Topic: What PS5 Games Are You Currently Playing?

@Ravix I think the demo didn't showcase the game very well as it did none of the story and didn't explain mechanics well enough. That's on them unfortunately.

As for the game itself, I think combat gets pretty fun once you get the hang of it and are able to utilze the many support spells, as well as recognize when to switch magic types for specific enemy types.
I think the story is mostly fine and it doesn't make you run around the map a lot if you just want to get to the end of it. In fact, while playing through the story, I was doing every optional activity within the line of sight from the main path and ended up seeing maybe 30% of the entire map.
And while the activities on the map are not the most interesting, the map itself is IMO well designed, with a lot of verticality and cool formations.

Now, for the post-game I'm mostly doing it for trophies but it also lets me see some really cool parts of the map that the main path or subquests just never go to. It's a weird design tbh.
I wouldn't say it's a great game but it's good enough.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN Thanks for the info, mate. I was actually looking at RotR yesterday when I was perusing a game shop and it’s still holding its price point fairly well, so I figured there’s no rush and if I find it for a good discount down the road I might grab it. But for now it’s surprisingly holding its value — $70 new and $60 used. For this type of game that will end up in my backlog for a long while I try not to buy until it hits what I anticipate to be its lowest price, or close to it. Some games I’ll pay a launch price, but only when I expect to start playing it quickly. What I might do is check in again right before I plan to play my next Souls game and if the price is right, I’ll consider trying it first. Otherwise, I hope that having completed DeS, DS1, DS2, and BB are all effective preceptors for DS3. My current anticipated schedule has me playing DS3 at the earliest in the summer. But one never knows when the Souls itch might strike. For now the long journey through DS2 has me satiated for a while.

As far as Sekiro, I hope you continue to sharpen your skills to a fine edge and make good progress through the game’s notorious bosses. I don’t know much about the game, but having passively absorbed info about it, I know there’s a Lady Butterfly I hear a lot of consternation about, as well as an ape, an owl, and something named Isshin. 😅

@Voltan I think that highlights some of my issues with demos — a good demo whets the appetite to see and experience more. But a bad demo is either confusing, boring, glitchy, or too long and complete.

My issue with the Forspoken demo was that it was sort of overwhelming. They drop you into a situation with quite a lot of abilities and I recall a skill and spell wheel that had a lot of unexplained elements and so I didn’t really have a lot of fun with it, ending up more confused than anything. I understand the intent to showcase some mid-game abilities which would look more exciting than the beginning of the game, but it can backfire and end up feeling messy.

However, I’ve had that happen before with a demo and then when I would play the game properly from the start then it all makes more sense and the organic development of gameplay ends up being very enjoyable. Also, when there’s an investment in playing a whole game from the beginning, I tend to pay attention better and really try to learn the mechanics, whereas a demo is such a disposable experience that I subconsciously am not really invested in trying to be proficient.

Of the few demos I’ve played very few have sold me on a game. The most drastic example of my not enjoying a demo and yet loving the actual game was Nier Automata. Playing the demo almost convinced me to skip it, but positive word of mouth prevailed to sell me on it. I’m in a similar place with Stellar Blade, where I really didn’t enjoy the demo, but everyone praises the game and I wonder if I just have to be committed to it in order to really enjoy it.

As I mentioned, with Forspoken the combination of mediocre demo experience with mediocre critical reception took it off my hype list, similar to @Ravix, but now there’s no financial barrier to entry and so it’s back in the running for consideration. 😄

@Th3solution Isshin is a someone, but yeah. 😉😂 Anyway I'll keep you posted as I play thru it, as you said you'd be interested in being kept up to date on my progress. Fingers crossed for that plat in approx. a couple of years time!

And fair play about the price point for RotR, hopefully it will come down in value in sufficient time to play thru it before DS3.

Got the first deathblow down on Gyoubu this morning and got very close to getting the second. Making definite progress.
@Th3solution In Sekiro, bosses and minibosses etc. are defeated by doing enough damage to them to be able to perform a "deathblow" on them, regular enemies generally only require one deathblow, whilst it may be more for bosses/minibosses - Gyoubu, the boss I am fighting at the moment requires two deathblows to die. As I said above, I got very close to achieving the second, after achieving the first, this morning.

Edit: Beat Gyoubu this afternoon, got the second deathblow, got the trophy. I think I may have got the game's combat down now, after all.

I know I am super late to the party, but I started Alan Wake 2 last night having picked up a physical copy over Christmas.

I have to say, I am already completely invested and absolutely love how they have weaved Control and this game into each other. Definitely looking to put a good chunk of time into it this weekend.

@Jimmer-jammer How is Balatro going? I am having a blast with Sekiro and just defeated Gyoubu, the first major boss of the game, as you will know. I think the combat is fantastic and dwarves that of RotR, as great as that was, as well.

I'm still enjoying Jedi Survivor, it's such a great game

I have officially started Unicorn Overlord to see what the hype is about. I’m roughly one hour in and it’s great so far, albeit a little overwhelming. The one thing that may take getting used to is not actively participating in combat, and choosing my own abilities. Once I get over that hurdle I think I’ll be okay.

Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to really playing something different - which this genre is something I enjoy, but rarely dabble in. I know I’m going to be confused with managing party members, equipment, tactics, and so forth, but that’s part of the joy. I came into this game knowing that, hoping it will bolster my enjoyment.

I’m also playing the game on my Portal, as it seems like it’s the perfect handheld game. I might play on my television from time to time, but this is my preferred method.

@Th3solution Just to follow-up my previous post - the one where I detailed a specific Sekiro mechanic, a few posts above, in case you missed it, I just wanted to ask how RE4 REmake is going for you? Still enjoying the updated action and combat in the game? Or has more time with the game soured impressions at all for you?

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN RE4 is still going really well; still very enjoyable. I’m still at Chapter 3, so not much progress this week. Only spent a few hours yesterday and got stuck on the new shooting gallery activity.

The more I play it the more I find it to be a really good hybrid experience that balances the older survival horror with the more modern run-n-gun shooters. You can’t just shoot with unrestrained abandon like you can in an Uncharted game or other third person shooters, but yet the shooting aspects are much more developed and elaborated such that you can let loose much more than in prior RE games. I’ve had a decent enough supply of ammo so far and haven’t felt the need to severely ration it. It all evens out really well whilst keeping that RE survival horror feeling to it with all the random puzzles and keys you have to find to unlock points of progress.

I was happy to see you cleared Gyoubu and that the combat is really clicking. It sounds like in place of farming to become OP, spending time doing a boss over and over does make you OP in terms of skills acquired to beat the boss.

Okay, the more hours I’ve put into Unicorn Overlord the more I absolutely love it. The entire game is so addicting, especially party management. There is just so much content, and it never gets tiresome. I’m glad I finally gave this game a proper shot.

You will improve your own skill in the game naturally by the playing the game, and the more you face enemies you will get to know their movesets more. But there isn't really a way to make your character OP in the game.

@JohnnyShoulder @Th3solution Whilst you may not be able to get OP in the traditional 'Soulsian' sense, I did get the option of increasing my attack power after defeating Gyoubu, which I took full advantage of.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN Yeah you can level up certain stats at certain points in the game. That won't make you OP though and you can't do it over and over. It is more like leveling the playing field a bit for you, as the enemies will get harder in the next section.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN while you can’t really farm xp, you can farm for mats later in the game… so you will be able to get your metaphorical ‘agriculture &/or animal-husbandry’ kicks in some regards at least 😉

I have been playing Forspoken this past week and I am really enjoying it. I think I am close to the end now and something I probably wouldn't have played if it was not on PS Plus

Update on Unicorn Overlord - this game may crack my top ten list of all time, when it’s all said and done. What a phenomenal game, with so much depth, beautiful art, incredible combat, a wide variety of abilities and compositions, and a pretty solid story.

Finished up Forspoken last night. I really enjoyed it. The combat and movement were really fluid and the story was not as bad as critics made it out to be.

I have now moved onto Sackboy: A Big Adventure. I find this fun to play on my Portal. It looks stunning when streaming through PS Plus.

@Jimmer-jammer It’s really good. Did you ever complete it?