Marquez

@ORO_ERICIUS Those monsters aren't going to turn themselves into new hats on their own, are they

I really want to finally start AC Shadows but, every time I boot up the PS5, Monster Hunter Wilds grabs me. Maybe finally this weekend...

Great timing - just starting to put together my first top tier high rank armour set only to... replace it with the new stuff! Classic Monster Hunter. I really love this game, nothing else is getting a look-in.

Atomfall has my attention.

Focussing on Monster Hunter Wilds this weekend, even though I've installed AC Shadows. Once I got away from the extreme handholding of the campaign MH became the game I expected it to be. I've enjoyed my first 20+ hours with it (admittedly, 5 in the character creator) and I'm looking forward to many more.

I managed to pick it up on physical yesterday for £51 and it arrived today, so it's ready to go; however I'm too into Monster Hunter at the moment, so it'll go next on the list.

I watched SkillUp’s preview of this earlier in the year and it looks fascinating.

Dave the Diver on Portal, it's a match made in heaven. And some more MH Wilds on the Portal's big brother.

@Mostik Mileage varies depending on each hotel's WiFi for sure, at worst it means I stick to less intensive games, and ones that don't require fast reactions. But for turn based RPGs as an example, I've had very few issues. Sometimes I also take my Vita though, that machine still scratches an itch!

I love it except for the white triggers - they'll be Dorito Orange in no time (other gaming snacks are available).

@Shepherd_Tallon 100% agree. I bought one at launch and, even though I sit squarely in the target market, the limited use case meant it was a 'nice to have' option when the TV was in use. Fast forward to now and the additional streaming functionality means I can't stop picking it up. As a way of maximising gaming time in a busy household, it's amazing.

With the addition of the Premium streaming option my Portal is now one of the first things I pack for work trips. And even with 2 TVs at home it gets its fair share of use, I have a wife and two teens hogging those!

This could be brilliant if used to bring life to your in-game companions - imagine being able to have extensive conversations with the crew of the Normandy for example, instead of relying on a multi-choice menu, to shape your in-game relationships.

I'm planning to finish the (very straightforward) campaign in Monster Hunter Wilds and then go all-in on theory-crafting my endgame armour and weapons, which is what MH is really all about. Enjoying it very much so far! Runs well enough for me on a base PS5 in balanced mode w/ uncapped frame rate, on a 4k telly with VRR.

Also downloaded DA Veilguard from PS Plus in case I need a change of scene. Willing to give it a full go, despite the discourse.

@Xbox_Dashboard I'm pretty sure the accountants at Capcom disagree! The lowest bar for entry in MH history means a wider audience. Expecting harder endgame content to follow ofc.

In fact, it was probably John in Accounts who had the idea...

I have hope for this one, especially if it is essentially 'Horizon Hunter'.

Some people are simply born ungrateful.

I’ll be giving DAV a fair go by actually playing it, instead of just riffing off third party ‘discourse’ - assuming I ever get out of the MH Wilds character creator 🤣

Just bought it even though I'm away from home at the moment and, apart from the extra 250 Stars points not triggering (the As You Wish campaign, thanks Sony), the purchase alone has me excited to get home tomorrow.

2.0.5. G.T.I... the game that won't stop giving!

I'm with @khayl all the way - now I'm deeper into it Civ VII could well be my favourite (at launch, unfinished) Civ game. And it will only get better! So that'll be me this weekend... just one more turn...

I'm having a lot of fun with it, though my son beat the game on Deity with surprising ease yesterday - definitely some OP leader/Civ combinations! But that's also part of the fun with the new format; being able to switch up who you lead to synergise with your chosen leader and/or victory conditions is great, and will provide increased long term replayability - especially as they introduce more leaders and civs.

@ATaco Indeed, fractal is the only choice until they fix the continental options (and hopefully introduce more).

I'll be mixing it up this weekend by continuing a Cyberpunk playthrough, picking something new - preferably a small indie - out of the backlog and attempting to smash Civ VII on Deity difficulty. Have a great weekend everyone!

I'm not sure what people expect these days, apart from 'way too much'.

Solid SOP with two or three great highlights and, much as I'd like to will a Sony Santa Monica announcement into existence, I'll take what's next from Housemarque!

The DLC cost for Civ softens massively over time once sales kick in a couple of years down the line. Buying everything at full price can be steep. In the meantime, after a few days with the base game, there is so much replayability here I doubt I'll be in a rush to add content beyond what I've already got coming in March (Deluxe Edition purchased).

@Titntin Yeah mine either, it's a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. Enjoy the day!

As a long-time Civ player I just don't get the appeal of playing it in VR anyway. It's a Sunday, under a blanket on the sofa, while I've got something else on the TV kind of a game. It's immersive and addictive, sure - but it doesn't require VR immersion.

And yeah, Zuckerberg probably paid for exclusivity personally as he's so into his Civ.

@Shepherd_Tallon I did not see that result coming at all! And while I don't want to go down the route of telling my fellow PushSquarers to step back, go outside and touch grass during an outage - as everyone has different gaming times/habits - there's a lot more to the world to keep us entertained than just our Playstation.

@Titntin My understanding is it's five days tacked on to the end of your current sub - not 'you get to use PS Plus for the next five days from now'. So the days of the week will depend on each individual's subscription expiry day.

Overall, receiving 400% compensation for a loss is very good in any case, although if it's that easy to do for Sony for 40(?) million subscribers it would indicate the daily running costs of PS Plus aren't that high!

Lots of double and triple dipping obviously, but still really impressive! GTA V didn't grab me as much as some of the earlier games but I can see the ongoing appeal.

Bought with early access on PS5 and I'm having a great time. Yes, the changes are jarring at first but for me the positives outweigh the negatives - particularly in the way they have streamlined building (no builders!), made army commanders absolutely key and have used the new influence points to improve diplomacy, warmongering and espionage. I have around 1500 hours combined in Civs IV, V and VI and if I want those experiences again they are still there to go back to.

Hats off to Firaxis for not simply churning out copy and paste sequels a la EA, but instead taking big swings at making their next game better than the last. And as others have already said, every Civ game since at least IV has needed tweaking over several months post-release to realise its full potential. For this one they absolutely need to start with the UI; however, for me, Civ VII is absolutely good enough to play and enjoy right now.

I promised myself big releases only in Feb/Mar due to the sheer number of them and then I see the first discount on this list is Nine Sols...

Keen to dive into the reviews though I imagine they are PC only and I’m more interested in how it translates to PS5.

Looking forward to this and the potential redemption it will bring for Bioware in... 2027?

@get2sammyb This is true.

I enjoyed both Division games for a long while after launch, and I really hope that Division 3 delivers given all the troubles at Ubisoft.

'There's no word yet on Switch 2'. Which doesn't really matter since there's a Switch version and Switch 2 will play Switch games... right?

This is a brilliant addition to the site - really enjoyed this first go!

@Onearmbandit Worth persevering!

@Onearmbandit Eve Online will swallow hours and days of your time if you're not careful - it's complex but brilliant!

My intention is to start Metaphor ReFantazio. What will probably happen though is I'll boot up my College Football 25 Dynasty mode save, rage quit after I throw my first interception and shoot some people in Cyberpunk to calm down.

@J2theEzzo This makes me a sad panda.

Do not mess with my switch axe Capcom. You have been warned

My creaky old MacBook Air can't handle this one, although it chugs valiantly through Civ VI. So I think I'll take advantage of the simultaneous console release until I can upgrade my hardware, and then I will inevitably double-dip. Given I own Civ VI (all content) on PlayStation, Mac and even Switch this is unsurprising behaviour. I love these games.

Having just spent 7 months project managing the extension/redesign of my own house and enjoying the process overall, this looks like an opportunity to scratch that itch without the cost, the stress, the delays and tradesmen letting you down... although without those things it wouldn't be a realistic sim!

I definitely think Sony Santa Monica and Bend will both surface with sneak peeks at what they've been up to this year.

And that's 100% a less bold prediction than a Silksong release

That Edge looks fantastic but obviously I'm really happy with my 30th Anniversary one. Tempted to sell my white Portal and trade up to that black beauty however.

I have fallen off this game so many times, but appreciate the sheer talent that has gone into putting it together - it's beautiful, the soundtrack is stunning and it hits all those nostalgia notes... but it just dragged for me. I can see why people love it (my son has the platinum) but it's not the all-conquering masterpiece some are claiming. Still a top ten title this year.

As a Manc with some family on the wrong side of the Pennines so well represented in this game, it really was my highlight of the year. End to end laughter.

@Mikey856 A good excuse to dust mine off!