What’s the big deal, just another button masher, right?
Japanese hack and slash series don’t come any bigger than the Samurai Warriors franchise. The history and culture of Japan have been defined by the Sengoku Period, which the Samurai Warrior games focus on with their excellent storytelling. The Samurai Warriors series is the defining and biggest-selling series in Japanese gaming for this period of history. It has been seventeen years since the first game and over 7.7 million games sold across the franchise, but for the first time, and with a sharp intake of breath, the series is going in a new direction with the launch of Samurai Warriors 5 on the 27th of July 2021.
More than just a simple iterative update, Samurai Warriors 5 expands and evolves upon the core concept in many areas. So, what is new for the highly anticipated upcoming game?
“Stories that have yet to be covered in the series such as Nobunaga’s younger years and his first time meeting Mitsuhide will be included in the story, along with exhilarating moments such as the battle-to-the-death involving the Oda family and the Incident at Honnōji. Experience the dramatic story unfold, told from the eyes of Nobunaga and Mitsuhide.
New Visuals based off Japanese Art
The battlefield, characters and effects have all been imbued with a new visual style inspired by traditional Japanese art. Players can experience new action elements along with exhilarating and magnificent battles in an ever evolving battlefield.
This story takes place during the Sengoku period, during which an inverted social order started to extend all across Japan.
As war rages throughout the Sengoku period, several influential figures appear across Japan seeking to reign supreme over these turbulent times.Among those figures, the great daimyō, Yoshimoto Imagawa,dispatched his troops to escort the minor daimyo of the neighboring nation –Ieyasu Tokugawa – as a hostage.
While everyone was assessing the situation, there was one person watching all of this occur from high above. That person was Nobunaga Oda. This story begins with Nobunaga, along with his childhood friend Toshiie Maeda, as they make a raid on the Imagawa Army in order to rescue Ieyasu.”
With 27 playable characters to try out and a new direction in both the art style and the storytelling, it’s time to get back into those 1 vs 1000 battles, with the smooth, satisfying, and over the top gameplay mechanics, in superb Sengoku sword-slashing style in Samurai Warriors 5.
We here at Total Gaming Addicts can’t wait, and will be thrilled to bring you the full review when the game releases to a worldwide audience.
Samurai Warriors 5 launches on 27th July 2021 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.
The AOC Agon AG493UCX’s massive 49” DQHD display impresses, but has a few quirks
Manufacturer: AOC
Model: AGON AG493UCX
Type: Super Ultra Mega Wide (32:9) Gaming Monitor
Price when reviewed: £899.99 (MSRP)
Supplied by: AOC
SUPER ULTRA MEGA WIDE
There are so few displays in the expansive 32:9 picture format that a name has yet to stick for it. Some prefer super ultra-wide, others mega-wide – I’m going to stick with super ultra mega wide. Technically it is a DQHD (dual/double Quad-HD) display, but whatever you call it, it all boils down to the same thing; one huge screen. This display has double the width and native resolution of a standard 27” 1440p monitor.
As a person who regularly uses two monitors, being able to have one extra-large monitor serve the purpose of two is very appealing, and the AG493UCX fulfilled this role brilliantly. On the one hand, I could play games in a mind bogglingly wide 5120×1440 resolution, but when it was time for work, I could split the screen between two separate PCs (or consoles).
This enormous display is absolutely gorgeous and the 1800R curved panel encompasses your entire field of view, which is simply breathtaking when playing games. Not every game supports 32:9 displays, but all of our test bench titles ran perfectly in this format. Whether it was tearing up the British countryside in Forza Horizon 4, failing to get a chicken dinner in PUBG, running through the wastelands of Borderlands 3, or marvelling at the stunning scenery in Sea of Thieves, it was a magnificent experience. Once you’ve tried 32:9 gaming, it is really hard to come back from.
It’s mostly a seamless experience, but there are a few quirks that you need to be aware of. For example, the monitor can display two 1440p resolution images side by side from separate sources, with either DP over USB-C, HDMI or DisplayPort. For a single-source ultrawide display, however, unless you connect with DisplayPort 1.4, you are limited to just 3840×1080 rather than the full 5120×1440.
We’ll cover these quirks in more detail within the relevant sections of the review but, based on my usage, as long as you have a DisplayPort 1.4 equipped PC most of the possible issues you may experience are negated.
Unboxing, accessories and assembly
Unboxing the display is very straightforward. Opening it from the bottom (not sure why they didn’t just make the box the other way up, but whatever), you get immediate access to the stand and a box full of cables that you (may) need. The display is well protected but easy to access, held between two gigantic pieces of polystyrene.
The stand comes fully assembled, and unlike most monitors that simply clip into place, you need to physically screw the stand into the VESA 100 mounting point on the display. Once you’ve attached the stand, you can lift the monitor from the polystyrene packaging and move it into place. I’ve seen some people complain that it needs two people to move, but even with my arthritis riddled joints, I had no issues moving it solo.
Once you’ve unboxed your display and got it on your desk, you’ll need to plug everything in. With down-facing ports, this can sometimes be a bit of a pain, but the AG493UCX can be raised and tilted enough that it’s possible to poke your head underneath and get a decent view of the ports. I had no problems plugging in a couple of HDMIs, a DP cable and a USB-C for my laptop.
Props to AOC for giving you one of every cable you are likely to need. You get a 1.8m DisplayPort cable, a 1m USB-C cable, a USB-B upstream cable and a 1.8m HDMI cable. As we are in the UK, we also got a 3-pin plug on the end of the 1.8m power cable, and because the power adapter is integrated, there is no unwieldy power brick to contend with.
(Something that may catch people out is that there is a physical power switch you need to turn on – pictured)
A final and welcome addition is the remote, which works very well, and is vastly superior to the tiny buttons on the underside of the display. These display buttons can be used to manoeuvre around the menus, but they are awkward to use, with a line of buttons for navigating up, down, left and right. As you can see in the image, the remote has a much better layout and also has quick access controls for selecting the source, brightness, volume and muting.
Design and build
AOC has given the Agon AG493UCX a clean and modern aesthetic, without any overly flashy additions. Viewed from the front, it’s all screen, and although the bezels aren’t as slim as on more modest-sized monitors, they’re discreet considering the gargantuan size of this display. Around the back, it’s a smoothly finished panel, sporting a red Agon logo with a simple slash running horizontally in line with the stand mount.
The sturdy stand has a large footprint, mainly in width, but it only projects outwards a couple of inches more than on a typical 27” monitor. This is impressive, especially as it keeps this large curved display so stable. The down-facing ports don’t have any kind of shroud to cover them, but they can be routed through the cutaway cable management hole in the stand to keep your setup tidy.
Surprisingly, for a monitor of this size, there is a full suite of ergonomic adjustments. The height can be adjusted 10mm, as well as tilted -3.5°/+13.5° and swivelled +/-15.5°. It’s also Vesa 100 mount compatible, but you’ll need a sturdy mount as it weighs just under 15kg.
Connectivity
There’s an excellent array of ports on the AG493UCX: There are 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4 and a USB-C for connecting your displays (USB-C supports the display signal and up to 65W power delivery, as well as supporting KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) if you have your peripherals connected to the display).
There is also a USB-B upstream (to connect to your PC), and 3 x USB 3.2 downstream ports for connecting peripherals (including one fast-charge B.C 1.2). The monitor’s USB ports can be set to USB 2.0 or 3.2 Gen1*, which is handy if you have external drives or controllers that require the newer standard and speed of USB. Note: USB 3.2 Gen1 requires the upstream cable to be connected to a USB 3.2 port on your PC – pretty obvious really, but just so you know.
The monitor has a built-in automatic KVM switch, which worked as expected in our testing. If you have two devices in PBP mode, it defaults to the main source (displayed on the left half of the screen). To change which device is controlled by the peripherals, you can either switch the main and sub source or go into OSD Setup and change USB Selection manually.
To use KVM on more than one device, you’ll need to use USB-C on one device and the USB upstream on the other. Without a USB-C connection, you’ll need to swap the upstream cable between PCs.
Note: Despite some promotional material saying otherwise, there is no ethernet port on this monitor.
Supported Resolutions
The AOC AGON AG493UCX supports the following optimum resolutions:
HDMI: 3840 x 1080 @ 120 Hz HDR, 2560 x 1440 @ 120 Hz in PBP mode
DP: 5120 x 1440 @ 120 Hz HDR, 2560×1440 @ 120Hz in PBP mode
*If the USB setting on the monitor is set to USB 3.2, the max refresh of USB-C is limited to 3840×1080 @ 60Hz or 2560×1440 @ 60Hz PBP.
Despite the numerous connection options available, only DisplayPort 1.4 allows you to utilise the full resolution of this display in 32:9. In PBP (picture by picture) mode you can use any of the inputs to display two 1440p screens simultaneously at 120Hz, though without HDR support. We used USB-C and HDMI on the same laptop to get the full resolution, but it didn’t support Nvidia Surround, which is a shame, as this would have been a good workaround in lieu of a DisplayPort connection for 5120×1440 gaming.
In short, without a DisplayPort equipped graphics card you won’t get the benefit of the full resolution of this monitor.
Assuming you have the necessary connections available, you’re going to need a beefy GPU to get the best out of the AG493UCX. 5120×1440 is not far off the same number of pixels as 3840×2160, so you’ll need an RTX 2070/3070 as a minimum. Meet these requirements, though, and you’re in for an experience that will forever change your gaming expectations.
Display Quality
The picture quality of the AG493UCX is great straight out of the box. The display colour is accurate, with good levels of peak brightness and impressive levels of contrast. Some of the additional features like the various game modes and artificial contrast and colour boosts work well enough, but result in an unnatural image. HDR, however, despite only having DisplayHDR 400 certification, is above what I expected. It provides a notable boost to the peak brightness, and aided by the increased contrast of the VA panel and wider colour gamut it makes using HDR much more appealing.
There are a lot of features on the AG493UCX, but the menu arrangement is confusing. Settings you’d expect to be grouped together are divided amongst categories and sub-categories, and it’s not clear how to activate certain features like MBR (motion blur reduction), adaptive sync and low input lag. It’s another thing that takes some getting used to, but at its worst it just takes a little bit of time to learn where everything is. Hopefully, future monitors will address this, but it shouldn’t put you off buying the monitor.
In PBP (picture by picture) mode, it’s not possible to adjust picture settings, even brightness. You’ll need to go to single-source mode to make adjustments, then reactivate PBP mode. It’s easy enough to do, but seems like an unnecessary inconvenience.
I found that the monitor sometimes has a habit of resetting some of your picture settings. I couldn’t work out exactly what caused it, but it seemed to occur when switching between varying modes, and I frequently had to go back and adjust things like game colour. Once you have the picture the way you like it, you won’t be swapping modes and settings as often as I was in testing, so it’s not likely to cause much frustration.
Brightness, contrast and colour
Peak brightness had an impressive peak of 532 cd/m². This is above the common average of 300-350 cd/m², delivering a superbly bright image. This brightness is far higher than most DisplayHDR400 certified displays, which is why the HDR image pops.
Contrast, as expected from a VA panel, is very good. The AG493UCX has a claimed contrast of 3000:1, which is very close to the recorded 2938:1. With the excellent black levels the result is an image that packs in lots of detail in dark scenes, contrasted by bright bold colours and bright highlights.
Colour accuracy with the factory calibration is accurate enough to use for colour critical work. The AG493UCX had an average Delta E of just 1.6, which is excellent and good enough for gaming and even professional use. Colour saturation is also very good, with rich, bold colours and an even balance between the primary colours.
DCB Mode (Dynamic Colour Boost) changes the saturation of colour depending on the mode, but it blows out and oversaturates colours. Some may like it but to me it looks too artificial. If you prefer a more saturated image the Game Colour setting is much much effective, as it raises the saturation more evenly without crushing colours together too much at the top of the gamut. Similarly, DCR (Dynamic Contrast Ratio) is best left off, as it crushes both dark and bright colours.
There’s an unusual quirk when changing the colour temperature, in that switching from warm to standard or cool darkens the display (we’ve noticed this on several AOC monitors). Fortunately, warm is the most colour accurate setting, so you don’t have to settle for diminished brightness.
Viewing angles and uniformity
Viewing angles are above average for a VA panel, but the image loses sharpness when viewed off centre. Of course, this isn’t a TV, and it’s optimised for a single viewer. Plop yourself right into the centre and use the full range of ergonomic adjustments to line up the monitor correctly, and the picture is incredible.
Colour saturation fades slightly at sharper angles, which could have been problematic, but the 1800R curve reduces the angle you view the sides of the screen from, keeping the image looking evenly saturated across the entire display. This is especially important on a display this wide.
I was impressed by how little VA glow was visible at the corners of the screen, and the AG493UCX was free of annoying backlight bleed. Brightness uniformity was excellent, with the panel remaining consistent between 99-101% across 23 of 25 measured points. Minor deviations (98%) were recorded at the outer edges of the display, but these are imperceptible to the naked eye.
Although the image is generally very good, ghosting is an issue on the AG493UCX and VA smearing is clearly visible, especially on in-game text with light colours against a dark background. I found it slightly more pronounced than other VA monitors I’ve used, but once I’d been gaming for a few hours I found it was easily overlooked.
Performance is improved by using Overdrive, but medium or full introduces too much overshoot. The low setting offers the best compromise, reducing the trails behind moving objects without causing colour shift along the leading edge, but it’s still not quite as good as more expensive displays.
HDR performance
The Agon AG493UCX is only DisplayHDR 400 certified, but it has a high peak brightness of 532 cd/m². I would have liked local dimming and the bump up to 600 cd/m2 to achieve DisplayHDR 600 certification, but it still produces a bright and vibrant image that’s a notable improvement over SDR. It doesn’t quite have the extreme range to make the image pop like “proper” HDR, but in comparison to HDR400 IPS displays, it is leaps and bounds better thanks to the superior native contrast.
Most of the HDR presets blow out the picture, pushing subtler shades of colour towards a higher saturation point that flattens gradients. The DisplayHDR preset is easily the better option, giving the best overall quality and a well-balanced image..
The Agon also has HDR emulation, which unlike most other implementations is not bad at all. It’s a very subtle implementation that does a good job of improving an SDR image without over-saturation or flattening of gradients. Personally, I prefer the native SDR image with a slight bump in the Game Colour setting if I want a more vibrant image. This is a personal preference, of course, and it’s good that the AG493UCX has a range of viable options for improving the image how you want it.
HDR quirk alert
HDR is only available through HDMI or DisplayPort 1.4, It does not work with DP over USB-C. Additionally, HDR will not work in PBP mode, even if both devices are displaying an HDR signal.
I tested the display with an Xbox Series X, which displayed fine in SDR mode when the image ratio setting was set to 1:1. When switching to HDR, though, it stretched the image out to full screen, and I couldn’t find a workaround to get it to display properly.
Pricing and availability
At £899, I’d have a hard time arguing the AOC Agon AG493UCX is cheap, but it’s very reasonable when comparable to the cost of two equivalent 27” monitors, with added benefits. It’s also more affordable than other 32:9 monitors like the Samsung Odyssey G9, without sacrificing much in terms of picture quality.
The AOC Agon AG493UCX is available from lots of retailers, both brick and mortar and online. For the most part they stick to the MSRP of £899, but I did find it available at £849, so shopping around could net you a great deal.
Summary
If you are in the market for a super-ultrawide display, the massive AOC Agon AG493UCX is a great choice. Thanks to the very effective PBP mode it makes a great alternative to having two monitors on your desk, with the added bonus of being superb for mega-wide gaming. It’s also significantly cheaper than many competing monitors without sacrificing features or fidelity.
There are a few quirks we’ve mentioned in the review that may prevent it from being the ideal display for some, and you’ll need a dedicated DisplayPort 1.4 equipped GPU to get the best from it. As long as you feel you can work around these minor issues, you’ll likely be extremely satisfied with this very capable monitor.
[su_accordion]
[su_spoiler title=”About” style=”fancy”]
A CURSED SONG
The famed writer Sebastian P. Husher has gone missing, along with his entire family. Worried, his editor sent an assistant to his house in order to look for him – but he never came back… These disappearances spark a set of events that will soon reveal something dreadful: a nameless, dark entity known only as The Presence seems to be responsible.
AN UNSTOPPABLE ENTITY
Song of Horror offers a truly dynamic terror experience: its antagonist, the supernatural entity known only as The Presence, is controlled by an advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) that adapts to your actions and decisions. Experience unbearable fear as this otherworldly being responds to your way of playing and hunts you down in unexpected ways, offering a unique experience to every player and gameplay where tension builds up naturally instead of coming from scripted sequences.
13 PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
As a player, you will live this story through the eyes of a varied set of characters related to the story in their own way. Every character is different, and brings their unique point of view to the investigation, allowing them to approach clues and items differently. Their actions and decisions will shape the world: some of them will know more or less of certain aspects of the story; some will be more effective against supernatural manifestations, but all of them can die if the Presence gets to them – and death is permanent. If they die, you will have to pick the story up with another one, and continue the investigation so their deaths are not in vain.
EXPLORE THE SCARIEST PLACES
A mysterious antique shop, a forgotten abbey, an abandoned mental hospital… Each location in Song of Horror is inspired by the classics of the genre. Explore and investigate these haunted places to gather clues and items that will help you solve challenging puzzles while enduring the agonizing tension of the game’s atmosphere.
[/su_spoiler]
[/su_accordion]
It shouldn’t work. It shouldn’t be this interesting. But, yet again, when it’s expertly crafted together, simple and effective game design with very few bells and whistles ends up being more compelling than games with much bigger budgets, and this is what Song of Horror delivers. However, just like the mystery you have to solve, all is not completely well with the game, as it does have its flaws.
It is very clear from the outset that Song of Horror nails down the best aspects of the horror genre. The initial setup is very slow and the graphics at times a little jarring, with the gameplay akin to a walking simulator, however, the slow pace sets up the main course very nicely.
You start the game as one of 13 playable characters, who is tasked with stopping by a writer’s house to see why he hasn’t been in touch for a few days. Whilst there you discover strange things are happening within his house, and also encountering the “Presence” for the very first time. It is your typical horror movie creepy house; no lights, a sinister atmosphere and things that are going bump in the night.
To progress in the game, you have to explore the area you are in, finding items and clues to help you solve rudimentary puzzles in order to progress. For example, opening a slightly open drawer that has a master key in it, or finding a cloth to mop up some water that has spilt across the kitchen floor and short circuited the electrics.
As you are walking around each character has their own light source (think Alan Wake) which is individual to each character. For example, Etienne Bertrand carries a lighter for his light source, and his personal stats favour strength in particular, wich can make dealing with the presence easier in some cases. In contrast, Sophie Van Denard, who carries a candle, has a higher stealth rating, making it slightly easier to avoid the Presence.
Although these stats and light source are there for the player to ponder over in who to play with on a level, the differences are so slight that it never felt like there was any actual gameplay difference between them. However, being chased for the first time, I still legged it for all I was worth no matter how quick they were!
You slowly navigate each area until you go to a new location at the end of each chapter, but each location you visit is very interesting and detailed to explore, even if they are deliberately cliched and overused tropes of the genre (such as the obligatory mental hospital). The only downside to the exploration was the very clunky and at times frustrating gameplay mechanics involved in picking items up; Your character makes a step each time you move, but you may only want to move a fraction of a step to line up with the icon highlight. That one step often takes them too far, so you must walk away and back again to try and line it up.
The graphics of each area were also a mixed bag. Initially, and especially when the screen is motionless, there is a lot of detail in the environments to allow the player to be fully immersed into the world. However, as soon as you move the illusion at times is shattered, with ineffective anti-aliasing manifesting in jagged lines as well as very stiff walking animations and character speech. The lighting, however, which plays a big part in the game, is superb and conveys such a sense of menace that it puts the player on edge just by the way it looks.
Where the game excels though, is in the audio. Anyone who has played the Dead Space series will know how incredible atmospheric sound, or lack thereof, can be used to elevate the immersion of a game higher and ratchet the tension up tenfold. Song of Horror does just that, and it is arguably the best aspect of the game.
As you walk around, the white-noise background makes each step tingle with tension. The ambient noises around you flow into your headset with clarity, so that when you hear noises that you shouldn’t, you jump out of your skin. In one scene I was walking around a dining table, my feet thumping on the wood, the clock ticking on the wall, when suddenly there was a thump and a dragging noise from the room above me, which made me jump out of my skin. Without such brilliant audio design, the game wouldn’t have been anywhere near as gripping as it is.
Not all is well.
As you continue to explore and investigate what has happened and what this presence is, the game leaves a bread crumb trail of clues to piece together and to solve puzzles. Most of the puzzles were interesting and rewarding to complete, but there are a few headscratchers that make you sit back and go, really? One such example is one of the very first in the game – the aforementioned key from a slightly opened drawer. I spent a huge amount of time exploring the surrounding area, looking for something to pry open the drawer. A crowbar, perhaps? When I found a screwdriver I hurried back to try and failed again. It turned out that I needed to oil a wooden drawer to get it to open? Since when was that a good idea?
Another example, again early on, was when I wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. The game kept telling me I couldn’t, despite the fact I had a cigarette lighter, oil, paper, and some wood. Now, I’m no Ray Mears, but I’m pretty sure with those items in my inventory I could make a fire!
Not just dead – Dead, dead
The main hook of the game is the permadeath of each character if the Presence catches them. Before you enter a room, you can listen in from the doorway. If you intend to play the game like a bull in a china shop, and blast your way everywhere then the presence will find and kill you horribly without much trouble, so you have to carefully navigate the world and try to be as quiet as you can. When the Presence does find you there is a mini-game that involves shutting the door behind you or running and hiding before they catch up. Each is equally thrilling and certainly gets the pulse racing, as you have been so careful to get where you need to go, and don’t want to throw your progress away. If (when) you do die, then another character will take their place to carry on the investigation.
However, dotted around the locations are ‘?’ icons to find. These are places where you set off scripted events. Most of the time these are worthwhile, but occasionally they lead to almost instant and at times very cheap deaths. It was very frustrating when I was being so careful to avoid danger only to be wiped out almost instantly, and therefore having to replay the same level again. It’s obviously been designed to ensure that no matter how careful the player is there will always be occasions to ensure they are reminded of the importance of not dying and being careful, but this felt a little too forced.
Summary
I’ve tried to keep the review as spoiler free as possible, as to reveal more would give away parts of the excellent storyline. Aside from that, the palpable tension the game delivers is a masterclass of what the genre is capable of. It doesn’t have the best graphics or gameplay, but it doesn’t necessarily need them to scare the hell out of you.
With another layer of polish, this game would have been fantastic, but even as it is, with a few design quirks that will irk the player at times, it still remains an entertaining entry into the horror genre that fans will enjoy.
The big question PS5 owners have been asking themselves since launch day.
It has been a massive talking point for the PlayStation community that not only do they now have a new and expensive console, but they also have to deal with even more expensive exclusives, at a whopping £70 a pop. The price rise is galling, exacerbated even more when on the other side of the gaming world, Xbox is practically giving away new and upcoming first-party and cross-gen titles, albeit as part of Game Pass. No one has been a bigger critic of the £70 price tag for Sony games than myself. In wanting to not support the hefty price tag, I held off buying a day-one game, but having finally relented, do I now regret doing so?
I bought Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on launch day. Like many, I considered buying the first big PS5 AAA exclusive, Returnal, but as good as that game no doubt is (and by all accounts it very much is), it wasn’t in the genre of game I enjoy. So, I looked to hold off until the next title grabbed my attention. I wanted to get a game that showcases what the PS5 can do, as the incredible Astro’s Playroom had already shown a glimpse at the true potential of Sony’s next-gen powerhouse.
The Ratchet and Clank series is one I don’t consider myself a fan of. It’s more the type of game I’ll play if it’s cheap, enjoy it once, then move on. I’ve enjoyed them, but I don’t consider the franchise in the same league as Sony’s main big-hitting franchises such as Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West, Uncharted or Gran Turismo. So, filled with apprehension, I clicked purchase on my preorder for the latest Ratchet and Clank game.
Excited at playing it day one, but with a whopping great dose of scepticism, I put the game in my PS5, expecting to regret the expense. In a way, I think I was hoping to be disappointed so I could confirm my suspicion that this game, and all subsequent £70 games, would be overpriced. That confirmation would allow me to shout to all and sundry from the highest mountain top, “I told you so”, but unfortunately I couldn’t.
The reason is, it was clear from the outset of the first few minutes of the game that my whole gaming equilibrium had been well and truly shattered. Like many, I work from a gaming principle of perceived value. For me, I expect a minimum of one hour’s gameplay per £1 i.e. some part of my brain only feels like I’ve got value for money when, for example, if I pay £40 for a game I need to get 40 hours of gaming out of it. There is not a chance that is going to happen with a short single-player game with no replayability other than hoovering up any missing trophies for the Platinum trophy. A £70 game that I’m going to be lucky to get 25 hours out of is well above my internal cost per hour comfort zone.
The thing is though, after playing ten minutes of Ratchet and Clank, I frankly didn’t care anymore. I won’t review the game here, but I will explain the experience it gives because it is like nothing I’ve ever played.
It is astonishing! First of all, I am really not a graphics guy, but even I can really appreciate the love, care, dedication, and fantastic graphical fidelity this game brings. I’ve tried all three settings of the game: 4k @ 30fps, 60fps with ray tracing but a lower target resolution, and 60 fps at a higher resolution but without the ray tracing. Of the three, my favourite was the 60 fps with ray tracing, and it is stunning to look at. Normally I’d pipe in here and say it feels like you are playing a game in a Pixar movie, but honestly, even a Pixar movie doesn’t look this defined. Visually, the smooth 60 fps frame rate combined with the ray-traced lighting and gorgeous graphics took my breath away.
Graphical eye candy is great, but gameplay for me is king, and yet again this game has nailed it. This is because not only do you get the same fluid and responsive controls, fun combat and challenging platforming of a Ratchet and Clank game, but you can now also include the immersion that the controller’s haptic feedback brings. The feedback in the controller, sometimes subtle, sometimes not, helps you navigate and enjoy what’s happening in the gameplay in a far more immersive way than with any other standard controller. Haptic feedback is now part OF the gameplay.
The recoil of guns, the slight click of a trigger being cocked halfway, to the deep, pulsing, thumping bass in a nightclub that can be felt throughout the entire controller. Even the slight deft footfalls of a character’s feet when running are all cleverly and intuitively woven into the fabric of the action.
Then as part of the gameplay, there is instant traversal to new platforms or indeed different worlds. Insomniac has found a way to incorporate the speed and power of the PS5’s SSD into the very core of the game, and they have done this in spectacular fashion. Admittedly, I have never been one to get flustered at long loading times, as a few seconds here or there waiting has never really bothered me. However, seeing the instantaneous transportation from one world to the next, seemingly in the blink of an eye, is something to behold. It helps with the overall experience as you are still locked into the game, without being drawn away by a loading screen.
Finally, the polish the game has is very reminiscent of not only big-budget game, but also big-budget film franchises. At times I felt I was in a better, more interesting (and very funny) version of a Star Wars film, or at other times, a Disney Pixar movie. This is enhanced all the more with the game’s fantastic audio. Massive, throaty, deep-booming explosions and shots from the weapons alongside the incredible musical score convey such a feeling of class, especially through the Sony Pulse 3D Headset that needs to be experienced to fully appreciate.
When you put all these elements together, it is absolutely stunning and feels like a next-gen, must play, showcase experience on the PS5.
There will be times when these exclusive games aren’t as polished as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and in those times the £70 price tag will be very hard to stomach and the raucous calls denouncing overpriced games will ring out.
However, if you are still on the fence about paying £70 for a game, think of this. Have you ever been to an expensive restaurant and paid upward of £70 for a dinner for two, knowing that the ingredients you are eating could be bought in your local supermarket for a fraction of the cost? Despite this, when the meal is finished and you are going home, you have that feeling of satisfaction because the experience of the meal and the delicious food made the whole thing worth the expense. That is exactly how I feel about Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.
I know I could buy it in a sale later, and I know I find it hard to justify paying £70 for a game, yet I am utterly and completely satisfied, as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is that good of an experience and something any PS5 owner needs to try. Those are words I thought I would never type, but how wrong could I be.
There will always be the Damocles sword that is Xbox Game Pass hanging above PlayStation’s head, but as long as they can keep producing exclusives of this quality, there will be plenty of people willing to buy them, even for £70.
note: The opinions expressed in this piece are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of everyone here at Total Gaming Group
The Thronmax Pulse looks stylish, and has the quality to match
Manufacturer: Thronmax
Model: M8 Pulse
Type: USB Cardioid Condenser Microphone
Platforms: Windows PC, Mac OS, Linux, PS4/5
Reviewed on: Windows PC
Supplied by: Thronmax
Thronmax Pulse Review
The Thronmax Pulse is a compact, lightweight and ultra-portable microphone. It has exceptional sound quality and looks far more expensive than it is, especially considering its budget price point. Although it doesn’t have quite as many features as the Mdrill One Pro, they’ve concentrated all of their effort and budget into making sure the most important part, the sound quality, exceeds expectations.
Our review is based upon the 2021 revision, so if you decide to pull the trigger and pick up the Thronmax Pulse, double check to make sure you are getting the updated version that we have. The new version has been refined and supports 96kHz/24bit sound recording as opposed to 48kHz/16bit like the original.
Somewhat confusingly, it’s listed as the M8 Pulse on the Thronmax website, however, on the packaging it’s just called Pulse.
Design and build
What’s in the box?
Thronmax Pulse Microphone
Adjustable mic mount, with universal 5/8“ thread
Tripod stand
USB-A to USB-C cable
Connection guide/warranty
Thronmax stickers
Thronmax has hit it out of the park with the Pulse. The design looks unlike almost any other mic on the market, with its two-tone colourway lending it an air of professionalism.
The outer shell is constructed mostly from high-grade plastic, with a matte coating that makes it look almost metallic at a glance. Even though it is very light, it feels solid in the hand, and has a reassuringly solid heft to it.
The included tripod weighs a bit more than the mic itself, but this helps keep it firmly planted on your desk and is resistant to minor bumps and knocks. By adjusting how far you open the tripod’s legs, you can easily raise or lower the mic and help put it in the optimal position. There’s a good level of resistance in the hinges that prevents any unwanted movement, too.
To attach the microphone to the tripod, an adjustable mount connects via a universal ⅝” threaded connector. I tested the Pulse out with both the tripod and our Thronmax Castor S2 boom stand; the ball-jointed mount makes it a cinch to position the microphone right where you need it.
Connectivity and setup
Thronmax has designed the Pulse to be very simple to use. Simply connect the USB-C end of the cable to your microphone and the USB-A end to a USB 3.0 or above port on your computer (or PS4/PS5). There are no software or driver updates needed, just plug-and-play simplicity. As part of a mobile workspace, this convenience is very desirable, as it means less time adjusting your setup and more time creating content.
All of the connections and controls are located on the back of the microphone. There is a USB-C connector, 3.5mm headphone jack, mode select/mute switch and a volume wheel to control the audio output volume from your PC (the wheel controls your computer’s master output level, rather than just the mic monitoring).
Surrounding the base of the microphone is a translucent ring backlit with LEDs. There’s no way to turn the LEDs off, but they aren’t distracting (I actually really like it) and they provide an at-a-glance indication of the current mode and mute setting: In cardioid mode, the LED lighting at the back of the microphone glows blue; quick-pressing the centre button switches on active noise cancellation, which pulses the lighting; Finally, to mute the microphone you long-press the centre button, which makes the LEDs glow red.
There is no integrated gain control, which I thought was going to be problematic at first, but right out of the box the Thronmax Pulse provided great quality vocal pickup. If you find the recorded audio too loud, making a quick adjustment in your OS’s sound settings should easily remedy this, but I had no problems using the mic with default settings.
Like the rest of the Thronmax family of devices, it’s initially detected for recording at 48kHz/16bit, so you’ll need to go into the sound settings and change this to 96kHz/24bit to get the highest quality. This is a one-time adjustment, and will usually be remembered by your PC.
When you first connect your microphone, it routes your computer’s audio through the microphone’s headphone output, so if you would rather use desktop speakers or another audio output, you’ll need to select your preferred device in the settings. Again, this is usually a one-time adjustment, as your PC should remember your preferences.
Audio quality
The Thronmax Pulse is a cardioid microphone that utilises a dual condenser array, supporting up to 96kHz/24bit recording with a 20Hz-20kHz frequency range.
Whenever I get a new microphone to test, I always join a group chat and wait to see if anyone notices, for better or worse, the quality of my mic. I have recently been using the Thronmax Mdrill One Pro, which is exceptionally good, so I was prepared for the far cheaper microphone to be immediately noticed. This wasn’t the case, though, and the feedback was that my voice sounded loud, clear and very natural. That I had to point out this wasn’t my usual microphone speaks volumes (pun intended) for the quality of the Pulse.
Unlike the rest of the Thronmax range we have tested, the Pulse only has two recording modes. There’s the traditional unfiltered cardioid arrangement, or you can switch on active noise cancellation if you are in a louder environment.
Although cardioid mics work best when you are speaking directly into them, the Pulse performs very well even when positioned off-axis. This is very handy if you have limited space in your setup or just want to game without the microphone obstructing your movements. It’s capable of picking up your voice loud and clear, even if it’s placed relatively far away from you, and I found that between one and three feet away there was very little variance in the recorded volume, which is excellent.
There was the slightest hint of echo picked up when I was further away, but this is likely due to the acoustics of the room I was in rather than a limitation of the microphone. The microphone is very sensitive, however, and because of the wide frequency response, it will pick up anything and everything happening in your room. The Pulse does have an integrated feature to help, though – active noise cancellation.
The active noise cancellation works very well, doing a fantastic job of eliminating background noise. With the microphone placed in front of my keyboard, it all but silenced the noise of the mechanical keys. The only downside is that it can make your voice sound a little distorted and loses the natural timbre you get in the cardioid mode. It’s ideal if you are just using the Pulse for in-game comms or chatting on Discord. However, if you want to make a more professional-sounding recording for a podcast or streaming then I’d recommend using cardioid mode and improving your local acoustics, as well as mounting the Pulse on a stand or positioning it well out of the way of the noise source.
Pricing and availability
With an MSRP of just £49.90, the Thronmax Pulse is a great microphone for the price. Thronmax are relative newcomers on the market, though, so you are a bit limited in places to pick them up. In the UK they were stocked in Game for a while, but it seems that they are only available online now.
In this Amazon listing they have it for £68.65, but if you check other sellers you can get it directly from Amazon for £49.99.
Hopefully, it will be easier to find these excellent microphones once the brand gains more recognition, but for now, the minor amount of effort needed is well worth it.
Summary
The Thronmax Pulse is an ultra-portable high-performance microphone that is ideal for anyone on a budget or looking for an additional mic for their portable setup. Immensely stylish, with plug-and-play simplicity and excellent native audio quality, the Pulse will make a great addition to any setup.
It may lack some of the features and sound processing effects of more expensive microphones, but for under £50, it’s hard to go wrong with the Pulse.
The Audeze Penrose X is, as near as makes no difference, perfect
Manufacturer: Audeze
Model: Penrose X
Price: £299
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Bluetooth devices
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X, Windows PC, mobile
Supplied by: Audeze
Audeze Penrose X Review
Audeze may be more well known for their studio-grade audiophile headphones, but they have made some fantastic headsets since they entered the gaming market. The Audeze Mobius wowed us with its incredible positional 3D audio and class-leading audio quality, while the LCD-GX brought impossibly clean and pure sound through its analogue connection.
Whilst these headsets are magnificent in their own right, they weren’t quite ideal for Xbox gamers. The Mobius still needed to be connected via a 3.5mm connection, and the LCD-GX requires an amplifier to get the full benefit of its superior sound due to the Xbox controller not outputting enough power through its headphone jack.
The Audeze Penrose X is Audeze’s first bespoke console gaming headset, that has the same audiophile-grade audio we’ve come to expect while delivering lossless low-latency wireless audio.
Although it shares very similar styling to the Mobius, the Penrose X has a couple of key differences: The Penrose X does not have the Waves NX 3D positional audio, and the microphone (which was just average on the Mobius) has been upgraded to a much better Shure boom mic.
Before I begin to wax lyrical about the stunning audio and superb connectivity features, I’ll address the only thing preventing this headset from being essentially perfect; Battery life. At around 15 hours, the battery life is sufficient for a couple of nights gaming, but competitors are squeezing out upwards of 25 hours now. This is quite literally the only negative thing I can say about this headset, though.
I have a few headsets that I usually use on rotation depending on whether I’m gaming on a PC, console or listening to music on my phone. Since receiving the Audeze Penrose X, though, I haven’t used anything else. It’s rare to find a headset that is good for everything, but the Penrose positively excels.
Design and build
What’s in the box?
Audeze Penrose X headset
USB dongle for 2.4GHz wireless connection
Detachable Shure microphone
USB-A to USB-C charging cable
3.5mm analogue cable
Quick start guide
Warranty card
I’m a big fan of the styling on the Penrose X. There’s no RGB, but they do have a distinctive green band surrounding the ear cups. I’d have liked more colour options like we got from the Mobius, but I find the green suits the Penrose and went down well with those I showed the headset to.
Even though it has an integrated battery, amplifier and wireless receiver, the Penrose X is very light, and it’s an extremely comfortable headset. The headband is quite narrow, but the super-squishy foam lets it sit comfortably on your head for long periods of gaming. Similarly, the clamping force is reasonably strong, but it’s offset by the luxuriously soft pads around the ear cups. This padding is also soft enough to remain comfortable whilst wearing glasses, which is a big plus for me.
The headset is fully adjustable, with an extendable headband, and forks that can be rotated 90° allowing the ear cups to lay flat if you hang the headband around your neck.
The Audeze Penrose X feels very durable and solidly built, constructed from high-quality plastic with a distinctly premium soft-touch feel. There is no audible creaking when twisting and pushing on the panels, and tapping on the earcups when wearing them (which can cause a hollow knocking sound on cheaper headsets) just gives off a quiet, muffled bump.
All of the controls for the headset are mounted on the left ear cup. The headset volume wheel, mic volume wheel, 3.5mm jack input, USB-C charging connector, microphone connector and multi-function button are on the edge of the cup, while the power button and mic mute switch are on the side.
Features and controls
(Following a recent firmware update the Penrose X has been updated to provide some very useful quality of life upgrades, and improved microphone quality.)
Much like the Mobius, a voiced announcement lets you know when you have powered on or off your headset, changed the audio source, changed audio profile or when the battery is low. Considering how much you can adjust, the number of buttons is kept to a minimum and using the headset quickly becomes intuitive. I kept the quick reference guide beside me for a short while but soon mastered the various controls.
Making adjustments to your Penrose X requires the Audeze app on either Android, iOS or a PC (Unfortunately, there isn’t an Xbox app yet). Connected to mobile devices with Bluetooth, you can adjust the chat mix, sidetone, EQ settings, and presets within the app, but you need to connect with USB to use the PC app.
You used to need to access the Audeze HQ app to adjust the audio balance between Wireless and Bluetooth audio, but the update allows you to press and scroll the volume wheel to adjust the balance on the fly. Similarly, game and chat audio balance can be adjusted by pressing and scrolling the mic volume wheel.
Audio profiles are another new addition to the Penrose X, though again, you need to connect via USB to the app to assign them. Audeze has made some custom profiles that you can download and install, or you can create your own with the 10-band EQ. The audio profiles made by Audeze are much better than expected; they have replicated the gaming profiles used on the Mobius, as well as a selection of music and movie profiles. There are 5 preset slots that you can save to the headset, and once assigned you simply hold the volume wheel in for a few seconds to switch between them.
Connectivity
The Penrose is a dual wireless headset, not to be confused with dual-band wireless. It supports audio signals over the included 2.4GHz transmitter (dongle), through Bluetooth, or with the included 3.5mm analogue headphone cable. Although you can connect the Penrose with USB-C for charging, it doesn’t transmit audio over the USB connection.
The 2.4GHz wireless connection is the primary source and the only way to connect to an Xbox, but it’s also possible to play audio from two sources simultaneously. You can pipe Bluetooth or analogue (3.5mm) audio from your phone or PC whilst connected to your Xbox (or PC) through the dongle. The dongle will always be the primary source, with selection for the other connections made with the multi-function button. Having the dongle work for both Xbox and PC (with a selector switch on the dongle) is a nice touch, as not all PCs have a Bluetooth connection, not to mention you get the benefit of lossless high-resolution wireless audio.
It comes already paired with the dongle, so all you need to do is plug it in and turn on the headset. To pair with a Bluetooth device you just turn on the headset, press the multifunction button once to enable Bluetooth, then double-press the power button. Once paired, whenever you switch to Bluetooth mode it will automatically connect to the most recent device.
Wireless range is mixed – through Bluetooth, the range is on par with most other wireless devices I’ve tested, but with the 2.4GHz dongle the range is around 5-6 metres, and just a few metres if there are any obstructions or interference. It’s more than good enough for sitting back on your sofa, even in a large living room, just don’t expect to go wandering around the house without it disconnecting.
Unofficially, the Penrose X will work with PS5 with the dongle set to PC mode, though this could be altered in a firmware update. For now, though, if you have both consoles then the Penrose X is the one to buy.
Sound Quality
The Audeze Penrose X is by far the best sounding headset I’ve used on an Xbox. Seriously, aside from Audeze’s Mobius, it’s not even close. That’s not to say other manufacturers don’t make great headsets, but the Penrose X is on another level.
The audio tune on Audeze’s Penrose headsets eschews the typical bass-boosted audio most gaming headsets provide. Instead, the default flat EQ provides a natural, crisp and clean audio profile. A full spectrum of sound is delivered with astounding clarity across the full 10Hz to 50kHz sound range, with not a trace of distortion.
The bass produced by the Penrose is exceptionally clear, and it’s possible to pick out individual details even amongst the most intense action scenes. On a typical gaming headset, if you have bass-heavy music pumping alongside booming explosions and low-frequency rumbles, all the sounds tend to become mushed together. Instead, the Penrose lets you experience rich, deep and well-articulated bass, with amazing width.
Mid-range frequencies are tight and packed full of detail, while the high-end frequencies are bright, crisp and clearly audible no matter how complex the audio you are listening to may be. It’s when you combine all these frequencies together where the Penrose is most impressive, though.
The Audeze Penrose excels with its excellent separation that lets you identify individual sounds with ease. You’ll find yourself picking out sound cues you hadn’t been able to differentiate before, and it makes listening to games, movies and music an absolute joy. The same is true even at maximum (almost deafening) volume, where the rapid response of the planar magnetic drivers prevents the bass from becoming overwhelming and drowning out the rest of the range.
There is no active noise cancellation, but the passive noise cancellation is excellent thanks to the closed-back design and deep, well-padded earcups. Much like Audeze’s other gaming headsets, the Penrose has an exceptionally wide soundstage. Paired with Dolby Atmos, DTS Ultra or Windows Sonic virtual surround, it makes identifying directional audio cues a breeze.
“Thunderously loud”
I briefly mentioned it in passing earlier, but the Penrose X is thunderously loud. With a max SPL rating of >120dB, this means it can pump out audio at full volume without a trace of distortion (Be aware that listening to this headset at max volume could potentially cause permanent hearing damage).
Many headsets I’ve tested, especially those that connect to the Xbox controller, suffer from low peak volume levels. The Audeze LCD-GX is a prime example, as the controller cannot produce enough power to properly drive the headset. This isn’t the case with the Penrose X, though. The integrated amplifier produces the loudest sound I’ve yet experienced on an Xbox. 30-40% volume is more than sufficient for general listening, but on those occasions where I want to blast out some music, the extra headroom is most welcome.
The downloadable sound profiles are well worth the time to install. I set a few different ones that covered all of my regular uses: A flat EQ for when I was analysing the audio quality, a couple of music-oriented EQs that ramp up the bass, a movie and gaming EQ with a slightly heavier emphasis on the mids for vocal clarity, and an esports EQ that amplifies footsteps and gunfire. I found that the audio presets on the Mobius were too subtle, with only slight differences in the overall sound, but on the Penrose X, the difference is far more pronounced which is a huge improvement.
I would have liked the ability to name the presets, as unless you are on the app you can’t see what the presets are, but I found it easy to remember which presets I had set (1. Bass-heavy, 2. Music, 3. Movies and games, 4. Esports, 5. Flat EQ). Hopefully, Audeze will develop a UWP app for the Xbox to make adjusting presets and other features easier, especially as this is a headset made specifically for those consoles.
I’m Shure the mic is better now
The microphone quality is significantly improved over the Mobius, with the new Shure developed mic. However, when connected wirelessly, the quality is bandwidth limited to allow maximum quality to be dedicated to the game audio. Connecting via Aux (3.5mm cable) will give you a higher quality mic connection.
Audeze has produced a handy pair of comparison audio recordings that you can listen to and hear the difference for yourself:
Even wirelessly the mic is a major step-up from the Mobius’ mic, and I had no problems with people hearing me in chat. The mic also does a good job of naturally eliminating background noise, and there’s a useful toggle for sidetone so you can monitor your own vocals (long-press mic volume wheel to turn sidetone on, or use the app).
Battery life
Battery life is rated at 15 hours, but I found it varied between 10 and 15 hours depending on the volume I was listening to and whether I was connected to multiple sources. Unlike something like the Nuraphone, there is no integrated audible or visual cue to let you know how much battery life is left, only to announce when the battery is low. The low battery announcement occurs when there is 10% battery remaining (around one hour of use left) and is accompanied by the indicator light flashing on the headset.
(You can get an accurate read of the battery charge remaining within the Audeze app, but for a device designed to be used with an Xbox, this is a disappointing omission.)
I consistently got a couple of days usage from the Penrose X between charges, and they can be used while charging if you are caught unaware. Charging takes about 3 hours from 0-100% when connected to the USB port on an Xbox or PC. As long as you get in the habit of keeping the battery topped up, it’s not likely to be a dealbreaker for most people.
Summary
The Audeze Penrose X is easily the best sounding headset available for Xbox consoles. Although the bass may not be as forced or rumbling as a typical gaming headset, it is much cleaner, and the resulting audio is clear and defined across the entire frequency range. It’s not a cheap headset, per se, but this is audiophile-grade tech, and the Penrose X offers sound quality way in excess of the very reasonable asking price.
Compatibility across a wide range of devices (including PS5) means the Penrose X could truly be your go-to headset for every gadget you own. It even has great comms now, thanks to the collaboration with Shure to improve the microphone quality. In short, if you’re looking for the best quality wireless headset for Xbox, PC and mobile, look no further. Aside from the battery life being not quite as good as the best in its class, there’s almost no fault to be found with this headset.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC (Steam)
Reviewed on: PS5 via backward compatibility
Game Supplied by: Publisher
[su_accordion]
[su_spoiler title=”About” style=”fancy”]
The “Ninja Gaiden” series is respected and beloved across the entire gaming world, and has sold 6.8 million units in total.
In this collection, the three titles from the series which are included are: NINJA GAIDEN Sigma (released in 2007), NINJA GAIDEN Sigma 2 (released in 2009), and NINJA GAIDEN 3: Razor’s Edge (released in 2012).
Become the ultimate ninja and defeat deadly enemies!
[/su_spoiler]
[/su_accordion]
It always amazes me that one of the most overlooked genres in modern gaming is the pure hack and slash titles. Back in the PS3/Xbox 360 days, many game libraries were chocked full of such games: Devil May Cry, God of War, Enslaved, to such forgotten gems like Conan, Brutal Legend, and Blades of Time. Back then, it wasn’t just Japanese developers making these games, but western ones too. Arguably, one of the best hack and slash franchises was the Ninja Gaiden series, which has now sold 6.8 million copies. Its series protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa, is synonymous with the hack and slash genre, and he has appeared in several other games such as Dead or Alive and made cameos in titles across multiple platforms, such is his appeal.
In the hack and slash fraternity, mentioning you have completed a Ninja Gaiden game earns you a tip of the hat and well-earned respect, as they are renowned for being tough nuts to crack. In short, these games are as old skool as it gets, so it is fantastic to see that these hard as nails, top-drawer 3rd person adventure games have been given the HD makeover for a new generation of gamers to discover on the PS4 and Xbox One. It should be noted that these are not remakes or remasters; the games in the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection are ports of the original games, with increased resolution and a far smoother 60 fps frame rate.
Included in the collection are:
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (2007)
Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma (2009)
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razors Edge (2012)
A digital artbook, with over 70 pages of art
Most of the previous DLC included in the games such as additional outfits
New playable characters, Ayane, Rachel, Momiji, Kasumi
A collection of over 180 songs from the Ninja Gaiden world
If you are new to the series
Ninja Gaiden is the poster child series for fast-flowing hack and slash games. To play them you will need lightning-quick reflexes and to study opponents move sets. Learning when to block is just as important as when to dash or to strike with your melee weapon or indeed to jump off walls to gain height on your opponent. For example, the very first boss in the very first game has a very easy albeit repetitive cheat in that if you continually use mash the wall attack stomp, it ensures a much smoother and less stressful time than by staying on the ground trying to honourably face your foe!
Although Ryu begins each adventure with a katana, many weapons of various types are soon unlocked and each is a fun new addition to the gameplay action. Each weapon has its own set of bewildering combination move sets; in some cases in Ninja Gaiden 3, upward of 90! How you are supposed to remember the combination sequences of each is beyond me, however, finding the ones that work for you and are effective will make life much easier.
The other most pleasing aspect, especially for gamers who just want to enjoy the game rather than face its legendary challenge, is to put the game into “hero” mode. Hero mode doesn’t make the game any different other than you simply can’t die. The enemy hits still give the same damage, but once your health is almost exhausted, the game automatically makes Ryu block any further hits.
The other aspect the games have in their linear design is some interesting, but not too taxing platforming. Learning how to wall run or to bounce upwards to explore new areas soon becomes second nature.
The joy the games bring is in their diversity. Although you might expect the series to be set in a feudal Japan, each game has an almost James Bond Esque, modern, travel the world as a secret agent vibe, to hunt down enemies in various locations in hilariously over the top villain dens. Battle through an enemy airship, defeat mechanical monsters in a wet London at night, take down a walking statue from a city skyline rooftop, or find the villian in an armoured fort in the middle of the desert, the games will constantly surprise you with the next location.
The audio of each game is basic but definitely serviceable. With each strike of Ryu’s weapon, a satisfying, wet sounding splat to define your hit is easily heard, which makes it all the more addictive to chain those hits together. It’s a nice and distinctive audio cue, as is the audio in the wind up for one of Ryu’s powerful moves that build the tension and resonate with power when landed.
Although the game has a whopping 180 musical scores as part of the collection, I have to admit, not one of them stood out to be remembered for being particularly special or interesting. However, with classical authentic Japanese instruments used on many of them, they are still pleasant to listen to, and most certainly add to the atmosphere of the game’s settings.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma, and Ninja Gaiden 2, both clock in at around 12 hours to complete on normal difficulty, but even on that difficulty be prepared to die and repeat sections many times, especially as you learn how to deal with the challenging boss fights, which will add to the length of the playthrough. Ninja Gaiden 3, again wanting to be different, only clocked in at around 7 hours to complete, but again, completionists and those wanting to play the game on the harder settings can expect to double that time.
Graphics and Performance
Despite the series being five years apart from the first to the last, it doesn’t necessarily hold that each game got better as the years progressed. The visuals of the first Ninja Gaiden for the day were pretty good, but are just about adequate by today’s standards. The middle game in the series, Ninja Gaiden 2, seems to have the best artwork and smoothest gameplay of the collection.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma suffers from a lack of overall texture and graphical fidelity and smooth lines. It is, dare I say, a bit sparse and blocky. Even so, the performance of the game and the detail of the animations of the characters soon makes you forget the less than interesting backgrounds.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma is a significant visual step up, and plays smoother with more detailed action sequences and better camera angles, too. The camera angle would at times get in the way in Ninja Gaiden Sigma, and still occasionally does in Ninja Gaiden 2, but it is much improved.
It was disappointing at the time, and still disappointing today, that Ninja Gaiden 3 didn’t have a further upgrade to the visuals from Ninja Gaiden 2, and it could be argued that it looks exactly the same. Although the textures of the environments looked more realistic, and are certainly more varied in terms of the locations you will travel to, the character models looked and moved with less authority than they did in the previous game.
However, you probably didn’t come here for the looks, you came here for the action, and each game, no matter how old, plays fantastically well on the new platforms.
As a connoisseur of hack and slash games, the aspect that separates the good from the brilliant is the ability of the player to convey their intended controller input and actions with precision and skill, so that they can dance around the battlefield in majestic, sword-slashing, effortless beauty. If you have to fight the controls and can’t instantly do what you want to do, the game is then fighting you instead. However, each of these Ninja Gaiden games allows the player to express their inner-ninja with consummate ease, which makes it intoxicating to keep playing. Slash, dive, dash, uppercut, slice, chop, whizz, and boom, all with glorious control. Dancing around multiple enemies and hacking them to pieces as you go never gets old. The game, with its dynamic gameplay mechanics, empowers the player to feel like an untouchable ninja.
The only slight to the action is highlighted by basically everything in the third game, noted as being the worst of the bunch. Part of the reason Ninja Gaiden 3 is by far the worst is that the player is forced to combat enemies that can’t be touched with a sword, instead forcing you to take them on with a long range bow. Although the bow features in the previous games, it didn’t feel as forced as it does in Ninja Gaiden 3. Being a ninja is not about being Robin Hood, it’s about getting up close and personal while you stab them with melee weapons. Aside from that, the other problems Ninja Gaiden 3 suffers with is that the story is gibberish, and the gameplay is utterly repetitive, uninspired and dull, alongside a narrative that does all it can to disengage the player from what could have been a great idea. The point here is, come here to play the first two games of the series, not the last.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma are not only what is great about this series but also what is great about the genre. These two games alone make this collection excellent. The over the top boss fights, clearing a room by the skin of your teeth, the visually fantastic swordplay finishers and varied combat with fantastic mechanics, and in-depth but rewarding combos, alongside decent storylines that get you invested in the action.
The extras to the game add little to the experience, and the games themselves don’t look or play that much different to before, however, the increased resolution makes for a significantly sharper image than on the originals. It’s a shame that a little more effort wasn’t put into polishing the games rather than relying on a straight port, as there are visual elements that haven’t aged well, even upscaled to higher resolutions.
Resolution and frame rate targets are set at 4K and 60fps on PS5, PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC hardware that meets the requirements (PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are playable through backwards compatibility).
The only other extras the games have are challenge rooms. These used to have online co-op capabilities to hook up with friends, but are now only a single player, leaderboard affair. It’s a shame as slicing and dicing with friends would have been an excellent addition to the collection.
The artbook is a fantastic addition and worth viewing, however, it does contain spoilers for those that haven’t finished the games, as you see the enemies and environments of the games before you have met them. It is also debatable as to whether having a 180 song soundtrack is a selling point to advertise the game, but it’s there if you are a fan.
Summary
A fantastic collection of games for a new audience, that highlights everything great about the hack and slash genre. Bypass Ninja Gaiden 3, as every gameplay choice by the developers was the wrong one, and just focus on the brilliance of the first two outstanding hack and slash adventures.
I was lucky enough to be invited to London for a special event celebrating Acer’s ConceptD range of creator-focused devices. During the day we were treated to a tasty burger, a graffiti lesson (that showed me how much harder it is to do well than you might think), and some good company with fellow tech enthusiasts.
As much as I love a free meal and good conversation, the tech was the real star of the show. I got to see some stunning devices from the ConceptD range, including the ConcetD 7 Ezel and its inspired hinged display, but one laptop, in particular, was housing something very, very special. This was the only one of these laptops in the whole of Europe, and I got to go hands-on with it.
SpatialLabs
If you saw the Next@Acer presentation earlier this year, chances are you saw the announcement for something called SpatialLabs. This is a new display technology and software that utilises a lenticular display and real-time eye tracking to produce a glasses-free 3D image. Forget everything you know about 3D displays, what Acer and SpatialLabs have achieved here is ground-breaking.
The first demonstration I was shown was a pre-rendered scene using Unreal Engine. During the video, you are taking a first-person stroll down a sci-fi themed street, with mechs stomping around and explosions and gunfire raining down around you. Instantly I was impressed by how particles and scenery were projected into the foreground. Most 3D displays I’ve seen tend to be good at adding depth beyond the screen, but the SpatialLabs display excels at pushing things out towards you.
Thanks to the dual eye-tracking cameras, SpatialLabs had another trick up its sleeve. As you move your head around the screen, you can change the viewpoint, looking up, down and around the scene. It’s a similar effect to what you get with an AR headset, except here, you don’t need a bulky head-mounted display. We’re not talking small movements, either. I was able to look up to the sky and down to the ground, and all the way to either side. The potential for gaming or immersive movie watching is huge.
Model viewer
The second demonstration was by far the most impressive, though. SpatialLabs Model Viewer allows you to import 3D models and view them on the stereoscopic display. I was shown a model of a sheep skull and handed a mouse that I could use to not only move the model around the display but also adjust its placement within the 3D space. This is in addition to eye-tracking, which once again lets you physically move around the object to see it from different angles.
I was gobsmacked. With the laptop’s 4K display, this model was pin-sharp and photo-realistic. First, I moved the model as far into the (virtual) distance as I could, with the skull shrinking into the depths of the display. It was when I brought the model forwards that I was truly astounded, though. I was stood maybe 3 feet from the display, and I was already grinning when I brought it out about a foot from the display, but it kept coming, and coming…
At its peak, I had this enormous skull hovering just inches in front of my face. It’s so hard to do justice to what I was seeing with words. It’s not like VR, where because your eyes are so close to the display you can pick out individual pixels. I had expected it to become blurry or softer in focus, but it was as clear as if someone were holding it in front of my face.
In addition to viewing models and tech demos, SpatialLabs Player lets you watch any SBS 3D content with the lenticular display. This includes stereoscopic display compatible movies, games and the reams of 3D content on sites like YouTube. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any 3D video to show us (and I’d already hogged the display long enough staring at that skull), so I can’t comment on how well the display handles image depth and projection for movies compared to a typical 3D or VR display.
One of a kind
This is prototype technology, and not without its limitations. As this was on a 15-inch display, there was obviously a limit to the perceived size, but the clarity was exceptional. If they can incorporate this technology into much larger panels, I’ll be lining up with pockets full of cash to throw at them.
Another thing that the display can’t yet handle is multiple viewers. This is due to it needing to track your eyes for positional viewing. It may be possible that they could develop a version that displays the 3D image at a static viewpoint allowing multiple viewers to see the 3D image together. I’m still not sure whether it could kickstart the adoption of consumer 3D displays once again, but with a little refinement, this could sway the minds of a lot of people.
I still own and use a 3D TV, but the public has by and large fallen out of love with the tech. This glasses-free implementation, however, removes all of the barriers that put people off 3D to begin with: having to wear glasses, reduced brightness with passive 3D displays, or flickering caused by active 3D. Just move in front of the display and enjoy! This is purely speculation, of course, as for its intended purpose it is already revolutionary.
Get creative
I’ve been coming at this from the perspective of a tech enthusiast, but most of my work revolves around gaming. The SpatialLabs technology has been primarily designed for creative professionals, though, and putting myself into their shoes I can see how useful it could be. With the use of a second display, you can edit your models in real-time, and instantly see the results in front of you.
Whether you are creating animation for a multi-million dollar movie or designing assets for games, the way you can instantly and accurately assess and share the work you have just done could dramatically improve your workflow. Time is always critical in development, so anything that speeds up the process can greatly improve the productivity of your team.
The same is true for anyone designing physical products. With the click of a switch, you can instantly get a stunning 3D projection of your product directly in front of you. I can’t wait to see how SpatialLabs technology is used in the right hands. The possibilities for real-world application of this technology are boundless, and I’m sure we will see some genius ideas that I couldn’t even dream of.
I could talk for hours about how good SpatialLabs is, but until you see it with your own eyes it’s hard to grasp just how impressive it really is. This isn’t just going to be limited to one or two laptops, either. There’s nothing to stop these displays from being used in any laptop, monitors, TVs, even handheld devices. Considering this was an early-stage development model, it’s incredible how advanced and capable the tech is. Once it’s been fully refined and reaches production, demand is likely to be very high.
If you get the chance to see SpatialLabs at any trade shows or events in the near future, do it. It’s worth every second.
Acer’s ConceptD range
It wasn’t just the SpatialLabs equipped laptop that we got to see (although it was the only one we got to play with). Of the rest, I loved the naturalistic elements they’ve used in their construction. The primarily white colourway used is effortlessly stylish and is well suited to the office or home of creative professionals. The monitors stand on wooden bases, and there’s a real wood panel atop the ConceptD 300, 500 and 700. I’ve seen it plenty of times in images but it looks so much better in person.
Another personal highlight was the ConceptD CP7 monitor. This G-Sync Ultimate monitor has a 4K UHD display, 144Hz refresh rate, DisplayHDR 1000 certification, Pantone validated colour (99% AdobeRGB, 93% DCI-P3) and a Delta E of <1. The quoted price if I recall correctly was about £1,200, which may seem pricey for a 27” monitor, but to improve on this you’re getting into the realms of reference-level displays that cost tens of thousands. When you look at it like that, £1,200 starts to look like a bit of a bargain!
They have devices suited to all budgets, ranging from entry-level i7 processors and RTX 3050 GPUs all the way up to professional-grade Intel Xeon and Nvidia Quadro RTX 4000 components.
There’s so much more of the ConceptD range I’d like to talk about, but this article is long enough already. Check back in future when we should have more news and reviews of Acer’s outstanding line of creator-focused devices, and for gaming fans, we will be reviewing the new Acer Predator devices in the coming months.
The ROG Zephyrus G15 is an extremely thin and exceptionally stylish gaming laptop. ASUS has had to use power-efficient variants of the Ryzen 9 and RTX 3080 to try to keep temperatures in check within the super-slim chassis, but it still has good gaming performance. With a combination of high-end components and a stunning display, this is a laptop you will be proud to whip out and show off.
In the specification we have received for testing, the Zephyrus G15 has a Ryzen 9 5900HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 8GB (80W TGP/100W Dynamic Boost), 32 GB DDR4-3200, 1TB M.2 SSD and a 165Hz 1440p display. Having tested a slightly underwhelming lower TGP (80W) RTX 3070 earlier this year, I had tempered my expectations; I needn’t have worried, however, as the Zephrus G15 performed well beyond what I expected.
Admittedly, the Zephyrus G15 is closer in performance to the much cheaper ROG Strix G15 than the more closely priced powerhouse ROG Strix Scar 15, but those are thicker and heavier laptops that use 115W/130W Dynamic Boost variants of the RTX 3070 and 3080 respectively.
Design and build
Not everybody buys into an all-white colourway, but I absolutely love it. There are, of course, downsides to all-white gear. If you don’t fastidiously clean your laptop on a regular basis, the micro-dimpled texture of the lid will be a grime magnet after a few months, and if you regularly game with cheesy puff fingers then it’s going to look grim pretty quickly. If you take pride in your hardware, though, there aren’t many laptops that look nearly as good as the ROG Zephyrus G15.
In contrast with the heavily RGB-laden Strix series of laptops, the Zephyrus G15 is all about clean lines, discrete venting and subtle branding. A small ROG Zephyrus text logo sits on the bottom bezel of the display, while the rest of the keyboard tray is immaculately presented apart from two grilles on either side of the keyboard for the speakers.
On the lid, a small chrome effect vanity plate is inset in the corner, and a diagonal slash common with the 2021 ROG range is decorated with tiny dimples. These dimples are underlaid with a prismatic film that gives that oily shimmer effect when it catches the light, and it looks stunning in the right light, but I’m still disappointed we don’t get the same AniMe Matrix display found on the Zephyrus G14.
When raised, the ErgoLift hinge uses the bottom of the lid to prop up the base by a few degrees, allowing more airflow to reach the underside vents. Whilst this is effective in theory, it puts the chin of the display directly behind the rear heat vents, hindering airflow and causing some not insignificant heat build-up across the bottom of the display and rear of the keyboard tray.
Unlike the Strix G15 and many of ROG’s other new laptops, you can tilt the screen back a full 180°. This improves airflow and lowered the temperatures by a couple of degrees in our tests, but it’s not particularly practical for gaming like that. I do have a big desk, however, and when I had the Zephyrus G15 connected to an external display for the 4K gaming benchmarks, I had more than enough room to keep it opened all the way up (though in the spirit of fairness, our quoted benchmarks were recorded in a traditional orientation).
The build quality is exceptional throughout, and the all-metal case feels cool to the touch (at least until you start gaming) and reassuringly solid. Only by placing significant pressure on the centre of the keyboard tray did we detect any flex, which is very good. The lid of the laptop, which is super slim, does have a small amount of flex but feels far stronger than equivalent plastic-lidded devices we’ve tested in the past.
Internals and upgrades
Props to ASUS for making all of their new range of laptops so user-accessible. Simply remove the screws in the base (paying attention to the central screws, concealed by rubber caps), and use a pry tool to pop off the case. Simples.
Once inside, you’ll be greeted by the compactly assembled board. At the bottom, you can see the massive 90Wh battery, flanked by speakers. Just above, you can see the SK-Hynix M.2 SSD, with the memory next to it covered by thermal tape. Dominating the top half of the motherboard are the CPU and GPU fans, and the impressive array of heatpipes.
Of the 32GB of DDR4-3200 RAM available, 16GB is soldered to the board, while the other can be swapped out for a 32GB stick, giving you a maximum of 48GB. This is likely to be of less use for gaming, as you will still only get 32GB of dual-channel memory, however, it could be advantageous if you have a demanding creative workflow.
The included 1TB SSD is fast and spacious, but there is also an extra M.2 2280 SSD slot (with mountings for a 2230, if needed), so you can easily upgrade the total capacity if/when you need to, or even set them up in RAID0 configuration for even faster speeds.
Keyboard and trackpad
The ROG Zephyrus G15 has a tenkeyless layout, complemented by a few hotkeys above the first F-keys (volume up/down, mic mute, armoury crate), but without any media shortcuts like those on the Strix G15. The keyboard is a traditional layout, though it does have the half-height arrow keys we’ve seen on several of ASUS’s new laptops. The first time you use them they feel unusual, but I’ve used a few laptops with these smaller keys and they don’t bother me anymore.
The FN key shortcuts for controlling the laptop are thoughtfully laid out and intuitive. You’re never more than a quick key-combo away from adjusting the display or backlight brightness, muting the audio, or controlling the other common features like sleep or airplane mode.
Our white Zephyrus G15 had a white keyboard backlight, but I found that it was very, very hard to see the key lettering in moderate lighting – so much so that I had to turn off the backlight during the day. It’s more useful on an evening, as the keys are easier to see with the backlight and have a surrounding glow that made at-a-glance identification effortless.
Typing on the keyboard is immensely satisfying. Despite the thinness of the case, you still get 1.7mm of key travel, with a surprisingly weighty actuation. I typed this review and a few others using the Zephyrus G15; it’s extremely quiet and apart from the minor inconvenience of not having a numpad or dedicated PgUp/Dn/Home/End keys, it was a pleasure to use. It’s equally capable for gaming, too. I performed just as well as I do with my regular mechanical keyboard, with the advantage of not disturbing everyone around me with the constant clickety-clack of my keys.
I liked the keyboard, but I was especially impressed with the enormous glass-surfaced trackpad, which dominates the bottom of the keyboard tray. Despite its size, it’s kept well away from the crucial WASD gaming key-zone. Responsiveness was excellent across the whole surface, and it worked perfectly well for general productivity workflows. The under-surface mouse buttons also work consistently, with smooth motion and a less clunky operation than most other touchpads.
Connectivity and I/O ports
There’s an average selection of ports on the Zephyrus G15, but because of the ErgoLift hinge, they are mostly on the left side, with a solitary USB-A port and micro-SD card slot on the right.
We are seeing more and more devices switch to USB-C now, and the Zephyrus G15 has two USB-C Gen2 ports, both with 10 Gbit/s transfer speeds, supporting up to 100W PD charging and DisplayPort 1.4 over USB-C. With the HDMI 2.0b port, this means you could connect up to three additional displays for productivity, multi-screen gaming or managing your stream chat.
A slight downside is that there are only two USB-A ports available, meaning you are likely to need to rely on a USB hub if you regularly connect a lot of peripherals.
On the left of the Zephyrus G15 are a gigabit RJ-45 ethernet port, HDMI 2.0b, 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, a 3.5mm headset combi-jack and the power connector.
On the right side is a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A port and a micro-SD card slot.
Networking is handled by either the gigabit ethernet connection or the Intel WiFi 6 AX200 (802.11ax) network card. We didn’t have a WiFi 6 capable router to test it with, however, we found the range to be excellent, reaching every room and providing a stable connection even through thick walls. Speed drop-off was significant in rooms adjacent to the router, but it was still sufficient for streaming video. For gaming, we’d recommend making sure you are as close to the router as possible.
Dual-band Bluetooth 5.1 is included, which provided a solid connection to my headsets, wireless keyboard and game controllers, but I found the effective range to not be as good as on the Scar 15 I tested recently. It’s more than adequate for peripherals or speakers if you are close by, but I found my gaming headset disconnected when I went the five or so metres from my desk to the fridge.
Audio
The audio quality of the Zephyrus G15 is very good. It has two 2W tweeters and two 2.5W smart amp speakers located under the grilles on either side of the keyboard, with an additional pair of 2.5W smart amp speakers on the underside of the notebook that handles the mid-range and low-end audio (for a total of 14W RMS).
This is easily one of the best sounding laptops we’ve had for testing in recent years. There is a satisfying depth to the audio it produces. Although the bass isn’t exactly booming, it’s well represented without any bloat or loss of clarity, and the audio tune balances the bass well with the fullness of the mid-range frequencies. Higher frequencies are presented crisply with a lot of detail, and none of the sharpness often attributed to smaller speakers.
Peak volume is average. Although it is loud enough to be heard over the noise from the fans while gaming it could do with having a few extra decibels of volume available. This does of course have the knock-on effect that even fully turned up there isn’t a hint of distortion, so feel free to crank it up to your heart’s content.
Headphones are recommended for most gaming uses, as the fans do get quite loud, but if you are watching movies with the Zephyrus G15 running in silent mode these speakers are excellent.
Display
The ROG Zephyrus G15 shares the same gorgeous 15.6” 165 Hz 1440p panel that is fitted in the ROG Strix Scar 15, and it’s hands-down one of the best all-round displays I’ve ever seen.
The display covered 97% DCI-P3 and 86% AdobeRGB, producing an exceptionally wide gamut. Colours are bright, rich and vibrant, with an accuracy that makes this display as good for creative professionals as it is for gamers or movie aficionados.
Panel uniformity is excellent, with the subtlest of variances occurring at the corners of the display, and an average Delta E of just 0.8, which is superb. Peak brightness was marginally lower than on the Scar 15, but the recorded 376 cd/m² is plenty bright enough for viewing in a well-lit room.
Contrast is as expected for an IPS display, measuring 1037:1, which is good. Black levels are slightly higher than ideal, recording 0.35 cd/m² at maximum brightness, but dark scenes still retain plenty of detail. Importantly, the display minimises backlight bleed exceptionally well, and playing or watching games and movies with lots of dark scenes is very enjoyable, with no distracting glow across or at the corners of the screen.
Viewing angles are excellent, with the image clearly visible from sharp angles, retaining colour vibrancy and contrast well when viewed off-centre.
I was particularly impressed with how well the panel handled motion, with the UFO test showing just a trace of ghosting and no overshoot.
There is also a 240Hz 1080p display option, but this doesn’t have such a wide gamut. Unless you are a serious competitive gamer, the 1440p display is always going to be the better option.
Performance
Although the specs on paper are very similar to the ROG Strix Scar 15, the actual performance is more on par with the Strix G15 RTX 3070 we tested. This is because the Zephyrus G15 has an RTX 3080 8Gb (80-100W TGP) versus the Scar’s RTX 3080 16Gb (115-130W TGP) and the Strix G15’s RTX 3070 8Gb (115-130W TGP). For the most part, the Zephyrus G15 and Strix G15 are evenly matched, but there are several titles where the balance tips in favour of the much cheaper Strix G15.
In terms of CPU performance, AMD’s Ryzen 9 5900HS generally slots in nicely between the R9-5900HX and R7-5800H in the laptops from the previous comparison. For such a slimline machine, the Zephyrus G15 packs a lot of grunt and is perfectly capable of operating as a desktop replacement, especially if you plug in a mouse, keyboard and (multiple) external displays.
For my regular workload, consisting of eleventy-billion browser tabs, some video streaming, photo editing and running a few sizeable spreadsheets, the Zephyrus G15 didn’t break a sweat. Apps open incredibly quickly, snapping from task to task is quick and effortless and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get the Zephyrus G15 to falter. This excellent CPU performance is borne out into gaming, too. In some games, where the performance was more bound to the CPU, the Zephyrus G15 was just a few FPS shy of the full-fat Scar 15. Considering this is an ultra-slim laptop, the gaming performance is far better than I expected.
At its native 1440p, you can hit a 60 fps minimum on all but the most demanding games without having to turn anything down from ultra. Competitive esports games can often max out the 165Hz QHD panel, making this ideal for both AAA single-player experiences and multiplayer frag-fests.
Connected to an external display, you can run games at 4k, but these mostly run at sub-60 fps and you’ll need to adjust your settings to get smoother frames. It’s fine for watching movies, but in most cases, I’d recommend using a 1440p resolution external display, as this mobile RTX 3080 isn’t quite up to the rigours of 2160p.
In general, the slimline ROG Zephyrus G15 is every bit as good as its chunkier Strix siblings, even if the price to performance ratio isn’t quite there. There is a slight caveat that temperatures can become a concern, though. We had no major issues with thermal throttling, but peak and average temperatures were considerably higher than we are usually comfortable with – we’ll cover that in more detail later in the review, along with how we fixed the problem.
Benchmarks
All benchmark tests were carried out with fan control set to Turbo in the ROG Armoury Crate software (Performance mode is slightly quieter in terms of fan noise, but sees frame rates around 5-10% lower on most games). In-game settings use the Ultra preset (or equivalent) where available. If DLSS was available, it was set to performance mode unless stated otherwise. (If an RTX game comfortably runs above refresh rates you are happy with, we recommend switching DLSS to Quality, as it makes a noticeable difference to image clarity.)
1080p and 1440p results were recorded using the inbuilt display, and 4k results were taken while connected to an external display with HDMI.
Total War Saga: Troy (average across all three scenarios)
1080p – Ultra preset – 99.6
1440p – Ultra preset – 75.3
2160p – Ultra preset – 43.1
Borderlands 3
1080p – Ultra preset – 90.79
1440p – Ultra preset – 66.36
2160p – Ultra preset – 38.58
Control
1080p – Ultra preset – 113
1440p – Ultra preset – 85
2160p – Ultra preset – 51
Control RTX
1080p – Ultra preset – 69
1440p – Ultra preset – 55
2160p – Ultra preset – 33
Destiny 2
1080p – Ultra preset – 143
1440p – Ultra preset – 102
2160p – Ultra preset – 60
CS:GO
1080p – Ultra preset – 229
1440p – Ultra preset – 203
2160p – Ultra preset – 136
Star Wars Battlefront 2
1080p – Ultra preset – 141
1440p – Ultra preset – 109
2160p – Ultra preset – 67
[/su_spoiler]
Gaming performance comparisons
We’ve listed a range of computers with varied GPUs for comparison, including the most similar notebooks from ASUS ROG’s 2021 range. This should give you an idea of how it compares against a range of processors and system configurations. We find these comparisons useful for consumers looking for not only the best overall performance but the best value, too.
Laptop/PC
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo SE
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
ASUS ROG Strix G15
Acer Predator Triton 500
Model
GX551QS (2021)
G533QS
GA503QS
G516QR
PT515-52
Processor
R9 5900HX
R9 5900HX
R9 5900HS
R7 5800H
i7-10875H @ 2.31GHz
GPU
RTX 3080 16Gb
RTX 3080 16GB
RTX 3080 8GB
RTX 3070 8GB
RTX 2080 Super MaxQ 8Gb
GPU TGP/TDP
115W/130W Dynamic Boost
115W/130W Dynamic Boost
80W/100W Dynamic Boost
115W/130W Dynamic Boost
Ram
32GB DDR4-3200 (16+16)
32GB DDR4-3200 (16+16)
32GB DDR4-3200
16GB DDR4-3200
32GB DDR4-3200 (16+16)
SSD
2 x 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
2 x 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
1TB M.2
1TB M.2
1Tb M.2 NVMe SSD
Display
2160p 120Hz Pantone
1440p 165Hz Pantone
1440p 165Hz
1080p 300Hz IPS
1080p 300Hz G-Sync
Price
£3,499
£2,699
£2,599
£1,699
£2,199
System Benchmark Results
Cinebench R15
CineBench – CPU (Single)(cb)
(High-performance mode / Auto Fan): 233 cb
CineBench – CPU (Multi)(cb)
(High-performance mode / Auto Fan): 2136 cb
CineBench – GPU (OpenGL)
(High-performance mode / Auto Fan): 122.44 fps
Cinebench R20
CineBench – CPU (Single)
(High-performance mode / Auto Fan): 564
CineBench – CPU (Multi)
(High-performance mode / Auto Fan): 5009
Cinebench R23
CineBench – CPU (Single)
(High-performance mode / Auto Fan): 1447
CineBench – CPU (Multi)
(High-performance mode / Auto Fan): 12781
3DMark – Time Spy (DX12)
Time Spy Score – 10232
Gaming Score – 10383
CPU Score – 9454
3DMark – Fire Strike (DX11)
Fire Strike Score – 21547
Graphics Score – 23701
Physics Score – 23521
Combined Score – 11921
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 – 7062
Essentials – 10382
App Start-up – 15095
Video Conferencing – 7921
Web Browsing – 9360
Productivity – 9646
Spreadsheets – 10997
Writing – 8461
Content Creation – 9543
Photo Editing – 15295
Rendering and Visualisation – 11151
Video Editing – 5096
Bright Memory Infinite RTX Benchmark
Very High – DLSS Setting: Quality
1080p: 62 fps
1440p: 40 fps
2160p: 18 fps
High – DLSS Setting: Performance
1080p: 94 fps
1440p: 64 fps
2160p: 31 fps
UserBenchMark
Gaming – 127% UFO
Desktop – 102% UFO
Workstation – 124% UFO
CPU – Gaming – 97.90%
Graphics – 128%
Boot Drive – 290%
Storage
The 1TB of PCIe 3.0 storage is suitable for most users but can be easily expanded. Sequential read and write speeds of 3584 MB/s and 2949 MB/s respectively are very good, and in line with the SSDs in most high-end laptops. This translates into much lower loading times in games, superb system responsiveness and rapid boot times.
CrystalDiskMark
The following are the results recorded in CrystalDiskMark, with figures measured in MB/s
SEQ1M Q8T1 Read
3584.62
SEQ1M Q8T1 Write
2949.39
SEQ1M Q1T1 Read
1930.69
SEQ1M Q1T1 Write
2265.9
RND4K Q321T1 Read
411.06
RND4K Q321T1 Write
528.11
RND4K Q1T1 Read
58.07
RND4K Q1T1 Write
128.9
Cooling
Before I get to the interesting findings regarding performance and temperature management, I need to address the surface temperatures. I’ve used many laptops that get warm at the rear of the keyboard tray, but this is the first one I’ve had to physically pull my hand away from because of the heat.
The palm rest and majority of the keys are fine, but alongside the shortcut keys at the top gets devilishly hot. As we mentioned earlier, the bottom bezel of the display sits right behind the exhaust vents, and this causes the Zephyrus G15 to retain huge amounts of heat that build-up at the base of the screen and rear of the tray under heavy loads.
This seems to be an unfortunate byproduct of the design, and despite our efforts to reduce the temperatures, it is unavoidable. Fortunately, you won’t come into contact with these surfaces often, but it’s not up to ASUS’s usually exemplary standards.
As part of our stress testing, we ran Aida64, which maxes out the system and allows you to monitor fluctuations in clock speeds and temperatures. The results were slightly concerning, with an average CPU temperature of 97°C, which correlated with equally high temperatures while gaming.
With the GPU idling, the CPU clocks ran consistently at around 3950MHz, but every 15 seconds or so, when the CPU temperature hit 98°, they would briefly drop to 3350MHz, dropping the temps to 95° before rising again. For CPU intensive workloads the sustained performance is good, but temperature management is worrying.
With the entire system under load, there was significant throttling, dropping the CPU down to just 3GHz The GPU temperature of 75℃, however, was reasonable.
My initial thought was that there may have been a problem with the thermal compound on the CPU or with the cooling system, but having checked a few other reviews I found others have experienced similarly high temperatures.
AIDA64: CPU and Memory full utilisation
CPU: 97° @ 3.9GHz
AIDA64: Full system load (GPU, CPU and Memory fully utilised)
CPU: 97℃ @ 3.0 GHz
GPU: 75℃.
AIDA 64: CPU exclusive test
CPU: 96℃ @ 4.0 GHz.
Prolonged gaming test
CPU: 97℃
GPU: 75℃
Using ASUS’s Armoury Crate software it is possible to manually adjust the overclock on the system, but we don’t normally include these results in our tests. However, in my experimentation trying to reduce temperatures, I lowered the SPL (sustained power limit) to 34/45W (from 35/45W) and the SPPT (boost level) to 78/80W (from 80/80W), along with giving the fans a more aggressive curve. This had a profound effect on temperatures, dropping the CPU down to an average of around 83℃.
Buoyed by this success, I added a mild overclock to the GPU, increased the fan-speed curve and re-ran a couple of benchmarks:
On Borderlands 3, with the adjustments, I achieved 71 fps at 1440p compared to 66 fps previously. The CPU averaged 83℃ and the GPU was in the low 70s.
For Gears 5 I only saw a 2.4 fps increase over the previous results, but again, the temperatures were far, far lower than with the default Turbo setting.
Now, I still maintain that you shouldn’t have to go to these lengths to get the temperatures under control, especially as manually adjusting those settings comes with a big warning about voiding your warranty and potentially damaging your system. Be that as it may, you can’t argue with results, and underclocking the CPU and slightly overclocking the GPU not only brings the temperatures to acceptable levels but improves performance.
I will add that with our settings, the fans are running faster and for longer, resulting in a substantial increase in volume. ASUS’s Turbo mode aims to keep the laptop running at a reasonable volume, but as we’ve seen, it’s ineffective at cooling the CPU. I’ll take a louder laptop over a CPU that could boil water any day, personally.
As a final note, in silent mode, the laptop is indeed mostly silent, especially if all you are doing is watching a movie. Performance was down by around 30-40% on our system benchmarks, but we didn’t have any of the temperature issues like when gaming or stress testing.
Battery life
The ROG Zephyrus G15 has an improved and capacious 90Wh battery with good longevity. Watching 1080p video played back from an external hard drive, we got around 7.5 hours of battery life. For standard productivity and browsing, we used PCMark 10 running on a loop and averaged around 5.5 hours on a full charge. Gaming puts greater demand on the battery, resulting in 1.25 hours of play at 50% brightness, with the framerate capped at 60fps.
On battery power, the system can be set to automatically switch to power saving mode, which helps extend the battery life. To extend it further, iGPU mode prevents applications from using the discrete GPU, which is ideal for media consumption or basic productivity.
Using the included and relatively compact 200W power adapter, the battery fast charges and takes around 1.25 hours to fully recharge. ASUS’s battery charging capacity settings are also present, allowing you to charge up to 60%, 80% or 100%, depending on whether you will mostly be using your notebook plugged in, and reminding you to activate it if you have been plugged into the mains for a long time.
The Zephyrus G15 supports USB-C charging at up to 100W and can be topped up with power banks, via monitors that support power delivery, or even a mobile phone charger (though this is likely to be a lot slower).
Pricing and alternatives
If you are buying one of these laptops with gaming as your main priority, I’d recommend saving around £600 and going for the RTX 3070 variant, which also keeps the excellent R9-5900HS. The additional cost you pay for the RTX 3080 isn’t balanced out with equivalent performance gains.
At £2,599, the Zephyrus G15 is only £100 less than the outstanding Strix Scar 15, which has 2TB of storage, the same incredible display, a more powerful RTX 3080 16GB and an overclocked R9-5900HX.
If it was my money, though, I’d go for the Strix G15 with the RTX 3070, which costs just £1,699. As much as I love the aesthetics and slimline profile of the Zephyrus G15, the performance difference is negligible and the Strix G15 handles temperatures much better.
If you really need a thin and light machine that’s brilliant for work and plays games at a decent level then the Zephyrus G15 is a wonderful laptop, but we’re all about the gaming, and for the asking price the Zephyrus G15 doesn’t quite deliver.
Summary
The ROG Zephyrus G15 is marketed at those who need a thin, light and portable workstation that’s easy to slip into a bag and can also handle AAA gaming. It has one of the best 1440p displays yet put into a laptop, and the audio quality is superb, making it ideal for mixed-use entertainment. The looks are stylish but subtle, and I can imagine this being a hugely popular device.
I’m not sold on the RTX 3080 variant, though, as you can get a lot more gaming performance at that price, and equivalent performance for considerably less. The RTX 3060 version at £1,599 or RTX 3070 for £1,999 make far more sense.
Opting for the R7-5800HS version may help keep those temperatures down, too. In stock setup, the R9-5900HS CPU average of 97℃ is concerning, and you have to manually adjust the system profile to bring it down to acceptable levels.
Overall, this is a good laptop but doesn’t meet our requirements in every category. If you’re primarily looking for a portable games machine and the best price to performance ratio, our top pick is still the ROG Strix G15 with RTX 3070.
While I and many others are disappointed that since Forza Motorsport 7 there will have been two Horizon releases, I’m still hyped for the open-world racing extravaganza. Hopefully, next year will see the arrival of Forza Motorsport 8, but in the meantime, prepare to explore the stunning vistas of Mexico (the second batch of rumours was right!)
About Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s breakout hit, open-world driving game Forza Horizon 4, is coming this November 9. Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open-world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.
Features
A Diverse Open World – Lead breathtaking expeditions across a world of striking contrast and beauty. Discover living deserts, lush jungles, historic cities, hidden ruins, pristine beaches, vast canyons, and a towering snow-capped volcano.
An Adventurous Open World – Immerse yourself in a deep campaign with hundreds of challenges that reward you for engaging in the activities you love. Meet new character and choose the outcomes of their HorizonStory missions.
An Evolving Open World – Take on awe-inspiring weather events such as towering dust storms and intense tropical storms as Mexico’s unique, dynamic seasons change the world every week. Keep coming back for new events, challenges, collectibles, and rewards, and new areas to explore. No two seasons will ever be the same.
A Social Open World– Team up with other players and enter the Horizon Arcade for a continuing series of fun, over-the-top challenges that keep you and your friends in the action with no menus, loading screens or lobbies. Meet new friends in Horizon Open and Tours and share your creations with new community gift sharing. (On console this requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Live Gold, memberships sold separately.)
Your Open World– Create your own expressions of fun with the powerful new EventLab gameplay toolset including custom races, challenges, stunts, and entirely new game modes. Customize your cars in more ways than ever before with new body kits, wheels, paint options and more. Use the new Gift Drops feature to share your custom creations with the community.
At long last, we can take to the skies on console, with Microsoft’s amazing Flight Simulator
Whether you want to fly enormous jets or cut your teeth on a single-prop, there’s something here for you.
Flight Simulator is, simply put, enormous. You can fly anywhere in the world in real-time, and visit over 37 thousand airports. Within the game there are 2 million cities with 1.5 billion buildings, 2 trillion trees and much, much more.
Fly at any time of the day, or switch to real-time weather conditions with accurate cloud coverage, wind speed and direction, rain and even lightning. Having played on PC, we can attest to just how good Flight Simulator looks, and if the consoles can muster even a fraction of the graphical prowess of the PC, it’s going to look spectacular.
Not everyone is a professional pilot, so if you just want to jump in a plane and go sightseeing, Flight Simulator has a comprehensive range of assists to keep you in the air. At it’s most helpful level, even my kids managed to (reasonably) successfully fly past the pyramids in Egypt. Should you fancy more of a challenge, though, then full manual piloting gives you control over every aspect of gameplay: From communicating with ATC to maintaining flight speed and trajectory, it’s as close to real flying as we’ve ever seen on a consumer level.
You don’t have to go it alone, either. Cross-platform multiplayer will be available from launch on console, so you can squadron up and join your friends on PC.
The best thing about it? It’s coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one, 27th July, for Xbox Series X|S.
Starting today, with Yakuza: Like a Dragon, there are 19 high-profile games coming to XGP before the end of the year!
“Now through the end of the year, you can look forward to back-to-back monthly releases landing day one on Game Pass, led by five new titles from Xbox Game Studios as well as highly anticipated games like ‘Back 4 Blood,’‘TwelveMinutes,’and ‘The Ascent.’” Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox
The new-gen may have taken a while to find its feet, but things are picking up fast, and Game Pass subscribers are being treated to an epic collection of games this year.
Yakuza Like A Dragon starts us off, and we now have the entire Yakuza series is available to play on XGP right now. “Available today with Xbox Game Pass on PC, cloud and Console! Become Ichiban Kasuga, a low-ranking yakuza grunt left on the brink of death by the man he trusted most. Take up your legendary bat and get ready to crack some underworld skulls in dynamic RPG combat set against the backdrop of modern-day Japan in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.”
July also sees the long awaited release of Microsoft Flight Simulator for Xbox Series X|S. Will you join the vast majority of PC players who loaded up, found their nearest airport and buzzed their own home?
There’s so much more to come, but we’ll cover the newer releases in more detail instead of cramming it into one featurette.
Fair play to Microsoft (and Bethesda), though, they’ve smashed it with their E3 presentation.
ETR – Elite Tier Racing Team 1 are leading the DOR (Delta Online Racing) Supermini Championship, as we head into the final round this weekend
There may be no Formula 1 this week, but there’s still some top-notch racing going on (and with a lot more overtaking).
ETR, who we are proud to sponsor, are leading the team championship with their primary team, ETR Team 1. During the penultimate race, a decent qualifying run put them in a good position to capitalise on their points haul, buoyed by a couple of wins earlier in the season that has helped put them on the top rung.
ETR Team 2 has also been making progress, moving up to 12th in the team standings. With the scores tight across the whole field, a good finish this Sunday could see them jump a few extra places. This is made all the more impressive, as only one of the rostered drivers, ETR Gello41, was able to participate in last weeks rounds, making the place gains even more impressive.
The DOR Supermini Championship is a tough and competitive event, featuring some of the best sim racers on Forza Motorsport 7. Both ETR teams should be proud of what they have accomplished, and we wish them the best of luck in the final at Laguna Seca this weekend!
Players on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 can play the upgraded version from today, free for existing owners and via Xbox Games Pass
Since the game’s initial launch, more than 20 million players worldwide have played the critically acclaimed Star Wars story of Cal Kestis across all consoles, platforms and subscription services. With this next-gen release there’s never been a better time to take up a lightsaber and become a Jedi!
This next-gen release provides the best possible way to experience Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on consoles, bringing the following technical improvements:
Higher Resolution Textures & Assets
4K/HDR Resolution
Improved 60 FPS Performance
Significantly Faster Loading Times
EA has put together this handy FAQ for how to claim your free upgrade and details of the technical enhancements:
FAQ
How does this free upgrade work?
If you already own the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version of the game, you’ll be automatically entitled to the next-generation version of the game on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S. For specific information/instructions on how that works, refer to the following pages:
What happens if I have the disc version of the game?
The disc version works the same way as the digital version for entitlement of the next-gen upgrade. You’ll need to have the disc in the console and then refer to the above linked sites for more information depending on what platform you’re playing on.
What if I have a disc version, but only have a discless next-generation console?
If you have a physical copy of the game on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One and have a discless PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S, you will need to contact EA support at help.ea.com to validate your purchase using your account information to receive your free*** upgrade.
Choose Codes and promotions for your category, and Replace disc with code for your issue
Complete the webform
Provide proof of purchase
Receive your code and start playing!
What if I don’t have my physical copy of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order anymore?
To qualify for the free upgrade to the newest edition of the game, you must currently have physical ownership of the game or have a digital copy of the game on your PlayStation or Xbox.
What about the Deluxe Edition of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order?
If you already own the Deluxe Edition of the game on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, that entitlement will carry over to the next-gen version as well. If you own the Standard Edition, you’ll be entitled to that version with the free next-gen upgrade.
Does the next-gen release include any graphical settings like a Performance Mode?
Yes, Star Wars™ Jedi: Fallen Order’s next generation release does include the return of two graphical settings on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, which can be turned On/Off at the player’s preference:
Performance Mode (ON)– 1440p Resolution at 60 FPS
Performance Mode (OFF)– 4K Resolution at 30 FPS
Note: There is no graphical setting on Xbox Series S, as performance is locked at 1080p/60FPS.
What happens to my game saves?
You will be able to transfer your save file over from the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 versions of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5.
On Xbox Series X|S, the upgraded version of the game will be able to pull from your cloud storage or on-console storage automatically.
On Playstation 5, ensure your console has the PS4 save data on system storage (either from previous PS4 version playtime on the console, download from Cloud storage, or transfer via USB stick). From there, there will be a “Import PS4 System Save Data” prompt on the start-up screen. Simply select that option and you will be able to utilize your older save data.
What happens to my already unlocked Achievements/Trophies?
All your trophies/achievements that were unlocked in the previous generation version of the game will unlock on the next-gen version if you transfer your save.
*Free for all territories except for Japan. See retailer site for details.
**Offers may vary or change. See retailer site for details.
***TO UPGRADE PHYSICAL PURCHASE TO DISCLESS NEXT GENERATION CONSOLE, VISIT HELP.EA.COM AND PROVIDE YOUR EA ACCOUNT INFORMATION. FOR DIGITAL PURCHASES, LOG INTO YOUR NEXT GENERATION CONSOLE WITH THE PLATFORM ACCOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR XBOX ONE OR PLAYSTATION 4 COPY OF THE GAME TO RECEIVE UPGRADE. VOID WHERE RESTRICTED BY LAW.
Another week, another amazing Epic Games giveaway!
The quality of the games being given away on the Epic Games Store has been exceptional, with NBA 2K21 recently featured, and now Control is being offered gratis to you, the gamer.
If you haven’t played Control yet, you are in for a treat. The story is slightly confusing to begin with, but once you get into it and become embroiled within the game world, it leads you on a complex and satisfying tale that will keep you hooked right up to its dramatic conclusion.
It doesn’t hurt that it also looks really, really good if you have a capable RTX GPU.
Control is available now through to Thursday 17th June.
Control
After a secretive agency in New York is invaded by an otherworldly threat, you become the new Director struggling to regain Control.
From developer Remedy Entertainment, this supernatural 3rd person action-adventure will challenge you to master the combination of supernatural abilities, modifiable loadouts and reactive environments while fighting through a deep and unpredictable world.
Control is Jesse Faden’s story and her personal search for answers as she grows into the role of the Director. The world of Control has its own story, as do the allies Jesse meets along the way. Jesse works with other Bureau agents and discovers strange experiments and secrets.
As part of the weekly giveaways, from June 17th-24th you will be able to download Hell is other Demons and Overcooked 2, free for everyone registered on the Epic Games Store.
Neptunia ReVerse is an updated and enhanced version of the beloved PS Vita RPG, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1
Originally released for the PlayStation®Vita, fans of the Neptunia™ series and newcomers can enjoy the lush worlds of Gamindustri with the help of the PS5 and new gameplay additions, including a fishing mini-game!
Collectors in the EU and Canada still have time to preorder the Limited Edition, but unfortunately it has already sold out in North America.
Canadian residents can still purchase the Limited Edition through Video Games Plus for $109.99 CAD and receive FREE shipping. *Offer through Video Games Plus is for Canadian residents only. International orders must be made at the IFI Online Stores.
The Limited Edition is available for £61.66 on the IFI European Online Store. This price does not include VAT fees, duties, and shipping. The UK price including VAT is £73.99.
Story Gamindustri – A distant world comprised of four nations, each under the divine protection of a Goddess.Planeptune: Land of Purple Progress, ruled by Neptune Lastation: Land of Black Regality, ruled by Noire Lowee: Land of White Serenity, ruled by Blanc Leanbox: Land of Green Pastures, ruled by Vert
Locked in the Console War, the four Goddesses vie for domination of the planet until Neptune is cast down and stripped of her power.
Now Neptune must fight to restore her place, but could a being known as Arfoire threaten the very world the Goddesses have sworn to protect?
Key Features Gamindustri Enhanced! –Neptunia ReVerse is the perfect RPG entry for Neptunia newcomers and for Neptunia fans to relive! With the powers of the PlayStation®5, players can enjoy the world of Gamindustri with enhanced graphics and a fresh-looking system UI!
Tailor Your Experience! – Itching for more ways to play it your way? With re-balanced gameplay and “Arrange Mode,” you can now select from 20+ characters to play from the start! Plus, the “Plans” system allows players to craft and forge new items and equipment, add dungeons to explore, and even modify the drops from enemies and materials harvested in dungeons!
Gone Fishing – Now, Neptune can cool her senses and spend some alone time catching some fish in this new mini-game! And if you’re patient enough, you might even be able to haul some sweet equipment. But be wary! Any misstep can reel in a stinkin’ enemy.The Gang of Four – Your party member limit is now increased from 3 to 4 members! Transform Neptune and the Goddesses by activating HDD Mode to amp up attacks.
The 2021 edition of Nacon’s online press conference, Nacon Connect, is just a month away.
There are some highly anticipated projects that are due for the teaser, gameplay footage and announcement treatment – Titles such as Blood Bowl 3, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong and one that I am personally champing at the bit for, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
The Lord of the Rings™: Gollum™ is a story-driven action adventure. Take on a perilous journey as Gollum, chasing the only thing that is precious to him. Gollum is skilful and cunning, but also torn by his split personality. Athletic and agile, sneaky and cunning. Driven by the desire to once again hold in his hands what he lost, Gollum is one of the most fascinating characters in the world of The Lord of the Rings™. He has seen things that others can not imagine, he has survived things that others would not dare mention. Torn by his split personality, he can be vicious and villainous as Gollum, but social and cautious as Sméagol.
While being vital to the story by J.R.R. Tolkien, many parts of Gollum’s quest have not been told in detail yet. In The Lord of the Rings™: Gollum™ you get to experience this story. From his time as a slave below the Dark Tower to his stay with the Elves of Mirkwood.
Use stealth, agility and cunning to survive and overcome what lies ahead. Climb, leap and grapple your way past dangers or into advantageous spots. While Gollum might not be a fighter, it is not unlike him to assassinate a careless enemy when the chance presents itself – or dispose of them in more creative and villainous ways.
The decisions you make and the way you play have a direct influence on Gollum’s personality: Always struggling between the two sides embodied by Gollum and Sméagol, it is up to you to decide whether the darker side of Gollum takes over or if there is a spark of reason left in what once was Sméagol. One mind, two egos – you decide!
Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown
A driving and lifestyle experience unlike any other. The brand new Test Drive Unlimited keeps the DNA from the first games, and revamps it for the modern era. You have the freedom to progress however you like, the classic open championship concept returns too. Live your best life. Race, cruise, and hang out with your friends until the sun goes down and even after!
With confirmed marques so far being Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Koenigsegg, Apollo, Dodge and Bugatti, you’ll have to really work your way up to have the privilege to drive them. Customisation is not reserved for your cars only, but for your avatar as well and even better than ever. You’ve got to dress to impress.
KT Racing and legendary Game Developer of TDU1 and TDU2 Alain Jarniou bring their driving simulation expertise to apply a strong development foundation. Discover a brand new vast and vibrant real-world location that’s been built at 1:1 scale. This is your Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.
Blood Bowl 3
Brutal, crazy, tactical… this is BLOOD BOWL! The iconic death sport returns with the new video game of fantasy football faithfully using the latest board game rules and new content.
Tune in to Nacon Connect on the 6th July 2021 for more details on these upcoming releases!
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 and G17 Advantage Edition laptops have both an AMD CPU and GPU.
Announced during Computex 2021 in Taipei, the new ROG Strix G15 and G17 variants are among the first laptops to meet the criteria for the new AMD Advantage series of laptops. Similar to how devices had to meet stringent requirements to be classed as ultrabooks, the AMD Advantage laptops must also meet minimum requirements to bear the moniker.
AMD Advantage Performance Criteria:
Premium displays
144Hz+
IPS or OLED display
<3ms response rate
Freesync Premium
Amplified performance
High-end AMD processor (Ryzen 5000 series)
High-end AMD GPU (Radeon RX 6000M series)
100+ FPS gaming experience
Fast boot with M.2 NVMe SSD
Thin and light design
It should be no surprise that the ROG Strix G series laptops clear this bar effortlessly, matching or exceeding the requirements at the same time as bringing the excellent ROG cooling system and stylish RGB-heavy design.
ASUS Rog Strix G15 and G17 Advantage – Performance features:
Ryzen 9 5900HX (OC) CPU
Radeon RX6800M GPU
300Hz/3ms FHD or 165Hz/3ms QHD Display options
Freesync Premium
1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
ROG Intelligent Cooling
Liquid metal thermal compound on both CPU and GPU
Full coverage vapour chamber
Aside from the new RX 6800M GPU, these specs are almost identical to the ROG Strix Scar 15/17 laptops, sans the RTX 3080, and similar to the ROG Strix G15 we reviewed, though the Strix G15 used a Ryzen 7 5800H and RTX 3070 GPU.
The new RX 6800M GPUs are an unknown entity as of yet, and we don’t know how they compare to the latest RTX cards. From what we have seen so far, though, in traditional rasterised graphics applications the results seem to be on par with the RTX 3080. Ray Tracing, on the other hand, sees the AMD RDNA 2 GPUs seemingly at a performance deficit in comparison to the more refined and established RTX 30 series cards. This isn’t surprising, and it ties up with what we’ve seen from the newest AMD desktop cards.
The displays will no doubt just be carried over from the existing range of ROG laptops. That’s totally fine by us, as those displays are among the best we’ve seen on a laptop, with glorious, rich colour vibrancy, excellent contrast and brightness, and smooth performance with almost no ghosting or smearing of fast-moving images.
Audio quality is again something ASUS has addressed remarkably well with its 2021 range. It has been refreshing not having to resort to the line, “It sounds ok, for a laptop.” The Strix G series has very capable speakers, and although they could do with being a touch louder, they are free of any distortion and produce a wide range of sound that covers a significant portion of the lower frequencies.
The following new features will sound familiar to anyone who has used the newest Nvidia GPUs, as they are essentially the same technology under a different name.
AMD SmartShift dynamically distributes power to either the CPU or GPU depending on the workload – essentially, this is AMD’s answer to Dynamic Boost, which is used to great effect on the new RTX cards. AMD claims its hardware boosting interface and machine-learning algorithms can increase performance by up to 15%, meaning more frames in games (and as we all know, frames win games).
Smart Access Memory is another new feature you may already be familiar with. If you have any knowledge of what Resizeable BAR is, and how it works, you know where we are going with this. Smart Access Memory helps remove bottlenecks between the CPU and GPU by allowing the CPU to access more of the graphics memory at a time. Without this restriction, the CPU can access the full memory of the GPU at once, giving a significant boost to performance.
These new all-AMD laptops have the potential to be very good, and if you plant your flag firmly in the corner of Team Red, they are the first AMD powered machines that look like being able to truly bring the fight to Nvidia.
Pricing and availability are as yet unannounced, but we’ll keep you updated as we find out more, and we’ll have the full review, performance benchmarks and comparisons as soon as we get our hands on a review unit.
Just Die Already provides an entertaining premise and plenty of funny moments thanks to its crazy ragdoll physics
Developer: Double Moose Games
Publisher: Curve Digital
Genre: Physics sandbox
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Windows PC, Switch
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
Supplied by: Publisher
Just Die Already
When I first saw footage of Just Die Already, from Double Moose (creators of Goat Simulator), it looked like the kind of mindless physics-based fun I enjoyed so much with games like Goat Simulator and Totally Reliable Delivery Service. A large open world filled with loads of interactive objects, a ridiculous premise and objectives, and the kind of over-the-top physics that often results in some hilarious emergent gameplay.
For the first couple of hours, at least, that’s exactly what I got.
Starting (ending?) life in your retirement home, you soon get kicked out for causing carnage and are set loose into the big wide world. In what is a satirical but disturbingly accurate piece of social commentary, the elderly are a neglected and shunned part of society. The youth of the world spend their time gaming instead of working, and the pension pot has dried up, leaving the “boomers” to fend for themselves. Your goal is to acquire enough tickets, earned by completing tasks from a bucket list, to earn a trip to a retirement village in Florida.
Exploring the world is joyful; it’s bright, colourful and rammed full of ways to kill yourself, deliberately or otherwise. Fish tank full of piranhas? Check. Angry bouncers, who will beat you to a pulp? Yep. Giant sharks in Venice style canals ready to gobble you up? Why not! It’s not just the deliberate hazards, though. Even walking into something at just the wrong angle can knock off body parts, and leave you rolling or hopping around as a dismembered concoction of remaining body parts. To Just Die Already’s credit, it is funny, at least at first.
The game world is comprised of several stylised and distinct areas that are fun to explore. From the San Fransisco-Esque streets of the starting area to the docks, Zen garden and sports areas, Just Die Already is a richly designed world full of interactive and destructible elements. There are loads of hidden areas, secrets to find and plenty of laugh out loud moments to be found.
Tick it off the list
As you explore each area, bucket list items are added to your list that will earn you tickets if you complete them. Many of these are self-explanatory, such as losing limbs or getting electrocuted, and you’ll find yourself completing a lot of them while you’re experimenting with the gameplay or while discovering new and inventive ways to die. Once you’ve finished most of the easy list items, though, the requirements start to become more specific, and it’s not always clear what you need to do or where you need to go to solve an objective.
Although your main goal is to build up enough tickets to pay for your retirement in Florida, you can also use these tickets to buy things from vending machines dotted around the world. The more tasks you complete, the more items you unlock. These range from simple swords or cosmetic items to bazookas, hover shoes, light sabers and more.
Once you’ve got past the initial experimentation and farting around phase, though, the lack of clear direction in your goals and objectives can be off-putting, as you constantly need to jump in and out of your bucket list to see if there’s something you need to do. Some kind of localised contextual mission list would have been a huge help here. Although it’s fun just exploring and randomly finding hidden areas or things to do, once you’ve had your fill of random meandering and want to make progress is where Just Die Already starts to falter.
There are some objectives that are just outright frustrating. To access some areas, you need to have just the right amount of limbs removed. In theory, this sounds easy enough, but the practicalities of removing just your arms (or any other combination of body parts) leads to some deeply irritating moments.
This is because your OAP of choice is incredibly fragile; limbs can fall off from the slightest of accidental bumps and knocks, and there is little consistency when it comes to working out how to remove specific body parts. When you do finally manage to de-limb yourself accordingly, it’s all too easy to accidentally lose an extra limb as a result of your current level of dismemberment.
Jank
I know this game is designed to be janky; after all, the random glitchiness of Goat Simulator was part of the charm. I mean, you’re a goat who picks stuff up with your tongue and likes headbutting stuff. In Just Die Already, though, they’ve made the controls way too unreliable.
The controls are straightforward enough, with the left and right bumpers used to grab things with the respective hands, and the triggers swinging, throwing or shooting whatever you are holding. Trying to accurately utilise these movements, though, is an exercise in futility – There’s an achievement for making ten baskets in a row that looked like an easy 100 gamerscore. Over thirty minutes of missed shots later, I began to wish I would just die already.
You can stand in the same spot, aim at the exact same marker, and carefully position your character, only for your shots to go in wildly different directions. It’s not just throwing, either. Something as simple as picking something up can also be deeply annoying, as you need to be positioned just right to get it into your hands, only to knock into something and have your arms fall off.
Again, this was funny and entertaining for the first few hours, but it very quickly wore thin after the initial honeymoon period. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of fun to be found in Just Die Already, as in short bursts it is frequently hilarious, and co-op will likely be hugely entertaining. The only issue is whether it has enough longevity to keep you coming back to it. For completionists who will want to check off everything on the bucket list, unless you take some kind of masochistic pleasure in fighting the frustrating controls you are likely to spend so much time irritated by failing seemingly easy tasks you won’t appreciate the humour for long.
N.b. A new PvP mode is being developed, and scheduled for release in June, which should work well with all elderly combatants on an (un)level playing field. Like the main game, it may not offer much longevity beyond the initial humour, but certainly complements the package as a whole.
Summary
Just Die Already provides an entertaining premise and plenty of funny moments thanks to its crazy ragdoll physics. The bright and colourful cartoony world is fun to explore, and full of opportunity for self-led emergent gameplay. However, it’s let down by awkward controls that soon become more of a hindrance to the fun than the reason for it.
If you only play it in short sessions, and especially with friends, it can provide you with some brilliant and memorable moments. Once you try and focus on completing your bucket list or unlocking the achievements, though, the fun soon gives way to frustration.
Just Die Already isn’t a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, it just didn’t captivate me in the way that other sandbox games have. If you can pick it up for a price that seems good to you, it’s definitely worth it as a time-filler or a way to unwind between more serious offerings.
The Thronmax MDrill One Pro is an excellent microphone that offers outstanding value
Manufacturer: Thronmax
Model: MDrill One Pro
Type: USB Condenser microphone
Platforms: PC, PS4/PS5
Price: £75.99 MSRP
Reviewed on: Windows PC
Supplied by: Thronmax
Overview
Thronmax has been in the audio game since 2009, producing quality microphones and audio equipment tailored for content creators. The MDrill One Pro microphone is their flagship microphone, with a feature set that puts it head to head with the likes of the Blue Yeti X and HyperX Quadcast.
Whilst it shares almost identical features, the Thronmax MDrill One Pro has a significant advantage over its rivals – the price. Retailing at £75.99 MSRP, it is often available for as low as £69.99, which is significantly lower than the competition.
Design and build
The MDrill One Pro is a stylish and thoughtfully designed microphone that is very light, due to being constructed from lightweight metal and plastic. It is still very durable, though, and doesn’t feel fragile.
At the rear of the microphone are a pair of highly convenient dials for adjusting the gain and headphone volume.
On the front of the microphone is a mute button, the mode selector button and indicator lights, and a large LED display that shows the level of microphone gain or headphone volume. The display only lights up for a few seconds while you are adjusting these settings, so it doesn’t cast a distracting glare while you are streaming or recording.
The stand feels very stable, and although crafted from moulded plastic, it has a large metal weight in the base that gives it a very low centre of gravity. A rubberised pad on the base keeps it from sliding around on your desk, and it’s resistant to tipping.
As can be seen in the images, the base is, well, pretty basic, but a circular disc that sits under the microphone adds some flair. Adorned with a series of concentric circles, when it catches the light from the RGB on the microphone it gives the microphone an attractive underglow.
With the included stand, it weighs just 669 grams. If you detach it from the stand to use with a boom arm, the microphone itself weighs only 264 grams, which means even the weakest of boom arms can easily support it. A pair of tool-less screws are used to attach the microphone to the stand and can be removed in seconds. Once free of the stand, there is an industry-standard ⅝” threaded universal screw mounting on the base for connecting to your boom arm.
The included USB-C to USB-A cable has a right-angled fitting at the USB-C end, which enables it to fit in the limited space between the stand (or boom arm) and the base of the mic. If you are connecting headphones to the mic for monitoring, you’ll probably need a right-angled connector at the end of your headphones, too. The headphone output is a very welcome addition, though, as not only does it work for zero-latency monitoring, but it can also serve as a passthrough for all of your PC audio if needed.
Connectivity and setup
The MDrill One Pro has plug-and-play simplicity. All you need to do is plug the USB-C connector into the microphone and the USB-A into a USB 3.0+ port on your PC and it is automatically detected and will appear in your available devices. Upon first connection, it will route your computer’s audio output through the MDrill One Pro’s headphone output, but once you change it the setting should be retained by your computer.
All of the connections are found on the base of the microphone. These include a USB-C port for connecting to your PC or console, a 3.5mm TRS jack output for headphones, a universal mounting screw connector, and a button to operate the RGB circling the underside of the microphone.
The RGB casts an appealing colourful glow under the mic, but it’s limited in its operation. There are seven different colours that you can switch between, but they are static with no lighting effects, and no option to create your own colour or adjust brightness. Despite its limitations, it looks very nice, but we’d have liked to see some more control. Usually, this is handled by custom software, but that goes against the plug-and-play nature of the MDrill One Pro.
To get the best possible audio, you need to go into your PC sound settings and switch to 96kHz 24bit for the MDrill One Pro, but again, this is a one-off configuration setting.
There is no bespoke software for the MDrill One Pro, so any audio customisation will need to be done with third-party software like Audacity, or through integrated enhancements, such as found in Discord or OBS.
(As well as Windows, Linux and Mac, the microphone is also compatible with PS4 and PS5.)
Audio quality
The MDrill One Pro is a triple condenser microphone with integrated gain control, which is a great addition at this price point. It also has multiple recording patterns, a 96kHz 24bit sample rate, and a 20-20,000Hz frequency response, ensuring the highest quality audio. As alluded to before, the specifications and quality of life features put this microphone on par with others costing well in excess of £150.
Without any integrated audio enhancement or dedicated software, the MDrill One Pro lives or dies by the quality of its sound pickup. Fortunately, the quality of the audio is pristine. Vocal pickup is crisp and clean, without overemphasis of any frequencies, and the result is a natural-sounding representation of your voice.
When I first tried the MDrill One Pro, the sound that was picked up was very quiet, even with the mic gain maxed out. After a brief bit of troubleshooting, I discovered that the mic volume was turned down within Windows 10’s settings. Once I turned this up to 100%, the audio was picked up correctly.
With regards to the gain setting, in my setup, which has almost no background noise, I was able to set the gain to 40%. This gave a crystal-clear sound and well-balanced overall volume, which picked up my voice clearly between 2.5ft and 3ft away. From greater distances when testing the omnidirectional pickup I increased the gain to full, which introduced a minor amount of hiss and distortion to the recorded audio; a gain setting of around 80% seems to be the maximum you can use before signal degradation occurs, but in a typical setup around 40-50% should be ideal.
At close range (<3ft) the acoustics of the room didn’t have a major influence on the audio quality. Once you are trying to record audio from further away, however, the microphone is more susceptible to picking up reverb and echo from around the room. For consistent overall quality, the MDrill One Pro works best when your recording distance is closer and doesn’t deviate too much. Fortunately, off-axis pickup is very good, meaning you don’t need to have the microphone directly in front of you for it to be effective.
You will need to be very aware of how sensitive the microphone is. It picks up a lot of background noise, so the clicking of keys or mouse buttons was clearly audible, and even the wheels of my chair sliding over a wooden floor. For simple voice-over work or recording podcasts, or when using a game controller, this will be less of an issue, but for louder environments, you will need some form of software-driven noise cancellation to eliminate unwanted sounds.
The MDrill One Pro has four separate recording patterns: Cardioid, Stereo, Bi-directional and Omni-directional, with much appreciated at-a-glance mode and mute light indicators. I spent the vast majority of the time using the cardioid mode, as this is optimal for gaming voice comms and typical streaming setups and it performed perfectly. In testing, the bi-directional mode worked very well, too, picking up voices evenly from in front and behind the microphone. Omni-directional mode, though, gave a very hollow sound to the recording, with voices sounding distant and subdued. For basic conferencing, it would be fine, but it doesn’t have the professional sounding quality of the other sound modes.
Incredible value for money
At just £75.99 (or less) the MDrill One Pro is competitively priced. The audio quality is comparable to that of the Blue Yeti, though the Yeti does have the advantage of having the excellent Blue Vo!ce software which can significantly enhance the quality of your recordings with its audio filters. Aside from the software, though, there’s very little to choose between the MDrill One Pro and its competitors when it comes to native audio quality. When you factor in the price, and if you don’t mind making adjustments in post-production or through third-party applications, the MDrill One Pro represents incredible value for money.
Outside of testing, I’ve been using the MDrill One Pro in place of my usual gaming headsets, and I can’t see myself going back. Before we even get to the excellent sound quality, I’ve got used to not having an awkward headset mic shoved in front of my face, which feels as liberating as the first time I tried a decent wireless headset. I’ve mostly been using Discord, which has excellent noise cancellation that eliminated all of the clacking of keys whilst gaming and kept my voice clear and distinct.
Although the stand isn’t huge, the microphone itself is quite large, so I’ve been using a Thronmax Caster S2 Boom Arm to keep the microphone up and out of the way, and I’d highly recommend picking one up if your desk is short on space.
Summary
The Thronmax MDrill One Pro is an excellent microphone that offers outstanding value. The quality of the audio is superb, and it has numerous quality of life features that elevate it way above other competitors at this price point.
For anyone looking to add professional standard voice recording equipment to their setup, the quality of the MDrill One Pro is close to studio-grade, but at a pocket-friendly price and with a simple USB plug-and-play connection.