Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games, just posted its quarterly financial results – rather good ones, at that. For those of us that aren’t investors, the good news to come out of its latest report is that GTA 6‘s launch date remains unmoved. No delays this time. However, another big question mark looming over GTA 6 is its price tag – will it match or even exceed the new $80 benchmark set by Nintendo? That question was posed to Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick ahead of today’s financial report, and while he didn’t give any specifics on GTA 6’s price, he did assure that it would be “fair.”
The $80 issue has been one of this year’s key gaming talking points. Nintendo was the first to take that step with its biggest Switch 2 titles. Microsoft then followed suit, announcing that The Outer Worlds 2 would retail at $80 – however, just a few weeks later, it backtracked and slashed its price down to $70, confirming that none of this year’s big Xbox first-party releases would make the jump. Battlefield 6 is without a doubt a desirable, triple-A game, and many thought that EA would jump at the chance to make it an $80 game, but it too has held firm. Despite some now infamous comments from Randy Pitchford about increased game prices, Borderlands 4 (published by Take-Two-owned 2K Games) is also sticking with $70.
There’s a hesitancy to follow in Nintendo’s footsteps, and many believe that the GTA 6 release date could be the true catalyst for solidifying that new top level price across the industry. Speaking to Zelnick before the new financial report was released, Variety quizzes him on whether GTA 6 will target an $80 price point.
“So now that announcement will come from Rockstar in due time,” he says. “Our goal always is to deliver more value than what we charge, so we’ve had variable pricing at the company forever. As you know, the approach of the industry is to launch at a premium price, sometimes with special editions, and over time, typically to reduce the price to enhance the overall size of the market. We do the very same thing. I think, probably more than most, we’re highly focused on making sure that the experience is great, not just because the game itself is great, but also because consumers have paid a fair price for it.”
It’s not the most committal answer in the world, and one that certainly doesn’t rule out an $80 price tag. The promise of a “fair” price is encouraging. But the “deliver more value than what we charge” comment could suggest that the sky is the limit – given its scope, and the fact GTA 5 is still going strong more than a decade later, the ‘value’ GTA 6 will deliver is surely gargantuan. Does that also mean a gargantuan price tag? Maybe.
Until Rockstar actually reveals its price and shows us more of what GTA 6 has to offer, find out everything we know so far from our friends at GTA Db. Alternatively, here are some colossal and brilliant open-world games to get lost in before your trip to Leonida.
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Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is the next high-profile Soulslike game and will be released on July 24, 2025. Like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty – another Soulslike, Wuchang is set in ancient China and will deal with events and figures from the Three Kingdoms period of history. However, the game will also sprinkle some supernatural shenanigans into the mix.
The issue is, in 2025, Soulslike games seem to be coming out every month, and not all of them stand up to Dark Souls when it comes to quality. So, while I get ready to play Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, I realise that one thing is for certain in 2025: the Soulslike genre is becoming thoroughly saturated – and I worry where it’s going to fit in.
The Escapist recaps
The Wuchang: Fallen Feathers release date is today (July 24, 2025).
The game is set during the Three Kingdoms period of Ancient China.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a traditional Soulslike game.
The new Madness system is original and changes everything.
It will not be set in an open world like Elden Ring was.
Souled Out
Phantom Blade Zero is just one of the many upcoming Soulslike games on the horizon. Image credit: S-Game
Now, there was a time when a new Soulslike game made me excited, but now I find myself rolling my eyes at my favourite genre, and with a note of exhaustion, saying, “Another one?” After all, let’s not forget, these games are never easy and often represent significant time sinks.
But I’ve reached the point where I find that I’ve developed a backlog of them to finish, and while I hate to admit it, some of them are starting to feel a bit too similar to each other, especially when it comes to setting and style.
Don’t get me wrong, every time I see a trailer for one of these games, I get hyped. It could be at a State of Play, Summer Games Fest, or any other event. But once I’ve seen a few more trailers for other games that look remarkably similar, my hype is replaced by fatigue, and my excitement becomes diluted.
In terms of upcoming Soulslikes, Phantom Blade Zero, Where Winds Meet, Lost Soul Aside, and Tides of Annihilation all have me as intrigued as Wuchang: Fallen Feathers does, but it’s possible to become full at even the most delicious and sumptuous buffet.
It doesn’t help that nearly every third-person action game seems to be labeled as a Soulslike today, even when it isn’t. For example, sure, Stellar Blade borrowed some mechanics from the genre, but it felt more like NieR or Bayonetta than Dark Souls.
So, in mid-2025, I need something more from my Soulslikes if they are to hold my attention, and while solid gameplay is a must, I find myself valuing creativity and originality more. For me, this is what will be the difference maker for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.
I know I’ll play it through at least once, but will I stick around and play New Game Plus or purchase DLC, or will I uninstall it forever once the credits roll?
This year has already seen a plethora of Soulslikes with games like AI Limit and The First Berserker: Khazan both standing out to me, but not because both were excellent, but how they compared to each other.
AI Limit was a competent Souls clone. It copied FromSoftware’s formula to the letter, even sprinkling in some original ideas, but it wasn’t enough to feel fresh. If it had been released ten years ago, then it may have won me over, but simply copy and pasting FromSoft’s template has been done to death by now; players are starting to notice.
In contrast, The First Berserker: Khazan used the Bloodborne template as a foundation, but built out from there to become something new. While the game was unmistakably a Soulslike, it didn’t feel the need to conform to the rules of the genre and boldly blazed its own trail.
This is what Wuchang: Fallen Feathers needs to get right if it’s going to move the needle. Black Myth: Wukong, another game based on Chinese mythology, also understood this. It arguably did it so well that its status as a Soulslike is questionable.
Back when Demon’sSouls and Dark Souls came out, what made FromSoftware’s games so beloved was that they ignored many of the conventions of modern games and just did their own thing. There was minimal hand-holding and something distinctly old-school about them. It’s ironic, then, that games that rejected modern gaming conventions have now become modern gaming conventions.
They were always going to spawn imitators, and for fans of the genre, for a while, this was a good thing, especially when those games ended up being as excellent as Nioh, Lies of P, and Lords of the Fallen. While these games borrowed heavily from FromSoftware’s formula, in 2025, I fear that even these classics wouldn’t be enough to pass the originality test.
A Touch of Madness
The madness system could be the thing that helps Wuchang: Fallen Feathers to stand out. Image credit: Steam
This is even more true after Elden Ring took Dark Souls and brought it into the light of an open world. After Elden Ring, any game following the old Souls template now feels somewhat antiquated – another challenge Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has to overcome.
But here’s why I’m not letting my genre fatigue put me off playing Wuchang, and why I’m still excited for it: the game’s Madness system. This feels like a truly innovative feature and could be a game-changer when it comes to the Soulslike genre. Here’s how it works:
As Wuchang herself progresses through the map, slaying enemies, her Madness increases. Now, at first, this is a good thing as it allows her to unlock new moves and start dealing more damage, but it also makes Wuchang somewhat of a glass cannon. While she can deal more damage, she also becomes much more susceptible to it, increasing the risk versus reward dynamic.
And that’s not all. If Wuchang dies in this state, then her Madness spawns a clone of her that stalks the map and gatekeeps the spot where she died, making progression even harder. So not only do players need to overcome the obstacle or enemy that originally killed them, they also have to deal with a thoroughly antagonistic clone of themselves – one that also possesses all the skills and items they do.
As a Souls games veteran, this is something that piques my interest because it feels like a love letter to both the “learn by death” and invasion mechanics from the original Souls games, essentially remixing these ideas into something even more challenging.
The concept of being hunted by my vengeful spirit is a novel one, and I’m all in with this idea. So much so, I’m preparing to “git gud” all over again. I want Soulslike games to try and hurt me, and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers looks like it’s going to do exactly that.
Ask The Escapist
Does Wuchang: Fallen Feathers feature multiplayer?
No. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a single-player experience only. It doesn’t feature any co-op multiplayer or PvP gameplay, such as invasions. However, players can fight an avatar of themselves if they die in the Madness state.
Is Wuchang: Fallen Feathers a Soulslike?
Yes, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a traditional Soulslike experience. However, it doesn’t feature invasions or co-op gameplay like FromSoftware’s games did.
Is Wuchang: Fallen Feathers set in an open world?
No, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers features a large interconnected world, but it’s not an open-world game like Elden Ring. It’s closer to games like Dark Souls, Nioh, and Wu Long: Fallen Dynasty when it comes to exploration.
Is Wuchang: Fallen Feathers connected to any other game?
No, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is an original adventure and is not connected to any other game. While the game has a similar setting to Wu Long: Fallen Dynasty and Black Myth: Wukong, it isn’t a sequel to any of those games.
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A new monitor is one of those purchases most people tend to make when their old one either packs in or they finally decide they want a bigger one.
Over the years, I have had double-monitor and triple-monitor setups. I’ve toyed with portable monitors as a second screen and even projectors. Much of this has been led by my penchant for driving and flight simulations, where extra screen real estate can be beneficial. But the problem is, with working at the same desk as well, it also has to fit right for my writing needs, so that means dangling stuff at weird angles doesn’t always work for me.
A couple of years ago, when the Samsung G9 came out, I really wanted one but simply couldn’t justify the cost – you can buy a first car for a teenager for that price – trust me, you can. As tech moves forward, though, we see a lot of prices coming down, especially in the TV and monitor spaces. The speed at which new panels are developed is pretty astounding. All this means that tech that was out of the price range of the masses not that long ago is now more than in reach.
So, in this growing landscape of ultrawide monitors, the INNOCN 49Q1R stands out immediately — and not just because of its size. This is a 49-inch monitor aimed directly at users who want a huge, immersive workspace or gaming setup without the eye-watering price tag of some better-known brands. It’s still not exactly cheap, but compared to rivals like Samsung’s Odyssey G9 series, it’s priced pretty well at a good level. The big question is whether it delivers enough quality and performance to make it a worthwhile investment. The answer, after a couple of months of use for me, is a resounding yes, with a few caveats.
Design and Build
Unboxing the 49Q1R – and it is huge when it arrives. It’s not that it is heavy per se, but with the box and secure packing inside, a second pair of hands is useful to get it to its final resting spot. It’s hard not to be impressed, and possibly a little intimidated, by its sheer footprint.
This is a 32:9 aspect ratio display with a resolution of 5120×1440, essentially two 27-inch 1440p monitors fused together by magic with no bezel gap. The curve (1800R) helps make that size manageable on a desk, though it still demands a fair amount of space — you’ll want a deep desk to get the full benefit without craning your neck. I have it on my Flexispot, and I dispensed with the previous monitor arm I was using and went with the included stand for ease – mainly because I couldn’t find an Allen key. This takes up a bit of desk real estate but is decent and allows height and swivel adjustment, and I had no problems getting it exactly where I wanted it.
The build quality is solid enough. It’s not flashy — mostly matte plastic with minimal Innocn branding (while I’m on the subject, doesn’t it need an extra vowel – what do I know?) — but nothing feels cheap or flimsy.
Ports are generous. You’ve got two HDMI 2.1 inputs, one DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C with 90W PD, and several USB-A ports for peripherals. The USB-C charging is a nice touch for laptop users, and it’s good to see full-fat HDMI 2.1 support for console gamers. They, like most monitors, are not the easiest to get to, and with the sense of this thing reaching around the back, it is not as simple as I would love it to be. A little breakout box would be a fabulous addition. I pre-empted future issues by attaching all the cables I might ever need before finishing the setup, but if I ever need to change it, it will be a pain, I know it will.
As you can see in the image below, the screen is also backlit with some ambient lighting. This doesn’t change with what’s on screen and in practice, somewhat weirdly, even in a dark room, I don’t even notice it is on. I discovered it by accident when I was messing around the back a few weeks into this review. I don’t really understand how they are that dim.
Image Quality
This is where things get interesting. The 49Q1R is a low-cost OLED panel, and it delivers the sort of deep contrast you’d expect to pay a lot more for. Blacks are genuinely dark, and there’s decent colour pop out of the box. INNOCN rates it at 95% DCI-P3 coverage, and while we didn’t run lab-grade tests because nobody but the dorks really cares, it looks stunning in games that truly support the 32:9 aspect ratio on offer here.
The amazing Blade-Runner-esque city builder Distopika, which you haven’t heard of but you need to buy on Steam immediately, is mind-blowingly beautiful spread across all 49 inches of screen.
Having said that, I’ll be honest, the HDR setting didn’t do it for me. It seemed to wash things out, and I much preferred the 49Q1R’s normal settings. Still, HDR support is there, and in practice, it makes a subtle difference in well-lit scenes and games — just don’t expect OLED-style contrast or blooming-free highlights because you won’t get them. Corners have had to be cut somewhere for the price, and this is an example of that, perhaps.
Productivity and Workflow
For work, this monitor is a dream. The pixel density is the same as a 27-inch 1440p monitor, so text remains crisp, and you’ve got acres of horizontal space for multiple windows. Whether you’re video editing, coding, or juggling multiple browser tabs, the workflow advantage is immediate. I have Windows tracking analytics, Google Docs, Discord, and Plexamp up and running with plenty of space to spare. Windows 11 is much better equipped for snapping your windows into place where you want them these days, so fiddly resizing is a thing of the past.
The panel also supports Picture-in-Picture mode, which effectively turns it into two separate displays. This is genuinely useful if you’re working across two machines, like a desktop and a laptop — you can keep both onscreen at once without any external switchers. You might think who does that, but I did and had a Raspberry Pi 5 in one window and my main PC in the other.
One minor gripe: while the on-screen display is functional, the controls (located underneath the bezel) can be fiddly to use. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s one area where more premium monitors offer a smoother experience. You are restricted to a single button, which takes you into the menu. You will mostly use it for on/off, but if you are messing around with PiP or input modes, it can occasionally frustrate.
Gaming Performance
The 49Q1R supports up to 144Hz refresh rate with Adaptive Sync, and gaming on this thing is undeniably immersive. The wide field of view in racing sims and FPS titles feels genuinely next-gen, and you get the smoothness benefits of high refresh, assuming your GPU can handle pushing 5120×1440 at those frame rates.
Input lag is low, and response times are decent, if not blistering. This isn’t a monitor aimed at esports pros, but for most gamers, me included, it’s plenty fast enough. There is a bit of smearing in dark transitions, but my eyes are so bad these days I barely notice — but nothing that ruins the experience.
If you’re on a PS5 or Xbox Series X, you’ll want to double-check game support for ultrawide resolutions. Most console titles will fall back to 16:9 and leave black bars on the sides. PC gamers, meanwhile, will get the full benefit in titles that support 32:9, which not all do. When you find something that does it well, though, you will want to show off your new toy, and settings for 32:9 are becoming more readily available out of the box. This is more of a monitor you will be interested if you game on a PC though.
Verdict
The INNOCN 49Q1R gets such a lot right it still makes me smile. It offers a massive ultrawide experience with strong contrast, good colour accuracy, and solid gaming credentials — all at a price that undercuts the big names in the space by several hundred of your local dubloons. It’s also on sale at the moment in this iteration. You can pick one up for $799 or £586 directly from the manufacturer.
It’s not perfect: HDR is limited, occasional smearing is present, and the physical footprint may be a challenge for smaller desks. But for the price, it’s madness. In the arena of new screens, you shouldn’t be afraid of going with a brand you may never have heard of. You are paying a premium for certain name tags, and, if funds are more limited, or you are simply more frugal with your cash but still want a close approximation of what you get from a Samsung, the INNOCN 49Q1R is highly recommended.
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Since it launched in 2021, Vampire Survivors cannot be stopped. Poncle’s phenomenal bullet hell roguelike is one of the most successful indies on Steam, amassing a 98% positive user rating from nearly 240,000 reviews across its lifetime. That’s for good reason, too, as not only is the core experience infinitely replayable, but a collection of updates and DLC have vastly expanded what’s on offer. Vampire Survivors is easily one of the best value propositions available on PC today, and now Poncle has another one for you. The studio is publishing the incredibly vibrant and kinetic Berserk or Die, which has a truly bizarre control scheme, and it’s available right now.
You’re the last soldier left on the battlefield, and with enemies approaching from all sides, you’ve got one job: survive. Set on a gorgeous 2D plane, that’s the core premise of Berserk or Die from Nao Games, a new action indie game all about chaining together flashy moves.
This isn’t like Castlevania, Contra, Ninja Gaiden, or any manner of classic platformer, though, because in Berserk or Die, you can only move by attacking. Hitting the left or right side of your keyboard attacks in that direction, and the more keys you press at once, the wilder and more powerful your moves. That’s right, you’re encouraged to smash your keyboard to bits with as big a strike as possible. Once you’ve obliterated enough enemies your special gauge will fill up, and you can then shake your mouse and unleash a move that’ll wipe through all the enemies on the screen.
With multiple characters to choose from, and an array of weapons to equip them with, you’ll have more than enough ways to keep gameplay feeling fresh. If you manage to survive until nightfall, you can then visit a lone peddler to sell your wares, heal your wounds, and buy upgrades. You’ll do all this to a soundtrack from Vampire Survivors composer Filippo Vicarelli, too, so you just know it’s going to get your blood pumping.
“Nao Games shares the Poncle spirit of making games that are immediately accessible, affordable, and a bit out of the ordinary; for fun.” Poncle’s Luca Galante says. “When I first met Shibata-san and played Berserk or Die, I knew this was a game that deserved to be seen and played by more people. I’m really happy we got to support Shibata-san and hopefully make that happen.”
Berserk or Die is available on Steam right now, for $3.99 / £2.99. Just head here.
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This new and updated version includes new systems such as Item Merging and a complete Talent Tree to unlock and discover. Also many Quality of Life and visual improvements have been added.
Discover more than 40 weapons and over 180 items, equipment and relics.
When we first got confirmation of this week’s State of Play, Sony’s official description provided little to go on. PlayStation’s first-party output is quite slim this year, but some of us expected the company’s biggest game in 2025 – Ghost of Yotei – to make some sort of appearance.
After all, for a game coming out this October, we’ve seen very little gameplay to get us excited about its big release this fall.
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The good news is that Ghost of Yotei, did, indeed show up during the State of Play showcase. It was so brief, however, you may have missed it. Developer Sucker Punch treated us to a small teaser that left everyone wanting more.
And more certainly is on the way, because the point of that teaser was to announce a special State of Play presentation dedicated entirely to the Ghost of Tsushima sequel. Sadly, we’ll have to wait until sometime in July for that.
The July showcase will offer an extended look at Yotei’s “evolved” gameplay mechanics, exploration, combat and more, according to the PlayStation Blog. Hopefully that episode is scheduled for early July, rather than later in the month.
Boy, that escalated quickly. Elden Ring Nightreign, as I write this, has been out less than a day. So, of course someone’s already put out a video demonstrating a duos mod for it.
To be fair, I guess Nightreign’s devs had arguably thrown down the gauntlet to the FromSoft modding community when the game’s director admitted that duos play hadn’t been a big focus in development and would only potentially get some TLC further down the line.
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Anyway, modder Yui – that’s the same person responsible for Elden Ring‘s Seamless Co-op mod and its various siblings for other FromSoft games – is unsurprisingly the person who’s managed to whip this out in uber-quick fashion.
In the video below spotted by IGN, they demonstrate a mod that’d allow you to hop into a Nightreign session with just two players instead of the usual three or one plucky solo Soulser that’ll have a much easier time once the next patch drops.
“As the modification runs without connecting to the matchmaking server, it is possible to use additional mods during gameplay,” Yui explained in the vid’s description, adding that they “Made it for fun.”
As of right now, they’ve not released this mod to the public meaning you can’t play it. I’d imagine if they do intend to put it out that it’s currently a work-in-progress that’ll need a lot of extra graft to fine-tune the likes of balancing – that being the main thing FromSoft’s had to work on in order to make sure the game works just as well for solo players as it does trios.
After all, more stabby blokes, more stabs inflicted on bosses, therefore bosses need to be able to take more stabs to not die too easily, and vice versa.
If you’re going HAM on Nightreign this weekend, make sure to check out our bunch of handy guides to help you get to grips with it, and our ranking of every Nightlord, The latter’s based on key factors like difficulty, spectacle, and how often they brush their teeth.
Get ready for an action-packed, cinematic zombie horror experience—straight out of the 1980s!
Step into a gritty, analog film-style world where three survivors must battle their way through a planet overrun by the undead. From the dark alleys of a crumbling city to eerie forests, an abandoned military outpost, and a blood-soaked shopping mall, every step is a fight for survival.
Man has fallen. As the day sets, the dead shall rise!
——————————————————————————–
Features:
Use a wide range of firearms, melee weapons, and explosives to stay alive
Dive into a lengthy and challenging campaign—fully immersive and loaded with cinematic moments
Face off against varied zombie types and terrifying bosses
Randomized weapons and enemy counts keep each playthrough fresh and unpredictable
Optimized to run on low-end PCs
Partial gamepad support (Xbox controllers)
Customize your visuals: go full analog film, modern digital cinema, or strip away effects for a raw experience
The company’s decided to ditch the “and friends” tag it had given to different bits of its business, and form a fellowship, as it does yet more corporate shuffling around. It does also plan to actually release some more games.
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As announced by Embracer, the bit of previously dubbed Middle-Earth and Friends will now be known as Fellowship Entertainment. As you might have guessed, that’s the part that looks after The Lord of the Rings, as well as housing the studios behind likes of Kingdom Come Deliverance, Tomb Raider, the Metro series, and Dead Island.
With Asmodee, the second of the three bits Embracer divided itself into last year, having spun off from the company as of February this year, it’s the turn of the third bit formerly known as Coffee Stain & Friends to do the same. Now named Coffee Stain Group, the subsidiary that includes the dev teams behind the likes of Deep Rock Galactic, Valheim and Goat Simulator is being released into the economic wild as a separately stock market-listed company.
“The games industry is more competitive than ever, but also more rewarding if you do things right, and we believe this move gives us the clarity and control to navigate the landscape better on our own terms,” Coffee Stain Group CEO Anton Westbergh said, “We can now focus even more on what we do best—supporting our developers, staying close to our communities, and building an even brighter future for Coffee Stain.”
Right, that’s enough on the corporate shuffling of people’s livelihoods. In the financial results it’s published alongside this spin-off announcement, Embracer says that it’s got “76 different games” it plans to release in the coming financial year. There’ll be “a mix of new IPs, sequels, and remasters”, including Killing Floor 3 and the recently delayedMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, with Embracer expecting the latter to “drive notable revenues but to have lower margins due to shared economics with several other partners”.
Another as of yet unannounced AAA game that Embracer things will have “financial dynamics more similar to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2” is also in the works, but the company reckons it’ll have to be pushed back to the 2026/27 financial year to allow for more “polish”
The rest of the lineup for the upcoming is being filled by the likes of Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core, Metal Eden, and “the next SpongeBob SquarePants game”. Spongebob Squarepants tries to get to the Bikini Bottom of where Embracer’s friends have gone, maybe?
The F1 series’ Braking Point modes have always been an interesting thing to dip into, getting more refined as the TV-drama elements of the sport itself become more prominent. The mode may not be what you’re looking for if you’re in the mood to go all-in on the real-world simulation aspect of the game, or just stick to being out on track as much as possible, but there’s a place – and an audience – for it.
Drama’s always been part of the draw, don’t get me wrong, but it feels more central to how we all interact with our watching of cars going round in circles today. That’s for better or worse, depending on who you are, but if you’re looking for a bit of the dramz to spice up your Sundays, the third instalment of Braking Point in F1 25 sounds pretty promising.
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“When we introduced characters of Braking Point in ’21, and then when we introduced Konnersport – the team – back in ‘23, it was kind of really important to us that it felt authentic,” creative director Gavin Cooper explained when introing this year’s mode. “It didn’t feel realistic that those characters could come in and start winning championships right from the outset.”
Braking Point 3 changes that. Konnersport is now at the front following a winter with some fresh investment and a strong opening test, set to take on the existing real-world frontrunners of F1. Cooper alluded to a “key event that happens early in the story which throws the team into chaos”, and from the brief bit I played, it looks like the ongoing drama of the Butler family long-time players’ll be familiar with is set to still be a key cog this time around.
Following the events of Braking Point 2, Aiden Jackson and Callie Mayer are the driver pairing, and you’ll be able to choose which of them to race as for key races and events in the story.
Codemasters says it’s put a bigger focus on this offering more player agency this time around, with some “different on-track objectives and narrative elements” popping up depending on who you pick. You’ll also get an “alternative ending” to the story depending on which you’ve raced as more often, so we’ll have to see whether those feel distinct enough to be worth trying both.
Jackson or Mayer – it’s your call. | Image credit: EA/Codemasters
I picked Mayer for the first two events I got time to play through, one of which was just testing in Bahrain and took the form of your standard ‘do a few laps to get comfortable with the car and nail a certain lap time’ affair. The first proper race at Imola was a bit more exciting, with you being plunged into the action mid-race after losing ground in a turn one collision with a certain Dutch Red Bull driver (points for accuracy to Codemasters there).
Starting from about seventh, the goal was to get back the podium by the chequered flag and earn some additional points by getting back past Verstappen prior to a certain lap in the process. Since this was the first bit of the game I played, I wanted to get a feel for the car and so opted for about the most minimalistic level of driver aids I can generally cope with alongside a pretty steep difficulty.
It’s fair to say that with the cars up ahead already well strung out given the late stage of the race, I really struggled to make any ground. Knocking things back down made it thoroughly doable though, so more than anything, this was a lesson in how much the higher-level AI is tuned to face either folks running on rails with plenty of aids, or the elite of the elite.
Codemasters says it’s rebalanced the difficulty levels this year, with the addition of a fourth hardness rung to the existing three supposedly having the aim of making it easier for everyone to find their ideal setting. However, in this brief hands-on, the cut-off between too hand and too easy did still seem to be missing in-between that’d constitute the exact best match for my pace. That said, such a thing is nearly impossible for developers to help you nail down without endless tweaking, since everyone’s pace will vary from track to track and condition to condition.
Where will Callie’s story lead? I’m quite keen to find out. | Image credit: EA
Going back to the off-track drama of Braking Point, that new investment I mentioned has come from the mode’s long-time rich guy Davidoff Butler, father of both Callie Mayer and Devon Butler, the latter of whom is now a sort of team advisor after being forced to retire from racing in BP2. Jackson’s in there too, as is team boss Casper Akkerman, but it looks like the relationships between Davidoff and his kids are going to be key to a lot of the drama.
While I’m not all that invested in the tale Braking Point’s been weaving to this point, I’m at least interested to see how this year’s edition advances Mayer’s story as a fictional first female F2 champion; now stepping up for a full season in the big time. Real-world F1, lest we forget, hasn’t had a female driver actually be entered for a full race weekend since Giovanna Amati back in 1992 (though there has been testing and development work done for teams much more recently by the likes of Jamie Chadwick, Jessica Hawkins, and Tatiana Calderón). Shout-out, also, to the all-female F1 Academy series that’s been a part of the F1 support series package for a good couple of years, now.
To bring the tale to life, Codemasters has invested in some Nvidia Audio2Face facial animation tech, which feeds into a more detailed and realistic setup for press conferences and interviews, allowing you to actually watch your driver deliver the answer you’ve picked. Plus, once you’ve run through the story, you’re now given the option to import your Konnersport team into the MyTeam 2.0 mode, so you can carry on beyond the single season of Braking Point, though obviously in that mode’s regular team management fashion.
Though, whether you’ll be engrossed enough to want to do that once you reach the end of Braking Point 3, or whether you’ll have had your fill of the Drive To Survive-ish drama, remains to be seen.
