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The Star
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Review: 'Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound' lovingly revives classic 2D experience
The side-scroller takes place as a side story that follows what happened to the Hayabusa clan and Japan after Ryu ventured to the US to investigate his father's death. — Photos: The Game Kitchen Before developer Tomonobu Itagaki brought the Ninja Gaiden franchise into the polygonal realm, the series had been an arcade mainstay and a classic Nintendo Entertainment System trilogy. The side-scrolling adventure was renowned for its difficulty and visuals that pushed the 8-bit system to its limits. For its time, Ryu Hayabusa's exploits were a revelation of storytelling and action, but unfortunately, it never spawned a true sequel on the Super Nintendo, and fans would have to wait longer for Itagaki to take the reins on Xbox 360. Those who have been waiting for a successor with gorgeous sprite-based graphics now have one thanks to The Game Kitchen, the team that developed Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound . Spiritually, 'Ragebound' feels like a game that would have been a perfect successor for the NES games. The side-scroller takes place as a side story that follows what happened to the Hayabusa clan and Japan after Ryu ventured to the US to investigate his father's death. It follows a fledgling ninja named Kenji Mozu, who must protect his people from a demon attack ignited by the rival Black Spider Ninja Clan. An unlikely ally When he defeats the evil creatures, he discovers a kunoichi named Kumori, and players experience her backstory. The two play differently, as Kenji has skills comparable to Ryu. He relies on a sword for melee attacks, while Kumori has her own unique weapons and attacks that tend to be more ranged. They both share an important skill called the Guillotine boost that lets them perform a spinning attack while jumping, which lets them hit enemies and pinball off them. Although Ragebound initially makes it seem as though players will control the two separately for the majority of the campaign, the reality is much different. A twist of fate fuses Kenji and Kumori. Players will mostly control Kenji and his melee-centric combat style while Kumori exists as a shade, who's responsible for ranged attacks and specialised tools with her array of spider weapons. Kenji's sword attacks are unlimited, and it will be how players dispatch most adversaries, while Kumori's ranged attacks are limited by a Ki meter. Once it runs out, players won't have access to them. A majority of 'Ragebound' enemies can be defeated with one slash or dagger strike, but players will often run into powerful heavies. The two have to battle through at least 23 stages as they gather three crystals to stop a demon invasion. It's a campaign that will test players' platforming skills as Kenji leaps across scaffolding, climbs cliffs and scales buildings. The traversal is reminiscent of the arcade game, with players being able to press up to scale walls and press down to hang from platforms. The Game Kitchen smartly integrates that with combat, so Kenji can slice enemies while hanging from the ceiling or Kumori can toss daggers at switches above her. The platforming is easy at first as players adjust to the pace, but it quickly grows more difficult as the developers layer in combat with the platforming, so that players will have to Guillotine boost to bounce off enemies to reach higher areas or deal foes while hanging off a helicopter. Nuanced combat The combat echoes that same escalation. A majority of Ragebound enemies can be defeated with one slash or dagger strike, but players will often run into powerful heavies. Defeating them requires multiple stabs or just one blow from a Hypercharge attack. Players can charge their weapon at the cost of their health to perform the strike, or they can defeat specially marked enemies that add a Hypercharge to the next attack. The platforming is easy at first as players adjust to the pace, but it quickly grows more difficult as the developers layer in combat with the platforming. This additional complexity creates a more strategic way to fight. Players can't indiscriminately slash enemies as they run. They'll have to find the Hyper-charged foe, take that power-up, and use it against a heavy blocking their way. Ragebound adds another bit of difficulty because Hypercharges come in two colours tied to Kenji and Kumori. To attain it, players have to defeat an enemy with a specific attack from the corresponding protagonist. These wrinkles added to the NES-style gameplay ensures that Ragebound maintains the series' legendary difficulty, but the generous checkpoints make the game less aggravating than the 8-bit games. The title even has a store, where players can spend Golden Scarabs on Talismans that bestow perks, new spider weapons and even additional Ragebound Arts, which are special abilities only available once per level. Golden scarabs are scattered in each level and are a reward for players who thoroughly explore the world. These wrinkles added to the NES-style gameplay ensures that 'Ragebound' maintains the series' legendary difficulty, but the generous checkpoints make the game less aggravating than the 8-bit games. Spiritually, Ragebound feels like a game that would have been a perfect successor for the NES games. The Game Kitchen even puts surprising twists like Kumori-specific sections of each level, chase scenes and boss fights that will test players' pattern recognition. It's a game that balances the classic mechanics with new ideas for a satisfying adventure that will leave old-school fans thirsting for more. – Bay Area News Group/Tribune News Service
Engadget
4 days ago
- Business
- Engadget
PS5 sales have passed the 80 million mark
The PS5 might be lacking the cadence of first-party exclusives that made its predecessor so successful, but that doesn't appear to be slowing it down. Sony has announced that the console had shifted just north of 80 million units as of June 30, 2025. This puts it just behind the Xbox 360 (84 million) and well on the way to overtaking the PS3 (around 87 million) in lifetime sales. The 80.3 million figure was confirmed in Sony's first set of quarterly results for the current financial year, during which time it sold 2.5 million PS5s, a slight downturn from 2.8 million in the previous quarter. Compared to the same period in the last financial year, however, the company has actually shifted around 100,000 more consoles in the last three months. Sony also sold approximately 66 million PS4 and PS5 games this quarter, almost 7 million of which were first-party titles. That's around a 12 million year-on-year increase in overall software sales. Digital accounted for 83 percent of PS4 and PS5 games sold in the last quarter, which is a larger share than in any three-month period in the previous financial year. The last few years saw Sony briefly shift its focus towards live service games, but one of those was a well-documented disaster , and others have since been cancelled. Clearly none of that has noticeably hurt software sales, though, as Sony has continued to grow in that area. The PS5 turns five this November, and attention will then turn to whether it will hit the all-important 100 million mark in its lifetime. The PS4 managed that in five years and seven months, and at the time it was the fastest console to reach that number. It also didn't have to contend with tariffs. PS5 prices increased in the UK, Australia and New Zealand earlier this year, with Sony blaming a 'challenging economic environment' in which it is fighting against high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates. The company has since said it is not ruling out moving PS5 manufacturing to the US in the future. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
PS5 sales pass 80 million but Sony admits live service plan ‘not going smoothly'
Sony has addressed the ongoing failure of their live service strategy, admitting there is a possibility that Marathon could still be cancelled. Up until now, the PlayStation 3 has been Sony's only major home console failure, when it was deemed by fans to be overly expensive and without a sufficient number of high quality exclusive games. But despite its poor start it still ended up outselling the Xbox 360 and Sony seemed to learn all the right lessons from its difficulties, when it came to the PlayStation 4. On paper, the PlayStation 5 has been an unqualified success, with Sony this week announcing that shipments have hit 80.3 million and are up over 4% year on year this quarter. But with Xbox Series X/S console sales continuing to freefall, there's increasingly little choice for anyone looking for a home console that plays high-end AAA titles. So while the PlayStation 5 has won by default, in terms of hardware, its software line-up has come under heavy criticism for the past three years, with fans increasingly frustrated at the paucity of first party exclusives and Sony's unjustified obsession with live service games. Sony is hardly the only company to have chased the success of Fortnite and other forever games but what has caused controversy is that around two years into this generation they seem to have told all, or most, of their internal developers to make live service titles instead of single-player titles. We say 'seem' because Sony has never explained its policy in public, which has only added to the frustration. Especially as there's some sign that they may have U-turned a year or so ago, with the exit of former PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, but have never clarified any change in direction. The situation reached a nadir with the spectacular failure of first person shooter Concord, which is reported to have cost $400 million to make and only lasted two weeks. And yet in the aftermath Sony was quick to insist that it was still committed to more live service titles. 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. In the absence of any explanation from Sony itself, the obvious reason for continuing, despite the continued failures, is that it's what shareholders and investors want to hear. They're not interested in an award-winning single-player, that has only a finite lifetime as a big seller, but in a title that can bring in consistently high profits for decades – primarily via microtransactions and DLC. Speaking in a Q&A following the latest financial results, Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao admitted that, 'Last year Concord, and this year Marathon, was postponed, so somewhat negative news has been coming out. 'But if we look at the past five years, five years ago live service games were almost non-existent for PlayStation Studios. We have Helldivers 2, MLB: The Show, and Gran Turismo 7, and Bungie's Destiny 2, so we have these four live services contributing to sales and profits in a stable manner.' However, considering the rapidly declining fortunes of Destiny 2, the age of Gran Turismo 7, and the lack of global reach for baseball game MLB: The Show, that's not a very impressive list. The only real success Sony has had so far is with Helldivers 2, which ironically is the only one not made by an internal first party studio. The game's continued popularity has led to Sony taking the unusual step of planning an Xbox Series X/S release on August 26. This seems to part of a general move towards more multiformat releases – which again Sony has failed to explain in public, leaving fans unable to do anything but guess at what their policies might be in the future. Tao tried to make things sound better by saying that 40% of first party software revenue for the quarter came from live service games, but considering the only notable game they've published this year is the externally developed Death Stranding 2, that doesn't seem significant. Especially as she admitted that for the full year it's only between 20 and 30%. 'In terms of the transformation, it's not entirely going smoothly,' said Tao. 'But from a longer-term perspective, if you look at the changes over five years you see that there's definitely been a change. 'Of course, we recognise that there are still many issues, so we should learn the lessons from mistakes and make sure that we introduce live service content where there's less waste and it's more smooth.' More Trending Asked about Destiny 2 developer Bungie, which Sony bought in 2022 for $3.6 billion but which began to struggle almost immediately, Tao confirmed that the plan was to increasingly erode Bungie's independence and fully integrate it into PlayStation Studios. That's not necessarily as bad as it sounds, as Bungie staff have frequently blamed their own management for the company's problems, and many seem to feel they would do no worse with Sony directly in charge. 'At the time of acquisition we were offering a very independent environment, so that was one way of thinking,' said Tao. 'However, thereafter, we have gone through structural reform, as we announced last year, so this independence is getting lighter and Bungie is shifting into a role which is becoming more part of PlayStation Studios, and integration is proceeding.' She didn't rule out the possibility of current live service project Marathon being cancelled but stated that the current plan was for it to launch within the current fiscal year, i.e. before April next year. 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 'too big to fail' against Battlefield 6 says Activision MORE: GTA Online age check settings confirmed real as screenshots leak MORE: EA Sports FC 26 hands-on preview – a bigger change than you think
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Streamer Blurbs joins Red Dead Redemption 2 world, claiming 'it can be done in any game' with 'modding access to the camera': Reports
(Image via Blurbs' 'Twitch' Account) Tech-savvy streamer Blurbs has shattered expectations, as he physically modded himself into Red Dead Redemption 2's world. As per reports, he did it all using nothing but some clever modding and his DIY setup. The latest experiment of his, with assertions that this method is not just exclusive to Rockstar Games' RDR2, proves that with the right modding, boundaries between gaming and player can be blurred in ways none expect. While the statement made, hints at new frontiers for interactive entertainment. Blurbs Red Dead Redemption 2 experiments , and bold claims open new doors in gaming — blurbstv (@blurbstv) In the recent stream of Blurbs, titled, 'I modded my body into RDR2" the streamer showcased the latest Red Dead Redemption 2 modding feat. He appeared during the stream inside the Red Dead Redemption 2 game as a living and interacting character. In the stream, he even interacted with the in-game NPC and received a response, just like real interaction. As per Dexerto, Blurbs modding Red Dead Redemption 2 used only a custom Unity app, two cell phones and a selfie stick to blend himself in the game's world seamlessly. OBS, Visual filters, custom RDR2 mod, and background removal software further helped him complete the setup. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bu Rays: You Could Earn Another Income With Companies Like Salik TradeLG Undo The surprising part was that this entire project was materialized in 3 days only, after the spontaneous idea sparked, while Blurb continued to do other modding work. The key revelation of the streamer in the interview is that, "theoretically, it can be done in any game that has modding access to the camera." The access allows external manipulation of players' viewpoint, while it opens doors for some endless possibilities, suggesting players can one day step into any of the moddable game world, using the right tech. Blurbs has a history of pushing modding limits I Modded Twitch's Top Streamers Into RDR2 Blurbs isn't a stranger to pushing the boundaries of modding. His creative history, earlier this year, made him mod the top Twitch Streamers' voices in Red Dead Redemption 2 and Skyrim, to control the NPCs in real-time. Rebuilding the Xbox 360 dashboard using chat integration of Twitch was another past project of his, which went viral. Blurbs even executed the viral Fight Club concept in RDR2 previously. He used this project to mod the game to feature the characters, representing the top 20 Twitch streamers. It resulted in a virtual fight club where the top streamers were battling through the in-game characters, as live audio drove every taunt and punch. Streamers like Arky, DougDoug and others were seen trash-talking, arguing and more, through in-game avatars. Red Dead Redemption 2 but Twitch Chat controls gravity (VOD) Every experiment of Blurbs proves his knack for bending game mechanics to his will and making it all wildly entertaining. With the latest breakthrough of his, the question is now what he would mod next, but where he will appear next. If the claims of Blurbs hold, we might soon be seeing streamers stepping into GTA, Elden Ring Nightreign and other games. As of now, Blurbs is continuing to enjoy the success, proving that within modding, the real limit is just one's imagination. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Forbes
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Mafia: The Old Country' Is Bringing Back Something Gamers Want
I've heard a lot of chatter lately about a certain kind of nostalgia, one that yearns for a particular era of gaming—let's call it when the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 reigned supreme. This was a time when games were typically far more digestible (10-20-ish hours to fully complete), had little padding and also sported lower price tags, usually somewhere in the $50-60 range for many AAA titles. I'm talking about notable marquee experiences like Uncharted or Halo 3 or Gears of War. Today, the same sort of games usually start at $70 and go up from there: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, for example. Astro Bot did launch at $60, so kudos to Sony for being pro-consumer there, and the polished 3D platformer is worth every penny, in my humble opinion. Still, you'll pay $80 for a standalone copy of Mario Kart World on Nintendo's Switch 2, although to be fair, I remember paying $70-90 at retail for Super Nintendo games back in the early '90s, and $40-70 for original PlayStation titles during roughly the same time period, so perhaps games have gotten relatively cheaper over the years. Or at the very worst, they've stayed around the same price. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Yes, modern game budgets have ballooned out of control, so I guess the money needs to be made up somewhere, but this occurs in an industry that habitually, routinely, even flippantly I'd argue, lays off its talent in sweeping, impersonal waves. Of course, this is happening while publishers make billions of dollars from the hard work. I'll blame AI for now, and greedy executives, too. But maybe, just maybe, we're finally self-correcting and heading in a slightly healthier direction. 2K's upcoming franchise prequel, Mafia: The Old Country, is launching on August 8 for a reasonable and rather old-school $49.99, $10 less than the aforementioned first-party Astro Bot. Is the game AAA in quality? I suppose that judgement is subjective, but from the preliminary footage, it certainly looks to be the case. According to IGN, who published a solid (if somewhat spoiler-filled) hands-on preview of The Old Country, the $50 asking price isn't the only return-to-form aspect of the game. The newest Mafia entry ditches Mafia III's notably out-of-character pivot into open world gameplay and returns to the series narrative-driven, linear approach. One could posit that the industry's general obsession with open world premises and hyper-realistic visuals has outright lead to the problematic budgets I previously mentioned, so positioning The Old Country as a game which sports perfectly acceptable graphics and a campaign that won't take you three months to complete… well, this could please a lot of gamers, including myself. As IGN's Ryan McCaffrey touches on in the video preview, a lot of us aging gamers have children now, as well as jobs and obligations and busy lives. Thus, 40-plus hour adventures just don't hit the way they used to, don't boast the same kind of appeal. There's no official word yet from developer Hangar 13 on The Old Country's overall length, but the welcome throwback vibe is already apparent. This will likely be a game that you can play through in a weekend or two, or in short spurts during evenings after work and getting the kids to bed. Combine this with a potentially engaging story and that attractive $50 price tag, and 2K could have a winning formula on its hands, one that harkens back to an era when I wasn't worried about the mortgage or kindergarten or doing the dishes. Speaking of, I need to get back to scrubbing.
