Plus leaked specs for the PlayStation 5 Pro and all the highlights from the Nintendo Indie World showcase
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SIFTER is produced by Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Courtney Borrett, Daniel Ang, Adam Christou and Chris Button. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Audio Technica Australia for their support of SIFTER.
KYLE: Hi I’m Kyle Pauletto
FIONA: and I’m Fiona Bartholomaeus
KYLE: Welcome to Walkthrough, SIFTER’s weekly recap on the biggest news in video games.
FIONA: This week Hades 2 opens up to select players ahead of Early Access launch, we wrap the coolest titles from Nintendo Indie World and it’s looking more and more likely there will be a PlayStation 5 pro.
Here is the news for Sunday 21st of April. Let’s go!
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KYLE: We know that the sequel to the popular roguelite Hades is heading to early access later this year, but good news for those die hard fans because select people will be chosen for an early technical test.
Developer Supergiant Games opened sign ups to participate in their technical test which will include the first major area of the game and some early-game characters.
It’s going to be a very very small portion of the game and a very small group that will take part in the test, although if you don’t get selected to take part right away, there could be a chance you get invited later.
FIONA: The first Hades stayed in Early Access for almost a year and changed pretty dramatically over that time, and Supergiant have said it’s important for them to start their early access with as few technical issues as possible.
We don’t know when Early Access will start for real.
We know however that the test will be more than a week but less than a month. Either way Hades 2 will be out sometime this year in early access so keep an eye out for the release date.
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FIONA: The Nintendo Indie World showcase returned this week, sadly without a Hollow Knight: Silksong update, but there were a stack of new exciting games announced.
The adorable cat game Little Kitty, Big City is coming to the Switch next month. Play as a little black cat trying to find your way back home, but of course getting side tracked with exploring, making new animal friends and sometimes being a nuisance to humans. Plus there are hats! Meow-za. Grab it on Switch, Xbox and PC on May 9.
KYLE: Sticky Business is a chill 2D game where you create and design lots of stickers while making that coin. Try out your artistic skills, pack orders and listen to the stories of your customers as you try to build the best and cutest online business. It’s now available on Switch and includes the latest DLC.
From the developers of Sayonara Wild Hearts comes their latest game Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. In this nonlinear mystery full of puzzles and riddles, you play as a woman who’s been summoned by an eccentric man to participate in a project in an old hotel. Unlock the secrets of Lorelei and the Laser Eyes when it releases on May 16 on Switch and PC.
FIONA: Explore one of Jupiter’s moons in Europa. This exploration adventure game follows the android Zee who sets out to find answers on the terraformed paradise, solving mysteries in the ruins of a fallen utopia. Learn the story of the last human alive when the game releases later this year on every platform but you can grab a demo right now.
The swashbuckling cat privateer returns for Cat Quest 3. Return to the Purr-ibean in search of the North Star, a long-lost mythical treasure. You can team up in local co-op or sail the seas solo in your very own battleship. There’s a demo already available and you’ll be able to continue the Cat Quest series when it launches on August 8 on Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
KYLE: SCHiM is a game where you are a shadow frog jumping from shadow to shadow to traverse a busy city. It’s a puzzle game that takes place within an artistic 2D monochromatic world. That’s out on the 18th of July.
And finally there’s a mystery to be solved in Duck Detective: The Secret Salami. Join the Duck Detective on his quest to inspect the clues, find evidence and use the power of de-duck-tion. We at Sifter love an animal detective game and can’t wait for this one. It’ll be out on May 24 on Switch and PC.
As always we couldn’t mention all the games that were announced, so check them all out in our show notes.
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KYLE: Almost four years after the PlayStation 5 was released, reports have revealed that the pro version is on its way.
The new specs for the PlayStation 5 Pro or the ‘Trinity’ as it’s being called, will include a more powerful GPU, a slightly faster CPU mode, an increased storage of 576GBs, and will focus on improving ray tracing to help with rendering.
It’s expected that the GPU rendering on the new console will be about 45% faster than the standard PS5.
FIONA: Some reporting from the Verge suggests that Sony will have the Trinity model at the ‘high-end’ PlayStation 5 but will continue to sell the standard console after the launch.
As soon as we have some confirmation we’ll let you know on Walkthrough.
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FIONA: Last week we reported that Apple’s updated policies would open doors for legitimate emulators on iOS devices, however this week we saw the first Apple-approved emulator arrive and then get pulled.
A new Game Boy Advance emulator called iGBA hit the Apple shop but it was quickly noticed that it didn’t look like the developer, Mattia La Spina’s own work.
After it was quickly pulled from the shop, MacRumours reported that it was because the app violated the copyright and spam rules.
KYLE: Since the app was taken down, seasoned emulator developer Riley Testut contacted The Verge explaining that iGBA was an unauthorised clone of GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that he created for iOS over a decade ago.
He said his app, which was recently released on Vision Pro, used the GNU GPLv2 licence, which the iGBA did not reference at all.
However Testut has said he’s not angry at the other dev, rather he’s angry at Apple for letting this happen, especially when he’s been working on the Delta Video Game Emulator and been waiting since March for it to launch on the App Store.
FIONA: Lucky for Testut, the iGBA debacle became a distant memory shortly after it was taken down, with the fully fleshed out and up-to-code Delta app arriving later in the week.
Delta offers enhanced features like haptic touch for better control and external controller support which is great if, like me, you hate touch screen controls for gaming.
We’ll keep you updated as this story progresses.
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KYLE: That’s it for the big headlines, here are the games coming out this week.
FIONA: Enter the mystical world of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, a new Metroidvania releasing this Tuesday. Utilise Zau's agility to navigate the 2.5D landscape with double jumps, wall jumps, and dashes, and master combat to unlock new abilities and areas. That’s out on Switch, PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S on the 23rd.
KYLE: Also out on the 23rd is TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants. This enhanced version of the arcade classic now features three new stages and six additional boss battles. Battle through iconic locations to thwart Shredder's evil schemes with up to four players in local co-op. Grab it on all platforms this Tuesday.
FIONA: Coming later in the week is the latest take on the soulslike genre, Another Crab's Treasure. Play as Kril, a crab transforming trash into armour and weaponry navigating treacherous landscapes, engaging in strategic combat, and solving environmental puzzles. Catch it on current gen PlayStation and Xboxes plus Switch and PC on the 25th.
KYLE: Up next is Sand Land, an action RPG based on legendary Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama's manga series of the same name. Join Beelzebub and his crew as they search for the Legendary Spring, battling foes and using customizable vehicles to traverse the desert. That’s coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S and X on the 25th.
FIONA: And finally, Stellar Blade arrives on PlayStation 5 April 26. Take on the role of Eve, battling to reclaim Earth from alien invaders in this intense action-adventure game. Master combat, scale walls, swing across gaps, and explore the remnants of humanity in Xion. That’s out exclusively on PlayStation 5 this Friday and keep an ear out for Chris’ review on Drop Rate in your podcast players.
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KYLE: This has been Walkthrough by SIFTER, my name is Kyle Pauletto
FIONA: And my name is Fiona Bartholomaeus, thank you so much for listening.
KYLE: Have you checked out SIFTER on TikTok? We’re posting some of our favourite stories over there and we’d love to have you on board. Search for sifterHQ if you like your videos short and your orientation vertical, that’s sifterHQ on TikTok.
FIONA: SIFTER is produced by myself, Kyle Pauletto, Adam Christou, Courtney Borrett, Daniel Ang and Chris Button. The episode is edited by both Senior Producer Mitch Loh and Executive Producer Gianni Di Giovanni, who is also Walkthrough’s script editor.
KYLE: Thanks to Brian Fairbanks from Salty Dog Sounds for composing the Walkthrough theme tune, and Audio Technica Australia for their support of SIFTER’s podcasts.
FIONA: We’ll be back with more news next Sunday. See you then.
