Topic: What (Non-PS4) game are you playing??

I've been playing the Trails series on PC which has been awesome. This is actually one of the few full series that I have re-played a lot of times because of the emotional connection that I have with it.

I’ve just started Final Fantasy V for the first time, I thought I might as well get round to it as it’s the only mainline FF I haven’t at least started. I’ve gone for the GBA version as the PS1 version apparently has a strangely bad script and annoying loading times.

@nessisonett Yes. the Advance versions of both FFV and FFVI are still the best versions of those respective games. Don't even get me started on their mobile ports.

@TheFrenchiestFry Yeah, I have a patched cart of FFVI Advance that sorts the music and I’d say it’s the definitive edition. I’ve never been big on the classic medieval FF games compared to VII or X’s settings but I’m liking the light hearted tone so far!

@nessisonett Honestly after years of nothing but sci-fi or cyberpunk-influenced settings for recent Final Fantasy games, I'm glad XVI decided to actually take things back to basics in a sense. The return of the medieval setting to the series is actually pretty refreshing if you've followed these games as they were coming out, because after IX they didn't really return to that setting or aesthetic until now with main entries.

@TheFrenchiestFry Well my first game was III so I’ve flip-flopped between styles as I played through the entries. I still think VI has the best mix of cyberpunk and medieval, it feels like a true blend.

I don't necessarily mind more fantasy-themed settings (I love FFIV), but FFXVI barely even feels like a FF game to me. It's very dark and action-y looking, and the character designs aren't particularly memorable. Feels very Western-influenced.

I mean, hasn't that kind of been the case for years? Since like XII in particular?

In my opinion there isn't a set criteria for what exactly dictates a Final Fantasy game being just that, because since the PlayStation 1 games they've rapidly changed setting, character design tropes, storytelling techniques, gameplay techniques and themes for every game. VIII doesn't look at all like VII, XIII doesn't look at all like X, IX doesn't look at all like X-2, and XV doesn't look at all like VI. It's a series that constantly tries to experiment with new things, but at least the core elements like having summons and production value that pushes the spectacle and visuals to new levels are all stil there.

I can't really describe what makes a Final Fantasy game as being a set criteria, but rather just very few essential components. It looks like Dark Souls or Witcher 3, but then again they showed like a 3 or 4 minute trailer of nothing but a few cinematics and very brief gameplay snippets. Compare that to VII where in all the marketing they literally just showed the FMVs and none of the actual gameplay. I'd say this is probably a game I have to really see more of, but I like what I see.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Ah, sorry, I didn't see your post in that thread. I haven't been maintaining a massive presence around here lately either. I hope you're feeling better!

My character's terrible luck stat would probably explain why I can't seem to find these items. I knew it must have been useful for something!

I was technically stuck with Roland, although I didn't use him at all. I assume you get Heat if you do something differently? Although, to be honest, he's a more physical attacker, and a tsundere, so I'm not heartbroken over not getting him back in my party.

Yeah, the entire second half of the game is... weird. I've actually finished it now, but I'll probably go back and try to find those items while I'm writing my review. It feels a bit like Atlus had no idea what to do with the story once the player got to the sun.

I will say: that almighty nuke you get at the end of the game is a lot of fun to spam on all of the random enemies. I had so many of those stat-boosting items that restore your HP/MP fully, so I got through the final dungeon by using that skill and almost nothing else (with the exception of boss fights, of course!)

Zero no Kiseki just got really, really good in a short space of time. It had been slowly building, introducing characters both old and new and then Chapter 3 just drops bomb after bomb, picking up plot threads from several games ago. It’s hard to really go into the details without major spoilers but the shared-universe approach is paying off massively. I couldn’t imagine jumping straight to Cold Steel and missing out on all this exposition and character development.

I just bought a Switch. Not happy with Sony censoring games. I am playing YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world. It’s a lovely game too.

I am keeping and playing my PS4. No PS5 until this issue gets resolved.

I’ve been playing Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg again on GameCube. I forgot how much I love/loathe this game. Such a bizarre game but brutally difficult to the point that I’m shocked I beat it back in the day. The Sonic Team Easter eggs are still cool and the soundtrack is fantastic. Even the graphics are still serviceable outside of some annoying lighting issues. Apparently it only sold 250k worldwide which is shockingly terrible. Explains the lack of sequel but man, I miss the days of Dreamcast->GameCube Sega, they had some amazing games back then.

Hmm...
Kiddie and girly 3DS game MahoCole: Mahou Idol Collection 3DS 😉

I played a bit of the first Killzone on PS Now, not really played much of the series at all before. I find pre-Modern Warfare controls on a controller absolutely baffling to be honest. It’s crazy how long it took to find good controls for an FPS. That’s to say, the controls in Killzone have taken some getting used to.

So, I've effectively finished Super Mario Sunshine, since I've found all the sprites that are available via challenges (hidden sprites; 100 coin challenges; etc.), but thanks to the ruddy blue coins, there's hours of repetitive backtracking ahead of me. I like the game a lot overall, but its issues have definitely stood out to me more on this playthrough versus my initial GameCube playthrough 5 years ago or so.

@PSVR_lover I doubt the censoring "issue" is ever getting resolved. It's reflective of the altered corporate climate and company ethos in general. Although it won't be as visible an issue on PS5, as games that would have gotten censored just won't hit the platform at all, and will likely opt for PC and/or Nintendo Switch instead.

@Ralizah Good luck with the blue coins, I remember printing out a walkthrough for them back in the day. Even back then I couldn’t be arsed looking for them without help.

@nessisonett I'm using a guide for some of them, for sure. I'll scour the levels again on my own (I've already found 20+ coins for most of the levels), but the lack of coin counts per episode and the generally stupid hiddenness of them makes them a massive pain in the rear without guidance.

@RogerRoger Well the set pieces are somewhat impressive for the time, I have to admit. The gameplay feels a little imprecise and the guns just fire all over the place so it’s a bit hard to hit anyone but I’m sorta enjoying it. It’s very PS2, that’s for sure.

@RogerRoger Oh no, I’m playing through PS Now so it’s the HD remaster but definitely the structure of the game reminds me a lot of the FPS games I grew up playing. The whole ‘barbed wire trapping you in a small shooting gallery and then getting blown up, clearing your path’ deal is very very overused. I know some people have a problem with input lag while streaming but to be honest, it’s been alright for me and it’s definitely playable. I had a look at the platinum and no chance I’m playing it 4 times with different characters but I’m enjoying it for what it is!

@RogerRoger I’ve used PS Now mostly for downloading games although I streamed F.E.A.R, Resi Code Veronica X, the original God of War games and such. They mostly worked fine to be honest but I used a wired connection.