Vil

Only interested in Granblue Fantasy for the first half of 2024 pretty much, so I'm all good. Also, Mario Wonder and Mario RPG are the only games I'm getting for the rest of this year. It also helps that I don't really have a backlog as I've mostly just been replaying older titles.

I just don't feel any pressure to finish games I lose interest in. I've got plenty of those, but I personally don't count them as part of a backlog. Backlog to me is games I love that I've yet to finish completely. Got Mario Golf on sale, so I'm currently enjoying that immensely. Trying to save in general through these troubling times.

...For now.

They better not delay it again. I won't trust it until it's on a shelf lol

Let the PS4 die already.

Not buying or supporting this practice, ever. If you're getting it on Switch there is at least an argument to be made.

I'm used to Nintendo's overpriced ports, but they shouldn't be the new standard for re- releasing decade- old games. At least they have a solid enough recent reputation ...unlike Rockstar.

I'll get it, alright ...for its actual value, through Xbox BC.

If you like live service games and shooters, there was plenty of that. I don't. The reaction to Tears of the Kingdom reminded me of just how many live service shooter games there are that you almost think every single modern AAA video game is like that.

Sony's new live service focus was certainly on full display and I hate it. That streaming device looked even worse.

While Granblue Fantasy should have been the highlight for me, it looked noticeably worse graphically and still doesn't have a firm release date after five million years in development.

The ego is strong in this one.

Microsoft still has the crown of backwards compatibility in every single aspect. Way more love to FPS and resolution boosts, games available all the way back to the original Xbox with pretty darn polished emulation to boot (unlike some others) and their general consumer friendly attitude, not releasing 70 dollar PS4 ports and remakes alongside upgrade fees for existing games ...

...In my opinion.

Have not paid $70/€80 for any game and never will unless it's something that's really worth it. I wait for price drops, got Ratchet & Clank brand new for less than half that just a year after launch, got Demon's Souls used online for about the same. I did pre- order Hogwarts Legacy, but I had been waiting for that one for years, it's a non- remake 100+ hour RPG and I got the physical Deluxe Edition for about the same price as the standard goes for on the PS Store. Mildly interested in Dead Space currently, but again, I'll just wait for it to be dirt cheap which will happen. That's why the disc- based PS5 is so worth it in the long run.

It depends, I suppose, but I generally don't support the current greed and price inflation. Everything is at an absurd level right now, so priorities lie on essentials like food and energy. 99% of games I may want are not worth getting new anymore, ever.

@ErrantRob I'd say it's very close to Dark Souls mechanically. It's the toughest of love. You tip over, you lose everything you carry (essentially a death), there are no instant rewind or retries. No save scumming either. You have to start all over, get a crane and drive across the entire map (which are all massive) to your own mess to pick it up again, very slowly, through mud and bumps that can tip you over again and again very easily, which could easily mean ...you have to go all the way back again. Despite this, it's so endearing and addictive as when you finally get those goods back and deliver them, whatever pitiful reward you get feels so earned. You worked so hard to deliver those dumb bricks or whatever, but finally you earn some EXP and level up until you unlock some mildly better tires, trucks and engines, move on to an even worse region and do it all over again. Just like Dark Souls in that regard.

It's definitely not for everyone, though. You have to achieve the patience of a Tibetan monk sometimes.

Snowrunner. It's tough, gruelling, torturous, unbelievably frustrating and the slowest game in the world ...yet it's one of the most endearing and brilliantly addictive games I've ever experienced.

It has bugs, it has flaws, it's truly the Dark Souls of driving games if you can still use that analogy ...but I keep coming back every single day to deliver those stupid bricks or metal beams, tipping over and losing it all, driving all the way back again taking 20 minutes, tipping over again on the way, cursing out the game and developers, driving over there yet again, taking half an hour to get it all back with the world's slowest crane, then slowly crawling through the most atrocious mud hell imaginable for a few experience points and dollars just to do it all over again.

Mark Hamill is to good for this miserable world.

Well ...It's a damn good game with a massive amount of content, relatively polished at release with no microtransactions or even DLC. So I say it's as well deserved as you can get. I still remember when all games followed this business model. Those were the days.

Excellent! I'll definitely get this one ...in a few months when it's like €10.

Well, considering the price I guess they're made for each other.

...What about the other GranBlue game ...that's been in development for half a century it feels like.

Well ...That makes it official, then. PS5 will be the last PlayStation I ever buy. I'll just go for a PC next generation ...and hopefully by then, GPU prices will have gone back to normal.

As if Sony hasn't ripped us off enough already. If a Pro model comes out, I'm done. I already spent half a grand on your damn router- looking *** and all I've gotten in terms of true next gen titles so far are overpriced remakes and, like ...two exclusives. Stick with your hardware for another three years at least.

No update in the world can save this one lol

Yes please, I'm all in for that. Unlike Star Wars, I actually like all the Harry Potter films. I do hope they sort out the dreadful mismanagement first, though ...They're a talented bunch and deserve so much better than the hell they went through recently.

Once again, Mario Kart 8 proves to be the new GTA V. I hope an actual new entry comes out in each franchise before I die ...I mean, they've gotta do something with all those billions of dollars they make from decade- old games.

V I C T O R Y

More of this, please. Get all these casinos outta here. Every game with these mechanics should have been rated Adults Only decades ago. Nothing fills me with more joy than seeing these nasty leeches slowly dying out, greedy investors be damned. I suppose the battle pass is the new trend now, which at least isn't gambling.

As if anything else ...Hogwarts, bruv.

I want this to blast the door wide open for more Wizarding World games. Maybe another single- player game in the medieval times with the Hogwarts Founders and Merlin, perhaps? A Quidditch game is a given, but how about a Triwizard Tournament- focused game? So many cool things that can be done with the IP, especially with a blank check from Warner Bros. given the massive success of this. I couldn't be happier it has become such a juggernaut, given just how much detail, love, features and money that was clearly poured into it.

Wow ...And right after the excellent non- live service Hogwarts Legacy too from the very same publisher ...that is literally printing mad stacks right now. I guess they'll be in for a very rude awakening then in terms of comparing actual sales between the two, which could mean some very good news for the future of the industry. I'm sure as hell still not supporting any games with these things in them.

I'm an old school fan of games and honestly can't believe what you have to put up with nowadays, be it microtransactions, live services, subscriptions, passes and rushed, completely unfinished garbage. There really should be zero excuses for any of it. I know so many games that have none of it and have made literal billions regardless.

Ah, yes. Everyone's favourite disappointment may eventually become an actual finished video game.

Could unlock the frame rate while they're at it. Unity, too, even though that game can be played at 60 if you just don't update it ...like, at all.

@Leonhart Thank goodness I'm not the only one on here that is bothered by that damn glitched Field Guide page lol

Have they fixed the bugged Field Guide page in the Bell Tower Wing? I'm still at 33/34 there.

@Flaming_Kaiser Infamous is cool. I meant the Marvel and DC stuff, mainly that there is still five million movies and series coming out each year and I don't care about any of it lol

That's totally cool. Take a break and then, perhaps, make a Quidditch game? Either way, the massive success of this will surely lead to Warner Bros. making more Wizarding World games through their Portkey label and lay off the superheroes for a while ...which I for one wouldn't complain about.

I'm so sick of superheroes, man ...

It is an easy 9 from me. There are some bugs to fix, such as the one Field Guide page I have left in Hogwarts that is clearly bugged as it is completely gone or didn't count when collected. I've looked it up and apparently a lot of people have a similar issue. Other than that, what they have accomplished here is nothing short of breathtaking and they deserve every bit of praise they get. I was surprised at just how fun and satisfying the combat is ...and the whole beast collecting and base building aspects were shockingly in- depth.

The game has so much content and attention to detail it is still blowing me away after dozens of hours ...So, whatever ...With this many collectibles, a single page (not even a main Revelio one, mind you) not being counted correctly or being bugged is totally fine, as long as it can be patched soon enough without having to restart the entire game for that clean 100%. That the game even was as polished as it was on release speaks volumes at how much love was poured into the game, and tells me just how much money Warner Bros. were willing to splurge on a truly prestigous flagship ...with no shady monetisation either!

The one issue I do have is that it might have a bit too much content for someone with a perfectionist mindset like me ...It gets a bit tiring with all those pages, especially ...and that you have to cast the Assassin's Creed- esque scanning spell every ten seconds to make sure you get every moldy piece of clothing in a spider- infested cave ...which becomes quite annoying.

One glitch that really sucks though is when you make potions in the room of requirement and that horrible high pitch ringing sound doesn't go away. Can't get rid of it unless you reload. Happens on occasion, one particularly bad case when I put a lot of potion stations down ...It was ear- bleeding torture.

I found another glitch (or at least what I think is a glitch) wher you can access the Headmaster's Office way too early. Just fly your broomstick to the top of the grand tower and land on the stairs with the two locked doors. Unlock them and head on down and you can find a glitched invisible set of spiraling stairs where the eagle is (with no way out, mind you) and Black is just standing in his room lol

Hogwarts Legacy, of course ...Haven't been this invested in a game in half a decade. It has truly brought light and joy back into a hobby I started to fear I've lost interest in and I couldn't be happier. The spark is back! Thank you, Avalanche!

WHAT?! I WANT IT! How did it manage to get announced, release and sell out before I even head of its existence?!

Edit: Nvm, found 'em. They're already on eBay for €500+ ...of course. -_-

Scalping should be a crime.

Of course. Everyone should give it a try IMO. It's quite an amazing accomplishment for the developer.

Slowly working my way through this magical masterpiece and I can honestly say I'm absolutely blown away. Sure, it has some flaws and rough edges, but I couldn't care less! They DID IT! It's literally a dream come true for me. Bravo, Warner Bros., and most of all, bravo, Avalanche! You went from a Cars 3 tie- in to this?! You've officially joined the prestige club of AAA developers in my eyes. Absolutely phenomenal work ...and so many nostalgic references to the old Zelda- inspired licensed games too, which I love! Even Flipendo made it in lol

Seriously, though, the attention to detail is absolutely insane so far. Can't even remember the last time I've seen so much love poured into a single game before.

Also, Ravenclaw FTW!

Discs are just glorified license keys and have been since the end of the PS3 era. I buy the cheapest option, which for PS5 is usually the physical copy, but I know what to expect. Even if it's nice to have the game on the disc, 99.9% of modern games require endless updates and patches at least double the size of the game itself to function properly or as intended anyway, so what you're left with is version 1.0 or 1.1 of the game in your hand. It's sad and sucks for preservation, which I still wish companies would just remove DRM for older software and just let you do whatever with it, but that's capitalist reality for you. Everything modern is going digital, pretty much.

The huge positive with physical that still thankfully remain is the sell, trade and lend aspect. The collection aspect, though, at least to me, has disappeared. My older games are complete on disc or cartridge and feel good to have, but I know the physical PS4 and PS5 games on my shelf are pretty much just license keys that I can sell if I want, and that's okay.

The more linear third person single player adventure games the better! Those are the games I actually want to play, anyway. There's enough hundred- hour RPG's on the market and I can't finish a single one of them TBH ...

HOLY **** LET'S ******* GO! THAT'S what I'm talking about!

H O G W A R T S L E G A C Y

I would be excited, if it arrived in time for early access, but our mail service is the absolute worst so it will most likely arrive on the 10th, if not the Monday after that. I only bought physical to save over the digital release, but now I'm starting to doubt if that was the best idea.

@MatthewJP I will enjoy it, of course. I just like reading reviews for games I'm interested in, whether I've bought them or not, to get an idea of what I'm in for. If there's some feature or aspect that should be avoided, or if the publisher has implemented something shady, I want to know about it before jumping in myself. That's how I approach new games in general. I usually never pre- order games anymore, but this one has always been an exception just because of how amazing it looks and how long I've waited for it.

When's the Hogwarts Legacy review dropping? Have you guys gotten have the game yet?

Still worried about its quality until I've seen a few reviews next week, despite having it pre- ordered. I'm part of the problem, I know ...but it's literally the only game I've been looking forward to this much in years.

I still wish a 40 FPS mode would become more common. I loved that in Ratchet & Clank. It is the perfect balance of visual quality and smoothness for 120 Hz VRR displays IMO, at least on my Samsung TV.

Wow ...How exciting.

This game will literally never die.

Oh, thank god it's just the last gen ports (...for now).You almost gave me a heart attack!

I always felt this was a next generation only title and I would be fine if they cancelled the last generation versions TBH, but I get why they exist. They will probably look and run like deep fried molasses, but this hopefully prevents another Cyberpunk. No more delays for the main version, please.

Also, the Switch better be just a cloud version for the sake of everyone looking forward to that port. Getting this massive behemoth to run natively on that poor little Tegra X1 is surely a nightmare from the deepest, darkest depths of hell (and will most definitely look, run and play like one).

And before you ask, yes, I know the Switch has repeatedly punched light years above its weight class, but actually sitting down and playing those very impressive ports on the TV and not just in handheld mode is a different thing entirely. It's like being stuck in an old Low Spec Gamer video. As someone who always prefers playing at home on the TV and never really on the go, I use my PS5 for the horse power titles and save the Switch for Nintendo's own exclusives, as I have done for every single one of their consoles. They do their own thing and that's fine.

That is absolutely hilarious.