Topic: What PS3 game(s) are you currently playing?

@RogerRoger it's funny you mention Undertale. I've obviously not played it but it is on my radar from game club but it's a game I get consistently mixed up with two other Indies Hollow Knight and Downwell. God knows why. But that's kind of my point, is that they look so similar that individual games don't often stick out. I know I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover though! I think I can be a bit frightened by having a less than fervent opinion sometimes! I normally just eject myself from such conversations so as not to dampen the excitement for others or to not attract the wrath of the maniacally passionate 😅.

I've just cross referenced my list with other platforms and most of them are available on steam or other platforms so I am not too fussed about them. Invizimals is available for £4 at CEX and I can't see myself wanting to buy that anyway.

So I've got 2 games to look into tonight, possibly 3. Monster Jam Battlegrounds doesn't appear to be available anywhere else. Should be a quick one to check out. Spelunker HD appears to be a PS3 exclusive. I will play those tonight. If I get time then I will play/try Element4l on Vita, it's available on steam but not sure if it's a touch screen game so might be better on Vita.

The only other outlier is Space Hulk on Vita which is an adaptation of the Warhammer tabletop game or something. That was a weird one because it got removed from my download list so it's the only game I had to transfer from PS3 (that file is now gone as it's a one way ticket). I honestly can't see myself enjoying it though and I can't buy it anyway so it's something that can wait until my next sub.

Actually the sub has gone prematurely so I won't be trying out any more games. All done then! Guess I can start working on some more modern games now lol.

I still have some housekeeping to do in terms of buying games that I wanted but yeah, I'm pretty happy with what I managed to achieve there.

This should probably go in the PS Plus Thread but yeah:

The top two pages are predominantly PS3 and PS Vita games.

Green is finished - whether it's played and I don't want to buy it or not played but I've bought it or got it for free somewhere else.

Orange is to buy - not bought yet basically.

And Pink means that it's either on game pass or claimed through games with gold i.e. there's a time limit on playing it but on a different sub

Also I wrote some notes on the PS3/Vita section today to tell me where else the games may be available, for reference

Edit 1: Ummmm, that's weird my PS3 just let me open a PS Plus game but a bunch of them wouldn't work 🤔...must investigate further....

Edit 2: looks like it might be a bit of a headache. The games I can open are still available in the store to buy. I'll probably buy the ones I wanted just in case this extended access is just a glitch or something

Edit 3: I've got Anna (7.99), Eat Them! (3.29) and Tokyo Jungle (9.99) in my basket. Also the DLC for Tokyo Jungle. I thought that was going to be pricey because there are 19 "add ons" but there is a bundle that includes the lot for £3.29. but yeah, it looks like that's all I wanted in terms of ps plus games that I haven't been able to buy so far, not bad really, not too expensive in the end...

I might wait and see if top up credit goes on sale during days of play. I've got no idea if there is precedent for that as I only started buying the cheaper top up credits recently!

Edit 4: and this one is for @RogerRoger . I forgot another indie game that I really liked and it was purely because of the live action cutscenes. But it was called Roundabout on PS4. I just loved all the cutscenes in it!

@RogerRoger haha you should see my Xbox achievements list. They give you weekly monetary incentives for just booting games up. It's not much but it adds up, I've got around a £75 gift card over the last 5 months. Just going to keep going for a couple more years until I have enough for a Series X I think because I like it when games pay for themselves lol. So yeah, my achievements list is just a bunch of games I'll never play with 0 gamerscore 😅

To be fair though, I care slightly more about trophies. Probably because I have more of them but still, I won't bother getting them all unless I've accrued a healthy amount through natural game play. Even then, I won't to do the grindy ones. I just checked my profile and I've got 15 Platinums and the only game where I had to do more than play the game once or pick up a few extra collectibles was Shadow of the Tomb Raider which I played again on extra hard mode. But it was quick because I was fully upgraded in new game plus and skipped all the cutscenes, collectibles and map completion that I'd already done on medium.

I guess my OCD is picturing all of your unclaimed PS Plus games 😂. Just kidding of course, I admire your restraint in the face of a "tragedy of the commons" situation. It's beneficial in many ways to never take more than you need as is evidenced by my backlog/spreadsheet fiasco!

Roundabout is a weird one, the game itself is pretty annoying but quite funny still. I am just in love with it because of the cut scenes.

@RogerRoger haha it's pretty decent I think. I originally bought a One X in late 2019 (heavily discounted) just because I wanted to try out the Xbox exclusives like Halo and Gears of War. While I ended up finding those games a huge drag, I have discovered a couple of truly amazing games like Forza Horizon 4 and 3 and Ori and the Blind Forest. So I don't regret my purchase in any way.

I feel like it's the gift that keeps on giving as well. Through a promotion I ended up getting 2 and a half years of game pass ultimate for £73 when the RRP for that much GPU is something like £330. Having GPU allows you to claim more reward points and I'm pretty sure (I haven't done the exact calculations), that you could actually just keep exchanging your reward points for more months of GPU and never have to pay for it again. I've started the multi year task of saving my points for a Series X though so I probably won't get any free GPU out of it! I've discovered quite a few games I wouldn't buy normally through it too such as Yakuza and other things. I definitely wouldn't pay full price for it but I think it's more than worth it at the reduced rate.

I'm nowhere near being a convert but I do see the value in the system if you are clever about it. I'll always be multiplatform and wouldn't turn my nose up at a good deal on a PS5. I did originally get my PS3 from coke zone points after all! That was a lot of diet coke I got through back at uni 😅. I normally buy multiplats on Xbox now though just because it's the mid gen upgrade whereas I only have the base (MGSV branded of course!) PS4. Having said that, I do have tons of backlogged PS4 games I'm yet to get through, both multiplat and exclusive.

I don't remember the turkey thing in Shadow, it really wasn't hard though and I normally balk at the difficulty of some games! I know Shadow gets slated and I have my own criticisms of the story and Lara herself but I really enjoyed the actual gameplay of it. I particularly really liked the natural and achievable collectibles and map completion. It's a bit like Insomniac's Spider-Man in that respect.

They are kind of self-aware cheesy. I do like live action cut scenes in stuff like Command and Conquer ("from God, to Kane, to Seth" is a frequent quote in my household 😂). I'll send you a PSN message about it I think and explain all 🤔.

I actually bought bulletstorm when they added that Duke Nukem expansion thing, haven't even got around to playing it yet though!

@RogerRoger no worries 👍. I haven't actually played red alert 3 because I never had a good enough computer. Anyway, be well!

I have seen that clip though (probably from one of your previous posts) and it still makes me laugh!

@ralphdibny @RogerRoger Just butting in here to drop my obligatory daily Control praise 😜, but it probably has the best live action cutscene integration of any game I’ve played (not that there’s a lot of competition in that regard).
The live action scenes are mostly shown on TV clips and film clips that you come across within the game’s native graphical environment, as well as background overlays of shadows of the actors, etc. It all runs pretty seamless like it’s part of the scenery and there were moments early on when I was like, “Is that live action or CG?” while I was playing.
Apparently Remedy employs the live action parts in their other games too, so it may just be their calling card as a studio. It takes a specific type of acting and transition to make it not look super cheesy and they seem to pull it off well.

I haven’t played Roundabout but I have a morbid curiosity every time I scroll past it on my list of copious PS Plus games in my library (yes, I too am a PS Plus game hoarder). The screenshots of the game look so incredibly campy and ridiculous, it looks like the costuming and character design of a grade school theater performance. 😅
Even full live action games struggle to keep an ambiance of realism — Erica and The Bunker are two of most recent of such games I’ve played and although I enjoy them for what they are, there’s always a qualifier. “The acting is good, for a live-action video game...”

@Th3solution the first method about live action being on TV screens was used in remedys old game Alan Wake actually! The second method with the live action overlayed on the game was used in Hellblade Senua's sacrifice...I think... like you, I was a bit confused as to whether it was live action or CGI and I don't think I ever looked it up.

Did you play control on base PS4 or PS4 pro or PS5 our of interest? I just wondering because that game is in my pipeline at some point and I don't know whether to play the PS Plus copy (if I resubscribe) on my base PS4 because it includes both DLCs or whether to play the game pass version on one X where I'd have to pay for the DLC (don't want to buy DLC for a game I don't own). I just heard it was buggy/rubbish framerate on base PS4 and I also understand that it's the sort of DLC that you'd have to progress through the main game to actually play so I couldn't play main game on Xbox and switch to PS4 for DLC

Might be worth checking out Roundabout if you get some time. It's a bit of a throwaway game so it wouldn't take long to check out but you might get hooked!

@ralphdibny I’m playing Control: The Ultimate Edition on PS5. It’s basically been without any noticeable flaws as it relates to frame rate or technical function. I’m finishing up the 2nd of the two DLC packs, ‘The Foundation’, and for the first time in about 40 gameplay hours I noticed my first frame stutter when panning across a particular destructible barrier that is unique to the DLC. It was strange, but literally the first time I’ve noticed any performance issue and there is often multiple enemies, flying objects, and copious particle effects and destructible environments all on screen during chaotic combat sections. I think that’s when the base PS4 struggled is during these regular battles and I heard it pretty much ruined the experience for many PS4 players. Not sure how well it performs on PS4 Pro. The PS5 version has been fantastic though and I’m playing it on 30fps with ray-tracing rather than the other option for 60fps performance mode because I just love the pretty reflections and special sheen on the glossy surfaces that the RT provides. 😄

The DLC is actually better than I expected because some people have said they didn’t care for it, but The Foundation is a whole new underground cave section with an interesting storyline that is only accessible after completing the main game. AWE is the other DLC where they integrate Alan Wake and it actually can be played during the latter part of the main campaign, it unlocks about halfway through the main story, but is probably the toughest part of the game and has imo the toughest boss battle so is best done toward the end when you’re more fully leveled. So ... yes, there really isn’t a way to play the main game on Xbox and then jump in for DLC in PS4.
It probably just all depends on how sensitive you are to frame rate drops. If you’re not one to be bothered by hiccups now and then you might get along fine with the base PS4 version. If you have plans to obtain a PS5 though then it would be worth the wait for the smoother experience.

@Th3solution cheers, that's a decent run down of the game!

They had the season pass on sale for £6 on Xbox a little while back. My rule is not to buy DLC for games I dont own but if it's on sale for £6 again in future, I might just do it, the One X has gotta be better than base PS4 for playing a demanding game surely. But yeah could be some time before I get around to it anyway!

@ralphdibny One option could be to do one of your brief trials of the free PS Plus version on your PS4, then if it seems to resonate wel with you in the opening hour or two then you can commit to buying the DLC and just switch over to the XB1 version, because yes, I assume it’s more stable than base PS4.

@Th3solution yeah could do that! Anything could happen tbh. Depends on if the plus sub goes on sale in the next couple of days, next couple of months or not at all! You never know, I might find that it plays fine on PS4 if they've patched it and not worry about switching consoles. Or I might find ps plus hasn't gone on sale and Xbox is my only option 😅

@ralphdibny Ah, yeah — I forgot when your Plus sub expires then you lose access. 😅

Speaking of — you probably know but apparently CD keys always has PS+ at a discount. Like you, I always just keep my eyes peeled for an official sale during Days of Play or Black Friday and just stack subs when I find a decent price, but I think CD keys is always about 10-20% less. Ebay also apparently sells codes a little cheaper, but I’ve never tried them either.

Edit: correction — a year is actually at a 40% discount on the site right now. (U.S.) $38 as opposed to $60 for a year.

@Th3solution cheers for the heads up! I normally get the code from shopto.net because it's usually even cheaper than cdkeys over here. Of course days of play discounts it even further so it goes from £50 down to £30 at shop to. Just waiting to see if it does it this time! So yeah I stack the official sale with the "grey" market discount for ultimate discounts 😅. It's not even grey market though, shopto is a legitimate online store lol

@RogerRoger cheers 👍 and no worries! I do a bit of both, live chat and leave for another day. Depends how much procrastination I am doing in real life I think 😅

Yeah I don't think game pass would be worth it for me at £13 a month or whatever it is. I know people think it's "amazing value" but I don't share their opinion. I think it's good value if you can get it on the cheap but full price...nah, not for me!

I probably spend more time than it's worth looking for discounts but on the other hand I guess they come up when I'm doing something I'd be doing already. When I first got the Xbox, I thought the rewards sounded like too much effort but then the pandemic hit and I was gaming every day so I thought I might as well take advantage of it since I'm on the Xbox anyway. Once I started as well, I realised it's actually very little effort. Maybe one day a week is about half an hour but then it's basically a couple minutes a day after that. I suppose it is a bit of a chore sometimes if I'm about to play a different console and I remember I have to boot up the Xbox for ten minutes or so to claim daily rewards but I guess there's a psychology to it that keeps me motivated in some ways.

I will certainly let you know about Bulletstorm if I ever get around to it! I can't imagine it's going to be amazing, I literally only bought it for the Duke Nukem makeover!

@RogerRoger I’m really hoping to be cast in a live action role in Control 2. Maybe if I promote the game enough I’ll get noticed. 😂

@RogerRoger 😂 I have Duke Nukem 3D on PS4, Switch and Xbox as well as various versions/packages for PC. Don't think I've played much of the modern ports but I used to play it loads when I was a kid along with Sim City 2000 and command and conquer. I have been thinking about playing it lately though now I am free from the Plus sub! Currently I'm working my way through Yakuza Kiwami on game pass and then I think I'll finally do the DLC for Insomniac's Spiderman and move on to Miles Morales which arrived in the post today.

I don't think I think a lot about where I'm gaming per say. My only considerations are the controller where stuff like Tony Hawk's and crash bandicoot etc are going to be better on PS4 because it has a far superior d-pad to Xbox and also the quality of the game where a multiplat will perform better on the mid gen upgrade Xbox as opposed to base PS4. Weirdly, despite owning tons of games for it, I barely play the Switch. I'm sure I will get a hankering for it again some day though!

I try to avoid the live service games as much as possible after my 8 month addiction to crash team racing 😅. I was a wreck trying to make the most of "wumpa time" by staying up until the early hours on a Sunday before work, trying to hit monthly targets to unlock decals. I guess I'm glad I now have a "complete" version of the game because of it but it really put me off buying something like The Avengers (bad word of mouth be damned!). The main reason is I just didn't want to play another time sink with limited time objectives!

But yeah, pretty much the only reason I've been gaming so much this last year is because I've had the time because of the pandemic. I was rubbish at keeping up with things in the "before times" 😂. I think that's why I have such a huge backlog. Of course playing games makes you want more games so I keep steadily adding to it!

I've gone ahead and bought some PS3 stuff off the store

• Bentley's Hack pack
• Divekick
• Tokyo Jungle + DLC
• House of the Dead Bundle
• Eat Them!
• Anna Extended Edition
• Portal 2 DLC (ps move)
• echochrome 1+2 - bit random but they look like my sort of game!

I've seen a few other bits and bobs. I'm running through the games A-Z until the store crashes, currently I've finished looking up to F. Just making notes on anything that stands out. There's been a few things but they are obviously a bit of a stretch if I didn't add them to my basket right away.

@RogerRoger I'm not sure what you mean about dissuading me, surely nothing can dissuade me from Spider-Man!

Though to be fair, I still haven't finished Yakuza Kiwami which is my current game and now I've got two game clubs come up at once and while I'm not as busy as last month, I still do have real life stuff booked in and I'm feeling the pressure 😅. I'm quite keen to do Subnautica because I really can't see myself playing it on my own steam and I took May off of the Pure Xbox game club so I feel like I should really do June's game. So my spider-man's may end up on the back burner anyway 🤦‍♂️

I think we discussed our mobile games before actually, I seem to remember you bringing up that star Wars game. My ones were originally The Simpsons Tapped Out! and subsequently Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. I'm so glad I managed to bin them off though!

@RogerRoger haha no worries, I get what you mean now. I was probably thinking of dissuade purely as an antonym for persuade but I suppose either could be used as synonyms for "keep you from" or "get you to" respectively. It's the same thing really, just without another person convincing you either way.

Yeah I think so, I only started 0 on a whim a few months back and it took a while to grip me but I really got into it by the end (100 hours later 😅). Might as well play them all as and when I get time I guess, they are probably the most recognisable non-MS games on game pass now that Bethesda is part of MS. I'm near-ish the end of Kiwami, it's nowhere near as good as 0. I've had a few laughs in Kiwami but I was cracking up at loads of stuff in 0. Have you played them yourself?

Mass Effect seems like something I'd really like but I didn't have the correct consoles at the time of its initial release so I never got into it. May have to give it a whirl some day, the Trekkie in me commands it!

Im sure I repeat myself loads 😅. It can be hard to keep track of. It's even harder when people could have read your conversation and not joined in so you fear repeating yourself to lurkers lol. But yeah, we've been chatting on this forum for a few years now so stuff is bound to be brought up multiple times. I still feel like I'm new to this whole thing though as PS is the first forum I've actively engaged in so I don't know if I've broken some sort of forum etiquette by mentioning the repeat, I apologise if I made you feel awkward at all. I just thought it might have been better to mention it because I am sure you would have realised as soon as I mentioned Simpsons/Animal Crossing anyway! Please also forgive any future repetition (x2) on my part as well!

A thought I had about my still accessible PS3 games... I wonder if I can still get to them because the PS3 has that weird trial and unlock thing. So what I am accessing is actually the trial...

Well anyway, I've bought all the PS3 and Vita games that I wanted from PS Plus which includes Tokyo Jungle, Anna Extended Edition, Papers Please, Roundabout, Dive Kick and Eat Them! Not a huge amount but my bank account hates me anyway because of that and all the other PS3 games I've picked up.

I know I must be a total masochist but I've now renewed my sub for another year for £33 at shopto 🤦‍♂️. Bright side is that it may not be the end of my PS3 reviews!

On a separate note, I have written a list of the most interesting looking PS3/generation exclusive games on the store that I haven't bought yet. It's quite extensive so I may make a spreadsheet and whittle it down to a few key purchases and post about it when I'm done. Might take a break from it for now though since the pressure is off! There seems to be quite a few shortish single player games that were released that look quite interesting. Off the top of my head the titles Datura and rain come to mind. There is a few notable "franchise" titles too such as Sackboys Prehistoric moves. Most of it is either less than a tenner or less than a fiver but I suspect it will all add up so I will have a good think about it at some point!

Now to give Virtua Fighter a go.... 😅

@RogerRoger haha no not at all, a creative vocabulary makes everything more interesting! I didn't necessarily mean a forum etiquette for PushSquare specifically but in general. I guess it's more of just a "When in Rome" type deal, I don't think I'm entirely like my forum persona in real life but that's mainly because in real life, people don't really care 😂. For that matter, I also don't really care. Well, I do care but I have a soft limit on how much caring I can do because otherwise it drives me nuts. I don't mean that I "do what the Romans do" to the extent that my own personality is obscured, it's more that you just to what is appropriate for the situation. For example, I do a lot more swearing in real life because I enjoy colourful language and I do also use the family friendly substitutes in real life that I use here occasionally.

I can't recommend the Yakuza series, but not because it's bad. Yakuza 0 is actually excellent but I just feel it's something that's best discovered on your own if you know what I mean? I think I would have had a hard time getting to grips with it if somebody coerced me into playing it instead of me just randomly booting it up one day. I will say that sharing my experience of the initial few hours was helpful because I found it really boring at first and other forum users encouraged me to stick with it and I'm glad I did!

Oh and I not sure if I mentioned it but I did try Hokkaido while my sub was lapsed and it did work for whatever reason so fudge knows! I reckon it was just a convoluted thing to give away for Plus so they just ended up giving an endless license away on it or something