With THE FORSAKEN HOLLOWS, Nighfarers will see their ranks grow, with two new playable characters joining the roundtable to see the hunt to its end: Scholar and Undertaker.

Scholar: A trained academic excelling in the art of spellcasting; he boasts impressive arcane knowledge and gains incredible advantages on the battlefield through keen observation.

Undertaker: Driven by faith and strength; she was mandated by her monastery to slay the Nightlord. She is an unassuming gatekeeper to the afterlife using her uncanny strength to annihilate her enemies with ruthless efficiency.

Available now with the November 1.54 Update:

2. PlayStation®5 Pro

• PlayStation®5 Pro support has been added, with the following features:

  • Added a mode that combines higher image quality and frame rate performance by fully utilising the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) for PlayStation®5 Pro;

  • Ray-tracing for reflections has been implemented during races. (Please note ‘Prioritise Ray Tracing/Resolution’ must be selected in the Display settings);

  • Support for 8K resolution;

  • Improvements to rendering quality in VR Mode;

  • Smoother video motion in VR Mode by utilising the VR Positional Reprojection function.

Without much fanfare, Sony seemingly has released a major update to the PS Portal, enabling direct Cloud Streaming.

Cloud Streaming will initial be in beta, and only open to PlayStation Plus Premium members. Those in the beta will be able to stream PS5 games from the Plus Game Catalog directly, without needing a console.

Features available during the Beta

Stream select PS5 games in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog Over 120 PS5 games from the PS Plus Game Catalog, including Dave the Diver, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Monster Hunter Rise, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, will be accessible on PS Portal via cloud streaming

Streaming up to 1080p/60fps

DualSense wireless controller features, including haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, speakers, touchpad (emulated on the touch screen for PS Portal), and motion sensor

PlayStation Plus Cloud storage Save data and game progress can be stored up to 100GB and will be automatically synced with your PS5 console, making it easy to switch seamlessly between local and streaming gameplay, and between multiple devices.

Update v3.2.1:

PERFORMANCE ON PLAYSTATION®5 PRO

• Sea of Thieves utilises the enhanced hardware of the PlayStation®5 Pro to offer performance improvements during gameplay, providing a more stable 60FPS in 4K resolution. Players utilising Performance Mode on supported TVs will also experience a more stable 120Hz refresh rate at 1080p resolution.

9 years after its release, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate gets an update unlocking 60 fps:

PlayStation (~0.75 GB)

• PS5 and PS5 Pro
• 1080p resolution at 60 fps
• 4K resolution at 60 fps

Available now with the Season 1 update:

PlayStation 5 Pro Updates Black Ops 6 and Warzone are optimized for PlayStation 5 Pro:

Launch Features

Using Sony’s PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution Black Ops 6 supports a higher image quality when running at 4K and 60 Hz.

New PlayStation 5 Pro quality settings: higher quality shadows, ambient occlusion, reflections and screen space global illumination (unique to Quality Mode).

Players can also opt to play at 120 Hz for greater performance; on the PS5 Pro 120 Hz mode has the same image quality as the PlayStation 5 running at 60 FPS.

With Season 01

New variable refresh rate mode that with the allows our highest image quality mode to often exceed 60 Hz on compatible display devices (120 Hz VRR).

Dying Light 2: Stay Human, Grand Theft Auto V and Like a Dragon: Ishin being the standouts.

Edwin Evans-Thirwell, writing for Rock Paper Shotgun:

Paradox Interactive delayed jail management simulator Prison Architect 2 indefinitely this August, commenting at the time that the game had notable performance issues, and that its system-led design was proving tricky to tinker with.

Speaking to me at Paradox’s Media Day last week, deputy chief executive officer Mattias Lilja offered a shade more insight on the decision, suggesting that hard-up players have “higher expectations” at present and are less trusting that developers will fix problems.

Also, regarding Cities: Skyline 2:

When I spoke to him separately, Fåhraeus admitted that Paradox knew that Cities: Skyline 2’s performance needed improvement before launch - they just miscalculated how much players would care.

and

“We were aware that performance was not great, but we underestimated how it will be perceived by players - how serious the player perception would be,”

It amazes that Publishers still think they can release buggy, broken games and people will just be thankful that it released at all.

I don’t think expecting a game to run well, be as promised and something worthy of the price paid is “high-expectations” surely thats just the bare minimum.

Considering Paradox chose to release a paid DLC for Cities 2 before fixing any of the actual real issues within the game, it seems correct to be skeptical that Publishers will actually start to put performance and quality before profit.

I doubt this is the hardware announcement many where expecting.

The UI looks interesting but who uses alarm clocks anymore? wouldn’t it be better implemented as an application?

A newly released report conducted by Midia Research:

AAA developers on console and PC are continuing to chase the live-service jackpot, but single player remains the favourite way to play for most (53%) gamers.

and

While new live-service games have floundered, new single-player games have continued to smash records and generate hundreds of millions – or more. And it is not just juggernaut IP like Zelda and Spider-Man proving successful but also new franchises like Elden Ring (25 million copies sold) and Black Myth Wukong (20 million).

The report seems to outline that the majority of gamers who prefer single-player games are those aged 25+ with live service games skewing younger.

It’s also worth noting that whilst gamers prefer single-player, successful live service games make the most money, by a long way, which is why Publishers prefer them.

343 Industries are no more, now renamed to Halo Studios. Not just content with a name change, they are also changing engines, from the Slipspace Engine to Unreal.

Confirmation coming from Rod Fergusson, SVP and GM of Diablo at Blizzard.

A live demo of the new experimental feature coming to Unreal Engine 5.5, running real time on a Playstation 5.

Patch 7 now allows Mac and console players to access callous mutilations, multiplayer updates, and a growing collection of player-made mutations that populate our latest patch.

Highlights include:

Our Very Own In-Game Mod Manager: Browse, install, and use a curated selection of mods created by > the community! Build mods on PC with the Baldur’s Gate 3 Toolkit; an official, accessible way to get into the world of modding.

New ‘Evil Endings’: Brand-new cinematic endings for your most villainous playthroughs, as well as unique endings if playing an Origin Character.

Revamped Split-Screen Gameplay: Dynamic split-screen is now available for couch co-op multiplayer! When playing on split-screen and near your fellow party member, the screen will merge into one as you adventure together.

also:

Today’s patch also adds quality-of-life improvements to scripting, writing, animations, and general gameplay. Test your might in Honour Mode – now with added difficulty and customization options, including new Legendary Actions, as well as numerous bug fixes for Origin Character and Dark Urge playthroughs. There may even be a way for a certain Tiefling bard to join the party…for a time. Just don’t get too attached.

In The Dark Horizon DLC, the upcoming and final DLC for REMNANT II, players will return to N’Erud and uncover a mysterious place preserved in time, where alien farmlands are tended by robots for inhabitants who have long since perished. But time corrupts all, and rogue AI and robotic creations threaten at every turn while Travelers search for the secrets of the colossal entity that dominates the skyline.

• New Storyline, Dungeons and Area Based in the World of N’Erud: Delve deeper into the world of N’Erud and take on a brand-new storyline where players will enter a mysterious place preserved in time and search for the secrets of a colossal entity that dominates the skyline.

• New Glider Traversal System: In this new overworld, players will be able to experience a new glider traversal system that allows them to navigate the overworld and uncover the origins of the ominous presence that lies above. With this system, players can choose which parts of the overworld they want to explore, including how they want to face off against the new world boss.

• New Archetype – The Warden: When it comes to enhancing any playstyle, this new archetype, The Warden, and its secret weapon – The Drone – have you covered. The fully automated drone can shield, heal, or even attack enemies, making it the perfect partner to have on the battlefield. In case you missed it, you can find out more about the Archetype in this trailer.

• Many Items and Powerful Weapons that Enhance Gameplay: Outfit the Traveler to survive this more deadly version of the world of N’Erud by choosing from a host of new weapons and modifications, along with new items, like amulets and rings.

• New Bosses, Characters and Fearsome Creatures to Encounter: Mysterious threats and survivors of unknown origin emerge from the long extinct civilization with rogue AI and robotic creations lurking around every corner bringing new challenges for all players.

Available free on PlayStation Plus Extra.

Geometric’s excellent puzzler is now available in a physical edition from iam8bit:

Global games publisher iam8bit, together with Annapurna Interactive and Geometric Interactive, bring the physical edition of the acclaimed puzzle adventure COCOON to retailers worldwide, and is now available in EMEA and other regions globally for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch for €29.99 EUR/£24.99 GBP. The title will also be launching at retail in the United States and Canada later this month on September 24.

Previously only available as part of the Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition, you can now pick-up the Spider-Man Remastered Edition separately.

Upgrades from any PS4 edition will set you back $10 whilst for first time buyers it will be $49.99. No word on UK/EU pricing yet.