Next-gen gaming consoles have been pushing the idea of faster loading times, with PlayStation 5 really showcasing its capabilities via gameplay for both Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Demon's Souls. However, selected media outlets recently got some hands-on time with Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Series X, and have revealed a number of key differences between current-gen and next-gen hardware. The most impressive feature, though, is seeing just how fast loading times have become across the generation, and now we have some concrete numbers to show for it. READ MORE: Free-to-Play Open World RPG Genshin Impact Now Available on PS4 and PC GameSpot recently revealed the difference between loading times for the current-gen Xbox One X and next-gen Xbox Series X, using a few games to try out. Namely, the more intensive Red Dead Redemption 2 (which has notoriously long loading times on current-gen hardware) as well as Control, Final Fantasy XV and The Outer Worlds. As the graph below shows, the loading times for Red Dead Redemption 2 from Xbox One X to Xbox Series X has been cut down tremendously from 2 minutes and 8 seconds to just 38 seconds, respectively. The same impressive improvements are shown for the other titles, cutting them down from a minute to roughly around 10 seconds. However, The Verge provides a longer list of loading times for a number of games, showing varying results. While not as instantaneous as the PlayStation 5 (at least from what the gameplay leads us to believe), they're still quite a big improvement and should bode well for loading times on the next generation. CNET also managed to get hands-on time with the Xbox Series X, citing that the new controller is a subtle change, but still an improvement overall. The backward compatibility list is also apparently quite large, but still remains incomplete until Xbox can bring over the full catalog. Digital Foundry will post their thoughts a bit later, but provided an image of Dead or Alive 6's 4K graphics mode and framerate on the Xbox Series X compared to Xbox One X's 4K, showing the next-gen console at 60fps while current-gen Xbox clocks at around 30fps. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launches on November 10th, 2020. Make sure you pre-order right here.

The gacha-based open-world fantasy RPG, Genshin Impact, is now free-to-play on PlayStation 4 and PC. The Chinese-developed title will also hit iOS and Android devices too, further extending its reach. The game was first announced in June 2019 with many noting its similarities in gameplay and open world to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Now that the controversy has somewhat blown over, it's time to finally get your hands on one of the most anticipated free-to-play games of 2020. READ MORE: Review: Mafia: Definitive Edition Genshin Impact comes to us from Chinese developer miHoYo, who previously worked on Gun GirlZ. For anyone who has seen the trailers, the game takes place in a fantasy open world and features a number of popular JRPG elements and mechanics that slightly differentiate it from the aforementioned influences like Breath of the Wild. While it still remains to be seen how the free-to-play model will affect gameplay, everyone can now get their hands on the title via PS4, PC or mobile devices. A Nintendo Switch version is also planned to release later, though miHoYo has not given any specific details about it yet. PlayStation has provided a more detailed description of the game: In the distant continent of Teyvat, the seven elements — Anemo, Pyro, Electro, Cryo, Dendro, and Geo — converge. Those chosen by the gods are granted Visions, with which they can control the elements in nature. You, a mysterious traveler, are about to embark on epic adventures in this free world. You will master the various elements throughout your journey, during which amazing friends with diverse abilities will join you along the way. Together, you will fight mighty enemies, find your lost kin, and unravel the riddles of the world of Genshin Impact. Genshin Impact is now available on PS4 and PC, as well as iOS and Android.

I have a soft spot for mafia and mob movies. Ever since watching The Godfather and its subsequent sequels - and not to mention the countless Scorsese films including Goodfellas and Casino - the early 20th century has always been a fascinating time in mid-America when organized crime was rampant and the mafia dominated entire cities. Back when the original Mafia video game launched in the early 2000s, it was everything I had hoped for when it came to an interactive cinematic mob experience. Fast forward several years later, and developer Hangar 13 have once again brought the mob to life in one of the best remakes of the generation. Mafia: Definitive Edition takes place in the Chicago-inspired fictional city of Lost Heaven during the Great Depression in the 1930s. We follow a hired gun named Tommy Angelo who enters the deep underbelly of organized crime in this era, with several politics involved in the mafia hierarchy. The story branches out in several different directions from here, exploring the tensions between warring mobs fighting for control and dominance in certain parts of the city, all the while a greater crime epic brews beneath the surface. In case you haven't played the original, I'll refrain from talking more about the story, but I will say this: it still holds up extraordinary well, and actually provides some contextual social issues that are relevant till today. Hangar 13 must be commended for... providing one of the most striking and cinematically gorgeous remakes in modern video games. Lost Heaven is a sprawling open world city with a great variety of locations. Across the game's 12-hour story, you'll sadly only ever explore half of these magnificent places, though it does encourage you to stray off the beaten path and occasionally dabble in some of the open world side activities and hustles. Furthermore, it wonderfully captures the heightened tensions and thrills of the 1930s mafia era. Hangar 13 must be commended for the lengths they went to in order to completely rebuild the game from the ground-up, providing one of the most striking and cinematically gorgeous remakes in modern video games. Textures have been given sharp improvements, the world is brimming with life, and facial animations are vastly improved to give characters more emotive personalities. The visual praise for Mafia: Definitive Edition doesn't just stop at the surface level, though. Thanks to the benefits of new hardware, Hangar 13 were able to implement some incredibly immersive features. During storms, for example, lightning crackles to illuminate buildings while thunder roars with stellar sound design. The night life in the city is magical to drive through as neon signs light up the streets and NPCs waddle about to populate the grit and grime of even the most dangerous parts of Lost Heaven. Every few minutes I had to stop and just take in some of the scenery due to just how splendidly it was remade compared to its dated original counterpart. If you just stick to the main campaign, you may miss out on all that Lost Heaven has to really offer which is why it's so important to explore and take your time appreciating the details in between big story moments. Mafia: Definitive Edition's writing is as terrific as it was back in the early 2000s, this time with some welcomed improvements. The voice acting on display is remarkable. Our protagonist, Tommy, is a stoic but instantly likable fellow with a firm moral compass that's constantly shaken and challenged throughout the story. Every character's voice actor in the game nails their era-appropriate accents too, whether it's the Italian mafia or the Irish cops. There's something so endearingly old-fashioned about the dialect and the way each conversation flows that you can't help but smile at its nuances if you're a fan of mob movies. It might seem like a small and insignificant praise, but line delivery is vital to the believability of a character, and Mafia: Definitive Edition's terrific cast of voice actors delivers them with remarkable professionalism while paying homage to its obvious cinematic influences. For the most part, controls and movement have been improved. Gun combat has a great punch and weight to it, while driving mechanics (with newly added bikes in this remake) feeling satisfying and not nearly as frustrating as I expected them to be. There are instances of janky animations, though, often appearing during hand-to-hand combat sections. Characters move in an oddly unnatural way when swinging their arms, while AI tends to clip through objects or simply don't register hits. Considering how many segments there are in the beginning of the game where physical confrontations are your bread and butter, it can be a source of frustration. Thankfully, once you're strapped with a tommy gun during the staged shootouts, the game becomes a lot more action-packed and the jankiness of the animations disappear - well, at least for a while. There are instances of janky animations, though, often appearing during hand-to-hand combat sections. For an open world title, especially in this generation, it's not a particularly long game either. As I previously mentioned, you can get through Mafia: Definitive Edition's main story in roughly 12 hours, with only some side tasks available. Unfortunately, they aren't particularly fleshed out and you can complete all that the game has to offer in less than 15 hours, and that's being generous. Hangar 13 could've fleshed out the story a bit more instead of simply doing a one-for-one remake of the 20 or so main story missions, maybe adding a few additional quests to make your stay in Lost Heaven a little longer. Nonetheless, it's a minor complaint considering the decent price point and the thrill of the journey itself. Where Mafia: Definitive Edition slips up is in the technical department. On numerous occasions, I ran into potentially game-breaking bugs. On PS4 Pro, my game crashed twice during a particularly explosive section of the story when the framerate dipped to single digits. Bugs and glitches also make themselves known frequently, like enemies disappearing into floors or clipping issues in high speed chases causing hilarity to ensue. It's nothing a few patches can't fix, but these technical hiccups don't take much away from the core of the gameplay. Mafia: Definitive Edition, despite some technical hiccups, is still one of the best and most faithful remakes I had the pleasure of playing this generation. The story is engaging and thoroughly entertaining, the voice acting is terrific, the writing and characters are phenomenal, and the visuals are spectacular for modern hardware. While the Mafia series may never measure up to its genre rivals like Grand Theft Auto, thanks to this remake, it now manages to pave its own path in the gaming world and I sincerely hope that Hangar 13 takes on a fourth Mafia game in the foreseeable future. *Review code provided by 2K Games

Sony's PlayStation 5 is just under two months away from launch worldwide, and the anticipation is riding high for their futuristic-inspired next-gen console. While the system is certainly going to be a big seller for its hardware, the vast majority of players will once again invest in Sony's strong lineup of first-party games. Launching alongside the PS5 are a few fantastic titles from Sony's first-party studios, including Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Destruction All-Stars, and Astro's Playroom. However, PlayStation's CEO suggests it's a pretty stellar lineup. READ MORE: Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness Mini-Series Coming to Netflix Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan talked extensively about the PS5's launch lineup - and why he considers it to be the strongest of all time for the company. "We intend to keep that going and to love and respect the PS4 community, while at the same time recognising that millions of gamers are ready to -- and want to -- move into a world of game experiences that are only possible on PS5," said Ryan. "It was very nice to be able to demonstrate that. Again, here Worldwide Studios is excelling, and the line-up of exclusive games -- either at launch or in the launch window -- is by far the strongest that we've ever had on any new console." Ryan continued to praise the upcoming lineup, "We tried to give a sense of that. You would certainly get the progress that has been made with the games you saw a few months back. There was real substance to the demonstrations. There were really strong and powerful presentations. And they're very important to us as we have to talk about the business side of things, the numbers side of things, just to ensure that that's going to be well accompanied by demonstration of great next-generation gameplay." While there's no arguing games like Demon's Souls and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales could potentially be heavy-hitters and console sellers for Sony, we'll just have to see if they deliver on their promises and offer quality AAA gaming experiences. PlayStation 5 launches on November 19th, 2020 worldwide.