Elevate Games

A new PS5 system software beta introduces 1440p support and more. Announced in a recent PlayStation Blog post, a new PS5 system software update is available for PlayStation beta testers. This update adds support for 1440p HDMI video output for monitors and other devices that support it. The game must also support it for you to be able to play at 1440p resolution, but thanks to supersampling, 4K games should also look better on 1440p displays. Gamelists are another new addition included in this update. This feature, which is similar to the folders you could make on PS4, allows you to create and manage custom lists of your games. While you will be limited to fifteen lists, with a max of one-hundred games on each, past that, your mind is the limit when sorting your games. You can also add the same game to multiple lists. This update will also bring a handful of other small additions designed to improve your PS5 experience. All these new features are currently available for beta...

Calico is a casual RPG game from Peachy Keen Games. “You’ll need to channel the right cat-titude in the totally charming and fuzzy sim game Calico. It’s up to you to rebuild the town’s run-down cat cafe. Create your character, choose fun clothes to wear, whimsically decorate your place for cats and human visitors, and of course fill it up with the adorable animals. With magical potions, you might even be able to ride your giant cat to work. This game is low stress, creative, and simply paw-some.” This game is available from August 1st to August 31st.  ScourgeBringer is an action platformer game from Flying Oak Games. “Slash your way through a post-apocalyptic world as Kyhra, the deadliest warrior of your clan. Explore the fast-paced roguelite platformer ScourgeBringer. Attack your enemies and bosses that guard the secrets of the Scourge. The ever-changing dungeon holds mysteries and mementos of past explorers that can help you move forward and, perhaps, redeem all of h...

Discord is coming to Xbox consoles. Discord voice chat is coming to Xbox platforms, announced in a new Xbox Wire post earlier this week. Thanks to this feature, players will be able to make calls or join voice channels with anyone directly from their consoles. It's not clear if this Discord version will allow you to message other users or view servers. Although neither company has made any official announcements, we can still hold out hope that Discord will eventually be made available on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms. This much-desired feature is already in development. According to the Xbox Wire article, Discord Voice Chat will start rolling out to Xbox Insiders today and will be available soon for everyone else on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Mario Strikers: Battle Leagues new update. Earlier this week, the game’s first free update was released. This update brings two new characters, some gear, and a new arena. Princess Daisy can endure knockdowns when she ente...

Stray is a cyberpunk adventure platformer game from BlueTwelve Studio. I’ve played about two hours of the game so far and am a little over halfway through the campaign. In this game published by Annapurna Interactive, you play as a cute stray cat that is separated from its family. Being put into the role of a small cat provides a new and unique experience I haven’t had in a game before. This perspective elevated my experience playing the title and made everything from exploring the world around me to solving puzzles feel slightly fresh. These minor puzzles include opening a safe, obtaining an item for someone, and more. Surprisingly, they are all precisely balanced between being too difficult and being too easy. A dopamine rush and a feeling of satisfaction follow solving them. These puzzles are currently my favorite part of the game, along with the world design. Although this is a platformer game, I wouldn't consider it one because jumping is only a matter of pressing X...

As Dusk Falls (Cloud, Console, and PC) is an adventure game from Interior/Night. “As Dusk Falls is an original interactive drama from Interior/Night that explores the entangled lives of two families across thirty years. Starting in 1998 with a robbery-gone-wrong in small town Arizona, the choices you make have a powerful impact on the characters’ lives in this uncompromising story of betrayal, sacrifice and resilience. Drive the lives and relationships of multiple characters in a decades-spanning story told across two intense books.” This game comes to Game Pass on July 19th. Watch Dogs 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) is an action-adventure open world game from Ubisoft. “Play as Marcus Holloway, a brilliant young hacker living in the birthplace of the tech revolution, the San Francisco Bay Area. Explore a massive and dynamic open world offering an incredible variety of gameplay possibilities. Launch the Hack of the Century and give freedom back to whom it belongs: the people.” ...

Kirby’s Dream Buffet is rolling onto Switch soon. In this new Kirby game, challenge four other players to see who can devour the most strawberries. Each round will entail rolling through numerous obstacle courses with food-related themes while changing into desserts and gaining their characteristics. Everyone will get on a scale after the round to determine who consumed the most food and, thus, who won the round. Additionally, the game will support both local and online multiplayer. Race through each course and eat the most strawberries when Kirby’s Dream Buffet launches on Switch this summer. New loyalty program PlayStation Stars announced. By completing various tasks and missions, you can earn rewards with the new PlayStation Stars service. Some examples include the monthly task of playing a game, or other missions such as winning tournaments, obtaining particular trophies, or even being the first person in your time zone to platinum a new game. You will receive points f...

Now for the games coming to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog this month. These games will all be available for Extra members to download and play starting on July 19th. Stray - PS4 and PS5 is a cyberpunk adventure platformer game from BlueTwelve Studio. “Lost, alone and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten cybercity and find the way home. Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. See the world through the eyes of a stray and interact with the environment in playful ways, as this lost feline adventurer untangles an ancient mystery to escape and find a way home.” I can’t wait to take on the role of a stray cat in this hotly anticipated title from Annapurna Interactive. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade - PS5 is an action RPG game from Square Enix. “This expanded version of Final Fantasy VII Remake ha...

Last Call BBS (PC) is a puzzle game from Zacktronics. “Boot up your Z5 Powerlance and dial into Last Call BBS, the last game from Zachtronics! The Barkeep’s loaded up his retro computer with a full set of puzzle games for you to download and play. No need to worry about copy protection, they’re all fully cracked and ready to enjoy.” This game came to Game Pass on July 5th. Yakuza 0 (Cloud, Console, and PC) is an action-adventure RPG game from Sega. “The glitz, glamour, and unbridled decadence of the 80s are back in Yakuza 0. Play as Kazuma Kiryu, a low-ranking yakuza, who gets caught in a world of trouble when a simple debt collection goes wrong. Then, step into the silver-toed shoes of Goro Majima and explore his “normal” life as the proprietor of a cabaret club.” This game came to Game Pass on July 5th. Yakuza Kiwami (Cloud, Console, and PC) is an action-adventure RPG game from Sega. “1995, Kamurocho. Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, takes the fall for the murder of ...

Inscryption is Coming to PlayStation Consoles Soon . Inscyption, the tabletop card game from Daniel Mullins Games, which is Elevate Games’ 4th best game of 2021, is coming to PlayStation platforms. This version of the game will bring some new features, such as certain voices coming out of the controller’s speaker, as well as the controller lights matching what is happening in-game. Also on PS5, the game will have haptic feedback thanks to the hardware of the DualSense controller. In this game, you awaken to discover that an evil creature has imprisoned you in a cabin with him and is making you play a card game with him. Attempt to escape from this cabin and see where else the game will take you when Inscryption comes to PS4 and PS5 soon. The game is also currently available on PC if you don’t want to wait.  Games With Gold Will No Longer Offer Xbox 360 Games . Starting in October 2022, Microsoft will discontinue Xbox 360 games from its Games with Gold service. This infor...

Beasts of Maravilla Island is an adventure RPG game from Banana Bird Studios. “Unlock the wonder by taking pictures of the elusive and beautiful creatures on a mysterious, dreamlike island. Explore a 3D jungle teeming with unusual and playful life. Climb, explore, and solve puzzles. Use your grandfather’s journals and his trusty old camera to snap pics of otter-crocodiles, birds disguised as bananas, and much more. It’s up to you and your photographer’s eye to help share Maravilla’s magic with the world.” This game is available from July 1st to July 31st.  Relicta is a puzzle game from Mighty Polygon. “Play as a physicist stranded on an eerie derelict moon base. Find your way by bending gravity and magnetism to your will. Buried in the darkness of the lunar craters is a secret that might claim your daughter’s life or change the fate of humanity forever. Solve puzzles in a game where every corner holds a mystery and each step is a challenge.” Relicta is available from J...

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is a run-and-gun action game from Studio MDHR. I finished the DLC and defeated a secret boss on the new island. I adore Cuphead, and I'm proud of myself for defeating the game's final boss. The Delicious Last Course brings new levels, bosses, weapons, charms, and a new character to the game. The new bosses and levels all have stunning visuals, and the animations are a big improvement over the base game. The new playable character included in this DLC, Ms. Chalice, has a different moveset from Cuphead and Mugman and feels wonderful. She has a new super, ground roll dodge, and four health points. She can also double jump and her parry is automatically activated during a dodge. Playing as Ms. Chalice feels unique compared to playing as the other cups because of all these abilities. While playing as her does make the game a little bit easier since you don't have to worry about tapping the dodge button at the proper ...

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time - PS4 and PS5 is a platformer game from Toys for Bob. “An all-new Crash adventure awaits! Dr. Neo Cortex and N. Tropy are back at it again and launching an all-out assault on not just this universe, but the entire multiverse. Wield four powerful guardians of space and time that give Crash and Coco the power to bend the rules of reality and conquer dangerous obstacles in exciting new ways. And you’ll not only play as the wumping, jumping, marsupial duo: experience things from different perspectives with the one and only Dr. Neo Cortex. Play as Crash, Coco, Tawna, Dingodile, or Dr. Neo Cortex and battle bosses such as N. Gin, Louise, Nitrus Brio, and Nefarious Tropy.” It’s about time for you to return to N. Sanity Island and stop Dr. Neo Cortex yet again.  Arcadegeddon - PS4 and PS5 is an action shooter game from IllFonic. “Gilly, the owner of a local arcade, is trying to save his business from a faceless mega-corporation, Fun Fun Co. …...

News From The Nintendo Direct Mini. The Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase event that aired on June 28th featured lots of titles coming to the Switch in the near future. Some of these games include Nier Automata: The End of YorHa Edition, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, and Return to Monkey Island. Some other highlights were Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope locking in a release date of October 20th, Live A Live releasing a demo that you can download now, and the Portal: Companion Collection launching on the same day as the event. To end the show, we learned that Persona 3 Portable, 4 Golden, and 5 Royal are all coming to the Switch. You can watch the event here . Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin DLC. Trials of the Dragon King, a new DLC for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins, was unveiled earlier this week. This expansion will bring new accessories, weapons, jobs, a new category of equipment, and more to the game. The future Wanderer of the Ri...