Features

Demon’s Souls to Dark Souls III: Ranking the Series

Published

April 11, 2017

Joseph Berida

If you need proof that gamers don’t want just mindless entertainment spoon-fed to them, take a look at the success of the Souls games. GadgetMatch is here to look back at the recently concluded hardcore action RPG franchise, ranking every game from worst to best.

5. Dark Souls II

As the direct sequel to the industry-changing Dark Souls, Dark Souls II had a lot to live up to. It didn’t.

It has an overabundance of forgettable boss battles. It has too many levels that rely on throwing waves of bad guys at the player from all angles. It also looks the worst. Muddy, low-res textures make the environments look fake. Baddies have a wind-up toy feel because of their clunky animation.

But even as the worst in the series, Dark Souls II is still a good game. The HD re-release Scholar of the First Sin does a lot to alleviate the problems of the original. Touched-up graphics, remixed enemy encounters, a more fleshed out story, and all three amazing DLC packed in make it the definitive version.

4. Demon’s Souls

Demon’s Souls introduced a lot of elements that fans have come to love about the series: intricate castles and caverns filled with devious traps and larger-than-life bosses, calculated sword-and-sorcery combat, the risk/reward tension of exploration and self-preservation, and a revolutionary online multiplayer system that let players help or fight each other. Experiencing all this was a revelation for PS3 owners.

Going back to Demon’s Souls though after playing the later games reveals the primitive design. Ambushes are telegraphed a mile away to experienced players. Enemies can’t withstand constant pressure. Most boss battles have one neat solution that make quick work of them on repeat playthroughs. Magic is OP!

But nothing will take away the thrill of conquering Boletaria Palace for the very first time.

3. Dark Souls III

Of the Dark Souls trilogy, the final chapter is the most refined gameplay-wise. Dark Souls III cherrypicks from all its predecessors’ mechanics while presenting novel ways to overcome demons and dragons and all sorts of foul, twisted evils. This combination of quality features results in the most fun-to-play Dark Souls game.

It is certainly the grandest, taking players across distant lands and distorted timelines, and serving up the biggest and baddest bosses to conclude the epic story.

And yet at times, it feels like the creators were getting burnt out. There aren’t many surprises, especially for diehard fans who’ve played all the older games multiple times. Familiarity reduces fear, which is as much of a Souls hallmark as the difficulty. At the very least, developers From Software are leaving the series on a good note.

2. Dark Souls

Although Demon’s Souls came first, it wasn’t until Dark Souls was released did video games at large feel the seismic shift this storied franchise caused. Unlike Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls wasn’t exclusive to the PS3. It also came out on the Xbox 360 and PC, garnering a much bigger audience that was thirsty for something different from brain-dead shooters and tedious RPGs that dominated the market circa 2011. And boy was Dark Souls different.

Gamers used to the comforts of contemporary games were dropped into a mysterious land that punishes thoughtless play. You don’t get a guided tutorial that explains what you can do. There is no map with objective markers telling you where to go. Whenever you die, all the enemies you kill come back to life. Checkpoints are few and far between. You can’t manually save your progress, and the game auto-saves the moment you do anything, so you can’t just load an older save to undo a mistake. You can’t even pause the game at all!

None of that stopped millions of players from facing the game’s myriad trials, plumbing the depths of the fantastical interconnected kingdom of Lordran, and discovering the simple satisfaction of earning hard-fought victories.

1. Bloodborne

It’s only fitting that the best Souls game is a spin-off and doesn’t even have “Souls” in the name. Bloodborne takes the core components of Dark Souls, discards everything that slows things down, and turns up the dial on speed, style, and story. The result? Fast-paced, hyper-focused action in a nightmarish plane of existence dripping with atmosphere and intrigue.

Forget the hundreds of useless gear that only have the slightest variations. Each weapon in Bloodborne is wholly unique, with “trick modes” that add another dimension to fighting. Guns replace shields, and lost health is recovered when you immediately strike back against foes, forcing more aggressive play. Toss out the tired “grimdark Lord of the Rings” aesthetic. Bloodborne goes all Brutalist Victorian, deftly mixing the Gothic stylings of werewolves and vampires with the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft.

There are no weak, throwaway, and unfinished levels. All the bosses have something special about them. The optional Chalice Dungeons present a series first with their ever-changing areas and randomized loot. The Old Hunters DLC is a masterclass of expansions, supplementing the main game with lengthy and meaningful content. The music is sinister and stirring.

Most important of all, Bloodborne recaptures the essential sensation of trying to survive in an unknown, uncaring, and uncompromising world.

[irp posts=”11926″ name=”Best Video Games of 2017 (Q1 Edition)”]

Features

DUO more with the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024

Make things easy

Published

April 25, 2024

GadgetMatch

We are fans of what ASUS did with their latest dual screen offering — the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024. The Zenbook Duo isn’t exactly new. ASUS has been adding extra screens to their laptops whenever they can — but never quite like this.

You see, ASUS managed to put a literal second display but still make it compact enough to fit most bags with provision for 14-inch laptops. As cliché as it sounds, the Zenbook DUO 2024 is an engineering marvel.

However, it’s more than just a gimmick. In our review, we noted how the form factor lent to a slight boost in productivity despite us not maximizing the product just yet. With that, let us share with you our favorite things about the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024.

A unique mode for every scenario

A built-in, sturdy kick-stand unlocks the many possibilities available to the Zenbook DUO 2024. Some of the modes are: Laptop, Dual Screen, Desktop, and Sharing.

Each one lends itself nicely to different work and media consumption scenarios. Don’t feel like showing off? Keep things discreet and save some battery life with laptop mode.

Need two screens? Switch to either Dual Screen or Desktop mode to take advantage of more screen real estate.

Presenting something to someone across the table? Sharing mode lays the laptop flat allowing for easier viewing.

The ability to morph to different modes depending on your needs is astounding. The best thing is that it is both functional and can serve as an ice breaker.

TWICE Momo and LE SSERAFIM Chaewon <3

Oh and we’ll never tire of sharing how the Desktop mode is perfect for watching two K-Pop fancams at the same time.

Screen Xpert for the dual displays

This form factor won’t work without the right software support backing it. To that end, ASUS made Screen Xpert. What it does is essentially let you adjust the layout of the apps according to your needs.

You can have up to four (4) apps live viewed at the same time. For our part, we usually only divided the screen to two, using one to reference a review guide or press release while writing news articles and/or reviews.

But if you’re monitoring certain things, this will be pretty helpful having multiple windows laid out right away to get a quick overview of things is a godsend.

The best thing is that a lot of these functions work intuitively. There’s a single button you can press to easily switch what’s displayed on the two screens.

If you want more granular control, you can have the Screen Xpert floating bar ready at your disposal. Here you can control the brightness level of each screen individually. You also have the ability to change the orientation of each screen to your liking.

There are also App Switcher and App Navigator functions to give you a better, more seamless way to layout the apps you use so that it’s most efficient for your needs.

AI, Copilot, and more

Something we didn’t mention much in the review is how the laptop is built with the AI age in mind. Powered by Intel Core Ultra 7 155-H, this thing is equipped with an NPU chip to aid in on-device AI tasks.

There’s stuff that happens in the background like making sure the AI-related tasks are processed with the NPU while the main CPU handles the rest. In the simplest terms, the Intel Core Ultra 7 is smart enough to delegate a task to the chip that will best execute it. That results in a more optimized overall performance.

Copilot is one of the biggest AI additions to any Windows machine. The possibilities are close to limitless. For our part, we’ve only really played around with Copilot Designer. But there’s so much more that you can do with it. Just remember to always check the results. Every AI output still needs a human touch.

AI is also present in other functions like noise cancellation and the camera. AI Noise Cancellation makes sure you can hear and be heard no matter what scenario you’re in. It’s perfect for remote workers who do not exactly have control over their immediate surroundings.

Meanwhile, AiSense Camera works not only as a Full HD IR camera. It also automatically detects the lighting levels in your environment and adjusts brightness levels accordingly. You also get functions like auto-framing and background blur. Lastly, there’s the slightly creepy Eye Contact feature that locks your gaze to the camera. It can be a bit disorienting so maybe pick the occasions when you’ll use it.

GlideX

Working beyond this dual screen laptop? ASUS also made sure to equip the Zenbook DUO 2024 with software that makes adding even more screens a no-sweat task.

With GlideX you can easily connect your Zenbook DUO 2024 with smartphones, tablets, or even another PC. Even better, it’ll give you the option to control everything from a single device.

DUO more

For a first-of-its-kind device, the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 is pretty darn polished. That’s thanks largely to the company experimenting with dual screens long before releasing this dual screen machine.

The Zenbook DUO 2024 literally lets you do more, providing options for flexibility that will help you optimize your workflow so you can finish your tasks more efficiently. This is more than just a gimmick device, it’s actually helpful and that’s because ASUS took the time to fit it with the proper software support.

More on the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 here.

This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and ASUS Philippines.

Features

GadgetSnaps: Malaysia shot on the Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Beyond charging tech

Published

April 24, 2024

GadgetMatch

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G prides itself in its charging technologies. But what about its camera capabilities? Well, here’s a quick round-up of the many photos we took around the time the Note 40 series was launched in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

The NOTE 40 Series features a 108MP main shooter with 3x Lossless Superzoom. It also has OIS for steadier shots when taking videos.

The edits applied to the photos here only some resizing and cropping to make the page easier to load. Take a look at all these sample shots

Infinix Note 40 Pro series launch day

Kwai Chai Hong/ ‘Little Ghost Lane’

Petaling Street (Chinatown)

In and around Central Market

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery

Istana Negara entrance

Merdeka Square

Malaysian Bak Kut Teh and more

Petronas Twin Towers at night

Steady shooter

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G isn’t a stellar shooter. But at its price point, it’s pretty darn decent for capturing different scenarios. Take these photos into some editing software and you can certainly elevate their look.

The NOTE 40 Pro+ 5G is priced at PhP 13,999. It may be purchased through Infinix’s Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop platforms, where customers can get up to PhP 2,000 off. Additionally, the first 100 buyers can get an S1 smartwatch or XE23 earphones. Alternatively, customers may opt for the Shopee-exclusive NOTE 40 Pro (4G variant) for PhP 10,999.

Features

LOQ and LOAD: The Lenovo LOQ 2024 is for gaming and more

Your entry to PC Gaming

Published

April 23, 2024

GadgetMatch

Get your game on with the Lenovo LOQ 2024. This capable laptop is your entry point to PC Gaming and a lot more.

It comes an absolutely affordable price point: PhP 48,995.

You get capable hardware and the hood to support gaming and more. The Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I runs on the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and Intel Arc Graphics.

Those are key to bringing unreal graphics to this segment. Supporting latest tech like DirectX 12 Ultimate, players are able to enjoy high frame rates on the Lenovo LOQ.

Creating content? It comes with AI Advantage to help boost performance. Engines and accelerators boost the media processing workloads especially for creatives. It also works with Intel’s X Super Machine Learning, Leading to images that are as close to reality.

The laptop supports a configuration of up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD Storage.

As for its display, the device has a large 15.6-inch, Full HD panel that is more than enough for gaming, video editing, content consumption, and whatever else you do on a laptop. This display has 144Hz refresh rate, 300 nits brightness, and anti-glare.

Videos come out clear, crisp, and realistic. Audio is punchy and as loud as it gets. Windows Sonic elevates it more when you use headphones. And it just takes a few minutes to render HD videos on editing software.

As it runs on Windows 11, if you are going to use it for work, you can take advantage of various features. The Lenovo Vantage Widget is there for constant reminders, Copilot will help you organize your tasks, and Microsoft Edge is there for casual browsing.

There is an assortment of ports at the back for easy connectivity. And as this is meant for gaming, we put it to the test. Racing that looks better with high frame rate? Check. Shooting titles that require heavy work? Not a problem. You can play all your favorites and not worry about performance.

Best of all, it takes less than an our to juice up this laptop all the way to 100%.

So, whether you’re looking to get started with PC Gaming, or an upgrade for work and entertainment needs, the Lenovo LOQ has you covered.

This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and Lenovo Philippines.