It was clear to the developers that the appearance of the android lady would be a crucial aspect of the game that invites players to linger. Because if you let your gaze wander a bit over Eve’s clothing and curves, you may suddenly experience an unexpected surprise.
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Stellar Blade, the action-adventure on the PS5 launches demo
What does Eve do when you stare at her? In Stellar Blade, you not only spend a lot of time with the combat system and hacking up nasty monsters but also plenty of time with the beautiful Eve. Thanks to her nearly 30 outfits, there’s always something pleasing to the eye, which already led to many controversies beforehand.
What has caught some off guard: Eve apparently knows exactly when you are staring at her.
If you don’t move Eve for a few seconds and instead let the camera circle around her, it doesn’t take long before Eve turns her head and stares directly into the camera. As if she knows exactly that you are “checking out” her body. Even if you only wanted to take a screenshot of the beautiful surroundings. Really.
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Is this something new? Something similar has also been seen in other games, such as Nier: Automata. This game also had quite beautiful main characters and allowed free camera movements. However, as soon as you tilted the camera to a suggestive angle, it only took a few seconds for the main character to turn around by themselves to cover their body and stare directly at the player.
Developers apparently know very well how their players tick.
What do you call this? When such things occur in games, it is referred to as “breaking the 4th wall”. This usually creates the illusion, not entirely seriously, that the characters in a story are aware that they are actually part of a game. They then engage with the player rather than the characters in the game world. Such things appeared in a very creepy form in Baldur’s Gate 3.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The PlayStation has been the perfect console for role-playing games for generations. You can find out which games are particularly worth it according to Metacritic here.
What kind of list is this? In this list, you will find role-playing games that you can play on the PS5. Sometimes these are also PS4 versions that you can still play on the newer console.
We base the list on the Top 10 role-playing games according to Metacritic at this time. The games are listed in ascending order from rank 10 to rank 1, based on the Metascore for PlayStation 5. Some games may have different scores on other platforms. We have also included the user score for comparison.
For games with the same Metascore, we ranked the games with a higher user score higher on the list.
Dave The Diver
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Trailer: Steam Summer Hit 2023 – Dave the Diver
Metascore: 91, User-Score: 8.3, Release: 2024, Other Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
What kind of game is this? In this single-player adventure RPG, you take on the role of a diver, as the name suggests, who explores a mysterious yet sometimes very dangerous deep sea during the day. The deeper you go on your dive, the more dangerous the creatures you encounter become. You must confront these in battle. While some fish can be killed with a few knife stabs, some battles pose a real challenge.
Since Dave The Diver is a game with roguelike elements, your death means that you lose all collected loot. You can only choose one item to take back to the boat during your rescue.
In the evenings, you manage a sushi restaurant and have your catch prepared fresh there. The gameplay is interspersed with various mini-games both during the day and in the evening. For example, you must press various buttons to target fish with a harpoon, or master a mini-game to pour drinks at the bar.
Metascore: 91, User-Score: 8.6, Release: 2021, Other Platforms: PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
What kind of game is this? Persona 5 Royale is the expanded version of the highly acclaimed and awarded role-playing game Persona 5. It essentially tells the same story but offers much more with new characters, dungeons, and story content than the original game released in 2016.
You play the role of a Japanese student who has to live in Tokyo for a year due to a court conviction. There, he discovers that as Joker, he can steal the manifested, bad desires of people. However, with this power, he is not long alone, and to help many people, the new group of friends goes on the hunt for human desires as phantom thieves.
In Persona 5, you can expect a mix of dungeons and turn-based battles, where you collect various “personas” that can support you with unique powers. Outside of the dungeons, you must manage your everyday life, go to school, earn money, and maintain your relationships. Each activity also brings advantages for the next battle.
Demon’s Souls
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Demon’s Souls Trailer
Metascore: 92, User-Score: 8.1, Release: 2020, Other Platforms: –
What kind of game is this? In 2020, the remake of a cult classic from 2010 was released. It not only offers the beginning of the popular Souls series but is also considered the origin of the Soulslike genre.
The remake was completely redeveloped with modern graphics, but delivers the same atmosphere, the challenging battles, and the mysterious lore as the original.
Once again, you must confront the challenge of freeing the dark world of Boletaria from a foggy darkness as a hero or heroine. For out of this fog, terrible creatures with a thirst for human souls emerge throughout the land. People who have been stripped of their souls only have the urge to attack remaining ones.
In Demon’s Souls, you can expect the classic Soulslike experience, with difficult battles that you may not master on the first try, but which feel all the more fulfilling when you succeed.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Launch Trailer
Metascore: 92, User-Score: 9.0, Release: 2024, Other Platforms: –
What kind of game is this? Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second part of the Final Fantasy VII remake. The remake is intended to retell the story of the RPG classic in a total of three standalone games. And even though it is based on the story of the original, fans of the game should expect deviations here and there since it is a complete remake.
In the first part, the iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith, and Red XIII escaped from the dystopian city of Midgar. In the second part, they are now searching for Sephiroth, a presumed dead swordsman from Cloud’s past, who is now seeking revenge.
Unlike the first part, here you do not fight your way through longer, almost linear levels, but move from one sprawling mini-open world to the next. But even here, you can expect beautiful cinematic scenes, fast-paced battles, and varied challenges.
Resident Evil 4
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Resident Evil 4 Trailer
Metascore: 93, User-Score: 8.1, Release: 2023, Other Platforms: PC, Xbox
What kind of game is this? With Resident Evil 4, another remake has made it onto this list. It brought the legendary survival horror of 2005 up to date graphically and technically, and delighted many fans of the genre and the game series.
In addition to updated graphics, the game offers improved controls and a redesigned story. The developers promise that these will surprise even fans of the original.
Resident Evil 4 takes place six years after the events of Resident Evil 2. Leon Kennedy, a survivor of Raccoon City, is sent to a remote village somewhere in Europe. There, he is supposed to investigate the disappearance of the US President’s daughter. However, he will uncover something that is different from everything he has faced before.
Hades
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Hades – Xbox & PlayStation Trailer
Metascore: 93, User-Score: 8.7, Release: 2018, Other Platforms: PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
What kind of game is this? The action RPG Hades is a rogue-like dungeon crawler and is essentially a mix of the award-winning games Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre. However, Hades itself was able to celebrate great success after its release and was very popular among players.
Hades offers you fast-paced action, a dense atmosphere, and a gripping story in which the characters take center stage.
You play as the prince of the underworld and use your powers and mythical weapons from Olympus to free yourself from the clutches of the god of death. The gifts of the gods of Olympus grant you unforeseen abilities. Thus, the game offers you numerous options to shape your character according to your preferences.
Metascore: 94, User-Score: 8.1, Release: 2022, Other Platforms: –
What kind of game is this? God of War: Ragnarök is the continuation of the critically acclaimed God of War from 2018. This part was also praised by many and entertained, among other things, the awards for “best performance” at the Game of the Year Awards in 2022.
While the forces of Asgard prepare for a prophesied battle for the end of the world, you accompany Kratos and Atreus on their journey through each of the nine worlds to find answers there. Along the way, you explore graphically stunning and mythical landscapes. On your journey, you will face terrifying enemies such as Nordic gods and monsters.
The threat of Ragnarök, and thus the end of the world, is getting closer and soon the two travelers must decide between their own safety and the safety of the whole world.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition
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The Witcher 3 – PS4 Trailer
Metascore: 94, User-Score: 8.8, Release: 2019, Other Platforms: PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
What kind of game is this? The Witcher 3 is the third part of a popular role-playing series based on a series of books of the same name.
Players again take on the role of the witch Geralt of Rivia. He is tasked with finding the child of an ancient prophecy. According to an ancient elven legend, this child is supposed to be the key to saving the world.
While The Witcher 3 does not offer a “real” open world, there are plenty of expansive regions that can be freely explored and offer plenty of variety. Your journey leads you through trading cities, mountain passes, or to a pirate island. In battle, you will have to confront exotic monsters or supernatural predators, among others.
The dynamic weather system, as well as a day-and-night cycle in The Witcher 3, is also interesting. These affect the behavior of the NPCs, making the world of The Witcher 3 feel very real overall. Within the story, various moral decisions influence much of the further course.
Elden Ring
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Elden Ring shows first trailer for the new DLC ‘Shadow of the Erdtree’
Metascore: 96, User-Score: 8.0, Release: 2022, Other Platforms: PC, Xbox
What kind of game is this? With Elden Ring, FromSoftware tried its hand at an open world for the first time, and judging by the reviews, it was quite successful.
On your way through the Lands Between, you must fight against strange creatures, such as giant lobsters and dragons, and against tough bosses. Typical for games from FromSoftware, Elden Ring is, of course, also quite challenging. However, you do get some options which may make the game a little easier for you.
You can face the tough fights in coop mode together with other players. But even in solo mode, you are not completely alone. You can call forth helpful summons to your side that will assist you in battle.
This year, an expansion for Elden Ring titled Shadow of the Erdtree is set to be released, which many fans are eagerly awaiting.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release
Metascore: 96, User-Score: 8.9, Release: 2023, Other Platforms: PC
What kind of game is this? That Baldur’s Gate 3 made it onto this list is probably no surprise to anyone. Also, the fact that it ranks first is hardly surprising, considering that the role-playing game has won all sorts of Game of The Year awards.
It is the third part of a legendary role-playing series and takes place about 100 years after the events of its predecessor. The world is being attacked by the Illithids, which you must defeat in turn-based battles in this part. This is all heavily inspired by Dungeons and Dragons.
Baldur’s Gate 3 captivates players primarily with a very well-thought-out world, detailed stories, and countless possibilities to play through the game. Thus, Baldur’s Gate 3 is actually the perfect role-playing game, as you can experience the story just the way your decisions and actions influence it. Even during character creation, the game offers enough possibilities to embark on your journey with a character that perfectly suits you.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has made a name for himself with his role as Negan in The Walking Dead. But 20 years ago, he nearly gave up his acting career – because of a role in Star Trek.
The actor, who many today know as the charismatic villain Negan from The Walking Dead, went through a tough phase in his career before his breakthrough. He nearly quit acting because of a guest role in the cult series Star Trek: Enterprise.
What role was it? In the third season of Star Trek: Enterprise, Morgan appeared as the Xindi-Reptilian Damron and villain of Episode 11 “Carpenter Street”. Damron is a scientist responsible for the construction and development of the Xindi bioweapon. They want to use this weapon to exterminate humanity in the 22nd century.
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Trailer for Season 1 of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
I went home crying
What was bad about the role for him? The role of Damron initially seemed straightforward, but then Morgan was faced with challenges: extensive makeup and prosthetics that were required for his portrayal.
He described the torture he felt he was subjected to:
I had to pay my bills. I knew I was going to play a guy who says something. Then I got a call that I should go for a prosthetic fitting. I remember them smearing goo on my face and straws sticking out of my nose. I couldn’t have lunch. I had claustrophobia. I went home crying. That was the job where I wanted to give up acting.
What happened next? Fortunately, Jeffrey Dean Morgan decided not to give up despite that experience. Just two years later, he secured the popular role of John Winchester in Supernatural. This role paved the way for further successes, including the role of Denny Duquette in Grey’s Anatomy. Today, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is known mainly for his role as Negan in The Walking Dead.
For Jeffrey Dean Morgan, appearing in Star Trek: Enterprise proved to be a challenging experience that almost led him to end his acting career. But he didn’t give up and found his way to becoming one of the most well-known and beloved actors in the television universe.
Soon, you can see the actor in the fourth season of The Boys, which is set to premiere on June 13, 2024.
On July 2, 2024, the new expansion Dawntrail for Final Fantasy XIV will be released. To help you get started on the continent Tural, we’ll reveal what you should accomplish in Eorzea before the release and how to best prepare yourself.
The summer in Eorzea will be hot! The new expansion Dawntrail for Final Fantasy XIV takes you to the exotic continent Tural from July 2, 2024, where various fresh challenges and features await. Here are the most important innovations:
Continuation of the main scenario
New dungeons, raids, trials, and dream trials
New jobs: Viper and Pictomancer
New limited job: Beastmaster
Increase of the maximum level from 90 to 100
Cosmo exploration as relaxing content
Comprehensive graphics update
New content for Gold Saucer, Hildibrand, field exploration, unstable vaults, content helpers, and PvP
Female Hrothgar as playable race
To fully focus on the innovations of Dawntrail from the release date, you should make certain preparations in the next two months. You can find out what the checklist from MeinMMO looks like below.
[toc]
The final trailer of Dawntrail prepares you for the new expansion of Final Fantasy XIV:
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Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail – The Final Trailer
Master the main scenario of Endwalker
Final Fantasy XIV guides you through its main scenario from the beginnings of A Realm Reborn through all expansions to the events of Dawntrail. Unlike in, for example, The Elder Scrolls Online, you cannot just create a fresh character, complete the tutorial, and jump straight into the latest adventure.
To be able to travel to Tural and tackle the content there, you need a level 90 hero who has completed the scenario of the current expansion Endwalker. While you can skip parts of the main scenario with the paid adventure stories (via official website), you will miss out on many playable contents.
Play through the main scenario of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker with a job before Dawntrail arrives.
Therefore, use the time until the launch of Dawntrail to level up your character and complete the main scenario. If you have already done that, you can optionally level a job to 90 for each of the five class roles (Tank, Healer, Melee DPS, Ranged DPS, and Mage) to gain access to all new role quests with Dawntrail.
Complete the quest series of the War Triad
At the Final Fantasy Fanfest in London, a reporter from PCGamesN asked last year which optional quest chain one should definitely play before Dawntrail releases. Producer and director Naoki Yoshida’s answer:
In Heavensward, there is the quest series of the War Triad, which is closely tied to the thirteenth reflection, and you can dive a little deeper into the story and gain more insight into the characters’ relationships. If you have the time, I definitely recommend playing it.
You start the quest series at Torsefers, which you can find at the work site in Ishgard, at the coordinates X: 11.7 / Y: 11.6. More details can be found in this article: Unlocking the optional trials in Heavensward.
Equip your hero
To optimally prepare for a new adventure, it is important to gear up as best as possible. For example, earn the current Allagan stones of comedy, which you can exchange with Cihanti in Radz-at-Han (X: 10.8 / Y: 10.4) for level 650 gear.
Participate in random content, visit current dungeons, or join the so-called Hunt trains (a large group of players that specifically hunts A-rank creatures in the open world) to earn the stones easily.
Even high-level heroes can benefit from visiting old alliance raids via the content search.
These items can then be upgraded to item level 660 by obtaining the items Divine Song Fabric (armor upgrade) and Divine Song Polish (accessory upgrade) from merchant Nesvaaz (Radz-at-Han, at X: 10.5 / Y: 10.1).
He wants a coin of Aglaia, Thaleia, and Euphrosyne for the items, which you can earn from the alliance raids of Endwalker. Alternatively, Wilmetta (Radz-at-Han, at X: 10.5 / Y: 7.4) also offers the two upgrade items for 3,000 and 2,000 Kupo trophies, respectively.
Prepare for the new jobs
If you want to start as a Viper or Pictomancer in Dawntrail, you need at least one other job that has reached level 80. To be optimally equipped after the career change, earn the Allagan stones of poetry now.
These can be exchanged for gear that your hero can wear at level 80. For that, visit Aymark in Eulmore at coordinates X: 10.2 / Y: 11.8. Additionally, you can also farm gear for level 90 for the new jobs already now, see tip number 3.
The Pictomancer is one of two new jobs you will be able to try out with Dawntrail.
By the way, Vipers wear the same clothes as Ninjas, while Pictomancers use mage armor. It’s best to level to 90 through random content, regular dungeon visits, and the FATEs and tasks of the Beast tribes from Endwalker.
Lastly, you can already accept up to 30 side quests, complete goals, and hold the actually finished quests in your quest log. Once you’ve learned your new job, you’ll quickly gain a whole batch of experience.
During the leveling phase of Final Fantasy XIV, there are various content tied to a specific character level. To avoid running into a wall during the experience point hunt of Dawntrail as rarely as possible, boost yourself around the clock with the experience bonus of three percent you receive from consuming any food.
So drop everything, run to the market, and buy the cheapest buff food that is currently offered in large quantities. The stats you gain from the treat are secondary. The main thing is more experience points!
On the next page, we continue with our recommendations six to ten.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After a long dispute with the community, Total War: Warhammer 3 is doing really well on Steam again. Now an update with new content has arrived. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has played the latest DLC and is absolutely in love.
I must confess: Yes, I play Empire. For a long time, I resisted it, thinking all the other factions were better – even Bretonnia. But since April 30, I have succumbed to the Sigmar fanatics.
The 3 new lords, available separately as DLC or as a package, all have approval ratings between 88 and 92%. That’s a lot for paid content in Total War.
I bought and tried all the DLCs right at release. But even if I had stuck with the free update, I would have had my fun. Developer Creative Assembly really delivered here.
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Total War: Warhammer 3 – The trailer for the new DLC Thrones of Decay
Free Update & new Paid Content – Everything fits
Thrones of Decay was released in two parts on April 30: once in the form of the 3 DLCs, once as a free update 5.0. The free update is already substantial:
Balance adjustments for almost all factions
Reworks of various systems, such as the Grolle for the Dwarves
a free new lord for Nurgle
I usually don’t play Dwarves, but with the new book, there’s the opportunity to recruit other legendary lords in the campaign through confederation. This gives the whole game a completely new dynamic.
Nevertheless, the DLCs are the main attraction for me, especially Elspeth von Draken. The new Empire commander combines magic with artillery and builds accordingly on strong spells and gunpowder. She is absolutely insane:
She can teleport across the Empire through the Gardens of Morr and really hit opponents hard. Through the Gardens, she can even recruit units.
Elspeth rides a Crimson Dragon, which can wipe out entire units with the press of a button.
The commander herself casts death magic, one of the best types of spells for killing enemy heroes and leaders.
Her faction, Whisenland & Nuln, has access to special amethyst units – these are magic-enhanced gunpowder units like Iron Men and rocket platforms. Gunpowder units have been a strength of the Empire even before.
All units that work with gunpowder receive an additional boost from the artillery school. Essentially an additional research tree just for Elspeth.
But the best part is the new unit: land ships. And yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds. A battleship to which a few wheels have simply been attached, armed with heavy artillery, thick armor, and spears, just plowing through the battlefield. Quite literally.
Normally, I play the megalomaniacal Chaos Dwarves, but just for these land ships, I have now devoted myself to the Empire. I haven’t had this much fun in live battles in ages.
Here you can see the gameplay showcase for Elspeth:
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The trailer for the new empire commander Elspeth von Draken in Total War: Warhammer 3
Manor Lords will stay on the sidelines for now – Until it’s finished
Just to make it clear: I don’t want to bash Manor Lords here. The game is fantastic, and rightly so, colleague Maurice Weber finds it to be THE building game of the future. What’s in it is just not enough for me for long-term motivation.
Sure, building villages is cool, and the battles are entertaining. But after about 10-20 hours, I’ve seen everything. The content is extremely limited, no building can be upgraded beyond tier 3, and the tech trees aren’t even halfway finished.
Manor Lords will be great when it’s fully complete. The building game is no competition to Total War, says the head himself. Nevertheless, both games appeal to a very similar target audience. Like me, for example. And I’ll stick with Total War until Manor Lords has more content.
Total War is doing really well again after a nasty dispute
Personally, I didn’t find the DLC for Warhammer back then to be that bad, but I was apparently quite alone in that opinion. Now, with Thrones of Decay, the developers have certainly done everything right. Even MeinMMO author Schuhmann wants to take another look at Total War: Warhammer 3:
And now… I never thought I would say this, but… excuse me, I must go unite the Empire and lead it to power.
That Total War: Warhammer 3 engages me like this is actually strange. The series has never interested me, but Warhammer is my absolute favorite universe. All that’s left is to finally announce what has long been overdue: In a perfect world, the biggest MMORPG today would be World of Warhammer (and yes, I know I had a beard back then – Thanks!)
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After the relatively successful launch of Manor Lords on Steam, the next medieval strategy game from the publisher is already on the starting line. However, the release has now been postponed to cater to the many players, according to their own statements.
What game is this about? Norland is a medieval strategy game published by Hooded Horse and developed by Long Jaunt. It was originally slated to launch on May 16, 2024, on Steam.
The game is inspired by RimWorld, Crusader Kings, and Caesar, but differentiates itself with its medieval setting.
You build your medieval kingdom from scratch while other kingdoms are, of course, doing the same. In Norland, it’s all about shaking hands with other rulers or stabbing them in the back, in true strategic fashion. The game revolves significantly around the needs and emotions of both your residents and the ruling family.
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Norland could build on the success of Manor Lords
Why has the release been postponed? In an official statement, the developer announced that the release has been pushed to July 18, 2024. “We have done what we could, but the game needs more testing and debugging; it is not performing as it should,” the justification states.
To deliver a well-functioning game and add some more features, the developer wants to take a few more weeks, but feels optimistic about the new release date.
The publisher Hooded Horse also commented on the postponement and the high number of players wanting Norland. They stated that the game is on 500,000 wish lists. On Steam DB, the strategy game currently ranks 37th among the most wished-for games on Steam, just behind Deltarune and ahead of Kingmakers.
With the postponement and the extra work on the game, they are trying to meet the high numbers. “The reason is simply the same as for the postponement of Manor Lords,” explains Hooded Horse CEO in an interview with PC Gamer. It is merely additional polishing of the game.
Of course, it could very well be that merely the “well-being” of the many players and the final improvement of the game are behind the new release date, as indicated by the official side. Perhaps the publisher wants some time alone for its current medieval strategy game and gives Norland a more separate start to avoid competing for the same audience.
If both games are equally successful, they can definitely benefit more from it. Whether this thought is behind it remains pure speculation.
What else should improve? In its statement, the developer also discusses plans that will be implemented before the release in July. Among other things, trade on the world map is to be improved and a provincial ecology will be added that forces players to deal with soil erosion, limited resources, and market saturation beyond their borders.
Market speculation, improved character reactions, and patrols are to be added. Also, features to improve the quality of life in Norland will be reworked. Among other things, aging, prophecies, and disasters will be added to the game.
A translation from English into several languages, including German, is also to be carried out.
The community manager recommends continuing with the negative reviews – as there are advantages to it. He also responds a bit snippily to people who threaten to leave but then still comment.
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Helldivers 2 shows its latest Warbond ‘Polar Patriots’ in the icy trailer
What is the problem with Helldivers 2? Helldivers 2 announced a few days ago that it will soon require the use of a PlayStation Network account – even if you are playing the game only on Steam.
This has caused many players to feel betrayed or even fear that they may not be able to play Helldivers 2 at all.
Why do you need a PSN account? In fact, the announcement that you have to register for PlayStation even if you are only playing Helldivers 2 on Steam was not that new. This was transparently explained on the game’s Steam page right on release day.
However, due to server problems at launch, this option was suspended, so all Steam players could start without a PSN account.
However, those players now feel betrayed.
What does the community manager say? The community manager “Spitz” is anything but satisfied with the current situation at Helldivers. In the game’s Discord, there is a lot of discussion about the announcements, and Spitz is actively participating.
Spitz repeatedly explains that the decision ultimately comes from Sony, and as developers, they have very little influence over it. All this negative feedback does hurt, but it is “good” because they can use it to approach Sony and bring it into the discussion.
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At the same time, Spitz also shows that the name is programmatic, and sometimes you can also write sharp comments. A player wrote:
“This will kill Helldivers 2 on Steam. Step back or lose your player base.”
However, this was apparently not the first interaction with Spitz on this topic, as a response came:
“I thought you wanted your money back and then disappear.”
Spitz has also been a bit rude in tone and explained:
This is not the first or fourteenth mainstream game that requires you to create an account with a third party, which only takes a few minutes. But if it’s a dealbreaker for you to lose 120 seconds of your day to enter an email address and a password and then forget it anyway, then change your Steam rating and make your dissatisfaction known on a platform where it is relevant.
However, Spitz later regretted this statement. They were not aware beforehand that in many countries it is not possible or very difficult to create a PSN account:
I very much regret implying that it is that easy for everyone to just sign up and then not worry about it anymore. It is absolutely not our intention to force people to break Sony’s terms of use or not play the game at all when they live in an excluded region. There must be a better solution.
The entire discussion is also closely monitored by many streamers, such as Asmongold. He takes the position of the buyers and cannot understand the actions of Sony and the developers of Helldivers 2.
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Asmongold says: “If it only takes 120 seconds and only requires an email, why do you expect me to have that to play the game? Just let me play the game normally. You can’t point to the triviality of this action when you are the reason I have to perform this trivial action.”
What is the problem with the PSN account? While some generally oppose having another account with another service, there are also much more serious reasons. For instance, it is not possible to create a PSN account in all countries of the world. Sony supports the creation of a PSN account only in 69 countries – in many others, it is simply not an option. The CEO of Helldivers 2 has also already commented on this.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz shares insights about his freelance work. At times, he wrote quirky and risqué quest texts for browser games to pay his bills.
When I decided in 2009 to try my luck as an editor for PC and video games, there was no safe haven of permanent employment awaiting my career ship. Instead, after my first paddling attempts during my internship, I sailed out into the rough sea of freelancing.
I was lucky, in multiple ways. As a reliable author willing to invest countless hours in preview articles, reviews, guides, and special issues for online role-playing games, it was not a problem to find clients and assignments.
At exactly that time, the newly founded WoW magazine MMOPRO was also taking off. For reference, we are talking about a time of declining circulation and discontinued magazines. For a freelance newcomer to break into an established magazine editorial team and regularly write more than just a few pages was almost impossible.
MMORPGs like WoW have accompanied MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz for two decades.
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WoW: Dark Heart – The Search for the Harbinger
Thanks to a personal recommendation, I was allowed to write my first review pages for the second issue of MMOPRO. A few months later, I already contributed more than 20 pages per issue. That was an astonishingly stable foundation for a light sailor like me, who was still among the newcomers in the industry.
And since several well-known MMORPGs were released in 2010 and beyond – such as Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, or Final Fantasy XIV – the vast sea of freelancing did not feel as rough as I had feared. In the initial months, there was more work than I could handle. What a fortunate luxury.
The Tides Turn
However, it was not all sunshine and wind in my sails. After the first years of freelancing, my career ship was heading towards a storm front. MMOPRO could not get off the ground and had to be discontinued. Furthermore, fewer and fewer online role-playing games were released that could unleash a hype justifying special issues and large guide segments.
Although I was lucky again and got a position at the direct competition, PC Games MMORE, after the magazine was discontinued, there was already an established hierarchy of permanent employees who divided the majority of the pages among themselves. So, I had to look for alternative assignments to compensate for the loss of print pages.
Infidelity in a Different Way
In fact, I was able to significantly expand my range of services in the following years. I increasingly wrote about games of other genres, helped publishers translate English sister magazines, and occasionally took on PR tasks, such as writing so-called advertorials (advertisements in editorial form).
However, I found the collaboration with Playata the most exciting. The two founders, Mathias Fabian and Marcel Anacker, had developed the community tool Blasc and the WoW database for buffed at that time – thus making the first contact.
Initially, I was allowed to write quest texts for some levels of Hero Zero. This is a humorous browser game where you rise from a couch potato to a superhero-hunting hero.
The cheeky graphic style of Big Bang Empire may remind you of the classic Leisure Suit Larry.
The second game from the team is similarly colorful and funny, but is called Big Bang Empire and turns you into an aspiring erotic star. Designing risqué texts, conventions, and stages for this was a great fun. Here’s an example of the briefing for a time-based quest:
“EvilDick Productions has also set up camp in Beverly Humps. Infiltrate the studio of Trent’s biggest competitor and find out what pornos are currently being shot there.”
And the text after successfully completing the task: “Disguised as an extra, you enter the noble studio. Apparently, the competition relies on high-tech devices such as self-cleaning vagina replicas and guided vibrators. Trent must find out about this!”
It was a valuable experience to also be involved in the production of game content and not just critique games from a safe distance. However, I must also admit that this type of creative work was considerably more challenging for me than writing guides and reviews.
Therefore, I was very glad when I could exchange freelancing for a permanent position as an editor and a predictable monthly salary in 2015. Finally, a safe harbor for my career ship, which ultimately led me to MeinMMO and thus to you.
Over 10 years ago, the first part of the space strategy game Sins of a Solar Empire was released. This year, the sequel is set to be playable on Steam. A trailer shows what it looks like with new graphics.
When is the Steam release? There is no exact date for the release on Steam yet. The platform itself has announced the third quarter of 2024 as the release period. A trailer recently revealed that Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is expected to appear on Steam this summer. So, combined, you might be able to expect the game by late summer.
The trailer gives you a taste of the new graphics and gameplay of the sequel:
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Sins of a Solar Empire 2 releases on Steam after over 10 years
The game has actually been in Early Access on the Epic Store since the end of 2022. On Steam, it is only now being released in full.
What is Sins of a Solar Empire 2? Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is the sequel to a popular space strategy game. The original first part was already released in 2008. The game was released in three versions: Standard, Trinity, and Rebellion. The last version, Rebellion, was released in 2012.
On Steam itself, the game is described as a real-time 4X strategy game. While tactical massive battles with hundreds of spaceships remain the focus, diplomacy and empire management are said to have become more detailed and complex in the second part.
Sins of a Solar Empire 2 stands out from its predecessor not only graphically. Especially in terms of realism, the developers want to take things to the next level. A believable galaxy is to be simulated. Suns and moons will orbit their planets. The distances created by these rotations are said to actually have an impact on gameplay.
Your ships will continue to move on a 2D plane, rather than being able to move freely in three-dimensional space.
There is reportedly no single-player campaign. Instead, the game is expected to offer only sandbox gameplay in skirmish and multiplayer modes. However, the background story is based on the predecessor, and players will once again take control of the three factions: TEC, Advent, and Vasari.
A 66-year-old musician from Brazil has dedicated himself to the MOBA League of Legends and has since become a local celebrity. Under the name “VoCorvo,” he is active on Twitch. He instills fear and dread, not in his opponents in LoL, but in his fellow players.
This is the story of the man:
When he was 64, the man could no longer work as a guitar teacher and musician. The Corona pandemic made this impossible for him in 2021 (via maisesports).
To support his family and because he has always loved games, he turned to the world of gaming and became a streamer on the streaming service Twitch. He had already opened his channel there in 2018.
As of 2021, VoCorvo became a full-time streamer on Twitch, exclusively showcasing League of Legends. By now, he has an average of 160 viewers when he streams LoL.
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LoL The Curse of the Sad Mummy
Strong players on fake accounts took the fun out of LoL for the old man
This is what happened to the man in LoL: When you start playing LoL in your mid-60s, you will have a hard time. LoL requires skill with mouse and keyboard, along with concentration, knowledge, and overview; most importantly, however, is mental flexibility: One must always be ready to question their own game to improve.
That’s already hard enough.
But today it’s even harder to be successful in LoL than in the past. Because there are “smurfs”; this term is used when a skilled player, who has already achieved a high rank, intentionally plays with a low-ranked account to face easier opponents. Some players also smurf to play with their friends who have a lower rank or have just started with LoL.
The matchmaking in LoL is supposed to ensure that you only play with and against players of similar strength, so that you win about 50% of the time and lose 50% of the time:
Those who smurf and cheat will only face weak opponents, feel powerful, and achieve high win rates.
For the opponents of smurfs, this means the exact opposite: They face overwhelming opponents, feel bad, and lose constantly.
VoCorvo frequently discovered his limits against much stronger players, which was enough for him, and he sought revenge.
The 66-year-old states about himself that he knows he is not a good player and is essentially an “Iron player,” but he found ways to get back at them.
Trundle.
You reap what you sow
This is how he became a legend: The older gentleman was gifted a master account on which he played with his favorite champion, Trundle. However, VoCorvo was far too bad to hold his own at that level.
So he lost every match he participated in, again and again.
He quickly realized that this was a way to get back at the strong players who humiliated weak players like him: He became a “Reverse Smurf,” ruining the games of high-ranking players.
VoCorvo says:
After I was massacred by talented players and smurfs in the lower ranks, I thought of a saying from my time: You reap what you sow. My primary account is ranked Iron, but my secondary account is ranked Master.
This was the impact: VoCorvo became so well-known on the Brazilian server that players began to flee from games when they saw a Trundle on their team, which was the man’s favorite character.
As millenium reports, many Brazilian streamers are not even angry with him but can understand that he is doing to the higher-ranked players only what was done to him: He is ruining their games.
Originally, The Sims was not intended as a life simulation; instead, the characters were supposed to play a minor role in the game.
What was The Sims supposed to be? The development of The Sims began as early as 1993, seven years before the game’s release. After the success of SimCity, the creator of both games, Will Wright, originally wanted to create a completely different game. After showing the world how to build cities, the focus was to shift toward houses and their furnishings.
As an architecture simulation, Wright wanted players to initially build beautiful houses. After that, players were also supposed to furnish the houses.
The Sims themselves were originally intended to come after the houses were completed, view the house, and finally leave a rating based on how good or pretty the house was.
The Sims series faces competition from Korea; here you can see the trailer for InZOI:
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Gameplay trailer of ‘InZOI’ shows realistic graphics of the Sims competitor
How The Sims Came to Be Today
How did the shift away from architecture simulation happen? The inspiration for The Sims was reportedly a 1,171-page book on the theories of architecture. As dry as the book was, so too was the initial idea of the Sims predecessor. However, after investing years of development work into the project, they did not want to simply give up.
The developers noticed that the Sims themselves were actually not so uninteresting. The idea was changed: players would first build and furnish the house, and then invite the Sims to live instead of to rate.
The developers created a simulated system around the Sims that has remained at its core to this day. The need bars that each Sim has are still present. The construction of houses and furnishing of homes and apartments have also persisted to this day.
How was The Sims received back then? The developers were actually facing a big problem. The computer game market was dominated by over 90% men, much more than it is today. As soon as the game was associated with a “virtual dollhouse,” the men did not want to play it anymore.
To promote the game, the developers at Maxis refrained from using the term. Wright himself stopped using the word “until it had sold about a million copies – at that point, I felt somewhat comfortable talking about dollhouses in public.”
In 2000, The Sims then became the best-selling game of all time, with over 6 million copies of the main game sold and just as many expansions sold.
Nexon is reportedly not working on a new MMORPG for Game of Thrones after all. Apparently, the insider source was mistaken and mistakenly turned the already known project from Netmarble into a new online role-playing game by Nexon.
Update from May 4, 2024: Redanian Intelligence had an update in the meantime. Apparently, the source was wrong and mistakenly turned the already known MMORPG for Game of Thrones from Netmarble into a new project by Nexon.
What is known about the new MMORPG for Game of Thrones? According to a report by Redanian Intelligence, Nexon’s new online role-playing game takes place in the North of Westeros, where Winterfell and the Wall are located.
The story is said to take place between the events of the fourth and fifth seasons of the HBO series of the same name by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Roose Bolton is currently the Warden of the North, while Jon Snow and Sam Tarly guard the Wall as members of the Night’s Watch.
Apparently, the MMORPG will offer a story campaign where you must choose between a male and female main character – the rejected character will still be involved in the story.
Lastly, it seems clear that during the campaign, players will encounter familiar characters from Game of Thrones, but these will not be voiced by the original actors from the series.
Game of Thrones generated an incredible hype for years – here is the trailer for the first season:
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Trailer for the first season of the HBO series ‘Game of Thrones’
What do I need to know about Nexon? The South Korean publisher released one of the first MMORPGs ever with Nexus: Kingdom of the Winds in 1996. Nexon is also considered a pioneer in the Free2Play sector, as all games from the company founded in 1994 are based on this payment model.
Some of Nexon’s greatest successes include (figures from the financial report for Q2 2022):
Dungeon & Fighter (more than 850 million registered players and over 20 billion US dollars in revenue since 2005)
Maple Story (more than 180 million registered players and over 3 billion US dollars in revenue since 2003)
KartRider (more than 380 million players on PC and over 1 billion US dollars in revenue since 2004)
Nexon also acted as a publisher for various MMORPGs (especially in the Korean region), such as Vindictus, ArcheAge, Final Fantasy XIV, Atlantica Online, or Riders of Icarus. Last year, they also made a statement with the online shooter The Finals.
Can a MMORPG for Game of Thrones from Nexon actually work? Due to the book series “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R. R. Martin, as well as the aforementioned HBO series, Game of Thrones certainly belongs to the most exciting universes for which an online role-playing game could be developed.
Nexon has the expertise, experience, and budget to implement such an MMORPG project, but we are skeptical whether we can actually receive the best possible GoT experience with the Free2Play model and the typical characteristics of Asian developers.
Furthermore, it remains to be seen whether the project will cross the finish line or how many years the development will ultimately take.
For example, Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms by Bigpoint was discontinued after many years of development. There is also a big question mark behind Project T from Netmarble, which is also supposed to be based on the HBO series, as it has shown no sign of life apart from a job posting for years.
Drinking potions – that’s so last decade. Real pros in World of Warcraft will soon throw their potions at allies – at least healers will likely do that.
Potions are quite a classic thing in MMORPGs. You use them when your health or mana points are running low or when you need a little boost to get through a particularly tough phase of a fight. This has always been the case in World of Warcraft.
However, with the new expansion “The War Within”, there is a new type of potion that employs a different concept: You throw them at your comrades.
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WoW: The War Within – All the major features of the new expansion
Where does the idea come from? Even though the system has been around in a few other RPGs, Baldur’s Gate 3 truly popularized it. Especially at higher difficulty levels, it is common not to just drink healing potions, but instead to place them on the ground and smash them or simply throw them at allies, so that more characters can benefit from the effect at the same time.
What types of potions are these? In The War Within, engineers can craft these special potions. These “potion bombs” are placed like other AoE effects and then hurled at the target area. Enemies in the target area take some damage, but the real benefit comes from the buffs. Up to 5 allies receive – depending on the potion bomb – a buff:
Additional primary stats (Intelligence, Strength, Agility) for 30 seconds.
Increased healing received for 12 seconds.
Increased movement speed for 20 seconds.
Even though engineers create these potions, they can be used by everyone else.
Who are the potions intended for? Since the potions affect a total of 5 allies, their effect is only 1/5 as strong as a personal potion. DPS characters will likely continue to reach for their personal potion to give themselves a boost exactly when they need it.
However, the potion is a real alternative for healers and other support characters (like enhancement shamans). If they don’t need a mana potion during combat, they can instead use their potion cooldown to help damage dealers a bit more and enhance their performance.
The potions will therefore primarily be used by supporters who want to do something good for their teammates. What do you think of this type of “potions”? A cool innovation in The War Within? Or is it niche or cumbersome?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Season 4 is set to change just about everything in Diablo 4, making it almost a completely new game. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was able to speak in advance with lead seasons designer Deric Nuñez and lead game producer Timothy Ismay. You can find the full interview here.
Here’s the latest information: In the latest developer update from May 2, the developers talked about the things that will change in Season 4. Most innovations have already been discussed in detail. You can find here the full patch notes for Season 4.
Furthermore, the developers implemented community feedback after the first PTR and adjusted many aspects. This means: If you played the PTR, you will find several changes in Season 4.
With Tim Ismay and Deric Nuñez, I was able to discuss what impact the changes will have on the game and what they mean for players directly. Additionally, there are some interesting insights into the development and a few hints about the future of the game.
What the developers learned from the PTR is explained in video:
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Diablo 4: Trailer shows the changes for Season 4 ‘Loot Reborn’
All upgrades will be integrated into the eternal and seasonal realm
MeinMMO: The Iron Wolves are apparently the seasonal theme of Season 4. What are the biggest differences or similarities to the Iron Wolves from Diablo 2 and Diablo 3?
Deric Nuñez: “Looking back at the introduction of Diablo 2 and the expansion [of the Iron Wolves] in Diablo 3, each iteration has tried to deepen the involvement of the Iron Wolves as the drama in Sanctuary unfolds.
With Season 4, we were able to continue this tradition by permanently integrating them into the Hell Tides. Through the activities of the Iron Wolves, players can fight alongside these notorious and honorable mercenaries.
Players on the Season 4 servers specifically have the “Call of the Wolf” activity, which drives this interaction with the Iron Wolves even further, where [players] can meet the commander and discover the reason for the intensifying Hell Tides as well as this “corruption” that threatens to consume the wolves from within.
Additionally, players are almost accepted into the Iron Wolves. While fighting the tides, you earn sweet loot for it. Seasonal players can battle through 18 tiers with really overpowered rewards designed to enhance leveling from 1 to 100 and beyond.
In the end … we love the Iron Wolves and are always looking for ways to increase their importance and presence in the conflicts of Sanctuary.”
Timothy Ismay: “And as players have already noted, the Iron Wolves haven’t had it easy recently. They have been struggling in Kehjistan, and Caldeum has been facing serious problems. [The Iron Wolves] are currently trying to re-form and push back the forces of hell that have just overrun the capital. We are starting with the question of what the Iron Wolves have really been up to since everything has literally gone to hell.”
MeinMMO: It sounds like the Iron Wolves will also be part of the Eternal Realm?
Deric Nuñez: “Yes, that’s one of the great things about the Season 4 upgrade. All upgrades that involve the Hell Tides will flow into the eternal and seasonal realm. How the Iron Wolves are now integrated into these tides is permanent. This is simply how Diablo 4 will deal with Hell Tides from now on.
The only part exclusive to the seasonal realm is the “Call of the Wolf” activity, the associated questline, and the renown path.”
MeinMMO: Is that already the season mechanic, or is there more to come?
Deric Nuñez: “With Season 4, there is a strong emphasis on the changes that we have made everywhere with itemization, tempering, masterworking and all that stuff. Everything leads back to loot.
This is the focus of Season 4: improving the experience of looting and leveling.
We have a consumable item as part of the seasonal mechanics, or as a seasonal item: the “Profane Mindcage.” It drops from the new Hellbourne, a new monster type in the Hell Tides.
When you kill a Hellbourne in the seasonal realm, it will drop a Mindcage. If you consume it, it increases – for 60 minutes, I believe – the level of the hell tide monsters by up to 10 as well as their drop rate of anomalous embers. […]
In Season 4, it’s all about tinkering with your gear, enhancing class fantasy. The Mindcage takes that a step further, encouraging people to test their builds and maximize their efficiency. […]”
Timothy Ismay: “Just to emphasize: This season is very different from our previous ones. Previously, it was about making a pronounced seasonal experience with storylines, a form of power increase, and a theme that is only for the season and then disappears.
Then we saw what people were talking about on social media, in forums, or in the game itself. And we noticed that it often involved itemization, frustrations, and ideas on how to improve, and we agreed with much of that.
So we have been working on this for a long time. A lot of effort for this season, unlike previous seasons, therefore went into this fundamental change in how items work, how they feel from level 1-50, and how they behave in the crafting process from level 50.
That’s what this season is about. And, as Deric already said, unlike other seasons, this will not disappear. Usually, we do something cool that then disappears. But this is not. This is now a fundamental change to the game.”
The Reeve is a great example of how we can play in a season
MeinMMO: That the wolves come from Kehjistan and more specifically from Kurast doesn’t sound like a coincidence. Is this a preview of the expansion Vessel of Hatred?
Deric Nuñez: “I mentioned this earlier. We are always looking for ways to meaningfully continue the story of Sanctuary. But how [Season 4] relates to the upcoming expansion or not, we can’t talk about that yet.”
MeinMMO: In Season 3, you experimented with the Reeve as a temporary companion. And that was something very different from what we know from Diablo 2 and Diablo 3. What have you learned from the companion system?
Timothy Ismay: “A lot. The construct, the Reeve, is a great example of how we can use it in a season to bring power to the player. We had a lot of fun with: finding ways to implement forms of power through this little companion that complement your build or fundamentally change your class by unlocking something your class normally can’t do. […]
That was a lot of fun, but your question was what we learned from it. First, we would look at communication with the companion so that players better understand what it is actually doing. Players often lost track of the companion and what it was doing [in Season 3].
Another big thing is […] that we want the companion to unlock things as quickly as the player progresses. There were some balance issues initially that we worked out throughout the season. We should ensure that things unlock faster so that you feel how they impact your build sooner.
In general, we liked how it felt to have a companion. That’s a mechanic we definitely want to revisit in the future. But we will take into account some of the things we have learned.”
MeinMMO: I mean, with the Iron Wolves, you now have an ideal basis for further companions.
Timothy Ismay: “That’s right, they would make excellent companions.”
The Reeve was the big feature of Season 3:
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Diablo 4: The gameplay trailer for Season 3
Builds should still feel super-powerful
MeinMMO: If you bring companions again, would they be as completely broken as the Reeve? I mean, he could one-shot most Uber bosses.
Timothy Ismay: “[laughs] I think there were a few crazy things that came up, yes. We currently don’t have a class designer here, but in Adam’s name, I would say: Hopefully we have the chance to create careful balancing.
Having a PTR for Season 4 was a huge advantage. We saw what builds became so powerful that they could cause problems – and we had the chance to adjust them a bit.
To be clear: Our goal is not to take away such builds that were crazily fun in a good way. They should still feel super-powerful. But we have encountered some issues regarding their performance. That is: The game couldn’t properly process the number of projectiles and all the other craziness going on.
We had to dial it back a bit to ensure that the game doesn’t just crash. Those are the kinds of adjustments we want to make. And I think we would do something similar with companions. We want companions to feel powerful if they return. We were very happy with the Reeve. But, admittedly, a PTR would help us get it right a bit more before the season starts.”
I noted that experts like Rob are calling for OP builds to be nerfed, and I think that would be bad. After all, I want to be able to one-shot bosses if I want to. Timothy agreed with me and said: That fun factor is what you want to have.
After level 100: “Man, now I have this extreme character. What do I do with it now?”
MeinMMO: Very shortly after the end of the PTR, I saw the community discussing that content after level 100 is lacking. The leveling grind was great, but afterward there isn’t much to do. What do you think about that?
Timothy Ismay: “That’s a very good point. Players rightly pointed out that leveling to 100 is fun, but then you quickly equip yourself and think: “Man, now I have this extreme character. What do I do with it now?”
With Season 4, we’re bringing a few things that I think will help here significantly. The first one is The Pit. Once you reach level 100, the work is not done.
Tempering can basically be used right away, but Masterworking is only available starting at World Tier 4. That is only for legacy items and you have to go to The Pit to get the crafting materials for it.
The idea here is that you equip yourself, get the good stuff, stack the right affixes through tempering, and then start upgrading to make the items even more powerful. And you have to go to The Pit to do that.
For some of these materials, you need to go deeper and deeper, and will get more of them […] You will find that even at level 100, you want to go deeper into The Pit to get more materials and just to see how far you can go.
The Pit has 200 levels. And it increases sharply in difficulty. On your first visit, you will likely get through the first few levels quite easily. But at a certain point, you will realize that it’s getting really hard to proceed. I think many people will want to see how far they can go.
We had a similar situation with the Nightmare Dungeons, where people wanted to push to level 100. But [The Pit] has a significantly higher difficulty. And at least for a while, you will want to do that to upgrade your gear. […]
Additionally, we have introduced a new endgame boss, Andariel, similar to Duriel. This is a new way to farm Uber Uniques. Moreover, there are the new “tormented” versions of the endgame bosses.
Duriel already has Uber-Duriel as a stronger form. Now there is also the “tormented” variant, which is at level 200. It is incredibly tough; I personally have never defeated it, but […] this is a new challenge to see if you really are the best of the best.
And additionally, we are still looking at what additional systems we could potentially introduce in future seasons and releases that would give players more to do at level 100. We are already discussing this internally.”
Currently, the ultimate test of players is the leaderboard:
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Diablo 4: The developers talk about the leaderboards and how to climb up there
If you want the really perfect items, you often have to go into The Pit
MeinMMO: Compared to the grind for the Uber bosses, how extensive will the grind for crafting materials for tempering and masterworking be?
Timothy Ismay: “It’s not that hard to get into The Pit. The access comes quite quickly, because you just have to go in often, and you will have to grind a lot to upgrade your items.
Just a reminder: Each item can be upgraded up to 12 times, and the material costs increase with that. Every 4 levels there is a “Super-Roll” on one of the affixes. And because it’s random, the loop will look roughly like this:
You look for legacy legendaries and uniques that have greater affixes. Only those two item types can have those affixes.
Then you try to get the affixes you need with tempering.
Then you start with masterworking to enhance an affix at levels 4, 8, and 12.
We know that people want to perfect their gear. That’s why you will have to do this often to get the perfect gear. […] You will quickly reach masterworking, but if you want the really perfect items, you have to go into The Pit often.”
Deric Nuñez: “The path to the endgame starts with preparation. Adjusting the character is a big part of both tempering and masterworking. Tempering then leads neatly into masterworking.
A part of the itemization rework of Season 4 is that we are trying to reduce complexity and make entry easier. Tempering is the preparation for the concept of fine-tuning gear.
The entry into tempering is quite straightforward: While you are simply doing content, interacting with the Hell Tides, playing Diablo, you will receive the recipes for tempering […] You will unlock them permanently. […] You’ll collect them and essentially complete your stamp collection. […] This makes the experience a bit more streamlined and emphasizes quality over quantity for the new loot experience.”
MeinMMO: To clarify, the difference between Uber Unique farming and tempering and masterworking is essentially that one provides a boost and the other is more of a steady improvement?
Timothy Ismay: “Yes, exactly, it’s more of a continuous process. And Duriel’s chance to drop an Uber Unique is still extremely low. So it’s a long grind. [Masterworking] is much more predictable.”
MeinMMO: By the way: Is it more likely that I will find a Shako or an item with a perfect greater affix?
Timothy Ismay: “I don’t think we have increased the drop chances for a Shako. I wouldn’t know if Uber bosses had a higher chance for greater affixes either.”
Greater affixes are directly recognizable by a star, both on the ground and in the inventory.
Hell Tides and Items – What does the future hold?
MeinMMO: Once again back to the Hell Tides, which received really good feedback after testing. How will you further develop the system, aside from the Iron Wolves?
Deric Nuñez: “We are very pleased with the community’s PTR feedback on the Hell Tides, and we are always looking for ways to respond to that and improve the content. In past seasons, you saw the Blood Harvests, which took the concept of a Hell Tide and did its own thing. In Season 3, we then had the Arcane Tremors.
Both led to the new identity of the Hell Tides now. When Season 4 comes, we will keep an eye on the reactions and see if there are any opportunities to do something with Hell Tides in the future. Right now, though, we are quite satisfied with where they are.”
MeinMMO: Recently, people have been asking repeatedly what purpose grey, white and blue, and sometimes even yellow items still serve, especially at World Tier 4. What plans do you have for those?
Timothy Ismay: “That’s something we might look at in the future. I agree with some of the observations, but at World Tier 4 you hardly see white or blue items. As you level up, you reach a point where the “smallest” item is rare. So you only see rare items, legendaries, and uniques.
However, it is true that I am only really concerned with legendaries and uniques in the endgame. Only those can have greater affixes; so why carry around rares? That’s true, but not initially.
Rares are still quite good; they can have good stats, and you can add legendary aspects to them. Eventually, you will outgrow them on your way to level 100, yes […] but until then, they are still a transition item.
You will progress quite quickly. In the future, we may take another look at what they bring. I must emphasize that they still provide crystals. Even at high levels, these are important for recipes. But I admit that this is something we will probably talk about more in the future.”
MeinMMO: Speaking of, there were also some theories about rune words. Can you tell me something about that?
Timothy Ismay: “We loved rune words back in Diablo 2. That was such a cool gameplay system. If players think they would be a good expansion for Diablo 4, we definitely want to hear that feedback.
We are always looking for new systems we can create, both for seasons and when it comes to what players should engage with in the game. If [rune words] are something like that, then you should definitely give us feedback. We read that.”
MeinMMO: Were rune words even promised before release?
Timothy Ismay: “There was a discussion about it a long, long time ago. I was there when we talked about it at Blizzcon. Ideas we had around itemization. At that time, we were a fundamentally different game.
Mythical items, for example, do not exist either. That was another thing. We have changed significantly since then.
It’s a possibility. Rune words exist in the world of Sanctuary, but right now we have built a different game.”
If you have played in the past, come back and check out your character again
MeinMMO: The community, especially experts, have long been calling for loot filters. Personally, I find them unnecessary since classes already have personalized loot. What do you think about that?
Timothy Ismay: “We are open to feedback and read the community’s impressions. […] But at the moment, I don’t think we can announce anything on this topic.”
BlizzCon 2023: Diablo 4 leaders talk to us about the development and future of the game
MeinMMO: One last question: Which class will you both play in Season 4 and why?
Deric Nuñez: “I will play a minion necromancer simply because a lot of updates have gone into the experience and the class with Season 4. And I’m a big fan of my minions. So something like that.”
Timothy Ismay: “My next class will be a druid. Probably something with lightning. Maybe also boulders. That’s pretty strong. But I will also be playing a minion build. Minions have just become much stronger with the patch and I want to try to build a minion build. You can already make your wolves into werewolves and then into lightning-werewolves. With the changes, I think that will be really cool.
In fact, I’m almost more looking forward to checking out my old characters again. Because so much of what is happening in Season 4 is fundamentally coming to the game […] I want to encourage players: If you played before and had a build that didn’t feel particularly strong, come back and check out the same character again in the eternal realm with the new item system.
There are new uniques and legendary affixes, but the bonuses you get just by leveling these affixes are so significant … Before, there were plenty of builds that might have been okay. They could now be much more powerful. For example, there were really good builds in the PTR with Flame Death or Frozen Orbs. Things that were okay before are now absolutely insane.
I’m looking forward to revisiting my old characters to see how viable the builds are now. One of them was even a Flame Death sorcerer; I want to try that again.”
MeinMMO: Thank you for the answers!
On May 14, Season 4 starts and brings along the changes. The general tenor at the moment is that the changes will all be good: Diablo 4 needs such a revamp. From there, they can build on and see what the future brings. You can find all current top ARPGs here in comparison: Diablo 4, Path of Exile, Last Epoch – Which action RPG should I play?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Recently, it became known that a PSN account will soon be required to play Helldivers 2. Now the CEO of the development studio has spoken out.
The development studio behind Helldivers 2, Arrowhead Game Studios, recently announced that in the future a PSN account will be required to play the game. This obligation will also apply to players who play the game exclusively on Steam.
After the community reacted accordingly and punished the game with thousands of negative reviews on Steam, the CEO of the studio has now spoken out. However, a deviation from the plan does not seem to be on the agenda.
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Helldivers 2 shows its latest Warbond ‘Polar Patriots’ in the icy trailer
Regaining trust
What does the CEO say? The CEO of the development studio, Johan Pilestedt, has spoken out in a post on X. Here he addresses the negative reviews and believes they are justified. He apologizes for this development and hopes that they can make it right again and regain trust.
He further states that he just wants to make great games. There is no hint of considering the removal of the PSN requirement in this post.
You can see the post on X here:
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What does the community say about it? In the community, the blame for the PSN requirement is placed on Sony. While Arrowhead Game Studios is responsible for the development of the game, Sony acts as the publisher for Helldivers 2.
Some of the voices from the community include:
Caught, how Sony changes its own words, writes a commentator in his post on Reddit
The best thing would be to convince Sony to reverse this decision. Good luck with that :/, is a comment on Reddit
I genuinely feel sorry for the developers at Arrowhead. The love and effort is visible everywhere and when you listen to them in interviews, it becomes clear how much they wanted to just make a damn good game, writes another player on Reddit
I just want Arrowhead to continue to be a shining example of “not crap” in the gaming scene. It is frustrating that Sony sees this idea as a problem for some reason, says another commentator on Reddit
Oh, I’m sure Arrowhead has no control over the situation. I pity them, is another comment on Reddit
Pauses the film Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace at the right moment to discover a cool Easter egg that alludes to a sci-fi classic.
Which classic is it? Even though many probably know Star Wars: Episode 1 almost by heart, there is always something new to discover. A closer look is worthwhile, because at minute 33 and 40 seconds you can spot a hidden love letter to one of the greatest masterpieces of the sci-fi genre – namely, 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick from 1968.
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English trailer for Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
The EVA Pod from 2001: A Space Odyssey
What can be seen? In the background of this scene at Watto’s junkyard on the planet Tatooine, an EVA Pod can be seen, a small spherical spacecraft from Kubrick’s work. The EVA Pod is operated by astronauts and used for external tasks and as a means of transport in space.
Originally, all props and sets from 2001 were to be destroyed after filming, but somehow this capsule found its way into the sets of Star Wars.
EVA Pod from 2001: A Space Odyssey
George Lucas’s Appreciation
How did Watto get the EVA Pod? George Lucas and his team likely consciously decided to incorporate a homage to this classic. The EVA Pod was placed as an Easter egg in Watto’s junkyard. It is probably a replica.
Kubrick’s masterpiece expanded the boundaries of film and inspired numerous other artists and filmmakers. Without 2001, the genre would undoubtedly look different today. It set new standards for visual effects and philosophical storytelling in the sci-fi genre.
The homage to the EVA Pod in Star Wars: Episode 1 shows George Lucas and his team’s appreciation for Kubrick’s work. It is a subtle recognition of the significance of 2001: A Space Odyssey for the genre.
Manor Lords is a new building game on Steam, where you build and sustain your medieval settlement through hard times. The game enjoys many players, but what about a roadmap?
Why is there no roadmap? There is a good reason why Manor Lords does not have a roadmap during its “Early Access” phase. The strategy game on Steam is developed solely by one developer, Grzegorz “Greg” Styczen. The development is a one-man project, and accordingly, resources are lacking. Moreover, the most important point: promises.
As Grzegorz Styczen wrote in the Steam news (via steampowered.com) about his game, he does not want to make any more promises that do not interest the fans.
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Manor Lord Release Date Trailer
He had the following to say: “I do not plan to release a roadmap yet. I have made the mistake once or twice of promising a feature and working on it, only to find out that it was not as important to the testers as it was to me and that they actually wanted something different. So even if I have a plan, I want to adopt the philosophy of ‘listen, verify, implement.'”
Furthermore, Grzegorz Styczen wants to prioritize fixes for bugs, improvements, and optimizations in the first months of Early Access to polish Manor Lords. After the “cleanup” work, community feedback will be reviewed and analyzed to develop a new battle plan for upcoming content.
How long will the Early Access last? It has been announced on Steam that Manor Lords is expected to remain in Early Access for one year. Depending on the feedback from the community and how the development unfolds, this time could also be extended.
What do you think about the idea that Manor Lords will not have a roadmap for the time being? Do you think it is good that bugs are resolved first before new content is considered? Let us know your opinion in the comments!
A recent update from Square Enix brings changes to the payment processing for Final Fantasy XIV. Tens of thousands of players are being excluded from the game as a result.
What kind of update is this? Recently, there was an update at Square Enix that affects the payment processing. The new requirement is that the address in the Square Enix account must match the address in the payment information for a payment to be processed successfully.
On Reddit, there are now reports from the community that entire regions of players are being excluded from the game. The problem: Many players live in countries that cannot even be listed in their Square Enix accounts.
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Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail introduces a new mount in the trailer
We cannot enter our country!
As the post creator on Reddit reports, this affects the Southeast Asia region. Players residing in countries within this region cannot specify their location in their Square Enix account, as these countries do not appear in the account settings. He writes in his post on Reddit:
This is a problem for players in Southeast Asia who are not officially supported because they cannot even specify their country or region when creating a Square Enix account. [..] now I and many other players are excluded from ever being able to pay for our subscriptions or make any kind of online purchases.
The player reports that he also contacted Square Enix support regarding this issue. However, the support’s response was unfortunately not satisfactory and did not resolve the problem. He writes:
Customer support said it’s better to create a new account. This is not only stupid because we would lose years of progress on our characters but also because, even if we create a new account, it will still be useless as we cannot enter our country or region!
What does the community say about this? In the comments, other players have come forward expressing their confusion over Square Enix’s actions. It is also mentioned that it is not possible to update the address in the account, for instance after a move. Some of the comments are:
The update also affects people like me who have moved to another region since the account address and the payment address now have to match, but Square still does not allow changing the initial address, writes a player on Reddit
You cannot change your region and you cannot create accounts in a region where you are not located, notes another commenter on Reddit
It still honestly puzzles me that MMOs are still so heavily divided by regions while other service games are globally available by default, reads another comment on Reddit
Square Enix is really good at making it hard to give them money, writes another player on Reddit
Just recently, there was criticism of the benchmark software for Final Fantasy XIV. With this software, you can check if your hardware is powerful enough to enjoy the upcoming expansion of the game.
In the “Top 500” of Overwatch 2, a thorough cleanup has taken place. Numerous cheaters are gone – and this time for good.
When Blizzard says that they will soon take action against cheaters, hackers, and fraudsters, it only elicits a weary smile from many fans. This has been heard many times before, and often nothing happens for a long time. But this time it was different. Almost “overnight,” the developers launched a massive ban wave. The target: nasty cheaters on PlayStation and Xbox. The uproar is enormous and sweet as honey for honest players.
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Overwatch: Let’s embark on an adventure with Venture
How did the players cheat? On consoles, there is a method called “Ximming.” This involves using specific hardware to also use a keyboard and mouse on the console. While using a keyboard and mouse is generally not prohibited in many games, that changes when it comes to “Ximming.”
The nasty part is that the XIM device tricks the console into believing that a gamepad is still being used instead of a keyboard and mouse. This allows for options to be used that are actually not permitted – such as aim assist in Overwatch 2.
As a result, these cheaters have the superior precision and control of a mouse and keyboard (in shooters) while still benefiting from aim assist, which is only intended for gamepads.
This makes it incredibly easy to achieve a high rank in shooters.
Especially with characters like Ashe or Widowmaker, snipers with great “one-hit potential,” this can be easily exploited. This led to many cheaters being found in the Top 500 or even Top 50 of their respective region.
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How long does the ban last? If you look around on various social media, most “Ximmers” seem to be permanently banned – that is, their accounts have been permanently closed, and Overwatch 2 is no longer accessible with the respective account.
These are the consequences for fair players: An amusing side effect is that many players were “just like that” promoted into the Top 500 after the cheaters were banned, realizing that they suddenly belong to the best in their region. This is hardly surprising when a large portion of the previous Top 500 consisted of cheaters who now had to vacate the field.
The community has given a lot of praise for the action and the fact that decisive measures were finally taken. Such good vibes are rare in Overwatch 2, as there is almost always a controversial issue each season. Not long ago, there was a very embarrassing mistake in an official trailer.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO demon Cortyn has swung the blades in Stellar Blade. Is the game more than just a pretty body? Yes, but …
“Stellar Blade? Isn’t that the game where the main character’s butt and breasts are the focus all the time?”
Yes. Somehow, it has become exactly that. At least, when you look at the coverage and the “scandals” being discussed in the community. This does not do the game justice.
I bought Stellar Blade a few days ago and so far, I am quite satisfied. I didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into – but so far, it’s a spontaneous purchase that definitely belongs to my better decisions.
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Stellar Blade, the action-adventure on the PS5 launches demo
What is Stellar Blade anyway?
If I had to describe Stellar Blade to someone, I would probably say that it’s a mix of Nier: Automata and Dark Souls. It has the sexiness, the musical score, and the combo system of Nier, while on the other hand, it features really tough boss battles like in Dark Souls where you have to walk back from the respawn point more than once to ultimately win the fight.
That being said, I have to say that games like Dark Souls or Elden Ring have never kept me until the end (Yes, shame on me), but Stellar Blade seems to be different so far.
This is mainly because Stellar Blade skips the “You lose everything upon death and have to find it again” mechanic that the Souls games often have. There is no panicked “Oh, now I have to collect my corpse first, and until then I can’t die again”.
You die, respawn, and the enemies are back. But all collected possessions remain intact.
This significantly reduces frustration.
But that doesn’t mean Stellar Blade is easy. Much more, it sets the stage for getting thoroughly beaten in boss fights without wanting to throw the controller in the corner out of frustration after each death.
Some NPCs are just a pretty face – the rest of the body is missing.
A complex combat system with plenty of freedoms
At first glance, the combat system seems quite simple. By pressing the square and triangle buttons, you connect different attacks into combos and chop most enemies to bits before they can do anything. Single, small enemies often don’t even get a chance to truly defend themselves.
However, this can quickly change if you attract too many enemies at once. Because then you can quickly find yourself in a “stunlock” and see Eve’s health bar shrink unhealthily fast.
What works wonderfully with regular “trash mobs” quickly fails against bosses or stronger enemies. By the time you face the first boss “Abaddon,” you will learn that “button mashing” shouldn’t be the approach.
Those who try to continuously hit will be interrupted in their combo and find themselves in the grip of a devastating finisher that often takes 50% or more of their health bar.
Eve collects cans – and always holds them up like a “advertising icon” for the camera. It’s very silly, but also very funny.
With bosses, it comes down to precise timing and good reactions. Because only when you perfectly parry enough enemy attacks in quick succession can you throw the bosses off balance and land a finisher yourself.
You often have to make the right decision almost instantaneously. Do you dodge or parry? Do you use a backward dodge jump, or do you try to initiate a counterattack by jumping behind the enemy?
The right answer to that is not so easy. Because even if you prepare a counterattack after a perfect parry, that counter could be your own death sentence if you fail to block the boss’s second attack.
The talent trees of Stellar Blade are manageable but quite interesting.
There were multiple occasions where I happily hacked through the game world for one or two hours, immediately killing enemies with ambushes and felt like a death goddess with Eve, only to get totally “smashed” by a mid-boss, forcing me to go through the database of available skills again just to have any chance.
New abilities are unlocked through various talent trees, with points that you unlock through experience. Thus, in the first few hours, we learn double jumps, stealth attacks that kill instantly, or storm attacks with stuns. Depending on your playstyle, you can find a lot of variation here and also reset all talent points at any time for a small cost.
There’s also a quite simple crafting and equipment system. It’s functional and allows a bit of customization of the playstyle. For instance, you can enhance combos, gain more beta energy (basically the “magic” resource), or reduce damage taken. That’s nice, but nothing beyond standard.
A large game world with much to discover
If you liked the world of Nier: Automata, you will also be happy in Stellar Blade. A large part of Earth is destroyed or overgrown, and the big cities have become ruins through which enemies roam.
In the often urban areas, an ambush can lurk around every corner, and there’s much to discover. Sometimes you just barely spot an inconspicuous ledge that leads to a whole new area where hidden battles or a new outfit await.
It’s nice that the levels are fairly generous. Almost always, there are many optional paths where additional enemies and plenty of resources are hidden.
The world of Stellar Blade is post-apocalyptic but detailed in design.
Often, a scan of the environment helps you spot distant platforms or find a hidden ascent to a new floor of a building where some upgrades can be found.
I’m not the biggest fan of “Come back later to open the chest you found 3 hours ago,” but those who want all the rewards, like skins for Eve or weapon upgrades, will have to deal with it. This is mainly because sometimes you only get abilities later – like the double jump – but you try ahead of time to reach that tempting chest that is exactly 20 cm too high.
Eve is sexy, but it fits with the look of the world
But okay, let’s get to the (for some) most important point: Yes, Eve is quite hot. The fact that almost all of her outfits are skin-tight and shiny-reflective stages that well.
When it comes to provocatively portrayed heroines, I always like to refer to Bayonetta. For me, she is the prime example of a sexualized heroine who has completely embraced it – she moves and presents herself that way because she is provocative and seductive. That was woven into the story and her entire character. Here, it fit perfectly.
Stellar Blade does not have that. The skills and abilities are not sexualized or presented particularly erotically. Sure, some abilities can’t help but be a little so, but it’s not at the core. It feels much cooler and appropriate.
And – unlike Bayonetta – Eve’s moves and skills are not forced into a sexual appeal.
I remember when Bayonetta was advertised on her own game packaging as “a playable action porno of the highest order.” This absolutely does not apply to Stellar Blade.
The much-discussed characteristics of Eve are, while always present, and for some outfits, I did think “Oh my, Eve, a bit daring,” in the end, it’s not that important. Because in the game world, pretty much all human-like figures are quite attractive. Be it Eve, Adam, or any other characters enhanced by Mother Sphere.
Eve’s hair often gets in the way, so she should really get tangled in it.
What I don’t understand, however, are Eve’s hair. In the standard setting, Eve has a long ponytail, and unfortunately, it impressively shows that the technology for depicting long hair is not yet as refined as we would like. It often moves inappropriately and stiffly, distorting the rest of her pretty body a little. Especially with sudden movements, the hair tends to clip through the body, making it seem like Eve has an extremely long full beard.
A little bonus info, because I know you: I found it a bit quirky that in her Collector’s Edition outfit, Eve not only wears a tight mini skirt but also suddenly has significantly more bust size. But hey – I’m definitely not going to complain.
Oh, there go my 10 euros. Left the regular outfit, right the CE variant. Eve has gained.
All jokes aside. The different outfits are more than just skins, as they can partially change Eve’s body shape slightly. This inevitably leads to the fact that some outfits shake significantly more than others.
And yes, some of the outfits are indeed a bit questionable. For me, it does not contribute to the game’s atmosphere to have Eve hopping through the devastated world in a Playboy bunny costume or a mini skirt. But the nice thing is: I don’t have to. There are plenty of outfits whose appearance fits much better. There’s something for everyone. From a black full-body suit to “strapless swimwear” – I don’t have to like every skin.
However, since the outfits have absolutely no effect on performance in combat (unless you choose the “skin suit”), you can just choose what you want. If someone wants to complain, they’re on their own.
Minor errors spoil the overall impression – especially the sound
Nevertheless, Stellar Blade is not a masterpiece in my eyes and quite far from it.
Especially the sound in the game drives me insane. I have a surround system for the PS5, and it works flawlessly for games like Final Fantasy XVI or many others. But Stellar Blade drives me mad. Sometimes there’s a waterfall right in front of me, but the sound comes from behind and to the left. Sometimes Eve’s sword strikes resonate “behind” me. Something went horribly wrong with the sound design and urgently needs a patch or more refinement.
Many attacks also lack a bit of acoustic impact, so they simply don’t sound satisfying. But that may also be amplified by the problem described above.
The main voice actors do a good job – but some of the less important NPCs sometimes falter.
But it’s not just the surround sound that is a problem, but also the quality of the spoken lines. While the main characters like Eve and Adam are quite solid in the English voice-over, other characters stand out negatively. Sometimes lines feel so emotionless or overly dramatic that they simply don’t fit the scene. It feels a bit as if the voice actors didn’t know what kind of scene their lines were being used in during the recording, which sometimes pulls you out of the game.
The story of the game is also a bit predictable. The setting is cool but not entirely fresh. The characters are all a bit one-dimensional. It feels somewhat like Stellar Blade has a story simply because it needs one. That is enough to have a fun action-adventure, but if you expect brilliant “mindfuck moments” here, you might find yourself rolling your eyes in annoyance more often.
However, the story entertained me enough to keep me engaged – even if the combat system was the decisive factor here.
Lastly, the graphics are also quite variable. Sometimes there are suddenly muddy textures in a cutscene, and Stellar Blade simply does not reach the graphical opulence of Final Fantasy XVI. The game always looks good, but never outstanding.
Ultimately, though, these are minor issues. I enjoy the game and am surprisingly well adjusted to it. The learning curve in some scenarios is unexpectedly steep, but due to solid save points and the possibility to just farm one or two new skills if necessary, it always felt fair in the end. As a last resort, you could just switch to the lowest difficulty, but so far my gamer ego has been too big for that.
Anyone currently looking for a solid, beautiful action game is well advised to try Stellar Blade. However, those expecting constant sexiness beyond Eve’s pretty backside could be bitterly disappointed.
It is a shame that the more than solid game mainly revolves around discussions about the protagonist’s appearance.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
