J2theEzzo

Talk about fan(g) appeal 😉

@Shstrick It's all about 'symphony of the night', unless you wanna go real retro, in which case, I'd say 'rondo of blood'.
You get both with the castlevania collection on ps store!
Note- when I say 'retro', that means difficult, as well as old, hidden, mechanics that are barely explained. (But much can be found online, if needed!)

@torne you mean you don't want a, always online, games-as-a-service model Castlevania title, with daily challenge updates and an online store where you can spend real money to buy new colours for your cape, or potentially, a monster skin to play as, while other players interfere with your character and impede your progress by dropping annoying messages or dancing in front of doors and checkpoints?

@Nakatomi_Uk That's smart. I have a few ps 1, 2 and 3 games that i bought on ps3, that I'd still like to have on my ps5, but without either of the last 2 consoles, it's like they'll fade to nothing! Ps3 was a beast! For all it's problems, still one of the best console generations, in my humble opinion.

@sanderson72 Aah yeah... I remember when SOE was a thing! They put out some solid action rpg games back in the day. The only other real diablo competitor in my eyes. Sadly missed!

Kazuya is, and always was, my go-to guy in tekken. Glad to see his devil form is getting more use and implementation! But also, a little sad to see some of the simplicity replaced with all these crazy new gimmicks and things- the purist that I am 🥲

@Cutmastavictory Such a good game! I'd take that, and the sequel (or was it prequel?) over the latest Baldurs gate re-releases.

I'm sure it'll do fine, but it seems like one of those games where there'll be a pretty steep drop in the player base soon. I'd rather play monster hunter, but points to them for including cross platform play!

The game is fun, but they've really messed up with not having timely drops for new characters, or implementing a lot of local and online features, like playing against friends and ai, or being able to play locally with a friend as a team online. It shouldn't be hard to do, and seems like a half-year-long missed opportunity that's had an impact.

Regardless of controversies, I've never been taken I'm by the supposed charms of HP and have little interest in this game. A bit tired of open world games, in general, and what I've seen of this hasn't convinced me otherwise!

Combat looks poor, textures look rough; this looks DOA.

@JP80 Yup. And with Rise at half the price on release... to be honest, I'm happy to stick to World, still!

The price of this in shops has been fluctuating madly: £30 on pc, £40 in some stores, £50 in others and £60-70 online. Every one has criticised the sometimes shoddy script writing, and the graphics look last gen at best. I'm keen to grab it for 40 quid, when it's more widely available at that price, but for anything more, seems a bit of a joke.

I'm hankering to play this, so will give the demo a go when it's out! Intend to do a coop run with a friend, who's going in blind, but I've noticed that there's always a few surprises in the final release, compared to the demo, so I'm expecting to get thoroughly slapped still!

@Nightcrawler71 the game is now free to play anyway, so you can download it at no cost- this isn't the latest expansion, but will effectively let you play somewhat past the base gane and dip your toes into whatever comes after.... I can't say how far, as I dropped off from D2 a while back!

@SeanOhOgain but those fans sure are sexy, eh? 😉

If metal gear rising is happening, they need to implement this system!

@nomither6 I'd be happy with just smooth framerates at higher resolution, and the ability to slice things/ people into even more/ tinier pieces! Haven't played it since 10 years ago, but I recall it was quite brown? A bit of grey might brighten it up a little! 😉

This game needs a remake! The full treatment, incorporating the dualsense's haptic feedback, for crunching spines and slicing melons. An overhaul on graphics and textures, trophies, and some work for the final boss fight to make it less of a joke (in terms of difficulty, rather than zany humour) and I'd be all over it!

Yeah, echoing many, I tried the first and wanted to enjoy it. I liked the approach of taking bosses' weapons and the freedom to play in different ways, but after a few hours it just didn't all feel like it came together well. Glitchy timing/combat and difficulty spikes turned me off it.
I hope the 2nd improves and am piqued by the prospect of coop!

Well, my technique was always to run in and get as good many a whacks at him as I possibly could, before retreating and scouring the corners of the map for some steamed buns. Rinse and repeat. Then when you're health inevitably drops to the red, just ride it out and hit him with multiple musou moves at every opportunity, whilst hoping not to be slayed with a single, unexpected lunge of his halberd. Oh yes, that's the only strategy that works to take down that guy...

I'll wait for this to come to ps plus... on the essential tier 😉

@SerJosh97 I mean, I guess I could, but also, I'm not so eager to play games day 1 (generally speaking), that I'd spend that much, when I have a huge backlog to get me through until the games I want are a little lower in price? Elden Ring was a day 1 purchase, but it was also only £40. I also have a job, girlfriend, pay bills, etc. So my game-time is fairly limited, and that means I don't see the same value in spending £60 on a game that, by time I get through it, will probably be retailed 10-20 quid cheaper.
Course, if I booked a week off and locked myself in to exclusively play a game I was excited for, maybe I'd consider getting it at that price.

@NEStalgia bingo!

@Trundlebuddy totally agreed! MS is reduced to £40 in some stores around the UK (argos) and seems to have sold out at every one near me, but you best believe there's plenty of stock in all the shops that are selling it for 50-70!
We're in a recession, after 12 or so years of austerity... people can't afford to throw 70 quid at every good game that's out, or no one would have cash to eat!

@theheadofabroom I think they were joking? 😉

Classic sekiro mistake at the start there... dude tries to block, instead of jumping the sweep! Hours of having it beat into you will be a lesson learned, though!

@Grimwood Well, while it may have some similarities, on a surface level, it certainly plays very differently!

Yep, this is worrisome. Doesn't the game already tell it's own story well enough, not to be butchered by some greedy TV execs?

Goes to show there's been some really great quality games out this year! I'd like to say TLOU deserves a shout, but it is a remake of a remaster, essentially. Yet to play Ragnarok, but I know I'll love it, and also very looking forward to Crisis Core, but for me, has to be Elden Ring! About 200 hours in a few months, makes it one of my most played games of all time!

@TheArt a Nilfgard kinda guy, are we? 😉

@WanderingBullet way better!

@TheArt I quite like the cyberpunk box art; a cool/ edgy shade of yellow and the typeface suits it well. I'd have to say, I think the face that Luke is pulling here looks a bit ridiculous, in comparison, and the font (especially on the number 6) just looks a bit bland and unimaginative.
But I guess taste is subjective, so!

Was pleasantly surprised by the 1st, especially for a ps plus release! My friend and I had a blast teaming up through it, so I'm pretty stoked for this one!

@WanderingBullet the whole game seems based on the fact that certain regents for each kingdom can each harness/ turn into their own respective summons. Had your head under a log? 😉

Sure looks like one slick action game, but a FF title? Not so much... (with the exception of the chocobos)

@ShogunRok nice! Yeah, thanks man- that's sounding good! I imagine it'll be a lot of fun to play around with, rather than just finding the 1 build that really works and sticking with it for the whole endgame?

@ShogunRok are skill trees closer to D2 this time around than, say, the ability wheel of D3? And are there basic attacks, like classic rpg style, that vary by weapon, or are standard attacks also technically a separate skill?

Edit: also thanks for taking the time to reply! I'm sure you're inundated, haha

@colonelkilgore Agreed! Something fun to chew through over the hols, and while not breathtaking in scope or design, like some AAA titles, the lower price point and schlocky fun of it makes it quite appealing still. Never had a psp either, so defo looking forward to trying this.

@CWill97 and so art imitates nature, once again!

Great news for those who haven't had a chance to play ME yet... less so for those looking forward to Biomutant! Had to stop after an hour due to the very childish nature of the narrator.

Tempted by this! Just reached max capacity on my ps5 and had to transfer my backlog to an HDD. Double drives for double the games 🤷

3! 2! 1! GO, BRO! GO!!

Can't wait to see more punderful bros

@ItsBritneyB_tch totally agreed!
Not a bad (free) game to play with mates and dip in and out of, but for any of the decent skins or to earn a decent amount of gold is a real grind, that shows monetisation is at the forefront, rather than rewarding player's time investment.

They did Kratos wrong there...
And what about his adventures in the world of Mortal Kombat?

Interesting results... does this mean many more people now have a ps5, or are people just waiting / hoping to pick one up at Christmas? 😉

For myself, I'm just playing through the first again, looking to get the plat before I dip, as I know anticipation would get the best of me!

Nnnnoope!!

Enjoy vr every now and then, but to pay 550 quid for something I'll barely use? No thanks.

Amusing, yes. The point though? I'd hope maybe this is suggesting a crossover, and we'll get Kratos in multiversus, or... LeBron in Ragnarok?

I'll check out heavenly bodies as a curio. Nioh 2 really is the big selling point, but I already have it! No interest in HP, but an otherwise objectively good month!

@Ravix levels are fairly linear, but open-ish with secrets to find (mysterious, "hidden" walls, collectibles, etc.) And the checkpoints are somewhat spaced, but generally generous with being close to bosses, or shortcuts as you progress through a level, i.e. paths that loop round to the start again.
If you're struggling, the whole game can be played coop, via summoning other players as npc's, or using the 'tori gate' to play with real players, as a nice twist that makes it fully coop, but ups the challenge a bit (also gets rid of enemies respawning at checkpoints). I played half the game with a friend via this and had a blast!