We recorded Unlocked immediately after Microsoft’s Xbox Developer Direct presentation this week, so these are our in-the-moment reactions to the excellent presentation, from the deep-dive on Redfall (including a May 2 release date to look forward to) to another look at the gorgeous Forza Motorsport (though it came without any release date attached) to the surprise new game from Tango Gameworks, Hi-Fi Rush, that’s available right now! And in our final segment, we spent some time discussing the current uncertain state of Halo in the wake of the layoffs at 343 Industries.
Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 of this week’s episode. For more awesome content, check out our interview with Todd Howard, who answered all of our Starfield questions after the big reveal at the Xbox Showcase:
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
What do you get when you cross Alice in Wonderland with Iron Man? Square Enix’s latest action-RPG Forspoken aims to answer that question, with a fish out of water plot as the protagonist Frey is thrown into a world of dragons and sorcery. Built on the same Luminous Engine that powered the team’s last game, Final Fantasy XV, it has a similar open world design, with animation, art, creature design and more that will feel familiar.
Resolution Modes
The game has threeresolution modes, Quality, Ray Tracing, and Performance, each of which also has a 120Hz mode. Quality targets 3840x2160p with dynamic resolution scaling (DRS) engaged, which can scale by 75% in total down to a low of 1920×1080. Ray Tracing mode reduces the ceiling to 2880x1620p and scales to a low of 1440×810. Both these modes use FSR2 reconstruction to get back to a 4K output when not at that level, which is always the case in the Ray Tracing mode and often in Quality. Finally, Performance targets 2560x1440p both in ceiling and FSR2 reconstruction, and can dip down 75% also to a low of 1280×720. This mode boosts performance to 60fps over the previous two, which are capped at 30fps.
The image quality impact in Performance mode is noticeable, but small enough compared to the gains it offers. That said, there’s a perfect compromise in that 120Hz mode, in theory at least, if you have such a screen. With 120Hz mode enabled, both Ray Tracing and Quality mode run at 40fps, meaning effects and setting are identical to the non-120Hz modes, but DRS is often lower down the range in heavy sequences due to the 25% reduction in frametime. In reality this makes a minor impact to image for an improvement to the fluidity and control, which can be vital with such a fast-paced action-centric game.
The engine has high input latency, and running it at 30fps means we get median times of 225ms with the Quality mode and 221ms in Ray Tracing mode, whereas the 60fps Performance mode offers a significantly faster median of 115ms. This is where having a 120Hz screen offers the biggest boost, knocking around 30% off those Quality and Ray Tracing mode times, down to 163ms and 154ms respectively. This is due to the 25% smaller frame-time as well as the fact it can now flip into the next 8ms refresh when a frame is dropped, bringing the median input time down by some 60ms. The 60fps Performance mode does gain some from 120Hz mode, but only the expected 8ms frame-time peak, giving a small 7.2% improvement in fluidity.
As such, without even getting to framerates, I suggest using the 120Hz mode for all modes if possible. If not, I recommend using the Performance mode, as the camera, movement, and combat are all severely hindered in the 30fps modes as demonstrated here.
Performance
In theory, these settings should cover all our bases. Sadly, in practice all of the targets are missed – and not just on occasion but often enough to be sub par. Starting with the Performance mode, we “target” 60fps, but in bandwidth-heavy sections with foliage, the opaque or partial translucent alpha effects can all cause a 25-30% frame rate reduction, causing long sections in the mid to low 40s. The game does support Variable Rate Refresh (VRR), but these rates are below the active range for VRR on PS5, and you can still see and feel the dips.
Turning the 120Hz option on, the Performance mode is still capped at 60fps, but when drops happen you can at least flip into 8ms, meaning this is still the fastest and most responsive mode to play. The Ray Tracing mode is next with it being between 8-14% faster than the Quality mode when running on a 120Hz screen, but even then it can dip back into the low 30s often enough to feel the same. This does not mean all the time, with many sections of quiet exploration or cutscenes hitting the 40fps high, but assume that heavy combat will play out somewhere in the middle ground.
The game doesn’t feel like it is utilising some of the key aspects of current generation consoles, instead feeling far more like a cross-generation game.
You might ask why not run an unlocked option for 60Hz screens, but this causes frame-times to leap between 16ms and 33ms when forced into a 60Hz container. On a 120Hz screen, however, they align to that 40fps rate at 25ms, which is why it feels smoother as the frame times are closer together and even. Sadly, the Quality mode is worse than the Ray Tracing mode, and at 40fps it is more often below that and can even dip into the mid 20s – again dense opaque pixel fill-rate seems to be the main cause. As such, the 40fps mode is great in theory but in practice the Quality mode suffers most to not be worth it and the Ray Tracing mode, although better, is still not close enough to that target to be called a true middle ground option.
Image quality and effects
Visually, the game is a mixture of new and old: world geometry, lighting, shadows, global illumination, specular, and more do look good with high polygon count on characters, good materials, and general facial and skeletal animation. Compared to Final Fantasy XV it is superior, specifically in resolution and image stability, even compared to that game’s PS4 Pro version, but not to any generational-looking degree aside from improved assets and resolution. It does offer some current generation increases though, with Quality offering a full 4K output and Ray Tracing adding in hybrid shadows with a soft penumbra, with accurate contact hardening enhanced by more objects casting shadows.
Quality mode increases LoD over Performance and the Ray Tracing mode, with further shadow cascades and increased debris in certain areas. Ray Tracing has the best quality, with shadow cascades mixed with ray traced shadows within the first cascade, as in closest to the camera. These give softer shadows and better ambient occlusion, but outside of a side-by-side comparison are not significant enough to stand out to most players. Quality mode is a little sharper, helped by the contrast-adaptive sharpening pass within the engine, but in reality both modes look similar enough that you can’t tell much of a difference after a few minutes of play. The Ray Tracing mode improves most on the self shadowing of characters in cutscenes, which are quite plentiful throughout the game.
Character models are well constructed and realised, but suffer often in the cutscenes due to lower bone rigs than many modern games, especially in the mouth, eyes and nose. The game relies on a mixture of performance capture and keyframe animation. This, along with the leap in some cinematics over others means you can have big gaps in model quality, lighting, materials and animation between scenes and even from model to model. Textures are certainly one aspect, with mip-maps often running sub-par assets in cutscenes, which highlights that the engine/game still needs some refinement here, as textures can be quite late loading in, leaving you with some blurry and last-generation looking details on the PS5.
Loading
Loading highlights the game’s cross-generation roots, despite it being a PS5 and PC only game. Continuing a game takes less than 2 seconds, making excellent use of the SSD and I/O design of the PS5. Loading into a game is slower, at just over 5 seconds. The main issue though is the constant fade to black and loading you will see during your play. Admittedly most are 2 to 3 seconds at most, but the constant fade out-in, stop-start nature of opening a door, leaving a fort, battling an enemy or even within a cutscene can create a disconnect from the game. This is compounded by many sections locking you in place until the UI, dialogue, or prompts have loaded. This was frustrating as it felt unnecessary and restrictive, meaning that the game doesn’t feel like it is utilising some of the key aspects of current generation consoles, instead feeling far more like a cross-generation game.
Sound Production and Mixing
Effects are okay, with decent mixing and production. Music, although far from bad, is repetitive and terribly mixed, with music clumsily fading out or just stopping and new tunes starting at certain points in gameplay or cinematics. This is compounded by some poor mixing which can leave voices fighting with music, and the dialogue is far from top tier.
Summary
The Luminous Engine was a revelation only seven years ago with FFXV, offering character models, cloth physics and hair that rivaled the best in the industry. Forspoken betters that game in almost all aspects, but the gaming industry has moved on since then, and the engine has not kept pace. What it offers is a wide open land, high graphical quality, and a wide range of modes. Sadly, none of those hit the expected mark both in quality and consistency, and I hope that patches can resolve some of the performance and quality issues noted here.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is out now in Japan, although English-speaking players will have to wait until 27th June to get on board as well. After its Japanese eShop launch, the first patch has also been released, which fixes a number of bugs in the game — bugs that are quite entertaining to read about.
Minecraft Legends is a new game that brings an action-strategy experience to the Minecraft universe.
Minecraft Legends recontextualizes familiar mobs and tools and gives you new ways to use them.
We spoke to two Producers on the game to learn more ahead of launch on April 18
At first glance, Minecraft Legends may seem like a bold pivot in a new direction, but rest assured that this new strategy title still includes all of the familiar elements of the epochal survival title – you just might not notice right away. You can expect to see all of your favourite resources, mobs and tools, but in a brand-new strategy game setting – and even in a 4v4, PvP mode, which was introduced in today’s Developer_Direct showcase.
So what is Minecraft Legends? The new title, developed by Mojang Studios with partner Blackbird Interactive, offers a brand-new story campaign, and a fresh new PvP mode. Take on the campaign alone or with friends, or hop into a 4v4 match to take down the enemy team by destroying their base, while building your own. It sounds very different to the original Minecraft, but – if you’ll forgive the pun – it’s built out of many of the same blocks.
Of course, key to Minecraft is its procedurally generated maps, which offer up a unique experience every time you jump into a new game. Minecraft Legends is no different, generating new maps to conquer for each new battle. Traditionally, everyone is on the same side in a classic Minecraft server (or, at least, they should be), but in Minecraft Legends, the twist is that the map’s resources are competitive, and its terrain is key to how you progress — both must be used to triumph against the enemy team.
Speaking to Xbox Wire, Minecraft Legends Executive Producer Dennis Ries and Blackbird Interactive Producer Lee Pederson explain how Minecraft Legends uses randomly generated maps in both its campaign and multiplayer modes to shake up the traditional PvP experience:
“It’s not like your traditional multiplayer situation where you have a set few maps. Every time you go to play PvP, the strategy that you want to use to win could be different than it was the game before,” Ries says. “When we had the added this procedurally generated dynamic with the variety, it really started to feel like Minecraft. The chaotic fun really shone through and we wanted to embrace that chaos.”
Being Resource-full
When each multiplayer map is generated, resources that you can use in battle will appear in random areas, and some are more unique and useful than others. You’ll have to decide which strategy is best to take on the enemy team based on where you build your base, and the resources around it.
“Every game is a new scene, and there’s different environmental challenges,” Pederson explains. “So when building your base, you can take advantage of being on a mountaintop for example, or build a tower behind one to hide it. You’re going to have to really tune your strategy based on what the world is generating for you.”
Ries adds that this could be a Redstone strategy, a Diamond strategy , or an Iron strategy – each resource offers different units and upgrades to build, and which you happen to have can fundamentally alter how you gain an advantage over an enemy. You’ll need to change up how you proceed through the game based on what you can secure to get ahead in those early game moments.
“You just don’t know what’s going to happen, so with that, you might shift your strategy and go with say, a Redstone strategy because that’s what’s closest to you,” he adds.
Mob Rule(s)
It’s not just the environment that can provide resources either. Minecraft Legends features many familiar mobs, from the classic Creeper to the Nether-native Piglins, who will attack anyone that passes through their territory. They all carry important items, and they can be used to plot your win in a number of ways.
Some Minecraft enemies such as Skeletons and Zombies are also here but, this time, they’re on your side, and you can take advantage of their abilities too. Seasoned Minecraft players will have a sense of how all of these mobs will act (and attack), but will need to readjust to how useful they can be in this brand new context.
“Creepers are always going to explode, but now you have the ability to actually use a Creeper […] and pinpoint it to go in a certain direction,” Ries explains. “In PvP, the Piglins are an annoyance, but they’re necessary because they have items that you need to [use to] upgrade. On another hand, they can attack you, so while you’re off implementing your strategy, they can disrupt it if you’re not careful.”
While combat is at the forefront of Minecraft Legends, there’s a role for every kind of player, from planning huge sieges against the enemy or simply exploring the map. Ries adds that you may naturally gravitate towards a certain role in a team of four, and you can choose what to do based on your own personal preference, whether that’s swinging swords at enemies or hunting down a specific resource for your base.
All About That Base
As you might expect by this point, just like classic Minecraft, building things is a truly enormous part of your time spent in Minecraft Legends. Building up your base and ensuring it can withstand enemy attacks is just as important as besieging the enemy. Once you’ve built a basic structure, it’s time to get creative with ways to deter your attackers. Build additional walls that enemies must navigate through, place hidden traps, or set up mobs to keep your base safe. Be sure to lay down your upgrade tower in a good spot too, so your base can be upgraded to withstand even the heftiest assaults.
Setting up your base in Legends serves a new purpose, but it shares many of the components of classic Minecraft building. You need to collect wood, stone and other world resources to stack up walls, towers and gates block-by-block, and adventure for ores and hidden treasures that’ll help your team level up. The difference is you’ll need to craft with a little more thought into how your base functions, rather than how it looks in the sunset. Winning with a cool looking base is an obvious flex, though.
While there’s a lot of freedom in how you plan your battles (and your defences), Pederson adds that the PvP experience is designed to be approachable for new players, and you don’t need a grand strategy or a ton of experience to hop in. “Because the maps are procedurally generated, you don’t have people who have mastered a map who are then dominating newer players who are coming in,” she adds.
And this really is the crux of how Minecraft Legends can feel so akin to Minecraft, despite being part of a totally different genre. Like the original, Legends doesn’t just feature random elements – it builds its whole identity around them, rewarding players for working with what they’ve got, rather than doing the same thing every time.
Pederson puts it in very simple terms – terms that feel almost like a mantra for the game’s design as a whole: “Everyone is coming into a new experience each time.”
Minecraft Legends launches April 18 on Windows PC (day one with PC Game Pass), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One (day one with Xbox Game Pass), Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation, Steam, and Nintendo Switch.
Discover the mysteries of Minecraft Legends, a new action strategy game. Explore a gentle land of rich resources and lush biomes on the brink of destruction. The ravaging piglins have arrived, and it’s up to you to inspire your allies and lead them in strategic battles to save the Overworld!
Learn the story of Minecraft Legends and explore its new, yet familiar world, while experiencing the Minecraft Universe in an exciting new way in this new action strategy game.
Explore a beautiful land, both familiar and mysterious, full of diverse life, lush biomes, and rich resources needed to build your defenses and defeat the piglin invasion.
Inspire unexpected friends to form valuable alliances and lead them in strategic battles to protect their home. Take the fight to the piglins before their Nether corruption devours the Overworld!
Challenge your friends –or team-up with them – in exciting battles as you defend your village and lead your allies to defeat your opponents.
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.
Adata Premium 1TB M.2 SSD for PS5 for $76.49
Includes Heatsink
This is an Amazon Lighting Deal that expires today 1/25. This could be the lowest price we’ve seen so far for a 1TB PS5-compatible SSD, and it even includes a heatspreader. The Adata Premium SSD boasts transfer speeds of up to 6,100MB/s, which is more than fast enough to surpass the PS5’s recommended minimum speed threshold of 5,500MB/s. 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 stock PS5 SSD. Better to save that money and put it to better use.
Crucial P5 Plus 2TB M.2 SSD for $161.99
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.
Samsung 980 Pro 2TB M.2 SSD for $179.99
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, and it’s still Samsung’s fastest M.2 PCIe SSD. 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.
WD Black SN850X 2TB PS5 SSD for $199.99
Preinstalled Heatsink
Amazon has the newest WD Black Series SN850X M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD for the best price we’ve seen. 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.
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.
MX Keys Mini model or as the full-size MX Keys. Today, the full-size UK model is discounted on Amazon UK, where it’s down from £120 to £80 – a nice 33% or 40 quid off.
If you tuned into Xbox’s Developer Direct on January 25, you’ll already know about Hi-Fi Rush shadow-dropping on Xbox Game Pass after the presentation ended. But, that’s not all, as Xbox has also now confirmed every game hitting the service before the end of the month, and a few more for the start of February as well including Hot Wheels Unleashed, GoldenEye 007, Age of Empires 2, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R, Grid Legends, and more.
Games to already hit Game Pass this month include Persona 3 and 4, alongside Monster Hunter Rise and Stranded Deep. For now, here’s everything coming to Xbox Game Pass in January 2023.
Hi-Fi Rush is Available on Xbox Game Pass Right Now
Tango Gameworks’ next game is Hi-Fi Rush, a rhythm adventure game under development exclusively for the Xbox Series X|S, and it’s coming out tonight. Announced during the Xbox Developer_Direct showcase, the trailer revealed a bombastic comic-like art style, original tunes and rhythm-based movement and combat. Tango Gameworks has already released the game, including on Xbox Game Pass, and you can install it right now if you want to.
Everything Coming to Xbox Game Pass in January 2023
Stranded Deep – January 3 (Console, PC, Cloud)
Persona 3 Portable – January 19 (Console, PC, Cloud)
Persona 4 Golden – January 19 (Console, PC, Cloud)
Monster Hunter Rise – January 20 (Console, PC)
Hi-Fi Rush – January 25 (Console, PC)
GoldenEye 007 – January 27 (Console)
Roboquest (Game Preview) – January 30 (Console)
Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition – January 31 (Console, Cloud)
Inkulinati – January 31 (Console, PC)
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R (Cloud, Console, and PC) – January 31
Bonus Games We Now Know About for February on Game Pass
Darkest Dungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 2
Grid Legends (Cloud) EA Play – February 2
Hot Wheels Unleashed – Game of the Year Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 7
Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden on Xbox Game Pass
After January 19, Persona 3, 4, and 5 will all be available for Xbox Game Pass members on console, PC, and cloud gaming. This was initially announced back at Xbox’s summer showcase, and we have since seen Persona 5 Royal enter the service in October 2022.
Everything Leaving Xbox Game Pass in January 2023
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Nobody Saves The World (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Pupperazzi (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Anacrusis (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC)
We Happy Few (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Windjammers 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Console and PC)
Telling Lies (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Worms WMD (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Xbox and Bethesda Developer Direct January 2023
The Xbox and Bethesda Developer Direct for January 2023 aired earlier today, as Microsoft and its partners shared updates on games including Redfall, The Elder Scrolls Online, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and more. Read more here to learn about everything announced at today’s event, including brand new release dates for Minecraft Legends (April 18, 2023), Redfall (May 2, 2023), and more.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
two of the seven slots to their designs. One that doesn’t feature on that list but has attracted strong reviews elsewhere is the Edifier R1280T, a 2.0 studio speaker set that delivers excellent sound for the money. These speakers are normally normally around £100, but today on Overclockers you can grab a pair for £84 – lower than they’ve ever been before.
Developer Arkane Studios will be releasing their story-driven shooter, Redfall, on May 2, they announced at today’s Xbox Developer Direct.
They also revealed some new gameplay footage, showing off more details on the players’ unique abilities, as well as the titular setting of Redfall, Mass, giving a glimpse at a lighthouse story mission. Redfall features both single-player co-op multiplayer modes, with players choosing from one of four protagonists — cryptozoologist and inventor Devinder Crousley, telekinetic student Layla Ellison, combat engineer Remi de la Rosa, and supernatural sharpshooter Jacob Boyer — to fight off vampires who took over and ruined Redfall after a failed scientific experiment.
Redfall was initially surprise-announced at the Xbox and Bethesda E3 2021 showcase on June 13, 2021, and then delayed, along with Starfield, to the first half of 2023.
Redfall will release on Xbox Series X/S and PC, and will be available on day one on Game Pass. See all the announcements from today’s Xbox Developer Direct, including updates from Minecraft Legends and Hi-Fi Rush, here.
Alex Stedman is a News Editor for IGN, leading entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
MX Keys Mini model or as the full-size MX Keys. Today, the full-size UK model is discounted on Amazon UK, where it’s down from £120 to £80 – a nice 33% or 40 quid off.
two of the seven slots to their designs. One that doesn’t feature on that list but has attracted strong reviews elsewhere is the Edifier R1280T, a 2.0 studio speaker set that delivers excellent sound for the money. These speakers are normally 
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