SaveAsDoc

SaveAsDoc

Analyze, Diagnose, and Prescribe.

Comments 296

Re: Review: A Hat in Time (PS4)

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@Deadlyblack It is a lot like Sunshine! More open with its levels, but I just don't think there's anything terribly interesting to do in them that makes me want to come back.

@JoeBlogs OH GOSH. That level was a nightmare. Not only does the camera get all wonky, but it's so darned hard to tell if you'll even land on some of the platforms due to the perspective.

@Simon_Fitzgerald Yeah, the performance is really consistent. Didn't mention it in the review, but it's a solid 30fps...though I have a hard time figuring out why this game was restricted to that instead of 60fps.

@sketchturner Thanks for pointing that out! Double negatives are always a bit tricky. lol

I know! I was going into the game expecting to come out with similar impressions, but I looked up some reviews and some seem to acknowledge the level design is meh, but don't care because the game feels good...like, that doesn't make it automatically good in my eyes. Much like Wolfenstein 2. One of the BEST shooters I've played in terms of controls and feel. Level design? Oh no. Doesn't match the first game.

@ReanSchwarzer7 Oh, trust me, I'm a 3D platformer apologist! Crash, Spyro, Mario...I'm all into those games. Super Mario Galaxy is my favorite game period. With A Hat in Time, it has a lot of potential and a really good base for a sequel, but the creativity and challenge with levels isn't there as a whole. I was honestly confused that I'm an outlier on this one.

@ExsMacaroni You're right on the money with the leeway comment. Like I said, you can just kinda cheese your way through some of the platforming and it all gets repetitive and same-y after a while.

Interesting thing is that I actually didn't encounter any notable bugs or glitches, as some people seem to be pointing out. Noticed the lack of polish but I expected that.

Re: Review: The Evil Within 2 (PS4)

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@kyleforrester87 It gets pretty linear from there on out, and yes, I'd say you have about 4-5 hours left. Those chapters go by pretty quick. I was on Chapter 2 (or 3?) for about 4 hours exploring that first area of Union, but only that second area of Union lasts that long. All the other chapters are about an hour each.

I actually enjoyed Resident Evil 7 more! Found the tension, boss fights, and overall presentation more memorable than TEW2's, but I will say that it has an edge in terms of enemy design and the way environments morph and change. That's something I loved about the first game, and at least the sequel retains that charm. And yeah, I was rooting for Sebastian, too! I was attached to him a lot more in this game than the last one.

Re: Review: The Evil Within 2 (PS4)

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@sonicmeerkat Yes, that's generally the case. And while I do agree that's a strategy you have to abide by in the first game, you actually did other things besides turning around and shooting them until they die. Some of the bosses required using the environment against them and learning a lot of patterns, whereas this one mostly has bosses with blatant weaknesses and simple movesets. Like, Stefano just teleports around, and the last part of the fight has these giant hands slam into the ground that can be easily avoided. Could've done so much more with this concept of photography! Maybe he temporarily blinds you and you have to listen to where he's coming from in order to be ready to shoot him? Maybe they could've had elements where you use his slow down time power against him? Point is that if you didn't generally like that approach to combat and bosses in the first game...I'd say this one doubles down on that for the worse. :/

@MadAussieBloke They were! But what I loved about RE4 is that the enemies were slow, yet more resilient and in greater numbers. That not only gives players more time to use their weapons effectively, but also creates the same amount of tension (if not more) than fast enemies in lower numbers. I almost couldn't stop running in most encounters without having enemies be right on my tail at all times, and that wasn't scary...it was just frustrating because I literally had to do potshots most of the time, which was something you don't encounter as much in RE4 or the first The Evil Within. Really makes me want to go back and play them to see if these memories hold up!

Re: Review: The Evil Within 2 (PS4)

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@get2sammyb Oh man, I know. Wolfy 2 and Odyssey are coming out over the next two weeks! Waiting for this to drop in price is a wise choice. Great game, but others to play that are going to likely be even better.

@MadAussieBloke Oh, I'd say it starts out strong! The open world level design is what the game starts out with, but from there, I began to see cracks in this with uninteresting level design and enemy encounters throughout. From what I remember, the first game never felt like that for me. In fact, I'd love to hear how exactly the first game went downhill after a few chapters for you. Didn't for me!

@ShogunRok Exactly! The narrative is undeniably stronger, but I feel like that was intentionally NOT a focus for the first game. The whole mystery of what was going on was really intriguing the first time around and kept me hooked (especially with the DLC), but the sequel feels like a series of character studies that didn't grab me. You can tell the devs tried hard to do this right, but I wish that creative energy had gone elsewhere.

@Lovespuds I certainly enjoyed the game, which is why I gave it a 7/10. That stigma around this score needs to die. However, considering I'd still give the first game an 8/10, it's like TEW2 takes one step forward and two steps back.

@kyleforrester87 I was so excited when TEW2 was announced. Really glad that Bethesda has given it another chance as well since, yes, there's a dearth of survival-horror titles.

@RedMageLanakyn Quite honestly, I thought the first game was underappreciated. Really enjoyed my entire time with it and thought it had memorable chapters through and through. I don't remember a single one I didn't like, but the sequel is just...some chapters are literally just walking around some areas and doing some stealth kills. Nearly all of the boss fights are stupidly dull and spread thin. So yeah, I thought Mikami-san came close with the first game, but this one just lacks creativity in its refinement.

@dark_knightmare2 I gotcha. I just think the devs don't carry that open world philosophy forward throughout the game. After exploring those areas, I had a lot of fun, but had little reasons to return to areas except to unlock a chest or something. Really wanted to see some old areas expand with backtracking. I thought the atmosphere and improved controls were great too, but I actually miss some things like burning bodies with matches and increased sprinting. The former was really good about forcing players to take nerve-wracking risks in the middle of combat, whereas limited sprinting really upped the tension of being surrounded by enemies. Because of the increased sprinting, all of the enemies are significantly faster in this game, and I think the game takes on a more "pot shot" feel as you run around in circles killing enemies. As a result, the enemies feel more like the zombies from RE6 than RE4; I feel like it would've been better to overwhelm players with bigger groups of slower enemies than small ones with insanely fast ones. Oh, and if you choose to explore and mess around a bit, the game is about 3-5 hours longer. It took five hours for me to get to chapter 3, but starting around chapter 6, the experience picks up and moves along at a much faster pace. However, it just feels like there's less going on across all these chapters than the first game's chapters.

Re: Hands On: The Evil Within 2 Is a Familiar Yet Different Beast

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@Gmork___ Sebastian does take up the majority of the screen on the left side when crouched, so if you want to clearly see who's to your left while sneaking around, the only way you can effectively do that is by getting behind cover, which zooms the perspective out.

Also, no more widescreen! Though there are a couple REALLY cool allusions to this in flashbacks to the original game during some side quests. You'll suddenly be back at Beacon in Sebastian's old outfit and the screen actually adjusts to the original widescreen. Neat callback, I think!

Re: Hands On: The Evil Within 2 Is a Familiar Yet Different Beast

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@get2sammyb Yeah! Really shifts pacing of the experience since you determine when you move forward through story. Not sure if it's a mix of this and linearity (introduction was like this), but I'll find out!

@RedMageLanakyn Since I'm always slowly moving the analog stick while aiming, I never noticed it did that! But yes, doing this does result in a rectangular motion. I wouldn't say it feels bad though. I think it's meant to prevent players from popping off headshots with ease, so you have to be careful about going crazy fast with aiming. Slow and steady is the game.

@BAMozzy I did watch that to see how the game performed! Unfortunately, I don't own a PS4 Pro, so I can't test it for myself. :/ One thing they didn't point out is that, after the game loads up in the open areas, the frame rate drops to about 20 for a few seconds as everything loads up. Other than a couple minor drops during combat and cutscenes, the game does run (and looks) so much better than its predecessor.

Re: Review: Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash (PS4)

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@get2sammyb I mean, yeah! Certainly has its draws in terms of the fast TPS gameplay. I just need to try out the multiplayer to see how it all truly holds up online.

@shonenjump86 I played a mode of "Capture the Bra" and ran around the center of the map with the, um, objective with no problem. They definitely don't pose a challenge, but in single-player, man, the three-star difficulty is a lot to handle. One hit from some enemies will take out half of your health. And like I said, when you do the team battles in the campaign missions, your team just gets dumber as you raise the difficulty. I spent most of those missions reviving my companions constantly. Not exactly the "fun" type of hard difficulty I'm looking for.

@sinalefa Right! I'll at least post a comment here about the multiplayer when I have a bit of time to try it out. I do think it'll feel a whole lot different instead of playing with brainless AI.

@crimsontadpoles I do think the varying weapons and abilities you have mix things up a bit, but yeah. There's only so many times I'm interested in fighting generic waves of enemies.

Re: Interview: Cliff Bleszinski Discusses LawBreakers and Leading Boss Key Productions

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@get2sammyb @ShogunRok Thanks, guys!

@Kidfried Exactly! I wanted to broach the negative points of my review and touch on the general pulse of why people say they're not buying the game. No point in beating around the bush.

@Tasuki I didn't even imagine I'd get to speak with him! I was expecting to interview someone else, but the night before, I was told in a casual manner that I was talking to the big man himself. Quite a privilege!

@fuzzy833 It isn't! I didn't notice as effectively in my review (I said it was around 45-60fps or something on average), but it actually jumps down to 30 quite often on the standard PS4. I tend to not notice that sort of thing in the heat of combat. But yeah, on the Pro, it runs quite well. Hope they iron out the game for the standard PS4!

Re: Review: LawBreakers (PS4)

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@kyleforrester87 Pretty much. Definitely a low 8 for me. 7.5 if I had the choice of being precise.

@Gatatog There were only a couple of times where I noticed that some teams had exceptionally good players, but not to the point where I felt overwhelmed. I really do think this game has a learning curve with how to play as certain classes, but once you find your groove after several hours (especially with classes like the Assassin and Wraith), you'll be able to compete pretty well.

@get2sammyb Same happened with Overwatch. Loads of skepticism with many people thinking it wouldn't outshine Team Fortress 2 and popular options like Battlefield One, but then it came into its own instantly when people realized it was different. The thing with LawBreakers is that it doesn't have the same oomph not only with its world and characters, but also its unique features. If BKP really goes in hard by toying around with the potential gravity brings to modes and match dynamics, I think people might start to warm up to this. As of now, I get the wariness, but some of it is unwarranted. It's not groundbreaking, but a fun pick-up-and-play shooter.

@Tasuki Exactly. I kinda wrote it off when I first saw it, but my first impressions belied a lot of the merit this game has with its gameplay. As an arena shooter, it's a wonderful addition to the genre, but as @get2sammyb implied, there's a "genericness" to it that rubs people the wrong way.

@meppi Not necessarily. I think the way you traverse around environments is fairly novel for arena shooters, but in terms of the character designs and gameplay (besides the Blindside mechanic), it doesn't stand out. But it's well designed and can be a lot of fun regardless! I just think LB needs more time to find itself with feedback and more content. It's not going to blow up, but it will find a niche among players, I think. Definitely not going to overtake what multiplayer shooters I play, but I'll definitely drop in and out every so often to get a short fix.

@hadlee73 THAT is the biggest problem, and it's unfair because LB is nothing like Overwatch in terms of how you approach matches, the meta game, teamwork, etc. The thing is that Overwatch is also more accessible and open to wider audiences, and with LB emphasizing skill and edginess, it'll have a smaller reach as a result.

Re: Hands On: Does LawBreakers Exert Its Own Pull in the Multiplayer Shooter Scene?

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@Dankestdankz

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@Melucine That's how I see it at the moment. Kind of like DOOM's multiplayer for me. I think it's fun and is a nice change of pace from the usual fare I play, but not something I'd invest in. I think BKP could convince me otherwise though with future characters, updates, and maps!

@Cassetticons Exactly! Overwatch's classes aren't all unique, but some are for sure! Ana, Doomfist, Zenyatta...I'd say they're good examples. LawBreakers struggles more with this, but nevertheless has solid classes with neat mixes.

@Tasuki It's not, no. Ended Sunday night.

Re: Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles (PS4)

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@RedMageLanakyn Already owned the game, so it wasn't a problem for me, but I understand why people would like this as a standalone thing. I didn't think Black Ops 3 was great anyway (came to dislike the multiplayer and hated the campaign), so I feel for anyone who'd have to get this only for Zombies. Still, it's kinda worth it if you can pick it up for $20-30!

@BAMozzy I agree! Call of the Dead was phenomenal. Absolutely loved that map, and I LOVED the easter egg for it. And yes, I believe the mode reached its pinnacle of perfect simplicity without too much complexity with Der Riese, Kino, Ascension, and Shangri-la. Moon is where things started to get too complex for me, and I can't really speak for any of the Black Ops 2 maps like Mob of the Dead or Die Rise. How would you rank them?

@banacheck Yeah, I remember being so invested in the storyline with Maxis, Samantha, and whatnot, but I have no clue what's been going on the past few years! (ha ha). But thanks for the explanation. Makes sense that they would do these maps for the story. Still...would've been nice to see the other maps. Hopefully they'll do a second "Chronicles" pack with all the extra Zombies maps that don't quite fit in the timeline!

@SajidAmin Unfortunately, you have to own the game to play this. However, if you LOVED Zombies back in the day, you can pick this up for about $30 and get the maps for another $30. Quite the investment, but loads of replay value for these maps alone.

@Ben_Rage_V2 My friends and I were the same way! We fell out of Zombies after Black Ops 2. The tides of complexity started coming in with Moon, and after that, we just gave up on Zombies. What's funny is that my friend @Naut was talking about how cool it would be if they remastered these classic maps just a few weeks before this was announced! We couldn't believe our eyes when we saw this announced. lol

Re: Interview: Samuel Laflamme on Scoring Outlast II's Scares

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Great interview, @gbanas92! Just happened to play Whistleblower in preparation for the sequel and was reminded of how intense and unsettling Laflamme's music can be. One thing that I'm glad to hear is this...

"In Outlast, we did use a lot of stingers that started the chase themes. We got rid of those, and just let the chase themes speak for themselves. Some moments don't have chase music at all. We just let the player fully take in the environment's sound design."

AWESOME. Sometimes I'd only know a chase was starting with the stingers, which kinda ruined the surprise of being caught unawares or hearing an approaching enemy before the music kicks in. I'm sure Outlast 2 will be all the more frightening because of that! Can't wait to play it.

Re: Review: Typoman: Revised (PS4)

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@get2sammyb It really is, which is why I'm surprised it didn't grab as many other reviewers as it did me. The original version even had a few 3s and 5s out there! Either way, it's definitely a refreshing idea. I hope the dev does a sequel!

Re: Review: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Banned Footage Vol. 2 (PS4)

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"Banned Footage Vol. 2 is arguably an even better piece of DLC"

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lol But yeah, I'm actually playing through the DLC now and thought this was a major letdown compared to Vol. 1. Less replay value and content for $5 more. 21 and Jack's 55 Birthday have some decent ideas, but Daughters is so boring after its strong introduction and ends so quickly. Bedroom was leagues better and more terrifying. Do agree this should've been part of the main game!

Re: Review: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (PS4)

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@DualWielding I found his character...almost too casual and flippant that it was awkward. lol However, overall I still liked how different he is. And yeah! "Here's an Aqua theme for the game! Nope, just kidding." -_-

@kyleforrester87 Okay. Ignore everyone. Let the Keyblade Master offer his suggestions of how to tackle the series.

Buy the upcoming 1.5 + 2.5 collection on PS4. If you want to start over, the essentials to play are Kingdom Hearts 1, 2, and Birth by Sleep. I'd highly recommend watching the 358 cutscenes for context to Roxas and Organization XIII, but you could skip this, Chain of Memories (never played it myself), and Re:coded (definitely don't bother with that).

Then you could get 2.8 down the line for a cheaper price and play Dream Drop Distance and 0.2. I think they're wonderful lead-ins to Kingdom Hearts III! If you don't want to bother with any of them, a lot of the recent games have substantial recaps of major plot points from past games, so you could decently catch up if you only had time to play, say, DDD. Your call!

@Xaessya SSSHHHHH DON'T LET NOMURA HEAR YOU.

@Deadlyblack Me neither. I mean, it hardly broke the game's appeal for me, but I found it an arbitrary system that just served as an annoyance. And yes, if this drops to $40, I think that's a worthy price tag.

@ZurapiiYohane64 It does look incredible! And I do like that you have an advanced albeit basic set of moves from the start. Wouldn't make sense for Aqua to be Level 1! And that's an impressive time with DDD. I have about 30 hours in that game, and yes, I also silently lamented the fact I couldn't import my Dream Eaters! Would've been so nice. By the way, with Back Cover, a lot of the starting dialogue does a good job of setting the premise for what Unchained x was about. You'll be able to follow the characters and general story about halfway through watching it. I enjoyed it!

@ShogunRok You would be right.

@naut @FullbringIchigo I'm aware that Drop-Me-Nots can be used. But they take up a useful slot on your Command Deck just to prevent that annoying system from forcing you out of a character. How it should have been set up is to occur in balanced sections. You beat a boss, then are forced to play as the other until you get to a certain point. None of this intrusive "time's up" nonsense.

Re: Review: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS4)

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I am so glad to hear this, @get2sammyb. Revelations has been a fantastic side series hinting at Capcom getting back to more tense gameplay and limited resources, so it's awesome to hear you're really pressed for supplies and feel limited in many ways. Hmm...might need to pick this up sooner now!

Re: Game of the Year 2016: #8 - DOOM

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@BAMozzy But in embracing old school principles it resurrects old design quirks that modern shooters lack because they're, as you said, "backwards," when some of them really aren't. No ADS, little reloading, automatic sprint (which is way faster than ground movement in T2)...it brings back nonstop movement perfectly that shooters almost never provide today, even T2 since you've got to stop and take cover to survive. Same goes for Wolfenstein, which I did love for combing old school and modern stuff, but Doom goes all in and, as a consequence, feels different than anything else you'd play today. That's what makes it so much fun, and if it were more modern, well, it wouldn't be Doom.

The navigating portions of T2 are more diverse and flow beautifully, but the high octane scenarios in Doom are more exhilarating than the shootouts in T2 because they play out so smoothly every time without a hitch, even with a lot of excellent verticality in the level design. That's really hard to accomplish in T2's campaign; to keep a flow going in combat. I think Doom, in being old school and simple in execution, shows how shooters have lost an edge in this regard with purely reactive gameplay that doesn't ever bog you down. But hey, T2 encourages this more than most shooters with the chaining you're talking about (especially in multiplayer), so that's why I love them both for different reasons.

Re: Game of the Year 2016: #8 - DOOM

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@BAMozzy "The campaign is very basic in terms of story and the game play is very old-school. "

You say that like these are bad things.

And I disagree it isn't as fluid as T2. Doom plays like butter, it's just whether or not you think its close quarters shootouts get repetitive or not. I think they do by the end, but boy are they thrilling while they last. So yeah, loved both of these games. Scratched two different itches for me. Do agree T2's multiplayer is much better though.

Re: Game of the Year 2016: Joey's Personal PlayStation Picks

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@wiiware I would've liked the stealth if it didn't feel so forced. Just don't think it fits that well with Uncharted as a main gameplay component, and I enjoyed it far less than the shooting sequences since they're so exhilarating when they happen in U4. I enjoy stealth A LOT, but U4 didn't get it quite perfectly. Still! Really loved the game. Second favorite in the series.

@themcnoisy I am American and FPS is my favorite genre. Don't know why, but I do love me some platformers, action, RPGs, etc. Just happened to play a lot of REALLY good shooters this year! One of the best for the genre in quite some time, so that's why they dominate my list. If I'd played more games, I'm sure it would be more diverse! Still need to get around to FFXV, Dishonored 2, The Witness, Dark Souls III, etc.

@get2sammyb Hey, I just finished TLG. It WOULD have been in my list for sure! Probably in the third or fourth slot.

@Tasuki I can see why you'd say U4 has "rehashed stuff," but I'd hardly put FFXV under that category! lol Such a unique JRPG, and I haven't even played it yet! I can just tell from its reception.

@Quintumply Thanks! Yeah, it was a phenomenal year for the FPS. A comeback in a sense!

@Arckadius WHOA, even I don't have half of that amount of time logged into Overwatch! I'd say I have about 100 hours invested into the game. So good!

@leucocyte I think a lot of people overlook T2's bland story and a lot of the boring characters. Also think the universe itself just feels generic. However, it does make up for its flaws in a lot of ways! I was worried for the first hour, but it really came into its own after the third campaign mission.

Re: Review: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered (PS4)

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@xMEADx From what I've played so far, I find the IW multiplayer way too busy and cluttered. It feels like a hodgepodge of ideas stuck together, and not only that, feels identical to BO3's multiplayer. Like, way too identical. I'm liking the campaign more than I expected so far, but that multiplayer? Nah. Not going to bother with it too much.

@bbq_boy Exactly!

@GlynCR I think World at War, Modern Warfare 2, and Black Ops 1 came pretty close, but beyond that, yes. The series hasn't reached the same heights.

@Major_owned There is split screen, but it's only for two players. Not four. You can do LAN parties though, so getting four together with two PS4s is possible!

@ToOGoodOfAPlaya More than 80% of the comments all mention how many won't buy it because of the bundle. I get every CoD each year, so the bundle doesn't personally affect me, but for those who only want MWR? I think the bundle was a scumbag move on Activision's part, especially since you can only play it with the IW disc in. So, so asinine.

@Wesker I think MW has a certain appeal to it, but MW2 definitely upped the ante with the action and setpieces! An absolute THRILL to play. I'd totally be down for a remake of that!

@TomKongPhooey Is it the one where you shoot really fast with a sniper rifle by switching to your secondary and immediately back to the rifle? I'm not sure. And yeah! Playing this MP is a dream. Can't wait for my friends to hop on once the game's released separately!

Re: Video: The Playroom VR's Robots Rescue Deserves Its Own Game

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Just played this today! I was BLOWN AWAY. The way you moved forward as your character did; shooting wires from the DS4 and having your character walk on them; looking up and down to find new areas...there's so much brilliance going on in that little demo. Made me smile a whole lot!

Re: Hands On: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered Is Far More Than Its Title Suggests

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@ultraviolet The multiplayer isn't available until November 4th, so I'll be playing that when it releases so I can review it and the campaign together. That's why we're waiting.

@MaccaMUFC If we get remasters of this quality, I won't complain about Activision milking the franchise even more. All I can think about is an upcoming WaW or MW2 remaster and it makes me so excited!

@SuperSilverback That's something I never noticed? (ha ha) But yes, I would say they sound even better than before. More realistic.

@Flaming_Kaiser From me? Nope! I'm actually pretty excited for IW. Looks like a lot of fun to me. I'm just really disappointed that people who don't want that game have to buy and keep it for now if they want MWR. That's scummy.

@TomKongPhooey It really does feel like that. I've played the campaign 3-4 times in the past, and seeing it all again with this remaster...it feels new and fresh.

@Wazeddie22 Oh, it'd definitely sell on its own! It's why I find Activision's strategy so puzzling. It may think that this will help Infinite Warfare sell better, and it will, but when you think about all of the MWR copies that would sell if it were launching on its own? I can't imagine.

Re: Soapbox: Uncharted 4's Higher Difficulties Kill the Joy of Combat

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@BLPs See, I LOVE how the Souls series challenges you. Nothing is impossible (well, most of the time). You only have to learn from your own mistakes and lack of knowledge to push through From Software's devious games. But I can see why others may not enjoy it. It can get discouraging, but the thrill of victory...ugh, it's so worth all the death along the way.

@MadAussieBloke Same! And usually I'm good with the harder difficulties I select. Rise of the Tomb Raider was actually too easy on Survivor. DOOM was absolutely perfect for me on Ultra-Violence, and after I got good with the game, Nightmare is even better. Halo is fantastic on Hard, and Call of Duty is a must on Hardened or Veteran. But Uncharted 4? The standard difficulty, please!

@Paranoimia Untitled
Those are seriously glorious accomplishments though! Very impressive. And is that Chapter 19 you're referring to? I remember that part. Vividly. And I actually played Spec Ops: The Line! SUCH a good story with incredible themes. I managed to complete it on Suicide Mission, but FUBAR...I'll pass!

@sinalefa Kind of similar to what I did with the Assassin's Creed series. I wanted to get all Platinum after I did AC2, but when Brotherhood came around and I had to get multiplayer trophies to obtain it? That was it for me. A short-lived dream, that was!

Re: Soapbox: Uncharted 4's Higher Difficulties Kill the Joy of Combat

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@ekreig I do wish more developers made difficulties not just about simple scaling with increased health and damage for AI, but something like Rise of the Tomb Raider. The upcoming Ultimate Survivor difficulty on PS4 is not just tougher enemies and less resources, but you actually have to use supplies to start campfires, which are your checkpoints. It reminds me of saving requiring resources in classic Resident Evil games, and it really added to the stress and “survival” of playing. So cool to see something similar with Rise! I honestly want to play the game again to see what that would be like!

@DerMeister That’s the problem. I felt like I could do this with the older games, even on the hard difficulties, but it just doesn’t work well for the fourth game. I get the emphasis on stealth and less combat scenarios, but when the action comes up, it should at least give me a chance to, say, use the grappling hook instead of dying midair with the AI’s auto-locking powers on hard. But hey, some people think differently about the difficulty, so I’d give it a try if I were you to see if it feels right to you.

@Shaun_p It’s weird how that is, isn’t it? People have different opinions about the difficulties across the series, I suppose.

@DaweezMauiWowee That’s a great way to play. I actually played The Last of Us on Hard the first time, and even though some sections were brutal, I thought it felt so right for that game with the resources being at the right scarcity and enemies being a great challenge but not impossible. Either way, you can’t go wrong with going up through multiple playthroughs. I just tend to play games only once, so if I have one shot, I’m going to see if I can test myself most of the time.

@Fight_Teza_Fight Thanks for the fantastic comment. I like how you analyze the difficulty and gameplay from a narrative standpoint. But yeah, since I consider myself to be a good player with shooters, I expected quick reflexes and smart platforming to get me through the hard setting, but due to the nature of enemies and the layout of levels in U4, they felt like aimbot bullet sponges to me, and whenever I so much as tried to move from cover to cover, I would get pelted unlike in any Uncharted game I’ve played, which is why all the cool maneuvers you can do just felt impractical. But long story short, it wasn’t challenging in the way I thought it would be. However, I do get what you’re saying about the move toward stealth since Drake is trying to be more careful from a story perspective. However, I just found the excessive encouragement of that over action to be a nuisance. I love me some action with Uncharted, and if I can’t act upon it properly on the hard difficulty, there’s something wrong. You could say there’s a conflict between the story’s goal to make Drake more careful and the series’ gameplay being known as explosive and bombastic. You can’t have even more ludonarrative dissonance (ugh, this phrase), or can you? You gotta think about the game design and how that jives with the narrative. But in the end, enjoying something like Uncharted 4 is more important than getting the best challenge. We definitely agree on that.

@ApostateMage I wish there were more combat sections, but when it comes to the enemy wave ones, I could have done with less of those and more scenarios where you’re moving forward and constantly taking out enemies. Those parts where you’re stuck somewhere and have waves...ugh, I have nightmares. Chapter 10.

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@ReigningSemtex Yeah, I have a friend who didn’t have as hard of a time as I did on hard, but he did see where I was coming from to a decent degree. It’s weird how, for example, some people will say Hyper Light Drifter’s bosses are horrific, but I thought they were easy as all get out. Some say U4 is fine on hard, others say (like yours truly) it hurts the fun of the experience.

Re: Soapbox: Uncharted 4's Higher Difficulties Kill the Joy of Combat

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@Paranoimia Untitled

@johncalmc Exactly. You know, it’s weird that I never pointed that out in the article. Probably because I was ranting enough as it was. But yeah, more narrative-driven experiences are better on lower difficulties and vice-versa. Even then, I still like to play them on hard difficulties because that’s how I like my games. Like I said, it’s how I played Uncharted 2 and 3 and I enjoyed the games on that setting, but for some reason, it didn’t translate to 4 that well.

@Napples Just started Dying Light with a friend! We’re playing on normal because we don’t have much time to play and would rather avoid that frustration, so I’m glad we picked that if what you say is true! For me, it all depends on what’s going on with a particular game. Do I have time to play on hard? Is difficulty a key part of the game, or will it just make it more fun for me personally? Definitely a lot of things to consider.

@get2sammyb Exactly. And yes, that’s a good example of difficulty scaling done right, kind of like in Bloodborne. Though playing the DLC on NG+...oh boy, that’s just too much for me, even as a fan of the Souls series. Like, Ludwig isn’t even challenging. He just feels impossible to approach. I guess I got leveling up to do...ugh.

@sketchturner Speedrunning in general ruins most of the intended fun games are meant to provide, but it’s rewarding in its own right. Just not for players who only want to have a nice experience with U4 and move on!

@rjejr You’ve gotta get a feel for the game and see what it’s like. Usually I have a good inkling of what to expect on some difficulties and will stick with my original one, but sometimes it’s just too much. Arkham Origins on hard? Goodness. I had to restart the game within the first hour because I knew it would be a nightmare later on.

@roe That’s what a lot of the enemies felt like in U4 to a degree that simply wasn’t tolerable on hard. It’s not the good kind of frustration where you know you can improve and get a thrill out of playing all your cards right. U4 is frustrating because it takes a bunch of cards from your deck in combat by giving you little to play with. In the end, it’s just no fun to be challenged that way.

@Rudy_Manchego Exactly! That’s a great example of what I was trying to say about how a game should be challenging; it’s about being able to use all your resources and mechanics skillfully, not being shot down for playing well because the enemies are so dang accurate and hard to take down.

@Bad-MuthaAdebisi Ha, that’s true! But I didn’t come to Uncharted for realism, even with tougher difficulties. And glad you liked that line.

Re: Review: Jotun: Valhalla Edition (PS4)

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@WanderingBullet There's only like one clip in there from a cutscene. All the rest occurs during gameplay! Pretty awesome, right? That's why I said the boss fight are just magnificent to behold.

@Rudy_Manchego It's $15! And if I remember correctly, I think it'll have a 10% discount for the first week of its release.

Re: Review: Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom (PS4)

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@belmont I have not, but I have seen videos of the Vita version and it...oohh, it looks so bad from a graphical standpoint. I would avoid that and do the PS4 version if you can. The PS3 version looks decent enough, but yeah...it's a no go for the Vita from what I've seen. :/

Re: Review: Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom (PS4)

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@NinjaWaddleDee Oh yeah! That's the best way to approach it. As a fan, you'll definitely enjoy it.

@Nagi_Nagisa Yeah...NL is one of the rare few who gave the game such a high score compared to most reviewers. I do agree that this game is FAR better than the 3DS one, but I probably would've given that one a 4/10 had I played it. I was originally going to give this game an 8, then a solid 7 as I played on with the repetition, but when I got to the end and its lackluster end and side content, it barely edged out of receiving a 7. In all honesty, this could be a low 7 or a high 6, but I went with the latter in the end. Still a lot of fun while it lasts though!

@WanderingBullet Exactly. And yeah, like I've told others, it's great if you take your time with it for 6-8 hours, but beyond that, the repetition is a major downer despite the solid gameplay. It was so close to a 7/10, but we went with a 6 in the end...a high one at that!

Re: Review: Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom (PS4)

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@DrClayman It does! For the 8 or so hours it takes to beat the campaign, it's definitely fun, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

@JaxonH Exactly. They mainly just need to add more types of side objectives and ways to take down titans to make it less repetitive. But hey, Dynasty Warriors games are known for this anyway, so some will love it while others will grow bored of it after about 5-6 hours.

@Wazeddie22 Cool! Glad I convinced you.

@johncalmc Unfortunately, I didn't come up with that one this time, but yes. it is top notch!

@Tsurii Whoa, watch out now.

@WanderingBullet You join up with party lobbies (either random or wirh friends) or create your own to complete missions. And yes, he can for a brief time once you unlock that ability by leveling up as him! It really makes missions go by so fast when someone goes Titan on the last subjugation target.

Re: Darksiders Will Trot to the PS4 This Year, Apparently

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YES. Nordic should have just waited to do a Darksiders remaster bundle instead of rushing out the "Deathinitive" DS2 (which didn't even run in 60fps). Hopefully this time they'll get that right with this remaster and make some significant overhauls with lighting and whatnot.

Re: Review: Umbrella Corps (PS4)

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@FullbringIchigo
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@SoulsBourne128 I'm really curious about the development behind it, too. Capcom really does like to waste its resources! In all honesty this could have been really good as a spin-off; I wouldn't mind some action in the RE universe as long as the main games are focused on survival-horror, but this...nah.

@Gamer83 The Revelations games are FANTASTIC. The second one in particular is one of my favorite RE games! I'd say these are my favorites in order.

1. RE4
2. RE3
3. RE2
4. Revelations 2
5. RE1

Anyway, I'm a bit wary of RE7 as well. I heard it's going to be entirely in first-person? That sounds bizarre, but as long as it has RE style gameplay with tank controls from that perspective, I can see it working. It'd sure feel weird at first, but I think that limited perspective might add to the terror since everything can feel more close and personal.

@Bad-MuthaAdebisi Oh, it's hilarious. In the worst kind of way. lol I can see it being fun with a group of friends just for the laughs, but it's still a horrible balancing issue.

@sonicmeerkat I KNOW, RIGHT? I forgot to mention that. There's no natural motion to the character with that. It looks and feels like they didn't alter anything to make it better!

@Splat Capcom is such a weird publisher. They give me great hope with projects like Revelations 2 and releasing substantial remasters, so it's like they know what fans want. But then they come out with trash like this that can't even be a good multiplayer shooter on its own. It's all unpredictable highs and lows with Capcom, so with RE7...I don't know. I'm intrigued with where they're going with it, but I'm not on the hype train yet.

@MadAussieBloke I played about two hours of the single-player and stopped because I got what impressions I needed, so I didn't finish it all. If what you said is true...that's just disgusting. UGH.

@Utena-mobile Right. Navigating all the customization menus was nice, but the actual cosmetics and items you can get are so limited and bland. And yeah, I saw that color change DLC in Joe Vargas' (AngryJoe) review of the game. So boring!

@THEundying27 Like I said, I think you could get some fun out of this with some friends. I definitely get that. And sure, I wouldn't say the player base is that low...for now. I was able to find matches easily enough. But when it comes to multiplayer games, I ask myself, "Is this only worth playing with friends or would it be fun by myself, too?" However you answer that question, I think it really tells a lot about the game's quality and potential longevity, and for me, Umbrella Corps is so exceptionally average and poorly designed that playing with friends doesn't make it that much more enjoyable in the long run. But hey, glad you're enjoying it.

Re: E3 2016: Sadly, The Last Guardian's PS4 Box Art Sucks

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@get2sammyb You're not a journalist? That's news to me!

Yeah, I think the box art is fine. Certainly better than the ICO box art. In all honesty I like it for the very reason that it looks like an older fantasy book cover. The black border adds a sense of the game being out of time. I think it'd be awesome if instead of a black background it looked like a faded, worn, black texture with creases and the like. And if they extended the picture to the edges from left to right and put the foreground elements back in the frame, we'd have ourselves a classy cover.

Re: E3 2016: Who's Remastering Crash Bandicoot for PS4?

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I really hope that the remaster is a major success that will prompt Activision to take advantage of developing a reboot for older audiences in the future. It can be done alongside capitalizing on his appeal for younger audiences with Skylanders. So why not?

It'd be kind of like, oh, I don't know, developing a Spyro trilogy remaster and doing a reboot of the series for old fans while keeping him as a separate thing in Skylanders.

The demand is there, so you can have the best of both worlds, Activision. Do it for me.