throwmeaname

My question would be, are there changes substantive enough to warrant a re-buy?
Are they rehauling the entire story?
What are these plot changes, and are they that much different from the original?

@2here2there I dont know anything current, but there's a lot of indie/B-title games out there.

Valheim is a very innovative action survival game, which received a lot of great reviews and updates since. Another one of my fave is Project Zomboid - another indie title that simulates what its like to survive in a zombie apocalypse. Highly recommended with friends.

B-titles like the Trails Of series are great JRPGs to also dip your toes in. Push Square provides positive reviews of Falcom games, and specific to Trails Of - I'd argue that this series offer amazing world building that is much stronger than established AAA games like Final Fantasy. Interestingly, Metaphor ReFantasio's mixed action/turn-base gameplay was actually inspired from Trails through Daybreak's model. So as you can see, B title games are inspiring other game devs to adapt to new and creative ideas from B titles.

@McTwist There are plenty of games that try to innovate, just look at all the indie games or B title games available. Outward for one has a terrible review score, but I placed a lot of hours into the game because - once it clicks, it really sukcs you in.

These games are usually overlooked due to the critic review scores. But you can find a lot of hidden gems out there if we simply judge the game by its concept, and not by its graphics. The game market is no longer tied to big developers 10, 20 years ago. Indie devs and B-title studios are where the innovation lies.

I'm getting a lot of mileage out of my PS5. I'm considering trading in my PS5 and get the Pro in the future.

I was skeptical of the new combat system, but seeing it in first hand - I'm beginning to warm up to it.

There's a lot of customization option for the players, despite only having 4 active buttons. Theoretically, this streamlines player abilities - thus removing ability bloat - while passive/runes add further depth to the combat without it becoming too overwhelming. I am very okay with this.

The companion characters is akin to Mass Effect. You command your companions to perform an action, while you control Rook the entire time. This isn't that bad. My only concern is with regards to combat repetition. Will the battle get stale by the end game? I am hoping they have amazing boss fights with great boss mechanics to break gameplay repetition. But I guess we'll see.

Honestly, I think Dragon Age moving towards action RPG, as oppose to CRPG of DA:O, is a good strategic direction for the company. It sucks that the game is departing from its roots - but I'm honestly OK with this. After all, Dragon Age would need to compete with games like Baldur's Gate if DA remains a CRPG - and I dont think they have the capacity to, considering how amazing that game is.

My most anticipated game of 2025!

Although this will not be a first day buy from me - considering how the original came out buggy on the PS4, I trust that the devs will deliver a unique and awesome experience for us fans. I'll be sure to have this in my library before 2025 ends.

@Colour I'd rather play MH than the generic cookie cutter games that are saturating people's backlog.

Great news - I'll be sure to add to my wishlist.

@BusyOlf Liam said in his preview:

"Having played just four hours of a game that's likely to offer enough content to cover at least ten times that playtime, it's not the time for any definitive statements just yet. Star Wars Outlaws will need to prove it has the chops across a full campaign next month..."

While you have every right to be suspicious, I don't think the reviewers are being deceitful. If the preview looks good, but the game upon release does not - that speaks more about the publisher's attempt to con people and less about the reviewer's attempts to get people to buy the game.

In plain: I don't believe there's a conspiracy here between reviewers and publishers.

I remain hopeful that the game will be great, yet skeptical of their claims. I am not holding my breath. Wishing them luck!

I am cautiously optimistic about this game.

I'm glad that this game received a strong review score. Shout out to this small indie Filipino team. I wish them nothing but success.

Played this game when I was a kid. Amazing. I still whistle to the fisherman village theme to this day.

The new line is fine, in fact - I actually like it. It's more deliberate. If the intent is to create tension, then they delivered.

The original line seemed to have a lot more room for interpretation. Which is fine considering we had a lot of time to talk about the meaning of the ending until Rebirth came out.

But now that Rebirth is around the corner, creating tension by changing the line may makes more sense from a storytelling standpoint, especially considering where we're heading.

Also - I'm stupid. So this change helps.

Guys, lets be honest as to why we're excited for this game.

A lot of folks fear monger about the danger of AI, but if used correctly it can automate some mundane functionalities to give developers more time to flex their creativity and make cool things in game.
If they opt instead to use AI to replace creatives, and ship generic games for a quick buck. Then I hope SE reconsiders their long-term strategy.

Good decision.

13 Sentinels Aegis Rim is one of my favourite games ever. I look forward to seeing more of this in the future!

Loved Suikoden 2, probably one of the best PS1 JRPG classics ever made. Looks like they're going back to their roots with Eiyuden. Looking forward to this!

@danzoEX I say it plays more like devil may cry.

That ending scene. I love how Sephiroth is trying to gas light Cloud.

@z0d15g0d I never played a gacha. Can you explain the main appeal/premise for the game? I can understand a singleplayer adventure game where you go from point A to B, where there's a clear beginning middle and end. But I never really understood how these gacha game works. Same with Genshin. How can people play this for so long? Doesn't the game get repetitive? Is there an endgame? Are you supposed to collect all the characters? I'm confused.

@Dudditz09 That's exactly what's happening. They'll release base cities skyline 2 with a lot less feature than cities skyline remaster with DLC, enticing players who may enjoy cities 2 to purchase cities 1 on their PS5. Hence why they released remaster so close to cities 2.

A 9 out of 10? Impressive. I might actually get this game.

Is there continuity to this sequel? Do I have to play the first to enjoy the second?

Sadly, the combat animation looks stiff af.

Can't wait to buy it, on sale.

A lot of game feels the same now. Not talking about SE's games in particular - but the diversity of quality games have diminished over the years, and they all started to feel like sandbox third person action RPGs, or the same recycled FPS.

Would Sony buying out SE continue this trend? My only concern with big companies (whether Sony or MS), is that all games would consolidate into one type of genre, same-looking games in Unreal Engine. Which makes me feel not-excited for any sort of buyout.

I suppose the real innovation comes from the Indie titles. I just hope gamers support the indie realm.

I had low expectation for the first game, and it blew me out of the water.
Can't wait to see how the second stacks up.

@sanderson72 I agree! Great discussion.

I might consider trading in my PS5 for a PS5 pro if it can both play a consistent 60FPS and in 4k. Many games on the PS5 asks one or the other, but it would be nice to have both.

Aside from that - I think the PS5 marketed itself really well by selling off its instantaneous load speed and the motion sense control. I personally didn't see motion sense to be a game-changer (in terms of player enjoyment) yet here we are.

I wonder what the PS6 will offer us next? I'm thinking of VR, but in reality the possibilities are endless.

Xbox playing the victim card, claiming they need Activision to be competitive against the Japanese giant.

Absolutely sus!

@sanderson72 having put a lot of hours into my PS4 and now the PS5, it feels like it's night and day! I didn't know I needed 60fps, 4k res and instant load times until I started playing games on the PS5.

I just hope the PS6 offers a substantial paradigm shift for gaming instead of seeing minimal improvements (like how it's like with the new iphones lol)

I just bought my PS5!

Oh well, I'll probably sticking around with this console for years. What could the PS6 offer aside from faster load times, improve graphics, better cloud streaming, and (maybe) enhanced dual sense? The only thing I could think of is a full integration of VR onto the console itself (as oppose to VR being separate as we see today).

Are next gen console allow us to tune-in to the metaverse? SAO style?

Anyway, as a consumer, I'm more concerned about the games being more and more expensive than what they actually offer me in return.

@Xaessya Literally my thoughts

@ChromaticDracula Kojima just comes off as super pretentious, which makes him easy to criticize.

That aside - I was super surprised by death stranding. It definitely took some time to get used to, but I'm amazed at how Kojima gamified (what seems to be) one big social experiment where he dupes people into building in-game infrastructure as gamers salivate in anticipation for player "likes". It sounds ridiculous at first - but when you actually put some hours in; you'll find no other game like it. And that's a good thing.

With that said, he could definitely tone down on the Hollywood pretentiousness.

@WavesOfActivity shout out to indie game players.

"Not everything has to be a 150-hour RPG, right?"

Such a refreshing take. The new ACs never appealed to me, as it looked more hack-slash RPG than stealth a action.

What I enjoyed about the original AC is that you're able to hide in plain sight - which made it competitive against other stealth juggernauts like Metal Gear or Splinter Cell. In these games, you stick to the shadow and use your gadgets to complete your mission. In AC, you hide in plain sight: march with the priests, sit in stalls, and look completely innocuous. It's a refreshing take in the stealth action genre.

Stealth characters are not supposed to be one-man army, where you can take on a horde of mindless AIs. The point of these games is to infiltrate, complete your objective, then leave. And when you are spotted - you're supposed to lose all your advantages. Stealth games should PUNISH you if you fail to remain sneaky.

I don't know if that will be the case in this new iteration. I can sense some action elements similar to previous games. So I am not holding my breath on AC Mirage providing us with a new stealth (or rather old) stealth action experience.

Damn, SE hyping their prospective overlords.

Wonder if Sony acquiring SE would be a good or bad thing!

I haven't finished Elden Ring, but my favourite aspect about the game is the tactical and strategy component of the game.

Tactics in the context of ER is the act of fighting. You find a dungeon, you go through the level, you fight the boss. Each attack, each tactical decision, makes up the "tactical component" of Elden Ring.

In contrast, yet complimentary component, is strategy. In the context of ER, strategy is asking yourself: "okay, do I jump into the main quest boss right away, or do I explore a bit more of the map to find hidden loot/weapons?"; "Okay, now that I have gained this many levels - am I ready to fight the boss yet"? "Okay - I just found out that the boss I fought, was too difficult, I need to fall back and decide on whether I should continue, or look for other treasures to make the boss fight more manageable".

This level of decision making was never present in the past souls games. It's always - you made it to the end of the dungeon: kill the boss. If you can't well, tough luck. Either summon friends, or go on for HOURS trying to kill the boss. In ER, because there are so many options, you can go back and rethink your tactics and strategy. And it's always viable to explore and see what's out there to obtain hidden loot.

Granted, IDK how much of the "Tactics/strategy" component is present in the end game. But I loved every bit of this in the opening to mid part of Elden Ring.

@wiiware This is what I think: the FF7 remakes will have three main parts, but with DLCs interlinking them. Similar to how Integrade works.

@z0d15g0d folks are saying that the FF7 remakes are a sequel to the original, with a multiverse twist. I can understand why people are excited for rebirth.

16, because I know Yoshi P will deliver.

I'm happy to play and cry to this game again.

I had zero expectations going into Cold Steel 1. I thought it was a persona rip-off (a game I didn't finished), and the past JRPGs that I've played never enthralled me like they used to. But one of Tark's review on YT piqued my interest, as this game apparently has a lot of political elements weaved into its narratives.

Intrigued, I bought the game full price on PSN and jumped right in. The opening intro lit up, and my curiosity about the game - with its banging music and interesting character designs - grew. The prologue didn't quite capture me as I expected, but what made me a fan of the series, is the moment I landed in Trista.

The music, the direction, the way this game has such a WHOLESOME and chill vibe - truly cemented me as a fan. In most games, there is always something at stake: the protagonists has to go on a grand adventure to save the world, and they must follow an ancient prophecy to prevent apocalypse. But the pacing in the first few hours of Trails is a stark contrast to many of the games I played. It took its time. It introduced you to the people, to the country, and ESPECIALLY its culture. The game fleshed out the world of the Empire so well, I fell in love with its people.

Similar to a tourists being shown around to a new country - I felt like I was in a game that feels familiar, yet foreign at the same time. Like traveling from North America to Europe. There's familiarity in the atmosphere yet distinctly different and unique. And as you get to know more about the country and its people, the more you fell in love with it. The reason why I consider the Trails series as one of the greatest for me, is the WORLD that Falcom created. And I am happy that I have taken that plunge into Zemuria.

I like the part where the digimon has a digi-volution tree which can seemingly be switched on the fly.

The combat reminds of the Utawarerumono series, another great VN for those interested.

@RainbowGazelle I think it's safe to play Cold Steel 1-2 while you wait for Zero to come out

I might actually just do that.

@GorosBat I have not played Donganronpa, but the way you described the game makes me want to play it.

If you enjoyed mind-****ery and piecing stories together, I would recommend 13 Sentinels on your next to play. 13 Sentinels has an amazing story, meshed together with stunning visual art. One of the best modern VN I've ever read. I'd even say it's better than Steins Gate! Anyway - enjoy your play!

Odin Sphere on the PS4. I deeply enjoyed 13 Sentinels which I bought day one. Ever since then, I've been keeping an eye out on Odin Sphere, waiting for it to go on sale. This week, I bought it for $20 CAD.

Odin Sphere's story telling is very similar to 13 Sentinels, in that there are many flawed perspectives which makes up a broader narrative. It's up to the player - and with the guiding hand of the developers - to piece it this narrative together. I'm 1.5hrs in, and I'm having a great time! There are already hints of a greater conspiracy and characters with their own motivations. Can't wait to see how it all comes together.

Also - if none of you else have done it; I recommend playing 13 Sentinels. One of the best VN in recent time!

I'm excited for this new and fresh arc to the KH series.

In the years ahead, we'll piece together the mystery behind the enigmatic Masters of Masters.

I wonder if ND is developing a Destiny-like multiplayer set in the TLOU world.