Galvatron

Great game - the base building will add a necessary layer in terms of growth and longevity, oh and the soundtrack is sublime 👌

Erm, is this some weird fan poll before declaring the actual score on the review? This is quite odd as the entirety of the review in text / paragraphs including conclusion is already there yet no reason is given for the score pending? Then all of a sudden there's a poll to see wether gamers are enjoying it first, before declaring a final score...

I think Push Square should return to its initial premise of definitive, professional-standard reviews which aren't affected by things like polls and clickbait - alas this score pending / poll THEN declaring score feels massively off, to this Decepticon at least....

@stevejcrow - except Push Square DO have scores at the end.

I agree re scores versus detailed paragraphs as far as reviews go, though.

If the score is pending multiplayer, you'd expect that to be stated.....hence why I think it was odd to have the entire review in terms of text but no score....!

Hmm.....what's with this weird trend on Push Square to essentially write a review, but leave the last bit numberless with score pending? Is it to generate some kind of interest, hoping peeps will go back and see the score at the end...?

Surely the score is the quickest to decide after all these paragraphs and text, it seems like a Sammy venture in clickbait, kinda like when he declared No Man's Sky as rubbish before the new reviewers' actual review 😬

Good review though, even if adding a numerical score is the easiest thing to add after it.....

@Gamer83 - I'd go as far as to say that the manner in which IO announced very late in the day that they were going down the episodic route, coupled with a bizarre, non-existent story, suggests to me a very Destiny-esque state of affairs with the half-baked game released with no bells or whistles and only 6 levels which will take no more than 4-5 hours max to complete.

So basically, that shocking bare bones of content is now getting off scot-free by reviewers who haven't queried WHY episodic release was suddenly announced.....IO clearly realised the full game, in terms of over-arching story and content, was unfit for release. To basically avoid finishing the game and giving long-serving fans the quality expected in terms of gunplay, expansive stealth and planning, they cheekily finish off levels on a staggered basis, and even a full disc version with all, erm, 6 levels released in January isn't prompting the reviewing community to hold IO to account.

Which is a massive pity and no way to treat your best intellectual property.

@themcnoisy - yes, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin was hard. You could chance your arm and rush through to your targets and upon killing them pay hide and seek through the exit or use the BallersTM to butcher through, with excellent rag doll physics to relay impact of shotguns versus a strategically placed sniper upon a hill just outside a complex to kill 2 targets as they embrace. With a single bullet.

The story was also a fantastic and exciting campaign which most certainly had, if anything, larger and atmospheric environments with more variety to your methods of assassination - St. Petersburg remains my favourite level but you could pick another 5 from that game and they would beat Hitman on PS4 by a distance.

So I'm a fan of Hitman, but this new iteration has removed the true sandbox elements and replaced with location / context-sensitive 'kills' which actually are a micro cutscene, and not a repertoire of moves available in other areas of the level.

I'm disappointed IO Interactive haven't incorporated better gunplay and more physicality to this release, which helped define the AAA quality of the earlier games.

Unfortunately critics seem to have universally failed to acknowledge the fundamental flaws in this inferior version. As I've stated previously, gunplay is a side note which doesn't have the same ballistics and physicality as Hitman 2: Silent Assassin over a decade ago on PS2.

I'm also at a loss to understand why reviewers fail to mention that so-called special kills can only be done at a certain spot at a certain time - it's basically a mini-cutscene, it's NOT part of general gameplay.....

I've bought this as a full release and it's a pity many reviewers are either too young to remember a grander, superior Hitman rather than this release which pales into insignificance.

Also, 6 levels is miserly and where the hell is the story?!?

Am I the only one seeing these things re this Hitman? Are there other older players out there who agree Hitman 2 and 3 are embarrassingly richer as sandbox level experiences that actually had decent gunplay as well as stealth?

How are the pool physics? Do they move with the weight and realism expected or a poorer imitation?

I'd certainly be keen on a Snooker sim, International Snooker VR, anyone?

So it's a PS4 exclusive? Or one of a growing, weary TIMED exclusive, even in the context of announcements?

Nevertheless, I look forward to a new opus from Rockstar, enjoyed the original on PS3. Or is that sequel 😬

i bought this as a full release and am saddened it has gone backwards. So totally disagree this is a return to form, despite me wanting it to be REALLY good.

Let's start with the badly reported kill animations / methods. THEY ONLY WORK IF YOU ARE STANDING AT AN EXACT POSITION RELATIVE TO THD TARGET, WHICH MEANS THEY ARE ACTUALLY NOTHING MORE THAN INTERACTIVE CUT-SCENES.

Surely reviewers, that is a huge distinction in lauding a titles credentials for 'innovative, creative assassinations'?

Moreover, the gunplay is shockingly cumbersome and is a mockery of balletic gunplay, which when combined with the scouting, stealth and actual physicality of movement, makes Hitman 2: Silent Assassin the best of the series by a mile.

And that was released over a decade ago.......

@slimcrowder - is that question in first or third-person?

This is getting confusing? "What IS real" 😝

Personal choice, just as it's yours to highlight, though there are more interesting points to make re PSVR, n' est ce pas?

Galvatron finds first-person often more cathartic, though it appears not to Autobot sensibilities 😏

@AhabSpampurse - Galvatron applauds your comment re reviews from other sites.

Kotaku, which reviewed the PSVR by its most corrupt 'Reviewer' Kirk Hamilton, has by some distance some of the most biased, sneering comments I've seen since he and other reviewers reviewed.....PlayStation Vita.

If Hamilton despises VR and evidently Sony this much, as is obvious to infer from his tone and wording, then why bother giving titbits of charitable comments near the end of his review and the comments section which fly foul in the face of his review? Example - "id like to add the actual feeling of being Batman is awesome" - this is in the COMMENTS SECTION of his Batman / PSVR review, yet HE BASICALLY TEARS INTO THE GAME THROUGHOUT THE REVIEW and these positive comments are nowhere in his actual review.

Hmmmm.......

It's a similar story with other reviews, and it's exactly what prompted Galvatron to pen 'Reviewing the Reviewers' a few years ago, and it's clear the state of the reviewing community is rife with bias, petulance and in many cases amateur journalism by fools who refuse to look at their own work and 'fess up.

I have no doubt PSVR, as a first on mainstream consoles, will be fiddly and have embryonic issues such as the cabling, stutters etc - but if it's evident there is much joy in the immersion factor, why feel the need to trample on it?

Sammy did a good review on the hardware, but someone needs to call out shockingly unprofessional and biased reviewers like Hamilton, who has previous for his work on other titles.

What we need is a show where reviewers fully disagree with verdicts and openly discuss them, then annihilate them with reasoned objectivity, not petulance on a grand scale.

I'll be buying Batman VR, let's see what these same fools say to Driveclub VR next week.

Galvatron awaits....and will comment. Perhaps directly to Hamilton to ask him why he felt the need to lower Kotaku's reputation further 😏

Any additional comments re gameplay versus Evo? I already have the latter so of chief interest would be how it measures up versus prior releases in terms of the actual football gameplay.

The Jouney sounds decebt but for longevity I would imagine how it stacks up versus friends in the living room or online would be the deciding factor.

Out of interest, are the photo-realistic Managers given tangible personalities in terms of favoured tactics and substitutions?

I disagree - as a day-one buyer of Driveclub and the Bikes expansion, THAT should be eligible for this discount; lots of people didn't buy the season pass as apart from its rocky start (but Sterling finish) most of the DLC was free, wasn't it? I'm a bit confused what the purpose was for the season pass initially and having paid for the admittedly excellent bikes expansion, Sony should really acknowledge this.

Regardless, I'm hyped for Driveclub VR, looks incredible - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VkPSZMFYSzk

@Shellcore - fair comment, but it's interesting you have platinumed the game, albeit admitting you enjoy the game; I believe from a legal perspective any regulatery body under UK common law would need to show this game misrepresented the public, yet how many hundreds of times do you not even notice disclaimer valley at the credits of a film or drama, or reality show for that matter, where you're nudged to accept the final product may differ from that playing right now in previews? It's pretty much accepted as a waiver and my own expectations of the game were pretty much met, and I've seen those vids of Sean Murray talking about factions which haven't transpired....,

...yet. I suspect the much heralded new features update is a month or so away, and will contain features omitted to hit the already-delayed release which Sony, and gamers on social media, lest we not forget, were crying out for. Features like bases, factions. etc.

Which would kinda render the investigation null and void. So this is specifically for the chosen image from Steam purchased on PC? Like everything we buy is exactly as it says on the tin 😏

@Shellcore - I do respect people's right to disagree, naturally, but I draw the line when the finger-pointing is arguably as agenda-driven as the alleged under investigation. Consistency of argument is my issue, though on a side note I love the game and it appeals at a zen, exploratory level as the perfect chill to the intensity of GTA Online and Destiny.

Reverting back, where is the investigation into Destinys' shocking lack of previewed features, so lauded by Bungie in the year-long featurettte previews, from their own Sean Murrays in various departments? Or the frankly bizarre, crowd-funding 15 quintillion bonus goals of Star Citizen aka No Mans Game, Street Fighter 5, FIFA 14/15/16 shockingly identical releases on Vita...? It can infer the regulatory body is going after an easy target who mistakenly, yet typically for an SME, had the MD / Lead Programmer do all the press releases. Who would they rather tackle to suddenly remind the industry they exist, an SME developer who run their own press releases or Activision, Capcom, equally corporate behemoth? I think Yoshida has already distanced themselves with a wink and a 'this developers representation does not necessarily reflect that of Sony 😉

...my additional point re gamers seemingly enjoying a new definition in hand-held games (stay with me...) is something which resonates through several early reviews of No Mans Sky which thoroughly rankles Galvatron's sockets. To me, these are the people who keep buying Assassins Creed and laughably proclaim it 'modern, taut, polished' before announcing post-review (like, you know, when it matters lol) it's 'buggy, formulaic and phoned-in'.

And let's be honest, certain gamers and reviewers, just like film, literature and music critics, often subconsciously bring their own baggage to write ups. But that's for another day 😬

As I've said previously regarding No Mans Sky; no, I DONT feel cheated.

I knew this article would appear as it was reported much earlier elsewhere Hello Games were being taken to task, but having poured dozens of hours - and I mean dozens, not the 20 mins some took before licking their lips, clickbait stylee, towards headline-generating 'first impressions' - yes I do think some aspects were cut to speed up the release, but expect those aspects to be addressed in the, ermm FREE (Activision?) features update,

Here's a thought for everybody quick to slay Sean Murray; if NMS is guilty of false advertising, isn't Destiny, which similarly I love as an FPS, also guilty on a much larger scale, especially knowing what we now do re staff departures, story being ripped out, development hell?

So just to avoid anyone on here thinking we all hate the game, let's be clear - Galvatron loves this game 😎

Some of you felt 'cheated', apparently. Yeah right, more likely you just can't play games which don't signpost systems and nuances and basically too impatient to create your own adventures within the game. I mean, unless you're being told EXACTLY how to play a game button by button, you're not having fun, right? Sheesh....,

We're not all Forrest Gump's, FFS 😏

I was disappointed as well 4K Blu-Ray wasn't even addressed, let alone dropped. An explanation, even one steeped in marketing spiel, would have eased the frustration gamers like ourselves - and multimedia PS4 users in general - demand. I would immediately have switched to this superior format and evidently it seems to me a cost they were unwilling to swallow a la PS3 to keep the price point.

And Sony were more than just co-founders of Blu-Ray, they own the patent, don't they? Hence why Microsoft adopting it for their console felt like a symbolic victory for Sony. I could be wrong on that 😬

I prefer to only stream the odd film very now and again; there is a direct analogy with music from physical media like CD, to digital. To Galvatron, more and more people are proud streamers, but I still want the on-demand (😝) physical media, which Sammy has pointed out DOES look, sound and play better than streaming, further enhanced on a decent screen. Also, I like to own a collection in tangible terms. Ditto for my games.

Guess I'm still of the Cybertronian age of physical metal, you humans even have digital 'friends'....

Given that I also still tether my phone and hardly ever suffer lag in games where it counts - Destiny, Driveclub, Pro Evo, GTA Online - I'd prefer to swerve the standard broadband deals and still enjoy multimedia gaming on the fly.

Ha ha, first is purchase order then invoice is sent, no? 😊

Galvatron knows exactly what Destiny 2 needs to be in order to be a critical success, as rest assured it will be a commercial success. But some background scene-setting is required from the expectations of Destiny 1.

Back then, all PlayStation owners were celebrating Bungies' multiformat deal, which would bring that incredible, genre-defining gameplay to Sony's machine and give us bragging rights as to the undisputed leader in all things FPS.

What were these things? Having bought an X-Box back in the day PURELY for Halo (yup, even now THAT good), this is what we expected from Destiny as a natural succession to Halo, which at this point was over 12 years old......

1) proper levels which according to the early bombast from the devs were more like actual planets we could fully EXPLORE

2) decent AI which helped Define Halo as a masterpiece - remember the Brutes and how they visibly employed aggressive, and defensive, tactics against you? Especially on Legendary mode....

3) The phenomenal ability to strike down an enemy plane, kill the enemy, then steal it and fly dozens of metres up high and let rip with missiles?

4) the story......which when combined with the majestic music from Martin O' Donnell created a fantastic space opera that REALLY got the energon levels pumping

5) the gunplay, which really was combat evolved.

.....then Destiny arrived, and only number 5, the gunplay, made the cut.

Destiny 2 needs Bungie to go back to the drawing board and retain multiplayer missions / daily or weekly objectives, raids etc, BUT give us MUCH larger levels for Halo mayhem, vehicles you can use the verticality of levels for, fantastic AI for more levels like The Silent Cartographer - and a story that we really can get into.

Hell, if they can't make the exploring planets levels then for gods sake just make larger scale levels of the calibre in, yup, Combat Evolved.

That game is over 15 years old. 15......Bungie, you won the world over with that game for all the right reasons, go back to what made it great, incorporate multiplayer into regular missions OUTSIDE the campaign, and keep the supreme balletic gunplay mastered in Destiny.

It's simple really, send an invoice to Galvatron for getting peeps excited for Destiny 2 😏

It looks very good in terms of overall smoothness, enjoyable third-person controls and environment. Guerrilla do need to move away from Killzone and this looks like it has a lot potential.

@fybyfyby - there does seem to be the same snobbery by certain sections of mainstream gaming media towards VR, who I suspect are the same fools wanting the death of Vita and being ridiculed for comparing a portable device to a home console, rather than their beloved yet unexciting 3DS.....

But the potential with VR as a game-changer is huge and the likes of Batman VR and X-Wing, coupled with the aforementioned PS4 user base, suggests more longevity with this.

As with Vita, I'll be a day-one adopter with VR and a decent wheel in time for serious Driveclub VR sessions for Xmas / New Year break 👌

The interesting thing about these new VR experiences is that most of the journalists videoing their experiences seem genuinely taken aback at the increased level of immersion.

I can totally envisage how racing games and those in vehicles of sort (Driveclub VR, Rogue One X-Wing VR) seem perfectly in sync and seem to improve those experiences as with a racing wheel it seems an optimal set up.

Batman VR looks incredible but does it mean it'll be on rails as I'm not sure if walking etc transfers well to VR?

There should be more marketing and certainly more articles on the actual effects to the player though; said journalists in videos literally breathless after a VR session doesn't do much for the viewers / readers unfortunately, thankfully the TV screens relay what the mind temporarily cannot 👌

@kyleforrester87 - hmm, Unicron is still probably lying on the planet Junk, being manipulated for comedy purposes by Wreck-Gar, he will think twice before attempting to manipulate Galvatron in future!

Just to be clear, NOBODY controls Galvatron. You need Starscream for such diabolical examples of 'service'.....:

@kyleforrester87 - noted, perhaps they should only offer free soap to the aforementioned unhygenic who seem to take pride in looking like....the scrap you'd find on your reverse thrusters on Cybertron 😏

Ah, so it's in Game? Good, would rather that than massive demo booth on the general floor when the 'chavs' will be eyeing up people's bags whilst they demo VR......

....if anyone tries that with Galvatron or his partner they can expect to be ridiculed before they are arrested. And that's just the soap sellers 😝

@JaxonH - I like this humans attitude to new tech, especially when it's released by Sony.

I say that as one of the day-one adopters of Vita, still out and out the most impressive portable gaming tech I've ever experienced.

Wipeout HD,Gravity Rush, another 30-odd games, straight download direct to device, HD movies, email, dual sticks - even the rear touchpad.

Killzone on Vita is still astonishing 2 years later.

And you know what? Despite Sony disappointing Vita owners by dropping the device when better marketing would have ensured its survival, I LOVE THE VITA. And I'm glad I was a day-one 3G model adopter, sheer enjoyment which can never be taken away.

I get the impression PSVR could go the same way but think Sony have learnt their lessons and will back it more to ensure success.

And the Thrustmaster wheel for Driveclub VR is a must for Galvatron.....that seriously looks like the ultimate gaming setup, and the final step for Galvatron to turn into The Lawnmower Man 😎

@kyleforrester87 - yup Westfield it is! I originally booked Old Street in London for 9pm but my partner pointed out Westfield for slightly earlier so even better.

Galvatron does get annoyed by the unhygienic and frankly disgusting humans who loiter at Westfield, especially when most of them live in Nando's, which oddly appeals to my palette.....especially before a VR demo, no motion sickness nonsense for this Decepticon 😏

@DrClayman - I also need to pay dues to an excellent link; I'm off to a demo in West London in 9 days, so kudos to you, Galvatron will spare you should you find yourself at the end of his cannons in the near future 😏

The Access videos on YouTube are addictive; I've seen the Batman, Driveclub & Star Wars Rogue One X-Wing VR ones and they all look AMAZING.

I genuinely think that VR represents the next evolution in gaming. Just ask Elon Musk, who is of the opinion we are living in a Matrix-esque environment.....who's to say VR won't end up as realistic as real life in 50 years?

I'd love to see a proper Tekken in full VR, and GTA Online - let the countdown begin!!

This latest NMS blog is eerily similar to my recent sessions - I also picked the black hole option and spent considerable time farming cash beforehand rather than obsessively speeding through star systems to get to the centre.

As I've said previously, it's about the journey, not the destination - which by all accounts will prove an anti-climax.

But the planet-hopping has taken on new zealot-like curiosity upon learning that the different coloured stars denote different types of planets, which is cool.

Keep the blogs coming, they provide solace to an isolationist, fascinating journey this game offers players.

Roll on the features update 😎

Bioshock, the original, is unequivocally genre-defining, and for me one of the best games ever made. The sequel, as outlined by Sammy, is certainly in its combat and sandbox traps-setting the superior title. Having skipped Infinite I'm buying this collection to play through all ,with my expectation for the third set low for maximum enjoyment 😏

Whats interesting to this Decepticon is firstly, the consensus Infinite was critically acclaimed then lambasted, and secondly how the majority of reviews are commenting on how the seminal original is starting to show its age. As a side note, when accepted forms of art like literature or music age, if anything their value is augmented by their representation of their time & era, whereas in gaming, unarguably now modern art in both visual and gameplay terms, we're still backwards in relishing classics of their time with modern titles, choosing to compare different epochs in the relatively short history of gaming, which for technology is a lose-lose. If anything, I'd say Rapture beats any atmosphere in most titles nowadays, with the Art Deco designs and satired, twisted philosophies prevailing everywhere.

I digress....this collection will be, along with checking out the new Anfield Main Stand in Evo 2017, a welcome change from long sessions on No Mans Sky.....

...and as for why Infinite was critically acclaimed then discarded, that's a question which begs an answer 😝

@THRILLHOU - heroic nonsense? This is bad comedy 😏

@THRILLHOU - only Optimus would sound that sanctimonious I feel like throwing up Energon.

As for Unicron, if he attempts to control Galvatron again I'll send him back to the Quintessons permanently!

This expansion has piqued my interest, the trailer has suggested Bungie see the benefit of a decent story to guide the player along. I'm in 👌

That voice............

Optimus....?

Great read - and sums up why some of us LOVE No Mans Sky - it's exploration, money grind for upgrades in tech - and never-ending joy of discovering new systems and planets.......and I'm seriously pleased certain ships go for that kind of sum as I'm about £5 mill cash-banked and with a ship of only 25-odd slots, so lots of playing still to go just to get to those upgrade echelons......

....and the new features from Hello Games is surely only a month or two away, to bring more variation to procedural generation and ideally more quests?

friggin' LOVE this game. It has stayed in my blu ray drive since it arrived, only PES 2017 and Bioshock Collection will temporarily dislodge it.....until PSVR 😏

Errr......still says review score pending?!?

So as a long-time PES buyer going all the way back to ISS on PS1, can anyone actually describe how this game plays compared to last year?

Galvatron is immensely pleased that Anfield, including the new Main Stand and all LFC players & YNWA, are in this years' version - does that side of things impress in terms of Coutinho, Mane & Firmino?

Re the commentary and how they shout players names for shots......that was in last years version, so this is NOT a new feature - guessing the reviewer is not a regular player of PES?

I shall be buying this ASAP but Push Square think this review needs a full edit - and a review score 😯

@leucocyte - succinctly put, Galvatron concurs. I love Destiny but to be frank I'm not a fan of headsets and the elitist attitudes of those in raids put me off them - a massive shame when as a gamer the raids are evidently the best thing in the game!

And I agree there is no difference between looking up peeps on LFG and sending a quick invite through your phone and being accepted and playing within 10 mins - and matchmaking which will do the same thing autonomously.

Rise of Iron I will most certainly buy - I've bought all expansions thus far as the supreme gunplay had me at hello 👌

@Quintumply - that's actually a decent scenario 👌

But I'm not sure why Guerrila adopted the whole slow movement, low-impact (from guns to enemies) thing that they decided was their 'thing'. I mean, Halo came out almost 15 years ago and I'll never, ever forget the sensation of a full-scale battle with intelligent enemies, to taking down an enemy ship THEN PILOTING SAID SHIP AND ITS WEAPONS UP HIGH INTO NO MANS SKY 😜

Killzone on PS4 I felt then betrayed that to showcase PS4's architecture, then ironically lost its identity.

If Guerrilla wants to make a statement, they need to tackle Bungie head-on and accept Destiny is now industry standard re gunplay (visceral, with proper impact from guns and superb movement) and then come up with their own features.

As a Sony PlayStation day-one buyer from 1-4, we NEEDED Killzone on PS2 as a rival to Halo, then we WANTED Killzone 3 to up the ante, but I'm not sure they can compete with the cross-system titles which now render that requirement moot.

Still love Killzone 2 for its sure-footed rebellion of established staples and better gunplay, but Mercenary was and still is a defining moment....on Vita 😏

Now let's see that Bioshock Collection review, please 😊

To me, Guerrilla's best game was Mercenary on Vita - an astonishing game which was up there with Gravity Rush, Persona 4: Golden & Wipeout HD as the formats' best games.

That game had phenomenal multiplayer, a slick single player campaign and astonishing graphics that even now lock you onto believing the Vita fulfilled only 30% of its capabilities as a PS3 on the go.....

...I digress. The PS4 Killzone STILL hasn't learned from the genre leader, Halo: Combat Evolved - it needed to be fully cinematic with sophisticated FPS gameplay, but was simply 'good' rather than launch title 'great'.

Let's hope Horizon is more genre-defining than genre-following.

Why does the passing of time always relate to kinder words being said....?

Duke Nukem, as originally played via shareware on PC by Apogee I think, was a great side-scrolling platform / shooting game, like an updated (for the 90's) Commander Keen.

These abysmal cash-hack 3D follow-ups are shockingly bad in their graphics, playability, shooting and levels.

So regardless whoever remembers them 'fondly', they are turkeys and not worth buying, those who do are NOT buying it because it's a great game, probably because it satisfies some 80's need - but don't believe anyone on here, these 3D Duke Nukem 'games' are absolute stinkers and ALWAYS WILL BE.

Speak the truth guys lol

A nicely written synopsis which perfectly describes the feelings of both isolation yet unrestricted freedom - and the choice to stay days upon days on a single planet, discovering smaller stories upon walking and mining terrain, seeking upgrades and taking in the splendour.....

This game hasn't been removed from my PS4 since it arrived - and I haven't played GTA Online or Destiny since, though the pull of those two, coupled with the joy incoming from Bioshock Collection, will prove too strong.

The new features I'm particularly looking forward to, as it will add variety into the procedural generation and hopefully a better waypoint system.

Look forward to reading the next instalment of these NMS gamer diaries 👌

I'm still not convinced they can escape being stable-mates with Rockstar under the same publisher yet insist their game is totally different - despite the combat and driving being modelled and demonstrated in a similar fashion to GTA5.

It LOOKS slick and tiered, but so did Rise of the Robots, as Edge Magazine remembers all too well 😝

Hmm....at the possible risk of starting a riot on here with all the pro-Witcher enthusiasts, Galvatron will publicly state the need to play Devils Advocate fairly whilst simultaneously relaying his own judgement of the game 😏

It's disappointing......in many respects. Chief amongst them is an unwieldy control which make me think of Snake from the PS1/2 era. An exaggeration, but not at the level required these days for a triple-AAA release.

The graphics weren't that great for a next-gen game, and I'm not surprised as it was also released for last-gen systems.

Moreover, the text, which at the time of the review, and errr still now, is shockingly small. Galvatron does not enjoy having to move much closer to the TV to read what is reams of text which are in the smallest font size it would get inside an Autobots' worst crevice 😧

I'll admit I sold my copy on so disappointed was I with this release and trundled back to The Phantom Pain, and never looked back.

I appreciate A LOT of forum members here and in the wider web rate this title highly, but if we look at true genre-defining games, we unanimously think of GTA, Halo, Gran Turismo, Doom, Half-Life 2 and Ico.....

I don't think Witcher 3 hits those heights, certainly comparing its technical and playability prowess against luminaries such as GTA / RDR, and also suffers from teams of tiny text which jolt you continuously out of its world at a sadistic rate. As a 10/10, it should still be entitle to flaws, but to me the unwieldy, unsatisfying combat caps it at 8, though these things can only be affected by subconscious enjoyment, and evidently you all enjoyed this whilst I lamented it lol

@kyleforrester87 - I read a few reviews of the new Deus Ex and it seems a very different beast to the revered original on PC (not the shocking PS2 version), is it really that good? I mean the new one.....

I thought Invisible War on PS3 was boring and had zero repercussions of your choices, though I can be skeptical by default 😊

Whilst I loved my import of Demons Souls on PS3 and bought Dark Souls 1-3, personally I've found them nowhere near as original or enjoyable - they all rip off Demons Souls in play mechanics, structure and gear.

Only the darker tone differentiates - and meanwhile, reviewers desperate for the next big thing keep on saying blindly that Dark Souls is genius.

Meanwhile, From Software laugh out loud at the hilarity of making the same game 4 times over and not being found out as a one-trick pony.

All of Demons Souls majesty was formularised with Dark Souls - the difficulty was secondary to the level design and ingenuity in general (the first time a dragon swoops down for a fire-breathing attack just wow) - yet reviewers kid themselves thinking that and the just as awful Bloodborne win game of the year awards?!?

Crikey, this game saps all enjoyment out of gaming, it becomes an exercise in just staying alive, with nothing else besides tedium and frustration which some gamers regard as 'fun' for true gamers.

I'd rather From Software 'fessed up they made gamers pay for the same game 4 times over - and we can all stop kidding ourselves these games are worthy of these awards. They're not - only Demons Souls deserves that distinction - not the 'me too' sequels and reviewers desperate for acceptance 😉

Rant over, Galvatron looks forward to denials, rebuttals and reasons why they think they love this game.....sheesh, From Software should just sell themselves to Activision whilst I laugh how they say in press interviews "we really wanted this to feel like a new experience" ha ha ha 😊

@mitcHELLspawn - the only time Galvatron has ever been bamboozled is when that pile of junk Unicron assumed I would do his bidding......

I'm not sure I actually am giving Sean Murray, as you say, a 'free pass'.

I've been gaming since I was 4-5 and know quality - and respectfully, NMS is no more a pile of poo than the truly abhorrent Call of Duty or Assassins Creed annual rehashes which pervade the big releases.

I paid £45 of my hard-earned Energon for this title and find its lonesome gameplay perfectly satisfies my desire to explore space, Interstellar travel etc - so MY inclination to say something to Sean would be "fantastic game, now release those additional features".

He promised we could name planets and to me the shared universe thing I had a hunch was the naming of planets etc - and as I'm regularly online with GTA Online & Destiny that had zero appeal for me in this release.

But I do think they've held back on certain features in the push from Sony to get it out this year. I guess that goes back to them being a small team thing.

Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree 😧

@mitcHELLspawn - let it be known throughout the galaxy and especially this wretched planet - that Galvatron DOESNT feel lied to by Murray.

Why?

1) team of 13 meant I wasn't expecting Destiny on an exploration power trip
2) I just wanted that experience of planet hopping, seamlessly, with a consistent sense of wonder. You know what? I've got that 😊
3) his interviews suggested more I'll agree on that, but if anyone bought No Mans Sky for multiplayer then that was naive
4) the endless planets and lack of in-depth story means I play it for the upgrade grind happily and love uploading new planets etc - I may be in the minority lol

So nah, I don't feel lied to and love the game......shock horror a rave review of No Mans Sky 😝

I think you'll find there's a number of us who like it quite a lot and have no bitterness as we genuinely like what it does - and does very well 👌

@get2sammyb - I've only had one crash thus far so that's a non-issue for me, luckily!

This view that the game is boring though - respectfully disagree. The grind is there to add a pattern of play which only increased once your desire to upgrade and invest into its lore is apparent.

Once that first world is done and you've fixed your ship and got warp, you're free to wander before the grind kicks back in.

But on top of the mechanics which I am personally enjoying in-between regular saves, I'm loving the sense of wonder and exploration - and planet-hopping is incredibly satisfying.

I get you personally didn't enjoy it Sammy, and I certainly can't condone YouTube endgame watching (tsk tsk), but I'm mesmerised by the game.

I think it helps massively that my expectations were tempered with the gist I got from Murray - this is an exploring game, where you soak up the atmospherics, procedural planet-hopping and terrain-mapping, with the grind path available to tempt you into better gear and weapons, suit etc.

I've never played anything like it and even love the soundtrack on my headphones, it's the ultimate chill game after intense GTA Online and Destiny sessions.

I appreciate quite a few of the peeps here are like you, Sammy - and are bored.

I guess, in a way, playing No Mans Sky invokes part Interstellar, part Elite and those 70's sci-fi references.....

So roll on new features I'm in 👌

It's an incredible game....if you're seeking immersion through exploration.

Which essentially means that there's less story content to make Destiny appear Tolkien-esque, but boy am I amazed every time I map out a proportion of a planet, taking in its nuances, then seamlessly warp-driving to a new star system or coasting in the scenic view for the adjacent planet.

Surely I'm not alone in thinking that elation is currently unique in all gaming, past and present? The fact I can put my own spin on naming planets after Autoscum, or follow the language hunt, or just take in the differing atmospheres as you fly closer in, is awe-inspiring and a boon to the procedural generation.

It means I can enjoy lengthy play sessions to grind for better gear whilst enjoying the melancholy moments, which means the loop gameplay doesn't really annoy as I'm here for the ride, not the destination 😊

Fantastic game 👌👌👌👌👌

@belmont - I loved Coast2Coast and desperately wanted it for my Vita, which for 2 years became my go-to games machine.....

Here's hoping an Outrun VR is a twinkle in Sega's eye 😜