Articles by Samuel Tolbert

Don’t expect any next-gen news as part of this spotlight though.

What you need to know

Sony is releasing a series of updates and announcements related to PSVR starting today.
This event is primarily focused on previously-announced PSVR games.
There won’t be any PS5 news as part of these updates.

Sony announced today a new PSVR Spotlight to highlight news and updates for several previously-announced PSVR games. As part of the announcement, Sony also confirmed that no PS5 news would be included in the updates.

There’s also going to be a sale on several PSVR games starting on Wednesday, September 9. Games that will be discounted include but are not limited to:

Arizona Sunshine
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Blood & Truth
Borderlands 2 VR
Everybody’s Golf VR
Farpoint
Firewall Zero Hour
L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files
Superhot VR
Tetris Effect
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood

While this isn’t going to bring any PS5 news, you should remember that you can use your PSVR on PS5, which means yo…

Check out a horror title, an RPG and more.

What you need to know

Four new games are coming to PlayStation Now in September.
These include Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Final Fantasy XV, Observation and WWE 2K19.
The latter two titles do not have a day listed for leaving PlayStation Now.

Four new games are coming to PlayStation Now (PS Now) in September 2020 per PlayStation Blog. Kicking off the new titles, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a horror title from Capcom and it’s also one of the best PlayStation VR horror games, given it has full PSVR support.

It’s the story of a dark mystery in the midst of a plantation and its sequel, Resident Evil Village, is coming to PS5 in 2021. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard will be available until November 30. Next up is Square Enix RPG Final Fantasy XV, which is staying until March 1, 2021. Horror title Observation and wrestling game WWE 2K19 are also coming to PS Now but have no exit dates listed.

As a reminder, Greedfall, Dead Cells and Hitman 2 w…

Best answer: There are several different editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The biggest question to ask yourself is if you want the next-generation upgrade or not.

Grab it for PS4: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Standard Edition (PS4) ($60 at Best Buy)
Or get the PS5 version: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Standard Edition (PS5) ($70 at Best Buy)
Go for a cross-gen version: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Cross-Gen Edition ($70 at PlayStation)
Get all the extras: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Ultimate Edition ($90 at PlayStation)

What Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War editions can I buy?

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has been revealed and is up for preorder at different retailers. Right now, four different editions of the game have been announced. We break down what you get with each version of the game below, though it’s worth noting that any digital preorder grants access to Operator Frank Woods and an assault rifle Weapon Blueprint for use in Call of Duty…

Don’t expect to play your PS3 games on the new console.

What you need to know

Sony has confirmed that almost all PS4 games will be compatible with the PS5.
No official statement has been made for the other older games.
According to a Ubisoft Support page, the PS5 is not backward compatible with PS1, PS2 or PS3 games.

Earlier in 2020, Sony explained that almost all PS4 games will be playable on PS5 through backward compatibility. No mention has been made one way or another regarding older titles such PS3 games. Given the custom architecture of the PS3, support has always seemed unlikely.

Now, a major publisher has given a definitive statement on the subject. According to an FAQ on the Ubisoft Support page, the PS5 won’t play PlayStation, PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3 games. “Backwards compatibility will be available for supported PlayStation 4 titles, but will not be possible for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, or PlayStation games,” the FAQ reads.

While this may be disappointin…

This expansion is arriving in Fall 2020.

What you need to know

Doom Eternal is getting two DLC expansions.
The first, titled The Ancient Gods: Part One, has a release date of October 20.
A new trailer shows a bit of gameplay and the environments the DLC is bringing.

Doom Eternal’s first campaign expansion, The Ancient Gods: Part One, has been revealed at Opening Night Live at Gamescom. You can check out the gameplay trailer below.

In addition to this expansion, Bethesda previously confirmed that Doom Eternal is getting a free upgrade on Xbox Series X and PS5. The Ancient Gods: Part One is set to release on October 20, 2020.

Raise Hell

Doom Eternal

$40 at Amazon
$40 at Best Buy

They are rage, you are worse.

Doom Eternal brings everything players loved about the Doom 2016 game with even more executions, more demons, more campaign, and more brutal combat.

PlayStation 5

PlayStation 5: Everything we know so far
PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: How they compare
PS5 Spe…

Take a deeper look at actual gameplay.

What you need to know

During Opening Night Live at Gamescom, an extended gameplay demo for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart was shown.
This gameplay shows use of ray-tracing and the high-speed SSD in the PS5.
Insomniac Games revealed that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is releasing in the PS5 launch window.

One of the games announced earlier this year for the PS5 was Insomniac Games’ Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.

You can take a look at the gameplay footage below.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is using the PS5 DualSense controller to provide different sensations for the weapons in the game.

The developers also confirmed that there’s no load times or loading screens throughout the entire game, as well as the fact that the team is currently targeting a “PS5 launch window” release, though the exact timeframe for said launch window is somewhat unclear. The PS5 is still on track to release at some point in Holiday 2020.

Back in action

Ra…

Two Batgirls? Sure, and they won’t be tethered together.

What you need to know

Gotham Knights is an upcoming third-person action-RPG being developed by Warner Bros. Montreal.
The developers have confirmed that two players in co-op can choose the same character.
The developers also say that Gotham Knights is not a games as a service title.

Gotham Knights is a new game being developed by Warner Bros. Montreal. First revealed at DC Fandome, the studio revealed that the game could be played solo or in two-player co-op. Now, through a couple of interviews, we’ve learned a bit more about how it’ll all work.

In an interview with IGN, Warner Bros. Montreal Creative Director Patrick Redding and senior producer Fleur Marty confirmed that if two players want to go in co-op together as the same character, it’s a valid option. There’s no tethering either — players are free to explore the open world in different directions.

Marty also confirms that Gotham Knights is “very much not design…

Coming very, very soon.

What you need to know

The Last Campfire is a new game developed by Hello Games.
It’s a puzzle game meant to feel like something of a myth.
It’s releasing tomorrow on PS4.

While Hello Games is best known for developing and updating space sim No Man’s Sky, it’s also been working on a procedural-generation puzzle game called The Last Campfire. This title is much smaller than No Man’s Sky, though it’s still a large world overall.You can listen to some developer commentary via the video below.

In The Last Campfire, players take on the role of Ember, who has to unlock different skills and solve different puzzles. The story is designed to feel like a forgotten myth. Best of all, it’s releasing tomorrow on PS4, so you don’t have to wait too long to play it.

Our Pick

PlayStation Store Gift Card

From $10 at Amazon
From $10 at Best Buy
From $20 at Walmart

Easy to stock up

PlayStation gift cards are an easy way to grab currency for games, add-ons, theme…

Time is running out to stop nuclear war.

What you need to know

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has been revealed with a campaign trailer.
This trailer shows intrigue and deception as a team is assembled to take down a Soviet spy.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is scheduled to release on November 13, 2020.

The campaign trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has been revealed. Familiar faces like Woods, Hudson and Mason are in, alongside a new cast of characters. You can check out the trailer below.

The campaign appears to eschew open warfare in exchange for a more spy-thriller approach. When we checked out a preview event for the campaign, we found some of the mechanical changes promising but the story is up in the air.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set to be released on November 13, 2020. It’s coming to PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X and Xbox One.

Standard or cross-gen

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

$60 at PlayStation
$70 at PlayStation (Cross-Gen)
$…

Be doomed to repeat your history when you don’t censor trailers properly.

What you need to know

The first trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War had very brief footage of the Tiananmen Square protests.
This trailer has been removed and a shorter trailer uploaded in its place.
The shot of Tiananmen Square has been removed in the new trailer.

While Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was announced with an ominous teaser warning players to “know your history,” said history is already being altered.

As spotted by Kotaku, Activision removed the original teaser trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, replacing it with a trailer that no longer features footage of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.

An exact death toll is not known but it is estimated that anywhere from hundreds to thousands died when the Communist government cracked down on student protestors in Beijing. According to Amnesty International, the Chinese government has never acknowledged the events…