Topic: What PS5 Games Are You Currently Playing?

@Adem87 That’s how I felt last year! Glad I chose NBA 2K22 for my sports game this year.

I just finished up Judgment (PS5). I severely underestimated how long it would take to beat this game. I expected 15-20 hours. I managed 32 hrs. Great game, but glad it's off my plate.

Moving on to Mass Effect 3 from the Legendary Edition (PS4) for single player. Then Hunt Showdown (PS4) and/or First Class Trouble (PS5) for co-op fun.

Just started Kena on ‘Expert’ difficulty mode, and getting crucified by a couple of the mini-bosses… genuinely quite bewildered by how difficult I’m finding it! (Now have Sekiro and Returnal as completion credentials… but Kena is killing me ha)

Good effort from a first-time studio though and enjoying a bit of a simpler / short let game before I leap into DeS.

Any tips for combat would be welcomed (Kena) and curious is anyone has managed to Plat?

I've been playing some F.I.S.T. this weekend and so far it's pretty good.
Gameplay wise, it basically checks all the metroidvania boxes - the level design, unlockable gear and skills, etc.
Combat has some depth to it and I think you can do some pretty some stuff if you put some work into it - it's no Guacamelee though
I really like the graphics too and it runs well on PS5.

@Voltan the game really eases the player into it. It starts to pick up about halfway through and by the end becomes quite intense, both in combat and platforming. I really gotta give Guacamelee a go sometime.

@Jimmer-jammer Yeah, some of the encounters (especially boss fights) are no joke. Definitely do give Guacamelee a go. It’s this but with some good cartoon humor and (at least so far, I have no idea how far in I am) overall a little better
@CJD87 I got every trophy in Kena except the one for beating the master difficulty. I will probably do it at some point but I wanted to play other things

Back to F.I.S.T. after a short break, noticed my progress indicator said 30% after 5 hours or so. Not bad.
Also: man, this game is pretty tough at times. The platforming section I just did was almost something out of Super Meat Boy or something.

Edit: 1.5h later I’m at 39% progress. Guess I’m looking at 15+ hours to 100%, which is reasonable for this kind of game.

Been playing a bit more of The Persistence. I'll tag @TheSolution in here as I know you were keen to hear more.

I've been enjoying this game but definitely on a different level to Returnal. Yes it's set in space, yes it's a roguelike, but the pace of the game is so different. It's really hard to take an approach to this game that isn't stealth based. I don't know if that's because it's first person but I'm finding if ever in a situation where I have to use gun combat then I'm getting panicked and then killed pretty quickly. I think it's also because the ammo is in such short supply you can't really start firing at things to fend them off. I'm talking you buy a gun and you get say 3 - 6 shots so you've got to make them all count. There's also that feeling of claustrophobia you get from being in a spaceship with variable levels of lighting. It seems to be even worse with the PS5 version of the game as the shadows now appear much darker.

I'll be working on the third objective later and hopefully succeeding

Started Demon's Souls...

After getting the plat on Returnal I thought it would be wise to adopt a smaller challenge, and kicked off Kena Bridge of Spirits. I gave Kena a fair chance, but Returnal was just too tough an act for most games to follow... and I just couldn't get into it!

So thought I'd take the plunge and just push straight into DeS - and loving it so far. The pace is considerably different to Returnal, much slower and less hectic. My initial impressions suggest that a methodical and measured approach is the key to survival...

I've read some beginner tips and basics online, but ultimately want my first playthrough to be as blind as possible. Whilst Royalty Class was mentioned a lot as a great beginner build (due to magic) I instead went for melee and have opted for a Temple Knight base class. Thinking of keeping the first playthrough as simple as possible, focussing on levelling strength/vitality/endurance (maybe DEX depending on weapons?)

I don't know if I am capable of pushing for the platinum, but can see myself already falling in love with this game! Maybe its the Elden Ring hype that pushed me towards it...

@render tagged as I believe you have the Plat on DeS? How much struggle would the plat be if I enjoy a blind first playthrough, and then work with a guide during NG+? Or am I causing myself considerable work in not using a guide first-hand? Surely the platinum grind can't be as punishing as the never-ending RNG lottery that was Returnal!!

@CJD87 Definitely go blind first off… and then during ng+ you can mop up anything you missed first time around. A first playthrough of a souls game is meant to have the player having absolutely no idea what is around the next corner. It is that suspense, anticipation… fear even, that adds additional layers to the experience.

The plat is fine… the easiest of all the souls games, easier than the old PS3 version too. The only thing that could cause a player to scratch their head a little is the world and character tendencies. Just make sure to do a bit of research on them prior to starting your ng+ run.

Enjoy!

@CJD87 Great to hear you are enjoying DeS. It’s an amazing change of pace from Returnal yet still has some really satisfying gameplay. I definitely found that it requires a modicum of patience and trying not to rush in to attract too many enemies at once.

I also started out with the temple knight and found it a good class to start with but ended up totally changing my build in the end as I found I was preferring agility to strength. There’s such a good selection of weapons and abilities available that it’s fun to really experiment to see what works for for best.

I haven’t managed the platinum on it yet but want to work towards it if I can. There’s a few online trophies you need to get which I haven’t got yet. A few of them involve PvP which is going to be interesting. It’s not just having the ability to do it but also it’s having enough people playing the game. Let me know how you get on though as perhaps we can help each other out with those.

I reached the part of F.I.S.T. where I have all the skills I need to access all the little hidden corners of the map, so I’m exploring the map before moving on to what seems like it’s going to be the final act - which should also make the upcoming fights a little easier, I suppose.
I think I only have one section of the map left before moving to the one where the current objective is (other than a couple doors I still can’t open at this point).
I still think Guacamelee! and its sequel is very similar games that do all these things just a little bit better, but overall I’m very happy with this!

@colonelkilgore Thanks for the advice! Very comforting to know that I can enjoy my first playthrough as the ‘blind’ cocktail of punishment & difficulty that FS intended to be experienced… without compromising platinum potential. I agree that it just doesn’t feel ‘right’ to use a thorough walkthrough during the 1st run, and I’m comfortable with the small amount of knowledge gleamed from combing some beginner tips. Also playing BOTW on the side, and hoping a combination of this and DeS will adequately prepare me for EldenR! 👍

@render I can see why you would have wished to change to a build that favours speed more, as so far the TK build does seem a little sluggish… but I used to main the Greatsword in Monster Hunter Rise, so likely I will get comfortable soon enough

I might be reaching a bit far and overestimating my gaming prowess, but I don’t think I’ll be done with this game after just 1 play through and NG+ seems quite alluring. Will bear your offer in mind for the PvP trophies, cheers man!

@CJD87 In regards to the platinum for Demon's Souls, I reccomend reading up on stuff before you jump into NG+, otherwise it might mean another partial playthrough when not really required. You also need to save scum if wanna avoid another partial playthrough. If you are unable to create back-up saves, you will need to complete two full playthroughs and a partial third playthrough to collect everything.

@Voltan so I’ve had a bit of a re-schedule as I originally intended to play Metal Gear Rising in December… but after all the Metal Gear… I’ve played of late I think I need a break from the world. The replacement… Guacamele: Super Turbo Championship Edition. Hopefully it’ll impact me as much as it did you, @Thrillho et al, as I really hope MV’s become a regular-ish staple of my ‘diet’.

@colonelkilgore Nice! I hope you like it!

Edit: Aaaaand it's credits rolling on F.I.S.T. but there's still a few trophies to get.

@JohnnyShoulder Thanks mate, and I'm really curious to see what my fatigue level will be after the first playthrough. I surprised myself with Returnal, and my hunger for 'more game' once I'd completed Act 2! It was actually the guys on this board that swayed me to complete Act3, and then go for Plat...

So depending on my enthusiasm, I might actually welcome 2 further playthroughs and NG++..

But fully agree, after my first blind/fun playthrough I'll look online for a platinum roadmap and make sure I tick the boxes along the way.

How hard was the Plat for DeS in your opinion? Still fun?

@CJD87 No worries! Same here with Returnal, I don't really replay games or do NG+ runs but the game felt so good to play with the way it implemented 3D audio and the Dual Sense controller, that I couldn't put it ​down!

I never went for the platinum in Demon's Souls as I beat the final boss, and then read about what you needed to do, by then it was too late and thought it was too much a faff lol. I generally only go for platinums if I'm close to getting once I finished the game.

@colonelkilgore Nice. I hope it lives up to the hype now

I actually redownloaded the game too as I might do a hard run to finally get the platinum!

I seem to remember that the second game has a co-op mode too which I’ve never actually tried. I think it’s local co-op only though.

@Thrillho I bought the second one too… though probably won’t be playing it for a while though. Good luck with the plat!