JDCII

JDCII

Middle Aged Gamer - Mostly Retro

Comments 28

Re: PS5 Pro Boost Is Pretty Clear Cut in The Last of Us 2 Remastered Comparison Video

JDCII

@JohntheRaptor I mean…okay? Definitely not looking for a prize.
Just giving my personal take. You hopefully saw that I hope that those who buy the PS5 Pro enjoy it. I mean that. I even admit to enjoying a good FPS boost and texture upgrades, further I add that I will have probable interest in the PS6. I do think FOMO is a legit reason for a lot of these incremental upgrades. I have been guilty of it myself.
There have been a lot of improvements overall, but the exponential growth seen in the early days of video games just doesn’t seem to be happening.
I apologize if my post struck a nerve, it was meant to just share my thoughts on the situation. The contention around this whole machine is amusing. In the end, it’s just a box. A really fun and amazing box, but…a box.
If PS5 Pro is what you want, go for it. I just, personally, don’t see a need in my sphere of life. ✌️

Re: PS5 Pro Boost Is Pretty Clear Cut in The Last of Us 2 Remastered Comparison Video

JDCII

This comments section is cracking me up. I’m old school, so upgrades were always pretty exciting “back in the day”, but the negligible increases we’re being conditioned to be excited for are great, but are they that great?
I’m probably not the target audience as I just finished Super Mario Bros. 3 this morning on the Super Nintendo on retro hardware…
I thought the game looked great, played smoothly, and I appreciated the hardware bump from NES to SNES.
My PS5? I still play on 1080p televisions. So the performance and picture is pretty great.
I have done a bit of research on viewing distances, and from where I like to sit, 4k isn’t quite worth it for me. Maybe when I want a new television…?
I guess my point is that the upgrades we’re being conditioned to purchase maybe aren’t quite as shiny as they’re trying to convince us of.
For those that want the newest and greatest, I am sure it will be worth it. For those who just want a great game and an immersive experience frame-rate can make a difference to a point. For example, I prefer the immersion of the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time over the N64 due to the better graphics, 3D (glorious 3D!), textures, and frame-rate. Yet, I find myself playing the GameCube Collector’s version more often because it’s on a television and it’s “good enough”. That said, I also own the N64 version, it’s good, but on original hardware it’s a bit of a blurry mess due to the limitations of the 64. So, I do care about upgrades, but when is good enough, good enough? I think it’s just personal opinion, and what we’re used to.
I hate the FOMO aspect of gaming performance, even though I know it can improve my enjoyment. I’d much rather play Dragon Quest XI at 60 fps than 30 fps, though I played it on PS4 all the way through at 30, and absolutely loved it.
I’ll probably just wait for PS6 - and even then probably a few years into that cycle for my next batch of upgrades. I feel like the jump/rush to 4k kind of messed a lot of things up with just enjoying video games. We’re so focused (myself included at times) with numbers, that we forget the essence of enjoying a great hobby.

Re: Upgraded PS5 Pro Planning to Be the Best Place to Play GTA 6

JDCII

I just barely upgraded to the PS5 “slim” specifically for FFVII Rebirth. I love the console, but barring that one game and Spider-Man 2 I haven’t seen much that really justified (personally) the upgrade to that let alone a “pro”. Most games are still getting PS4 versions…and they still look pretty great overall.
Of course I am still playing games on 1080p tv/projector and from where I sit…I can barely see any pixels as is. The main thing I have really enjoyed about PS5 is the 60 fps in the performance modes in games. That’s where I prefer it over PS4. Graphics mode on PS5 doesn’t do much for me because of my 1080p situation, but the frame rates are glorious.
If anything, I don’t want to upgrade to a 4KTV (for games) yet because of how upscaling looks. I like a crisp picture even with less pixels per inch.
PS5 is finally the machine we all wanted for true 1080p/60fps. Consistent 4K 60fps on graphics intensive games seems to be a way off.
Those that are ready for an upgrade and can afford to do so, that’s great, and I am a tad envious perhaps, but I still find a lot of joy playing my old NES and SNES…so I can wait and see how it all pans out!

Re: Square Enix Talks Reimagining Aerith and Sephiroth for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on PS5

JDCII

I’m pretty hyped! I played the original when it came out…and a bajillion times since…, and I am all for a reimagined story. I love the extra details and development. I love the alternate take.
The original is still there. I’ll play it again. It just needs some minor upgrades. I’d love to see the backgrounds and original graphics upgraded, and maybe some instrumental music like the pixel remasters, but the format left alone.
This new take with ReMake and Rebirth is awesome in my opinion. I’m excited to see where it goes from here.

Re: Sony Wants PS5 Games to Automatically Adjust the Difficulty While You Play

JDCII

I don’t know…I kind of like getting the crud kicked out of me by a tough boss, and then finally taking him down with SKILLZ.
I probably played against Young Xehanort for 2-3 hours before finally taking him down in the KHIII DLC a week or so ago, and it was really satisfying. I still want to beat all the other bosses at some point, but the thrill of victory is so much sweeter when you have to work for it.
I do understand why an adjustable difficulty would be nice (and I have used them before in different games), but the challenge keeps the memories alive longer.
Interesting idea though.

Re: Rumour: PS5 Pro Specs Could Leak Very Soon as Dev Kits Go Out to Studios

JDCII

I just picked up a PS5, and my TVs max out at 1080p (a conscious decision due to the chain of upgrading and the fact that from where I sit, I can barely see - if at all- each pixel anyway.).
So, probably not interested at this time.
The super sampling effect the PS5 does looks really great, and the stable 60 fps is definitely nice at 1080p with the base PS5 (well “slim” in my case).
This is probably great for the majority of people with their 4ks and such.

Re: Feature: Celebrating 10 Years of PS4 with Our Favourite Games

JDCII

Love the PS4, the only thing that would have made it better would have been compatibility with my PSN Playstation Classics purchases on PS3. I went all in on the PS1 games, and not having them available on PS4 was a bummer. Not a dealbreaker, but a bummer.
That’s probably one reason I loved PS3 so much. It has such a great library to dive into retro collecting games I had missed out on.
Hopefully we’ll see more of those PS1 games be updated. I realize it’s a lot of work, but those old games are so full of heart.

Re: Talking Point: As PS5 Turns 3, How Are You Feeling About It?

JDCII

I haven’t even played one yet. My “slim” is scheduled for delivery tomorrow though. Honestly, having most of the games come to PS4 has been great for me. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the game that I’m finally making the jump for. Not saying there aren’t other great games I’ll enjoy, but that’s the game that is pushing me over the edge.
I am excited to play some of my PS4 library in upgraded form however. Less loading and smoother frame rates will be nice.
That said, I enjoy my Switch and Xbox Series S a whole lot, and quite enjoy them overall. I am sure I will enjoy PS5 as well. It’s the games for me. Systems are just a requirement.

Re: Apple Insinuates iPhone 15 Pro Will Be a Better Games Console Than PS5, PS4

JDCII

I doubt mobile by its nature could compete really, but…
If it had a nice little dock with no lag and a good controller, (Airplay is fun to try, but it usually gets “choppy”.) The new phone does have USB-C, which invites some new opportunities with data transfer.
I might treat a phone like a Switch in that situation. That’s an interesting thought to me.

Re: Square Enix Happy with Final Fantasy 16 Sales, Considers Them 'Extremely Strong'

JDCII

Good for it doing so well…
I just hope that doesn’t mean this is all we get going forward (Grim-dark, rated M). Final Fantasy needs to set itself apart in my opinion, but not this way. It’s not even the turn based thing that frustrated me (I actually really like FF XV), it’s just an overall tone with the content that I don’t really want or need in my life.
I’m 44. I have kids, I teach school, and personally, lots of swearing, innuendo, and blood is just off putting for me.

Re: PS5 Exclusive Final Fantasy 16 Hits a Slightly Skewed 3 Million Sales at Launch

JDCII

@LifeGirl I don’t really know how to quantify worst, but I quite like XV, and that’s after having played every mainline game multiple times. Is it my favorite? I don’t know, I have a hard time ranking enjoyment. It’s fun, the bros. banter is so well done it’s easy to feel part of the “boy band” as I play.
Not really disagreeing with you, more just saying I have found a lot of enjoyment in that mess of a game.

Re: PS5 Exclusive Final Fantasy 16 Hits a Slightly Skewed 3 Million Sales at Launch

JDCII

@Jaz007 The rating was THE reason I won’t be picking it up. That may be prudish to some, but as much as I love the Final Fantasy series (and I have since the 90’s when I discovered it as a teen), content matters to me as a parent. I’m also religious, so I mostly game in the E - T realm…you know to keep my mind “pure”. and besides that my backlog is insane.
It still includes games from the 90s sitting on shelves and in drawers. Not to mention all those sales these days!
All that said, the game looks pretty cool, the story sounds epic. No judgment from me to those who are loving it. I won’t be getting it, but I’m glad for those that are enjoying it.

Re: Final Fantasy 16 Really Wants You to Know Its Action Combat Can Be Made Easy

JDCII

@NEStalgia Older gamer here as well. I was so happy that BOTW went back to its roots. That is one major reason it was so good. Because it trusted the player to be smart enough to enjoy getting lost, getting destroyed, and then figuring out a better way.
Same goes for the original Final Fantasy. It kicked the crap out of you, but that challenge kept you wanting to go back and try again.
I have pretty mixed feelings about the next Final Fantasy and Square as a whole. It looks edgy and epic, but it doesn’t really look…fun.
I’m probably a minority, but an M Rated Final Fantasy, just isn’t why I fell in love with the series. I love taking my time choosing strategy in a battle. I love comedy woven into the moments. I love a well lived in world that still allows my imagination to fill in the gaps.
Yeah. I still have Dragon Quest and Zelda, but it’s tough to see the series that gave me Cecil, Sabin, Celes, Cloud, Tifa, Zidane, Quina, etc. become what it’s becoming. Even FFXV let you wear a Cup Noodles hat, and had some great banter and light moments.
FfXVI will probably have some of that too? I hope for those that play, but there emphasis on being “darker and more mature” is so far removed from what sold Final Fantasy to us oldies, that it’s hard to feel any excitement for it.
Thankfully we still have access to the older games, and I do have to credit Square-Enix for that. Also, they deserve credit for sticking with the Chrono Cross remaster. It’s now the definitive version of the game. SE still makes a lot of great games, but it’s not usually when they’re trying to impress a Western audience.
Sorry. Old man rambling…

Re: Soapbox: PS Plus Might Be Gaming's Best Subscription Service Now

JDCII

I think it was an article on this site that convinced me that subscriptions are a waste of my money. I had Gamepass for a little over a year, and never finished a game on it. I did buy some games due to seeing them on Gamepass, but honestly, I don’t have time to really enjoy all it has to offer. When I buy the game, I don’t have to worry if it will disappear…and the collection I have collected since the very, very early 90s has given me such a backlog that I don’t feel I can justify it anymore…of course if I find a reason to want to play online I can subscribe again for a bit. $15.
Not too bad. It’s just that I would go months with hardly touching the subscription.

Re: Poll: Are You Playing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor?

JDCII

Not playing it yet, it sounds pretty great though. I still have to finish the first one though.
Xenoblade Future Redeemed however is consuming a lot of my time lately…I did pick up the Pixel Remasters and Chrono Cross lately on PS4.
My backlog like many others here is…excessive.

Re: New PS1 Classics Can Be Bought Off the PS Store

JDCII

@Krlozgod
I am having a similar issue. I was able to get Legend of Dragoon and Harvest Moon for free since I paid previously, but it’s asking $9.99 for Wild Arms 2, which I also paid for previously…
Anyone have any insight into this?

Re: PS5 Shipments Eclipse 32.1 Million Units, with Huge Year Ahead

JDCII

Glad their shipment woes have lessened. I haven’t picked one up yet. I am definitely interested, I’m just hoping for a slim version in the near future…that thing is way too big.
Of course, my next gen experience so far is an Xbox Series S and the Switch (probably barely counts…), so I’m probably in the minority of people who appreciate graphical fidelity, but hardly consider it the number one factor in a console. But! Those little machines are super convenient!

Re: Final Fantasy 16 Is Officially the First Mainline Game to Be Rated Mature, 18+

JDCII

I’m way late to this discussion, but this rating is really disappointing to me. I’ve been playing Final Fantasy since the early 90s, and as epic as this game looks, it will be a pass for me. Final Fantasy has always been able to address difficult situations and still keep everything above board while creating a world I love to “live in” for a short time, but apparently more gratuitousness is better to Yoshi-P, so…
Pass for me. Hope everyone else enjoys.
I’ll probably just play FF I - XV another million more times and realize that good games with mature storylines don’t have to be rated M (and a hard M at that…).
Boo.

Re: Final Fantasy XV Hits 10 Million Units Sold Worldwide

JDCII

Just finished my third play through last week. I love it. I played it at launch, and it was fine, but the Royal Edition definitely helped. I do think the criticism about the story being chopped up into DLC is deserved, integrating it would have been much better - though Ignis’s alternate ending would have been weird integrated - just to keep it more cohesive. Exploring more of Gralea would have been nice as well. The additional DLC would also have been great. All that said, it’s a great game with a crazy amount of content.

Re: March 2022 NPD: PS5 Stock Problems Put Sony in Last Place

JDCII

I love my PS4 and all, but I am one of those Xbox numbers. I’m not huge into “4k ultra speedy graphics” and such, so an Xbox Series S for the price of a normal Switch was too good to pass up. Backwards compatibility is a huge selling point for me. I can play Lost Odyssey again! I can play the FFXIII trilogy on a next-gen machine. I can play FFXV with a great frame-rate! All without breaking the bank.
The price is right to dive in without worrying too much about huge commitment. Sure I’m not getting the ultimate graphics, but they’re pretty great. Especially for a guy that doesn’t own a 4k set yet (I know, I know…).
Also, I’ve reaped benefits from the extended generation with most Playstation exclusives still coming to PS4. It’s almost like PS4 became Playstation’s accidental Xbox Series S…
All said and done, I would like a PS5 at some point, but it’s too hard to find (I won’t pay a scalper), it’s way too big, and it just doesn’t have exclusive enough content yet.

Re: Reaction: Can We Chill Out About Sony's Commitment to PS4, Please?

JDCII

I’m glad I can still play some of these great new releases on my PS4. I have definitely wanted to upgrade to PS5, but I just can’t seem to find one at retail price, and I won’t pay a scalper.
One thing I really like about this cross-generation situation, is that when I do get the PS5 (hopefully!), many of the games I dropped money on, come with the PS5 version included.
I get the complaint about PS4 holding back PS5 development…but as an old school gamer…I just can’t bring myself to care that much. I find as much enjoyment playing an old NES game as I do with excellent games such as Tales of Arise or FFVII Remake.
I am all about companies supporting their “legacy” systems for as long as possible because at my age, 5 years can seem like a pretty short time, and I love seeing consoles supported as long as possible!

Re: Poll: What's Your Favourite PS5 Game So Far?

JDCII

My favorite PS5 game is the one where I try to find one without paying a scalper. My second favorite is realizing that most of the games I want on PS5 are also out, or coming out on PS4. My third favorite game is hoping they come out with a slim version so I can fit it in my house when it actually does come out.
It’s a super fun and rad system!