After Sony's disappointing SoP, this time I'm gonna do what I did for the Game Awards last December, and it turned out better : gonna go in with zero expectations, and enjoy the show for what it is. If there's gonna be any cool surprise announcements, so much the better, and if not, that's that.
Oh yes, day one purchase!
My 5 year old son loves the hell out of the main game (me too!). I finished the PS5 game with him. He solved quite a few puzzles by himself after he learned how the various connectors can be used. He even showed me a possible solution during a more complicated puzzle, leaving me O_O ... The mind of a child is amazing, the speed at which they can learn new stuff, especially when it comes to an activity he/she likes.
As long it's not an "internal interview" again, I guess we don't have to worry about misquoting, eh?
TLoU deserves a 3rd and final game, imo, but that's that for this IP.
It's definitely time they came up with some new ideas, on which to work in parallel if they have the capacity.
Astro is quickly becoming Playstation's very own unique and unmistakable mascot, innit?
Cudos to Team Asoby for managing to bring it up there with Sonic and Mario!
Silent "Coming Soon" Hill 2 finally has a release date (that frankly is not so... soon). Been waiting for it for a loong time, from what was shown în recent trailers at least, it's gonna be a good Remake. I'll go back there for a splendid and relaxing city break on day one.
Requiring a PSN access is not the real problem - it's easily solvable by making a PSN account in a country where PSN exists.
Removing the games from the official stores in the countries where PSN is not available, that's the worst decision Sony is actually making.
Most likely those people will turn to alternate methods to play the single player parts of those games - just because rules like "service access only in select countries" exist. Where's the win in that, Sony ? Microsoft? Rest of y'all oyster heads in the same boat?
Astro Bot, God of War Ragnarok for PC and Silent Hill 2 were the highlights for me.
The show was... good... but it could have been much better.
I hope they can show some more titles at SGF.
EDIT
PushSquare - make a poll about which of the shown titles we enjoyed the most, so we can vote the hell out of Astro Bot
What I want to know is what's Bluepoint working on, there has been no news about them since Demon's Souls Remake 3,5 years ago. But I don't hold out any hope there's gonna be any meaningful announcement on them in today's show.
As long as they don't rush those projects out the door, like they did with Cyberpunk, I'm all for it.
On the same subject - please make shorter games, people!
Stop pushing those 80h-100h long behemoths, in between 20-40h tops is quite enough!
And slow the graphics advance for a while, the current level of "realism" in games is exemplary, let it rest for a few years.
Concentrate on quality, story and content, and making those games run on current hardware at manageable FPS....
It's worth much more to your buyers than boundary-pushing graphics that bring every console to it's knees.
Crunch would be reduced, games would come out more often, and with better quality, etc... wins all around.
This weekend's gaming-allocated time is split between Ghost of Tsushima on PC, some Diablo 4 on the side, and helping my son when requested with his treks in Horizon Zero Dawn and Talos Principle 2 both on PS5.
Have a fun weekend everyone!
For the 2H 2024, at least for now, this is my most anticipated game. Astro's Playroom is very underrated, and it's too bad it's only tied to buying a PS5 console (especially considering the recent numbers stating half of the PS console owners are still on PS4...). I hope the new title is a stand alone full fledged game, But more likely it will come for free with the soon-to-be-announced PS5 Pro coming at the end of the year... could even be exclusive to it for a while, as an incentive to buy or upgrade.
I've said this in another comment: stop enhancing graphics, allow hardware to catch up to the point where current extremely high end hardware becomes widely accessible mainstream.
Shift focus in games on other areas, because soon enough people won't be able to buy the necessary hardware to play new games at manageable FPS.
And there's no need to make games so damned big, 25-35h is quite enough, stop making 100h games.
Especially if they are mostly emptier or have more repetitive content than they should, just to fill that whole big space with something.
Devs and publishers complain constantly about the increased costs of making AAA games, but it's actually them that decide to push further and further with graphics and games sizes, even though more and more gamers wish for a return to normally sized games and more focus on quality content and story...
I hope this "eye opening" is for real, and they actually take the correct path for future games.
They've shown gameplay videos starting 1-2 years ago, and at least a handful of bosses were presented, all different and very well designed... so it wouldn't be surprising for those numbers to actually be big.
From a different angle: It doesn't need to be 60-80 hours long, or have a ton of different bosses and enemy types. If the game is epic from the other points of view (combat, story, immersion etc) even half those numbers would be awesome. And a length of 20h-30h is quite enough.
I've been keeping an eye on this game since a few years ago, here hoping there are no more delays planned.
I'll certainly be there day one.
Waiting for it for a few years, hope they're done changing the launch date this time. All the trailers they've shown until now were impressive... and since at least 1 year ago they've even shown quite a few actual gameplay videos, which is rare these days. The setting, the graphics, the enemy design, the combat, the story... it definitely has a lot going for it. If they can land it properly, it's gonna be epic! I'll be there at launch to give it a go.
Given the sheer number of PS5 games available that are actually cross-gen, the pandemics and the current economic state around the globe, it's nothing unexpected. I upgraded to the PS5 soon after launch, for the simple fact that the noise generated by my PS4 Pro (1st iteration of it) was very uncomfortable. Otherwise it would have been postponed until PS5 Pro.
@AdamNovice Astro's Playroom is a very underrated demo/game.
Part of the lack of completion is the people's misconception that it's somehow supposed to be a AAA title.
If one has the patience and open mind to play it 'till the end, one will find out there's no other game exactly like it.
It's the perfect title for people that have never played a game before, to have an easy and fun start into the activity.
And it's perfect for children of 5-8 years, that don't yet master reading, or the English language if it's not their mother tongue - since it doesn't have any dialog, or story, or quests to follow in order to progress through it.
Just simple, clear, relaxing fun, worth playing even for adults.
My son can't wait for the rumored next Astro game to come out in Q4. And I'm not too far behind actually...
This is supposed to be part of the "incredibly bright future for Playstation" the interim CEO Hiroki Totoki was referring to the other day? Laughable... They are milking this IP to the bone...
Definitely NOT gonna buy it full price at launch, they can include whatever they want in those Gold and Ultimate editions... If they keep the price of Ubisoft Plus below 20$, i'll get 1 month and play it there. If not, I'll buy the game a few years later at a heavy discount, and with all expansions included...
Given the current PS5 exclusive portfolio and the PS roadmap shown so far... I bet that incredible brightness will come from their new mini led Bravia TV panels
@LowDefAl The could have moved the HFW launch by 1-2 months, which is not unheard of. As for Zelda - platform doesn't matter, it's the marketing impact of a giant IP that's important. It's "shadow" covers 1-2 months before and after launch. Guerilla should have moved the DLC out of that period, to help it get some more spotlight. Not to mention the DLC was PS5 only, while the main game was PS4/PS5... another bad decision they made when it comes to reaching good sales numbers... but that's another story.
@get2sammyb
No, you have to look at the bigger picture:
2017 - Horizon Zero dawn and it's DLC
2020 - Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition PC port
2022 - Horizon Forbidden West
2023 - Horizon Call of the mountain for VR
2023 - Horizon FW - Burning shores DLC
2023 - Horizon FW Complete edition for PS5 in October 2023
2024 - Horizon FW Complete edition for PC in March
2024 - and now a lego game (of what kind, remains to be seen).
2026? - Horizon 3, not announced but most likely work on it is already in progress.
A Horizon multiplayer game is also in the works.
And a TV show is planned for Netflix, most likely to be released with the next main game around 2026.
Consider all of the above, especially since 2022 - if that's not milking it, I don't know what is.
And my guess is that's not all that's planned...
I love the franchise, own both main games and their DLC on PS5 as well as on PC.
But I don't like the path it's on right now, especially if the Lego thing turns out to be a game... it will only serve to dilute the IP in the long run.
Do remember the original God Of War dragged down by PSP ports, Mobile game and the mediocre Ascension...
Should I add Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed, Call of duty, Fifa, Need for Speed etc... all prime examples of "milking an IP to death".
Here's hoping it's a set and not a game - milking a game IP has always been the first step towards it's downfall...
They've already made the worst possible choices with the launch dates for Forbidden West... and for it's DLC... and for the PC port, diminishing their impact by pitting them against Elden Ring, Zelda TotK and Dragon's Dogma 2 - the franchise doesn't need more bad decisions.
What it could really benefit from, is to stay out of the spotlight for ~2-3 years, to make it's comeback with the 3rd game much more impactful.
I think it's great the way it is now, with a delay of 1-2 years for every game between console release and PC porting.
Helldivers is either a trial or an exception in this regard, we shall see what the future brings.
It should be pointed out though, that the most important thing to consider is the future of PS studios, which is as clouded as a mountain top on a rainy day...
Right this moment we know next to nothing about what they have planned for the future of the franchises we love so much, or for new IP's. Sony is keeping way too quiet and doesn't care enough about giving it's clients a roadmap or even a glimpse at what they can expect 1-2-3 years from now.
Which is unsettling to see and frankly, after the PS5 experience so far, I don't know if I should buy the next console or not.
Good news for me! Finished it on PS5 twice, and the DLC, but I don't mind giving it another go on Steam in the future, especially if it's a superior quality port a la Nixxes. Epic franchises and very talented devs deserve our full support imho.
Just how did such a problem make it through testing?
What do you mean?
The usual pro bono testers just found the problem and reported back, you've just written about it in the article. Isn't this the established testing procedure in gaming nowadays?....
They should brace themselves for the downpour (no SH pun intended) of backlash and social media drama that's gonna happen after the game gets into gamers hands.
The purists will cry out that the devs didn't respect the original title enough. And many others won't be happy that the game sticks to much to the original, with very few improvements...
I don't see an outcome that won't rub many people the wrong way, no matter what path the devs took with this remake.
For myself, I'll get the game day one. I loved the OG game back in the day (was my first SH game) - and I've wanted to give it another go for a long time.
But some of it's mechanics are too old for me to enjoy now (tank controls most of all).
So this Remake is the best opportunity.
To quote a line from B5: "Whatever it is, it can't be THAT bad!"
So color me mildly hyped.
No one is making you pay those sums.
It's enough to wait for 2-3 years to get the "GOTY" edition with everything included for a fraction of the initial price.
Ubisoft wants to make people subscribe to it's service, and it's using the prices to drive the masses.
No problem, I'll do it to the letter. I'll subscribe for 1 month for 18 euros, finish the game and unsubscribe - effective and wallet friendly. BTW, the game on the subscription includes everything Gold and Ultimate have, so why not?
Oh, and it seems people forgot the prices for Assassin's Creed Odyssey now...
At launch way back in 2018, that's 6 years ago.... when vanilla games were still 50-60 euros... this AC game launched with it's Gold edition at 90 euros and it's Ultimate one at 110 euros. Each containing exactly the same content Star Wars Outlaws does now.
There was no meaningful drama then, those that didn't want the extra stuff or the game pass, or didn't have the cash for them, simply bough the vanilla game, and that was that.
But now? Whooo.... dramas everywhere, even though it's the exact same damned pricing practice.
I'm not taking Ubisoft's side here, but this subject is being blown way out of proportion nowadays.
Best way to get publishers to lower the prices is not by complaining everywhere you have an account on for a few months and then ultimately going to pay anyway, because you couldn't resist the temptation (yeah, that sh..t happens a lot more than people admit)....
Best way is by not paying for the insanely priced content at the initially asked cost.
So those people should cut the unnecessary drama and do exactly that.
Get the vanilla game, or a 1 month subscription, play the game, and move on to the next.
Later on, if you want to buy it proper with all DLC in tow, get the eventual GOTY edition, and be done with it.
Saw this one biting the dust ever since it was announced at that abysmal PS Showcase back in May of last year... But if it contributes even 5% to Sony giving up the useless chase for that Live Service Unicorn, then at least this failure isn't for nothing....
Poll ended up where many wanted (myself included).
Weather Sony actually delivers however... remains to be seen come PS5 Pro.
Remember though... FPS and graphics aside, we need more AAA PS Studio exclusive PS5 titles... the kind of games this gen painfully lacks!
60fps may be included for nothing if there are very few good games to enjoy it on...
At 4k in Quality Mode, not Performance with low res graphics!
Trouble is, PS5 can't do that for current games.
Most of the time because devs can't be bothered to optimize their games.
Rest of time, because of it's own technical limitations. 2020 may seem like not too long ago, but in the hardware world, it's ancient times, and it shows.
Dragon's Dogma 2 feels like an outlier?
Y'all forgetting about A Plague Tale - Requiem, that took 7 months after launch to get a 60fps Performance mode? And that game launched in 2022 !!
How about Gotham Knights, The Quarry, etc.
No, Dragon's Dogma 2 is no exception, it's just foreshadowing....
PS5 needs a proper and very efficient upscaling tech to reach a stable 4k@60fps in Quality mode, that only another hardware revision can provide - that's (hopefully) what PS5 Pro with PSSR will provide... otherwise it's gonna be a very hard ~4 years for the PS ecosystem until PS6 comes around.
On top of all this, we need AAA PS studios made PS5 exclusive games !
For many of us that was the main reason we bought the console... and mostly we've got Remakes and Remasters of existing titles... even of already Remastered games!
Make the games shorter, 15-20h is enough! We don't need 50+ hours...
Keep the current graphics for a few years more, and shorten the time between releases.
Astro's Playroom is definitely a unique game, even if it was supposed to be a Tech Demo. It may share some DNA as a platformer, but if you try to search for another exactly like it, you won't find it.
No story, no dialogs, no quests other than finishing the levels, and no drama... just a joyful, fun to play and easy-going game.
My 5 year old son likes it a ton too, and a big part of it are the PS artifacts. Every time he found a new one he asked " Dad, what is that, what does it do? Did you ever have one?". After he found the PS4 Pro in the game, I showed him the PS4 Pro console I still keep around in a drawer - he was simply overjoyed, that he could touch it, and see it's real, not just on TV!
So yes, bring on another Astro game, we're eagerly waiting!
Silent Hill 2 was my first SH game oh so long ago, played it on PC. What I loved about it most is the fact that, even if it's a horror game and whatnot, you can pick up a damned stick and strike back. It may have had clunky combat, but you were able to fight, not just run and hide like a scared little mouse.
Then there's the puzzles, the atmosphere, etc.
I love the "map" idea where you take an ordinary building plan, and simply write on it, which doors are blocked, which worked, where items are etc.
None of the sequels captured me as much as this title did.
Can't wait to go back for another "city break" in Silent Hill!
Ah, it seems I'm gonna be the black sheep up in here : )
Just like 10 years ago every game had to have a mobile version, now every game has to have a roguelike/lite one...
Instead of Ubisoft making a proper AAA game to relaunch the franchise, they made a spinoff...
And now another studio is making a rogue spinoff... of said spinoff...
I'm as excited for this as I am for Bloodborne Kart or Bloodborne Demake (they may be fan made, but they received about the same level of hype from the players and media... which I don't share in equal measure).
Either they make their own PS Studios exclusive AAA IP's the centerpiece of the show, and present some hardware like the PS5 Pro, or they can cancel it altogether.
I'm tired of seeing them dedicate 90-95% of their shows to 3rd party games, and only throw some short and dry text lines on Twitter (or X , whatever) about their own IP's...
Give us some glimpse about how the future of Playstation will look like, what games are PS studios working on, what hardware is in the plans etc... or stop throwing money on those useless shows! Allocate them instead to keeping worthy people hired, so they can keep making good games.
Can't say I dig you Putin an article with political connotations on this site, but when in Moscow... I wonder if they'll also include an always online camera with the console, and as a marketing slogan: "Relax, we're watching over you!"
I'm aware of all the bad blood against this game for various reasons.
But it gets a 9/10 from me.
Very immersive game, a real "time warping device", once it gets it's hooks on you, real hours pass as fast as it takes to arrive at the destination while dozing on the oxcart (when you don't get attacked on the road that is).
The gameplay, the combat, and especially the exploration and the secrets are definitely top notch!
It certainly has it's performance issues, especially on PS5, which is why I've bought it on PC after I saw the initial reviews...
My 3090 gets it running at 4k@60fps at high quality settings with DLSS enabled.
It dips at 45 or 40fps in very crowded areas, but it doesn't blow the overall immersion.
Actually, as I understand it, the framerate and stuttering issues are actually caused by the CPU, not the GPU...
The devs got the CPU to calculate all the NPC's, all their movements and surface impacts, weather they are visible or "lurking" behind closed doors. Which is quite a lot of stress on the silicone considering the sheer number of them available in towns...
Many of those NPC's you don't even see or interact with often, as they stay mainly inside, minding their own business until you come barging in to spoil their zen.
Frankly, I would have preferred to have fewer explorable houses in towns, if it meant fewer NPC's and smoother framerates...
Hope the devs manage to find a solution to smooth things out, for consoles and PC alike, and sooner rather than later.
Dragon's Dogma 2 that already got me hooked!
But the damned thing is a time warping machine...
It's like you start playing now, and after a bit of time, you take a casual gander at a notification appearing on the phone, only to realize 4 hours have passed ! 🤦🏻♂️
But I guess that's also the mark of a very good and immersive game, innit?
And to think the year just started, and there are more good promising titles coming... Hellblade 2, Elden Ring's DLC Shadow of the erdtree, Black myth: Wukong etc ....
The only thing missing ?
48h days, so you have time to play them all without impacting the other activities and aspects of your daily life : )
It looks good from the existing trailers, and I'm curious to see more.
But it's hard to get too excited about a Star Wars game, after so many previous/various letdowns.
I don't have a big problem with Ubisoft or it's Far Cry and Assassin's Creed games, finished most of them, and they're ok.
But I want to see some reviews first.
If it's gonna be worth playing, I'll get 1 month of Ubisoft+ and give it a try - cheapest way to go about it at least at launch.
If PS5 Pro can provide 4k@60fps in Quality Mode for current and (at least) near future games, I'll even preorder. No RT, no 8k, no 120fps, I don't care about marketing BS, 4k@60fps minimum in Quality Mode and I'm game. If not, then I don't see the point, I'll stick to my PS5 and PC.
The PS5 Pro is necessary because devs and publishers are lazy when it comes to optimizations.
So today the only option left to play a game in 30...60fps is to use more horsepower and better upscaling techniques - features that the PS5 Pro seems to provide.
Look at the newly released Dragon's Dogma 2 dragging it's feet on PS5 at barely 30fps.
And it's only the latest in a group of PS5 games that prove it's time for a change... Unfortunately, devs/publishers don't bother to optimize games anymore, no matter the how much we request it, so...
Question Does anyone really think that in the next 3-4 years until PS6 release, things are gonna stay the same or even improve? Or are they actually gonna get even worse with every new PS5 game?
I bet on the latter.
How about the rest of you ?
This way you can decide for yourselves if a PS5 Pro is necessary for you or not.
I want 4k@60fps = I will get the PS5 Pro, if it offers it - plain and simple.
Those that don't care if they play at 30fps, can buy or keep the current PS5.
I for one am glad to be given the option.
Comments 874
Re: Poll: Are You Hyped for Summer Game Fest 2024?
After Sony's disappointing SoP, this time I'm gonna do what I did for the Game Awards last December, and it turned out better : gonna go in with zero expectations, and enjoy the show for what it is.
If there's gonna be any cool surprise announcements, so much the better, and if not, that's that.
Re: The Talos Principle 2 DLC Seemingly Ready for Imminent Reveal
Oh yes, day one purchase!
My 5 year old son loves the hell out of the main game (me too!). I finished the PS5 game with him. He solved quite a few puzzles by himself after he learned how the various connectors can be used. He even showed me a possible solution during a more complicated puzzle, leaving me O_O ... The mind of a child is amazing, the speed at which they can learn new stuff, especially when it comes to an activity he/she likes.
Re: Naughty Dog Won't Be 'The Last of Us Studio Forever', Says Neil Druckmann
As long it's not an "internal interview" again, I guess we don't have to worry about misquoting, eh?
TLoU deserves a 3rd and final game, imo, but that's that for this IP.
It's definitely time they came up with some new ideas, on which to work in parallel if they have the capacity.
Re: Astro Bot Is the 'Biggest' Game Team ASOBI Has Ever Made
Astro is quickly becoming Playstation's very own unique and unmistakable mascot, innit?
Cudos to Team Asoby for managing to bring it up there with Sonic and Mario!
Re: Tweaked Puzzles, Better Combat, and Updated Enemies in Silent Hill 2 PS5
Silent "Coming Soon" Hill 2 finally has a release date (that frankly is not so... soon).
Been waiting for it for a loong time, from what was shown în recent trailers at least, it's gonna be a good Remake.
I'll go back there for a splendid and relaxing city break on day one.
Re: Poll: What Was Your Favourite Game from State of Play?
Astro Bot - hands down the best thing they've shown !
Re: PC Players Are Fuming Until Dawn, God of War Ragnarok Appear to Require PSN Logins
Requiring a PSN access is not the real problem - it's easily solvable by making a PSN account in a country where PSN exists.
Removing the games from the official stores in the countries where PSN is not available, that's the worst decision Sony is actually making.
Most likely those people will turn to alternate methods to play the single player parts of those games - just because rules like "service access only in select countries" exist.
Where's the win in that, Sony ? Microsoft? Rest of y'all oyster heads in the same boat?
Re: Poll: What Did You Think of Sony's State of Play for May 2024?
Astro Bot, God of War Ragnarok for PC and Silent Hill 2 were the highlights for me.
The show was... good... but it could have been much better.
I hope they can show some more titles at SGF.
EDIT
PushSquare - make a poll about which of the shown titles we enjoyed the most, so we can vote the hell out of Astro Bot
Re: Talking Point: State of Play May 2024 Predictions - What's Next for PS5?
Wow, so many dreams are gonna be crushed today...
What I want to know is what's Bluepoint working on, there has been no news about them since Demon's Souls Remake 3,5 years ago.
But I don't hold out any hope there's gonna be any meaningful announcement on them in today's show.
Re: State of Play Officially Confirmed for 30th May, Updates on PS5, PSVR2 Games
A mere State of Play then, huh...
They gave up on Showcases since last year's abysmal edition with Jim Ryan's mug plastered on it?
I hope they at least show meaningful content... it's about damned time they share some of the future good stuff coming in !
Re: Rumour: God of War Ragnarok's PC Announcement Is Imminent
@rjejr Wow, I stand corrected! Rectified.
Re: Rumour: God of War Ragnarok's PC Announcement Is Imminent
To paraphrase an old God of War line: "Not this again!"
EDIT: in the meantime the State of play was announced for May 30th. A little over 1 day to see if those rumors pan out.
Re: CD Projekt Red Wants to Release Major Games More Frequently
As long as they don't rush those projects out the door, like they did with Cyberpunk, I'm all for it.
On the same subject - please make shorter games, people!
Stop pushing those 80h-100h long behemoths, in between 20-40h tops is quite enough!
And slow the graphics advance for a while, the current level of "realism" in games is exemplary, let it rest for a few years.
Concentrate on quality, story and content, and making those games run on current hardware at manageable FPS....
It's worth much more to your buyers than boundary-pushing graphics that bring every console to it's knees.
Crunch would be reduced, games would come out more often, and with better quality, etc... wins all around.
Re: PS Plus Essential Games for June 2024 Announced
Bring on the Poll so we can properly express our opinions on the current offer, without the use of improper words
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 530
This weekend's gaming-allocated time is split between Ghost of Tsushima on PC, some Diablo 4 on the side, and helping my son when requested with his treks in Horizon Zero Dawn and Talos Principle 2 both on PS5.
Have a fun weekend everyone!
Re: Rumour: Full Astro Bot PS5 Game to Be Announced Very Soon
For the 2H 2024, at least for now, this is my most anticipated game.
Astro's Playroom is very underrated, and it's too bad it's only tied to buying a PS5 console (especially considering the recent numbers stating half of the PS console owners are still on PS4...).
I hope the new title is a stand alone full fledged game,
But more likely it will come for free with the soon-to-be-announced PS5 Pro coming at the end of the year... could even be exclusive to it for a while, as an incentive to buy or upgrade.
Re: Rumour: Full Astro Bot PS5 Game to Be Announced Very Soon
@Korgon On the PS5 Pro preorder list when it becomes available
Re: Key Sony Exec Gives Eye-Opening Quotes on the Future of PlayStation and Gaming
I've said this in another comment: stop enhancing graphics, allow hardware to catch up to the point where current extremely high end hardware becomes widely accessible mainstream.
Shift focus in games on other areas, because soon enough people won't be able to buy the necessary hardware to play new games at manageable FPS.
And there's no need to make games so damned big, 25-35h is quite enough, stop making 100h games.
Especially if they are mostly emptier or have more repetitive content than they should, just to fill that whole big space with something.
Devs and publishers complain constantly about the increased costs of making AAA games, but it's actually them that decide to push further and further with graphics and games sizes, even though more and more gamers wish for a return to normally sized games and more focus on quality content and story...
I hope this "eye opening" is for real, and they actually take the correct path for future games.
Re: Leaker Claims Black Myth: Wukong Features 160 Enemy Types, 80 Bosses
They've shown gameplay videos starting 1-2 years ago, and at least a handful of bosses were presented, all different and very well designed... so it wouldn't be surprising for those numbers to actually be big.
From a different angle: It doesn't need to be 60-80 hours long, or have a ton of different bosses and enemy types. If the game is epic from the other points of view (combat, story, immersion etc) even half those numbers would be awesome. And a length of 20h-30h is quite enough.
I've been keeping an eye on this game since a few years ago, here hoping there are no more delays planned.
I'll certainly be there day one.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong Still Looks Bananas in New Trailer, Out 20th August on PS5
Waiting for it for a few years, hope they're done changing the launch date this time.
All the trailers they've shown until now were impressive... and since at least 1 year ago they've even shown quite a few actual gameplay videos, which is rare these days.
The setting, the graphics, the enemy design, the combat, the story... it definitely has a lot going for it. If they can land it properly, it's gonna be epic!
I'll be there at launch to give it a go.
Re: A Lot of PS4 Owners Have Yet to Upgrade to PS5
Given the sheer number of PS5 games available that are actually cross-gen, the pandemics and the current economic state around the globe, it's nothing unexpected.
I upgraded to the PS5 soon after launch, for the simple fact that the noise generated by my PS4 Pro (1st iteration of it) was very uncomfortable. Otherwise it would have been postponed until PS5 Pro.
Re: Rumour: LEGO Horizon Adventures Is Reportedly Real, a 'Realistic' Horizon Game But with LEGO
@AdamNovice
Astro's Playroom is a very underrated demo/game.
Part of the lack of completion is the people's misconception that it's somehow supposed to be a AAA title.
If one has the patience and open mind to play it 'till the end, one will find out there's no other game exactly like it.
It's the perfect title for people that have never played a game before, to have an easy and fun start into the activity.
And it's perfect for children of 5-8 years, that don't yet master reading, or the English language if it's not their mother tongue - since it doesn't have any dialog, or story, or quests to follow in order to progress through it.
Just simple, clear, relaxing fun, worth playing even for adults.
My son can't wait for the rumored next Astro game to come out in Q4. And I'm not too far behind actually...
Re: Rumour: LEGO Horizon Adventures Is Reportedly Real, a 'Realistic' Horizon Game But with LEGO
This is supposed to be part of the "incredibly bright future for Playstation" the interim CEO Hiroki Totoki was referring to the other day? Laughable... They are milking this IP to the bone...
Re: At Least Two Expansions Planned for Assassin's Creed Shadows
Definitely NOT gonna buy it full price at launch, they can include whatever they want in those Gold and Ultimate editions...
If they keep the price of Ubisoft Plus below 20$, i'll get 1 month and play it there.
If not, I'll buy the game a few years later at a heavy discount, and with all expansions included...
Re: Sony: The Future Is Incredibly Bright for PlayStation
"The Future Is Incredibly Bright for PlayStation"
Given the current PS5 exclusive portfolio and the PS roadmap shown so far... I bet that incredible brightness will come from their new mini led Bravia TV panels
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows the Actual Name of AC Red, Reveal This Week
Not really excited for this (it's another AC game...) but curious enough to watch the trailer.
Re: Rumour: Is LEGO Horizon Aloy's Next Big PS5 Adventure?
@LowDefAl The could have moved the HFW launch by 1-2 months, which is not unheard of.
As for Zelda - platform doesn't matter, it's the marketing impact of a giant IP that's important. It's "shadow" covers 1-2 months before and after launch. Guerilla should have moved the DLC out of that period, to help it get some more spotlight.
Not to mention the DLC was PS5 only, while the main game was PS4/PS5... another bad decision they made when it comes to reaching good sales numbers... but that's another story.
Re: Rumour: Is LEGO Horizon Aloy's Next Big PS5 Adventure?
@get2sammyb
No, you have to look at the bigger picture:
2017 - Horizon Zero dawn and it's DLC
2020 - Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition PC port
2022 - Horizon Forbidden West
2023 - Horizon Call of the mountain for VR
2023 - Horizon FW - Burning shores DLC
2023 - Horizon FW Complete edition for PS5 in October 2023
2024 - Horizon FW Complete edition for PC in March
2024 - and now a lego game (of what kind, remains to be seen).
2026? - Horizon 3, not announced but most likely work on it is already in progress.
A Horizon multiplayer game is also in the works.
And a TV show is planned for Netflix, most likely to be released with the next main game around 2026.
Consider all of the above, especially since 2022 - if that's not milking it, I don't know what is.
And my guess is that's not all that's planned...
I love the franchise, own both main games and their DLC on PS5 as well as on PC.
But I don't like the path it's on right now, especially if the Lego thing turns out to be a game... it will only serve to dilute the IP in the long run.
Do remember the original God Of War dragged down by PSP ports, Mobile game and the mediocre Ascension...
Should I add Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed, Call of duty, Fifa, Need for Speed etc... all prime examples of "milking an IP to death".
Re: Rumour: Is LEGO Horizon Aloy's Next Big PS5 Adventure?
Here's hoping it's a set and not a game - milking a game IP has always been the first step towards it's downfall...
They've already made the worst possible choices with the launch dates for Forbidden West... and for it's DLC... and for the PC port, diminishing their impact by pitting them against Elden Ring, Zelda TotK and Dragon's Dogma 2 - the franchise doesn't need more bad decisions.
What it could really benefit from, is to stay out of the spotlight for ~2-3 years, to make it's comeback with the 3rd game much more impactful.
Re: Poll: Years Later, How Do You Feel About PlayStation's PC Strategy?
I think it's great the way it is now, with a delay of 1-2 years for every game between console release and PC porting.
Helldivers is either a trial or an exception in this regard, we shall see what the future brings.
It should be pointed out though, that the most important thing to consider is the future of PS studios, which is as clouded as a mountain top on a rainy day...
Right this moment we know next to nothing about what they have planned for the future of the franchises we love so much, or for new IP's. Sony is keeping way too quiet and doesn't care enough about giving it's clients a roadmap or even a glimpse at what they can expect 1-2-3 years from now.
Which is unsettling to see and frankly, after the PS5 experience so far, I don't know if I should buy the next console or not.
Re: God of War Ragnarok Set for PC, New Report Claims
Good news for me! Finished it on PS5 twice, and the DLC, but I don't mind giving it another go on Steam in the future, especially if it's a superior quality port a la Nixxes.
Epic franchises and very talented devs deserve our full support imho.
Re: Ghost of Tsushima's Crossplay Patch Has Somehow Ruined the Game with Stuttering
@Paranoimia Quit instigating bub...
Re: Ghost of Tsushima's Crossplay Patch Has Somehow Ruined the Game with Stuttering
Just how did such a problem make it through testing?
What do you mean?
The usual pro bono testers just found the problem and reported back, you've just written about it in the article. Isn't this the established testing procedure in gaming nowadays?....
Re: Bloober Team Says Silent Hill 2 Remake Its 'Most Important Test'
They should brace themselves for the downpour (no SH pun intended) of backlash and social media drama that's gonna happen after the game gets into gamers hands.
The purists will cry out that the devs didn't respect the original title enough. And many others won't be happy that the game sticks to much to the original, with very few improvements...
I don't see an outcome that won't rub many people the wrong way, no matter what path the devs took with this remake.
For myself, I'll get the game day one. I loved the OG game back in the day (was my first SH game) - and I've wanted to give it another go for a long time.
But some of it's mechanics are too old for me to enjoy now (tank controls most of all).
So this Remake is the best opportunity.
To quote a line from B5: "Whatever it is, it can't be THAT bad!"
So color me mildly hyped.
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Stellar Blade?
Since the best thing about it seems to be the combat, I'm gonna wait for it to be offered as a PS+ monthly title.
Re: Physical PS5 Copies of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 Briefly Listed by Romanian Retailer
Re-releases of remaked games - now on physical support... how thrilling!
Re: $130 Version of Star Wars Outlaws Under Fire as Ubisoft Prices Increase
No one is making you pay those sums.
It's enough to wait for 2-3 years to get the "GOTY" edition with everything included for a fraction of the initial price.
Ubisoft wants to make people subscribe to it's service, and it's using the prices to drive the masses.
No problem, I'll do it to the letter. I'll subscribe for 1 month for 18 euros, finish the game and unsubscribe - effective and wallet friendly. BTW, the game on the subscription includes everything Gold and Ultimate have, so why not?
Oh, and it seems people forgot the prices for Assassin's Creed Odyssey now...
At launch way back in 2018, that's 6 years ago.... when vanilla games were still 50-60 euros... this AC game launched with it's Gold edition at 90 euros and it's Ultimate one at 110 euros. Each containing exactly the same content Star Wars Outlaws does now.
There was no meaningful drama then, those that didn't want the extra stuff or the game pass, or didn't have the cash for them, simply bough the vanilla game, and that was that.
But now? Whooo.... dramas everywhere, even though it's the exact same damned pricing practice.
I'm not taking Ubisoft's side here, but this subject is being blown way out of proportion nowadays.
Best way to get publishers to lower the prices is not by complaining everywhere you have an account on for a few months and then ultimately going to pay anyway, because you couldn't resist the temptation (yeah, that sh..t happens a lot more than people admit)....
Best way is by not paying for the insanely priced content at the initially asked cost.
So those people should cut the unnecessary drama and do exactly that.
Get the vanilla game, or a 1 month subscription, play the game, and move on to the next.
Later on, if you want to buy it proper with all DLC in tow, get the eventual GOTY edition, and be done with it.
Re: PSN Data Says Foamstars' Future Is Bleak, Just Two Months After Release
Saw this one biting the dust ever since it was announced at that abysmal PS Showcase back in May of last year...
But if it contributes even 5% to Sony giving up the useless chase for that Live Service Unicorn, then at least this failure isn't for nothing....
Re: Sony Santa Monica Studio Seemingly Hiring for New God of War Game
Next stop: Egypt, left side.
Mind the (5 year) gap!
Re: Most PS5 Players Say 60fps Is a Must
Poll ended up where many wanted (myself included).
Weather Sony actually delivers however... remains to be seen come PS5 Pro.
Remember though... FPS and graphics aside, we need more AAA PS Studio exclusive PS5 titles... the kind of games this gen painfully lacks!
60fps may be included for nothing if there are very few good games to enjoy it on...
Re: Poll: How Much Do You Care About 60fps on PS5?
60fps no more, no less.
At 4k in Quality Mode, not Performance with low res graphics!
Trouble is, PS5 can't do that for current games.
Most of the time because devs can't be bothered to optimize their games.
Rest of time, because of it's own technical limitations. 2020 may seem like not too long ago, but in the hardware world, it's ancient times, and it shows.
Dragon's Dogma 2 feels like an outlier?
Y'all forgetting about A Plague Tale - Requiem, that took 7 months after launch to get a 60fps Performance mode? And that game launched in 2022 !!
How about Gotham Knights, The Quarry, etc.
No, Dragon's Dogma 2 is no exception, it's just foreshadowing....
PS5 needs a proper and very efficient upscaling tech to reach a stable 4k@60fps in Quality mode, that only another hardware revision can provide - that's (hopefully) what PS5 Pro with PSSR will provide... otherwise it's gonna be a very hard ~4 years for the PS ecosystem until PS6 comes around.
On top of all this, we need AAA PS studios made PS5 exclusive games !
For many of us that was the main reason we bought the console... and mostly we've got Remakes and Remasters of existing titles... even of already Remastered games!
Make the games shorter, 15-20h is enough! We don't need 50+ hours...
Keep the current graphics for a few years more, and shorten the time between releases.
Re: 'Smaller' PS5 Exclusives Still Reportedly Coming Later This Year
Hell yes, I'll get them both day one!
Astro's Playroom is definitely a unique game, even if it was supposed to be a Tech Demo. It may share some DNA as a platformer, but if you try to search for another exactly like it, you won't find it.
No story, no dialogs, no quests other than finishing the levels, and no drama... just a joyful, fun to play and easy-going game.
My 5 year old son likes it a ton too, and a big part of it are the PS artifacts. Every time he found a new one he asked " Dad, what is that, what does it do? Did you ever have one?". After he found the PS4 Pro in the game, I showed him the PS4 Pro console I still keep around in a drawer - he was simply overjoyed, that he could touch it, and see it's real, not just on TV!
So yes, bring on another Astro game, we're eagerly waiting!
Silent Hill 2 was my first SH game oh so long ago, played it on PC. What I loved about it most is the fact that, even if it's a horror game and whatnot, you can pick up a damned stick and strike back. It may have had clunky combat, but you were able to fight, not just run and hide like a scared little mouse.
Then there's the puzzles, the atmosphere, etc.
I love the "map" idea where you take an ordinary building plan, and simply write on it, which doors are blocked, which worked, where items are etc.
None of the sequels captured me as much as this title did.
Can't wait to go back for another "city break" in Silent Hill!
Re: Rumour: Prince of Persia Roguelite in Development at Dead Cells Studio
Ah, it seems I'm gonna be the black sheep up in here : )
Just like 10 years ago every game had to have a mobile version, now every game has to have a roguelike/lite one...
Instead of Ubisoft making a proper AAA game to relaunch the franchise, they made a spinoff...
And now another studio is making a rogue spinoff... of said spinoff...
I'm as excited for this as I am for Bloodborne Kart or Bloodborne Demake (they may be fan made, but they received about the same level of hype from the players and media... which I don't share in equal measure).
Re: Rumour: Sony to Host Big PlayStation Event Next Month
Either they make their own PS Studios exclusive AAA IP's the centerpiece of the show, and present some hardware like the PS5 Pro, or they can cancel it altogether.
I'm tired of seeing them dedicate 90-95% of their shows to 3rd party games, and only throw some short and dry text lines on Twitter (or X , whatever) about their own IP's...
Give us some glimpse about how the future of Playstation will look like, what games are PS studios working on, what hardware is in the plans etc... or stop throwing money on those useless shows! Allocate them instead to keeping worthy people hired, so they can keep making good games.
Re: Random: Vladimir Putin Considers Creation of Russian Gaming Console
Can't say I dig you Putin an article with political connotations on this site, but when in Moscow... I wonder if they'll also include an always online camera with the console, and as a marketing slogan: "Relax, we're watching over you!"
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Dragon's Dogma 2?
I'm aware of all the bad blood against this game for various reasons.
But it gets a 9/10 from me.
Very immersive game, a real "time warping device", once it gets it's hooks on you, real hours pass as fast as it takes to arrive at the destination while dozing on the oxcart (when you don't get attacked on the road that is).
The gameplay, the combat, and especially the exploration and the secrets are definitely top notch!
It certainly has it's performance issues, especially on PS5, which is why I've bought it on PC after I saw the initial reviews...
My 3090 gets it running at 4k@60fps at high quality settings with DLSS enabled.
It dips at 45 or 40fps in very crowded areas, but it doesn't blow the overall immersion.
Actually, as I understand it, the framerate and stuttering issues are actually caused by the CPU, not the GPU...
The devs got the CPU to calculate all the NPC's, all their movements and surface impacts, weather they are visible or "lurking" behind closed doors. Which is quite a lot of stress on the silicone considering the sheer number of them available in towns...
Many of those NPC's you don't even see or interact with often, as they stay mainly inside, minding their own business until you come barging in to spoil their zen.
Frankly, I would have preferred to have fewer explorable houses in towns, if it meant fewer NPC's and smoother framerates...
Hope the devs manage to find a solution to smooth things out, for consoles and PC alike, and sooner rather than later.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 522
Dragon's Dogma 2 that already got me hooked!
But the damned thing is a time warping machine...
It's like you start playing now, and after a bit of time, you take a casual gander at a notification appearing on the phone, only to realize 4 hours have passed ! 🤦🏻♂️
But I guess that's also the mark of a very good and immersive game, innit?
And to think the year just started, and there are more good promising titles coming... Hellblade 2, Elden Ring's DLC Shadow of the erdtree, Black myth: Wukong etc ....
The only thing missing ?
48h days, so you have time to play them all without impacting the other activities and aspects of your daily life : )
Have a fun weekend everyone!
Re: Star Wars Outlaws Rated in Australia
It looks good from the existing trailers, and I'm curious to see more.
But it's hard to get too excited about a Star Wars game, after so many previous/various letdowns.
I don't have a big problem with Ubisoft or it's Far Cry and Assassin's Creed games, finished most of them, and they're ok.
But I want to see some reviews first.
If it's gonna be worth playing, I'll get 1 month of Ubisoft+ and give it a try - cheapest way to go about it at least at launch.
Re: PlayStation Fans Torn on Prospect of PS5 Pro
If PS5 Pro can provide 4k@60fps in Quality Mode for current and (at least) near future games, I'll even preorder. No RT, no 8k, no 120fps, I don't care about marketing BS, 4k@60fps minimum in Quality Mode and I'm game.
If not, then I don't see the point, I'll stick to my PS5 and PC.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About the PS5 Pro?
The PS5 Pro is necessary because devs and publishers are lazy when it comes to optimizations.
So today the only option left to play a game in 30...60fps is to use more horsepower and better upscaling techniques - features that the PS5 Pro seems to provide.
Look at the newly released Dragon's Dogma 2 dragging it's feet on PS5 at barely 30fps.
And it's only the latest in a group of PS5 games that prove it's time for a change... Unfortunately, devs/publishers don't bother to optimize games anymore, no matter the how much we request it, so...
Question
Does anyone really think that in the next 3-4 years until PS6 release, things are gonna stay the same or even improve?
Or are they actually gonna get even worse with every new PS5 game?
I bet on the latter.
How about the rest of you ?
This way you can decide for yourselves if a PS5 Pro is necessary for you or not.
I want 4k@60fps = I will get the PS5 Pro, if it offers it - plain and simple.
Those that don't care if they play at 30fps, can buy or keep the current PS5.
I for one am glad to be given the option.