Topic: What PS4 Games Are You Currently Playing?

Started playing Shadow of the Colossus a few days ago. I've already technically beaten it, since a run only takes 6 hours or so, but I'd like the platinum trophy, so I started Hard New Game + and am working on the hard mode time attack trials atm.

A couple of them have been really annoying so far, but they're doable. After that, I'll need to do Normal New Game + time trials, and then clean up various trophies.

I'll need to do at least one more full run through the game to get the speed run trophy, which will hopefully be a simple matter after unlocking the time trial weapons.

@Ralizah I’ll be interested to quiz you on all this when I get around to giving SotC another go… sounds like the plat involves quite a bit eh 😥

@colonelkilgore Yep. Unless you optimize the hell out of your playthroughs, it'll effectively be playing through the game 4 - 5 times in order to get all the trophies.

Usually I snub platinums like that, but this is short, and gameplay segments are segregated enough that I'll easily be able to fit play sessions in between other games.

@Ralizah totally fair, as you say… even with all those play through the overall time-to-plat should only be around 30-35 hours, which is pretty average when all’s said and done. Well good luck with getting it all done and if you post your thoughts about the process I’ll look forward to reading them.

@TheBrandedSwordsman The visual style in Rime is composed of a lovely color palette, simple but varied environments, and is just generally mysterious in tone. It’s serene and quiet, yet rather frightening and foreboding at times. I like the playfulness and youthful feel it has, but it seems to be tackling some pretty heavy themes.

I guess what I like about it is how it’s different from other games I play. It’s softer tone and cartoonish or cel shaded art design is a nice break from the ultra realistic and dark graphics. But I’m still looking forward to Demon’s Souls! 😄

Speaking of — one of the most intriguing things about Kena to me is the beautiful looking animations and graphics. What do you think about it?

@Th3solution Well the studio behind the game was originally an animation studio apparently, so I'm sure that has something to do with the "beautiful looking animations and graphics" it's a very cutesy/cartoonish animated world with all manner of wonders to discover, and if you do play it, I'm sure you'll enjoy your time with the game.

The Hard mode time trial for the fifteenth colossus can bite me.

Horizon Zero Dawn. My 2nd playthrough of the game began today to get myself prepared for the February release of Forbidden West. Since I'm playing it on the PS5, it's great to be playing it in 60 FPS, but it's also great period just revisiting one of my favorite games of the last generation. I got a bit lazy with the side missions in my initial playthrough, so I'll likely play as much of everything as I can this time around.

Uncharted was the big draw for me from PS3 to PS4, but with that series possibly being finished, Horizon is at the top for me now. The first teaser/announcement trailer for Forbidden West is the reason why I have a PS5. Well, that along with Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade.

@Ralizah I think that’s where I tapped out as well. A time trial mode with a game where the controls can be a bit hit and miss is infuriating.

@Ralizah Hey it's been a while, did you enjoy your God of War playthrough? Also the red nose is a nice touch haha.

@render Oh, I did it. After 15+ tries and a profuse amount of swearing. The parts that kept screwing me up were the chest, because the damned thing wouldn't stop shaking, causing me to lose too much time, and then he didn't want to pound the ground with his fists after I caused him to drop the sword.

On my last run, I was able to get him to drop the sword early (before he destroys the bridge) by sniping his arm, and also shot his chest point with my arrows enough that I didn't need to spend as much time there.

@TraCuz- I thought so!

Yeah, GoW was pretty good. I platinumed it. The main story wasn't my favorite thing ever, but there's a LOT of post-game stuff to do, and the game is a lot more fun when it's not bombarding the player with constant talking and narrative story bits.

@Ralizah Solid analysis, story definitely has its highs I wonder what will become of Atreus being Loki, and if Ragnarok will be anything like GoW3 where Kratos killed the entire greek pantheon

No kidding! Those valkyrie fights can be incredible!....and incredibly annoying xD. It really is nice when you can just focus on the combat without using brain power on deciphering and retaining story bits.

@TraCuz- That reveal didn't really do much for me, since it doesn't actually tease the full implications of Kratos' and Atreus' relationship, given the former wasn't actually a part of Norse mythology. Although I suppose it gives us some sense of what his powers will be (shapeshifting, primarily, if they stick with mythology).

If Kratos ends up murdering the Norse gods, it'll be purely in self-defense. He isn't the vengeful, bloodthirsty character he was in the OG trilogy. If anything, the whole game is him reckoning with that aspect of his life (in the same game where you're chopping people in half left and right, lol).

I guess the second game in the Norse duology could go all out with the Ragnarok theme, but considering how restrained GoW4 was in its use of mythological figures, I'm not expecting that to be the case.

Valkyrie fights were interesting. The queen took me hours on a higher difficulty setting. Worst part about getting the platinum is tracking down the collectibles and killing the birds, since the game doesn't feel as well designed for backtracking as it should have been given the trophy requirements.

@Ralizah Well done, the patience has paid off. I’m not sure the controller would have survived as I’d likely have launched it.

I’ll have to reinstall the game and check my save as I’m really keen to see how far I made it though the time trials. Don’t think it’s as far as you though.

So, the 13th colossus time trial is either really easy or really hard, depending on whether you understand how to quickly shave time off the fight.

@render At least once I'm done with these hard time trials, the normal ones should be a cakewalk. Less shaking and fewer weak points to attack.

edit: 12th colossus hard time attack is suffering. Two hours and still haven't beaten it. fml

So, I've beaten the other colossi on hard time attack with relatively little sweat, but I think I'm done with my quest, because the 12th colossus is seemingly bugged on my version of the game. When I grab his belly, my fully charged stabs do very little damage, and he ALWAYS goes underwater immediately following two stabs, no matter how quick I am. Looking online at videos of people completing the same trial, other people are consistently doing more damage per stab and easily managing three stabs per grab on him before he goes underwater. I've gotten his movements down to a science, grab onto his belly before players online do, yet I CANNOT beat this hard time attack trial because the damage multipliers appear to be lower in my version of the game, and he gives me far less time per grab.

Also, the game has crashed TEN TIMES during this process. I've not seen a game crash this frequently since Corpse Party: Blood Drive on the PS Vita.

I've probably wasted four or five hours of my life trying to do this now, but I'd have to grab him 5 or 6 times at the rate I'm doing damage to him, and people online are warning that even 4 grabs is stretching it when it comes to beating him in the time limit.

I hate blaming the game, but when I see myself doing the same things more efficiently than players online while also doing far less damage, I have to conclude something is bugged about my game. I'm not sure how that would impact damage taken by the colossus, but I've stabbed him in pretty much every area on his sigil in order to rule our user error, and I'm just not doing good damage.

I really wanted this platinum, but I'm literally starting to hate the game, so I think I'm done with it now. I might try deleting and re-downloading the game to see if that changes anything.

@Ralizah that’s really unfortunate, been following your journey on this one and it seemed like you’d gotten ‘over-the-hump’ a couple of days ago. Hope you ain’t feeling too disappointed.

As I mentioned before, I’ve been planning on going for this one myself one day… your trials-&-tribs does give me pause for thought though.

@Ralizah Bad luck. I remember the controls and camera movement being a bit of a hindrance but a lot of that seems to have been a design decision. It really does make some of the colossus a real chore to do when you are having to do it against the clock. That’s why I gave up as I felt too much of it was fighting an up hill battle. It’s a shame as I love the game, it was awesome even on PS2. I’ve just got download so I’ll see where I got with the time attacks just out of curiosity.

@colonelkilgore @render @RogerRoger So, I know I said I was giving up, but... well, I'm stubborn. Nothing in the game improved. But I honed my timing to such a razor sharp edge that I managed six grabs and killed it seconds before the timer expired.

OMG what a nightmare.

@Ralizah success against adversity… my favourite. Well done 🥲!