Topic: What PS5 Games Are You Currently Playing?

I have both Ghost of Yotei and Trails Beyond the Horizon on the go, but for some reason I find myself playing Asphalt Legends Unite. I think the reason I like it so much is because it reminds me of the type of arcade racing game you'd find on the Dreamcast.

Returnal:

Finished act 3, getting the true ending, and got the final collectables in biomes 4 ,5 & 6. Need two in biome 2 but I can't get them to spawn when I do a run, that's all I'm missing for the platinum very frustrating.

@Metonymy @Th3solution I have just touched down (not in the land of the Delta Blues, sorry Cher) in the Land of Shadow (reached the first bonfire in the DLC, Sol.) And have begun my second adventure, it's a new game, for all-intents-and-purposes, so this should definitely stand as a new Chapter in my FromSoftware journey. I defeated Mohg, Lord of Blood, (the boss you need to defeat in order to gain access to the DLC, Sol.) on my first try with my Mimic Tear+10 Summon, Jimmer, but the trophy won't pop for a few days as I am currently experiencing difficulties with my internet connection for the PS5, but I hope to get that resolved soon. Anyway, onwards and upwards, or downwards, as the case may be, for the DLC! (It's said to be very vertical!).

Oh, and I'm level 142, now.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN How exciting, man! Mogh is no slouch, that’s quite the power fantasy you’re indulging there. Enjoy it, as the Land of Shadow pulls no punches! Nothing like a new From Software world to explore though 😄

@Metonymy Thanks, man. I am planning on taking a break 'till next week and indulging myself in the worlds of literature and music instead 'till then, letting the victory soak in before embarking on the next journey, as it were. What game(s) are you playing right now and how is/are it/they going? Are you looking forward to Nioh 3 coming out next month?

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN I just touched down in Hawaii in my game. I really need to get on that Elden Ring DLC I've heard nothing but good things. Mohg was one of my favorite bosses, I only found out about the Purifying Crystal Tear after I finally beat him. I loved the aesthetics of the boss and the arena itself. It's been fun reading about your journey.

It reminds me of this guy. We both played the game at launch only he sketched a journal of his playthrough. Each day I'd check to see his newest entries. Easily my favorite thing about those early days on the game.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN I’m very much waiting for Nioh 3. Hoping to have Indiana Jones wrapped up by the time it releases but even if I don’t, they’re different enough games that I’ll be making a start on Nioh regardless. Im loving Indy but I haven’t had as much time to play as I’d like, hopefully I don’t fall off of it. Nioh is one of my favourite series so, priorities, ya know?

@GirlVersusGame
I played the first turn based Yakuza, Like a Dragon a while and it was the first Yakuza that I actually managed to finish and really enjoyed it
I bought Infinite Wealth (on disc) a while back but haven’t got round it yet so was a bit put out when it appeared on Plus but as my subscription is up in a week or so it is largely irrelevant.
The DLC (offering a dungeon and New Game+) is on sale at the moment, 60% off I think and I’m tempted to buy it even though it is a bit of cheek locking such basic expected features behind a paywall.

@CaptD The worst thing is that the dungeon in the DLC is end game stuff which makes getting the trophy for hitting lvl70 a pain without it (it was a LOT of grinding in the top base game dungeon to get there..).

@GirlVersusGame Hawaii, eh? What game is it that you're playing, out of curiosity? It does look great from the footage I've seen of it, and the reviews I've read of it, plus comments and discussions online etc. .The person who made that artwork appears to be very talented at drawing and I'm sure they had a lot of fun chronicling their playthrough like that. Anyway, thanks for sharing! .

@Thrillho
Yes I’ve read that, very dirty and whilst I will most likely purchase it (I do like to 100% my games including dlc) I really don’t want to as I will just be adding to the problem and the possibility that they will repeat the tactic.
The ratings on PSN for the dlc says everything tbh.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN He's really good, at the time time he was an art student who wanted to be an illustrator. I'd never seen anyone do that before for a game, he's done it for a couple. All of my game notebooks are just small drawings of builds and notes that go with them, I've done it with city builders for years. It's one of the only ways to see if something works before you build it. I'm sure I kept notes for my Elden Ring playthrough too, I have no idea where they are. I'd seen people keep count of deaths and things, I'll do it for the next Fromsoft game too, but day one. The last I saw he was mapping out the different areas of the game. His name on reddit was Ian_the_polar_bear

I'm playing Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth. It starts off in Japan and then continues into Hawaii. I wasn't sure I'd like it because I've played so few Japanese games and jumping into a franchise so late is usually something I'd never do but I'm glad I took a chance on it. I just turned the game on again and managed to get to level eighteen before I had to go out for the night, which I think is good. The turn-based combat makes me want to grind those levels. It gives enough time to understand combat advantage too rather than just mashing buttons and hoping for the best outcome. I adore the aesthetics of games like Mortal Kombat, but I can't play them to save my life. The story is really interesting too, and the approach to telling it. I'm trying to keep it vague so as not to spoil anything, maybe meaningful is the right word. It's a more human approach which I would assume is due to the culture itself.

The only downside might be that it's a little grindy but there are enemies everywhere so you don't have to travel far to do it. I focused on the harder ones and then went straight into a restaurant after each fight to get my HP back, the money I earned from defeating the group always covered the meal and I only wanted the XP. It's one of those rare games where I'm not hoarding consumables. Throwables seem to cap at 5/5 so I use them when I have them. In most games all of my consumables get warehoused away never to see the light of day. I'm even using the pawn store for extra money and then banking it so that I don't lose it if I do die. Using a restaurant or eatery boosts character bonds too. Persona 5 was very similar and I loved that game, those systems add more depth and realism.

I like the focus on melee and hand to hand too, I recently started Krav Maga lessons again so I appreciate the pace of the combat itself. It's the only martial arts type that felt right for me, I prefer something that focuses on defense and disarming. Sparring is where I tend to have issues, striking and awareness I have, I want to work more on disarmament this year. I don't need to push proficiency too hard, I just want to improve on the basics and this is the time of year where I plan physical activities for the coming months. I've tried other martial arts like Kick Boxing and Taekwondo, they felt too aggressive and offensive. Krav Maga burns through calories as you train, it's really intensive when done right, I'll have to eat more and sleep more, it's sort a three in one of discipline. Even if I don't use it (I won't need to disarm or strike anyone) the training itself is very healthy and there is no shortage of people I can practice on offline.

@CaptD They locked Newgame+ behind DLC? I'm playing it on Plus+ , maybe I'll get the DLC just to pay my way. I tend to do that with all of the Indies I play on the service, I'm not saying SEGA need it, but maybe I'll need it for platinum, though the challenge of getting to max level without the DLC is kind of enticing too.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN You’re making some great progress. How are you finding the Shadow of the Erdtree content? I read that it’s quite a bit harder than the base game.

@Th3solution I haven't played enough to evaluate the difficulty properly ,yet, but will post when I have tackled some of the areas/bosses. I've literally just arrived in the first DLC area, before deciding to take a break, before beginning the next journey. How is BG3 going?

@JohnnyShoulder Ah! Thanks for laying out all those connections. That's very fun. It's a shame they can't connect either Max Payne or Quantum Break more directly due to all the legal stuff. I'm sure they would have if they could. Since this is the best they can get away with though, it's still very interesting stuff.

@CaptD A big tip is to not use any of the items that give you an instant level up until right at the end of the game to save yourself some of the grind on those. I think I ended up buying an extra pack of three as they were heavily discounted when I was doing the grind (and felt dirty for doing so).

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN It’s going well. I had time this weekend to make some progress and I’m finally about to enter the end game process. You know, where an NPC says to you something like “If you proceed then you won’t be able to come back here, so make sure you’ve done everything here that you want.” I’ve heard that the end game area is rather large though, so no telling how close I actually am. Still enjoying it though, and feel confident I can take on the final boss.

It's been about 16 months since my last post!

Just thought I'd drop by and have a see where everyone was upto these days and going back a few pages its nice to see its nearly the same old faces 😂

I am currently 5 hours in to Death Stranding and I'm really looking forward to playing a lot more of this game. I'm not too far but far enough to know that this could end up being a really really good game.

@Bundersvessel Further to our conversation earlier, in The Cricket Thread, I acquired my first scadutree fragments today, after some early exploration of the Land of Shadow, and levelled up accordingly. Also, the internet on my PS5 went down recently, and after it had been repaired I was able to get my 'Shardbearer Mohg' Trophy to 'pop' on PSNProfiles. Was chuffed with that, considering you get no trophies for the DLC.

I dunno if anyone else even owns FC26 but it’s really genuinely truly a terrible game. They come out just after my birthday every year and they last the season so it’s usually at least a decent game to ask for. But this year’s one is honestly one of the worst games I’ve ever played. The sad thing is that it actually started out ok, but the patches have turned it into an all-time low. I really hope it’s true that 2K are making a competitor, not because it’ll be good but because any competition might make EA wake up.