Topic: What PS4 Games Are You Currently Playing?

@colonelkilgore Yeah I just gained the telekinesis ability, great fun throwing stuff around! .Is Watch Dogs 2 open-world like GTA5 as well then? Is it a good open world if that's the case?

@TheBrandedSwordsman yeah the map is nowhere near the size of GTA5's but it's decent. It covers the San Francisco bay area including Oakland. There are cool little things within the map you can use your various hacking abilities to gain access to and explore too.

As far as Controls skills go, by the end you'll be like a jedi (only with a gun instead of a weapon for a more civilised age).

@TheBrandedSwordsman Glad it’s going well so far with Control. Returnal is great fun. It’s a bit on the frustrating side, not unlike a Souls game in that respect, but very different DNA from a Souls. But I’m dying a lot. It does have a similar vibe to Control in the combat area. The gun only has so many rounds then auto-refills, and the dash mechanic is quite similar to avoid damage. The difference is that dying is a lot more painful since you restart back at the very beginning of the game each time you die; there are not checkpoints or save points. Well, supposedly at the end of each of the six biomes there’s a boss where there is a soft checkpoint where you don’t have to fight the boss again and it opens up shortcuts to get through faster, but to beat the game you have to do it from the beginning in one run. The game keeps track of stats and I’ve played about 7 hours with 15 deaths and still not beat the first boss. But the combat and exploration is really satisfying so it’s still fun to jump back in. We’ll see. There’s a chance I may not ‘git gud’ quick enough to keep my interest if I keep banging my head against a wall. There is a lot of peer support over on the Returnal thread for me and it’s helping to get through some of the tough early steep learning curve, not unlike my time with Bloodborne.

To counter my frustration, I decided to try a less intense game to play in between Returnal sessions — 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. It’s very anime story driven, with interesting turn based tactical combat (very light combat so far) but the main focus of a modified visual novel. The story is pretty interesting and the game has a pretty unique feel to it, and so far it’s scratching an itch when Returnal has me about to throw my controller through the TV.

I put my A Plague Tale playthrough on hold for a couple weeks while I await further info on the PS5 version which is about to drop next month. I was really enjoying the game, but if game saves transfer then I’d rather finish it on PS5 for the full effect. So I’m waiting to see and playing 13 Sentinels as my secondary game in the meantime.

@Th3solution Control is indeed going well thus far. So far so good. Returnal actually sounds harder than all the Souls games out there, I understand you're getting support but there's no shame in falling off a title like that. How much longer are you going to give it?

At least in the Souls games (besides Demon's Souls and Bloodborne) there are regular checkpoints. You only have to beat one boss to get to the first checkpoint in Dark Souls III. After that, checkpoints are plentiful. Also, 13 sentinels sounds fan, Catherine is the only anime game I've played, I don't know if you're familiar with either the super-hard PS3 original or the more accessible version, Full Body, on PS4, I've beaten both of them but only have trophies to show for the PS4 version as I didn't have online access or my current PSN account when I first played through that game and several GoW's on PS3 a few years ago, I kept getting trophies, with no one to show them to!

A Plague Tale: Innocence looks intriguing but not really my sort of game to be fair, you should definitely try and finish it on PS5 if game saves carry over - if not, do you reckon you will go back and finish it on PS4?

@TheBrandedSwordsman I wouldn't say Returnal is more difficult than the Souls games, they are just different types of games and require a different set of skills.

Started Sackboy's Big Adventure last night (a father's day gift) and it is glorious

@Kidfried Yeah, the whole family. It can get quite chaotic with four players on the go

@Jimmer-jammer Porky Puff is what made me give up on Biomutant, there are various things you can do to make the fight easier, according to research I've done and I'm sure your capable of doing for yourself online but...yeah, I shouldn't have to do that, the devs should have made it accessible enough that you don't have to look into those adjustments as a gamer, and that's my stance as the player, it was game-breaking for me.

@Jimmer-jammer Also congrats on snagging a PS5, I take it you will be playing Elden Ring and Demon's Souls on there?

@Jimmer-jammer Congrats on getting a PS5! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Demon's Souls and Returnal.

@Jimmer-jammer Ah yes, a great, charming little game! Truly shows off some of the potential of the console. And I had great fun spotting all the references to games of yore. From Software were quite well represented too.

@Jimmer-jammer Congrats on the 5! Yeah, Astrobot’s Playroom is fabulous. Enjoy it while it lasts!

@Gremio108 Hey buddy, good to see you’re enjoying some gaming goodness. Seems like you’ve been absent a little of late, had a bit of gaming burn out I think you said. Hopefully Sackboy is just what the doctor ordered

@Kindred No way, totally on the same wavelength lately my friend! I guess we are, ahem… Kindred spirits and all. 😛
I really debated with myself whether to pause my Plague Tale playthrough because the game was really ticking all the right boxes for me at the time. And if saves don’t transfer, I might just have to finished my PS4 playthrough and also do one on PS5 to see the enhancements. You’re right though, never did I say to myself that the game really needed increased visual fidelity or improved frame rate. It’s just not that kind of game. It’s really fine as is, outside of an occasional character animation which is a little stiff. Are you nearly done? Did you ever finish Returnal? It’s gotten into my head. We’ll see how it turns out and if I’m able to get good enough to make progress.
And 13 Sentinels is really good. Is very anime for what I’ve been playing lately, so I had to get back in the frame of mind. Not any more Japanese than Danganronpa, but still with the typical (very light) fan service, classic high schooler saving the world setting, obsession with Mechs, etc, etc, … but the portrayal of the storyline is unique and strangely addicting and the combat is something fresh from my usual fare. It’s a nice change of pace, and so far pretty easy. I think you’ll like it.

@TheBrandedSwordsman As far as Returnal, I’m definitely not anywhere near the ‘throw in the towel’ point yet — I’ll stick with it at least for another dozen or so runs to try to get through the first world boss. If I get to death number 30 or 40, then I might have to look in the mirror and ask myself what I’m doing with my life. Or if the enjoyment wanes, then I’ll reconsider. But I’m feeling confident today. Maybe I’ll get that stupid boss beaten tonight!
And yes, I enjoyed Catherine back on the PS3. Unique puzzle gameplay and a pretty good story. Wouldn’t have minded playing Full Body, but I didn’t like it quite that much to do the game again.
And yes, for sure I’m going to finish Plague Tale. I am anxious to get back to it, but the PS5 version is so close. If the upgrade was going to be more than say.. a month, then I would have just completed it on PS4. The game is only about 12 hours I think, if I remember what I read online correctly. So I’m probably slightly under halfway, maybe less. It’s not really a huge time commitment. So if game saves don’t transfer, then it will be easy for me to just pop back to PS4 and finish it there, unless the PS5 upgrade offers new content or something earthshaking in the technical department in which case I’ll start a new game on PS5 instead

Gave Dark Alliance a try. It’s a bit of a mess on my PS4 Slim. Long load times, bad screen tearing, unstable framerate. I still find myself liking it though. Going to try co-op with my brother tomorrow. He’s lucky enough to be playing the PS5 version, so I’m interested to see if he has a smooth experience.

@Th3solution Don't worry, I've still been lurking like a true stalker. Just been very busy at work since I've been back, trying to get everything ship-shape in the wake of Covid. Also going for a promotion so I've been extra keen.

I've been playing stuff without ever really settling on anything, although I did get through Detroit (which I've still not offered my thoughts on like I promised I would, but basically it was good), but now I've got Sackboy and Salt and Sanctuary, so those two should keep me focused for a bit.

Hope all is well!

I decided to look into some of PS4's lesser known games and picked up Days gone. So far i really like it! I don't get all the bad reviews. Yeah basically everything in it has been done before in other games but I'm a sucker for anything dark and gory! I hear it's kind of a hidden gem so i thought why not?

@Gremio108 I can completely relate. Balance of the real world demands and the desire to engage in a gaming hobby is tough to strike. I find that getting time to unwind with a good video game helps with work, family, or social stress but it also can be a time sink when things are busy and so I have to step away for days at a time.

I hope you get that promotion!

@RogerRoger Thanks very much. Yeah, I think I've settled down into a groove now. Some people love that whole bouncing from game to game thing, but like you, I'm not one of them. The harshness of Salt and Sanctuary coupled with the easy-going fun of Sackboy should make for a good mix.

I was about to embark on an impassioned hard sell to convince you to take the plunge on Sackboy but then I saw that you've finally started Shenmue II, so instead I'm going to sit back and enjoy the ride.

@Th3solution @colonelkilgore @Jimmer-jammer I'm still playing through Control, loving the telekinesis mechanic, I haven't managed to unlock the shotgun yet but I'm at the stage where I can level up, that obviously refers to the game's RPG mechanics, I guess RPG mechanics in a lot of games, even third-person shooters, has become a common thing on Playstation for the old-gen console, can't wait to experience more RPG mechanics in games on PS5 as well, I've pre-ordered Elden Ring for PS5 in other news, just wishful thinking and assuming I will have a PS5 in time to play it on there!, the game really reminds me of Silent Hill 2, with the supernatural enemies coming out of the mist and so forth, and the oldest house just having a strong, supernatural vibe to it. I am currently on my way to the janitor's office and am loving the way the Oldest House feels. Combat is challenging yet rewarding, I'm currently relying on telekinesis and the service weapon, with the different enemy types providing various difficulties and different necessities for dealing with them ,looking forward to unlocking some more weapons and abilities as my playthrough continues.

@TheBrandedSwordsman the Oldest House is such a cool setting isn't it?

Yeah rpg-lite skills are so prevalent now that it almost feels like a game is missing something if they don't have any. I'm all for it to be fair, I enjoy earning the right to choose where I'm gonna strengthen my character depending on my playstyle etc.

@TheBrandedSwordsman You’re making some good progress. There is still quite a few surprises for you coming up, and the janitor is a really strange character. I wasn’t sure what to make of him. His accent alone is one of the most unique I’ve ever heard. Good luck!

The game has a pretty good drip feed of new abilities and weapons to keep things fresh. It doesn’t overwhelm you with new mechanics too fast, but you get added tools consistently enough to keep from feeling mundane. But the telekinesis remained the most useful tactic for me up until the end. As you level it up you can put points into it to be able to toss more than one object at a time, then bigger objects, and then even toss enemies at each other (after they’ve been weakened a little first). You’ll have new abilities though which you unlock so you’ll have to decide whether to upgrade them instead but I usually gravitated to telekinesis, but your playstyle may vary. For example, I personally never found melee to be as effective as knocking people from a distance, so I mostly ignored that upgrade line, but it’s a personal choice. The game won’t give you enough points to max out the entire skill chart unless you play every single side quest and both DLCs. And even then, I think I was a couple upgrade shy of maxing then whole screen after doing pretty much everything in the game. But it’s ok, for some reason the trophy for it pops even without maxing out all skills, despite what the description says.

I found the challenge to be good, and some people have said the game is easy, but I get like it was pretty tough sometimes, but the generous respawn save points are nice. You do lose some of your currency with each death though, if you haven’t noticed, so you don’t want to be too reckless. The penalty isn’t extreme but it’s enough to sting a little.