16BitHero

The only acceptable PS5 version of PS4 games are ones that were either free upgrades like Cyberpunk or $10 like Ghost of Tsushima. They made sense because you could enjoy a much better/stable frame rate. Xbox's fps boost tech however is something Sony should have done instead of shoving paid upgrades or full price remakes/remasters from only a few years ago in our laps. I agree that the pandemic likely played a big part in this generations woeful number of new ips and exclusives but I hope this trend ends soon and we can look forward to more creativity and fresh ideas at AAA level (AA and indie games are still generally flourishing in my opinion).

Can't wait for Death Stranding 2. I'm a recent Kojima convert (only played through MGSV and Death Stranding PS5 edition) - he truly has a unique vision for his style of games.

@Titntin Same, I've been gaming since the late 80's and while I know there are some unsavoury aspects of gaming, there is truly something for everyone and this is only going to continue and evolve. If something isn't for me, I don't complain, I move on to what does interest me. Some of our favourite franchises and ips might pivot in ways we're not happy about but that's the same with literally everything in life through generational change. Don't dwell on it. Find what is worth your time, what you do enjoy. As you mentioned - my personal buzzword for this generation is BACKLOG.

Sony and Nintendo have different target audiences. Many gamers own both consoles as they have decidedly different catalogues when it comes to 'console sellers'. It's my impression that younger generations don't favour power and graphics as much as more established gaming generations. There are as many female gamers in the younger generations now too so I'd be interested to see statistics on console choice and other gaming habits across a wide age spectrum. Mobile gaming has proven that handheld is here to stay. Sony are only competing with Microsoft for now but that could change as the generations shift. Despite industry upheaval, a serious lack of first party exclusives this gen and a relentlessly hard to please gamer base, I can say that we've never had such overwhelming choices as gamers - including Xbox players.

Situation sounds similar to the PS5 version of Ghost of Tsushima - mostly unnecessary unless they're trying to court a significant number of newcomers to the franchise. Both of these games' PS4 versions run on PS5 at 60fps and look sublime on a 4K TV.

This might actually sell less than PSVR 2. A mostly pointless hardware endeavor. I'll wait for PS6.

Looking forward to some Whipping only speed runs.

As an adult who rarely games online these days and has an astonishingly robust backlog, I always wait for sales and discounts. I can understand younger folks buying day one if they're in school surrounded by peers or play online frequently. I also get that some folks just want certain games day 1 and to be fair, a 30 plus hour game that is thoroughly enjoyed is worth whatever an individual is willing to pay for it. I think price hikes are par for the course considering how quickly the discounts come now. Companies want to rake in that initial cash knowing the majority of us won't be paying full price anymore.

It's worth bearing in mind that games like Street Fighter 2 on Sega Mega drive were £59.99 back in the early 90's. I'd say we get a lot more value nowadays. The single most cynical and ongoing farce in gaming is charging console gamers to play online necessitating a subscription.

@Andy22385 @nessisonett I'd argue the majority of the best looking games for PS5 can hit 60fps - GOW, LOU, Horizon, Spider-Man, COD campaigns etc Developers are letting gamers down, not the hardware. If they're pushing for the latest graphical techniques but can't hit 60 fps then those should probably be left to PC development only. Just my opinion.

A 'free to play' style game at full price. No surprises here.

@AhmadSumadi @NEStalgia As I finally play through Ragnarok for the first time these past few weeks, I'm glad I'm not the only one to feel this way. It's objectively a magnificent game with staggering visuals, excellent voice acting and top class mechanics. The last GOW was fantastic but I don't remember pining for the original series like I am now. The pacing, atmosphere and character elements are all markedly different. I know that was the point and I'm still glad they shook things up and evolved the series but we can still be nostalgic for a shorter, darker, less character driven bit of chaotic and epic mayhem right?

@NEStalgia All fair points, I just like the freedom to move in roomscale apps without the concern for tripping over a cable. Saying that, Asgards Wrath 1 actually looks better than 2 due to the spec compromises of Quest 3 being standalone. I will say if you have good bandwidth then streaming Half Life Alyx for example, looks really incredible. I think as things stand VR is still an emerging technology which means compromises are made for the sake of accessible pricing. I'm nonetheless excited to see where it goes from here.

@HotGoomba I second this. I was definitely a doubter from the moments I returned both PSVR and PSVR 2 after two week trial periods (thanks anyway Sony). For reasons I can't really remember I took the plunge again with Quest 3 and I've never looked back. VR is in a good place at the moment, the variety of games was always an issue but we're seeing some incredible experiences now beyond the gimmicky stuff most people think of. The mixed reality mode is brilliant for a lot of apps like fitness and sports like boxing and table tennis, the latter of which has just incredible physics. I'll never get bored of mini golf and then you've got contemporary masterpieces like Asgards Wrath 2, a fabulous amalgamation of God of War and Breath of the Wild with a runtime to match. I did feel the effects of motion sickness at first but the accessibility options are brilliant for most titles. I'm more likely to put the headset down because I'm sweating rather than feeling nauseous and that's mostly my humid apartment. The library for Quest is excellent and even better if you've got a PC. Microsoft Flight Simulator in VR is truly wondrous. Software sales are frequent, games are good value and I think the medium is here to stay no doubt about it. Sony should have 1 made the device less expensive and 2 made it stream from PS5 rather than have that old fashioned wire running across your room. It was a smart move to eventually make it compatible with PC but the pancake lens' of Quest still give it a huge advantage in my opinion. Anyway, if you made it through this comment, never say never to VR is my humble advice as a gamer of 35 years.

I generally game more in the summer - I work at a school in NYC so I have two months off but then it's warm and humid outside so I like to stay at home gaming/reading/playing the Sax with the AC blasting away! Working on my backlog currently and my goodness is GOW Ragnarok gorgeous.

Hard to disagree, it deserved all it's game of the year awards and will go down as an all time classic. I wasn't a turn based RPG or D&D gamer at all but this game has converted me. It's why we play games, for escapism, immersion and storytelling beyond what TV and film can do and altogether different from a good book. Simply outstanding.

It actually led me to giving Wasteland 3 a try and I'm almost finished - another highly detailed turn based RPG with immersive writing - recommended if you are interested in anything post apocalyptic.

@PlayStation_Dawg1994 My thoughts exactly! Hopefully this dev have taken note from those two outstanding games. Double Dragon on NES and SOR on Genesis have a special place in my gaming history.

@Kraven thanks for the reply, I'll definitely check it out soon enough. The reviews were very strong even with the initial performance issues so I figured there there must be a great game here.

@Kraven How does the world building and dialogue compare to say Witcher 3? (Still my action RPG standard bearer after all these years despite some aged aspects). I'm really tempted by DD2 once they fix the performance issues across the board. Tried the demo this past weekend and wanted more from a current gen title re frame rate and fidelity.

I was excited to try the demo this past weekend. Turned off VRR to get rid of the flickering some of us were experiencing. It's so poorly optimized on console and PC. Strange considering it's not particularly impressive graphically or technically. The game itself seems like fun so hopefully they continue to patch or maybe it's another Cyberpunk and the next console will run it better. My PS5 and RTX 3070 sure as hell can't satisfactorily.

My backlog has seen me have maybe four larger/longer games on the go simultaneously for the first time which isn't as bad as I thought providing I can keep up with characters and story in each. This weekend however I'm committing to one, Wasteland 3 on Gamepass. Another gem I somehow overlooked until I watched the SkillUp video and decided to give it a go. Recommended!

@Decoy_Snake another comment that desperately needed 'imo'

@Platinum-Bucket I do agree with this well articulated opinion, but it makes my comment above it look like a cop out. Which I suppose is true. As a fantasy fan I'd love to experience less punishing versions of From games but hey.

I'm all for the developers creative vision to be realized in the way they see fit. That's art. It's not going to cater to everyone and that's ok. While I understand the need for accessibility - I personally love the art style and atmosphere of From Software games but after trying Bloodborne and Elden Ring several times, I simply realized they weren't for me - we all have access to YouTube and Twitch where we can watch a playthrough with no commentary. I think this is the next best thing for these scenarios and also a great way to 'try before you buy' or revisit great games you may no longer own or currently have downloaded.

We said 'completed' games when I was younger. I always thought 'beaten' was an Americanism that got adopted by the gaming community elsewhere. It sounds like too much of an achievement when we're talking about video games but I suppose some are deserving of the term (Ghouls n Ghosts back in the day, Souls games today).

@Mustoe Every gaming site has what some may perceive as clickbait articles, Push Square and Pure Xbox as many as anyone else. It's a crowded space with a real decline in good journalism and more of a focus on baiting opinion pieces (see PC Gamer). I still appreciate the news and reviews but Eurogamer is one of the few remaining to have really decent articles as infrequent as they may be.

@Malaise @lindos To be fair, with games like this you really have to buy into the world they've created. Even if you're ok with zero combat yet fabulous RPG elements; if the world building itself doesn't grab you then you won't (and shouldn't) continue playing. There are after all, plenty of other great games out there for every taste/interest.

@Batesy125s Agreed. I really didn't think this game would be for me nor did I previously consider Kojima until a friend persuaded me to give them a try. I count Disco and Death Stranding as two of my favourite games of all time now. I think the description 'pretentious' will become more commonplace as video games evolve into a much more varied art form. The other thing to consider is that we, as humans, have very much entered the early to mid stages of 'Idiocracy'. That film has gone from enjoyable comedy to depressing prophecy. Nowhere in the world is untouched seemingly. Thank goodness we can escape into great games occasionally! (This is in no way meant to be an affront to other genuinely informed opinions).

@nessisonett Hopefully the 2K/FIFA rumours are true, not that I have any love for either of those but competition is important regardless.

@themightyant Ooof! It's a bonafide 9. A brilliant sequel, updated just enough but not too much with a fresh art style and once again and most importantly, an incredible original soundtrack.

Both games are brilliant and the sequel introduces enough new mechanics and some great philosophical interactions with your robot buddies to keep things fresh. The biggest surprise however is how visually stunning the second game is, even at 60fps, it's utterly gorgeous and what I'm hoping future RPG open worlds aspire to. Considering it's a small indie team that accomplished these graphics, I'd imagine we're in for a real treat with forthcoming AAA games.

If the combat is as good or even better than Asgards Wrath 2 then it could be brilliant.

Spider-Man and Batman are the only comic book heroes I pay attention to in film or gaming - they've always been my favourite but I've been waiting for a decent sale price for Spidey 2 forever. I made the mistake of buying Ragnarok at full price while I had (an ongoing) backlog of great games and have only just started that adventure. First world problems. One thing I dislike about sequels in the action game genre is having to upgrade abilities all over again - this is often explained with a story element like the Fimbulvetr winter in Ragnarok. I understand why but grrrrr.

@itsfoz This is still THE current gen game in my opinion. Microsoft should definitely share it with PlayStation gamers. That could be a nice little boost for PSVR 2 also. Get yourself a Thrustmaster T Flight Hotas X (or something more expensive) for it.

@Vivisapprentice The Ori games are two of the best platformers of all time for me. Microsoft have nothing to lose by sharing them with PlayStation gamers.

Thus why COD is such a financial behemoth. In 2024 they are still cynically charging $70 for an (admittedly addictive and mechanically sound) game that also has among the most lucrative micro transactions in the industry. The campaigns while visually bombastic, have been fairly shallow 4-6 hour afterthoughts for a long time now so I don't think they justify the cost of entry.

Helldivers 2 is an exemplary example of a live service game in my opinion.

@playstation1995 Love the classic TV comedies. Let's go Knicks tomorrow! Celtics v Knicks could be an epic series.

I'm trying out Fallout 4 on PS5 for the first time. I've never finished a Bethesda RPG (I got bored of Starfield) plus...

Asgards Wrath 2 on Quest 3

Helldivers 2 on PC

Let's Cook Together/Don't Starve Together with wifey on Series X

Paused: Baldurs Gate 3, Talos Principle 2, Deliver Us Mars

The backlog is real: GOW Ragnarok, Jedi Survivor.

@Kevw2006 Fair point, it'll be interesting to see how it all pans out. This is a very 'disruptive' period on the history of video games!

As Microsoft owns COD now, PS5, PC, Mobile etc - all equal revenue (*some PC players will likely opt for Gamepass). My guess is that Gamepass will see a new subscriber spike that will last many months with most COD players buying the game for multiplayer.

@The_Pixel_King Coincidentally I also couldn't care less about trophies and achievements in games but I definitely wanted to 100% GOT.

My favourite exclusive of the last gen. Stunningly beautiful art style, very accessible and just deep enough combat without the Souls like precision in every encounter. It has a good story and despite having a typical open world quest format, it does enough to differentiate itself and never becomes dull or boring. If you can read quickly, I recommend Japanese dialogue with English subtitles. The online stuff was pretty fun too. I'm glad PC players get to experience this magnificent game!

I'll give this a go because...I grew up with 16 bit American Football games but always liked Mutant League Football the best (being a White Dwarf/Warhammer kid). After moving to NYC I still couldn't really get into the NFL but then I had a stint in Tallahassee. Wow, college football is BIG. With multiple stadiums seating over 100,000 and entire towns' economies reliant on just 7 home games per season, the atmosphere is infectious. You could argue the games are more entertaining than pro football too as they take more risks and make more mistakes at college level. I'm glad the players will finally be compensated as they are risking a lot considering the billions TV networks make airing college sports.

Disrupting the established live service games takes some doing. In recent times only Helldivers 2 has managed to do that as far as I can tell. It's bringing something new to the table with third person co-op plus the devs made the most fun multiplayer game in a long long time in my opinion. To be fair I'm more of a single player gamer and fell off Fortnite after a week although I put several years into Warzone. The market is saturated at this point so introducing something new is very risky indeed.

I'm finally playing through Deliver Us Mars which I recommend for anyone who enjoyed Deliver Us The Moon. Baldurs Gate 3 will be continued when I'm ready for a longer play session as will Asgards Wrath 2. Happy weekend y'all!

@somnambulance Edit: I see someone else already made this point so feel free to disregard the following...GTA V is like a Disney film. There are always more young people and when 'coming of age', allowed by their parents to buy it. There ain't no GTA 6 yet and 5 is always on sale. That's my two pence anyway!

@Balosi I second this. I'd contribute to a Kickstarter.

The motor cycle worked well for Days Gone, if we get a modest sized map like that filled with temples, tombs and ruins then consider me interested.

It's the most fun multiplayer games of all time in my opinion (plus thirty five years of gaming experience).. Sure there are deeper multiplayer games and pvp can be particularly engrossing if done well but HD2 just ticks so many boxes and importantly, it's evolving.

I returned both PSVR 1+2 after a two week trial period. Decent hardware but lacking support overall. Quest 3 is an excellent bit of hardware, standalone or paired with a decent PC. Sales are impressive and the VR market is really picking up after serious stagnation during and after the pandemic. I was a VR sceptic but games like Half Life Alyx, Asgards Wrath 2 and Microsoft Flight Simulator really show what it's capable of, not to mention all the fun/unique/quirky games which are priced accordingly. I wish Sony and Microsoft somehow allowed third party headsets to cater to a VR ecosystem on their consoles - maybe in a future gen. I'm not generally a fan of exclusives.

@djlard In a perfect world ID software would make that game!