This looks great in fairness, and I actually think the depiction of Kraven is really solid.

If anyone is into the comics, I'd highly recommend "Kraven's Last Hunt" - which is fairly dark in tone for Spiderman. A fantastic graphic novel, and does well to raise up Kraven as one of the biggest threats out there...

@KundaliniRising333 Yeah I know mate, I just can’t resist feeding sometimes!

@VaultGuy415 - I largely disagree with that statement on many levels!

Elden Ring was (and continues to be) an incredible game in many ways, and FromSoftware achieved a remarkable feat in managing to make their IP as 'accessible' as possible for the mainstream/newcomers whilst still appealing to their core audience. I played ER at launch, and it was a phenomenal experience. My personal 2022 GOTY...

As well as being a huge FromSoft fan (Sekiro one of my favorite games of all time) I am also very much into Zelda/Nintendo... and kicked off playing TotK this weekend. TotK , as well as its predecessor, is a fantastic game. Perhaps it is more 'evolution' instead of 'revolution', but nonetheless it builds very strongly on the previous formula and introduces a great sandbox environment with updated mechanics. A few frame-rate drops aside, it is an immaculate game and a fine example of Nintendo doing what they do best (FR drops expected, this game really pushes the Switch to its limits...)

To say that the release of TotK makes ER irrelevant is so.... wrong? It is entirely possible to love both games (As I do) or just one of them, or neither.... but to say that ER no longer has a place in the conversation since the release of TotK is pretty unjustified. I'd argue that if you were to combine the best elements of these games and merge, you'd have one hell of a product.

TLDR - Both games, ER and TotK, are fantastic. One does not make the other obsolete.... With FF16 on the horizon as well, plus Starfield, its a great time to be a gamer. (Hoping FF16 and SF land successfully, few concerns on the latter but hopefully Bethedsa pull through)

Honestly, a 60 FPS patch for the original would make all the difference.... BUT in saying that, a full-scale remake would not be unwelcome!

I'm unsure what project/s Sony has Bluepoint working on since the acquisition? But surely Bluepoint would be the obvious developer to undertake this, based on their exemplary work with DeS.

Seems strange actually that this remake hasn't been pushed before now? It would be an absolute 'open goal' for Sony, especially since the success of Elden Ring and FromSoftware becoming less niche and more open to the casual market.

Any product with the marketing strapline "From the creators of Elden Ring" will sell effortlessly.... and Bloodborne also happens to be a class act.

(nb. I'd rather see a Sekiro sequel personally, but this is likely a personal sickness of mine and not an opinion attributable to the masses)

TLDR - Bloodborne remake would not be unwelcome at all, Sony would absolutely print money in doing so, and IMO Bluepoint are the perfect dev to pull this off.

I no longer have my PS5 - but I suspect if I did then this would have been be a “Day 1” for me.

Considering the team working on this, and the divisive response to XV, I’d really hope that SE go “all in” on making the great game that I believe they are capable of.

7R left me with mixed feelings…. so much that I loved and so much I loathed. The combat (IMO) was a series-best, and I actually loved the batsh*t crazy narrative beats helmed by Nomura. Also the materia system and build flexibility was pretty good. The DLC was class as well. However, it just had so much…. Bloat I guess? Infantile sub quests and more corridors than you could shake a stick at.

If 7R had halved its base game content from a 40hr experience to 20hr I think it could have really been great. Those hungry for more could then roll straight into hard mode, less likely to be burnt out from gathering up all the cats in the slums lol

But seriously so far the trailers and previews for XVI look great, and I’d be excited for what’s coming here. This and TotK within months of each others is a great time to be a gamer

Kena is pretty solid! Coincidently I am playing Slay-the-Spire on Switch, and it is really excellent.

For anyone interested in deck-builders, it is very accessible but with a great degree of depth once you find your feet

Inscryption...?

Would love some Hades 2 or Silksong

Alongside my alarming addiction to MH Sunbreak, this year I’ve made a resolution to explore more genres in gaming - especially after how pleasantly surprised I was playing ‘Return to Monkey Island’ and ‘Thimbleweed Park’. (Point-and-Click was not a genre I had any familiarity with previously!)

So ahead of the TU4 update for Sunbreak, this week I have exclusively been playing ‘Inscryption’… and wow! Without spoiling it,
this game is part deck-builder, part rogue-lite and parts RPG - with some fantastic horror elements thrown in for good measure.

I’d highly recommend this game if you like deck builders in general, or even if you enjoy things like Hades. I’d advise you go in completely blind though, as there are some real rug-pull moments throughout the experience and many twists and turns in the ‘story’ (I’ve already said too much ha!)

It only came to Switch late 2022, having been released a year earlier on PC I think…. Received many accolades in 2021 and rightly so!

Short game as well, 8-11 hours probably depending on player skill

If any of the above sounds interesting and you fancy playing something completely unique then I’d recommend highly. It was a solid 8.5/10 for me

@Jimmer-jammer Yeh its really exciting, everyone I know who has played Inscryption keep saying how great it is.... but also very respectful in keeping tight-lipped regarding any content! Not sure what I'm getting myself into, but really looking forward to starting it

@KilloWertz Haha I know man...! I've been in a bit of a gaming rut, and struggling to click with things. For some reason, RtMI and TWP have really engaged me - so I'm rolling with it! Got Crisis Core lined up, and then (finally) XC3.
Hope you're well mate

All Nintendo Switch this weekend…

Literally this morning have finally beat the awesome Thimbleweed Park, and can proudly say that this was accomplished with zero hints/guides! Having played the new Monkey Island on release, I really caught a bug for this genre of ‘point&click adventure’ and am really surprised by how much I enjoy these games. My goal was to beat Monkey Island without a hint, but I crumbled at the very last puzzle! I’d say that Thimbleweed is actually the better game out of the 2, and also TWP is more challenging. TWP took me about 18hrs to beat, albeit a good few of those hours were spent wondering around and getting shamelessly stuck on puzzles! I’m glad I played RtMI first though, as this eased me into the genre a bit… and prepared me for the more challenging TWP

I’ll also be playing more MHR Sunbreak - continuing the endless grind towards AR level 200…. Currently only AR135 🤦‍♂️

Finally, I keep hearing amazing things about Inscryption and downloaded yesterday on a whim. I hear it is best playing completely blind, with as little prior knowledge as possible. Would be keen to know how others have found this game? Please no spoilers!

I got this day #1 on Switch, and really enjoyed it!

I'm by no means an expert at these games, nor am I overly fluent in the 'Point-and-Click' genre, but my playthrough was about 11hrs.

I managed to complete this without using the in-game hint system... until the very last puzzle! I felt up until the final puzzle, all other challenges were relatively logical and not nearly as obtuse as some of the puzzles in earlier entries (IIRC, only play MI1 as a kid...)

But this game is a good time for sure, and would probably serve as an ideal 'side-companion' to something like GoW

I'm hoping for late July-August next year... a bit of time between Zelda:TotK and FF16 would be lovely!

@Sil_Am 100%!!! Returnal was my personal GOTY 2021...

I firmly believe that if the game had included the 'Suspend run' feature from Day #1, this would have leant to better critic reviews...

The DLC and co-op mode is awesome as well. Such an awesome showcase for PS5 capabilities also

@Olmaz Just the once my friend... #SaveScumming (!) But yeh, irrespective I think we can agree that 'getting back into' Elden Ring is one of the nicest problems to have

I'm all in for this!

I really need to re-familiarise myself with the game though, as I put it down around March after getting the Platinum... and haven't picked i up again since.

I'm not sure how the numerous patches might have implicated my build...!

Beat this last week on Switch, was a great time and a really nice ‘side-game’ to accompany something meatier…. Might serve as a suitable side dish for anyone wanting some brief reprieve from GoW!

My playthrough was around 10hrs - and the game never felt like it was outstaying it’s welcome

Fans of the series will love this, and thankfully most of the puzzles are fairly logical. My aim was to make it through the whole experience without using the in-game hint system… but sadly I caved on the very final puzzle!

Would recommend to fans of the series and genre, but also to anyone wanting to dip their toes into the point-and-click world

On PS5- taking it easy and just playing a bit of online co-op Returnal… still love this game and enjoying helping out others, especially those that are struggling with early game

On Switch- Return to Monkey Island - beat the game this weekend after approx 11-12 hours of play.

I’d ultimately recommend to anyone that enjoys the genre, or has familiarity with the older games in the series (and presumably had fun playing these games).

A fun romp and a nice change of pace from more action-orientated games, nice to actually use my brain for once… and fortunately most of the puzzles are solved through cerebral rationalities - instead of obtuse/random solutions.

My only critique would be it’s a little on the easy side… and only really ‘hits its stride’ in Act IV (total of 5 acts in the game).

Act IV has a lot of moving parts, location variety, and ramps up the challenge…. And it is a real shame that all the acts don’t follow this blueprint!

I set out to avoid using the in-game hint system …. But let myself down and had to utilise the hint book for the very last puzzle in Act V (in fairness I was totally barking up the wrong tree in my solution/tactics… probably would have had me stuck for a few days!)

Overall I’d give it a solid 7/10, and maybe 8/10 if you are a huge fan of the genre.

I’m still very much down for FF16….

FF15, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and BOTW2 are my only real ‘must-buys’ slated in for 2023

Struggling to get hyped for this in all honesty...

Still waiting on the announcement that Sony have commissioned Bluepoint to develop the Bloodborne remake (!!!)

Switch: Finally burning out a bit on MHR:Sunbreak, and just keeping myself fresh with 1 or 2 hunts per day...
My build is pretty much where I want it to be, running Greatsword with Dereliction & Resentment (alongside full CritEye / AB / CB / WEC). Using this build with RageSlash/ACS, cultivating a nice 'hit and run' style.

I'm actually really really enjoying 'Return to Monkey Island' on Switch also, and just hit Act IV. My only critique is that it is perhaps a little on the easy side, albeit there have been a few moments I've got stuck. Keen to explore this genre more once I beat it.

PS5: Returnal CO-OP! Love this game so much, and have enjoyed helping out new players via the co-op DLC function. Nearly caved and got TLOU remake, but held back and decided to wait until its inevitable sale.

I'm ok with this, and actually prefer a lack of difficulty options - but please don't confuse this statement with being an 'elitist gamer' (!)

I'm certainly no gaming pro, but the games I've enjoyed most in the last couple of years include Returnal, Elden Ring, Sekiro and Nioh. All of these can only be played via difficulty 'as the developers intended', albeit there are functions in-game to ease the pain. (Mimic tear in Elden Ring can trivialise a lot of boss fights)

I sometimes feel a bit of anxiety when choosing a difficulty option from a given range, usually finding 'normal' a bit too easy and then 'hard' tends to be absolutely brutal. Elimination of this choice is nice I think, as you know you're playing the game the 'right way'.... and surely no dev wants to make a game so hard it is impossible to beat?

Just because this suits me though, I do appreciate it can be seen as gate-keeping + it hardly caters for disabilities and such.

This will always be an interesting debate, and I hear Steelrising did a good job recently, in allowing the player to adjust difficulty sliders to certain functions?

@PenguinLtd Ah fairplay mate! Demons Souls was my lowest ranked tbh (Sekiro #1, Elden Ring/Bloodborne @ #2)

@PenguinLtd Ha oh wow.... one playthrough was enough for me, especially after the 2 week period it took me to beat Ishiin at the end!
Do you agree yet it is the best FromSoftware game??

@ErrantRob I was in exactly the same boat - IMO the game does a terrible job of explaining the 'spirit bar'!
Basically I was using too many heavy/triangle attacks, which put spirit into orange (negative). To get spirit into blue (positive) you need to use a lot of light/square attacks, and take as little damage as possible. When spirit is blue, the parry/deflect window is much more generous and you are more difficult to stagger....
Also, first time I beat the demo I played with an Earth build using spear - which is solid for blocking. I'm still not convinced Wu Long will measure up to the Nioh series though.

I saw your earlier post re Steelrising, how are you finding this? I'm quite on the fence as to whether to buy or not

PS5: My Bloodborne playthrough was unintentionally derailed last week, due to picking up 'Thymesia' at a decent price (indie Souls-clone game, similar to Sekiro). Thymesia is relatively short, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.... scooped the platinum in about 30hrs.
Then this week I've played, and managed to (finally!) beat the 'Wu Long' demo released by Team Ninja. Began really not enjoying this, but now I understand the mechanics better I've done several run throughs with different weapons - really really like it!

N.Switch: As always, playing some Sunbreak and just finishing off a couple of new builds for Greatsword. TU2 update is released in a week, and looking forward to taking the new builds for a spin...
Otherwise my main focus in the next week will be a nice change of pace - aiming to play (and hopefully beat) the new Monkey Island game. I grew up with Point-and-Click games, and am genuinely excited for this one!

@KundaliniRising333 Thanks man, and I would definitely stick Thymesia on your wishlist... I'd assume in coming months it will be subject to sale, and would be an amazing purchase with 20-30% discount. If you're into Platinums, its a pretty decent trophy roadmap with only a bit of grind - most trophies unlocked via MSQ and beating bosses etc. Based on your Steelrising comments, I'd expect you'd like it.

You mention Steelrising is quite short, but IMO this is actually a pro! I think so many games today are open-world 100+ hr epics.... there are only so many hrs in the day to play! I recently got the platinum on Nioh (1) and that took 80-90 hours, so something a third of that length would be ideal.

I'm travelling this month, and also digging into the new Monkey Island, but hoping Steelrising might land a sale before Xmas - you've convinced me to buy

Thoughts on Wo Long demo?

@KundaliniRising333 Thanks for taking the time to put your thoughts out into the wild…

I recently got hold of a cheap copy of Thymesia, another recent Souls-clone… and found it to be a really enjoyable experience. It has a much shorter run time than a lot of its peers, taking me around 20-25hrs for the platinum. Level design and enemy variety are somewhat lacking, but the combat is seriously tight with some awesome boss battles. The whole experience was very akin to Sekiro, and it was well worth the admission price.

I nearly went with Steelrising (over Thymesia) but instead went for the cheaper option. Steelrising seems to have a fairly steep price tag,
Would you say it’s worth it? I understand that a bag relating to one of the trophies (making the platinum impossible) has now been patched?

What would you say are the major ups and downs??

The release window 'summer 2023' is an interesting one...

I expect, and also partly hope, that SE will allow a few months of breathing room between FFXVI and Zelda TotK.

I'm personally very excited for both games, and I wouldn't want to see FF's success impacted/diminished from a release too close to TotK (similar to the impact felt by Horizon FW due to Elden Ring).

Also I partly hope that this gets an August/September release to allow me to play through TotK in entirety, then fully devote myself to FF16. Can't wait for both!

2023 in general is shaping up to be killer across all platforms, and pretty exciting in terms of high-profiles releases.

@BlackMayge Nice to hear Steelrising getting some love...

I recently took a punt on Thymesia, another recent Souls-Clone - and have genuinely been really pleasantly surprised. I'm really enjoying its linearity and short play-time (circa ~10-12hrs) and am now going to push for the platinum on this. It plays very similar to Sekiro and the combat is remarkably tight and well orchestrated. Level design and enemy variety are quite poor, but the combat mechanics and boss battles are pretty decent. I picked it up for 20 £GBP, and would recommend anyone interested puts in on their wish list. It is bound to be discounted soon, and would be a steal for 10-15 GBP.

Souls-clones are very much in trend at the moment, and it is difficult to discern which are worth the time and which are not... based on your SR comments I might keep an eye out for it on sale

Nintendo Switch - Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, just finishing off some builds before the TU2 drops at the end of this month. I've finished all the A5 Anomaly Quests and managed to attain Anomaly Research Lv100, which is the current cap (to increase - - > 120 upon TU2 release). Then from Monday I plan to sit this aside and begin the new Monkey Island!

PS5 - Took a break from Bloodborne to play Thymesia, a Sekiro/Souls clone by an indie developer. A pleasant surprise, with a really great combat system. A short length also, and I plan to push for the platinum. Just hit a wall with a particularly rough boss ('Urd') but am pushing through! Also want to try out the Wu Long demo. My last platinum was Nioh1, and I'm a huge fan of Team Ninja... hoping for good things!

Really want to see/hear the Switch performance on this game…. Come December I’ll be needing a decent Switch game for travel and hoping this would fit the bill. I have some concerns about performance though!

Got the plat in March, and then moved on to other games... so weird hearing all the music 6 months down the line - really does bring back all the feelings (anxiety!) of playing!!

For anyone wanting to scratch the 'Bloodborne itch' - I'd recommend Thymesia.

Pretty cheap, 20 £GBP, and plays like a mix between Bloodborne/Sekiro.... with a lot of skill-tree & build diversity.

Its apparently quite a short campaign, and platinum estimated at <15hrs.

The boss battles are pretty decent! Of course it is shamelessly 'imitation-FromSoftware' but plays well and is a nice shorter game. I'd give it a solid 7...

Keen to check Steelrising, but not committed yet.

For sure though, Lies of P could potentially dethrone my favorite Souls-Like (non-From) of all time - which is Salt & Sanctuary

This actually interests me now.... I just don't have the time for a 100hr Valhalla-esque romp!

15-20 for campaign is solid, assuming another 10ish for the plat?

@PenguinLtd Sekiro remains my favorite FromSoft game, but the very final boss nearly ruined the experience for me. Even my FS standards, he is obnoxiously difficult... and not not enjoyable in any way. Took me 2 weeks to beat him, eventually I resorted to a semi-cheese 'stab-once-and-run' strategy (took >20mins to do him this way).

A sad blemish on an otherwise immaculate game

I'm fortunate enough to own both, and IMO they are both pretty great in their 'own lane'.

I am quite surprised with this outcome, but I agree with someone else's post I saw earlier... perhaps now nearly everyone already owns a Switch?!

This is good for Housemarque, which in turn is good for PS5 owners - considering the recent acquisition of the aforementioned by Sony.

More exposure for HM, not to mention further sales of Returnal, will likely work to support the developer with their next project... both financially and commercially.

Returnal is one of the finest games I've ever played, my personal GOTY 2021, and I can't wait to see what HM come out with next...

I'm a PS5/Switch owner (never gamed on a PC) but I'm genuinely thrilled for PC gamers who now get to experience this amazing game.

Returnal 2 would be a dream come true!

Nintendo Switch: Still hunting daily in Sunbreak, and still having such a blast! Have now cleared all the 5* Anomoly Quests, and working towards AR100 (currently AR87). I’m fairly happy with my build now, but I still have 1 Armor piece in my main set that has potential for a better Quirio roll. Still maining GS - using the Lucent Narga variant, love the aesthetic and the skills are solid as well. Currently doing a lot of Multiplayer anomoly investigations to build my AR, mainly with ransoms, and having a good time. I’m hoping TU2 gives me a reason to keep playing, maybe new armors that lend themselves to GS skills etc
PlayStation 5: Carrying on with Bloodborne, and managed to beat Vicar Amelia first try last night… albeit I must confess I’ve been doing a lot of exploring/grinding, so perhaps my level (34) helped me out there! Found VA to be far less punishing than Father Gascoigne, who was a real wall. Flirting with the idea of going for the platinum, which seems to be doable based on some guides I’ve read

Next up: Xeno3 on Switch, and maybe Thymesia on PS5 (still can’t decide, reviews have been divisive…)

Bit of a 'fall from grace' after the amazing selection last month, but I appreciate not every month can be 5*... will keep an open mind

Generally I avoid platinums that take multiple playthroughs to achieve... although I'm certainly not adverse to save-scumming multiple endings in order to attain (Elden Ring, I'm looking at you...!)

I only have 5, but they were/are all games I love - Returnal / Demons Souls / Ghost of Tsushima / Elden Ring / Nioh(1)

@PenguinLtd that’s interesting as I’ve beat Sekiro, alongside the other titles you mention, but have yet to play Bloodborne - which I’ll be starting this weekend!

IMO - and this is probably a bit contentious- Sekiro is FromSoft’s ‘magnum opus’ and their finest game to date. It’s a strange take on their usual formula, as there is no scope for builds, summoning or levelling up…. It is just ‘Git Gud’ gaming at its finest!

Once the combat clicks it’s a hugely fun ride, with some of the most memorable boss fights in their catalogue

Nintendo Switch: 'Monster Hunter Rise - Sunbreak' - Still loving the expansion, and the new Title Update has opened up some massive possibilities for new sets/builds. Nearly every weapon is viable, and I'm enjoying the ride so far. Just hit MR100, and enjoying also the online MP hunts.
PS5: 'Bloodborne' - its been sat in my backlog for some time, and is one of the remaining FromSoft titles I've not played. Many seem to rank this as their #1 FS game, even above Elden Ring, so I'm really keen to see what all the fuss is about! Shame that there is no patch for 60fps..... but luckily I've been playing a lot of Switch, so the 30fps performance likely won't bother me too much.

Ghost of Tsushima is an excellent example of a Platinum 'benchmark' IMO.... it doesn't obnoxiously ask you to spend 100s of hours finding every last collective, and most of the trophies can be obtained just playing through the main game (Which is a pleasure).

December would be amazing, would be a great holiday game. I'll likely grab this on Switch, assuming the performance isn't too poor

@BlackMayge I agree 100% with your comments on Sunbreak... such a great 'pick up & play' game, almost quite arcade-style! I've probably poured more hours into that game than any other in recent years, by a huge margin. I just hit MR40, but the difficulty is stepping up big time! What is your weapon? Let me know if you ever do multiplayer, I'll add you mate!

PS5: Finally kicked of Resi3Make... been holding off for months, waiting for PS5 upgrade! Enjoying it so far, about 2 hours in. I hear the campaign is relatively short, which is what I'm looking for at the moment (coming off the long hard 80+ hr grind for Nioh1 platinum!).

Switch: MHR Sunbreak, where the difficulty curve is no joke. Hit MR40 now, but there have been plenty of stumbling blocks along the way... New GS switch skills are great, as is the skill swap option. Being able to take Rage Slash and TCS into each hunt is brilliant.

'Objectively' this is probably one of the best months ever for 'PS+ Essential'.

Honestly, if the next couple of months continue like this then I'll likely upgrade from Essential - - > Extra.

Keep it up Sony!

I actually already own THPS1+2... but appreciate just how awesome this game is, and am stoked for others to play it!

Wow! This is more like it...!

I already own THPS1+2... but this is really awesome for anyone who doesn't have the game.

I've been interested in LAD for some time, but haven't wanted to commit to buying. Same for LN. This would be such a solid month!