Action RPG ‘Project Eve’ will finally debut in 2023 as ‘Stellar Blade’

Shift Up’s long-touted Project Eve is finally nearing release. The Korean developer has announced that the action RPG will arrive in 2023 as Stellar Blade. It will be a PS5 exclusive on consoles. Accordingly, the studio used Sony’s State of Play event to share a trailer outlining the game’s apocalyptic premise.

You play Eve, a warrior who returns to a shattered Earth to rebuild the last city (Xion) and protect it against “NA:tives.” Naturally, there will be some intrigue between humans alongside the usual battles against horrific-looking creatures. The action RPG mechanics will sound familiar, but could be intriguing if you thrive on perfecting your gameplay. You’ll need “precise timing” with combos, defensive maneuvers and skills to succeed against regular foes, while boss fights will demand a more “strategic” approach.

Project Eve has garnered increasing buzz since the first teaser trailer appeared in 2019, in no small part due to its eye-catching visuals. Whether or not the finished Stellar Blade lives up to those expectations is another story. This is Shift Up’s first console game, not to mention its first AAA release. While the company has had success with the mobile-oriented Destiny Child, it’ll need to show that its experience translates well to other platforms.

What we bought: The Cosori 0165 dehydrator mummifies meat for $70

I’m a big fan of beef jerky. Not so much eye-watering retail price, mind you, or the untraceable nature of the commercial product’s precursors — like when you get that one bag that’s nothing but scraps, unidentifiable knuckles and strands of desiccated…

‘Yakuza: Like A Dragon 8’ arrives in 2024

If you’ve been craving more Yakuza games, don’t worry — you’re going to get plenty in the next couple of years. Sega has revealed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon 8 is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC (via Steam) in 2024. While it’s still early days, the developers have confirmed that both Like a Dragon‘s Ichiban and series veteran Kiryu will both serve as protagonists. You’ll see an RPG-style combat system once more, and Kiryu will have his own party.

You won’t have to wait that long if you need an additional fix. Another spinoff, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, is coming in 2023. The mid-sized action adventure (larger than DLC, smaller than a full game) will shed light on Kiryu’s life between Yakuza 6 and Like a Dragon 8. Think of it as a way to both fill out the backstory and help newcomers catch up if they’ve missed earlier games in the franchise.

The games join a remake of the samurai-era Like a Dragon: Ishin launching in February 2023. Sega is clearly capitalizing on the growing success of Yakuza games beyond Japan (including offshoots like the Judgment series). Not that you’ll necessarily mind if you’re a fan. Like a Dragon was generally well received when it arrived in 2020, and these follow-ups promise more of that successful formula.

iPhone 14 review: Not an upgrade year for most

The iPhone 14 series is at once controversial and underwhelming. With its latest phones, Apple chose to ditch the physical SIM card slot but continued to avoid adopting USB-C, and on the non-Pro models there’s still the notch. At the same time, the iPh…

iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max review: Just different enough

For years, Apple has been the lone holdout in a sea of all-screen phones with punch-hole cutouts that house selfie cameras. The black rectangle that sat at the top of its flagships since the iPhone X has drawn some criticism, but mostly ambivalence. Ap…

GoPro Hero 11 review: One change makes all the difference

These days, the idea of a camera just for “action” feels like a bit of an anachronism. In 2022 social media is king, and action is a just one subsection thereof. You only need to look at the last few GoPros, and the competition, to see that brands with…

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 drops to a new low of $130

Android users looking for a new smartwatch might want to go all in on Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 5, but the company’s latest sale on the previous generation may give them pause. Samsung’s currently selling the Galaxy Watch 4 for only $130, which is, by far, the best price we’ve ever seen it. Typically priced at $250 (and often on sale for $200), the Galaxy Watch 4 had been our favorite wearable for Android users until the successor came around last month, but the differences between the two models are actually quite minimal.

Buy Galaxy Watch 4 at Samsung – $130

There are only a few major differences between the Galaxy Watch 4 and this year’s Watch 5. The newer model has a Sapphire Crystal glass display, which makes it more resistant to cracks and scratches, and it has a unique curvature to the underside of its case, which should help provide more accurate health sensor readings. The Galaxy Watch 5 also has a new skin temperature sensor, but it wasn’t active at launch.

Because we enjoyed our experience with the Watch 5, we now consider it to be the best smartwatch for Android users. But make no mistake, the Galaxy Watch 4 is a very similar device, and you wouldn’t be giving up many new features by opting to pick it up while it’s on deep discount. The Galaxy Watch 4 earned a score of 85 from us for its attractive design that’s also durable with protections like an IP68-rating, 5ATM of water resistance and MIL-STD-810H for durability. It has a 3-in-1 biometric sensor that enables a ton of health tracking features, including body mass scans and continuous blood oxygen detection during sleep.

We also like that it runs WearOS with One UI, so users will still feel like they’re using Samsung’s Tizen but they’ll still reap the benefits of Google’s wearable operating system. You can download apps directly from the Watch 4 from the Play Store, and One UI supports gesture controls that will let you do things like answer or dismiss calls with a flick of the wrist or a lift of the arm. Overall, if you’re on a tight budget or simply don’t want to spend at least $280 on the Galaxy Watch 5, you can still get most of the same features in the Galaxy Watch 4 right now for much less.

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