@SuperSilverback I really enjoy the game as well. Ive wasted alot of hours on it and played it consistently since launch. Its just getting a bit tiresome getting on after every update and discovering that theyve changed ***** again. This particuraly applies to the vehicular combat...being a tank player has been rough! Then you check online and see its apparently because 'fans demanded it'. Did they though? And which ones? I definitely have my suspicions on which types of feedback theyre listening to based on the fact so many of the alterations seem to be pandering to the run and gun, KD ratio jockeys and seem to actively discourage team play or any kind of strategy.
I dont know about the GOTY stuff but Battlefield 6 definitely demonstrates the perils of developers being too reactive to vocal parts of the 'community' when it comes to tweaking and/or altering key gameplay mechanics. Its almost always to the games detriment. Then they say 'they've listnened'. Until the next update. then they've listened to someone else. And on it goes. Problem is they never please everyone because they cant. So maybe dont try so hard and just have faith in the game theyve made.
The worst issue was the auto-save stuttering but apart from that the main issue ive encountered was a certain quest in a mine which results in a boss fight was causing the game to completely crash to the extent i temporarily abandoned it to do other things. Maybe this patch fixes that.
On a side note, did one of the recent updates improve the graphics even more? It was pretty good when the remaster released but I swear it looks even nore stunning in the last few days. Was in a storm at sunset down by the army camp in the bottom right of Velen and it was genuinely one of the most beautiful environments I have ever experienced in a video game. Not the fidelity of the image itself on a technical level but the pure visual splendour of it. The rays of sun filtering through the trees and the hues of the sunset combined with the flashes of lightning and ominous grey of the storm that was approaching were just something else.
After Crimson Desert I'm keen to play a game that doesn't seem like it's written by a group of confused 7 year olds but for all the often heard (and often true) complaints about 'too much stuff to do' that get levelled at open world games I still think an empty open world this large is a massive draw back.
I've tried to play this game twice before. It's obviously brilliant but something just didn't click. Partly the combat and some of the more dated elements. Third times the charm perhaps?!
@Bunchesopuppies Yes, it's a shrewdly confusing tactic. I'm not even sure myself whether I should feel 'privileged' (cough, cough) that I got to play Dying Light 2 earlier because I pay a premium for the service or feel cheated because it means they're offering me less now...
Cosplayers and simpletons will no doubt continue to be unimpressed. Meanwhile, everyone else can hope it turns out to be a half decent horror movie which based on the trailers and the directors track record seems quite likely.
@Rich33 Don't be daft! That takes some measure of self control and actually demonstrating a willingness to put their money where their incessantly yapping mouths are. Far too much effort. Much easier to just complain on social media for a bit and then get excited about pre-ordering the latest overpriced AAA game for that 'must-have' cosmetic extra or paying for a Wolverine-themed pizza to shovel into their cake holes whilst they watch two hours of video game adverts at a cinema.
Complaining on social media seems to bit alot more popular than stopping subscriptions, cancelling pre-orders and not worrying about having to own the latest bit of overpriced tech at launch. So the answer to the question is almost certainly 'no'.
Unfortunately I've hit a Chapter 8 Story Quest shaped brick wall with Crimson Desert which has been my choice of game for idling away a few hours recently. Shout out to Pearl Abyss for making one of the most bafflingly awful design decisions in video game history with that one. Great work guys! (still love the game though!). So I'll probably play nothing until Black Flag resynced comes out. Or jump back on KCD2.
@wildcat_kickz
Haha. Indeed. I forget his name (and it's not worth remembering) but that Culture Wars grifter who claimed that the decades long established Vice City design aesthetic of neons and pink and purple hues with a bit of vaporwave thrown in was in fact a sinister plan to use Bi/Trans/LGBTQ colour pallettes to brainwash young people has to be one of the most embarrassing attempts to manufacture outrage in a long while. And theres been some stiff competition.
Either stunning ignorance or deliberately cynical. Laughable either way.
This could either be a spectacularly good choice or prove to be a bit of a mistake for Warhorse. It all depends if they've been chosen to take on such a big franchise for the right reasons.
It's all lovely stuff but getting new animals to mount etc is just alot of nice but meaningless garnish and there are quite a few far more important aspects they could and should be addressing. Most of which are summed up by the appalling problems with clearing that fort which has the Crimson Nightmare boss in it. And for god's sake, I am happy to accept that this is not intended to be a game like Assassins Creed but if you're going to have a stealth mechanic/detection mechanic in the game then at least make it remotely functional!
Outlaws, as others have said, is the ideal PS Plus game. Unfortunately, muggins here bought it at launch when it was a complete mess. I returned to it a while later and it was much improved. Still lacking in alot of areas but certainly a more fun experience. It just could be so much better. There's a truly brilliant game in there somewhere hampered by boring busy work and the potential with the various factions and cartels isn't fully realised. But definitely worth giving it a go if you've not played it.
The funniest thing about the GTA 6 conjecture is Rockstar themselves haven't done a single thing to encourage it or hype it up themselves. If anything they're refreshingly quiet. They don't even engage with it. Just sit back and let the 'content' creators and morons do all their work for them. Of course they're in an almost unique position of being able to do that but I enjoy the fact they don't compound it. One day the next trailer will just appear when they're good and ready. It really shows up how much of the fuss around these kinds of things is alot of meaningless noise.
@somnambulance It's funny because when they do get it right they really get it right. The entire Reed Devil quest line. No spoilers but it has a great central theme and mystery, enough that they could've and should've expanded on it alot more. It offers intriguing hints at the wider game world and the dynamics of the land and builds up the lore really well with the extra background information from the NPCs and the books you can find. But it's over too quickly. More of that would be brilliant! And less of the 'heres a major character, pivotal to events and that you can even play as but we won't introduce them properly (or really at all) and will just hint at their backstory and involvement which is clearly quite important'. There's nothing wrong with leaving things to the imagination but some of it just seems rushed and not really fleshed out. Which again might be explained by the talk about the change of direction that apparently happened during development.
I must say I've tuned out of the wider story. It grabs my attention now and again and throws up some interesting little ideas and threads but then it gets lost. I can't comment on the story as a whole because I'm nowhere near far enough through. But I do think one of the biggest problems with it is that it has alot of good stuff but it's lacking the connective tissue to make it really work as a story. I think it just needed a bit of work tightening it up and more attention paid to the basics of the narrative. The way they just introduce characters and situations with no real explanation or backstory is odd. There's no real sense of things being set up and then paid off further down the line. Alot of the whys and what's and where's are just left blank. Which would be fine if the game was a total blank slate where you were just dropped into this world and expected to get on with it. But there are alot of times the game requires you to engage with the wider story arc and even demands it. Finding and reuniting with your fellow Greymanes, all the busy work with maintaining camp and building trust and alliances with people and factions would be more impactful if there was a bit more heft to the story and a point to why you were doing it.
It seems churlish to focus on what's missing in a game that offers so much else but there we are!
@somnambulance Interesting post. With regards your comment on Ubisoft, I agree to an extent and would add that actually I think the best aspects of Crimson Desert (the chaos, the atmosphere, the delight of exploration, the unexpected) are the things Ubisoft games are no longer very good at and its worst (combat, traversal, lack of variety in how to approach certain missions/conflict) are the ones Ubisoft still nails very well.
I'm realising that I most enjoy Crimson Desert as a game to just exist in. For exploring and discovering things. Spending an hour or two just soaking in the atmosphere. And I'm fine with that. It's more than worth the price tag for the enjoyment I get out of that alone.
It's fantastic post-launch support and I'm still enjoying the game. But I've found my interest waning a bit and I realise it's mostly just because of something that can't be patched and is just a case of a game being designed in a way that doesn't appeal to me. Namely the combat. I find it very one note. I understand this isn't supposed to be a stealth game so I'm not expecting to be able to go full Splinter Cell or even Far Cry but it would be nice if there was a bit more variety in how you could approach clearing a fort or bandit encampment. I'm not sure why they even bothered putting an assassination mechanic in the game at all (and an associated challenge) when it's utterly useless. Approaching a group of enemies and immediately being spotted and attacked en masse regardless of time of day or if you're attempting to stay hidden is just frustrating and kills the immersion for me. And when you're dealing with clearing a fort and it just becomes a ten minute slog of hacking and slashing your way through wave after wave of enemies it gets dull very quickly.
Like I say. Not really criticising the game and developers here. It's designed a certain way and it's just not a way I enjoy. Still glad I picked it up though because it's still got so many incredible aspects to it. But sadly a very significant element of it isn't clicking for me.
@DennisReynolds
I heard similar things being said about The Last of Us 1 and 2 and again, it's either trolling or they've got their nostalgia goggles on because the improvements in both those games were undeniable and improved them in every way, especially the remaster of 1. Fair enough if people think it's not necessary and they don't want to pay or play again but to say these aren't significant improvements is just denial.
@DennisReynolds I've seen a fair few comments already about Black Flag not looking that different and it's just not true. I'm not even that fussy about visual fidelity compared to some people but the improvement is obvious. It's not even a debate. Maybe the people saying this are generally opposed to what they consider a needless remake which is fair enough but to deny it's not a significant upgrade is just nonsense. Just a quick revisit to the original Black Flag shows that immediately. I had no interest in playing Shadows because I prefer the Ghost Of...games. But to get that engine being used to play an improved Black Flag is going to be so much better.
@DennisReynolds I've become quite adept at dealing with regular bandits by the roadside etc but bosses? Not so much. I'm trying to defeat that guy with the drill hands and the camera and lock on are a bit wild so making it more difficult than it needs to be. For once I was careful to ensure my gear and abilities were at an adequate level rather than just jumping in unprepared but the camera seems to always go wild and I get an absolute battering.
Anyone got any tips on the lock-on mechanic? I thought it was about time I actually did some fighting rather than going around stealing fruit and gawping at rivers for hours on end and I'm finding the lock-on especially in boss fights to be a problem. Is there anyway to adjust it or use it to my advantage? Turn it off even? If not hopefully it's something they might address in a future patch.
@lazarus11 I have a similar thing with E33. Absolutely no interest in the game because of certain design choices and mechanics. But I'm glad other people liked it so much and I have no urge to tell them they're wrong or suggest they're 'glazing it' (eye roll) and must be related to the dev team.
@lazarus11 Exactly. Just because everyone can offer an opinion doesn't necessarily mean they should. Or that the opinion is worth hearing for that matter!
@lazarus11
It is unusual. Sadly not uncommon. But still unusual. Prior to release and during the first few days/weeks of release? Absolutely understandable. But after a certain point, when it has become quite clear that someone probably doesn't have any intention of buying, playing and then forming an opinion on said game, it just becomes fairly redundant. And they're not really adding anything of interest or merit by just constantly telling everyone they don't want to play the game/think it's unfinished etc etc.
I was interested in Arc Raiders. I then played Arc Raiders. I didn't think Arc Raiders was very good so I stopped playing Arc Raiders and no longer have an interest in it. It would be a bit bizarre were I to then keep popping up on articles about Arc Raiders just to remind everyone I don't like Arc Raiders and I think they're wrong for enjoying it. That would be offering literally nothing of any worth to the discussion. That would apply even more so if I had never even bothered to try and play Arc Raiders in the first place.
After the pre-release and post-release buzz has quietened down it would make perfect sense that the majority of the discussion would be between those people actually playing the game and wanting to talk about the actual content. And those who don't like it would find something better to do.
I'm glad @lazarus11 has been vocally speaking up for the game. I was undecided on whether or not to buy it but they made a few posts on here and answered a couple of questions which helped make my mind up. And so I've had a great 40 hours or so exploring it this past week and now have a fantastic new game to enjoy. Lovely stuff. Really good to see some genuine enthusiasm from someone who knows what they're talking about and wants to actually discuss the game. Rather that than engaging in some kind of bizarre pissing contest because they just have to be included in the hype about something despite professing to neither having any interest in or intention to play said thing.
I thought Exodus was easily the best game in the franchise though I know many prefer the more linear, tunnel based style of the earlier games. I'm not really a fan of that myself. Seems a bit drab and limiting though I suppose that's more in keeping with the franchise/stories.
@Titntin
Ah right. Yep. I had barely left Hernand Town and the surrounding areas. Started doing a few bounties and the most recent one took me on a seemingly lengthy trek up a mountain and through all these new areas. I checked the map and it was still only the far south west of Hernand! It's genuinely ridiculous how vast it all is. I've just opened the first new camp on Howling Hill.
There is alot of debate to be had about the various systems and the varying levels of success in how they're currently implemented. Same for the quality of the story and the lore building. But as someone who has always loved open world games what they have created in that respect is something truly remarkable. There are moments that are truly breathtaking and it's one of the rare occasions this generation where I've been truly in awe of what they've managed to do. It's another step in the right direction of seeing the kind of game I always dreamt of playing when I was a kid. Alot of the criticism I'm seeing about the supposed lack of things to do and 'pointless' exploration could be levelled at something like RDR2. Of course that had a very well received story to lean back on but when you stepped out of that and just went wandering there wasn't alot of 'point' to doing it either. Did that make it any less enjoyable? Not for me.
I've got halfway through SM2 but have no real urge to finish it. Whilst it undoubtedly looks and plays fantastically the open world feels like one of the most empty and artificial I've ever played in. This is partly due to the mission structure and the way the side quests, street crimes and base clearing is actually considerably less fun and restricts playing style more than the first two games. Which means focussing on the main story but that's also the worst of the three by some margin. Maybe it improves in the second half but the pacing and writing is embarrassing in parts and there's something insufferably smug about some of it that has already dated badly. It's all downhill after that opening mission!
I'm not sure what they could come up with creatively to justify a fourth installment (not that it matters because their main justification is an obvious one). Kerching!
Not interested in Wolverine either. The major draw of Spiderman games is the incredible movement and how fun it is to just move around. Wolverine won't have that so it'll be all on the actual gameplay and mission design and if that's anything like SM2 then...
I'd rather they made another Ratchet and Clank game. That last one was/is a genuine all-timer.
@AdamNovice
I just picked it up the other day and haven't even altered any of the settings and it runs fine and looks lovely (my only gripe is the ridiculously blue night sky but I get the impression that's a design choice rather than any kind of bug or issue so...)*
I must say, whilst I appreciate everyone enjoys different games (I wouldn't play E33 if you paid me, for instance), the amount of almost wilful negativity about this one is utterly baffling to me.
It might be a rough diamond but it's a diamond all the same. The sheer volume of some of the negativity caused me to lower my expectations to the extent when I started playing it I was genuinely surprised at how good it really is. Where was the horrendous control system? Where were the awful headache inducing blurred visuals?
What's most curious is it seems many people who would often be found encouraging people to try games like Kingdom Come 1 and imploring others to overlook their flaws because it's actually a fantastic game (which is true) seem to actively have it in for Crimson Desert and Pearl Abyss for reasons unknown.
*Please note though that I'm not remotely interested in technical specs or knowledgeable about them. I just play the game and if I enjoy it I enjoy it.
@lazarus11 I'm glad I followed your advice. I've only just got on my horse and already it's clicked. Also I'm on base PS5, haven't bothered to change any of the settings to what has been recommended and it still looks fantastic!
@lazarus11 Could you let me know your thoughts on how Crimson Desert controls? and expand on how it captures that similar Skyrim atmosphere of exploration?
Comments 147
Re: The Scale of Crimson Desert Just Got Even More Absurd After New PS5 DLC
The gaming equivalent of one of those god-awful gigantic 'fusion' all you can eat buffets.
Re: Kingdom Come Developer Warhorse Studios Suffers Cyberattack, Full Impact Unknown
And to the surprise of absolutely no one it turned out the Robin Hoods were actually Sherrifs of Nottingham...
Re: EA Reckons Battlefield 6 Deserves a Game of the Year Edition
@SuperSilverback
I really enjoy the game as well. Ive wasted alot of hours on it and played it consistently since launch. Its just getting a bit tiresome getting on after every update and discovering that theyve changed ***** again. This particuraly applies to the vehicular combat...being a tank player has been rough! Then you check online and see its apparently because 'fans demanded it'. Did they though? And which ones?
I definitely have my suspicions on which types of feedback theyre listening to based on the fact so many of the alterations seem to be pandering to the run and gun, KD ratio jockeys and seem to actively discourage team play or any kind of strategy.
Re: EA Reckons Battlefield 6 Deserves a Game of the Year Edition
I dont know about the GOTY stuff but Battlefield 6 definitely demonstrates the perils of developers being too reactive to vocal parts of the 'community' when it comes to tweaking and/or altering key gameplay mechanics. Its almost always to the games detriment. Then they say 'they've listnened'. Until the next update. then they've listened to someone else. And on it goes. Problem is they never please everyone because they cant. So maybe dont try so hard and just have faith in the game theyve made.
Re: The Witcher 3 Remastered Patch Specifically Targets PS5, PS5 Pro Problems
The worst issue was the auto-save stuttering but apart from that the main issue ive encountered was a certain quest in a mine which results in a boss fight was causing the game to completely crash to the extent i temporarily abandoned it to do other things. Maybe this patch fixes that.
On a side note, did one of the recent updates improve the graphics even more? It was pretty good when the remaster released but I swear it looks even nore stunning in the last few days. Was in a storm at sunset down by the army camp in the bottom right of Velen and it was genuinely one of the most beautiful environments I have ever experienced in a video game. Not the fidelity of the image itself on a technical level but the pure visual splendour of it. The rays of sun filtering through the trees and the hues of the sunset combined with the flashes of lightning and ominous grey of the storm that was approaching were just something else.
Re: The Blood of Dawnwalker (PS5) - A Fang-Tastic Vampire RPG Held Back by Toothless Combat
After Crimson Desert I'm keen to play a game that doesn't seem like it's written by a group of confused 7 year olds but for all the often heard (and often true) complaints about 'too much stuff to do' that get levelled at open world games I still think an empty open world this large is a massive draw back.
Re: Massively Upgraded The Witcher 3 Remaster Comes to PS5 in September, Free for Existing Players
I've tried to play this game twice before. It's obviously brilliant but something just didn't click. Partly the combat and some of the more dated elements. Third times the charm perhaps?!
Re: 'Tiny Team' Working on Next Horizon Single Player Game, Years Away from Release
insert that one Mick McCarthy meme
Re: GTA 6 PS5 Gameplay Coming This Month, Here's When to See It First on Netflix
Oh good. Something else for the 'gaming community' to get upset about because there definitely isn't enough futile whining going on at the moment.
Re: August 2026 PS Plus Essential Games Available to Download Now
@Bunchesopuppies
Yes, it's a shrewdly confusing tactic. I'm not even sure myself whether I should feel 'privileged' (cough, cough) that I got to play Dying Light 2 earlier because I pay a premium for the service or feel cheated because it means they're offering me less now...
Re: 'I'm Struggling to Find Anything Redeemable': Bully's Spiritual PS5 Successor Roasted in First Preview
Can you stop misusing the term 'spiritual successor' in relation to this game and Bully? It is the complete opposite of that.
Re: Sony's New Resident Evil Movie, Directed by Zach Cregger, Looks Superb in New Trailer
Cosplayers and simpletons will no doubt continue to be unimpressed. Meanwhile, everyone else can hope it turns out to be a half decent horror movie which based on the trailers and the directors track record seems quite likely.
Re: PlayStation's First Post Since Physical Games Debacle Draws 57k Replies
@Rich33
Don't be daft! That takes some measure of self control and actually demonstrating a willingness to put their money where their incessantly yapping mouths are. Far too much effort. Much easier to just complain on social media for a bit and then get excited about pre-ordering the latest overpriced AAA game for that 'must-have' cosmetic extra or paying for a Wolverine-themed pizza to shovel into their cake holes whilst they watch two hours of video game adverts at a cinema.
Re: July 2026 PS Plus Essential Games Available to Download Now
A few more studios want shutting down and developers laying off just for that MW3 install size alone. Outrageous.
Re: Gigantic Xbox Layoffs See The Outer Worlds Dev Obsidian Lose 25% of Workforce
People sure do love pretending they really care about things these days.
Re: 'You Will Own Nothing and Be Happy': PlayStation's YouTube Comments Are a Horror Show
Oh no! Not the YouTube comments! Sony board members must be quaking in their boots.
Re: Poll: $1,000 and No Disc Drive - Is PS6 Dead on Arrival?
Complaining on social media seems to bit alot more popular than stopping subscriptions, cancelling pre-orders and not worrying about having to own the latest bit of overpriced tech at launch. So the answer to the question is almost certainly 'no'.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 639
Unfortunately I've hit a Chapter 8 Story Quest shaped brick wall with Crimson Desert which has been my choice of game for idling away a few hours recently. Shout out to Pearl Abyss for making one of the most bafflingly awful design decisions in video game history with that one. Great work guys! (still love the game though!). So I'll probably play nothing until Black Flag resynced comes out. Or jump back on KCD2.
Re: Red Dead Redemption 2's PS5 Port May Have Been Delayed While Rockstar Focuses on GTA 6
@wildcat_kickz
Haha. Indeed. I forget his name (and it's not worth remembering) but that Culture Wars grifter who claimed that the decades long established Vice City design aesthetic of neons and pink and purple hues with a bit of vaporwave thrown in was in fact a sinister plan to use Bi/Trans/LGBTQ colour pallettes to brainwash young people has to be one of the most embarrassing attempts to manufacture outrage in a long while. And theres been some stiff competition.
Either stunning ignorance or deliberately cynical. Laughable either way.
Re: Rumour: Gaming Industry 'Bloodbath' Imminent, as Sony, Microsoft, and More Brace for Mass Layoffs
Entirely unsurprising, necessary and well deserved. And no sympathy for large swathes of the gaming 'community' (cough, cough) either.
Re: First PS Plus Essential Game for August 2026 Announced
Another therapy app for depressed millennials masquerading as a video game. Undeserved critical praise will no doubt follow.
Re: State of Play's Special Alamo Drafthouse Menu Has Leaked, and Here's What Sony's Cooking
It sure is a funny cost of living/financial crisis we're all supposedly living through. And that applies to both consumers and companies.
Re: With PS5 at Its Highest Ever Price, There'll Be No Console Discounts for Days of Play
@Slayer25c
Perhaps work on the basic literacy skills to get them to primary school level before tackling the global economy eh champ?
Re: Nobody Is Doing PS5 Updates Like Crimson Desert Dev Pearl Abyss
@TheArt
Well yes because they're two entirely different issues.
Re: Lord of the Rings RPG from Kingdom Come: Deliverance Dev Confirmed
This could either be a spectacularly good choice or prove to be a bit of a mistake for Warhorse. It all depends if they've been chosen to take on such a big franchise for the right reasons.
Re: Crimson Desert Gets Second PS5 Patch in a Week, Update 1.07 Out Now
It's all lovely stuff but getting new animals to mount etc is just alot of nice but meaningless garnish and there are quite a few far more important aspects they could and should be addressing. Most of which are summed up by the appalling problems with clearing that fort which has the Crimson Nightmare boss in it. And for god's sake, I am happy to accept that this is not intended to be a game like Assassins Creed but if you're going to have a stealth mechanic/detection mechanic in the game then at least make it remotely functional!
Re: 8 PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for May 2026 Announced
Outlaws, as others have said, is the ideal PS Plus game. Unfortunately, muggins here bought it at launch when it was a complete mess. I returned to it a while later and it was much improved. Still lacking in alot of areas but certainly a more fun experience. It just could be so much better. There's a truly brilliant game in there somewhere hampered by boring busy work and the potential with the various factions and cartels isn't fully realised. But definitely worth giving it a go if you've not played it.
Re: GTA 6 Fans Crushed as Next Game Informer Cover Revealed
The funniest thing about the GTA 6 conjecture is Rockstar themselves haven't done a single thing to encourage it or hype it up themselves. If anything they're refreshingly quiet. They don't even engage with it. Just sit back and let the 'content' creators and morons do all their work for them. Of course they're in an almost unique position of being able to do that but I enjoy the fact they don't compound it. One day the next trailer will just appear when they're good and ready. It really shows up how much of the fuss around these kinds of things is alot of meaningless noise.
Re: Crimson Desert PS5 Update Streak Continues in Patch 1.06, Out Now on PS5
@somnambulance
It's funny because when they do get it right they really get it right. The entire Reed Devil quest line. No spoilers but it has a great central theme and mystery, enough that they could've and should've expanded on it alot more. It offers intriguing hints at the wider game world and the dynamics of the land and builds up the lore really well with the extra background information from the NPCs and the books you can find. But it's over too quickly. More of that would be brilliant! And less of the 'heres a major character, pivotal to events and that you can even play as but we won't introduce them properly (or really at all) and will just hint at their backstory and involvement which is clearly quite important'. There's nothing wrong with leaving things to the imagination but some of it just seems rushed and not really fleshed out. Which again might be explained by the talk about the change of direction that apparently happened during development.
Re: Crimson Desert PS5 Update Streak Continues in Patch 1.06, Out Now on PS5
@somnambulance
I must say I've tuned out of the wider story. It grabs my attention now and again and throws up some interesting little ideas and threads but then it gets lost. I can't comment on the story as a whole because I'm nowhere near far enough through. But I do think one of the biggest problems with it is that it has alot of good stuff but it's lacking the connective tissue to make it really work as a story. I think it just needed a bit of work tightening it up and more attention paid to the basics of the narrative. The way they just introduce characters and situations with no real explanation or backstory is odd. There's no real sense of things being set up and then paid off further down the line. Alot of the whys and what's and where's are just left blank. Which would be fine if the game was a total blank slate where you were just dropped into this world and expected to get on with it. But there are alot of times the game requires you to engage with the wider story arc and even demands it. Finding and reuniting with your fellow Greymanes, all the busy work with maintaining camp and building trust and alliances with people and factions would be more impactful if there was a bit more heft to the story and a point to why you were doing it.
It seems churlish to focus on what's missing in a game that offers so much else but there we are!
Re: Crimson Desert PS5 Update Streak Continues in Patch 1.06, Out Now on PS5
@somnambulance
Interesting post. With regards your comment on Ubisoft, I agree to an extent and would add that actually I think the best aspects of Crimson Desert (the chaos, the atmosphere, the delight of exploration, the unexpected) are the things Ubisoft games are no longer very good at and its worst (combat, traversal, lack of variety in how to approach certain missions/conflict) are the ones Ubisoft still nails very well.
I'm realising that I most enjoy Crimson Desert as a game to just exist in. For exploring and discovering things. Spending an hour or two just soaking in the atmosphere. And I'm fine with that. It's more than worth the price tag for the enjoyment I get out of that alone.
Re: Crimson Desert PS5 Update Streak Continues in Patch 1.06, Out Now on PS5
It's fantastic post-launch support and I'm still enjoying the game. But I've found my interest waning a bit and I realise it's mostly just because of something that can't be patched and is just a case of a game being designed in a way that doesn't appeal to me. Namely the combat. I find it very one note. I understand this isn't supposed to be a stealth game so I'm not expecting to be able to go full Splinter Cell or even Far Cry but it would be nice if there was a bit more variety in how you could approach clearing a fort or bandit encampment. I'm not sure why they even bothered putting an assassination mechanic in the game at all (and an associated challenge) when it's utterly useless. Approaching a group of enemies and immediately being spotted and attacked en masse regardless of time of day or if you're attempting to stay hidden is just frustrating and kills the immersion for me. And when you're dealing with clearing a fort and it just becomes a ten minute slog of hacking and slashing your way through wave after wave of enemies it gets dull very quickly.
Like I say. Not really criticising the game and developers here. It's designed a certain way and it's just not a way I enjoy. Still glad I picked it up though because it's still got so many incredible aspects to it. But sadly a very significant element of it isn't clicking for me.
Re: 'PS5 Pro Redefines the Graphics Experience on Consoles': Assassin's Creed Remake Promises 'No Compromise' on Sony's System
@DennisReynolds
I heard similar things being said about The Last of Us 1 and 2 and again, it's either trolling or they've got their nostalgia goggles on because the improvements in both those games were undeniable and improved them in every way, especially the remaster of 1. Fair enough if people think it's not necessary and they don't want to pay or play again but to say these aren't significant improvements is just denial.
Re: 'PS5 Pro Redefines the Graphics Experience on Consoles': Assassin's Creed Remake Promises 'No Compromise' on Sony's System
@DennisReynolds
I've seen a fair few comments already about Black Flag not looking that different and it's just not true. I'm not even that fussy about visual fidelity compared to some people but the improvement is obvious. It's not even a debate. Maybe the people saying this are generally opposed to what they consider a needless remake which is fair enough but to deny it's not a significant upgrade is just nonsense. Just a quick revisit to the original Black Flag shows that immediately. I had no interest in playing Shadows because I prefer the Ghost Of...games. But to get that engine being used to play an improved Black Flag is going to be so much better.
Re: Crimson Desert's Next PS5 Patch Could Be Its Biggest Yet
@DennisReynolds
I've become quite adept at dealing with regular bandits by the roadside etc but bosses? Not so much. I'm trying to defeat that guy with the drill hands and the camera and lock on are a bit wild so making it more difficult than it needs to be. For once I was careful to ensure my gear and abilities were at an adequate level rather than just jumping in unprepared but the camera seems to always go wild and I get an absolute battering.
Re: Crimson Desert's Next PS5 Patch Could Be Its Biggest Yet
Anyone got any tips on the lock-on mechanic?
I thought it was about time I actually did some fighting rather than going around stealing fruit and gawping at rivers for hours on end and I'm finding the lock-on especially in boss fights to be a problem. Is there anyway to adjust it or use it to my advantage? Turn it off even? If not hopefully it's something they might address in a future patch.
Re: Crimson Desert's Next PS5 Patch Could Be Its Biggest Yet
@lazarus11
I have a similar thing with E33. Absolutely no interest in the game because of certain design choices and mechanics. But I'm glad other people liked it so much and I have no urge to tell them they're wrong or suggest they're 'glazing it' (eye roll) and must be related to the dev team.
Re: Crimson Desert's Next PS5 Patch Could Be Its Biggest Yet
@lazarus11
Exactly. Just because everyone can offer an opinion doesn't necessarily mean they should. Or that the opinion is worth hearing for that matter!
Re: Crimson Desert's Next PS5 Patch Could Be Its Biggest Yet
@lazarus11
It is unusual. Sadly not uncommon. But still unusual. Prior to release and during the first few days/weeks of release? Absolutely understandable. But after a certain point, when it has become quite clear that someone probably doesn't have any intention of buying, playing and then forming an opinion on said game, it just becomes fairly redundant. And they're not really adding anything of interest or merit by just constantly telling everyone they don't want to play the game/think it's unfinished etc etc.
I was interested in Arc Raiders. I then played Arc Raiders. I didn't think Arc Raiders was very good so I stopped playing Arc Raiders and no longer have an interest in it. It would be a bit bizarre were I to then keep popping up on articles about Arc Raiders just to remind everyone I don't like Arc Raiders and I think they're wrong for enjoying it. That would be offering literally nothing of any worth to the discussion. That would apply even more so if I had never even bothered to try and play Arc Raiders in the first place.
After the pre-release and post-release buzz has quietened down it would make perfect sense that the majority of the discussion would be between those people actually playing the game and wanting to talk about the actual content. And those who don't like it would find something better to do.
Re: Crimson Desert's Next PS5 Patch Could Be Its Biggest Yet
I'm glad @lazarus11 has been vocally speaking up for the game. I was undecided on whether or not to buy it but they made a few posts on here and answered a couple of questions which helped make my mind up. And so I've had a great 40 hours or so exploring it this past week and now have a fantastic new game to enjoy. Lovely stuff. Really good to see some genuine enthusiasm from someone who knows what they're talking about and wants to actually discuss the game. Rather that than engaging in some kind of bizarre pissing contest because they just have to be included in the hype about something despite professing to neither having any interest in or intention to play said thing.
Re: Metro 2039 Goes Back to Its Roots for Series' Darkest Game Yet, Out on PS5 This Winter
I thought Exodus was easily the best game in the franchise though I know many prefer the more linear, tunnel based style of the earlier games. I'm not really a fan of that myself. Seems a bit drab and limiting though I suppose that's more in keeping with the franchise/stories.
Re: Crimson Desert Sells 5 Million Copies in Less Than a Month
@Titntin
Ah right. Yep. I had barely left Hernand Town and the surrounding areas. Started doing a few bounties and the most recent one took me on a seemingly lengthy trek up a mountain and through all these new areas. I checked the map and it was still only the far south west of Hernand! It's genuinely ridiculous how vast it all is. I've just opened the first new camp on Howling Hill.
Re: Crimson Desert Sells 5 Million Copies in Less Than a Month
@Titntin
Which area do you mean?
Re: Crimson Desert Sells 5 Million Copies in Less Than a Month
There is alot of debate to be had about the various systems and the varying levels of success in how they're currently implemented. Same for the quality of the story and the lore building. But as someone who has always loved open world games what they have created in that respect is something truly remarkable. There are moments that are truly breathtaking and it's one of the rare occasions this generation where I've been truly in awe of what they've managed to do. It's another step in the right direction of seeing the kind of game I always dreamt of playing when I was a kid. Alot of the criticism I'm seeing about the supposed lack of things to do and 'pointless' exploration could be levelled at something like RDR2. Of course that had a very well received story to lean back on but when you stepped out of that and just went wandering there wasn't alot of 'point' to doing it either. Did that make it any less enjoyable? Not for me.
Re: Inevitable PS5 Sequel Marvel's Spider-Man 3 Teased in a Quickly Deleted Social Post
I've got halfway through SM2 but have no real urge to finish it. Whilst it undoubtedly looks and plays fantastically the open world feels like one of the most empty and artificial I've ever played in. This is partly due to the mission structure and the way the side quests, street crimes and base clearing is actually considerably less fun and restricts playing style more than the first two games. Which means focussing on the main story but that's also the worst of the three by some margin. Maybe it improves in the second half but the pacing and writing is embarrassing in parts and there's something insufferably smug about some of it that has already dated badly. It's all downhill after that opening mission!
I'm not sure what they could come up with creatively to justify a fourth installment (not that it matters because their main justification is an obvious one). Kerching!
Not interested in Wolverine either. The major draw of Spiderman games is the incredible movement and how fun it is to just move around. Wolverine won't have that so it'll be all on the actual gameplay and mission design and if that's anything like SM2 then...
I'd rather they made another Ratchet and Clank game. That last one was/is a genuine all-timer.
Re: Crimson Desert Update 1.03 Out Now on PS5, Get the Patch Notes Here
@AdamNovice
I just picked it up the other day and haven't even altered any of the settings and it runs fine and looks lovely (my only gripe is the ridiculously blue night sky but I get the impression that's a design choice rather than any kind of bug or issue so...)*
I must say, whilst I appreciate everyone enjoys different games (I wouldn't play E33 if you paid me, for instance), the amount of almost wilful negativity about this one is utterly baffling to me.
It might be a rough diamond but it's a diamond all the same. The sheer volume of some of the negativity caused me to lower my expectations to the extent when I started playing it I was genuinely surprised at how good it really is. Where was the horrendous control system? Where were the awful headache inducing blurred visuals?
What's most curious is it seems many people who would often be found encouraging people to try games like Kingdom Come 1 and imploring others to overlook their flaws because it's actually a fantastic game (which is true) seem to actively have it in for Crimson Desert and Pearl Abyss for reasons unknown.
*Please note though that I'm not remotely interested in technical specs or knowledgeable about them. I just play the game and if I enjoy it I enjoy it.
Re: Starfield (PS5) - Better Than Ever, But Still No Space Skyrim
@lazarus11
I'm glad I followed your advice. I've only just got on my horse and already it's clicked. Also I'm on base PS5, haven't bothered to change any of the settings to what has been recommended and it still looks fantastic!
Re: Starfield (PS5) - Better Than Ever, But Still No Space Skyrim
@lazarus11
I think that's made my mind up. : )
Re: Starfield (PS5) - Better Than Ever, But Still No Space Skyrim
@lazarus11
Could you let me know your thoughts on how Crimson Desert controls? and expand on how it captures that similar Skyrim atmosphere of exploration?
Re: Starfield (PS5) - Better Than Ever, But Still No Space Skyrim
@lazarus11
Sorry. I didn't specify. My last post was talking about Crimson Desert!