Topic: What PS4 Games Are You Currently Playing?

@Th3solution Yes, with the map in Control I have got lost several times, I just completed the Old Boys' Club mission, where you have to solve the puzzle with the punchcards, and it was slightly after the bit with the big indestructible ball of energy, that still causes you damage if you encounter it, I'll do my best to avoid them throughout the game, though I assume I may have to imprison some more? How is Returnal going? I saw you beat the first boss, congratulations! @colonelkilgore @Jimmer-jammer just thought I'd tag you guys as well to give you an update! Trophies are popping regularly in the game ,too, which is always satisfying.

It took me thirty hours to Platinum Control and I swear to baby Jesus that fifteen of those hours were spent trying to understand where I was supposed to be going thanks to that map.

@johncalmc Metroid Prime has a better map than Control and that’s saying something.

@nessisonett Control's map would be better if Control didn't have a map.

@johncalmc I think the only map possibly worse is the Star Wars Jedi one.

@colonelkilgore Mostly racers with a decent sim/arcade balance, FPS's, puzzlers (e.g. Tested On Humans) and action/adventure (e.g. Horizon ZD). I will pretty much try anything these days as I like to try out new genres from time to time. Currently playing Subnautica on my Switch, Far Cry 5 on PS4 and regularly racing on Xbox 360 on older Grid and F1 games.

Favourite games from the past: Fallout 3, Mafia 2, Shenmue series, Metropolis Street Racer, Colin McRae Rally (PS1), Rage (1), Grid Autosport, Uncharted 4, Astrobot, Killzone (PS2), Red Dead Redemption, Infamous Second Son and Shadow Of The Colossus...

@nessisonett I can't even remember that one... maybe I blocked it out.

@TheBrandedSwordsman
Returnal has been great. It’s a similar feeling I’m having to when I played Bloodborne. Of course, as we’ve established, the game has no real similarities to the Soulsborne games as far as gameplay, but there is a similar uphill climb to “git gud” and really get into a flow of being proficient with combat. Then when it finally clicks, it’s so much more satisfying. The advantage over the Soulsborne games is the fluidity of movement is very “arcadey” and smooth, with the 60 fps in PS5, and the dash abilities like in Control, combat just flows much differently than the calculated slower way that Souls-like games go. But there is the similar feeling of having to watch each enemy’s attack patterns, especially bosses, and once you recognize their moves and know how to anticipate and dodge, then the encounters are more manageable. It’s still difficult though and as opposed to Control with its generous save points, there are no save points and so it’s back to the beginning with each death.
As far as Control’s map, I had been warned about how poor it was, so I wasn’t expecting much, but I only now realize how bad it was because Returnal’s is much more user friendly. Control’s map and Jedi: Fallen Order’s map do have a close race to the bottom.
@johncalmc @nessisonett

@nessisonett @johncalmc yup the Star Wars map was horrendous… can’t remember having any issues with the Control one though, maybe I’ve blocked that one out instead 😀

Mass Effect Legendary Edition. My first time playing as Femshep and as a Renegade, as I did the opposite when I played the Legendary Edition on Xbox and when Mass Effect was first released.

@Sorteddan Glad you are enjoying Dead Cells! Have you come across the saucepan yet?

@JohnnyShoulder
Not as of yet but the search continues.
It's early days, still getting to grips with game mechanics and enemy patterns.
It gives me similar feelings that Enter the Gungeon did last year - even getting backside kicked repeatedly seems like progress!

Done with NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139. Managed to get endings A and B. Not sure what to play next. It’s between Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Resident Evil Village or Biomutant.

@Bentleyma- I haven’t played any but a friend recently played Resi 8 and was just gushing in its praise. I’ve heard good things about all three though.

15 hours chapter 4 into yakuza like a dragon, MC is so goofy and ignorant, i don't think i've hated a yakuza character as much as this one 🙄 at least majima does it with style lol

@colonelkilgore @Jimmer-jammer @Th3solution I just completed the turbine and latest Oceanview hotel puzzles, the hotel one consisted of having to match up hotel rooms 222 and 224 so they look exactly the same, then unlocking another hotel room and pulling the switch three times before returning to the now accessible Black Rock Processing area, I took out some Hiss enemies and cleansed the Atlas chamber, and that's where I'm at now in Control. How are your games going? Belated congratulations to Jimmer for beating Biomutant, by the way.

@TheBrandedSwordsman yeah I remember one of those hotel puzzles being quite tricky actually, think it was the last one you need to do in the game. Love the run-down Americana vibe from the hotel… kinda wish there was a little more of that in the game actually, even though I did love the predominant concrete brutalist of it also. Sounds like you’re making good progress though, I remember Black Rock… think there was a few annoying enemies down there iirc.

I just started Ghost of Tsushima. Playing it on PS5, so getting it at 60 frames with a higher res and it is possibly the best looking game I’ve ever played. Really enjoying it too… there is something about that ‘Sony first part blockbuster’ treatment that I don’t think you can get from any other developers. I’m not far in but it just feels like a privilege to play.

@purplemouse Have another (slightly belated) welcome from me! And no, I don't think wanting to replay Shenmue II is a sign of your impending mental doom, especially since... wait, you can race ducks in this game? Why haven't I found that yet?! Where can I find it?! I wanna do that, right now!!

You've named some stone-cold classics as your favourites up there, as well. Another endorsement which makes me wanna bump inFAMOUS: Second Son up my backlog running order!

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@nessisonett @Th3solution @colonelkilgore Wait, what was the big problem with the Jedi: Fallen Order map? I thought it was pretty nifty. Made total sense to me (and yes, that was before Shenmue II loosened my already-tenuous grip on sanity).

@RogerRoger I just remember really struggling to navigate using it. There was a few points where I thought I was where I needed to be for things but in reality I was nowhere near. Personally, I prefer a 2D-top down map with up & down arrows to denote elevation. We’re all different though and the fact that it worked for you makes me think that maybe it wasn’t as poorly designed as I initially thought. I must just have been perceiving it poorly.

@colonelkilgore Fair enough! I guess you're right, it's different for everybody. There have been some cases where notoriously bad maps have confused the heck out of me (for example, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate on PS Vita had such an awful map, it got completely remade for the PS3 port) and I agree, a 2D map is always clearer than, and therefore preferable to, a 3D one.

I think being a Star Wars übernerd helped with the Jedi: Fallen Order map, because sprawling three-dimensional holographic maps are projected multiple times during the movies and TV shows as characters plan battles and heists, so it felt immersive and "right" to me.

Might be interesting to see whether I have a problem reading the Control map.