It involves “reviving storied franchises and strengthening the console business”, per an interview with Bloomberg, and we have to say that it sounds like a good way to bring gamers back to the XBOX, especially with Project Helix shaping up to be a strong contender among upcoming next-gen consoles.

It’s a solid approach backed by the small but meaningful changes that the brand is making, the Player Voice feature being among them. It’s made all the more potent by his stated belief that, despite rising component costs, consoles are still “important, durable, and still growing” from a business perspective.

We wonder how he would respond to the claims of Windows Central’s Jez Corden about EA bottlenecking great features like the Game Pass Family Plan. We’re fairly sure that he’d find a suitable middle ground with the best interests of both sides of the equation in mind, although the balance might be in XBOX’s favor, considering what he’s trying to achieve. Whatever the case, we hope Ball manages to achieve his goals for XBOX and bring the brand back to its former glory.

Starting things off is a new Operation. Aptly titled Purgation, it involves Combat Squad Veridian investigating the mysterious cessation of communications from the Mechanicus facility, which houses key research and must hence be reclaimed at all costs.

Next up is the Battle Simulator, which lets you train and become a Marine like no other, with options to configure enemy combinations and weapon loadouts so you learn to get the most out of gear no matter the situation. That training is probably going to work well with a new approach to perk loadouts on your weapons, letting you switch things up freely depending on what you’re trying to deal with in the moment. Of course, perk loadouts are tied to weapon loadouts, so you might want to check all your gear before you head out to battle.

There’s also the new Wargear feature, which lets you equip several of them at once, with further additions promised in the near future. New Siege content and a bunch of different weapons and heroic items round out the list of additions, and we’re particularly interested in the One-Handed Bolt Carbine.

This one’s quite the update in our book, and the trailer below is a good indication of why. It makes it easy to see why Space Marine 2 has 12 million players, and why it continues to be a very potent shooter.

“I’ve been asked by investors whether we need to spend marketing dollars given the scale of the intellectual property and its reach and the sentiment… and the answer is, of course, we need to market it.” You can still “a very significant, broad-based marketing campaign that reflects where audiences and attention are today,” but don’t expect it to mirror how the company marketed Grand Theft Auto 5.

“13 years ago, we were still buying network television. We won’t be buying a lot of network television,” says Zelnick.

What that broad-based campaign could entail is anybody’s guess at this moment, but it isn’t the only question on our minds. The next trailer’s release date is one that we think a lot of you are curious about. We’re quite interested to see how fans eagerly waiting for news about this year’s biggest blockbuster will interpret what Zelnick has said.

This statement comes soon after he lamented the delay in GTA 6’s release, and whispers of an interesting approach to leak prevention by Rockstar. We think it’s past time for one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, and perhaps the decade, to get a new trailer and get those marketing plans, whatever they may be, started already.

Either way, all this has done is make us all the more curious about what the next few months are going to bring in the run-up to Grand Theft Auto 6 finally releasing on November 19th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Well, it seems like Sony’s tweet on the subject didn’t really mention the fact that those hikes were also applicable to the Extra and Premium tiers. Each sees a $2 increase if you’re buying only a month, while it’s a $4 increase for three months. Yearly subscriptions remain unaffected, though, which is probably for the best since an increase might have earned Sony a few more disgruntled customers and strongly worded complaints.

The price increase follows increases in PS5 and PS5 Pro prices, and is sure to further fuel concerns about the PS6’s potential price tag. However, with Marvel’s Wolverine and Grand Theft Auto 6 coming out later this year, Sony still has a lot going for it as far as bringing in new players is concerned. We would have appreciated a better-worded announcement, though, and we’re sure a lot of you feel the same way.

Let’s hope that Sony learns the right lessons from this little snafu, and perhaps spends some time thinking about how its announcements could be interpreted, especially with the next State of Play coming on June 2nd (and apparently featuring other exclusives than Wolverine).

Compare this to Forza Horizon 5, which entered early access on November 5th, 2021, and crossed ten million players on November 19th. Its successor is likely to surpass that total within the same time frame, especially after the extremely positive word-of-mouth from players and critical reviews. The fact that it’s topped the Steam top 100 selling games chart, beating out the cheaper Subnautica 2, probably doesn’t hurt either.

All of this sets up Forza Horizon 6 to sell gangbusters when it launches on PS5 later this year. Neither XBOX nor Playground have indicated when that will be, but you would have to think September or October, if only to avoid conflicting with its other first-party titles. And it’s unlikely to want to compete with Grand Theft Auto 6 in November.

We’ll have to wait and find out. In the meantime, check out our review for Forza Horizon 6, where we gave it a nine out of ten.

Interestingly, it seems they’ll center on Edward Thatch’s fate, potentially intertwining with the new Blackbeard’s Treasure quest. “[These additional endgame missions] give us room to resolve that,” says Knight. “Like, ‘What happened there?’ Can we follow up those little plot threads so that you have kind of a more full experience, should you choose to go down that route? But, you can still play the same sort of epic Edward saga the way you did back then [because these endgame missions take place after Edward’s original story wraps up].”

But that’s not all, as there are also new side missions, according to creative director Paul Fu. Other “beloved characters” will receive “new ending missions” as well, potentially wrapping up any loose ends. How that will go down with longtime fans if they’re up to snuff is another matter entirely.

Regardless, coupled with the new officers, whose quests must be completed to earn their trust and recruit them to the Jackdaw, you’re looking at roughly six additional hours of game time. It doesn’t fully make up for the lack of Freedom Cry, Liberation and multiplayer, but this does ensure the focus remains on Edward and his crew.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, and thanks to some hands-on time, we learned a lot about what you can expect from the remake. Head here for all the details, or check out what’s new with the naval combat, which is looking like it could steal the show.

It’s a perfect blend of familiar elements from an experience that continues to stand tall amongst its peers, and innovative flourishes that make the game even better than we remember it from around a decade ago. And while returning to the Caribbean was a great dose of nostalgia, it was getting to pilot the Jackdaw that really caught our fancy.

Granted, Edward’s brig was an important part of the original experience, and a memorable one at that. This time around, it’s a vehicle for the game to show off its revamped combat, both on the seas and on the decks of enemy ships. Our best moments from our time with Resynced came from the Jackdaw. Here’s how it all went down.

The Gentle Waves

We’re not going to spend too long gushing over the new visuals, however tempting that may be. Black Flag already brought gorgeous visuals to the table, bringing the seas and islands to life in a way that showed off what the PS4 and Xbox One could do at the time of its release. Resynced builds on that, using every current-gen trick in the book to make the seas stand out even among the genre’s heavy hitters like Valhalla on the visual front.

The water simulations are top-notch, and the open seas reflect light from the sun with near-perfect accuracy courtesy of ray tracing. Pick a fight with an enemy ship or building, and you’re going to see the warm glow of fires you create engulf the area, shadows flickering even as a raging battle unfolds around them. At night, the soft glow of the Jackdaw’s lanterns bounces gently off railings and pillars.

Of course, improved draw distances and a hitherto impossible level of detail make it all more immersive than it was in the past, while stylish touches like a visual representation of an island’s topography on your map, a new wagon wheel for you to get to your shanties even faster, and the Anvil Engine’s weather system taking over the seas at its whim are all great additions.

Your ship is now at the mercy of the weather, and its handling varies based on the kind of waters you’re sailing. That’s a change we immediately felt, and it is one that adds a tactical layer to combat encounters. Is it a good idea to take on that ship in the distance when storm clouds loom large over it? In Black Flag, we’d have probably chosen violence. In Resynced, we still chose violence, but we stopped to think about it first.

Of course, there’s a reason we chose violence, and that’s because picking fights with the Jackdaw continues to be a great way to have a blast with your crew and be an absolute menace on the high seas.

The Sound of Battle Horns

One of the more interesting changes we noticed right off the bat was that enemies on the sea were quite intelligent this time around, with fleets taking a more organized approach against the Jackdaw. Black Flag’s naval combat could get pretty easy once you got a few Jackdaw upgrades in, tearing through enemy hulls with reckless abandon. That’s not the case in Resynced, and you’re going to have to pay attention to where your enemies are in relation to your own vessel if you want to keep your own hull long enough to ensure you sail out of the battle in one piece.

While your weapons are going to be very familiar to those of you who dabbled in battles with the Jackdaw back in the day, their new secondary applications are sure to bring a new layer of strategy to the table, depending on how their use is implemented. We’d have loved to try out the new Shrapnel Barrels that decimate enemy sails and the 8-Pounder cannons that can open up more weak spots for you to exploit, but they were also not available to us in our curated glance at the game.

Equally exciting is the new twist of enemy ships coming with alliances and conflicts with other factions on the seas, which is sure to make naval battles unpredictable in ways that you can’t really predict. We would have liked the Spaniards to step in against a particularly nasty British fleet hell-bent on stopping our daring rescue of newly-added shipwright Lucy Baldwin, but alas, that’s one more thing we’re going to have to wait to check out.

We were able to take down any enemy ships or fortresses with ease, our muscle memory working very well with the new and improved framerates to make every fight smooth sailing from a technical standpoint, while our skills came from hours already spent in the Caribbean, the Jackdaw at our command. Naval combat isn’t fully reworked in Resynced, and that’s a good thing.

In an embodiment of the saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, Resynced enhances an already solid system for fighting enemy ships with creative flourishes that add depth to each fight while retaining everything an Assassin needs to synchronise quite quickly with the Jackdaw even after nearly thirteen years on the shore. Of course, you still get to whittle down enemy ships to impede their mobility and then board them to take over.

And that’s where the naval combat in Resynced finds the last missing piece to make it an almost perfect part of the remake.

The Clashes of Blades

While the new combat system is great on land, it’s when you’re on an enemy ship that it truly begins to showcase how much has changed in Resynced. We’re going to be brutally honest here, but the combat in Black Flag was honestly too easy. All you had to do was attack one enemy with your combo while waiting for another one to come at you. Parry that attack with a very generous timing window, and all you had to do was point Edward to his next victim to take down large groups in mere seconds.

The sheer spectacle of it all, and the fact that it was a continuation of the genre’s combat formula over the years, may have let Black Flag get away with that simplistic approach; things have changed now. We’ve got every Assassin’s Creed title since Origins, coming with a more refined approach to fights, and it makes you earn those openings to get in some serious damage.

Resynced takes the middle ground, with Edward continuing to be a deadly threat on his way to becoming a legit scourge of the seas while the Assassins do their utmost to guide him towards his nobler disposition. Those parries we talked about? They’re now locked behind tighter timing windows, requiring you to carefully watch enemy animations and counter their attacks at the last possible moment.

That change alone makes fighting enemy crews a deadly dance of blades, one where missing a single beat could turn the tide of battle against you. However, get a perfect parry right, and Edward is still going to be able to chain takedowns between four enemies. However, with smoother framerates and revamped kill animations, fighting off enemy crews to bring down their morale requires a measured, careful approach that makes you use every tool in your arsenal to gain an advantage in the heat of battle.

You’re encouraged to use the environment to your advantage, thinning enemy numbers to make pulling off parry takedowns more manageable. We’re expecting to see the new gear system come into play in these battles, with buffs that can perhaps increase the number of takedowns you can chain, or bestow other advantages that can add further wrinkles to the system on offer.

Once again, Resynced isn’t reinventing the wheel, but adds a few new spokes that give it a layer of current-gen appeal that had us wishing we got more time with the game than we did.

Part of the Crew, Part of the Ship

With all of the changes we’ve seen, and the way they’re balanced against familiar elements from Black Flag, Resynced’s naval combat looks like it could make the Jackdaw even more integral to Edward’s adventure than it already was in the original game. Every sunny day in the Caribbean was a temptation to just hop onto its deck and ignore anything that wasn’t floating on the waves.

We can’t wait to get on to the seas with the entire map open when the game comes out, but until then, we’re going to be humming shanties under our breath while we tick the days away as we wait for a reunion with our second-favorite Assassin of them all. They don’t make them like old Edward anymore, but there’s always Hexe to remain hopeful about.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any further information or a release date – just the promise that it’s “coming soon.” Since launch, there have been two Legendary Warbonds for Killzone and Halo 3: ODST, which added armor sets, weapons, and cosmetics from both titles. The biggest difference from Premium Warbonds is that they cost 1,500 Super Credits instead of 1,000 ($10).

It’s almost a given that the Warhammer 40,000 Legendary Warbond will feature armor sets based on the Space Marines, but which Chapters? The Ultramarines are likely a shoo-in alongside the Blood Angels and the Space Wolves. You can also likely expect iconic weapons like the Boltgun and Chainsword, but once again, we’ll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, Helldivers 2 will receive a patch on May 27th to add support for AMD FSR, DLSS 4.5, XeSS 3.0, and PSSR support for PS5 Pro players. It’s also working on new Campaigns for Galactic War that last several weeks alongside improving the progression systems and much more. Head here for more details.

“For almost twelve years, we have had the joy and honor to explore the Destiny universe with you all. Through all the ups and downs, surprises and triumphs, building Destiny alongside our players has been a monumental privilege. While our love for Destiny 2 has not changed, it has become clear that after The Final Shape, we have reached the time for our shared worlds, and Destiny, to live beyond Destiny 2.”

What it essentially means is that “active development” on the title is ending. It will remain playable, just like the original Destiny, but you shouldn’t expect any significant new additions (or meaningful bug fixes, by the looks of it). What’s next for the studio? A “new beginning” as it begins “work incubating our next games.”

“We’re proud of Destiny 2, the places it took us, and the legacy it has created. Because of you all, our universe is vast, built on years of shared stories, adventures, and victories. From the Cosmodrome to the Pale Heart to the Lawless Frontier, we have forged lifelong memories and friendships with you all.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made that journey with us. From the deepest part of our hearts, thank you, and we’ll see you in the stars.”

While it may come as a shock for some, it’s also somewhat expected after The Final Shape. Despite strong critical acclaim, the expansion – which marked the end of the decade-long Light and Darkness Saga – reportedly sold less than the more maligned Lightfall.

Bungie would face layoffs and change its content strategy to accommodate two yearly expansions, while shifting focus towards a new narrative about The Nine. The Edge of Fate received some praise for the same, but many of its other additions, including the Portal, gear tiers, Matterspark and whatnot, faced extensive backlash.

Renegades was a better effort, especially with its introduction of the Praxic Blade and better story missions, but it failed to really push the looter shooter to new horizons. Whether this announcement means Bungie is now focusing on Destiny 3 remains to be seen. But for now, it’s good night and good luck to those that remain.

But let’s be real: expecting production and gameplay quality on the level of Saros, much less Returnal, is unrealistic and unfair. Besides Luna Abyss offers enough compelling elements, even if it doesn’t quite match the very best in either genre.

So to start with, no, the actual Moon isn’t haunted. Instead, there’s a mimic, known as Luna, that serves as a penitentiary for individuals like Fawkes, ostracised by her red eyes. She’s sentenced to serve thousands of days as a Scout, plunging into the mysterious and once-highly populated megastructure that has since fallen to the Scourge. Oh, and a giant snake-like head named Aylin serves as her prison guard, blankly looking around the cell when not electrocuting her for insubordination.

"Dialogue choices feel especially meaningless – the story is the story and will play out regardless – but the thought of portraying a Fawkes who can crack the odd joke here and there, despite decades of death-defying penal labor to serve, is endearing at times."

The rot emanating from the Scourge is only the tip of the mythical Abyss, and things only take a weirder turn when meeting the mysterious Urien. Transformed into something altogether different, Fawkes is then tasked with assassinating Urien while slowly piecing together the Collective’s fragmented past and the true purpose of her increasingly maddening expeditions.

Between its jargon, average production values and lack of compelling characters in the first hour or so, Luna Abyss has a hard time drawing you in. It doesn’t help that the actual gameplay feels slow-paced and one-note with a gun that overheats far too quickly, some unimaginative fodder and impromptu rot-cleaning. The maws and gaps in the megastructure lend to some intriguing platforming and exploration, yet for the most part, it feels like you’re barreling down corridors to get to the next uninspired “puzzle” and combat arena to progress.

First impressions matter. First impressions can also be extremely deceptive. And boy, does Luna Abyss ascend beyond its first impression.

The hunt for Urien requires heading to the abandoned city of Greymont, conveniently locked behind two seals. Unlocking those requires venturing to two reactors, all while the being in question bestows new skills to help you out. Why won’t he tell you what’s going on over the radio? Seeing is believing, but unironically, especially when witnessing the various ecosystems that govern the megastructure.

A giant head works the lift, and you’re encouraged not to listen to her poetry. Two spider-like Wardens roam the environment, offering good tidings to Fawkes. Giant beings with powerful, destructive capabilities have their own commune, seemingly in penance for failing to stop the corruption. Or the darkness, or whatever centuries of disinformation have wrought on their lives.

To the credit of the writing (and the voice acting), they feel like actual characters, but only a select few occasionally elicit sympathy, mostly depending on their screen time. Fawkes is also surprisingly amicable as someone trying to come to terms with this nightmarish sentence and empathising with the other “inmates,” even if she can’t fully understand their circumstances (and not for lack of trying). Dialogue choices feel especially meaningless in this context – the story is the story and will play out regardless – but the thought of portraying a Fawkes who can crack the odd joke here and there, despite decades of death-defying penal labor to serve, is endearing at times.

"I was initially apprehensive about this since it trivialises the initial encounters, but it helps to constantly adjust movement while dealing consistent damage (especially given the lack of immunity while dashing)."

Of course, there’s more to the plot, with some intriguing twists along the way. All of this to say that if it doesn’t initially grab, Luna Abyss will reward your patience beyond the seemingly cliched grim-dark setting. It may not win Best Narrative by any stretch, but it’s still surprisingly better than you would expect.

The same goes for the gunplay, especially after unlocking the shotgun and dash. The former is useful for breaking shields, and while the latter doesn’t grant invincibility frames, it’s useful when repositioning against tougher enemies. Yes, the variety of threats becomes more diverse, along with their tactics, be it in a spiralling beam or in expanding energy rings. Dashing can also be useful when dealing with hitscan beams, the telltale flash indicating the correct timing. Fawkes also gains the ability to execute foes on low health to recover her own, though this is less a visceral Glory Kill and more like a Thanos Snap (but more underwhelming and without any actual snapping). It does the job, though, and if you’re full on health, another option opens up later for dealing with crowds.

That said, the movement can feel floaty at first, and the gunplay can get repetitive. Despite the variety of enemies improving throughout your journey, you’ll still face the same randomly floating blobs that detonate when close, the same laser-shooting hedrons and the same fodder. Perhaps my biggest annoyance is with certain shielded foes who can become completely invulnerable during periods. Muscle memory dictates swapping to a specific weapon and letting rip, only to deal no damage before the corresponding colored shield appears. By then, you’ve only got another shot until cooldown, so better hope this one lands.

Which should be easy enough, thanks to the addition of a lock-on targeting mode. I was initially apprehensive about this since it trivialises the initial encounters, but it helps to constantly adjust movement while dealing consistent damage (especially given the lack of immunity while dashing). In the late-game sections, it fuels a ballet of flying around and quickly decimating targets while swapping to the next weapon in mid-air. But while each weapon has its unique function, they’re woefully low in number. The lack of alternate-firing modes or upgrades is also a bummer, even though I can see it increasing encounter complexity beyond what the developer may be capable of.

On the bright side, at least the traversal remains fresh, especially when the environments open up to accommodate all your different abilities. For all the air-dashing, double-jumping and other options that seamlessly chain together (and which I won’t spoil), you have the power of Possession. Fawkes can enter the bodies of different beings, and though it may seem gimmicky at first, it lends to several unique sequences, including possessing a Warden that can unleash devastating firepower, perfect for clearing out tons of rot.

"Luna Abyss isn’t what I expected, and even if the first hour didn’t exactly grab me, the slow, eventual descent into the mimic Moon’s ruins, mirroring Fawkes’ own journey as she attempts to make sense of the world, proved compelling enough."

It’s a shame then that this particular option isn’t available more often, but others often make up for it, especially when seamlessly interlinked with the rest of your traversal abilities. All that exploration eventually culminates in a boss, and each frames your most recently acquired ability as a linchpin for the encounter, mostly to survive hazardous projectiles or terrain. Their bullet patterns weren’t the most differentiating at times, but they still offer a decent enough challenge, especially on the highest difficulty.

All of this is backed by an aesthetic equal parts satisfyingly washed-out, grungy and tinged with scarlet. Alas, Luna Abyss can sometimes feel low-budget, whether it’s in the cutscenes, the lackluster facial animations, or select character portraits. Even the character models aren’t safe from this, especially Fawkes, whether in her regular form or when she inhabits the crimson veneer. And yet, it’s hard to deny some truly breathtaking sights, whether it’s finally laying eyes on Greymont from afar before taking in the remnants of panicked evacuation head-on or a later area with its vertigo-inducing heights.

Luna Abyss isn’t what I expected, and even if the first hour didn’t exactly grab me, the slow, eventual descent into the mimic Moon’s ruins, mirroring Fawkes’ own journey as she attempts to make sense of the world, proved compelling enough. There are moments where it feels like something beyond the sum of its disparate parts, even as those same shortcomings rear their mechanical heads more often than not. Again, it won’t reign over the very best that either genre – first-person shooter and bullet hell – has to offer, but it’s still a fun avant-garde mesh of the two, backed by some good traversal and an intriguing story.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.