Topic: What PS4 Games Are You Currently Playing?

@Thrillho I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve ran through Green Hill Zone over the years! It was nice to see Flying Battery Zone though.

Sonic & Knuckles was the only Sonic game I owned as a kid, so playing through it was really nostalgic!

I’m glad they kept the sphere special stages. I’ve always had a soft spot for them. I’m not a big fan of the new special stages either.

@get2sammyb you won't know about them from the demo section. If that makes sense.

@RogerRoger It’s a shame there aren’t more stages from Sonic & Knuckles. I remember that there were quite a few good ones. Definitely my favourite Sonic game from the Mega Drive/Genesis era.

I am currently playing Blue Reflection again! I just love this game so much!

I’ve now gone past 65 hours on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. This game is insanely vast. Still got about 8 cultists and 3 artefacts left. This game will never end.

@nessisonett out of interest how would you compare it to Origins? I wrote a post not long after joining discussing the fact that I personally think it might come down to which one (Origins or Odyssey) you play first as to which one you prefer. I played Odyssey first and it kinda blew me away in all honesty but was then a little unfulfilled by Origins where as I’ve spoken to many people who feel quite the opposite (& played them in the order of release).

edit. also, I think the plat took me around 150 hours... then all the dlc’s (the latter 3 eps of which was class) was maybe another 60.

@colonelkilgore I think I prefer Origins just because the story felt more focused and the map was a little more manageable. I’m still not entirely sold on an Assassin’s Creed game having rechargeable skills either. Don’t get me wrong, Odyssey has been great so far but there’s definitely something to be said for ‘less is more’.

@Th3solution @JohnnyShoulder @Thrillho @Jimmer-jammer @colonelkilgore Still making progress in Nioh, came a cropper against the knights in the prologue/tutorial, but I think I can just run past them, or lure them into taking me on one on one, I have to remember put my medicine into quick items as well, and learn how to use that function, and thus finally escape the Tower of London!

Seriously though, I'm loving the game, getting better at it each time I tackle it, it's an excellent, high-quality strategy-based RPG, definitely scratching that Dark Souls itch.

@Th3solution And yeah, just taking a break from Drake's Fortune, an infinite break haha - I seriously don't like the lack of aim assist in that game. Just didn't work for me. I'm dyspraxic and can']t free aim with a controller in shooters.

So completed Final Fantasy VII remake on Normal, a brief summary while the credits role and the nostalgia kicks in, WoW what a truly awesome game I've just played. I enjoyed playing this game alot and I can't wait to play he next one.

I'll give a more indepth review/thoughts when I have more time.

@TheBrandedSwordsman Ah, I see. I don’t remember aim assist being in any of the Uncharteds, but I don’t always use it myself. I’m also not opposed to using it either. Depending on the game, sometimes the free aim can feel unwieldy. Did UC4 and UC2 have aim assist? You made it through those fine before.

Speaking of aim assist, RDR and RDR2 have a generous aim assist if you’re looking for a narrative third person shooter with relatively easy aiming. At its fullest, the aim lock-on is pretty automatic so long as you get in the general vicinity of the enemy. The story also setting is open-world Western, which may not be your preference, but the games are excellent.

@MaulTsir Congrats on beating FF7R. I need to get to that but I’ve decided to wait on the Intergrade release for PS5. Looking forward to it.

@Th3solution With regard to the Uncharted series, I am unsure about UC2 but definitely found it easier than 1, and I don't think I played it as part of the Nathan Drake collection, got it as a stand-alone a few years ago. In terms of RDR and RDR2, those games appeal to me but RDR seems unavailable on the ps store, unless you can provide me with a link? and RDR2 is going for silly money.

Edit: UC4 and LL definitely had aim assist.

@TheBrandedSwordsman glad to hear you’re enjoying it! Talismans can be useful as well. I used the sloth talisman on a couple bosses I was struggling with. Not quite a get out of jail free card but very helpful.

@TheBrandedSwordsman You’re correct that the original RDR is only on PS3 (as far as Sony platforms go.). You can play it on PS4 through PS Now, but I think I read that it doesn’t quite run as smoothly through the streaming service. Fans have been clamoring for a true PS4 remaster, but I don’t think we’ll get it.

RDR2 can be played on its own, but like a lot of sequels (well, actually it’s a prequel to the first game) you’ll miss out on a few subtle references to the events and people of the first game. It’s definitely not a requirement to have played the original game and RDR2 can be played on its own, even more so independently than playing the Uncharted games out of order.

RDR2 is a really long game though and it has a few pacing problems, with an huge open world and it took me around 80+ hours to finish. The third person cover shooting is quite a bit easier, but the loads of other activities and side quests make for a lot of time wandering the world and slow-paced exploring. It takes a really large commitment to get the full appreciation, so it would be good to check some online videos to see if it would even be in your wheelhouse. The narrative is quite fantastic though, even if it’s a slow burn. And yeah, it’s held it’s price still so might be best waiting for a deep sale if it looks like it appeals to you.

Either way, I think you’re set for now with Nioh. I’ll be curious how it goes the further you get into it. Maybe I’ll try it again someday.

@Th3solution @TheBrandedSwordsman Red Dead 2’s currently going for £15 in CEX!

So I completed Final Fantasy VII Remake the other day but did have to much time to talk about it sooooo.....

Thats how you make a Remake! I must admit I'm someone who wasn't overly keen on all the remakes of the last generation or at least how many there was, but this game I'm really glad it got re made. Now I've played the original twice, once as a teenager and once about 3-5 years ago I my late 20's but this new Remake is my favourite I like it better for alot of reasons.

The characters were so much better, more fleshed out, felt more human, getting to see the other avalanche members was alot better and made the story fell more real/life like. Cloud was so much better, more relatable more personality, while playing through the story I felt more personally invested in him. Obviously the much updated graphics help in this with facial expressions and such. Loved both Tiffa and Areith.

Combat I enjoyed it was a good experience, free flowing but still had that tactical element to it. I didn't think it was ever really challenging on normal(obviously not tried had yet) but it didn't ruin the experience, I think people who don't like challenging combat would be able to handle it comfortably. Plenty of different types of enemies as well so it always felt quite fresh.

Story was I think excellently done, I was abit worried about some of the changes I'd heard of but actually playing the game like I say I prefer this one, the new elements worked really well. Some of the cutscenes where fantastic.

Overall I would give it a 8.5/10, definitely one of the best ps4 games, a few minor things that I would say stopped it being a solid 9, would of liked a bit more control of the party because it felt a bit to linear as in it always left you with the perfect party for each situation, I would of liked to swap in and out abit more just a personal thing, would of been abit more challenging/tactical if you could try different parties, also it didn't really feel like each character differentiated that much in battle mabye it does on hard. Also the dancing chapter just wasn't for me, a real jrpg moment or just catering to the west but I really felt like it took away from the games story and theme, luckily the next chapter is quite strong and pulled me right back in.

Can't wait for the next installment.

@MaulTsir I’m glad you enjoyed it! But what did you make of the ending??

The combat in hard was more enjoyable for me and characters did feel more different as you end up swapping between them much more. The lack of MP means that you end up with more dedicated healers/magic users but you also need to rely on healing and attaching abilities of the characters more too.

I just wish there was a way to save or swap material load outs between characters!

@Thrillho I personally really liked the ending, I enjoyed the whole re-telling alot it also makes for interesting theories of where they are taken the story next.

Also on a side note chapter 17 and 18 are essentially just endless boss fights 🤣 I got to a point where I thought I was trapped in a endless loop of boss fights lol

@MaulTsir My man! Congrats! I agree with everything you said there, what were some of your favorite moments in the game?
Some of mine: Anytime Marlene was on screen, first time summoning felt epic, first time using starshower as Tifa, the museum scene, and the song that plays at the end. Least favorite: I absolutely despise the platforming section with the mechanical hands.

On your note about party limitations with customization I think that decision was made here to make the story more cohesive in the setting of this remake, something to reestablish all the core lore for veterans and newcomers alike. My thoughts are that Square held our hands to reset the foundation, and I feel in the next game that customization will be there to some extent. I really do wonder how they'll handle it though with all the cutscenes and stuff. Maybe a cutscene involving Cloud, Aerith, and Barrett will still play as intended even though your party consists of Cloud, Red, and Tifa. Either way I can't wait and I'm showing up day 1! Happy you got to relive FF7 in this amazing remake

@TraCuz- thanks man, it really was a blast!

My favourite parts: Anything with Tifa or Aerith in they just stole the show on most cutscenes, Jessie was a strong character too. Getting to see a better side of Cloud. Summoning always felt awesome. Loved the battle with the whispers at the end. The Ghost train was a particularly good chapter and I liked chapter 4.

Yeah I agree with you that the party selection was obviously more to fall in line with the story it would of been weired to just have a character show up for battle even though they weren't their, I wonder if they'll give more choice in the next one or if it will be more split parties like the later chapters. Either way looking forward to the next.