When I first reviewed Death Stranding, I awarded Kojima Productions' ambitious post-apocalyptic action/adventure with a 9.2/10, calling it one of the best and most inventive games of 2019. Upon my second playthrough, my thoughts wavered. Perhaps it was the intrigue of opening this delectable mystery box that made such a huge first impression, but with that illusion shattered, it left me to ponder the game as a product overall. I admit I was hesitant to jump into the Director's Cut fearing it would conjure up my wavering feelings, but once again, I strand corrected. NOTE: This review is spoiler-free. Before we jump in, it's worth noting that much of Death Stranding Director's Cut is exactly the same game that was released in 2019. You're still playing the role of Sam Porter Bridges on an odyssey to unite America after a cataclysmic event brings forth mysterious beings called BTs from another dimension. Along the way, you meet many people that share their own philosophies and ideals on the state of the world, and in this department, Death Stranding still shines bright. You're an active part of an ever-evolving world, and the additions to the Director's Cut only reinforce the nature of connection... Hideo Kojima is often known for his convoluted plots (and that may be putting it lightly) but Death Stranding separates itself from Metal Gear Solid in many subtle yet profound ways. After revisiting the Director's Cut with a more open-minded approach, it became apparent to me that this isn't just a video game that gives players a list of objectives and checkpoints to tackle. You're an active part of an ever-evolving world, and the additions to the Director's Cut only reinforce the nature of connection, bonding and the importance of it. It's never inherently preachy as much as it is cryptically in your face, but it makes the experience so much more rewarding and impactful as a result. Instead of importing my save file over from my PS4, I decided to start Death Stranding Director's Cut over from scratch - and I implore fans to do the same. Not only has Kojima Productions introduced vast improvements to tutorials at the beginning of the game and more clear-cut explanations for its various strange oddities in the world, the Support Skeleton - an exoskeleton unlocked near the beginning - gives players a lot more options, speed boosts and freedom to carry their packages across the terrain effortlessly. A new AR firing range also gives players the chance to test out weapons and aiming before diving into the open world's encampments. The story remains as mysteriously engrossing as it was at launch, but the Director's Cut spends a little more time preparing you for the inevitable whiplash of strangeness to come by making subtle changes to the codex, in-game explanations, and more. These tiny but significant tweaks do so much to re-contextualize the experience beforehand so you have more time to appreciate its nuances and needle-drop bombastic set pieces in equal measures. Graphically the game also remains a visual marvel, with jaw-dropping scenery, draw distances and textures slightly improved on PS5, though nothing that looks like a true next-gen leap sadly. Kojima Productions took some of the criticisms about the base game's often frustrating foot traversal into account, introducing some helpful tools to use. The cargo catapult launches your packages several yards away so that it's easier to traverse a particularly rough patch of terrain without losing your balance by being overburdened. The Buddy Bot in particular is the most useful new addition to the Director's Cut as it will transport cargo for you to other cities, eliminating much of the stress of carrying excess cargo over long stretches of land. A racetrack mini-game also provides some great moments to breathe from all the stress and just tackle time attack runs on a surprisingly fun little detour. All of these new changes combined make Death Stranding Director's Cut a lot more accessible to newcomers while rewarding returning players by eliminating many of the infuriating or otherwise tedious elements of gameplay that makes revisiting it a bit of a chore. Unfortunately, if Death Stranding didn't connect with you, these changes won't exactly win you over. The structure of the game and its story remains the same, so don't expect any revelatory or game-changing enhancements or else you may leave disappointed again. The cargo catapult launches your packages several yards away so that it's easier to traverse a particularly rough patch of terrain... That said, there is some new story content that I've purposefully avoided talking about until now. Like Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut and its Iki Island expansion, this bit of expanded story can be accessed via a quick detour at a specific point in the narrative. Sam discovers an abandoned science facility that branches out to new areas during key points in the game, but it never overstays its welcome which is a slight problem I had with Iki Island. It's also not the most fleshed out new story content, but it does add to the overall themes and messages about uniting America and the challenges that come with it. From a gameplay standpoint, this is where the new story content takes quite an unexpected turn. I won't spoil any surprises (and trust me, there are a few well-placed nods and winks if you know what you're looking for), but let's just say that fans of Metal Gear Solid might find the most to enjoy from these segments' stealth-focused moments. Perhaps it was just Kojima still flexing his muscles in the stealth department - and some might debate if it actually fits into Death Stranding's more deliberate gameplay style - but it was the right amount of nostalgia for me to appreciate as a whole. ...let's just say that fans of Metal Gear Solid might find the most to enjoy from these segments' stealth-focused moments. As for PS5 improvements, there isn't much here that's going to add to the experience on PS4 apart from some welcomed, and often brilliant, DualSense controller implementations. Adaptive triggers and haptic feedback work much in the same way as Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut, providing feedback and kick to your weapons. Even during traversal, you'll feel the slight shift in terrain, whether rocky or sleek during a storm. The gentle blink of your indicator during a [censored] storm is particularly impressive and well-implemented, providing the necessary response for players to react and maneuver accordingly. Death Stranding Director's Cut somehow made me a believer again. Since the original game's release in 2019, my overall feelings for the game have changed from hot to cold constantly - something I never found myself doing with the Metal Gear series. However, the Director's Cut simply reaffirms the game's best strengths, in my opinion. That of discovery, self-reflection, isolation, and uniting humanity under a common banner against insurmountable supernatural odds. The new UI tweaks, slight gameplay changes, small bits of story content and more all add up to a worthwhile and wonderfully bizarre package that still proves Kojima Productions have truly crafted a game unlike any other. It's not for everyone, but it is absolutely still worth playing. *PS5 Review code provided by PlayStation

It’s the return of the...wait… no wait… another NBA 2K game? Yes, NBA 2K22 is the latest in the popular annual sports title and returns with a fully-fledged next-gen (current-gen?) experience, while also catering to the previous-gen consumers with a solid offering all round. READ MORE: Halo Co-Creator Says New Project Will Be Divisive The last few editions of NBA 2K have really suffered from a number of similar issues. The shooting felt random, skills and stamina felt unbalanced, and defending felt like a complete mess. It’s great then to report that NBA 2K22 has addressed most if not all of these elements with a huge update to the almost-stale gameplay that has preceded it. All the items tie into each other somewhat. Defending opponents feel more controlled and no longer has your players stuck and failing to respond in time leading to frustrating defensive plays, while on the other side, getting past the AI or opponent player defence is far more balanced. Previously you could repeat the same plays over and over as you exploited defences, but this is no longer the case. There’s a much higher level of skill required to get past a defence, but you are highly rewarded for getting a bit of space either outside the paint, inside or when driving for that dunk or lay-up. The biggest change relates to the shot metre which has seen a huge change in terms of function and aesthetic. The biggest change relates to the shot metre which has seen a huge change in terms of function and aesthetic. If you create space and aren’t heavily contested, the window of opportunity for nailing a shot becomes much larger. On the flip side, if you are heavily contested or use too much stamina in the build up, that window becomes much smaller and sinking your shot is far more difficult as a result. This seemingly simple design and effect change has such a large influence on the overall gameplay that you have to wonder why it’s taken 2K so long to implement it. Having stamina affect your shots means that you can’t just spam skills and try mindlessly sprinting past defenders to get to the hoop as doing so will result in many missed shots. Instead, you need to build up the play more cautiously and smarter, changing up your approach as often as possible to get the best results. It’s maybe a larger challenge, but definitely one that feels more in line with the pace and flow of a real NBA game. Note that for people who may be overwhelmed - there is always the option of playing on the easiest difficulty which still allows a more casual play. As much as there are improvements in the gameplay, there are still some annoying issues that haven’t quite been ironed out, the passing mechanic feels a bit delayed at times and there are still instances where players drop the ball from the smallest of bumps when running. It’s not nearly as common as previous games, but still adds to the frustration especially when playing online. One place NBA 2K22 does not skimp on is it’s expanded City mode which now incorporates the much loved MyCareer mode. One place NBA 2K22 does not skimp on is it’s expanded City mode which now incorporates the much loved MyCareer mode. The story element is copy/paste from a number of sport clichés where you take on a rookie player and attempt to take him from the lower leagues to the very top of the NBA. Doing so will require a lot of grinding and hard work (and microtransactions - ugh). The City, at its very basic level, is thriving with things to do and keep you busy with its RPG-esque setup. Last year’s version of the City felt a bit bland but this year there is so much to do that it almost feels a bit overwhelming in terms of what to do first. You can meet with brand managers (ADIDAS, State Farm and the likes) in order to take on challenges and potentially get endorsements. You can attempt various court-based challenges such as getting a number of blocks in 1v1 or other similar “quests”. Or you can join in the skateboard racing before heading to the gym to improve your physical stats while also attending to various menial tasks to improve your skill level, attributes and fanbase. It’s all about making improvements to get your Career player to the top. While the City has a lot of positives, it’s also where the game’s biggest problem once again rears its ugly head. Microtransactions are in your face wherever you go and if you want to avoid the sometimes tedious grind you will need to cough up real money. The amount of branding and advertising around the game is larger than it’s ever been and honestly feels a bit offensive. The same is true in the teambuilding MyTeam mode. Yes, once again you can grind it out by completing daily, weekly and monthly challenges while also playing in the various online and offline modes, but it’s going to take you a long time to generate enough in-game currency to truly benefit from the top tier players and enjoy the more overpowered elements of MyTeam. If you can pace yourself and not suffer from FOMO then you can get a more than decent team setup without paying, but it can be frustrating to progress so slowly. The modes in MyTeam are largely the same with some small changes in the rewards and the way you get them, particularly in the online modes. You can still get good rewards, but the win requirements make it a bit more difficult. That said, the offline modes are more than manageable and yield relatively good rewards for your efforts and time spent. The most noticeable update to MyTeam is the Draft Mode. By entering with in-game currency or tokens, you get to draft a team based on selecting players per position out of a set of five and based on your luck you can build a strong team and take to the courts against other players. It’s a great way to get to use some players that you maybe can’t obtain through the game’s grind (not yet anyway), and also a way to get some decent rewards, even if you lose your matches. WNBA returns but still feels a tad shoehorned in compared to the other modes. There's a lot more flexibility and you have to appreciate that Visual Concepts are paying more attention to it, but (much like in this review) it's more of a "by-the-way" mode than anything else. Franchise mode also returns and gives players a lot more overview on their team than ever before. If playing on the court isn't for you and you want to manage things a bit more closely, you will find a lot of depth and value in the Franchise mode. The movement of the players, the stadiums, the crowds and the general likenesses of players and coaches is simply astounding... NBA 2K22, like its predecessors, shines in terms of its visuals and audio. The movement of the players, the stadiums, the crowds and the general likenesses of players and coaches is simply astounding and truly benefits from the next-gen upgrade. The music is, as always, a highlight with tons of great tracks to listen to plus the promise of an ever-changing lineup through 2K's live service in the months to come. Sadly, the load times still feel a little too long, especially if you are used to the almost non-existent load times on most PS5 games. Overall, NBA 2K22 is a hugely satisfying experience and one that will no doubt keep you busy for a long time to come. If NBA 2K is your one game for the year, there's every certainty that it will have enough options, modes and gameplay experiences for you to cover your entire year. The basketball gameplay is magnificent, the visuals and audio are too... now 2K just get rid of the overly offensive microtransactions and advertisements... please.

Halo co-creator and the original designer of Master Chief Marcus Lehto has posted an update on his personal channels providing an insight into his future endeavours, and one of them is related to the next major project that he’s working on. Lehto had to reiterate that he believes the project will be divisive, though asks that fans still join him on this next leg of the journey as it’s going to be “big”. READ MORE: Castlevania Advance Collection Leaked For Consoles and PC Marcus Lehto originally worked at Bungie, starting with the original Halo: Combat Evolved where he contributed heavily to the creation of the Halo universe and most importantly, Master Chief’s now-iconic design. He became the art director for several Halo sequels to follow, before finally serving as the creative director of Halo: Reach. After Bungie shifted duties of the Halo series over to 343 Industries, Lehto followed Bungie into the development of Destiny. He opened his own studio, V1 Interactive, in 2012 and created their first project, Disintegration, released in 2020. Unfortunately, the game didn’t perform well and Lehto was forced to shut down its servers and close the studio. Lehto’s future in the gaming industry remains uncertain but thanks to his latest updates, he seems excited about sharing the details of where he’ll potentially go next. However, this comes with a bit of an asterisk according to him. He believes that his next project and venture will be divisive, stating: “Making some pretty big decisions with my career this week. Some of you will support it, some will not. I just ask that you all join me on this next leg of journey. It’s going to be big!” Meanwhile, the Halo series is set to have its next major entry in Halo Infinite which launches on December 8 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. 343 Industries has since taken control of the Halo franchise – in which Lehto helped shape and create – since Halo 4 in 2012, and has released two games since then. It will be interesting to find out just what Lehto is talking about when referring to his new project being divisive, but we’ll keep a close eye out on it.

Comic books and video games may be two different mediums, but they have seen several cross-overs for decades now. Comic books have been adapted into games, while games have received comic book prequels and spin-off stories. They seem to complement each other rather well and has always been one of the main attractions for both mediums. However, thanks to technology becoming way more advanced, we’ve seen creative ideas flourish for the potential of superheroes in gaming. Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham series and Insomniac’s Spider-Man series all come to mind now when we think of defining superhero video games. However, are we now at a stage where we can call it the golden age of the genre? Read More: Opinion: 65% Keyboards do Have a Strong use Case ft Asus ROG Falchion Rewinding the clocks back to 1986, gaming got its first glimpse of a real superhero video game in Ocean Software’s Batman. Since then, companies have leapt at the opportunity to grab their own superhero IPs and rights, leading to a surge of superhero games rolling out from the mid-80s onwards. Of course, Capcom seemed to find the most success when they eventually released their acclaimed fighter Marvel vs. Capcom, while gaming studios were acquiring development and publishing duties for video games based on big blockbuster superhero movies at the time. Activision grabbed Spider-Man, while rights were shared among many developers for Marvel and DC’s finest. It was a splendid time to be a fan of both, though they never quite reached their full potential. Despite the odd movie-to-video game adaptation standing out like Spider-Man 2 or X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a large majority of superhero games were simply written off as quickly produced and under-developed. They never had the lasting impact of other popular gaming franchises, and simply existed as an obligation for marketing to fill a quota. Superhero games were rushed in development to coincide with the releases of their movie counterparts, leading to half-baked products that only really catered to die-hard fans. Then things changed when in 2008, Rocksteady released Batman: Arkham Asylum, the first true sign of the great potential in superhero video games. Praised for its comic book accuracy, animation, stellar game design, and wonderful gameplay, Arkham Asylum cemented itself as an enigma among a genre of video games that were never taken seriously. Now, people were paying attention. Rocksteady wasn’t the first to break this curse, but they were the first to push studios into taking superhero video games seriously, I believe. Unfortunately, it was still a slow and steady climb to greatness. We’d have to wait years before developers really honed in on superhero video games, and it wasn’t until 2008 that this shift happened in another medium entirely. The world was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or at least the roots of it) with the release of 2008’s movie, Iron Man. Marvel Studios promised a crossover of multiple superheroes in film that was only dreamt of at the time. Fast forward to 2012 and Marvel Studios fulfilled their promise of achieving a crossover event on a large scale with The Avengers. Not only did the films rake in millions of dollars, but they also pioneered a new age of superhero films in cinema – and it wouldn’t be long before the video game industry caught onto its popularity. Spider-Man’s introduction to the MCU was still premature during this phase, but Insomniac Games were quick to strike a deal with Sony on an ambitious video game project that would firmly place the web-slinger in his own gaming universe as opposed to being based on a film, much like Rocksteady’s Batman games which were at the height of their popularity in the mid-2010s. This lead to the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man in 2018, which shattered expectations and redefined what superhero video games could be. The groundwork may have already been laid by Rocksteady, but Insomniac were shifting conversations quickly. Given the colossal popularity of superhero films, it would only make sense that video games would adopt a similar reception since the target demographics are mostly shared, right? As it turns out, the reception wasn’t so kind to Square Enix’s 2019 video game Marvel’s Avengers which attempted to establish their own video game universe and new character designs like Marvel’s Spider-Man. Insomniac seemed to strike gold since Spider-Man has seen so many changes to its lead actors in the films, that a new video game face was welcomed. In the case of Avengers, the same film cast remained – the same cast that pop culture subconsciously attached to the superheroes. So seeing new faces was a jarring reveal, but it wasn’t the only problem that Marvel’s Avengers faced. Rocksteady’s Batman and Insomniac’s Spider-Man saw plenty of success as single-player games, but Marvel’s Avengers attempted to infuse a live-service model into the game, partially fueled by live-service really taking off in gaming. This hindered the game’s potential greatly. While it did feature a decent campaign, much of the game’s ongoing enjoyment solely rested on that dreaded live-service model to keep players engaged after the credits rolled. Unlike superhero movies which had an ending and a post-credits stinger, Marvel’s Avengers forcefully prolonged its stay which lead to its divisive reception. Developers may be wising up to the fact that superhero video games find a lot more success as single-player story-driven games now, judging by Eidos Montreal’s upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy (and we assume numerous other unannounced superhero projects currently in development). On top of that, Rocksteady is returning with a wider cast of characters in Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, while Warner Bros. continues to push the Batman games into the spotlight with Gotham Knights. Insomniac released the acclaimed standalone expansion to Marvel’s Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and have already announced Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine. All of the games mentioned above are sure to be massive hits when they launch unless they step into the same pitfalls of Marvel’s Avengers – which seems unlikely since developers are now learning exactly what players want out of these games. Thanks to the impressive power of the last generation of consoles and the current generation, I think we’re on the verge of the golden age of superhero video games. Developers are paying attention to their success and are now treating them with the same amount of care and attention as other AAA games as opposed to additional cash magnets to complement the movies. PlayStation seems to understand this as they’re investing heavily in Insomniac Games, while Warner Bros. still nurtures their own properties. As massively popular as the MCU is, though, video games are still only a fraction of that popularity and it will take further nurturing to really bring them to glory in an interactive virtual realm.