@ShogunRok thanks for a timely and well-argued review, and hope you have not been left burnt out! Are there any difficulty settings? How is combat with multiple opponents? From what I saw in trailers, only 1-2 were actively attacking, and the rest slowly circling around…
@VenomUK wanted to write the same! Also, a reference point for all those arguing that an exclusive game sold poorly because the installed based is lower, compared to the previous generation.
@Lowdefal I think 25-30hrs was for 100% completion, no? In that case, it looks fairly accurate, by looking at HowLongToBeat times and platinum trophy guides.
On the subject: glad the trend of never-ending games is reversing a bit. I am also confident that it will get at least 30+hrs of DLC content, so those wanting a longer game have nothing to worry about.
Not sure if it is relevant to the case, but would be nice if this case addressed shocking (in many cases) discrepancies between PC and console pricing. For instance, DA: Veilguard is £50 on Steam, but £70 on PS Store.
I’ve been following this developer for quite some time. They’ve got about £100m in funding, and their other project, Everywhere, looks like Fortnite-at-home. So at least there is consistency.
Meh… Jedi Survivor is on EA Play since last April. EA Play often offers £1 per month promotion quite often (I grabbed one last November and completed the game then). The game itself has been at -75% recently
@MrMagic you made almost all the points I wanted to write when I saw the headline)
Surprised no one mentioned the steam rating - at 76% currently, which I think more accurately reflect the game’s quality. If you read the reviews, this drop (compared to ps5 and remake) is not exclusively due to technical problems with the port itself.
Also, shout out to the crowd accusing PS of anti-Rebirth bias: here is a piece of good news about it, and PS duly reported on it.
@DonJorginho shareholders will probably think otherwise) Expect the share price to tank mightily tomorrow, like it did when the first delay was announced.
In the long term, depends on how they use it and how the game turns out.
This kind of sober analysis was sorely missed in 2022, when half of this site was crying in comments about how MS will pull CoD from PS current and future platforms
@Cloud39472 because it’s their job to report news, and it was rather astonishing that such a highly-rated game did not sell well. If it was breaking sale records, PS would be writing multiple articles about that.
Been following this discourse for a while, SE shared nothing new) In the absence of solid data (production+advertising budget, sales/total income generated, exclusivity fees from sony), it is impossible to say how this game performed. However, the majority of factors point towards underperformance. It is not a Forspoken/Concord level of flop, but if one of the highest-rates games of year, a remake of arguably one of the best games ever fails to sell more than the latest ff instalment (ff16), I can’t see how this can be painted as a success.
@ZeroSum agree with you on that one (still to watch the remaining non-Sony episodes from the 2nd half, though!) From what I’ve seen so far, it’s mostly safe stories and tropes, Pac-man being the most daring. Even Wh40k, for all its graphical glory, is just another “Space Marines endure!” episode. Pushsquare, hoping you’ll publish an editorial about the series this weekend, so can properly exchange impressions!
@Ravix I still remember how everyone was hyped for Suicide Squad, before seeing any gameplay whatsoever. Even acclaimed developers may slip. For W4, it is probably clear what kind of game it will be, but I am sceptical at this stage how it will not be “W3 but better graphics and bigger world”. For Intergalactic, given ND’s emphasis how different and gameplay-oriented it will be, compared to their recent titles, and since it’s been in development for some time, I hoped for more.
A timely reminder! Personally not fond of “no gameplay” trailers. W4, given that it has been officially confirmed as in development, could wait until they had more than fancy graphics to show. Same for Intergalactic.
Appreciate separate polls, unlike in the earlier article, which left some confused. Think Rebirth will claim GOTY, but personally rooting for Balatro. If that happens, I expect the outrage not seen since when Telltale’s The Walking Dead got the honours in 2012!
@Zemo55 you are right - I should have been more clear. It does sound pretentious this way… I should have said “anything else apart from Rebirth and Balatro”, as this is what I wanted to say. Apologies for point b) then.
@Zemo55 you might benefit from rereading a) the wording of the poll; b) my comment;)
I think Rebirth will win GOTY (and PushSquare’s poll later) based on the sentiment I see on Metacritic and here. I have played it, and don’t think it deserves that because of the many problems it has, and its best parts largely being repeats from Remake.
Voted for Rebirth, as I am sure it will take the nomination, but personally don’t think it deserves to win. Haven’t played anything else apart from Balatro here, so can’t really offer a reasonable alternative option…
Comments 112
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows (PS5) - Striking Open World RPG Is a Real Cut Above
@ShogunRok understood, thanks for a detailed explanation! Yes, I thought too about this as a way of balancing - a big negative for me then(
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows (PS5) - Striking Open World RPG Is a Real Cut Above
@ShogunRok thanks for a timely and well-argued review, and hope you have not been left burnt out!
Are there any difficulty settings?
How is combat with multiple opponents? From what I saw in trailers, only 1-2 were actively attacking, and the rest slowly circling around…
Re: 20 Whole Minutes of Assassin's Creed Shadows PS5 Gameplay Looks Supremely Polished
@ProfessorNiggle agree! This jarred me most in the first aerial kill - an abrupt cut which felt like about 5 seconds worth of animations were missing.
Re: 20 Whole Minutes of Assassin's Creed Shadows PS5 Gameplay Looks Supremely Polished
Outstanding graphics and runs smooth, but again reminded me why this is not for me.
My personal peeves:
Some of it may be due to difficulty settings, but as shown, this is too shallow for me.
Re: Japan Sales Charts: PS5 Sells Over 100k Consoles in a Week as Monster Hunter Wilds Explodes
@VenomUK wanted to write the same! Also, a reference point for all those arguing that an exclusive game sold poorly because the installed based is lower, compared to the previous generation.
Re: Sony Expands Its PS5 Console Rental Service to the UK
@KoopaTheGamer it worked that way when the interest rates were close to zero. Unlikely offers like that will return anytime soon.
Re: Sony Expands Its PS5 Console Rental Service to the UK
I can’t see disc drive here!!)
As with all leases, obviously worse than outright ownership long-term: I saw Pro offers for £660, and 36 months payment amount to more than that.
But can be very attractive for short-term power gaming sessions of a couple of months.
Also, do they require deposit or something?
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Length Between 40 and 80 Hours, New Game+ Under Consideration
@Lowdefal I think 25-30hrs was for 100% completion, no? In that case, it looks fairly accurate, by looking at HowLongToBeat times and platinum trophy guides.
On the subject: glad the trend of never-ending games is reversing a bit. I am also confident that it will get at least 30+hrs of DLC content, so those wanting a longer game have nothing to worry about.
Re: Monster Hunter Wilds Breaks Records within Hours of Releasing
Nice to see an unqualified success! Congratz to Capcom again!
Re: PS5 Maker Faces Lawsuit Over So-Called 'Sony Tax' on Digital Games
Not sure if it is relevant to the case, but would be nice if this case addressed shocking (in many cases) discrepancies between PC and console pricing. For instance, DA: Veilguard is £50 on Steam, but £70 on PS Store.
Re: Age of Mythology: Retold PS5 Pre-Orders Live, Premium Edition Gets Early Access
Evil monopolist MS strikes again!)
Awesome news for all rts lovers on PS!
Re: Ex-GTA Producer Reveals Futuristic Third-Person Action Shooter MindsEye for PS5
@graymamba you’ll in for a treat this summer!
Re: Ex-GTA Producer Reveals Futuristic Third-Person Action Shooter MindsEye for PS5
@graymamba are you not tired of “spiritual successors” developed by “original creators”?
Re: Ex-GTA Producer Reveals Futuristic Third-Person Action Shooter MindsEye for PS5
@AK4tywill that makes two of us.
I’ve been following this developer for quite some time. They’ve got about £100m in funding, and their other project, Everywhere, looks like Fortnite-at-home. So at least there is consistency.
Re: Ex-GTA Producer Reveals Futuristic Third-Person Action Shooter MindsEye for PS5
Eh, looks like 3rd person Cyberpunk77 on a lower budget to me
Re: PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for February 2025 Announced
Meh…
Jedi Survivor is on EA Play since last April. EA Play often offers £1 per month promotion quite often (I grabbed one last November and completed the game then). The game itself has been at -75% recently
Re: Shocking: Square Enix Says Dragon Quest 3 Remake Sales Actually Exceeded Expectations
This is what happens when someone adequately assessed the market and set the budget accordingly.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Enjoying a 'Fantastic' Launch on Steam
@MrMagic you made almost all the points I wanted to write when I saw the headline)
Surprised no one mentioned the steam rating - at 76% currently, which I think more accurately reflect the game’s quality. If you read the reviews, this drop (compared to ps5 and remake) is not exclusively due to technical problems with the port itself.
Also, shout out to the crowd accusing PS of anti-Rebirth bias: here is a piece of good news about it, and PS duly reported on it.
Re: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (PS5) - Immersive Knight Sim Makes for a Peerless RPG
Thanks for the review and congratz to Warhorse! Made me want to play part 1!
Re: Round Up: Civilization 7 Reviews Are Glowing Ahead of PS5 Launch
82 is quite low for the supposed 4X flagship… Waiting for inevitable expansions to fix most issues (as always)
Re: Sony to Mostly Drop PS4 Games from PS Plus Starting January 2026
Over 5 years since PS5 release? About time!
Re: Following Ferocious PC Backlash, PSN Accounts Will Become Optional But Offer In-Game Rewards
Nice, hope this approach is picked by other publishers insisting on linking to their launcher! (looking at you, Ubi)
And some said that PC players are just being difficult and outrages don’t work)
Re: 11 New Games Are Coming to PS Plus Extra, Premium Next Week
GoWR, finally! Played it already, but good to see more recent first-party titles joining the service.
Re: Talking Point: PS5 Saves Video Clips When You Earn Trophies - Do You Leave That Feature On?
I only left it on for Gold and Platinum trophies, to avoid clutter.
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Delayed Again, Now Out 20th March
@DonJorginho being one of them, I do hope you will be proven right😉
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Delayed Again, Now Out 20th March
@DonJorginho shareholders will probably think otherwise) Expect the share price to tank mightily tomorrow, like it did when the first delay was announced.
In the long term, depends on how they use it and how the game turns out.
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Delayed Again, Now Out 20th March
Ubi just can’t have a break from bad news…
Re: This Is Why Call of Duty Is Not Gonna Stop Launching on PS5
This kind of sober analysis was sorely missed in 2022, when half of this site was crying in comments about how MS will pull CoD from PS current and future platforms
Re: Square Enix Insists Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Hasn't Been the PS5 Sales Disaster It's Been Painted As
@Cloud39472 because it’s their job to report news, and it was rather astonishing that such a highly-rated game did not sell well. If it was breaking sale records, PS would be writing multiple articles about that.
Re: Square Enix Insists Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Hasn't Been the PS5 Sales Disaster It's Been Painted As
Been following this discourse for a while, SE shared nothing new)
In the absence of solid data (production+advertising budget, sales/total income generated, exclusivity fees from sony), it is impossible to say how this game performed.
However, the majority of factors point towards underperformance. It is not a Forspoken/Concord level of flop, but if one of the highest-rates games of year, a remake of arguably one of the best games ever fails to sell more than the latest ff instalment (ff16), I can’t see how this can be painted as a success.
Re: Amazon's Secret Level Has Been Renewed for a Second Season
@ZeroSum I did not know that, awesome!
Re: Amazon's Secret Level Has Been Renewed for a Second Season
@ZeroSum agree with you on that one (still to watch the remaining non-Sony episodes from the 2nd half, though!) From what I’ve seen so far, it’s mostly safe stories and tropes, Pac-man being the most daring. Even Wh40k, for all its graphical glory, is just another “Space Marines endure!” episode.
Pushsquare, hoping you’ll publish an editorial about the series this weekend, so can properly exchange impressions!
Re: Star Wars: Eclipse, Wonder Woman Comprised of 'Literally Nothing' When Revealed
@Ravix I still remember how everyone was hyped for Suicide Squad, before seeing any gameplay whatsoever. Even acclaimed developers may slip.
For W4, it is probably clear what kind of game it will be, but I am sceptical at this stage how it will not be “W3 but better graphics and bigger world”.
For Intergalactic, given ND’s emphasis how different and gameplay-oriented it will be, compared to their recent titles, and since it’s been in development for some time, I hoped for more.
Re: Star Wars: Eclipse, Wonder Woman Comprised of 'Literally Nothing' When Revealed
A timely reminder! Personally not fond of “no gameplay” trailers. W4, given that it has been officially confirmed as in development, could wait until they had more than fancy graphics to show. Same for Intergalactic.
Re: Poll: What Will Win Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024?
Appreciate separate polls, unlike in the earlier article, which left some confused. Think Rebirth will claim GOTY, but personally rooting for Balatro. If that happens, I expect the outrage not seen since when Telltale’s The Walking Dead got the honours in 2012!
Re: Former Blizzard Boss Slams Marvel Rivals, Comparing It to Horizon-Like Light of Motiram
From a guy who suggested tipping at the end of single-player games, blissfully unaware of “deluxe edition” upgrade most games have now…
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Is Not Getting DLC, Part 3 the Full Focus
As expected, and I hope can shorten the development time for Part 3 to less than 4 years.
Re: 'No Plans' for Cyberpunk 2077 PS5 Pro Patch, CD Projekt Red Confirms
Absolutely unexpected for me, given that they chosen to update W3 for PS5.
Re: Remedy Offers Control 2 Insight, AAA Action RPG on €50 Million Budget
Action RPG is a very crowded genre, I wonder how they are going to position C2 to stand out.
Re: All The Game Awards 2024 Nominees Revealed, Astro Bot Up for 7 Awards
@Zemo55 you are right - I should have been more clear. It does sound pretentious this way…
I should have said “anything else apart from Rebirth and Balatro”, as this is what I wanted to say.
Apologies for point b) then.
Re: All The Game Awards 2024 Nominees Revealed, Astro Bot Up for 7 Awards
@voltum3l so did Gamespot and Eurogamer (both 80). IGN gave 9. Most of 10s/100s are from smaller or non-specialised publications (like DotEsports).
I am glad that you and others enjoyed it thoroughly. But it’s not your significant other, no need to pretend it is perfect)
Re: All The Game Awards 2024 Nominees Revealed, Astro Bot Up for 7 Awards
@Zemo55 you might benefit from rereading a) the wording of the poll; b) my comment;)
I think Rebirth will win GOTY (and PushSquare’s poll later) based on the sentiment I see on Metacritic and here. I have played it, and don’t think it deserves that because of the many problems it has, and its best parts largely being repeats from Remake.
Re: All The Game Awards 2024 Nominees Revealed, Astro Bot Up for 7 Awards
Voted for Rebirth, as I am sure it will take the nomination, but personally don’t think it deserves to win. Haven’t played anything else apart from Balatro here, so can’t really offer a reasonable alternative option…
Re: All The Game Awards 2024 Nominees Revealed, Astro Bot Up for 7 Awards
@KillerBoy what’s wrong with Balatro?
Re: Review: PS5 Pro - An Impressive Yet Inconsistent Upgrade
@Hyena_socks actually, Argos offered £40 discount for a few days, and John Lewis still does. Wonder what it says about demand)
Re: Review: PS5 Pro - An Impressive Yet Inconsistent Upgrade
@colonelkilgore this is the same reasoning we had about cross-gen (PS4/5) games, and I am not quite happy how it is resolved so far…
Re: Japan Sales Charts: PS5 Pro Gets Stronger Start Than PS4 Pro Despite Being Twice the Price
@DonJorginho screenshotting this comment to haunt you in 2027 or 8)
Re: Hands On: Serious Pop-In the Only Problem with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Massive PS5 Pro Boost
I wonder if spectacularly angular cat’s bowl in Tifa’s
house was updated at all?🤨
Re: Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (PS5) - A Sublime Remaster of a Modern PlayStation Classic
Did they change the trophies’ names? The original had the most boring ones. The platinum is named “All trophies obtained”.
Re: Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Web Swings to PC in January 2025
Another first party game hits PC before PS Plus Extra…