Latest news with #DarkSouls
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers review - taking the soul out of Soulslike
A new Soulslike set in China's Ming dynasty borrows from both Dark Souls and Bloodborne, with some interesting madness effects to keep you on your toes. For decades the Chinese video games industry has been focused solely on the PC and its home audience. For reasons that are not entirely clear, but seem to involve the oversaturation of the mobile market, Chinese developers have suddenly begun to embrace console gaming and in terms of technical prowess their output has been exceptional from the start. What's been disappointing though, is how they already seem to have got themselves into a rut, where almost every single high-profile game is a Soulslike, or at least Soulslike adjacent. Starting with Black Myth: Wukong, and now this, there's a dizzying array of very similar looking titles on the horizon, including Phantom Blade Zero, Lost Soul Aside, Tides Of Annihilation, Project Jinyiwei, and more. We guess that means Dark Souls and the rest of FromSoftware's oeuvre is popular in China but while some games, especially Black Myth, do deviate from the formula Wuchang follows it all too closely. It's a competent copy, more so than many we've played over the years, but in terms of gameplay it adds absolutely nothing new. Wuchang is set in what is now Sichuan province during the late Ming dynasty, in the 17th century. But while the game does feature some real historical elements the overall plot involves a supernatural pandemic called the Feathering Disease, which… well, the clue is in the name really. Playing as a female pirate named Bai Wuchang, you start the game with amnesia and your arm covered in feathers. Ordinarily this would mean you're about to turn into a monster but for initially unexplained reasons it grants you access to a number of magical abilities. Dark Souls will be 15 years old next year and while it's had a huge influence on the games industry, there can be no other game that has been copied quite so much while changing so little. If you've at all familiar with the genre you'll know exactly what to expect from Wuchang, in terms of the third person combat, the multiple weapons, the stats that can be influenced by armour and talismans, and the unusually high difficulty. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Wuchang hits every note predictably and accurately but in every way it feels like From Lite. Even the difficultly isn't quite as extreme as the games it's copying, while being uneven enough that you still can't recommend it to newcomers to the genre. Every different weapon has its own related skills, while each of the five weapon types (swords, dual blades, longswords, axes, and spears) has associated discipline skills, which are unlocked from a skill tree and assigned to whichever weapon you want. This is all enjoyably intricate, with discipline skills also determining whether you're able to deflect or parry with a particular weapon. All skills and weapon abilities are powered by something called skyborn might , which by default is gained by performing a perfect dodge. The combat is enjoyable but it's also extremely familiar. The only thing that's surprising about the game is that as well as Dark Souls it steals quite a bit from Bloodborne, including a version of Insight, where if you kill ordinary humans (who, because of the feathers, assume you're about to turn into a monster and attack you on sight) your state of madness increases – while killing monsters decreases it. Your madness level alters the effectiveness of certain skills, while going above 90% means you both take and deal out more damage than usual. Plus, if you die when at maximum madness an evil demon version of yourself appears and is waiting for you when you come back to recover your lost souls red mercury (although because the game is generally less difficult than the Soulslike average you usually only lose about half when you die). The level design is also reminiscent of Bloodborne, since this isn't a true open world game like Elden Ring, and generally that's a compliment. Although while the intricately designed map and unexpected shortcuts are clever the landscapes and art design is never anywhere near as interesting. Wuchang is perfectly fine, but it feels so watered down compared to actual FromSoftware games it's hard to see under what circumstances it could ever be recommended. Especially since the bosses – usually the highlight of any similar game – are so unsatisfying. They often involve a sudden difficulty spike and the later ones have almost no margin for error, while also being irritatingly defensive fighters, forever flitting off out of reach. More Trending The game's best elements are its expansive skill trees and everything related to the madness rating. If it was us, we would've focused more on that and added more of a horror element to the game, but that never seems to have been a consideration. While this is not the worst Soulslike we've ever played we're struggling to think of another one that feels quite so generic. When there are so many other games doing almost exactly the same thing this needed a more substantial selling point than copying from both Dark Souls and Bloodborne. But alas, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers never really takes flight as its own unique experience. In Short: A wearingly competent Soulslike that seems to have no interest in inventing anything of its own and which is nowhere near as refined as FromSoftware's best games. Pros: The combat is perfectly entertaining, with a wide range of weapons and impressively vast skill tree. The madness stat is an interesting feature that should've been expanded on further. Cons: Everything in the game has been done a dozen times before and usually to better effect. Nasty difficulty spikes and simplistic storytelling. Score: 5/10 Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: £44.99*Publisher: 505 GamesDeveloper: LeenzeeRelease Date: 24th July 2025 Age Rating: 16 *available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: 80% of Call Of Duty players more excited for Battlefield 6 than Black Ops 7 MORE: Tales Of The Shire: A The Lord Of The Rings Game review – Animal Crossing with hobbits MORE: Nintendo's next big Switch 2 game is just £50 right now – but only for today
Metro
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Elden Ring creators FromSoftware will have two new games next year claims report
The developer behind Elden Ring and Dark Souls is working on another mystery game which could be released next year, according to an insider. Following the launch of Elden Ring Nightreign in May, we now know virtually nothing about what developer FromSoftware is currently working on. They have announced The Duskbloods, but apart from it being a multiplayer focused game for Nintendo Switch 2 next to nothing has been revealed about it. However, considering how prolific FromSoftware has been in the past, it's almost certain the team is working on multiple projects at once. The subject of FromSoftware's next game, beyond The Duskbloods and Elden Ring Nightreign DLC, has become a talking point thanks to a new report which claims the studio is in the 'advanced stages of production' on an as-of-yet unannounced game. According to insider Kurakasis (via Mp1st), who has previously leaked games ahead of time, the unannounced title is a multiplatform game with the codename FMC. This is believed to be an abbreviation of the actual codename, with Elden Ring having the abbreviated codename of GR for 'Great Rune'. While there's no details on the game itself, it's claimed the project is so far in development that, unless it is delayed, we 'should be able to play it no later than next year'. This might feel like a reach, with The Duskbloods already coming out next year, but FromSoftware has launched multiple titles within the same year in the past. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Admittedly new games do take longer to make than ever, but From has had a major new title out almost every year, or usually at least every two years, since its inception, emphasising the fact that they always have multiple projects on the go at once. When compared to the abbreviated codenames of past FromSoftware games, Kurakasis points out how every codename beginning with 'F' has connected to either Dark Souls or Armored Core – From's longest running franchises. Some people have connected the dots to a rumour which emerged last year around a Dark Souls 3 remaster, although 2018's Dark Souls Remastered was developed by QLOC and Virtuous, with From only working on it in an advisory capacity. It did, however, have the codename FHD. The chances of the new game being an Armored Core title seem slim considering the last instalment, Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon, launched in 2023, but the series has a history of dropping spin-offs after mainline entries. More Trending Armored Core: Verdict Day launched a year after 2012's Armored Core 5, while 2008's Armored Core: For Answer came out two years after Armored Core 4. As such, a direct sequel would also fit the timeline for 2026. Of course, there's a chance this project is something else entirely. FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki has said there's no plans for more Elden Ring in the foreseeable future, but he did leave the door open for a potential revisit somewhere further down the line. 'We don't have any current plans to make a second DLC or a sequel, but we definitely don't want to snuff out that possibility,' he told IGN in February last year. 'We think that there could well be something in the future.' If another project is set to come out next year, that might mean The Duskbloods could be planned for early 2026 – something which could be revealed at the next Nintendo Direct, rumoured for this month. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Call Of Duty 2027 will launch new franchise with martial arts theme says leaker MORE: Civilization 6 and all its DLC is free right now but you'll have to be quick MORE: Cyberpunk 2077 fans think new update secretly runs better on PS5 Pro
The Star
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
QuickCheck: Was the narrator of the Dark Souls video game a Malaysian?
IN THE hit video game Dark Souls, the player is a cursed undead, resurrected only to endure an endless cycle of death and rebirth. Their perilous journey leads them through a crumbling land of forgotten gods, all in pursuit of a primordial truth that could either rekindle the world or plunge it into eternal darkness. Is it true that the narrator of the opening sequence to Dark Souls was actually a Malaysian? Verdict: TRUE Pik-Sen Lim, born in Penang, Malaysia, was the one who provided the chilling voiceover that welcomes players into the world of Dark Souls. Not only that, she was also a narrator for its third instalment, Dark Souls 3. She had already built a noteworthy acting portfolio long before her involvement in the gaming industry. Best known for her role as Chung Su-Lee in the British sitcom Mind Your Language (1977–1979), she showcased sharp comedic timing opposite stars like Barry Evans. Penangite Pik-Sen Lim, from Mind Your Language fame, was the narrator for the opening sequence of Dark Souls. Beyond that, she appeared in various television productions, including Doctor Who ("The Mind of Evil", 1971), Sorry I'm Single (1967), and The Professionals (1978-1993). More recently she appeared in Johnny English Reborn in 2011. Her film credits spanned dramas and comedies alike, demonstrating her profound versatility as an actor. Her path to voicing Dark Souls' introduction stemmed from her wide-ranging vocal abilities and stage experience. Many fans of the franchise still praise Lim's contributions as an integral part of the game's grimly beautiful aesthetic. After rising in prominence through television, film, and theatre, Lim ventured into voice acting, including other noteworthy gaming appearances. Her capacity to adapt her voice to nuanced characters left an indelible mark on the Dark Souls brand. Her role remains a memorable part of gaming culture, with fans reiterating that her narration set the foreboding stage for the punishing adventure ahead. Lim passed away at the ripe old age of 80 on June 9 this year. References: 1. news/nation/2025/06/13/penang- born-actress-lim-pik-sen-from- 039mind-your-language039- passes-away-at-80?utm_medium= socmed&utm_campaign=TG 2. nm0510586/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_ tt_6_nm_2_in_0_q_Pik%2520Sen% 2520Lim
Tom's Guide
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I've played the Switch 2 for over a week and it's missing these key games
I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Nintendo Switch 2. From snappier Joy-Cons to improved performance, there was a lot to get hyped for. But now, over a week after its official release, I'm at odds. While I think the improvements are promising, especially the larger and more vibrant screen, it's the software that's taken the most enormous misstep. It's owed largely to the fact that the Switch 2 launched with just one main first-party game in Mario Kart World. The rest are third-party titles that launched years prior, including Cyberpunk 2077, Split Fiction, Street Fighter 6, and Hogwarts Legacy. Don't get me wrong, these are fantastic games — Cyberpunk being one of my all-time favorites — I wish the Switch 2 had a bit more going for it. Especially given its exorbitant price tag. Surprisingly, Nintendo didn't have more Mario games up its sleeve for the new hardware. You'd think Nintendo would want to come out with a bang, highlighting major features using its very bread and butter with something like a Mario Odyssey 2 or even a Super Smash Bros sequel. Instead, we got Mario Kart World, a rather lackluster experience in terms of overall content. You can have a blast so long as you have a good crew to play with, but beyond that, it's a pretty limiting title and really comes down to your enjoyment of racing games to begin with. You could point out some of the incredible visual and performance enhancements available for more well-known titles, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. But it's a significant drag that older Nintendo games are being put on a pedestal. I know some games are releasing in the coming months that could put these woes to bed, like Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Still, Nintendo should have launched with more first-party experiences to make up for the already limited lineup, like a revamped Mario Party, Luigi's Mansion, or Mario Golf. I can't lie, FromSoftware is one of my favorite video game developers. That's why I was let down by the fact that the Switch 2 edition of Elden Ring didn't launch along with the system, and there's no real understanding of when it might release. The Nintendo website says it's supposed to release this year, but it's still unclear when that might be. That's a massive release for Nintendo and works to get some extra fans interested in FromSoft games ahead of the launch of Duskbloods on the Switch 2 next year. That's why I wish more FromSoft games were launching on the system. Instead of just Elden Ring, why not bring over some of the additional Dark Souls series of games to the platform? The original Switch already has access to Dark Souls Remastered, and it's not like Dark Souls 2 or 3 would be too intensive for the refreshed hardware. A full Dark Souls trilogy available on the Switch 2 from the outset would have been huge for fans of the developer. You could even throw in Sekiro, which is one of its most beloved experiences and even won Game of the Year in 2019. That would make for a killer software suite and probably wouldn't take too much effort to put together. As of writing, FromSoftware fans just have Dark Souls Remastered to play around in on the Switch 2 as they wait for Elden Ring and Duskbloods, which is a tad unfortunate, seeing as it's pretty much dead in terms of co-op and PvP invasions. Although it is a family console, the Switch 2 is missing out on more horror titles. If you're a fan of killer thrillers and terrifying horror experiences, you're largely stuck with the games that already existed on the original Switch. I'm a huge horror fan, and it's a bit of a drag to see such a minimal offering in this category. Just take a peek at the official Nintendo online eShop for its Switch 2 titles, and you'll see that horror isn't even an option in its genre selection. Again, I understand this is more of a family console, and horror probably isn't the most-searched genre on Switch, but the variety would be a welcome change for the platform. Nintendo could have tapped some heavy hitters for a well-rounded third-party horror selection, including Dead Space remake, Metro Exodus, Still Wakes the Deep, and Slitterhead, to name a few. Maybe it's the fact that horror is just too niche for the Switch to begin with, but I'd like to see a wider offering on the more adept hardware. Especially given that beloved horror franchises in Silent Hill and Resident Evil are basking in the limelight with massive hits on the horizon. If you are one of the few looking for some horror games on the Switch 2, I recommend playing Observer, Fatum Betula, Signalis, and World of Horror. They don't put the new hardware to the test, but they are nail-biting as ever.
Metro
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: What is the hardest video of modern times?
The Friday letters page ponders the strange world of video game pricing, as one reader thinks the Nintendo Switch 2 line-up has been a disappointment. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Natural rhythm As a big fan of Elden Ring I have been trying to play Nightreign but I just cannot get anywhere. Maybe I'm being unlucky with the matchmaking or something but I don't get the feeling I'm the only one struggling. I didn't mind that with the original game, because the open world was so much fun to explore, but with this smaller world I'm not so into it. I wouldn't say it's so much the difficulty though, as the fact that I'm not as into it as some of the other harder games I've played. I wouldn't say I'm that great at games but I would say I'm above average, and have beaten all three Dark Souls games and Bloodborne. I could never get on with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice though and I think that's because the game is so dependent on parrying and having a sense of rhythm. I'm terrible at rhythm action games and I'd be interested to see if people that are good at them, but don't usually play Soulslikes would be good at it. So for me, I would say Sekiro is the hardest game of the last few gens (I'm sure there's lots of cheating 8-bit games that are harder). Curious to know what other people think, as I've heard some actually consider Sekiro to be one of the easier From games. So if that's not the hardest what is it? Zeiss Luxury item I'll be shocked if Microsoft's Xbox plans for the next gen don't change at least once more before they properly announce something. The leaks for them are always super accurate, I guess because they're American, and it makes it obvious how often they change their mind. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. As many have pointed out, all their current plans point towards very expensive hardware, whether it's home or portable, but this is surprising to me considering how much emphasis they put on Xbox Series S this gen. It doesn't seem to have worked, so I wonder if the thought now is to go all in on a high end device for the hardcore? That seems a dangerous path to me, without at least one model that's reasonably priced. Even Sony has the Digital Edition. Mentat99 Predictable response I don't really agree with Nintendo being able to brick your console, or even just force it offline, just because you used modding hardware but on the other hand I haven't got much sympathy for those that do, since they must know Nintendo's attitude to it. You can't be so into games that you want to be modding your Switch 2 a week after it came out, that you don't know how crazy Nintendo are about suing pirates and modders. It's like those people that make all these unofficial games, like extra Pokémon games and whatnot. How can you not guess what's going to happen? They say you can never predict Nintendo but that's not true for everything they do… Gifford Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Levels of bad I see you will be able to pre-order Fear Effect 1 from Limited Run Games on PlayStation 5 and Switch 1 physical versions soon. What is GameCentral's opinion of Fear Effect 1 and 2? I remember your review of Fear Effect Sedna being that it was an appalling game. I was at school and college in the '90s so I missed a lot of games that came out, so have been picking ones up now as remakes or remasters. I am interested in picking it up if GameCentral think it is any good? Andrew J. GC: Sedna is pretty terrible but the originals are just… not very good. It's a long while since we've played them, but we suspect they have not aged well. The one game With your review of Survival Kids describing another dud I think it's fair to say that the Nintendo Switch 2 line-up has actually been pretty bad. Beyond a few ports of old games Mario Kart World is literally the game for it, which is not what I expected from Nintendo. I know Zelda: Breath Of The Wild was pretty much it for the original Switch 1 but Nintendo were in a much worse position back then. Plus, they at least had Snipperclips as well, which is 10 times better than Welcome Tour. I guess it's the problem of games taking too long to make again but I still expected more. Let's hope Donkey Kong Bananza is good – at least that Nintendo Direct was promising. Korbie Always interesting I loved the look of Romeo Is A Dead Man, Suda51's latest uninhibited artistic endeavour. That opening cut scene/promotional sequence with the highly expressive, experimental art style instantly piqued my interest, and even at this early stage the combat and enemy design look distinctive and imaginative. I thoroughly acknowledge that Suda51's game design philosophy is inordinately peculiar and appeals to a niche demographic of gamers. And there's a certain level of crudeness and clunkiness in his game's characters and gameplay mechanics, but his games are almost always irrepressibly fun, charming, and interesting to me. Something like killer7, which for me is Suda's magnum opus – with its artistically, thematically, and mechanically audacious design – felt ahead of its time in many ways. I replayed the PC remaster a couple of years ago and was amazed by how well it had aged. It was like Fever Dream: The Game, just magnificently madcap from start to finish. Then there was one of last year's best indie games in my opinion, Sorry We're Closed, which felt like a spiritual successor to killer7 in a few key areas. Shadow Of The Damned and the No More Heroes games are also amongst the funniest, wackiest games I've ever played. I guess I just really appreciate that we still have genuine auteurs in the video game industry such as Suda51, Swery65, Hideo Kojima, and a few others (what ever happened to the habitually over-promising Peter Molyneux?). Galvanized Gamer GC: Molyneux is supposed to be working on a new god game called Masters Of Albion, but nothing has been heard of it in almost two years now. Cross-play KongI'm betting the SharePlay between Switch 1 and Switch 2 Donkey Kong Bananza will be for an unannounced basic retro Donkey Kong game included as a bonus. Mark Matthews GC: It's not that. The Nintendo Direct said it was a way to control Pauline as a co-op character, with an image of the game playing on the Switch 1. Presumably it's a cut down version of Bananza, but that's very odd as the game is not available separately on the Switch 1. Unfair pricing I think it's an interesting point about games being undervalued by sale price. We all want games to be cheap but when the really good ones are being practically given away and the trashiest stuff is charging £20 for a change of clothes you know something's not right. You can make an argument that it's just market forces, and people are paying what they think a thing is worth, but for some reason things have got turned around, so that people aren't willing to pay full price for many games (how is Mario Kart World not worth £75 – Mario Kart 8 lasted 13 years before it needed to be replaced!). Call Of Duty gets a new entry every year and it's always the best-selling game, despite costing £70 and having tons of microtransactions. I don't know how much some fans are spending on DLC but it must be in the hundreds every single year, and they have the cheek to complain about other games being too expensive! Why the most unambitious and generic games get a free pass but anything even a bit different is expected to justify itself a hundred times over and be half the price before it's even considered I don't know, but I don't see the situation changing any time soon. Anyway, please, if you've got a PC please try XCOM 2 because it's so dirt cheap at the moment it's almost criminal. Krool Inbox also-ransI know it's been said RE: no other big Switch games this year, but isn't Professor Layton supposed to be out this year? Anon GC: Professor Layton And The New World Of Steam is meant to be out this year but there's no date. When people talk about no more big games this year, they're generally talking about first party titles. The thing that surprises me about Hideo Kojima is how few games he's actually made. Half of them being Metal Gear does seem a bit of a shame, given they're all pretty similar. Eldar More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: Is the next gen Xbox a console or a PC? MORE: Games Inbox: What is the worst modern video game? MORE: Games Inbox: What is the second best Nintendo Switch 2 game?
