Board game Catan translates well to a TV screen, more PS VR2 gaming experiences, and getting ready for the RE4 and Diablo IV demos.
Popular board game Catan literally comes to life on console
It’s not easy taking a board game and putting it on a screen, but Dovetail Games has done a pretty good job translating Catan for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
The Console Edition replicates the board game experience exactly, with players needing to build and trade their way to victory by collecting and managing resources.
The game can be played with up to four people, either together on the same console, on different systems, or online with strangers or in private matches. You can adapt settings so the system gets things set up for you or you can design the board your way.
(The Deluxe Edition of the game adds five board layouts that were used in previous world championships.)
At first I wasn’t sure how it would work with the cards that you need to have in your hand. You can view your cards on the screen, but doing so reveals them to your opponents and you can only look at them when it’s your turn.
And then I discovered the second screen function, which gives you a QR code you can use with your smartphone and it puts the cards in your hand on your handset.
It can be a little difficult at times to see what your opponents are doing, especially when you’re playing against the computer and things move fast. But there’s no clock here, so you can take all the time you need to survey the board and refine your strategy.
I’ve gone through periods where I’m very into playing Catan, and can’t get anyone in my house to play with me, so the ability to play with computer opponents is great. I’ve discovered that they annoy me just as much as real people do when playing against me.
Catan: Console Edition is a fantastic new way to enjoy one of the best board games created.
PS VR2 games we played this week: Swords, motorbikes, and monsters
Here’s what the household stepped into this week.
A sword fighting game set in a world that is futuristic and medieval at the same time.
You become Mina, who needs to escape a city on a motorcycle, and armed with guns and grenades.
If you thought Resident Evil Village was scary when you were playing it on the television screen, imagine how those jump scares translate when you’re in VR. Yeah, it’s terrifying.
The PS VR2 version of Village is available to people who have the Gold Edition of the game in their PS5 library.
Demo for Resident Evil 4
Originally released for the Nintendo Gamecube in 2005, Resident Evil 4 is being updated by Capcom for PS4, PS5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
The full game releases on March 24, and features special agent Leon Kennedy, on a mission to save the daughter of the President of the United States from a cult. But you can play the first part of the game now by downloading the “Chainsaw Demo,” which drops Leon into a strange European village.
RE4 was important and influential. As a Resident Evil game it left some of the horror behind in favour of third-person shooter mechanics, but kept much of the resource management that has been so much a part of the franchise.
Diablo IV open beta runs this weekend and next
The next two weekends are your chance to get an early look at Diablo IV, the next level action role-playing dungeon crawler from Blizzard.
The game, coming to PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, officially releases on June 6, but people who snagged themselves a code for the early access, or those who have preordered the game, can begin levelling up starting on Friday, March 17, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
That first beta ends on Monday, March 20 at noon, but another pre-release session begins on Friday, March 24 at 9:00 a.m. PT and running through until noon on Monday, March 27.
That second beta is open to everyone.
One the first weekend, only the barbarian, rogue and sorcerer are available classes to choose from. The druid and necromancer will be added to the roster for the second weekend.
You’ll only be able to play up to level 25 and note that you will not be able to transfer your progress over to the final version of the game. So enjoy yourself, but don’t get too invested in that character.
You can learn more about what the Diablo IV beta will bring at the Blizzard blog.
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