KALofKRYPTON

@tomassi
Never took the plunge.

I played the beta a lot and didn't particularly like it other than the starfighter bits, but it's changed plenty since then.

Dang, I was hoping Battlefront II would get slashed again like on the US store.

That's both brilliant and slightly dastardly.

I only use my own screenshots as backgrounds now #vain

@ShogunRok
That will be interesting!

@rjejr
That would work, but would probably decrease the SSD life span, unless that is the reason for the 'custom' part of the drive...
Though that would free up resources for other bells & whistles like ray tracing and bi-neural audio and such.

@ShogunRok

That's... weird.
In that case, are we expecting the SSD to pre-load/cache from the HDD upon/before booting a game?

@Splat That's a good point.

I hadn't really paid too much attention beyond that they were going with SSD.

Given the relative ease that PS3 and PS4 HDDs could be swapped out - and the popularity of the non-proprietary nature of that, I'd like to think that the 'custom' nature of the drive may actually be the file system and not the drive itself.

Hopefully it'll be replaceable with other 'off-the-shelf' SSDs.

Anyone would think they never played Halo...

@ShogunRok Excellent review!

I've been looking forward to this - might even buy it at launch!

Will you be updating on the netcode launch week?

@FullbringIchigo
I really like Mania.
There are of course strong feelings of nostalgia attached to it - but even as someone who had a Mega Drive with Sonic as a pack in game for Christmas as a kid - I never really stopped playing those games.

Mania really struck a chord for those of us not all that enamored with the majority of 3D Sonic games and wanted something new done in the classic style.
Generations really was the absolute highlight of 3D Sonic for me so far (though I'm yet to play Forces).

I think they really should do something akin to Generations for Sonic's 30th - perhaps including and refining the high points from the 3D games as well perhaps making a sequel to Mania too.

"... once you have a certain Force power..."

Nah mate.

Vita version!

Looks alright.

It has been so long since I had an F1 game!

It looks great, very tempted!

Reads a lot like Team Sonic Racing is better... not like I already own it or anything...

@WanderingBullet

Translation
Dialogue options:
Press O - "You there... go and stand casually under that precariously teetering building."
Press X - "Quick, follow me away from that precariously teetering building!"

@NintendoFan4Lyf
I remember first seeing it after falling in to a deep YouTube loop a while ago. Just some dude wandering about rubble while Ultraman was getting to work!

oooh, interesting!

@NintendoFan4Lyf Is that the Kaiju one?

Having really rather enjoyed NHL 19, I'm actually OK with the idea of buying this at launch (since I have traded out NHL 19 already ).

That so long as they don't actually alter the gameplay too much. I know series regulars had some issues with it - but certainly by the time I picked it up, it felt like a great game.

@JoeBlogs
What you've said there is very much at the crux of what a lot of people find objectionable.

"...suggest more positive ways of portraying those types of characters..."

Because that is a prevalent sentiment, which on the surface of things is all well and good - we're left in a situation where only 'positive' depictions of any particular minority group are viewed without scorn in entertainment media coverage.
Lots of dev's, publishers etc are chasing that rainbow - so it tends to feel that large swathes of output is set to the same tune.

Stereotypes don't come from nowhere, and are valid depictions in certain situations.

How 'harmful' a stereotype actually is in 2019 is utterly debatable.

@Jimjammyjammerz
He makes a good point about the aggressive reactions to what is perceived as 'wrongthink'.
And your reaction is a good proof of that, and the current trend that no-one can possibly disagree with each other on any point without being enemies/bigots/snowflakes.

Regarding the changes:
"...the physical unease would be staggering..."
To me, this reads more like they aren't happy to depict fetishised gay men in a fetishised gay club. And nothing else.
It's interesting that should that be the case, that it seen as some sort of progress; as if these men and clubs do not exist in the real world.

@Jimjammyjammerz
You seem to have inferred quite the opposite of what @Gamer83 wrote.

"If we made the facility like we did in the original game, the physical unease would be staggering, so that was no good…"

Because graffiks? hahaha

@Agramonte I got Spider-Man when it was cheaper too. Didn't get the season pass but thoroughly enjoyed the package as it was.

The cynic in me half thinks that Crystal Dynamics has done this on purpose.
They have access to one of the most lucrative licenses on the planet and aren't exactly new to making games - this could all just be smoke & mirrors to make the actual game look even better and just to be able to 'clarify' at a later date that this was all just a misunderstanding.

They could recycle much of their previous experience to present a really engaging game.

If there's one thing that Spider-Man should've thought them, it's that familiar tropes and gameplay loops are perfectly acceptable if the presentation is pin-sharp, details are tight and the narrative is decent.

@Agramonte
I'm not suggesting the game can't be fun without costumes being free.
And CD should clarify whether or not the costumes can be unlocked through gameplay, since that would potentially take some of the heat off of them.

I'm glad you've played Spider-Man and not felt the need to change costume outside of the main narrative, but at least you have the option without having to pay any more.

I played almost the whole thing with the Raimi suit - and it did greatly enhance my enjoyment of the game. And it was free, where it could easily have been locked behind a paywall.

A key part of Spider-Man's (and any superhero) character is his costume, and as with the majority of games that came before it, Insomniac's game is strong enough (and smart enough) to let you change that.
What's the point of a superhero game if can't live in the fantasy and history of the character without paying more for the privilege. It is a fair expectation.

@Agramonte
Look at all those cool free costumes you could unlock in Spider-Man PS1...

@ellsworth004
Some of the costumes didn't have any suit power unlock with them, most did unlock a suit power - but you didn't have to wear the costume to be able to use the suit power.

@SlimDrizzyLamar

The MCU gripes could've been avoided by going with classic 616 character designs - they didn't, opting for the Ultimate/MCU look - chasing $$$ without having actor likenesses and look where they are.
It's not as if this reaction couldn't have been predicted. Having a classic looking team would've been fine. In fact, having a silver age looking team and have the game look like the comic suit in Spider-Man (PS4) would've arguably been easier to produce and been way more interesting!

@SlimDrizzyLamar
The 'outrage' - is about the microtransactions. Which is completely justified when held up against similar games.

My point about the looks of the game is adjacent. It's not outrage, nor is it uninformed. The use of the Ultimates style here is cynical. It isn't a cartoon or Ultimate Alliance or MVC - it's a post Endgame videogame styled to capitalise on the same aesthetic.
That is for the 'non comic fans' - to have them buy it because it looks sort of familiar.
I'm actually Ok with that part of it (other than the character models looking awful). But to then espouse their virtues at not having PTW/lootbox mechanics only to then have to say that cosmetic options - for what is ostensibly a single player/co-op superhero game will be microtransactions is actually absurd.

@Paranoimia
I actually saw the story on Kotaku earlier - it took all of half a dozen comments for someone to suggest that Hello Games paid for the billboard themselves!

@SlimDrizzyLamar
And the simple fix there is not to attempt to look like the comics that inspired the movies.

Not a particularly difficult thing given the wealth of source material - but since that's the look with more revenue attached to it, you get a game that - ironically I admit - looks like an unlicensed movie tie in.

Hahahahahaha riiiight.

They'd be better off following Rocksteady and making any canon costume purchase available with more than just the costume.
No one balked at Arkham Knight to get the '89 suit because it was more than just the suit that you got.

Or better yet, follow Insomiac (and Treyarch and Beenox and most superhero game dev's of the last couple of decades) and just don't charge for the canon costumes at all.

This game looks pretty ropey so far anyway - going with the 'MCU but-not' aesthetic is a mistake I think; it immediately makes the game appear lesser than it should.

Star Wars - Fallen Ape Escape.

@Ralizah
Only just put together what you said! I'd forgotten about that Platinum game!

Looks nice enough - probably won't bother with it though. Still enjoying Team Sonic Racing quite a lot.

Wow! Very nice.

Vita version... obvs.

@tomassi
It looks very Micro Machines; the cars look to rotate on a central pivot rather than be actually influenced by the wheels position.

I still have MotorStorm RC. That'll do for this sort of thing.

Surely it can't just be this?

Doom '16 has such incredibly tight, fast and satisfying multiplayer; the likes of which you just don't get anywhere else on consoles.

@LieutenantFatman I can't even bring myself to be cynical about it.

We need Keanu to revive Dogstar (his old, actual band), and then maybe, just maybe - he will actually save the world with music!

Quite right too!

Yawn.

This could easily be the dullest, most generic Star Wars game I've seen in a while 😂

@Jacnec Charlie Hunam has all of the charisma and acting talent of a rotting sheep's head.

Holland is mostly just miscast. His American accent is never great, and he's just not got anywhere near the look.

Jensen Ackles or Scott Eastwood could do it.

😂😂😂
I'm certain if Google stick at it, it could become a relevant service.

But with the next console generation around the corner, plenty of us who are likely a target market are already entrenched in ecosystems where we can get a better experience.

'Super' OnLive just isn't ready yet I reckon.

Oh nice!
Perhaps Chaosbane will not get my coin!

@Quintumply Wow... 3 hours?!

It's great, but it isn't nacho dunking though is it?

@johncalmc Ouch! Those opening burns! Lava! 😂👏🏽

Good read. Seems like it'll be worth it at sale price (I'm the guy who really, really liked Untold Legends!).

@Rhaoulos I think the hype is there, HK and the well played marketing machine have seen to that. Also, it really is the 'time' of high profile releases making ridiculous money.
I feel the same about Cyberpunk; it looks brilliant - possibly/probably not quite my cup of tea and I'm not invested in it all - but, by the time it rolls out I'll likely be swept up along with hype train like everyone else!

This is very much one of those games I won't give a toss about right up until release...

They're good picks - but this is a rare month where I already own one (Sonic Mania) and have no interest whatsoever in the other.