Author: Game Infliction

The archetypical bullet hell shooter — think Ikaruga or TwinBee — are top-down, two-dimensional aerial battlefields locked on an infinite vertical scroll. One daring spaceship or fighter jet must evade a wild morass of spherical, slow-moving projectiles, while destroying an armada of puny, fragile interceptors. In that sense, Luna Abyss deviates from the established tradition in some fascinating ways. This is a first-person shooter that cribs liberally from the quarter-eating cabinets of yore; your field of view billows up with floating bullets, but unlike Halo or Call of Duty, you’re not expected to duck behind cover in order to survive. Instead, in Luna Abyss, players will be squeezing through the slight crevices in between the shells in the same way you might slip through the empty space in an Enter The Gungeon shotgun blast. It’s a wild idea, and after a brief demo, there’s a chance Luna Abyss sticks the landing.

Luna Abyss dunks you headfirst into a world gone horribly wrong. You’ll take control of some sort of human-like creature named Fawkes, who has awoken — yes — with amnesia in an alien setting. The terrain evokes the inhospitable machine cities of the Matrix films; composed of slithering mechanical coils, glossy obsidian stones, and oppressive neon floodlights. In fact, almost every square inch of Luna Abyss is sheathed in black, red, and white. Fawkes will navigate a few primitive jumping puzzles before stumbling upon their first firearm — an introductory pea-shooter buoyed by no ammunition and a liberal overheat timer. Soon enough, you’ll also discover that you don’t need to do much aiming with your arsenal. The left click automatically locks on to any unlucky target in proximity with your crosshairs, quickly reducing them to dust.

This is the primary way Luna Abyss distinguishes itself from other shooters. The combat encounters aren’t structured around reflexes and mouse dexterity; you’re guaranteed to land clean, powerful shots on anyone inhabiting your field of view. With those responsibilities accounted for, you’ll spend most of your time with Luna Abyss strafing around the map, which is important, because the enemies you’ll encounter have the means of emitting ungodly barrages of plasma missiles. This is where Luna Abyss lays its bullet hell DNA bare. All of the isometric bobbing and weaving you did on a flat arcade screen must now be adapted to a fully 3D environment; victories and defeats start with your footwork, rather than the location of your cursor. It’s a brand new way to play an FPS, and once you get the rhythm down, Luna Abyss has a way of getting under your skin.

The best example of this dynamic is the single boss fight I encountered in the demo. I faced off against a monstrosity who was capable of unleashing a psychedelic spiral of lethal orbs. It almost felt like I was engaged in a Star Fox showdown; you need to identify the few safe spots on the floor, while slowly chipping away at their health bar. You get the sense that Luna Abyss is barely scratching the surface of the various ways it can torture us. I would not be surprised if, after a few more levels, this is a video game that gets very, very difficult.

Towards the end of my run, Fawkes discovered a brand new weapon. It works like a slow, punchy railgun, and has the capacity to obliterate the luminous plasma shields bubbling certain enemies. This added a new wrinkle to the arenas; you blow away a target’s protection before quickly mousewheeling to the machine gun in order to finish them off. (If you are a veteran of the Halo 2 plasma pistol/battle rifle combo, you’ll be right at home.) This was a promising sign that Luna Abyss will continue to find interesting ways to augment its formula the more we sink our teeth into it. I also hope the deliberate pacing of its storytelling picks up. Developer Bonsai Collective has cooked up a memorably nauseating realm, but thus far, I’m only learning more about its specifics through text logs and elliptical conversations with the occasional Dark Souls-ish NPC. I’m enjoying the sights, but I can’t quite say I’m immersed.

Then again, demos are supposed to be a small glimpse of a much bigger picture. And from everything I’ve played, I’d be shocked if Luna Abyss doesn’t have a few more tricks up its sleeve.

Player First Games, the developers behind Multiversus, confirmed that players who spent money on the game throughout the open beta will not get a refund. The news comes from the official Multiversus website under the FAQ page.

Under the question “Will refunds be available for previously purchased content?,” it reads, “This announcement does not change any current refund policies or terms offered by the storefront(s) from which Founder’s Packs or Gleamium bundles were purchased. For more information, please visit the customer support pages for PlayStation, Xbox, Steam and Epic Games. Additionally, refunds are not available as a result of the Open Beta closure. However, all progress and previously earned or purchased content will carry over when MultiVersus returns in early 2024.”

Fans have been quick to express their opinion on the matter. One post on the Multiversus subreddit declares “I want my money back,” while others took to Twitter to call out the move.

This may well be one of the most stupid decisions I’ve ever heard.

Closing your dwindling game for >1 year with zero warning to those who have spent *actual money* on it being unable to play, and presumably charging them again at full release. The gall! I’d be refunding it all.

— Ryan T. Brown ? #WASD #OLL ? (@Toadsanime) March 27, 2023

Earlier today, it was announced that Multiversus would shut down its online features on June 25 and will aim to launch the full game by early 2024. Tony Huynh, co-founder and game director at Player First Games, said, “Our Open Beta has been an important learning opportunity for us and a stepping stone to the next phase of MultiVersus.”

For more on Multiversus, check out our 8/10 review, which reads, “MultiVersus is a raucous and fun competitive platform fighter that rewards players for learning the strengths and weaknesses of its eclectic cast of characters and working as part of a team.”

Luis Joshua Gutierrez is a freelance writer who loves games. You can reach him at @ImLuisGutierrez on Twitter.

2023 might finally be the year where 2TB PS5 SSDs might actually be worth the upgrade. Last year, prices for 1TB PS5 SSDs averaged around $150, whereas 2TB SSDs hovered closer to $300. This year, we’re seeing 1TB SSDs trickle below the $100 price point and 2TB SSDs are under $200. The reason PS5 SSD upgrades are pricey is that you can’t use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You’ll want to pick up an PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid state drive with a rated 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive. That means, for better or for worse, picking a top-shelf SSD.

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD. Not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (we recommend this one for $10) and install it yourself. It’s very easy.

Samsung 1TB PS5 SSD for $75

Samsung SSDs need no introduction. They’ve made some of the most popular and reliable PS5 SSDs on the market. The 980 Pro has been out for a while now, but it’s still one of Samsung’s fastest M.2 PCIe SSD, with only the newly released 990 Pro being faster. It is fully PS5 compatible in terms of form factor and performance, with blistering speeds of up to 7,100MB/s. It goes toe to toe with other well-known options like the WD Black SN850 and the Seagate Firecuda 530.

Crucial P5 Plus 2TB PS5 SSD for PS5 for $131.99

Crucial’s newest M.2 SSD meets all the requirements for your PS5 SSD upgrade. It supports transfer speeds of up to 6,660MB/s which is well above the 5,500MB/s minimum threshold. Yes there are faster SSDs out there, but if your intention is to put this in your PS5, then that extra speed is worthless because you’re bottlenecked by the original PS5 SSD. If you’re worried about opening up your PS5 case, don’t worry it’s very easy. Crucial has an official YouTube PS5 SSD install guide to see you through the process.

WD 2TB PS5 SSD from $159.99

Amazon is offering a 2TB WD Black SN850X with preinstalled heatsink for only $179.99. The SN850X is the successor to the SN850 SSD. It has newer flash chips (BiCS5 vs BiCS4) and an updated firmware, which combined offer improved sequential and random read/write speeds. For PC gamers, there’s also an updated Game Mode 2.0 utility that’s designed to tune the SSD for better performance during gaming sessions.

Corsair MP600 PRO LPX 2TB “Optimized for PS5” SSD with Heatsink for Only $154.99

Corsair is a very well known brand for DIY PC builders. Corsair makes some of the best gaming products on the market, and that includes solid-state memory like RAM and SSDs. The MP600 Pro is the same super-fast M.2 NVMe PCIe x4 Gen4 SSD that’s marketed for enthusiast gaming PC builds. This one is “optimized for PS5” because it includes a rugged preinstalled heatsink that is slim enough to fit in the PS5 bay without any issues. Performance wise, the MP600 Pro matches the best SSDs out there with its 7,100MB/sec sequential read and 6,800MB/sec sequential write speeds.

Patriot Viper VP4300 2TB PS5 SSD for $142.99

Amazon is offering the Patriot Viper VP4300 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 x 4 Internal Gaming Solid State Drive, which is compatible with the PS5 console, for only $142.99. This makes it definitely the lowest price we’ve seen for a brand name 2TB PS5 SSD, especially since this one even includes a slim aluminum heatshield. The VP4300 is an M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 x4 solid state drive with rated transfer speeds of 7,400MB/s read and 6,800MB/s write. That makes it well above the PS5’s recommended 5,600MB/s speed requirement.

More PS5 SSD Deals

There may be other SSD deals out there, but these are the PS5 SSDs we’ve tried ourselves and highly recommend. They also double up as outstanding boot drives for your gaming PC, in case you don’t need additional storage for your PS5 console.

How easy is it to install the SSD?

It’s extremely easy! Removing the case cover is completely toolless. In fact, the only screw you have to remove is the one that keeps the cover for the SSD bay in place. You don’t even put it back when you’re done. Sony has a quick and easy YouTube video guide.

What if the SSD I bought doesn’t have a heatsink?

Sony recommends you install an SSD that has an attached heatsink. If the SSD you purchase doesn’t include one, it’s simple enough to buy one for about $10 on Amazon and add it yourself. Most of these heatsinks are just attached using an adhesive like thermal tape.

For more deals, take a look at our daily deals for today.

Sega and Relic Entertainment announced that Company of Heroes 3 is receiving a new update called Operation Sapphire Jackal.

The game’s first major update includes daily and weekly challenges for players to compete in both multiplayer and co-modes. These challenges include tasks such as destroying 50 vehicles with anti-tank guns and gaining 50 veteran ranks with Wehrmacht infantry. Completing these challenges will earn players Merit, an in-game earnable currency that can be used to unlock cosmetics.

These new in-game cosmetics can be used to customize units and armies in both single-player and multiplayer modes. They can also be unlocked via War Bonds, a purchasable in-game currency, along with the earnable Merit in-game currency. War Bonds can only be earned by buying War Bond packs.

“One of our goals with the In-Game Store is to ensure there is always a balanced mix of earnable and paid content available so that players can choose how they use the store, and that there is unlockable content available to everyone,” Relic Entertainment explained in a blog post. “This will apply to everything in the store when it launches, and as we move forward.”

Additionally, there are several bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements, including a new voice-over for the Ghurka infantry and clearer descriptions to more accurately reflect abilities, units, and upgrades, as well as updated unique player color options with allies being cool colors and enemies being warm colors.

Company of Heroes 3 launched on February 23 for PC, while PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are coming later this year. In IGN’s Company of Heroes 3 single-player campaign review, we said, “Company of Heroes 3’s single-player campaigns remix the series’ signature WW2 combat, but they wrap it up in a boring, buggy strategic map and a mismatched story.”

For the game’s multiplayer portion, we said, “Outfoxing your human foes remains excellent in Relic’s latest, Company of Heroes 3. The heart of this World War 2 RTS’ combat and faction design is stronger than ever.”

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

Ubisoft will not be a part of E3 2023 after all, the company has revealed.

In a statement to VGC, the Assassin’s Creed publisher said it will hold its own, separate event in Los Angeles the same week as E3.

“E3 has fostered unforgettable moments across the industry throughout the years,” Ubisoft’s statement reads. “While we initially intended to have an official E3 presence, we’ve made the subsequent decision to move in a different direction, and will be holding a Ubisoft Forward Live event on 12th June in Los Angeles. We look forward to sharing more details with our players very soon.”

In February, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said the company would have “a lot of things to show” at E3 2023, becoming the first major publisher to confirm attendance for the event. Ubisoft’s upcoming slate includes Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Skull and Bones, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, as the company plans to “launch a lot of games” in its next financial year. But now, Ubisoft pulling out of the event leaves E3’s lineup in serious question.

With Ubisoft out of the picture, as well as no presence from Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo, there are currently no major publishers announced for E3 2023. Earlier this month, E3 organizer ReedPop said that “Exhibitors from AAA companies to indie darlings and tech companies will be announced leading up to the expo.”

The in-person component of E3 2023 is set for June 13-26 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This is ReedPop’s first year handling the event, but the company has experience putting on shows like New York Comic Con, Pax, Star Wars Celebration, and more. This will be E3’s first in-person show since 2019.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Cheat codes have been found for Gran Turismo 4, which launched almost two decades ago in 2005 for PlayStation 2.

These cheat codes were discovered by Twitter user Nenkaai, but it’s unclear how they found them in the first place. These newly uncovered chat codes provide benefits for players when the corresponding buttons have been input into the game. However, they can only be used once 365 in-game days have passed in Gran Turismo 4:

• Earn 10,000,000 Credits in the GT Mode screen: Select, Left, Right, Right, Down, Up, Up, Left, Down, Up, Right, Left, Down, L1, R1, Select
• Pass any license in the License selection screen: Select, R1, Select, R1, Select, L2, L2, R2, R2, L1, Select, L1, Select
• Earn a Gold rating at any specific license test in the License Test selection screen: Select, Select, R1, R2, L2, L2, Select, L1, R1, Select, R2, L1, Select
• Earn a Gold rating at any event in the Event Course Selection screen: Select, L1, Up, Up, Select, R1, Down, Down, Select, L2, Select, R2, Select

So many years and this game still holds surprises, GT4 does actually have cheat codes?? pic.twitter.com/toyyIHIJKW

— Nenkai (@Nenkaai) March 25, 2023

Furthermore, the prizes that come with earning a gold rating in events are also unlocked as well and 24-hour races can be skipped over. The codes apparently even work in the 2006 motorcycle game Tourist Trophy, which uses the same game engine that Gran Turismo 4 does.

This is quite the find for such an old game to have new discoveries, as the franchise is one of the most influential ever in the racing genre. The latest entry, Gran Turismo 7, was released last year for PS4 and PS5, as well as PS VR2 through a free in-game update.

In IGN Gran Turismo 4 review, we said, “GT4 is the greatest ideation of GT3 that’s possible on the PS2. There’s no doubt that this game absolutely kills everything else around in terms of graphics, sound effects, and force feedback. The license tests, circuits, missions, hundreds of cars, and dozens of tracks all add up to what is still one hell of an addictive racing game.”

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey