Scarlet Nexus Tech Analysis – PS5 vs Xbox Series X Frame Rate Comparison
Bandai Namco's newest action RPG IP Scarlet Nexus is out now, bringing players a brand new cyberpunk world (or "brain punk", as Bandai Namco likes to call it) brimming with fast, frantic action. Though it's a cross-gen release, as most games are right now, how exactly does it fare on the PS5 and Xbox Series X? What should you expect in terms of performance and resolution?
In our tests, we've been pleased to find Scarlet Nexus achieving parity, more or less, across both platforms. The game targets a 4K resolution and 60 FPS performance on both consoles, and by and large, it is hitting those targets with not a lot of dips to speak of. We do wish there had been a 120 FPS option in the game, especially given how much the experience is focused on fast-paced action and combat, but what is available in the game is, for the most part, doing what it sets out to do. You can check out our full frame rate comparison below.
Scarlet Nexus is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In our review of the game, we said, "Scarlet Nexus' excellent combat makes for an enjoyable experience, but the game is let down by its mindless narrative, uninteresting characters, and flawed storytelling." You can read our full review through here.
Tales of Arise Trailer Focuses on Shionne, Showcases Astral Artes
Bandai Namco's newest trailer for Tales of Arise is live and continuing from the introduction trailer for Alphen, it focuses on Shionne. As the second protagonist and a native of Rena, Shionne possesses the ability to electrocute anyone that touches her. Check it out below.
This works fairly well for Alphen, who's not only lost his memories but can't feel any pain. Shionne is also skilled in using Astral Artes, bombarding foes with various elemental magic while also firing from range with her rifle. She can also act as a support and heal the party when necessary. The trailer also sees Shionne walking out with her signature dress, which is a nice moment.
Tales of Arise is out on September 10th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Following Alphen and Shionne, expect separate introduction trailers for Rinwell, Hootle, Law, Kisara and Dohalim il Qaras. Stay tuned for other details and gameplay as well.
Jade Raymond's Haven Studios' Game Will Most Likely Have Multiplayer And Live-Service Elements
According to a number of LinkedIn job vacancies, it would seem that Jade Raymond's Haven Studios would have some form of multiplayer or live-service elements in its upcoming project. There's not a lot of information available right now, but it's confirmed that the game would be a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
The studio is currently on the lookout for a Senior Software Engineer with experience in network, multiplayer, and marketing. There's also a vacancy for Senior Core Infrastructure Engineer and Online Software Engineer with experience in working on cloud platforms.
These vacancies would suggest that the game is still in the very early stages of development, possibly pre-production. This isn't surprising by any means, as the studio was formally announced just 3 months prior to these openings. Jade Raymond left Google in February after the company announced that all first-party games and studios for its cloud streaming service Google Stadia would be shutting down.
Mario Golf: Super Rush Receives Day 1 Update Fixing Bugs and Adding Quality of Life Features
Nintendo has released a day 1 update for their star Italian plumber's latest outing, Mario Golf: Super Rush. On installing the update, players will be bumping up the version of the game to 1.1.0. The game's official page on Nintendo's support website outlines all of the changes to Mario Golf: Super Rush with this update.
There are added features and bug fixes for the game's online mode, and a new toggle for Rush Events. Challenges for Shots off Tee, Approaches, and Putting have also been added and motion controls have received some tweaks as well. Players who wish to play the game with online functionality are required to install the latest update. You can check out the full patch notes below.
Nintendo is known for delivering top-notch quality experiences at launch and seeing the Kyoto-based giant resorting to day 1 patches and updates is certainly fascinating. Mario Golf: Super Rush has received generally favorable reviews and is available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
UPDATE NOTES:
Battle Golf
- Added "Enable/Disable" for Rush Events. Selecting "Enable" will cause Rush Events to occur at fixed times during play.
Golf Adventure (Adventure Mode)
- Added Challenges for Shots off tee, Approaches, and Putting. The new challenges can be accepted from the Fire Bros in each area's practice area.
- Added lessons that teach spin use, and strategies for wind direction. The new challenges can be accepted from the Hammer Bros in each area's practice area.
- Adjusted several scenes encountered during the Golf Adventure mode of the game.
Motion Controls
- "Practice Swing" now displays on the screen when trying out practice swings.
- Adjusted the game balance around swing inputs.
Online and Local Wireless Play
- Names of online opponents will now display.
- Connection errors occurring mid-game will now display.
General Changes
- Adjusted the display position of text and other information displayed during play.
- Adjusted the results screen.
- In addition, adjustments have been made to the game balance, and issues have been fixed to make the game experience more enjoyable.
DOTA 2 Adds AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution Support In New Update
Valve's incredibly popular DOTA 2 just received a new update, which adds support for AMD's latest FidelityFX Super Resolution technology. The game was confirmed to be receiving FSR support recently. In a news post on the official DOTA 2 website, Valve has listed all of the features and content additions coming to the game with the update.
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution will allow for all players who're using any GPU compatible with DirectX 11 or Vulkan to see improvements to the performance while still reaping the benefits of playing at high resolutions. Considering the already meager amount of horsepower required to run the game, the feature seems to be aimed directly towards players aiming for super high framerates on similarly high resolutions.
There's still no news regarding when DLSS 2.0 would be integrated into the game, but the latest update seems to suggest that it might be sooner than later. The same update also adds a new Battle Pass and a free event type.
Windows Developers Won't Be Required To Pay Microsoft A Cut Of Profits Unless They're Making Games
Following yesterday's Windows 11 reveal event, Microsoft has now confirmed that developers can keep the entirety of all revenue generated from the Microsoft Store with a glaring exception of games. Speaking with The Verge, Microsoft confirmed that developers can keep all of the revenue generated through its app store and in-app purchases which can be completed either through the app itself or through the Microsoft store.
It's not entirely clear as to why Microsoft makes such a distinction between apps and games on its platform – but these new policies would certainly be influential in driving more developers to put their apps on the platform. Earlier this year, they also confirmed that, following in the footsteps of the Epic Games Store, they'll be decreasing their revenue cut on the Windows Store to 12% from the industry-standard 30%. Forgoing any and all revenue share from in-app purchases is in stark contrast to Apple's policies with its iOS platform. Revenue cut is something that Epic Games and Valve have been competing on the basis of for some time now.
Xbox has already revealed that the company hasn't yet made any profits from selling console hardware, so it makes sense that the Redmond-based giant would resort to such measures from a business standpoint.
Halo Infinite Seasons Will Give Multiplayer Characters a "Vital, Active Role" in the Universe
As the weeks count down to Halo Infinite's release, 343 Industries has been keeping the community informed on all of the big new features coming to multiplayer. A recent Inside Infinite post talked more about the content that could be expected in each season. We already know that Season 1 is based on Reach but creative head Joseph Staten said that it will be the start of long journey for one's multiplayer character.
"Heroes of Reach" is the name of Season 1 and it's purpose is introduce your character into the universe. "Customizing your character, making your Spartan look and sound exactly the way you want, is a huge part of the journey. So is tracking your triumphs and setbacks or interacting with your friends and foes on a new-and-improved Halo Waypoint. But your journey is more than that.
"At the center of our plans is a goal to deeply root your Multiplayer character in the larger Halo universe and give them a vital, active role in the Halo story moving forward. How exactly we're going to do this in the Seasons and years ahead… Well, we're not ready to share details yet. But I can share that we picked 'Heroes of Reach' as a Seasonal theme for very specific reasons: Reach has a rich history; it's a key location for Spartans of old and a focal point for a new generation of Spartans preparing to wrestle with the perils and mysteries of a galaxy that has fundamentally changed after the events of Halo 5."
The "story" as it were sees the player entering at a "transformational moment" in the franchise's history as it pivots from "one generation of heroes to the next. In this moment, your Multiplayer hero is waiting just offstage, geared up for battle and ready to spring into action. And their epic story has yet to be told," says Staten. On-going stories in multiplayer titles isn't anything particularly new – see Apex Legends and Overwatch – but this will one of the few games where the player's own character will partake in a story of their own over multiple seasons.
Halo Infinite is out this Holiday season for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC along with launching day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Ubisoft isn't Worried About Rainbow Six Siege and Rainbow Six Extraction Cannibalizing Each Other
Rainbow Six Siege is going stronger than ever, and really, there's no indication that that's going to change any time soon. But Ubisoft is also releasing a new game in the series, Rainbow Six Extraction, which is going to run alongside Siege as an alternative live service experience, bringing Siege's operators and mechanics into a sci-fi PvE co-op game. The question, of course, is whether or not there's danger of one cannibalizing the other.
According to Rainbow Six Extraction creative director Patrik Méthé, however, that isn't really a concern. Speaking in an interview with GameSpot, Méthé said that both games are going for very different experiences, so there isn't really any danger of one of them cannibalizing the other.
"They're both very different games offering their own challenges and pacing so there's no worry in that regard, quite the opposite in fact," he said. "The way [Extraction] is built in its PvE nature–we're confident that it will appeal to a wide variety of players from both sides."
Méthé also said that even though both games share mechanical similarities, even if Rainbow Six Siege players are also regularly diving into Extraction side-by-side, the more intense nature of the latter should still provide something new and unique.
"Should Siege players decide to push [Extraction] to its maximum threat level, it will offer a high-octane challenge, on par–and even above–what they're used to in Siege," he said. "It'll be interesting to see how they cope with these advanced challenges."
Finally, Méthé said that Ubisoft is also expecting Extraction to attract a lot of players who will be new to Rainbow Six games.
"For newcomers to the Rainbow Six universe–Extraction offers an enjoyable tactical co-op experience where they'll be able to push themselves to the limit and will have to improve their skills and abilities every time they play, to make mission success easier," he said. "Communication and teamwork will be even more essential for these players."
We'll find out soon enough how different Rainbow Six Extraction is from Siege, and more crucially, how good it is, when it launches on September 16 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. Siege, meanwhile, is currently available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and launches for Stadia on July 30.
Halo Infinite Seasons Will Add New Systems, Events, and Features
Multiplayer for Halo Infinite has been the center of 343 Industries' recent announcements with the recent overview trailer providing details on how customization, battle passes and more would work. In a recent Inside Infinite post, live team design director Ryan Paradis and lead progression designer Christopher Blohm offered details on what could be expected in each season. Seasons last for roughly every three months and feature "new gameplay content, new events, new systems, new customizations, new progressions" as per Paradis.
Blohm added that, "We are focused on adding to the player experience every season. We will look at what worked and see if we want to do more of it. If something did not work, we will learn from it and do better in the future. We want to experiment, learn, and listen with every release and make the game better for everybody." Alongside customization and progression, there will be "big (and small) features that make the game a larger, more fun experience."
Thankfully, the developer won't take three months to deploy bug fixes, though depending on how they're prioritized at their end, "not everything will be fixed immediately." That being said, 343 Industries has the infrastructure for rapidly deploying fixes so at the very least, players won't have to wait for these to be implemented in the game. Regarding Season 1, which is centered on Reach, Blohm said that, "Almost every week will mix up the activities that are presented to the player. Certain big weeks will feature events that have new activities and specific reward tracks – free reward tracks."
More details will be provided later but there will be event types that deliver themed rewards referred to as Fracture. While other cosmetics are canon and consistent with the in-game lore, Fractures tend to "lean into things further afield." The samurai-esque Yoroi armor from the multiplayer debut trailer is one such reward.
Halo Infinite is currently slated to release this Holiday season for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Rumors indicate that it should be out by mid-November.
Guerrilla Games Has Been Working on a "Secret" Game Since 2018
Guerrilla Games is hard at work on Horizon Forbidden West, which is (probably) due out later this year, but as you'd expect, the studio has other irons in the fire as well. It seems they've had a new unannounced project in the works for over three years.
Simon Larouche, who was previously the game director of Rainbow Six Siege, joined Guerrilla Games in early 2018, and since then, he has been the director of what he describes as a "secret" unannounced project on his LinkedIn profile (screencap below). Interestingly, Larouche is currently on his second stint at Guerrilla Games, having previously been at the studio for three years until 2009, during which time he was heavily involved in the multiplayer component of Killzone 2. During his time at Ubisoft, he also worked on Watch Dogs 2, Splinter Cell Blacklist, and more.
Of course, what exactly it is that Larouche's team is working on remains to be seen. Given his expertise in multiplayer and the fact that he's previously worked on Killzone 2, many would be hoping that a new Killzone game is in the works. Of course, last year, reports suggested that Horizon Forbidden West would have a heavy co-op element, which is something that we haven't seen in the game yet- so perhaps that is it's own separate project being led by Larouche?
Either way, given that this project, whatever it is, has been in development for over three years at this point, one would hope that concrete details on it will be shared in the near future. Stay tuned, and we'll keep you updated on any new info that comes our way.
