Silent Hill f

Silent Hill f takes the long-running horror franchise in a completely new direction, setting its story in 1960s Japan instead of the fog-covered town for the better. Silent Hill f expertly blends psychological horror with grotesque body transformations, crafting a disturbing experience that is both tragic and mesmerizing. Every frame oozes dread, and the hauntingly beautiful visuals serve as a chilling contrast to the decay creeping beneath the surface.

Still Wakes the Deep

A shoo-in for scariest game of 2024 so far, Still Wakes the Deep duties you as electrician Caz aboard a bleak, ocean-rusting North Sea oil rig before an accident occurs and situations go awry. It’s best not to know too much before stepping aboard, but safe to say The Chinese Room have delivered an atmospheric horror for the ages, replete in equal measure dread and mystery.

]]> 601622 https://gamingbolt.com/15-most-disappointing-video-games-of-2023 Fri, 05 Jan 2024 18:09:09 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=573056 For every game that exceeded our expectations this year, more than a few fell short. Some felt they should have offered more, even without all the hype, while others crashed and burned embarrassingly. There were some laughs and tears, but it’s still amazing how several anticipated titles failed to deliver.

Without further ado, here are our picks for the 15 most disappointing titles of this year.

Forspoken

You could argue that Forspoken didn’t have much hope due to lackluster marketing and delays. Nevertheless, this was the newest title from Luminous Productions, with many of the team having worked on Final Fantasy 16 and a PS5 console exclusive for two years.

Unfortunately, after the demo and with the game, Forspoken revealed itself to have shallow dialogue and irritating banter, a bland open world and an unlikable protagonist in Fray (which is a shame given how interesting the story becomes later). Such was the response to Forspoken that Luminous shut down and merged into Square Enix after its DLC, In Tanta We Trust.

Redfall

Hi-Fi Rush and Starfield often come to mind when talking about the major Xbox exclusives this year. It’s not that everyone forgot about Redfall, but that they did so without much effort. At launch, Arkane Austin’s first-person co-op shooter had a suitably macabre setting and aesthetic to work off of but squandered it with tedious gameplay, completely barren environments with little to nothing going on, copious bugs, performance issues and a terrible plot with poor characterization.

Its quest design and so-called immersive sim elements are also an embarrassment. Subsequent updates have improved the experience, but Redfall is still a huge step down for Arkane Austin, especially after Prey.

Quantum Error

For all the strong survival horror titles that hit the mark this year, several missed the mark, and Quantum Error unfortunately qualifies. Despite some great lighting, the stealth gameplay feels tacked on and awkward, while the shooting is as generic as they come. The story could have been better if it wasn’t presented so poorly with its amateur cinematic angles and shoddy voice acting. Quantum Error ultimately feels like it warranted much more than the developer could deliver, bringing the whole product down.

Flashback 2

Microids’ sequel to the classic 2D platformer from Paul Cuisset shouldn’t have turned out this bad, but alas. Almost everything about the title is riddled with issues when it’s not just bad. Though the animations and aesthetics can be decent, the multitudes of bugs, horrendous aiming in combat, terrible dialogue, baffling armor mechanics, and half-hearted cover-based gameplay make you question everything. Perhaps the only mercy is that it isn’t too long…unless your save gets corrupted and you have to start over.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

It’s a meme of sorts to expect anything from Call of Duty, much less Activision, but this was a new Modern Warfare title. The previous two entries in the reboot trilogy offered some intriguing mechanics and memorable campaigns, even if the cracks were starting to show in the second entry. By comparison, Modern Warfare 3’s campaign falls apart almost immediately.

It’s mind-numbing Open Combat missions with boring objectives, a story that’s so by the numbers you can practically paint them in, a distinct lack of polish and embarrassing short playtime. This is from a franchise known to deliver quality cinematic campaigns more often than not. Zombies is slightly better, while multiplayer buckles under the weight of skill-based matchmaking, packet bursts and horrendous spawns.

Payday 3

At first, many were disappointed at being unable to play Payday 3 due to servers going – and staying – down for days at a time. However, after finally getting into matches, even as crashes and disconnects occurred, many were let down by the challenge-based progression, the lack of a pre-game chat, no offline play while solo, no lobby browser, a clunky UI, etc. Though it’s received updates to alleviate several issues, like finally awarding Infamy Points on heist completion, Payday 3 is still far from reaching the same heights as Payday 2.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria

Return to Moria, at least the start, is brimming with potential. This is a new adventure in The Fourth Age, with the Dwarves retaking their home and facing a shadowy curse as they explore its depths. Some mechanics were also pretty unique, but it all fell apart due to jank, poor combat, terrible AI, lack of freedom when mining and some shoddy building mechanics. What could have been a Valheim-esque adventure in Middle-earth is instead an awkward meandering.

Crime Boss: Rockay City

Proof positive that loading a game with Hollywood actors doesn’t equal success (and many of the performances aren’t even all that great). While the shooting isn’t terrible, it comes at the price of stealth and missions that encourage going guns-blazing more often than not. Throw in all the bugs, terrible writing, repetitive objectives and general lack of polish, and you have a disastrous title that’s more like Takers than Heat.

Exoprimal

After playing the open beta, Exoprimal looked like it had potential as a dumb hack and slash heavy co-op game. However, the lack of content forced PvP, and somewhat repetitive objectives remained concerning up to the full release. Due to how the story works, events can feel disjointed, while the dialogue ranges from awkward to unfunny. There are some positives for those who want to smack dinosaurs and various improvements courtesy of patches, but Exoprimal feels like it could have done better with a stronger focus on pure co-op PvE.

Immortals of Aveum

A single-player-focused magical first-person shooter with an epic scale, talent like Gina Torres and an extensive campaign, that too with striking visuals? Immortals of Aveum seemingly promised it all and delivered on some fronts (Torres was quite good) but suffered with many others. Lackluster story-telling and graphical issues, particularly with HDR, made playing a headache in several ways. The shiny presentation couldn’t save the below-average gameplay with its damage-sponge enemies and an annoying gear grind. It’s a better experience technically after several patches, but far from delivering on the hype.

Atlas Fallen

You have to feel bad for titles like Atlas Fallen. Developed by Deck 13 of The Surge fame, it’s an action-adventure title with a double-A budget, a unique world and unique movement options (like sand surfing). The premise is wasted with underwhelming writing, and the combat, the most important aspect of the experience, is sluggish and shoddy. It also doesn’t help that the world doesn’t have much going on, even with some strong aesthetics on display.

EA Sports FC 24

It’s probably not that surprising in retrospect, given how the FIFA franchise fared over the years, but EA Sports FC 24 was an opportunity for a fresh start. However, while the gameplay remains enjoyable, it doesn’t improve enough, much less advance the status quo. Career Mode is still a rote affair, the new interviews are incredibly lackluster, and the presentation feels like it’s slumming in certain places. Some positives, like PlayStyles and the new UI, are worth mentioning, but if you’re a hardcore FIFA player hoping for some evolution, EA Sports FC 24 disappoints.

Layers of Fear (2023)

Layers of Fears, renamed Layers of Fear, is a remake of Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2. Sounds confusing? It’s also a sequel with a new character, The Writer, who must link the stories together while dealing with the oddities of the Lighthouse. While the visuals look good, as Bloober Team’s other Unreal Engine 5 titles have, the bland gameplay and story-telling don’t form a cohesive whole. It’s not the worst horror game out there (Stray Souls would like a word), but many issues undermine the entire experience.

The Last of Us Part 1 (PC)

You’re probably wondering, understandably so, why The Last of Us Part 1, a remake of one of the greatest games ever made, is on this list. The answer lies in the PC version, which launched in a catastrophic state. Shader compiling took hours upon hours, broken textures rendered characters into monstrosities, performance issues abound, glitches, bugs, crashes – the list went on and on. It made for good comedic material, but those wanting to experience the classic on PC for the first time were far from amused (especially for the $70 price point). Months and months of continuous patching finally put it in a good place, but not without some questioning Sony’s PC porting efforts.

Sonic Superstars

After Sonic Mania and Sonic Frontiers, I looked forward to Sonic Superstars, with bright 3D visuals and gameplay in line with classic titles. While it felt good to play, some inconsistent Zone design, irritating boss battles and gimmicks overpowered the experience to an annoying degree. Other issues like the underwhelming music, boring Battle Mode and the new Special Stage also made it hard to warm up to. While not the worst game in the franchise (that honor still goes to Sonic ’06), Sonic Superstars is underwhelming – a definite plateau in quality over more recent titles.

F1 Manager 2023

There’re grumbles surrounding the graphical performance of F1 Manager 2023 on console, with opinions centring on its visuals being a downgrade compared to 2022’s iteration. However, play on PC with graphic settings set to ultra and the splendour of Unreal Engine 5 comes to the fore – sun-glinting reflections bounce realistically off body work and helmets, and warbly heat haze rises from the tarmac. The pièce de resistance though is F1 Manager 2023’s new visor cam – visual flairs, dynamic head movement, and true-to-life depth of field make this driver’s eye-view the go-to camera angle to immerse yourself in the relentlessness of elite wheel-to-wheel racing.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

Resident Evil 2 Remake is an excellent re-imagining of the survival horror classic, and it stands tall as one of the best remakes of recent memory. The game presents a striking rendition of the familiar Raccoon City, complete with new puzzles and third-person shooting mechanics that make this experience a lot different than the original. While the campaign is definitely on the shorter side, plenty of side content, including but not limited to Ghost Survivors, should keep you occupied for a long time.

However, instead of The Pianist from Layers of Fear 1, it may be centered on The Actor from Layers of Fear 2. An image from the sequel and the words “Lights! Camera! Action!” were shared, so it’s possible. The second game didn’t receive something like Inheritance, so this would make sense.

Time will tell, of course, so stay tuned for more details. Layers of Fear is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Check out our official review here. Despite the name, it’s an Unreal Engine 5 remake of the first two games with a new framework and character, The Writer. There’s a new chapter focused on The Pianist, shining more light on her story.

Bloober Team is excited to announce that a new and free chapter will soon be released for all #LayersOfFear owners, to be made available on the 24th of October, coinciding with the studio's birthday. Lights! Camera! Action!#BlooberTeam pic.twitter.com/1YVAKCJhgM

— Layers of Fear (@Layers_Of_Fears) October 10, 2023

The live-action short film showcases a little girl living a happy life with her mother in a mansion, and there are several instances where we see the duo practicing piano and singing. These happy memories soon take a dark turn as night approaches, and we see the same girl inscribing cryptic messages on the mansion’s floor with white chalk. Meanwhile, a melancholic cover of Johnny Cash’s You Are My Sunshine plays in the background.

It’s quite possible that this video is just a regular collaboration between Polish artist Natalia Szroeder and Bloober Team to commemorate the developer’s 15-year anniversary – but it’s also possible that this could be a larger tease for Layers of Fear DLC or even a new project from the developer. You can check out our review of the game through here, and stay tuned for more updates in the meanwhile.

The developer recently tweeted an image of a girl playing the piano and teased, “We have prepared something special for you, and it’s time to reveal the first ‘layer’ of our secret. More news to follow soon… Unless you can guess what’s coming.” The “layer” part seemingly indicates a relation to Layers of Fear.

However, the Painter’s wife is explicitly known as the Pianist in the 2023 remake. Once a promising young musician, a department store fire disfigured, leaving her unable to play her instruments. It’s unknown whether the girl in the picture is the Pianist, perhaps at a younger age. Time will tell, so stay tuned.

Layers of Fear is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Check out our review here for more details.

https://twitter.com/BlooberTeam/status/1710299927748685976

FIRST HUNTER ENCOUNTER (DEAD SPACE)

Dead Space is a horrifying game that tries to scare you to your wit’s end in a number of different ways- which, of course, include specific sections where you have to escape from a terrifying stalker enemy in the form of the Hunter. The first time this happens is one of the scariest sequences in the game. After quickly realizing that wasting your ammo on this thing is going to do you no good and dashing out of the room in a panic, hearing the thing’s lumbering footsteps slowly moving in your direct can induce quite a panic.

Let’s look at the 15 best-looking games of the year so far and what makes them so.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

The RE Engine doesn’t just allow for impeccable character models and environments, but there’s meticulous attention to detail, stellar lighting quality and shadows, and refined animations. The dark tone is pulled off incredibly well as Resident Evil 4 Remake’s presentation is on another level.

Dead Space Remake

There was a bit of backlash over the visual changes to Dead Space with the remake, but to say it looks so much better would be an understatement. The changes to atmospherics and the alpha effects, let alone the model quality, facial animations and environments, are very good. The new Peeling system makes it even more compelling, with realistic damage for enemy limbs as you tear through them with weapons.

Dead Island 2

Of course, it’s hard to top Dead Island 2’s FLESH system, which takes real-time enemy damage to another level. Zombie flesh melts with acid, burns with fire, is crushed with hammers or shredded cleanly with bladed weapons. That alone is enough to marvel at the fidelity. However, the rest of the game, with its character animations and detailed levels – even if they’re not too crazy in scale – is also visually impressive.

F1 23

F1 23 utilizes EGO Engine 4.0, like last year’s iteration. The improvements may seem minuscule, but there are definite improvements in the lighting, car textures, illumination and weather effects. Even the skyboxes are great, with the lighting and shadows looking more natural than in F1 22. Considering it’s one of the most realistic racing simulators on the market, the overall fidelity is something to behold.

Street Fighter 6

I’m not the biggest proponent of World Tour and its pop-in issues or lowered frame rate for NPCs at a distance. But the visuals in battles where you’ll spend 90 percent of your time? Simply incredible. Whether they pull off Critical Arts and showcase over-the-top animations or take damage, each character is expressive, and the effects channel the graffiti aesthetic with gorgeous splashes and collisions. The stages are also meticulously detailed and brought to life thanks to sharp atmospherics, lighting and textures.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

At launch, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was plagued by stuttering, HDR issues and poor performance (with PC players facing the brunt). Subsequent updates improved things, but even with those issues, the game is a visual feast. Coruscant is absolutely stunning in the opening mission with its flying vehicles and draw distance, and the characters sport incredible textures and facial animations. Later areas look better and better, presenting extensive detail without outright overpowering you in their fidelity.

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores

Horizon Forbidden West was already an incredible game with its character animations, cutscene direction and texture quality, but Burning Shores up the ante. Thanks to being exclusive on PS5, there are massive cloudscapes with gorgeous weather effects, and seeing the environments from way up in the sky is an experience. The showdown with the final boss also has to be seen to be believed due to the scale and spectacle.

Forspoken

Listen, we know. We know that Forspoken’s open-world design isn’t great, its dialogue ranges from annoying to downright tragic, and even the combat – one of the better parts of the game – is average. However, its visuals, especially after numerous updates, actually look pretty good. Texture quality, especially in the environments, is sharp, and the effects from spells look spectacular. The lighting is also massively improved, leading to a more natural-looking world.

Final Fantasy 16

Everything about Final Fantasy 16 screams triple-A, whether you’re venturing through the fields of Rosaria and Sanbreque or marveling at the cutscenes and characters with their incredible animation. Lighting and texture quality are also on point, even if some areas can be too dark. Also, while it’s not always the most colorful Final Fantasy, it’s hard not to be entranced witnessing two Eikons clash in a massive battle of cataclysmic proportions.

Hi-Fi Rush

Tango Gameworks’ character-driven hack-and-slash title is a big departure from its previous work, employing cel-shaded visuals and a bombastic art style. The latter is further demonstrated through over-the-top expressions and effects, whether you’re involved in boss fights or navigating expansive environments with high-speed rails. It’s an animated feast for the eyes (and ears due to the equally awesome music).

Atomic Heart

Even with all the rumored issues, Mundfish’s Atomic Heart has come out looking amazing. The chrome on its machines, the detail on their animations, not to mention the sheer range of effects – it’s a lot to take in, especially in the heat of combat. Nevertheless, when you’re venturing through Facility 3826 in the Prologue, it’s hard not to stop and stare at how gorgeous everything looks.

Hogwarts Legacy

Say what you will about the source material, but it does have some great art direction, which Portkey Games and Avalanche Software have capably captured. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is pretty meticulously detailed, especially when viewing the Common Rooms of each House, but the surrounding environment is impressive in its scale and fidelity. It also doesn’t hurt that the characters look great, with their animations standing out amid the realistic shadows and lighting.

Layers of Fear

Layers of Fear, not to be confused with its previous name, Layers of Fears, or the 2016 original, is effectively a remake of the first two games and the Inheritance DLC with some new content. The value is up for debate, but the visual splendor can’t be denied. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, with Lumen for improved lighting and Niagara for vastly superior visual effects, the texture quality is an incredible showcase of the studio’s skills.

Diablo 4

Blizzard Entertainment’s long-awaited sequel hides much of its graphical fidelity due to the overhead camera perspective. Still, when you occasionally find a lookout spot, the overwhelming detail in the regions, combined with the lighting and effects, it feels special. Even when you’re casually roaming the world, the environmental textures and how realistically everything is illuminated are fantastic.

Everspace 2

Rockfish Studios’ Everspace was already very impressive when it launched, but Everspace 2 goes a step above with its fidelity. The environments, lighting, texture quality and detail are some of the sharpest while delivering solid performance. When you venture into an Ancient Rift for the first time and fully take in all the effects and phenomena, it’s a surreal experience.