mookysam

I bought both for the Vita for my birthday a few months ago. They're on my to-play list after I finish Trails in the Sky: SC so I doubt I would rebut them for the PS4. Giving more people access to the series can only be a good thing, however.

I enjoyed 1 and 2 on my phone. The localisation is already done so I don't see why these wouldn't be released on the PS4 here.

@Octane they have different prices on smartphones too. I guess the reasoning is 2 and especially 3 are much bigger games, which is a bit daft.

I absolutely loved the first game. It was my favourite game of 2016 so I'll definitely get this if it's localised.

@kyleforrester87 It's a very "traditional" series and has more or less kept the same turn-based gameplay for 30 years. Some games have had job systems. The overarching stories are more straightforward than FF but every town you go to will usually have its own nice self-contained vignette. Some of the games have had surprisingly dark stories though, especially 5. In the English localisations everyone speaks in an array of British accents and some of the dialogue can be pretty hilarious at times.

Anyhoo, It looks gorgeous and I can't wait to play it. If the 3DS one comes out here I'll probably get that too.

Years ago I would buy a game and play it right away - so the summer drought would always be a time when there wasn't anything new to play. I'd just replay games instead, though playing new things is almost always preferable.

As soon as I started having more money and buying multiple consoles and handhelds I began amassing a backlog. Although it is always being added to, in order to get through it I resolved to not buy games full-price at release unless it's something I'm exceptionally looking forward to. I'm now always playing something throughout the year, release drought or not. More game releases are always a good thing and considering I'd wait for price drops on most occasions anyway, it's not like I'm getting swamped.

By contrast if I was a Nintendo-only gamer I think the droughts would drive me mad.

I'm impressed with those numbers - I really thought it would sell considerably less compared to the 3DS version.

@KratosMD Captain Toad is so lovely! I like the slower paced gameplay and it is quite short so agree it would be a good fit for the 3DS. 3D on the stages would really enhance it. The graphics are really nice though.

Same as last weekend. More Final Fantasy XII. It's all-consuming!

Yikes. Most of what I'm interested by on that gargantuan list will just have to wait until sales or such a time that my backlog is sufficiently dented.

Must buys though are Sonic Mania and Undertale on the PS Vita. Kinda tempted by Everybody's Golf, too!

I finished Crash Bandicoot 1 with all the gems and think I'll leave the others until I've finished at least one of my current titles.

I'm getting quite stuck into Final Fantasy XII now (sorry Kingdom Hearts II). It took me a while to decide who should have what jobs before I came to the conclusion that a) it was giving a headache, and b) it didn't effing matter. I think I've got a decent team worked out anyhow.

I like the story and the different pace compared to other Final Fantasy titles but do wish it was a little more developed in places. The party seemed quite accepting of Basch a little too quickly, for example. Gameplay wise it's incredible though. I think its systems are the most intricate and involving in the series.

I didn't find it too bad considering what people had been saying about it. It was certainly easier than Road to Nowhere which had me swearing and growling at the TV. In this the main challenge was the timing so I just counted in my head when platforms appeared. The worst stretch is in the middle with a lot of spiky balls and disappearing stairs.

Pretty incredible graphics! Is this the first time the game has actually had a date attached to it? Hopefully it will launch next year. I love Kingdom Hearts.

I've almost finished Crash Bandicoot 1. I got all the coloured gems so getting the rest should be plain sailing. I won't be going for the platinum though, the speed runs will drive me mad!

I've broken my rule of playing two big RPGs at the same time. I didn't want to wait til I've finished Kingdom Hearts 2 to play Final Fantasy XII so I'm doing bits of both for the time being.

I think it's great! I loved the orginal and played it for over 100 hours, finding it completely engrossing. Definitely in my top 5 Final Fantasy list behind 10, 6 and 7.

I'm not very far into Zodiac Age - Penelo has just joined the party - and so I'm slowly relearning its systems. I can't really judge the difference the job system makes at this stage. I think they've generally done a very good job with the remastering, updating where it needed it the most, although some textures are showing their age a little. I'm glad there's not a jaggy in sight! It was a very handsome game to begin with. I can't work out if I like the remastered music more than the original.

I was mighty looking forward to this but it's only a few months longer wait. More time to clear the backlog!

This game just gets odder and odder. I completed it in January and doubt I'll go back to it for a long time. But when I do I'll kit them out in power ranger suits. Go go Power Rangers!

Thanks for the guide! I always find it a bit overwhelming choosing because I don't want to end up with a naff team so this will help me decide.

In the original I only really used three characters because they could learn pretty much everything. Then in one late game dungeon I was a bit effed with a number of severely underlevelled charaters! Having a full team with their own strengths and having a rotation will keep things more interesting in Zodiac Age I think.

@ShogunRok Great review! Quick question - can you change the jobs when you like or are you stuck with them?

Awesome game. I can't wait to play it and enjoy the new additions. Setting up proper gambits is so rewarding especially for some of the more challenging hunts!

While I wait for Final Fantasy XII I'm moaning about the humidity and continuing with Crash Bandicoot and Kingdom Hearts 2. Getting the coloured gems in Crash is annoyingly addictive even though I keep falling! I was hoping to finish Kingdom Hearts before FFXII is here but unless I stay up all night and forgo such necessities as cooking and eating I doubt I will manage it.

@SuperSilverback @ShogunRok I never really considered Vaan the protagonist at all. Beyond a certain point I didn't have him in my party (I liked walking round as Balthier 'cause he's awesome) and he didn't play a leading role in the story either. It definitely felt focused on Ashe, Basch and Balthier.

Top 5 Final Fantasy for me. Interesting story, fantastic world, intricate battle system, oodles of content and it was absolutely gorgeous to boot. On the battle system, I never really understood the "it plays itself" thing. Gambits can be turned off. I preferred to have them on but micromanage accordingly.

They really should make a new Ape Escape! It'd be awesome!

Crash Bandicoot. It's just how I remember it, only looks much, much prettier. The loading times are a bit of a drag, eh.

I started Kingdom Hearts II the other day so will continue with that. The beginning is a bit slow, but I like Roxas.

Something like this would be amazing. I still play PS1 games like Tekken 3 with my friend when we get drunk because it's so good for multiplayer.

Awesome list covering most bases. I'd personally add in Legend of Dragoon, Breath of Fire 3 or 4 and Tales of Eternia for more of an RPG spread. Maybe a few Bullfrog classics too?

Very tempted to get Crash from Amazon. I wasn't going to but seeing all the gameplay videos at e3 had me really nostalgic!

I don't think they've stopped caring necessarily, but perhaps there was a greater focus in previous years because they filled a very obvious gap in Sony's release schedule. Now Sony has more of their own games coming out and ready to show. In terms of shifting funding and resources, it is a shame, but given the expense of making modern AAA games perhaps it enables them to continue making the very narrative driven single player games they're known for. The number of indie games releasing these days is enormous, but they are always showcasing some on their blog or youtube channel - it's actually how I find out about a lot of them and get interested in buying them.

In any case, E3 isn't the be all and end all - many sites have noted its waning importance. Sony always show loads of indie games at PSX and I think it's actually a better environment. They also have their long running digital deals promotion on PSN (in Europe at least) and indie games are offered as part of PS Plus which gives enormous exposure. They're also well highlighted on the store itself. I actually wonder if giving it away with PS+ partly contributed to Rocket League's success.

@Fight_Teza_Fight I remember standing around in the castle to listen to the awesome theme over and over. Definitely a better game than 1 and 3 and I think really underrated. Square-Enix did really well with the PSP anniversary remakes, 4 in particular is superb.

@sinalefa You're welcome! I'm glad it clicked for you, it's so satisfying once you get going! Riku's battle style is easier than Sora's I whizzed through his campaign. It did feel like a bit of an afterthought but the story bits provide context for his KH2 appearances.

It's times like this I wish I still had a record player. It was a hardy ancient thing and would probably still work to this day if my brother hadn't got his mitts on it!

@Fight_Teza_Fight I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Final Fantasy 2. Really good remake!

I've got back into Breath of the Wild after putting it to one side to play Persona 5. I'm enjoying it more than I was before, maybe because the launch hype period is over and I've got a fresh perspective. Before I got a bit burnt out and it felt like busy work but this time it doesn't. I'm just enjoying exploring and finishing shrines. I've been actively avoiding enemies this time because I don't want to waste my good weapons! I'm currently in the Death Mountain area.

Also playing Dragon Quest Heroes 2. I'm nearing the end and have enjoyed it quite a lot, although it seems more difficult than the original.

After that I think I'll start Kingdom Hearts 2 on the PS3. I was going to buy the PS4 mega collection but that seems a bit silly.

On the handheld front I've stagnated a bit. I normally play handheld games in the evening but have been watching Better Call Saul and reading instead.

I finished Persona 5 in the week. There's now a Persona shaped hole in my life!

Earlier I started Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep 0.2. I doubt I'll do Dream Drop Distance yet but I fancied giving the new bit a whirl.

Handheld I'm continuing with Trails in the Sky Second Chapter. It's awesome but I wish the combat was a little bit faster.

'twas a solid showing but I agree it lacked the wow factor of previous years because it was short on surprises and largely stuck to pre-announced software. I get the feeling that beyond 2018 the PS4 may actually be starting to wind down. Excellent first-party as usual, but perhaps they could have shown more of their Japanese third-party exclusives?

I half expect them to start saying the Xbox One X is "strong and stable"!

Microsoft are wrong in believing that power is everything. It's games, games, games and they haven't grasped that. Regardless, the base PS4 and Pro are considerably more powerful than the Xbox One S so I don't really get his angle. If The Xbox One X is like a "next-gen" machine, they need the games to prove it and they need to stop being tethered by the original Xbox One.

I don't think Microsoft showed anything that would give PS4/Pro or even existing Xbox One owners a particularly compelling reason to buy an Xbox One X (silly name by the way!). A console is always driven by its exclusives and there weren't really many. Most of what they did show will be multiplatform and nothing particularly screamed "this is using 6 teraflops roarrr ultimate power!!!!"

I was expecting some huge new games built for the Scorpio that would draw people in - perhaps Halo 6 - and there just weren't any. I don't think Sony have anything to be particularly worried about. They have some killer content lined up and a price advantage.

I did like the look of the cute fox platformer and Cuphead, yet again!

To be honest it's too hot to be bothered to do much of anything other than lounge around in underpants and moan about the humidity. I got some new games for my birthday the other day so started Dragon Quest Heroes 2 on the PS4 and Odin Sphere Leifthrasir on the Vita.

Odin Sphere looks gorgeous and plays so smoothly. I've been doing it in short bursts for now but will get into it more heavily later. I really like the combat!

@sinalefa Are you using the combos/sleights with triangle? The total will usually exceed the enemy's card and hit them.

@kyleforrester87 I really enjoyed Chain of Memories. The battle system is very satisfying once you get into it.

I started the Knife of Dunwall DLC for Dishonored earlier. I think it's rather good. Handy that time stops when you use blink!

Also continuing with Persona 5. I'm well into December so not much left. It's been awesome but I wish the villains weren't​ so obvious.

@get2sammyb I thought that too. Sony have produced a lot of quirky "Nintendo-ish" titles over the years, many of them on the PSP, but none really got the attention they deserved.

Loco Roco is a delightful game so it's great that it's been given another chance to shine.

It feels like I'm starting to near the end of Persona 5 (I'm in November), but I really don't want it to end. That, to me, is the mark of a truly exceptional game.

I've almost finished Dishonored, so after that I'll do the DLC. I've largely been getting through the missions as quickly as possible. It's not that I dislike the game - it is one of my favourite last-gen titles - rather I want to get to Dishonered 2.

Having (finally) finished Dragon Quest Builders, this morning I started Trails in the Sky Second Chapter. The first game was absolutely amazing so I have high hopes for this one. I love how every NPC has something meaningful to say, which makes it feel like you're really inhabiting the world. The music is incredible, which is to be expected from a Falcom game.

Has it been unfairly criticised? I haven't played it so can't say from my own experience but if, as @get2sammyb says, it is boring and tedious I'm in no rush to find out! I know the "internet" can go overboard with the hyberbole when it comes to certain games - and a lot of the time the hate is unfair - but with Andromeda it is a AAA game in a hugely beloved series. The original trilogy is awesome. I don't think EA or Bioware deserve the benefit of any doubt if they have put out a title with as many problems as this is said to have...

Is this as bad as when Devil May Cry 4 went multiplat? In years to come will this wretched saga come to be known as Bandicootgate (because everything needs to have a -gate suffix)?

Are EA on some strange quest to prove that a turd can in fact be polished?

I'm only halfway​ through Persona 5 but I would say it's my game of the gen so far. It's a wonderful RPG and while more and more Japanese developers are moving away from turn based games in favour of action battle systems and open worlds ('cause it's what Westerners want, right :-/), Persona 5 proves there is still a place for traditional J-RPGs. It's so stylish, the characters are likeable and the story and themes are interesting and mature.

I might have to get Puyo Puyo Tetris too.

Single player focused games continue to have a market and I am glad that Sony, Bethesda and many Japanese publishers have not stopped making them. I would probably stop gaming if everything was like the Division or Destiny. It's not that I dislike multiplayer - back in the day I loved Halo 3, Gears 2 and Left 4 Dead - but it would be pretty boring if everything was the same. Variety is the spice of life, innit?

Ubisoft's (to single out a company) current model simply shows a lack of creativity in game design and a desire to make as much money as possible. When a game is primarily designed around "being a service" and ways to incorporate microtransactions, and always-online, something's amiss. There's nothing wrong with making money, but this is a creative industry.

Today I'm making pizza and will continue my slow playthrough of Pokemon Moon.

Tomorrow I'll continue with Persona 5. I'm in the middle of the fourth dungeon. I really like the theme of this one - it's more complex than the previous ones. I also started replaying the first Dishonored ready to play Dishonored 2.

I loved Loco Roco on the PSP so might get that. Awesome music! I don't know why the PSP had a reputation for "no games" among certain circles as it was choc-a-bloc full of quirky titles like this and had great first party support.

I'm looking forward to Prey but really need to play Dishonored 2 first.

I've been playing Persona 5 and have almost finished the second dungeon. I really appreciate the attention they've paid to creating the dungeons compared to Persona 3 and 4's, which were basically just a series of corridors. I'm making good time so should have lots of free-time for social links and upping my MC's personality stats. The game is awesome but I really don't want to get burnt on it like I have other games recently, so I'm playing other things alongside it to mix it up a bit.

I finished BioShock Infinite earlier in the week so started Burial at Sea today. It runs a little poorly, which is surprising, as the main game was generally fine. I think Bioshock 1 and 2 had a bit more attention payed to them in the remaster and this is basically the PC version?

On the 3DS I'm slowly progressing through Pokémon Moon. At this rate it'll take me ages to finish. Next I'll play Steins Gate and Trails in the Sky SC, which I'm ashamed to say has been languishing on my PS3 HDD for over a year.

Not too surprising. Zelda was the only thing worth playing in the otherwise lousy launch lineup. It'll be interesting to see how the other games performed.
Zelda will probably be no. 1 when the top 10 is released but I wouldn't completely write off Horizon Zero Dawn - it has outsold Zelda elsewhere.

I'd watch a "Sony Direct", sure. As a fan I always enjoyed the Nintendo ones, until recently, but I don't think they're nearly as effective marketing tools compared to traditional forms as many people assume. They are definitely not a replacement for the big pressers in terms of hype or people reached, but they could supplement them throughout the year. Obviously Sony's audience is significantly larger than Nintendo's but I'm not sure there's anything there that can't be covered through Twitter and YouTube or the PlayStation blog. One benefit is that they have have so many games to cover, that it would give "smaller" or less-hyped titles some exposure - be they indie titles or their Japanese third-party exclusives. With Nintendo, you kinda get the impression they're showing everything they have. Maybe Sony could start a semi-regular Youtube show?

The PS2 remains the greatest console ever. There's just so many games to choose from but with licenses expiring and publishers and developers becoming defunct it probably wouldn't happen for a lot of the more obscure titles. :-/

I'd love to play Dragon Quest VIII again. It could maybe happen being the series 30th anniversary and all. Other than that, I reckon the Shadow Hearts games deserve another look, especially Covenant. Shin Megami Tensei III and the Digital Devil Saga games would also be great.

I've often thought that the statutory consumer rights we enjoy in the UK for physical products should be uniformly applied to digital products. If someone fully completes a game should a refund be given at all? It would indicate that they accepted whatever the fault was. There should also be a cooling off period provided the game hasn't yet been played, which would then enable people to get refunds if they change their mind soon after purchase.

I don't think refunds should be given if someone "just didn't like something" as this can be abused. Perhaps in addition to offering refunds if something is faulty, not as described or not fit for purpose Sony could offer discretionary refunds - maybe several a year?

Aren't dodgy animations in right now?