Reddit user Interesting-Squash81 received their physical PS5 copy of the game early, but when they tried to play the game they got an image simply showing the game’s logo and its December 7, 2023 release date. The user then tried to change the date and time on their console and launch the game offline, but they were still shown the same image.
It appears that the game won’t continue until it’s been verified online – perhaps requiring a day one patch, or simply just performing an online check to see if the release date has passed.
This is reinforced by a small message on the front of the game’s final box art, which reads: “Internet required to install the game.” This message reportedly wasn’t on the early box art shown during the pre-order process.
