Fizza

am I f***ing hallucinating

I....I just....I have no words to describe how completely and utterly stunned I am that this is a REAL THING that is ACTUALLY HAPPENING and not just some decade-plus-old pipe dream.

they announced this in addition to Onimusha coming back too I think I'm gonna pass out

CAP.
F***ING.
GOD.
BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

THE ASTRO SWEEP IS REALLLLLLLLLLL

110% deserved. I was in complete jubilation from the moment they announced it and seeing Doucet/Team Asobi give thanks not only to Sony/Playstation but also all the games that inspired Astro had me grinning from ear-to-ear. An incredible achievement for an incredible little team 🩵

Shockingly excellent and that's putting it mildly. Not only did Astro Bot end up winning the ultimate crown (as it deserved), it really does feel like they took all the criticism of last year's show to heart, with each winner being given adequate time to say their thanks, the awards themselves feeling a lot more pronounced and respected and the new game reveals being some of the most bonkers ones I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing live. Gotta hand it to Geoff: he did a pretty fine job this time around 👍

Wonderful little interview! I've always held a high level of appreciation in regards to poncle for offering so much for so little and their latest content effort is no exception (seriously I have absolutely no clue how they got away with charging only €4 for something as massive in scope/content as this XD).

As for myself, I grabbed Ode to Castlevania day-and-date and have had an absolutely wonderful time tearing up the halls of Dracula's Castle so far (TREVOR BELMONT MY BELOVED) and can't wait to see what else is to come in the pipeline for VS! 🧄

Gonna be completely honest: my expectations are through the earth's core after the last one we had XD

I can't say I have high hopes for this if recent rumours/leaks are anything to go by honestly: I'm expecting a heavy mix of both live-service titles and remasters for PS4 games that really don't need them. Still, I'll go into this was as open of a mindset as possible and who knows: maybe Bloodborne Remastered Deluxe Edition with added Funky Mode will get announced

yknow when I said I was hoping the announcement of a PS5 Pro would end up driving the original PS5's price down, I didn't think it'd happen this soon XD

Cosmetic imperfections don't really bother me in the slightest as long as the console itself (and the games on it) runs fine so I might actually use this as a means of getting my own PS5 down the line 😁

A near €300 price increase here in Ireland for games that look/run marginally better and they couldn't even be bothered to put in a disc drive!? Yeah no I'm sorry, that's a huge pass for me. At this point, the most exciting thing that might transpire from this is the price of a base PS5 going down XD

Based on all the rumours I've heard surrounding the PS5 Pro, I'm very interested in seeing how they justify the upgrade personally. The PS5 is still an absolute powerhouse of a system that, in all honesty, doesn't really need a Pro edition much at all based on how games like Spider-Man or Astro Bot run as smoother as butter (plus the rumblings that it'll be ditching a disc drive don't sound all too promising either if I'm honest).

EVERY SINGLE ACE ATTORNEY GAME IS NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE ON ALL MODERN PLATFORMS.

I am deceased.

'ISS MAHVEL BAYBEE!!!'

'OH HE'S SO PRINGLES, WHERE YO CURLEH MUSTACHE AT'

'YOU WANNA LEARN HOW TO DO A [REDACTED] INFINITE!?'

WE ARE LEVELS OF BACK PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT UNATTAINABLE OH MY GOD

This is genuinely one of the coolest things I think I've ever seen. If the source code is in a workable enough condition then I'd love to see more 'lost' games like Star Fox 2 and now this come back. I'm also a massive sucker for PS2-era games so Captain Blood is absolutely up my alley, fantastic to see!

Xbox's announcements have very much been tainted for me after recent events, but I do have to concede: they do always knock it out of the park with DOOM. This looks absolutely fantastic and really gives me the urge play through both 2016 and Eternal in preparation

NOW THIS IS TRUE LOVE WE'RE MAKIN BABY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

One of the most shocking fighting game announcements I think we've had in a very long time. While I do have some slight grievances with the overall roster choices (Mai feels kinda unnecessary and did we REALLY need Bison back?) but goddamn man seeing Terry goddamn Bogard, the main character from a series specifically designed to be a true successor to Street Fighter 1, finally make his way into SF proper feels absolutely INCREDIBLE 😭

If this ends up being true (which I am very doubtful of personally, even with Microsoft's current multiplatform strategy) then this is going to be the Playstation equivalent of Final Fantasy 7 releasing on a Nintendo console.

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Funnily enough, SF6 and MH Wilds were also shown off in that sizzle reel; how much is Capcom planning to show off!? XD

Dragon's Dogma 2 getting DLC just makes a ton of sense honestly: Capcom is always a fan of looking for ways to make more money off of a game's release (with DD2 itself perhaps being one of more infamous examples of that recently XD) so a Dark Arisen-styled expansion feels like a no-brainer really.

This was certainly one of the more standout titles shown during the presentation (even if it was primarily for the fact it was one of the few games there that was actually colourful and charming XD) and seeing it being helmed by a man with as much pedigree as Tominaga (dude was the Assistant Director on both Zelda Wind Waker and Mario Kart Double Dash for crying out loud!) inspires a lot of confidence in Nikki's potential personally.

DOUBLE A GAMING IS BACK BABY ASTRO SWEEEEEEEEEP

Its very rare that a single game announcement can almost turn my entire mood towards a presentation around but goddamnit: the little bot that could found a way. I'm so happy they're finally committing to Astro being a tentpole series for Playstation and literally everything here from the platforming to the gimmicks to the cameos all just screams a deep love for Playstation as a whole. This'll be an instant purchase if/when I ever grab a PS5 and major props to Team Asobi: they deserve a title like this 🩵

This took up a third of the entire presentation's runtime and I still feel like I barely have a clue as to what its actually about.

Pretty woeful to be honest until the very, very, VERY end. While MH Wilds and Astro Bot look absolutely fantastic (Astro Bot especially; the AA fan in me is in jubilation right now), everything else shown was either incredibly generic, something we already knew about or had a trailer that went on for far too long (Concord alone took up a third of the runtime and I still feel like I have no clue what it actually is).

Overall its probably about a C+ and even then that might be a bit generous XD

@Maubari Oh yeah the chats are great; not usually the Youtube/Twitch ones as they tend to be pretty disrespectful from what I've seen, but the ones on sites like here and NLife are always a blast to be a part of

@Maubari I feel like there's always infinitely more excitement surrounding the idea of a State of Play than there is with actually watching one XD

Had a hunch Sony's Summer presentation was gonna be a State of Play due to the radio silence the week beforehand (if it was a PS Showcase, they would've promo-ed the HELL out of it beforehand) and I'm happy to see it officially confirmed. PS Studios titles being here also has me incredibly intrigued as to what that could entail (it'll probably just be a combination of Fairgame$, Concord and Marathon but let me dream goddamnit XD). Excited for tomorrow!

At this point there's been so many rumours on what Resident Evil games are/aren't getting remade that I'm half-expecting them to pull a fast one on us and do the bloody Survivor games next.

Semi-joking aside, I really hope 0 and Code: Veronica are next on the chopping block as RE1 already has a stellar remake available on pretty much all major platforms and I'd much rather them redo the more flawed and neglected RE games first and foremost.

plus it'll allow us to get this beautiful scene in 4K Ultra HD so really we all win in the end XD

Their last Summer presentation kept me sleeping with one eye open for about a week straight so if this one doesn't put me in a shock-induced coma then its an immediate 0/10 XD

Looking forward to seeing Plucky Squire here myself; been looking forward to that one ever since it first got announced and I really hope they're able to finally iron out a concrete release date for it.

oh and a Volvy game wouldn't be half-bad either

'we'll be interested to see what the quirky studio gets up to next; according to the rumour mill, it could even be a Prince of Persia rogue-like'

I think you might be a bit out-of-the-loop here guys 😅

Pedantics aside, I'm incredibly excited for this. Dead Cells is one of my favourite indie games of all-time and seeing an animated adaptation of it that looks as good as it does makes me so damn happy man. Can't wait for the English dub to come out in a couple months time!

The one-two punch of them showing a trailer for the Gran Turismo movie into Jim Ryan popping up to say 'thank you for joining us today' was absolutely legendary in the worst way possible; I vividly remember almost everyone in the Push Square livechat absolutely SEETHING with disappointment XD

Such a bizarre event to witness honestly. At a time where both Nintendo and Xbox were firing off big release after big release, Sony having such a comparatively subdued showing of games that, for the majority, weren't even going to release until 2024 and beyond seemed like such a short-sighted move. I'm hopeful the next one will be better as, for all its faults, stuff like MGS3 Delta, Dragon's Dogma 2 and Spider-Man 2 definitely bolstered 2023's showcase but yeah: one of the strangest gaming conferences of the last while for sure.

still probably better than most of Geoff Keighley's shows though XD

It's pretty hard for me to feel excited for this given the sheer number of layoffs/closures going around the industry in addition to Keighley's recent showcases feeling less and less like 'gaming' events and moreso just 'events which happen to feature games'.

Capcom and SNK are gonna be here though so eh: may as well give it a watch if I have the time I guess.

Tango put out both a highly lucrative horror series in The Evil Within and possibly the most beloved shadowdrop of all-time in Hi-Fi Rush and Microsoft decided it STILL wasn't enough; what the actual f*** man.

Really hope everyone laid off from these changes manages to find their footing quickly because jesus christ man this is absolutely horrid.

I haven't played either Alan Wake game yet myself but I definitely plan on doing so in the future (especially AW2 because WOW does it look phenomenal) so this is heartbreaking to hear given how much both critics and fans love the series. Tencent doubling down on their investment in them also has me a fair bit worried given their....let's just say dubious morals.

HOLY HELL THIS LOOKS WICKED

I've been meaning to watch TTAAS for the longest while now (its pretty much the only isekai I'm actually interested in XD) so seeing it finally get a video game adaptation in a genre typically avoided by licensed anime games has me immensely intrigued. Might give this a go depending on how it reviews!

It might just be the Stockholm Syndrome I've developed from pouring 200+ hours into Pokemon Scarlet/Violet over the past while but for a game as massive as DD2 appears to be, dips of around 10-ish frames doesn't seem like too much of a dealbreaker for me (and I can't emphasise enough: FOR ME). Really wish they'd just put a cap on the FPS if it fluctuates this much though; something like a Performance Mode that caps it to 30FPS most of the time would be a good band-aid fix for right now methinks.

This is nasty as hell and Capcom absolutely deserve the stick they're getting for this....but I already have a 99% hunch that people are going to forget about this about a month after release if games like DMC5, RE4R and countless others are anything to go by: if the game itself is good without the need for MTX, the ire surrounding stuff like this starts to fade away into the background most of the time. I still despise it with a passion don't get me wrong, but given the s*** Capcom's pulled in the past when it came to DLC/MTX (especially during the early 2010's), this is comparatively quite tame.

EDIT: @Shepherd_Tallon's thoughts on the matter pretty much sum up my overall opinion on this to a tee 👍

YEAHHHHHHHHH LET'S F***ING GOOOOOOOOOOO

I definitely want to play the original game first so that I can fully appreciate all the improvements DD2 makes but this'll be an instant purchase once I do; CapGod's only gone and done it again folks 🤩

what is it with sequels to Sony spinoff systems bombing compared to their predecessors


I'm very sad PSVR2 has ended up this way myself though, at the same time, I can't say I'm particularly surprised given the extremely hefty pricetag, lack of substantial support and general feeling of '....why don't I just get the original?'.

I'm not even exaggerating when I say that this month is worth it for the Ace Attorney Trilogy alone; one of the best games I've ever played and I'd highly recommend you to give it a go now if you have PS Plus Premium!

Other than that then, this looks like a pretty alright selection, albeit one without too much that wows me besides Ace Attorney.

also, I don't know if this was intentional, but having DBZ: Kakarot be available for people to try out after Toriyama's passing feels very sweet ❤

YESSSSSSSSSSS LET'S F***ING GOOOOOOOOOO

Until Dawn is probably my favourite game I've never played (right alongside Resident Evil 7) and I've been praying that the rumours of a remaster/PC port were true ever since they first started coming out, absolutely ecstatic to see this!

I think the one thing that does slightly concern me though is the new 3rd-person perspective as a lot Until Dawn's tension was sort of built around it's fixed angles (a la old Resident Evil games) so I'm interested in seeing what accommodations they make to the game as a result 🤔

Really good and a lot better than a lot of their previous presentations I gotta say; Until Dawn PS5/PC port and Sonic X Shadow Generations are definitely my personal favourite announcements but this SoP was filled with great trailers from start to finish.

This is giving me major modern REmake vibes and that is not a bad thing in the slightest; looks pretty good so far honestly!

Until Dawn was already made to be an 'interactive movie' kind of game so a film adaptation definitely makes a ton of sense (why they decided to do it almost a decade after the original came out I have no idea but eh, you do you Sony), though I'd be lying if I said the notion that the director behind Shazam will be behind it didn't concern me immensely. The reason I love Until Dawn as much as I do was because of how it's wonderfully campy tone slowly morphed into something genuinely unnerving as the game went on and I'm not sure a director like Sandberg can really capture that meticulously designed descent into terror.

then again I'm also the kind of person who enjoyed the FNAF movie so what do I know XD

of course the one Capcom game that gets announced is attached to the one Capcom series I don't care for XD

While I've personally never been able to click with Monster Hunter personally, I fully recognise just how massive this announcement is and man does it look good from the small snippet we got to see of it. The MH faithful may have had to wait a damn long while for substantial news but their patience has been well and truly rewarded, Wilds looks AWESOME.

Started off pretty strong but severely petered out as the proceedings continued. I don't think it's the worst one I've seen but that's not really saying much given how I don't think we've ever had a TGA be anything above 'pretty good'.

The SEGA and Monster Hunter reveals were sick though 🔥

As much as I was personally rooting for either RE4R or Mario Wonder to take home GOTY this year, Baldur's Gate 3's win is one million percent deserved and I'm over the moon for Larian

also PIKMIN 4 WON BEST STRATEGY GAME YEAHHHHHHHHH

'Sorry guys, we just accidentally dropped these ads-whose-UI-is-themed-around-the-game-that-they're-being-shown-off-in in here, sorry about that'

'Anyways, did you know that Assassin's Creed Mirage is currently 20% off?'

Absolutely phenomenal write-up Rob! I heavily relate to the idea of a single RPG being such a groundbreaking and important title in someone's life, though for me, rather than it being FF, it was another RPG series that you may or may not have heard of: Pokemon. More specifically? Pokemon Black.

It was the very first game I ever owned and opened my eyes to the wondrous worlds and surprises that games could offer and my child mind became hooked on the medium. Over 12 years, 3 separate console lifecycles and 4 generations of Pokemon later, Pokemon Black still remains as my favourite game of all time for not only being one of the best RPGs/games ever made (in my humble opinion) but for being my gateway into a world filled with creativity, excitement and wonder galore.

I remember when 2K pulled something very similar (though admittedly worse than this) with their NBA games a couple years back. Still absolutely ghoulish what Ubisoft trying to do here though and I pray that they backpedal this ASAP.

My heart would like to see it go to RE4R or Mario Wonder but my brain knows it'll either be TOTK or Baldur's Gate 3 (leaning more towards BG3 in that regard).

You know I was kind of hoping MW3 wouldn't do well so that the series could finally take a good long look in the mirror and address some of it's core problems but I guess it just isn't meant to be 🙃