zupertramp

@EvenStephen7 yeah honestly his answer makes me fairly nervous. Lol, too early to tell sounds like corporate speak for we're losing money but hope it turns around without us investing even more. like, I'm thinking, should I sell mine now and get out from under this time bomb. Because if game development starts to trail off considering how little is already offered, I'm not sure it's worth it.

@NoFaceBigFoot why would they? would it be a new reimagining of the super bowl?

@JohntheRaptor as someone who is not at all an expert I'm pretty sure that was Shang Tsung as the big bad. With Lui Kang having rebuilt the world peacefully and Shang coming in to defy that peace. Don't even know if Raiden was in trailer but again, I'm no expert.

@Nepp67 they're similar enough, you're good.

@Th3solution well she did admit she wasn't a gamer so her calling it a PS3 lines up. My wife called my PS4 a PS3 for years and things got even worse when I got a Pro. Just absolutely no clue.

Tried it earlier after missing previous beta. Kinda meh so far. Maybe I'm just burned out on Diablo.

@ztpayne7 @Cikajovazmaj I bought Soundfall some months back on sale and within half an hour was begging customer service for a refund so, imo, you really aren't missing out on much.

@Th3solution blasphemy! And here I thought you were a force for good around these parts.

@Dman10 you time a good throat clearing or cough to cover the beep. that's what I do anyway.

@Intr1n5ic yeah just days after getting blocked and he's out here saying they can't compete... does seem a little performative.

@GADG3Tx87 This really is the bottom line imo. Pretty much every Nintendo I ever owned was for like 1-2 Mario games (per device). That's it. I then bought other games to essentially justify having the console.

@Tharsman @LiamCroft idk, I bought an xbox when I couldn't get hold of a ps5 but eventually sold it because there's very little on offer outside of game pass. Was I going to abandon PlayStation entirely? Absolutely not but could it replace the Switch as my secondary or maybe just become my third console? The potential was there.

@Agramonte it's up to the consumer sure but it's still a non-stop upgrade path where previously, with consoles, that was not the nature of the business. There was no path for upgrades until the next cycle.

What you describe with PCs is yes a non-stop upgrade path whether every consumer buys the new part or not.

@Intr1n5ic I mean we're two years in and it already can't do 4k 60 for what amount to ps4 games. Like, do we need a more powerful console or just time to optimize games for the console that exists is kinda all I'm wondering. Yes, obviously down the road the specs will be grossly insufficient but should they already be? And if so, were consumers not somewhat mislead? So if anyone were asking my opinion, which they aren't, I'd say maybe let's not throw a 5 Pro into an already muddled generation.

But Sony will do what they do. Given the lack of enthusiasm for the PS4 pro, though, I'd be surprised if a PS5 Pro were in the cards. I've been wrong before.

@Intr1n5ic yes games will continue to get better whilst leaving the base PS5 behind. Just seems like a bizarre strategy. And absolutely anyone can buy whatever they want day 1 or day 2000... I guess what leaves me a little bewildered is selling a revamp 4 years into a console cycle that was hobbled for 2 years.

And idk, kinda feel like you're saying some consumers expected 4k/60fps on everything when they shouldn't have but also the console achieves what it claims it can do which is 4k/60fps. You don't see any room for misrepresentation there, depending on the consumer's knowledge?

@Intr1n5ic I'm thinking some of the distaste comes from having bought a system that was never fully utilized before a new system was available. That's, yeah, a bit of a blow. You waited out stock issues and scalpers and finally got your hands on the current gen and a year to year and a half later your console isn't really next gen at all. Meanwhile you got what, Demon Souls and Gotham Knights to show for it? If you don't see how that's kind of a kick in the teeth, idk man. Hell, I can easily afford a new console but geez I barely just got this one.

Also, Sony is banking on people's ignorance with their claims in regards to what the console can and can't do. I'm not sure I'd be too proud of taking their side on that strategy. Kind of with @NEStalgia on this one.

@Art_Vandelay yeah to be honest one of the reasons I haven't been too interested in the SW Jedi games is partly because I find the main character kind of bland. I guess that makes me a hypocrite but, idk, it doesn't have really much to do with his gender but maybe I'm just splitting hairs.

Deacon on the other hand seemed fine I just couldn't get into the game which seemed more a result of two fatigues coming together at once - zombies and open worlds.

This looks pretty bad honestly. Fairly cut and paste "scrawny underdog trains hard and overcomes" story. Looks like it exists for marketing purposes alone. Anyway I didn't have high hopes so no disappointment here.

Really not sure why you'd put a spoiler in the article though.

@Art_Vandelay ugh, now you're making me feel like I gotta go back and read all the articles related to that Jedi game but not looking forward to it. Kinda also didn't get into whatever game Deacon was in, I'm blanking on both games jeez. But yeah, fair point I guess. Though it's hard to compare when I don't follow either.

@NEStalgia "it really just feels like a generic 90's style rags to riches through sports story."

and unfortunately it's barely even that because, let's be real, he's not exactly hailing from east London. His dad was a professional footballer after all.

Thought i might entertain the idea of just getting the Ellie but not a fan of spending 1k+ for a favorite character to be all hunched over.

It'd definitely be cool to have them both and if someone handed them to me I'd totally take them but I'll just stick with my TLoU II Collector's Edition statue. And even that I got on clearance.

@get2sammyb 👍

Good article. I'd agree it's not a replacement. I actually think they've found a way to get us to pay for the opportunity to play games we wouldn't have bought otherwise, whilst still paying individually for the games we want. Which is definitely good for them but, as you mention, it's hard to get around to actually playing these subscription games so I'm not sure it's great for us but I guess if you have the money it's a nice supplement anyway.

@Smiffy01 yeah which is weird because the low (or perhaps average) framerate is the least of this game's problems honestly. they could patch for 60fps but it's still gonna be kinda boring.

@NEStalgia "Did you miss the FFXV launch?"

That's a resounding yes. So I'll take your word for it.

@AtlanteanMan they kinda made her gay in Forbidden West though.

That said I'd have been okay with her being largely asexual.

@nessisonett while I'm sure everything going on behind the scenes is technically impressive, I probably would not have really noticed them without the prior hub bub. But I think the way the whole environment works in concert to provide an immersive world is the seller.

@naruball I have no doubt it could easily run on the Switch as well. I mean it doesn't look that much better than Animal Crossing imo.

@kyleforrester87 Isn't the second comment doing just that? Not even sure to what trend they are referring and maybe it's more benign than I'm imagining but man the discourse around female characters gets tiring.

Idk, maybe I just have other stuff bothering me lol.

@kyleforrester87 even with a predominantly male demographic I find this obsession bizarre. And I'm not some kind of flaming feminist either. I just don't sit around giving a lot of thought to the minute details in a game character's appearance outside of "does the art look cool?" Like I give a **** what the mocap actor looks like. Idk, maybe I'm just a simpleton.

What is with all the nit-pickery regarding female protags? They're too feminine. They're not feminine enough. Their jaw line is wrong. Too hairy. Too ugly. Too plain. Can anyone imagine people analysing a male protagonist this much? Maybe I just don't notice but I feel like this never happens.

Edit: stupid swipe typing

Maybe it was the novelty of it but the first game didn't seem nearly as heavy handed in its messaging, whereas FW and Burning Shores seem to be really piling it on. Then there was the lack of chemistry in yet another potential 'ship (I swear there's been like 3 now and they all seemed more organic) along with some fairly cringe dialogue tbh. So that's the bad imo.

The good is that it was more robo dinosaur slaying in a beautiful future landscape. So there's that also. Still think the weapon/outfit upgrades are way too grindy but overall the gameplay itself is always a blast.

6.5 / 10 for me.

Never had any of these issues thankfully. Still a lot of what I call clipping though, especially when flying.

@kyleforrester87 yeah I could live with that assessment. though investing does allow one the ability to make money off existing capital, without much of a time sacrifice. But no I'm definitely not trying to live for work so he's got me beat there.

@kyleforrester87 can we agree he seems maybe only a tad above average in terms of intelligence? Like he's no Bill Gates or, and it pains me to say this, Mark Zuckerberg.

I take Nessi's "stupid" comment to be slightly hyperbolic. A comment to counter just how much praise Musk gets for seemingly very little in the way of results.

@dark_knightmare2 yeah I've run it on 2 different ps5s. and it may be bad luck as I know people in real life playing it that don't have these issues but it's no less frustrating. I still even have this quest that won't complete for the salvage contracts because it's glitched and just moments ago I was fighting the bilegut or whatever and it just straight vanished and seyka started talking like we beat it. Like bruh why is my game trash?

Love the game for the record just hate dealing with this buggy bs.

Have been diving back in the past couple days to reacquaint myself and try out the new DLC and both the base game and DLC are still a buggy mess for me so that's frustrating. Pop in all over the place (even in cut scenes along with stuff just moving/jumping around really weird). Robot dinos disappearing into nowhere in the middle of fights. Aloy still repeating things about an area even after you've already completed that story line.

It's pretty ridiculous. I thought after this much of a break and with all the updates the base game would at least be better. But nah.

Did the art style change slightly? Characters look different than I remember in the first, and not in a good way.

@Loamy I think we're definitely in some agree to disagree territory on how one approaches management of a mental illness but I do definitely appreciate the additional context. Reading all of the comments together, with all of the various levels of dismissal, I probably mistakenly lumped yours into that category.

Aaaand, having read up on phobias a little just now (and thus clearly being an expert 😋) apparently simple phobias are treated by way of the desensitization you are describing. So maybe there's less agreeing to disagree after all but I guess I am somewhat uncomfortable advising someone to kind of go half-cocked facing their fears without maybe some additional professional guidance.

I'm also realizing after reading up on this that maybe what I describe as something that causes extreme anxiety is, in fact, a phobia. So how about that.

Wow, not sure how anyone can be against an accessibility option but here we are.

@Loamy with respect, phobias are a form of mental illness and depending on their severity they may not be something you can just will yourself out of anymore than anorexia or schizophrenia. We're talking about debilitating fears for some people. Not sure why so many users are rushing to minimize that.

@nessisonett yeah I don't have any phobias really... Public speaking maybe. Though fwiw lightning is a little scary. But all my hangups are really anxiety and stress related. Like your fireworks scenario, I can totally relate but it's not out of fear but more an extreme discomfort. Same goes with crowds in general. Like I won't go shopping any time but the early morning for this reason.

Buttons though, that's a new one. My daughter has cynophobia which I imagine must really suck because dogs are the most revered creature in America so that basically means no one will ever be the least bit sympathetic about it.

That's cool. Even though I'm not plagued with this particular phobia I do find underwater gameplay mostly unfun if not down right anxiety inducing. Might give this a try depending on how much sea exploration is expected of me in the expansion.

Big question for me is, uh, why doesn't it have it and why are there no plans for it? That's a pretty essential feature if you ask me.

@ShadowofSparta I'd respond by saying there's a real difference between NPCs not speaking Elvish (when they could be) and asking people to pay up for gun sounds in COD. Like, again, Elvish - not exactly necessary. In the same way that it isn't necessary for everyone to be speaking French in The Last Duel, or Comanche in Prey.

But to answer your question if I find the bundles of any game to be gallingly nickel and dime I either buy the cheapest bundle or I just don't buy it at all. It's fairly easy not to play their game, both literally and figuratively.

I'm not so much defending this as I am registering my surprise at how up in arms everyone has gotten over this. It's VO work for NPCs in a game no one in this thread was gonna buy anyway.

@Jaz007 @Korgon yeah I was fairly certain even when posting those examples weren't great comparisons (but then neither is the Capcom example) and i'd also agree this decision is a bit nickel-and-dime-like. So I'll acknowledge some level of eye-rolling is a little warranted.

However, this is voiceover work that's just not that integral or necessary. It's only something a LOTR nerd would really appreciate. And it's bundled with other things that nerd was probably going to want anyway. And so it works more as value added to that bundle or DLC than taking away from main game. So I just cannot see getting worked up over this is all. It's such a minimal loss to the overall experience.

Honestly @burning_as_souls put it better in comment 33.

@Jaz007 @NoFaceBigFoot @Korgon Hard to come up with any concrete examples on the spot but I'll make up an imaginary scenario of a sports game selling a champions edition that includes previous era championship players but it costs more. Is that wrong?

I mean, I figure you care that much about the extra content or you don't. And then you can purchase whatever product you want accordingly. There's 3 price tiers for the new Diablo. I'm definitely in the standard version tier because I look at the extra content provided in the others and kind of chuckle, as I'm just not that into Diablo. But other people are and those options are there for them, but yeah they are more because you get more.

And with this game specifically. I'd be fine without the elvish-speaking NPCs so I wouldn't care about not having it. Which would save me money. Seems like a good thing.

Think people need a clarification that SEGA is buying Rovio and not just Angry Birds specifically.

Maybe I'm just as unmoored to popular sentiment as these devs but this doesn't seem at all that egregious. Resources went into hiring and recording elvish for NPCs that didn't really have to because the casual fan probably isn't going to care. For those who do care, however, there's an edition for that. And yeah it costs more, because, uh, there's more included.

What am I missing?

It's too expensive for me so it's gonna fail. Or I just have an inexplicable hatred for VR, so it's gonna fail. I'm quite sure it's one of these anyway.

@Tharsman given the original rumor, I'd be on board the hate train with everyone else if it were delayed a few months but like, stands to reason that if the rumor was only half true about how much of a delay we'd see maybe it's also not completely true about how much is changing.

Just seems bizarre to already write the game off when we really have no idea what'll happen by Feb '24. And that's assuming this is the last delay.

@havoc33 Also don't have a great opinion of the recent Ridley (alien?) films but I totally agree... like give us an end at least!