Ainu20

That's a pretty unusual and unexpected development, but a welcome one. I do wonder how much of the team they've managed to keep together and what we can expect from them without Mikami's creative leadership. But for now, a talented and creative studio lives on to fight another day, and that can only be celebrated in this industry.

@Frmknst Bit over the top. When I read "everything wrong with games", I expect microtransactions, battle passes, loot boxes, mandatory online, perhaps open-world, etc. Not a bit of harmless, dumb fun.

@trev666 Well then they'll just have to fix the playtime counter. Can't be rocket science.

@Titntin It's a good suggestion, but no minimum will ever be perfect. Some would argue 5 hours isn't nearly enough in a large, epic RPG. Persona 5 for example may take up to 10 hours to get past what is essentially a massive tutorial.

Wathever they decide, they should definitely include the playtime next to each review verdict, like Steam currently does. It doesn't help with aggregate scores, but at least it provides context to each individual review.

@Flaming_Kaiser I think 15 minutes is enough to leave a perfectly valid review of a game like My Name Is Mayo. That seems like an extreme example, but these games exist and deserve reviews just like anything else. Just to illustrate that it isn't that simple.

It works well enough on Steam, it can work here as well. I think it's a good idea. Obviously should be limited to people who actually have the game in their library. Beyond that, a time minimum is tricky.

Some games legitimately only take about 1 to 2 hours to complete, like A Short Hike for example. I do think there should be some sort of minimum, but more in the region of 15-30 minutes than the 3-5 hours I've seen suggested here. That should be enough to deter a lot of trolls.

As a cheap title at discount, I enjoyed The Order. A big misstep was leaving the story so unfinished, as if it was only part 1 in a larger story.

That's fine if you're an established studio who virtually guarantees success, but in this case it was really disappointing. I left me pretty damn unsatisfied when it was over, despite liking it.

@Tevor That seems a little extreme. I don't know what they said exactly, but surely you should be able to continue your game in progress. They probably meant that to get the maximum out of the update, it's best to start a fresh save. That's usually how these things are.

It would be better if you could completely turn off updates on a game by game basis though, unless they're online games.

@nessisonett Yeah, there's no doubt a remake of the first would be a significantly larger undertaking. It's pretty rough not just in its presentation and movement, but also its pacing. I guess that's part of its charm though.

SH2 could be a straightforward remake and still feel fairly modern, which is probably what we're getting.

@riceNpea I don't buy it either. The PC adapter and missing features make it feel pretty half baked.

If that's true, then the decision to not launch it as such or at least communicate that plan from the start is baffling. There's no doubt it would've sold much, much better at launch if it was also marketed as (future) PC compatible.

@nessisonett Oh wow, I actually played and finished that game back on the Wii and completely forgot that it was a reimagining of the first one.

I disagree it's similar to Resident Evil though. The remake of Resident Evil 1 perfected everything the classic Resi games tried to do and, even despite how good the later remakes are, is probably the definitive classic horror game.

That's definitely not the case with Shattered Memories, which is a complete reimagining that doesn't even resemble a Silent Hill or survival horror game in general anymore. It's an extremely niche game. The REmake 1 treatment is basically what I'd wish for Silent Hill 1.

@Ralizah As a fan of the series, I agree the original Silent Hill would've made for a much more interesting remake target. It's the one game that needs it the most and it comes with a lot less bagage; Silent Hill 2 is seen as something sacred and heavy criticism is almost unavoidable.

Unfortunately, Konami just went for the most popular entry in the series, instead of the one that would benefit the most. I fear this remake needs a minor miracle to be successful, meaning any further remakes, including the first game, are not very likely.

Ooh nice, had this on my list for the Steam Deck but I always prefer playing on the big screen. I'll hold off until the PS5 release.

Why should anyone lend credence to a supposed interview with an "unnamed employee" from a Chinese studio, conducted by a Brazilian website? That's about as vague and untrustworthy as anything I could come up with. It's a bit silly that the studio even needs to provide an official statement about such an allegation.

This isn't exactly Jason Schreier-esque investigative journalism, is it?

I'd prefer a third entry in the Judgement series to be honest, but I guess that wouldn't necessarily count as surprising. And I'm not even sure they consider that part of the Like a Dragon franchise.

Been playing Playstation games since the mid 90s and I've got a lovely 2/10 to show for it. I need to have a conversation with my brain.

I have fond memories of bringing my PS1 along on holiday (how did my parents ever allow this?) and playing this off of a demo disc as a kid. Ended up never playing the full game, so maybe the time has finally come.

@Yousef- So the full name would be Game of the Rear: Lollum? Yeah that actually sounds about right.

Genre defining, huh? Well, at least they're setting realistic goals.

@riceNpea Hades is an interesting example, because on top of very good gameplay, it also features exceptional writing and world building. I would actually say the latter was what kept me invested, much more so than the gameplay.

@BusyOlf

Because last month you rightly reported how poor it was

And you've had access to the final product to be able to judge that they "rightly" reported that?

Ubisoft, for all their faults, still know how to craft competent video games. Some of them are even good. It's not inconceivable that a bunch of journalists now had access to a preview build that is substantially better than the previous vertical slice and genuinely have a more positive opinion about the game as a result.

It's a remaster of a 15 year old, niche game in an extremely crowded indie scene, that didn't have all that much marketing behind it. What did he expect?

Sure, the people who were there when it launched and helped kickstart the indie scene still remember it fondly, but I also wonder how many of those feel the need to replay it. I know I don't, and I liked it back then. Feels like he didn't do enough to reach a new audience.

Square Enix is not perfect, but their commitment to releasing (substantial) demos is admirable. Are they the best at it in the modern era?

@NEStalgia I don't disagree with any of that, but that still doesn't make it a cash grab. I know it's not you who said that, but that was the gist of my post.

It's clear Sony didn't want to subsidize this like they usually do with their hardware, because they never expected to sell that much software on it. Just a poorly managed product all around, but still not without its merits.

@KundaliniRising333 Sony have handled the PSVR 2 very poorly, but in what world can it be considered a cash grab? There's no doubt it was expensive at launch, but considering the cost of the components, it was a fair price.

The problem is that it was a premium, tethered headset with almost non-existent first party support. An excellent piece of tech in itself, just without much reason to invest in it.

It looks stunning and what little gameplay we've seen definitely looks promising, but I can't help but feel a little wary when an unknown studio comes up with a triple A looking game like this. I'm keeping my enthusiasm in check until we get a deeper look at it.

Simple but instantly recognisable, this seems like a winner to me. I'd love to get one, but I fear it'll be sold out quickly.

This always had the look of a meme game to me, similar to something like I Am Bread. The art style does seem more appealing though.

@Tevor I'm surprised yours is the only comment mentioning Sekiro. The stagger meter on the enemies looks identical to Sekiro, and it even sounds like that game with the constant parry noises.

Beyond that though, we really don't see enough to suggest that this is a soulslike. It looks like a character action game with Sekiro-inspired combat. It's such a shame labeling all these games soulslikes, because it instantly drives away a portion of its potential audience.

@CthulhuFhtagn Starting out can be rough in Subnautica, but once you've hit a couple of breakthroughs, it becomes so much easier. After a while, you're not really worrying about your basic needs as much anymore, and it becomes about building a base and vehicles that let you push ever deeper into the depths and uncover its mysteries.

I'm not a survival fan in general but Subnautica is definitely a game worth sticking with.

@UltimateOtaku91 It's supposed to be a bit of a lean second half of 2024, but seeing that list of games actually paints a different picture for me. That's just the JRPGs still coming (+ Astro), not even the many other titles.

Even in slower years, I simply can't keep up with the sheer volume of great games releasing.

@Yousef- Momodora: RutM isn't a soulslike though, it's a a pure metroidvania. There's a subset of metroidvanias that have a lot of overlap with soulslikes, Salt & Sanctuary being the most obvious one, but I'd definitely not put Momodora in that subset.

On the topic: soulslikes are just like other games at the end of the day, some good, some bad. I'm sick of the bad soulslikes that are straight up FromSoft worship but fail at it (looking at you, original Lords of the Fallen), but there are plenty of good ones that bring something original to the table.

@Giancarlothomaz I've never understood that argument. I certainly can't insert myself into a character if I see them standing around like a dunce.

In case of a strictly first person game, it can work, but even then it's not guaranteed. Like Metro Exodus where Artyom needs everything explained to him like he's a toddler.

I don't even agree it has anything to do with realistic graphics, I had this same problem in Dragon Quest XI, and that's not exactly a realistic looking game. Everyone is talking and the main character just stands there with a blank stare. He's supposed to be the hero of the story but acts more like a Hodor.

We didn't need this sort of perspective to know Concord isn't putting up great numbers.

The question is, why did it even need to be referenced in this article, when the subject is ostensibly Marvel Rivals and not the other game? Just comes across as sticking the boot in.

@get2sammyb Can't speak for all three games but NMS would've been a financial success even if they immediately dropped it after launch. It generated enough revenue to sustain their studio almost indefinitely.

Most studios don't get that luxury and have to make hard choices, either bank their entire future on supporting their failing live service title, or cut their losses and perhaps get another shot.

His statement is too reductive and dismissive of each studio's unique situation.

He's claiming a game's release isn't make or break, and maybe it wasn't a decade ago when their game came out, but nowadays if a live service fails at launch you're facing an uphill battle with virtually no chance of turning the tide.

The market for these games has reached saturation point, you either release a smash hit or pull the plug early and avoid creating an even bigger financial hole.

Plucky, strapped-for-cash underdog Microsoft fighting the good fight against evil mega-corp Sony. A modern David and Goliath story. Brings a tear to my eye.

@naruball You're implying that the PS5 was different from other generations in that they weren't losing money on each unit sold. By all acounts, that's not the case, they still launched the console with a loss on each unit.

It's just that in other generations, costs decreased sufficiently to allow a price cut and still break even later in the generation. That simply isn't happening with the current global economy.

It has to be noted that 2023 was pretty insane in terms of big releases. In comparison, 2024 was always going to be a bit slower. Once Sony's first party output increases (hopefully next year), I think they'll see an uptick in consoles sold. Maybe in combination with a PS5 Pro launch.

@Waitinonpsvr2 Or maybe other people like it and it's just not for you?

I know this says "Mini Review" but the description is so threadbare that there's almost no point having a review in the first place. A bit more detail on the actual mechanics and feel of the combat feels like a minimum requirement for this type of game.

I keep thinking they've done everything they possibly could to redeem themselves and then some, but they just keep going. While the launch in 2016 will forever remain a cautionary tale, I've got nothing but respect and admiration for how they handled the game ever since.

@nessisonett You seem to be misinterpreting my comment as if it says that nudity is immature. It's not that, it's how they present it. It reads almost like "our game is mature, look, it has nudity!".

If it complements actual mature writing and themes, then I'm all for it. With the state of Bioware these days though...

The setting looks nice but I can't shake the feeling there's a bit of floatiness and/or jank to the animations during gameplay. That's usually not a great sign for a soulslike.

Confirming nudity and following it up with "this is a mature RPG" makes it sound like it's directed by a 16 year old or something.

I'm so ready for this. Like many others, I only got into the series with Ys VIII, but it's quickly become one of my favourite JRPG franchises.

Played Origin, Celceta, VIII and IX so far and they're all good to great. Can't wait for this one, and then Oath in Felghana early next year. I just hope Nihon Falcom gets the success in the West that they deserve.

@Nem Sure, the game as a whole is pretty damn silly. But still, that part of it was excellent.

Good. I want Sony to have a strong presence on the Japanese market, because that's such a strong part of its historic identity. We'll see what their TGS participation brings, but it's a step in the right direction.