Julius

Next Thursday at 21:00 BST... Mentioned it in the relevant thread, but also mentioning it here as seems like IGN might have a potential scoop (nothing planned for that day at all, their first of their Summer of Gaming event) and that other news/potential related interviews could follow.

June 4th! 21:00 BST! Here we go!

And so it begins! Probably won't put more than a few hours in today (working for the next few hours, then got some online play with some of the guys from work), but very much looking forward to playing through this for the first time, so you can guarantee I won't be doing much else this weekend! @Ganepark32 mine was also ordered from ShopTo (Royal Mail 48), came separately to my morning post weirdly enough. Hope yours turns up sooner rather than later!

The launch of The High Republic has been delayed until next year.

Anywho...I like to think that Horizon 2 is on the cards in that first year, if not necessarily at launch. @Dcubed, you mentioned the PC ports being worked on as perhaps being a reason for not seeing it anytime soon, but considering that only ports of Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn are being worked on at this time (that we know of), I get the feeling that the Decima Engine perhaps is just much easier to port over to PC than other engines PlayStation's first parties work on. No doubt they worked heavily on Death Stranding to some degree just considering that they had to help Kojima Productions become accustomed to the engine at a bare minimum, but they seem a team both large and driven enough to have potentially turned around a sequel by November, over 3.5 years since Horizon launched. Of course it depends on exactly how cutting edge they're going, and what exactly they're doing differently this time around - the potential for flying atop robotic dinosaurs is potentially a massive undertaking - but that seems a reasonable timeframe to me, if not have it release by the end of the first year of the PS5 (4.5+ years after the original game launched). I agree with @Ronnie and have mentioned it myself a few times previously, and maybe it's my optimistic outlook with some things like this, but as I feel everyone has said: PlayStation has not announced a new first party AAA title since towards the end of 2017. I find it extremely hard to believe that they've been quiet this long to have nothing to talk about when they start ramping up the PS5 hype cycle - again, not expecting Spider-Man 2 or God of War II at launch, but I think it's very feasible that they're at least teased as sort of a signal of intent by Sony to players for them to invest: "we have more great games coming and sequels to those you already love, so feel safe buying a PS5" - and I think the last major title they unveiled was Ghost of Tsushima, back at Paris Games Week in October 2017? I don't think it's a coincidence that they're keeping quiet about PS5 and pushing that game and The Last of Us Part II so incredibly hard as a great way for the PS4 to bow out... ...because I do think that the PS4 bows out this winter. Hard. But only really when it comes to AAA first party offerings, and as you mentioned before, the reason why I find the idea of a Demon's Souls Remake particularly weird as a game to launch the PS5 is that it's a remake of a PS3 game which, to my knowledge at least (as someone who has not played the game, but has seen plenty of gameplay videos of From Software games), wouldn't do anything that couldn't run on a PS4. Jason Schreier mentioned it a while back on a podcast in passing, but third parties and Xbox seem to be the only ones focusing on cross-gen support (and Xbox being cross-gen and on PC I feel is shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to hardware sales). PlayStation have, I feel, been very clear with their messaging so far in that they want to still have clear generational gaps between consoles, the idea that the PS5 will do things that the PS4 just can't, and that's why I expect Horizon 2 to push the boundaries in some way with that potential flying mechanic, or how about the moment-to-moment physics calculations which have been mentioned a number of times regarding Spider-Man which would potentially have his momentum be used to more accurately calculate his swinging? And speaking of Spider-Man 2, considering how completely nuts that game sold, I imagine that PlayStation pushed for a sequel early on with Insomniac (and I mean, why wouldn't Insomniac be doing that anyways?), and had it not been for COVID, I don't think it would have been too crazy to have it released by the end of 2021 (now whether they would do that so early on into the life of the PS5 I suppose is the most questionable part). It will likely take place in New York again, the map will be updated, there will be a new story, a bunch of new mechanics and side activities, and the engine will likely be tweaked for better physics-based calculations...3 years to turn that around doesn't seem too crazy to me. Unless we're going somewhere else, they've got an incredibly solid foundation already. Definitely get the feeling that God of War II would take the longest considering that new realms means a lot of new world design, etc., just considering how drastically different the realms were to one another in the first game. I definitely feel like that's the biggest challenge and what will take the longest, though, because I was actually revisiting some of Cory Barlog's interviews and spoiler talks during his press visits after the last game released, and it's very, very clear that even if the game itself will take a while to develop, that pre-production was well underway, considering that he heavily hinted a number of times that Kratos' and Atreus' arcs and big story beats are already planned. But anyway, I digress, and this is the Xbox thread after all. Like I said before, I'm just not sure what pocket Xbox can fill, especially until they drop the cross-gen support on first party titles! As @Ronnie mentioned, their consoles are very well crafted and made with power in mind, but I struggle to see myself picking up a Series X for the foreseeable future unless there's an experience there that I can't have anywhere else - and considering that they're adamant about continuing One (X) and PC support, I'm not expecting to pick one up anytime soon, unfortunately. I'm in a weird position where I really want them to give me a strong reason to buy one other than playing the Halo games for the first time, but they haven't quite hit that note yet.

We already knew a lot of this before, mostly from Digital Foundry coverage, but still, a massive selling point for many which can't be overstated. This and the ramp up to next-gen that we're starting to see has actually got me thinking a lot about what could sell me on an Xbox Series X, and I'm not too sure what it could be, but I feel like there would be something. Never played the Halo games in any meaningful way outside of some co-op at a friends' house, so while I'm very interested in checking the series out, Infinite and the old games aren't enough of a pull for me. Used to love my time with Forza, but not a selling point for me, though I am very intrigued by the idea of a potential Fable game developed by Playground (as someone who hasn't played any of the previous games, and only has a very limited awareness about them). Nintendo provides me with nostalgic fun, even for series that I'm experiencing for the first time; PlayStation's first party, mostly third-person narrative driven games and strong support from a variety of Japanese publishers is plenty for me; I'm just not sure what gap Xbox can fill, but I really feel like there could be something which could sell me besides they're great handling of backwards compatibility and the myriad of other great initiatives going on. Fingers crossed that something catches my eye come the Xbox Game Studios showcase in July!

Starting my game music collection off on the right foot. Easily one of my favourite soundtracks, such a great revitalisation of many of the original tracks. You can bet I'm keeping that protective sleeve mainly because I had no idea the packaging was so...ornate. Includes some bonus tracks when compared with the standard version too, like the music found on the collectible music discs, which I loved.

It's weird for me to comment regarding the resolution situation, because I haven't noticed it particularly in any of the gameplay I've seen for the game, and none of the reviews that I scanned through really seemed to pick up on it, and I really think it looks stellar, so it kind of blows to read how disappointed you are by it @Dcubed. I find screen-tearing, frame rate dips, and texture pop-in much more noticeable (boy do we see a lot of that with modern Square-Enix games... anywhooo), but maybe I'll notice the resolution situation when I dock my Switch after putting the game in. I certainly know that the Switch menu can look rough at times. I've seen some go completely overboard elsewhere acting like it's the end of the world, but I think it's a reasonable complaint at the end of the day, and if this is a result of the game being turned around so fast, I would have much rather they took a little longer with it. Unless they somehow knew that they were going to be a tentpole release in a pretty quiet pocket for the Switch a couple of years out, I'm not really sure how they can justify potentially rushing it out - and that's as someone who hasn't played the game before, and cannot wait to dig into it. Hopefully I continue to let it go over my head and don't notice it so I can enjoy the game And yeah, noticed similar issues with the Switch regarding that difference in volume from game to game, @S.C.G. Normally wouldn't pay it much mind or pick up on it, but have definitely noticed that I'm reaching for the remote on the odd occasion when I do change game because I'm suddenly waking everyone up in the early hours, or straining to hear some music after midday. Wonder why that could be? Also...my copy of the game got dispatched today  would normally hope for it to arrive early, but given everything going on, I'll be just as happy to have it when I finish work on Friday. But please come before the start of the weekend. I'm in the mood for this adventure

The only visual comparison that matters

New and co-op gameplay demo coming June 24th.

Unfortunately I don't think we'll get a price either, just because I see them and Xbox getting caught in a silent, Cold War-like price-matching contest which could go on for a while. I want to say that we could get the release date, because it wouldn't have much bearing on their competition seeing as they're likely to be close to matching one another and we know they're likely launching the same month, but so much is in flux right now that it just seems like a bad idea to do so. Plus, without the price, there's no point in telling us that release date, because we won't be able to pre-order anyways. In terms of games, I feel like Horizon 2 is probably the most likely to be the game present of all the big first party studios, considering how much time has passed since Zero Dawn, and if we see Aloy flying on some of these robots and using climbing it will feel like we're being showed an experience which is next-gen, and not possibly on current systems. I'm in a weird spot with the rumoured Demon's Souls remake: would like it as a jumping in point for myself with From Software games, but I don't feel like it's necessarily a blockbuster title in the way that something like Breath of the Wild was at launch (not necessary I suppose, but definitely hasn't got the mass market appeal some other games could potentially have), and more importantly - again, correct me if I'm wrong as someone who hasn't played the game before - I'm having a hard time thinking about how a remake of a PS3 game could be shown to do something not thought possible on the PS4, hence why it is (presumably) a PS5 exclusive. I loved Bluepoint's work on 2018's Shadow of the Colossus, but yeah, just think it's potentially a weird move for them if it is true and is a launch title. Cautiously optimistic we could see a tease for God of War II or Spider-Man 2 at some point, even if we don't see either land until Q3 2021 at the earliest, just as a signal of intent to get fans to buy into the ecosystem. Japan Studio is a potential wildcard, and then I suppose it depends what third party publishers and development studios are doing, but Capcom have certainly liked showing things off exclusively for PlayStation before. That all being said, I think they just need one big first party game to hook people in, get people talking, and show off what the PS5 is capable of, and I'm having a tough time thinking what that could realistically be besides Horizon 2.

Oh yeah, for sure. Like Schreier and Grubb (who has been carrying the news torch for a June event since, like, March?) said, definitely could be subject to change with everything going on at the moment. I'll be very surprised if we don't see an event by the end of June, though. It's very different to the Switch and the quick turnaround there I suppose because, like it or not, PlayStation are being seen as competing for mindshare with Xbox (which, lets face it, they are). Fingers crossed for an event sooner rather than later! I'd find this hilarious to be honest

PS5 event next Wednesday? Schreier scooooops.

Another trailer because hyyyyyyype So excited!

The PS5 website has been updated for the first time in months... That potential June 4th event is looking a little more likely, especially given that IGN's Summer of Gaming is scheduled to kick off on the same day, and...they have absolutely nothing lined up for it? Curious. Soon™.

Reggie has a new podcast out as part of his work with the New York Videogames Critic Circle for the great cause of raising money for homeless students. Second episode included Phil Spencer as a guest. Great to hear Reggie so laid back and to hear some more about his time in games. Nice for Phil to be honest in the midst casual of settings about Series X still being on track with everything going on, having the manufacturing pipeline ready, etc.

Schedule for IGN's Summer of Gaming: It's happening...

Agree with everyone else here that this is a shame, but it doesn't matter too much to me. The game looks much better than the other versions from what we've seen, and honestly I'm just happy that I'll finally be able to play this game. A great art style seems to be holding things together. I think I'll be very happy with it. Admittedly a bit worried about how it might look on a larger screen, though. From the sound of things it could be down to Monolith Soft being given a tight schedule for the project (that previously mentioned 18 months or so to turn this around makes a lot more sense) and diverting resources and manpower to prioritise their new IP.

Finished Yakuza 3 yesterday. Is it the best Yakuza? Probably not. Is it more Yakuza? Hell yes it is. Great cast, fun world, plenty of awesome substories. It's held back by dated, slower, and somewhat clunky controls and mechanics when compared to newer entries in the series, but that's to be expected for a remaster of a game which is over a decade old. Still, looks great most of the time. Also has quite a few "huh, really doing that? okay" moments, so not the greatest of Yakuza stories. Well worth investing some time into if you're already a fan of the franchise, with some great highs and character moments, and it's probably the shortest of the Yakuza games I've played so far (I clocked in 17 hours with nearly half of the substories completed). Going to save my further thoughts for my next Gaming Diary entry, but had a great time with it. Can't wait to pick up next time with Yakuza 4.

Tim Rogers, aka the Dragon Quest guy over at Kotaku, has released his first Action Button review (he left Kotaku a little while back). It's three hours long. Hell yes.

Review copies are out there. Embargo lifts Friday 12th June at 12:01 AM PT (08:01 AM BST). After the whole backlash from the leaked story elements, dropping reviews a week before release shows a whole lot of confidence from PlayStation/Naughty Dog. Don't think we have any real reason to not be optimistic heading closer to release. Spoilers taken out of context always make very little sense and land the wrong way, much more interested in seeing how this all plays out.

Even if it's mainly for advertising purposes, the timing of this this is a little odd to me. It's one thing to get a deep dive on a new IP with an open world like Ghost of Tsushima, and come away like I've seen so little, but having a State of Play dedicated to a game heavily focused on telling a linear story (even with the leaks aside), just three and a half weeks before release? I feel like State of Play is mostly watched by gaming fans with their ears a little closer to the ground than most, and the majority of which who would watch this normally are likely already in on the game as it is, so I'm not convinced that this necessarily puts more eyes on the game. Just seems a little odd to me, but hey, maybe another round of previews were originally planned around this time? And if that were the case, I suppose this would be the best alternative given the state of the world. I finished the first game just last week and I'll actively be avoiding this, even though I'm all in - I mean, we're so close! - and I doubt I'll be the only one. But hey, if this is the next and last thing on PlayStation's checklist before we get some more PS5 news..?

Put a good chunk of time into 3 today, and have just seen the end of Chapter 10. Got to say, it's a very different game compared to the others that I've played so far in terms of scale and there being two threads for Kiryu instead of one. I don't think it could possibly be to everyone's liking, seeing as one of the threads almost entirely does away with what you think the focus would be, but instead you get this cosy, slow-paced journey which just feels like picking up from where we last left off with (Kiwami) 2. It's not the best story so far, and it doesn't have the best villain/s, but it's still managing to hit all of the right notes for me. Characters are still endearing, revisiting the streets of Kamurocho feels like visiting back home, and Onikawa just feels so much more laid-back. Substories are tiny morsels of hilarity, charm, and the occasional emotional depth we've come to expect injected throughout the game, and still do a good job of keeping things fresh. Even if the game on the whole is clunkier and generally much slower than more recent entries, I'm still having a blast with it. Also @Mandalore, the thing that happens in your Chapter 10 spoiler tag...doesn't happen in Chapter 10. I just finished it and checked your tag to see if I wanted to discuss it, and yeahhhhh, that hasn't happened yet guessed it would be heading in that general direction anyway, so no big deal, but it might be worth updating for anyone else who plays and comes across it!

Started Yakuza 3 a few hours ago and just finished Chapter 4, where things are starting to pick up a bit. Definitely the slowest start of any of the games I think, but there's a lot of jumping around in the first few chapters, and honestly, I think it does a pretty good job as something of a prologue (especially considering how much the events of 2 are referred to), almost in spite of that. Cosy vibes at the orphanage and in Okinawa, great seeing how the dynamics work there between Kiryu and the kids, and it's a great way to escape everything going on at the moment. Felt like a beach/holiday episode of an anime at times, which is to say it feels great, and certainly put a smile on my face a number of times. I'm not sure how well the game is going to pivot into the more serious narrative which seems to be kicking off after such a warm start, from a pacing or narrative perspective, but of course I can't wait to see how it plays out. I think a fair share of the nitpicks I have so far are likely related to this being a remastered PS3 game, but still, I can't help like some of them could have been tweaked for a slightly better experience. I don't think these nitpicks will go away as the game goes on, so I'll mention them now. And to be clear, I'm really enjoying the game, I just feel like these have been too noticeable to not mention: - no pausing in cutscenes. Feel like this is the biggest one I have to highlight considering that it seems the most reasonable thing to add in the game, considering that it was present in 0 and both Kiwami and Kiwami 2. - Also, there are times where the budget limitations show (when compared to the more recent games): having a short cinematic cutscene play out, then interrupted by an in-engine cutscene which plays out like normal gameplay with text and without voices, before jumping back into the cinematic cutscene to complete the scene. It just makes for some real odd pacing. Then there has been one in the in-engine type that I mentioned which wouldn't autoplay the text, and instead gave you the option to autoplay it? Considering how short the scene was, seemed like an odd decision. - enemies block way more in this game than they did in the other games that I've played in the series so far, and bosses even more so. It kind of narrows down your options to approach situations differently quite considerably when compared to the other games, and often boils down to waiting for the enemy to swing at you before you can sidestep behind them, unleash a single chain, before waiting for them to hit you again. Just seems to drag the battles out in a way which isn't that enjoyable. - that camera's horizontal axis controls are seriously sensitive, and there aren't any sensitivity options. Takes a good while to adjust to it. Anyway, this is certainly the game I need right now, and I'm gobbling it up. Can't wait to play some more tomorrow.

Jeff Grubb teasing the next game from A Way Out's Josef Fares: I'm excited for seeing what this is. Played through A Way Out in one sitting with my younger brother just last weekend, and we had a great time. A very unique and well directed co-op experience.