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Horizon Forbidden West Dev Says Cross-Gen Development isn't "Limiting in Any Way"

Horizon Forbidden West being a cross-gen game hasn't sat very well with a lot of people, with many positing that Guerrilla Games having to ensure that the game runs properly on the PS4 is something that's likely to have limited their vision in some way, and prevented them from leveraging the PS5's hardware fully. According to the developer, however, that is not the case.

Speaking in an interview with Hardware Zone, Forbidden West's game director Mathijs de Jonge said that the game's cross-gen development hasn't been "limiting in any way."

"I don't think the cross-generation development was limiting in any way," he said. "When we started with the concept of this game, we had so many great ideas that ended up being included – to the point that we didn't really think about hardware limitations or anything, we just wanted to design a really nice, unique experience for the player. An awesome adventure. That's how we also brainstormed all the quests and events the player is going to go through."

de Jonge then went on to talk about the ways in which the game's PS5 version improves upon the PS4 one, including visual boosts, support for DualSense features, and more.

"I think that the big delta between these two consoles, apart from the 3D audio, quick loading and DualSense of course, is on the graphical side of things," de Jonge said. "On the PlayStation 5, we can add so much more detail graphically. We can see the tiny hairs on Aloy's face, for example. You can also see a ton of detail from far away.

"I don't think many people notice in the demo, but you could see moss growing on the rocks. On the PlayStation 5, each individual strand of moss is rendered individually. So this machine is so powerful, and it can add so much more detail to the image. I think that's one of the biggest deltas, next to the processing power of the machine. We also use it for a specific lighting rig. This is a cinematic lighting rig that we normally only have time to use in cinematics. Because the PlayStation 5 is so much more powerful, we have it on all the time. During gameplay, there's a very high-quality rendering and lighting system on a lot. So there are all these extra features that make the game look even better."

de Jong has recently also revealed that a bulk of development and playtesting for the upcoming RPG has been done on the PS4. Meanwhile, it's also been confirmed that the game will have a 60 FPS performance mode on the PS5.

Horizon Forbidden West is supposedly "on track" for a Holiday 2021 launch, but Sony is unwilling to concretely commit to that launch window just yet. Guerrilla Games says the game's development is in its final stages, so there is that.

Microsoft Might Announce New Studio Acquisition at E3 – Rumour

Microsoft has obviously been making big plays with studio acquisitions over the last few years, most notably with the Bethesda deal, which was finalized earlier this year. Even with that massive deal though, Microsoft still isn't done. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said in late 2020 that Microsoft is "still out there looking for other teams"– and it's possible that another one of those might be unveiled soon.

Over on Twitter, @IdleSloth84 posted images of a conversation on the Windows Central discord server, in which journalist Jez Corden claimed that, as per "very good" rumours, Microsoft has acquired a new IP and studio. Though Corden says that the acquisition isn't necessarily "AAA-hype level stuff", it's likely that an acquisition will indeed be announced at E3.

Microsoft has a history of announcing some pretty major studio acquisition at events (including E3) over the last few years, of course, so this wouldn't be unprecedented. Even so, until such time we hear something official, take this with a grain of salt. We'll keep you updated on any new info that comes our way, so stay tuned.

Battlefield 6 is Called "Battlefield 2042" – Rumour

Rumours and leaks for the upcoming Battlefield game have become more than a little commonplace of late, and ahead of the first person shooter's official announcement on June 9, another leak has surfaced online that might possibly have spilled the beans on the game's name, an upcoming beta, new multiplayer details, and more.

The leak (via Reddit) claims that the next Battlefield game is going to be called Battlefield 2042. Previous leaks have suggested that the game takes place in a near-future setting, which has been solidified by leaked screenshots for the shooter. Allegedly, an open beta for the game is also going to go live later this year.

Meanwhile, the leak also talks about a new "professionals" mechanic, which will see one specialist with unique abilities assigned to each squad of players. Attachments can be equipped one at a time and swapped out, while vehicles, such as ATVs, can also allegedly be called in. Dynamic weather events (such as twisters and tornados) are also mentioned. These have been brought up in previous leaks as well.

Maps are supposedly going to be larger to support more players, with 64 vs 64 modes mentioned as well, once again echoing other previous leaks. Meanwhile, the leak also mentions new mechanics for traversal, such as a grapple hook, a wingsuit, and being able to deploy and use ziplines.

Interestingly enough, the leak also claims that the game's multiplayer will not support cross-gen cross-play, even though EA has confirmed that the shooter is also going to launch for PS4 and Xbox One.

Finally, screenshots allegedly taken from a behind-closed-doors preview event have also been leaked online (via VGC).

All of these are unconfirmed details for now, so take them with a grain of salt. With the game's official reveal coming up soon, we'll find out soon enough how accurate they are, so stay tuned.

Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live Will Feature Over 30 Games, Including Reveals and "Long-Awaited Updates"

It's going to be a busy summer, and by busy, I mean packed. E3 is coming up, of course, while various other conferences and events area also going to happen over the next couple of months. Many of these are going to fall under the Summer Game Fest umbrella, which kicks off on Thursday, June 10- and that first day, it seems, is going to be an eventful one.

Producer Geoff Keighley recently took to Twitter that Thursday's Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live show is going to feature over thirty games, which will include both new reveals of upcoming games and "long-awaited updates." Recent rumours have stated that Elden Ring is going to be part of the Summer Game Fest, so FromSoftware fans are probably going to be on the edges of their seats with this one.

In addition to all that, Keighley also confirms that there will also be guests (including Giancarlo Esposito, who's likely going to have plenty to say about Far Cry 6, and Jeff Goldblum) and several musical performances. Clearly, it's going to be an eventful show to kick off Summer Game Fest, so stay tuned to GamingBolt for any and all updates.

Elden Ring Will be at Summer Game Fest – Rumour

The anticipation for Elden Ring has been at a fever pitch since pretty much the game was first announced, but funnily enough, there's just as much anticipation surrounding the next major update on the game. FromSoftware's RPG has been MIA since it was first announced, with fans getting more and more antsy to get a first proper glimpse at it. Well, there's good news- that might be happening soon.

GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb has said in the past that Elden Ring is unlikely to be at E3. In a recent stream, he provided another update on the game, stating that it's likely going to be shown off at the the Geoff Keighley-produced Summer Game Fest instead. In tweets talking about the same, Grubb said that the decision to not show the game at the Xbox E3 event is a decision made by publisher Bandai Namco, which might suggest that they don't have a marketing deal for the game with Microsoft.

Recently, insider Omnipotent suggested that Elden Ring's reveal was going to come sooner than many are probably expecting, and this certainly seems to fall in line with that. This is all still unconfirmed for now, of course, so tread with caution. Either way, we'll known for sure soon enough either way, so stay tuned.

Psychonauts 2 Possibly Launching on August 25

To say that people have been looking forward to Psychonauts 2 for a long time would be a bit of an understatement. Thankfully, though the platformer has been delayed a few times, developer Double Fine Productions has reiterated on a couple of occasions that Psychonauts 2 is not getting delayed again– it is definitely coming out in 2021.

But when exactly? A specific release date is yet to be announced, but we may possibly know what that's going to be be. As spotted by a ResetEra user, in Steam's list of upcoming games, when sorting the list by release dates, Psychonauts 2 is tucked between games releasing on August 25, suggesting that Double Fine's platformer, too, might launch on that date. Of course, this might just be a placeholder date in Steam's database (though it's worth noting that until not that long ago, the game had a placeholder December 31 release date on the storefront), so don't take this as confirmation just yet.

Recent reports have suggested that Psychonauts 2 is going to have a presence at E3 2021, so it's possible that the game's release date gets announced there. Either way, whenever it launches, Psychonauts 2 will be available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

psychonauts 2 launch

Microsoft is "Excited by the Potential of AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution"

AMD recently unveiled its supersampling tech FidelityFX Super Resolution, the company's response to Nvidia's DLSS, and there's plenty to be impressed with. While it remains to be seen exactly how much of an impact the tech is going to have on games, there are many who are excited about its potential. Another major company that falls in that category is Microsoft.

In a statement provided to IGN, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company was "excited by the potential" of FSR. In addition to reaffirming support for tech on Xbox Series X/S, they also confirmed that more details on the same will be shared "soon."

"At Xbox, we're excited by the potential of AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution technology as another great method for developers to increase framerates and resolution," the spokesperson said. "We will have more to share on this soon."

It was confirmed over a month ago that AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution tech had been made fully available to developers on Xbox Series X/S. Here's hoping we can begin seeing the results sooner rather than later.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart – Day 1 Update Will Add 60 FPS, 60 FPS + Ray Tracing Modes

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is going to offer multiple graphics modes to players right at launch- or at least it will if you download the game's day one update. Developer Insomniac Games recently took to Twitter to confirm that said update is not only going to add the previously confirmed Performance Mode for 60 FPS gameplay, but also a Performance RT mode that will feature 60 FPS gameplay while having ray tracing enabled, similar to what Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales did.

What exactly is that going to mean though? In a separate tweet, responding that that very question, Insomniac confirmed that each of the three modes (Performance, Performance RT, and Quality, with the latter having 30 FPS performance), Rift Apart uses dynamic 4K resolutions with temporal upscaling. In laymen's terms, the resolution is natively going to be lower in Performance mode, and even lower in Performance RT, but will be upscaled to a dynamic 4K across all modes regardless.

Insomniac has been great with offering visual options across all of its games of late, so it's great to see Rift Apart getting off the ground with so many options. The game looks gorgeous as it is, and by its very nature, is going to benefit hugely from better performance, so each of three options are going to be great to have.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart launches on June 11 exclusively for PS5.

Biomutant Guide – How to Quickly Farm Money

biomutant

Your main currency in Biomutant is Green, and though there aren't heaps of activities for farming it, some of the best methods are also the most straightforward. The first is to find a Green ATM – it looks like a branch connected to the ground in a hoop-like shape with orange leaves on the outside. Leaping through the hoop will net you 350 Green. This is a quick way to earn cash while traveling through the open world.

Of course, there are better ways to acquire Green like selling unused weapons and armor. You'll also come across various junk items that can be sold off. If you want to garner even more Green per item sold, put some points into Charisma. This will increase the Barter stat and net you more Green when selling to vendors. Considering the amount of weapons, armor, consumables and junk you obtain throughout the game, this will be your main source of Green income.

Another good method is to farm mini-bosses, who can drop a fair amount of Green. Look for a decent farming route which involves collecting gear, weapons and junk, and killing mini-bosses to maximize those Green gains. For more details on earning Green, check out the video below by Legacy Gaming.

There Is Nothing Wrong With Sony's Cross-Gen Approach – But Hopefully People Stop Buying New Consoles On Promises Now

Last year, Sony promised that unlike rival Microsoft, who were going to soften the full reset necessitated by hard generation transitions, they were going to maintain and respect the traditional generational model, and push for the purported innovations in game design that that brings with it to the table. "We believe in generations," PlayStation head Jim Ryan said, in no uncertain terms, also then explaining that trying to maintain parity with older consoles would hold back game design and innovation – echoing a sentiment that lead PS5 architect Mark Cerny had expressed in the tech unveil of Sony's new console.

I honestly have never really had any issues with the cross-gen model. I had zero issues with it when Microsoft was doing it. I have zero issues with it now that Sony is doing it. I don't buy that cross-gen games hold anything back either. Game design or quality is not contingent on the tech available to it. The best games ever made through the four decade history of this medium have been designed under heavy technical constraints, and games that are regularly considered among the very best of all time were designed for technology far more primitive than even the PS4. So no, I honestly don't think that cross-gen holds back game design. I don't think that new technology automatically makes games better. I think it allows for new, powerful, and sophisticated tools that make developers' lives easier, and make it easier and more cost-effective for them to realize their vision than having to work around the technical constraints of weaker consoles would. But I don't think that any game will be the best ever purely because of the magical SSD in the PS5.

But even though I don't have any issues with cross-gen games, I absolutely do have issues with how Sony has handled its messaging around this topic in the last year or so. There has been a deliberate and consistent attempt to mislead and obfuscate at all times. Though Jim Ryan's words leave enough wiggle room for interpretation when viewed in isolation, in context of the broader discourse at the time – they were specifically said in response to Microsoft's cross-gen strategy, and the backlash that provoked, as well as off the tail of Mark Cerny's repeated emphasis that the PS5 would enable games that wouldn't be possible on the PS4 – it is very clear that Sony misled. And the proof of that is in the pudding, because if Sony had no intention of misleading, why, exactly, were every single one of the ultimately cross-gen games revealed as PS5 exclusive? Spider-Man Miles Morales, Horizon: Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, God of War Ragnarok, every single one of these games was either explicitly or implicitly supposed to be a PS5-only game, with PS4 versions only being announced much later.

horizon forbidden west

No, the "pandemic shortages" which fans often like to point at as an excuse for why these games are cross-gen have nothing to do with this strategy, either. Unlike what fans would like to believe, these games weren't meant to be PS5 exclusives initially and then only turned into cross-gen titles once the shortages that COVID-19 would cause became clear. Not only does game development not work that way – you have to scope out the technical budget and framework of your project ahead of time, and adding a system late in development can derail things significantly – but if that was true, then it would by definition nullify Mark Cerny's entire sales pitch that PS5 games wouldn't be possible on the PS4. If that was the case, how was it possible to turn PS5 games into also-PS4 ones late into their development cycle? If they were designed around the PS5, which enables experiences that cannot be achieved on old tech, how did that even happen?

But honestly, we have substantial proof, including from the developers, that this was never the case and that these games were developed for the PS4 from the get go. For instance, Guerrilla Games confirmed in an interview with Game Informer that the game had primarily been developed on the PS4, and that even playtesting of the title was being done on the PS4. If anything, the PS5 version is the one that came later, it appears. A report by VGC also seems to confirm that this is true for all of these cross-gen games – God of War, Sackboy, Spider-Man, Horizon were all in development for the PS4 from the get-go, with Gran Turismo 7 being the lone exception in being originally intended as a PS5 exclusive, and then being back ported to the PS4.

So no, Sony had always, always planned on these games being on the PS4 – they just heavily implied (or explicitly stated) that they would be exclusive to the PS5, presumably to generate hype, presumably to get people to buy the PS5 in a frenzy, maybe for some other reason. But the fact of the matter is, Sony did mislead and lie here. There is no getting around that, and honestly, it's such an unnecessary move on their part as well. The PS5 is selling extremely well right now – better than any other console has in history, actually – and it is doing that in spite of its high price, the shortages, the controversy surrounding its game prices, and loads of bad press Sony seems to have a habit of generating these days. It's selling well because it's an amazing product, and because Sony makes amazing games. It was always going to sell well on those merits – Sony didn't need to lie to artificially generate hype, particularly since the blowback with every single announcement for a game by them that will also come to the PS4 just ends up being egg on their face now as a result.

God of War 2

The blowback actually appears to come most from those people who bought the PS5 on the promise of exclusive next gen showcases for the console. I get that sentiment. The PS5 is not cheap – it's $500 and it's extremely hard to find, and it's all that in the middle of the worst economic slowdown the world has seen in a hundred years. People who bought the system on the promise of a next generation God of War or Gran Turismo (two of Sony's biggest franchises) only to now be told they aren't actually getting that, that the games they are getting will be prettier versions of PS4 titles in those franchises, have a lot of reason to feel jilted (even if I personally don't think that the game design will suffer from being on the PS4 like so many seem to). I mean, sure, the PS5 has had exclusive titles from Sony – but none from Sony's biggest and most popular franchises. Spider-Man, Horizon, Gran Turismo, God of War, all seem to be opting for cross-gen, rather than committing to delivering next-gen exclusive experiences.

For people who spent the $500 on the console on the promise of those experiences, I do feel bad. However, ultimately, I feel that this is just vindication of an age-old refrain I have held – do not buy a console until you actually need to. Definitely do not buy it on a promise.

Consoles are expensive purchases. You should really only buy them once there is enough already available that justifies the hundreds of dollars you will be spending on it. This can be anything – it can be one showcase game that you feel is worth springing that money for, it can be new entries in your favourite franchises for that console, or it can be a specific number of games that finally makes you comfortable enough to pull the trigger. But you should only do it once those games are actually out. Buying consoles on promises is always a short-sighted decision. Because you have two options – either you buy a PS5 now because a God of War game for it has been promised, or you wait till God of War for the PS5 is already out and buy it then. The latter is always the better option because it is a more informed purchase. You're waiting till a) the game is out b) you are aware of its quality and c) you know what it entails (I.e. you are not buying a system on the promise of a next-gen only experience that doesn't exist; at that point, if you are choosing to buy a PS5 for God of War, you are doing so knowing it has a PS4 version as well). You can't possibly feel misled or like you wasted your money then, because you know what you spent your money on – rather than having spent your money on something that is never delivered in the form it was promised to begin with.

Breath of the Wild

To be clear, I don't think this is exclusive to Sony either. I think this applies to all consoles. Consider the Wii U – it sold pitiful amounts, but how many of the people who bought it bought it on the promise of that great new open world Zelda game for it? That game was eventually delivered, sure, and it was amazing, but it was also inferior on the Wii U (and would go on to become the signature game for its successor). So if you spent $300 on the Wii U to play Breath of the Wild, you could either resign yourself to playing an inferior version after a years-long wait, or you could spend another $300 to play it in the best form possible. This, of course, could have been avoided if you'd waited to spend the money on the Wii U until the game you were buying it for – Zelda in this case – was actually out.

Ultimately, of course, everyone will decide how they want to spend their money. And spending money foolishly doesn't absolve companies like Sony lying and misleading like they did with regards to the cross-gen situation for the PS5. But I do feel that there is something to be said for customers exercising some judgment before they spend hundreds of dollars on shiny new toys. Sony may have misled, but people who feel jilted at the money they spent wouldn't have had they just… not spent the money until they had more information and concrete reasons to buy the product, rather than just empty promises.

So in an ideal world, I could hope that Sony, and Nintendo, and Microsoft, stop misleading their customers and are honest and upfront. But in this same ideal world, I'd also hope that customers actually start waiting before committing to expensive purchases – at the very least wait for the game you want to buy the console for to be out before you buy it. And, well, if the point was never the game, and it was just the console itself? Then you really shouldn't feel that let down if a game or two isn't what was promised. There are still plenty of next-gen experiences on the PS5 right now, and there will be more. Even a new PS5 only God of War and Horizon will eventually come. Unless the point wasn't next gen games, but specific next gen games, the PS5 is delivering well enough that you don't really have much to complain about in that case right now.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.