J2theEzzo

@DaniPooo Interesting take. Is XVI really so choppy, or more inconsistent compared to Rebirth? I only played the demos of both, felt like 16 was simpler/easier combat (maybe just as a fan of action heavy games?) but Rebirth was harder to see what was going on onscreen. Would you say it's smoothed out since?

Interesting... Still need to play the outlier that is Stranger of Paradise, but would be keen to pick this up after. Hopefully, a complete edition by then- and once I'm done, I imagine rebirth will be plenty affordable.

@DeathlySW Yeah, I thought I'd wrap up a few trophies before moving to 2... took a minute to remember everything that was going on, and navigate the menus, haha. Not the easiest thing to drop in at the endgame!

@Damage99 I booted up the OG D. Dogma a while back, got killed by Death in Bitterblack Isle and immediately was greeted with the puzzling selection of where to load from. 😑

@gaston The proof of the pudding will be in the eating, as they say (or used to!). I suppose I just feel that the general consensus is, people are starting to veer more towards shorter, cheaper, experiences than long games with hundreds of hours worth of things to do. Can't speak for everyone, of course, but I'd say it's a natural pushback to how prevalent very long, open world, games have become.

Just wanted to give props for the sub heading! 👏

@Specky Totally disagree! I used to love buying the official playstation magazine as a kid, specificity for the demos; as an adult, I'm happy to read and watch reviews, but I would always rather play a demo, and get a feel for myself before purchasing a game, where possible. I wish every game came with a demo for free- it would be your choice to interact with them.

@Martijn87 That's because it was absolute trash! 😜

That's because it was so bloody hard, people had to keep coming back to try it every few hours! 😉

I was eager to play remake, prior to launch. I enjoyed the gameplay and generally most of it enough, but really didn't like the direction the story was going in; I would have preferred the original, with a modern combat twist. So, I'm not that fussed by rebirth, despite being a fan of the original. I was also disappointed with the presentation in the demo, and that's compounded my view. I feel like I'll pick it up eventually, but im in no rush, and I don't imagine I'm alone in thinking this.

@gaston I guess these days, I just don't see the size/length of a game, nor the amount of content as being equal to quality. I loved Elden Ring (still do), but with every consequent playthrough, I skip more and more of what's there. It's great to have the option to do a lot, but sometimes it can feel unnecessary. In contrast, Sekiro is a very condensed but well put together package, and is rarely sold cheaper than 30 quid. That's about 1/3rd the price of outlaws, and I'd say that they are likely of equal quality. What people enjoy is going to be subjective, but I just don't think that having more always means better.
You have to think as well, that you're paying for the SW license, for the polish (that doesn't effect gameplay) and all the work that goes into the presentation. That's cool, for those who love star wars and want to feel a part of the world, (and I'm sure there are many people), but that's all extra cost that, for me, doesn't actually add value or anything to the experience of playing.

@God_of_War_ The best games never (rarely?) hit the sales... 🥲

@Kidfunkadelic83 Yup! I also grabbed that one in a sale and got the deluxe edition for 20 quid, so I can't fault how good a deal that was. The most fun I've had playing MK since 9.

@gaston well, that's not strictly true... Helldivers 2 is half the price of Final Fantasy rebirth, and arguably, they are just as popular!

It is publisher greed, thinking that if they spend lots of money, they can charge even more to make profit. But thus, as we see, it leaves every ship sinking when the customers are living in an economic recession and can't afford to bail those greedy corpos out.

But Ubi put out Skull and Bones, which is AAAA quality for 70, so this game must be 5A quality!

Can't wait for this eventual price drop and a slightly less saturated industry, to be honest. Tired of so many (overpriced) samey games that rarely strive for originality.

Who the hell voted Suicide Squad? 😅

@Blacksmith1985 After playing tekken 8, I feel that this one is too slow for me, and I also think gameplay is a step backwards from MK 11, which I prefer for not having kameos, and for feeling more fluid.

@Uromastryx There definitely won't be mounts. The 1st was very much the same, but eventually, you unlock teleport stones that you can drop around the map, as needed, and warp to for fast travel. I think these stones were part of the mtx outcry, but essentially, you'd unlock then so your new game plus mode can be done much quicker, once you know where to put them.

I'm generally a fan of Souls games and arpg's in general, but I have to say, I found the boss mode particularly tricky! Not helped by the fact it introduced new mechanics without telling you, like a gun, and a sekiro style dodge/counter that become basically essential.

@NEStalgia In terms of what you're saying, with not just looking smoother, but also playing better, I say: Bingo! More frames means more reaction time, and I personally struggle to be able to enjoy a game so much when I feel like I have to make my brain slower, or plan my moves differently, to compensate for less frames. I favour immediacy and immersion over pretty graphics!

I remember playing Onimusha 3, way back when, and there were particular combat challenges. 1 of which, entailed having to perform a perfect parry, and then slice 10 enemies in perfect timing, as they swung their swords. Essentially a 10 parry chain. Now my tv was only 50 Hz, but when I went to my friends, and played with 60... man, I felt those extra frames made the impossible possible. Now, I can't help but feel so many games, online fighters and shooters particularly, would just immediately benefit from smooth, consistent and higher frame rates. It feels like ps5 should be able to hit 60, and it's a bit hard to believe how few games do, or can.

@Balie3000 It's like a tactical map that all players are working on, pushing the "supply lines" closer, to take out fallen planets, etc. You'll pick it up pretty quick, but maybe it's a bit more tricky in the midst of a full-scale galactic assault, haha.

Consider my interest piqued... was tempted to grab MW V already. Am assuming this is a new entry that reimagines, rather than standalone dlc/ a patch for the main game?

I seem to be one of the few who were interested in Skul, and I'm happy to dip into Aveum. Minecraft isn't really my thing, but I'm sure someone will enjoy it.

I hop on every now and again, and I play some battles. Or, maybe have a few friends over and we play a few matches between us. Point being, I ignore all the mtx, and I'm not fussed about costumes. This takes nothing away from my enjoyment, and is a practice that Harada said they'd have to adopt going forward. I think it sucks that it's becoming more prevalent, but that speaks more of the state of the industry as a whole.

Had my eye on Skul previously, and would be keen to give it a try, eventually.

@Korgon Depends on how/ when you look at it.
Avengers, Gotham Knights, Suicide Squad... that's 3.
But if you go back to the old days, one or 2 of those ultimate alliance games were fun for a bit. And there was a PS2 era Justice League game that was pretty good. 😉

How about a new Dark Alliance game, instead of shipping out the old ones for 20 quid each... 🙄

@Coversnail This has been in development for years, way before Palworld, I'm sure. Started as someone's experiment with tech, on Twitter, but people liked the idea so much, they turned it from an animation to a full blown game. It happens.

@AdamNovice The ending of remake was bad, simply because it was. Everything they decided to do with the whispers just felt convoluted and unnecessary.

I played Horizon, and by the end of my 60 or so hours, I honestly didn't feel that I needed to play the sequel- it had outstayed its welcome for me, and went from a fun and innovative game, to becoming a tedious experience of collecting things. I have no qualms with Aloy, I just didn't need any more.

Same for Spiderman 2; I played the original twice, and got the plat. I didn't need to play Miles Morales after that, and I don't feel the new suit is enough to warrant spending 40 quid, to essentially play the same game again.

I played GOW, and enjoyed it. I played Ragnarok, and didn't like it as much. I felt the pacing was off, and the game was always wresting control from you whenever you finally felt like things were kicking off. The story wasn't very well told (imo), and the focal point (the actual action) became more of a background element.
And I'm not just expressly against sequels; I played TLOU2 and loved it, feeling it improved upon the 1st in just about every way. The story was exceptional, even for killing our beloved Joel.
Clearly just my opinion, but it's one based on gameplay and experiential data, not just a "that's a horrible face, so I won't buy it" mentality.

I've been gaming for 30 odd years- I guess I'm just harder to impress, these days!

I can think of plenty of reasons why it isn't selling well; a) the initial price point is high,
b) we're enduring a saturation of very high quality games, that demand a lot of time, and people are tired of open world bloat
c) Helldivers 2 is still extremely popular, and no doubt people are playing that instead, (I am) and
d) delineation from the story in the previous title has put people off the series as a whole.
I could add:
e) some people feel like the series isn't truly final fantasy anymore (reception to 16 suggests as much) and the series doesn't garner the same reverence it used to
f) visual issues; textures clipping, and terrible climbing sections. The game isn't flawless and the demo wasn't of a very high quality.

I haven't played rebirth yet, but as a long time FF fan, and as someone who's played and platted the previous remake, I just don't feel that fussed to grab the new game right now. Lots of people say it's amazing, but they also seem to be overlooking all its glaring faults, through rose tinted glasses.

@Ravix Sounded SO cheesey. Really awful writing on this, full of clichés.

And a serial killer targeting the world's elite? So what... Good for them! Let em have at it, I'd say, haha.

@naruball For comparisons' sake, GOW 3 probably is my favourite in the series, and I don't think anything will top the sheer joy I got from the opening fight, where you click the sticks in and Kratos pushes his thumbs into Neptune's eyes, in synch. So, yeah. Wholesome family vibes isn't really my thing, haha. I like Kratos best when he's ripping people in half, and bisecting suckers with his axe, without remorse.

@naruball Fine, I suppose? To be honest, I just didn't like the whole direction it was going in, building up to a "Kratos' Happy Family" scenario. I get that they're clearly trying to make Atreus a more viable protagonist, moving ahead, and I enjoyed some parts with him, but the whole story feels like everyone is pushing against the inevitable. When the exact thing that everyone says "no" to, ends up being the thing that happens, (rather predictably), it all just fell flat for me, and seemed like a lot of senseless padding that could have been done away with.

@naruball I felt that there were some serious pacing issues with ragnarok. Kinda felt like more cinematics than necessary, and you were always having control taken away from you as it was ramping up. Spent half the game just wanting to get to the end of it really, but did enjoy the valhalla dlc, precisely because it cut away all the fat.

1st one was cool, but it was incredibly annoying how prevalent it was, that you'd be halfway through a dungeon and suddenly the whole team would panic, and randomly die of a heart attack. Seemed a bit unfairly balanced, so I hope that's been fixed.

@Old_Man_Harper You can make a private lobby, if you so choose. It makes the game much harder, because you generally will always be drastically outnumbered, and it really helps to have at least 1 other teammate watching your back. Game's easy enough to 'ping' things and set targets on the map, without having to talk to randoms, but you can play 1p if you want.

Looks cool. Not always been so keen on these 'gambit' style systems, but it looks like it has some depth. I do wish it'd give you the option to customise characters, even if it's just a palette swap, like in Dragon's Crown. The 'good guy with blue hair' thing seems so overdone...

@EYEBALL I would have to admit, having been with the series since the 1st title, I'm also less divested in/ attracted to all the weird high fantasy stuff that's going on (as if there weren't enough in the game already!), it also feels and plays very differently to 7 (updated frames and animations totally put my timing off), but I stuck with it, and have been enjoying playing it with friends. Takes a while, but it does work well, when you're feeling it.

Bought it recently 🥲
But great for anyone who was too intimidated by the premise of a steep difficulty curve to finally give it a try! It really is tricky, but once you get to grips with it, it's also very satisfying! Currently on the third area, and only 22 years old! 😌

@bpomber I do see your point, and think you've expressed it very well. I suppose, maybe with other "genre" games, like GT, or NHL etc. People already know going in, whether they like racing, or sports... but a murder mystery set in the medieval times might sound like a gripping premise, that actually puts someone off because they thought it'd play like Kingdom Come, rather than similar to Disco Elysium... (not saying it is like DE, but as an example of a walkabout, slow burn, mystery).

@DexTepa There are certain things you have to be aware of, but once you get the foundations to build on, it becomes easier and opens up a lot. Currently playing on tactician mode, and nearly completed it for the 3rd/4th time!

For one thing- AC. It's not just armour class, it's how hard you are to hit. Be aware of proficiencies though, and ensure your team is well rounded. Don't try to spread your abilities too thin, and stick to specialising for your first run. If you use a sneaky archer, for example, always use him first to sneak and take a stealth shot at someone to initiate combat. If you use a mage, keep them far out of melee range, and only use spells with them. Don't be afraid to reat often, and use potions and scrolls if you have them- it's what they're there for.
Also, so many situations are really very open, so that you generally don't even have to fight, half the time, but if you choose to- save beforehand, and put all your people in good places first. (Separate your team, put em in good vantage spots to get 'advantage' on attacks, which increases likelihood of hitting or getting criticals). As someone said, once you hit level 5 most classes get an extra attack, but also, certain subclasses at level 3 are very handy. Ranger has hordebreaker, that let's you target 2 enemies, if they're close. Rogue has thief, which let's you use 2 bonus actions. Combine that with dual wielding, and you have 3 attacks at level 3. You can also respec later on, to suit different combat challenges.

As someone else said, I think if you're really struggling at that point, you're likely doing something wrong- so maybe just fiddle around with your party and maybe you'll figure it out!

Brings a tear of joy to my eye, to see FF IX get the love it deserves 🥲

P.S. please don't do an action rpg style remake.

@JSnow2 There's just such an over saturated market already, eith no one having enough time to play the games (that are finite) that they love. Then add all the other (successful) live service games, many of which are free to play, and who did they really think this title would grab? Hard-core fortnite fans aren't gonna drop it, nor are the destiny players, who are immersed in that content (if or when it drops). Such a small window of opportunity for a game like this, especially when the majority of fans were clamouring for a true sequel to the arkham series.

Kind of speaks to the idea of 'do what you do best', rather than chasing hype. Game would have worked as a character focused, mostly melee (exception of deadshot) 3rd person action game.

Maybe now, exec's will start to realise that games should strive to be original, and made for the purpose of fun, rather than chasing sales and the perceived notion of what's currently "trendy", I.e. live service, always online, etc. Yes, Helldivers has been a success- but it's also fun, before anything else.
Companies gotta have some faith in giving back to the fans who support them, rather than giving them what no one ever asked for.

"Some truly crap side quests" 😂

It's a shame they felt the need to go the 'more is more' route, rather than letting the emotional depth play out and keeping it trimmer. Especially given a lot of people would likely replay it, for trophies or otherwise.

Did they forget the 'y' in play? 🙃

@NinjaNicky Best off waiting for Sea of Thieves, then! 😉

@Kidfunkadelic83 Pretty different. Despite its more cartoon graphics, sea of thieves is defo more of a complex 'pirate sim', where you need to fix gaps in your ship with wood, find treasure maps to find treasure, etc. And can play with up to 4 people in 1 boat (bigger boats need bigger crews, to hoist the sails and repair, fire cannons, etc.)

S & B has basically streamlined all of that to be viable for 1 player, making it look more mature, but play more arcade-y. I don't think there's combat off boat, either, whereas SoT has some limited action when you disembark.
(It's basically a better game).

@IndoorEnthusiast I had such a good set-up for getting the plat, but now I've mostly forgotten... Think basically it was something like, getting hp back on attacks, hi-jump, that move that's like a more powerful version of goblin punch and some mish-mash firaga spell that also cast silence, death and poison (overkill, I know). Specifically for the latter half of the sub-missions, it's basically necessary to also level up your sword skills to at least about 30-40% for extra damage. Good luck! 👍