Comments 233

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 430

CJD87

@PenguinLtd Dark Souls Remaster is great, and nowhere near as punishing as the media/internet rhetoric would suggest!

It just doesn’t do a great job of explaining the fundamental mechanics, nor does it advise just how important and nuanced the build system is…

Many, including myself, make a classic ‘first playthrough’ error of spreading character stats equally throughout the 10-11 categories. This is a recipe for disaster, and instead you need to focus on 3-4 max stats to level - dependant on the kind of character you want to build

I would say this - do some homework on the game mechanics before starting, and have an idea about what sort of build you’re aiming for… this will ensure you don’t waste stat points in undesirable categories

Finally - don’t get to caught up in what starting class you select, ultimately you can spec any class into most builds. Starting class only really implicates your beginning equipment and weapons, ‘Knight’ is probably a solid choice for a first timer

It really is great, and might whet your appetite for the almighty Elden Ring down the road..!

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 430

CJD87

Aiming to finish the 3rd region in Nioh 1… but some of these bosses are causing me some horrific hardships ha!

Hoping to boot up Monster Hunter Rise again also, having put it down probably around 1yr ago. Need to do some build checks ahead of Sunbreak at the end of this month, and also re-familiarise myself with the greatness of the Greatsword!

Re: Poll: Will You Buy The Last of Us: Part I?

CJD87

I will buy this probably...but only because I'm in the small minority of sheltered individuals who have not played the original/remaster.

I can totally see though why the majority of PS gamers would be less than enthused by this announcement seems a strange/uncessecary use of Naughty Dog resources?!

I am honestly much more exctied about FF16, REmake4 and SF6

Re: Poll: Was Summer Game Fest Live a Show to Remember?

CJD87

Pretty unremarkable for me TBH...

I think what really hurt Game Fest is that (for once!) we had a pretty incredible State-of-Play that was only a week ago.

After being wowed by RE4Make, SF6, Callisto and FFXVI - Game Fest felt incredibly underwhelming.

I never played the original/remaster of TLOU, so will probably buy the remake. But nonetheless it is pretty dissapointing that the 'highlight' of this show is a remake of a game that probably nobody desperately craves? I'd rather have the ND team working on new IPs...!

And also... where are Suckerpunch at?!

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 429

CJD87

Nioh 1, hoping to finish the water boss at the end of region 2…. Am getting slightly closer each time!

And on Switch… hoping to start dipping back into MHRise, ahead of Sunbreak dropping in a few weeks. Put it down about a year ago (after ~150hrs) and am expecting to be extremely rusty

Re: Poll: Did Sony's Latest State of Play Livestream Live Up to the Hype?

CJD87

IMO it was.... actually pretty great!

My expectations were tempered appropriately, and I was really pleasantly surprised.

I was already pumped for RE4R and FFXVI... so seeing these trailers alone made the SoP worthwhile. Also, SF6....a game I previously had zero interest in, now I'm keen for it!

Only notable omission was GoW, but in fairness Sony did stipulate beforehand that 1st party games would not be covered. I'd probably expect GoW to get its own show closer to the rumoured release in Sept.

My ONLY 'negative' would be this = where is the Bloodborne remaster at?! Even a 60fps patch would have me jumping for joy ha!

Overall a terrific effort.

2023 is shaping up to be great for gaming in general, when you consider BOTW2 and Starfield as well.

Re: Mini Review: Salt and Sacrifice (PS5) - Change Isn't Always Good in This Disappointing Sequel

CJD87

@slips666 IMO The first game is a masterpiece… and I actually enjoyed it more than HK!
Sanctuary is more ‘Souls-Esque’ due to its emphasis on build-diversity, and it incredibly replay-able. I would say both games are on a par for difficulty, and if you have any Souls experience at all then you will feel very at home with S&S.

HK is of course a great game, but I personally prefer the build-scope in S&S - not to mention some great co-op potential.

You can’t go wrong with either! I would suggest though you maybe go into S&S with an idea of what build you want to play, so you can start planning out your skill tree accordingly

Re: Mini Review: Salt and Sacrifice (PS5) - Change Isn't Always Good in This Disappointing Sequel

CJD87

Sadly agree 100% with this review.
This was one of my most anticipated games of 2022, having been a huge fan of ‘Salt & Sanctuary’ (IMO the best 2D-Souls game, solid 9/10)
Sacrifice seems to discard everything that made the first game great, whilst introducing a number of tedious new mechanics and cheap combat.
I gave it a good 5-6 hours before dropping it completely and moving on to Nioh.
For those who haven’t played the original game (Sanctuary) I would highly recommend! But this sequel really missed the mark for me

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 426

CJD87

Struggling to click with things after mopping up the platinum on Elden Ring....

On Switch I'm still playing Dead Cells - edging closer to actually completing my first full run! Game plays like a great mix of Hades & Returnal, I'd highly recommend it to anyone that enjoyed those.

On PS5 I've started 'Salt & Sacrifice', which is a 2D-SoulsClone (and sequel to 2016 title 'Salt & Sanctuary', an amazing game too!). This new sequel is good, but doesn't quite capture the same magic as the first game. Still is a good play though, and quite intricate build-diversity / mechanics / weapons should keep me interested

Re: Poll: When Do You Think Final Fantasy 16 Will Release?

CJD87

Personally I think it will shoot for a Nov-Dec release this year. By pushing into 2023, the game will be in 'unforeseen territory' regarding having its release clash with BOTW2.

The original BOTW largely overshadowed the original Horizon... and should definitely be a lesson learned for any developers that are considering a suitable release window.

By slotting it in to 2022-holiday period, this avoids any clashes - and keeps the spotlight firmly on FF16.

(Disclaimer - I am massively excited for both BOTW2 and FF16, but do believe that a similar release window would potentially be to the detriment of both games... although I think FF16 would probably 'come off worse')

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 423

CJD87

Managed to clean up the Platinum on Elden Ring, and also get all the new trophies from the DLC-release on Returnal… been a stressful week!

Having a break from PS, in lieu of starting Horizon Zero Dawn, so have moved to Switch for this week coming (am travelling, so this is my only means of gaming)

Trying out Dead Cells, which I hear is a nice mix of Hades/Returnal… both of which I loved!

Re: Elden Ring's Platinum Trophy Stat Is Shockingly High

CJD87

@pumpkin_head Haha! Your quote..

"Aside from trying to beat Melania as a distance loving sorcerer, the hardest part of the game was genuinely the platforming for the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending for me!"

This is so right, can't believe there are so many people out there losing their minds over Melania... but hardly anyone is making reference to the platforming for the FF ending! What a nightmare, honestly it was probably the most frustrating difficulty curve I had with this game.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my time with Elden Ring... but that platforming section was quite literally the death of me (x30-40 times due to impatience lol)

Re: Sci-Fi PS5 Exclusive Returnal Sweeps the BAFTAs, Wins Best Game

CJD87

Massive congratulations to HM! I just wished they'd patched in the 'suspend' feature about 3 months earlier...!

Awesome game though, uncompromising and challenging - but provides a level of reward that I have yet to experience anywhere else in gaming so far.

Can't wait to jump into the DLC at the weekend

Re: Poll: How Far Into Elden Ring Are You?

CJD87

About 11-12 hours in, and having a wild ride...!

Around lv32-ish now, Margit absolutely stomped me (took 30-40 tries, no joke) but eventually got it done. Somehow just managed to beat Godrick on my first try though... maybe these bosses should have been swapped?!

Started as Samurai class, sticking with the Uchi for now as 'Unsheathe' art is absolutely brutal. Also equipped the 'no skill' art to my accompanying shield, which allows use of Unsheathe when just 1-handing the Uchi.

Need to focus on upgrading the Uchi though, struggling for stones...

Also just managed to pillage the 'Exile' armour set from some of the guards at Stormveil, loving the look - especially when dual wielding 2 x Uchi

Awesome game, and really enjoying the non-linear freedom. I am 50/50 progressing the story, exploring for a bit, then back to the story.

Re: Elden Ring Easy Mode Isn't Happening on PS5, PS4

CJD87

@JJ2 Agree 100% on your Returnal comment, and note about Grace-Point/checkpoint locations.

Housemarque adding the 'suspend' feature was a QoL improvement in my opinion, and a much valued one. It allows the game to 'respect the time' of the gamer, without really compromising or nerfing the perceived difficulty. I actually plat'd Returnal before the suspend patch, and believe me I am no pro!

Consumers who think ER is too unforgiving really want to give the DeS remake a go...... if you get nailed by a boss, then in some cases you are looking at facing a 30-40 min run back through all the mobs - just for another opportunity to tackle the boss and get whooped again ha

Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Sifu?

CJD87

I think this is a firm 7/10 game - a brilliant effort from SloClap, considering the obvious resource limitations that any smaller developer faces (vs AAA heavy-hitters).

For me it plays like a strange mash-up of Sekiro, Returnal and Hades... but fails to land punches as strong as any of those inspirations.

I admire the steep difficulty curve of SIFU, and for once I am actually against the game being patched with an 'easy mode'. My feeling is that if you are to take away the challenge/difficulty curve, there is actually not much 'game' left (no real story or RPG mechanics/gameplay to lean into).

I have just beaten the 3rd boss (at an embarrassing age of 65!) but am confident I will eventually beat the game. Perhaps not a platinum...

Got this to tide me over until Elden Ring, and generally pleasantly surprised.

However - I would be hesitant in recommending this game to people, unless they were already familiar with tough games. (vs Hades, which I would recommend to everyone without hesitation)

Re: Poll: What Elden Ring Starting Class Will You Choose?

CJD87

Got the Platinum for DeS by using a DEX build (based on a Fextralife guide) and want to mirror that!

I guess Samurai starting class is closest to what I will be working to attain, fast and brutal melee combat with plenty of speed and also a bow for ranged attacks when needed

Re: Sifu Updates to Include Difficulty Settings and Accessibility Options

CJD87

@JohnnyShoulder Cheers mate!
I'm no 'elitist', but I managed to beat Returnal pre-patch... and just know that I definitely would have used & abused the new 'suspend' feature had it been available. The process was frustrating at times, but the sense of accomplishment for beating it (and playing in the form that the devs intended) was amazing! Thanks

Re: Sifu Updates to Include Difficulty Settings and Accessibility Options

CJD87

I can appreciate both 'sides' of this argument... but for me personally, I actually made the decision to purchase this game based on the perceived level of difficulty.
Having beat Returnal last year, I was keen to test myself with another game that has been renowned for challenge etc - and thought SIFU would fit the bill.

Question - is there a way to stop any auto patch-updates for this specific game? I don't want to be 'tempted' by the option to adjust difficulty, and would honestly rather play this game as the developers originally intended.

Re: Poll: Did You Buy Sifu on PS5, PS4?

CJD87

Caved to all the hype and downloaded this yesterday... hoping to get stuck in at the weekend!

Quick question re. Controller remapping...

As a Souls-player, I intend to remap Light/Heavy attacks to R1/R2 and then remap Dodge to O.

I have seen there are some other multiple-button options like 'takedown' and 'throw item'(?)

Would be keen to hear how others have remapped in such a fashion, I fear that my muscle memory will absolutely require the attack buttons to be trigger based

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 409

CJD87

@KidBoruto - I'm currently approaching the end of Act1, but keen to clean up all the side-missions etc before I go to storm Castle Kaneda ha! Loving it, and might even shoot for the plat considering there is still >4wks until Elden Ring.

Was also considering squeezing in HZD before Elden Ring, as I have never played HZD before... but think this will be ambitious with how much Ghost is taking over!

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 409

CJD87

Needed a time-sink to kill hours before Elden Ring drops next month... so have set a goal to play & platinum Ghost of Tsushima (PS5 Director Cut).

Never got around to playing this before, loving it so far... albeit just a few hours into 'Act 1'. Playing on hard difficulty, which I feel is a comfortable challenge and by no means a cakewalk! Initially flirted with 'lethal' difficulty, but quickly discovered this was a joyless experience ha

Great game, hoping to plat main story and hopefully DLC before I become all-consumed by ER

Re: The Game Awards 2021 Nominations Revealed, Deathloop Gets Eight Nominations But Returnal Snubbed

CJD87

Whilst I wouldn't have necessarily expected Returnal to win, I'm pretty shocked regarding the snub!

I think it would be fair to say that most would deem it to be 'GOTY Material', irrespective of personal opinion/enjoyment.

I wonder if the divisive difficulty level did it some damage here? Maybe patch 2.0 was 'too little too late'...

I know that these awards are hugley subjective and inconsequential, but I am slightly sad for Housemarque in that they will miss out on deserved recognition for a tremendous video game.

Re: Returnal Update 2.0 Finally Lets You Suspend Your Run

CJD87

Oh Housemarque... where were you this time last week when I finally managed to slot through Act3?!

On a serious note, this is a good thing and hopefully entices any fence-sitters to jump off and play this phenomenal game.

Whilst I am proud to have completed Act3 pre-patch, I would have certainly welcomed the functionality to 'suspend' the cycle...

I would not consider this to be game-breaking in the slightest, but rather an update that is respectful of the player's time and mitigates the risk of any rest-state crashes.

My personal GOTY