petra, a member of the Oseram tribe who appears in both Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. Her conversations with Aloy often included not-so-subtle innuendos and flirtatious behavior. However, their relationship went no further than sharing a couple of drinks.

In the Burning Shores DLC, developer Guerrilla Games not only gave Aloy a new companion, but also a new love interest. It will be interesting to see how Aloy and Seyka’s relationship evolves.

While Seyka is likely to be part of future Horizon games, the future of Lance Reddick’s Sylens is less certain. With the actor passing away, it’s unclear what will happen to Sylens, as the Burning Shores DLC made it clear that the foe-turned-friend was going to have a major role in the next release.

The post Aloy’s Sexual Identity Confirmed in Horizon: Burning Shores DLC appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

PS5 Firmware 23.01-07.20.00 Patch Notes

• We’ve improved system software performance and stability.
• We’ve improved the messages and usability on some screens.
• We’ve updated the DualSense Edge wireless controller device software to improve stability.

The usual copy-and-pasted “improved system software performance and stability” appears, as expected, but it is joined by two other details.

First, the messaging system has been improved. It should now be easier to use on certain screens. Secondly, the new DualSense Edge controller has received its own update to “improve stability.”

The 1.15 GB size may have led some users to think that there’s something more to this update, but from the initial patch notes, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

For those who have been having stability issues with either the PS5 console or DualSense Edge controller, hopefully this update helps.

It’s not only PlayStation hardware that is receiving updates, as Horizon Forbidden West got a patch that readies it for the launch of the Burning Shores expansion and also adds some great accessibility features.

The post PS5 Firmware Update 7.2 Is Out Now, 1.15 GB in Size appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Horizon Forbidden West 1.21 patch notes

New accessibility features

• Enlarging Subtitles
• Auto-Pickup
• Color Blindness settings
• Auto camera
• Navigation assist in Focus Mode
• Thalassophobia mode
• Additional accessibility features

New expansion (PS5 only)

• Support for Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores expansion has been added.

While the Burning Shores expansion was expected, the new accessibility features were not. They are certainly a nice surprise and should help to make the game easier to play, expanding the potential audience of Aloy’s story.

Personally, I’m very happy to see Auto-Pickup added. Looting one item might not take long, but thousands of items during a playthrough must surely add up to a significant chunk of time. Now players don’t have to worry about spamming the triangle button after every kill or over every wild resource, which should hopefully mean fewer items left behind.

Those on PS5 who are waiting to download the Burning Shores expansion will want to make room for the sizeable installation.

Once Burning Shores has been downloaded and installed, it will soon be time to meet new companion Seyka.

The post Horizon Forbidden West Update 1.21 Adds Burning Shores DLC, Auto-Pickup, and More appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Horizon Forbidden West Horus fight teaser

Despite there now being two Horizon games featuring Horus machines, Aloy has never been given the chance to take one on in combat. This might be due to the fact that the Horus is a world-ending machine that would surely destroy Aloy with next to no effort, but it’s still a battle that many fans no doubt want to see.

Well, in the Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores expansion, Aloy will somehow go up against a Horus and, presumably, live to tell the tale. Perhaps that interesting new weapon attached to her arm is responsible for her survival? Maybe that’s a powerful Horus-destroying weapon that we haven’t seen before.

Players won’t have to wait long to play the new expansion as it’s set to launch on April 19, exclusively for PS5.

If you want to play the Burning Shores DLC when it launches, make sure you’ve beaten the main story!

The post Huge Horus Fight Teased in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Launch Trailer appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.