For a new copy it goes for about £17 at the cheapest I've seen @RogerRoger so not quite pennies but definitely cheaper then it was at launch 😄
Good to know though. 21 courses was actually a bit more then I was expecting and it seems to have a pretty decent roster of characters too.
I could do with both another Sonic game & another racing game too (Especially as Crash Team Racing makes me feel a little cold with all the Activision Blizzard stuff).
I think team sonic racing was free earlier this year , and the online was (apparently still) busted so i installed the game into the recycle bin 😂 basically
@RogerRoger maybe it’s regional . i remember when the game first dropped people were having trouble matchmaking with randoms , it never found anyone or just a handful of people - but never filled lobbies . whenever it became free this year , i tried it myself and still no luck . i found people but it was rare and it was only 2 or 3 other people & any lobbies that seemed like it was gonna be a full race , the connections would drop .
Has anyone played Sundered? I'm after a Metroidvania to play soonish, and just found out this is on PS+Ex. Not sure how this has passed me by, as it was released in 2018 and I really like the art style! I'm a little bit apprehensive on how fast paced the combat looks, but I should be ok once I've got used to it.
I should probably just download it and play it, seeing as it is on the service!
Life is more fun when you help people succeed, instead of wishing them to fail.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
@JohnnyShoulder Agreed, that art style is really good. It’s not my kind of game but it look great for fans of 2D Metroidvania. I wonder why I never heard of it.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Following a chat with @The_Moose recently, I’m considering starting Dragon Age: Inquisition during some upcoming leave that I have from work. I love fantasy RPG’s generally and remember quite liking DA: Origins back on 360 (don’t have quite as pleasant memories of its sequel though).
Just wondering if people have played it, what their thoughts are? Also, if anyone has attempted/succeeded with the Plat… as it sounds brutal? 😅
@colonelkilgore It’s been a while, but I have some thoughts on Dragon Age: Inquisition.
First off a disclaimer — I never finished it. I probably played it for 50 hours or more and just ran out of gas. It’s been so long that I don’t even remember what exactly happened to pull me away (checking my trophy list I don’t see any blockbuster games around that time that would have been major distractions. The game I seem to have played next was No Man’s Sky 😅) but I think it had as much to do with personal life issues that tore me away from gaming as much as it had to do with the game itself.
I really quite liked the game. It’s a beautiful (for it’s time) game with a really large world. An impressive design for a game so early in the PS4 generation. It has one of the best character creator suites for your protagonist that I’ve played, if that’s of interest to you. And the story is decent enough with some good lore mixed throughout.
The main problem is it’s too big, in my opinion. I think that’s why I never completed it. It’s got a lot of side content to distract, and although that’s standard fare for open world games nowadays, it seemed a little more egregious than most. Of course having just platinum’d RDR2, you’d probably not blink an eye to the content, but for me at the time it wasn’t compelling enough.
Gameplay was good though, with the party function and the relationship building. I like that kind of stuff. I think if I wouldn’t have tried to do all the side questing then I would have completed and enjoyed it more. I remember now that my final quest attempted was a completely optional dragon that I died 3-4 times to and got frustrated and gave up. What I should have done was push ahead with the main campaign but I was being stubborn.
Overall, I’d personally rank it slightly below Dragon’s Dogma but (strangely enough) slightly above Witcher 3 — two other games in the genre that come to mind. But I realize that’s going to be controversial opinion.
I know @RogerRoger has a fondness for the DA franchise and Inquisition in particular. So maybe he can give a more useful take.
I will say that talking about it make me want to revisit it and try again. Like I said, it was more a ‘me’ problem than an issue with the game, I think. It’s been over 7 years now, so maybe I’ve changed. 😄
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@colonelkilgore I am a big fan of the Dragon Age Trilogy, its not quite on par with Mass Effect but I still think that Bioware did a great job with the story/characters and I'm really hoping we do get to see a DA4 at some point.
I'll start by saying there plenty of games similar to it but at the same time it has alot of things different about it that make it as or if not more interesting than many of the games in its genre.
My time with the game was 96hours and its a long story. But I'm a sucker for stories so it was right up my street. Having just played RDR2 you no stranger to long winded stories and Dragon Age is no different, and I don't mean that in a bad way either.
Gameplay wise the combat and mechanics are very similar to alot of other games around that time and genre and if you played any of the other Dragon ages you will feel very familiar with it.
The inquisition part is where the game adds a new layer and I can see why some people didn't take a shine to it as it can some times take you away from the main game but I personally enjoyed it, having to make certain decisions and get certain outcomes made it feel like things mattered.
Overall the games good, or atleast it was for its time, the plat though I'll leave that to you I don't think I'd have the patience, determination or sanity to try 🤣 good luck if you do embark on another impressive plat journey though! If anyone on here can accomplish it I would put money on it being you good sir!
@Th3solution@RogerRoger@MaulTsir
Cheers guys, all sounds really positive fair play. The fact it’ll be a long experience is a good thing tbh as I need something to play (but not yet plat) until GoW:R releases… as I’m already a lot closer to the GTAV plat than I anticipated (long story).
I wouldn’t be able to carry over my previous DA save as it was on my old x-box profile… and I’d have absolutely no idea of the details even if you could cross-platform upload (which I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to do anyway). I’ll be sure to watch a few catch-up vids though to refresh my memory to the lore and dynamics etc. I remember the world and it’s races being pretty deep, which I’m definitely in to. Just not entirely sure about how I’ll gel with the combat. Only one way to find out though eh?
In regards to the plat, I’m currently weighing up the options of a normal playthrough followed by a nightmare run… or just going nightmare from the oft… if I do end up starting it that is. Hmmm, I’m definitely gonna play it at some point but what with sol’s mention of Dragons Dogma and The Witcher 3, they also fit the bill for what I’m after. But definitely food for thought, thanks again guys 👍
@Ravix I apologize for moving the discussion here so I can get into more detail, so hopefully you don’t mind. I don’t think you’ve posted in the forums before, but I do find it a great place for the deeper discussions. The forum regulars are also a fantastic bunch, generally speaking.
But anyways — based on your comments and your game list, it really does appear that we have a lot of common threads of interest in our gaming history. And speaking of history, yes — I absolutely love historical based game settings! 😄 As a history buff it’s one of my favorite genres. So I am a fan of the AC series, and games like Ghost of Tsushima, and the Red Dead Redemption games.
On that note, I’ll drop a couple recommendations for you before I pick your brain about those games you mentioned. First off, you would probably really like A Plague Tale. I haven’t played the new one yet (figured I’d wait for price drop since I’m neck deep in other games atm) but I have no doubt I’ll love Requiem. The series setting during The Hundred Years War and the Bubonic Plague is such a unique backdrop I’ve never experienced in another game. The first game played like a poor man’s The Last of Us gameplay wise (I assume you’ve played that?), but it’s solid enough and coupled with the unique historical setting it’s a solid 7-8/10. I actually wrote a review of it on the user review thread over here if you’re interested. It’s post #2073 and there’s a fair bit of discussion following the review too.
Another decent history game I’ve enjoyed is Valiant Hearts. It’s based in WWI, and is a 2.5D puzzle-type game so it’s not the most complex gameplay in the world, but has the unique setting and even has some mini-history nuggets and old photographs integrated from the war. It’s not very long either, so you might consider it.
Thinking of history based games, I am also reminded of The Council. I was really excited to play this because of its alternate history theme where George Washington, Napolean Bonaparte, and Manuel Godoy (among others) sit on a secret council of world leaders in the late 1700’s. In the end it fell flat for me, but there was enough there that was unique that I felt it worth a mention. It has some really great creative ideas and I really like the premise, but it didn’t quite stick the landing. But if you’re ravenous for some historical fiction, then you might consider it.
Another (and easier recommendation) is The Order 1886. Calling it historical fiction or alternate history is a bit of a stretch, but it’s set in 1886 in a steampunk London and revolves around an alternative imagining of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round. It’s actually a really good game. I can highly recommend and unfortunately it wasn’t well received mainly because of its short length, but for the right price it’s great. Regrettably it won’t get the sequel it so desperately needs and therefore the game’s ending might not be very satisfying, so fair warning there. But it’s an under-appreciated hidden gem.
————-
Now, as far as the games you mentioned, I will say that I have played Witcher 3 and I didn’t rate it in my game list because I really didn’t get very far into it. It just didn’t click for me. I have a feeling it was my mood at the time because it should be right up my alley, but after about 5-6 hours I dropped it. The game suffers from ‘map question-mark icon overkill’ and that sort of did my head in. I’ve always meant to go back to it, and now I’m just waiting on the PS5 remake/remaster to release and then I figure that will be a perfect opportunity to try again. Also watching the Netflix show might help motivate me, so I need to do that.
As for AC Odyssey, AC Valhalla, Stray and Elden Ring — yes, I have all those neatly tucked away in the backlog to try at some point. I try to break up my huge open world games (similar to your method you mentioned) and not play two of them back to back, and I’ve recently been playing Immortals: Fenyx Rising. I’m a little OCD so I’m planning to play the AC games in order so I was going to do Odyssey next before Valhalla. Do you have a preference of which of the AC games is your favorite?
And as far as Elden Ring, to say I’m eagerly anticipating playing it would be an understatement. But I felt like I needed to play Dark Souls first because I worried that playing the DS games after playing ER would lessen my enjoyment of them. So I started Dark Souls Remastered a couple weeks ago and am really enjoying it. I also want to play DS3 and possible DS2, we’ll see. (You should play Demon’s Souls too, by the way 😅, it’s really good. I have a user review I wrote of it too)
Stray is definitely one I’ll play, now that I’ve committed to another year of PS+ Extra. I’ll just fit it in somewhere between (or alongside) bigger games. It’s received some nice accolades and would be a perfect gaming palate cleanser when I need one.
Which leaves the game that I’m most curious to get your take on, because it’s the one I’ve waffled about for the last couple years — Kingdom Come: Deliverance. I’ve considered buying it several times, and now that it’s on PS+ Extra there’s no barrier to playing it except time. It appears that it would scratch that ‘historical game itch’ but opinions have been divided about how it plays and so I’ve held off up until now. But a ringing endorsement from you might tip me over the edge! What did you like about it?
Also, maybe just one more question — I noticed you really liked Far Cry 6. I’ve never played any Far Cry game and I’ve honestly never really been tempted to. What did you like about it? Part of my issue is my dislike of the first person perspective. I much prefer third person. I’m rubbish at FPS, although every now and then I’ll dabble in an FPS game but I find that I don’t do well with them if they’re too long. There’s a few exceptions like BioShock and Titanfall 2, but usually they are hard for me to get into. It’s part of why I didn’t really like Cyberpunk 2077 (I see you weren’t an enormous fan of it either)
Well that should be enough to chew on for now! 😅 I kinda opened a can of worms there!
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution right, I might only answer in part for now, but I'll be back at some point for more detail. But I'll hit a few key points now.
Play KCD. It's absolutely fantastic. On launch it was buggy, I hear, and there's still the odd chance of bugs now, but it's charm alone makes up for anything like that 10 fold. It runs fine now on PS5 and PS4 (PS5 power helps it)
I'm currently playing Skyrim, and I'm feeling that KCD although completely different must have in some way been inspired by the Elder Scrolls game. Certain things are reminding me of KCD, and I assume for anyone who played the earlier game first, they'd recognise some elements when they played KCD. There's something of a familiar feel to the quests and gameplay, and the world, somehow (although combat in KCD is a it more in depth in terms of sword play, weapon choice etc)
KCD, I describe as a Henry Simulator (the character you play) It's an action/adventure/RPG but it's really, really, really focused on realism (as much as they could squeeze in to it and it still be a game) and that can put people off. You're a blacksmiths son, that's a fact, and if you expect to be able to just walk off into the world and fight groups of bandits or other nefarious characters, you are mistaken. So a big focus is on learning, you have to learn every skill you want to be able to do (A lot like Skyrim in a way)
Also, a lot of the time you have to think beyond game logic, which is a nice element. You rely on your own wits, and if that leads to something then you will be rewarded. You can also mess stuff up by not paying attention, or by not thinking of something, but it's not as often as it makes you feel, which is a clever mechanic that makes you consider your decisions, just in case. It doesn't hold your hand and give you a solution or point you with a marker all the time etc.
But the main thing is, it's an amazing immersive world, super charming, challenging but fun, and a very in depth game set in Bohemia in the times of the Holy Roman Empire (King Wenceslas, late 14th early 15th century)
And weirdly it related to another point you brought up, I didn't usually play a lot of First Person games, but KCD, because I put that many hours into it, converted me to being okay with that format again, so I since went on to play Cyberpunk and Far Cry 6 and was fine with those (and now Skyrim)
And Far Cry 6 was my first far cry I'd played and it was just fun for the sake of it (tonally a bit weird with serious events combined with silly fin gameplay, but it worked for me) and I get how if you'd played 5 or more of them before it might be a bit boring, but I hadn't so to me It looked nice, I loved the Cuban (ish) setting. And it was just surprisingly satisfying combat, as I don't play a lot of shooters. I tried to go back to Cyberpunk after Far Cry 6 and Cyberpunk felt horrible to control in comparison, somehow. I also just rate games high if I loved my time with them, even if they are maybe not for everyone or have some flaws. Because that's what matters most to me.
Quite a long comment for just touching on a few things, but I'll add more another time.
Also, I gave up on TW3 the first time I played, I'll go into more detail, but spoiler alert when I came back to it it became easily my favourite fantasy game, and I went on to read the books and loved them too. Show, not so much lol.
When it seems you're out of luck.
There's just one man who gives a f*************ck
⚔️🛡🐎
@Ravix Thanks, buddy! That’s a nice convincing breakdown of those two games which I don’t tend to hear a lot about. I’m going to head over and add KCD to my library straight away. Not sure when I’ll get to it, but it sounds great.
Glad you’re enjoying Skyrim, as actually, Skyrim is another of the few first person games that I really liked. It was way back on PS3 when I played it though, so I’ve lost some of the skills. I do like how it’s less precision based though, and I remember the combat being just janky enough to not be difficult. The dragon shouts and magic had big AOE as I recall. I spent so many hours on that game.
Actually Skyrim prompted me to partake in a whole deluge of fantasy themed games in the years that followed, which then came to a sudden halt with Witcher 3.
By the way, I am relieved to see that I’m not the only one who wasn’t all that enthralled by Cyberpunk. The control and combat was part of my issue with it too, and the mission structure was so weird and I never connected with the characters.
Regarding Far Cry, it looks like Far Cry 3 & 4 are available on Extra; maybe I’ll give one of them a try at some point.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution I'd wait until FC6 is added tbh, although I've heard 5 is kind of good if you're not already worn down on the series (which fits our profile) Pretty sure Ubi said a bunch of their games are still to come to Extra though.
I'll go a bit more in to the Witcher now, as it deserves it. I totally get what you mean, and tbh it was probably my first real foray into fantasy on games consoles (I think) but I couldn't resist the game of the year edition over 800 awards box art and the price of £10 (this was maybe 2017) and I played it, and was plodding along discovering things and it was okay (I had no background on the lore so it was a bit overwhelming) and then I got stuck in a cave with wraiths hunting down some armour and hadn't got a save I could go back to, so I packed it in.
I think after RDR2, which I put a lot into, I was looking games known for their story and character work, as everything was feeling crap in comparison to that masterpiece lol. So I went for it in the Witcher 3 again as one of the things I knew was it's supposed to be good in that regard.
After a certain point it really opened out, and the character work, story, setting and world just came alive in such a nice way. I got to the point where I cared about what I was doing, cared about characters and that pushed me on even in the tougher bits (as I say, I was a novice to fantasy and quite a casual gamer at the time, therefore the RPG elements and combat that those usually bring were quite new to me)
Each contract you pick up is a well crafted tale based in folklore, it has choices and meaning, and character development of such minor characters, so all the question marks became less important, and just things that popped up on the way to doing other stuff which might make it more manageable to someone like yourself.
The love and care for the IP becomes quite obvious the more you play, CDPR put so much love into every moment and it just feels satisfying to play a game you can tell the developers care about. Sure, a lot of lore and references will go over the regular players head initially, but the fact they care about these things makes you care about them too.
After completing the main game, I then tried the DLC's, why not, right? They are included, and my gods, it was like getting two more games added on. At this point you are pretty familiar with the major characters so can focus on enjoying everything else even more, and by the end of it, if you get to the end of Blood and Wine which is a goty contender on its own imo, you just sit back and say "wow" and then buy all the books and hoover them up, and get a lot of the references after the fact, which makes it even cooler.
My main tip for TW3 if you are not sure is: Don't treat it like a regular fantasy RPG, treat it like a game with a story featuring characters that are from another source. Sure you can pick dialogue, influence the story in certain ways, but let the characters be the characters and enjoy them for it. Don't expect to be able to "do a Skyrim" where you can be anybody or do anything.
And take contracts and explore rather than head for every question mark, kind of pretend they aren't there. The basis is you are a monster hunter, so every time you arrive in a town or village, pick up those contracts and talk to the people involved (this opens out a lot after White Orchard) and the main quests will take you around the map. And by the time you reach a certain city you'll be loving having plenty of interesting stuff to do
@Ravix Dang, I’m kinda amped to play Witcher 3 now. I think I just approached it wrong the first time. And I think I had a little unidentified open world fatigue at the time. I tend to be too completionist in my approach and feel compelled to check out every question mark on the map. It ruined Dragon Age Inquisition for me too. So if/when I try Witcher 3 again I appreciate the advice to just ignore all that stuff and do the contracts and main missions. Knowing that it took you a second try gives me hope. I kept my Complete Edition disc so I have access to the DLC and CDPR has already said owners of the PS4 game will get a free upgrade, so I’m all set. 😄
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution yes, definitely go for TW3 round 2. Where abouts did you get up to, if you remember? so I can get an idea of when you stopped. They also added new combat animations at some point and fighting humans is incredibly satisfying if you just cycle, strike, block, strike, parry, counter, sidestep strike, finisher! Throw in a few signs too. I always go in to fights with my guard raised because it makes it feel more like a duel too, and save rolls for monsters and closing distance quick. And always use swords, oils, potions and mutate yourself for perks when possible.
You asked which AC I preferred, and honestly I don't know. Origins started me off on the new style of AC and I liked it, Odyssey improved on that a lot, I'd say, and Valhalla was similar but it felt a lot different because of the setting. Both Odyssey and Valhalla I teamed with listening to history podcasts, because so much about those two eras interests me (Peloponnesian War, Greek Mythology, Vikings in Saxon Britain and Norse Mythology) overall, I probably favoured Valhalla, but mostly because I'm British and it was a beautiful recreation of Britain, on top of the history, I also watched The Last Kingdom, on top of Viking/Saxon history podcasts, so I was in an extreme Saxon/Viking binge at the time lol. I also played both as the correct female variant, (which I strongly recommend) or the (let animus choose option, anyway as that fits the narrative when you explore certain other aspects of the Norse mythology in game) but Kassandra was perhaps a bit better than Eivor overall. Both games I really enjoyed though. Play them in order, but maybe don't try to complete Odyssey 100% as it is, well, an Odyssey, and not one I'd dare to try to complete fully lol. Main story and a big bunch of side stuff that made sense for me to do and that I enjoyed, skip anything that doesn't interest you as much. Which is why the Witcher is so good and you should hopefully enjoy it, there is a lot better writing in the story and side content, and especially the characters, whereas AC is always a bit more lame and goofy and more about the history than compelling characters and quests at times. God the characters in AC games are goofy when you think about it haha. It has its own charm though lol
As for Cyberpunk, I did like it, I was doing a Nomad playthrough and was RPing it pretty solidly. And it was probably the character that suited me most, but I just got bored of the endless crashes about half way in, and by the time I went back, it felt janky as hell, which I'd overlooked the first time, as I'd not played any FPS games since original MW2 probably. Far Cry 6, after giving up on Cyberpunk, just felt super satisfying gameplay wise though, maybe in comparison to Cyberpunk, as they are the only reference I have to modern FPS. I half wish I could go back to Cyberpunk, but I don't want to start over lol.
So if you want to play a satisfying mindlessly fun FPS in a beautiful sunny landscape, go for Far Cry 6. If you want amazing character work, really great questing and the most value in any game ever (until maybe Elden Ring which is pretty stacked with what it does well and boss fight per £ value is incredibly good lol) go for The Witcher 3, and if you want an absolutely charming, but challenging historical fiction with some Skyrim vibes go for KingdomCome: Deliverance. Or if you want a beautiful setting, history and goofyness abound, but maybe too much content overall, start with Odyssey and move to Valhalla later too.
When it seems you're out of luck.
There's just one man who gives a f*************ck
⚔️🛡🐎
@Ravix Some boss level recommendations there, mate! Thanks!
As far as Witcher 3, it’s been since early 2019, looking at my trophy list, so it’s been a minute. I can’t remember the story beats I was doing at the time, so I’ll probably just have to start over. I only have 3 trophies, one for finding Yennifer in Vengerberg, one for learning 12 potions, and one for reading 30 books, journals, or documents. I vaguely remember the first town, being introduced to that card game (Gwent I think it’s called) and leaving there toward the next city and that’s when the question marks hit. I chased down some and I recall being frustrated at going underwater for a treasure and trying to fight underwater. It was weird and I don’t think I was prepared to be attacked in the water.
Another turn-off for me at the time was Geralt comes across as a real dullard at first. His voice actor wasn’t my favorite and I just didn’t understand him or feel compelled to get to know him. It sounds like I prejudged him way too early, as it sounds like the character development and writing is the game’s biggest strength. So I’m sure he becomes more likable.
I felt similarly about Bayek in AC Origins — I wasn’t all that attached to him and he kinda was a dismal crab at first but I grew to like him and appreciate him after a while.
Of those games mentioned, I might try KCD first. That, or AC Odyssey. We’ll see. I actually want to go back and finish Immortals: Fenyx Rising first, so I might have to take a Ubisoft break in between. (You may want to check out IFR too, if you like the Ubi formula. It’s similar, but different. 🤔). Also, consider A Plague Tale and The Order 1886 if you are needing something different in the historical fiction-y realm. But I image you’ll have your hands full with Skyrim for a while. 😄. Also, if your Norse mythology appetite isn’t quenched after AC Valhalla, those shows and podcasts, and God of War, then Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is great, imo. Linear and much smaller in scope, but really deep and set in the Celtic culture / Norse mythos.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
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