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Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PlayStation fans can only dream — I hit 316 fps in 'Stellar Blade' on my RTX 5090 laptop
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Don't mind me triple back-flipping into a parry with my Stellar Blade (heh). My blade in this context is an RTX 5090 gaming laptop, the question is: how well does this PlayStation exclusive hold up on PC? If you're nostalgic for the Devil May Cry and Bayonetta era, Stellar Blade is a similar action-adventure game with a whole lot of style and a sprinkle of Soulslike energy. But similar to that era, it also walks a questionable line between objectifying or empowering its female cast. It was written and directed by men, so take that for what you will. I played Stellar Blade on an HP Omen Max 16 outfitted with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 24GB GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz, OLED display. Here's how it ran. Stellar Blade threw me right into the action, and I found myself parrying and slashing through the borderline eldritch horrors that are the Naytiba. Then I discovered another eldritch horror… the looting system. Those tiny, unlabeled rainbow dots are way too easy to walk right past. Thankfully, you can enable auto-loot. Good news, my fellow DualSense lovers. Stellar Blade on PC is compatible with those unique DualSense features. I didn't know how much of it would be used, but when I got to the first city, I felt the pleasant tingle of the subtle haptic feedback simulating the rain around me. And each slash of my weapon felt unique and impactful. As for the graphics, I hopped across dilapidated city rooftops with everything turned up to Very High at a 2560 x 1600 resolution. That applies to all of the following tests. Stellar Blade developer Shift Up included native support for Nvidia's DLSS 4 technology, which you can access with an RTX 50-series GPU DLSS 4 is a supersampling technology that boosts visuals and performance. We've seen native support in many titles at this point, from Doom: The Dark Ages to Dune: Awakening. I'm a fan and critic of the technology because I've seen what happens when tools like Multi-Frame Generation are relied upon too heavily, like in Monster Hunter Wilds. For those unaware, frame generation produces frames with AI that analyzes the true frames rendered on your GPU. This is dark magic at best because not everything is all sunshine and rainbows, but let's get into it. I took to the streets with my new perfect dodge and tried to slay those Cricket Slashers and got poisoned to death — ouch. With no help from DLSS, my RTX 5090 laptop GPU managed a strong 106 frames per second on TAA. If you want to go raw graphics with no upscaling, the RTX 5090 will take you for a smooth ride. Now, I am a diehard advocate for making games as playable as possible without upscaling, but I cannot help but enjoy DLSS' DLAA upscaler. This uses native resolution to enhance the overall visuals. It's more taxing than raw performance, but it looked flawless when I gave one of those beefier Guardians a beatdown at 92 fps. But what happened when I turned frame generation on? Frame generation is not without its trade-offs; you might see some artifacts or overall fuzziness here and there. I did see some in the windows of a building in the distance, but for the most part, Stellar Blade does a great job of keeping things smooth. Set to DLAA, I tested 2x Frame Generation (FG) and 4x Multi-Frame Generation (MFG). I saw the immediate impact with FG when I perfectly dodged my way through a group of enemy combos, averaging a strong 141 fps. As I swam my way to the next camp, the RTX 5090 pulled through 224 fps with MFG. If you don't want to use frame generation to maximize your frames, you can opt for the High Performance mode. Upscaling with raw performance netted me 128 fps as I tried to navigate through this hella confusing cityscape — seriously, I'm both delighted and annoyed by the multi-directional parkour. But if you want to really go hard on frame rates, you can flip on frame generation on top of the High Performance mode. With FG, I got 211 fps when I doubled back and failed to dodge that stupid Cricket Slasher. And when I got bodied by Abaddon, the RTX 5090 managed a whopping 316 fps. I'd be impressed if I wasn't so furious at that lightning turd. Overall, I'm happy with how Stellar Blade performs with kitted-out hardware. And thankfully, the minimum spec requirements are quite light as well, requiring just a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB GPU. And if you're interested in getting one of the best gaming laptops, you can expect some stellar performance, with or without DLSS 4 black magic. Settings Frames per second TAA 106 fps DLSS: DLAA 92 fps DLSS: DLAA, FG (2x) 141 fps DLSS: DLAA, MFG (4x) 224 fps DLSS: High Performance 128 fps DLSS: High Performance, FG (2x) 211 fps DLSS: High Performance, MFG (4x) 316 fps
Digital Trends
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Possessor(s) has all the makings of a strong Metroidvania already
By the time 2025 ends, we may be looking at a major year for the Metroidvania genre. Hollow Knight: Silksong is slated to hit sometime this year, as is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Both could stand to shake a well-trodden genre up in exciting ways. While those are the biggest games on the horizon, there's another Metroidvania that should be on your radar to: Possessor(s), the latest game from Hyper Light Drifter studio Heart Machine. It promises to infuse a familiar action-adventure format with the developer's signature style. Ahead of its release later this year, I played the first 45 minutes of Possessor(s) to get a sense of how Heart Machine is tackling the Metroidvania genre. There aren't any major overhauls here yet, as the slice I played had some familiar ideas that brought me back to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Instead, it more feels like it's collecting as many good ideas as possible, executing them well, and tossing them all in a mysterious world that I'm eager to explore deeper. That may be all it needs to stand out. Possessor(s) opens with an explosion. A bomb goes off in a mega city and Luca, the adventure's hero, is left crawling out of the rubble. I mean that literally, as her legs have been blasted off. I drag her bloody torso across the floor until I meet a demon who offers to fix me if I help them on their own journey. It's a deal with the devil that the legless Luca doesn't have much of a choice. Soon enough, she's back up and running, exploring the ruins of the city and trying to learn about the corporation that may be to blame. Recommended Videos I've only gotten teases into the story so far, which combines technology and demons, but it has a strong pull. The 2D environments are littered with abandoned machinery, corporate advertising, and an occasionally computer terminal filled with emails. It looks as though there's a strong anticapitalist undertone brewing under a supernatural horror story. That tonal pairing gives Possessor(s) a unique darkness that I want to dig into more. That tone hangs over what's an otherwise straightforward side-scroller so far, though that's not a knock against it. Within my first 30 minutes, I accumulate a whole bunch of abilities that build out what Luca can do. First, I get a melee weapon that I can use to perform basic slashing combos. Later, I'm able to add a perk onto those, which gives me a bit of a movement speed increase. Luca can equip up to three secondary special attacks too, which take advantage of the setting. The one I found let me use a discarded computer mouse like a bludgeoning yo-yo. Fights are all a bit basic at first, but the complexity starts to build gradually. I eventually get a grapple that lets me swing off of specified points in the environment. It takes me a few minutes to realize that I can shoot that at enemies too and yank them towards me. I unlock a parry at the end of my demo too, letting me knock projectiles back at enemies. None of this is particularly new, of course, but it all goes to good use in some tough fights. The climax of my demo had me fighting a berserk corporate worker who thoroughly thrashed me. I had to act carefully, dashing and slashing to avoid its sentient briefcase that wanted to take a bite out of me. Combat very much feels like it's cut from Hollow Knight's cape, but the movement feels more in line with Prince of Persia. It's a movement heavy platformer that has me wall jumping up decaying structures, swinging off of abandoned cranes, and air dashing through security walls. That makes for some reliable Metroidvania exploration that has me chaining movements together to find secret keys, weapon perks, and upgrade currency. There's still room to smooth the feel of it out here, as I found myself getting stuck to the side of walls a little too easily. It's a little stiff at present. If all of that sounds a little par for the course, it is. This doesn't so much feel like Heart Machine trying to upend the genre so much as put its stamp on it. The biggest place that it stands out is in art direction, as it all unfolds in a dark and moody 2D world that still somehow feels colorful. There's a minimalistic art style being used here that allows neon color splashes to stand out among a sea of rubble. It's the same kind of style that I loved in Hyper Light Drifter and it adapts to a side-scroller quite well so far. Hopefully that will be enough to help it stand out amongst other genre giants looking to launch later this year. It'll be a fight for attention, but Possessor(s) is making all the right moves. Possessor(s) launches later this year for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Washington Post
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
‘Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver' finally brings Wu-Tang back to video games
After 26 years away from video games, hip-hop's most notorious and influential supergroup Wu-Tang Clan returns with 'Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver,' developed in close consultation with the group. It's also the debut game from Brass Lion Entertainment, founded by veterans of big-budget studios in 2019 as a home for developers of diverse backgrounds. ('All culture, no vulture' is the studio motto.) 'Rise of the Deceiver' is an action-adventure game where up to three players can customize fighting styles and fashion, and boasts a dynamic soundtrack that reacts to the on-screen action with music produced by legendary producer Just Blaze.
Geek Culture
03-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Culture
'Dungeons & Dragons' Single-Player Game In The Works From 'Star Wars Jedi' Veteran
Giant Skull, a new game studio founded by Star Wars Jedi franchise and God of War 3 director Stig Asmussen, is hard at work on an upcoming single-player Dungeons & Dragons action adventure. The currently untitled project was announced by Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, and follows previous reports that Giant Skull was making a new AAA single-player game built in Unreal Engine 5. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023) 'Our talented and experienced team at Giant Skull is built on creativity and curiosity,' Asmussen said in a statement. 'Our goal is to craft a rich new Dungeons & Dragons universe filled with immersive storytelling, heroic combat and exhilarating traversal that players will fully embrace.' Formed in 2024 after Asmussen left Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment a year prior, Giant Skull's leadership team also consists of lead producer Lauren McLemore ( Fortnite, League of Legends ), art director Patrick Murphy ( Valorant, Ratchet & Clank ), CTO Jon Carr ( Star Wars Jedi: Survivor ), design director Jeff Magers ( Star Wars Jedi franchise, Medal of Honor: Airborne ), animation director Brian Campbell ( Fortnite ) and COO/CFO Anthony Scott. Previous reports also indicated that the team consists of Rockstar alumni as well. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019) Giant Skull's latest project is set to add another notch to publisher Wizards of the Coast's belt, joining a separate D&D action adventure game by Invoke Studios, the team behind 2021's Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance , alongside the sci-fi RPG Exodus , which will be helmed by Archetype Entertainment, a team made from former Mass Effect veterans. With Asmussen's impressive track record consisting of highly successful games like the Star Wars Jedi franchise, God of War II and its sequel God of War III , hopes are high that Giant Skull would be able to deliver an immersive story-focused adventure set in the captivating world of Dungeons & Dragons . The project is still in its infancy, although it was confirmed to be a multi-platform title and will launch on PC and consoles 'at a later date'. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Action-packed ‘Fountain of Youth' has everything — except a soul
When Hollywood finally masters artificial intelligence — assuming the technology hasn't destroyed us all by then — you can expect a lot of results like 'Fountain of Youth,' a movie that's acceptably entertaining and completely soulless. There are actual humans behind this globe-trotting action-adventure, an Apple Original appearing only on Apple TV+, among them director Guy Ritchie ('Snatch,' 'Sherlock Holmes,' 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'), screenwriter James Vanderbilt ('Zodiac') and stars John Krasinski and Natalie Portman. 'Fountain of Youth' looks good and moves well; it's nothing if not a professional piece of work. But it's also what you would get if you fed the following prompts into the movie version of ChatGPT: 'National Treasure,' 'The Da Vinci Code,' 'Romancing the Stone,' that Tom Cruise 'Mummy' movie and all five installments of the Indiana Jones franchise.
