AhmadSumadi

@orvisbean101 that would be a great way to end the year lol. However, they’d not bring any credibility into 2026.

It’s clearly obscure what the #1 game of the year is going to be. 😊

"Yo, Need For Speed, I'm really happy for you, l'ma let you finish, but Midnight Club is one of the best racers of all time!"

Need Midnight Club in my life! Will still download this one though. I’ll also not begin 2026 complaining about “free” stuff I don’t really want or need.

@JayJ lemme guess? The ones you don’t agree with are the “fanboys”?

Been sitting in this one waiting for a discount. This and Astro Bot. Whichever comes first.

This list is arguable. And it’s the only arguable list I’ve ever seen. No other list I’ve ever seen is arguable. They’re all someone’s opinion that’s a fact!

@Steeleye25 @16BitHero my favorite haunting case was the slave owner who fell in love with her slave. I was torn if she was truly evil because she kept him in bondage because she didn’t want him to flee and maybe be treated cruelly by another slaver. But, in his head, she couldn’t truly love him if she’d keep him enslaved. What a decision to make! On the ascension play through that’s a tough one.

@BAMozzy you’re not “forced” to do anything. You’re given a choice and the choice is yours to make. I’m not a Sony fan. But I’m a fan of Uncharted, God of War, Horizon, etc. if PlayStation ceased to exist today and those games moved to Nintendo, I’d buy a Nintendo. The choice is mine to make.

Exclusivity is what companies use to draw people to their particular product. And, as I said, this happens in every facet of entertainment. You think Netflix should share Stranger Things with Apple TV because it’s “consumer friendly”? Nah! They made their thing and want it on their platform. If Apple wants to draw people
to their platform, they make something comparable or better.

Best story of the year is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. Yes it’s a 2024 game. But I played it this year and it’s the most original, well put together game I’ve played in years.

Exclusivity gives consoles an identity. We can equate games like Mario and Zelda with Nintendo and games like Uncharted and God of War with PlayStation. We still equate Gears and Halo with Xbox but now you can play those anywhere.

Loss of exclusivity would give you no reason to choose one console over another. This notion rings true in every facet of entertainment. And why would any company not want you to have reason to choose them over their competitors?

Loved it at first. Then, the fact that I’d stack all kinds of goodies and get killed by people saying “Don’t shoot!” just turned me off of it.

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora . The Avatar game is really good. Story runs parallel to the first film. With mentions of Sully and his heroics.

@Dyomun nah. I’m good. I’ve played some really great games this year. Can’t play every great game. So I try to not get FOMO when I’ve not played the ones everyone’s raving about.

As an RPG fan, not really my year in the genre. Nothing on this list is something I wanna play.

@EfYI LOVE LOVE LOVE the love for Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (BGONE as it’s so aptly abbreviated to). It’s my game of the year as well! The originality and creativity that went into it is top notch.

And let’s not forget the voice work. Top tier and ranked up there with the likes of GOW and Uncharted. I only wish it had been put out by a bigger studio. This way, it would’ve likely gotten the recognition it deserves from the gaming community at large. A truly phenomenal game!

@Duck_Farmer lol I was thinking this same thing. Also, every time I see the game it’s grey or brown. I dunno…

Merry Christmas PS (double entendre) squad! What did you all get?

I got a Portal and PSVR2. My I’m gonna try real hard to not make my wife regret it lol.

@DarianStarfrog is it that good? I have it downloaded but have never played it.

Generative AI is what AI should be used for. The outcry over this is so dumb and will just lead to increased costs for no reason. It’s like people who hate Speedtree because it’s AI. Yes, because having AI generate tress in games is the end of all gaming. 🙄

I’ve played Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon: Forbidden West, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Thymesia, Immortals: Fenix Rising, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Streets Of Rage 4, Kena, etc. all from having Premium (later downgraded). It’s been well worth the money. Especially since my son plays basically every game they release each month. It’s been a net positive for me.

@rjejr I guess I need to look at other places than PSN. However, I have a digital console so not sure how that’ll work.

Desperately waiting for this one to come down in price. This one and Ghost of Yōtei.

I haven’t played many games that released this year, but I have played a few that I really liked. I loved Echoes of the End and Arc Raiders. But my favorite game I played this year is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. Released in 2024.

Off topic here. But is anyone else not seeing the comments section on the “What are you playing this weekend” thread?

@Number09 is there a new Division game? Please tell me there is!

**walks in to read and post***

**reads preceding comments***

**walks out in ‘murican!***

Give me part 3, please! I adore this series!

I’m not even sure what “Indy” is. But when I look at E33, I know what “Indy” isn’t. And it isn’t E33. At this point I just chalk it up to a lesser known studio that hasn’t previously released a game that’s divided the gaming community.

I was majorly upset thinking I’d have to get an Xbox just to play this single game. Then Xbox folded like a good tent (because they’re supposed to fold) and all was well in the world.

Also, absolutely NO AI art will be accepted!!!

I’m a huge Star Wars fan. But also a huge gamer. I know what’s coming out before then: The Witcher 4, Intergalactic, Crimson Desert, etc. So yeah, drop it in 2030 so I have time to play all that’s already on the table. I can wait.

Eternal Strands. Fun game. Feels old school in its presentation. Boss fights are epic and strategic.

@LifeGirl the only way people won’t buy PS6 when it releases is if we’re in another COVID-19 scenario.

I’ve played video games probably all but 10 days this year. And oddly enough, I’ve not played a single one of the games on this list.

Edit: I stand corrected. Missed ARC Raiders on the list. Since it’s the only one I’ve played, and it’s great, it gets my vote.

I started playing Lords of the Fallen and couldn’t get into it. Suffers from the same muddled storytelling that Souls games suffer from. Just feels directionless. Add that to the maddening difficulty and there’s absolutely no appeal.

lol I love the parity of the first 2 comments. Just proves that no game is ever universally accepted.

Damn, Clair cleared it out! No Yōtei prize? Maybe I’ll skip it… 🤔

I’ve not looked at mine yet. But I’m sure Elder Scrolls Online will be all over it. Sadly, this will be the final year it shows up in my list. It’s been a good 9-year run.

Looks interesting. However, I thought the same about Returnal and I didn’t like that one.

@Dan12836666 I used to think the whole “backlog” thing is ridiculous. Now, I find myself playing older games I’ve not played and waiting for price drops on newer games (Yōtei in particular). The last 2 games I’ve played are both over a year and a half old.

@Marquez yes. And it’s right in your face so you can’t miss it.

My piece of advice is for one particular haunting case; Saints and Sinners. If you Blame the human, you can miss the Book Wo trophy that requires you to collect 15 Bibles for him.

My advice is to do this case very last if you’re going to banish or ascend the ghost. This way, when you collect the quest to find the 5 Bibles, you’ll likely have all the travel points unlocked so you can get to the Bibles quickly. Many of them are right next to the campfires.

Also, don’t turn in the 5 Bibles when you get the 5 for the quest. This’ll end the quest and make the trophy missable. Just collect all 15 and have them in your inventory. You don’t even have to turn them in to him.

This quest is one of the most annoying in the game because you have to go all over the map for it. If you’ve already traveled the map, it makes it much easier to jump from place to place.

I learned this the hard way and this trophy too me hours to complete because I tried to do it before I had every travel point unlocked.

There aren’t enough games to play. And that’s because there are too many games to play so I don’t know which one to play.

@DarianStarfrog for sure! Such a (not so) hidden gem. I’m hoping for a sequel but I don’t think it fared too well financially.

@Marquez very much my thoughts. Voice work is some of the best I’ve heard in gaming, like, ever. The combat is pretty basic but not game-breaking. The “fast” travel became bothersome in the end when I was going for platinum but an overall great experience. Lemme know if you’re going for platinum and I’ll give you a vital hint that no one seems to have dropped on the Interwebs.

@nomither6 it’s because Nintendo always with novelty when they release a new console. By the time the 2nd of said console rolls around, the novelty has worn off. Not to mention, kids nowadays are perfectly fine playing games in front of a TV. I’m sure Switch 2 will do great. But it won’t come anywhere close to the original.

Too bad it’s losing Japan. Th most important place on the planet for game consoles.

Sorry. I’m trolling. Phat shout to PS5. The 2nd best PS console ever!

@Marquez are you new to Banishers? Just wanna hear your take on it. I’ve honestly not interacted with any other gamers who’ve played it.

Eternal Strands for me. Got the platinum for Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden last week. Great game. I’ve been coming across these really good/great lesser known titles lately. Shame that so many good games go unplayed.

I hope Netflix doesn’t “Netflixify” these IPs. My fear was that Skydance would’ve gone in the opposite direction I expect Netflix to go. Guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

Went from a no play to a must play for me with this change. Especially since I really have nothing going on gaming-wise at the moment.