Topic: What PS4 Games Are You Currently Playing?

@Zuljaras Nice work! Those last few bosses are rough, so I was relieved when I finally hit the end myself.

I had my issues with it, but I think it's a great foundation for From Software to continue building on down the road.

@Ralizah Some of them are rough indeed. I played quality build with both Str and Dex at 55. That helped!

@Kairu It is currently my GotY as well!

Dark Souls Remastered
Yes, I succumbed to the peer pressure and finally started. Partially inspired by @Ralizah playing it on Switch now, and partly because I’m really needing a game which is more tactical and measured after my last game.

So, I’m went with Warrior class and I’m going to try to play in a more traditional way than I did with Demon’s Souls where I leveraged the overpowered magic to get through a lot of the game.

I’ve mentioned before how I played a few hours of the game back on PS3 and just didn’t click with it. Playing it again all these year later, I do remember that first boss, but that’s about it. I distinctly remember an area that I was getting sniped by an archer but I don’t recognize it yet. Everything seems new to me.
I’m reminded though at what frustrated me the first time. Outside of basic move tutorial messages, the game is not very effective at teaching the player about how the mechanics work and how the game is organized. I still contend that the Souls games really require some level of extra study and research, or at least some help and advice outside of the game itself. Gratefully, there appears to be enough carry over from Demon’s Souls that I am much better prepared to make a long run this go-around. A lot feels familiar.

Speaking of — my first impressions of booting the game up (playing on PS5 actually) is that I can really tell that the game is 2 generations old. Despite a solid remaster and a smooth 60 fps, the textures and visual details are really rough by current standards. Playing Demon’s Souls Remake a few months ago definitely spoiled me in that regard. Dark Souls feels clunky by comparison, and less interesting to explore, despite the early areas having the famous integrated map outlay already apparent.

So far, so good though. It still feels solid to play, I haven’t become all that frustrated yet. I know what I’m getting into and I will probably start referring to a guide of some kind because I’m already slightly lost as to where to go. I’ve been exploring around the Firelink Shrine and spent time in New Londo, Valley of the Drakes, and Darkroot Basin. I’ve died several times, but I am expecting that and mostly just grinding close to the bonfire and leveling slowly.

The game mechanics I’m most confused about are the body forms and the online and co-op mechanics. I think it appears that hollowed form is the same as the spirit form in DeS? I’ve yet to have an unhallowed human body that I know of. The whole humanity point system is slightly confusing, but seems to work as a secondary leveling system. But you lose your humanity when you die and have to recover it in your bloodstain, like your lost souls? It’s confusing. I haven’t used my humanity yet; I’m waiting until I really understand it.

The covenants are also a little confusing still, but I went ahead and joined the Way of the White, or whatever that first guy’s convent is. I know there are several covenants to choose from and I don’t really know if it is important right now to worry about it.

@Th3solution The humanity system is weird, and I didn't really understand it until I played around with the game more. What I've discovered is that turning back into a human boosts item discovery, slightly increases defense, allows you to kindle bonfires in order to increase your Estus flask output, and also allows you to both summon NPCs for boss fights and trigger invasions by special NPCs that give you access to decent gear and specific summons (for example, in Blighttown, there's a character you can only summon to help you fight the area boss if you've defeated her in combat first by triggering her invasion). In general, it's best to save Humanity consumables until you need them to do some of the things I just mentioned in the spoiler text.

BTW, DON'T use a Fire Keeper Soul if you happen upon one. You'll need them to improve the efficiency of your estus flask output by talking to various Fire Keepers throughout the world, although the one by Firelink Shrine is usually the most accessible.

The very beginning of the game is a bit misleading, since the game doesn't give you any indication of where to go, so it's easy to stumble into high level areas like New Londo, Valley of the Drakes, etc. You'll want to run up a hill near Firelink Shrine, which should take you into a sewer-y looking place for a minute or two. You'll exit that into Undead Burg, which is the game's real first area. Thankfully, the game is... well, not linear, but it's easier to figure out where to go after that.

One other tip: as soon as you find a shield that offers 100% physical damage reduction, equip it ASAP. Having a sturdy shield makes so many parts of this game way easier.

Any idea what sort of build or weapons you'll be going for? I kind of naturally opted for a Quality build, although with a much heavier emphasis on Dexterity, since I'm not a huge fan of the larger, slower weapons.

Good luck with Dark Souls Remastered Sol!

Ha ha not surprised to hear you say that though! I did say to you that Dark Souls remastered would be rather rough graphically after that sweet sweet PS5 remaster of Demon's Souls

I'll explain it... But it'll probably only confuse you more to be honest.

Covenants are mainly for online features. It pairs you up with people in the same group/makes you more likely to see their summon signs I believe. For later groups it'll pit you against certain other groups or some are more for invading others rather then helping.

You can upgrade your rank/standing with groups regardless of being online or not. Different groups use different items for levelling up your rank with them as for example Chaos Servant uses Humanity whereas the Sunlight Covenant uses Sunlight Medals.

A lot of items to rank up are exceedingly rare drops from certain enemies if you try to do it offline though (rather then say invading and killing the host or helping them fight a boss if online etc) so... It'll take a while!

Why you'd want to rank up with a group is you'll get unique spells/items/weapons through ranking up a Covenant.

If you wish to change covenant... You can. Though you'll have to quit your current one through a bonfire (maybe?) or via a certain NPC. He'll appear after you ring the first bell. You'll know who I mean.

You'll technically "sin" I think if you just switch as soon as the game prompts you with another group. The members won't like you anymore (they may even attack you if I remember correctly).

Leaving a group also ranks you down by half if I recall correctly (Though if you have all the rewards with a group then it doesn't really matter).

Later games clear this up and make it so you can switch without concequence though to sin or ranking down.

Ral's given you a pretty good run down already on everything else you've asked so I don't think there's anything I can really add yet but feel free to ask any questions! 😄

@Th3solution DS1R on the Switch was my first experience with the Souls games as well.

I did not bother with Covenants or Online play.

I died so many times though! Not as much as in DS2 but for a first experience I was getting stomped. The first real stuck was in Ornstein and Smough That is until I crafted the Greatshield of Artorias and everything became so much easier!

Also to add to the difficulty I was fat rolling until the end of the game but that shield was practically a huge wall that enemies and bosses could not overcome!

Doraemon: Story of Seasons PS4
Currently have accumulated 20+ hours gameplay, Summer season, still working on getting more money.

@Ralizah As far as build, I’m mostly focusing on Strength and Dexterity right now. I was fortunate to get the Black Knight Halberd and so I’m just at the point I can wield it now. It’s a great weapon. I’m not sure where to go from here as far as my build, honestly. I think I’ll start putting a few points into Vit and Faith, I think I’d like to have a healing miracle at least.

Thanks for the tips on the early areas. Actually, after getting up to Undead Burg, this is the area that looks familiar and where I finally gave up years ago. The enemies here are quite easy, so I don’t know why I stopped. I think I was fruitlessly trying to shoot the guys who throw firebombs at you, where it’s just better to climb up there and take them out. Also, I find myself getting lackadaisical and unfocused because the enemies are simple and one thing I have to remember is that Dark Souls will punish you in a heartbeat if you get reckless, even with just the simple drones.

@HallowMoonshadow Thanks for the info on covenants; I don’t plan to engage much in the online aspects. I beat both Bloodborne and Demon’s Souls without summoning, so hopefully I can do the same here. And the PvP doesn’t usually interest me.

I did somehow gain some humanity points without spending my humanity consumables, and so I’ve started seeing the white messages about whether to choose to invade other worlds. I’m ignoring them for now.

But I am really enjoying the game. It’s one of those games where you think about it all the time when you’re not playing it. The other two From games were like that for me also. I lay in my bed strategizing in my mind where I want to go next and how to approach enemies. 😅

@Zuljaras I have died so much already, but I think it’s all just part of the game. I lost 5000 souls earlier and it stung, but I have to remember that soon enough that’ll be an insignificant amount and can be recouped with killing one enemy. 😄

I wasn’t sure if I was going to play DS2, but I’ll see how this goes. I want to get to Elden Ring before I’m an old codger and I have a feeling going ‘backward’ to the DS games might make them less enjoyable after ER.

@Th3solution Yeah don't forgoe increasing your health and maybe stamina too for the obvious reasons.

Glad I didn't seem to confuse you with all the covenant talk @Th3solution! 😅

Ocassionally when you defeat enemies but haven't beaten the area's boss you'll gain humainity. I don't think there's any logic to it (Like say every 50 enemies or something). It's just kinda random.

Good luck! 👍

Iam currently playing and are in in love with Yakuza 0 which so far feels like such a nice and enjoyable game.

Although I have heard that some people like the Yakuza games I dont think its a game with a particular large community so it would be nice to know more people who share my¨love and passion for the game.

It also feels a bit strange that I so far like Yakuza 0 so much more then the Judgement game (which is a game I played and really wanted to like without success this summer).

@oliverp You’re looking for Yakuza fans?

Then WELCOME!

Finally finished MGS5 last week. I'm trying to 100% a few games: Ghost of Tsushima, Catherine: Full Body and Rise of the Tomb Raider. Depending on how well that goes I'll start Stray.

@oliverp also another huge Yakuza fan. I finished Yakuza 6 about a month ago, I've loved all 7 games so far. Looking forward to playing other titles in the series!

@RogerRoger Thank you sir!
Overall, it was an amazing game. It has been in my backlog for years, for wrong reasons apparently. I was never a fan of the separate missions, being a big fan of the old games. Like most I'm not happy with how the story went (unfinished). Gameplay however is outstanding. I could ramble for a few pages about it, but lets say I don't regret spending almost 240 hours of my life on it. LOVED the engine, it works so well. The only thing I miss I guess is Hayter's voice. And Otacon on the codec, but that was already brought to a minimum in Guns of the Patriots.

@ippikitako I remember being disappointed by MGSV overall after I got done playing it back in the day. I spent well over 100 hours on it, so I undoubtedly probably agreed that the gameplay was great, but I was still left disappointed with it after such a defining experience from MGS4. That is quite possibly my favorite game of all time. Obviously I didn't hate V overall, otherwise I wouldn't have spent all of that time to actually finish it.

It would be nice to give it a second chance, but with so much coming out and my backlog already being really large, it would be tough to fit in a replay of a game that is well over 100 hours. I am pretty sure some of it was because of the story, and obviously how the Quiet character was handled. That could have been a fantastic badass character.

@KilloWertz I hear you. I think when I was at that point, about 100 hours in and probably around 40-50% completion I thought, "is this it?" But I persevered and really enjoyed most of the missions. Bought almost all the weapons, suits, tested all of them and the vehicles, tested all the buddies, fully upgraded my FOB... There's so much you can do, so many ways to go through a mission, stuff you can do to challenge yourself.
You sound like the story made you quit. Not sure if I'd get back into it then. I knew though before starting the game that the story was messed up, so. That wasn't a dealbreaker anymore for me.

@ippikitako It's been a long while, so I don't remember all of my issues with MGSV. Like I said, obviously I liked it enough to spend well over 100 hours on it. I did actually finish the story. I just remember being disappointed with the game overall in the end, but the gameplay itself was good.

Like I also said, I did have an issue with the Quiet character. It's not because I don't think characters should be dressed like she was. I don't care about that kind of stuff really, and think it's ridiculous when people complain about stuff like that, but it's more about the character itself. It does seem like she was dressed like that only to get certain reactions, instead of him just concentrating on making the character a badass like she could have been. There were scenes of it, but there was a lot of wasted potential there.

@ippikitako Did you ever play Peace Walker?

It was one of the few games I actually had for my PSP (I know it did get a console release many years later) but it felt like that had a lot of plot in it that linked to MGS5 that people may have missed out on.

@Thrillho It feels really good to know that I´am not the only Yakuza-fan Like with several other player single player games I often kind of wounder if I like I´am the only person in the world who play and enjoy that particular game hehe.

@KilloWertz1 Yeah MSGV was real treat that I have spent something around at 100 hour with at this point. If it was not for Iam up to for the moment I would probably consider give the game another try.

These include games like Dice´s Medal of Honor 1 & 2 and The Darkness game.