Generation

All posts tagged Generation

Astro Bot To The Rescue!

Posted by Karl Weller on June 6, 2024
Posted in: Feature. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Being the cynical, society hating bigot that I am, there are few things in this world that arouse my deeply subverted, yet gleeful inclinations. Crippled children, elderly people falling over or the poor being euthanized can only sate your immoral propensities for so long, before your blackened tarnished soul demands some form of compassionate respite. Which ironically in this case has been satisfied by a new “Astro Bot” announcement. A literal Sony product that has been corporately groomed and focus tested to appeal to a demographic that enjoys a cute, saccharine mascot. And yet I couldn’t be happier. Having championed both the VR and glorified tech demo that is Astro’s Playroom, the latter of which is one of a handful of games to really utilise the PS5 controller in the way it was intended. I can honestly say that this could be the game to salvage the PS5’s disproportionate résumé of mediocrity.

Some conceited detractors would suggest that the Astro series is merely a farcical imitation of Mario, as if emulating one of the industries most successful gaming series is a negative. Astro Bot, despite its clearly cynical, box ticking superficiality, has always been a proponent for some of Sony’s more niche technological accessories. Whether that is being the foremost representative for dynamic, immersive VR experience with “Astro Bot: Rescue Mission”. A game that to my mind is not only one of the systems best VR games, but best PS4 game period. Or an advocate for the PS5’s neglected controller haptics, that have been endorsed by an almost floorless gameplay and a clear demonstration of how this functionality should be used for all PS5 games. All while providing a solid platforming experience and being an adorable curator for PlayStation’s illustrious history.

So I’m unironically thrilled to see Astro Bot get a fully formed “Playroom” like experience, that will once again remind the industry just how incredibly intuitive the adaptive triggers are. And just how desperate we are for a reliable series to salvage what might be PlayStation’s most frustrating generation to date. You only have to look at PlayStation’s latest “State Of Play” that announced the new Astro Bot to realise just how unoriginal and generic Sony, as well as the entire gaming industry are right now. Each competing to discover the next sustainable resource, through aggressive marketing and calculated metrics, rather than creating something original or most importantly, entertaining. Though Astro Bots next foray into mainstream gaming will be anything but original, it will hopefully be an experience that will distract me from the contemptuous mediocrity that continues to permeate the gaming market at present.

“Astro Bot” Is Still The PS5’S Best Exclusive.

Posted by Karl Weller on February 14, 2024
Posted in: Feature. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Exclusives are an integral part of attracting consumers to a platform, or indeed retaining a fickle fanbase. Products that by their very definition are sought after commodities that enhance a brand. Any revered games console is defined by the quality of its exclusives. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony are all well aware of the marketability of games that are restricted to their respective domains. Sony are often mocked for their pervasive reliance on third-person shooters. But they’re profitable. Microsoft is often criticised for its dependency on “Forza” and “Halo”. But they sell. And Nintendo has been entrenched in the shenanigans and concussive volatility of an enraged “Italian” plumber for over 30 years. And he is iconic. Now almost all of these instances are examples of games that have received financial and critical notoriety. Because despite the emphatic derision of the opposing console fanatics, most of these games success can be at the least partially attributed to the quality of the content. Something I believe has been noticeably absent from this generation.

Sony, or more precisely, us “Pony’s” as we are affectionately called, often pride ourselves on the quality and consistency of exclusives. “Uncharted”. “The Last Of Us”. “Bloodborne”. Any manner of third person perspectives, and all successful products, predicated on entertaining. Despite new features, perennially utilised by developer’s, such as enhanced graphics and frame rates expected from a next gen console, for me “Astro bot”, a glorified tech demo for the PS5, is still this generations best first party exclusive. It’s certainly one of the few exclusives that has really utilised the PS5’s haptics with any proficiency, without it feeling like a gimmick. It celebrates the electric history of Sony PlayStation, via the exploits of the adorable mascot of “Astrobot”, who has yet to feature in a bad game. The gameplay is simple, yet effective. With enough nostalgic references integrated into the environment’s and even level design, without it feeling saturated by sentiment. “AstroBot” on the surface could be considered a cynical, corporate brand, disguised as a game, if it wasn’t so charming and pure. What’s most impressive is that “AstroBot” is completely free!

It’s worth noting that game’s like “Horizon: Forbidden West” and “Returnal” aren’t bad games, just underwhelming. “God Of War: Ragnarok” was always going to be certified as “God-like”, even if it just repeated the same gameplay of the original. And “Spider-Man 2” was also similarly impervious to criticism, provided it maintains the same consistent combat and swinging mechanics. The fact that it had an expanded environment was a bonus. But if we are approaching the latter stages of the PS5’s life cycle, as reports would have you believe, then I have to admit that this generation has been one of Sony’s most underwhelming.

Why I’m Getting The PlayStation 5 At Launch.

Posted by Karl Weller on July 23, 2020
Posted in: Feature. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Gaming is an expensive hobby. One that isn’t getting anymore affordable. I’m not just talking about the broad state of the global economy, but the intimate considerations. The domestic responsibilities: food, clothing, utility bills, my daughters numerable hobbies that require some monetary investment. Not to mention those delightful household catastrophies that results in an impromptu swimming pool forming in the kitchen and a hefty surcharge from the plumber. Along with other notable issues and financial variables, there’s sparsely anything left. Once those precious funds have all but been exhausted, there’s very little room for frivolity. And quite honestly time simply doesn’t permit the opportunities it used to to engage with them consistently. With the imminent arrival of the next gen consoles, which only further compounds the issue, the mature thing would be to accept the naturally occurring shackles of senility and forget this juvenile recreation. But I can’t. The idea of getting a new games console still invigorates me. Especially if I’m one of the first to own it.

I’ve only ever done this once, with the PS4. Though quality content was noticeably absent in it’s infancy, to own one still felt distinct. I don’t regret it. Gaming is my vice, if it can even be considered a fallible human trait. I don’t do drugs. I don’t smoke. I drink infrequently and never excessively. I’m boring and I’m fine with that. This may very well be the last games console I’ll ever get. Whether that’s informed by the ever changing landscape of gaming media or my own domestic circumstances. I want to experience that sensation one last time. It may in fact be the last generation of consoles period! The way in which we play and consume games is fundamentally changing, and not necessarily in a way that is in my best interests. Of course technology evolves, progressing at such an exponential rate. But the reliance on the Internet to even allow some games to function is an alarming dependancy. Certainly there will be advocates that support this shift from physical to digital media, but the purist in me just can’t endorse it implicitly.

The PlayStation offering a digital only alternative seems like a sensible business strategy, one that enables those that exclusively buy digitally a console that suites their specific needs. Now that’s fine, but if there is another generation of games console would they extend the same courtesy to those that want physical? Probably not.

In 7-8 years from now, during the theoretical release of the fictional PS6, I will be in my early 40s. Chubbier around the gut. Greyer around the temples. And even more jaded than I am now. Chances are that my presumably arthritic joints would swell in contempt at the very notion. Realistically the PS5 is my last chance at experiencing that same sense of adolescent fervour I felt as a kid. What’s so wrong about that?