Don’t worry – plenty of cross-gen titles like Disco Elysium – The Final Cut, FAR: Changing Tides, Eldest Souls, Röki and The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes await on PS4 and PS5. PS4 titles include Alien: Isolation, Dead Island Definitive Edition, Outlast 2 and Elite Dangerous, all backwards compatible on PS5, further expanding the options for current-gen console players.

There’s also Gungrave G.O.R.E., perhaps one of the best bad games you’ll ever experience. For Premium subscribers, classics like Tekken 6, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, IQ Final and Ape Escape Academy will be available. All are playable on PS4 and PS5, though you’ll need to download PS5 versions of each title. As for PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers, check out this month’s free games here.

As explained on the PlayStation Blog, the expansion takes players behind the locked door in the Enchanted Forest, traveling to the depths below the Citadel. It’s here that you’ll discover The Rejected Daughter, a creature once meant to be Eksyll’s next heir; Zylad, Lord of Steel, a powerful general exiled to the depths; and King Otto, who remains ever-lasting. You’ll also meet Orenai the Watcher who will provide some details.

There are also four new weapons to unlock like The Executioner which increases damage significantly but reduces your movement speed and defense. A new Shard, Empire’s Wrath, can also be unlocked though you’ll have to figure out how. For more details on the base game, check out our review here.

Nioh 2

The original was tough enough but Nioh 2 dials things up considerably. On top of new mechanics like Burst Counter, which must be timed properly to prevent massive damage from certain attacks and stagger enemies, several new enemy types and bosses will just straight up ruin your day. And this is before venturing into New Game Plus which increases enemy health and damage, adds new moves (and even removes Burst properties from some, meaning they can’t be countered), and even Cursed Enemies with status attacks.

The story of Eldest Souls is similar in tone to most games of this sort. Humanity is under threat and you play humanity’s last hope to put the conflict to bed for good. It’s a simple set up but also alludes to a tumultuous and complicated past that the game constantly reminds you of with shards of a former civilization all around you. Especially in outdoor areas, shattered buildings and rubble accompany every location, so the game does give you the feeling of being in the midst of a dense lore, despite the context of the current situation being quite simple.

All that said, the similarities between Eldest Souls and an actual Dark Souls game almost entirely end after you account for the high difficulty and the dreary gothic setting. There are no standard enemies per se, and dying doesn’t really make you lose anything (other than perhaps your patience), and I think that works in the game’s favor. Dying and trying again is a loop that is better served by the quickness you might more often find in something like Super Meat Boy, and the overall structure of the boss rush format has more in common with Cuphead than Souls games. So to simply lump Eldest Souls in with the countless other souls-likes would be an oversimplification.

"Not exactly the most original concept in 2021, but while Eldest Souls may not be the first to the party, it is a game that combines its ideas well."

The combat in Eldest Souls is a firm challenge. Bosses are varied, and present multiple types of challenges that need to be identified and conquered in order to even have a chance at taking them down. Using your dodge effectively, managing your stamina, charge time, and knowing exactly when to land a few hits or use a special attack is key to memorizing and surviving each one of the boss’ multiple attacks. Some attacks are more of a challenge of your ability to dodge at the exact right time, while others are more focused on getting you to learn where to stand to avoid taking damage, and some leave short windows of time for you to get a few hits in. All of them require patience and are rarely navigated properly on the first few tries. Most of those inaugural attempts will end in death and will probably do so quickly, as it only takes a few hits from any one boss to kill you – if that. The blood burst attacks often prove useful as they reward you with bits of health as you hack away at your opponent. While the idea of inching your life bar back up is enticing, and fun to do, it can also lead to death quickly if you get slightly carried away with it and don’t keep your eye on the ball. Blood bursts are just as much an invitation to regain some ground as they are an opportunity to accelerate your failure. Overall the combat is good with just enough depth and functionality to satisfy most seasoned players and surprisingly approachable in its relative simplicity compared to other similar games.

The moment to moment combat itself feels good, albeit a tad murky at times. The standard attacks have such short range that you’ll often be getting right on top of the various bosses to land hits, and that doesn’t always mix well with the constant flamboyant animations of you and your opponent. This can sometimes lead to situations where you can’t be quite sure of where exactly you’re at with any given swing of the sword, and thus, whether or not a dodge will register at the moment you need it to. This is partly a natural by-product of the isometric viewpoint, but also partly due to a clash between the idea of needing to be so close to the enemy to hit them, a short window to register a dash between attacks, and the indiscernible cluster of pixels that being right in an opponent can result in.

It’s also important to point out that, despite stamina management being rightfully made one of the games’ many challenging focal points, it can also be a little too easy – at times – to end up in situations where more dashes are required to avoid taking damage than you’ll be able to do in a short moment, requiring you to think further ahead than the game probably needs you to in order to get it’s point across. Getting the hang of the special attacks associated with each style is extremely helpful. Many of the more challenging moments can turn in your favor as soon you begin to truly wield those to their greatest effect. Eldest Souls does not have what I would call a robust amount of combat options, but between the three styles, the health regenerating blood burst attacks, the special moves for each style, and the open-ended flexibility of the skill trees, I’d say there is more than enough meat on the bone here to keep you experimenting and refining your skills all the way through. While I would have preferred slightly less of an emphasis on repetition and memorization, it’s hard to argue with the end result of all of its pieces. It mostly works quite well for what it is.

"Eldest Souls does not have what I would call a robust amount of combat options, but between the three styles, the health regenerating blood burst attacks, the special moves for each style, and the open-ended flexibility of the skill trees, I’d say there is more than enough meat on the bone here to keep you experimenting and refining your skills all the way through."

While the game is generally centered around the character’s one, massive sword, which is every bit as big as he is, you do have three different combat styles to choose from, and all have their own respective skill trees that can be completely recalibrated at any time before or after a boss battle. If the elevated defense of the “counter” style isn’t helping you with your current situation, feel free to switch to “berzerk” for higher damage or “windslide” for more maneuverability for your next try. Either way, you can always dump all of your experience points into whatever you choose so going all-in on any one style will never pigeon-hole you into any one area of expertise. This is something that I wish more action RPGs allowed, and makes perfect sense for a game full of enemies that challenge you in such different ways.

Accompanying the levity in-between bosses, you will also come across a handful of explorable areas, some of which might contain items useful to the games interesting but unobtrusive NPC characters scattered throughout. The light explorability in the game’s hub world is a nice palette cleanser between fights and also helps the tone of the game’s lore ring a little truer as you learn just a little bit more about it each time.

The art style, much like the general story of Eldest Souls, is nothing new, and doesn’t stand out much in concept. Super sharp pixel art will always be pleasing to the eye, and it’s executed well here, but it doesn’t ever really feel like it’s utilized to its potential, either. Most of the game’s areas look fairly similar, and will rarely if ever surprise with their color pallets or visual depth until the final area. It’s far from bad, but I couldn’t help but notice the lack of variety and overuse of the same drab cool colors and earth tones for most of it. Conversely, visual variety is indeed present and consistent with the game’s 10 entrancing bosses, which is where that effort is needed most I suppose. They all vary greatly in shape and size but still feel very much like a part of the dark ruthless world they inhabit. The bosses are so unique and interesting that the intrigue of finding out what the next one is all about often becomes a huge part of what drives you forward through the game, and that’s a great thing to have in a boss-rush game.

"Most of the game’s areas look fairly similar, and will rarely if ever surprise with their color pallets or visual depth until the final area. It’s far from bad, but I couldn’t help but notice the lack of variety and overuse of the same drab cool colors and earth tones for most of it. Conversely, visual variety is indeed present and consistent with the game’s 10 entrancing bosses, which is where that effort is needed most I suppose."

The game’s music also seems to strike the right tone with lots of brooding chords on the low end that loom over the games calmer segments, but appropriately heats up in tempo and intensity during fights. It’s not a soundtrack I would recommend paying extra to have, but it fits the game just fine. Sound effects follow suit with slashes and bashes that don’t overwhelm the music, but stand out enough to let you know when you’ve been hit or landed one of your own.

Eldest Souls isn’t going to blow anyone away with most of its ideas, as they’ve all been done countless times before in different games, but this particular union of art style, tough-but-approachable combat, and the under-appreciated boss rush format, pulls its weight and makes this game more memorable than I expected it to be, especially considering that this is the developer’s first major outing. It’s got a few flaws and could have used more pop in the sound department and level design, but that’s nothing that a true fan of any of its core elements couldn’t overlook.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

The trailer showcases a fight with a monstrous boss in a hilarious fashion, with the protagonist barely managing to survive the encounter. The trailer also showcases a number of other boss characters that fans will be facing on their perilous quest to slay the Old Gods. All in all, it does a fine job at establishing the core of the experience and the tone of the game.

Eldest Souls looks to be shaping up great, and fans of the Soulslike genre should definitely keep an eye out for the game. Eldest Souls releases on July 29th for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and PC.

Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline

Bloodline is more than just two new hero characters that can join DedSec. It’s also the return of two fan favourites, Aiden Pearce from Watch Dogs and Wrench from Watch Dogs 2, in a new story for the franchise. Set before the events of Legion, Bloodline sees Pearce taking on a “simple job” in London to steal a robot-controlling device from Broca Tech. Unfortunately, Wrench steals it first, triggering a cat and mouse game between the two with the life of Aiden’s nephew hanging in the balance.

Both characters are playable and offer their own unique abilities, whether it’s Aiden’s System Crash to disable surrounding electronics or Wrench’s custom drone. Once the story is complete, they can also join DedSec and become playable throughout the main campaign. Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline is out on July 6^th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Stadia.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

Unlike its action RPG brethren, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is about fighting alongside Monsters or Monsties, if you will, in turn-based battles. The story focuses on Razewing Ratha, a flightless young Rathalos with black wings that will apparently bring ruin to the world. As the descendant of Red, the rider from the first game, you ultimately embark on an adventure with Ratha, battling Hunters and other Monsters alike. This includes heavyweights like Diablos, Anjanath and even Nergigante. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a more story-focused affair but it certainly stands out due to its strong production values. It’s out on July 9^th for Nintendo Switch and PC with a demo currently available on the Nintendo eShop.

F1 2021

Codemasters’ first Formula One racing title published under Electronic Arts is nearly upon us. F1 2021 takes everything that worked last year and adds a bunch of new content on top. There’s the new story mode, Braking Point, which focuses on Aiden Jackson and his rise to Formula One throughout three seasons. Along with new tracks and drivers, including Mick Schumacher and Yuki Tsunoda, the R&D tree has been revamped to be more straightforward. New settings allow for a more casual experience or tweaking everything, from the AI’s research speed in Career and My Team to car faults during races, for a deeper challenge. Out on July 16^th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC, F1 2021 looks to build strongly on the Codemasters’ pedigree.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

The Nintendo Wii classic returns to the celebration of some fans and the chagrin of others. As the name indicates, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD improves on the original with high resolution visuals while also running at 60 FPS. Numerous “quality of life enhancements” like tutorial refinements have also been added along with options for both motion controls via the Joy-Cons and using the right stick for swordplay (which makes things easier for handheld users). While not quite the remaster many had anticipated, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is still pretty good and should be well worth experiencing on the Switch when the remaster releases on July 16^th.

Tribes of Midgard

While Valheim continues its development in early access, action RPG fans may want to check out Tribes of Midgard. Developed by Norsfell and releasing on July 27^th for PS4, PS5 and PC, it sees the player shielding a seed of Yggdrasil from the forces of Hel and Ragnarok. The player creates a settlement, reinforcing it with walls and setting out during the day to gather resources, Artifacts and weapons. At night, enemies will attack in an effort to destroy Yggdrasil and it’s up to you to stop them. Survive for long enough and the Giants will get involved as well. Tribes of Midgard can be played solo but also supports up to 10 players in co-op.

NEO: The World Ends with You

Eleven years after the original release, The World Ends With You is finally getting a sequel. Despite being fully 3D, NEO: The World Ends With you should be immediately familiar to fans with the return of Pins, the Noise, the Reaper’s Game and yes, the unmistakable incredible tunes. The protagonist this time is Rindo who, along with Fret and Nagi, are part of the Wicked Twisters and fight other groups for survival. Combat is more of a third person hack and slash affair but you’ll still be combining attacks with teammates and taking down Noise with over 300 Pins granting unique abilities. In the midst of exploring the Underground, there are a myriad of characters to interact with, delectable cuisine to eat, clothes to shop for and much more. NEO: The World Ends With You releases on July 27^th for PS4 and Nintendo Switch while the PC version is out later this year.

The Ascent

When The Ascent Group collapses in the cyberpunk dystopia of Veles, various gangs and corporations come in to claim their spot. In this top-down action RPG shooter from Neon Giant, players must battle back against the factions, using various weapons, augmentations and gadgets in the process. The Ascent offers a seamless open world to explore, destructible environments (with some very impressive particle effects) and co-op for up to four players, both online and local. Releasing on July 29^th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC, it’s also a day one launch on Xbox Game Pass.

Eldest Souls

Fallen Flag Studios’ pixel-art Souls-like Eldest Souls finally has a release date, arriving on July 29^th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PC, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Unlike most other Souls-like titles though, this one is all about boss fights, each presenting a tough challenge but granting unique talent and ability unlocks along the way. The aesthetic is decidedly retro but still looks great, especially as you explore the ruins of the world and unearth its various mysteries en route to stopping the Desolation.

Samurai Warriors 5

The Warriors series is one that seemingly will never die. It’s now time for the hack and slash franchise to return once again to feudal Japan with Samurai Warriors 5. Much like its big brother, Dynasty Warriors, borrows from Chinese history it takes from various Japanese historical and mixes them up. Samurai Warriors 5 is out on July 27 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC.

Chernobylite

The Farm 51 has been fairly busy over the past few years with Chernobylite, a survival single-player RPG which may remind one of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise. Set in Chernobyl’s exclusion zone, the player controls a former physicist who returns to seek out Tatiana, their partner. Of course, it’s not a simple walk in the park and you’ll need various companions and supplies to make your way through while also crafting new equipment and weapons. Throughout the campaign, various decisions have to be made which can determine the fate of your team. Currently available in early access, Chernobylite fully launches on July 28th for PC, Xbox One and PS4 with Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions coming later.