ShogunRok

@Shaunholio I've missed an absolute sitter here.

@Deoxyr1bose I never expected this project to be as significant as it quite clearly is. It's becoming clear that this is Atlus trying to hit Persona levels of success with a new IP.

Which, to be honest, is great to see. The fact a new game is getting what looks like the budget and resources of a mainline Persona title is huge.

Sold.

Sold on the full price 2025 re-release as well. Damn you, Atlus.

@Andee FF15 was massively improved once all the updates and DLC had been released, but yeah, parts of it still feel unfinished and weirdly implemented. I remember there was going to be another DLC episode for it, but it got cancelled or something? Don't quite recall, but that rings a bell.

@Andee I'd probably just go with the flow. Although the DLCs do feel a touch endgame-y because they're more difficult than most of the main campaign, I still think it makes sense to slot them into the adventure because they enrich the game's lore.

@DaniPooo It took me a few tries to get that right as well. The timing definitely feels a bit too tight, and I wouldn't be surprised if a patch makes it more lenient. Seems like an arbitrary difficulty spike.

@caiol92 Yeah the DLC location has blue skies because of magic (the devs probably got sick of looking at the gloomy skies too). No option to disable the gloom in the main game, though.

@The_Wailing_Doom Assuming you've completed the quests I mentioned in my above comment ^, Clive just gets sent a letter that you read in his room, and the quest begins.

@Drago201 All I know is it's these quests (from the official website):

• Complete the side quest "Cut from the Cloth."
• Complete the side quest "Phoenix, Heal Thyself."
• Complete the side quest "Where there's a Will."
• Reach the main scenario quest "Back to their Origin."

I think these are character-based quests? I can't quite remember, unfortunately.

@Ravix Yeah when I interviewed the DLC director he said they purposefully left 'breadcrumbs' for potential DLC. It makes sense in that it helps the DLC slot into the rest of the game, but it does raise an eyebrow when you're actually playing!

@Hyena_socks Sorry, I think I misread your comment slightly. Yeah, you can play this before the end of the game and it won't spoil anything from the final chapter. The expansion's story is tied into the main plot, before the events of the final chapter.

@Hyena_socks This expansion unlocks right before the game's final chapter, and you can only play it from the main campaign, so there's no way to spoil anything.

@Ravix Nah, there's no separate menu option or anything, you start it through the main game.

And by 'complete' I'm not necessarily saying FF16 feels incomplete on its own — I just think the DLC rounds things off rather nicely, if that makes sense.

If anyone's got any questions about the DLC or the review, let me know and I'll try to answer them as soon as I can.

After playing through this expansion, I definitely want to do another playthrough of 16 at some point.

@rjejr Hahaha, putting the mini in mini review!

@wildcat_kickz Good catch, thanks!

@Impossibilium Haha, no, I found your comment genuinely entertaining.

@Impossibilium Incredible comment.

@IntrepidWombat I think waiting to play games — especially big releases that will very likely receive major updates — is becoming more and more of an obvious decision. You're ultimately getting a better game that costs less.

The only downside to waiting is... well, waiting! Sometimes it feels good to be part of the 'conversation' when a new game launches. And time isn't a luxury that everyone has, of course.

But if you're prepared to wait, it really does feel like the wise choice — now more than ever.

@Anke Totally agree, I find it crazy that Bethesda's never remastered them. Same with Morrowind and Oblivion. Just leaving money on the table.

Disappointing because the visual style is really unique and interesting. It's like the devs nailed that part of it and then remembered that it actually has to be a good game too.

@Zenos They'd be stupid not to, frankly!

There are a lot of factors to consider here. Just to name a few:

• It's the second part of a trilogy that's still years away from being complete, and direct sequels are almost always a tougher sell
• Not everyone who bought Remake necessarily liked it, so they're not buying the sequel
• It came out during a really busy period for new games (many of which appeal to the same kind of audience)

I think Rebirth will have legs, if only because it'll start selling again once the third game is out. Plus, Square Enix will find a way to bundle these games for years and years to come.

Taking all of this into account, Rebirth will have done fine by any reasonable standard — but we all know that Square Enix doesn't hold its games to reasonable standards.

@Cloud39472 @Intr1n5ic

@NEStalgia Nah, our polls don't track any data like that, but it's an interesting thought! If we wanted to get a bit more in-depth with polls, that's the kind of thing we could look into if people wanted it.

@JDCII

@Shadcai @Jay767 I would be shocked if there isn't a full three-game collection on PS6.

@Jill_Sandwich Sorry, yes, 10th July on PS5 — was going by the PC release date, which is part of the headline in the press release! Article is correct now.

@J-Dubs Yep, I somehow second guessed myself twice with this. Was convinced Helldivers 2 was last month for some reason.

@UltimateOtaku91

@NEStalgia As someone who loves the game it's been fascinating to see so many contrasting takes. I think there are a lot of interesting factors to it, like 12 years' worth of expectations, how open world games have changed in terms of structure, how people's perception of Capcom has changed...

With all of that in mind, I'm actually shocked that FF7 Rebirth isn't as divisive — although I suppose you could argue that people who didn't like Remake might not have played Rebirth anyway, which only leaves existing fans to talk about it, for the most part.

Brilliant tagline.

Hey everyone, the plan is to do another article (Push Square Readers' Favourite PS5 Game of 2024 So Far) based on the results of the poll, so make sure you get your vote right!

I'll believe it when I see it, but he's right in that something will eventually have to change.

@tameshiyaku Well that's good to hear — I didn't actually realise that the anime is already out.

@Darylb88 Nah, it seems to be an adaptation of the original manga and upcoming anime for the most part.

@Weebleman The game's the best it's ever been, so you were probably wise to wait. Plus, it really doesn't seem like it'll be getting any significant updates from this point on. The devs have said that minor stuff might be added in time, but support is otherwise wrapped up.

@Terra_Custodes There's nothing like a good JRPG. Can be both gripping and relaxing at the same time. The Trails series has become one of my absolute favourites!

@Zeroo The reason we don't include a poll is because there are just so many games — feels a bit pointless. But if people would like one, we can look into it.

@Terra_Custodes Haha, hope you enjoy them!

@tameshiyaku See my above comment!

@HammerKirby3 @Foxhound Yeah, it was cancelled before release. I've amended the article to reflect that!

@Melee_Ace Stuff like that can definitely help, but especially in MHW's case, the base game's gameplay was still brilliant — Iceborne just added to it.

In something like ESO, the base game's quest design can feel like a real step back compared to what you find in the expansions — and that's just because the base release was developed so long ago.

So I don't think it's quite the same, but I do think you can look at games like MHW and try to apply that kind of logic to MMOs, etc. I know FF14 has tried loads of different ways to ease new players in and get them to the latest expansions, for example. Not sure how effective it is, though!

@Balosi In my experience, going back to MMOs or live games in general can be really difficult, especially if you've spent a long time away.

You usually want to start from the beginning again, but the base game content has become so outdated that it doesn't grab you anymore. It's the kind of problem that must be a nightmare for developers.

@McBurn Haha, I'm glad someone enjoyed it, I couldn't think of anything better!

@PaperAlien @Nem @Ainu20 Poll was open worldwide, even though it was hosted by a British organisation.

@J2theEzzo @JayJ Yep, it's a new game, I believe it's just built on the core gameplay of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries.

Definitely want to give it a shot if I find the time. Always appreciate an action game that's just happy being an action game.

@Amnesiac Was and still is an excellent fighting game. But Bamco's nonsense is wearing thin.

@Melee_Ace I would say, based on what I've played, it's averaging somewhere around 45-50fps when out in the open world. Sometimes higher, but it doesn't always last.

In any case, it's a clear boost when RT is off, but there are still dips when there's a lot going on.