Gears 5

The Gears series was always at the forefront of modern rendering techniques, and Gears 5 is obviously no different in that regard. Released in 2019, Gears 5 continues to impress with its gorgeous level of detail present in every aspect of the presentation, including but not limited to the environment, characters, and the sheer spectacle of the firefights on offer.

Released in 2021, Psychonauts 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the 2005 cult classic. Players once again control Raz as he finally joins the Psychonauts, but that glory is short-lived as he embarks on a mission to investigate and uncover a mole. New powers and levels, alongside revamped combat mechanics, help the experience stand out (and it looks fantastic). Head here for more details on Double Fine’s next game, Keeper.

Stardew Valley needs no introduction – it’s a farming/life sim inspired by Harvest Moon that’s sold tens of millions of copies. It’s received numerous updates thus far, expanding the end-game and adding several new features. As for Viewfinder, it’s a short puzzler where players use their camera to alter their perception of reality. While the premise is simple, it works surprisingly well and makes for a compelling adventure.

August’s PS Plus Essential titles will remain available for subscribers until September 1st, so claim them now.

Demon’s Souls

We’re talking the 2009 original not the 2020 remake. Demon’s Souls suffered through troubled development due to unfocused vision before meeting lukewarm reception following its demo reveal, with the most seething criticism decrying a game with unreasonably difficult gameplay and outdated world design. Well, how wrong was that?! Combat and world-building ended up being the very things Demon’s Souls drew acclaim for, establishing the FromSoft blueprint for Dark Souls and beyond.     

]]> 605936 https://gamingbolt.com/double-fines-psychonauts-2-documentary-gets-feature-length-epilogue-limited-blu-ray-set-announced Fri, 26 Jul 2024 20:38:08 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=594533 Double Fine PsychOdyssey, Double Fine Productions’ documentary series about the lengthy and eventful (to say the very least) development of Psychonauts 2 is hands down one of the best pieces of behind-the-scenes video game development you’re ever going to see, and now, there’s more of it to see. 

Double Fine Productions has uploaded an entirely new episode of the documentary out of nowhere on its official YouTube channel. At over 90 minutes long, the feature-length episode is described as an epilogue for the series. You can view it below. 

Meanwhile, in addition to the new episode, Double Fine has also announced that it is collaborating with Limited Run Games to release a physical Blu-ray set of Double Fine PsychOdyssey. The Blu-ray set will include all episodes of the series (including the new epilogue), an 80-page booklet that will follow the documentary’s series from the perspective of its makers at 2 Player Productions, and two bonus discs with a collection of extended interviews, backer updates, deleted scenes, promotional videos, and never-before-seen content. 

Additionally, you can also expect deleted scenes, all-new interviews with members of the Psychonauts 2 development team, previously unseen internal footage of Psychonauts 2 gameplay from various stages of development, and more. 

The catch, however, is that the Blu-ray set is going to be a limited edition set. Limited Run Games will be selling just 2,000 copies of the set. A release date has yet to be announced, but you can pre-order it now, until August 25.

THE VILLAGE – RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE

As the game’s name suggests, the Village is a massive part of the experience in Resident Evil Village. Blanketed in snow and deathly silent, it instantly sets your teeth on edge the moment you enter it early on in the game, and prompt encounters against terrifying, vicious enemies do an excellent job of setting the tone for the rest of the game. Throughout the experience, you return time and again to the Village, and it never loses its nightmarish charms. Exploration always feels rewarding, new threats keep presenting themselves at surprising times, and each time you come back, new areas – including optional ones – open up, allowing you to get ever more familiar with the Village and everything in it.

THE MOTHERLOBE – PSYCHONAUTS 2

Just like Raz, we all dreamed for years about setting foot in the headquarters of the legendary Psychonauts, and boy was it everything we had hoped it would be when we finally got to do it in Psychonauts 2. It doesn’t take long for the game to let players lose in the Motherlobe, and from the get-go, it’s a wonderful environment to traverse, full of charm, whimsy, and personality, and a unique aesthetic that only Psychonauts can capture. More and more of the Motherlobe also becomes available for players to explore throughout the length of the game, and it always remains a delightful experience.

MANTIS – STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVOR

Stars Was Jedi’s Mantis takes its fair share of cues from Mass Effect’s Normandy- a ship that you and your crew frequently return to during your swashbuckling adventures throughout the galaxy. Sure, it’s not as large, as layered, or even as populated as Commander Shepard’s ship was, but the Mantis has a lot of the same strengths. One of Jedi: Survivor’s biggest strengths is its core cast of characters, and having quieter moments where you can just talk to them about something important or nothing at all really makes the Mantis feel like a cozy home sailing through space.

UNION – THE EVIL WITHIN 2

Many were skeptical about The Evil Within 2’s semi-open world approach, but it’s fair to say that that actually turned out to be one of the game’s biggest strengths. The world’s saddest dad Sebastian Castellanos enters the virtual town of Union early on in the game, and though the more linear, guided sections within the town are obviously among the game’s most memorable, the town itself is also a highlight. From the risk/reward feel of its exploration to the excellent side quests and optional content on offer, Union is an excellent location that probably deserves more recognition than it gets- much like all of The Evil Within 2, actually.

THE HIDEAWAY – FINAL FANTASY 16

We’re going to cheat a little bit here and include both Hideaways. Final Fantasy 16 has its detractors, and yes, the game has its issues, but when you’re in the Hideaway, it’s hard not to be impressed with how lived in the game and its world feel. Not only is the Hideaway a place where you find some of the game’s best side quests, or a place where you can go to Clive’s room and peruse his wall of memories, it’s also where you spend a great deal of time with the game’s excellent cast of side characters. The second Hideaway in particular really does feel like a home for Clive and his band of outlaws.

THE NEXUS – DEMON’S SOULS

Being the very first game of its kind, Demon’s Souls hub location, the Nexus, was obviously notably less elaborate than the hub locations in a lot of other FromSoftware Soulslikes, but even now, it stands as one of the most memorable hubs in a game. In addition to being one of few places in the entire game where you can let your guard down, it also excels in other areas, from the captivating lore attached to it to some of the eccentric characters you meet there, to how strikingly beautiful it looks, especially in Bluepoint Games’ remake.

THE FORBIDDEN LANDS – SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS

Shadow of the Colossus is a singular experience that hits you in a way that no other game has ever managed to, and though the list of things that contribute to that is obviously long, the vast plains of the Forgotten Lands are surely high on that list. It’s hard not to be struck by the desolate beauty of the environments each time you return to the game’s central hub after felling a Colossus. There aren’t a lot of games that can legitimately make being “empty” an actual strength, but Shadow of the Colossus is spectacularly good at exactly that, and nothing examplifies that better than the Forgotten Lands.

THE THEATER – THE LAST OF US PART 2

We’re admittedly stretching the definition of a hub location here, because the Theater that serves as Ellie and Dina’s base of operations for the bulk of their time in Seattle isn’t really a hub as far as the game’s design and structure are concerned. It is, however, a scripted, narrative hub, and an excellent one at that. After each of Ellie’s harrowing excursions, returning to the relative calm and safety of the theater feels like a genuine relief each time. Some of the game’s most memorable scenes also take place here, while players also always have the option of taking the time to unwind by having Ellie sit down and strum away at the strings of a guitar.

JUBILIFE VILLAGE – POKEMON LEGENDS: ARCEUS

Jubilife Village probably could have been a much more impactful hub location if Pokemon Legends: Arceus wasn’t as technically hamstrung as it was, but even in its current state, it’s a genuinely well-designed base. For starters, having an actual ranch where you can physically see all of your stored Pokemon is a genius move. That in and of itself ensures that Jubilife Village lives long in the memory, but additional things like Galaxy Team’s HQ, the training arena, the beach, the farm, and more ensure that there’s more to the location than just being able to look at your Pokemon from across a fence.

KAMURA VILLAGE – MONSTER HUNTER RISE

Monster Hunter has often been known for its charming hub locations, and Monster Hunter Rise surely continues that tradition. Even from a purely visual standpoint, Kamura Village has a very distinct look to it that ensures that it sticks out in memory, from its art style to the architecture and interiors of the buildings to all of the smaller flourishes you can spot all over the village. On top of that, it also obviously serves as the place where you prepare for and select your next hunts, rendezvous with your friends in co-op, speak with NPCs, and most importantly, craft and upgrade gear.

Back 4 Blood

Turtle Rock Studios’ Back 4 Blood is a glorious tribute to Valve’s Left 4 Dead series, and while it definitely has a few flaws – that doesn’t detract from the fact that it is a really fun time with friends. There are plenty of enemy types and the encounters do a good job of mixing things up on a consistent basis, which makes it a consistently enjoyable experience that’s even better with friends. 

Red Dead Redemption 2

It’s incredible to revisit Red Dead Redemption 2, especially in light of the greedy re-release of the first game. The attention to detail, visuals, presentation, pacing and characterization are still on another level after all these years. The Van der Linde gang’s agonizing fall was a compelling story, told from the perspective of Arthur Morgan, an incredible protagonist. That’s without experiencing all of the activities and stories the world offered when you weren’t skipping baths for several days or committing dishonorable acts.

A note before we begin: for the purposes of this list, we’re looking exclusively at strictly linear games. If a game is open world, semi-open world, wide linear, Metroidvania, places emphasis on exploration designed around backtracking, or anything of the sort, you won’t see it on this list. We know that’s a pretty strict way of defining linear design in games, but the very purpose of this feature is to celebrate that, after all, so do keep something in mind as we move ahead.

#15. WOLFENSTEIN 2: THE NEW COLOSSUS

MachineGames did an excellent job of redefining the Wolfenstein franchise with 2014’s The New Order, and then took the series’ new formula to even greater heights with its sequel. The biggest strengths of Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus obviously lie in its story and storytelling, and getting to witness its gleefully over-the-top cutscenes and wonderfully bizarre personalities in a story that remains captivating until the last second is an unforgettable experience. It helps, of course, that the action itself can also be a lot of fun.

The following titles will be available at launch:

• Among Us
• Descenders
• Dishonored 2
• Doom Eternal
• Fable Anniversary
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76
• Forza Horizon 4
• Gears 5
• Grounded
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• Human Fall Flat
• Inside
• Ori and The Will of the Wisps
• Psychonauts 2
• State of Decay 2
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

Note that the game library may vary by country. More titles will be announced before the service’s launch in September. New games will be added two to three times yearly, though how many at any given time is unknown. Those currently subscribed to Xbox Live Gold will automatically switch to the new plan with no change in pricing.

Games with Gold officially ends on September 1st. Any Xbox One games redeemed through it are still accessible if you subscribe to Game Pass Core or Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox 360 titles obtained through the same will remain in your library, even without a subscription.  Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

After all, a recent Microsoft tease seemed to be suggesting something along those lines (or so many people though). However, according to Double Fine Productions boss Tim Schafer, a Psychonauts 3 is not in development. Speaking in a recent interview with YouTube channel Cressup, referring to the aforementioned tease, Schafer said that he hadn’t actually seen it, and said that a Psychonauts sequel isn’t currently in the works.

“I didn’t see that,” he said (spotted by PCGamesN). “I’m not working on Psychonauts 3.”

So what is Double Fine working on then? Responding to a question about whether Double Fine will stick with developing larger and more complex projects or return to smaller games, Schafer said that’s not something the studio puts as much consideration on as it does on whether or not a project would align with its company values. Currently, Schafer says, Double Fine is working on “smaller” games, which he says are “new” and, of course “unannounced”.

“We’ve had big games that were admittedly very complex and hard to make, but didn’t have any of the acrimony,” Schafer said. “Psychonauts 1 had a real tough development, but everyone liked each other the whole time. It’s not about big games vs small games, it’s about our company’s values, and whether we are sticking to them. It causes [us] to look at what our values are, and actually write them down and share them with the team. So yeah, we’ll make big games again. We’re not right now, right now we’re making, you know, smaller games. Secret stuff.”

“We’re doing new, unannounced stuff,” he added.

Last year, Double Fine Productions confirmed that it had multiple new projects in the works across a number of different internal teams.