Not a great score but I'm still getting this, I really like this style of gameplay and presentation, and the repetitiveness hasn't bothered me before. We are all different when it comes repetition and the nature of it.
Super Destronaut DX is real fun. It's 'old-school' done super-well.
FullBlast is great. It's a Heavy Metal schmup that's rather quirky, but I like that .
Dimension Drive. Another shoot’em up, but one that's quite unique in that the screen is split in two but you still play on both sides, even in single-player.
Moonfall Ultimate. A 2D action-rpg with a handpainted gameworld that brings a nicely dark and gritty atmosphere to the game.
Shadows: Awakening. Not sure if it strictly counts as an Indie by this site's definition, but for me it is. It's a Diablo-esque action-rpg with a cool idea of it's own. It's from the devs who made 'Vikings - Wolves of midgard', and so it plays really well.
Shikhondo - Soul Eater. A fantastic-looking bullet-hell game with story and artwork inspired by Korean folktales and folkart.
@bpomber Same here, I don't get it. It doesn't do anything new as far as RPGs go, it's more or less the same game as Witcher 2. Not that every great game has to be innovative of-course, a game can be a10/10 game simply by doing typical stuff really well.
It's not that I think Witcher 3 is bad game, I would certainly rate it 6/10 or maybe 7/10. I just think it's rather boring and generic in comparison to games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Yakuza 6, Ni no Kuni 2, Nier, and well …. most of the other games on the above list.
I liked it, … it had guns, something you rarely see in JRPGs. I liked the combat and the storyline's main idea. It had an Epic feel to me. So I have fond memories of this game and wouldn't mind buying it again for the PS4.
@JJ2 '...However this game got a lot of 'exclusive is bad' talk going on and people crying bc it's not multiplat....'.
It's just funny how these people never complain about PC-exclusives, as they conveniently drop their anti-exclusivity principles. It's perfectly acceptable, encouraged even, for the PC to have exclusives but not for other systems.
@LaNooch1978 '... burdened by an increasingly toxic fandom who are notoriously impossible to satisfy.'. Yeah, that's pretty much my take on anything Star Wars these days. It's better to wait with a new Star Wars game until these people have found other things to get stupid over. Ghostbusters sure did open the floodgates for these people, then there was Ghost in the Shell, Star Wars...
The technical issues are the main deterrent for me. It also looks and feels a bit too much like Dark Souls, based on the gameplay videos I've seen of this game. I'll wait for 'the Surge 2' in that case, a series which does a good job of distinguishing itself from anything Souls-Borne like.
@kyleforrester87 100% agree when it comes to games. With certain movies and films I don't really mind it, for example with movies like Annabelle or Halloween a prequel is usually interesting to me. In general though, something new or an offshoot, is more interesting.
The Alien prequels, I'm at the opposite end of your thinking. Both films look really good to me, in the way they are filmed (the style etc.), but I did not like the concept or plot.
Nascar Heat 3, which I bought this morning. They have improved on everything from the last game, plus added plenty of new stuff, so the game is bigger and better than before. It's quite a challenge playing on Expert-mode.
Planet Alpha. It's such a visually luxurious experience. It doesn't do anything new in this genre, but doesn't really have to.
Moonfall Ultimate, a 2D side-scroll action-rpg. The gameplay is fun, but the stand-out for me is the visual style, I like all handpainted games. There's a pleasantly dark atmosphere to the game.
Dimension Drive, a shoot'em up that actually does something different: you control two ships on either side of the screen (well, they are actually the same ship, you just swap dimensions … it makes sense if you watch a video of the game). It forces you think and react in a different way.
Ride 2. I'm trying to finish the game before Ride 3 arrives in November, I'm dead set on owning every single bike the game has to offer. The Career is huge though, I'm not in the risk of running out of things to do.
It will have to wait, I've bought too many fresh releases recently and on pre-order: Nascar Heat 3, V-Rally 4, Dakar 18, and Ride 3. That makes me set for the rest of the year (and more), plus a few Indie games. Spider-Man is on my list of 'must haves', but I need to prioritize my favourite genres and franchises.
Ooooh, we like demos!! will download straight away. It's been a very long time since I last played a Mega Man game, and this is a good way to find out whether I still enjoy it.
@naruball Yeah, unfortunately these people are the opinion-makers or influencers. If a game is below 60fps it's just trashed immediately, with no consideration to the content. I think the main problem is Sony and Bloodborne's image, that it's on a different platform than Steam is the secondary problem.
Who knows though, Bloodborne is a huge title in terms of fame, so it could be strong enough to pull people towards PSnow. If any game can do it, it's Bloodborne.
@naruball It will probably attract some of them, but most will only touch Steam games, to a lesser extent GOG. Even on PC, Bloodborne still seen as a console title, with all the negativity that springs from that in the PC gaming community. To add to this, it's Sony, one of the PC Masterrace's axis enemies. There's not much that can compete against Steam on PC, maybe MIcrosoft has a decent chance, but not Sony.
It's made by Kylotonn, who made the recent WRC games (which are really good), so I'm excited for this. I know they can make a great rally game. I think they have used the same engine as in WRC 7, so I expect solid physics and gameplay, challenging racing, and pretty lighting effects.
My only concern is whether they have focused 90% of their efforts on the PS4 Pro, and not enough on the regular PS4, so that the former will really well and the latter will not.
If PushSquare wants to keep a scoring system I suggest using a 1-5 rating system instead of the current 1-10. In practicality, any score between 1-6 equals 'bad' in a reader's mind. It doesn't matter at all whether it's 1/10 or 6/10, it's 'bad'. So all the numbers below 7 are rather meaningless, since they reflect the exact same thing, and generate the same feeling in the reader. There's no nuance. A score of 7/10 is the actual middle score, what people use. Having a 1-5 scale is better because it is much clearer and more efficient: (1-2)/5 = bad, 3/5 = OK/average, and (4-5)/5 = good.
People looking at reviews are mostly looking for confirmation, where they already think a game looks interesting, or they think it looks bad. I don't think reviews and thus scoring are about generating or creating interest. People firstly look at the score to see where it stands against their own idea of the game. If it doesn't match they won't read the review.
So a site is better off by giving every single game a 7/10 or 3/5 score because then it's in the middle, and more people are willing to read the actual review. In contrast, a (1-5)/10 or (8-10)/10 score is immediately polarizing, it's black-and-white in practicality.
I also want to add that scoring only works, to a minor extent, if the reader is already familiar with the reviewer: what the reviewer likes and doesn't like in a game, and what the reviewer prioritizes in a game.
In other words, you have to build the review score around a personality. This helps to add a sense of consistency and thus credibility to the scoring. If there are too many people doing reviews on a site, as is typical of IGN and GameSpot for example, you loose this credibility. It's just "random person X", whom you have never heard of before, giving some kind of score.
@shonenjump86 I definitely agree with that, a conclusion text is very useful. I often start by reading that, before looking at the details in the main text.
@b1ackjack_ps I think I understand what you mean. I often read review texts that make me think 'Oh, this game is OK' but then it gets a 3/10 score or something and I'm like 'What the...?'.
All the valuable information is in the text, the score is redundant, it tells you nothing practical about the game: technical quality, game length, story and narrative, game modes, visual style, and so on. Many of us prioritize these things differently, and search for what we prioritize in the actual text.
A good review should be informative, to bring out as much information as possible to the potential buyers, who obviously haven't played the game. What the actual score becomes is not important.
Hm, plenty of fun and interesting Indie games on sale this week. Got my eyes set on Midnight Deluxe, Mercenary Kings, Prismatic Solid, The Bridge, Chime Sharp, Project Root, Back to Bed, and Expand.
If people didn't buy these items, the system wouldn't exist. These publishers are obviously making enough money for it to be worthwhile.
I don't think gamers are being forced into anything. Us gamers have the complete freedom to choose whether to buy something or not, and these publishers/developers have the freedom to do what they want with their product.
A modern game obviously doesn't need microtransactions in order to sell fantastically well, or even 'well enough'. This is evidenced by the fact that the vast majority of our games don't have much, if any microtransactions, … if you look at all games, not just a select few.
The risk is that the games will feel 'hollowed out' when there are too many microtransactions for one game, that it becomes just a shell of a game.
I find comparisons to Dirt to be very odd. Dakar 18 is not meant and designed to be anything like a Dirt game. It's like comparing Spintires to Dirt 4. They are both driving games, but what you do in them, the nature of the driving, is dramatically different.
Here's what's unique about Dakar 18, what makes it completely different from a Dirt experience:
1) an open-world game
2) a focus on navigation, exploriation, planning and "survival"
3) a wide variety of vechicles (cars, motorcycles, trucks etc.)
4) shifting day/nightime and weather effects
Dakar 18 is more comparable to Spintires than Dirt 1-4 or Gravel, it's more of a driving simulator than a racing game.
With the risk of seeming arrogant, here's a short video of what Dakar is, because it is important to understand what this game is trying to simulate (why it is not trying to be another Dirt or Gravel game): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSOSIL6MxWM
I'm one of those who thought Alpha Protocol was really good. I played it on the Xbox 360 and did not experience any issues with it, by the time I played it anyway (not at launch). It was, and still is, a rather unique action-RPG as far as AAA-titles go. My main complaint concerned the puzzles, I've never liked these kind of hacking puzzles, whether it's Alpha Protcol, BioShock, Deus Ex or other. I think they are more annoying than fun.
PS4, PC and Xbox is the best combo for me, with the types of games I play. On PC it's typically racing sims, other types of simulation games (Flight Simulator, EuroTruck sim, etc.), and Indie games that don't exist on console, like Brigador, Unavowed and Creeper World. I buy Xbox-es just to play Forza and Forza Horizon games.
I don't have a Switch, since I'm not a big fan of Nintendo games and don't have the need for mobile gaming anymore.
@RogerRoger I think younger gamers are always on the lookout for the next big popular game, regardless of genre it seems, especially if it allows for multiplayer. The F1 games by Codemasters usually have a rather large multiplayer base. Alongside Dirt Rally and Assetto Corsa, a Codemasters' F1 game is one of the more "trendy" racing games to play. I think these are the reasons they are popular with younger gamers.
@RogerRoger F1 is still very popular in the UK, especially with Lewis Hamilton (a fellow Brit) always winning in recent years. Typically there are also 2-3 British teams involved (McLaren, Williams, etc.), so traditionally F1 has a strong British presence. There's also the fact that Codemasters, the developers, are British.
As a game F1 is certainly less popular now than in the past I think, looking at the entire gaming world and not just the UK, even EA used to make F1 games for example. Today the F1 games are only popular in certain specific countries, like the UK and Brazil, in most countries it won't make the Top 10.
I liked the developers' previous game, Vikings - Wolves of Midgard, and this looks even more impressive. 15-20 hours of main missions, plus another 15-20 hours for the side-missions. It's a lengthy game, but not too long. I like that it has three-four different endings, and that the missions and much of the narration changes depending on who you choose as your 'soul'. An abundance of voicecasting is always nice in a game like this.
This is definitely a game I want to pick up, but with Dragon Quest XI arriving soon it will have to wait.
Hm, you wrote F1 2019 on the list but the game is F1 2018.
While the real F1 has been a boring and predictable affair for many years now (compared to Indycar), at least the game-world allows for an F1 experience that's exciting to experience.
@ellsworth004 I think it could work with guns, not machine guns perhaps, but rifles, pistols and handguns. Realistically, such a game would probably have to feature some kind of melee weapons, to avoid turning it into a cover-based shooter. A mix of the two, somewhat like Bloodborne but a heavier emphasis on the "gun weapon".
So I'm not against using melee weapons in Sci-fi, but they should be different from what you see in your average Fantasy game. Star Wars is a good example of how you can make melee weapons look Sci-fi. The weapons I've seen in Hellpoint so far look too much like orthodox Fantasy weapons.
The enemies too, look far too similar to what you would encounter in Dark Souls, Skyrim or Diablo. I just don't think they have been creative enough with the design of enemies and weapons. The Surge is a good example of how you can make a Sci-fi Souls-game that has enemies and melee weapons that look and feel like Sci-fi.
It still looks more like Fantasy than Sci-fi, especially the weapons and enemy designs. I'm disappointed, if developers call something a Sci-fi it should look like Sci-fi, not Fantasy. I think the Surge game(s) are a better fit for the 'Sci-fi Souls-like' description.
@LaNooch1978 Really? I did not know about that lol. I struggle with their thinking in that case. I'm trying to understand it from a business perspective (majored in Economics after all ). I firmly believe that these companies will follow the money first at foremost, so if it's not a structural problem, I reason there's an economic explanation for not enabling it. Maybe their projections indictate it's not profitable, or not profitable enough, to warrant a cross-over? Maybe they are secretely saving it for the PS5, to boost it's initial sales.
@LaNooch1978 I don't think Sony has the structure in place, or enough economic incentive, to offer cross-play. Instead of admiting to all this, they do something like this PR stunt. Also, there must be enough Fortnite players on the PS4, that it's not really an issue with finding other people to play with. If these figures were low I'm sure Sony would have acted by now, unless their structure does not allow for cross-play.
Edit: I've also heard the 'we are clearly the best'-talk far too often, regardless of what platform or distribution I have used. Just recently I heard the head of marketing at GOG openly state that only those who choose DRM-free PC games are 'hardcore' and 'serious' gamers, the rest are not. And this is their head of marketing saying this. I hear and notice this kind of BS all the time, so when Sony says something like the above, it sounds exactly like what every other platform/distributor is saying.
It's a mildly charged statement, and we've heard similar statements from Nintendo, Microsoft, Valve and GOG. Naturally they each think their system or distribution is the best, it's something you expect to hear. I agree with Sammy though, it's just PR shenanigans from Sony's side.
I imagine there being plenty of PS4-gamers wanting cross-play, but I think the main drivers of this obsessive campaign are people who don't play on a PS4, but on PC first and foremost, followed by Switch, and perhaps XBox.
Most "game critics" and games journalists are PC-gamers, with an obnoxious and patronizing attitude towards consoles and console gamers. It suits their agenda to champion this issue, ignoring the fact that none of their followers actually play on console. They'll do anything to get attention.
MotoGP 18, Gran Turismo Sport, Shikhondo and Owlboy.
While I enjoy Owlboy a great deal, the combat can be very annoying. Whenever you get hit I feel you get punished twice: once from the actual damage to your health, and then from the stun effect that pushes you back. The problem is not just the stun itself, it's confusing to see where you character is on the screen once you get hit.
@keihtg Feel free to call me crazy then . This is not a game for me, but I am interested in seeing how CDPR will handle the narration and storline, which has been their games' strongpoint compared to titles like Deus Ex and Fallout 3+.
I've mentioned this before, but what I've seen makes me think of a spiritual reboot of the first Deus Ex game, done with modern gaming standards in mind.
Maybe it's just me, but having it in first-person view makes the game [Cyberpunk] feel more generic.
Comments 788
Re: Review: Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk (PS4)
Not a great score but I'm still getting this, I really like this style of gameplay and presentation, and the repetitiveness hasn't bothered me before. We are all different when it comes repetition and the nature of it.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 237
Nascar Heat 3, MotoGP 18, Ride 2, and V-Rally 4.
Re: Indie Bin: Super Street: The Game, Ninjin: Clash of Carrots, Sir Eatsalot
Super Destronaut DX is real fun. It's 'old-school' done super-well.
FullBlast is great. It's a Heavy Metal schmup that's rather quirky, but I like that .
Dimension Drive. Another shoot’em up, but one that's quite unique in that the screen is split in two but you still play on both sides, even in single-player.
Moonfall Ultimate. A 2D action-rpg with a handpainted gameworld that brings a nicely dark and gritty atmosphere to the game.
Shadows: Awakening. Not sure if it strictly counts as an Indie by this site's definition, but for me it is. It's a Diablo-esque action-rpg with a cool idea of it's own. It's from the devs who made 'Vikings - Wolves of midgard', and so it plays really well.
Shikhondo - Soul Eater. A fantastic-looking bullet-hell game with story and artwork inspired by Korean folktales and folkart.
Re: Guide: Best PS4 RPGs
@bpomber Same here, I don't get it. It doesn't do anything new as far as RPGs go, it's more or less the same game as Witcher 2. Not that every great game has to be innovative of-course, a game can be a10/10 game simply by doing typical stuff really well.
It's not that I think Witcher 3 is bad game, I would certainly rate it 6/10 or maybe 7/10. I just think it's rather boring and generic in comparison to games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Yakuza 6, Ni no Kuni 2, Nier, and well …. most of the other games on the above list.
Re: Guide: Best PS4 RPGs
God of War and Detroit should probably also be on the list by now, they have certainly sold enough copies.
Re: Rumour: Gun-Based JRPG Resonance of Fate Is Getting a PS4 Remaster
I liked it, … it had guns, something you rarely see in JRPGs. I liked the combat and the storyline's main idea. It had an Epic feel to me. So I have fond memories of this game and wouldn't mind buying it again for the PS4.
Re: Catherine: Full Body Arranges a Ménage à Quatre
I remember my first ménage à quatre: myself, Häagen-dazs Peanut Butter Crunch, Ben & Jerry's Caramel Sutra Core, and Magnum Classic.
Re: Creative Director of Spider-Man PS4 Says It 'Would Not Exist if It Wasn't for PlayStation'
@JJ2 '...However this game got a lot of 'exclusive is bad' talk going on and people crying bc it's not multiplat....'.
It's just funny how these people never complain about PC-exclusives, as they conveniently drop their anti-exclusivity principles. It's perfectly acceptable, encouraged even, for the PC to have exclusives but not for other systems.
Re: Creative Director of Spider-Man PS4 Says It 'Would Not Exist if It Wasn't for PlayStation'
@LaNooch1978 '... burdened by an increasingly toxic fandom who are notoriously impossible to satisfy.'. Yeah, that's pretty much my take on anything Star Wars these days. It's better to wait with a new Star Wars game until these people have found other things to get stupid over. Ghostbusters sure did open the floodgates for these people, then there was Ghost in the Shell, Star Wars...
Re: Store Update: 11th September 2018 (Europe)
Project CARS 2 - Ferrari Essentials Pack DLC … I'm already itching for this, Forza Ferrari!.
Re: Review: Immortal: Unchained (PS4)
The technical issues are the main deterrent for me. It also looks and feels a bit too much like Dark Souls, based on the gameplay videos I've seen of this game. I'll wait for 'the Surge 2' in that case, a series which does a good job of distinguishing itself from anything Souls-Borne like.
Re: Knives Out, a Totally Original New Concept, Comes to PS4 Next Year
Creativity doesn't really sell, does it?
Re: Rockstar Teases Details About the Story in Red Dead Redemption 2
@kyleforrester87 100% agree when it comes to games. With certain movies and films I don't really mind it, for example with movies like Annabelle or Halloween a prequel is usually interesting to me. In general though, something new or an offshoot, is more interesting.
The Alien prequels, I'm at the opposite end of your thinking. Both films look really good to me, in the way they are filmed (the style etc.), but I did not like the concept or plot.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 236
Nascar Heat 3, which I bought this morning. They have improved on everything from the last game, plus added plenty of new stuff, so the game is bigger and better than before. It's quite a challenge playing on Expert-mode.
Planet Alpha. It's such a visually luxurious experience. It doesn't do anything new in this genre, but doesn't really have to.
Moonfall Ultimate, a 2D side-scroll action-rpg. The gameplay is fun, but the stand-out for me is the visual style, I like all handpainted games. There's a pleasantly dark atmosphere to the game.
Dimension Drive, a shoot'em up that actually does something different: you control two ships on either side of the screen (well, they are actually the same ship, you just swap dimensions … it makes sense if you watch a video of the game). It forces you think and react in a different way.
Ride 2. I'm trying to finish the game before Ride 3 arrives in November, I'm dead set on owning every single bike the game has to offer. The Career is huge though, I'm not in the risk of running out of things to do.
Re: Feature: Best PS4 Music of August 2018
Haven't played any of the above, but will bring my own favourites:
Road to Ballhalla has a great chill-out soundtrack, here's a track called 'Temple of the Holy Fail': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH1INTqTPVU
Guacamelee 2 has a really fun soundtrack, here's a cool track called 'Prisión El Chorazón': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ire8QWOpgCg
Death's Gambit has an excellent orchestral soundtrack, here's a track called 'Dark Knight': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkU3EWoY7tk
Re: Poll: Are You Buying Marvel's Spider-Man?
It will have to wait, I've bought too many fresh releases recently and on pre-order: Nascar Heat 3, V-Rally 4, Dakar 18, and Ride 3. That makes me set for the rest of the year (and more), plus a few Indie games. Spider-Man is on my list of 'must haves', but I need to prioritize my favourite genres and franchises.
Re: Mega Man 11 Gets a Demo on PS4, Available Now
Ooooh, we like demos!! will download straight away. It's been a very long time since I last played a Mega Man game, and this is a good way to find out whether I still enjoy it.
Re: PlayStation Now's September Lineup Includes Bloodborne and More
@naruball Yeah, unfortunately these people are the opinion-makers or influencers. If a game is below 60fps it's just trashed immediately, with no consideration to the content. I think the main problem is Sony and Bloodborne's image, that it's on a different platform than Steam is the secondary problem.
Who knows though, Bloodborne is a huge title in terms of fame, so it could be strong enough to pull people towards PSnow. If any game can do it, it's Bloodborne.
Re: PlayStation Now's September Lineup Includes Bloodborne and More
@naruball It will probably attract some of them, but most will only touch Steam games, to a lesser extent GOG. Even on PC, Bloodborne still seen as a console title, with all the negativity that springs from that in the PC gaming community. To add to this, it's Sony, one of the PC Masterrace's axis enemies. There's not much that can compete against Steam on PC, maybe MIcrosoft has a decent chance, but not Sony.
Re: Hope for a New Kingdoms of Amalur Game Revived as THQNordic Acquires IP
I remember it having some difficulty imbalance, but fondly recall the colourful gameworld and fast-paced combat.
Re: V-Rally 4 Gets Fast and Furious in Latest Trailer
@TheIronChimp Dude, it's a different decade, it's not even the same developer and game engine.
Re: V-Rally 4 Gets Fast and Furious in Latest Trailer
Pre-ordered it and should get it any day now.
It's made by Kylotonn, who made the recent WRC games (which are really good), so I'm excited for this. I know they can make a great rally game. I think they have used the same engine as in WRC 7, so I expect solid physics and gameplay, challenging racing, and pretty lighting effects.
My only concern is whether they have focused 90% of their efforts on the PS4 Pro, and not enough on the regular PS4, so that the former will really well and the latter will not.
Re: Poll: Do We Still Need Review Scores?
If PushSquare wants to keep a scoring system I suggest using a 1-5 rating system instead of the current 1-10. In practicality, any score between 1-6 equals 'bad' in a reader's mind. It doesn't matter at all whether it's 1/10 or 6/10, it's 'bad'. So all the numbers below 7 are rather meaningless, since they reflect the exact same thing, and generate the same feeling in the reader. There's no nuance. A score of 7/10 is the actual middle score, what people use. Having a 1-5 scale is better because it is much clearer and more efficient: (1-2)/5 = bad, 3/5 = OK/average, and (4-5)/5 = good.
People looking at reviews are mostly looking for confirmation, where they already think a game looks interesting, or they think it looks bad. I don't think reviews and thus scoring are about generating or creating interest. People firstly look at the score to see where it stands against their own idea of the game. If it doesn't match they won't read the review.
So a site is better off by giving every single game a 7/10 or 3/5 score because then it's in the middle, and more people are willing to read the actual review. In contrast, a (1-5)/10 or (8-10)/10 score is immediately polarizing, it's black-and-white in practicality.
I also want to add that scoring only works, to a minor extent, if the reader is already familiar with the reviewer: what the reviewer likes and doesn't like in a game, and what the reviewer prioritizes in a game.
In other words, you have to build the review score around a personality. This helps to add a sense of consistency and thus credibility to the scoring. If there are too many people doing reviews on a site, as is typical of IGN and GameSpot for example, you loose this credibility. It's just "random person X", whom you have never heard of before, giving some kind of score.
Re: Red Dead Redemption 2 Teaser Puts a Bounty on Dutch's Head, Trailer Incoming?
@kyleforrester87 Yeah, I mean look at that foliage in the distant background; that's not acceptable for a modern game.
Re: Poll: Do We Still Need Review Scores?
@shonenjump86 I definitely agree with that, a conclusion text is very useful. I often start by reading that, before looking at the details in the main text.
Re: Poll: Do We Still Need Review Scores?
@b1ackjack_ps I think I understand what you mean. I often read review texts that make me think 'Oh, this game is OK' but then it gets a 3/10 score or something and I'm like 'What the...?'.
Re: Poll: Do We Still Need Review Scores?
All the valuable information is in the text, the score is redundant, it tells you nothing practical about the game: technical quality, game length, story and narrative, game modes, visual style, and so on. Many of us prioritize these things differently, and search for what we prioritize in the actual text.
A good review should be informative, to bring out as much information as possible to the potential buyers, who obviously haven't played the game. What the actual score becomes is not important.
Re: Yet Another Sale Begins on European PS Store
Hm, plenty of fun and interesting Indie games on sale this week. Got my eyes set on Midnight Deluxe, Mercenary Kings, Prismatic Solid, The Bridge, Chime Sharp, Project Root, Back to Bed, and Expand.
Re: Microtransactions Described as 'An Unfortunate Reality' by NBA 2K19 Producer
If people didn't buy these items, the system wouldn't exist. These publishers are obviously making enough money for it to be worthwhile.
I don't think gamers are being forced into anything. Us gamers have the complete freedom to choose whether to buy something or not, and these publishers/developers have the freedom to do what they want with their product.
A modern game obviously doesn't need microtransactions in order to sell fantastically well, or even 'well enough'. This is evidenced by the fact that the vast majority of our games don't have much, if any microtransactions, … if you look at all games, not just a select few.
The risk is that the games will feel 'hollowed out' when there are too many microtransactions for one game, that it becomes just a shell of a game.
Re: Hardcore Rally Game Dakar 18 Takes PS4 Off-Road Later This Month
I find comparisons to Dirt to be very odd. Dakar 18 is not meant and designed to be anything like a Dirt game. It's like comparing Spintires to Dirt 4. They are both driving games, but what you do in them, the nature of the driving, is dramatically different.
Here's what's unique about Dakar 18, what makes it completely different from a Dirt experience:
1) an open-world game
2) a focus on navigation, exploriation, planning and "survival"
3) a wide variety of vechicles (cars, motorcycles, trucks etc.)
4) shifting day/nightime and weather effects
Dakar 18 is more comparable to Spintires than Dirt 1-4 or Gravel, it's more of a driving simulator than a racing game.
Here's a more detailed video of what the gameplay is like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sQIRm3mNUY
With the risk of seeming arrogant, here's a short video of what Dakar is, because it is important to understand what this game is trying to simulate (why it is not trying to be another Dirt or Gravel game): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSOSIL6MxWM
Re: Is Obsidian Teasing a Remaster of Alpha Protocol?
I'm one of those who thought Alpha Protocol was really good. I played it on the Xbox 360 and did not experience any issues with it, by the time I played it anyway (not at launch). It was, and still is, a rather unique action-RPG as far as AAA-titles go. My main complaint concerned the puzzles, I've never liked these kind of hacking puzzles, whether it's Alpha Protcol, BioShock, Deus Ex or other. I think they are more annoying than fun.
Re: Review: Planet Alpha (PS4)
This was an instant-purchase for me, regardless of what score it received. For me the cool parts heavily outweigh the negatives.
Re: Nintendo Switch Is Great for Variety in Gaming, Says PlayStation Exec
PS4, PC and Xbox is the best combo for me, with the types of games I play. On PC it's typically racing sims, other types of simulation games (Flight Simulator, EuroTruck sim, etc.), and Indie games that don't exist on console, like Brigador, Unavowed and Creeper World. I buy Xbox-es just to play Forza and Forza Horizon games.
I don't have a Switch, since I'm not a big fan of Nintendo games and don't have the need for mobile gaming anymore.
Re: Game of the Month: The Top 4 PlayStation Games of August 2018
Road to Ballhalla takes the #1 spot for me. It's a quirky physics puzzle game with lots of personality to it.
Other really good ones from August: Battle Chef Brigade, Socketeer, Chasm, TETRA’s Escape, Shikhondo - Soul Eater, and All-Star Fruit Racing.
I haven't played the ones listed by PushSquare though, apart from Yakuza 2 a long, long time ago.
Re: UK Sales Charts: F1 2018 Holds onto Pole Position Ahead of PES 2019
@RogerRoger I think younger gamers are always on the lookout for the next big popular game, regardless of genre it seems, especially if it allows for multiplayer. The F1 games by Codemasters usually have a rather large multiplayer base. Alongside Dirt Rally and Assetto Corsa, a Codemasters' F1 game is one of the more "trendy" racing games to play. I think these are the reasons they are popular with younger gamers.
Re: UK Sales Charts: F1 2018 Holds onto Pole Position Ahead of PES 2019
@RogerRoger F1 is still very popular in the UK, especially with Lewis Hamilton (a fellow Brit) always winning in recent years. Typically there are also 2-3 British teams involved (McLaren, Williams, etc.), so traditionally F1 has a strong British presence. There's also the fact that Codemasters, the developers, are British.
As a game F1 is certainly less popular now than in the past I think, looking at the entire gaming world and not just the UK, even EA used to make F1 games for example. Today the F1 games are only popular in certain specific countries, like the UK and Brazil, in most countries it won't make the Top 10.
Re: Review: Shadows: Awakening (PS4)
I liked the developers' previous game, Vikings - Wolves of Midgard, and this looks even more impressive. 15-20 hours of main missions, plus another 15-20 hours for the side-missions. It's a lengthy game, but not too long. I like that it has three-four different endings, and that the missions and much of the narration changes depending on who you choose as your 'soul'. An abundance of voicecasting is always nice in a game like this.
This is definitely a game I want to pick up, but with Dragon Quest XI arriving soon it will have to wait.
Re: UK Sales Charts: F1 2018 Holds onto Pole Position Ahead of PES 2019
Hm, you wrote F1 2019 on the list but the game is F1 2018.
While the real F1 has been a boring and predictable affair for many years now (compared to Indycar), at least the game-world allows for an F1 experience that's exciting to experience.
Re: Hellpoint Brings Sci-Fi Souls to PS4 in 2019
@ellsworth004 I think it could work with guns, not machine guns perhaps, but rifles, pistols and handguns. Realistically, such a game would probably have to feature some kind of melee weapons, to avoid turning it into a cover-based shooter. A mix of the two, somewhat like Bloodborne but a heavier emphasis on the "gun weapon".
So I'm not against using melee weapons in Sci-fi, but they should be different from what you see in your average Fantasy game. Star Wars is a good example of how you can make melee weapons look Sci-fi. The weapons I've seen in Hellpoint so far look too much like orthodox Fantasy weapons.
The enemies too, look far too similar to what you would encounter in Dark Souls, Skyrim or Diablo. I just don't think they have been creative enough with the design of enemies and weapons. The Surge is a good example of how you can make a Sci-fi Souls-game that has enemies and melee weapons that look and feel like Sci-fi.
Re: Hellpoint Brings Sci-Fi Souls to PS4 in 2019
It still looks more like Fantasy than Sci-fi, especially the weapons and enemy designs. I'm disappointed, if developers call something a Sci-fi it should look like Sci-fi, not Fantasy. I think the Surge game(s) are a better fit for the 'Sci-fi Souls-like' description.
Re: Sony Won't Allow Fortnite Cross-Play Because It Believes That PS4 Offers the Best Experience
@LaNooch1978 Really? I did not know about that lol. I struggle with their thinking in that case. I'm trying to understand it from a business perspective (majored in Economics after all ). I firmly believe that these companies will follow the money first at foremost, so if it's not a structural problem, I reason there's an economic explanation for not enabling it. Maybe their projections indictate it's not profitable, or not profitable enough, to warrant a cross-over? Maybe they are secretely saving it for the PS5, to boost it's initial sales.
Re: Sony Won't Allow Fortnite Cross-Play Because It Believes That PS4 Offers the Best Experience
@LaNooch1978 I don't think Sony has the structure in place, or enough economic incentive, to offer cross-play. Instead of admiting to all this, they do something like this PR stunt. Also, there must be enough Fortnite players on the PS4, that it's not really an issue with finding other people to play with. If these figures were low I'm sure Sony would have acted by now, unless their structure does not allow for cross-play.
Edit: I've also heard the 'we are clearly the best'-talk far too often, regardless of what platform or distribution I have used. Just recently I heard the head of marketing at GOG openly state that only those who choose DRM-free PC games are 'hardcore' and 'serious' gamers, the rest are not. And this is their head of marketing saying this. I hear and notice this kind of BS all the time, so when Sony says something like the above, it sounds exactly like what every other platform/distributor is saying.
Re: Sony Won't Allow Fortnite Cross-Play Because It Believes That PS4 Offers the Best Experience
It's a mildly charged statement, and we've heard similar statements from Nintendo, Microsoft, Valve and GOG. Naturally they each think their system or distribution is the best, it's something you expect to hear. I agree with Sammy though, it's just PR shenanigans from Sony's side.
I imagine there being plenty of PS4-gamers wanting cross-play, but I think the main drivers of this obsessive campaign are people who don't play on a PS4, but on PC first and foremost, followed by Switch, and perhaps XBox.
Most "game critics" and games journalists are PC-gamers, with an obnoxious and patronizing attitude towards consoles and console gamers. It suits their agenda to champion this issue, ignoring the fact that none of their followers actually play on console. They'll do anything to get attention.
Re: Hitman 2's Jungle Map Looks More Metal Gear Than Agent 47
Makes me think of the Ghost Warrior games. It's well overdue to include a map like this again in Hitman.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 235
MotoGP 18, Gran Turismo Sport, Shikhondo and Owlboy.
While I enjoy Owlboy a great deal, the combat can be very annoying. Whenever you get hit I feel you get punished twice: once from the actual damage to your health, and then from the stun effect that pushes you back. The problem is not just the stun itself, it's confusing to see where you character is on the screen once you get hit.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 235
@Rebecca
The first Dead Space game is still my favourite, I think it has the best atmosphere and pacing. I like all three games in their own way though.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 235
@1W1NG3D4NG3L Wow, congratulations!
Re: Sony's Bringing Marvel's Spider-Man, Dreams, More to PAX West 2018
I'm hyped for Hong Kong Massacre, it's been a while since I last played something with a good John Woo-vibe to it.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think of the Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay?
@keihtg Feel free to call me crazy then . This is not a game for me, but I am interested in seeing how CDPR will handle the narration and storline, which has been their games' strongpoint compared to titles like Deus Ex and Fallout 3+.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think of the Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay?
I've mentioned this before, but what I've seen makes me think of a spiritual reboot of the first Deus Ex game, done with modern gaming standards in mind.
Maybe it's just me, but having it in first-person view makes the game [Cyberpunk] feel more generic.