Brody R Thompson, Author at Hard Drive

PlayStation Showcase 2023 Recap: Spider-Man 2 & More

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Parker Johnson

The May 2023 PlayStation Showcase has officially concluded, and we’ve got you covered with the recap of every game shown. Naturally, Spider-Man 2 was the heavy hitter of the show, which went into the showcase as the most anticipated game for most PS5 owners. Here’s everything that you missed in the 2023 PlayStation Showcase.

May 2023 PlayStation Showcase: All Announcements

FAIRGAME$: The showcase started with the new game from Haven, a PlayStation owned studio. The trailer was cinematic, but portrayed a heist, Payday-like game with big “Eat the rich” vibes. No release date or window in the trailer.

We then got Jim Ryan who gave a little spiel about three years of PlayStation 5, insisting that there were many fan-favorite games released on the PS5, (despite there not being very many exclusives on the console.) Which then led to…

HELLDIVERS II: A comedic trailer that started as a mirror to modern military ads. Showed a mix of cinematics and co-op third-person shooter gameplay. Looks like it would be pretty fun with some friends. Coming 2023.

IMMORTALS OF AVEUM: A new game under the EA Originals banner, their initiative for indie-developed games published by them. A Magic-based FPS. Looked pretty fun but had some hints of the Forspoken dialogue that could get a bit annoying if it persists throughout. In fact, the whole thing looks pretty Forspoken-like. Releases July 20, 2023.

GHOSTRUNNER II: The next trailer was a gameplay trailer for a new game from 505 Games. A new game in the Ghostrunner series, which had an underrated first game that you should absolutely play. Releases 2023.

PHANTOM BLADE 0: Another mix of gameplay and cinematics for what looked like a new souls-like. Had a really cool aesthetic, though a lot of the gameplay shown seems super scripted. Maybe I’m just bad at games and can’t picture myself doing any of this, though. No release date, just text that read “Coming to PS5.”

SWORD OF THE SEA: Next up: sand. Sand that ends up being a new game from the artist behind Journey and The Pathless. As you could guess if you’re familiar with those games, it looks stunning. No release date.

The Talos Principle II: Opening on a robot, this trailer was nearly entirely cinematics. The world looked like an interesting mix of organic and mechanical. Never played the first game, so no idea what to expect here.

Neva: Next up, a new game from the creators of GRIS. A storybook-like cinematic portraying a person with a katana and two wolves. One of the wolves died (???) in the trailer. Not sure what the game is really supposed to be but a cool trailer. Releasing 2024.

Cat Quest: Pirates of the Purribean: Next was an animated trailer. Showed some sea exploration gameplay and 2D platforming. Coming 2024.

FOAMSTARS: Next up was a neon sign for Square Enix for something that looked… very unlike Square. An incredibly vibrant neon town that served as a backdrop for a multiplayer shooter??? I guess??? A cool setting for what might be a Splatoon clone? Hard to tell. There will probably be 500 players on this at launch, which is an unknown date.

The Plucky Squire: This might look a bit familiar to regulars of these conferences. A character who goes from a storybook to the “real world.” Both styles look great and blend together really well, and I’m not just saying that because Devolver sponsors Hard Drive, I promise. Coming 2023.

TEARDOWN: Looks like some sort of building game. My brother who I was watching this showcase with seemed pretty excited so this must already be around, but this is the first I’m hearing of it. Releases on PS5 this year!

METAL GEAR SOLID: SNAKE EATER: Then they showed ants. And a bird, and a snake? And yep… it’s a Snake Eater remake! Also came with a quick side announcement of a “Master Collection” containing the first 3 games coming to PS5 in “Autumn 2023.” No Snake Eater release window, though.

Towers of Aghasba: Next up, what looked to be a new city building game. Also showed rideable mounts, bow combat, and a Tears of the Kingdom paraglider. Looks pretty ambitious! Coming 2024.

FINAL FANTASY XVI: Square came back again, but this time with something worth getting excited about: Final Fantasy XVI. Pretty story-heavy this time around, but not much makes sense from an outsider’s perspective. The summons (Dominants?) look super flashy this time around. Pretty excited to play this one, personally! Releases June 22.

Alan Wake II: Next, the long-awaited sequel to Alan Wake. Showed off a lot of monsters, and the designs look pretty neat! I was 9 when the first one came out, though, so can’t say I’m too excited. October 17, 2023 release date set.

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage: Not one to save things for their own conference, Ubisoft showed off the latest in the Assassin’s Creed. Looks like a departure back to the classic Creed gameplay, based on the little gameplay they showed. Releases October 12.

REVENANT HILL: A new game from the Finji publishing label, perhaps best known for Chicory. Looks like a game in the same style as Night in the Woods. No release date, just an ambiguous “Coming to PS5.”

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Going to be honest with you, I tuned out pretty hard for this one. Releases Winter 2023.

Street Fighter 6: Honestly, not really much more you need to know about this. Looks fun! June 2 release date.

ULTROS: Seems to be a 2D platformer (Metroidvania, maybe?) with a psychadelic art style. Honestly worth watching the trailer for this one in my opinion. Set for a 2024 release.

TOWER OF FANTASY: Looks like another robot game (seeming like a theme, here) from Perfect World Games. And yep, they definitely just did the Akira bike slide. Mostly cinematic so it was hard to get a feel for what the game actually was. No release date.

Next up from Capcom: Dragon’s Dogma II! Showed a mix of cinematics and gameplay, which is hopefully a promising sign for a close release date. Unfortunately, though, no release date was given here.

2023 PlayStation Showcase Recap: VR Announcements

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2: The start of the VR block. This one opens on a poster with an animatronic on it: of course it’s Five Nights at Freddy’s. The narrator promises “we ain’t seen nothing yet,” which is technically correct because I never played the first game, and never will. And of course there’s a jump scare at the end. Late 2023 release window.

Resident Evil 4 VR: In continuing to try and sell us on PSVR 2, we got a taste of the Resident Evil 4 Remake in VR. All it said was “in development,” though, so don’t expect anything soon. You can play the VR version of the original game on Quest right now, though.

ARIZONA SUNSHINE II: Next, we got a taste of a guy smoking in VR. Wonder if we can develop nicotine addiction along with the protagonist. Showed some object interaction that will be pretty cool if it works in practice! Coming 2023.

CROSSFIRE SIERRA SQUAD: A co-op VR shooter from Smilegate Entertainment. No release window.

SYNAPSE: A VR game that seemed like some sort of roguelike shooter. Looked pretty good, but not good enough to fork over enough for a PSVR2. July 4 release date.

Beat Saber: It’s Beat Saber. You probably know everything about this one. New Queen music pack available now, though!

MARATHON: Now out of the VR woods, next up was a new game from Bungie. Maybe this is the game that convinced PlayStation to buy them or something. They say we can discover more at marathonthegame.com. Neat!

Destiny 2: A new trailer for the next expansion. The Final Shape, with more information coming in August.

Concord: A new game under the PlayStation Studios banner. That’s about all we found out! Coming 2024 to PS5 & PC.

A trailer for the Gran Turismo movie. Seems pretty weird to have a movie in a PlayStation 5 Showcase. Hope both people who were excited for this movie enjoyed!

Jim Ryan comes on to close, and talks about a new device. Project Q is a handheld to let you play PS5 games on the go using PS5 remote play. I’m a bit skeptical of Internet-required handhelds, but if this is your thing it might be up your alley.

Also, PlayStation earbuds are going to be a thing.

Then, a man shows up in a forest. Are they really not showing Spider-Man?

Okay, it’s Kraven. Makes sense. Seems like he wants to hunt down every superpowered being in New York, not just Spider-Man. Then a symbiote suit reveal, complete with gameplay. Surprise, surprise, it looks incredible!

Then, a switch to Miles. Cool new stealth abilities, gadgets, and electricity effects. The whole thing is an extended gameplay sequence that might be best to watch yourself. Though if you want to stay pretty spoiler-free on the game, this sequence is one that’s best avoided. Still just a Fall 2023 release window though!

And, of course, ended with a sizzle reel of all of the games shown.

That’s it for our 2023 PlayStation Showcase recap! Judging by the games shown, there’s plenty for PlayStation 5 owners to be excited about in the rest of 2023 and beyond. Keep an eye on Minus World for game news throughout the Summer Game Fest season!

Following Success of Mario Film, Nintendo Executives Laugh Hysterically at Idea of ‘Mother’ Movie

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Kevin Podas

KYOTO, Japan — After Illumination Studios’ The Super Mario Bros. Movie broke box office records this month, becoming the most lucrative video game adaptation in history, Nintendo executives looked forward to future potential adaptations, while laughing hysterically at the mere thought of a Mother movie.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” said Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa through smiles and tears. “You think we’re going to put time and effort into adapting beloved video game series Mother into a feature-length film? A series that fans are extremely passionate about and would eat up anything related to it no matter the reason? Oh my god, that’s rich, I honestly haven’t thought about Mother or EarthBound in ages. Speaking of, I think we have to file some cease and desists on some Mother 4 fan projects I’d forgotten about.”

Reggie Fils-Aimé, former president of Nintendo of America, caught wind of the discussion and offered his own unique perspective.

“For years they tormented me,” said Fils-Aimé. “Where’s Mother 3? When’s Mother 3 coming? Bring Mother 3 to America—now they want a god damned movie? Oh my god, it’s happening again. Look at my hands. Are my hands shaking right now? I feel like I’m about to vibrate out of my skin. Can you grab my Klonopin? It should be in the bottle over there with the Lucas sticker on it.”

Fan reaction to Nintendo’s condescension of a potential Mother movie was not received well.

“It’s really sad how Nintendo just ignores this franchise,” said Reid Young, founder of EarthBound fansite Starmen.net. “Mario gets all these games, all these spin-offs, and now a big Hollywood movie? When are we going to get a watered down EarthBound movie with a bunch of awkward jokes and pointless needle drops that take viewers out of the experience? You know what, on second thought, maybe this is a good thing.”

At press time, Mother series creator Shigesato Itoi urged passionate fans to put a Mother movie out into the world themselves if it would make their hearts truly happy.

Street Fighter 6 Crossplay Guide: Is SF6 Cross Platform?

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Parker Johnson

With Street Fighter 6 poised to be one of the biggest entries in the series, it seems natural that players are eager to find out if Street Fighter 6 is cross platform. Even though one of the biggest draws for SF6 is the new single-player World Tour mode, there’s sure to be plenty of competition online, both against strangers and among friend groups. Read on to find out everything you need to know about Street Fighter 6 crossplay.

Does Street Fighter 6 Have Crossplay?

Good news: yes, Street Fighter 6 has crossplay and will feature full cross platform capability! Following in the footsteps of many major multiplayer games, SF6 is set to allow players to play with their friends regardless of different platforms. The game will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, so feel free to purchase on any platform without worrying about whether you’ll be able to play with friends.

To take advantage of any online features in SF6, you’ll need to register for a CAPCOM ID on the official website. If you haven’t created a CAPCOM ID, doing this before you boot up the game will save you some time.

How to Play Cross Platform With Friends

Keep in mind that you’ll need to use this separate friends list through Capcom to use Street Fighter 6 crossplay. Either in game or on the official site, enter your friends’ CAPCOM ID to add them to your friend list. This way, you can create private matches with your friends across any platform!

That’s all you need to know about Street Fighter 6 cross platform play! Enjoy playing the latest iteration of the franchise with your friends, no matter which platform they’re on. If you’re looking forward to other fighting games, check out our Mortal Kombat 1 confirmed & rumored characters to stay up to date on who you can play as when that game releases!

PlayStation Showcase Features Exclusive First Look at Hottest Games of 2021 Showcase

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Mark Roebuck

SAN DIEGO — Sony will hold a PlayStation Showcase this afternoon, and where the company is expected to preview some of the most exciting games it last featured at their 2021 Showcase, sources have confirmed.

“Ooh man, I hope they tease something about Wolverine, again,” said local gamer Troy Dalton. “Or maybe a cryptic couple of seconds from the Knights of the Old Republic remake. That last one was enough to hold me over for a year, but enough already! I am gonna have to see some cutscenes that in no way inform me of the gameplay if I’m expected to remain excited about PlayStation’s upcoming slate of releases.”

Executives at Sony defended themselves against accusations of stringing gamers along for years.

“Some people might call it a second look. But we like to think of it as an exclusive first look again,” said PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan. “Here at Sony, we believe that a video game doesn’t start when you have a controller in your hand pressing the X button to start a new save file. Video games begin with something called ‘hype,’ and it’s extremely important to the life cycle of a game to build that hype across several showcases and many years with little previews that ultimately have nothing to do with the final product.”

“I think people are really going to get excited about Spider-Man 2,” he added. “Everyone loved the 2004 Spider-Man 2 movie, for example. But then they hated the Spider-Man 2 that came out in 2014. Internally, we called that Spider-Man 2 2. I guess they thought the 2019 Spider-Man 2 was OK, though. And hey, we have a fourth Spider-Man 2 movie coming out June 2nd. But that’s a different Spider-Man 2 from the game.”

As of press time, Stellar Blade, the long awaited project formerly known as Project Eve, has changed its name to something even more generic.

Do You Need PlayStation Plus to Play GTA Online?

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Parker Johnson

GTA Online is currently one of the most popular games across all platforms, including PlayStation. However, on consoles, playing games online can have a few caveats, with memberships like PlayStation Plus & Xbox Live being commonplace for online games. While this practice is becoming less common, it is still present in some games. Read on to find out if you need PlayStation Plus to play Grand Theft Auto Online on PlayStation platforms!

Do I Need PS Plus to Play GTA Online?

As of 2023, you do still need to have PlayStation Plus to play GTA Online. While some free-to-play multiplayer games have gone the route of forgoing memberships like this for online play, GTA Online is still sticking to its guns, and requires a membership to play online on both PlayStation 4 and PS5.

There are a few options to utilize when it comes to signing up for PlayStation Plus for GTA Online. If you’re a player who sticks to playing few games for long hours, the PS Plus Essential tier ($9.99/month, 3 months for $24.99) will give you everything you need for online play, as well as a few free games every month. If you want to get some additional games, though, you can utilize the following, higher cost tiers:

Extra ($14.99/month): Everything in Essential as well as access to the Game Catalog.
Premium ($17.99/month): Everything in Extra as well as a Classics Catalog, Cloud Streaming, and Game Trials for select new releases.

That’s all you need to know about GTA Online PlayStation Plus requirements! We’ll be sure to update if this requirement changes, but it seems likely that this is a gate that will stick around on this game. Once you get logged in, check out our guide on the fastest GTA Online motorcycles to get the best motorcycle that money can buy!

Luigi Departs from Mario Bros. Sequel to Portray James Bond

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Mark Roebuck

LOS ANGELES — Luigi Mario, co-star of this year’s blockbuster Super Mario Bros. Movie, shocked the film world today, announcing his exit from the sequel in order to portray James Bond, sources have confirmed.

“It’s-a surprise, I know it,” said Luigi at a press conference earlier today, standing with his agent and manager. “But after they-a dubbed my voice with some actor in the movie, I will play these games-a no more. For that reason, I have exited the Mario sequel, and am looking forward to portraying double oh seven-a. It’s exciting, but also a little-a scary!”

The move shocked fans of both franchises.

“Wow, who would’ve seen this coming,” asked Brent James, a local gamer. “I like both of those series a lot, but this just seems like odd casting. I’ll give it a chance, though. Does this mean Luigi is going to be shooting a gun? And fucking girls? On second thought, I really, really want to see that.”

The upcoming Luigi-led Bond film, the 26th in the series, will begin production this fall.

“I’m really excited to start shooting The Spy That Jumped Over Me,” said director Sam Mendes. “There’s been a lot of speculation as to who would take over the Bond role, and naturally the internet ran wild with rumors and speculation. Most of it was complete nonsense, of course, but when I saw a young man posting about why Luigi would be the best James Bond, I thought, ‘Wait a minute, this little kid is right!’ I’m just so lucky we were able to convince him to leave his brother’s side.”

As of press time, Aston Martin had debuted the cutest damn James Bond car you’ve ever seen.

MCU/DC Crossover Film ‘Flash Vs. Kang’ Shut Down 20 Minutes Into Production

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Mark Roebuck

LOS ANGELES — Flash vs. Kang, the highly anticipated crossover between the Marvel and DC extended cinematic universes, was forced to shut down production just minutes after it began due to several simultaneous controversies, sources have confirmed.

“We were prepared for this possibility, but were really hoping we’d somehow pull it off without too bad an incident,” said Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios and one of several executive producers of the highly anticipated film. “Or at least get a few more scenes filmed before we had to shut it down. We didn’t even make it to lunch. After we saw how they had to sit on that Flash movie for a few years, we just said ‘No way,’ and sent everyone home. We can’t do four months of this.”

The incidents began shortly before the first shot of the day, when both of the film’s titular stars refused to come out of their trailers.

“I’ve seen a lot of wild shit on the job, but never anything like this,” said Gary Weathers, a production assistant. “Ezra [Miller, star of The Flash] wouldn’t come to set until Jonathan [Majors, who plays Kang in the MCU] came out. When we sent a PA to Jon’s trailer, uh, well that became a whole thing and it sounds like I’m not supposed to talk about that for now. When we tried to go tell Ezra what was going on, we found them at craft services threatening to beat up whoever used up the veggie dip. Then they pulled two guns out. This was a nightmare and it was before they shot a frame of footage. Just a disaster.”

The scrapped film, which fell 15 million dollars behind budget due to its unproductive first day, is merely the latest in a string of high profile canceled projects.

“Well, at least we’re getting more efficient at canceling high-profile projects,” said David Zaslov, President of Warner Bros. Discovery, who financed half of the halted production. “We wrote, cast, and shot that entire Batgirl movie before I had the bright idea to can it. Much more cost efficient to just shut these things down when you get a whiff of trouble, you know what I mean? Personally, I think it’s good that I’m in control of so many people’s art and livelihoods. Very, very good.”

As of press time, Flash vs. Kang was being heavily rewritten to mostly be about Batman.

‘Tears of the Kingdom’ Patch Adds Lifetime of Sins to Koroks so Players are OK to Torture Them

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Jeremy Kaplowitz

KYOTO, Japan — A new patch to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom adds a lifetime of sinning to each of the Koroks in the game so that players feel better about torturing them.

“We want players to feel like there’s no wrong way to play Tears of the Kingdom, and looking at the data, about 95% of players felt that meant they should physically and emotionally torture any Korok they come across in increasingly horrifying and creative ways,” said Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi. “But that isn’t a very good way to play if the Koroks are innocent, we believe. And instead of trying to force players to go against their instincts, we encourage those feelings. That’s our design philosophy, and why we felt it necessary to patch into the game all the sins these Koroks have committed. So players can feel good about the choices they make.”

“And they’ve done all sorts of sinning,” he continued. “From the big bad ones, like murdering innocent Hylians for no reason other than to watch them suffer, to stealing and jay-walking. The Koroks may cry out in pain as you torture them rather than help them find their friend on the other side of a chasm…but now that the patch has gone through, they know what they did. And they deserve every bit of pain they receive from Link and his magical abilities. They make me sick.”

Fans have been split on the decision, however.

“This rules! I love torturing Koroks, but was always worried that they were innocent creatures who deserve kindness. Now I can torture in peace!” said Twitter user @Zeldurrrr8873. “Welcome to Hell, fuckos!”

“Meh. For me, knowing that the Koroks have done nothing wrong is like the whole fun of making them feel eternal pain,” said Reddit user u/THE_CUM_GUY_666. “I will probably just play offline so that I never have to download the patch. Pretty annoying, but worth it so that I can keep torturing innocent souls. Ever since I watched that TV show Westworld, I was like, ‘I wanna do that.’”

At press time, Nintendo announced another patch will eventually come to Tears of the Kingdom that will ensure Link’s status as officially above the law of Hyrule.

Showtime Rebrands to ‘HBO’ While It’s Up for Grabs

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Joe Tilleli

LOS ANGELES — In a press release earlier today, the premium television network Showtime has announced a rebranding to HBO now that the name has become available.

“HBO is an instantly recognizable brand that carries real weight to it,” said CEO of the network formerly known as Showtime, David Nevins. “When the HBO logo pops up along with the iconic static and music queue, viewers know they are in for some of the highest quality of programming there is. I cannot wait to start presenting it before all our crap.”

Nevins went on to discuss the exciting content awaiting new subscribers to the newly named HBO app.

“You like Succession? Well we’ve got Billions. Both seem to be about rich people so they’re basically the same thing and ours is in its seventh season. We’ve got that show Yellowjackets everyone loves so much. I think. That’s either us or Starz — I can never remember. And did you know we’ve brought back Dexter? That’s right. There’s a lot of good stuff cookin’ up at HBO: The One to Watch for Showtime.”

As of press time, confusing everybody, streaming service Cinemax announced it will, from now on, be known as just Cine.

May 2023 PlayStation Showcase: All Announcements

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