@trev666 Let me know how that PS3 game streaming goes when Sony turns off their PS3 streaming services.
That was obviously tongue in cheek; but a streaming solution, no matter how great, will always depend on others to maintain it and pay its maintenance costs; and once those costs out weigh the return, they will be gone. That's a long winded way of saying a streaming only solution is a non-starter.
@Fyz306903 There has been zero factual information to black up the idea that the PS5 is incapable of reading CDs. Sony likely sourced off the shelf parts for their Ultra HD BluRay drives (as they, and other console manufactures have for their drives throughout history) and it would make less sense for them to intentionally remove the functionality; than to leave it. (Just because the system software refuses to read a CD, doesn't mean that the hardware is incapable)
@TheRedComet I seen a lot of people post on here that the PS5 cannot read CD's; but I have yet to see a single person offer any proof that this is actually true. There is a difference between "it doesn't" (the software/drivers reject it) and "it is incapable of" (the hardware cannot physically do it) and I have a feeling that people are confusing the former with the latter.
The name of your game is the first opportunity to show potential customers your creativity. If you fail at that; I don't have much hope for the rest of your game.
As much as I love Metriodvania style games, I will pass on this one.
@Jaz007
I don't think it's viable for many titles that use their own calibration. I could think of hacks or tricks that you could potentially use on a per-title basis; but nothing that could work at a general level.
The best we can hope for is that it might be that we get limited compatibility (only games that don't have their own calibration tool) and allow for the other developers to update their games with PSVR2 patches.
I would love to be wrong though; so, Sony, please do your magic.
@munstre Not really something in their control. There are various prototype technologies to attempt to trick your body; but those are nowhere near ready.
@redapt Its a Day 1 buy for me if its backwards compatible, its a no-buy if its not. That being said, I don't see how they could make it backwards compatible if uses inside-out tracking; because a lot of games have built in calibration wizards that are pretty specific outside-in with a sensor/camera in front of you. I hope they manage it though.
@TheRedComet Oh, I am sure its fixable (and for all I know it might be fixed already) its just one more reason why having a choice is better than not having one. (Sony could make that choice more obvious though)
@TheRedComet Its all over the place, watch the Digital Foundry video for more info; but here is a quick reference (at the time of the video) the frame rates look something like:
@TheRedComet There are quite a few. FFXIV is the biggest one that comes to mind that I play (Watch Digital Foundry's analysis, even they recommend playing the PS4 version on PS5)
I could do with worse performance. I am not a hardcore performance gamer, but with separate trophy lists? That's unacceptable.
@TheRedComet @Max_the_German It sounds simple; but its a lot more complex of an issue than that, and I very much appreciate given the choice of version; rather than going with the "best".
Three MAJOR reasons why. The first is Trophies. Trophies for the PS4 version of a game are (usually/almost always) separate from the PS5 version of the same game; meaning if I was in the middle of playing a game on the PS4 and moved over to the PS5, I would no longer be working on the same trophy list if it just used the PS5 version.
The second is: As with Trophies; but sometimes, the save-game isn't even compatible between versions, so good-luck picking up where you left off.
The third is: the newest version of a game (PS5 version) can often underperform the previous version of the same game (PS4 Pro version) running on the PS5.
The point is: there is no clear "best" version for all situations.
To be clear: Microsoft does this as well. Some games have shared Achievement lists and save games, and some games split them (its a crap shoot)
@MakersMark iam8bit (a limited run company) is making a physical copy (pre-orders went live a month or so ago); but these are still a couple months out from shipping.
For me, personally, I follow companies like iam8bit and LRG for this reason and have pre-ordered it; but your average gamer does not and will likely miss out on these limited runs (in fact its already sold out, unless you want the $250 deluxe edition) and will likely never be printed again.
Edit:
Interestingly, iam8bit no longer lists the PS4 version (deluxe or standard) on their site and you can indeed find it at classic retailers, available now. I already have a pre-order in for iam8bit; so I will just wait until mine ships; but its great to see that its available via classic retailers as well. Maybe we will see an up-tick in players with this change.
@HMazzy111 My guess is the lack of a physical release is a major contributing factor. I know personally this was on my list to keep an eye on since it was announced; but without a physical copy it was a no-buy. Thankfully iam8bit made a limited physical run.
@kingbreww I would agree, in theory; however the problem with that perspective is that "trying something else" involves mostly failed attempts at riding whatever gaming fad is currently in-vogue.
I would much rather a game that inspired many beloved games; that didn't reach the heights it could because of the era it was made in, or politics of the time, get another chance.
@NEStalgia Actually their naming is intentional. Combined they spell S3XY (Sexy). Model 3 was supposed to be Model E but Ford sued, so they changed it to a 3)
@NEStalgia
Things changed with the introduction of the Model 3 and later the Model Y. These are more consumer level Tesla's. It's still $80k+ for Model S and Model X variants (before the bells and whistles) but for the more "budget conscious" there are options.
As for whether or not they are worth it; it depends on your priorities. If you spend a large portion of your time driving, it makes sense to invest in making that as enjoyable and painless as possible. That might be a Tesla for some, or another luxury for someone else.
@NEStalgia Believe it or not, the average price of a new car is $45,000; and for that price you can get a nice new Tesla. You don't need to be rich.
That being said, on topic; playing games on a screen in a car is mostly novelty and I would much rather they focus their efforts on actual useful utilities (for example: the Spotify integration is terrible).
@Saltborne If you are talking about Tales of Arise, in my play-through I never switched primary characters. Combat is fun; but most of the other characters are awkward to control (slow ability times; sluggish movement, etc...). When you play through the solo challenges in the arena you will get a feel for each character. Unless you are trying to min/max you don't get any benefit from controlling one character vs another, just use the one that feels more enjoyable to you in combat.
The story and gameplay isn't going to blow you away; but it's still enjoyable and has its moments and fun twists.
This year has been extremely...meh. I know "Game of the Year" doesn't necessarily mean "Great Game" just "The Best of What We Were Given" so while the 5 I chose were all good games, there isn't a single great game on the list.*
Here is hoping for a better 2022!
*There are a few games that I haven't gotten to yet, like Resident Evil Village (not caught up in the series) and Disco Elysium (they haven't shipped the physical copies yet) so maybe that might change retrospectively.
I would love either a Remake or a Remaster of this game; however I would prefer a Remaster.
Remakes make sense when the original games mechanics have not aged well; but there is nothing wrong with the mechanics of Chrono Cross. Just give us the game on modern platforms, with visuals that can scale up well to modern displays and I will be happy.
@frankmcma You weren't wrong about the adjustments, the tweaks you mentioned did happen; but they were for last generations hardware profiles. The PS5 version isn't just the PS4 version with the resolution increased; it's a completely separate platform with its own performance profile and considerations. Don't let the fact that we have backwards compatibility and digital upgrades fool you into thinking the two versions are more closely related than they are.
@frankmcma I know why you think they did; but they didn't scale back the people (or anything else) in the game, at least not like you are thinking they did. They scaled them back on specific performance profiles (notably last gen hardware). This shouldn't have any direct impact on the current gen systems any more than it did on the PC.
As for performance, there is no way they are going to come anywhere near 4k@60 without some heavy compromises. My guess is that they are going to do what most AAA titles are doing this generation: a performance mode with a lot of the visuals turned down, with an aggressive resolution scaling and a quality mode that tries to maintain 30+ with a less aggressive resolution scaling and a lot of the bells and whistles turned on.
@theheadofabroom Yeah. Most people don't change the orientation of their console regularly. They choose the orientation they like the best and stick with it; so having a replacement plate with a built in stand would (while not a perfect solution) make the situation much more bearable.
The biggest problem is that if you shift, or bump the PS5 (in horizontal orientation) even a little bit; the stand is grippy enough that it doesn't shift; but the PS5 does. This causes the PS5 to either fall off the stand completely, or to be on there very haphazardly.
In vertical orientation its solid; if you like and can make use of that orientation; but horizontal seems like an after thought with both systems.
@__jamiie I am not going to defend the PS5's design; but the XSX design has its own functional faults as well.
For example: when dust settles on the PS5, it will sit on the exterior shell and can just be dusted off. When dust settles on the XSX, it will go in to the device because there is no top flat surface for it to rest on. This will cause unnecessary wear and tear on the fan, and heating issues over time unless you regularly disassemble it and blow it out.
My point isn't to tear down the XSX; The PS5 (in horizontal orientation) is a faulty design as well (I can't imagine what Sony was thinking with that stand); its that neither one of them are these perfect feats of engineering.
Its easy(er) to port from a lower spec machine to a higher spec machine. It's much more difficult to go the other direction (especially if you want to do it right).
@Sanquine I think you miss the point. On PS4/XOX/PS5/XSX you could have dramatically increased resolution, frame rate, texture quality, load times, draw distance, more detailed environments, higher poly count meshes, etc...
If the game is as great as the reviews say, on the Switch, imagine what it could be if it were allowed to stretch its legs a bit on more powerful systems.
That being said; I think its wishful thinking, its unlikely to happen.
@Bloodklot It's not that it's difficult to replace, it's that once you do replace it, it must connect to Sony's servers at least once (to verify the date/time) before most games will play. That becomes a huge problem when the servers for the console are shut down.
@nathanSF You have the right idea; however the mistake you are making is to consider (a) and (b) in your example, differently; when they are not. They both require loading of various assets (static meshes, textures, etc...) regardless of whether or not they were randomly assembled. The library of components used to create a random set of NPC's you imagine isn't loaded all at once; that would be an incredible waste of resources, since not every "level" uses every resource that would be loaded.
@nathanSF As others have mentioned, it's not the code thats duplicated, it's the assets. To be a bit clearer, when people are talking about proximity of the assets; they generally mean on the physical disk/disc.
There are two reasons for this:
Its easiest to explain with disc's; but the concept applies with spinning platter disks as well. Imagine Level 1 is located at the center of the disk, and Level 10 at the outer ring. They share the same Tree asset (which is located near Level 1). Level 1 loads fast because the head doesn't have to seek very far to get all of the assets for the level. Level 10 on the other hand has to seek all the way back to the center of the disc to grab that Tree. (And the more objects you have, the more scattered around the disc, the more compounded this issue becomes.)
If instead, you stored a copy of the tree near Level 10 and near Level 1, it would have to do a lot less seeking to find the assets for each level.
The second issue, and one thats a bit less known, is that when you read X bytes from a disc/disk, it doesn't read just X bytes. The hardware reads (and caches) in larger chunks and will automatically pull in nearby data, assuming your next read is going to to be accessing that data (spatial locality of reference). This is true of all storage (including SSD's and RAM) but its impact is felt more keenly on hardware with slow read/seek times.
@nathanSF Thats part of it, certainly; but don't underestimate the amount of space that is saved by eliminating the need to duplicate resources. As @StrickenBiged mentioned: Modern games have a lot of duplicate resources that take up a considerable amount of space. Read times on spinning platter disks are helped by clustering data to reduce seek times. This also means that games with more unique assets are less likely to benefit from that savings.
@AFCC I am not arguing that you are not right in that assessment, but I would also categorize Skyrim and GTA the same way. They don't do anything unique, nothing that their previous games didn't do, and what they do do isn't in any way amazing. There are tons of bugs, visual glitches and performance issues. People still love the games anyway. I am not saying the CP2077 is going to have the same lasting appeal that those games have, but I am saying that it's not this dumpster fire that some make it out to be (well it is on last gen consoles, but that's for a different reason).
@AFCC You are welcome to your opinion, certainly; but trying to push the narrative that it's a game that no one cares about because you personally think it's a bad game; is disingenuous at best. With Metacritic (both critic and user) scores that rival some of the big hitters like AC:Valhalla show that (at least on capable hardware) quite a few people enjoy the game and are happy with it.
The exception being the last generation consoles because of the poor performance (the Metacritic scores for the game on those platforms reflect this); but thats an issue with optimization and hardware capabilities, not one of core gameplay design.
@rjejr Unfortunately there is no way to know, since indies tend to fall under the same 3rd party umbrella as major studios. I just skip the "live" event and then watch the videos for the games I am interested in as they are posted to YouTube directly afterward.
I do wish they had a specific event where they show off indies, like Nintendo does, maybe: "State of Play: Indies"?
@Flaming_Kaiser I think you are reading what you want to in my messages because I don't disagree with you, nor have I made any excuse for their actions. Maybe you meant to reply to someone else?. They should have either abandoned the last generation hardware, or they should waited until it had more reasonable performance levels on that hardware. Releasing it in that state on last generation consoles was anti-consumer and will not be forgotten for a long time.
None of that; however, makes it a terrible game on hardware that can run it: high end PCs and, relevant to the topic PS5/XSX. The point of my posts is that people still enjoy the game (those that can play it with decent performance) as the review scores and sales demonstrate. It's not a bad game, fundamentally, it was just very poorly optimized for last generation hardware.
@Titntin Absolutely. I am not saying you don't have the right to be angry, of feel lied to and betrayed. What I am saying is that that does not mean that the product delivered is actually bad; just that it doesn't live up to the hype.
To add some perspective:
On Metacritic, this game has an 86/7.1 score (for PC); Thats not bad. Its on par with or better than some of its open world contemporaries like Watch Dogs (1/2/Legion) and AC:Valhalla. While it doesn't hit the lofty numbers of Skyrim or GTA; its no slouch and clearly a lot of people still enjoy the game.
The PS4 version of the game on the other hand has terrible scores; which clearly indicates that most of the negative attitude towards the game is because of performance/stability on last generations consoles. A problem that PC and the PS5/XSX don't share.
You may be bitter towards the developer for not delivering on their promises and you have every right to be; but that doesn't mean that judged on its own merits, that the game is as terrible as the comment sections of news sites tend to portray it.
@Titntin You didn't explicitly say it; but you certainly implied it; and then doubled down on your next post. Lets examine:
"I clearly suggested it failed to deliver on basic fundamental gameplay mechanics it had promised and even shown."
The implication there is that since it didn't deliver on the mechanics promised that it's a bad game; but that is nonsense.
As a simple example: Imagine most contemporary games run at 30 FPS, and a game promises to run at 60 FPS. When released, however, it doesn't come anywhere near 60 FPS and the game only plays at 30 FPS. Is it a bad game simply because it failed to hit its promised lofty target, even though it plays the same as its contemporaries?
Hype doesn't matter; failing to deliver on hype doesn't matter. What matters is: Is the game that was actually released any good?
@Porco As I said to another poster; I could say the exact same for the likes of Skyrim, GTA, AC, and pretty much every major open world game in the last decade. None of them were anything special, none of them pushed story telling, or were technical masterpieces by any measurement, and every one of them underwhelmed at their core (they were just a graphical upgrade to the previous games that came before them); but that didn't make them any less enjoyable, and nearly everyone that I talk to about Cyberpunk (that actually played it, and not on a last gen system), enjoyed it. I wager in another 5 years, the few (but loud) voices on the internet that are continuing to complain, will be drowned out by those that loved the game and are still playing it (the same as with the previously mentioned games). Not everyone set their expectations to unachievable levels; and so can enjoy it for it what is, not what they want it to be.
@AFCC
So are all of the other large open world games (Skyrim, GTA, AC, etc...) In my opinion they are all mediocre at their core, but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable.
The open world formula is getting pretty tired for many and a bit of Cyberpunk is a breath of fresh air even if it's not the most amazing game ever.
@AFCC A lot of us care. Many resisted buying the game on last generation console, waiting until it was available natively on the current generation before diving in. The poorly handled initial launch doesn't change that; with over a year of bug fixes and millions of inadvertent beta testers to help find the game breaking issues; I am more excited than ever for the PS5/XSX release.
@Porco Who are "they" that are still saying it's fundamentally broken in its current version? Those running on dated hardware that is incapable of running a game of this scope? Those that haven't actually played it, that just parrot what they read on the internet? Those that look at it this game in a vacuum and ignore all other major successful open world titles that are just as buggy (I see you Bethesda) to make their point?
To make this claim, is to ignore the large number of people that are running it on capable hardware and having a blast doing so today, let alone months from now; with even more polish.
I am not defending CDPR; they shouldn't have made a game of this scope, or shouldn't have targeted last generation hardware; or should have made a more scalable engine and delayed launch by another year; but a lot of people are waiting to play it until it releases on the current generation, so that launch is incredibly important.
@Slippship Its weird that different people have different opinions?
A lot of review sites will adjust their scores and reviews on a curve to stay within the expectations of their readers to avoid backlash. This creates a nice little echo chamber.
@Integrity The thing is, if you have already convinced yourself (not you specifically) that you want to play a game, calling out the reviewer for not agreeing with your position isn't going to make the game any better or worse; and unless you lack a disposable income to support the hobby, it shouldn't stop you from buying the game and playing it.
Alan Wake is a game that I always wanted to play, it was one of those "I wish I had that game on my platform of choice" titles. I will buy it and play it; but I know going into it that its an old game and even the best of them have trouble when compared to modern titles.
Maybe remasters should be reviewed by two people and given two scores? One from the perspective of an original fan, and one from the perspective of a new player.
@Integrity I am not familiar with their FIFA review; I don't generally play multiplayer games so have no real reason to follow reviews on them.
I do however tend to agree with their assessments of the games I do play, almost 100% of the time; even if its a game I love and they didn't. I can enjoy a game, and realize that it does have flaws, and that it might not be a good game for everyone.
@johncalmc It seems that if your review doesn't line up with the expectations of the reader; then it must be a bad review. Since many publications like to please their fans, they play fan-service more than actually giving a realistic review of what the game actually is.
I appreciate that the reviewers at PushSquare don't feel obligated to inflate their score because "everyone else is".
@johncalmc A lot of remasters are only really great with the nostalgia glasses; and that's absolutely ok; it should just be known going in to it so that new players temper their expectations a bit. I appreciate PushSquare's reviews.
Comments 1,553
Re: PS3 Games Spotted on PS5 Store, Fuelling PS Plus Rumours - But It's Nothing New
@trev666 Let me know how that PS3 game streaming goes when Sony turns off their PS3 streaming services.
That was obviously tongue in cheek; but a streaming solution, no matter how great, will always depend on others to maintain it and pay its maintenance costs; and once those costs out weigh the return, they will be gone. That's a long winded way of saying a streaming only solution is a non-starter.
Re: PS3 Games Spotted on PS5 Store, Fuelling PS Plus Rumours - But It's Nothing New
@Fyz306903 There has been zero factual information to black up the idea that the PS5 is incapable of reading CDs. Sony likely sourced off the shelf parts for their Ultra HD BluRay drives (as they, and other console manufactures have for their drives throughout history) and it would make less sense for them to intentionally remove the functionality; than to leave it. (Just because the system software refuses to read a CD, doesn't mean that the hardware is incapable)
Re: Updated PlayStation Patent Has Fans in Backwards Compatibility Frenzy, But It's a Reach
@TheRedComet I seen a lot of people post on here that the PS5 cannot read CD's; but I have yet to see a single person offer any proof that this is actually true. There is a difference between "it doesn't" (the software/drivers reject it) and "it is incapable of" (the hardware cannot physically do it) and I have a feeling that people are confusing the former with the latter.
Re: Soapbox: Don't Let F.I.S.T. Pass You By
The name of your game is the first opportunity to show potential customers your creativity. If you fail at that; I don't have much hope for the rest of your game.
As much as I love Metriodvania style games, I will pass on this one.
Re: Manufacturing Tittle-Tattle Tips PSVR 2 to Enter Production Soon
@Jaz007
I don't think it's viable for many titles that use their own calibration. I could think of hacks or tricks that you could potentially use on a per-title basis; but nothing that could work at a general level.
The best we can hope for is that it might be that we get limited compatibility (only games that don't have their own calibration tool) and allow for the other developers to update their games with PSVR2 patches.
I would love to be wrong though; so, Sony, please do your magic.
Re: Manufacturing Tittle-Tattle Tips PSVR 2 to Enter Production Soon
@munstre Not really something in their control. There are various prototype technologies to attempt to trick your body; but those are nowhere near ready.
@redapt Its a Day 1 buy for me if its backwards compatible, its a no-buy if its not. That being said, I don't see how they could make it backwards compatible if uses inside-out tracking; because a lot of games have built in calibration wizards that are pretty specific outside-in with a sensor/camera in front of you. I hope they manage it though.
Re: Game of the Year: #2 - Returnal
Returnal was pretty decent but overall 2021 was pretty lackluster so it doesn't really mean much. I hope for a better 2022.
Re: Sony's Backwards PS4 to PS5 Upgrade System Is Still Causing Headaches
@TheRedComet Oh, I am sure its fixable (and for all I know it might be fixed already) its just one more reason why having a choice is better than not having one. (Sony could make that choice more obvious though)
Re: Sony's Backwards PS4 to PS5 Upgrade System Is Still Causing Headaches
@TheRedComet
Its all over the place, watch the Digital Foundry video for more info; but here is a quick reference (at the time of the video) the frame rates look something like:
PS4 [Pro] (on PS5)
Quality: Normal, 60 FPS @ 1080p
Quality: High, ~55-60 FPS @ 1440p
PS5 Native
~45-60 FPS @ 1080p
~30-60 FPS @ 1440p
~45 FPS @ 2160p
Re: Sony's Backwards PS4 to PS5 Upgrade System Is Still Causing Headaches
@TheRedComet There are quite a few. FFXIV is the biggest one that comes to mind that I play (Watch Digital Foundry's analysis, even they recommend playing the PS4 version on PS5)
I could do with worse performance. I am not a hardcore performance gamer, but with separate trophy lists? That's unacceptable.
Re: Sony's Backwards PS4 to PS5 Upgrade System Is Still Causing Headaches
@TheRedComet @Max_the_German It sounds simple; but its a lot more complex of an issue than that, and I very much appreciate given the choice of version; rather than going with the "best".
Three MAJOR reasons why. The first is Trophies. Trophies for the PS4 version of a game are (usually/almost always) separate from the PS5 version of the same game; meaning if I was in the middle of playing a game on the PS4 and moved over to the PS5, I would no longer be working on the same trophy list if it just used the PS5 version.
The second is: As with Trophies; but sometimes, the save-game isn't even compatible between versions, so good-luck picking up where you left off.
The third is: the newest version of a game (PS5 version) can often underperform the previous version of the same game (PS4 Pro version) running on the PS5.
The point is: there is no clear "best" version for all situations.
To be clear: Microsoft does this as well. Some games have shared Achievement lists and save games, and some games split them (its a crap shoot)
Re: Game of the Year: #9 - Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
@MakersMark iam8bit (a limited run company) is making a physical copy (pre-orders went live a month or so ago); but these are still a couple months out from shipping.
For me, personally, I follow companies like iam8bit and LRG for this reason and have pre-ordered it; but your average gamer does not and will likely miss out on these limited runs (in fact its already sold out, unless you want the $250 deluxe edition) and will likely never be printed again.
Edit:
Interestingly, iam8bit no longer lists the PS4 version (deluxe or standard) on their site and you can indeed find it at classic retailers, available now. I already have a pre-order in for iam8bit; so I will just wait until mine ships; but its great to see that its available via classic retailers as well. Maybe we will see an up-tick in players with this change.
Re: Game of the Year: #9 - Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
@HMazzy111 My guess is the lack of a physical release is a major contributing factor. I know personally this was on my list to keep an eye on since it was announced; but without a physical copy it was a no-buy. Thankfully iam8bit made a limited physical run.
Re: System Shock Remake Is Still Happening, Coming to PS5, PS4 in 2022
@kingbreww I would agree, in theory; however the problem with that perspective is that "trying something else" involves mostly failed attempts at riding whatever gaming fad is currently in-vogue.
I would much rather a game that inspired many beloved games; that didn't reach the heights it could because of the era it was made in, or politics of the time, get another chance.
Re: Random: Play Sonic at Electric Speeds When Original Game Comes to All Tesla Vehicles
@NEStalgia Actually their naming is intentional.
Combined they spell S3XY (Sexy). Model 3 was supposed to be Model E but Ford sued, so they changed it to a 3)
Re: Random: Play Sonic at Electric Speeds When Original Game Comes to All Tesla Vehicles
@NEStalgia
Things changed with the introduction of the Model 3 and later the Model Y. These are more consumer level Tesla's. It's still $80k+ for Model S and Model X variants (before the bells and whistles) but for the more "budget conscious" there are options.
As for whether or not they are worth it; it depends on your priorities. If you spend a large portion of your time driving, it makes sense to invest in making that as enjoyable and painless as possible. That might be a Tesla for some, or another luxury for someone else.
Re: Random: Play Sonic at Electric Speeds When Original Game Comes to All Tesla Vehicles
@NEStalgia Believe it or not, the average price of a new car is $45,000; and for that price you can get a nice new Tesla. You don't need to be rich.
That being said, on topic; playing games on a screen in a car is mostly novelty and I would much rather they focus their efforts on actual useful utilities (for example: the Spotify integration is terrible).
Re: Round Up: What Was Announced at The Game Awards 2021?
Quite the meh list. A couple games to look forward to (Horizon, and Alan Wake II) and then just filler (Maybe the Expanse game too, maybe)
Re: Poll: What Is Your PS5, PS4 Game of the Year 2021?
@Saltborne If you are talking about Tales of Arise, in my play-through I never switched primary characters. Combat is fun; but most of the other characters are awkward to control (slow ability times; sluggish movement, etc...). When you play through the solo challenges in the arena you will get a feel for each character. Unless you are trying to min/max you don't get any benefit from controlling one character vs another, just use the one that feels more enjoyable to you in combat.
The story and gameplay isn't going to blow you away; but it's still enjoyable and has its moments and fun twists.
Re: Poll: What Is Your PS5, PS4 Game of the Year 2021?
This year has been extremely...meh. I know "Game of the Year" doesn't necessarily mean "Great Game" just "The Best of What We Were Given" so while the 5 I chose were all good games, there isn't a single great game on the list.*
Here is hoping for a better 2022!
*There are a few games that I haven't gotten to yet, like Resident Evil Village (not caught up in the series) and Disco Elysium (they haven't shipped the physical copies yet) so maybe that might change retrospectively.
Re: Rumour: PS1 JRPG Chrono Cross Really Is Getting a Remaster
I would love either a Remake or a Remaster of this game; however I would prefer a Remaster.
Remakes make sense when the original games mechanics have not aged well; but there is nothing wrong with the mechanics of Chrono Cross. Just give us the game on modern platforms, with visuals that can scale up well to modern displays and I will be happy.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 PS5 Version Aiming for Q1 2022 Release, Major Update Planned
@frankmcma You weren't wrong about the adjustments, the tweaks you mentioned did happen; but they were for last generations hardware profiles. The PS5 version isn't just the PS4 version with the resolution increased; it's a completely separate platform with its own performance profile and considerations. Don't let the fact that we have backwards compatibility and digital upgrades fool you into thinking the two versions are more closely related than they are.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 PS5 Version Aiming for Q1 2022 Release, Major Update Planned
@frankmcma I know why you think they did; but they didn't scale back the people (or anything else) in the game, at least not like you are thinking they did. They scaled them back on specific performance profiles (notably last gen hardware). This shouldn't have any direct impact on the current gen systems any more than it did on the PC.
As for performance, there is no way they are going to come anywhere near 4k@60 without some heavy compromises. My guess is that they are going to do what most AAA titles are doing this generation: a performance mode with a lot of the visuals turned down, with an aggressive resolution scaling and a quality mode that tries to maintain 30+ with a less aggressive resolution scaling and a lot of the bells and whistles turned on.
Re: New PS5 Breakdown with Mark Cerny Is a Fascinating Watch
@theheadofabroom Yeah. Most people don't change the orientation of their console regularly. They choose the orientation they like the best and stick with it; so having a replacement plate with a built in stand would (while not a perfect solution) make the situation much more bearable.
The biggest problem is that if you shift, or bump the PS5 (in horizontal orientation) even a little bit; the stand is grippy enough that it doesn't shift; but the PS5 does. This causes the PS5 to either fall off the stand completely, or to be on there very haphazardly.
In vertical orientation its solid; if you like and can make use of that orientation; but horizontal seems like an after thought with both systems.
Re: New PS5 Breakdown with Mark Cerny Is a Fascinating Watch
@__jamiie I am not going to defend the PS5's design; but the XSX design has its own functional faults as well.
For example: when dust settles on the PS5, it will sit on the exterior shell and can just be dusted off. When dust settles on the XSX, it will go in to the device because there is no top flat surface for it to rest on. This will cause unnecessary wear and tear on the fan, and heating issues over time unless you regularly disassemble it and blow it out.
My point isn't to tear down the XSX; The PS5 (in horizontal orientation) is a faulty design as well (I can't imagine what Sony was thinking with that stand); its that neither one of them are these perfect feats of engineering.
Re: PS4 Spotted in Shin Megami Tensei V Datamine
@Sanquine Ah, ok.
Its easy(er) to port from a lower spec machine to a higher spec machine. It's much more difficult to go the other direction (especially if you want to do it right).
Re: PS4 Spotted in Shin Megami Tensei V Datamine
@Sanquine I think you miss the point. On PS4/XOX/PS5/XSX you could have dramatically increased resolution, frame rate, texture quality, load times, draw distance, more detailed environments, higher poly count meshes, etc...
If the game is as great as the reviews say, on the Switch, imagine what it could be if it were allowed to stretch its legs a bit on more powerful systems.
That being said; I think its wishful thinking, its unlikely to happen.
Re: Sony Quietly Squashes PS5's Dead Battery Concerns
@Bloodklot It's not that it's difficult to replace, it's that once you do replace it, it must connect to Sony's servers at least once (to verify the date/time) before most games will play. That becomes a huge problem when the servers for the console are shut down.
Re: Round Up: What Was Announced During Sony's Latest State of Play Livestream?
@huyi I look at the silver lining: More time to catch up on my back log from last generation.,
Re: Round Up: What Was Announced During Sony's Latest State of Play Livestream?
Mildly interested in Star Ocean (I remember the early games fondly), the rest is just meh, no thanks.
Re: Guardians of the Galaxy Is a Significantly Smaller Download on PS5
@nathanSF You have the right idea; however the mistake you are making is to consider (a) and (b) in your example, differently; when they are not. They both require loading of various assets (static meshes, textures, etc...) regardless of whether or not they were randomly assembled. The library of components used to create a random set of NPC's you imagine isn't loaded all at once; that would be an incredible waste of resources, since not every "level" uses every resource that would be loaded.
Re: Guardians of the Galaxy Is a Significantly Smaller Download on PS5
@nathanSF As others have mentioned, it's not the code thats duplicated, it's the assets. To be a bit clearer, when people are talking about proximity of the assets; they generally mean on the physical disk/disc.
There are two reasons for this:
Its easiest to explain with disc's; but the concept applies with spinning platter disks as well. Imagine Level 1 is located at the center of the disk, and Level 10 at the outer ring. They share the same Tree asset (which is located near Level 1). Level 1 loads fast because the head doesn't have to seek very far to get all of the assets for the level. Level 10 on the other hand has to seek all the way back to the center of the disc to grab that Tree. (And the more objects you have, the more scattered around the disc, the more compounded this issue becomes.)
If instead, you stored a copy of the tree near Level 10 and near Level 1, it would have to do a lot less seeking to find the assets for each level.
The second issue, and one thats a bit less known, is that when you read X bytes from a disc/disk, it doesn't read just X bytes. The hardware reads (and caches) in larger chunks and will automatically pull in nearby data, assuming your next read is going to to be accessing that data (spatial locality of reference). This is true of all storage (including SSD's and RAM) but its impact is felt more keenly on hardware with slow read/seek times.
Re: Guardians of the Galaxy Is a Significantly Smaller Download on PS5
@nathanSF Thats part of it, certainly; but don't underestimate the amount of space that is saved by eliminating the need to duplicate resources. As @StrickenBiged mentioned: Modern games have a lot of duplicate resources that take up a considerable amount of space. Read times on spinning platter disks are helped by clustering data to reduce seek times. This also means that games with more unique assets are less likely to benefit from that savings.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@AFCC I am not arguing that you are not right in that assessment, but I would also categorize Skyrim and GTA the same way. They don't do anything unique, nothing that their previous games didn't do, and what they do do isn't in any way amazing. There are tons of bugs, visual glitches and performance issues. People still love the games anyway. I am not saying the CP2077 is going to have the same lasting appeal that those games have, but I am saying that it's not this dumpster fire that some make it out to be (well it is on last gen consoles, but that's for a different reason).
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@AFCC You are welcome to your opinion, certainly; but trying to push the narrative that it's a game that no one cares about because you personally think it's a bad game; is disingenuous at best. With Metacritic (both critic and user) scores that rival some of the big hitters like AC:Valhalla show that (at least on capable hardware) quite a few people enjoy the game and are happy with it.
The exception being the last generation consoles because of the poor performance (the Metacritic scores for the game on those platforms reflect this); but thats an issue with optimization and hardware capabilities, not one of core gameplay design.
Re: State of Play Announced for 27th October Featuring Third-Party Games on PS5, PS4
@rjejr Unfortunately there is no way to know, since indies tend to fall under the same 3rd party umbrella as major studios. I just skip the "live" event and then watch the videos for the games I am interested in as they are posted to YouTube directly afterward.
I do wish they had a specific event where they show off indies, like Nintendo does, maybe: "State of Play: Indies"?
Re: State of Play Announced for 27th October Featuring Third-Party Games on PS5, PS4
@rjejr
1st Party: A developer owned by Sony
2nd Party: A developer under contract by Sony
3rd Party: Everyone Else.
I agree that we need more highlights on Indies. I don't really see a point to showing off big budget 3rd party titles that we already know about.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@Flaming_Kaiser I think you are reading what you want to in my messages because I don't disagree with you, nor have I made any excuse for their actions. Maybe you meant to reply to someone else?. They should have either abandoned the last generation hardware, or they should waited until it had more reasonable performance levels on that hardware. Releasing it in that state on last generation consoles was anti-consumer and will not be forgotten for a long time.
None of that; however, makes it a terrible game on hardware that can run it: high end PCs and, relevant to the topic PS5/XSX. The point of my posts is that people still enjoy the game (those that can play it with decent performance) as the review scores and sales demonstrate. It's not a bad game, fundamentally, it was just very poorly optimized for last generation hardware.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@Titntin Absolutely. I am not saying you don't have the right to be angry, of feel lied to and betrayed. What I am saying is that that does not mean that the product delivered is actually bad; just that it doesn't live up to the hype.
To add some perspective:
On Metacritic, this game has an 86/7.1 score (for PC); Thats not bad. Its on par with or better than some of its open world contemporaries like Watch Dogs (1/2/Legion) and AC:Valhalla. While it doesn't hit the lofty numbers of Skyrim or GTA; its no slouch and clearly a lot of people still enjoy the game.
The PS4 version of the game on the other hand has terrible scores; which clearly indicates that most of the negative attitude towards the game is because of performance/stability on last generations consoles. A problem that PC and the PS5/XSX don't share.
You may be bitter towards the developer for not delivering on their promises and you have every right to be; but that doesn't mean that judged on its own merits, that the game is as terrible as the comment sections of news sites tend to portray it.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@Titntin You didn't explicitly say it; but you certainly implied it; and then doubled down on your next post. Lets examine:
"I clearly suggested it failed to deliver on basic fundamental gameplay mechanics it had promised and even shown."
The implication there is that since it didn't deliver on the mechanics promised that it's a bad game; but that is nonsense.
As a simple example: Imagine most contemporary games run at 30 FPS, and a game promises to run at 60 FPS. When released, however, it doesn't come anywhere near 60 FPS and the game only plays at 30 FPS. Is it a bad game simply because it failed to hit its promised lofty target, even though it plays the same as its contemporaries?
Hype doesn't matter; failing to deliver on hype doesn't matter. What matters is: Is the game that was actually released any good?
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@Titntin Nonsense. What you are saying is that it doesn't matter if the game is any good, what matters is that it failed to deliver on the hype.
A lot of people are butt-hurt that it didn't turn out to be the best game ever; but that doesn't mean that its not just as good as its contemporaries.
Even its failure to deliver on the hype still puts it in good company. "Shoot for the Moon; even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@Porco As I said to another poster; I could say the exact same for the likes of Skyrim, GTA, AC, and pretty much every major open world game in the last decade. None of them were anything special, none of them pushed story telling, or were technical masterpieces by any measurement, and every one of them underwhelmed at their core (they were just a graphical upgrade to the previous games that came before them); but that didn't make them any less enjoyable, and nearly everyone that I talk to about Cyberpunk (that actually played it, and not on a last gen system), enjoyed it. I wager in another 5 years, the few (but loud) voices on the internet that are continuing to complain, will be drowned out by those that loved the game and are still playing it (the same as with the previously mentioned games). Not everyone set their expectations to unachievable levels; and so can enjoy it for it what is, not what they want it to be.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@AFCC
So are all of the other large open world games (Skyrim, GTA, AC, etc...) In my opinion they are all mediocre at their core, but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable.
The open world formula is getting pretty tired for many and a bit of Cyberpunk is a breath of fresh air even if it's not the most amazing game ever.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@AFCC A lot of us care. Many resisted buying the game on last generation console, waiting until it was available natively on the current generation before diving in. The poorly handled initial launch doesn't change that; with over a year of bug fixes and millions of inadvertent beta testers to help find the game breaking issues; I am more excited than ever for the PS5/XSX release.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 PS5 Versions Delayed into 2022
@Porco Who are "they" that are still saying it's fundamentally broken in its current version? Those running on dated hardware that is incapable of running a game of this scope? Those that haven't actually played it, that just parrot what they read on the internet? Those that look at it this game in a vacuum and ignore all other major successful open world titles that are just as buggy (I see you Bethesda) to make their point?
To make this claim, is to ignore the large number of people that are running it on capable hardware and having a blast doing so today, let alone months from now; with even more polish.
I am not defending CDPR; they shouldn't have made a game of this scope, or shouldn't have targeted last generation hardware; or should have made a more scalable engine and delayed launch by another year; but a lot of people are waiting to play it until it releases on the current generation, so that launch is incredibly important.
Re: Alan Wake Remastered (PS5) - Compelling Thriller Derailed by Tedious, Repetitive Combat
@Slippship Its weird that different people have different opinions?
A lot of review sites will adjust their scores and reviews on a curve to stay within the expectations of their readers to avoid backlash. This creates a nice little echo chamber.
Re: Alan Wake Remastered (PS5) - Compelling Thriller Derailed by Tedious, Repetitive Combat
@Integrity The thing is, if you have already convinced yourself (not you specifically) that you want to play a game, calling out the reviewer for not agreeing with your position isn't going to make the game any better or worse; and unless you lack a disposable income to support the hobby, it shouldn't stop you from buying the game and playing it.
Alan Wake is a game that I always wanted to play, it was one of those "I wish I had that game on my platform of choice" titles. I will buy it and play it; but I know going into it that its an old game and even the best of them have trouble when compared to modern titles.
Maybe remasters should be reviewed by two people and given two scores? One from the perspective of an original fan, and one from the perspective of a new player.
Re: Alan Wake Remastered (PS5) - Compelling Thriller Derailed by Tedious, Repetitive Combat
@Integrity I am not familiar with their FIFA review; I don't generally play multiplayer games so have no real reason to follow reviews on them.
I do however tend to agree with their assessments of the games I do play, almost 100% of the time; even if its a game I love and they didn't. I can enjoy a game, and realize that it does have flaws, and that it might not be a good game for everyone.
Re: Alan Wake Remastered (PS5) - Compelling Thriller Derailed by Tedious, Repetitive Combat
@johncalmc It seems that if your review doesn't line up with the expectations of the reader; then it must be a bad review. Since many publications like to please their fans, they play fan-service more than actually giving a realistic review of what the game actually is.
I appreciate that the reviewers at PushSquare don't feel obligated to inflate their score because "everyone else is".
Re: Alan Wake Remastered (PS5) - Compelling Thriller Derailed by Tedious, Repetitive Combat
@johncalmc A lot of remasters are only really great with the nostalgia glasses; and that's absolutely ok; it should just be known going in to it so that new players temper their expectations a bit. I appreciate PushSquare's reviews.