There aren’t as many people playing Helldivers 2 now as there were when it first came out earlier this year, but it’s still probably more than anyone thought would happen. During the last slow summer weekend, a lot of news stories about the game’s supposed decline started going around on social media. These stories pointed out that the game had “just” 45,315 gamers on Steam at its peak in the last 24 hours. In terms of the platform, that’s a lot less than its all-time high of $458,709.

In the months right after they come out, all games naturally lose some of their appeal. It’s a normal part of life, just like night turning into day. Arrowhead will definitely want to bring players back with new content. The company clearly didn’t plan for this much success, but we know that it’s sped up its plans since the game has already sold over 12 million copies.

Helldivers 2 has clearly had some setbacks since it got off to such a good start. The biggest one was the PSN login mess, which caused an unexpected uprising among angry PC players. Sony eventually changed its mind about making you sign up for an account on its network, but not before the game got a lot of bad reviews and was taken off sale in places that don’t support the Japanese company’s service.

While we don’t think the co-op shooter will ever reach the heights it did when it first came out, we do think that it will have a long and successful lifecycle as long as it gets good support after the fact. And in the end, that’s the most important thing for any live service game.

 

That’s right, Capcom has finally made Dragon’s Dogma 2 run better with a major PS5 patch that you can now download. You can now set the “graphics settings” to either high or low, which is the most important performance improvement the update brings. Also, Dragon’s Dogma 2 can now use 120 Hz if you have a 4K TV that supports it.

Depending on whether you set the “graphics settings” to high or low, Capcom says the following will happen: “Frame rates should be better in places with a lot of NPCs, like town centers.” If you also lower the graphics settings, frame rates should get even better. The publisher says that more frame rate improvements will be made in later updates.

In another place, the system for storing things is being changed. Now that you have the patch, you can sell items directly from your storage box, put on armor from the menu, and get armor from storage for the right location as soon as you switch to it. Additionally, you can now keep up to 999 copies of an item, up from 99 before.

Other small changes include making it easier to find Oxcarts in the open world, adding a new way to remove the main character from photos in Photo Mode, and fixing a number of bugs. The full patch notes can be seen below.

The following are the patch notes for Dragon’s Dogma 2 on the PS5.

Adjustments and additions to the storage.

• Adding function to sell items from the storage menu.
• Adding function to equip armor from the storage menu.
• Adding function to equip armor from the storage when changing vocation in a vocation guild.
• Increasing the maximum number of items of one kind that can be put in storage from 99 to 999.
• Adjusting so that when an item is put in storage beyond the maximum limit, the maximum number of items are automatically put in storage.

• Adding the option to turn the Arisen’s visibility on or off in photo mode.

• Adjusting so that it’s easier to find oxcarts in the field.
• Fixing the issue where Venator’s Leggings, Ring of Predominance, and Comforting Neck Wrap were unobtainable.
• Fixing issues that caused players to be able to enter areas they should not be able to.
• Fixing the issue with pricing for precious stones in Vermund being incorrect at some shops.
• Fixing the issue where the oracle’s guidance would not account for a necessary character being dead.
• Fixing the issue where some gathering points would not regenerate until the next playthrough.
• Fixing the issue where incorrect NPC portraits were displayed.
• Fixing issues around opening the door in the anterior chamber.
• Fixing the issue with hair display on characters of maximum height.
• Fixing issues around CPU overload in certain situations.
• Miscellaneous bug fixes.

• Adding the option to change graphics settings to high/low.
• Adding the option to turn 120 Hz output on/off.

It comes as no shock, yet it remains oddly perplexing that Hidetaka Miyazaki, the mastermind behind FromSoftware, admits to lacking prowess in the realm of video games. Miyazaki, the mastermind behind Elden Ring, embraces every opportunity and resource the game provides, leading to a rollercoaster of emotions for gamers, from frustration and rage to eventual triumph.

Like a game critic, Miyazaki shared with The Guardian that he seldom indulges in playing his own games after they are released. He emphasized the importance of immersing himself in the gameplay and dedicating ample time to it prior to launch. However, once the game is over, I usually lose interest in playing it further. I anticipate discovering unfinished elements or annoying glitches that will detract from my experience.

Shadow of the Erdtree has once again sparked the age-old debate between journalists and gamers, reigniting the discussion around the difficulty of FromSoftware games. Finally, Miyazaki himself has settled the easy mode controversy once and for all. The director of Elden Ring approaches the challenges in the game by utilizing every advantage available to him. This strategic approach aligns with the game’s design and enhances the overall gameplay experience.

“I must admit, I am not the most skilled when it comes to video games. However, I approached this game with a strategic mindset, utilizing every tool, assistance, and knowledge available to me as the creator of the game.” The freedom and expansive open world of Elden Ring have certainly made it more accessible, and as a player, I feel like I am reaping the most rewards from it, surpassing all others.

Considering the game designer’s active involvement with the mechanics and his utilization of them, do you believe that die-hard fans of the franchise will adopt a similar approach? Or perhaps Miyazaki’s perspective is flawed, and one could argue that the optimal approach to enjoying the studio’s games is by utilizing the most up-to-date, yet flawed, meta-build. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.