Gaming

Ghostrunner: A cyberpunk wonderland

Jaw-dropping game

Published

December 18, 2020

Leez

Ghostrunner is a first-person perspective action game set in a dystopian cyberpunk world where you wake up with a cybernetic arm after being thrown out.

The game lets you navigate through a stunning dystopian cyberpunk world where you embark on swift kills and boss fights to get to your target. It was developed by a Polish development studio, One More Level and co-published by All In! Games and 505 Games.

Familiar but different

Ghostrunner is a slick slasher packed with lightning-fast mechanics set in a dystopian cyberpunk megastructure. The Keymaster and final boss, Mara, rules over everything with seething hatred over humanity. You will need to make your climb from your fall to discover tech that’ll help you fight enemies, piece together the world around you, and uncover secrets of your own identity

If you’ve played Mirror’s Edge, you’ll notice similarities. These spring from navigating your way through your surroundings in gravity-defying parkour. But, that’s as far as similarities go.

Ghostrunner lets you do all the flips and tricks while slicing your enemies with your katana, dodge bullets with your superhuman reflexes, and employ a variety of parkour techniques.

You’ll die…

A lot. But, I guess that’s part of the satisfaction that comes with playing Ghostrunner. The game has a one-hit-kill mechanic just makes it painfully harder to play for a klutz like me. It makes for excruciatingly painful deaths and stupid lucky playthroughs. I won’t promise you that this game won’t make you rage quit it. It might and it did for me.

Dying is part of the gameplay. It’s fundamentally what forces players to find better routes and play around in-game. And, when muscle memory kicks in or when you’ve finally gotten good, the unbridled satisfaction makes it all worth the horrendous tries.

A test of will

This game isn’t for quitters. It tests your ability to pick yourself up from one kill to the next. It’s brutal but it’s paradoxically fun. Ghostrunner cuts the crap on a lot of things and sticks to the fast-paced, clean-cut, and straight-forward plays. The plot is simplistic; the cyberpunk landscape is challenging, and the playthroughs force you to keep moving.

Jaw-dropping graphics

I could go on about how difficult this game was for someone who struggles to play first-person perspective games but, there’s more things that add to Ghostrunner’s charms besides difficult play with its no-fuss plotline. And, it’s the world you play in. It’s undeniably stunning. There are just layers upon layers to the colorful dystopian jungle and it manages to not feel repetitive.

The landscape transitions so well and help give perspective on the game’s story. As much as I’ve died an embarrassing amount of times, the world around me helps it feel less like I’ve shot myself on the foot the same way a thousand times.

Is this your GameMatch?

If what you’re looking for is a plot-heavy game that lets you dabble into the nuances of society through customizable characters, this isn’t it for you.

Ghostrunner is unapologetically a cool action game where you can feel at home slashing through enemies, breezing through a cyberpunk obstacle course and senselessly quick pacing. If you love a good speed-run, are up for quick brutal deaths, and parkour action games, this is a must-buy.

Gaming

PSVR2 is launching with over 20 major games

Horizon VR game still headlines

Published

May 27, 2022

Luigi Leonardo

Samsung had a lot to say during its latest investors meeting. Besides unveiling its general plans for the future, the company also teased the devices that are coming in the near future. For a while now, that future lineup includes the PSVR2. If you were thinking of buying the virtual reality wearable for yourself, Sony has good news for you. The PSVR2 will have over 20 major titles on launch.

Naturally, if you buy a pricey piece of hardware, you usually want it to come with a good set of ways to use it. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case with new gaming devices. For example, the PlayStation 5, despite being out for almost two years, still doesn’t have the most expansive lineup of games that every gamer must play.

Thankfully, the PSVR2 won’t follow in the same, sparse footsteps of the gaming console. According to the meeting (via Video Games Chronicle), the wearable will launch with over 20 first- and third-party games. The headliner is still Call of the Mountain set in the Horizon universe, of course. Unfortunately, the presentation didn’t reveal any other games in the lineup.

If anything, virtual reality gaming has been growing for a while now. In recent history, the market has seen notable titles like Half-Life: Alyx and Beat Saber.

After facing a potential delay, the PSVR2 is expected to launch sometime next year.

Entertainment

Sony confirms ‘Horizon’ and ‘God of War’ shows are coming

And a Gran Turismo show

Published

May 27, 2022

Luigi Leonardo

After years of terrible video game adaptations, the entertainment industry just can’t get enough of them in the past year or so. Shows and films based on popular video game titles are setting the world on fire. If Sony’s latest investor’s meeting is anything to go by, it looks like we’re not done with the genre. Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War are reportedly getting TV series soon.

Sony had a lot to say during its latest meeting. However, amid all the announcements, the general implication was simple enough to understand. The company wants to expand and grow its branches outside of console gaming. That plan includes adapting more of its exclusive properties into television.

Reported by analyst David Gibson on Twitter (via IGN), Sony has officially confirmed development for a Horizon series on Netflix, a God of War series on Amazon, and a currently untethered Gran Turismo series.

Unfortunately, the presentation did not reveal any other details for the upcoming shows. Plot and casting details are still an unknown.

All three titles, especially Horizon and God of War, are part of Sony’s prized possessions. An adaptation for any of these titles is huge. However, it’s always a hit. Most recently, Sony allowed an Uncharted film to show in theaters, and the response was… mixed. While the sheer number of video game adaptations are impressive, their quality is definitely all over the place for now.

Gaming

Sony might stop releasing PlayStation 4 games by 2025

More games for PC and mobile

Published

May 27, 2022

Luigi Leonardo

Do you have a PlayStation 5 already? Despite being more than a year since its launch, the new console practically flies off from the shelves and into the hands of lucky buyers (less likely) or scalpers (more likely). However, based on Sony’s current plans, you might want to claw a bit deeper for one. Sony might stop releasing PlayStation 4 games by 2025.

Recently, Sony hosted a business briefing for its investors. Reported by Video Games Chronicle, company president Jim Ryan shared what the PlayStation has in store for the future. More conclusively, Ryan stated that they have plans to bump up releases for both PC and mobile platforms. By 2025, around half of Sony’s game releases will launch for those two platforms.

In the past, Sony was notoriously against releasing its exclusive games for the PC. However, the company recently reversed its stance by porting some of its titles, including Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War. With its latest plans, Sony is hugely diversifying its portfolio.

As you might have noticed from above, that’s not the only thing they hinted at. Though Ryan did not speak much about it, the graphic also depicts a stark lack of PlayStation 4 titles coming out in 2025. The year will see only PlayStation 5, PC, and mobile releases, potentially signaling the end of the PS4 era.