Cyberpunk 2077, the first-person open-world sci-fi adventure game, was first unveiled in 2020. The game is currently available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. However, Mac users will soon be able to enjoy the game as well. During the announcement of the latest M4 chip-powered MacBook Pro laptops, Apple confirmed that the game will be available on Mac devices in early 2025 alongside a few more titles. Game developer CD Projekt RED confirmed that the Ultimate Edition of the game will be available to Mac users early next year.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Coming to Silicon Macs
The Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition will be available on Mac with Apple silicon chipsets in early 2025, according to a press note by the game developers. An exact release date has yet to be confirmed. This version will include the Phantom Liberty “spy-thriller” expansion. Mac users will be able to experience immersive features like path tracing, frame generation, and inbuilt Spatial Audio.
CD Projekt RED confirms that Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition will be available on the Mac App Store, GOG.com, Steam and Epic Games Store. Players who own Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam can access the Mac version without a new purchase.
Apple revealed in its M4 MacBook Pro announcement video that Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a game developed by Ubisoft Quebec, which is scheduled to launch in February next year, will be available to Mac users too.
Notably, Apple refreshed the MacBook Pro lineup with its latest 3nm M4 chipsets on Thursday. The 14-inch base model starts in India at Rs. 1,69,999, while the M4 Pro version is listed at Rs. 1,99,900. The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro SoC is marked at Rs. 2,49,900, and the 16-inch M4 Max variant costs Rs. 3,49,900.
Electronic
Arts
is
likely
not
looking
to
work
on
an
Apex
Legends
sequel,
the
company
suggested
at
its
FY
2025
second-quarter
earnings
call
on
Tuesday.
EA
CEO
Andrew
Wilson,
in
response
to
a
question
about
a
potential
“Apex
2.0”
at
the
conference
call,
said
a
second
iteration
of
a
live
service
title
was
almost
never
as
successful
as
the
first
version,
and
maintained
that
EA’s
focus
was
on
continuing
to
support
Apex
Legends
players
with
seasonal
content
updates.
Apex
Legends
Falls
Short
of
Expectations
in
Q2
2024
EA
held
its
Q2
2025
earnings
call
on
Tuesday,
reporting
record
net
bookings
of
$2.079
billion
(roughly
Rs.
17,480
crore)
for
the
quarter.
The
strong
results
were
driven
by
EA
Sports
franchises
like
College
Football
25,
Madden
25
and
EA
Sports
FC
25.
At
the
quarterly
earnings
call,
the
EA
CEO
touched
upon
live
service
title
Apex
Legends,
confirming
that
the
shooter
fell
short
of
expectations
in
the
quarter
following
the
launch
of
its
Season
22.
According
to
Wilson,
the
franchise
required
widespread
changes
to
re-engage
players
and
drive
live
service
growth.
“Following
changes
to
the
Battle
Pass
construct,
we
did
not
see
the
lift
in
monetization
we
had
expected,”
Wilson
said
at
the
earnings
call.
“Two
things
have
become
clear
in
the
free-to-play
FPS
category.
First,
in
a
competitive
landscape
where
brand,
a
strong
core
player
base,
and
high
quality
mechanics
matter
more
than
ever,
Apex
has
proven
to
be
a
compelling
franchise
for
us
and
an
industry
stalwart,”
Wilson
said.
“Second,
to
drive
significant
growth
and
re-engagement,
large
systematic
change
is
required.
We
will
continue
to
focus
on
retention
and
breadth
of
content
in
service
of
our
global
community
as
we
work
towards
more
significant,
innovative
changes
in
the
future,”
he
added.
Apex
Legends
2
May
Not
Happen
However,
in
the
Q&A
session
at
the
earnings
call,
Wilson
appeared
to
rule
out
Apex
Legends
2.
In
response
to
a
question
about
the
need
for
an
“Apex
2.0”
rather
than
an
incremental
update,
Wilson
said
that
EA’s
objective
was
to
deliver
season-by-season
updates
and
continue
to
bring
creative
features
to
the
existing
game
instead
of
an
overhaul.
“But
what
I
would
say
is
that
typically,
what
we
have
seen
again,
in
the
context
of
live
service
driven
games
at
scale
is
the
version
two
thing
has
almost
never
been
as
successful
as
the
version
one
thing,”
Wilson
said.
“And
so
actually,
the
objective
right
now
is
to
ensure
that
we
are
continuing
to
support
the
global
player
base
that
we
have
and
deliver
the
new
innovative
creative
content
on
a
season-by-season
basis,
as
well
as
build
these
other
things,
but
build
them
in
a
way
that
players
do
not
have
to
give
up
the
progress
that
they’ve
made
or
the
investment
that
they
have
put
into
the
existing
ecosystem,”
he
added.
The
chief
executive
said
he
did
not
believe
a
“separate”
experience
was
needed
to
re-engage
Apex
Legends
players.
“Anytime
we
call
a
global
player
community
to
have
to
choose
between
the
investments
they’ve
made
to
date
and
future
innovation
creativity,
that’s
never
a
good
place
to
put
our
community
in.
And
so
our
objective
will
be
to
continue
to
innovate
in
the
core
experience,
and
you’re
seeing
that
from
season
to
season
now
as
our
seasons
get
progressively
bigger,
and
we’re
changing
kind
of
key
modalities
at
play
within
those
seasons
and
then
build
additional
opportunities
for
engagement
in
different
modalities
of
play
beyond
what
the
current
core
mechanic
delivers.
And
we
think
we
can
do
those
two
things
together,
and
we
don’t
believe
we
have
to
separate
the
experience
in
order
to
do
so.
But
again,
the
team
is
working
through
this
now,”
Wilson
said.
Apex
Legends
Season
22
Apex
Legends,
while
still
a
popular
online
shooter
with
a
dedicated
player
base,
has
experienced
a
decline
in
player
numbers
in
the
five
years
since
it
launched
in
2019.
In
August,
EA
launched
Apex
Legends
Season
22
with
new
features
like
more
modes,
a
new
map,
and
new
a
new
anti-cheat
system.
However,
net
bookings
for
the
game
fell
short
of
EA’s
expectations
in
Q2
2025,
even
as
it
extended
freemium
access
across
the
entirety
of
the
first
half
of
the
Season
22
Battle
Pass,
the
company
reported
in
its
financial
results
for
the
quarter.
Consequently,
EA
said
it
had
adjusted
the
rest
of
FY
2025
to
reflect
lower
than
expected
engagement
for
the
game.
Despite
the
lowered
expectations
for
Apex
Legends,
however,
the
company
announced
it
was
on
track
to
maintain
mid-single
digit
growth
for
its
core
live
service
titles.
Apple’s
iPhone
exports
from
India
jumped
by
a
third
in
the
six
months
through
September,
underscoring
its
push
to
expand
manufacturing
in
the
country
and
reduce
dependence
on
China.
The
US
company
exported
nearly
$6
billion
(roughly
Rs.
50,451
crore)
of
India-made
iPhones,
an
increase
of
a
third
in
value
terms
from
a
year
earlier,
people
familiar
with
the
matter
said,
asking
not
to
be
named
as
the
information
is
private.
That
puts
annual
exports
on
track
to
surpass
the
about
$10
billion
(roughly
Rs. 84,086
crore)
of
fiscal
2024.
Apple
is
expanding
its
manufacturing
network
in
India
at
a
rapid
clip,
taking
advantage
of
local
subsidies,
a
skilled
workforce
and
advances
in
the
country’s
technological
capabilities.
India
is
a
crucial
part
of
the
company’s
effort
to
lessen
its
reliance
on
China,
where
risks
have
grown
along
with
Beijing’s
tensions
with
the
US.
Three
of
Apple’s
suppliers
—
Taiwan’s
Foxconn
Technology
Group
and
Pegatron,
and
homegrown
Tata
Electronics
—
assemble
iPhones
in
southern
India.
Foxconn’s
local
unit,
based
on
the
outskirts
of
Chennai,
is
the
top
supplier
in
India
and
accounts
for
half
of
the
country’s
iPhone
exports.
Salt-to-software
conglomerate
Tata
Group’s
electronics
manufacturing
arm
exported
about
$1.7
billion
(roughly
Rs.
14,294
crore)
in
iPhones
from
its
factory
in
Karnataka
state
from
April
to
September,
the
people
said.
Tata
acquired
this
unit
from
Wistron
Corp.
last
year,
becoming
the
first
Indian
assembler
of
Apple’s
bestselling
product.
The
dollar
figure
refers
to
the
devices’
estimated
factory
gate
value,
not
the
retail
price.
Representatives
for
Apple
declined
to
comment.
Pegatron
also
declined
to
comment,
while
Foxconn
and
Tata
spokespersons
didn’t
respond
to
requests
for
comment.
iPhones
account
for
the
bulk
of
India’s
smartphone
exports
and
helped
the
product
category
become
the
top
export
to
the
US
at
$2.88
billion
(roughly
Rs. 24,211
crore)
in
the
first
five
months
of
this
fiscal
year,
according
to
federal
trade
ministry
data.
Five
years
ago,
before
Apple
expanded
manufacturing
in
India,
the
country’s
annual
smartphone
exports
to
the
US
were
a
meager
$5.2
million
(roughly
Rs.
43.7
crore).
Still,
Apple
accounts
for
just
under
7
percent
of
India’s
smartphone
market,
which
is
dominated
by
Chinese
brands
such
as
Xiaomi,
Oppo
and
Vivo.
And
while
still
a
small
market
for
iPhones
globally,
Apple
is
making
big
bets.
The
subsidies
by
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi’s
administration
helped
Apple
assemble
its
pricey
iPhone
16
Pro
and
Pro
Max
models,
with
better
cameras
and
titanium
bodies,
in
India
this
year.
It’s
also
seeking
to
open
new
retail
stores,
including
in
the
southern
tech
hub
of
Bangalore
and
western
city
of
Pune.
Last
year,
Chief
Executive
Officer
Tim
Cook
launched
Apple’s
first
shops
in
the
financial
hub
of
Mumbai
and
capital
New
Delhi.
The
grand
openings,
the
marketing
blitz
around
the
new
stores,
an
aggressive
online
sales
push
as
well
as
a
rapidly
growing
middle
class
that
aspires
to
own
Apple
products
boosted
its
annual
India
revenue
to
a
record
of
$8
billion
(roughly
Rs.
67,250
crore)
in
the
year
through
March.
In
any
medium,
a
remake
is
a
complicated
undertaking.
A
conscious
endeavour
to
produce
a
piece
of
art
that
already
exists
always
inspires
the
question,
why?
It’s
generally
accepted
that
the
decision
to
remake
a
film
or
a
video
game
comes
from
a
place
of
reverence
for
the
original
work.
But
is
that
admitted
reverence
masking
an
unsaid
regret,
an
urge
to
improve
the
style
or
substance
or
both
of
said
work?
To
create
is
to
give
life;
to
recreate
is
to
think
about
that
life,
perhaps
in
a
new
light.
And
so,
the
best
remakes
reimagine
the
source
material
rather
than
reproducing
it
purely
from
a
place
of
high
regard.
They
find
kernels
of
truth
in
the
original
work
and
try
and
expand
on
it,
often
taking
it
to
places
unexplored
the
first
time
around.
Until
Dawn
is
not
such
a
remake.
The
recently
released
survival-horror
interactive
video
game
doesn’t
reinterpret
the
PS4
classic
from
2015.
It
doesn’t
expand
and
explore
the
setting
and
characters
beyond
the
scope
of
the
original.
And
consequently,
it
doesn’t
completely
justify
its
reasons
to
exist.
After
all,
a
perfectly
fine
version
already
exists,
playable
on
the
PS5
via
backwards
compatibility,
and
at
no
additional
cost
if
you
subscribe
to
PlayStation
Plus.
But
the
Until
Dawn
remake
is
also
not
a
mere
replica
of
Supermassive
Games’
sleeper
hit
horror
game.
Aside
from
the
considerable
visual
upgrade,
the
remake
comes
with
a
few
gameplay
tweaks
—
some
meaningful;
others,
not
so
much
—
character
and
story
alterations,
new
areas
and
items,
an
adjusted
camera
perspective,
and
a
new
sound
and
score.
The
value
of
these
changes,
however,
are
not
written
in
stone.
If
you’ve
played
and
enjoyed
Until
Dawn
before,
you’re
unlikely
to
find
something
here
that
will
unlock
a
radically
new
experience,
even
if
it
does
enhance
your
memory
of
the
original.
But
if
you’ve
never
played
the
definitive
interactive
horror
title
that
kicked
off
a
slew
of
games
in
the
same
genre,
then
perhaps
the
Until
Dawn
remake
presents
the
most
slick
and
cinematic
way
to
experience
the
interactive
slasher.
Regardless
of
where
you
stand,
the
game
remains
as
fun
as
it
was
almost
a
decade
ago,
especially
for
people
who
love
screaming
at
the
stupid
decisions
of
promiscuous
teens
in
a
horror
movie
—
“Why
did
you
split
up,
you
idiots!?!”
There
are
some
technical
frustrations
here
that
come
close
to
disrupting
the
experience,
but
I
was
able
to
look
past
the
bugs
and
enjoy
the
spooky
story,
that
still
holds
up
after
all
these
years.
There’s
a
variety
of
smaller
alterations
that
make
the
Until
Dawn
remake
stand
out
from
the
original,
but
none
are
as
radical
as
its
visual
enhancements.
Ballistic
Moon
have
rebuilt
the
game
from
the
ground
up
in
Unreal
Engine
5,
overhauling
the
visuals
to
a
level
where
it
goes
beyond
a
mere
facelift.
The
most
obvious
change
is
in
the
tone
of
it
all.
The
original
game
came
with
a
frigid
visual
style
that
drenched
the
frame
in
a
bluish
hue.
The
remake
ditches
that
blue
filter
for
a
warmer,
more
cinematic
tone
that
favours
a
richer
palette.
This
is
a
controversial
choice.
I’m
sure
many
would
prefer
the
colder
look
of
the
original;
the
blue
tone
helped
sell
the
bleakness
of
the
setting
and
fittingly
drained
all
warmth
from
the
scene.
It
was
certainly
a
creative
choice
of
the
developer
and
dismantling
that
choice
for
a
new
look
will
displease
a
lot
of
fans.
But
I
do
feel
the
new
visual
style
grounds
the
game
in
realism.
It
also
brings
a
much
more
diverse
spectrum
of
colour
tones
to
the
different
environments
of
Until
Dawn.
Grimy
basements,
decaying
mines
and
magnificent
outdoors
—
all
look
and
feel
distinct
instead
being
painted
with
a
single
brush.
The
softer,
warmer
lighting
also
helps
lull
you
into
a
false
sense
of
winter
comfort
before
the
horrors
of
the
night
take
over.
Until
Dawn
remake
features
softer,
warmer
lighting
and
a
richer
colour
palette
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
Character
models
are
now
incredibly
detailed
without
messing
with
their
intended
look
in
the
2015
game.
Faces
are
much
more
expressive,
driving
home
the
terror
and
the
relief
they
feel
over
the
course
of
the
game.
This
means
the
story
relies
less
on
dialogue,
which
can
often
be
clunky,
to
communicate
what’s
going
on.
There
are
marked
improvements
to
textures
and
environments
and
a
thick
coat
of
extra
detail
now
clings
to
everything
in
the
game
—
from
tiny
table-top
clues
to
snow-covered
foliage.
Walking
around
in
the
night
in
knee-deep
snow
as
you
navigate
Blackwood
Mountain
is
an
immersive
experience.
The
Until
Dawn
remake
also
brings
a
third-person
camera
perspective
to
certain
sections
that
featured
a
fixed
camera
in
the
original
game.
This
new
addition
brings
players
closer
to
the
action,
but
in
a
game
that
leans
on
its
cinematic
presentation,
the
fixed
camera
helped
emphasize
creative
choices
for
the
cinematography
in
the
original
game.
With
the
third-person
camera,
you
lose
the
film
feel
and
are
pushed
towards
a
video
game
aesthetic.
For
a
game
that’s
practically
an
interactive
horror
movie,
that
choice
ends
up
harming
the
experience.
Character
faces
are
more
detailed
and
expressive
in
the
Until
Dawn
remake
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
Visual
upgrades
aside,
the
Until
Dawn
remake
is
still
telling
the
same
story
as
the
original
—
overlapping
narratives
focused
on
eight
young
adults,
all
of
them
friends,
stuck
in
a
snowed-in
mountain
lodge
as
an
unnatural
horror
unfolds
around
them
over
the
course
of
a
single
night.
It’s
a
pastiche
of
the
quintessential
teen
slasher,
with
each
character
a
stereotype
—
there
is
the
affable
jock,
the
sexy
blonde,
the
unlikeable
friend,
the
shy
nerd
and
the
righteous
heroine,
also
known
as
the
final
girl.
The
eight
friends
have
assembled
at
a
family
lodge
in
Blackwood
Mountain,
a
year
after
an
ill-conceived
prank
at
a
similar
gathering
at
the
same
place
turned
into
tragedy.
The
winter
winds
and
heavy
snowfall
have
left
the
howling,
frigid
mountain
cut
off
from
the
outside
world.
On
the
fateful
night,
the
Washington
Lodge
becomes
the
stage
on
which
the
interactive
drama
plays
out.
Until
Dawn
begins
with
a
prologue,
set
a
year
before
the
events
of
the
game
take
place.
Ten
friends
have
come
together
to
party
at
Hannah
Washington’s
lodge
in
Blackwood
Mountain.
After
an
insensitive
prank
leads
Hannah
to
leave
the
lodge
and
rush
into
the
woods
distraught,
her
twin
sister
Beth
follows
her.
The
two
stumble
upon
something
sinister
in
the
mountain
and
fall
off
a
cliff.
With
no
bodies
found
after
an
ensuing
search,
the
police
declare
them
missing,
presumably
dead.
In
the
remake,
this
prologue
has
been
reworked
to
provide
more
screentime
to
Hannah
and
Beth
and
add
more
context
to
the
cruel
prank
that
led
to
a
family
tragedy.
Until
Dawn
tells
the
story
of
eight
friends,
reuniting
at
a
secluded
mountain
lodge
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
A
year
later,
Hannah
and
Beth’s
brother
Josh
—
played
by
Rami
Malek,
still
struggling
to
come
to
terms
with
his
sisters’
disappearance,
invites
all
seven
friends
present
at
the
ill-fated
party
back
to
the
lodge.
The
guilt
and
grief
of
what
transpired
a
year
ago
weighs
on
everyone.
They
harbour
apprehensions
about
returning
to
the
lodge,
but
agree
to
show
up
to
support
Josh.
Perhaps
coming
together
will
help
the
group
move
past
the
tragedy
and
bury
the
ghost
of
the
past
in
the
mountain.
This
is
where
the
events
of
the
night
kick
off.
Over
ten
chapters,
every
member
of
the
group
experiences
their
own
personal
horror
—
from
a
deranged,
violent
killer
on
the
loose
and
Saw-style
elaborate
death
traps,
to
a
vicious
supernatural
threat
and
environmental
hazards
at
the
Blackwood
Mountain.
Each
character
comes
with
pre-defined
traits
and
a
stat
page
that
details
aspects
of
their
personality.
For
instance,
Mike,
the
handsome
jock,
is
charismatic
and
brave,
while
Chris,
the
awkward
and
shy
nerd
is
loyal
and
methodical.
A
character’s
stats
dictate
how
charitable,
brave,
romantic,
funny,
honest,
or
curious
they
are.
And
while
these
values
start
at
a
corresponding
default
for
each
character,
they
change
over
the
course
of
the
night
as
they
interact
with
others,
take
crucial,
life-altering
decisions,
and
navigate
their
circumstances
in
specific
ways.
Mike
is
portrayed
as
charasmatic
and
brave
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
The
friend
group
is
also
not
free
of
interpersonal
baggage.
For
instance,
Mike
and
Jessica,
the
feisty
blonde,
are
paired
up
as
a
romantic
couple,
but
the
former
still
has
an
unspoken
connection
with
Emily,
the
brash
extrovert
who
always
gets
her
way.
These
dynamics
create
friction
or
attraction,
depending
on
the
people,
and
a
character’s
relationship
with
other
people
in
the
group
could
improve
or
worsen
as
the
night
progresses.
But
the
Until
Dawn
remake
misses
a
trick
by
keeping
character
traits
and
relationships
as
sterile
as
they
were
in
the
original
game.
You
see
someone
become
braver
as
you
favour
bolder
choices,
or
you
see
a
character’s
honesty
stat
rise
as
you
chose
to
tell
the
truth,
but
these
changes
don’t
leave
any
material
impact
on
characters
or
their
actions.
A
few
finer
details
about
the
characters
and
their
individual
narrative
arcs
have
been
reworked
in
the
remake,
but
the
core
branching
storyline
that
connects
the
experiences
of
all
friends
stuck
in
their
own
perils
remains
the
same.
That
is
the
horror
hook
here.
Eight
friends,
one
deadly
night,
no
way
out.
Those
who
have
played
through
the
original
Until
Dawn
would
know
that
the
game
is
more
an
interactive
movie.
When
you
play
as
a
character,
you
dictate
their
movement,
but
your
control
over
their
actions
is
tied
to
contextual
prompts.
What
you
do
have
full
control
over
is
their
decision-making.
You
decide
what
they
do,
or
don’t
do;
you
decide
how
they
respond
to
people
and
situations;
and
thus,
essentially,
you
decide
whether
they
survive
the
night
or
are
lost
to
the
mountain.
Everyone’s
life
is
in
danger,
and
until
dawn,
you
are
effectively
God.
Based
on
your
choices
and
actions,
all
eight
friends
can
survive
the
night,
or
meet
their
violent
ends
before
day
breaks.
Everyone
can
survive
or
die
in
Until
Dawn
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
This
freedom
to
become
the
scriptwriter
of
your
own
private
slasher
movie
was
the
highlight
of
Until
Dawn
when
it
first
released
in
2014,
and
it
remains
the
hook
in
the
remake.
Don’t
like
a
particular
character?
Play
them
badly
and
watch
them
die
in
gruesome
fashion.
Rooting
for
someone?
Make
all
the
right
choices
and
exercise
caution
to
see
them
defy
all
the
death
traps
and
live
to
see
another
day.
The
Until
Dawn
remake
attempts
to
enhance
the
story
of
each
character
through
scattered
and
tiny
details
that
add
an
extra
dimension
to
their
night
on
Blackwood
Mountain.
Some
characters
have
possible
new
endings,
others
have
potential
new
choices
as
they
navigate
life-threatening
circumstances.
While
the
story
has
a
central
trunk,
its
branching
narratives
cover
three
separate
mysteries
—
the
disappearance
of
the
twins,
the
sinister
history
of
the
mountain
from
1952
and
the
present
threat
of
the
psychopathic
killer
hunting
the
friends
one
by
one.
Each
mystery
has
its
own
clue
line,
and
if
you’re
adventurous
and
thorough
enough,
you
can
comb
the
environment
and
discover
all
clues
that
eventually
paint
the
complete
picture
of
the
mountain
and
its
evil.
While
the
Washington
Lodge
is
the
central
stage,
you
can
also
explore
different
locations
on
the
mountain
while
controlling
specific
characters.
With
Mike,
you
comb
through
the
dilapidated
remains
of
a
sanatorium,
where
ghoulish
experiments
on
patients
in
the
past
birthed
evils
that
may
still
lurk
there.
While
controlling
Sam,
the
game’s
heroine,
played
by
bona
fide
scream
queen
Hayden
Panettiere,
you
explore
the
ruins
of
the
Blackwood
Pines
hotel
that
sit
beneath
the
lodge.
And
as
Emily,
you
go
deeper
into
the
heart
of
evil
as
you
uncover
the
secrets
of
an
abandoned
mine
in
mountain.
Hayden
Panettiere
plays
Sam,
the
game’s
righteous
heroine
and
final
girl
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
But
exploring
these
locations
is
never
quite
smooth.
The
remake
retains
some
of
the
clunkiness
of
the
original
and
adds
some
of
its
own.
Even
with
a
third-person
camera
view,
navigating
tight
spaces
can
feel
like
a
chore.
Character
movement
is
still
suffocatingly
stiff
and
limited
and
you
often
feel
like
you’re
controlling
mannequins.
And
it
doesn’t
help
that
every
character
moves
at
the
pace
of
a
snail,
trudging
along
the
snowy
outdoors
and
dark
indoor
areas
with
zero
urgency.
The
remake
could
have
done
well
to
add
the
ability
to
sprint
or
jog
and
move
things
along.
Instead,
it
bafflingly
slows
things
down
further
by
taking
away
the
ability
to
walk
faster
by
holding
down
the
L1
bumper
button
from
the
original
game.
In
certain
pressing
story
moments,
characters
do
break
into
a
jog
automatically,
but
these
sections
are
short-lived,
and
when
most
of
the
game
is
about
walking
around
and
looking
at
things,
not
having
the
option
to
do
that
faster
becomes
a
grating
omission.
But
this
time,
you
do
get
additional
collectibles
and
pockets
of
new
areas
to
explore
in
certain
locations.
Perhaps
the
most
important
collectible
in
the
game
are
Totems
—
indigenous
artefacts
that
foretell
events
that
may
transpire
if
you
walk
down
a
certain
path.
Exploration
is
rewarded
with
Totems
that
could
end
up
warning
you
of
impending
dangers
or
guiding
your
path
towards
fortuitous
outcomes.
The
remake
rejigs
the
location
of
some
of
the
existing
Totems
and
adds
a
whole
new
type
of
them
that
provide
context
to
events
that
transpired
in
the
year
since
the
disappearance
of
the
sisters.
For
obsessives
like
me,
Until
Dawn
provides
a
satisfying
collectathon
experience,
balancing
the
rigour
of
exploration
with
the
reward
of
meaningful
mysteries,
lore
discoveries
and
hints
that
help
you
survive
the
night.
Finding
items
that
tell
you
more
about
the
sordid
past
of
the
mountain
and
resolving
clue
lines
is
just
as
engaging
as
it
was
the
first
time
around.
And
utilising
the
crystal
ball
visions
from
a
Totem
to
avoid
a
gory
death
never
gets
old,
too.
Putting
in
the
time
to
explore
spaces
and
find
clues
is
rewarding
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
Your
choices
in
Until
Dawn,
however,
are
the
game’s
most
crucial
currency.
The
decisions
you
take
script
the
game
in
real
time,
stitching
and
ripping
the
fabric
of
the
story
to
your
whim.
The
game’s
Butterfly
Effect
feature
passively
registers
your
choices,
both
big
and
small,
and
dictates
the
chaos
of
repercussions
that
might
occur
several
chapters
later.
The
Until
Dawn
remake
brings
a
few
new
pathways
the
story
can
take,
most
notably
making
it
possible
to
the
change
the
fate
of
a
major
character
and
creating
a
new
resolution
for
their
arc
that
was
not
present
in
the
original
game.
The
remake
also
comes
with
a
new
secret
ending
that
throws
up
some
interesting
questions
and
perhaps
the
possibility
of
a
sequel
down
the
line.
When
I’d
played
the
original
Until
Dawn,
I
did
a
full
chaos
run,
making
the
worst
choices
and
consequently
letting
several
characters
meet
their
bloody
ends.
This
time
around
though,
I
decided
to
play
carefully,
making
wise
choices
along
the
way.
By
the
time
it
was
dawn
and
end
credits
rolled,
I
was
able
to
save
all
but
two
characters
and
get
one
of
the
new
secret
endings.
At
some
point,
I
might
dive
back
in
and
play
the
game
a
different
way
for
different
outcomes.
Your
choices
make
each
playthrough
different
and
that
brings
rewarding
replayability
to
Until
Dawn.
Until
Dawn’s
story
is
guided
by
your
choices
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
Perhaps
the
most
important
question
then,
is
that
who
is
the
Until
Dawn
remake
for?
Is
it
for
fans
of
the
original
game?
If
so,
then
a
$60
price
tag
(Rs.
3,999
in
India)
with
no
upgrade
path
for
people
who
own
2015’s
Until
Dawn
on
PS4
is
a
very
prohibitive
pricing
choice
that
is
likely
to
keep
people
who
have
already
experienced
the
game
away.
The
visual
upgrades
and
additional
content,
especially
the
new
story
endings
and
character
resolution,
are
considerable.
But
for
a
decade-old
game
that
can
be
fully
experienced
in
around
seven
hours,
full
price
is
a
tall
ask.
The
graphical
advancements
come
with
an
altogether
different
cost,
too;
the
Until
Dawn
remake
is
not
free
of
bugs
and
visual
glitches.
And
performance
—
locked
to
30
fps
on
the
PS5
—
is
spotty
at
best.
The
remake,
however,
is
easier
to
recommend
on
PC,
where
it
can
take
advantage
of
high-end
hardware
and
find
players
who
have
never
experienced
the
game
before.
Despite
its
questionable
value,
the
Until
Dawn
remake
is
undeniably
fun.
Its
modernised
retelling
of
a
scary
story
I
enjoyed
long
ago
remains
just
as
engaging
and
visceral
as
it
was
the
first
time
around.
As
an
interactive
horror
movie,
Ballistic
Moon’s
Until
Dawn
takes
meaningful
strides
towards
storytelling
excellence.
But
as
a
remake
that
shies
away
from
mechanical
improvements,
it
stops
short
of
transforming
its
parts
that
are
all
video
game.
Pros
Stunning
visual
upgrade
Improved
character
models
and
faces
Fun,
interactive
horror
story
New
collectibles
and
areas
New
endings
and
character
resolution
Replayability
Cons
Steep
pricing
and
no
upgrade
path
Clunky
movement
and
stiff
animations
Sterile
character
traits
and
stats
Performance
issues
and
bugs
Rating
(out
of
10):
7
The
Until
Dawn
remake
released
October
4
on
PS5
and
PC.
We
played
a
review
copy
of
the
game
on
the
PS5.
Monster
Hunter
Wilds
will
get
an
Open
Beta
Test
next
week
across
all
platforms,
Capcom
confirmed
Wednesday.
The
open
beta
period
will
last
from
October
31
to
November
3
for
players
on
PC
(Steam),
PS5
and
Xbox
Series
S/X.
PlayStation
Plus
members
will
get
early
access
to
the
Open
Beta
Test
starting
October
28,
the
publisher
said.
The
open
beta
will
feature
an
early
section
of
the
action-RPG,
which
will
include
character
creation,
a
story
trial
and
a
monster
hunt.
Monster
Hunter
Wilds
Open
Beta
Test
Announced
Capcom
said
that
the
Open
Beta
Test
for
Monster
Hunter
Wilds
will
be
online-only
and
feature
cross-play
across
platforms.
“The
purpose
of
this
test
is
to
allow
players
to
experience
a
limited
portion
of
Monster
Hunter
Wilds
and
also
to
verify
various
technical
aspects
such
as
network
load
and
overall
operation
prior
to
the
game’s
full
release,”
the
publisher
said
in
its
announcement.
In
the
open
beta,
players
will
be
able
to
access
the
full
character
creation
menu
that
will
be
present
in
the
full
version
of
the
game
at
launch.
Players
will
be
able
to
customise
their
characters
as
many
times
as
they
like
during
the
test.
Capcom
said
that
open
beta
testers
will
be
able
to
carry
over
their
character
creation
data
into
the
full
version
of
the
game.
The
character
creation
menu
will
let
players
create
their
own
Hunter
and
their
Palico
feline
companion.
Beta
testers
will
also
be
able
to
experience
the
opening
cutscene
and
the
Chatacabra
hunt
that
provides
a
basic
tutorial
for
combat.
Additionally,
the
open
beta
will
also
include
the
Doshaguma
hunt,
where
players
must
defeat
the
alpha
of
the
Doshaguma
pack.
During
the
mission,
testers
will
be
able
to
explore
the
location
on
their
Seikret
mount
and
switch
between
two
different
weapon
types.
During
both
quests,
players
can
use
an
SOS
flare
to
play
with
other
players
online
or
request
up
to
three
NPC
Support
Hunters
to
join
your
hunting
party.
Capcom
said
that
multiplayer
will
feature
crossplay
support
during
the
open
beta.
Players
who
take
part
in
the
Open
Beta
Test
will
also
receive
bonus
items
that
can
be
claimed
in
the
full
version
of
the
game.
Open
Beta
Test
Timings
For
PlayStation
Plus
subscribers,
the
Open
Beta
Test
begins
Monday,
October
28
at
8pm
PT
(Tuesday,
October
9
at
8.30am
IST).
The
early
access
phase
of
the
open
beta
will
last
till
Wednesday,
October
30
at
7:59pm
PT
(Thursday,
October
31
at
8:29am
IST).
For
all
other
players
on
Steam,
PS5
and
Xbox
Series
S/X,
the
open
beta
kicks
off
on
Thursday,
October
31
at
8pm
PT
(Friday,
November
1
at
8.30am
IST)
and
ends
on
Sunday,
November
3
at
6:59pm
PTI
(Monday,
November
4
at
8.29am
IST
–
adjusted
for
daylight
savings).
Monster
Hunter
Wilds
will
launch
on
PC,
PS5
and
Xbox
Series
S/X
on
February
28,
2025.
The
game
is
currently
up
for
pre-order
on
all
supported
platforms.
Call
of
Duty:
Black
Ops
6
is
set
to
arrive
on
October
25,
but
Activision
reportedly
has
its
eyes
on
the
next
Call
of
Duty
already.
A
new
leak
has
claimed
that
Call
of
Duty
2025
will
be
a
sequel
to
Black
Ops
2
set
in
2030s.
If
true,
it
would
be
the
first
time
that
Activision
releases
back-to-back
Black
Ops
titles.
Call
of
Duty:
Black
Ops
2
was
released
in
2012
and
switched
between
two
timelines
of
1980s
and
2025.
Call
of
Duty
2025
Details
Leak
According
to
leaked
details
from
an
alleged
focus
group
meeting,
Call
of
Duty
2025
is
currently
under
development.
The
leaks,
however,
do
not
specify
the
developer
of
the
title;
development
on
Black
Ops
entries
is
usually
led
by
Treyarch.
The
Activision-owned
studio
is
the
co-developer
on
the
upcoming
Black
Ops
6
along
with
Raven
Software.
The
leaks
were
posted
as
part
of
thread
on
X
by
Fumo
Leaks
on
Friday,
revealing
details
about
the
game’s
campaign,
features,
multiplayer
and
Zombies.
Call
of
Duty
2025
is
claimed
to
be
a
direct
sequel
to
Black
Ops
2
and
will
be
set
in
2035
after
the
events
of
the
2012
game.
CALL
OF
DUTY
2025
INFORMATION
THREAD
Some
silly
goober
managed
to
get
into
a
focus
group
meeting
for
the
next
call
of
duty
game.
This
thread
will
compile
almost
everything
that
was
said
in
this
meeting
plus
a
few
little
bonus
goodies
According
to
details
from
an
alleged
focus
group
meeting
about
next
year’s
Call
of
Duty,
the
campaign
will
feature
David
Mason
from
Black
Ops
2
as
the
protagonist.
“The
game
is
more
of
an
espionage
theme
with
a
key
point
being
informational
warfare.”
Fumo
Leaks
said
in
one
of
the
posts,
citing
information
from
the
alleged
focus
group.
According
to
a
screenshot
said
to
be
from
the
focus
group
meeting,
body
shields
will
return
to
the
multiplayer
mode.
Players
will
also
reportedly
be
able
to
stick
grenades
to
the
bodies
and
throw
them
back
at
enemies.
The
Omnimovement
feature,
which
is
coming
to
Black
Ops
6,
will
also
be
present
in
Call
of
Duty
2025.
Players
will
reportedly
also
be
able
to
execute
wall
jumps,
while
new
animations
will
make
movement
smoother.
Familiar
modes
and
maps
will
return
to
multiplayer
modes
in
the
next
Call
of
Duty.
The
fan-favourite
Zombies
mode
will
reportedly
have
one
of
the
biggest
maps
ever
in
the
series,
with
a
transportation
system
present
to
help
with
traversal.
According
to
the
leak,
Zombies
will
also
get
an
eight-player
mode.
While
the
latest
leaks
corroborate
previous
reports
about
Call
of
Duty
2025,
it
must
be
noted
that
Activision
has
not
confirmed
any
details
about
the
next
Call
of
Duty
yet.
The
publisher
is
set
to
launch
Call
of
Duty:
Black
Ops
6
on
October
25
across
PC,
PS4,
PS5,
Xbox
One
and
Xbox
Series
S/X.
Black
Ops
6
is
a
direct
follow-up
to
2020’S
Call
of
Duty:
Black
Ops
Cold
War,
and
will
be
set
in
1991.
Riot
Games
is
laying
off
staff
for
the
second
time
this
year,
the
studio
confirmed
Tuesday.
The
latest
round
of
cuts
will
affect
the
PC
development
team
behind
Riot’s
massively
popular
MOBA
title
League
of
Legends.
Riot
said
the
layoffs
were
part
of
larger
changes
to
its
teams
that
would
ensure
long-term
growth
and
improvement
of
League.
The
affected
employees
will
receive
a
severance
package,
the
studio
said.
Riot
Games
Cuts
More
Jobs
In
its
announcement,
Riot
Games
said
that
the
decision
to
eliminate
roles
wasn’t
taken
to
“save
money,”
and
the
League
of
Legends
team
will
eventually
grow
in
size.
“As
part
of
these
changes,
we’ve
made
the
tough
decision
to
eliminate
some
roles.
This
isn’t
about
reducing
headcount
to
save
money—it’s
about
making
sure
we
have
the
right
expertise
so
that
League
continues
to
be
great
for
another
15
years
and
beyond,”
Riot
Games
co-founder
Marc
Merrill
said
in
a
post
on
X
Tuesday.
“While
team
effectiveness
is
more
important
than
team
size,
the
League
team
will
eventually
be
even
larger
than
it
is
today
as
we
develop
the
next
phase
of
League,”
he
added.
Riot
did
not
confirm
the
number
of
staffers
affected
by
the
latest
round
of
layoffs
in
its
announcement,
but
a
studio
spokesperson
confirmed
to
Eurogamer
that
32
employees,
including
27
roles
on
the
League
of
Legends
team
and
an
additional
five
roles
in
publishing,
will
be
impacted.
Laid
off
employees
will
be
provided
with
a
severance
package,
that
includes
a
minimum
of
six
months’
pay,
annual
bonus,
job
placement
assistance,
health
coverage,
and
more,
Merrill
said
in
his
post.
According
to
the
Riot
co-founder,
the
studio
was
working
on
the
“next
phase”
of
League
of
Legends
and
would
share
more
about
its
“ambitious
plans”
for
the
game
in
the
future.
This
is
the
second
round
of
layoffs
to
hit
Riot
Games
this
year.
In
January,
the
studio
laid
off
530
employees
––
about
11
percent
of
its
global
workforce.
Teams
outside
of
core
development
absorbed
the
largest
impact
from
the
layoffs.
“Today,
we’re
a
company
without
a
sharp
enough
focus,
and
simply
put,
we
have
too
many
things
underway.
Some
of
the
significant
investments
we’ve
made
aren’t
paying
off
the
way
we
expected
them
to.
Our
costs
have
grown
to
the
point
where
they’re
unsustainable,”
Riot
Games
CEO
Dylan
Jadeja
had
said
in
a
letter
to
employees
at
the
time.
Dragon
Age:
The
Veilguard
is
set
to
release
across
PC,
PS5
and
Xbox
Series
S/X
on
October
31.
BioWare’s
action-RPG
is
the
fourth
Dragon
Age
title
––
the
first
since
2014’s
Dragon
Age:
Inquisition.
Ahead
of
the
game’s
launch,
publisher
Electronic
Arts
has
revealed
its
PC
system
requirements
and
pre-load
times.
EA
also
shared
details
about
Dragon
Age:
The
Veilguard’s
performance
on
PS5
and
Xbox
Series
S/X.
In
a
blog
post
detailing
PC
specification for
Dragon
Age:
The
Veilguard,
developer
BioWare
said
that
the
upcoming
game
was
designed
to
be
accessible
on
a
wide
range
of
PCs.
However,
it
must
be
noted
that
PC
users
would
require
at
least
16GB
of
RAM
to
play
the
game
across
different
graphical
presets.
Players
would
also
need
100GB
of
storage
(SSD
recommended)
for
the
game.
Dragon
Age:
The
Veilguard’s
PC
system
requirements
are
split
across
Ray
Tracing:
On
and
Ray
Tracing:
Off
options.
Dragon
Age:
The
Veilguard
PC
System
Requirements
(Ray
Tracing:
Off)
On
PS5
and
Xbox
Series
S/X,
Dragon
Age:
The
Veilguard
will
come
with
performance
and
fidelity
modes,
targeting
60
fps
and
30
fps,
respectively.
Additionally,
the
game
will
feature
enhancements
specific
to
the
recently
announced
PlayStation
5
Pro.
On
the
console,
the
game
will
feature
improved
resolution
in
both
30
fps
fidelity
and
60
fps
performance
modes,
according
to
BioWare
Studio
Technical
Director
Maciej
Kurowski.
Additionally,
utilising PS5
Pro’s
PSSR
upscaling
technique,
the
game
will
feature
upgraded
image
quality.
On
PS5
Pro,
Dragon
Age:
The
Veilguard
will
come
with
Raytraced
Ambient
Occlusion
(RTAO)
enabled
in
the
60
fps
performance
mode;
this
feature
will
only
be
available
with
30
fps
fidelity
mode
on
the
standard
PS5.
Dragon
Age:
The
Veilguard
Pre-Load
Times
While
the
game
launches
October
31,
it
will
be
available
to
pre-load
from
October
14,
9am
PDT
(9:30pm
IST)
on
Xbox
Series
S/X.
On
PS5,
the
game
can
be
pre-loaded
from
October
29,
9am
PDT
(9:30pm
IST).
Bioware
also
confirmed
that
Dragon
Age:
The
Veilguard
will
not
come
with
any
third-party
DRM
like
Denuvo
on
any
platform.
The
absence
of
DRM,
however,
means
that
pre-loading
will
not
be
available
on
PC,
where
users
can
download
and
play
the
game
when
it
launches
on
October
31,
9am
PDT
(9:30pm
IST).
Resident
Evil
2
is
coming
to
Apple
devices
on
December
31.
The
2019
remake
of
the
survival-horror
classic
is
now
up
for
pre-order
on
the
App
Store.
Resident
Evil
2
remake
was
confirmed
to
be
in
development
for
iPhone,
iPad
and
Mac
devices
earlier
this
year
when
Capcom
announced
a
port
for
Resident
Evil
7:
Biohazard.
The
game
will
be
the
fourth
Resident
Evil
title
to
launch
on
Apple
devices.
Resident
Evil
2
on
Apple
Devices
The
App
Store
listing
for
Resident
Evil
2
says
that
the
game
is
expected
to
launch
on
December
31.
The
remake
will
be
playable
on
iPhone
15
Pro,
iPhone
15
Pro
Max,
iPhone
16
series,
and
iPad
and
MacBook
models
running
on
M1
or
newer
chipsets.
An
early
section
of
the
game
will
be
available
to
play
for
free,
but
users
will
have
to
make
an
in-app
purchase
to
access
the
full
game.
Resident
Evil
2
will
support
Universal
Purchase,
which
means
once
purchased,
the
game
will
be
available
to
play
across
compatible
Apple
devices.
The
App
Store
listing,
however,
confirms
that
save
data
cannot
be
transferred
between
macOS
and
iOS
devices.
Resident
Evil
2
remake
will
take
up
approximately
31GB
of
storage
space.
It’s
also
worth
noting
that
the
installation
process
will
require
the
device
to
have
free
storage
at
least
twice
the
size
of
the
application.
While
the
game
can
be
played
using
touch
controls
on
iPad
and
iPhone,
Apple
recommends
using
a
controller
for
a
better
experience.
Resident
Evil
2
was
confirmed
to
be
in
development
for
Apple
devices
in
June.
Capcom
has
thus
far
released
Resident
Evil
4,
Resident
Evil:
Village
and
Resident
Evil
7:
Biohazard
on
iOS,
iPadOS
and
macOS
as
part
of
Apple’s
push
to
bring
more
triple-A
games
on
its
devices.
In
addition
to
the
games
from
the
iconic
survival-horror
series
from
Capcom,
Ubisoft’s
Assassin’s
Creed
Mirage
and
Hideo
Kojima’s
Death
Stranding
have
launched
on
iPhone,
iPad
and
Mac,
as
well.
But
these
triple-A
console
games
have
reportedly
sold
poorly
on
Apple’s
platform.
A
mobilegamer.biz
report
in
June
claimed
that
Resident
Evil
4
remake
saw
3,57,000
installs
on
iPhone,
but
only
around
7,000
people
paid
to
access
the
full
game.
In
July,
Capcom
confirmed
that
the
next
Resident
Evil
game
was
under
development
and
would
be
helmed
by
Resident
Evil
7:
Biohazard
director
Koshi
Nakanishi.
For
the
past
few
years,
first-party
Sony
games
have
been
marked
by
their
singular
preoccupation
with
graphical
fidelity.
Uncharted
4,
The
Last
of
Us
Part
2,
Ghost
of
Tsushima,
Horizon
Forbidden
West,
God
of
War,
and
Spider-Man
—
all
good
games
—
are
bound
by
their
vanity.
However,
in
their
drive
to
achieve
near-realistic
visuals
––
that
dour,
grimy
look
––
they
leave
behind
the
throwback
vibrant
video
game
aesthetic,
now
found
only
in
Nintendo
titles
or
indie
games.
And
that’s
why
Astro
Bot
is
an
anomaly.
As
a
cute,
colourful,
candy-like
3D
platformer,
it
sits
distinctly
in
the
PlayStation
catalogue
of
games.
There’s
nothing
quite
like
it
in
Sony’s
roster
right
now;
even
Ratchet
and
Clank,
with
its
shiny,
new
ray-tracing
coat,
wasn’t
spared.
And
beyond
the
charms
of
its
lively
visual
presentation,
Astro
Bot
is
an
incredible
and
unmissable
adventure
that
leaves
your
heart
singing.
Its
childlike
authenticity,
undeniable
earnestness,
and
endearing
simplicity
stand
out
amid
glum,
self-serious
PlayStation
exclusives
that
seem
to
be
straining
to
be
more
than
just
a
video
game.
And
it’s
not
a
surprise
at
all!
Afterall,
Team
Asobi
delivered
the
same
experience
in
a
bite-sized
package
with
Astro’s
Playroom
when
the
PS5
launched
in
2020.
From
a
cute
mascot
that
served
as
a
free-to-play
tech
demo
for
the
DualSense
controller,
Astro
has
evolved
into
a
bonafide
PlayStation
icon
with
a
carefully
crafted
and
lovingly
realised
full-fledged
game.
Yes,
Astro
Bot
is
mechanically
a
bit
shallow
—
it
does
not
have
as
many
moving
parts
as
Super
Mario
Odyssey.
But
the
experience
it
offers
is
by
no
means
thin
—
to
see
all
its
secrets
and
easter
eggs
and
collect
all
bots,
you
could
spend
15-20
hours
hopping
around
its
bouquet
of
planets.
And
it
is
not
completely
lacking
a
challenge
either;
it’s
a
simple
adventure,
but
there
are
levels
that
will
test
your
patience
and
skill.
Most
importantly,
in
a
glut
of
games
obsessed
with
looking
good,
Astro
Bot
stands
out
with
its
obsession
with
being
fun.
There
is
a
Saturday-morning
cartoon-style
story
in
Astro
Bot
that
frames
the
galactic
journey
you
go
on.
Astro
and
his
bots
are
spacefaring
on
their
mothership
—
the
PS5
—
before
his
nemesis
Nebulax
attacks
the
merry
crew
and
steals
the
CPU
powering
the
console.
The
PS5
sputters
and
blows
up,
spitting
out
its
core
parts
across
several
galaxies.
The
cute
bots
are
bucked
off
the
ship,
too,
which
crash
lands
on
a
desert
planet
with
Astro
onboard.
Our
titular
robotic
hero
then
goes
on
an
intergalactic
adventure,
very
much
in
the
vein
of
Super
Mario
Galaxy
games,
to
rescue
his
scattered
crewmates
and
recover
the
lost
parts
of
the
ship
before
a
final
confrontation
with
Nebulax.
With
PS5
mothership
out
of
commission,
Astro
gets
a
new
ride
––
the
Dual
Speeder,
a
smaller
craft
that’s
basically
the
DualSense
controller.
This
is
where
the
game
essentially
begins,
with
six
galaxies
and
over
70
levels
spread
across
distinctly
themed
planets
waiting
to
be
explored.
At
the
heart
of
it
all
is
the
crash
site,
which
becomes
your
home
base.
As
you
bring
back
stranded
bots
from
other
planets
and
fix
up
your
PS5
by
collecting
its
lost
parts,
the
desert
blossoms
into
an
oasis.
Over
time,
Astro’s
crewmates
populate
the
crash
site
and
help
him
craft
new
experiences
and
accomplish
tasks
that
were
previously
locked
away.
The
site
also
becomes
a
museum
of
PlayStation
memorabilia
as
you
rescue
and
bring
back
VIP
bots
based
on
iconic
video
game
characters.
The
crash
site
populates
as
you
rescue
more
bots
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
If
the
rest
of
the
game
represents
the
challenge,
the
crash
site
becomes
a
haven
for
leisure.
Here,
you
run
around
with
your
bots,
find
hidden
trinkets
and
unlock
prizes.
Once
you’ve
rescued
enough
bots,
they’ll
help
you
fix
up
the
site
and
reach
previously
inaccessible
areas
that
bring
more
things
to
discover.
You
can
interact
with
VIP
bots
––
there
are
over
150
of
them!
––
just
go
up
to
them
and
smack
‘em
in
the
head
and
a
cute
animation,
specific
to
the
game
the
bot
is
from,
plays
out.
My
favourite
was
the
bot
representing
the
Hunter
from
Bloodborne.
When
you
try
and
hit
him,
he
gun
parries
you!
The
six
other
galaxies
that
surround
the
crash
site
come
with
a
collection
of
uniquely
crafted
planets
that
each
follow
a
specific
visual
theme.
One
is
made
up
of
candies
and
confectionary;
another
is
a
volcano
planet,
spitting
fire
and
ash.
There
are
tropical
levels,
with
the
sun
shining
and
the
sea
glistening;
One
planet
is
rendered
in
Minecraft-style
pixel
art
graphics,
and
another
is
a
casino
level
fashioned
out
of
gambling
paraphernalia.
There
are,
of
course,
some
levels
that
feel
repurposed,
with
recurring
assets
and
repeating
motifs,
but
sheer
volume
of
experiences
on
offer
here
makes
the
occasional
déjà
vu
planet
forgivable.
Some
special
planets
are
fashioned
out
of
other
PlayStation
franchises
like
God
of
War,
Uncharted,
and
Horizon.
Here,
Astro
dons
a
unique
avatar
and
acquires
special
abilities
tied
to
those
games
themselves.
For
instance,
in
the
God
of
War
level,
cheekily
dubbed
“Bot
of
War”,
Astro
becomes
a
cute,
robotic
Kratos
and
takes
up
his
Leviathan
axe
that
he
can
throw
and
call
back,
like
Thor’s
hammer.
And
in
the
“Dude
Raider”
Uncharted
level,
you
become
Nathan
Drake
and
shoot
your
way
through
an
action-packed
maze
with
ambushes
waiting
at
every
corner.
These
worlds,
that
also
house
the
missing
pieces
of
the
PS5
ship,
unlock
after
you
beat
the
main
boss
of
the
galaxy.
They’re
not
a
massive
departure
from
what
you
experience
on
regular
planets
in
terms
of
exploration,
but
the
new
abilities
bring
a
fresh
way
to
navigate
the
space.
The
standard
planets
are
full
of
surprises,
too.
They
hide
subterranean
secrets,
portals
to
altogether
new
levels,
and
they
sometimes
transform
completely,
unfolding
into
unseen
spaces
hiding
unabashed
wonders
––
like
unwrapping
a
candy
and
finding
two
inside.
In
one
planet,
that
begins
as
a
pleasant
garden
space,
you
see
an
unassuming
sapling,
you
water
it,
and
a
colossal
tree
burst
out,
its
canopy
piercing
the
clouds
and
kissing
the
sky
like
you’re
in
Jack
and
the
Beanstalk.
Now,
the
whole
level
is
played
out
on
the
branches
of
the
towering
tree
as
you
climb
upwards
and
onwards
on
your
rescue
mission.
These
tricks
of
transfiguration,
the
finer
details
within
levels,
and
the
surprises
fashioned
out
of
thin
air
make
Astro
Bot
feel
routinely
magical,
committed
to
beguile
you
at
every
turn.
BOY!
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
Exploring
every
corner
of
these
wonderous
worlds
is
the
true
treat
of
Astro
Bot.
In
fact,
exploration
is
not
something
you
do
on
the
way
to
your
goal
here;
exploration
is
the
goal.
In
addition
to
the
collection
of
bots
that
you
must
rescue
to
progress
the
story,
each
level
hides
optional
puzzle
pieces
that
unlock
the
gift
shop
and
special
customisation
options
for
Astro
and
his
Dual
Speeder
back
at
the
crash
site.
Some
planets
also
come
with
hidden
gateways
to
secret
levels
tucked
away
in
the
Lost
Galaxy
––
these
planets
are
more
eclectic
in
their
visual
style
and
themes,
embracing
a
more
colourful,
zany
aesthetic.
There
are
over
300
bots
and
120
puzzle
pieces
to
find,
and
while
you
don’t
need
them
all
to
finish
the
game’s
story,
doing
so
is
more
than
worth
the
effort.
Astro
Bot
is,
in
essence,
a
museum
of
cool
things.
And
to
see
all
its
cool
exhibits,
you
must
indulge
in
the
collectathon.
And
frankly,
you
don’t
have
to
strain
too
much
to
uncover
every
prize
in
the
game;
it’s
not
as
rigorous
an
exercise
as
collecting
all
the
Power
Moons
in
Super
Mario
Odyssey
(believe
me,
I’ve
tried).
Odyssey
is
far
more
consuming,
complex
and
cavernous,
its
depths
seemingly
unplumbed.
Astro
Bot,
on
the
other
hand,
is
relatively
simple.
And
while
the
simplicity
is
intentional
and
part
of
the
game’s
charm,
I
wouldn’t
have
minded
a
slightly
more
challenging
experience.
Astro
and
the
Beanstalk
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
The
same
plainness
is
found
in
Astro
Bot’s
gameplay
––
the
focus
is
firmly
on
fun,
instead
of
something
layered
and
robust.
Astro
can
jump
and
hover,
smack
enemies,
and
execute
a
spin
attack
that
also
helps
in
exploration.
Beyond
his
repertoire
of
standard
moves,
it’s
the
various
special
abilities
he
acquires
across
levels
that
add
flavour
to
the
gameplay.
Some
of
these
abilities
were
seen
in
Astro’s
Playroom,
but
a
bulk
of
them
are
ingeniously
new.
In
one
planet,
Astro
picks
up
the
ability
to
shrink
down
to
the
size
of
a
mouse.
And
the
moment
you
do
that,
you
begin
to
see
the
entire
level
from
a
completely
different
perspective,
finding
new
ways
to
explore
and
engage
with
the
same
space.
In
another,
he
turns
into
a
sponge,
soaking
up
water
and
spraying
it
out
to
forge
new
pathways.
Some
might
find
the
gameplay
here
rudimentary,
but
I
didn’t
mind
it
at
all.
In
fact,
the
straightforward
mechanics
bring
a
leisure
to
Astro
Bot
that
goes
perfectly
with
what
it’s
trying
to
achieve.
It’s
a
game
you
sit
back
and
enjoy,
not
lean
in
and
take
on.
It
would
be
remiss
of
me
to
not
mention
the
game’s
excellent
soundtrack
and
the
character
it
adds
to
every
level.
The
music
in
Astro
Bot
doesn’t
just
underscore
the
experience;
it
goes
as
far
as
to
breathe
life
into
your
actions.
And
all
your
actions
become
physical
and
real
with
the
feedback
on
the
DualSense
controller.
Like
Astro’s
Playroom,
Astro
Bot
utilises
the
haptics
and
resistive
triggers
on
the
PS5
controller
to
its
fullest.
The
soft
rustle
of
walking
on
fallen
leaves,
the
sharp
friction
of
metal
on
ice,
the
gentle
thrum
of
your
spaceship
––
all
of
it
plays
out
on
your
hands.
It’s
subtle
and
never
intrusive,
and
I
wish
more
games
on
PlayStation
took
a
similar
approach
to
designing
controller
feedback.
Riding
the
Dual
Speeder
comes
with
immersive
controller
feedback
Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul
If
you
look
at
some
of
PlayStation’s
recent
releases,
you
can
clearly
see
a
swelling
rut
pervading
the
platform.
A
slate
of
unnecessary
remakes
and
remasters,
misfiring
live
service
bets,
and
a
lack
of
tentpole
exclusives
have
backed
the
PS5
in
a
bit
of
a
tricky
corner.
Four
years
on
since
the
console
launched,
it
feels
like
the
current
generation
has
yet
to
kick
off.
Maybe
2025
will
change
that,
but
for
now,
Sony
should
look
no
further
than
Astro
Bot
for
inspiration.
Big-budget
triple-A
titles,
with
eye-watering
visuals
and
interminable
development
cycles
aren’t
the
only
way
forward.
And
smaller
games
aren’t
just
an
option,
they
are
a
necessity.
With
Astro
Bot,
Team
Asobi
has
crafted
one
of
the
best
3D
platformers
since
Super
Mario
Odyssey.
It’s
a
game
that
is
committed
to
being
a
game,
to
being
fun
and
joyous
and
playful.
It’s
hard
to
find
a
more
vibrant
title
in
PlayStation’s
stable,
and
Sony
must
invest
in
similar
smaller
games
going
forward.
Because
right
now,
it
seems
PS5
owners
are
stuck
playing
remakes
and
remasters
while
waiting
for
the
next
God
of
War
and
the
next
Spider-Man.
Sony
is
sitting
on
multiple
beloved
IPs
of
yore,
and
the
PlayStation
parent
surely
must
realise
that
people
like
all
kinds
of
games,
not
just
triple-A
open-world,
action-adventures. And
Astro
Bot
is
living
proof
of
that.
Pros
Fun,
engaging
gameplay
Vibrant
visuals
Rewarding
exploration
Free-flowing
level
design
Excellent
soundtrack
Excellent
DualSense
feedback
Cons
Lack
of
a
challenge
Gameplay
lacks
depth
Rating
(out
of
10):
9
Astro
Bot
released
September
6
exclusively
on
PS5.
Pricing
starts
at
Rs.
3,999 for
the
Standard
Edition
on
PlayStation
Store
for
PS5.
Price Drops
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