Elder Scrolls Online never really clicked with me. I loved Oblivion and Skyrim, and I also loved MMOs like WoW, EverQuest, and FF11 and FF14. The problem is that ESO just didn't click or seem to be like any of the above in the right ways.
One thing that immediately threw me off with ESO was that after playing hundreds of hours in Skyrim, I was expecting the world and physics of Skyrim, but in a world inhabited by other players. That wasn't the case, as it doesn't feel the same at all, except for a 1st person viewpoint. And it doesn't feel like a traditional MMO either, comparing it to WoW or FF14.
So who is ESO for then? If you like the lore of Elder Scrolls and the music, but are ok with a fundamentally different experience, you might enjoy it.
As a 10 year-old in 1990, my choice of Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest) and Final Fantasy on the NES was certainly not mainstream among my peers. They all wanted to play sports games or scroller-shooters like Contra. They would say, "Why read a game when I have to do that at school?" And they thought that turn-based was boring. That probably still exists to a pretty good extent in the player base as a whole. I still hate FPS and sports, and I'm sure lots of people don't enjoy RPGs, turn-based or otherwise.
I have so far put more than an hour into Lies of P. The story is interesting, the music is great, and the graphics are very pretty.
BUT I HATE THE COMBAT! I'm giving it a try because this is my daughter's current obsession game. She loves it so much. Me on the other hand, I can't enjoy souls-like combat, no matter how hard I try. Elden Ring? Paid 60 bucks for it and regret it. Dark Souls Remastered? Gorgeous and interesting, but I put it down after the first irritating, clunky-feeling fights.
I want to like these games. The closest to the souls-like formula that I have truly enjoyed are the Star Wars: Jedi games. They have a lot of the same mechanics, but the controls and character movement feels so much better.
I played quite a bit of CP2077 yesterday on PS5 Pro in performance mode. Since I didn’t see VRR mentioned in the settings, I wasn’t sure if it was working, but even Dog Town is buttery smooth on my LG OLED’s 4K 120hz screen.
I’m totally ok with the PS6 getting pushed back to 2028 or later. We’re at a place where a new system simply runs existing AAA games with higher fidelity, so I’m happy to squeeze a few more years out of my PS5 Pro.
The PlayStation Store is where I buy discounted games all the time. Not sure if it’s different in other countries, but PS store sales are constantly going. Is there really a problem with inflated prices?
I thoroughly enjoyed playing through MHW on PS5 Pro. My experience was limited to single player, going through the main scenario and all of the low rank optional quests.
Right as I finished the main scenario, Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition landed on Switch and I never made it back to MHW.
Someday I’ll return and maybe even try multiplayer.
I’m one of those Game Pass players for Doom. While it seems like a solid game, it’s definitely not something I’d want to pay full price for, especially since I got about half an hour in, and have not played it since.
Clair Obscur on the other hand is a game that I pre-ordered on PS5 and absolutely loved it, going so far as to also buy the digital deluxe upgrade later as a thank you to them.
I’ve been playing on Series X via Game Pass. This isn’t something I have noticed, but I have only played a few short stints in between long sessions of Expedition 33.
That’s ok. I didn’t play GTA5 until it was available on sale for less than $30, with plenty of patches and other stuff that wasn’t there when it launched.
Since I am in no rush to play GTA6, I’ll pick it up around 2028 on PS6.
I finally purchased BG3 a few weeks ago, mostly just to see what my new M4 Pro MacBook Pro was capable of. It plays very well, in case anyone was curious. It also ramps up the fans and turns the entire body of the laptop into the heat sink, so a cooling pad is recommended.
Since tabletop is not my favorite, I have not put much more than a few hours in, so I can’t agree with the best of all time, nor if DLC is needed.
Still a good game. I was brought up on JRPGs, so it’s always been difficult to enjoy the isometric PC style RPGs. I will eventually finish!
I agree with this rating. Expedition 33 is a special game.
There is a bit of worry about the upcoming movie adaptation. Is this going to blow up into a massive “too much” thing like we’ve seen with Star Wars or the MCU?
Hopefully not. It’s easy to see how the struggling film industry would leap at such a new and vibrant story, since there hasn’t been a lot to get excited about on the big screen.
I’m one of the people who is absolutely loving Clair Obscur right now. It feels like the Chrono Trigger moment of 2025 with a fresh twist on turn-based combat.
But I think that’s only a small part of the game’s broader appeal. There is a David and Goliath aspect that people have been drawn to, seeing the tiny studio come out of nowhere and seemingly show everyone else how to make a good game.
The writing, voice acting, music, and artwork are so impressive that people are taking notice and Clair Obscur is becoming something of a phenomenon.
I have tried all 3 tiers of PlayStation Plus, and my 2 years of GamePass Ultimate ends in August.
The reasons listed above for why people don’t flock to subscriptions lines up with my experience. GamePass has been a complete waste of money for me, as the only game I played to completion was Jedi: Survivor. I downloaded a few other games, including Starfield (the reason I bought the XBOX in the first place) but gave up on that after 40 hours.
For PS Plus higher tiers, I ran into similar issues. There just wasn’t enough content that I wanted to download and play, or when I did find something, it was a game that leaves the service after a month or two.
It’s far better to simply buy the few games that I really enjoy, so I stick with Essentials for PS Plus, and won’t be subscribing to anything else in the future.
I will probably play Oblivion remastered eventually. The original version was my introduction to The Elder Scrolls on my barely-capable PC at the time, and I loved it.
My gaming focus will be on Expedition 33 once it launches.
I’m ready for this one. It seems like it’s sneaking up under the radar.
What got me hooked was Ben Starr narrating one of the trailers, then seeing the art style and interesting combat. When I looked at the pre-order, I noticed that PS Plus subscribers get an additional 10% off in the US, which makes the already low price of $50 even lower. Thus, I pre-ordered.
This is a good game that I played on Series X via Game Pass, and plan on getting it in PS5 eventually.
Not yet though because I am still in Xenoblade X post-game at 180 hours, finishing up a run to 100% the game and have a full fleet of the Ares 90 skells.
When I saw what type of game Marathon is, my first reaction was a “meh.”
Just another team shooter, but this time with Cyberpunk colors.
My son is into team shooters, and he tries a lot of them with his friends. But he always ends up going back to Overwatch 2. I think the biggest problem with this genre is that there are so many to choose from, and little incentive to play ones with low player counts.
Anyway, I’m off to put 50 more hours into Xenoblade Chronicles X.
I have played a few hours on my Series X and can say that this game scratches the nostalgia itch for those of us who grew up with the original trilogy. I’m definitely considering a purchase on the PS5 Pro.
I played through the original several times and liked many things about it. However, I was never on the FF7 is the greatest in the series team. So when I played FF7 Remake, it was an enjoyable experience and I liked many of the things in this game that I enjoyed during the original, such as the music. FF7 is a solid game. Nothing super great, but also nothing really disappointing.
Now, if you need the best JRPG series, you will need a Nintendo Switch and Xenoblade 1-3, X, and all the DLCs.
The crazy part is that I really only want a Switch 2 to make some of my existing games better. Zelda: BotW and TotK, all Xenoblade games… that’s about it. When it comes to multi-platform games, I always choose PlayStation.
My Switch has always been the secondary console on my desk. Switch 2 will likely be the same, used primarily for Nintendo exclusive titles like Xenoblade and Zelda, while continuing to buy cross-platform titles on PS5 Pro.
I felt an ache in my old man shoulders as I read this and realized the ugly truth that I am the aging console generation. At 45 years old, I have been there since the Atari days in my Grandparents’ basement, later upgrading to the NES at my home in the late 80s. That was an unbelievable step forward in game quality.
I have owned many consoles since then, and dabbled in the realm of PC gaming from 2,000-2018 before coming back to the ease of PS4 Pro and Nintendo Switch. Now I don’t have any inkling to own a Windows PC. It’s Mac for computing and consoles for gaming.
To imagine kids these days enjoying touchscreen games is making me want to shake my cane at them and yell from my front porch to stay off my lawn.
I have been going for 100% in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition this past week, and my initial reaction to this list of PlayStation Plus Essential games is as the Nopons would say, “Meh, meh..”
This is completely true. I only play single player games lately, even Monster Hunter Wilds in the Single Player Online server.
If it’s a fun or interesting game, I will buy and play it. Xenoblade Chronicles X will be taking my time soon, and Suikoden 1 & 2 are already on my Switch. BG3 is one that I have not purchased yet, but once it hits that $30 sale, I will probably get it.
I have loved Japanese games since childhood. Nintendo is one of the reasons why I grew up loving Japan, eventually learning a bit of their language, and enjoying their culture.
Please keep Japanese games Japanese and I’ll be happy.
FF13 and FF5 are the only mainline FF titles that I never completed.
FF5 because I got too busy with other games, and FF13 because after 15 or so hours, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was so hyped for FF13 since the PS3 was dreadfully short on good content at the time.
The visuals and music were great. The gameplay, story, and characters couldn’t keep me interested.
I played a few hours of Indiana Jones on Xbox Series X via Game Pass. From that initial experience, this game is pretty solid. If my PlayStation backlog and current games weren’t so full, I’d definitely play it more. The music and voice acting took me immediately back to my childhood in the 80s to when Indiana Jones was a top tier movie trilogy.
I am still early in the game, having just defeated the flatulent gorilla hippo thing. So far the game does feel less punishing than World did in the early game, but I am also better at the mechanics. I’m happy with how it plays.
I am playing at a relaxed pace, having just reached Hunter Rank 3 so far.
On PS5 Pro in Framerate mode, the experience has been pretty good with few complaints. Visuals are pretty good, even sitting at a desk with my 42” 4K OLED less than a meter away.
It seems like PS5 Pro is the best way to experience this game right now. In its current state, it appears that not only a strong GPU, but a lot of very fast RAM and lighting-fast SSD are needed because of how the data is constantly streaming in. This could be why PC players are having the worst experience, down to optimization.
I realize that Series X and base PS5 is less than ideal as well. When the open beta was running, I downloaded it on my Series X and did notice that textures looked noticeably worse than the same beta on PS5 Pro.
Hopefully this game will receive improvement like Dragon’s Dogma 2 and eventually run respectively across more hardware.
I’m a few hunts in. So far I’ve been enjoying the game. It does seem quite a bit easier to play than when I first played World, but maybe that’s because I know a bit more about how it works.
As for performance on PS5 Pro, it looks pretty good on my 4K OLED in frame rate mode. The only setting I toggled was turning motion blur off.
This game appears to be constantly streaming textures in, so I wonder if slower memory and SSDs are causing the most amount of problems on PC? I have seen people with 4080 cards complaining, so I don’t think it’s entirely related to brute processing power issues.
I would like to be a side quest NPC at a far-off village like Rorikstead that most players would never find, but if they do, it leads to a chain quest leading to the four corners of the map, only to end back at the village to learn that my character passed away and left the player a note of gratitude as the sole reward.
People seem to love FF9, but it was one of my least favorite in the series, along with 13. Part of my distaste for it is the chibi-like art style, and the other is how archaic the 3D sprites on pre-rendered backgrounds felt. Although I did complete it, FF9 is one that I only finished once and never looked back.
FF7 and 8 both used the same 3D with static backgrounds, but at least the art style wasn’t so grating on my eyes. Maybe the remake of FF9 will be better.
I once subscribed to PS Plus Premium and Extra tiers, but I played almost nothing that they offered. It was very irritating to have a couple in my library downloaded and ready to play, but they were no longer available. After that, I went back to Essentials and never felt like I was missing out.
The Monster Hunter Wilds beta was the biggest thing I wanted to play. Eventually I was able to, so it wasn’t a huge deal. One other odd thing I noticed during the PSN outage was that my Pawn didn’t show up when I logged into Dragon’s Dogma 2.
I was able to complete the initial hunt and then several others in the open area of the field. I don’t know if extra time is necessary, but definitely welcome. Playing through Monster Hunter Rise last month definitely got me ready, as I only carted once when fighting an electric dragon after beating 3 other monsters. Sword and Shield is my new favorite.
Today I was able to play the Monster Hunter Wilds beta on both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 Pro. I was a bit surprised by how much better the PS5 version looks on the same settings. The PS5 Pro enhanced version isn’t out until launch from what I understand, so it could get even better.
Comments 339
Re: The Elder Scrolls Online Is Totally Free to Play for a Full Week on PS5, PS4
Elder Scrolls Online never really clicked with me. I loved Oblivion and Skyrim, and I also loved MMOs like WoW, EverQuest, and FF11 and FF14. The problem is that ESO just didn't click or seem to be like any of the above in the right ways.
One thing that immediately threw me off with ESO was that after playing hundreds of hours in Skyrim, I was expecting the world and physics of Skyrim, but in a world inhabited by other players. That wasn't the case, as it doesn't feel the same at all, except for a 1st person viewpoint. And it doesn't feel like a traditional MMO either, comparing it to WoW or FF14.
So who is ESO for then? If you like the lore of Elder Scrolls and the music, but are ok with a fundamentally different experience, you might enjoy it.
Re: Clair Obscur Director Says Turn-Based JRPGs Are Still Seen as 'Uncool'
As a 10 year-old in 1990, my choice of Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest) and Final Fantasy on the NES was certainly not mainstream among my peers. They all wanted to play sports games or scroller-shooters like Contra. They would say, "Why read a game when I have to do that at school?" And they thought that turn-based was boring. That probably still exists to a pretty good extent in the player base as a whole. I still hate FPS and sports, and I'm sure lots of people don't enjoy RPGs, turn-based or otherwise.
Re: Poll: Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for August 2025?
I have so far put more than an hour into Lies of P. The story is interesting, the music is great, and the graphics are very pretty.
BUT I HATE THE COMBAT! I'm giving it a try because this is my daughter's current obsession game. She loves it so much. Me on the other hand, I can't enjoy souls-like combat, no matter how hard I try. Elden Ring? Paid 60 bucks for it and regret it. Dark Souls Remastered? Gorgeous and interesting, but I put it down after the first irritating, clunky-feeling fights.
I want to like these games. The closest to the souls-like formula that I have truly enjoyed are the Star Wars: Jedi games. They have a lot of the same mechanics, but the controls and character movement feels so much better.
Re: Full Armor King Reveal Is the Best Thing Tekken 8's Done in Months, Brand New Character Also Announced
Has Lei Wulong made it to Tekken 8 yet? He has always been my favorite character.
Re: VRR Gives Cyberpunk 2077 a Massive Performance Boost on PS5 Pro, Up to 120FPS
I played quite a bit of CP2077 yesterday on PS5 Pro in performance mode. Since I didn’t see VRR mentioned in the settings, I wasn’t sure if it was working, but even Dog Town is buttery smooth on my LG OLED’s 4K 120hz screen.
Re: PS6 Still Years Away Despite Increase in Next-Gen Chatter
I’m totally ok with the PS6 getting pushed back to 2028 or later. We’re at a place where a new system simply runs existing AAA games with higher fidelity, so I’m happy to squeeze a few more years out of my PS5 Pro.
Re: Sony Sued for 'Abusing Its Dominant Position in the Console Market'
The PlayStation Store is where I buy discounted games all the time. Not sure if it’s different in other countries, but PS store sales are constantly going. Is there really a problem with inflated prices?
Re: Monster Hunter Wilds' Huge Title Update 2 Confirmed for End of June
I thoroughly enjoyed playing through MHW on PS5 Pro. My experience was limited to single player, going through the main scenario and all of the low rank optional quests.
Right as I finished the main scenario, Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition landed on Switch and I never made it back to MHW.
Someday I’ll return and maybe even try multiplayer.
Re: The Witcher 4 Gameplay Revealed, Running on PS5 at 60fps with Ray Tracing
Ciri's in-game model looks terrific. Hopefully this tech demo quality comes to the finished product.
Re: Oblivion Remastered Updates Still Nowhere to Be Seen a Month After Release
I’m playing it via Game Pass on Series X. So far I’ve not noticed any issues, but I also haven’t played super long stretches.
Re: Analytics Firm Predicts Paltry Full-Price Sales for DOOM: The Dark Ages on PS5
I’m one of those Game Pass players for Doom. While it seems like a solid game, it’s definitely not something I’d want to pay full price for, especially since I got about half an hour in, and have not played it since.
Clair Obscur on the other hand is a game that I pre-ordered on PS5 and absolutely loved it, going so far as to also buy the digital deluxe upgrade later as a thank you to them.
Re: Dragon Quest 12 Still Lives as Series' Annual Celebration Approaches
I just hope that the normally silent protagonist is now voiced by Ben Starr.
Re: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Struggles for Sales in Japan, Despite JRPG Inspirations
The Switch 2 version will be the best RPG on the console if it comes out early. That would probably be more popular in Japan.
Re: Oblivion Remastered Runs Worse the Longer You Play on PS5
I’ve been playing on Series X via Game Pass. This isn’t something I have noticed, but I have only played a few short stints in between long sessions of Expedition 33.
Re: GTA 6 Trailer 2 Is Finally Here, PS5 Graphics Are Jaw-Dropping
It might be a $100 launch game.
That’s ok. I didn’t play GTA5 until it was available on sale for less than $30, with plenty of patches and other stuff that wasn’t there when it launched.
Since I am in no rush to play GTA6, I’ll pick it up around 2028 on PS6.
Re: GTA 6 Delayed to 2026, Out on 26th May 2026
This may give them time to get a PC version ready for launch. Launching only on consoles like they did in the past seems like a bad idea these days.
Re: Baldur's Gate 3 Didn't Get Big DLC Because It's 'Boring' to Make
I finally purchased BG3 a few weeks ago, mostly just to see what my new M4 Pro MacBook Pro was capable of. It plays very well, in case anyone was curious. It also ramps up the fans and turns the entire body of the laptop into the heat sink, so a cooling pad is recommended.
Since tabletop is not my favorite, I have not put much more than a few hours in, so I can’t agree with the best of all time, nor if DLC is needed.
Still a good game. I was brought up on JRPGs, so it’s always been difficult to enjoy the isometric PC style RPGs. I will eventually finish!
Re: PS5 RPG Expedition 33 Has Some of the Highest User Ratings Ever
I agree with this rating. Expedition 33 is a special game.
There is a bit of worry about the upcoming movie adaptation. Is this going to blow up into a massive “too much” thing like we’ve seen with Star Wars or the MCU?
Hopefully not. It’s easy to see how the struggling film industry would leap at such a new and vibrant story, since there hasn’t been a lot to get excited about on the big screen.
Re: Expedition 33's Sublime Success Sparks Chatter About Final Fantasy's Future
I’m one of the people who is absolutely loving Clair Obscur right now. It feels like the Chrono Trigger moment of 2025 with a fresh twist on turn-based combat.
But I think that’s only a small part of the game’s broader appeal. There is a David and Goliath aspect that people have been drawn to, seeing the tiny studio come out of nowhere and seemingly show everyone else how to make a good game.
The writing, voice acting, music, and artwork are so impressive that people are taking notice and Clair Obscur is becoming something of a phenomenon.
Re: PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass Are Not the Future of Gaming, Says US Analyst
I have tried all 3 tiers of PlayStation Plus, and my 2 years of GamePass Ultimate ends in August.
The reasons listed above for why people don’t flock to subscriptions lines up with my experience. GamePass has been a complete waste of money for me, as the only game I played to completion was Jedi: Survivor. I downloaded a few other games, including Starfield (the reason I bought the XBOX in the first place) but gave up on that after 40 hours.
For PS Plus higher tiers, I ran into similar issues. There just wasn’t enough content that I wanted to download and play, or when I did find something, it was a game that leaves the service after a month or two.
It’s far better to simply buy the few games that I really enjoy, so I stick with Essentials for PS Plus, and won’t be subscribing to anything else in the future.
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Oblivion Remastered?
I will probably play Oblivion remastered eventually. The original version was my introduction to The Elder Scrolls on my barely-capable PC at the time, and I loved it.
My gaming focus will be on Expedition 33 once it launches.
Re: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PS5) - Daring, Quirky RPG Is an Absolute Must-Play
Last night I turned on my PS5 Pro and just listened to the game screen music and watched the countdown timer until I can play.
Re: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
I’m ready for this one. It seems like it’s sneaking up under the radar.
What got me hooked was Ben Starr narrating one of the trailers, then seeing the art style and interesting combat. When I looked at the pre-order, I noticed that PS Plus subscribers get an additional 10% off in the US, which makes the already low price of $50 even lower. Thus, I pre-ordered.
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5?
This is a good game that I played on Series X via Game Pass, and plan on getting it in PS5 eventually.
Not yet though because I am still in Xenoblade X post-game at 180 hours, finishing up a run to 100% the game and have a full fleet of the Ares 90 skells.
Re: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PS5) - Globe-Trotting Adventure Just Got Even Better on PS5
Although I have this on my Series X via Game Pass, I am tempted to buy it on PS5 Pro.
Re: Poll: Are You Planning to Buy Bungie's Marathon?
When I saw what type of game Marathon is, my first reaction was a “meh.”
Just another team shooter, but this time with Cyberpunk colors.
My son is into team shooters, and he tries a lot of them with his friends. But he always ends up going back to Overwatch 2. I think the biggest problem with this genre is that there are so many to choose from, and little incentive to play ones with low player counts.
Anyway, I’m off to put 50 more hours into Xenoblade Chronicles X.
Re: Here Comes a New Challenger! Street Fighter 6's Elena Revealed for PS5, PS4
I’m a Ken, Ryu, and Sakura player in SF5. Would be nice to have my girl back in SF6.
Re: Microsoft Makes PS5 Pro the Best Place to Play Indiana Jones
I have played a few hours on my Series X and can say that this game scratches the nostalgia itch for those of us who grew up with the original trilogy. I’m definitely considering a purchase on the PS5 Pro.
Re: Poll: 5 Years Later, How Do You Feel About Final Fantasy 7 Remake?
I played through the original several times and liked many things about it. However, I was never on the FF7 is the greatest in the series team. So when I played FF7 Remake, it was an enjoyable experience and I liked many of the things in this game that I enjoyed during the original, such as the music. FF7 is a solid game. Nothing super great, but also nothing really disappointing.
Now, if you need the best JRPG series, you will need a Nintendo Switch and Xenoblade 1-3, X, and all the DLCs.
Re: Nintendo Is Displaying Hubris Which Would Make Even PS3 Era Sony Blush
The crazy part is that I really only want a Switch 2 to make some of my existing games better. Zelda: BotW and TotK, all Xenoblade games… that’s about it. When it comes to multi-platform games, I always choose PlayStation.
Re: Switch 2 Isn't Targeting People Who Want 'High-Performance Hardware', Like PS5 Pro
My Switch has always been the secondary console on my desk. Switch 2 will likely be the same, used primarily for Nintendo exclusive titles like Xenoblade and Zelda, while continuing to buy cross-platform titles on PS5 Pro.
Re: Kids Aren't Dreaming of Owning a PS6, Says Netflix Games Boss
I felt an ache in my old man shoulders as I read this and realized the ugly truth that I am the aging console generation. At 45 years old, I have been there since the Atari days in my Grandparents’ basement, later upgrading to the NES at my home in the late 80s. That was an unbelievable step forward in game quality.
I have owned many consoles since then, and dabbled in the realm of PC gaming from 2,000-2018 before coming back to the ease of PS4 Pro and Nintendo Switch. Now I don’t have any inkling to own a Windows PC. It’s Mac for computing and consoles for gaming.
To imagine kids these days enjoying touchscreen games is making me want to shake my cane at them and yell from my front porch to stay off my lawn.
Re: Poll: Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for April 2025?
I have been going for 100% in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition this past week, and my initial reaction to this list of PlayStation Plus Essential games is as the Nopons would say, “Meh, meh..”
Re: Single Player Games Aren't Dead, 'They Just Have to Be Good', Says Larian Studios CEO
This is completely true. I only play single player games lately, even Monster Hunter Wilds in the Single Player Online server.
If it’s a fun or interesting game, I will buy and play it. Xenoblade Chronicles X will be taking my time soon, and Suikoden 1 & 2 are already on my Switch. BG3 is one that I have not purchased yet, but once it hits that $30 sale, I will probably get it.
Re: Iconic Game Maker Says Japanese Devs Should Stop Trying to Appeal to Westerners
I have loved Japanese games since childhood. Nintendo is one of the reasons why I grew up loving Japan, eventually learning a bit of their language, and enjoying their culture.
Please keep Japanese games Japanese and I’ll be happy.
Re: Tifa's Eternal Appeal Down to More than Just Appearance, Says Tetsuya Nomura
Tifa is certainly more likable in the Remakes. Back in 1997, Aerith was Cloud’s girl for me, never leaving the party. Well, … ;(
Re: 15 Years Ago, Square Enix Released the Most Divisive Final Fantasy Game
FF13 and FF5 are the only mainline FF titles that I never completed.
FF5 because I got too busy with other games, and FF13 because after 15 or so hours, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was so hyped for FF13 since the PS3 was dreadfully short on good content at the time.
The visuals and music were great. The gameplay, story, and characters couldn’t keep me interested.
Re: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Imminent on PS5 as ESRB Rating Emerges
I played a few hours of Indiana Jones on Xbox Series X via Game Pass. From that initial experience, this game is pretty solid. If my PlayStation backlog and current games weren’t so full, I’d definitely play it more. The music and voice acting took me immediately back to my childhood in the 80s to when Indiana Jones was a top tier movie trilogy.
Re: Poll: So, Is Monster Hunter Wilds 'Too Easy'?
I am still early in the game, having just defeated the flatulent gorilla hippo thing. So far the game does feel less punishing than World did in the early game, but I am also better at the mechanics. I’m happy with how it plays.
Re: Monster Hunter Wilds Patch Fixes Game-Breaking Bug, No Word on Performance Improvements Yet
I am playing at a relaxed pace, having just reached Hunter Rank 3 so far.
On PS5 Pro in Framerate mode, the experience has been pretty good with few complaints. Visuals are pretty good, even sitting at a desk with my 42” 4K OLED less than a meter away.
It seems like PS5 Pro is the best way to experience this game right now. In its current state, it appears that not only a strong GPU, but a lot of very fast RAM and lighting-fast SSD are needed because of how the data is constantly streaming in. This could be why PC players are having the worst experience, down to optimization.
I realize that Series X and base PS5 is less than ideal as well. When the open beta was running, I downloaded it on my Series X and did notice that textures looked noticeably worse than the same beta on PS5 Pro.
Hopefully this game will receive improvement like Dragon’s Dogma 2 and eventually run respectively across more hardware.
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Monster Hunter Wilds?
I’m a few hunts in. So far I’ve been enjoying the game. It does seem quite a bit easier to play than when I first played World, but maybe that’s because I know a bit more about how it works.
As for performance on PS5 Pro, it looks pretty good on my 4K OLED in frame rate mode. The only setting I toggled was turning motion blur off.
This game appears to be constantly streaming textures in, so I wonder if slower memory and SSDs are causing the most amount of problems on PC? I have seen people with 4080 cards complaining, so I don’t think it’s entirely related to brute processing power issues.
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Monster Hunter Wilds?
I’m still waiting to get home from work. It’s about 1:00 PM and I have 4 hours left before I get to leave.
Fortunately it’s pre-installed on my PS5 Pro, so I’m ready to play.
Re: Capcom Reveals Monster Hunter Wilds Global Release Times
My pre-load is ready on PS5 Pro. Probably won’t get to play until about 6:00 PM Eastern standard time US on Friday.
Re: This Is Probably the Most You'll Hear About The Elder Scrolls 6 for a While
I would like to be a side quest NPC at a far-off village like Rorikstead that most players would never find, but if they do, it leads to a chain quest leading to the four corners of the map, only to end back at the village to learn that my character passed away and left the player a note of gratitude as the sole reward.
Re: Those Classic Final Fantasy Remakes Are Reputedly Still in Development
People seem to love FF9, but it was one of my least favorite in the series, along with 13. Part of my distaste for it is the chibi-like art style, and the other is how archaic the 3D sprites on pre-rendered backgrounds felt. Although I did complete it, FF9 is one that I only finished once and never looked back.
FF7 and 8 both used the same 3D with static backgrounds, but at least the art style wasn’t so grating on my eyes. Maybe the remake of FF9 will be better.
Re: Reminder: PS Plus Extra, Premium Lose These 8 Games Next Week
I once subscribed to PS Plus Premium and Extra tiers, but I played almost nothing that they offered. It was very irritating to have a couple in my library downloaded and ready to play, but they were no longer available. After that, I went back to Essentials and never felt like I was missing out.
Re: Dragon Quest 12 Still in Development, Dev Reassures
March 2026 earliest. Fall / Holiday 2026 most likely.
Re: Poll: Did the PSN Outage Ruin Your Gaming Plans Over the Weekend?
The Monster Hunter Wilds beta was the biggest thing I wanted to play. Eventually I was able to, so it wasn’t a huge deal. One other odd thing I noticed during the PSN outage was that my Pawn didn’t show up when I logged into Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Re: Monster Hunter Wilds Beta Will Get an Extra 24 Hours on PS5 After PSN Outage
I was able to complete the initial hunt and then several others in the open area of the field. I don’t know if extra time is necessary, but definitely welcome. Playing through Monster Hunter Rise last month definitely got me ready, as I only carted once when fighting an electric dragon after beating 3 other monsters. Sword and Shield is my new favorite.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 567
Today I was able to play the Monster Hunter Wilds beta on both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 Pro. I was a bit surprised by how much better the PS5 version looks on the same settings. The PS5 Pro enhanced version isn’t out until launch from what I understand, so it could get even better.