Topic: What PS5 Games Are You Currently Playing?

@KAIRU I knew about buying and selling gear at the same price, but actually the thing that made the difference was going back and replaying missions to get enough money to not have to do that so much, which meant that I had more scope to play around with my assembly at the restart from checkpoint screen.

Funnily I struggled a bit with the heavy combat helicopter when I replayed that mission (took maybe 5 or 6 attempts) despite beating it the first time while drunk at 3am playing on launch day after getting home from a night out.

@woollypump Speaking about the first mission and that chopper, I was actually the opposite. I struggled originally but when I replayed it I beat it first time and got the S-rank. The melee weapon really does a lot of damage to it.

@KAIRU ha! That S-rank trophy makes me pretty sure I'm never going to get the plat for this game

@woollypump Yeah, I can't see myself getting it either. I have somehow managed to S-Rank most of Chapter One so far. I think I've done all in that chapter minus the final two. I can't see it be something I plan on getting any time soon.

I'm currently playing DeS on PS5, I have leveled my magic and vitality to 30 and able to kill the silver skeletons in 4-1 with the Crescent Falchion +1. I had to become op that way for my attack power because I don't use a bow. More of a....'swordsman' pun intended, by trade.

Just beat Chapter Three in Armored Core VI. What a game this is. Absolutely awesome stuff. That final mission in the chapter was great. I've noticed there is starting to be a bit of variety in the missions and even some of the boss fights which does a great job at keeping the game feeling fresh. I've also been having a lot of fun with the Photo Mode as well.

Onto Chapter Four now and just hit the first real main boss there and, yeah, safe to say I'm struggling a little. I'm sure I'll come out on top and beat it soon though!

Played several hours of Sea of Stars. Very fun so far with a good mix of story, turn based combat (with a fairly original system) and environmental puzzles.
The presentation is a very nice mix of 16 bit-like pixel art and music, but with a moder touch in terms of lighting, shadows, etc.
Very nice, I'll definitely be aiming to see this one through.

@Voltan It's really nice - also good for winding down after Armored Core VI

@Voltan A lot of people have been high on Sea of Stars. I haven’t planned to try it since I felt like it looked too retro for me, but I could be wrong. I’d been targeting Octopath Traveler 2 for when I might have a retro JPRG urge, but maybe I need to keep SoS in mind instead.

@Th3solution It definitely is very retro but doesn't feel held back by that fact, if you know what I mean.

@Voltan Yeah, I think so. I’m not sure if the videos and screenshots do it justice, but it looks a little rough. I know pixel art has its own beauty and charisma, and it sounds like there are some visual upgrades that feel modern.
Are there 3D CGI cutscenes?

@Th3solution I haven't played either, but judging from reviews I don't think you can go wrong with either game. Sea of Stars just happens to be the newest. I couldn't fault trying Sea of Stars first though since it's on Extra. If you enjoy one, then you could always play the other at some point. I don't know obviously, but I doubt either is super long. These games weren't back in the day.

@Th3solution There are some short cutscenes but they're vintage anime style, no 3D CGI.

Oh, btw - while the presentation is very 16bit mid-90s, the level design has a lot more verticality than the games from that time - I like it a lot.

@Voltan Ok, thanks. Just curious.

@KilloWertz The mood with have to hit me, either way. And it looks like HLTB has SoS playtime in the 35 hr range vs. OT2 at closer to 80 hr. Given I’m not typically into retro style games anymore, 30 hrs sounds better than 80. 😅

Rolled credits on Armored Core VI. Absolute gem of a game. Was skeptical that I maybe wouldn’t like it that much as I hadn’t experienced the series before — even though I pre-ordered it —and I’ve never really had any interest in any ‘Mech’ game before (besides Titanfall 2) but bloody hell, that’s the most enjoyment and satisfaction I’ve got out of a game since I first played through Elden Ring.

Maybe there’s just something about FromSoftware and their game design that just really appeals to me more so than other game devs out there and to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what that is, but I absolutely loved Armored Core VI from start to finish. Great gameplay, no bugs or game-breaking issues, plenty of Photo Mode opportunities and some absolutely stonking boss fights as well.

FromSoftware have knocked it out of the park once again. Cracking game.

@Th3solution Wow, never mind about what I said then. I have no problem with Octopath Traveler 2 being 80 hours, as I still look forward to playing the game whenever it goes on a bigger sale, I can understand choosing the much shorter one of the two if that matters.

@KAIRU Glad you had such a good time with it. Does it share any of the difficulty issues of their Souls games? I refuse to play them as I know I won't enjoy that style, but would probably consider this down the line (maybe a Black Friday sale) as I've never played any of the series before.

@KAIRU Haha well done. The mind boggles. I can see myself being stuck on the Chapter 2 boss for longer than it took you to complete it

@KilloWertz Some of the bosses gave me a bit of hassle, but being able to change up your loadout if you die during a mission is really cool and was actually something I neglected for so long. It can help a lot of the boss fights become more favourable for you.

It’s not Dark Souls by any means but it’s definitely a fun game. If you’re on the fence though, I’d still probably recommend you wait for a sale.