jgrangervikings1

Vanguard? I don’t wanna stand around and protect a stupid old van. Well, maybe if it’s the A-Team van…

Add in trophies on all games, and it’ll give me enough of a reason to check ‘em out.

Now, if they added in the Sega Dreamcast’s library, I’d totally be bought in.

And, where are the Vita games?

I’m ready for the reboot: Hard Hat Mack!

Or, even better: Pinball Construction Set!

Multi-tasking games aren’t usually my thing, and I was never able to “get into it” when I played the PS4 version a few years ago. That said, you’ve convinced me to give that one another go. 👍

Metro Exodus is FANTASTIC. I’m so glad I bought it. The world is so fleshed out. Graphics are great. Story is great. Colonel Miller is kind of annoying after awhile to listen to, and I got the bad ending, but I still had way more fun with this game than I thought I would.

Sweet! I’ll definitely check it out!! Thanks for the heads-up!!

Does Supermassive Games’ future as a developer hinge on the success of The Quarry? I enjoyed the Dark Pictures Anthology games—especially the first two games, though I never could get into the third one…it just didn’t interest me like I hoped it would. Anyway, I don’t think those three games performed up to expectations in terms of the sales figures they were hoping to achieve. I hope the company sticks around. They’ve got real talent.

Ooh, now we need Mister Mosquito and all will be right in the world. 😋

—Which games are couch co-op?
***How many can play together?
—Which games are online co-op only?
***How many online users?
***Is it cross-platform online co-op? (a la Deep Rock Galaxy’s PS4 & PS5 users can play together)
***Is it PvP or PvE or do the players work together?
—Does the game shine most brightly as a 1 player game (like Returnal sounds like it is from the write-up) or is the main focus of the game the co-op aspect (a la It Takes Two and/or Overcooked)?

Demon Souls and Elden Ring write-ups don’t even mention they’re multiplayer in the write-up. If they are truly THE BEST multiplayer games for the PS5, what’s so great about the multiplayer mode(s)?

I don’t mean to be negative, I just need more info, especially so I know what games I can play on the couch with my daughter. Thanks!!

I’ve been having fun with it, and it’s great that I can play it together with my friend when I’m on my PS5 and he’s on his PS4.

@GKT I haven’t played Hades yet. Thanks for the recommendation.

Maybe I’m just getting too old for video games. I own 8 of the 30 games on the list, and I honestly haven’t gotten into any of them. I just have this “been there, done that, don’t care what happens next” feeling when I try to play them. It’s a sad, depressing feeling.

So, what 1 player games have I been playing most on my PS5? Jurassic Park Evolution (a PS4 game I play through my PS4’s external hard drive—GREAT game for folks who want a slightly simpler builder/manager game than most) and Planet Coaster (PS5 version—good game, but annoyed by the wonky controls and unintuitive interface)…along with YouTube, Tubi, and Netflix. Beyond that, it’s been Deep Rock Galactic (playing with a friend) and Borderlands 3 (playing alone).

I don’t know…nothing on PS5 is grabbing me right now. ☹️ Maybe I’ll try jumping back into into Subnautica or Maneater again. Hmm.

Ok, but I’d rather have a new Tokyo Jungle game.

Who’s next? Either Sega or SquareEnix. Or Konami.

Why? They’re all Japan-based companies, and they’d rather be owned by a company with a world-encompassing business mindset like Sony…and not by a US-based ethnocentric monstrosity like Microsoft.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are just too many video games and genres to please everyone…or to please even a decent-sized majority of the gamers.

If Sony gave away a new Madden or FIFA game on day 1, it likely would only interest MAYBE 50ish percent of the PS+ users. Young gamers wouldn’t want ‘em; non-sports fans wouldn’t want ‘em.

I argue it’s the same thing with any game given away.

Another example: Even if the PS+ game was the newest COD game, young gamers and their parents wouldn’t like it, gamers who don’t like FPS games would be annoyed, gamers without much hard drive space remaining would be annoyed, people with slower internet speeds would be bothered by the large download size, and there’d be backlash from gamers who’d already bought the COD game at full price.

A test for you! Fill in the blank:
From Sony management’s perspective, they feel they’ve of met their PS+ subscribers’ needs when ____% of the user base is pleased with the month’s free games.

I’d say somewhere around 60% approval rating is a good month.

My fave wasn’t an option. Back in the day, I loved the Sega Genesis 6 button controller.

It’ll be a reboot with an alternate origins story. He started his illustrious career in Human Resources for an internet security company. Nick Knack: Hack & Sack.

Horizon FW came out, what, one week earlier than Elden Ring? It’s too bad for Sony that HFW wasn’t released a few weeks earlier. I’m sure they would’ve gotten a lot more sales with a lot less competition in those couple of weeks.

Let me guess…this dude is a plant who works for Media Molecule, right? Either way, it’s damn impressive…much more impressive than my high school drawing of a fruit bowl. My teacher gave me a B+ for that. I give this dude an A for this.

Sifu was really lucky. Gamers were looking for something new to play, and Sifu was released a few weeks before a whole slew of big name games came out (Horizon FW, Elden Ring, Grid Legends, Gran Turismo, Destiny 2 Witch Queen, King of Fighters XV, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires). Sifu got a big jump on the competition. Kinda reminds me of the action/disaster movie craze of the mid-to-late ‘90s:
—Dante’s Peak came out before Volcano, and DP made all the sales;
—Deep Impact came out before Armageddon and made a heck of a lot more $ than it would’ve if Armageddon had come first;
—Twister blew away Daylight because it came out first

I finally found a game I could sink my teeth into, and it wasn’t Elden Ring or Horizon Forbidden West. Surprisingly, it’s Jurassic Park Evolution. Bought it a while ago, and finally decided to devote a few hours to it. Now I can’t get enough! I just love that feeling when I finally “get into” a new game. And, I hate that feeling of floundering when inbetween games and can’t seem to get into anything.

Anyway, I have too many games in the backlog right now. I’ll wait till Elden Ring and HFW drop in price, and then they’ll probably end up in the backlog, too. 😂

Do we rate the games according to marketing expectations? Or, against other, similar games on the market? Or, are we grading it based on a blank slate with no expectations or outside factors? Many people hated TLoU 2 because of the story’s twists and story decisions, the protagonist’s sexual orientation, or character likability issues…but it’s arguably the best looking and sounding, most engaging, well-acted game released in the PS4 era. The bang for the buck meter is through the roof on TLOU 2.

The folks giving Horizon FW low scores for not meeting their expectations is akin to giving Citizen Kane a 1 out of 10 rating because it’s just a slow-moving, black and white character-study of a power hungry rich dude who had a good time in the snow as a youth, but the reviewer wanted it to be more of a mystery-thriller with a likable lead. Oy. What can ya say?! Can’t please everyone.

If we add up all the Street Fighter game versions out there, what Street Fighter number would this game be? Would it be in the 30s or 40s?

Edit: Ooh, Wiki says this is #38, but that doesn’t include the Super Puzzle Fighter games, and I might add those to the mix, too. Anyway, 30s or 40s was a good guess. 😎

Bah, get back to me when they include Cannon Spike and Powerstone 1 & 2. Gotta love those forgotten Dreamcast gems from Capcom!!!

And, yes, that is a lot of Darkstalkers. 🤭

As long as Sony is at it, they should’ve filmed multiple takes with varying story paths. Turn it into the most interactively expensive FMV game ever! Erica, Dr. Decker, Poe and Munro…eat your hearts out!

As a complete 180, I had fun with the FMV game Bloodshore. Hope they make a sequel to that. Until then, I’ll go watch Uncharted in theaters and play through the Uncharted games again. Still need to finish up Uncharted 4. Jeez, I’m slacking. Eek!

@PegasusActual93 I got through Metro 2 on PS3 and partway through Metro Redux on PS4 and then couldn’t figure out where to go—and I was getting a bit nauseated from the FPS camera movement (which is why I don’t play many FPS games). I’m wary to pickup Metro Exodus for these same reasons. Does it have a map of some sort? And, is the camera movement going to be a problem?

I know I’m not alone…

I’d be spending money hand-over-fist on PS5 games if I could get my hands on a damn PS5 system. By the time I’ll actually find a PS5 to buy, all those full price games are going to be down to $10-20. Just think of all the lost revenue for the video game makers out there. Their revenues could be spiking, but Sony’s not been able to keep up with demand.

I got an email yesterday that GameStop has the XBox system in stock at my local store…it’s damn tempting.

Is this the best game made with Unity? Can someone name another, better Unity game?

The daytime tv soap opera Days of Our Lives is owned by Sony. I want a full motion video game series based on the soap—a “choose your own adventure”-style, time-traveling trek through tv-land where you’d find yourself bouncing in and out of crazy situations and choices: You knocked up your best friend’s wife and his daughter and now you learn your wife is pregnant, too? And now the pregnant wife with the unborn baby is in a coma and she had no clue the other women were pregnant? And then it turns out that none of the kids are yours? Who made the babies?! Oh my!

The point is…Sony has got weekday episodes of the show going back to 1965–damn near 60 years of footage!!! Surely they could cobble together one heck of a Quantum Leap-like FMV that could make for a steamy, searing, slimy, seedy, star-studded sensation for Sony. And, it’s something that neither Microsoft nor Nintendo can do.

Or, if that idea is way too ambitious, simply revitalize and re-create a new YooStar-like video game where you can use the camera and mic to put yourself directly into the Days of Our Lives episodes. Sony would just need to beef up the Sharefactory app or make a robust in-game video editing tool, and they’d have a YouTube/Twitch game-streaming sensation for the ages. Who wouldn’t love to watch some random dude insert himself into a tv love triangle?! It’d be awesome, and all the users’ videos would be different. Heck, Sony could run some contests for the best videos. And, people all across the globe (especially non-gamers) would tune in to watch the clips because it’s based on a famous daytime tv show. And, if it’s got a livestream feature, viewers could vote on which way they want the episode to go, and it’d change the script lines that the gamer/actor has to deliver.

$$$$$$$ !!!Easy money!!! $$$$$$$

Or, just bring back Warhawk. Make it player country vs. player country with global domination goals. I’m betting us Americans can beat up pretty good on the Canadian Warhawkers. And the Icelanders…they have no chance!

@KilloWertz I just bought the first one during a recent PSN sale, and I was really impressed. I was skeptical as to whether the game would hold up after 7 years (original release date of Jan 26, 2015), but it totally does. Pick it up cheap and have some fun with it.

Can you still get to beat up zombies with a frying pan? If so, I’m in.

Sony purchases arguably the only ONE Microsoft developer responsible for keeping XBox in business (and profitable…and relevant) for 20+ years in an ever-changing, ever-evolving, cut-throat industry, and Pachter thinks this is a bad buy? Hmm…I don’t think so.

Did Sony overpay? Well, it’s true they don’t get the license to Halo or the ip, but they get the juggernaut company that’s SOLELY responsible for Halo franchise, and that fact can’t be understated. A company is only as good as its employees, and there are 800+ of video games’ finest in the world now working to make Sony even better and more successful. That’s a big win. And, considering Bungie’s still going multi-platform with future games, it’s a win for the entire video game industry.

Here’s a question: At the local pawn store they have Cyberpunk 2077 for sale on PS4. The reviews for the PS4 version have been lousy and I don’t have PS4 pro but is it worth the $8 they’re wanting for it?

Elden Ring…what a weird name for a game.

—What do you want to play?
That old ring game.
—You mean Lord of the Rings?
No.

Wait, “elden” means “fire” in Norwegian? Ahhh. Ok.

—What do you want to play?
That fiery ring game.
—You mean Lord of the Rings?
No.

**mind blown**

Sounds good to me. I don’t have any of ‘em.

The UFC game is an AAA release, and that’s what people are always complaining that PS+ hasn’t been delivering, so Sony has checked the box with that one. (Slow clap for Sony!) If UFC is not the AAA release the players were hoping for, that’s a bummer. Broaden those horizons and give it a try, anyway! I never thought DC Supervillains would be a game I’d ever play, and I’ve got the game on pause right now as I’m writing this. Whine if you’re compelled, but don’t be surprised to find I’m playing the world’s smallest violin with my thumb and index finger as you’re doing it.

As an aside, I have my own whiny rants to complain about (and you’re welcome to play your own violin as I digress): After waiting a bunch of months for my PS5 purchase opportunity through PlayStation Direct, I finally got the invite for the following day at 1 pm. I was so excited I lost several hours of sleep that night just thinking about that brand new PS5! At exactly 1 PM the next day, I followed the email instructions, clicked the link, and was placed in queue. I then waited…and waited…and I was in queue for a full hour before I finally got brought into the online store. My reward? The store page message said both PS5 versions had sold out for the day. Yeah, I know—sad day for me. Still, I’m okay. First-world problems, right? In the grand scheme of things? I’ll survive. And, so, in closing, bring on the UFC and Roller Coaster games. I may be pleasantly surprised.

I can speak on a few of the sale games that I already own:

Slide Stars - I bought it for couch co-op, and it’s fine for that. It’s okay fun for about a half hour. Riding on a big banana or flamingo is fun. After that, if you enjoy unlocking and upgrading, you may stay interested. If not, you won’t. Had some trouble getting past level 4…frustrated my friend and he was done playing it.

Stubbs the Zombie - Good for couch co-op. Stupid fun. The levels drone on a bit too long, but they keep adding some variations to player moves, abilities, etc. so it keeps it somewhat fresh. It’s a low-grade upgrade to the original Stubbs game on the Gamecube (if I remember correctly, that’s where I’d played it previously), but for nostalgia-sake, you might like playing it again.

Zombie Driver HD - For just a couple of bucks, it’s worth it. Drive through zombies, run ‘em over, shoot ‘em and blow ‘em up with yer car from a too-down perspective. Don’t expect much and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Dying Light: The Following Enhanced Edition - For a game that came out back in 2015ish, I was really impressed by how well the graphics and gameplay hold up. Great game!!! Grab it for $11.99. Then get ready for the upcoming sequel. First-person parkour and zombie crushing with some crafting elements.

The Complex - Full motion video (FMV) game. Got mixed/bad reviews, but I really enjoyed the playthrough. For $7ish, it’s cheaper than going to the movies, and I thought the acting was pretty decent, too. Worth a look.

I’d rather own Bethesda than Zynga. Maybe that’s just because I’d love to green light an overhauled remake of Brink. That game had major potential but squandered it big time.

Love these games. After dang near 5 years on the market, Sniper Elite 4 still has a good, strong multiplayer base, especially on the survival co-op mode. SE4 is one of only a handful of games where I actually invested in—and fully played through—ALL the DLC. Even the overwatch mode is awesome fun. Only thing it lacks is couch co-op. I was a bit bummed to hear the Sniper Elite VR was only ok, but I have faith in Rebellion that SE5 will be awesome.

As an aside, if you enjoyed Sniper Elite 4 and/or Zombie Army Trilogy/4 and like games with a lot of personality, check out Rebellion’s Strange Brigade. It’s a HUGELY underrated PS4 gem that feels like a cross between Sniper Elite (without the death cam) and Uncharted (without Nathan Drake). It’s been on sale on PSN a few times for $4 or 5 and, at that price, it’s a steal. It’s fine as a one player game, but if you can talk a friend into buying it so that you both can play through the campaign in online co-op mode, you’ll have an even better time.

As a second aside, Rebellion’s Sniper Elite V2 on PS4 looks and plays a bit better than the PS3 version. If you can get it on sale, grab it. The online community for that one (and for Strange Brigade) is pretty minimal at this point, though, so it’s campaign or bust.

If it’s gone gold, all the bugs better be worked out. No day one patch!

Do you think Curt Schilling will play it?

I downloaded it because it was listed as free on the PS store. (I was hoping it was an unmentioned bonus addition to PS+—silly me!) Not a huge AC fan, but I’ll give it a go. If it blows off my socks, I’ll pony up the $20. I’ve been looking for a good 3rd person game to get into, and nothing lately has been successfully itching that scratch since completing TLOU 1 & 2 a few weeks ago. Any suggestions for me? Fire away!

Judgment was on PS Now a while back in the US, and I played it for a few hours. It’s pretty good I guess. Felt like a Yakuza game with more “follow this guy secretly” missions. If you want to creep around slowly and hide in the shadows, have at it, Hoss. Pony up the bucks and buy it.

I’m sure lots of people absolutely loved it, and good for them, but with so many good games out there yet to be played, I didn’t lose any sleep when its time on PS Now expired.

“Everything in its Right Place” is an awesome song. If you’ve not heard it, pull it up on YouTube or Spotify or wherever, put on some good quality headphones, and crank it up. Let it immerse you.

I’m somewhere between the first and second choices. If a game doesn’t have any more trophies, I sometimes do put it down. On the other hand, there are very attainable trophies in some games I own that I just haven’t bothered with because, well, it’s not worth the time or effort. I have bought a couple of 99 cent or $1.99 games just for the trophies, but in retrospect it’s dumb that I wasted the money. Still, I feel compelled to play some games because of the allure of the trophies. I know, it’s dumb and doesn’t make much sense, but that’s life. What’s the point? There is no point, and that’s the point.

It’ll be Anthem or Immortals Fenyx Rising. That’s what my magic 8 ball said, anyway. But, my Ouija board says it’ll be Blair Witch, so who knows?

Is this a legitimate website and PS5 deal???

https://www.peisoulnese.com/PlayStation-5-Console-and-PlayStation-5-DualSense-Wireless-Controller-Midnight-Black-p2929598.html

I enjoy Devolver games. They take risks, and they publish games that other, bigger labels don’t have the guts to invest in. I still play Downwell and Luftrauser every now and again on my Vita, and Enter the Gungeon, Broforce, Shadow Warrior, Titan Souls, Hotline, Hatoful Boyfriend, and the Olli Olli games on the PS4. Underrated game on PS4 is Ruiner—check out that one.

Good for me, even though I already own Kingdoms of Amalur. Awesome.

That seems like a mighty fine group of games. Kingdom of Amalur ReReckoning is one I already own, but I still haven’t played it yet. It’s in my backlog, along with a zillion other really good games that require more than a simple “pick up and play for 15 minutes” mindset. I remember loving the opening from the PS3 version. Anyway, it’s a great choice.

The other games? Heck yeah! I’m always up for multiplayer games to play with my best friend. It’s always a challenge to get him to invest in games, mostly because I feel guilty trying to talk him into it…he’s married, has a nice house with big mortgage, two young kids and not much free time for games that have a lot of violence (that he’d have to play when his kids aren’t nearby). Anyway, the Dodgeball game sounds fantastic!!

I’m psyched, and that doesn’t happen too often with Ps+ games.

We need Blood Dragon remastered. That was good fun.