I thought the Gulf War entry was also Black Ops? Surely, Treyarch isn't making both, so is the 2024 game an Infinity Ward entry? If so, my hype levels just skyrocketed!
Never been super hot on the Treyarch games, but I must also confess that this adds to the confusion on how these three mainline studios are treated (Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer). If BO is a 2025 game, that provides Treyarch with 5 years of dev time between Cold War and this, while Sledge continues to get pummeled by the community as being the "worst" team, except they were only allowed a year and change to make MW3. Something definitely seems off...
@get2sammyb I think it depends on how you're defining "number 1." I think Insomniac is no doubt PlayStation's most lucrative and prolific studio this generation, but Naughty Dog remains PlayStation's most prestigious. If Insomniac wasn't working with an insanely successful third-party IP, would they be so important? No one can really say. But ND's own IP has generated a massive amount of buzz through cross-media without even needing to release a new game.
@NinjaNicky Many gamers who play now weren't playing CoD in 2009, so they're new maps to them. I'd also second @J_e_f_f__D in that most people also don't care about the campaign. BO4 didn't even have one. Also, CoD has best-in-class FPS gameplay, so the fact that it hasn't really changed since the 2019 MW is a good thing, in my book.
@get2sammyb At the very least, Sony should have a more hands-on approach to Bungie's operations. It's pretty clear that Bungie is floundering and maybe if they were more integrated into the PlayStation umbrella, there would be more opportunity for cross-studio support. This whole situation wreaks of Xbox's failed approach to studio "management."
@OmegaStriver "Beatings will continue until moral improves."
As a consumer, I would love this and would grab GP on Playstation as a no-brainer move, but, on the other hand, it kind of reads as Microsoft throwing in the towel on Xbox as a hardware platform. I know Xbox has really struggled to move units the past two generations, but it's going to take time to rebuild respect and trust after Xbox One. They have the resources to make it happen, but we just haven't seen much fruit from their vast array of studios. They need truly excellent games to compete with Playstation, not better hardware. The Series X is great, as far as platforms go, but the games just aren't there yet. I really hope they start churning out some excellent titles that make me jealous of the folks that own a Series. Where's Indiana Jones? Where's Fallout? Where's something NEW? Where's virtually anything that isn't developed by Obsidian??
Playstation needs a strong competitor to keep the pressure on and Nintendo isn't playing the same game. I worry for an industry if it really only has Playstation as the viable AAA couch machine.
@nessisonett I think Playstation's bet is a sort of "scatter-shot" approach. They've got 10 (theoretically) live-service games in various stages of production, but I don't think they're under the impression that they'll all succeed. They just need one big hit that will justify the expense of all the others, but they need to cast a wide net, since the live-service player base is incredibly hard to convert from one game to another.
I also think the majority of those live-service games aren't 1st party, so the general Playstation single-player pipeline is largely unaffected.
I haven't really played Destiny 2 since it's first year. I found much of the changes they made from Destiny 1 completely backwards and diminished much of my drive to play it. Every so often, I would try to jump back in, but since they switched to the free-to-play, seasonal model, I've found pretty much nothing to interest me. It's sooo bad at onboarding new or lapsed players.
That said, the foundation of the game is solid, so there are plenty of talented artists working on the game, but management seems to be completely detached from reality. There needs to be a serious shake up in the top brass and decision makers at the studio.
I probably sunk 1000 hours into Destiny 1 and countless more into Halo; even played a ton of Myth and Myth 2, back in the day. Bungie used to be one of my favorite studios, but I just can't understand the template they're using right now.
I really hope they use the Final Shape as the final DLC for Destiny 2. They need a hard reset. They're playing a game of attrition that no one can win.
@koverby Glad you're thinking about diving in! All hyperbole aside, it's a really special game and I think the plaudits are well deserved. Even 8 years on, it holds up remarkably well (especially with the current gen update).
@koverby Not sure how much sarcasm is in that question, but... incredibly biased opinion alert:
Yeah, if you like dark fantasy RPGs, then this is a must-play. No need to worry about Witcher 1 and 2, though. I started with 3 and it's my favorite game. If you do take the plunge, my recommendation is to take it slow. The game is just dripping with atmosphere and subtle story-telling in the environments. Got me hooked so badly that I went and read a bunch of the original books (which are treated as backstory for the game).
@ShogunRok This is exactly what I would want from Witcher 4. Geralt's story is over and Ciri has way too much power to make for an interesting and grounded RPG main character. I would love to create a custom character and select a school, similar to selecting a class architype, in other RPGs.
@AhmadSumadi I think you have your cake and eat it too. CDPR could very easily have a named character, but allow for build and appearance variety (like "V" in CP2077).
Dig it! Very reminiscent of the armor sets from the D1 Rise of Iron DLC. I like the Destiny aesthetic much more when they lean into the fantasy/medieval aspects. Destiny always struck me more as a fantasy game set in the future, rather than a sci-fi game. Haven't played Destiny in a few years, so they won't be seeing any money from me, but always happy to see Witcher stuff!
A bummer in the smallest sense, but oh well. @xDD90X The disappointment is just that some folks, myself included, sometimes like the new trophies as an added incentive to revisit an old game they love. I've platinumed the Witcher 3 twice now and am slowly working through the PS5 version for the 3rd. Would a lack of a new trophy set stop me from playing the Witcher 3? No. But it's a nice bonus.
@Reveluv Yeah I think I'll need to beat the Nameless one more time to get the plat, but I'm not too worried about it. I'm at the Abbey in NG++ and have gotten the parry rhythms pretty down at this point, but even without the perfect guards, the Aegis is nutso!
@CallMeDuraSouka I really hope Microsoft doesn't continue this trend with slave-driving Activision's flagship studios. If you ask me (which you didn't ), if Microsoft is determined to keep the annual release schedule for CoD, they should add Raven to the list of "mainline" CoD studios and give another year to each to make their games. I understand that all of the studios collaborate on each release to some extent, but the 3 year cycle is clearly not enough time anymore, especially if they're treating Treyarch with more reverence than Sledgehammer. I think it's pretty obvious that Treyarch missed their milestones again (see BO4's absent campaign) and Sledgehammer was left to pick up the slack. I personally find Treyarch's games uninspired and gunplay lacking, so I'm biased, but I just don't understand how they keep getting away with murder, but Sledge just keeps getting shafted.
Man, such a heartbreaking story for Sledgehammer. They keep getting the shaft in this rotation! I thought Advanced Warfare was actually a really great campaign (Spacey not withstanding) and showed what Sledgehammer can do when they're given the proper support they deserve. Activision should be ashamed of themselves for what they keep doing to this talented studio.
These teasers don't mean much to me. I actually really enjoyed Andromeda and think it unjustly gets a bad rap, but this new Mass Effect isn't even their next game! Put out Dragon Age before you start teasing the next project.
@NinjaNicky I think they're locked for the time being, but I wouldn't be surprised if they made the operators available via other means during the course of one of the seasons down the line. They did a similar tactic with MW2, where they locked all the campaign characters behind a special edition or bundle or some-such.
You're not wrong that this is probably the laziest CoD entry in some time, but I'll still have a good time playing. They probably would have charged $70 even if they kept it as official DLC anyway. That said, I don't think the graphics have gotten any better since MW 2019 and even got worse with Cold War, though that was probably a limitation of the Treyarch engine. But they all still look damn good and have best-in-class FPS gameplay.
@Dusk_Actual I don't typically go for MP plats anyway shrug.
@NinjaNicky Doesn't Destiny 2 charge $100 for their annual passes? Operator skins are meaningless to me, so that version is a hard pass as far as I'm concerned, but to each their own, I suppose. People spend $20 on a single Fortnite skin and the operator bundles in CoD are about the same. I see it as others subsidizing my game, so I don't spend as much. Remember when CoD charged for every map pack they dropped? At least they don't do that anymore.
@Nexozi I'm typically not a big fan of the Treyarch games, but I definitely see the appeal! I tend to favor the heavier gunplay of Infinity Ward games, but I know a ton of people prefer the more run-and-gun style of Treyarch.
@Jimboss You're completely right that it was originally planned as DLC, but $70 seems pretty appropriate for the amount of content that's being provided. Lots of players (including myself) didn't play MW2 MP back in the day, so most of the maps are new to me and many others. I dunno, it just seems like a pretty cynical outlook. If you don't want the game, that's totally cool; just don't ruin the fun for everyone else!
@Jimboss In your estimation, what makes this not a full release? Complete campaign, about 20 maps at launch, Zombies. Most regular players will easily get 50-100 hours of use out this purchase. Seems worthwhile to me!
I dunno about anyone else, but I'm actually pretty excited for this campaign; can't wait to get home from work to jump in!
I just beat MW2's campaign a few days ago and actually really enjoyed Vanguard's campaign, so I'm very interested to see Sledgehammer team up with Infinity Ward again for MW3 round two!
@Korgon I played a ton of D1 and fell off D2 within the first year or so. While I understand their commitment to a continued game platform, I think they probably should have come out with a D3 to reset the playing field. It would have made it a lot easier for new or lapsed players to get onboard and allow to fundamentally change bad/broken mechanics from one game to another. I imagine anyone who wanted to work on Halo has had every opportunity to move to 343, but given the state of that game, I don't think it would be any better. Here's hoping Marathon is the shot in the arm everyone needs. No doubt D2 is suffering because all the top talent is working on that instead of D2.
I'm legitimately confused by this whole situation.
1: Beyond getting incredibly minimal perks in-game, there doesn't seem to be any reason to preorder DLC.
2: Cancelling said preorder because layoffs "disrespect" their employees shows a fundamental ignorance regarding how businesses operate. Layoffs suck, but from the outside, we have no idea whether many of these positions were redundant or if the company became way too bloated from the pandemic boom (like a bazillion other companies had become - see X, Meta, Microsoft, etc.).
In my humble opinion, ignorant internet outrage has become so out of control. These little bubbles are so high on their own self-importance and virtue-signaling.
No point in a new unit, since I already have the OG version. I do like the redesign though and this is a great option for people picking up a PS5 for the first time.
That said, when the PS5 Pro is inevitably released, I'll be picking that up.
@MonkeyDLuffy19 I'd agree that licensing out titles to proven developers was a wise choice for Disney. Selfishly, I wish some of those developers were making their own IP, but I do understand the rationale. My argument was based on the premise that Disney would be reinvesting in developing their own titles and I'd rather them put in the legwork instead of just buying a developer that's not for sale.
@Godot25 I think that's a false premise. The easier option is to buy a studio or publisher. But "easier" does not equal "better" and "harder" does not equal "impossible." Yes, starting a studio is more work, but Disney has absurd resources and can hire plenty of people to staff up. Yes, it would take more time, but would be healthier in the long run. That way, if they fail, they don't close a studio or publisher that would still be around, had they not gobbled them up and mismanaged them.
@ShogunRok I think an important fact to keep in mind is that a heavy amount of those sales were made for a largely discounted product. While 25 million is a staggering statistic, regardless, I'm willing to bet that at least half of those sales, if not two-thirds, were made at $30. I, personally, pre-ordered at full price, but after the disastrous launch, I shelved my copy until the PS5 version was released the following year and when it did, they were selling it half off.
@Ravix @roe @lindos Yeah I love the Ergo recovery in this game, very forgiving. Even if you die on your way to getting them back, it'll still leave a bit left for the next attempt (I think maybe a 1/3 or 1/4 of the original amount). Not to mention, the Stargazers are typically (not always) placed pretty close to boss arenas, so there's not a ton of backtracking.
Not gonna lie, I'm rather excited for this. Lots of hate for CoD, but the gunplay is unmatched and the first few months of a new CoD are the best (before all the dumb gimmicky cosmetics and strats take hold). Ultimately, the quality of the game relies of the quality of the MP maps and Sledgehammer is a bit hit or miss, BUT, given that the original MW3 was Sledgehammer's first big contribution to CoD, I'm very curious to see what they do with this new iteration.
@Quadalog @RatmCky SPoB was the third game listed in the new releases this week on the PS5 store. I think it's likely that Sony's marketing arm has blacklisted Colin directly, but Lillymo is a different story. I also agree that the narrative has gotten exaggerated. I love LSM, but I'd wager if Colin stopped acting so bratty and stubborn about it, it would have blown over a long time ago.
@nomither6 In my opinion, MW 2019 was the best multiplayer suite the series has ever had. I still log in and play that game and so do many, many others. I agree that they should untether Warzone and MW2, but in all likelihood, they will. With Vanguard, you could segment what parts of the game you wanted installed, so I don't see why this would be any different. They'll likely have the same launcher, though.
@get2sammyb is it a deliberate subtlety that the headers and footers of the website change to the steel blue uncharted colors whenever it's the subject matter of the article? if so, kudos!
@Divergent95 I find the combat some of the most fun I've played in a game, but you have to approach it with a little more of a Soulsborne attitude. It's a lot of patience and timing, especially on the harder difficulties. On easier difficulties, it can feel stiff, since the instinct is to run in a hack away, but it definitely feels like it was designed for a more tactical approach.
Got the platinum once. Two trophies away from a second. You better believe I'll be getting the PS5 version! Very excited to see the new improvements (assuming 60 fps, ray-tracing, updated textures, instant load, etc?).
I think this is a real shame. I pre-ordered and haven't been disappointed. Sure, Infinity Ward remains the champ with regard to MP map design, but this is a really solid outing and is leaps ahead of Treyarch. The campaign was fun, if a bit short, but packed with jaw-dropping eye candy and great characters.
With Activision's MO being so numbers driven, I worry that this may be the last game Sledge fronts for while, despite the overall high quality.
@OMG_Waffles For the most part, I agree. Combat and movement were great in Andromeda. I think the story was decent though. Had more Star Trek vibes than Star Wars, so I think that rubbed people the wrong way, but I loved the idea of being an explorer in uncharted territory. It just got a little too bogged down in fetch quests and open world filler. I hope they go back to hub worlds with linear levels, since that seemed to have the best balance.
I pre-ordered and haven't been disappointed! I seem to be the minority where the thought of MW controls in a WW2 setting is perfect, to me. I don't care for Treyarch's entries, but Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer make some very solid campaigns (Infinite Warfare is my favorite). Not to mention, the MW game engine (used in Vanguard) facilitates the best feeling FPS gunplay in any game, bar none.
@naruball Let me know if any of these are ringing a bell...
Marvel's Spider-Man Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Marvel's Wolverine Marvel's Avengers Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel's Midnight Suns Marvel's Iron Man VR The dozens of Marvel characters in Fortnite and likely several more games than haven't even been announced yet...
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Re: Rumour: Call of Duty 2025 Will Return to a Near-Future Setting in Sequel to Black Ops 2
I thought the Gulf War entry was also Black Ops? Surely, Treyarch isn't making both, so is the 2024 game an Infinity Ward entry? If so, my hype levels just skyrocketed!
Never been super hot on the Treyarch games, but I must also confess that this adds to the confusion on how these three mainline studios are treated (Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer). If BO is a 2025 game, that provides Treyarch with 5 years of dev time between Cold War and this, while Sledge continues to get pummeled by the community as being the "worst" team, except they were only allowed a year and change to make MW3. Something definitely seems off...
Re: Naughty Dog Has 'More Than One' Ambitious PS5 Single Player Game on the Way
@get2sammyb I think it depends on how you're defining "number 1." I think Insomniac is no doubt PlayStation's most lucrative and prolific studio this generation, but Naughty Dog remains PlayStation's most prestigious. If Insomniac wasn't working with an insanely successful third-party IP, would they be so important? No one can really say. But ND's own IP has generated a massive amount of buzz through cross-media without even needing to release a new game.
Re: November 2023 Circana: PS5 Is Still in First, Call of Duty Sells Best
@NinjaNicky Many gamers who play now weren't playing CoD in 2009, so they're new maps to them. I'd also second @J_e_f_f__D in that most people also don't care about the campaign. BO4 didn't even have one. Also, CoD has best-in-class FPS gameplay, so the fact that it hasn't really changed since the 2019 MW is a good thing, in my book.
Re: 'Florida Joker' Would Like a Word Regarding That GTA 6 Reveal Trailer
@Deadlyblack This is America. You can sue anyone for anything. He won't win, though.
Re: Lead Bungie Staff Fear 'Total Sony Takeover' After Layoffs, Delays
@get2sammyb At the very least, Sony should have a more hands-on approach to Bungie's operations. It's pretty clear that Bungie is floundering and maybe if they were more integrated into the PlayStation umbrella, there would be more opportunity for cross-studio support. This whole situation wreaks of Xbox's failed approach to studio "management."
@OmegaStriver "Beatings will continue until moral improves."
Re: Poll: What Is Your PS5, PS4 Game of the Year 2023?
Doubt it would have won many votes, but CoD MW3 not being on the list is a little weird. That said, here we go:
1. Lies of P
2. Jedi: Survivor
3. Hogwarts Legacy
4. FF XVI
5. Diablo IV
Haven't played a lot of the others, but my top 3 I thought were all fantastic!
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1 Adds Metro System, On-Person Radio, Car Races, and Much More
Just got to the PL DLC in a new playthrough, so this is much appreciated! Can't wait to have a digital midlife crisis in that convertible Porsche!
Re: Microsoft Still Wants to Put Xbox Game Pass on PS5, PS4
As a consumer, I would love this and would grab GP on Playstation as a no-brainer move, but, on the other hand, it kind of reads as Microsoft throwing in the towel on Xbox as a hardware platform. I know Xbox has really struggled to move units the past two generations, but it's going to take time to rebuild respect and trust after Xbox One. They have the resources to make it happen, but we just haven't seen much fruit from their vast array of studios. They need truly excellent games to compete with Playstation, not better hardware. The Series X is great, as far as platforms go, but the games just aren't there yet. I really hope they start churning out some excellent titles that make me jealous of the folks that own a Series. Where's Indiana Jones? Where's Fallout? Where's something NEW? Where's virtually anything that isn't developed by Obsidian??
Playstation needs a strong competitor to keep the pressure on and Nintendo isn't playing the same game. I worry for an industry if it really only has Playstation as the viable AAA couch machine.
Re: Talking Point: Is Bungie Really the Right Developer to Aid Sony's Live-Service Push?
@nessisonett I think Playstation's bet is a sort of "scatter-shot" approach. They've got 10 (theoretically) live-service games in various stages of production, but I don't think they're under the impression that they'll all succeed. They just need one big hit that will justify the expense of all the others, but they need to cast a wide net, since the live-service player base is incredibly hard to convert from one game to another.
I also think the majority of those live-service games aren't 1st party, so the general Playstation single-player pipeline is largely unaffected.
Re: Talking Point: Is Bungie Really the Right Developer to Aid Sony's Live-Service Push?
I haven't really played Destiny 2 since it's first year. I found much of the changes they made from Destiny 1 completely backwards and diminished much of my drive to play it. Every so often, I would try to jump back in, but since they switched to the free-to-play, seasonal model, I've found pretty much nothing to interest me. It's sooo bad at onboarding new or lapsed players.
That said, the foundation of the game is solid, so there are plenty of talented artists working on the game, but management seems to be completely detached from reality. There needs to be a serious shake up in the top brass and decision makers at the studio.
I probably sunk 1000 hours into Destiny 1 and countless more into Halo; even played a ton of Myth and Myth 2, back in the day. Bungie used to be one of my favorite studios, but I just can't understand the template they're using right now.
I really hope they use the Final Shape as the final DLC for Destiny 2. They need a hard reset. They're playing a game of attrition that no one can win.
Re: The Witcher 4 Is Now CD Projekt Red's Main Focus as Work Wraps Up on Cyberpunk 2077
@koverby Glad you're thinking about diving in! All hyperbole aside, it's a really special game and I think the plaudits are well deserved. Even 8 years on, it holds up remarkably well (especially with the current gen update).
Re: The Witcher 4 Is Now CD Projekt Red's Main Focus as Work Wraps Up on Cyberpunk 2077
@Areus They outsourced that to another studio.
Re: The Witcher 4 Is Now CD Projekt Red's Main Focus as Work Wraps Up on Cyberpunk 2077
@koverby Not sure how much sarcasm is in that question, but... incredibly biased opinion alert:
Yeah, if you like dark fantasy RPGs, then this is a must-play. No need to worry about Witcher 1 and 2, though. I started with 3 and it's my favorite game. If you do take the plunge, my recommendation is to take it slow. The game is just dripping with atmosphere and subtle story-telling in the environments. Got me hooked so badly that I went and read a bunch of the original books (which are treated as backstory for the game).
Re: The Witcher 4 Is Now CD Projekt Red's Main Focus as Work Wraps Up on Cyberpunk 2077
@ShogunRok This is exactly what I would want from Witcher 4. Geralt's story is over and Ciri has way too much power to make for an interesting and grounded RPG main character. I would love to create a custom character and select a school, similar to selecting a class architype, in other RPGs.
@AhmadSumadi I think you have your cake and eat it too. CDPR could very easily have a named character, but allow for build and appearance variety (like "V" in CP2077).
Re: Alright, Destiny 2's Witcher 3 Crossover Armour Is Cool
Dig it! Very reminiscent of the armor sets from the D1 Rise of Iron DLC. I like the Destiny aesthetic much more when they lean into the fantasy/medieval aspects. Destiny always struck me more as a fantasy game set in the future, rather than a sci-fi game. Haven't played Destiny in a few years, so they won't be seeing any money from me, but always happy to see Witcher stuff!
Re: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Won't Have Its Own Separate Trophy List on PS5
A bummer in the smallest sense, but oh well. @xDD90X The disappointment is just that some folks, myself included, sometimes like the new trophies as an added incentive to revisit an old game they love. I've platinumed the Witcher 3 twice now and am slowly working through the PS5 version for the 3rd. Would a lack of a new trophy set stop me from playing the Witcher 3? No. But it's a nice bonus.
Re: Lies of P's Latest PS5, PS4 Update Adds Costumes and Makes Big Balancing Changes
@Reveluv Yeah I think I'll need to beat the Nameless one more time to get the plat, but I'm not too worried about it. I'm at the Abbey in NG++ and have gotten the parry rhythms pretty down at this point, but even without the perfect guards, the Aegis is nutso!
Re: Lies of P's Latest PS5, PS4 Update Adds Costumes and Makes Big Balancing Changes
Nooooooo! They fixed the Aegis glitch. Guess I'll have to get good again XD
Re: Players Want Modern Warfare 3's Wonderfully Camouflaged 'Groot' Skin Pulled
@Flaming_Kaiser It's a pun... "I don't see the issue."
Re: Maligned Modern Warfare 3 Developed in Just 18 Months, Staff Required to Work Nights and Weekends
@CallMeDuraSouka I really hope Microsoft doesn't continue this trend with slave-driving Activision's flagship studios. If you ask me (which you didn't ), if Microsoft is determined to keep the annual release schedule for CoD, they should add Raven to the list of "mainline" CoD studios and give another year to each to make their games. I understand that all of the studios collaborate on each release to some extent, but the 3 year cycle is clearly not enough time anymore, especially if they're treating Treyarch with more reverence than Sledgehammer. I think it's pretty obvious that Treyarch missed their milestones again (see BO4's absent campaign) and Sledgehammer was left to pick up the slack. I personally find Treyarch's games uninspired and gunplay lacking, so I'm biased, but I just don't understand how they keep getting away with murder, but Sledge just keeps getting shafted.
Re: Maligned Modern Warfare 3 Developed in Just 18 Months, Staff Required to Work Nights and Weekends
Man, such a heartbreaking story for Sledgehammer. They keep getting the shaft in this rotation! I thought Advanced Warfare was actually a really great campaign (Spacey not withstanding) and showed what Sledgehammer can do when they're given the proper support they deserve. Activision should be ashamed of themselves for what they keep doing to this talented studio.
Re: The Battle for Game of the Year in a Superb 2023 Begins on Monday
I think Baldur's Gate 3 will ultimately get the nod, but my personal GotY is Lies of P. Currently on NG++ and haven't gotten tired of it yet!
Re: Next Mass Effect Gets New Teaser, Featuring a Masked N7 Character
These teasers don't mean much to me. I actually really enjoyed Andromeda and think it unjustly gets a bad rap, but this new Mass Effect isn't even their next game! Put out Dragon Age before you start teasing the next project.
Re: Campaign Early Access for Modern Warfare 3 Available Now on PS5, PS4
@NinjaNicky I think they're locked for the time being, but I wouldn't be surprised if they made the operators available via other means during the course of one of the seasons down the line. They did a similar tactic with MW2, where they locked all the campaign characters behind a special edition or bundle or some-such.
You're not wrong that this is probably the laziest CoD entry in some time, but I'll still have a good time playing. They probably would have charged $70 even if they kept it as official DLC anyway. That said, I don't think the graphics have gotten any better since MW 2019 and even got worse with Cold War, though that was probably a limitation of the Treyarch engine. But they all still look damn good and have best-in-class FPS gameplay.
Re: Campaign Early Access for Modern Warfare 3 Available Now on PS5, PS4
@Dusk_Actual I don't typically go for MP plats anyway shrug.
@NinjaNicky Doesn't Destiny 2 charge $100 for their annual passes? Operator skins are meaningless to me, so that version is a hard pass as far as I'm concerned, but to each their own, I suppose. People spend $20 on a single Fortnite skin and the operator bundles in CoD are about the same. I see it as others subsidizing my game, so I don't spend as much. Remember when CoD charged for every map pack they dropped? At least they don't do that anymore.
@Nexozi I'm typically not a big fan of the Treyarch games, but I definitely see the appeal! I tend to favor the heavier gunplay of Infinity Ward games, but I know a ton of people prefer the more run-and-gun style of Treyarch.
@MFTWrecks Good thing I don't read Reddit!
Re: Campaign Early Access for Modern Warfare 3 Available Now on PS5, PS4
@Jimboss You're completely right that it was originally planned as DLC, but $70 seems pretty appropriate for the amount of content that's being provided. Lots of players (including myself) didn't play MW2 MP back in the day, so most of the maps are new to me and many others. I dunno, it just seems like a pretty cynical outlook. If you don't want the game, that's totally cool; just don't ruin the fun for everyone else!
Re: Campaign Early Access for Modern Warfare 3 Available Now on PS5, PS4
@Jimboss In your estimation, what makes this not a full release? Complete campaign, about 20 maps at launch, Zombies. Most regular players will easily get 50-100 hours of use out this purchase. Seems worthwhile to me!
Re: Campaign Early Access for Modern Warfare 3 Available Now on PS5, PS4
I dunno about anyone else, but I'm actually pretty excited for this campaign; can't wait to get home from work to jump in!
I just beat MW2's campaign a few days ago and actually really enjoyed Vanguard's campaign, so I'm very interested to see Sledgehammer team up with Infinity Ward again for MW3 round two!
Re: Destiny 2 Fans Demand Refunds for Next DLC After Bungie Layoffs
@Korgon I played a ton of D1 and fell off D2 within the first year or so. While I understand their commitment to a continued game platform, I think they probably should have come out with a D3 to reset the playing field. It would have made it a lot easier for new or lapsed players to get onboard and allow to fundamentally change bad/broken mechanics from one game to another. I imagine anyone who wanted to work on Halo has had every opportunity to move to 343, but given the state of that game, I don't think it would be any better. Here's hoping Marathon is the shot in the arm everyone needs. No doubt D2 is suffering because all the top talent is working on that instead of D2.
Re: Destiny 2 Fans Demand Refunds for Next DLC After Bungie Layoffs
I'm legitimately confused by this whole situation.
1: Beyond getting incredibly minimal perks in-game, there doesn't seem to be any reason to preorder DLC.
2: Cancelling said preorder because layoffs "disrespect" their employees shows a fundamental ignorance regarding how businesses operate. Layoffs suck, but from the outside, we have no idea whether many of these positions were redundant or if the company became way too bloated from the pandemic boom (like a bazillion other companies had become - see X, Meta, Microsoft, etc.).
In my humble opinion, ignorant internet outrage has become so out of control. These little bubbles are so high on their own self-importance and virtue-signaling.
Re: It's True! Lies of P Sales Surpass One Million Units
Well deserved! I've been loving this game; almost done with my NG+ playthrough. Very much looking forward to DLC or a sequel down the line.
Re: Poll: Will You Be Buying a PS5 'Slim'?
No point in a new unit, since I already have the OG version. I do like the redesign though and this is a great option for people picking up a PS5 for the first time.
That said, when the PS5 Pro is inevitably released, I'll be picking that up.
Re: Lords of the Fallen PS5 Trailer Will Make a Blasphemer of You Yet
Not going to watch the trailer because I'm already sold on the game; can't wait to jump in. Man, what a great year for Soulsborne fans!
Re: Disney CEO Reportedly Being Pressured to Double Down on Gaming
@MonkeyDLuffy19 I'd agree that licensing out titles to proven developers was a wise choice for Disney. Selfishly, I wish some of those developers were making their own IP, but I do understand the rationale. My argument was based on the premise that Disney would be reinvesting in developing their own titles and I'd rather them put in the legwork instead of just buying a developer that's not for sale.
Re: Disney CEO Reportedly Being Pressured to Double Down on Gaming
@Godot25 I think that's a false premise. The easier option is to buy a studio or publisher. But "easier" does not equal "better" and "harder" does not equal "impossible." Yes, starting a studio is more work, but Disney has absurd resources and can hire plenty of people to staff up. Yes, it would take more time, but would be healthier in the long run. That way, if they fail, they don't close a studio or publisher that would still be around, had they not gobbled them up and mismanaged them.
Re: Disney CEO Reportedly Being Pressured to Double Down on Gaming
Here's a novel idea - how about Disney founds a studio to make great games instead of buying an entire publisher? Just a thought... I know it's crazy.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Sales Top a Staggering 25 Million as Phantom Liberty Hits 3 Million in a Week
@ShogunRok I think an important fact to keep in mind is that a heavy amount of those sales were made for a largely discounted product. While 25 million is a staggering statistic, regardless, I'm willing to bet that at least half of those sales, if not two-thirds, were made at $30. I, personally, pre-ordered at full price, but after the disastrous launch, I shelved my copy until the PS5 version was released the following year and when it did, they were selling it half off.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Lies of P?
@Ravix @roe @lindos Yeah I love the Ergo recovery in this game, very forgiving. Even if you die on your way to getting them back, it'll still leave a bit left for the next attempt (I think maybe a 1/3 or 1/4 of the original amount). Not to mention, the Stargazers are typically (not always) placed pretty close to boss arenas, so there's not a ton of backtracking.
Re: Official Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Reveal Expected Next Week
Not gonna lie, I'm rather excited for this. Lots of hate for CoD, but the gunplay is unmatched and the first few months of a new CoD are the best (before all the dumb gimmicky cosmetics and strats take hold). Ultimately, the quality of the game relies of the quality of the MP maps and Sledgehammer is a bit hit or miss, BUT, given that the original MW3 was Sledgehammer's first big contribution to CoD, I'm very curious to see what they do with this new iteration.
Re: Mini Review: Super Perils of Baking (PS5) - Charming Old School Platformer Rises to the Occasion
@Quadalog @RatmCky SPoB was the third game listed in the new releases this week on the PS5 store. I think it's likely that Sony's marketing arm has blacklisted Colin directly, but Lillymo is a different story. I also agree that the narrative has gotten exaggerated. I love LSM, but I'd wager if Colin stopped acting so bratty and stubborn about it, it would have blown over a long time ago.
Re: Warzone 2.0 is Coming in 2022, Available on PS5, PS4
@nomither6 In my opinion, MW 2019 was the best multiplayer suite the series has ever had. I still log in and play that game and so do many, many others. I agree that they should untether Warzone and MW2, but in all likelihood, they will. With Vanguard, you could segment what parts of the game you wanted installed, so I don't see why this would be any different. They'll likely have the same launcher, though.
Re: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Forces PS4 Players to Buy Cross-Gen Bundle
Not really sure what the big deal is here. $70 for a game these days is perfectly reasonable.
Re: The Witcher Dev Wants to Make Something Extraordinary with Unreal Engine 5
@AhmadSumadi Same! Please, CDPR, take your time and don't release the game until it's ready!
Re: Uncharted Movie Director Wants to Recreate A Thief's End's Car Chase in Sequel
@get2sammyb is it a deliberate subtlety that the headers and footers of the website change to the steel blue uncharted colors whenever it's the subject matter of the article? if so, kudos!
Re: The Witcher 3 PS5 Targets Q2 2022 Release Date
@Divergent95 I find the combat some of the most fun I've played in a game, but you have to approach it with a little more of a Soulsborne attitude. It's a lot of patience and timing, especially on the harder difficulties. On easier difficulties, it can feel stiff, since the instinct is to run in a hack away, but it definitely feels like it was designed for a more tactical approach.
Re: The Witcher 3 PS5 Targets Q2 2022 Release Date
Got the platinum once. Two trophies away from a second. You better believe I'll be getting the PS5 version! Very excited to see the new improvements (assuming 60 fps, ray-tracing, updated textures, instant load, etc?).
Re: Call of Duty: Vanguard Reportedly Has Series' Worst UK Launch in 14 Years
I think this is a real shame. I pre-ordered and haven't been disappointed. Sure, Infinity Ward remains the champ with regard to MP map design, but this is a really solid outing and is leaps ahead of Treyarch. The campaign was fun, if a bit short, but packed with jaw-dropping eye candy and great characters.
With Activision's MO being so numbers driven, I worry that this may be the last game Sledge fronts for while, despite the overall high quality.
Re: Mass Effect Will Continue Declares New N7 Day Artwork
@OMG_Waffles For the most part, I agree. Combat and movement were great in Andromeda. I think the story was decent though. Had more Star Trek vibes than Star Wars, so I think that rubbed people the wrong way, but I loved the idea of being an explorer in uncharted territory. It just got a little too bogged down in fetch quests and open world filler. I hope they go back to hub worlds with linear levels, since that seemed to have the best balance.
Re: Poll: Did You Buy Call of Duty: Vanguard?
I pre-ordered and haven't been disappointed! I seem to be the minority where the thought of MW controls in a WW2 setting is perfect, to me. I don't care for Treyarch's entries, but Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer make some very solid campaigns (Infinite Warfare is my favorite). Not to mention, the MW game engine (used in Vanguard) facilitates the best feeling FPS gunplay in any game, bar none.
Re: Studio Led by Amy Hennig Making a Marvel Game
@naruball Let me know if any of these are ringing a bell...
Marvel's Spider-Man
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Marvel's Wolverine
Marvel's Avengers
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel's Midnight Suns
Marvel's Iron Man VR
The dozens of Marvel characters in Fortnite
and likely several more games than haven't even been announced yet...